Friday FAQs is a new series on Oh She Glows featuring your questions about OSG recipes, substitution ideas, cooking methods, ingredients, and tools. My goal for this series is to share what I’ve learned in my kitchen over the past 8 years, and hopefully inspire you to try new plant-based ingredients, cooking methods, recipes, and more! Feel free to shoot your questions my way via social media or the blog and I’ll select a handful each week to feature. See my first Friday FAQs post here.
Happy Earth Day, everyone! I hope this week’s Friday FAQs inspires you to whip up some plant-based meals in honour of Earth Day. Today’s feature is jam-packed, so let’s get right to it!
Q1: I just bought your cookbook and my very first recipe is your veggie burgers. I am doubling the batch…with the extra, do you prefer to cook them and freeze or freeze the patties then cook them?
A: Hi Laurie, Oh how exciting! I prefer to freeze the cooked and cooled patties. Once the cooked burgers have cooled completely, I wrap each burger individually, then place them all into a large freezer-safe zip bag. I press out as much air as I can, zip it up, and freeze for up to 4 weeks. You can thaw individual burgers in the fridge or on the counter and then reheat in a skillet. If I know I’ll be freezing the burgers, sometimes I’ll cook them a few minutes less just to ensure they don’t dry out during the freezing/reheating process. I hope you enjoy the cookbook—let me know how you like the burgers!
Q2: I just recently got put on a diet and it is gluten-free/paleo. I am struggling with finding recipes for snacks that are not sweet. I love sweets and chocolate, but that is all I have been eating lately because those are the recipes that I am finding. Do you have ideas for salty snacks? Also, I recently bought chia seeds and other than having them as oatmeal with almond milk and fruit, I have no clue what to do with them.
A: My go-to savoury snacks are hummus with crackers or veggies, avocado toast, or roasted chickpeas (such as my Salt and Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas). As for chia seed recipes, I recommend trying out my Endurance Crackers for a super easy (and paleo-friendly) recipe that packs in a ton of chia seeds. They are great with dips or simply topped with sliced avocado and pink salt! For non-savoury options, you could try making my (Almost) Instant Chocolate Chia Pudding, Raspberry Chia Seed Jam, or Chia Fresca.
Q3: Hi Angela, I was wondering if I could go out on a limb and ask a huge favor. I am getting married in August and my family is helping with the food. I would really like all or most of the side dishes to be vegan but with the price of food lately I also want to be budget conscious. There will be around 150 guests. I’m wondering if you could suggest a few of your recipes that might suit my requirements? I know you are very busy so I will totally understand if this is not doable for you. Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful recipes in the blog and your cookbook.
A: Congrats Michelle! It’s so great that your family is helping out with the food for the wedding. In terms of choosing budget-friendly vegan sides, my best advice would be to stick with dishes featuring in-season produce: fruits and veggies are often a bit less expensive when they’re in season, so it’s a great way to save a little on the cost of ingredients. Since your wedding is in August you can take advantage of having so many local vegetables and fruits in season! Also, if there are ingredients you know you’ll need and that you can stock up on further in advance, keep an eye out for coupons and sales. A few recipes I’d recommend are my Creamy Avocado Potato Salad (p. 107 from The Oh She Glows Cookbook), Long Weekend Grilled Salad (p. 115), The Best Shredded Kale Salad, Mashed Potatoes with Easy Mushroom Gravy (p. 207), and Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad. You could also roast and season vegetables, like in my Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fingerling Potatoes and Rosemary recipe, or my Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Cumin-Coriander Tahini Sauce (p. 191)—but some of those might get tricky, depending on oven space. Also, don’t forget the simplicity (and great flavour!) of a homemade gazpacho. You can definitely make that one ahead. I’d imagine that some of the side dishes can be made in larger batches to accommodate the size of your wedding, and can be partially prepped in advance (for example, the salad dressings and vegan parm can be done ahead) so there’s less to do day-of. I hope this helps get the wheels turning! Have a great wedding.
Q4: Hi Angela, I’m having trouble keeping the Glo Bars together. I don’t have brown rice syrup, so I’ve been using maple syrup. Is that why they won’t stay together?
A: Hi Lisa, Unfortunately maple syrup doesn’t work great as a binder in this recipe (I’ve tried it many times using different combos…oh how I wish it did!). The only binder I’ve had success with is brown rice syrup. Its super thick and sticky consistency really helps the bars stick together. I hope you enjoyed the Glo Bar pieces anyway! I sure wouldn’t pass them up if I saw some crumbles on a tray. ;)
Q5: What is nutritional yeast? Is it the same as yeast for bread?
A: Great question! The two types of yeast are actually quite different: The yeast used in bread is what’s known as “active” yeast, and it works as a leavening agent (helping your baked goods to rise and become lighter); nutritional yeast, on the other hand, is “inactive,” dead-form yeast. Nutritional yeast is great for lending a cheesy, nutty flavour to vegan recipes, and is often fortified with B vitamins. I love adding it to sauces, gravies, and dressings, or sprinkling it on popcorn or garlic bread. A few of my favourite recipes using nutritional yeast are my Luxurious 7-Vegetable and “Cheese” Soup, Life-Affirming Warm Nacho Dip (p. 83 of The Oh She Glows Cookbook), and Broccoli & Cashew Cheese-Quinoa Burrito (p. 159).
Comments of the week:
“To be honest, I’ve been struggling a bit with your blog as of late. What I love about my favorite blogs (which used to include OSG!) is that it feels like having a friend in your life with all sorts of interesting stories, pictures, or recipes. The ones that truly stick with me have a presence in my life and it’s a fun ride to tag along as life changes.
I bought the first cookbook and will probably buy the second cookbook but I feel as though I’ve really lost my connection here. You were updating the blog through being pregnant and moving and releasing a cookbook, even updating monthly when you had your daughter, lately it’s been basically silent.
I hate to admit it, but I’m really disappointed. I knew you were working on this app and that was a big reason it was so quiet. After all the waiting, I can’t even buy the app because I’m an Android user. I know you have a lot going on in your family and I’m excited for the next step for your family, but I feel as though this community has taken, not even a backseat, but like the spare car left at home. I’m hoping that isn’t the case, but it certainly doesn’t feel like the connection I used to feel to the plant based community here.
Good luck with all your endeavors, I’m glad to have been a part of it for awhile and truly wish you well!”
Hi there, I can tell from your comment that you care a lot, and I really appreciate your honesty. I have to be honest with you too; I felt a rush of guilt, sadness, and embarrassment as I read your comment. I think the hard part is that it’s impossible to see someone’s entire life and what they are going through from a blog or social media.
I can tell you one thing I’ve realized over the past few years: I’m not perfect at juggling big life changes/demands and work projects, especially when they happen all at once. Creativity is a funny thing at times; I can pour everything into a single project when I need to, but then I feel burned out in other areas. I’m not very good at switching back and forth among several demanding creative pursuits.
I can, however, promise you that every day, I’m trying my absolute best and putting 100% into everything I do. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely!! I know this more than anyone; I’m incredibly tough on myself and strive for progress daily. I certainly don’t have all the answers, and know I’ve dropped the ball in various areas of my life as I’ve tried to balance motherhood, writing and completing a second cookbook, creating an app, a second pregnancy, blogging, and starting up a newsletter over the past 1 1/2 years. If I can’t give 100% into a blog post, I will not post, because I want to give everything I can into each post and recipe, even though it may mean my content slows. I never publish something “just to get a post up” or to meet a quota.
I totally agree with you that the blog has had to take a backseat at various times (just like other things have in my life too), but I didn’t have another solution at the time. As I mentioned, sometimes I have to focus all my creative energy into one project to meet deadlines. It’s just how my brain works the most efficiently. Trust me that no one feels as much conflict over this as I do. I do think that I can develop better strategies in the future, though!
As I reflected on your comment this week, I also had a bit of an epiphany. I realized that I never give myself credit for all of the things I am doing successfully. Eric mentioned that I never once stopped to appreciate or celebrate the things I accomplished as a new mother. All I could think about each time was how behind I was with other things. How many of us don’t stop to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished and how far we’ve come? I bet it’s a lot of us.
I also feel like our community has spread far beyond the blog. I connect with thousands of readers a week on social media, reply to dozens of comments and questions daily, share behind the scenes on Snapchat, and more. I hope anyone who subscribes to my newsletter also sees the passion I put into it. I write a personal letter in each issue (among other content such as a Q+A and recipe flashbacks) talking about what’s going on in my life. I’m always trying to connect with my readers in diverse ways, even though I may miss the mark at times!
Despite the conflicting feelings I’ve had in recent years (and probably should’ve talked about more openly, but I feared it would come across as ungrateful), I’ve never once regretted pursuing new projects, taking risks, and especially, taking the time to focus on my family these past 19 months. Many times, I’ve delayed blog posts or other work in favour of spending time with my daughter and I’m more than ok with that. I have one shot at my time here and I have to trust my heart, even if it doesn’t work out perfectly in the end or please everyone all the time.
I can’t promise you that my blog will be everything you’re looking for or need, but I can promise that I continue to give 100% of myself into each post and project, even if it’s sometimes hard to see. And of course, I will take your feedback to heart and try to improve. I’ve never for a second thought that I had this whole thing figured out.
I’m sorry that after waiting all winter you were not able to download our app. I can promise you if we had the budget to develop across multiple platforms simultaneously, we definitely would have. Our intent was never to leave anyone out, but to begin this new journey and hope we have the means to grow in the future.
I so appreciate your support for my cookbooks, and even if you don’t continue to read my blog, I’m very thankful that you enjoy my work!
Take care, Angela
~~~~~~~~
“Hello, Ms. Liddon,
I am an interpretive park ranger at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. I prepare lunches for our park’s living history program volunteers once a month during living history day. Since I switched to a completely plant-based diet a few years ago, I started making vegan lunches for our volunteers and staff, normally 15 to 25 people each month. I found your blog and it has become one of my favorite “go to” places for recipes. I didn’t know how the volunteers would react to this change in lunches, as only one of them is vegetarian. It turned out that every one of them loves and compliments the lunches and I’m happy to say that every month there are virtually no leftovers. Thank you so much for being such an inspiration! I’ve told them about your blog.
Sincerely,
Peter K., Oakland, CA”
Hi Peter, This is so fantastic to hear! I’m honoured that you use my recipes for your lunches, and even more so that they are such a hit with your group. What a great way to spread the plant-based love. I hope you all enjoy many delicious meals to come!
The comment was really unnecessary, and I’m sad that they made YOU feel guilty and like you needed to explain yourself. You owe this person nothing; you’re not their personal best friend or family member. It’s disappointing on our end to see others holding you accountable for their own satisfaction and sense of community. You decide when you can or cannot contribute to this blog and community. I miss your posts and more frequent check ins but that doesn’t mean I should complain that you have a demanding schedule outside of the blog. It was kind of rude to be honest, and it’s too bad the person didn’t realize that before they wrote it. I think they could have expressed that they miss you in another much more positive way.
Love your newsletter, cookbook, blogs! Just wondering why Friday FAQs comes out on Saturdays.
It has shown up on my computer on Friday both weeks so far.
Angela, In reaponse the the one reader’s comment, any parent should understand how incredibly demanding being a mom, let alone a working mom is. Stay true to yourself and know you’re doing the best you can. I wish I could have juggled as much as you do when my kids were younger. Don’t burn yourself out. I think most of your readers would prefer tou be happy and continue to post when you can. It makes you more real!!! Thanks for sharing so much with your readers and for inspiring so many of my early vegetarian recipes. I always recommend your blog. Keep up the good work at YOUR pace. Your loyal readers will always be here.
Wow! Angela, you handled that reader’s comments with such grace and poise. I applaud you for putting your family first, spending time enjoying that precious daughter, and focusing on one thing at a time. As a mom, wife, and health coach whose business grew faster and bigger than I could have ever expected, I get it. Keep doing exactly what you are doing. Pat yourself on the back for your amazing accomplishments. The things that you share with the world make it a far better place to live.
Grateful,
Haynes
The person that wrote that comment needs to get a grip; publicly shaming and blasting you for having a life. Its not as if you aren’t very busy with other aspects of OSG as well as your own personal life. You handled the comment well, but I hope you don’t feel guilty as you really have no need to feel that way. Others above have put this far more eloquently than I can but I just wanted you to know that you are not beholdent to anyone, including your followers, and have evry right to put yourself and your family above anyone else. xxx
I am so grateful for the time and energy that you put into this site for everyone and anyone to use … FREE…. and….. it’s an amazing site!!!
( and I love your book :) )
Thanks!
Hi Angela,
We’re newbies to your blog and vegan nutrition. Our family is transitioning to 100% plant based and I recently purchased your cookbook. I love to cook so food has to taste good. I use and like a lot of ingredients in your book so the transition is going pretty smooth. The recipes we’ve tried have been great.
Can post what type of food spiral slicer you use?
For your blog, it’s a breath of fresh air and I’m thankful for any post.
Thanks,
Leanne
Hi Leanne,
I saw your question – I bought a spiralizer after Angela raved about the Paderno Spiralizer off amazon.com. I love it. It has suction cups and different blades to do noodles, chips, etc… Soo fun to use! Pretty inexpense, too. :)
That comment was totally unacceptable in my mind about you not giving 100%. Everything you give on the blog you give for FREE! And you are a working mother! You give more than you need to to your blog readers, thank you. You’re more than enough, please take that to heart and enjoy your family.
So glad to see there’s a new update of your Friday FAQ’s! I’m only recently learning to really appreciate nutritional yeast (in fact, I’ve gone from ‘meh’ to ‘gimmeeee’ sort of overnight), so this topic really has perfect timing.
About the comment, I think you’re brave for posting it here and answering so detailed and honest. I think the commenter didn’t mean to make you feel that way, but I can imagine it did. It also reminded me of that post a while ago about the diet of your children, and I was wondering indeed what kind of effect that had on your openness and (initial) lack of hesitation to post about your personal life.
I do love your ‘meta’ posts and discussions, and when I scroll through your older posts, I can imagine it is really nice for you and your readers to join the regular discussions. But again, I don’t think you’re responsible for providing and updating a vegan discussion forum. I’m happy if you do so, but if real life gets in the way, you want to do something else, hell, even if you would like to burn all your bridges and start a new life as professional bowler in France, you do you. (That being said, I’d really rather hope you won’t as I would miss this marvelous website and your helpful, kind encouragements towards a healthy, plant-based lifestyle.)
What I’m trying to say, is I guess we’re glad with what you’re giving to us. And if you update less, because of whatever reason, I would be sad (for the lack of a better word), and at the same time won’t blame you. Because I think those two can perfectly coexist. I hope you’ll feel less guilty after posting this (and reading all the lovely comments people are pouring out over you!) because I indeed think you’re your own most harsh judge. Thanks for all the amazing things you’ve created so far, and I’m looking forward to many more things to come!
I really like the format of this post and the personal attention and thought you put into answering questions. I also admire your willingness to share such personal thoughts about you and your life. Thanks for trusting us with with struggles
. Love your blog!
What a lovely post, Angela! I think you are so brave to share that comment. I don’t agree with the reader, however, I enjoyed reading your answer. I can ALWAYS see that you pour your heart 100 percent into every blogpost, newsletter, photo on social media etc. It just shows. So please do NOT worry too much about having had to slow down on the blog posts. Sure, I miss the blog posts but I understand why you aren’t posting just as much at the moment. & I am just the more excited when you do have a blog post coming up. So Angela, just keep up the good work. You are doing absolutely amazing!
Hi Angela,
I think your blog is great and I love your cookbooks. I would have bought your app in a heartbeat had it been for Android too. No amount of time away would keep me from coming back and reading your blog. That being said, I have to say I’m disappointed you called the reader out like that for her comment on your blog. You had already handled it so I think its not very nice to post her comment in such a way that all of your readers would rally around you. I think you handled it with grace until you did that. The thing is, sometimes people post something and we may be sensitive or not like what they’re saying but maybe there’s some truth to it. I really hope in the future, out of respect for your readers, that you don’t post their comments in that fashion, just because they don’t agree with you. The reader wasn’t hateful to you in any way, from what I read. A reply was definitely warranted and I thought you defended yourself well but not this. I don’t usually comment but I’m sorry, I’m a little surprised by this. It obviously doesn’t affect how I feel about this blog but concerns me as an avid reader. But that’s just my two cents.
Hi Angela,
I have been a huge follower of you for many, many years. I love your cookbook and just bought your app. You’re right, having a little one is a lot of work and I believe family, along with taking care of yourself, should always be the number one priority. I fully support you keeping your family life with your daughter private.
As I reflect on how far you have evolved over the years I think you should be incredibly proud of yourself!! However, sometimes I believe less is more. I enjoyed your original blog. I understand the need to grow and be creative but for me personally I could give up the newsletter, app and Friday tips just to go back to the foundation of what you originally had…amazing and original recipes. Delicious food is what will continue to draw me back to your blog. This is not meant as a criticism but just another perspective from a long time follower. In the end do what makes YOU happy because that is all that really counts. Everyone has a different opinions, myself included but do what feels right for you and I believe that always takes us to the place we are meant to be. Looking forward to your next cookbook ?
I agree with you, Diane! Well said!
Angela, how brave of you to highlight that comment and answer it in such a loving, real way. I’m in awe. Thank-you for sharing that kind of raw courage with me and the rest of this community. A lovely reminder of humility and humanity.
I also wanted to share that whenever I’m making a dish for a party I know I can count on your recipes. I often makes something and bring it along without trying it ahead of time. I know I can confidently carry the dish in and share it with everyone there and get asked for the recipe at least once (often more!).
Thank-you for all that you give. <3
Angela, I was so sad to read that comment from one of your readers. Your recipes and posts have been an inspiration to me for YEARS, and your cookbook is a godsend. THANK YOU for all of the time, energy, love, and care you have put into your posts, your recipes, and everything you have done! You rock.
I am so glad that you responded to that comment. It has honestly been the way I have been feeling as well – I have been a huge fan of your blog for so long, because of your amazing recipes of course, but more so because of your personal anecdotes and the advice you have offered about choosing a career and dealing with eating issues. After reading your response to that comment, however, I understand more where you are coming from and why your blog has evolved. I will still come here for fantastic recipes, but will look elsewhere for personal stories from bloggers that are in a place in their lives where they want to share those things. That is ok! At the end of the day it is your blog, and you should do things the way you want to. Your family absolutely comes first, and if that means less posting, or keeping it less personal and more professional, then that’s what you should do.
Hi Angela, I just wanted to say I know how hard it is to be torn between more than one thing that is important to you. Your daughter is going to grow up and if you weren’t freeing up some of your time to spend with her, that is what you would look back on with regret. You will never get this time again. I have loved your blog for years and have been quite happy to wait a bit longer for a blog post, who am I to take your time away from your daughter?
Please don’t feel guilty for putting your family life first that is what really matters in the grand scheme of things.
Dear Angela, I know how much you care and take things that are being said on this forum to heart, so I thought I would leave a few words to join the beautiful comments of appreciation and love. While I was reading that comment (I did not feel it rude, more of a heartfelt “I miss you, friend!” type of comment), a lot of memories flashed through my mind: I even remember you eating salmon, then Tofurky, when you started dabbling with a vegan diet; your posts about the races you’ve done; the struggles with anxiety that I could relate so much to; all the beautiful recipes; I remember one of the anonymous Q&A sessions that filled me with horror because people were asking really rude questions about not having a baby and relationships…. I’ll stop counting, really, so many memories. I feel like I’ve grown with you, sharing a lot of the same experiences; and often your raw honesty and integrity have been a guiding light in my life. The brightest example of that would be my big decision to switch from accounting major to something I am passionate about – an economics major – after reading your post about quitting your high-flying research job that your despised, even though many people were warning me that I’ll never find a job in our small town (happy to say that I now have my dream job while a lot of my friends feel stuck in their accounting jobs). So I want to say thank you, to celebrate you, to say that you’ve managed to touch so many lives. Even if you post only once a year, I’ll be a loyal reader of your blog. Sending lots of love and hugs your way, Angela.
What a beautiful comment, Olya. :)
I was going to post my own comment, but Olya said (beautifully) everything I wanted to say . Your recipes made the transition from long-time vegetarian to vegan a joy (love that basil cashew cheese) and your other posts have inspired me as well. I began my career later in life, and I am not happy with it – I have reread and reread your posts about leaving your old job and have used it for inspiration to make some changes that I believe will add years – and joy – to my life. Thank you for everything you do. You are a light in this world!!!!
I think it’s totally understandable that blogging can sometimes take a backset to the other projects and priorities that you have in your life! And I really respect the fact that you don’t want to publish a post *just* to publish something. I think one of the (many) things that makes this blog wonderful is that every post really feels special and well-crafted. I for one think it’s better to have a smaller number of quality posts than tons and tons of short, hastily-written, lower-quality posts. I also think it’s important for you to take care of yourself and your family first, even if that sometimes means giving less attention to other things. Hope you’re having a great weekend! :)
I just want to echo what everyone else has been saying. On a more general level, people seem to forget that it is usually one person behind the scenes of these lifestyle blogs. It is not a magazine, it is not a book, it is not a tv show where the formula, format and schedule always remain the same. Life changes and evolves and almost all lifestyle blogs are going to reflect that. Having children, getting a divorce, and other life experiences will all influence blog writing. The new expectation that bloggers must adhere to posting daily, weekly, or on any other schedule is ludicrous. Where is the patience and understanding that this is a reflection of someone’s life and all it’s variables? Even full time bloggers are allowed to take breaks, vacation, and set their own schedule. I imagine readership on any blog will ebb and flow based on the readers and the writers circumstances. It’s fine to stop reading but it is not fine to expect a blogger to adhere to one particular blog formula for the rest of their lives. Nothing in life is static-including blogs!