Vegan Pot Pie Cupcakes

It isn’t a secret that our Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes are a hit! They remain one of our top pin images on Pinterest and always rank at the top of our blog post views! Due to allergies, our family has gone diary free and do a lot of vegan recipes so I thought it was time to try out a new recipe – Vegan Pot Pie Cupcakes. Just as easy and delicious and the original!

Did you know that crescent rolls are vegan?? This a game changer for this recipe, but also for week night meals, appetizers and holiday meals! Basically you make a filling, push some crescent rolls down in a muffin tin, add filling and bake for 15-18 minutes. Cheese is totally optional. We use dairy free cheese (our favorite is daiya).

Vegan Pot Pie Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

1 serving of vegan cream soup (I used this version and subsituted vegan ingredients)
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1/2 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 (10 oz) cans Pillsbury crescent rolls

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400.
In a large bowl, combine the vegan cream soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.
Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and place the Pillsbury crescent rolls into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides. You will have extras and can fill the cups or make extra rolls on the side!
Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup. Slide into the oven and bake for 15 -18 minutes. Check at the 15 minute mark.
Let rest for about 3 minutes and dig in!

eating around the outer banks

by Mandi | adventures

We love the beach. The fun with family, the relaxation (if you can get it) and the escape from every day life!

One of our favorite beach spots is the Outer Banks. It is a bit of a drive from our hometown of Charlotte, NC, but totally worth it. You may remember Heather’s post from a while back. Horses, relaxing, eating and more. Life is slower there, you do not get the overly crowded beaches and it is, in our opinion a great place to escape to.

Last month I packed up our new family of 4 and headed to Nags Head for a family trip. My dear friend was getting married and I knew I couldn’t miss it! We stayed at this adorable house we found through VRBO – my favorite way to travel as you may remember – and enjoyed the beach, local spots and amazing food.

When we vacation or visit any new city, we always look to YELP for recommendations on restaurants, things to do, shops, etc. We are RARELY disappointed. We eat at dives that get great ratings and below I have shared a few spots we really enjoyed.

THE SPOT

When my sister lived in Hawaii she turned me on to acai bowls. You guys, these are bowls of amazing blended fruit topped with anything from fresh fruit, to coconut and granola, or even peanut butter. They are refreshing and filling at the same time. So when I saw there was a local spot walking distance from our vacation home in OBX, I knew we had to go. This place was everything I was looking for. Acai bowls, smoothies and even poke on the weekends. My husband now has me make bowls at home and my two year old LOVES them. Add it to your OBX places to go. Photo: The Spot

the spot

TORTUGA’S LIE

So.. confession time, my husband and I love watching the Food Network and one of our favorite shoes is Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. So, we figured if Guy had been there, why not give it a try and just like that we found Tortuga’s Lie. This place is just what we wanted, low key, amazing food, great atmosphere and easy for our boys. I am currently staying away from dairy for my 4 month old’s allergies and they were more than accommodating! If you go, try the beans and rice… I am not sure what they do to those beans, but they are the best we have ever had! Photo: tortuga’s lie

tortugas lie

FOOD DUDES KITCHEN

Finally I’ll share this small, hidden in a shopping strip, piece of heaven. This was another yelp find and was probably our favorite. The freshest sea-food, great local beer selection and great for families. It was tight, but our boys handled it well. I got a tuna burrito that was one of the best I have ever had. It was the special of the day, so maybe try that as they work with what is in season. Don’t forget those rice and beans – seriously the OBX has those down pat.

food dudes

What about you? Do you try yelp? Do you have any favorite places to eat in the Outer Banks? Any favorite places to stay?

best organic sunscreen

by Mandi | fun finds

A baby changes you. Your mother having cancer for no reason scares you. Your family members having to have pieces of their skin cut out because of sun damage scares you.

With that said… this mama is making changes. We eat healthier, we exercise regularly, we live a balanced life, and we do research as to what some of the best sun protection lotions, sunscreens, SPF clothing, and beach gear are. We do the best we can with what we can and we protect our families, our babies, and ourselves the best we can.

I have done some research on what I feel would be safe for my kids and for myself. Note that I am not an expert, just a mom that has talked with other moms, read online and done some research on what I would feel comfortable using myself.