my favorite shops giveaway #1

i L-O-V-E artallnight on etsy. 

the colors are so bright and vibrant, 

and the hand painted designs are beyond kick ass!

it is one of those stores where you will 
want EVERYTHING that is for sale! i mean... WOW! 

there are so many incredible pieces to choose from!

  

the shop has amazingly priced earrings, rings, hair clips, bracelets, pins, necklaces-- even pet tags!  


they are all superbly crafted and guaranteed to be conversation starters! 

the shop owner will also do minor customizations

(chain length, product color, etc) 

at no extra cost!  how amazing is that?!

i know i am gushing, 

but i seriously adore these items and own several myself... 

(and will buy many more in the future!! )

it is without a doubt, 

one of my all time favorite etsy shops!

and i can't wait for you to check it out!

i love it so much i am having a rafflecopter giveaway (yay!) so that one of you can own a piece of this uniquely beautiful artisan jewelry!

but first...

MEET THE SHOP OWNER!

♥ emma lee of artallnight ♥

how would you describe your shop?

I would describe my shop as pop culture, tattoo inspired jewelry. 

For the girl who wants something flashy and bold.

when did you start crafting? 
I have been crafting since I was young, but as far as making jewelry, 

probably after college, when I was about 24.

what inspires you?
I'm inspired by all things pop culture. The big, bold, gaudy even. 

Of course I really enjoy the color and beauty of tattoo art too 

so that also contributes to my ideas.

favorite piece ever made?

Favorite piece I ever made had to be the tribute to my favorite fat cat, Garfield. 

I made a necklace that was a tribute to the Garfield Halloween special,

 featuring Odie with a pumpkin on his head and Garfield dressed up in pirate attire.

describe yourself in three words.

quirky, fun, clumsy.

you are easily described as drop dead gorgeous, 

whats your beauty secret?

Oh well thank you. Beauty secret, well I'm going to be 32 in two months, 

I never smoked, drink plenty of water, exfoliate, sunscreen everyday, 

and to top it off I use those cheap Freeman masks that you can find at Walgreens,

 really does wonders for acne, tightens the pores and is so affordable!

favorite color?
Red!

favorite band(s)? 

I'm all over the board, Descendents, Social Distortion, 

Jesus and Mary Chain, No Doubt, Bosstones, Hagfish, Ramones, 

Turbonegro, Manic Street Preachers, M83... too many to name!

favorite movie(s)?
Movies, again all over the board. 

Caddyshack, Animal House, Shutter Island, Goodfellas, the Departed, 

Superbad, the Avengers, Office Space, Art School Confidental

three things that drive you crazy.

bad drivers, early mornings and snow.

any final words?
Thanks Maria for giving me this chance to showcase my shop 

and remember, dare to be different, it's fun! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

vegan eggplant lasagne

i normally batter and salt and lemon my own eggplant cutlets, but i decided to experiment with dominex brand eggplant (found in the frozen aisle of your grocery store) and see how it would turn out... it was amazing!

sorry no pics.. as soon as i take it out of the oven, its GONE.

VEGGIE EGGPLANT LASAGNE / LASAGNA
(maria-style, with no exact measurements)

ingredients

• two packages of dominex frozen eggplant cutlets - do not thaw
  (i found this at my local grocery store in the healthy section of
  the frozen food aisles)
• one package of extra firm "italian" seasoned tofu
• one package of tofutti better than cream cheese
• vegenaise, 
  roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons 
  (this is optional, but will make your filling creamier)
  
• nutritional yeast 
  

  (to taste)
• plain soy milk or almond milk
  (not vanilla…!)
• vegan parmesan 
  (optional)
• sea salt
  (to taste)
• garlic powder or minced garlic
  (optional)
• baby spinach
• one jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• two packages (or more, your choice) of follow your heart vegan mozzarella or your favorite brand, shredded
• olive oil, just a touch to rub around your casserole dish

directions

• preheat oven to 350*
• in a large bowl, crumble your tofu. add the entire tub of tofutti cream cheese. 
• add nutritional yeast, vegan parm, and sea salt to taste.
• mash and mix the ingredients together until you get something starting to resemble dry ricotta.
• mix in half of one package of your shredded follow your heart mozzarella.
• add a a dollop of plain soy milk and a tablespoon or more of the vegenaise to make the mixture creamier. you still want it fairly firm... you just want to make it spreadable.
• add garlic and mix.  this is optional due to the fact that some marinara sauces are loaded with garlic and you don't want to overload your casserole.
• take your olive oil-greased casserole dish, and add a thin layer of marinara sauce.
• add the frozen eggplant in a layer to cover the bottom. break up a few pieces in smaller slices to cover more area if need be.
• spread the ricotta mixture generously across the eggplant. 
• sprinkle some of the follow your heart shreds on top. 
• add a thin layer of spinach leaves.
• add another layer of marinara sauce.
• add your next eggplant layer.
• add your next layer of tofu mix.
• another layer of follow your heart shreds, another layer of spinach leaves, and another layer of marinara.
• the casserole dish i use (a corningware casserole dish) is just about full at this point. i top it off with the rest of the follow your heart shreds, and a sprinkle of vegan parm. i then add a few spinach leaves on top.
• cover with a lid or foil and place in the oven until heated through. take off the foil and let the top get bubbly and melty, then remove from the oven. 
• plate it up
• EAT EAT EAT...  AND EAT!