Try This Vegan Alternative to Chicken Wings for Your Next Party Snack

Buffalo chicken wings are a classic party snack for any occasion. However, if you prefer a meatless alternative, cauliflower floret “wings” are the perfect option. This spicy and savory snack is simple to make and a vegan and vegetarian favorite. Here’s everything you need to know for making your own cauliflower wings:

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup Frank’s Red Hot or other vegan-friendly buffalo sauce

1 tbsp of vegan butter

1 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave

How to Make Cauliflower Wings

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Add a piece of parchment paper to the baking sheet and top with some oil or cooking spray.
  2. Chop up the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. The simplest way to do this is to cut the head in half and trim the individual florets from the main stalk.
  3. Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and water in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture together until it’s smooth.
  4. Add the cauliflower. Make sure each piece gets an even coat of batter.
  5. Remove each piece of cauliflower and shake off the excess batter into the bowl before placing on the baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip. Bake on the other side for about 15 minutes.
  7. Prepare the hot sauce mixture in a small saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat, add hot sauce and your choice of sweetener. Stir until combined and set aside while the cauliflower finishes baking.
  8. Once the cauliflower is crispy, take them out of the oven and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the sauce mixture and combine. Serve right away or put them back in the oven for extra crispiness.

If you’re not worried about animal products, traditional ranch and blue cheese dressings are delicious and creamy dipping options. Otherwise, these vegan-friendly buffalo “wings” go perfectly with vegan versions of ranch or blue cheese.

This recipe also works well with gluten-free flour if you prefer. You can substitute any sauce to make a variety of “wing” flavors like BBQ, teriyaki or chipotle lime. Serve with some fresh veggies and you have the perfect balance of spice and refreshment in the same excellent party snack.

Entertaining at home: Simple ways to improve your gaming room setup

game controller blue and pink background image text designing the perfect game room five tips for your ideal setup

Home entertainment used to refer to large sound systems and robust flat screen televisions. But today, it involves a
little more, especially when it comes to video games and game rooms. In fact, there’s a good chance you already have
a room designated for gaming and hanging out, even if you don’t know it.

Regardless of your game room setup, there are ways to make improvements – and they may not be as difficult as you
think.

Here are five (5) simple ways to improve your gaming room setup:

Designated gaming room

When it comes to gaming, making sure you have enough room can be a bit of a hassle. Don’t worry. Even if you have
limited space or every room in your house has a purpose, you can still create a designated gaming room.

For example, if you have an open floor plan or are using another multipurpose room, try adding some vertical storage
before setting up your gaming area. Damage-free strips, shelves, shallow bookcases and other minimal wall utilities
are great for clearing out space for your new gaming area.

Once you’ve created your space, choose your primary device. If you’re a virtual reality (VR) gamer, be sure you have
enough room to move around.

Gaming chair and accessories

VR gaming isn’t the only way to upgrade your gaming space. Adding accessories, such as small projectors against a
blank wall, wall-mounted surround sound systems and even controller holders and racks, is a great way to optimize
your gaming room setup. However, one of the most important facets is the gaming chair.

This type of video game room furniture is crucial, especially for those who plan to spend a lot of time diving into
their game worlds. Find a chair that supports your back and doesn’t put strain on pressure points. For those with
only a little room to game, try a chair that has its speakers built in. Some may even come with rumble packs that
can be wirelessly connected to your system.

Ambient lighting

Lighting is crucial for any game room, especially a small video game room. You’ll want to choose light that doesn’t
reflect off the screen or game surface. In fact, ambient lighting can set the arcade or game room mood without
heavily impacting the game itself or the gamer.

Try using soft light bulbs or small wall lights with frosted shades to keep the light from directly impacting your
gaming area. Remember, you want to keep the light bright enough to maneuver what you’re doing, but not so bright
that it could cause a distraction or hinder gameplay.

Gaming space

Whether you have an entire game room or a corner of a multipurpose room, how your space is arranged is crucial. Be
sure to keep enough room to get animated, especially where VR is concerned.

Keep small, easily movable items out of your gaming space to ensure they don’t get broken, damaged or misplaced. To
avoid injury, be sure to move any excess furniture or make sure your current furniture setup won’t interfere with
your gaming experience.

Gaming setup

Gaming rooms often have their required specs: game consoles, tabletop gaming setup, audio where needed, video where
applicable, etc. However, making sure your gaming setup is at its optimal levels is the difference between a good
gaming experience and an exceptional one.

If you have an auxiliary system, be sure the projecting components – like speakers – are pointed toward you or in the
direction of the primary player. 

If you’re using a screen, be sure the speaker is large enough to accommodate the details and graphics of your chosen
platform. You’ll also want to ensure you have enough room behind your electronic pieces to keep them from
overheating.

Infographic article summary designing the perfect game room five tips for your ideal setup

Creating a game room to accommodate your gaming style doesn’t have to be elaborate. If you currently game, there’s a
chance you already have many of these items. If you’re just starting out in the gaming world but want to create your
perfect gaming sanctuary in your home, try applying these game room ideas when you first set up your gaming area.

3 Fun Ideas to Keep You In-Touch With Long-Distance Loved Ones

Most of us are fairly accustomed to using long-distance technologies. But did you know you can use those same long-distance technologies to do more than communicate with the office? Here are 3 excellently entertaining ways to stay in-touch with your loved ones while having a blast.

Virtual Tea/Coffee

Having a warm cup of tea or coffee with loved ones sounds like a well-deserved bout of relaxation for most. Unfortunately, whatever the circumstance, sometimes we don’t get the opportunity. This is where long-distance virtual morning hangouts could come into play.

Set your coffee pot or tea kettle to brew a fresh pot of your favorite. Have a designated time in the morning picked out, maybe even the usual time that you would meet up. Then load your preferred platform and let the good times pour in.

Virtual Book Club

There is an allure to chatting about shared interests. Book clubs are a great way to add a little structure to that conversation. They’re also an astounding way to hang out with several close loved ones at once. Hosting a virtual book club is no different.

Send a mass text or email with a few books from everyone’s list. Vote on which to read and have fun setting up times each week (or more frequently) to have a nice, relaxing chat about your book choice while catching up on some much-deserved time spent together.

Virtual Game Night

Virtual game nights have come a long way. Where we were once stuck with a limited amount of options, it seems the world of collaborative gaming has opened up. With some platforms offering a hefty library of tabletop game simulations and ways to connect with a group of people, the options are nearly endless.

Game nights also seem to run better when you have two designated machines. These can be tablets and cell phones or laptops and webcams. Just be sure to have one device for the game itself so you don’t lose out on any performance between video chatting software and the game.

Home Assistants: How to Get the Most Out of Yours

Virtual home assistants can be versatile, even if they’re still somewhat seen as a novelty to some homeowners. To really get the most out of them, though, you need to first understand what it can do. We’ll look at how your home assistant works and how you can add more efficiency to your routine by adjusting how you use it. 

Link Your Information 

This is the most important thing that you can do with a smart home assistant: the more you have on one system, the easier it is to control. So if you have home automation, such as an automated security system or lighting, you can input that information to make it easier to maintain functionality. You can also link your financial information, making it possible to buy what you need by just making the request.

Integrate with Everyday Tasks 

If you want to dictate your to-do list to a technology that will record it all, smart assistants can be a great way to capture the details. So instead of missing one ingredient for a new recipe or forgetting to call the plumber to fix the leak in the bathroom, you never miss a beat.

Assistants are also great for setting timers, making phone calls and reminding you to stick to a schedule. Many people find that their productivity improves when they use these assistants, making it easier to stay on track without feeling overwhelmed. 

Get More Information

Traffic back home, weather, your work schedule: you can use smart home assistants to give you the information you need to get up and running daily. Similar to your to-do lists, this can be everything you need to prepare for your day. You can also make your updates more aligned with your priorities, whether they’re a technical necessity or not.

Maximize Your Home Entertainment 

Books, movies, podcasts, music: there are ways to link your services and control your home entertainment with nothing more than your voice or a smartphone. Use virtual assistants to increase the volume, play in surround or select a song you might love.

Remember the Features 

These features make it possible to mute the device, change the default names and teach the AI more about your personal preferences. It all makes for a more intuitive experience.