tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83010909868628557292024-02-06T23:10:57.790-05:00The Odd Couple EatsHallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-81802482416342220092013-04-24T21:51:00.002-04:002013-04-24T21:51:19.478-04:00A New Post from Hally - I Know, It's Crazy!Oh my goodness. I am posting on The Odd Couple Eats! It has been so long that this feels completely surreal!<br />
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I don't know if anyone is still reading this (though my stats seem to suggest that people are), so I just wanted to pop in and say a few words. It has been a full year since I last posted, and I never gave any explanation for the discontinuation of The Odd Couple Eats. So basically, I'm the worst ever.<br />
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In a nutshell: I decided to go back to school and this meant that my life got way busier than anticipated. Aside from being short on time to post, I have also been short on time to cook. Without cooking, a blog like this doesn't make much sense. I also began to feel a bit limited by the scope of TOCE. I know other vegan cooking blogs successfully integrate topics other than food, but for whatever reason, I just haven't felt I was able to do that here. <br />
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BUT, I wanted to let you know that I have launched a new blog called <a href="http://bootstrappingit.blogspot.com/">Bootstrapping It</a>. This is a place for me to pursue my creative writing and just talk about all kinds of wacky things. I cordially invite you to check it out!<br />
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Meanwhile, I have no plans to take TOCE down. I hope people continue to use my old recipes and enjoy the content. As summer approaches and I get a break from school, I hope to be back in the kitchen and will try to post a few new recipes here! Thanks for supporting my endeavors and for being on the journey with me!<br />
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Love,<br />
HallyHallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-71605287215544089692012-04-11T12:06:00.000-04:002012-04-11T12:06:56.434-04:00Food Truck Review - Cinnamon Snail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'd been hearing about this organic, all vegan food truck called the <a href="http://www.cinnamonsnail.com/">Cinnamon Snail </a>for awhile now. Based out of Red Bank, New Jersey, the snail makes it way to different neighborhoods in Manhattan every Monday-Friday, serving breakfast and lunch. Sometimes they also appear at special events in the outer boroughs. Reading about their menu on-line was enough to make me drool: sandwiches like the Lemongrass 5-Spice Seitan and the Red Curry Grilled Tofu Banh-Mi; Raw Pizza; a Fiery Southeast Asian Salad; and of course, the pastries. Their name "Cinnamon Snail" refers to their giant cinnamon rolls, but they also serve a delectable variety of donuts, danishes, cookies, etc. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The only problem is that they go on a hiatus every Winter. I waited patiently through the cold months until they finally hit the road again. Last week I read that they'd be parked in Midtown West, pretty close to my work. I strapped on my tennis shoes and set-off in search of the bright red truck. The walk was longer than expected and by the time I got there, it was around 12:20, prime feeding time. The line was already developing. People had heard about the Snail and they were hungry. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgQOsezZdYyMBtu0G3-4ipX2sN_PxKCHyf7IJSLMmY1N98MFmBH5z200y5FfVjTmfdL6PRLZfv43s0zkmNMr1rv3TzKgTcP41DBOCf6ZhtQ9f3kBzfUkMyz9Qbr7p4FoKc8338Wy8ViQ/s640/blogger-image--826550570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgQOsezZdYyMBtu0G3-4ipX2sN_PxKCHyf7IJSLMmY1N98MFmBH5z200y5FfVjTmfdL6PRLZfv43s0zkmNMr1rv3TzKgTcP41DBOCf6ZhtQ9f3kBzfUkMyz9Qbr7p4FoKc8338Wy8ViQ/s640/blogger-image--826550570.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On this particular day, they happened to be set-up in front of Random House and people were pouring out of that building in droves to stake their place in line. (Proud to report: no line cutters! Yay, Random House!) As I squinted to see the menu from my place in line, I heard others raving about what they'd ordered on previous excursions. I could see the pastries in the case at the front of the truck... they were so close, yet so far away. I busied myself on my iPhone and within about ten minutes, I was at the front of the line. I decided to order a bit on the healthier side and went with the Maple Mustard Tempeh Sandwich. But no vegan can resist a dessert, so I added a Vanilla Bourbon Creme Brulee donut for good measure. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Another ten minutes later, I had my order in hand and began the trek back to the office. The sun was beating down and I was hungry, oh so hungry. I was tempted to sit down on the sidewalk and scarf down my food right then and there, but a meal so special deserved the proper environment in which to be enjoyed. I patiently made my way through mid-town and finally arrived at my desk. I tore in. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj727rS4mw5jZ-qB8FAF4OGIQHFM7snz3veQJZ166p0FVRv97Mx6T5THmRVjVu8mN4HtilLIkntgww9tMgpTaqC_zmS486Lb2b97N126Ha28Zu0XSWiQVPZ2KS2xuCBIcW5P8mPf6fXblk/s640/blogger-image-1626426343.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Why yes, I am available for hand modeling. That scab should heal soon. (Ugh.)</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On one hand, I was hoping the sandwich wouldn't be too good, because it would only lead to a deepening desire for Cinnamon Snail in the future. But those hopes were dashed. This thing was delicious. The bread seemed homemade and was lightly toasted, the tempeh was marinated to perfection and was layered with fresh kale, even fresher tomato, and grilled onions. It even smelled fantastic; I caught a few co-workers peeking over their cubicles to see what the heck I was eating. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I told myself I'd save the donut for later in the day, but two minutes later I decided that was dumb. There could be an earthquake. We could all be dead later in the day! The donut didn't fare too well in my walk back to the office, so I'm sparing you a picture, but it tasted pretty darn good. The grease stains on the paperbag it was in were a reminder of the calories being consumed, though. I think next time I'll order a simpler dessert. This was a bit too much of a sugar rush for a weekday afternoon. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">How do you find out if Cinnamon Snail will be in a neighborhood near you? The best way is to follow them on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheCinnamonSnail?ref=nf">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/VeganLunchTruck">Twitter</a> where they update you with their scheduled locations. Try to go early or late to avoid rush hour, or be prepared to wait 20-30 minutes. It's worth it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I see they are parked on 47th and Park Avenue today... that's pretty close to work. No, I will eat my leftovers like a good girl. Maybe... </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-34793587922384334942012-03-28T12:13:00.000-04:002012-03-28T12:13:44.607-04:00New Contest Winner<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello! So Katie, the original winner of my <em>Blissful Bites</em> by Christy Morgan giveaway, never contacted me. Sorry Katie, I tried to give you lots of time to respond, but I had to choose a new winner. The new winner, chosen at random is... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><em>aschwitters!</em></span> </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Who wrote: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Fresh fruit is absolutely blissful!"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So many fruit fans around here! And I'm one of them. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">aschwitters, please email me at hally dot thornton at gmail dot com as soon as possible and a new cookbook will be on its way to you! Have a great day everyone!</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-27412778887167647822012-03-26T13:43:00.000-04:002012-03-26T13:43:47.318-04:00Recipe Testing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrGdCmzcOV8dxjm3q81MrEGXtxbDJphBzPdEZOdS8G_eaPjEZ54Ec8oIAQiW1fhaA4xUh_fKPoqP45itARWMcajk5mXZPNxEcGmJsTfNHOhcxiZ2x0Evvj6rKYemSBCukuWRvD_S0zTY/s1600/DSCN3386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrGdCmzcOV8dxjm3q81MrEGXtxbDJphBzPdEZOdS8G_eaPjEZ54Ec8oIAQiW1fhaA4xUh_fKPoqP45itARWMcajk5mXZPNxEcGmJsTfNHOhcxiZ2x0Evvj6rKYemSBCukuWRvD_S0zTY/s320/DSCN3386.JPG" width="206px" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Just a quick peek at some of the recipes I've been testing for Isa. That's a homemade peanut butter granola bar with a smoothie that I had for breakfast one morning. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0IN56qDXP-WNbxWOaGU0TvjiO6Ha1SlB2LsJHxX5TgDsY7HOgr6uM3-anG7xUbBg1nbJBpfzy-yAjMc2luFSNt2Qg2ukKvYivtuMTPIKaByoLMeLaUmJeN8LZdlgTLPcBXVj31Hq6HE/s1600/IMG_0076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0IN56qDXP-WNbxWOaGU0TvjiO6Ha1SlB2LsJHxX5TgDsY7HOgr6uM3-anG7xUbBg1nbJBpfzy-yAjMc2luFSNt2Qg2ukKvYivtuMTPIKaByoLMeLaUmJeN8LZdlgTLPcBXVj31Hq6HE/s320/IMG_0076.jpg" width="270px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't they look pretty all browned in the pan? I didn't even really know you could make granola bars at home. And they're GOOD.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAajI36I11QjywCp1H8UXUkhmY02sE9oLoz9GjA64KZPSMah2U2e4D6_3_1_d3BDWjHTCzpXB2wS75zORjAkIz1qgl1UZlNa9M5o9ST10sX75o164nB7wSg-UgZV7GlHPj3zwUFxF14BU/s1600/IMG_0048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAajI36I11QjywCp1H8UXUkhmY02sE9oLoz9GjA64KZPSMah2U2e4D6_3_1_d3BDWjHTCzpXB2wS75zORjAkIz1qgl1UZlNa9M5o9ST10sX75o164nB7wSg-UgZV7GlHPj3zwUFxF14BU/s320/IMG_0048.jpg" width="274px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">These are the Lunchbox Chocolate Chip Cookies. They're quite healthy (well, at least they're not <em>unhealthy</em>) and so yummy. Can't wait for the cookbook to come out so all of you can try the recipes, too! Have a great Monday! </span></div></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-53707221292087684652012-03-25T19:47:00.000-04:002012-03-25T19:47:22.906-04:00Recipe - Zesty Chickpea Salad<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You know the old saying, "Opinions are like a**holes; everybody's got one"? Well, chickpea salad recipes are to vegans like opinions: everyone has their favorite way to make it. I decided this week to come up with my own and I've gotta say... I kinda killed it! </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my pre-gan days I loved tuna salad from a certain deli in Tucson. One of my friends who worked there said that the secret to really good tuna salad is fresh dill. Since then I've been using fresh dill in everything I can sneak it into, I adore it! It is one herb that doesn't get enough love, so I knew it would definitely make it into my chickpea salad. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I also like a lot of crunch in recipes like this, so I used celery, green onion, and (the dark horse ingredient) diced red pepper. I love the way the peppers burst in your mouth with each bite, they really add an unexpected flavor here. Finish it up with some fresh lemon, vegan mayo, salt and pepper and layer it on toasted multigrain bread with tomato and lettuce. SO GOOD.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'll let Johnny's words speak for themselves: "Next time you make this, don't change ANYTHING." "You have to blog about this." "This is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had!" Oh, and we ate this for dinner two nights in a row. Unprecedented in our household! I served it the first night with a simple vegetable soup and the second night with roasted sweet potatoes. I had a ton of leftover cilantro in the fridge, so I made a cilantro pesto to go with the potatoes. Stayed tuned for that recipe in my next post! </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaiw1wmQb6OV5Xoi0G96Y5WsohmNpqXKikicivEztV_3iL2ZG0x8-B3LIRNhqJXPokMVOphUb3dOwHt2kNXxo7XVXWA2dVeInxOSYTaO0Hdg46e09xvQmjD18r-IQEOLhMZjkvfqXl9U/s1600/photo-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaiw1wmQb6OV5Xoi0G96Y5WsohmNpqXKikicivEztV_3iL2ZG0x8-B3LIRNhqJXPokMVOphUb3dOwHt2kNXxo7XVXWA2dVeInxOSYTaO0Hdg46e09xvQmjD18r-IQEOLhMZjkvfqXl9U/s400/photo-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><u>Zesty Chickpea Salad</u></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Serves 6-8</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cans organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 stalks celery, thinly sliced</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 green onions, thinly sliced</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 red pepper, seeded and diced</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tbsp fresh dill, minced</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 tsp salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 tsp pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tbsp fresh lemon juice</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">5 tbsp vegan mayo </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas until they are nearly all broken up, leaving a few whole. Add in all other ingredients and stir to combine. It's as simple as that! </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-9258956745948041512012-03-19T22:18:00.001-04:002012-03-19T22:18:51.283-04:00Giveaway Winner for "Blissful Bites" by Christy Morgan!<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just a quick note to announce the winner of my giveaway from last week. The lucky reader who will receive a copy of <i>Blissful Bites</i>, the wonderful new cookbook from Christy Morgan, is.... <strong><u>Katie</u></strong>! She wrote:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4bt-yIGxyIuJHyukZw15g0-L51qfNaCFgCg0RdKQZ1KlgVmYFZiIAbKCGI22nbIS-ja534ygXE4tPQM4JtQISXiBeuE8pMZn_IIdUJAJLmLPBzkm9n0BtLugmd5JnR9X1MP4AvsuLlw/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4bt-yIGxyIuJHyukZw15g0-L51qfNaCFgCg0RdKQZ1KlgVmYFZiIAbKCGI22nbIS-ja534ygXE4tPQM4JtQISXiBeuE8pMZn_IIdUJAJLmLPBzkm9n0BtLugmd5JnR9X1MP4AvsuLlw/s400/Picture+1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Congratulations, Katie! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I couldn't agree more, mangoes are way up there on my list of blissful foods. Please drop me a note at hally.thornton@gmail.com with your address and BenBella Books will send you your prize. Yay!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also, I made the most AMAZING chickpea salad sandwiches for dinner tonight. Recipe for that coming soon. Have a great evening everyone!</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-199645769362258602012-03-15T12:15:00.001-04:002012-03-15T19:24:29.954-04:00Book Review and Giveaway - "Blissful Bites" by Christy Morgan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I mentioned in my last post, I was recently sent a copy of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blissful-Bites-Vegan-Nourish-Planet/dp/1935618512">Blissful Bites: Vegan Meals That Nourish the Mind, Body, and Planet</a></em>, the new cookbook from Christy Morgan, to review. I have been following <a href="http://twitter.com/theblissfulchef">Christy on Twitter</a> for awhile now and her comments never fail to make me laugh or inspire me to try something new in the kitchen, so I was interested to find out what her recipes would be like. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, a bit about Christy: she is a vegan macrobiotic chef. She was trained at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts in Austin. She teaches classes and gives lectures about how to change your life through healthy cooking. And she has a blog called </span><a href="http://theblissfulchef.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Blissful Chef </span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">where you can find tons of information about vegan cooking, recipes, etc. It's safe to say that this chick knows her stuff! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UEW1ASLuIPTHjiw_pMA3Ewv_Lzk-bFmao6tejpCdGaxlA178q_LghcKM3wRUPbLDhdhAuQCt-gv1xuqNpyfbzrq-nkoYU1hsBv6jXd3ZhIMsrRg1iq4nBs9ukm-JyHpL-0GF2hmXlYE/s1600/BlissfulBites_frontcover-796x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UEW1ASLuIPTHjiw_pMA3Ewv_Lzk-bFmao6tejpCdGaxlA178q_LghcKM3wRUPbLDhdhAuQCt-gv1xuqNpyfbzrq-nkoYU1hsBv6jXd3ZhIMsrRg1iq4nBs9ukm-JyHpL-0GF2hmXlYE/s320/BlissfulBites_frontcover-796x1024.jpg" width="248px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, onto the book... let me start by saying that it's absolutely gorgeous. I love that it is paperback rather than hard cover because it is easier for me to use in the kitchen and lighter to carry around. Christy's introductory comments pulled me in right away because it's quickly apparent that her food philosophy is very similar to my own. She urges you to listen to your body and feed it with the foods that make it feel best. When your diet focuses on fresh, organic produce, whole grains, lean proteins, etc. you just end up feeling better -more balanced, calm, and energized. It's not about stigmatizing foods and labelling them as "good" or "bad", but simply about being intuitive. There will always be a time and place for an indulgence or two, but the goal should be to stay away from caffeine, sugar, white flours and highly processed foods, since they tend to drag you down physically. Common sense, really.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know all of that is easier said than done, but flipping through <em>Blissful Bites</em>, I was amazed at how many of the recipes called to me. Christy makes eating well seem very appealing and not at all like you're giving anything up. The book is divided into categories like "Breakfast and Brunch of Champions", "Delectable Vegetable Sides", and "Healthier Desserts You Crave". Each of those categories is further broken down by season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Anytime. This really helps you to focus on fruits and vegetables that are in-season and readily available. I love that! Cooking seasonally and locally is always a goal of mine, so this is right up my alley. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Christy also marks each recipe with applicable icons for raw, gluten-free, soy-free, low or no oil, and less than 45 minutes making it very easy for people with special diets to quickly find recipes they can enjoy. Because Christy is also a private chef, she has marked some recipes as "Chef Favorites" and "Fan Favorites" based on those for which she's had the best feedback. And there are beautiful full-color pictures of most of the recipes, which always helps you to know that you're on the right track when tackling something for the first time. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had a REALLY hard time figuring out which recipes to test first because they seriously all look so good! One in particular really stood out to me and that was the Veggie Stuffed Pasta Shells with "Mama Mia Magnifico Sauce" and Tofu Ricotta Cheeze. As someone who suffers from acid reflux, I am always looking for ways to cut down on trigger foods like tomato sauce, and the "Mama Mia Magnifico Sauce" contains no tomatoes whatsoever! I had to give it a try. The base is butternut squash (which is pretty genius, since it has a texture very similar to crushed tomatoes when it's cooked and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">blended) and it is given a red hue from grated beets. I was surprised at how much it looked like the real thing! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I knew it would be tough to get Johnny to try this one since he is serious about his Italian food. But I explained this was not meant to taste exactly like tomato sauce. Rather, it was more like a vegetable sauce that should be judged on its own merits. He finally gave it a shot and he totally loved it! I was equally impressed and coming away from dinner without that acid feeling in my throat was a big bonus. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITf_dprPR25OzFyMHPMQWYTCln1QDxAGVXh6PQuby8FgH8J4cH3rFcUgMVXFCjw50jUn1ElFtLOkOp3qoT3onSvyVPxgBNoLLeKCVWpsaFwxKhyphenhypheng8h0uqwQzGVtz_g4VelgGApGmdxmM/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="298px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITf_dprPR25OzFyMHPMQWYTCln1QDxAGVXh6PQuby8FgH8J4cH3rFcUgMVXFCjw50jUn1ElFtLOkOp3qoT3onSvyVPxgBNoLLeKCVWpsaFwxKhyphenhypheng8h0uqwQzGVtz_g4VelgGApGmdxmM/s400/IMG_0156.JPG" width="400px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My lovely mother-in-law and brother-in-law were in town this past weekend, so I thought it'd be fun to make brunch for everyone one day. The Pumpkin Spice Pancakes sounded too good to resist, so I made up a batch of those and they were very well received. They are a great spongy, fluffy consistency and are perfectly spiced. Johnny was once again the lone holdout, busying himself with his fruit salad before daring to try the pancakes (I guess he has something against pumpkin due to his dislike of pumpkin pie). I left the room for a minute or two and when I came back, he had gobbled up three pancakes and also had his foot in his mouth. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was a bit more hesitant to serve the Sizzling Tempeh Bacon to everyone as I knew my MIL and BIL had never had tempeh before. But they both really enjoyed it and my MIL even said she would cook it at home if I gave her the recipe! You can buy some pretty good pre-packaged tempeh bacon at the store, but it doesn't really compare to making it yourself. This version is slightly sweet, salty and smoky - the perfect accompaniment to any breakfast or brunch. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMcEqr2aL-veP5lbYkcC4lPIpd7m2NMV9wi9sHD42Hi-aPcwIONIFTb_0ak0ztGDKGOLgaYtYK1D4XCI6fX7042_7RcTUr3VqHPin1Yj765JpyzNCzPiKvOiuRqM89vcYyYqYxkOShUo/s1600/IMG_0160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMcEqr2aL-veP5lbYkcC4lPIpd7m2NMV9wi9sHD42Hi-aPcwIONIFTb_0ak0ztGDKGOLgaYtYK1D4XCI6fX7042_7RcTUr3VqHPin1Yj765JpyzNCzPiKvOiuRqM89vcYyYqYxkOShUo/s400/IMG_0160.jpg" width="365px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I plan to cook many more recipes from <em>Blissful Bites</em> and highly recommend everyone pick up a copy for themselves. If you are lucky enough to be in one of the cities Christy is visiting on her book tour you should definitely go! Here are some upcoming dates:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Thursday, March 15th @ 5:30pm</strong> - Roots Market, <strong>Washington, D.C.</strong> - book signing with food samples</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Saturday, March 17th @ 4:15pm</strong> - Whole Foods Tribeca, <strong>New York, NY</strong> - cooking class and book signing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Monday, March 19th @ 6:00pm</strong> - Sun in Bloom, <strong>Brooklyn, NY</strong> - dinner, cooking demo and book signing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Tuesday, March 20th @ 6:30pm </strong>- Whole Foods Market, <strong>Dedham, MA</strong> - cooking demo and book signing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">For additional info on any of these events or for additional dates, visit Christy's web site <a href="http://theblissfulchef.com/2011/08/blissful-bites-book-tour/">here</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">*** BenBella Books, the publisher of <em>Blissful Bites</em>, has graciously offered to send a copy of the book to one of my readers! To enter to win, just leave a comment below saying what blissful food is to you. The deadline to enter is <strong>Saturday, March 17th at 12:00pm EDT</strong>. Good luck! ETA: We can only ship to addresses in the US or Canada on this one. Sorry international peeps, I'll get you next time! ***</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-18083372791180470992012-03-13T22:18:00.000-04:002012-03-13T22:18:08.866-04:00Vegan Sweet Treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">You may have noticed that there has been a lack of food related entries as of late here. A few reasons for that. First, I</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> have been testing recipes for some upcoming projects for the lovely Isa Chandra Moskowitz (!!!). This is quite exciting as Isa has always been such a favorite of mine. She's written quite a few cookbooks that are essential to any collection such as <em><a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/veganomicon-the-ultimate-vegan-cookbook/">Veganomicon</a>, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/vegan-with-a-vengeance/">Vegan with a Vengeance</a>, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/vegan-cookies-invade-your-cookie-jar/">Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar</a>, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/vegan-cupcakes-take-over-the-world/">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</a>, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/vegan-pie-in-the-sky/">Vegan Pie in the Sky</a>,</em> and my favorite<em>, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/">Appetite for Reduction</a></em>. Right now, I am testing recipes for her contributions to the upcoming <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-Knives-Recipes-Plant-Based/dp/1615190619">Forks Over Knives cookbook</a> (her contribution will be low-fat and low-sugar dessert recipes) as well as meals for her latest cookbook that will focus on easy weeknight meals.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I've also been cooking my way through <em><a href="http://theblissfulchef.com/cookbooks/">Blissful Bites</a></em>, the new cookbook by Christy Morgan. Her publisher contacted me to see if I'd be interested in reviewing her book and I jumped at the chance. Christy's food philosophy is very close to my own - lots of whole foods, veggies, fruits and nothing too complicated. The book is amazing and I'll be posting a full review very soon. I'll also be hosting a giveaway for a copy of <em>Blissful Bites</em>, so keep your eyes peeled!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">*** Note that Christy's book tour is underway, so if you're interested in checking her out or attending one of her cooking classes, check <a href="http://theblissfulchef.com/2011/08/blissful-bites-book-tour/">here</a> for dates and locations! More about this in my upcoming post, just want to give people a head's up. ***</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Anyway, it's been nice not having to be too inventive in the kitchen the past few weeks, but the downside is that I don't have any new recipes to post here! So I thought I'd just share some of my favorite vegan treats that I've been enjoying between mouthfuls of Isa's healthy desserts and Christy's healthy meals. Everything in moderation, right? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBlNRKUQGJO5LdNlDMsCrCuQQ5sZRF4ih9DPDnsKVDeJh6FacEBS6M53MEudXIZFlPr8My-91qxn7xGIpbSCL_BjHWY3F5ghR19LcsOSTIqc5zq15XjuDBnekg5AWk6VRaRstdiyo_zs/s1600/IMG_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBlNRKUQGJO5LdNlDMsCrCuQQ5sZRF4ih9DPDnsKVDeJh6FacEBS6M53MEudXIZFlPr8My-91qxn7xGIpbSCL_BjHWY3F5ghR19LcsOSTIqc5zq15XjuDBnekg5AWk6VRaRstdiyo_zs/s320/IMG_0055.jpg" width="238px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On my way home from therapy on Saturdays (yes I go to therapy, I'm a real New Yorker now!) I always walk by this statue at the Polish Consulate's building. He looked so chilly on this day, I kind of felt bad for him. I was tempted to bring him a treat to warm him up. Then I realized why I'm in therapy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpB4smF7tQspj6rfz-dCPXYSz63t0iJiuEeSwxwCJPXayCH6oFLoq-uWwoZ8gtcqDsg01e1gqKN5quKtFvd1qyx7HklMcglVBxC3TINCesbdvh7Zu-nMj6P5Q3XK30KUOIWlnp08MwIk/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpB4smF7tQspj6rfz-dCPXYSz63t0iJiuEeSwxwCJPXayCH6oFLoq-uWwoZ8gtcqDsg01e1gqKN5quKtFvd1qyx7HklMcglVBxC3TINCesbdvh7Zu-nMj6P5Q3XK30KUOIWlnp08MwIk/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" width="317px" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies from <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/index.asp">Trader Joe's</a></strong>. These are one of those "accidentally vegan" products and hot damn are they ever delicious! They are mapletastic and how they make the "cream" layer without using dairy is beyond me, but it tastes really good. They are very bad for you (like 5g-of-fat-in-each-cookie bad), but for an occasional treat they are perfect. I like mine with black tea and soy milk. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">BTW, I use a nifty device called the <a href="http://www.aerolatte.com/">AeroLatte</a> to froth my soy milk when I'm having tea or coffee at home. It's really neat! You just warm up your milk in the microwave, froth it with the AeroLatte, then add in the tea or coffee. It feels more ceremonious and special than just pouring the milk in. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShfxTXXPxNUxR-8j_qegkIQb2LdFBCr8cwDMH-JgAANyUMlW52fRajqEu59lZmwrhgiDHdXUQwVX_fJIw65zeeQto5ovoswbDMACYLVNlJflTBBsr0gvLldELMp0YUKaB12zEoVCzK7Q/s1600/IMG_0158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShfxTXXPxNUxR-8j_qegkIQb2LdFBCr8cwDMH-JgAANyUMlW52fRajqEu59lZmwrhgiDHdXUQwVX_fJIw65zeeQto5ovoswbDMACYLVNlJflTBBsr0gvLldELMp0YUKaB12zEoVCzK7Q/s320/IMG_0158.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>Cookie Butter</strong>. Cookie butter originated in Europe under the name "Speculoos Spread". The name says it all - this is butter made from blended up Speculoos cookies. This stuff was mythologized by vegans because it contains no animal ingredients and vegans in Europe were always bragging about how good it is. When news hit that Trader Joe's was carrying their own version here in the States... well, let's just say if there was a "Vegans Gone Wild!" video series, the camera guys would be provoking us to show our naughty bits in exchange for a jar of this stuff. I have to say, the best way to enjoy this treat is with a spoon. It tastes just like a buttery cookie full of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Delightful! It seems now that the original Speculoos Spread has invaded the U.S. and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've been seeing it in my regular grocery store packaged as <a href="http://www.biscoff.com/DirectionsWEB/webcart_category.php?catid=BSPREAD&pcatid=BISCOFF">Biscoff Spread</a>. Do yourself a favor and try it sometime.</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.argotea.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ARGO TEA</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Has anyone else experienced this magical place? They are only in select cities for now, like Chicago, NY, St. Louis, and Boston, but I anticipate this place is gonna blow up in the near future. It's like Starbucks, but for tea, and way better. There is one near Johnny's school so he took me in one night. I don't know why I was skeptical (probably because it feels insane to spend $4 on a cup of tea), but I was quickly hooked. So far I've tried the Mojitea (an iced mint tea concoction), the Teapuccino (I got it with black tea, soy milk and vanilla flavoring - cracktastic!), and some sort of sparkling iced tea drink. They have sugar-free options for those watching your sugar intake (as I am obviously failing to do), and they have some yummy looking food including several vegan options. If you're ever near an Argo Tea you should totally check it out. Oh, and they have coffee, too, but coffee is so passé.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EKTW9i_KEvRZkE_WaNE4dolOwvyJXRIOydaSnvguuKAnFPgn1lVXMtZZ4liAWWjoEnPRpJuub30PubCTiWyHoFRsvvXAh62SomHYQWL5X7ClzaKOnTScMWDBUZoVhgBqLO4CuSQkSe8/s1600/ritter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EKTW9i_KEvRZkE_WaNE4dolOwvyJXRIOydaSnvguuKAnFPgn1lVXMtZZ4liAWWjoEnPRpJuub30PubCTiWyHoFRsvvXAh62SomHYQWL5X7ClzaKOnTScMWDBUZoVhgBqLO4CuSQkSe8/s320/ritter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.ritter-sport.us/#/en_US/product/100g_marzipan">Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate Marzipan Bars</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I remember one year for Christmas, my Dad went all out and decided to make a cake that was covered in marzipan. He sculpted it to look like a giant present with a red bow and it took him hours! It was the coolest, yummiest thing ever and I've had a soft-spot for marzipan ever since. So when you fill delicious European dark chocolate with sweet almond paste, you really can't lose. This is one of my very favorite vegan candy bars and the best part is that it's so readily available. If I need a fix, I can always find them at Duane Reade or the grocery store.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwkGG2mmisNpHwYRYt_vZJYA6I2M2ae6NZa6uuOGTFbo_Q-0qSHcThB5nRmROq6-2HuyN-pifUoE_Tc9uwodOoHHVbpDXzI1Q0-6mfP3RqXVz89HHRF7bf0JVqvlm1q_eh14rK9xa8yY/s1600/enjoylife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwkGG2mmisNpHwYRYt_vZJYA6I2M2ae6NZa6uuOGTFbo_Q-0qSHcThB5nRmROq6-2HuyN-pifUoE_Tc9uwodOoHHVbpDXzI1Q0-6mfP3RqXVz89HHRF7bf0JVqvlm1q_eh14rK9xa8yY/s320/enjoylife.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/chocolate-for-baking/mini-chips/">Enjoy Life Mini Chips</a>. These little guys are the best chocolate chips I've ever had, vegan or not. Luckily for me, they are dairy-free as well as soy and gluten-free. They are great in cookies and baked goods, but you can also just sneak a few from the bag if you have a sweet tooth. I've also melted some in the microwave with non-dairy milk and blended it with my AeroLatte for a perfect cup of hot chocolate. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So there you have it! I'll be back soon with that book review and giveaway! </span></div></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-44295235656409743172012-03-01T23:20:00.000-05:002012-03-01T23:20:34.132-05:00Field Trip - Central Park and FAO Schwarz<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have been experiencing some freakishly warm weather in New York this year. While it's a little scary to think about the part that Global Warming may play in this (it's real!), it's also kind of nice to be able to get out of the house on the weekend instead of trembling under a blanket on the couch and watching "People's Court" episodes (Johnny is mildly obssessed with Judge Marilyn Millian). A few weeks ago, we decided to take a jaunt up to Central Park and soak up some nature, something we don't get nearly enough of in our Concrete Jungle-y lives.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmn4LaRoIhgFGscYHdw-_nTTI2IYc72z-68Xjg0a3CrpkXQdo0rpLs8FUDRnfkHbm2HH9_K63E2-JC4O_SQJXbScua3deGpRg6OPsWxfm2MOo1D7RZv0RMIPzEws7rYhGSba3TSPcr-4/s1600/IMG_0079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmn4LaRoIhgFGscYHdw-_nTTI2IYc72z-68Xjg0a3CrpkXQdo0rpLs8FUDRnfkHbm2HH9_K63E2-JC4O_SQJXbScua3deGpRg6OPsWxfm2MOo1D7RZv0RMIPzEws7rYhGSba3TSPcr-4/s400/IMG_0079.jpg" width="297px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Central Park is pretty much my favorite place on earth. No matter how many times I go there, I always find something new to explore. This is the Turtle Pond, which should really be called the Duck Pond, because it's full of the most adorable little ducks! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check out that blue sky... I forgot the sky was actually a thing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There's a little pier that you can stand on and the ducks will paddle right up to you, undoubtedly seeking food. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_zmfq_18SfUS23yzw6cMflXKGai4lX9g29lSy4qmIpqMoGCk_riN8VeBMknUCoSDQyPnAmjsgv4GTb7EcweIPRfecd7rvdmC6geV4tWnOVVe-EDmEgSZwKn3SnJTCOHy_MlMQRI6dgc/s1600/IMG_0086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_zmfq_18SfUS23yzw6cMflXKGai4lX9g29lSy4qmIpqMoGCk_riN8VeBMknUCoSDQyPnAmjsgv4GTb7EcweIPRfecd7rvdmC6geV4tWnOVVe-EDmEgSZwKn3SnJTCOHy_MlMQRI6dgc/s320/IMG_0086.jpg" width="238px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We all know what this is... a memorial for everyone's favorite defunct toy store, "The Imaginarium". Remember that little entrance that was just for kids? Sigh... Just kidding! This is obviously the John Lennon memorial located in the Strawberry Fields section of the park. I'm a little embarrassed to admit I'd never been there before this day. We visited on a non-descript Saturday, but there were lots of tributes to Lennon laid out on the memorial and many people paying their respects. A couple of musicians nearby were singing and playing his songs on the guitar. Johnny said he always gets sad at this place, but I actually felt really hopeful. Lennon accomplished so much in his short life and his message is still so relevant. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbyCaXn1BrtkKlaG2YA_R67TlyTEVR-ur8UYl_ESTlDIYU_AuSq_A2nyl85tUPB9Rqry7mHJ4Hty2ZvHAwfIzqxhojcFatpNqUT1xS5pstFPUXVCMrdPMXhO42imRKxutdo6HQOvJl04/s1600/IMG_0087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbyCaXn1BrtkKlaG2YA_R67TlyTEVR-ur8UYl_ESTlDIYU_AuSq_A2nyl85tUPB9Rqry7mHJ4Hty2ZvHAwfIzqxhojcFatpNqUT1xS5pstFPUXVCMrdPMXhO42imRKxutdo6HQOvJl04/s320/IMG_0087.jpg" width="238px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's The Dakota, the building where John and Yoko lived for many years, and where he was shot. It's such a gorgeous building, but there's a definite darkness around it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After the park, we walked to The Paris theater on 58th Street and took in a showing of "The Artist". It was the perfect venue to see it in, it's a really old theater and has lots of charm. The movie was also quite excellent, that doggie just slayed me! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On the way back to the subway, we happened upon FAO Schwarz. How is it that neither of us had ever been there?! We hightailed it inside and feasted our eyes upon all that was before us... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg2Zi_4qcO41rhHqOjQmmUsp3PYy039u5uHkCN6NCOB7Zu11i26_HL2ju4dwUVGcF5Z8gs-GXEkvOvX04OZA4amfo3oZpPBB_WbnyVGsMZahJJbYbYUP6QQXM19oPJFNQD3xwCB_reZE/s320/IMG_0092.jpg" width="238px" /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A statue of Indiana Jones made entirely of Legos? Yes, please.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFTjIq1soFXrI3uF3PS69U9kfoRaLXm1EX_GCFR2_KOJj3f-6sBRVubiFm6_HrpVn3VKqBqgss2OxhHzd_fuW3udTLJpgogc_PmQN3sD3WPbqIUjtvFpDqpicbxshpEwZNhJV9fHnYCY/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFTjIq1soFXrI3uF3PS69U9kfoRaLXm1EX_GCFR2_KOJj3f-6sBRVubiFm6_HrpVn3VKqBqgss2OxhHzd_fuW3udTLJpgogc_PmQN3sD3WPbqIUjtvFpDqpicbxshpEwZNhJV9fHnYCY/s320/IMG_0094.jpg" width="238px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A foosball table with Barbies as the players? Don't mind if I do! </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixdpQxF9TaqOQZ_-4xygqyMgCMHnT1r1zA8TgF4Sp3AdRWkYwsbnZgOJcSzRZBz0QOUIkPULVmMWJFckjpZGHmo1Snrp8NP7hptAdEcZiqGWxTKLHHucq9uijK1Txh7xbRVfwCqaQyVU/s1600/IMG_0096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixdpQxF9TaqOQZ_-4xygqyMgCMHnT1r1zA8TgF4Sp3AdRWkYwsbnZgOJcSzRZBz0QOUIkPULVmMWJFckjpZGHmo1Snrp8NP7hptAdEcZiqGWxTKLHHucq9uijK1Txh7xbRVfwCqaQyVU/s320/IMG_0096.jpg" width="238px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johnny wearing a Minnie Mouse hat intended for a small girl? Well, that's just a bonus! </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-42254422890973870342012-02-10T10:49:00.000-05:002012-02-10T10:49:27.682-05:00Tofu Scramble Two Ways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Okay, I really don't know why it took me so long to make a tofu scramble at home. I love eating them out at restaurants (Blue Willow in Tucson makes my fave), but for some reason I was really hesitant to make my own. I guess I thought it would be difficult, but nothing could be further from the truth! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I had some extra firm tofu, spinach and mushrooms in the fridge one night and I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I decided to go for it and tackle the tofu scramble once and for all. After consulting a few recipes on the netz, I headed into the kitchen determined to defeat my opponent. And I succeeded! So much so that I made another one just a few days later. These are definitely going into the rotation. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Not only do these scrambles come together quickly, they are really versatile. Like I said, the first time I used mushroom and spinach - a classic combo - and kept the seasonings to what would compliment those flavors. The second time, I planned to add it to a breakfast burrito, so wanted to punch it up a bit. I added lots of diced red pepper, onions, more cumin than the first time. They both came out great! In the future, I think I'll try adding some Mediterranean flavors (kalmata olives, roasted red peppers) and serve alongside hummus, pita, and Greek salad. OR you could mix in Soyrizo, potatoes, and diced tomatoes and serve it with flour tortillas and avocado. If it's good enough for scrambled eggs, it's good enough for scrambled tofu. And don't be fooled into thinking tofu scrambles are only for breakfast. They're full of protein, but they're not too heavy, so it's the perfect fit for dinner. Besides, breakfast for dinner has always been one of my favorite things.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One tip: the drier your tofu, the more it will brown in the skillet. Once you remove the tofu from the package and drain it, be sure to press it for at least 20 minutes to get the water out. I do this by wrapping the block of tofu in a few paper towels and setting it on a plate. Then I place another plate on top and add some heavy objects - canned goods, a jar of pasta sauce - on top of that plate. </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Johnny ate both of these right up! I had to coax him into eating the breakfast burrito - he doesn't like tater tots if you can believe it. But even he couldn't deny that the crispy potatoes, tofu scramble, and cool, creamy guacamole inside a warm tortilla was a little piece of heaven...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>The makings of a damn fine breakfast burrito. YUM.</em></span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><u>Mexican Style Tofu Scramble</u></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(Makes 8 breakfast burritos)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tbsp olive oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 small onion, diced</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 red pepper, stem and seeds removed and diced</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 tsp turmeric</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 tsp ground cumin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp coriander</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 tsp black pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Cut the tofu into large chunks and add to the skillet. Break it up with a spatula so that it resembles scrambled eggs. Add your spices and toss to ensure they are evenly distributed. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, allowing the tofu to get browned a bit. (A metal spatula works best for keeping the browned parts intact.) If you aren't seeing any browning, increase the heat a bit and continue cooking for a few minutes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Serve with warm tortillas, tater tots, and guacamole!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxuwEVP2Q0UmRRC-rHXcybXSJV2fkPszZOjHEdjTHEW5sb8HQJCFFSs_IQqEPzijUa7h9RpyAJPNfwvmvxzIlqO1bY3EJash7fxhndoiDxdRiR69xMKDO5zw1ub6-V_fjofnPCLarvYo/s1600/IMG_0074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxuwEVP2Q0UmRRC-rHXcybXSJV2fkPszZOjHEdjTHEW5sb8HQJCFFSs_IQqEPzijUa7h9RpyAJPNfwvmvxzIlqO1bY3EJash7fxhndoiDxdRiR69xMKDO5zw1ub6-V_fjofnPCLarvYo/s320/IMG_0074.jpg" width="290px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Crappy cell phone pic! This is what happens when you are too hungry to take a proper picture. </em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spinach and Mushroom Tofu Scramble</span></u></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Serves 6</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1 tbsp olive oil</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1 small onion, diced</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">½ pint of mushrooms, sliced</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1/2 tsp turmeric</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1 tsp ground cumin</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1 tsp dried thyme</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1/2 tsp salt</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 tsp black pepper</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">2 cups fresh spinach</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Cut the tofu into large chunks and add to the skillet. Break it up with a spatula so that it resembles scrambled eggs. Add your spices and toss to ensure they are evenly distributed. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, allowing the tofu to get browned a bit. (A metal spatula works best for keeping the browned parts intact.) If you aren't seeing any browning, increase the heat a bit and continue cooking for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the spinach. Stir in and allow to wilt for a few minutes.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I served mine with roasted sweet potatoes and a toasted Food for Life Brown Rice English muffin spread with Earth Balance. Those muffins are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> good, BTW!</span></span></div></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-26732069213631745682012-02-08T18:30:00.001-05:002012-02-08T18:31:26.441-05:00Field Trip - Jim Henson's Fantastic World at the Museum of the Moving Image<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today I'm going to kick off a new series of posts called "Field Trip"! Those two words bring such good memories to mind... permission slips, 18 passenger vans, and a whole day away from the classroom. Since we don't get to take field trips as adults, I love spending at least one day of the weekend running around New York City with Johnny and acting like we're in 3rd grade again. I'd like to share some of those adventures with you! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A few weekends ago, we made the trek to Astoria, Queens (really only an easy subway ride away from Manhattan. Well, easy except for the fact that someone had peed in the corner of our subway car. A delight for the nostrils!). Our destination was the Museum of the Moving Image and I didn't really know what to expect other than lots of Muppet-y goodness. They have an exhibit running through March 4th called "Jim Henson's Fantastic World" and being the Henson-philes that we are, we knew we couldn't miss this. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have to say, this museum is FRICKIN' AWESOME! After paying admission and checking our coats, we booked it to the top floor to see what we came for. At the top of the stairs an old friend greeted us... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilILg23h71phHZJoAyNEe0qdjv_jXQsFyscGA5Nu49y5bHYJMs4LZjmiNZb8EZEJJ_ZixDjaYM4LFSjGDOGV0m068W3aebRRlvBEJsU7bbsnMF_aRAeyKzR9GAMriUN57RigJsLP3LtE/s1600/IMG_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="304px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilILg23h71phHZJoAyNEe0qdjv_jXQsFyscGA5Nu49y5bHYJMs4LZjmiNZb8EZEJJ_ZixDjaYM4LFSjGDOGV0m068W3aebRRlvBEJsU7bbsnMF_aRAeyKzR9GAMriUN57RigJsLP3LtE/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" width="320px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kermit the Frog here! Live and in person. We almost fainted! This guy is bigger than any celebrity in our eyes. He's so wise and kind and tiny and green and just a few notes of "The Rainbow Connection" brings both of us to tears. According to one of the video exhibits, Kermit was Henson's first puppet. He used a sock and some wire and spent hours practicing to get just the right facial expressions for Kermit using only his hand. So awesome that his very first character is still going strong! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoTg6KKMs3GF3DKYek4L4RPwAmhf6ak9MxD-2x1xZ9hFyJcvT8g2k6xxk-wgSh2gs6E8UpTo0hFZTo0HuzWvO0H8TCtCOaPBcnUjp9mQwmpvzf14BTnYbwVSYjf4yR60LBNGuIOpgGz0/s1600/IMG_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoTg6KKMs3GF3DKYek4L4RPwAmhf6ak9MxD-2x1xZ9hFyJcvT8g2k6xxk-wgSh2gs6E8UpTo0hFZTo0HuzWvO0H8TCtCOaPBcnUjp9mQwmpvzf14BTnYbwVSYjf4yR60LBNGuIOpgGz0/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Kermina.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aside from the videos, I had fun browsing the sketches of Henson's early ideas and seeing how they developed over time. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6590eN7qwgN0OJ-HN6MX7LmxtEMAG9m1Iv8CXP1XeuFc9M9raeyDJE2HBPHyz3ACGUT3xCjqv5ILghfojnXewLE_4C3MUiDnGbfELKl92gBFzmTUQifvj28LQZh3MJku8FYeG0l_1gk/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="263px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6590eN7qwgN0OJ-HN6MX7LmxtEMAG9m1Iv8CXP1XeuFc9M9raeyDJE2HBPHyz3ACGUT3xCjqv5ILghfojnXewLE_4C3MUiDnGbfELKl92gBFzmTUQifvj28LQZh3MJku8FYeG0l_1gk/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" width="320px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The next room graced us with Rowlf! One of my very favorite Muppets. He is just the epitome of cool, right? Never flummoxed, always content to play his piano. A video in this room showed that Rowlf originated in a commercial that Henson did for Purina Dog Chow. Henson created puppets for a number of commercials throughout his career and some of them were hysterical! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HVewx3-9x24?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If commercials were still that cool, maybe I could give the "fast forward" function on my DVR a break. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkxmIqZXSJwWM1DPvYg_BHad7sj55kP29L8rhKLjAcJIKIIJIC73dCvInpyhUSarNYwwJmVE0WH1BxeblaJQHVSt68gsVX-ixC9-hhzAU2qdPpvvZp0NbK-OlYJaOQ57sCch8Zyt7v1U/s1600/IMG_0021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkxmIqZXSJwWM1DPvYg_BHad7sj55kP29L8rhKLjAcJIKIIJIC73dCvInpyhUSarNYwwJmVE0WH1BxeblaJQHVSt68gsVX-ixC9-hhzAU2qdPpvvZp0NbK-OlYJaOQ57sCch8Zyt7v1U/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" width="276px" /></span></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Mahna Mahna - Doo doo doo doo doo! Mahna Mahna - Doo doo doo doo!" Talk about an earworm. That song will be in your head for daaaays now and you'll like it! Did you see the new Muppets movie with Jason Segal yet? If not, I highly recommend it. Like seriously, just go see it now and then come back. I'll wait...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Are you back? Wasn't it awesome?!?! One of my favorite parts is when everyone sings "Mahna Mahna" at the end. Maybe I'll post a petition on change.org to make it our new National Anthem. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22b31gcTYv2kfqjspcQkkerrfoVvpNCI2UPKEHbFw-0x3OL03SVVOB6OUJ8Ak7XpEu0ekbwwNYLOlyMEJ68zVnUPunYV65tUhCEUAg_vk_8DoQwDPbe524n-cddvC8sL3Iwf8Sn2bwPQ/s1600/IMG_0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22b31gcTYv2kfqjspcQkkerrfoVvpNCI2UPKEHbFw-0x3OL03SVVOB6OUJ8Ak7XpEu0ekbwwNYLOlyMEJ68zVnUPunYV65tUhCEUAg_vk_8DoQwDPbe524n-cddvC8sL3Iwf8Sn2bwPQ/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" width="258px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I somehow forgot that Henson did so much more than just The Muppet Show. In fact, Fraggle Rock was my very favorite show as a tot. Do you remember the old HBO promo that came on before every episode? I would get so excited as the TV screen swirled around the inside of the HBO logo because I knew that Fraggles were near! "Dance you cares away (clap clap), worry's for another day! Let the music play (clap clap) down in Fraggle Rock!" Sheer genius! It was pretty neat to see Gobo and Cantus in real life, though Red was always my bestie. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I loved seeing so many little kids at the exhibit discovering some of Jim Henson's creations for the first time. And there were many 30 somethings reliving their youths, just like us. I was very inspired to see how Henson started with just a simple idea, but he had the determination to bring all his visions to fruition. What a badass.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPhG3qqFqmQgUNhyc3mjLVjMyW1Fef6FPK5nZYq-YnXNRYVOPhXEq6syhkJiHnALT3nF1GhjsnaJ0YlCdFgpbIoxtcikqZvdMeeWpO1g4xz1HlZ6e_sBxc4IKG4l1mYY8QweP8oEAaS4/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPhG3qqFqmQgUNhyc3mjLVjMyW1Fef6FPK5nZYq-YnXNRYVOPhXEq6syhkJiHnALT3nF1GhjsnaJ0YlCdFgpbIoxtcikqZvdMeeWpO1g4xz1HlZ6e_sBxc4IKG4l1mYY8QweP8oEAaS4/s400/IMG_0032.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Creepy old make-up. Now with extra formaldehyde! </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We then explored the rest of the museum and we were completely taken aback by how cool it is! There is a permanent exhibit called "Behind the Screen" that is devoted to the technical side of movies: a collection of vintage movie cameras, sound recording equipment, make-up, wigs and costumes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Rwaaaaarrr! Rarrwaaaarrr!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There was also a booth where you could go and dub your voice over a scene from a movie (we found out that Johnny is terrible at voice acting!). My favorite installation was "Tut's Fever", a "working movie theater that pays homage to the ornate, exotic picture palaces of the 1920s." There is a ticket booth, concession stand, screening room, and secret passageways.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8bTsOzZnNb_y9gV6xE8wzIAG44ahv5JoGb_kGGyRno0uxfnmwQRor0bXVynWMRJZuXOGSAykGQGN46lPpYi5acMso9Wjvfbmpo7I1Aam1fT9oaG1hXftX7kA2j2eUEcNs0lRzLRtYbE/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8bTsOzZnNb_y9gV6xE8wzIAG44ahv5JoGb_kGGyRno0uxfnmwQRor0bXVynWMRJZuXOGSAykGQGN46lPpYi5acMso9Wjvfbmpo7I1Aam1fT9oaG1hXftX7kA2j2eUEcNs0lRzLRtYbE/s400/IMG_0036.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>That, sir, is a Cosby sweater! A COOOOSBY SWEATER! (And Annie Hall's costume)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In summation, I know the "Sh*t New Yorkers Say" video proclaims that "No one goes to Queens", but if you live in the area you must make an exception and get over to this museum a.s.a.p. I promise you'll have a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">sensational inspirational celebrational Muppetational good time! (Honk)</span></div></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-5577201933485589532012-02-06T12:59:00.000-05:002012-02-06T12:59:50.855-05:00Our "Superbowl Sunday" Eats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I put "Superbowl Sunday" in quotes because our household isn't really sports oriented. I used to be a die-hard hockey and basketball fan, but over the years the appeal of sports has dwindled for me. I guess I just don't really get it... a bunch of dudes earn millions of dollars for running up and down a field with a ball. Fans get all excited when the team who happens to practice and play in the city/ state where they live wins. But really none of it matters because next year a new season will start and every team will have a chance to win the big trophy again. I'm being a little flippant and nihilistic I suppose, but it seems like there are so many people more deserving of money and accolades than athletes. Teachers for example. Where are their six figure contracts and merchandising deals? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Needless to say, the only parts of the Superbowl we watched were the halftime show (my curiosity always gets the best of me) and a few commercials here and there. Otherwise, we devoted our time to Puppy Bowl VIII on Animal Planet and I whined and moaned about how we don't have a canine companion in our lives. Those dogs are just so freaking cute! I kept hoping one would come through the screen and bound into my arms. (sigh) Someday we will adopt a dog, I promise you this! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I did end up spending most of the day in the kitchen, but I didn't exactly cook Superbowl fare. I made some completely mind-blowing breakfast burritos in the morning (more on that recipe in the next few days) that made my tummy very happy. For dinner, our appetizer was already planned. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Johnny's mom sent us a gigantic assortment from <a href="http://alfonsooliveoil.com/">Alfonso Gourmet Olive Oil and Balsamics</a> in Tucson and we had been patiently waiting to crack into it until Sunday night. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I broke up a fresh baguette and we got to work mixing and matching flavors to our hearts' content. My absolute favorite thing in the whole world right now is the Peach White Balsamic Vinegar. DUUUUUDE. I mixed it with a bit of their Manzanillo Extra Virgin Olive Oil and almost had a stroke it was so good. I am absolutely going to be ordering a full bottle of that stuff once the sampler runs out. I'm dreaming up vinaigrette recipes already. It will be perfection on summer salads! Our other favorites include the Espresso Balsamic Vinegar, the sweet and thick Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (I really want to try this on ice cream!), and the Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil. But honestly, all of it was delicious. Thanks, Mama Mo! Such an awesome gift! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNP95AfbSSgcl7Up0DICvlwkwqooKDsuoq-btr6MPxfwiobLkjZGGvd6aPvRmhSrBQjLBKk8PhiJvaR2fo1Bc9NkCrlINBmIWULkq6oj-Oe1JnoCAvKeAeH9DZqdICU7Sk-zWDiElwUiI/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="236px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNP95AfbSSgcl7Up0DICvlwkwqooKDsuoq-btr6MPxfwiobLkjZGGvd6aPvRmhSrBQjLBKk8PhiJvaR2fo1Bc9NkCrlINBmIWULkq6oj-Oe1JnoCAvKeAeH9DZqdICU7Sk-zWDiElwUiI/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" width="320px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While we could have easily made dinner out of nothing but bread, vinegar and oil, I thought we should try to get something a bit healthier into our <em>panzas</em>, too. I'd heard wonderful things about the Mango BBQ Beans recipe from <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/">Appetite for Reduction</a>, one of my favorite cookbooks. I felt a little guilty buying a mango in the middle of winter, but whatever. Sometimes you just need some out-of-season, far-from-local fruit! I served it over some quinoa and I sauteed a big bunch of kale and drizzled that with some of the Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX65tZNj6ycctu49vyv8mYyeQrfKMeI9Au3CJeg-jBK6g_bXsQo_aVINYLvUACNYP_1oEikY8R_qus9KPGbRgy8vGLDCQK0_DeDPpMVpxzY6Vo7nwjUo_Fd1r-KaLUoEspBBbkL_Qit8/s1600/DSCN3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="254px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX65tZNj6ycctu49vyv8mYyeQrfKMeI9Au3CJeg-jBK6g_bXsQo_aVINYLvUACNYP_1oEikY8R_qus9KPGbRgy8vGLDCQK0_DeDPpMVpxzY6Vo7nwjUo_Fd1r-KaLUoEspBBbkL_Qit8/s320/DSCN3395.JPG" width="320px" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I loved this dinner! It felt like a very modern, elevated take on rice and beans. The flavors in the bean dish run the gamut from sweet to spicy and hit on everything in between. The quinoa came out really fluffy and delicious - it's quickly replacing brown rice as my favorite accompaniment to most meals. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Johnny had his usual reaction to a plate that contained cooked greens: he screwed up his face and stuck out his tongue in disgust. It's a knee-jerk thing and I have to talk him into eating that first bite every time! He ended up liking the kale, but not being a huge fan of the beans. I'm not sure why, I thought he'd really like the bold flavors, but he just thought something didn't taste right. He's not a lover of mango, so I knew it was a risk going in. Oh well, more for me to take for lunch this week!</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-58508644691452699042012-02-05T22:00:00.001-05:002012-02-06T12:02:35.880-05:00You Look Like a Monkey... And You Smell Like One, Too!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Guess what? The Odd Couple Eats is officially one year old! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">::**~Confetti, Applause, Streamers, Vegan Cupcakes For ALL!~**:: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Does the title of this post make sense now or was I the only one who added that verse to the end of the Happy Birthday song as a kid? Man alive, a whole year... It's been fun, it's been tasty! I've been taking a look back and wanted to share some of my thoughts on what has transpired and what my hopes for the future of this blog are. Settle in, friends...</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>If blogs got birthday wishes, this one would be hanging out in St. John right now... </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I started this blog last January, I was new to veganism and was navigating my way through a crazy array of information regarding health and nutrition. I was constantly reading books, web sites, and food labels. Honestly, it was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><u>overwhelming</u></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I had just never thought that much about what I ate before. It feels weird to say that now, but it's true. Food was about taste and little else, so suddenly being confronted with a "limited" diet and restrictions was tough. I had to answer my own questions about veganism (Where do you get protein? How much is enough? What are the names of hidden by-products to avoid?) and simultaneously build my knowledge of health and nutrition from the ground up. And yes, I was dragging Johnny with me through it all. He is quite the trooper, isn't he?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Life is much easier these days. I navigate the grocery store like a pro, trial and error led me to discover which "healthy" foods I enjoy the most (and which Johnny will and will not abide), and I've finally found certain recipes that I can cook again and again and never tire of... You know how you think of certain recipes as "Family Recipes" because your parents made them so often when you were growing up? The fact that I'm starting to make my own collection feels really cool! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I always had second thoughts about creating my own blog. I had no idea how to build a web site or write a recipe or even dream up enough content to keep things interesting. Not to mention there were already so many awesome sites out there dedicated to vegan cooking... was it really necessary for me to add my two cents to the change jar? (It's a rhetorical question, don't answer that!) But I knew that if I was learning so much about nutrition for the first time that many others were in that boat with me. I think it takes a lot of people writing about the same topic to have an impact and a real reach. So I went ahead with The Odd Couple Eats and somehow it all just sort of fell into place.</span><br />
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This blog has been a way for me to share all this with you, but it's also been a touchstone for me, a constant reminder that putting the time and effort into cooking is <em>so</em> worth it. For the first time in my life, I feel like the decisions I make about food are well-informed and, dare I say, even <em>political</em>. I've found issues about which I'm passionate (animal rights, supporting local and sustainable companies, educating children about nutrition, etc.) and I'm not sure that would have happened without veganism and this blog. Cheesy as it may sound, it's empowering. </span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The absolute best part for me has been the tremendous support I've received. At the outset, I figured my friends and family would read my posts and giggle at my writing or be inspired to try tempeh for the first time. But people from all over the world have read this blog and that <em>boggles my mind!</em> A highlight was definitely when Alicia Silverstone at The Kind Life featured me last summer - her book was the whole reason I went vegan in the first place! And all the encouragement you've given me about my writing led me to the realization that writing is my passion in life. Why have I denied that for so long? It's given me the push I needed to return to school in the Fall to study Creative Writing and I don't think I've ever been so excited! </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So <strong><em><u>THANK YOU</u></em></strong> to everyone who reads this blog, who post comments or recommends one of my recipes to a friend. It's had a major impact on my life and it means the world to me. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That said, I'd like to take this blog in a bit of a new direction. In looking back over some of my old posts, I found that the most entertaining don't just focus on cooking, they give you a glimpse into my life. And likewise, the blogs I enjoy reading the most allow the readers to really connect with the authors. So going forward, I'm going to try and balance informative cooking posts with some that are just about my life: what I'm eating (even if I didn't make it), wearing, and doing for fun. I'm hoping to post more frequently (be prepared for crappy cell phone pics) and to try out many new things. There's lots in store, so stay tuned... </span></span></div></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-74548491032255294322012-01-13T14:50:00.002-05:002012-01-13T15:02:40.449-05:00Recipe - Stuffed Butternut Squash<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Okay, I finally have to admit it: winter is here. We East Coasters totally lucked out and managed to get away with unseasonably warm weather all through December, but it's catching up with us now. Johnny and I have been piling on the blankets at night, I ordered a few pairs of comfy over-the-knee socks from Sock Dreams for an added layer of warmth, and the hats/scarves/gloves have come out of hiding and taken their rightful positions on our bodies. No snow yet, but I'm sure that's next. I remember sort of secretly wishing for snow a few weeks ago, but I'm beginning to think that was a mistake... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's no surprise that I've been craving warm food from morning till night with weather like this. I've traded breakfast cereal for oatmeal, salads for soups, and I have a hot mug of tea in my hand every night (our kettle is getting quite the workout!). And while I'm sure I'll be complaining about a lack of produce come March, right now I'm digging on winter vegetables. Butternut squash has got to be at the top of that list. So easy to prepare, so filling and satisfying... it's deep orange color even makes it <em>look</em> warm. Perfect seasonal food. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I remember first having butternut squash as a kid when my parents would make their famous Stuffed Squash. Their version uses bread cubes and sausage and my siblings and I absolutely adored it. Of course, we'd pretty much eat the stuffing and leave the squash behind. Nowadays I'm more like to scarf the squash up first! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So how do you replace sausage in a favorite childhood recipe and still get a tasty result? Lots and lots of flavor. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was drawn to <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/vegetarian-stuffed-acorn-squash-336320">this</a> recipe because it called for an unusual combination of ingredients. Dried fruit and sundried tomatoes? Intriguing. I made some substitutions based on personal taste and what I had on hand and I really loved the result. The sweet and savory flavors blend into a perfect bite and the combination of toasted bread and silky, buttery squash is delicious. I used croutons, but next time I will use crusty bread and cut it into smaller cubes for a more stuffing-like consistency. I really can't wait to make this again!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For his part, Johnny claims his tastebuds were a bit off as he was recovering from a cold the night we ate this. So he didn't like it at first, but he warmed up to it slowly, eventually eating most of his half. He's such a fan of his own stuffing, his mind isn't really open to new interpretations. :-)</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><u>Stuffed Butternut Squash</u></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Serves 2</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">(Based on this recipe by Food.com)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 butternut squash</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tbsp olive oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 small onion, chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 garlic clove, chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 celery stalk, chopped </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 medium carrot, chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup mushrooms, diced small </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/8 cup cooking alcohol (I used Mirin)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups bread cubes or croutons</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup dried fruit (I used cherries, but cranberries or raisins would also be nice)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup nuts (I used chopped walnuts)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tsp dried sage</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 tsp salt </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 tsp pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup vegetable stock</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut your squash into equal halves and remove the seeds (I use a small ice cream scoop for this and it works great!). Rub the cut side of the squash with a bit of olive oil and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions, celery and carrot for about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and garlic and continue cooking until soft. Add your cooking alcohol to deglaze the pan, making sure the heat of the pan is high enough that the liquid bubbles up and begins to evaporate. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">After a few minutes, add the bread cubes, dried fruit, nuts and sundried tomatoes. Stir well and add your spices, then stir in the vegetable broth to soften the bread. Remove from heat.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Allow the stuffing mixture to cool a bit, then spoon it into the cooked butternut squash. Bake on your baking sheet for another 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with some lightly dressed mixed greens. </span></div><br />
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</div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-85662547782600939842012-01-08T12:32:00.000-05:002012-01-08T12:32:00.760-05:00Recipe - Vibrant Vegan Lasagna and Holiday Round-up<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well, hello there! Did everyone enjoy the holidays? Johnny and I actually stayed in New York for Christmas and it was our first Christmas away from family. We certainly missed our loved ones, but we ended up having a great time! We took our annual pilgrimage to the Rockefeller Center tree, we saw a few movies, had brunch and a few drinks out on Christmas Eve, and had lots of cuddly nights at home. On Christmas day, we started with some "Fronch Toast" with an apple cinnamon topping I whipped up that was <em>to die for</em>. Then our lovely friends had us over to their place in Brooklyn for Christmas dinner. It was a Polish feast! Stuffed cabbage, pierogies, homemade sauerkraut... all so delicious. I was in a food coma for about a week! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We also bought our first Christmas tree and put up some fun decorations. Ornaments can be so expensive, so we decided to make our own. I got the idea from <a href="http://coldandsleepycooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/flour-salt-ornaments-chickpea-soup-with.html">Cold and Sleepy's blog</a> to make a simple flour/salt dough, then we used cookie cutters to make shapes and baked them. After they cooled, we decorated them with marker and it worked out beautifully! Here are a few of our creations:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Bells and Trees</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_CSOth48G94VW2odkMlhW44RoQPopZBb1Up0BcUtGLVctHbLPVlCbVSDwbc8wzlv6BvmmLQjfuS0fnSc_HlX5gjT6YSeSeQEtXeNaYd6CNI6EhnvttwVWJT0N3CrztG2ex_7NPEkrj4/s1600/DSCN3384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_CSOth48G94VW2odkMlhW44RoQPopZBb1Up0BcUtGLVctHbLPVlCbVSDwbc8wzlv6BvmmLQjfuS0fnSc_HlX5gjT6YSeSeQEtXeNaYd6CNI6EhnvttwVWJT0N3CrztG2ex_7NPEkrj4/s320/DSCN3384.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Snow People - Pimp, Hula Lady, and Standard Snowman</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO-ijXbkhSzIDzLGD0n8hJ3Tu6MR4ud1Gc-Dfydf3AOy-woL2EZeOpcXSQsxUsc0mMT97LRleFdSryleyTFhGy8VVuSwSqDGhyphenhyphenLBdBlq5svFoQkDrsGDsJb7izCxBvtRiqoWVRkjyD84/s1600/DSCN3382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO-ijXbkhSzIDzLGD0n8hJ3Tu6MR4ud1Gc-Dfydf3AOy-woL2EZeOpcXSQsxUsc0mMT97LRleFdSryleyTFhGy8VVuSwSqDGhyphenhyphenLBdBlq5svFoQkDrsGDsJb7izCxBvtRiqoWVRkjyD84/s320/DSCN3382.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Miss Piggy and Kermit, Charlie Brown and his gimpy tree, and Gingerbread Man</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now that the excitement of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's has died down, I'm striving to get back to basics. For me that means cutting way down on sugar and processed foods, increasing my fruit and veggie intake, and getting back to walking and exercising. All those holiday foods taste so good, but it's amazing how much they affect me on every level! I get moody, tired, anxious, my blood sugar fluctuates like crazy and random aches and pains increase. It's fun to indulge, but it's also really nice to get back to cleaner eating.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To that end, I made a really great lasagna last night that was just about as healthy as a lasagna can be without being boring. It was a bit labor intensive, but we've been eating out so much that I didn't mind spending a little extra time in the kitchen. I wanted to steer clear of any fake, processed "meat" and "cheese" products and use ingredients that were there for a health purpose, not just for flavor. I call it "Vibrant Vegan Lasagna" because the colors in it really are pretty and because it will make you feel truly vibrant - not weighed down like most lasagnas. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I knew I wanted to use a "cashew cheese" for the protein, healthy fat, and B12 courtesy of nutritional yeast. I based it on a recipe from </span><a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/11/07/vegan-lasagna-with-basil-cashew-cheeze/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh She Glows!</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> but had to make some modifications as fresh basil is not in season. The sauce was inspired by <a href="http://wildethings.org/bomb-diggidy-bolognese">Olivia Wilde's "Bomb-Diggity Bolognese"</a> (she's so cute) which I've cooked many times over the past year. We just watched her in "Cowboys and Aliens" this weekend - I thought it was really good BTW - so that be why I had her on the brain. She uses tempeh and mushrooms as a meat-like base and chops them up in the food processor to get that Bolognese-like consistency. This sauce is so flexible - you can add just about any veggie to it you have on hand and it will come out tasting great. The tempeh adds even more protein and it is a fermented food, which is great for digestion. I then added some chopped collards (really working on boosting my daily intake of greens!) as they are high in vitamin C and soluble fiber. You can substitute spinach or kale and I'm sure the result would be just as good. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So how did it turn out? Let's just say that I devoured my first piece and was back for seconds before Johnny had even finished pouring himself a drink in the kitchen! I was a bit worried that the unconventional ingredients would not suit Johnny's tastebuds, but he really loved this lasagna and even had seconds himself. And now we have some leftovers for lunches and a bunch more to freeze! I love when new creations turn out so well!</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><u>Vibrant Vegan Lasagna</u></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Makes 12 servings)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>For the tomato sauce:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp olive oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cloves garlic</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 small yellow or white onion</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 block of tempeh (I used Lightlife Organic 3-Grain tempeh)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 pint baby portabella mushrooms, rinsed</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup dry red wine</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 tsp red pepper flakes</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp dried basil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp dried oregano</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 28 oz jar pasta sauce (I used Newman's Own Tomato and Basil sauce)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>For the cashew cheese:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 clove garlic</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/4 cups raw, unsalted cashews (soaked for at least 30 minutes or overnight)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Juice from 1/2 lemon</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tbsp Dijon mustard (I know it sounds weird, but trust me!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup nutritional yeast</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup water or vegetable broth</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>For the crumb topping:</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups breadcrumbs (I made my own from a stale baguette which I pulsed in the food processor)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp Earth Balance or olive oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tsp oregano</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9 lasagna noodles</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 bag frozen, chopped collard greens, thawed (be sure to squeeze out the liquid so they are as dry as possible)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, put a large pot of water on to boil. Then make your tomato sauce so it can simmer while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Chop the peeled garlic cloves in the food processor and add to the skillet. Pulse the peeled onion in the food processor and add to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the tempeh to the food processor and pulse until it breaks into small crumbs. Transfer to the skillet. Pulse the mushrooms in the food processor until chopped into small pieces. Transfer to the skillet. Add the wine and spices and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mushrooms will begin to give off their liquid and cook down, and the tempeh will brown a bit. Stir in the jar of pasta sauce and the chopped tomatoes and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer while you prepare the rest of the lasagna, stirring every now and then.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your water should be boiling at this point, so add your lasagna noodles. Be careful not to overcook them, 9 minutes should be plenty. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next, wipe out your food processor so you can make the cashew cheese. Drain and rinse the cashews. Chop the peeled garlic clove in the processor, then add the cashews, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, and salt and begin to process. Drizzle in the water as the processor is running until you achieve a smooth consistency. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. You made need to add more or less than 1/4 cup water, but you want it to form a paste. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Drain the lasagna noodles and immediately rinse with cold water. In a 9"x12" glass pan, put some of the tomato sauce in the bottom so your noodles won't stick. Lay down three of the noodles, then spread 1/3 of the cashew cheese mixture over them. Sprinkle 1/2 of the collard greens on top, then spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce on top of that. Layer on three more noodles, then 1/3 cheese, the remaining collard greens, and 1/3 tomato sauce. Add another layer of noodles, then the rest of the cheese and the tomato sauce. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Before the 30 minutes is up, prepare your breadcrumb topping. In a medium skillet, melt the Earth Balance or heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and spices and cook for 3 minutes, or until everything is well incorporated. Once the lasagna has been cooking for 30 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Cook uncovered for another 7-10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving. </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-39491550986327007872011-12-01T13:26:00.000-05:002011-12-01T13:26:40.065-05:00Recipe - Vegan Chunky Monkey and Thanksgiving Recap<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hidee-ho! Hope everyone had wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations this year! It was my second year celebrating Thanksgiving as a vegan, but my first one cooking. Last year we went to Connecticut to spend the day with Johnny's brother and his family, so I picked up a few things from Whole Foods. While I am eternally grateful for the convenience and selection that Whole Foods offers, this year I wanted to try my hand at veganizing some of the classics. It is so much cheaper and, generally, tastier to make stuff on your own, don't you agree?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Tuesday, I began by cooking the cranberry sauce as I knew it would keep well and it was the only component of the meal that was meant to be served cold. I used <a href="http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/holidays-occasions/thanksgiving-side-dish-recipes-00400000056366/page6.html">this</a> recipe from Sunset Magazine as I remembered my sister making a cranberry sauce with Earl Grey tea in years past that I loved. This called for some exotic spices like cardamom pods, star anise, and whole cinnamon sticks so I made my way to Kalustyan's and managed to buy all three for under $10. Man, I love that place! I simmered the spices and tea bags in a water and sugar mixture, then cooked the cranberries in the liquid until they all burst and cooked into a thickened sauce. I was super pleased with the results of that one, it was a positively delicious addition to the meal! I also made up a batch of hummus on Tuesday for an appetizer - we all know how much better hummus tastes after it sits in the fridge for a few days anyway.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday night I tackled dessert - the <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2011/08/maple-pecan-pie/">Maple Pecan Pie</a> from the new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Pie-Sky-Out-This-World/dp/0738212741">"Vegan Pie in the Sky"</a> by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Those ladies have stolen my heart when it comes to vegan baked goods and vegan food in general. Their recipes are so thoroughly tested and well-written that I never have to worry about yielding a less-than-tasty result. The on-line reviews of this pie recipe were split: some had great success and others had a bit of trouble. I, too, ran into some issues when I let my caramel cook a bit too long. It completely hardened and crumbled, so I blended it up in the food processor and hoped for the best. Luckily, it all worked out and it was a delicious pie! Johnny said it was a bit too sweet for his tastes, but I thought it was just right. (Though expensive to make... we paid $8 for the pecans and it used most of my $7 bottle of maple syrup. Yikes!)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wanted to have as little cooking to do on Thursday as possible. We spent the morning making our way to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, only to find that we'd missed all but the last two balloons and Santa. EPIC FAIL. Better luck next year. When we got home, I got to work making mashed potatoes (I baked the potatoes, scooped out the innards, and mashed with plenty of soy milk, vegan margarine, and salt and pepper) and sweet potato casserole (I also baked the sweet potatoes, scooped out the innards and mashed with a bit of maple syrup, a couple tablespoons of margarine, some cinnamon and allspice and about a 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts, then I baked it with some vegan Dandies marshmallows on top. YUM!). Johnny made his famous stuffing using margarine, veggie broth, stuffing mix and lots of chopped apples, celery and onions. Then I just had to heat up the rolls and the vegan mushroom gravy. Our guests brought the BEST ROASTED VEGGIES I'VE EVER HAD that included butternut squash, cauliflower, and turnips. Monica says the secret is to roast them at very low heat for a long time, so I'll be utilizing that method in the future. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Everything came out so wonderfully and I had a plate full of vegan goodness upon which to gorge myself. And thanks to leftovers, I continued to gorge myself through the entire weekend! I was so busy trying to keep everything hot that I didn't really snap any good pics though. Bummer. We also saw the new Muppets movie that night and I must say, it was fantastic. A theater full of adults weeping at the sight of a frog puppet? Yes, please. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In this brief hiatus between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm trying to get back to eating a bit healthier so as not to send my system into complete meltdown. I bought a gigantic bunch of bananas at the grocery store while shopping for Thanksgiving and they started to get a bit brown. I knew they would be perfect in a baked good like banana bread. But instead, I chose to freeze them and make banana soft serve! This stuff seems to be all the craze these days and I know why: it's so easy to make and it tastes divine. You can mix-in anything your little heart desires, but when I think of banana ice cream, I automatically think "Chunky Monkey". By far my favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor, it combines banana ice cream with dark chocolate chunks and walnuts. This version gives you all those flavors, but with about 1/10th the fat and calories. Big time WIN!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Johnny ate a bowl of this ice cream, licked the bowl clean, then returned to the freezer to eat the rest. I was so happy he liked it so much! A much healthier way to satisfy an indulgent sweet-tooth. Have you ever made banana soft serve? What are your favorite mix-ins?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh8woO7ZdIBWUwAEdlHrZteQpNtMnJnnCmCfrKH7WMBtPd02vJZwrVzVzS_0Xq8Iw1oYTCnkYJYCBVnkJu65Y7GJ3Xj7cCU-HN5zCDLL7eRYu85YQNCFQvIfghlLNdMC9jRETa5UVae8/s1600/DSCN3328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh8woO7ZdIBWUwAEdlHrZteQpNtMnJnnCmCfrKH7WMBtPd02vJZwrVzVzS_0Xq8Iw1oYTCnkYJYCBVnkJu65Y7GJ3Xj7cCU-HN5zCDLL7eRYu85YQNCFQvIfghlLNdMC9jRETa5UVae8/s400/DSCN3328.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><u>Vegan Chunky Monkey</u></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">5 frozen bananas</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup raw, unsalted walnut pieces</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Break up the bananas a bit and add to a food processor. Begin blending, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. You will have to blend for awhile, 5 minutes or so, but don't overblend as it will start to melt the ice cream. Once everything is smoothe, transfer to a bowl (a chilled bowl would be great here) and stir in the chocolate and walnuts. You can either place this back into the freezer to harden it up a bit, or serve right away. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the top and garnish with a mint sprig. </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-20789921777130684402011-11-16T20:31:00.002-05:002011-11-16T20:32:27.581-05:00Recipe - Ani Phyo's Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh my goodness, it's been too long people! The good news is that my back feels MUCH better. I still have no real answers as to what happened or why I was in so much pain, but I am very thankful to be able to move again and breathe without wincing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The last few weeks have been busy with social activities, working out with my new personal trainer (oh, my aching muscles) and flying home last week for my sister's wedding! She awesomely included lots of vegan options on her Lebanese-themed wedding menu like spinach afthiad (olive oil pastry stuffed with spinach and onions), garbanzo bean stuffed cabbage rolls, and hummus/ babaganoush with pita chips. My mom, dad, aunt and brother helped her cook the gigantic feast and every bit of it was so delicious! You could really taste the love. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0dei68wFlyZNbk3pKFTTNhi04bBPhAJ8H-e3pTt-SwubTpWPhqsHt2wUnyGbwo2_b7-_DlNsucO2yVTilPOwy80l1Lbn67NFFGRjylToE1ussKlMneMTMMVaMxNY0zQr2PX-MV3mOzM/s1600/DSCN3297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0dei68wFlyZNbk3pKFTTNhi04bBPhAJ8H-e3pTt-SwubTpWPhqsHt2wUnyGbwo2_b7-_DlNsucO2yVTilPOwy80l1Lbn67NFFGRjylToE1ussKlMneMTMMVaMxNY0zQr2PX-MV3mOzM/s400/DSCN3297.JPG" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Early morning cactus. So pretty. </i></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">Back in Tucson, I had so many people come up to me and tell me that they read and enjoy my blog. What a huge surprise! I often forget that what I write gets sent out into the universe for others to read and getting so much positive encouragement motivated me to get back to posting. I have lots of yummy foodstuffs to share with you. I'd like to kick things off with a simply scrumptious soup I made a few weekends ago. I followed <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/raw-sweet-corn-and-cashew-chowder">this</a> recipe by Ani Phyo who is a rockstar in the vegan/raw world. I'd never tried anything by her before, but I must say, this soup made me a fan! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'm not much into raw foods as my body simply seems to respond better to gently cooked foods. But I do like to add in some raw recipes and meals every now and then. The benefit is that so many of the vitamins and nutrients that would typically be lost in the cooking process stay intact with raw foods. I was a bit afraid that a soup with a base of raw corn would be way too starchy, but it wasn't at all. It was crisp, refreshing and nourishing. It's probably more suited for a hot summer day, but it did make for a perfect light lunch on an unseasonably warm autumn afternoon. The markets around here seem to be selling off the last of the summer corn for cheap, so it's cost effective, too! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I made a few changes to the recipe to cut down on the fat (reflected below) and added in some delicious fresh tomatoes. If you try out this recipe, be sure to use a blender and not a food processor if possible. I don't have a blender and my food processor ended up leaking out 90% of the water I put in. I just processed what stayed in and then added in water once it was in a bowl. You could also try using an immersion blender. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rw4ZGWGJgbYdJnbmV12duud9X_qCiNf0nV5I8mNgXyEGEkoNYOCFCFV5S8AUPfAJUrjTzB1_OPsBFQrISAAzUP0KB8PKSvApgZLuOo18JhPH4BmJIrFQ-nvolLONEZ1Y82HSMhO6tFk/s1600/DSCN3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rw4ZGWGJgbYdJnbmV12duud9X_qCiNf0nV5I8mNgXyEGEkoNYOCFCFV5S8AUPfAJUrjTzB1_OPsBFQrISAAzUP0KB8PKSvApgZLuOo18JhPH4BmJIrFQ-nvolLONEZ1Y82HSMhO6tFk/s400/DSCN3242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><u>Ani Phyo's Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder</u></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Based on this recipe</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Serves 4</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">3 ears of yellow corn, kernels removed</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 small garlic clove</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tsp sea salt</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 cup water</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">fresh cilantro, chopped</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tomato, diced</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">freshly ground black pepper</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In a blender, combine 3/4 of the corn kernels, cashews, olive oil, garlic, salt and water and process until smooth. Divide the soup into four bowls and garnish with the reserved corn kernels, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, and pepper. Serve cold. (Can be chilled overnight.) </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-88259179876682719022011-10-19T14:15:00.000-04:002011-10-19T14:15:01.852-04:00I'm Injured - Vegan MoFo Tapout<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hi guys... </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As you may have noticed, it's been quite some time since I last posted. Yep, instead of "MoFoing" I've been "NoFoing". ((hangs head in shame)) Sadly, I've been dealing with some nasty health problems and cooking/blogging just haven't been in the cards. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I woke up last Thursday to a terrible, dull ache in my back. It's not my first time at the "Back Pain Rodeo" (apparently, it's where I hold all my stress), so I called in sick to work and started looking around for chiropractors in my area who accept my insurance. I got an adjustment that day and seemed to be feeling a bit better, but as the weekend wore on, I found I could barely breathe without whimpering. I went back to the chiro and got another adjustment on Monday evening, but by yesterday afternoon I was sitting at my desk at work and fighting back tears because my back hurt so much. I am NOT the girl who cries at work, dammit! Back to the chiro I went. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I tried to explain in greater detail the pain I was feeling, the panic of not being able to take a full breath without feeling like I was being shanked with a ballpoint pen, and my overall frustration with the situation. She felt around and realized that I had three rib heads out of place (three!!!) and said that was likely the reason I couldn't breathe. She popped them back in and, at my request, sent me uptown to get some x-rays done. Results of the x-rays are forthcoming. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am breathing a bit easier today, but am I ever sore! I've just been trying to take it WAY easy and resting as much as possible. That means missing the sneak preview of "Paranormal Activity 3" last night (sniffle) and not cooking a scrap all week. Fingers crossed that I'll stay on the path to recovery and be back in the kitchen by this weekend. I'm super tired of over-salted take out and I really miss participating in Vegan MoFo! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Until then, stay well my peeps. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">xo,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Hally</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-54836702864445949692011-10-14T15:14:00.001-04:002011-10-14T15:17:16.647-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 14 - A Survey!<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know, I know. Surveys are the worst! But maybe it'll help people get to know a little bit more about me. The official Vegan MoFo survey this year seems to be about gluten-free cooking, which I really don't know enough about, so I cobbled together two old MoFo surveys to make one giant super-survey. Feel free to chime in with your answers in the comments below! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Favorite non-dairy milk?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">ZenSoy is pretty much the only soy milk I drink now (just wish it came in smaller cartons because I can never finish all that soy milk in 7-10 days!). Still looking for a good organic almond milk that isn't made by THE MAN. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Topping of choice for popcorn?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I make popcorn the old-fashioned way now! Put some organic popcorn kernels in the bottom of a big pot, coat with olive oil, cover with a lid and turn up the heat to medium-high. Shake the pot around until all the popping has stopped, then pour a little melted Earth Balance on top and sprinkle with sea salt. <em><u>It's like crack.</u></em></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Favorite pickled item?</strong></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My mom just reminded me how I loved pickled green tomatoes when I was a kid. I pretty much like any pickled veggie, especially if it’s nice and garlickey. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>How do you organize your recipes?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My parents-in-law made each of their kids a binder of family recipes a few Christmases ago. It’s one of the cutest and funniest things ever! I keep all my hand-written and printed on-line recipes tucked inside there. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods… what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If my goal was to stay healthy: green kale, chickpeas, and brown rice. If I wanted to live out my days in debauchery: potato chips, candy bars, and whiskey. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Fondest food memory from your childhood?</strong></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The days-long Easter and Thanksgiving cooking frenzies starring my mom, grandma, aunt, cousins and great aunts! </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Favorite vegan ice cream?</strong></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lula’s Sweet Apothecary is the stuff that dreams are made of. For store bought, I love Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Most loved kitchen appliance?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I use my food processor about 1,000 times a week, sometimes multiple times in one cooking session. Her name is Dolly and she’s a trooper! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Spice/herb you would die without?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cinnamon </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“The Kind Diet” – I still read it all the time for inspiration. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’m an apple butter girl through-and-through.</span></span></div><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tempeh! It puts the others to shame. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?</strong></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some of Johnny’s meds, some lightbulbs and occasionally a box of food that won’t fit in the cupboard.</span></span></div><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.</span></strong></span><br />
</div><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gardein Seven Grain Chick’n Strips, frozen strawberries, and frozen bananas (just put those in there last night in anticipation of making banana soft-serve!). </span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Favorite grocery store?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Natural Frontier, a local health food store that is only 3 blocks from my house. They carry so much awesome vegan stuff and have a juice bar! </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My grandma’s Kentucky Prune Cake. I’m pretty sure its creation will bring about the end of the world, so I’ve been putting it off… you’re welcome. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mahalo Bars by Go Max Go! I haven’t tried their other varieties yet, but the Mahalo Bars are like vegan Almond Joys. Yes, I just said “vegan Almond Joys.” <drool></span></span></div><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Most extravagant food item purchased lately?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">$10 worth of raw cashews. I always underestimate how much food I’m getting in the bulk bins! I just like to press that lever and let the sundries flow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong>What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now? </strong><br />
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</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mushrooms, beets, and brussel sprouts. Funny how tastes change so much as you grow.</span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></strong></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ve had some good seitan, but I’ve also had enough bad seitan to be completely scared of it now. </span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What dish are your “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Hummus! Our family has hummus flowing through our veins, what can I say?</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"<em>One</em> food or dish" I tend to eat too much of? HA! One? Plain potato chips are the biggest offender (though certainly not the only offender). I cannot be trusted with them. </span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></strong></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Organic fruits and veggies, especially for juicing. I’d hate to end up with a glass half-full of pesticides and chemicals when I’m trying to be healthy. </span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></strong></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Veggie: green kale. Fruit: cherries. Line-straddler: avocado (it's like the androgynous "Pat" character of produce and it's delicious).</span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What is the best salad dressing?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I’m always down for some Goddess dressing, but Johnny loves when I make my own dressing using olive oil, balsamic, a bit of lemon juice, whole grain mustard and a touch of agave. </span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">My homemade Nutella. Duh. Runner up: peanut butter and banana slices</span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Nachos/tacos/burritos/tostadas. The toppings always include homemade guacamole, refried beans, tomato, and lettuce and sometimes include Soyrizo, Daiya Cheese, homemade salsa, or rice. The state of the tortillas matters not, they are merely topping delivery systems.</span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Olives. Black olives, green olives, Kalamata olives… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss you! </span><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?</strong></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">About 2 hours. Way longer on the weekends when I can be leisurely. </span></span></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-46375372922660644202011-10-11T21:20:00.000-04:002011-10-11T21:20:35.664-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 11 - Campfire Chili!<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It seems like every good little vegan has their own recipe for vegan chili, but I made up a batch the other night that I thought was worth mentioning. The Red Merlot beans I'd purchased at Smorgasburg were burning a hole in my cupboard and I thought chili would be a great way to showcase them. I soaked them and some pinto beans for a few hours, tossed in the veggies and spices I thought would get along best with the beans, and also added some Texturized Soy Protein (TSP). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you're not familiar with TSP, it's made from de-fatted soy flour, it has as much protein as meat, and it's fat-free. Bazinga! TSP is dehydrated, so you have to let it sit in some water and re-hydrate before using. After that, you can pretty much toss it into anything and, much like tofu, it absorbs the flavors of whatever you're cooking it with. It comes in smaller granules and larger chunks - I used the granules here. It's super easy to use and was basically undetectable in this chili. I didn't mention to Johnny that I'd used TSP (he sometimes gets skeeved out by unknown ingredients before he even tastes them) and he certainly didn't notice anything awry. In fact, he ate two bowls of this chili and loved every bite! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I call this "Campfire Chili" because the rich, smoky, tomato-ey sauce and the slight spiciness would be perfect on a camping trip, but it's just as good snuggled under a blanket on the couch at home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh, and a little note about the beans - I used dried beans because they're crazy cheap and it feels more hands on to cook my own beans that getting them out of a can. If you do use dried beans, make sure to soak them first and try cooking them with some dried kombu. Kombu is a type of seaweed and it makes the beans easier to digest. You won't be able to taste the kombu in the beans and you'll toot a whole lot less than you would otherwise!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLEMHpouDL2gdi4aIx2RQeARkWoGpHziho5hm_PXmv-mG9UcJFfoYZDodgnT7s3EdrC61kcrXO_eBlIwL9yRNJe-iFDU0bvlSXbAlc8wZMfACyOjcGdVGvExRKzvk7IphMU9AV077x-Q/s1600/DSCN3228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLEMHpouDL2gdi4aIx2RQeARkWoGpHziho5hm_PXmv-mG9UcJFfoYZDodgnT7s3EdrC61kcrXO_eBlIwL9yRNJe-iFDU0bvlSXbAlc8wZMfACyOjcGdVGvExRKzvk7IphMU9AV077x-Q/s400/DSCN3228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><u>Campfire Chili</u></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Serves 8</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/2 cups dried beans of your choice (I used Red Merlot and pinto)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1-2" kombu (optional)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp olive oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 large yellow onion, diced</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 clove garlic, minced</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 pint mushrooms, chopped</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 carrot, cut into coins</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp chili powder (I used Ancho chili powder)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp cumin</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tsp oregano</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tsp liquid smoke</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 cups water</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tsps </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Bouillon-Chicken-8-Ounce/dp/B001HTJFGI"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Better Than Bouillon" No Chicken Base</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 tbsp tomato paste</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 avocado (optional)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pick through your dried beans and soak them in water in a large bowl for at least 6 hours. The beans will double in volume, so make sure your bowl is big enough and you add enough water. After they've soaked and softened, drain the soaking liquid and place the beans in a large pot. Add enough water to cover and a few pieces of kombu - this is optional, but the kombu will make the beans easier to digest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The beans should still be a bit firm, but not crunchy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Drain the beans and set them aside. In the same large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. When everything has softened, add the spices and liquid smoke, stirring to coat everything. In a separate container (I use a large glass measuring cup) whisk together the 4 cups water, bouillon and tomato paste until combined. Add the beans back into the pot and pour in the broth mixture. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes or just until the beans have cooked through and the flavors have married. Serve with avocado sliced or diced on top. </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-8381642972591791602011-10-09T15:29:00.000-04:002011-10-09T15:29:14.396-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 9 - Smorgasburg!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'd been hearing great things about <a href="http://www.brooklynflea.com/smorgasburg/">Smorgasburg</a>, a foodie festival that takes place in Willamsburg, Brooklyn every Saturday, for awhile. It's run by the same people who host Brooklyn Flea on Sundays, but Smorgasburg is all about the edibles. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johnny and I decided to check it out, but the subway to Williamsburg wasn't running at the time. So we took a trip on the new <a href="http://www.nywaterway.com/ERF-Home.aspx">East River Ferry</a>. It was so much fun! It stops in Manhattan on 34th Street - very close to our apartment - and another stop is exactly at the Smorgasburg site in Willamsburg. Perfect! It was lots of fun to be out in the fresh air, enjoying the sun for one last time before the colder temps make outdoorsy activity less probable. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVU_mAoVILMgISfg2yQBi6LTPl4GWb4JQbNpc6gQ2lF_lHluNnLO1Ci51RDUM-F9MzQ-6TXUHrMpuX4jfnZNYbIJ5e0jQDUSzRCMr1s21zB_m4cdMyETttK4J-jMd9V-VRlqQqp2GJ3h4/s1600/DSCN3214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVU_mAoVILMgISfg2yQBi6LTPl4GWb4JQbNpc6gQ2lF_lHluNnLO1Ci51RDUM-F9MzQ-6TXUHrMpuX4jfnZNYbIJ5e0jQDUSzRCMr1s21zB_m4cdMyETttK4J-jMd9V-VRlqQqp2GJ3h4/s400/DSCN3214.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>The ferry with a view of Manhattan - how pretty!</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Smorgasburg has lots of vendors selling food that's ready to eat and there are also vendors selling groceries to take home. On this particular day, there was also a record festival going on, which is perfect since we're trying to add to our record collection!</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLhHSfkmuQtMDA_R7YdjfIL9gndZu9BY5sUu_6fgTN7LajZcp8aqMDe_yELcBVW4OPBxdNUDODrf7sAKqKqW2qvObHZCeirTTmqfpDhJjUyjE86OAcPrD-lA9dsYWM7OanlxEVeH44Hw/s1600/DSCN3218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLhHSfkmuQtMDA_R7YdjfIL9gndZu9BY5sUu_6fgTN7LajZcp8aqMDe_yELcBVW4OPBxdNUDODrf7sAKqKqW2qvObHZCeirTTmqfpDhJjUyjE86OAcPrD-lA9dsYWM7OanlxEVeH44Hw/s400/DSCN3218.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We did a quick cruise around all the tents before deciding what to eat - no easy feat since it was pretty crowded and we were starving. </span><a href="http://growninbrooklyn.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Barry's Tempeh</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> stand caught my eye right away and it's where I ended up purchasing my first course - a BBQ tempeh sandwich. The tempeh is made right in Brooklyn from local grains, beans and seasonings. It was really good! The sandwich was kept simple, with the tempeh cubed and smothered in a tangy, smoky BBQ sauce, and a sesame hamburger bun. The sauce had caramelized a bit and was sticky, crunchy and sweet. Yummmmm. I think I might re-create this and add some vegan cole slaw on top. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCBAZkNFZT_v9gn9p7szhWk54uQ026qi-ENgTBJOfyDjOrTVSn1wB_D5bTJJCch4G5YDI7lhurLuEc-dwPnuLwHckk8qse-JPBisxA8wkLPIRedmV0pOdXkeSsuw-Gx6-zmtOnhRiGfg/s1600/DSCN3208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCBAZkNFZT_v9gn9p7szhWk54uQ026qi-ENgTBJOfyDjOrTVSn1wB_D5bTJJCch4G5YDI7lhurLuEc-dwPnuLwHckk8qse-JPBisxA8wkLPIRedmV0pOdXkeSsuw-Gx6-zmtOnhRiGfg/s320/DSCN3208.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next up, I headed for the </span><a href="http://kombuchabrooklyn.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kombucha Brooklyn</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> stand where they had fresh Kombucha on tap! I've only had bottled Kombucha before, so I was excited to try it this way. I went for the Mellow Yellow mild Kombucha. It was pretty good, but a bit strong for my taste. Something in it - ginger perhaps? - made it a bit spicy. Still overall it was a refreshing beverage for a hot day. But it looked like a cup of pee, so I didn't bother taking a picture. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, I made my way to </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rob-Annas/105252222899900"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rob & Anna's</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, a stand selling frozen, blended banana soft serve. (Rob & Anna's = raw bananas... get it?) I was so happy to see that one of their toppings was VEGAN CHOCOLATE SAUCE! The sweet, clean banana flavor and the light chocolate sauce were the perfect combo. I am definitely gonna try to make my own banana soft serve at home - just blend frozen bananas in a food processor till smooth... I can handle that!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmVZEFtZtHt_JW1WBhAd_43NtaO_eQkfsIvhCsPJI8H5VwRGaBltjc96fiH9VEFQHgXI0UhlXRUkewTWuRHfvzOjHNL4xdYpJRFghyypIk5o1KOVz92DuJdRia6nP_6gj-pHBtAihLvE/s1600/DSCN3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmVZEFtZtHt_JW1WBhAd_43NtaO_eQkfsIvhCsPJI8H5VwRGaBltjc96fiH9VEFQHgXI0UhlXRUkewTWuRHfvzOjHNL4xdYpJRFghyypIk5o1KOVz92DuJdRia6nP_6gj-pHBtAihLvE/s400/DSCN3210.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johnny spent the day eating some very non-vegan items (ahem), but for dessert he checked out People's Pops. They have a big slab of ice and shave the ice right in front of your eyes! They had a bunch of crazy syrups to add in, like red pepper and cantaloupe chai. Johnny went for the Concord grape and absolutely devoured the icy concoction. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDSGTb9veY2WTfoDSykHKhj-nwLr2eUNtYdc_Dgs6F-Ql_CRUdAcu5HhPj32kJjN8aueJUjyDE2vrFabaL8Mcjv-OeaQ7zyJUPPGi-0Zq3cVFp9kohuFr_NBhUaNo3Bok2MWRelS6efc/s1600/DSCN3213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDSGTb9veY2WTfoDSykHKhj-nwLr2eUNtYdc_Dgs6F-Ql_CRUdAcu5HhPj32kJjN8aueJUjyDE2vrFabaL8Mcjv-OeaQ7zyJUPPGi-0Zq3cVFp9kohuFr_NBhUaNo3Bok2MWRelS6efc/s320/DSCN3213.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After we were stuffed, we wandered around the grocery stalls and picked up some goodies. I bought a pound of Red Merlot beans from </span><a href="http://thebrooklynbeanco.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brooklyn Bean</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. They had an amazing assortment of dried beans, many of which were local, and they were all $4/pound - not bad by Smorgasburg standards! I also got some insanely delicious whole grain mustard from </span><a href="http://tinmustard.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tin Mustard</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> that is not too spicy, not too sweet, and the whole mustard seeds burst in your mouth. Delicious! Finally, we got a bag of </span><a href="http://betterthanbrittle.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Better Than Brittle</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, a vegan peanut brittle that is "West African Style". The peanuts are ground before the brittle is made and they use much less sugar that other brittles - and no corn syrup. The result is so peanutty and crunchy, a perfect snack! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1aumDIP5mKnxjjjkClwU__-fgLZGIsQIRv3P1ahK8mbOGFN1kT-slRlSFdrk3sWbLiWdtaNvrJKnreCoacTaguOqf-TPgFukKnc2HXyemdOvo_JdVtH3mVIXqo0tEEfjyUi3RrF5jn4/s1600/DSCN3221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1aumDIP5mKnxjjjkClwU__-fgLZGIsQIRv3P1ahK8mbOGFN1kT-slRlSFdrk3sWbLiWdtaNvrJKnreCoacTaguOqf-TPgFukKnc2HXyemdOvo_JdVtH3mVIXqo0tEEfjyUi3RrF5jn4/s400/DSCN3221.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We picked out a few records and then made our way home on the ferry with our haul. Quite the productive and scrumptious Saturday! I highly recommend the East River Ferry and Smorgasburg for a quintessential New York day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B__Xegz8HWzKs2d_au9IPVmyI_V31-FT3Qi8ahFCabQUXgsxDKBL8jcI_hL6IV_GYpk26dDzltvDlrjw4nHh0mldJAhfzJ9cq7Af1lgqMG07NXgbuJG9FYFtIDw49mIvMDm9An8tH3M/s1600/DSCN3215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B__Xegz8HWzKs2d_au9IPVmyI_V31-FT3Qi8ahFCabQUXgsxDKBL8jcI_hL6IV_GYpk26dDzltvDlrjw4nHh0mldJAhfzJ9cq7Af1lgqMG07NXgbuJG9FYFtIDw49mIvMDm9An8tH3M/s400/DSCN3215.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-27138852819042895942011-10-06T11:24:00.000-04:002011-10-06T11:24:13.598-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 6 - Vegan Package Swap!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Aside from this being the first year I am participating in Vegan MoFo, it's also the first year I participated in the Vegan Care Package Swap! It is hosted by Lindsay over at </span><a href="http://cookveganlover.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cook, Vegan, Lover </span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and to participate I just submitted my name to her back in September and was paired up with someone to swap care packages with. I was paired up with Michelle from </span><a href="http://lovinlivinvegan.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">lovinlivinvegan</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and can I say it has just been a joy getting to know Michelle over the past few weeks! Michelle lives in Tennessee and I live in New York, so it's been awesome to compare and contrast what it's like to be a vegan in such different geographic locations. I told her early on that it was so exciting to chat with her over e-mail because I don't even know any vegans in "real life"! She's such a sweetie and I'm sure our friendship will continue even after the care package swap concludes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I received Michelle's package on Tuesday and it was such a lovely feeling to open up a big box of amazing vegan goodies that were all hand-picked just for me! Here's what I got: a spice mix for roasted veggies and fries; dried mango chips; Yogi Calming tea; granola bites; some crackers from a country store; Vitamin C lollipops; coconut flour; all-purpose sauce; a cute little chick scrubber; and (not pictured) a bag of Sea Salt PopCorners popcorn chips and some Nana's chocolate cookie bars! That's a lot of stuff!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="276px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5NoWZiCyZKehEMFQXtw8BCe_OAkzHcFtZnSuzcE7KjF_ENWwXnD_ZGqGhOTxgZY-GgsM2-6gQK4QjWp11uKrdWLoK-hiwEvUjgsekS8hihZ7NdsKG0FL4oR4Jtw4dIBSQfn_81A14a4/s400/DSCN3191.JPG" width="400px" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So far, I have already inhaled the entire bag of PopCorners (those things are good!) and last night I cracked open the mango chips, only to find they had disappeared a few minutes later. Who knew dried mango slices could be so darn tasty? I also sampled the Nana's cookie bars - which are vegan AND gluten-free - and they're quite delicious. And the Vitamin C lollipops are so genius - Johnny is battling a cold right now that I don't want to catch and there's no yummier way to boost my Vitamin C intake than by sucking on a lolli. I can't wait to try all the other items, I'm especially excited to try to Coconut Flour and will be hunting for just the right recipe to use it in. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thanks so much to Lindsay for hosting and organizing the swap, it's such a great way to get to know a fellow vegan! And thanks to Michelle for being so rad and for sending me such a thoughtful care package! (Michelle will hopefully be receiving her package on Friday, so be sure to check out her blog for her upcoming post! Plus her blog is just really cool to read anyway)</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-79020874269381428132011-10-05T22:21:00.000-04:002011-10-05T22:21:38.745-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 5 - Call Snookie, I'm Officially a Juicehead<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Has everyone gotten tired of hearing about juice/ juicing/ juice fasts/ juice feasts/ juicy-juicy-juice-juice? I know, this is hardly a new topic to be introducing to the blog-o-sphere, but c'mon! We all have our own relationships with juice, our own stories to tell. Surely a blogger cannot be denied her right to discuss her juice tale at length. So relax, take a deep breath, and float with me down this celery-scented river... </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johnny has been begging me to purchase a juicer for years now. He saw a Jack LaLane infomercial at 3:00am five years ago and I guess it stuck with him. He's a bit susceptible to infomercials - he's also begged me to order the Bullet blender, a steam cleaner, velvet hangers, and a lot of other crap over the years - but while those items came and went, the desire for a juicer stayed with him. I was hesitant to cave to his request as I've heard so many people admit, "I bought a juicer, used it twice, then threw it out of my car window while driving down I-10". Our kitchen certainly isn't big enough to house any unnecessary appliances. Would we really drink juice all that much? What if the juice tasted gross? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then I received the book "Crazy, Sexy Diet" by Kris Carr for my birthday this year. Many peeps are already familiar with her, but in case you're not: Kris Carr was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her early 30s and given months to live. She took a radical approach to her health and as a result, she is now 40-years-old and is cancer-free! Her road to recovery included a lot of juice, raw fruits and veggies, and whole grains. She completely cut out animal products, processed and refined foods, sugar, and alcohol. She credits this diet with saving her life. Pretty cool, huh?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A few weeks ago, something snapped and I finally decided to order a juicer from Amazon. It arrived one Tuesday and sat there in its box, just waiting for me to love it. It sat there and sat there for 4 days. I wasn't sure where to begin and I felt a little anxious about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For inspiration, I decided to watch the documentary, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on Netflix. It follows a guy named Joe from Australia who is 100 pounds overweight and who struggles with health issues, including a rare auto-immune disorder that causes him to have a painful rash over most of his body. He is taking lots of steroids and other medications and his diet consists of mostly fast food and little or no fruits and veggies. One day, he decides he's had enough and he embarks on a 60-day trip around America during which he will consume nothing but fresh vegetable and fruit juice. 60 DAYS! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The results are staggering. Joe is able to wean himself of all medication, including steroids. His rash and other medical issues completely clear up. He loses all 100 pounds and becomes more energized and active than he's been in decades. He's the picture of health and he attributes it all to juicing. And mid-way through the movie, he's contacted by Phil, a truck-driver he met in Winslow, AZ (of all places) and Phil needs Joe's help. Phil is tipping the scales at 400+ pounds, he suffers from as many health conditions as Joe did, and he's severely depressed about where his life is headed. With Joe's help, Phil drops 200 pounds and becomes a health-nut! I literally broke down in tears as Phil, who previously could barely walk, is shown jogging down the road like a seasoned marathon runner. Powerful stuff, y'all! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That was the inspiration I needed. It was all I could do not to pause the movie and go make my juice right away, but the movie was too interesting to stop! As the credits rolled, I unearthed my Breville Juice Fountain from all its packaging. I rinsed it all in hot, soapy water and familiarized myself with the Users' Manual. Then I plugged it in and got to work. My first batch of juice consisted of: 1/2 package organic baby carrots; 4 stalks celery; 1 pint raspberries; 2 green apples; and 1 small bunch of kale. The juice was a strange greenish-brown color and smelled not unlike freshly cut grass. Johnny emerged from the bedroom, all sleepy-eyed and curious, like a tot on Christmas morn'. I handed him a glass of the stuff and we both took a sip. "Not bad!" he said as his eyes brightened. I concurred. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsx80_rvCE6MbgDFuoosorbzUuJmK_Yf4HygUS8BDLKxEd5GQ-1t92n3JIkxea8Gas4Du1Z3dD5jpi96kFB20coM35PedzTMgpH5ZMTXDNDoFWMAgUr2eYYIlk-FuEd8aqJ1NmZ7XrDJU/s1600/DSCN3186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsx80_rvCE6MbgDFuoosorbzUuJmK_Yf4HygUS8BDLKxEd5GQ-1t92n3JIkxea8Gas4Du1Z3dD5jpi96kFB20coM35PedzTMgpH5ZMTXDNDoFWMAgUr2eYYIlk-FuEd8aqJ1NmZ7XrDJU/s400/DSCN3186.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Peany Lyman, decidedly not wheezing the juice. </span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm not gonna lie, juice might be a little hard to take if you're not already a lover of fresh fruits and veggies. But if you've ever craved a salad or wanted an apple instead of a piece of candy, I think you'd dig this stuff! My first batch was a bit heavy on the celery (Johnny said my breath still smelled like celery later that night, teehee!), but it's been so much trying out combinations of fruit and veggies to see what I come up with. I've loved adding fresh ginger to give the juice a zip, concord grapes for sweetness, and parsley and spinach for nutrition. It's a great way to use up produce at the end of the week that might otherwise go bad, or to buy up produce that's on sale at the store. I can see how people get hooked on juice, just the thought of it is making me salivate as if I were dreaming about a pile of french fries! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now let's get something straight here: I'm am, always have been, and always will be staunchly against extreme food fasts. I've witnessed one too many girls in my life hallucinating and on the verge of passing out because they've consumed nothing but water with lemon juice and cayenne pepper in it for 2 weeks straight. Their goal is usually to fit into a cute dress for their high school reunion, then as soon as the fast ends they go back to eating normal food and gain back every ounce of weight they lost. To me that seems a bit counter-productive and I've never wanted any part of that. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, as Joe consumed his juice for 60 days in "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", he made me see that "fasts" don't always have to be dangerous experiments you read about in Cosmo. He was monitored by doctors every step of the way, he still consumed a good amount of calories, and his main goal was never to lose weight simply to make the guy who dumped him senior year feel like crap. His goal was to be healthy and that's always an objective I can stand behind. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't think I'm quite ready to take the plunge and do an all out juice fast quite yet. For now, I think I'll be happy occasionally drinking a big glass of green juice in lieu of breakfast or lunch. Cheers! </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-53840877492323806042011-10-03T10:32:00.000-04:002011-10-03T10:32:21.433-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 3 - "Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food" Review<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello my friends! For Day 3 of Vegan MoFo I wanted to bring your attention to an awesome new cooking zine I got my hands on recently. It's called "Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food" and it's written by Miss Kittee Berns. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyone who is a vegan and is also gluten-free has GOT to know about her. Kittee is an absolute rockstar when it comes to cooking and baking without animal products or gluten. In fact, she even coined the term "xgfx" as the shorthand for "vegan and gluten-free". Pretty ingenious, huh? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Kittee writes a blog called <a href="http://kitteekake.blogspot.com/">The Cakemaker to the Stars</a>, is also a founder and contributor to the site <a href="http://www.xgfx.org/">xgfx.org</a>, and she is one of the organizers of <a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan MoFo</a>. In her spare time, she self-publishes a series of cooking zines that are quite legendary in the vegan-verse. Her latest, "Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food" focuses on... Ethiopian food! It's a topic which has never been fully covered in any vegan cookbook before, and as I read through the zine I came to realize what a fascinating cuisine it truly is. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Personally, I've been a fan of Ethiopian food since I first set foot in <a href="http://www.zemams.com/">Zemam's</a>, a wonderful little restaurant back in Tucson. It feels more like you're eating in someone's home than in a restaurant. For those not familiar with Ethiopian food, you order several dishes to try (either on your own or as a group) and the food is served in heaps on top of a big piece of airy flatbread called <em>injera</em>. You get extra <em>injera</em> on the side and you scoop up and eat the food with it. No flatware! Eating with your hands may seem strange, but as they say at Zemam's, the majority of the world's inhabitants eat with their hands and it's quite fun! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Most Ethiopian food is highly spiced (but not necessarily spicy) and the flavors are unlike any other cuisine I've tried. It's the perfect food for vegans and vegetarians because they offer a lot of lentil and vegetable based dishes. Yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Anyway, back to Papa Tofu! Kittee really did her research on this one. She starts off by giving a very helpful intro to the spices and ingredients you'll need to make the recipes. Two of the most important items are <em>berbere</em>, a spice blend, and <em>niter kibbeh</em>, a spiced butter or margarine that is used in place of cooking oil. I was able to find <em>berbere</em> at Kalustyan's, my neighborhood ethnic foods market, but the <em>niter kibbeh</em> has to be prepared at home. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBcvLhHp_5e8MZIuTv8YteElEMIyMgX8A2A0mfer2VYmOC9Vj-x4e5pbSJrGurOu8X6HG-9qZHz-Jraaj2uDkLUiM11J0vk8oz7ozzQvPnglwBrpDSCGyn7g19XoPGWCgwLoT7I8P9xY/s400/Papa+Tofu.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="336px" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>The meal I made thanks to Kittee!</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">There are so many amazing dishes to choose from in this zine, it's hard to narrow it down! I decided to cook the Lentils in Spicy Gravy and Collard Greens. I actually planned on making the Black Eyed Pea Sausages, but I was out of black eyed peas. Those are definitely on my radar for next time!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">All in all, I found the recipes really easy to follow and spot-on with the measurements. Anytime I was confused by a word or term, I referred back to the intro. As everything cooked, the scents kept luring Johnny into the kitchen to check out the action and say, "It smells so good in here!" The lentils had so many flavors and the fresh tomatoes were a perfect ingredient. The overall dish turned out a little spicier than I anticipated, but neither of us mind a little heat. And the collards, cooked with a touch of cinnamon, were so delicious. Since I didn't get to cook the Black Eyed Pea Sausages, I served the lentils over some brown Basmati rice and the flavors went together quite well. And, since I cooked this on a weeknight and was short on time, I didn't get to tackle her recipe for homemade injera (she calls 'em Injera Fakeouts since they are GF). I bought some frozen Chaptis (Indian flatbread) and grilled them up and they were delicious. It was a cross-cultural dinner for sure, but everything worked together nicely. "Eaters Without Borders" I like to call us. </span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">And can I just take a minute to say how cool it is that zines still exist? Zine culture was so big in the 90s (as everyone knows, my favorite decade) and the thought that you can still have a great idea, cut and paste it into a booklet, photocopy it and distribute it to the masses warms my little heart. Kittee does such a good job adhering to the feeling of those old zines while making it look polished and modern. Well done!</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I can't wait to make more of the recipes from "Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food" as the weather cools. I highly recommend picking up a copy of your own! You can purchase it on Kittee's web site <a href="http://kitteekake.blogspot.com/2011/07/papa-tofu-loves-ethiopian-food.html">here</a>. </span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8301090986862855729.post-63125356362586143482011-10-02T16:05:00.000-04:002011-10-02T16:05:29.561-04:00Vegan MoFo Day 2: Nutella Stuffed French Toast!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Okay, so I'm a day late and a dollar short to this whole MoFo thing. It technically started yesterday, but my awesome friends John and Katie got married and the whole day just kinda got away from me (in the best way possible). Luckily for Day Two I have something fan-freaking-tastic to post about! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During October, Sundays here on The Odd Couple Eats will be dedicated to brunch recipes. I wanted to come out of the gate with a bang and I whipped up a doozy today! Did you know Nutella isn't vegan? It contains milk ingredients which is a HUGE BUMMER. I got to reading on the internets and found out that it's not too hard to make your own vegan hazelnut-chocolate spread (a.k.a. Nutella), so I knew it would be a great project to tackle during MoFo. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I bought some raw hazelnuts and got to work roasting them. After they were browned, I took them out of the oven and let them cool. I could hear the skins crackling as they cooled, which meant that the meat was pulling away from the skin (dirty). I then placed the nuts in a kitchen towel and rubbed them together (ahhh!) and the skins came off pretty well. Here's what it looked like:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7255FjIr3nCqya4qf85X2Ij06cG0eQaD0hUezcZJa4P_mKKldRzoyb89m0uE_Ev5ehmPj_-hifkXCdIdKCAEQ3pN5ulP2erM73KUwxRU3Iip90Pfj0J8IKLpiFu771MhS_8EkkMwa74/s1600/Nuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7255FjIr3nCqya4qf85X2Ij06cG0eQaD0hUezcZJa4P_mKKldRzoyb89m0uE_Ev5ehmPj_-hifkXCdIdKCAEQ3pN5ulP2erM73KUwxRU3Iip90Pfj0J8IKLpiFu771MhS_8EkkMwa74/s400/Nuts.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pretty! And roasted hazelnuts smell </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">amazing</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I proceeded to make the Nutella and got it to chilling while I prepped the French Toast ingredients. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I used Isa Chandra Moskowitz's "Fronch Toast" recipe from her book "Vegan with a Vengeance." It really gets the job done like no other vegan French Toast recipe I've tried. However, it does call for chickpea flour which I was unable to find at the grocery store. I had some dried chickpeas, so I decided to see if I could make then into flour and lo and behold, it worked! I processed them in my food processor for about 37 years and then passed it through a sifter to get out any chunks. Be warned, the sound of chickpeas whirring around in the food processor makes the worst, loudest sound you'll ever hear! Something akin to the Dementors from Harry Potter crossed with a subway with screechy brakes. Johnny managed to sleep through the whole thing, but I was yearning for ear plugs. If you can find chickpea flour at the store, by all means snatch it up!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I assembled two slices of bread with Nutella in between, dipped them in the Fronch Toast batter, and fried in a thin layer of Canola Oil in a skillet for about 7 minutes on each side. I then sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with organic maple syrup, tempeh bacon, and baby concord grapes. What a delicious way to start a Sunday!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Johnny was super impressed with everything and says he has "no critiques whatsoever" for this dish. Good, because anyone who doesn't enjoy this recipe is quite simply out of their mind!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrBzdezsKCOsRzp_vPvc2UF2B0w04G7cr4ahO42KKRg_4Wimn5IMd2KZw72mJ8hk-6RO4zFL_5ubJZQJkIFVE8nJfPCzvacpUCNtrMcB5QT5WWOIgtNfnJ5c-5ZVhoXFes-c2lr06bRA/s1600/Fronch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrBzdezsKCOsRzp_vPvc2UF2B0w04G7cr4ahO42KKRg_4Wimn5IMd2KZw72mJ8hk-6RO4zFL_5ubJZQJkIFVE8nJfPCzvacpUCNtrMcB5QT5WWOIgtNfnJ5c-5ZVhoXFes-c2lr06bRA/s400/Fronch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u>Nutella Stuffed French Toast</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Serves 2</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Vegan Nutella</u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/4 cups raw hazelnuts</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp powdered sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup Canola oil</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>French Toast</u></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 loaf French bread (I used a small organic whole wheat loaf)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup soy creamer</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup soy milk</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp corn starch</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup chickpea flour</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring once to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and allow to cool for several minutes, then pour into a clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel into a bundle and rub together until most of the hazelnut skin has come off. Transfer the skinned hazelnuts to a food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes or until the hazelnuts have become like a butter. Be sure to scrape down the sides and pulse so as not to overload your food processor. Add in the cocoa, powdered sugar, and drizzle in the oil as you continue blending until you have a spreadable consistency. The Nutella will become thicker as it cools. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and place in the refrigerator. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Slice your loaf of bread into 1/2" pieces. In a large, shallow dish whisk together the soy creamer, soy milk, corn starch and chickpea flour until well combined. Begin heating a large skillet over medium heat coated with a thin layer of Canola oil. Take a slice of bread and spread about a tablespoon of Nutella on it, then cover with another piece of bread. Dip both sides into the batter then place in the heated skillet. Allow to cook for 7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 7 minutes, or until deeply browned. Continue until you have used all your bread. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And now for a few gratuitous pictures of the gorgeous wedding. Congrats John & Katie! <3</span><br />
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</span></div>Hallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00080739970830305944noreply@blogger.com8