tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77817642024-03-23T11:02:33.399-07:00boychuckerkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.comBlogger512125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-1427086282797401502012-12-06T12:08:00.000-08:002012-12-06T12:08:51.567-08:00Round Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been cooking a lot lately, almost too much that I do not have time to blog about each thing separately. I'll try to keep on top of it from now on, but here is some deliciousness from November and one plate of awesome from today. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht65Rs4jmFUQLH2_Afd6p5WsHB04ztak81B3_RQdyOMhtMjWqtDe3C-9sdOetdjwcMWhdArG-7vqskxqnRzv4m2zE0uNDBXoL7WY9mUZJt4w63l7POA9v2mOys8NMvOWwRb8-w/s1600/100_0842-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht65Rs4jmFUQLH2_Afd6p5WsHB04ztak81B3_RQdyOMhtMjWqtDe3C-9sdOetdjwcMWhdArG-7vqskxqnRzv4m2zE0uNDBXoL7WY9mUZJt4w63l7POA9v2mOys8NMvOWwRb8-w/s320/100_0842-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Orange You Glad I Made Crispy Tofu" from <em>Chloe's Kitchen- </em>good but I would like more spice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOiArrNbi_TUtUS6aLx0zl-4GbIKaBot3lJPx0MrZ9qeJ0Uavl5rWz7QNKwH0hNGJK5kMytznlw3dIRJlAb9FHrKLsePkJ8c5LODXQ_VKbXupsu0txjt6-Mro61UEWJmy9kye/s1600/100_0863-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOiArrNbi_TUtUS6aLx0zl-4GbIKaBot3lJPx0MrZ9qeJ0Uavl5rWz7QNKwH0hNGJK5kMytznlw3dIRJlAb9FHrKLsePkJ8c5LODXQ_VKbXupsu0txjt6-Mro61UEWJmy9kye/s320/100_0863-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pumpkin French Toast" from <em>Vegan Brunch</em>- super good, even though my bread wasn't stale enough.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinDhjlOlL8hEknUNiCejNJY47ZaRzLBf2ncwxYC7PRyg44XUVrtZhjRrSZ3giUJhHISdZkSt1acFtBn4KvBbOz7HcxW_5PEtK-8yfEpU2GJlTr2G-lTNYimVRXLWkpxpEIZym/s1600/100_0879-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinDhjlOlL8hEknUNiCejNJY47ZaRzLBf2ncwxYC7PRyg44XUVrtZhjRrSZ3giUJhHISdZkSt1acFtBn4KvBbOz7HcxW_5PEtK-8yfEpU2GJlTr2G-lTNYimVRXLWkpxpEIZym/s320/100_0879-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked tortilla chips with "No-Queso Nacho Dip" from <em>The Vegan Table</em>- FFL is too spicy for me, this was pretty good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTr96MxSjv34CYwpJ0Lq43TAGtxsNywMAPOQqawkHdZvzhz2ERbFFmmjxiwC8m6ZHGr5ox0K6D5vs8HCj8Gh0Va7vdsbBjWboCacPyvEbUSDBTXCog8D0jAuzCvTGXZ4IPCfd/s1600/100_0894-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTr96MxSjv34CYwpJ0Lq43TAGtxsNywMAPOQqawkHdZvzhz2ERbFFmmjxiwC8m6ZHGr5ox0K6D5vs8HCj8Gh0Va7vdsbBjWboCacPyvEbUSDBTXCog8D0jAuzCvTGXZ4IPCfd/s320/100_0894-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Three Bean Chili" from <em>The Vegan Table</em>- my fastest chili recipe to date, great w/the queso mixed into it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43q-r_XrwNx5S8ESeO9e7_ZbrVsoaIYWGdaCk1x14YYSiSvCIzJOixeUDiZJV-eqefodM4MHZLsldcq4juE5HSo-gs09dsW-ggEth1QIjmqebKjAo53r5qfQYCsnrBpEXpfgu/s1600/100_0902-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43q-r_XrwNx5S8ESeO9e7_ZbrVsoaIYWGdaCk1x14YYSiSvCIzJOixeUDiZJV-eqefodM4MHZLsldcq4juE5HSo-gs09dsW-ggEth1QIjmqebKjAo53r5qfQYCsnrBpEXpfgu/s320/100_0902-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extreme close up of "Gingerbread Apple Pie" from <em>Vegan With a Vengeance- </em>so good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9s2tV117iPjoDUbSvOHaVWqnEzeRaFSZG3hCkic3cB84pIRkO1w_lV7248PlvQsz0usn0LH86PUOWejrBfgwUytW8t-Ao_iVOtgKCveW2bol-An08jGhLmABq4-yPrtKW1sh/s1600/100_0905-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9s2tV117iPjoDUbSvOHaVWqnEzeRaFSZG3hCkic3cB84pIRkO1w_lV7248PlvQsz0usn0LH86PUOWejrBfgwUytW8t-Ao_iVOtgKCveW2bol-An08jGhLmABq4-yPrtKW1sh/s320/100_0905-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Voluptuous Pumpkin Pie" from <em>Vegan Pie in the Sky- </em>I'll leave it in longer next time, still amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hGBix88AxNZg7zEPFaR9VlF8zqjKKzDZtGlcRTeJqjXdqU0PVlyCiXX0ezrMen7p1GpYp4N4oqIs3KRmZBHJGP9Do0iNurRx-L1WuO9r0AuskhM-7GUOmbRBbuPAuvLSz9F9/s1600/fiesta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hGBix88AxNZg7zEPFaR9VlF8zqjKKzDZtGlcRTeJqjXdqU0PVlyCiXX0ezrMen7p1GpYp4N4oqIs3KRmZBHJGP9Do0iNurRx-L1WuO9r0AuskhM-7GUOmbRBbuPAuvLSz9F9/s320/fiesta.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast date w/ my sister- "Chilaquiles" (<em>Tofu Cookery)</em>, "Diner Home Fries" (<em>Vegan Brunch)</em>, refried beans w/ green chiles and half an avocado each- yum!</td></tr>
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Also, I started my new job on Tuesday and it's been nothing short of wonderful. It overlaps with what I was already doing so I have to learn some new tasks, but I have a slight advantage over the people who are completely new to the library. It's great to be working with our amazing team and best believe I am still keeping in contact with my gals from my other branch. They took such good care of me, they've definitely not seen the last of this one.<br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-54206652417197247162012-11-08T12:19:00.000-08:002012-11-08T12:19:00.257-08:00Taquito Time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtOj_RUQcFWN5rd-jvekaDxfaQ9KDPhUyKfMLtzBYueWsspdGP7n-x4T3gkuLOUwgfQsxO2-MMMxv4Gkjq0QGsnGuA8_OHdtJGV9Fszbl8ScQ-r3FkXtR6eHHgah25fpLyKGA/s1600/100_0848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtOj_RUQcFWN5rd-jvekaDxfaQ9KDPhUyKfMLtzBYueWsspdGP7n-x4T3gkuLOUwgfQsxO2-MMMxv4Gkjq0QGsnGuA8_OHdtJGV9Fszbl8ScQ-r3FkXtR6eHHgah25fpLyKGA/s320/100_0848.JPG" width="320" /></a>I really wanted to make a chorizo/papa frittata but is too hot to use the oven. I know it's November, but this is California so we don't know what that means. Good thing it isn't too hot to stand at the stove and fry up some greasy goodness. I messed up and put too much oil so these are greasier than they should be. If you are careful, yours will come out super tasty and you'll feel less guilty about eating them. I drained them the best I could. This was the first batch on their first pile of napkins. I put down fresh ones and let them drain some more. <br /><br />I used the chorizo I made from <em>Vegan Brunch</em> to make "Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes" from <em>Viva Vegan</em>. There is a chorizo recipe in Terry's book too, but I used Isa's because I already had all the ingredients. I did my chopping/juicing/measuring while the potatoes cooked so I was ready to mix up the filling as soon as they were done. I warmed all my torts and kept them covered in a towel so they would stay soft. I added the filling, some FYH Monterey Jack and did my best to roll them well before dropping them into the pan of (too much) oil. I've never made taquitos before but my family always uses toothpicks to keep them closed. Terry doesn't do that and cooks the seam side first to seal it shut. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it, but I had to give it a try. It worked! Only one taquito came undone. Next time I will just gently roll them over instead of trying to pick them up by one end with the tongs and flip them. I'm not the best fryer/flipper of things so it takes me way longer than other people. With time I'll get better and quicker, yay!</div>
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These came out great. I had only put about one and a half sausages because I was afraid it would be too much but next time I will add two. I also want to have beans, rice and guacamole to go with it- and I can since I know how to make all my own now after mofo. I had cooked beans on Monday but I didn't have time to do the rice or go to the store to get stuff for guac. I could do it now but there wouldn't be enough taquitos to justify it. Next time I'll do the beans, rice and chorizo ahead and just make the taquitos and guac the day I'm ready to eat it all. It's just too many dishes for one day, both the cooking and washing. It's worth the trouble though. I love home cooked food!</div>
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-91026940898318873812012-11-07T13:16:00.000-08:002012-11-07T13:16:21.464-08:00Are You Smuggling Seitan Sausages or Just Happy To See Me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzTznOXRYhL3I4PC5C-QPrMzjYPg1iLQcBFtUqRawKM_3HErx4s3jOqcY_Gc9K1eDvDybBarQnSikxyiK62cMencN4WMOn3NoI7CFSK2HkKvBaRHtOaGoexthdWfyeZvEz8Wt/s1600/100_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzTznOXRYhL3I4PC5C-QPrMzjYPg1iLQcBFtUqRawKM_3HErx4s3jOqcY_Gc9K1eDvDybBarQnSikxyiK62cMencN4WMOn3NoI7CFSK2HkKvBaRHtOaGoexthdWfyeZvEz8Wt/s320/100_0839.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I really bombed the last few weeks of mofo so I am going to try to make up for them. I am still on a budget and trying to make the most of the cookbooks and ingredients I already have. You should do it even if you aren't on a budget since wasting food is terrible and sleeping on your cookbooks can really bum you out when you realize all the awesome stuff you could be making.<br />
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I have been in love with seitan since some time last year when I finally switched over to the "steam team" and had great results. Even though its really easy and you can do a bunch of other things while you wait for them to cook, I don't make seitan as often as I should. I have been wanting breakfast/brunch type foods so when I flipped through <em>Vegan Brunch</em> I knew it was time to get of the dime and make the "Chorizo Sausages."<br />
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These came out great. I love that they have the flavor of chorizo but without all of the grease. I halved the crushed red pepper and avoided the cayenne because I didn't want them to be too hot. I'm building my spice tolerance but since I was planning on serving these to my niece I wanted her to be able to enjoy them too. Whenever I make seitan, we call it "meat log" so I asked her if she wanted to try the "meat log". She loved it. I asked her if it was too spicy and she said it had a little kick to it but it was really good. She had a few little slices while I was prepping and we made some chorizo/cheese cracker sammiches too. I really wanted to make a frittata but it was just too warm this week so I am going to make the "Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes" from <em>Viva Vegan</em> instead. There's a chorizo recipe in that book too!khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-41020739229498726442012-10-31T22:19:00.000-07:002012-10-31T22:19:21.569-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 31: Photo Finish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObqIqEGIUJJ_ErIOL9dhxTC7Guq7zymiFazh-RJvqKsShLqsMIr__BoqlogpU_6aCFl1BZ6nRd3BidS8l_D6eMsyLsS2PNbR7TEBI5cSHsqy6_aSLs53rdRuhvwg9Qv5u10fN/s1600/mofo12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObqIqEGIUJJ_ErIOL9dhxTC7Guq7zymiFazh-RJvqKsShLqsMIr__BoqlogpU_6aCFl1BZ6nRd3BidS8l_D6eMsyLsS2PNbR7TEBI5cSHsqy6_aSLs53rdRuhvwg9Qv5u10fN/s320/mofo12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpoHJEXvDUjkzyE6Gy_iSZJKdH33gi8HDDXdIvQbBQ-O6C2GuHIbAFwcpUNsYyJp-r8Bmh1cqE1uWHtbZ_0altaXYI6Qebi5zpkxl5vr-1ifsSLpcC_ZhEvg3g0RWhCIPFAuL/s1600/100_0810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpoHJEXvDUjkzyE6Gy_iSZJKdH33gi8HDDXdIvQbBQ-O6C2GuHIbAFwcpUNsYyJp-r8Bmh1cqE1uWHtbZ_0altaXYI6Qebi5zpkxl5vr-1ifsSLpcC_ZhEvg3g0RWhCIPFAuL/s320/100_0810.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Halloween! I had a busy morning and did not get to cook anything before work so my finale post is kind of a dud. I am going to post the rest of the week to try and make up for it. In the interim, here are some photos to cheer you up. First up, the only candy in our bowl I could eat. I'm so glad skittles no longer contain gelatin but there are probably tonnes of other reasons to stay away. It's only once a year, so I'm going for it.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzxRKs8vMpZqBl5HVsmSdjmUIkqlwSqVhyphenhyphenUDk6Ez-ZRCtdD1e5Ws9W_DiwNs4mlo1LAvSybanlNaMq4MMw1fh7bRjYKvfEGY_J2CzEjvQSurenHlgv8iROkgKPgO3TdM2qmym/s1600/100_0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzxRKs8vMpZqBl5HVsmSdjmUIkqlwSqVhyphenhyphenUDk6Ez-ZRCtdD1e5Ws9W_DiwNs4mlo1LAvSybanlNaMq4MMw1fh7bRjYKvfEGY_J2CzEjvQSurenHlgv8iROkgKPgO3TdM2qmym/s320/100_0736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next up is my favorites treat of all, my dog Penny. I swore I wouldn't be one of those people who dresses her dog up but a few years ago costumes were on sale at a huge discount so I decided to try it. I had no idea how she would react but she didn't seem to mind at all. As long as nothing has go on her head she will wear it. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuPrEk9cte35sSDDNcn4tTXevpuWgikPJHva-N2jiUxiPOVawehPK0lGP4dvXP63Qxc-LoH7IM615-35JWPlqgj6GjgkMnS-bUKMWsVinDVDpT2qXpaSzdJnW2aYF5SD8iknC/s1600/100_0766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuPrEk9cte35sSDDNcn4tTXevpuWgikPJHva-N2jiUxiPOVawehPK0lGP4dvXP63Qxc-LoH7IM615-35JWPlqgj6GjgkMnS-bUKMWsVinDVDpT2qXpaSzdJnW2aYF5SD8iknC/s320/100_0766.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /></div>
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She was okay with the scarf and her sidecar companion, but the goggles, not so much. They strapped under her chin and her ears had to poke out of two holes as well. She kept shaking them off and I kept putting them back on but after a while I just had to give up and make the best of whatever shots I was able to get. <br /></div>
Last of all is my pumpkin- E.T.! I watched the final hour of this a week ago when I was up late cleaning so due to being tired I was way more emotional about it and fell in love with the film all over again. I wasn't going to do anything for Halloween but I had to carve at least one pumpkin. I used to do 3 in the past but now that my niece is old enough to do her own I've let up on that. I have a few pattern books but I decided to look online for free stencils. When I found this one I knew it was the right one. I didn't even have to resize the printout. It fit perfectly. Yay!<br /><br />
I'm sad mofo is over and there are a few things I really wanted to make but due to time or weather they didn't happen. I hope to do a better job next year but at least I might blog a bit more regularly now.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n6mKlLV8gKoab5M3gF26X5R3tv9viww0IIQUL7IZG36mddvsIRxJFKC5vtuyUgo4mBhba5KRnKjT4x3qKv3-dC4PmY9Haf1ZVe3lZG_9ImxfwGmIenZjmHCfQ6-zIE_iu4oF/s1600/e.t..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n6mKlLV8gKoab5M3gF26X5R3tv9viww0IIQUL7IZG36mddvsIRxJFKC5vtuyUgo4mBhba5KRnKjT4x3qKv3-dC4PmY9Haf1ZVe3lZG_9ImxfwGmIenZjmHCfQ6-zIE_iu4oF/s320/e.t..jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-79168392199375458272012-10-30T23:49:00.000-07:002012-10-30T23:49:10.747-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 30: Cool It Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJ7lfUnjT-nMFkpD89T-Wt9bsYipThZbdtFI2lhJf88tDIelu6ruEckcXG4RwMKd3oV0cHHTD3tQK_PCSytpfPRjnV5yBXqT9Z3IO1IPdAJBSlUWEfA1OPYntnKbdJc6YESlj/s1600/mofo12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJ7lfUnjT-nMFkpD89T-Wt9bsYipThZbdtFI2lhJf88tDIelu6ruEckcXG4RwMKd3oV0cHHTD3tQK_PCSytpfPRjnV5yBXqT9Z3IO1IPdAJBSlUWEfA1OPYntnKbdJc6YESlj/s320/mofo12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can't believe what is happening back east with this storm. It's impossible to truly understand what is happening by just seeing photos or footage, but it is even more difficult to fathom such things when you don't even know what weather really is or what it can do. We are fortunate to have such lovely sunny skies almost all year round. We get a bit of rain and once in a while we have to stop wearing shorts and put a jacket on, but there's really no need to get bundled up unless you're going to the mountains or trying to look cute in a photo. I hope the worst is over and everyone is getting the help they need to get through this. <br />
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It's been in the high 80s over here, so I can't bake anything, but I also don't need to nail all my windows shut, so believe me I am not complaining. There are only a few no-bake sweets I like to make but luckily I had some frozen treats that required even less effort. These are the TJ's version of Tofutti Cuties. I haven't had the originals in a while so I can't really do an accurate comparison but I think they are quite good. The only difference I could tell right away was the these are less melty, if that makes sense. They take longer to melt so I try to remember to take one out and let it rest a bit before biting into it. Maybe you could microwave for a few seconds? TJ's saves the day again. I am crossing my fingers for the TJs version of daiya shreds. Do it!<br />
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p.s. Here is a corny joke:<br />
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p1: knock knock<br />
p2: who's there?<br />
p1: ice cream soda<br />
p2: ice cream soda who?<br />
p1: ice cream soda people can hear mekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-17251833604828777462012-10-29T23:31:00.001-07:002012-10-29T23:31:17.519-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 29: Guac On The Wild Side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can eat guacamole by the bowl, but today is the first time I made my own. My co-worker's cousin has an avocado farm and she gave me a few last week. I planned on making guac then, but it got lost in the shuffle and my fruits got a little riper than I would like. Today I bought two new ones, plus the rest of the ingredients for "The Only Guacamole Recipe I Ever Make" from <em>Viva Vegan</em> and I got to work. <br />
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I chopped up my onion, cilantro, chile and garlic first. Garlic was not on the list but I added it anyway, shhhhh. Next I juiced my lime and I had exactly 2 T. Yay! I put the first four ingredients in the bowl and started smashing them up. It was so fun to finally use the mortar and pestle I bought a few months ago. After that I added in the lime juice and avocado. <br />
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It was getting late and I was taking forever so my mom suggested I only make half the recipe, great idea. I had only put in half the onion and chile, but I put in all the garlic and cilantro and most of the lime juice. I forgot about halving didn't I? I ended up using my two baby avocados from my friend to try and balance things out. By the time I was done I couldn't wait to scoop this up and eat it so I didn't do the best job on presentation. Making guac is so much fun. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow since I have enough for another round. I can't wait to try salsa.khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-34724621009636528612012-10-28T17:58:00.000-07:002012-10-28T17:58:22.821-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 28: Rockin' Ramen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't eat ramen as often as I used to, but every now and then it sounds good to me. It was really warm out today but I still have some of my cold left so a bowl of yummy hot noodles sounded great but using the gross flavor packet did not. Thank goodness for the internet. I found a much better <a href="http://ieatfood.net/2008/05/15/pork-free-ramen-soup/">way</a> to make ramen on ieatfood's blog. <br />
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The recipe for "Pork-free Ramen Soup" was easy to follow and I already had most of what I needed. I had some soycurls I'd been sleeping on so I decided to add those instead of tofu. I didn't shred them though because I was in a hurry to eat my soup. This turned out great and smelled amazing while the broth was coming to a boil. I put three times the amount of garlic to try and kill any germs I still have. This doesn't take that much longer than making ramen straight from the packet so it's well worth it. Plus you get at least two huge servings, 3 or 4 smaller ones. I ate a big bowl because I was hungry and it was pretty much my lupper. khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-78522138771313015242012-10-27T18:45:00.000-07:002012-10-27T18:45:09.462-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 27: Tear Into a LÄRA!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJa3E-W16l-x0egOhVMaK5jBXrbQnVfTH2LtjQ32ZizV44QInwLlBUjSZ9stazq8zn2QkR5CZrV2sfFSniL0bX-UyqJpZxlUjahN89QmyaHa4-4edrb22yJPhyphenhyphenXiQvo3z9diNa/s1600/mofo12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJa3E-W16l-x0egOhVMaK5jBXrbQnVfTH2LtjQ32ZizV44QInwLlBUjSZ9stazq8zn2QkR5CZrV2sfFSniL0bX-UyqJpZxlUjahN89QmyaHa4-4edrb22yJPhyphenhyphenXiQvo3z9diNa/s320/mofo12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's my attempt at a "Snap Into A Slim Jim" type of catch phrase. Does it work? Am I even pronouncing LÄRA correctly? Does any of that matter if you devour the bar before you can get a photo of it? <br />
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They give out LÄRABARs every year at AIDS Walk. These and the fruit are the snacks I know I can eat for sure so it makes my day. There are chips, crackers and ice creams but those involve label reading and usually dairy. I've bought a few LÄRAs here and there but apart from the walk, I don't usually eat them. They're great but I just like Luna bars a little bit better.<br />
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This mini bar (bar bite?) was about to change my mind though. It was so bomb. I'm not the flavor naming police but I would have totally called this fudge brownie instead of chocolate chip cookie dough. I didn't get the cookie dough vibe at all, but because I was enjoying chocolate fudge brownie awesomeness I wasn't going to let the label bother me.This is what you would grab if you were fiending for something sweet and chocolaty but didn't want to bake (and eat) a whole pan of something. I'm not normally one of those people who can have a bite of something and be finished but this one put the brakes on me big time. I will have to see if they sell these in mini size because they would be a great 100 cal. snack to keep the sweet tooth happy without throwing everything else off track.<br />
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I had a long day today so no cooking. I cut my left middle finger open yesterday so typing is a pain right now. You wouldn't be able to guess that by how much rambling on I've done though. I really want to end mofo by having a really awesome final four days, but I'm afraid it will just be more rushed quickie posts like this one. Maybe I'll do at least two more substantive ones before closing out this year. khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-15389395276458538252012-10-26T18:38:00.000-07:002012-10-26T18:38:37.888-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 26: Grab and Go Joe!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm on no sleep today. I was up until early this morning doing last minute cleaning because we had an appraiser coming to the house today and my room wasn't ready for that at all. I had it almost all finished last week, but that was when I started to get sick and then I found out he wasn't coming until this week so I slacked off until about Wednesday night. I wanted to clean for reals and not just shove things under the bed and in the closet, but I did have to do a bit of that before taking a teeny two hour nap.<br />
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I was going to take a nap around 1 or 2, but we went to my sister's new house to get the locks changed out and leave them a little gift. Her boyfriend and his friends were moving things in and the locksmith was still working so my mom started sweeping the patio. I couldn't be a bum, so I got to work on the shelf paper my sister wanted out. The first few drawers were easy but after that it was a lot tougher. That paper was more stubborn than me. I was wiping it down with some product to help remove sticky stuff so I decided to just wipe down a bunch of shelves, let it sink in and then go back to effortlessly removing the paper. It was a good plan until I swiped my hand across a random shard of glass and cut my fingertip open. At first I thought I had poked it on a nail but it was bleeding way too much for that. After I got it under control I looked again and found the piece of glass. I worked a little more after that but couldn't get as much done without being afraid of ripping my cut open again while tugging at the paper. I put in about 2-3 hours work so I can't feel too bad about not finishing something I didn't even know I was going to begin.<br />
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My mom wanted to get some flowers and a few items for the empty fridge so I said to go to TJ's to get cinnamon rolls. While we were there I had her buy me some sushi for an easy no dishes/utensils lunch (every thing's still in boxes) and she let me get some kale chips too. I almost didn't see them but I found one bag hiding and quickly grabbed it. There were lots of other tasty treats like sammich wraps I would have loved to try but they all seemed like they would taste better warm and I had to have something I could open and eat without any fuss. Yay for TJ's coming to the rescue again. They are the unofficial mvp of my mofo this year. Thanks for letting me get away with some lazy shortcuts Joe!khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-6723374079803351982012-10-25T11:35:00.000-07:002012-10-25T11:35:00.567-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 25: Doggone Delicious<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dogs won't stay still so I stacked them around my coaster.</td></tr>
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My pup is four years old and today is the first time I've ever made her treats. I always plan to make her a little cake or something to celebrate our anniversary but I've yet to follow through. Luckily I do meet all my other obligations so I don't think she even knows to be concerned about homemade treats so long as she's getting treats.<br />
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These are "Peanut Butter Dog Treats" from <em>Chloe's Kitchen</em>. I had other recipes I wanted to try, but I couldn't find them. I decided to make these to use up some of the whole wheat flour I bought to make tortillas a few weeks ago. The ingredients were really simple. Flour, peanut butter, black strap molasses and water. There is an option to dip them in melted carob chips, which I would like to try another time. I need to hit up the bulk bins for that though. The only thing I didn't have was black strap molasses so I used regular. When I have money to burn I will splurge on some black strap. I mostly used natural peanut butter but I had to steal a bit of regular from my family because I used most of mine up on yesterday's peanut butter cups. <br />
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I wasn't able to press the dough into 1/4" thickness with my hands. I had to use a rolling pin. I think I didn't leave my peanut butter out long enough for it to soften. I have had bone cookie cutters for a while so I was excited to finally use them. I probably could have cut them larger but since most of the dogs I know are small, I decided to stick to the instructions and get about 50 smaller sized biscuits. Now that I know Penny loves them I can do a round of larger ones just for her. I tried one and thought it needed more peanut butter and a touch of salt, but I have more taste buds than my dogs. <br />
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Believe it or not, it wasn't my first time eating a dog biscuit. When we were kids, I foolishly asked my brother what was for dinner and he said, "dog biscuits, try one." Because I was stupid and did most things my brother told me to, I did. It was a pink milk-bone and from what I can remember it wasn't that bad. Of course now I take everything he says with a grain of salt.khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-48604468167265331552012-10-24T13:51:00.001-07:002012-10-24T13:51:46.597-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 24: Poppin' Fresh (Vegan) Dough!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I found out there were refrigerated, ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls at TJ's I just had to get them! I didn't have a lot of money when I stopped in, but my sister offered to buy me something so I let her buy these while I took care of the more reasonable purchases. I'm not even sure how much they were since the price card was missing but I'm guessing they're under $4. Does it really matter though? These are cinnamon rolls you can have in about 20 minutes, anytime!<br />
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I really want to make my own cinnamon rolls from scratch, but I admit I am still a little intimidated by the process. TJ's is not helping me to get over it by making it much to easy for me to have yummy cinnamon rolls with very little effort. You are meant to get five rolls, but I had trouble separating mine and left it at four. They come with an icing packet too so you can have all sorts of fun decorating them as nicely or as quickly as possible depending on how soon you want to gobble them up. It would be great to just keep a few tubes stashed in your fridge for the wintery months in case you have surprise visitors or you just feel like pigging out but are in a hurry to to do so. As much as I love making my own treats from scratch, every now and then it's great to take a shortcut.<br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-15922420225791850022012-10-23T16:58:00.000-07:002012-10-23T16:58:39.012-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 23: My Cups Runneth Over!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I thought I would be really lazy and just make some Peanut Butter Cups today. As much as I love pb and chocolate together I've never made my own pb cups until today. What an experience! There isn't really so much work involved as there is waiting. Some finesse would also be good, but as long as you aren't serving these to anyone too snobbish I don't think they'll care if they look less than perfect. It's the though that counts, right?<br />
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The recipe in <em>Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites </em>is meant to yield 12 standard muffin sized pb cups. Because I am a pain in the butt, I<em> </em>chose to use Halloween mini cupcake liners and do smaller pb cups. I thought they would be cuter and hopefully survive longer. I forgot that this meant it would also take twice as long to make them. I should have tried doing regular size first so I would have the basic skills down. I didn't go far enough up the sides so there is a gap on almost all of these. You have to be careful when biting into one since the filling oozes out, not that it's a bad thing, just unexpected. I did wait the full hour before trying them so maybe the pb I used takes longer to set or I just put way too much pb in them. I'll know better for the future, but this was a decent first effort. I'd like to try again with a different peanut butter, maybe a crunchy version!<br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-18173372378574332672012-10-22T23:55:00.002-07:002012-10-23T16:59:00.258-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 22: Go Bananas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I slept in again today but managed to have enough time to make waffles and do all my dishes before heading off to work. I was so excited that I was starting to feel better but of course I feel horrible again. Maybe I tried to do too much, or maybe there are just too many yucky germs floating around and they are sticking to me like glue. Why am I up so late? I had to find out who was eliminated first from Drag Race All Stars (not happy!) and I had to wait for my emo stomach to calm down. I seriously have no idea what is going on, but I do not like it at all. Enough about me, onto the waffles!<br />
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These are "Banana Split Waffles" from <em>Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites, </em>a book I asked for last Christmas and have not cooked from until today, totally blowing it, right? I had to dig out my immersion blender for this and finally open the the package of succanat I specifically bought last time I was at the Adventist store because some recipes in this book called for it. There are so many appealing recipes, I had no idea where to start but a huge pile of bananas gave me a good starting point. I really wanted to make the double batch banana bread, but it calls for more buttery sticks than I can spare right now, so this was the next best way to use up ripe bananas. I had everything else and only needed to get the dried cherries. I would have loved to splurge and buy ice cream and chocolate syrup to pour on top, but they are just not in the budget. Not to worry, these still taste great with your choice of buttery spread and maple syrup. They are also quite filling. I can usually eat 2-3 waffles in a sitting, but today I wasn't sure I'd finish my plate. I'll just try one at a time when I make these again. There might be another recipe from this book later on this week, stay tuned!khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-41658871681150741202012-10-21T23:26:00.001-07:002012-10-21T23:49:01.858-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 21: So Where's the Lebanese Delight?*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With yet another change in weather and my current state of yuckiness, I just knew I would have to make soup this week. I already had my grocery list written up but I decided to take a quick flip through one of my recipe binders for a soup recipe that didn't require me to buy too many new items. I passed over one of my favorite lentil soup recipes because I like to only make new recipes during mofo. You never know when you might meet a new favorite, right? I chose another recipe that sounded good and added those ingredients to my list. After the first grocery trip I hadn't found anything I needed for that recipe and I was having second thoughts about it. What if I didn't like it? I would be wasting so much food. Before we hit the next store I grabbed <em>Appetite for Reduction</em> off my shelf and looked at those soup recipes. I was pretty sure I'd only made two of them so the rest were fair game. I quickly decided upon "Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup" since it was what I wanted and it slightly resembled the soupI would have made if not for my "rules" about repeats. <br />
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Even though there were some similar ingredients between the two recipes, I vote this one to be my new favorite forever. The other recipe is still awesome, but this one is just a teensy bit awesomer. Maybe it's the carrots, or the rice, the combo lemon zest <em>and</em> lemon juice. I cannot get enough of it. I had a small serving to take a photo before I walked the dog and I had some more when I came home. I would go back for thirds but I want to save some for tomorrow and the rest of the week. I really want to tell my sister how good it came out and share with her, but I am tempted to keep it to myself so I can have more awesome soup. What a dilemma!<br />
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*In the recipe intro, Isa mentions how there are so many great Lebanese restaurants in PDX, which makes me think of Mary and Mustafa in the movie Party Girl. I need a huge push to at least apply to a grad program!<br />
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<br />khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-39499219198519371992012-10-20T19:16:00.000-07:002012-10-20T19:16:02.347-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 20: Freezer Fiend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I only had to work from 11-5 today so I thought I would come home, make waffles and blog about them. But even though I slept in late the last two days and even a bit this morning, I am feeling yuckier than ever. I don't feel like getting everything out, putting it all back and doing all the dishes. Plus I am still kind of in a bad mood and I do not like to cook when I am in a bad mood. I am really looking forward to trying out this waffle recipe and I want to make it when I can truly enjoy it, which is definitely not tonight. <br />
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I had no idea what to eat for dinner since I only have beans and rice in the fridge right now. I ate that for dinner last night and for lunch today, but even I do not love beans that much. I quickly realized it wasn't too hot outside and I could probably get away with using the oven for about 20 minutes. I had a Tofurky cheese pizza hiding in the freezer so I knew I could eat that. The only problem is that left to my own devices I would probably eat the whole thing in a sitting. They aren't very big, but I still don't need to eat it all for one meal. Then I remembered my sister dropped off some TJ's Crispy Chickenless Tenders last week. They're pretty much the knock off version of Gardein and are way cheaper, yay! So now I have pizza and "chicken" instead of just stuffing my face with pizza. I probably should have made a salad to go with this, oh well. <br />
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-21041181557482389962012-10-19T15:43:00.003-07:002012-10-19T15:43:44.077-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 19: Arroz By Any Other Name...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe this is the first time I've cooked all week. The previous two weeks I was cooking at least once a day, sometimes twice. I am working on my comeback so I can finish on a strong note, but I am glad I haven't missed a day yet.<br />
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I had to change my cooking plans for this week due to weather (too hot to use the oven!), but one thing I could still make was the "Cilantro-Lime Rice" from <em>Viva Vegan,</em> yay! There were good prices on cilantro, green onions and limes at the market so that made me even happier that I chose this dish for this week.<br />
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I've never had cilantro-lime rice before. They offer it at Chipotle, but I have this issue that whenever I order anything which has beans and rice, I always get way more rice than beans and I feel cheated. So I usually pass on the rice and just ask for a ton of beans instead. Now that I have my own huge pot of beans and my own lil' pot of rice, I can balance it out and enjoy two great things together without wishing I had one more scoop of beans. Also, it's probably much cheaper this way. Now I just have to make my own guac, salsa and grill some veggies for my cheap-otle experience to be complete. I'm actually planning to do this exact thing if I can get my sister's boyfriend to hook up the guac and salsa. Burrito party!</div>
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This recipe was really quick and it's quite delicious. I debated doubling it so that I would have almost as much rice as I have beans (cooked another pot today!), but since it's so fast I know I could just make more in a few days when I run out. I only used two of the eight limes I bought so I definitely have enough for next time. I'm going to see how many I need to make the "Coconut Lime Cupcakes" from <em>VCTOTW. </em>It's supposed to cool down significantly next week and might even rain so that's perfect baking weather. </div>
khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-59855496846476918882012-10-18T21:44:00.000-07:002012-10-18T21:44:06.280-07:00Vegan Mofo VI-Day 18- An Apple A Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week has been crazy. I have had to let a few things go to the wayside. I really need to get some rest, but there was just too much that needed to be done. I foolishly tried to do it all and now here I am, super tired and feeling like absolute crêpe. I usually end up doing this to myself about once a year, but this one came early. I have been drinking lots of tea and gargling with an apple cider/water solution. I slept in until about 11 a.m. this morning. I should be feeling much better in a few days. Now that some of my stressors have been knocked out I should be able to get back on track tomorrow. Yay!<br />
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If I didn't already mention it, I work in a library. We have a weekly storytime which is a lot of fun, at least when I observe from the desk. We recently did an apple theme, which was one of my favorites since I love apples. We take turns choosing topics, books, crafts/activities. My boss chose the topic so I helped pick the craft and the books. I don't remember the books because we do our planning so far in advance, but the craft was super cute. We cut a frame out of construction paper, lay it down on a piece of contact paper and let the children stick colored tissue paper on top to fill it in. We always do a test to make sure it's not too difficult and to have an example to show the kids. Since I'm a big kid and I'm the one who found the craft, I got to make the sample. Isn't it adorable?<br />
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My other co-worker bought several different types of apples so the kids could have a variety to choose from. She dropped them off at my house and asked me to make labels for them. More fun for me! The best part was that after the shift was over, she had way too many apples to take home so she let me have a few. She knows I am crazy about honeycrisps so those are the ones she gave me. The only thing better than honeycrisps are FREE HONEYCRISPS, right?<br />
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I don't know how true it is that an apple a day will keep the doctor away, but it sure couldn't hurt to try. I think I'm going to have one for my snack during "Scandal" and work toward catching up on my 5 a day. Peace!<br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-28530079793525158772012-10-17T13:22:00.000-07:002012-10-17T13:22:15.005-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 17: Those Are Nacho Kale Chips!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These are the best things ever! I love kale and have been saying I am going to make kale chips for at least a year. Now that TJ's has them, I have a bigger excuse for putting it off. The package is kind of small, so if you love kale chips or hate sharing, I would grab more than one. <br />
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I think it was around 3-4 bucks for the package. I've seen same sized bags priced at twice that so I decided to go for it. I broke a chunk off a huge piece and it was good. So I kept picking at the huge pieces, thinking about whether or not I liked them. Then I saw the bag was already halfway gone. I think that's a "hell yeah", right?<br />
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I took the rest to my work yesterday and teased one of our fave patrons about trying them but she did and she loved them. Then we pressured my co-worker into trying them. She wasn't as into it, but I am glad she gave them a chance. By this point all I had were little crumbles, but I didn't want to throw them out. When I got home I had some leftover mac and cheese, so I sprinkled them on top of the mac and stirred it up. That was the jam! I can't wait to go back to TJ' sand get more of these. I also have some of the cinnamon rolls I need to bake but not in this heat!<br />
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p.s.<br />
I had my job interview yesterday and I think I crushed it. I should know in 3 weeks what the folks who interviewed me thought. There's a lot going on this week and I'm starting to feel run down so that's why I don't have a "real" entry today. I'm trying to rest today so I can get back on task tomorrow!<br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-79035224694552146672012-10-16T09:30:00.000-07:002012-10-16T09:30:02.350-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 16: Spice In Ya Life Is What You Need*<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3V5Vf1idtx9GGoxDFNXSVCt8C2VG3-pqgovZyOqTzEQ3cWX6dQxVxqcNiR9JY19QXZlNBoMj-aCemmz9OT1UlWoDy6gY4GXDTcL5jY8OlDaU7LSG_D3s5ffU17IpMpEdhjx7/s1600/100_0487-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3V5Vf1idtx9GGoxDFNXSVCt8C2VG3-pqgovZyOqTzEQ3cWX6dQxVxqcNiR9JY19QXZlNBoMj-aCemmz9OT1UlWoDy6gY4GXDTcL5jY8OlDaU7LSG_D3s5ffU17IpMpEdhjx7/s320/100_0487-001.JPG" width="320" /></a>Wow! I can't believe we are halfway through mofo. It's going by much too quickly. I really need to step it up so I can end on a strong note, but honestly I am glad that I have been able to keep up and even happier that I've managed to be at least one day ahead most of the time. Maybe next year I will really have it on lock with themes and everything. We'll see!<br><br>I thought this was going to be my first entry on tofu, but I forgot I had fast food the other day. However, it is the first time I have cooked tofu this month. I love tofu and I know a lot of people think it is all we eat, but I really do not use it all that often anymore. I still love it, but it's a pain to get to the store that has the good prices and I refuse to pay what it costs at the closest supermarket. I think it's $1.79- no way, no day! I did a quick run to Sprouts the other day and only bought what I absolutely needed, otherwise it could get out of control. I had to pay $1.29 instead of $0.99 because they were all out of extra firm, but it was still cheaper than the other store. I also got some eb buttery sticks for upcoming baking. I have tons of shortening but not as much butter. I guess I have to make a lot of pies when the weather cools down.</div>
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Anyhow, I really love this recipe for Spicy Tofu from <a href="http://ieatfood.net/2008/05/26/spicy-tofu/">i eat food</a>. I made a half-assed version of this before, just coating the tofu in cornstarch and improvising the sauce since I didn't have sweet chili sauce I used hoisin. I didn't have scallions the first time either, so I'm saying it didn't really count and this is a do-over, a delicious one at that. I double checked to make sure I had everything and got to work. This is going to be in heavy rotation forever. I didn't add any red pepper because I wasn't sure how spicy the chili sauce would be and I always add the tiniest bit of chili garlic sauce, so that ended up to be just right for me. I'm building my spice tolerance, slowly but surely. I sauteed some broccoli and mixed it in with the tofu. If you're smart you'll steam your rice while you cook everything else. Or if you are really sick of dishes and in a hurry to walk your dog, you'll make the tofu and veg, mix 'em together and worry about the rice another day.</div>
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*Huge points if you get this reference.</div>
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-37306653662678961482012-10-15T14:02:00.001-07:002012-10-15T14:02:07.557-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 15- I Love L.A.!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Woo hoo! What a great turn out for AIDS Walk Los Angeles yesterday. We got there early enough to make our way super close to the starting line which has never happened since we are usually running late. I was so excited. Then my sister pointed out a staff member who was looking for people to carry signs. I had to do it! You could drop them off at any of the checkpoints along the route but I ended up dumping mine at the first one because I was also weighed down by my purse. After I ate/drank some of the things that were my bag, I was able to pick up a sign again at another checkpoint and carry it the rest of the way, yay! It was a gorgeous day and we raised a bunch of money.<br />
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After our walk, we stopped for lunch at <a href="http://www.veggiegrill.com/docs/vg-web-menu.pdf">Veggie Grill</a> at the Farmer's Market. I didn't know what to order since I'd only been there one other time. I knew I loved the Mac-n-Cheese, Buffalo Wings and Steamin' Kale. The "Crab" Cake was good too, but I wasn't in the mood for that. I thought about getting the Buffalo Bomber (sammich) and upgrading my side to kale, but I would still want mac and that is too much food, even for me. So in the end, I decided to just order two sides and a starter. If they would just make this into a bowl it would be easier for me to order and less dishes for their staff. I forgot to write it up for the suggestion box, maybe next time. <br />
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Since it was just across the street, we stopped at Whole Foods, which is usually a treat for me since we do not have one nearby, but I didn't know we were going there so I didn't even know what I wanted from there. I had maybe 15 left from my "lunch" budget but I didn't really find anything to blow it on since I didn't bring my insulated bag with me and we had at least an hour on the road on a hot day. I ended up just getting some water, which my sister bought since she is nice like that. I almost bought some cookies from their bakery but I couldn't justify it since I have everything I need to bake some at home and the ones I make are better. Good thing I saved my money because we went to see Argo later that night and it was amazing. khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-61096588084132211452012-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:002012-10-14T10:00:04.178-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 14- Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have had the worst energ<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimP4BN1QJxqUhJYBkOy7F7EabJ0zp7W6KSdKtD-oj_6N-QIqzsTZw1Arz4vRkHyp8em5s6hSe2NW0OnhfOkDXv9qnvvil7oa1XQNaDTAOKsuqMVh-BiSXH9GUvxe6elDiNEwg/s1600/100_0475-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimP4BN1QJxqUhJYBkOy7F7EabJ0zp7W6KSdKtD-oj_6N-QIqzsTZw1Arz4vRkHyp8em5s6hSe2NW0OnhfOkDXv9qnvvil7oa1XQNaDTAOKsuqMVh-BiSXH9GUvxe6elDiNEwg/s320/100_0475-001.JPG" width="320" /></a>y/motivation issue all week. I did not want to do a damn thing, but of course I had lots of damn wonderful things that needed my attention. In the past I would have just drank a bunch of tea and knocked items off my list one after the other. Now that I know I have htx* I've been trying even harder to avoid caffeine. <br />
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I definitely needed some sort of a boost so I made a banana chocolate chia shake. My sister got my hooked on chia a few months ago and I was really excited about it for a few weeks, but then I was too lazy to make up another batch of my spice mix and haven't touched it since. </div>
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When my sister came by earlier in the week she brought chocolate soy milk and left it here for me to enjoy. I don't really drink soy milk now that I am in love with almond milk, but I do use it in recipes I plan to share with my allergy-ridden sister and niece. I didn't have any pancakes or other yummy breakfast foods I chug chocolate milk with so I wasn't sure what to do with it. After a quick look around , I saw had a pile of bananas getting too ripe too fast and I had my chia seeds in the fridge so I threw them all the blender and had a tasty treat in minutes. Oh, I also sprinkled in some cinnamon. There are probably other things you can add to make it healthier. I need to remember to add peanut butter for extra awesomeness next time.<br />
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By the time you read this I will be strutting my stuff at the AIDS Walk. I managed to raise some funds at the last minute, but I will need to start earlier and try harder next year, which will be lucky #7 for me.<br />
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*htx= hypertension. My pharmacist friend taught me that.khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-62426917976304918842012-10-13T11:30:00.000-07:002012-10-13T11:30:02.085-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 13: Use Your Noodle<br />
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When planning recipes I've been looking at what I have and making sure I only need to buy one or two items to make it. I also do not want to buy anything I won't use more than once. This is something I probably should have done from the beginning but now that my budget is a lot smaller I am definitely finding new ways to make it work. The really funny thing is that I am eating much better than I did when I had more funds available. <br />
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Anyhow, I always have flour, nooch, butter and more seasonings than anyone else in the house will ever use. I already had opened a soymilk to make fritters and I wanted to use it before the 7-10 day window closed. The "Best Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese" recipe from <em>Chloe's Kitchen</em> calls for 3 cups of soymilk, perfect! I only had to buy macaroni and breadcrumbs. I probably could have gotten by with plain breadcrumbs I had in the pantry but since I was able to find seasoned ones, I "splurged." I know I'll use them again for something else. <br />
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Macaroni and cheese is easily one of my top five favorite foods. I'm still searching for my favorite veganized version, though I've yet to find a replacement for the heart attack on a plate I used to eat 10 years ago. I want to say it involved a stick of butter, sour cream, and three or four different cheeses and the pan probably weighed ten pounds. Good thing I don't eat like that anymore, right?<br />
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Chloe's mac is pretty damn good, but I'm not sure it's the best I'll ever have, it's too early to make that call. I am always trying out new mac recipes so who knows when I will find "the one." However, this is definitely a runner-up after making a few small changes. I loved how creamy it turned out but I think it needed a bit more seasoning. I sneaked in some paprika and more garlic powder before adding the lemon juice and agave, but it still needed something more. Also my breadcrumbs did not get toasty so I had to throw it under the broiler for a bit. Maybe I need to spray the top before putting it in the oven? Doomie's Home Cookin' serves their mac with "bacon" bits on top so I tried that with the second serving I had after work. That might be just what it needs.<br />
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p.s. Tomorrow I am participating in AIDS Walk Los Angeles for my 6th year in a row. I'm late to the party but I plan on showing up as long as I can, even when I have to AIDS Roll. If you're a big spender and want to sponsor me, you can do so <a href="http://tinyurl.com/9nw29j7">here</a>. Otherwise send me a message about pledging another amount. Thanks!<br />
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khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-88507784963396432782012-10-12T14:30:00.000-07:002012-10-12T14:30:00.179-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 12: Super Sammich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even though I love cooking, I am always happy when someone else makes food for me. It's great to just show up, sit down and eat. Of course, it's even better when someone brings the food to you, then you just have to sit and eat. Score!</div>
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My sister stopped by in between appointments today to check on her daughter and offered to make us sammiches. You know I said "yes" right away. I've never had Hickory Smoked Tofurky so I was excited to try it. I love the black pepper slices, but my sister said these are also good so I was ready to gobble them up. </div>
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I thought it was just going to be tofurky, vegenaise, tofutti single and some lettuce, but she hooked it up! There's alfalfa sprouts, tomato,and my all time fave, avocado on toasted sourdough bread. Yum! I love sammiches but almost never make them because they don't seem worth the trouble. But whenever anyone else makes them, I quickly realize, they are indeed worth it. I'm glad we only had about half a loaded sammich each because we needed to save some room for what was baking in the oven. Tune in tomorrow for more good eats!</div>
<br />khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-49342120160144669582012-10-11T10:30:00.000-07:002012-10-11T10:30:01.108-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 11- I'm On A Roll!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I was so excited about how rad my beans turned out that I decided to keep on going with another recipe from <em>Viva Vegan.</em> I made the "Whole Wheat FlourTortillas with Chia" and they are so delicious. If can eat wheat, I highly suggest you get down and make these. <br />
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They turned out so much better than the torts I made last week. I love how simple the recipe is and also that you do not have to wait very long for the dough to rest before you can move on with the process. I'm not a very patient person, so the less "inactive" time a recipe has, the better. Luckily, I had some dishes to keep me busy while I waited. <br />
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I usually shy away from buying wheat torts at the market because they are either too thin or too stiff, but these were not like that at all. They are super soft and have a lot of elasticity to them, so don't be afraid to give them a try. I love the addition of the chia seeds as well. I will definitely make these again and possibly double the recipe next time since 8 is never enough, especially when we're talking tortillas. khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781764.post-70666131070766991682012-10-10T12:30:00.000-07:002012-10-10T12:30:01.453-07:00Vegan Mofo VI- Day 10: They're Basically The Bomb!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love beans and I could eat them every day. Now that I have found a way to make them without forking them up, there is a darn good chance that is what is going to happen. The beans I cooked last week turned out okay, but the ones I cooked today were bomb! <br />
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I followed Terry Hope Romero's instructions for "Basic Beans From Scratch" from <em>Viva Vegan</em>. I was nervous about adding salt at the beginning of the cooking process, but apparently that is a myth. I trust anything Isa and Terry tell me to do in the kitchen. They've been my best teachers so far.<br />
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I soaked my beans overnight. After I walked the dog, I came home and got started. I rinsed the beans, and threw them back into the pot with fresh water, kombu, bay leaves and salt. After they got to a boil I lowered the flame and set the timer for two hours. I did my "Just Dance" workout, some dishes, flipped through cookbooks and watched La Bamba on cable while I waited. When the timer went off, my beans were done. I couldn't believe it! <br />
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In the past when I have checked my beans at the 2 hour mark, they were not done. Sometimes I would have to cook them for an additional hour and they still didn't turn out all that great. I always knew that cooking beans should be easy but I never got it right until today. You have no idea how happy I am. <br />
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After the beans were cooked I followed more of Terry's suggestions and made Onion-Flavored beans. I put a bit too much liquid so I just simmered them a bit longer. So good! I am going to have to make these again really soon. I might cook a pot of pintos for my niece tomorrow because she wasn't feelin' the bay leaves in the black beans. Anyhow, my shortening should be at room temp now so I can start another of Terry's recipes, "Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas With Chia." ¡Hasta Mañana!khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869739952563542226noreply@blogger.com2