Mofo Is Toast...But I Owe This Entry

Here is my "Chard Florentine on Toast Points" that I was supposed to make on Monday. I have never used chard before so I was kind of excited. It's nerdy but I always feel a bit proud when I try a new food since pre-vegan I ate almost no vegetables/plants at all. How did I survive?

This turned out to be quite yummy.Next time would be to toast the bread a bit before putting it in the oven, or not load so much cheesy chard on top. They were not as crunchy as I would have liked after the baking time, but I also was really hungry and did not have the patience to put them in for a few more minutes. The instructions do say to put them under the broiler for a few, so that might have done it, if I had only followed directions. I also would like to use a plain nondairy milk, but the only soy we had was vanilla, which I hate to use but I couldn't use plain almond since my sister is allergic and we were breakfasting together. I didn't want to open a quart of rice milk and waste it, so I'll have to drink rice milk around the next time I make this I guess.

Now that mofo is over, I can go back to slacking on cooking and blogging. Just kidding, but there won't be so much food I feel compelled to eat so I can get back on my program. Two packages I received today will help toward that goal: Appetite for Reduction and my Wii system. I haven't had a chance to play with either yet, but I'm sure I will exhaust them both soon enough. Time to take Dad and the dog for a walk!

Vegan Mofo IV Week 5: Your Grocer's Freezer

I planned on making "Chard Florentine On Toast Points" today, but had to cancel since I cannot read a recipe or write a grocery list. I scanned the recipe quickly before going shopping yesterday and thought I had everything except bread, chard and tahini. I remember finding tahini at grocery stores in the past so I was frustrated when I did not see it on the "international" aisle. I went to get the rest of my items and read my list one more time. It didn't say tahini, it said tamari. I have tamari, game on. I get chard and bread and I'm ready to go. Later that night I'm putting things away and decide to review the recipe so I'll be ready for the morning. I needed tamari and tahini, plus miso, which never even made the list. Luckily I was planning on making scrambled tempeh for the billionth time so I wouldn't be without breakfast, but I've already written about that before. Did I mention I eat it almost every week?

It was basically downhill from there. My breakfast plans were ruined and I hadn't planned on making dinner since I have so many leftovers to choose from. When I was out mailing a package for a PPKer, I popped into the Chinese takeout place to see if they had any green beans but they were out. They would have gone so great with my left over tofu, so I was disappointed but not enough to go a few doors down to the market and get some to make for myself. It's been getting colder and I've done far too many dishes, I just couldn't be bothered to cook dinner.

Thank goodness for Trader José and his Black Bean and Corn Enchilada. I used to eat these all the time at my old job and then I went through a snobby phase of eschewing frozen foods. I still don't really like to "heat and eat" but some nights when I only have to cook for me and I'd rather do something else, it's a good back up to have. Otherwise I just eat a bowl of cereal, and it's too cold for that right now. So here were are, one day left of mofo and the cooking is grinding to a near halt. Hopefully I get my head out of my asparagus and come up with something better for tomorrow. I am just glad I didn't give up after taking a few days off this year. I barely kept up with writing and am extremely behind on reading. There are just too many amazing vegan bloggers out there. Good job Mofo's!

Vegan Mofo IV Week 4: Coffee (Cake) Talk

One of my favorite things to eat in my pre-vegan days was Entenmann's Raspberry Swirl coffee cake. I could eat the whole thing in a sitting. I actually did once on a T ride home after a night out, no joke. I think I was drunk, but that was still ridiculous. Why did I even admit to it just now?

Today I made the jam swirl variation of "East Coast Coffee Cake" from Vegan Brunch. I would have made it a lot sooner but I didn't have any raspberry jam. I got some last weekend, but decided to wait until after all of the Thanksgiving madness to make it. This eventually backfired on me since every time I baked a holiday dessert my sister kept asking me why I wasn't making the coffee cake instead.

I have never made a coffee cake from scratch so I was curious to see how it would turn out. I've only ever made the Aunt Jemima ones in the paper pans, so that was my frame of reference. The batter was really thick and I know next time not to use a silicone whisk to mix it. A fork will do, I switched to one after about ten seconds. Making the topping was fun. I used the 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. of oil because I wasn't sure I had enough crumbs, might be able to do with less next time. I will keep a closer eye on it next time since it got a little too brown on top, but I had a quick taste and it was no worse for it. I bought an oven thermometer last week and it is showing a 75-100 degree difference from the dial so I'm still figuring that out.

Since she starts work late tomorrow I thought I would treat her to dessert and another light snack. I made the coffee cake today and in the morning I'll make the Chard Florentine on Toast Points from Vegan Yum Yum. Waiting an hour to slice into it is the hardest part of the process. I didn't cut it until about an hour and ten minutes and it was still a bit warm. I only ate half of the piece in the picture because I know my sister will be mad at me for starting without her. I know she'll have some when she gets home from her date, and I'm not sure how much will actually be left for the morning.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 4: Whip Appeal

Since everyone loved the pumpkin cheesecake, I decided to make another one. I bought extra supplies in case this might happen, mom taught me to always think ahead. Sometimes I get it right. When we were enjoying the first cheesecake, we wished we had a whipped topping for it. I would have bought some at Mother's but they didn't have any.

I remember my first attempt at vegan whipped topping years ago. It was probably the first time I really tried to make holiday desserts. None of them worked out very well. My desserts have come a long way since then but I've never revisited the whipped topping until today. There is a recipe in The Joy of Vegan Baking so I decided to try that one since that book has been an excellent resource whenever I'm not baking cookies or cupcakes since Isa and Terry have those covered. I do love Colleen's chocolate chip cookie recipe though!

Everything was loaded in the processor and blended to perfection. It tasted great when I was transferring it from the processor to a container. I put it in the fridge to let it chill and just took it out a while ago to try it with the cheesecake. I think it will be even better tomorrow. The recipe said to let it chill for several hours, but I only waited four to try it. I am an impatient gal and I wanted to get another entry in so I don't end this mofo as a failure. Tune in tomorrow for an update, and possibly coffee cake.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 4: Dip Baby Dip

Since I slacked on my Thanksgiving menu I asked my sister what else she wanted to eat and she said to make Spinach Artichoke Dip. I bought most of what I thought I would need and then I consulted the PPK for guidance. The most popular suggestion was the Vegan Mouse's recipe. I knew they wouldn't steer me wrong and luckily I only needed one more ingredient for the dip, plus some bread/chips to dip in it.

We picked my uncle up from the train station and on the way home stopped at the store for the last minute items. Then I hurried around like a fool chopping veggies for the dip and for stuffing. Everything for the dip smelled and looked so good, I couldn't wait to get it in the oven. Since my dad made turkey, I had to use the toaster oven, which was okay since my baking dish fit perfectly. I followed the recipe but also sprinkled a bit of daiya on top. When it was time to take it out of the oven, it was tough to pack it up and take it away without trying it.

As soon as we got to my aunt's we tore into it. We probably stood over the dish for about five minutes stuffing our faces before we offered it to anyone else. My sister was a better sharer than me, offering tastes to my mom, my aunt and my grandma. I just kept serving myself. I know we could have ate the whole thing between us, but everyone else who tried it agreed it was quite tasty. It's great to have another go-to option to bring to functions. There was a little bit left over so we brought it home, but as of this entry it's already been devoured. I can't wait to make this again. I'm thinking of making a mini happy hour at home pretty soon.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 4- I Like Big Bundts and I Cannot Lie

I forget how it started, but I remember calling bundt cakes, butt cakes, when we were growing up. I don't know whether they had a popularity flare up in the early eighties of if that is just when my mom got into them but I remember there was a brief burst of bundt activity in our home. I liked the special pan and the fun drizzly glazes that were usually involved. This was all before I was really allowed to help out, unless licking the beaters/bowls clean counts.

My mom's old bundt pan is still hiding in a cupboard somewhere, but I am a stubborn brat and had to get my own. I wanted to get the Bavaria one when it was on sale, but I didn't for some silly reason. After that I was on a mission to get any fluted pan, even if it was the o.g. bundt I grew up with. I finally found one on sale, with the accompanying cake keeper for about $20.00, and it was red, even better. I know I mostly was paying for the keeper but I'm a sucker for cute packaging, and my bundt is gonna get around, okay?!

I was super excited to make a bundt of my own and had the perfect "bring to the family dinner" recipe thanks to Vegetarian Times. They had a gorgeous Maple Bundt Cake I knew I had to make, especially after my first taste of TJ's Maple Cookies, which set me on the road to maple madness. I reviewed the ingredient list and thought I had everything until I got to the end where it listed maple extract. I just sorted out my baking supplies and I have tons of extracts, but not a drop of maple. I looked for it at the health stores but couldn't find it. Avert your eyes, I had to get imitation maple at the regular grocery store. I'll have to dig deeper to find the pure stuff for next time, but it only needed 2 tsp. so hopefully it will not suffer too much. Don't tell anyone I faked it!

If it tastes half as good as it smelled, I know I will be making this again. Depending on how late we stay, I will have to report back on how it really turned out. I am waiting to dust the sugar until it's time to serve so I will have to get a photo of that as well. I know it would be more dramatic with the Bavaria pan, but this bundt is still booty-ful.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 4 Schmanksgiving

Blog as my witness, one year I will do the 20 post minimum of mofo-ing. I'll have to double check but I don't think I've ever completed one. I think I did slightly better this year than last, but since this is my first post of the last full week, I'm a bit disappointed, but not ready to give up just yet.

I lost that mofo feeling toward the end of last week and just couldn't get it back. I could blame a small part of it on my cycle wiping me out, and then there was the rain which always puts me in slow-mo, but I really think I just got tired of cooking and all of the cleaning that goes with it. I did have fun trying new recipes and using ingredients I've never worked with before. I didn't have any major disasters, so even though I lost some days, this has still been a good experience. There are a few more days left so let's see what happens.

Tonight's dinner was simple and boring. I was so excited to make an amazing dinner at the beginning of the month, but as it drew nearer I was not very interested in Thanksgiving anymore. I always want to make too many things, last year I think I made t-giving three different times/ways. This year was almost an exact repeat of last year I think. Tofurky roast, mac and cheese bites, greens. At least dessert wasn't a letdown. I made my favorite cheesecake and the girls loved it. My niece said it was the best cheesecake I ever made from scratch. It chilled overnight so it was even sweating like real cheesecake, sounds gross but it was so good.

  

I also made a maple bundt, my first ever in my brand new pan. The whole house smelled lovely while it was baking, so waiting until after tomorrow's dinner to eat it will be quite a challenge.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 3: Fryin' on the Fly

All week I'd been planning to serve Cholent for Wednesday's dinner but my sister, the biggest stew lover I know, took a look at it and was not interested in it. I told her she would love it since it had her favorite things in it but she said it looked like something else and she didn't want to eat it. I know it wasn't as pretty as the picture in Veganomicon, but I didn't think it looked as horrible as she was making it sound. She said she would get over it and try it but later on I realized that if this is how a 30 year old reacts, I could only imagine what my seven year old niece would say about it. She's already such a picky eater, I didn't want to turn the dinner table into a battlefield.


I had wanted to make fried tofu and greens earlier in the week anyway, so I went ahead with that plan. I made Southern Fried Tofu from The Urban Housewife's recipe, which turned out yummy. I will do smaller pieces of tofu next time so they look prettier, but they still tasted great. I was in a hurry since I changed the dinner menu about an hour before dinner, which is plenty of time for most people but I hate to be rushed in the kitchen so it was a challenge.

The greens were made using a recipe from Vegan Bites, which I don't use often enough. I think I've only made the chili recipe, but I loved it. Anyhow, I made the "Southern Style Greens" which was my first time cooking collards. I followed the recipe but also added about 1/2 of seitan broth to the pan. I usually put a bit of water when I cook greens, but I thought this would give it something extra. My sister loved them, so that made me happy. I didn't want to ruin collards for her on my first try. I liked them too. The only thing I would do differently next time is cook them a bit longer.

I had to cheat with road's end mac and chreese, but we still had lots of great food to eat. For dessert we had our first taste of TJ's Apple Strudel. I don't think there's room for much else after that.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 3: Survey Says!

My schedule was shaken up today and I didn't have as much time for Mofo as I thought. Here is a survey I borrowed from Végétalion to tide you over until tomorrow's entry.


What's your favorite spice or spice blend?

Paprika, I add it to almost everything.


You have $20 to spend on fresh groceries and produce for the whole week (with a fairly well stocked pantry of dry goods, legumes, grains, and spices). what do you buy?

Onions, garlic, cilantro, lemons, carrots and potatoes.

What's your favorite way to make tofu?

I would love to say scrambled, but my favorite is the tofu for egg mc vegans

Vegan guilty pleasure?

Any dessert I can get my grubby mitts on.

If you could make anyone vegan, who would it be?

George Clooney because he does all these things for the environment, which are great, but going vegan would help his cause so much more-especially if his admirers would follow suit. Then I could get back together with him :)

If you could only read one other vegan blog, what would it be?

The PPK blog.

Were you always interested in cooking, or did veganism change the way you saw and interacted with food?

Sometimes I think I might never have learned to cook if not for becoming vegan. I'm also afraid I would have held onto a limited palate/range of cuisine. I'm so happy I know how to cook, still learning every time. I am so glad I made the change when I did.


Excluding analogs, what new things have you tried that you probably wouldn't have as an omni?

So many things to choose from. Growing up we didn't eat a wide variety of foods. It was kind of like- pizza, hamburgers, tacos, rinse and repeat. I didn't have Chinese take out until high school, Thai till college. It's bizarre and weird, but since our parents didn't eat those foods, we didn't either. I remember going to visit a friend in San Francisco after freshman year of college and her friend suggested we get falafel and I didn't want to try it so we all got pizza instead. What a buzzkill! I am a fool for falafel now.


What is the one vegan staple that everyone seems to love, but you can't get behind?

I can't think of any, most of the hype has been true.

What was your first "wow, I'm such a stereotypical vegan" moment?

I'm not sure I've had one yet, but maybe omni friends would disagree.

First recipe you veganized?

I can't remember, but it was probably something really easy like, "oh I'll make ________ and just not put any cheese".

What would you like to veganize, but haven't yet?

Chile rellenos, probably easy, but haven't done it yet.

Favorite kitchen utensil/appliance?

No fave appliance but I have a favorite wooden spoon and a favorite rubber spatula that are "mine". I use them almost exclusively even though we have all kinds of tools.

 Most disastrous kitchen failure?

My first attempt at seitan or the time I was taking cookies out of the oven and a few slid off the sheet, back into the oven and made a huge melty smelly mess.

First vegan cookbook?

I got Vegan With A Vengeance and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World  for Christmas.

What question about being vegan do you HATE answering?


It's probably a tie between "what do you eat?" and "does it bother you that I'm eating this in front of you?".

If you could tell the world one thing about vegans, what would it be?

We're just normal people who happen to be slightly more awesome than others. We are not starving or suffering from not eating animals. Compassion tastes great.

Funniest vegetable?

Any that resemble genitalia, my immaturity gets the better of me at times.

What is a family recipe you have veganized?

We don't really have family recipes. Sad, right?

Weirdest food combination ?

Any savory recipes that involve fruit still seem weird to me. I have to try them and prove myself wrong.

Is there something you wish you could veganize, but can't/couldn't?

Pastrami sandwich, but I'm sure someone is working on it, or has already cracked it.

Favorite ways to prepare tofu, seitan, tempeh, any other vegan proteins?

Breaded and baked or fried

Are your pets vegan?

Not yet. I tried to switch my dog's food over summer and it didn't take but I am going to try again.

Favorite non-dairy milk?

Plain almond milk. I just switched a month ago and I love it. It's 60 calories less than soymilk per serving and it tastes great.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 3: TVP's repeat after me, say Yum Yum Yum (yum yum yum)

I never have a plan for Mofo, but there is always the underlying idea that I will make food I have never made before and dust off the cookbooks I am underusing. Yesterday I made the Cholent from Veganomicon for tonight's dinner since the recipe said it tastes better after a night in the fridge. I couldn't find TVP chunks so I had to use crumbles (I already feel Isa giving me the evil eye). I got everything else ready and decided to use 1/2 cup of seitan broth for the vegetable broth/white wine option. It was going along great until I checked my pot and the potatoes and carrots were still quite firm. Apparently I cut them too big so I had to let it simmer a bit longer. Not a big deal, but as I am always telling my niece, you have to follow directions.

I'm not sure what to serve with it yet but I am leaning toward bread. Or maybe I will crumble crackers on top like the V-con gals do. I just don't want to use rice. It's embarrassing to admit but I can make so many complicated dishes, yet I mess up the easy ones like cooking rice, go figure. Anyhow, I took a small taste before I put the stew to bed and it was lovely, so I can only imagine how much better it will taste tonight.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 3: Cheesier Said Than Done

 Last night I made "Macaroni and Cheese Soup" from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas. I checked the book out last year, made copies of some recipes, and that was the end of it. I have a recipe binder project I am working on so I recently rediscovered tons of recipes I wanted to try but simply haven't. I love mac and cheese and soup, so this should be perfect, right?

I think I set the "mac and cheese" expectation a bit too high. I don't think it really tasted like any mac and cheese I've ever had, but I don't think it was supposed to. It's still a delicious soup but I would rename it "Cheesy Peas-y soup" instead. I do like the idea of using the white bean puree as a base, especially if you're making this for kids. It's a great way to sneak in protein and fiber. I put a whole bag of daiya cheddar in it, but still wanted more cheesy-ness. I added about 1/4 cup nooch and some other seasons to taste. It is definitely a mild soup, which is again, great for kids, but for adults you might want to add your own fave spices.

I'm already not the best photographer, but it was really tough to get a decent shot of this one. To make up for that, here is a cheesier photo of me with my coupon from WayFare Foods that came in the mail today (thanks to human_oven from the PPK). They make this amazing product called "We Can't Say It's Cheese" that you just have to try if you're vegan (or lactose intolerant) and used to love cheese.It's dairy, soy, and nut-free. I first tried the Hickory Cheddar in hopes it would taste like the gross bacon-cheese spray I ate back in 6th grade. It was better. Next I tried the Cheddar spread, which might have survived for three days, maximum. I will have to try the other varieties and report back soon.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 2: Day Off On the Town

Since we all had the day off today, which is rare since two of the four of us work in retail, we decided to make the most of it (sort of).We gals had a big breakfast of Egg McVegans and morning tv relax time. I am  not normally a fan of The View but it's required viewing on my sister's days off. Today they celebrated Whoopi's birthday with all sorts of Martha Stewart radness and also unveiled a forthcoming Wii game that makes me want to cave in and buy a Wii even though my last game system was the o.g. NES twenty plus years ago. Anyhow, We were not due at our first stop until 2 p.m. so we didn't have to be dressed and lovely until 1 p.m. at the latest. I was proud to be dressed, made up and have the dog walked before it was time to leave. Usually I am the lagger but today that title went to my sister, phew!

Our first stop was the L.A. Tamale Throwdown. My sister found it on a site of things to do in L.A./O.C. and the promise of vegan tamales was all we needed to get on the road. When our cousin was vegan, our tia used to make us all vegan tamales, but since he sold out over the summer I think the tamales are toast. He claims he was sad shortly before our grandma passed away and wanted his mom to cook him a steak to make him feel better. I'm not sure I believe his mis-steak excuse and want to wear a "Never Trust An Ex-Vegan" tee to the holiday gatherings, but I don't think my grandma would like that. Plus I want to wear something that shows off the figure I've been carving out the last few months.

The Tamale Throwdown was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in L.A. I knew it wasn't going to be festival sized but they just about filled up the parking lot with lots of goodness. As soon as we got there I cruised the food alley scanning for a huge sign that said "vegan" on it. I was pleased to find "Vera's Tamale Express" at the second to last stop. I'm glad I got there first because I got the last vegan tamale, at least for the next 20 minutes until they could steam some more. I went to get a 32 oz. Jamaica and then I was ready to sit down and chow down. The tamale was yummy and I almost wanted another one until I remembered we had two more stops to make- Sanrio Small Gift Carnival and Real Food Daily. After everyone else got their food and finished eating, we did a bit of shopping, I got a big faced caricature, and we left for Santa Monica.

I couldn't get out of the car fast enough to get to the Sanrio event, but once I got inside I was overwhelmed and didn't know what to do first. I made my sister and her fiancé take pictures of me with anything that would stand still. I missed the photo with Hello Kitty because I was getting game tickets ($2 each, most games are only one ticket). I really lucked out on the games, most I won the first prize but on the Tuxedo Sam version of Plinko, I had to keep trying to win the tote I wanted. In all I walked away with the coveted tote, a water bottle, a cup, a keychain, a mini dry erase board and some consolation bookmarks-not bad for the $22 I spent on tickets, right? Then I hit up the store and did some damage there as well.

After we spent most of our money and worked up an appetite, it was time to head to Real Food Daily for a late dinner. All day I had been planning on getting the Reuben since I've never ordered it before. I never had one in my omni days or else I would have wanted the vegan version a lot sooner. My sister brought home half a sammich from Clark's over the summer and it was good- so I just imagined a fresher sammich from RFD would be a million times better. I couldn't have been more right. I am glad I tried something new that will probably be my #1 go-to from now on, sorry Tac-o' the Town. For dessert I really wanted to get the Pecan Pie, which would have been another first for me, but since it was late, they were out. I ordered the Gingerbread Cake and was pleasantly surprised once more. I almost couldn't finish it, but I did.

We got home about an hour ago so this still counts for Friday on the left coast. I have to get up early for my hike tomorrow, wish me luck!

P.S. The Tamale Throwdown is going on tomorrow too so check it out. The Sanrio Carnival runs through Nov. 21. Parking is $10 but admission is free. There are some special events that you need tickets for that sound fun too.

Vegan Mofo IV Week Two: TV Dinner

Last night we had Tempeh-Oatmeal Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic. The meatloaf recipe was from Vegetarian Times and the Green Beans from The Neelys of Food Network Fame. I've never tried to make a vegan meatloaf and I've never made green beans either. It's funny how often you can cook but still not cook a lot of things you think you would have made years ago. It's a little embarassing too, but we'll get over it in time.

The meatloaf was going along fine until I forgot it involved the food processor. Not a big deal to get it down from the high shelf, I just thought I had everything out already. The other thing I didn't do was read through the recipe to see how long it had to bake. I ended up getting everything in the oven about half an hour later than I should have so dinner was later than I expected. The good thing was my sister came home and was able to help me out with a few things. She is the designated potato masher but since I was on round one of dishes, she chopped and got them in the pot too. Thanks sis!

Luckily everything worked out just fine. I was able to get the beans boiled, blanched and ready to sautee. I ahd time to mince garlic and zest lemon while waiting for the water to heat up, phew! The meatloaf didn't really taste like meatloaf but it was good. The marinara gave it an Italian vibe, which is why I wanted lemony green beans, even if they didn't quite go with the mashed potatoes. All in all it was a good meal. My niece didn't like the lemon on the beans but she ate everything else. For dessert we each ate a Tofutti Yours Truly drumstick. It was a good day.

Vegan Mofo IV Week Two: Hail Seitan

I tried making seitan a few years ago and it didn't work.I kept buying more vital wheat gluten in hopes of trying again, but I never did until yesterday. I was still nervous as to what would happen, but I knew if I just took my time and followed the directions it should be fine. I made the Simple Seitan from Veganomicon since it's the bible, and it claimed to be easier than the VWAV recipe.

After I got it all kneaded and threw it in the pot, I did the dishes, relaxed and hoped for the best. Then I took the dog for a walk while it cooled down. I wasn't sure what recipe I would use it for so I didn't cut it up, just stored it in the broth until I made up my mind. Later on, I flipped through cookbooks to find something to make with my new masterpiece. I chose the Breaded Seitan Nuggets from Table for Two,  knowing I would be short on time this morning and I could feed them to my niece for lunch tomorrow.

The nuggets turned out great. I ate more than the one or two I thought I would test before putting them away for another day. I tried them with barbecue sauce and ketchup, and it pains me to say this, but they tasted so much better with ketchup. My niece tried a few after school and  rated them 7 out of 10. She is a tough judge.

Now that I'm not afraid of seitan, I want to try more recipes, like the Almost All American Seitan Pot Pie. I would have done it today, but I was already making Tempeh-Oatmeal Meatloaf. We'll save some heartiness for the weeks to come.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 2: Sweet Savings

Today we went to Sprouts Farmers Market in Brea since it is so much better than the one by our house. We have a Sprouts, a Henry's and just got a Trader Joe's last year. I know I shouldn't complain since some people might not have any of those at all, but I so dearly wish we would get a Whole Foods out here already. Anyhow, we went to the Brea store about a month ago when we were on other O.C. errands. They had the Tofutti Yours Truly and some yogurts my mom liked, so we decided to make a special trip just for those and the TVP that Henry's didn't have the other night.

I found my TVP, so I grabbed two bags just in case I run out in between runs to Mother's. Their quinoa pastas were on sale but they were out of the shells and elbows which are my new go-to mac. I did get lucky with the baking supplies though. The Bob's Red Mill big bags of flour were 2 for $5. I also got some shredded coconut, a new bottle of vanilla, and more canned pumpkin. Since I miss the Vitasoy chocolate peppermint drink I am going to try the Westsoy version. They were 2 for $3, so hopefully we like it and can go back for more. Almost all of the baking essentials were on sale so if you're running low on supplies and cash-you should definitely check them out. Usually their prices are a bit higher than other stores, but today I got lucky. Did I mention their tofu was only 99 cents?

My favorite thing I bought was the Florida Crystals sugar in the paper bag. It looked so cute all dressed up like the sugar I used to buy. I didn't really need any since I just bought the plastic jug of it a week ago, but it was so adorable I had to bring it home with me. The baking section of the pantry was even more overcrowded after these purchases so I had to reorganize it. I went to Big Lots and got a plastic sterilite box to put all my extracts, spices, baking cups and other small items into. It is still a bit cramped but it looks so much better than it used to. I'll bet it looks super messy to everyone else but I have to share the cupboard with omni's so it's the best I can do with the amount of space I have right now.

Seitan is simmering on the stove  as I type this. It's only my second attempt, so let's hope I have a success story to share tomorrow.

P.S. I had pumpkin waffles for breakfast this morning- amazing! My mom tried a few bites and she liked them too which is a triumph since she usually says vegan things taste odd.

Vegan Mofo IV: Week 2- Waffle Iron Maiden

I just made my first batch of waffles, ever! We've had the waffle iron for a few months now but I've never used it all by myself. Ever since I was a kid, everyone would make fun of me for being uncoordinated or clumsy. I was stupid enough to believe it for way too long, but now I know, it's not true, at least not most of the time. Since I have the house to myself today, I knew I could try and make waffles without anyone poking their nose or comments in my face. It was really fun and I only goofed up once, hooray!

We had waffles on Friday night and it made me want to eat more waffles. Also I felt bad for cheating with mix and I wanted to do some from scratch. It always tastes better and I like to pretend I'm exercising my whisking/stirring muscles while I do it. I had been wanting to make the Pumpkin Waffles from VWAV since forever so I finally did. I had everything I needed, so I just had to re-read the waffle iron instructions and get down to business.

Everything mixed up beautifully but the batter was still rather thick. I re-read the manufacturer's instructions and it said for thicker batter to use more, which should make sense, but I am an instruction reader, so I had to find out that way. The first waffle takes the longest and after that it is smooth sailing. I was doing great until the 4th or 5th one when I started pouring the batter without spraying the iron first, so I only got to spray one side of it. Thankfully it didn't get burned or stuck, but I made sure not to do that again.

They smelled like delicious pumpkin spiced goodness and I couldn't wait to eat them all up. The recipe said 24 regular waffles or 12 Belgian waffles. I don't know what kind of crazy waffle iron I have or what kind of crazy mixing I did but I only got about 6. It's okay though because I was afraid of having too many extra.They were quite filling so I only ate two. I can't wait for someone else to try them, but if they don't love them, it's just more for me. 

Vegan Mofo IV Day 5: BFD (Breakfast For Dinner)

 In my pre-vegan days, "breakfast served all day" was my favorite phrase on a menu or restaurant window. I know there are some vegan-friendly places that offer such an option, but I am not lucky enough to live near them. So, in the grand tradition of vegans everywhere, you do it your damn self. Tonight we had waffles and sausage.

For the waffles we cheated with a mix, but we added bananas, vanilla and cinnamon. The "sausage" was gimme lean, to which we added extra fennel seed for the first time. I'll have to remember to add it again next time. I like making quick meals and I love easy clean up even more. I was in charge of the sausage, so after that was done, I was the waffle catcher and started washing the dishes.

I had three waffles, which is one more than I would normally have but they were so good, I went for it. I am glad we invested in a waffle maker a few months ago. There are lots more waffle recipes I want to try. I want to do a "chicken and waffles" night too.

This wraps up the first week of mofo. It was a slow start, but I'm going to keep going and try harder each week. Have a good weekend y'all!

Vegan Mofo IV Day 4 Cheezy Life

Two weeks ago my sister's fiancé G surprised us with a menu from Cheezy Pizza, a place in Colton that offers vegan pizzas, calzones and cheesy breadsticks loaded with daiya deliciousness. We used to go to Pizza Kiln in Moreno Valley but if I remember correctly, they closed and merged with Pizza Time in Norco. It was supposed to be the same as Pizza Kiln as far as the vegan offerings, but much to our dismay, that never happened. We still could get vegan pies from Zpizza or just make our own, but what we really would miss were the calzones.

Cheezy Pizza is a slight reincarnation of Pizza Kiln. When G went to pick up our food he saw one of the ladies who used to work at Pizza Kiln. It turns out she was the one responsible for bringing in the vegan vendors and therefore, the vegan customers. I don't know the whole backstory of what happened and I really do not care to get into it. All I know is calzones are back and I'm happy to have another semi-local vegan option. Last I heard, the website wasn't completely up to date, so it's probably best to give a call before heading over. Even though we're ordering tonight, I hope the 15% off all Vegan orders on weekends promo is true.

Last time we ordered two calzones,two pizzas, cheesy breadsticks and jalapeño poppers, our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs. Luckily we are huge fans of leftovers and it was all gone by the next night. That night was our first time trying the jalapeño poppers. Since it's a pizza place, I don't know why I thought they would have cheddar daiya, but I did. They did not resemble traditional poppers, but were more like daiya mozzarella-jalapeño calzones, which isn't a bad thing, trust me. I "had" to eat them all since they were too hot for everyone else. The jalapeños got the better of me too, since I've only come to appreciate them in the last few years. I had to take some of them out. Don't tell my grandma, okay?

Photo was borrowed from Cheezy Pizza's FB page since our food isn't here yet.

Vegan Mofo IV Day 3: Tempeh Helper

For tonight's dinner I made Isa's Tempeh Helper. I had most of the ingredients on hand since I've been wanting to make it ever since I read it on the ppk blog. Why the procrastination? I have no idea, but I won't let it happen again. It turned out great, even though I made a teeny tiny mistake.

Instead of using Frontier Chicken Broth powder for the helper and for the sauce, I only used two tablespoons of c.b.p. in the sauce. I thought they were the same until I was starting the sauce and didn't have enough left in one packet and opened another.Why were they two different colors? Oh because they are two different powders! Since it was my first time making it, I'm not sure how "off" it is for mixing flavors. I definitely want to try it again using all chicken or all veg broth powder.

I'm starting to get a head cold so I was too stuffed up to really taste it, but my sister said it was good and my niece ate hers up without too much resistance. She usually tries to pick apart new dishes to find an excuse to not eat them, but tonight she was open to it. She loved the cheezy sauce. We also had some sauteed spinach which I mixed in with my second helping and gobbled it all up. You're supposed to feed a cold, right?

That's it for now. I've got to get some tea, take Penny for a final walk and start resting so I can be a better mofo mañana.

Vegan Mofo IV Day Two : Apple Crack

 
Even though we do not experience all four seasons in California, Autumn is my favorite for one lovely reason: Honeycrisp apples. I start trolling the supermarket aisles in anticipation the last few weeks of September hoping to catch the first harvest. It's a little crazy, but if you've had one you understand.

I used to be all about Fuji, until a few years ago when I was visiting a friend in Austin and she turned me on to Honeycrisp. I haven't looked back since. I've managed to get a few more people hooked, but haven't told too many folks, for fear of depleting the local supply. I'm not good at sharing, sorry.

Luckily the store my sister works at has an amazing deal right now, $4.88 for a 3 lb. bag. I can go through a bag or a bag and half a week if left to my own devices. I have been eating two a day for the past few weeks, but every now and then I'll sneak in a third. They're just so delicious I can't help myself. An open bag is an empty bag.

p.s. Sorry for the short entry but I spent most of my day at the DMV. I had a honeycrisp apple, yummy tempeh scramble from Vegan Brunch, two cups of tea and it was time to go get in line.