danielle atkins

End of vegan mofo: pumpkin muffins & community

2014-09-30T22:30:00.000-04:00

The end of vegan mofo! The beginning of October which means fall is finally here. To celebrate these two things, I made vegan pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips in them and crumble topping.

Another huge awesome thing that happened today was I got my order from Pioneer's Press!!! I was really excited because they have some great zines and stuff, but also they are doing great things and really struggling right now. If you get a chance and like zines and stuff (they have a ton of vegan stuff), please support them!

Vegan MoFo kind of taught me how out of touch with the vegan community I am. I used to have a few friends who were vegan or even vegetarian, and now, I don't. I feel like, even though I live in Pittsburgh, I really don't do much to meet like-minded people. There are so many great vegan meet-ups and stuff going on, but I don't really make an effort to go out, or I let anxiety get the best of me. I honestly feel like I've lost a huge part of myself, and being part of a community or something larger than myself will help me work towards getting that back.

I'm really proud that I blogged as often as I did, and I'm excited to have one vegan mofo under my belt!

<3 I hope that you all keep reading and stay connected.

Congrats to all the people who made it to the end!

Imperfection Mexican Food: After Dark Special

2014-09-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

I should get an award for this meal. Not because it's fancy or super delicious...just because it is a meal that isn't cereal eaten over the sink.

Let's back up. I'm a perfectionist. It's not a good quality because sometimes it paralyzes me. I sometimes don't do anything because I'm so overwhelmed and afraid that it won't be perfect. Or I over plan things, and if I'm not sure they'll be perfect, I don't bother.

Besides being a perfectionist, I'm insanely lazy and unorganized, which also leads to mayhem. (There's a point in all of this, I swear).

I almost didn't post today. Today was one of those days that started off weird, a rip in my pantyhose at work, trouble finding a parking spot where I always park. I knew that today was going to be one of those days, and it was. I didn't get home until 6:30, and by the time I walked the dog, I didn't feel like making anything spectacular, and I was running out of daylight. Kai was also being a pain, a cute pain, but still annoying.

Basically, this simple, delicious meal consists of taking a bunch of Trader Joe's products and layering them, and it's not perfect, but it works. (Just like these pictures...which look like they were taken with flash and are absolutely awful.)

But I did it. I posted. When I didn't want to or didn't think that I could. For that, I've perfected today.
.

Imperfection Mexican Food

1 cup jasmine rice, cooked

Simple ingredients (nosy dog being bad is optional)

1 can Trader Joe's Cuban Black Beans

1 cup Trader Joe's Enchilada Sacuce

1 can Trader Joe's Refried Beans

1/2 cup Trader Joe's Black Bean Dip

1 zucchini

1 onion

1 cup mushrooms

Optional:

handful of Daiya that has been hanging out in your fridge

handful of stale nacho chips

1/2 avocado

1 packet of mild Taco Bell sauce from god knows when that was in your fridge

Preheat oven to 350°.

Take a glass, oven-safe bowl, and spread a 1 inch layer onto the bottom. With a spatula, add another layer of black bean dip.

In a separate bowl, stir black beans into the rice. Add in the enchilada sauce and mix well. Scoop mixture into the original bowl to add another layer.

Fry zucchini, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil on medium heat. Layer on top of the beans and rice.

If you have shame, this is probably where you'll stop. I had leftover Daiya and old nacho chips, so I added those.

I heated until the cheese was melted, but you can heat until the layers are warm.

Scoop and serve with guacamole, avocado, vegan sour cream, or whatever you'd like on your Mexican food.

Kai was begging the entire time because he's a buttface.

Kai thinks you're perfect, just the way you are.

wild rice salad

2014-09-27T17:48:00.001-04:00

"This tastes like autumn" - my husband after he tried this wild rice salad.

I don't know if it's the earthy sweetness or the fact that I'm always making these salads that can be grabbed and packed easily and quickly when back-to-school time comes around, but this salad does taste like fall.

I told myself to hold off until actual autumn or at least October 1st before going crazy with the pumpkin-spiced whatever and pictures of leaves and all the other great things that come with the change of the season.

This cold salad is great for the busy schedules that also come with the beginnings of fall. I work at a university, so this is our busy time. Dustin is working 3 jobs. Although we're not taking classes anymore, it's still a hectic time of year.

Harvest Wild Rice Salad

1 teaspoon orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup wild rice...cooked and cooled

In a saucepan, add in 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate. Whisk together. Add in 1/2 cup raisins. Over medium heat, heat mixture until raisins are softened. (Alternatively, you could microwave this stuff, but yeah).

Pour mixture into a blender, and add it 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Blend until dressing is smooth (no more lumps of raisins).

In a large bowl, add in rice, dressing, and olive oil. Fold in walnuts and rice.

Serve chilled and try not to eat too much of this because it's delicious.

Kai reminds you to get in some rest and relaxation this weekend.

Liebster Award

2014-09-26T00:40:00.000-04:00

I was nominated by http://one-sonic-bite.com/ (I'm also officially in love with this blog), and I am so excited for this! I must admit, I got kind of discouraged mid-way of mofo because I felt like I was just doing my own thing in a vacuum. There have been great people commenting, and I really appreciate it, but I thought I'd feel more connected to the mofo community or something. IDK. I've been an overly sensitive emotional roller coaster this month, so that might be it.

Anyway, I'm so, so, so excited!

So what are the rules?

Answer the questions given and then come up with 10 new ones to ask your nominees.
Nominate 8 other blogs, let them know you have nominated them and put a link to their blog in your post.
No Tag backs and nominees must have under 200 followers on any platform.
You must tell all the blogs that you nominate that you have nominated them.

10 Questions

What is your favorite food: One savory, one sweet?
Favorite savory food is definitely Loving Hut's Lucky Lemongrass Chick'n. I have no idea what magic they put into it, but it's the perfect texture.
My favorite sweet food is hard. I get kind of overwhelmed by too much sweetness, so I like my sweet foods a little savory, too. I really like plain vanilla soy ice cream in a waffle bowl with strawberries and bananas on top. This is a tough question!
What was your first vegan cookbook?
My husband was vegan when I met him, and he's the one who convinced me to become vegan. I inherited "Skinny Bitch (ugh)," "Vegan Handbook," and though it's not a cookbook, "Animal Ingredients A-Z" from him. I can't really remember my first cookbook, but "Veganomicon" was definitely the defining one.
What is your specialty dish?
I'm really good at cold salads. I know that's really boring, but it's super handy because I can walk into any pantry/fridge, find some staples, and come up with a delicious salad. I love making "buddha bowls" where I basically take a protein, a grain, veggies, and toppings and magically make a mind-blowing salad.

The dish I'm best known for is my vegan buffalo chick'n dip because I take it to potlucks, and people don't believe it's vegan. I also make phenomenal cupcakes.
What is your main reason for going vegan? Environment, health, compassion?
Compassion for animals. When I was little, I used to go to this county fair in my hometown, and they would hold these pig races with these adorable piglets racing. Now I think it's cruel, but I loved it back then, and it made me think about where my food came from. I realized that all of the animals that we'd see at the fair went off to get killed. :( I've always been a huge animal lover, so that was hard for me.

I also appreciate the minimal environmental impact veganism has on the world. It's also a way to practice conscious and mindful consumerism and really pay attention to the ethical implications of buying things.
What would your consider the best day off?
It would start with an amazing brunch, swimming in a river with my dog and husband, and then reading by the campfire.

I also really like hanging out in my pjs and having a do-nothing comfy day!
How do you take your coffee?
I never ever drink coffee, and I hate it. I drink tea when it's cold outside, but give me a glass of ice cold water in the morning, and I'm ready to go!
Do you carry your veganism into other parts of your life? (Clothing, toiletries, etc)
Yes! I try really hard to think about where everything comes from and its impact. I also like making my own stuff. I'm going to start making my own soap in October. I can't wait for that.
Do you consider yourself a feminist?
Yes! Always & forever. I consider myself an intersectional feminist.
What is your cooking jam?
Strawberry ;)

I actually like to cook in silence, with no one else around. It's kind of a way for me to destress and just focus on something. I usually talk to myself or my dog while I cook like a weirdo.
Are you a wine, beer, hard liquor, cocktails, or non-alcohol type of person?
Non-alcohol. I bought a 6 pack of vegan pumpkin beer, and 4 are still sitting in my fridge. I'm a super light weight, so any time that I drink, I end up getting really sick or really drunk too quickly. It's embarrassing! I'm also celebrating Octsober, a whole month of not drinking. I'd really like to stop drinking altogether because I don't think that it's for me!

Nominees:

Faye at Veganopoulous

Alicia at Conscientious Cookie

Maggie at Veg Fiend

Megan at Messy Vegan Kitchen

Ashley & Amanda at The Envi Girls

Sarah at One Window Kitchen

Judith and Merle at La Verde Connection

PJ from Popcorn and Nooch

Tiffany from A Journey with Tiffany

& last, but not least, Tea and Sympatico (I can't find their name because I'm bad at life)

10 Questions for the Nominees

What is your favorite animal and why?
How do you relax?
Favorite fruit and vegetable?
If you only had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What is your favorite vegan media (documentary, book, band/song, or movie, etc.)?
How did you decide to become vegan? What prompted you to make the change? Did you have any setbacks?
What is your favorite vegan dish from a restaurant?
Do you have any friends that are vegan or how do you meet fellow vegans?
What are some of your favorite vegan organizations/nonprofits or vegan "celebrities" (these don't have to be celebrities that are vegan...it can be people famous in the vegan community)?
Do you consider yourself an activist, and if so, what do you do to promote veganism or give back to help animals?

self care: keeping your life altar clean

2014-09-25T22:16:00.000-04:00

So, since I haven't really been cooking and haven't really been in the mood to take pictures (it gets dark like an hour and a half after I get home...no daylight!), I've decided to talk a little bit about self care.

First, I'll admit, I'm pretty granola and into weirdo hippie things. I have my limits though. Very clear, I'm too pessimistic and cynical to be a hippy limits. Plus, I was a punk during my teenage years, so naturally, I would scoff at the idea of being a hippie. (Is it hippy or hippie? See, I don't even know.)

Anyway, I draw the line with certain things, but I find myself rolling my eyes at myself. One thing that I do that's really groan-worthy is...and I can't believe I'm admitting this...keeping an altar. I'm not religious, at all, and I'm not even what I'd consider "spiritual," but I'm a firm believer in having some sort of physical space to put things that you're into or inspire you, just so you can see them everyday, and be like, "hell yeah, I have these awesome physical things that embody who I am in some weird material way!"

For me, this "altar" is a shelf that my dad gave me in our living room. I keep various knick knacks, all of my vegan cookbooks, zines I've collected over the years, some incense and candles, just things that are cool that I would say represent who I am or who I was at various stages in my life. I also keep cards I get from people on my shelf, and it used to house my records and record player.

The point of this story is it's important to create a space, physical, for you to remember to pause and alter (heh. see what I did there?) your thoughts. Somewhere in the past few weeks, my altar got cluttered and dirty...dust built up, ashes from incense piled on, random things got housed there, and things were just in a state of disarray.

Today, I took time and cleared it, and in some, weirdo, psycho-somatic way, I feel kind of better.

It's also important to treat your body like an altar. After clearing my altar, I put some fancy vegan lotion on and just relaxed. It's a shame that I don't remember to care for things until they're steeped in chaos, but that's how life goes.

Don't worry, I'll post recipes tomorrow, I promise!

under the weather

2014-09-23T20:29:00.001-04:00

I have a bit of a sore throat today, and I've been feeling very rundown and exhausted. It finally peaked this morning with a sore throat, fever, and headache. Unfortunately, this means that I haven't done much cooking.

I've been drinking a lot of tea, and whenever I'm sick, my first instinct is to eat soft foods. Since I've maxed out on the number of English muffins with pumpkin butter that I've eaten, I decided to make something easy and soft.

I bought this delicata squash from Trader Joe's, and this pretty much met the criteria. I also barely have an appetite, so eating a whole squash seemed like a doable victory.

First, how gorgeous is this!? It reminds me of fall. I sliced it open, which felt impossible while sick, seriously, why are squash so tough to cut!? I de-seeded it, sprinkled some olive oil, sea salt, and pepper on top and put it in the oven at 450°, It was super easy. I also made some Earth Balance mac and cheese (the regular cheddar). It was definitely better than the white cheddar, but I was too over living to finish it. I hate being sick.

I finished the squash though! Success! Wanna hear something weird though? It tasted like buttered movie theater popcorn! I thought that I was going insane from the fever or my taste buds weren't working from being sick, but nope. I read online, and apparently, that's a thing. Delicata squash smell (I couldn't smell anything. Thanks, nose.) and taste like popcorn.

Vegetables that taste like popcorn. The world is cool. Honestly though, it was a earthy sweetness that I really, really, really liked. Definitely try these!

Earth Balance Mac & Cheese

2014-09-21T22:40:00.003-04:00

This isn't really a "snack," but what can you do? It wasn't really a meal either. I was so excited to see the Earth Balance box mac & cheese on sale at Whole Foods, and I knew that I had to try it!

To be honest, I was kind of disappointed. It was super salty, and other than that, didn't have much flavor. I added some Daiya on top though, and that make it so much better! Honestly, my mom used to make amazing homemade mac and cheese, so I have high expectations. I don't think I ever really liked the box kind, vegan or not.

That being said, it's GREAT that we're getting options like this! Not to mention, I think that this would be a good base for a meal, maybe. Add in some veggies or tofu, and you'd have an easy and quick meal.

I'm going to try the cheddar mac and let you know how that goes.

Tonight, Dustin and I went grocery shopping, so we wanted quick and easy meals. We decided to eat this amazing vegan pizza!

It's so weird how many vegan options there are anymore. It might just be living in the city, but I'm always astounded at all of the vegan options popping up in the grocery stores!

odds & ends

2014-09-20T21:06:00.000-04:00

This week has been kind of busy, and I've been eating out a lot because last Friday was my birthday, and according to my husband, I celebrate a birthmonth instead of a birthday.

Today was the Walk for Farm Animals for the Farm Sanctuary. I managed to raise $141 for them! I'm pretty proud of that. I ended up not going though, which is a huge bummer. My husband got called into work, and I was going to go alone, but when my alarm went off, I decided to "snooze" a bit with my puppy. Well, I must have turned it off instead of hitting snooze, because I woke up 30 minutes before the walk was supposed to start! Oops. I really am bummed that I missed it, but it was nice to sleep in with Kai.

I think next week I'm going to try to make healthy foods because I've been eating so poorly! So much vegan junk food! I think because it's my birth~~day~~month, and I want to TREAT YO' SELF, but I feel icky. Today, we ate at Loving Hut for my official birthday date with my husband, and it was so delicious, as always. I really overate though!

Pittsburgh has so many vegan things that I feel pretty grateful for all of it. I feel like the vegans in Pittsburgh are doing more to get together. I wish I would take advantage of this, but sometimes I'm so shy and just want to hang out in my house with Kai and Dustin.

Well, let's get back to vegan snack week! I recently bought a box of Quinn popcorn. We recently bought a microwave, and it's the first time that I've owned one in like 6 years! I love microwave popcorn, but a lot of it is horrible for you and not vegan. This stuff was perfect, really light, but still flavorful. I almost wish that it had a little bit more flavor, and I think if I would sprinkle some nooch or something on it, it might be better. They had a few other flavored kinds, so I'll have to check those out. It was really convenient; a lot easier than making it in a soup pop with kernels! I definitely recommend it.

I also made this yummy buffalo chickpea dip! It's so easy and delicious. I always bring this to potlucks, and everyone, vegans and nonvegans alike, go crazy for it! I like it because it's pretty cheap to make.

Buffalo Chickpea Dip

1 Package of silken tofu

2 tablepoons dill

3 tablespoons onion powder

3 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons oregano

2 tablespoons chives

1/4 cup vegan mayo or 8 oz vegan cream cheese

salt and pepper

1 can of chickpeas, lightly mashed

1 package of mock chick'n

Franks Red Hot Hot Sauce

1 handful of Daiya or vegan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a bowl, mix together silken tofu, spices, and vegan mayo or cream cheese until blended and creamy. This will be your ranch base dip.

In a frying pan, lightly saute mock chicken. Add in hot sauce until coated, and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until mock chicken is crispy. Remove from pan and chop or shred into small pieces.

In a bowl, toss chickpeas in hot sauce. Fold chickpeas and chick'n into the ranch base dip. Add in more hot sauce, if desired.

Transfer dip into a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Top with a handful of Daiya, sprinkled on top of the dip.

Cook for 15-20 minutes until dip is hot in the center and cheese is melted on top.

Enjoy with crackers or tortilla chips.

Overall, I've had a great birthday. Last weekend, I had friends over, and my best friend ever bought me this card. It's absolutely perfect for me because I love pigs!

I'm sad to wrap up my birthday week, but I really need to get back on track with eating better!

I'm a sucker for packaging

2014-09-18T21:36:00.001-04:00

Can we talk about how clever marketing and branding is? I see so many snacks with great packaging, and just buy it! My husband says that I'm a marketer's dream because I'm easily lured and tempted with well designed stuff.

Seriously though, look at how cute this tiny pouch of chocolate peanut butter is!!! The colors, the little leaf tendril, the font...but let's focus on the face that it's called "wild friends." Oh, also the adorable freaking winking woodland creature. I knew that I was doomed as soon as I saw this. The peanut butter jars are pretty expensive. I think they cost like $8 for a tiny jar, and I hate being roped in and spending that much only to find out that I don't like the actual product (only the overpriced packaging).

This one, however, was a "snack" size, and perfect for sampling! It was also awesome because I could easily pack this for a snack on the go (or, how I eat all my meals/snacks).

I decided to put it on a piece of toast with a banana because peanut butter, even chocolate peanut butter, is made for bananas. It's common sense.

This was perfect and delicious! Sometimes "natural" peanut butters can be too dry or too oily, but this was a great blend. It wasn't overpoweringly chocolate-y either. It also didn't have that sugary cheap peanut butter taste (I'm super picky about peanut butter).

While it has the best packaging ever, the product actually lived up to the hype. I think that I'm going to try the other flavors or at least opt for the larger jar because I was tempted to lick the inside of the foil package (I didn't).

Also, checking wild friends' website, they offer shirts with that adorable little creature on them. Smart move! I might have to buy one.

Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs

2014-09-16T20:29:00.001-04:00

It's crazy how far veganism has come. If you would have told me that I'd be munching on vegan junk food, specifically those cheese puff things, I would have told you that you were crazy, but here we are!

I haven't had "cheese puffs," these weird Styrofoam-like snacks, in years, but I remember them dying your finger neon orange and tasting like corn with a hint of what was supposed to be salty cheese. I didn't really have high expectations for these, but they were fantastic! I thought they'd just taste like nutritional yeast, but really, they were subtly cheesy and perfectly crunchy!

There's something satisfying about crunching these things, and they were the perfect snack.

I didn't celebrate Tuesday Brewsday (I wasn't in the mood for a beer), but that just means I'll review 2 beers next week ;)!

I definitely recommend these Earth Balance puffs though!

snacks, snacks, snacks!

2014-09-15T19:09:00.001-04:00

This is more of a dessert, but it's so rich that there's no way that it could come after a dinner!

Behold! The glorious peanut butter cup pie! My husband loves peanut butter and chocolate together, so this is right up his alley. I mentioned in the last post that I get kind of overwhelmed whenever I'm trying something new or using kind of weird ingredients. This pie was inconceivable for me. Mousse...out of coconut cream? Add in silken tofu?! Blasphemy.

I can't take all of the credit for this one. The great folks at Minimalist Baker beat me to it. I did, however, swap out the ganache for a nice chocolate mousse*. I wanted it to be light and fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth-y. Mission accomplished. Thank goodness this is so rich because otherwise, I could probably eat the whole pie!

Definitely make this recipe! :) It was a great snack!

*I also didn't come up with the mousse recipe. I googled it. I was feeling lazy and just wanted my pie ASAP! Also, I was terrified because I've never made mousse in my life before...let alone with silken tofu and stuff like that.

vegan jackfruit bbq

2014-09-14T19:33:00.001-04:00

I've been cooking vegan food for over six years, but even I'm skeptical sometimes. So, when I heard that you could take jackfruit, a tropical fruit, and make a mock meat out of it, I wasn't convinced.

I am a fool.

This was so delicious! I loved pulled pork when I was a kid, and I haven't had a decent bbq shredded pork sandwich in years, since going vegetarian.

This was filling, spicy, with hints of sweetness, and chewy, like good bbq should be.

I used Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce to flavor it, and it was such a great decision. It was pretty easy to make, and I'm surprised how well it came together. The jackfruit was the real star of the show, though. It shredded so easily, and I was surprised at how it added to the bbq sauce, but wasn't overpowering of a flavor. The texture is also to die for.

This is a perfect end-of-summer meal, when the bbq's and picnics are winding down, but you still want a delicious sandwich to enjoy the changing weather.

You Don't Know Jack....About Jackfruit BBQ

1 can young green jackfruit (in water)

1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

1/2 cup water or broth

1 small onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

olive oil

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon mushroom flavoring

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

sprinkle of cayenne pepper (as hot as you want it)

Preheat over to 350°.

Drain jackfruit in a strainer. Set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Add garlic and onions. Saute until golden brown and fragrant.

In a bowl, mix together spices, add tamari and liquid smoke. Toss jackfruit pieces in spice mixture until well coated.

Toss coated jackfruit into the skillet with the garlic and onion. Saute for a few minutes.

Mix together barbecue sauce and water or broth. Pour mixture over sauteed jackfruit, onions and garlic. Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Uncover and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Shred jackfruit with a fork. Place cast iron skillet in the over until barbecue sauce is thick. Add more, if needed.

Top with a dash of paprika, and serve on a bun.

vegan cupcakes!

2014-09-13T19:51:00.000-04:00

I love vegan cook books, but the book that I love the most is Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Not only is everything delicious, but the recipes are fairly simple.

I've found that vegan cupcakes are the easiest way to get people into veganism. Anytime I bring them to a potluck or party, they're always a hit, and they receive the same reaction, "THESE ARE VEGAN? ARE YOU SURE?!"

I've completely altered people's perception of veganism and vegan food with these little guys. Last night was no exception. I made them for my birthday party, and everyone could not believe that they were vegan. My one friend was so shocked. He started asking about everything, if the chips were vegan, if the pizza crust (I made pizza, too, for everyone) was vegan, and the cheese? The salsa? It's like up until that point he only assumed vegan food was bland and disgusting. Even at the end of the party, he told me that he worried about eating dinner at my house and worried about me not being able to enjoy food, but I've totally convinced him that vegan food is delicious!

But yeah, sorry for the break in posts. I had a great birthday, full of food, friends, my dog, and good times. <3

This week, I'm going to have a theme (I swore I wouldn't, but siggggh) of snacks! Introducing people to vegan cupcakes always makes me realize that people think vegans only eat salad and healthy foods. Joke's on them. I'm the biggest junk food eater ever. So, next week, all of my posts are going to feature different vegan snacks.

What are your favorite healthy and not-so-healthy snacks?

takin' a break

2014-09-12T13:00:00.002-04:00

Today is my 26th birthday! This week has been super intense at work, and with all the birthday planning and stuff going on, I've been exhausted. Last night, I came home, ate dinner, and went to bed at 7:30 PM.

I wasn't able to blog, and I've beat myself up about it all this morning. However, I realized that Vegan MoFo is about having fun. It's okay if I don't blog all 30 days.

Unfortunately, Kai is too busy to blog for me.

For my birthday, I'm going to give myself the present of self care. I'm going to take today off from Vegan MoFo, and forgive myself for missing yesterday.

I'll resume blogging on Saturday! Have a great Friday!

Snackin' : Tuna Salad

2014-09-10T18:33:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty terrible when it comes to adulthood. First off, I hate packing my lunch. I always forget the night before or put it off until the morning. Then, in the morning, I know the exact minute that I have to wake up in order to shower and get ready and make it to the bus on time. I have it down to an exact science...but not really. I don't really make good decisions when I'm half asleep, and I'm really good at bargaining with myself. I'll convince myself that it's okay to sleep an extra five minutes. I don't really need to pack a lunch.

Every day begins with the same mad dash towards making the bus. It's always good to have something already made that I can dump into a glass container and pack quickly. This week, that miraculous life-saver has been mock tuna salad with crackers.

Maybe, one day, I'll get better at adulthood. Until then, there's this delicious recipe.

Chickpea of the Sea: Mock Tuna Salad

2 cans chickpeas, mashed up with a fork or mashed potato masher (honestly, this is the worst part of this recipe)
1/2 cup vegan mayo (or 1/4 cup vegan mayo and 1/4 cup vegan sour cream OR 1 package silken tofu and a little olive oil)
1 package seaweed snacks, crumbled up OR 2 sheets nori roll
1 tablespoon Kelp
2 tablespoons dill relish
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutritional yeast
half of an onion, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
sea salt + pepper to taste

Mash chickpeas, Add in everything else. Stir up until it's delicious and well blended. Sprinkle with some additional paprika or kelp, and eat with crackers that you grabbed an entire sleeve of because you don't have time for anything else or you'll miss your bus to work. If you're a real adult, you could put it on toast with some crunchy romaine, but I don't have time for that Martha Stewart caliber life.

Tueday Brewsday

2014-09-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

Ithaca Beer Company-

Country Pumpkin

Today was so super stressful, so I was looking forward to Tuesday Brewsday! Today's beer is from Ithaca Beer Company. Checking on Barnivore, it's completely vegan. Since I know relatively nothing about beer, let's start with the label. I pick my beer from the label because I'm the worst. The name of this is absolutely adorable, and I love the label. It reminds me of a mix between summer in the country and pumpkin, so perfect for this time of year!

This beer was a lot lighter than the other one, but the pumpkin flavor wasn't as strong. It definitely had a ton of spices, but it wasn't overwhelming. It mostly tasted like hops and cinnamon, but in a good way.

Since it wasn't too overwhelming, it was great to drink with my snack (I'll post more about that tomorrow).

If you're looking for a simple beer that isn't too much, this one is good, but because it's so light, it didn't get me in the fall mood.

I would buy it again, but I'm not crazy about it.

One week of MoFo!

2014-09-08T18:29:00.001-04:00

One week of Vegan MoFo down!
I'm really proud of myself because I'm terrible at committing to things. This is great because it's forcing me to eat fancier meals and get in the kitchen!

It also is forcing me to try something new and interesting. Yesterday, my husband and I decided to go to the Asian market near our house. It's huge, and it is super cheap. We always want to go, but for some reason, we rarely do!

They have a ton of vegan mock meats, vegetables, different types of rice and noodles, pre-made sauces, and snacks from Asia.

We bought a ton of seitan which was so affordable! We got four huge bags of stuff for $40! It was pretty crazy.

Last night, we made seitan using the same spices as Loving Hut's lucky lemongrass "chicken"- lemongrass, garlic, mushroom powder, chili flakes. We fried the seitan in sesame oil, put it on a bed of rice, and topped it with sesame seeds. Everything was delicious!

For dessert, we bought taro and purple turnip popsicles. They were completely vegan, but creamy and refreshing. Plus, they were a lovely shade of lavender which made them pretty appealing to eat.

Basically, check out your local ethnic and specialty markets. You might be surprised how many affordable vegan foods that you can find!

Vegan Misir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

2014-09-07T21:09:00.002-04:00

Do you like simple, delicious, easy-to-pack meals that make your whole house smell fragrant with spices? Me too, friends. Meeee too.

If you do, you're going to love this recipe. It's super easy, throwing some ingredients in a slow cooker, and soon, you'll have an amazing and filling Ethiopian stew!

Misir Wat with Tempeh

Oil

1 yellow onion, minced

2 tablespoons of garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon molasses or maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground coriander (or 1 cup chopped cilantro)

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon tumeric

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

1 cup red lentils

1 package of tempeh, plain, cut into small cubes or crumbled

3 cups vegetable broth

salt & pepper

In a saucepan, heat oil and lightly brown onion and garlic. Turn heat to medium. Add in all spices and immediately stir in tomato paste.

Turn heat to low, and stir rapidly to mix everything together.

Turn off heat and transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Add broth, lentils, tempeh, and crushed tomatoes. Mix stew together, and heat on medium or low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy & stay bad to the bone!

Sesame Sriracha Noodles

2014-09-06T20:54:00.000-04:00

I love cold salads and sandwiches, but sometimes lunch needs to be a little more exciting.

Super Saturday Sesame Noodles

Ingredients:
16 oz of noodles, preferably linguini but any noodle works
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/8 cup tahini
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sriracha
2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger

5 or so green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds
Red pepper flakes

In a large pot, boil water and prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let sit in the refrigerator.

In a medium saucepan, heat peanut butter and tahini on low to medium heat until melted and creamy. Turn off heat and immediately whisk in vinegar, tamari, garlic, sriracha, and ginger until blended.

Pour dressing onto noodles, and mix well. Fold in green onions.

Top with sesame seeds, red pepper flakes (as many as you want), and green onions. Garnish with drops of sriracha, if you're trying to impress someone at a fancy dinner party, or if it's Saturday and you're on your couch in your sweatpants, just dump it on. I won't tell anyone.

Enjoy & stay radical!

Vegan tip: Support your local co-op!

2014-09-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

Food co-ops are awesome. Not only do they offer affordable, natural and local foods, they are a great way to find like minded people and get involved in your community.

Today, I went to the co-op and ate a delicious vegan meatloaf with roasted summer vegetables and a side of cream of mushroom soup. I spent $5.45 for my meal, which is about the same someone would spend on fast food. I finished it all off with a glorious piece of chocolate cake! It was $3.49, but I splurged!

Co-ops are also great because they often have bulk food sections where you can stock up on vegan pantry items (I talked about the importance of this yesterday). They also usually carry vegan toiletries which can be hard to track down, specialty items, and wonderful local produce. While staples might be cheaper elsewhere, it's always good to go to the co-op once and a while and pick up some interesting new things to try! For me, going to the co-op is just as much about entertainment as it is just picking up items that I need. It's always a fun trip, even to browse.

If you want to find your local vegans, look at the co-op. Co-ops are great for bringing people together and building a sense of community. I wish that I had more time to volunteer or serve on a board or get more involved because it is a great way to give back. My co-op also offers classes on things like fermenting foods, composting, and nutrition!

Seriously. Stop gazing at that amazing piece of cake (I know it's hard), and go check out your local co-op. :)

Vegan Pantry Staple: Basmati Rice

2014-09-04T20:16:00.000-04:00

"What do vegans eat?"

Sometimes it's hard to answer this question. Uh, half a bowl of cereal while running out the door? Leftover vegan pizza with a side of more rice dream than I care to admit publicly? Yeahhhh.

When it's hard to admit the last time you've had kale, it's good to have a staple on hand that's delicious and easy. Having a cupboard of these staples on hand will make life easy, and it'll make sure you're not eating stale crackers with almond butter for the third night in a row because you're too lazy to put on pants and go grocery shopping.

One of my favorite staples in my vegan pantry is a large quantity of your favorite rice. Whether it's brown rice, basmati, wild rice, or plain white rice, rice goes with pretty much anything, and it's super filling. You can make a nice stir-fry, eat it with some curry, or make a nice pilaf. It's also super affordable and filling!

Rice. It makes everything nice.

Vegan Quesadillas

2014-09-03T18:09:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know me, I have a confession. I am horribly lazy. I like to spin this as being stubborn or preferring simplicity, but the truth is, I am downright lazy. If there's an easy way, I'll take it.

I live my life by the Milan Kundera quote:

"Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy."

Why should I bother making a huge elaborate meal when I can get the same satisfaction from a simple thing like a queso-less quesadilla?

So, here it is, folks...my laziness manifested into a dinner. You can justify making this by saying that you're too busy or prefer the simple life, but let's face it. Sometimes it's okay to be lazy.

No-Queso-Dillas:

1 Tortilla

Handful of vegan cheese or chipotle hummus

Carmelized onions

Cilantro

Lightly fried mushrooms

Spinach

Toppings:

Guacamole

Salsa

Green Onions

Tomatoes

Vegan Sour Cream

Take a tortilla, fold it in half, stuff it with awesome toppings. Spray a pan with some oil, heat up the pan, cook the tortilla until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Top with some awesome toppings. Stuff your face.

Tuesday Brewsday

2014-09-02T13:46:00.000-04:00

Anderson Valley Brewing Company-

Fall Hornin'

While it was 90 degrees out yesterday, September 1st means that it's fall. Sorry, calendar and weather. It's just how it goes.

You can't enjoy fall without pumpkin flavored things, especially pumpkin flavored beer. It's pretty much a fact. I am trying to steer clear of themes for Vegan MoFo, but Tuesday Brewsday seems like a good excuse to drink a beer every Tuesday and review it. Sounds good to me!

For those of you who don't know, beer, wine, and liquor aren't always vegan friendly. A great resource to make sure that you're consuming compassionately is Barnivore. Anderson Valley Brewing Company beers contain no animal products, so I can party with a clear conscious. As I popped this baby open, I was immediately hit with a smell of spices. It had a strong smell of utmeg, cinnamon, and your typical pumpkin pie spices which made me super excited for fall. The beer really tasted like pumpkin, and it was a great balance of pumpkin and spices. Some pumpkin beers are too spicy and don't have a strong taste of pumpkin to bring it back and balance it. This one did, though.

The beer was really good, but I had trouble finishing it. It was almost too heavy for me. It should be noted that I'm not a huge beer drinker, and my downfall is that mid-way through, my sweet tooth isn't happy, and I wish my pumpkin beer would become liquid pumpkin pie. As far as pumpkin beers go, this was really, really good! I really recommend it. Check out more about this beer at Anderson Valley Brewing Company's website!

Kai reminds you to please drink responsibly!

VEGAN MOFO!

2014-09-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

Oh, September. While I'm bummed that summer is pretty much over, I love you. The weather gets cooler, pumpkin beers appear on shelves, and my birthday comes around again.

Fall always seems like a time to slow down and reflect. Maybe it's my birthday, or the usual back-to-school routine that occurs (this is the first time I won't be going back to school in a while though!). Whatever it is, fall gets me thinking and picking up old hobbies.

This blog has fallen by the wayside. I graduated, got a stressful new job, adopted a dog, moved. Life has been busy. Since things are slowing down, I've decided to start blogging again.

Another great thing about September is VEGAN MONTH OF FOOD!!! Vegan MoFo is awesome, and it's something that I've always wanted to do. Since the timing is perfect, I'm going to use this as an opportunity to start blogging again and cooking!

I hope that you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy posting. I have some great things planned for this month.
Awesome recipes, vegan pumpkin beer reviews, reviews of my favorite products (foods and not-foods), also, tons of pictures of my pupface!

So, I hope as things slow down, my blog provides some entertainment. Kick back, relax, and enjoy!

101 in 1001 Part 2

2013-11-13T12:20:00.002-05:00

101 in 1001
Start date: 10/31/2013
End date: 07/28/2016

Creative:

1. sew something

2. learn three new origami

3. knit a scarf

4. make a quilt

5. make a zine

6. learn to screen print

7. buy a new camera lens

8. alter a piece of thrifted clothing

9. try five new crafts

10. sell something on etsy

11. make a Christmas gift

12. buy something from etsy or a local crafter

13. print and frame a photograph

Going Places:

1. move to a new town

2. travel by train

3. leave the country

4. visit farm sanctuary

5. go to the Chicago Diner with Dustin!

6. go to brunch!

7. go to costa rica

8. go to the west coast

9. go to a national park

10. go stargazing

Adulthood/Big Changes:

1. graduate with a 3.5+ gpa

2. get a full time job

3. give up alcohol

4. get credit to “average”

5. start retirement savings

6. pay student debts every month

7. get driver’s license

8. write a “when I’m 30” letter to myself

9. avoid facebook for six months

10. grow hair below my shoulders

11. apply to grad school

12. get a credit card

Knowledge:

1. do nanowrimo

2. do vegan mofo

3. read 52 books

4. make 101 blog posts

5. read an entire book in one day

6. learn a skill on Lynda.com

7. do a MOOC

8. watch 10 ted talks

9. listen to 10 podcasts

10. complete a paper journal

11. publish something

12. do something that scares me each year

Do Good:

1. volunteer 52 hours

2. go a month without buying anything

3. adopt a dog

4. stay vegan

5. grow something

6. compost

7. walk/bike to work for an entire month

8. do a WWOOF or farm apprenticeship

9. volunteer at big idea or infoshop

10. donate $101

11. get involved with environmental/sj / vegan group

Media/Entertainment/Social:

1. go to 5 concerts

2. watch 101 movies

3. go to five talks/events

4. have a five year anniversary party

5. join a club

6. find a penpal and write once a week (for 6 months straight)

7. clean up email accounts and feedly

8. organize computer in general

9. stay organized

Lists:

1. finish this list

2. make a new list a week before I complete this list

3. make a list of 25 habits and stick to them

4. write 1001 things that I am grateful for

5. make a 30 before 30 list (attach it with the letter!)

6. do 52 lists project

Outdoors:

1. buy a hammock

2. go camping

3. swim in a natural body of water

4. bike the GAP from here to Washington, D.C.

5. run outside

6. camp by bike or hiking

7. make a bike trailer

8. buy a canoe

Food:

1. do a five day juice fast

2. buy a vitamix

3. try 10 new recipes

4. pickle/can/ferment something

5. eat gluten free for a month

6. make a meal from farmer’s market purchases

7. dumpster dive

8. learn about edible wild foods/foraging

9. join co-op

10. sprout something

Wellness:

1. take a yoga class

2. meditate in public session

3. get down to 138 pounds

4. walk/run 101 miles

5. spend three weekends unplugged

6. go on a walk with dustin three times a week for a month

7. do yoga every day for a month

8. meditate every day for a month

9. buy a diva cup & use it

10. go in public with hairy legs/pits