Green Vegan Living

Valentine's Day Dinner 2012

2012-02-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

D and I dined in on Valentine's Day. I have a difficult time justifying the expensive food, the late seatings, and the hoards of people that you have to deal with if you want to dine out on holidays such as that one, so I suggested we prepare and eat our meal in the comfort of his home instead.

The menu was inspired a bit by local ingredients as well as whatever just sounded good to me. I also took a look at what some of my favorite local restaurants were offering, and used their menus as inspiration. I came up with this:

1. Roasted citrus salad, served with avocado on a bed of fresh spinach

2. Mushroom and garlic risotto with truffle oil, served with braised and roasted Brussels sprouts

3. Chocolate-dipped strawberries

What did you do for Valentine's Day?

Wordless Wednesday: February PhotoADay Week 3

2012-02-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

day #10: self-portrait

day #11: makes you happy

day #12: inside [D's] closet

day #13: blue

day #14: heart

Valentine's Day Menu Ideas

2012-02-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you've been planning your Valentine's Day dinner-in for a while now, but I do realize that some of you out there actually like to wait until the last moment to do so.

This post is for you.

I've compiled some delicious-looking gluten-free and vegan ideas for you to serve your honey/best friend/parents for Valentine's Day...enjoy!

Starters:

-Nothing freshens the tastebuds like a lovely winter citrus salad

-Red beets with grapefruit, avocado and pistachios = wow

-A bowl of almond butter kale sounds like a great way to start the meal

Main Meal:

-Baked Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions from The Kitchn

-Oh She Glows' Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto is perfect over some pasta

-Couscous with Chickpeas, Fennel and Citrus sounds awfully seasonal and delicious

Dessert:

-Raw, triple chocolate "cheesecakes" would be amazing after one of the dinners above

-A delicious chocolate pudding using avocados is great for your health AND your palate!

-Try this allergy-free dipping chocolate from Cook It Allergy Free

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Dreaming of Kauai

2012-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

D and I are traveling with a friend to Kauai in May. I just got my time off approved at work, we are buying the plane tickets this week, and we've found the perfect place to stay. Now, all I can do is sit and wait.

And dream, of course...

About clothes to wear there

-I would love to wear this dress from Old Navy.

-This is a super cute swimsuit top from H&M.

-These look like the perfect pair of capri pants for frolicking along the ocean shore.

And the views I will get to see

-The mountain(s), like the Sleeping Giant

-The waterfalls

-The coastline (recognize this from Jurassic Park?)

And what D and I will do

-This sunset sailing trip looks so romantic and fun.

-I've never been snorkeling and I can't wait to go in Hawaii!

-So. Much. Hiking.

And, of course, most importantly, what I will get to eat

-The Garden Cafe sounds amazing.

-Mermaids Cafe looks fun and yummy.

-Postcards Cafe looks like a place I can really enjoy myself.

Do you have any tips/suggestions/favorites for Kauai?

The Week in Review: February 5-10

2012-02-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

a [clean/detox] meal from last year around this time...

Monday: I tried out a new-to-me Vietnamese restaurant for pho last week.

Tuesday: Need some last-minute gift and food ideas for Valentine's Day? Here ya go!

Wednesday: I'm plugging away on my PhotoADay project for February...these are the themed pictures I've taken since Saturday.

Friday: Look what I made! These jelly-filled gluten-free donuts are something that everyone in your life will appreciate.

How are you planning on spending Valentine's Day?

Vegan and Gluten-Free Jelly Donuts

2012-02-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

After I made the first batch of donuts the other day, D suggested that the strawberry drizzle I made to pour over my chocolate pudding pie could also be used as a jelly filling in my next set of donuts.

I told him: what a brilliant idea!

(I do keep him around for more than his good looks, you know.)

I got to work right away, creating a gluten-free, allergen-free and vegan donut recipe with homemade, agave-sweetened strawberry jam. Crazily enough, I succeeded in creating the recipe you see below, which is loosely adapted from Babycakes' Agave-Sweetened Donut Recipe.

You're welcome.

Allergen-free and Vegan Jelly Donuts
Donut Ingredients:
3/4 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. millet flour
1/2 c. potato starch
2 T. coconut flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. baking soda
1/4 t. xanthan gum
3/4 c. agave nectar
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. hot water
1/3 c. melted coconut oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350'.
Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients, and combine.
Scoop 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon batter into each donut slot. Spread around with a toothpick.
Bake the batter for 3 minutes, then remove and scoop 1 heaping Tablespoon of jam (recipe below) on top. Spread with a toothpick.
Top with one more Tablespoon + teaspoon donut batter and bake 10 minutes.

*Optional topping: put 1/2 c. powdered sugar into a ziploc bag and shake each cooled donut separately in the bag until covered in sugar. Shake off excess before eating.*

Strawberry Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. strawberries, cut into quarters
2 T. agave nectar
2 t. blackberry (or balsamic) vinegar

Method:

Add all ingredients to a stovetop pan. Heat on medium-high heat.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Set aside to cool before filling the donuts.

Just in time for Valentine's Day - this treat is perfect for anyone in your life, but especially the gluten-intolerant vegan!

I submitted this to Diet, Dessert, and Dog's Wellness Weekend.

Wordless Wednesday: February PhotoaDay Week 2

2012-02-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Day 4: a stranger

Day 5: 10 a.m. (sorta)

Day 6: dinner

Day 7: button

Day 8: sunshine

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

2012-02-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is coming up soooon! Although it's hard to believe, it's occurring in only ONE week, and I sure hope you're ready!

I've actually been thinking about it for a few weeks now, and I've come up with a nice list of cruelty-free and creative ideas for the special loved one(s) in your life.

For Him:

-a natural, clean-smelling aftershave:

-the perfect, straight-to-the-point love note:

-he'll adore this bike-centric card:

For Her:

-nothing says I Heart You like giving her some pretty soap:

-these heart-shaped labels for her glass jars are ingenious!

-of course, giving her chocolates is always a smart plan:

To Make:

-these strawberry cupcakes look absolutely darling:

-this chocolate pudding pie is fabulous for a romantic dinner for two:

-spice up your night with some homemade tacos:

Happy Valentine's Day!

Visiting Luc Lac Kitchen

2012-02-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

My friend A is going to be so pleased that she finally made it onto this blog. A friend from high school, A and I don't get together very often but when we do it's usually to dine at places that I've been to and reviewed a billion times. However, Luc Lac is a brand-new Vietnamese restaurant that neither of us had been to, so I'm pleased to review it here for the first time.

As you can see in the picture above, it's busy during the weekday lunch hour. We didn't meet up for lunch until 12:30, but it was still crowded and a line awaited us when we opened the door.

They have paper menus, but they also have this great chalkboard that's visible from the moment you walk in the front door. I love that they phonetically spell "pho" in the center. And, on the bottom right, they have a space just for the herbivores. Woohoo!

The decor is sweet and tasteful, and reminded me of a casino/hotel I walked through last year in Vegas. There are plenty of seats, but even so, they were definitely crowded and finding a place to eat was a bit tricky.

I got the vegan pho (seen below) and A settled on crispy rolls with noodles (next picture down). We were both very happy with our meals. At $6.50 a piece, they were delicious, filling, and an incredibly good deal for a downtown restaurant.

I will definitely be back, and if I'm able to go at a time that's not so busy, I will inquire as to which of the herbivore options are also gluten-free. I see a yummy tofu salad in my future.

The Week in Review: January 29 - February 4

2012-02-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

Tuesday: I visited the Jade Teahouse with D and his folks and had a very enjoyable time.

Wednesday: I was recently awed by this beautiful sunrise and sunset (not on the same day, unfortunately).

Thursday: I created a mighty delicious chocolate pudding pie with a strawberry vinegar drizzle [see picture above].

Friday: Gearing up for the big game this weekend? I'm not, but I do have some meal/menu suggestions to make it a fun and cruelty-free event!

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In other vegan news...

Check out this great article from The Vegan RD, Ginny Messina, on 7 habits of healthy vegans.

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Last week I wrote my first review for the brand-new collaborative blog, YA Vegan Nerds, on the books If I Stay and Where She Went.

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Yay! The three gals of Vida Vegan Con went to Chicago to check out locations for next year's conference...I can't wait for 2013!

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I started a new project for the month, after watching and enjoying @fueledbypopcorn do the same. I'm planning on taking a PhotoaDay, with guidelines listed below. If you're on Instagram, you can follow me at Greenvegan to see every picture I take!

Here are the pictures I've taken so far this week:

Day 1: your view today

Days 2 and 3: words, hands

The Big Game Menu Ideas

2012-02-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the Superbowl. AKA The Big Game, or The Rivalry of the Winter (I made that last one up).

I'm not necessarily a big fan of watching the game, but I do like getting together with friends, eating, socializing, and drinking (not necessarily in that order!). I don't actually know who's playing in the game on Sunday (perhaps I should check?), but I'm sure that if I do catch a glimpse of the game I'll be more concerned with feeding others than the teams' scores.

However, because I care about you and also I like to think about food all the time, I've compiled a list of delicious and easy finger foods and snacks for the big game.

Enjoy!

A Cruelty-Free Superbowl Menu

-Tacos: they're quick, customizable, and guests can keep going back for more without spending too much time away from the game

-A variation: Fusion Tacos, which include lentils, rice and vegan tzatziki!

-Pesto potatoes: this is not a finger food, but it's easy to scoop onto a plate, scoop up with tortilla chips, and it tastes just as delicious cold as it does warmed up

-Spicy tempeh reuben sliders: these sandwiches would be perfectly translated into a smaller, bite-size version; simply cut the bread and tempeh into smaller pieces or make mini biscuits

-Baked purple potato fries: these are the "healthier" version of making good old French fries, plus everyone will rave about the beautiful color

-Spinach Pesto Aioli: this is great as a dip, dressing, or something to cover your fingers with (nomnomnom)

-Macaroni Salad: this is just about as ubiquitous a dish for the Superbowl as you can get, plus it just tastes good

-Authentic Pierogis: why not feel closer to my Eastern European roots while you're watching the game? Everyone knows that the more sauerkraut there is, the better the gathering!

-Ice Cream Sandwiches: finish the meal off right with a tasty cold, chocolatey treat; GO TEAM!!

Vegan Chocolate Pudding Pie with Strawberry Vinegar Drizzle

2012-02-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

*SPOILER ALERT!*

The recipe for this pie will follow throughout the rest of this post! Do not be alarmed!

Here's how the construction of this pie took place...

I had this hanging out on my counter:

And it was just itching to be combined with this batch of goodness to make a crust:

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Kinnikinnick GF Graham Style Crumbs

1/4 c. Alter-Eco Golden Brown sugar

6 T. melted coconut oil

This is the result:

Crust Method:

Mix ingredients together until they form a sticky dough.
Press dough into a pie dish and refrigerate for an hour.
Store in freezer until ready to use.

Next, I had these fine ingredients:

And together, they were all going to make one fabulous pie.

Pie Ingredients:
4 oz. hazelnut butter
8 oz. creamed full-fat coconut milk (the part at the top, after the can has been refrigerated)
2 oz. melted coconut oil
1 T. vanilla extract
2 1/2 oz. agave nectar
8 oz. non-dairy chocolate chips, melted

Pie Method:

Blend together the hazelnut butter, coconut milk cream, and coconut oil in a food processor. Make sure they are well-combined before proceeding.
Add vanilla, agave and melted chocolate chips to the mixture. Blend well, scraping down the sides as needed.
Chill in the freezer for at least one hour, and up to 8 hours.

To make this a suitable dessert for Valentine's Day (which is now less than 2 weeks away!), I needed to add some red color of some sort, so I created a strawberry and vinegar drizzle to pour over the top of the pie. My other rationale for doing that was: in order to make this resemble something that's at least a bit healthy, it should have a fruit component, and the humble and delicious strawberry seemed to be the perfect fit!

Drizzle Ingredients:
3 c. strawberries, cut in quarters
3 T. agave nectar
1 T. blackberry vinegar

Drizzle Method:

On medium-high heat, warm the ingredients, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil.
Continue boiling, mashing up the berries a bit. Stir until the liquid is basically gone.
Remove from heat and let sit to cool about 10 minutes before pouring over the pie (it can be refrigerated to cool faster).

I've submitted this post to Wellness Weekend over at Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Also, I've entered this delicious dish into Fork and Beans' Valentine's Day Bake-off! Wish me luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Sunrise, Sunset

2012-02-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

Jade Teahouse in Portland

2012-01-31T06:45:00.000-08:00

I have a list of very important criteria that makes for a good restaurant when I go out to dine. They include (but are certainly not limited to):

-the restaurant has [good] tea
-it's the kind of place where I can hang out with great people and, by default, have engaging conversation or, conversely, feel comfortable going by myself and enjoying a drink/meal alone
-the restaurant is vegan-friendly
-the restaurant is gluten-free friendly and also knows what that means in terms of cross-contamination
-there is at least a bit of selection even with my food and diet restrictions
-the food is good

I went to the Jade Bistro Teahouse and Patisserie in Sellwood (a little community located in SE Portland) Sunday evening and discovered all these things to be true. The atmosphere was lovely, the tea selection was tasty, and the food was darn good.

I enjoyed the green curry with tofu (and extra veggies), which I found to be full of flavor and extra spicy! We all shared a large pot of Jade Red Bush tea, and I paired my spicy dinner with a bottle of New Planet Gluten-free Pale Ale:

Sharing a table with D and his folks was the icing on the cake.

The Week in Review: January 22-28

2012-01-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! This weekly review is coming a day early because this weekend is shaping up to be bussssssy!

What a week - we had such a strange mixture of rain and sunshine, but I put in a good amount of baking/cooking/reading/writing/being lazy. Somehow, that translated into the week of sweets...I must be getting ready for Valentine's Day!

How did you spend your week?

Tuesday: I celebrated my fourth vegan-versary today with a lunch with D.

Wednesday: Donuts! That are Gluten-free! And Vegan! And Baked! And somewhat "Healthy" (actually, that's debatable)!

Thursday: I just discovered a Eugene, Oregon-based European sipping chocolate and, I must say, it's dang good.

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In other news...

I love Alima Pure cosmetics; they are cruelty-free, gluten-free, and very pretty (and also woman-run and based out of Portland, making them just about perfect). They recently started offering this gorgeous lip balm collection that I really, really (really) want. In Rhubarb, if you were wondering.

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I found a great cruelty-free product review site. It's very new (as in, 2 1/2 weeks old), and, although there are very few products reviewed so far, it has the potential to become a really helpful go-to site in the future. Check it out here!

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Also, I'd really like someone to make this Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie for me (from Lux Hippie). Because, frankly, I just don't have the time to crush all those nutter butters (well, I guess in this case, gluten-free graham crackers would have to do). So, pretty please?!

Hot Cocoa

2012-01-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

I like chocolate, but I don't necessarily crave it very often. But now I must amend that statement and say that I do, in fact, crave sipping chocolate (aka: hot cocoa) made by a [local] Eugene, Oregon-based company called Sipping Dreams.

ingredients: dark chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cacao butter, soya lecithin, pure vanilla), dutch processed cacao powder, pure cane sugar, cacao butter

I just tried it last week for the first time.

Dang, it's good. Like, really good.

I melted two squares of the chocolate into a cup of vanilla-flavored flax milk on the stove, and ended up with a mug of this:

I'm sure you can only imagine how quickly I drank this (after it cooled down enough that I didn't burn my tongue, of course).

I can't wait to try the brand's other flavor, Peppermint Snap. A percentage of the company's proceeds are donated to charitable organizations, which makes it even more enjoyable to drink.

Donuts!

2012-01-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

So, I like donuts.

I've said it before (when I made these and also these), and I'm saying it again right now. I didn't used to like them as a child. Sure, I'd gobble down donut holes, but somehow those were different in my mind.

In college, I discovered Krispy Kreme. The nearest location to my Spokane, WA-based school was about 35 minutes away, and as soon as I had a car my senior year you can bet I "suffered" through that distance just about every week.

Obviously, traditional donuts are 1) an expensive habit/treat, 2) not at all good for you or even remotely healthy, and 3) chock-full of gluten and dairy, so I took a hiatus from eating them for quite a few years after graduating. However, as you can see from the links above, I did try them (minus the gluten, eggs, and dairy) again last year and oh! how I quickly remembered what I loved about 'em. Because they were fried donuts, though, I refrained from eating them again until now.

For my birthday last November, D gave me a gift card to spend at Sur La Table. I loooove that store. I can spend hours in there, if I let myself, because I go up and down each aisle, simply drooling over every product, reading labels, doing math and making up recipes in my head to figure out if I can possibly justify buying each item.

This week, I remembered I had some leftover money on the gift card, and I decided to spend it on a donut pan.

ahhh...beautiful

I picked up this Wilton 6-cavity (ha! it's horrible that I think that's so funny!) donut pan. Then, I started fingering through the wonderful BabyCakes Covers the Classicscookbook and happened upon their donut section.

Yes, in case you didn't know, there is an entire section on donuts.

I decided to go "healthy" (ha!) and try the Agave-Sweetened Donut.

I knew right away that the donuts would be awesome because the batter was delicious. If you have any experience baking with gluten-free ingredients, you know that most often the batter tastes like bitter glue (or worse). It was refreshing to actually have to refrain myself from eating the batter without baking it first!

Using the donut pan was easy - I just spooned the batter into the cavities (heehee) and threw the pan into the oven.

After cooling for a few minutes, the donuts popped right out.

And into my mouth.

My 4th Vegan Anniversary

2012-01-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to me!

I became a vegan right around this time of year 4 years ago. The reason I don't quite remember the exact date is because I had to finish a carton of eggs first and I don't recall the day I finally did that! Anyway, for four years I've been striving to do my best to eat a plants-based, whole foods diet. I've learned so much in that time, and I've had a blast becoming part of the wonderful [international] community of vegans.

To celebrate, I'm going out with D for lunch...and then I'm buying a mini donut pan so I can start whipping up some delicious treats. Because that is the way I roll.

How do you celebrate your veganversary?

The Week in Review: January 15-21

2012-01-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

snowy landscape outside of Hebo, Oregon (on the coast)

I started off the week with snow at the Oregon coast, and from there I enjoyed using my pressure cooker and watching the snow melt and disappear. How was your long weekend?

brown rice made perfect in my pressure cooker (first time using it!)

Tuesday: A Weekend Away at the Oregon Coast.

Wednesday: Mid-Week News Update, featuring information about your favorite Portland restaurants and how to make vegan sausage.

Thursday: Special granola with Budda hand citron.

Friday: Review of flax milk from Good Karma Foods.

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A Veggie Grill officially opens in the Portland metro area on Monday!! Woohoo! Now that the holidays are over, I will definitely be making a trip to the west side, to visit Veggie Grill AND Native Foods.

Flax Milk

2012-01-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

flax milk was perfect in this hot cocoa drink

I received free samples of flax milk so that I may try them and write a review to share with you. The samples are from Good Karma Foods, a company based out of Wisconsin whose mission statement reads, "Our mission is to bring you the healthiest and greatest tasting, organic, gluten free, dairy free and vegan natural food products available on the planet today."

Good Karma Foods makes Organic Rice Divine non-dairy ice cream and only recently dove into a new market with brand-new (at least to me) Flax Milk. It comes in three lactose-, dairy-, gluten- and soy-free flavors:

Original:

Vanilla:

Unsweetened:

Each milk is good on its own, but I find that I like to pour the milk into things (like coffee or hot cocoa) or use it in my baking. I substituted flax milk for soy milk in a non-dairy ice cream I recently made, with wonderful results.

This milk is great for folks who are nut- or legume-intolerant and/or people that just want to try a new taste now and then. It is creamy, just sweet enough, and acts well as a non-dairy substitute. It doesn't curdle in your coffee (like almond milk is prone to do), and it's very low in calories and fat.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who'd like to try something new instead of the regular old soy and rice milks that are out there. You'll be glad you did.

I used flax milk to make this peppermint candy cane ice cream

Special Granola

2012-01-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

I don't mean "special" the way some people say "special cookies" or "special brownies". Rather, this is a special recipe for granola because it includes this little guy:

This is a Budda Hand Citron, also known as bushukan (in Japanese) or fingered citron. It doesn't have much "meat" inside, so its fragrant peel is most often used for zesting. It really has a lovely smell to it. My entire car practically brightened after I had it in a grocery bag for mere minutes.

After talking with the grocery store superstar as to how I could possibly use this, I decided to zest its peel into some granola. After all, orange/cranberry granola is my favorite flavor anyway, so why not make it myself with such a unique ingredient?

I glanced at my good friend A's website Strawberry Sorbet for help on making stovetop granola. I've made it once before, using her recipe, so I knew it would be a sound starting point.

I gathered my ingredients:

1 c. gluten-free oats
enough hazelnuts to make 2/3 c. ground
1/2 c. apple juice-sweetened dried cranberries
zest of one Budda hand citron
3 T. raw blue agave nectar

Then, I went to work!

Following A's suggestions, I simply toasted the oats on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Then, I added the hazelnuts and toasted them as well.

I added the cranberries and zested peel and stirred it all together, for one more minute. I took it off the heat and added the agave, stirring until it seemed well-mixed. I let it sit for just a few minutes before I started digging in. It tasted amazing with some vanilla flax milk.

This post has been shared on Diet, Dessert and Dogs' Wellness Weekend.

Mid-Week News Update

2012-01-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

I've got some vegan news that I figured just couldn't wait until the weekend. It'll be especially interesting if you live in the Northwest. Without further ado, here's the

Mid-Week News Update

-Check out how the pros (aka the folks from Portobello Vegan Trattoria) make vegan sausage. It inspires me to make my own, gluten-free version.

-A local restaurant Departure Lounge) has added an entirely vegan menu! You can see it after clicking on this link.

-I have tried a new beer from Harvester Brewing, a locally-made gluten-free brewing company, and it's delicious. Even better: they are going to be working on their dark ale next, so gluten-free drinkers can once again rejoice! To find Harvester Beer, go to http://www.harvesterbrewing.com/home

-My favorite local grocery store, New Seasons Market, recently opened a new location in Vancouver, the city across the river from Portland. I finally had a chance to visit the new store, and I was blown away by the awesomeness (just take a look at the pictures below, if you don't believe me!).

the store is humongous

soooooo many types of non-dairy milks!

soooo many gluten-free (and many are also vegan) bread options!

this just might be the coolest fruit ever (it's a Buddahand Citron)

A Weekend Away

2012-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

D and I celebrated our anniversary last weekend, by taking advantage of the 3-day Martin Luther King Day weekend. We traveled to the Oregon coast and visited Astoria and Newport. Because of the bad weather (snow on the beach!), we ended up staying an extra night in Garibaldi.

We started the weekend with a Lady Grey cupcake from New Cascadia Traditional, and then headed out on the road to Astoria.

While in Astoria, we visited the maritime museum and got to tour a lighthouse boat that is no longer in service.

We tried out drinks and food at the nearby Ft. George Brewery.

We stayed at the most delightful bed and breakfast, where we received wonderful service and food, and had a view to die for.

We're so cute.

When we woke up Sunday morning, there was snow on the ground!

This was the fantastic view from our room

We left soon after breakfast to make our way down to Newport. We encountered a bit of bad weather here and there, but for the most part, the roads were clear.

On our way south, we stopped by Pelican Brewery for lunch. If you ever visit the restaurant, be sure to request a special gluten-free menu. I came about it entirely by accident, but the waitstaff is quite willing to work around all dietary restrictions.

While we ate lunch, the weather only got worse, so we hightailed it down to Newport and checked into our bed and breakfast.

Here's the wintry view from our room:

And the beach, just feet away from our door...

We had a really nice [and quiet] time in Newport, and before heading out of town, we stopped by the Oregon State Aquarium.

Near the entrance to the aquarium.

Neither D nor I had been there since we were children, but we both really enjoyed it. The shark tank was especially exciting.

Source: http://s3.amazonaws.com/aquarium_production/panoramics/341/large.jpg?1291084140

The driving conditions became very dangerous after we left Newport, and we were forced to stay one more night on the coast, in Garibaldi. However, we finally made it back home after having a lovely and (for the most part) restful weekend away.

The Week in Review

2012-01-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Having no internet for a week really foiled my blogging plans, so this week I came back with a vengeance. I hope you enjoyed my pictures and recipes. Happy new year!

Sunday: I visited the Portland Chinese Garden during its free days last week and took these photos of the amazing landscapes.

Tuesday: I'm not one for new year resolutions, but I do have a few important life-improvement goals I'd like to work toward instead.

Wednesday: Didya come out of the holiday season with too many candy canes? Try out some homemade [vegan, gluten-free] candy cane and peppermint ice cream!

Thursday: Taco night is one of my favorites, and I think D would agree. Our dinner gets gobbled up waaay too quickly, though, and we're always left anxiously anticipating the next one.

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If you live in the Portland area, Portobello Vegan Trattoria is having a Valentine's dinner. Call now to reserve a spot for the $50, 4-course meal (gluten-free options are available, although there is no menu posted yet).

Taco Night

2012-01-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

D and I sure do like our tacos. I mean, what is there NOT to like about tacos? Let's go through a rundown of awesomeness, shall we?

-Crunchy corn tortilla?

CHECK

-Crispy tofu?

CHECK

-Crispy roasted potatoes?

CHECK

-Sauteed mushrooms and onions?

CHECK

-Homemade guacamole?

CHECK

There you have it - the best things in life, in one little crunchy shell. Perfect.

This is a verbatim retelling of how the assembly and eating process goes every time we have taco night. As soon as we start scooping the ingredients, we sound like this:

"Mmmm, this looks good, and I'll grab a bit more of this, num num, munch munch, I'm going back for another, no time to talk to each other, this is too good, num num. Wait - there's no more left?!"

I am not joking. We are serious about our tacos.

I contributed this post to Diet, Dessert and Dogs' Wellness Weekend.