Something Mocha-y

2012-02-27T16:44:00.001-08:00

Life seems to fly by these days. I have been in Spain now for almost two months. Everything here is so different then I thought it was going to be but I love it the same. School is easy but great practice for listening and understanding more and my house mom is amazing! Not only because she makes unbelievably healthy and delicious foods but also because she talks to me and corrects me in Spanish. Also I have a new room mate who will be living in our apartment until the end of April from Germany. Her Spanish is very good and she can speak English as well. Right now my room mate Caitlin is in the south of Spain for her spring break. There program has so many more breaks then us. I am really jealous but at the same time I love being in Valencia so I don't mind only traveling on the weekends. Also when my parents come we will be going to Malaga, which is in the south of Spain and absolutely beautiful!

So far I have gone on quite a few trips. We went to Barcelona with our program and it was a lot of fun! Not at all what I expected. Originally I wanted to study abroad in Barcelona and after visiting I am so glad I chose Valencia. Maybe because it was freezing the weekend we were there or just because it is such a big touristy city. Either way it was not for me. I hated being in the city and when ever we tried to speak Spanish people would just respond in English. Since we were there with a group of about 60 Americans I guess I shouldn't have expected much more. One of my new friends here, Nika, has her room mate from home studying abroad in Barcelona. So we got to hang out with some 'local' Americans who were studying abroad there haha. The first night they made us dinner in their apartment which was so fun because we all went to the market and got veggies and what not to make dinner and then after we all went out. The second night we went to a concert at Razzmatazz, which was a much larger version of The Valarium in Knoxville. I am glad that I will be going back to Barcelona for my marathon because we didn't get to go into any of the famous buildings and it was so cold I didn't even want to walk around so hopefully in March it will be warm and it will just be a few of us so we can do a little bit more.

My second trip was to Marrakech, Morocco. So far this was my absolute favorite. The culture there was frighteningly different then anything I have ever experienced. It is exactly what you would expect Morocco to be but at the same time just so ridiculous. Everyone in the streets is yelling and trying to get you to buy everything. You can't even take a picture there without some one trying to get 100 dirhams (about 10 Euros) out of you. I went with three of my new friends Nika, Josie, and Mary Kate. Originally my room mate was supposed to come but long story short she did not make it on the plane. So when we arrived our tour guide joked about leaving one of us behind... not funny. We had a tour of the city, the market, a beautiful palace, and our hostel. Our hostel was the best money I have ever spent! It was so nice and was just everything I would have imagined it to be with a roof top terrace, comfy couches, gardens, and the pool area. Also it was right out side of the main square where everything was going on so it was perfect location to be able to walk into town. We were only there for two full days but at the end of the first day we were walking back to our hostel and saw a man that had sold us scarves earlier and he yelled out oh aren't you the girls that were in my shop yesterday (even he thought we had been there longer). The next day we woke up early and went to Essouri, a beach town a few hours out of Marrakech. We went on an hour long camel ride and had lunch at a nice restaurant on the beach. It was such a great experience and although there were times that I didn't necessarily feel the safest I ever have it was still such an amazing trip.

The weekend after Morocco a big group of us went to Alicante, which is only two hours by train, for Carnival. This is actually the celebration that is huge in Rio, Brazil but lots of cities have smaller Carnival celebrations in southern Spain. Valencia didn't have anything in the main part of town but my intercambo told me he was going to a small town outside of Valencia on the weekend to celebrate. Alicante was absolutely beautiful. When we first arrived we hiked to the top of Castillo de Santa Barbara and the views were amazing. Then we spent the rest of the day on the beach and exploring the city. We had dinner at Cactus Cantina and Nika and I split a huge veggie burrito and veggie fajitas. The food was soo good and there were these funny guys dressed up like ballerinas (lots of guys dressed up like girls) That night was so much fun. My house mom here let me borrow a hippie costume and two of the boys on my program dressed up in costumes they bought there. We ended up running into a lot of guys that had the same costume on as me.. We obviously missed the memo that everyone does really extravagant group costumes for Carnival. My phone died and I didn't get to take pictures but there were the most creative costumes ever. There was a huge group of chickens with a chicken herder, a group of flinstones with the car and all, sims with the green diamond over their heads, a whole tribe of indians with teepees and a fire, and so much more. We botellóned (botellón is the Spanish version of 'pregaming' but they just do it in the streets) on the main street with everyone in costume and then headed over to the main strip where the streets were blocked off and filled with people and stages with live music all over. There were so many street venders and we had the most delicious chocolate covered churros. The second day we just spent at the beach and it was so beautiful I really loved Alicante.

This past weekend it was in the 70's and most of us stayed in Valencia which was nice. I have been trying to run more and more since my marathon is only four weeks away! This coming weekend I am very excited because Nika and I are going on a trip with the University of Valencia. It will be only students from UV! International and Spanish students and I think we are the only two Americans from our group going. We are taking a bus and a boat and going to Albufera, which is just south of Valencia, and staying the night and hiking in the mountains. It should be really fun and a great chance to be a little more immersed because we will have to speak Spanish since its technically with school and everyone will be international so our common language is Spanish. Plus its nice to get away from the group even though I love everyone sometimes I forget I am even in Spain when I am surrounded by all Americans.

The weekend after this trip a group of around 10 of us are going to Porto, Portugal. I am so excited because it should be warm when we go and it will be so interesting to see if I can understand anything there. The languages are similar but very different so it should be very interesting.

After Portugal, is LAS FALLAS in Valencia. Last night was actually the start of Fallas, we had La Crida, which was fireworks and music and las falleras said a little speach out side of Las Torres Seranos. It was an amazing show (Valencians love their fireworks) Fallas is supposedly absolutely insane and we have class off for the actual week of Fallas but supposedly it last the whole month of March. Everyday at 2pm there is a mascleta where they light off fire crackers or something.. we are going on Friday but I can hear it every day from my room. Really all day you can hear fire works going off and then during the actual week of Fallas the streets are filled, everyone comes out, and its supposed to be impossible to sleep because it is so loud. I am sure I will have some amazing photos, videos, and stories from this event.

So far I have learned that Valencia is famous for Las Fallas, paella, horchata, and agua de Valencia. My time here is going by so quickly and I don't want it to end but I have a lot to look forward to especially my padres coming to visit!

Hola Todas! Estoy Vivo

2012-01-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

I just got a facebook message from Lauren saying respond "alive" so I know you're ok! I have been so busy the past couple weeks and time seems to be flying by! The days seem so long and the weeks go by so quickly.

I have class four days a week and all my classes are in the afternoon. In the mornings we are on our own for breakfast so I usually make myself some coffee or tea and museli cereal or toast. Then I am trying to get into the habit of running in the mornings before class. Today I ran an hour and a half on the beach and it was a little overcast so no one was out there! It was soo nice and I found a bunch of sea glass! Then my room mate and I did yoga on our roof top terrace which was just amazing! I have plenty of time to shower and shop or walk around town and explore before lunch. Our lunch is much later than at home. We usually eat lunch around 2:30pm. From about 2pm till 5pm is the so called siesta. All the stores close and everyone goes home for lunch but no one really naps it is more about relaxing and spending time with your family.

After lunch I have class Monday through Thursday. On Thursdays I have a class before and after lunch so my madre here packs me a bocadilla (sandwich) and usually a piece of fruit (the pears are amazing)! Tomorrow we are having spinach empanadas and my friends Nika and Marlena are going to ride our bikes to the beach on our lunch break.

My classes are all at the University of Valencia and they are all an hour and forty five minutes long. In some classes we have a break half way through and we all go to the cafeteria to have a coffee, espresso, or a snack.

After class I usually have a little time to run errands before dinner. We eat really late usually around 8:30 or 9:00 pm. It is not a huge meal at lunch and a small meal at dinner like I had always heard. We have about the same size meals at lunch and dinner usually consisting of a salad, bread, maybe soup, "the main meal", and then usually fruit for dessert.

This Friday we are going to the City of Arts and Sciences. Valencia is famous for this part of town and most people who visit have pictures here because all the buildings are very futuristic looking. We are going to see an Imax movie, visit the museum, and go to the aquarium! I have actually already been there twice. Once because there is a discoteca inside called Mya, that we went to last weekend and was very interesting and fun. The other time was when I got lost biking and ended up there. It is about 40 minutes from my house walking so when I figured out where I was I took a cab home because I was already running late for lunch. Alot of peoples madres here will be very upset if you are late or miss lunch but mine is really sweet and understanding and she saved me a plate when I was really late.

Also this weekend I am going to the Bodies Revealed Exhibit with some friends. I am a little nervous but I have heard it is very cool and I guess it will be good preparation for anatomy lab. On Monday, one of my best friends here, Marlena, is turning 21! I am so excited for her! One of our Spanish friends is having a little party and going to take us to a good bar in town to celebrate!

Next weekend our entire group is going to Barcelona for the weekend! I am really excited because this is one of the places I thought about studying before I decided on Valencia. Also it will be great to get a feel for the city because in March my room mate, Caitlin, and I will be going back to run the Barcelona Marathon! We just officially signed up today after we finished booking our flights to Marrakech in Africa! Caitlin, three of my friends, and I are going to Africa for a weekend in February! I can not believe how close it is to Spain and I am very excited because I have heard such great things from everyone who has been before!

Muchas cosas.. (my teachers always say this - it means more things)

I have gone to a few intercambios (which is when people go to a bar to meet up and practice speaking spanish/english) I have met lots of Spanish people and it is a great way to practice speaking and learn new things about the city. I also signed up through my program for a one on one intercambio and I will hopefully be meeting with him some time next week. He has been busy the past week studying because, like all the other students in Valencia, he has exams. I can't wait to meet him because he told me he knows some cool places in the city we can go and it will be such great practice to talk one on one with a local.

Tonight is the first night I actually stayed in and didn't at least go out to hang out with friends. I think I really needed the rest! Plus I got a lot of travel plans in the works and in the morning Caitlin and I plan to get up early to go to the street market before class and to hopefully pick up some postcards. I received my first letter from my penpal in Texas (a girl in elementary school who is learning how to write letters is corresponding with me while I am in Spain) and it was so exciting to get her letter today!

I miss everyone so much but love it here more than anything and could not possibly be happier. I am surrounded by such a beautiful city and so many wonderful new friends! It is amazing how close we have all become in the past couple weeks. When I was talking to my two friends Lu and Lauren about how I needed to book my flight for the marathon they told me oh yeah we need to book our flights too. I was a little confused and asked then why they were going to Barcelona that weekend and they were like duh to cheer you one and take pictures why else!

Mi Primer Dia de Clase en España

2012-01-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

I have been in Valencia for three days and it already feels like I have been here for a month! I already can tell I am more confident talking and learning lots of new vocab and phrases! My mama here is so great and patient with my spanish! She always tells Caitlin and I great new frases (phrases) that directly translated don't make sense in English. For example:

Me he quitado un peso de ensima: this is kind of like I am relieved or the weight has been lifted off my head! She taught us this when Caitlin found her keys that she had lost for a few days (they were in the couch).

No pasa nada: which is a great to use all the time just means no big deal or it does not bother me.

Se me han que pegado las sabanos: this means I can't get out of bed because the sheets are stuck to me but you would use it when you don't want to get up or you slept in late as an excuse.

and in class we learned una chuleta: which is a cheat sheet.

I have found that many things here just make more sense. For example shoe sizes are all the same for guys, girls, and kids. So a children's 30 is the same for a man and vice-versa.

Another thing is that bus drivers have cards that they have to put in there bus before they can drive and they have to stop like every two hours for a 45 minute break. So not only is it a law that they can not drive all night, but they literally can not start there bus if they haven't rested.

Something I noticed in Valencia is that when people are walking on the streets no one is texting and walking. If someone wants to send a text they stop and step to the side, write there text, and then continue walking. It just makes more sense so you aren't walking into each other.

Also we eat breakfast lunch and dinner at our casa but it is very popular to go to a cafe or bar in mid afternoon and between meals and have a beer and a snack either a empanada or tapas, ext. They don't really snack but they eat through out the day. At our house we sit down for dinner for no less than an hour. Tonight Amparro had both her sons over for dinner and we sat and talked for almost two hours! I honestly think the best part about this trip so far is that I get to have three vegan meals a day prepared fresh and always different! I will have to make a post dedicated solely to all the delicious food I have had so far!

Some funny things that have happened.. Today my room mate got us some te verde (green tea) and another tea that looked like it was good for your digestive system.. when she brought it home Amparro (my mama here) said ah what is this?!?! haha she got us laxative tea on accident! Our mom was like are you trying to lose weight haha! Also my silly room mate, that I adore more than anything, wanted to try one of my vitamins today. So I assumed she new they weren't chewable and I tossed her one..she bit into it, which had to have tasted so bad! She cracks me up and is so great to have as a roomie!

Today the two of us when for a run in the morning at el rio (it is where the river was way back when in Valencia when the city flooded. Then for some reason it all dried up so now it is like a park that goes from one side of the city all the way to the beach. I think Amparro's son told me it was six miles long so it is great for running. It also has lots of trees and fountains and flowers it is a very pretty place to run!
Today we went to the police station because she had to report her phone being stolen and all the police in spain are very guapo (handsome) and they all were so nice and helpful and when we were leaving they were in there cute little european cop car and they honked and waved at us! haha nuevos amigos (new friends)!

So much is going on and the days feel so long but tomorrow is my second day of class and I only have one at 3:30! I am very lucky all my classes are after 10 am and I only have class monday through thursday!

Natalia de Nashville esta en España

2012-01-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

Hola Todas!

I am finally settled in my new home in Valencia, Spain!! I arrived in Madrid a few days ago with the group and made so many new friends from all over the country. I started to practice my spanish in the city! Madrid is huge and the girls from NY and New Jersey said it is very similar to NY city! We stayed in a very nice hotel and enjoyed lots of tapas (free food when you order drinks) and also went to a seven story club called El Capital where the Spaniards party until seven en la manaña!!! I ran by myself in Madrid and felt very safe en El Parque de Retiro, which was beautiful and full of people walking, running, playing futbol, ext. We also visited two museums, El Museo Nacional del Prado, where we saw lots of paintings from different artists including Grecco and El Museo Nacional Centro de Arte de Reina Sofia, which was my favorite. There were lots of paintings and sculptures from Picasso and Dali too.

Yesterday we went to Toledo which is a beautiful old town that has una castilla (castle) and beautiful old cobblestone streets which reminded me a lot of Rapallo, Italy! We had a nice tour of the city and stayed the night there before heading to Valencia. At dinner I attempted to order a vegetarian sandwich that had tuna on it and accidently asked for a sandwich sin pescadoras (fishermen) instead of pescada (fish) haha I foresee many mistakes such as this in my future.. the language is difficult to speak A. because of nerves and B. because it is hard to remember what is what but I think I am already getting better!

Today we had a four hour bus ride to Valencia which was nice to see the country side and talk with my new amigos! When we arrived the families were all outside the bus and our group leader said he would call our names off to introduce us one by one and guess who was the very first one.. ME! I was so nervous I was shaking a little, but my sweet VEGAN roomate, Caitlin, came with mi madre de España, Amparro, and they both are so amazing! After dropping off my luggage the three of us walked to a store near by where I got some champú, conditioner, dark chocolate, and some oat milk (which I have never tried). Valencia is very big and I have a feeling I will probably get lost a few times before I am comfortable but it is absolutely beautiful with palm tress lining the streets, I am literally in heaven here!

When we got back from our walk I unpacked and Amparro made us dinner. So far the food in Spain has just been so-so but tonight was AMAZING! We had a huge salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, black olives ( the olives are sooo good here) and then we had couscous that she cooked with thyme topped with this mixture of beans (they are called aluvias not frijoles here) onions, peppers, and I don't even know what else but it was sooo good! Then for dessert she had chirimoyas, which I had asked her about on our walk and then she happened to have them so we got try them today (she is the best). They look like an avocado on the outside and then when you cut them open they are white with lots of hard black seeds. They taste like a sweeter version of a mango so basically I was in heaven!

Also we have two Italian women living with us for the week who I think are taking class or something not really sure but they were so talkative and funny. At dinner all we talked about food so I was muy contento! The Italian women gave Caitlin and I these mini pears they got at the market because they kept going on about how they were so delicious and had better sabor (flavor) then the big pears (which I think the regular pears are delicious so I can't wait to try the mini one). Then Caitlin and I had some vino tinto (red wine) and I finished unpacking. Our room is so small but very cute and has a huge window overlooking the futbol field of my school, University de Valencia! Im hoping to post pictures but I haven't taken many or uploaded them to my computer yet! Oh and everything in Europe just makes more sense.. for example when taking a picture you don't say cheese you say patata (potatoe) because you are making a smile during ta-ta opposed to an awkward face on chhhesse! Plus me gusta patatas y no como queso jaja!

Tomorrow I have my placement test and get to choose my classes for the semester and plan on going for a run with one of my friends to explore the city! If any wants to skype me while I am here we have wifi at our house (pronounced wefe here haha) and my name is natalie050490 and also if you can get apps I have heytell and a great one called whatsapp that is free texting on wifi that only cost 99 cents for the app and it works great (but if you get i have a spanish phone number so I will have to know you have it and send you an invite so let me know) also if you want my international number I can imessage and ichat for free on wifi and if you want to pay international rates I get free incoming texts and calls (not sure how much it would cost you). So far I feel like I have been very well connected to America and I am so excited for tomorrow to explore mi nueva ciudad! I miss and love you all!
una besa grande,
Natalia

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

2011-10-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today is the start of a big study week for me! I have four test coming up next week and wanted to try the whole planning meals ahead. So I found a recipe for black bean & sweet potato burritos in my Vegan A Go-Go Cook Book by Sarah Kramer. Normally I would half the recipe to make just enough for one meal but this time I decided I would make the whole lot and have burritos all week! I got the craving for sweet potato burritos last week when I went to lunch at a great little cafe/grocery called Just Ripe in down town Knoxville. They have many vegan and vegetarian meals and they also have a great selection of produce and vegan products for a fair price. Most importantly they have a vegan sweet potato burrito that my friend Jenny got to eat. I went with the vegan breakfast burrito which was delicious... but Jenny is not vegetarian or vegan and she was raving about this sweet potato burrito so when I saw the recipe in Sarah Kramer's book I had to have them!

As you can see I also made my favorite Edamame Three-bean Salad, from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, to snack on all week as well.

This recipe is so simple and good plus it gets better and better the longer it sits and marinates in the fridge.

Ingredients:
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. corn
1 c. shelled soy beans
1 (15 -16 oz) can garbanzo beans
1 (15 - 16 oz) can kidney beans
2 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl mix together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly mix in the olive oil and then set aside. This will be your dressing for the beans. Next mix together the corn, beans, scallions, bell pepper, parsley, and cilantro. Gently toss with the dressing and ta da you have my favorite 3 bean salad!

These burritos on the other hand took a little work.
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. oil
1 (16 oz) can black beans
1 c. vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves ( I only used one clove)
1 1/2 T. chili powder ( I only used 1 T.)
2 t. ground mustard
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
4 large flour tortillas
1/4 c. salsa
1 c. vegan cheese ( I used daiya cheddar)

First I started with a large pot of water for my sweet potatoes. I boiled them on medium high uncovered the entire time I was preparing the burritos but they could have been a little more cooked. I would say go with 45 minutes to an hour for cooking your potatoes. I left the skins on mine but you can peel them before or after you boil them if you don't like the potato skins.

While the taters were a cookin' I started preparing the beans. In a medium sauce pan I heated the oil and then cooked the onion until it was translucent. Then I added the beans, stock, garlic, chili powder, mustard, cumin, and salt. Increased the heat to medium-high and simmered, uncovered, for 15 minutes until it was more mushy then liquidy. Once the beans were done I set them aside. Then I mashed up my sweet potatoes and set them aside.

Here is where the fun began! Assembling my burritos.. start with one flour tortilla with a sheet of foil underneath. Add a line of salsa, about one heaping spoon full.

Then I added a forth of the bean mixture to my burrito.

Next came a heaping helping of sweet potatoes, about a forth of the mashed potatoes.

Sprinkled with delicious Daiya

And then wrapped to perfection!

I stuck two in the freezer to save for later on in the week and one in the fridge. The other one is already long gone! Anddd if you were perceptive you noticed from the first photo that I made cookies!!

Also from Kramer's cook book, Mama Mayhem's Perfectly Easy No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. vegan milk (I used coconut original)
1/4 c. nut butter (I used peanut)
1/4 c. vegan butter (I used earth balance buttery spread)
2 tsp. unsweetended cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. walnuts, chopped

In a medium sauce pan I melted the sugar, vanilla, "milk", peanut butter, butter, and cocoa powder over medium-low heat. Once it was all melted together I removed it from the heat, stirred in the oats and walnuts, and then plopped big spoon fulls onto my foil covered cookie sheet. Into the fridge for an hour to set and they were ready to be devoured.

Now that I have a full belly, a full fridge, and an updated blog I think it is time to hit the books!

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

2011-07-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today I made one of my favorite breads from 'Veganomicon' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. The first time I ever had focaccia bread was the second day I was in Rapallo Italy for my cousin's wedding and we had fresh focaccia for breakfast! It was so delicious, crusty, and warm. Since then my cousin has made it for us multiple times but when I found this recipe I fell in love.

Also since I just recently got a rosemary plant it was the perfect time to use some of my snippings. I hung up some rosemary out to dry over night while the bread was rising.

Ingredients include:
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/4 C warm water
3 T. olive oil
3 T. chopped rosemary
3 C all purpose flour
1 t. salt

ingredients I added on top:
extra rosemary
fresh cracked pepper
coarse sea salt
pressed garlic
olive oil
sliced onions

To start I mixed the yeast with the warm water in a large bowl. Then added the olive oil, rosemary, and pepper.

Then I added in the flour and kneaded to form a soft dough. Adding flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough was not sticky and then kneaded for 5 minutes. Next I put some olive oil in the original bowl and rolled the dough ball to coat. Covered the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise over night.

Once the dough had doubled in size I added a little more flour and kneaded the dough for a minute or two and rolled the dough out to a rectangle. I transfered the dough to a oiled baking sheet and poked holes in the dough with a fork and sprinkled it with extra rosemary, salt, onions, garlic, and olive oil

Then cover for another 20 minutes to let rise and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the bread is lightly brown and firm. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing. I enjoyed my focaccia bread with some sliced tomato, vegan mozzarella, and this new balsamic glaze I just got and it was delicious!

ENJOY!

Spicy Ginger Snap Cookies

2011-06-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

These little ginger snaps are so easy and quick to make that I find my self whipping them up a little too frequently. Whenever I want something sweet I usually have all the ingredients for these on hand and they are great crunched up in some vanilla soy ice cream! This recipe is from a cook book a friend of mine gave me freshman year called 'Cookies Brownies & Bars' by Elinor Klivans. I veganized* the recipe with a few minor tweeks

2 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cloves (I had to buy whole cloves and grind them in a food processor because I could not find them already ground)
3/4 C. unsalted butter (at room temperature) *earth balance natural spread
1 C. sugar plus 1/4 C. for coating
1 egg *Ener-G Egg replacer
1/4 C. molasses

This makes around 20 cookies depending on how big you make the dough balls.

Preheat your oven to 325 F and grab two bowls one big and one medium sized. In the medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set this bowl aside and grab the big bowl. In here you will first mix together the butter* and cup of sugar using a hand mixer on medium speed. After that is well combined beat in the egg* and molasses on low speed until combined. Next slowly add the flour mixture from the medium bowl until just incorporated scraping the sides down occasionally.

Now is the fun part. Take off any rings and wash your hands before you dig into this dough. Make small dough balls about a tablespoon of dough and then roll it in the 1/4 C. remaining sugar so it is evenly coated. Then plop the balls on the cookie sheet. Make sure they are spread out because they will spread out when cooking.

Bake for 15 minutes or until they look crinkley on top and slightly browned on the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes and then pop them off the cookie sheets before they get stuck! ENJOY!!

Breakfast Scramble

2011-06-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

It's Father's Day weekend and I am home with the family which means great vegan meals all weekend! This morning I made my favorite breakfast scramble from 'The 30 Minute Vegan' by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray. There are tons of different recipes for tofu scrambles but I really like this simple recipe to start and then you can add whatever veggies or spices you want.

1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 C. yellow onion, chopped small
4 medium-size garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 pound extra-firm tofu, crumbled into large chunks
3/4 t. paprika
3 T. nutritional yeast
1 1/2 t. soy sauce, or to taste
sea salt and black pepper

Start off with heating the oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Next add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, around 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Next add the tofu. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients and coook 3-5 more minutes. Next I added a big handful of spinach, a tomato chopped, 1 t. oregano, and a small bunch of fresh basil from my parent's garden.

We had a lovely breakfast with a nice fruit salad with cantaloupe, blueberries, and blackberries

Yummmm I love being home! good food and family!

I hate McDonald's

2011-03-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in forever because...
1. I was just on spring break for the past week
2. The two weeks before that I had midterms
3. I am very lazy :)

Anyways on the way home from the beach we stopped at micky D's to get some breakfast and I figured oh I will get oatmeal that should be nice and vegan right.. NOPE haha of course they put milk and cream in there Thanks Mcdonald's

Here is some one who agrees Mcdonald's stinks!

A more accurate description than “100 percent natural whole-grain oats,” “plump raisins,” “sweet cranberries” and “crisp fresh apples” would be “oats, sugar, sweetened dried fruit, cream and 11 weird ingredients you would never keep in your kitchen.”

On a brighter note I spent a glorious 2 hours today at the grocery and made a delicious quesadilla for dinner with refried beans, vegan cheddar, black olives and a plethora of toppings

Procrastination..

2011-01-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

I have a paper to write for my epidemiology class but instead I am on twitter and what do I find...

bacon is a gateway drug! check it out

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/30/133304206/why-bacon-is-a-gateway-to-meat-for-vegetarians?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

and another interesting article

http://pcrm.org/news/dietary_guidelines_back_plant-based_diets_fight_obesity_110131.html

and my lunch from today/dinner from Saturday night :) (I love left overs)

falafel, spinach, saffron rice, veganese, kalamata olives, and home made hummus
nom nom nom

Enjoy!

Breakfast

2011-01-27T14:18:00.000-08:00

My daddy just surprised me with two new cookbooks in the mail and I was so excited because I love getting presents and I love getting mail! On wednesday I accidently slept through my class so to cheer myself up I made brainless banana pancakes from How it all Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. These are the easiest pancakes to make and they were delicious!

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 banana, mashed
1 1/4 C soy milk
1 Tbsp sweetener (I used agave)
sliced fruit for garnish (I used raspberries)

In a large bowl sift together dry ingrdients and in a small bowl mash the banana and add 1/4 cup soy milk and mix untill there are no lumps. Then add the banana, the rest of the soy milk, and the sweetener to the dry mix and stir until just combined. Then just cook them on both sides and you have some delicious breakfast. I added some dark chocolate chips to mine but they would be just as good plain. This recipe makes 2 or more servings.

Today I woke up extra early for class so I wouldn't sleep through it again and I needed to catch up on some reading. Since I was up I decided to make another delicious breakfast, Fabulous French Toast from this same awesome cook book.

1 1/2 C soy milk
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sweetener
1 tsp cinnamon
8-10 slices of bread, stale or lightly toasted (I missed the memo about stale or toasted and would recommend this because my toast was a little soagy but still delicious)

In a large bowl whisk together milk, flour, yeast, sweetener, and cinnamon vigorously. Soak one slice of toast in batter until bread is gooey. Fry on both sides and garnish with fruit. I used bananas and put a little powdered sugar on top. Makes 8-10 slices.

GOOD MORNING!

Vegan Nutella

2011-01-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

The first time I ever had "real" nutella was when I was in middle school and I spent the night at my cousin Kari's house and her husband Max from Italy made me some delicious waffles for breakfast and instead of syrup we had nutella.... and it was heavenly! Ever since I have been obsessed but unfortunately the real stuff is full of milk and non vegan ingredients. So in my new VEGANOMICON cook book, by Isa Chandra Miskowitz, I found a nice mocha-y recipe for not-tella!

Ingredients include:

1 generous cup of toasted and skinned hazelnuts
2 T hazelnut liquor (such as an airplane bottle of Frangelico)

1/4 t vanilla extract
3/4 C. powdered sugar
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
8-10 T peanut oil

First toast your hazelnuts at 300 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until the skin is peeling back but do not burn your nuts!

Take the hot nuts and put them into a dish towel and roll them in with the ends all twisted to remove the shells. If you cant get all the shell off its okay it will just give it a more nutty taste which some may prefer.

Next put your hazelnuts, which I found out are also called Filberts, into either a food processor or if you have a juicer with a blank used to make nut butter use that (I used my juicer and will take a lot less time).

Blend until you have a creamyish butter and then add the hazelnut liquor, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and cocoa.

Blend until it is crumbly and then add 4 to 5 T of oil and scrape down the sides and keep blending in your food processor. Now you will have a some what fudge like mixture. Add the rest of the oil a tablespoon at a time until you have a desired consistency. If not sweet enough add 1-2 more tablespoons of powdered sugar. Store in an air tight container in the fridge. When you take it out of the fridge let it sit out for 20 minutes to let it become spreadable again. I had mine on toast and by the spoonful but it is also great on fruit or with your soy ice cream!

ENJOY!

best vegan blog and bread

2010-12-18T00:59:00.000-08:00

Amazingly I had never seen cup cake wars until the other night which is very hard to believe because I am obsessed with anything to do with cupcakes, cakes, and baking! I love ace of cakes and the food network so how I over looked this wonderful little show is just unknown, but go figure the first time I watch there is an adorable vegan girl who makes the best vegan cupcakes, Chef Chloe. She has some amazing award winning recipes on her blog so check them out

http://www.chefchloe.com/blog.html

Any ways after watching her I got the baking bug and was just itching for exams to be over so I could get home and start making some delicious food with my family! Later that night instead of studying for my exams of course I was surfing the net looking at vegan blogs and I stumbled on another blog, which so far has been the best vegan blog I have found http://www.meettheshannons.net I some how found their challah bread recipe and since it was the last night of Chanukah and my family occasionally celebrates jewish holidays I decided it would be perfect especially since my jewish grandparents were coming to town. Any ways I ended up staying up all night with nothing else to do (nothing to study for the next day) kneading my bread and it turned out perfect so here is the recipe taken from

The Betty Crocker Project: Challa Atcha'! on http://www.meettheshannons.net/2010/12/betty-crocker-project-challah-atcha.html

Challah Bread

3 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Nutritional Yeast
1 Package Quick Active Yeast
1 Cup Very Warm Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Applesauce
Olive Oil Cooking Spray - for baking sheet
Vegan Vegetable Shortening - for greasing bowl (I just used some vegan butter and it worked fine)

Vegan "Egg Wash"

1 Tablespoon Water
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Apple Juice (I used fresh juice from a juicer)
1 Teaspoon Nutritional Yeast

In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the Flour with Sugar, Salt, Nutritional Yeast and Quick Active Yeast. Add the Water and Oil and blend with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Be sure and scrap the sides of the bowl often to make sure all the ingredients are mixed in. Then blend in the Applesauce and remaining Flour until the batter is smooth.

Place Dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with Vegetable Shortening. Place the Dough in the greased bowl and spin it around a few times to get a light coating. Loosely seal the bowl up with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for an hour or until it doubles in size. We let ours sit overnight.

Heat oven to 375.

Spray a light coating of Olive Oil Cooking Spray over a cookie sheet.

Once the Dough has doubled in size and is springy to the touch, remove it from the bowl and divide it into 3 equal segments. Roll each segment into a long rope - try to keep them about the same size. Here's a tip : Don't stretch your dough. We did and you can see it caused the bread to have that pulled and well just not smooth appearance. Just roll it out.

Lay the 3 ropes in a row and start braiding them loosely from the center out. Then pinch the ends under to secure them. Brush a light coating of Olive Oil over the bread and then place the Loaf on your greased cooking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for another hour.

In a small bowl mix mix all the ingredients from the Vegan Egg Wash with a whisk. Once the loaf has risen, brush the Loaf with the Vegan Egg Wash.

Bake 20-30 minutes (I baked mine for 15 minutes). Remove from the oven once it is golden brown. Thicker braids may take longer to bake.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and this blog it really has some great recipes I can't wait to try out a few more!

Mushroom pasta

2010-12-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

During exam week food is usually the last thing on everyones mind and I usually end up eating out a lot or eating animal crackers for dinner. After a long day at the library and a very difficult exam I wanted something delicious and luckily we had some mushrooms in the fridge and I thought why not try to make something delicious. My room mate had told me about these irresistible mushrooms she had at thanksgiving a few years ago and it was just simply button mushrooms sautéed in worcestershire sauce. I decided to put my own spin on this and use what I had so this is what I came up with.

1/2 a package of White mushrooms
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat
olive oil
worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup bow tie pasta or as much as you want

This was only a single serving so if you want to make more just use more shrooms and pasta and use a little more sauce for marinating.

Put a pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta while you are preparing the mushrooms. I don't usually wash my shrooms I just brush off any dirt or peel back any of the dirty spots. Then heat up the oil, worcestershire sauce and let the red pepper flakes heat up so the oil can absorb some of their heat. Next throw in the mushrooms, I left mine whole, and sautéed them in a fry pan with the olive oil, worcestershire sauce, and pepper flakes. let them cook on medium low until they are a darker color and a little bit smaller. Be careful how early you start cooking them because I had a hard time resisting them and ended up eating half of the mushrooms before the pasta was even done!

Next throw the pasta in the boiling water and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or however long your pasta package recommends. You can taste a bow tie and see if there done around 7 minutes if you like your pasta al dente. Then toss with the mushrooms after draining the pasta and enjoy!

Tempeh

2010-11-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

The other day I had a greek salad at Mellow Mushroom with tempeh on top and it was sooo delicious. I had never cooked with tempeh before but every time I try it out I always really enjoy it so I figured it must not be too hard to make. Plus when I went to the store they had it for so cheap I just picked some up and figured I could think of something to make with it.

I used an asian toasted sesame dressing to marinade the tempeh in the fridge for an hour before cooking it.

While the tempeh was marinading I chopped up some carrots and red pepper into bite sized pieces and grabbed a handful of walnuts to throw in with the tempeh.

I added the carrots, peppers, and walnuts and let it soak up a little more of the dressing while I heated up a pan with a little bit of olive oil in it.

After adding the tempeh mix to the pan I let it cook on one side for 5 minutes and the flip it over to cook on the other for another 5 minutes or so. Next I poured the rest of the marinade over top of it and let it cook up while stirring it around making sure to not let the marinade burn or have the tempeh stick to the pan.

After it was done cooking I spooned the tempeh mix over some fresh baby greens for a delicious tempeh asian salad but you could always mix this with rice, noodles, on a sandwich, or even use it as the filling for a lettuce wrap .

Enjoy.

Cinnamon Bun Pie Pockets

2010-10-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on stumble upon last year and saved it as a favorite but then just never made them for the longest time and I wish I would have thought to make them sooner because these are delicious! After not doing so hot on my spanish test I needed a little pick me up and so I thought these would be perfect especially since it is getting nice and cold out a warm little treat was just what I needed in this fall weather!

The blog where I found these on is called gimme some oven an it is not a vegan site but I easily converted her recipe so I suggest you check it out plus she has a lot better pictures for prep work and instructions. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2ezR42/gimmesomeoven.com/cinnamon-bun-pie-pockets

These were so easy to make and so delicious so make a list and go get:

2 refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts (they come in a pack of two)
1 tub (8 oz.) vegan cream cheese (I used tofutti brand)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (1/2 for filling, 1/2 for topping)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegan butter, melted (I always use Earth Balance)
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. soy milk or water (I used almond dream vanilla)

First set your oven to 350 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and put out all the ingredients and measuring utensils. Then clear a counter or cutting board and sprinkle it with flour before spreading out the pie crust dough. I did not roll the dough so just using the pie crust as is yielded 8 little bun pockets but I think if you were to roll it out you could get at least a dozen. It just depends how thick you want your crusts to be and if you need to make more you can always double the batch!

After spreading out the dough on the floured surface pick what shape you want to make. I stuck with the circles just for the first time but next time I will definitely be breaking out my heart shaped cookie cutter. Also if you do not have any cookie cutters you can do like I did to make the circles I just found a wide glass to cut them with (about 3 inches across). Cut two circles for each pie, one for the top and one for the bottom and place the bottoms evenly spaced on the baking sheet with the tops set aside (you can put them fairly close because they dont rise too much).

Next is the fun part grab a medium sized bowl and mix together the cream "cheese", brown sugar and half of the cinnamon (1/2 tsp.) I used a hand mixer but if your up for a work out you could surly beat it with a fork just make sure to let the cream "cheese" soften first.

After this you can scoop a generous portion of the cream "cheese" mixture into the center of each circle. Then rub a little bit of water around the edges of the circle to wet before placing the top circle on. seal the edges with either your finger or pressing with a fork. Now mix together the sugar and remaining cinnamon. Spread the melted butter on top and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top before baking. The cinnamon shouldn't burn on top which I was fearful of; it will just darken up the tops a bit.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the dough looks a little golden brown.

While your letting them cool a little whip, up the last addition to these tasty treats, the drizzle. Mix the powdered sugar with the soy milk using either a fork or a whisk until a desired consistency. I like mine to be a little thick but drizzle-able. Now slowly pour the frosting glaze over the buns and serve while there still warm.

Enjoy them while they last cause mine sure were gone fast!

Pan Fried Tofu, Kale, and Stir-Fried Noodles

2010-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my dad came through town and stopped by for lunch. Usually we go to one of our favorite vegan friendly restaurants like Tomato head or Sunspot but I thought why not make lunch. So I still have this bag of kale and I decided to find a good recipe that could include it so I searched one of my favorite vegan blogs VeganYumYum and found this http://veganyumyum.com/2007/12/pan-fried-tofu-kale-and-stir-fried-noodles/
recipe and it looked so good I had to try it plus I already had everything I needed to make it with. VeganYumYum says it serves two so this was the perfect meal for the two of us.

1 Package Extra/Super Firm Tofu
1 Head Kale, deveined and torn
5 oz. Dried, Wide Rice Noodles (Mine come in 10 oz packages)
Sugar
Soy Sauce

Tofu Marinade
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce or Tamari
1 Tbs Thinly Sliced Ginger (or minced)
1 Tbs Maple Syrup
1 Tbs Oil
1 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/2 tsp Mustard
1/4 tsp Sriracha or Hot Chili Sauce
Black Pepper, to taste

Dipping Sauce
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce or Tamari
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Sriracha

I started off with the tofu. I am not too fond of cooking my own tofu. I really love the tofu at my work and sometimes I can make a good tofu scramble but grilling is not my specialty. To start I did as the blog said by draining the liquid wrapping it in paper towel and then wrapping it with a kitchen towel and I put four cans on top of it in a pan because I did not have a heavy enough pan to really squeeze out the liquids. I let it press for 15 minutes while I prepared the marinade.

I did not have any rice vinegar cause I think when I moved I left my bottle at home that I used to make sushi rice but any ways I just subbed in extra water and it worked fine. After preparing the marinade it was exactly 15 minutes just like VeganYumYum said so I cut up the tofu into 8 equal strips and put them in the marinade to sit for 30 minutes (15 on each side).

While the tofu was marinating I boiled the noodles which the package says to cook for 12 mintues VeganYumYum said only 6 minutes so I followed her instructions. Drained them and rinsed them in cold water before setting aside to cool.

Next I mixed up the dipping sauce and set it on the table.

I did not have a cast iron pan like she said to use I just used a cheap regular old fry pan and I lightly oiled it with olive oil and it worked great with no sticking. I browned the tofu on one side and then the other just judging the time by the cooking and spooned extra marinade into the pan while it was cooking occasionally.

I could have browned up the tofu a little more but I have a fear of burning things so I took it out when it was just a little grilled to let it set and harden. VeganYumYum describes how this works when you let the tofu sit and cool it hardens up the only problem was then we had to eat cool tofu and I like my tofu hot so next time I am going to cook the tofu before hand let it harden and then reheat with the dish.

Then it was time to add the kale. I added some more olive oil and cooked down the kale until it was soft and then added the noodles cooking until it was a little browned.

Finally I plated the noodles and kale and cut the tofu into triangles and piled them on top with just a splash of the dipping sauce.

juice and crafts

2010-07-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

So I feel like it is summer vacation all over again because I just finished my summer class and now I have nothing to do but hang out with friends and work.. work a lot, but I still have a lot of free time. Some how I managed to get sick this summer though. Not sure how that happened Im guessing all the late nighters studying and stressing out. So.. I made some carrot, apple, kale juice. As you can see I bought a 2 lb bag of kale :)

No worries this bag is great for juicing but I have another great recipe with kale that I will be posting shortly. hopefully this will cure me cause i am sick of being sick!

Also since I have all this free time I decided to do some arts and crafts. On this girl's blog (she is a friend of a friend out in cali) http://samanthamerica-create.blogspot.com/ there was the cutest picture of a sign and I went out and got some popsicle sticks and went at it.

snack time

2010-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today I was craving a snack before I headed off to class. Since I had a fresh home grown cucumber from my parents garden, I decided to slice it up and use it like a cracker. The question was what to dip it in? Every time I go to the grocery store I keep seeing hybrid foods like guacaummus and I decided to give it a try. I already had some hummus I had made the other day and I just added one avocado and some dried oregano for flavor. Mash it all up and scoop it out with the cucumbers.

Home made peanut butter

2010-06-04T16:50:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to eat is peanut butter. I love it on a pb&j, on bananas, with chocolate, or even just a spoonful by itself. So with my newly passed down champion juicer I decided to make my own. As you can see I used roasted and salted peanuts (I would not recommend using these because it ended up pretty salty, but next time I am going to try roasting them myself and then maybe adding some salt at the end if need be. I also plan on making some almond butter soon too yum!) Using the juicer to make peanut butter is pretty simple. When I first turned on the juicer and poured in the peanuts they all started shooting back out at me (You can see the mess in the pictures but what you can't see is the mess in my hair) so I would recommend pouring in some of the peanuts before turning it on and inserting the press to keep them under control. After it started coming out it was no problem pouring more in to the juicer. Don't forget to catch the butter coming out the other end in whatever kind of container you like. I choose this cool glass jar which actually originally came with a great red pepper bruschetta from Trader Joe's in it. Here is the finished product just a little bit crunchy and delicious. If you like you can add some agave to the peanut butter to give it a little bit of sweetness. Now I just need to think of a great recipe to use my freshly ground peanut butter in! Enjoy!

My first blog post EVER!

2010-06-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone I am still working on the design elements of my blog and once I get it just the way I like it I will then hit the kitchen! Check in soon for my first masterpiece!