Hungry Vegan Traveler

The Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living

2012-02-27T06:51:00.001-06:00

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

* Respect for self

* Respect for others

* Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

A Forks Over Knives Update

2012-02-24T13:41:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that my father finally watched the DVD of Forks Over Knives that I had sent him around the start of the year. I also wrote about my best friend and her husband watching it and feeling inspired to eat more plant-based foods. Here's a little update.

My dad no longer drinks milk and now loves vanilla almond milk. He says he "hardly ever eats meat now," and my mom says that, too, but I have no idea what that means, exactly. My dad has been drinking Glucerna for breakfast and lunch every day for about 6 weeks now, which I'm not crazy about (especially after he reads its goofy ingredients to me), but he said at his last doctor's appointment, he was told to "make some changes" or he'll be on insulin. We talked on the phone for awhile and I gave suggestions for healthier dinners and snacks. He really doesn't want to be on insulin, but I'm worried about how much nutrition he's really getting on those Glucerna shakes. (Anyone have any advice on those?) I just purchased copies of Neal Barnard's Reversing Diabetes and the Forks Over Knives book to send to my parents.

Kate and her husband has been incorporating lots of vegan meals into their diet. Kate said that Brandon has lost ten pounds so far, and he actually cooked tofu in a stir-fry recently! (This is funny to be because Brandon has always been a tofu-basher.)

A very good friend of mine, whose name is also Brandon, watched Forks Over Knives this past Monday and has been eating vegan all this week! He said he didn't eat much meat in the first place, but he's really looking into a more plant-based diet.

A couple of weeks ago, a group of us were at Pizza Fusion downtown and our server was vegan. He said he had gone back and forth between vegetarian and vegan for a long time, but after watching Forks Over Knives, he went vegan on the spot.

And then this morning, I told my hairdresser about Forks Over Knives (as veganism had come up in conversation) and he seemed VERY interested in it. He said, "Let's see, you'll be back in about 5 or 6 weeks? Yes, I will have watched in by then."

What Forks Over Knives success stories have you witnessed?

From Raw Food to Loving Hut in One Day

2012-02-22T19:59:00.000-06:00

Saturday was a fun-filled, food-focused day.

It started out with a raw foods class in Lakeland, organized by a group called the Polk Veg Connection. Jackie and Gideon Graff were the teachers of the class. They talked a lot about raw food diet basics, then demoed Brazil nut milk, raw apple pie, and then raw ice cream (made from the aforementioned Brazil nut milk).

The apple pie was amazing! Very simple to make (all you need is a food processor) using simple ingredients. The texture was the best part. Half of the apples are processed until it resembles applesauce, then the remaining apples are just pulsed into chunks, and this texture combination was lovely for mouthfeel and for presentation.

I wasn't sure about the ice cream at first, but it grew on me. I think I would have liked it better if it had more flavor (more vanilla, maybe?).

From there, we skeedaddled back up to Tampa for our friend, Dean's going away dinner held at Loving Hut. Loving Hut had a buffet all day, and the buffet offerings are always hit-or-miss, but that night, they had two totally awesome dishes with no strange mock meats, and I loved them!

This tofu is the BEST tofu I've had since I moved to Florida.

And the all-veggies stir-fry was delicious. I love bok choy!

Amber brought some totally rockin' homemade cupcakes - peanut butter with chocolate frosting and chocolate-chip pumpkin with cream cheese frosting - but I didn't get any pics of them. They do make an appearance in this shot of the guest of honor.

I had an educational day and a rowdy, laughter-filled night with my beautiful veggie pals. I met some cool new people, too.

And to Dean: It was nice knowin' ya. Your activism will be missed in Tampa, but Seattle is lucky to have you. Expect to see me crashing on your floor space in the as-near-as-possible future.

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

2012-02-17T10:53:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for a vegan-related documentary, so when I spotted Fat Sick and Nearly Dead on hulu, I made a point to watch it.

In a nutshell: Fat, sick dude from Australia named Joe goes on a 60 day green juice fast and he loses a bunch of weight and eventually gets off his medication. For the last 30 days of his fast, he goes on a road trip across America for a change of scenery and talks to a bunch of people along the way.

The best part of the film is Phil the Truck Driver, whom he meets and later helps. Phil's transformation is amazing! I admit: I had tears in my eyes toward the end, I was so happy for Phil. I won't give away more than that, though.

At the beginning of the film, I thought, There is no way I'd go on a juice fast for 60 days. Then halfway through, I thought, Well, I could do a ten-day fast... And by the end of the doc, I thought, If someone gave me one of those nice Breville juicers, I'd go 30 days!

Also, the words "vegan," or "vegetarian," or even "plant-based diet" are never mentioned. All that's said is that, after the juice fast, Joe sticks to a "micronutrient diet" of "mostly whole foods." Meat and dairy products aren't mentioned, but I don't know if it's actually a vegan diet he sticks to. Still, it's healthier than the Standard American Diet (SAD).

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead is no Forks Over Knives, but it was still an interesting flick, I loved watching Joe and Phil's transformations, and it always gives me hope to watch people take charge of their health and wellness in a more nutritious way, letting food be their medicine.

Watch This. Feel Frustrated. Get Motivated.

2012-02-08T09:13:00.000-06:00

The sad public health of America. Disturbingly unhealthy school lunches. Food deserts. The ulterior motives of the USDA. Of COURSE our country has an obesity epidemic!

Which of these problems have you seen in your city? How are you helping to create positive change in your community?

Writing Day

2012-02-06T10:19:00.001-06:00

"Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing." - Margaret Chittenden

I designated an entire day over the weekend as my Writing Day. It was going to be a perfect day for the written word, for churning out interesting and captivating articles and essays, for letting the creative juices flow through my fingertips and onto the keyboard, a day with no other obligations or appointments. I had been scribbling notes on random pieces of paper all week, occasionally typing out a rough outline, but on this day, it would all come together. This day was WRITING DAY.

I woke up at 8:45 that morning, feeling pleased that I woke up naturally at such a decent hour. Perfect for Writing Day!

By 9:15am, I had my lap top open, and the rough draft document in front of me. Here we go. Let the writing begin...

Any second now...

Really, aaaaaaany moment...

Wait for it...

While I waited for the focus and motivation and words to come to me, I did the following:

Had a nice long catch-up chat with my mom

Had a short catch-up chat with my best friend, Kate

Opened up the stack of mail that had been ignored all week long

Paid a couple of bills

Refreshed Facebook and email at semi-regular intervals

Grazed on spring rolls, Gardein Chipotle-Lime Strips, and Medjool dates throughout the day

Took time to really listen to the wind chime outside

Played with headbands

Hula hooped to bittersweet indie songs while wearing a mud mask

Cursed at Pandora for playing too many "thumbs down" songs, thus preventing me from giving any MORE thumbs down

Marveled at the greatness that is Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Piddled around on the Internet

Watched Justin Timberlake videos on youtube (I don't know how that happened)

Gave thanks for yoga pants

Texted a couple of friends about my so-called "Writing Day," rambling about all the distractions throughout the day, all while further distracting myself by texting friends

All the while glancing at the rough draft and feeling a little bitter that the words weren't coming to me, that the focus hadn't set in. Why is it that the words come like a thunderstorm when I have to be somewhere in 10 minutes? I set aside an entire day for this! Where are the words?!

Eventually, I left to meet up with my good friend, Lisa, for tea and chat. I knew I had to walk away from the computer. I knew I needed a change of scenery. I knew some human interaction and some conversation would distract me from the need to write. I can't force the perfect words to flow. I just have to wait.

At 11pm, I sat back down at the computer, and set to work.

There was no strike-of-lightning feeling, no sudden power surge, no "OH MY GOSH! I'M WRITING! OH, THESE BRILLIANT WORDS!" I just sat down, and started typing, and by 12:30 that night, one article was done. Mission accomplished.

And this is why you don't see daily content on Hungry Vegan Traveler right now. I cannot force good (by my standards) writing out of me. It has to happen naturally. If blogging was my only job, I could probably write near-daily, but I have a full-time job, and heaps of volunteer projects on the side, and other creative projects on top of that. This is why Vegan MoFo 2011 was a failure for me (though, at the time, I was also disconnected from the interwebs, which just added another HUGE hurdle).

But don't let this post fool you. I love to write. I really, truly do. I love my blog and I love connecting with readers and other bloggers. If I could do THIS as my full-time job, I would.

So, with all this said, feel free to contact me to write a guest post for YOUR blog. Or to offer me a rockin' paid writing position. Either / or.

Because I always need more excuses to ~~hula hoop~~ ~~watch pop videos on youtube~~ ~~eat large quantities of dates~~ embrace the creative writing process.

Forks Over Knives: Passing It On

2012-02-04T09:58:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, I sent a DVD of Forks Over Knives to my father. My father has had health problems for as long as I've known him, and he's never been one to take good care of himself, especially where his diet is concerned. He blames years of trucking and eating on the road, but when he stopped trucking, he kept eating a Trucker's Diet.

I'd brought up going vegetarian to my dad many times, citing facts and statistics at random, pointing out how Dr. Oz agrees with a plant-based diet providing optimal nutrition (my parents like Dr. Oz), etc. My dad didn't buy it. My dad would claim that eating a lettuce salad alongside a giant steak and a baked potato was "balanced," and he also LOVED to tell me that "vegetables are what MY food eats."

And then I finally watched Forks Over Knives at the Tampa Bay Veg Fest last year and I thought, My dad should watch this. Because I've always known that I could send him books or starter kits every day, and he won't read them. But a movie? There's hope there.

So I sent the DVD and I waited.

Just this past week, my father told me that he watched the entire movie and it was "really interesting" and full of information and he's going to watch it again! My dad said he doesn't think he'll stop eating meat completely, but he's already cutting back.

I told this story to my best friend yesterday and she was impressed. (She knows my father!) She voiced her concerns about her husband's diet and said she was interested in watching the movie, too. I told her it's streaming on Netflix and she was excited. Later that night, she sent me a text, saying she and her husband were watching it. When they finished watching it, she sent me another text saying that they are going to go "mostly plant-based" for 12 weeks! This is HUGE considering her husband is a chef and enjoys cooking with lots of RICH ingredients.

Needless to say, I'm VERY excited and hopeful for my family and friends.

How has Forks Over Knives inspired you or someone you know to go plant-strong?

Jasmine Thai in Brandon, Florida

2012-02-01T23:31:00.001-06:00

Between chopping my hair off and then chopping even MORE off, I finally checked out Jasmine Thai in Brandon, Florida, a restaurant that came highly recommended by a few vegan pals of mine. And folks, I think I'm in love.

Jasmine Thai is a little restaurant located in a strip mall near the Aldi and some grotesquely-named chicken joint named Chick-N-Bones (BARF), which prompted a brief discussion on other horridly-named meat-focused restaurants, which always brings Rib Crib to mind. (I can't help but imagine an actual crib made from ribs, which is like something out of either a horror movie, or something set in the Stone Age.) Ground Round is another gross one. Makes me think of a merry-go-round made from raw hamburger meat.

GOD, WHY I AM TALKING ABOUT THIS???

Moving on! Jasmine Thai, which is simply and pleasantly named, has an impressive menu with plenty of veg*n options in almost all categories. When I spotted tempura eggplant under Appetizers, it instantly made me think of the Crispy Eggplant at Bo Ling's, my favorite Chinese place in Kansas City. It didn't take much for me to convince my dining companion to split it with me, and I am pleased to say that the tempura eggplant is just as good, if not better, than the Crispy Eggplant in KC.

Greasy, crispy outside gives way to the warm and squishy eggplanty insides. Isn't fried food grand?

I was so tempted to try something different at Jasmine Thai, as there were many enticing entrees on the menu [Garlic & Black Pepper stir-fry, Cashew Nuts stir-fry, Japanese Squash curry, Pineapple curry], but to gauge a Thai restaurant's deliciousness and returnability (a word I just made up, which means: how likely I am to return there), I knew I had to go with my favorite, my old reliable, my Old Faithful, if you will: Panang Curry with tofu. As mild as possible, please.

Panang curry is generally the same everywhere you go, but you know every place makes it just a liiiittle bit differently. As I waited for my dish to arrive, I wondered, How mild is "mild" by this place's standards? Will this make my nose run? Will there be enough vegetables? I wonder what the tofu will be like. Tofu is so important. I wasn't worried about it, though. I had a good feeling about this curry.

And my expectations were met. Deliciously.

The curry was perfectly mild and did not cause a single sniffle or watery eye. It was smooth and creamy and perfectly peanutty. The tofu was also the perfect texture: firm and not greasy-deep-fried-crispy. Of course, there are never enough vegetables for me, but this was good enough.

Dining Pal got the Amazing dish with tofu, another peanutty dish. The peanut sauce was great! (But I liked my Panang better.) I was a little jealous of his broccoli, though.

So, in conclusion, I have a new favorite Thai restaurant in Tampa Bay. Now this really feels like home.

Crickets / Planning / Around the World in 5 Minutes

2012-01-28T11:51:00.000-06:00

There's been a lot of this on the blog lately.

So what the heck have I been up to lately? Well, in a nutshell // asterisked list:

* hula hooping

* researching guerrilla art

* dreaming about garden gnomes

* working on articles for other sites

* planning a vegan cooking class AND vegan food swap with a friend

* dabbing tea tree oil on all my mosquito bites from last week's trip to the Upper Tampa Bay Park

* loving the mild temps in Tampa lately

* making silly youtube playlists

* clearing out space on my hard drive YET AGAIN

* trying to read for book club

* marveling at how quickly the polish chips from my nails so soon after painting them (like, 5 minutes!)

* restraining myself from licking Lush's Cupcake mask off my face (looks AND smells like chocolate frosting! Crikey!)

* chopping off my hair

... and other vegan superhero badassery.

Between my full-time job and all of that (and then some), I haven't had much time to get out and visit any new places. Having so many exciting, creative projects going on is, well, exciting! But also overwhelming at times because there just aren't enough hours in a day, nor days in a week.

I have several travel goals for this year, not counting my in-state travel plans. This means lots of planning and saving and, unfortunately, a second job. I'd been trying to put off the second job thing for several months now, budgeting tightly instead, but that's not going to cut it for what I want to do. So, in the near future, you can expect to read more about my planning and budgeting for travel.

In the meantime, maybe watching this video every day will hold me over.

Ha, yeah right.

Are you currently planning and saving for travel?

Guest Post: Plant-Based Pharmacist Gets Zen

2012-01-16T06:40:00.000-06:00

My buddy, Dustin of Pursue A Healthy You gives food blogging a try! Check out his birthday meal at Zen Forrest Pan Asian Restaurant in New Port Richey, Florida.

Birthday At The Zen

Reaching the ripe old age of 34 calls for a celebration! Now, making it to 34 isn’t all that special or even some sort of grand milestone but it’s a birthday none the less, and birthdays are always a great excuse to celebrate. After all, what else could be better than making someone else slave away preparing and cooking a fabulous meal while you sit and enjoy time with a great friend. Aww yes… a delightful meal and no dirty dishes for once, a little slice of heaven.

This birthday would be spent at Zen Forrest cafe in New Port Richey, FL. Zen Forrest is a hidden gem tucked away in a small strip mall but don’t let that fool you. It’s a perfect mix of classy and trendy with moderate prices, excellent service, and delectable cuisine. The earth tone colors and scaled down lighting make for a very peaceful yet spirited environment as you can see.

Zen Forrest is the place to be if you’re looking for Asian food. They serve dishes from numerous countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, and even Malaysia. While not a vegan cafe, they do have a few options on the menu that can be made vegan if you ask. They also pride themselves in being MSG and trans-fat free.

My friend and I started off our dinner with a succulent plate of Japanese edamame lightly flavored with ginger, spice, and course sea salt. This appetizer really hit the spot and kept us asking for more.

House salad topped with sprouts and red cabbage was next on the menu. The black sesame seed dressing was amazing and really made the salad stand out.

My friend choose the popular Tofu Zen for her dinner selection. This dish was comprised of tofu steaks lightly dusted with rice flour and pan fried. In addition, the steaks were served with a variety of fresh vegetables (sprouts, red bell pepper, baby corn, shitake and straw mushrooms, and cilantro) and a bed of steamed jasmine rice. I stole a bit of the tofu steak and was glad I did. It tasted delicious!

For my birthday entree I chose the Zen Forrest fried rice dish. This entree certainly didn’t disappoint either. Since I’m not only vegan but also very health conscious, this was the perfect dish for me. It included a mountain (literally!) of fresh herbs and vegetables served on a bed of jasmine and red rice. I really enjoyed the red rice as this gave the dish a little extra something to set it apart from most rice based dishes I’ve eaten at other establishments.

The best part about this entree was the amount of fresh vegetables it contained. For every one cup of rice there were three cups of vegetables included. I was in heaven as my taste buds soaked up nature’s ultimate confetti of crisp sprouts, shredded carrots, baby corn, red & green onions, sweet peas, and a handful of other vegetables/herbs incorporated into “Mt. Veggilicious” as I called it. This dish made my day. What a perfect birthday meal!

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience. The company of my friend made it all the better. I’d highly recommend a trip to the Zen for anyone celebrating a birthday or just needing an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy a fantastic meal. I guarantee you won’t regret it!

Dustin Rudolph, also better known as The Plant-Based Pharmacist, prefers produce over pills when it comes to helping his patients prevent and reverse their chronic diseases. He is currently writing a book on how to achieve optimal health by using plant-based nutrition and a vegan diet. He also maintains a website (www.PursueAHealthyYou.com) and a health blog (http://pursueahealthyyou.blogspot.com) in his spare time.

I Love Kansas City

2012-01-12T09:38:00.000-06:00

If you are at all familiar with Kansas City, Missouri, you know that this city rocks.

If you've never been to KCMO, do NOT let this article deter you from visiting. In A.G. Sulzberger's NY Times article, "Meatless in the Midwest: A Tale of Survival," the writer clearly failed to embrace all of the vegan splendor to be found in Kansas City.

Hey A.G., have you never heard of Happy Cow?!

Amber over at Almost Vegan posted a fantastic response to the article, which you can read HERE. And even though I addressed this on Facebook, I feel a need to address this here on the blog, too. Although I do not live near Kansas City anymore, that city will always have a piece of my heart. It is an underrated city full of hidden (and not-so-hidden) treasures, a city that I love and miss. And let me tell you, all my days spent in KC were NOT lacking in delicious food. Here are some links to past blog entries about some of my favorite Kansas City eateries.

Malay Cafe in North Kansas City

Amazing nachos at FuD, KC's ALL-VEGAN restaurant

No other Mongolian BBQ place compares to Genghis Khan

At least Blue Koi was mentioned in that NYTimes article

Here's my recap from 2010's Bliss Fest, a green, earth-lovin' veg-friendly event

Lunch at Eden Alley (I'm a bigger fan of their desserts, though)

In my Most Memorable Meals of 2010 post, you'll find pictures from a vegan dim sum at Bo Ling's on the Plaza

And that's just a sample of the vegan offerings in Kansas City, Missouri. Since I left, the metro area has opened a Trader Joe's grocery store and an all-vegan bakery/coffeehouse, and a Cafe Gratitude is coming in 2012. Veganism is not a brand new concept in Kansas City, and it is extremely easy to live and visit KC and eat like a vegan queen. Just ask Amber or myself.

** Remember, folks -- No matter where you travel, do a little research ahead of time, and always check HappyCow.net.

Vegan Sh*t

2012-01-09T09:48:00.001-06:00

Let's kick your week off with some humor! Surely you have all seen the popular "Shit Vegans Say" youtube videos. Just in case you're out of the loop, here they are. (The second one is my favorite!)

"I left my leaflets in the car!"

"Casein?! SHIT!"

First thing I saw on my Facebook feed this morning was this "Shit that Meat Eaters Say" video. I swear, I've heard almost every single one of these! In fact, just a few days ago, a co-worker actually said the "People Eating Tasting Animals" line to me! SERIOUSLY?!

Update: Look! More Meat-Eating Shit!

Ending 2011 Deliciously

2012-01-07T09:37:00.000-06:00

On new year's eve eve, a former co-worker of mine was in town for the holidays and she and I went out for lunch and chat at Ciccio's in South Tampa. I had never heard of this place before, but my friend felt confident that I'd be able to find something vegan there. Being a trendy-looking restaurant on South Howard, I was greatly amused to hear White Zombie's "More Human Than Human" playing as we walked in.

At first glance of Ciccio's menu, it looked like the only vegan offerings "as is" would be the edamame and the Asian guacamole. A salad minus at least half of the ingredients would also be vegan. Even their sushi menu listed zero veggie options. Right off the bat, I inquired what made the Asian guacamole Asian. Our server said that it was made with rice wine vinegar and "Asian spices," and it was vegan, so we ordered it. Next I asked if there was a vegetarian/vegan menu, and there wasn't, but the server was knowledgeable and helpful and gave me a few tips on how and what to order. She said an all-veggie sushi roll could be made, and many of the stir-fries and rice bowls could be made vegan by swapping the meat out for portobello mushrooms. There's no tofu or tempeh here, so if you hate portobello mushrooms, you'll be eating a much lighter meal at Ciccio's. Luckily, I love portobello mushrooms, so I was in luck. When she suggested the lettuce wraps with this alteration, I quickly made my decision.

I wish I had taken a picture of the Asian guacamole, not that the picture or my words would do it justice. It was AMAZING. The rice wine vinegar gave the guac this amazing sweetness. I'm not sure what spices they used, but it gave it another dimension of flavor to this amazingly creamy guacamole. Garnished with black sesame seeds, this was a flavor explosion. The Asian guacamole alone will bring me back to Ciccio's! (And also the top hits of the '90s, which they kept churning out the whole time we were there. It was like playing "Name That Tune," and I was totally winning.)

And then this was brought to the table.

This GIANT platter held portobello strips, sprouts, black bean salsa, shredded carrot-zucchini-yellow squash, and shredded cucumber. It came with three different sauces for dipping: red wine vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette, and - my favorite - Thai peanut sauce (which the server made sure to go back and check that it's vegan). This was super delicious and tasted very fresh. I loved all the colors and textures and flavors, all brought together on a crispy lettuce leaf. Although Ciccio's doesn't seem vegan-friendly at first glance of their menu, they are actually quite accommodating. I think they should put these vegan suggestions on their menu for all to enjoy!

Later that night, Lisa and I went to Pizza Fusion downtown to cash in her Creative Loafing deal coupon (kinda like Groupon). Parking downtown is always an ordeal, but since we didn't get down there until 8, street parking was free (woo hoo!), but we still drove around in circles several times, trying to find the actual Pizza Fusion location, and then finding a parking spot in that vicinity.

Ahead of time, Lisa inquired for me about Pizza Fusion's gluten-free crust, and yes, it is vegan! Yay! AND they offer iced black tea AND green tea, both unsweetened, but they have agave nectar upon request! Yay again!

Lisa ordered the Very Vegan with daiya cheese.

I ordered the Farmers Market with daiya on the gluten-free crust.

I was VERY impressed with this gluten-free crust. It was soft and chewy and had a very pleasing texture. Next time I'll get a larger size! And for all you daiya-haters, they also offer Follow Your Heart's Vegan Gourmet cheese. Pizza Fusion also offers a vegan brownie, but we were too full to try it this time around.

On New Year's Eve, I closed out 2011 and rang in 2012 with my vegan friends. I LOVE my vegan friends -- we always eat like royalty at these get-togethers! I didn't get pictures of everything, but here's a portion of our spread.

These are Loving Hut's seasoned "passion fries," which are pretty good, but made AMAZING by whatever dipping sauce comes with them. Wow!

These seitan skewers are also from Loving Hut. I didn't try them because seitan ruins my guts (although I did eat other wheat things that night, bad girl I am).

We had two different kinds of chili, chips and Veggie Booty, corn breads, a Chinese noodle dish and a stir-fry, a fruit tray, and a veggie tray.

And Dean brought cheesecake! Ahhh! Banana-nut and gingerbread, served with a glop of Healthy Top.

All that food fueled us for a night filled with amber Woodchuck; lots of dirty, That's What She Said-type jokes; Guesstures and Taboo, and watching the ball drop AT MIDNIGHT! (When I lived in Missouri, we always watched it at 11pm. Stupid Central time.)

I rang in 2012 with the exact same people I was with to ring in 2011. Only this time, I'd known these people for over a year, instead of just a month. The only difference is that we've only gotten more crass.

<3

Happy New Year!

Most Memorable Meals of 2011

2012-01-05T09:51:00.000-06:00

Ah, yes. My favorite recap post to write - my favorite meals of the year!

In January, I had a particularly delicious work-trip in Gainesville, Florida. There were so many great meals that week, but my favorites were the taco salad at Boca Fiesta

these AMAZING Thai Peanut Tempeh wraps from The Jones Eastside

and finally, Gyro Plus, where they had SEVERAL varieties of vegan baklava and some heavenly falafel.

Also in January, I ate at Taco Bus for the first time (where they aren't kidding about the broken English) and also visited the vegetarian food festival at the Southwest Florida Buddhist Temple.

In February, I shouted from the rooftops/blogged about my love for boiled peanuts.

Other highlights that month include meeting the gorgeous Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Dr. Hotstuff Neal Barnard.

In March, I spent some time in the kitchen with my buddy, Amber. We made this beautiful strawberry pie and fell in love with this simply delicious crust made from dates and nuts.

There were quite a few awesome cooking sessions with Amber, as evidenced HERE and HERE.

In April I participated in my first vegan bake sale as part of World Wide Vegan Bake Sale Month. It was pretty freaking epic. Check out that post HERE.

Also in the spring, Amber and I organized a vegan care package swap. I received some AMAZING homemade peanut butter cups!

In May I caught a glimpse of the artsy beach town that is Dunedin and ate at Consciousness Blossoms with some friends. I also ate at Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City for my best friend's birthday. You can read reviews of both places in this entry HERE.

In June I ate at Ella's Folk Art Cafe, the Brick in Ybor City, and then I had my amazing, unforgettable trip to the Hostel in the Forest in Georgia. My two dinners there were made with such love. That weekend was the highlight of 2011.

In July I kicked it at the beach with some friends for a lovely sunset. Before the sun went down, we chowed down on grilled Smart Dogs on buttered buns and a variety of chips. It was totally unhealthy, and I certainly went off the rails on the gluten train, but it was a fun time and the sunset filled me with happiness. I love living here.

In September, I drove down to visit my best friend and her new baby and her husband prepared this beautiful meal. (You may recall the blog post about that HERE.)

About a week later, there was more figgy business at SONO Cafe at the Tampa Museum of Art. This time, in the form of a "mixed melon salad."

In October I experimented with a food dehydrator with my cousin, which was fun. My favorite was the pear rings.

Volunteering at Green After Dark means delicious, comforting meals from King Natural Catering.

I loved my meal at Etho's Vegan Kitchen after the Central Florida VegFest in Orlando.

And of course, there was Thanksgiving.

In December I had a delicious reunion with Mi Pueblo in Sarasota.

And then I had a crazy-delicious Christmas eve dinner!

Yeah, 2011 was a great year, for so many wild and wonderful (and delicious!) reasons.

Guest Post: Vegan in Boston's Harvard Square

2012-01-04T11:32:00.000-06:00

I'm still compiling my Most Memorable Meals of 2011 post, and this sudden cold snap in Tampa Bay certainly has me moving slower (probably because I'm wearing multiple layers and not moving too far away from my space heater). While I finish up the year-end post, please enjoy this guest post from Mackenzie, who blogs (adorably) over at Whatever, Gatsby.

as a born-and-raised floridian, i have to say that moving to boston was quite lucrative for my taste buds. i always had time finding things without dairy, and my lactose intolerant self often grumbled over the meager options in orlando. homegirl over here could not find a seitan loaf in sight, and that was pretty tragic for a while. until i moved to boston, i saw things i never saw on menus in my hometown.

vegan chocolate cupcakes?! seitan loaf?! lavender lemonade?! falafel platters?! coconut ice cream milkshakes?

i could cry, really. i blinked whenever i saw these enticing words. but nope, seitan loaves were still on the menu. pinch me, i’m dreaming.

since i moved to boston/cambridge in june, i’m happy to say i’ve become a one-woman eating show. these are a few of my favorite places to ~~gorge myself~~ eat daintily at in harvard square, specifically:

veggie planet and veggie galaxy:

veggie planet is just beyond brilliant. it’s all vegetarian, but can be made vegan upon request. you can basically order anything and put it on coconut rice, brown rice, or a pizza crust. ANYTHING. my favorite? peanut curry on coconut rice, anything with their tofu ricotta on a pizza crust. it’s heaven. at night they also have live music at club passim next door. need i say more?
veggie galaxy is their newest addition (in central square, just a quick subway stop away). it opened up over the summer, and it changes my life on a weekly basis. their “kendall square” burger is just beyond awesome. onion rings on a black bean burger tends to do that for me. they also have coconut milk ice cream milkshakes! i am trying to suppress my squeals as i type this.

l.a. burdick chocolate:

okay, so burdick’s is not vegan specifically. but it is the only place i know of in boston that offers a completely vegan dark hot chocolate. and i think that’s all that matters, right?

clover food lab:

oh, clover has so, so much of my money. and i might go in there so often that i am now on a first name basis with their employees. and for good reason. falafel plates? bbq seitain sandwiches? hot cider? homemade popovers? everything is local? sometimes they give you free cupcakes? and it’s all under 6 dollars? what is there not to like? my favorite is the falafel plate, which they cover with tahini and it takes me to my happy place.

sweet cupcakes:

i will admit my bias for sweet cupcakes. i used to work here. i loved it, plain and simple. another thing to love? vegan chocolate cupcakes! sadly, it’s only on mondays, and sometimes tuesdays, but still worth the trip to sweet! they play old movies in the background and french pop music fills the store and they have the best coffee in all of boston (little known secret! and it’s only $2!)

and that’s that for harvard square. it certainly is a pretty scrumptious place to live.

Christmas Dinner 2011

2011-12-26T10:31:00.000-06:00

I am declaring Christmas 2011 my best Christmas EVER. I spent the entire weekend with people I love and cherish. Who could ask for anything more?

My best friend's hubby is a chef and he and I collaborated on Christmas eve dinner. No, he isn't vegan, but he likes the challenge of cooking vegan food. (You may recall the fig sauce he prepared awhile back, posted HERE.)

For a little over two hours, we set to work on some amazing food to bring to the family dinner: a savory "Holiday Tart" (recipe from VegNews HERE), acorn squash stuffed with wild rice stuffing (stuffing recipe HERE), and mashed potatoes with butternut squash. There are no photographs of the cooking process as we were on a time crunch and were bustling around that tiny, 800-degrees kitchen, but behold! The finished product!

Here's the tart, fresh out of the oven.

This was delicious! The filling is mostly chickpeas, walnuts, spinach, celery, onion, and garlic and some other herbs. This could be eaten without baking, and it would make a delicious dip or spread. I think it would also be great crust-less, just baked like a casserole.

The wild rice stuffing was delicious! I cooked the rice in vegetable broth, and it cooked for a very long time, and we still had to drain excess liquid, but it still turned out perfect. Instead of an apple, we diced up a pear-apple, which was fun. Pecans are great in rice dishes.

And mashed potatoes, well, you can't go wrong with mashed potatoes! (Especially garlicky ones.) The butternut squash was a great addition.

At the family dinner, everyone was eating pasta and seafood, but I was happy to share my food with everyone (we made plenty to go around!), and I got some lovely feedback!

Here's my plate:

I also made a no-bake fruit pie with So Delicious vanilla on the side, and that was warmly received, but I have no pictures of that. (I've blogged about it awhile back and the "recipe" is HERE.)

It was such a delicious meal and I was SO FULL that I couldn't even THINK about turning my new hula hoop that night! I had an amazing weekend, so full of love. I am so lucky to have such amazing people in my life.

I hope you had a lovely holiday, too! What was on your holiday plate?

Wordless Wednesday: Lights in Bloom @ Selby Botanical Gardens

2011-12-21T06:29:00.002-06:00

Te Amo, Mi Pueblo

2011-12-17T09:57:00.000-06:00

Friday evening, my dearest Kate and I met up in Sarasota for some hangings out. We had a delicious dinner at Mi Pueblo off University Parkway. I hadn't been there since I came down to visit for Kate's wedding in June 2010 (you can read about that first visit HERE.).

Mi Pueblo's vegan/organic menu is lovely. Appetizers, entrees, juices & organic drinks, and desserts. How does one choose? I went with the Tacos de Paz: two corn tortillas filled with spicy ground Brazil nuts, savory guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, and sunflower seed sour cream, garnished with lime. Served with a side of vegetable rice. This is what my friend Robin ordered when we were there last year and she STILL talks about that meal!

The lighting was troublesome in the restaurant, so bear with me.

I don't even know how to describe the amazing flavor and texture of the ground, spiced Brazil nut meat. They were phenomenal! And the just-slightly-tangy-and-a-little-sweet sunflower seed sour cream paired perfectly with it. The corn tortillas were tender, the guacamole fresh, and the vegetable rice on the side was crisp and bursting with fresh veggie flavors. 100% yum.

And even though that was plenty satisfying, we needed a sweet ending after all of that savory deliciousness. Kate and I split the Besitos de Chocolate: Superfood chocolate bites made with Brazil nuts, hemp seeds, agave, raw cacao, and dusted with mesquite. Served with the light and sweet and heavenly macadamia nut cream.

Kate and I LOOOOOVED these! They're perfect. And the orange slice really helped balance out the richness of the chocolate bites. We marveled over the magical powers of nuts while eating these. Seriously -- nuts are awesome!

If you find yourself in Sarasota, make it a priority to try out Mi Pueblo's vegan menu. So fresh, so flavorful, so colorful... These unique raw meals with a Mexican twist will leave you wanting more!

Taqueria Monterrey (from the people who brought you TACO BUS!)

2011-12-16T09:13:00.000-06:00

With a hankering to try something new for dinner one night, my friend Lisa and I got very excited upon reading the vegan menu at Taqueria Monterrey in the USF area of Tampa. They are a sister restaurant to Taco Bus, and knowing that affiliation, I had a good feeling about trying this place out.

We walked into the tiny "Monterrey #2" fairly late in the evening, so business was quiet, but the Latin tunes were blasting, bringing me back to my Zumba days. We sat at a booth and requested the vegan menu, which is entirely separate.

With several options to choose from, deciding was challenging. Lisa went with a soy chorizo burrito plate

and I went with a two-taco plate: one with faux-steak strips and the other with soy chorizo.

I was not impressed with the steak strips. They were incredibly bland, which made their texture that much weirder for me without some flavor to mask it. I did not finish them.

The chorizo, on the other hand, was much more flavorful, with a little kick to 'em. They're also more on the drippy-saucy side, which is usually a sign of deliciousness, as well as sexiness (because who doesn't get turned on by taco sauce dribbles?).

Somehow I missed photographing the bottomless bowl of chips and salsa, but I definitely recommend that. The salsa is fresh and chock full o' cilantro, just how I like it!

Would I return to Taqueria Monterrey? For sure. I'll just skip the steak strips.

My Favorite Songs of 2011

2011-12-12T01:51:00.000-06:00

2011 is coming to a close and it's impossible this time of month to NOT reflect on this past year. So much happened for me in 2011, and though I tend to not get very personal on the blog, I may be posting more reflective posts on the year, but for now, I really want to share my favorite songs of the past year. There are three that I love, and I identify with each of them in some way, especially when looking back on this year.

When there's a burning in your heart
An endless yearning in your heart
Build it bigger than the sun
Let it grow, let it grow
When there's a burning in your heart
Don't be alarmed

And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She'd say, "oh, ohohohoh I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be
Para-para-paradise

I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart

What are your favorite songs of this year? What song best represents 2011 for you?

Meeting Darlynn's Darlins

2011-12-07T01:03:00.000-06:00

A couple of Saturdays ago, a group of volunteers and I spent the afternoon at Darlynn's Darlins, a pig sanctuary in Polk City. We had such an amazing time at this amazing place. Darlynn, the founder of the sanctuary, is quite a lady! She has devoted so much time and energy and love to these beautiful animals. Running a non-profit animal sanctuary is no small feat, and she is always in need of funding and hands-on help, but despite all of the hurdles she jumps on a daily basis, she has a great sense of humor and nothing but love love love for these animals.

After a tour of the grounds, our group set to work on raking, poop shoveling, bowl cleaning, and fence repairing. I also gave Darlynn a Facebook 101 lesson. After our lunch break, a few of us went around and fed apples, bananas, and tomatoes to the pigs, which they LOVED.

Please check out Darlynn's website HERE and "like" what she's doing on Facebook. Every little bit of support would be so greatly appreciated. If you are looking for an animal sanctuary to donate to this holiday season, please consider Darlynn's Darlins.

You can expect to see more from DD's on this blog in the near future!

Tampa ThanksVegan 2011

2011-12-03T21:28:00.000-06:00

This year's Tampa ThanksVegan Dinner was the 6th annual, but only my second. This event will always have a special place in my heart, as it was my first big vegan event when I moved to Florida last November, and I met so many special people at that event, people that have become such beautiful friends.

[You can read about last year's ThanksVegan HERE.]

This year I was much more involved in planning the event. I helped keep the Facebook page active, I helped with volunteer coordinating the day of, which was difficult to juggle along with the task of being the photographer again. The day went by so much faster than last year, and this year was much more hectic, but I still had a great time. One of my friends said it perfectly when she said that as busy and crazy as the day can be, we're still hanging out with our friends, anyway.

Volunteers were in the kitchen by 9am, prepping Tofurkies and Field Roasts and stuffed gardein turk'ys.

We had a great water filter set-up for reusable bottles, and we also collected the food scraps for the piggies at Darlynn's Darlin's pig sanctuary.

So Delicious and Earth Balance both donated dairy-free nogs.

Java Planet donated lots of fair-trade coffee, too.

Sami's Bakery provided DELICIOUS dinner rolls at a discount.

And what goes better with soft rolls than Earth Balance buttery spread? EB donated tubs of each variety!

Now let's talk Tofurky, and then some! Tofurky roasts, Field Roast Celebration Roasts, and gardein stuffed turk'ys were all generously donated by the companies.

There was a vast variety of potluck dishes to choose from.

Here's my Thanksgiving 2011 plate.

Here are some other plates. We were all amused by how different they all looked. A vegan diet is most DEFINITELY a varied diet!

And of course, there was dessert. My buddy Dean makes KILLER cheesecakes. I'm not joking -- I was floating on a cloud of pure contentedness after relishing slices of banana-nut, pumpkin spice, and classic NY-style. (I only got to taste gingerbread last year, so I passed over that one.)

So Delicious and Whole Foods Tampa donated lots of sweet treats that went fast!

And here's a classic case of Being in the Right Place at the Right Time: toward the end of the event, a guest came bearing an amazing gift - a tray of vegan cannoli!

I had a double chocolate one, which had a little spicy kick to it, courtesy of cinnamon and cayenne. What a treat! That was also the first cannoli I've ever had in my life! My friends and I were tickled and ended up having a silly photoshoot with our cannoli, but I won't be posting anything from that series here. ;) It was a very sweet ending to a crazy, awesome, busy, loving whirlwind-of-a-Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T07:19:00.001-06:00

It's Thanksgiving time again, which is my favorite of the big holidays. Giving thanks and gratitude and showing love and appreciation: we just don't do that often enough.

Elsewhere on the interwebs, not affiliated with this blog, I had been posting almost daily, up until Thanksgiving Day, what I was thankful for. Some of the posts were silly things, and some were more personal. I don't get very personal on this blog, but now that the big day is here, I want to share my final gratitude for the holiday with you here.

I am thankful for myself. I am thankful for the strength I have and the bravery I continue to find within me. I am thankful for the moments I speak up, even when my voice shakes. I am thankful for my silliness, for my goofy personality, for my heart (both the one that beats and keeps me alive and the one that reaches out to others). I am thankful for my health, which is actually pretty darn good, all things considered. I am thankful for my body, every square inch of it, and I am thankful that I finally stopped hating it this past year. I am thankful for my adaptability, my resourcefulness, and my "won't-take-no-for-an-answer"-ness. I am thankful for my creativity and talents, even though they often seem quite hidden. I am thankful for my dreams that keep me going and my constant burning desire to make them a reality. I am thankful that I finally learned to not settle for anything less than I am worth.

I have so much to be thankful for, every single day.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Wordless Wednesday: Occupy Orlando (Day 8 - 10/22/11)

2011-11-23T18:06:00.002-06:00

Still VegFestin' After We Left the Park: Ethos Vegan Kitchen & Artichoke Red Vegan C-Store

2011-11-22T21:47:00.003-06:00

After we left Central Florida VegFest, our bladder's painfully full, we high-tailed it to nearby Ethos Vegan Kitchen to use their toilets and eat a proper dinner.

I went with the pecan-crusted eggplant with mashed potatoes with a savory herb gravy and pan-seared fresh green beans. Holy cow, this was super comforting!

The eggplant was so crispy and flavorful. The pecan crust kinda gave it a hint of breakfasty flavor, in a good way.

Amber ordered this big-ass bean burger.

Lisa ordered the flaky savory veggie pie and a side of tomato basil soup.

After sufficiently stuffing ourselves, we headed up the street to Orlando's vegan convenience store, Artichoke Red. They had a booth at CFVF, where we picked up a discount coupon that was burning a whole in our giant purses.

It's tiny, but 100% vegan!

I picked up some Nacho Mom's vegan and gluten-free queso dip.

I had been reading so much buzz about this stuff all year, and was excited to find a gluten-free variety.

(Unfortunately, I didn't like it. I don't know if it was a bad batch or if it's always this way, but it tasted dusty.)

Do you have a vegan convenience store in your city? I've also visited Food Fight! in Portland and Sidecar Pigs for Peace in Seattle. I made it to the door of Fast and Furless in Minneapolis, but they were closed the day I was there. I think Tampa needs a vegan c-store. Who wants to open one with me?