Vegan goodies and letting sleeping dogs lie....

***UPDATED*** Ok... I re-uploaded all the pics... hopefully they will work for everyone now.

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post! I don't know where the time has flown off to! I only managed to cook some Coconut Lime Cookies and Apple Hemp muffins. Otherwise I've been eating leftovers from my freezer, which, considering hurricane season is upon us, is probably a good thing. I hate having to throw everything out of my freezer after a week long power outage!


In other news... I'm sad to report that I'm no longer the young, nubile 20 year old whose body recovers practically spontaneously from whatever I throw at it. No... not anymore. Now it creaks and aches and requires heating pads and Icy Hot to recover. A good example of this? Here's a picture of my wrists after 4 days carrying a tray:

Nothing an Icy Hot patch and a wrist wrap can't cure. *sigh*

To ease my suffering I treated myself to a new vegan wallet from Matt & Nat. It was on sale through their website and it's so much nicer in person than I expected :)



It's a cool moss green-y color, and a funky design with lots of pockets and card slots. I'm totally loving it!

I'll leave you all with a cute picture of Lilly. I've been transitioning her from her crate to my bed at night because I'm going to have a roommate soon (just a temporary, helping out a friend thing). I still can't get over how good she is. She sleeps either with me, in her bed next to my bed, or, mostly, on the cool tile floor. At 9:30 she wakes me up with licks and snuggles. She doesn't like sleeping any later than that, but I can't complain about that!

Sorry ... sorry... sorry

Well... I was going to try a little experiment with my new slow cooker.... I was going to make seitan in it to see if I could get that "simmer" setting just right, but then I tried seitan at a friends house and.... Let's just say I'm not a fan, so I decided not to put the effort into it. I did, however, make Sloppy Lentils from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker (book link in sidebar) which was absolutely amazing. It cooked on low for about 8 hours, and aside from a couple charred bits, it was so delicious! I served it over some basic mashed potatoes for dinner last night. Yum!



My Monstera fruit finally ripened. This is really not a good fruit for someone who is impatient. From all accounts, if you wait until it's not fully ripened the black stuff you see in the center can be toxic. Not lethal or anything, but it might cause a reaction.

So... How to explain this.... As it ripens the green "scales" on the outside start pulling away like in the picture on the left and when touched they just fall away. Then you scrap the "kernels" (kind of like mushy corn kernels) off the "cob". The black stuff that comes off with it has no taste and once ripened is not toxic. The texture is sort of like a slightly mushy banana and it has a tang very similar to Pineapple.

It took about 2 days for it to fully ripen once it began, and you sort of eat it as it ripens. I don't know that I'd pay another $5 for one, but if you ever find one, it's definitely worth trying once in your life!

My new job is going well. It's been 12 years (at least) since I've waitressed, and I'm actually kind of enjoying it. Time flies when I'm there, and although I've only been working lunches so far, the money has been pretty decent, and everyone is really friendly. My body however, is not so used to it, and I'm sore all over. Especially my wrists (of all things) from carrying the trays. I'm sure I'll get used to it in now time, but my 34 year old body is definitely not recuperating as fast as it used to!

Well... I took the test and...

*Thud*

That's the sound of me passing out from a week of 10 hour days, followed by a weekend of studying. My first day of class last week I was handed a 200 page manual which was covered over five 2 -3 hour classes which in turn was followed by training on the floor. I would come home, pass out, wake up early and study, because every day we had a quiz.

One issue I ran into was that every class they ordered one dish of everything we talked about in class. Obviously most of it was meat dishes and me being a vegan was an issue. I compromised with dipping a veggie in each sauce so I would understand the "flavor profile". There was a part of me that felt a little guilty for doing that, like I was cheating or something, but ultimately, I feel ok with the decision. I wish that I could work at a vegan restaurant, but the only one here closed, so I will have to make do in the non-vegan world.

That said, I was very impressed by the entire section devoted to vegetarians and vegans. The even went so far as to discuss why vegans don't eat regular sugar, so why certain "vegetarian" dishes aren't appropriate. I was pretty impressed, and I have to say, I never thought to ask about sugar when I'm interrogating a poor server at a restaurant. Does any else out there ask about sugar in recipes?

Anyway, it was thoroughly exhausting and all for a restaurant job. I took my test on Monday afternoon and it was 68 questions... 9 pages... and none of it multiple choice. I swear it was harder than any test I took in college! Of course, I passed :) I don't fail at things like that. I start on Thursday and I'm actually looking forward to it!!!

I had today off, which was such a welcome relief. Finally no anxiety of an impeding test. I had a bazillion errands to run, but I found some time to cook as well:

This weekend I managed to make some more muffins. Pumpkin Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance. Oh... my.... goddess... these are SO amazing. They're moist, sweet and fragrant. I love all the spices used... It's like pumpkin pie in a muffin. If anyone needs a little taste of fall, I highly recommend these muffins. They were so good, in fact, that this is a picture of the 1st batch that I made. These went to my brother - he loved them! The second batch is all mine though!

Today I made repeats... Hummus Quinoa Casserole from Vive le Vegan! and Curried Split Pea Soup from Vegan with a Vengeance. I made a half batch of the casserole, but I used all the veggies. I think actually, I could just eat the roasted veggies. It will be a nice quick meal before or after work.


I've always been a firm believer that Split Pea soup should be so thick you could stand a spoon up in it. I don't know if they make it like that here in the U.S., but in Denmark it's the standard way. It should also be pureed in the blender. I always add potatoes to this soup because it helps to thicken it up and I like the texture that it gives the soup.


This weekend I also made some Asparagus Potato soup from Vegan with a Vengeance. Not a fan, although I do love asparagus. Mom thought maybe there wasn't enough salt in it, but I wasn't terribly fond of the texture. It seemed a bit... gelatinous. And when I took it out of the fridge tonight, I wasn't too fond of the smell either.


I made an interesting find at Whole Foods today. It's called a Monstera fruit. According to the website it's a cross between a banana, mango and pineapple. It was $5, but I just couldn't resist trying something new! You wait for the little "scales" to fall away naturally and then eat the fruit bit by bit. I'll post more about the fruit when I finally get to it. Has anyone else out there tried one of these?

One last thing... I little reward if you've made it this far :) Nava Atlas, a wonderful cookbook author, is selling her new not-yet-released revised and veganized cookbook: Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. If you order it from her blog at the same price (roughly) as it will be sold for on Amazon.com, PLUS she'll send you a slightly hurt, but FREE, copy of Vegetariana. TWO for the price of one and she'll sign it too. I already ordered mine. It is a vegan cookbook about SOUP after all... and we all know how much I love soup!

Be sure to check back in a couple days... I made a new purchase that should arrive tomorrow and I have an experiment up my sleeve to blog about ;)

It's Time To Go Back To Work...

It's really such a sad thing, because it's been a lovely sabbatical. My financial well, however, is just about dry. I got hired by an upscale nationwide restaurant. I haven't been a server in about 10 years, but I am hoping it will all come back to me. since I have my orientation class tomorrow. I guess it will take awhile to acclimate to a restaurant schedule (like the fact that Labor Day weekend clearly means nothing to them). I think it will be good for me to start working again though. I've become so complacent in my life, waiting for my condo to sell so that I can move forward.

I had my first training class yesterday and was handed a 200 page manual to read and memorize. I have training every day this week, the weekend off, and then I have to take a test on Monday. If I pass, I get the job. EEEEK! Truth be told, I'm a little nervous about it all.

Needless to say there won't be a lot of FOOD blogging this week, but wish me luck!!

Tagged! 5 Foods to Eat Before You Die!

Laura over at Eden In The Kitchen tagged me to participate in a food bloggers meme, asking me to: create a list of food bloggers top picks for things you've eaten and think that everyone should eat at least once before they die. Wow. Talk about tough...

1. Hot Mulled Apple Cider - For it's sweetness and warmth. It always brings back memories of fall for me (which I've been missing living in the south the last 11 years)

2. A perfectly ripe Mango - The most awesomely sweet thing that nature has to offer.

3. Fresh grilled Corn on the Cob with a little Earth Balance

4. Ripe Strawberries dipped in Vegan Chocolate

5. Stewed Strawberries & Rhubarb with Vegan Sugar

I tag:

Living Vegan
Megan the Vegan
Pisces Place
Supper and the Single Girl
Vivacious Vegan

The Storm Was a Dud & More Cooking

Well Tropical Storm Ernesto was a dud. We barely got any rain, let alone wind. Not that I'm complaining, I hope all storms are so tame this year -- it would certainly help the real estate market a little (and it could really use some help so my freaking condo would sell)!

I spent Tuesday baking: I made Apple-Hemp Muffins, Banana Oat Bundles, & Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares from Vive Le Vegan! The Apple-Hemp Muffins are becoming a standard request from my Mom, and they're my all time favorite as well. I'm undecided on the Banana Oat Bundles... They go a little soggy in the fridge (and it's too hot here to keep them anywhere else), but then dry out a little too much when you toast them. But the Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares... Oh My Goddess! They are seriously dangerous to have around! At first I thought maybe they were too rich, but really... is that even possible?


My Mom ended up coming down to spend the night anyway so we decided to try making the Pumpkin Seed-Coated Lentil Patties from Vive le Vegan! again. I think this is the 1st entree that I really didn't like. It turned out better than last time but I thought the pumpkin seed flavor was too overwhelming. Mom, however, loved them and took the leftovers home. We also had some green beans that mom bought pre-made from WFM (yummy!).




We spent Wednesday cleaning out and organizing my two walk in closets (one full of clothes, one full of other stuff). It was definitely a two person job and once mom gets on a roll she barely lets you take breaks. So she ended up staying over last night as well and we made the Curried Rice 'n' Bean-Filled Zucchini from Vive le Vegan! These are absolutely fantastic! There was enough of the stuffing to freeze for another day, and I think they would have been even better with a little curry sauce drizzled over them. This one definitely gets an A+ in my book. Everyone should go out and make this one... SOON! :)

Thanks for all your well wishes... it certainly kept the storm at bay!

I'm Back In Time For the Storm!

I'm back from my long weekend with my parents and we had a blast! We went down to Elliot Key in Biscayne National Park (this is in Florida, btw). On the way down we went past these funky stilt "houses" and had dolphins swimming with the boat! This is not uncommon in the area we were in, but it's always magical!

Lilly did great on her first boat trip. She didn't get sea sick and LOVED the water, which I'm so relieved about! She floated, ran on a sand bar, and even took herself for a swim off a beach. 9 times out of 10 we are able to get the dogs to land in the dinghy to go potty, but we taught her to go on the front of the boat, just in case. Turned out to be a good thing because one night there were 3 foot waves in the cove where we were anchored and there was no way in hell we were taking the dogs in, at night, in a little boat. She would only go when my mom took her out there though. If I was there she'd just sit at my feet. Overall she had a blast, and she was so cute and unafraid, and, I'm afraid, a little depressed to be back home ;)

My "treats" were, of course, a huge hit! We gobbled down ever last piece and mom and I both had to swear of sweets for a while. I think we put on 5 lbs this weekend, but it was well worth it! The Date Bars were the overall favorite, but I liked the Blueberry Bundles too, but they were definitely better toasted.

One night we cooked Pasta with Rosemary Seasoned Tofu Balls from Vive le Vegan! I was a little worried how this would be received, since I have a very tofu-phobic family. But I shouldn't have worried. Of course everyone loved it! They really were delicious and certainly better than any meatball I've ever had. I just love not having to worry if something is undercooked, which I was always so obsessive about with meat.

Another night Mom and I had leftover Sweet Curry Chickpea Casserole We made a little extra sauce using curry paste, curry powder, onions, and some vegetable broth. We also added peas and it was absolutely delicious served over brown rice.

We ended up eating the casserole because I had a failed attempt at Pumpkin Seed-Coated Lentil Patties also from Vive. I followed the direction but it didn't seem like the lentils cooked enough so I added more water and cooked them for longer, but I think maybe they were to "wet. I refrigerated the mixture over night but they were pure mush and unusable. I ended up chucking it overboard, which made mom a little mad because she thought they were tasty anyway. And I guess i shouldn't have wasted it, but I honestly didn't know how to salvage it.

Now I'm back at awaiting the imminent arrival of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Ernesto. You'd think it was the storm of the century the way everyone's getting all hysterical and buying up every available bottle of water and cooked food in the store. And of course, it's the only thing on TV. *sigh* People get silly. Which is not to say it shouldn't be taken seriously. I've lived here for 8 years and I've been through my fair share. It's no fun and I always seem to lose power at the mere mention of high winds. I'm also only a mile from the ocean, and therefore in a 2nd level mandatory evacuation zone, which I never heed. Mom is coming down with her dog to spent the night with me (I swear my building is a bunker, it's solid concrete), but Dad is going to stay on the boat. This is normal for him, especially for a tropical storm/low level hurricane. They actually stayed during Wilma last year, which was a bit stupid in hindsight, but they were ok. So.... If you don't hear from me for a couple days, please don't worry. It's just because I lost power and therefore internet access as well. It's not going to be a bad storm though. I swear ;)

I'm Going Away & Taking My Treats With Me!

But it's only for the weekend :)

I've been swept up in a baking frenzy! I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go anchor out with my parents in the Keys (my parents live on a boat). Mom requested more Apple-Hemp Muffins, but I've made them twice already and I've been itching for a change. So I've made: Blueberry Bounty Buns, Apricot-Almond Loaf, & Delish Date Squares. They're all from Vive le Vegan! (What? You expected a different cookbook? Puhlease!)

It might sound excessive, but we'll be gone 4 days. There's no stores anywhere, so you only have what you take with you, and there are three of us (counting my father who can't stop eating my delicious vegan treats despite his hesitations!)

The Blueberry Bounty Buns weren't quite what I expected, although I really like them. I thought they'd be more scone-ish, but they're more like really soft muffin tops. Which is still fantastic... and they really are "just" sweet enough. I used blueberries that I had frozen about a month ago and they worked great in the recipe.

The Apricot-Almond Loaf was pretty much exactly what I expected. It's moist and crunchy and I'm sure it will be perfect as a mid-afternoon snack with a cup of tea! I think next time I will only put the almonds on the top and not in the loaf as well. And maybe more apricots too. Overall though... it's awesome!

I had a few problems with the Delish Date Squares. I didn't read the directions all the way through first, and when to add the lemon rind threw me off. Picture me picking the zest out of a pot of cut up dates and lemon juice. *sigh*. Then the oat mixture/crust was way too dry so I added in some more maple syrup and oil and it still seemed dry, but I was worried I would over do it, so I put it together and baked it. In the end, it actually seemed to hold together pretty good. I think I used too big a lemon though (they all seemed slightly monstrous in size at WFM today), because it was very lemon-y. Very! But still tasty!


I'm not sure yet what we'll be cooking while we're out there, but I'll be bringing my tool box and I'll be sure to update everyone when I get back on Sunday night! Have a good weekend everyone!