Just Checking In

Hey Guys! I know I totally spoiled you with 4 days of posting in a row and then totally disappeared on you! What can I say? I've been busy. In fact, this little vegan who is normally in bed around 9:30 or 10 most nights has been up past 11 o'clock four consecutive nights this week. Anybody out there watching the Walking Dead? Do I have any comic book fans as readers? Do I have any readers? My boyfriend and I spend a great deal of thought and time on comics (he is trying to break into the comic writing business) and I highly recommend The Walking Dead as well as Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But that's not why you come here, is it? No, I know you. You want food! And I've got it for you!

 

Ok, so I am aware that that is a radio and not food. But I wanted to share with you my day in the kitchen from Saturday before last and no day in the kitchen is complete without my trusty radio. Sometimes I listen to CDs (my favorite are musicals!) but most of the time you'll find me listening to my local public radio station KPBS and the great news and programs they play. Anyone listen to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me? A Way With Words? This American Life? Wow, I sound like a commercial. Well, now that we are set with something to listen to, here's how my Saturday started.

I have enough food stored away to feed myself for months. I couldn't wait to get into the pumpkin! On the agenda was:

Pumpkin Waffles (from Vegan Without a Vengeance)
Pumpkin Muffins with chocolate chips (also from VwaV)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (I have had this recipe so long I don't remember where I got it)
Pumpkin Granola

Pumpkin waffles were first up since they would be breakfast. I mixed up the batter and started them cooking while I started on the muffins.

I don't know that I will ever get over the fact that I got this thing for $2 at a garage sale!

Another thing I will never get over is how much I love these silicone muffin liners! The muffins/cupcakes just pop right out of them and there is no need for added oil or putting anything into the garbage! Win/Win

While the muffins cooked I ate waffles (plain and eaten with my hand is my favorite way to eat waffles oddly enough). I also mixed up a double batch of chocolate chip cookies. I think I've mentioned it before but my boyfriend is quite the lover of chocolate chip cookies and so I try to always have some in the house baked up and some in the freezer as well.

Here are the muffins and the first batch of cookies. I was going to make a second batch of muffins and try to alter the recipe but I ran out of both oil and sugar! The horror! My intention was going to be to reduce the oil and replace with apple sauce and reduce the sugar slightly and add fresh cranberries and walnuts. Still haven't gotten around to this yet, but I will soon!

Whilst all this was going on, I realized I had just a bit of pumpkin left in the open can and I decided to make my normal granola recipe into pumpkin granola.

Looks delicious, right? Totally is. Mmmm. Granola. Maybe that's what I should have for dessert...Sorry, back to granola.

I think granola is one of the easiest things to make. If you have never tried it you totally should!

While all this was going on, I forgot to mention that I was cooking up a batch of garbanzo beans as well.

Needless, to say, it was a very productive day in the kitchen! Now I'm off to visit my mom where we are going to be purchasing tickets for my first vacation in at least 3.5 years! I am so excited. I haven't been on a plane in about 8 years and it is going to be so nice to do some traveling! Not to mention I am going to the west coast mecha of vegan food! Any guesses as to where?