tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65870357394079534032024-03-13T05:39:32.458-07:00San Diego VeganSan Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-4213756689223188462011-12-29T19:44:00.000-08:002011-12-29T19:44:35.504-08:00Tap, tap, tap....Is there anyone still out there? I can't believe it has been 4 months since I posted anything here! So much has happened since I posted last! I joined the SDSU Marching Aztecs as an alumni and played cymbals in the drumline for the last 4 months. It was a crazy busy time at work as well which lead to my not cooking very much. I relied on a whole lot of farmer's market tamales, canned soups, boca burgers and a ton of granola bars. Now that the marching season is over though I am slowly getting myself back in the kitchen but still haven't made it back to many whole foods. Case in point; tonight's post.<br />
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Vegan California Burrito<br />
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If you've never been to San Diego you may have never heard of this wonderful creation. In my high school days this was a staple of my diet. A couple of friends recently reminded me of it and it made me want to create a vegan version. The staples of a California burrito are:<br />
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Carne Asada<br />
Guacamole<br />
French Fries<br />
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In addition, they usually include cheese and tomatoes and can sometimes have sour cream.<br />
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Here's what I started with:<br />
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<ul><li>Alexia salt & pepper crinkle fries</li>
</ul><ul><li> Daiya cheddar style shreds</li>
</ul><ul><li> Smart Strips chick'n style</li>
</ul><ul><li> Guacamole (I generally would make this myself but this guac is made by a little start up company run by a guy I used to work with so I thought I'd go with that)</li>
</ul><ul><li> Roma tomato</li>
</ul><ul><li> Tortillas (disclaimer: I love La Fe tortillas and they do make vegan versions that I buy and eat most of the time, but the burrito tortillas unfortunately have whey...but I let it slide when I really want a burrito)</li>
</ul><br />
While the oven preheated for the fries, I marinated the chick'n strips in some bragg's liquid aminos to hopefully turn them into more of a carne asada than a pollo asada.<br />
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Once the oven was preheated, I cooked the fries. When they were done I put the tortilla on the hot pan to soften it and I added the cheese in hopes it would melt but the tortilla was soft before it had a chance.<br />
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While the fries were cooking I heated the carne asada in my tiny cast iron skillet (I wish I had a picture of that...oops. Rusty I guess). It browned up quite nicely and looked quite a bit like carne asada.<br />
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Next I added the fries, carne asada and tomatoes to the tortilla and cheese.<br />
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Finally I topped the whole thing off with guacamole.<br />
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Rolled the thing up, took a bite and died and went to heaven. This may have been one of the greatest things I have ever veganized. Try it. I dare you not to! Only, make sure you ran 5 miles at the gym before you got home so that you do not feel one ounce of guilt for the ungodly amount of calories that is probably in this thing.<br />
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I hope you all enjoyed my first post in a long time. No guarantees that I'm back regularly but as inspiration strikes it's nice to have an outlet!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-63592810762531480092011-08-10T06:42:00.000-07:002011-08-10T06:42:09.511-07:00So there is this one thing I made....I<strike> had</strike> still have a bounty of zucchini from my garden this year. One recipe I have fallen in love with is <a href="http://www.maplespice.com/2009/07/chocolate-zucchini-bread.html">this chocolate zucchini bread</a>. The recipe said it was brownie like so I took a chance and cooked it in an 8 x 8 pan and let me tell you, that is one of the best brownies I have ever tasted. Ever. Uuuuunfortunatly, despite their deliciousness, they do not stay together very well and you end up with brownie crumbles. Not that I'm complaining. I am going to experiment with baking them in muffin tins to see if they hold up better to travel that way. As soon as I work through the 2nd of two batches I baked and froze about a month ago. Zucchini, by the way, picked fresh from the garden, survives remarkably well in the fridge unwrapped.<br />
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So this was all leading to a picture, and a description of what I did with the frozen brownie bits.<br />
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That's right, I ate it with ice cream. Sometimes I warm the brownie first and other times I eat the whole thing cold. It reminds me of Coldstone where you get to mix in whatever you want. I love So Delicious coconut vanilla ice cream because I can mix in whatever I want. I usually only eat a small portion and mix in whatever sounds good. Last week I had frozen cherries. Yum. This ice cream you may notice is a bit green. While I wish I could say that it was spinach in that ice cream, it's not. It is however matcha. The flavor was a little strong for me to eat by itself, but mixed with the brownie it was very good.<br />
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San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-65703565771257368332011-08-08T18:17:00.000-07:002011-08-08T18:17:59.154-07:00Hi, My Name is Allison and....<ul><li>I have been really failing in the photographing of food and my garden departments lately.</li>
</ul><ul><li>I have a cookbook addiction. Seriously, I just bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/BabyCakes-Gluten-Free-Sugar-Free-Recipes-Talked-About/dp/0307408833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312852608&sr=1-1">Babycakes</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peas-Thank-You-Simple-Meatless/dp/0373892403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312852563&sr=8-1">Peas & Thank You</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peas-Thank-You-Simple-Meatless/dp/0373892403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312852563&sr=8-1">Vegan Diner.</a> So far I have made enchiladas from P&TY and chili from Vegan Diner. Neither have disappointed. I also made the <a href="http://peasandthankyou.com/2011/07/24/third-times-a-mmmm/">Summer Succotash Quesadillas</a> from the Peas & Thank You blog but did not have any garbanzo beans to make the Mmmm Suace. Next time. They were delicious by the way. </li>
</ul><ul><li>I went to Comic Con, watched a bunch of new shows on netflix, went on some hikes, worked in my garden shopped at some farmer's markets, have been drinking way too much Starbucks and have generally been enjoying life. </li>
</ul>How have you been? San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-91389941452061252422011-06-11T08:17:00.000-07:002011-06-11T08:17:00.332-07:00Busy BusyGood morning everyone! Sorry to have disappeared for so long. Life has been quite filled lately. The accounting office where I work recently had our largest client acquire another company and thus double their size. This led to increased work loads and promotions. I gained a new position at my company (one that involves mostly solving puzzles and reconciling bank accounts which I find fun because I am a dork) and also was given permission to log on remotely from home and work some overtime. A number of people ended up working some 55 hour weeks for about 4-6 weeks. Luckily, the worst should be over and we can all resume our normal lives. And thank goodness, as an extra 15 hours of work a week means that there is a trade off somewhere. For me it was working out and cooking. I ate a lot of tofurky sandwiches, quick salads and simple no fuss roasted veggies over the past month. Not to mention some super quick breakfasts, which is actually the first thing I want to show you. Last weekend I went to Costco and purchased a large container of kiwis that smelled super ripe. One day genius struck and I put some berry jam on a piece of toast and topped it with a sliced kiwi. Since then, I think I have eaten this for breakfast just about every day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOno6TjJ11C3M44KJ-a9jJlgSUbmZ5jBpKduYGO9PnCazSb2FNDxktJsP0v7PVc9_6sw4vgoyZ4GfT_K5xMKBgT0z7_ly8Zi7MIZ2uI_ISIIrICmwDbMv2dFalu08E9Eoe_eA2lkQl4tw_/s1600/Kiwi+Jam+Toast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOno6TjJ11C3M44KJ-a9jJlgSUbmZ5jBpKduYGO9PnCazSb2FNDxktJsP0v7PVc9_6sw4vgoyZ4GfT_K5xMKBgT0z7_ly8Zi7MIZ2uI_ISIIrICmwDbMv2dFalu08E9Eoe_eA2lkQl4tw_/s320/Kiwi+Jam+Toast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Throughout all the chaos, I did take some time at the end of May to have my family over for dinner for my dad's birthday. I made a whole soft taco spread complete with spanish rice, refried beans, taco seasoned tvp, lettuce, guacamole, tofutti sour cream, olives, tomatoes, salsa, chips and a tiny bit of cheese. It was a delicious dinner and a great time. In addition to dinner, I attempted a vegan version of my dad's favorite birthday dessert, a sheet cake. My mom's mom used to make this cake for my dad and so I had some high standards to meet. Luckily I found <a href="http://www.namelymarly.com/2010/06/vegan-chocolate-sheet-cake/">this recipe</a> and it turned out fabulous! Not only did everyone love it (and go back for more), they said that it might be closer to my grandma's recipe than the version my mom makes. Win! Admittedly, it's pretty hard to dislike a cake with as much sugar as this has, but since it was my dad's birthday I didn't want to go all crazy health foodie on him. I used all purpose flour and made no substitutions.<br />
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I still have a piece in my freezer which is the only reason I haven't jumped into the kitchen to go make these <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/06/10/im-obsessed-with-this-dessert/">Fudge Daddies</a> from Chocolate Covered Katie. How yummy do those look?<br />
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And finally, I'll leave you with a teaser in hopes that it will get me to write up another post tonight or tomorrow:<br />
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I bought a Vitamix!<br />
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Do you have one? What's your favorite thing to make with it?San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-72458856569478787362011-05-15T20:57:00.000-07:002011-05-15T20:57:28.345-07:00The Best Boyfriend EverI received a text on Friday night from my boyfriend on his way home from work saying that he was bringing home yum yums. This job and his last were at restaurants and at his old job that would have meant either chicken or tofu. I was out and about, and when I arrived home I found this in my kitchen:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLBBSqcsZltIRLCayDVgYKdhwgDC78BMYRSuWp1g8eI4Gp_QNZhhirERcAkhims2u_mU9HXR_jbz3vHUlufA1cv6ZzB3mLDPAdy05Ql3aErBFB9FMkQEkgRxJheJYwlrlvT-qKZBgXl97/s1600/Anthology+Hummus+%2526+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLBBSqcsZltIRLCayDVgYKdhwgDC78BMYRSuWp1g8eI4Gp_QNZhhirERcAkhims2u_mU9HXR_jbz3vHUlufA1cv6ZzB3mLDPAdy05Ql3aErBFB9FMkQEkgRxJheJYwlrlvT-qKZBgXl97/s320/Anthology+Hummus+%2526+Bread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>3 different kinds of hummus and grilled bread slices. Can I just say that hummus is an infinitely better gift to come home to than flowers. Oddly enough, his new job has enabled to me to awaken to surprise flowers as well.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBDRz6t-W7id1yhLH77VoZamRfYFvniCbAMx4Dr1ZUxMzTp_FtV6ORx9YT8r6i09xY2Eb_MZrSNwoeKKxB9pGCIHC9SS5eGMHtTFw1m1eXnTZDE6bMFpLlV1Qbk_eV5R8lTcaCZDcfmGS/s1600/Anthology+Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBDRz6t-W7id1yhLH77VoZamRfYFvniCbAMx4Dr1ZUxMzTp_FtV6ORx9YT8r6i09xY2Eb_MZrSNwoeKKxB9pGCIHC9SS5eGMHtTFw1m1eXnTZDE6bMFpLlV1Qbk_eV5R8lTcaCZDcfmGS/s320/Anthology+Flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Nevermind that they were leftovers from a private event (as was the hummus) and that his boss made him take them home to his girlfriend (shh...I didn't tell you that). Still, it was quite a surprise to wake up to flowers. Hummus is a way better gift though. What holidays are coming up? I need to capitalize on this idea.San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-27921640318416469252011-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:002011-05-04T07:00:34.804-07:00Vegetarian Cooking ClassGood morning yet again! I think I have determined that daylight savings, mixed with needing to get up and water my garden, with a pinch of going to bed at a reasonable hour are all coming together to bring you (almost) daily morning updates. Weird.<br />
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About a month ago my mom surprised me by taking me to a vegetarian cooking class at this cooking store called <a href="http://www.great-news.com/">Great News</a>. She had told me about this store filled with cooking gadgets and also that they often held cooking classes. I was slightly disappointed when I learned that the class was not going to be hands on, but it turned out pretty great regardless and I had a lot of fun. Everything had the option of being vegan and we got to eat samples of everything made. The class was a little high on the tempeh and seitan levels but all in all, pretty good vegan food (especially for non vegans). I would love to find another vegetarian cooking class that focuses more on fruits, veggies, beans, grains and nuts. Now that would be cool. Sorry for the fairly low quality photos as I was a bad food blogger and forgot my real camera (and had to use my phone). In addition, I also forgot to take a picture of the first dish until my mom reminded me and my bowl was already cleared.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzyYpwmX6ujJbHFuq6xRdcQzCTx_NkfW6Nt2QIbe7NB2FjRIRevW5r5gS__iEWPCrCnkdTkRIHoPPk9i8zGIjTKhgbnnzkL-yw7GTLySYQLJMU6Kef85-RFI4_8-n-gw0vT38GhQC98b6/s1600/Cooking+Class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzyYpwmX6ujJbHFuq6xRdcQzCTx_NkfW6Nt2QIbe7NB2FjRIRevW5r5gS__iEWPCrCnkdTkRIHoPPk9i8zGIjTKhgbnnzkL-yw7GTLySYQLJMU6Kef85-RFI4_8-n-gw0vT38GhQC98b6/s320/Cooking+Class.jpg" width="191" /></a></div> If you can read that, it lists the menu and the venue. The first dish was a coconut milk curry corn chowder. It was really good considering how few ingredients it contained. They served it with tempeh bacon which was not a winner in my book.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03XpdyP0JB4m1nnTwIASIHINauVPkQpkdEciCQsWJof_zX8s31VHkVaCZ9cn1VpNOUHr7TknIyMEgWqx9qWW2D_kzrOvxJHFco7N-Qsv9fpzOWK6yKsmMLYR7qHGTIWAP6dLCBCtzA7_P/s1600/Falafels+with+Tahini+Sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03XpdyP0JB4m1nnTwIASIHINauVPkQpkdEciCQsWJof_zX8s31VHkVaCZ9cn1VpNOUHr7TknIyMEgWqx9qWW2D_kzrOvxJHFco7N-Qsv9fpzOWK6yKsmMLYR7qHGTIWAP6dLCBCtzA7_P/s320/Falafels+with+Tahini+Sauce.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
Next up was fried falafels in warmed pita bread with tahini sauce and smoked paprika tomato onion relish. This was so good. And convinced me to buy smoked paprika.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXl_zCl9VsdfiVE7FO9RBUvauwgyyOgvjL-hXvfOFQz0j5Rrrlv8PikmDhO1R-_xM6grJEDW2H8kzfL91KEb5w-Z4S4ubOCdt0dEJ6nQEnrfWxVPGQHL2dJBpIC9M03Si6ZB02APLEMndI/s1600/Seitan+Risotto+Bolognse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXl_zCl9VsdfiVE7FO9RBUvauwgyyOgvjL-hXvfOFQz0j5Rrrlv8PikmDhO1R-_xM6grJEDW2H8kzfL91KEb5w-Z4S4ubOCdt0dEJ6nQEnrfWxVPGQHL2dJBpIC9M03Si6ZB02APLEMndI/s320/Seitan+Risotto+Bolognse.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
This was the star of the show. Seitan risotto bolognese with portabello mushrooms. My friend Rachel and I recreated this that week with brown arborro rice and leaving out the seitan. A lot of work, but if you have a friend in the kitchen (especially one who likes to cook) it isn't really that hard. And it is mighty delicious.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGBTjl-hIFKZ01udO5zBuBQN7KWdD82Fxudu382xJZdrbNkrZmFWHKhPG-vipRtWDymHbH6JPqSBAA0NJ8T7KfF9QRteZeMmfW4XhYQyvzvlrkWyFxgGL_XaFBhhFZjhTN1S6ag4gx473/s1600/Hawaiian+Coconut+Pudding+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGBTjl-hIFKZ01udO5zBuBQN7KWdD82Fxudu382xJZdrbNkrZmFWHKhPG-vipRtWDymHbH6JPqSBAA0NJ8T7KfF9QRteZeMmfW4XhYQyvzvlrkWyFxgGL_XaFBhhFZjhTN1S6ag4gx473/s320/Hawaiian+Coconut+Pudding+.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>And finally, coconut pudding with crushed pineapple. Really simple and really delicious. I recreated this at home but failed on the cornstarch front and had lumpy pudding. It was salvageable though since it was sort of like rice pudding. <br />
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I did also try the coconut curry corn chowder at home but I wasn't as impressed.<br />
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Alrighty, I am off to work now. Have a great day! <br />
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<b>Have you ever been to a cooking class?</b>San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-30197960032427577592011-05-03T06:45:00.000-07:002011-05-03T06:45:34.859-07:00Any Plant Experts Out There?Good morning! Just popping in quickly to say hi and show you some pictures from a recent and a not so recent hike around Mission Trails. Saturday my friend Rachel and I embarked on a hike up Cowles Mountain. We proceeded past the summit to Pyle's Peak in a hike that ended up lasting 3 hours in probably 80 degree weather. I ended up extremely starving and a bit sun burned despite having applied sun screen but it was a fun hike.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFs7IosaEGnsh2h7uJrNG1Rfq8EE4op9ukyBVnkLXcXhZEfILuTIV7FmIlaZeJCQYbPfSj93KvBgdT2g0CFIjtNnZc8o3PAHg2qsfeFfddnm2LphaizgV_Sau70rWcn-BI0IncUdsgLuo/s1600/Unknown+Plant+with+Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFs7IosaEGnsh2h7uJrNG1Rfq8EE4op9ukyBVnkLXcXhZEfILuTIV7FmIlaZeJCQYbPfSj93KvBgdT2g0CFIjtNnZc8o3PAHg2qsfeFfddnm2LphaizgV_Sau70rWcn-BI0IncUdsgLuo/s320/Unknown+Plant+with+Flowers.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Which brings me to this plant you see here. It was growing everywhere! It looks like a 7 foot tall asparagus stalk with stems coming out of the top which are either covered in flowers (whitish with purplish ends) or as below<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84PqmxGqHqDOy7iBFc8VHZ1W0fGnModntKQMmC9alBhinimVYMdm3Ls322Y2tzlwtxabkhAgRCk6RLLyrtQEHPnABGFXWXJw009MskMxTkAv1iK94ShyphenhyphenFkXKoFX8rGrpHzw06hbBObwtw/s1600/Unknown+Plant+with+Fruits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84PqmxGqHqDOy7iBFc8VHZ1W0fGnModntKQMmC9alBhinimVYMdm3Ls322Y2tzlwtxabkhAgRCk6RLLyrtQEHPnABGFXWXJw009MskMxTkAv1iK94ShyphenhyphenFkXKoFX8rGrpHzw06hbBObwtw/s320/Unknown+Plant+with+Fruits.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>With fruits that look like mini bell peppers. This plant was fascinating! There were also dead dried up old ones along the way as well. I thought perhaps someone might know what they were? Long shot I'm sure, but you never know.<br />
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As for the past hike, these are from Mission Trails heading out of Santee near the Old Mission Dam about a month or two ago.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiX0uGA62uckPC3KOQyFVWPXnmikzQPVQzXv_aneuvfwORb5Fp1VpXfSvVXFm1eQPBRlNo5U7s5FVEGNKiN0jfCzmAar2wMEjQ-sLOfjKG4xwWezN77I-3m_SUMwcgD8nQuNdp9KCANX0/s1600/Mission+Trails+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiX0uGA62uckPC3KOQyFVWPXnmikzQPVQzXv_aneuvfwORb5Fp1VpXfSvVXFm1eQPBRlNo5U7s5FVEGNKiN0jfCzmAar2wMEjQ-sLOfjKG4xwWezN77I-3m_SUMwcgD8nQuNdp9KCANX0/s320/Mission+Trails+Creek.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbsnjEVl0BnXa4GzwIMliV5ly3Tr3O7Q4fSl-cfgmRvw1RIc8cs9Sbm767EQTXoIvDqsJhyphenhyphenctBsT3JpBpMo6VBjf8eAGPQGiG-2ZNKpyQ07UMBoaAIokNggjY35TNQvdvA60EsiAuMwNl/s1600/Mission+Trails+Mini+Fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbsnjEVl0BnXa4GzwIMliV5ly3Tr3O7Q4fSl-cfgmRvw1RIc8cs9Sbm767EQTXoIvDqsJhyphenhyphenctBsT3JpBpMo6VBjf8eAGPQGiG-2ZNKpyQ07UMBoaAIokNggjY35TNQvdvA60EsiAuMwNl/s320/Mission+Trails+Mini+Fall.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>The picture of the mini water fall is shaded pretty poorly, but I love looking at it and remembering that even though I live in a suburban area, there is still water and life to be found only a short ways away.<br />
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I hope you all have a wonderful day! I'm off to work!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-72006619982741522202011-05-01T13:44:00.000-07:002011-05-01T13:44:17.615-07:00Dehydrator FunThis morning I set out to make Oh She Glows' <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/20/whole-grain-vegan-carrot-cake-loaf-with-lemon-glaze/">Carrot Loaf</a>. I was thinking about how healthy this loaf seems utilizing only maple syrup for the sugar. I got to wondering if I could replace the sugar with something less processed or more whole. I thought dates might be nice but would probably completely mess with the texture. I ended up following the recipe exactly (except I had no walnuts and so I used pecans instead), but this got me thinking about dates and how they could be used to make a sugar substitute. I have seen date sugar but it is pretty expensive. My solution? Dehydrator and either a food processor or a coffee grinder. Here's the before:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDGwAKDllpLW8frxfUmqW2f6-SIkmfx034IIO4fZvBe5Q4OrAa3pUB0u0FU8qVYUAVwGKHLyVrHVf5OsdQdNUmEvBObHsgjvSANqj2hELt698vRiclt6cPpK0_i3LP6O2KYjlF-VqFkcq/s1600/Dehydrator+Dates+for+Date+Sugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDGwAKDllpLW8frxfUmqW2f6-SIkmfx034IIO4fZvBe5Q4OrAa3pUB0u0FU8qVYUAVwGKHLyVrHVf5OsdQdNUmEvBObHsgjvSANqj2hELt698vRiclt6cPpK0_i3LP6O2KYjlF-VqFkcq/s320/Dehydrator+Dates+for+Date+Sugar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'll get back to you with the after in about 8-12 hours. Or tomorrow.<br />
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And since I had the dehydrator out and on anyway....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15eJLrrzWgJnPfTBkNd3fh-pOoQZzVwRvFWIbBV2AIzgKphIepyez0_e-xryNSuWU7Q7lK6VPz4IGCc73IgbJg9CLbZDRJXWr_aHnsagip8KQo1B1dLFMgNUz6B-nuSMu7JyMgkLEHs2g/s1600/Dehydrator+Mangos+and+Bananas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15eJLrrzWgJnPfTBkNd3fh-pOoQZzVwRvFWIbBV2AIzgKphIepyez0_e-xryNSuWU7Q7lK6VPz4IGCc73IgbJg9CLbZDRJXWr_aHnsagip8KQo1B1dLFMgNUz6B-nuSMu7JyMgkLEHs2g/s320/Dehydrator+Mangos+and+Bananas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Mango and banana<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUYDN-eFAc0_Jy86gQL_PKynBkC6kZlwi9_EsPPkcb0nNvb5WR0wMtmGw4SJzRp4hd0ZJIb9Cvl6-yuAYGBVZbVtQYv3_zDuzWQT6EfNcyG8wI30VtnMd_Da-LFMj5YO62qkxVNsXUbjT/s1600/Dehydrator+Apples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUYDN-eFAc0_Jy86gQL_PKynBkC6kZlwi9_EsPPkcb0nNvb5WR0wMtmGw4SJzRp4hd0ZJIb9Cvl6-yuAYGBVZbVtQYv3_zDuzWQT6EfNcyG8wI30VtnMd_Da-LFMj5YO62qkxVNsXUbjT/s320/Dehydrator+Apples.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And an apple.San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-2584705080317827442011-04-25T07:01:00.000-07:002011-04-25T07:01:13.437-07:00Who Am I?Just a quick post this morning as I have found myself, yet again, with a bit of time to spare before work (seriously, who am I? This is such a weird feeling). I thought I would show you two yummy eats from recently.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sCUWLIR3bYw3j7B7uiuQGsqPvj2qXUzQuTAjMo9DEnJtiwVaI5bdDzN1j5LekPlWZdUYabMXtMc3kLafCcz7Wbf1iKNPqROemqwp10YSxCTeSrpYzZTsgip1wTTjCVXqji9MlbXx2EEx/s1600/Grilled+Cheese+and+Burger+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sCUWLIR3bYw3j7B7uiuQGsqPvj2qXUzQuTAjMo9DEnJtiwVaI5bdDzN1j5LekPlWZdUYabMXtMc3kLafCcz7Wbf1iKNPqROemqwp10YSxCTeSrpYzZTsgip1wTTjCVXqji9MlbXx2EEx/s320/Grilled+Cheese+and+Burger+Salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Grilled Oasis garlic sourdough bread with Earth Balance stuffed with Tofutti cheese singles, sliced tomato and red onion. A little bit of comfort. On the side, lettuce and tomato topped with a Costco veggie patty. These things are really good. They are sold in the deli section of Costco and are 100% vegan and delicious.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JWH4kYM6TUD6E5ecWTphmvwcQoSoUORjqq7zqqWuZIJ4vcKQbESCQw_4LXzb6oVBEJXeWrDHS-l7OMhHC4l1eyLCT3PuEQ8WTuOFyB9ZMZEfbDnguSDas8QpjB-OrJOtDAcPwq30nJNO/s1600/Peanut+Flour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JWH4kYM6TUD6E5ecWTphmvwcQoSoUORjqq7zqqWuZIJ4vcKQbESCQw_4LXzb6oVBEJXeWrDHS-l7OMhHC4l1eyLCT3PuEQ8WTuOFyB9ZMZEfbDnguSDas8QpjB-OrJOtDAcPwq30nJNO/s320/Peanut+Flour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So, I'm sure you've all heard of peanut flour by now. I'm sure you've probably also heard the rumor that Trader Joe's is discontinuing this incredible product. Of course I discovered it right at the tail end. Se la vie.<br />
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My friend Rachel was making some cookies to give to some people at an event and I joined her to help bake (and steal goodies). Rachel does not eat 100% vegan but is very open to vegan food and often makes it on her own. In addition, she eats mostly gluten free which is something I haven't really experimented with much. One of the cookies she made that night were <a href="http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2010/11/vegan-gf-peanut-butter-caramel.html">Averie's Vegan GF Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peanut Flour. </a>Name is a mouthful, taste is unbelievable. I went right home (after Trader Joe's) and made a batch of my very own. Seriously, you have to try these. I took them to a family event and everyone raved about them and one person even asked for the recipe. Now if only I can figure out how to grind peanuts into peanut flour without making peanut butter....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacNYsbFt-Un_PJnwoYpoeXfpmDnY5ECPVosWaZXPC5Ui-OcDNP-Iv6jvWgc28KV7fy2SUbd5ztZlbp79kjdyYS8xX9aWXITb6RyCuRiepI02ImSVm-dOc9pgzaRcOejMivfu35UB_FOJ_/s1600/Peanut+Flour+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacNYsbFt-Un_PJnwoYpoeXfpmDnY5ECPVosWaZXPC5Ui-OcDNP-Iv6jvWgc28KV7fy2SUbd5ztZlbp79kjdyYS8xX9aWXITb6RyCuRiepI02ImSVm-dOc9pgzaRcOejMivfu35UB_FOJ_/s320/Peanut+Flour+Cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-66216641785851571402011-04-22T21:18:00.000-07:002011-04-22T21:18:10.295-07:00Those Silly FatesSo, in a stunning twist of fate, yesterday I was up early enough to blog before work and today? Up 50 minutes after my alarm went off, 20 minutes before I had to leave for work. I felt perpetually behind today. Fortunately, towards the end of the day I picked up steam and kicked this days behind. After a productive day at work, I spent some time in my garden (so many of my seedlings have sprouted indoors and will be ready to go outside soon!), I played through a few levels of <a href="http://www.thinkwithportals.com/">Portal 2</a>, I made the best dinner and attempted to make a single version without apple sauce of Mama Pea's <a href="http://peasandthankyou.com/2011/04/21/wannabe-recipea-chocolate-lava-cake/">Chocolate Lava Cake</a>. I made a lot of substitutions including coconut oil and butter in place of apple sauce and using 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and half peanut flour. I also tried to divide the recipe by 5 to get a single serving. I don't think I used enough flour. It was just ok.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pGYjv_ZMvvDH5AUMBjPWv8MQ86siSH8_-0GbV3476uoKJq048lgXngt3hLNxXEkwtqz7h6MBvnz62FeCmfXgjx3RdbiD9F7rQVqeDHup9tEc_Mlp_793KROXinmYUJHb1o2iKaOfJIQk/s1600/Lava+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pGYjv_ZMvvDH5AUMBjPWv8MQ86siSH8_-0GbV3476uoKJq048lgXngt3hLNxXEkwtqz7h6MBvnz62FeCmfXgjx3RdbiD9F7rQVqeDHup9tEc_Mlp_793KROXinmYUJHb1o2iKaOfJIQk/s320/Lava+Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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As for dinner, here, take a look.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uVvjgaSEui_KCUHT_BDhGKYV_HfIoGUyQ2pMCFGhaq3eCGFxVRi3E2bHQ464T9WcWBsArmWebaqv1IBQZ4l55g-swIsm5KagwyY8HvKXWJVwMIolIKukcBRW8TNLZQy037dAd3KHYSP5/s1600/Yummy%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uVvjgaSEui_KCUHT_BDhGKYV_HfIoGUyQ2pMCFGhaq3eCGFxVRi3E2bHQ464T9WcWBsArmWebaqv1IBQZ4l55g-swIsm5KagwyY8HvKXWJVwMIolIKukcBRW8TNLZQy037dAd3KHYSP5/s320/Yummy%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It all started out with needing to use up some green onions. And some chard. And an avocado. Ooh and I have sun dried tomato tofurkey sausages. Oh, hell yeah and leftover mashed potatoes and cauliflower. Amazing. I cooked the green onions in my tiny cast iron and then added in some garlic and the greens as well as some salt, pepper and lemon juice. Once cooked, I added half to a mashed avocado and added the leftover mash to the cast iron. This dinner made me sooooo happy. It was unbelievably delicious!<br />
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Hope you enjoy!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-25025454074893021212011-04-21T06:52:00.000-07:002011-04-21T06:52:42.434-07:00Weird Kind of MorningUsually when my alarm goes off I do not want to get out of bed. I consider myself mostly a morning person. I am definitely not a night person (I'm usually in bed by at least 10 every night), but I'd almost always rather stay in bed than get the day started. Today, not so much. I was out of bed with gusto when my alarm went off and as a result, I'm almost ready for work a full 30 minutes early. Your benefit I suppose. Here are some things I've been meaning to show you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnRCMk8Mtv0PhiQHCOt18o_VdxBBJaUhKHrHxfZVgXN7aSuohc-orP2KyxSttCwBcgvjwCm1ryYQGZFHWRHLC2sOIIve2Q6QgPa4nxVxIltUDL1qyIkzoDpWKITP_XF7ML7hacw2BGlSB/s1600/Bistro+Burger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnRCMk8Mtv0PhiQHCOt18o_VdxBBJaUhKHrHxfZVgXN7aSuohc-orP2KyxSttCwBcgvjwCm1ryYQGZFHWRHLC2sOIIve2Q6QgPa4nxVxIltUDL1qyIkzoDpWKITP_XF7ML7hacw2BGlSB/s320/Bistro+Burger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I bought a box of the Amy's Bistro Burgers and regardless of the fact that I had no buns and had to improvise with a pita, managed to make a fairly good recreation of a quarter pounder from my youth. Tofutti cheese singles are not the greatest thing ever, but in combination with other foods they make for some decent nostalgia. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQganCr8DPDAHpnSGXM-1vP0TUx34Ku8y_kInPm9_iu6yBEWK7jZwwLXTKUsJdAYmm2OhCFKYpXyJlgAXMpxHsg5Z9EwArO2EjU01dFm80nCn7hn5BgvteDPaurBl2_rQoPY_MJ7YjLyV/s1600/Bistro+Burger+Insides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQganCr8DPDAHpnSGXM-1vP0TUx34Ku8y_kInPm9_iu6yBEWK7jZwwLXTKUsJdAYmm2OhCFKYpXyJlgAXMpxHsg5Z9EwArO2EjU01dFm80nCn7hn5BgvteDPaurBl2_rQoPY_MJ7YjLyV/s320/Bistro+Burger+Insides.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Quarter pounders don't typically have tomato, but I did, so there. This was delicious by the way.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1_LXEAKWxBq7ebJdnBGYrTs024HgO-tQ1QdfD3Vpoxr3COlrtDAk5SuoznRlrSETXkrOWoztWpD6qN1zH_erBBvruMzyAFMxQ8VVS-S1rle5kquWryKr23RUY1YrpjViXNJwnVfuxQrL/s1600/Grilled+Burritos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1_LXEAKWxBq7ebJdnBGYrTs024HgO-tQ1QdfD3Vpoxr3COlrtDAk5SuoznRlrSETXkrOWoztWpD6qN1zH_erBBvruMzyAFMxQ8VVS-S1rle5kquWryKr23RUY1YrpjViXNJwnVfuxQrL/s320/Grilled+Burritos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I went through a couple of weeks where I was making burritos like every other day. I developed this lovely technique of putting the burrito seam side down on a hot cast iron skillet to keep it from opening. Genius? You tell me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfDnNrLC8EJrv7G3qKrJqZOzLi0qlbkLIfyBs01ysWPafe3QqRFEsTlbkp4kApKCb8l7ALA5eH1vqM5tOUWEk4_9Omwur9tTpyZMfW99FJ0pRBVxPDPj6LJ2N7g88BrR6LHzi68h1RMuT/s1600/Tofu+Scramble+Burritos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfDnNrLC8EJrv7G3qKrJqZOzLi0qlbkLIfyBs01ysWPafe3QqRFEsTlbkp4kApKCb8l7ALA5eH1vqM5tOUWEk4_9Omwur9tTpyZMfW99FJ0pRBVxPDPj6LJ2N7g88BrR6LHzi68h1RMuT/s320/Tofu+Scramble+Burritos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mostly I use refried or whole beans with rice, lettuce and salsa for the boyfriend and add in some avocado for myself, but these were tofu scramble, greens and potato burritos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MS1_w3QozxLW2NymV1GpkoyILj0EjyySf_JWFsnxl2TxBmIztDNrycR4MeElFLamuYbpmVlwqq6bflRFJ6xWZ5_HBVg5WP6JXAcTTGFeny5DUpqJC3ym5EZt5tEsXnbL1YhPBYeVq9RJ/s1600/Chocolate+from+Niall+%253C3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MS1_w3QozxLW2NymV1GpkoyILj0EjyySf_JWFsnxl2TxBmIztDNrycR4MeElFLamuYbpmVlwqq6bflRFJ6xWZ5_HBVg5WP6JXAcTTGFeny5DUpqJC3ym5EZt5tEsXnbL1YhPBYeVq9RJ/s320/Chocolate+from+Niall+%253C3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My boyfriend never really shops for food. He works in a grocery store 2 days a week and usually the only thing he'll buy is bananas but one day he bought a couple of things including some chocolate for me! And here's how I used it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHsvKi4lS7eK-WgIzvJvjiA_b5GT-5jdhfrto8PL-0-MJNiYq75iH9BJNv5_uvoF8KnzCtQCkk9kiAuJNx-Sy1PZQXYm3gRPL8GEi6uxpgMWWLldAaxMhdwV_T0gP0cSfypCDBgBoCEAb/s1600/Lazy+Reeses+with+Oats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHsvKi4lS7eK-WgIzvJvjiA_b5GT-5jdhfrto8PL-0-MJNiYq75iH9BJNv5_uvoF8KnzCtQCkk9kiAuJNx-Sy1PZQXYm3gRPL8GEi6uxpgMWWLldAaxMhdwV_T0gP0cSfypCDBgBoCEAb/s320/Lazy+Reeses+with+Oats.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
First I mixed some peanut butter with some oats and I think a few mini chocolate chips.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlr0e1s80C4DkAcWNWijA2-8mP3V8KEH-QvMLy0b9arOtaSd7nSJgJI4fz7YrOYlKOwLtlDZeEOAHTgrR-YzNar322eDxc1Zlyl76_wcneSsWHCT9HIo4oRHlaxem5wsUqvLbdZMwwJ35/s1600/Lazy+Oat+Reeses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlr0e1s80C4DkAcWNWijA2-8mP3V8KEH-QvMLy0b9arOtaSd7nSJgJI4fz7YrOYlKOwLtlDZeEOAHTgrR-YzNar322eDxc1Zlyl76_wcneSsWHCT9HIo4oRHlaxem5wsUqvLbdZMwwJ35/s320/Lazy+Oat+Reeses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Then I added on the melted chocolate and it was almost like a lazy, more healthy resee's. Only more healthy in that it had oats. Delicious.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidhviINnPPQomiMe6UNYcJ0dOTxramHQr7thPSrssdYHJEXPlN8mwnx6w5nEiLwWq6e-ggyoXc7najk7jz-U4IQ7CxqCyrZt36htRTVXghaRDRrwVL_VcAbQOZzYFFvh-xDrjIAUd0Ey8/s1600/Cinnamon+Roll+Pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidhviINnPPQomiMe6UNYcJ0dOTxramHQr7thPSrssdYHJEXPlN8mwnx6w5nEiLwWq6e-ggyoXc7najk7jz-U4IQ7CxqCyrZt36htRTVXghaRDRrwVL_VcAbQOZzYFFvh-xDrjIAUd0Ey8/s320/Cinnamon+Roll+Pancakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One day I was wandering the interwebs when I came across the idea for cinnamon roll pancakes. The recipe was not vegan so I just winged it the next morning, before work mind you. The cinnamon swirl kind of cooked into the pancake instead of staying clearly swirled, but topped with a drizzle of icing, these were unbelievable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVXxBp0pFHRjUHqxpKqAO3XPpwwYM-cqAsvfRmuw9gZlIBnebH-9lRhvZqyQCPSI19rXYzdNWEJoyRav1E6VEayjJK3i-ILCStMgWlMifH-Spl6AOLReNxbdLrWvEqumVDmKC2TWo5kyO/s1600/Cinnamon+Roll+Pancake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVXxBp0pFHRjUHqxpKqAO3XPpwwYM-cqAsvfRmuw9gZlIBnebH-9lRhvZqyQCPSI19rXYzdNWEJoyRav1E6VEayjJK3i-ILCStMgWlMifH-Spl6AOLReNxbdLrWvEqumVDmKC2TWo5kyO/s320/Cinnamon+Roll+Pancake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Not exactly every morning food.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMM0HVQegTOPRILY84zWwsHXzVZK4U9ASORYmME1ucq0Uc8Syktwq85vfJK5fU_OtqkkQPUNUu7ol2H0ZGuqGEJk9OpK3Bt5_45zbb9va_8L1T40sETlvfkzvxy12MWSe-vTwq2f9STIZ/s1600/Vegan+Omelette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMM0HVQegTOPRILY84zWwsHXzVZK4U9ASORYmME1ucq0Uc8Syktwq85vfJK5fU_OtqkkQPUNUu7ol2H0ZGuqGEJk9OpK3Bt5_45zbb9va_8L1T40sETlvfkzvxy12MWSe-vTwq2f9STIZ/s320/Vegan+Omelette.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And finally, I leave you with the tofu omelette that I made Sunday morning. My boyfriend was not a fan as they were a bit more mushy than he would have preferred, but I thought they were delicious!<br />
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Alright, that's enough from me as it is now almost time to leave. Thanks for keeping me company while I wasted time before work!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-78774907803579411122011-04-18T19:04:00.000-07:002011-04-18T19:04:00.367-07:00Roasted PepitasOk, so just a quick post today. I have a tendency to notice bruises every now and then that I believe indicate a bit of an iron deficiency. Last week, I was feeling it. In my process of looking up iron rich foods, I discovered pepitas are high in iron. So I stocked up on raw pepitas.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKCyEkcj4nXUGsivONVQCIHtlZ58-XCOp7U0IExzybRId-MPueacZT4L-if_vXRn4XXgZYBHaJXklm1NOPfc7D77QmS1kVcWkMeOUvfcxZqFulszbUU1efwP2-PEfI9rfHGmiohiCtOyV/s1600/Raw+Pepitas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKCyEkcj4nXUGsivONVQCIHtlZ58-XCOp7U0IExzybRId-MPueacZT4L-if_vXRn4XXgZYBHaJXklm1NOPfc7D77QmS1kVcWkMeOUvfcxZqFulszbUU1efwP2-PEfI9rfHGmiohiCtOyV/s320/Raw+Pepitas.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> Separately, I had purchased a tiny new cast iron skillet at a garage sale a few months ago. It's almost the size of my hand.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdRFGj1f-MBo24AZLJj3f3SXxHtd7G7Nq_fLVF5ICVaX2f4Jdvhp9XhhZKy_ajpxBdw3S3H5kPmPZohr9pU81EUaVk5WdQRCCj88L6Qjc46BoQAfQApLYP14w_vj5yJ9VHRhmc7qrERd2/s1600/Mini+Cast+Iron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdRFGj1f-MBo24AZLJj3f3SXxHtd7G7Nq_fLVF5ICVaX2f4Jdvhp9XhhZKy_ajpxBdw3S3H5kPmPZohr9pU81EUaVk5WdQRCCj88L6Qjc46BoQAfQApLYP14w_vj5yJ9VHRhmc7qrERd2/s320/Mini+Cast+Iron.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Put the two together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7C5mlZEUChEe4wTb2m9t06YtVTbxxB9lMy4aC8AwYDbAwleaVjSDg83vM48EiqG9iZgeLvj1vNm9pk69rKzg2UCLh7fMWBLV4oW70MgUw8mOzzVZJEDxBXq1Sf2lPP2DH4BRgFISKFhm/s1600/Roasting+Pepitas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7C5mlZEUChEe4wTb2m9t06YtVTbxxB9lMy4aC8AwYDbAwleaVjSDg83vM48EiqG9iZgeLvj1vNm9pk69rKzg2UCLh7fMWBLV4oW70MgUw8mOzzVZJEDxBXq1Sf2lPP2DH4BRgFISKFhm/s320/Roasting+Pepitas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Yummy! Cooked over a medium heat and stirred occasionally until they started cracking. These were a bit addicting just on their own. I also ate them on a salad and in a bit of a trail mix. And I thought I would never find a use for that tiny thing. Perfect!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-86433226000974468972011-04-17T19:04:00.000-07:002011-04-17T19:04:32.048-07:00Good ResultsTo me there is something about baking that just makes me so joyful. I find very few things in life bring me as much satisfaction as taking something out of the oven. When that something is beautiful and tasty as well? I bet they have these muffins in heaven.<br />
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Last night I stumbled across a recipe for <a href="http://www.veganbaking.net/vegan-recipes/breads-and-muffins/blueberry-beetnik-muffins-or-bread.html">beet blueberry muffins</a>. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it here before, but I have made beet brownies that were delicious. I even brought them into work and no one knew there were beets hiding inside. Of course, beets in a muffin of the non chocolate variety is no easy thing to hide. Good think I like my food funny looking. I think it spices up life. I altered the original recipe a bit in two ways. The first batch I made without beets and with apple sauce instead and for both batches I changed up the flour types. <br />
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Blueberry Muffins<br />
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3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk<br />
2 Tablespoons lemon juice<br />
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1 ¼ cups apple sauce<br />
½ cup canola oil<br />
¾ cup sugar sugar<br />
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
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1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 cup high gluten bread flour flour<br />
1 ½ teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
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1 cup blueberries, fresh (sliced in half)<br />
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I mixed the lemon juice and the soy milk in it's own dish, then combined the apple sauce, oil, sugar, vanilla and salt together. I whisked the dry ingredients and then added both the wets. Then I folded in the halved blueberries.<br />
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Add by ice cream scoop (or utensil of choice) into 12 silicone or paper muffin cups.<br />
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I fudged the temperature as the original recipe tells you how to roast beets but I left the oven at 400 degrees for this version. 25 and they were perfect. Original recipe actually called for them at 325. Or maybe you don't even know the real temp of your oven and it wont matter. I set mine for 400 lately and it shoots up to 450. Se la vie.<br />
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Without further ado...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyWwstY1oMcI2CSNxFRx8f9V-6ZWdgfNDGjZIcQwjozVUPZqKOxVYVRJklifUifRU4hTNn0DmTEexDpF8hw0Lxv5KHqZHq1QB20uxtnN3vqLQymGS3nUz0uQKi3on1sjfWgOnSdGPXdN5/s1600/Best+Blueberry+Muffins+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyWwstY1oMcI2CSNxFRx8f9V-6ZWdgfNDGjZIcQwjozVUPZqKOxVYVRJklifUifRU4hTNn0DmTEexDpF8hw0Lxv5KHqZHq1QB20uxtnN3vqLQymGS3nUz0uQKi3on1sjfWgOnSdGPXdN5/s320/Best+Blueberry+Muffins+Top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I think it's the bread flour that did it, but the un-beet muffin is light and fluffy with a beautiful top. Delicious. Then I made a second batch for myself. The same recipe as above, but puree 2 beets to replace the apple sauce. I think mine was a bit thick and could have used a bit more non-dairy milk, but they turned out equally delicious. I would seriously say that these are the best home made muffins I think I have ever made, vegan or not.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeufJcNbKInfGvNt-ZQnS8ktX08PIn2XdWVKKkdxx0RyR1r4KLDj-OHAXWI5GZnXUwR_Ywd43-Xnk_ojzmBtkgkeTxcKy0_54KZuaA3MiTtmNVWHjmw74W_9Cr7qENwWBJR1dGyfz8kaD3/s1600/Best+Blueberry+Muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeufJcNbKInfGvNt-ZQnS8ktX08PIn2XdWVKKkdxx0RyR1r4KLDj-OHAXWI5GZnXUwR_Ywd43-Xnk_ojzmBtkgkeTxcKy0_54KZuaA3MiTtmNVWHjmw74W_9Cr7qENwWBJR1dGyfz8kaD3/s320/Best+Blueberry+Muffins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I only have one set of silicone molds so I made the second batch without anything and I wish I had some paper lines because the bottoms lost their beautiful pink color. Hope you enjoy!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-6966244477425228262011-04-04T20:51:00.000-07:002011-04-04T20:51:02.343-07:00This Post Is About MuesliSometimes, typing the first few words is often the hardest. That simple transition from what you will be doing to what you are doing can sometimes be tough. I find often in life that the things I dread or procrastinate doing, are often made monumentally worse only in my head by putting them off. Today has been a day where this has been made clear on a number of occasions. All day at work I didn't really want to go to the gym. It wasn't that I was super tired, or anything was wrong, I just didn't feel like exerting the energy to go to a class at the gym. In the end, I reached the end of my work day and told myself to suck it up and just go to the gym. I could always half ass it if I really didn't feel into it once there. But in the end I had one of the best work outs in a long time. Once home, I sat at my computer for a good hour and a half procrastinating blogging. Not because I don't enjoy it, but because it takes time and effort to edit pictures and think of something to say that doesn't sound like rambling. After my computer procrastination, I further procrastinated blogging by going to the kitchen to reheat pizza for dinner. While in the kitchen, I procrastinated doing the dishes in the sink for a few minutes until I finally decided to just put away a few of the dishes in the dish drainer. Once I started, I put everything away and washed everything in the sink in a matter of 15 minutes. Finally, as I sat down to eat my dinner, I decided to just download my pictures from my camera and see what I had to work with. Within minutes I had discarded the crappy ones, chosen some to edit and decided on a post. A few more minutes and I had edited them and that brought me to here. It is amazing how just a simple step towards the things you want/need to accomplish can snowball. But enough with the philosophical random musings...I have food to show you!<br />
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A couple weeks ago I was at a grocery store that I do not normally shop at. It is a Mediterranean shop with many foreign foods but also a fair number of mainstream products as well. I was taking extra time to peruse everything to see if I could find anything new and different, and while I did buy some not so normal items, that is not what this post is about. This post is about muesli. Bob's Red Mill muesli, specifically.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpC_C1zFHp_4sTiCOq_ZjW6XDy95I2dXToV3L0eqYnUL0bgLgmMyLMTaAsFFYO7MbLzkK-Rm8ozmseeZsiE9u485FVlQ3wICa3o-J-5z9KgfG4VgpdFevWvJfFN3iOYtHlF6XGyxWnEmR/s1600/Muesli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpC_C1zFHp_4sTiCOq_ZjW6XDy95I2dXToV3L0eqYnUL0bgLgmMyLMTaAsFFYO7MbLzkK-Rm8ozmseeZsiE9u485FVlQ3wICa3o-J-5z9KgfG4VgpdFevWvJfFN3iOYtHlF6XGyxWnEmR/s320/Muesli.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I had just seen some people posting about muesli days before this and I had never had it before so I decided to try it. I can't say where any of my inspiration for this meal came from as I tend to read through blogs that I don't normally follow and forget where I see things. I don't think the inspiration came from any one person though. Regardless, here's how I have been enjoying my muesli.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI4ryq26lWT5A4sa0rfhEIk79Ni1NimvY6UGR6Hjpb0BXWsySpjc9migg3B3pihABZtQ0gb4Q6Pf_uDENM_RJZerwsMQmwnGTZ9PedjA_g0Vd-h-snhE3ZpKlPSkgSnrTYWPdCYBOM1pm/s1600/Bananas+and+PB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI4ryq26lWT5A4sa0rfhEIk79Ni1NimvY6UGR6Hjpb0BXWsySpjc9migg3B3pihABZtQ0gb4Q6Pf_uDENM_RJZerwsMQmwnGTZ9PedjA_g0Vd-h-snhE3ZpKlPSkgSnrTYWPdCYBOM1pm/s320/Bananas+and+PB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinly slice banana and add about a tablespoon of peanut butter</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmVUkTC4WDOpCe0ZihAACMb584tD3srWrfmrmi32PqX63Pdbo8ZCZuADypvyy1H8mlmsgK8mRr0qlSDUO2e8ZA5ZNKW0QuwtkLT06oEKtdNue8S0PoPhespbw-EAUKqbcT6Tz1QY3oGm9/s1600/Banana+PB+Mush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmVUkTC4WDOpCe0ZihAACMb584tD3srWrfmrmi32PqX63Pdbo8ZCZuADypvyy1H8mlmsgK8mRr0qlSDUO2e8ZA5ZNKW0QuwtkLT06oEKtdNue8S0PoPhespbw-EAUKqbcT6Tz1QY3oGm9/s320/Banana+PB+Mush.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Microwave for about 30 seconds until banana is nice and mushy and then stir, stir, stir</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCo-WNpyCkuIsmxNNj81-uk3au-OBG43qYPhwf1vcs2SOODxWSLppjhDMgEuNWo-tS9TO7Pc8OOdjnZM7npiSu0YYnCitsMTfAIqTdZ_d4n3AzDgE0ogw4XlewZxOPqpDq2jUMtqHBz7B/s1600/Dry+Muslei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCo-WNpyCkuIsmxNNj81-uk3au-OBG43qYPhwf1vcs2SOODxWSLppjhDMgEuNWo-tS9TO7Pc8OOdjnZM7npiSu0YYnCitsMTfAIqTdZ_d4n3AzDgE0ogw4XlewZxOPqpDq2jUMtqHBz7B/s320/Dry+Muslei.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add in 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry muesli</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTnhS0JPPk-ZCrBRe66nwCPDxsNGWBbeHl3b4FeR7uVIievDSWKvXvV_oyd5IIEXnMk2VeH3V1TDphXwyX39ehCLYSBT7rQVxLKrH6We164n3_w5dk3CoXie-bjMSi8ASVo7i2SThfJc3/s1600/Mush+%2526+Muesli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTnhS0JPPk-ZCrBRe66nwCPDxsNGWBbeHl3b4FeR7uVIievDSWKvXvV_oyd5IIEXnMk2VeH3V1TDphXwyX39ehCLYSBT7rQVxLKrH6We164n3_w5dk3CoXie-bjMSi8ASVo7i2SThfJc3/s320/Mush+%2526+Muesli.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stir, stir, stir some more</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRD3XtGx-3FEB1Wo4g1QFB-gNuggsIDf3BQXyyM2RPCRQNyVNJQ6kUGDXvw8q15QnppsN7laxQWuWxVeNQguUSXZciyicg-D9cnc-L-9QA0GzhUe24ymlvrjn1mUQB39WR_D60K021f4b/s1600/Mush+Muesli+Milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRD3XtGx-3FEB1Wo4g1QFB-gNuggsIDf3BQXyyM2RPCRQNyVNJQ6kUGDXvw8q15QnppsN7laxQWuWxVeNQguUSXZciyicg-D9cnc-L-9QA0GzhUe24ymlvrjn1mUQB39WR_D60K021f4b/s320/Mush+Muesli+Milk.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add in about as much soy milk as muesli</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwvJYs7kkiCz4vUFesXCH9VZpLI6N2wQA0KxAHdTZnFtpyu8wczPqjVSXajZQW5gpeogLy8_oulRInyxyEzh7rvDThvPBeiwB9DrEKXc9BDln8wbrwSuRCr8fcfyzca4HztpQJafoOXIg/s1600/Mush+%2526+Milk+Prestir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwvJYs7kkiCz4vUFesXCH9VZpLI6N2wQA0KxAHdTZnFtpyu8wczPqjVSXajZQW5gpeogLy8_oulRInyxyEzh7rvDThvPBeiwB9DrEKXc9BDln8wbrwSuRCr8fcfyzca4HztpQJafoOXIg/s320/Mush+%2526+Milk+Prestir.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And stir, stir, stir some more</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpCmxKFDXeVxOeJKIkV2iEd9VQQSjIsnRxjnVAsFgW7W920POua8nTVu6SYX0WC3d79Ohcw-baqkDesYyp86TW6Ds1FuUMfZILqDVnHeY-NOLdv57LSPIN5f5TvaIXzLzRiKTbOj9aWF_/s1600/Mush+%2526+Milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpCmxKFDXeVxOeJKIkV2iEd9VQQSjIsnRxjnVAsFgW7W920POua8nTVu6SYX0WC3d79Ohcw-baqkDesYyp86TW6Ds1FuUMfZILqDVnHeY-NOLdv57LSPIN5f5TvaIXzLzRiKTbOj9aWF_/s320/Mush+%2526+Milk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, banana, pb, muesli mush</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Don't let the mushy texture fool you into thinking this is not a delicious breakfast. I was amazed at how good this was considering that I added no maple syrup, no cinnamon, no chocolate...I have been eating it most mornings for breakfast before work and I am not tired of it after almost two weeks. Which reminds me, my boyfriend always ate a good amount of bananas but I never really did. Well, since I've been eating this breakfast and I have been making a few smoothies lately, we have been going through a lot of bananas and I may or may not have bought 9ish pounds of bananas from 3 different stores yesterday. The Mediterranean market is the only store in town I know that puts overripe bananas on sale and I got some for .49/lb!<br />
<br />
Well, that's it for me tonight. Hopefully I'll be back sooner next time, I just need to remember to take that first step.San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-5866712023021215912011-03-13T11:11:00.000-07:002011-03-13T11:11:04.430-07:00A Veggie Kind of WeekendLately I have been feeling a little sluggish and tired so I have been trying to decrease my sugar and up my veggies, beans and grains. What follows is my trip on Friday to the grocery store. I usually get most of my veggies at the farmer's market, but since I had nothing to do on Friday night, I really wanted to pick some stuff up to make to eat over the weekend. It had been a long time since I had just gone crazy in the produce section of a grocery store and I really ended up going a bit crazy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Ag9uvHX5jA6GZmbqC_A55r5vRV1RuLEqikuxTfqAN9LNlugJ2Taupb4jaXe0A9uZn-eklNx9cn7APpbge1WBG0R3vjubTSEqG3SETjCs_fx0aT7_zQMtmzZ5AexSUEJX1BIU3dUiHVM/s1600/Henry%2527s+Veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Ag9uvHX5jA6GZmbqC_A55r5vRV1RuLEqikuxTfqAN9LNlugJ2Taupb4jaXe0A9uZn-eklNx9cn7APpbge1WBG0R3vjubTSEqG3SETjCs_fx0aT7_zQMtmzZ5AexSUEJX1BIU3dUiHVM/s320/Henry%2527s+Veggies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Leaf Lettuce<br />
Red Chard<br />
Red Grapes <br />
<br />
Brussel Sprouts<br />
Kale<br />
Romain Lettuce<br />
Broccoli<br />
Celery<br />
Mango</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFtDTpNEtdzS4HvQjhveCoBVvg4rGleZipbRm_V0KXXzYtpmI9E-7Bn7QdeGatnNzfvnYuT4iDNBBsOI12sSLes9-PijahtVup5lhWHnArlSJ4s9L-abUdFOUDF5fV4Dcqth8iqsuvWZe/s1600/Fruits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFtDTpNEtdzS4HvQjhveCoBVvg4rGleZipbRm_V0KXXzYtpmI9E-7Bn7QdeGatnNzfvnYuT4iDNBBsOI12sSLes9-PijahtVup5lhWHnArlSJ4s9L-abUdFOUDF5fV4Dcqth8iqsuvWZe/s320/Fruits.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bananas<br />
Lemons<br />
Kiwis<br />
Garlic<br />
Pears<br />
Onions<br />
Limes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have made a couple of green smoothies over the last week. Kale, soy milk, protein powder, ground flax, banana, a date, some ice cubes and one time I used frozen blueberries. Really good. <br />
I have been having oatmeal for breakfast a few days. I used to eat steel cut oats but this week I have been eating rolled oats because I can cook them quickly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup oats. Cook for 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup oats and microwave for 30 seconds more. Separately microwave a banana until it gets all melty. Add that, a handful of chopped pecans, a pinch of salt, some frozen blueberries, some ground flax, a little protein powder and a tiny bit of maple syrup. This has been really a surprisingly delicious breakfast though I find that I am hungry a few hours later. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IZpEr9UJ_cWsMYkoCaWZqiqtrev_5bPx1p1PJIkT604fUE17OvrK15iRdOOAz5w0hiSArAh8_kPDG4tPdN4cF8dAA61W6dbabrpTIkopXHUmXKt0D9uyOyczH5zzYvlNs3p9T8-tx7UO/s1600/Broccoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IZpEr9UJ_cWsMYkoCaWZqiqtrev_5bPx1p1PJIkT604fUE17OvrK15iRdOOAz5w0hiSArAh8_kPDG4tPdN4cF8dAA61W6dbabrpTIkopXHUmXKt0D9uyOyczH5zzYvlNs3p9T8-tx7UO/s320/Broccoli.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I used a small portion of this broccoli to throw together a salad I brought to a family get together yesterday. The salad took less than 10 minutes to throw together and was quite a hit. Unfortunately I do not have a picture but there are left overs so maybe I'll take one later. And then give you the recipe.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4lCU7lbj7vJkcaNbNFF2gbkFcSUpBlGkRwslbn0kH_gymXxd00TnnnUcsn5iZyIcgQlEVyTQ8STINWznhp7OMZzXUKodgh7JEFnjgnFUAgifXFv1kV1EZBMaqQ3BZNTMQsrPJGSG4S1a/s1600/Grapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4lCU7lbj7vJkcaNbNFF2gbkFcSUpBlGkRwslbn0kH_gymXxd00TnnnUcsn5iZyIcgQlEVyTQ8STINWznhp7OMZzXUKodgh7JEFnjgnFUAgifXFv1kV1EZBMaqQ3BZNTMQsrPJGSG4S1a/s320/Grapes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These grapes were delicious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr29AxvZFLBCenne-xMSekSVZei4FtmD0eNHWsKl8R2F-I_U4bncyV5CZaW_VK_rMhLmz8ms3JZPQpSxBfLqlRz_0cTtTU9C6u4CDKS-ztejywQQneaAImgqiePIjwMNq9HVmR_ifhvh_/s1600/Sliced+Kale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr29AxvZFLBCenne-xMSekSVZei4FtmD0eNHWsKl8R2F-I_U4bncyV5CZaW_VK_rMhLmz8ms3JZPQpSxBfLqlRz_0cTtTU9C6u4CDKS-ztejywQQneaAImgqiePIjwMNq9HVmR_ifhvh_/s320/Sliced+Kale.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mixed this sliced kale with some garlic infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then let it marinate. And if you can see in the back there, those are presoaked garbanzo beans ready to be cooked. I'm not sure if I have mentioned it here (I probably have) but I am madly in love with my pressure cooker. I used it three nights this week to make beans after work. It is genius.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqZN1m3J3wMkCN3d9FMznvS7qvsQWK7sNgSiBQCxl4worPXd33zqjzugRZSwGNUOnA52Ri5Gq5absqjxxTzey5_EXX3gF7Cnm6xwPRj52VVx8Iyv77zIOTuMreSepCIXpP_GSoMus9Lt8/s1600/Pressure+Cooker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqZN1m3J3wMkCN3d9FMznvS7qvsQWK7sNgSiBQCxl4worPXd33zqjzugRZSwGNUOnA52Ri5Gq5absqjxxTzey5_EXX3gF7Cnm6xwPRj52VVx8Iyv77zIOTuMreSepCIXpP_GSoMus9Lt8/s320/Pressure+Cooker.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjW023ZHXOufyH-b2bLrZ6DhHl3hvZZeZNwWZ5r7DQV0ceVoqNB8Zs8C33K9cPbEtk5NXbrsR_ec2Ox7G4vuCYFHaogzLZWGi9Ax4BLVClH_2hV621rY7GJys-tV-6azvl20EcoMFGt7-/s1600/Tangerine+Beets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjW023ZHXOufyH-b2bLrZ6DhHl3hvZZeZNwWZ5r7DQV0ceVoqNB8Zs8C33K9cPbEtk5NXbrsR_ec2Ox7G4vuCYFHaogzLZWGi9Ax4BLVClH_2hV621rY7GJys-tV-6azvl20EcoMFGt7-/s320/Tangerine+Beets.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My boyfriend recently brought me a bunch of tangerines from the tree at his moms house. Most of them sat in my fruit bowl for a long time as they had a number of seeds and were quite a pain to eat. I decided to juice them and make the orange glazed beets from Vegan with a Vengeance. The glaze never really set up, but the beets were great none the less.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT3T-DKTAA-m14PR5VYXauhc30inpzDkctmMY_6fKcmD_JoLQ43PPy9AIiYoTEpFFfSxLIdjtGNoXe3XdnZj_d7a5E5OuOU03cbFJbbBGpmdpQQvgQx0ee7UHeBtba04ZI3HsOFTF15nw/s1600/Shredded+Brussels%252C+Orange+Beets%252C+Kale+%2526+Grapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT3T-DKTAA-m14PR5VYXauhc30inpzDkctmMY_6fKcmD_JoLQ43PPy9AIiYoTEpFFfSxLIdjtGNoXe3XdnZj_d7a5E5OuOU03cbFJbbBGpmdpQQvgQx0ee7UHeBtba04ZI3HsOFTF15nw/s320/Shredded+Brussels%252C+Orange+Beets%252C+Kale+%2526+Grapes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dinner last night consisted of:</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Previously mentioned marinated kale topped with some sliced grapes<br />
Tangerine Beets<br />
Shredded Brussel Sprouts<br />
<br />
This recipe was modified from one I found on the internet but I changed it so much that it does not even really resemble the original recipe except that it contains shredded brussel sprouts and toasted walnuts.<br />
<br />
I melted some earth balance in my cast iron skillet and then added in the brussel sprouts that I put through my food processor and a tiny bit of liquid smoke. (The original recipe called for bacon) I cooked them for about five minutes and then removed from the heat and mixed in some toasted walnuts and a dressing of apple cider vinegar and a little sugar. I topped my serving with some nutritional yeast. This was a very delicious and nutritious dinner. <br />
<br />
And that's mostly what I have been up to the last two days. Got any good ideas for some vegetables? Especially broccoli or chard? How about a smoothie recipe? Or oats combos?San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-30078101357719360692011-03-05T07:57:00.000-08:002011-03-05T07:57:36.778-08:00Pancakes!Yesterday, Miss Elise over at <a href="http://hungryhungryhippie.com/">Hungry Hungry Hippie</a> posted a picture of the most fluffy, delicious looking pancakes ever! Luckily for me and you, she posted <a href="http://hungryhungryhippie.com/2011/03/05/purple-fingers/">the recipe</a> this morning and I have already tried it. I used all whole wheat pastry flour since I did not have coconut flour. I wasn't sure if my not over ripe banana would work, but it seemed to do the job just fine.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAgL75g__fORTRPnES06OGgue9bQzGZFswuYlP4bYcb2eEwMHgx64BTLlCpAblPmf4JQomU2UDHgYqE71hI1qz8XaNqS7Y0S7G3OHQuRCx03gLp36yQnohv9SxZayMXzb8B075WddaS5u/s1600/Strawberry+Blueberry+Pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAgL75g__fORTRPnES06OGgue9bQzGZFswuYlP4bYcb2eEwMHgx64BTLlCpAblPmf4JQomU2UDHgYqE71hI1qz8XaNqS7Y0S7G3OHQuRCx03gLp36yQnohv9SxZayMXzb8B075WddaS5u/s320/Strawberry+Blueberry+Pancakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I topped mine with some earth balance and some strawberries and blueberries that I let marinate in some maple syrup. For a recipe with no sugar and no oil, these turned out so much better than the usual pancakes I make and I think I may have just found that simpler = better when it comes to pancakes.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7et4PdhsckFIov3vhFamHcAqE0aFgsKxutQFPeOG3FiktnQOedcd1swkcsaWnvfd3g3TejnebmasmiN8bv-C7Q55uZbHtFtcj8eHaQW0vhiMt4gXsfYBApxWWZJc6yfpSGxEVOnB9jna-/s1600/Blueberry+Strawberry+Pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7et4PdhsckFIov3vhFamHcAqE0aFgsKxutQFPeOG3FiktnQOedcd1swkcsaWnvfd3g3TejnebmasmiN8bv-C7Q55uZbHtFtcj8eHaQW0vhiMt4gXsfYBApxWWZJc6yfpSGxEVOnB9jna-/s320/Blueberry+Strawberry+Pancakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I tried to get an inside shot so you could see the fluffiness, but the sun interfered. I guess you'll just have to go check out <a href="http://hungryhungryhippie.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_6097.jpg">Elise's much better pictures</a> so you can drool over the fluffiness. You're only about 15 minutes away from pancakes in your belly. What are you waiting for?San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-23611938829964164522011-02-28T19:59:00.000-08:002011-02-28T19:59:41.034-08:00Banana Everything Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>About a year ago I acquired a most wonderful recipe for a cookie using up over ripe bananas. I need to keep better track of my sources so I could give credit where credit is due, but alas, back then, I did not keep track. I just wrote down recipes, tried them and then kept them or tossed them. This one I kept. When I first made this cookie I added walnuts and raisins to make a sort of trail mix cookie. While I loved them like that, my chocolate loving boyfriend would never touch raisins or nuts and so I began making one batch my way and one batch with chocolate chips. These cookies are serious winners either way, and if you decrease the sugar, I say they aren't that bad for you (no health claims are made here as I am not a dietitian or nutritionist). I have tons of pictures of the process for these cookies as I make them all the time. So, let's begin. You will need:<br />
<br />
1 medium ripe banana<br />
1/3 cup canola oil<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<br />
3/4 cup flour + 2 tbs if dough is too wet<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
2 cups oats<br />
<br />
1 cup mix ins. For example, 1 cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins but be creative. Anything you have on hand would work. And just about everything goes with chocolate, right?<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJuetfHKUz0Yl3_i3RStGgG0hUQ1cyee3aFgi8nq4VkVKSGVqv2hhvlUjviL76Kh6TFzLyX2i5Db_to8MoH2iSTNjljlUmHKIaElPMPjbqaZXDPFQOPeQNwGq8JixTJc25ieMWIIfdkhp/s1600/Bananas+Overripe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJuetfHKUz0Yl3_i3RStGgG0hUQ1cyee3aFgi8nq4VkVKSGVqv2hhvlUjviL76Kh6TFzLyX2i5Db_to8MoH2iSTNjljlUmHKIaElPMPjbqaZXDPFQOPeQNwGq8JixTJc25ieMWIIfdkhp/s320/Bananas+Overripe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfectly ripe bananas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I like to make the wet portion of this recipe in my food processor so that the bananas get really pureed. Some recipes call for hand mashing the bananas so that you have chunks, but I like it nice and smooth.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3U9eZb6gGJ1dSOzsu2-QBfSlr8ZqAcvTbk-WkeLo_jCR1abgzuqZ4thyphenhyphenmwQEkszQ4EwGVkb5gJKy3d_V3PeKBBKusJSJBBteTFCph9vnAYbW8733DyteHOhOEKXpe5aW3RodFetE9qNd/s320/Banana+Everything+Banana+Sugar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana and sugar</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a sugar that I cannot remember the name of. I believe it is similar to, if it is not actually, sucanat. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvN9Z284XUtQUsvXoRP2o5dT00AAvXDyjkSeKnAeZFKlMhRqxQp2oOniEGO5dNoZNgjqNcGJUvf_TWIk8ZmwSQLg0TMEq_VlvdfOgDfmd9wePKqV3lkPyXsI4WTaQyB3wxb4wc4TcJxMC/s1600/Banana+Everything+Wet+Pre+Blend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvN9Z284XUtQUsvXoRP2o5dT00AAvXDyjkSeKnAeZFKlMhRqxQp2oOniEGO5dNoZNgjqNcGJUvf_TWIk8ZmwSQLg0TMEq_VlvdfOgDfmd9wePKqV3lkPyXsI4WTaQyB3wxb4wc4TcJxMC/s320/Banana+Everything+Wet+Pre+Blend.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add in vanilla and canola oil</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OG8ZeBgGLK3ABAjAbWi2rfniMekxBbkSr6uzeaIuXB1FbzXtnyh-EDQ3sWTdeRtVJDBSS2JwBPu7xnKUI7ufccm4ZS7k5ZHLRVCRWo_fWNqSQJqiB8MQuqb5bMWWCfrGqSUoVgZpg6M2/s1600/Banana+Everything+Blended+Wet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OG8ZeBgGLK3ABAjAbWi2rfniMekxBbkSr6uzeaIuXB1FbzXtnyh-EDQ3sWTdeRtVJDBSS2JwBPu7xnKUI7ufccm4ZS7k5ZHLRVCRWo_fWNqSQJqiB8MQuqb5bMWWCfrGqSUoVgZpg6M2/s320/Banana+Everything+Blended+Wet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And process</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, whisk together your dry ingredients. Ooh, I wish I had a picture to show you my two favorite baking tools. If you've read many posts then you know I love my citrus press for cooking. For baking, I could not live without my whisk and my silicone spatula.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lOkTvRg2qX7JWu0lja0UooirV7fBDClBuMmuLqIRIgYhld2ra2HooJlPefZuV-CPMgDeSTBzoeenMsbGHLv8qt2DGHHuOi71LuGz4bT-TjOCsbxQ7bjXetZvrGU4tBxx0liDWu9iJNtL/s1600/Banana+Everything+Oats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lOkTvRg2qX7JWu0lja0UooirV7fBDClBuMmuLqIRIgYhld2ra2HooJlPefZuV-CPMgDeSTBzoeenMsbGHLv8qt2DGHHuOi71LuGz4bT-TjOCsbxQ7bjXetZvrGU4tBxx0liDWu9iJNtL/s320/Banana+Everything+Oats.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oats</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo10Pqm0cYRV4IlQSIagIGh1KxRzI3ykgMODyTcE9c0J9TXNra40IVZorb902KmrxH8HoF79Cu6a0ZOpzLhhIPyUwW1AgFBuJiCivfyBUij45tIzLzWZfcFpsoYk72cPm9CnvEfDbRodsm/s1600/Banana+Everything+Oats+%2526+Flour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo10Pqm0cYRV4IlQSIagIGh1KxRzI3ykgMODyTcE9c0J9TXNra40IVZorb902KmrxH8HoF79Cu6a0ZOpzLhhIPyUwW1AgFBuJiCivfyBUij45tIzLzWZfcFpsoYk72cPm9CnvEfDbRodsm/s320/Banana+Everything+Oats+%2526+Flour.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oats & flour</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuf46XpOENW5wvhy337nhCgfumSkyyY5_omKlVBNDKT-IRfWDIW6_uX8b64czVu01u04uPaOcUyMpGBUbuhbAC3g8fsiESVq3tIs17nDaFRjbax-srinw3E-82PWysrhgWwJJFu73NpBeB/s1600/Banana+Everything+Dry+Unmixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuf46XpOENW5wvhy337nhCgfumSkyyY5_omKlVBNDKT-IRfWDIW6_uX8b64czVu01u04uPaOcUyMpGBUbuhbAC3g8fsiESVq3tIs17nDaFRjbax-srinw3E-82PWysrhgWwJJFu73NpBeB/s320/Banana+Everything+Dry+Unmixed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whisk it all toghether</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89CahLgCwBRQBzyHYnR-0nQ-UbPbDOvLJrcbFvX2ppO5dUwDsPA199v8xg5vjRISNsFOFc7koJys_CKYDXyIVa4rQk0JSow4j43yd3_ZCkKk_Ki4VfJrvvDrlPzKu4X2mPtxy3S0VQJ83/s1600/Banana+Everything+Chocolate+Chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89CahLgCwBRQBzyHYnR-0nQ-UbPbDOvLJrcbFvX2ppO5dUwDsPA199v8xg5vjRISNsFOFc7koJys_CKYDXyIVa4rQk0JSow4j43yd3_ZCkKk_Ki4VfJrvvDrlPzKu4X2mPtxy3S0VQJ83/s320/Banana+Everything+Chocolate+Chips.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add your mix ins</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These chocolate chips I used a few months ago were really too large for these cookies. This time I used regular sized and they worked much better. So, let's pretend these are regular sized chocolate chips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAMi2zPrQsmTNQzCVSnO80KFqmZgBgrT3Dfuynn5hiAK_B-eJTn0ROPVmuwpsH5F3R5HwqJYr9ksHnxRjVbEt7BJ0JiDbEUwBPXrr1kyseS1hNs4PEIWnpH1Uxgs1HROhc28I-B5JLW_r/s1600/Banana+Everything+Dry+Mixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAMi2zPrQsmTNQzCVSnO80KFqmZgBgrT3Dfuynn5hiAK_B-eJTn0ROPVmuwpsH5F3R5HwqJYr9ksHnxRjVbEt7BJ0JiDbEUwBPXrr1kyseS1hNs4PEIWnpH1Uxgs1HROhc28I-B5JLW_r/s320/Banana+Everything+Dry+Mixed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once everything is good and mixed, add in your wet. Oh, hey, there's my spatula. I love that thing. Can you propose to a spatula?</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkT_EA1glQaifFDFdsGSJY3kjnLJLVAo2x7BtQyWybAz-c6Ohp3gVD6ARg3hLVDVc0KFoLgEOo7QAUFI1aRPJNAyjrbioKVatEDe7_HMFfDeYOHUgfyskb-IhdCQuM571S7KPZ4TVc13U/s1600/Banana+Everything+Wet+to+Dry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkT_EA1glQaifFDFdsGSJY3kjnLJLVAo2x7BtQyWybAz-c6Ohp3gVD6ARg3hLVDVc0KFoLgEOo7QAUFI1aRPJNAyjrbioKVatEDe7_HMFfDeYOHUgfyskb-IhdCQuM571S7KPZ4TVc13U/s320/Banana+Everything+Wet+to+Dry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gooey</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And apparently I have no pictures of the after mixed stage or the rolling stage. But here's how it goes down. I use a cookie sheet covered with a silpat (I used to use parchment paper) and I scoop out the dough using a cookies scoop. This works really well and the cookies turn out mostly the same shape and size. You could always use your hands and a spoon though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bake for 10 - 12 minutes and then let cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack. I have found that the trick to vegan cookies is usually to undercook them. This leaves them moist and chewy. Of course, I am probably biased since that is how I like my cookies. If you prefer a crunchy cookie, this recipe isn't the best place to start. And while I am on the topic of undercooked dough, don't forget to taste the dough as you are rolling out the cookies. It is quite delicious. Though it is not nearly as addicting as my go to chocolate chip cookie dough is. Or the dessert hummus. But the baked version of these cookies is more addicting than the blueberry muffins I made this weekend. But not by much. By the way, I have all of those in my house right now. Dozens of cookies, muffins, dessert hummus and even pancakes. Thank goodness for the salad I had for lunch and the taco I'm about to go make for dinner. I don't really want to see any sugar for the rest of the night. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOILr3S_eMytvmYprv1x55inN70lGBbI-Apn2wJDEm_wVesHy15mQm7cbKhLYczQH_BbqUQPbcbIwI_Yo7AAOugIl2UlWXyhYwcRdgUrGO5dvxa5MOpmc0HOv5tjJMEw5Yi7DmWXvI7IB/s1600/Banana+Everything+Cookie+Catapult.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOILr3S_eMytvmYprv1x55inN70lGBbI-Apn2wJDEm_wVesHy15mQm7cbKhLYczQH_BbqUQPbcbIwI_Yo7AAOugIl2UlWXyhYwcRdgUrGO5dvxa5MOpmc0HOv5tjJMEw5Yi7DmWXvI7IB/s320/Banana+Everything+Cookie+Catapult.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-44437787245482183892011-02-27T20:37:00.000-08:002011-02-27T20:37:20.605-08:00Guacamole BowlYesterday my friend and I embarked on a journey of gluttony. We attended the <a href="http://www.guacamolebowl.com/index.html">8th Annual Guacamole Bowl</a> in Balboa Park. Upon paying our $5 entry fee, we were handed a bag of tortilla chips and some stickers to use to vote for our favorite guacamoles. Out of 30. I was a little put off when the first three we passed had bacon listed in their ingredients, but was mighty happy that every booth had ingredients well displayed so I could avoid those with meat and dairy. We did come across one booth that listed "dairy" and "love" as two of their ingredients. We stayed well away from that booth.<br />
<br />
The event was a charity event to raise money for sports for children with disabilities.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF_SPetwJLg9HwHQ3sOfyw0KXMrqFfG7yoNSYtAJ-XeqWOzcyiRQTgxxSX5ZWv8zZWilAzi2cj23IVe48goehRLb7QCX83pAC-1cMIO8dcZpKOfRrxJV3msQxK1ZhsEVGBAqA1tZUZCju/s1600/Guacamole+Bowl+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvF_SPetwJLg9HwHQ3sOfyw0KXMrqFfG7yoNSYtAJ-XeqWOzcyiRQTgxxSX5ZWv8zZWilAzi2cj23IVe48goehRLb7QCX83pAC-1cMIO8dcZpKOfRrxJV3msQxK1ZhsEVGBAqA1tZUZCju/s320/Guacamole+Bowl+Flyer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>It was a really awesome event and, even passing by the booths that had meat or dairy, we still had plenty of guacamole to indulge in.<br />
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There were decorated tables, costumes and even a theme song or two.<br />
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It was really fun reading the ingredients, tasting the guac and then figuring out first if we liked it (we didn't find any we didn't) and secondly what flavors stood out and what made the best ones the best. I was quite a fan of the ones in which I could taste cumin and lime. I was surprised by the contrasting sweetness of the yellow bell peppers in one we tried.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9igxHr_ZgwrHoJBtprNkiunhUAkAS4PWxrlPek72hP3y3YiHjyQ_H1U1rcI52fnc52Gl7wq0KbbA0Qw3oqAgEEDG0svlgfNjYL5keQu6377bjXuXR9AfddoOf6jYYEgsvEaqI6ZNZObaJ/s1600/Gucamole+Bowl+Fixins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9igxHr_ZgwrHoJBtprNkiunhUAkAS4PWxrlPek72hP3y3YiHjyQ_H1U1rcI52fnc52Gl7wq0KbbA0Qw3oqAgEEDG0svlgfNjYL5keQu6377bjXuXR9AfddoOf6jYYEgsvEaqI6ZNZObaJ/s320/Gucamole+Bowl+Fixins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgiYcXQBQiDdZIoQR9PhUl79sSRhUUllHVCk0w1WDQIBeSO4sr9xLwU-URuCamcEo_jXyK988fO1NVNu8PCS6sc1UANBWdmIcJFopbJPJ0bqbeo4L8TtjpUBJxYDpYYXHdvGuvyUJkXPv/s1600/Gucamole+Bowl+Avocados.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgiYcXQBQiDdZIoQR9PhUl79sSRhUUllHVCk0w1WDQIBeSO4sr9xLwU-URuCamcEo_jXyK988fO1NVNu8PCS6sc1UANBWdmIcJFopbJPJ0bqbeo4L8TtjpUBJxYDpYYXHdvGuvyUJkXPv/s320/Gucamole+Bowl+Avocados.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There were pounds upon pounds of fresh vegetables floating around the building.<br />
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We managed to stuff ourselves silly in only a short hour. Luckily I had already been to the gym earlier in the morning and ran a 5K on the treadmill (have I mentioned I am going to attempt a 5K run/race on March 26th?) so I didn't feel so bad.<br />
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I'll leave you with one final picture that we took extra care to bring to you. You see, my friend doesn't so much like people in costumes, and this guy disappeared and we had to hunt him down. But here it is, for your viewing pleasure.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigID1CDGWSorNGK6PMshXUjHsiP7HJOUQl5TeAOc7WhJ7bfXgCl1lN6rgKmVnYtkc13mJxwv7GOu3GITfCrWzjiv4CNiAnBNiqR1bwV3UhEftvVo2nT9OTR3g76VTu-ygAUq2A9tH25BbM/s1600/Gucamole+Bowl+Giant+Avocado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigID1CDGWSorNGK6PMshXUjHsiP7HJOUQl5TeAOc7WhJ7bfXgCl1lN6rgKmVnYtkc13mJxwv7GOu3GITfCrWzjiv4CNiAnBNiqR1bwV3UhEftvVo2nT9OTR3g76VTu-ygAUq2A9tH25BbM/s320/Gucamole+Bowl+Giant+Avocado.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Hope you enjoyed my guacamole bowl festivities.San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-26910827930470570212011-02-21T21:01:00.000-08:002011-02-21T21:01:19.775-08:00Black Bean TacosDo you ever have one of those days where you just know exactly what you want for dinner and it totally peps you up? No, just me? I go to the gym straight from work Mondays, Tuesdays and usually Thursdays along with coming home for a brief 1/2 hour first on Wednesdays. This results in my starting to throw dinner together anywhere from 6 to 7:30 at night. Obviously that doesn't leave much time for intricate dinners. Some nights I rely on weekend leftovers. Sometimes I throw together something quickly like a salad or sandwich and sometimes I rely on boca burgers or meatless balls, jarred spaghetti sauce and whole wheat spaghetti. Occasionally though, as happened tonight, I was struck with inspiration and put together a meal I'd like to share with you.<br />
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A few months back I mentioned that I had made Oh She Glows' <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2010/11/02/easy-avocado-lime-black-bean-salad/">Easy Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad</a>. When I set out this afternoon, that was what I was going to make. I saw someone in my office eating tacos for lunch and I instantly thought of throwing that black bean salad on some corn tortillas and having me some yummy tacos for dinner. Luckily I had already set some black beans to soak before I left for work this morning and I had my fabulous new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fagor-670040230-Stainless-Steel-6-Quart-Multi-Cooker/dp/B001A62O1G">Pressure Cooker</a> to cook them up in no time flat. A trip to the store on my way home to pick up some tortillas and cilantro resulted in a slight shift in the dinner plans. I started thinking about what else I could put on the tacos to jazz them up a bit. I thought about some lettuce and salsa, but those seemed like they would take away from the lovely combination of this recipe, so I ended up picking up a head of red cabbage.<br />
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I didn't measure ingredients which is probably a good thing as my salad turned out a bit too oniony for even my onion loving tastes. For the original recipe, make sure and check out <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2010/11/02/easy-avocado-lime-black-bean-salad/">Oh She Glows' post</a> and then add in the cabbage if you'd like. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickb5ygtyL9D5cTVgCZSpjzLnDPnN7AuJQX3JKfzPkRGrn8nw-hTwQTMSZANzJvCytRnmcfCBPE8kW7LViMKK6Dk2Nh5NYYtj7u77xpx3GBYLt6y13r4mnX6w9aAOK3aJnEBvgjEhxfhBh/s1600/Onion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickb5ygtyL9D5cTVgCZSpjzLnDPnN7AuJQX3JKfzPkRGrn8nw-hTwQTMSZANzJvCytRnmcfCBPE8kW7LViMKK6Dk2Nh5NYYtj7u77xpx3GBYLt6y13r4mnX6w9aAOK3aJnEBvgjEhxfhBh/s320/Onion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">First: Chop your onion</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then add chopped cilantro</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHYUVEmhrb_a-Y5aBIU0fXGyaCH2r_yd6xn-PsBSp3btBCq39zEUnjw4USYdRrEvdH0Svog3LBcLzzBm9ZURl8R2nTcjrfEnuxv6rH09biZSPEce20cQB0MoL40cyq03egoUjdhQhF6bM/s1600/Limes%252C+Cabbage+%2526+Cilantro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHYUVEmhrb_a-Y5aBIU0fXGyaCH2r_yd6xn-PsBSp3btBCq39zEUnjw4USYdRrEvdH0Svog3LBcLzzBm9ZURl8R2nTcjrfEnuxv6rH09biZSPEce20cQB0MoL40cyq03egoUjdhQhF6bM/s320/Limes%252C+Cabbage+%2526+Cilantro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next add the juice from your limes</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bURtY3Ebe4q2SEcAZU_X-0STFszWrPnb44li9iY4XevbAuHluR2f7OswEQf9nG5FzstAcsax_96Xoibxt3_-ByZeKNYNW36rg62xcQujVBxkdafLUVcRHbjfNE6qe9wnBjf1N6vIXp96/s1600/Blurry+Lemon+Press.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bURtY3Ebe4q2SEcAZU_X-0STFszWrPnb44li9iY4XevbAuHluR2f7OswEQf9nG5FzstAcsax_96Xoibxt3_-ByZeKNYNW36rg62xcQujVBxkdafLUVcRHbjfNE6qe9wnBjf1N6vIXp96/s320/Blurry+Lemon+Press.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blurry picture, but the most used contraption in my kitchen next to my food processor.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKM3bqjFdNLln5pFk31RirBF18garKYLttF-uEomKQ8S2Z9Ud6oo7gD0IlqTMYLPQwbC5WZfL20vmHdPa6MT7dULA8gY71NCIa37I-RptiyZtI4ingQeWKaV9Bp67M-_fCq844CnIRixs/s1600/Black+Bean+Taco+Seasonings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKM3bqjFdNLln5pFk31RirBF18garKYLttF-uEomKQ8S2Z9Ud6oo7gD0IlqTMYLPQwbC5WZfL20vmHdPa6MT7dULA8gY71NCIa37I-RptiyZtI4ingQeWKaV9Bp67M-_fCq844CnIRixs/s320/Black+Bean+Taco+Seasonings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Add in some cumin and salt</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EJpsDeIhStMWWanvpt8cITS-CRaUV7TkfRGQogVxg2A66Niu8mVVXukBUuhn3I0J-0XHiq9y3VvQUzYYlLenP3hipErysyXlgIHN13Is_-WbO9jMsHTHhPQdqXzm9T_Qtz3ijPi0z29v/s1600/Red+Cabbage+Sliced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EJpsDeIhStMWWanvpt8cITS-CRaUV7TkfRGQogVxg2A66Niu8mVVXukBUuhn3I0J-0XHiq9y3VvQUzYYlLenP3hipErysyXlgIHN13Is_-WbO9jMsHTHhPQdqXzm9T_Qtz3ijPi0z29v/s320/Red+Cabbage+Sliced.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Slice up your cabbage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKNywThqNbxgEqJ-5HKiJpDwvPwB4f8rf3d8YrFx6SYLTb_bAITn79rJc1YAuulAnJaTDI7hNULcp-xYA_ZeADyEp8bxXggoxTf8UYGOatF6OZiuWYFL1wQE3UJ_95qJtYFr74gSA2FOh/s1600/Black+Bean+%2526+Avocado+Tacos+Plate.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKNywThqNbxgEqJ-5HKiJpDwvPwB4f8rf3d8YrFx6SYLTb_bAITn79rJc1YAuulAnJaTDI7hNULcp-xYA_ZeADyEp8bxXggoxTf8UYGOatF6OZiuWYFL1wQE3UJ_95qJtYFr74gSA2FOh/s320/Black+Bean+%2526+Avocado+Tacos+Plate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I ended up not mixing the avocado in since I didn't want to leave it overnight in the leftovers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxHLIyxUQku_gOea5hp4UfrlU54L5eqDrhszMoK6woooIAn8Tuqhv_RJ55RYSctQAUHgQ_5e0akLxQG3oqBz6npXShdx1uCacsuQGnRZolsaVMYksCLlUdxTjHqqit9riX4E7UUjnSGy7/s1600/Black+Bean+%2526+Avocado+Tacos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxHLIyxUQku_gOea5hp4UfrlU54L5eqDrhszMoK6woooIAn8Tuqhv_RJ55RYSctQAUHgQ_5e0akLxQG3oqBz6npXShdx1uCacsuQGnRZolsaVMYksCLlUdxTjHqqit9riX4E7UUjnSGy7/s320/Black+Bean+%2526+Avocado+Tacos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Apart from using too much onion, these tacos were unbelievably delicious! And considering that I could put this together after the gym and a shower on a week night, I'd say we have a winner.<br />
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Oh, and I <3 my pressure cooker. I see a long and happy life together.San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-36803671741247524442011-02-14T20:33:00.000-08:002011-02-14T20:33:52.722-08:00Key Lime PieWhen I purchased some graham cracker crusts during the holidays my first thought was key lime pie. Months later, I still had not managed to find a suitable recipe even though I scoured the internet searching. When I found key limes on my grocery trip last weekend I knew the time had come. Recipe or no recipe, I was making key lime pie.<br />
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I really had no recipe even to base my recipe on so I went with my gut. Silken tofu, lime juice, lime zest, agave, cornstarch and a little vanilla (and a little bit of food coloring). I didn't really imagine it would set up so super well, but I imagined it would taste delicious. Unfortunately, when I poured the concoction into the crust, it fell short of the top by a good 1/4 inch. What to do!? I vaguely remembered Katie's post on making your own <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/01/26/make-your-own-coconut-butter/">coconut butter</a> out of shredded coconut so I tried to do something along those lines to make a creamy coconut topping. Note the word tried. I processed and processed and processed my coconut but it remained grainy. I mixed it with some agave and coconut oil and even tossed in a bit of water, but it remained grainy. So I went with it.<br />
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The result is a pretty darn good pie.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgpF-AsgtAvpPSzM-A5JMy0RDReLiYjxjngyZpk8yUL_diwNnC649_UJDveVxrkwpAHg4KRVlkoyInE_2Vn3ip4ULpL0cvtLzwWYS7D_CWHiWjRKNfDg3oH8zegCWLTThlBCDpkkm6luA/s1600/Key+Lime+Pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgpF-AsgtAvpPSzM-A5JMy0RDReLiYjxjngyZpk8yUL_diwNnC649_UJDveVxrkwpAHg4KRVlkoyInE_2Vn3ip4ULpL0cvtLzwWYS7D_CWHiWjRKNfDg3oH8zegCWLTThlBCDpkkm6luA/s320/Key+Lime+Pie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Yum. Unfortunately, the rest of the dinner I prepared last night was not as photo worthy. Lentil rice loaf, mashed cauliflower and onion gravy. Have you ever made onion gravy? I cannot believe how easy it was. Melt tablespoon of earth balance in cast iron skillet, add onion. Cook until brown. Remove onion. Add in 4 tablespoons earth balance and 4 tablespoons flour. Cook until well mixed. Add back in onion and 2 cups veggie broth. Stir until thick. Season with salt and pepper. I almost ate this off the spoon it was so delicious.<br />
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Have you tried <a href="http://sdvegan.blogspot.com/2011/02/dessert-hummus.html">dessert hummus</a> yet? Want some more incentive?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-YuxNzczx6fgWgD2CtPdrV6VBq52Yo6xqA12QEPdCDEqEVjVi2bRFdqCHRA_fvquKQQemkMGjS1GNfxprITB8I_m8rlUBpDtcmmh5Z7gPE8L9bx7VG0iPp9dogTdJ8WZa_R3AT6TLfod/s1600/Dessert+Hummus+Plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-YuxNzczx6fgWgD2CtPdrV6VBq52Yo6xqA12QEPdCDEqEVjVi2bRFdqCHRA_fvquKQQemkMGjS1GNfxprITB8I_m8rlUBpDtcmmh5Z7gPE8L9bx7VG0iPp9dogTdJ8WZa_R3AT6TLfod/s320/Dessert+Hummus+Plate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Graham crackers. Banana slices. Dessert hummus. Need I say more?San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-78720807994347849272011-02-11T18:34:00.000-08:002011-02-11T18:34:14.470-08:00Dessert HummusI know what you're thinking. But hear me out. Today I read a tweet from <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Mama_Pea">@mama_pea</a> about having to make the choice between grocery shopping and making dessert hummus. I was hooked instantly. I had everything at home except something to dip in it. I went to the store and got some graham crackers and I was ready.<br />
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Once home I rinsed the garbanzo beans, pulled out the food processor, tossed in some peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and a pinch of salt and started that baby up. Minutes later I mixed in some mini chocolate chips I conveniently had on hand and tasted one of the most intriguing foods I have tried in a long time. It wasn't oh my goodness love at first bite, but after a few bites I was hooked. Luckily my desire to produce a great picture for all of you stopped my boyfriend and I from devouring the whole batch in one sitting.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHhLvZyMmzPh1_w3kJUug5ayGMu0nOp6VrzTN70kPHe2T-0qO3D3-xQgAPDfmwQBPbk5ZY8HgNUe__RWpe-KFVynODWCyT_2BTbpzKhiXSMKDBBDCM9S8chhuyJUpSgFV30AAb3Uz3I8y/s1600/Dessert+Hummus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHhLvZyMmzPh1_w3kJUug5ayGMu0nOp6VrzTN70kPHe2T-0qO3D3-xQgAPDfmwQBPbk5ZY8HgNUe__RWpe-KFVynODWCyT_2BTbpzKhiXSMKDBBDCM9S8chhuyJUpSgFV30AAb3Uz3I8y/s320/Dessert+Hummus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is currently chilling in my refrigerator. Can I have dessert for dinner? <br />
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<a href="http://www.thewannabechef.net/2011/01/11/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-dessert-hummus/">Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus</a>. This guy's a genius. <a class="cssButton" href="javascript:void(0)" id="publishButton" onclick="if (this.className.indexOf("ubtn-disabled") == -1) {var e = document['postingForm'].publish;(e.length) ? e[0].click() : e.click(); if (window.event) window.event.cancelBubble = true; return false;}" target=""><div class="cssButtonOuter"><div class="cssButtonMiddle"><div class="cssButtonInner"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-38703702708960959992011-01-15T20:15:00.000-08:002011-01-15T20:15:00.236-08:00A Jalapeno Kind Of DinnerTonight's dinner (which took me a good 2 hours in the kitchen to make) centered around farmer's market finds. Last Sunday I bought a basket of jalapenos and a basket of tomatillos with absolutely no plan for them. Over the past week, a plan was formed. I give you:<br />
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A Jalapeno Kind Of Dinner<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcBFLBKxm5jkmLDrA-pCsY5mvRFq_Aswh7ZtpOJDzAZ0uqhto9OlRUQJGNp8CWiKiDSVhKE5ttXvEADv60FNtn5lIxsrTCA2gMifhSdkqsBNwsmxxe7XxqTX67o0fMx0LSxhNFLuEcj7X/s1600/Jalapeno+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcBFLBKxm5jkmLDrA-pCsY5mvRFq_Aswh7ZtpOJDzAZ0uqhto9OlRUQJGNp8CWiKiDSVhKE5ttXvEADv60FNtn5lIxsrTCA2gMifhSdkqsBNwsmxxe7XxqTX67o0fMx0LSxhNFLuEcj7X/s320/Jalapeno+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I have a couple more things I'd like to get done tonight so I'll leave you with only a short description, some links to recipes I used as well as two more pictures of kitchen basics.<br />
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Back during MoFo, <a href="http://veganeatsandtreats.blogspot.com/">Vegan Eats & Treats</a> did a post about <a href="http://veganeatsandtreats.blogspot.com/2010/11/veganmofo-salvadorian-pupusas-curtido.html">pupusas</a>. I was immediately intrigued but forgot all about it until Wednesday when I went to the Ocean Beach farmer's market and my friend and I started discussing the pupusas they were selling on the side of the street. I googled Viva Vegan Pupusas and found<a href="http://goveganmeow.blogspot.com/2010/11/pupusas-curtido-and-salsa-roja.html"> this</a> recipe. I may have to look into actually buying this cook book because these were (apart from some minor trials and tribulations) delicious and fairly easy. I stuffed the pupusas with a veggie mix that contained roasted jalapenos, garlic, onion and sauteed chard, bell peppers and more onion. For my boyfriend I stuffed his with refried beans and a little cheese. Note: I do not recommend refreid beans for stuffing. Use only solid foods for ease of preparation.<br />
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Next, I made jalapeno cornbread from<a href="http://hungryadventurer.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-vegan-jalapeno-cornbread.html"> this </a>recipe. Oh! And while I'm thinking about it, I have to thank reader Becky who suggested that I try google bookmarks for keeping track of the recipes I'd like to try. This was exactly what I was looking for! I hit bookmark, change the name, add a category if I choose and then there is an app on my phone that I can click on to bring them right up. Genius! But back to the muffins. I left the roasted jalapenos out of half of them for my boyfriend and used whole wheat flour because that was all I had on hand. These were really good topped with a little Earth Balance.<br />
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The main goal I had when I set out 3 hours ago though was to use up the tomatillos by making a green salsa. I roasted garlic, tomatillos, jalapenos and onion and here's where you get kitchen tip #1 and #2.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSICDsrLQMKMn6XfyOhBv_KbduNSki4K7tctVG7fJYaXTWnv_J0BRN53AfmcxXayMUy0jlkTUfPbwXU9PoLBqAfXx9voRBxTYNh6GgpSG_8CsL3ADkmbAr1KevXUWmAomzVY0SmQSHNr6/s1600/Roasting+Veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSICDsrLQMKMn6XfyOhBv_KbduNSki4K7tctVG7fJYaXTWnv_J0BRN53AfmcxXayMUy0jlkTUfPbwXU9PoLBqAfXx9voRBxTYNh6GgpSG_8CsL3ADkmbAr1KevXUWmAomzVY0SmQSHNr6/s320/Roasting+Veggies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Roasting your veggies in muffin tins is super easy and convenient!<br />
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An oven thermometer (even a dirty one) can really help when baking to show you whether or not your oven is really at 400 degrees or not.<br />
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But back to the salsa. I roasted everything and then took the seeds out of all the jalapenos. I threw everything except for about half the jalapenos, a quarter of the onion and one of the heads of garlic into the food processor with some cilantro and lemon juice and blended it up. I used no specific recipe for this and it turned out delicious!<br />
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Finally, I made a wild rice blend that I seasoned with lemon juice and salt and pepper after cooking.<br />
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Plated, I added refried beans and the veggie mix to the top of my pupusas and drizzled with the salsa. This was way too much food but was definitely delicious. Now that I know how all the ingredients go together I think I will be making these more often.<br />
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Sorry for the detour from Portland. Probably one more post before I get to it as well as I have one more food I am dieing to tell you about!San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-65555377595357218412011-01-09T16:57:00.000-08:002011-01-09T16:57:19.056-08:00Portland: SaturdayI'm still here and I haven't forgotten about the rest of my trip. I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seats waiting for the rest of the story (or at least you were 3 weeks ago when I posted Friday's recap). Without further ado, I give you: Saturday in Portland.<br />
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As when someone learns the fact that I am vegan is so often met with the question "Where do you get your protein?", so too is the fact that I want to live in Oregon often met with the question "You know it rains a lot there, right?". I patiently explain that I am well aware of this fact while I roll my eyes in my imagination. My mom and I were pleasantly surprised to find that it did not rain once on Friday. Of course, we joked, it would rain all of Saturday when we had plans for doing things outdoors. Boy were we ever right about that. One of the major things I wanted to check out while we were there was the Farmer's Market at PSU. So we set out Saturday morning with the plan to go there and to the Saturday Market which is a sort of art market. When we left the hotel it was already raining. But, if I was to ever move to Portland I would definitely not let a little rain stop me.<br />
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We headed out once again across the Willamette and easily found the market. We also managed to find a parking space pretty close. The market was mostly deserted but was filled with so many beautiful stands of fresh vegetables and fruit. We made our way around about 3 times just to make sure we didn't miss anything before I decided what to get. Since we were staying in a hotel there was very little I could do with vegetables, but fruits I could bring home with me. The only thing I hated about the rain was that I didn't want to have my camera out and get it all wet, so there are no pictures of the actual market but I do have some I took later of my finds. This was especially sad because on my 3rd trip around when I had stopped once again at a stand filled with vegan baked goods, I ran into the fabulous Sayward of <a href="http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/">Bonzai Aphrodite</a> and her beautiful family! At this point though I was totally drenched and freezing so we didn't stay long and chat.<br />
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And when I say drenched, I mean drenched. I had an umbrella and what I thought was a rain proof jacket. I gave the umbrella to my mom as I had a hood and said jacket. This did nothing to protect my legs and as I learned later, really no part of me. My pants were soaked all the way down and my hands were frozen. We left the market after a fairly short time and headed to the Saturday Market.<br />
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My mom had suggested the Saturday Market and I am so glad she did. I dried up only a tiny bit on the way there and then we were back out in the rain but with so much to see. There were hundreds of artists of all kinds selling their handcrafted work. I ended up buying some gifts as well as some artwork for myself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJTqIa8pEp1qlw-FWA_X_-9GRyIRIJoKPFWexq4OlsTb9a4V0ZWW2uxmY3CZ-No7gfrIlvGFrtwhv1HqW5EEBThArgGQGhVAVvyAU9NMvuL4dlSEL7Agad5VQFPfpSUeDwHj3qvRzR9OW/s1600/Portland+Saturday+Market+Rainbow+Hanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJTqIa8pEp1qlw-FWA_X_-9GRyIRIJoKPFWexq4OlsTb9a4V0ZWW2uxmY3CZ-No7gfrIlvGFrtwhv1HqW5EEBThArgGQGhVAVvyAU9NMvuL4dlSEL7Agad5VQFPfpSUeDwHj3qvRzR9OW/s320/Portland+Saturday+Market+Rainbow+Hanger.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I got this hanging glass art for my boyfriend's grandma as well as a rainbow necklace for his sister that I neglected to get a picture of. I also neglected to get a picture of these totally awesome earrings I bought for her that were made with this metal that changes colors at different thicknesses.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A8UaEyZUc6qfyRXTkp7MdS2FR7Cc7ndz3ybsbkEjbUo8WNEz1Kk6-HTVoByNiDx7Zw84ngeUK_cbVl7kA1Zbk3XGUCVTOWsuLxP048fZO62cZe3bQa8a4N4E78_7NlsZTgpZai_mh9TL/s1600/Portland+Number+Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A8UaEyZUc6qfyRXTkp7MdS2FR7Cc7ndz3ybsbkEjbUo8WNEz1Kk6-HTVoByNiDx7Zw84ngeUK_cbVl7kA1Zbk3XGUCVTOWsuLxP048fZO62cZe3bQa8a4N4E78_7NlsZTgpZai_mh9TL/s320/Portland+Number+Art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I got these two pieces of art done by artist <a href="http://www.siennamorris.com/?page_id=87">Sienna Morris</a>. They are drawn entirely with numbers of the clock. There is not one line drawn. If you have the time, I highly suggest checking out her site.<br />
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Walking out of the Saturday Market we were even more soaked than before and I suggested we stop in some place to dry off a little bit before getting back in the car. We happened upon <a href="http://www.kellsirish.com/portland/index.php">Kell's Irish Restaurant & Pub</a> and our initial thought was possibly some Irish Coffee but then my mom asked what kind of soup they had and would you know, it was vegan! <br />
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Hot apple cider, Irish soda bread and kale and white bean soup! This was so delicious and clean and warming and I absolutely couldn't wait to get home to try to recreate it. I am pretty sure it was just vegetable stock, kale, carrots and white beans but it was sooo yummy. I have recreated it since then and mine turned out a little too oily (I don't think oil was even necessary). This restaurant was great though, they took our coats and we attempted to dry off at least a little. This was when I learned that my jacket was not rain proof. Oops.<br />
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After we left Kell's we headed out with no specific agenda. We drove around a lot that day and the heater in the car managed to get me almost 100% dry. We went to a couple of used clothes stores but nothing was too great. We went to <a href="http://www.bridgecitycomics.com/">Bridge City Comics</a> which was a very nice store.<br />
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We drove past my Aunt's old house.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJii0-IlPbYgaeiwXSQL0sRUUqDTAVn3oJaZyt44rzNR14U_YEVewmOZfwkSEUDWlSubKdJ_IevZ2xqJ7BSgfNF3qiDmPFA1hEsj9z7tReCzIWKku8EqreiqRuAhyphenhyphenFizi40TprXxUspcP/s1600/Portland+Auntie+Ann%2527s+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJii0-IlPbYgaeiwXSQL0sRUUqDTAVn3oJaZyt44rzNR14U_YEVewmOZfwkSEUDWlSubKdJ_IevZ2xqJ7BSgfNF3qiDmPFA1hEsj9z7tReCzIWKku8EqreiqRuAhyphenhyphenFizi40TprXxUspcP/s320/Portland+Auntie+Ann%2527s+House.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I studied the street structure of Portland. There are little inlets on each corner where water flows and stays instead of an underground sewer system. Also, many, many houses had raised gardens in their frin yards! I absolutely love the look of the older houses in Portland.<br />
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We traveled to a Trader Joe's that is right across the street from a 24 hour fitness. We didn't go inside either but the Trader Joe's had to have been 3 times as big as the one I shop in.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7au9pJnqSw3G92DQPWBT4CjgfaLrMUaPunFzYBASOCI9pfnIi6doOOtTknE7rvrno5wEQZMnRp5hl7WelKoDJkC0uVdqxs30tzqE1Kt2SshRRKRRbWIXvQ45hktrDkxyjdCW-G6yOFqe4/s1600/Portland+Trader+Joe%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7au9pJnqSw3G92DQPWBT4CjgfaLrMUaPunFzYBASOCI9pfnIi6doOOtTknE7rvrno5wEQZMnRp5hl7WelKoDJkC0uVdqxs30tzqE1Kt2SshRRKRRbWIXvQ45hktrDkxyjdCW-G6yOFqe4/s320/Portland+Trader+Joe%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For a late lunch we ended up at the most awesome block I have ever seen. On the left was <a href="http://sweetpeabaking.com/">Sweet Pea Bakery</a>, then <a href="http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/">Herbivore Clothing</a> and finally, <a href="http://www.foodfightgrocery.com/">Food Fight Grocery</a>. All vegan! If I could move in right across the street I think I'd be the happiest vegan on the planet!<br />
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At Sweet Pea Bakery I got a seitan filled sandwich. I can't remember what it was called or exactly what was in it, but it was delicious.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgzmKuW_19y7MqEJflrBxvr34oDCZJDV_sDOqI4S8QAvOLKbyuezcloHQ3T6hCDLRYqurguhA6Jufl4h0qvm-WSzPxD82jAj-ZJQvtd-GtCveySDTTeXos7YXY_6uiP9tKCVXq3lme2wG/s1600/Portland+Sweetpea+Bakery+Sandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgzmKuW_19y7MqEJflrBxvr34oDCZJDV_sDOqI4S8QAvOLKbyuezcloHQ3T6hCDLRYqurguhA6Jufl4h0qvm-WSzPxD82jAj-ZJQvtd-GtCveySDTTeXos7YXY_6uiP9tKCVXq3lme2wG/s320/Portland+Sweetpea+Bakery+Sandwich.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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My mom and I also got a slice of carrot cake to split after our leftover Thai food back at the hotel. Sorry for the horrible picture. Bonus points though, the container was compostable. And according to blogger, compostable is not a word....Get with the times blogger.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzu-_DR8fDOfAdIlD3Th2O2InZAOxJ-d8D3U-BupL8YIGoQSBIj1GObaDbYPYFbsNO_wxm0TjXLDSCZuWVQ4Pbz7vZrl327m1lE_YK86NtqkfgqgXHa6F-b0W66aOMcA-uxhkzmrE2im_S/s1600/Portland+Sweetpea+Carrot+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzu-_DR8fDOfAdIlD3Th2O2InZAOxJ-d8D3U-BupL8YIGoQSBIj1GObaDbYPYFbsNO_wxm0TjXLDSCZuWVQ4Pbz7vZrl327m1lE_YK86NtqkfgqgXHa6F-b0W66aOMcA-uxhkzmrE2im_S/s320/Portland+Sweetpea+Carrot+Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a>Back at the hotel I was finally able to take some pictures of the days goodies away from the downpours<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKGZG6MkBZ4x_GayYQoaKFvYaKnd1Clp4ubiFW5pctNF9Lgt00tVihgJ_qdjRTYO2Pgzju777rpeGmW8DTdVI_Z2KXfdaByJlofnvsISbIVxvDF6Zsa7tJC2vl1gYVIMkyJHIY9gx1tPJ/s1600/Portland+Farmer%2527s+Market+Gingerbread+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKGZG6MkBZ4x_GayYQoaKFvYaKnd1Clp4ubiFW5pctNF9Lgt00tVihgJ_qdjRTYO2Pgzju777rpeGmW8DTdVI_Z2KXfdaByJlofnvsISbIVxvDF6Zsa7tJC2vl1gYVIMkyJHIY9gx1tPJ/s320/Portland+Farmer%2527s+Market+Gingerbread+Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Delicious gingerbread spice cake with lemon ginger icing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCBKe1uAGZAsVgAV-BDQ1Ryj4TUvyeNBI9Bm574VA8FM0AIWeJ2YIk_IOT0ePYda37QuR1p0LcUCsVkabhO9ccJmkNZQWM6xPRkTIUl0msYaVkA0jlP2vQQY-2LMPrwj19TFKcVdMGCgU/s1600/Portland+Farmer%2527s+Market+Peanut+Butter+Square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCBKe1uAGZAsVgAV-BDQ1Ryj4TUvyeNBI9Bm574VA8FM0AIWeJ2YIk_IOT0ePYda37QuR1p0LcUCsVkabhO9ccJmkNZQWM6xPRkTIUl0msYaVkA0jlP2vQQY-2LMPrwj19TFKcVdMGCgU/s320/Portland+Farmer%2527s+Market+Peanut+Butter+Square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Peanut butter & chocolate crispy treat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy73O79rNecUbQeoQdWn09FdyUs8_3F6ENIn5IH73XJd_FBSiuesi3T6pr-glCV9Ci5AHgotBQwIM6LAheUl0gx1kWes5VyYqLFwcPp-JHfjKDk2ZsK5oA91RqOnvMzYqhxPMVmgHJQTaP/s1600/Portland+Pepper+Jelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy73O79rNecUbQeoQdWn09FdyUs8_3F6ENIn5IH73XJd_FBSiuesi3T6pr-glCV9Ci5AHgotBQwIM6LAheUl0gx1kWes5VyYqLFwcPp-JHfjKDk2ZsK5oA91RqOnvMzYqhxPMVmgHJQTaP/s320/Portland+Pepper+Jelly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Hot pepper marionberry jam.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQDofhYGCRtBUTmi4v26bbC_mI9OlupDm2Ad1zeiRrcBFklQlPoPZsuOuJLm-nDJ9_BGGzVxN2Y9ZUKN07-0LtSyzXRQoyUTeDMkU-ecUG-Ld7fWrot8BoKZUQ2X3UOWGijkboQ4rNlPz/s1600/Portland+Farmer%2527s+Market+Apples+%2526+Pears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQDofhYGCRtBUTmi4v26bbC_mI9OlupDm2Ad1zeiRrcBFklQlPoPZsuOuJLm-nDJ9_BGGzVxN2Y9ZUKN07-0LtSyzXRQoyUTeDMkU-ecUG-Ld7fWrot8BoKZUQ2X3UOWGijkboQ4rNlPz/s320/Portland+Farmer%2527s+Market+Apples+%2526+Pears.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Apples and Pears.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And that takes us pretty much to the end of Saturday. It was a wet but wonderful day and I felt like I got a true taste of Portland.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hopefully it wont take me three weeks to get back to you about Sunday and Monday.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for reading! Also, please pardon the formatting of this post. I am tired and do not have the energy to figure out why I can't get the spacing right. </div>San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-64652015890444859432010-12-21T20:06:00.000-08:002010-12-21T20:06:18.403-08:00Oh My Yum!Before I started my dinner tonight I already knew it was going to be a winner. Sometimes you just know. I took a bunch of pictures because, I just knew. And sure enough, it was out of this world. I got the recipe from <a href="http://busyveganmama.blogspot.com/2010/12/spinach-pesto.html">Busy Vegan Mama</a> and since I had some spinach leftover from my CSA I thought it would be the perfect dinner for one of these nights right before Xmas and end of the year when I am so uber busy. Without further ado, I give you:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Spinach Pesto Pasta</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9IueTEa1Jutgiw-Mp5fc5arnHNeFLONePcLyPkecYti4XmVmEtJLDD7mI9tN1CeqZTiI8VF8CHg3DOdJWP2wTkyByTrTAAalr6C1iu6esNeKVj1B8kbU0MdL1C14H2r9U7lt5Yd86GRx/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9IueTEa1Jutgiw-Mp5fc5arnHNeFLONePcLyPkecYti4XmVmEtJLDD7mI9tN1CeqZTiI8VF8CHg3DOdJWP2wTkyByTrTAAalr6C1iu6esNeKVj1B8kbU0MdL1C14H2r9U7lt5Yd86GRx/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Bowl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sorry for the super up close picture. I have yet to master taking pictures of certain things. Bowls of food being one of them. But don't let that detract from the beauty of this bowl. I followed Sara's recipe to a T except for adding a few extra vegetables to my pasta so <strike>check out her site if you'd like to</strike> get yourself over to her site and try it out for yourself.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquSX9Pzzv1YOM3n-UPEUREIoFC2WYOm2ahIJoE4NSZ5jApWn0DjL-rnW_OewTtzTxs38wld79Rlu9YTnW4FL_SOsftwcNaqAgt5LZiQ_qgIF9YIfFOc7ygVt_g6Li66os2N6hV02NwXOf/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquSX9Pzzv1YOM3n-UPEUREIoFC2WYOm2ahIJoE4NSZ5jApWn0DjL-rnW_OewTtzTxs38wld79Rlu9YTnW4FL_SOsftwcNaqAgt5LZiQ_qgIF9YIfFOc7ygVt_g6Li66os2N6hV02NwXOf/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Ingredients.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Spinach</div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pine Nuts</div><div style="text-align: center;">Garlic</div><div style="text-align: center;">Salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">Chili Flakes</div><div style="text-align: center;">Olive Oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ig5vvqAdpLEzgpspiU9gfucIkeEjNxBamxc4MPFuHhtp3O50fe1MR_JA13LDY0_ObkHbOUGexb6o5-x0lAjiu7ocvuNPQS-gwhgLz7Ce_uNMD8SLTVCtNWYhPnHG7IvSAolIAOzcgRXl/s1600/Spinach+Food+Processor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ig5vvqAdpLEzgpspiU9gfucIkeEjNxBamxc4MPFuHhtp3O50fe1MR_JA13LDY0_ObkHbOUGexb6o5-x0lAjiu7ocvuNPQS-gwhgLz7Ce_uNMD8SLTVCtNWYhPnHG7IvSAolIAOzcgRXl/s320/Spinach+Food+Processor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHztEBVXi9jLEexj6l186Hj56fiE6TsH-mFk6KRq4xfGwMuV5wzkCzZDYlnjY-IH7U4V4SBC9lMDjCCS4ToKYXwFegYk6iL8yW4-FIfGt3Lrs9q04KaPM42rQZ1AeITjSJ4ZQ3usVVz1FF/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Pre+Blend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHztEBVXi9jLEexj6l186Hj56fiE6TsH-mFk6KRq4xfGwMuV5wzkCzZDYlnjY-IH7U4V4SBC9lMDjCCS4ToKYXwFegYk6iL8yW4-FIfGt3Lrs9q04KaPM42rQZ1AeITjSJ4ZQ3usVVz1FF/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Pre+Blend.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Blend</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7MMwJD82TU9W-033C3e4IDhbswYgaY9on8ZFttBYNQSggHma-oymEID95YROak1VSDMfQ05RLeoqWgYejy0Rx-bK_McdHe0L0_VN8dj7pjlDuInzACQNMCUthB94FE_-w-hWuazOUojf/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Half+Blended.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7MMwJD82TU9W-033C3e4IDhbswYgaY9on8ZFttBYNQSggHma-oymEID95YROak1VSDMfQ05RLeoqWgYejy0Rx-bK_McdHe0L0_VN8dj7pjlDuInzACQNMCUthB94FE_-w-hWuazOUojf/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Half+Blended.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stir & keep blending<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZ8jysaKJdN5v7thK2Lp7Ww80_qyallqGJ-A9fDvm9jEZntJwKSEX2Q9gMxR1Y1qc4yah5zYlYdU26YHpi8mIqwp3Qp5e5dFaYJC30ML4fVfO_wdZMB27JETT3Bi7qFPqfK3OeOaX7Zyf/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Blended.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZ8jysaKJdN5v7thK2Lp7Ww80_qyallqGJ-A9fDvm9jEZntJwKSEX2Q9gMxR1Y1qc4yah5zYlYdU26YHpi8mIqwp3Qp5e5dFaYJC30ML4fVfO_wdZMB27JETT3Bi7qFPqfK3OeOaX7Zyf/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Blended.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Perfect!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsnLQeUtOpNj4lsQYt_Sz4mhCP3uMe_LDq-l6ElIK-F0kKjXTSMImytiKA8CPOOYZxf_ZzF0UdePt8WSQEWuQ2iuVGcYdsbkPIxtihUg4gyvHFxMYoYucVKa4E-TcPCESoYwlKhs_EEbc/s1600/Spinach+%2526+Veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsnLQeUtOpNj4lsQYt_Sz4mhCP3uMe_LDq-l6ElIK-F0kKjXTSMImytiKA8CPOOYZxf_ZzF0UdePt8WSQEWuQ2iuVGcYdsbkPIxtihUg4gyvHFxMYoYucVKa4E-TcPCESoYwlKhs_EEbc/s320/Spinach+%2526+Veggies.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Add pasta to boiling water per package directions. About 3 minutes until the end, add all veggies except tomatoes. I used zucchini, green beans and red pepper. Add tomatoes when there is only one minute left on the pasta. Seriously, they only need a minute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAOLWuwR06bTNEPagQgsGj-IheuirIisbO03klbNctqSMD4kjuOfOLAwtEE0z_GXid1K2TF9LnC1d6iubV3K1_d9lgBldt_StWvCBHWrazmV6D1g2X6mMuVrdbgVNjOC5kI8D0ax33LHG/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAOLWuwR06bTNEPagQgsGj-IheuirIisbO03klbNctqSMD4kjuOfOLAwtEE0z_GXid1K2TF9LnC1d6iubV3K1_d9lgBldt_StWvCBHWrazmV6D1g2X6mMuVrdbgVNjOC5kI8D0ax33LHG/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Pot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Toss together gently and try to master the art of taking a picture while simultaneously blowing steam away from the camera.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T06gAwY7UHrDugwFz-9aPwtJkagCXSqJhxSOPm_0bhuyFAlRB5Daowy5VCqcdkK4yAod4WaCE_oy03VobalVGtUDyUb-4UxZBeUPBDE74PvZdP0DLfqDWJgkhQ7BVpPxp6_IbD3xC8oE/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T06gAwY7UHrDugwFz-9aPwtJkagCXSqJhxSOPm_0bhuyFAlRB5Daowy5VCqcdkK4yAod4WaCE_oy03VobalVGtUDyUb-4UxZBeUPBDE74PvZdP0DLfqDWJgkhQ7BVpPxp6_IbD3xC8oE/s320/Spinach+Pesto+Bowl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Go back for seconds.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Seriously, if it hadn't been for trying to take some artistic photos and posing my ingredients, this dinner would have taken me 15 minutes to make and that includes boiling the water and cooking the pasta. It helps that somehow I managed to buy whole wheat pasta that only took 4 minutes to cook. Ok, but really, go make this. Right now. You are only 15 minutes away from a delicious dinner.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now I'm off to wrap presents! </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587035739407953403.post-45066048295854223982010-12-18T14:38:00.000-08:002010-12-18T14:43:21.465-08:00Portland: FridayMy entire life I have dreamed about moving to Oregon. I think it's the blackberries. Or maybe the creeks. All I know is that every summer my family used to travel from San Diego by car to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Oregon and ever since then, I have dreamed of living there. If you'd asked me what stopped me from going there for college I wouldn't have an exact answer for you. If you asked why I didn't go after college I'd say a number of reasons. I have recently gotten to a point in my life where I feel that the time might be right. And by that of course I mean probably 3 more scouting trips over the next 1-3 years before making any actual plans. Personally, I could probably up and move tomorrow but my boyfriend is not so quick to upend his entire life. That's ok though, I have patience (sometimes). This first scouting trip to my hopefully someday future home town was taken not with said boyfriend but instead with my Mom. My mom is anything but vegan, and in fact made her living as a manager of meat departments all across San Diego Vons stores but she hardly complained at all that in 4 days we went to only one restaurant where she ate meat. She did however want it noted that we did not encounter one vegan restaurant that served Diet Coke. <strike>This post is not planned to be super in depth as</strike> it is the weekend before Xmas and I still don't even have my decorations up from the garage, I have biscotti to make for a gift and a gift or two to try to track down but I wanted to share with you all the amazing things I saw.<br />
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We flew into Portland at 9:40 on Thursday night. We had rented a car and our hotel was the Phoenix Inn in Beaverton. I would have liked to have stayed a little closer to Portland and I would love on my next trip to try and take the public transportation for most of the trip, but this worked well for my mom and I. The main things on my scouting list were:<br />
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Grocery Stores<br />
Comic Shops<br />
Restaurants<br />
Farmer's Markets<br />
Saturday Market<br />
24 Hour Fitness<br />
Places to Hike<br />
Resale Stores (Clothes, Furniture, Cookware, etc) <br />
Getting a feel for which part of town I would look on Craigslist for a house<br />
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We succeeded on all fronts. Except maybe the comic shop, but I will get to that. The car we rented was a Chevy Aleo, which I had never heard of. Turned out to be a totally cute car that got about 25 miles to the gallon driving all around Portland.<br />
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Friday morning we woke up bright and early and headed out to explore. First on my list was the <a href="http://www.peoples.coop/">People's Co-Op</a> not to be confused with the <a href="http://www.obpeoplesfood.coop/">OB People's Food</a> which is also a Co-Op.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgCsKPgjpFFq2GzhsV4qHAanklD7VSe16CUzIpJdIi20j_UrBacHuv9-vPcNhvotU_1qvzqwFTcdwoNct2dtDVKq9iztujdgEL6eSRROnhDYBi01KVa0ML0Ccy1IMYdPKiUu7Zb7oMYgQ/s1600/Portland+People%2527s+Co-Op.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgCsKPgjpFFq2GzhsV4qHAanklD7VSe16CUzIpJdIi20j_UrBacHuv9-vPcNhvotU_1qvzqwFTcdwoNct2dtDVKq9iztujdgEL6eSRROnhDYBi01KVa0ML0Ccy1IMYdPKiUu7Zb7oMYgQ/s320/Portland+People%2527s+Co-Op.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ever since I heard about this place at <a href="http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/">Bonzai Aprodite</a> I couldn't wait to check it out. As a result of this being the first place we visited, it became my main point of reference. We used my mom's GPS and had plotted out a list of places to check out before we left. Let me tell you, a printed map with everything roughly plotted goes a long way towards understanding the roads you are driving. I loved the GPS but it was difficult to get a feel for the streets. We drove all over the city that first day, back and forth. I think we crossed the Willamette about 6 times, each time across a different bridge.<br />
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At the Co-Op we got lunch (we had eaten breakfast at the hotel. Not so great but not the worst.). I went a little crazy and bought some Gingerbread beer that sounded delicious and festive along with some Theo chocolate bars that I had just seen <a href="http://hungryhungryhippie.com/2010/12/02/who-what-when/">Hungry Hungry Hippie</a> talking about and my favorite eat of the entire trip:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdju3UUnV33q3EDz2lwIef4A_Oomt9o0MUmhpC9hE6gt51jd22e0w8f5RQMygsCo4aShykpOp9udTlsk3zcXb6_wt9E7OltdDZTxcpqfT9IDKQuZotjVQWYozMDSNax1xy7Edh627ZN1dT/s1600/Portland+Parfait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdju3UUnV33q3EDz2lwIef4A_Oomt9o0MUmhpC9hE6gt51jd22e0w8f5RQMygsCo4aShykpOp9udTlsk3zcXb6_wt9E7OltdDZTxcpqfT9IDKQuZotjVQWYozMDSNax1xy7Edh627ZN1dT/s320/Portland+Parfait.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Vanilla Creme with Karmal & Chocolate. Oh my god. Coconut, cashews, cocoa, maple, maca, mesquite, lucuma, vanilla, salt, soy lecithin. Vegan, raw, local and oh so decadent. We went back right before we went to the airport so I could get one for the plane, but they were out. And I was sad. In case you have delusions that this is all I would eat for lunch you are oh so wrong. I had a raw mock tuna salad wrapped in chard. It was decent but not the best thing ever.<br />
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Friday we also went to: <br />
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Excalibur Books & Comis (ok)<br />
Gilded Closet (ok)<br />
Seams to Fit (really expensive and not my style but very nice)<br />
Village Merchants (freakin awesome shop!)<br />
Vintage Pink (not on my list but I am soooo in love with this shop)<br />
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In fact, I found this coffee table there that I really want to find someone to recreate for me. It had the perfect size display coves for comics.<br />
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In our search for one place (and due to our GPS's lack of knowledge that Burnside St and Sandy Blvd become one way at one point) we got turned around and ended up at Voodoo Donuts. I had written their downtown location on my list and then crossed it off. I had heard that they had vegan donuts but that the lines were long. I figured we would be going to enough vegan restaurants and bakeries that I wouldn't need an extra donut. Who am I to argue with fate when we stumbled upon a second location so easily? Besides, who doesn't love a maple bar?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBT-b83ZhpaeE9E4pExe447RLOyAqlb8n8xJaPRe3HOUhtZhf_9YaG49Go7voJssdfUzVqOMGDf_KUeQ1VnJyrDPX2A8JNsIJjF_TFZmBg9cKaHWcXmxHYVJWPdnSH2vRuGcx1VIPbTWZe/s1600/Portland+Voodoo+Donuts+Voodoo+Doll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBT-b83ZhpaeE9E4pExe447RLOyAqlb8n8xJaPRe3HOUhtZhf_9YaG49Go7voJssdfUzVqOMGDf_KUeQ1VnJyrDPX2A8JNsIJjF_TFZmBg9cKaHWcXmxHYVJWPdnSH2vRuGcx1VIPbTWZe/s320/Portland+Voodoo+Donuts+Voodoo+Doll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is not a maple bar but is instead, a voodoo donut. It is shaped like a person (sort of) and then it has a pretzel stick stuck in it like a pin. The kicker?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOG0pdgpro7PV2oGre617WqW7JCScq4e1kUm799u2N0dpfrHOKAbxlpYVvEKtGMIlK3aytazpEfqr17CI0j0RkT8pVkhm7z05iNRZb-nhUNm30BSm4_93NK-fjlu-uDoYGC8fDLKoEZXa-/s1600/Portland+Voodoo+Donut+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOG0pdgpro7PV2oGre617WqW7JCScq4e1kUm799u2N0dpfrHOKAbxlpYVvEKtGMIlK3aytazpEfqr17CI0j0RkT8pVkhm7z05iNRZb-nhUNm30BSm4_93NK-fjlu-uDoYGC8fDLKoEZXa-/s320/Portland+Voodoo+Donut+Blood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It's filled with "blood". Mmm vegan blood. That makes me smile. We may or may not have hit this place up before the airport to take home some vegan donuts.<br />
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The other comic shop we visited on Friday (please note, this is all still the first day there) was Bridge City Comics. I liked this store quite a lot. It was well stocked and well set up. It was a little more north than I would have loved, but travel for good comics is not the end of the world. Oddly, I happened upon one other comic shop on our way to the airport that had not been on my list. It is called Future Dreams and it was in the basement of a building that looked to be making furniture. I only got a chance to glance inside but we will definitely be checking out these two locations when we come back. One of the reasons that we feel Portland is the right sort of city for us is that my boyfriend is working towards being a comic book writer and Portland seems to be the west coast comic creator central. Comics are quite an integral part of our lives.<br />
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So day one, as it started to get dark, we were debating what else to do. I didn't want to go back to the hotel but we weren't quite hungry enough for dinner. We ended up at one of the resale clothes shops (I can't remember if it was even on my list or which one it was) and decided to go across the street to this little bar and get a drink. I got this oh so yummy cocktail of vodka infused with strawberries (made by the bar) mixed with soda water and lemonade. It was delish! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeDX0-5fwKJYL7noDdhWUD-eqj1B5-trCVBIXtWlcRyCwTtgMdsnf1mLX094O3qOzEvzW7LyWswo_k2qgTvuiM5s2yff9lEtvjLBu4d-W8GKkThKIg6urO72Io9eLmOndbU0hFC2yJ_AU/s1600/Portland+Cocktail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeDX0-5fwKJYL7noDdhWUD-eqj1B5-trCVBIXtWlcRyCwTtgMdsnf1mLX094O3qOzEvzW7LyWswo_k2qgTvuiM5s2yff9lEtvjLBu4d-W8GKkThKIg6urO72Io9eLmOndbU0hFC2yJ_AU/s320/Portland+Cocktail.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Afterward, we went to a Thai restaurant for dinner. I ordered a mostly mediocre stir fry with tofu and my mom got a curry bowl. We took the leftovers home in the tupperware that I had brought my plane food in. (Just a note, tupperware is great for saving the throw away to go containers, but make a note to get a hotel with a real sink rather than just a bathroom sink. It was a pain washing them and I think I may have clogged the sink a bit). Finally we headed back to the hotel and called it a night.<br />
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And with that, I think I may have to extend this trip into more than one post if I hope to get everything done today that I need to. Please join me again next time for Portland: Saturday.San Diego Veganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06441728096835722239noreply@blogger.com0