Sunday, August 2, 2015

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Greens in the morning!
I tried the sauerkraut from Trader Joe's on top of a big old bed of cruciferous crunch with some sunflower seeds and Goddess dressing. It was a delicious salad, and a great way too start my day. The kraut is everything I want, zingy, crunchy, a little salty, a little sour, and the pickled Persian cucumbers take it over the top! I always feel so great when I start my day with a big plate/bowl of greens, like I can take on the world!
I've been attacked!
Two kitties in my house love to chew on the tops of pineapples. They will jump on the counter and just chew away. I often wake up to the pineapple on the kitchen floor, after an aggressive chew out. They don't eat the leaves, which is good because they're sharp, but man do they love chewing. I don't have any house plants because I have a black thumb, but I remember as a kid we had plants everywhere. At one point my mom even had a greenhouse! Anyway, she always made sure the house plants were cat and dog friendly, since we had both. I guess I should look into cat grass. Dylan has always turned his nose up, but I guess I have some different opinions in the house! My pineapples always look like they've been through a war by the time I cut them!
For dinner, I roasted a corn on the cob, and put a little coconut oil, a little S&P, and a lot of nutritional yeast. It was so tasty, I've never put nutritional yeast on corn before. I also sauteed some tiny potatoes with some onion and cabbage. Super simple, and super tasty. Cooking potatoes and cabbage this way reminds me of being a kid for some reason. Proving once again that simple is best!
I'm off to do some Sunday morning yoga, and then find a place to get a little trim on my hair. I want to look my best and freshest for next week when I start pounding the pavement job hunting. It's pretty nerve racking, but I'm keeping a positive mind frame, and planning for the best.
Roxy has the right idea!
I know I already showed everyone this picture, but it's worth a repeat. This is really what pounding the pavement makes me want to do, but what can you do right?
Have a wonderful day!

9 comments:

  1. Corn on the Cobb! thanks for the reminder. I havent seen any down here yet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It was so good. Every time I eat it, I wonder why I don't eat it more often. I do the same thing with cereal I hope you can find some!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was just at Joe’s last night and found bags of raw Vegan Kale Chips for only $2.99.

    There were two flavors available: Zesty Nacho and Cashew Butter/Tahini. The Zesty Nacho chips were okay. For that price point, I really didn’t expect a super-tasty chip. Initially, I didn’t like the Cashew Butter/Tahini chips either, but as I crunched through the bag, the Cashew Butter/Tahini flavor became more and more appealing. By the time I got to the bottom of the bag, I was trying to extract the kale crumbs from in-between the bag seams! The next time you’re at Joe’s, check out the Kale Chips. :-)

    After Joe’s Kale chip taste comparison, I got a call from my trip coordinator. She was following up on some pre-trip details, etc. I mentioned that I was in the midst of preparing vegan recipes for the Chef’s days off and that I was hoping to get some help with this work. She said that I was in luck. There is another participant from Ireland who is in a vegetarian cookery school, training to become a vegan chef. This individual was in a non-vegan food business for a long time, and after becoming vegan, she felt the need to remove herself from that negative non-vegan environment and contribute all her energies to saving animals. She’s in her early 40s and becoming a vegan chef is a second career. This trip is her way of reversing some of the harm her industry caused during her pre-vegan days. She’s currently scheduled to be participating in the wildlife saving efforts in mid-September for six-weeks or so. My trip coordinator suggested that I contact her, explain my dilemma, and ask for help. She forwarded her email address.

    Now, this development definitely offers a glimmer of hope, but how do I contact this vegan chef-in-training without making it seem that I am only contacting her for her vegan cooking skills? Or, to get her help? This feels very awkward. Am I over-analyzing this? Should I email her? What would I even say? Or, should I just struggle forward and hope for the best? What would you do? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I tried the Trader Joe's kale chips on my trip. I liked the zesty nacho, and the price. I'll have to try the cashew/tahini next!
    If I were you, I would have already E-mailed this lady. I feel very strongly that she will probably love to help you! First of all, she has the knowledge, second of all this is what she's going to school for! I think she will be thrilled! If I were E-mailing her, I would make sure i mention that she doesn't have to say yes, it's not a requirement or anything.(No use making her feel pressured the way you felt) She might really look forward to this experience, and it could also go on her resume for her new career. I don't think it will be awkward at all. This is your chance to get some help, relieve some stress, meet a cool new person, and possibly pick up some tricks of he trade from a real chef, or chef in training. When you E-mail her, I would just be super honest, and tell her you could really use some help and support. Good luck, and let me know how the exchange goes. As the Nike ad says, "Just Do It!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Maybe your zesty nacho kale chips were made from a better batch of kale with better seasonings?!! ;-). Flavor-wise, I think the cashew butter/tahini kale chips will surpass even your good batch of zesty nacho kale. I don’t even go to Joe’s that much, but I’m going there today for another bag, and to search for any other new vegan items :-).

      Before reading your note, I had decided to just struggle with the dread of making all the vegan meals myself. I didn’t like being volunteered to prepare vegan meals for such a large crowd and I certainly didn’t want to impose part of that responsibility on someone else. And, what kind of superficial introduction would that be for a soon-to-be colleague helping with animal welfare tasks?

      I think your suggestions though, make a lot of sense, so I will send her an email today. If this was preparing meals for a half-dozen staff members, I really think I would just go it alone. But this is ten times that, and I don’t have that kind of ‘meal prep for big crowds’ experience . . . yet! So I’ll send her an introductory email and see what happens. I’ll let you know what kind of response I get, that is, if I even get a response ? ( BTW, I still haven't received the vet's itinerary which makes me wonder how many daily tasks she's adding to it :-0? )

      Thanks for the help!

      Delete
    3. I think she will understand your situation, and why you need help. That is a lot of people to cook for for anyone! It's a very daunting task. I really think the result will be a positive one. Maybe she's nervous about the trip, and meeting so many new people, so being in the kitchen will be a welcome relief. You might even make a friend for life. I think it's going to end up being an amazing experience for both of you!

      Delete
  5. That's funny about the pineapple tops! My parents one cat would totally do that too!

    ReplyDelete