Plan Splan

Yesterday was a day, let me tell you. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions! It had happiness, sadness, fear, anger, stress, sadness, relief, and calm. First, I was very happy to be going to get a vegan roast from Trader Joe's. I was very happy to do some cooking, and some reviewing. So, as I'm walking out my door, there is a note on my door informing me that there is some sort of inspection happening tomorrow(today)! I have a few more cats than my lease dictates, so I was gagging to say the least. I decided to still go to trader Joe's, even though my mind was going in a million and one different directions. So, I go to Trader Joe's, only to find out they don't have the roast in yet. They did last week, but only a few. They will have some this weekend. That made me even more bummed! So, I got some Brussels sprouts, and found a box of vegan chocolate covered cherries that I didn't have the strength to say no to myself.

So, I leave Trader Joe's, very distraught and feeling a little low, and the crosswalk tells me to walk, and as I'm crossing the street, the traffic in the other direction obviously has the green light, and wants to turn left. I happened to be looking down, and I look up and there is a car literally in my face. Two more inches and I wouldn't be typing this right now. The guy kind of did that sheepish wave and I'm so sorry. I take full responsibility for my wrong in the matter, I learned a long time ago that you have to be a defensive pedestrian, especially in cities where the traffic is bad, and everyone is in a mad rush to get everywhere. I learned this years ago, before everyone was attached to their devices. It's a million times scarier now that people seem to not be able to go more than thirty seconds without checking their phone.
So, at this point I have experienced happiness, stress, fear, sadness, and anger. So, I get home, and I'm having a hard time keeping calm. I called the office to see what type of inspection we were having, and it's a fire safety inspection! No biggie at all. The fire person is just making sure all units have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors! No biggie, I will just put the felines and myself in my bedroom with the door closed. My smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in the little area by the front door. What a relief!
So, I decided that I wanted to still make stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts. I just didn't want the day to ruin all of my plans! I plan on calling Trader Joe's in the morning to make sure they do in fact have the roast, so I don't waste another bus trip. So, if everything goes according to plan, I will be doing the vegan roast battle on Saturday, and post about it on Sunday. Seriously, this is why I am not a planner.

Stuffing is hard to make look pretty!

I got the amazing stuffing recipe here. It is absolutely genius to put lentils in stuffing! I thought I had thought of everything when it came to lentils. This made the stuffing heartier, more substantial and filling. Perfect for those holiday meals where sides are kind of all you can eat. I will be using this recipe forever! The only thing I changed was that I didn't use a flax egg. I've never used an egg substitute in my stuffing, and I don't recall eggs being used in any family members non vegan stuffing. It was fine without the flax. I made a balsamic Dijon glaze for the Brussels sprouts that was just okay. The glaze was good, but for me with roasted Brussels I prefer the first way I ever made them. Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Simple, basic, delicious every time. It let's the delicious flavor of the roasted Brussels really stand out.
After my meal the relief and calmness set in. Nothing is as bad as it seemed, and I feel very happy about that.
If your looking to jazz up your old stuffing routine, I really recommend that recipe! Have a happy Friday, and watch out for those pedestrians!