Hooky Day!!

Today's Mofo prompt is a toughie- Something Blue. Other than blueberries, and blue corn tortillas, I am at a loss. Since my budget is shoestring at best this week, I have to sit today out. I'm not sitting it out I guess, but I'm doing my own thang today. I can't afford blueberries this week, and to be honest, while I like blueberries, they are probably my least favorite berry. I'll take a raspberry or strawberry any day. I did take a picture of everything I ate yesterday.

It's hard to make soup pretty.

I started my day with lentil soup. This has brown and red lentils along with some tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and fennel seed. And crushed red pepper OF COURSE! I'm thinking of devoting a week on my blog to the mighty lentil. They can do so much, and are soooooo inexpensive. I like starting my day with lentil soup. I feel hearty and strong, like I can handle anything.

Green is kind of like blue?

I had this big green juice for lunch. This had kale, Romaine, celery, ginger, green grapes, and pear. Really delicious. I've been juicing almost daily for about a year now. I know there are people who swear by juicing, and there are people who say it has no merit, and you should eat the vegetables and fruit whole. I can only speak for myself, but I notice a big change in how I feel since I adopted this habit. I believe in still eating whole fruits and vegetables of course, but I also think juicing is great for the body. There are so many "experts" out there telling us what to eat and drink, and what the newest must do diet is, I think we forget to listen to our own bodies. I've noticed since I began this healthier phase of my life, my body tells me what works and what doesn't.

Cute kitty intermission

Fillings for lettuce wraps!

Lettuce!

New to me flavor.

I had simple lettuce wraps for dinner with oven baked tofu, rice, and some pickled carrots and green onion. The star of my dinner was the sauce. I used this recipe, except I didn't use any oil. I want hoisen sauce in my peanut sauce always now. This sauce is drinkable. Is it just me, or is it really fun and satisfying to eat a meal with your hands?
I saw this new to me flavor of Endangered species chocolate. Raspberry orange cream yum. The flavor was a bit underwhelming. I've had other flavors in their line of cream filled chocolates, and the flavor has been much stronger. Still delicious and worth a try. It's very rich, so a few squares really satisfy.
I hope to be back on the prompt grind tomorrow, feeling rested and refreshed!

So Groovy!

Today's Mofo prompt is Most Retro Recipe. I had to spend some time researching retro foods. It was very , let's say interesting. There are some foods that just should never exist, and certainly don't need to be veganised! I was feeling somewhat pressured because of my shoestring budget, but also because whatever I made, I was going to have to also eat. I was reading about Swanson's microwave dinners, and how popular they became in the 50's. I went to various retro forums(yes, they exist) and it seemed from the 50's and up processed food was a common theme, and every decade mentions some type of T.V. dinner. I had some stuff on hand to make a somewhat healthier T.V. dinner.

I read many people declare their love for microwave dinners that involve macaroni and cheese, and fish sticks. So, I decided to make some delicious vegan mac and cheese, and some Gardein Fishless filets. This dinner was supposed to include a vegetable, with green peas seeming to be the go to veg, but alas my peas were lost in the power outage, and I haven't restocked yet. I attempted to make corn on the cob but the ears had gone bad. It wasn't a good night for vegetables. I would like to say that the macaroni and cheese was the best I've made so far. really creamy and rich. I made an almond milk sauce with nutritional yeast, S&P, smoked paprika, and some cornstarch for thickening. What took it over the top was the addition of three slices of Chao creamy original. This makes the best vegan mac and cheese ever. Chao is thicker that daiya, and it melts and makes the sauce so thick and cheesey. This is the macaroni and cheese to serve to people who cry that they can't give up cheese! I also made a quick tartar sauce with some Just Mayo and sweet relish. Truth be told, I don't really care for tartar sauce all that much. I think I prefer malt vinegar for my fishless filets. Anyway, I do feel like this would look more retro with the little spoonful of green peas, but what can you do!

Chunk!

I thought I would leave you with this cute picture Chunk, loving life without a cone around his neck!

Friendz

Today's Mofo prompt is to make a new vegan friend. That should be easy enough to do in a city like Seattle, but I have to admit it hasn't yet happened. Although I enjoy doing things in Seattle, I enjoy the energy and vibe and general open mindedness of this city and people, I haven't yet looked for any vegan groups or anything. I am an introvert by nature, and just feeling free to be myself and free to not hear hate speech every time I go somewhere has been good enough for me so far. I also of course have friends here that I've had for awhile, but they are neither new, or vegan. I do feel like I have made friends online, which I never thought I would say! It's been really amazing connecting with people through the vegan blogging world! That's one of my favorite things about traveling by Greyhound bus. You meet and connect with people you never would have met, and may never see again. The random connections are what makes life really interesting.
I have connected with a few people who comment on this blog, and it just feels so amazing, and to keep it really honest, really helped me keep my sanity when I felt so alone while living in Erie, PA. I had some really long conversations with one person, Almost a Vegan, and it really made me feel less lonely, and I always looked forward to the little google notification! I also connected with Vegan In The VI, formerly The Shenandoah Vegan. And all that time I was feeling so lonely in Pa, someone who's blog I was a fan of, Jennifer Bliss of My Blissful Journey lived under two hours away! Now, I feel like we're friends, and I live on the west coast. Like I said yesterday, Life! These connections have meant the world to me, and one of the best things to come out of my decision to start blogging! These connections have helped me to feel more confident as a person, and more confident as a vegan. Sometimes it's easy to start losing your voice when it seems no one is interested. We can't lose our voice, because there aren't enough of us, and the animals need us. So I am so grateful for my internet friends, I value them so much.
In other friend news, Dylan(not a vegan, but he loves vegan food!) has been doing a little better yesterday and so far today. His appetite is up a little, and he seems a little less confused. Anything I do know about friendship, I learned from him.
In food news, I needed comfort and am also on a shoestring budget, so I made my favorite smothered burritos.

An old friend.

 These are just burritos stuffed with brown rice and pinto beans, with a cashew queso sauce I made with some cashews, nutritional yeast, and salsa. Topped with green onions, and hot sauce of course!
I also picked this up as an impulse buy. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful friend!

Yes!!

I've never had this flavor, and I feel for the sake of this blog, and my feelings of course, I just had to try this. I may be seeking too much comfort in food recently but there was a time in my not too distant past that I would be smoking cigarettes and drinking far too much alcohol to cope. I've walked by gas stations a few times, and I have to admit I've been tempted, but I don't want to cope that way. It's an empty relief, and I think feeling physically good is what is giving me the strength to handle not feeling strong emotionally. Mind, body, spirit and all of that.
Vegan Mofo is just giving me all the warm and fuzzies this year, and I just love it, and really needed it!

Life

Today's Mofo prompt is to make/eat something inspired by a book or film. When I first read about the prompts for Mofo. I was excited about this one. I had a whole thing planned, and I was going to research and blah blah blah. I haven't wanted to mention it because I want to keep up the joy of Mofo, but the truth is it's been a struggle because Dylan's health has taken a turn for the worse, and it's been really taking up all of my brain and heart. I'm not going to get into it all, but the past three days have been really bad. I'm having a hard time coping, and I just want to be with Dylan, and think about Dylan all the time. Time is the most valuable resource right now.
I took a picture of two books that I'm reading.

I've been reading The Four Agreements for awhile now. I find that I have a very powerful, emotional response and I need time to process the information. I recently checked Fat Girl Walking out from the library.
I also made one of my new favorites, raw walnut tacos from The 22-Day Revolution. I love these healthy tacos.

Dylan seems to be doing a little better today, and he ate some breakfast and drank some some coconut milk, so maybe today will be a good day. I really wanted to be 100% for Mofo, and I really wanted to make my posts dazzle. But sometimes life gets in the way, and I just don't have the energy to present myself or my life as something it isn't. I haven't really been able to talk to another human about this, so I figured anyone who would read this would totally understand how I feel.

I also took a picture of this chocolate cake I baked. I felt that it applies to the prompt, because I ate far too much of this cake, and reminded myself of every female in every chick flick ever. Totally eating my feelings through chocolate. Sigh.
For anyone who doesn't know who Dylan is, he is the one who loves daiya. He is my best friend, and has been in my life longer than any human has been. I hope that today continues to be a good day, which will open the door to a good week.
Happy Monday!

Vegan Blue Plate Special

Today's Mofo prompt is to re-create a restaurant meal. I kind of struggled a little bit with this one because I actually don't eat at many restaurants. I also had to replace some food that I lost in the power outage last week, so buying extra food was not an option. I have worked in a million and one restaurants however, and last week I got brave and bought a can of vegan tuna at Target, so I figured why not re-create a tuna melt, but make it kind!

Sold at Target!

The brand is Caroline's and it was at Target right above the regular tuna. It's made from textured soy flour, and as soon as I opened the can it had a strong TVP type of smell. It kind of looked like cat food and to be honest, I was more than a little frightened. I was ready to heat a frozen veggie burger, and call it a restaurant meal from any chain restaurant ever. But, I decided to go ahead with my plan of a classic tuna melt. I made a "tuna" salad using Just Mayo, lots of Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, and a little sweet relish. And salt and pepper, of course.

I went heavy on the red onion and Dijon to really make sure it was safe.

I decided to use tomato cayenne Chao for my melt, because every restaurant I've worked at uses cheddar on the tuna melts.

I assembled my sandwich, and spread some Earth Balance on both slices of bread, and cooked it until the Chao was melted, and the bread was toasted/grilled. I served my sandwich blue plate style with some thick oven fries, and a side salad. It was a nice, comforting meal. The vegetarian "tuna" was good enough when mixed with all of the salad ingredients, and the Chao and bread. I would not eat it on it's own ever, and to be honest I will never buy this again. I will make another no-tuna melt in the future with my favorite chickpea no-tuna salad. I kind of think companies need to give up on the vegan canned tuna thing. I feel like it's okay, we don't need substitutions for every meaty thing out there. The tuna thing seems to be pretty difficult. It should also be noted that all of my felines gave me the peppermint face when I let them smell this product.
Speaking of cats here is a bonus picture of this new habit of drinking out of the bathroom sink. It's like a new obsession. They haul ass into the bathroom if they think I'm headed that way. Sometimes I have to evict them from the sink when I have to use it for human purposes. When I go in and close the door, they wait outside of the door so expectantly.

Total Dorks.

It has become close to impossible to keep my bathroom sink paw print free.
I picked up a yellow watermelon from Trader Joe's last week, and I finally opened it now as I'm blogging.

It is a watermelon.

It's okay. I googled these puppies, and according to Albert's Organics they are supposed to be sweeter than red watermelons. I don't know if I got a dud, but this one tastes less sweet, like the flavor is in the red or something. Still tasty, and a nice treat for the end of summer, but I'll probably stick to the traditional from now on.
I can't wait to see some of the beautiful restaurant meals re-created today. Mofo has been a lot of fun so far, and I'm having fun and getting inspired by all of the posts!

Best Sandwich Ever!

Today's Mofo prompt was a no- brainer for me. The Best Sandwich Ever. I love sandwiches, and have many favorites, and hope to discover many more. But the absolute Best Sandwich Ever is the tofu Banh Mi. I still remember the first time I ate one of these. It was a typical rainy day in Seattle, I was over the rain, my job, my struggles, life, just one of those days. I went to a little Vietnamese cafe near my apartment, and decided to try something new. It was love at first bite. It was a combination of flavors and textures that just pulled me out of my fog, and I was instantly obsessed. The bread is slightly crunchy, then you have the zip of the pickled veggies, the freshness of the cilantro, the heartiness of perfectly cooked tofu, and the schmear of creamy vegan mayo brings everything together. For weeks after eating this sandwich it was all I could talk about. The fact that this beautiful sandwich was also under five dollars just sealed the deal on perfect. I've experimented with all different types of breads and vegetables when recreating these sandwiches at home. Last night, I closed my eyes and remembered that very first one, and tried to recreate it as exact as I can remember.

My dream sandwich

I sliced and baked a block of tofu, using just a little coconut oil, and some S&P. While my tofu was baking, I pickled some red onion, cucumber and shredded carrots in a mixture of rice wine vinegar, a little sugar, and S&P. Once the tofu was perfectly baked, I put my baguette in the oven for a few minutes to get toasted, and then I made a sandwich! I put a layer of Just Mayo on the top and bottom, and then I put a healthy amount of cilantro and pickled vegetables with the tofu and a healthy drizzle of sriracha. It definitely took me back to that day. Never say never, but I really can't imagine ever coming across a better sandwich. As an added bonus, it is very quick to make, and there is hardly any clean-up!
I'm looking forward to reading about everyone's favorite vegan sandwiches. I'm always looking for new combinations to put in bread!

It's Like Weird or Something

Today's Mofo prompt is to talk about a weird food combo that you love. I have to admit this was another prompt I struggled with. I, like probably every single vegan or vegetarian EVERYWHERE have been teased, and side-eyed and all of that for being a vegan. Most people can't imagine a life without ... whatever animal product is their favorite. But just because people tease, or side eye doesn't mean the food is weird. And besides, weird can be awesome. I do like peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, and I'm not pregnant, is that weird? I actually have never met a pregnant woman that likes peanut butter and pickle, but I have met several other non pregnant people who dig this combo. I'm not a boring eater, but at the same time I'm not some one who puts pineapple on pizza(GAG) or experiments with tons of fusion style dishes. I like my sweets with my sweets, and my savories with my savories, within reason. And I always love spice. Speaking of spice, I made this delicious, spicy potato curry last night.

Not a weird combo!

I very loosely followed this recipe. I loved it, and I love making curries because they always taste soooo much better the next day!
In non-food news, I did something the other day that is weird for me. I used to be a real product junkie. I loved all things lotion and potion. In the past year and a half or so I have really dialed that back a million notches. I use baking soda for shampoo and face scrubbing, and coconut oil for moisture. My hair and skin have never been healthier, so I feel great about my choice. But I do like to try all natural vegan face masks and serums from time to time, as a treat. I bought a few things the other day, and it felt weird, not to mention much more expensive than baking soda!

Cruelty free beauty.

The face scrub and serum are from a company called thesis and I really like them. I had already purchased their Chocolatier's Gift face mask and my skin really loved it. The face scrub is made with poppy seeds, clay, rosehips, and all kinds of good stuff, including baking soda, ha! Yesterday I had a beauty day. I scrubbed my face with the thesis face scrub, and followed up with the even advanced mask. I also soaked in a ginger detox bath, and dotted my face with the face serum after. I felt and looked like I took a long and relaxing rest. These companies are showing that you don't have to test on animals, and put a ton of harsh toxins to make really nice lotions and potions. I'll still stick to my minimalist beauty routine for the most part, but it's fun to have lotions and potions for those times when you feel like you need an extra pampering. Plus, I like to support companies that choose to be kind when I can.
Happy Friday!

Just a Quickie!

Today's Mofo prompt is Quick, Easy and Delicious! I had several ideas floating around in my head, and all of a sudden while milling around the library I got a mad craving for cold sesame noodles. It was one of those cravings that just would not be denied. I knew none of my other ideas would satisfy my craving. Luckily for me, cold sesame noodles fit perfectly with the prompt. I only learned in the past year or so that sesame noodles are made with tahini! I always thought it was peanut butter. But since tahini is made from sesame seeds, it makes sense. I didn't have plain old tahini, but I do have Trader Joe's Tahini sauce which is just tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. It worked like a charm!
                                                               Super Easy Sesame Noodles

• 3 T. Garlic Tahini Sauce
• 2 T. Roasted Sesame Oil
• 3T. Soy Sauce
• Juice of one Lime
• 2 Scallions sliced
• 2  Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 T. Sriracha
• 12-14 Oz. Long Pasta of Your Choice ( I used Angel Hair)

While the water is coming to a boil, blend the first seven ingredients together for your sauce. Cook pasta according to the directions, and rinse with cool water after draining. I find it helps the sauce to not get so sucked into the pasta, making it clumpy. Mix sauce with pasta, and eat right away, or let cool down for the classic cold dish. You can add any veggies you like to this dish. It was cooked, and mixed and ready to eat in under ten minutes. I couldn't wait for it to cool, so I had some right away. The cold leftovers will be a delicious breakfast!!

Sesame noodles and salad!

I love quick meals like this that also make excellent leftovers. I mean, these don't even have to be heated up! I've used all kinds of noodles for this dish. I've used gluten free spaghetti, wide and thin rice noodles, and of course angel hair. It's one of those use what you have flexible recipes that I love.
In keeping with the theme of quick, easy and delicious, I thought I would mention a couple of my favorite frozen veggie burgers. I like to have a box of frozen vegan burgers on hand for when I can't be bothered to cook, for whatever reason.
                                         

My Two Favorites!

I love Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala burgers soooooooo much! I missed them so much when I was in PA. They are not too spicy, but they have a wonderful warm spice to them, and they are made from potatoes, and other veggies like carrots, green beans, and peppers. They are really tasty with some sprouts, and a shmear of Just Mayo. A newer discovery in the vegan burger world is these  Qrunch burgers. They are vegan, and also gluten free. Qrunch is a gluten free and vegan company. I really love these Spicy Italian burgers. They have a nice zip to them, and I'm dying to make some kind of vegan Parmesan hoagie or something.
Do you like to keep emergency packaged food on hand for those can't be bothered to cook days?

A Little Off Course

Today's Mofo prompt is to recreate a dish from your childhood. This was one of the prompts that was stressing me out. On only the second day too! For a million reasons that I won't go into here, I don't really have any real memories of foods that I love. All of my joy of cooking/eating has happened for me well into adulthood. I do remember that I loved my grandma's grilled cheese. She always used Swiss, or baby Swiss and it was just the best. My grandparents were my favorite people on earth, so I'm sure that love made the sandwich all the more delicious. The very first time I tasted the creamy original Chao, it actually reminded me of my grandma, because it reminds me of baby Swiss. So, it is somewhat fitting that I restocked my Chao supply yesterday.

Vegans can be cheesey too!

I wish Chao existed back then, my grandma's grilled cheeses would have been even better! If you notice in the background, I finally found Daiya'a smoked Gouda block! I heard murmerings of this months ago, and just now found it. I had heard this was the one daiya cheese that could be eaten cold.

So hard to find!

I tried some on crackers as soon as I got home. In my vegetarian days, I really enjoyed smoked Gouda. I have to admit I was scared to try it cold. But I finally did it, and I was pleasantly surprised! It has a nice smoky flavor, and a firm but kind of creamy texture. It still has a little of that daiya taste, but the cracker helped cancel out the funk. I look forward to trying this on a veggie burger, or sandwich. It is by far the best of all the daiya cheeses in my opinion.

Here's proof I did eat it cold!

I hope this post was at least prompt adjacent, I should have made a grilled Chao, but that would have been too on the ball for me. Ha! I'm really enjoying all the great Mofo posts! I always love Mofo time, because I always discover new to me vegan blogs! It's very inspiring, and as someone who has been dealing with feeling very lonely for the past few years, it feels great to feel like I'm part of something.
Happy Wednesday!

Wake Up and Smell the Breakfast!

Vegan Mofo is here, and I can hardly believe I'm participating! I think it's such a wonderful way to positively promote veganism. I've decided to do my best with the prompts, there are a few that I feel I might not be able to do, and I was getting stressed out, but I realized that it's missing the point if I'm letting this cause me stress. I want to fully enjoy this experience, and so I will mostly follow the prompts, and the days that the prompts are not doable for me, I will just do a different theme or prompt. I don't think the Mofo police will site me! Ha ha. So, today's prompt is .....Breakfast! Or, what are you having for breakfast today. Since my routine is wake-up, blog, workout, and then breakfast, I will show what I had yesterday, and will probably have today. Pudla, or chickpea crepes. So simple to make, chickpea flour, water, seasoning, and whatever vegetables you like/need to be used up.

Avocado makes everything better!

This pudla is seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin, and has green onions in the batter. I like to have mine with plenty of hot sauce, and a side of creamy avocado. It takes under ten minutes to make, and is a really filling way to start your day.

Lentil soup is another favorite of mine for breakfast. As you can probably tell, I'm not into a sweet breakfast, and I actually don't like to have traditional breakfast foods for breakfast. I would much rather have a tofu scramble for lunch or dinner. Red lentils are perfect for making soup for breakfast, as they are so quick cooking. Miso soup is also a favorite of mine. Miso really gives me a nice zip of energy.

So pretty!

I also have a feeling I will be drinking lots of carrot, orange and ginger juices in the upcoming months for an energy boost. It's been typical Seattle grey and misty for several days now,  and I am feeling the blahs for sure! I always feel like this juice combo gives me a real lift.
Do you eat breakfast as soon as you wake up, or do you fiddle around a little first?