Not quite so easy...

Isn't hummus suppose to be the simplest vegan food out there? I mean, I make a mean guac so I knew I could handle hummus... let us just say that I'll be buying it from the store for a little while longer... maybe I didn't soak the chickpeas long enough... maybe I didn't add enough sesame seeds, maybe any number of things went wrong... I'll finish this batch - maybe...

Snowed Out

Looks like I'll have another day to lay up under the covers and enjoy my soup from yesterday. For the first time since I started working in Gwinnett County - if memory serves - we have a snow day. Of course this means I'll now be in school until May 26th to make up for it but that's okay - better than driving on icy roads!

So, I looked up recipes for yellow split pea soup, but I didn't have a bunch of the ingredients and it was snowing outside so I tossed in whatever I had. In the end the bag of peas, three veg cubes to make the broth, the rest of my bag of stir fry veggies, some corn, some onions, some green peppers, and some potato apple sage sausages seasoned to taste found their way into my Crockpot set on high between 3 and 7 yesterday to make some pretty groovy soup! This is the first time I've made soup from scratch and it's actually come out right! I'm very excited. I think it's all because of the Crockpot... And since there's still snow on the ground, I have the perfect excuse to eat some more for lunch today! Okay, so maybe dinner, too!

Winter Wonderland

I'm about to start some soup... anybody want to guess why?

Veg Citrus Chicken

I admit it... I'm addicted.

So, I go to The Natural Foods Warehouse and there's always this veg citrus chicken in the frozen food aisle which looks like the kind of stuff you'd get at Cafe Sunflower. However, the price tag for such a little bag always kept me from purchasing it - you never know with packaged veg meats if it's going to be worth the expense... Well, it was. It reminded me of the stuff I got from the veg Chinese restaurant around the corner from my hotel in San Francisco. I went back and bought four more bags - a $20 investment - and for almost every meal this week I've had avocado and chik'n burritos! I'm eating them the same way I eat my chili - constantly!

Also in La's veg news addiction update, I love Terra Chips! The ones with the beets are great! Of course part of me feels terribly guilty for not just making them myself, but I don't know how to pick out a beet!

Meanwhile, my next recipe will be lentil sloppy joes! A friend made some and said they were great so I'm going to try. I've always wanted to make something with lentils - they're so yummy! Wish me luck!

Kitchen Adventures

For the first time since April 2008, I have a kitchen to myself! Look for lots of posts on lots of food coming soon!

Why Not?

It is difficult for me to understand how people can watch my progress (30 pounds since school started in August), the changes in my body which are truly amazing, and not understand how much of the difference is due to my diet. I have been vegetarian since 2002, so when I tell them that the big difference is that there's no more dairy or eggs in my diet. That I'm not exercising more, or changing anything other than taking ALL addictive animal products out of my life, I don't understand how they can be so impressed by the changes, but not be willing to give themselves the same amazing experience. None of them seem to believe that they are strong enough to do what I do. Do they think I have super powers? I have my moments when I have to remind myself why this is so important to me, just like anyone else would, but it IS important to me - important enough to keep doing. It's not like I'm deprived. I went to R. Thomas Deluxe Grille downtown yesterday for my vegan carrot cake to celebrate my birthday. Why don't other people have enough faith in themselves to know that they can do it, too?

I don't have an answer, but for the sake of the planet and their health, I hope they figure it out soon.

French Toast & Hash Browns

Apparently, holidays bring out the chef in me! Actually, I think it's the time off from work. Either way, I managed to work on my cheesecake recipe. I made two cakes instead of one and cooked it for an extra 10 minutes. I'll find out this evening if it worked. Meanwhile, I made another batch of chili that I'll enjoy this evening as well. This morning I experimented with vegan french toast. The recipe called for soft tofu, but I didn't want to open a whole container for four slices of bread so I used a vegan pancake mix instead and it came out great! I made hash browns with sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli to go with it. I ate four hours ago and I'm still stuffed! Dinner won't be for awhile. I'm enjoying this process. Cleansing my body with food is helping me cleanse my mind as well. Yes, I'm definitely enjoying this process...

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

I went on a trip to Myrtle Beach for a few days. Granted it was off season, but I went to three stores and neither of them had a single vegan option. I ended up having to make a pizza from scratch while I was on vacation. I was not happy. I realize it was off-season, but I don't see why anyone would want to spend time there. Maybe North Myrtle Beach is better than south.

Meanwhile, I'm having the same thing for Christmas dinner as I did for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm extremely excited because I'm also going to try making french toast for breakfast. I can't wait for morning (I'm considering making some for dinner tonight - yummy).

Outcome

I figured I would post the outcome of my Thanksgiving Feast. The Backyard Barbecue Chili was amazing. I thought I'd have leftovers for days, but I'll probably finish it off tomorrow and am already wishing it wasn't too cold for me to go get the ingredients to make more! The Key Lime Cheesecake wasn't perfect. I should have let it cook for longer. It came out almost more like a pudding than a cake, but the flavor... divine. I still love it and will finish the whole thing. Plus, I have the perfect excuse to make another one as soon as it's all gone! I do have to perfect the cooking time after all. I ended up making the Roasted Vegetable Cornucopias on Friday instead of Thursday. Those I got just right. Using crescent rolls instead of puff pastry made the recipe faster and more decadent.

Again, I wish the weather made it possible for me to go out and get some more ingredients, but hopefully I will be well enough soon. There are so many more recipes to try...

Thanksgiving Feast

Well, as usual, I have gone the non-traditional route. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. On Tuesday, I took Vegan Planet to work so that I could plan some fun dishes for today. I figured I'd come up with some nice holiday inspired side dishes. Instead I found myself drawn to the Backyard Barbecue Chili. I immediately thought of adding Annie's BBQ sauce and I knew I had to make the dish on Thanksgiving Day. I went out and bought a red Crock Pot figuring this would be the best way to really get all the flavor out of the dish. I also decided to use vegan chicken strips instead of vegan beef crumbles. Then, I examined the desert section and discovered Key Lime "Cheesecake". Well, it didn't look too hard and I DO miss cheesecake, so I figured I'd give it a whirl even though I'd never made traditional cheesecake before because it looked too hard. It's in the cooling process now (which is apparently the longest part) but just tasting the batter made me a little weak in the knees. I'm expecting it to be quite tasty. I'll also have the roasted vegetable cornucopias I'd planned earlier. Everything else (even the Pumpkin Biscuits and Maple-Pecan French Toast I'd planned on Tuesday) will have to be saved for another moment because I'm too excited about what I'm having to make anything else!

Voice inside my Head

That is what I've become since I haven't been able to speak since Wendesday. Since I cannot talk to the outside world, I find myself thinking a lot. This will be my first Thanksgiving Holiday as a vegan. Although I have been vegetarian since 2002, I've always depended on my macaroni and cheese and Quorn turkey (also off limits now) to make me feel like it's really the holidays even when I'm away from my family. I spent last Thanksgiving with a vegetarian friend and I didn't miss the macaroni and cheese because we made so many other wonderful dishes. It was a great experience. Unfortunately, this year, I'm alone, and if I don't have my voice back by then, I'll mean that in more ways than one. It's difficult to get excited about cooking a bunch of food when I'm going to be the only person around to eat it. I mean, I love left overs, but there's a limit... So I find myself trying to figure out exactly what I can make that will leave me with the feeling I've had a holiday feast without having to eat the same thing till January! Here's my current plan:

• Mom's cranberry sauce - I'll have to remember to ask her for the recipe
• Puff Pastry Cornucopias w/roasted vegetables - I figure I can control how much I make by being picky about the vegetables I use
• Stuffing - maybe even from scratch
• Tofurky Gravy - or maybe some from Whole Foods
• Tofuky Turkey & Cranberry Deli Slices - for the feeling of turkey without so much of it
• Pie - if I make it - chocolate peanut butter or cheesecake, if I buy it - apple or peach

At least it's a plan... we'll see how it goes!

Pudding and a Sore Throat

I love chocolate pudding and with a sore throat, it was one of the few things I could eat today! Turns out Kroger had my vegan soy pudding on sale, so one of my friends got it for me. They say being a vegan is expensive, but when you get a four pack for $1.99 on the day you lose your voice, it turns into a very good day!