tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71178934018617730522024-03-08T16:24:16.358-08:00Nachos for BreakfastAdventures of a mostly-healthy vegan and her husky pup in Tel AvivEChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-68920905727149033872015-10-18T06:13:00.000-07:002015-10-18T06:13:59.501-07:00Jerusalem Hills<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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We are here in Tel Aviv for my partner's work. He's in academia, and he's here on a two-year Fulbright post-doctoral grant. While we are here, the Fulbright program sponsors trips and events around the country. This past week we were supposed to visit Jerusalem and check out the Old City, but we had to change our plans due to the security risks. Currently Jerusalem is in turmoil, especially in the Old City area. </div>
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The new itinerary did have us in Jerusalem for one night, including dinner at <a href="http://www.the-eucalyptus.com/" target="_blank">Eucalyptus</a> restaurant. I wasn't able to take pics but everything was delicious, based on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Species" target="_blank">seven species</a> that are traditional to Israeli cooking, merged with an Arabic influence.</div>
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We scoped out the mazes of rock dwellings at <a href="http://www.parks.org.il/parks/ParksAndReserves/Bet%20Guvrin-Maresha%20National%20Park/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Bet Guvrin-Maresha National Park</a>, including caves used to house and train doves, cistern systems, olive oil processing, and burial caves.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbarium Caves for dove training; each dove got a little nook to themselves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some caverns had high ceilings...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...while others were small little nooks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sidonian Burial Caves</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of all the interesting art and ye olde graffiti, I decided to take a pic of the elephant, obviously.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bell caves were much more spacious. We saw a bride and groom taking pictures!</td></tr>
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After the caverns, we passed through the <a href="http://www.kkl.org.il/eng/tourism-and-recreation/forests-and-parks/sataf-site.aspx" target="_blank">agricultural terraces</a> in Sataf, along with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scroll_of_Fire" target="_blank">Scroll of Fire</a>, a Holocaust memorial sculpture by Nathan Rapoport. The Scroll is located in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_of_the_Martyrs" target="_blank">Forest of the Martyrs</a>, which will eventually contain six million trees to symbolize the Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the terraces.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scroll of Fire in the Forest of the Martyrs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right scroll represents oppression, the left represents rebellion and freedom.</td></tr>
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Our final stop on the sightseeing tour of the Jerusalem hills was the <a href="http://www.fodors.com/world/africa-and-middle-east/israel/around-jerusalem-and-the-dead-sea/things-to-do/sights/reviews/soreq-cave-460045" target="_blank">Sorek Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve</a>, the only stalagmite cave in Israel. It was discovered fairly recently, 1968, so it is well preserved and has been carefully maintained over the years.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was cool, but the lighting reminded me of a ride in Disney Land. I half expected a mine cart filled with singing Pirates of the Caribbean to whip around a corner.</td></tr>
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We closed out the trip with lunch at a funky little place called <a href="http://www.i-travelisrael.com/BusinessPage.aspx?businessid=982&categoriesid=6&areasid=9" target="_blank">Grandpa's Gallery</a> in Tzafririm that acts as a sculpture gallery, hair salon, Kurdistan cultural center, and restaurant (for larger groups, by appointment only). Oh. Em. Gee. This. Food. Was. Flawless. Very vegan friendly! Everything was so simple, yet perfectly seasoned. Even for the meat eaters, vegetables are the center of most meals in this area, which I love.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counter-clockwise from upper left: vegetable and semolina dumplings in a stew; stuffed grape leaves, onions and cabbage; pickled vegetables; halva cookies; mint tea.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted to buy at least four sculptures, or at the very least, just the peacock; AP said no. Grrr.</td></tr>
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I am so grateful that we have this opportunity to explore the beautiful countries of Israel and Palestine; we'd never have thought to explored these parks on our own, and we would certainly have never found the gallery! It was a lovely way to start our overseas adventure.EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-59501225617359979682015-10-09T06:23:00.000-07:002015-10-09T06:23:02.845-07:00Penne Ratatouille Bolognese<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
There is so much delicious vegan food here in Tel Aviv, my bank account is in serious danger! Now that the holidays are over and we're getting settled into a regular routine, we've been cooking most of our meals at home. </div>
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Last night I had some whole wheat pasta in the pantry that I wanted to use up. I messed around and ended up with a delicious sauce, something in between ratatouille and bolognese. In the US, "bolognese" generally indicates tomato sauce with meat in it, but traditionally <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolognese_sauce" target="_blank">bolognese</a> is a sauce comprised mainly of meat with tomato added as flavoring. So this is a mish-mosh recipe, but it's totally traditional as well. ;)</div>
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It's not a fancy recipe but it turned out so well that I had to share it! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's no way to make this pretty, but trust me, it was delish.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Penne Ratatouille Bolognese</u></b></div>
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8 oz penne</div>
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extra virgin olive oil, to taste</div>
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1 medium eggplant, diced to 1 inch</div>
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1 red bell pepper, diced to 1 inch</div>
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1 onion, finely chopped</div>
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4-6 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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2 cups vegetarian burger crumbles (I rehydrated plain dry TVP and it worked perfectly)</div>
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3 tablespoons dried basil, or 1/2 cup fresh</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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6-8 oz tomato paste</div>
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1/2 - 1 cup water</div>
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2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (optional)</div>
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1 tablespoon tamari (optional)</div>
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Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Make sure to use a huge pot of water, salted liberally once the water comes to a rolling boil. </div>
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Meanwhile, heat a thin layer of olive oil on medium-high in a large, deep pan. Once the oil is very hot, add the eggplant, season liberally with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Drain the eggplant on a paper towel and set aside.</div>
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In the same pan, add a little more olive oil on medium. Once the oil is hot, add in the onions and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until everything begins caramelizing, then add the red pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add in the TVP or crumbles and the basil. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, adding a dash of salt and pepper.</div>
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Add in the tomato paste and work it through the crumbles to evenly coat them. Add in about half a cup of water and see how everything looks- it should be the consistency of a sloppy joe or a chili, not a sauce. Add more tomato paste if it is too thin, or more water if it's too thick. Add in the toasted sesame and tamari, if using (not necessary but it gives the dish a little extra depth), and add the cooked eggplant back to the pan. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. </div>
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Add the drained pasta and toss to coat. Serve with bread slathered in (vegan) butter and nutritional yeast on the side for sprinkling.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner on the balcony. I'm having a nooch bowl at every meal from now on.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Notes and Thoughts:</u></b><br />
-Adding some zucchini would be nice for next time.<br />
-I'm still building my spice cabinet little by little (based on what I can translate at the store), I'd pick up some red pepper flakes next time.<br />
-If you don't do pasta this would be delicious served over roasted potatoes, or even on it's own as a stew.<br />
-If you are TVP adverse, you could sub in cooked brown lentils instead.EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-16123931288164195052015-10-05T08:11:00.000-07:002015-10-05T08:11:38.383-07:00Husky On BoardAs you know, we brought our 80-lb huskamute Pup with us to the holy land. It was never a question of whether or not to bring him- he is part of our little family, and we stick together like the codependent nuts we are.<br />
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Regarding the logistics, the amount of time, money and sanity that I lost during the process is laughable. Here are some notes so that others may be spared the ulcers and eye twitches that I had to endure.<br />
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<b><u>Husky Pup Travel Checklist </u></b>(<a href="http://www.nbn.org.il/aliyahpedia/aliyah-process/aliyah-processing-flight-logistics/making-aliyah-with-pets/" target="_blank">see here</a>)<br />
<i>1. Proof of Rabies Vaccination, Confirmed via Titer Test</i><br />
Obviously! What sort of pet owner doesn't vaccinate for rabies? And surely it won't be hard to get this confirmed.<br />
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<i>2. Electronic Microchip</i><br />
Well of course if you're dragging your pup halfway around the world you'll want to keep tabs on him, so you've already microchipped him and are good to go here! Right?<br />
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<i>3. Certificate of Heath from your USDA Certified Vet (Endorsed by USDA)</i><br />
No worries, your pup is healthy, and the certificate has to be signed and filed within 2-10 days of travel so there's no real rush. Did you even need to start all of this paperwork three months in advance? Probably not, but geez, better early than late! You are so on the ball it's sickening.<br />
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<i>4. Airline-Appropriate Crate</i><br />
Done and Done.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luckily he likes small cozy spaces, so he got used to his crate quickly.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Husky Pup Travel Checklist Reality Check</u></b><br />
<i>1. Proof of Rabies Vaccination, Confirmed via Titer Test</i><br />
Oh, there's only one lab in the US that is USDA certified for titer tests? In <a href="http://www.ksvdl.org/rabies-laboratory/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>? And it takes up to 6 weeks to get results? That's ok, we have plenty of time.<br />
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<i>2. Electronic Microchip</i><br />
Oh crap, the Pup's microchip isn't international? That's ok, you can just get him re-microchipped. What do you mean, he'll need to get re-vaccinated for rabies if he gets a new microchip? Do microchips cancel out rabies vaccines? Does the vet use old needles from the wild raccoon section of animal control for microchipping? Fine, you'll just re-vaccinate him then... WUT, then you have to wait 30 days before doing the titer test? And then wait 6 more weeks for Kansas to get back with the results? That's cutting it awfully close. Ugh, fine, you'll just pay $300 for a scanner and bring it along with you. This doesn't solve the issue of what happens if your Pup makes a break for it in Israel, but whatevs, you can worry about that later.<br />
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<i>3. Certificate of Heath from your USDA Certified Vet (Endorsed by USDA)</i><br />
LOL there are like 4 USDA certified vets in South Jersey and they are all ignoring your calls! Great, your old vet in California wrote down the wrong microchip number on the Pup's files and now the new USDA vet is like, how do I even know that these files are for this husky, the microchip number is one digit off so I can't do the health certificate and maybe we need to re-do all of his vaccinations. Meanwhile the CA vet is like, we refuse to fix the mistake on our paperwork for no good reason! Ha! You eat three packages of snack cakes and cry on the couch, then call the microchipping service and both vets in infinite loop until somehow it works out at the last possible minute.<br />
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<i>4. Airline-Appropriate Crate</i><br />
Your Pup chews up all the bedding in the crate and then gets an intestinal blockage requiring surgery. Just to keep things interesting.<br />
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Long story short... hire a pet transport service. It's gonna be expensive no matter which way you do it, and their experience is worth way more than you're paying. With all of the above drama, we'd have never been able to get Pups onto the plane on our own, but even if things had gone smoothly there are still so many little steps, such as endorsing the paperwork and filing with the USDA and Israel (remember, Israel has a different work week than the U.S.!), that we didn't have to worry about since we had someone who knew exactly how to fill it out, what the possible hurdles would be, and how to deal with the roadblocks as they arose. We used <a href="http://premierpetrelocation.com/" target="_blank">Premier Pet Relocation</a> and and I cannot recommend them highly enough.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a pain in the ass...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But worth it! :)</td></tr>
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-8777186866311671642015-10-03T14:05:00.001-07:002015-10-03T14:05:26.686-07:00Shalom<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Greetings from Tel Aviv!</div>
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We finally made it! AP, Pups and I are all safely in Israel and beginning our two year adventure here. Or possibly, our two years of doing the same boring shit we'd be doing in the US, just in a different time zone. </div>
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We've been exploring our neighborhood and getting a feel for the area. It's Sukkot so a lot of people are on vacation. Still, we've been able to get our ducks in a row with regards to our banking and home life situations. We're walking everywhere- it's so nice to be mobile again after a month and a half in suburbia, land of minivans and drive-throughs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new spot for bathroom breaks at the park down the street.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are parks all over the city.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mall rats are universal.</td></tr>
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Veganism is huge in Israel - up to <a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-the-promised-land-for-vegans/" target="_blank">4% of the population</a> identifies as vegan - so I've been enjoying awesome meals everywhere I go! I haven't had a dish yet that has not been amazing. The produce here has so much flavor. AP is eating veggies at every meal and loving it, I'm shocked. Here's a sampling but check out my <a href="https://instagram.com/nachos4breakfast/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for more food porn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad is served at almost every meal, including breakfast.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple roasted veggies in a pastry. So fresh and tasty!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best falafel in the city at <a href="http://bestoftelaviv.com/hakosem-falafel-magic/" target="_blank">Hakosem</a> ("The Magician").</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bowls of salad and curries from <a href="http://www.en.villagegreentlv.co.il/" target="_blank">Villiage Green</a> all-vegan cafe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ALERT: There is vegan ice cream at every single ice cream shop</td></tr>
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Stay tuned for more posts from the holy land. It's been a whirlwind getting here, but we're ready to dive in and have a blast in this beautiful country.EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-45101508838939117272015-08-04T19:37:00.000-07:002015-08-04T19:37:28.303-07:00Vegan Road Trip, Day 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Tonight is our last night on the road... by this time tomorrow we'll be in New Jersey and officially starting our slacker summer.</div>
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We grabbed breakfast at <a href="http://www.indiecoffee.net/" target="_blank">Indie Coffee</a> in Madison before hitting the road. They have a few vegan wrap options, but since it was breakfast I went with the PB&J. It comes warm, panini-pressed style, and it was just the ticket to start a long day of driving.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PB&J is a classic for a reason, show some respect.</td></tr>
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We didn't stop much today, and the state welcome signs for Indiana, Illinois and Ohio were not conducive to stopping for a pic. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did get this one outside for a rest stop though. Classy.</td></tr>
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Pups napped most of the day, although he did get to sniff around a bit at random points along the Illinois tollway.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups in nature</td></tr>
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Lunch was at <a href="http://www.truebbqandwhiskey.com/" target="_blank">True BBQ</a>, a place we found along our route that has a whole separate vegan menu. Vegans are everywhere! AP got the BBQ seitan sandwich and I got the smokey tempeh burger. The BBQ seitan was awesome- crispy and tangy topped with coleslaw. My tempeh burger was ok- it would be better labeled as a tempeh-bean burger. Next time I'd get the seitan, or at least add BBQ sauce to the burger. Both sandwiches came with house made potaqto chips that were bomb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AP's seitan, NOMS!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tempeh burger- needed some pizazz. And better lettuce.</td></tr>
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We are in Perrysburg, Ohio for the evening. Pups and I scouted around and found a cute park nearby.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The majestic huskamute.</td></tr>
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Dinner was from <a href="http://www.eatzingos.com/index.php" target="_blank">Zingo's</a>, a Mediterranean place that has vegetarian and vegan options clearly labeled on the menu. We grabbed some grub and ate at the park, enjoying the chirping bugs and sunset over the river.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok this looks gross. But it was delicious, I swear. AP got the falafel wrap with hummus and tabbouleh.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got the rice almond salad with lemon dressing- so refreshing on a warm evening.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato lentil soup.. sorta like spaghetti-o's. I thought it was a good thing, AP thought it was a bad thing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The piece de resistance- vegan chocolate cupcakes!! I have half left for breakfast tomorrow.</td></tr>
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Time to have a drink and watch cartoons. Catch you tomorrow on our last day on the road!EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-8302480123758577412015-08-03T20:11:00.000-07:002015-08-03T20:11:36.267-07:00Vegan Road Trip, Day 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Greetings from Madison, Wisconsin! Only two more days left on the road until we are settled in New Jersey. Pups is getting tired of the open road, or at least tired of hopping in and out of our rental truck.</div>
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This morning we swung through Starbucks for breakfast, an easy vegan staple. I got a ginormous unsweetened iced green tea along with their oatmeal.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Healthy and tasty!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qs55klxINlU/VcAfrk6OxEI/AAAAAAAABoQ/OjiHa8dsxx0/s640/blogger-image--1243188412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qs55klxINlU/VcAfrk6OxEI/AAAAAAAABoQ/OjiHa8dsxx0/s640/blogger-image--1243188412.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added the dried fruit and nuts, skipped the sugar packet though.</td></tr>
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On the way to breakfast I made a friend! I had to take this pic stealthily since it's on the lawn of a corporate building and I didn't want to get hassled by some poor office person who has to chase douchey tourists off the lawn sixteen times a day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MOO</td></tr>
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We took a stroll through <a href="http://www.siouxfalls.org/contactus/parks/public-parks/falls-park.aspx" target="_blank">Falls Park</a> before we left. It was adorable! Pups and I did get in trouble with AP for sneaking into the creek and getting all wet though. Whatever, AP, we do what we want.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rnLrdo7B8mg/VcAfu0VIpaI/AAAAAAAABog/Jzy3b1DazuI/s640/blogger-image-148446921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rnLrdo7B8mg/VcAfu0VIpaI/AAAAAAAABog/Jzy3b1DazuI/s640/blogger-image-148446921.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups in his element.</td></tr>
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Lunch on the road was Chipotle, another vegan chain staple. Say what you will, Chipotle is a gift from the gods and I might not survive this summer without it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C93zwHivTRU/VcAfs1BkEUI/AAAAAAAABoY/oXrokCPDg2U/s640/blogger-image-1721027602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C93zwHivTRU/VcAfs1BkEUI/AAAAAAAABoY/oXrokCPDg2U/s640/blogger-image-1721027602.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I get the same order every time: salad with sofritas, fajitas, corn salsa, mild salsa, and guac. I save my carbs for a side of chips ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the might Mississippi<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We are crashing in Madison for the night, right by UW Madison. I took Pups on a walk through the engineering campus and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1151005385"></span>Camp Randall<span id="goog_1151005386"></span></a>.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R9YPno5zMss/VcAfeR12A1I/AAAAAAAABnY/8dpyRba0yow/s640/blogger-image-950958599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R9YPno5zMss/VcAfeR12A1I/AAAAAAAABnY/8dpyRba0yow/s640/blogger-image-950958599.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Pups learning some history facts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tBe70biVL8k/VcAfgWErzzI/AAAAAAAABng/uq3HbUVD2Ow/s640/blogger-image--1110822318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tBe70biVL8k/VcAfgWErzzI/AAAAAAAABng/uq3HbUVD2Ow/s640/blogger-image--1110822318.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scholarly Pups!</td></tr>
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AP grabbed us vegan sausages and fries at <a href="http://ossmadison.com/menu.html" target="_blank">OSS Madison</a> for dinner! We watched <a href="http://www.adultswim.com/videos/rick-and-morty/" target="_blank">Rick and Morty</a> while snarfing these bad boys down. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Sage Field Roast, baby.</td></tr>
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Now it's time to bed down and rest up for tomorrow. Pups is one step ahead of us as usual.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--O_HU9JDoIk/VcAfiq0X0RI/AAAAAAAABnw/A6UmEimGV9Q/s640/blogger-image--457330246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--O_HU9JDoIk/VcAfiq0X0RI/AAAAAAAABnw/A6UmEimGV9Q/s640/blogger-image--457330246.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups has found his Spot for the evening.</td></tr>
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-52538812932667826522015-08-02T22:16:00.001-07:002015-08-02T22:16:29.595-07:00Vegan Road Trip, Day 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
We are at the halfway mark in our cross country trek. This morning we packed up in Spearfish South Dakota and ended up in Sioux Falls- the first day we did not cross state lines.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups waiting morosely for his dad to return with breakfast.</td></tr>
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AP grabbed us a quick breakfast at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Common-Grounds/110071315675100?rf=152025954809879" target="_blank">Common Grounds</a> before we hit the road. I had been craving oatmeal (wtf?) so he found this little cup thing. It looked weird but it was surprisingly tasty and filling.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepy?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But actually yummy!</td></tr>
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We drove through Deadwood; I am a fan of the <a href="http://www.hbo.com/deadwood" target="_blank">HBO show</a> and was excited to see the town but it's less historical and more bikini bike wash these days, especially so close to the Sturgis rally. Still pretty interesting, but I felt weird snapping pics since it was so crowded. <br />
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We blew off Mount Rushmore in favor of the <a href="https://crazyhorsememorial.org/" target="_blank">Crazy Horse Memorial</a>. It's a work in progress over multiple generations, and it's very moving to see a project like this in progress. The project receives no funding from the government and relies on donations to further monument construction, run the facilities and support the native community.<br />
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Check out their <a href="https://crazyhorsememorial.org/mission-purpose.html" target="_blank">mission statement here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QOk9TUNRAfo/Vb7cDbZO-7I/AAAAAAAABms/YRELvS5P9Xk/s640/blogger-image-1100120395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QOk9TUNRAfo/Vb7cDbZO-7I/AAAAAAAABms/YRELvS5P9Xk/s640/blogger-image-1100120395.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chubbly huskamutes are not allowed on the bus that takes you up close and personal with the monument (can't blame 'em) so this is as close as we got.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LCPAuZHP7yU/Vb7b_5AVlNI/AAAAAAAABmU/OwCPx3NcF4c/s640/blogger-image--1184318169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LCPAuZHP7yU/Vb7b_5AVlNI/AAAAAAAABmU/OwCPx3NcF4c/s640/blogger-image--1184318169.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is going to be enormous. I'm honored that I got a chance to see it in progress.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_JahIrHWhDA/Vb7b--jbyyI/AAAAAAAABmM/c0M0qTB_6e8/s640/blogger-image-19575721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_JahIrHWhDA/Vb7b--jbyyI/AAAAAAAABmM/c0M0qTB_6e8/s640/blogger-image-19575721.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a 9-11 memorial there as well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5BnScjXGVcA/Vb7b9fCZLDI/AAAAAAAABl8/SwHlT2IRno4/s640/blogger-image--420044227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5BnScjXGVcA/Vb7b9fCZLDI/AAAAAAAABl8/SwHlT2IRno4/s640/blogger-image--420044227.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's also another statue of two fighting stallions. Pictures don't so it justice. Just go there now and experience it for yourself.</td></tr>
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Lunch was at a lonely rest stop in SD at a chain that I had not heard of before. I got the veggie sandwich sans cheese and mayo, but it seems that the bread is not vegan there due to some weird additive that's animal derived (hence why I'm not mentioning their name). Still, I'm not overly concerned. I am vegan for ethical reasons, not for weird personal purity issues. I will not eat there again, but I'm not going to freak about hidden ingredients. Live and learn. In any case, this veggie sandwich staved off starvation and got me through a log driving shift.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain, yes, but surprisingly substantial for a road trip.</td></tr>
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Dessert was shaved ice! Cool and refreshing on a hot day.m I avoided red flavors in fear of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal" target="_blank">cochineal </a>(see, I can be a good vegan!) and went with mango.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'M SO COOL OMG</td></tr>
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We also stopped by... [drum-roll] the <a href="http://cornpalace.com/" target="_blank">Corn Palace</a>!!! The only one like it in the world (because why would you make another??)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OMG we are so excited!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MnFIwF09Dq0/Vb7b-PvmHpI/AAAAAAAABmE/JuH5Uhzox6Y/s640/blogger-image-1947742825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MnFIwF09Dq0/Vb7b-PvmHpI/AAAAAAAABmE/JuH5Uhzox6Y/s640/blogger-image-1947742825.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All corncobs, bitches.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Dinner was at the legendary <a href="http://www.tacojohns.com/" target="_blank">Taco John's</a>! AP had been there before and had talked up the potato oles so you know I had to try that shit. They were very accommodating to my substitution requests to make things veggie- AP got the super burrito meal sans meat, and I got the two taco meal (hard tacos) with beans instead of meat, no cheese. Add a side of guac and some pico de gallo from the salsa bar, and you have a sweet meal, way better thank Taco Bell (aka the salt lick of fast food, blech).</span></div>
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We're bedding down for the night in Sioux Falls and our hotel was recently renovated with local art... who doesn't love old white dudes watching them sleep?? :/</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creep-tacular!!!!</td></tr>
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-41690117320124602222015-08-01T21:51:00.000-07:002015-08-01T21:51:53.177-07:00Vegan Road Trip, Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Our trek across middle America continued today! Today was a driving day, not a sightseeing day. We drove across all of Montana, cut off the corner of Wyoming, and ended in Spearfish, South Dakota. My East Coast mind is still boggled by the size of the states out West. It took an entire day to drive across Montana.</div>
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Breakfast was toast with peanut butter and jam snagged from the hotel's continental breakfast before we got on the road. I don't love eating a huge breakfast, especially when I'm about to spend 4 hours in the car without stopping. Plus it's free, which makes it taste even better.</div>
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The morning was uneventful which is a good thing since I was driving. ;) We stopped for lunch in Billings, MT at the <a href="http://pitapitusa.com/" target="_blank">Pita Pit</a>, a vegan-friendly chain that I'd never tried before. I tried the red pepper hummus pita with tons of fresh veggies and their secret sauce. Very crisp and refreshing on a hundred degree day!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's no good way to take a pic of a burrito. Trust me, this was good.</td></tr>
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There wasn't a cool sign for Wyoming going into Yellowstone, so we snagged one today instead. Pups is totally over these pics, by the way. He hates jumping in and out of the rental truck.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So not worth it, Mom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z0muipD1QuY/Vb2L2_-I_9I/AAAAAAAABkk/iO2QyIUzcUo/s640/blogger-image--1359017787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z0muipD1QuY/Vb2L2_-I_9I/AAAAAAAABkk/iO2QyIUzcUo/s640/blogger-image--1359017787.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OMG and again when we entered SD? You suck, Mom.</td></tr>
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We're crashing in Spearfish, SD tonight. Another cute town with walking trails for Pups to explore. He has been a little trooper this trip, well behaved and loving all these new smells and sights as we travel cross country. Or possibly he just hated California (AP's hypothesis).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppy by the creek!</td></tr>
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Dinner was burritos at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BarbacoasofSpearfish/photos/a.492496120766646.132685.221003677915893/492503160765942/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">Barbacoa's </a>in Spearfish. I got the curry veggie burrito and it was divine. And huge. But I ate every bite.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jRuSGkRGIcs/Vb2L4WR_4EI/AAAAAAAABk0/ThYDZRzuYFE/s640/blogger-image--1666303837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jRuSGkRGIcs/Vb2L4WR_4EI/AAAAAAAABk0/ThYDZRzuYFE/s640/blogger-image--1666303837.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flavor to the max! Again- no good way to take a pic of a burrito.</td></tr>
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See you tomorrow as we continue East...EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-6645971301431918122015-08-01T07:19:00.002-07:002015-08-01T07:19:55.851-07:00Vegan Road Trip, Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming in one day!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two bears, can you tell which one is me?</td></tr>
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Today was a short driving day, a quick hop from Idaho Falls to Yellowstone. I ate dinner leftovers for breakfast, then we headed out onto the open road.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yes.</td></tr>
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I hate posting pics of nature- you never capture how large and intense things are. Nevertheless, here are a few pics.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling in the entrance. I would have loved to swim, but was too lazy to get out my swimsuit.</td></tr>
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First stop was the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/tours/fountainpaint/" target="_blank">Paint Pots</a>. I can't even. I know, I know, the sulfur water is boiling, but it took all I had to stop myself from sticking my fingers in the colorful swirls.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LNQYkUw9yNQ/VbxQdFRSVgI/AAAAAAAABi8/MFbqRviOv-Y/s640/blogger-image--1444138975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LNQYkUw9yNQ/VbxQdFRSVgI/AAAAAAAABi8/MFbqRviOv-Y/s640/blogger-image--1444138975.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No Pups allowed, and I get why. Pups would have tried to drink the sulfur water.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6eHzy9qkGIQ/VbxQn_LaZjI/AAAAAAAABjk/tOAMLY8dvOE/s640/blogger-image--2057342568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6eHzy9qkGIQ/VbxQn_LaZjI/AAAAAAAABjk/tOAMLY8dvOE/s640/blogger-image--2057342568.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This land is bubbling. Insane.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Springs! But not the kind you soak in. Unless you are a zombie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZpEYfKpyETg/VbxQIQc9MXI/AAAAAAAABik/c6Y_tJv0jCk/s640/blogger-image--1764839633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZpEYfKpyETg/VbxQIQc9MXI/AAAAAAAABik/c6Y_tJv0jCk/s640/blogger-image--1764839633.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No filter and yet this doesn't even show how bright the blue coloring was.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I7TtuTE1HFM/VbxQhlfoiWI/AAAAAAAABjc/66mKBjhhk6M/s640/blogger-image-977668665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I7TtuTE1HFM/VbxQhlfoiWI/AAAAAAAABjc/66mKBjhhk6M/s640/blogger-image-977668665.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, just a poof of geyser smoke, no biggie.</td></tr>
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There was magic all over this damn park. Geysers and waterfalls and buffalo, oh my.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j_0YbZaH5c0/VbxQqeALAKI/AAAAAAAABj0/bp6HMpd6SUw/s640/blogger-image-540696706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j_0YbZaH5c0/VbxQqeALAKI/AAAAAAAABj0/bp6HMpd6SUw/s640/blogger-image-540696706.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AP and Pups are unimpressed by the baby geyser that's five feet away from them.</td></tr>
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We had lunch at the <a href="http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/dining/old-faithful/old-faithful-lodge-cafeteria-bake-shop/" target="_blank">Old Faithful cafeteria</a>! There were quite a few veggie options:</div>
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-Spinach veggie wrap: looked pretty sparse so I skipped it in favor of more substantial options.</div>
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-Salads: pass, they looked boring.</div>
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-Teriyaki bowl: choice of noodles or rice (I picked rice) with veggies, portobellos and sauce. Pretty basic, but tasty and fresh.</div>
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-Veggie stew: I skipped this as I was not sure about the broth used, but the internets tell me it's vegan,</div>
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-Vegetarian chili: got this for AP, sans shredded cheese. Very flavorful and filling especially with a roll on the side.</div>
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-Soy milk, apple sauce, chips, fruit: plenty of sides to round out your meal!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AdlAnAZ-YVc/VbxQeBkumLI/AAAAAAAABjE/HjOgrmufdTo/s640/blogger-image--1796790272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AdlAnAZ-YVc/VbxQeBkumLI/AAAAAAAABjE/HjOgrmufdTo/s640/blogger-image--1796790272.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta-da! Old Faithful erupting!</td></tr>
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There are multiple waterfalls at the park, which I love, but having Pups meant we could not check out any that required hiking. The <a href="http://yellowstone.net/waterfalls/yellowstones-waterfalls/kepler-cascades/" target="_blank">Kepler Cascades</a> were right off the road, so I was able to sneak off and snap a few pics.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wish I had a barrel...</td></tr>
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I was ecstatic to have experienced such a beautiful park... but was sad to leave. I would definitely come back one day if I had the opportunity- so many buffalo to see!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad face.</td></tr>
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Dinner was pizza and salad from Wild West Pizzaria in the hotel room. Travelling with a Pup means you eat a lot of take-out. We got pineapple, peppers and onions (with cheese for AP) and it was pretty good considering what we were expecting,</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy spread</td></tr>
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So long, Yellowstone, it's time to hit the open road once again!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We make friends everywhere!</td></tr>
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-58025439669887260472015-07-31T21:44:00.000-07:002015-07-31T21:44:40.054-07:00Vegan Road Trip, Day 1Greetings from Idaho Falls! We're headed East to spend the summer in New Jersey before we head overseas to Tel Aviv. Over the past few weeks we've given away most of our belongings; we loaded what we had left into a Ford Expedition and hit the road earlier this week. We'll be on the road for a week. Pups has the whole backseat to himself and is a happy camper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups has his stuff and his spot, he's ready to roll.</td></tr>
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AP and I road-trip quite a bit, and we always break the Rule Numero Uno of vegan road-tripping: we never pack food. I mean, we aren't savages, we bring pretzels and a few Lara Bars for snacking, but we don't drag along a cooler with hummus and snack packs and sandwiches. We scavenge as we go. Life's to short to eat pb&j for 5 meals straight.</div>
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We started our trip with a late-night haul to Carson City, Nevada. The next morning we woke up bright and early to hit the road. We stopped in for breakfast at <a href="http://www.labakerycafe.com/home.php" target="_blank">LA Bakery</a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan Baklava OMG!</td></tr>
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They have two kinds of vegan cookies each day, and their baklava is vegan! They also have assorted bagels, wraps, salads and smoothies. They were very sweet and allowed me to sub hummus for cream cheese on my breakfast sandwich.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hummus, avocado and tomato on a bagel.</td></tr>
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We drove for 10 hours today, so lunch was a pit stop in Elko, Nevada. There is a large Basque population there, so we ended up at a Basque deli, <a href="http://www.2damesandadeli.com/ordereze/default.aspx" target="_blank">Ogi</a>. There were many veganizable options, but it was so hot out that I was craving something light. I had a California veggie wrap with extra veggies in place of the cheese. It was just what I wanted, light and fresh. AP picked up the food while Pups and I explored a park nearby; if I'd have been the one ordering I would have gotten a side of their balsamic dressing for dipping.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craving veggies? I never would have guessed it.</td></tr>
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An aside shout-out to these focaccia bites that we picked up for snacking on the road- a light crunchy texture with a punch of garlicky flavor. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOMS</td></tr>
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Driving through Idaho, how can you pass up a visit to the <a href="http://idahopotatomuseum.com/" target="_blank">potato museum</a>??</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups doesn't give a crap...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But I'm freaking ecstatic!!!!</td></tr>
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We camped out in Twin Falls, Idaho. Dinner was late, so I picked up Noodles & Company. Thanks to <a href="http://cadryskitchen.com/2012/08/24/vegan-options-at-noodles-company/" target="_blank">Cadry's Kitchen </a>for doing vegan reconnaissance for me; I went with the peanut saute while AP got the Japanese pan noodles, both with tofu.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge portions, pretty tasty in a pinch.</td></tr>
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I've gotta say, Idaho Falls is pretty cute. There are walking paths along Snake river with some man-made falls and lots of local art.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huskamoose!</td></tr>
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We stayed at the <a href="https://www.shiloinns.com/search_results.asp?PI=IIFID" target="_blank">Shilo Inn</a>, and I won't lie, I panicked when we pulled into the parking lot. It looked like a dump. I was pleasantly surprised when we entered our room to find it newly remodeled and spacious. We were in a pet-friendly room on the first floor, so our back patio opened up into a private yard area with access to the walking trails. I definitely recommend it for anyone passing through town with a Pup or two in tow!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One handsome Pup!</td></tr>
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-53470459271137583582015-07-10T21:10:00.000-07:002015-07-10T21:10:37.223-07:00Acai Bowls - Healthy Vegan Fridays<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
**Linking up to <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.com/healthy-vegan-friday-55/" target="_blank">Healthy Vegan Fridays</a> this week with a fast, easy summer meal!**</div>
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Living in California means that I am very up-to-date on the latest hipster health and foodie trends. I've seen the kabocha squash phase, the chia seed craze, the brief foray into offal and bacon (blech!!), and the kale revival. San Francisco hipsters love to find a "superfood" from another culture and promptly overhype it, jack up the price and eat it at every meal.</div>
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The latest mainstream superfood is the acai berry from Brazil. This is mostly seen in the form of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/15/acai-bowls-recipe_n_5147465.html" target="_blank">acai bowl</a>, which is the newest breakfast craze. Which is basically a smoothie in a bowl topped with granola, fruit and other goodies.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/samba-rock-acai-cafe-santa-cruz" target="_blank">Samba Rock Cafe</a> in Santa Cruz</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alleged health benefits, according to Samba Rock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to eat it! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://vitalitybowls.com/order-online/redwood-city-ca" target="_blank">Vitality Bowls</a> in Redwood City</td></tr>
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Acai bowls are so simple, but I was intimidated to try making them at home. That was silly of me- they are so simple and come together in ten minutes! </div>
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The nice part about acai bowls is that, in my opinion, the acai part is optional. If you can't get your hands on the special berry, substitute blueberries and you're still down to clown.</div>
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<b><u>Basic Acai Bowl (Serves Two)</u></b></div>
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1/2 cup milk (I use vanilla soy)</div>
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1 frozen banana</div>
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1 packet frozen acai (or sub 1/3 cup frozen blueberries)</div>
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3/4 cup frozen strawberries (or any combo of strawberries plus raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.)</div>
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Combine everything in a food processor or high speed blender until smooth. the mixture should be very thick. Layer with granola (I <a href="http://nachos4breakfast.blogspot.com/2015/04/healthy-vegan-friday-breakfast-chow.html" target="_blank">make my own</a>) and fruit in a bowl, and gobble up!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brand of frozen acai I use.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep it nice and thick like ice cream!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layer 1: fruit and granola</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layer 2: acai smoothie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layer 3: toppings! I used granola, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and a dollop of peanut butter.</td></tr>
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Here's out breakfast this morning; this recipe makes two regular sized servings, or one small serving and one jumbo serving if you're a pair like us. You can top it with whatever you like; a dollop of nut butter is a delicious addition. I actually prefer mine with just peanut butter and bananas, but that looks boring so for this tutorial I added in more fruit to keep it colorful.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His and hers acai bowls.</td></tr>
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None for Pups, but I did toss him some fruit while I was chopping, so he was a happy camper.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready and waiting in case a rogue banana slice drops on the floor.</td></tr>
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These aren't just for breakfast- they are great for any time you want a light meal! We don't have air conditioning, so these bowls are becoming a quick and easy dinner on days where it's just too hot to cook.<br />
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-41178885532595846882015-07-05T13:20:00.002-07:002015-07-08T18:51:30.084-07:00Vegan in Guerneville<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
It's our last summer in NorCal, possibly forever. I'm getting in my last bit of exploration before we hit the road. It' been fun, but it's also a bummer knowing that there is still so much we won't be able to experience. Even after eight years here, we have not even come close to uncovering all of the beautiful secrets that this state has to offer.</div>
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Recently some friends and I were discussing where to go for a girls weekend. One of us had been to Guerneville in Sonoma County, and suggested it as a nice low-key getaway, so away we went!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can see from my sweet <a href="http://solarshield.com/" target="_blank">Solar Shields</a>, I am ready for adventure.</td></tr>
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Sonoma and Napa are full of little towns like Guerneville - one cute block of downtown nestled along the river amongst a smattering of wineries. Each town has its own flair, and Guerneville was right up my alley. </div>
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One thing that makes it stand out is that there is actually a nightlife. We didn't roll into town for dinner until about 10.30pm on our first night there, and were wondering if anything would be open besides the Safeway- it's not uncommon around here for everything to shut down at 9pm. Hell, even in San Francisco nearly all the bars close at 2am. Guerneville, however, was still hopping. Most places are open til 10 or 11, but will stay open as late as there are customers. We finished dinner at midnight and plenty of places downtown were still going strong.</div>
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We ended up eating at a funky place that's an american-style diner during the day, and a Korean place (<a href="http://www.dickblomsters.com/index.html" target="_blank">Dick Blomster's</a>) in the evenings. The food was amazingly good, seasoned and spiced perfectly, with generous portions at a shockingly fair price. We shared some fries and chrysanthemum greens as appetizers, then for my main course I had the tempeh and rice cake dish. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The portion looks small in this bowl, but that's because the bowl was the size of a basketball.</td></tr>
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View from our patio- wineries to the right, mountains to the left. We took it easy on our first morning there and enjoyed some fruit and mimosas while taking in the scenery.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mimosas are the true breakfast of champions.</td></tr>
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In stereotypical girls weekend fashion, we headed out for brunch and ended up at <a href="http://eatatboon.com/" target="_blank">Boon Eat + Drink</a>. There wasn't anything listed on the menu that looked completely vegan, so I went ahead and checked with the server. Everyone in Guerneville is familiar with what "vegan" entails, so it was no problem.</div>
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We started off with truffle fries and roasted brussels sprouts. You can't go wrong with either of those.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice and garlicky, with plenty of crispy parts!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truffle fries + homemade ketchup = YUM</td></tr>
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I had a hankering for breakfast potatoes, so I ordered them topped with the ratatouille. This was a simple dish but it was prepared excellently. I licked my plate clean. Or rather, wiped it clean with a truffle fry.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another deceptively large bowl.</td></tr>
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There are a number of small art studios in town, and a good number of the people who love there are artists. Walking around town you'll notice multiple koi fish paintings on the streets. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonder where they are swimming to?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over the Russian River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the river from the bridge.</td></tr>
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After wandering around downtown, we headed to the river for some sun and swimming. The water was not nearly as cold as ocean water, and the current was light enough that we were able to dive in and splash around at our leisure.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret beach.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High five!</td></tr>
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On the way home we stopped for ice cream at the <a href="http://www.guernevillebankclub.com/" target="_blank">Guerneville Bank Club</a>, a renovated bank building that houses ice cream, pie and boutique shops all merged into one. <a href="http://nimbleandfinns.com/" target="_blank">Nimble & Finn's</a> provides the ice cream, and they always have at lease two vegan flavors on tap.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love a town that appreciates dogs! Where's the husky pup, though?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VEGAN ICE CREAM!!!</td></tr>
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They will let you try every flavor in the store! I liked both flavor options but went with the coconut caramel.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just looking at this pic makes me hungry again.</td></tr>
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For our final dinner in town, we drove down to the town of Jenner. It's super tiny- no downtown at all, just one really awesome restaurant, <a href="http://ilovesunsets.com/" target="_blank">River's End</a>. Again, nothing obviously vegan on the menu, but the server was able to rattle off everything that she could veganize.</div>
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FYI- all of their salads can be made vegan. I'm picturing all three here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck breast salad without the duck! Wilted spinach, lentils, roasted cherries and almonds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orzo salad with roasted veggies and pickled fennel. They veganize this by leaving off the cheese.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beet salad! This one has cheese on it but they'll leave it off for vegans.</td></tr>
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For my main course, they veganized the vegetable napoleon. Farro topped with roasted vegetables and tofu, with balsamic glaze on the side. This was good, but I was already pretty full from the salad. I'd say that any one of the salads would make a fine main course. Everything is very fresh, and prepared to let the natural flavors of the veggies shine.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More brussels, obvi.</td></tr>
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The next morning, we grabbed coffee and headed back to the real world. On the way out I noticed a cute smoothie place. I wish I had been hungry enough to grab a smoothie- maybe next time!<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry signage!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green smoothie menu!!</td></tr>
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If you're looking for a weekend trip, Guerneville is highly recommended for a vegan/pup/LGBTQIA/family friendly vacay. I wish I had enough time to go back with AP and Pups, but for now we are moving on to other adventures.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's good advice for us all.</td></tr>
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<br>EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-1618446928233013202015-07-03T11:36:00.000-07:002015-07-03T11:36:09.701-07:00Healthy Vegan Fridays - Zucchini Pita Pockets<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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As I type this, I'm falling into the first episode of Penny Dreadful and am completely distracted. It's the night before a long weekend and I most definitely need a break. We are starting the packing process this weekend for the big move and it's overwhelming. We are totally not "stuff" people and yet our apartment is jam packed with so much crap that needs to be sorted through. It creeps up on you!</div>
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It's going to be hot and stuffy this weekend, so this week I'm submitting to <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.com/healthy-vegan-fridays/" target="_blank">Healthy Vegan Fridays</a> with an easy, light lunch. It's a shortcut recipe if you purchase the pico de gallo instead of making it from scratch. Pico de gallo is a meal maker for me, I always have it on have for sandwiches, salads, tacos, etc. and it makes any meal a little more special.</div>
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<b><u>Zucchini Pita Pockets</u></b><br />
One medium zucchini<br />
1/4 cup pico di gallo<br />
1/2 tsp dried mint or a handful of torn fresh leaves<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
(Optional) 1-2 tablespoons of vegan sour cream, plain yogurt or coconut cream<br />
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Grate the zucchini and sautee in a nonstick pan until soft. Stir in the remaining ingredients and stuff into a pita once warned through. Then chow down.<br />
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So simple, but so tasty.<br />
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-15755961408317627402015-05-22T10:02:00.001-07:002015-07-05T11:47:47.365-07:00Healthy Vegan Fridays- Crockpot Curried Potatoes with Chickpeas<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Ok let's be real, it's hard to take a picture of curry and have it look appetizing. I mean, if you are lazy like me. I'm sure if you used a fancy camera and spend 40 minutes poking at the food and added a sprig of rosemary or whatever, it would looks awesome. But that's not my style.</div>
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I made this last Sunday and have been eating it for lunch all week. It's not a fancy curry, and it's definitely not meant to be authentic to any cuisine. It's a light, mild version that even people who hate curry would be able to enjoy. I ate it as-is but it would be nice as a side dish, maybe alongside salad and some grilled tofu.</div>
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I'm also linking up this week for <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.com/healthy-vegan-fridays/" target="_blank">Healthy Vegan Fridays</a> with <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.com/healthy-vegan-friday-48/" target="_blank">Rock My Vegan Socks</a>!</div>
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<b><u>Basic Crockpot Curried Potatoes with Chickpeas</u></b></div>
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3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced</div>
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1/2 onion, diced</div>
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1 can chickpeas, drained</div>
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1 can diced tomatoes, drained</div>
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1 can coconut milk (I used light)</div>
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1/2 tablespoon garam masala</div>
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1 teaspoon coriander</div>
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1 teaspoon turmeric</div>
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1 teaspoon cardamom</div>
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1 teaspoon coarse group pepper (or to taste)</div>
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1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)</div>
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Mix everything in the crockpot and let it go on low for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. It will be watery when you pump everything in, but the sauce will thicken from the potato starch. Don't let it overcook or else you'll end up with potato puree.</div>
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Adjust the seasonings before you serve; the potatoes will soak up a lot of salt so you may need to add more. You can add more garam masala if you want to pump up the flavor as well.</div>
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Serves 4-6.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks weird, tastes yum!</td></tr>
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-372068736916019352015-05-09T11:03:00.000-07:002015-05-09T11:03:03.728-07:00Healthy Vegan Fridays- Southwest Barley<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Happy Saturday! We are heading out for a weekend getaway, but I wanted to post a recipe (late!) for <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.com/healthy-vegan-fridays/" target="_blank">Healthy Vegan Fridays</a>. I've been making this for our lunches since it's easy, delicious and reheats very well.</div>
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<b><u>Southwest Barley</u></b></div>
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2/3 cup barley</div>
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2 cups veggie broth</div>
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1 cup <a href="https://www.birdseye.com/vegetable-products/vegetable-products/birdseye/recipe-ready/southwest-blend" target="_blank">Southwest blend</a></div>
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1/2 to 1 tablespoon chili powder</div>
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Combine the barley and broth, cover and bring to a boil and then simmer until cooked, about 45 minutes. Stir in the southwest blend and make sure it's heated through. Add in the spices; salt and pepper will vary depending on what brand of broth you use.</div>
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Plate the barley and top with pico de gallo and avocado. Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product!</td></tr>
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-55206922171177777592015-04-27T22:00:00.002-07:002015-10-19T03:31:53.900-07:00Weekend of Eating All the Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Finally, AP and I are both back to 100%. This past weekend we celebrated our good health by going out and Eating All the Things. Even though the weather report cautioned rain on Saturday, it was a gorgeous weekend, so we spent a good deal of time outside enjoying our last California spring.</div>
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Friday night I peaced out of work early and met up with AP at <a href="http://quintosol.ca/" target="_blank">Quinto Sol</a> for kick-ass margaritas. I got the enmolatas which are vegan as-is on the menu. I love their mole sauce, but I'm always afraid to recommend it to others. NorCal folks take their mole seriously.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could drink this sauce with a straw, mmmmm......</td></tr>
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On Saturday morning, we woke up early and trained into Oakland for the first ever Oakland VegFest! I'd never been to Lake Merritt amphitheater before and didn't realize it was basically a small open park- I'd been expecting it to be bigger, and enclosed. I have to say it was a pleasant surprise; it was a very laid back setup and the view was gorgeous. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful view, crappy pics, my bad. </td></tr>
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We got there before the 11am start time so we were able to score one of the goodie bags they were giving away. Free samples, whoot! I loved the Beanfields chips- the volunteer gave me a fistful of coupons that I can't wait to try out.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WTF am I supposed to do with the coffee flavored "mylk"? Anyone?</td></tr>
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Since it was a small event, we'd seen what there was to see fairly quickly. AP was getting hungry and cranky, so we headed down to Jack London Square to one of his fave restaurants, <a href="http://www.souleyvegan.com/" target="_blank">Souley Vegan</a>. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AP's plate: southern fried tofu with ranch, mac and cheese, rice and beans. The mac sauce is a basic nutritional yeast concoction that we are both fans of, although this batch went a little heavy on the garlic powder. Still delish though.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My plate: BBQ tofu, collards, mashed potatoes and gravy. These collards were insanely good. I just ordered them to get a green veggie on my plate, but I was beyond impressed.</td></tr>
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We weren't hungry for dinner until about 8.30pm, so I threw together a salad. Gardein chicken strips, toasted tortilla strips, <a href="https://www.birdseye.com/vegetable-products/vegetable-products/birdseye/recipe-ready/southwest-blend" target="_blank">southwest blend,</a> and spicy marcona almonds. For the dressing, I mixed vegan ranch and BBQ sauce.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A salad that AP actually enjoyed.</td></tr>
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AP was getting pouty about the lack of vegan baked goods in our home and in Starbucks (his home away from home). I decided to test out the Pinterest trend of soda cupcakes. You take a box of cake mix (Duncan Hines has a ton of vegan ones) and instead of adding the eggs, oil, water, whatever, you just mix in a can of soda. Coke for chocolate cakes, lemon-lime for vanilla cakes. I used a Duncan Hines devil's food and a can of diet coke. They turned out pretty good- AP liked them better than regular cupcakes. Fluffier.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just bought a can of frosting to top them with, because laziness.</td></tr>
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On Sunday morning, I tried out another cheater recipe, canned biscuit donuts. This one turned out pretty good as well! The dough wasn't as sweet as traditional donut dough, but I counted that as a plus.</div>
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I used the recipe off the <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/vanilla-cream-filled-doughnuts/4aa90cce-45bb-4112-a53a-f604e6f57fca" target="_blank">Pillsbury website</a>, with some changes- I used the regular sized biscuits instead of Grands (so they'd be mini sized- also they cooked in about 10 seconds per side), I coated them with powdered sugar rather than granulated, and for the icing I halved the recipe and used 1/4 c Nucoa margarine and 1/4 c coconut oil.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How cute are these??</td></tr>
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Pups and I did take a break from our gluttony to get some nice walks in around town. We also found the time to stalk some geese.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: six geese flying frantically into the bushes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soon, ducks... soon...</td></tr>
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Lunch on Sunday was sandwiches from the place across the street. They have a ton of veggie meats, but I kept mine simple with a veggie-only version.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mushrooms, marinated artichokes and a little soy cheese.</td></tr>
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We finished off our weekend with the traditional Sunday evening pizza. Routine is the best way to end a week of adventure. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ sauce, Follow Your Heart mozzarella, pineapple, chopped up Field Roast patty and scallions.</td></tr>
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-56822689020418767602015-04-19T22:53:00.001-07:002015-04-19T22:53:20.371-07:00Keeping it Simple<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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It seems that we are nearing the end of the pneumonia epidemic that swept through our house, leaving havoc and destruction in its wake. I'm pretty much back to normal, and AP is slowly regaining his strength, He's highly irritated that he was not able to bounce back in 24 hours or less, as per his usual M.O., but at least now he is able to work on his dissertation and other various nerdy academic projects. Some people work to live (holla), but that dude lives to work, even though his work annoys the crap out of him. Academia, you are a conundrum.</div>
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Of course, even in our weakened state, we were able to celebrate National Grilled Cheese day! We had Field Roast Chao slices, spinach, and spicy mustard on sourdough, with oven fries and plenty of Vegenaise and ketchup for dipping.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pups in the background, plotting his grilled cheese heist.</td></tr>
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I attempted to make Indian food, as I was craving tofu makhani, which is rarely seen on a takeout menu. Everything looked amazing, smelled divine, and tasted... bland. It was ok, it just wasn't Indian food. AP ate it to be polite... but the next evening we sprung for takeout and got to enjoy the real deal.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So colorful, so meh.</td></tr>
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The above disaster combined with my insane work schedule convinced me to keep it simple the rest of the week. Gardein tenders and oven fries to the rescue!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cajun seasoning on the tenders FTW</td></tr>
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Another easy vegan meal is mac and cheese! There are a ton of vegan cheeses on the market- and these days, they're actually good. However, personally I love a good nutritional yeast based sauce. I use a tweaked version of the Minute Man sauce from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Uncheese-Cookbook-Dairy-Free/dp/1570671516" target="_blank">Ultimate Uncheese </a>cookbook. It's one of AP's favorites, and he actually prefers it to most other mac and cheeses, even back when we ate dairy.</div>
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I buy the little 7 oz bags of <a href="http://www.walmart.com/browse/food/pasta-noodles/la-moderna/976759_976794_1007519/YnJhbmQ6TGEgTW9kZXJuYQieie" target="_blank">La Moderna</a><span id="goog_2077664511"></span><span id="goog_2077664512"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> pasta at the grocery store (they're usually in the "Hispanic Foods" aisle). About 1/2 cup of sauce coats this amount of pasta nicely.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shells are the best mac and cheese shape, obvi.</td></tr>
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Another easy meal- the often overlooked baked potato. It's just the two of us, so instead of waiting for the oven to heat up to bake one tiny potato, I just tossed it in the toaster over. I chopped up a Field Roast sausage and sauteed it with some frozen <a href="https://www.birdseye.com/vegetable-products/cw-premium-vegetables/ultimate-southwest-blend" target="_blank">Southwest blend</a>, seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder and smoked paprika. That went on top of the potato, along with some vegan sour cream. </div>
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That Southwest blend is awesome, by the way. I put it in quesadillas, on nachos, in enchiladas, and on salads. It's perfect for lazy, quick meals.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato and salad. Boring? I think not.</td></tr>
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Today for lunch, it was 70 degrees in the apartment. Too hot to cook, and the place I wanted to pick up lunch from is closed on Sundays. Augh!!! Instead, I picked up some dips and nibbles while I was out shopping and threw together a mezza plate. Salad with pico de gallo, hummus, baba ghanoush, spicy marcona almonds and fresh pickles. Served with fluffy pita. Devoured by AP in 2 minutes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm officially on a pickle kick. It's gonna get intense.</td></tr>
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Today is Sunday, pizza night. I had a tiny bit of Daiya, Chao and Follow Your Heart cheeses to use up, so I made a three cheese pie on a homemade herb crust. I use tomato paste rather than sauce- more of a flavor punch.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy crust to let the toppings shine.</td></tr>
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I did allow myself to get a little creative for breakfast this weekend. This recipe for <a href="http://blog.eatplant-based.com/recipes/breakfasts/banana-oat-pancakes/" target="_blank">banana oat pancakes</a> appeared in my inbox early in the week, and I dreamed about it each night until I was able to try it out. I am usually a pancake ruiner (I can't flip 'em for anything), but this recipe worked out perfectly and deliciously. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So healthy, until I loaded them with Earth Balance and maple syrup :P</td></tr>
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A tried and true recipe, <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/the-worlds-easiest-cinnamon-rolls/" target="_blank">cinnamon rolls</a>! I prepped these on Saturday night, and let them rise in the fridge overnight. Popped them in the oven on Sunday morning while we snoozed, and devoured them once we were coherent enough to slather icing on them.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icing makes everything perfect.</td></tr>
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Pups and I have been back to our regular kick-ass walks. He's been tuckered out at the end of the day, as have I. It's insane how fast you lose muscle and stamina- two weeks of being sick had me sore after a two mile walk as if I'd hiked half the Appalachian trail.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Pup :D</td></tr>
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Luckily I have the best workout buddy, who doesn't let me give up and encourages me every step of the way. Huskamutes are the best personal trainers.<br />
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-66060368931135375612015-04-10T17:18:00.002-07:002015-04-10T17:18:44.197-07:00Healthy Vegan Friday- Breakfast Chow<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Just as I was starting to feel better, AP decided to run out and pick up the flu. Just to keep things interesting around here. He's out for the count and I'm getting worn down again, and crossing all the fingers and toes that I don't come down with his plague. And so, we venture into our fourth weekend in a row filled with naps, Netflix and takeout.</div>
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However, I'm definitely well enough to participate in <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.vaskor.ca/healthy-vegan-fridays-42/" target="_blank">Healthy Vegan Fridays</a> this week! This week I'm sharing AP's breakfast. I make a batch of this granola every Sunday, and he eats it for breakfast all week long. If you've been granola shopping recently, you know how ridiculously expensive it is. $8 for a little bag of oats??? Not on my watch. </div>
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My recipe is based on <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-granola/" target="_blank">this one</a>, but pared down and spiced up a bit. With crappier pictures.</div>
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<u><b>Peanut Butter Breakfast Chow</b></u></div>
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1/2 cup <a href="http://www.amazon.com/PB2-Powdered-Peanut-Butter-6-5/dp/B002GJ9JWS" target="_blank">PB2</a> powder (you can use regular peanut butter or almond butter if preferred)</div>
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1/2 cup coconut oil, melted</div>
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1/2 cup maple syrup</div>
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1.5 tablespoon cinnamon</div>
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1 tablespoon vanilla</div>
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1-2 teaspoon garam masala, depending on how much zing you want.</div>
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6 cups rolled oats</div>
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Dump everything except the oats into a huge bowl, and stir until fully combined.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PB2! I love how it blends in sauces, much smoother compared to regular nut butters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the good stuff. </td></tr>
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Once everything is combined.give it a taste, make sure you like it. Then add in the oats; add 3 cups, stir until fully coated, then add the other 3 cups and stir until it's all uniformly peanut buttery.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leave no oat uncoated.</td></tr>
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Spread the chow on a nonstick pan, and toss into a 350F oven.</div>
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Let the granola go for about 15 minutes, then take it out and stir it so it doesn't burn. Put it back in for another 10 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it- every oven is different! My oven takes 15 minutes, stir, 5 minutes, stir, 5 minutes, done. It's an old crappy oven though, so your mileage may vary.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished!</td></tr>
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Bam! A week's worth of fancy granola for pennies. I even got a swank cereal box from Ikea.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suck it Whole Foods.</td></tr>
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That's all I got this week- hopefully by next week this family will be back in full swing. Or at least weaned off our humidifier addiction.<br />
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-882543192405243612015-04-05T18:28:00.000-07:002015-10-19T03:25:21.556-07:00Back from the Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Well well well, time flies when you are bedridden and doped up on sizzurp.</div>
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I've been sequestered in the house for the last two weeks, allowed out only to be poked and prodded by various doctors.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thoroughly irritated.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiding my face from the paparazzi</td></tr>
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It started out as just a virus, but thanks to my shitty compromised immune system it quickly upgraded to full-blown pneumonia. As awesome as the Humira is for keeping my AS symptoms in check, it makes it a hell of a lot easier for non-serious shit to morph into crazy shit.</div>
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I managed to avoid hospitalization thanks to my wonderful nurse AP, who diligently monitored my breathing, but it was pretty gnarly. I was sleeping sitting upright on the couch and couldn't go 5 feet from the humidifier.</div>
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Today was the first day I've left the house at all since Tuesday's rheumotologist trip. We grabbed a zip car, ran some errands, and then swung by Veggie Grill for some grub. I haven't been eating anything substantial while I've been sick, so it was super exciting to sit down to a healthy, delicious meal!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bombay bowl! Kale, quinoa, roasted veggies, beans and green curry sauce. Not pictured: a piece of chocolate chip cookie and a kickass strawberry lemonade.</td></tr>
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Tonight I'll be making lazy pizza for dinner. Thaw some frozen homemade dough, top with sauce, vegan cheese and veggies, and you're good to go. It's a small step but it's nice to be getting back to normal. Once I stop wheezing and am back to my daily Pup walks, I'll be much happier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um... what?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leave me alone, I'm waiting for Daddy to come home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For once I don't ruin my mom's picture with a grouch-face.</td></tr>
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I will miss the extra cuddles he's been giving me. Even though they've all been a ruse to try and eat my used tissues, I've been enjoying them.<br />
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-89084531568110827872015-03-22T21:58:00.000-07:002015-03-22T21:58:15.643-07:00Weekend Under the Weather<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
It never fails. I rarely get sick, but when I do, it starts to hit me on Friday evening, carries through the weekend and miraculously I am cured by the time I have to head to work on Monday. As much as it blows to have a weekend ruined with no work-from-home pj time, I am hoping tradition holds firm, because I have a busy day at work tomorrow and I still feel like shit.</div>
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Yesterday I didn't leave the house at all, but I did manage to cook up some comfort food. Lunch was rice bowls with pickled carrots, greens and mushrooms sauteed in garlic and tamari, avocado, and a drizzle of hot sauce.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avocado makes anything good.</td></tr>
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We were going to order out for dinner, but nothing sounded as good as chili cheese dogs, so that's what I whipped up. Seriously, you could put staples and krazy glue on an apple-sage Field Roast sausage, and it would still taste bomb.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tater tots are a vegetable, as is ketchup, because tomatoes. I got no excuse for the Vegenaise tho :/</td></tr>
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When I am feeling sicky, Pups tends to hang out and give me extra cuddles, which is nice. Either he can tell I need a little extra TLC, or he suspects I'll be less lax in guarding my food. Especially when I'm eating avocado and nooch on toast. We've recently discovered that avocado turns him into a Tasmanian devil of joygasms.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He ain't dumb, he knows avocado is where it's at.</td></tr>
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Today I was feeling a little better, so we ventured out to <a href="http://veggiegrill.com/" target="_blank">Veggie Grill</a> for lunch. I have not been there in years, and forgot how much fun it is to be able to order anything I want off a menu!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Fe chicken sandwich, whoot!</td></tr>
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We are car-less, so the round trip of walking and training tired me out. I did manage to muster up the strength to make AP's lunch for the week, the worlds laziest bento boxes. Nava Atlas' <a href="http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/carrot-walnut-muffins-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/" target="_blank">carrot muffins</a> (I used cashews instead of walnuts, and did 1 cup white flour/1 cup oat flour), a cream cheese dipping sauce and an apple sauce. Just dropped the cup right in there, too tired to do anything fancier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatever, "finished" is better than "perfect".</td></tr>
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I spent a large portion of the weekend in the tub, soaking my sore muscles and breathing in steam. Pups parked by my side every minute of every soak. You know, to keep an eye on things.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got my eye on you...</td></tr>
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Good thing I have such a good nurse!<br />
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-49440611888502393912015-03-20T21:28:00.000-07:002015-03-20T21:28:01.726-07:00Healthy Vegan Friday- Sloppy Lentils<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Kimmy at <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.vaskor.ca/" target="_blank">Rock my Vegan Socks</a> does a link-up each Friday for healthy vegan recipes, and I wanted to share one of AP's favorites, sloppy lentils. It's based on Robin Robertson's recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetarian-Slow-Cooker-Recipes/dp/1558322566" target="_blank">Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker</a>, and he will eat it for days, happily. He actually did just that this week, we ate them twice for dinner and he had them for lunch every day. The original recipe says 4-6 servings but it's 8 servings, easily.</div>
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<b><u>Sloppy Lentils</u></b></div>
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1 onion, diced</div>
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1 bell pepper, diced fine</div>
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1 carrot, diced fine</div>
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1.5 cups brown lentils (not red, they will disintegrate!)</div>
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1 can diced tomatoes</div>
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1/4 cup tamari</div>
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1 T chili powder</div>
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2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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2 T italian seasoning</div>
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2 T brown sugar</div>
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squirt of mustard</div>
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3 cups water</div>
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Directions: Dump it all in the slow cooker, let it go on low for 8 hours. Boom. Forget about pre-cooking the veggies, it turns out awesome regardless.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All my ingredients, except the carrot, just pretend he's in there.</td></tr>
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I like to stir it every hours or so starting at hour 4. We like them a bit overdone, with the lentils nice and squishy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YUM. Let them go a little longer than you think you need- they get smokey as they break down.</td></tr>
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Our favorite way to eat them is on buns with coleslaw. Healthy, easy comfort food for days.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So nice to come home to this after a long day.</td></tr>
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We ate ours with sides of curry roasted Brussels sprouts. Chop up a crapload of sprouts, toss them in some EVOO, curry powder, salt and pepper, roast them at 400 for 20 minutes, then stir in a handful of chopped cashews and let it go for another 10 minutes. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the crispy little loose leaves.</td></tr>
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Be sure to check out <a href="http://rockmyvegansocks.vaskor.ca/healthy-vegan-fridays/" target="_blank">Healthy Vegan Fridays</a> for more recipes!<br />
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-11991292459478547692015-03-16T08:00:00.000-07:002015-03-16T08:00:02.234-07:00Lemon Cookies and Sunny Memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Finally, Girl Scout cookie season is over. It's so awkward having to dodge the little sashed saleswomen outside of the Safeway. That plus about 15 of my coworkers seem to have Brownies or Daisies, and we just finished the Science Camp cookie-dough drive, <i>and </i>the candy bar drive prior to that... I just need a break from saying "no thanks" to adorable children. </div>
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I was a Girl Scout, Brownie through Cadette. I did all the camping, cookie hocking, crafting and volunteering. By the time we hit Cadette, my troop's activities consisted of sitting around my best friend Christina's kitchen table, picking at our nail polish, eating Wawa hoagies and asking her awesome mom questions about life and womanhood. It was a year of camaraderie, growing up, growing apart, learning to use eyeliner and realizing I hated it.</div>
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One of my favorite cookies growing up was the much-maligned Lemon Pastry Cream:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way to make it a kid-appealing treat, right?</td></tr>
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For years I avoided the dreaded "low-fat" cookie, but once I took my first bite, I was hooked on the flaky cookie and bright citrus flavor. And probably the addictive magic fairy dust that the GSA clearly laces all of their baked good with.</div>
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This past weekend I attended a vegan Girl Scout Cookie swap, and took a swing at recreating the LPC. The lovely lady hosting the swap is gluten free, so these cookies are too. They came out really well- great texture and a bright citrus sunshine flavor!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ate all of these in one sitting. Not really. But I wanted to.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Lemon Sandwich Cookies </u></b></div>
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2 cups almond flour*</div>
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1/4 cup coconut oil, softened</div>
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1/4 cup maple syrup</div>
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1/4 tsp sea aalt</div>
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Zest of 1/2 lemon</div>
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Juice of 1/2 lemon</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix together all of the ingredients until you have a smooth dough. If it's too squishy, you can toss it in the fridge for a bit to firm it up.</div>
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Form dough into cookie-shapes on a pan lines with parchment paper. These cookies don't rise or spread, so whatever shape they are in when they go in the oven, is the shape they'll be when they come out. I got about 24 small round cookies per batch.</div>
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Bake for 8 minutes, then peek at them and leave in for another minute if not yet brown around the edges. Mine were done in 9 minutes on the dot.</div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://detoxinista.com/2012/03/almond-flour-frosted-sugar-cookies/" target="_blank">this recipe</a></div>
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*I used Bob's Red Mill almond flour, and they turned out fine. I know that Honeyville is the gold standard for almond flour, but if all you have is Bob's, this recipe will still work for you.</div>
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These cookies are good on their own, but if you want to do it up right, make them into sandwich cookies with this filling:</div>
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<b><u>Lemon Cream Filling</u></b></div>
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1/4 cup vegan cream cheese</div>
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2 T coconut oil, softened</div>
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Zest of 1 whole lemon</div>
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Juice of 1/2 lemon (save the other half for tea)</div>
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Powdered sugar (Whole Foods Organic 365 is vegan)</div>
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**This makes enough for 3 batches of sandwich cookies, 4 if you skimp on the filling.</div>
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Mix the first four ingredients together until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the consistency looks right for you, between 2 and 5 cups. You can use less sugar and make a glaze to drizzle over the cookies, or you can use more to make a frosting-type filling. </div>
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Put the frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set up a bit (the coconut oil will help here) and then make your cookie sandwiches. Devour.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten-Free Vegan Do-Si-Dos, Lemon Pasrty Creams, Thin Mints, Samoas!</td></tr>
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<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-60484252262524196872015-02-28T17:18:00.001-08:002015-02-28T17:18:46.578-08:00What Vegans EatThis is a week in the life of a vegan eating regular food- trying to be healthy but not obsessing about getting in 7 vegetables per meal or eating 0% fat or only eating what I was able to hand-gather from my organic woodland garden, or whatever.<br />
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Note: all days include lots of water, and various green/black/floral teas- I'm a bit of a tea hoarder.<br />
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<b><u>Monday</u></b><br />
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-Free bagel day at work! I chose a whole grain bagel topped with SmartBalance Light and blackberry jam.</div>
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-Root vegetable curry from the slow cooker for lunch</div>
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-Silk yogurt to hold me over til dinner</div>
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-<a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/08/tlt-sandwiches.html" target="_blank">Tempeh</a>, avocado, spicy mustard and spinach on sourdough with the last of the tortilla chips</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday</u></b></div>
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-Smoothie with soy milk, spinach and a frozen banana</div>
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-A few sea salt and vinegar chips </div>
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-FEAST! Team lunch out and we ordered. Everything. They. Had. The vegan selection of which was pickled veggies, Brussels sprouts, chips (it's a British pub, gotta use their lingo) and veggie sliders (without the dairy-containing buns). It was a late lunch, and I was so stuffed afterwards that I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day.</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday</u></b></div>
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-Smoothie with soy milk, spinach, a frozen banana and some frozen pineapple, which was a nice fresh pop of flavor.</div>
-Free lunch day at work! Today was Thai food; I had rice, pumpkin curry, tofu and green beans.<br />
-Silk yogurt (it was on sale, can you tell?)<br />
-Dinner was a solo affair as AP is travelling until Saturday, so I made myself some tater tots in the toaster oven and grilled a sandwich with tempeh, spinach and Daiya cheese.</div>
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This pic was before I doused everything in ketchup mixed with Vegenaise. Yum.<br />
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<b><u>Thursday</u></b><br />
-Silk yogurt with homemade peanut butter granola from <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-granola/" target="_blank">Minimalist Baker</a> (minus the chocolate chips, I think those are pretty pointless in this recipe. And plus some spices).<br />
-Leftover veggie curry with brown rice and salad- not too much as I was still full from a late breakfast.<br />
-Handful of pretzels to tide myself over til dinner.<br />
-Epic failure of an avocado pasta dish! I tossed that dish and just had a Boca chick'n patty on an English muffin. The Thomas brand are not vegan but most of the off-brand ones are. Mine are Safeway Extra Crispy.</div>
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We had a house guest on Thursday evening! A sweet pit bull had found her way to my office. She crashed with Pups and me for the evening; luckily we were able to reunite her with her mom the next morning.</div>
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<b><u>Friday</u></b></div>
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-More Silk yogurt and granola for breakfast</div>
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-Too nervous with work/puppy stuff to eat lunch, snacked on some BBQ Lays.</div>
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-Late lunch/early dinner was macaroni with nutritional yeast cheezy sauce, Yves pepperonis, and lots of wilted spinach. No pics because this was not a photogenic dish at all- but it was comforting with a creamy/spicy flavor.</div>
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<b><u>Saturday</u></b></div>
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AP comes home tonight!</div>
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-Not really hungry for breakfast, so I nibbled on a little granola with soy milk.</div>
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-Lunch was leftover macaroni from last night, even better the next day!</div>
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-Chocolate milk snack! Soy milk blended with a frozen banana and some cocoa powder. Simple and not overly sweet. </div>
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-Tonight, we will have a sushi feast when AP gets home featuring 4 rolls: avocado, fried tofu with red pepper, spicy tofu with carrot, and macadamias with spinach and vegan cream cheese.</div>
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Time to do some dishes, cook some sushi rice, and cuddle that Pup until his dad comes back home to us.</div>
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EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-228898822193770302015-02-22T16:11:00.001-08:002015-02-22T16:28:19.691-08:00The Next Step<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's Sunday afternoon. We are back from a morning at the beach. I'm curled up on the couch with a tuckered out Pups by my feet. A stack of magazines is by my side, ready for browsing. My family is making me laugh on our group text. Vegetables are being curried in my crockpot, making the house smell amazing. Pizza dough is rising in my fridge. AP has just finished cleaning the entire house and is about to pop a bottle of sparkling rose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today is a pretty good day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm trying to slow down and enjoy the peaceful days while I can. At the end of the summer, we will be giving away everything we own, getting on a plane and heading to Israel for two years. AP accepted a post-doctoral position near Tel Aviv; Pups and I will be tagging along.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There is so much work to be done before we go. Visas, housing, job hunts, Pups accommodations. It's overwhelming but I just have to keep in mind that by October, we'll be having another day just like today, where we do all of our favorite things and eat our favorite foods and take the scenic route home and just live life. Except we'll be in a different house, visiting a different beach, using a different crockpot. Hopefully the new crockpot will have a lid that isn't broken; I can dare to dream.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ycQyepzfQGk/VOpwPOEaDJI/AAAAAAAABFs/KyH1EIfHUbg/s640/blogger-image-856354956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ycQyepzfQGk/VOpwPOEaDJI/AAAAAAAABFs/KyH1EIfHUbg/s640/blogger-image-856354956.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYLC0KsEZNw/VOpwQ8P_RNI/AAAAAAAABF8/ecK4mrCyWrI/s640/blogger-image-1739906083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYLC0KsEZNw/VOpwQ8P_RNI/AAAAAAAABF8/ecK4mrCyWrI/s640/blogger-image-1739906083.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYLC0KsEZNw/VOpwQ8P_RNI/AAAAAAAABF8/ecK4mrCyWrI/s640/blogger-image-1739906083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wCkSjFCIzU4/VOpwQE_3E0I/AAAAAAAABF0/-y3zinbec4w/s640/blogger-image-1193955205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wCkSjFCIzU4/VOpwQE_3E0I/AAAAAAAABF0/-y3zinbec4w/s640/blogger-image-1193955205.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div>EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117893401861773052.post-85940310731529418272015-02-12T20:59:00.000-08:002015-02-22T16:58:28.992-08:00Adventure and Avocado<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Last weekend I managed to coax AP out of the apartment so we could hit up a travel expo in Santa Clara. We scored a bunch of free swag and had a blast coming up with an insanely long travel wish list.</div>
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This is my new life motto. </div>
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Every country had their own booth where they lured people in with candy and free pens and then tried to convince you to book a three week stay in their homeland. Some were more creative than others...</div>
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I wanted AP to take a pic with one of the Taiwan mascots, but he refused as he did not want to be embarrassed. However, once he spotted the Segway test driving booth, he pushed past the other children to get in line for a try.</div>
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Not embarrassing at all, right?</div>
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I take way classier pictures, clearly.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Rick Steves was there! I wanted an autograph but there were about 200 middle aged women elbowing each other for a chance to get near him, so I took a pass.</span></div>
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After we'd seen all there was to see, we stopped off at Aqui Cali-Mex for swirls and lunch. These swirls are killer- they recommend you stick to no more than two but I can barely finish one. Don't want to fall asleep in the train home and end up in the city!</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mmm, guacamole. They have gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options marked on their menu. The food's not authentic, but it keeps the swirls from knocking you senseless. My dish had beans, tofu and potatoes, nice and hearty, and quite tasty!</span></div>
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I've recently recommitted to being a vegan after a three year sabatical, and I feel so comfortable and relieved with my herbivorous decision. Check out my Tumblr for more vegan food porn! And husky pics, natch.</div>
<br />EChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11552770292962522051noreply@blogger.com0