We're gearing up to leave for Oregon extremely early tomorrow. Part of this plan involves keeping the Emperor up as long as possible. However, he is pretty in tune to his 7:30 bedtime these days... so he is getting extremely cranky and keeping him up and not miserable is a very hands on experience.
So, it'll be a bit until tonight's post goes up... it's coming, but probably not til we put him to bed at 9 or 10.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Vegan MoFo Day 21: Pumpkin-spice WAFFLES! With recipe!
So, today was a pretty slow day... typical Sunday around here. It was cold and rainy so we stayed in the house as much as possible. As restful as this sounds, staying in the house with the Emperor has a way of really running me down. He gets bored SO fast when he's not out and about. I seem to remember being quite a homebody before he was born... boy, how my life has changed.
Speaking of life changes... thanks so much to the people who sent good thoughts for my mom & co. The bad news is that their apartment and all their worldly belongings are really totally toast. The good news is that they're still physically okay, and that their landlord was able to find a new apartment for them in a different complex so they're not going to be homeless. That's a really huge relief for everyone involved.
Anyway, back to FOOD. Here it is:
What is it: blood sugar restoring breakfast! Some vegan jerky and a tofurky and leftover eggplant spread sandwich on whole grain bread.
My thoughts: My blood sugar has been unstable since my friends were visiting... not surprising considering the seriously random things I consumed while they were here. Once my sugar gets messed up, it can take me a really long time to get back to normal... we're talking over a week sometimes. Still, I was surprised when I woke up this morning and realized I was having a serious sugar drop. My sugar's been pretty stable over the past two or three years, and I have to admit that I'm not pleased with recent setbacks. Hypoglycemia sucks.
This breakfast was my recovery meal... lots of protein, some fat, some lower GI carbs. Made me feel better pretty super fast.
As a bonus, it was quite delicious.
Emperor's reaction: He didn't have any of this, because he was asleep!
What is it: COFFEEEEEE! Love Buzz + unsweetened almond milk + a teaspoon of vanilla + a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.
My thoughts: YUM.
Emperor's reaction: n/a
What is it: Pumpkin-spice waffles!
My thoughts: I had half a can of pumpkin to use up and I really, really, really wanted to make waffles with it. I didn't have a recipe for pumpkin waffles, though, so I pulled this one more or less out of my ear. They came out really great... pretty light and fluffy, but with a crispy exterior. Not super sweet, not super spicy, but not bland either. I'm really pleased. The recipe will be at the end of this post, yay!
Emperor's reaction: He seemed to adore these as much as we did. I think he ate about 3/4s of a (small!!) waffle by himself.
What is it: Kale-tofu-broccoli stirfry with a peanut-almond-soy sauce and soba noodles!
My thoughts: J has been all about the stirfries lately, and I am loving it. He's cooking kale of his own volition. Who would have thought we'd see the day? Just as amazingly, I'm enjoying kale. Not even begrudgingly. This dish was a little salty but really yummy anyway.
Emperor's reaction: He ate bites of just about everything in here and seemed very pleased.
Pumpkin-spice waffles
about 10 small square waffles
1 1/4c unsweetened almond milk
1c canned pumpkin
3/4c piloncillo or dark brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsps cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
2c white whole wheat flour (normal ww flour would probably work too)
Whisk together the almond milk, pumpkin, piloncillo/sugar, vanilla, oil, and vinegar. Add in the dry ingredients and stir til just combined. Pour onto lightly oiled waffle iron by the half-cup full.
They're nice spread with a little EB and sprinkled with powdered sugar, but they're dandy on their own too.
But don't take my word for it, just ask this happy diner:
Speaking of life changes... thanks so much to the people who sent good thoughts for my mom & co. The bad news is that their apartment and all their worldly belongings are really totally toast. The good news is that they're still physically okay, and that their landlord was able to find a new apartment for them in a different complex so they're not going to be homeless. That's a really huge relief for everyone involved.
Anyway, back to FOOD. Here it is:
What is it: blood sugar restoring breakfast! Some vegan jerky and a tofurky and leftover eggplant spread sandwich on whole grain bread.
My thoughts: My blood sugar has been unstable since my friends were visiting... not surprising considering the seriously random things I consumed while they were here. Once my sugar gets messed up, it can take me a really long time to get back to normal... we're talking over a week sometimes. Still, I was surprised when I woke up this morning and realized I was having a serious sugar drop. My sugar's been pretty stable over the past two or three years, and I have to admit that I'm not pleased with recent setbacks. Hypoglycemia sucks.
This breakfast was my recovery meal... lots of protein, some fat, some lower GI carbs. Made me feel better pretty super fast.
As a bonus, it was quite delicious.
Emperor's reaction: He didn't have any of this, because he was asleep!
What is it: COFFEEEEEE! Love Buzz + unsweetened almond milk + a teaspoon of vanilla + a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.
My thoughts: YUM.
Emperor's reaction: n/a
What is it: Pumpkin-spice waffles!
My thoughts: I had half a can of pumpkin to use up and I really, really, really wanted to make waffles with it. I didn't have a recipe for pumpkin waffles, though, so I pulled this one more or less out of my ear. They came out really great... pretty light and fluffy, but with a crispy exterior. Not super sweet, not super spicy, but not bland either. I'm really pleased. The recipe will be at the end of this post, yay!
Emperor's reaction: He seemed to adore these as much as we did. I think he ate about 3/4s of a (small!!) waffle by himself.
What is it: Kale-tofu-broccoli stirfry with a peanut-almond-soy sauce and soba noodles!
My thoughts: J has been all about the stirfries lately, and I am loving it. He's cooking kale of his own volition. Who would have thought we'd see the day? Just as amazingly, I'm enjoying kale. Not even begrudgingly. This dish was a little salty but really yummy anyway.
Emperor's reaction: He ate bites of just about everything in here and seemed very pleased.
Pumpkin-spice waffles
about 10 small square waffles
1 1/4c unsweetened almond milk
1c canned pumpkin
3/4c piloncillo or dark brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsps cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
2c white whole wheat flour (normal ww flour would probably work too)
Whisk together the almond milk, pumpkin, piloncillo/sugar, vanilla, oil, and vinegar. Add in the dry ingredients and stir til just combined. Pour onto lightly oiled waffle iron by the half-cup full.
They're nice spread with a little EB and sprinkled with powdered sugar, but they're dandy on their own too.
But don't take my word for it, just ask this happy diner:
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Vegan MoFo Day 20: Pumpkin Pancakes and Eggplant Spread
Well, today really has been a day, guys. I found out while making breakfast that my mom's apartment building burnt down early this morning. My mom's okay (as is her boyfriend, her dog, and my little brother, who were all in the apartment at the time) but has literally lost everything. I don't want to go too far into details because this is a food blog and I don't want to freak anyone out reading it but... the details are very freaky and I am pretty shaken. I can only imagine how badly shaken my mom & co are. They're on the east coast and right now I hate the fact that I'm over here and so far away in a time of crisis.
On the upside, we ate a LOT of good food today. So that's... something.
Breakfast! Pumpkin pancakes from Vegan Brunch. Delicious. I was making these when my sister called to tell me about my mom.
Tofu rancheros with soy cheez (FYH?) at Dharma's in Capitola. I needed to get out of the house for a bit, so we went and did a little grocery shopping and stopped here for a nosh.
Soy chai at Dharma's. I had their chai once before and thought it was horrid, which I recalled while I was waiting for this one to show up... so I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed this cup of chai.
Dill-Tahini-Jalapeno Eggplant Spread with baguette from Gayle's. The eggplant spread was something I kind of just put together out of stuff in the fridge and it was really good... except my jalapenos are kind of old and SUPER spicy at this point so the spread was pretty hot even with all the other stuff in it.
Theo's Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Stick seasonal chocolate bar.
J (in horrified tone): Are you taking mySpace pictures of yourself... holding food?!
Me: well, more or less.
Followed immediately by:
G: heyyyyy, where's MY chocolate bar?
Nice try, guy. Can you see how tired he looks in this picture?
Finally, olives! I love the Castel Vetranos (bright green ones) and J is a sucker for kalamatas. The Emperor loves ALL olives and ate about six of the kalamatas tonight.
And last but not least, bonus picture! Here's the Emperor enjoying some guacamole. He ate about 2/3rds of the scoop of guac on my plate at Dharma's. Which is good because I don't think I could have finished it myself... I love guacamole (and avocado anything) but the tofu rancheros plate is HUGE and I was so full even with him helping.
On the upside, we ate a LOT of good food today. So that's... something.
Breakfast! Pumpkin pancakes from Vegan Brunch. Delicious. I was making these when my sister called to tell me about my mom.
Tofu rancheros with soy cheez (FYH?) at Dharma's in Capitola. I needed to get out of the house for a bit, so we went and did a little grocery shopping and stopped here for a nosh.
Soy chai at Dharma's. I had their chai once before and thought it was horrid, which I recalled while I was waiting for this one to show up... so I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed this cup of chai.
Dill-Tahini-Jalapeno Eggplant Spread with baguette from Gayle's. The eggplant spread was something I kind of just put together out of stuff in the fridge and it was really good... except my jalapenos are kind of old and SUPER spicy at this point so the spread was pretty hot even with all the other stuff in it.
Theo's Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Stick seasonal chocolate bar.
J (in horrified tone): Are you taking mySpace pictures of yourself... holding food?!
Me: well, more or less.
Followed immediately by:
G: heyyyyy, where's MY chocolate bar?
Nice try, guy. Can you see how tired he looks in this picture?
Finally, olives! I love the Castel Vetranos (bright green ones) and J is a sucker for kalamatas. The Emperor loves ALL olives and ate about six of the kalamatas tonight.
And last but not least, bonus picture! Here's the Emperor enjoying some guacamole. He ate about 2/3rds of the scoop of guac on my plate at Dharma's. Which is good because I don't think I could have finished it myself... I love guacamole (and avocado anything) but the tofu rancheros plate is HUGE and I was so full even with him helping.
Running late..
Today's MoFo post may be a little late. We're having a hard time getting the Emperor to sleep, there's been family drama and I'm out of sorts from that, and I need to find the cable to take pictures off of the camera memory because breakfast was awesome and it's all on there rather than the SD card. AAAAAAH!
Anyway, it's coming, the timestamp might just be a little late.
Anyway, it's coming, the timestamp might just be a little late.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Vegan MoFo Day 19: Double Trouble
Spent all day with The Emperor and his friend E again. We had a fun but incredibly intense day. I'm just this side of falling over, but here are our pictures!
Here I am eating the first apple of the day. I made a point of trying to mimic the Emperor's face when he chomps into an apple.
The boys share some sesame sticks.
Black coffee from Peet's.
Avocado-Lettuce-Tomato sandwich on dark rye at Zachary's in Santa Cruz. Let us never speak of the debacle that was trying to eat lunch there with the boys. Great sandwich, though.
DINNAR part 1! Stir fried tofu with lemongrass, ginger, roasted garlic, sesame oil, miso, mirin, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms and maybe some other stuff.
The rest of dinner! Tater tots with chipotle ketchup. Hey, give me a break, it's... fusion food?
And finally, here's the wine.
Here I am eating the first apple of the day. I made a point of trying to mimic the Emperor's face when he chomps into an apple.
The boys share some sesame sticks.
Black coffee from Peet's.
Avocado-Lettuce-Tomato sandwich on dark rye at Zachary's in Santa Cruz. Let us never speak of the debacle that was trying to eat lunch there with the boys. Great sandwich, though.
DINNAR part 1! Stir fried tofu with lemongrass, ginger, roasted garlic, sesame oil, miso, mirin, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms and maybe some other stuff.
The rest of dinner! Tater tots with chipotle ketchup. Hey, give me a break, it's... fusion food?
And finally, here's the wine.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Vegan MoFo Day 18: Return to our regularly scheduled apple-o-rama!
Our friends departed this morning and it was back to business as usual around here. I am really exhausted... post-fun time crash... so today's mostly going to be pictures.
Breakfast! Peanut butter toast, Love Buzz with unsweetened almond milk, and an apple. I made a note of which apples I particularly like at the market this week, and it turns out my favorites are Black Twigs (this one), Pippins, and Mutsus. I don't like anything that ends in Delicious and I don't like Gala apples because they get mushy after a day or two.
Bleary Emperor gnawing on that Black Twig for breakfast. He had a long day yesterday and was a little frazzled all day today.
And here he is with apple #2 of the day, a Pippin, at the UCSC Arboretum.
After that we had some rice crackers I found in the bottom of the diaper bag. (In another bag, not just floating loose! These aren't floor crackers!) The boy laid claim to almost all of these.
Then we had 66 cents worth of sesame sticks at New Leaf.
Home for leftover moussaka. The Emperor only had a bite.
And finally, more vegan pigs in blankets. J made them for me as a treat because he knows I'm sad about our friends going. He's very sweet. The Emperor wasn't into these at all toight though.
Breakfast! Peanut butter toast, Love Buzz with unsweetened almond milk, and an apple. I made a note of which apples I particularly like at the market this week, and it turns out my favorites are Black Twigs (this one), Pippins, and Mutsus. I don't like anything that ends in Delicious and I don't like Gala apples because they get mushy after a day or two.
Bleary Emperor gnawing on that Black Twig for breakfast. He had a long day yesterday and was a little frazzled all day today.
And here he is with apple #2 of the day, a Pippin, at the UCSC Arboretum.
After that we had some rice crackers I found in the bottom of the diaper bag. (In another bag, not just floating loose! These aren't floor crackers!) The boy laid claim to almost all of these.
Then we had 66 cents worth of sesame sticks at New Leaf.
Home for leftover moussaka. The Emperor only had a bite.
And finally, more vegan pigs in blankets. J made them for me as a treat because he knows I'm sad about our friends going. He's very sweet. The Emperor wasn't into these at all toight though.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Vegan MoFo Day 17: Market day and more!
Today was our last day with our visitors. We've had a really nice visit and I'm sad to see them go... but if we had to choose a great day for a finale in Santa Cruz, Wednesday is it! Because Wednesday is market day, and there is nothing better than market day. NOTHING.
Here's our food!
What is it: Rebecca's Mighty Muffins carrot cake muffin (a day old, hence the plastic wrap) and Orchid Oolong tea at Asana Tea.
My thoughts: The muffin was good, though I think calling it "cake" is misleading. Definitely a muffin. I also probably should have sprang for a fresh muffin... but I wanted to save my money for the farmer's market!
The tea is good but I think I was confusing it with the Plum Oolong, which I like somewhat more.
Emperor's reaction: He ate three big bites of muffin. Then, one of our friends took the avocado slices off of his sandwich... and the Emperor proceeded to eat EVERY ONE of them. Like a quarter of an avocado, by himself. I guess the food strike is over?
What is it: RawDaddy's new cone, the raw vegan ruben!
My thoughts: Remember my surprised gushing about the polenta mushroom cone last week? GUYS. This one was even BETTER. Somehow, some way. I should have taken a picture of his sign... I didn't realize this was a new cone and it's not on the website menu so I can't tell you what exactly is in it. Sauerkraut obviously, and mustard on top, and there are mushrooms somewhere in it, but what else?
Something in it has been infused with lapsang souchong which sounds sort of... too intense and maybe yucky... but which is GLORIOUS and gives it just the perfect bit of smokiness. I am in love with this. I could have eaten twelve of them.
Emperor's reaction: He liked the cone and ate some of the sauerkraut quite happily. I have to admit I didn't let him have a whole lot of this because oh my word, it was good.
What is it: Persimmon!
My thoughts: This is my first persimmon of the season. What has taken me so long?? I ate it and immediately wanted another but I'll wait until we're back from Oregon probably. This one was so so ripe, I basically slurped it down.
Emperor's reaction: He was riding around on my back and didn't get a bite. I'm a meanie.
What is it: Scream Sorbet's concord grape (top) and peanut butter-chocolate (bottom) sorbet. (J has a second all concord grape scoop on the right.)
My thoughts: Today I had a really hard time deciding what flavor I wanted. Then in a flash of inspiration, I decided to ask the sorbet guy for a half scoop each of the concord grape and the peanut butter chocolate. Like a PB&J sorbet, plus chocolate, minus bread, totally amazing.
Emperor's reaction: He ate about half of a teeny spoon of the chocolate peanut butter. He probably would have eaten more if I had let him, but then we had some camera drama (I thought I'd lost it, but really it was just in my bag, ha ha) and he didn't end up getting any more. Probably for the best.
What is it: Sake-miso marinated tempeh stir-fried with bok choi, carrots, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms and Thai basil on a bed of brown rice.
My thoughts: Who would ever have thought we'd see the day when J would offer to cook tempeh for me? And then gleefully help me wolf it down? We have become vegan masters over the past year, we really have.
This was a really great stir fry. Lots of great stuff in it... fresh lemongrass, scallions, the above mentioned vegetables, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, limes, and heck, I don't know what else. Everything good.
Emperor's reaction: He ate like ten bites of tempeh. He wouldn't eat the zucchini or the bok choi. He was really tired so I'm surprised he ate as much as he did. He liked it anyway, though!
Guess what time it is? BONUS PICTURES. Today's bonus pictures are of our market haul.
Here's all the stuff we bought that went immediately into dinner:
Not all the scallions or lemon grass went in, but everything else in this picture has been eaten now. Alas.
Here's another week's worth of apples:
There's a pomegranate ($1 for a big organic pomegranate! sign me up!) nestled in there too. And onions and potatoes. And the same kabocha squash that I had planned for us to eat this week that we didn't get to.
And finally, the rest of the vegetables that go in the fridge. We've got dandelions (guinea pigs), kale (baby), dill (potatoes), broccoli, lettuce, and more zucchini. I didn't shop off of a list today... it just didn't happen... and I seem to have come home with almost entirely green vegetables. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just kinda funny.
I really can't wait to eat all this stuff. Market day is so good!
Here's our food!
What is it: Rebecca's Mighty Muffins carrot cake muffin (a day old, hence the plastic wrap) and Orchid Oolong tea at Asana Tea.
My thoughts: The muffin was good, though I think calling it "cake" is misleading. Definitely a muffin. I also probably should have sprang for a fresh muffin... but I wanted to save my money for the farmer's market!
The tea is good but I think I was confusing it with the Plum Oolong, which I like somewhat more.
Emperor's reaction: He ate three big bites of muffin. Then, one of our friends took the avocado slices off of his sandwich... and the Emperor proceeded to eat EVERY ONE of them. Like a quarter of an avocado, by himself. I guess the food strike is over?
What is it: RawDaddy's new cone, the raw vegan ruben!
My thoughts: Remember my surprised gushing about the polenta mushroom cone last week? GUYS. This one was even BETTER. Somehow, some way. I should have taken a picture of his sign... I didn't realize this was a new cone and it's not on the website menu so I can't tell you what exactly is in it. Sauerkraut obviously, and mustard on top, and there are mushrooms somewhere in it, but what else?
Something in it has been infused with lapsang souchong which sounds sort of... too intense and maybe yucky... but which is GLORIOUS and gives it just the perfect bit of smokiness. I am in love with this. I could have eaten twelve of them.
Emperor's reaction: He liked the cone and ate some of the sauerkraut quite happily. I have to admit I didn't let him have a whole lot of this because oh my word, it was good.
What is it: Persimmon!
My thoughts: This is my first persimmon of the season. What has taken me so long?? I ate it and immediately wanted another but I'll wait until we're back from Oregon probably. This one was so so ripe, I basically slurped it down.
Emperor's reaction: He was riding around on my back and didn't get a bite. I'm a meanie.
What is it: Scream Sorbet's concord grape (top) and peanut butter-chocolate (bottom) sorbet. (J has a second all concord grape scoop on the right.)
My thoughts: Today I had a really hard time deciding what flavor I wanted. Then in a flash of inspiration, I decided to ask the sorbet guy for a half scoop each of the concord grape and the peanut butter chocolate. Like a PB&J sorbet, plus chocolate, minus bread, totally amazing.
Emperor's reaction: He ate about half of a teeny spoon of the chocolate peanut butter. He probably would have eaten more if I had let him, but then we had some camera drama (I thought I'd lost it, but really it was just in my bag, ha ha) and he didn't end up getting any more. Probably for the best.
What is it: Sake-miso marinated tempeh stir-fried with bok choi, carrots, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms and Thai basil on a bed of brown rice.
My thoughts: Who would ever have thought we'd see the day when J would offer to cook tempeh for me? And then gleefully help me wolf it down? We have become vegan masters over the past year, we really have.
This was a really great stir fry. Lots of great stuff in it... fresh lemongrass, scallions, the above mentioned vegetables, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, limes, and heck, I don't know what else. Everything good.
Emperor's reaction: He ate like ten bites of tempeh. He wouldn't eat the zucchini or the bok choi. He was really tired so I'm surprised he ate as much as he did. He liked it anyway, though!
Guess what time it is? BONUS PICTURES. Today's bonus pictures are of our market haul.
Here's all the stuff we bought that went immediately into dinner:
Not all the scallions or lemon grass went in, but everything else in this picture has been eaten now. Alas.
Here's another week's worth of apples:
There's a pomegranate ($1 for a big organic pomegranate! sign me up!) nestled in there too. And onions and potatoes. And the same kabocha squash that I had planned for us to eat this week that we didn't get to.
And finally, the rest of the vegetables that go in the fridge. We've got dandelions (guinea pigs), kale (baby), dill (potatoes), broccoli, lettuce, and more zucchini. I didn't shop off of a list today... it just didn't happen... and I seem to have come home with almost entirely green vegetables. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just kinda funny.
I really can't wait to eat all this stuff. Market day is so good!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
