Showing posts with label edibles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edibles. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010
Vegan MoFo 2010: Food in bar form
Did anyone else find particular resonance when Homer Simpson was going to climb that mountain and bought a kitchen gadget (that looked a little too much like a sausage grinder for comfort) that made food into bars. He dumped a plate of spaghetti and meatballs into it, and I laughed with the comfort of knowing that if I could, I might do that too.
I eat a lot of food in bar form because of a (likely perceived) lack of time to cook. I'd like to point out a couple bars you might not have heard of, though.
I just noticed Skout bars in the school canteen and the local crunchy food stores. They're locally made (Portland, OR represent!) and are like Clif bars in texture, but have an ingredient list more akin to a Larabar. They're date and grain (usually oat) based, sweetened with apple juice concentrate. They're pretty tasty, and don't have that greasiness that Larabars sometimes have.
Full disclosure: I know the founder of this company from back home. The Core Method replacement bars are HEAVY. Since I bike to hell and back, I'm okay with eating one of these hyper-caloric, mostly raw monsters, but I wouldn't recommend it as a snack for less active folks. It's decidedly a meal replacement. The raw cashew and cacao is good, I'm less crazy about the raisin one. ONLY the Defender bars are vegan. The Warrior bars contain whey. (Disappointing considering Corey, the founder, was the first vegan I ever met - I think he's well off the wagon.) In Portland, I've only found them at Whole Foods, but that suggests they're widely available.
I eat a lot of food in bar form because of a (likely perceived) lack of time to cook. I'd like to point out a couple bars you might not have heard of, though.
I just noticed Skout bars in the school canteen and the local crunchy food stores. They're locally made (Portland, OR represent!) and are like Clif bars in texture, but have an ingredient list more akin to a Larabar. They're date and grain (usually oat) based, sweetened with apple juice concentrate. They're pretty tasty, and don't have that greasiness that Larabars sometimes have.
Full disclosure: I know the founder of this company from back home. The Core Method replacement bars are HEAVY. Since I bike to hell and back, I'm okay with eating one of these hyper-caloric, mostly raw monsters, but I wouldn't recommend it as a snack for less active folks. It's decidedly a meal replacement. The raw cashew and cacao is good, I'm less crazy about the raisin one. ONLY the Defender bars are vegan. The Warrior bars contain whey. (Disappointing considering Corey, the founder, was the first vegan I ever met - I think he's well off the wagon.) In Portland, I've only found them at Whole Foods, but that suggests they're widely available.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Vegan MoFo: I'm a slacker edition
To be fair, I'm in law school, and it's robbed me of my cooking time. Even before I joined these hallowed halls of stress and arrogance, though, I was a pretty lousy blogger. to that end, some introductory, beginning-of-MoFo remarks about my eating habits which will explain my blogging habits.
I have class Monday - Friday, and it's across town. Riding my bike from my North Portland abode to Lewis and Clark takes an hour and five minutes each way. Needless to say, I am a bottomless pit.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are my long-haul days. I am on campus from 8-8, and get home a little after 9pm. These evenings, I do not cook anything more involved than miso or a handful of almonds.
At least once a week, usually Tuesday, I spend the night at my girlfriend's. She is also vegan, and she's an amazing cook. More often than not, she cooks on Tuesdays when I straggle in from class, tired and dazed.
Weekends and Mondays (when I get out of class at noon) are heavy cooking days because I tend to cook for the week then. Mondays are also the days on which I receive my CSA. Woo!
Anyway, I just made a tomatillo salsa that I'm pretty proud of - it's just roasted tomatilloes, a ton of cilantro, raw garlic, and raw jalapeño all blended together.
I do not have any chips for this salsa. That needs to change.
I have class Monday - Friday, and it's across town. Riding my bike from my North Portland abode to Lewis and Clark takes an hour and five minutes each way. Needless to say, I am a bottomless pit.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are my long-haul days. I am on campus from 8-8, and get home a little after 9pm. These evenings, I do not cook anything more involved than miso or a handful of almonds.
At least once a week, usually Tuesday, I spend the night at my girlfriend's. She is also vegan, and she's an amazing cook. More often than not, she cooks on Tuesdays when I straggle in from class, tired and dazed.
Weekends and Mondays (when I get out of class at noon) are heavy cooking days because I tend to cook for the week then. Mondays are also the days on which I receive my CSA. Woo!
Anyway, I just made a tomatillo salsa that I'm pretty proud of - it's just roasted tomatilloes, a ton of cilantro, raw garlic, and raw jalapeño all blended together.
I do not have any chips for this salsa. That needs to change.
Saturday, October 09, 2010
"no diggity" is stuck in my head
in fact, i think no diggity was in my dream.
done signed up for VeganMoFo 2010. this means i'll blog more. hopefully, there will be a ripple of not only increased blog productivity, but increased all-around productivity.
to that end, i have homework.
done signed up for VeganMoFo 2010. this means i'll blog more. hopefully, there will be a ripple of not only increased blog productivity, but increased all-around productivity.
to that end, i have homework.
Monday, April 13, 2009
it's true
The greens taste better when you grow them yourself. These salads were picked about 30 minutes before dinner. Subsequently devoured with just a hint of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The mesclun had a thickness and - dare I say it? - meatiness to it that I seldom encounter in salads. Our baby rainbow chard is downright sweet. Yum.
food not lawns!
Sugarless Update: Easter ain't easy without sugar. I allowed myself a little hit of celebratory dark chocolate, but have been otherwise confined to agave when sweetener is needed. This has been a great excuse to avoid the peanut M&Ms at work. I can be strong. Aiming to drastically reduce my intake of refined sugar has been a far more manageable goal than cutting it altogether, but I've still gone over a week without any at all. Again, major progress.
Garden Update: We kick ass. Here's the 7'x4' raised bed in the front yard. Contains (left to right) arugula, oregano, mesclun mix, bitty kale starts. (I had a dream about tupperware cloches for the little things - that will probably happen today.)
The backyard. Note the raised beds and tomato planters on either side of the door. Also note the buckets, which are the self-watering containers that I may have raved about recently.
Detail of the left side. Left to right: directly sown peas and spinach in the large bed, strawberries in the repurposed peach crate, empty bucket, lavender in a pot, future site of tomatoes. In the right bed (not shown), we've sown beets and will plant jalapenos and broccoli later.
We made this raised bed yesterday out of cinder blocks that our landlord had just abandoned in the backyard. Soon to house tomatoes and basil. It didn't take too long, and I think it looks rather awesome, especially since we had to build it up around the rosemary. Salvaged materials are beautiful.
Self-watering containers! There are holes in the upper bucket that allow water to wick into the soil and condense back into the lower bucket reservoir. Here's a better description of how they work.
Mesclun mix and rainbow chard are totally BFF with their SWCs.
Tomatoes and jalapenos. We have more seedlings than we know what to do with. The little blue house has experienced a bit of a population explosion.
We may need to start a CSA once all this gets rolling! We're not even done planting, and I haven't yet made the bean poles.
ETA: Forgotten link for SWCs
Garden Update: We kick ass. Here's the 7'x4' raised bed in the front yard. Contains (left to right) arugula, oregano, mesclun mix, bitty kale starts. (I had a dream about tupperware cloches for the little things - that will probably happen today.)
The backyard. Note the raised beds and tomato planters on either side of the door. Also note the buckets, which are the self-watering containers that I may have raved about recently.
Detail of the left side. Left to right: directly sown peas and spinach in the large bed, strawberries in the repurposed peach crate, empty bucket, lavender in a pot, future site of tomatoes. In the right bed (not shown), we've sown beets and will plant jalapenos and broccoli later.
We made this raised bed yesterday out of cinder blocks that our landlord had just abandoned in the backyard. Soon to house tomatoes and basil. It didn't take too long, and I think it looks rather awesome, especially since we had to build it up around the rosemary. Salvaged materials are beautiful.
Self-watering containers! There are holes in the upper bucket that allow water to wick into the soil and condense back into the lower bucket reservoir. Here's a better description of how they work.
Mesclun mix and rainbow chard are totally BFF with their SWCs.
Tomatoes and jalapenos. We have more seedlings than we know what to do with. The little blue house has experienced a bit of a population explosion.
We may need to start a CSA once all this gets rolling! We're not even done planting, and I haven't yet made the bean poles.
ETA: Forgotten link for SWCs
Monday, April 06, 2009
Sugarfree Day 4 again/Victory Garden 2009
It occurred to me when a friend offered me cookies sweetened with maple syrup, and as I considered agave-ing my oatmeal, that I should probably define this project as a No Refined Sugar situation. Cutting sweets entirely ain't gon' happen in a month for this girl; that would most definitely be a set-up for failure. That said, the above cookies (cashew butter crunch somethings) are badass, and I'll post the recipe once I make the suckers.
But back to not setting myself up to fail. Cutting refined sugar is manageable in some ways. I can at least identify which foods are likely to be sweetened with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. "Baked goods and anything processed" has been a pretty handy rule of thumb. Drinking a cup of mint tea or just a big glass of water have not been entirely satisfactory fixes, but they've worked well enough to get me through two three-day stretches without sugar.
Enough blah blah blah, though. Victory Garden 2009 is well on its way. I (with intermittant help from friends and girlfriend) built three raised beds. The tomato and kale seedlings are going to town on our kitchen table, and the peppers are starting to sprout. The starts (so far: oregano, lavender, strawblies, arugula and mesclun mix. to come: mustard greens, beets, collards, leeks, onions, potatoes, garlic, runner beans, basil, mint and cilantro) are hardening off in the glorious sunshine that we've been getting. The chard and salad greens in the self-watering containers are doing smashingly. I plan to make a vaguely propagandistic sign for the raised bed in the front (it's the big one - 7' x 4') about victory over economy, food not lawns, or something like that. Any suggestions on the text are welcome.
Pictures of the garden and seedlings and the rest of it to come. Really this time.
But back to not setting myself up to fail. Cutting refined sugar is manageable in some ways. I can at least identify which foods are likely to be sweetened with refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. "Baked goods and anything processed" has been a pretty handy rule of thumb. Drinking a cup of mint tea or just a big glass of water have not been entirely satisfactory fixes, but they've worked well enough to get me through two three-day stretches without sugar.
Enough blah blah blah, though. Victory Garden 2009 is well on its way. I (with intermittant help from friends and girlfriend) built three raised beds. The tomato and kale seedlings are going to town on our kitchen table, and the peppers are starting to sprout. The starts (so far: oregano, lavender, strawblies, arugula and mesclun mix. to come: mustard greens, beets, collards, leeks, onions, potatoes, garlic, runner beans, basil, mint and cilantro) are hardening off in the glorious sunshine that we've been getting. The chard and salad greens in the self-watering containers are doing smashingly. I plan to make a vaguely propagandistic sign for the raised bed in the front (it's the big one - 7' x 4') about victory over economy, food not lawns, or something like that. Any suggestions on the text are welcome.
Pictures of the garden and seedlings and the rest of it to come. Really this time.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Sugarfree Day 4: Ink and Cookies
So I broke already. Three days without sugar is probably the longest I've ever gone, frankly, so I'm pleased about that. Break it down: I went to Icon Tattoo to see the raddest tattoo artist ever (she birdwatches, has chickens, wants to be my mom's valentine and makes puns WHILE TATTOOING) and got myself further inked. Sitting in that chair being needled for hours without dinner makes a girl thirsty, antsy and peckish; when all was said and done, I took the cookie I was offered without thinking twice. (They were wholesome, if it makes things any more forgivable.)
So I traded the integrity of my no-sugar pledge for some ink and a cookie. All told, I've got no regrets. I'm back on the sugar-free wagon, again at Day 1.
So I traded the integrity of my no-sugar pledge for some ink and a cookie. All told, I've got no regrets. I'm back on the sugar-free wagon, again at Day 1.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
New foodsperiment: sugarless
Sweet tooth is beyond control, and girl's got to get a handle on it. So this month, I'm going sugar-free. Not only that, but as soon as this loaf of bread is gone, I'm cutting out refined flour as well. Operation Save The Teeth is effective today. Look out, fruit. Fresh, dried, whatevs. Ima destroy you.
Full disclosure: Cutting flour shouldn't be too hard, since the roomie is a gluten-free girl.
Further disclosure: The new ladyfriend doesn't do the sugar thing, so I've got a leg up there too, speaking of the peer pressure.
I'm already seriously hankering after some chocolate. This is going to be rough.
Full disclosure: Cutting flour shouldn't be too hard, since the roomie is a gluten-free girl.
Further disclosure: The new ladyfriend doesn't do the sugar thing, so I've got a leg up there too, speaking of the peer pressure.
I'm already seriously hankering after some chocolate. This is going to be rough.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
recent accomplishments
-Shamrock Run 8k - ran the whole way and finished, my only goals for the thing. Don't ask me what my time is. I have no idea.
-FINALLY returning my library books. No, this is major.
-Brewing two batches of beer within a week, with another to be brewed tomorrow.
-Made and mounted a hanging picture thing/bulletin board whatsit out of an old bicycle wheel. Damn right, it's not on my floor anymore!
-Purchased book club book #5, am 136/500ish pages through it. Haven't complained too much, either.
-Put in my last volunteer shift at the Outside In kitchen. Didn't cry upon leaving.
-Tweaked brakes on new bike. Adjusted seat on new bike. Fell in love with new bike.
-Cooked. (Polenta loaf, zucchini crust pizza with about a million different veggies on top, stock, and black bean soup, among other things.)
-Carried the whole delivery of cleaning supplies (read: many 5 gallon buckets of things like disinfectant and cases of god knows what other chemicals) up our flights of fun house stairs at work, to the surprise of the delivery dude.
-Called my Papa on his birthday.
-Started knitting a beanie for myself. With cables!
But alas, all of this feels inconsequential because it's only 11:40 and I am out of food. My lunch rations didn't cut it. Leftover polenta loaf has forsaken me, and lo, I am hungry.
-FINALLY returning my library books. No, this is major.
-Brewing two batches of beer within a week, with another to be brewed tomorrow.
-Made and mounted a hanging picture thing/bulletin board whatsit out of an old bicycle wheel. Damn right, it's not on my floor anymore!
-Purchased book club book #5, am 136/500ish pages through it. Haven't complained too much, either.
-Put in my last volunteer shift at the Outside In kitchen. Didn't cry upon leaving.
-Tweaked brakes on new bike. Adjusted seat on new bike. Fell in love with new bike.
-Cooked. (Polenta loaf, zucchini crust pizza with about a million different veggies on top, stock, and black bean soup, among other things.)
-Carried the whole delivery of cleaning supplies (read: many 5 gallon buckets of things like disinfectant and cases of god knows what other chemicals) up our flights of fun house stairs at work, to the surprise of the delivery dude.
-Called my Papa on his birthday.
-Started knitting a beanie for myself. With cables!
But alas, all of this feels inconsequential because it's only 11:40 and I am out of food. My lunch rations didn't cut it. Leftover polenta loaf has forsaken me, and lo, I am hungry.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
damn good no-bakes
1 c shredded coconut
1 c almonds
3/4 c (or so, I think I may have used more like 1 c) dates, pitted
1-2 inches peeled, grated ginger
1 tsp sea salt
Grind almonds and salt into a powder in a food processor. Comment on how much you love your food processor. Muse on how you may want to be buried with it, or wouldn't will it to just anyone at any rate. Add coconut and ginger and pulse until blended. Add dates one at a time, pulsing to a pastey, lumpy mixture. Form into whatever shape you please and refrigerate for at least an hour or two, although they're best after a day or longer. Makes a bunch. Devour with abandon.
1 c almonds
3/4 c (or so, I think I may have used more like 1 c) dates, pitted
1-2 inches peeled, grated ginger
1 tsp sea salt
Grind almonds and salt into a powder in a food processor. Comment on how much you love your food processor. Muse on how you may want to be buried with it, or wouldn't will it to just anyone at any rate. Add coconut and ginger and pulse until blended. Add dates one at a time, pulsing to a pastey, lumpy mixture. Form into whatever shape you please and refrigerate for at least an hour or two, although they're best after a day or longer. Makes a bunch. Devour with abandon.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
new favorite food
Stir-fried tempeh with any green veggie (last night: kale and leftover steamed broccoli) over brown rice. The stir-fry sauce? A nearly holy trinity of tahini, Bragg's and hot sauce. Salt and pepper to taste, destroy.
Also, I just heard Obama say "...the last couple of years" (talking about Pakistan, I think) and I definitely heard "let's have a couple beers." Obama for drinking buddy! Yesh we can!
Also, I just heard Obama say "...the last couple of years" (talking about Pakistan, I think) and I definitely heard "let's have a couple beers." Obama for drinking buddy! Yesh we can!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Merry Christmas to me!
The fact that I'm so excited, nay, ecstatic about this shows:
a) that I will likely live and die the rest of my days in the Pacific Northwest
b) I can most definitely lay claim to the adjectives "outdoorsy" and "pear-loving"
c) that I am not afraid to shill in my blog
It's really, really good.
Moving Update: The mountains of boxes are closer to hills or knolls, and every piece of clothing I own is no longer on the floor. Also, roommate's dog has annexed my bed. Or maybe I'm allowed to sleep in her second bed. Either way - cute.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Vegan MoFo Day 31
Over this month, I've done a fair bit of self-righteous hating (or whining) on my month of veganism. That's pretty out of line, considering it's just an ideological difference and can't we all just get along? So for my final MoFo post, I'll round up some of the benefits I reaped from this and conclude with a plug for my favorite vegan cookbook.
My intake of fats - saturated, un-, trans- and otherwise - decreased drastically. With the exception of EB and cooking oil, meals I cooked for myself were largely fat free. Naturally, I wouldn't want to waste away, so I found ways to augment this situation. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do to maintain her boyish figure. Further, the amount of fiber I was eating increased drastically. Without being too verbose about my fiber intake, I will say that I think part of the "boy, do I feel great!" element of veganism is due to my fiber consumption.
I successfully broke my cheese addiction, too. Meg posted about casein's addictive properties a while back (can't find the post - sorry, internet), and though I was decidedly omni at the time, that thought stuck with me. In fact, I started throwing the term "cheegan" around for vegans who "just can't give up cheese." Bad cheese - non-vegetarian, factory-processed stuff - is pretty prevalent, and I quickly became very discerning once cheese was off the menu. The shreds in a bag? Kind of off-putting. The stuff from the farmer's market? Spendy. Diminished cheese consumption will definitely be a habit now that I know that the Earth won't shatter if I don't chow down on some cheese for a spell. Very helpful in breaking said cheese addiction was soy cheese. That stuff is not AT ALL to my liking, so I bypassed (ha!) the cheese methadone route.
PB and Js excepted, I was largely gluten-free this month. Go figure.
I ate lentils by the metric fuckload and feel no remorse. In fact, I'm making lentil soup tonight. Just you try to stop me.
There was a good deal of freeganing this month as well, as I'm trying to save my pennies. I found some dumpstery scores on free produce and made friends with the free section on Craig's list. Sometimes people give away food! It's amazing.
My vegetarianism, I think, is here to stay. It was also something I got into without much thought ("eating meat hurts, so I'm not going to do it"), but I've come around to the environmental and ethical notions. Meat sort of disgusts me now, even though I rationally know that I'll probably enjoy the taste of some dishes.
Anyway, enough disjointedness. I'll still post vegetarian recipes (with veganization directions) and such, but I don't think that veganism is my bag. Moving right along, my favorite vegan cookbook is a little something I've had since the omni days. The Hot Damn and Hell Yeah/Dirty South double play is amazing. Hot Damn has some excellent introduction to veganism tips (explanation of TVP, how to drain tofu, etc.) and doesn't shy away from the spice, as the name suggests. Plus, the noot yeast cheese sauce recipe is BOMB. The Dirty South veganizes or reinvents all the southern comfort food that my Virginian-born-in-Texas-raised-in-Louisiana grandma makes. Successfully. I'm a particular fan of her hush puppies. Mmm. Plus, the two together - distributed by a rad Portlandy distro - are $7. It's on sale for $5 right now. Support your vegan zinesters and order a copy.
in totally unrelated news, book club got drunk and I hit my face on my handlebars. things are swollen.
My intake of fats - saturated, un-, trans- and otherwise - decreased drastically. With the exception of EB and cooking oil, meals I cooked for myself were largely fat free. Naturally, I wouldn't want to waste away, so I found ways to augment this situation. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do to maintain her boyish figure. Further, the amount of fiber I was eating increased drastically. Without being too verbose about my fiber intake, I will say that I think part of the "boy, do I feel great!" element of veganism is due to my fiber consumption.
I successfully broke my cheese addiction, too. Meg posted about casein's addictive properties a while back (can't find the post - sorry, internet), and though I was decidedly omni at the time, that thought stuck with me. In fact, I started throwing the term "cheegan" around for vegans who "just can't give up cheese." Bad cheese - non-vegetarian, factory-processed stuff - is pretty prevalent, and I quickly became very discerning once cheese was off the menu. The shreds in a bag? Kind of off-putting. The stuff from the farmer's market? Spendy. Diminished cheese consumption will definitely be a habit now that I know that the Earth won't shatter if I don't chow down on some cheese for a spell. Very helpful in breaking said cheese addiction was soy cheese. That stuff is not AT ALL to my liking, so I bypassed (ha!) the cheese methadone route.
PB and Js excepted, I was largely gluten-free this month. Go figure.
I ate lentils by the metric fuckload and feel no remorse. In fact, I'm making lentil soup tonight. Just you try to stop me.
There was a good deal of freeganing this month as well, as I'm trying to save my pennies. I found some dumpstery scores on free produce and made friends with the free section on Craig's list. Sometimes people give away food! It's amazing.
My vegetarianism, I think, is here to stay. It was also something I got into without much thought ("eating meat hurts, so I'm not going to do it"), but I've come around to the environmental and ethical notions. Meat sort of disgusts me now, even though I rationally know that I'll probably enjoy the taste of some dishes.
Anyway, enough disjointedness. I'll still post vegetarian recipes (with veganization directions) and such, but I don't think that veganism is my bag. Moving right along, my favorite vegan cookbook is a little something I've had since the omni days. The Hot Damn and Hell Yeah/Dirty South double play is amazing. Hot Damn has some excellent introduction to veganism tips (explanation of TVP, how to drain tofu, etc.) and doesn't shy away from the spice, as the name suggests. Plus, the noot yeast cheese sauce recipe is BOMB. The Dirty South veganizes or reinvents all the southern comfort food that my Virginian-born-in-Texas-raised-in-Louisiana grandma makes. Successfully. I'm a particular fan of her hush puppies. Mmm. Plus, the two together - distributed by a rad Portlandy distro - are $7. It's on sale for $5 right now. Support your vegan zinesters and order a copy.
in totally unrelated news, book club got drunk and I hit my face on my handlebars. things are swollen.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Vegan Mofo Day 29 and things I've made
Look tasty? You betcha. Mosetta Stone got me thinking about foods that are naturally vegan - like produce - hence the raw, no recipe, totally vegan post. Fresh picked by yours truly courtesy of some neighbors and the Portland Fruit Tree Project, a non-profit that solicits fruit from fruit tree owners who can't or won't fully harvest their goods. Half of each picking goes to the food bank and half goes to the volunteers. Hence, ten pounds of pears and four of apples. (Full disclosure: This went down a while ago and most of this fruit is long gone.) A fun morning, free fruit for myself and others, and the chance to play with a really cute two year old? Sweet.
Since I actually have access to my pictures, let's see what non-edible projects I've been up to, shall we? I wish I had a picture of the table I painted before I painted it. The camera has been sick lately. Anyway, the table:
Leg detail. Rock!
Plane detail.
Different plane detail.
The whole thing! Picture taken while the clear coat dried. I'm pretty damn proud of it.
Knitting has taken over my brain lately. I made myself a helmet liner as a maiden voyage project (pic below with my washed-out face). For the record, the difference between a helmet liner and a hat in my world is just a matter of thickness and when I wear the thing. For all intents and purposes, they're the same thing.
Finally, the cabled (!) scarf I'm making my brother for Christmas. My first attempt at cables, fyi. Not too shabby!
Shout out to Vegan Knitting for her tips on finding cruelty-free yarn. Word!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Alaska's Sugar Daddy Goes Down
Stevens got the book thrown at him today - guilty on seven counts, sentence TBA. Although his hard work and efforts to get Alaskans seven federal dollars for every tax dollar we spend paid for a fair bit of my (out of state) education, I'm still more than pleased to see the guy get his. Rampant corruption is the political norm in many Alaska political circles, and this is a sweet victory for honest folks. (Not to get all Joe the Plumber on you or anything...) Another fun fact: googling "Ted Stevens" still brings up his "series of tubes" remark as one of the top five hits. The internet is a funny, funny place.
Totally unrelated, but hilarious. Everyone loves disco, right?
Token Veganism Comments: Larabars are the shit. I have yet to find any other food in bar form that has fewer than six ingredients. And the ingredients are recognizable! Figs! Dates! Cashews!
Anyway, I'm starting to come to a conclusion on veganism as it relates to my life. It doesn't always jibe with trying to eat close to home when any number of grains and beans don't grow anywhere near the West Coast or trying to eat less processed, packaged food (Tofurkey, anyone?) I'd rather keep my eating ideology flexible to accommodate and balance as many of my values as possible than tie myself to one that - sadly - means less to me than reducing my overall footprint. I realize I'm opening myself up for some flak from the animal rights angle. In my defense, I've realized that I definitely don't need animal products to eat well and live happily and have already started eliminating them from the diet, closet and medicine cabinet. But I doubt I'll call myself vegan anytime soon. So while I ditch the leather belt and ice cream (and grill up veggies like no one's business), my goal will be to live within my means in all senses of the word.
I'm finishing out the month strong, though. Cornbread pear muffins were not a huge success the first time, so I'm trying again. Also, lentil burgers. Stay tuned.
Totally unrelated, but hilarious. Everyone loves disco, right?
Token Veganism Comments: Larabars are the shit. I have yet to find any other food in bar form that has fewer than six ingredients. And the ingredients are recognizable! Figs! Dates! Cashews!
Anyway, I'm starting to come to a conclusion on veganism as it relates to my life. It doesn't always jibe with trying to eat close to home when any number of grains and beans don't grow anywhere near the West Coast or trying to eat less processed, packaged food (Tofurkey, anyone?) I'd rather keep my eating ideology flexible to accommodate and balance as many of my values as possible than tie myself to one that - sadly - means less to me than reducing my overall footprint. I realize I'm opening myself up for some flak from the animal rights angle. In my defense, I've realized that I definitely don't need animal products to eat well and live happily and have already started eliminating them from the diet, closet and medicine cabinet. But I doubt I'll call myself vegan anytime soon. So while I ditch the leather belt and ice cream (and grill up veggies like no one's business), my goal will be to live within my means in all senses of the word.
I'm finishing out the month strong, though. Cornbread pear muffins were not a huge success the first time, so I'm trying again. Also, lentil burgers. Stay tuned.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Day 23: Not feeling creative
So I resort to thievery. From Meg.
1. What was the most recent tea you drank?
I'm a dyed-in-the-natural-fibers coffee drinker, but I believe good old Throat Coat was my most recent tea. It's getting chilly up in here. I'm also a fan of Yogi Teas - a Eugene company!
2. What vegan forums do you post/lurk on? If so, what is your username? Spill!
PPKers may know me as foodiedyke. I'm not on too much these days, though.
3. You have to have tofu for dinner, and it has be an Italian dish. What comes to mind first?
A silken tofu creamy sauce concoction that involves basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic and a food processor. Better than it sounds.
4. How many vegan blogs do you read on an average day?
A handful. Five or six at most, since my workplace is set up to keep my putzing around to a minimum. It's been a stretch to even post this much.
5. Besides your own, what is the most recent one you’ve read?
Yeah, that Vegan Sh*t
6. If you could hang out with a vegan blogger that you haven’t met, who would it be, and what would you do?
A Portland blogger party sounds about right to me. Every PDX blogger I've read sounds pretty rad.
7. If you had to base your dinners for a week around one of the holy trilogy – tofu, seitan or tempeh, which would it be?
Tempeh. It goes best with BBQ sauce. Also, that is NOT the trinity.
8. If you had to use one in a fight, which would it be?
Those sheets of frozen tempeh could work both as a weapon and a shield. Then it's all conveniently broken up for stir-frying.
9. Name 3 meals you’d realistically make with that tough protein of choice!
Tempeh reubens, BBQ tempeh (last night's dinner) and any variation on the theme of stir-fry.
10. What’s a recipe in vegan blogland that you’ve been eyeing?
The pear and pecan stuffing up on PPK and the carmelized sweet potatoes Meg mentioned.
11. Do you own any clothing with vegan messages/brands on them?
Nope.
12. Have you made your pilgrimage to the 'vegan mecca' yet? (Portland, duh)
I live there. Here. Portland. It's delightful
13. What age did you first go vegan? Did it stick?
I started this month and there has been a noted backsliding incident. We'll see how it works out.
14. What is the worst vegan meal you’ve had? Who cooked it?
See also: the first vegan meal I ever had. Probably 8 years ago - some absolutely dreadful vegan pizza at a friend's house. His mom probably slaved for hours over it, so I didn't want to visibly wretch. Still, it made me sick for a solid 24 hours. Since then I have been intensely shy of soy cheese.
15. What made you decide to blog?
This blog has been around in some incarnation or another since my freshman year of college. It was originally designed to keep me in touch with others while avoiding the indignity that is Livejournal (sorry, friends, but I just can't hack that shit). I also kept an opendiary while those were thing in junior high and high school.
16. What are three of your favorite meals to make?
Any soup (esp. with homemade stock), the shockingly healthy mess I've lovingly come to call "Vegan Frito Pie", or dal. (Daal? Dhal?)
17. What dish would you bring to a vegan Thanksgiving-themed potluck?
My grandma's "nippy carrots" - no idea about the name. Steamed, sliced carrots in a sauce that's equal parts dijon mustard, brown sugar and butter substitute. (Melt the not-butter, stir in other ingredients over low heat. Serve warm with mashed potatoes.)
18. Where is your favorite vegan meal at a restaurant? How many times have you ordered it?
Red and Black's tempeh reuben. Also, anything from Paradox.
16. What do you think the best chain to dine as a vegan is?
I'm with Meg - Cafe Yumm is the shit. When I'm feeling down, a little jar of Yumm sauce will lift my spirits like no other.
17. My kitchen needs a...
Toaster. Breakfast is hard.
18. This vegetable is not allowed in my kitchen...!
Okra. I tried to like it, out of a contrarian nature (my mom has always hated it) and utterly failed.
19. What's for dinner tonight?
One Pot Lentil Mass. I think I posted the recipe back in the day. It's what I eat when I have no dough.
20.Add a question here!
Fun vegan fact of the day? Both Carl Lewis and Martina Navratilova are or have been vegan. Neat!
1. What was the most recent tea you drank?
I'm a dyed-in-the-natural-fibers coffee drinker, but I believe good old Throat Coat was my most recent tea. It's getting chilly up in here. I'm also a fan of Yogi Teas - a Eugene company!
2. What vegan forums do you post/lurk on? If so, what is your username? Spill!
PPKers may know me as foodiedyke. I'm not on too much these days, though.
3. You have to have tofu for dinner, and it has be an Italian dish. What comes to mind first?
A silken tofu creamy sauce concoction that involves basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic and a food processor. Better than it sounds.
4. How many vegan blogs do you read on an average day?
A handful. Five or six at most, since my workplace is set up to keep my putzing around to a minimum. It's been a stretch to even post this much.
5. Besides your own, what is the most recent one you’ve read?
Yeah, that Vegan Sh*t
6. If you could hang out with a vegan blogger that you haven’t met, who would it be, and what would you do?
A Portland blogger party sounds about right to me. Every PDX blogger I've read sounds pretty rad.
7. If you had to base your dinners for a week around one of the holy trilogy – tofu, seitan or tempeh, which would it be?
Tempeh. It goes best with BBQ sauce. Also, that is NOT the trinity.
8. If you had to use one in a fight, which would it be?
Those sheets of frozen tempeh could work both as a weapon and a shield. Then it's all conveniently broken up for stir-frying.
9. Name 3 meals you’d realistically make with that tough protein of choice!
Tempeh reubens, BBQ tempeh (last night's dinner) and any variation on the theme of stir-fry.
10. What’s a recipe in vegan blogland that you’ve been eyeing?
The pear and pecan stuffing up on PPK and the carmelized sweet potatoes Meg mentioned.
11. Do you own any clothing with vegan messages/brands on them?
Nope.
12. Have you made your pilgrimage to the 'vegan mecca' yet? (Portland, duh)
I live there. Here. Portland. It's delightful
13. What age did you first go vegan? Did it stick?
I started this month and there has been a noted backsliding incident. We'll see how it works out.
14. What is the worst vegan meal you’ve had? Who cooked it?
See also: the first vegan meal I ever had. Probably 8 years ago - some absolutely dreadful vegan pizza at a friend's house. His mom probably slaved for hours over it, so I didn't want to visibly wretch. Still, it made me sick for a solid 24 hours. Since then I have been intensely shy of soy cheese.
15. What made you decide to blog?
This blog has been around in some incarnation or another since my freshman year of college. It was originally designed to keep me in touch with others while avoiding the indignity that is Livejournal (sorry, friends, but I just can't hack that shit). I also kept an opendiary while those were thing in junior high and high school.
16. What are three of your favorite meals to make?
Any soup (esp. with homemade stock), the shockingly healthy mess I've lovingly come to call "Vegan Frito Pie", or dal. (Daal? Dhal?)
17. What dish would you bring to a vegan Thanksgiving-themed potluck?
My grandma's "nippy carrots" - no idea about the name. Steamed, sliced carrots in a sauce that's equal parts dijon mustard, brown sugar and butter substitute. (Melt the not-butter, stir in other ingredients over low heat. Serve warm with mashed potatoes.)
18. Where is your favorite vegan meal at a restaurant? How many times have you ordered it?
Red and Black's tempeh reuben. Also, anything from Paradox.
16. What do you think the best chain to dine as a vegan is?
I'm with Meg - Cafe Yumm is the shit. When I'm feeling down, a little jar of Yumm sauce will lift my spirits like no other.
17. My kitchen needs a...
Toaster. Breakfast is hard.
18. This vegetable is not allowed in my kitchen...!
Okra. I tried to like it, out of a contrarian nature (my mom has always hated it) and utterly failed.
19. What's for dinner tonight?
One Pot Lentil Mass. I think I posted the recipe back in the day. It's what I eat when I have no dough.
20.Add a question here!
Fun vegan fact of the day? Both Carl Lewis and Martina Navratilova are or have been vegan. Neat!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Day 22: On Food Security
As Michael Pollan so clearly points out in this article published in the New York Times earlier this month, the US is rapidly approaching a food crisis. The days not only of big oil and big meat, but of big corn and big soy are rapidly spiraling into the same deregulated chaos that the financial markets now find themselves in. We are so removed from our food, Pollan states, that we have created economical sinks across our country; farmers can no longer afford to grow anything but cash crops, and those cash crops don't always pay anyway. The days of local agriculture in our most fertile areas are nearly dead, and this is often at the hands of legislators.
I'm likely preaching to the wrong crowd here, but the most revolutionary acts at this point are the ones that make us more independent in sourcing our food and aid others in doing the same. I tried my hand at gardening this year and found that it doesn't take nearly as much time as I thought it would, and yields a surprising amount of munchables. Victory gardens are returning to fashion, and I'm so down with that.
Check this article on volunteerism and food security while you're reading up.
I'm likely preaching to the wrong crowd here, but the most revolutionary acts at this point are the ones that make us more independent in sourcing our food and aid others in doing the same. I tried my hand at gardening this year and found that it doesn't take nearly as much time as I thought it would, and yields a surprising amount of munchables. Victory gardens are returning to fashion, and I'm so down with that.
Check this article on volunteerism and food security while you're reading up.
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