Farm Sanctuary Tour & a Veg McMuffin Recipe

What a great day! I started the morning off with my friend, Breanne. We decided to try a spinning class in the South End at a place called Recycle Studio. It was just what the doctor ordered! I hadn't done a cycle class in years - since I lived in DC and would go to a studio in Bethesda with my friend, Jen. So once Breanne suggested it, I was fully on board. And it was everything we hoped it would be. A small sized class, dimly lit studio for a very zen experience, and everyone was so nice and welcoming, which feels good when you're a newbie! I had forgotten what an awesome workout cycling was, but leaving the 45-minute class drenched with sweat and feeling that good kind of burn, I was quickly reminded. :)

Once I got home, showered, had some lunch, and snuggled Jakers and Mabel, I hopped back in my car and drove about an hour west of Boston to a town called Mendon. I had signed up for a tour of Maple Farm Sanctuary. They are a non-profit that exists solely to rescue animals and allow them to live out their days in peace and harmony. Many of the rescues are from factory farms, but others have come from irresponsible pet owners who don't realize what they're getting into when they buy that cute baby goat or pig.
This place is awesome. 120 acres of bliss. I was in heaven, hearing the stories of rescue and petting these sweet babies. They have so many goats that just roam the barns like dogs - so friendly and sweet. The highlight might be Jonathan - their 600 pound pig! Here are some highlights:

One of the many llamas on the farm.

 These sheep were rescued from abusive owners. So sweet.

 A potbellied pig that an owner decided they couldn't handle.

 Jonathan, the 600 lb pig and his best friend, a miniature horse. Also, more llamas & goats.

 A beautiful male turkey rescued from a factory farm.

 A dairy cow rescue who was super friendly and affectionate.

 Some of the many ducks and chickens that seem to really love each other. :)

 Putt-Putt, the sweetest little goat you'll ever meet!

Okay, so that was a lot of pictures - but it's hard to pick just a couple. So many animals that I adore! I just emailed them my volunteer application. I hope to make the drive every-other weekend to help with anything they need. My ultimate dream is to open my own farm sanctuary someday, so this will be valuable experience!

Today's tour was also a good reminder of why I make the effort to live a vegan life. And, during my drive to and from Minnesota for the holidays, I was reminded of how challenging it could be when I was craving breakfast, but couldn't eat anything on the drive-thru menus. But it got me craving a breakfast sandwich, so I made my own this weekend! Check it out - it's amazing how much the right seasonings can make the tofu taste just like an egg!

Vegan Breakfast Sandwich (Veg McMuffin)

• English muffin
• Vegan cheese slice (I like the Galaxy Nutritional Foods American slices, which you can find at Whole Foods)
• Vegan sausage patty (I like the Whole Foods, 365 brand)
• Extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp Canola Oil
• Margarine
• Nutritional Yeast
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Salt & Pepper

Lightly toast your english muffin and spread margarine lightly on both halves. Prepare vegan sausage patty as directed (microwave is easiest). Heat canola oil in saute pan over medium heat. Slice tofu into 3/4" section and use a drinking glass to cut out a circle. Press tofu circle firmly between towels to get moisture out. Add to hot oil. Lightly season tofu with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. After 3-5 mins (when side facing down is lightly browned), flip and season other side with just salt and pepper. Allow to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Assemble sandwich and enjoy while hot.

2013 Here We Come!

Happy New Year! I can't believe how quickly 2012 flew by, but 2013 is off to a great start.

I once again took 2 weeks off from work and drove to Minnesota for the holidays. Heaven forbid I celebrate a holiday without Jakers and Mabel, right!? I had a wonderful time with friends and family. I hadn't seen my two older nieces in a year, so it was SO much fun spending time with them. And my newest niece is only 4 months old, and I hadn't met her until Christmas. Love snuggling that chunky little girl!

Family shot on Xmas Eve

Usually, after 2 weeks at my mom's house, I'm anxious to get back to my own life and have a little breathing room from the fam (I mean that in the nicest way), but this year was different - I could have used another week or two in Minnesota. Although, I was happy to leave the weather behind. SO COLD. I forget how cold it is until I'm back in it. Yikes.

I feel like I ate my way through the trip -- it's just so natural to meet someone for lunch or dinner when you want to catch up. But after 2 weeks, that gets to be a lot of dining out. My mom also made some great vegan options at the holiday meals for me. She seems to be embracing experimenting with vegan recipes, which I am very grateful for. She's a good cook, so I love seeing her try her hand at cruelty-free cuisine. The highlight of this year were her vegan cheesy potato casserole. She made cream of mushroom soup from scratch to make that happen - what a lady. :) I'm trying to get back on track with healthy eating now that I'm back to reality. Just had a buffalo "chicken" wrap and miso soup for dinner.  I use the Gardein brand Crispy Tenders and coat them in hot sauce for that wrap. Also makes a great salad with my homemade vegan ranch dressing! So good! (Although, miso soup sounds like a strange pairing, I was craving it, so made a pot.) :)

Anyhow, so I'm back in Boston and happy to be home. Jakers and Mabel were absolute troopers on the drive there and back, but they are pretty happy to be in our little apartment, too. :) They seem to enjoy the adventure for the most part, but after 3,000 miles on the road, they are ready for it to be over with. Amen, guys, amen.

Jakers, enjoying his time riding shot-gun.

I tried a couple of new Christmas cookie recipes this year. I actually veganized a Paula Deen recipe that I saw on the Food Network. (Impressive, right?) They turned out delicious! I'll definitely do these again. Maybe even leave off the crushed candy canes and make them non-Christmas cookies. Check out the recipe, below!

Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Cookies (Veganized)

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• Ener-g Egg Replacement: equivalent of 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup puffed rice cereal
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
• 1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits (I made my own vegan toffee, but you could also just use mini chocolate chips in place of toffee)
• Dark chocolate, for dipping
• 15 peppermint hard candies, crushed, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
Using an electric mixer, cream the margarine and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, Ener-g egg replacement, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut, and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1-inch of space around each drop. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
Using a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. Dip the cookies into the chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint to decorate. Allow to cool or serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

2012 Chicago Marathon Finisher!

I did it! I've now had two weeks to sit back and reflect on my 5th (and possibly final?) marathon and feel so good about it. I actually just got around to putting together an online photo album this afternoon - I compiled the pictures from my camera and phone with the pictures my friend Patrick took. He's a photographer for the city of Chicago, so his pics from the race were outstanding. I just wish I was cuter while running! :)

Going into the race weekend, a little part of me thought, "Can I do this?! My training was mediocre this summer, my knee problems are ongoing, and I just don't feel ready." So at the expo, I signed up for the 4:40 pace group. I knew this wouldn't be a PR (personal record) race for me (I ran a 4:28 at the Shamrock Marathon back in 2008), but I thought I would aim high and try to stay as close to 4:40 as I could. And I was able to do so for the first 13 miles. But then my pace slipped a bit. And around mile 19, let myself take a short walk break. And once I let myself walk a bit, it's easy to let myself take *more* walk breaks. Long story short, I finished in 5:04. I was so happy with that, though! I felt so good just finishing. And got really emotional at the finish line. Then when I saw Patrick and Emily, more tears. Just a flood of relief that I made it through and felt as good as I did.

Alright...let's get to the pictures!

Lunch at Native Foods with Emily & Patrick!

The amazing view from E & P's balcony (with my friend Heather from Mpls!)

Hanging out at the expo, loving the photo opps!

Race morning - Emily and Patrick walked me to the starting corrals.

Just past the starting line - excited to have found Emily and Patrick.

Mile 13 - wishing this was just a half marathon. :)

 FINISH LINE! Already crying. :)

Emotional while receiving my finisher medal.

Time to party. And by "party", I mean "limp to Chipotle for a burrito"! :)

Beyond the race, I also had a great rest-of-the-weekend. We ate at Native Foods twice - an awesome vegan restaurant, and enjoyed a celebratory dinner in Chinatown on Sunday night. We met up with some other friends throughout the weekend, too. And we were able to enjoy some downtime of just chilling together and catching up. Patrick and Emily live right in downtown Chicago in a beautiful apartment building on the river. With their support before, during and after the race, my weekend was perfect. Seriously. I will always have wonderful memories from this experience...and Chicago now holds a special place in my heart. :)

Countdown to Chicago & Collard Greens

TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY!! Oh my gosh, this marathon is sneaking up on me. I know I *can* do this, but it's not going to be easy. This was a brutal summer of training - injuries and distractions everywhere! I realized today (this morning, on a run actually) that I've done most of my training in the afternoons and evenings - which is not my best idea, considering I need to run 26.2 miles at 8:00am. And your body is just at a different place in the morning vs the evening. I used to always be a morning runner, but in my old age, it gets harder to get out of bed. Especially when I've got a cat and dog snuggled up next to me - SNOOZE BUTTON.

I don't think I've ever mentioned Boston Organics on my blog, but it's this great service I discovered shortly after moving to Boston. Basically, you sign up for a type of box - I do the "small box" - and every Friday they deliver me a bunch of delicious fruits and veggies. It's been great, because it has gotten me to try a variety of produce that I wouldn't normally pick up at the grocery store. I've learned I love daikon radishes (recipe to share later!) and also had my first try at making collard greens. I already knew I loved these - one of my fave DC restaurants, Everlasting Life Cafe, makes some amazing greens! - but I'd never prepared them myself.

An Instagram photo from a Boston Organics order - yum!

After a quick Google, I found a recipe on Food.com and it looked like a winner. And I was right - so tasty! The cider vinegar gives it a bit of a bite, though, so keep that in mind if you want to add a little less for a little less of a kick! I'll put a link to the recipe below, and also copy & paste for convenience.

Vegan Collard Greens

2 lbs collard greens
4 -5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Wash greens well, submerging in a sink full of cold water to remove any dirt and grit. Drain well. Cut off the stems right where the leaf starts. Stack about 5-8 leaves on top of each other, then roll lengthwise. Cut rolled up leaves into 1" slices widthwise. Repeat until all the greens are done, and add to a large pot.

Add all other ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes or until greens are extremely tender. Serve hot, using a slotted spoon to drain the liquid from the greens.

http://soul.food.com/recipe/easy-vegetarian-collard-greens-215631

End of Summer & Great Vegan Lasagna

So we've come to the end of summer. And I could not be happier about it. I love everything about fall and, more than anything, I am happy to say 'good riddance' to heat and humidity. Especially as the Chicago Marathon approaches - I've got less than 5 weeks left to get ready for it, and would LOVE some cool mornings to get my last long runs in.

Also with the end of summer comes the end of an era. Had you told 16-year old Becky - way back in 1998 - that someday she wouldn't even WANT to own a car, she would have laughed in your face. (Especially since she was the proud driver of a SUPER CLASSY Plymouth Reliant!) But ever since I moved to Boston, I just don't drive very much - beyond moving my car from one side of the street to the other for weekly street cleaning. So I've decided to list the Sonata for sale and say farewell. It was such a high for me when I bought her last year, but now I realize that the money spent on her can be invested other places. We'll just see how long it takes to sell - we're 2 weeks in with very little interest. Oh well, I can be patient. :)

I've got a great recipe to share today, too. A coworker of mine recently sent me a link for her favorite lasagna. I'll include a link to it here, so I give full credit to the original blogger/creator, but I'll also copy and paste below for convenience. I've posted a vegan lasagna recipe years ago, but this one is even better. You won't be disappointed! And I love how this blogger posted nutrition information - this is NOT one of those unhealthy pasta dishes where you need to feel guilty after indulging in a huge piece. Less than 200 calories per serving and it's loaded with veggies!

Easy Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

From FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp. water
• 2 24-oz jars of spaghetti sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
• 9 lasagna noodles (regular lasagna noodles, uncooked)
• Soy Parmesan (optional)
• Sliced black olives (optional)

Filling:

• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 lb tofu (firm, reduced-fat recommended–not silken!)
• 1 tsp. salt (optional)
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (adds a cheesy taste)
• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat in the 2 tbsp. water until tender; cover between stirring to keep them from drying out. Remove from heat and add the spaghetti sauce.
2. Place the tofu and thawed spinach in the food processor and process briefly. Add the remaining filling ingredients to the processor and blend until smooth. (You may do this without a food processor by using a potato masher on the tofu.)
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. Spread half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×12-inch pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using three dry noodles and leaving a little space in between them. Spread half of the tofu mixture on the noodles (I drop it by spoonfuls and then spread it). Cover with another layer of 3 noodles and then spread the remaining tofu mixture over them. Top with a final layer of noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over this. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with soy Parmesan and sliced black olives if you want. The lasagna will cut better if you allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Father/Daughter Bonding in Boston. And (More) Cookies.

Earlier this month, I played hostess once again. My dad flew out to Boston for a long weekend. We had been planning this weekend since January. His birthday weekend just happened to coincide with the Twins/Red Sox series at Fenway. And I knew my dad had always wanted to see Fenway with his own two eyes, so I knew it was meant to be!

We really did have a weekend of nonstop fun. He arrived Thursday afternoon, so I picked him from the airport and stopped at a great local Charlestown pub. A burger (veggie for me!) and beer was the perfect fix for a morning of flying. Then we headed to my apartment. Jakers went BONKERS. For only seeing my dad a few times a year, he is obsessed with him. I tried not to take it personally...until Jakers chose him over me at bedtime. But I've since forgiven him. :) After a little down time, we headed over to the North End for some of the finest Italian I've ever tasted!

Jakers goes NUTS when he sees Grandpa! (alright, so this is pic is actually him yawning, but I like it)

Friday morning we were up early and opening presents. Since my gifts included our whale watching and Red Sox tickets, we needed to get these opened up before heading to the harbor for our whale adventure! We had a great morning -- the whales, they were a-leapin'! I was so glad it was such an active day on the water. Then in the evening we headed towards Fenway for a night of excitement. The Twins did not disappoint -- we watched an extra-innings win!

Twins fans at FENWAY!

Saturday morning was the Boston Duck Tour. AWESOME. I hadn't done this yet, but see the ducks all over the city. It was really cool and we learned a lot. It was also a good way to show my dad parts of the city that we wouldn't have otherwise visited. Then, we headed over to Beacon Hill for (drum roll, please) CHEERS! My dad has seen every episode of "Cheers" at least a thousand times. So this was a thrill for him - and I must admit, kinda neat for me, too. :) After ordering both a beer and a bloody mary with his meal, so he could have the souvenir glasses, we headed home for some down time. Then in the evening, we drove up to the north shore and enjoyed a seafood dinner on the water in Gloucester. A perfect end to the perfect weekend.

Making dreams come true :)

I'm really close with my dad, but we can also both be really stubborn and have our issues. So I was happy that we had such a nice time together and didn't have any disagreements. And Jakers & Mabel were delighted to have Grandpa here for a visit.

  VEGAN Boston Cream Pie for the birthday boy!

So, segueing into a recipe, *another* one of my gifts included a tupperware filled with cookies for Dad to take home. I made my Aunt Carlotta's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They are SO decadent, and have a secret ingredient that gives them just a little crispy surprise. SO DELICIOUS. I like to keep a stash in my freezer as a sweet treat after dinner.

Carlotta's Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Corn Flakes!)

• 1/2 c margarine (room temp)
• 1/2 c shortening
• 3/4 c vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp milk (I use almond milk)
• 2 Tbsp vanilla
• Ener-G Egg Replacer, equivalent of 1 egg 
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 c flour
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 c oatmeal
• 1 c Corn Flakes

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Blend  in sugars. Add in flour, soda and salt, combine. Add in chips, oatmeal and corn flakes and mix. Drop teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet (I prefer a baking stone) and bake at 350-degrees for ~12 minutes. Keep an eye on them - you want them to *just* start browning.

Summer in the City...And Some Stellar PB Cookies!

What a great summer so far!
I hosted my mom from Minnesota and my brother from Los Angeles over 4th of July weekend. We had a great time! We did a lot in one weekend: whale watching (it's my go-to activity these days), day trip to Maine, walked the Freedom Trail, won a night of bar trivia, Cirque du Soleil (TOTEM), and Harpoon Brewery tour just to name some.

 Celebrating our big trivia win in Cambridge! (yes, that's Ryan's happy face.)

Then, the following week, my other brother was in town from DC for work, so we did dinner and drinks and bar trivia (< once I had the taste for winning, I needed more).

And then last weekend, 6 friends from Minnesota and I flew into Chicago to surprise another friend. She had no idea we were coming, and as she appeared at the bar to meet her boyfriend for happy hour after work on Friday, there we were! It was great. :) We had so much fun catching up with one another, enjoying some good drinks and food, and seeing Chicago.

 The whole crew in Chicago, enjoying the Grant Park Music Festival

I'm now looking forward to my dad visiting in a couple of weeks. It's his birthday weekend and the Twins are playing the Red Sox, so we're going to spend some time at Fenway, check out the original Cheer's bar (he's a big fan of the show), and possibly do some exploring of the North Shore. Should be great. :)

I made a batch of my mom's peanut butter cookies when she and my brother were in town, and since I had a few leftover, brought them along to Chicago. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes (do I say that about all of my cookie recipes??). You literally cannot taste any difference between the original recipe and my veganized recipe. Give 'em a try!

Mom's (Vegan) Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1/2 c. margarine
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• Ener-G Egg Replacer = equivalent of 2 eggs
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Combine shortening, margarine, sugars, egg replacer, and peanut butter in large bowl and mix well. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Cover (I use wax paper) and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.
Put a little additional flour on a small plate. Remove dough from fridge and form into balls. Place balls on cookie sheet (I prefer a baking stone) and - using a fork dipped in the flour - press down in a criss-cross pattern. Bake 350-degrees for 10-12 mins. Enjoy!

Simple Vegan Sugar Cookies

I love productive weekends. I love being able to make a big ol' to-do list on Friday and cross everything off by Sunday afternoon. This was one of those weekends. Granted, there was also a lot of downtime in my weekend -- the older I get, the more I appreciate a weekend of staying in. So yesterday involved a lot of napping, reading, and movie/TV watching. Jakers and Mabel LOVED IT. So then today, I kicked it into high gear and got up early, did a long run (15 weeks until the Chicago Marathon!!), and ran errands all morning.

Baking was *not* on my list this weekend, but Lord knows a girl needs something sweet to snack on. One of my go-to cookie recipes is this super simple sugar cookie recipe that I came across a few years ago. It's one of those recipes that requires totally basic ingredients that I always have on hand. And - bonus - they are SO TASTY! I found it on Mercy for Animals' website - they're an incredible nonprofit that promotes a vegan lifestyle.

I'm going to get back to crossing off my to-do list...and eating a few of these cookies while they're still warm!

Simple Vegan Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• Egg replacer equivalent of 1 egg
• Cinnamon and sugar, to coat

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate small bowl (make sure they're blended well). Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using your hands form the dough into a big ball. (If it sticks together well, then it's the right consistency. If not, add a bit of water and mix it well.) Form the dough into cookie-sized balls and roll them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball a little bit. Bake at 375°F degrees for about 7 minutes. Makes about 18 cookies.

Kale: Just as Delicious in Boston

Okay, once again - long time, no blog. But I've been busy getting familiar with my fabulous new city. Well, I guess I'm no longer "new" to Boston, but I'm still seeing and doing new things all the time.

Some of the latest highlights:

• I've taken some trips to upstate NY (Albany) to visit college roomies
• I've taken a drive to New Jersey to see *another* college roomie (Boston is conveniently located!)
• I had a friend from MN visit and we did LOTS of fun touristy things - including, but not limited to: whale watching, walking the Freedom Trail, touring the Sam Adams brewery
• I have finally finished furnishing/decorating my apartment. Could not be happier!

 I am still loving my job, which of course is important, and feel 100% validated in making the move from DC to advance my career.

But what I most want to share is what I did today. I attended a cooking class that was hosted by the Boston Vegetarian Society! The chef was this talented woman named Shayna Ashton, whose family used to own a vegan restaurant in Boston called Country Life. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was great! My friend Jaime and I went together and both really got a lot out of it and met some fun people. Our (all vegan) menu was:

• Onion Dill Dip w/ celery sticks
• Faux Caesar Salad w/ faux parmesean & homemade croutons
• Seaside Potato Chowder
• Hawaiian BBQ w/ homemade seitan
• Tofu Cheesecake w/ Raspeberry Coulis
• Strawberry Lemonade Fizz

I mean, it was INSANELY good. Best ceasar salad I've ever had, the seitan was better store-bought stuff, and you would not believe the texture of that cheesecake. No one would ever know that was vegan! I wish I had taken pictures -- but that just means I'll need to make this at home some time to take some pics for the blog.

In preperation for this evening's event, I ate a really small lunch. But it was a new recipe a coworker shared with me -- and it involves KALE!! :) Definitely something you should try (yes, the name is awkward, but go with it). It results in this delicious kale - without having to cook it down - and a creamy avocado dressing.

Massaged Avocado & Kale

• 1 bunch of kale
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 avocado
• cherry tomatoes

Wash the kale, and cut out the spines, tearing/cutting into bite-sized pieces and put into a large bowl. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with ~1/2 tsp sea salt. Using your hands (this gets messy!), massage the oil & salt into the kale for a good 5+ minutes, until the kale is tender. Peel/slice the avocado and massage that into the kale in the same way. Slice two handfuls of cherry tomatoes and toss into the kale. Salt to taste.

Just When Everything Seems On Track

We were settling so nicely into life. Job was going well, the apartment was perfect, my social life was in a good place, getting to see the city. Then *BAM*. I come home from dinner & drinks on Thursday night to find Jakers as a whole different dog. He was shaking like a leaf, ears and tail down, staying right on my heels, he didn't want to go out for a walk, he didn't want his treat. He was a different dog than I had left earlier in the day. I was freaked out, but it was 11:30pm and I knew I couldn't do anything until morning. So I lifted him up into bed, he crawled under the covers and seemed to relax. 'Whew! Maybe he was just having an off night.'

We woke up the next morning to the same story. He again didn't want to walk and didn't want to eat. The two things he loves most in life (he's his mother's son). I had a breakdown. I called one of the vets my dog walker had recommended and was able to get a 10:30am appt. I could not control my emotions. I was so scared it was something big. This was such a sudden onset and nothing I'd ever seen before. And I have to accept that he's becoming a little old man - he'll be 10 this year.

Fast forward to me non-stop crying at the vet's office. He has a back injury. The vet thinks it's probably an inflamed disc. (Fairly common in dogs with a long back.) All of his symptoms were typical of a dog in pain. (my heart--> breaking) What I thought was internal organs shutting down was just Jakers' little body trying to cope with the pain in his back. I've never felt a sense of relief like that in my life -- knowing he was going to be just fine after 2 weeks of rest and some meds.

My little patient, on the mend.

So now I've spent the last 3 days lugging my little sack of potatoes up and down the stairs to go potty and onto/off of the couch. He is already so much better! But we have two weeks of this "bed rest", so I need to stay strict. The last thing on earth I want is for him to re-injure his little back.

I did my best to stay home as much as possible this weekend, not wanting to leave my little patient. That meant I did some baking! :) I recently came across Isa Chandra's (aka vegan recipe goddess') recipe for vegan cornbread. The Post Punk Kitchen blog is very well known in the vegan world. Isa is amazing - she can cook and bake like nobody else, plus she's hilarious and VEGAN! I was able to see her do a demonstration at last year's DC VegFest and it only made me love her more. So I knew this recipe would be a good one. I've been eating slices of this warm cornbread, slathered with margarine, but it would be PERFECT served with chili or stew. I'll copy and paste the recipe below, but you should also check out Isa's blog for her other fabulous recipes!

Vegan Cornbread

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 cups soymilk
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350, line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, wisk together the soymilk and the vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt).
Add the oil and maple syrup to the soymilk mixture. Wisk with a wire wisk or a fork until it is foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm or store in an airtight container.

Making a Home

I am loving life right now. Things in Boston are going really well! It took some time to get things figured out at work -- I needed to find a good balance of clients, and now that it's figured out, things just feel right. I have never doubted my decision to pick up and move to an unfamiliar city, but I definitely had some bumps along the way as I settled in.

I could not be happier with my apartment. I'm on the second floor of a house that was built in the 1700s. It has the original hardwood floors, original brickwork from where the the wood furnace once sat and I have a back porch where I can feed the birds and enjoy a view of the Bunker Hill Monument, which is just a couple of blocks away. It has so much more character than anyplace I've ever lived before. I love it. Jakers and Mabel also are really happy - they love all the windows and squirrel-watching that allows. :)

I was able to get moved in and unpacked while we were living in corporate housing, so it was nice to be able to get totally settled before actually living here. I tend to move fast - I don't want to live in limbo. So I had everything decorated and feeling like home in the first month. I'm still working on a few things (need to buy a comfy chair and figure out some storage needs), but this feels like such a comfortable home for me and the babes. :)

I've been doing a good amount of baking and cooking, too. I have been baking cookies on the weekends, so I have something sweet through the week (and I like to offer the dog walker something extra, so Jakers gets to be their favorite stop!). Below is a gingersnap recipe that I found and baked today. I used to bake gingersnaps with my Grandma...so while they aren't top of my list of "favorite cookies", they are a sentimental favorite. :) And it's a nice change of pace from my usual oatmeal chocolate chip and peanut butter rut. (Just realized I've never shared my pb cookie recipe on here. That will change soon!)

Vegan Gingersnap Cookies
Courtesy of Food.com (with some tweaks)

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ cup soymilk or almond milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar for dusting
  

1. Sift dry ingredients, except sugar, into a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine wet ingredients, including sugar, and whisk until blended.
   
3. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
4. The dough will be quite sticky and you may need to dampen your hands to work with it. Roll the dough into little balls (about 1 Tablespoon) and flatten out to your liking.
5. The thinner the cookie the crisper it will be - a slightly thicker cookie will yield a crunch on the edges and a slightly chewy interior.
6. Press the coarse sugar onto the tops of the cookies and bake about 8 minutes at 350 on a greased cookie sheet. (I prefer a non-greased baking stone.)'
7. Put on cooling rack and once cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

New Year, New Adventures

Happy 2012! The New Year has started out so wonderfully for me. Well, wait. It initially started out slightly rocky, but turned pretty amazing within a few days. Let me explain:

The movers came and took all of my DC apartment contents on Dec 13th and brought them up to Boston to put in storage. Then I departed on Dec 14th for Minnesota (with a stopover in Indianapolis to catch up with some college friends). I spent two great weeks in Minnesota, enjoying time with friends and family - and Jakers enjoyed Mom's 20 acres to roam on and chase squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and deer.

Christmas Eve with the family!

Then, the morning after my 30th birthday, I hit the road for Boston. We (Jakers, Mabel and I) made it 12 hours on the first day, stopped for the night in Cleveland, then finished the last 10 hours on New Year's Eve. So I get into Boston around 7:00pm on the biggest party night of the year, exhausted and desperate to get out of the car. The only problem: the security guard who was supposed to have my keys to my corporate apartment knew nothing about me. :( There were some mix-ups and there were no keys available for me. NOT OKAY. Luckily, someone from the apartment rental office was able to get downtown and by 9:00 we were settled.

Great, right? Wrong. This old building has old windows. I can hear EVERYTHING happening outside. Oh, and I'm surrounded by bars/pubs. So NYE was the loudest night of my life. All I wanted was sleep, all I got was drunk people, screaming, police sirens, and fireworks.

But I don't mean to dwell -- I've really enjoyed my first week in Beantown, once we got through night 1.
I've discovered Christoper Columbus Waterfront Park a few blocks away. We've taken lots of walks there, along the Boston Harbor.
My first week at the new job has been great. I'm working with some very talented folks and cool clients.
Through my apartment hunting, I was able to see some different neighborhoods -- and find a great place in the Charlestown neighborhood! I'm moving in next weekend!
And I'm looking forward to hanging out with some friends (new and old!) and enjoying some of the restaurants that I've heard a lot about.

Now, let's get onto some FOOD. :) Living in this temporary apartment for a few weeks means I'm limited with my groceries. I've been trying to find easy things to make that only require a few ingredients. This recipe fit the bill, and I knew it would keep well, so I could eat leftovers throughout the week. Perf. My mom used to make this Spaghetti Casserole when I was little, and now that I know how easy it is and how great the vegan version is, I'll be adding it into my rotation as a grown-up. :)

Here's to a great start to 2012 -- new city, new job, new apartment, and hopefully some new adventures!

Spaghetti Casserole(The pix do not do this justice - it looks like a blob o' pasta & cheese - but it tastes oh-so good!)

• 1 box spaghetti noodles
• 1 pkg Daiya vegan mozzarella "cheese"
• 1 pkg vegan pepperoni slices (I used Smart Deli)
• 1 jar of marinara sauce

Cook the spaghetti, then layer half of the noodles in pan, half of the cheese, half of the pepperoni slices and half of the marinara. Repeat. Bake in preheated oven (375-degrees) for 20-30 mins, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Enjoy!

(This can be scaled to whatever size pan you want to use - Mom always made it in a 9x13, but since I'm only feeding 1, I used a square 9x9 pan. The ingredients are all eyeballed, anyhow, so just use more of everything if you want to use a larger pan.)

Tofurky and Sloppy Joes

I thought I'd take a break from Boston apartment hunting to do a lil' blogging.

First, let's talk about my excellent Thanksgiving weekend!! My dad, mom, and brother Ryan flew in from Minnesota and Los Angeles (respectively) for the weekend. My mom and Ryan stayed with me in my apartment and my dad stayed with my brother and sister in-law down the road. We had a great time, with lots of eating involved - just the way I like it! :) I prepared the vegan feast for Ryan and myself (recreated last years' meal), and my sister in-law made the non-vegan meal for the rest of the fam. Here are some highlights of the weekend:

Andy, Ryan, and I took the win in our post-Thanksgiving meal game of Trivial Pursuit. (They aren't into all the photo opps like I am.)

We spent Black Friday on the National Mall. Our first visit to the *new* MLK Memorial!
My sister in-law treated us to Jersey Boys tickets. What a great show!! We were all thankful that she planned ahead and did that for us! :)
Ry and I went to Mount Vernon on Saturday, after Mom and Dad had headed back to MN. It was really cool - beautiful property right on the Potomac!

It was fun to be with my family (although I wish my sister and her family had also made the trip), and it was also great to check off some DC bucket-list items. Namely, MLK Memorial and Mount Vernon. I still have a few more to check off, so we'll see if I can get those taken care of before I depart.

I also want to share a vegan sloppy joe recipe I made a few weeks ago. It made a large batch, so I was eating them for days, but the flavor got better and better the longer it was in the fridge. I got this recipe from the Vegetarian Frugal Housewife - I searched through a lot of recipes, and this one has more of a sweet recipe, which is just the way Mom used to make 'em.

VEGAN SLOPPY JOES



1 12-oz pkg Smart Ground (or other vegan "ground beef" product)
2 whole cloves garlic
1 lrg or 2 med green bell peppers
16oz tomato sauce
1 medium diced onion
4 tbs soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs mustard
2-3 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
6 tbs ketchup
1 tbs salt
3 tbs cider vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste (or fresh tomato chunks)
pinch nutmeg
pinch oregano
3 tbs olive oil

1. Chop onions, garlic and peppers.
2. Fry Smart Ground in pan with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Add spices and soy/worcetershire sauce.
4. Add chopped items and fry a bit more until onions soften.
5. Add remaining ingredients.
6. Stir. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes on low.
7. Test flavor and add more spices as needed.
8. Simmer 5 more minutes and serve over buns or bread.

I paired this with some steamed/mashed potatoes and cauliflower. It's got all the great flavor and texture of the potatoes, but it makes it slightly healthier by swapping out some potatoes in favor of the cauliflower. I mean, enough margarine, soy milk and salt, and you can mash just about anything into deliciousness, right?? :)

Enjoy! Back to apartment hunting I go. Getting SO excited about Beantown in 2012!

Beantown, Baby!

Okay, so I've been super bad about blogging the past few (many) months. It's been a combination of laziness and busyness. And because of the laziness and busyness, I haven't been cooking as much as I'd like, so fewer recipes to share. But I've got some big news! I'm moving to Boston!!!!


Let's rewind a few weeks! At the end of October, I had a head hunter reach out to me, asking me if I'd be interested in a Digital Media Supervisor position at Mullen (exactly the job I want at a really great ad agency) in Boston. My initial thought was, 'Nah...I want to move to LA, not Boston.' But I paused for a second and realized that I'd be happy to be on the east coast for a few more years...and Boston is a great city for advertising, *and* just a great city, in general. I've only been to Boston a couple of times, but I have some friends there. And, heck, this is the time in my life where I should embrace opportunities like this! Throw caution to the wind -- I'm young, not tied down by anything, working on building my career, and this is a GREAT chance to work at a GREAT agency.

So I replied to the recruiter, letting him know I would, in fact, be interested. I had a couple of phone interviews, and very quickly they asked if I would come up to Boston to meet with them in person. This was really cool - I've never been flown to another city to interview! (not to sound like a country bumpkin) They flew me up last Sunday night, put me up in a super nice hotel next to Faneuil Hall, and I interviewed at the agency the next morning. I knew they wanted to make a quick decision, and they weren't kidding! I received an offer yesterday (Friday) and accepted. SUPER EXCITED!

So here we are. In a matter of weeks, my entire life is changing. I've got a lot to take care of before I move in a couple of weeks, but I think the stress will all be worth it. I don't start until Jan 2nd, so I'll be moving up to Boston mid-December, storing my belongings and staying in corporate housing while I apartment hunt, then I'm turning around and driving to MN for my annual 2-week stay.
I had plans to fly to LA to celebrate my 30th bday (Dec 29th), and that has to be canceled, due to timing constraints, but I can make an LA trip in March or April. Not the end of the world. :)

I've always believed everything happens for a reason, and this really validates that for me. I was definitely ready for a career move and some new challenges, and getting to move to a new city is just the cherry on top. I'm going to miss DC and the great friends I have here. I'm also going to miss the families that I babysit for here - I've really fallen in love with some wonderful kids. BUT that's what Facebook is for, right?? :) And I'm sure I'll be back for some visits.

All that said, I also plan to get back to cooking more and blogging about recipes. So I won't be MIA for another 5 months! I made some really tasty vegan sloppy joes the other day, so I'll try to get those posted this week. :)

Cool as a Cucumber

I'm two weddings into my "summer of weddings".

In June, I went to Geneva, NY (in the Finger Lakes region of upstate) for my friend Sarah's wedding. She is one of my Phi Sigma Sigma sorority sisters from Syracuse and just a really great friend. It was a lovely wedding and I was able to catch up with a lot of friends who live all over the country.


Then, earlier this month, I hit the road for 19 hours (9 hrs there, 10 hrs back) and attended my friend Jen's wedding in Midland, MI. Jen and I share a lot of mutual friends and while we both attended Syracuse, I didn't get to know her until I moved to DC. I'm thankful to have her in my life and was happy to be a party of her perfect day!


I'm heading to Minnesota for my friend Cassie's wedding in a few weeks, which should be a wonderful time. I'm flying in Thursday, staying through Tuesday, so I can see lots of friends and family. This will probably be the only trip to MN until Christmas!

So that's what I've been up to...and trying to keep cool. It's TOASTY in DC right now. We had a heat index of 120-degrees this past week. "Crazy hot", I believe is the technical term. :) So I've been trying to keep my cooking cool - and not use the oven. At the same time, my sister and I are counting calories in an effort to lose weight, while supporting one another. We just started, but I had a very successful week. So, while the recipe I'm sharing today is not the healthiest option, the key is moderation. I've eaten what I want all week...but just limited my portions. I think this will work, long term, for me, since I'm not depriving myself.

Onto the recipe -- Creamy Cucumbers are something my mom has made for us for as long as I can remember. I always loved when our neighbors would bring over some cucumbers from their garden in the summer, because I knew Mom would be making these cukes. It's really easy, doesn't take much time or too many ingredients, and tastes delicious. It always made a great side dish to corn on the cob. I've, of course, veganized the recipe. Again - enjoy in moderation and keep cool!

Creamy Cucumbers

3-4 medium cucumbers
1 medium onion
1 cup Vegenaise (vegan mayo)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar

Peel and slice the cucumbers into thin circles. Thinly slice onion. Combine, salt and let stand for about 15 minutes.
Combine the Vegenaise, vinegar and sugar with whisk and pour over veggies. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight for best flavor (or at least for a couple of hours).

Stew To Get Me Through The Week

Greetings all!! Busy, busy, busy. Wedding season is upon us. I have one wedding per month from June through October: upstate NY, Michigan, Minnesota, Annapolis, upstate NY. And I'm driving to all of them, except Minnesota, in my sweet new ride! So it should be a good chance to try 'er out on the open road. I'm trying to get in plenty of babysitting to plan ahead and cover the expenses involved in all that travel (and pet care), so it's rare to have a night "off". But tonight was one of those nights - babysitting job canceled last minute!

I have a scary Friday ahead, as my sweet Jakers needs to have surgery. He needs to have his teeth cleaned, which means they put him under anesthesia, AND they need to remove a "diseased" tooth and a small growth next to that tooth. My poor Boo Bear! I'll be dropping him off Friday morning, and picking him up that afternoon. I'm hoping to be busy at work, as a distraction, but it is going to be a scary day for this single mom.

So with that coming up, I wanted to cook something this week that would last me through my busy week and right into my weekend, since I won't be leaving Jakers' side while he's healing to cook or get take out.

Enter Rachael Ray. Now, I can't say I'm a fan. However, I ended up on one of her dozens of series on one of the cooking channels (I think it was THE Cooking Channel, actually) this weekend while I was cleaning my apartment. She happened to make this vegan stew (well, she had to ruin it with chicken broth, but that was an easy swap), so I DVR'ed the episode and later went back and jotted down the ingredients/recipe. It's a spicy zucchini potato stew. The problem was that when I went to chop ingredients, I discovered the 2 zucchinis I bought last week were soft and covered in white, fuzzy spots. Hmm. So I swapped in yellow squash and it seemed to work well. I honestly think you could do a lot of swapping to use up whatever you have on hand! This stew is hearty, has SO MUCH flavor, and could not possibly be healthier. It's literally a pot of delicious vegetables.

I happened to have some leftover biscuits that I made this weekend, so those made a great pairing. Oh, and I spent last weekend hanging out with my ADORABLE Little Sister from my sorority - who just happened to be in Baltimore with her hubby for Memorial Day - and she turned me on to a delicious red wine called Malbec (I'm not much of a wine connoisseur). I had a glass of that with dinner, which tasted great and helped mellow me out after a long day.

Hanging at the Baltimore Harbor with my Little and her hubby (Karen & Jason).

Quick side note: Once I got my veggies chopped, I realized my largest pot would not be able to contain all of this goodness, so I ended up having to use two pots!

2 pots o' goodness

So it makes a ton of stew, but it refrigerates (and probably freezes) really well, so that just means lots of leftovers. Enjoy!

Spicy Zucchini Potato Stew

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 med zucchinis, thinly sliced
• 2 Fresno (I could only find Anaheim) chili peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 cubanelle peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 5-6 baby potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 sprigs of rosemary (I did a couple dashes of dried)
• 2 sprigs of thyme (I did a couple dashes of dried)
• salt & pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 28 oz can Italian style tomatoes
• 2 cups veggie broth

Pour an even coating of olive oil in the bottom of a (very) large pot, heat over medium heat. Add all the veggies and spices from zucchini through salt & pepper. Stir and cover, allow to simmer and wilt down.

Roast the red bell pepper over open flames. If you never done this before, it's actually really easy - turn gas stove on to low/med heat and set pepper on the burner, turning every few minutes until it's charred. (If you have an electric stove, use the broiler in your oven.)

Chop the roasted red pepper and add to mix, along with veg broth and tomatoes. (I added some, but not all, of the juice in the tomatoes.) Continue cooking, uncovered until the sauce thickens and veggies all soften. But don't cook so long that things end up mushy - you want the veggies intact.

I sprinkled a little nutritional yeast (you can use Parmesan cheese if you hate animals -- I kid, I kid!!) and dried parsley. Serves many ...like, I'll be eating this for a week+.