Age is just a number...mine just happens to be a big number

Not everyone seems familiar with the term "golden birthday". It's when you turn the age that your birth date is. So for me, my golden birthday was this past December - I turned 29 on the 29th.

I remember when I was younger and friends would get a special birthday when they turned 8, because it was their golden birthday. I would think, 'Aw man...I won't get to have the BIG golden birthday until I'm 29. Ew, so old. I'm gonna have a husband and a bunch of kids. I won't get to have ANY fun.' (Of course "fun" back then meant a Cinderella-themed party with pizza delivery and renting a PG-13 movie.)
SURPRISE!! I don't have a husband or (human) kids. And drinking is WAY more fun than PG-13 movies!!!

Where did the time go?? I was, like, 22 a minute ago. I swear. But each year I'm shocked to realize I don't feel old. I feel good. And each year seems to get better for me. And guess what? Your golden birthday is just like all the others. Who knew?!

This year, I baked my own birthday cake. I opted to try a vegan version of what some might know as "better than sex cake". However, I learned this recipe from my Aunt Carlotta, who doesn't throw around the "s" word, so we call it "yummy cake". :) The recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, caramel sauce, Cool Whip and Heath bars. So definitely a challenge to make it all cruelty-free.
And - long story short - no one in my family tried it, so I ate just about half of the cake, myself, and I gave my cousin the other half (she has a husband and kids, though, so she probably stuck to just 1 piece, unlike me!). I can assure you, this cake is SO rich, decadent and satisfying for any sweet tooth. Worth the effort!

Vegan "Yummy" Cake

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix (just check ingredients to be sure it's vegan - I think most are)
• 1 can vegan sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups vegan caramel sauce
• vegan whipped cream (can be found at Whole Foods or co-op)
• 1 order of vegan english toffee

Prepare caramel sauce ahead of time. This recipe (link above) makes more than 2 cups, but don't over-do the caramel (save the extra to top some ice cream!).

Prepare and bake cake in 9" x 13" pan. Allow to cool completely.

Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake - don't be shy, you want to poke a hole every inch, or so.
Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake, aiming to pour the majority of it in the holes. Do the same with the caramel.

Top the entire cake with about 1" - 2" of whipped cream. Crush toffee and sprinkle over the top. Drizzle a bit of caramel over the top.

Voila! Done. ENJOY.

My niece / assistant, CharBaby. :)

Why Christmas And Surgery Don't Mix

I had SUCH a good holiday at home in Minnesota. I saw so many of my friends and family. I got to meet my new niece, Evy, and spend some quality time with my 2 yr old niece, Charlotte. I ate lots of good food. I got some great gifts for both Christmas and my birthday. It was just really nice.

Well, it was all nice except for the whole wisdom tooth extraction part.

That's right, I decided to combine my vacay and a medical procedure. WEEEE! Here's the thing -- when I started my current job last January, I compared the two dental plan options and the HMO seemed better than the PPO. (and by "better", I mean "cheaper") But what I didn't realize is an HMO plan really restricts which dentists you can do to. You can read about my experience with a local dentist on my Yelp review. Clearly I wasn't going to let these people perform surgery on my face. But every dentist in the DC metro area that accepts my HMO plan was shady or just plain awful (based on reviews)! So I looked at my options in MN - as a long shot - but found that Metro Dentalcare, a chain across the Twin Cities, in fact accepted my Cigna HMO! YES. So that locked it in -- holiday break it was.

I scheduled the procedure for Dec 23rd - to give me some time to enjoy myself at home beforehand, but to get the surgery in early enough to be fully recovered before the Jan 1 drive back to DC. Bad choice. I ended up getting dry sockets (when the blood clot doesn't form over the hole, so you have exposed bone) and didn't sleep for three nights due to the THROBBING inner-ear pain. It was reminiscent of the aftermath of my tonsil removal back in 2003, for those of you who have experienced that joy.
Finally at 6am on Christmas morning, I paged my oral surgeon who, in turn told me to increase the vicodin and take it simultaneously with the ibuprofen. Let's be honest, he just wanted to go back to bed. But that worked. Christmas day was pain-free....from what I remember. Between my sleep deprivation and narcotics, I hit really high highs, then really low lows (aka I passed out about every 30 mins). MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Oh well, it's done and over with and I'll never have to worry about having my wisdom teeth removed again. And I'm on the PPO dental plan at work this year. 2011 is already lookin' up!

I'll share more about my time at home, some pics and an AMAZING cake recipe in my next post!

Baby Nieces and Potato Pancakes

I'm an Auntie again!!!! My sister gave birth to sweet Evy Marie last week! I'm so excited to meet her when I drive to Minnesota NEXT WEEK!! She's 2/3rds the size that my sweet CharBaby (my first niece, Charlotte) was when she was born. We've nicknamed her "Baby Gigantor". :) But Evy is a wee baby and I can't wait to get her in my arms next Friday night.

Her name is very special. We called our great-aunt, Evelyn, "Aunt Evy". She was my grandma's sister and just a wonderful woman. She passed away many years ago, but I guarantee she's smiling down at her little bitty namesake. :)


Well, after that big news, some potato pancakes are pretty unimpressive, but that's the recipe I've got today. :) With the start of Hanukkah last week, I saw a lot about latkes on Facebook (which I learned is another name for potato pancakes), and learned that they are traditionally eaten during Hanukkah because "the oil for cooking the latkes is reminiscent of the oil from the Hanukkah story that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit with a long-lasting flame that is celebrated as a miracle" (from Wikipedia).

Potato pancakes remind me of my childhood best friend's house. Jasmin is from Germany, so her mom tended to make different things for dinner than my mom did. So it was always fun to eat dinner at her house. (I remember how impressed I was when they busted out the Nutella for breakfast one morning! SIGN ME UP, SISTER*.) And one of the things she would make is potato pancakes. I remember loving those and always finding reasons to stay for dinner the days I knew Elvira was grating the potatoes. :) Normally, these have eggs in them, but I think the vegan version is delish and you wouldn't even miss 'em!

Vegan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

• 

• 1 pound white potatoes, peeled (I used 4 large Russet potatoes)
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 1/4 cup flour
• Ener-G Egg Replacer equal to 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Grate the potatoes. Put them in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Let the water drain from the potatoes, press them down and pat them dry.

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes and grated onion. Add egg replacer, salt, pepper and flour. Stir well.

In a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, pour enough oil in to cover the pan to a 1/2-inch depth. When the oil is hot and shimmering, drop the batter into the oil 1 heaping tablespoon at a time and use the back of the spatula to flatten it out.

Cook pancakes until the edges brown, about 5-6 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip them. Fry for another 5-6 minutes or until browned on the other side. Remove from oil and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. (I also kept a plate in the oven at 200-degrees to transfer pancakes to, to keep warm.) Add oil to pan as needed for additional pancakes. Serve with applesauce, ketchup or vegan sour cream. I prefer them with applesauce!

*Sadly, I don't believe Nutella is vegan. :(

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving

Okey dokey. It's time to share with you the feast I LIVED AND BREATHED for two days. Now, for a normal person, there would be leftovers for a week - but I'm a growing girl, so did some real damage over the course of 48 hrs.

Here's the menu:

• Pillsbury Dinner Rolls (this was my one cheat - it's just so convenient that they're vegan!)
• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts
• Traditional Vegetable Stuffing
• Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes (skin on!)
• Homemade Gravy
• Roasted Tofurky Roast
• Sweet Potato Pie w/ Whipped Cream

Impressive for a single gal, no? Now feast your eyes on the pictures!! (There are a lot, because there was a lot of food!)

I made my sweet potato pie on Wednesday night. I stole this recipe from Food.com, and I would highly recommend it! Once the sweet potatoes were baked, it was just a matter of combining all the ingredients in a food processor and baking. Easy peasy!


My little helper staked out his spot on the carpet to watch me cook -- I put a blanket down for him, so he could get good & comfy. (Don't worry, that's his stuffed orange kitten toy in front of him...not a real kitten carcass.)


Everything's in the oven! That's my roast on top, with my brussels sprouts and stuffing below. I somehow timed everything just about perfectly!


The feast! My little counter was taken over by my Thanksgiving dinner.


Look at those maple roasted brussels sprouts with toasted hazelnuts! So sweet and delicious! I got this recipe off the NYTimes website (courtesy of the amazing VEGAN Chef Chloe Coscarelli). Couldn't be easier. I'll definitely make these again.


I do think the Pillsbury rolls are really tasty. I have a great biscuit recipe, but figured I had enough things to do on Thursday, so I'd cheat just this once.


Here's my Tofurky roast and my gravy. You add some veggies (and a basting liquid) to to the Tofurky for flavoring. I *do* still have those veggies and the stuffing from inside the roast leftover in my fridge. A delicious bonus meal. :)


Here are my mashed potatoes and stuffing. I love the skin on -- and the trick is to boil the taters with a few garlic cloves, and then drain and mash 'em all up with margarine, sea salt and soy milk. YUM. And I love that this stuffing tastes just like the stuff my mom makes (except it doesn't come out of the crotch of a dead bird). ***RECIPE BELOW***

Here she is! My Thanksgiving meal. I'm not a big wine drinker, but I felt like the holiday called for a little something special. :)


And here's what was happening alongside my table. Don't worry....I shared. :)


I loved my day of cooking, feasting and napping. But now I'm already focused on burning those calories off. Today was my first run since the marathon. My foot has been feeling much better, so I'm hoping I'm not pushing my luck. I guess I'll know tomorrow morning!

Who's ready for Christmas?! :)

***STUFFING RECIPE***
6 cups of bread, torn into pieces
2 Tbsp margarine
1 onion
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
1/4 tsp rosemary, thyme, sage & parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 c vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 325-degrees.Combine rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley & salt in small dish. Chop all vegetables. Warm margarine in medium saucepan and saute the onion, celery and carrots over medium heat. Add veggies to bowl with torn bread. Add the herbs to bread, as well. Drizzle vegetable stock over the bread & veggie mixture. Mix well. Bake, uncovered for 20-30 mins in pan. ENJOY!

Givin' Thanks, Ya'll

On this Thanksgiving Eve, with my sweet potato pie in the oven and all the ingredients for tomorrow's cruelty-free feast out on the counter, I think I'll stop and reflect a bit on what I am thankful for...

My family
I love my family. I was blessed with smart, thoughtful, hard working, diligent and loving people in my gene pool. My parents would do anything for me. I know this, without a doubt. My brothers and sister are awesome -- I love that, even though we were raised in the same home and are only 5 yrs apart, we are four of the most unique individuals you'll ever meet. And though we share some personality traits (ie stubbornness) that can cause conflict, we somehow always find a way to get around it. No matter what happens in this life, I know I can always count on my family 110%. (Special shout-out to my sweet niece and my soon-to-be niece...who will arrive on Dec 1st!!)

My friends
I am so fortunate to know some of the greatest people this world has to offer. My friends come from all walks of life and all came into my life at various points -- elementary-high school, church, college, sorority, various jobs, animal advocacy, running, the gym, friend-of-friends -- but I cherish each and every relationship. My friends are spread out across the country (and some beyond), but even with those I only see once every couple of years, I always know once we start chatting, it's like we were never apart. And those that I see/talk to every week are the people who help me get through the daily struggles. I am so thankful.

My pets
I know, I know. I'm obsessed. But I *am* thankful they came into my life. No one can welcome me into my apartment like Jakers and Mabel. Every day, no matter what, they love me unconditionally. Having worked at PETA, I know what kind of suffering is out there for some animals -- so I am just so glad to be able to give these two a wonderful home.

My job
In this economy, not everyone is gainfully employed. I have been with my current advertising agency since January and each day realize more and more what a good job it is. My boss is great, my clients are interesting, the work is fun (for an advertising nerd like me, that is!) and I'm allowed a lot of independence to do my work. I can't say the same about previous jobs (ahem, see paragraph 3). When there are the little flaws in my work day, I remind myself how bad it can be - whether at a terrible workplace or even be without a job - and it makes me really glad I landed where I did. And getting a free iPad from a media rep this week ain't bad!! :)

Compassion Over Killing
I was asked to do an interview for COK this weekend, as part of their 15th-anniversary video. It really reminded me how crucial this organization has been in my life over the past 3 years. It was right around this time in 2007 when I saw their TV commercial and was prompted to go to their website and read about factory farming. From there, I went vegetarian, then learned about the 2008 "Their Lives, Our Voices" conference at the Univ of MN from their eNewsletter...and the next thing you know, I'm a hardcore vegan moving from MN to DC to work in animal advocacy! They do so much with so little and are changing peoples' lives every day. More importantly (well, to me), they are changing animals' lives every day. I wish I had discovered the vegan lifestyle 20 years earlier, but it's never too late to make the choice to go cruelty-free and I'm thankful for the knowledge and tools to make that change.

My health
I love running. And my latest injury has really reminded me how much I miss it when I can't run. Not everyone is healthy enough to run marathons and so I want to cherish every day that I can get out and clear my mind for that 3 mile (or 26 mile when I get back to it!) stretch. I also think my change to a vegan diet has really helped me become a healthier person, eating more veggies and grains and less cholesterol-filled meats and dairy.

I'm thankful for so many things, but I think that sums it up pretty nicely and covers the biggies. :) And while I'm spending my Thanksgiving without my family (I mean, besides Jakers and Mabes), it allows me some quiet time to reflect on all of my many blessings. I hope you are with those you love this holiday weekend (or if you're also flying solo -- THINKING of those you love), and enjoying your many blessings!

Told Ya So

I was right all along. I do have plantar fasciitis in my right foot. I'm not happy about it, but I do think maybe I should be a doctor since I'm a champ at self-diagnosis. :)

I finally went to an orthopedist last Friday, after 3 weeks of NO running and no improvement in pain. He x-rayed my foot, but confirmed my prediction. And JAMMED A NEEDLE IN MY HEEL! He gave me a cortisone injection, which was painful, but worked miracles. For the next two days, I was totally pain-free. However, on day 3, I'm already seeing it fade a bit. I also need to buy a night splint to keep my foot flexed at night. That sounds super comfortable, right? *sigh* But with a few different tricks and some time off of running, I should be good as new soon!

But what a perfect weekend to be free of pain. One of my best friends was in town from Chicago and we saw everything DC has to offer! It was gorgeous weather and I finally got to some of the museums I had been meaning to get to since I moved here (namely, The National Archives and the National Portrait Gallery). Emily also opted to be vegan alongside me for the weekend, which made it extra fun!


I would say Saturday night was the highlight of the weekend. We met a couple of my faves from Syracuse (my friends and my sisters, mind you - Phi Sigma Sigma 4 life!) for dinner in Old Town Alexandria. And then we took over a bar until close. It was such a fun night. I haven't had an all-out crazy night like that in awhile, with my marathon training all summer.


NOW I'm fully focused on getting ready for Thanksgiving this Thursday. I love Thanksgiving, even though some people question my ritual. This is my second year of cooking a beautiful vegan feast for...me. :) I love my solo-holiday with no cruelty and just a relaxing day at home with Jakers and Mabel. I'll be with my family in MN for two weeks in December, so I enjoy the quiet time to reflect on what I'm thankful for...my way. I'll definitely post some pics and recipe later in the week!

Well, I Survived

It took a week of recovery to build up to this blog post (or perhaps it's just laziness), but I can proudly tell you I completed the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon!!!!

It did not go as planned, but that's sort of the story of my life, right? I started out the morning meeting my brother and his friend and we took the Metro to the starting line. And by "starting line", I really mean "2 miles from the starting line". Apparently when 35,000 people are running a race, they want to spread you out by making you walk really far BEFORE running 26.2 miles. So we got off at the Pentagon Metro stop, as directed, then walked. And walked. All three of us were shooting for a 4:30ish time (4:28 is my PR, so I was REALLY wanting a 4:27 or faster). But I felt like we were running way too fast in those first 3 miles -- which happened to be very much uphill. By mile 7, I waved those guys on ahead and slowed down, but the damage was done. I hadn't run my own race, and now I was fried early on. I was taking walk breaks by mile 10 (I KNOW I can run 16 miles without walking, so what the heck was I doing!?). The story of my race was "mind over matter". I just could not help but take walking breaks, even though I was feeling pretty strong.
That said, I had a blast. I truly enjoyed it all -- all 5:27 (that's right, an hour past my goal) of it. It was a beautiful course, tons of great crowd support and so many Marines in uniform. :)
I am already thinking about the 2011 Chicago Marathon. Then maybe I'll retire my marathon shoes.

Here are a couple of pics from the day.

These are three of my wonderful friends (and sorority sisters!), Linda, Sonja and Kristen. They were out on the course all day. I was so thankful to have them!


This is at the finish line, I'm rocking my Compassion Over Killing t-shirt. I am SO happy I raised over my $2,620 goal with my marathon training.



This is from the professional photogs' site. So it;s only a proof - but I'm pretty sure I'll order this. Not many marathons that finish at such an incredible spot!


I'm really just so glad it's over. With my injury and SO MUCH time devoted to training this summer, I was just really ready to have this over with. I probably made myself more anxious than need-be, but it's been a few years since I've attempted the big 26.2!