I'm sorry!!

Okay, so I know I can count the people that regularly read this blog on my one hand, but I'm still sorry! I've been consumed by plenty of other things like work and crafty stuff and a new exercise regimen that my blogging has fallen to the wayside.

But I soldier on!

David and I returned from Florida earlier this month refreshed by the weather and with plenty of gator photos. We spent a night in historic Savannah, two nights on South Beach, a night on the water in Cocoa Beach and another in Savannah.

I printed a bunch of lists of veggie-friendly restaurants, but didn't feel like seeking them out when the time came. But I didn't starve!

And I committed a blogger sin and didn't take any photos of my food, but we were just enjoying each other's company too much for me to worry about pictures.

I will say if you're in Savannah to try the Mellow Mushroom - it's an overly-hippy (almost to a ridiculous extent) pizza joint that has some great topping choices, like tempeh and tofu and artichokes. It's a franchise chain with locations elsewhere, so check their Web site.

And our two nights on South Beach were so great. I could live in Miami - I love it. We stayed at The Clay Hotel and International Hostel on Washington Ave. Our private room was above a restaurant and indie movie store. Our view was so cute:


Our room was on Espanola Way - a tiny street that's blocked off at night with different restaurants and shops. Be aware that restaurants along this area of South Beach are outrageously expensive. Locals chalk it up to sky-high rents, but I'm serious....like $9 for a (small) bowl of guacamole.

We kept Miami as home base and drove West along Calle Ocho (8th Street) through Little Havana, which turns into the Tamiami Trail and runs right into the Everglades. We were going to take an airboat tour, but I read some about how the boats can be harmful to the environment, especially the big tourist ones. So we decided to take a bike ride through the Shark Valley part of the park.

We rented the bikes for $6.50/hour and rode the 15 mile path. The gators sun themselves along both sides of the path and are right there with you. There are no protective gates or things to keep you from messing with the gators. But no matter - they are so calm. We really didn't see one gator move - I swear. They just relax in the swampy mud and enjoy the sun and breeze.


We saw tons of birds and snakes and turtles. Look at these two cuties!


We even saw baby gators! They move and pile on top of each other like puppies and make a cute whimper noise. They were about the size of your hand. Can you see them?


This little guy snuck up on us while we were taking a break half-way. David loved this gator.


And I'll show this horrible picture of me just to illustrate how close they all are. I mean, right there! All the park rangers say when you rent the bikes is "stay 15 feet away from any wildlife."



After our two days in Miami we drove toward Orlando thinking we might get a half-day pass to one of the theme parks, but we got there too late. David really wanted to go to Medieval Times. I'm not a big fan of animal entertainment, but we went anyway. Oh, and did I mention this dinner theater features half a chicken and ribs you eat with your hands as the meal? I did not have high hopes for the vegetarian meal there, but I was blown away. They brought me a big steel plate of a roasted mushroom topped with a wild rice and bean mixture, a skewer of large roasted veggies that I could eat with my hands in I wanted to get in the spirit, hummus, toasted pita and veggie soup.

Here we are getting way too excited about our guy the Yellow Knight. David had a little too much mead that night. So after we left I drove east to the Space Coast and we stayed on the water in Cocoa Beach.



Side note for road trippers: If you are stuck with only chains, look for a Denny's. They have Boca burgers and you can sub the patties for any of their burgers.

When we woke up in Cocoa Beach, we went to Merritt Island Water Refuge looking for manatees, but didn't find any. We did see a bunch of gorgeous birds, eagles and this little cutie!


Ha...I mean this cutie...


The weather was perfect the entire week.


These pretty guys were all over the refuge. We ran into plenty of endearing and serious bird watchers.


And we saw a little wild pig with auburn hair, but he scurried off before we could snap a picture of him.

On the way South we stopped at South of the Border - a creepy, touristy hole at the North and South Carolina borders. We went to the Hats Around the World store. David tried on the veggie burger hat.


And I took the veggie dog hat.



It was a lot of fun. And right before I left I finally finished a gift I was working on for my buddy Amber. It was two crochet squares whip stitched around a pillow form. It was my first pillow.


I've still been cooking, but it's been more convenience food than anything else. I returned to Virginia with a nasty cold that stuck with me for a week. Then my bathroom flooded. Then my kitchen. It's been a crazy two weeks.

I've got plenty on my list this week though - orange tofu, leek and bean cassoulet from Veganomicon, maybe some Indian dishes. I'll snap some pictures for you.

Road Trip!

David and I are leaving this weekend for a week-long trip down to Florida. We're not sure where we're going exactly, but we're going to Florida. I know we want to see the Everglades at least, the rest is up in the air.

I'm planning a little, just snacks and such, and making a list of restaurants that will accomodate me.

So, if you know of any great places to visit in Florida, comment here!

Random food porn!

So, it will be impossible for me to catch up on all the food porn I have laying around, so I'm just going to list it...in no particular order.

Oh - and I met some lovely folks from the PPK (even Bazu from Where's The Revolution?) last weekend at Java Green in D.C. The food was great, but it was even more fun to meet people you've only met through online forums. I didn't take my camera out, but Bazu did. When she updates with photos, I'll put a link here!

This is from Amber and my New Year's Day vegan brunch - we had everything. And even better, people ate everything...even the tofu scramble!


Beverages, granola and berries from The New Year's Brunch.


Tofu scramble and home fries from the brunch - Amber is officially the best home fry maker and tofu scrambler I've ever met. I couldn't get enough!


Oh, and she makes pretty good waffles, too. Pumpkin waffles from "Veganomicon," to be exact! That's some tempeh bacon I made in the front.


Spaghetti and beanballs from "Veganomicon." Pretty tasty!



I'm already running late for work - I'm biking there today despite the frigid air! Hope everyone is keeping warm.

I'm back! With resolutions, to boot

Okay, I'm guilty. I said I'd be back "soon," but I used that term loosely. Things have been flush with change in my life lately, making blogging difficult. But I have been around the PPK and reading other blogs.

And I have been cooking! I've been trying out some new recipes from The Veganomicon - the new cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World fame. It's a great book and one I'd recommend to any omnivore - there are no "weird" ingredients like fake cheeses. And if you think soymilk is weird, well then, you're weird.

I've been mulling over some resolutions and trying to ensure my goals for this year are doable. The worst thing is having a big list of unfinished business. So, here goes!

1. Update the blog at least once a week. I feel like VegMoFo (the vegan month of food, which I didn't finish back in November) was really great and got people talking. I enjoyed thinking about what I was going to write that night and I'm trying to keep that feeling going.

2. Visit the gym at least twice a week. Why not just go for it and say three? Well, three is a lot for me especially when I don't go at all.

3. Get my dining/craft room organized. I have my grandmother's sewing machine but nowhere to put it. A trip to IKEA this weekend might help this. Plus tons of yarn everywhere is making the room look cluttered.

4. Try more ambitious crochet projects.

That's it! I decided to keep my resolutions simple, despite the desire to make a long list of personal wishes.

Next week I'll have an update with foodporn and photos of a PPK meetup in DC!

Back soon, I swear

Lots of stuff has been going on in my life, leaving blogging in the dust for a while. But I have been cooking and I will be back soon, I promise.

Some crazy stuff keeping me away:
- handmade holiday gifts
- a screwed up computer
- job issues

Among other things. But I'm planning a vegan new years day brunch with my buddy Amber. If you're wondering what we've been cooking, check out her blog here and scroll down. She's better about keeping up with things than I am!

VeganMoFo: Where am I?

I know, I've been out of the loop. Thanksgiving just threw me off kilter - and work is crazy - and I just started working out at the YMCA, which is taking some of my time. And making presents for these gift baskets for the holidays.

But I have had some time to cook and test recipes for folks, so I'll try and post photos some time this week.

A high five to all of you out there still MoFo-in!

VeganMoFo: Zines, zines and more zines!

Well, just two recently, but still! Vegan cooking zines abound these days and I just got my hand on two. "Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk 2" by Katie and "Papa Tofu" by Kittee.

I brought the pumpkin cheezecake bars from "Papa Tofu" to Thanksgiving and this zine is worth it for that recipe alone - seriously. This is an omni-wower if I ever saw one.

I haven't made anything from DEOS...yet. But once I make it through my leftovers, I'm all over her veggie stew with dumplings.

Buy these now if you haven't!

VeganMoFo: What are you thankful for?

Well, I'm thankful for a wealth of things right now. Everything is going pretty damn well for a change, but this being VeganMoFo and all, I'll make this vegan-related.

I'm thankful for the community of people online that support one another in veganism, especially The PPK.

Seriously.

Thanksgiving is probably the most awkward year for vegetarians and vegans, but having a place to run to, even if it is an online forum, is very comforting. Aunts asking you prodding questions at the dinner table? Well, so are aunts everywhere today it seems.

You're not alone!

And we've got the Internet to thank for that.

Now, I'm back to munch on crackers and hot pepper jelly from my aunt. Oh, and marvel at my new sewing machine....woohoo! It's an old-new...my g-ma's actually, but still.

Now, who wants to teach me to sew?

VeganMoFo: The vending machine

Well, most vegans are well-informed when it comes to health matters. It just comes with the territory.

But that doesn't mean we don't end up at the office late, hungry, grumpy and in a caffeine-induced mania. When this happens, I usually walk to the break room, look in the vending machine longingly, then walk back to my cubicle empty-handed.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a "not vegan" or "vegan" label on things in the vending machine? I guess the burden should be on the products in the vending machine to tell folks what they are, but still, it would be nice, right?

There are so many things in the vending machine that look like they should be vegan, but you don't want to risk 85 cents to find out that the Burger King french fries and ketchup flavored chips (yes, I saw these in the machine today), aren't in fact vegan.

I apologize for my pretty uninspired mofo postings lately - I've been swamped at work, then when I get home I think about how swamped I am at work, thus tiring myself with worry. Not to mention this whole holiday thing.

I've got plenty of food porn backlogged to show you - hopefully I'll remember to photograph any and all Thanksgiving food I make. I haven't been cooking much since I've been so tired.

Tonight dinner was left over cooked kale from the freezer, mashed sweet potatoes and steamed cauliflower.

Oh, and a T-giving food update, my aunt decided to make reservations at a restaurant for the holiday meal rather than cooking at home. We did this last year and the meal I got - pasta with veggies and a wine sauce that just tasted like old chardonnay - was a disaster. Not edible in the least. We're going somewhere different this time, and the owner of the restaurant said a vegan meal was definitely doable, so here's hoping!

VeganMoFo: Take it slow!

My concern for the environment, animals, my body and health, etc. came to me in a big wave all at once a few years ago. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the realization that the world is pretty fucked up and that it's hard to make a difference, but I have some advice: Take it slow!

I still have plenty of un-vegan things around my apartment. For example, my toothpaste. My mom buys in bulk and she gave me four tubes of toothpaste from Costco - needless to say the paste has outlived my transition to veganism.

I'm not tearing up everytime I brush - I just think, "okay, once this is done I'll get an animal-friendly one."

And you can do this with everything in your life. Cut the food first, and as things run out, replace them with vegan ones. Apply this to your clothes, bulk foods, toiletry items, medicine, vitamins, etc.

Now, most vegans I know are concerned with a wealth of environmental and social issues and I'm often overwhelmed by the amount of "issues" I have to be concerned with because of my conscience. But take it slow in this regard as well.

I've been phasing green cleaning into my life, using baking soda, borax, vinegar and other natural cleaning solutions. I also developed a great recycling habit over the years and have figured out how to reuse and repurpose many items in my home. And I'm buying local/organic/fair trade when I can.

But it didn't happen over night! We have to show others that a compassionate lifestyle doesn't mean going back to school and overwhelming yourself with statistics and mental shopping lists. Let your lazy friends know that just a few small changes can make a world of difference in the lives of animals and people and that all the little changes don't have to happen at once.