Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
America Day
Last year I had a really hard Independence Day. It was more of an In Dependence of a False Ideal Day. That's all I'll say about that.
To be frank, I was dreading the holiday this year. Thankfully I live with some of the greatest people ever and have some good friends in this town who made my day really fabulous. Seriously, I hope that I adequately express my love and appreciation to my friends because they rule.
We had brunch, hung around our house, went to Carly's for a cookout and then came back to our house to watch fireworks in the garden on the roof. I am living the life of dreams, dreams, dreams.
The proof is in the pictures!
To be frank, I was dreading the holiday this year. Thankfully I live with some of the greatest people ever and have some good friends in this town who made my day really fabulous. Seriously, I hope that I adequately express my love and appreciation to my friends because they rule.
We had brunch, hung around our house, went to Carly's for a cookout and then came back to our house to watch fireworks in the garden on the roof. I am living the life of dreams, dreams, dreams.
The proof is in the pictures!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Photo update
So far so GREAT with the new position. I'm learning a lot so far. It can only get better from here! I thought I'd update with some more photos about what's up in my world.
This is my roof garden before the newest addition. We've got green beans, yellow squash, sugar snap peas, cherry tomato, spinach, cucumber, jalapeno pepper, regular tomato, zucchini and broccoli. On Monday Miguel and I planted four more tomato plants, a hot pepper plant (possibly kimchi?) and an eggplant plant. I got all of them from the WYG! In the front yard we have more zukes, peas, tomatoes & green beans. Additionally in the front we have butternut squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, spearmint, chocolate peppermint, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, basil, lemon balm and bronze fennel. GROW GARDEN GROW!
Speaking of the WYG, last week we had a great volunteer turnout. We also had two black rat snakes volunteer to hang around with us while we mulched the tomatoes! Look at how good those beds look!
Some baby kiwis growing at the WYG. For real. I've never seen kiwi grow before; pretty sweet.
Back row: Shubra, Ellie, Brittany, Erica, Krista, me; Front row: Vince, Sayid, Kathryn
From our service days! Read more.
Maybe you noticed my tree pose? I've been trying to keep up with doing yoga regularly here at home.
I've also been riding my bike around a lot more but I always have to check the weather first because my wheels are old and made of steel. The what-I-will-buy-when-I'm-not-living-paycheck-to-paycheck list is growing every day, but aluminum wheels are up there.
This is my roof garden before the newest addition. We've got green beans, yellow squash, sugar snap peas, cherry tomato, spinach, cucumber, jalapeno pepper, regular tomato, zucchini and broccoli. On Monday Miguel and I planted four more tomato plants, a hot pepper plant (possibly kimchi?) and an eggplant plant. I got all of them from the WYG! In the front yard we have more zukes, peas, tomatoes & green beans. Additionally in the front we have butternut squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, spearmint, chocolate peppermint, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, basil, lemon balm and bronze fennel. GROW GARDEN GROW!
Speaking of the WYG, last week we had a great volunteer turnout. We also had two black rat snakes volunteer to hang around with us while we mulched the tomatoes! Look at how good those beds look!
Some baby kiwis growing at the WYG. For real. I've never seen kiwi grow before; pretty sweet.
Back row: Shubra, Ellie, Brittany, Erica, Krista, me; Front row: Vince, Sayid, KathrynFrom our service days! Read more.
Maybe you noticed my tree pose? I've been trying to keep up with doing yoga regularly here at home.
I've also been riding my bike around a lot more but I always have to check the weather first because my wheels are old and made of steel. The what-I-will-buy-when-I'm-not-living-paycheck-to-paycheck list is growing every day, but aluminum wheels are up there.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
BBQ & Cupcakes
I don’t think I’ve talked about it on here before, but I know that I’ve talked extensively with folks about how awesome I think Vegan Dad is. Every single thing I have ever made that he posted is DELICIOUS! I own plenty of cookbooks but I can’t help but pine after his. I mean, he’s a genius.
So of course I wasn’t surprised when my friend Samantha and I devoured his latest BBQ tofu recipe, paired with his southern-style greens (I used kale, spinach, arugula and mustard greens I harvested from the WYG last Saturday) and some Gluten-Free Bob’s Red Mill cornbread.
Sam and I are new friends; we met through DC Food for All, actually! She isn’t a vegan but eats like one sometimes and when she found out that I love to cook for other people she asked if she could come and watch me because (she says) she doesn’t know how to cook. It wasn’t exactly like a cooking lesson which is what I was a little nervous about, but she just watched me cook it up and saw how easy it was! I really love vegan soul food and this was a great example of how to make a very delicious & nutritious southern-style meal, no pork fat required!
For dessert we had some cupcakes that I made the night before. If you know me, you know I’m not a huge fan of sweets, especially pastries and cakes. However, for some reason earlier this week I had a huge craving for a vegan cupcake! I knew I could just ride over to Sticky Fingers and pay ~$4 and satisfy the craving, but I am pretty broke and couldn’t justify it. However, I can justify buying ingredients for homemade cupcakes since I am a food stamps recipient. I really love lemon and berry together, so I made lemon cupcakes with straw-raspberry icing.
Using a few of these websites plus my copy of How it All Vegan! This is what I did for my Berry Lemonade Cupcakes!:
Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup oil
1 cup full fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350*F.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix. Whisk together oil, coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 1/4 cup of batter (should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Frosting:
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup all-vegetable shortening
3.5 cups powdered sugar
Blend strawberries, raspberries, lemon juice, coconut milk and vanilla together in a blender until smooth. In a medium bowl, use an electric beater to beat Earth Balance and shortening together until smooth. Add berry mixture and blend until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time.
The problem with my frosting was that it was not frothy/airy enough. It tasted DELICIOUS but was really goopy and didn’t keep its shape. I put it in the freezer and that helped it for when I would first squeeze it onto the cupcakes but after it became room temperature again it would start to melt down into a goopy mess. We ate them quickly enough for it not to be a big deal, but I’d like to perfect this in the future. If you have any advice, let me know!
So of course I wasn’t surprised when my friend Samantha and I devoured his latest BBQ tofu recipe, paired with his southern-style greens (I used kale, spinach, arugula and mustard greens I harvested from the WYG last Saturday) and some Gluten-Free Bob’s Red Mill cornbread.
Sam and I are new friends; we met through DC Food for All, actually! She isn’t a vegan but eats like one sometimes and when she found out that I love to cook for other people she asked if she could come and watch me because (she says) she doesn’t know how to cook. It wasn’t exactly like a cooking lesson which is what I was a little nervous about, but she just watched me cook it up and saw how easy it was! I really love vegan soul food and this was a great example of how to make a very delicious & nutritious southern-style meal, no pork fat required!
For dessert we had some cupcakes that I made the night before. If you know me, you know I’m not a huge fan of sweets, especially pastries and cakes. However, for some reason earlier this week I had a huge craving for a vegan cupcake! I knew I could just ride over to Sticky Fingers and pay ~$4 and satisfy the craving, but I am pretty broke and couldn’t justify it. However, I can justify buying ingredients for homemade cupcakes since I am a food stamps recipient. I really love lemon and berry together, so I made lemon cupcakes with straw-raspberry icing.
Using a few of these websites plus my copy of How it All Vegan! This is what I did for my Berry Lemonade Cupcakes!:
Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup oil
1 cup full fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350*F.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix. Whisk together oil, coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 1/4 cup of batter (should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Frosting:
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup all-vegetable shortening
3.5 cups powdered sugar
Blend strawberries, raspberries, lemon juice, coconut milk and vanilla together in a blender until smooth. In a medium bowl, use an electric beater to beat Earth Balance and shortening together until smooth. Add berry mixture and blend until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time.
The problem with my frosting was that it was not frothy/airy enough. It tasted DELICIOUS but was really goopy and didn’t keep its shape. I put it in the freezer and that helped it for when I would first squeeze it onto the cupcakes but after it became room temperature again it would start to melt down into a goopy mess. We ate them quickly enough for it not to be a big deal, but I’d like to perfect this in the future. If you have any advice, let me know!
A May Update!
So it’s been a while. Things on my end are a little bit crazy, but for the most part they are crazy in a good way. The best news is that I’m being transferred from my current site (which has only gotten worse over the last few weeks/months) to a new site where I will hopefully be a little more useful and can gain some organizing skills. I’m really hoping that the second half of my service year can be a much more positive experience for me and that I can actually make a difference in the DC community. No matter what happens, I’m positive that it will be a better deal.
In the midst of all this we may have a few couch surfers who are other friends of mine staying in the District doing internships or who are otherwise looking for housing and coming up short right now. Life, man!
Things out at the WYG are going great. It’s such a dreamy place! It is hands-down the highlight of my week, every week.
Some fresh picked asparagus!
Well, so that quickly covers work and home life. I am also becoming more involved in a group called DC Food for All and a little less so Save Our Safety Net DC. You can catch little glimpses of me from yesterday’s rally at City Hall where we created a human safety net in this video which also features my friend/program-mate Vince. It’s so great to be getting more involved with what’s happening in DC but at the same time I am starting to really miss being in touch with issues surrounding the anti-genocide movement. Last week I went to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Sudan where Special Envoy Scott Gration testified and I realized how much I miss it. Is that weird? I just feel so intellectually stimulated by human rights / peace and conflict issues and I don’t want to lose that. It’s the fire inside me!
The more I think about all these things, the more confused I get about what I want to do once November 1 rolls around. I need someone to talk everything out with and help me define what I’m going for a little more clearly. Volunteers?
Oh, did I mention that I got poison ivy (or poison oak or sumac, but what's the difference in the end?) from a service day cleaning out the back yard of a new DC organization's office... and that Mayor Fenty stopped by my house last Friday night when I was having a potluck with friends? I'm hopefully going to blog somewhere else about the interaction with Fenty, I'll try to update here when I do. In the meantime, here's a picture of me getting involved with poison, then posing with the Mayor in my living room.
Be looking out for a vegan-related post; I’ve been eating some yummy stuff lately!
As far as my house goes, we are all still loving each other a lot, but the dynamics are about to be switched up a lot in the next two months. This past weekend Walker (Sveta’s bf) came for a 2 ½ week visit. Yesterday Cat left for a 10-day retreat and when she gets back she’ll only be staying for about 12 hours before going on a month-long road trip across the country with a friend (jealousssss). Tomorrow Toby’s parents and brother are visiting from Germany and staying with us, his parents in the basement and his brother in his room. They are staying for about two weeks, and right after they leave is when Meghan is moving in. For the first few weeks she’ll probably be crashing down in Cat’s room because Toby doesn’t move out until the end of June. When he moves out there will be some room switches, then Meg can be settled, then Cat comes back and it will be July! Ah!
Cat, Miguel and Sveta on a new love seat.
In the midst of all this we may have a few couch surfers who are other friends of mine staying in the District doing internships or who are otherwise looking for housing and coming up short right now. Life, man!
Things out at the WYG are going great. It’s such a dreamy place! It is hands-down the highlight of my week, every week.
Some fresh picked asparagus!
Well, so that quickly covers work and home life. I am also becoming more involved in a group called DC Food for All and a little less so Save Our Safety Net DC. You can catch little glimpses of me from yesterday’s rally at City Hall where we created a human safety net in this video which also features my friend/program-mate Vince. It’s so great to be getting more involved with what’s happening in DC but at the same time I am starting to really miss being in touch with issues surrounding the anti-genocide movement. Last week I went to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Sudan where Special Envoy Scott Gration testified and I realized how much I miss it. Is that weird? I just feel so intellectually stimulated by human rights / peace and conflict issues and I don’t want to lose that. It’s the fire inside me!
The more I think about all these things, the more confused I get about what I want to do once November 1 rolls around. I need someone to talk everything out with and help me define what I’m going for a little more clearly. Volunteers?
Oh, did I mention that I got poison ivy (or poison oak or sumac, but what's the difference in the end?) from a service day cleaning out the back yard of a new DC organization's office... and that Mayor Fenty stopped by my house last Friday night when I was having a potluck with friends? I'm hopefully going to blog somewhere else about the interaction with Fenty, I'll try to update here when I do. In the meantime, here's a picture of me getting involved with poison, then posing with the Mayor in my living room.
Be looking out for a vegan-related post; I’ve been eating some yummy stuff lately!
Friday, April 16, 2010
What's vegan at the Olive Garden?
HEY VEGANS: If you can avoid the Olive Garden, do. If you can't, order the gluten-free pasta and salad without the dressing.
Like I said previously, I'm going to dinner with my coworkers tonight at Olive Garden in Falls Church. I've scoured the internet and it seems that there is a lot of confusion as to what is vegan and what isn't, so I just called the one I'm going to tonight to clear up what it is that I'll be ordering. This is how the conversation went (in so many words):
Me: I'm vegan and eating there tonight, are your pastas made with egg?
OG Lady: All the pastas are made with egg.
Me: Even the pasta in your minestrone?
OGL: Yes.
Me: What do you recommend I order?
OGL: Salad without the dressing (made with egg & cheese) and minestrone without the pasta.
Me: I read on the website that there is a gluten-free pasta, is it made with egg?
OGL: I don't know.
Me: Could you check?
OGL: I don't know how I could know that.
Me: Do you have an ingredient list?
OGL: Not right here in front of me.
Me: How about in the restaurant?
OGL, sighing: Let me get my manager.
OG Manager: What's the deal?
Me: VEGAN
OGM: I don't know why she told you the pastas were made with egg. None of the pastas are made with egg.
Me: What? Are you sure? (why would she say that?)
OGM: I'm not completely positive but this has happened before and we always say there isn't any egg in them.
Me: Could you check?
...
OGM: I stand corrected. All the pastas are made with egg.
Me: OK. Does that include your gluten-free pasta?
OGM: Do eggs contain gluten?
Me: They are two different things, I'm just wondering if the pasta you serve that is gluten-free is also egg-free?
OGM: I don't know.
Me: Could you check?
OGM: I don't think we have an ingredient list for that.
Me: Really? Would you mind double checking?
...
OGM comes back, reads off the label of the GF pasta as well as the sauce that comes with it. No animal products! The pasta is made with quinoa, score! : "I guess that's what you'll be having, huh?"
Like I said previously, I'm going to dinner with my coworkers tonight at Olive Garden in Falls Church. I've scoured the internet and it seems that there is a lot of confusion as to what is vegan and what isn't, so I just called the one I'm going to tonight to clear up what it is that I'll be ordering. This is how the conversation went (in so many words):
Me: I'm vegan and eating there tonight, are your pastas made with egg?
OG Lady: All the pastas are made with egg.
Me: Even the pasta in your minestrone?
OGL: Yes.
Me: What do you recommend I order?
OGL: Salad without the dressing (made with egg & cheese) and minestrone without the pasta.
Me: I read on the website that there is a gluten-free pasta, is it made with egg?
OGL: I don't know.
Me: Could you check?
OGL: I don't know how I could know that.
Me: Do you have an ingredient list?
OGL: Not right here in front of me.
Me: How about in the restaurant?
OGL, sighing: Let me get my manager.
OG Manager: What's the deal?
Me: VEGAN
OGM: I don't know why she told you the pastas were made with egg. None of the pastas are made with egg.
Me: What? Are you sure? (why would she say that?)
OGM: I'm not completely positive but this has happened before and we always say there isn't any egg in them.
Me: Could you check?
...
OGM: I stand corrected. All the pastas are made with egg.
Me: OK. Does that include your gluten-free pasta?
OGM: Do eggs contain gluten?
Me: They are two different things, I'm just wondering if the pasta you serve that is gluten-free is also egg-free?
OGM: I don't know.
Me: Could you check?
OGM: I don't think we have an ingredient list for that.
Me: Really? Would you mind double checking?
...
OGM comes back, reads off the label of the GF pasta as well as the sauce that comes with it. No animal products! The pasta is made with quinoa, score! : "I guess that's what you'll be having, huh?"
Thursday, April 15, 2010
on the vegan side of things...
Things are going pretty well for this VegHead. This week I rode the freegan wave and ended up with a headache and a confused stomach, so I think that's my sign to take an extra 5 minutes the mornings of my trainings to make a PB&J. Speaking of, how did I forget how amazing PB&Js are??? So delicious, especially on toasted bread. I'm also really baffled about why anyone would get the no-stir peanut butter, because obviously stirring the PB is the BEST PART. So satisfying.
When I discussed this on Saturday with JD we talked about our favorite J - mine is currently a no-sugar-added strawberry jam which is great. I like bananas too. What's your favorite PB accompaniment?
Speaking of freeganism, tomorrow night I'm going with coworkers to a celebratory dinner in honor of our completion of the office's Biggest Loser challenge. Where's the extravaganza? Olive Garden. On the real! In this great big city with all the places you could ever want! Bah! I've been doing a bit of research this evening and totally coming up short on what I'm going to eat, as it seems that most if not all of their pastas are made with egg. This is confusing to me, just like nonfat milk in bread and casein in rice "cheese". WTF, Y'ALL.
While we're talking vegetables, I am also really pumped about getting a regular volunteer position at the Washington Youth Garden as their volunteer coordinator. I don't get paid, but will be able to reap the benefits of harvest season. I've been out there twice now, round three coming up this Saturday. Farm girl, usin' her head (and hands and thumbs and muscles!) I'm just so thankful for a reason to get up early and be outside on Saturday mornings. Amen.
When I discussed this on Saturday with JD we talked about our favorite J - mine is currently a no-sugar-added strawberry jam which is great. I like bananas too. What's your favorite PB accompaniment?
Speaking of freeganism, tomorrow night I'm going with coworkers to a celebratory dinner in honor of our completion of the office's Biggest Loser challenge. Where's the extravaganza? Olive Garden. On the real! In this great big city with all the places you could ever want! Bah! I've been doing a bit of research this evening and totally coming up short on what I'm going to eat, as it seems that most if not all of their pastas are made with egg. This is confusing to me, just like nonfat milk in bread and casein in rice "cheese". WTF, Y'ALL.
While we're talking vegetables, I am also really pumped about getting a regular volunteer position at the Washington Youth Garden as their volunteer coordinator. I don't get paid, but will be able to reap the benefits of harvest season. I've been out there twice now, round three coming up this Saturday. Farm girl, usin' her head (and hands and thumbs and muscles!) I'm just so thankful for a reason to get up early and be outside on Saturday mornings. Amen.
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