3 Product Reviews & Encouraging Global Warming News!

I haven't been cooking much lately, and it really shows in my posts! But getting back into blog surfing sure brings on the cooking inspiration, and my list is growing. I was actually inspired this morning reading my local newspaper. I saw a recipe for 'Tempeh, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches' and nearly fell off my chair when I saw that it was a Fatfree Vegan Kitchen recipe! How cool is that? Did you see this in your paper? Susan said it ran in several. These cookies were OK.


This is one of our all-time favorite prepared faux meats. Since striving to be vegan, it has been a sore spot that this product was only vegetarian.

Last time I was at the Co-op, I noticed the subtle difference in the packaging. Vegetarian Plus has veganized its 'Citrus Sparerib Cutlets' ! Here's the tip: only cook this for 7-8 minutes, otherwise the sauce get overcooked too easily and is too sticky, add pineapple for a treat!


Now here's some encouraging news! Art sent me a text this morning that read, "new study out today eat less meat helps global warming, on ktla.com and ktla today."
And just last night, I even heard Leno joking about the meat industry connection to global warming. It's happening! People are taking note of the negative impact of the meat industry on the world. This information will only empower people. You can fight global warming every time you eat. Now where have I heard that before?? Oh, and the girls didn't really like these nuggets.

Orean the Health Express (Pasadena, CA 5 of 5)

Orean is a great place to tide you over between here & there. I ordered the 'Chicken Burger' and it was delicious. Like clock-work, Art ordered the 'Pastrami Dip' and recieved the 'Philly Cheese.' Is it odd that this has happened to him 3 times!? Next time, he's contemplating ordering a Philly in hopes of receiving a Pastrami Dip. We joke cuz it really doesn't matter. It's awesome fast-food and we keep coming back for more.

SipZ & EnvironGentle (San Diego 4 of 5)

We always enjoy eating at SipZ Fuzion Cafe. Karen took us here for the first time over a year ago, and now, we never miss an opportunity. Even if we're not hungry, we'll stop in and get it to go. The food is simply amazing.

And, there's a cool second-hand store (which I think benefits an animal rescue?) next door to the restaurant where I picked up a back issue of VegNews (#49) along with some flyers & a Goveg pin.


We've zeroed in on what we like to eat at SipZ!

Two bowls of the 'Sweet n Sour Chicken' -- which is soy chicken cubez coated in a tangy sweet n sour sauce that includes bell peppers, celery, onions, and pineapple.

Art downed a smoothie, and I drank a passion fruit ice-tea.




Missing our girls, we started making our way back to the LA area, but we still took time to stop in at EnvironGentle, which is at 543 S. Coast Hwy 101, in Encinitas. They sell the coolest things! You can order all kinds of great shirts on the above link, and in the photo, you can see my first message t-shirt, "Tree Hugging Dirt Worshipper." It is made of 70% sustainable bamboo and 30% organic cotton and is the softest t-shirt I own. They have a bunch of great messages.



As you can see, it's a pretty big store, and it's jam-packed with environmentally-friendly products and clothing. They had extensive sections for cleaning, personal care, baby items, bags, candles, hemp products, and so much! I could have (and wanted to) spent several hours here.





They have several inspirational quotes painted on the walls, including my favorite.

We were still full from SipZ, but if you find yourself hungry in this area, you could visit Swami's Juice Bar at 1163 First St. ---or Roxy Restaurant at 517 S. Coast Hwy. 101. I understand they both have vegan options.

Encinitas is such a lovely area to explore!

Stephanie's Bakery & room with a view (San Diego 3 of 5)

We popped over the bridge to Ocean Beach in search of Stephanie's Bakery. I've been wanting to go since reading about it in VegNews. The "Vegetarian Dining and Shopping in the San Diego Area" guide that I picked up at "All Vegan" describes it as "a mostly vegan bakery cafe." But when I asked the girl behind the counter if something was vegan, she replied, "It's all vegan."





I looked to the left and saw the sign "all vegan" and knew the sky was the limit in here.... save my goal of wanting to look good in my little jeans.

We arrived late in the morning, and they appeared to be out of certain selections. Art chose the last cherry strudel, and I picked the last black forest strudel. We scarfed them on the sidewalk in front where you see the chairs.



From our view, the "powers" at be were kind, giving us a nice view and also a nice location from a last-minute Craig's list find. The Pacific Ocean can be seen in the background if you look closely past the power pole (which appears much closer than it actually was...) We also could see, from the other side of the building Mission Bay, as well as busy Mission Boulevard below.



This is the view from our bedroom window. A big, bright billboard, which reads "stick head in sand" and "fightglobalwarming.com" obviously intended to pique interest in the issue of global warming to visitors.

The morning fog burned-off each day and the weather was a cool break (in the 70's and 80's) from the summer we have had in Idaho this year.

Biking & The Vegan Zone (San Diego 2 of 5)

We had a great time in San Diego enjoying the summer fun! Back in the day, we lived 2 blocks from this location.











Bicycles are the best way to get around. We rode from Mission Beach to Bird Rock and everywhere in between. You can see the Crystal Pier in the background, and if you want, there's a hotel on it so that you can sleep over the water! (though we have never stayed there)







We eventually made our way back to Mission Beach. We locked the bikes, and headed into Canes for some libations. This is the breezy, outdoor view from my chair. (Yes, it was difficult to leave!) But after a couple cocktails and our fill of people watching, we got hungry for some "real food."






I was excited to try Vegan Zone "the exotic vegan bistro" -- the newest veg restaurant in Pacific Beach after reading this and this. It's close to the beach, but has more of a "Melrose" vibe with it's dramatic paint colors, giant golden Buddha, and modern flare. It's vegan, so if you're in the San Diego beach area, you gotta try this. They offer lots of starters, salads, sandwiches & soup, noodle & rice dishes, as well as curries & sushi rolls.




'Golden Nuggets' $4 Lightly battered and fried soy chicken nuggets with choice of a sweet chili sauce or BBQ sauce.

We were hungry from bike riding, so the smoothie & nuggets helped calm our tummies. The nuggets would have been too bland without the sauce, and we weren't given a choice -- I think it was the BBQ that was automatically given.


Art had the 'Pineapple Burger' $8 Grilled pineapple on fried soy chicken in kamut flour, with home fries. (I had a bite, it's yummy!)

Below that is my 'High Protein Salad' $8 Crispy romaine, garbanzo beans, edamame, avocado, red onion and tomato topped with crunchy walnuts. I chose the Peanut dressing over the Tahini and Italian. The waitress happily subbed sunflower seeds for the walnuts at my request. It was just right -- light & satisfying. Again, this place is definitely worth a visit!

Karen, All Vegan, & El Zerape (San Diego 1 of 5)

Here's Art and I on August 22, 2007.













***FLASHBACK!***

And, here we are August 22, 15 years earlier.










In honor of that, we put the girls in the loving hands of CA G'ma & G'pa so that we could go celebrate.

Back to where it all began.... in San Diego.








Going to San Diego also means cultivating new relationships. Like hanging out with Karen and enjoying a vegan meal together. So far, she has introduced me to three awesome eateries Sipz, Kung-Food, and now, El Zerape.

I love this photo of Mattie, Karen, and I because we all have the same "I'm so happy to see you!" expression.




But, before lunch, Karen took me to All Vegan across the street from the restaurant. I've been wanting to visit this cruelty-free store since I read about it in VegNews.

It was smaller than I anticipated, but jam-packed with loads of vegan goodies like shoes, bags, shirts, and snacks. We had a great conversation with Karen's friend who works there, and I bought a couple "beans wax" candles and picked up some flyers & stickers. We both noted the Everyday Dish DVD on a display as well as a copy of Vegan Lunch Box.






Then, we walked across the street to El Zerape. Karen said she likes to get the soy protein burrito without cheese, so that's what we both got.

We walked to a pretty nearby park with the burritos, marinated carrots & salsa in hand to enjoy on a shady picnic table. At one point Karen says, "I don't know what's in this burrito, but it's really good!" We laughed and puzzled over it for a bit. What was it? The only thing we knew for sure was that it was plant-based and delicious. In the end, that's all we needed to know.

Thanks for introducing me to cool places and taking time to hang out, Karen! I thoroughly enjoyed it. :)

Happy Labor Day Weekend

After being away for a while, we wanted to spend the long weekend close to home.

We started the weekend by going to the Farmer's Market. It was the biggest FM of the year (doubling in size) and lasted 2 days (doubling in duration). There were two stages for performers and an extra street was blocked to accommodate more vendors. Lots of people came out for the City Harvest and to support local farmers and artisans.

I took home apples, peaches and green beans.








Abi & I enjoyed sharing a couple Honey Crisp apples. Art took a look at us and wanted to know what all the crunching was about, and ate one also. These are THE BEST apples. They are super crisp, juicy, and perfectly tart. But the lady who grows them says they aren't the best for cooking.






We were invited to a BBQ, and that morning, Wendy called to ask if tofu would be a good sub for hamburger. There was a recipe in the newspaper (article by Jim Romanoff) for burgers, and she wanted to make them vegan for the party. I steered her in the direction of LightLife, which is what she did. Here they are all prepped for Fred to grill.

Art and I were touched and impressed that she served these. They were super tasty! Wasn't this so thoughtful & generous?!


'Smokey "beef" and Black Bean Burgers'
1 tsp. canola oil
1 sm. yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground chipotle pepper
3/4 c. canned black beans, rinsed & drained
2 slices firm ww bread, torn in small pieces
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 package Litelife "Smart ground"
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet over med. heat. Add onions and saute until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, & chipotle and saute 1 min. Transfer to a dish to cool.
In a med. bowl, combine the beans, bread and tomato paste. Use potato masher or fork to mash them into a rough paste. Add the Smart ground, cilantro, salt, pepper and the onion mixture. Mix thoroughly, then shape into four 3/4-inch thick patties.
Grill the burgers on a well-oiled rack. I chose a sesame seed bun and added avocado, lettuce, mustard, & sriracha. Served with that was the sweetest corn on the cob, and Fred's insalata caprese. We all enjoyed some laughs in the backyard while the kids played.

We picked up an electric ice-cream maker at a garage sale earlier this summer for $5, and I tried it out today. On page 284 of this cookbook is 'Chocolate Sorbet' and the description fits, "a rich, chocolaty frozen dessert, with a texture between that of sorbet and ice cream."
3 first time events for me: first time making home made ice cream, first recipe I've made from this cookbook, and first time making cashew milk.



I'm happy to report that it was a big success all the way around. The sorbet is delicious -- perfect texture and the flavor is major chocolately with a touch of espresso. My daughter went to bed asking if she could have more tomorrow. And, I'm ready to try another Voluptuous Vegan recipe, like the 'Coconut Sorbet' or any of the many other recipes that caught my eye.

I admit to being a delinquent blogger lately, and I miss your inspiring blogs. But vacation has a way of picking up my momentum. I'll be back with that next time.

Vacation

The girls and I are flying to CA this morning, and we'll be there a week. We're going to celebrate Art & my 15th wedding anniversary. Time sure flys by!

The girls will be with G'ma & G'pa while Art and I spend some time in San Diego, where we met 17 years ago.





I'm really looking forward to getting away and being invigorated... inspired... connected... balanced... focused. Being near the ocean and with Art will do that for me. We'll eat at some great restaurants and visit family & friends (including Kleo!).

I always have my restaurant guide in my purse. It's a small address book alphabetized by city, with veg friendly restaurants listed. Before a trip, I go to Happy Cow and copy the restaurant's address, phone, & description in my book -- anytime I read a review of a restaurant I want to visit, I just jot it down. It's a handy resource on the road.






I'll leave you with some shots of our garden, and let the photos do the talking, as I still have 100 things to do before the plane takes off!

Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies

The comments on my last post prompted me to make Julie's 'Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies' for my babysitter who voiced an interest in going veg. This was my effort to "woo her with good food and especially baked treats" as our friend Amey suggested.

These cookies definately have the "woo" factor, and the recipe makes plenty to share.




Beside my list of instructions, I left some cookies to snack along with a link to the recipe. She borrowed "The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook" and plans to cook up a meal for her boyfriend that doesn't include Morningstar.

Amanda told me that she has not eaten meat all week! Furthermore, she convinced her boyfriend to stop eating meat with her. Evidently her parents are supportive, but his are not. We'll see how this unfolds.

Isn't this just peachy?

Peach season is finally here, and this year we visited Williamson Orchards in the Sunnyslope area west of Nampa. It's a family-run fruit and vegetable farm with lots of country charm.











Their outdoor produce market.












When there are twelve varieties of peaches available, it's not easy to decide. We settled on July Flame and Vista.











Buckets & buckets of peaches!















This is the only prepared vegan pie crust available at my Co-op. It's organic and there is a whole wheat variety as well. It's a great tasting crust, and when you're in a pinch it'll do just fine.








I was more than happy to test this 'Cinnamon Sugar Peach Pie' recipe for Julie Hasson's upcoming pie book. Here it is before the top crust was placed. For a cool step-by-step of this peachy pie, visit Boo's a veg-a-nut.

This peach pie is so delicious that I made it twice! It's an easy recipe with fabulous results -- just my kind. :)




We still had a plethora of peaches after making two peach pies! I was able to can 12 pint size jars, and freeze 2 quart size baggies.







and, I still had enough to make 'Kim's Peach-zza' from La Dolce Vegan! And don't let the title fool you, this does not count for dinner!
What could be more peachy than all this? One of our babysitters has been perusing my books, and told me she wants to go veg! She asked some questions, read this article, and borrowed my "Diet for a New America". It makes me hopeful to see people eliminating meat. How do you encourage propective veggies?