Category Archives: vegan

by | January 1, 2011 · 6:36 am

Happy New BEER Eve!

     Happy New Year’s Eve!!! Everyone seems to be doing resolutions in the blogosphere, but I’m still in the process of putting mine together. I’m one of those people who likes to spend the entire day thinking about new, exciting changes, jotting them down in pretty notebooks and then sharing them with family and close friends while we sit around eating shrimp canapes and sipping fine beers.

I’m fancy like that.

     We had a wonderful week with my brother and sister-in-law. I haven’t had so much beer in one week EVER. I’m definitely looking forward to a little detox – until MY beer is ready to try!
Speaking of which, it had a little bit of an overflow the other day. Overflow = VERY happy beer! My sis-in-law helped me save it.
MY ALMOST BEER!!! Took a reading with my hydrometer today and snuck a little taste.
HAPPY!!!
I got to try that scary Weasel Crap Beer that I’ve been fearing/desperately wanting to try. It was an experience! I can tell that it’s a good beer, but holy crap is thick! I was fine sipping it until I started thinking about how it was made. I had a total of half a glass and then couldn’t mentally handle it anymore.
Still glad I tried it!
We took “the brewers/vegans” out to Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria for a tasting while they were here.
Verdict from the beer snobs: GOOD BEER!
Yesterday, we all took a trip to the airport to ship them off to a cold, snowy place. It was sad to say goodbye, but we all had a wonderful time!
Miss you guys already!

3 Comments

Filed under 2010, airport, Carpinteria, Island Brewing Company, Kriek, Liefmans, Mikkeller Geek Brunch Weasel, New Year, vegan

by | December 25, 2010 · 4:12 am

Christmas Eve at Ladyface!

     Merry Christmas Eve!!! My brother and his wife (whom shall now be referred to as “the vegans“) are in town for the holidays. They’re home-brewers and total beer snobs (that’s where I learned my beer-snobbery), so we went to Ladyface for an early lunch and beer tasting.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Ladyface Mountain!
We all started off with different beers. Starting from the top left and going clockwise: Picture City Porter, Ladyface IPA, Blind Ambition Amber, La Blonde, and the seasonal “O Smokey Night”.
I was very happy with my Blind Ambition – I’ve always been partial to ambers.
 Blind Ambition post-swirling.
It’s always necessary to start with sweet potato fries, especially if they come with red ale ketchup! The taste of the ale was actually present in the sauce and added a malty depth to the ketchup. I could’ve sipped it straight from the cup!
Having “the vegans” in the house always makes me crave meat to compensate for the overload of tofu and legumes that they use to fill our fridge. I ordered the grass-fed, free-range burger with white cheddar on a pretzel bun. It came with sliced red onions bathed in balsamic vinegar, organic tomatoes and butter lettuce on the side.
Dessert consisted of dreamy, delicate chocolate crepes stuffed with slightly-sweet chantilly cream and drizzled with raspberry compote.
They suggested that the crepes be paired with Liefman’s slightly sour lambic brewed with cherries.
It actually had small fragments of cherries in it!
 Obviously we weren’t satisfied with the dessert, OR the beer-pairing.
We were so unimpressed that we bought another bottle to take home for post-church enjoyment.
Such suffering 🙂
After a long lunch, we ventured back to the brewery section of the alehouse and brasserie.
They were in the middle of boiling their La Blanche Witbier, and we got a chance to talk with the brewmaster, David Griffiths, as well as the owner of the restaurant, Cyrena Nouzille.
Some of their seasonals were being fermented in French oak barrels.
     It was a really tough way to spend Christmas Eve, but we felt it was our duty to help support the local business. We’re off to attend Christmas Eve service, and then we’ll be spending the evening sipping fine brews and enjoying some quality time with our little family. I’m feeling extremely blessed this season.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

6 Comments

Filed under Agoura, blonde ale, brewery, burgers, IPA, Ladyface, Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie, Liefmans, O Smokey Night, Picture City Porter, sweet potato fries, vegan

by | December 16, 2010 · 5:28 am

Tucson: Part Three!

     My mornings in Tucson consisted of lunch for breakfast. Every day. I fell in love with the beautiful Sabine’s Cafe Passe, where I grabbed panini every morning.

Roasted bell pepper, avocado slices, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and a slice of pepperjack cheese piled on top of nine-grain bread and pressed until melted.
Something else I may have to recreate at home!

     During the festival on Saturday, I had some time to go and explore a little more. I stumbled across a dance studio that was advertising a free dance show. How could I not check that out? FREE!
CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!

     All the dancing made me ravenous! I visited a local college hangout for lunch.
“We love your bum.” Definitely a college hangout.
It was packed inside, so I grabbed a New Belgium Abbey and grabbed the first seat I found.
I placed my order and spent AN HOUR waiting for it to arrive. Luckily they had plenty of photography on the walls to check out, and all of the patrons were incredibly trashed and rowdy and fun to watch.
This is the HALF-ORDER of their “Lady Madonna” sandwich. It is PILED with turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. I ate a quarter of it and was stuffed. I also demolished most of the sweet potato fries.
     We had an amazing day of sales and decided to celebrate with dinner and drinks at the hotel.
There were no complaints about the view.
We were nestled in a corner outside where we enjoyed the incredible scenery and were serenaded by acoustic guitar.
How could I not? Cadillac margarita with a sugar rim!
We started with guacamole, prepared fresh tableside with a mortar and pestle, that was full of avocado, fresh tomatoes, lime zest, jalapeno and onions.
I also can’t say no to salmon!
This nears the top of my “favorite salmon entree EVER” list. The salmon was delicate and crispy on the outside, set atop a bed of rich, flavorful steamed lentils and spinach, and covered with tangy Peperonata – caramelized bell peppers.
I might be drooling as I remember this right now. Or that could be the novocaine from my visit to the dentist…
We also split a vegan tamale pie that was filled with corn, black beans and elbow macaroni, and topped with a tamale dough, cabbage and tomatoes. This wasn’t quite as worthwhile.
I filled my plate and then cleared it completely. I also got seconds (and possibly thirds) of the salmon.

Becki was a happy girl.

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Filed under Abbey, Arizona, Bumsted's, Cadillac, grilled salmon, guacamole, Madonna, New Belgium, Sabine's Cafe Passe, Tucson, vegan

by | November 8, 2010 · 11:25 am

Goodbye, Carefree!

     Today was the final day of the Carefree Fine Arts and Wine Festival… until January. And March. That’s right, I’ll be back here three times a year! My new job kicks ass!

     To bid a fond adieu to the wonderful city of Carefree, we woke up at 6am and headed to the festival to get good parking so I could move the van as soon as the show wrapped and not have to risk running down fellow artists in the desperate attempt to get packed as soon as possible. Since we’d arrived so early, we got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the patio.

There’s nothing wrong with having repeats for breakfast, but this was the only place that happened to be open early, so I stuck with something semi-healthy. Veggie omelets are a good stand-by for me.
     It was a slightly busier day, so I spent a lot of time at the booth chatting with the other artists and some rabid fans who collect my artist’s oil paintings. We were lucky enough to have lunch brought to us by the amazing Chef Sara! I am head over heels for this woman’s food!!!
She brought us a raw vegan wrap made with alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, red cabbage, falafel (not fried, being RAW and all that), and a vegan tahini sauce, surrounded by seaweed. Not too long ago, I would not have touched this with a ten-foot pole, but I was AMAZED at how delicious this was!!! Sara, can you come live with me??
My only complaint – floss is needed immediately after eating unless you want to frighten people off with your algae-covered teeth. It’s a price I’d be willing to pay!
She also brought us raw cheesecake! This one is goji berry.
I AM SO SPOILED! This was the tastiest cheesecake I’ve ever had in my entire life – no cheese needed!
She also gave me the lavender cheesecake to sample.
It was very perfume-y, but still delectable.
     I bought some of the donut holes to take home as a gift for the roommates to try. I’ll tell you, if I could afford it and all my food tasted like this, I could be a raw vegan for life! I am utterly floored by how delicious this meal was!
     When the show wrapped at 5pm, there was a desperate race for the parking lot while all of the artists fought to get their vans and trailers to their booths as quickly as possible. I managed to get the very first spot and therefore navigated to my spot very quickly. It took about three hours to break down the booth and get everything packed up, then we headed to Venues Cafe for a celebratory dinner.
Of course I had to have an Easy Street… or two. Hey, it’s a celebration after all!
I got the grilled vegetable and avocado sandwich on fresh focaccia again – if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
A group of us spent about two hours at the restaurant and I ended with a decaf cappuccino topped with warm cinnamon.
Alec, the wonderful waiter who accommodated me all SEVEN TIMES that I went into the restaurant, brought out a complimentary chocolate mousse topped with vanilla amaretto cookies and fresh orange slices.
     When we got back to the hotel, I went to the pool for a quick swim and spent half on hour floating in the warm water, staring at the stars as my breath created puffs of white in the chilly air, and thanking God for blessing me with such a precious, wonderful new adventure. I am so thankful.
A perfect ending to an amazing weekend!

6 Comments

Filed under amaretto, Arizona, cappuccino, Carefree, cheesecake, Chef Sara, chocolate mousse, Easy Street, Fine Arts and Wine Festival, God, goji berry, lavender, lucky girl, raw organic vegan, vegan, Venues Cafe

by | November 7, 2010 · 11:10 am

Vegan Donut Holes and Jewelry!

     Exercise of the day: 35 minutes on the elliptical in the teeny fitness room at level 12, followed by triceps and bicep weights, squats and crunches, all while watching the Colorado Avalanche game (they DESTROYED the Dallas Stars, 5-0. My night is complete now 🙂 ). I refueled with some of this:

Freshly-made fudge! Wholesome, eh? The guy running the fudge booth gave me an “artist discount” on a huge chunk of fudge that was so fresh, it was still warm.
     I started the day off right – a big, heart-healthy breakfast!
I got the avocado, egg, butter lettuce, and tomato on an english muffin with a side of fruit.
     I perused the show a bit more since it was a slow day….
     …then headed back to the booth to do some reading.
Which one do I read? They’re both so well written!!!
(Is anyone else obsessed with reading menus?)
I went back to Venues Cafe for lunch and got a salad of butter lettuce, figs, goat cheese and hazelnuts drizzled with balsamic syrup and a red wine vinaigrette. 
     When I got back to the booth, a friend of my artist had stopped by and dropped off some samples from a new restaurant she’s opening in December.
RAW ORGANIC VEGAN??? GIMME!!!
Vegan fudge with ginger and coconut.
Rich, chocolate-y and heavenly.
Next up were my favorites: DONUT HOLES!
I’m going to get more info on what’s in these tomorrow, but I know that there are dates, almonds, and something freaking MAGICAL in these soft, sweet and slightly salty balls of fluff. If you do order anything from her, these would be my first recommendation!!!
     Our booth neighbor, Julie Glassman, makes some amazing jewelry. I spent a lot of the day hanging out at her booth, staring longingly at the earrings.
We also rescued a cat today. We’re responsible like that.
She creates her jewelry with powdered glass and precious metals.
Each piece is like a tiny painting!
I think I’m going to go broke working at all these shows…
     For dinner, a group of artists went to a Mexican-fusion restaurant and had some interesting conversations about art, festivals, and neuroscience. Two of the artists who do photography used to work in neuroscience, then decided to leave their company and travel the world taking incredible pictures. It was a night full of variety, that’s for sure!
The courtyard we ate at is BEAUTIFUL!
Milk Stout? Longmont, CO? I had to try it!
HOLY GEEZ. This is the thickest beer I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but the first sip was like drinking sweetcream butter. Delicious, alcoholic sweetcream butter.
I ordered the spicy tacos with ahi tuna instead of mahi mahi.
It was served with jalapeno aiolo, spicy white beans and sliced avocado.
     I’m fairly certain I’ll be heading home with a few extra pounds on my frame, and I’m perfectly content with that. It’s a learning process :). Now I’m off to sleep so I can wake up and get to the show in five and a half hours… Oh, joy…

1 Comment

Filed under ahi tuna, butter lettuce, Colorado Avalanche, donut holes, FUDGE, Julie Glassman, milk stout, organic, raw organic vegan, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, vegan, Venues Cafe

by | October 23, 2010 · 9:36 pm

Butternut Squash Apple Soup!

I did a lot of cooking yesterday, but decided not to bombard you with every recipe in one post. I felt that the bread pudding needed to be shared first because it was so epic, but here’s another dish that is a saga in itself. Bonus: it’s vegan!



Butternut Squash Apple Soup with a bite! – Printable version HERE
(adapted from Martha Stewart to be vegan/vegetarian)
1 tbsp Nucoa
1 onion, chopped
1 butternut squash
3 apples
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
A pinch of ground cinnamon
A pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/3 cup soy creamer
     1. Assemble your ingredients. (I didn’t have all the ingredients that Martha’s recipe calls for so I just grabbed whatever I could find in my kitchen.)
Everyone ready?
     2. Combine all your seasonings into a small dish.
Mise en place, baby!
     3. Slice your butternut squash into rounds, trim off the skin and scoop out the seeds.
M-m-m-macro!
     4. Chop the squash rounds into inch-long squares.
     5. Peel, core and chop the apples into the same size squares as the squash.
     6. Heat the Nucoa (or olive/vegetable oil) over medium heat in a large pot, then add onions and sautee until transparent (about four minutes).
     7. Add the chopped squash and sautee for another fifteen minutes.
     8. Throw in the chopped apples, spices and vegetable stock, then top with water until all the vegetables are just barely covered in liquid.
     9. Bring the pot to a boil, then set it to low, uncovered for 40 minutes.
     10. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup into a blender and blend it in batches until smooth.
I left some texture in mine so it didn’t feel like I was eating baby food.
     11. Stir in the soy creamer and add some freshly ground black pepper.
PRETTY!!!
     12. Ladle into a bowl and top with any garnish you like: sliced jalapenos for extra bite, caramelized pecans or, if you’re not vegan, a small scoop of goat cheese for a little extra tang.
D-Lish!
     This soup is delicately sweet and comforting with a hidden spicy bite that warms your stomach and makes you want to stay on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket all day, reading a book or watching the Food Network.
I LOVE AUTUMN!

2 Comments

Filed under apples, butternut squash, butternut squash apple soup, Martha Stewart, vegan, vegan soup, vegetarian

by | July 8, 2010 · 10:07 am

Blog Name Redeemed!

     I am back on the exercise wagon!!! Today, I completely overdid my workout and loved every second of it! I hiked. I biked. I ate! Boo to the yah!

     First, we’ll start with first things first. Firstly…

I had breakfast before my monster! This was an omelette with 2 eggs, 1/2 a cup of spinach, 2 teaspoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I use the ones that are soaked in oil, then drain them – the flavor is so much better than dry!), and 1 teaspoon of goat cheese.
     My roommate was up late last night, and me, being the wonderful person that I am, decided to wait until both my roommates were awake to share the awesomeness that is the Green Monster!
By the time they were both awake, I’d eaten my omelette and was pretty full, so I had a half of a Monsta. Mine had 1 cup of spinach, 1/3 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/8 a cup of frozen cherries, 1/3 of a banana and lemon juice.
     We got on the trail very, very late. For a change, my roomie and I tried a different trail – this was decided halfway to the national park while we were in the car, and I had no camera to document. It was beautiful! There was a thick marine layer and we walked through mist for the entire hour. This trail was a steep downhill for 1.43 miles, but that meant that it was another 1.43 miles back up that steep hill. It hurt. I loved it!
     After we got back to the house, I decided that since I was all sweaty and gross anyway, I might as well get on my bike! I biked down to the local library to return some books, and pick up some more. It took me about 5 minutes to lock my bike because I wanted to lock my wheel and frame to the bike rack, but alas, it wouldn’t fit. 
I figured that since I’m not at UCSB anymore, no one will be out to steal my tire or bike seat.
It was still there when I came out! Yay!!!
     I biked around with a full backpack – about 6.75 miles of which only the last .2 miles KILLED me! I don’t think I can detail the hill I live on enough to make you understand the pain that is involved in the climb up. I’ll have to post a picture tomorrey.
     I finally removed the 40 pounds of books that I’d had strapped to my back, and collapsed onto the couch.
My interests of the week: Flexitarianism, Veganism and mountain biking!
     I read the flexitarian book and wasn’t very inspired. It’s not as much of a nutritional info book as it is a mixture of random recipes. Meh. Next! The Veganomicon book (included in my favorites –>) is pretty cool! I’ll probably be dabbling in that during the next week – I’m going to do a week of veganism, just to see if I can! If you haven’t noticed, I really enjoy ridiculous challenges that have no real purpose to them except to prove that I can do anything :). The other books I’ll get to tomorrow.
     After showering, I chugged about 48 ounces of water immediately, then had a mini-salad to calm my stomach while I sauteed some zucchini.
1 cup of chopped lettuce and 1/4 a cup of chopped bell pepper with 1 teaspoon of homemade balsamic dressing.
Lots of Herbes de Provence!
Lunch was 1/4 cup of Barilla Plus pasta with tomato-basil marinara, 1/8 a cup of my sauteed zucchini and a teaspoon of goat cheese.
     After fooding, I fell into the barcalounger and flipped through some of my books. Before I knew it, my alarm was going off to remind me that I had to go to work. I threw on some clothes and makeup (blah), grabbed some books and headed out.
     My first stop was to get a little more calories into my system. I worked hard today!
OOOOOH YEAAAAH! I had a small with amaretto chocolate chip, rocky road and Grandma’s Penuche from Paciugo. This totally made my day!
     I actually had work to do at work! I was slammed with unpacking and repacking of boxes, cleaning counters and all that fun stuff, so the time flew by. It’s such a nice change to not be staring at the minutes creeping by on the clock.
     When I got home, I was going to have a nice hot cup of tea, but instead I went for this:
Stockyard Oatmeal Stout! This had a wonderful mocha smell, and tasted like a rich coffee with some toffee/chocolate mixed in. It was very smooth and had a great amount of carbonation – some of you may know that I don’t like flat beers I.E. Guinness and the like. I’ll be back for this one, especially since it’s only a dollar down at my local Trader Joe’s!
     I now feel warm and sleepy – the perfect way to feel after a beer, so I’m off to read some of my mountain biking books and prepare for another day tomorrow full of exercise, FARMERS’ MARKET, cooking and another late shift at work.
Anyone up for a week-long vegan challenge? C’mon, give it a try!

4 Comments

Filed under beer, bike, green monster, hike, library, marine layer, omelette, Paciugo, pasta, salad, vegan, zucchini

by | July 3, 2010 · 9:07 am

The Big Reveal

     I know you’ve all been on the edge of your seats wondering (okay, maybe not, but let’s just pretend), so prepare yourselves for way too many pictures of the day!

     I started the day off with a gigantic GM.

I also made some for the roommates 🙂
     My friends and I hopped in the car and headed up north to Carpinteria for the day! Our first stop was Chamomile Cafe for some organic breakfast.
We got the best seat in the house – seriously, the waitress told us that people wait in line for this booth.
We got there around 11am. The regulars had already left. No waiting here!
I got the pumpkin-pecan pancakes. Holy Heavens, these were amazing! Crunchy granola, sweetened pecans and a light-as-air pancake filled with lush pumpkin flavor: all organic ingredients and those strawberries on the side melted in my mouth!
My friend got the quiche – organic eggs, broccoli, tomatoes and cheese floating on a flaky crust, with an applesauce-covered potato pancake on the side. I may have stolen half of her quiche…
We spent over an hour lounging around enjoying the ambiance, and LOTS of coffee with soy creamer!
     The day was spent perusing through different shops. First was Porch, a whimsical little store with lots of driftwood.
 
An artist was dropping of her driftwood mirrors when we stopped by.
 My favorite: A BP-Free-Tree – I named it myself! I’m such a nerd…

     We wandered down the main road to check out the campground (I told you there’d be tents! I’m wishing we’d gotten a site there now, but it was really packed for the 4th of July weekend).
They ended up having an outdoor movie screen there for all the vacationers. What an awesome way to spend a weekend! Not that I’m jealous: I’m glad to be working Saturday and Sunday :P.
     Have you stopped to visit your local museum lately? We did! Well, it’s not quite local, but we found the Carpinteria History Museum, and stopped in to check it out. 
This is a record player from one of the first houses EVER in Carpinteria. The gentleman who worked there turned the crank and showed us that it actually works! It was absolutely amazing to listen to the music while looking at the school room:
Everything in here was donated from an actual schoolhouse in the 1940’s!
The kitchen was stocked full with old cans and furniture that were taken from that first house which was sadly torn down to make way for new construction.
This is a dollhouse that was made by a high school class as a group project in 1936 (forgive me if the dates are a little off). It was so intricate and beautiful! Of course it was updated with a little electricity so museum-goers could enjoy all the minute details.
This place has no government funding, so we all chipped in a little cash to help keep it alive. I’ve always been a sucker for museums. I find it fascinating to look at things from the past and envision the people that used, cared for, and enjoyed them – like this carriage that probably carried entire families through the town, up on the cliffs that overlook the beautiful Pacific.
     We let the history soak into us a bit, wandered around, and found a really cool little art gallery on a side street: Anderson Art Collective. My favorite pieces there were the Sexy Skulls <– You’ll want to click there :). One of the artists was there in the studio working, and happens to be incredibly gorgeous. Ladies, beware, his smile can melt you, AND the wax. Here’s some of his work. 
     Before we headed to the main attraction, we hit up Siam Thai for some fuel.
Pad Kee Mao with beef (I’m really failing on this Flexitarian thing…).
Pad Thai with chicken.
     Next comes the main event of the day: Something I’ve been wanting to do for a looooong time!
Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria!!!
We all started off with a sampler. Paradise Pale Ale – not a fan: too bland and bitter. Island Pale Ale: much smoother and a little more depth. Jubilee: Love in a glass – sweet and silky and smooth, with a nice caramel aftertaste. Blackbird Porter: smelled a little nail-polishy, but tasted good! And finally, the Holiday Cask Ale: Smelled strongly of molasses and was very rich, and the roommates thought it smelled and tasted a bit like brandy (I wouldn’t know, never having tried brandy), but definitely was an unexpected punch to the face (9% ABV).
We went with the Jubilee and the Weiss (the brewery’s Hefeweisen, in case you didn’t get that 🙂 ).
     After spilling half of the Jubilee (I was a total idiot and spilled the glass all over my friends while telling a story with excessive hand motions – did that after only having the sampler, thank you very much), we finished the dregs of the glass and I apologized to the staff excessively while hiding my face behind my hands. My friend kindly and generously bought me an Islands Brewery sweatshirt to make me feel better :). Okay, all better!
     Dinner was next! We stopped at Giovanni’s and split a mini pizza between the three of us.
This pizza was delicious, and REAL! The sauce had tons of oregano and rosemary sprinkled throughout. I had two slices with ham, pepperoni, mushrooms (which I picked off), olives (which I picked off), green peppers and sausage. I was serious when I said I was failing the Flexitarianism!
     After wandering around the town, we stopped at the beach to watch the waves and the sunset.
 
A beautiful ending to an amazing day!
     Now it’s only 10pm, and I have to go crash because I’ve got a full day of work starting at 8:30am. Woohoo. Can’t wait. Oh! And I get to watch the LBM (Little Blurry Monster for all you new readers) again, so my post tomorrey will be a little late, or it might have to wait until Sunday – my bike has been calling me from its stand in the garage. I can’t ignore it for too much longer!
All you normal people, enjoy your weekends and be blessed!!!
  

6 Comments

Filed under beach, beer, Carpinteria, Chamomile Cafe, Islands Brewing Company, organic, pad kee mow, pad thai, vegan

by | June 13, 2010 · 9:35 am

A Morning of Firsts, and Lasts

     I didn’t mean to… I swear I didn’t! Last night, I promised you all that I’d eat two ice cream bars, but I failed. I only ate one. I guess it’s a good thing that one satisfied me, but after my promises of not lying to you anymore, I felt guilty. Just had to let you all know the truth.

     Bad news: I ran out of spinach. There was no GM for me this morning. Instead, I decided to try the overnight oats that I’ve read so much about. I used the vegan version from Oh She Glows. Luckily, I had picked up some chia seeds at Sprouts before the farmers’ market on Thursday, so I was able to throw all the ingredients into a bowl. It looked a little scary…

     
     When I woke up in the morning, it looked even scarier.
     Then I stirred in a tablespoon of flaxseed peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup and it looked like it was going to crawl out of the bowl and beat me up.
     I’ll say this nicely – I’m NOT a fan. Cold oatmeal and I just do not mesh. It was chilly and slimy, and after every bite, I took a sip of coffee like a chaser to get rid of the shivers it brought on. Maybe if I ever get the guts (ewww, that’s what it reminds me of) to make it again I’ll reheat it and try it warm. Have you ever heated up overnight oats? Did it make them inedible or better?

     When I got to work, I diligently focused on my responsibilities.
     That’s one of the pages of The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. The only copy that was available in my library was a large print. When I want to read something badly enough, I’ll settle for this, but large print takes some getting used to! Personally, I find it harder to read than regular.
     I also got to hang out with some of the boys.
     They hang out with me when I have a snack break and guard my purse from the delinquents who may try to steal it. They’re chill.
     My annoying stomach started going off an hour into work, even though I’d had massive amounts of cold, clammy protein in the oats and peanut butter, so I swung by See’s Candies to get a sample. The workers at See’s know me. They know me well. I paid for two pieces, and this is what they gave me:
     I ask for two, I come out with five. I hate those workers so much…and yet I adore them! Double caramel FTW!
     For lunch I had a mini spicy tuna roll with brown rice and sriracha soy sauce, yet again. I met up with my friend Brittany and we sat outside in the beautiful sunshine, enjoyed the fresh air and dreamed about what we could be doing if we had money and weren’t trapped doing retail. Girls gotta dream 🙂
     I bailed on work early. I just couldn’t take anymore standing around and reading, plus I had to pick up the roommate from the train station. I got home, sat in a comfy chair, tweeted about how I never wanted to get out of it, then finally got up and made myself a mini-KSS.
     This baby had lettuce, warmed lentils, half a bell pepper, half a container of Spicy Ranchero Egg White Salad, a sliced and sauteed zucchini all tossed with about 2 teaspoons of homemade dressing. I feasted. I smiled.
     I headed on down to the train station, picked up the adored roomie and came back to catch up over a Franziskaner (for me) and a glass of wine (for her). Then I realized I needed to write my blog before I fell asleep in the aforementioned cozy chair, so I opened up a coconut milk ice cream bar, and here we are.
     Tomorrow begins a week of housesitting, so my blogs may be slightly sporadic because I don’t get internet connection over there – BOOOOO! I hope you all enjoy your Saturday nights, and aren’t as lame as I’m about to be – passing out in said chair before dragging myself to bed.
Bon Nuit!

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Filed under books, Chocolate, coffee, Franziskaner, kitchen sink salad, overnight oats, reading, See's Candies, sushi, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, vegan, work

by | May 30, 2010 · 7:10 am

The Daily Grind

The bike trumped the quinoa! I took off for a nice half hour ride to get to know my new friend – I definitely need to think up a name for her. After the ridiculous struggle up the hill back home, I had a big bowl of make-your-nose-drip-it’s-so-freakin’-spicy vegan chili waiting for me, and just had to make some garlic toast to dip in it.
Garlic Toast:
Take 1 slice of seedy, nutty whole grain bread and drop it in the toaster.
Slice off the end of 1 garlic clove and rub it over both sides of the toast.
Devour.
This is a really simple and delicious way to get the amazing taste of garlic bread without getting the calories from the butter and parmesan cheese that many recipes include. Plus, chili just can’t be eaten without garlic bread. It’s comfort food at its best!
On Friday morning we went for a very short 40 minute hike. We were hoping for a longer one, but real life got in the way, as did a late waking. I headed off to rehearsal for the upcoming film in Burbank and met some costars, got the wardrobe fitting and spent about 2 and a half hours going over the script and figuring out blocking. I came back with the plans of exchanging my bike shorts (the Pearl Izumi Speed ones I got were just a little too short for me to be comfortable wearing them in public), and found a great pair I wanted (the Pearl Izumi Attack shorts are just a tad longer, and a bit more expensive, but the extra panels make them fit much better) but they didn’t have my size. Instead I returned them and ordered the Attack shorts so I can try them on when the cycle shop gets them in next week.
I meant to jump right on my bike when I got home, but I had had a really long day of driving and socializing and driving again, so I crashed on the couch with a Fat Tire (whoops!) and read my latest issue of Backpacker magazine – a favorite of mine 🙂 Then, the roommates came back after a Ventura jaunt with a huge bag of chocolates that they were more than happy to share (thanks a lot, guys :-/). So to sum it up, my day didn’t end up the way I was hoping, but who can be perfect when they’re surrounded by generous people who have free chocolate?
This morning meant an early start at my day job. I had an AMAZING breakfast scramble with a piece of whole grain toast and olive oil – gotta have the healthy fats!
I have been craving massively spicy foods lately, so this one was doused in Trader Joe’s jalapeno hot sauce. Have I mentioned a million times how amazing that stuff is? For a long day at work, I really need to stuff myself in the morning. I’m one who needs to eat every 2 hours, otherwise I get nauseated (weird, right?).
At work I staved off all the sugary coffee drinks I love to get, but accidentally found Paciugo, the gelato place I used to frequent on a daily (!) basis. The thing is, I’d heard that they recently came out with a new flavor called, get this, ORGANIC MAPLE CARAMELIZED BACON! I’ve been dying to try it since I read that it was upcoming on their menu, and MAN was that sample worth it! It’s an amazing creamy, sugary maple gelato with bacon that has been sprinkled with sugar, then baked until caramelized and crumbled on top. It’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Needless to say, I went back for another sample…
Lunch was a mini spicy tuna roll with brown rice and spicy Sriracha sauce. Almost any sushi place has brown rice available for a minimal fee, which I find strange… why does it cost MORE to get rice that still has the hull on? Wouldn’t it take MORE time and money to process the rice to get the white rice? Can anyone tell me why that is? I’m totally lost…
As the work day wound to a close, I found myself thinking about those gelato samples more and more and decided, why not? It’s only 100 calories for a child’s size cup, and if I completely deprive myself then I’ll end up gorging later. Plus, I had an awesome bike ride planned for after work. It was so worth it!
I arrived home completely exhausted, and threw myself onto my bike seat before I could even think about what I was doing. I headed down and spent about 50 minutes on a higher gear speeding around a local park. As I headed onto a side trail, my chain dropped (oh, joy…) and I spent 5 minutes covering my hands with grease trying to hook it back on, and even managed to get a big metal chunk of chain lodged in my thumb. I struggled back up my hill without stopping, and got all the way up in record time! Yay!
For dinner I sauteed some frozen butternut squash I chopped up last month and stirred it into the leftover chili with a little brown rice. A little Franziskaner (a really good German hefeweizen) topped me off, and now I’ll be all carb-ed up for another long day at work tomorrow. The next workout will have to wait until Monday :-/

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Filed under beer, bike, chain, chili, garlic bread, pain, Pearl Izumi, trail, vegan