Catching up and lots of pics

Hey everyone! So sorry for not having posted in over a week.  And just to let you know, there won't be much posting over the next month.....but hopefully I'll be able to at least post some pics from various travels and eats.

First let's start off with the latest produce from the farmer's market: pattypan squash, peaches, blueberries, yellow grape tomatoes, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, hot peppers, horticulture beans (cranberry, maybe??), cucumbers, golden zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, fairytale eggplant, and green peppers.

I was a bit angry, as I noticed that the poster for my blog had been taken down at the market.  Grrrrr......not too happy about that. At first, I gave them several copies, to put on the table so people could just take them.  They decided it would be better to hang just ONE on the wall. I didn't think so....who's gonna remember the website? Anyway, now there's nothing and I know they still have several copies, unless they threw them away.  I don't think I'll say anything though......usually I would, but since I shop there every week....probably not the best idea. What do you think?

I made some of the pattypan squash from the previous week into that stuffed pattypan I'd made before.  You can find it here.  This time I used up the rest of my Teese mozzarella. Didn't melt as well on top, but melted really nicely when mixed into the hot stuffing. Still tasty though :)

Still have a ton of yellow crookneck squash, even though I've tried to sneak it into whatever I can (husband doesn't like it).  Can I puree it and freeze it? Maybe to make salad dressing out of it later? Any ideas?

Chocolate spread on matzoh! When you're craving sweets, you gotta do whatcha gotta do! Take a handful or more of vegan chocolate chips and put them in a bowl, into the microwave.  Heat them on high for 30 seconds at a time, mixing after each.  Add in a few drops of non-dairy milk and nuke another 30 seconds.  Make sure it's nice and smooth.  Work quickly and spread it onto your matzoh.  Put it in the fridge for several minutes to let the chocolate harden and there you have a nice quick dessert!

Cucumber noodles with raw marinara (my husband preferred the zucchini, but I found cucumber pretty refreshing):

I made Averie's Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, although to me they were more like oatmeal chocolate chip.  They are incredible!  I made them twice and the second time, I actually did 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup cashews and only about 1 Tbsp of sweetener.  Still incredible! Thanks, Averie :)

I made some Golden Zucchini Bread again. See my original post about it here. This time I added raisins, used all spelt flour, and it was REALLY good!

Here's a picture of my new steamer that I got for over 50% off at Dillards! And of course, a picture of my colorful steamed vegetables :)

Made some guacamole: 2 avocados, 1 chopped tomato, some cilantro, salt, and lemon juice, all mashed up together.

My guacamole, mixed with cooked brown rice, taco seasoning, and broccoli slaw for a great cold power lunch:

Made Choosing Raw's Zucchini Dressing (with golden zukes, since that's all I had) and it's really delicious! (her Tomato Curry Dressing is great too)

Cooked up some red quinoa and mixed it with a ton of chopped vegetables, added some balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic for a great dressing.

And last, but not least, I made up some of that great Tempeh Barbecue (used shiitakes this time):

Ok, I think I'm mostly caught up. It's been really hot here...in the mid 90's with high humidity.  Still trying to get my walking in, though.

Still contemplating the blender vs. food processor situation.  But...I think I've decided to wait on the Vita-Mix because it's so dang expensive.  I'm going to get a large food processor and get some sort of small cheaper blender. Any suggestions? Something good for salad dressings, smoothies (that can handle frozen fruit) and sauces.

Blogger of the Week: FatFreeVegan.  She's got TONS of recipes that are right up my alley: fat free (or lowfat) and vegan, yay! Check her out. This was one of the first blogs I ever started following.

Giveaway: CSN stores $40 gift card giveaway at OperaSingerInTheKitchen!

Eat smart,
T.

Market Vegetables, Sprouted Breads & more...

We finally got to the market this week! And we even played some music there this week (they were looking for musicians to play). We played a Cajun duo (video here) by David Rimelis (written for us) and a duo (Nocturne) that Scott (my husband) wrote. You can hear it here (#3).

So here's a list of what we got at this week's market: lemon cucumber, brown rice, golden zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, tomatoes, green pepper, celery, onions, pattypan squash, peaches, shiitakes, cucumbers, green beans, those tiny little eggplants (forgot the name), and yellow cherry tomatoes.

A while ago, I ordered some sprouted grain breads from French Meadow Bakery (they only ship one day a week, so get your order in early).  I got a bread, some bagels, and tortillas.  I LOVE bagels, so it's been rough for me without them (trying not to eat so much processed flour).  The bagel was very good, not the traditional kind I'm used to getting when I visit New Jersey, but still very good.  I think it needed to be toasted longer, because by the time I ate it, it almost was as if I hadn't toasted it at all!  Ate it with my Tofutti Cream Cheese.  Tried the tortilla out yesterday with leftover Sunburgers and Raw Ranch Dressing with raw veggies. The tortilla was very fresh tasting....good stuff.

Made some hummus the other day. Since I'd cooked up a bunch of garbanzos.....it was different. Not as moist as my usual hummus.  Made it with just a little tahini, lemon juice, salt, broccoli and roasted red peppers.

Also with the garbanzos......I found a recipe for Simple Chole, from VeggiePlatter's blog. It was really good and pretty simple. Next time I think we'll add some red pepper flakes to spice it up.

And here's a special picture of my grapefruit.....and it's alien:

Giveaway:
-LeslieLovesVeggies is giving away a copy of Ani's Raw Food Desserts, which looks like an awesome book.

Blogger of the Week: Kelly at Vegan Thyme.  Her posts are so witty and she's got some great recipes!

Eat smart,
T.

NOLA VeggieFest 2010

So we went to NOLA VeggieFest this past Sunday, even though the rain was awful.  It was flooded everywhere!  But then again....this is New Orleans.....we shouldn't expect anything less. It floods in a matter of minutes here.

We were a bit overwhelmed when we first arrived. Tables everywhere.....samples of foods.......lots of books.....t-shirts.....stickers....more food.....beer.....wine......WOW! They even offered free magazines when you entered....a Vegetarian Times and a VegNews. I am already a subscriber to both, so I didn't take any.  We each got a nice bag from Sublime restaurant to fill with all the good stuff.  My husband, of course, felt much more comfortable once he had a beer in hand, thanks to NOLA Brewing:

He got the Blonde, and I got the Brown......ales of course :)

They also had samples from Frey Vineyards in California.  There were lectures from several different people, including the one we heard from Josh Hooten, the co-founder of Herbivore Clothing Company in Portland, OR.  Very interesting guy. Other sponsors/tables included: Book Publishing Company (and I met Rick, who has been kind enough to send me some great books for review!), Vega, Bute Island (Sheese), Tofurkey, Daiya Foods, Field Roast, Primal Spirit Foods, Coconut Bliss, Parma, Sunshine Burgers, Mary's Gone Crackers, So Delicious, Amy's, Theo Chocolate, Bob's Red Mill, and so many others.  I can't possibly list them all.  Most had free samples for us to taste, and some had free stuff to take home, including some sample hot cereals from Bob's Red Mill, Parma, Soyatoo, and other magnets, stickers, and cool pamphlets from Farm Sanctuary, PCRM, and more.

We ate a ton!  In the back courtyard, we had some vegan jambalaya:

And there was an Indian family there with their own delicious food....we packaged it up to take home because my husband loves Indian food but we were so stuffed by that point.

Our own Hollygrove Market was there with food (our weekly farmer's market), as well as great coffee I got from Hey Cafe, with some So Delicious Coconut Milk creamer.

And remember my major SHEESE FAIL???  Well, they  were there, and we had to try something else from them, or I'd always hate them.  Unfortunately, they didn't have the block cheeses to try, but we tried their spreads and they were delicious!! YES.....that's right.....DELICIOUS! So, at least I can't avoid them completely now...and perhaps I just had a bad batch.....???

We tried a Gardein product.....I've never had it before and it was really good.  Then we tried the Sunshine Burgers, and although it didn't wow me, my husband liked it.  I don't think I can get any Gardein products locally without going to Whole Foods, which I'm trying to avoid.  Oh well.  At least I got to try it.  We don't really buy much in the way of pre-packaged processed foods anymore anyway.  We had Tofurkey deli slices with Nasoya dijon "mayo" on it....very tasty.   Sampled some chili from Amy's and that was really good too.

Another local restaurant (they're actually based in Louisville, KY) that was there, was J Gumbo's and we tried their White Bean Chili, which was vegan and it was awesome! And they have a location right near our house :) How convenient.....

For dessert, there was a local couple there from the Northshore (Mandeville, LA): KC's Babycakes.

The owners:

Red Velvet Vegan Cupcakes:

Cookies and Cream Vegan Cupcakes:

The marble cupcake with chocolate frosting that we brought home:

So good!

Here's the stash I brought home:

Couldn't go home without the awesome t-shirts!!

Now that I'm off work....I'll try to post more, and believe me, I need to catch up. Coming up next: Book review (Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin) and my Barley "risotto" recipe!

Giveaway: Check out Leslie Loves Veggies to win Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan!

Blogger of the Week: Cathy's Bread Experience Blog.  If you love baking your own bread, this is a great blog to check out AND she recently tested out a sprouted grain bread that I had requested!!

Eat smart,
T.

Weight Loss Goal Reached!!

I was excited this week because I finally reached my weight loss goal!! In the last 8 1/2 months, I've lost 32 pounds. I think this lowfat vegan diet has really helped me!  Along with my regular exercise, of course :)

I was at my heaviest in 2002 and I've lost 80 pounds since then!! It's hard to believe it, when I really think about it.  My husband lost 90 pounds! And now, I've set another 5 pound goal, haha.....I think that's what usually happens. You set one goal, then you get there and think...."well if I made it this far....I can do more!". So now I'll be going in 5 pound increments until I'm done, which is hopefully only another 5 or 10 pounds. But I've had this particular goal (that I surpassed this week) since last summer, so this is a big deal for me and I just went out and bought some jeans that I never thought I'd fit into!

Anyway, if I get a chance, maybe I'll post before and after pics (if I can find before pics....we lost most of them in Katrina....good riddance!)

Last Saturday we went to the market, of course, and here's what we got: bok choy, white button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, lettuce, strawberries, kale, english peas, brown rice, onions, yellow squash, and sweet potatoes.

Other stuff I've been eating:

Chard:

Bok Choy, steamed, with rice and Asian Sauce:

Stir Fried vegetables with soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, a hint of agave, garlic, red pepper flakes, and arrowroot:

Don't forget: NOLA VEGGIE FEST THIS SUNDAY!! Click here for info.

Blogger of the Week: The Healthy Voyager. If you're traveling and need to find good vegan eats, this is the blog to go to!

I'm overloaded with sweet potatoes....if you have recipes or links to recipes, please leave them in the comments section! I tried to make sweet potato fries.....not my thing.

Eat smart, 

T.

Book Review: Speed Vegan and other things

So the folks at Book Publishing Company were kind enough to send me a few books for review, and the first one is Speed Vegan: Quick, Easy Recipes with a Gourmet Twist by Alan Roettinger.

In the beginning of the book, Roettinger explains what kinds of appliances and kitchen gadgets you really need and what you could possibly do without, but would make things easier.  Then he goes on to tell you what you should keep in your vegan pantry (if only I had an actual pantry....). And the recipes are divided into the following:

Jumpstarts (purees, pastes, and sauces)
Snacks
Soups
Salads
Pasta and Grains
Vegetables and Legumes
Sweets

He lists a few online stores in the back of the book, but there are several vegan stores online he does not mention unfortunately.  He's got a couple of nice color photos in the middle of the book, but again, I really prefer to have lots of color pictures. Somehow, it makes the recipe seem easier and I can see what it's supposed to look like when I'm done.  I've tabbed several recipes to try, including White Bean Soup with Tuscan Kale, Grape Tomato and Garbanzo Salad, Asparagus with Sesame Seeds, and Miso and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  They all seem to use items that I'd have on hand without having to make a special trip to the store for special ingredients.  I made the Quick Beet Slaw, which, as it turned out, was not quite as quick as I'd hoped.  It took me forever to grate the beets by hand, as well as the carrots and turnips (I used turnip, since I didn't have radishes).  And boy, was it messy!  Next time I will use the food processor, even though it doesn't have a grater attachment.....it will just be easier.  But, it was a delicious salad! I love the raw veggies and the dressing was excellent. Great for a summer day. Here's the recipe (with permission from the publisher), and you'll see my adjustments in parentheses:

Quick Beet Slaw
from Speed Vegan


Makes 4 servings


1 medium-size beet, scrubbed or peeled and grated
1 carrot, grated
1 roasted red pepper, quartered and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced (I left it out)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (I only had freeze-dried)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 radishes, grated (I used 1 large turnip instead)
1/2 cup flax oil (I used water)
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
Grated zest of 1 lime (I used lemon)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (I used lemon)
4 cloves peeled garlic
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Combine the beets, carrots, red pepper, and onion in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the cilantro, 1/4 cup of the basil, and all of the celery and radishes.


Put the flax oil, vinegar, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour over the vegetable mixture. Toss well. Eat.

I'm looking forward to trying those other recipes, especially the salads....they look like they'll be nice and refreshing for our hot weather.

Other things I've been eating:

Quick gluten free pasta mixed with Daiya shredded cheddar and a little almond milk, with garlic, salt, and pepper:

A beer sampler from the Avenue Pub:

Tex Mex rice, inspired by Bankrupt Vegan's Tex Mex Dip. Mine was a mix of brown rice, black beans, guacamole, and taco seasoning, eaten as a meal:

Mama Pea's Chocolate PB Protein Cookies (I used Sunbutter and agave and didn't have any protein powder!):

And that's it for today.  I've been walking a ton lately....and it was 88 degrees yesterday! Gotta go do my next walk of the day....

Blogger of the Week: Peas and Thank You She's always got the cutest pictures of her kids, so if you're a family person, this site's for you! And of course she always includes some great recipes with great pictures :)

Eat smart,

T.