Add Whiskey and You Have the PERFECT cold solution.

Good for cleansing- Apple Cider Vinegar

After taste testing, this is probably best chased with whiskey. 

Music, writing, coffee, and viral videos filled our morning/afternoon. Here is one of the videos that got us moving :)

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on Letterman

SUSHI!

I DID IT!!!

The prep phase-

The first completed spicy tempeh nori roll!

Matt and I remembered halfway through eating that we didn't take a picture.

Bubs likes the miso soup and rolls!

I feel very accomplished!

Another accomplishment of the day:

 The Nonsense Song of the Morning (GTB)

My Favorite Recipe- Vegan Style!

Kristen's Pasta Sauce (Vegan Style)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pasta Sauce-
1 28oz. can of diced basil/oregano/garlic tomatoes (Hunts No Salt preferably) 
1 8oz. pack of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese (dairy free)
3 large fresh basil leaves
2 pressed garlic cloves
3 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs of red wine vinegar

1 box of whole wheat whole grain pasta (linguine is ideal!)

Stir in "Cream Cheese" and tomatoes until combined. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Keep on low to medium heat and simmer for an hour. (If you are making other dishes along side the pasta dish, make the sauce first and allow it to simmer!)

Halved Brussel Sprouts and Portbello Mushrooms

Crazy Marinaded Portobello Mushrooms and Brussel Sprouts

Heat up liberal amount of olive oil in a large skillet.
Once oil is heated up- add minced garlic
Once garlic is browned- added halved brussel sprouts
Once brussel sprouts are becoming tender- added sliced portobello mushrooms
Once mushrooms are added- pour on marinade
Marinade- add desired proportions of soy sauce, olive oil, grapeseed, pure maple syrup, red wine vinegar (just a shake or two), and stone ground mustard
Cover veggies and let simmer and cook on low/medium heat

Little Asparagus!

Yummy Simple Asparagus!

Heat oven to 425
Wash and break off ends of asparagus
Drizzle olive oil over the top of asparagus
Sprinkle minced garlic over asparagus
Sprinkle garlic pepper over asparagus
Pop in the oven and cooking length will depend on the size of the asparagus. Just keep an eye on it! 

Big plate for Bubs for when he got home from work.

Mini sampler plates for Joe, Jean and Cliff

 Ask me, I will cook this for anyone anytime!
 

Facebook = DEACTIVATED!

It's Official! My facebook existence is forever gone! Matt and I grabbed the last of the photos that we desired off of our accounts tonight, made our final attempt at leaving our contact info and then with several clicks of the mouse, PRESTO CHANGO! 

Here are some of the PRIZED [tagged from others] pictures from facebook that had to live on in my internal computer memory-

Had an amazing new years, despite the 8.5 hours of working into the wee morning hours. 

I am very thankful to have been surrounded by such great people!

Today I extended my vegan adventures by venturing to Choices Natural Market in Rockford, IL. Got some essentials needed and some new items for new recipes! I hope to test out the spicy tempeh nori rolls tomorrow! 

He likes it! Bubs really likes it!

Matthew came up to the land where the water is white last night very, very late after working for the man of wood. I promised him I would make him some breakfast in the morning since he was so sweet for coming to see me at Denny K's. (Robby and Marcus came down too to shoot the shit, but Obby passed on my offer and said that he thought all my recipes sounded good but he'd add bacon. Or chicken. Or bacon wrapped chicken. Or steak. Yes, steak.) Bubs willingly accepted my proposition of  trying the chocolate banana steel cut oats breakfast that I made the day before. 

"Possibly the best breakfast I have ever had." SUCCESS!

I plan on making him the Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing for lunch. Maybe some Miso soup too. 

Yesterday I wrote out a grocery list for Woodman's for the next recipes I want to attempt to make out of Veganomicon-

Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls
Silken Mayo (Another essential staple of any Vegan kitchen)
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes with Asparagus

VERY EXCITED! Happy New Year Everyone!

Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing

Dressing-
1/4 cup spicy, smooth mustard (I used a stone ground mustard) 
3 tbs grapeseed oil
1/4 cup  red wine vinegar
2 tbs pure maple syrup (I didn't have the money [yet] to by pure maple syrup, so I made due with the off brand)

(The amount of dressing that this makes is enough for 4 entree servings, since I only need one serving, I put the rest in the refrigerator.)

Salad ingredients-
Red leaf lettuce (you can choose any lettuce that you like the best)
1 avocado thinly sliced (I only put 1/2 of a small avocado into the salad... I stuffed the rest into my mouth.)
1 red onion (I used about an 1/8 of a small red onion- finely chopped)
1 15oz can of chick peas (I used about 1 1/2 tbs of beans)
1 recipe Roasted Portobellos (I had to improvise the mushrooms quite a bit. I started to slice them-which the recipe doesn't call for- and I didn't have all the ingredients for the marinade called for in the recipe. So I used some soy sauce, grapeseed oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and mustard and made a marinade to pour into the pan while I sauteed the sliced mushroom cap. I was VERY pleased)

Thoughts on the salad-

I think that it was a very colorful mix of ingredients that I would normally never put together. I think I added a little too much red wine vinegar, and I would be curious to try a honey mustard of some sort. But overall, I would definitely make it again! (And I will have to have it again since my grocery selection is lacking.) 

My Vegan Adventure!

Good Morning Chocolate Banana Steel Oats!

Thanks Kerry for this DELICIOUS recipe!!

1/4 cup Steel Cut Irish Oats
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup Almond Milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp. cocoa powder (Ghirardelli)
1 banana
A smudge of honey!

My "vegan friendly cupboard"-

Not so sure if the booze are vegan friendly but they are too expensive to throw out haha


ALSO did P90X Cardio X this morning with Gina. We are now dead. 

Attempting for lunch- Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing!