Veggie Going Vegan

My latest post on SF Bay Style

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:46:13 -0700

Is a review of my entirely vegan meal, from cocktail to dessert, at Destino, a San Francisco Peruvian restaurant.

Check it :)

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Day 660 (Y2/D294): Who can break away to cook dinner when there's a John Hughes movie marathon?

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:30:10 -0700

My silly S.O. Thinking I was going to cook dinner. Just because he's sick. And because, let's face it, I usually do. Couldn't he appreciate that watching Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful was much more important. Plus I was busy, laptop on lap, working away, with only ONE eye on the TV. So, get that cooking idea right out of your head, mister.

Well, OK, truth be told: We only saw the last 15 minutes of Pretty in Pink (raise your hand if you think that pink prom dress is the most unflattering sack ever) but we did watch all of Some Kind of Wonderful. What a silly silly movie, really, it actually makes no sense at all.

And in fact I did get up, during one of the many silly, silly montages, and throw something very quick and easy together. But frozen food and microwaves were involved.

Breakfast:
Organic "Cheerios" with organic Sugar and Rice Milk

Lunch:
Leftover Seitan Stew
Iced Soy Latte

Snack:
Macadamia Nuts

Dinner:
Trader Joe's Penne Arrabiata, with some added Organic Peas, Garlic and Basil
Trader Joe's Soy Creamsicles (Have you seen these? To. die. for. You will re-live your lost youth eating these.)

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Day 659 (Y2/D293): The Clean Out Your Fridge Stew

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:22:29 -0700

Why mess with a good thing? If you're willing to dirty up a pan (and let's face it, we all know I'm not always ready to do such a thing) then you're ready to make a good old-fashioned clean-out-your-fridge stew. And I've been making those a lot.

What they all have in common:

1. Organic Brown Rice (the microwave-in-a-bag-three-minute kind)
2. Some protein source...usually seitan, but can also be one of the now many brands of "chicken" or "steak" strips out there. It can even be soy crumbles, although i tend to save those for either pasta dishes or Mexican dishes.
3. Some combination of fresh and frozen vegetables
4. Nutritional Yeast...which makes it very savory and creates the gravy that pulls it all together. (In fact Nutritional Yeast is such a wonder ingredient that I've discovered you can mostly just use water if you need more liquid...no broth or rice milk or more oil required.)

Saturday night I wanted to continue using the Spinach and Bok Choy I had on hand, and by throwing in some frozen peas that I microwaved a bit, it had a very green-themed dinner. In addition to being pretty, of course it had lots of iron using those dark leafy greens. I even restrained myself from eating the whole thing, so I could have some for lunch on Sunday. That took discipline, I must say.

Breakfast:
Organic Corn Flakes, Organic Sugar, Rice Milk

Lunch:
2 slices of Sourdugh Bread with Soy Margarine and Avocado

Dinner:
Seitan Stew with Olive Oil, Garlic, Bok Choy, Spinach, Peas, Leek, Garlic, Seitan, Organic Brown Rice and Nutritional Yeast
1 ear of Corn
Chery-Chocolate Chip Soy Cream

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Day 658 (Y2/D292): It's good to live in California

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:14:50 -0700

Where the fruits and vegetables are so bountiful, and not so crazy expensive you can't afford them even when they're bountiful.

That is all I wanted to say...carry on.

Breakfast:
Soy Latte
Organic Corn Flakes with Vegan Sugar and Rice Milk
Soy Yogurt
Organic Banana

Lunch:
organic Brown Rice
Morningstar Farms Riblets
Marcona Almonds
Nectarine
Diet Coke

Dinner:
Seitan Stew, made with Olive Oil, Garlic, Leeks, Roasted Corn, Bok Choy, Spinach, Mini Portabella Mushrooms, Seitan, Nutritional Yeast and Organic Brown Rice

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The week that was D653-657 (Y2/D287-289): The BlogHer edition

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:32:29 -0700

So, BlogHer is next week. Which tempts me to simply say:

"Move along, nothing to see here, come back the week of July 21st...or even the week of the 28th."

But in true obsessive blogger fashion I can't resist trying to keep up!!

So, I have a question for you. I've been thinking about this since the weekend.

I find that typically I have one day during the weekend where I lounge about and don't do much. (By which I mean I sit with my laptop and probably try to catch up on email for a while, but I don't catch up on other chores.) And then I have one day filled with chores. Grocery shopping, laundry, taking out the recyclables, tidying up a bit...that sort of thing.

I have typically made chore day on Sunday, thinking it's better to relax more on Saturday. But this week I started thinking that maybe it would be better to move chores to Saturday, so it didn't feel like I was going back to work right on top of a day filled with chores.

What do you do? Thoughts?

As for eating this past Sunday-Thursday? nothing new and interesting to report. one night at dinner I ate some celery and I ate some grapes. And I thought, it would be so nice if I had actually chopped these up and mad some kind of fancy salad with them...that would be great to report on Veggie Goes Vegan.

But no.

I just ate some celery stalks. And ate some grapes.

I've also been enjoying the nectarines and plums that are in season. I discovered that one of my friends, who has a plum tree, actually does canning, when she brought me some plum conserves. Complete in Ball Jar. I looked at her as though she was a stranger. Who is this woman who cans? Or jars.

Plum conserves, by the way? Quite yummy. especially on Vanilla Soy Ice Cream.

That is all.

We'll see when I can post again...conference crazy time is upon us!!!

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Day 652 (Y2/D286): Lazy day, if you count working on the couch instead of at my desk Lazy

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:08 -0700

It was a lazy day. I lounged on the couch all day (with my laptop.) But I did even take a nap...wile the S.O. was playing Rock band, if you can believe it.

Got a lot of work done. Whipped a couple of yummy hodge-podge meals too. Loves me that Trader Joe's!

Breakfast:
Shredded Oats Cereal
Rice Milk

Lunch:
Trader Joe's Chicken-less Strips, sauteed in Olive Oil with Fresh Spinach, Garlic, Basil, Organic Corn and Organic Edamame

Dinner:
Trader Joe's Penne Arrabiatta, mixed with Spinach, Garlic, Basil and Meatless Meatballs

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Day 651 (Y2/D285): Happy Fourth!

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:55:58 -0700

As always my family takes care of me at family parties. This time my sister and brother-in-law got the idea to roast a Sweet Potato on the BBQ, along with the usual Portabella Mushroom.Very tasty and healthy too!

Breakfast:
Vanilla Almond Crisp Cereal
Rice Milk

Lunch:
Morningstar Farms Riblets
Corn

Dinner:
Chips and Crackers with Hummus and Guacamole (this was the not-healthy portion of the meal)
Grapes
Portabella Mushroom
1/2 a Sweet Potato
Cauliflower and Broccoli
Vegan Cherry Pie
Diet Dr. Pepper

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Day 650 (Y2/D284): New Vegan Cake at Whole Foods...yummity yum

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:44:31 -0700

You may have noticed I'm a creature of habit. I hope I haven't just started a new one.

Now, whenever I got to Whole Foods down my way in the South Bay and have need of a dessert, I pick up the Black China Bakery vegan chocolate cake. It's dense and rich. This is the Bakery that made my wedding cakes. I love this cake.

It has always disturbed me that when I go to buy cakes up near my office for office birthdays, they don't carry the Black China cake. Instead they carry a vegan cake with a bunch of fruit on top made in their own bakery, and in my opinion, severely lacking.

Until yesterday, when i saw a new breed of vegan cake in the Whole Foods bakery case: A Vegan Mousse Cake.

And it was yummity yummy.

Oh noes! Must. Not. Seek. Excuses. To. "Need". Cake!!!

Breakfast:
Soy Latte
Vegan Scone

Lunch:
Whole Foods salad bar, including Tofu, Edamame, Corn, Beets, Broccoli, Pumpkin Seeds, Giganta Beans, Celery
Cashews
Vegan Mousse Cake

Dinner:
Russet Potato with Corn, Soy Margarine, Tofutti Sour Cream and Nutritional Yeast

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Day 649 (Y2/D283): 12 hours in front of a screen

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:34:30 -0700

Yes, Wednesday I spent 12 hours, literally, sitting at my computer, barely getting up to go to the bathroom and fix some food and occasionally take a phone call from my couch, not my chair.

Before you lecture me: Yes, I realize that is bad for me. Stretching=good. Regularly walking around=good. Sitting in one place for 12 hours=not good.

BlogHer is two weeks away, people, cut me some slack!!

I did, however, go for a nice long walk around the neighborhood with a friend in the evening, before settling down to watch other people exert themselves in So You Think You Can Dance.

Breakfast:
Vanilla Almond Crisp Cereal
Rice Milk

Lunch:
Fried Wonton
Leftover Vegetable Fried Rice and Hunan Tofu and Mixed Veggies

Snack:
Jalapeno Pita Chips

Dinner:
Small Salad
Rice and Bean Bowl with Avocado Salsa and guacamole
Mashed Potatoes
Diet Coke

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Article: This month's Silicon Veggie

nobody@vox.com(Elisa) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:24:13 -0700

Siliconveggie

This month's Silicon Veggie takes a look at how Oprah and Ellen flirted with veganism over the last month or two.

Is Vegan the New Black? The article asks and answers...in only 400 words!

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