THE TALE OF TWO VEGANS

TIS THE SEASON!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Hey folks!

Wow! I can't believe it's been since August since I've updated this blog! Well, we're still here. I'm not going to even attempt to go over everything in detail that has gone on since August, but since then we had a great trip up to NYC. I hadn't been back since I moved from there in March of 2007 and it was so great to be back! JJ and I will be relocating back up there in May/June of next year. We are looking to reside just outside the city in NJ, so I will definitely be updating about that, we are very excited.

We spent Thanksgiving here in Atlanta. It was very low key. We had a friend over for dinner and then we went over to my sister's house for a little while to hang out. For Christmas we will be heading up to VA to see my family and New Years is still up in the air. This is my favorite time of year and all the Christmas decorations are up! I look forward to sharing pictures from Christmas and New Years Eve! I will attempt to do better with this blog in 2010!

Until next time!

C

JJ'S 30TH BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Well, I'm back, late, but back nevertheless. I wanted to share a post about Josh turning the big 3-0! He had been talking about his excitement about turning 30 for quite some time so I wanted to make his birthday weekend very special for him. I initially was going to throw a surprise party for him with some friends and family from Chicago, but unfortunately that didn't pan out. So, it was on to Plan B.

His birthday was on a Sunday, so festivities began on Friday evening. We had a sunset picnic at Piedmont Park which was perfect. It was so mellow and the weather couldn't have been better. I made his favorite veggie wraps and we had some homemade chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. On Saturday morning he was off with a gift certificate I got him to get a cut and shave at this nice grooming place for men that he had been talking about going to for a while called the Lion's Den. Then for dinner it was off to Maggiano's. He had been talking about how he had never been there and I was able to get the hook up from my manager to go so we went there for dinner. After dinner it was off for some dancing at Taboo Bar and Bistro and before leaving we got a nice professional picture taken of us. On Sunday, I prepared a late lunch/early dinner and made some vanilla and coconut cupcakes with lime icing for his birthday "cake". JJ loves coconut. After blowing out his candles, I gave him a watch for his official present. We topped off the night watching a old school flick. So, I must say I think it was a very nice weekend and most importantly JJ thought so too! I know so many great things are in store for him in his thirties! I love you JJ! Check out pics below!

PICNIC AT THE PARK..

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES..MMM.

DISTINGUISHED 30 YEAR OLD GENTLEMAN

BIRTHDAY DESSERT AT MAGGIANO'S

THE TWO VEGANS

OFFICIALLY 30

HOPE ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE!

Until next time!!

APPLE TURNOVER AND 4TH OF JULY

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:24:00 +0000

Hey folks!

I can't believe we are already inching up to the middle of July!! This year seems to be flying by!! Well, I had a few things to post so here I am!

First, a couple of weekends ago, I made some DEELISH apple turnovers!! All I did was sautee some granny smith apples in some vegan butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of apple juice in a pan until they were nice and brown and tender. I let them cool for just a bit and took some store bought dough and cut it into forths and spread some more vegan butter on them and cinnamon. I placed the apples in the center of each fourth and closed them up and poked holes with a fork for ventilation. I baked at 375 for about 10-15 minutes until the pastry was puffed up and golden brown.

I took them out and let them cool and then sprinkled some powdered sugar on top. SO easy and SO fantastic! Next time I might venture out and make my own dough, I'll let you know how it goes! I wanted to get a picture of all four of them plated and pretty but of course my camera was acting up, so I had to wait. Thank goodness the camera just needed to be charged and I was able to get a snapshot of the last lonely one for your viewing pleasure, not the greatest focus, but ce la vie! See below.

On to the fourth! JJ and I spent the day with my sister and her man. We initially were going to head out to Callaway Gardens, that has a man made beach about an hour from here, but they were charging extra admission for the fourth and it wasn't deemed worth the extra change and we were sure it would be thick with 4th of Julyers anyway. We had been reluctant to go anywhere for that purpose alone, but we did want to get some sun and maybe take a dip in the water since it was SO hot! So, I found another place to go closer to where we live, Clayton County International Park that claimed to have a man made beach as well. Well, we got there, paid the $10 each admission to arrive at a nice looking park with a glorified community pool in the center surrounded by some sand with one water slide. It was pretty laughable, then we were told we couldn't even bring our own food into the "beach". So we set up right near the parking lot and ate our lunches until we decided we had recouped our $10 admission price. We initially tried to get a refund as soon as we surveyed the scene to no avail. After we ate, my sister and I did go see about possibly getting in the water, we walked in and walked right back out. It was way to crowded with too little space. So we packed up and left. It did bring us some good laughs though. You live and you learn!

We ended up going back to my sister's house and barbecued for dinner. I of course, just threw some corn on the grill and JJ and I had baked beans and some Smart Dogs (soy) for our meal. I had also made some chocolate chip walnut cookies for the day that I had brought along. So we ate, watched two movies and caught about two fireworks. We live right by Stone Mountain where they always have a huge fireworks display. You don't have to go into the park to see the fireworks as you can see them from many surrounding points, so that is what we did along with countless others and managed to catch about two..LOL! But it was a very fun day filled with laughs and family, just the way I like it. Check out pics below!

YUMMY APPLE TURNOVER!

OUR "BEACH" SET-UP..LOL!

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY BEYOND THE BACK OF MY SISTER'S HEAD THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD YOU CAN SEE THE FIREWORKS!! LOL!

Until next time!!

CAMPING TRIP!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Hey folks!

Time sure does fly! I can't believe it's already June and I haven't posted since April!! For good reason though, me and JJ have been keeping busy with our non-profit! Anyway, me, JJ, AB and TM went to Panama City, FL for a camping/beach trip! We had a GREAT time!! I haven't camped since I was in elementary school in Girl Scouts. It was so nice to get away from ATL and just relax. The beach is one of my favorite places. I got ambushed by mosquitoes, but other than that, all was great! Below are pics from the trip (with captions provided for some)!

My attempt to keep my skin covered after the mosquito ambush! LOL!

AB's sunburned legs..ouch! Her legs looked like red hots, this picture does them better justice than how they looked in person!

Until next time!!

EASTER AND A BIRTHDAY!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Well, I'm back again and will try to make it more often. Just throwin' out a quick post about some recent happenings with the two vegans.

For starters, my mother, sister and nephew came down for Easter which was very nice. Whenever all of us (my mom and two sisters) can have some time together, I am always happy! Also, my 33rd birthday was on the 14th! I am sitting at Panera and have not uploaded the two pictures I took, so this will be yet another post sans pictures.

Anyway, for Easter, I made reservations for us to go to the Sycamore Grill. A very charming restaurant not far from where I live and their menu seemed to have plenty of offerings for my non-vegan family and one dish that would suit me (JJ couldn't make it out, he had to work that day). So we get to the restaurant and are told there would be a five to ten minute wait EVEN WITH reservations, so I was immediately a little put off by that fact. Well, we opt to get seated at a table and wait there for service rather than in the foyer. We are seated in a very nice screened in porch area after we asked to be moved there from a very closed off and small room inside. Well, our drink orders were taken right away and after an hour and a half and a complimentary appetizer (after the table next to us complained first since they were there before us and were waiting also) we were still sitting with NO food! It was baffling. Well, needless to say, we bounced. My mom, sister and nephew had to get ready to catch their flight and there was never an ETA given on when the food would arrive.

They were full of explanantions and apologies, but I felt the whole situation was handled rather poorly. They asked us to please give them another try, but gave no incentive to do so. I am all about second chances usually, but in this case I will pass. My sister and I did leave our server a tip however, because after all, she just serves the food, she can't get back in the kitchen and cook the food. I have developed even more sensitivity for servers since I've been hostessing at a restaurant, I know the drill. This is also why I won't I won't go back because I know management could have done a better job in the situation. So, Easter dinner consisted of McDonalds for some and leftover thai for my mom. JJ and I ended up at Moe's after taking the fam to the airport. The main thing is that we were all together and got a good laugh at the situation.

The Saturday before Easter, my mom bought me a vegan strawberry layer cake from Southern Sweets Bakery that I LOVE!!! It actually was a hit with them as well! The entire cake is now gone and I could literally kick myself for not taking a picture!!! Anyway, on my bday, JJ made my favorite homemade vegan pizza per my request. I've posted and taken pictures on that previously so no need to again.

On Sunday, it's supposed to be Six Flags with friends weather permitting. I will take my camera and get some shots, I promise!!

Well, this is it for now!

Until next time!

C

WE'RE STILL HERE!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Hey folks,

It has definitely been a hot minute since the last posting. Jeez, this year is flying by so quickly! I haven't posted because JJ and I haven't done or cooked anything lately that we haven't already posted about. We have been very focused on our non-profit because we had our first two shows on the 27th and 28th of last month and they were a HUGE success. If you haven't done so already, please visit our website www.help4youth.org and our blog www.help4youth.blogspot.com. The latter has information about the shows we just did!

I do hope to be back to posting new and exciting treats as the weeks roll on! I will say that my vegan chocolate chip cookies are very popular with vegans and non-vegans alike! I made 400 cookies for Valentines Day for the restaurant where I work part-time to give out to the guests and they got rave reviews! I had my contact information attached to the cookies and one lady did contact me and I sold her 2-dozen! I am toying around with the idea of really pumping up baking on the side. You will definitely be the first to know!

Anyway, I hope you all are cooking and eating well these days!

Until next time!

C

ONION RINGS-TAKE TWO!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Hey folks,

I'm still here, cooking and eating! I haven't been posting as much because I haven't ventured into making much new to share until now!

I decided to take another shot at making onion rings. JJ and I had a taste for these a few months ago and I downloaded a recipe to try to make some for us. Well, it was a disaster, a straight ooey, gooey hot mess! I was disappointed to say the least, but vowed I would revisit trying to make these again in the near future.

Well, I was watching the food network and Ina Garten on Barefoot Contessa was making some and that ignited me once again to tackle this task. I made up in my mind that it was going to work this time and they would be delicious. Well, my positive attitude must have worked because they did come out splendid!! I used the recipe Ina used, but veganized it for me and JJ. Instead of using buttermilk for the wet part of the batter, I mixed together some almond milk (soy would have worked I'm sure, but I've been buying almond as of late) with egg replacer for one egg and about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and set that aside to curdle.

I got this idea from the VCTOW cookbook because they say that mixing soy milk and the apple cider vinegar is said to curdle up to resemble buttermilk. I didn't know if it would work the same using almond milk, but it seemed to. I probably could have skipped the egg replacer but I thought it wouldn't hurt.

For the dry ingredients, I just mixed together some flour with cornmeal, salt, pepper, and a bit of cayenne and season all. I poured some canola oil in a deep pan (since I don't have a fryer, don't need one since I don't fry hardly ever) and started frying my onion rings away.

They came out crispy and delicious. Now, I did take a picture, but not one that did them justice so I opted not to post it. JJ and I were more than pleased with the result! Since they are fried, this is more of a once in a while treat, but the next time I make them, I'll be sure to take a better picture to share!

Until next time!

C

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Hey folks,

I hope your holidays were safe, fun and filled with love and good food. I'm happy to report mine were! Okay, so I'm feeling a bit lazy today, so I'm going a bit back on my word about the looonng post I mentioned in the last post. We will do a bit of a photo essay if you will to catch you all up to speed. Unfortunately, JJ and I didn't get to spend Christmas Day or New Years Eve together this year, but we were with family and had a great time with them.

We did have our Christmas celebration for two like I mentioned previously and it was very nice! AB had to work on New Years Eve and New Years day so that immediately scrapped the Florida trip and JJ ended up waiting to go to Chi-town the week of New Years, so we will have to reschedule that trip for a later date.

Anyway, I realized in downloading my pictures that I don't have many of food!!! In 2009, I am going to purpose myself to be more up on this!!!

Okay, on to the pics!

THANKSGIVING:

JJ's mom showing off the yummy vegan cornbread stuffing

JJ, JJ's mom, sister and Dad diggin in...

My handsome nephew Kirby

PRE-CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES:

AB and TM came over one night and we made AB's famous cookies and watched a holiday flick.

Icing AB's FABULOUS Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made some DELICIOUS mint chocolate cupcakes with mint flavored icing (VCTOW) not the prettiest, but definitely the yummiest..

The setting for me and JJ's holiday dinner por dos! We made pasta; vegan stuffed shells. I can't BELIEVE, I didn't take a picture. It was SOOOO good!

My artificial Christmas tree in all it's glory...

My decorated stair railing

My suggestive couch pillow! :-)

CHRISTMAS

My mom's Christmas tree..

My sister's beautiful decorated house..

My sister and nephew Myles

My mom and nephew Justyn

Me, My mom and my sisters..

Me, my mom, sisters and close friends of the family out at a golf course country club in Maryland

So, there you have it! As I said, not many food pics this time but I am glad to share pics of the family because being surrounded with those you love is really what it's all about!

I'm excited for what this year is going to bring! I look forward to sharing more food and family with you in the months to come!

XO,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Hey folks,

It was my goal to have posted right after Thanksgiving, but I hate posting without pictures so I've been holding out. My laptop at home is on the blink, so I haven't been able to download pictures from my digital camera and haven't tried doing this on JJ's laptop yet. Anyhoo, I've decided to do a looonnngg post after the New Year which will cover all events from Thanksgiving through New Years.

I will say that having JJ's family for Thanksgiving was great! I wished they could have stayed longer, but we had a really nice time and great food! JJ and I will not be together on Christmas Eve or Christmas this year. He will be heading to Chi-town to be with his family and I will be heading to VA to be with mine. So, we will have our holiday celebration for two this Saturday. We've also decided to scale back with gifts. We are spending no more than $20 a piece on each other for gifts.

As for New Years, it looks like we may be heading down to Florida with AB and TM and do some camping. It sounds like a lot of fun and something different, so I'm looking forward to that.

So, I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe holiday and I look forward to meeting you back here with pictures and stories galore in 2009!

Love,

C

PRE THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Hey there folks,

Well, we're only a few days away from Thanksgiving! I am SO looking forward to my 4 1/2 day weekend. I can't even begin to tell ya!! It was SO hard to get up this morning, I'm so anxious to get this mini vacation started already!!! JJ's folks and sister arrive tomorrow evening. So, we got everything prepared for their arrival this weekend. I got a head start on some baking. I still have the pumpkin pie to make which I will do tonight when I get home.

I made some DEEELICIOUS cupcakes from VCTOW. I made the golden vanilla cupcakes but I used their suggestion of adding flavor by adding some cinnamon and THEY ARE SMACK SOMEBODY NEXT TO YOU GOOD! I improvised and made a cinnamon/vanilla type icing glace to go on top and it is the B-O-M-B! I also made a whole bunch of chocolate chip and almond cookies. Some to have at the house for nibbling and some to bring in to work tomorrow as my contribution to the Thanksgiving luncheon we're having. My hope is that no one will be able to tell the cookies are vegan! :-) I'll let you know how that goes! So amidst running errands, me and JJ rehearsing our show, we were able to get in some home cooking this weekend and a brand new recipe to boot! We decided to make Snobby Joes from Veganomicon yesterday and they came out GREAT!!

On Saturday JJ made his famous yellow squash with spinach dish. We had it with some wild mushroom and herb couscous and it was fantastic!!

I also decided to add a picture of a baking flop that I tried last weekend. I made some pumpkin cookies and they did NOT turn out good. JJ for some reason really liked them, but I thought they lacked flavor and were a little tough on top of that. Well, ce la vie. At least he enjoyed them.

For your viewing pleasuuurre..

YOU WIN SOME..YOU LOSE SOME...

MMMMMMMMMM...............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DELECTABLE!

A NEW RECIPE...

SLOPPY JOES..VEGAN STYLE!

Well, this is it for now. I'll see you back here after Thanksgiving, have a great one!! Remember to always count your blessings, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day you breathe!

Much love,

BRIEF CHECK IN

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:56:00 +0000

Hey folks,

It's been a hot minute since the last posting, so I thought I would do a quick check in. I haven't been diligent in snapping food pics lately and JJ and I haven't made anything new or out of the ordinary to share either so that is why it's been slow on this front. I have decided to forgo the use of microwaves anymore. I went as far as taking mine completely off the counter and placing it in the pantry. I am keeping it because I know when my mom or other family members come to visit they will be asking for it and my reasoning for not using it will not rub off on them, I know my family all too well. Doing away with the microwave also means that I have to choose meals that don't require heating up when I bring lunch in to work. I'm very happy about this choice and it's smooth sailing so far!

JJ and I did go out to dinner last Saturday night. We went to Soul Vegetarian, the location over in the West End. I have been to this location once before and the other location twice. I must say I really like this particular location better. This was JJ's first time going. Both of us were VERY pleased with our meals and will definitely be back! I got the vegetable plate which consisted of yams, macaroni(vegan) and the best dang greens I think I've ever tasted for my meal with a side salad and cornbread. Yes, it was a lot of food but my only meal on Saturday so I ate it all!! JJ got onion rings and the lentil burger that seemed to take forever to make but was very well worth it! I was kicking myself that I didn't have my camera!!

Anyway, it was a very nice dinner and we left very satisfied. I must also say, that even though it was a big dinner, I didn't leave there feeling stuffed and overwhelmed which was a great thing. JJ felt the same way. We even got an additional small side of mac and cheese to go that we shared in the car! All of their items are vegan and the service was so great and pleasant. So, if you live in the area or are planning on visiting, be sure it hit it up and let me know how it goes!! There are also locations in other cities, check it out here.

Okay, I think this is it for now. I look forward to having some great photos and times to share for the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and then Christmas and New Years! This is my favorite time of year, so I look forward to having lots to share! JJ's folks and sister will be coming for Thanksgiving (they are also vegan) so it should be loads of fun! Stay tuned!

Until next time!

C

EVERYTHING'S COMING UP PUMPKIN!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:34:00 +0000

Hey Folks,

Happy Fall to you! I had been feeling in the fall spirit so we invited AB and TM over for some fall fun on Saturday. JJ cooked pasta for dinner and then we all headed out to buy pumpkins to carve. I wanted to do a throwback to the old school and welcome fall with this activity. I'm not big on the ghoulish aspect of Halloween at all, so I decided to make it fun and positive instead.

Also, if the kids come ringin' the bell on Halloween night, they will be getting little baggies of vegan chocolate covered raisins. I was just going to do raisins, but figured I'd jazz it up just a bit. Anyway, AB and I ended up being the only ones to carve. Actually cutting the top off and digging out the guts was a little more cumbersome than I remember, but once that was done, making the face was a breeze.

Afterwards, I helped AB make her famous pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. They are the BOMB! I'll be getting the recipe to make these again for Thanksgiving when JJ's folks come to town. All in all it was great fun. I believe anything is what you make it. I will not be hanging skeletons or dressing like the grim reeper or having a scary movie marathon (don't like scary movies at all). Although, I guess we have to clarify scary because JJ has a copy of a movie called Hercules in NY starring Arnold Schwarzenegger from back in the day and we watched a bit of that and it's scary enough to send Freddie screaming into the night. Scary as in AWFUL that is!! Anyway, I digress, I will be putting a positive spin on things is the point I'm trying to make.

Anyway, here are some pics of the pumpkin evening for your viewing pleasure!!

I don't remember it being this gross....

Pre- Cosmetic Procedure..

Being silly with my pumpkin....

Post Surgery.....

All aglow....

Still needs dental work....(see the tooth hanging)

The smell of fall.....

Pumpkin goodness.....

Until next time!!

CHANGE OF PLANS

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Hey there folks,

I hope all is well out there!

I just wanted to issue a quick update on things. For starters, JJ broke his left ankle a few weeks ago. He fell over somebody playing basketball and broke his fibula. So, he's on crutches with an air cast currently. He was due to go on tour for eight weeks in LA with a children's show the week this accident happened. We know all things happen for a reason, so all has been taken in stride! He's just taking it easy and recovering.

Not much else has been going on. I did make a very yummy vegan chili a couple of weeks ago with a side of vegan cornbread from scratch! I like my cornbread a little on the sweeter side, so next time I'll look for a different recipe but it was still rather tasty. I failed to take a picture but will make a mental note to do so next time I make this dish.

We've been doing a lot of repeat meals lately to save money and time so I don't have anything new besides the chili to rave about presently. I do have some new recipes lurking in my mind that I will be trying soon and promise to take pictures!

We have found a great new spot to eat some DELICIOUS thai food. It's called Noodle. They have three locations in Atlanta so if you live in the area or are coming to visit, it's a definite spot to hit up!

Okay, I think this is it for now. Next time, I promise the usual culinary excitement you're used to! LOL!

C

PLAYIN' CATCH UP!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Okay, so I decided to open with the picture of me trying to capture more beautiful views at Stone Mountain park. The picture doesn't capture what I was aiming for, but I like that you can see me taking the pic through the side mirrors. Pretty cool, huh?

Well, this will be quick and to the point to catch you up to speed since I haven't posted since the ending of my cleanse. Well, as I said, I'm glad I did the cleanse. I believe it really did me some good. I've now gotten back to doing my treats in moderation and I'm glad about that. I am also running my first 5K coming up in November for which I've already started training so I continue to do my body good. Long distance running has always been a thorn in my side, but I felt an overwhelming push in my spirit to do this and conquer something that has always been a challenge for me and it's for a good cause. You can read about it here. So, I'll be keeping you updated about that in the coming weeks. The weekend following the cleanse I made some stuffed zucchini with a side of couscous and it was DEELICIOUS.. I stuffed with the zucchinni innards, mushrooms, onions and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs. I also finally ventured out and made some vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and they were fantastic as well!

For Labor Day weekend, JJ and I went to Stone Mountain park. We had scored a free overnight stay at the Marriott there at a poetry reading we attended through a raffle they had, we were excited. I have been to Stone Moutain before and JJ hadn't yet, it was a great little mini getaway. The park is huge and very pretty and the hotel was cool. We checked in on Sunday and early Monday morning we headed out to walk the park and up Stone Mountain. We have been talking about walking Stone Mountain for the longest and we finally did it! All I can say is , WOW, what a workout! Between walking around to get to the walk up trail in addition to actually climbing it, my butt and thighs were screamin'! It was really, really good though and very pretty. If you are in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend taking a visit. They have tons of attractions in the park as well as campsites, various walking trails and if you're not up to trek the mountain they have a sky rail to take you up!

and in other culinary news...

JJ and I made our own homemade Chana Masala and it was sooooo goooood....!!!!JJ is a HUGE Indian food fan so we ventured out to try our hand at our own and it came out great!

JJ' famous sauteed yellow squash with onion and red pepper flakes. So simple and so divine!

This past weekend, we had a reading of Josh's screenplay, you can check out more about that here. AB and TM were there and stayed after to hang out for a while. I unfortunately came down with a cold, but I hung in there. We went to the Dekalb Farmers market to get some sides to go with the black bean burgers I made up. I got the recipe from vegweb.com. It was two cans of black beans mashed, onion, cayenne pepper, salt, egg replacer equivalent to two eggs, seasoned breadcrumbs and some other seasonings to taste. I formed them into patties and the directions said that baking worked best but you could fry them as well. The boys decided to go with the quick option of frying. They were a little crumbly but they were delicious. JJ grilled up some mushrooms and onions to go on top. He and TM took the honors of fixing all the sides while me and AB got to relax. How nice! I had to get a shot of them in the kitchen. Such wonderful guys!

Until next time!!

C

CLEANSE DAY 5

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Hey folks,

As promised, I am here to give you the skinny on the final day of this portion of the cleanse. I'm happy to report that all is well. The ease of doing the cleanse has come in waves, but I did endure until the end. I feel SO much better and lighter and some jeans that have been fitting way too tight here lately are actually loose on me today! Again, not the purpose of the cleanse but a great benefit!

This is just what I needed to snap myself back into shape. Hopefully once and for all! I don't think indulgences are bad, but for me they need to be moderate so that I can live as healthful as possible. Doing this helped me get my mind back in order so I'm ready to do this thing right!

Look forward to posting some yummy healthy vegan goodness again soon!

Much love,

C

CLEANSE- DAY 3

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:46:00 +0000

Hey there folks,

Well, it's day 3 and I feel extremely lighter. Last night I ended up not having to work at the restaurant. I'll admit I was feeling a little more hungry for more than just fruit when I first got to JJ's house last night. I kept craving Pad see ew (my favorite Thai dish). Anyway, I was just going to relax for the evening and do my workout this morning. JJ convinced me to work out last night instead. JJ is still holding strong on his cleanse as well. I was under the impression that doing so would only make me more hungry. He convinced me the opposite would happen, so I took his word for it and joined him downstairs in his building's workout room to walk on the treadmill while he hit up the elliptical. We went for forty minutes and I must admit he was dead on! I didn't feel hungry even for fruit when we finished. We ended up having to go to Trader Joe's and I went in there, got two oranges and had no desire to have them last night. I drank water and went to bed!

In my research I discovered that they say doing a fruit cleanse can be even more difficult than a liquid cleanse because your body is still in eating mode. I think I have to agree with that finding. I'm holding on though. However, I did make a decision this morning. My whole reason for doing a cleanse was to get back to eating more of my whole foods instead of so much processed foods to make sure I'm getting my nutrients. To give my system a much needed break, not for weight loss though that happens regardless, I can already tell the difference there. So, I have decided to continue on with what I'm doing through Friday. The main reason I was doing ten days initially was due to the directions of The Master Cleanse. So, I believe I will stop after Friday. Allow myself some nutritous cooked food over the weekend and then go back to doing raw food only during the week starting Monday. I think I will do this for the next month or so and see how it works for me. Again, that is my goal, but it is subject to change just as everything else has since Monday, so we'll see. I do however believe I have benefitted tremendously so far by doing a cleanse and will even more so feel that way come Friday.

The main thing is that I don't want to be an unhealthy vegan as I mentioned in an earlier post. I don't want the majority of my diet to consist of processed vegan food and that has been what's been happening lately, so I had to stop and get some things in check.

So, I will keep you updated periodically on how everything goes. I will definitely blog again on Friday as I wrap up this first week and embark upon my new project.

Until next time!

C

MASTER CLEANSE-DAY 2: HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:10:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Okay, last night and this morning were pretty brutal. I woke up around 3:00 a.m. and was up and down from that point. The tea (The Master Cleanse says you should drink some sort of laxative tea at night while you're on the cleanse, I drank Smooth Move) kicked in with a vengeance. My stomach was in cramps and knots like you wouldn't believe. It definitely worked, but I don't think that's something I should do during the week since I have to go to work. I got up this morning and was SO weak and nauseous. The thought of drinking the concoction wasn't as welcome in my mind as it was yesterday. One day of enduring that taste is one thing, but I needed to REALLY evaluate my stamina for the next eight days. I came in to work to make the drink and tasted it without the cayenne pepper at first to see if that was the true culprit of the taste and determine how much I would add. It was still pretty gruesome tasting and the one swig I took only made me more nauseous. I think it really depends on people's taste buds that can endure that taste for however long they decide to embark on this cleanse. I'm not at all trying to deter you if you are interested in this particular cleanse, you have to test it out for yourself. As I said yesterday, I've talked to people that have successfully completed this fast with great results.

So, I've decided in order for me to be successful on a fast, I was gonna have to switch it up and create my own program similar to the ones I've done in the past. I'm sorry to have to report my defeat to you on this particular cleanse so early in the game but I gotta be real with myself as well as with you.

So, still as determined as I was yesterday to cleanse my body, I have decided to embark on a fruit fast. I will be drinking water, tea (once a day), eating whole fruit and occasionally fruit juice. If you are going to drink fruit juice it is always recommended to juice or blend up organic whole fruit or you can buy those types of juices already made up at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and other natural food stores. They do tend to be pricier than the other options and they don't have a long shelf life. So, whatever works for you, but it needs to be that type of juice. As I know from the past and reading up again on it today; the variation I've chosen provides the same cleansing benefits for my body so I feel confident in my choice. Make the best decision for yourself as I mentioned yesterday.

So, I've been feeling MUCH better since this morning. I've been drinking water, orange juice and for lunch I had some yummy organic grapes. I also decided that some light walking on the treadmill and my pilates should be just fine while I'm on this cleanse. I read today that sweating and massage are also good while on a cleanse. I intend to continue updating you between now and next Wednesday and beyond should I decide to go longer. I think this is the proper jumpstart to get my body right back on track!

Until tomorrow!

C

THE MASTER CLEANSE- DAY 1

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:10:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Hope all is well with you out in blogland! Well, I've decided to invite you into my fold for a little bit of a journey that I have embarked upon. It started today and will continue through next Wednesday or beyond if I see fit. JJ has also embarked on a cleanse (water, fresh fruit juices and tea) that he will be doing as well. I will post tidbits from his journey here as well.

I've decided to finally do the "Master Cleanse", I will leave it up to you to find and dissect the multitude of information surrounding this particular cleanse. I have done my research and prepared my mind, body and spirit to partake in this cleanse. I am NOT taking part in this cleanse to lose weight, as you will find through research that many do. I am doing this to give my body a much needed break from solid foods of which have been very processed as of late. I am doing this to bring my body back into balance and go back to incorporating more whole foods in my diet.

I have not been nearly as diligent as I have in the past nor what like to be in the past few months and I can feel the affects. I am fully aware that although I am vegan, I am not immune to having bad health if I don't properly feed myself the proper balance of nutrients as well as have an ongoing exercise regimen. My schedule since I've been working two jobs has taken it's toll on both, so it's time for me to slow down and take account for my body and listen to it's demands. So, last week it was clearly apparent to me in my spirit, that it was finally time to do this particular cleanse. I bought the pamphlet about the cleanse and the directions back when I was still living in NYC but I was never in the right position (mind, body, spirit) to start it with confidence that I would see it all the way through. This time, I believe I am ready. One of the strongest indicators of this was what I have eaten over the last few days. I had small meals along with drinking my usual juices and water. I usually ALWAYS have something to satisfy my sweet tooth following a meal and I didn't do that at all. I had my one and only meal yesterday early (1:30) and just drank juice into the evening. These were all preparations for me to go into this full speed ahead this morning.

So, I got up this morning and prepared the juice (water, fresh lemon juice, cayenne pepper and pure organic maple syrup), be sure to read up on this thoroughly before embarking and follow the directions carefully. I must say, that I may have put too much cayenne pepper in my mixture because I warn you, it's hot going down and doesn't leave the best after taste. Tomorrow I will probably switch that up a bit, since the book does say the cayenne pepper amount can be "to taste" and that's what I'll do tomorrow.

I've been taking it like a soldier today though I must say. I'm determined to do this, so that is part of the reason I've decided to blog about it to make myself even more accountable! If my friend Hil can do it with ease for 21 days, I can sure do it for at least ten, and I know my body will thank me for it and that's what is most important to me in this quest. It's mind over matter. So, I will share with you here on the blog from now until next Wednesday what happens with my body on this cleanse. I've done variations of different fasts/cleanses in the past so this isn't new territory for me. It's just been too long since I've done one.

If you are considering a fast or cleanse of any type, I suggest that you research, research, research. Make sure you are at a point of time in your life when you can be successful and endure until the end and continue on in a new way of eating beyond the cleanse. If in your mind, you begin the fast with the end in sight of you chomping down on Hostess cakes or greasy fries then maybe you aren't quite ready. Also, if you do start and are unable to finish, DON'T beat yourself up about it and try again when or if you see fit. DO NOT do it as a means of losing weight because I'm sure you know, chances are you will gain it back and then some when you are through.

Also be careful to not put yourself in situations that will prove tempting. At times this will be inevitable, but do your best to use this time for inner reflection as well. Based up countless research and my own experiences, when you strip you're body of solid food, you become so open in your mind and spirit which can lead to many other positive experiences and benefits while you are cleansing. Please note, this is information based on research and my own personal experiences. The only way to know is through yourself, these are merely suggestions and information that I have obtained by reading and doing.

CWRITES THOUGHTS ON DAY 1:

Today has been pretty easy. I don't feel hungry at all. I have had a few food thought cravings, but I know that's natural. The first and second day are usually not so bad. The third day tends to be the most difficult and then once you get through that it's usually smooth sailing. We'll see if that holds true for me this time. I have decided to not workout during my cleanse. Although it's not specified that you can't, I decided to lay low and resume with a workout regimen upon its completion. I'll be keeping you posted!

JJ'S THOUGHTS ON DAY 1: Feeling fine today. No complaints. Will still workout later.

This is it for today!

See you back here tomorrow!

C

B-DAY FOR JJ, CHICAGO TRIPPIN'

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:25:00 +0000

Blog in pictures- Details below....

Hey Folks,

I hope all is well with you out there in the blog world! It seems like so much has been going on, my head is spinning. Well, let me just get right down to it. First, let me say I'm a little blue as my counterpart left for NYC today for six days to do a movie. Great about the movie, sucks about him being out of town. Anyway, I have a ton of things lined up to keep me occupied and then some this weekend!

So, let me get you all caught up! It was JJ's birthday on the 26th and we took in a play at the Alliance Theater. We saw the Amen Corner and it was really good. After the show they had a little roundtable discussion about the play as well as life balance. It was all very nice way to spend the afternoon. After we left the play we headed back to my crib for me to get started on dinner. I made some grilled portabello mushrooms, sauteed garlic green beans with onions, and mashed potatoes. This meal was a throwback to one of the first meals I made for JJ that got he really enjoyed. I was able to set the atmosphere with some candles and dim lighting.

Earlier in the day, before leaving for the play, I made my first vegan cake with vegan icinig. IT WAS THE BOMB.COM!!!! I was SO pleasantly surprised. I mean, it was REALLY, REALLY good! I took a few slivers to work to my non-vegan co-workers and they raved just the same. Recipe will be forthcoming because you MUST try this recipe! You'll have to forgive the picture above. I still don't have my arsenal of fancy baking tools and such but it's the thought and taste that counts right?!

He was very pleased and said he had a very nice birthday. I am VERY big on birthdays, I think all should always be celebrated to the best of your ability. Growing up, my mom made sure that all birthdays were uniquely special and I'm happy to carry on that tradition with those that I love also. Happy B-day again JJ, you're a wonderful man and you are going to have a terrific year!

This past weekend we had to take an unexpected road trip up to Chi-town to see JJ's family. His grandfather passed, so we went up to pay our respects. We left Saturday morning and returned Tuesday night. The trip is about 11 hours, so needless to say we were exhausted by the time we returned. I don't mind road trips that much, but this one was a little trying because it was SO hot outside and we rolled with the windows down vs burning more gas so it was a little crucial with the heat at times. It's always nice to drive through new states though. Tennesse is absolutely breathtaking with it's rolling green hills and mountains. It didn't even seem real at times. The wonder of God and His creation is something mighty to behold. On the way back it was extra trying because I got sick to my stomach the night before so I was ill for the first part of the trip, it subsided thank God so the latter part wasn't so bad. This is the second time I've come back from Chi-town sick to my stomach from something I've eatin, what's up with that?! This time I'll chalk it up to possibly too much of a good thing. We went to this Vegan restaurant JJ's sister (who is also vegan) goes to called Veggie Bite. We pretty much ate there every day we were there and I think I took in too many chix-free nuggets. I'll know better next time. They had very tasty food and even tastier vegan ice cream. Yum! One night we were there we did stray from Veggie Bite to across the street to get a Vegan pizza from this place that was advertising it.

Let me tell you, I had my mouth set for this pizza. I mean Chi-town plus any kind of pizza should equal the bomb.com right? WRONG!!! It was HORRIBLE! I was SO mad. I am a woman that takes her food VERY seriously. I don't play around, so when I get something that is less than the best AND I spent a good deal of money $25 to be exact for an extra large!!! then I expect to be brought into culinary pleasures that take me into the next few days. Well, that ain't what happened. I ate two pieces and was just through. I didn't even eat anymore and I was hot, hot, hot about it. JJ tried to help by offering to get me something else from somewhere else and I decided to just boycott food altogether for the night. My evening was already ruined from this travesty of a vegan pizza. The crust was like a cracker. We asked them to go just light on the vegan cheese since JJ doesn't jibe too well with soy and just a tiny, tiny bit of garlic. Well, they translated this to mean a heaping of garlic and a few splatters of cheese in some arbitrary places on the pizza. It was PATHETIC. We got JJ's parents a vegan pizza (veg lovers also) as well and they didn't ask for light soy cheese and JJ and I tasted a bit of theirs and it was slightly, just slightly better. So, as you can tell that was not a nice experience por moi. I'm over it now, but boy was I beside myself that night.

I made some cupcakes from the cake recipe I made for JJ's b-day to take along for the trip and got some rave reviews from JJ's parents as well. I could go into more detail about the entire trip but I covered most points. Although we were in town for a sad occassion it was nice to have a change of atmosphere from the ATL and spend time with JJ's family.

I'll holla at ya next time!!

C

4TH OF JULY WEEKEND!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Hey Folks!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday! I'm very pleased to say that I did! Anytime I have an extra day off work, it's enjoyable for me! My Mom and stepdad breezed into town on Wednesday night to have the 4th festivities down in the ATL.

On Thursday, they did their own thing in the city. They did a tour of CNN and my mom got some cute pictures taken of her behind a mock news desk. While they were touring the studios, me and LB (friend from work) were at SIX FLAGS!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE rollercoasters, so anytime I can go scream and get my adreneline rush, I'm there. This trip started out as a "firm" outing, until the partners pretty much put an end to that pipe dream. So, the office was closing early on Thursday at noon, so me and LB decided to go anyway at the last minute and we had a BLAST! LB was a little skeptical thinking that it would be crowded due to the holiday. I have been to various Six Flags theme parks on holidays such as these and that never seems to be the case. The opposite usually holds true and I'm more than happy to report that I was right! We left the office at noon, got there in no time, scored a supremo parking spot near the front and breezed right in. However, this wouldn't be a cwrites and LB outing without some Lucy and Ethel antics though.

Well, LB had to go the bank before getting on the road. She goes in the bank and leaves her Prada (real, not knock-off) sunglasses in the bank. She conveniently discovers this after we pull all the way out and are sitting at the stoplight. So, she unsuccessfully tries to manuever backing up but doesn't have enough room because there is now a huge truck behind us that can't back up enough to let her get back in the parking lot. So, out of nowhere LB yells "CHINESE FIRE DRILL"! WHAT??!!! I wasn't given the memo back in elementary school what this means. So, for the few of you that are in the same boat as I was, this simply means switch places. She yelled that out for me to get in the driver's seat so she could run back in the bank to get her sunglasses. How we were able to do all this without the light turning green, I'll never know. On second thought, I can see God and the angels in heaven looking down nodding their heads saying, "they're at it again, hold the green light folks!" Anyway, the "fire drill" was succesful and the light turned green as soon as I was in the driver's seat. I pulled out, made a u-turn and picked up "Lucy" standing on the corner with sunglasses in hand. Never a dull moment when we get together!

Okay, now back to the park. We breezed through all the lines with no problem at all. We even managed to get on the best ride in the park, Goliath two times! I unfortunately was not prepared food wise for this trip. I always have my little organic snacks to take with me into the park to ensure I have something to eat. Well, I ended up getting some greasy french fries, but they were "vegan" and I was STARVING so they served the purpose for the day. We had a great time and were glad that we still go to go!

"Here we are with Bugs"- we don't know how they can bear being in those costumes in this ATL heat and humidity. LB joked that while we're all smiles the person in the costume is probably making the most pissed face imaginable.

Now, on to the 4th. Everyone was coming to my crib for a bbq. By everyone, I mean, my parents, sister, nephew and JJ. By bbq, I mean they scorch flesh on the grill while I make vegan fare for me and JJ. I happily report however, that I have mastered my vegan chocolate chip cookies, I just add two tablespoons of molasses to this recipe and they are divine. EVERYONE raved about them and took some home! I've taken cookie pictures before, so I didn't bother this time. So, my vegan cookies were the contribution I made that everyone enjoyed.

For me and JJ there were Amy's Veggie patties, corn on the cob, organic chips and I whipped up some bbq black beans. I just took a can of black beans, warmed them on the stove, added chopped onions, some brown sugar and organic bbq sauce to taste and voila..bbq black beans! My family enjoyed the non-veg regular baked bean variety with pig shavings or excuse me, pork flavoring. I kicked myself for not thinking of making some pasta salad, but I still have the rest of the summer to do that!

After dinner, my parents and nephew played the card game 500 and I drew them into watching some episodes of The Next Food Network Star. After that, we ended up watching Akeelah and the Bee. This was my second time seeing it, and it's such a great movie. I highly recommend it for a blockbuster night. I conveniently was able to order it On Demand on cable from the comforts of home. By the time the movie was finishing, fireworks had started and we were able to see some over the houses on my back patio. This was how I had intended to see them anyway. I wasn't in the mood for any crowds at a public gathering. My family was going to go to Stone Mountain to see them there but the park was packed to capacity already around 5:00 so that ended that plan. All in all it was a very nice and relaxing 4th.

Mom preparing flesh and veggie kabobs for the grill (LOL)

My grill being used for the first time!

Dining table dressed in 4th of July fashions

On Saturday morning I decided at the last minute to make a quick breakfast for the family. My parents stayed with my sister this time, so I called them to come over for some vegan pancakes. I used a different recipe first and they did NOT come out too good. They were very bland, had no flavor at all. So, I found this alternate recipe (I added 2 teaspoons of vanilla as was suggested by someone who rated this recipe) and the second batch came out DELICIOUSLY!! I ran out and grabbed a bag of frozen potatoes (I was up against the clock folks) added some onion and seasoning with extra virgin olive oil and they were set. If I would have had more time, I would have bought the potatoes whole and made them from scratch but I honestly didn't have time. I needed to cook, have them over to eat, and then prepare myself to get ready to go to work at the restaurant that afternoon. I'm happy to report that the vegan pancakes were a HIT! I love being able to share vegan recipes with my non-vegan family to show them food can still be enjoyable sans animal products. I still have tons to learn about cooking and baking but I'm having a great time so far! My parents left Saturday night, but I was working.

On Sunday, we had a nice thunderstorm in the morning. I love rainy days when I can be inside. Me and JJ did some running around after the weather cleared. He grabbed a falafel for dinner and I grabbed Mexican and it was a nice, laid back Sunday.

So, my extended weekend turned out to be very good. Time is flying by this summer. Before you know it I will be blogging about Labor day!!

Until next time folks!

FLASHBACK TO THE PAST, FOOT PAIN, CHILLED OUT WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:48:00 +0000

What's up folks!!

It has been WAAAAYY too long this time. So much has been going on lately, so my attention during the day during my free time at work has been focused on other projects. In addition to that, the past few weekends have not brought about much culinary excitment or adventures to run and blog about! Anyway, I have been homesick for posting so I am putting an end to the hiatus and hope there won't be such a void in posting for such a long while next time. This will probably be a long post as I attempt to play catch up, but I don't think you mind do you? Good! Here we go!!

Well, a few weekends ago, I was really pumped up to check out the Farmer's Market at Piedmont Park. JJ and I finally made it over there and we were very disappointed. There were hardly any vendors. You can get through the whole "market" in five minutes, and I'm NOT exaggerating. It was nice that they had some live jazz music playing while you browse, but not much browsing was going on. I guess I've been spoiled by the Farmer's Markets up in NYC and LA. I mean I know the ATL is much different than those two places, but I expected a little more than what we got. Anyway, I would still encourage you to check it out if you happen to be in that area on a Saturday morning between 9-12, to support those that are there trying to showcase and sell their goodies, just know what to expect. There are several more markets in the area on Saturday mornings that we still might check out, I'll keep you posted on that!

A glimpse of the Market

Picture I snapped on the way back to the car after our short trip..

So, I'll now fast forward to this past weekend. On Friday, it was a little flashback to the past with what I decided to make for dinner. First let me say, that I had some GREAT shots set up to take of my little feast, but my camera was out of juice, so I couldn't take any pictures the way I would have liked. I was very upset to say the least. The one weekend I'm ready to get back on the ball and I lack equipment!! Anyway, on Friday after work JJ and I headed over to my crib for the evening and we stopped at Sevananda on the way to get some grub. JJ got some vegan corn cakes from the prepared foods section and I got some vegan mac'n'cheese that I found that comes in a box, some vegan non-chicken buffalo wings (saw somebody buy them and wanted to try them ever since) and some frozen spinach to sautee up to get some green. I know what you're thinking, everything came in a package, yup it did. I was too tired to think about cooking anything creative from scratch; I was looking for quick and cheap and that's what I got! The non-chicken wings were VERY good as well as the mac'n'cheese and spinach is ALWAYS yummy. JJ's meal was tasty as well and he had some spinach and tried a few of the non-chicken wings. It was a flashback meal for me because it reminded me of meals I had back in the day when I was a kid before becoming a vegan (wouldn't go back for the world, but it's nice to once in a while have some old time favorites vegan style), especially the boxed mac'n'cheese. I even had applesauce on the side! Needless to say, I was very pleased with my dinner choice so it was a good Friday night! I'll have to take pictures of the boxes the next time I make this meal so you can indulge if you so choose!

The only picture I was able to get was of the leftover vegan mac'n'cheese for your viewing pleasure below:

On Saturday morning, JJ and I headed over to the park to get in a workout. Much to JJ's pleasant surprise there were some folks on the basketball court, so I knew JJ would be getting his work out in picking up some games with the fellas. I watched him play while stalling to do my own workout. I managed to finally get myself up and go to the court adjacent to his that was empty to get my body in gear. While playing JJ fell pretty hard and messed up his ankle that was fractured some years ago, so that wasn't good. He ended up playing ANOTHER game even after hurting his ankle and ended up limping away from the court. When we got back to my crib, we saw just how bad the damage was. His ankle swelled up pretty bad and walking proved to be very difficult the rest of the evening. So, we ended up in for the day and evening watching the tube and an old flick. It was nice to relax though, I always feel like I'm going, going, going even on the weekends, so to just chill out was nice. We ended up having a thunderstorm which made being in even better. I ended up going to Little Ceasar's to pick up some veggie pizzas with no cheese and salad for dinner. I have always been partial to Papa John's but this pizza was tasty! Next time, we will ask for extra sauce though.

JJ's swollen foot- much better now though

Half eaten veggie pizza...

We headed back into the city on Sunday. Picked up some groceries for JJ and headed back to JJ's for the evening. I had leftover pizza for dinner and some Soy Dream Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream for dinner while JJ had a veggie bowl from Willy's. We watched pieces of HORRIBLE BET movie and some great Animal Planet shows. All in all, it was a nice relaxing, quick but good food weekend!

This weekend is the 4th, so I hope to have some fun stories and food to share! My folks will be in town and there will be a bbq at my house on Friday. I'm putting together me and JJ's vegan menu in my head now!

Until next time!

PLAYING CATCH UP- MEMORIAL DAY

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:29:00 +0000

Hey Folks,

I'm never gone too long am I? A lot's been going on, but let's just get into it shall we? I hope to be back on track with updating weekly now that I've gotten a handle on things. This will be quick and to the point!

As I mentioned in the last posting, JJ's family came into town for Memorial Day weekend. His entire family was in tow- mom, dad, brother and sister. They all seemed to have a really nice time. We had sunny and warm weather the entire time they were here. On Saturday morning, they all surprised me during my writing session with AB at Panera to say "hello"! After my writing session, I met up with them at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. It was my first time there since college, so it's been a hot minute. After leaving there, I met back up with AB and had dinner at a delicious Mexican spot in Little Five Points called Sabroso Mexicano. I THOROUGLY enjoyed my food. So much so, that JJ and I went there again this past Friday for dinner. Hey, I'm not called Rerun for nothin'! I'm known to run things I like in the ground! Anyway, AB and I sat outside and it was very nice.

On Sunday, JJ played host some more with the fam, taking them around to various places in the city. I made some Chocolate Chip cookies with a new recipe, that I liked much better than the last one I did. This dough, was SO much easier to work with! The only change I will implement next time is to add Molasses to this recipe (per AB and TM's suggestion) the recipe I used didn't call for that, but there was a little imbalance between the richness of the chocolate chips and not enough flavoring for the dough. I bet the next time I make them, they will come out perfect! I may try this weekend, if all goes well, I will post the recipe next time I blog.

I made the cookies to take with me to the Vegan BBQ that AB and TM were having at their house on Monday. I went solo and then met up with JJ and the fam at Little Five Points upon leaving the BBQ. AB and TM were such great hosts and the food was GREAT! AB made some KILLER, SMACK YOUR WHOLE FAMILY vegan chocolate mint cookies. Can I just tell you that these cookies were the BOMB.COM!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!! I honestly have not had a cookie that good in a long while! She put her foot in them! She also made some GREAT peanut butter cookies, but the choc mint ones, mmmmmm, I can't say enough! I was able to take a doggie bag home and best believe, I ate everything.

I met up with JJ and the fam and walked around Little Five Points with them, then to the Undergound and by the Jazz fest for a bit. Then off to Atlantic Station for the fam to get some grub, and then it was back to the crib for me.

Unfortunately, I don't have any vegan dish offerings or excitement from this past weekend. I hope to be back in full effect this weekend!!

Check out a few pics from Memorial Day below:

Choc Chip Cookie Dough

Choc Chip Cookies- missing a little Molasses

Vegan BBQ Spread

JJ making some shots at the Underground

Until next time folks!!

BAKING, TACO NIGHT & NEW FRIENDS

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Hey folks,

I know it's been another long gap in between posts, but what can I say! I'm here!

So, let's get right down to it! As I mentioned in the last post, JJ went off to NYC while I stayed back brooding in envy. He had a great time! He was able to hit up some of his old food posts while he was there. I can't wait to make a trip up to do the same! Anyway, while he was gone, my sister and nephew stayed the night with me on Saturday so that we could celebrate Mother's Day with my sister. To all you moms and moms-to-be, I hope you had a great one! Anyway, I made myself some pasta on Friday night that was enough to last me through the weekend. I was being a little lazy and easy on the wallet so it worked well enough for me! I have vowed to make an effort to make some sort of baked goods every weekend. I've been keeping up with the plan so far. So, on Mother's Day, I made some Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I'm not going to bother posting the recipe for these because next time I make them, I want to use a different recipe and see what happens. Though they came out FANTASTIC, I want to make a few adjusments next time. They actually were very good, so I pat myself on the back for getting it right, but the dough was a little too crumbly and it was VERY hard to work with. I thought that I had messed it up, so I got rid of all the excess batter prematurely. I should have baked the first batch to see what came out before wasting so much. Anyway, my sister and nephew who are non-vegan LOVED them and wished I had not thrown it away either. I'll know better for next time! I saved a couple for JJ to try upon his return and he loved them as well!

Here they are in all their glory!

This past weekend was a combination of eating out and cooking. On Friday night we had hard shell tacos.

We bought the Garden of Eatin' taco kit that comes with the shells, taco seasoning and sauce. We have used this before and it's quite good. We just mixed together some black beans, onions and peppers. Shown here:

The taco shells warmed out of the oven:

And homemade guacamole:

I have found a WONDERFUL new writing partner! I'll call her AB (hear more about this on my raiseyourvoice blog). She and her husband have recently moved down here from Alaska, so after AB and I finished up with our Saturday morning meeting, her husband and JJ met us to go grab some lunch to all get acquainted. We had a BLAST! AB is a vegetarian, her husband isn't but is open to Veg fare, so we went to Cafe Sunflower. I've blogged about this before, so I won't get into too much detail. I will say that we didn't seem to get as much food as JJ and I remember from the last time. I still recommend the place, but I suggest you go if you're looking for more of a gourmet style vegan restaurant. AB and her husband didn't complain, but JJ and I made the above assessment later on. After lunch, we were having such a good time, it turned into making a day of it! We headed over to Little Five Points and Inman Park. They had their precious dog along for the trip, so she enjoyed playing in the park and the walk outside. It was great fun and we've found some great new hanging partners! JJ has also acquired a new running partner with AB's husband who I'll call TM. They are due for their first run this coming Saturday.

Here they are with JJ:

After parting ways with our new buds, we headed back over to my crib. On the way there I stopped at a new place that we found that does Jamaican/Vegetarian/Vegan cuisine. They have great vegan mac and cheese and fantastic collard greens! I have to get back with you on the name. I know, I've GOT to do better on this tip. I just searched high and low on the web and can't find it! I did however, make good on the promise to get you the name of the Indian Restaurant that JJ and I frequent by my house. They don't have a website, but here is their info:

Madras Sri Ganesh Ram Palace

1825 Rockbridge Rd.

Stone Mountain, GA 30087

770-413-1415

So, I'll get back to you on the other information asap!

On Sunday, I baked my first batch of Vegan brownies. I think they came out quite tasty! Click here to see the recipe I used. I got the thumbs up from a non-vegan co-worker who also bakes. I'm still waiting to hear the verdict from JJ, he hadn't tried them yet. I'll let you know next time.

Here they are:

Sunday dinner was late and uneventful. A veggie sandwich from Panera. So, there you have it! You're all caught up with the two V's.

This weekend brings a holiday, so I'm excited about that!! NO WORK ON MONDAY!!! YEAHH!!

JJ's parents and sister are coming in town from Chicago, so next week's posting should be fun!

Peace until next time!

LENTIL SOUP AND MUFFINS

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:34:00 +0000

Hey folks!!
I know it's been a little longer than usual. Did you miss us?! Well, we're back in full effect! My mom came in town the weekend before last so the two vegans didn't do it how we usually do, so that is why there was a week missed in posting our delectable delights!!

Well, on to this past weekend. I was off on Friday because I had some new furniture being delivered...YEAHHH!!!! Anyway, JJ had mentioned earlier in the week that he wanted some blueberry muffins and lentil soup over the weekend. The blueberry muffins would be my first foray into vegan baking. This is going to be a new venture for me and I'm very excited about it, but more on that in the posts to come. Anyway, on Friday night we did it simple and just stopped by Chipotle for our usual vegetarian burrito in a bowl.

On Saturday, we started the morning off right by getting in some exercise on the tennis courts.

We definitely did better this time and look forward to continuing to grow in the sport. After going back to the house to shower, we hit up the Dekalb Farmers Market to get some groceries. It's been a minute since we've gone there, but I LOVE this place. They have a HUGE selection and the prices are more than reasonable.

For lunch, we decided to hit up the Indian restaurant by my house for their delicious buffet. I walked right out AGAIN without getting a menu in order to give you the name and I'm not going to even try to go off of memory because the name is way too long and I don't want to jack it up. I promise to get that information to you shortly. By the time we were done eating, I was so full I could only think of letting my pants out and laying down somewhere. I know, it's a shame. Put the fork down and move away from the plate!!! Anyway, it was as delicious as ever!!

After going back to the crib and chillin' for a minute, I prepared the kitchen for my first experience with vegan baking. Once I got all the ingredients together, I got to baking. After getting all the ingredients in the bowl, it became PAINFULLY evident that I definitely need to invest in a hand mixer. I will over time be building up my arsenal of baking supplies. Well, I made it through the mini arm workout and got the mix into the muffin tins. I was a little worried that I hadn't mixed enough and they wouldn't come out right. I am more than happy to report that I was SO wrong!! They came out great!! I will however, next time spray the inside of the muffin papers to prevent sticking. I also think that I will be more generous with the batter to make the a little bigger on top. So, if I do these few modifications next time, I think all will be good in the hood! I used all organic ingredients and I made sure to use Organic sugar that was free from bone char (look under uses once you click on the link).

Here is the recipe I used:

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup Earth Balance (the vegan variety of course)
Egg replacer for one egg

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup frozen blueberries (you can of course use fresh as well)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a muffin pan. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the soy milk, earth balance, egg replacer and lemon juice and stir until mixed. Gently add blueberries. Spoon batter in to the muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until muffins are golden brown.

Check 'em out! Please note, that I had SO much batter that I ended up making some mini ones as well, those are the ones on top. They were very yummy and I got the thumbs up from JJ too!

On Sunday, we got an early start as well. We were headed into the city to spend the day and go to JJ's crib for the evening. The weather was warm and gorgeous!! We started off the day breaking a sweat again by going to the gym to work out first. After showering, we headed over to Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe. I found out about this place last week and couldn't wait to go! It was in a part of town that JJ and I hadn't been too yet and it was so nice. We loved this nice vegan find. It was a little smaller than I expected, but it was great nonetheless. They had Uncle Eddie's cookies and this is the first place I've been to down here that has them, so I had to bite the bullet and get some..YUM, YUM, YUM! I'm going to learn how to make and perfect my own, but in the meantime I had to indulge just a little bit. ESPECIALLY since I have vowed to make my sweet tooth wait until the weekends and concentrate on my fruits, veggies, beans and grains during the week.

So after running around the city and doing some errands, it was back to the house to get into making the homemade lentil soup. JJ said next to the veggie wraps I make, this is a very close second.

Here is the recipe we used. However, we used Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of vegetable, we added two stalks of kale and we didn't use bay leaves or thyme. Instead we seasoned to taste using oregano, sea salt, pepper, cumin, season all, as well as one minced garlic clove. I think JJ may have added a few other items. He is the king of seasoning things just right. We also used two cups of lentils and added water to give the soup more liquid since we ran out of vegetable broth.

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion diced
1 carrot sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry lentils
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
dash salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

In a large pot, sautee the onions and carrot in oil for 3-5 minutes (We sauteed the onions and carrots along with the kale and did not add the other itmes until the carrots were a little less than fork tender). Add the vegetable broth, lentils, and other seasonings. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes.

This soup was FANTASTIC!!! To go alongside we had garlic bread. We got a half of whole wheat baguette from Whole Foods. JJ cut the bread, added earth balance, garlic powder and oregano, threw it under the broiler for several minutes and it was SOOO good!!!

FEAST YOUR EYES! (This blurry picture doesn't do it justice, but trust me it was the BOMB!)

So, there you have it! JJ is off to the big apple this weekend while I will stay back pouting in envy! I originally was going to be tagging along on this trip but I had to spare my budget and save for the trip to L.A. we will be making in June or July!! Now, I am definitely looking forward to that, it's been three years since I moved from there and I'm overdue on the trip. I will be still trying to make a trip to NYC while it's warm, so we'll see!!! I'll be trying out some new recipes solo this weekend. I will be filling you in on that, and ask JJ to document some food experiences while he's gone as well!!

Until next time!!!

C

ON THE ROAD!

noreply@blogger.com (CWrites) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:35:00 +0000

Hey folks,

As I mentioned in the last post, JJ and I had a road trip over the weekend to Northern Virginia to my parents' house. We left on Saturday morning a little after 8:00 and headed out for our 10 hour trip. We drove because I had some stuff that I had left in storage at their house when I moved down from NYC. JJ has the stamina of steel as he worked an overnight shift and drove the entire way without having to stop for a nap! He so graciously took over the drive knowing how I don't like highway driving. I return the favor by staying up the entire time to keep him company, a very small price to pay I must say! :-) I packed us lunch so that we wouldn't have to stop since there are few choices along the roads that would accommodate our vegan requirements. I made some veggie and hummus wraps and brought some Garden of Eatin' chips and apples to snack on as well.

STAMINA OF STEEL IN ACTION!

IT'S A WRAP!

I did nod off a few times UNITENTIONALLY on the way up there in the time span of about an hour or so, but I pulled it together and fought my way through it. JJ didn't even call me out on this until we got back from the entire trip jokingly. He's such a good sport. Like I said though, I made it through awake the rest of the time. We ended up taking a more scenic route on the way up there (thanks to Mapquest) that took us through the Shenendoah Valley and even though it was raining it was so beautiful! Check it out!

The weather up in VA wasn't the best. It was chilly and rainy, but as always it was great to see the fam! We spent some time with my sister, brother-in-law and my nephews on Sunday evening over dinner. JJ and I took the easy route this weekend and just got take out the entire time. Saturday night we got Mexican from Baja Fresh and on Sunday we got some Veggie Burgers, rice and broccoli from Uno's. There was no need for a picture of either of these meals. The veggie burger was quite good though! We caught a rented flick with my parents on Sunday night and then on Monday it was on the road again!

On the way back we decided to take our time with the drive since neither of us had to work on Tuesday morning. We ended up stopping at Subway along the way for veggie sandwiches for lunch. We also stopped in Gaffney, South Carolina at an outlet mall and loaded up on some great deals!! We decided on the way back, that we would make a trip up to South Carolina again on the weekend to get out of the city and spend more time at the outlets and see what else is going on since we were only 3 hours away from Atlanta at that point. I'm just glad that summer is approaching and can't wait for our weekend excursions to pick up!

It looks as though the warm weather may finally be here to stay and I LOVE it! We went out and played another round of tennis yesterday in the beautiful sunshine. What really topped off the trip was that JJ surpised me yesterday evening with a muffin baking tin for the baked goods I'm going to start making from Sur la table and the wrappers to put inside for baking. It was SO sweet and SO unexpected!!

Well, that about sums up the weekend. I know there aren't a lot of culinary courses to gawk at this week, but we'll be back to our regularly scheduled program soon enough!

I'll leave you with a one more shot that I took on the way back down to the A-T-L; the sunset peaking through the trees! GORGEOUS!