the end of mofo.

Thirteen. That's how many VeganMoFo posts I managed this month. That's much lamer than I had imagined it back on October 1st, so sorry about that.
Here's The Moe & Miles Jamboree, playing out MoFo.



Now we are getting ready to head out to the Boston Veg Fest this weekend. Should be a fun time!

VeganMofo: the mighty potluck

I never really liked potlucks before I went vegan. Jello salad and deviled eggs? No thanks. But vegan potlucks rock the house.

Ashley put on another fine vegan potluck today, and it went a little something like this:


pizza swirls


mini pot pies and a big pot pie


macaroni salad


spice cake


cutest sugar cookies ever


Pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes


spiderweb cupcakes


"Hi! I'm Kevin, and I have to be in every picture!" :)


Kevin & Laura


24 & Jeanette


Laurie, cupcake goddess


Alicia & Drew


Brittany & Emily


There were a lot of other great dishes, I just forgot to take pictures of them all! Good times, good times.

VeganMofo: Pizzer

Homemade pizzer topped with artichoke hearts, onions, Teese, spinach and vegan chicken strips. Mmm.

When I first went vegan, for some reason I assumed that I would never have pizza again. What really happened is that I would never have Pizza Hut pizza again. Luckily!
These days we have homemade pizza a few times a month. The options are huge when you make pizza at home! Sometimes I make my own dough, but I often opt for the laziness of a store bought dough ball from Harry's or Trader Joe's. Here are some of our more common combinations:

Sauce options:
canned pizza sauce
fresh crushed tomatoes and basil leaves
vegan alfredo sauce
vegan pesto

Cheese options:
Shredded mozzarealla Teese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheezly
Tofu based ricotta
No cheese

Some favorite veggie combos:
Onions, black olives, mushrooms
Artichoke hearts, sliced tomatoes
Spinach and broccoli
Green peppers and onions
Sundried tomatoes and black olives

Other fun toppings:
Vegan ground beef crumbles
Vegan pepperoni slices
BBQ'd Soy Curls
Countless other meat analogs

Sprinkles:
Oregano
Basil
Parma
Red pepper & garlic zip

Weirdest pizza made in our house:
Cheeseburger Pizza- ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions, vegan cheddar, vegan ground beef crumbles. So weird. But soooo good.

So what's your favorite kind of pie?

VeganMofo: important ice cream research

Sometimes in life, we are faced with situations that we must push through in order to better ourselves, help others, or because it's just the right thing to do. Not because we want to, no. Because we must! For the sake of the greater good! Sometimes we must....
Eat ice cream for dinner in the name of research.



Our friend Ashley was lucky enough to have a bundle of goodies sent to her from Turtle Mountain, makers of awesome vegan ice cream, in order to review. They sent her so much, that she put a call out to some local vegans who might want to help her eat it all. So glad we could help, Ashley!





Man, I am really enjoying all of the coconut milk-based products that Turtle Mountain has been coming out with lately. I do eat a lot of soy, so it's nice to have another option for yogurts and ice cream. And the coconut makes for a very creamy, rich texture for these products, too. And don't think that everything tastes like coconut, because it doesn't. Well, some of it does, but only the vanilla and coconut flavored products.
My personal favorite out of all the products that Ashley shared is the almond coconut mini bars. (I'm holding up a half eaten, blurry one above) Rich, creamy coconut ice cream, coated in a crunchy chocolate almond shell. Wonderful!

VeganMoFo: Emily!

Hi I'm Emily and I'm a senior in high school! All the seniors have to do this thing called Senior Project where we research some topic and then get a mentor to help us out with out. My topic has to do with living a vegan lifestyle and all the reasons why people choose to be vegan. We have to write this huge research paper and have a product that goes along with it. My product is just me eating a vegan diet for a month or so and seeing how it affects my health. I've been a vegetarian for about two years so it wasn't like extremely hard to become a vegan. I've been a vegan for the past two weeks and with all the substitutes for dairy and eggs, it's actually pretty easy. The soy ice-cream is AWESOME! Leigh is my mentor and she is awesome as well :)
I'm thinking that after the project is over, I'll probably continue to be a vegan!

That's my new friend Emily. If you would like, please feel free to leave comments, well-wishes, tips or advice for this new vegan!

VeganMofo: Philly Cheesesteak

I went vegetarian when I was still in high school, then vegan about ten years later. Before I was vegetarian, my food choices were typical of an American, southern kid. Fried chicken, pork chops, steak, hamburgers, pepperoni pizza, pot roast, and beef chili were among the standards in our house. Even my first few years as a teen vegetarian consisted mostly of Taco Bell bean burritos or peanut butter sammichs with potato chips. Health was not my main concern, for sure.

Many years later, here I am. There's hardly a vegetable I won't eat and enjoy, and my "typical" foods are more varied and healthy. But every now and then I get a craving for something I never tried before going veg. I think I mentioned here recently that I never had a traditional, non-vegan version of chicken and waffles. I've also never had "real" buffalo wings, or a Philly cheesesteak.



So here's my first Philly cheesesteak. I have no idea if it tasted authentic or not, but I do know it was sufficiently full of fat, and tasted great. I won't bother with posting a recipe, since it's just a bunch of tasty shit thrown together. I just toasted a couple of demi baguettes under the broiler, and melted some vegan cheese on the inside. Then I slathered the baguettes with Vegenaise, and topped it with a combination of Soy Curls hydrated and cooked with green peppers, onions, and a bit of vegan steak sauce.

Eat, enjoy, and feel bloated after.

VeganMofo: Iron Chef Challenge #2

The Iron Chef Challenge for this week is... pears & nuts! Easy enough.

I decided on something really simple for this combination, some basic muffins. These are pear muffins with a walnut topping, and they taste like breakfast. I'm a huge fan of pears, so I'll have to make these more often! Yeah, I used canned pears. Because I love canned pears, man. It's the only canned fruit I eat. Plus, it gives Ken a chance to quote a random episode of The Sopranos: "Canned pears, it's my secret!"



To make these, I adapted a blueberry streusel muffin recipe from The Damn Tasty! Vegan Baking Guide. Here is my adapted version of Kris' original recipe.

Pear Muffins with Walnut Topping
Makes 12 regular sized muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 can of pear halves in pear juice
1 cup pear juice, reserved from can of pears
1/4 cup canola oil
1 6oz container plain soy yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnut pieces
brown sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400F and line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add in the pear halves, and break the halves apart while stirring the mixtures. It's okay if the pears become mushy, like apple sauce.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, except for the walnuts and brown sugar. Add the wet to the dry, and stir gently until just mixed.

Spoon batter into muffin liners, filling about 3/4 full. Evenly distribute the walnuts over the top of each muffin, then sprinkle each top with brown sugar.
Bake for about 20-24 minutes, to a light golden brown.

VeganMofo: Apple Pah

So, last night I baked a pie. Despite the fact that making homemade pie crusts is a very simple task, I still used a pre-made crust for the bottom. I'm lazy. For the top lattice crust, I used the pie crust recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. The apple pie filling recipe is also from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Overall, this was a tasty pie. The granny smiths were nice and tart. I know I've been hard on this cookbook in the past, and I'm afraid that once again I was unmoved by a recipe from it. Even after sitting overnight, the pie filling simply did not firm up. I don't know what it is, but every recipe I try from JOVB is lackluster at best. And I see other bloggers raving about it, so it must be me! But I will give it this one credit, which is the lattice crust was perfect. Nice and flaky!

Mmm... pie.

Regardless, we still got some nice hot apples and crust to enjoy with a scoop of vanilla So Delicious. How bad could that be?

VeganMofo: let's talk about PMS foods

If you are a woman, you may have certain food cravings during "that time". I certainly do, and the older I get, the worse the cravings have become. Believe it or not, there is a real hormonal connection to these cravings. The changes in your levels of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone can cause a dip in that feel-good brain chemical, serotonin.

When serotonin levels are low, you can feel depressed or anxious. And the first things we think of to eat when this happens are simple carbs and sugars. And eating junk does work, but only for a short amount of time. Soon your ass will be crashing from that sugar high, then you'll feel worse than before! Reaching for a healthier snack with complex carbs can help more in the long run, as it will help regulate your blood sugar and help your body to metabolize progesterone.

I'm guilty of the junk food cure during this time of the month, too. Ya'll know me. So I'm working on a list of healthier alternatives to all the junk I crave. But please keep in mind, that if you really feel like your only two choices are either eating eleven cookies and washing them down with chocolate soy milk or taking a baseball bat to the windshield of the car of that douche who just cut you off in traffic, then I'm all about the cookies. Plus, handling traffic douches: that's what your middle finger is for!

my biggest cravings during PMS week and the week that follows are: Sugar, Chocolate, Fat, and Salt. So let's make a list.

Instead of: eleven chocolate Jo-Jo's washed down with chocolate soymilk while driving
Try: an almond butter sandwich on whole wheat bread

Instead of: an entire bag of Tings, eaten over the sink while crying
Try: unsalted, raw cashews

Instead of: twenty two Sjaak's caramel mini-bites eaten while defensively responding to an angry email at work
Try: a deep breath

Instead of: an ice cream sundae made with an entire pint of Purely Decadent Turtle Trails, chocolate syrup, salted peanuts and whipped cream eaten while watching the debate
Try: eating the same sundae while watching a zombie movie. Because at least zombie movies aren't real.

Now it's share time. What foods do you reach for while you're planning Aunt Flo's visit?

VeganMoFo: where I get off easy with a food survey

Some days just aren't conducive to food blogging. Take this sushi for example:



This was today's breakfast/lunch. A very bland pair of salad rolls with a packet of some curiously gelled sugar substance called Sweet Chili Sauce (yeah, right). Yuck. Thanks a lot, Kroger. Now I'm eating pretzels. So it goes.

Hey look! Here's a food related survey! This one originated from Food Snobbery is my Hobbery.

1. Name a song that involves food in some way.
Raspberry Swirl- Tori Amos (but she ain't talkin' about food)

2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?
I usually only spend my cookbook money on vegan cookbooks. And they have to be somewhat pretty.

3. What did you eat today?
Crappy sushi, protein pretzels, some chocolate bites. I am a pillar of health.

4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.
mock eel.

5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?
Oh, I would be the worst person for a show. But if I could hire a cool actress to stand in for me, then I would call it Raspberry Swirl.

6. Favorite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?
tabasco.

7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?
I was 17 when I went vegetarian and 27 when I went vegan.

8. Favorite vegan cheeze?
Teese and Cheezly

9. Cutest baby animal?
Lambs, bunnies, kittens. Oh, the cuteness!

10. Favorite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?
Strawberry.

11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?
Yes. I take a prenatal multi (Deva), a Cal-Mag (Deva), and the occasional DHA (Nutru)


12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?
Butternut Squash in any form or fashion.

13. What food would you have a hard time living without?
chocolate or avocados

14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
Tea, please.

15. It's 10PM and you're starving. What do you eat?
Anything that's handy. Preferably a cookie.


16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?
Moe likes to lick Earth Balance from my finger.


17. Worst injury you've gotten in the kitchen?
I've had plenty of burns from hot cookie pans, but nothing major.

18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?
I don't have anyone I can call. How sad.

19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?
Heirloom tomatoes. *cry*

20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?
vegan jerky, pretzels, chocolate.

21. Favorite soup to make on a rainy day?
Potato soup

22. What's your favorite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?
I like mot any fruit juice, but I'm not big on veggie juices. Except carrot juice.

23. Favorite brand of root beer?
Blech! Root beer is nasty.

24. What is your best food/beverage-related way to fight an illness?
chamomile tea for any and all tummy-related issues.

VeganMofo: giant fudge cookies with white chocolate drizzle

I'm not even a huge fan of white chocolate. But I am a huge fan of these big ass fudge cookies. So I thought I would fatten them up even more with some white chocolate drizzled all over them. I think it was a good choice. I love this dang recipe! I first found it on Veggieboards via Tofu Mom, and you can find it here. I made these so big, that one cookie feels like a meal.

...which can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

VeganMofo: taco night

A super quick dinner was just inhaled. Taco shells filled with black beans, zucchini sauteed with spicy taco seasoning, guacamole, Tofutti sour cream, and shredded Cheezly.

Easiest dinner ever.

VeganMofo: reality check

My years of being vegan have taught me to try and enjoy many amazing and healthy foods that I did not grow up eating. These days, there is hardly a vegetable, fruit or grain I won't eat. But my reality also includes limited time and limited funds, combined with an occasional desire to eat something fatty and reminiscent of my childhood.

Enter the vegan meatball hoagie with onion rings:



Refined white flour? Check. Battered, deep fried food? Check. Premade fake meat and fake cheese? Check. A mouth-tingling meal of awesome? Check! For the meatballs, I used the Match Meat in Italian Sausage flavor. I layered slices of mozzarella Cheezly on the bottom of the hoagie bread, then toasted it in the oven a bit before topping with the pizza sauce covered sausage balls. Sadly, I didn't make homemade onion rings. These are from a bag.

So welcome to my reality. We get home late, so we have to eat dinner late. And sometimes after dinners like these, we wake up with a wicked case of heartburn.

VeganMoFo: blurry orange food

We had a big ol' plateful of greasy, orange food tonight. And it was so good, let me tell you. First of all, look what I found at Trader Joe's today!



Immediately, some sort of hash came to mind. I wanted to make a sweet potato and chorizo hash, but TJ's didn't have any sweet potatoes and I didn't feel like going to another store today. Yes I'm lazy. Anyway. I picked up an acorn squash instead.

So we had a hash made with soy chorizo, acorn squash, onions and spinach. Delicious! The hash shared a plate with a batch of Tempeh Hot Wingz from Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk. I have made these more times than I can count. Ken adores them, and asks for them all the damn time. Not that I mind, because they're so awesome.

Here's the orange plate, in all it's blurry splendor. And this is with a tripod. I tell you, this camera is going to get tossed through a window soon.



Oh! And about our anniversary dinner in Athens last night! We managed to make it to The Grit just before they closed, and I ordered the famous Golden Bowl. It was very tasty. Not piss your pants and moan tasty, but really nice and simple. It's basically a tofu and veggie stir fry with lots of nutritional yeast, served over rice. After dinner, we shared a nice piece of cake. And the prices there are pretty cheap, which also made it nice. How many more times will I use the word "nice"? Nice!

I like to call this one "Blurry Golden Bowl with Flash":

happy anniversary, my love.

Hey Buddy. Thank you for marrying me four years ago today. You're my favorite.

 

VeganMoFo: any common vegan foods you have yet to try?

Have you ever heard of a vegetarian restaurant called The Grit? Well, it's a pretty popular place for vegans and vegetarians in Atlanta and Athens. In fact, if you mention to any ATL vegan that you are making a trip to Athens, the most common response is, "Ohh.. The Grit! Golden Bowl!"

My confession: I don't know what a Golden Bowl is. Because I've never been to The Grit. But tonight, I intend to find out! Because Ken and I are making the hour drive up the highway to Athens for a show tonight, and damnit, we are stopping at The Grit for dinner. I hate being the last to know things!

So here is my question to you VeganMoFoers. What seemingly common vegan food have you not yet tried, and why? Is it eggplant? Quinoa? Nutritional Yeast? And if you name it, then you have to go out and try it. Go!

VeganMoFo day 1

Alright. I do really want to participate in VeganMofo: Vegan Month of Food, I'm just a tad worried that I will slack off. Especially with the camera acting up lately. But I'm going to do my best to post something about vegan food every day, even if it's only slightly interesting.
...you hear that? Slightly interesting. Bet that sweetens the pot for you!

I will start of this MoFo by introducing you to (what I consider to be) the most unusual dish I've ever veganized. Chicken and waffles. Even though I was raised in the south, I had never heard of this strange combination of sweet & savory until well into my adulthood. And since I gave up meat when I was a kid, I never got a chance to try authentic chicken & waffles. I had to remedy that immediately.

I started with making some basic waffles using this pancake recipe in our trusty waffle iron. In the batter, I added a teaspoon of almond extract. For the chicken, I used the May Wah Nuggets, which I battered in a quick dunk of almond milk and dredged in a crust containing crushed almonds mixed with a bit of flour. Then I fried that shit. Because this ain't health food, ya'll.

You can even go a little more almond crazy and mix some almond extract in with your maple syrup, if you want to. Yum!