Culinary. Food, ahhh, my favorite subject. Although you guys have been missing food here on my blog, I have NOT been missing it in real life! I have eaten well the past couple months. As for baking, my most favorite goodie as of lately has been those damn awesome chocolate chips cookies! We eat the hell out of 'em, and my waist line can speak for that! Hands down, this is the best cookie recipe, vegan or not, on the planet. They rock.
I also made some vegan chocolate cupcakes with vegan buttercream frosting. Holy cow...AWESOME! Now, I'll be the first to admit there are two things that almost always come better out of a box than by hand...brownies and cake (just the cake; not the frosting). Seriously, it's real hard to F-up a box cake, and they always turn out moist and tender. But, I have found the best ever chocolate cake recipe ever, and it just so happens to be vegan AND the easiest damn cake recipe I've ever made. It's ridiculous. Non-vegan Mom approved, and everything. I'll post the recipe for that soon.
As for the rest of my culinary concerned life, I still remain almost all vegan at my house, and eat meat when it has been prepared for me at someone's house. Honestly, still don't miss the meat terribly. Don't get me wrong, it is good, but the cravings are nearly as strong as they are for...DAIRY! Yes, dairy. Not so much on milk, but cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, and ice cream...yes, please!!! I've been keeping some cheeses at the house, and my main "cheater food" is pizza, so I am guilty of eating on some cheese. I'm sorry, but I just love chevre, and brie, and manchengo, and cream cheese, and the list goes on. Sorry vegans, there's just no substitute for that stuff. I did, however, find some unpasteurized raw chevre style goat cheese at the Farm to Market the other day, and I was so jazzed about finding it! I've been waiting to try some raw dairy forever, but you really have to have a relationship with a local dairy to have access to it. It was awesome. Sorry guys, I just can't give up my red wine and cheese.
I'm still juicing daily, and I don't forsee that habit leaving my lifestyle anytime soon. I love juicing. No matter what your food lifestyle is, everyone should juice. I'm obsessed with juicing. It's the best thing you can do for your body daily...as well as exercise.
Running. Yep, still running. I can't believe it's almost been a year since my first attempts at running. Granted, I'm not in aa good of running shape as I was back in October, but I still run about 3-4 times a week. A group of us are running the "Beach to Bay" relay marathon here in a couple weeks, and I'm very excited about it. Each runner's leg is a little over 4 miles, so I'm not worried about meeting that goal.
In regards to running and food, I am consciously consuming more protein as I have noticed a definite correlation before the two. When my diet was primarily raw for a while, my running did not suffer majorly from the lack of protein, but when I started moving over to a primarily cooked vegan diet, I did notice I was becoming very weak. So, I order some raw vegan sprouted rice protein powder, and that has been working out fine. I shake some up with some water and almond milk after a run, and all is good. It's some really high-quality stuff, and is an easy protein on our digestive systems. You can read more about it here. FYI, I recommend buying the "natural" flavor version, as the other two contain stevia, which can be an od flavor. Also, if you go with a neutral flavor, you can make it any flavor you want depending on what you mix with it.
Love: Steven and I have been dating a year! Can you believe it?! Cinco de Mayo marks our one year anniversary...how goofy is that?! On the fifth of each month, we try to make a date night and go treat ourselves to a nice meal. We call these days our "Cincos," and this one coming up marks our 12th! It does not seems like a year. I love you, Steve-o!
Garden: My container garden is rocking! I have spinach, romaine, parsley, and tomatoes going right now, and I am proud to say everything is looking great....except for the spinach. The spinach is just not "flourishing," ya know. First, caterpillars attacked it, and now that the caterpillars have ceased it's like it just don't want to grow anymore. Not cool. So far, I've been all organic on my veggie garden, and hope to stay that way. I'm wanting to start composting, but I really want to buy one of those compost bins that rotates, and whatnot. Lord knows with all the juice I drink I have a ton of great compost material, and I know my veggies would like some of that goodness, as well! I swear, I go out there and visit my veggies morning, noon, and night like they're going to run off, or something! Ha! I love watching them grow :-)
Well, I'll leave with that, for now. I've also had some little trips I've been on, and my work has taken a big spin, but I'd have to write a novel to fit all that in...and who really cares about work, right?! 'Till next time.... -CC Bloom
7 comments:
I am definitely interested in this compost bin idea. I've been thinking about it for a while.....let me know what you find researching!
i like whirring up 8oz of chilled unsweetened blue diamond almond milk with a cup of frozen organic blueberries and a scoop of vanilla or chocolate EAS protein powder. (i know, that last ingredient doesn't fit your vegan lifetyle, but perhaps you can work out a suitable sub.) this provides a nice blueberry "ice cream"-like thing that is quite healthy -- except for the fact that it seems to be addictive....
oh, and also, i go through a lot of almond milk. i always buy blue diamond at heb. the last two times i've bought six cartons, i received a coupon for a free half gallon of the silk almond milk. so i got two free half gallons of the silk, which is better than paying for it, i must say.
Oh Steve, I love me some almond milk! And I love Blue Diamond's brand, as well! Like I said, the milk issue with dairy hasn't been an issue 'cause I stopped drinking cow's milk a long time ago, and love nut milks....but it's the cheese, Steve...THE CHEESE! ;-)
We started a garden this year too and I think I'm out there all the time just watching in amazement how everything grows (almost as cool as watching Bryson grow :)) I'm going to have to try those recipes, you make everything sound so good! I've been wanting to start on the juicer too just havent gotten around to it... its hard instilling healthy habits around here!
PS Cheese would keep me from being vegan too... how do people survive without cheese!?!?! :)
i have never been a cheese nut. i like it, don't get me wrong. i enjoy a good cheddar on my turkey or boca burger. and green chile with roasted garlic melted into a brie wheel -- to die for! but, i could live without it, if i had to.... milk is just disgusting. i don't know how people drink that stuff.... i, too, had switched out of milk to soymilk about five years ago, but then hans told me about almond milk couple years ago. so much better!
Awesome, Tiffany! I'm right there with you at starting down the plants. I can only imagine how much more intense it will be with a watching a baby grow!
And get on the juicing, girl! It doesn't have to be nasty, either...
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