Vegan Drinks!

Last night I made it down to Animal Rights Coalition for my third Vegan Drinks night. I met Dallas and the gang on my first Vegan Drinks visit, and that was the night I joined. I also met Meagan Holtgrewe, who has a super cool site called Rhymes With Vegan. Here she is (on the left):



I am hoping she'll see this and jump on the MoFo train.

Here is what she created for the event. Teeny tiny "chicken" pot pies and shepherd's pies. Nom nom.



Seriously. I ate like, five.



Mmmm. Vegans drinking.



And some of the wares available at Animal Rights Coalition. I got a beautful scarf (100% silk-free!) for a measly ten bucks last night. You Twin Cities vegans need to pop in.



There on the left? Vegan Twinkies.



See you tomorrow for more rambling and yummy food!

Fall.

Autumn is the best time of year. In Minnesota, the summers are too hot and humid, the springs are filthy and cold, winters are unbearable, and the falls are beautiful. Notice how when you go outside in the fall, it smells like a campfire? What's that about? I love it, though. I also dig wearing jeans, sweaters, and my corduroy jacket. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving (although a fall harvest holiday, it's usually very much winter when it comes), and the chilly apartment feels perfect with a cuddly blanket and cats that cuddle; if not with me, then with each other (aw!).

My other favorite thing about Fall is soup. Hearty, warm, and comforting, soup is just the perfect meal for a lazy, chilly day. I planned to hit Whole Foods today, but it's been drizzly all day and my couch is just so comfy. I don't work until 1pm tomorrow, so I'll go before work. That means I have to cut myself off after two at Vegan Drinks tonight.

This soup is going to be in the new book by Isa. I am so behind on testing, it's sad. I really want a job that's 8-5 with weekends and holidays off, so I can be a worthy tester.

And without further ado, Lotsa Veggie Lentil Soup.



About 45 minutes later.



And with a slice of freshly baked sesame flax bread.

MOFO!!!

I swore I was going to do exactly what I did last year; make something and blog about it every single day in October. Yeah, here it is...day one and I suck. I had an appointment this morning which required walking across a muddy embankment in pissing rain without an umbrella, followed by sitting in my doctor's waiting room for twenty-five goddamn minutes which ruined any chance of hitting Trader Joe's on the way to work, then back across the mud to my bus, then missing my connection, then spending eight-plus hours at my job steeling myself for a "discussion" that never happened, and then finally walking home. In the rain.

So, what I will talk about is what I plan to do. A meme or two, an Iron Chef challenge, a week of representing every color of the rainbow, and a whole lot of testing. Yep.

Going shopping tomorrow. Will photojournal it.

Curry Laksa

A delicious little Malaysian-inspired noodle soup full of bok choy, red peppers, and tofu. Very light and fresh, and incredibly easy to make (if you microplane your ginger, which is the only way to mince it without wanting to kill it).

Break's over.

Isa is back to posting recipes for us to test, and it's time for me to get up off my lazy arse and get in the kitchen. Since VeganMoFo is coming up in October, I really should start working out my skills. That means more cooking and more blogging.

She posted a slew of stuff, but this is what I had all the ingredients and patience for this evening.



Open Faced Portobello Reuben with Thousand Island White Bean Spread.

I wish diets were always this delicious.

Another birthday? So soon?

Yep. 38. Here's the cake.





Raspberry Filled Bundt Cake

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance or shortening
2 cups vanilla soy milk
3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup raspberry jam

Beat sugar and margarine until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour one cup of soy milk into the bowl with the marg/sugar mixture and stir. Scoop half of the flour mixture into the bowl and stir. Repeat last two steps.

Pour batter into a bundt pan prepared with cooking spray. Drop spoonfuls of jam into the batter to make a ring. Fold some of the batter over it, but don't mix it in.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Let cool completely before inverting. Drizzle with thawed raspberries and chocolate ganache.

C'mon, summer!

While I was a little relieved that we're taking a break from testing (now I can learn how to manage my time and money), I am anxious to get back into the kitchen. Summer is wiping it's feet at the door, and I have so much lined up. There's Grilling Without Killing, organized by those of us at Animal Rights Coalition, where vegans are encouraged to throw compassionate cookouts for their omni friends, and we supply the literature, veggie burgers, and Tofurkey brats! We're looking at 20 cookouts, with ten guests at each. You can certainly invite more people, but we can only supply ten burgers, brats, and gift bags per party. If you live in the Twin Cities, give Dallas a call at (612) 822-6161 or you can email ARC here. I will be the contact person for the hosts, so if you need a fan-freaking-tastic potato salad recipe, or some words of encouragement, I'll be supplying my cell number to you.

As for the rest of the summer, I have friends coming to visit, a 38th birthday (ugh) to celebrate, and (I'm hoping) a few trips out to see some friggin' nature. All of this, and lots more cooking, blogging, and staying out of my 300° third floor apartment. I never thought I'd ever be happy to spend an hour in the cooler at work hoisting Gatorade, but I am.

Here's some pictures from May Day in Powderhorn Park on May 3rd.













Vegan doggie treats!