Fall Running

Well I am back after an incredibly long hiatus.  I recently moved to Chicago, joined a sketch comedy all-ladies group, and am trying to keep my head above water juggling work, theatre, and everything else....which is pretty normal.

That being said, I am still loving being a vegan, and happy to say that I am smoke-free which is helping my running quite a bit.

Now, THAT being said, I want to start discussing better ways to fuel our exercise.  I've noticed that though my mileage has picked up a bit, I haven't yet determined how to fuel properly before/afterward in a way that sustains me.

Typically, after a run, I am very hungry.  But, as Brendan Brazier tells us, it's not smart to just inhale a large meal.  Our bodies are recovering and we need to provide them with something easily digestible that goes straight to our muscles so that, rather than expending energy on our digesting food, the energy is sent to work on on repairing our muscles.

So this week, following my longer runs, I am going to experiment with having a Vega shake to see how I feel after that, because thus far my energy level has been dropping like CRAZY after I run and eat lunch.

Take care all!

Prodigal Daughter of the Blogosphere

I have been remiss and not posted for way too long.  But I'm making a comeback!

In regards to being a strong vegan runner, I have conquered my achilles tendon issues as well as some chain smoking tendencies that popped up after I quit my anti-depressants (lordy, I sound like a mess!--but I'm not--just human).  I have begun running again, starting out with a modest 1 mile run and walking.  I feel great, and my body is responding well.

More to come!  PCRM's 21-day kickstart is beginning, so I will be posting on that, as well as on a non-vegan wedding I'm a bridesmaid in this coming Monday. 

Good LORDISA the BEST BROWNIES EVER: Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies

When I tasted the other-wordly richness and deliciousness of these supernaturally powered brownies, I felt like flying and singing the praises of this dessert to anyone who would listen.

It was worth purchasing Veganomicon solely to get this recipe.  If all the other dishes are even remotely as good as these fudgey, luscious, orgasm-inducing brownies, I'm set for life.



A happy vegan am I :).

Please do yourself a favor and buy this book!

One of my roommates turned his nose up at the concept of blueberry brownies, VEGAN ones at that, but he was the first to try them, and not only did he love them, he went back for seconds.  For the following days that those yummy treats remained I very rarely ever saw him or my boyfriend without brownie in hand.  Success!

What do you do after watching a terrifying movie like Se7en?

Why cook yourself up a single serving of comfort food!  I like to call my supper tonight Hodge-Podge Pasta.  Now, I'm not knocking your average marinara sauce, but sometimes a lady needs to add some fiber and protein to an otherwise deliciously carbo-loaded meal.  When that happens, turn to your leftovers and raw vegs.  (Methinks this blog may be turning into vegan cooking for one, which I am perfectly comfortable with).  


To avoid leftover pasta (which you may end up gorging yourself on at 12 am...which I of course would never do...cough cough) buy yourself a pasta measurer.  I got mine for 99 cents at my local Goodwill.  You can easily measure single, double, triple servings--do it up your way!  This way you're not going to bed with a full belly.  I used egg-free angel hair spinach fettuccine.  Pair this dish with some crusty bread (or whatever you have on hand--I have sprouted grain bread right now) and top that off with a dollop of hummus instead of butter for a lighter load.  Or hell--grab that earth balance and go to town.


Pasta:
Cook it.  Set aside.


Sauce:
3/4 C no salt added marinara sauce
1/4 C black beans (from last night's dish)
1 tsp minced garlic
a few fingerfuls of black olives (from last night's dish)
a few broccoli florets
some diced red onions
coupla shakes of red chile pepper flakes
black pepper and salt to taste






Nothing hard here...Just toss it all into a pot and cook 'til the veggies get soft.  Once that happens, throw that pasta in, stir it around 'til it gets all hot and lovely, then serve it up and dig in.

...and maybe grab a second piece of bread.

Off the Heezy Inventive Thai Pasta

Hey all!  It's been a long time since I posted, but I promise, this simple, affordable one-serving wonder makes it all worth it.  I recently moved to Chicago--literally yesterday--and tonight decided to cook up something tasty, cheap, and good for me.

Now, I call it Thai, but in all honesty it's just an almond butter dressing with some Asian influence.  My boyfriend enjoyed picking at my dish so much he insisted I call it Off the Heezy, and when a carnivore endorses it, you know it's got some yum factor. The ingredients are scaled to one but feel free to double, triple, sixtuple...?  Tweak it and enjoy!

Thai Sauce:


1 Tbsp Creamy Salted Almond Butter (Trader Joe's is a delicious, affordable brand)
1 Tbsp Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp minced garlic (again, Thank you Mr. T. Joe)
1 tsp brown rice syrup (for a bit of sweetness)

Cook up some pasta or rice (I used penne), steam some broccoli, throw in a couple fingerfuls of black olives, then toss with the sauce, and you have this lovely dish:

For dessert, I think...dark chocolate covered cranberries?  Yes, please.

Seitan Kibbe with Couscous Pilaf, Sumac Salad, and Avocado-Tahini Dressing

...sadly folks, no recipe, this was prepared for me BUT I figured I'd blog about it to inspire any of you incredible chefs out there!

Currently, I'm in Delafield, Wisconsin, a short drive away from Milwaukee and an even shorter one from Madison.  Last night, my beau and I drove to Milwaukee to meet Jeremy's father and his father's lady friend to listen to some music and grab some dinner.  The restaurant chosen was Roots : a hip, inventive and pricey restaurant, but with excellent food.  Roots is a member of the Slow Food Movement that advocates locally grown foods, the celebration of local cuisine, family farms, and a movement away from fast food among MANY other things (besides, well, eating slower).  Though they still support eating meat, at the very least they're against factory farms.  They're easy to find on the net--check 'em out!

I looked at the menu before I left, and with few but interesting, complex choices, I assumed there wasn't much if any vegan fare.  On the contrary!  When I asked our lovely waitress if either of the two entrees that seemed vegetarian were vegan, she said BOTH were!  She recommended the Seitan Kibbe, and I went for it, choosing to start the night off with a lovely red wine and a house salad.

True to form, the pace of the dinner moved slowly, and we were there for about two to two and a half hours, and had a LOVELY time.  The starters to the dinner were great--rather than bring out bread for the table, the waitress brought us "snacks," three little bowls filled with MORE vegan choices: various pickled vegetables (so yummy and clearly made there, with broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, green beans), chickpea nuts (first time I've had them--loved the texture, would have personally toyed around a bit with the spices and gave them a kick but hey, not everyone likes spicy!) and perfectly popped popcorn!  What healthy treats to bring out beforehand!

The salad I had was seemingly very simple but delectable, with some really fascinating tastes.  Greens can be so complex...

Finally, the Seitan Kibbe entree.  Though I took zero pictures last night (it felt like it would have been rude) I found great pics online quite close to what I actually ate (though of course the presentation at Roots was much fancier, though these photographers did a great job!).

Let's start with the couscous...it was delicate and light.  However, I have never seen couscous with such large balls (as seen left). But I loved it.  Perfect consistency.

The seitan intrigued me.  I was almost ready to send it back when she set the plate in front of me, it looked SO much like some sort of roast.  By itself, it was good, but not blow-your-mind incredible.  My beau gave it a go and said that it was seasoned well (and knowing my beau, this implies he didn't like the texture).  But for a veg-head like me, the texture is familiar.  And, when I combined all the lovely tastes of the dish--the couscous, the yummy and not overwhelming avocado-tahini sauce featured on the side of the plate and not dressing the dish, the sumac salad which consisted of unknown yet tasty spices flavoring cukes and onions, and the seitan, I was quite, quite pleased.  As you can see above, I'm having difficulty finding an adjective for the concept of lightness and unassuming...ness?  But everything in the dish was simply a team, and nothing overpowered anything else.  

I left the restaurant having had not just food but an experience, so it seems that the Slow Foods Movement achieved it's goal with me last night:).

Now, unfortunately I must include a bit of a caveat.  I left last night satiated but slightly uncomfortable, and as time wore on my digestive system was PISSED.OFF and I won't lie, I looked prego.  I can't help but think it was because I ingested such large, concentrated sources of wheat gluten at one sitting (seitan=vital wheat gluten).  Which makes me wonder if I have a sensitivity to wheat, something I've also wondered in the past.  Either that or it simply was too much gluten at once.  I may have to try an elimination diet....

Keep on keepin' on with grace, peace, love, and wellness:).

A Great and Gentle Beast

Hello all!  I just returned from a lovely vacation to my beau's family's home in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and I must say it was incredible.  Though lounging gets difficult for me (I'm a bit restless and fidgety as a rule, so the concept of a vacation takes a couple days for me to really commit to it and adjust) I fell in love with the beauty of the area.

Along with that, I was blessed to witness so many creatures!  I saw upwards of ten manatees at a crazy close range and got to watch them play and feed and swim for two hours!  I also saw pelicans, a turtle, and a few porpoises VERY close.  Seeing all of these animals not only reinforces my beliefs when it comes to eating humanely, but it puts my actions into a practical realm that I can see.  Being vegan is wonderful, but when you get to witness firsthand animals that are affected (for instance, sea animals affected by overfishing, global warming affecting their habitat, etc) your purpose is renewed.

I looked up manatees (who are veg-eaters too!) online, and thought I would share some information with you all from savethemanatee.org:

West Indian manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed they can live 60 years or more...A high number of fatalities [aside from natural causes] are from human-related causes. Most human-related manatee fatalities occur from collisions with watercraft. Other causes of human-related manatee mortality include being crushed and/or drowned in canal locks and flood control structures; ingestion of fish hooks, litter, and monofilament line; and entanglement in crab trap lines. Ultimately, loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing the approximately 3,800 manatees in the United States today.
http://www.savethemanatee.org/

Tragically, of the manatees that I saw, almost all had some sort of scar on their backs, clearly caused by the propellars of boats.  It's tragic.  They do not understand that boats are not friendly creatures, and people are too careless.

Finally, in observing so many majestic creatures in Florida I couldn't help but be sobered by remembering the disastrous oil spill.   Please visit: http://www.thekindlife.com/post/the-oil-spill to see plenty of links that will direct you to sites should you wish to donate your time, energy, and/or money--and please please do!

With a fully belly from a delicious salad of spinach, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, and a yummy piece of ezekial bread with hummus on top, I sign off and wish you all wellness, happiness, and peace:).