It is never easy to say goodbye.

Tasha was the best dog and lived an amazing 16 years.  Even though we never lived together, she always knew I was family.  She liked her freedom and got loose quite frequently.  Getting her back was quite a challenge, but my favorite way was tiring her out by driving around the block in which she’d chase the car.  You’d look in the rear view mirror and she was keeping up even at 25 miles an hour!  Another time she got loose a neighbor complained and my parents had to fight a dangerous dog charge.  The judge dismissed the case so quickly when he learned about how she’s the nicest thing in the world.  We had a rabbit who would often wander the house and you’d find them in the hallway, Tasha laying down with Licorice between her legs while she just licked him.  She will be greatly missed!

Yes, the chili is good.

I decided to make a large pot of chili and made so much, I had enough for 4 lunches and to bring it to a potluck. Normally when chili shows up at a potluck I am not excited, but I've experienced many boring chilis in my time. So I was not too surprised when a friend asked me if it was good (of course!) and didn't touch it at first. As soon as she found out the chili contained the Gimme Lean Vegetarian beef, she was reaching for her share. Luckily, she and many others, did enjoy this chili and I hope you do as well. It will make a lot so either cut the recipe in half or plan to have it for lunches for awhile, or bring to a potluck, or both.

So this is the part where I share the recipe.  Um...  I have a bit of a problem.  I am horrible at not losing my recipes.  There are so many other recipes I have wanted to share, but then when I sit down to enter them in my computer, the nice piece of paper with all my notes has disappeared.  I don't believe my house is haunted, so there must be little fairies who take them and enjoy them too much to give back.  So, this is what I approximately did.  It is always best to use spices to your own liking anyway.

Exciting Veggie Chili

1 Tb Oil

1 tube of Gimme Lean "Beef"

1 medium Onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Bell Peppers, chopped

1 15 oz can Kidney Beans

1 - 25 oz can Pinto Beans

1 - 28 oz can Tomatoes, diced

1 cup Tomato Sauce

3 - 4 cups water

1/2 lime, juiced

1 - 4 oz can Green Chiles, chopped

1 Tb Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Garlic Granules

2 tsp Onion Granules

1 tsp Salt

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat.  Break apart the gimme lean into the pot.  I keep my hands wet so it does not stick to my hands.  Cover the gimme lean pieces in oil.  Once it starts to brown, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and bell pepper and allow to cook a few more minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook about 20 minutes to combine flavors.  For a thicker chili, use less water.  

Last Minute Notice

Tonight I am giving a talk as part of Try Vegan Week. It is about dairy free cooking, baking, pie making and dairy free living in general. Since egg-free baking is a popular inquiry, I will also be discussing that. The best part is, there will be samples!



Details:

Hungry Tiger Too (207 SE 12th Ave in Portland)


"Waste of Dairy" talk at 7pm
"Cooking without Dairy" at 8pm.

Here is what I will be samping:

Chocolate Silk Pie

Amazing Cashew Spread

Heavenly Biscuits

Go vegan!

Report Back From San Juan Island

This last week I was on vacation. I went to San Juan Island just north of Seattle where you have to take a ferry to get there. I visited Bellingham, WA first to look at a school there. I am planning on going back to school so that was my first stop. Just a few miles south of Bellingham is a beautiful state park that borders the bay. On the rocks you can find purple starfish. One got caught out of the water and was near death when we found it and put it back in the water.

The ferry in Anacortes was our next stop. A view of a quaint shore with rocks and old piers and wildlife allowed our wait to go quickly. There were blue herons flying and dancing all over which I tried my hardest to catch on camera. I had never seen so much activity from these beautiful creatures before. 

Under every other rock was a crab or tiny hermit crabs. The algae the lined the rocks and piers and everything else along the shore was intricate and colorful, displaying a different world the shore sometimes sees when the tide is in.

While on the ferry, but not yet moving, we discovered a rookery for comerants in the metal framework for the ferry gates. Nests were crammed into tiny spaces while older babies and their parents interacted. I find these birds to be intriguing, but as babies they aren’t the cutest.

 

The baby seagulls on the other hand, were adorable. We had to rush to the top of the ferry to get a decent shore of these birds and we got there just in time, since the ferry was off for the islands.

San Juan Island is my favorite, since the west shore is a great spot to look for orcas. Once we got to town, we headed in that direction. Almost as soon as we could start looking for orcas, we saw one. He was just swimming by, but it’s an orca! Just seeing this breath taking animals enough to make your day. We followed the orca, running to a good viewing spot of Lime Kiln Park, also know as whale watch park. We got there just in time to watch him go by and get some more pictures.

That night we went back to town in Anacortes after setting up tent at San Juan Park. We read about a pizza place which offered a vegan option, but they only took cash so we ended up going to Golden Triangle, a Thai place. Last time I went to a Thai restaurant I was unfamiliar with, I discovered there was only one menu item I could eat. My first question at the restaurant was vegan options. I was so happy when the owner knew the word vegan, and when I ordered, let me know if something was not vegan. We ended up getting vegetables and tofu with peanut sauce and vegetables and tofu with a garlic sauce. This was the freshest tasting Thai food I’ve had in a long time! The vegetables tasted like they came right out of someone’s garden and included a wide variety of mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and more. I recommend anyone who is looking for a good place to eat while in Friday Harbor, Washington, go to this place! So good!

The rest of the trip we ate sandwiches. A ban on campfires was announced the next day so the other food I was planning was out. I love campfires so I don’t have propane or anything else. Luckily I like sandwiches.

The last full day on San Juan Island was spent with a tour guide from The Whale Museum. She was so knowledgeable and I asked her questions about her field and she was so inspiring to pursue a new career (I’m looking into aquatic sciences). This island and this environment brings me to life so the idea of spending a career around this is thrilling. I didn’t get my close ups with the J-pod (orca family) like I did last time while kayaking, but this was a really great trip!

ORANGE!

This is the month of orange.  I was thinking it was just an orange day, with my friend Liz's birthday and I was making her an orange purse and orange spice cake.  Then I realized orange is all around me.  My cat is orange, my bike is orange, my water bottle is orange, I recently sewed an orangish-yellow top, I got an orange toothbrush from the dentist, the sun, which is orange at time, has been shining strong.  See, lots of orange.  Plus, Liz loves orange, which is why I decided to make her an orange purse for her birthday.  She also loves purses.

Liz requested a long time ago for me to make her an orange spice cake for her birthday.  Some time long ago I guess I made one and she's been requesting it ever since.  I don't remember making that cake she fell in love with, but when I made this cake I re-fell in oranges.  I decided to use fresh squeezed oranges and they were so good!  I accidently ate too many of the oranges so I had to go back to the store to get more.  

Orange Spice Cupcakes

1/2 cup Soy Margarine

1 1/2 cups Organic Raw Sugar

1/2 cup Silken Tofu, blended

1 1/2 cups Orange Juice

Zest of One Orange

1 tsp Vanilla

2 1/4 cups Unbleached White Flour

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1 Tb Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Cloves

Orange Cream Frosting:

1/3 cup Soy Margarine

2 cups Powdered Sugar

4-6 Tb Orange Juice

Orange Zest for topping

Cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth.  Add the vanilla and tofu and blend some more.  Pour in the orange juice and blend until incorporated.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and spices.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and blend until just mixed in.  Stir in the zest with a spatula since it will cling to beaters.  Fill cupcake cups about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Makes 18 cupcakes.

Frosting:  Blend the powdered sugar and margarine together.  Add the orange juice, a little at a time, until you reached the desired consistency.  Apply the frosting to cooled cupcakes and sprinkle orange zest on top.

Cool Down With Creamsicles

Although now the weather is fairly mild, last week the sun was shining and I had to get out my fan to find comfort in me house.  I know it was time to start creating desserts to help cool me down.

This photo does not really give this sweetness justice.  The creamsicle has a mild sweetness, creaminess and really allows the flavor of the fruit you use to come through.  The first time I made this I used strawberries.  So yummy!  For this trial I used cherries.  I don't think you can go wrong with what fruit you use and you can get creative with what you add.  Maybe next time I'll try pineapple and coconut.

Cherry Creamsicles

1 Box Nori Silken Tofu (Firm)

2 cups Cherries (or fruit/berry of choice)

1/2 cup Organic Unrefined Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor.  Pour the mixture into a cup, ice cube tray, popsicle holders and place in freezer.  Allow to freeze for several hours.  

Fresh Collard Wraps

A couple months ago my friend Liz made some raw collard wraps which I really enjoyed.  I had only made steamed collard rolls before, so I was a little reserved about using it raw.  When I was on my way home from San Francisco this month, we stopped by Green Go's in Redding and I got a collard wrap with veggies and tofu with a sweet pepper sauce.  It was a great reminder about eating raw collards so I decided to make my own when I got back home.

Almost-Raw Collard Wraps

4 Collard Leaves

2 Carrots, shredded

1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced long

1/4 Red Onion, sliced long

1 Avocado, sliced

1/2 cup Hummus

Cut the large middle stem from the collard leaf so you will have two pieces of the green.  Each side will provide a separate roll.  About the middle of the collard half, spread out the hummus.  Add a few slices of the bell pepper, onion, avocado and about 2 Tb of shredded carrot.  Roll one side over the insides and continue rolling the leaf until the insides are fully contained.  Repeat this with the rest of the collard leaves.  Makes 8 rolls.

*Use a raw hummus or spread of choice if you would like this to be 100% raw.