A Deep Sigh of Relief.

Well, Christmas is over, and it was actually a success. Tyler and I spent the morning at home with Katie and Robbie, opening presents and eating eggnog french toast. Erin (Tyler's sister) picked us up in the afternoon and we spent the rest of the day with his family, which was pretty okay. There were a few rough patches, but we managed to make a swift exit from his grandparents' house, and a sort-of swift exit from his sister's (his mom wasn't ready to end the holiday at 7:00, but we really needed to come home and clean up and decompress).
Tomorrow Tyler leaves for tour, and he'll be gone ten days. I'm really sad, but I'm trying to remind myself that he'll be doing something he loves, and that it's not that long, and that when he comes back he'll be really excited to see me...and that'll be extra-nice. Two days after Tyler leaves, Robbie is taking off to California for a week, and then three days after that, Katie is going back home and I will be here alone for four days. Ugh. I guess I plan to do a lot of reading, healthy cooking, and movie watching. Oh, and I will be spending exorbitant amounts of time talking to/playing with my kitties, and harrassing Tyler on the phone. Hehehe. Luckily, everyone got me lots of books and movies and comforting things for Christmas this year, so time should pass fairly quickly.

Some gift highlights:
fancy coconut wood plugs (for the 3/4" holes in my ears)
lots of books (Running With Scissors, The Satanic Verses, Grimus, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close...)
movies (Chasing Amy, the Botch DVD, Beijing Bicycle)
lots of music (too much to list!)
lots of smelly things (candles and soap and sprays, oh my!)
a Zen Garden (with a little tealight and rakes)
a big picture of Jesus (for those of you who don't know, I love tacky religious art)

All in all, it was really nice and fun, and I'm really glad it's over and I don't have to think about it for another eleven months. I'm beginning to have hope for being able to do things like pay my bills and get more tattoos...maybe in February. We'll see.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Pancakes (or Waffles)

This is the first thing I learned to make vegan. I don't even like pancakes very much, but Tyler is a fiend for them, and apparently he's not alone. This is probably my most-requested recipe...


*2 cups flour
*2 cups soymilk
*1/4 cup sugar
*2 tbsp baking powder
*1 tbsp canola (or other vegetable) oil
*fruit, cinnamon, chocolate chips, whatever

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk everything together (unless you're adding fruit or chocolate or something--fold those in once the batter is thoroughly mixed) until there are no lumps in the batter. You can add soymilk for thinner pancakes, or flour for thicker ones.
2. Pour 1/3 cup of batter at a time on a nonstick griddle or pan (over medium heat), cook until the edges are bubbly and firm, and then flip. Pancakes always turn out better if you only flip them once.


If you add another tablespoon of oil, these pancakes can become waffles (with a waffle iron, of course).

An afterthought.

This is my first Christmas without my whole family, and I'm a little bit bummed. I'm trying to carry on my mom's traditions (Christmas Eve jammies, anyone?), but it's definitely not going to be the same. Christmas has always been special in our house. My mom always somehow managed to get us presents, cook us a big dinner, and not kill me when I went to drag her out of bed at six in the morning...even the years that we definitely did not have any money, she still gave us a great holiday. I'm trying to do that for my household now, and it's only in the light of my own struggle with this that I am beginning to really appreciate how hard she's always worked to make every Christmas even better than the last. So, thanks for everything, Mom.

Cream of Broccoli Soup (and more!)

First things first. I promised my mom I'd post festive holiday pictures.

Here's our slutty Christmas tree.


And here's Princess Sophia enjoying the shade of the slutty Christmas tree.


And here's Melvin being pompous in the company of the slutty Christmas tree.



And here's a recipe for Cream of Broccoli soup.

*1 quart veggie broth (I like to add an extra boullion cube or two, since it'll be diluted later)
*1/2 onion, diced
*1 tbsp olive oil
*6 cups very finely chopped broccoli
*1 quart unsweetened soymilk
*2 tbsp cornstarch plus 1 tbsp cold water
*1 tbsp garlic powder
*salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent.
2. Add the veggie broth and broccoli, and simmer until the broccoli is bright green and tender.
3. Add the unsweetened soymilk and garlic powder.
4. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water, and gradually add to the soup while stirring. Simmer until the soup is satisfyingly creamy.
5. Add the salt and pepper, and serve!


It's simple, and tasty, and doesn't contain anything weird and unnessecary (I'm talking to you, potatoes-in-Cream-of-Broccoli-Soup-people), and is as close as I can get to my mom's recipe. Enjoy!

Oops!

I've been a bad blogger. Work's been crazy, street fair was this weekend, the sun was in my eyes, I tripped over a rock...
Tomorrow is my first day off in a week. I'll post a recipe, and some apologies.
Sorry!

Mac-N-Cheese

Okay.
This mac-n-cheese is the best vegan mac-n-cheese ever.
Even my very non-vegan brother ate it, while exclaiming "What did you put in this?! What is this?! There's not cheese in this?!" through giant mouthfuls of creamy, pasta goodness.
Be warned that it isn't health food, but all long-term vegans will know that sometimes you have to give health food the finger and eat something really fucking delicious before your head explodes.


OVEN 350°
*3/4 cup unsweetened soymilk
*2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
*3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
*1/2 tbsp paprika
*1/2 tbsp garlic powder
*1/2 tbsp salt
*3 oz firm tofu
*1/2 cup margarine (melted)
*12 oz (uncooked) macaroni

1. Boil macaroni until not-quite-done, but really close.
2. In a food processor or blender, mix together all the ingredients except the macaroni until mixture is very smooth.
3. Put the pasta and the sauce in a medium-sized casserole or 8x8 baking pan and stir until all the pasta is coated.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top becomes a little browned and crispy, but the inside is still creamy and gooey.


This is another one of those recipes that tastes better if you're wearing sweatpants and watching TV.

It's so true!

C	Creepy
A	Astounding
R	Radiant
R	Rounded
I	Inspirational
E	Energetic
R	Responsible
U	Unforgettable
B	Brutal
I	Important
N	Natural
A	Ambitious
S	Strong

Creepy, Rounded, and Brutal ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Avert your eyes!

Tonight, I am going to attempt the unthinkable.
The horrifying.
The astounding.

I am going to try to make vegan macaroni and cheese.
Be prepared,
and maybe a little afraid.

Baked Spinach Dip

I made this yesterday when a solid hour of googling yielded no results for a spinach dip that could be converted to a vegan recipe. Tyler loved it so much I was worried I would have to drag him away by his beard so that everyone else could have some. I served it with Triscuit crackers, but it would also be good with veggies, bread, chips, whatever. So, here it is:


OVEN 350°
*1 container Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
*1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk
*1 tbsp lemon juice
*1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp white pepper
*1 tbsp dill weed
*1 tbsp granulated garlic
*2 bunches green onion, small diced
*1 medium red bell pepper, small diced
*3/4 cup frozen, chopped spinach

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, soymilk, lemon juice, and flour until there are no lumps. The consistency should be like a really creamy, thick batter.
2. Add the spices and the veggies and stir until well mixed. Pour into a small casserole or loaf pan.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Serve warm.


Enjoy!

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is...amazing. I keep trying to think of ways to express how much I love it, but my tummy is full of tofurkey and it's making me feel a little fuzzy-headed. It was just me, Tyler, Robbie (my brother), and Erin (Tyler's sister) this year, which was kind of nice because it kept things low-pressure. I missed the rest of my family, but humored myself imagining what they would say about my little tofurkey lump.
I actually roasted a real turkey this year, for the benefit of my loved ones, and from what I hear it came out great. Also on the menu were yams, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls, apple pie, and pumpkin pie, all of which were ho-made (or, as my mom would say, "made by real ho's!"). I made this really tasty baked spinach dip for pre-dinner snacking, and I promise to post the recipe for it tomorrow or the next day.
Ursula posted a picture of my roasting turkey on her blog (Twice The Price), so everyone should mosey over there to check it out. I think it's important to have photographic evidence of my Vegan Treason. Hahaha.
Alright, well, I'm off to watch American Psycho with Tyler and maybe digest enough to sneak in another slice of pie before bed.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Chili and Cornbread

Obviously I'm a fan of big, one-pot meals. There's one splurge item in this recipe, fake beef, which really isn't that bad anyway.


*2 cups onion, small diced
*1 1/2 cups green pepper, small diced
*2 tbsp garlic powder
*2 tbsp vegetable oil
*2 packages of Yves Ground Round (or about 25oz of something else)
*1 big can stewed tomatoes (NOT roasted!!!)
*5 oz tomato paste
*2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
*2 cans kidney beans
*3 tbsp chili powder
*salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan, saute the onion and pepper until tender but not browned.
2. Add the faux meat and start to brown over medium-high heat. Drain any extra oil from the pan.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer (uncovered) for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the chili has reached it's desired thickness. Stir occasionally during simmering.


This makes about three quarts of chili.

Now for cornbread!


OVEN 400°
*1 1/4 cup flour
*1 1/4 cup cornmeal
*1/4 cup sugar
*2 tbsp baking powder
*1 tsp salt
*substitute for two eggs
*2 cups water
*3/4 cup margarine, melted

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the egg subs, water, and margarine.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix!
4. Pour into an 8x8 pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes.


Good luck!

Pumpkin Pie

I spent a week neglecting this thing, but now I'm back and posting two recipes as penance.

You can (and should!) use the same crust as the apple pear pie, but divide it in half. For the health-conscious people of the world, the margarine can be decreased and the cold water increased to make a lower-fat (but also less flaky) crust.


OVEN 425°
*1 15 oz can pumpkin
*1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
*1/2 tsp nutmeg
*pinch of ground ginger
*pinch of ground cloves
*1/2 tsp sea salt
*1 3/4 cups soymilk (very vanilla makes this extra special)
*substitute for 2 eggs (I use Ener-G Egg Replacer because it has no flavor)
*1 deep pie crust

1. Mix pumpkin and spices together.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix slowly until thoroughly combined.
3. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350° and bake another 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before serving.


By the way, the pie filling is fat free. Yaaaay!!!

Lo Mein

Well, it's Wednesday, which means I am officially tired. Too tired to cook anything that takes more than thirty minutes, and too tired to care what my boyfriend and my little brother want to eat. Thus, we have Lo Mein - easy, healthy, delicious. I like to serve this with veggie dumplings...the frozen kind...not the fancy, do-it-yourself kind.


*1 onion, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
*1 tsp ground ginger
*3 carrots, sliced thin
*2 zucchini, sliced
*1 baby bok choy (or napa cabbage), shredded
*1 small can sliced water chestnuts
*1 tablespoon veggie oil (sesame is best if you have it, but not nessecary)
*3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
*lo mein noodles, cooked

1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and veggie oil. Pour half of the mixture into a skillet and saute the onion and garlic with the ground ginger until the onion is soft.
2. Add the carrots, cook for about four minutes before adding the zucchini, bok choy, and water chestnuts. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the noodles and the remaining soy sauce mixture and toss until the liquid is absorbed.

This makes about six servings, depending on how many boys come over to sponge off you.


PS♥This tastes even better when eaten on the couch, in front of the TV, watching DVDs of TV shows. Sweatpants make it near-orgasmic.

Apple Pear Pie

The making up was a success.
In the spirit of celebration, I've decided to make pie. Not just any pie, though...oh, no...this, my friends, is Apple Pear Pie. The King of Pies.


OVEN 425°
Crust!
*2 cups flour
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/2 cup cold margarine
*some cold water

1. Put the flour, sugar, and margarine in a food processor and mix until it's all crumbly. Add the cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough is soft but not sticky.
2. Divide the dough into halves, and roll each half out to make a top and a bottom that will fit your chosen pie pan.
3. Line your pie pan with the first half of dough, and set aside the second half to put on top after the shell has been filled.

If you don't have a food processor, you're going to have to either cut the margarine into the flour with a fork and then mix by hand, or you'll need to use one of those fancy pastry-dough-cutter-mixer things.

Filling!
*4 apples (Gala are wonderful), peeled and sliced
*2 pears (red ones are best), peeled and sliced
*2 tbsp margarine
*1/3 cup sugar
*1/4 cup cold water
*2 tbsp cornstarch
*another 1/3 cup sugar
*pinch salt
*1 tbsp cinnamon
*pinch nutmeg
*2 tsp lemon juice
*another tsp margarine

1. Lightly saute the apples and pears in the first amount of margarine until they are slightly soft. Add the first 1/3 cup of sugar, which will draw the juices out of the fruit so they can simmer.
2. Mix together the water and cornstarch until there are no chunks, add to the fruit mixture, and boil until the liquid is thick and clear-ish.
3. Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir gently until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
4. Cool to room temperature,
5. Fill your pie shell and top with the dough that was set aside earlier.

Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden.


Also, I added a link to my mom's blog in my link section, but here's another just for giggles.
Nowhere, IL

Comfort Casserole

Tyler (my boyfriend) and I pretty much have trouble agreeing on anything. We've been together for most of the last four and half years, and we've been arguing on a near-daily basis since about the second week of dating. We've broken up, seen other people, gotten back together, broken up again, etc etc etc, and now we're wading through the wreckage of our most recent breakup. I think we're both making a conscious effort to regain the faith we've lost in one another, but sometimes it's hard for me not to be crazy. He's home with me every night, and he's been completely honest about the things that got us where we are now, and for some reason I'm having a lot of trouble letting the past go (this is in spite of my own post-breakup indiscretions, also). I know he's trustworthy. The smart, rational, sane half of my brain is screaming "Stop nagging him, you idiot! He hasn't done anything!" However, the damaged, paranoid, and anxious half of my brain is saying "Well, what about this? And what about that? Huh? Whatchoo got to say for that?"

Needless to say, the two halves are waging war on my sense of well-being.

I yelled at him before he left for work today, and now I get to spend the next six hours telling myself what an idiot I am. And so this brings us to today's recipe. It's one of the things Tyler and I agree on, and it really does live up to it's name. God knows we're going to need to the comfort when I'm babbling on to him in an effort to redeem this morning's bad behavior.


OVEN 375°
*2 cups cooked orzo pasta (not quite all the way cooked, that is)
*1 12oz container of vegan sour cream (Sour Supreme works best, I think)
*1 bunch green onions, chopped
*1 to 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
*1 red bell pepper, diced
*1 zucchini, cut into half-moon slices
*1 to 2 cups broccoli, chopped
*some barely steamed chopped spinach (or some frozen spinach)
*2 tbsp granulated garlic
*1 tbsp dried parsley
*1 tbsp dried basil
*salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix everything together, and bake in a 9 x 13" pan for about thirty minutes, or until heated through.
Also, if you're not concerned about fat content, you can put some slivers of margarine on the top before baking to make it all golden brown and wonderful.


Enjoy♥

Perfect Lentil Soup

Yeah, I know. Lentil soup, boring way to kick things off, but the weather is just right and this soup is freaking delicious, so I have to do it anyway. Plus, it's incredibly easy to make, and totally good for you, so you really can't ask for anything more than that.


*2 to 3 quarts vegetable broth
*2 1/2 cups uncooked green lentils, rinsed
*2 stalks celery, chopped
*1/2 medium onion, diced
*2 carrots, sliced to desired thickness
*1 large potato (or 2 small to medium ones), diced, but peeling is optional
*some fresh spinach, sliced
*3 tbsp garlic powder
*2 tbsp dried basil (fresh is hard to get this time o' year)
*salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the rinsed lentils, which will need to be simmered in the broth for a total of one hour.
2. 15 minutes after adding the lentils, add the celery, onion, and spices.
3. 15 minutes after adding the celery and onion, add the potato and carrots. Continue simmering.
4. When a full hour has passed since the lentils began cooking, add the spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Season to taste and serve with bread or whatever.

This serves about eight and takes maybe an hour and fifteen minutes to make, start to finish.


Happy cooking!

The Mission

As a vegan who lives paycheck to paycheck, I'm painfully aware of how incredibly expensive food costs can be...and how disgusting the food often is. So, rather than having to constantly write down recipes for my friends and coworkers, I've decided to just post my adventures in culinary exploration on this here blog and let people explore at their (and my) leisure.
I'll try to post every couple days, but I'm usually pretty terrible at remembering to keep these things going, so bear with me.

Also, be sure to check out the blog of my friend/next door neighbor Ursula. She's the crafty bitch that made me think this was a good idea, so all hate mail should be directed at her for ever showing me her blog in the first place.
Twice The Price