I'm a BIG CHEETAH!!!

Yes, that's right, I cheated big time. But I must explain myself, beginning with the fact that I am a severe "type B" personality, and I believe that rules work well...until they don't work anymore. Today, it just didn't work for me.

I have mentioned in my past few blogs that I have been sick and unable to kick my ailments. I've been taking hot baths every night, drinking tea nonstop, eating my vegetables without a doubt, taking cough drops, zinc lozenges, and all kinds of herbs I can't pronounce. Yet still nothing can take away this dry sore throat that feels like I am constantly inhaling in dusty, dirty air. It gets worse at night, so I'm not sleeping well either. Instead, I'm waking up every hour with coughing fits.

I also said that I have absolutely no idea whether or not this vegan experiment has had anything to do with how I'm feeling. For all I know, it could have saved me from an even worse sickness. Either way, tonight I decided enough was enough. Today I went home from work early, and for dinner I had home made chicken noodle soup with the HOTTEST green chilies that I could get my hands on. Sure enough, within minutes my chills went away and my throat felt a little better- I think this is more due to the chilies than the chicken, but I don't care. I just want to feel normal.

My throat still hurts, but I will be back on task tomorrow. I am not throwing my project out completely, lest the entire last week would be in vain. Tonight I am going to make some ginger tea with honey and go to bed early. Hopefully I can sleep.

Thank you, Pop Tarts!

Did you ever think that I would have a title like that? I love this commercial:



At this moment, you're probably all thinking "Whaaaaa?" Why would I, a self proclaimed healthy food snob ever enjoy a commercial for processed, low quality, edible food like substances? Well, first of all, I'll admit I have a soft spot for Pop Tarts since I ate them a lot as a kid. I have, to this very day, been known to still enjoy an "organic toaster pastry" every now and then. But how can I show a commercial like this, and not only live with myself, but actually like it? The answer, my friends, is what this commercial doesn't do.

I love this ad because it does not make any health claims whatsoever. It does not say that Pop Tarts "start your day right" or "are a part of a balanced breakfast." It does not say that Pop Tarts may "lower your cholesterol" or "give you a serving of fruits and vegetables." No, this commercial is insanely honest. In fact, it doesn't even say that Pop Tarts are food at all! The only assertion it actually makes is that Pop Tarts are "made for fun." Fun...I can dig that.

Hey, why not? If you want to have a Pop Tart every now and then for "fun," then go right ahead! If it makes your kid smile, let them have one. Kelloggs all but admitted that they should be used as a treat and not a part of your daily diet, so let's take their word on it, and if you want to enjoy a bit of nostalgia, you have my seal of approval.

The Vegan Project- week 2 (Day 8) check point

Money spent on groceries so far: $300. Ya, you'd think since I'm not buying meat and cheese that this would be cheaper. I think the price is coming from the sheer quantity of food I have been buying in order to keep us full.

Times cheated so far: That depends on if you count each time or each day. We went to a party on Saturday night, and what was I going to do? I didn't do any meat, but the cheese cubes were so cute and bite sized, and the spanikopita so golden....

Times I've cursed this experiment so far: Usually snack times. Oh, and when I so badly wanted to eat that cake.

This week I'm making: This Vegetarian Cassoulet. Um ...yum! Tonight is "every vegetable that is about to go bad in our fridge" lentil stew. I'm sure it will be fine. I hope.

Dinner out: We'll probably go to Cafe Flora this week (a pretty well known vegetarian place), but only do the vegan options.

How I am feeling: As I said the other day, I have been tired and got a bit of a cough this week. Also, Raj's and my skin have both been very dry. It's really hard to tell, though, if that's related to our change in diet or the horrid weather this time of year.

Two weeks to go!

Sweet Rewards!!!!

https://deals.livingsocial.com/deals/369?rpi=39450

I will be rewarding myself with a dozen Trophy cupcakes when I am finished with this project. You should, too!

"Get a Dozen Classic Trophy Cupcakes for Just $15!

Best way to start off your week? Toasted marshmallow frosting! Today we announce a winner of a deal: 55% off Trophy Cupcakes! Pay just $15 (normally $33!) and get a dozen gourmet cupcakes. Everyone from Martha Stewart to Seattle Magazine loves these delectable treats. Our fave flavors are Snickerdoodle (cinnamon and sugar swirled butter cake with cinnamon buttercream) and Hummingbird (a tweeterific banana pineapple coconut cake), but take your pick for your assortment of fun...and oh-so-worth-it calories! Use your deal at any of the three Trophy Cupcake locations. Convenience, best cupcakes in the city, awesome bargain: This deal takes the cake, er, first-place trophy. Mmm..."

Click here for the link!

The Vegan Project- day 6

Tonight we had people over for dinner, and I rocked! My goal was for no one to know that anything was missing from the meal (namely, meat). It took a little more work, but when you think about it I cooked for 8 people and it only took be about an hour and a half total. Clean up was not too bad, either.

I made:

~Farfalle pasta with 3 kinds of mushrooms (portabella, button, and shitake) and vegan pesto sauce.

~This butternut squash soup recipe with a few alterations. I skipped the butter, replaced chicken stock with vegetable stock, and for my own kicks threw in a shot of amaretto and little bit of maple syrup. Win! (BTW, thanks for the tip, Christie!)

~Steamed broccoli and a sliced baguette on the side just to make sure everyone was nice and full.

No one was the wiser, and all in all the dinner was....good! I would do it again even if I didn't have to.

Now in other news, I have to say I got sick this week and Raj has been super tired all weekend. I have no idea whether or not this is a connection to our change in diet. At a time of year when it's 40 degrees and raining every day and the sun goes down before 5:00, it's hard to tell why your body is pissed off. I do have concern about our lack of fat and protein, though.

One more thing I discovered: toast with hummus and sliced marinated olives. It rocks!

ps. Sorry to those who left legitimate comments in the past few days. I have been getting a ridiculous amount of spam comments, most of which are written in asian characters. It's getting really irritating and I don't know how to make it stop. I was so in the habit of deleting lame feedback that I accidently rejected three or four real ones. Do comment again!

The vegan project- day 4

My thoughts are scattered and I'm constantly hungry. How many days are left?

Yesterday I remembered black bean burgers. I have made them in the past, and I actually like them a lot. I had to do a bit of internet research and tweaking of the recipe so that it would work without eggs to bind the patties together. In the end, I decided on a recipe that uses hummus. Once I try it out, I may share it with you.

I bought a few more groceries. Poor Raj is barely sustaining himself, so I picked up a few pre-made vegan meals. I kinda broke my "no faux food" rule, because I noticed one of the ingredients in a breakfast burrito is "soysage"....whatever....I kind of feel, though, like I had no choice.

Thank heavens tonight is restaurant night. We are going to eat at Plum Bistro, which is an exclusively vegan restaurant. I have eaten there before and found it quite enjoyable (more on that later). I think I mentioned before, Seattle is probably one of the most accommodating cities in the world to be a vegan in. In face, at the grocery store last night I might venture to say that the checker was nicer to me when she noticed the vegan food I was buying. Maybe she pitied me and my poor hungry stomach.

What a strange little world I've wandered into....

The Vegan Project day 3

I once baked with a vegan, and I always wondered how she managed to not eat anything we made. I suppose it's easier to pass on meat and dairy when a person is making what they feel is a moral choice rather than a self imposed, torturous experiment like I am doing. Today I made a chocolate birthday cake- my favorite chocolate cake- and I didn't eat any of it. I was quite impressed with my will power. I have to say, I think it's the only time in my memory that I have ever not eaten cake when I wanted to eat cake. And you know what? I didn't die! Shocking, I know. Even less shocking is that later I proceeded to devour a vegan chocolate donut in about three bites.

Tonight I ate dinner at someone else's house, so my meal was basically a normal dinner but without the meat dish. Needless to say, I am hungry still. I also had to deal with a lot of heckling as to why I am trying out this little stunt, but I am sticking to it!

I am feeling tired from the lack of protein and fat, I think. In general, I think I am eating significantly less calories, which is not necessarily a good thing for me. I put hummus and olives on my grocery list in hopes that it will help.

The Vegan Project day 1

I've planned out my dinners, mapped out my lunches....and I have no idea what to eat for breakfast!!! I am an egg person through and through. I have one almost every morning, and I'm feeling a little lost now. I refuse to make something odd like a tofu scramble, so now I am stuck. I thought about oatmeal, and I probably will give it a go eventually, but the thought of it without any butter, cream, or milk is not enticing me at the moment. As of now, I'm looking at toast with jam, a piece of fruit, and some tea. I guess that's not too bad.

Hey, vegans out there- what do you eat for breakfast? I'm fascinated by this topic now. Do you even eat breakfast foods, or do you just eat your dinner leftovers? I did find this resource here. I can't say that I have craved sweet potatoes for breakfast ever. I think I am going to try that "banana boat" idea for a snack, though.

Ok...deep breath....focus on what I can eat, not what I can't. Peanut butter, fruit, smoothies, potato hash. I did buy soy milk so that I could make vegan pancakes. I must get on with it, though. Eating vegan is time consuming!

ps. I just realized that photo I posted is an add for an anti-nausea drug for pregnancy morning sickness. Scary...

The Vegan Project day 0

Tomorrow I will officially be a vegan for three weeks (save for a dinner party here and there). I have decided, by the way, to go the whole nine yards and forgo honey as well. I've wanted to see what I thought of agave nectar anyway.

Today I went grocery shopping. It was surprisingly easy. I didn't find myself pining away at the cheese section like I thought I would. I did, however, realize that I am going to sorely miss yogurt, which I have for a snack quite often. I was going to hold to the "no faux foods" rule, and not by any imitation items, such as tofurky, soy cheese, etc...but I picked up a soy yogurt just to see what I thought.

For dinner, I made the butternut squash enchiladas, since we will be eating the leftovers this week. I nailed it, people! They were time consuming, but ended up oh so delicious and wanting in nothing. I can't begin to give you a recipe, because it was so many recipes spliced and edited and then put together with my own tastes as well. But I can tell you, the ingredients were: butternut squash (duh), red potatoes, quinoa, black beans, onion, green bell pepper, green chili, cashew paste, cilantro, and green enchilada sauce. Oh, and corn tortillas. Drink with kombucha, and end with coconut ice cream, and I've got one encouraging start to my adventure!

I am still here

I bet you've been wondering where I've been, after I last gave you that nail biting of an introduction to my little experiment. The truth is I have been procrastinating...er.... biding my time until I feel ready.

I have spent some of this time trying to consume all of the dairy and meat products that we have lying about (because I'm sure most vegans will agree that even worse than taking from an animal is taking and then wasting it). This includes the four dozen eggs that we have somehow ended up with in our refrigerator.

If I'm honest, I am also building up the gumption to go on with my project. I am not sure why it's so intimidating to me, but it is. I have gathered (in my head only, so far) a list of recipes that I will want to make. Things that I have made in the past, but never noticed that they were vegan- butternut squash enchiladas, kale and white bean soup, a lot of curries and Indian food. Also, I've noted things I want to try, like squash stew.

And now that also I remembered that dark chocolate and applesauce are both vegan, I am ready to begin. I think I am going to start on Tuesday...check back!

Well, why not?

I just heard the other day about a project called "The 21 day vegan challenge." It is pretty self-explanatory. Eat vegan for 3 weeks and see how you feel after. So I thought, well, why not? I am always up for experiments, and anything to make the time pass in hands down the crappiest time of the entire year (after the holidays, before the weather gets warmer). Also, it gives me a way to expand my own culinary world, and gives me something to share with you.

Here is where I stand currently: I am not a vegan or vegetarian, nor do I put any other restrictions on my diet whatsoever. I have trained myself to have (mostly) healthy habits, so generally I can let myself eat whatever I feel like. I do recognize that the meat and dairy industries in this country are often disgusting, unsanitary, inhumane, and also that meat takes up a much larger part of the American diet than it should. Most dinners I cook have some sort of meat in them, but not all, because I don't want to depend upon it. Lastly, I could always use a few more veggies, and cutting out meat and dairy will inevitably make me eat more.

My concerns are as follows:

1. Keeping full- especially my 6'8 husband who is doing this with me. I've heard beans are the answer to this problem.

2. Time- Since I am not used to cooking this way, I am going to have to do a lot of planning. Not to mention I can't just come home from a long day's work and quickly grill a fish.

3. I am afraid that I am just going to spend 3 weeks eating bread.

4. I can take meat or leave it, but the things I am going to miss the most are dairy. I consume my fair share of eggs, butter, cheese, and yogurt, and I have never found a milk replacement that I liked- especially for my tea.

I read a little bit of advice about eating vegan, and one thing I am going to try to do is focus on what I can eat rather than what will be eliminated. Things such as: oatmeal, bread, peanut butter, pasta, various random grains, and of course fruits and vegetables.

My rules will be flexible. None of this "don't eat it if it's ever been within a half mile of an animal" nonsense that some people go by. I may even eat honey, but I haven't decided yet. And since Seattle is a vegan paradise, we will be going out to sample vegan restaurants once a week.

I'll let you know when I get started!

Joseph Joseph and the kitchen of many colors

As I was making my $10 kitchen gift list, I was remembering my list from last year- particularly the colorful and fun products by Joseph Joseph. I love the idea of taking our every day tools and utensils, and turning them into something beautiful.

So, using this list of the "top ten cooking tools a chef needs" as an inspiration, I have interpreted the guidelines to make own my list.

10. Durable non-plastic oil/vinegar cruets and spice containers


Easy, thanks to World Market. This even comes with spices already in it.

9. Tough wood and plastic cutting boards



Wood is always pretty, but nothing compares to stripes.

8. Multiple non-stick-safe spatulas and stirring spoons



You can't mess with the simple design of a spatula, but a little barnyard motif never hurt anyone.

7. Sharp peeler



Hands down. Cutest. Peeler. Ever.

6. Sharp can opener

Aaaand we can continue the bird theme with a "tou-can-opener"

5. High-quality boning knife

Cute? No. Beautiful? Yes.

4. Forged chef's knife



Of course you know I think Bob Kramer's line of knives for Shun are the most beautiful. I heart them.

3. Pyrex glass measuring cups

Pyrex doesn't really change their design very much, but remember these measuring cups?



2. KitchenAid mixer



You really get the punch of amazing color when you see them all together.

1. Quality pots and pans


Le Creuset is easily the prettiest set of pots and pans you can get. Also perhaps the awesomest. Mix and match!

Under $10 Kitchen Gift Guide (and a little more)

Salter kitchen timer $10.00 Whetstone Woodenware toaster tongs $6.95 Fran's Chocolate Sauce $8.50 Lady Slipper Dish towel $7.95 Crate and Barrel tomato slice bowls $3.95-$6.95 Key bottle opener $12 In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan $10.20 Panda Filter Mug $4.99

Hurry, time is winding down for online orders!

Catering a christmas party

For 60 guests. Love it when I get to put my pastry school skills to work. The hostess wanted all cakes, so here is what she is getting:

-Flourless chocolate decadence cake with crumbled pistachios on top

-Cranberry eggnog cheesecake

-Angel food peppermint cake with crushed candy cane garnish

-Sherry cake (Have you had this? It's southern, and pretty darned good)

-A lot of cookies for the kids. (I learned my lesson last year about greedy little kids at Christmas parties after they stuffed their faces with all my beautiful petit fours before any of the adults even saw them. The plan this year: make them sick on cookies and then put out the cakes for the adults to enjoy.)

I'll let you know how this goes!

Current obsession: whole grain mustard

I have never been a mustard fan. This has always been a sad reminder that hangs over my head reminding me that no matter how hard I try, I will never truly be a European (I know, I know, that little red EU passport is also a minor detail). Try as I might, if I was honest with myself I would say that whatever I was eating would have tasted better to me sans mustard- dijon, French's, whatever. Now I realized I was just uneducated.

I discovered whole grain mustard a couple months ago when I was making a turkey, spinach, and potato hash. It called for 1/4 cup of the mustard. It was obvious while eating it that the whole grain mustard made the dish. Then again, about a month ago, I made a beef stew, and what made it super tasty? Oh, yes. Another 1/4 cup of whole grain mustard! It just turns out that it makes everything....just plain better. It's definitely another one for the "make people think you did something really fancy" list. It acts like a secret ingredient. It's not sour and acidic like other mustards. It's just more tart and flavorful.

Now I won't have to feel bad about now getting the nutritional value of the superfood known as mustard. Do you know how healthy this stuff is? Speed up your metabolism, improve digestion, decrease cancer cell growth, help migranes, asthma, arthritis....I pretty much put a spoonful in and on everything savory that I cook now.

By the way, my favorite brand is Maille. You can for sure get it at whole foods, and probably other stores, too.

A feast for your eyes

For your viewing pleasure, I have put Christmas in a blog. These are some of my favorite photos of Christmas food that I have collected. Maybe they will inspire you to make something beautiful. Or maybe they are just fun to stare at:

Marshmallows and dresses

What more are the holidays about?

I happened to be watching Martha Stewart the other day while I was wrapping presents. She was making marshmallows with Claire Danes. The show brought to my attention that marshmallows would be a really fun bulk gift to make for all your friends and neighbors (and not to mention that Martha reminded us that they were "trendy" about 65 times). I tried very hard to pay attention to the recipe and the method, but pretty much spent the entire time drooling over Claire Danes' dress and wondering who the designer was.

If you find the task of making marshmallows interesting, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Makes about 16

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 (1/4-ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• Confectioners' sugar, sifted, for coating

Directions

1. Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and, with the mixer on high, slowly pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatin mixture. Add salt and continue mixing for 12 minutes.
3. Add peppermint extract and mix until well combined. Spray a rubber spatula or your hands with cooking spray. Spread gelatin mixture evenly into pan using prepared spatula or your hands. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place, spray side down, on top of marshmallows. Let stand for 2 hours.
4. Carefully remove marshmallows from pan. Remove all plastic wrap and discard. Cut marshmallows into 2-inch squares using a sprayed a sharp knife. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat. Marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

And if you just want to drool over an amazing dress, here's the link to the preview:

http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/actress-claire-danes

Isn't that dress awesome? If I had it I would wear it every day, I think. And I would most certainly make marshmallows while wearing it. Yeah.

If you don't like to bake...

...you know who you are.

So many parties, so many pot lucks, so many "bring along dessert!" invitations. What do you do? Pick up packaged cookies from the grocery store? Noooo, you make caramel corn! This definitely goes on my "easy things that for some reason really impress people" list. I made caramel corn recently for a party when I ran out of time to bake something, and people were raving, I tell you!

I got the recipe from Gourmet, and as amazing as it is, it fails to include the secret ingredient: popping the corn in coconut oil. Not only is coconut oil one of the healthiest fats for high heat, but it also gives the popcorn an ever so slightly sweet flavor- not strong enough to identify, but enough for everyone to think that you've done something really important.

So here's the rest of the recipe from Gourmet- no pastry chef degree required!

Maple Pecan Popcorn

Makes about10 cups

• About 8 cups plain popcorn
• 1 cup pecans (3 1/2 oz), coarsely chopped and toasted
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Equipment:

  a candy or deep-fat thermometer

• Toss popcorn and pecans in a large bowl.
• Line bottom of a 17- by 11-inch 4-sided sheet pan with foil, then lightly oil foil.
• Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup and salt and boil (still over medium heat), without stirring, until thermometer registers 300°F, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Pour syrup over pecans and popcorn, stirring briskly with a lightly oiled spoon or silicone spatula to coat, then immediately spread popcorn in pan in 1 layer. Cool completely, then break into bite-size pieces.

Fun fact of the day

Did you know that pine trees are edible? I just found this out. Apparently some breeds of pine have needles and bark that you can consume if you're ever stuck in the wilderness. Maybe boys scouts already know this? You can consume pine needles or brew pine needle tea- they are very high in vitamin C. Also, some Native Americans ate the bark of pine trees (that part I probably wouldn't recommend trying).

Only the best

Does anyone question that I loooove kitchen stores? I think not. When I buy my tools, I want quality, long lasting items. The problem is sometimes being able to decipher whether or not the quality that I want comes with the price tag. I'm smart enough to not assume that just because a wooden spoon is within the four walls of Sur La Table and priced at $25 that it is going to be the best wooden spoon out there. In fact I know this is not true.

I went to college in a tiny little town in the middle of Indiana called Winona Lake, and, while Wal Mart was certainly always 8 minutes away in the next town, Winona Lake had quite a standard of what businesses were allowed to be within its city limits. The water front was dotted with artisans and small shops. One of which is what I consider to be the best thing (if not the only good thing) that comes out of Indiana.

I was too wrapped up in college to care about domestic things, but when I graduated, got married, and started taking care of a house, my mind immediately went back to Whetstone Woodenware. The story is that the owner was a furniture makes and that his wife asked him to make "a wooden spoon that would not break." What came out of it was an entire business model. They have cutting boards, spoons of all shapes and sizes (the flat paddle is my favorite, and I literally use it every day), rolling pins, tongs, etc...all hand carved from wood! I'm telling you, these are by far the best kitchen tools that money can buy. Seriously, this guy could be charging three times as much as he does, but keeps all his merchandise at small town, midwest prices.

In this economy, and especially during the holidays when businesses expect a rise in sales, it's so important to support small businesses. And really, if they're selling the better product for the better price you have no excuse. This year, skip Williams Sonoma and browse through Whetstone's website instead. Instead of dealing with parking and crowds, you can sit at home on your computer, put on Christmas music, and sip tea all while you shop!