Everyday Revelry

Vegan Seafood

2012-01-30T07:11:00.001-05:00

In my pre-veg early twenties, I very suddenly developed a severe shellfish allergy. I was forced to cut them out of my diet cold turkey (cold shrimp?). Now I wouldn't eat them even if I could due to ethical reasons, but I would be lying if I said there weren't times over the years when I missed shellfish. A few weeks back when I saw Sophie's Kitchen vegan seafood appear in our local market, I decided to give it a try, if only because my Mom developed the same allergy and I know she misses it badly.

They come frozen, so you simply thaw them out long enough for them to separate and then add them to whatever you are cooking.

For us, that meant a stir-fry with an orange sauce. I added them in during the last few minutes of cooking time.

We served our stir-fry over some brown rice. Since I accidentally bought prawns instead of shrimp, they were enormous. As for the taste, they were chewy and slightly gummy, but I think it's been so long since I had shrimp that I am not sure I was a good judge. Jesse really liked them, but I felt like I could take them or leave them. If I get them again, I think I will try the shrimp, which will be smaller.

I also picked up some vegan breaded calamari, which I will review here once I get a chance to give them a try.

Dinners Lately

2012-01-11T08:16:00.005-05:00

Lately, I've been cooking lots and lots of bowls for dinner, meaning a grain or base of some sort, steamed veggies, a protein and a sauce. They are a perfect dinner, usually provide leftovers for lunch and are a great way to use up what you have in the fridge. I've been trying to cook gluten-free (more on that in another post) as well, so these bowls are good for that purpose too. If you pile on the veggies, it looks and feels like a ton of food for not a ton of calories. For great ideas, check out the section on bowls in the back of Appetite for Reduction (love, love, LOVE this cookbook!).

Soba noodles, black beans, steamed broccoli and zucchini with green onion miso vinaigrette from AFR.

Brown rice, steamed broccoli, sesame tempeh and peanut lime dressing from AFR (BEST SAUCE EVER!!!! I want to put it on everything everyday.)

Quinoa, steamed broccoli and green beans, baked tofu with spicy orange sauce (from a bottle).

Revelry Review: ShopHouse

2012-01-10T08:22:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Jesse and I tried a new-ish fast food restaurant, ShopHouse, the latest creation of the founder of Chipotle. Touted as a "southeast Asian kitchen", you can either build a bowl or have a banh mi sandwich with a variety of possible fillings. I had been looking forward to checking it out for a few months now. If I had checked my expectations at the door, I might have liked this place better than I did. I had dreams of yummy warm green curry and firm chunks of tofu with a variety of delicious veggies.

However, as a vegetarian, there was no green curry for me. In fact, the only sauce that did not count fish sauce as an ingredient was the tamarind vinagrette. Okay, fine. I was disappointed but I figured I would just appreciate that they told me and move on. The tofu looked more like the tofu scramble I make at home than any tofu I have ever had at an Asian restaurant. It was very tumeric-y and SUPER spicy. I wish I had been warned.

When you are essentially eating a bowl of brown rice and tumeric-y tofu, it would be great if you were allowed to choose more than one vegetable. My sauteed long beans were delicious but I wasn't given that many of them. I would have loved to try the charred corn, eggplant and Chinese broccoli too. Chipotle lets me have whatever toppings I want and I wish this place did too. The saving grace was the green papaya salad, which provided some relief for my super spicy lunch.

Overall, I thought ShopHouse had large portion sizes and I appreciate having a new fast food vegetarian option, but I just wish it had been less spicy and contained more veggies. Hopefully they will refine their menu over time.

ShopHouse is located at 1516 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC.

2012 Intentions

2012-01-09T18:45:00.006-05:00

I'm very late to the New Year's resolution party (it seems like I blinked and it went from October to January!), but I still thought it would be worthwhile to post my 2012 intentions here.

~Read at least 80 books.

~Eat a healthy vegan diet, particularly adding in lots of greens.

~Move more.

~Take a knife skills class.

~Journal regularly.

~Visit at least one new city.

~Visit an animal sanctuary.

~Savor turning 30 and all that lies ahead of me.

My word for 2012 is committed--to myself, my health, my growth, my relationship and my happiness.

{Image from Martha Stewart}

South African Scenes

2012-01-04T11:21:00.009-05:00

A sign at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
Jesse next to an anti-poaching rhino in Mandela Square. Poachers get $100,000 per tusk. Heartbreaking and disgusting!

A mama monkey and her baby

Bourke's Luck Potholes (or as we call them, a giant canyon)

Jesse and I at Bourke's Luck Potholes

Two giant mangos and an entire bag of lychees for less than $3. I love traveling to countries that have summer when we have winter!

An elephant asleep on a tree at Kruger National Park

Lions at Kruger National Park

Baby warthogs at Kruger National Park

A field of giraffe at Hluhluwe Game Reserve

Cape buffalo at Hluhluwe Game Reserve

Zebras at Hluhluwe game reserve

A male giraffe at Hluhluwe game reserve

A hippo during our estuary cruise in St. Lucia

The view of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain

A rock hyrax that lives on the top of Table Mountain

Jesse and I at the top of Table Mountain

Baboons hanging out on the side of the road (there had to be at least 100 of them!)

The District Six Museum in Cape Town. This is on the floor. It's a map of where people's homes used to be before the government tore them all down during apartheid to make room for white people's homes, though they never built anything. The District Six area remains empty to this day.

Langa, the largest township in Cape Town

The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town

The beach in Cape Town

African penguins at Boulder Beach in Simon's Town

Cape of Good Hope

Lima, Peru

2011-11-21T07:46:00.003-05:00

Forgive my absence here. I just got back from Lima, Peru for a work trip. Here are some pictures:

The Mercado del Indio, or "Indian Market", full of handicrafts.

This woman was doing a traditional craft of carving into gourds to make decorations, necklaces, earrings, etc. They were beautiful!

Lucuma (a fruit native to Peru) juice. Mmmm.

Parque Kennedy.

Pisco sour!

A dessert made with chirimoya at La Mar.

Now it's off to Maine for Thanksgiving! Have a great holiday!

November Intentions

2011-11-03T09:40:00.007-04:00

I'm a few days late on these because I've spent all my free time connected to my heating pad and in bed with a bad back. November is going to be very hectic for me. Keeping that in mind, my intentions are to:

-Spend quality time with my family this weekend and enjoy my godson's christening on Sunday

-Get back into an exercise routine, even if it is just walking (pending orthopedist approval today)

-Make a list of holiday gifts to get for family and friends.

-Volunteer again with The Lost Dog and Cat Foundation.

-Soak up as much as possible during my work trip to Peru from November 13-19

-Enjoy every minute with J's family in Maine during the week of Thanksgiving

-Prepare for our trip to South Africa: read the guidebooks, make a list of places to see and things to do, find veg-friendly restaurants, make a packing list, purchase travel essentials.

-Use my yearly performance evaluation as a way to have space to reflect and a chance to find ways to grow in 2012.

-Journal lots.

-Take life one day at a time.

{Image from pen3ya}

Scenes from Truckerboo

2011-11-02T08:03:00.001-04:00

Last Friday night, Jesse and I headed over to Truckerboo! This is the Halloween-inspired version of Truckeroo, the monthly food truck festival here in DC.

My date for the evening. It was mighty cold.

So many trucks to choose from! This pink one is Curbside Cupcakes.

The Hula truck was a frontrunner for awhile.

But given my inability to pass up anything guava flavored, the El Floridiano truck won!

"Pan con tofu": bread, tofu, slaw, guava coconut sauce. Mmmm.

Jesse got banana cream pie ice cream for dessert.

And I got blueberry pie from the Dangerously Delicious pie truck.

Vegan Mofo 14: Thanksgiving Dress Rehearsal

2011-10-31T07:55:00.000-04:00

Last night I decided to do a Thanksgiving dress rehearsal. We usually go to Jesse's aunt and uncle's house for Thanksgiving and like to bring something veg to share. I always try the recipes beforehand so I can be sure they will be delicious. First up: Pumpkin pull-apart rolls!

These were pretty easy as far as bread goes and tasted delicious!

Then I tried making Harvest Pies. Here is the butternut squash, cranberry and shallot mixture after it came out of the oven.

Potato, carrot, onion, spices and white wine on the stove.

The pies before going in the oven.

The final product: one roll, one pie (with vegan gravy that was superb) and a salad. This dinner just tasted like Thanksgiving. So comforting and warm and yummy. I also made a pumpkin pie but its crust was a disaster. Thank goodness my copy of Vegan Pie in the Sky is on its way to me!

Vegan Mofo 13: Tempeh Sloppy Joes

2011-10-30T21:44:00.005-04:00

I made Sloppy Joes for dinner the other night on a whim. It was snowing (?!?!) outside and I wanted a quick comfort meal. The truth is, however, it was really on a whim because I had never had them before. Even in my pre-veg days, I have never eaten red meat. When I was first given a hamburger to try, I told my Mom it looked like worms and that was that. I did, however, grow up in a house where these were made from time to time. I wasn't sure that I would actually like them since they had the same smell as the animal ones I had grown up around.

The verdict: These are awesome. I love having another way to use tempeh, especially because I don't love it on its own and this is an easy way to get more protein. I also like the veggies in there and the fact that I get to eat these on a burger bun! The recipe came from this post on the Vegan Dad blog. I highly recommend giving these a try!

Sautee green pepper, onion and celery.

Add grated tempeh that has been steamed with soy sauce.

Add spices and sauces.

The finished product!

Serve with roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potato tater tots.

Vegan Mofo 12: Kaya's Kitchen

2011-10-20T08:02:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Jesse and I took a road trip to New Jersey for a comedy show. Before the show, we took a small detour to Kaya's Kitchen, a vegetarian restaurant in Belmar. The menu is very extensive and it took me a long time to decide what to order. It's rare that I can order from the entire menu, especially one so big! We started with wildberry iced tea and some bread and olive oil. Then I had the Thai Sweet Potato Soup, which was sweet and spicy and very comforting:

Jesse began his meal with the cajun tofu salad. It had seasoned grilled tofu, greens, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, pickled red onion, sunflower seeds, sprouts and a cucumber ranch dressing. People, this is a small:

For his entree, Jesse had the "Acapulco Loco", which was diced veggie nuggets, peppers, corn, onion, black beans and broccoli in a spicy Mexican chipotle lime sauce over rice.

I was in the mood for a sandwich, so I tried the "Island Grilled Tofu Sandwich", which was Jamaican jerk tofu. Mmm.

To finish, Jesse got a vegan mint cake. Perfect ending to a great meal. We will be back for sure!

Vegan Mofo 11: Tired and Stressed Edition

2011-10-19T20:54:00.003-04:00

Some days, I come home from work totally exhausted. It's been a crazy week (and it's only Wednesday...oy!). I had no energy to make something super involved, so I tried the "hummamole" from Quick-Fix Vegan. It's pretty versatile because it's relatively plain. It's basically plain hummus with a whole avocado thrown in. It was good as a dip for veggies, but I think it would be delicious as a sandwich spread!

Vegan Mofo 10: Favorite Vegan Cookbooks

2011-10-17T08:32:00.001-04:00

Let me begin by saying I own a TON of cookbooks. Like more than any reasonable human being will ever need. However, I justify this because it's the only thing I collect AND I read them like they are novels. Because of this, I own vegan and non-vegan cookbooks. I love food writing by Melissa Clark (her red lentil soup with lemon recipe is my all-time favorite!), Claudia Roden, Molly Wizenberg and Dorie Greenspan. For obvious reasons, I only cook very infrequently from these books since very few recipes are vegan-friendly. Mostly, these books sit very pristinely on the shelf.

I do, however, cook like a mad woman from all of my vegan cookbooks. The pages are stained and wrinkled from lots of cooking love. I wanted to share with you some of the ones I use the most, but I should be clear: this was like choosing my favorite children. Here are five of my favorites:

1. Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz : I love all of Isa's books, but this one is really stellar and right now it's probably my favorite out of all the cookbooks I own. It is so overused in my kitchen (and by that, I mean dirty and crumpled!), that I would feel awful even asking Isa to sign it if I ever met her. I've tried many, many recipes from here and each one has become a regular part of our menu rotation: Try these: Chimichurri tofu, buffalo tempeh, butternut rice, pineapple collards, vegetable korma.

2. The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau : This was one of the first vegan cookbooks I owned. The lemon bars are what really convinced me that you don't need butter, eggs or milk to have amazing desserts. Colleen's work is crucial and I appreciate her attitude toward veganism so much. Also check out her other cookbooks, which are gems as well.

3. Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson : Robin is probably the single most prolific vegan cookbook writer (and, ahem, I own most of them!). I've never had a recipe of hers that wasn't great. This book in particular has some wonderful recipes. Try: spanokopita (life changing!), samosa pie, and tropic of tempeh. I also like this one because this is Jesse's cookbook, meaning about once a week he makes us something from here. It's a win-win for me!

4. Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm : This is how every single cookbook should look: great instructions and beautiful color photographs for all of the recipes. One of my favorite meals is the chili lime tofu with collards and quinoa. I use the dry-frying method she details in that recipe at least once a week. I still mourn the fact that she doesn't update her blog anymore! I still use it for culinary inspiration. Come back, Lauren, come back!

5. How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman : I know, I know--this one isn't entirely vegan and I also know some people have strong opinions about Bittman. However, this is a great reference book. There have been times in my life that I've purchased produce or a spice that I didn't know what to do with and this book saved the day. His app is also great for when we're traveling and need a veg recipe on the go.

What are some of your most beloved cookbooks?

Vegan Mofo 9: Quinoa

2011-10-14T10:28:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to get better at making quick, delicious weeknight meals. This is mostly because I like to go to the gym around 8:30 pm. This week I tried another recipe from Robin Robertson's Quick Fix Vegan: Tropical Quinoa. Quinoa, black beans, mango, red pepper, spices, garlic, onion, lime juice. Yum!

I served that with some barbecue baked tofu.

Delicious dinner in about 30 minutes!

Vegan Mofo 8: Tofu and Brussel Sprout Goodness

2011-10-12T08:00:00.002-04:00

I recently stumbled across this recipe for Tofu and Roasted Brussel Sprouts in a Sweet Chili Sauce. It contains all of my favorite ingredients, so I figured I would like it. In fact, I own the cookbook that the original recipe came from: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. It's one of my favorite cookbooks for vegetarian inspiration, but many of the recipes intimidate me. This was a great introduction. It was easy to make and tasted gourmet, so I highly recommend it.

Prepping the green onion and the shitakke mushrooms.

Marinating tofu in the delicious sauce.

Tofu and vegetable mixture cooking.

The final product, served over brown rice.

Vegan Mofo 7: Quick-Fix Vegan

2011-10-11T07:30:00.002-04:00

Last week I received Robin Robertson's new cookbook, Quick-Fix Vegan, in the mail. I love her recipes. They are almost always easy, full of normal ingredients and tasty. First up? The harvest cookies. Think of a spice-filled oatmeal cookie with walnuts, dried cranberries and golden raisins (though I used regular because my Whole Foods didn't have them in the bulk bins).

These are no more difficult than a batch of regular oatmeal cookies but taste ten times better.

The entire house smelled of autumn spices: cinnamon, all-spice, etc.

Yum.

I also made her Moroccan-spiced pumpkin soup. I think next time I will use two cans of pumpkin for some more heft and maybe use an immersion blender to puree the bits of onion. It is not much to look at, but it had a real depth of flavor that I didn't expect. The recipe also calls for topping it with some pistachios, which I left off.

I would like to cook pretty much every recipe in this book. Next up might be the "hummamole" (a mix of guac and hummus) and the tropical black beans and quinoa.

Vegan Mofo 6: Pumpkin Pasta!

2011-10-10T09:16:00.004-04:00

This weekend I went out to a pumpkin festival at an orchard just outside of Washington, DC. Once I saw the field of pumpkins, I knew I needed to cook some more with this delicious vegetable!

I remembered seeing a recipe with pumpkin on Chloe Coscarelli's website and came across a recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Penne with Crispy Sage and Toasted Pecans. If you haven't tried her recipes before, get to it! Her panang curry and harvest-stuffed portobello mushrooms are to die for. I can't wait for her cookbook to come out in 2012!

This is super easy but looks complicated and decadent. You make pasta and toss everything else in blender. Voila!

I added peas to ours so that there was something green. I also left off the pecans (forgot to get them at the store!) and the crispy sage, but it does have fresh sage tossed throughout. It was creamy without leaving you with a gross feeling. I definitely recommend this one for a great autumn meal.

Vegan Mofo 5: Good Vegan Eats

2011-10-06T20:39:00.007-04:00

Some snapshots of what I've been eating lately:

Ridiculously amazing vegan pizza from Whole Foods: thin whole wheat crust, extra garlicky sauce, roasted tomatoes, artichokes, kalamata olives, squash, zucchini, spinach and Daiya. This may be the best pizza I've ever had. And it was $3.

Curry noodle soup (rice noodles, spicy curry broth, kale, sprouts, cilantro, basil, carrots and edamame) with spicy tofu from Java Green. The perfect lunch!

Brown rice sushi with cucumber and avocado.

Tofu bibimbob (brown rice, mixed veggies, pickled radish, baked tofu), also from Java Green

Butternut squash ginger and orange soup from Color Me Vegan, topped with cilantro, orange zest and green onion

"Tropic of Tempeh" from Vegan on the Cheap: rice topped with coconut curry tempeh, carrots, red pepper, onion, pineapple and a yummy sauce.

I've eaten these things AND lost 8 pounds in two weeks. Life doesn't get much better than that!

Vegan Mofo 4: Sunday Night Dinner

2011-10-05T08:06:00.004-04:00

I am a football widow. During neglect season...I mean, football season, my Sundays are pretty empty. Jesse joined a fantasy football league this year, which means that unlike previous years where he only watched Saints' games, this year he has a reason to see them all. I decided that because of that, I'm bringing back the Sunday dinner. It gives me something to do and ensures that I get to see him for at least a little bit on Sundays! This past week we had:

Roasted brussel sprouts. We love them, so I make enough that we can have leftovers. I sprinkled them with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and baked them on 375 until they were brown and soft.

For the first time ever, if you can believe it, I cooked with tempeh! The Buffalo Tempeh recipe from Appetite for Reduction just looked too delicious to pass up. I used the already cooked tempeh from Trader Joe's. Here it is marinating.

Then you cook it in a pan with a little non-stick spray while reserving the marinade.

In the last five minutes, you add the marinade to let it cook down.

I also made this Lemony Kale Salad recipe that I found in the Oprah magazine. I know how healthy kale is. I've tried it baked and I've tried it in soups. I just don't really care for it. This salad is the exception. When kale is massaged, it gets a new texture that I find much better tasting. Since this recipe calls for hemp seeds, you get an extra protein boost as well! It's amazing and I highly encourage you to try it out.

Dinner is done!

Vegan Mofo 3: Choco-Chai Coffee Cake

2011-10-04T08:14:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness. When I saw this recipe in The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holechek, I could not resist giving it a try. After all, I am a serious fan of anything that includes this:

Seriously, I am a chai fanatic.

And at the end, you get this decadent but airy cake topped with some chocolately goodness. It would be perfect to take to a brunch or to give to someone that needs some chai chocolate amazing cake in their life. Next time I might try adding some more spices to mine since even with soaking five tea bags in the warm soy milk, the cake only has a mild chai flavor.

Warning: It makes a LOT. And your house will smell amazing and you will be tempted to eat it all. However, if you are trying to get healthier like me, have a tiny piece, give a big piece to your boyfriend and then gift the rest to a vegan co-worker!

Vegan Mofo 2: Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes

2011-10-03T07:44:00.001-04:00

The weather finally shifted this weekend in the greater Washington, DC area. The air was cold and crisp. While on a grocery shopping trip at Trader Joe's, I saw a huge display of all things pumpkin. I grabbed a can of plain pumpkin puree (okay, so I grabbed a few!) because I like to put it in just about anything this time of year. When we returned home, I hit up my cookbooks to find something delicious to make. The winner? "Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes" from Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner. I've owned this cookbook for several months but I haven't made anything from it just yet. If all the recipes are as good as this one, I need to get moving on making some more!

The recipe called for a mix of ground ginger, all spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. You really can't go wrong when you mix these with some pumpkin.

First you mix together the dry ingredients. In the background, you can see my cookbook stand, which felt frivolous at the time, but is by far the best $24.95 I've ever spent.

You mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine the two.

Voila! Autumn-y spiced pumpkin goodness. These will be making many repeat performances in my kitchen this fall!

Vegan Mofo 1: The Newest Mofo on the Block

2011-10-01T12:34:00.007-04:00

Today begins Vegan Mofo! You can read more about what it is here, but basically this means that for the month of October, I'll be blogging a lot. And each of those posts will include something about vegan food, whether that be a new recipe or a review of a cookbook, product or restaurant.

Since this is my first time doing this, there won't be any sort of theme, other than the fact that we just made a commitment to keeping a vegan kitchen (which really only meant getting rid of the eggs that Jesse, my boyfriend, likes to make French toast with and the parmesan cheese I was sometimes cooking with). I'm excited to get back in the kitchen and create some yummy looking stuff. I'm also excited to use more of my many, many cookbooks. This past month has included a lot of introspection and evolution in my thinking on veganism and I'm hoping to include some of that as well. If you are new around here, some of my favorite things include my Vitamix, the Food for Thought podcast, avocado, yoga, Latin American film, Sweet and Sara marshmallows, reading lots and lots, Boston Terriers, and traveling anywhere and everywhere. I live with my boyfriend and I'm currently trying to get healthier.

So please, come along on this journey with me. I promise to try to post a wide array of things if you promise to read it. Happy cooking!

Weeknight Meals

2011-09-27T08:30:00.001-04:00

I often post my culinary experiments on this blog. However, the truth is that I only post the ones that I think are blog-worthy, meaning that they took a lot of work or are pretty to look at. Since I decided to reignite my mission to get healthy, I thought I would show you a typical weeknight dinner.

Here is last night's meal: a 365 brand fajita-sized tortilla from Whole Foods (I think it was red chile flavor...?), topped with Cava's spicy hummus (can't get enough of this stuff!), cucumber, red bell pepper and baby spinach. I made roasted brussel sprouts as a side. I never liked them until I had them roasted! Here's how you do it: Cut off the hard ugly bottoms, cut the large ones in half so that they are all roughly the same size, cover them in just enough oil so that they don't stick to the pan, sprinkle with your topping of choice (garlic powder and black pepper, though I've also used fresh garlic, lemon, a veggie spice mix and parmesan cheese at different times) and bake on 375 until they're soft. Perfection! This was a great, quick meal that left me more than enough time to get in a trip to the gym!

DC Vegfest 2011

2011-09-26T08:10:00.000-04:00

This weekend was DC Vegfest! It's one of my favorite events to attend each year. Fantastic eats, lots of amazing organizations represented and thousands of like-minded people. What's not to love?!

Jesse and I arrived right as they opened at 11 and each got a tote bag of some goodies (coupons, flax seed, Vega, lip balm, Parma, etc.) Then we immediately headed for the Vegan Treats table. Every year it seems as this is the hot spot, so we like to get there early. Above is a small sample of some of the wide variety of treats they brought with them all the way from Bethlehem, PA.

This, my friends, is a vegan donut full of pumpkin-spiced cream and topped with a cinnamon glaze. Ohhhhhh yeah.

We hung out for a few hours, so we eventually got hungry for some lunch. I finally got to try the Fojol Bros. food truck! They called themselves a traveling culinary carnival and they aren't kidding. There are two trucks. One truck claims to be from the imaginary land of "Benethiopia" and the other from the land of "Merlinda". They play fun music and are dressed up in crazy costumes.

At the Merlindia truck, you could choose from such Indian-inspired delights as pumpkin curry, a delicious eggplant mix, mixed veggies, lentils, and spinach and cheese. They are served over rice.

Here is Jesse's Benethiopian lunch: Collards, lentils and a mix of carrots and green beans over injera.

My Merlindian lunch: curried mixed vegetables, lentils and eggplant over rice.

Doron Petersan was the emcee for the Sticky Fingers Bakery cupcake eating contest. Doron's cookbook comes out in February.

The contestants getting their cupcake on. The first to finish five cupcakes (without using their hands!) won!

Highlight: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau talking about The 30 Day Vegan Challenge. If you've never heard her podcasts, cooked from one of her cookbooks, heard her speak or had her garlic and greens soup, I suggest you do all of these things immediately. I really believe that she's changed my life.

Colleen signing books immediately after signing mine! I left Vegfest inspired to keep a vegan house (we were very close anyway, but we're getting rid of the few things that remain) and to do more for the animals. I'm in awe that I get to live in such an amazing community.

Autumn Wishes

2011-09-23T09:24:00.007-04:00

It's finally here. The best season ever has arrived! It was a long, extremely hot and humid summer here in the D.C. area. I'm so looking forward to cooler weather, the leaves changing colors and all of the fun and excitement that the last quarter of the year brings. Here are my wishes and happenings:

~Nationals vs Braves game

~DC VegFest

~Brad Paisley concert

~Ray LaMontagne concert

~Get back into my yoga practice

~Apple and pumpkin picking....make an apple pie afterward

~Trip to Texas in October to go to the Texas State Fair and Texas State Veggie Fair

~Meaningful and inspiring Jewish high holidays

~Lose 25 pounds

~See Ron White do a comedy show on October 15th in NJ

~Regular exercise schedule

~Possible trip to Peru for work in November

~Lots of quality time with J's family over Thanksgiving

~J gets into the grad school of his dreams (still unclear which one that is, ha!)

~Amazing, once-in-a-lifetime 10 day trip to South Africa in December

~Lots of quality time with my family in late December

{Image via Denis Collette...!!!!}

A Season of Change

2011-09-21T09:49:00.007-04:00

For me, September has always been about new beginnings. For 20 years of my life, if we include college and graduate school, it was the start of the school year, complete with a new schedule and new school supplies. It's almost the Jewish New Year, which is a time for reflection on the past year, as well as a time to set intentions for the upcoming year. As the weather changed and the leaves turned colors, it was always the best time of year for me to make changes in my life as well.

In the spirit of new beginnings, I'm back on the wagon in terms of healthy living. Jesse and I had a date at the gym on Sunday (and I am still sore from lifting weights!), we've been taking walks on Shabbat, and I have other workouts marked in my planner. Our fridge is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm incorporating a lot more leafy greens into my lunches. I am getting back into a regular yoga practice if it kills me. I'm going back to spinning and Zumba. I'm going to try to get more sleep and journal more often.

This time around--because, let's face it, there have been many times around--I'm focusing on being healthy in a way that is sustainable for a lifetime. Previously, I have wanted to be perfect. One slip up and I was convinced I would be a fat failure for life. I used to refuse invites to hang out with friends if they involved food. This time, I'm focusing on living life but in a better way.

One. day. at. a. time.

Scenes from the Kitchen

2011-09-15T14:51:00.008-04:00

Provencal Vegetable Soup from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. I LOVE Dorie's recipes. They are always thorough and great to cook with, as well as accompanied by great stories. This soup had it all! Zucchini, green beans, white beans, small pasta, tomatoes, carrot and a ton of fresh herbs. The cherry on top? It called for making fresh pesto and putting some on top. I prompty stirred mine in after taking this shot and it took this soup to a whole new level.

Leftover pesto turned into wheat pasta shells, pesto and fresh tomatoes for lunch the next day.

I also tried my very first vegan lasagna this week! It was from The 30 Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (a fantastic book, by the way!). I chose this one because it didn't call for nutritional yeast. I'm ashamed to admit that, despite knowing how good it is for you, I really just hate it. Anyway....this lasagna was awesome! It came together very quickly with the help of the food processor and, due to the tofu, has lots of protein. If you make it, definitely use the fresh basil it calls for rather than trying to substitute dried. It makes the whole dish.

Dinner at The Green Elephant

2011-09-07T14:22:00.005-04:00

When we visit Jesse's family in Maine, we always make sure to stop by The Green Elephant in Portland, which is by far my most favorite vegetarian restaurant. Every dish is stellar, they use a lot of local ingredients and the ambiance is warm and cozy. Here are a few pictures of our meal last week, starting with Jesse's appetizer: crispy wontons filled with vegan cheese and spinach, with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. This was outrageously delicious.

My appetizer: Fresh Rolls (rice paper, mixed raw veggies, avocado with a peanut dipping sauce).

Maine Root blueberry soda. I love this stuff!

My entree: Panang curry with tofu and brown rice. It even had Thai eggplant and squash in the mixed vegetables. Deeeeeelicious!

Jesse's entree: Peking "duck" served over wide noodles. It looked just like duck and Jesse said it was tasty.

Our desserts. On the left is the chocolate orange mousse cake. It's so good that we talk about it often. On the left is a trio of sorbets (with some fresh fruit and cookies). We had coconut, mango and strawberry lemonade flavors. The strawberry lemonade was definitely my favorite.

I can't wait until we are back in Maine in November!

Scenes from our Maine Vacation

2011-09-06T11:32:00.003-04:00

Lake Cobbosseecontee (say that three times fast!) in Winthrop, Maine. We spent Tuesday to Saturday here with Jesse's extended family, plus my Mom and her boyfriend.

More of the lake. So peaceful.

The cute little farmstand down the street. We bought cute tiny sweet peppers and whoopie pies here.

My Mom and Jesse during game night.

He might look like he can play a mean game of poker, but let it be known that I won! We also played corn hole (also known north of the Mason-Dixon line as bean bag toss), Apples to Apples and Rack-o.

We took a day trip to Bar Harbor where we wandered around and had a-mazing ice cream at Mt. Desert Island. If it is good enough for the POTUS, it's good enough for me! I highly recommended the Cinnamon Cardamom and the Malted Milk Ball flavors.

Blueberry pie at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

While my poor friends and family were battling Hurricane Irene farther south, we were enjoying sunshine and beautiful views.

And Jesse taught me how to skip rocks! I clearly need some practice though.

Where I've Been

2011-09-02T10:26:00.007-04:00

August has been a rough, rough month. At every turn, something happened that upended my routine, making it impossible to blog and nearly impossible just to catch my breath.

My best friend, who gave birth to my godson in July, unexpectedly lost her father. Then this happened, which sent my entire hometown and the surrounding area into a tailspin of heartbreak. The boys were students of both my best friend and my cousin. That same day, there were two other accidents in the same area: a car crash and a plane crash. Eight people died within a few miles of each other and within hours of one another.

Last week at the airport, we experienced an earthquake (though everyone, myself included, thought it was a bomb). Being evacuated from an airport in an emergency is NOT fun. We spent time in Maine with Jesse's family and our stay was unexpectedly extended when hurricane Irene decided to make an appearance.

August has certainly been a lesson in letting go, experiencing strong emotions without judgement, being grateful for those around me and learning that no matter how carefully you plan, life will always take you places you did not intend to be.

September, I welcome you with open arms.

{Image credit: Jeremiah Blatz}

Delicious Dishes

2011-08-16T10:02:00.005-04:00

Miso Udon Stir-fry from Appetite for Reduction. Let me yet again proclaim my love for this cookbook. It gave us a bowl full of yumminess: udon noodles, broccoli, azuki beans, swiss chard, green onion, miso, and assorted spices. It also taught me a new method for cooking broccoli, which I know I'll use all the time.

White bean and artichoke salad from Color Me Vegan. This one will be making many a repeat appearance in our kitchen. It was perfection.

Jesse made a southwestern shepherd's pie from Vegan on the Cheap. Another book full of winners. This was hearty, spicy, comfort food at its best.

A vegan peach galette, courtesy of Chloe Coscarelli's website. Very easy and very tasty.

Delicious Dishes: Papa Pea's Jambalaya

2011-08-05T09:07:00.002-04:00

Earlier this week I told you about my discovery of the Peas and Thank You blog and how Mama Pea's new cookbook arrived at my door recently. My first foray into cooking from it happened to be in the form of Papa Pea's Jambalaya.

I try to make recipes close together that have similar ingredients so that nothing goes to waste (i.e. two things with cilantro so I don't buy a bunch and only use a tablespoon). This week I used celery in my very favorite lentil soup recipe, so I searched for some other way to use the remaining stalks. Enter Jambalaya! I was leaving for a work retreat for a few days, so this was the perfect way to help stock the fridge for Jesse before heading out of town. It includes meatless sausage (in the form of Field Roast chipotle sausages) and since I hate meat substitutes (an entire post in and of itself for another day), this was a perfect time to try this one. I love that it only needs one pan too, if you used pre-cooked rice.

The final dish:

Revelry Review: Vegan For Life

2011-08-04T09:43:00.004-04:00

Vegan? Thinking of going vegan? Love/like/know a vegan? Want to eat less meat or dairy but not sure how to do it in a healthy way? If so, then you need this book. Vegan for Life by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina is a must-read. It's essentially an encyclopedia for all things nutrition-related as they pertain to veganism.

There are entire chapters dedicated to certain vitamins and nutrients. I thought I knew all there was to know about b-12, but I was wrong. They also discuss raising vegan children and being vegan during pregnancy, veganism for the over-50 crowd, transitioning to a vegan diet, managing your weight, heart disease or diabetes, sports nutrition and whether or not soy is safe, plus much more. This is a terrific resource to have on hand in case you need an answer to a question that you or someone else has.

The only thing I didn't like was that the "Why Vegan?" chapter was left for the very end. It seemed out of order! Overall though, this is an information and fact-packed book that provides all you need to know to be a healthy plant-eater. I never once felt like I was reading something too scientific or boring, which books of this type can sometimes be. Jack and Virginia have inspired me to clean up my diet (which was about 90% vegan anyway), given me a new knowledge base, and have given me responses for the many, many questions and concerns that others have about veganism.

On the Concept of Home.

2011-08-03T11:22:00.007-04:00

"I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself."~Maya Angelou

I left my childhood home when I was 18. I moved to Washington, DC to attend George Washington University. Since then, I've called the DC metro area home. Or at least I've thought of it as my home base. In recent years, I've tried very hard to think of home as anywhere I and my loved ones are rather than a single physical place.

However, the other day I heard Miranda Lambert's song "The House That Built Me". "If I could just come in, I swear I'll leave/ won't take nothing but a memory/ from the house that built me." My eyes filled with tears and I was desperately wishing to go back to the house where I grew up in New Jersey. Maybe it's the nostalgia that comes with being so close to 30 years old. Maybe it comes with growing up in general. Maybe it's something else.

You see, a few years ago, we had a house fire. The entire inside had to be gutted. Our dog and our cat died in the fire. Clothes, pictures, furniture and knick knacks were destroyed. I know that they are just things, and I didn't even live there at the time, but our entire lives were turned upside down for quite some time. My Mom, divorced with two kids living away from home, decided to move into a condo on the water that had much less maintenance rather than spend time fixing up a far too big house for one person. When I say I'm "going home for the weekend", what I mean is that I am going to spend the weekend at my Mom's condo in the town next to where I grew up.

Someone I went to high school with bought our old house and will presumably make a life there for his family. Now the inside looks nothing like it used to. New kids will grow up there, celebrate holidays there and make memories there. The house that contained all of my good childhood memories will serve that same purpose for an entire new family. There's a sort of palpable and painful beauty in that fact. I look forward to one day giving my children the same sort of home that I once had.

What do you think of as home? Has that concept changed for you over the years?

Delicious Dishes: Summer Succotash Quesadillas

2011-08-02T20:44:00.004-04:00

Last week I was scouring the interwebs looking for some dinner inspiration when I came across the Peas and Thank You blog. Mama Pea's writing style is hysterical and full of delicious-sounding things to cook. Her girls are absolutely adorable and I aspire to one day have a family like hers that likes to eat healthy, veggie food. I recommend checking out her blog if you like any of the following: veggies, little kids or laughing.

I immediately pre-ordered her new cookbook (and it arrived late last week--more on this later!), and in the meantime, we tried this recipe from her blog: Summer Succotash Quesadillas with Mmm Sauce. First, you cook up zucchini, red pepper, onions, corn and lots of yummy spices.

You also blend up the Mmm sauce. I wasn't crazy about it on its own (I don't love the taste of nutritional yeast), but it was delicious on the quesadillas.

You heat up a pan with some cooking spray and lay down one whole wheat tortilla. Put on some Daiya, some of the mix and cook away. It was my first experience with pepperjack Daiya. It's melty and yummy.
Cut it up and then you're all set! It's a quick and easy weeknight meal. Here's Jesse's dinner: the quesadilla plus a big salad of baby spinach, edamame, cucumbers and carrots.

August Intentions

2011-08-01T11:51:00.001-04:00

1. Spend time perusing South Africa travel guides and make a list of must-see and would-like-to-see places. We also need to decide which of the optional activities we want to add to our tour.

2. Enjoy a few bliss-filled days in Maine mid-month with Jesse and his family.

3. Get into some sort of physical activity routine. In these terribly hot DC summer days, late night walking speaks to me. I also want to get back into going to yoga more regularly. I like the idea of having times for exercise to write into my planner.

4. Write in my paper journal or art journal at least three times a week.

5. Save money towards our trip!

"In August and everything after, I'm after everything..."~Adam Duritz

Delicious Dishes: Jesse edition

2011-08-01T08:27:00.001-04:00

Jesse cooked last week and it was so delicious! He made the Chimichurri tofu from Appetite for Reduction, which I think is my new most favorite tofu recipe. If you like cilantro, you will love it. That cookbook is simply full of winners. If you want to eat healthier but still have things that are extremely tasty, definitely purchase it ASAP. We've tried a lot of the recipes and not a single one was anything less than stellar.

As sides Jesse prepared mashed sweet potatoes and a salad. It was so nice to come home and have dinner nearly finished. He also did the dishes! What a man!

The Big Reveal: South Africa!

2011-07-29T09:38:00.009-04:00

Remember how I told you earlier this year that I had won two round-trip tickets anywhere in the world from my employer? Well, after months and months of agonizing and countless trips to stare blankly at the travel section of Barnes and Noble to get ideas (let's be honest--pretty much everywhere in the world sounds amazing!), we have reached a decision: from December 8 to December 20, we will be in SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seeing a zebra in its natural habitat has long been on my bucket list. I am head over heels in love with their beautiful and crazy stripes. Every time I see one I am amazed that something like this exists in nature. And now I will get to see them in South Africa!

We are doing a tour with Gate 1 Travel, which includes: two nights in Johannesburg, where we will take a tour of the apartheid museum, a few days at Kruger National Park for the game drives so we can see the animals, a day spent sightseeing in Swaziland, where I am told there are some amazing handicrafts to be had, an estuary cruise in St. Lucia to see the alligators, and a domestic flight from Durban to Cape Town, where we'll spend four days seeing wineries, Robben Island, the Jewish museum, and so much more. If you like to travel, I highly recommend that you sign up to get emails about Gate 1's travel deals. They are really well priced and several people that have traveled with them loved their packages. I can also give you a referral code for $100 off your trip!

We decided on South Africa after it was suggested by many friends and co-workers who said it was their most favorite place in the world and because several people said to take a trip that you would never do once you have children. Voila! South Africa. Vetoed places included the Greek Islands (not the right time of year--but we will get here one day!), Argentina (cheap enough that we could do this on our own later and could take kids here), Peru (altitude sickness is a factor for Macchu Picchu but it also fits in the "cheap enough we could do this on our own later" category) and Thailand (sounded good in theory but we realized we weren't all that in love with the idea later on). South Africa fit all of our criteria, plus it just sounds amazing!

I am excited to spend the next few months planning, reading and gathering information!

Delicious Dishes: Pea Pesto Pasta

2011-07-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

I love nearly everything ever posted on Smitten Kitchen (minus the meat dishes, of course). A few weeks ago I saw this post for Linguine with Pea Pesto, which I knew I had to save for an upcoming dinner. I have a hit-or-miss relationship with basil, so I sometimes love regular pesto and sometimes not so much. Jesse isn't really a fan either, but the pictures from this recipe looked delicate and delicious, with no basil in sight. It's easy too! You cook up the peas and give them a whirl in the food processor (reserving some for tossing with the pasta later) with some parmesan, olive oil and toasted pine nuts. It turns a bright green color:

Once you cook the pasta, you set aside some of the cooking water and mix the pasta, pesto, water and peas. As you can see, we had whole wheat penne in the house, so I used that instead of linguine. I added some chopped tomato on top for color and nutrition. It's yummy and very filling! It came together in less than a half hour, so this would make a great weeknight meal.

Sweet & Natural

2011-07-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

Jesse and I are always on the lookout for new veg-friendly places to eat in the DC-metro area. We particularly miss The Uptown Juice Bar, which is (was? I heard the may have closed) a vegan juice bar and restaurant in Harlem, NY that serves all sorts of yummy vegan soul food. We went all the time when Jesse lived in NYC. Here in DC, we've tried Soul Vegetarian many times (oh that macaroni!) and Everlasting Life Cafe (delicious!), but a co-worker recently told me that Sweet & Natural opened a small vegan eatery in Mt. Rainier, MD. I've long enjoyed their baked goods at places like Java Green and Roots Market so upon learning that they had a rotating menu of deliciousness, I needed to give it a try.

We got there just as they were about to close for the night on a Saturday (which I believe is 8 pm). I thought we might be out of luck but they still graciously served us dinner to go. I had the fried chicken, vegan gumbo and cauliflower gratin. A member of the staff asked me if I wanted to try their barbecue tofu too and when I said yes (how could I not?), she piled it on. I also got hot sauce for my "chicken". AMAZING. It's been many years since I stopped eating our feathered friends and the only thing I occasionally missed was tenders and hot sauce. NO MORE. This is sheer crispy crunchy spicy perfection!

When we patronize new veg restaurants, I feel a responsibility to really patronize them. So we ordered: two of these giant entrees (see picture), cornbread, banana bread, a lemon raspberry cupcake and a jelly thumbprint cookie. One of the staff members thought that they cupcake in the case wasn't fresh enough, so he went to the back to get me another one. And a different staff member insisted we take two of their veggie beef hand pies home to try. All of this vegan deliciousness? $30. We can barely get two salads out somewhere in this city for $30.

I want to sign the praises of this place from the rooftops! Please make the trip out there so that this place stays open! It's delicious.

If you go: Sweet & Natural is located at 4009 34 St., Mt. Rainier, MD. Warning: There is a lack of signage out front, so be on the lookout for it. It's located near Glut natural grocer. Their menu rotates and they don't have a website as far as I can tell, so be prepared to be surprised!

Art Journaling Workshop

2011-07-25T07:36:00.001-04:00

On Saturday I attended an art journaling workshop at Tranquil Space yoga studio in DC. Carolyn was in town and Valerie was going, so it was the perfect time to give it a try! I was a little bit apprehensive about cutting my magazines up and making a mess (thank you, neat freak tendencies!) but that soon went out the window. Kimberly encouraged us to start in the middle of our journals and to tear out images rather than cut them out. She also provided some prompts and lots of ephemera for us to play with. I spent most of the time finding images that spoke to me and getting them on the page instead of writing. However, when I got home on Saturday night, I immediately found more images, got to pasting and added in some writing. I'm afraid this workshop has created a monster! Here are some of my pages:

My ideal weekly calendar. I blocked out work time in pretty colors so all the time dedicated to that was less jarring. Essentially, an ideal weekday would be working out in the morning, followed by a healthy breakfast or a green smoothie, shower and work. After work time would be dedicated to cooking healthy meals and eating dinner with Jesse, yoga, journaling, blogging, reading and catching up with friends and family. Instead of nailing down a weekend schedule, I made a list of things I'd love to spend my weekends doing, which includes sleeping in, going to the farmers' market, reading, road trips, exercise, cooking and baking, etc.

I got on a muted colors kick for quite some time.

I'm not sure what I will do with this page, but I like the layers and love that, thanks to the Oprah magazine issue on poetry, I was able to title it "One Wild and Precious Life".

I loved the soft colors and dreamy quality of these ones. I filled in the spaces between the images with quotes that I like.

One of the prompts Kimberly gave was to find a large image and write over it with a Sharpie marker, responding to this: "Lately, I've been feeling...." I LOVED this! I even went through last night and found a few more large images to get into my journal for later writing. Something about writing over an image feels bold, creative and powerful. It also helped me overcome the writer's block I've been feeling lately.

After the workshop, I headed to Cafe Green with Valerie and Carolyn to catch up (and Carol met up with us too!) and have a late lunch, which you can read more about on Valerie's blog. A perfect Saturday indeed!

Weeknight Dinners

2011-07-21T16:19:00.004-04:00

It is *hot* here in the metro DC area. The heat index is at 111 today and supposedly will be even higher tomorrow. During these impossible days of summer, I never feel like cooking, particularly not after dealing with public transportation. Lately I've been experimenting with mixing some homemade food with packaged food for dinner, a la "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee" (I hate that show with a passion, but I digress...)

Last night's dinner? Dry pan-fried tofu cooked via the method in this recipe, green beans, zucchini and red pepper cooked with Seeds of Change's Jalfrezi Simmer Sauce. I made basmati rice via a traditional cooking method I learned in my Northern Indian Vegetarian Cooking Class last Spring (it has been worth every penny I spent on it, locals!), which requires zero attention once you get it going. I also heated up some frozen tandoori naan from Trader Joe's. It made more than enough for Jesse to get a few lunches out of the leftovers as well, which is crucial in our house.

Simple, delicious and minimal hands-on cooking required. Perfect! What are your secrets for quick weeknight eats?

This past weekend...

2011-07-18T12:50:00.004-04:00

I went to New Jersey to meet my new godson, Jayden. He's tiny and perfect in every way.

Right after eating.

Hanging out with Uncle Jesse

So little.

Sleeping on his Momma. This is his old man face.

Eating lunch with Aunt Lauren.

I can't wait to watch this little guy grow up and watch as my best friend grows into her new role as Mom. I'm so lucky to have them both in my life!

Revelry Review: The Murderer's Daughters

2011-07-14T11:38:00.004-04:00

I read The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers based on Jenna's recommendation. Without wanting to give too much away, I will say that Merry and Lulu's lives are touched by an immense tragedy: their father goes to prison for killing their mother. That's not a spoiler. It's on the cover and happens within the first twenty pages of the novel.

The rest of the novel is about the next thirty years of the girls' life, exploring the ways in which the Merry and Lulu, as well as the people around them, are affected by what happened with their parents. We watch them grow up while living with terrible memories and scars. Their father's presence, and lack thereof, looms over the rest of the novel like a giant shadow.

Unlike Jenna, I didn't think that this was one of the best books I ever read. What is was, however, was a great beach read. A great book to snuggle into bed with at night. A great break from heavy non-fiction reads. I didn't want to put it down so that I could find out what happened to the girls. I would recommend it if you are looking for something lighter to read that is more than just fluffy chick lit.

Pigs, a Sanctuary

2011-07-12T07:57:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Jesse, our friend Noel and I went to Shepherdstown, West Virginia to visit Pigs, a Sanctuary! A few months ago I was searching for farm sanctuaries to visit. We would like to make the trip to the New York location of Farm Sanctuary in the near future but also thought there might be something more local to us. I found this one and immediately wanted to make the trip.

When you drive up, there is a sign that says, "To the animals: You have nothing to fear and so your story ends. Your troubles are all over and here you have a home." The sanctuary is home to about 400 animals (including pigs, horses, donkeys, cats, dogs and goats). They came to the farm mostly as rescues from unbelievably horrible situations. The staff here not only feed and care for the animals, but work on socializing them with the other animals on the farm and, when appropriate, try to find the dogs and cats forever homes.

It costs the farm about $23,000 PER MONTH to stay open, so if you have it in your heart to donate, you can either make a donation via their webpage or purchase something from their Amazon.com wish list.

This guy is the first pig we saw. How adorable is that face?

These are potbelly pigs. The director told us that after the potbelly pig craze, many people were surrendering their animals once they got to be too large for a house or became agressive with the kids. PEOPLE OF THE WORLD: Pigs are not pets. They belong on big, beautiful farms with lots of land and other pigs.

This is Spanky. He is a Mexican hairless pig, also known as a Yucatan pig. He has cancer and his best friend recently passed away. The director said he showed signs of mourning for her. He was right at the fence and let us pet him. Such a sweetheart.

This is what a full-grown farm pig looks like. They can get up to 1,000 pounds. Very few people ever see full-size farm pigs because they are usually slaughtered young, before their meat gets too tough.

This is Walter. He's a farm pig that was bottle-fed as a baby by sanctuary staff. He is living with potbelly pigs at the moment so he can learn to socialize.

This is Walter's pen-mate, Kevin Bacon.

This guy is Jack. He was my favorite. I love those floppy ears!

This is Zeus. He is a mastiff that came from a rescue case. He has problems with his legs that cause him to sit funny and a big calcification on his head from being beat by a previous owner. However, he came right up to us to say hi. The resilience of these animals is amazing.

The sanctuary also has four separate areas for cats: one for cats that are up for adoption, one for feral cats that roam the fields, a house for cats that test positive for feline AIDS (these cats are usually immediately euthanized but can live happily for many years without being affected by the disease), and a small house for special needs cats. These guys above have CH, which causes them to lose their balance. They are sometimes also known as drunk cats. They are totally healthy other than the fact that they fall down often. And they are really sweet!

This horse was rescued from an Amish farmer. He was found with a severe leg infection and about 700 pounds underweight because he couldn't walk to his feeding area. Now is is living happy and free, roaming around the many, many acres at the sanctuary.

If you want to visit: Email Melissa, the sanctuary director, at melissa@pigs.org to arrange a tour. They last about an hour and the sanctuary asks for a minimum $12 donation in exchange for their time. Tours are available from June-October on the weekends and will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Saturday

2011-07-11T13:29:00.007-04:00

In all of the years I've lived in this area, I've never been able to attend the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This past weekend, however, Jesse and I made it happen! This year they were celebrating the Peace Corps, Rhythm and Blues and Colombia. The picture above is of a Peruvian woman weaving. Her training and business are supported by the Peace Corps.

Kenyan women making baskets.

Rugs made by Kyrgyz women.

These were made my a Colombian woman. I loved the colors!

Traditional Colombian dancing during carnival.

After the festival, we drove out to Clarksville, MD to go to Roots Market, our most favorite grocery store (think Whole Foods with lots of veg items and lower prices) and had dinner at Great Sage, the vegan restaurant next door. We started with the "Almost Raw Vietnamese Spring Rolls". They came with a delicious peanut sauce. So yummy.

Jesse had the udon noodle bowl with veggies and tempura tofu.

I had the Santa Fe salad, which has marinated tofu, tortilla chips, corn, black beans, tomatos, onion, guacamole, mixed greens and lime vinagrette. Amazing!

Healthy Habits

2011-07-08T08:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers, here is the post where I admit that the healthy habits I worked so hard to cultivate over the past few years have gone wayward.

I developed a bad back problem last summer that continues to plague me (three degenerative discs, one bulging disc, inflamed facet joints and something known as "miserable alignment" due to the pain it causes) and got off track with exercise and yoga. It has been an endless cycle of work out-hurt-get better-workout again-hurt some more. Rather than focus on the bad, I want to use this post as a starting point for moving onward and upward.

Here are the healthy habits I am proud to say I have maintained over the past few years:

1. Drinking lots and lots of water. Lots. I fill my 32 ounce water bottle at least four times a day, often up to six or seven. I also have tea many times throughout the day. Sometimes I feel like a camel that needs to store it up.

2. Getting more sleep. When I lived alone, I used to let myself stay up very late reading, watching TV or doing things for grad school. Now that I've finished my master's degree and moved in with my boyfriend, we almost never hit the hay past 10:30 or 11.

3. Taking vitamins. I take a multi-vitamin everyday. I also switch up additional supplements, like B-12, flax oil, vitamin D, powdered greens, probiotics, spirulina, chlorella and Natural Calm magnesium during the week. I try to get everything I need from food but I think this is good insurance.

4. Not eating meat. I know everyone's body is different, but my mind and body feel better knowing that I'm not eating animal flesh. I can get plenty of protein elsewhere, so nothing needs to die in order for me to eat.

5. Learning my way around the kitchen. Before quitting meat, a typical dinner for me (I kid you not) consisted of chicken nuggets, canned corn and maybe a baked potato. Now I experiment with all kinds of (non-animal) proteins, grains and fresh veggies. I love cookbooks and read them like regular books. I am constantly trying to challenge myself to learn new things in the kitchen. I obsessively purchase cookbooks, read a million food blogs and, most recently, joined Spork Online, which posts one vegan cooking class a month.

Here are some of the healthy habits I'd like to adopt or get back to incorporating on a regular basis:

1. More green smoothies or green drinks. I know all of the benefits. I know I want to have a more alkaline diet with much less sugar, processed food and other acidic things. I've just been lazy. I need to get better about making these everyday.

2. Kicking the diet soda habit. I know, I know....I said that I was going to do this once before. However, the diet coke monster took hold again. But then last week I saw this. I've known that diet coke makes me crave other sugary things but that article is scary stuff. I've had one diet soda in the last week and a half. Pretty good but I can do better.

3. More exercise. Because of my back issues, this will have to be a slow and steady thing that will involve lots of listening to my body. I love to lift weights but I think I'll mostly need to stick to walking and yoga for the time being.

4. Smaller portions. My employer buys my lunch every day, which is a nice perk, but restaurant lunches are usually at least twice what any one person should be eating in one sitting. If I wasn't also trying to save my pennies, I would just bring my own lunch. However, I know I can make smarter choices when it comes to lunch.

5. Write in a journal. Journaling what you eat is good and well but I find old-fashioned journaling about thoughts, feelings, hopes, worries, aspirations, etc. has a positive overall affect on my health.

Basically, I want to live by these rules.

What healthy habits are you proud of yourself for sticking to and which ones would you like to bring into your life in the second half of 2011?

Revelry Review: State of Wonder

2011-07-06T09:42:00.004-04:00

I had high expectations for State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I loved Bel Canto and thought that Run was an entertaining read. Maybe that was the problem.

Let me back up just a bit.

The premise of State of Wonder is this: Marina Singh, who works as a researcher for a large pharmaceutical company, is asked to travel to the Amazon when the company receives word that one of its employees, Anders Eckman, has died under unclear circumstances. In order to clarify what happened, Marina must locate Dr. Annick Swenson, a gynecologist who has spent years studying a tribe whose women have been able to give birth into their late 70's with the hopes of obtaining the secret to extended fertility. Anders was sent to Brazil to gauge the progress of Dr. Swenson's work after she failed to send regular progress updates.

The reader comes to learn that Marina's and Dr. Swenson's paths have crossed in the past. And Marina is romantically involved with someone at the company. And she acts as the liasion between the company and Anders' distraught family. And she must deal with a whole cast of characters that await her in Brazil, not to mention the diseases, insects and other challenges that await her in the jungle.

Much like in the other books I've read by Ann Patchett, I appreciated the character development in this book. I cared about or was interested in a lot of them, particularly Marina and Dr. Swenson, but some seemed like extras on a movie. There was so much going in in the plot that it was as if Patchett kept adding characters and trying to flesh them out just to move the complicated plot along and get to the end. I was left wishing that she would've found other ways to reveal some of the characters' traits rather than adding in more people and storylines. I will, however, be left thinking about the details she imbued into the story, particularly the descriptions of the jungle, for some time to come.

Recipe for a Relaxing 4th of July

2011-07-05T10:32:00.005-04:00

1 part poolside sitting after a fantastic pedicure

Plus one part giggling baby

Plus one part raspberry cosmopolitan (er, maybe two parts)

Plus one part scrumptious veggies (Jersey corn, I love you so much!)

Plus one part breathtaking sunset.

Also add in a dash of each of the following: brunch with a 39-week pregnant best friend, listening to the rain pour outside the window, acquiring a new art journal, playing blackjack with the family, finishing up a new book, a mid-afternoon nap on the couch and watching the Phillies play. There really is nothing like summertime in New Jersey. Weekends like this past one make me miss it lots.

Delicious Dishes

2011-06-29T10:01:00.005-04:00

Summer Lovin' Curried Corn and Veggie Chowder from Appetite for Reduction. Veggie-filled, easy to make and delicious. This will definitely make a repeat appearance in our summer menu rotation. I can't recommend this cookbook highly enough and I tell everyone I know to go get it NOW, NOW, NOW! Isa, feel free to hire me as your publicist. You can pay me in scrumptious vegan eats.

Lemon Bars from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Perfectly tart. These are the best lemon bars I've ever had, vegan or not. This is a great book for learning to veganize all of the classics. Please forgive the presentation. The recipe says to sift powdered sugar over the bars just before serving. I don't own a sifter and the organic powdered sugar I had was a little clumpy. I tried sprinkling it onto the bars and well, you can see the results. I promise they taste way better than they look!

Blog revival!

2011-06-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I ran into Valerie of City Life Eats, Katie of Quick Cook Rice and Gena of Choosing Raw in the parking lot of a vegan restaurant in the DC area. Seeing them together inspired me to revive my blog! I'm going to spend some time getting you up to speed and then I promise to be much better about posting here.

The most exciting thing I did while I was gone? Jesse and I took a trip out to San Francisco and Sonoma County in California for a few days in late May. Here are some of the highlights:

"Tree Hugging Dirt Worshipper". Welcome to California. We first spent time in Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Sonoma, visiting friends of ours from college and their adorable little boy, taking winery tours and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

A leisurely walk around Muir Woods. Those redwoods are breathtaking!

A tour and tasting at Benziger winery. This sauvignon blanc was amazing.

Sonoma is so pretty!

The Japanese tea garden in Golden Gate Park. So serene.

Like a postcard.

The very overwhelming Chinatown.

We rode one and decided once was enough. Still cool, though!

A definite dinner to remember at Millennium. So gluttonous and so worth it. Sadly, the pictures taken inside came out far too dark to see the food. I'm still thinking about the cornmeal-crusted oyster mushrooms!

Gorgeous. I love it here.

A trip to the Moma that ended with their Mondrian cake. Art you can eat!

The Castro

Murals everywhere! This is the outside of the Women's Building.

Purple house? Yes, please.

Ended our trip with quite possibly the best vegan meal I've ever had at Gracias Madre in the Mission.

Sweet potato quesadilla

Zucchini-filled enchilada "mojado style"

Revelry Review: Two Kisses for Maddy

2011-04-27T13:58:00.002-04:00

A few years ago, I was introduced to Matt Logelin's blog via Glamour.com's Storked! blog. With tears streaming down my face, I spent a few hours reading back posts from the blog, which details Matt's life after his wife died just one day after giving birth to their daughter, Madeline.

At first, Matt's choppy, short sentences, laden with curse words, gripped me with the way that they painted the portrait of a first-time Dad reeling from the grief of an unthinkable and life-changing tragedy. What made me keep reading was being able to watch from afar as Matt and Maddy made new memories together. Over the course of the last three years, I've read with envy about Matt's around-the-world adventures, most with Maddy in tow, the grueling process of writing a book on his experience, and on finding love again.

Last week, his book, Two Kisses for Maddy, was released. I read it in about two hours.

Even though I knew how the story ended, I still cried and laughed and marveled at the life that Matt and Maddy have created. The book seemed to fill in the spaces between the blog posts. Two Kisses for Maddy is incredibly sad, very brave and ultimately hopeful. Read it--but not without some tissues nearby.

Delicious Dishes: Jesse Edition

2011-04-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Now that Jesse no longer has to study for the MCAT every day, he has decided that he is going to start cooking for us one night a week. Last Friday night, he made this: a Southwestern chowder from Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson. This book uses well-known, easy-to-find and cheap ingredients to make yummy dishes. I appreciate being reminded that vegan food can be quick, cheap and healthy. There is a sidebar "Splurge a Little" section that tells you ways you can kick the dish up a bit by adding a few things here or there. This one suggested adding diced avocado on top of the soup. You don't have to ask me twice to add avocado! Mmm. Overall, this was a really good, healthy dinner that I can see us making over and over again as a weeknight staple. And a special thanks to my Love for making us dinner!

Tiny.

2011-04-25T10:13:00.001-04:00

Meet my cousin's new baby girl. Such tiny little hands. She was just four days old here, which makes her the littlest human I've ever had the chance to hold. Holding a new life puts so much into perspective.

Delicious Dishes: Summer Squash Soup

2011-04-22T10:06:00.002-04:00

Every spring and summer, I have an obssessive love affair with zucchini. Last year I think Jesse was at the point where he was going to kill me if I brought even one more zucchini into the apartment. Since it's been awhile, the Summer Squash Soup was the first recipe that caught my eye when I got Heidi Swanson's beautiful and inspiring new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day.

The price of this book is worth it for this recipe alone. A delicious mix of ingredients that include yellow squash, zucchini, Thai red curry paste and coconut milk, it's topped with tofu croutons. Jesse proclaimed that it was one of the best soups I've ever made (and, since I am a soup fanatic, you can be sure that I've forced him to try a ton of them over the course of our relationship). Best of all, it came together in about a half hour, so it's a perfect weeknight dish.

Please support me!

2011-03-30T10:05:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, April 16th, I will join others from the Washington, DC area for the National 5k Walk to End Violence Against Women. Globally, up to six out of every ten women will experience physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime. This figure is too frightening to ignore.

I'm walking in memory of women like Jayna Murray. And Hena Akhter. And the countless women around the world who have been killed, harmed or suffer in silence on a daily basis.

I've set a modest fundraising goal that I would very much like to meet and then exceed. Please consider making a donation, no matter the size. You can do that my visiting my FirstGiving page. All donations are secure and the funds are sent directly to the US National Committee for UNIFEM.

If you are in the area, you can still sign up to join me and walk for this worthwhile cause! Register here.

Weekend!

2011-03-28T09:43:00.010-04:00

This past weekend my Mom and her boyfriend came down to visit my sister, Jesse and I. On Saturday, following a sangria-soaked lunch at Lauriol Plaza, we took a walk around the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. They were as beautiful as always but for some reason this year they are much more white than pink. Maybe it has to do with the weather? The credit for this pretty picture goes to my Mom:

Since it is just about peak season for the blossoms, it was extremely crowded down there. This picture doesn't really show the sardine-esque nature of most of the area.

More blossoms! This time I took the photo.

I made Jesse pose with the flowers so I could send the picture to his Mom.

On Saturday night we meandered around Old Town Alexandria. On Sunday we headed out to Eastern Market for some shopping and brunch at Ted's Bulletin. It's a super cute 50's style restaurant that has black and white movies playing and has a pastry chef in the window making old-fashioned pastries. Note: It is best to go in a group of two people. While the wait is horribly long no matter what (they don't take reservations, are extremely popular and the dining room is small), it's really bad for large groups since the majority of the tables are small booths. They told us when we put in our name to come back in 30 minutes. Our total wait time was two hours. Oy. It's a good thing it was worth it! This is their menu, which looks like an old newspaper:

My Mom and sister:

A homemade cherry-filled pop-tart! So worth the wait! They also make their own twinkies and snow-balls. For lunch, I had a grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Us girls:

What a great weekend!

Last Weekend...

2011-03-23T10:16:00.007-04:00

...I made a few dozen of these hamantaschen, in honor of Purim. This year I went with cherry preserves and apple pie filling. There are recipes for these all over the web but I have found that the recipe in A Treasury of Jewish Baking comes out perfect every single time. And now I've been sucking down green smoothies and eating veggie sushi non-stop. Time to do some Spring cleaning, in all aspects of life!

Revelry Review: Nothing to Envy

2011-03-21T15:59:00.004-04:00

I recently finished the book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. I picked this one up because #20 on my 30 Before 30 list was to read a book on each of the following places: China, North Korea, Iran and Africa (on all of it or on any specific country). I realized that even after having obtained a MA in International Affairs, I still had gaps in knowledge about certain parts of the world and I wanted to do something about it. I saw this book recommended in several places, so I knew this would be the one I read on North Korea.

Demick follows the lives of six North Korean defectors. She uses these stories to portray what life has been like in North Korea under a repressive regime. Starvation, black outs and fear of being sent to labor camps for any infraction permeate daily life. Propaganda in support of the regime knows no bounds. This review of the book gives a great summary. I particularly like the remark that Demick "does not tell, she shows." Most of the defectors ended up in South Korea (either directly or by way of China). The comparison between what modern day life is like in the two countries is heartbreaking.

I confess to having been largely ignorant of the situation in North Korea before reading this book, other than having read Somewhere Inside by Laura and Lisa Ling, which is what initially sparked my interest in learning more. Nothing to Envy was both intriguing and horrifying. I gasped out loud at certain sections. I highly recommend it since it is written in an easy to read and interesting manner but packs in a ton of information.

Delicious Dishes: Hamburger Buns

2011-03-17T14:33:00.004-04:00

Would you believe me if I told that I never ate a hamburger bun until recently? It's true. I've never eaten red meat and I don't like veggie burgers unless they look like vegetables (as opposed to fake meat) and I've made them myself so I know what is in them, so I've simply had no reason to eat hamburger buns in last 29 years. All that changed in the past week or so.

First, I made Analiese's "Best Ever Black Bean Burgers". I love cilantro and avocado, so I made the "zesty" variation. Burger, baby spinach, tomato, lots of avocado and salsa on a Whole Foods' whole wheat burger bun, Deeeeeelicious! And more than just nutritious and yummy, these burgers are also very filling. Here's a picture of our dinner (with some simple mashed sweet potatoes):

Since burger buns come in quite a large pack for just the two of us, I wanted to find another way to use the remaining ones. Inspired by a wrap that I had at Soul Vegetarian awhile back, I decided to try barbecue tofu. I love barbecue sauce and eat it pretty infrequently since I gave up chicken a few years back. So very easy! I pressed the tofu in my handy Tofu Express, brushed it with sauce and baked for about 40 minutes on a baking sheet. I flipped and basted one time at the 20 minute mark. I served them with baby spinach, tomato, and a ton of pickles. I added a little sauce to the tops of the buns so that they wouldn't be dry. This would be a terrific thing to add to our weeknight recipe routine--quick and easy! (Forgive me for the paper plate--our dishwasher is out of commission and we had some left from a Superbowl gathering we had!).

What are some vegetarian-friendly ways you use hamburger buns?

Delicious Dishes: Biscuits

2011-03-07T16:29:00.003-05:00

This weekend I was inspired by this post on the Orangette blog, so I tried my hand at biscuits for the first time. Light and fluffy. Warm and golden. Perfect! (Now I am on a mission to find a much more calorie-friendly but equally as delicious version.)

Delicious Dishes: 2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma

2011-03-02T16:50:00.002-05:00

I made the "2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma" from Appetite for Reduction last night. The more I cook from it (and the others written by her), I am convinced that there is nothing that Isa Chandra Moskowitz can't do, or at least nothing that she can't make taste AMAZING.

Coming in at just 180 calories a serving (without the rice I added), it is a keeper. It feels like comfort food. Rich, spicy and warm. And it comes together in about 30 minutes (less if you are a quick chopper) and makes enough to have a ton of leftovers. Next time I am going to try adding some dry pan-fried tofu, as Isa suggests on one of the sidebars. Yum!

30 Before 30 Update: Zumba

2011-02-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

One of the items on my 30 Before 30 list was to try out Zumba. It is offered at my gym and I've been wanting to give it a try for years now. Many of you are probably already familiar with it, but for those that aren't, I will just say that it is basically Latin dance aerobics, with high impact and fast-paced moves that are based on salsa, merengue, hip-hop, etc. You can watch a few videos of Zumba here and here .

Last Thursday I finally psyched myself up enough to give it a go. I'd like to thank my 30 Before 30 List (and my boyfriend) for convincing me to let go of the fear and do some of the things that I'd been putting off for ages. Turns out a lot of people LOVE Zumba. There was a line of people waiting to enter that winded halfway around the gym. The room was warm--very, very warm--and very crowded. The teacher entered and immediately began playing some reggaeton-type music. When she started dancing, it looked like the world's best hip-hop dancer fused with a Latin dancer and then put on fast forward. For the first half hour, I was mostly trying to keep up and not get run over by the people around me. Once I got the hang of it, it was a lot of fun!

Upsides of Zumba: It was quick and high impact, so I was definitely sweating and burning some calories. Unlike many other group classes, it was a lot of fun and didn't feel like I was in a workout class. The music really keeps you going. Some of the women in my class said that some songs have defined moves, so if you learn those, it will make future classes easier. If you are one of those people that likes to work out with mostly women, this may be the class for you. There wasn't a single guy in the class of 40-50 students. And lastly, you could probably use some of these moves out on the town.

A few downsides: It can be difficult to see what the teacher is doing. The dances move so fast that by the time I got one down, we were already on to the next one. The fact that it is high impact can be hard on your joints (my ankle, knee and back have been hurting since Thursday).

If you are thinking of trying Zumba: Wear supportive sneakers, take a water bottle and a towel, and stand where you can get a good view of the teacher's feet. Do not try to hang out in the back because you won't see the moves and won't get in a workout. Most importantly, be able to laugh at yourself. A lot.

Have you tried Zumba? What did you think of it?

A Mission for a Long Weekend

2011-02-22T10:22:00.007-05:00

Jesse and I drove up to New Jersey this weekend to visit family and friends. My Mom and I hosted a Pampered Chef party on Saturday. It was so much fun! It started at 3 pm and the last of my friends ended up leaving around 11. I am excited about all of the kitchen goodies I was able to order too.

On Sunday we ventured out to the bookstore to get a guide to San Francisco and the wine country areas of California. We are heading there for about five days in late May to play tourist and visit some friends. So far our wish list includes (need to do some editing!): winery tours and tastings, Tartine Bread, Gracias Madre, San Francisco Museum of Art, Chinatown, Girl and the Fig and Muir Woods. I'd love to add Milennium and/or Chez Panisse to that. If you have any suggestions of things to do, see or eat, please let me know.

On Sunday night, we decided to complete a mission. You see, for the past few months, Jesse and I have been obssessed with the Food Network show, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". Unfortunately, we can't eat about 85% of their picks since they contain meat, but we still make a note of the dishes they mention and their locations for anything that we can eat. A few weeks ago, the coconut cream pie from Ritz Seafood in Voorhees, New Jersey was raved about. Jesse asked if we could go the next time we were visiting my family, since they live about an hour away from Voorhees.

So we went. Here were are waiting for our delicious desserts. Jesse looks less than thrilled in this picture, but I assure you he was excited.

It turns out that the peanut butter banana cream pie was also featured on The Food Network. Since I don't care for coconut, I decided that this would be the dessert I would try. After all, it's famous! And for good reason. The peanut butter was baked into the crust and the whole thing was just spectacular. Even Jesse admitted that my dessert was the best. Don't worry--I shared mine. And it's back to green smoothies and healthy eats as of this morning.

And lastly, the reason we made this trek: the famous coconut cream pie. It was topped with toasted coconut and white chocolate shavings. Jesse loved it and said it was every bit as good as the show said.

If you go, you should know that it is located in a strip mall, you have to bring your own alcohol, the decor is a little "eh" and the tables are close together. However, the seafood is delicious, the servers know the food inside and out, and the desserts are amazing. You need to make a reservation (even for a Sunday night). It's totally worth it for the great eats.

What I've Been Reading Lately

2011-02-18T10:42:00.005-05:00

-Save Your Recipes Before It's Too Late, a moving essay by Monica Bhide in Bon Appetit about the importance of food, tradition and family.

-This Washington Post article on vegan eats in Philadelphia. Road trip, anyone?

-This NPR books review of An Exclusive Love by Johanna Adorjan, which is a poignant and beautifully written memoir about the author's grandparents, both Holocaust survivors, that committed suicide together in the early 90's. I was going to write a review of it here, but I think the review captures it perfectly. It's a very small book that packs a big punch.

-A review by Kathy Freston on Crazy Sexy Life of one of the most important books I've read, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I especially love the last paragraph of the review. I've said it before, but if you haven't read this one, you must.

30 Before 30 Update: Facial

2011-02-17T10:01:00.003-05:00

It took me about a month to compile my 30 Before 30 list. I simply couldn't decide what would make this year particularly stellar AND was actually doable. However, "get a facial" was the first thing I added because it had been on my to-do list for quite some time. When my sister surprised me with one on my birthday, it seemed meant to be.

I had a 60 minute facial at the Aveda Institute here in Washington, DC. Full disclosure: my sister works for Aveda. And I love their products. However, I will still give you my honest opinion of the experience, starting with this: If you go, keep in mind that this is a school and the person doing your facial is a student. This is what makes it very cost-effective. If you go in expecting the same type of experience that you would get at a high-end spa, you will be disappointed. So go in with an open mind, relax and be grateful for all of the money you are saving!

You enter through the retail space, which is both good and bad: it provides a less spa-like experience but is a good opportunity to eye all the products and make a wishlist for later! I was taken upstairs to the waiting room for the treatment area. You could smell the Aveda products in the air! I filled out a form about my skin, allergies, spa experience history and what I wanted to get out of my treatment.

My esthetician brought me back to a curtained-off area where she would be doing my facial. She had me change and then came in with three different essential oils that she had picked based on the form I filled out: vanilla, peppermint and tangerine. She hit the nail on the head since I am allergic to a ton of flowers. I loved them all, but I went with peppermint. She spent the next hour massaging my upper body and feet, and giving me several face mask treatments, steam, extractions, etc. She ended by giving me a short back massage. Everything had a hint of the yummy peppermint-y smell. At each stage, she explained exactly what she was doing and described each product that she was putting on my face. She was so fantastic that there is no way I would have known that she was a student. I was totally relaxed and my skin felt amazing. The only downside is that because there are not actual rooms and only curtains, I could hear conversations going on in the other rooms and in the hallway. At the end, she brought me water, her teacher checked in on my experience and she took me down to the retail space to show me what she used on my face, while repeatedly telling me that purchasing the products was optional. I appreciated that a lot, even if I did buy a whole bunch of them!

If you go: the Washington, DC Aveda Institute is located at 713 7th St, NW in Chinatown. Their number is (202) 824-1624. A 60 minute facial is $50.

My 29th Birthday in Pictures

2011-02-14T07:59:00.001-05:00

Beautiful purple orchids that Jesse sent to my office.

My party planning committee: My sister, Allie, and Jesse. Allie arranged for me to have a facial before dinner at Aveda.

Dinner at Co Co. Sala: artichoke tart, guava enchilada.

And the portobello mushroom risotto.

Jesse attached a tag to my owl-themed apron that said, "Hoo's My Favorite Birthday Girl?". I love my adorable dorky boyfriend.

Allie's dessert: sticky toffee pudding cake and ginger coconut ice cream.

Jesse's raspberry and white chocolate dessert.

My birthday dessert: S'more Co Co, which was chocolate creme brulee topped with marshmallows and graham crackers, a small brownie and a chocolate shooter. Delish! Perfect way to end the night! Now it's back to the diet.

30 Before 30

2011-02-10T09:27:00.001-05:00

It's official--only 365 days until I turn the big 3-0! For now, turning 29 today is shocking enough. I figure the only way to gracefully hit 30 is to accomplish some things, big and small, along the way. And so I give you.....

My 30 Before 30 List

1. Try out art journaling

2. Get a facial (I've only ever had one in my life!)

3. Take a Zumba class

4. Meditate for 30 days in a row and blog about the experience

5. Visit Annapolis, MD. I live so close and I've never been.

6. Learn to cook food from a different culture

7. Adopt an animal from either Poplar Springs or Farm Sanctuary. Maybe go visit my adoptee!

8. Travel to a state I've never visited before

9. Travel to a country I've never visited before

10. Go to a Phillies home game at Citizens Bank Park

11. Bake a pie from scratch

12. Take a tour of the US Capitol Building (lived here 11 years and never officially toured it!)

13. Go camping

14. Learn about different types of sea vegetables

15. Volunteer my time for a great cause

16. Bake whoopie pies from scratch

17. Pay off one of my credit cards

18. Create 1, 3 and 5 year goals (personal, professional and financial)

19. Get a full astrology reading

20. Read one book on each of the following places: China, Africa, North Korea, Iran

21. Tour a winery

22. Work up to being able to run a 5k.

23. Get to know Washington, DC better. I spend 95% of my time in Northern VA, Foggy Bottom, Farragut West and DuPont Circle. So much more to explore!

24. Perform a random act of kindness.

25. Go on a picnic.

26. Learn to read a crochet pattern.

27. Lose 50 pounds.

28. Host a New Year's Day brunch (I'd like to make this a tradition!)

29. Go apple picking

30. Spend my 30th birthday somewhere fabulous surrounded by the people I love!

Healthier Junk Food

2011-02-08T09:27:00.003-05:00

We had a few friends over this past weekend for a very small Superbowl get-together. I made the nachos that Jesse requested, a not-too-delicious white bean and roasted red pepper dip (must try to work on this recipe), some pizzas we picked up from the Homemade Pizza Company and, my favorite, the "OMG Onion Rings" from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction. I'm sure that by now you are very sick of me writing about this cookbook, but I had to tell you all about this recipe. Since I got the book, the picture of her onion rings has been calling to me. I needed to try them!

They take a bit of work to get set up. And if you aren't careful, they can be a little messy to put together. But they are SO good that it doesn't matter at all. I even put them together about two hours before I needed to bake them and stuck them in the fridge until it was time to eat.

Here are the onion rings just prior to going into the oven:

And here they are after coming out of the oven. They were really crispy and even better than fried!

I love, love, love this cookbook!

January Goal Recap and February Intentions

2011-02-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

My goals for January were:

-Finish Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. DONE! I thought it was good but not as good as The Corrections. I felt like it could've been edited down a lot. And I should've bought this on my Kindle because it was a pain to lug a book this giant around on the metro. Lesson learned.

-Lose 5 lbs. DONE! In fact, I lost 10.

-Pick an international travel destination for my anywhere-in-the-world tickets. PARTIALLY COMPLETED. We want to go to South Africa, but we need to take some time this upcoming weekend to check out prices, dates, etc. to see if it is feasible. If not, we'll try a different location.

-Get back into a regular yoga/gym routine. IN PROGRESS. I went to the gym with Jesse on Friday night (aren't we so wild and crazy??) and to yoga on Sunday. A massive head cold really got in the way of developing a routine this month, but now I am motivated and ready to keep going.

February Intentions

-Lose 5 more pounds.

-Continue a regular gym/yoga routine.

-Celebrate my birthday (February 10th!) and Valentine's Day with wild abandon!

-Plan out a trip to California and a big one to South Africa (or some other exciting locale!).

-Begin a meditation practice.

Delicious Dishes: Weekend Edition

2011-01-31T08:50:00.001-05:00

Last week, while wandering Borders after the Kris Carr event, I picked up Dr. Neal Barnard's Get Healthy, Go Vegan cookbook. I love Dr. Barnard's work. The recipes looked great, had all of the nutritional information and, since I am trying very hard to limit the amount of sugar, oil, etc. that I am eating, seemed like a great one to add to my collection. This cookbook also has several breakfast recipes, which was great since I typically eat Puffins cereal with almond milk for breakfast and had been looking for some new ideas.

The first recipe I tried was the Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal. I love oatmeal and I love pumpkin, so how could this one go wrong? It also has a bunch of spices, raisins and dried cranberries. The recipe made a TON, so even after feeding Jesse and myself there were still leftovers. It wasn't as sweet as I am used to having my oatmeal (again....I need to step away from the sugar!) but it was still good.

Then for dinner on Sunday I decided it was time to break in my new Zojirushi rice cooker. This time it was to make brown jasmine rice, but I have big plans for this new toy. My rice cooker cookbook says I can make oatmeal, risotto, cake, beans, etc. in this thing!

I used my brown jasmine rice in the Butternut Coconut Rice recipe from Appetite for Reduction. Rice, butternut squash, coconut milk, etc. SO GOOD! It was almost the consistency of a risotto (with a fraction of the calories). If you try this one, don't be tempted to skip out on the lime zest like I almost was. It makes the whole dish.

Oh collard greens, I love you so. I don't make these nearly enough. Particularly these Pineapple Collards. They came out perfect--light, still a bit chewy and beautifully green with some spice and pineapple pieces.

To go with my rice and greens, I also made some Broiled Blackened Tofu. Mmmm. It would've been fantastic with just about any side dishes, but I made the ones that the author herself recommended for a complete meal. The combination of the three was just perfect! I can't recommend this cookbook enough!

Things I'm Loving Right Now

2011-01-28T11:46:00.005-05:00

1. This blog post from Dani Shapiro (the author of the fantastic book Devotion) on the writing life. Very important reminders and words of wisdom.

2. This tea, and this tea and this one too.

3. A pretty nail polish color with a cozy name.

4. Snow days! So nice to be able to spend the day in warm lounge clothes, snuggled up with a good book and some good movies.

5. This article on how meditation can change your brain structure in just eight weeks. Just one more reason to make a regular meditation practice part of your 2011 intentions.

Delicious Dishes for Snow

2011-01-27T10:28:00.005-05:00

Yesterday my office closed early due to the giant snowstorm we got here in the DC area. I came home and immediately thought about how delicious some lentil soup would be. I made a giant pot of this red lentil soup, which is easily one of the best I've ever had (and so easy to make!)

Doesn't it just look so perfect for a freezing cold night?

After dinner I got the urge to bake. I looked at what ingredients I had handy and began searching online. I decided to go with this recipe from Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen for Banana-Maple Oatmeal cookies. They turned out pretty well--not too sweet and very chewy. Plus the recipe only made a little over a dozen cookies, which is more than enough for this household. And I only ate one! Must be good if I want to reach my get healthy goals.

Today both Jesse and I are home from work due to a snow day. I can't wait to cook some more and curl up on the couch and read to my heart's content. Hope you are warm and safe, wherever this Thursday may find you!

Revelry Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

2011-01-25T09:22:00.001-05:00

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I'm always stunned when I learn about a piece of history that seems much more like fiction. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is just such a case. With each page, I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief.

In the 1950's, Henrietta Lacks, a young African-American mother of five, is diagnosed with a cervical tumor at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her doctor removes some of her cancerous cells without her knowledge. Henrietta eventually passes away from her disease, but her cells live on. HeLa cells, as they are known, multiplied and multiplied...becoming the first human cells to do so in a laboratory. Since that time, HeLa cells have been used in experiments that have led to some of the greatest scientific innovations in the past century.

Skloot weaves together this story with the story of Lacks' husband and children in modern-day Baltimore. How is it that the children of the woman who made one of the most important contributions to science can't afford their own health insurance? She examines what has become of Henrietta's descendants and the impact that the knowledge of what happened to their mother's cells has had on them.

Skloot raises important questions about poverty, science, research and medical ethics in a book that reads more like a novel than reality. It is fascinating, deeply troubling and essential reading about medical issues that are still important today.

Weekend!

2011-01-24T08:51:00.002-05:00

I had one of the best weekends in recent memory, so I couldn't wait to tell you all about it!

On Friday we received our first delivery from Washington Green Grocer! They deliver fresh fruits and veggies (and things like bread, dairy, etc.) right to your door. You can sign up for delivery every week automatically or just when you tell them. It was so nice to have fresh produce just in time for the weekend. They have amazing customer service and if you live in the DC area, I highly recommend you give them a try!

Then on Friday night, we went to see the Washington Wizards play the Phoenix Suns. I've lived in the area for almost ten years and played basketball for most of my childhood, but I had just never gotten tickets and gone to a game. Now that Jesse lives here, we decided to do it. John McCain was there too. It was a lot of fun!

On Saturday night, Jesse and I had a much-needed date night. We had a delicious Restaurant Week dinner at Masa 14, which serves Asian-Latin fusion small plates. There are no pictures because it was very dark inside the restaurant, but it was some of the best food I've ever had! I'm also now obsessed with tamarind margaritas. After that we walked around Georgetown and I replenished my supply of Lush bath bombs and bubble bars with some old favorites, like Butterball and Creamy Candy, and got some new ones to try like Mrs. Whippy and Magic Mushroom. We finished the night by seeing "The King's Speech", was which fantastic!

On Sunday, I got news that I won a raffle that I had entered the night before when we were at Lush! I won a giant bottle of "It's Raining Men" shower gel and a Hottie massage bar. We picked those up and got some groceries. Then we headed out to a Borders in Northern Virginia for Kris Carr's talk and book signing for her new book, "Crazy Sexy Diet".

Kris was every bit as amazing in person as I thought she might be. My top take-aways from her talk? First, even though the saying is that you have nothing without your health, it should really be that you have nothing without your happiness. That should be the number one focus. If you really want to make a lasting change, you have to change your mindset (your "stinkin' thinkin'", in her words). Create new neural pathways with positive thinking that won't cause stress (because stress causes inflammation!). Her book is basically an anti-inflammation diet that is big on getting oxygen and nutrients to your cells because diseases like cancer thrive where there is no oxygen.

She also talked about creating a health revolution from the bottom up, which is definitely something I can get behind. She said it doesn't matter if you just dip a toe in the pool or throw on your bikini and dive in, but you should do something! During the question and answer session, she mentioned that both green smoothies and juicing are equally good for different reasons, and that you should do whatever one you like best so that you get your greens in. A woman in the audience said she felt selfish because she was spending a lot of money on organic produce and other health items that her kids and husband didn't even really like. Kris was quick to point out that she was investing in their future and the money was better spent on the prevention side in the refrigerator than in the medicine cabinet. She said that the woman's journey was one of the most selfless things she could do, which I agree with and need to remember when things seem tough. You can go to my.crazysexylife.com and sign up for free to do the 21-day adventure cleanse with fellow Crazy Sexy Dieters and get advice and support.

After the talk she signed my book and was gracious enough to even take a picture with me! Here's me and my health inspiration:

Delicious Dishes: Appetite for Reduction

2011-01-19T10:42:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend I decided it was time to give Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz a try. The cookbook has 125 recipes for dishes that are all under 400 calories per serving. I've been reading positive things about it in many blogs and on the Weight Watchers' vegetarian message board. Plus, I've never tried a recipe of hers that I didn't like!

I made the Red Thai tofu, Bhutanese Pineapple Rice and the Green Beans with Thai Basil. All three dishes used similar ingredients and came together within an hour. Each one was very good, but the Bhutanese Pineapple Rice was absolutely stellar. I could have eaten just this one dish as my meal.

There are many other recipes in this cookbook that look delicious. I can't wait to try ones such as the warm mushroom salad with cranberries, the OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings and the Caribbean Curried Black Eyed Peas with Plaintains. Once again, I've been reminded that anything Isa cooks up will be worth trying. I already can't wait for her next book!

Given my intention this year to get healthy, I very much appreciate that each recipe in this book contains all of the nutritional information. Lately I've been gravitating towards the cookbooks that do have this, such as Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook, Color Me Vegan and Cooking Light: Way to Cook Vegetarian. I wish that more cookbooks provided this vital information.

Revelry Review: Will Write for Food

2011-01-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

The first book I finished this year (and couldn't wait to tell you all about!) is Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir and More by Dianne Jacob.

A bible for all things food-writing, I highly recommend this for anyone that has any interest in the area at all. Written in a tone that seems like you are having a conversation with a friend, this is a must-read that you won't want to put down. Chapters include information on writing a food blog, developing a cookbook, the art of memoir, fiction that includes food, freelancing, writing restaurant reviews and getting published.

Jacob not only provides a wealth of information for the aspiring writer, she also includes writing exercises and book suggestions at the end of each chapter. Additionally, she interviewed many well-known foodies for the book and the advice and stories of people like Anthony Bourdain, Ree Drummond, Ruth Reichl, Julia Child, MFK Fisher, David Lebovitz, Molly Wizenberg and more appear scattered throughout the book. There isn't a single question I could think of that isn't addressed somewhere in the book.

One word of warning: reading this book will make you want to quit your job so that you can divide your time between creating in the kitchen and writing up a storm on the computer!

January Goals

2011-01-12T08:47:00.000-05:00

My goals for what remains of January:

-Finish Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. It's a whopper of a book and I'd really like to find something more metro-riding-friendly to read once I'm done with this one.

-Lose 5 lbs. Seems simple enough.

-Pick an international travel destination. As I mentioned yesterday, I won two tickets to anywhere in the world. We've tossed around some ideas (Greek Islands getaway? South African safari?), but we need to settle on one and book it.

-Get back into a regular gym/yoga routine. This will mainly depend on how my back feels, but I am looking forward to scheduling in some exercise.

A Fresh Start.

2011-01-11T11:25:00.006-05:00

Let's not talk about how I fell so far behind on Reverb 10 that I gave up trying to get my posts written (though the prompts are in my journal!). Or how I failed at the new start I wanted to make here back in October. It's 1-11-11. The perfect day to breathe some life back into this blog and begin anew.

What have I been up to, you might be wondering? The holidays, parties, nearly a month with my family in New Jersey, a horrible cold and a snowstorm later, it is back to the real world. To be honest, as much as I love December, I like real life better. I like getting my fruits and veggies, 8 hours of sleep a night and taking my vitamin. I like having a schedule and sticking to it. Another reason that I am glad to be back? I'm SO excited for all that 2011 will bring!

Here are my 2011 intentions:

-Get healthy/Practice Self-Care: Jesse and I joined the gym together, which will give me even more motivation to go. I'm 90% sure that I am going to end up getting a Vitamix, making green smoothies a whole lot easier. I'm giving the new PointsPlus program at Weight Watchers a go. I'm commiting to taking my supplements. Cooking healthy meals. Getting back into having yoga be a regular part of my week. Eating mostly vegan. Taking long hot baths. Trying to develop a meditation practice.

-Travel: Through a perk at my job, I won two airline tickets anywhere in the world that have to be used within the next year. Jesse and I have had some fun throwing around ideas, but I welcome any new suggestions! We also both have tickets to use on Southwest by August. We are thinking a trip to California needs to happen. This year we will also be headed to North Carolina to celebrate his friends' wedding and to Maine for some rest and relaxation (as well as Thanksgiving). Jesse also got a car in late October, which makes day trips and spontaneous weekend getaways a lot more feasible.

-Write: Journal regularly, write here on the blog and read lots more about getting a book published

-Work: Figure out my passion. Plan for next steps and where I see myself in 3, 5 and 10 years.

-Cook: Bake bread, macaroons and whoopie pies. Experiment with new grains. Use a whole lot more tofu. Figure out exactly how to use miso and then do it!

What are some of your 2011 intentions? How are you feeling as we slip into this new year?

Reverb 10: Day 6

2010-12-06T20:59:00.003-05:00

Today's prompt for Reverb 10 was: What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

A few weeks ago I made the yummy mini-cupcakes that you see above (from Oh She Glows). They are amazingly delicious. In fact, it was the second time in just a few weeks that I had made a batch. I highly recommend that you give them a try since anything that involves chocolate cinnamon cake, spiced buttercream icing and candied walnuts is bound to be good! That same week I also made a veggie chili from scratch so that Jesse would have some food to take for lunch.

There are so many things I want to make! For starters, I'd love to make an apple pie from scratch and crochet a blanket. These are my next two projects and since my last day of work for the year is this coming Friday, I think I just might be able to clear some time to make these two!

Reverb Catch-Up: Days 4 and 5

2010-12-06T16:14:00.003-05:00

The prompt for day 4 of Reverb 10 was: How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

The honest answer is that I didn't do this enough, so I wanted to make a list of the small moments with the hope that 2011 will contain many more of them. Whenever I observe Shabbat, I feel a sense of wonder. There's nothing like lighting shabbat candles and having a meal with those you love. I wonder at how time seems to stop and relaxation sets in. The noise of day-to-day life seems quieter and I appreciate life so much more during this day.

I also feel a sense of wonder when traveling. Meeting new people, seeing new sights and experiencing new things broadens both my sense of self and my sense of connection to everything else in the world.

Lastly, I feel a sense of wonder when surrounded by close family or friends. This past weekend Jesse and I attended the wedding of someone that I have known since I was four years old. It was incredible. Over Thanksgiving, we spent time with his extended family and it was perfect. I wonder over how on earth I got to this amazing place in my life.

The prompt for day 5 of Reverb 10 was: What (or whom) did you let go of this year?

I let go of some of my basic requirements for self-care. With work, grad school, a long-distance boyfriend (till May) and settling into living with Jesse, I haven't made myself as much of a priority as I would like. I need more sleep, a LOT more yoga, more sweating, more veggies, more meditation and more writing. I am heading in that direction and I can't wait to for 2011 to safeguard these practices so that I can be a better me.

Reverb 10: Day 3

2010-12-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

The prompt for today for Reverb 10 is: Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (textures, smells, voices, noises, colors).

I would have to say I felt most alive during my graduate school graduation ceremony. The ceremony itself was hot, especially under the weight of our dark blue gowns combined with the bright lights shining on us. It was also boring, since they let everyone and their mother add their two cents in about what it means to graduate and "head out into the real world". The sound system was squeaky and I was nearly blinded as everyone's family members snapped picture after picture. By all accounts, I probably should have hated it.

However, I remember having the sudden realization that I was done. And it was like a giant weight was lifted off of my shoulders. For the first time since I was 15 years old, I would now only have one full-time job instead of either two jobs or a full-time job and school. It nearly brought tears to my eyes to think that I would now be able to experience free time for the first time in 13 years (though I am still working at being able to just relax). I could read whatever books I wanted instead of those that were assigned. I could come home from work, cook dinner and watch television if I wanted to. I could sleep in on weekends and even take vacations. And after three years of class, I now had earned a master's degree.

It was an incredible feeling.

Reverb 10: Day 2

2010-12-02T13:41:00.003-05:00

The prompt for day two of Reverb 10 is: What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing--and how can you eliminate it?

I loved this prompt because the truthful answer came to the surface immediately: me. I get in my own way. I am the problem.

I don't make the time to write, which is often the case of so many people who want to be published authors. I have to make writing a priority or I will never advance in it. Unfortunately, when other obligations and procrastinations pop up, this is often one of the first things to go. Could I live my life without spending time watching competing chefs, the Kardashian sisters and a high school singing group on tv? Sure. I could also stop surfing the web for books and clothes I don't need at night. And get more sleep so that I am not too tired when I get home from work to do a little writing before bed. So I need to just do it.

One of my goals in 2011 is to eliminate the noise, clutter and distraction so that I can set aside dedicated time to write. If I make a date with myself and block off the time in my calendar, it will happen. A good first start is getting back into daily journal writing. So thanks, Prompt #2, for giving me goal #1 for this coming year.

Reverb 10: Day 1

2010-12-01T09:52:00.007-05:00

I've very much wanted to get back into blogging on a regular basis, so with that in mind, I decided to participate in Reverb 10. The purpose of Reverb 10, in the creators' words, is "to reflect on your year and manifest what's next." Each day in December, a prompt with be posted and I will respond to it here. If you would like to participate, you can sign up here.

The prompt for today, December 1st, is:

One word. Encapsulate the year in one word. Explain why you are choosing that word. Now, imagine it is one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

The first word that came to mind for 2010 was completion. I completed my master's degree--after three years!-- in May. Jesse and I completed the long-distance portion of our relationship (hopefully forever!) when he moved down to DC in the spring. We moved in together and completed making a home together. I feel more settled and calm. While I know it is a never-ending process, in so many ways, I feel much more complete than I did at this time last year. It's a great feeling.

The word that resonates most for me for 2011 is movement. Both the literal and figurative kind. I'd like to find physical activity that I like and want to do often. I want to get back into a regular yoga practice. I need to move forward on figuring out what I want to do professionally, or at least the next couple of career steps. I want to learn to value micromovements , as well as the slow, gentle, be-good-to-your-body-and-soul-type movements, in all areas of my life and see the beauty in them instead of simply obssessing over the large ones that may produce quicker or more visible results.

Revelry Review: Great House

2010-11-05T09:25:00.005-04:00

This was one of those novels that is so good, you need to wait some time before telling others about it. It requires a bit of internal processing before you can verbalize that way that it affected you. It is one of very few books that I ever wanted to go back and read more than once, if only to revisit the way the beautiful prose made you feel. This is a novel that I wish I had written myself, especially since I have always been interested in its main themes. I highly recommend that you read Great House by Nicole Krauss.

Not wanting to give anything away, I will say that Great House is a novel made up of several people's stories, all of which revolve around a single desk. The stories intertwine as the reader is carried along a journey through many years, many countries and many lives. It explores themes of loss and memory, as well as people's relationships with each other, with history and with time.

The prose is so beautiful that at times I found myself reading and rereading lines, each time having them take my breath away. One quote I liked in particular was, "We search for patterns, you see, only to find where the patterns break. And it's there, in that fissure, that we pitch our tents and wait." She also writes that the characters "bend...around the shape of what they lost, and let everything mirror its absent form."

Unlike The History of Love, which is another of Krauss' fantastic works, this novel is a not as optimistic and rather quietly reveals the tragic melancholy, longing and loneliness that each of its characters has lived. You can read reviews of Great House here from NPR or here from the New York Times. It is no wonder why the New Yorker named Krauss one of its "20 Under 40" writers to watch this past summer.

On being a healthy foodie.

2010-11-04T10:29:00.003-04:00

I love to cook. Love it. I find it meditative and relaxing. There is nothing I love more than making sure my boyfriend (and friends, family, etc.) is well fed. I also like the challenge of finding a new recipe and creating a great meal or dessert from scratch. There are so many dishes that I still want to learn how to make, from spinach empanadas to homemade pies. I think these are great skills to have. However, I hate having delicious sugary desserts or an overload of calorie-heavy meals in my apartment because I will eat them.

Luckily, my boyfriend also likes to eat lots of veggies and healthy meals, so that helps. I may start trying my hand at things like homemade granola bars or veggie-filled stews instead. I think my problem is that it makes me grumpy that I can't cook, bake and eat like a "normal" person. Portion control is not something that comes naturally to me.

How do you balance being someone that loves to cook and bake with someone that wants and needs to get healthier and lose weight? Has anyone else experienced these same feelings? Does anyone have any good healthy vegetarian recipes or resources they can share?

{Photo credit: Lara604}

Back.

2010-10-17T19:08:00.002-04:00

Other than a few book reviews and some delicious dishes, I have been mostly absent from this blog for a few months now. The reason is that in August, I somehow managed to injure my back. I have three degenerative discs and one that is bulging. I've been completely out of commission since then, unable to even do so much as go for a long walk. I've been depressed and eating badly as a result.

So, after three months of this, I decided that when so much is out of my control, I need to take back control of what I can. I've started Weight Watchers again, this time with a focus on portion control and eating good, whole foods (rather than the obsessive, crazy points counting I did the first time). I lost 3.8 pounds in the first week! Once I get back from New Jersey this weekend, I am going to try yoga (even if I have to lay in child's pose for an hour) and get back to working out little by little.

There will still be book reviews here and a lot of yummy food, but I am hoping to get back to my original intent for this space: a place to discuss all aspects of a well-lived life, beginning first and foremost with self-care.

Weekend Eats

2010-10-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

Channa masala, brown rice, green beans and whole wheat naan. I got the recipe from Eat, Live, Run. It was spicy and delicious!

Then, to celebrate my favorite month of October AND a three- day weekend, I tried my hand at these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They are light and cake-like with a subtle hint of pumpkin and spice. Perfect!

Revelry Review: The Weight of Heaven

2010-09-30T11:02:00.004-04:00

South Asian Author Challenge: Book 4/5

When I first read the synopsis of The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar, I have to admit I wasn't all that excited. I had heard she writes beautiful fiction about Indians and Indian culture, but a book about two Americans who go to live in India? I was skeptical at best.

Turns out Umrigar can do it all. The story opens after Frank amd Ellie's young son has passed away. Their fragile state and complex emotions have been slowly eating away at their marriage. Then Frank accepts a job offer to go run an American company in rural India and they both see this as a chance to start over. While Ellie falls in love with the country and the locals, Frank's job continues to provide obstacles and frustration as the workers complain about low wages and the townspeople become enraged that the company is taking their trees for its own profit. Frank spends his free time with the son of their housekeepers, Ramesh, who fills the hole that the loss of their son left. However, it isn't long before Ramesh's own parents are unhappy that Frank and Ellie are treating him like their own child.

The plot has several twists and turns (with a final sucker punch of an ending). The reader is led into a world that is driven by misunderstandings, both cultural and personal. Overall, this is a beautiful novel with complex and dynamic characters who will linger in your mind long after you've read the last page. I can't wait to get my hands on Umrigar's other works.

Revelry Review: Room

2010-09-20T09:08:00.005-04:00

When you are a book addict like me, it is not often that you come across something completely unlike anything else you've ever read. Room by Emma Donoghue is such a book.

I've seen many reviews of this book. Not only has it appeared in the fall book preview section of nearly every magazine I read, it has also been written up in the New York Times and The Washington Post, not to mention just about every other national paper. Donoghue herself has been interviewed all over the web, including here and here. Needless to say, the hype surrounding this book left me a little wary. Could it really live up to the expectations I had?

Yes, yes it could.

This is the story of "Ma" and her son, Jack. They are both being held hostage by their captor in a small room. In fact, Jack, who celebrates his 5th birthday in the beginning of the novel and whose voice is used to tell this story, was born there and considers it his home. With a small skylight as their only window to the area that Jack simply calls "Outside", they have created their own world inside "Room". Jack sleeps in "Wardrobe" at night, in case a man known only as Old Nick comes. His Ma goes to great pain to give Jack what she can given her circumstances, but little by little the reader is exposed to just how small their world really is. Without giving much away, their lives suddenly expand beyond the confines of "Room" and they are forced to leave familiarity behind and deal with "Outside" head on.

I admit it took me awhile (at least 40 pages) to adjust to reading a book that is narrated by a five year old who has only ever interacted with his mother in a tiny room. In fact, I nearly stopped reading. However, Jack's voice is this novel's genius. Even given that this sort of crime has appeared more and more in the news in recent years, I had never even considered many of the psychological and child development issues of people who have experienced what Jack and Ma have. The mental scars of their experience linger long after they have become physically free.

Audrey Niffeneger, the author of The Time Traveler's Wife, said, "Emma Donoghue's writing is superb alchemy, changing innocence to horror and horror into innocence. Room is a book to read in one sitting. When it's over you look up: the world looks the same but you are somehow different and that feeling lingers for days." I couldn't agree more.

Fall Book Preview

2010-09-14T09:24:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite things about fall is that the book industry seems to pump out all of its big, juicy reads just in time for purchasing for the holidays (or, in my case, pre-ordering every last one of them!) Here is a preview of some of the books coming out between now and December that I am oh-so-very-much looking forward to:

Room by Emma Donoghue. This one actually comes out today and yes, it has already been delivered to my Kindle. This novel was seemingly inspired by the Josef Fritzl case, where he kept his daughter locked up in their home. A summary of the Amazon.com review: Jack, a 5 year old boy, has lived his entire life in a single room with his mother, visited only a nighttime by a man known as Old Nick. It is the only world he has known, but it is a prison for his mother. When their world suddenly becomes larger than the four walls they are used to, the consequences are "piercing and extraordinary".

I am very excited not only for this one to be released (October 12th) because also I will be hearing Nicole Krauss talk about her new novel, The Great House, at 6th and I Synagogue on October 18th. I adored The History of Love so I have been anxiously awaiting her next book. From the Amazon.com review: "The novel consists of four stories divided among eight chapters,
all touching on themes of loss and recovery, and anchored to a massive writing desk that resurfaces among numerous households, much to the bewilderment and existential tension of those in its orbit, among them a lovely American novelist clinging to the memory of a poet who has mysteriously vanished in Chile, an old man in Israel facing the imminent death of his wife of 51 tears and an esteemed antiques dealer tracking down the things stolen from his father by the Nazis."

David Sedaris writing animal-themed stories. Need I say more? Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary is due out on September 28th.

The Poets Laureate Anthology is the first anthology to gather the works of all 43 poets laureate. I will be attending a reading from this book that will include Billy Collins and Kay Ryan on October 6th. The English major dork in me has been overjoyed since I first heard about this book and the event!

You didn't think I would forget to include some cookbooks, did you?? Baked Explorations, the sister cookbook to Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito's first cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, is headed to a bookstore near you on October. Both cookbooks provide new takes on classic desserts. I loved the first one-what's not to love about a root beer bundt cake and black forrest cookies??--so I am hoping that this one will prove to be equally as delicious.

Appetite for Reduction: 100 Fast and Filling Lowfat Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz is due out in early December. Every recipe she writes has turned out to be utterly delicious, so my kitchen and I are awaiting this one's release.

I love Colleen. I love her podcasts. I love her outlook. I hope I also love her new cookbook, Color Me Vegan, which is also due out in December.

DC Vegfest 2010

2010-09-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

Jesse and I headed over to DC Vegfest this weekend, which was held at our alma mater, George Washington University. It was a lot of fun last year, so we looked forward to experiencing it again. I managed to score one of the last tote bags they had filled with some trials of veggie-friendly food and other products. Then we immediately got in line to get ourselves some of what Vegan Treats brought to the event. I got a peanut butter bomb and Jesse got a berry cheesecake. Take a look at these babies:

We had a delicious lunch of Ethiopian food from Dama Ethiopian Restaurant. Then we found a spot in the shade to see Chef Tal Ronnen's cooking demonstration.

After lunch I got coconut water to drink. Check out the coconut man machete-ing my coconut!

Mmmm, coconut water.

We got some new cookbooks and Jesse got a shirt that says, "Eat Like You Give a Damn". Amen. What a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

2010-09-10T09:33:00.000-04:00

Falafel "burgers" with a cucumber yogurt sauce from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger. SO good! This is a smaller sized cookbook but, based on this recipe, I think I am going to give every single recipe a try!

L'shanah tovah!

2010-09-09T15:31:00.002-04:00

Delicious Dishes: Pesto Bread

2010-08-31T08:13:00.000-04:00

You MUST make this pesto bread! Here is why:

1. It's super easy, requiring only a mixing of ingredients, 8 minutes of kneading, 2 hours of rising and some spreading of pesto and parmesan.

2. It's beautiful. By rolling it up like a jelly roll, slicing it down the middle and braiding it, it comes out looking like a professional made it. The recipe even has a full page of pictures of a how-to.

3. It's delicious. It's like garlic bread's grown-up, sophisticated cousin. I could eat this every day and not tire of it.

Revelry Review: Cutting for Stone

2010-08-30T07:24:00.000-04:00

South Asian Author Challenge, Book 3/5: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Sister Mary Joseph Praise is traveling from her homeland in India to Ethiopia when she meets Dr. Thomas Stone. They end up working in the same hospital for several years. One day, when she doesn't show up for work, her colleagues find that she has been concealing the fact that she is pregnant with twins.

One of the twins, Marion, narrates the novel. The first half tells the story of Sister Mary Joseph Praise and the second half picks up with what happens to the boys after their birth during a time of a coup in Ethiopia, living with adoptive parents and Marion's decision to move to the United States. This sweeping novel touches on just about every topic one could imagine: birth, death, love, rules, politics, medicine, family, responsibility, etc. The characters are some of the best developed that I have ever encountered. I wish, however, that there had been slightly less medical jargon/scenes (the author is a MD in real life), because I started to get caught up in trying to understand it and, in the process, got diverted from the pace and beauty of the novel's prose.

At nearly 700 pages, it is a long novel and a big time commitment. However, it is one that is worthy of the dedication to finishing it.

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