tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39572095804780098342024-02-08T04:16:24.822-08:00fresh young coconutNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-77464550943708089012012-08-11T15:10:00.001-07:002012-08-11T15:10:04.485-07:00Eat To The Beet, Book Reviews, Green Drinks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi there. Hope you're having a terrific summer full of tasty healthy plant foods. I know I am! Have you had a chance to stop by my new blog yet? <a href="http://www.eattothebeet.com/">Eat To The Beet</a> is my new hang-out and my latest post includes book reviews, info about improving digestion, and a green juice and savory green smoothie. Swing by and say hello :)<br />
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<br />Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-57430125192437679132012-07-27T14:49:00.003-07:002012-07-27T14:49:42.223-07:00Healthy Vegan Fridays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NVz6gHnM3Ng/UBMMSYU9PGI/AAAAAAAACo0/2cf7BBiY9Fw/s1600/HVFButtonFont52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NVz6gHnM3Ng/UBMMSYU9PGI/AAAAAAAACo0/2cf7BBiY9Fw/s320/HVFButtonFont52.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I'm joining the Healthy Vegan Fridays blog party. Stop by <a href="http://www.eattothebeet.com/2012/07/healthy-vegan-friday-1-dijon-roasted.html">Eat To The Beet</a> to see what it's all about and get my recipe for Dijon Roasted Sweet Potato & Cauliflower. </span></div>
<br />Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-35890481055697469692012-07-26T10:09:00.002-07:002012-07-26T10:09:37.978-07:00Pizza Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.eattothebeet.com/2012/07/pizza-night-featuring-garden-fresh.html">Eat To The Beet</a> has my pizza night post. It's yummy. </span><br />
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*Eat To The Beet is my new blog! Stop by and say hello :)Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-29466910567139014992012-07-21T09:20:00.000-07:002012-07-21T09:20:06.256-07:00Quinoa Kale Scramble!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's moving time! <span style="background-color: white;">I'm going to start blogging at </span><a href="http://www.eattothebeet.com/" style="background-color: white;">Eat To The Beet</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and my first post is up. Click on over to </span><a href="http://www.eattothebeet.com/" style="background-color: white;">http://www.eattothebeet.com/</a><span style="background-color: white;"> to</span><span style="background-color: white;"> find out why I'm moving my posts over there. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Fresh Young Coconut is going to stay up and I'll post a reminder whenever I have a new post at Eat To The Beet, at least for a while. After Yummy Raw Kitchen (my very first blog!) had to be shut down Fresh Young Coconut was here so I could keep in touch with all of my blog-world-friends. But things are changing (always) and I wanted to have my own .com for future projects. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Thanks to all of my friends who visit me here and leave comments on my posts. My favorite part about blogging is meeting people and connecting over a love for vegan food! Without you this would not be nearly as fun. </span><br />
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I would be so happy if you'd check out my new space. See you there :)Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-5659183290907574502012-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:002012-07-05T08:11:37.020-07:00Vida Vegan Con Tix & StuffIt looks like summer has made its way back to Portland for a visit after a week of rain and grey skies. Woohoo! Things have been a little off around here lately with odd work schedules, moving family members, and the comeback of seasonal allergies. Food has been of the quick and easy variety.<br />
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Smoothies, smoothies, smoothies. This one was some sort of raspberry almond butter concoction. Yum.<br />
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And the standard, but never tiresome, bowls involving quinoa, greens, avo, and sriracha. I could really eat this for every meal and be very content. </div>
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So, next week is a big week from me. I'm looking forward to some awesome news and I have a new project in the works that I'll finally get to tell you about! Oh, and this:</div>
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I stalked registration for VVC 2013 this time around and got my early bird ticket 4 minutes after they were released! (Last year I waited too long to buy a ticket and they sold out.) Is anyone else going? <b><span style="font-size: large;"> OMG I'M SO EXCITED!!!!</span></b></div>
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<br />Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-46046135363236305972012-06-25T19:09:00.000-07:002012-06-25T19:11:33.026-07:00Creamy Raw Vegan Sugar Plum Tomato & Carrot Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PqPDSss2WC4/T-kXfLfvPsI/AAAAAAAACfg/yMDljKKUFj4/s1600/8+raw+soup1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PqPDSss2WC4/T-kXfLfvPsI/AAAAAAAACfg/yMDljKKUFj4/s400/8+raw+soup1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">One of the great things about blended soup is the clean-out-the-fridge factor. Have a little veg that's not quite fresh enough for a salad? Throw it in the blender and create something tasty, packed with nutrition, and easy to digest. That's how this raw soup came about. I had some baby carrots and sugar plum tomatoes that needed to be used and happen to be on a blending spree today. The result is a warm summery soup, light yet satisfying. </span><br />
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In your high speed blender:<br />
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1 cup baby carrots<br />
1 cup sugar plum tomatoes<br />
1/2 avocado<br />
1 tablespoon miso<br />
1 to 1 1/2 cup warm water<br />
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
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Blend until smooth and warm to the touch. Garnish with more red pepper flakes depending on how much spice you like. Makes one bowl or two cups.<br />
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Portland took a break from summer today. I even had to wear a sweater when I went out for a walk this afternoon. The pepper in this soup was nice and warming. This soup would also be nice chilled for those of you having a hot summer. You could also sub out the red pepper flakes with other fresh herbs like basil or thyme for a more cooling flavor. I happen to like a lot of spice no matter what the outside temp. <br />
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Happy <strike>Sunday!</strike> ummm... I mean Monday! Haha!Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-11152232756213615282012-06-23T10:56:00.003-07:002012-06-23T10:56:44.473-07:00My Week: Farmers Market Scores, Pizza, & Wraps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartRoasters">best coffee shop name ever</a></div>
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Portland has decided to give Summer a wet welcome complete with gloomy skies and and a grey shadowy blanket a la <a href="http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-killing">The Killing</a>. I have no complaints. It's Saturday morning and I'm still cuddled up in bed with my boyfriend, cat, and laptop, listening to the downpour via open window. The rain is what keeps Portland pretty and green, as well as washing away some of the pollen that's been feeding our seasonal allergies. Welcome, showers.<br />
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Here are some Instagram photos I've posted over the past week:<br />
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Gluten free, vegan cookies with oatmeal, pistachio, and dark chocolate inspired by the recipe in <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/books.html">Babycakes Covers The Classics</a>. They were a little greasy so I plan on using less oil next time. But overall a really nice cookie recipe.<br />
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Some non-produce purchases from the <a href="http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/">Portland Farmers Market</a>: A raw vegan fig bar from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eatin.alive?sk=wall">Eatin' Alive</a> and a gf/v strawberry shortcake whoopie pie and cinnamon roll with icing from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PetuniasPiesandPastries">Petunia's</a>. So many options in Portland, Oregon!<br />
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I've really been into making wraps. This was a breakfast wrap with daiya, spinach, saffron quinoa, avo, garlic aioli, and sriracha. <br />
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This one with avo, aioli, quinoa, and kale. <br />
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A work lunch with left over saffron quinoa, cucumbers, tahini kale (hiding), and black sesame seeds.<br />
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Pizza night! Always the best night! Have you made <a href="http://spanishfood.about.com/od/sidedishes/r/romescosauce.htm">Romesco Sauce</a>? It's a red sauce with toasted hazelnuts in it. We love it on everything, including pizza. This one with soy curls, green beans, crimini mushrooms, and daiya. <br />
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I finally made it to <a href="http://www.lovinghut.us/">Loving Hut</a> for lunch with my mom. Loving Hut is a vegan chain with over 200 locations. Each location is individually owned with a unique menu. The food is tofu/soy heavy at the Portland location with only a few gluten free options, but our meals were very tasty and the service was super friendly. I'm glad that places like Loving Hut, <a href="http://www.veggiegrill.com/">Veggie Grill</a>, and <a href="http://nativefoods.com/">Native Foods</a> are offering vegan dining options to the masses. <br />
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With warmer weather comes more smoothies. This one was spinach, strawberries and almond butter. <br />
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And last but not least, my most favorite summer kombucha drink, cherry chia. I could drink one every day.</div>
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It's been a good food week around here. With the farmers markets in full swing we're eating lots of delicious local scores. I had an exhausting work week and look forward to plenty of relaxation over the next few days. Hooray for rain. </div>
<br />Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-44718752164859505302012-06-15T09:07:00.002-07:002012-06-15T09:12:33.266-07:00Tasty Quinoa Nori Rolls!With the official start of Summer just around the corner, warmer days, and more daylight hours I've started to want meals that are fresh, cool, and quick to prepare. Last night I made a light, satisfying meal that will definitely be a part of this summer's regular dinner rotation. Nori rolls are a fantastic summer time favorite because they're easy to make, the flavor combinations are endless, and they're the perfect vessel for those odds and ends of veggies that need to be used. <br />
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Quinoa is the grain of choice at my house these days, so I put a pot of it on the stove while I prepped the veggies. This is what I had on hand: crimini mushrooms (sauteed while the quinoa cooked), avocado, carrot, red bell pepper, green onion. <br />
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Quinoa takes 20 minutes to cook. That's how long it took me to get everything else prepped. As soon as the quinoa was done I started rollin' the nori. No need to cool.<br />
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I prefer the raw nori sheets. Start by spreading a layer of quinoa on 1/3 of the sheet, sprinkle with black sesame seeds, then top with your fillings of choice. I made each roll a little different. <br />
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After everything is rolled up, start slicin'. Or not. You can leave the rolls whole and just eat them like burritos. I like to cut mine into bit size slices for less messy eating. <br />
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That's peanut sauce on the side for dipping. We're not very traditional about our meal combinations around here. We tend to let the cultures mingle and go with whatever sounds good at the moment and last night peanut sauce won for a Northwest/Japanese/Thai fusion creation.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups chunky, fresh ground peanut butter</span></div>
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<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">1/4 cup fresh lime juice</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">3 tablespoons gluten free tamari</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">1 tablespoon sriracha</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">1 teaspoon ground ginger</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">1 teaspoon crushed garlic</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">pinch of sea salt</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">pinch of cayenne pepper</li>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">In a bowl mix the peanut butter, coconut milk, water, lime juice, soy sauce, hot sauce, ginger, and garlic. </span></div>
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A friend of mine saw my post about these on Instagram and said her favorite nori roll combo is sweet potato, basil, and avocado with sweet chili sauce. I think that sounds great! I love that there are so many possibilities for fillings and dipping sauces. </div>
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These keep pretty well overnight in an airtight container, so make extra and pack them for an awesome work lunch the next day! Or take them on a picnic. </div>
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Do you make nori rolls? <b><span style="color: #274e13;">What are your favorite fillings and dipping sauces?</span></b> I'd love to have a list of ideas of future nori nights. Oh, and happy Friday!</div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-1955069214793028302012-06-10T10:56:00.000-07:002012-06-10T10:56:57.596-07:00Smoked Paprika Lime Tacos with Jackfruit, Quinoa & Black BeansSometimes adjusting back to reality from vacation mode is kind of rough. I could have stayed in sunny Austin for at least another week or two. So, in an attempt to bring some of that vacation feeling home to Portland I made tacos, one of our favorite Austin meals. <div>
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And not just any taco. And by no means a traditional taco. But a jackfruit, black bean, quinoa, smoked paprika lime taco. Let's start with the jackfruit.</div>
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Julienne one can of jackfruit, drained and rinsed well. Add enough of your favorite taco sauce and seasonings to cover. Simmer over medium heat until soft. This takes at least 30 minutes. Use a fork to mash and break up the jackfruit. </div>
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Jackfruit taco filling is a real palate pleaser because it's sweet, salty and spicy. While your jackfruit is simmering and making your kitchen smell like heaven cook a pot of quinoa. Add a little lime juice, cumin, and sea salt.</div>
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Put on a pot of black beans or black refried beans. Add some salt and lime and hot sauce. Keep them warm while you saute crimini mushrooms with garlic.</div>
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Every taco must have avocado. Mash up an avo with some lime juice, black pepper and sea salt. Add some chopped onion, chopped tomato, and garlic. </div>
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Ok, the last prep step before we build our taco is the smoked paprika lime cream sauce. In a high speed blender combine 1 cup cashews, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and sea salt to taste. Blend until smooth and creamy. This sauce is so good! You'll have extra, so keep it in the fridge and use it as a veggie dip and salad dressing.</div>
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Ok, it's time to build a taco! First, use a dry cast iron skillet over medium high heat to soften the corn tortillas. Heat on each side until warm, soft and starting to brown. After heating each tortilla put it on a plate covered with a towel to keep it warm until you're ready to eat.</div>
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Now, for each taco I use 2 tortillas on a plate about 3/4 overlapping each other. Start with a spread of beans down the middle and some quinoa.</div>
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Next up, jackfruit taco filling. </div>
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Pile on sauteed mushrooms, guac and the smoked paprika lime cream sauce.</div>
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Top with shredded cabbage, fold and eat.</div>
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This may seem like a lot of steps, but it doesn't take much time. Each step is quick and simple and the final product is totally worth it. Of course you don't have to go all out taco crazy like I did. You can make your own version using any of these components, but I highly recommend the smoked paprika lime cream sauce. It's really yum. These would be great on lettuce leaves if you don't do corn tortillas. </div>
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You will most likely have left-overs. I put them on a bed of spinach and cabbage for awesome work lunch salads.</div>
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Taco night was a big hit! I have so many ideas for flavors and fillings. We'll have to do it again soon. </div>
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Hope you're having a nice Sunday! Today's agenda includes a trip to the farmers market and pizza night. I love Sundays. </div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-2065290792028808322012-06-06T12:14:00.000-07:002012-06-06T12:16:48.557-07:00Eating My Way Through Austin, Texas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Dbbr0nHqFs/T8-YX9ov1uI/AAAAAAAACY0/PuE0viBBWJ4/s1600/austin+bridge+SoCo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Dbbr0nHqFs/T8-YX9ov1uI/AAAAAAAACY0/PuE0viBBWJ4/s400/austin+bridge+SoCo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In my last post I mentioned that I was taking a much anticipated vacation to a place full of music and vegan eats. In case you didn't guess, that enchanting place was Austin, Texas. Austin has been on the top of my vacation list for years. I must admit, though, that I was having so much fun that I didn't take many photos. And those that I did remember to take were snapped with my phone instead of my camera, so I apologize for the quality. <br />
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Know this: Austin is overflowing with vegan eats. I made a long list of places to try and didn't even come close to getting to all of them. Guess that means another visit soon. We did take part in the Austin breakfast taco craze more than once. Tacos are everywhere and most places have a vegan and gluten-free version. I can't remember the name of some of the smaller places we visited, but the flagship Whole Foods store in Austin has a taco bar where you can build your own creation. They offer rice, quinoa, beans, veggie chorizo, and a variety of veggies, hot sauces, and condiments. We had our first and last breakfasts here. Whole Foods also has a juice/smoothie bar and a raw food bar. Healthy convenience while traveling = YAY!</div>
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While Austin offers plenty of healthy vegan food it also has an equal amount of vegan fast-food junk-food. Of course I indulged in all of it. Like Portland, Austin has an abundance of food carts. Actually, way more than Portland! Most with vegan options and a lot with gluten-free options as well.
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This Freeto Pie came from the <a href="http://theveganyacht.com/menu">Vegan Yacht</a> food cart. I was a little bummed that this was the only menu item they offered while we were in town. I'm guessing this was due to the truck's location in the heart of <a href="http://www.chaosintejas.com/">Chaos In Tejas</a> (the music event we were in town for) and the hundreds of vegans they were serving every day. Still, it was really good! Hearty chili with corn chips, avocado, and daiya cheese. Next time I'm in town I'll be trying the Garden Chalupa and Mock Chick'n Tacos, both gluten-free.</div>
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Austin has a lot of juice. I drank green juice, sometimes twice a day, all five days I was there. The one pictured above is from <a href="http://www.snapkitchen.com/">Snap Kitchen</a>. Snap is a take-out store. Everything is individually packaged in coolers and labeled according to diet (vegan, gluten free, paleo, etc.). They have breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, juices, and snacks. I didn't take photos, but we had quinoa-banana pudding, raw raspberry cheesecake, tabbouleh (not gluten free), and babaghanouj. All delicious, fresh, and healthy.</div>
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Now for more vegan junk food. These are the equivalent of an avocado corn dog! Seriously, chunks of avo deep fried in corn meal batter served with mustard for dipping. (Sorry about the crappy late night phone pic)</div>
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This is the basket before we tore into the deep fried avo, with sweet potato fries on the side. The avo balls were not gluten free. I had a bite anyway. I totally paid for it, but I really wanted to taste them, and it was worth it. I have a serious thing for sweet potatoes, and the fries here were fantastic. This late night snack was from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FireAndSoulATX">Fire and Soul</a> food cart. </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NomadDosa">Nomad Dosa</a> is a vegan friendly gluten-free Indian food cart. It was quite a ways from our hotel, but I was lucky enough to find it on one of my long-walk exploration days. </div>
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I had a soft dosa with a spiced potato filling, cilantro and coconut sauce on the side, and coconut water. This was one of my favorite Austin meals. The fermented dosa was light and chewy and tangy and perfect. I wanted to try all of the fillings and toppings and sauces. Next time Nomad Dosa, next time. </div>
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The filling matched my dress. This is pretty much the only picture I have of myself from this trip. And does it even count? My leg just happened to be near the dosa. Talk about forgetting to take photos.</div>
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I saved the best for last. <a href="http://www.sweetritual.com/">Sweet Ritual</a> is a vegan ice cream parlor tucked inside <a href="http://dailyjuice.myshopify.com/">Daily Juice Cafe</a>. I had pretty much been obsessing about visiting this place for weeks before the trip. I started calling our Austin trip my vegan-ice-cream-vacation because all I could think about was soft serve from Sweet Ritual. It did not disappoint. Both Sweet Ritual and Daily Juice Cafe are amazing and ended up being my most favorite place in Austin. If I were a local I would be a regular here. I'm sad that I only have one picture, but I was seriously distracted by the awesome food, juice, ice cream, good company, and a sweet dog named Ash. </div>
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The ice cream flavor of the week was earl gray. I took mine straight up in a gluten free cake cone. My bf had the awesomeness pictured above: chick-o-stick waffle cone, earl gray soft serve, peanut butter drizzle. It was soooo good! Too good for words. Just go to Austin and go to Sweet Ritual. Now. </div>
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From the Daily Juice counter we had a raw taco and a juice. The raw taco was a daily special and ended up being giant and tasty. It was a dehydrated shell (red peppers and nuts maybe?) full of greens and taco nut-meat. The juice was the Depth Charge: coconut juice, cucumber, celery, parsley, spinach, kale, romaine. I went crazy over this combo and plan on recreating it at home. I really wish we had Daily Juice in Portland. Maybe I should quit nursing and open a franchise location? Or just move to Austin and find a place within walking distance to Daily Juice/Sweet Ritual? </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu45HftJcWo/T8-Ygx1vcDI/AAAAAAAACZk/yQ5J2VfF0SY/s1600/austin+morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu45HftJcWo/T8-Ygx1vcDI/AAAAAAAACZk/yQ5J2VfF0SY/s640/austin+morning.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This was the view of downtown from our hotel room. It was hard to say goodbye to Austin. The city is fun, the people are friendly, the sun shines, and there's vegan food galore. We're looking forward to visiting again soon!</div>
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**Delicious foods not photographed include: many green juices from various places, breakfast tacos and late night tacos, my first Korean meal (YUM), miso soups, sweet potato noodles with a variety of mushrooms and tofu and spicy sauce, one creamy soy latte, kombucha on tap at the bars, and a lot of coconut water! </div>
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<br /></div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-74492867896589245862012-05-28T09:08:00.003-07:002012-05-28T09:08:40.042-07:00Two New Raw Vegan Products I Am Loving Right Now, and My InstagramHello, long time no seeeeee. The month of May went by so fast. I haven't been able to update here, but I have been posting on Instagram. So, if you're interested in keeping up with me there, you'll find me as <b>nikkifyc</b>. I've already found some of you there, but if you follow me and leave me a message I'll follow you back if we haven't already connected. Here's a little instagram recap of May.<br />
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<a href="http://punkrawklabs.net/">Punk Rawk Labs</a> finally made it's way to Portland via<a href="http://www.foodfightgrocery.com/"> Food Fight! Grocery</a>. All I can say is YUM! What a delicious treat. We tried the smoked cashew cheese and devoured it with crackers. Also, the packaging is really cool. The tin that it comes in can be washed and reused. If you're in Portland stop by Food Fight! and pick up a tin. PRL nut milk cheese is the perfect thing to take to a get together this summer with some flax crackers or veggie chips. <br />
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After eating the amazing PRL cheese I decided to try making my own. Let's just say that I'll have to try again....<br />
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It's farmers market season and Portland has a market open almost every day of the week in different neighborhoods. We've been eating a lot of local veg.<br />
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This mouthful of heaven is made locally by <a href="http://pixieretreat.com/">Pixie Retreat Raw Laboratorie and Makery</a>. You can find it at <a href="http://www.foodfightgrocery.com/">Food Fight! Grocery</a>, <a href="http://www.foodfront.coop/">Food Front Coop</a>, <a href="http://www.albertagrocery.coop/">Alberta Food Coop</a> and <a href="http://www.peoples.coop/">People's Coop</a>. I am totally addicted to the Mock BLT sandwich and they have a kale salad with macadamia cheese that will blow your mind. <br />
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Sunday morning vegan gluten-free pancakes with warm fruit, agave, and powdered sugar. <br />
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The usual breakfast: gf oats, chia, flax meal with nut milk and agave. <br />
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Afternoon treat. DIY green tea latte with coconut milk and agave.<br />
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Sorry for the month-long absence. My mind has been elsewhere, but like I mentioned at the beginning of this post you can keep up with me daily on instragram (nikkifyc) and twitter (nikki_fyc). <br />
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Hope everyone is having a lovely long holiday weekend. I am preparing for a little vacation to somewhere WARM and full of MUSIC and good VEGAN FOOD. Any guesses? Here's one more clue: I plan on eating vegan ice cream every day. I promise to reveal my location and I'll be posting my travel pics on instagram. <br />
<br />Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-28678929889112679702012-04-20T08:16:00.000-07:002012-04-20T08:16:03.960-07:00Lunch Box: Black Sesame Saffron Rice and Tangy Soy Curls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's not uncommon for me to walk through the front door after work to a warm house full of delicious smells and the sounds of stirring, blending, or pots banging. My boyfriend loves hanging out and creating in the kitchen as much as I do. I feel so lucky to get a nourishing home cooked meal after a twelve hour work shift, but also to have left-overs for an awesome lunch the next day! </div>
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This gorgeous meal of brown jasmine rice with saffron and black sesame seeds is not just pretty to look at, but the taste is incredible. Pan fried apple cider vinegar soy curls are on the side, which are crispy, chewy, salty and tart. This combo is perfect on a bed of spinach. I love taking food this beautiful and vibrant to work because I get a lot of questions about it and I can spread the word about tasty vegan food. </div>
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We usually don't eat fake meat products because they tend to be hard to digest and often have ingredients that we're not into, but soy curls have been going down just fine for both of us. Our favorite way to make curls is to rehydrate them in warm water then pan fry with seasoning and vinegar to taste. </div>
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I've had a long, busy, exhausting week and I'm really looking forward to a beautiful weekend and the opportunity to go for a long run by the river. Happy Friday to you!</div>
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<br /></div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-78465152151109311452012-04-19T12:09:00.001-07:002012-04-19T21:31:29.148-07:00Lunch Box: Azuki Beans with Kabocha Squash, Sweet Potato and Kale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLhbk4XMxIQ/T4yd_-WbmkI/AAAAAAAACW0/19ohEtWAYYw/s1600/p+lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLhbk4XMxIQ/T4yd_-WbmkI/AAAAAAAACW0/19ohEtWAYYw/s400/p+lunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hello! I'm feeling so much better after last weekend's gluten invasion sickness. There are still a few lingering symptoms, but overall I'm feeling good. No more gluten for me, no thank you! This lunch box looked extra pretty to me, so I thought I'd share. From top left: azuki beans with kabocha squash, sweet potato with black sesame seeds, and steamed kale with umeboshi vinegar. This is a good example of how I've been eating lately. Real, whole, unprocessed foods. Local and in season as much as possible. Vegan and gluten free, of course. Lucky for me these foods taste amazing just the way they are. Bravo, tastebuds! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the azuki beans and the kabocha squash I use this recipe from the Kind Life blog: <a href="http://www.thekindlife.com/post/azuki-beans-with-kabocha-squash">http://www.thekindlife.com/post/azuki-beans-with-kabocha-squash</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>*edit - Shoyu is not gluten free. I use Bragg's or gf tamari as a substitute in this recipe. Thanks for noticing this Bitt! </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sweet potato is just baked until soft then scooped out of the skin and sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt and black sesame seeds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kale is simply steamed and sprinkled with umeboshi plum vinegar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you're having a great week! What are you having for lunch today?</div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-72323863842372326642012-04-16T13:32:00.000-07:002012-04-16T13:32:55.758-07:00This Blog Is Going Gluten Free!Hello! In my last post I brought up going gluten free. Well, turns out I feel about a million times better when I'm not eating gluten. Things that I thought were "normal" like cramping, bloating, and extreme fatigue after meals became non-existent after a month of being gluten free. I'll admit I had some suspicions about gluten for quite some time before I did anything about it. I just didn't want to give up bread! But once my system cleared out and I started feeling the real "normal" sans gluten I found that I didn't even want the stuff. Why eat something that was obviously making me feel like crap? And finally, my decision to go gluten free was validated yesterday....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mMP46aej_zo/T4x46VSc7CI/AAAAAAAACWc/ghCw98arOfs/s1600/p+goonies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mMP46aej_zo/T4x46VSc7CI/AAAAAAAACWc/ghCw98arOfs/s320/p+goonies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>That's me, in Astoria, about to visit the Goonies house! I grew up on the Oregon coast and have 2 friends that lived in the Goonies house at different times and I was a huge fan of the movie when I was a kid. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L7zTNwN_IGw/T4x6jyqSgBI/AAAAAAAACWk/LtfRIaB2Erg/s1600/p+goonies+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L7zTNwN_IGw/T4x6jyqSgBI/AAAAAAAACWk/LtfRIaB2Erg/s320/p+goonies+house.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Do you recognize it from the movie? Anyways... what does this have to do with my gluten free experience? Well, while in Astoria we ate lunch at a cute little cafe that offered vegan and gluten free options. Finding a place along the coast with vegan options isn't always easy, let alone <i>vegan and gluten free</i>. What happened next is totally my fault. I ordered something that I assumed was gluten free even though it wasn't advertised as such because I didn't want to annoy the person taking my order with more questions. Part way through eating we guessed that the injera (Ethiopian flat bread traditionally made with gluten free teff flour) was made with a combo of teff and whole wheat flour. Like I said, I should have known better and I could have saved myself a lot of pain if I would have just inquired about the ingredients.<br />
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My second mistake was finishing the bread, but can you blame me? Look at that pretty plate of food! I kept eating, thinking "Ok, so I'll be a little bloated after this". And sure enough, the bloating happened, plus more. Waaaay more. To the extent of missing the next day at work. It was a miserable experience and a valuable lesson. First of all, I'm committed to staying gluten free. No bread is worth having to go through that again. And second, I really should have just asked about the bread. Sheesh. Another thing I've been pondering is this: If having gluten made me feel this terrible, what has it been doing to my body all of this time? I'm happy to be rid of it.<br />
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So, from now on this blog is going to be gluten free too. The food nerd in me is super excited to experiment with new ingredients and see what I can come up with that's tasty and makes me feel the best. A good handful of my blog friends and blogs that I read are already gluten free, but if you know of any awesome blogs, books, or websites please leave me a link in comments. I'm soaking up all the info I can get my hands on right now.Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-10746685677193198032012-03-30T20:28:00.000-07:002012-03-30T20:28:53.473-07:00Green Eats, RIP Gluten, and Macro-CuriosityWell, March flew right on by! What have I been doing? Not blogging, obviously. There's been work and family and plotting and planning new future things that will be announced in due time. Sometimes I put on my tunnel vision glasses and get carried away focusing on one single thing. That's what happened in March, but I'm okay with it because the outcome is going to be fantastic. While I was focusing on other projects food became simple and nourishing. Lots of green smoothies:<br />
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Spinach, mango and almond milk have been the stars in these light & bright green morning starters. We've had plenty of kale salad, too:<br />
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Massaged kale with tahini, avocado, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and help seeds. Eaten with chopsticks for lunch. So good! Dragon Bowls have been making a frequent appearance lately, inspired by a local cafe:<br />
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Quinoa, steamed kale, avocado, soy curls, miso-tahini sauce and nutritional yeast. I am obsessed with making these bowls! They're so satisfying and delicious. <br />
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I've been doing some experimenting and tweaking my diet lately. RIP gluten, you do not make my tummy happy. I've also re-introduced more cooked whole grains like quinoa and brown rice. My body seems to respond well to these right now and I'm feeling great! My mom and sister have also suspected a sensitivity so they've said good-bye to gluten, too. Giving it up as a team has made it a little more fun. And none of us seem to miss it because we're feeling so good. <br />
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<b>Have any of you ventured into the macrobiotic territory?</b> I've been reading about it and my body seems to like the grain + veggie combinations. I've been doing green smoothies & green juices for breakfast and grain + veggie dishes for lunch and dinner. I'd love to hear about any of your experiences.<br />
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Oh yeah, I turned 36 a few days ago. It was awesome.Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-6474901093801513792012-02-24T10:40:00.000-08:002012-02-24T10:40:08.907-08:00Sunshine Juice, Purple Power Smoothie & Sunday's Brunch!Happy Friday! It's sunshiney in Portland today and I plan on getting outside and doing one of my favorite activities: wandering around my neighborhood, window shopping, & people watching. I was so excited about this morning's beautiful weather that I went for a 7 mile run right when I woke up. Then I made this juice:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jwul1Avlb88/T0fVCyVJU9I/AAAAAAAACUg/2FvQ25c61aQ/s1600/t+juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jwul1Avlb88/T0fVCyVJU9I/AAAAAAAACUg/2FvQ25c61aQ/s400/t+juice.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><br />
It was sweet and delicious and perfect for after a long run. I'm totally hooked on putting fennel in my juice right now. It really compliments everything I've added it to, and this was no exception. Yum! <br />
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One of our breakfast smoothies this week was purple:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MScp1kdWoLY/T0fVvNjItPI/AAAAAAAACUo/NeW5_g06mqI/s1600/t+smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MScp1kdWoLY/T0fVvNjItPI/AAAAAAAACUo/NeW5_g06mqI/s400/t+smoothie.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
I got a tub of the Vega on sale and have been adding it to smoothies. It's flavor is a little strong for my taste, but I've found that if I include peanut butter and berries I can tolerate it. I do feel good after I use it, so I'm liking the nutrition it provides. <br />
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Last Sunday my bf and I went to one of our favorite neighborhood cafes for breakfast:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gRx4KlqXvPI/T0fWlQExEyI/AAAAAAAACUw/bsf3sx4wMdk/s1600/v+AND+cafe+brunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gRx4KlqXvPI/T0fWlQExEyI/AAAAAAAACUw/bsf3sx4wMdk/s400/v+AND+cafe+brunch.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
He had a Thai waffle with peanut sauce and spiralized veggies on top. I had the Hot Mess, sourdough with veggie chorizo and pesto tofu scrambled with jalapenos. They were both fantastic and with bold flavors. We love adventurous food! Perfect for a special Sunday treat. <br />
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I have some studying to do this weekend, but if the weather keeps up like this I might have to squeeze in the book time after dark! What are you doing this weekend? Anything fun involving food? Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-1477503239089437572012-02-19T10:20:00.000-08:002012-02-19T10:20:50.782-08:00I Loved Fennel, Sweetie Peppers & Green Food This Week.Good Sunday morning! Sleeping in, playing with the cats and having some extra coffee time felt great today after much busy-ness. Sweet bf even refilled my coffee while I was still in bed. He's a keeper! Work has been taking a little more of my energy because I'm learning a bunch of new stuff (thankfully there's always more to learn in my field!) and I'm studying for certification in my specialty. I also turned our spare bedroom into an office. And I was on call for 75 hours on top of my usual work schedule. Hmmm, this explains sleeping 11 hours last night? <br />
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I'm still on my green food kick. Work food has been kale salad, carrots & tahini, and fruit:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SffG5PWHCKo/T0E4sMulSpI/AAAAAAAACT4/3Yn3hlO3sUA/s1600/u+lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SffG5PWHCKo/T0E4sMulSpI/AAAAAAAACT4/3Yn3hlO3sUA/s400/u+lunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I actually pack 2 kale salads because I'm at work for 12 hours. I've been trying to have a green smoothie or juice before I leave the house in the morning. The difference in my mood and energy level is noticeably better when I have my green drink. Here are a few juices I made this week:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WB4WwlNwTUQ/T0E5S3E6JWI/AAAAAAAACUA/Ut5BWT-Ydp8/s1600/u+juice+2+txt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WB4WwlNwTUQ/T0E5S3E6JWI/AAAAAAAACUA/Ut5BWT-Ydp8/s400/u+juice+2+txt.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yl75BOXtNvo/T0E5TCshrGI/AAAAAAAACUI/Tf5d9NyqlP8/s1600/u+juice+txt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yl75BOXtNvo/T0E5TCshrGI/AAAAAAAACUI/Tf5d9NyqlP8/s400/u+juice+txt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The addition of fennel was especially good! For dinner one night I made a cheesey green pasta with some veggie noodles that we get at a Japanese market:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8tUXvzMRcLE/T0E5yESCKnI/AAAAAAAACUQ/5Ky8aFlC28Y/s1600/u+green+pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8tUXvzMRcLE/T0E5yESCKnI/AAAAAAAACUQ/5Ky8aFlC28Y/s400/u+green+pasta.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The noodles remind me of udon, but have extra veggies added in. Of course I Americanized them by putting them in a creamy cheesey sauce with some sweetie peppers and sauteed onion. The cheese sauce used We Can't Say It's Cheese Cheddar Spread, Daiya Mozzarella Shreds, tahini, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and almond milk. It was quite a delicious comfort food treat.<br />
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And of course we had our favorite non-green food on pizza night:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fj3soe-74WM/T0E6kA2dm5I/AAAAAAAACUY/XPrPzDMq1yU/s1600/u+pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fj3soe-74WM/T0E6kA2dm5I/AAAAAAAACUY/XPrPzDMq1yU/s400/u+pizza.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Rosemary crust brushed with olive oil, red sauce, fresh basil leaves, sauteed fennel & mushrooms, Daiya shreds, and sweetie peppers from the olive bar. I really love making pizza. <br />
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I hope everyone's enjoying the weekend as much as I am. See you next week :)Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-78439872792426673122012-02-10T18:55:00.000-08:002012-02-10T18:59:01.031-08:00Kale, It's What's For Dinner. And Some Other Green Foods!Tonight I didn't know what to make for dinner, so I put some kale in a big bowl and just went from there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MH8NAkZNCqM/TzXVMF69VfI/AAAAAAAACTU/zVNPLPmZ90w/s1600/x+kale+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MH8NAkZNCqM/TzXVMF69VfI/AAAAAAAACTU/zVNPLPmZ90w/s400/x+kale+1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>I added avocado, tahini and sea salt, then squished it all together. Then (liberally) sprinkled on some hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast. Carrot sticks on the side for color and crunch. This turned out to be a damn fine salad. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8cpAt0pd3AM/TzXZFMsb--I/AAAAAAAACTs/8pFAWS_1ZLA/s1600/x+kale+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8cpAt0pd3AM/TzXZFMsb--I/AAAAAAAACTs/8pFAWS_1ZLA/s400/x+kale+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Last night's lazy butt snack was this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKhCuZVAR4I/TzXWAqx8jQI/AAAAAAAACTc/jZx_6COJxNU/s1600/x+aVO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKhCuZVAR4I/TzXWAqx8jQI/AAAAAAAACTc/jZx_6COJxNU/s400/x+aVO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Avocado with sea salt, lemon pepper, and a few rice crackers.<br />
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And to round out the savory green eats, a sweet green smoothie with spinach, mango, banana, orange and almond milk. In a turtle cup and a zombie cup, for him and me, in that order. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3iv6otcBVIY/TzXWbkcJl8I/AAAAAAAACTk/vuQBK9uAntI/s1600/x+smoothies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3iv6otcBVIY/TzXWbkcJl8I/AAAAAAAACTk/vuQBK9uAntI/s400/x+smoothies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I guess I'm on a green kick right now. Which is a good thing. I'm probably craving it because I was sick and need all the good nutrients and stuff. Way to be spot on and let me crave the good stuff, body. Well, it's working because I felt great with lots of energy today! <br />
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Oh, and happy Friday! Weekend! Woohoo! Any fun weekend plans?Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-42329423540598551882012-02-05T14:17:00.000-08:002012-02-05T14:17:35.101-08:00Lazy Sunday: Vegan Bakery Breakfast, Juice Cart, and A Sunny Walk.Sundays are lazy days around here, often spent drinking coffee, playing with cats, and watching movies. We also like to find yummy vegan breakfasts that don't make dirty dishes in our kitchen. This morning we wandered over to <a href="http://sweetpeabaking.com/">Sweet Pea Bakery</a> .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_70bGCEmXA/Ty74vO2w_EI/AAAAAAAACS8/-APFX8nTaes/s1600/y+sweet+pea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_70bGCEmXA/Ty74vO2w_EI/AAAAAAAACS8/-APFX8nTaes/s640/y+sweet+pea.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sweet Pea is in the vegan mall in our neighborhood. <i>I know, we're totally spoiled</i>. Anyways, the bakery is in transition right now between their Sunday brunch buffet (RIP) and a new breakfast menu (see you next week?). So, we didn't get the biscuits & gravy I was hoping for, but were perfectly content munching on toasted bagels with my favorite bacun scallion schmear. Hmmm, where did that berry danish come from?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After breakfast and a little more relaxation I decided to partake in an activity I remember from months ago called "walking in sunshine". For real. Portland is lit up with sunny blue skies and it's 52 degrees. Just what I needed to help me feel more alive after the week of the virus. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1uwkKWsK7j0/Ty78yG0WhyI/AAAAAAAACTE/Xgl1B-giv1s/s1600/y+kure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1uwkKWsK7j0/Ty78yG0WhyI/AAAAAAAACTE/Xgl1B-giv1s/s640/y+kure.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I bundled up in sweater and scarf (still feeling a little sicky, I guess) and made my way to one of my favorite juice carts for a shot of wheatgrass and a big juice full of kale, apple, lemon, and ginger. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhL5-rSJpko/Ty79ZyOiYuI/AAAAAAAACTM/QQsjZp4mTa4/s1600/y+hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhL5-rSJpko/Ty79ZyOiYuI/AAAAAAAACTM/QQsjZp4mTa4/s640/y+hood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then I slowly made my way back home and sunk into the couch again. The fresh air and sunshine felt great. Hopefully by next weekend I'll feel up to taking a jog on one of my favorite hilly trails. That would have been beautiful today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-22786114643070459002012-02-04T09:34:00.000-08:002012-02-04T09:34:09.746-08:00Tahini Kale Pizza Is Tasty!First of all I want to thank everyone for the well wishes yesterday. This morning feels a little better and my brain fog seems to be lifting. Yay. Progress.<br />
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Last night my body still wasn't cooperating, but my mind was begging me to get off the couch. Six days of rest was starting to give me a case of cabin fever. So, I fired up the tea kettle and brewed a strong mug of gunpowder tea, with hopes for a little shimmer of energy. Thankfully, my favorite hot green drink gave me just enough buzz to make it into the kitchen, clean up some of the dishes, and throw together a pizza for dinner. Just a little change of scenery, for about an hour, seemed to help.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhAfY9AlUsY/Ty1lGP86OgI/AAAAAAAACSk/VItbUt8OhPg/s1600/z+kale+pizza+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhAfY9AlUsY/Ty1lGP86OgI/AAAAAAAACSk/VItbUt8OhPg/s400/z+kale+pizza+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After rummaging through the produce drawers I decided to make tahini kale pizza with stuffed crust, sauteed mushrooms, avocado and daiya mozzarella shreds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcWOK_xAwVw/Ty1lG5YeyUI/AAAAAAAACS0/LjbsSMZ3KK0/s1600/z+kale+pizza+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcWOK_xAwVw/Ty1lG5YeyUI/AAAAAAAACS0/LjbsSMZ3KK0/s400/z+kale+pizza+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
See the creamy, melty cheddar daiya inside the outer crust? It really makes the last few bites of each piece a special treat. This pizza was made with:<br />
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* rosemary pizza dough<br />
* red sauce<br />
* kale massaged with tahini sauce (tahini, lemon, garlic, water, salt)<br />
* cremini mushrooms sauteed with olive oil, oregano, salt & pepper<br />
* avocado<br />
* daiya mozzarella shreds on top<br />
* daiya cheddar shreds in the crust<br />
* outer edge of crust brushed with olive oil before baking <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTX2HlYOQX8/Ty1lGZb8XWI/AAAAAAAACSs/9rIY1UHJR-c/s1600/z+kale+pizza+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTX2HlYOQX8/Ty1lGZb8XWI/AAAAAAAACSs/9rIY1UHJR-c/s400/z+kale+pizza+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Try to be patient and let it cool before diving in or you'll burn the roof of your mouth off. Unfortunately I have no patience when I have fresh home-made pizza in front of me. But the pain was worth it. The tahini gets cheesy when it's baked with the kale and the creamy avocado takes it to another level.<br />
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So, is everyone watching the game tomorrow? I'm not that into sports, but I do look forward to watching Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. I also look forward to annoying anyone who happens to be around with, "oooooh... cuuuuute...puppies!... omg.... did you see that?!", every 30 seconds. <br />
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Happy Saturday!Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-24176111169847707732012-02-03T10:36:00.000-08:002012-02-03T10:47:19.614-08:00Sicky EatsThis has been an interesting week. Being someone who is blessed with good health (aside from some issues stemming from allergies) it's not always easy to accept and deal with illness when it occasionally arrives. I can handle a few days of the common cold, but for the last week I've been fighting a virus and it's turned me into a useless, wimpy, whiny pile of sleepy girl on the couch surrounded by cats, laptops, and piles of used tissues. Gross, but let's keep it real.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9aEi380Syo/TywhrAzjQ1I/AAAAAAAACSM/vCJmB1q61LA/s1600/a+ginger+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E9aEi380Syo/TywhrAzjQ1I/AAAAAAAACSM/vCJmB1q61LA/s400/a+ginger+tea.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fresh ginger tea has been comforting and warming. I'm drinking plenty of water and having green(ish) smoothies, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8PJ0iSEOKD8/Tywh-OGqlUI/AAAAAAAACSU/KE8D3Xq__lA/s1600/g+smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8PJ0iSEOKD8/Tywh-OGqlUI/AAAAAAAACSU/KE8D3Xq__lA/s400/g+smoothie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But this virus has been a real bugger and I finally broke down and went to the doctor. It's been <i>years</i> since I've been to a traditional western doctor for anything except the yearly girly visit. I haven't even had a primary care physician, because I haven't needed one. I'm happy to report that I got lucky and was assigned to a young, new doctor that's totally supportive of my veggie ways and he's helping me to get over this hump of illness with no pressure to come and see him again unless I feel like I need to. He said that I appear to be healthy and taking care of myself and he's there for me if the need arises. Very cool. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hopefully I'll be feeling better by Monday. I really want to get off the couch and back to work and feeling like myself again. Oh yeah, I had some great oatmeal this week with bananas, sunflower seeds, pecans, cinnamon and maple syrup. Really good sicky food:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ponvsnTjJKw/TywmyXGy6rI/AAAAAAAACSc/3sIalXUdOcw/s1600/a+oatmeal+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ponvsnTjJKw/TywmyXGy6rI/AAAAAAAACSc/3sIalXUdOcw/s400/a+oatmeal+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other sicky eats from the week have been spicy veggie pho, chocolate mint toffuti cuties, the most delicious tomato soup made by Tim, and a yummy recreation of <a href="http://freshyoungcoconut.blogspot.com/2012/01/eatin-vegan-in-wisconsin.html">bbq jackfruit sandwiches</a>, also made by Tim. He's been under the weather too, but handling it much better than I am. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Friday to all and I hope you have a great weekend! I'm looking forward to <a href="http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/">Puppy Bowl!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-42579101760568627902012-01-30T12:34:00.000-08:002012-01-30T12:37:25.900-08:00Eatin' Vegan in WisconsinHappy Monday! I just got home from spending a few days in Wisconsin, visiting Tim's family. We had a fantastic time and were surrounded by an abundance of delicious vegan & raw food. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVZc3V7mRgU/TybxMZ3FGhI/AAAAAAAACRE/0pSV6_48zi8/s1600/g+beans+and+barley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVZc3V7mRgU/TybxMZ3FGhI/AAAAAAAACRE/0pSV6_48zi8/s400/g+beans+and+barley.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.beansandbarley.com/about.htm"><span style="color: #999999;">source</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>As soon as we landed in Milwaukee we went straight to <a href="http://www.beansandbarley.com/index.htm">Beans and Barley</a>, a natural market, deli and cafe with vegan options. I had the tempeh reuben and Tim had the portobello sandwich. Both were very tasty. The cafe is bright and open with lots of natural light, the service is friendly, and it seems to be a popular place. Another couple that was on our flight showed up there too. It's definitely a first stop for good, healthy food in Milwaukee.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OMqNSuW8KRg/TybyLx8LvXI/AAAAAAAACRs/s5LKq80a-AA/s1600/green+owl+cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OMqNSuW8KRg/TybyLx8LvXI/AAAAAAAACRs/s5LKq80a-AA/s400/green+owl+cafe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gotime.com/madison/places/343068-Green-Owl-Cafe-Near-East-Madison"><span style="color: #999999;">source</span></a></div>The eating out highlight of our trip happened when we took a day trip to Madison. The Green Owl Cafe is the only vegetarian, vegan and raw food restaurant in town, but even if it wasn't the only all-veggie choice you'd still find me there every chance I get. We pre-stalked the menu before arriving so we knew exactly what we wanted: the bbq jackfruit sandwiches with a side of kale crisps.<br />
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I tweeted that this was the best sandwich I have ever had. In my life. Really. The jackfruit was light and the perfect companion to the tangy bbq sauce, crisp cabbage slaw, dill pickle slices and ciabatta roll. The kale crisps were simply baked with olive oil, salt and slightly spicy seasoning. Our server was super sweet and spent some time talking with us about raw food and making kale chips. If you find yourself in Madison, Wisconsin, please visit the Green Owl cafe. <br />
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Another must-stop in Madison is the <a href="http://www.willystreet.coop/">Willy Street Co-op</a>. The entire place is wonderful, but my favorite department was the juice, smoothie, coffee bar and bakery. We had Green Zinger: wheatgrass, apple, lemon, and ginger. YUM.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HexOtFy-5Zw/Tyb5j2PKVLI/AAAAAAAACSE/gmsz_Jg_FpI/s1600/g+willy+street+juice-bar-summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HexOtFy-5Zw/Tyb5j2PKVLI/AAAAAAAACSE/gmsz_Jg_FpI/s400/g+willy+street+juice-bar-summer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.willystreet.coop/juicebar"><span style="color: #999999;">source</span></a></div><br />
On Friday night there was a family get together and Tim & I made two big vegan pizzas. We showcased our <a href="http://www.freshyoungcoconut.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-final-eats.html">stuffed crust</a>, Tim's pistachio pesto, and daiya cheese. Even though we were the only vegans there, everyone seemed to enjoy the pizza. We also had some amazing sweet potato curry soup made by Tim's aunt as well as roasted vegetables, green salad, fresh fruit and vegan cupcakes from a local bakery. It was a feast!<br />
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We also enjoyed a pasta & bean salad, veggie and split pea soups, banana oatmeal and cherry and apple pie (!! all vegan and all soooo gooood !!) made by Tim's mom. Tim made some kale chips and a vegan gnocchi dish. I made some vegan pancakes. We felt so spoiled while we were there and couldn't get through all of the good vegan food before we left.<br />
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There were several other vegan places, included a new vegan cake shop, that we read about but just didn't have time to visit. The Milwaukee area seems to be very vegan friendly and I'm looking forward to our next visit and more exploring.Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-88578283466237771282012-01-15T12:48:00.000-08:002012-01-15T12:48:43.361-08:00It's A Green Drink WeekendGuess what I've been having a lot of lately? Smooooooothies! I'm on a greens kick right now, so all I have to share are pictures of green colored drinks. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgj_emJCNCg/TxM4wuyqMEI/AAAAAAAACQo/bm2jz7SCO_I/s1600/x+smoothie+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgj_emJCNCg/TxM4wuyqMEI/AAAAAAAACQo/bm2jz7SCO_I/s400/x+smoothie+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Most have been of the blended variety, but I did get out the juicer for one:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tN57i0i3RnI/TxM5bnrFq7I/AAAAAAAACQw/UruPXLlzPy0/s1600/w+juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tN57i0i3RnI/TxM5bnrFq7I/AAAAAAAACQw/UruPXLlzPy0/s400/w+juice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I've been having fun following posts from bloggers who are doing <a href="http://crazysexydiet.com/">Kris Carr's 21 Day Adventure Cleanse</a>. And I guess it's rubbed off a little because I've been drinking more greens lately. So, thanks for that, <a href="http://feudfood.blogspot.com/">Food Feud</a>, <a href="http://thisiswhatieatvegan.blogspot.com/">This Is What I Eat</a>, and <a href="http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/">Vegan Crunk</a>. I even bought the book on my Kindle and plan on spending some time with it today.<br />
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Ok, I'm going to enjoy a relaxed Sunday and I hope you are too! See you next week.Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957209580478009834.post-90219699028333077602012-01-12T16:52:00.000-08:002012-01-12T16:52:22.915-08:00The Great Smoothie Comeback and Easy Food TimesComing down from the holidays has led to simple meals, fruits & veggies, and smoothies. Part of this stems from wanting to just take it easy (aka lazy-times), another from a craving for lighter eats after all the rich holiday feasting. On work days I need to take along pretty much all of my food for the day. I've been drinking a big smoothie in the morning then packing lunch, dinner & snacks. Sometimes this means relying on pre-made food. This a pretty good example of a day's worth of easy food:<br />
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Smoothies have made a big comeback at my house! In the past I've had trouble drinking ice cold smoothies in the middle of winter. Adding more hearty ingredients like peanut butter and nuts seems to make it easier. Actually, I crave them now. Starting my day with hydrating and nutrient dense blended fruit and greens makes a big difference in my energy level. <br />
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So far January has been busy (lots of work!). I'm rotating between long work shifts and mega naps. Green juice has also made a comeback. I can't get enough of it lately. My body likes the good stuff.<br />
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Hope your January is going well so far, and hope you're all ready for Friday the 13th! Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14086843268492032954noreply@blogger.com17