How 2012 Vegan...

why yes, it has been decades since i've blogged. thank you for sarcastically asking. and yes,  i should know myself better than to think I can actually keep new year's resolutions- one of which was to get back into the blog-o-sphere on a regular basis. epic fail there, but, it's never too late. right? well, one resolution i actually kept this year was going vegan for one month. i mean, as long as you count the month as starting immediately after i raided the fridge around 3 am on new year's day to devour some pesto pasta that was just taunting my intoxicated ass. and, as long as you don't count the fact that my veganism ended a couple days before january was officially over, to accommodate a fun birthday brunch outing with friends.
what i'm trying to say is, i kind of suck at keeping resolutions. which is why i normally don't make them. or, if i do they are something ridiculous like, "this year i will start smoking." (that was 2008 i believe, and that only lasted for two weeks before i came down with the flu and disavowed the prospect of becoming a smoker ever again.) that being said, my (almost a full) month of veganism went pretty smoothly. kinda like what they say about riding a bike. i think it goes 'a fish needs a bicycle like a'... oh i can't remember, i'm old. anyhoo, i rediscovered some old recipes (for example, coconut rice & black bean burritos/chimichangas, mac n' chz, and vegan cake) and i tried making some stuff i had never made before (tabouleh and vegan pesto).

and, here are some pictures from my month foray into no dairy & no meat eats:

Mac N' Chz.. This was unbelievable cheesy and creamy tasting. I just used an ungodly amount of margarine, brewers yeast, soy milk, and i found some fake shredded cheddah at outpost that i added for extra gooeyness : 

Spudz w/ margarine, Green beans sauteed with leeks, and tempeh filled with a raspberry chipotle jam. Delish!

this was the beginning of my attempt at tabouleh. for the record. it was a bit of a fail, until about day 4. I accidentally soaked the bulgur wheat in cold water instead of hot which i think led to the delayed yumminess. but, even so i gather that tabouleh just gets better as it sits. so much bulgur wheat, cucumber & parsley, w/ some red and yellow tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and love. maybe some mint, too? i can't recall now. this was 3 months ago...

Vegan Packers Cake- lotsa love, egg replacer, bananas, and aldi's cake mix & frosting. pretty dang good. not my best, but still... 

this = the start of something wonderful. 

sautee shallots, garlic, yellow peppers and black beans... add cilantro if yr into it.... 

and then, 

 add mix to coconut rice. 

I usually substitute coconut milk for about 1/2 of whatever the recommended water ratio is, sometimes a bit more. 

 (tip - i use vegan sour supreme (aka vegan sour creme) to seal the tortillas together)

and then... 

 fry ' em up, cause who doesn't like anything fried?

and then, serve!!! 

really, these pictures are just a blip of the month of fantastic eating i had. being vegan really isn't that hard. for real. yes, cheese is good. but, there are so many fantastic flavors waiting to dance on your tongue when they aren't being weighed down by dairy. i swear.

the last thing i'll say (for now) is that being vegan often means avoiding processed foods. though it's true it doesn't have to mean that. i spent five years eating tofu every morning, snacking on newman's oreos, and eating a lot of amy's pizza.  but, speaking for myself now (at 30!)(yup, i said it), i could stand to walk away from the prepackaged paradise that is every aisle in every grocery store. just sayin'. 

also, just sayin'... hello blog-o-sphere. 

eat yr heart (out) is back!!!

xoxo.