Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been trying to get through a pile of freelance work and felt guilty updating this blog when I had other deadlines (or rather...have...other deadlines hanging over my head), but it's Christmas week and who the hell works over Christmas week, except the people in restaurants, retail stores, shopping websites, shipping establishments, resorts, hospitals, and convenience stores. And, of course, the people who don't actually celebrate Christmas, like non-Christians. And me.
I went shopping with Groom last week as the bagger grabbed another plastic bag (yeah, we forgot our reusable bags so what) for our many, many items, I said, "I can't believe how much food we bought!"
And he was like, "Well, you must be having a big party!"
"Nope! We don't celebrate Christmas!"
This guy--who reminded me of a cross between Jebidiah Atkinson on SNL and Lou Todd on Little Britain (You really have to squint your eyes to get there, but smoosh those two people together and you have a bagger at an IGA in a small town in Maine)--this guy, his face screwed up into such an awesome mixture of confusion, shock, and pity. "Whaaaa...t??"
As we were leaving, I couldn't help myself and I wished him a Merry Christmas. And he said:
"Thank you! Merry....uh...have a good...um..."
And then he looked down at his feet.
I'm such a jerk. This is the same place where I noticed the cashier's voice was super raspy so I said, "Oh, it sounds like you're getting over a cold!" To which, she replied, "I had throat cancer and needed radiation. My voice always sounds like this."
And I said, "Con...grat...u...lations...?"
So, I imagine I'm probably a beloved fixture in this community. And, I can't find it, but I'm certain I've told that story already.
Back to all the food I bought at the local IGA. My plan was to cook up a storm during the ice storm. Instead, I slid my way to a friend's condo on the mountain and drank way too much wine, stayed way beyond my welcome, and spent the entire next day in the fetal position thinking about the buttercream frosting she makes for her delicious cupcakes and realizing the only thing that might get me out of the fetal position was access to more of that buttercream. (I know buttercream isn't vegan. I had only a little. And it was totally worth it.)
Now I have a bunch of food that needs cooking. I scan websites and blogs all the time for yummy recipes. I figure it's only fair I share the names of them here. And, I can find maybe 75% of the necessary ingredients at my local IGA, so dinner turns into kind of an educational scavenger hunt. Which is fun. During an ice storm.
Thug Kitchen
This guy cooks up some really yummy, mostly vegan recipes. What I love about this site is that he makes it all seem so easy. He's got this "don't worry about it" approach to cooking and his language is so foul. I love it. Today, I'm making the tamale pie to test drive it before people come over next week. For my guests, I'll have sour cream and cheese available. I'm not mean.
100 Days of Real Food
Although this isn't a vegan site, there are some awesome recipes and ways to cut processed food from your diet. My friend MoMo of Three Daughters Cookie Company is taking the 10-day pledge after the new year; I'm eager to hear more about it. For what it's worth, MoMo whipped up a batch of raw kelp noodle pad thai for me last week. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. And, while I was visiting with her, she took three catering jobs, pulled together a basket of MoMunch Granola for a client, baked a coffee cake and a bundt cake for the local coffee shop, consoled a relative over the phone, and picked up her daughter from school. She is a machine and she has the loveliest family ever.
My Whole Food Life
I use recipes out of here all the time. The pecan pie larabars are super easy and an excellent sweet treat.
EatGoodFood4Life
I lived on the almond butter banana granola bars for the entire month of October.
goop
Yeah, I know. I can't stand Gwyneth Paltrow, but this site is worth it. My friend Darcy turned me on to it and even I had to let go of my "Gwyneth is an elitist" mentality. I'm a fan of the broiled balsamic salmon.
The Spunky Coconut
The fact that this site has the word spunk in its name totally outweighs the fact that they identify themselves as paleo. Paleo is the new macrobiotic, right?
Vegan Monologue
Good recipes. Excellent name. And, mama like the drunken noodle.
Mark Bittman
Thank you Mark Bittman for the arugula and chickpea salad. Thank you.
And for cookbooks, I've been leaning on Vegan Cooking for Carnivores (but I'm starting to shy away from trying to fake meat recipes but I am making their tofu spread today), Veganomicon and Vegan with a Vengeance (like Thug Kitchen's guy, these ladies are just punks), and for special occasions Light and Healthy by America's Test Kitchen, which is really fatty and yummy, just not as fatty and yummy as their normal stuff.
I need to drink a glass of bourbon to outweigh this annoyingly earnest post about eating healthy. I'll get on that, right after I take this tablespoon of cod liver oil. You know. For my health.
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