Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Attack of the Killer Summer

Well, it's official.  Monday marks the end of summer for me, as I am going back to school for the first time in several years.  No worries, though.  This summer is ending with a bang.  Starting tomorrow, I will spend 4 food-fueled days in Portland getting my Vida Vegan Con on!  Expect a ridiculous amount of blogs and hopefully some funny stories.

I'm doing two classes this year.  First up is Vegan Battle Royale with Kittee and Amey.  I cannot even begin to tell you how stoked I am to do something like this with these two ladies!  It has been such a blast coming up with the many intricate aspects of this game.  Seriously...get your booty to our classroom on August 27th at 12:20PM in Coos Bay.

We will have two teams battle it out for the ultimate in vegan PWNAGE!  Plus, there are prizes for every member of the audience.  They range from homemade gluten free goodies to super phat gift certificates.  And check out how adorable our logo is (drawn by Amey!!!):

Does it get any more awesome?!
If you still aren't convinced, just go ahead and check out the blog post on the VVC website.  Peep game.

My second class will be with the wonderful Lidiana from The Spicy Vegan.  We are putting together a wonderful talk on Budgeting and Meal Planning.  The class will touch on grocery budgeting, entertaining on a budget, and learning how to meal plan like a pro!

So, if your hero is George Costanza you might just want to check us out.  We promise to give you tips you've probably never heard of before.  Come see us on Sunday, August 28th at 9:40AM in Coos Bay.  And I'll leave you with a budget-friendly top 5 list...

Top 5 Favorite Broke Ass Meals

  1. Pancakes-If you keep a pantry stocked with flour, pancakes are incredibly cheap to make at home.  Should you run out of non dairy milk, try using water thickened with a bit of applesauce.  It gives a nice fruity flavor.
  2. Beans and Rice-The most vegan meal on the planet.  There's a reason why so many cultures have these as staples.  It's cheap.  Buy dried beans and rice in bulk to save even more money!
  3. Soup-It can include practically anything.  Throw in some root vegetables and some greens...you're golden!
  4. Haluski-I only discovered this meal within the past year or so while watching Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  It's super simple.  Cabbage and onions sauteed in oil.  Add pasta and the optional fake bacon.  Salt and pepper to taste.  It will change your life, yo.
  5. Potatoes-Hopefully, you're eating more than just taters.  However, they are super cheap and really filling.  Plus, they can be transformed into pretty much anything.  Baked potatoes, fries, salad, mashed, etc.

10 comments:

Katie said...

Good luck! I don't know if you have this in there already, but you can occasionally find great vegan groceries at Big Lots for quite a discount (but then they'll randomly have things that are twice as much, like $8 for a bag of quinoa)

T said...

I agree, pancakes are the cheapest! And rice and beans, in bulk, are truly excellent broke foods. I would also suggest risotto, esp if you omit the white wine.

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of applesauce and water in place of non-dairy milk in pancakes. I bet it's delicious.

The Spicy Vegan said...

I love this post! I can't wait to meet you in person! See you soon!

Allysia said...

I don't know how I managed to miss the game show panel but I am sadfaced about it! I was next door, and there was definitely lots of wooing and excitement emanating through the walls. Excited for your recaps!

Matty said...

Question...

What are the awesome looking sliders in your banner? Is this something you have arecipe for?

THANKS!

Monique a.k.a. Mo said...

Matty, they are this crazy thing I did for Vegan MoFo a few years ago. I was making fun of Paula Deen's Ladies Brunch Burger and made these hot dog roll up sliders.

How to create them can be found here, but I don't recommend consuming more than one! Haha.

Luciana said...

It was so nice finally meeting you, Mo! I came home to a big head of cabbage in my fridge, so I know what I'm making for dinner this week!

JESSY said...

just found your blog and love it!

Matty said...

Thanks so much Mo! Paula Deen isn't that difficult to make fun of. I think she causes about 28 heart attacks in the 1/2 hour she is on Food Network. Surprised the FDA ahsn't surrounded her house with guns drawn..."ma'm, please put the stick of butter down and come out peacfully..."