Is It Fall Yet?

Well, it's the end of September and we are still in the triple digits over here.  And to add to the super happy fun times, my air conditioner isn't working!  Great.  So, I can't cook anything if it doesn't take longer than two minutes.  I've been sorta busy as well.  I started taking classes and began writing again.  So that's been truly fun.  I needed to focus on something because being away from home with no friends was weighing on me.

In fantastical news, Vegan Month of Food (VeganMofo) begins on Thursday and I thought about what I'm gonna do.  Once again, I'm going to break my themes up by calendar week because it's easier that way.

Days 1-3 (Week 1): These will be freebies.  I honestly don't know what I'm going to do exactly.  The palate challenge will probably be one of these days and I still have to organize the other two.  Isa had this Epicurious game which seems pretty fun.  That will also probably be one of my days.

Week 2: Health Week.  I'm going to be doing photo mosaics of the food I ate that day and what exercises I did.  This is mostly to kick my butt into gear again.  Plus, I didn't have a health week last year, and my stomach did not like me by the end of the month.

Week 3: Budget Week.  I pride myself on my thriftiness, but I've never put it to the test.  I'm gonna try to make really delicious meals for super cheap.  We'll see how it goes.

Week 4: Holidays/Fall Meals.  I really wanted to do some seasonal stuff, so this will be the week.  I can't wait.  I think fall food is my favorite, followed closely by spring.

Week 5: Food Memories.  I can't wait for this week.  I love reliving those memories.  Plus, Halloween is such a great way to end this thing.

So these are my themes.  I also plan to do Movie Mondays (pairing movies and meals) and Food Network Fridays (veganizing FN meals) every week.  So I have to go get organized on this.  See you on Thursday!

Palate Challenge Ideas

I don't know why, but I just got majorly excited about MoFo next month.  I've been thinking about how I want to do it this year because I work best when seriously organized.  One thing I really want to do is a palate challenge.  I'm thinking about making a list of foods and having my husband set up 20 different samples from that list.  Without knowing what is on the table, I'll take the challenge.

Whenever I watch these food challenge shows, I find it highly amusing how people often don't know what they are eating when blindfolded.  I usually make fun of them because it seems like such an easy thing.  Yet, I have never tested myself.  And I long for a vegan palate challenge like Eddie Izzard longs for a bungalow!  Muahahahahaha.

So who is with me?  Vegans across the blogosphere...you should tell ever'body and their mom that a vegan palate challenge is where it's at.  Spread the word and make the palate challenge this year's refrigerator/freezer meme.  Seriously.  I am really looking forward to this.

Now for the real question: what sorta things should be sampled?  I want to get a list going and I would love any help.

WWBBM? and Other Random Things

Happy Sunday, all! It's a glorious sunshiny day. I'm sure when I step outside my joy will be ruined because it will feel like armpit. Go humidity!

So, yesterday I had Food Network playing in the background when something caught my attention. I don't know if you've ever seen What Would Brian Boitano Make, but that show is absolutely hilarious. It's got the insanity of Alton Brown without all the science. It's out there, and I love it! It was really bizarre that the first episode I saw was about freaking bacon, though. I think I like him enough to continue to watch.

Anyway...I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things to do at stores is to try new items. I don't eat processed stuff too often, but every once in a while I'll try something new. On a trip to world market last month, I stumbled upon melon flavored Ramune.

Stupid me for not getting a pic of the top because that's the best. If you've never had it, it's a Japanese carbonated drink that you open by tapping a marble into the bottle. The marble gets lodged into a chamber so it's completely safe and super awesome. I have to say that melon is my favorite one now. So delcious and refreshing.

Whenever I get to go to my vegan store, I usually get one new thing to try. This time, I really wanted to try soy free and gluten free stuff. Then I saw the knishes! Sweet lord. If you've never tried Klassic Knish they are super good. I really like the spinach one. I also tried Coconut Bliss Cherry Amaretto ice cream which was creamy but not too rich. I thought the cherries could have been more prominent, though. I think I like Turtle Mountain's coconut milk line better because it has more flavor.

I also got to try Enjoy Life's soft baked chocolate chip cookies. I remember stumbling upon this brand about 2 years ago in Texas. The company is gluten, soy, nut, dairy, and casein free. A lot of their products are vegan which makes me happy.

Going mostly gluten free and becoming less soy dependent is not unlike going vegan for the first time. It was seriously overwhelming until I calmed down and saw that there are options. I'm still looking for gluten free flour, though. I know that Bob's Red Mill sells one, but does anybody know about a homemade recipe using a combo of different flours?  That would make my life easier because I can't find the premade stuff anywhere.

Now, I leave you with this kick ass Isa tester (for her weight loss/healthy eating book).  This was delicious!

Caribbean Curry Black Eyed Peas With Plantains and Jerk Asparagus

I'm gonna test some more Isa recipes today and tomorrow so more to come...  Have a safe and happy weekend.

LA Meetups and Procrastination

Why hello there!  I am such the slacker right now.  This is a quick-ish post to let you know that I realize I didn't live up to what I said in my other quick post.  Hee hee.

So.  Basically, I got sick.  It was really bad for a week.  I have great reason to believe that it had something to do with mass consumption of gluten, so I am trying to take that out of my diet slowly.  I've also set a year long plan to change my diet and exercise regimen.  I was doing well before I got sick and kinda just stopped.  So, now I'm starting up again.  I hope this will make my food porn so much more fresh and so clean, clean.

I promise some photos tomorrow of some stuff still lodged in my camera.  I've got ideas for six shows that we are hoping to shoot within the next month or so.  We'll see how that goes.  School just started and I'm taking a class so I may get busy.  I will try my hardest to blog more often.

Word to yo motha.

Other than that, I went to a lovely potluck in LA last weekend.  We were celebrating Fughawzi's (PPKer) 18th birthday.  I also met another PPKer, RageAndLove.  Everybody was awesome!  The food was great, though my tamales were so not bomb.  Two things I sometimes forget when I'm rushing: never serve untested things to others and always taste your food before serving.  I tasted a mini tamale that I made, but it tasted nothing like the bigger ones.  So next time I'll redeem myself.  And LA vegans are cool people.  They told me I had to get my hands on some Daiya and I am in love.  That stuff is greatness.  I was getting down on some quesadillas!

Okay.  More to come tomorrow.