Some of my Portland Plans

I'm actually trying not to look at too many pictures of Portland but I'm trying to pick a few places to show you that I can't wait to go.

This is a bookstore!! They have over a million books, nine color coded rooms and over 3,500 sections!!! Plus, they are not too far away from:

Can you say Vegan-Chinese-Lunch-Buffet!??!? I am SOOO FRIGGING EXCITED. They have vegan orange chicken :)

Another awesome thing about Portland is the food carts!! I'm really excited about this one:

They have a few interesting vegan topping choices for your fries (which I heard are out of this world to begin with): banana ketchup! rosemary truffle ketchup! and of course vegannaise :) They also make their signature "pb n j" fries. I can't wait to try them!

Another thing I'm going to see if we can shove into our schedule (between all the eating) is:

a bike tour! Look how beautiful...again, trying not to look at too many pictures because I want to be super excited when I get there but they have a tour that goes out and stops at about six different waterfalls! I don't think I've ever seen a waterfall in real life--just fake ones at all the amusement parks in Florida.

We also want to stop at all the gardens (Chinese, Japanese, and Rose Test).

There's a Saturday Morning Market (also runs on Sunday morning)

and of course we'll be there for Veg Fest!

All in all, I am incredibly excited!!!! There will be tons of pictures when we get back as well. I'm borrowing my Mom's digital camera (lost mine) and gonna try to throw a few disposables in my pack..not sure how much I can fit on the way there. My plan is to shove a huge duffel bag in my backpack so when we buy things in Portland we can check it on the way back but not have to check it on the way there (save time). However, I'm pretty sure it's about as big folded up as my backpack is to begin with. I'm packing really light, though. I figure anything I need I can get in Portland and I'm sure I will want to buy a shirt or two so I'm wearing like one pair of pants there packing shorts and that's it, etc. Light packing.

Just booked the hotel as well...decided not to stay at a fancy hotel because we could use the extra money for food and souvenirs. If we were only staying a couple nights I would have gone for it but five nights would get a bit expensive.

What's your favorite city you've ever been to?

I've really only been up the East Coast--Atlanta, South Carolina (when my old job moved), Washington D.C., Massachusetts, Rhode Island.

Kristi(E)

Fourth of July Food and Fire(work)s

Sorry I'm late with the posting... my car appointments took WAY longer than I expected and I am totally exhausted--not to mention that after spending the day sitting and thinking and sitting and thinking some more (all the way through eating lunch at a restaurant all by myself!) I decided to change majors.

This is a HUGE step for me and totally out of my comfort zone but I know it's something that I will enjoy much more and will lead to more opportunities...so the second half of my day I spent rearranging my schedule for the Fall and pushing my graduation date back a year so I can be:

Ok, so not EXACTLY MacGyver but I'm going to go for environmental science! I'm really excited. That's sort of what he does on the show, right? :-P Sometimes at least!

Okay so 4th of July...

We went to my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE VEGAN RESTAURANT!! Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Orlando, FL.

Check out this pizza!

and this bruschetta!

Pumpkin Penne Pasta w/ Seitan:

and this "sheep's pie"

and tofurkey ruben!

This is kinda a lot of food..and yes we ate there for lunch AND dinner!!!!!

They also have these yummy sodas:

(and cookies---not pictured)

So after going to Ethos (the first time), we stopped at IKEA! I got a garlic press (coolest thing ever) and a tea infuser (also really cool) and only $1-2 each.

Then stopped at the fancyschmancy mall. Found this cute bike print shirt but the cut was weird and too expensive for me to buy and try to alter:

Stopped and got yummy carrot juices. Mine had mango and Marc's had banana.

I also stopped at the Sanrio store to get gum for my Hello Kitty gum dispenser...I'll have to upload a picture later. It is adorable and I've had it forEVER.

So we ventured down to Lake Eola where there were a bunch of tents set up and whatnot all around the lake and look at the beautiful rainbow:

Except that it shortly thereafter POURED and there was nowhere to go. We eventually found our way, completely drenched, to a parking garage (that was locked) thus hiding under the awning but someone eventually let us all in. We walked around and around trying to find an outlet that worked so my friend could charge her phone. Marc kept trying doors to see if any of them were unlocked and one was so we went into this condo building to charge her phone. The condo building, however, was private and you could only get in with a key *cough.

Then the fire alarm went off!!!!!! We went out into the lobby and tried to act "normal." Some guy who lived there started yelling about some people that were in the lobby if they really lived there or just hiding out of the rain. We just acted normal whilst he kicked everyone BUT us out of there. Even though we were soaked (IDK how to figure that one).

Then the firefighters showed up and I let them in (remember the doors only open from the inside--you need a key to get in!)

See!? Totally not joking. We waited til it stopped raining then went back out but I was really sick of the ginormous crowd and feeling awful from being so soaked (and waterlogged shoes) that I convinced Marc and Frances that we should go back to Ethos. Which was AWESOME!

The end...

Oh yeah, after my car appointments today I decided to try out the new Sweet Tomatoes that opened near me. They had vegan Thai Udon Noodle salad and Vegan veggie soup that was delicious. I also had a baked sweet potatoes and some fruit. Yum. (though a bit expensive for the buffet)...this is where I ate all alone--in a REAL restaurant. Don't think I'd ever done that before, haha.

So I'm glad I didn't eat anything covered in bbq sauce or watch any fireworks on the fourth (though we did see a few on the drive home). I feel accomplished doing my normal eat lots of vegan food routine. It's just ALL SOO GOOD!!!!

xoxo
Kristi(E)

New Icecream!?

I've had "So Delicious" icecream before but never saw this flavor until now!!

YUM!!

PEANUTBUTTER CHOCOLATE!!

This may be a match for the Carrot Cake.

Also, happy fourth of july :)

Kristi(E)

My favorite vegan snack!

I know this picture is super blurry but you get the idea. When I first heard about this I thought, that must not taste very good--but it is AMAZING!!

crackers, creme cheese, daiya mozarella.

Then I just microwave it so the cheese melts. It is so awesome!!!!

Chick-un Noodle Soup!

It's so delicious I could honestly eat the whole pot. Just add water, bring to boil, simmer for 20 minutes and you're ready to eat!!!

Made with this:

Everything I've ever had by "Fantastic Foods" is absolutely delicious!! I get mine from Vegan Essentials.

What are friends for?

Every now and then, my totally awesome friend Frances comes over and cooks for us! This week we made goulash. When I was little, my grandma always used to make "goulash" but hers was elbow noodles, gravy, and beef. Most other goulashes I've seen are more tomato sauce-based. Not sure about the different origins. My grandmother is German so perhaps that has something to do with it?? Not sure.

The recipe was really simple and kinda like a chili. Tofu crumbles, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, onions and garlic (you saute those before mixing in everything else), and some spices. The recipe we used called for a bit of oregano and paprika. Basically just cook that all in a pot and serve over your choice of noodle. Really simple and tasty pasta dish.

Do any of your friends like to cook? I'm definitely more motivated when there is an extra pair of hands in the kitchen.

Kristi(E)

PESTO!!

I made pesto linguini with diced tomatoes and chopped up gardein chicken tenders.

OMIGOSH DELICIOUS!

Grass Root

If you are EVER in the Tampa/Ybor, FL area, you MUST make a very short trip over to Grass Root (raw vegan restaurant!)

We went there last week because I was just CRAVING IT! We live an hour away so don't get to go there all the time but when we do it's always an amazing experience. Really. Ridiculously good.

Hibiscus tea--I had never had it before but it was absolutely delicious! It was like a fruity tea with a hint of cinnamon. MmmMmmMmm and Marc got a peanutbutter smoothie with hemp milk, irish moss, banana, ground peanut, flax seed, and plantago fiber. I don't actually know what plantago fiber is..let's see..it is a cleansing herb.

Marc got this sandwich:

Onion bread, hummus, avacado, sprouts, romaine & sheeze

I got a raw pizza!!!!!!!

Raw three sheeze pizza (vegan cheese), massaged kale, sundried tomato, avacado, fresh tomato, atop a raw crust

And for dessert....

Mint Brownie Pie and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake!

(which tasted absolutely delicious together)

Have you ever been to a raw restaurant?

It's always an incredible experience. :D

Kristi(E)

PITA POCKETS!!!

I haven't had a pita pocket in so long! We biked to the grocery store last night after it stopped pouring (I swear there was a hurricane I didn't know about or something) and I was wondering around trying to decide what to eat. All I knew is I wanted an avocado. How much are avocados where you live? I need to shop around...they are $2 each at the grocery store by my house...that just seems expensive although they are amazing!!c

Anyways, I decided we could make some kinda wrap. When searching for wraps we found PITA POCKETS!!!! The night was complete.

Alfalfa sprouts, avocado, tomato, lettuce, grilled tofu, rice & beans all in a pita pocket :)

>

Tada!! I absolutely love wraps/pockets/sandwiches because you can really just throw in whatever you have and it's usually pretty awesome!

Gotta run off to work (at least I get out an hour early today :D)

Kristi(E)

Movie Night + Baked Tofu

So, I made some kinda asparagus/garlic/tofu bake last night.

Just chopped up the garlic--layered on the bottom, layered artichokes and then for the tofu breading I just threw some olive oil and breadcrumbs in a bag, put the tofu in, shook it up, and voila! Baked it for about 30 minutes and then served it over brown rice :)

We also watched this last night while eating dinner and I actually really liked it...not exactly what I thought it was going to be about which was good!

YAY FRIDAY! I actually have tomorrow off :) Need to think of something awesome to do!

Kristi(E)

Against Me!

Last night we went to a sold out Against Me! show in Gainesville, FL. I have never been so drenched from a show as last night. The crowd was singing along to every word and it was absolutely nuts. Even my fingers were pruney. However, I FORGOT EARPLUGS!!! My right ear has been ringing off the hook all day. Really hope it gets better tomorrow :-/ Marc is playing a show tonight and there is NO WAY I will forget earplugs. I'm going to buy a bunch to keep in my car. Ringing ears is awful.

However, a great remedy for feeling not-so-awesome is spaghetti, covered in nutritional yeast!! I absolutely love these vegan cheesy flakes of heaven plus many brands contain B12. No 'real bread' for garlic bread? No sweat, had some hotdog buns hanging around so baked them up in the toaster oven! Just olive oil, garlic, italian seasonings, and a sprinkle of daiya. Voila!

And look! I'm wearing shorts!!!! I have been shorts-phobic for years but I'm finally breaking lose. Some awesome leopard print sure does help. Plus check out my awesome shirt from Deadworry on Etsy. They have a TON of cute shirts that are all on my birthday/christmas list. Check them out!!

Hope you're having a good week! KEEP YOUR EARS SAFE!! Remember earplugs

Kristi(E)

BLT!

Marc made me a delicious vegan BLT for lunch!!!

*Note the cute Hello Kitty face in the toast! hehe, from this:

This is what he used for the bacon:

It was absolutely delicious!!! Just added tomatoes, lettuce, and vegannaise! Pretty cheap idea sure to fool many a meateater. Really, it was deeeelicious!!!

In the process of touching up my hair! I ran low on dye towards the end but I think I managed, we'll see in a few hours (yes, I keep bright colored dye on for multiple hours--helps make it stay in my hair and not wash out!!)

Kristi(E)

Peanutbutter Blondies

Delicious!!!

I used the recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar but substituted white chocolate chips instead of the peanuts on top. The best part is you only need one bowl!!! Easy cleanup.

It stays together better than this photo, I just could not wait long enough for it to cool completely. Plus, I have some chocolate icecream in the freezer. Hot peanutbutter blondie with cold chocolate icecream!?

YES, PLEASE!

I'm here! I'm here!

We have been doing some MAJOR Spring? Summer? well, CLEANING around this house!! Rearranged the living room so we could fit our bikes in here, rearranged the bedroom, cleaned up the bathroom (ever increasing amount of stuff under the sink), scrubbed down the kitchen, etc. I am also getting rid of BOXES of clothes. I really don't know how I came into ownership of so much stuff!! Most of it is from years ago and I just never got rid of it. I've been much pickier with my purchases as I get older and money gets tighter but that has totally worked in my favor. No more of those wear once and then shove in the back of the closet shirts. I've also been sewing up the clothes I DO want but don't wear because they're too big. I'll post some pictures of those on here soon.

Yesterday I made these oat-based veggie patties from a packet:

You just added water, formed them into patties and cooked. They were VERY seasoned but when eaten with the fresh lettuce, avocado, and tomato, they were very tasty! I also used the rest of the avocado to make some guacamole. My new favorite add-in is Taco Bell's Verde sauce!! That way I don't have to have lime on hand and just throw it in! Perfect.

We also recently went to Gainesville (Rock City) to see Crass's "Last Supper" Tour. It was really awesome. The chick they got to sing the female-led songs was totally rad. Went to Karma Cream (twice, of course):

How cute! I always see these at Whole Foods but they're never vegan!! Little chocolate cup with mocha mousse inside, etc. Delicious!! And, TOFURKEY RUBENS! These were amazing. Who knew I'd eat sauerkraut?

Gonna make some tea and scoot on over to work. What a waste of a Saturday!!

Hope your weekend is free of w-o-r-k.

Kristi(E)

When being lazy pays off:

Waking up to a slice of this left on your nightstand :D

CUPCAKES!

Everyone loves cupcakes, right? My coworkers sure did! I've been talking up my vegan cupcakes BIG TIME for at least six months now. So when I finally decided to bring some in, there was a lot of pressure! I decided on cookies-n-creme and peanutbutter chocolate. Who doesn't love those combos right? Both of the recipes came from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

Everyone loved them!! :D

(I only have my phone as a camera so bare with the not-so-awesome photos). Either way, I still think they look delicious!!!

Then, for pre-Mother's Day (Saturday since I worked all of Sunday), I went and visited my Mom! I made a nice summery pasta for lunch and we sat in the patio and talked for a bit. I really enjoyed the pasta! The recipe was from Vegan YumYum but I think it's pretty simple to just guesstimate everything.

It had rotini pasta, sundried tomatoes (but I used regular diced 'cause I'm weird and not a huge fan of sundried), lemon zest mixed with parsley, garlic and breadcrumbs, the secret ingredient crushed red peppers, and I threw on a heaping spoonful of Parma! to top it off. Absolutely delicious! We finished off the whole bowl.

S'ghetti!

So, I love my pasta. When I was younger, all I would eat was noodles and gravy (really, I think it was every day). In my adult life, I have learned to love all shapes and sizes of pasta as well as their sauces. Tonight I made spaghetti (okay, so this isn't so original but it's great for when you get home late and don't want to slave over the stove)!

I used a cheese sauce packet from Road's End instead of my usual Parma (hints the weird creamy look in the Shrek bowl and the dollop of cheesy sauce in the white bowl).

I'm not the biggest Shrek fan but it's still a pretty neat bowl. Handles are handy!

The cheese sauce was really awesome! Call me crazy but it even seemed to have a hint of garlic to it. I think it would be really awesome mixed into a stuffed shells tofu ricotta recipe! That is definitely on my list.

P.S. Road's End makes the alfredo noodles from my post here.

For a snack today I made some sherbet...or what I'd call sherbet at least! The only ingredients were frozen fruits and vanilla almond milk but it was delicious!

Tomorrow is my first day of summer cleaning! I am very excited to get started and will post pictures if I make any noteworthy progress. Have a great night and thamk=you for stopping by my blog!

Really, that's what the gas station told me this weekend ;)

Kristi(E)