Your Vegan Mom

PuPu Platter: Happy New Year!

 

 We just got back from Felix's 4 month check-up.  He's 20 pounds 12 ounces, or about the size of the average American 9 month old, which explains why the 0-9 month diaper covers already don't fit.  So, go vegan babies.  

I hate the mall, but yesterday, when Desmond was at my mom's house, Paul, Felix, and I found ourselves in the Beverly Center.  Did you know that they have a really pretty outdoor eating space just off the food court on the third floor?  It was a mild evening, and we were the only ones out there watching the pink light of the setting sun bounce off the buildings downtown.  So beautiful.  And all enclosed.  I made a mental note that this would be a good place to eat with a rambunctious toddler.  Plus the pastagina (Really?  Pastagina?  Is that supposed to rhyme with lady privates?  Because that's certainly how I'm going to say it.) inside has at least one pasta that is specifically marked vegan.  I appreciate that, pastagina.  Thanks.    

To Live and Eat in L.A. just wrote about another place that I love to eat with kids.  Good Girl Dinette is super-comfy and kid-friendly, and those rice cakes with crispy scallion tofu are as amazing as they look.  

Tal Ronnen, of The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat fame, will be at the Pasadena Whole Foods tomorrow from 5:30 - 7:30.  There's information to RSVP on their site. 

21-Day Vegan Kickstart looks like a really great resource for the vegan-curious.  

I love these calendars that Cameron Blazer, the Cottage Industrialist, created for you to print out.  Now I just need some really nice paper and probably some printer ink.  

I'm heading to Trader Joe's right now, and I seriously hope they're out of Candy Cane Joe Joes, though the boy has somehow got it in his head that because we ran out, we're going to make some.  I'm looking at this recipe.

Happy New Year!  

Good and Gross

 

Paul says he's going to start a weekly guest feature here called, "Gross Things Trina Eats."  This open-faced sandwich qualifies in his book (not that I let the doubter have a bite).  It's a piece of sourdough spread with vegenaise, sprinkled with orange daiya cheese (I wouldn't really call it cheddar.) and chives, broiled.  Such a good snack.  Have you eaten anything good and gross this week?    

Excuse me,

I'm having difficulty thinking straight.  The baby woke up something like every half an hour last night.  And then there's the laundry.  I forgot about new baby laundry.  There's a lot of it.  That kid can poop on anything.  And good land, he's hungry again.  I have to go.  Did you seen that list over there on the left?  I've got a rotating roster of VeganMoFo blogs that you should be reading - I'm changing it every week.  So get going.  I'll see you tomorrow.  Thanks so much for being here.    

Your Vegan Hospital Stay

...will require take-out.  

 

That lasagna is not vegan.  And those steamed vegetables?  Not delicious.  I should have specified.  My special diet is vegan and delicious.

If you have any overnight plans for Cedars Sinai, put this list of take-out options in your hospital bag:

Mani's (323) 938-8800
Holy Cow (323) 852-8900 
Real Food Daily (310) 289-9910
Cafe Flourish (323) 939-3932
Chipotle (310) 855-0371 
Vegan Glory (323) 653-4900
 

Also, there's a Starbucks on site for your coffee with soy milk and New York Times needs, but if it's not an emergency, I'm sure you know that Mani's has much better coffee and those fruit turnovers.      

(With Desmond's birth, I fared no better at Kaiser Harbor City.  There was a really yucky incident involving Not Vegan Salsbury Steak.  Does anyone have anything nice to say about veganism and hospital food?  I would think that a center of health and wellness would put a greater emphasis on healthy meals and meeting the needs of special diets.  I would love to hear about your experiences.)

Vegan and Delicious.  

Felix Monroe Jaconi Biery

was born on September 11 at 3:15.  45 minutes after we showed up at the hospital he clocked in at 10 pounds 12 ounces.  Thank goodness this gargantuan nugget of perfection decided to pop out 2 1/2 weeks before he was officially due.  I'm tired and hungry.  Desmond is a maniac, though always full of gentle kisses for his brother.  Paul is keeping us fed and somewhat functioning.  It's crazy this time.  We'll talk about the food next week.    

You Win! (If you're Susan. If you're not, thank you still for leaving such a nice comment.)

I have to wake up the boy in eight minutes.  But really quickly, since it is no longer last week, I want to tell you that I have a book for Susan (the Susan that left comment number 25 about the persuasive powers of good vegan cooking).  So get me that address, Lady, and I'll put your book in the mail.  Congratulations.  Everybody else, thank you so much for telling me about your Mother's Day foraging, and recipes you've tried, and campfire treats.  It was such a pleasure to hear from you.   

Now, any advice on getting my 2 1/2 year old to go to sleep on his own?  For the last four nights he has needed Paul or me to lay down with him.  Is this a (brief) phase?  Or now that we have caved in to his demands will we be doing this for years to come?   

Also, I defy you to give me an example of a more ridiculous transitional object than three life-size, plush golden retrievers.  

PuPu Platter: where I pile a lot of different topics on the plate

My dad, at my dining table last Sunday, reading aloud from the March issue of Vegetarian Times magazine: "Hot Chick of the Month: Your Vegan Mom!"

Me, yelling from the kitchen: "Hot Click, Dad!  Click.  Like website."

Did you see it?  I figure since March is almost over, I ought to mention it real quick.  I was very grateful that they edited out all the stupid things I said in our brief interview and wrote a sweet little paragraph about this blog.  Thanks. 

If you haven't read it yet, it's on page 22.  I'll wait.

Also, 

• Did you notice that Silk no longer exclusively uses organic soy beans?  To be honest, I was always pleasantly surprised that such a big company did, but now they've pulled this sly switcheroo that just leaves me kind of icked out.  They have a separate new organic line, but I'll stick to Wildwood or Trader Joe's organic from now on, thanks.  Or ideally, homemade, but that just doesn't always happen these days.
• Have you visited C'est La Vegan?  It's a beautiful new blog written by the popular baker behind the vegan cupcakes at Leda's and photographed by her husband.  Also, you'll find a link there to her on-line bakery.  I can tell you that her oatmeal cookies are perfect, and I bet the pecan bars and almond loaves are too.  Quarrygirl just did a nice write-up about her as well.  
• And for your next vegan baked goods smack down, maybe you should get some treats from Vegan Bake Sale to put head to head with C'est La Vegan's wares.  And invite me over, please. Vegan Bake Sale was officially launched yesterday by the lovely baker that pens Cute and Delicious - which, by the way, totally lives up to its name.  These people make me feel so lucky to live in Los Angeles.  
• I think these lipbalms would make great easter basket stuffers.    
• Whole Foods has extended their vegan pizza offerings and Desmond and I have since had lunch there almost everyday.  Also, at the Pasadena Whole Foods yesterday there was a vegan calzone on offer.  My dream has come true.  
• Shojin is celebrating their one year anniversary all month (as in for the next 5 days, sorry) with nightly dinner specials and a blow out on Sunday involving a vegan sushi chef. 
• Happy Weekend!  

Sorry about that impromptu hiatus.  It's a drag when life gets in the way of writing about it.  The fact that my week of summer lasted four days does not bode well for the Vegan Month of Food that begins tomorrow.  I intend to participate.  I wrote everyday last November, go look.  High five?  This year I'm doing weekdays.  And you? 

See you tomorrow.  

Real Quick

1. Hey, I wrote a post for Veggie Meal Plans that might come in handy this weekend.  (Have I ever mentioned what a lovely site that is?  You probably already know this, but it's filled with highly accessible recipes and run by one of the nicest people on the internet.)  
2. I am half-heartedly using Twitter.  I still have mixed feelings about it.  Thoughts?
3. Happy, happy weekend.  

Books: Is this incredibly boring?

So far I'm pretty jazzed with this week's library haul.  My local branch had all those vegetarian family cookbooks that I have, shockingly, never read.  Any favorite recipe suggestions?  Or bits I should skip?  

As the boy's patience waned, I quickly grabbed two barbecuing manuals because it's time to seriously improve my grilling skills.  I've become obsessed since, well living in the South, of course, and reading about Marcelo's backyard smoker.  I got to sample his wares on Sunday at a vegan potluck/ barbecue. (I meticulously packed up my camera, arranged my plate with it's dueling North and South Carolina-style pulled seitan sandwiches with sides of cole slaw and smoked potato only to discover that the carefully packed-up camera never made it into the diaper bag.  Clearly, I am still sad.  The food was all spectacular by the way.  I made pie.  I'll tell you about it later.)