Your Vegan Mom

Apple Town

 

Last Friday we drove to Oak Glen to pick apples for Paul's birthday apple pie.  There weren't any apples to pick.  Before we left I read that you should call ahead to find out what is being harvested.  You should call ahead.  Especially before you tell your three-year-old for a week that he'll be picking apples on Friday, and before he's started practicing at home with some sort of paint scraper or something that he calls his apple picker, and definitely before you check out books from the library to help him get excited about picking apples, and then before he starts speculating about whether he'll need a ladder.  You should call.  I'll give you all the numbers you need at the end.  There were some raspberries though.  And they were delicious.  Desmond ate about half that basket before we got home.

We also managed to pick a pumpkin.  (When we got home the boy had a melt-down because I wouldn't let him eat it.  Ah, the son of a food blogger.) We also watched apples being pressed into cider and brought home a gallon of our own.  

And we bought apples - little tiny sweet tart cameos for snacking.  And then a big bag of granny smiths and another of pippins (I think.  We bought those just before we drove home at 2:30 when we had finally resigned ourselves to not picking apples, and by that point we all really needed a nap, and the bag's not labeled.) for baking.  

There were also old-timey tankards of cider for drinking.  Riley's Apple Farm does this whole big colonial schtick - New England colonial - with costumed guides and candle making demonstrations and kids rolling hoops on the big center lawn.  We went for a pint in the period reproduction tavern, but the only thing on tap at Riley's Apple Farm is juice.  You should know this before you tell your husband for a week that he can have a nice pint in a big tankard, before he starts imagining what sort of ales they'll have on tap, before he says that he doesn't mind that his birthday's not a big deal this year - just as long as he gets a good pint.  

Despite the disappointments (that could have been avoided with a bit more research and preparation on my part) we actually had a pretty fun day out.  The weather was crisp - we got to wear sweaters. And we had our first successful family of four major outing. (Did I tell you about our previous family of four outing where we forgot Desmond's shoes?  So the relative success of Apple Town was huge.)  We'll go back.  Cheers.    

 

Riley's Apple Farm  (909) 797 - 4061
(In the future, I will save the colonial schtick for field trip groups.)

Riley's at Los Rios Rancho (909) 797 - 1005
(We picked a pumpkin here.)

Willowbrook Apple Farm (909) 797 - 9484
(This seemed like one of the least gimicky apple farms, but they're only open on the weekends.)

Snow-Line Orchard (909) 797 - 3415
(This was my favorite - fresh pressed cider, berries to pick, and picnic tables underneath a huge chestnut tree.  Incidentally they're famous for their apple cider donuts, but I haven't checked on their vegan-ness so I wasn't going to bring it up.)

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.  

Free Cooking Class This Friday! Bring the Kids!

In addition to all the baked good eating that I have planned for you this week, I'm going to need you to pencil in a date for Friday as well.  One of my favorite cooking mother-daughter duos is teaching a vegan class at the Whole Foods in Redondo Beach this Friday from 5 to 6 PM.  Entitled, Summer Treats, this class will focus on kid-friendly fare like smoothies and popsicles and ice cream and a berry topped chocolate cake to take to your 4th of July picnic.  There will be an as yet to be determined (by 10-year-old Tyler and her mom, Dawn) main dish as well.  (They're looking for a compromise between mac and cheese and a picnic salad.  Can you guess which side the young lady is on?)  

Filled with tasty samples and simple summer recipes, this should be a fun evening for the whole family.  And if you would like to make a night of it in the South Bay, Dawn and Tyler recommend dinner nearby at The Spot, Green Temple, Veggie Grill or Happy Veggie (I love the Vietnamese Chicken Salad).  

See you Friday!  (And Thursday and Sunday!)       

All Sorts of Baked Goods

Just in case you haven't heard, there are all sorts of vegan bake sales happening the world over this next week.  If you're not already baking and are looking for some treats to enjoy in your neighborhood you can find the nearest one here.

And if you live in my neighborhood, you have three to choose from.  This Sunday (June 21) and next (June 28) there will be a table set up outside of locali in Hollywood from 11 to 5.  On Thursday (June 25), you will find a booth next to the fountain at the City Hall Farmers' Market from 10 to 2.  

Do you mind if I just plan your weekend?  Because locali is awfully close to Griffith Park and makes a great place to pick up a sandwich on your way to go play.  But for the next two Sundays you can also load up on all sorts of homemade treats to take on that picnic.  If you park at the bottom of Ferndell and take that leisurely walk through the shade, then you will certainly need a cake break by the time you get to the picnic tables under the trees by the little playground.  And if you choose to hike from there, up the trail to the Observatory then you will need some serious snacks at the top.  And then again on the way back, I imagine you'll stop under those same trees at the top of Ferndell before heading home.  And of course it would be sad to go home empty handed, so set some time, cash, and calories away for this Sunday and next. 

And I happen to know that some seriously talented bakers will be plying their wares.  If you've ever lusted after what comes out of this kitchen or this one or this one, here is your chance to actually sample their cooking.  

The Thursday sale downtown will benefit the L.A. River Keepers.  And if you're interested in donating vegan baked goods to this sale you can contact Monica Valencia.

 

Good thing I'm eating for two.  

 

My Hot Saturday Night: the vegan drive-thru experience

*On second thought, I probably shouldn't have even brought this place up.  Their suppliers seem to be inconsistent so there is little way to tell if their products are completely vegan.  Read the comments for gross stories.*

Since we now live something like three miles from Orean, I thought it was time I give the old drive-thru another try.  I reasoned that without the cross city trek building up my expectations maybe it wouldn't be such a disappointing experience.  

This time around I knew enough not to order anything with the African salsa (I just don't like it.  Others do.  Please don't let me dissuade you.)  Or cheese (it's soy-based, but not vegan).  Or the breakfast sandwich (I can't remember when you're allowed to order it.  Rules, man.)

On a beautiful Saturday evening when we weren't quite ready to be home or cook dinner, Paul and Desmond and I settled into a red picnic table nestled into the 70's era fast food hut just next to the drive-through lane.  In between keeping a toddler from hopping into traffic, we took bites of sandwiches and fries.  

Paul's chicken burger with all the fixings was pretty satisfying - a breaded chickeny sort of patty on a soft wheat bun with barbecue sauce and vegenaise and lettuce and tomato and pickles and onions.  My filet-o-soul tofu burger was an inch-thick slab of mildly seasoned defrosted tofu with tartar sauce replacing the barbecue.  I won't be ordering it again.     

The air fries were mostly crisp, much better than the week before when they were thick and starchy and tasted like beef.  Consistency is not Orean's strong suit.    

And then there was the soft serve.  We strolled away with perfect drippy, creamy cones, somehow diverted Desmond's attention from the McDonald's Playland across the street, and appreciated Orean for what it is: decent fast food for Pasadena vegetarians.   

Also, where else in the city (let alone 3 miles from my house) can I get a vegan root beer float while my toddler, none the wiser, sleeps contentedly in the back seat?  (That's not a rhetorical question.  If you know, please tell me.) 

Orean Health Express
817 N. Lake Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 794 -0861

9:30 - 9:00