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Banana-Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

/ Kelly / 1 Comment

S and I share many traits. We both prefer staying in to going out and partying. We have ambitious Goodreads goals. We appreciate a solid pun. But one point of difference is our tolerance for meal repetition. Although I have no problem with leftovers in general, I need diversity in my meals. Eating the same thing for lunch or dinner every day bores me. S, on the other hand, has been known to make a giant pot of his favorite cold noodle dish on a Sunday and eat it every. single. day. for lunch throughout the week. Me? I’m bored by Tuesday. When a series of events led to him having Chipotle for lunch three days in a row a few months ago, he could’ve kept going for the next week. Me? I’m good with a monthly Chipotle fix.

When it comes to breakfasts, I have marginally more tolerance for repetition. But lately I’ve become bored with overnight oats, my typical summer staple. Well… “bored” is too weak a word for my feelings. “Repulsed by” is too strong, but it’s somewhere between the two poles. The finer distinctions of my current dislike aside, I wanted to make myself a substantial breakfast that would fill me up like oats do but would not require me to eat from a jar. (I’m so over that for now.) Determined to use the quickly browning bananas on my kitchen island, I gathered inspiration from my Blueberry-Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and my Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal.

Banana-Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

The result? Banana-Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, a satisfying breakfast you can eat with your hands—no jar required! My poor reviled oats take on new life in a dense, satisfying square sweetened ever so lightly with brown rice syrup. A few tablespoons of almond butter add filling protein and fat, but the nut-free among you could switch to soy butter with no major flavor changes. I left mine bare, but you could dress up your bars with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit. (And if you have a sweet tooth, consider adding a tablespoon or two of dark brown sugar to the wet ingredients—I prefer less-sweet breakfasts, but I know not everyone does!)

Banana-Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Makes 9 servings

  • 1 C whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 2 C old-fashioned rolled oats (I like Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats)
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 2 t cinnamon
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t nutmeg
  • 2 medium-large very ripe bananas
  • 1 C unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 1/4 C brown rice syrup
  • 2 T almond butter
  • 2 T ground flax
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • Optional add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried fruit

Preheat the oven to 375˚ and prepare an 8″ x 8″ baking pan. I typically use coconut oil, but any oil or spray will do.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas very thoroughly—they should be very liquid-y. Add the almond milk, brown rice syrup, almond butter, and vanilla extract and whisk to incorporate fully. Add the ground flax and give the liquid mixture a last stir.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine using a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25  minutes, or until a toothpick or metal testing tool comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes and then cut into squares… and enjoy your jar-less breakfast.

Banana-Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

P.S. Ya dig that cute fabric napkin? There’s a set of six for sale in my Etsy shop!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through my link, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies to help cover hosting costs.

Life, Lately

/ Kelly / 2 Comments

Long time no blog.

8 months, to be precise. My longest blogging hiatus pretty much ever. Why? I just wasn’t feeling it. I spent those 8 months immersing myself in new hobbies and activities, refocusing my energies and interests. Food–the act of reading about it and writing about it and talking about it–just didn’t interest me the way it used to. Instead of blogging, I knitted and sewed and got back in touch with my creative side. I opened an Etsy shop, The Pesky Pixie. I offer cruelty-free, eco-friendly items, like reusable fabric napkins and knitted coffee cup cozies. I also make super-cute bow ties for doggies (and obliging kitties!). They’re adorable. Check ’em out.

As the weather warmed, both S and I took up an entirely new hobby. Since the new year, S has been on a dedicated weight-loss journey. Armed with his FitBit, calorie counts, and his feet, he’s lost nearly 30 pounds. I’m so proud of him. He started by walking regularly, and as spring rolled in, he began running. We began running. S started a Couch to 5K program, and I joined him about 1/3 of the way through (I thought I was too advanced for the beginning couple weeks… ha). It’s been transformative. I mean it, too. Stop rolling your eyes.

In the past few weeks, though, I’ve found myself looking at food blogs and cookbooks with increasing frequency. One night when I was having trouble sleeping, I jotted down some ideas for homemade ice creams. Basically, I’m feelin’ it again. Expect more posts soon. In the meantime, how about a recap of the past 8 months in Instagram form? You can follow me at @kelmishka to see more. As I say on my bio, I don’t have a smartphone, so all my photos are taken at home on my iPad. (Spoiler alert: They’re mostly of Moria!)

I’ll share in chronological order, because what else would I do.

Thanksgiving with my family was both delicious and delightful. Sharing it with this curious little boy was the icing on the cake (um, the gravy on the Tofurky?).

Our first Christmas tree! I cut it down myself after we wound up on a cut-your-own farm accidentally.

It was a long, cold, brutal winter (well, brutal in MD terms… not so brutal compared to the ol’ WI winters!). I spent many hours snuggled up on the couch knitting.

I told you doggie bow ties are cute.

S’s mum gave us a sprouting kit for Christmas. We’ve been putting it to good use, although we went a little overboard the first time!

I celebrated Teddy’s first birthday in RI. He’s a goof.

I raided my mom’s fabric stash for napkin and bow tie materials.

Mama painted me a pretty bowl for my 27th birthday (seen here filled with BBQ chickpeas!).

Moria find herself in the weirdest positions. How is this comfy?

My bulletin board at work.

Best Christmas present ever. Thanks, parents! This baby has revolutionized my bread-making game.

Knitted bow brooches and hair ties are sweet accessories.

My first craft show! We have them twice yearly at the office. So much fun.

Sometimes Little Dog’s tongue comes out when she’s dreaming. Probably chasing a squirrel.

Standard fare.

Ladygirl at work. She’s the boss of me.

Choosing the color palette for a new project–a bib for my baby cousin.

New home for my cookbooks and my KitchenAid–a $5 yard sale find! Still need to repaint and find some fun knobs.

S, me, and my mom right after our first 5K (the Gaspee 5K in Warwick, RI). I felt great. Like our shirts? We had ’em made specially!

New running shirt purchased at my 5-year Carleton reunion. A rejuvenating weekend with some of my best friends in one of my favorite places in the world.

I’ve been all about salads lately. This one is marinated tofu, coconut bacon, and a homemade ranch sauce… topped with hemp seeds, of course.

Cucumbers are for pickling.

Five and a half pounds of scrumptious berries from Frog Eye Farm. Moria came, too!

My sweet new animal-product-free running shoes–Brooks Ravenna. They feel great!

I’ll be back soon with some FOOD. :)

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

/ Kelly / 7 Comments

This admission may be blasphemous in most vegan and/or healthy-eating circles, but here it is: I don’t really like bananas. I’ve mentioned it before, but it remains true. We just don’t get along.

Straight-up bananas are what really give me grief. Every so often I think my tastes and texture preferences might’ve changed, and I gamely set forth in a brave quest to conquer a single banana. (Of course, it has to be on the overripe end of the spectrum; any hint of green and the accompanying less-than-ripe smell and I’m gagging before I begin.) I peel it. I take a bite and quickly chew and swallow. This isn’t so bad, I think. I can do this. Then I’m two bites in and I’m remembering why I don’t do this. There’s a slimy mass on the back of my throat and an unpleasant smell in my nose. I force myself to swallow. I gag. I hand the banana off to S, who wonders aloud why on earth I keep doing this to myself.

Why, indeed. Bananas are a perfect on-the-go snack; they come with their own protective suit that keeps them safe in your purse or backpack. I want to be able to eat an entire banana while waiting for a flight without worrying about gagging aloud or having to furtively find a trashcan to dispose of the half-eaten fruit.

But alas, straight-up banana-lovin’ doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me.

I do, however, like bananas in other foods. Muffins. Soft–serve. And of course, banana bread. I love banana bread.

The thing about banana bread, though, is that I don’t consider it an appropriate breakfast food. Which is not to say that I’ve never indulged in a slice for breakfast, but it never fills me up. Banana bread—and most quick breads—are typically loaded with white flour, oil, and sugar. Not exactly the nutrients needed to get you off to a rip-roarin’ start.

This breakfast, however, combines all the flavors of banana bread in a wholesome, protein-packed baked oatmeal. It appeases both your love (or lukewarm like) of bananas and your need for a filling, nutritious breakfast. And it’s dead easy; everything comes together effortlessly in a blender. Now that’s a banana recipe I can get behind—no gagging involved.

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Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Serves four

  • Coconut oil, oil spray, or Earth Balance for buttering the pan
  • 3 very ripe medium-sized bananas
  • 1 cup nondairy milk of choice
  • 2 T ground flax
  • 2 T maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 T blackstrap molasses
  • 1 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1/2 t nutmeg
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 2 C rolled oats (I like Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats)
  • 1/4 C add-in of choice (chopped walnuts, chopped dates, chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 375˚. Spread the oil or Earth Balance around the inside of an 8”x8” square baking dish, making sure to cover all sides.

Add the bananas and milk to a blender and blend until fully smooth. Add all other ingredients except the oats and add-ins and blend again to incorporate all ingredients. Add the oats and blend for 30 seconds or so until the oats are partially broken into small pieces but aren’t fully blended.

Pour the mix into your prepared pan and drop any add-ins on top. Using a large spoon, gently fold in the add-ins. For an extra treat, sprinkle the top with a teaspoon or two of brown sugar.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the milk doesn’t look liquid-y on top of the oats. Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes to let set, then serve and enjoy!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through my link, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies to help cover hosting costs.

TJ’s Gourmet: Polenta with Kale, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and White Bean Puree

/ Kelly / 6 Comments

There are few more masochistic things about me than my desire to do most things The Hard Way. If there’s an easy way out… I’m probably not going to take it. There’s definitely some flawed thinking here, though I’m not sure exactly why it happens. Maybe I don’t like to feel lazy? Maybe I like to feel put-upon? I don’t know. It’s probably not good.

But.

Sometimes, even I have to admit that the easy way out is totally awesome.

Like prepared polenta.

And canned beans.

And prepared sun-dried tomatoes.

And organic kale… in a bag.

And getting all those things at a single store.

Yes, I practically live at Trader Joe’s these days. Other than Giant, it’s the nearest grocery store, and it has a good selection of vegan and organic products. Do I miss my Madison co-op and feel horribly guilty for buying non-local bagged kale? Yep. Am I willing to drive to the nearest ridiculously busy Whole Foods and spend absurd amounts of money instead? Nope.

So yeah, we have a lot of TJ’s products in our pantry. Last night, I put a bunch of them together to make an easy dinner with a surprisingly gourmet feel. Sun-dried tomatoes add a pleasant chewy counterpoint to the crunchy kale and soft polenta, and the puree ties everything together.

This is a lazy meal that doesn’t taste lazy. Whizzing up the puree was the hardest part.

Instagram photo of a bed of kale and sun-dried tomatoes with half-moon polenta pieces topped with a white bean puree.

Early sunset = bad lighting = iPad Instagram photos galore!

Polenta with Kale, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and White Bean Puree
Serves two

For the puree:

  • 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern beans (or any soft white bean)
  • Scant 2/3 cup vegetable broth or water
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 3/4 t dried thyme
  • 1/2 t garlic powder (I would’ve used fresh garlic, but we were out!)
  • Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and paprika to taste

Everything else:

  • A few large handfuls chopped Tuscan kale
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (the kind that’s packed in oil)
  • Half a tube of prepared polenta, cut into rounds and then sliced into half-moons.

Combine all puree ingredients in a food processor and process until you have a smooth puree. Taste for seasonings and adjust to your preference. Transfer to a small pot and heat on medium-low while preparing the rest of the meal.

In a large non-stick pan, heat a small amount of olive oil on medium. Add the kale and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and cook for three to four minutes. You can add some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes for added deliciousness. (Minced garlic would be yummy as well, but we were out.) After the kale cooks down and shrinks a bit, add the polenta to the pan. It will be crowded, but you can make room! Cook for another five to seven minutes, flipping the polenta once, until the polenta has a bit of a golden crust.

Turn off the heat and serve: make a layer of kale and tomatoes and top with the polenta. Ladle on a healthy scoop of puree and serve!

What’s your favorite easy “gourmet” dinner? Which Trader Joe’s products do you love? 

Cappuccino Ice Cream

/ Kelly / 1 Comment

Back in New England, the Hood dairy company is a big thing. Hoodsie Cups were the default low-cost, at-school celebration dessert, and Hood ice cream held a substantial share of supermarket freezer shelves. As a kid, I naturally loved ice cream, and I naturally preferred the chock-full-of-other-sweet-things varieties—peanut butter chocolate swirl was always my favorite. The simpler flavors, like strawberry or vanilla, seemed boring and bland to me. Why waste your time on a single flavor when you could have two? Or three?? And chunks of cookies or chocolate?! And the bottom-of-the-barrel single-flavor ice cream option, in my youthful opinion, was coffee. Ew. Neither of my parents drank coffee, and I did NOT like its flavor. The idea of it infiltrating my ice cream was offensive.

Until I tried Hood coffee ice cream.

I remember it as a transformative moment for my tastebuds, even if I can’t tell you when or where it happened. I remember hesitantly eating a spoonful, ready for the familiar disappointment tinged with disgust, and feeling neither. Instead, I tasted a deep flavor with more to it than just sugary sweetness. I couldn’t tell, at first, whether I actually liked it, but I soon decided I did.

Since then, I’ve had a soft spot for coffee ice cream. It’s not typically my preferred choice—I’m still a sucker for anything with chocolate and peanut butter (old habits die hard). But I appreciate it as a slightly more sophisticated option, and I truly enjoy its flavor now. Or at least I did until I stopped eating dairy—I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a vegan coffee ice cream.

So it was with a certain amount of nostalgic pleasure that I noticed a few coffee-centric recipes as I browsed through my copy of The Vegan Scoop, the cookbook my aunt gave me for Christmas last year. For my second-ever homemade ice cream (and my first-ever from this cookbook), I selected the Cappuccino variety.

 

cappuccino-ice-cream_10195134643_o

This ice cream gets its coffee kick from instant espresso powder, an ingredient I like to have on hand. Unfortunately, my powder sat in storage for a month and a half this summer, so it was more of a melted-then-rehardened glob than a powder. But it dissolved just fine in the hot ice cream mixture.

This ice cream-making experience was notably different from my first one—it took much longer for the ice cream to actually freeze in the machine; I wondered it if was going to stay liquid forever. And the final result was not as firm as the blueberry crumble ice cream. Instead, it’s a soft, melty ice cream that tends to get a little icy around the edges. I wish I could say that the flavor instantly transported me back to that childhood moment when I first realized that coffee ice cream wasn’t all bad, but it didn’t. The recipe called for half a teaspoon of cinnamon, and unfortunately that pungent spice nearly overwhelmed the coffee. It tastes good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a little sweeter than I’d prefer and it’s definitely not straight-up coffee ice cream.

Back to the drawing board, then! Now that I’ve got the basic mechanics of homemade ice cream figured out, I might have to take matters into my own hands and come up with a coffee-centric recipe of my own.

What’s your favorite coffee ice cream?

P.S. In case you’ve been waiting for the conclusion of my bee-in-the-car saga… I don’t have one. S and I have been car-swapping since Tuesday evening. He reports that the bee has not reappeared, despite a sugar trap he craftily placed in the car. The uncertainty is killing me! What if it’s just waiting for me to get back in the driver’s seat so it can make an appearance?! What if it is too smart to get trapped in the bottle and is instead feasting by night and secluding itself during the day, growing fat on straight sugar water?! What if it decides to hibernate in my car, rather than face the incessant rain that’s been drowning Maryland for the last few days?!?

…these are the irrational thoughts of my phobic brain. Most likely it is dead or it just escaped unseen back on Tuesday, but I fear the worst. SIGH.

The “B” Word

/ Kelly / 5 Comments

Something you might not know about me: I’m terrified of bees and all their stinging brethren. Even the word makes my heart beat a little faster (and not in a good way). It’s a bit of a phobia, and it is one of the few things that diminishes my love of the warm-weather months.

Today, my organization hosted a co-departmental picnic at a local state park, two hours of snacking and socializing. It was lovely to spend a few hours outdoors during the work day noshing on yummy vegan snacks, and there was only one small problem: bees. Stupid, stupid, late-summer, early-autumn bees. Yellow jackets, to be precise, buzzing around our food and around us. Thankfully, they ignored me for most of the afternoon, and I managed to keep my terror in check.

Then, as the event drew to a close, I made a fatal error. I agreed to take our group’s trash and recycling from the park, since I live pretty close and could just throw it all in the bins when I reached my apartment complex. As I carried the small box out, a yellow jacket started buzzing around it. I yelped and put the box down until the beast flew away. I thought I was safe.

I was wrong.

Ten minutes later, as I was stopped at a red light on my way home, I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw it: the mother-effing bee was IN THE CAR. It had clearly stowed away in the bag of trash and was now emerging to ruin my day.

“OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD,” I said aloud. I started talking to myself, trying to prevent the onset of panic that my phobia induces. The seconds stretched on for near-eternities as I anxiously waited for the red light to change, planning my escape. The bee had disappeared from my rear-view mirror. I wondered what I would do if it suddenly appeared, buzzing and sinister, in the front seat with me. I imagined an involuntary release of the brake and a sudden lurch into the intersection, where I’d quickly be rammed by an oncoming car. Clearly I was about to die, just because I have an overblown and irrational fear of a small winged insect.

The light changed. I pushed the pedal and zoomed forward, switching lanes quickly so I could pull into a gas station on the right side of the road. I parked, hopped out of my car, and dialed our home phone with shaking hands. I requested S’s presence and assistance, not because he’s a dude and I’m a lady or anything dumb like that, but simply because he does not share my overwhelming bee-fear and is better equipped to handle situations like these.

As I waited for S, I called my sister to commiserate, knowing that she’s one of the few people who could fully appreciate the situation—she, too, has a severe case of apiphobia. As we talked, I saw the yellow jacket crawling on the rear window of my car. I should’ve opened the hatchback and let it out right then, but I was terrified it would fly out and into my face. Instead I watched it, repulsed and nauseated.

By the time S arrived, the little bastard had disappeared again. And… we never found it. We methodically opened all the doors one by one, so I could monitor them and verify that the bee flew out. But we never saw it leave. S took the bags of trash and recycling out and emptied them on the grass (don’t worry, he didn’t leave them there!), searching for the bee in the empty soda cans and plastic cups. It wasn’t there.

Finally, we gave up. Horrified at the possibility that it was lurking in some crevice of my car, waiting to buzz out at me, I drove S’s car home while he took mine. The bee never made another appearance.

So now, hours later, I am still anxious about the incident. I’m disquieted by the bee’s absence and convinced it’s still hiding in my car. I might have to drive S’s car for a few days, just in case.

In the meantime, though, I need to thank S for his unfailing and non-judgmental support. Probably by making him a dessert of some sort. Whaddya think? And do you have any phobias?

(P.S. Sorry for the post-MoFo silence. I’m still recovering!) 

Blueberry-Infused Vodka, aka My First MoFo Fail

/ Kelly / 15 Comments

Oh dear. We’re only three days into MoFo and I’ve already experienced my first fail. I had such high hopes, too. A few weeks ago, I made a basil-infused vodka that turned out really well—after just a week of infusing, the vodka was super flavorful. High on my success, I put some of my frozen blueberries into another glass jar of vodka and eagerly watched as the liquid turned a surprising and stunning shade of ultraviolet. Yesterday, I made myself a drink with the infusion, a simple concoction of simple syrup, the blueberry vodka, and club soda. I imagined a light, fruity, fizzy spritzer, perfect for the 90˚F Labor Day holiday. It certainly looked the part.

blueberry-infused-vodka_9655919519_oAlas! Like a vapid pop star*, its looks were really all this drink had going for it. It was dull and tasted mostly of the club soda, with no discernible blueberry taste at all. Crushed and not wanting to waste the vodka I’d already infused, I went back to the drawing board. I muddled another handful of blueberries in a mortar and pestle, then added some sugar and let them stew in their juices for a half hour or so. Then I added that liquidy mess back into the vodka and put it all back on the shelf to infuse some more. Here’s hoping that next week, I’ll taste the infusion and come back triumphant, with a post about my success. If you don’t hear anything, assume the worst.

Have you ever made an infused alcohol? If so, what’s the secret?!

* That was a cheap shot; I know a total of zero pop stars and shouldn’t disparage the ones I don’t know personally.

VeganMoFo 2013: Seasonal Fruits!

/ Kelly / 1 Comment

Hey, there. I’m just popping in with a little warning. If you’ve grown accustomed to my infrequent and very sporadic posts, be prepared—things are about to get crazy. This year, VeganMoFo is happening in September, and I am ready to go with my ever-ambitious goal of daily posting. And by “ready to go,” I mean I have a theme, a ton of ideas, and a LOT of baking to do. But I haven’t failed my daily-posting goal yet, and I’m not about to do that on my fifth (!) year of MoFo!

This year, instead of having a hodgepodge of unrelated themes, I’m simplifying. I’m going to explore the world of cooking with… seasonal fruits! I’ll focus on fruits that are available in Maryland in September, and share a mix of my own original recipes, other bloggers’ recipes, and who knows… maybe a few recipe showdowns. ;) I anticipate focusing mostly on blueberries,* blackberries, raspberries, apples, and pumpkins, but who knows what else might make it into the mix! I’ll break from my theme on Sundays and pull from the list of official MoFo blogging prompts to talk about something different. (If you’ve got a prompt you want me to cover, let me know!)

I’m really excited for this theme, and I’m also very excited to discover whether I end the month utterly sick of these fruits. Heh heh.

See you tomorrow when this shindig gets started!

Are you participating in MoFo? What’s your theme? What should I make with these fruits?

*Re: blueberries–they’re definitely at the tail end of their season in September, but I have pounds and pounds of blueberries my mama picked up in Rhode Island, froze immediately, and sent home with me after my trip to RI earlier this month. So I’m fudging it a little and pretending they’re seasonal!

Way Too Many Words About Doughnuts (seriously, just skip to the end)

/ Kelly / 6 Comments

When I worked in the registrar’s office at college, we had a weekly tradition: every Friday morning, our boss (the registrar himself), brought in a huuuge box of doughnuts. They weren’t anything special, just doughnuts from the local grocery store, but in the hectic office, at the end of the week, it was a much-appreciated gesture. Just like when I was a kid, I always chose a simple glazed doughnut for my breakfast treat.

Then I graduated, and the doughnuts stopped coming. And then I went vegan, and the doughnuts really stopped coming. And then I started craving them.

I never even considered myself a big doughnut fan until I couldn’t have them. The doughnut desire hit maybe a year or two ago, and since then it hasn’t let go of me. None of my vegan-friendly staples in Rhode Island or Madison carried any, and our trips to Chicago never left time to seek them out. When we were in New York City last summer, I was bummed to discover that Dunwell was closed on Mondays–the very day we could’ve gone. When we moved to Maryland, I searched high and low (or so I thought). Stickyfingers only offers doughnuts on Tuesday and Thursday, and the few places I found online that used to offer vegan options were closed.

The only doughnut I’ve eaten the past almost-four years was at a farmers’ market in RI. It was tasty and cakey, but it wasn’t really a traditional doughnut.

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And then, last weekend, S and I went to the National Air and Space museum for his birthday. On the way back, we stopped at Loving Hut in Virginia (my first visit!) for a late-afternoon lunch. I got a healthy and delicious vermicelli noodle bowl with peanut sauce, and S had a banh mi sandwich. But, most importantly, THEY HAD DOUGHNUTS ON THE DESSERT MENU.

As I munched my meal, my anticipation grew. The doughnuts in the front case looked like perfect specimens. Finally, after finishing our lunch, I ordered one to go. There were five (5!) varieties. I chose a chocolate doughnut, its top coated with a thin layer of sugary glaze and drizzled with chocolate. Although I’d resolved to wait till I was good and hungry to eat it, I lasted all of five minutes in the car before opening the package and sinking my teeth into it.

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It was pastry heaven. It was the most amazing and delicious doughnut I’ve ever had, vegan or not. It was cakey but dense, sweet but not too sweet, and perfectly chocolaty. Because I am the best girlfriend in the world (and because it was S’s birthday), I shared half the damn thing with him. (I didn’t even have to say “You should’ve gotten your own!”–he said it first.)

Despite my efforts to draw out the eating process, my beloved doughnut was gone too soon. A few small crumbs remained in the plastic container, the only reminders of the bliss I’d just experienced. All I wanted to do was turn the car around and go buy a dozen more, but alas, we didn’t.

I still regret it, and I’m trying to decide what level of crazy it is to drive 40 minutes just to get a doughnut. Thoughts? ;)

I emailed Loving Hut to ask where they source their doughnuts, and they responded promptly–they’re from Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We’re totally stopping on our next road trip up to RI.

Five Days in Maui, or, That Time My Sister Got Married

/ Kelly / 2 Comments

This has not been a particularly relaxing summer. That’s not a bad thing, really; it’s just a true thing. I’ve been busy. Busy moving across the country and then across(ish) the state. Busy settling into my new job. Busy unpacking and setting up house and dealing with a few too many apartment maintenance issues. Busy dealing with the irritating Maryland MVA. Busy traveling to Hawaii to be the maid of honor in my little sister’s wedding.

Mmhmm. My baby sister… got married… in Hawaii.

Okay, maybe that part of the summer was a little relaxing.

The bright blue-green ocean and a perfect sandy shoreline, with a few beach chairs, and palm trees in the distance.

It was a glorious escape. Five and a half days of sunbathing, reading on the beach, sipping tropical drinks, swimming in the ocean, eating lots of fresh fruit, enjoying my family, and marveling at Maui’s scenery.

A lush green valley topped with hazy clouds.

The wedding itself was small and sweet, with only the closest of family members in attendance. The ceremony took place on a bluff overlooking the ocean. S played guitar and sung. The wedding party walked barefoot on cool spongy grass, holding bouquets of flowers plucked from the abundant native foliage. My brother-in-law’s father, a pastor, officiated. My sweet baby nephew slept through his parents’ marriage vows, held by his grandma and then by me.

It was, in a word, lovely.

View of green hills, the ocean in the distance, and lots of blue skies and clouds.

Later, after my sister and her husband had had their fill of post-wedding photography among the gorgeous views, we all reconvened at a nearby restaurant for dinner. The chef had prepared a special main course (Israeli cous cous with vegetables) for the three vegans and one mostly-vegan, and S and I chose a scallion-lime tofu appetizer topped with crispy kale and sesame seeds to start. We rounded off our meal with passionfruit sorbet. (And superbly delicious drinks, a Mai Tai for S and a mango martini for me.)

Three food photos: tofu with small bits of crispy kale; cous cous with cauliflower, carrots, and other veggies; and three scoops of a pale yellow sorbet topped with a mint leaf.

I’m fortunate that the folks at my new job are flexible; they had no problem letting me jet off to Maui barely a month after I started. And I’m fortunate to have the family I have, including the extended family that came along with my new brother-in-law. And, of course, I’m fortunate to have the absolute best little nephew in the world.

Me and my nephew in the pool. He's sticking his tongue out at me!

What a kid. What a summer! And it’s not over yet. ;)