Food Liberation and Cauliflower Mashification

/ Kelly / 4 Comments

You know what the greatest thing about families is? You can “liberate” anything from them, and they can’t get angry – you share (metaphorical) blood, so you just *have* to share everything else!

Nah, I jest – sharing is definitely a key part of being a family, but stealing ain’t cool (although my little sister seems to think that taking my clothes whenever she wants is totally okay). But when your family has something they underuse or don’t use at all, it’s totally fine to re-home that item, yeah? I got to do that when I was home for Easter weekend. What did I liberate, you ask?

Yeasty nutrition.

Nutritional yeast, obvs. That carton is about 4/5 full, and since my mom admitted she wouldn’t use it, we both agreed it’d be best for all involved if I liberated it from the dark confines of the pantry and took it on a permanent journey from Rhode Island to Wisconsin, where I’d be sure to give it the lovin’ it so deserves.

Yeah, I was definitely “that girl” at the airport, the one with a big ol’ carton of some weird hippie food in her carry-on. I’m just glad the good folks of the TSA didn’t decide to hand-search my bag, because at 5:30 in the morning, I certainly was not ready to explain what nutritional yeast is and why it’s awesome for vegans (or anybody, for that matter).

Awesome as nutritional yeast may be, I let my poor liberated acquisition languish in my own kitchen cupboard until last night. Then, after spending this past weekend at my best friend’s house, I came home to a nearly empty fridge. ButI did have half a cauliflower and a whole lotta nutritional yeast beggin’ to be used, so I knew something delicious was in my future – mmhmm, cheezy mashed cauliflower!

Mashed albino brains? ...yeah, I went there.

This was totally inspired by the ever-creative Miss Katie. Okay, “inspired by” may be a massive euphemism – I shamelessly stole her Monster-Mashed Cauliflower recipe and added a healthy scoop of yeasty goodness to give my mash even more savory flavor. Between the yeast, the whole-grain Dijon mustard, and the whole clove of minced raw garlic I added (I adore raw garlic!), this was a flavorful dish indeed. It could only have been better if my blender had been more inclined to, um, blend it, but instead I ended up doing most of my mashing with a fork. Whatever; it still tasted delicious.

Now, I totally would have made this recipe even if it didn’t earn me an extra six entries into Katie’s awesome shopping spree giveaway, but since it does, well, who am I to refuse? :)

Also – I am totally aware of the fact that nutritional yeast is commonly referred to as “nooch.” However, I kinda sorta hate that word, so… I don’t use it. Yes, I am a word snob. Suggestions for a less awful nickname and/or abbreviation, anyone? Or righteous indignation and defense of its usage, perhaps? Or, I dunno, general praise or hateration for nutritional yeast? Tell me what you’re thinkin’!

Eggless Easter: Asparagus & Mushroom Quiche

/ Kelly / 3 Comments

Mom and I have been keepin’ a big secret for the past month and a half – we didn’t tell anyone else in my family that I was flying home for the weekend. We had fun planning ways to surprise my dad and my sister (my brother’s in Denmark on a study abroad program, lucky boy!), and they were both shocked and delighted to see me. It was pretty hilarious, too – I dressed up as my sister and curled up on the couch with her laptop, and when my dad came home, I pretended I was her. I can do a passable impression of her voice, and since she always wears a hoodie with the hood up, he couldn’t see my face. So he thought I was Rhiannon, and then was utterly confused when the real Rhiannon came into the living room and greeted him. Muahaha! Classic.

The whole weekend was really pretty wonderful. Some of our family from Maine came down, and Mom, Rhiannon, my cousin, and I talked into the wee hours of the morn on the night before Easter. On Easter morning, Rhiannon and I hid candy-filled plastic eggs for the kids, who enjoyed  the hunt. Heck, I enjoyed it too – it was 65+ degrees out! After all that egg hiding and hunting, though, we were ready for dinner.

Dinner was pretty momentous because we had a totally vegetarian meal. Given that at least one of my aunts is a pretty diehard omnivore, this was really notable. Dad made stuffed manicotti; some were stuffed with cheese and then others were stuffed with a vegan spinach, artichoke, and mushroom mixture. All our side veggies were vegan, too. I contributed by cooking up a really impressive recipe from the FatFree Vegan Kitchen – a delightful Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche.

Ain't no eggs here, baby!

I’ll admit that I used a store-bought regular crust instead of making the brown rice crust, but other than that (and a sad lack of onion powder in my parents’ pantry!) I followed Susan’s recipe down to the letter. I was really pleased with the results, too – I loved the quiche’s creamy texture. Mom thought this was fabulous; she enjoyed it even more than I did!

Even though none of the desserts were vegan (I dropped the ball there!), my aunt made me vegan candied nuts and the Easter bunny provided me with lots of vegan goodies. My Easter basket was filled with vegan fruit snacks, little chocolate eggs, black licorice bites, and a little baggie of carob-spirulina “energy chunks” from a local natural foods store. The Easter bunny also gave me a pair of sandals, some seeds for the garden I’ll be planting soon (!!!), and a cute little carrying case for my GPS, handmade by my mommy. :)

All in all, I had a really wonderful Easter break. The only bad part was catching a flight out of Rhode Island at 6:00 Monday morning, getting into Madison at 10:15, and then heading into work for noon. Yuck-o-rama! Such is the life of a working woman, however.

Anyway, hope that those of you who celebrate it had a lovely holiday! Ciao!

I could go for a piece of this right now... too bad the leftovers are in RI!

A Match Made in Heaven, Just Like Milk and Honey (You make the gobi, he’ll make the money!)

/ Kelly / 3 Comments

This past Sunday afternoon, I received a text message that both pleased and worried me. A friend from work said she was making curry for dinner and wanted to know if my roommate and I would join her, her boyfriend, another work friend, and the latter friend’s son. As pleased as I was to receive a dinner invitation, I was also a little apprehensive. My friend knows I’m vegan, but even so, visions of chicken-laden curries and awkwardness swam through my mind. After a mild bit of panic, I texted her back to accept the offer and to ask if I should bring a vegan option (followed by a smily face, of course). Not five seconds later, my cell phone rang. My friend was calling to tell me that she was making two coconut milk-based curries, one with chicken and one with mushrooms and other veggies.

“No vegan option necessary,” she reassured me.

The cockles of my heart, they were warmed. Full of gratitude and happiness, I knew I couldn’t arrive at the dinner party empty-handed. I had to bring something, an edible expression of my gratefulness for my friend’s considerate and kind behavior. I briefly considered making some sort of Indian-inspired dip and bringing that with some veggies, but I quickly abandoned that possibility in favor of the most timeless, impress-the-omnis, food item in existence. Obviously, I’m talking about vegan cupcakes.

An innocent and unassuming cuppiecake, say you?

Not just any cupcakes, though. This batch packed a secret punch, something invisible to the eye. That little cupper up there isn’t just your average chocolate-coconut delicacy. Nope, lurking inside this sweet fellow is a surprising blend of flavors.

Lurking in the chocolaty shadows - garam masala!

Yes ma’am, I found a recipe for Garam Masala Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes that helped me create some slammin’ cupcakes. They were perfectly moist, and the garam masala spices added a touch of flavor complexity that complemented the chocolate and coconut surprisingly well. They were the perfect opportunity to showcase the fantastic garam masala I picked up at Penzey’s (which, by the way, is an AMAZING store!). This garam masala features coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, charnushka, caraway, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, a truly killer combination.

And my friends agreed. The cupcakes were a big hit at the dinner party, the perfect follow-up to the yummy curry my friend made for us. Great success!

Truly, though, I feel so lucky. I’ve met some really wonderful people since moving to Madison. My roommate spontaneously decided to make me a vegan birthday cake when I turned 23 a few weeks ago; she whipped up a Cookies ‘n’ Cream cake that was decadent beyond belief. And my work friends are quite inquisitive about my veganism, in the best way possible. The friend who made the curry is interested in sustainable agriculture and local foods, so we relate well on that level. All in all, things are good here. Who would’ve guessed my move to America’s Dairyland would’ve only made me feel more comfortable and happy in my newish vegan skin?! Life – it never fails to surprise me. :)

(P.S. I swear the title of this post is not completely random and misogynistic. Anybody get the reference?)

Scores o’ Scones

/ Kelly / 4 Comments

Do you ever set out to bake/make something, and you just know in your heart and/or tummy that it’s going to be delicious, but then when it’s done it’s actually even more delicious than you’d anticipated? I dooo! My latest better-than-anticipated treats were the scones from Vegan Brunch. Man, I don’t know what it is about these little guys that tickles my fancy so darn much, but I can’t get enough of ’em! Maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t substitute a low-fat alternative for the shortening, or perhaps the almond milk I used added a little extra somethin’-somethin’, but these scones are seriously ace. I love the haphazard shapes that form from dropping dough on a cookie sheet:

An apple-cinnamon lovely.

In the interest of Using Up Things, I made two varieties. I chopped up a mealy Braeburn and threw it into the larger portion of the dough to create some really lovely apple-cinnamon scones, and then I used up the remainder of a bag of chocolate chips in the rest of the dough. Although I’m usually all about the chocolate, the apple-cinnamon variety really captured my heart. They are just perfect with a cup of tea, with their tender little crumbs and soft, moist innards. I think that, maybe, “traditional” (whatever that means) scones are meant to be triangular and a bit drier than these (like the orange glazed variety from VWAV), but I have a soft spot for moist baked goods (to the extent that I get giddy about desserts that border on the underbaked), so these are a delight to me.

I will say, though, that for someone who is used to eating lower-fat baked goods, the higher fat content in these scones leaves a noticeable strange coating in my mouth, and it’s not entirely pleasant. It was a bit surprising to me when I first noticed it, I must say. But it’s certainly not a dealbreaker, and if you’re used to full-fat baked goods, I doubt you’d even think twice about it.

I think I now have a new “impress the omnis!” teatime recipe. Hooray!

Better When Vegan: Tater Salad

/ Kelly / 2 Comments

As an omni – or even a straight-up vegetarian – potato salad was never high on my list of Things That Are Good. When I think “potato salad,” I imagine a bowl of sad-looking potatoes buried under mounds of gloopy, inexplicably yellow mayonnaise and squishy bits of egg. Inevitably, my mind places said salad on a picnic table piled high with at least two other varieties of disgustingly warm potato salad, all store-bought, because apparently that’s the extent to which some people are willing to contribute to a backyard barbecue. Aaanyway, the bottom line is that potato salad is not something I’ve ever had a burning desire to eat.

Until recently, that is.

Yeah, it’s weird, but a week or so ago, a truly bizarre potato salad craving punched me right in the gut and said, “Conquer your fears of the mayonnaise mess! You can do better than that!” And I listened.

It probably had something to do with the jar of Vegenaise I’d purchased at Whole Foods a few days before the craving came to call. Unsurprisingly, I’d never cared much for “real” mayo, so I’ve never purchased vegan mayo. But it was on sale, and I knew I’d seen it used in some recipes I wanted to try, so I decided to give it a shot.

With Vegenaise in the fridge and a bunch of red potatoes getting a little soft while sitting patiently in the cupboard, I knew I was well on my way towards conquering my tater salad aversion. But then I realized that I had no idea what the heck else went into a potato salad. Dill? Yeah, okay. But beyond that? No clue, dude. So I did my research on VegWeb, got some ideas, purchased a couple of items at the grocery store, and set out to make my own salad, unsure if I’d be able to eat it without imagining the unsavory salads of yore. When the potatoes were boiled and the ingredients were all mixed up, I gazed at the mixture with apprehension, unsure what monster I’d created. Sure, it looked a lot prettier than the nausea-inducing Platonic [not so]ideal of potato salad that I had in my mind, but would it taste better?

Tater salad, precious!

I cautiously speared a bite-size tater chunk and gingerly took a small bite. In a second, all my tater hateration disappeared. This shiz is g to-the-double-o d!  Holy crap! It’s amazing how actually being able to taste flavors beyond just mayonnaise makes this like 1000x times better. Good gracious.

My salad contained red potatoes, a small amount of Vegenaise (1/4 cup?), diced celery, diced red onion, a splash of apple cider vinegar (gag), lots of Dijon mustard (yum), and a goodly amount of dried dill weed. I got about 5 or 6 servings out of the batch, which was pretty sweet. Beyond an accidental overabundance of red onion, the flavors were pretty darn perfect. I was amazed at how, somehow, the flavors screamed POTATO SALAD!!! to me, even though I can’t really remember eating a potato salad that 1.) tasted like this, or 2.) was actually good.* The lesson here? Some things are just Better When Vegan. :)

*I’m pretty sure that, at one point or another, my mom – who’s no fan of mayo – has made a potato salad that wasn’t disgusting, so I may have exaggerated here. Artistic license? Sorry, Mom (not that you’re reading)!

Yummy Things That I Have Made

/ Kelly / 1 Comment

Okay, that’s it – I’m officially retiring the whole “I just moved to a new city and started a new job and therefore have no time to blog!!1!111!” excuse. I mean, I’ve been here for a good two and a half months, for crying out loud!  Now that I’m all settled into my new life, I’ve been doing lots more baking and cooking than I was at first. So I hereby promise to post more regularly from this point forward.

…and now let me show you a few photos with minimal text. What? I’ve had a busy weekend, by which I mean I went ice skating for the first time in some fifteen years in a misguided attempt to replicate all the fantastic feats of athleticism seen in the Olympics. Yeah… fail. I ain’t no Apolo Anton Ohno. Anyway, these are some photos that’ve been hibernating in my iPhoto for a while now, so I’m going to show them a little bit o’ love. Totally less than they deserve, but c’est la vie.

Peanutty, eggplanty goodness.

A while back, I bought an eggplant and wanted to do something exciting and new with it. As any self-respecting vegan would do, I headed over to the PPK in search of inspiration. Inspiration came in the form of an intriguing recipe for Spicy Peanut Eggplant and Shallot Stew, a combination of ingredients too bizarre to pass up. Despite the fact that I had no shallots, peanut oil, roasted diced tomatoes, fresh ginger, chilis, green beans, or cilantro, the recipe was very forgiving – I replaced the green beans with peas and improvised for the other missing ingredient, and the results were surprisingly tasty. I still have a serving of this in the freezer, waiting to be brought to work for a yummy lunch one day soon. Two thumbs up!

Samosas... and beyond!

There’s a lot going on here. Let me draw your attention to the foreground – those are some damn tasty Potato-Edamame Samosas from VWaV. I whipped up those beauties for a Super Bowl party a co-worker held, and they were well-received by everyone except her two-year-old, who took one bite and immediately spat it into his hand before dumping the soggy samosa-bit onto a plate. I learned that he later developed a fondness for the samosas and actually enjoyed them – score! Anyway, this is a really excellent recipe. The samosa filling has a great blend of flavors, and I had so much of it left over that I ate it straight-up, as you can see in the photo. This huge dinner featured samosa filling, actual samosas, baby carrots, and roasted cauliflower with so-called Indian Barbecue Sauce. Nom to the zillionth power!

Check out those exposed apple bits! Shocking!

Last but not least, check out this amazing Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffin, also from VWaV. I don’t think you can tell from the photo, but this is one giant muffin – for Christmas I got one of those tins that makes 6 big ol’ muffins, and this was my first time using it. Oh my gosh, guys – these muffins are absolutely spectacular. They’re moist and amazingly flavorful, even though I used plain ol’ apple juice instead of apple cider. I also replaced some of the oil with applesauce to cut down a bit on the fat content. And even though I used some seriously old and mealy apples in these guys, they were seriously delicious.

Aaand that concludes my sad little return to srs blogging. Coming soon: a post filled with the fruits of rampant consumerism. Ooer.

Macros and Medjools

/ Kelly / 3 Comments

Did you ever read Highlights magazine when you were a kid? I’m pretty sure I had a subscription to it for a few years… and it was almost always included in that ubiquitous stack of dog-eared, food-smeared magazines at the pediatrician’s office. I always loved that section at the end where they included a picture taken with a macro lens and you had to guess what object it was. It was usually something like a pencil or a flower, but the focus on some small part of it always made it seem otherworldly and mysterious, and I thought that was so darn cool.

Anyway, I had a bit of Highlights nostalgia while attempting to photograph my dessert last night. See, the thing is, as delicious as Medjool dates are, they just don’t photograph well. It’s probably because dates are inherently funny looking, but slicing ’em open, filling their cavities with peanut butter and dark chocolate, and then microwaving the heck outta those suckers doesn’t really do anything for their aesthetics. So I present to you a somewhat mind-boggling photo of one of the most delicious and easy desserts known to womankind.

Medjool madness!

Okay, maybe they’re not so freakish looking, but I bet that non-food bloggers would be all, “What the heck is that?!” when presented with this photo. Lucky for us foodie folk, we’re mostly familiar with the wonder that is the candy-like Medjool date. I seriously consider these guys to be Mama Nature’s gift to our tastebuds… they’re just so soft and sweet and gorram delicious. Adding peanut butter and chocolate takes things over the edge, especially if you heat the mess ’til the dates start to smell like they’re caramelizing and the chocolate is gooey and the whole thing is just heavenly.

All I need is a new camera and a macro lens and then I can fill my blog with even more photos of my Medjool lovelies… up close and personal. ;)

The Other Kind of Pantry Challenge (+ Colcannon, Reinvented)

/ Kelly / Leave a comment

These days, my Google Reader is filled with bloggers participating in pantry challenges. Their general goal is to avoid spending money on groceries by only using what they have in their pantries. It’s a fine goal, to be sure. But when I see their lists of pantry items (5 kinds of rice, 7 varieties of dried beans, 3 cartons of almond milk, 4 jars of various nut butters, 2 pounds of tofu, etc etc etc!) I just can’t help but think, “If only my pantry were a tenth as full as theirs!”

The sad thing is that I’m not even exaggerating. As tempting as it would be to play down my foodstuff inventory for comedic effect, the pathetic truth is that – not counting spices – I probably have less than 30 food items to my name at this moment in time, and that’s counting stuff like soy sauce and Bragg’s and ketchup. So… yeah. It’s pretty sad. Being carless in an area with less than stellar public transportation kiiinda sucks. I don’t want to ask my roomie – as fantastic as she is – for rides all the time, so I walk to the grocery store when I need food and she doesn’t. I don’t mind walking at all, even when it’s f-f-freezing outside, but it does limit the amount of food I can purchase. Plus, the grocery store within easy walking distance is rather limited in its selection of non-boring food. The bottom line is that I haven’t been to the grocery store in almost two weeks, and my pantry is takin’ a major hit.

But fear not – my limited resources don’t always result in limited creativity! Tonight I realized that if I didn’t use up a couple of potatoes, they were going to reach levels of softness that would make the Pillsbury Doughboy’s tummy seem like abs o’ steel in comparison. Obviously I had to mash them, but I wanted to do something a little more interesting. So I decided to make a modified, empty-pantry-influenced version of colcannon.

Now, I’m not gonna lie – I’ve never actually eaten colcannon, which is stupid because 1. I’ve got me some Irish blood, 2. I love kale, and 3. I love taters. But theoretically it’s one of my favorite foods. Heh heh. Anyway, my sad lack of fresh veggies resulted in my using some frozen spinach in the place of kale or cabbage. Not the kind that comes in a dense block, mind, but loose leaf spinach from a bag. And you know what? It wasn’t half bad.

Colcannon...ish.

Now, obviously my ghetto colcannon is nowhere near as pretty as, say, Lolo’s more traditional variety. But I enjoyed it, and other than the potatoes that were on the verge of death, it didn’t really use up many of my limited pantry resources. I just boiled up two taters with some onions, then added the spinach to the mix just before the potatoes were soft. I mashed it all up with some Earth Balance, a bit of garlic powder, and – in keeping with my firm eschewing of tradition – a dash of Tabasco and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. So, was it actually colcannon? Prooooobably not. But was it good? Hell yeah! And will I be making a trip to the grocery store this weekend before my meals cross the line from “untraditional” to “downright revolting?” You better believe it.

Zebras like colcannon, too.

P.S. Isn’t my zebra bowl cute?! Best Goodwill find EVER.

Three Reasons Why My Family is Wonderful (or, a Christmas Retrospective)

/ Kelly / 3 Comments

1. Stocking Stuffers

Our family Christmas traditions are simple yet solid. Ever since I can remember, we three kids have received a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve before reading The Night Before Christmas together and then hopping off to bed so SantaMom&Dad can work their magic. In the morning, we kids wake up and peer eagerly at the beautifully arranged presents around the tree before waking up Mom and Dad. Then we troop into the living room to open our stockings – no presents! – before eating breakfast. Mom’s usually in charge of filling the stockings, and this year the stocking stuffers she chose for me were incredibly thoughtful. Check out some of the swag.

 

Stocking stuff(ers).

 

Knowing that my vegan lifestyle is becoming more all-encompassing and extends beyond my dietary choices, Mom found a cruelty-free, vegan lip balm for me, along with organic, vegan body lotion, and Tom’s of Maine deodorant. I was so very pleased to discover these treasures in my stocking! The Candy Cane lip balm has a lovely, subtle scent, and the lotion’s Vanilla Chai scent smells just like warm cinnamon buns. Speaking of which…

2. Cinnamon Buns

The next part of our family tradition is the most delicious – breakfast. We break our fast on Christmas morning with half a grapefruit each, followed by delicious, sticky, cinnamon buns. In the past, we’ve gotten them from local bakeries, but this year Mom and Dad knew that I wouldn’t eat non-vegan cinnamon buns, so they sacrificed the safety of tradition in favor of experimenting and making some that I would definitely eat. Because I didn’t get home until 10:30 on Christmas Eve (and I almost didn’t make it at all!), I couldn’t volunteer my services and Mom was in charge of the buns. At my recommendation, she tried out this utterly decadent recipe from VeganYumYum. Although Mom is mostly low-fat vegan, we all decided that for this one day, we would indulge and enjoy ourselves. And, oh, how we enjoyed these beauties.

 

Sticky, sweet, delights.

 

These cinnamon buns surpassed all our expectations. They not only tasted as good as the bakery buns of yore, but even better. They were almost too rich for me – I could only finish a half in one sitting, and had to save the rest for a post-present-unwrapping pick-me-up! Mom did an amazing job, especially since it was her first time making anything yeasted. So thoughtful.

3. Sweet Surprises

Another part of our food tradition involves a huge platter o’ cookies and fudge, compliments of my Aunt Nancy. She’s an incredible baker, and she devotes the month of December to making and freezing dozens – if not hundreds – of Christmas cookies. She shares them with friends and family, and no Christmas is complete without a platter or two of her tantalizing treats. Aunt Nancy even provides a special nut-free plate for my sister, to accommodate her allergies.

Unfortunately, none of my aunt’s cookies are vegan, and although she mentioned the possibility of trying some new recipes next year, I found myself unable to eat anything from her platter. Just looking at the macaroons and candied walnuts and mini magic bars made me a little bit sad that I couldn’t indulge, but then I was presented with this.

 

Sweet surprises from my sissy.

 

My lovely, wonderful, sister made me a platter of adorably decorated vegan sugar cookies! She knew I wouldn’t be able to eat any of my aunt’s, and took matters into her own hands. I don’t know what recipe she used (she said it called for silken tofu), but I thought they were perfectly yummy. I grabbed one every time I saw the rest of my family cutting a slice of cheesecake or chomping on some fudge, and they made my day so much brighter. Next year, I’ll be home for a few days before Christmas, and I’m looking forward to spending that time baking dozens and dozens of vegan cookies with Rhiannon.

Really, could I ask for a more gracious and accommodating family?! They are so thoughtful and wonderful. Other Christmas highlights included receiving my own Settlers of Catan game and expansion (any other Catan fanatics out there?!), the Babycakes cookbook, and lots of awesome kitchenware. But the best part of all was spending time with everyone, even if it was only for three days. I’m counting down ’til I can take another trip home and spend a little more time with my lovely family.

Christmas Greetings and a Project Feed Me Photo

/ Kelly / Leave a comment

IT’S ALMOST CHRISTMAS! I’m so excited; I feel like a little kid. I’ve enjoyed my first 3ish weeks of work more than I thought I would, but I can’t wait to see my family and celebrate the holiday. Unfortunately, it’s snowy and icy in Wisconsin and I reallyreallyreally hope my flight(s) home tomorrow aren’t impeded by bad weather here or in Detroit, where I have a layover. Keep your fingers crossed!

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holiday, if you celebrate Christmas. If not, I hope your Chanukah or Solstice or holiday of choice was/is absolutely delightful. I also wanted to post a photo of the food I collected for Project Feed Me.

Pantry staples?

To be honest, I didn’t manage to buy food for every week and I ended a week or two early because I was in the middle of moving to Wisconsin. But I still feel good about participating, especially since I donated everything to a collection at my mom’s school (she’s a special ed teacher), and a local philanthropist will match all donations collected there. Oh, and I also ended up switching up some of the recommended food items because they weren’t veg*n, but I hope that my meager offerings help people in need this season. It’s so easy to forget how lucky and blessed I am sometimes, so I think I’m going to make an effort to donate more food, money, and time to those less fortunate than me in the year to come. After all, I’m a working girl now, so there’s no excuse! :)

Well, I’m going to go scrounge around in the kitchen for a snack, hehe. Merry Christmas, friends! I hope the next few days are filled with lots o’ love&joy. Cheers!