Small-Bite Sundays: Pancakes and Cozy Winter Reads (12/8/19)

December 8, 2019December 8, 2019 / Kelly / 4 Comments

IT’S BAAACK! My Small-Bite Sundays series, in which I indulge in some old-timey blogging and share whatever I feel like sharing. I’m not sure why I abandoned this practice back in 2018, but I realized that it dovetails perfectly with my approach to VeganMoFo this year (low-pressure rambling, basically). So! I intend to get back into the small-bite spirit in the months ahead. I probably won’t post every weekend, but hopefully it’ll help me retain some of the happy blogging momentum I gathered during MoFo.

Right now I’m looking at the photo I chose for that graphic above, and I’m wishing we’d get some snow here in Maryland. It’s been cold lately, but we’ve yet to see the flakes fly. (Well, apparently that’s not entirely true: I was in Puerto Rico at the end of October/beginning of November for work, and on the day I flew home, Steven texted me in the morning to say it was snowing (no accumulation, just flakes). Leaving the gorgeous hot and sunny weather of Puerto Rico for the chill of Maryland was… rough.) Now we’re in full-on holiday mode, and I wouldn’t mind a nice snowstorm. Ah well.

I’m dedicating the month of December to lighthearted reads only! As I do every year, I set myself a reading goal for 2019: This year, 85 books. I’m one away from finishing! I’ve read quite a lot of nonfiction this year, and to be honest, some of those reads are still weighing on me.

In particular, I can’t stop thinking about Darcy Lockman’s All the Rage. I haven’t even been able to write up my Goodreads review for it yet, because there’s so much I want to say. Lockman writes about the way even the most egalitarian (hetero) partnerships tend to fall back into gendered roles when children enter the picture, and the stats are bleak. She explores the (many!) reasons why this happens, but it’s a tough, painful read. Steven and I have worked hard to cultivate a partnership based on equality, and I’ve always just assumed that equality would continue if/when we have children. Lockman’s research shows that we’ll have to work really damn hard to make that happen, though. I absolutely recommend this book if you’re at all interested in this topic, but be warned that it’s a tough read. I had to take frequent breaks — I even returned it to the library and then checked it out again later! — because it was really bumming me out.

…which brings me to my December reading goals. :) I’m focusing on lighthearted, cozy reads for this month, because I deserve it! Right now I’m reading Graham Norton’s Holding. Yes, that Graham Norton! While browsing the stacks at my beloved local library a few weeks ago, I noticed his name on the spine and was immediately curious — I didn’t know Norton was a fiction writer! When I realized Holding is a mystery set in a small Irish town, I added the book to my quickly growing stack. Turns out Norton is quite a good writer, wry and charming and focused on the minutiae of small-town life in a way that reminds me of J.K. Rowling’s non-Harry Potter fiction. This is a more than respectable debut novel! It’s a quick read, but enjoyable if you like light mysteries (and/or small Irish towns).

(Also, quick note — if you use Goodreads, add me as a friend!)

Thanksgiving dinner! My brother and sister-in-law visited from Seattle for the holiday, and we had quite a nice, low-key Thanksgiving. We had a Gardein roast, stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a gingery sweet potato mash. Our friend Sara brought over a delicious cranberry sauce she’d made, which featured chunks of apples and oranges and was topped with pecans. For dessert, we had apple pie, cranberry-orange bread, and pumpkin pie (the classics). This year I tried Bryanna Clark Grogan’s pumpkin pie filling, and it got rave reviews. I used canned coconut milk and upped the spices, and I also used my pecan-date crust because my sister-in-law is avoiding wheat at the moment.

As an appetizer, I picked up a bunch of fancy olives from Wegmans’ deli bar. They have a seriously impressive selection, with literally dozens of varieties of stuffed olives, oil-packed peppers, and more. Perfect for an antipasto platter.

A small blue plate with a stack of pancakes, topped with a deep red fruit compote. In non-Thanksgiving eats, I made Isa’s Puffy Pillow Pancakes for breakfast this morning. <3 They are always a win! I added cinnamon (because, duh) and topped them with a fruit compote. That was another win. We had a team holiday party at work this week, and about half the fruit tray was left uneaten. It sat in abandoned the fridge for a few days, and I decided to bring it home on Friday because it would otherwise get tossed by the cleaners. Soft, squishy, slightly overripe fruit is not the best for eating raw, but cooked down into a compote with a bit of sugar, water, vanilla, and lime juice, it made for a perfect pancake topping. Food waste win!

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What have you been reading and eating this week?

(FYI, this post contains affiliate links!)

Small-Bite Sundays: June 3, 2018

June 3, 2018 / Kelly / 2 Comments

A year ago today, I was nervously setting off on my first wholly solo travel experience to the Netherlands and Belgium. It was just a few days after Luna had passed, and I had no idea how I would feel during the trip. I ended up being so, so glad I hadn’t backed out; it was the perfect time to get away from home and to distract myself with all that Amsterdam and Bruges had to offer. It also confirmed a fact I’d long suspected, but hadn’t had enough solo travel time to confirm: I am my own #1 travel partner. No disrespect to the many family members and friends I’ve travelled with, but I freaking love my own company! As if I needed more confirmation that I am an introvert through and through. (Steven, for the record, is my #2 travel partner. He’s also an introvert. We can feel alone even when we’re together.)

I haven’t got any solo travel plans this year… yet. I’m always on the lookout for cheap flights, and I’d love to book something for Labor Day weekend. I have managed to get a little traveling in during the first half of the year, though; I went to New Orleans with a couple friends (loved it!), spent five days in Kansas City for work (a surprisingly neat city), and went to Chicago for a quick weekend trip to visit some friends and meet their baby (<3 Chicago, and the baby was pretty cool too). I’ll be in Rhode Island next weekend to hang out with family members visiting from across the country (and meet another baby), and then I’ll be in South India for two weeks in July to celebrate my brother’s wedding. I’m counting down the days ’til this trip, although it’s going to be wholly different from the aforementioned solo travel experience: We’re going with my immediate family, various partners, and my cousin, and we’ll be traveling together for most of the time… not to mention attending the wedding ceremony/reception and various events with my sister-in-law’s family. Lots of socializing, basically. Gonna have to carve out some introvert recharge time!

Anyway, on to the small bites for this weekend.

Food52 has been publishing some really lovely pieces lately, including this sweet little story of a fig tree cutting that traveled from Sardinia to Dallas and helped the author’s two sets of grandparents bridge a linguistic divide. Valerio Farris’ description of eating a juicy, swollen fig makes me wish I liked the fruit!

A thoughtful analysis of Solo, the new Star Wars movie that gives us — at long last — Han’s back story. I’m not sure I agree with every point here, but it does help explain why the film felt a bit flat. Which is not to say I didn’t enjoy it; it was entertaining enough. But it didn’t feel like a real Star Wars movie in the way The Force Awakens did, and it’s certainly nowhere near as solid as Rogue One. The frenetic pace, unnecessary subplots, and quick tour through lots of locations with no chance to get to know them were just a few reasons I disliked The Last Jedi, and unfortunately Solo has similar issues.

I’m a newcomer to Jack Monroe’s work, but I enjoyed this piece on the privilege inherent in going vegan and the damage the so-called “militant vegan” can do for folks who are curious about plant-based eating. While I personally find it very difficult to understand self-professed “animal lovers” who eat meat, and I have a negative gut reaction to someone who eats vegan 90% of the time yet consume the occasional meat or animal product, I also know that someone eating vegan 90% of the time is someone who is drastically cutting down her consumption of animal products… and isn’t that what we all want? There are entire books to be written on the tired debate about the labels we use and what “plant-based” vs. “vegan” means and whether a “part-time vegan” can actually exist (*eye twitch*), but overall I think we need a hefty dose of both pragmatism and empathy in this movement. Jack’s piece speaks to that need.

Small bites: to watch

The Office, as usual! I just discovered that Michael Scott and I share a birthday. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that until now.

Small bites: to eat

I’m not one to eschew rice for any reason, but I am one to eat cauliflower as often as I can get it! Therefore, this cauliflower rice kitchari from Minimalist Baker sounds excessively tempting.

Spoiler: We’re cooking through Plum: Gratifying Vegan Dishes from Seattle’s Plum Bistro for our June cookbook challenge, and yesterday I put together a seitan, avocado, cucumber, and tomato salad that was shockingly filling — and tasty. Our first recipe from the book was less successful, so I was glad the salad was satisfying!

I am (quite literally) salivating at this strawberry margarita pie, featuring cashews and lots of coconut. The perfect summer dessert?!

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Aaand that’s all I’ve got for you today. Let me know if you’ve read/watched/eaten anything of note lately!

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Small-Bite Sundays: February 18, 2018

February 18, 2018February 18, 2018 / Kelly / 6 Comments

Happy Sunday, all. I know I’ve been pretty silent lately, but for once I have reasons beyond personal laziness. If you follow the (American) animal welfare world at all, you might be familiar with the massive sexual-harassment-related upheaval in the past month. Much of it has to do with my own organization. It feels disingenuous to me not to acknowledge it at all, but I also don’t feel right using a personal platform to air my own opinions when much of the turmoil is (1) still ongoing and (2) extremely sensitive.

I know, I know, that’s cryptic and unfair, but the bottom line is that I and my other social-justice-minded colleagues in the AR/AW world have been really freaking upset by what’s come out, how it happened, and what’s going on now, and it’s been hard to focus on much more than the bare minimum. So, as usual, my poor blog is the first thing to drop off.

But, here I am. Trying to get back into the swing of things and trying to remind myself that my organization is so much more than the actions of a few. Trying to remember the way our work serves the greater good. Trying to be circumspect when talking about this right now. Ahem.

There’s been all sorts of fallout from this series of events, but one unexpected piece was the way my recently reformed Facebook habits took a nosedive. Because a national newspaper broke the story about what was happening, people were sharing info (and their own personal opinions) via social media. So I found myself scrolling through my feed, devouring all the long-winded screeds and strong opinions on both sides. Getting knee-deep into the comment threads that you should never, ever read if you value your mental health. That kind of thing. But at least that temporary dipping back into Facebook did remind me why I took a break in the first place: Because NO GOOD CAN COME OF IT. I remain committed to consuming it in healthy amounts only. :)

So! On to this weekend’s reads, and may your work life be much less turbulent than mine has been for the last month.

A moment of honesty: I spent many years of my life thinking that being colorblind was the ideal. I didn’t understand why Black History Month needed to be a thing. As an adult, I’ve chosen to educate myself on race, racism, and the ways we as a society continue to fail our brothers and sisters of color. It’s not easy to do educate yourself; it requires challenging long-held assumptions and being introspective and acknowledging the way damaging cultural portrayals of race have buried themselves deep in your subconscious. As an individual I know I can always do better, learn more, try harder, but I’m trying to make the effort.

All this is to say that I really enjoyed this piece on why the misuse of the term “racism” among kids is dangerous. Well, “enjoyed” isn’t the right word; I appreciated it. The piece also drove home to me the way we as a culture are so ill-equipped to discuss challenging, nuanced issues like this. I was reminded of a recent post in my neighborhood’s online forum, where a man posted to “warn” neighbors of a “stranger” who was walking back and forth down his street and checking her phone. She was black, which he noted. Many people responded, thanking him for the “warning” and urging him to call the police. When anyone tried to gently challenge him on exactly why he felt so threatened by someone who was literally just walking down the street and checking her phone, and whether perhaps he would have felt less concerned if she were white, others jumped in to immediately defend the guy and to say he was just being a good neighbor and to attack the commenters for immediately “crying racism.”

What’s interesting (and really telling) was that none of the commenters called the guy racist. None of them made ad hominem attacks. They were just trying to call out what might’ve been a case of unconscious bias, where he saw a black woman he didn’t know and thought she might’ve been a threat. If she were white, her presence probably wouldn’t even have registered. Yet many people (deliberately?) refused to see the nuance of the comments, and just wanted it to be a yes-racist or no-not-racist situation.

Anyway, this is all to say that we need to be having conversations about race with our kids as early as we can. No, it’s not easy, and no, I’m not a parent so maybe I have no say here, but exposing our kids to nuances in ways that they can relate to and understand seems like one of the only ways we as a society can tackle these challenging issues. (And, of course, parents of black children are already having these conversations. Parents of white kids need to do more.)

Coincidentally, another piece about kids — this one about a teacher telling a little girl that “only girls wear lipstick.” Even those of you who might be uncomfortable with the changing nature of gender roles — and even the changing nature of gender as a concept! — can hopefully accept that prescriptive comments like that one are harmful. This piece explains why and offers solutions for parents hoping to raise inclusive, accepting children who can (gently) challenge authority figures who make these kinds of comments.

On another topic, this achingly bittersweet piece about finding love after loss struck me for its honesty and its gentle handling of something we do really badly as a society: talking about and preparing for death. Nobody wants to have to tell a partner what he or she should do after they’ve died, but I think it would be a gift to know that someone I loved wanted me to find someone else after they were gone.

The Olympics! Seriously, this is just about all we’ve watched lately. (Shout-out to NBC for streaming it.) The only downside? As a stereotypical cord-cutting #millennial, I rarely watch commercials — so having to watch the same ones over and over during the streaming Olympics is grating. But we’ve been enjoying it anyway, and I’ve loved all the skiing events in particular. As someone who has never skied, I am in awe of the things people can do while strapped to two long sticks and holding two other long sticks. (That’s the terminology, right?!)

I love pierogies, and I want to bury my face in this pierogi casserole (not really). This is cold-weather comfort food at its finest!

A solid — and blessedly quick — recipe for easy homemade ramen from The Vegan 8. This partially inspired me to make a big pot of ramen last night, although my off-the-cuff recipe was a little more involved and included veggies and tofu for added nutrients. (To those of you following along on my “I REFUSE TO COOK” strike, yes, I made a somewhat-involved dinner! Steven is laid up with back issues so I wanted to relieve him of his kitchen duties. It’s going OK.)

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What have you been reading/watching/eating?

Small-Bite Sundays: January 21, 2018

January 21, 2018May 28, 2018 / Kelly / 5 Comments

As I thought about what I wanted to include on this week’s Small-Bite Sundays installment, I knew that I was having trouble sourcing content to share, but I wasn’t sure why. Yesterday, I figured it out: It’s because I rarely use Facebook anymore. I deactivated my account late last year in an attempt to break myself of the scroll-through-my-feed-whenever-I’m-bored habit, and it worked. After about three weeks totally off the ‘book, I no longer found myself compulsively clicking Command-T to open a new tab, then typing an F and letting auto-fill do the rest. (I’d also deleted the Facebook app from my phone ages ago, which certainly helped.) So now, although I still do technically have a Facebook account, I rarely use it. I scroll through my organization’s employee page every day or so, and if someone tags me I’ll usually check it out, but I spend probably 15 minutes total on the site over the course of a week.

I’m glad I made the change. The catalyst for my original deactivation (besides just wanting to waste less time there) was a misogynist post by an acquaintance that sent me into a rage spiral. I realized that I would never change his mind just by getting into a Facebook fight, and that seeing posts like that were more harmful to my mental health than anything else. So now, rather than spending hours scrolling through hundreds of ill-informed opinions and idiotic comments and barely-read shared articles, I can pick and choose the news I want to read and not have to deal with commentary that only makes my blood boil.

But there’s a downside. The converse to not seeing all those dumb, super partisan “news” stories is that I’m also not seeing the informed, well-written think pieces that don’t get traction on major news sites. I’m not seeing what my thoughtful, plugged-in, social-justice-minded Facebook friends are sharing. And I do miss that. Instagram has become my social media break of choice these days; I’m appreciating the focus on imagery and enjoying finding new ethical brands and companies. But there’s really no good sharing component. I also use Twitter more frequently, and that medium is definitely more sharing-oriented, but I also find it a bit anxiety-inducing and cluttered.

So I think I need some kind of happy medium in my Facebooking. Maybe I just need to curate my friends list more closely, or just unfollow folks whose posts I have no interest in seeing. If you have a strategy for using Facebook in a productive and positive manner, I’d love to hear it!

A prime example of something I would’ve missed entirely had I not spent about three minutes scrolling through my Facebook feed yesterday: This piece on the way “bro culture” harms the animal protection movement. It is, of course, applicable to many other movements and organizations, but as someone who has now worked in animal protection for nearly five years, it hit home. I’ve often wished I could throw out a casual “Hey, man” in the hallway, but… it would be weird. This is a well-written, straightforward, non-confrontational (sigh) explanation of why this kind of language needs to go if we want to build a truly inclusive movement.

Switching topics entirely, check out this article about airplane toilets! No, really! As a somewhat-closeted aviation geek and a similarly closeted fan of poo talk, I enjoyed this light read. I was especially surprised to learn that the modern airplane vacuum toilet has only been in use since 1982!

If you haven’t read Geraldine’s gut-punchingly good account of making the pizza cinnamon rolls from Mario Batali’s misguided “apology” letter, do so now. Then read her follow-up, detailing how her Twitter account was hacked after the original post went viral. Then silently scream about how horrible internet men are. Then give a virtual nod to all your internet sisters in solidarity. Then maybe make some better cinnamon rolls and eat them with one big middle finger pointed at Mario Batali and his ilk.

This Serious Eats piece on the alchemy of novelty potato chip flavors made me smile. Although I can’t say I’m particularly tempted to try, say, taco-flavored chips, I enjoyed the underlying theme: that sometimes perfection (i.e., the exact replica of a taco’s flavor) isn’t as satisfying as a simulacrum. The latter is emotionally and sensorily evocative in the way an exact replica never can be.

Do you follow Goats of Anarchy on Instagram? If not, give the page a look. GOA is a sanctuary for special-needs goats, and it is exactly as cute as it sounds. This throwback video of Poppy and Frankie boppin’ around on the couch made me melt.

A veganized version of this creamy mapletini has been my go-to cocktail of choice over the past few weeks. You could easily sub in a thinned-out homemade cashew cream for the half-and-half, but I used Ripple’s unsweetened plant milk with great success. Steven (who knows me far too well) gave me a bottle of this amaaazing bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup for Christmas, so I’ve enjoyed letting it shine in a cocktail. If you are similarly maple-inclined, you too will revel in the possibility of literally drinking maple syrup.

Joey’s vegan oatcakes look mighty simple and mighty versatile. I try to incorporate zero-waste habits when possible, so I appreciate recipes that negate the purchase of plastic-wrapped snacks. Plus, that photo at the top of the post makes me salivate every time I see it.

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Thanks for reading, and send your Facebook strategies my way!

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

Small-Bite Sundays: January 7, 2018

January 7, 2018January 7, 2018 / Kelly / 2 Comments

Hello, friends! I’m dusting off the Small-Bite Sundays series after letting it fall by the wayside during Vegan MoFo and the holiday madness. I’ve also given it a mini makeover, with more winter-appropriate images. Winter weekends are particularly appropriate for snuggling and reading, watching, and eating, aren’t they?

How has your 2018 been thus far? Frankly, ours has been a little rough. My Grammy was hospitalized for a few days; luckily they think it was just an extreme bout of vertigo and she’s been discharged. But it’s difficult being hundreds of miles from family when these kinds of things happen. Closer to home, we lost a member of our extended canine family — Neil, who was essentially our nephew-dog. Our friends Beth and Derek raised him after his mom was hit by a car, so he was quite literally their baby. Neil was a near-daily part of my own life for about three years when Beth worked with me; we both brought our dogs into the office and had all sorts of routines for them, mostly treat-based. Puppy Playtime was a crucial part of every day, and in later years we would throw handfuls of Cheerios on the ground and stand back as Moria and Neil snuffled them all up like tiny vacuum cleaners. Neil had an outsized personality for such a little guy, and there’s a rat terrier-dachshund-shaped hole in all our hearts right about now. I haven’t done him justice with this brief mention, but his story isn’t mine to tell, and quite frankly I’m still in shock that I’ll never get another extremely thorough — and extremely wet — hand-cleaning from this loud, opinionated, ridiculous, and loving doggo’s long Doxie tongue.

So, 2018. Time to pick up, y’hear? No more of this. Only smooth sailing ahead.

On that forward-looking note, I’ve been musing about the future of the blog. As you’ll read in this post, I have still not recovered my cooking mojo. While I have prepared sweets and savories for various holiday gatherings, the nightly meal is still exclusively Steven’s to prepare, and he’s been shouldering the task with admirable fortitude. (He’s even continuing to do most of the cleaning, which is an unexpected and lovely bonus.) The other night, however, I decided I wanted some nacho sauce to accompany a bag of tortilla chips we’d brought home from a gathering. I pulled up a recipe for that ubiquitous vegan cheesy sauce, the kind based on boiled potatoes, carrots, and cashews. I didn’t follow it to the letter, not bothering with measurements or anything finicky or fussy. And yet this relatively simple preparation left me irritated and quite glad I’m no longer the one in charge of our meals. I guess I’m not ready for a return to the kitchen just yet.

So, in the months to come, I’ll be sharing fewer original recipes and more general lifestyle-related content. Frankly, that’s where the blog has been headed for a while. There are thousands of fantastic recipe developers out there, and I will gladly leave the original recipe creation to them. It’s never been my passion, especially in the past few years. These days, I get more excited about finding amazing vegan food while traveling, about helping others discover that a vegan lifestyle doesn’t have to be a challenge, and about sharing tips for making that lifestyle as fulfilling and fun as it can be. I hope you’ll still read along as I make this shift, and I welcome ideas for topics you’d like to see covered.

And now, on to this week’s small bites.

Jenny Marie’s tips for easy, sustainable, and inclusive veganism had me nodding my head nonstop as I read. This is an all-around inspiring read for new vegans and old-timers alike. She’s pegged it to Veganuary, which isn’t as much of a trend here in the States as it is in the UK, but it’s also more broadly applicable for the new year. I think it’s beneficial to sit back every so often and evaluate whether you’re aligning your animal ethics with the larger social justice movement, and Jenny’s post is a great reminder to do just that. The piece also includes plenty of practical knowledge, including tips on dining in public, transitioning to cruelty-free and vegan household products, and more.

This is an older read, and probably most relevant for those of us in the U.S., but I wanted to share it because it articulated something that had been bothering me. In essence, this piece reminds us to be careful and considered in our language — especially when we use the term “pedophile” to describe a man who had a known history of pursuing younger (much younger) women. He’s pretty darn disgusting, but not a pedophile, and calling him one is simplistic and problematic. (Folks outside the States, this is related to Roy Moore, a nasty senate candidate in Alabama who was widely predicted to win despite a consistent stream of allegations that he pursued and may have molested girls/women as young as 14. He lost in an upset, but no thanks to white voters. 63% of white women voters preferred this pathetic creep, whereas 98% of black women voters threw their support behind Doug Jones, the Democratic candidate. There is a freaking LOT to unpack in this senate race, but I’m digressing.)

I quite enjoyed Gigi Griffis’ summary of how she and her partner chose their travel destinations for 2017 and how those places did or didn’t live up to expectations. Gigi is a travel-independent writer and blogger who brings her dog Luna (!) everywhere, and her slow-travel lifestyle is quite appealing. (How could you NOT want to spend a month in the Slovenian Alps?!) I probably read more travel blogs than food blogs these days, and Gigi’s down-to-earth approach always appeals. I appreciated this behind-the-scenes look at her past year.

As usual, this is the shortest of my small bites sections! Steven and I just started the third season of Broadchurch. We loved the first season, would rather forget the second, and so far are enjoying the third. This one seems a return to the mood and style of the first season, and I’m down for the slow-burn pacing and clever way the original characters are finding their way into this new storyline. Crossing my fingers the rest of this season is as strong as the first couple episodes! (And yes, I know it aired last spring; we’re behind the times.)

Last night a fair few of my local friends got together for a belated friend gift exchange, which we morphed into a bit of an Irish funeral for Neil. Our friend Rachel made the hot caramelized onion-bacon dip that’s become a staple at all our gatherings, so I wanted to contribute something a little healthier. I brought along this buffalo chickpea dip and it was a smash hit. It’s a lighter take on a super rich and super creamy version another friend brought to our holiday party; this one relies on an ingenious hummus base and incorporates vegan mozz to temper the buffalo kick. I negated the healthiness somewhat by adding about 1/4 cup Earth Balance — I wanted to elevate it from a hot hummus dip into something a bit creamier. I might tinker with this recipe further and share my own version down the line, because it was a winner.

We had Minimalist Baker’s ramen for dinner this past Friday, and holy smokes. I was blown away. The flavors are incredible! Steven rocked this recipe, using Better Than Bouillon’s No-Beef bouillon as the broth base and layering it with lots of umami flavors. Topped with miso-glazed baby carrots, baby bok choy, and tofu, this ramen currently sits atop my Best Eats of 2018 list… a list I literally just invented and that, let’s be honest, is quite short at this point. But that’s not to diminish the deliciousness of this recipe, because it is delicious! Make it!

Another Steven production, this artichoke and red bean étouffée from Meet the Shannons hit the spot during a painfully cold week. Super flavorful and packed full of veggies, this recipe also yielded quite a lot. More leftovers for me!

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Phew. That’s about it for now. I’ll be back later this week with a long-overdue roundup of my brief sojourn in Rotterdam last year. Happy second week of 2018, y’all.

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Small-Bite Sundays: September 17, 2017

September 17, 2017October 4, 2017 / Kelly / Leave a comment

Friends, apologies for the radio silence! VeganMoFo begins in October (!), and I’ve been prepping for that. Steven and I will be out of the country during the first few days, so I’ve been getting my mock ducks in a row before we leave. (That aphorism doesn’t quite hold up to veganization, does it?) I’ve also gotten back into freelancing after the summer lull, leaving me less time for blogging. Expect a little more quiet on the blog front until October, when I’ll be posting every darn day, just as I have done for the past eight MoFos. Yeehaw.

In the meantime, I’ve had a frustrating weekend. I’m 0.5 for 2 with the recipes I’ve been working on for VeganMoFo, leaving me frustrated and disappointed. Oh well. Onward!

Wow. I was unfamiliar with the Michelle Jones story until a college acquaintance shared this article on Facebook. (If you are equally unfamiliar, I really suggest reading the story — any summary I could give wouldn’t do it justice.) There’s so much to unpack here, and the question of where we as a society draw the line when it comes to redemption is something I haven’t thought much about.

A poignant read from the perspective of a physician who has to share heartbreaking, devastating news with the families of patients who pass away. What stood out to me here was how incredibly important empathy is in situations like this. It’s a core principle of my own life (or at least, I aspire for it to be), and it serves this doctor well.

As someone who grew up with Deaf family members, I really enjoyed this piece about how the sign language used by black Americans differs from that used by white Americans. In my experience, folks tend to think of “sign language” as a monolith, but it’s so very not. American Sign Language and Signed English are very different, and as this article points out, Black American Sign Language is another dialect entirely — one that’s historically been ignored and downplayed. It’s fascinating but not surprising that people who are deaf code-switch just like their hearing counterparts.

Small bites: to watch

Profanity ahead, but holy smokes — this video of an Irish family dealing with a bat in the kitchen is pure gold. Stuff like this usually doesn’t appeal to me, but I could not handle this video! And I’m glad the batty got out safe. :)

Small bites: to eat

Thes berbere-spiced jackfruit tacos feature finely chopped jackfruit, which is… an embarrassingly obvious preparation method that I somehow haven’t used! Leave it to Vegan Richa to come up with this fantastic idea.

TOMATOES FOREVER. Here is my haul from a single day this week. My cherry tomatoes just won’t stop producing, and my larger slicers are finally ripening. I think those are Mikados on the right, but I’m not entirely sure… my labeling fell by the wayside at some point this summer. Last year I had tomatoes well into October; I’m crossing my fingers for that to happen again!

Speaking of tomatoes… I saw a recipe for roasted tomato pasta recently and it has been a weeknight staple ever since (and a great way to use up my massive supply of cherry tomatoes!). You simply halve a bunch of cherry tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil, add salt/pepper/vegan parm/nooch/whatever, and roast in a high-walled pan or casserole dish for about 20 minutes at 425˚F, until they’re juicy and falling apart and a saucy mess. In the meantime, boil pasta. When it’s done, just mix the drained pasta into the dish with the roasted tomatoes. Add more spices/nooch/vegan parm to taste and enjoy!

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If you’ve got a little cash to spare, here are two crowd-funded projects that look neat. The first is a Spain-based startup that’s creating vegan “leather” bags out of biodegradable cork bark. They’re committed to sustainability, ethical production, and vegan products… the trifecta of conscious consumerism, perhaps?

The second is closer to home (for me, at least): a vegan burger joint in Baltimore. Maybe it’s just because I’m hungry for dinner right now, but their food looks great.

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Let me know if you’ve read/watched/eaten anything noteworthy this week!

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Small-Bite Sundays: August 27, 2017

August 27, 2017 / Kelly / Leave a comment

First things first: Have you entered my giveaway yet? Win a handmade vegan-emblazoned mug here! (And if you have a recommendation for another vegan small-business interview, drop me a line.)

I spent last weekend in Rhode Island, visiting with family, meeting my sister-in-law’s family (they’re visiting the U.S. from their home in Thailand), and celebrating my mom’s 60th a bit belatedly. All visits to RI give me the chance to spend lots of time with my two little nephews… meaning all visits to RI include about a 50/50 percent chance of me coming home with some kind of terrible kid-transmitted illness. This time, I ended up with a killer cold and spent about three days glued to the couch with my trusty tissue box by my side.

Luckily, though, the cold didn’t strike until later in the week, or else Steven’s and my eight-hour drive home on Monday would have been pretty miserable. During our drive, we stopped in a state park to watch the eclipse — what we could see from northern Maryland, at least. We had about 83% coverage, and I was (naively) surprised at how little change there was in the light. At least we had eclipse glasses to see what was happening, and we were able to share them with a family who was taking a mid-day hike but didn’t have any glasses. Anyway, the experience left me wishing we’d driven somewhere to see totality, and I think we’ll attempt to do so during the next one — just seven years from now. :)

Fellow vegan blogger Jenny has a brief piece on Medium about how a nasty vegan weight-loss site stole an image of her and used it to promote their vegan diet program. Ironically, the image was originally used on another piece she wrote… about the intersections (or frequent lack thereof) between veganism and fat acceptance.

The incident stands out to me for a few reasons. One, it’s an example of the bizarre way folks seem to think images on the internet are fair game for reuse, even when they’re not marked as creative commons. Two, it highlights the continued problem of fat-shaming within the vegan community and the icky idea that veganism should be/is a weight-loss tool. Third, it’s actually heartening to see the way people responded to Jenny when she put a call out on social media for others to demand the site take her photo down. Thanks to the folks who mobilized on her behalf, not only did the site remove her photo, but they deleted the entire post in which it was used.

If you’re interested in reading more about vegan body positivity and weight inclusivity, check out Jenny’s Big Fat Vegan Zine Tumblr.

I am so intrigued by the thought of cooking with so-called “roasted sugar,” sugar that’s been slowly, well, roasted in the oven until it develops a deeper and almost caramelized flavor. I’m looking forward to experimenting with it! (I contemplated putting this in the “To eat” section, but even I, a lover of sweets, would not sit down to a bowl of roasted sugar.)

Small bites: to watch

It’s a bit long, but I enjoyed this video demonstrating the absurdly long process of getting dressed as an 18th century Western woman. Fans of 18th century British novels in particular (guilty!) will likely appreciate this visual; female protagonists in these books frequently reference their dress.

Small bites: to eat

I am always on board for cashew cream, and these adorable creamy tomato-basil tartlets from Vegan Yack Attack feature a basil-infused cashew cream in spades. I’d sub in a gluten-full crust, and I’d probably make a full-size tart (alas, I have no tiny tart pans), but otherwise this recipe is a perfect way to do justice to your end-of-summer tomato stash.

Aquafaba is a seriously versatile ingredient — not only has it revolutionized vegan meringues and macarons, but apparently it makes an amazing caramel. I love the inclusion of macadamia nuts, too; I can imagine them adding a perfectly rich and buttery element to this caramel sauce.

As I mentioned earlier, we celebrated my mom’s 60th in RI last weekend. What I didn’t mention was that my dad basically catered a three-course fully vegan meal for 20+ guests all by himself. He’s always been the star cook of the family, but he really outdid himself here. We enjoyed appetizers (Texas caviar and a seriously incredible three-bean dip), a soup course (spicy sweet potato and kale), and a main course featuring twice-baked potatoes (augmented with mashed cauliflower!), a light salad, and grilled veg sausages and veggies. Plus, Dad made three original cocktails to order, including an incredible chocolate drink that was perfect for my chocoholic mom. Oh, also? Nearly everything was gluten-free so my celiac aunt could enjoy it. Yeah, my dad should probably go into the catering business.

We followed everything up with a vegan cake from a local bakery. They decorated it like a barbell weight as a nod to my bodybuilder mom’s favorite hobby. :)

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What was your eclipse experience, if you’re in the States? What have you read/watched/eaten lately?

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Small-Bite Sundays: August 20, 2017

August 20, 2017August 17, 2017 / Kelly / 4 Comments

Last weekend I was in Austin, spending a quick couple days with friends and spending less time on social media. It was like a little break from the news, which is almost universally shitty and painful. And then I saw something about what was going on in Charlottesville and realized how lucky and privileged I am to be able to disconnect like that.

I have so much to say (and so many feelings) about this, but who needs to read another white girl’s thoughts. Here are some other things to read instead.

Ijeoma Olua has some of the best, most provocative pieces on contemporary race issues in America. Her piece about fighting white supremacy is timely and well-worth your time. Anyone can make a Facebook post expressing outrage or shake their head at the water cooler and talk about how horrible the Charlottesville situation is, but we have to do more. White people have to do more. We’ve enabled and been complicit in perpetuating white supremacy, and we have to be the ones to take it down. Olua’s list gives concrete ways to start.

I was planning to share Jaya Bhumitra’s “Celebrating the Globalization of Animal Advocacy — and Avoiding Imperialism” before Charlottesville, and it seems extra relevant now. This piece is a crucial reminder that as wonderful as it is to see many U.S.-based animal protection groups expanding internationally, we need to be mindful of how we work with other nations. While her tips are geared towards organizations doing this kind of work, they’re also applicable to other endeavors that expand across the globe.

Bhumitra’s piece is hosted on the Encompass blog. If you haven’t heard of it, Encompass is a timely new organization dedicated to building a more racially inclusive animal welfare movement. While there are absolutely vegans of color doing amazing work, the movement as a whole has not prioritized diversity. Encompass wants to change that. As they say, “If we want our collective mission — to reduce suffering — to take hold, our movement must reflect the country we are trying to change. We must be the change.”

What really excites me about Encompass’ work is that it’s not just rhetoric. Instead, they’re grounding their philosophy in concrete work. On an individual level, they plan to “empower advocates of color by cultivating leadership potential.” On an organization-wide level, they will “work with professional farmed animal protection organizations to maximize staff impact, recruit more people of color, and more authentically conduct outreach to communities of color.” Yes.

On another topic… if you interact with any millennials, you’ve probably heard at least one of us complain about adulting. I’ve probably done it myself, but to be honest, I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable with the phrase — even if I couldn’t articulate why. This piece from Sian Ferguson at The Establishment shares one reason that resonated with me: The way we use the phrase is often classist.

Ferguson’s argument, in brief, is that many children (those who grow up in poverty; those who grow up with mentally or physically disabled parents) have to “adult” at a young age. Ferguson speaks poignantly about her own childhood and how she had to worry about adult things at a young age.

The idea of “adulting” also rubs me the wrong way because people seem to use it to tacitly beg for praise. “Look at me; I paid a bill! Hey, I did <a thing> on my own! #adulting!” Big deal. Maybe I’m revealing my own misanthropy here more than anything, but, yuck. It’s also bizarrely self-infantilizing phrase, one that exempts the speaker from responsibility in anything other than the single task they’ve managed to accomplish. Again, yuck.

Small bites: to watch

I both want to watch and dread watching the Vice News Tonight episode on Charlottesville.

Small bites: to eat

Vaishali’s carrot almond breakfast pudding. Maybe I just love the phrase “breakfast pudding,” but this date-sweetened dish has me salivating.

The new vegan Häagen-Dazs ice cream — specifically, the chocolate salted fudge truffle flavor. This is really, really good. Absurdly creamy mouthfeel with a really wonderful, high-quality chocolate flavor. I did not expect to enjoy this ice cream as much as I did! And as far as I can tell, it’s a water-based gelato — pretty darn allergen-friendly. Available only at Target for now, but worth your while to seek out. I loved this ice cream so much that I ate it from the container, a practice I generally find distasteful. Here is a picture for proof (a rare selfie, and rarer to post it here!).

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Let me know if you’ve read/watched/eaten anything noteworthy lately.

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Small-Bite Sundays: July 16, 2017

July 16, 2017July 16, 2017 / Kelly / Leave a comment

Just popping in briefly tonight. I’ve been in Rhode Island visiting family for two days, and I’m heading out on a six-day work trip tomorrow. It’s a busy summer. And a busy past week — I haven’t spent too much time on the ol’ interwebs, so I have just a few bites to share today.

From rock-star feminist Lindy West, this piece about how men can truly be there for women. It’s not exactly groundbreaking advice; in short, she’s telling men to stand up for us and use your voice to fight against sexism. But West also candidly acknowledges the risks men take when they do so: that they’ll be considered “a dorky, try-hard male feminist stereotype;” that they’ll “lose their spot in the club.” I think it’s always helpful to honestly acknowledge what’s at stake when you ask someone to use their privilege for you, and I appreciate West doing so. I’m also excited that this is just the first installment of West’s new weekly column on the New York Times’ Opinion Pages. Get it, Lindy.

(P.S. Her piece introduced me to the new (?) concept of the “dirtbag left,” which makes me sigh loudly and want to go to sleep for a million years.)

Amey’s wrap-up of her time in Tallinn, Estonia, has me itching to book a flight! I’ve been reading great things about Estonia, and Amey’s post about the incredible vegan options in Tallinn just helped this country rocket up my travel bucket list.

Small bites: to watch

This clip has been making the rounds, but it’s too good not to share. The inimitable Andy Serkis brings back his Gollum voice to… read a few classic Trump tweets. He’s a great sport about it, too.

Small bites: to eat

Vaishali’s cauliflower makhani dosa crepes are going on my to-make shortlist. Creamy makhani gravy and a quick dosa recipe? I’m there.

Salad days. I’m finally becoming a master of the kitchen-sink salad. Salads don’t need a theme; who knew? This one features mixed baby greens, tomatoes, roasted Turkish eggplant slices, sautéed paprika chickpeas, and a zesty lemon-turmeric-tahini dressing. I also added a crumbled veggie burger and hemp seeds for extra protein. Side note: those Turkish eggplants (also called scarlet or Ethiopian eggplants) are a new favorite. I spotted them at the farmer’s market and had to try them. They look like persimmons but taste like a slightly milder version of the regular ol’ eggplants we all know and love (or tolerate).

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Right! Now to sleep. Expect some radio silence for the next week or so; I’ll be off the grid. :) Happy Sunday!

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Small-Bite Sundays: July 9, 2017

July 9, 2017July 16, 2017 / Kelly / 4 Comments

One thing I particularly enjoy about putting together these weekly posts is that they give me the chance to stop and reflect on what I’m reading, rather than finishing an article and moving on.

I say “reading” purposefully — I’ve noticed that I really don’t watch many videos and clips online. I prefer reading partially because I’m a pretty fast reader, whereas sometimes videos aren’t paced to my liking. It seems like more of an investment to stop and watch a video. When I’m reading, I can scan ahead and decide whether a story or article seems worth my time; it’s much harder to do that with a video. So if my posts tend to include videos only sparingly, that’s why!

When I think of media outlets that excel at investigative reporting, USA Today isn’t exactly top of mind. But maybe I’ve been doing them an injustice, because this piece on labor abuses in the trucking industry was really eye-opening. It’s a sadly familiar story: Large corporations exploit their employees — in this case, mostly immigrants — by taking advantage of the language barrier and their workers’ desperation for a job. In this case, the truckers sign on to purchase a truck through their companies, with installment payments coming out of their weekly paychecks. At the end of the week, one of the men interviewed for this piece took home just 67 cents. And if they get fired or quit, the workers’ stake in the truck — no matter how many tens of thousands of dollars they’ve contributed — is forfeited. On top of that, managers routinely coerce the drivers into working far more hours than the mandated maximum, after which drivers are required by law to rest. If the drivers say no, they’ll likely be fired… and lose that investment in the truck.

What’s extra disturbing is how many mainstream retailers rely on these companies to transport their goods from the port of Los Angeles to warehouses for further distribution. But because these retailers (Target, Walmart, Home Depot, various clothing brands, and even the usually-ethical Costco) don’t directly employ the shipping companies, instead outsourcing that work to logistics companies, they don’t feel responsible for these labor violations. It’s a grim read, but worth it. (There’s a second installment in the series, but I haven’t read that one yet.)

From one of the few fashion bloggers I follow (thanks to her focus on ethical and sustainable fashion), this piece about why she doesn’t cover ethical men’s fashion. In a nutshell, it’s because her husband simply can’t find ethical options that fit him. He’s larger than an XL, and ethical men’s fashion companies just don’t stock those sizes. (Plus, ethical men’s fashion is less common than ethical women’s fashion in general.)

I completely understand why Leah takes this tack; she has no personal frame of reference to review men’s fashion because her husband literally can’t try on or evaluate the existing options. I appreciate that she mentions her own thin privilege in being able to fit into nearly every brand she finds, but I think there’s more to be said about women who can’t find ethical fashion that fits. At the end of the day, most ethical women’s clothing retailers are doing the exact same thing that she’s deriding the men’s brands for doing. We need to push companies to do better.

For something lighter, this tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s Instagram feed. I lived in Wisconsin for three and a half years and developed a healthy dislike for this union-busting governor, so I found this piece particularly amusing.

Small bites: to watch

Season two of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None! We’re only three episodes in and so far, so good. This show is consistently enjoyable in so many ways. I loooved the episodes set in Italy in particular. Those shots of the Tuscan countryside made me want to book a flight!

Small bites: to eat

These chimichurri chickpeas from Food52. What a creative way to dress up chickpeas! And the salad recipe would be super easy to veganize — just sub your favorite tofu feta or use a cashew cheese spread. Mmm.

ALL THE VEGGIE BURGERS! We’ve been digging the Amy’s quarter pounders lately. With 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber in each burger, they’re super filling. (They do have 600 milligrams of sodium each, but you probably won’t need or want more than one!) We made these with the Daiya cheddar slices, but they don’t do much for me. I much prefer Chao. We’ve also been on a sparkling water kick. Spindrift’s grapefruit flavor is my personal favorite. No added sugar, no artificial flavors, just fizzy, fruity, deliciousness.

I haven’t made them yet, but Mihl’s vegan brownies look absolutely killer. I’m always there for Mihl’s approach to desserts: Unlike many vegan bloggers, she’s not into healthifying treats that should be, well, treats. So she uses plenty of sugar and regular white flour in most of her dessert recipes. I mean, I like black bean brownies just fine, but sometimes I want to some regular ol’ sugar-laden brownies too, y’know?

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And that’s a wrap. Tonight Steven and I are going to see Neil Gaiman at Wolf Trap, a local indoor/outdoor venue. We bought the tickets today, pretty spontaneously, but I’m excited! I saw him once seven years ago (!) at an incredible weekend event at Wisconsin’s House on the Rock, a tourist attraction that defies description. You should visit, if you ever get the chance.

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vegan food, travel, and lifestyle

small-bite sundays

Small-Bite Sundays: Pancakes and Cozy Winter Reads (12/8/19)

Small-Bite Sundays: June 3, 2018

Small-Bite Sundays: February 18, 2018

Small-Bite Sundays: January 21, 2018

Small-Bite Sundays: January 7, 2018

Small-Bite Sundays: September 17, 2017

Small-Bite Sundays: August 27, 2017

Small-Bite Sundays: August 20, 2017

Small-Bite Sundays: July 16, 2017

Small-Bite Sundays: July 9, 2017