Monthly Archive for January, 2009
So Mindy Kaling (Kelly from The Office [my favorite character]), writes this blog called Things I Bought That I Love. And while I find it entertaining, I don’t actually get much out of it because a) she has more money than I do and b) I am not into shoes or makeup or things like that. I have bad ankles and can’t take a single step in any heel, so the allure of cute shoes does nothing for me. I can’t put on eyeliner without looking like a mall goth reject, so there’s that. And I hate clothes shopping because I know cheap clothes are usually cheap for a reason, and I am a cheap person. I get all of my jeans at Goodwill because i’d rather pay $5 for someone’s cast off American Eagle jeans than $15 for a crappy new pair from Walmart.
So with that, I present to you, Vegan Things I Bought That I Love.
First up, is the newest hoodie from Herbivore. I usually don’t like zip-up hoodies because I can’t fiddle with my hands in the middle of the pocket, but I was drawn in by the promises of fleecy warmness. That’s kind of important when you don’t own a real coat. It doesn’t usually get too cold in Tennessee, but when it does this hoodie keeps me nice and warm. I also like it because it doesn’t have a totally in-your-face message on it that would get me heckled around here(I am a sissy).
I have a lot of vegan cookbooks. Probably 20, plus some zines. I have read all of them, but a lot of them have been used once or not at all because, as i’ve mentioned I suck at following recipes and planning ahead, and because sometimes the ingredients list is so long it makes my head spin. One of the few cookbooks I have that gets regular use (mostly from memory at this point), is Yellow Rose Recipes. The recipes are pretty simple and straight forward without giving me that, ‘I don’t need a recipe for a freaking bean burrito’ feeling. I loved it so much that I got my tester copy, and then bought two for friends and family. I am getting hungnry looking at the cover so i’m going to scroll down to the next thing.
Last week, I needed some soy curls and stuff so I put in an order at Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe in Atlanta. I love Food Fight as much as anyone, but if you’re living in the southern part of the country, Cosmo’s will hook you up in 2-3 days. I saw that they had these cheap little chocolates, so I decided to order one of each and give them a try. Imagine my happy surprise when I found that little baggie to the left in my box with extra chocolates AND a stick of lip balm that tastes like the inside of a hazelnut cream. (Am I the only one who almost always types out ‘lip blam’ by mistake?) Anyway, the chocolates were pretty delicious, and they’re only .30 cents a piece (less if you buy in bulk), so they’d be good to give out at weddings or Easter or any other holiday where you might give people candy. The only one I wasn’t crazy about was the ginger, and I can’t even say why, it just didn’t do it for me. Next time I need to stock up on soy curls (so like, next week) i’ll be getting a few more of the caramel and mint ones for sure.
And speaking of soy curls, have you tried them? They’re pretty excellent, and about as un-processed as you can get. They’re kind of like TVP in that you soak them in water and flavor them, but they’re in strips and in the end, taste way better. You can get them at Cosmo’s and Food Fight!
The rest of this stuff isn’t for or by vegans per se, but still stuff that I love.
Bitch Baraometers! Your friends and family will thank you when you give them proper warning about what they’re getting into. Plus, they might come bearing chocolates just to make sure you don’t rip their damn heads off. These are one-of-a-kind and she only has a few left! (Mine is flipped to the flaming uterus right now, if you care to know.)
Cakespy cupcake paintings! I have six of the mini paintings, and I was lucky enough to snag the original of the ‘Yes We Cake’ painting. I like them because even though they’re small, they’re affordable original art that brightens up my home. Plus, Jessie is awesome about commisions, I asked her to do a painting for a friends wedding and named the price I had in mind, and she asked me lots of questions and showed me sketches to make sure everything was perfect before going ahead with the ink and color. Some of them are very simple, like Cuppie drinking a soda, and some of them are pretty detailed like the one on the right that I wish was mine, but it’s not. She occasionally does vegan baking paintings as well.
Technically I didn’t buy this, but my mother-in-law got me an Aerogarden for Christmas and it is so. Fucking. Awesome. My little herbs are only 2.5 weeks old, but they’re growing pretty fast. I swear one night, the basil doubled in height. The one she got me has three spots to grow stuff, so it’s more affordable than the big ones they show on the infomericals. And the grow light doubles as a good light for food porn! The batch of herbs going now should last me until summer, and I think I might get a second bigger one in the fall so I can grow tomatoes all winter! The only downside is that the light is really bright, and it cycles on automatically so I have to close the bedroom door most of the way to be able to sleep since it’s on the dining table. Curse you, open floor plan.
And finally:
Best $20 I ever spent! Chester had his honorary birthday a few weeks ago, he’s now eight. He is one of the happiest, smartest dogs I have ever met. If he’s not smiling, he’s probably asleep.
P.S. Bonny is not on this list because I got her for free because she was defective!
Before you roll your eyes and say, “Who needs a guide on how to make soup?!”, i’ve determined that there are two kinds of cooks in this world: those who need a recipe for everything, and those who fly by the seat of their pants. A lot of times when people ask me for a recipe I shrug, rattle off the ingredients, and that’s that. I’m not big on measuring or planning ahead, which is why I don’t post recipes very often and most of my cookbooks go unused.
People who need a recipe for everything, I don’t understand. I am going to assume that they think they can’t cook very well. I have people tell me all that time that they can’t cook. That’s like saying you can’t walk or brush your hair or tie your shoes! It’s not an ability that only some people are born with, like a great singing voice or amazing drawing skills. It takes a little practice and some experimentation. So, I am going to tell you how to make vegetable soup. No recipe, you don’t need it! Which is why I love soup. You can make a ton and eat on it for awhile, and as long as you keep the fat and salt in check, it’s really healthy.
- Pick out some of your favorite vegetables. I think carrots are a must have and taste best in soup, but you can make up your own mind. Onions, carrots, peppers, potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, leafy greens, whatever.
- Put on some upbeat tunage.
- Do all of your prep work on your vegetables first. Peel, chop, put them all in their own bowls so when you’re ready to put them in you can just go bam, bam, bam with the bowls. I like my vegetables chopped kind of chunky, myself (less work). For things like potatoes and carrots that take longer to cook, you don’t want them too big or your other vegetables will get overcooked while you’re waiting for those hard fuckers to get soft. Also, if you plan on adding beans, rice, TVP, etc. make sure you have those rinsed or cooked, whatever needs to be done.
- Heat your oil in your soup pan over slightly under medium heat. The amount of oil depends on how many vegetables you’re using, i’m going to say 1/2 a tablespoon per cup of vegetables, a teaspoon if you’re worried about fat. Don’t jump the gun on putting your veggies in, make sure the oil is well heated first.
- If you’re using garlic or onions, put those in first, stirring around so everything is good and coated in the oil. After a few minutes, during which you should stir it once or twice, add in any hard vegetables like potatoes, carrots, anything rooty, basically. Continue with the occasional stirring for a few minutes, then add the softer vegetables like peppers, asparagus, etc.
- Add your seasonings. I like a little salt (because the broth will probably have salt too), loads of black pepper, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, etc. Do the occasional stir for about five more minutes. Now is a good time to pick up your kitchen so you don’t have to do it later.
- All of vegetables should’ve brightened up in color by now, and maybe be a little browned. Time to add the broth. You can go the pre-made boxed route, or use a boullion cube, or if you’re desperate, water and chicken seasoning. If you’re worried about salt you should probably go with the first choice. If you’re using a boullion cube, dissolve it into warm water first. Add enough liquid to cover the vegetables, or more you you like a really watery soup. Me, I like it a little thicker so I mix cornstarch into a little cold water and pour that in too.
- Add any extras, like beans or rice. If you’re using leafy greens, put them in low as well. Turn the heat up a little to get it boiling.
- When the pot begins to boil, lower the heat back down to medium low and cover. It should be bubbling a little, but not going crazy. Check on it in about ten minutes, poke a potato and carrot with a fork and when they’re soft, soups on!
- Chow down, motherfucker.
This instructional blog is dedicated to my mother-in-law, who is starting an exciting new life that will hopefully include making soup (for me).
