Florida, I miss you already.

I'm moving to Denver at the end of the month to hang out with my grandpa, my cousins, the mountains, and the prairie dogs for a bit. I will likely be back in St. Pete in a year or so to finish up a degree, but until then I dearly will miss all my favorite people in my favorite city in Florida.

Before I start sobbing, let's talk about how great Denver is. Specifically, how great Denver food is. I went for a short visit with some friends in June, and we went to WaterCourse Foods for brunch on our last day in town.

I may have had two meals. To myself.

Good ole rocky mountain gluttony.


Florentine Scramble


Biscuits and Gravy


I like vegan foods with bloody in the name.

We were all a little pink and crispy from a picnic in Wash Park the day before.

Matt, Erin, Stephanie, Patrick. BFFs, rock lobsters.

We ate too much. And made food babies.

They've got the glow.

WaterCourse brunch is enough to make me want to move 1500 miles, but big green parks, family, and a change of pace are enough to lock it in. Plus, Coopy will be stoked about the flea situation. Take care, Florida, I'll be back soon.

<3

The July Brunch and Bike Ride is already out of control.

And it's still more than a week away.

The Details:

When: Sunday, July 20th; Ride at 12:30, Brunch at 1:30

Where: Ride meets at Northshore Park (picnic table near 15th Ave NE); Brunch is at 140 Ricardo Way NE

Theme: Batman: The Dark Knight / Christmas in July

Menu: Pancakes. And other good stuff. I haven't decided yet.

Donation: $5, proceeds to The Skirts

Why you should go: This may be the last one for a bit. Also, did you see the theme? Also, did see the part about pancakes?

Questions and concerns: Email me at hoorayvegan@gmail.com.

When Britt suggested a Christmas in July theme, I had concerns about reconciling it with our already-decided-upon Batman theme. Pam responded with this:



And then I went on a Google image search journey and found these:





Evil Stay Puft Santa?!


The moral of the story is that you shouldn't miss this particular event.

I should be working right now.

I'm at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Ft. Lauderdale this week. I'm supposed to be at a couple of different places right this minute, but I went to Sublime last night and I wanted to tell it to someone who cared. It was pretty freaking great. Vegan picatta? Eggplant rollatini? Chocolate nirvana? Yes please. I'm going again tonight, and I'm bringing my camera with me.

All I did in New York was eat.

No, seriously. I had at least four meals a day. And when I go to a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, I make a happy plate1, because it is likely I won't be back for a while. I spent most of my trip uncomfortably but happily full.

My very first meal in New York was at Bliss, at 191 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. The fu scramble filling was meh, but I was thrilled with the gooey cheese (does anyone know what they use?), pico de gallo, beans, breakfast potatoes, and sour cream. I made a happy take out box on my way to do touristy things.


Messy and tasty.

1. happy plate - a full plate turned into an empty plate (origin: Stephanie Kiernan)

How you say sandwich, Boo?

I made sandwiches for dinner (hummus and vegetables on poppy seed bread), and was thinking of all the words I know for sandwich. Here is my list. Please add to it. 

Sammich 

Sambo 

Sammie

Bread hug

And since all this sandwich talk has probably given you sandwich fever, here are some recipes:

TLT

Maple-Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Curried Tempeh Salad

Hasperat

Tomato Basil Sandwiches

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Tofu Panini

June Brunch in Photos

First, the food. Brunch shells, Mushroom Spinach Strata from Veganomicon, fresh tomatoes and basil, mashed potatoes, peanut butter cinnamon rolls from bjorkedoff, spinach salad (recipe below), fresh fruit, juice, and coffee.










Bicycles, food, and flying dogs are fun and all, but the epic didn't happen until someone noticed that the coconut trees on the golf course were ready for harvest.

There were skeptics.


But Luke and Mike, clearly farmers at heart, rose to the occasion.



Brunch heroes.


Obtaining fresh coconuts is one thing. Fashioning them into beverage vessels is quite another. But we persisted,







And prevailed.




Thanks to Steph for her kitchen help, Pam for leading a bike ride and taking pictures in spite of an injury, Lily for taking pictures, and to everyone else for attending. We raised a healthy sum for Milton Animal League! Next brunch is in July. Stay tuned for details.

<3 Abbie

Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Strawberries, and Toasted Almonds

My Aunt Beth brought this or something very much like it to a 4th of July party one year. Anyway, it's easy, pretty, and delicious.

Salad:
10 oz fresh spinach (about one large bunch)
1 C quartered strawberries
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed
1/2 C blanched, slivered almonds, toasted and cooled (spread onto dry cookie sheet and toast at 350 for 5-10 minutes)

Dressing:
1/4 C rice vinegar
1/4 C canola oil (any oil with a very mild flavor will do)
1-3 T sugar, to taste
Fresh pepper to taste

Gently toss salad ingredients together. Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss with salad immediately before serving.

Brunches and Bike Rides Strike Back!

We have been scattered across the country for the last month or so, but are back with a vengeance for a brunch in June. The date is Sunday, June 22nd at 1:30 pm. The theme this month is Easy to Cook, as this brunch follows Patrick and Stephanie's birthday party on Saturday, and I am guessing that it will be so radical that no one will want to be up before noon.

The (tentative) menu:

Birthday Quiche with Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes
Brunch Shells
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Strawberry and Mandarin Orange Salad with Toasted Almonds
Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh Fruit, Juice, and Coffee

The donation is $5, and proceeds this month will go to Milton Animal League. The bike ride begins at 12:30 at Northshore Park. Brunch starts at 1:30 at 140 Ricardo Way NE in St. Pete. Email me at hoorayvegan@gmail.com for directions or if you have any questions. 

Some of the adoptable adorables at Milton Animal League:

Erica

Blue

Howie

See you at brunch!

Oh! And PS! All this traveling I've been doing means I have some great food porn that I will post very soon. Vegan soul food, country fried tofu, and gigantic breakfast burritos are on the way. 

I know I overuse emoticon hearts.

But sometimes words just won't do, right?

I am in Prophetstown Illinois this week. Population 2150, and I am related to most of them. Anyway, I got all misty eyed on the plane ride up here because I was thinking about my Aunt Karen, who passed away this fall. There are a million wonderful things I could say about my Aunt Karen, but for whatever reason I keep thinking about how every time I came to Prophetstown from the time I was eight years old, I would find her freezer full of veggie burgers.

And it's not just my Aunt Karen. When I arrived this past Thursday, my Aunt Beth ransacked her cupboards and refrigerator, reading labels and pulling out everything she could find that was vegan. So thank you so much to all of my family that have always been so great about making sure that I am well fed. Special thanks to my Aunt Beth, cousin Jennifer, Aunt Lana, Grandpa Roger, and my mom and dad for checking up on me or taking care of me at every family meal. Every vegan should be this lucky.

Some not-so-recent family fotos.









<3<3<3

Hey Ya'll, check in.

I wanna know more about you. Post your responses in the comments section of the blog, or on your own blog. This survey is guaranteed to be 100% non-myspacey and non-lame because a) I made it and b) there is no mention of how many of your top eight you've kissed or when you last showered. In fact, I am going to call it a study in order to further legitimize it. I might even graph the results.

1. Favorite store bought vegan cookie?
Oreos. And I'm a little embarrassed about it.

2. Favorite vegan cake or cupcake recipe?
Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World)

3. Bunnies: are they the best or what?
Uh, yeah.

4. Top three favorite vegan food blogs?
For this hot minute:
What the hell does a vegan eat anyway?
have cake, will travel
The Urban Housewife

5. Do you listen to music when you cook? If so, what's usually on the playlist?
Almost always, and it almost always includes the Avett Brothers, Al Green, and The Misfits.

6. Vegan celebrity you'd most like to have lunch with?
Ted Leo, swoon swoon.

7. Best vegan meal that you didn't cook yourself? (I am looking for homemade here, but restaurants are okay too).
Trinidad / Tobago night at Stephanie and Patrick's. Steph does those garlicky greens just right.

8. Favorite recipe featuring avocados?
Currently, Pasta Della California from Veganomicon.

9. Favorite vegan comfort food?
Baked nooch noodles with broccoli and gobs of panko on top.

10. What is for dinner tonight?
Tofu, Spinach, and Mushroom Strudel, Artichoke Dip with Asparagus, and my mom's amazing mashed potatoes (I'll post the recipe with the porn). I am so stoked.

And this post needs a picture, so here is a visual for my favorite cupcake:

BYOB

Eustis Grass Roots just posted about how silly it is that we still use plastic bags at the grocery store. Take a looksee.

There are jazillion reasons why reusable shopping bags are way more boss than plastic ones. Here are two of my favorites:

1. Grocery totes rule. Evidence:


From Herbivore


From Food Fight!


From Herbivore


From Etsy


From Etsy


From Etsy

2. Sea turtles are adorable. And if fewer plastic bags wind up in the ocean, it means that fewer sea turtles will munch on them, thinking that they're jellyfish.





I play this game where I see how long I can go without taking a plastic bag from any store. So, it's not the most thrilling game ever, but it helps me remember to bring my bags because I want to beat my own record (two and a half weeks, ahem). And it's more useful than Lego Star Wars or Scrabulous, so lay off.

In any case, get you some grocery totes if you don't have some already. Because plastic bags are just stupid. 

<3 Abbie Rae