happy belated birthday to me...

my birthday was on the 13th. funny, i don't feel 37. then again, i don't know what anyone is supposed to feel at that age: miserable? sad? angry? how about hungry? yeah, i was hungry that day. so i made myself some chocolate chip cheesecake brownies from vegan cookies invade your cookie jar. note: they were good, a little on the dry side-(what did i do wrong?), and not as cheesecakey tasting as i thought they would. to exercise some portion control, i made them in a muffin pan.
for dinner i made seitanic tacos. i took store bought seitan and seasoned it with ms. dash chipotle flavor, cumin, cinnamon and topped with fresh cilantro, mashed avocado, red pepper slices, and served them on chipotle tortillas. what's that mess of orange goodness in the foreground? crazy carrot jalapeno relish. i know this sounds silly, but i'm trying to find more creative ways to incorporate even more veggies in my diet and not be so horribly reliant on sauces. give it a try, i think you'll like it, and it's a cinch to make:

crazy carrot jalapeno relish

1.5 cups finely chopped carrots
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
1-2 pickled jalapenos finely chopped
2t olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t salt

i used my vidalia chop wizard to finely chop everything. i sauteed the onions, garlic, and jalapenos in a non-stick pan, then added the carrots and just a little bit of water. i covered and simmered until they were fork tender and cooled. is an awesome relish for anything mexican/latino. i used this later to add in some roasted carrot soup and it worked out great! see below:i roasted 4 cups of carrots in the oven with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. pureed the shit out of them with 2c v-8 juice, 1 c. coconut water, cinnamon and cumin. after pureeing, sat that baby on medium heat and added the leftover relish. topped it with some leftover seitan and added a tiny dollop of soy sour cream. totally decadent.

i didn't do all the cooking that day, btw. i know it sounds backwards to cook for myself on my birthday, but i really enjoy cooking. with my cramped schedule any extra time in the kitchen is a big gift. mr. jewbacca made me the following on my birthday morning for breakfast:
he asked me if i wanted to go out to eat. i said, "no." "well, what do you want then?" he asked.
"i want a plain bagel with pb&j topped with nanners."

and that's just what i got. i'm a lucky woman indeed.

it's what is on the inside that counts!

i feel like giving up on this blog. with the addition of the second child, i hardly have time anymore to write. i'm a smart cookie and know deep down that good vegan food is my passion, and i'd really be cheating myself if i stopped--i just get so bombarded with all the little things i have to do! on the outside is total chaos, but on the inside is peanut buttery goodness. featured above are the peanut butter chocolate pillow cookies from vegan cookies invade your cookie jar. they were amazing fresh out of the oven, but don't hold up so well over a period of days. i can't believe they lasted that long--i must have had a bad case of the self-restraint flu or something. my dear readers, i have full faith that you'll never have to worry about that because you'll eat 'em up and lick the crumbs off the floor. this is the kind of cookie you make in your pajamas when your heart has been broken by that special someone. you take 'em outta the oven, curl up with a good cry movie and eat the whole damn plate.
now for real food. i scored some vegan mushroom patties at my local food bank. i partnered them with some butternut squash and near east pine nut and herb couscous. very nice dinner. the mushroom patties were made with a blend of three different kinds of mushrooms and were made by local folks food--an indiana based business.i also tried their marinara sauce recently and really loved it--completely vegan! the prices are kind of high--so i don't know if i'd buy their products unless it was a special occasion.

yes, i do occasionally make food and not dessert.

organic penne pasta with swiss cheez fondue sauce from the ultimate uncheese cookbook. topped with cherry tomatoes and some fresh baby spinach.

see, i do eat real food every now and then!

and i hear fats domino is very much alive. oops.

i found my thrill...

...on blueberry spice crumb bars hill! these were the best thing i've had from the book vegan cookies invade your cookie jar by isa moskowitz and terry hope romero.

the best. fats domino would agree if he were alive. this is what you make for anyone who thinks vegan food sucks. so go make 'em now!