Post X-Mas Buzz

 Hope everyone had a great Tuesday. Nothing like an ol' Tuesday for opening gifts and hoggin' out on comfort food. Happens all the time.

I wish I could tell you I spent all my Christmases eating Chinese food and going to movies, but I didn't. I'm from an assimilated family and was raised with the holly jolly dysfunction of commercialism tied in with a splash of the baby Jeebus. So at our house, we celebrate both. To me, it's really all about the food!
I gotta talk about the chance I had to have some "me" time--went out for Indian food and tried Bhindi Masala for the first time. Woah, I never thought I could like curried okra, but I do!  My only regret is diving in before taking a picture of the uneaten meal. The local eatery Taste of India has plenty to eat if you're vegan. They label anything on their menu that's vegan with a big, fat "V" for vegan friendly. How cool is that?

And the holidays wouldn't be the holidays without something pumpkiny. I am a fan of these pumpkin cheesecake squares from Kittee's bake 'zine Papa Tofu-(I think it is out of print!)

Selfish plug: I removed captcha from my blog to encourage others to comment. I'm kinda sad that the only comments these days come from spammers. Ugh. So please, if you are a real person, leave me a real comment on any of my entries to cheer me up a little. 

So Busy!

 What's up That PITA Vegan readers! Sorry for the hiatus. I just finished a mean streak of working overtime at my job and now am free to blog a little more. What do I do with 10 hour work days and two kids? Not much. I have been eating a ton of sandwiches, drinking bevvies, and trying out schmears! Shown above is my favorite indulgence, the Paul Reuben.

 I've been lucky to get some really sweet products from my local food bank. Products that I could not really afford at the grocery store because I'm broke! The first are these crazy drinks by Mamma Chia. I've tried grapefruit/ginger, cherry lime, and kiwi lime. My favorite is the cherry lime. These drinks are not for everyone, the texture can be a bit at first, but they really grew on me. They make a great middle-of-the-day pick me up! Packed with omegas, fiber, and even 4g of protein!

I've already gone on and on about the tonguegasmy pleasure of Lilly's roasted jalapeno hummus. But I've also recently tried the smoked tomato and basil, and kalamata olive flavors! I. Am. In. Love. IN LOVE! I normally don't buy store bought hummus, but I'd skip all the blender business to buy this anytime-(hint-hint, I'd love some coupons, Lilly!)

How I get things done

My life gets hectic, and I bet yours does too! I'm currently working mandatory overtime until February, and that's 50 hours a week. Yuck. M-F I don't have time to do anything but work, throw dinner together, kiss the kids, and go to bed. But on the weekends, I cook two big meals and portion them in tupperware so I have stuff to eat throughout the week.

I know what you're going to do. You'll go get Chinese and feel awful about it. That's because that stuff has a bunch of grease and msg your body doesn't need. Save yourself a couple of bucks and make your own at home! This tasty ensemble is beefless broccoli in a garlic black bean sauce over rice. Easy peasy. You mix about a cup of black beans with some teriyaki sauce and a couple cloves of garlic in your blender to get the sauce. Mix that with some shredded carrots, broccoli, and seitan for the best stir fry around town. Pour it over rice, and you have a powerhouse lunch to make those days at the factory or office a little more tolerable. You will want to have a breath mint or gum to use afterwards, because the dish will turn your tongue into a little dragon with breath funkier than George Clinton.

Product Review: Lilly's Hummus

 I normally don't buy store bought hummus, I'd rather make my own. I was given the opportunity to try some of this tongue-gasmy stuff by Lilly's Hummus. Holy cow! I made the best sammy ever: The Mean Greenie

The MG is Lilly's Roasted Jalapeno Hummus, arugula, avocado, and dill pickles on toasted Ciabatta bread. Not a bad gig for my mouth. The hummus was delightfully smoky and savory, the perfect fix if you're in the mood for a cheesy but not cheesy schmear!