tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178318662024-02-28T11:17:24.014-05:00Gemusings--Vegan MusingsGemüse is the German word for vegetable and paired with "musings" pretty much describes what's going on in my brain most of the time!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-86695557729100765792009-12-28T10:47:00.002-05:002009-12-28T12:12:54.021-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Blog(s)..Please Visit Me!</span></span><br /><br />Hello blog friends!! For a technical reasons, I've decided to move my blog from Blogger to Wordpress . And not only that, I've started two more (I'm so crazy like that ya know!). Please visit Gemusings on Wordpress at:<br /><a href="http://gemusings.wordpress.com/"><br />http://gemusings.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />And if you are interested (secretly hoping you are!), my new Fuzzies and Friends blog will feature the adventures of Squirrelly and her family as well as my growing Degu family. This blog is the fodder for my upcoming squirrel book which I hope to find a publisher for in 2010 (fingers crossed)! Please check out:<br /><a href="http://fuzziesandfriends.wordpress.com/"><br />http://fuzziesandfriends.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />And last but not least, I have been percolating this idea for over a year now and "My No Buy Year" is the result..from January 1st-December 31st, 2010 I will try to buy and consume as little material (non-food) goods as possible and figure out what exactly it takes to be vegan on a budget..I hope you'll follow along as I'm sure this is going to get challenging and hopefully quite interesting!!<br /><br /><a href="http://mynobuyyear.wordpress.com/">http://mynobuyyear.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />For now, my past Gemusings posts will live here until I find a way to transfer them over. If you have me in your blogroll, I'd be thrilled if you update my new location. And if you'd like me to add your vegan/fuzzy/crafty blog to my blogroll, please email me at amandatrombley AT gmail.com and I'd be happy to do so.<br /><br />Happy new year everyone!!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-6628624740278648492009-10-18T17:14:00.011-05:002009-10-18T21:53:29.945-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">VeganMoFo #8: Boston Baked Beans</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTQ3Eia_f9ni8Yxfg-J5Gm1m4SJIgkivNO0w3fjTwJZYktoM1TSruHb3c3SH9xZdsQ6gKuN6JGMdzMvkQF7zdupgyz-nsDZFnN_yPPpSlyI8Q3uP6DXc1sxi8Z9Ds53AgRkO3-A/s1600-h/veganmofoIII.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTQ3Eia_f9ni8Yxfg-J5Gm1m4SJIgkivNO0w3fjTwJZYktoM1TSruHb3c3SH9xZdsQ6gKuN6JGMdzMvkQF7zdupgyz-nsDZFnN_yPPpSlyI8Q3uP6DXc1sxi8Z9Ds53AgRkO3-A/s320/veganmofoIII.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394133493566687330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM5K-zfKALuB9O7O8vF3Y1VdDewc8ZSy0F4dfpLU7WJy563q4znv65PODPov9MhNwuzM1dMBr7QIwIl4il_Dy6mJVU5BoGwyduFSCoHQdB98GUCL3__PWKn_1L0dQPhD49waAyQ/s1600-h/bakedbeans.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM5K-zfKALuB9O7O8vF3Y1VdDewc8ZSy0F4dfpLU7WJy563q4znv65PODPov9MhNwuzM1dMBr7QIwIl4il_Dy6mJVU5BoGwyduFSCoHQdB98GUCL3__PWKn_1L0dQPhD49waAyQ/s320/bakedbeans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394095515803980178" border="0" /></a><br />Baked beans for dinner on saturday nights is a long standing New England tradition for a few hundred years. The story goes that the religious settlers of this area strictly observed the sabbath and would not cook on sundays so the need for a precooked meal started on saturday was necessary. I don't know how this transitioned into eating beans on saturday nights..that part of the story is fuzzy! There are also stories that this was a common dish in many New England logging camps..a fire pit was created in the ground and the beans would cook in it for up to two days.<br /><br />My family has had baked beans almost every saturday night since way before I was even born. Usually with hamburgers although when I was a little kid it was hot dogs. It would be easy for me to continue the tradition as there are many vegan options for baked beans and hot dogs but that's just a little too predictable for me! Instead I like to eat baked beans whenever I get the craving. Sometimes even for breakfast. Despite my love of the bean, I rarely make them myself. After locating a recipe for Boston Baked Beans, I found that it's easily veganized by substituting the traditional salt pork with just a dash or two of liquid smoke.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is my absolute favorite picture of my mom and Grandpa..it's from our June of '08 trip to Germany. Grandpa's second trip to Europe..the first time was 1945, the year mom was born!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8vv5_rTfMDyJWVDISalyuN8SnMGsMzmeIqZ4DPs7XKLXZbXhl_JQqy7XvIy8mzmNZPTVRMO1kBzhpCLnG_mPQBDDbz1bwCwRKJ6Yh2Bf-uUK-pHPrw9beKYxOGeAsNHHlHD5Bg/s1600-h/img_0143.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8vv5_rTfMDyJWVDISalyuN8SnMGsMzmeIqZ4DPs7XKLXZbXhl_JQqy7XvIy8mzmNZPTVRMO1kBzhpCLnG_mPQBDDbz1bwCwRKJ6Yh2Bf-uUK-pHPrw9beKYxOGeAsNHHlHD5Bg/s320/img_0143.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394095509124784306" border="0" /></a>My grandpa has always been the family expert on baked beans. He used to make his own beans many Saturdays in his own bean pot. Grandpa was just about to turn 92 in the picture above..he's now 93 as of June!<br /><br />Grandpa recently sold his house which was also the family summer camp..lots of stuff full of memories had to find new homes. I was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of his bean pot! If you are looking for canned baked beans, Grandpa recommends Bush's Baked Beans. Although he doesn't buy the vegetarian ones, I can vouch that they (the veggie ones) are really good.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Below: Grandpa's Beanpot, now in my kitchen<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ujk5yBYO4a0VVBlIoUkjafnTpkUwRudNftCypQ3-Y7Nzfof3vNuImAVdhksUjTTL2TFao-fJLvE4T7Zwr6rDwZzRr7U-5Gkye_evdxTdUVDEjDlH9P99EhDwDwcEKy7fb0cq-Q/s1600-h/beanpot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ujk5yBYO4a0VVBlIoUkjafnTpkUwRudNftCypQ3-Y7Nzfof3vNuImAVdhksUjTTL2TFao-fJLvE4T7Zwr6rDwZzRr7U-5Gkye_evdxTdUVDEjDlH9P99EhDwDwcEKy7fb0cq-Q/s320/beanpot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394132192578145362" border="0" /></a><br />Bush's recipe is a bit more tomato-ish than I remember traditional Boston Baked Beans being..so the following recipe is less tomato-ish and more molasses tasting. I played around with the ingredients and ended up using more ketchup than it called for to get the taste that I wanted. You can also feel free to experiment with the type of beans that you use..I used much larger beans..it all works out just fine! For interesting facts and stories about baked beans, check <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_beans">this out</a>. Or visit the <a href="http://www.beanbible.com/">Bean Bible</a>!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Boston Baked Beans</span><br />3 lbs. navy beans<br />6 qts. water<br />2 tbsp. brown sugar (I substituted agave and it worked just fine)<br />1 tbsp. bottled mustard (or from a jar)<br />2 tbsp. ketchup<br />2 tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce<br />1/4 tsp. cinnamon<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1/2 tsp. pepper<br />1/2 cupped onion<br />A few dashes of liquid smoke to taste<br />1 bay leaf<br /><br />Soak the beans overnight or for 8-10 hours. In a large soup pot or crock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer an hour til the skins break and the beans are tender. Drain off the water and set it aside. Put beans and bay leaf in a bean pot or suitable oven-proof cooking container. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients and three cups of reserved bean liquid. Add mixture to beans. Cover and bake in a 300 degree F oven for about four hours. Stir occassionally. Add more reserve bean water if needed to keep beans from getting too dry.<br /><br />Unrelated to bean but I wanted to share: I recently went to an art fair in New Hampshire and saw some of the nicest animal paintings I've ever seen. How could these paintings not convert a person to veganism immediately?! The artist's blog is here..<a href="http://www.carynking.com/2009/10/new-sheep.html">check out those soulful sheep eyes</a>. I love them!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-41938658798554546852009-10-15T19:33:00.002-05:002009-10-15T19:54:19.151-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegan MoFo Post #7: Lunch Out and the Return of...</span></span><br /><br />Too busy for cooking today unfortunately..but had a nice vegan soup at Diesel Cafe..a celery root with dried cranberries soup with some whole wheat bread. I hope to recreate it with the two celery roots that I got in my farm share pick up tonight.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKOQ80JIqncsyDYT9o9iquAPkv8fR344M3WYDQT9Smdz_qeOldJXzVd8PRVcim7sD9AG-D3ak3JBVBaH6UkWlUfJ7hk1Ni4mmg6nS3jH_oM1mmyG_zL9xVGdzjYxmMgT1DYV6ng/s1600-h/IMG_2530.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKOQ80JIqncsyDYT9o9iquAPkv8fR344M3WYDQT9Smdz_qeOldJXzVd8PRVcim7sD9AG-D3ak3JBVBaH6UkWlUfJ7hk1Ni4mmg6nS3jH_oM1mmyG_zL9xVGdzjYxmMgT1DYV6ng/s320/IMG_2530.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392990218263333298" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Diesel Cafe was packed as always...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ-_OiuDUHkensvgr0tEtebN7phEroREy9A_2EKI8olRZ-plxWrRhPCteukotxzCQSeq39TaLI6U7aRDAQ04wIWFXquLriciNkTpWyInP8Kq5YBtrLvtGt0841NkWYvVU8Trmew/s1600-h/IMG_2534.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ-_OiuDUHkensvgr0tEtebN7phEroREy9A_2EKI8olRZ-plxWrRhPCteukotxzCQSeq39TaLI6U7aRDAQ04wIWFXquLriciNkTpWyInP8Kq5YBtrLvtGt0841NkWYvVU8Trmew/s320/IMG_2534.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392990210571497074" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Mongolian masks on display..perfect for October and Halloween!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2tFMIEB806tiiQF-4LPF3Vj4RbZcZMfix9-qqL2C4tZipQxIclmFadF_hVvbuXRzZl-QJdAzlKqXaNUWfa4D-KU-m21R2cXu_fN6MoHQB5qv2LhiMhw-ZRQeuu3TzQDwk0sNUQ/s1600-h/IMG_2533.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2tFMIEB806tiiQF-4LPF3Vj4RbZcZMfix9-qqL2C4tZipQxIclmFadF_hVvbuXRzZl-QJdAzlKqXaNUWfa4D-KU-m21R2cXu_fN6MoHQB5qv2LhiMhw-ZRQeuu3TzQDwk0sNUQ/s320/IMG_2533.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392990198507728866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIEAnj0pfKwSNg1aKnjVifTfO6hMOGdkgMY903OX3sr0TVddoedTFwN0lbx8T8YvdR5h77M0zuBAwzxucySzLTL78qFVJ6EBVknVJKtqeCaGnoD5g2R3GBRLRC7lLMnzKcjl6ZA/s1600-h/IMG_2532.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIEAnj0pfKwSNg1aKnjVifTfO6hMOGdkgMY903OX3sr0TVddoedTFwN0lbx8T8YvdR5h77M0zuBAwzxucySzLTL78qFVJ6EBVknVJKtqeCaGnoD5g2R3GBRLRC7lLMnzKcjl6ZA/s320/IMG_2532.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392990192636385810" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And finally on our walk back to the office past our apartment building on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue, she returned..and by she, I mean Squirrelly! Tah dah!<br />"Hi Guys! Where have you been?"<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBPx9_8jX3nyNwLggAwye5e43xNo47pJBisBlfdae4z6eCOAsEU8UwU-ZLXfImpxOsfxU7BjDR249FK3e6bMQbuERCjy8oGqUX5-WWOscvdnWTWtUFmKz-f41J68LFvR52uVJMQ/s1600-h/IMG_2538.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBPx9_8jX3nyNwLggAwye5e43xNo47pJBisBlfdae4z6eCOAsEU8UwU-ZLXfImpxOsfxU7BjDR249FK3e6bMQbuERCjy8oGqUX5-WWOscvdnWTWtUFmKz-f41J68LFvR52uVJMQ/s320/IMG_2538.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392989900317599474" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">She recognized us right away and stopped her mushroom harvesting (really) to say hello. I haven't seen her in almost two months. I was getting worried. Her daughter has taken over the nest in the tree across the street and had babies. So Squirrelly is a grandma now. But I hadn't seen "Grandma" herself in a while. This is actually common though..in the five years that we've known her, we've always joked that she takes a vacation in August and September. We won't see her for weeks and then suddenly she will appear in October much to our relief. Here she is snacking on a wild mushroom that she just found.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAksAuAePwx2b6qqHttzn3ImwD0PV0Jq99kffV6N6IJYShQPV1OReSDuJDpzg8_d9zB3pYKLwxKbw4YlGZqS0FtTi4nxOASwvMW-xqSc0LeIwPwjekT_kMIVT21cQygVVsAhcQTw/s1600-h/IMG_2535.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAksAuAePwx2b6qqHttzn3ImwD0PV0Jq99kffV6N6IJYShQPV1OReSDuJDpzg8_d9zB3pYKLwxKbw4YlGZqS0FtTi4nxOASwvMW-xqSc0LeIwPwjekT_kMIVT21cQygVVsAhcQTw/s320/IMG_2535.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392989895642665714" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">People always ask us how we recognize her. We don't actually by sight most times (although if we study her face we can usually recognize her)..it's more based upon the fact that she comes bounding after us when she sees us. And of course, responds to me calling her name. Even after five years she still remembers.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4AA6bXmktJoCERPfqIgST_Pw4BdoWbE4hgMqkGWtqq3-EAHg04aAOz_ZSCx_tJ2VRDCdOv9zi5-7u_kvQmf8J6oY3gffAfVlrnroT7xrgv70Z5BfphEoqWycIoiXqaJ6_m2URQ/s1600-h/IMG_2541.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4AA6bXmktJoCERPfqIgST_Pw4BdoWbE4hgMqkGWtqq3-EAHg04aAOz_ZSCx_tJ2VRDCdOv9zi5-7u_kvQmf8J6oY3gffAfVlrnroT7xrgv70Z5BfphEoqWycIoiXqaJ6_m2URQ/s320/IMG_2541.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392989887187647218" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">In a neighbor's yard...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MAiAYTgFSLstd8al80I-Wa_bYCqw0tJXQcD8V8q4SVvdxGoyZfr1UkYIutHVtn9EtEBL4Ieej23vSg3eE-FZCeKNDwuz4Dim43-6lTDzyx-uVxujcOOX6A07lP5MNf63IHlwuA/s1600-h/IMG_2542.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MAiAYTgFSLstd8al80I-Wa_bYCqw0tJXQcD8V8q4SVvdxGoyZfr1UkYIutHVtn9EtEBL4Ieej23vSg3eE-FZCeKNDwuz4Dim43-6lTDzyx-uVxujcOOX6A07lP5MNf63IHlwuA/s320/IMG_2542.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392989877010652818" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Our girl needs to fatten up for the winter..but she's working on it!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqALJ58azupJ9kJVVSI3tUNPN9Gv9NbhlKQk0i226TMPNZsQZypyU5K1tUncVEhKt3l6v2gLQ7pp6WDfznjUYql6utEWZuJ1AJJIIaB7si3TXqSxXFwJvNKPjQ3wue9mkAwffrdw/s1600-h/IMG_2544.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqALJ58azupJ9kJVVSI3tUNPN9Gv9NbhlKQk0i226TMPNZsQZypyU5K1tUncVEhKt3l6v2gLQ7pp6WDfznjUYql6utEWZuJ1AJJIIaB7si3TXqSxXFwJvNKPjQ3wue9mkAwffrdw/s320/IMG_2544.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392989874986631058" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I finally got to say happy birthday to her in person. Happy fifth birthday my sweet little squirrel..wish you many more..<br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-43578093625523992692009-10-14T08:04:00.004-05:002009-10-14T08:20:46.641-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VeganMoFo</span> Post #6: Another Year Celebrated With Two Cakes and Some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fuzzies</span></span></span><br /><br />I'm really behind with my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MoFo'ing</span>..and this post isn't really about me cooking so let me distract you with some scenes from my recent birthday (Monday) and some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">fuzzies</span>!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Wonderful sister got me two vegan birthday cakes! This is the chocolate raspberry:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qA9qxyXSmsjLokqVBZXzO7bpSNbtGeJow8XjgJKhv45vn7TZb4FCP4as3LyKNTBikcZH-oxN9DNECbkD51cfIINvmZiYIyOknoyfa42eTSknHQnuKUPL2hE7e8WtpGL5A2THtA/s1600-h/IMG_2507.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qA9qxyXSmsjLokqVBZXzO7bpSNbtGeJow8XjgJKhv45vn7TZb4FCP4as3LyKNTBikcZH-oxN9DNECbkD51cfIINvmZiYIyOknoyfa42eTSknHQnuKUPL2hE7e8WtpGL5A2THtA/s320/IMG_2507.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441578735476434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNZyjtljHgAdgzUNVKqSG8TgFIlYrsRLj9HLcrKeAM09bH_bLLzxKQ41-U6x2EVDzckLAqGxcez4idTnLNMMjEZRk4ZE6WV5i2J1zVySl-TkdCABvp7PWTe6X3M2UimZhPg7iMg/s1600-h/IMG_2509.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNZyjtljHgAdgzUNVKqSG8TgFIlYrsRLj9HLcrKeAM09bH_bLLzxKQ41-U6x2EVDzckLAqGxcez4idTnLNMMjEZRk4ZE6WV5i2J1zVySl-TkdCABvp7PWTe6X3M2UimZhPg7iMg/s320/IMG_2509.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441497758147762" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">And a vanilla strawberry cream cake..with vegan gum drops on top:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_kaXMBApuyCTCMyS_pGrS9HyU6BqRkWMQDLq3_5im7lTvNnn8SoG63-QlFaoQ_-PYKkCIzItokFEGuQlJDoscpbJIZzSErVIk89ShzztLPGxEs0tUmZhdVaNFriCtd9cA206AA/s1600-h/IMG_2510.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_kaXMBApuyCTCMyS_pGrS9HyU6BqRkWMQDLq3_5im7lTvNnn8SoG63-QlFaoQ_-PYKkCIzItokFEGuQlJDoscpbJIZzSErVIk89ShzztLPGxEs0tUmZhdVaNFriCtd9cA206AA/s320/IMG_2510.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441490442437026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIHQm2rkL1TVUZYjpXOhkFffcIyObqhd-fHh_vl-Po3k2L5ExADrhV_xU08vAb9DRX5vhOGTyoZJpmtjfHLosA2zwfV8ueAQW-nJh73IedgVn6Kc19lz-UMPNTek71LvujCqGVg/s1600-h/IMG_2511.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIHQm2rkL1TVUZYjpXOhkFffcIyObqhd-fHh_vl-Po3k2L5ExADrhV_xU08vAb9DRX5vhOGTyoZJpmtjfHLosA2zwfV8ueAQW-nJh73IedgVn6Kc19lz-UMPNTek71LvujCqGVg/s320/IMG_2511.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441482616735362" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">The day began with the first frost in New Hampshire. I ran around in my slippers trying to capture the frost melting in the sun but wasn't super successful. Frost is hard to photograph I learned!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibC7RhzAqneHBmV_Km3GH-k9IGNb6euCYX3zHTxD8CAnQFMiibHiCVWxY66JGw9NSzX3RTfOyP45eWNtdjn-mIbVQgHEeq2utIg8wYYtFuOsY1DX2VG_ReuXDu-3wKL83i59S1cg/s1600-h/IMG_2513.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibC7RhzAqneHBmV_Km3GH-k9IGNb6euCYX3zHTxD8CAnQFMiibHiCVWxY66JGw9NSzX3RTfOyP45eWNtdjn-mIbVQgHEeq2utIg8wYYtFuOsY1DX2VG_ReuXDu-3wKL83i59S1cg/s320/IMG_2513.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441469759555634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The day ended with an amazing fireworks display put on by a local church to celebrate 100 years of, well, um, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">churchness</span>?</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBz-MPAV9sk5NBtRVIqrHmkhWP8VKoPE_DXgMbpnlYR-ukGWJ70RtD7MwfhO17JR0HwJxOniVm3zk28jGeWyTMprYH1Y85U6DPV3CtvricHgfudErP5ALovcQwRuT0XWpk9CwYzw/s1600-h/IMG_2512.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBz-MPAV9sk5NBtRVIqrHmkhWP8VKoPE_DXgMbpnlYR-ukGWJ70RtD7MwfhO17JR0HwJxOniVm3zk28jGeWyTMprYH1Y85U6DPV3CtvricHgfudErP5ALovcQwRuT0XWpk9CwYzw/s320/IMG_2512.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441480421989602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Some birthday loot..Sarah gave me the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">VeganYumYum</span> cookbook. Lauren <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ulm</span>, the author, is local and she's speaking at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on November 1st so this baby is so being autographed. I can't wait! And H gave me a copy of Scared Squirrel which is one of my favorite books of all times!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdazZCKk50PCN5570jbC482bzW1VAUsT-nL5AmBfa9nWFI01DUPIXbaXNeADaajfnAqGsvpJyyL-qXrVIL3kNM76Pr8nscnhWALYkEtk7Fy6TZCzqRG6llPzx7l9M8PdE69VoKw/s1600-h/IMG_2521.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdazZCKk50PCN5570jbC482bzW1VAUsT-nL5AmBfa9nWFI01DUPIXbaXNeADaajfnAqGsvpJyyL-qXrVIL3kNM76Pr8nscnhWALYkEtk7Fy6TZCzqRG6llPzx7l9M8PdE69VoKw/s320/IMG_2521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441235789890034" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">A variety of cards perfect for a vegan!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgzv_QnatWu7SM2X8iKcE0t6QAuDeuvk5bKKTIFdu5N2m3oPawWkt-RB1FNZQpQSuowU25L1XOZ5XbuSbfFPhAXlEBLVF6lP8jiJZQWLXWVV4T7ayEYZ1kzJlXRaRvpzBifat0w/s1600-h/IMG_2522.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgzv_QnatWu7SM2X8iKcE0t6QAuDeuvk5bKKTIFdu5N2m3oPawWkt-RB1FNZQpQSuowU25L1XOZ5XbuSbfFPhAXlEBLVF6lP8jiJZQWLXWVV4T7ayEYZ1kzJlXRaRvpzBifat0w/s320/IMG_2522.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441226772422946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">And finally to distract you further with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">fuzzies</span>, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Goos</span> got a new bathhouse. I tried to get a picture of them in the bathhouse. However, the mere presence of me with a camera was too much for their curiosity.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFFXuPF5qM6LQ8fqNo_4jf4-V_uu24ehSLD_-B6DcsQTymGpc4d7CUzwONMjRDTQgQxqGEJx72BtqMWqSv-TLQCk6LHEFrl2mwoxbQAMXDzQ4MEZ7EC0YJNN0L6sDxDYLiymozA/s1600-h/IMG_2523.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFFXuPF5qM6LQ8fqNo_4jf4-V_uu24ehSLD_-B6DcsQTymGpc4d7CUzwONMjRDTQgQxqGEJx72BtqMWqSv-TLQCk6LHEFrl2mwoxbQAMXDzQ4MEZ7EC0YJNN0L6sDxDYLiymozA/s320/IMG_2523.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441216255732258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">What are you doing? Do you have nuts for us? Are you going to let us run around in the bedroom now? Can we play?<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7zbllrv9_tpxXQI4-HHSYSksYXCbbV9Rb5Nw0XRTwNNq5_Q-WpX8miJgHsMOnmy1ycYcZ1oR1uPSikh5066Wfd79ZCobJya9kiEX58sUgy_iEGXoZnNB0K3G7PJszxOpsiAQ3w/s1600-h/IMG_2524.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7zbllrv9_tpxXQI4-HHSYSksYXCbbV9Rb5Nw0XRTwNNq5_Q-WpX8miJgHsMOnmy1ycYcZ1oR1uPSikh5066Wfd79ZCobJya9kiEX58sUgy_iEGXoZnNB0K3G7PJszxOpsiAQ3w/s320/IMG_2524.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441209121046722" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Finally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Keebler</span> poses near the bathhouse. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Degus</span>, like <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Chinchillas</span>, need daily dust baths to keep clean. We tried a variety of containers but found the dust as far as the kitchen so we knew we needed an enclosed container. I saw the bathhouse at a pet store and thought "perfect." The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">goos</span> spent several minutes checking it out and enjoying their new private, members-only bathhouse! "Mom, you didn't tell us that we had to keep the dust IN the bathhouse!"<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNfHUnCT5zkrHpiBDp_Z-OXh5XYFXSGTRw9cgF3rBJVlpdJxuucJMkY6hptlO3k6WWItriyvSTtAKjGdG-5_gYnao-PMBezGK4Vds6O06Ui0tIe9mQlHtab4GzYxtUlbncXUVPg/s1600-h/IMG_2526.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNfHUnCT5zkrHpiBDp_Z-OXh5XYFXSGTRw9cgF3rBJVlpdJxuucJMkY6hptlO3k6WWItriyvSTtAKjGdG-5_gYnao-PMBezGK4Vds6O06Ui0tIe9mQlHtab4GzYxtUlbncXUVPg/s320/IMG_2526.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392441198761406162" border="0" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-43911798737049589582009-10-09T18:20:00.004-05:002009-10-09T19:53:39.853-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">VeganMoFo Post #5: Sweet Ending to a Rough Work Week</span></span><br /><br />There wasn't much mofo'ing going on today here at Gemusings..work has been keeping me extremely busy. Work, home, eat, play with goos, go to bed. That's pretty much it. Aside from my stuffed squash dish last night, I really haven't cooked much this week. We've been living off the leftovers from Sunday's Red Flannel Hash (which only improved over the days..definitely making this one again) and had stuffed squash for lunch AND dinner. Also another great find this week. So although I am "wicked" behind in my mofo'ing posts, MoFo has pushed me to try two new recipes that I probably wouldn't have made the time for otherwise. So I'll be satisfied with that. Tonight I am planning on storming the couch with a good movie and the opportunity to let my mind go blank for 138 minutes..the running length of the movie. Seemed like the perfect time to indulge in a little treat. I found this vegan hot cocoa sweetened with only stevia and mint (they also have a delicious orange cocoa too). It's perfect for me because I can't handle a lot of sugar in the evening. Topped off with a little coconut milk creamer, it was a yummy treat along with three little mint <a href="http://veganhacker.com/2009/04/15/chocolate-that-is-out-of-this-world/">UFO chocolates from Trader Joe's</a>. Speaking of Trader Joe's..did you know that they have a list of vegan ingredients in the store? Nice..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVRcgrJ7kOYw1REqwji3Tf2qh6OSScz5JczasL2lVA9di7Bm356bfBRCSsr0vnmNchuMocfGxB5dUJR0ir862KTF8zP7bow46KgWginZeIJQdd-zWfv279WnWCLRph0SyQKCL1A/s1600-h/IMG_2503.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVRcgrJ7kOYw1REqwji3Tf2qh6OSScz5JczasL2lVA9di7Bm356bfBRCSsr0vnmNchuMocfGxB5dUJR0ir862KTF8zP7bow46KgWginZeIJQdd-zWfv279WnWCLRph0SyQKCL1A/s320/IMG_2503.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390744587549283266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Just add water and a little coconut creamer..yum..minty fresh goodness..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxI4HNBZy0foIwpvhT21cGON1SuULUUA4JFzoychuZVzUY1R4wuBWM_uKcNJnFjqOGG02Owa9jUR1frOF4vF09uHtqrKIfXZ3S9ziQLZbHIhmQ8629fJqZhsIyXupk4VA0ZgvTw/s1600-h/IMG_2504.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxI4HNBZy0foIwpvhT21cGON1SuULUUA4JFzoychuZVzUY1R4wuBWM_uKcNJnFjqOGG02Owa9jUR1frOF4vF09uHtqrKIfXZ3S9ziQLZbHIhmQ8629fJqZhsIyXupk4VA0ZgvTw/s320/IMG_2504.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390744596881613282" border="0" /></a><br />Some other sweeties: Wiley..Goo #4 out of 6. He's got a unique white patch on his back and he's a pretty easy going little guy. He and his two brothers, Brownie and Baby were the last three goos we adopted this spring. Our originals (Keebler, Cubbie and Trolli) came from a local animal shelter whereas Wiley, Brownie and Baby came to us via Craig's List. These two sets of brothers couldn't be more different. The original group were affectionate and fearless the very first day home. They literally came running over to meet us at the shelter! I thought this was typical of degus but it's not always. A lot of people buy them from pet stores and don't have enough time to spend with them. Since degus are extremely social animals, it's important that they work you into their social group. If you don't have time to do this with them, they will be terrified of you. The second set of goos' original owner became bored with them in a few months and wanted to feed them to his pet snake. They were rescued by the owner's roommate..who then moved out and took the goos with him (lucky little goos to cross paths with such a kind guy). He cared for them (and took very good care of them) for a few months but his new apartment didn't allow them so he put them up for adoption on Craig's List. That's when I met them!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; font-style: italic;">Wiley is very bold and an excellent climber. He's also very good-natured and affectionate..only after months of getting to know me though. It's a really cool feeling to have these three little guys warm up to me after living in fear of me for the first few weeks.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-6xxt_e4ewEkqf86DF4edqCU3u6w5kQ761hyepIfxXn9LMETPTCmKL38jA5WatCbxXnS2g8ByjgDR3b4AklmBF8Qg2QUfDjfNOlVEhSzaKBUuf55wY5Y_E28jP8wNnKPknaZlA/s1600-h/IMG_2502.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-6xxt_e4ewEkqf86DF4edqCU3u6w5kQ761hyepIfxXn9LMETPTCmKL38jA5WatCbxXnS2g8ByjgDR3b4AklmBF8Qg2QUfDjfNOlVEhSzaKBUuf55wY5Y_E28jP8wNnKPknaZlA/s320/IMG_2502.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390744578873628386" border="0" /></a><br />Brownie (below) bit me on the index finger the first week we had him, pretty hard. It was my fault because I swatted the air near his nose and he took that as a threat. We have worked hard at reconciling and he's now the most devoted friend..sitting on my leg for 10-20 minutes just happy to chill out with me. Typically I'd say that goos do not bite that much (at least my shelter animals do not) but this second group is much more fearful and they will bite if they feel threatened. Now that everyone is comfortable with each other, there are no more bites which is great. I do not have a picture though of Baby because he is often hiding. He is extremely skittish but now even he has taken to sitting on my leg and shoulder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuidypN7Z4QX6oIJy3BKcqfaDXCUOj47R7QT77kK0KzWwY8RVBHaOop5Gwyqj0og_7X1Yd8IVBkZWeLBOVLj3z1h1_vMN0pooTThFS4hmuHYlRJ9iTo88bjDtczYH2rzMNr1upCA/s1600-h/IMG_2500.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuidypN7Z4QX6oIJy3BKcqfaDXCUOj47R7QT77kK0KzWwY8RVBHaOop5Gwyqj0og_7X1Yd8IVBkZWeLBOVLj3z1h1_vMN0pooTThFS4hmuHYlRJ9iTo88bjDtczYH2rzMNr1upCA/s320/IMG_2500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390744252865938354" border="0" /></a><br />If you can't tell, I'm absolutely and totally in love with these six little boys. H has got a bad case of Goo Fever too..I often finding him hoovering in the goo house, giving out little treats or tickling them. Expect many more goos stories and pictures in the future to supplement my squirrels!! Okay, good night all..my sister is coming to Boston tomorrow and we'll then head up to New Hampshire for leaf peeping, family visiting and some good vegan chowing. More posts to come soon..have a great weekend!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-69691531111382286652009-10-08T22:20:00.004-05:002009-10-08T22:47:57.358-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">VeganMoFo Post #4: Baked Delicata w/Herbed Stuffing</span></span><br /><br />We picked up the farm share tonight and while I'm usually not so down with my CSA's recipes..this one caught my eye because a. it's vegan and b. I had most of the ingredients in the cash-strapped Gemusings kitchen. Oh, you may or may not remember that I had a wonderful summer with a few trips. Notably a big one to NYC. In the words of Edith Pilaf "Je ne regrette rien!" I regret nothing. Well, except that it left the ole budget in serious needs of some belt tightening. So begins the Gemusings Bare Cupboard Challenge. Just in time for VeganMoFo. Oh crap. This should be..fun?! Sure! Recipe below with my cheapskate substitutions as needed:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8aTC11KiOPq6ky0dbHOGNN1LyHGET0g3fQiSHB3umGpfHspREQVynL5rrMmbPXNdiqVB43e0Smr4esJIyrveNtZP9bDL2w4sUoMv17Pq8NUcavMoQJ6CR8yg2tDZRTNbusmPgQ/s1600-h/IMG_2489.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8aTC11KiOPq6ky0dbHOGNN1LyHGET0g3fQiSHB3umGpfHspREQVynL5rrMmbPXNdiqVB43e0Smr4esJIyrveNtZP9bDL2w4sUoMv17Pq8NUcavMoQJ6CR8yg2tDZRTNbusmPgQ/s320/IMG_2489.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390435083968692130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baked Squash with Herbed Stuffing</span><br />(from the Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O'Connor..recipe shared by my CSA)<br /><br />2 delicata squash (CSA gave me three..I used them all)<br />1 tbsp. olive oil (we have like 1 tbsp. of olive oil left..okay, now we have none)<br />1 med. leek, chopped (luckily I had these)<br />1 sm. apple, finely chopped (0ut of apples..used applesauce..surprise..it worked!)<br />2 stalks celery, chopped (had 'em)<br />2-3 cups bread cubes, 1/2" (from the bag in the freezer of stale bread ends softened in the micro)<br />1/2 cup veg. broth (from a cube..almost out..will have to resort to the yucky powdered stuff soon)<br />3/4 tsp. salt<br />pepper<br />2 tbsp. chopped parsley<br /><br />Cut squash, remove seeds (dry and save for goos if you've got 'em!), and baked at 350 for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek, celery, and apple. Saute until tender..about 10 minutes. Add bread cubes. Pour veg broth over the mixture, stirring to evenly distribute. Stir in the salt, pepper and the parsley. Mix well. Remove the stuffing from the heat. Heap the filling into the squash shells. Cover and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Serves 4.<br /><br />This recipe turned out pretty well but it was missing something. Luckily I caught it before it went into the oven: SAGE!! Is it just me or is stuffing not stuffing without sage? This helped round out the taste and made it feel a little more festive. I might save this recipe for Thanksgiving day.<br /><br />And last but not least, some edible flowers are still going strong in the garden. I'm drying them on drying racks. Never done this so I hope it works okay. I've got a ton of lavender to dry too. For certain special little somebodies' winter diet:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL_HCgk0jbF2zian-D3_ZOuET2zVLsPfMJcx7dwGJJNxZKFlGKEv08ycxmed75A8RxcIbBujA-aIPMNRGlDdDctqbZ6m7H7SvT3roGzncsLOqErlZEU8CpM3usLZL4HAnn0n00w/s1600-h/IMG_2491.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL_HCgk0jbF2zian-D3_ZOuET2zVLsPfMJcx7dwGJJNxZKFlGKEv08ycxmed75A8RxcIbBujA-aIPMNRGlDdDctqbZ6m7H7SvT3roGzncsLOqErlZEU8CpM3usLZL4HAnn0n00w/s320/IMG_2491.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390435093130867698" border="0" /></a><br />And speaking of the budget-conscious, the squirrels don't have to tighten their belts this year. Supposedly there is <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/26/acorn_crop_explosion_has_people_running_for_cover/">acorn explosion this fall</a>. The squirrels can't keep up. Luckily for Squirrelly and her kids..like this little guy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iMErln2CxIJgsGZ-XfF8fSEqGyt6FgIPVJ_jmYl7XNQhr1e82OYUV-KvMtpjpRT5YGBSgLznqaPXuBKFwnQam-BBMezhNs3sYXpSw7yQTDDZwEjTVR_-GK6T6dcBUP_GZE3YRQ/s1600-h/IMG_1805.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iMErln2CxIJgsGZ-XfF8fSEqGyt6FgIPVJ_jmYl7XNQhr1e82OYUV-KvMtpjpRT5YGBSgLznqaPXuBKFwnQam-BBMezhNs3sYXpSw7yQTDDZwEjTVR_-GK6T6dcBUP_GZE3YRQ/s320/IMG_1805.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390440229888586242" border="0" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-76116222350003850042009-10-06T21:44:00.003-05:002009-10-06T22:05:12.884-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Book Review: Ani Phyo's <span style="font-style: italic;">Raw Food Kitchen</span></span></span><br /><br />This summer I tried my hand at some raw "uncooking." I got of copy of Ani Phyo's <span style="font-style: italic;">Raw Food Kitchen</span> and dug right in.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">The "Save the Chicks" Pâte..very tasty..I enjoyed this in a lettuce wrap.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOfYsuqLu_We66yVsAZbvkQHHbFdDt4HmUIS-DjJqlN8y_t55i-JwOp_8IVslcGt7zs_-2EZ5OK6OJ4ahZnEuNi2_473pLkvieVk7WViQs15lF1H8RViNjGBi7FacsinArw7CwQ/s1600-h/IMG_2242.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOfYsuqLu_We66yVsAZbvkQHHbFdDt4HmUIS-DjJqlN8y_t55i-JwOp_8IVslcGt7zs_-2EZ5OK6OJ4ahZnEuNi2_473pLkvieVk7WViQs15lF1H8RViNjGBi7FacsinArw7CwQ/s320/IMG_2242.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389683721126056306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Buckwheat Crispies which are simply soaked sprouted buckwheat dehydrated in my toaster oven which conveniently came with a dehydrate setting. Serving here as cereal w/raw almond milk and some red plums.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Dizkq8KqiEazxew2yuB8fv-DMnpZplUQztya2w1Xe82AIJh7uUm-jdbnueKxOkft9A1EGeVZH1G_bdy37ICMEUVJ4OnvF1NYJaKx0B59M7_Ecfw78Vqw9rchBB7gvGq2vmr0w/s1600-h/IMG_2219.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Dizkq8KqiEazxew2yuB8fv-DMnpZplUQztya2w1Xe82AIJh7uUm-jdbnueKxOkft9A1EGeVZH1G_bdy37ICMEUVJ4OnvF1NYJaKx0B59M7_Ecfw78Vqw9rchBB7gvGq2vmr0w/s320/IMG_2219.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389683624297763394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Raw lemon coconut date bars. Really easy to make and yummy. This recipe finally convinced me to buy a citrus zest. My life is changed! How did I ever live without a zester? A grater just doesn't do the job!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Anyway, I made this recipe several times.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpad7hJj0IrGq_ePk3Smge0rxDSPePObtvIWjYcwH7Io23hsnlzvbrhZB0l6rItVBp3W_EY0gCE3gNOBK9gjPrlTBQCclMIQKrqGdgHFA99Z3GHzSIFXcfbaMlZYMyJlqXpEnr9Q/s1600-h/IMG_1890.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpad7hJj0IrGq_ePk3Smge0rxDSPePObtvIWjYcwH7Io23hsnlzvbrhZB0l6rItVBp3W_EY0gCE3gNOBK9gjPrlTBQCclMIQKrqGdgHFA99Z3GHzSIFXcfbaMlZYMyJlqXpEnr9Q/s320/IMG_1890.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389683604536867954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A raw chocolate milk made with dates, cacao nibs, almonds, vanilla and water..delicious cold on a hot day! Ignore those chocolate chips on the side..that was for some non-raw recipe! Long since eaten, long since forgotten.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyZ7WtIxCqcI5vZuApsegvYXzYULoo9UgFz8FkecpWed3o-r8yQIxgEv47yOUV1ZTg039UL56mKH1hqbVNgXPpdzFE1gSmI9RTFJDRBhrI5QnDt1r6nnfYpIKTSHDbacvvyK93w/s1600-h/IMG_2210.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyZ7WtIxCqcI5vZuApsegvYXzYULoo9UgFz8FkecpWed3o-r8yQIxgEv47yOUV1ZTg039UL56mKH1hqbVNgXPpdzFE1gSmI9RTFJDRBhrI5QnDt1r6nnfYpIKTSHDbacvvyK93w/s320/IMG_2210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389683609979318130" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">And finally, my favorite raw foodists..having their daily dried unsweetened cranberry.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXVmWGDkgwo84Vx2IUqgFuhcg7hGzIXnCyHBZmBkRq9yZgVkSSBgRgy8F1hj4XCECdQhLVwxtaIXtsxM4zTbiRhyphenhyphen1Xb0TvCY_3YpboyG1De2a-zDBwMpxm6jNOIG0mq5aA__E8g/s1600-h/IMG_2213.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXVmWGDkgwo84Vx2IUqgFuhcg7hGzIXnCyHBZmBkRq9yZgVkSSBgRgy8F1hj4XCECdQhLVwxtaIXtsxM4zTbiRhyphenhyphen1Xb0TvCY_3YpboyG1De2a-zDBwMpxm6jNOIG0mq5aA__E8g/s320/IMG_2213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389683617734598466" border="0" /></a><br />I enjoyed these recipes, however, a few pounds later and after a lot of advance preparation, I gotta say, the raw food diet is not for me. I definitely will try to incorporate more raw into my diet but my schedule just doesn't allow for this kind of time for preparation and the high amount of fat included in many of the recipes was shocking to mine eyes! A cup of olive oil, a 1/2 cup of nuts..it all adds up. However, I really liked that Ani's recipes are much simpler than a typical raw food cookbook so if you are going to try raw, check out Ani's books. Even if only for those raw lemon bars! Yum..Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-18781412393209158122009-10-05T21:26:00.007-05:002009-10-05T22:07:31.806-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pickles!</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizvejP2unYwJ1CJQoyNC6mdk1HN4nusMCEGYIj3RwaFZEmERJSnIMXg8FKV9kJJb5Pzh42sPhsSq3KO5eE_qaDELS5x64bDIb9eumu5PlGzKMPgA1tR0eftzluziyPbIjoDlBhQ/s1600-h/veganmofoIII.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizvejP2unYwJ1CJQoyNC6mdk1HN4nusMCEGYIj3RwaFZEmERJSnIMXg8FKV9kJJb5Pzh42sPhsSq3KO5eE_qaDELS5x64bDIb9eumu5PlGzKMPgA1tR0eftzluziyPbIjoDlBhQ/s320/veganmofoIII.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308379538780466" border="0" /></a>I'm on Day 2 of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VeganMoFo'ing</span> and this post is one that I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">shoulda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">coulda</span> written in August. Better late than never, right? Let's get right into the pickles! I'm not a dill pickle kind of girl..I mean, I love a good dill pickle in a certain deli situations but it's rare that I crave this kind of pickle. However, a good bread & butter pickle I could eat anytime! They are sweet and not for everyone but for me and my extended family, they are something we crave. Chopped up in a tofu salad or with a veggie burger: just dreamy. I was previously very intimidated by canning and very slow to warm up to the whole pickle making idea. I didn't realize that pickles are super easy and really hard to screw up! Really, I promise! Here's what you do:<br /><br />First you start out with some basic equipment along with some canning jars that you should be able to pick up at most markets or indie hardware stores (for whatever reason!). Yes, I did just describe hardware stores as indie. There's a great one around the corner from me with wooden troughs that you can pick just one nail out of. Just one nail! Love it. Besides there is something about Home <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Dippo</span> that makes me into a raving lunatic. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ack</span>, I just hate that place. Okay, back on track..1 quart jars work well..you'll probably need 3-4 or you can do a mix of whatever you have like I did. You'll also need to purchase (if you don't have):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Canning tongs..seriously so worth it. I tried my first canning experiment without these. It's a horrible difficult job to lift a slippery wet jar out of boiling water without these guys. If you want to expand to jamming and other food preservation, the $5 investment is worth it!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1PFh4YzCncAmSM569C0V4lANebbtcruBGshkOtMevUritNSOkeTOo0UcT8OO58t4xSLr-hQGHizsbQ0bEKq3ZK8IdE5nEks3bX7qDtDENab4VynC1pkhEK5Amdu3nRE39Fpj4Q/s1600-h/IMG_2250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1PFh4YzCncAmSM569C0V4lANebbtcruBGshkOtMevUritNSOkeTOo0UcT8OO58t4xSLr-hQGHizsbQ0bEKq3ZK8IdE5nEks3bX7qDtDENab4VynC1pkhEK5Amdu3nRE39Fpj4Q/s320/IMG_2250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308368645939330" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">A big ole pot that is several inches taller than the tops of your tallest jars. I got this cheap pot at a discount store and just use it for canning a few times a year.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHx8LWPNPEmOGxkItg4hYwDQlBNEuTdMoVsN33duOQLZHMVVntR_fFmqA-2KdUbWLeVjQ8tlNQ-IKnfZKP4BGBHpPixowjXhygBfiva_GFILqIMXBYjD205DpVOS7h248E1OGeA/s1600-h/IMG_2251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHx8LWPNPEmOGxkItg4hYwDQlBNEuTdMoVsN33duOQLZHMVVntR_fFmqA-2KdUbWLeVjQ8tlNQ-IKnfZKP4BGBHpPixowjXhygBfiva_GFILqIMXBYjD205DpVOS7h248E1OGeA/s320/IMG_2251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308362949597746" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">You'll need cucumbers. Ideally, the small pickling cucumbers (the ones with wrinkly skins) are best but feel free to experiment with other kinds.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">You want 10 cups of 1/4" sliced cucumbers + 3 3" onions cut into 1/4 slices.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIDUUbUbNznd49dOdRE0c_WULtay3gNRL6A6JNnB6f1mYuKoVucON5Acj_KWuG6Yk78NL-hIn2_jN-KLzuagxywQXZLaAAmGc5jtWnLgGAI1Md-XZi9uIEASLTBRElimGn-LedA/s1600-h/IMG_2244.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIDUUbUbNznd49dOdRE0c_WULtay3gNRL6A6JNnB6f1mYuKoVucON5Acj_KWuG6Yk78NL-hIn2_jN-KLzuagxywQXZLaAAmGc5jtWnLgGAI1Md-XZi9uIEASLTBRElimGn-LedA/s320/IMG_2244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308353130529074" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Take your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cukes</span> and onions and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of salt and add 1 tray of ice cubes. Mix to combine.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Cover with a towel and let it sit for three hours.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">This helps remove some of the water from the vegetables and softens them up.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvrfaV8iTK2I6Aem9heWd6OxK1gjIP_x3AsNr_pwcjs1Q8-ceDkohaK89h4tInaQOPMP3zMVJxsHbXcLb_wzPBXXqvjsHsuSeb8L4f5GIzdKUvzdDlBbhVfEyA9_QXQBUDcwbcg/s1600-h/IMG_2246.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvrfaV8iTK2I6Aem9heWd6OxK1gjIP_x3AsNr_pwcjs1Q8-ceDkohaK89h4tInaQOPMP3zMVJxsHbXcLb_wzPBXXqvjsHsuSeb8L4f5GIzdKUvzdDlBbhVfEyA9_QXQBUDcwbcg/s320/IMG_2246.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308344542517826" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drain and rinse..gently fill your clean, sterilized jars with pickles and onions. Try to efficiently pack the jars without cramming them too tight. Leave 1/2" head room from the rim of the jar.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEfBmGbeTEgi6yvCEz4Y0oAiCTCDpRlcap9aajNE5jiKSNI6iDUNSZHCpI7Nq0Stkl-K8Je0sK6GOIfBAjNeHqDIWVKq37l38Judr9OQYsu4AkE23wh5Inu2GIzE-Dv1i_TPxLQ/s1600-h/IMG_2248.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEfBmGbeTEgi6yvCEz4Y0oAiCTCDpRlcap9aajNE5jiKSNI6iDUNSZHCpI7Nq0Stkl-K8Je0sK6GOIfBAjNeHqDIWVKq37l38Judr9OQYsu4AkE23wh5Inu2GIzE-Dv1i_TPxLQ/s320/IMG_2248.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308010313916178" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Now make your pickle brine. This brine includes: 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">turmeric</span>, 1 tablespoon mustard seed, and 1 teaspoon celery seed. Place all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, pour brine into the prepared jars leaving 1/4" headroom from the top of the jar. Put the jar lids on and screw the metal rings moderately tight. Now you are ready to "process" your pickles! Note at this point you can skip the "processing" if you plan to eat the pickles right away. Simply put them in the fridge and consume them in 1-2 weeks.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDxvKcLnF0e2Yi_MKZXP-otNGYwoKzHQNSC5M4Z9qU1vfaYnkvgRkuw6RXXvp8Y04d8EpDQFiOJ_xIqKC23ooN_FxLFbZnLQcvQFbSjlOsEOqwnmUkFzsJ5r2bGOS2BDkhxQTVg/s1600-h/IMG_2249.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDxvKcLnF0e2Yi_MKZXP-otNGYwoKzHQNSC5M4Z9qU1vfaYnkvgRkuw6RXXvp8Y04d8EpDQFiOJ_xIqKC23ooN_FxLFbZnLQcvQFbSjlOsEOqwnmUkFzsJ5r2bGOS2BDkhxQTVg/s320/IMG_2249.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389308001242525250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Processing simply means placing your jars in a pot of boiling hot water for five minutes cooking time. This create a vacuum seal within your jars making them shelf stable. Place the jars in your boiling water pot and set your time for five minutes..remove with your canning tongs.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXf83YmmoBo1AdoOzm7zPD0aMiedDkPfzi9APZOUvOisENd-7kzMxOXU5b8e4ur_3hMPBusFeoUZ4rB1Dpzl6AOpvAZlwb6Enb8fOde9LSoXaegcuURMadKsVcaiUVKMz8wTfNg/s1600-h/IMG_2252.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXf83YmmoBo1AdoOzm7zPD0aMiedDkPfzi9APZOUvOisENd-7kzMxOXU5b8e4ur_3hMPBusFeoUZ4rB1Dpzl6AOpvAZlwb6Enb8fOde9LSoXaegcuURMadKsVcaiUVKMz8wTfNg/s320/IMG_2252.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389307997793952818" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">As the pickles cool you may hear a popping noise as the vacuum seal pulls the "button" on the top of the lid inwards. When your jars are cool, test to make sure they are vacuum sealed by pressing your thumb down on the "button." If it pops up and down, it is not vacuumed packed. Sometimes if you press down, the button will stay down..that is okay. You may have just pre-empted the vacuum seal but that's fine. As long as the button doesn't toggle up and down, it should be vacuum-packed. If it does toggle, you can either re-process it in a hot water bath or just put them in the fridge and eat them within 1-2 weeks.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFHcL2QyUdD5sn_IcBZWjW8OGIJEw5hwpiJIaRPlBM2h28ClNDJnrDCzlidykxZDKPZ7Lzka0MBHaOSBnKpqolhUor2b4FCVta4aAUYWlLD-bC3qIRAHYJJz2bwUO7nW28Nsi8A/s1600-h/IMG_2253.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFHcL2QyUdD5sn_IcBZWjW8OGIJEw5hwpiJIaRPlBM2h28ClNDJnrDCzlidykxZDKPZ7Lzka0MBHaOSBnKpqolhUor2b4FCVta4aAUYWlLD-bC3qIRAHYJJz2bwUO7nW28Nsi8A/s320/IMG_2253.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389307986523536370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMC_1VHgL6UtORo9fUOnCU6u877OG63aShIV5uNIOT6MJEfOD33GoiohXQb6lzzph0OUxg76pmet3oPYpKLyGAEe6gXMAfTiTnUh8Fq5DimkOB9kyw50c7Fn40_Qmht4NRKMYoQ/s1600-h/IMG_2255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMC_1VHgL6UtORo9fUOnCU6u877OG63aShIV5uNIOT6MJEfOD33GoiohXQb6lzzph0OUxg76pmet3oPYpKLyGAEe6gXMAfTiTnUh8Fq5DimkOB9kyw50c7Fn40_Qmht4NRKMYoQ/s320/IMG_2255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389307982676185682" border="0" /></a><br />And there you have it: pickles! I found a free <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">WebCT</span> course from the University of Georgia two years ago..you'll learn all about different kinds of food <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">preservations</span> and if you complete the course, they'll even send you a certificate showing that you completed the course. This course was excellent and helped resolved some of my anxiety around canning before I starting pickling and jamming. Now I feel like an old pro! However, they are revamping their web <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">courseware</span>..if you check back in January you should be able to sign up. In the meantime, they have a lot of great resources on their web site for the <a href="http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/">first-time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">pickler</span></a>. And if I can can, you can can too =) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Blech</span>! Somebody give me a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">corndog</span>. And pass the bread & butter pickles..Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-89247877467923473252009-10-03T11:18:00.009-05:002009-10-04T19:14:37.227-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch and Red Flannel Hash</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tKFntwdi5ydUtCO1n0Y-_LmRMltqzsEgO4vaciCX1bwsWi9Qo9xRSslK_0rLbzJHolwwjohW0Qr3fvmOxUfXZeCIRmpgEL90HvbQKmwEU1-AtXrrkELqR3c9KMmlievdQPnmRA/s1600-h/veganmofoIII.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tKFntwdi5ydUtCO1n0Y-_LmRMltqzsEgO4vaciCX1bwsWi9Qo9xRSslK_0rLbzJHolwwjohW0Qr3fvmOxUfXZeCIRmpgEL90HvbQKmwEU1-AtXrrkELqR3c9KMmlievdQPnmRA/s320/veganmofoIII.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388411030528563362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoByihPOBhcYb3wto0fBWT-EJSjaFEM2inlWWyKJfKfVG5EO9M7VRVx3oirn4ZQ4GFGW0xhxFGL63CIL0y1Hv7CrWNZXo6gd4PubpEWhz1ga9eO-8TCMNr2iJnVmHV6sDFxcvbXQ/s1600-h/IMG_2452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoByihPOBhcYb3wto0fBWT-EJSjaFEM2inlWWyKJfKfVG5EO9M7VRVx3oirn4ZQ4GFGW0xhxFGL63CIL0y1Hv7CrWNZXo6gd4PubpEWhz1ga9eO-8TCMNr2iJnVmHV6sDFxcvbXQ/s320/IMG_2452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388433721979525650" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hellooooooo</span>! My last post was August 15<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span>. What the heck was I doing for a month and a half that kept me away from blogging? Gee..it's hard to remember. Watching the passing of summer into fall? Counting my adorable little mini bell peppers as they ripened? Working with my newer bunch of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Goos</span> to get them used to sitting on my shoulder? Check. Check. Check.<br /><br />But the real boring story is that I've been busy working. Boo! Oh yes. However, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">VeganMoFo</span> III is here to save me once again. This is my second year participating and I have been anticipating it all year! Last year's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">MoFo</span> gave me the opportunity to meet so many other vegan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bloggers</span> online..and it didn't just end with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">VeganMoFo</span>..we read and comment on each others' blogs regularly. We all know it's hard to find a big group of vegan friends because we are such a small percentage of the population so finding friends online is almost imperative for any vegan looking for a little cooking know-how, support or other tidbits! Hello <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">MoFo</span>!<br /><br />To start of my "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">MoFo'ing</span>" here are some pictures I took this weekend at the MIT glass pumpkin festival. The glass studios at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) do this as a fundraiser for the studio. They do one preview only day where you can look and touch but not buy. Not only is this helpful for my budget, it avoids the madness of the next day where swarms of people descend upon the MIT campus to purchase the pumpkins!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDfKik8TDcAcBVfnE68e4XeW2Mh3Fv9p50_SiQhK4ZhnOzG2PxsMgL74oFiYet2IoiwUOxknJqodfcV19Wm41ZVmMe4zsKDlwXiVX_FpkcpWMk0snM4dDXnkyoyWoSgkDwoxFsA/s1600-h/IMG_2432.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDfKik8TDcAcBVfnE68e4XeW2Mh3Fv9p50_SiQhK4ZhnOzG2PxsMgL74oFiYet2IoiwUOxknJqodfcV19Wm41ZVmMe4zsKDlwXiVX_FpkcpWMk0snM4dDXnkyoyWoSgkDwoxFsA/s320/IMG_2432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431856277696050" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The glass studios put all the pumpkins under a tent on tables. In past years, the pumpkins are all spread out on the glass but since it's a rainy weekend in New England, this wasn't possible.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JGlB01Ew9xddgWHk1vQ8fxmyryN5BHHvwLVDpZa-A-EQasGiM5M-U7QEon3ttLFnpWRrX8ApVl8EuTonQF0dHpUPZDNLq2YafSsyx8rgtOw9H7QKtgYSevj6ZvUNm6KN4_ENyQ/s1600-h/IMG_2430.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JGlB01Ew9xddgWHk1vQ8fxmyryN5BHHvwLVDpZa-A-EQasGiM5M-U7QEon3ttLFnpWRrX8ApVl8EuTonQF0dHpUPZDNLq2YafSsyx8rgtOw9H7QKtgYSevj6ZvUNm6KN4_ENyQ/s320/IMG_2430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431565444649250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Literally overwhelming how many different styles and shapes of pumpkins were present!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJrwMo-szkbH4XhmNCUF6IWkMBDXIO5M63uJr4CNHhlgH_RtGTnR2tjLa8wQwdNDHkot_uVwgm47sAmjThQb6ZxcL-kCy9nRo-q3DGJM2wdI9gjSZGz9cXcO1-TeWa699ZU_OcQ/s1600-h/IMG_2429.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJrwMo-szkbH4XhmNCUF6IWkMBDXIO5M63uJr4CNHhlgH_RtGTnR2tjLa8wQwdNDHkot_uVwgm47sAmjThQb6ZxcL-kCy9nRo-q3DGJM2wdI9gjSZGz9cXcO1-TeWa699ZU_OcQ/s320/IMG_2429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431583731445730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">From more traditional "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pumpkinish</span>" colors to crazy colors..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdZPzyR8KzrFcaBLUEV-BgWIOcF3et9_-nL6KkX-4DzJ7sJf9MRIyGdhDT0FYzoxOfscOdbjSwptxKBsd4TewBISa3VYiRs677y1hZoDQvV0p6iIeW00-Fz_FKYXZTL8h4ekHuQ/s1600-h/IMG_2435.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdZPzyR8KzrFcaBLUEV-BgWIOcF3et9_-nL6KkX-4DzJ7sJf9MRIyGdhDT0FYzoxOfscOdbjSwptxKBsd4TewBISa3VYiRs677y1hZoDQvV0p6iIeW00-Fz_FKYXZTL8h4ekHuQ/s320/IMG_2435.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431556120965586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPw44qMixByemyKvMJg2HaMJFYRM_rqa7oyTMdn6p1_tVQ4AOm264ZXl8ouHZsAWiZ6xVeyjbyH5_YFbp2Yfx_U9AW8KunST-3jvJ1QB-EzwOydWcWtOMuIFM_HoOTjx5SYmnYRA/s1600-h/IMG_2455.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPw44qMixByemyKvMJg2HaMJFYRM_rqa7oyTMdn6p1_tVQ4AOm264ZXl8ouHZsAWiZ6xVeyjbyH5_YFbp2Yfx_U9AW8KunST-3jvJ1QB-EzwOydWcWtOMuIFM_HoOTjx5SYmnYRA/s320/IMG_2455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388433707614794690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS6LfDrRT6ESkhXXwOkg8k_yNSXVkGs0FEdvsw2nhP57DVR5e_j2lSBXMQjKLJY16il8y-OuA6ET8xKl4xS_hdpY8QhsqFeoxxpnRP0uJGNX1LLh0lWiLjf6ivGemCnIwUdX1BQ/s1600-h/IMG_2454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS6LfDrRT6ESkhXXwOkg8k_yNSXVkGs0FEdvsw2nhP57DVR5e_j2lSBXMQjKLJY16il8y-OuA6ET8xKl4xS_hdpY8QhsqFeoxxpnRP0uJGNX1LLh0lWiLjf6ivGemCnIwUdX1BQ/s320/IMG_2454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388433713752818786" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I hope these people brought their checkbooks..the pumpkins are expensive. From $40 for a small, tiny little pumpkin the size of a medium tomato...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA_bzSZNUYqdLj4gWcKknX6e0fFbCE0iur26jJ51UK20d_YEePn2cqQmojrzzIRUrDunHJqtVk3sgKvXAtR55-GtIlPlp3QTnFL5dWa2oCRbagiC1TD-UGCq-VTweGUB6ba8qnQ/s1600-h/IMG_2444.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrA_bzSZNUYqdLj4gWcKknX6e0fFbCE0iur26jJ51UK20d_YEePn2cqQmojrzzIRUrDunHJqtVk3sgKvXAtR55-GtIlPlp3QTnFL5dWa2oCRbagiC1TD-UGCq-VTweGUB6ba8qnQ/s320/IMG_2444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431863390676114" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">To much higher prices..such at the price for this adorable little glass gourd..I loved him immediately but the sticker shock made me that realize he and I were not meant to be! $245..ow!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17V5kovlN1kvIVzwo94HOS8u5qplajyFgS4G479RZTaVCu_qz2mS9KSkLhlLZSW8BNKKVtkl7qPx3KpKn1BZ43UKeLBPI6YP_8lUNDL8t7J84vmz1ol8L3N-Wrk0O6HUx1wlLHw/s1600-h/IMG_2438.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17V5kovlN1kvIVzwo94HOS8u5qplajyFgS4G479RZTaVCu_qz2mS9KSkLhlLZSW8BNKKVtkl7qPx3KpKn1BZ43UKeLBPI6YP_8lUNDL8t7J84vmz1ol8L3N-Wrk0O6HUx1wlLHw/s320/IMG_2438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431584253949666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJf4xERS3LHFPFn463zF7D5_qxAgB3hlLj2K3yhp4ujhRW6a6tW1_LgKRuYz0e_QiNJwJYqCSWew_RfQtIT3Uqrc6s50WOJtlHlOYTMTM3F4dKwMuTkNBzETt080y1hjNSqqJPeQ/s1600-h/IMG_2450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJf4xERS3LHFPFn463zF7D5_qxAgB3hlLj2K3yhp4ujhRW6a6tW1_LgKRuYz0e_QiNJwJYqCSWew_RfQtIT3Uqrc6s50WOJtlHlOYTMTM3F4dKwMuTkNBzETt080y1hjNSqqJPeQ/s320/IMG_2450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388431571325341762" border="0" /></a><br />Of course this is putting me into the mood baking...unfortunately I don't have a cute little pumpkin recipe to share with you so more on that later. Instead I am going to share this weekend's experiment: New England Red Flannel Hash.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYG5NyLLVcqn_4eXF3CBtDrZpfv-v9L2XY9j2KPEe0yoySNhBSBhu2j7foiMkPvHoJtxPIAWqije6vYj7rQJ4mVOpcRA143ezotyGnFgnx4CqSMD6URHWrXRzUwEH_svTmdxWTg/s1600-h/IMG_2464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYG5NyLLVcqn_4eXF3CBtDrZpfv-v9L2XY9j2KPEe0yoySNhBSBhu2j7foiMkPvHoJtxPIAWqije6vYj7rQJ4mVOpcRA143ezotyGnFgnx4CqSMD6URHWrXRzUwEH_svTmdxWTg/s320/IMG_2464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388899962971716386" border="0" /></a>This is an old New England dish..I remember my mom making this when I was a little kid and for some reason I think it was always after skiing. Since my fridge is overrun with beets, it seemed to be an ideal time to try to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">veganize</span> this old favorite. The result was tasty..H had a few servings which is always a good benchmark.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">New England Red Flannel Hash</span> (adapted from "Old New England Recipes" by Bear Wallow Books)<br /><br />4 tbsp. vegan margarine<br />1/2 cup chopped onion<br />3 cups boiled potatoes, diced<br />2 cups (cooked or canned) beets, diced<br />2 cups vegan corned beef alternative*<br />1/2 cup soy or almond milk<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1/8 tsp. pepper<br />1/2 tsp. hot sauce (or more to taste)<br /><br />Melt the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">margarine</span> in a frying pan and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">sauté</span> onion, Stir in remaining ingredients in order given. Cook and slowly brown. When crust forms, turn as an omelet.**<br /><br />*I used <a href="http://gardein.com/products.php?t=fresh&p=8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Gardein</span> BBQ pulled shreds</a>..<a href="http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=smartstripssteak"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Lifelight's</span> steak tips</a> would work fine too.<br />**Mine never turned <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">omelette</span>-y so I just served it as is and it was fine!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-1211530788184603582009-08-15T09:37:00.018-05:002009-08-15T12:34:58.647-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The Vegan Big Apple, Part 2</span><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Here's part two of my recent trip to NYC! On the second morning, we had breakfast at home..lingering over <a href="http://gemusings.blogspot.com/2008/10/veganmofo-day-2-africa-tea-latt-some.html">African tea</a>, fruit salad and some breakfast breads we brought back from <a href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Babycakes</span></a>.<br /></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaPkceczoWfLEhoNP0ywKET2trSSNJAuWtWyR-8mSPPbOX5SmwYTmkrxpQrWosACQi23rMY-wVMmlL82k3tyi2L6ne3KxsmZwqvN13Yx5fh1MshJN1cSS4bFXCzWreZzl1XEj_Q/s1600-h/IMG_1955.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaPkceczoWfLEhoNP0ywKET2trSSNJAuWtWyR-8mSPPbOX5SmwYTmkrxpQrWosACQi23rMY-wVMmlL82k3tyi2L6ne3KxsmZwqvN13Yx5fh1MshJN1cSS4bFXCzWreZzl1XEj_Q/s320/IMG_1955.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The breakfast breads were very tasty. I still can't decide if I like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Babycakes</span>' banana bread or corn bread better..all the more incentive to buy the cookbook!<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1N06VtQW0tliLGrX5BpwHH_VToR1VEKXy9K7Q1GUeHnZtNQxvI89BwJN4oPKkVOAM8LfxymzZXtm5n2Ct_pIMO7zott0L7ksEqTT28zgX1eVq4204qBzr84Xrl599np__JLlwhQ/s1600-h/IMG_1954.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1N06VtQW0tliLGrX5BpwHH_VToR1VEKXy9K7Q1GUeHnZtNQxvI89BwJN4oPKkVOAM8LfxymzZXtm5n2Ct_pIMO7zott0L7ksEqTT28zgX1eVq4204qBzr84Xrl599np__JLlwhQ/s320/IMG_1954.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Some non-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">breakfasty</span> treats that we also brought back from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Babycakes</span>:<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU84SXZ2uq5NLHRpFY2pVQkoWL2C6DhuDsySCM4KvMnAxTFVHdDSyEyA_faLoObUda1iTLv-LSQHQ_ZqYx75kbkiIDdqkQWB_StUwTIcktKr-Bfiv6OZfeKE3-3PAa7KIQsA45aw/s1600-h/IMG_1953.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU84SXZ2uq5NLHRpFY2pVQkoWL2C6DhuDsySCM4KvMnAxTFVHdDSyEyA_faLoObUda1iTLv-LSQHQ_ZqYx75kbkiIDdqkQWB_StUwTIcktKr-Bfiv6OZfeKE3-3PAa7KIQsA45aw/s320/IMG_1953.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div> </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2U4vV8A8N_9LoCOl-heigr7B5SMrqJ_NX7QQuWj9CKd12lL64rIQmsPeuetXOCqNB1oraJyHd1qO6g7n_0I2QScZvP-bmLHm4d_42eOeAJGdvSPFmBcWgVT6uP_mD1vqcdky5Q/s1600-h/IMG_1950.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2U4vV8A8N_9LoCOl-heigr7B5SMrqJ_NX7QQuWj9CKd12lL64rIQmsPeuetXOCqNB1oraJyHd1qO6g7n_0I2QScZvP-bmLHm4d_42eOeAJGdvSPFmBcWgVT6uP_mD1vqcdky5Q/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211927048777490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7AtydpZgUkJL9wrARgRY3FZKm-vxu39hbrvt2HGr4mPHMfyqO-wUQeGI8WAMBsJbjs0EW-AQbvvrEA8dVozI067wgEY1TkSrF4mKbiWakAZziC9mkGySnnQY_1MExE9b9SHsvg/s1600-h/IMG_1952.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7AtydpZgUkJL9wrARgRY3FZKm-vxu39hbrvt2HGr4mPHMfyqO-wUQeGI8WAMBsJbjs0EW-AQbvvrEA8dVozI067wgEY1TkSrF4mKbiWakAZziC9mkGySnnQY_1MExE9b9SHsvg/s320/IMG_1952.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After breakfast, we walked through Harlem to the subway. We passed by Apollo Theater which had a gigantic Michael Jackson memorial outside. A moment of sadness for the king of pop...<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA7A3piOqNr565nm8DJSSOtQU5tkOpY_W-zkb8CcZSjMWUKXxpWQU87LBtBWwV4hrtF8Le0vjsYeIKnmO-WkEWxzcM63OpbDp3pcM-NtbY7exUblk-SgjU8DMVfkkJBhLuPcnGg/s1600-h/IMG_1957.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA7A3piOqNr565nm8DJSSOtQU5tkOpY_W-zkb8CcZSjMWUKXxpWQU87LBtBWwV4hrtF8Le0vjsYeIKnmO-WkEWxzcM63OpbDp3pcM-NtbY7exUblk-SgjU8DMVfkkJBhLuPcnGg/s320/IMG_1957.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211919322173218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd21w_54Jq-irVydymtWgLpM_IOTI8_b2avyXDtobPymyWFsSdDeComZep9FGOA5miFxpmSJ0TTj2R1tcBpe_EPwBGyIfNZn0sGswW8d0zL4p4ZTp6IX8jeLrWK9LGG8Pzr9RcVg/s1600-h/IMG_1958.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd21w_54Jq-irVydymtWgLpM_IOTI8_b2avyXDtobPymyWFsSdDeComZep9FGOA5miFxpmSJ0TTj2R1tcBpe_EPwBGyIfNZn0sGswW8d0zL4p4ZTp6IX8jeLrWK9LGG8Pzr9RcVg/s320/IMG_1958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211591620763010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUNUPGRYRuPTzrj614Av66f4wMzNSUQ44QMvua7uj_lCAXTaUeJ-YAtw7EV9dJ_XF7RZMhJjRcYgsbYN12EMEJQSgtbr2XwyIR5sE0atmOdvWWmKeksK2pRQiVwXlYL-AL7kn5w/s1600-h/IMG_1961.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUNUPGRYRuPTzrj614Av66f4wMzNSUQ44QMvua7uj_lCAXTaUeJ-YAtw7EV9dJ_XF7RZMhJjRcYgsbYN12EMEJQSgtbr2XwyIR5sE0atmOdvWWmKeksK2pRQiVwXlYL-AL7kn5w/s320/IMG_1961.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211585225273058" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I love the old style subway tile decorations..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdME_vuHcfmQfh2XaKw2idbdxsmMLclwFYIdqv3VWN0Dh2TpWpVbX4RVeOrXvUL0LBAto_zVE3jT3AjsgoHLLEM1q6M_JCfQoqCHlxwfK4Z6XTKV7jhJtLdGfgzXdyNPYh9gdyug/s1600-h/IMG_2058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdME_vuHcfmQfh2XaKw2idbdxsmMLclwFYIdqv3VWN0Dh2TpWpVbX4RVeOrXvUL0LBAto_zVE3jT3AjsgoHLLEM1q6M_JCfQoqCHlxwfK4Z6XTKV7jhJtLdGfgzXdyNPYh9gdyug/s320/IMG_2058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205742939641346" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">After a 20 minute subway ride and then a 15 minute walk, we arrived at our destination: The New York Botanical Garden's Edible Garden.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfV8iml-BRYHUjvdnWIBmhs4cuQYUacgA0G6Vjc5iAfucIg-o5KGPGYJbicMZGM57Vzv0CjWFoCAqZt_7VrqmqNAkHr34c_crwWvrrGxpACq0gZXfdfhTnCAbcrUahEhLE9aZwA/s1600-h/IMG_1965.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfV8iml-BRYHUjvdnWIBmhs4cuQYUacgA0G6Vjc5iAfucIg-o5KGPGYJbicMZGM57Vzv0CjWFoCAqZt_7VrqmqNAkHr34c_crwWvrrGxpACq0gZXfdfhTnCAbcrUahEhLE9aZwA/s320/IMG_1965.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211575970215858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbHmFlERWdLZGxK6gYeJtsbuyXbdALhYJz4D-2KJYfuFlUFiDaPxFT_LbfJHIOmrgC1muHIInUdvJ5sqRYZwulgZq6SpiTxlwxs7y-CpL5gUQ86Chs_OONHB2fBC3jtH3MOSyUQ/s1600-h/IMG_2047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbHmFlERWdLZGxK6gYeJtsbuyXbdALhYJz4D-2KJYfuFlUFiDaPxFT_LbfJHIOmrgC1muHIInUdvJ5sqRYZwulgZq6SpiTxlwxs7y-CpL5gUQ86Chs_OONHB2fBC3jtH3MOSyUQ/s320/IMG_2047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205755709211362" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">To back track a little, we decided to pack a lunch..so we stopped before our trip at <a href="http://www.rawsoul.com/">Raw Soul</a>, a vegan raw restaurant. Here's Michelle and Sarah waiting for our tasty takeout.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrp0eB5c5USEDTVN6DBswE9AfM4uZIf61R1HIcFZuGUkgc7ePBNT_Ncux6BsTpdoEf7Ce9Cbo3Y6_uIsTqv6wts_tYSgsk-BQMhTA_2HjrAegfoD_eBdkZFjbkiIlPGwzVdFx_g/s1600-h/IMG_1949.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrp0eB5c5USEDTVN6DBswE9AfM4uZIf61R1HIcFZuGUkgc7ePBNT_Ncux6BsTpdoEf7Ce9Cbo3Y6_uIsTqv6wts_tYSgsk-BQMhTA_2HjrAegfoD_eBdkZFjbkiIlPGwzVdFx_g/s320/IMG_1949.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370203220736957474" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We ordered a "raw lasagna"..pretty tasty but a little heavy on the vinegar. Otherwise, delicious. When Michelle lived across the street during her grad school years, we would dine here whenever I visited..great place and much more affordable than other raw restaurants in NYC.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b9lhg03y2mOnq1pqu9vuriZrn82nWfrXskTlVkopqTUvCZ7OPT2C_Qbgj07GtYx2XB7aYYRM6xRaHNYfYtM1IuAHYuAadHN3Ov0PT9Lm-jd0D3m38NiGZm929f6LhyphenhyphenxWkd22Hg/s1600-h/IMG_1966.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b9lhg03y2mOnq1pqu9vuriZrn82nWfrXskTlVkopqTUvCZ7OPT2C_Qbgj07GtYx2XB7aYYRM6xRaHNYfYtM1IuAHYuAadHN3Ov0PT9Lm-jd0D3m38NiGZm929f6LhyphenhyphenxWkd22Hg/s320/IMG_1966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211565801346466" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Michelle enjoying her lunch in the cafeteria inside the Botanical Garden.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HcrnP8oa9_IiMxO0VGh8rHIyHA5qSaKYCIf0z0izATVxQjeo25CwSRWxgFeRxcwXX1hz0nb1HoUkhHodIeU351N9KYD63ribCv77ao7WfyBcLRlVbsXTeLL3qt39rkdoUwy-fw/s1600-h/IMG_1967.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HcrnP8oa9_IiMxO0VGh8rHIyHA5qSaKYCIf0z0izATVxQjeo25CwSRWxgFeRxcwXX1hz0nb1HoUkhHodIeU351N9KYD63ribCv77ao7WfyBcLRlVbsXTeLL3qt39rkdoUwy-fw/s320/IMG_1967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211560547588466" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We took a ton of pictures while touring the garden:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod4LpgMm03GOP1w5KHb4N-y3xghJL8sDlpMR7tVp-eFT81LGGUIc68K-RPANbJ1vGBZTbqnV3aT7BhYu-Gyx0VKTp1A9lc4a99_yxQtQBkRkfDZh2N20AE5OpTMpMWqflEp70Vw/s1600-h/IMG_1971.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod4LpgMm03GOP1w5KHb4N-y3xghJL8sDlpMR7tVp-eFT81LGGUIc68K-RPANbJ1vGBZTbqnV3aT7BhYu-Gyx0VKTp1A9lc4a99_yxQtQBkRkfDZh2N20AE5OpTMpMWqflEp70Vw/s320/IMG_1971.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211242206385058" border="0" /></a>The garden included an edible heirloom vegetable garden. These are little peppers! I hope my heirloom peppers plants end up looking so cute (so far, it's promising).<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6yqcfV94upYJGussahXGsCijMmJvDRHeufTec2kCbBlchEzFfI_TAGJV8_dPDkU-d8jCQRc_pc3UaP8RcVQqj_5zglecIpMjcMBt_XIWBsba4tsGS0d2NH18bq6FZxm8BCuHiA/s1600-h/IMG_1976.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6yqcfV94upYJGussahXGsCijMmJvDRHeufTec2kCbBlchEzFfI_TAGJV8_dPDkU-d8jCQRc_pc3UaP8RcVQqj_5zglecIpMjcMBt_XIWBsba4tsGS0d2NH18bq6FZxm8BCuHiA/s320/IMG_1976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211227259863874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjZlvsT-ue0baiSnYuksATrnobFwCDDWIKxO-6tUISrn4ksN2XFwFiYGV-s8fTjRLcfdbHCVq3B5w9kIpXzZJzzuTG7M84wdioPYFj3hsMn4K9-XbDCZCuWEwM18NO2FS-X7xLQ/s1600-h/IMG_1978.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjZlvsT-ue0baiSnYuksATrnobFwCDDWIKxO-6tUISrn4ksN2XFwFiYGV-s8fTjRLcfdbHCVq3B5w9kIpXzZJzzuTG7M84wdioPYFj3hsMn4K9-XbDCZCuWEwM18NO2FS-X7xLQ/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370211220088107010" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Going all Georgia <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">O'Keefe</span> on you!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-RSrYGSNd41TwbQz68UQ7xKCJcIKSw280GjqKpqOsFMxlNEPjbMeVt3G0CFhD5UwipL72XcFojoHxQ2GU726uBPcKFiSazMOVJBGi0FXTbGvSnqHCdqQl36nYdWEQpmUTFiTIg/s1600-h/IMG_1979.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-RSrYGSNd41TwbQz68UQ7xKCJcIKSw280GjqKpqOsFMxlNEPjbMeVt3G0CFhD5UwipL72XcFojoHxQ2GU726uBPcKFiSazMOVJBGi0FXTbGvSnqHCdqQl36nYdWEQpmUTFiTIg/s320/IMG_1979.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210897585996386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYm2qTvZVYWHB8Q97YPEEIDIY-kn8Ju9cx1xx5X-JRMdKfosPDslrf4JEPisSAbOVC9z4RhK_vPMrVdcVb09G7K4iOkVn99woqQJhDrRg5ga7V5ZvbWn-LwW7FipFO34jFsBzwng/s1600-h/IMG_1983.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYm2qTvZVYWHB8Q97YPEEIDIY-kn8Ju9cx1xx5X-JRMdKfosPDslrf4JEPisSAbOVC9z4RhK_vPMrVdcVb09G7K4iOkVn99woqQJhDrRg5ga7V5ZvbWn-LwW7FipFO34jFsBzwng/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210892366648066" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah's uncanny ability for locating silly signage photo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">opps</span> is unparalleled!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGx-JjjlZGpctH3yiGbY7Tl18_N5teEOnWtZV_BkqOaWA13FuGp0a5pjoPPJ1Dm8WM9xePXc3qfVmSUIlApvBF4X8bYFyG8FtpI66pXD2WZdRvzYiZ6Aq8QVgdh4acrre_QtRoQ/s1600-h/IMG_1985.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGx-JjjlZGpctH3yiGbY7Tl18_N5teEOnWtZV_BkqOaWA13FuGp0a5pjoPPJ1Dm8WM9xePXc3qfVmSUIlApvBF4X8bYFyG8FtpI66pXD2WZdRvzYiZ6Aq8QVgdh4acrre_QtRoQ/s320/IMG_1985.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210881180486642" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbySQwUuwqJiF_exFnMS7-G9rwEQIvpPZDu6J-SH4UXJRDC_pfEPDI02TH7DFC_Z4pUDrmYWY3YR7I_bYxR6xX4NDV3cyQa0YIVZaA61bCIg7ipBJiArKSuvvibflR0o4fgWtUw/s1600-h/IMG_1989.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbySQwUuwqJiF_exFnMS7-G9rwEQIvpPZDu6J-SH4UXJRDC_pfEPDI02TH7DFC_Z4pUDrmYWY3YR7I_bYxR6xX4NDV3cyQa0YIVZaA61bCIg7ipBJiArKSuvvibflR0o4fgWtUw/s320/IMG_1989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210880176975682" border="0" /></a><br />We stopped by a food <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">demonstration</span>. Didn't quite catch the theme but it was something about making fruit fun to eat by making it into flower arrangements. It seemed pretty simple..just basically cutting out fruit shapes with flower cookie cutters and putting them on a wooden stick. Easy easy. Now we can make our own edible arrangements, huh?!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQE2zQXrl9nWsvqaPnk4UWXjVopTUqhW56BeI2xjOkwrKxQ9eILhOHWSkY5winChSnkBTSOmDwiLsMm63gjdc5ymlaM6OUPeU9IY5jZBrbr66Pj3JuzxP1BffKgBTmHLaqwP-amg/s1600-h/IMG_1992.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQE2zQXrl9nWsvqaPnk4UWXjVopTUqhW56BeI2xjOkwrKxQ9eILhOHWSkY5winChSnkBTSOmDwiLsMm63gjdc5ymlaM6OUPeU9IY5jZBrbr66Pj3JuzxP1BffKgBTmHLaqwP-amg/s320/IMG_1992.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210871198998946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3oZ5f-rQowtULqtjzso5s0tg6i1hvs_-olmzHWbdUnvbRp_6ZiA6O0Yaq87u_DrS9ZrWEVGRZUqpnwRiEBtVXrBOENv431TOJlmVuEEZdzTh04nW0LMJAIxWTZ6WfoB3RugqEA/s1600-h/IMG_1993.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3oZ5f-rQowtULqtjzso5s0tg6i1hvs_-olmzHWbdUnvbRp_6ZiA6O0Yaq87u_DrS9ZrWEVGRZUqpnwRiEBtVXrBOENv431TOJlmVuEEZdzTh04nW0LMJAIxWTZ6WfoB3RugqEA/s320/IMG_1993.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210523985411026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrElMmia7wL9L_Vo0hIS5al8qI4-qdoPDDr_P09iXUSEuh-GHGIJ9yB4oljjGZxuAA2TI5e4it0FHlUt7tRVyLVBcF_utQvk3MhtMP30JLxQS4Wv9Qf0OglmRxNk3XUJMIkHjrQ/s1600-h/IMG_1997.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrElMmia7wL9L_Vo0hIS5al8qI4-qdoPDDr_P09iXUSEuh-GHGIJ9yB4oljjGZxuAA2TI5e4it0FHlUt7tRVyLVBcF_utQvk3MhtMP30JLxQS4Wv9Qf0OglmRxNk3XUJMIkHjrQ/s320/IMG_1997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210515927447554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah relaxing in the garden shade:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbe7FhyuuiR45zmFe5irOZnZR0x2VNfLQHiPq5pCy4KL4Mz-EPkYVQIwQgObvMyDC4qr1qN1CNoddQRTIW79ss-WOo1A5cE_gljVZuTXr_bjt4hcnEbFiDXnpJ3Y-f3soJzpW67Q/s1600-h/IMG_2003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbe7FhyuuiR45zmFe5irOZnZR0x2VNfLQHiPq5pCy4KL4Mz-EPkYVQIwQgObvMyDC4qr1qN1CNoddQRTIW79ss-WOo1A5cE_gljVZuTXr_bjt4hcnEbFiDXnpJ3Y-f3soJzpW67Q/s320/IMG_2003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210504621159666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The conservatory:<br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WMVnW-cIlzqPn7AxRjgEERJ0iBB4mjLZeoZisbTRACr-afcx1k6kbxMVv7xeF0S5emGXoh8eFfsPSk3cjrfu10b2DARKaY_arAbrU6c5U8rFQQ9WsvJJz_GmAtcRQN4bjsr5nQ/s1600-h/IMG_2032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WMVnW-cIlzqPn7AxRjgEERJ0iBB4mjLZeoZisbTRACr-afcx1k6kbxMVv7xeF0S5emGXoh8eFfsPSk3cjrfu10b2DARKaY_arAbrU6c5U8rFQQ9WsvJJz_GmAtcRQN4bjsr5nQ/s320/IMG_2032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370206462411161602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The conservatory hosts part of the Edible Garden exhibit, Tropical Edibles.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVRfmFOUluCShLU9YiP6n3wwKZwgmNI9LXTEF0c7M14mvqVJ8DlYaMB8HG81pV0Iv28175RYZGggyUMqw9Lf9N-CPD2u6BtTMcK9SqScw4rhATQ_flSuLz2DerWMxhsEd3rq1yA/s1600-h/IMG_2010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVRfmFOUluCShLU9YiP6n3wwKZwgmNI9LXTEF0c7M14mvqVJ8DlYaMB8HG81pV0Iv28175RYZGggyUMqw9Lf9N-CPD2u6BtTMcK9SqScw4rhATQ_flSuLz2DerWMxhsEd3rq1yA/s320/IMG_2010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370210498399693314" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Guava! No, not that <a href="http://fortheloveofguava.wordpress.com/">Guava</a>..but a guava tree. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJBeMMgasGRBsGNYC2dmL5_Op_UvhFtA2cBYfAJnvEI4xqaLxsvBtZKRCwqJBaFC5LA4YIuUSAGf-sVP6rPYEhJ_53syyHEOhb5vHxiBdgMgk9SLFIKT55xsTmNRg5SFDhYd5Pg/s1600-h/IMG_2014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJBeMMgasGRBsGNYC2dmL5_Op_UvhFtA2cBYfAJnvEI4xqaLxsvBtZKRCwqJBaFC5LA4YIuUSAGf-sVP6rPYEhJ_53syyHEOhb5vHxiBdgMgk9SLFIKT55xsTmNRg5SFDhYd5Pg/s320/IMG_2014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370209755325980866" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Cocoa pods..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryK5k3RIbSpKO9FylnITO2Oa0w3MHoWDWOtTPlM7NHxg3oFL59xsYPiLcS-zzcCsSBLXJLuyFbxpSfqHymIGbsNxohWRz3ishcvy-QPt4SsbWFkXz3FZIW_FnKasgK5_nSQgzRw/s1600-h/IMG_2017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryK5k3RIbSpKO9FylnITO2Oa0w3MHoWDWOtTPlM7NHxg3oFL59xsYPiLcS-zzcCsSBLXJLuyFbxpSfqHymIGbsNxohWRz3ishcvy-QPt4SsbWFkXz3FZIW_FnKasgK5_nSQgzRw/s320/IMG_2017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370209746428969442" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Agave--how cool to see what it looks like in person!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslzNzAcMy05uQ8QGg-3-PGWh59A4vVhPt4tKOTECkDUJ8fTVxn4NLjtWkgV8t-HJpgyGlri_uGDxlWn6kgYNSBOI94rwNudH6laARwKFgjdUyrSpltunaIDpFZ4qcCv2VBL7Z9w/s1600-h/IMG_2023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslzNzAcMy05uQ8QGg-3-PGWh59A4vVhPt4tKOTECkDUJ8fTVxn4NLjtWkgV8t-HJpgyGlri_uGDxlWn6kgYNSBOI94rwNudH6laARwKFgjdUyrSpltunaIDpFZ4qcCv2VBL7Z9w/s320/IMG_2023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370209739589545266" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Pineapples..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctMj2eZCOEUrTfJEnYroP-T8bXigMwtVCMlxYx2_SmjBx00H1PzU3pBxoeZQqTU_AVTywse8ATYugQWMs8VDg8XdaZ9ryh8IzsJqB0aafujj9zGiBWoYx1aqDs77t2kVtTMKgjA/s1600-h/IMG_2025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctMj2eZCOEUrTfJEnYroP-T8bXigMwtVCMlxYx2_SmjBx00H1PzU3pBxoeZQqTU_AVTywse8ATYugQWMs8VDg8XdaZ9ryh8IzsJqB0aafujj9zGiBWoYx1aqDs77t2kVtTMKgjA/s320/IMG_2025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370209733594745602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Ginger root...<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxEePFXwvkGsNge8rxWX9Jl8MYoDjoVK1s-E_unMW80KUduoYy21Sjb1hLMEybq1cqpdrZhZRAXTvSnyNfqlgyeegvNPDtidkNmzJqwxdoqid9Td6aEK77mbcW1n2XiWV_8W7nQ/s1600-h/IMG_2029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxEePFXwvkGsNge8rxWX9Jl8MYoDjoVK1s-E_unMW80KUduoYy21Sjb1hLMEybq1cqpdrZhZRAXTvSnyNfqlgyeegvNPDtidkNmzJqwxdoqid9Td6aEK77mbcW1n2XiWV_8W7nQ/s320/IMG_2029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370209724846006962" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Hydrangeas..silly comments overhead from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">passerbys</span> "Oh, I like totally love these flowers. They were all over my Bat <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Mitzvah</span>. They are my favorite flower." Her companion: "What are they?" She answers "I had no idea!"<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEOzry_vNoGUPdymYpfh10E8TuTjbRvZAVeS2wdiZIhW052LMaRxDASYTRZ1YMs5E23h0ykZxMH67rgnRtRUbW48UQE44ftf5F2R7xPrloD5oEJ82yAriLr9iuTVZXerj0uZhvw/s1600-h/IMG_2034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEOzry_vNoGUPdymYpfh10E8TuTjbRvZAVeS2wdiZIhW052LMaRxDASYTRZ1YMs5E23h0ykZxMH67rgnRtRUbW48UQE44ftf5F2R7xPrloD5oEJ82yAriLr9iuTVZXerj0uZhvw/s320/IMG_2034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370206452421543778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9klR2olALQxcqhUm-JGvgMV30vlOvE9Z0xc4GabHuel_cNmoXmMplh20fsXFpgiT2j-cfujjeRYM22ISyXLkKIm5E9lRm0D7tRlqwQuMQOol5k5VjMtZaaMg5v0NJCI7gmRPRKA/s1600-h/IMG_2038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9klR2olALQxcqhUm-JGvgMV30vlOvE9Z0xc4GabHuel_cNmoXmMplh20fsXFpgiT2j-cfujjeRYM22ISyXLkKIm5E9lRm0D7tRlqwQuMQOol5k5VjMtZaaMg5v0NJCI7gmRPRKA/s320/IMG_2038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370206440340590674" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Inside the amazing garden shop.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgoVMWsquScNAVripS8k46uvgsr30s-d7fx0zV9-5kCtMFtvtr0dm0a6N-_BDsxkM6mZ_7NJG0wT8LtUg87qDeUAEc1oX4KDAieqlN32HAvdL91IurzgagOjPDD_92lkuW4xflA/s1600-h/IMG_2046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgoVMWsquScNAVripS8k46uvgsr30s-d7fx0zV9-5kCtMFtvtr0dm0a6N-_BDsxkM6mZ_7NJG0wT8LtUg87qDeUAEc1oX4KDAieqlN32HAvdL91IurzgagOjPDD_92lkuW4xflA/s320/IMG_2046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205765724439186" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">They had a good vegan book selection. This book is adorable!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyntxqmmzotKYbzqR6B8Ekzxpl94Z9przOEHblJ0oV-Yz1Epj7pBi3IWpvGTdOFBFpLOfxec3qabV5RifgjzxpeOpIOcLU2CAjdm-TLvu3wT6sDwBhRE7RrNPwmpjbKz9MId61cg/s1600-h/IMG_2042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyntxqmmzotKYbzqR6B8Ekzxpl94Z9przOEHblJ0oV-Yz1Epj7pBi3IWpvGTdOFBFpLOfxec3qabV5RifgjzxpeOpIOcLU2CAjdm-TLvu3wT6sDwBhRE7RrNPwmpjbKz9MId61cg/s320/IMG_2042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370206435388818594" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;">Michelle and I drooled over this book. Luckily it was very heavy and that discouraged me from overheating my credit card (and myself by lugging it around NYC). But I do intend to get it soon..the photography is inspiring and each recipe is a vegan recipe created by a non-vegan celebrity chef.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPrI4v6bdUcQ_MFOzDcjJu75KeURa6B_NW-fvASRXXMwFjWxCxGjiIAiuEeaJPkI6EydHlgpaEJqFtCXyGeFY_r4EyB5dZouYf9_qO6JweTIMzLSXLWM0rSQ_bAvcIW8VlhHEAw/s1600-h/IMG_2043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPrI4v6bdUcQ_MFOzDcjJu75KeURa6B_NW-fvASRXXMwFjWxCxGjiIAiuEeaJPkI6EydHlgpaEJqFtCXyGeFY_r4EyB5dZouYf9_qO6JweTIMzLSXLWM0rSQ_bAvcIW8VlhHEAw/s320/IMG_2043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370206426619131330" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">After several hours at the Garden, we decided to take the bus back to the subway. We were wilting in the heat and the AC on the bus felt great. This funny sign was posted inside the bus.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwjystvz8-IRNp8rGc_Kt_Y27fQcmVz9ChqYzB7NDurYu0BE-6Iz3nvogw6vuANxJbMgFMDeDAm06S0iexqTISxVLRoI4jYo7lS7CBAKG7G2AH6dytOhGevLajutkRTChVKQjCA/s1600-h/IMG_2056.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwjystvz8-IRNp8rGc_Kt_Y27fQcmVz9ChqYzB7NDurYu0BE-6Iz3nvogw6vuANxJbMgFMDeDAm06S0iexqTISxVLRoI4jYo7lS7CBAKG7G2AH6dytOhGevLajutkRTChVKQjCA/s320/IMG_2056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205747558127666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">After taking a break, we headed to Union Square for the next big part of our day: dinner at Pure Food & Wine. A suitable welcome to three gals heading out to dine at a veggie restaurant in Union Square: a statue of Ghandi.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wvn1AX-_L8yPp1pZ1xWa9uBPrHqX2NofoD9uumnopahEdyohZs-wQ6E-5rvItibQD47URSd3Y2HwFVlSXu9ZEq7Wd2VrIQPuO_L0Oz8-Bxz5GClzQwewtvuRKUpYtpZIW2U8Og/s1600-h/IMG_2059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wvn1AX-_L8yPp1pZ1xWa9uBPrHqX2NofoD9uumnopahEdyohZs-wQ6E-5rvItibQD47URSd3Y2HwFVlSXu9ZEq7Wd2VrIQPuO_L0Oz8-Bxz5GClzQwewtvuRKUpYtpZIW2U8Og/s320/IMG_2059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205732002234866" border="0" /></a><br />We started our dining adventure at <a href="http://oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/">Pure Food and Wine</a> with an appetizer "<span style="font-style: italic;">Plate of Assorted Cultured Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheeses and Rosemary Crisps</span>," and a pitcher of sangria. We were all first timers to <a href="http://www.dr-cow.com/">Dr. Cow cheezes</a>. It's really good! It was worth the nine months I've been waiting to try it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21l2nnEzBjavTR5G5Cwgg8hNR2q6eGLmiAmrLWaAo9zFDDVY_S0necxQoLzd5Mf3pO-UbODjMT0YuitkoVrOf_KkBhEyR1UBYWknXHmSEIRAak4xrA3ENuxjHEJXpqzXEVuKb3g/s1600-h/IMG_2061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21l2nnEzBjavTR5G5Cwgg8hNR2q6eGLmiAmrLWaAo9zFDDVY_S0necxQoLzd5Mf3pO-UbODjMT0YuitkoVrOf_KkBhEyR1UBYWknXHmSEIRAak4xrA3ENuxjHEJXpqzXEVuKb3g/s320/IMG_2061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205102414638930" border="0" /></a><br />Coincidentally, I had been hearing a lot about stuffed squash blossoms lately but it just wasn't something I had ever tried. So when I saw it on Pure's menu, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Spring Onion and Herb Cheese</span>," I thought, this is the dish for me! It was stuffed with a raw cheeze. Really good. One of the best vegan meals I've ever had.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnILHMVcPM4Aftm0Rz_KlrOWf3IC_q7fv8VoZakKEt_OfSab0W7EzP2BALw4h4JyUKwF1kBrJtZyVdiFCVKuuaQr5f2JemKZ13chEsHB_v7SPEAZiNfKtMgtUxZDwdgqZYsVDkKw/s1600-h/IMG_2063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnILHMVcPM4Aftm0Rz_KlrOWf3IC_q7fv8VoZakKEt_OfSab0W7EzP2BALw4h4JyUKwF1kBrJtZyVdiFCVKuuaQr5f2JemKZ13chEsHB_v7SPEAZiNfKtMgtUxZDwdgqZYsVDkKw/s320/IMG_2063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205094906253042" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah had the "<span style="font-style: italic;">White Corn Tamales with Raw Cacao Mole</span>." I love tamales..had no idea you could do a raw version.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SDOtBIFqtLMtmhz8hSFq7EqRLBb4gwOKSfxwtwChW0TIwLs9jQfSWEsjHmpPPaMlPLDja-k5jm3wsUOK_y2XyY8b36afp8rCY0ScRWxtUSfkWQbTDBPUyl9ePWUyS4WFSWZUdg/s1600-h/IMG_2066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SDOtBIFqtLMtmhz8hSFq7EqRLBb4gwOKSfxwtwChW0TIwLs9jQfSWEsjHmpPPaMlPLDja-k5jm3wsUOK_y2XyY8b36afp8rCY0ScRWxtUSfkWQbTDBPUyl9ePWUyS4WFSWZUdg/s320/IMG_2066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205089837546018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Michelle's dish wasn't great. It actually was terrible. I hate writing negative things about vegan restaurants but this dish definitely was not up to par with the other two that we ordered (those both were amazing). If you go, you might want to avoid the "<span style="font-style: italic;">Caper Lemon Roasted Chanterelle Mushroom with Truffle Creamed Broccoli</span>"..the broccoli was very good but the rest was very bitter and not at all pleasant. And a big disappointment for the price. However, the other two dishes we shared and they more than made up for one miss.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrxSX4gabpOdkD-IssrOrd5wryZ8rpaGz-Morr-vCfuvaYksF9XvVor_GgZ7cAx0_QlZPWttSfA8sC1P731YgZ2w5BH8GWaD0SagHyekRuCawJ5A24qfdh7g5yJ5Nr5uwh0tCKg/s1600-h/IMG_2064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrxSX4gabpOdkD-IssrOrd5wryZ8rpaGz-Morr-vCfuvaYksF9XvVor_GgZ7cAx0_QlZPWttSfA8sC1P731YgZ2w5BH8GWaD0SagHyekRuCawJ5A24qfdh7g5yJ5Nr5uwh0tCKg/s320/IMG_2064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370240447451177106" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The highlight of the meal was dessert..the vegan mint sundae was calling my name like a siren song. And it was so worth it! <a href="http://veggiegirlvegan.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-york-city-revisited-part-2-meals.html">VeggieGirl</a> has also written about this same dessert and raved about it too. Here's a shot without flash so you can catch the ambiance. I had trouble taking photos at this point because the light was so low so the rest of the photos are with a flash. And also because I risked getting a fork in my arm if I kept my dinner companions from enjoying their sweets!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57T7jSWnDa18AEULwsvPtzPTiBHB5H8_6Pm5Mgno1jcobFNA1sj8uCF9Jop0YbwaCY4DE3LbGGI5zy4cM183uM_vxyePswTKv6MwH_iQc8D0qo1lILAxtSVGcg1CkR7mF7LucPw/s1600-h/IMG_2069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57T7jSWnDa18AEULwsvPtzPTiBHB5H8_6Pm5Mgno1jcobFNA1sj8uCF9Jop0YbwaCY4DE3LbGGI5zy4cM183uM_vxyePswTKv6MwH_iQc8D0qo1lILAxtSVGcg1CkR7mF7LucPw/s320/IMG_2069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370205071745052770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9b2tvxJvfcJAhlXeLSV2Nr4a5pZjLmhg0LS0AkfzFbV9E8yCL0nhSFd27D5QU4tI9NF5_LZE7rbqTIFpMV2-kRIG23WkhBvXtO9vkgy3Es2USzB8knHY6l52ZulWsuIaNaf1iw/s1600-h/IMG_2070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9b2tvxJvfcJAhlXeLSV2Nr4a5pZjLmhg0LS0AkfzFbV9E8yCL0nhSFd27D5QU4tI9NF5_LZE7rbqTIFpMV2-kRIG23WkhBvXtO9vkgy3Es2USzB8knHY6l52ZulWsuIaNaf1iw/s320/IMG_2070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204618171642402" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Michelle's "<span style="font-style: italic;">Chocolate Passion Fruit Tart</span>."</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZUDof1f8k8TNKZa2uMQO889Nopg5T5sbCr46jFx3o0upOEg_9mAHWmnVF_XdLRJrzTtdDMBrsIWdK33TDnAjyyBYtTifZGBEJnilvtaM6VoV03_3JOhRXpvUbVS4tUEaBpbTRw/s1600-h/IMG_2072.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZUDof1f8k8TNKZa2uMQO889Nopg5T5sbCr46jFx3o0upOEg_9mAHWmnVF_XdLRJrzTtdDMBrsIWdK33TDnAjyyBYtTifZGBEJnilvtaM6VoV03_3JOhRXpvUbVS4tUEaBpbTRw/s320/IMG_2072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204632811149634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah's "<span style="font-style: italic;">Trio of Dark Chocolate Coated Indian Spiced Ice Cream Treats</span>."</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5Ky9sigRafM-1HHAiRJr632pwCyp19X7zWjVoM-JuwvalXfdeWHohOO8z-Q7ifH2snusqirh4SFRruqRu62-SWFCVfuT6elsYOoFyU7CyUFQEXMCVBluWcG15qK2bhz93_q3sg/s1600-h/IMG_2071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5Ky9sigRafM-1HHAiRJr632pwCyp19X7zWjVoM-JuwvalXfdeWHohOO8z-Q7ifH2snusqirh4SFRruqRu62-SWFCVfuT6elsYOoFyU7CyUFQEXMCVBluWcG15qK2bhz93_q3sg/s320/IMG_2071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204623914507250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">An outside shot..a hot steamy New York night. Perfect for terrace dining. Pure is worth the splurge but the pricing is hard to swallow. Pure also does not offer a lunch menu which is too bad. A lunch menu would make it more affordable for some. Regardless of my complaint, I will be back to Pure. It's unique and amazing so I'm just going to have to deal!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yBCZyLxaHExZ05K8rtJ5hDUqdV3ZfkLQayWGWgdvp4Cg8F4V02eSN0tXUKXofIujARIvoO85FyH3XSFQb6Ai_9FA5ZsamcZorlpf-o2Mvja2UVXQs7wGPRM7LvanOmU7DV8COg/s1600-h/IMG_2077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yBCZyLxaHExZ05K8rtJ5hDUqdV3ZfkLQayWGWgdvp4Cg8F4V02eSN0tXUKXofIujARIvoO85FyH3XSFQb6Ai_9FA5ZsamcZorlpf-o2Mvja2UVXQs7wGPRM7LvanOmU7DV8COg/s320/IMG_2077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204646748195698" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Around the corner from Pure is its sister restaurant, One Lucky Duck, a kind of takeout version of Pure. We stopped there to pick up some Dr. Cow cheeze to bring home.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBm6WM78Eb65OP5opAOg2YMZomC6s_2HA2J7yfrz0E__b_4cSqUd0tOj9_HsDErNd4XxcQ4zbQa-0Mn-zEs8C2QO2uwGrAqrUWkFIhd1J9fVaIClO0sKLyCWj1c9Jx9ppB8vaUOw/s1600-h/IMG_2079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBm6WM78Eb65OP5opAOg2YMZomC6s_2HA2J7yfrz0E__b_4cSqUd0tOj9_HsDErNd4XxcQ4zbQa-0Mn-zEs8C2QO2uwGrAqrUWkFIhd1J9fVaIClO0sKLyCWj1c9Jx9ppB8vaUOw/s320/IMG_2079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204649319548450" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Very cute inside...<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusw7GBbPUL7-l3-R1cAHA8jiYEveX8yw-UT1JDgJy2o8boi2atN6iGGBNwZlGudYRHhBgv3r1_F5Hb_euL6qqdfvFaWulgSY19q6yb9rTzpj55SovEuV6Uj6_y0CxUPH5TLHbNg/s1600-h/IMG_2074.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusw7GBbPUL7-l3-R1cAHA8jiYEveX8yw-UT1JDgJy2o8boi2atN6iGGBNwZlGudYRHhBgv3r1_F5Hb_euL6qqdfvFaWulgSY19q6yb9rTzpj55SovEuV6Uj6_y0CxUPH5TLHbNg/s320/IMG_2074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204213661717602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Another veggie restaurant to check out another time..menu is vegetarian not vegan but looks affordable.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_I20ClyEzpuoT5alyymFYoWBBt-QqV7nKZ4KHfMQ4zbt4_uO9vM6trYh-2G4quRAOfBUUCncwP6wD8e0Nr96F0sSZEj1pHA9scGhBHHRo3AIT6yxI3_410iCG3dW0wK6qZjnlA/s1600-h/IMG_2082.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_I20ClyEzpuoT5alyymFYoWBBt-QqV7nKZ4KHfMQ4zbt4_uO9vM6trYh-2G4quRAOfBUUCncwP6wD8e0Nr96F0sSZEj1pHA9scGhBHHRo3AIT6yxI3_410iCG3dW0wK6qZjnlA/s320/IMG_2082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204236408224066" border="0" /></a><br />A vegetarian chain we kept seeing around town..we checked out the menu and decided it wasn't worth the trip. If you live in NYC and want something fast, maybe, but with so many amazing restaurants nearby, as a visitor, I'd say check out something else first. We also discovered that the <a href="http://www.zenpalate.com/locationList.php">Zen Palette</a> nearby has closed. No idea why but at least they still have one location open.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL9GdVQHxaRHd8bkdVDtmEoRMBD0Hu7lKqXZfhfhRxCedi_qTBhUlRMQBmoLbkT76S0LVB4ct_ROcen65YLVoqYyxFnQTlKR6wIPcePXueD3gZeAb7IOhrbggY7AcKW7DbBjUAQ/s1600-h/IMG_2083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL9GdVQHxaRHd8bkdVDtmEoRMBD0Hu7lKqXZfhfhRxCedi_qTBhUlRMQBmoLbkT76S0LVB4ct_ROcen65YLVoqYyxFnQTlKR6wIPcePXueD3gZeAb7IOhrbggY7AcKW7DbBjUAQ/s320/IMG_2083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204225667013186" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;">We never found out what this number is. The national debt? Or our bill at Pure? Ha ha ha! Do we really want to know? =)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJ0CO3XB6M7eidDBVliFb2LInMkqKcCx7M6tp44Kg1l7bMrHs8bVyoVxMlDZaBY7UR2wzVZk4siys5hJZECKtXOJ4kMp1ii4tKCMArTgNkNgoIWnEVw6LZqLl9fgxPTL2uWsKAg/s1600-h/IMG_2084.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJ0CO3XB6M7eidDBVliFb2LInMkqKcCx7M6tp44Kg1l7bMrHs8bVyoVxMlDZaBY7UR2wzVZk4siys5hJZECKtXOJ4kMp1ii4tKCMArTgNkNgoIWnEVw6LZqLl9fgxPTL2uWsKAg/s320/IMG_2084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370204222968115410" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">That's it for now..the next day was spent relaxing and with a little more non-blog worthy retail therapy..then we headed home to Boston (me) and Portland (Sarah) with our heads full of great memories. We can't wait to go back asap. Hopefully Michelle is ready for us. Something tells me yes because she already sent me this link to try for our next trip:<br /><a href="http://www.zenburger.com/">http://www.zenburger.com/</a><br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-19293572706002727922009-08-13T20:11:00.003-05:002009-08-13T20:52:44.828-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summer Tomato Stacks</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkGSOvI5sY6-TTpfrF9U86ykQcOLo0-LQ2EWIJ-FsdAZQ2jpR5JemsZMMLUHJoWZbOv8t_BUPmvZdnnR_iRAQ6QTzrmfan2nXewBM8AP8o3dAbWm35ECzcD5Xmrr_9k6wmFDt3g/s1600-h/IMG_2222.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkGSOvI5sY6-TTpfrF9U86ykQcOLo0-LQ2EWIJ-FsdAZQ2jpR5JemsZMMLUHJoWZbOv8t_BUPmvZdnnR_iRAQ6QTzrmfan2nXewBM8AP8o3dAbWm35ECzcD5Xmrr_9k6wmFDt3g/s320/IMG_2222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369621646515276770" border="0" /></a></div><br />Summertime! My fridge is exploding with fresh produce. The tomatoes, scallions, corn, basil..here's a dish that combines them all. There are few things that I miss about being vegetarian..vegan eating has agreed with me so completely that I can't understand why I spent 1993-2006 as vegetarian yet only the past three years vegan! So it's rare that I have an urge for something that isn't vegan. Except for this one. About four years ago, I tried a recipe called "summer stacks." It was totally vegetarian but not vegan because it called for layering tomato stacks with mozzarella cheese slices. I remember making it when I had friends over for dinner and it was a big hit. After going vegan that fall, I was stumped as to how to recreate this recipe without cheese. Those store bought vegan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cheezes</span> just don't do it for me. This summer when I stumbled upon a great vegan feta <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cheeze</span> recipe by <a href="http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2006/04/new-improved-quick-tofu-feta.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bryanna</span> Clark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Grogan</span></a>, I knew that I found my "cheeze." In my humble opinion, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bryanna</span> is a genius. I've tried so many of her recipes and loved them all. This feta recipe makes a bunch of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">cheeze</span>" so you can make a batch and keep it in the fridge for salads, etc. I just love it! You'll need to plan a few days in advance as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cheeze</span> really improves with age as it sits in its brine. I think this also would be great with any homemade vegan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">cheeze</span> (such as a raw cashew herb <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">cheeze</span>) or a gourmet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">cheeze</span> such as <a href="http://www.dr-cow.com/">Dr. Cow</a> (if you can get it which I can't..rats!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8NItW3wOoHLpJuX3l6QBpZX0Ga5x_Sv1AqmRpQ9IPY5t-LB29IF2seUccwnu6Gm6oyPwGJk5H03w2mYn4pN19bxMQPkKD4JyR6mBoDpGQ1kFTQtzsVuzIWNRy28OYpCzLCG1lg/s1600-h/IMG_2228.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8NItW3wOoHLpJuX3l6QBpZX0Ga5x_Sv1AqmRpQ9IPY5t-LB29IF2seUccwnu6Gm6oyPwGJk5H03w2mYn4pN19bxMQPkKD4JyR6mBoDpGQ1kFTQtzsVuzIWNRy28OYpCzLCG1lg/s320/IMG_2228.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369621656616118994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ingredients (serves two)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 mid-sized perfectly ripe tomatoes</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 scallions</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">a handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and dried</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">one ear of corn, raw or cooked (your preference, both taste great)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">salt and pepper to taste</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Optional:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span><br /><ol><li>Wash and dry tomatoes. With the stem side facing sideways, slice each tomato into 4-5 thick slices. Put the slice with the stem aside. You can save this for salad bits or cut it up into small pieces to sprinkle as "confetti" on your "stacks."</li><li>Prepare two small plates, one sliced tomato for each "stack."</li><li>Put the first slice (the one that was right next to the "stem" slice) on each plate.</li><li>Layer with vegan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">cheeze</span>.</li><li>Repeat until slices are used up and you have a little little stack of tomato/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">cheeze</span> towers!</li><li>Using a knife, slice corn off of the cob (if using corn on the cob)..sprinkle on stacks.<br /></li><li>Using scissors, cut up your scallions and distribute evenly on the stacks.<br /></li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Chiffonade</span> (roll and slice) the basil leaves and arrange as you please on top and down the sides of the tomatoes.<br /></li><li>Add salt and pepper to taste</li><li>Add a drizzle of olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar</li><li>Enjoy!</li></ol>Speaking of bounty from the garden, here's what the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Goos</span> are eating..I planted an edible seed mix from Seeds of Change this spring and the results are blooming. I don't know if the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Goos</span> appreciate how pretty their daily salads are but I certainly enjoying making them!<br /><br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzT4HNbsbk-ThyrdxtNiSKrormpYCjWfDBeUTB7Q-z7AZ_3HIq9UuBUhx719ZYQzIu3jHb2al7P0tSuRf0jxZ3t_1l1uCZDxkMaJ-32JgT895Nk5kadny0BgRE4FwKd_K9t1UPA/s1600-h/IMG_2208.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzT4HNbsbk-ThyrdxtNiSKrormpYCjWfDBeUTB7Q-z7AZ_3HIq9UuBUhx719ZYQzIu3jHb2al7P0tSuRf0jxZ3t_1l1uCZDxkMaJ-32JgT895Nk5kadny0BgRE4FwKd_K9t1UPA/s320/IMG_2208.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4aIIgfO1pUenUCKqQLa3NHzre1ubtha3rMn2FmQpfPlr9ZRH27thWN6OxjuKlHancJHk68OUqL4NhZFV4XEB8Ty_lFLvIuo0waNZ4xiFWUjjYMzYj-BQE_iBxofat87c08B5OQ/s1600-h/IMG_2209.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4aIIgfO1pUenUCKqQLa3NHzre1ubtha3rMn2FmQpfPlr9ZRH27thWN6OxjuKlHancJHk68OUqL4NhZFV4XEB8Ty_lFLvIuo0waNZ4xiFWUjjYMzYj-BQE_iBxofat87c08B5OQ/s320/IMG_2209.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><br />Speaking of the little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">furballs</span>, here are two of my originals, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Keebler</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Trolli</span>, enjoying their daily dried, unsweetened cranberry.<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcwCUKBN99TZ2ewhkEVY9lMtQL2vJNN8PFlMaSbHcTrHZ6J5DujueAJ2bcacn8d9W5JIXItf57QX04xzR0bvC_X1GXbpjjr8C4pvcZNUdBq3JXhGykCbUwI-Rv9S-xz6_vUbd6A/s1600-h/IMG_2213.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcwCUKBN99TZ2ewhkEVY9lMtQL2vJNN8PFlMaSbHcTrHZ6J5DujueAJ2bcacn8d9W5JIXItf57QX04xzR0bvC_X1GXbpjjr8C4pvcZNUdBq3JXhGykCbUwI-Rv9S-xz6_vUbd6A/s320/IMG_2213.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><br />And finally our second group of brothers, Baby, Brownie and Wiley! This is the first photo of them on Gemusings..they have been extremely hard to photograph. I was lucky that I caught them all together and they stayed still for a second. I've had a hard time with these guys..they weren't used to as much human contact as my originals so it's been months before they trusted me enough to climb on my arm. Just two weeks ago, we had a big step in progress and they are now trained to climb into their carrier and then get back into it. I can now bring them into my bedroom for their evening runaround. It's a gigantic relief to reach this step as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Goos</span> need about an hour of out of the cage exercise each day. Baby is a bit neurotic and days such as today, he is very skittish but he's getting better each day. Wiley and Brownie have become downright affectionate which is a welcome change to the bite Brownie gave me back in May! I really had hoped that my two sets of brothers would get along but at this point, I've resigned myself to the fate of having two very adorable, loving sets of boys who just don't get along. Bummer but I wouldn't give any of them up for anything!<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClOlIbEzzQNeA13UgTYVWJnRaeh2_N2zvtgvAf7JPNeXJ4LqFkaqjzbEa3jnZmbH9NoKsNtftM7pYFAjCaZpK6a17zXpdpgO1kjVy2FjOA_JTrej9_VbP_3X9pRsH_iHaTIHXfA/s1600-h/IMG_2218.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClOlIbEzzQNeA13UgTYVWJnRaeh2_N2zvtgvAf7JPNeXJ4LqFkaqjzbEa3jnZmbH9NoKsNtftM7pYFAjCaZpK6a17zXpdpgO1kjVy2FjOA_JTrej9_VbP_3X9pRsH_iHaTIHXfA/s320/IMG_2218.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkGSOvI5sY6-TTpfrF9U86ykQcOLo0-LQ2EWIJ-FsdAZQ2jpR5JemsZMMLUHJoWZbOv8t_BUPmvZdnnR_iRAQ6QTzrmfan2nXewBM8AP8o3dAbWm35ECzcD5Xmrr_9k6wmFDt3g/s1600-h/IMG_2222.JPG"><br /></a></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-55161507727006464772009-08-13T09:34:00.012-05:002009-08-13T11:07:44.980-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vegan Big Apple, Part 1</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I mentioned a few times here that at the end of July I traveled to NYC to visit my younger sister, Michelle. I was so excited when I got an email from my friend Sarah asking if she could join us. Of course, the answer was yes! To get from Boston to NYC is pretty easy with a lot of choices. Neither of wanted to drive so it was simply deciding between Amtrak and one of the many bus lines that go between the two cities. As much as I love taking the train, the price can be prohibitive: ~$120..almost the same as flying (which I hate). It's a shame since the train is so much fun. However, a new bus line, <a href="https://www.boltbus.com/default.aspx">Bolt Bus</a>, had the perfect fare ($27 round trip with wireless on board..nice!). So two weeks ago, Sarah left Portland early in the morning to meet up with me in Cambridge where we headed into Boston to board the bus! The bus dropped off in NYC just a block from Michelle's work where she picked us up. Let the fun begin!<br /><br />Michelle shares a townhouse in Harlem with a few other people. She has the entire third floor to herself and a pretty sweet guest bedroom for, well, guests like us!<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewGweuur5Yk8jcXtP7A3kli7EYLHuplO3FqzeZFMnhgXgqa51A_ROWlSSiVR7L4Y5QUrX7sSJXYnFG81RTutG_15y21ybfW3weXhvmkNn8K0ujIyC0SyCR-LIp_vMjTb5mdKZVw/s1600-h/IMG_1897.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewGweuur5Yk8jcXtP7A3kli7EYLHuplO3FqzeZFMnhgXgqa51A_ROWlSSiVR7L4Y5QUrX7sSJXYnFG81RTutG_15y21ybfW3weXhvmkNn8K0ujIyC0SyCR-LIp_vMjTb5mdKZVw/s320/IMG_1897.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When traveling, the adventures are so much better when your travel buddies are compatible, right? Nothing like being a vegan traveling with Burger Joe who freaks at the sight of tofu. Luckily that was not the case for this trip! Michelle and I come from a family of people who love to explore whether it is food or destinations and I knew Sarah loved these things too! Even before we boarded the bus, the three of us were busy emailing back and forth things we wanted to check out. First on the list: <a href="http://www.hangawirestaurant.com/">Han Gawi</a>, a vegan Asian restaurant. I had first learned of this place through my chocolate co-conspirator <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/">Chocolate Covered Katie</a> (<a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2009/08/10/who-wants-to-win-a-spiralizer/">check out her latest giveaway!</a> )..she raved about the place so I figured it was a must visit. We were not disappointed.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The entrance to Han Gawi..Sarah reflected in the glass.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhqu6xEObWLg8x3flF8PZth8f7LvE3y3OnIqYTlN6HI2d8gPcpWPtMmtmnJoeYgwa-6MsT2PIRoaBMT4zeaKwi3quwDjR7gQo_6HADBA18T281Tbez2gDimeNudUoFxsfMRTP1w/s1600-h/IMG_1928.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhqu6xEObWLg8x3flF8PZth8f7LvE3y3OnIqYTlN6HI2d8gPcpWPtMmtmnJoeYgwa-6MsT2PIRoaBMT4zeaKwi3quwDjR7gQo_6HADBA18T281Tbez2gDimeNudUoFxsfMRTP1w/s320/IMG_1928.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462302306375586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Shoes are removed at the entrance.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uuECw9c49WC1fjj-FqflKZ4qHy2WRuMupit5V5eCIh_xJoPciPEukOnhRlXYJbmuSM2RP-dKRBUq1JD3N8Pebqn3_iiU2_tkerPQM9r0i7KB15yN8RG6ghJrXYjXqj3XzAH0Ug/s1600-h/IMG_1927.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uuECw9c49WC1fjj-FqflKZ4qHy2WRuMupit5V5eCIh_xJoPciPEukOnhRlXYJbmuSM2RP-dKRBUq1JD3N8Pebqn3_iiU2_tkerPQM9r0i7KB15yN8RG6ghJrXYjXqj3XzAH0Ug/s320/IMG_1927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461881858316946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXcDzY1hw4E9iGaonO6Vt9zbXtqRfFcqDAfRPpCfJRB5Z5YPKfyXbiKIbUgQbPFhctfWKkU6f4LDwCVBrPqB-ctdmBTUFTfiGu-OSCeW2ZAjMhoMu4EJFVvxXLcr07kKzmyEIJQ/s1600-h/IMG_1926.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXcDzY1hw4E9iGaonO6Vt9zbXtqRfFcqDAfRPpCfJRB5Z5YPKfyXbiKIbUgQbPFhctfWKkU6f4LDwCVBrPqB-ctdmBTUFTfiGu-OSCeW2ZAjMhoMu4EJFVvxXLcr07kKzmyEIJQ/s320/IMG_1926.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461876981585858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZYSHH6V8_8JEafSsEX9qpjdDjP_NZBMlNGhB3obLX-bu2rT_ZSJn91BU6pSj-Acu_eFncfI9CfAMQxU-yrGjv6xUkJe8A3zZvthGhbtrpfmvrAFMhyphenhyphendT0va6vIsgGI2nEEZ7NQ/s1600-h/IMG_1925.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZYSHH6V8_8JEafSsEX9qpjdDjP_NZBMlNGhB3obLX-bu2rT_ZSJn91BU6pSj-Acu_eFncfI9CfAMQxU-yrGjv6xUkJe8A3zZvthGhbtrpfmvrAFMhyphenhyphendT0va6vIsgGI2nEEZ7NQ/s320/IMG_1925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461867393242114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tables and seats are sunken into the floor so legs and feet easily recline under the table.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwIXV2is8aEhyXvscE_I9xtEPq_LS2_9HNVaVUrwvLDq-0iqn5WJVe5MNPP_wyxG-gbpCKSSYQx2uVW8FsF09cCCXKZFxzQRuCUGq9qzm-XDvVI3Q3-BplWcfUepjmKWTCZzmcw/s1600-h/IMG_1914.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwIXV2is8aEhyXvscE_I9xtEPq_LS2_9HNVaVUrwvLDq-0iqn5WJVe5MNPP_wyxG-gbpCKSSYQx2uVW8FsF09cCCXKZFxzQRuCUGq9qzm-XDvVI3Q3-BplWcfUepjmKWTCZzmcw/s320/IMG_1914.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369460864138584418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One neat tip that we figured out in NYC is to plan your meals carefully if you want to do a lot of restaurant eating and are on a budget. If you can arrange to do a big lunch instead of a big dinner, you will get a great experience with less of a crowd while saving a bit of money! Luckily, Han Gawi had a very good lunch menu. So we splurged and got some drinks (lushes aren't we?). Sarah's delicious half-sipped sangria poses here.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp5L6zP2ooaxFXTK1fpijHQQcTXXwqloV4CaBWc8sVS4bse9Kmt022OXQ0NR6cdC1nrSJYrHnAhyphenhyphen3nzIzUytzrtnA_0_FfPtP-WhekOvHZEERiJbhgQG2A4wzJVjJ7R8yNR32iA/s1600-h/IMG_1913.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp5L6zP2ooaxFXTK1fpijHQQcTXXwqloV4CaBWc8sVS4bse9Kmt022OXQ0NR6cdC1nrSJYrHnAhyphenhyphen3nzIzUytzrtnA_0_FfPtP-WhekOvHZEERiJbhgQG2A4wzJVjJ7R8yNR32iA/s320/IMG_1913.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369460856772504418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Michelle and I both had mango drinks with spicy toppings..very good but we liked Sarah's sangria better!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz6sEJAQ1ks9Z-aOZIa7KvVF78TrhddPr1h9Z1_480cflZ6SIqmyLqfuc6PqhPfHM47rW8f7qmw1XA-V0RAjMxxqbl_saWg3hOjYm8VgVIbUhhVzEtJV6NdxxrrPokIvUlT4dcw/s1600-h/IMG_1901.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz6sEJAQ1ks9Z-aOZIa7KvVF78TrhddPr1h9Z1_480cflZ6SIqmyLqfuc6PqhPfHM47rW8f7qmw1XA-V0RAjMxxqbl_saWg3hOjYm8VgVIbUhhVzEtJV6NdxxrrPokIvUlT4dcw/s320/IMG_1901.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Michelle poses with her cocktail..it was a perfect start to a hot, humid day.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_2qN4m0HI4v2cLFWDZRvU8UqnLD1HvTWjqEd9njtF-Rj1_xDOjRyQ4LrBVwH5_07SCGZbogervmZAH3pSt3RmiFkbulMtP4NvoXtkoriBmGQxL84fXggUfg0uHE7L0vld82oUA/s1600-h/IMG_1903.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_2qN4m0HI4v2cLFWDZRvU8UqnLD1HvTWjqEd9njtF-Rj1_xDOjRyQ4LrBVwH5_07SCGZbogervmZAH3pSt3RmiFkbulMtP4NvoXtkoriBmGQxL84fXggUfg0uHE7L0vld82oUA/s320/IMG_1903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369460827246489826" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Michelle and I both got the "Mini Prix Fixe Lunch." Each was $20 and included several items.<br />The first was a selection of the porridge of the day. I got a black sesame porridge.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_goF4R7veWkeQD29Ngorh5wd-3fhM96tuiMD_AfixrTQYAyS3gfYXlb3XamXjP5y_ql4nCP4OlZEIkw1dG6-ecJ-KKFLSnQ4GjAgxoffd_1QVX_05nzzaLXYbPM7le9TWCBTGg/s1600-h/IMG_1899.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_goF4R7veWkeQD29Ngorh5wd-3fhM96tuiMD_AfixrTQYAyS3gfYXlb3XamXjP5y_ql4nCP4OlZEIkw1dG6-ecJ-KKFLSnQ4GjAgxoffd_1QVX_05nzzaLXYbPM7le9TWCBTGg/s320/IMG_1899.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michelle's was a pumpkin porridge.</span><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuhJ8d_HKGw8AnfQaT8L3dx9oNbmZuzaI4yWt57tal3vp2VvfF6Z_yZkFHDiVnT5dusS4VUf4g56EOimi6rxjrcmM6Gc1rHuBkDvd2C4_nWe3Ft2l6GyTTyQ6QM8tUfWu6-JGAA/s1600-h/IMG_1902.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuhJ8d_HKGw8AnfQaT8L3dx9oNbmZuzaI4yWt57tal3vp2VvfF6Z_yZkFHDiVnT5dusS4VUf4g56EOimi6rxjrcmM6Gc1rHuBkDvd2C4_nWe3Ft2l6GyTTyQ6QM8tUfWu6-JGAA/s320/IMG_1902.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Michelle's lunch included some steamed veggie raviolis..<br /></span> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEgx7eVLprjXgw1qg8jc3aCXMFVdH00IL1NLCTREIlM9q7q-PFsST2ugUBmR5-HDvZE_Qcd3kXNy0OVmWyYyPugIE3x02m_xoTeebKdOQx2234wXxZiVBtiFYN0_KTbmIk2OA6w/s1600-h/IMG_1911.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEgx7eVLprjXgw1qg8jc3aCXMFVdH00IL1NLCTREIlM9q7q-PFsST2ugUBmR5-HDvZE_Qcd3kXNy0OVmWyYyPugIE3x02m_xoTeebKdOQx2234wXxZiVBtiFYN0_KTbmIk2OA6w/s320/IMG_1911.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369460848792077650" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My lunch included a pumpkin vermicelli dish..it was delish!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwir5lv7lFan5Td0FkLISqTVemSry57jpUJfTgDyA0j_b6W9a_pyTz79yO7KfXDQOFA3ZsAZ9IQUrtoKDO7ONDOGDi_snOWeDZFm_lAlX5uOR506F9tIX_m99e2FNbmECAUntH0Q/s1600-h/IMG_1910.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwir5lv7lFan5Td0FkLISqTVemSry57jpUJfTgDyA0j_b6W9a_pyTz79yO7KfXDQOFA3ZsAZ9IQUrtoKDO7ONDOGDi_snOWeDZFm_lAlX5uOR506F9tIX_m99e2FNbmECAUntH0Q/s320/IMG_1910.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369460835862836386" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Kimchi also came with the meal. I'm honestly not usually a fan but I enjoyed the two options that they served.</span><br /></div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ82HKMpFTTbtm1yisCKKcG4vozw-tGSlbUEBC01pceJf85GU7_ktt3RZrfZa_DgOTYY6GXhE8doY8YIo7smIM9pFsUQikgtNAUWC8LTcnCjTj5mFZWp4sxjGwH2v2ADeMn2kkMg/s1600-h/IMG_1921.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ82HKMpFTTbtm1yisCKKcG4vozw-tGSlbUEBC01pceJf85GU7_ktt3RZrfZa_DgOTYY6GXhE8doY8YIo7smIM9pFsUQikgtNAUWC8LTcnCjTj5mFZWp4sxjGwH2v2ADeMn2kkMg/s320/IMG_1921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461543577874978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmqL-du56sRxB9_lrrlVAm-4939TRkPhouH7fmzd1MoqEMUSR521qRlFtKSueVNzvii_lHC3ZQfJ7r3RQb3Fuql3HLNY4emmavQEF3fS7_pWSZkudL1lbSoFh_cb15i1n-E_ctQ/s1600-h/IMG_1920.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmqL-du56sRxB9_lrrlVAm-4939TRkPhouH7fmzd1MoqEMUSR521qRlFtKSueVNzvii_lHC3ZQfJ7r3RQb3Fuql3HLNY4emmavQEF3fS7_pWSZkudL1lbSoFh_cb15i1n-E_ctQ/s320/IMG_1920.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461534551002018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A rice dish...</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcqGB2IWre19lI1pzmmNiDzP8iRJGP0rRWM4C7rUm3Apkm6aYI6Juaa3tRZ73NUl2AUkwg0Df6Ag_3EWgRfidRhCPJmiglecqrlHCj2BgKkGcMxXTyHSHKHuOBKNthAC1tVYudw/s1600-h/IMG_1919.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcqGB2IWre19lI1pzmmNiDzP8iRJGP0rRWM4C7rUm3Apkm6aYI6Juaa3tRZ73NUl2AUkwg0Df6Ag_3EWgRfidRhCPJmiglecqrlHCj2BgKkGcMxXTyHSHKHuOBKNthAC1tVYudw/s320/IMG_1919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461529096932642" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This was Michelle's entree..a tofu clay pot with sauce.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rPS6KPiNg1d_MMJN6oqZPGPtTA4tdrK1Y6ksEk4_Piq6pKjhb2QPG66P63wMoZyp06MJkQSZuM2P-XrF-jMTqkr_3SuJmaHhCqzJjNjkPB-I_kyAbJZVVljrcanGjN129NRtqQ/s1600-h/IMG_1917.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rPS6KPiNg1d_MMJN6oqZPGPtTA4tdrK1Y6ksEk4_Piq6pKjhb2QPG66P63wMoZyp06MJkQSZuM2P-XrF-jMTqkr_3SuJmaHhCqzJjNjkPB-I_kyAbJZVVljrcanGjN129NRtqQ/s320/IMG_1917.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461510333267890" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">I had the vegetarian stone bowl entree..it was pretty good. Reminded me of Bi Bim Bap in a Korean restaurant.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInTdgpMNG15THZ6ACIWAXq5hvrUZuRPFTBwi3Fz2RPEXR4Opna2T815RP7UIiAevnpN10gP0KtegfsyQLrCl4py7fs60JROChoNlYRzgQQh5ZQB60gSjlmXtkm6kV0aPXt3u8MQ/s1600-h/IMG_1916.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInTdgpMNG15THZ6ACIWAXq5hvrUZuRPFTBwi3Fz2RPEXR4Opna2T815RP7UIiAevnpN10gP0KtegfsyQLrCl4py7fs60JROChoNlYRzgQQh5ZQB60gSjlmXtkm6kV0aPXt3u8MQ/s320/IMG_1916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461502682406434" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sarah had the pumpkin vermicelli noodles..she enjoyed them but even the lunch portion was gigantic..almost too much.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaDmzKBOGdJKjDcwHW-Qurl-umivuHp6Cqyse1jRiJLeubTv5392sgKqkmGOeE7DbJ0yLTOnOed6RSegUmZ4FxifzXdgtsD6ECSVyrXKFpHB99vo6dje-c7Iu907v8BC7aDsd2Q/s1600-h/IMG_1922.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaDmzKBOGdJKjDcwHW-Qurl-umivuHp6Cqyse1jRiJLeubTv5392sgKqkmGOeE7DbJ0yLTOnOed6RSegUmZ4FxifzXdgtsD6ECSVyrXKFpHB99vo6dje-c7Iu907v8BC7aDsd2Q/s320/IMG_1922.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461855441137490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Our meals came with a light fruit soup dessert. It was perfect as we knew there would be heavier indulgences later in the day (gotta pace ourselves).</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGQhNw91Zy46tGckpBgB5Xse-Gc6D_deOcXx4brIylwLwASkHqVJGeL2sqGC9ZVV5SL8dYaYJobf5O2WARbpWjGniCmMGdv-rzor8LkJ1P01eHF3yYqvH3rKM4_AIT_-cOTegtg/s1600-h/IMG_1924.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGQhNw91Zy46tGckpBgB5Xse-Gc6D_deOcXx4brIylwLwASkHqVJGeL2sqGC9ZVV5SL8dYaYJobf5O2WARbpWjGniCmMGdv-rzor8LkJ1P01eHF3yYqvH3rKM4_AIT_-cOTegtg/s320/IMG_1924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369461859139121234" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Next we headed off to the <a href="http://www.pearlriver.com/v2/index.html">Pearl River Market</a>, a favorite of all of ours. Sarah getting touristy with me:</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxPdl6ZUHiOHRVOFbOZfKx-P_W96ZEALajMrfI5nvOS1fv9hriZL5FsjcYJkoPCcGWfOr04YeTesydIXr-JAE2HZZgJXF_bB9rrl8Xi1AuNRwmgpVp1EXHNSxclJG-6WwwqrcfQ/s1600-h/IMG_1934.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxPdl6ZUHiOHRVOFbOZfKx-P_W96ZEALajMrfI5nvOS1fv9hriZL5FsjcYJkoPCcGWfOr04YeTesydIXr-JAE2HZZgJXF_bB9rrl8Xi1AuNRwmgpVp1EXHNSxclJG-6WwwqrcfQ/s320/IMG_1934.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462672522059186" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Love their dishes:</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx5w0-T8q0teC0nu6m0Uu42QFJwvwfoHkmOpTvVvL2ULEtHz2VM8goWYr00YoTekf4YMIcq65_lztOf2oe88fXcZ4cmadJcraheMxx_QMYq34mebR0kRc_TQj6KC2Rv6daOKtXg/s1600-h/IMG_1932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx5w0-T8q0teC0nu6m0Uu42QFJwvwfoHkmOpTvVvL2ULEtHz2VM8goWYr00YoTekf4YMIcq65_lztOf2oe88fXcZ4cmadJcraheMxx_QMYq34mebR0kRc_TQj6KC2Rv6daOKtXg/s320/IMG_1932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462322181823650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSUoAJ8yucxy4HYpvgwi4BYYYBBJ23qE5oTuyAPv3d8dSlz8IAiOlmX15joX-fkH5BWfQGAbud7bUNS1-fisZ2L2CRSlaJe_MwDyKEnfd9WPLuFYjawgwPmlT2N6szruQtJoogA/s1600-h/IMG_1933.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSUoAJ8yucxy4HYpvgwi4BYYYBBJ23qE5oTuyAPv3d8dSlz8IAiOlmX15joX-fkH5BWfQGAbud7bUNS1-fisZ2L2CRSlaJe_MwDyKEnfd9WPLuFYjawgwPmlT2N6szruQtJoogA/s320/IMG_1933.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462329764151442" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">And love the paper decorations...would that I had something to decorate this way!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrpgAlirrjfDxaRMe94vA_RT-2HoLPXB6m8YQr95pjjha9sbTxmQw5ZaeJqq6mjKOk00w43j-Rto8MOGv3feOHP1DTmmkBGuVmh7mcC7_uWT9OnHjn6i9Ec7-Rt_VG_lisCG6rg/s1600-h/IMG_1930.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrpgAlirrjfDxaRMe94vA_RT-2HoLPXB6m8YQr95pjjha9sbTxmQw5ZaeJqq6mjKOk00w43j-Rto8MOGv3feOHP1DTmmkBGuVmh7mcC7_uWT9OnHjn6i9Ec7-Rt_VG_lisCG6rg/s320/IMG_1930.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462313418071922" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">After an afternoon of shopping (</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://brooklynindustries.com/brooklyn/">Brooklyn Industries</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> gobbled up A LOT of our cash..good news on their bags..vegan leather!), some vintage clothing stores and a coffee/bookstore cafe, we headed to </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.babycakesnyc.com/">Babycakes, NYC</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, cupcakery/bakery to the vegan/gluten-intolerant/health-conscious/celebrity masses!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAd1IiNSmb-vd7a4Xt1LNr98EY1fJJKipO7T6JmXiw6JAmXJTAHpJONZOnytEWVXPdl8OamoDiPwKgUDtLh1RpedfKygg7hkowf0PZxxep9e_bP8mlrkm-fVoemd08Op6jIDD0g/s1600-h/IMG_1943.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAd1IiNSmb-vd7a4Xt1LNr98EY1fJJKipO7T6JmXiw6JAmXJTAHpJONZOnytEWVXPdl8OamoDiPwKgUDtLh1RpedfKygg7hkowf0PZxxep9e_bP8mlrkm-fVoemd08Op6jIDD0g/s320/IMG_1943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369463141257341554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now for whatever reason, I had completely missed the boat on Babycakes. It's been around for a couple of years yet I had only briefly heard of it. It's worth a trip, folks! West Coasters: a location is supposedly open in LA! Another tip, if you're visiting a vegan place that has a cookbook, don't buy it there..save your $$ and buy it back home or on Amazon. I found the prices to be full retail AND sure no shipping and handling but you've gotta lug the book around. Obviously learned this from experience..he he he..</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg-d9JU3O7LH2WIsUTOhYK5FYqnyf-ja1C3uAFBuBHGcKLBw83yeKdBKF9EYB_-r41N7Sheo6DEh00gz2sLEG0P3yBg46cg3pT6hszVAIBNvS89hrFTyNzJ-VJaW2sxa_0g0jYQ/s1600-h/Babycakes+NYC.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNg-d9JU3O7LH2WIsUTOhYK5FYqnyf-ja1C3uAFBuBHGcKLBw83yeKdBKF9EYB_-r41N7Sheo6DEh00gz2sLEG0P3yBg46cg3pT6hszVAIBNvS89hrFTyNzJ-VJaW2sxa_0g0jYQ/s320/Babycakes+NYC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369459988697585538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5MBn9f6LH_D8lzTzAHtNjgFQSQ2uQDdCuyirkUVznP6FvgX-0JijAxLu2JyTEvZsa0Pzx0ge4t_euyuWMkGxxwRqlLVqq4UOQM4jLoRuCvMh6XPit30UfU6vSGize9qCDOr3YQ/s1600-h/IMG_1942.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5MBn9f6LH_D8lzTzAHtNjgFQSQ2uQDdCuyirkUVznP6FvgX-0JijAxLu2JyTEvZsa0Pzx0ge4t_euyuWMkGxxwRqlLVqq4UOQM4jLoRuCvMh6XPit30UfU6vSGize9qCDOr3YQ/s320/IMG_1942.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369463134745253730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPGvXMMze8uVdh7a6RGYi1IjIR2UrdLTKAhyz-pBv_xxbiNTVjo_nP3Yz6jvSlQPh9ryShyphenhyphend0BXnTjEoDDKUMrSsFZKka-Ns7Pp3BPTjnI-T9rY9KbUodlATBA2bXmfTpj6UBSQ/s1600-h/IMG_1938.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPGvXMMze8uVdh7a6RGYi1IjIR2UrdLTKAhyz-pBv_xxbiNTVjo_nP3Yz6jvSlQPh9ryShyphenhyphend0BXnTjEoDDKUMrSsFZKka-Ns7Pp3BPTjnI-T9rY9KbUodlATBA2bXmfTpj6UBSQ/s320/IMG_1938.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462712392891282" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, frosting shots. The junkies were lining up outside the entrance for a hit. Okay, not really but I swore I saw a skinny model type snort some up her nose. OKAY, okay, she just ate it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWuJVRpQvrG_SP14uCJXV5_PNyepbM36hrUcUxNYWvnTkGkBCtwcwxn4T4E3FuU-Fpbwow1-hNNQ1ZuLcY-7o58wT96jSjyDRsPTFrW0-9h6N03R4uU87iS7dwrjlcPutK0DFOg/s1600-h/IMG_1941.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWuJVRpQvrG_SP14uCJXV5_PNyepbM36hrUcUxNYWvnTkGkBCtwcwxn4T4E3FuU-Fpbwow1-hNNQ1ZuLcY-7o58wT96jSjyDRsPTFrW0-9h6N03R4uU87iS7dwrjlcPutK0DFOg/s320/IMG_1941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369463125103503506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMq_-r3Yti0rXbrvjnpe5_kcRWM_MOfSklVCNUMykIE15zmmPVzIJbh-UjDOGSwlfQHtgy7cpq2NgMwDXoxgPfZOkfSmjmuYw3DFBpdhMT6nWN1IhMu7eiFRfxaC6dKh-dK-Owxw/s1600-h/Babycakes+NYC2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMq_-r3Yti0rXbrvjnpe5_kcRWM_MOfSklVCNUMykIE15zmmPVzIJbh-UjDOGSwlfQHtgy7cpq2NgMwDXoxgPfZOkfSmjmuYw3DFBpdhMT6nWN1IhMu7eiFRfxaC6dKh-dK-Owxw/s320/Babycakes+NYC2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369460000225963746" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh yeah!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88NQVo9R3jEcmdZsQVfFNLXMzV4ubIZxDhZUj5VQlo8MpC8g7L4WL8AnV40P9t53l9ftDojEiufGST6cFBVE26ibjRk5psPnfOTVFx0SxZZdgyprG3twozUA3RImMroyRVoeECg/s1600-h/IMG_1940.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88NQVo9R3jEcmdZsQVfFNLXMzV4ubIZxDhZUj5VQlo8MpC8g7L4WL8AnV40P9t53l9ftDojEiufGST6cFBVE26ibjRk5psPnfOTVFx0SxZZdgyprG3twozUA3RImMroyRVoeECg/s320/IMG_1940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369463115969711794" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My cinnamon raisin coffee roll..sooo good!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdxSHeXGIaw8ECeLs3XBD-6fF8BMrbGFsVn-afqRhk8JkY5zw6GUbdt15wwVX2gkZ4mlJhAMHWddyFH0d28KpuNWOEpRfuZ302au59ZwSjkejVoMKXFnMI0To-G0HBT2pD4TKXQ/s1600-h/IMG_1935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdxSHeXGIaw8ECeLs3XBD-6fF8BMrbGFsVn-afqRhk8JkY5zw6GUbdt15wwVX2gkZ4mlJhAMHWddyFH0d28KpuNWOEpRfuZ302au59ZwSjkejVoMKXFnMI0To-G0HBT2pD4TKXQ/s320/IMG_1935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462693243620034" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Someone's cookie sandwich..won't say who but she couldn't wait for me to take a photo before she took a bite..he he he!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIQyMy_yc_yGxKqHYcvmjwTknnhYVTcelAzqGcxa9gYL1lEj1aTcy-72PHlRpN6EcywLlffVRPmYD2fNoEbOjc_HeAaq1FHa-z1KXbtcTC97G58UXufZTyjt5ZopbXHCHh46ggw/s1600-h/IMG_1936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIQyMy_yc_yGxKqHYcvmjwTknnhYVTcelAzqGcxa9gYL1lEj1aTcy-72PHlRpN6EcywLlffVRPmYD2fNoEbOjc_HeAaq1FHa-z1KXbtcTC97G58UXufZTyjt5ZopbXHCHh46ggw/s320/IMG_1936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462700183055026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, it is annoying to be sisters with a vegan food blogger who wants to take photos before you can enjoy your mint chocolate cupcake, Michelle. How you suffer.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2fx2XdQD4yftABINylgH5suh3ZQOZqn0bYQNzb6MAV5Rqw0VqwjQR0aF2n5OgGursHMVpoBEVHR9qMG2CSTqYlnoARd8jxGsgItU2jj2vbRVbHD9AQ3IsuAitB7ZCnU48pfrow/s1600-h/IMG_1937.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2fx2XdQD4yftABINylgH5suh3ZQOZqn0bYQNzb6MAV5Rqw0VqwjQR0aF2n5OgGursHMVpoBEVHR9qMG2CSTqYlnoARd8jxGsgItU2jj2vbRVbHD9AQ3IsuAitB7ZCnU48pfrow/s320/IMG_1937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369462710304767682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And finally, our day ended in Korea Town where we picked up a block of tofu for 50 cents. Don't you just love NYC?? We saw this interesting fruit..still no idea what it is..anyone?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Mc5AJersei2dNeYdD06ewS24XQbBb_XpliBM99l2PMayGLIqwU9BxDewZwP8sYBF94raJ12_2IIqqQBp-w_PEpV_FyKIyAyYPLk3UA-rZ8iQvtv7DkCMgBPKoFOFK6qI3IeZg/s1600-h/IMG_1944.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Mc5AJersei2dNeYdD06ewS24XQbBb_XpliBM99l2PMayGLIqwU9BxDewZwP8sYBF94raJ12_2IIqqQBp-w_PEpV_FyKIyAyYPLk3UA-rZ8iQvtv7DkCMgBPKoFOFK6qI3IeZg/s320/IMG_1944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369463394530879922" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaDtRXyPPdrhyphenhyphenkGTjShylQ1AMQp3tIwRUkeNPjPayGNLHOScdpPRZKrPH0CTn0x_D1nsy6YcAARQrxhyphenhyphens2o27aAXy_yo2YQgogfpoHs6-QSlmtkpkjkE18w7qYDvj6cPYN0N8xw/s1600-h/IMG_1945.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaDtRXyPPdrhyphenhyphenkGTjShylQ1AMQp3tIwRUkeNPjPayGNLHOScdpPRZKrPH0CTn0x_D1nsy6YcAARQrxhyphenhyphens2o27aAXy_yo2YQgogfpoHs6-QSlmtkpkjkE18w7qYDvj6cPYN0N8xw/s320/IMG_1945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369463408885397874" border="0" /></a><br />We went to bed with full of good food and contentment! To be continued...<br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-4058414358257317242009-08-11T12:40:00.005-05:002009-08-11T13:02:05.904-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Birthday Squirrel</span><br /><br />A quick post to say Happy Birthday to someone very, very special to me. Happy 5th Birthday Squirrelly! She typically gets a piece of her favorite food ever, chocolate covered marzipan, to celebrate the day..really!<br /><br />We don't know her exact birthday but we figured out based on her size when we found her that she was born sometime in the first half of August, 2004. So she's five years old this month. Here's a video that I will cherish forever..they grow up so fast (especially when they are fuzzy babies!). This video marks a turning point where we actually got her to eat and she started to rehydrate. H is feeding her and I'm doing the camera and background comments! We're at this point really relieved because she (we mistakenly thought she was a "he" in the video) had been listless and not eating until this moment. When we found her she had a broken leg and was hungry, dehydrated and in shock. Her mom had been killed by a rat trap set out by a pest control company at my building. We suspect that Squirrelly ventured out of the nest in desperation, looking for her mom, only to fall out of the tree. We found her very ill and listless. However, after just two days, she was back to full health, her leg healed and full of adorable energy. She did the funniest wiggly motions when we bottle fed her. Watch the tail and the shadows of her paws on the table. So cute! I only wish I had a better camera back then!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwuhhynv3dC4uyVb5y3QISyCNjTJRmWomo0KZMubY3p1E1Yw5nQ8f8CJyN0G5Owexdh8zsZpkJNX1k' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-59944165535377095482009-08-10T09:47:00.009-05:002009-08-11T10:01:56.472-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">It's Been Quiet Around Here Lately....</span></span><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I've been slackin' off on the blogging lately for a very good reason. I'm out playing instead! I had a wonderful trip to NYC two weeks ago that I'll blog about soon (retail therapy, botanical gardens, vegan restaurants, etc. how can you not have a good time in New York?!). Yet, I've been back for almost two weeks and what the heck have I been doing? Taking more time off and loving it. I think it's going to be very hard to get anything done this month with my current mindset but maybe that's not a bad thing? Before you answer that, let me quickly distract you with some photos of here said slacking:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Spending a lot of time at Diesel Cafe in Davis Square.</span><br /></div></div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vDDukQj0VhpGFNIo4q_4XgEM47WD5XL7rSy9sFYgYDbeOL0cBHb86wm2XYjr_-x7UCjU8swGGk7S7_XHdPgH8qLJVG-hPZa_nJrn8fO_3SgcFe5Q49MVGWRH48tjPnkHhQS7Kg/s1600-h/IMG_2106.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vDDukQj0VhpGFNIo4q_4XgEM47WD5XL7rSy9sFYgYDbeOL0cBHb86wm2XYjr_-x7UCjU8swGGk7S7_XHdPgH8qLJVG-hPZa_nJrn8fO_3SgcFe5Q49MVGWRH48tjPnkHhQS7Kg/s320/IMG_2106.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Soy Chai Latte and vegan sandwiches have been the menu of late.</span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF4VsfLPXzbhtlv2mAWt9CXccu4MJw_PLMKcU5bLOdc1Gzw94TmIfpmmPfdwulOapzVyYxdK6Owoslk8y_yetOu4dIvj3ykhKI_preYV6csI9WjZCJQgCWhppQcT8MNv_zVeCAQ/s1600-h/IMG_2103.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF4VsfLPXzbhtlv2mAWt9CXccu4MJw_PLMKcU5bLOdc1Gzw94TmIfpmmPfdwulOapzVyYxdK6Owoslk8y_yetOu4dIvj3ykhKI_preYV6csI9WjZCJQgCWhppQcT8MNv_zVeCAQ/s320/IMG_2103.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They even have vegan goodies..too tempting...</span><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXRUP6g67mtvvSX6_OP3EoB9GLunnB52nCxVI3QFXSIw-jp6rSNos9O5jS-1eii4qqVuVCkjoczjeyfjbwxdkl1h21kmoUIWylASWvMXxzVPVikO-Nt7tz-bPBnAQJsgCvS8Jrg/s1600-h/IMG_2107.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXRUP6g67mtvvSX6_OP3EoB9GLunnB52nCxVI3QFXSIw-jp6rSNos9O5jS-1eii4qqVuVCkjoczjeyfjbwxdkl1h21kmoUIWylASWvMXxzVPVikO-Nt7tz-bPBnAQJsgCvS8Jrg/s320/IMG_2107.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkqUYxrAPTBUbfO7pZuaZMK8i1ETk4vZjij-v0TnaZaRRQbFvzkuJkUBSBlK0DXfJqpCQ3HaeEhCRDyt9zJ-OyfdJDALI2xb6NanpOGZj5cPEqjE_X6skvmYCl6-O2Uki3zL4XQ/s1600-h/IMG_2108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkqUYxrAPTBUbfO7pZuaZMK8i1ETk4vZjij-v0TnaZaRRQbFvzkuJkUBSBlK0DXfJqpCQ3HaeEhCRDyt9zJ-OyfdJDALI2xb6NanpOGZj5cPEqjE_X6skvmYCl6-O2Uki3zL4XQ/s320/IMG_2108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368376802623621890" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There's been some out of town adventures too. This past weekend I was invited up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to visit our upstairs neighbors who are renting a house there for two weeks, lucky them! </span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy8aVNfTKgKtb79GMUwWiNDtFQqCz0R1qildS94nh51YdaXlleJuj6lBo3mWtEpknIicoAzcTQlYvlNFbMmbf9UO_0g-nIFhosmv-WqO4xRIt_i7mkBq4QSutlJ-rh2wQUCOfWg/s1600-h/IMG_2199.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy8aVNfTKgKtb79GMUwWiNDtFQqCz0R1qildS94nh51YdaXlleJuj6lBo3mWtEpknIicoAzcTQlYvlNFbMmbf9UO_0g-nIFhosmv-WqO4xRIt_i7mkBq4QSutlJ-rh2wQUCOfWg/s320/IMG_2199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379564882940866" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The public library was the only place to get cell phone and internet access..we checked in once and wow, what a comfy place! If I had stayed longer, I could see my self snuggled up on this couch devouring some of the many paperbacks they had displayed in the entrance.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79Gowda2mw02l_G2t1NLIBHh2rqWgwoAMpRzvwyl0rbmmAn-Q0OVK7QcJgWGN6TBm7a-KuhPVptuPLd3ZF6BCFjfqQXCknNz7muvujho1YJEzAYlVoCT6yrA7Rtnf1QQP4fOemg/s1600-h/IMG_2201.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79Gowda2mw02l_G2t1NLIBHh2rqWgwoAMpRzvwyl0rbmmAn-Q0OVK7QcJgWGN6TBm7a-KuhPVptuPLd3ZF6BCFjfqQXCknNz7muvujho1YJEzAYlVoCT6yrA7Rtnf1QQP4fOemg/s320/IMG_2201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379569940448722" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A little natural foods store had a ton of vegan options. I even scored a few finds that I've never seen in Boston. And they had bunnies! Bunnies people! Do I need to say more? Free roaming bunnies munching on the lawn..so cute.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb163wdM6g7U1bNGqPIuWus0zo9-eEjKwdmItyBnc2ISBDpCM_Ju8lgxjY9inmDA7HOZotrtZXl9UzzyEXbM1T6-RkSmX_BALXDsi05HXr01AfFEL8MK04zpz3Max3BT46gzX6A/s1600-h/IMG_2197.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb163wdM6g7U1bNGqPIuWus0zo9-eEjKwdmItyBnc2ISBDpCM_Ju8lgxjY9inmDA7HOZotrtZXl9UzzyEXbM1T6-RkSmX_BALXDsi05HXr01AfFEL8MK04zpz3Max3BT46gzX6A/s320/IMG_2197.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379544952484786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oCFoM86CrFXXEongrr1jzeK4T900in_Jx7spyjAEjt_MMjP253gAF7Y4XZjlCN-IrMDmZ4dJZqM7HVI3QuLN5WbFKXxaMPMgQxX-N5GaprYgp9hUBMX5csFZCcm3hPMoxfDUEQ/s1600-h/IMG_2196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oCFoM86CrFXXEongrr1jzeK4T900in_Jx7spyjAEjt_MMjP253gAF7Y4XZjlCN-IrMDmZ4dJZqM7HVI3QuLN5WbFKXxaMPMgQxX-N5GaprYgp9hUBMX5csFZCcm3hPMoxfDUEQ/s320/IMG_2196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379547103558466" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">We took a hike up Rattlesnake Mountain. Luckily, we saw no snakes. There aren't that many I was told. Me no like snakes.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vMDdMS0LA-MzRGvKWxN0-Zf3ZVxQgibv6Z7iXg5pXLtRA7Yt6g8HECgYDSQGHn-JmyHJsrNUHA-8oj6O1ullqLD7lUsga-q_HVf6HVvi4RAOeASSpBt5IdgXnY2iY-K4Ad418A/s1600-h/IMG_2161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vMDdMS0LA-MzRGvKWxN0-Zf3ZVxQgibv6Z7iXg5pXLtRA7Yt6g8HECgYDSQGHn-JmyHJsrNUHA-8oj6O1ullqLD7lUsga-q_HVf6HVvi4RAOeASSpBt5IdgXnY2iY-K4Ad418A/s320/IMG_2161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377744923760594" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Since we had so much rain this summer, the 'shrooms are growing like crazy. I loved this golden mushroom..right out of Mario Brothers or something similar. I'm dating myself I know!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOC03ONbhJ6OGk3w93VEgRfkzjXR4TOL7e45zrk-0dteB5Cd_3Js3VDUHrWNvwj84TmvCBo3yCEKb92TKaoUrPOXgVuTj3XU5c4NwpkPQL0uqGU-oyxOTDlncHVOUlhEwR7WBAw/s1600-h/IMG_2159.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOC03ONbhJ6OGk3w93VEgRfkzjXR4TOL7e45zrk-0dteB5Cd_3Js3VDUHrWNvwj84TmvCBo3yCEKb92TKaoUrPOXgVuTj3XU5c4NwpkPQL0uqGU-oyxOTDlncHVOUlhEwR7WBAw/s320/IMG_2159.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377421621776146" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">At the top of the mountain, this is the lake from the movie "On Golden Pond"..I never saw the movie so the moment was lost on me.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOooYriDKjzaThbius5tmG0klmpRo_kLU3Lw0CQma1OlrOqf0XZD0ACG8CnV_RlpIJd-7U1T_2T-DuKOHMqDvd0hdCNdsWjbhmc_n1deRoZRl9Xo_FMhwhc1w87VzvxHb9TlAm1A/s1600-h/IMG_2132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOooYriDKjzaThbius5tmG0klmpRo_kLU3Lw0CQma1OlrOqf0XZD0ACG8CnV_RlpIJd-7U1T_2T-DuKOHMqDvd0hdCNdsWjbhmc_n1deRoZRl9Xo_FMhwhc1w87VzvxHb9TlAm1A/s320/IMG_2132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377417459187650" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Beautiful views of the mountains</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2P7LP7WFXvLkYyLnS1iP28GZP-XAxWtaYPJQFVjXEH6N7NSehRkvY4quL8XCMZdbCGhBkmwF_mF5VYOjFo0IaT0n4-v44xvfDzHo3AP2GBbu2iYE-u2Frpr3y-L-vLmXYYYo4w/s1600-h/IMG_2193.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2P7LP7WFXvLkYyLnS1iP28GZP-XAxWtaYPJQFVjXEH6N7NSehRkvY4quL8XCMZdbCGhBkmwF_mF5VYOjFo0IaT0n4-v44xvfDzHo3AP2GBbu2iYE-u2Frpr3y-L-vLmXYYYo4w/s320/IMG_2193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379166974427058" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Covered bridge</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg158uuvgfN3ud-Kuz959EcYPNVpTidRocQ2CTHcf8pQgaFrXCfxrZFawpcRMOUWIIqU3yqKQrpQizyM4REaLZYwiNb4Ujuh2kiLD2JfV9ldP_FGR59xsG1ltcDD9PMk_sJUOGHGw/s1600-h/IMG_2186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg158uuvgfN3ud-Kuz959EcYPNVpTidRocQ2CTHcf8pQgaFrXCfxrZFawpcRMOUWIIqU3yqKQrpQizyM4REaLZYwiNb4Ujuh2kiLD2JfV9ldP_FGR59xsG1ltcDD9PMk_sJUOGHGw/s320/IMG_2186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379151267195266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M_78gkxpFzVxzkcDXr2uNuyCZoXbEYQbR4tTAQj-_A3A-RK4xAYbzq2cCbq-nzVK9pQnn5CzCKhMEfO_y5wkkQOd4mgusDGQxXNLXXyB2mGVJAJkFc3apJC-nMAmjjKDFpPZ-Q/s1600-h/IMG_2189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M_78gkxpFzVxzkcDXr2uNuyCZoXbEYQbR4tTAQj-_A3A-RK4xAYbzq2cCbq-nzVK9pQnn5CzCKhMEfO_y5wkkQOd4mgusDGQxXNLXXyB2mGVJAJkFc3apJC-nMAmjjKDFpPZ-Q/s320/IMG_2189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379161320963282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Another library</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMsf2keytLTOAbDunMlAau_2_VcCZC30A3TTpNdzZldcZJzDb2mZ5mOSPoL0Mu4oZIYg2BYsbdSITkW5bGuLrEhMs1HohohczrQIs_8c5dfq_eQ910TfiGGNF49UvcM5VlZBCMA/s1600-h/IMG_2184.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMsf2keytLTOAbDunMlAau_2_VcCZC30A3TTpNdzZldcZJzDb2mZ5mOSPoL0Mu4oZIYg2BYsbdSITkW5bGuLrEhMs1HohohczrQIs_8c5dfq_eQ910TfiGGNF49UvcM5VlZBCMA/s320/IMG_2184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379149130260418" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Old fashioned postoffice..</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOkUFHjmZT4inYT2EHzq93jOAouiBR__UcYwR6WWpeCBjhzz54kuCfUPpdhvwXg_YqejFEtYbLv8uE1h_zY88mue1LA0TA9WK-wEAriiUe1iGtOxbnlgZn2jyGYxM4VSqCuzZKQ/s1600-h/IMG_2181.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOkUFHjmZT4inYT2EHzq93jOAouiBR__UcYwR6WWpeCBjhzz54kuCfUPpdhvwXg_YqejFEtYbLv8uE1h_zY88mue1LA0TA9WK-wEAriiUe1iGtOxbnlgZn2jyGYxM4VSqCuzZKQ/s320/IMG_2181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379141546155202" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">We ate lunch at this inn. It was the only option for miles..luckily they had several vegan options. I had the mushroom sandwich..unfortunately, snarfed that down so fast I forgot to take a photo. The name of the town is Center Sandwich. It was fitting that we ate sandwiches in Sandwich. I'm up for cornball of the year award already, huh?</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiOD2HUNuk55ysP7zOxn1wCtr7u-Qq3srzTz8bTrn7-C7W-6jrj3s1Y6lKsFynYe-js5N-McU6oYnR9-7SoZf4U61UlxY7DE0Oint4ACsabqS61FZpTe0KgGYb5lxqu-8ENU-tg/s1600-h/IMG_2166.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiOD2HUNuk55ysP7zOxn1wCtr7u-Qq3srzTz8bTrn7-C7W-6jrj3s1Y6lKsFynYe-js5N-McU6oYnR9-7SoZf4U61UlxY7DE0Oint4ACsabqS61FZpTe0KgGYb5lxqu-8ENU-tg/s320/IMG_2166.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377762142687842" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Outside the inn...<br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRhR8CzIY3fkmg-f93d5FvtTjSeZRIzhCQoeX1FxmWBczUUNDiZWCZ2Te59ww6hCOGU1I6F16lwOnTtvyADVCB6veO3b_aU5qOBGpGF9YlVM2to13sClsXtbuS8ka_Ti8x-OKRQ/s1600-h/IMG_2167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRhR8CzIY3fkmg-f93d5FvtTjSeZRIzhCQoeX1FxmWBczUUNDiZWCZ2Te59ww6hCOGU1I6F16lwOnTtvyADVCB6veO3b_aU5qOBGpGF9YlVM2to13sClsXtbuS8ka_Ti8x-OKRQ/s320/IMG_2167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378124507501042" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Inside...<br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTTvKM8du7xouB21s8xvgurJ6q7BR3S5mTG2pFVQ_eGlwLOmUK2EvcuKmmUWFDwnJ5BvmqcSy9oZ1aiMm8IePOHYUJD5pe62UVuRj8Bk4LGdT_kaK-cdsYpQWcho-k-Jjz7oOmg/s1600-h/IMG_2165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTTvKM8du7xouB21s8xvgurJ6q7BR3S5mTG2pFVQ_eGlwLOmUK2EvcuKmmUWFDwnJ5BvmqcSy9oZ1aiMm8IePOHYUJD5pe62UVuRj8Bk4LGdT_kaK-cdsYpQWcho-k-Jjz7oOmg/s320/IMG_2165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377776869302882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZj8z7zlDJLUQWhi4DKSOVJmnh8I8s-zYcLJ0hX8G0KM58fKQH_JQtt13lIaJcfKDDO4A6VZQU0FpIOVlCNdy0g4dMT-8aqgo0X6_QQJq6RHxztddwLJ2Lej9PAJhJJe892UvAQ/s1600-h/IMG_2163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZj8z7zlDJLUQWhi4DKSOVJmnh8I8s-zYcLJ0hX8G0KM58fKQH_JQtt13lIaJcfKDDO4A6VZQU0FpIOVlCNdy0g4dMT-8aqgo0X6_QQJq6RHxztddwLJ2Lej9PAJhJJe892UvAQ/s320/IMG_2163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377774314492194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Loved this coffee place...they had soy (yay!) and I got a spicy chili chocolate mocha latte. Amazing...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEIwdOHpQEWX0FKT2hbTn30CIN89bCqRaNA1aFrqriAlT2_CMIIwn5-4M72TXi4VNpLclY0jxbpV2Y-Xf5wxElcah0YRnrYFV0xToePggMrhm9_W_wC1EXNcXRSgXOB1HNE5aiA/s1600-h/IMG_2168.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEIwdOHpQEWX0FKT2hbTn30CIN89bCqRaNA1aFrqriAlT2_CMIIwn5-4M72TXi4VNpLclY0jxbpV2Y-Xf5wxElcah0YRnrYFV0xToePggMrhm9_W_wC1EXNcXRSgXOB1HNE5aiA/s320/IMG_2168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378131743089922" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Outside...</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzA5YmPtTI2oVgHjb4FfNbe_iMoxpNKHpeqbcdPN3aM3lCPEMwNozqeOJNw8RndL6lMdxLZCKiGQZ3zZQPuO9n59e5t_Ca6t1oGG5armLmUhDP4XAgxLpmpzkEb6MnFYT-dQszsA/s1600-h/IMG_2179.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzA5YmPtTI2oVgHjb4FfNbe_iMoxpNKHpeqbcdPN3aM3lCPEMwNozqeOJNw8RndL6lMdxLZCKiGQZ3zZQPuO9n59e5t_Ca6t1oGG5armLmUhDP4XAgxLpmpzkEb6MnFYT-dQszsA/s320/IMG_2179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378781383724082" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Inside...</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB54uGHoy6g0rVG6OcAgw2Xg_wnQlkLS-tQ5gzzKCHML5yU5gyYuJilUt92Ph5Ez4JPAHRF0pSdVXwePw5Zbnt0OpSVjD3McdS29SRA6IulvdAS9NzWxsStLZIEL70A-fm0yDV7Q/s1600-h/IMG_2170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB54uGHoy6g0rVG6OcAgw2Xg_wnQlkLS-tQ5gzzKCHML5yU5gyYuJilUt92Ph5Ez4JPAHRF0pSdVXwePw5Zbnt0OpSVjD3McdS29SRA6IulvdAS9NzWxsStLZIEL70A-fm0yDV7Q/s320/IMG_2170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378143592738482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoLivLu_d493_7tXxC3hejaOXvTOoM4K8JWRg9d16B7m1pROrmniCR2KZp54AaRm2Xc7zPH5M8rPfqEavRfz9qoyI9JrImPkSI0hvk_jQqOgKpNlj3tRKZSuy817FWE_sKcKB-A/s1600-h/IMG_2169.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoLivLu_d493_7tXxC3hejaOXvTOoM4K8JWRg9d16B7m1pROrmniCR2KZp54AaRm2Xc7zPH5M8rPfqEavRfz9qoyI9JrImPkSI0hvk_jQqOgKpNlj3tRKZSuy817FWE_sKcKB-A/s320/IMG_2169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378137978773586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBvbjlVRxFYG43eHndy8UIr_948PoS0_BAn_r1tiJsS0WworvMS9hVcZfYWaZTrgGDihUG4_T4GVeBj-ADzbo3PX0jVFzVsBoTn7Lt0UWggvetUmK6umB-MR1ImsIUBWoe_3g-w/s1600-h/IMG_2177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBvbjlVRxFYG43eHndy8UIr_948PoS0_BAn_r1tiJsS0WworvMS9hVcZfYWaZTrgGDihUG4_T4GVeBj-ADzbo3PX0jVFzVsBoTn7Lt0UWggvetUmK6umB-MR1ImsIUBWoe_3g-w/s320/IMG_2177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378777263190658" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">They also sold gifty items. I fell in love with these glass globes..</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLtI_F34p4AC9ixoK23ndeqHbntZOtuPHBWnbR4srCysSVRkA-PQpf9q51pnf-JCJxf-wKkk_xLmAF8C9xuuZeVrZhqCTScN1hj5BTyurg1_eO3QP7OmSYdcsse6rUeLszrhqbQ/s1600-h/IMG_2174.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLtI_F34p4AC9ixoK23ndeqHbntZOtuPHBWnbR4srCysSVRkA-PQpf9q51pnf-JCJxf-wKkk_xLmAF8C9xuuZeVrZhqCTScN1hj5BTyurg1_eO3QP7OmSYdcsse6rUeLszrhqbQ/s320/IMG_2174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378775268152706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0VC5GDBe97Mmn7iz1EmpOWMYNoOemIIvhTTr045m9L7crQuco4oCkX7C294z4R7xRqhxcx57RguQInFA8tQQyrGZx12apST7IJHxASl7z5TfREU4_kSPK6UjEQGaEg3jZAzgiA/s1600-h/IMG_2173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0VC5GDBe97Mmn7iz1EmpOWMYNoOemIIvhTTr045m9L7crQuco4oCkX7C294z4R7xRqhxcx57RguQInFA8tQQyrGZx12apST7IJHxASl7z5TfREU4_kSPK6UjEQGaEg3jZAzgiA/s320/IMG_2173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378766349460642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLsWe-fw17pbYKv067XefN4OsLBTEvAhV-J-qnRtmaFWFUpom5069cUbInuwRehxoht7b7xCGTZ7eaKNGhGlHSHrb5TXA39Tx0dC-w-kj2xncYo0XJrSBAOUQrkcIwd98FhzD0g/s1600-h/IMG_2172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLsWe-fw17pbYKv067XefN4OsLBTEvAhV-J-qnRtmaFWFUpom5069cUbInuwRehxoht7b7xCGTZ7eaKNGhGlHSHrb5TXA39Tx0dC-w-kj2xncYo0XJrSBAOUQrkcIwd98FhzD0g/s320/IMG_2172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378762487976722" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Neighbor Bill enjoying some tea and his iPod Touch. </span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwLuHpLo-Fta42DRglm0o6SEhiyYhhFu2r9hsJRcPARR0x5JZwjeXPt808tjWfZwwXXHjaO8zMGuIj8eWsOOBtgTVCR4W_bQWmsMTvlfGLoFSR8xE7cC_Y9wxsKqrvnWULW71Cw/s1600-h/IMG_2171.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwLuHpLo-Fta42DRglm0o6SEhiyYhhFu2r9hsJRcPARR0x5JZwjeXPt808tjWfZwwXXHjaO8zMGuIj8eWsOOBtgTVCR4W_bQWmsMTvlfGLoFSR8xE7cC_Y9wxsKqrvnWULW71Cw/s320/IMG_2171.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368378147420765330" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />We visiting a swimming hole called the "Potholes"..a leftover natural formation from glacier oh so long ago. Don't worry, you are not seeing me in a bathing suit. Eek!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtS7zqMfPBJQrwgR5zHrs6ByWhLGNFUHheWrJwX8nwAdpyy89MIoZXo39hWIE0oqLqJs0CcjgHhphRORXxqjtyJsFqLZvWO5lJqzd5mvgTr5w2hxYzB9vYuaa82QAz9JYpJ0_Tg/s1600-h/IMG_2124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtS7zqMfPBJQrwgR5zHrs6ByWhLGNFUHheWrJwX8nwAdpyy89MIoZXo39hWIE0oqLqJs0CcjgHhphRORXxqjtyJsFqLZvWO5lJqzd5mvgTr5w2hxYzB9vYuaa82QAz9JYpJ0_Tg/s320/IMG_2124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377414911277570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iCbzdlsUShiIzIbC6YeWw9PAJOwmPn-sXkIgURX326J5Pd3-Kn8ZFAllE9gng6P4dSCi9vw_eMlRnAY2jTrnHnRiRZ7tVOFmZXqQGx1WUA9428Ba7vD6qaEE4ie7UCxQ2PChyphenhyphenQ/s1600-h/IMG_2123.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iCbzdlsUShiIzIbC6YeWw9PAJOwmPn-sXkIgURX326J5Pd3-Kn8ZFAllE9gng6P4dSCi9vw_eMlRnAY2jTrnHnRiRZ7tVOFmZXqQGx1WUA9428Ba7vD6qaEE4ie7UCxQ2PChyphenhyphenQ/s320/IMG_2123.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377406807591986" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A beautiful night sky...<br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgmGajGxIJCsjlDr94FY1rsmFfqB41SUAxFTcWYhkG8EHzXYcan4IVwngf3rySfjnvEtk-NJ6YCRKvQ15eVbmgUrp4cMapdBwS6OH0U0eJgKvEJ3i7V6xqdZ_kBE5jC4uyVN4MA/s1600-h/IMG_2119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgmGajGxIJCsjlDr94FY1rsmFfqB41SUAxFTcWYhkG8EHzXYcan4IVwngf3rySfjnvEtk-NJ6YCRKvQ15eVbmgUrp4cMapdBwS6OH0U0eJgKvEJ3i7V6xqdZ_kBE5jC4uyVN4MA/s320/IMG_2119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368377403289394066" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Dodie and I did a bunch of cooking..steamed summer squash, corn, veggie burgers, salad and white wine sangria..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ViUNtKkRQpaoWKHs35vRdoWxeNIKfj0OkXqPKHHK_HRAH7tSthyphenhyphenlx6598UJVDFcAGxXxb_cUtBJP1LWW4hnufbiA7fLJD3ylffmCzZOuNfLqpsEpvSChmrx3d-t3xcWghUyD8g/s1600-h/IMG_2114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ViUNtKkRQpaoWKHs35vRdoWxeNIKfj0OkXqPKHHK_HRAH7tSthyphenhyphenlx6598UJVDFcAGxXxb_cUtBJP1LWW4hnufbiA7fLJD3ylffmCzZOuNfLqpsEpvSChmrx3d-t3xcWghUyD8g/s320/IMG_2114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368376826221018354" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">White wine sangria is easy and so delicious...half white wine, half apple juice, cinnamon to taste and chopped lemon, apple and peaches. Although grapes and other fruit substitutions will work fine too!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7czRexRj-6H0wPwpd49TiNnD_RdLuubyQ4GbtMbF9ex8zqpaKQIBr5RMGxOR1EPT_2TsPdUA3IMSgWd-IuYz1BUNcnU1aqlI5_se__hx-Y3bfStUnlLIpSBf9WdC5QqTw1fzfhA/s1600-h/IMG_2113.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7czRexRj-6H0wPwpd49TiNnD_RdLuubyQ4GbtMbF9ex8zqpaKQIBr5RMGxOR1EPT_2TsPdUA3IMSgWd-IuYz1BUNcnU1aqlI5_se__hx-Y3bfStUnlLIpSBf9WdC5QqTw1fzfhA/s320/IMG_2113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368376820308148242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAGr-9SmxB0NzNEj0HO7TAjlYYClZ3FuoDFaWx-Eyv-81wlqFZJXU6ZYbl2WUVje-T6iMP95cTd-eHLvuSJ5cx3rTi5KXES3VajJpT5IjYKlZY9NdHtC8S2wHwbHntPy8Q4vabA/s1600-h/IMG_2112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAGr-9SmxB0NzNEj0HO7TAjlYYClZ3FuoDFaWx-Eyv-81wlqFZJXU6ZYbl2WUVje-T6iMP95cTd-eHLvuSJ5cx3rTi5KXES3VajJpT5IjYKlZY9NdHtC8S2wHwbHntPy8Q4vabA/s320/IMG_2112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368376817747133010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJpZ4FmomkbK6kRGjIRkrkMW4sjodWneLH5p1JXI3qSCEqUcyYOUUGzfZz5A_-brNPKYTIYEwTYvHD7TqcBegcJtr_Jj0p1vcNPBEb9Orfs795Kj-_WfxP8mEp8VkDy3IPZb3Mg/s1600-h/IMG_2110.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJpZ4FmomkbK6kRGjIRkrkMW4sjodWneLH5p1JXI3qSCEqUcyYOUUGzfZz5A_-brNPKYTIYEwTYvHD7TqcBegcJtr_Jj0p1vcNPBEb9Orfs795Kj-_WfxP8mEp8VkDy3IPZb3Mg/s320/IMG_2110.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368376811496047362" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">And finally, the highlight of the trip: a visit to the Dam Ice Cream Shop which takes its name from the dam to the immediate side of the shop.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vK0x1qqwYylwjwWAnnYe_Qdi6QsKkYnyh2SNxJ_E3QWPPTmaEXioga8NcdUHbe6YLYmnNqcRDKXUdXYQykA_9oGldqEGOq9kGvVjlCCmAlHwCAjHrq8iKl0Myl9NG5DJRDk6HQ/s1600-h/IMG_2205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vK0x1qqwYylwjwWAnnYe_Qdi6QsKkYnyh2SNxJ_E3QWPPTmaEXioga8NcdUHbe6YLYmnNqcRDKXUdXYQykA_9oGldqEGOq9kGvVjlCCmAlHwCAjHrq8iKl0Myl9NG5DJRDk6HQ/s320/IMG_2205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379702171789842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisy7wORYPX_Zs5cM3KQ5O03_5L72g9XvF2Xc313GIYsgQ7Hb7FM1SWaZF6zrGh2jPnVvqsysDSpUvuLWdYG7DOskGQiF_jokP_oX43SDAXtoL2upEjns-jhHT4vfNsToqfvcKbSg/s1600-h/IMG_2204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisy7wORYPX_Zs5cM3KQ5O03_5L72g9XvF2Xc313GIYsgQ7Hb7FM1SWaZF6zrGh2jPnVvqsysDSpUvuLWdYG7DOskGQiF_jokP_oX43SDAXtoL2upEjns-jhHT4vfNsToqfvcKbSg/s320/IMG_2204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368379574662742978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I just wanted to go for the experience of using "dam" in every other sentence (oh so juvenile Amanda!) and was expecting no vegan options. The owner confirmed that she didn't have any non-dairy options. Suddenly an idea popped into my head..how about a banana sundae? The owner loved the idea and the Amanda Banana Sundae was born: Bananas, strawberries, and pineapples drizzled with chocolate syrup and peanut butter sauce with walnuts. Sorry for the crappy shot..my camera battery died so the cell phone photo was all I could get. And I also scooped out the cherry 'cause this kind of cherries are not vegan (why must they meddle with fruit and add crushed beetle extract?? Ugh!). The next time I wised up and orders mine sans cherry.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySYCvxtfQEtDxlpbHRBBk7lRDUOTXlcVPPEoT1AFpuNGmEtEm5Nk7v8FOkBrN5ZjXdmgCJa7b8cY20O1gdkRPVZQ_dYiZWn1eqTuLa-lHFh23fmfVg5LVMROmz7rlGGfutWhdKA/s1600-h/sundae.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySYCvxtfQEtDxlpbHRBBk7lRDUOTXlcVPPEoT1AFpuNGmEtEm5Nk7v8FOkBrN5ZjXdmgCJa7b8cY20O1gdkRPVZQ_dYiZWn1eqTuLa-lHFh23fmfVg5LVMROmz7rlGGfutWhdKA/s320/sundae.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368719478746851266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So that's the slack around here. What kind of vegan slacking have you been doing this month?!</span><br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-79417731031252756892009-07-22T11:33:00.004-05:002009-07-22T21:35:06.701-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The Snack Attack and Other Stories</span><br /><br />I'm having one of those weeks..snack attack! I'm not sure what's going..I started running again..maybe that's it? Not sure but I have the urge to snack frequently lately. So the other day, I was in the drugstore in downtown Boston after my dentist appointment. Did I mention that going to the dentist always make me hungry too? Okay, that's probably because I usually go right at 4pm and I'm done right before dinner so in all fairness probably nothing to do with dental hygiene..he he he! Anyway, the point is I'm a HUNGRY girl this week. So I stopped into the local CVS drugstore and scanned the aisles for a snackeroo. Other vegans know, this isn't always easy but I was pleased to see a big selection of nuts and dried fruit. Even when excluding the honey roasted items, I still had a decent selection to choose from. That's when I met the love of my life. Okay, I exaggerate slightly..but these are darn good nutty treats! <a href="http://truenorthnuts.com/#/pecan-almond">True North Pecan Almond Peanut Clusters</a>..so good. And sweetened only with brown rice syrup. Delicious..addictive..and vegan! Anyways, if you check them out, the chips they make are not vegan but I think all the clusters are. There's a $1 off coupon on the website too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCg0Hztec94AQJ-dAyBB4rw2SntRJykdZT411jRm2xXhyphenhypheniS3OwVULbECkNn6I0ypZ-STRXuxcz5ObkTzXfqjM-K0p526ELSuxj3D0job4BlOOyaS-8CypF_zMB4NmgIhPNC9wkg/s1600-h/IMG_1850.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCg0Hztec94AQJ-dAyBB4rw2SntRJykdZT411jRm2xXhyphenhypheniS3OwVULbECkNn6I0ypZ-STRXuxcz5ObkTzXfqjM-K0p526ELSuxj3D0job4BlOOyaS-8CypF_zMB4NmgIhPNC9wkg/s320/IMG_1850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361465892856038418" border="0" /></a><br />Second snack attack involved some nakedness. Okay, okay, rawness. Close enough! I am a big fan of the <a href="http://www.rawpirategourmet.com/">Raw Pirate Gourmet Show</a>..I'm bummed that there haven't been any recent recipes from Bam and Share (I keep checking even though my iTunes updates automatically..I'm just a crazy girl like that) SO I keep watching the older episodes (only five of them but so good). The raw "chocolate bombs" caught my eye this winter and I've been meaning to try them. So to Whole Foods I went and finally got the dates, cacao nibs and mint leaves. This couldn't be easier (slit date open, remove pit, fit date with cacao nibs and mint leave, eat, enjoy, die happy). And so yummy! I was skeptical folks but I can vouch for this one:<br /><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjr_QzBLcn2PyyZSkO1JsuMbKKF8ADMtmJ0AlX1qBAb52Qs9R1HxzRag6RBXrPT0ndBgZt71V-SsZT5Ip9Q3JBXQ_gEDSe8GtU_IbuVYMV-KuLJyXWx9YsmwxVv1Sw7FjkB91_ew/s1600-h/IMG_1846.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjr_QzBLcn2PyyZSkO1JsuMbKKF8ADMtmJ0AlX1qBAb52Qs9R1HxzRag6RBXrPT0ndBgZt71V-SsZT5Ip9Q3JBXQ_gEDSe8GtU_IbuVYMV-KuLJyXWx9YsmwxVv1Sw7FjkB91_ew/s320/IMG_1846.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><br />The mint I put into my container garden this spring just happens to be the "chocolate mint" variety..of course!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12bkWhx7TFVzvHAgMOUaD4cOtIAeJLgEcP9L_FbX5lHWyntLVJptQ7ZMtScY3Mp3ORt1LaJmjCrjxW-KoF1CdAcUt4mhNKUisKNK3l6ZKxdxKs2xFpF1i0l7ASIFFcjX3GvWK8w/s1600-h/IMG_1847.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12bkWhx7TFVzvHAgMOUaD4cOtIAeJLgEcP9L_FbX5lHWyntLVJptQ7ZMtScY3Mp3ORt1LaJmjCrjxW-KoF1CdAcUt4mhNKUisKNK3l6ZKxdxKs2xFpF1i0l7ASIFFcjX3GvWK8w/s320/IMG_1847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361465886667403170" border="0" /></a><br />Also roasted some summer squash and onions on my little indoor grill that I just inherited from my mom (thanks Muz!)..yum on salad and looking sooo pretty!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ufHeVCEp1GLDYq4WIMZgGAKSFuEZHo97eFNivTQuDA3JKvCfUrhZPNN5tWp3o4R__cBsAWhk39FFMi97hSLNo7QD22_GdttJ8nkN7tYYGUpc2bqO9xzEfIdZZIIRAmZUSHMj4g/s1600-h/IMG_1841.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ufHeVCEp1GLDYq4WIMZgGAKSFuEZHo97eFNivTQuDA3JKvCfUrhZPNN5tWp3o4R__cBsAWhk39FFMi97hSLNo7QD22_GdttJ8nkN7tYYGUpc2bqO9xzEfIdZZIIRAmZUSHMj4g/s320/IMG_1841.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And finally, a little Goo. Well, specifically, this is Keebler. Each of my six Goos has such a unique personality. Keebler may just have the biggest personality of all of them. I try not to pick favorites but it's hard with a fuzzball like this. However, this cute little ball of fur is also big trouble. I know you know this kind of kid..everyone does. He's got a big heart, big energy, and is *slightly* emotionally disturbed. He's the kid who is a good kid but always seems to get in trouble at school because he just couldn't help it. That's Keebler. Each Goo "colony" has a dominant Goo. Since my six are broken up into two groups (3 brothers and 3 brothers, the two groups are not related), we have two dominant Goos here, Brownie and Keebler. Brownie is pretty much like, oh, I'm the boss and I know it. He's confident. He's a little older than Keebler. Keebs is still just a kid, a teenager so he's a little, well, ADD and insecure. If his brothers interact with the other group of Goos, he starts snorting because he's so upset. Like a little pig. I try not to laugh but he sounds so funny and adorable. He then goes out of his way to show his brothers who is boss but they won't have any of it and push him back. So then he starts to doubt his dominant goo status and gets really sad. Then his brothers have to kiss him and groom him until he's back to his old self. After that, he takes to bouncing off the walls again. Keebler's got a complicated life! Note his brother in the background and you'll see that Keebler (in the foreground) is actually scaling the little fence to check out my camera. Right after snapping this picture I found him nibbling on my camera cord!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZe9CFck4VcmpfY1XSXWVZbuddEngk2vHaN1mJ37urxgS0lwHtCTkNgTlYWorM3_CJ9tgSyHJIIDx_Z-5u8IJmgclNxYkSeNPgGlYlqV_FSCG78mvGTOhVttA_nzpmIBF7jQ6_BA/s1600-h/IMG_1842.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZe9CFck4VcmpfY1XSXWVZbuddEngk2vHaN1mJ37urxgS0lwHtCTkNgTlYWorM3_CJ9tgSyHJIIDx_Z-5u8IJmgclNxYkSeNPgGlYlqV_FSCG78mvGTOhVttA_nzpmIBF7jQ6_BA/s320/IMG_1842.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Keebler also has boundless amounts of energy. I had to buy the little fence that I put around his "terrace" to Degu Manor so that he would stop jumping off the table. It works thankfully. Just yesterday I found an electrical cable that he gnawed through in the living room..I have no idea how he was not electrocuted but it really freaked me out. So I'm Keebler proofing the living room in the event that he does get out again and I don't notice right away. He also broke his finger the other day...he usually has some kind of injury from leaping from something high or doing some kind of daredevil stunt. H and I frequently shake our heads at his doing and say "Oh, Keebler!" His favorite toys are chopsticks (which he can shred to shavings in about 15 minutes), toilet paper (which he used to line his nest and everyone else's..he's thoughtful like that!), and a big ole bag of paper recycling. We joke that when Keebler is reincarnated he's going to come back as a sanitation worker because he loves nothing more than jumping into our bathroom trash or the recycle container.<br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD5rIpRdn33rZoEmoXOwRkLswFmkxNsgvDT_z_nbUQOUB2WXWTXfrh8QmH85aq5f1QpTOcEvyhwfi4_IeU58I3MJe9IZtcb81MsET3vVY2QE62GCPX1DlcOc_KP1q95Y6ZfurYA/s1600-h/IMG_1844.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD5rIpRdn33rZoEmoXOwRkLswFmkxNsgvDT_z_nbUQOUB2WXWTXfrh8QmH85aq5f1QpTOcEvyhwfi4_IeU58I3MJe9IZtcb81MsET3vVY2QE62GCPX1DlcOc_KP1q95Y6ZfurYA/s320/IMG_1844.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ufHeVCEp1GLDYq4WIMZgGAKSFuEZHo97eFNivTQuDA3JKvCfUrhZPNN5tWp3o4R__cBsAWhk39FFMi97hSLNo7QD22_GdttJ8nkN7tYYGUpc2bqO9xzEfIdZZIIRAmZUSHMj4g/s1600-h/IMG_1841.JPG"><br /></a> </div>But the thing I love most about Keebler is that he's very affectionate..he'll sit on my shoulder, nuzzle my ear and play with my hair. None of the other Goos do this. I don't know if this is because he considers me his "territory" or if he just really knows that as much trouble as he causes, I still adore him!<br /><br />Off to make a vegan carrot cake and quinoa salad for a potluck tomorrow night with a bunch of omnis so these better turn out better than good...wish me luck!<br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"> </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-37143500166834809292009-07-17T08:21:00.006-05:002009-07-17T21:16:52.596-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Cambridge 9-1-1 Squirrel Rescue Unit</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu85PSisDTQqH3qBvlITu68GhF6tj8IvhnUC6wtb88wPF8sChZQGovioPRa_kHn2KW1E20MM3GaiT0WmVd94NgERQ2XHlAYp2ujE0Z2mkTH9EXvQZyYp2Gtb8Yoj_vYV40LlPRw/s1600-h/IMG_1831.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu85PSisDTQqH3qBvlITu68GhF6tj8IvhnUC6wtb88wPF8sChZQGovioPRa_kHn2KW1E20MM3GaiT0WmVd94NgERQ2XHlAYp2ujE0Z2mkTH9EXvQZyYp2Gtb8Yoj_vYV40LlPRw/s320/IMG_1831.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359433755636297858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />7pm last night, the call came in, "Squirrel rescue unit needed to respond to an emergency. Squirrel jumped through apartment screen, stuck in window."<br /><br />H and I were the closest unit to respond so we grabbed our gear, got into our grey jumpsuits, slid down the pole to our waiting squirrel rescue mobile...<br /><br />*Okay* so that's the TV dramatization of last night's events..we don't actually have grey jumpsuits, we live on the first floor hence no pole (adding to list next time we move), and our grey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Prius</span> doesn't really qualify as an animal rescue mobile (and we didn't really need it last night). But wow, it felt like Reno 9-1-1 here last night (okay, I just watched one episode, please don't judge me for it!). Here's how it went down: 7pm, Amanda is browsing the web, specifically looking at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mihl's</span> awesome <a href="http://seitanismymotor.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/rdgd/">Rote <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Grütze</span> recipe</a> and wondering if she can make it with red grapes. H is doing some Java programming <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">thingey</span> on his computer. Neighbor runs down the stairs of our building and starts buzzing our buzzer and pounding our door.<br /><br />I open the door to see the neighbor whose kitchen is above ours, frantic. "A squirrel jumped through my office window screen and he's been running around my apartment and finally I trapped him in my laundry closet!" "Okay, ma'am, stay calm, we'll be right there," I said. *Okay* it was really something like, "NO! Really? No! Wow! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">OMG</span>! Wow." Far less cool sounding than the TV version. I told her to give me a minute and I'd get H and some of our "gear." Gear included peanuts, the Goo carrier, and two pairs of really thick rubber gloves that my mom gave me five years ago when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Squirrelly</span> hit her teens and took to biting for a short spell (thank god she grew out of that!) to relieve her teenage angst.<br /><br />We went upstairs and H went into the laundry closet to see if he could get the window open so the squirrel could jump out. R, our neighbor, vacated to let us do what we needed to do. Unfortunately, opening the window caused the poor squirrel to wedge himself up into the glass between the storm window and the regular window. We stared at him in dismay. "Oh no," H said, "he's really freaked out." I looked and I think even people who aren't so intimate with squirrels could tell by the poor guy's face that he was beyond panic. Suddenly the squirrel sort of flopped over, still stuck in the glass and his eyes half closed. We were almost convinced that he had just died. This unfortunately happens sometimes with small animals, especially bunnies. They can literally die of fright, most likely from a heart attack. We freaked and started trying to get the window apart when the squirrel started breathing again. In hindsight, I think what may have happened is that he panicked, was in an enclosed and hot place and that possibly made him pass out. Not sure but we think this is a good theory. Whatever happened, I can tell you that it was a darn good sight seeing the poor little fuzzball open his eyes completely.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAZGUWBiwn-sVJs5PlAp2CE-GVjOH0aFlWSSR-g6h8MjNiI7SPnyn_spNP2CKYAue7QcbTs0WxSUhBbzsoILFwA6vqUooI0jFkAMV8VaD61lqBmQ_X1yXMA3jBvTnG-xAkQFvdA/s1600-h/IMG_1838.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAZGUWBiwn-sVJs5PlAp2CE-GVjOH0aFlWSSR-g6h8MjNiI7SPnyn_spNP2CKYAue7QcbTs0WxSUhBbzsoILFwA6vqUooI0jFkAMV8VaD61lqBmQ_X1yXMA3jBvTnG-xAkQFvdA/s320/IMG_1838.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359433711841468274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The poor guy, wedging himself between the storm window and the unmovable inside window. That could not have been comfortable...<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfGj0rHDakT2kzQg44LoAtlrgrtwsNVjhCwlxhNFfZch36qtWKOr6HOrh0GCxeCIJ-B-eCNnkdYuBVhbH5Ntrl8xVtkSV_KrnVmt4g9kTH0wOyXFAn25xQdOs6h50TPu3fWhsOg/s1600-h/IMG_1834.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfGj0rHDakT2kzQg44LoAtlrgrtwsNVjhCwlxhNFfZch36qtWKOr6HOrh0GCxeCIJ-B-eCNnkdYuBVhbH5Ntrl8xVtkSV_KrnVmt4g9kTH0wOyXFAn25xQdOs6h50TPu3fWhsOg/s320/IMG_1834.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359433745848506802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">We blocked the opening to the laundry room with cardboard hoping that he'd jump out the window. According the a book I have from the Humane Society on how to handle such situations with wildlife, squirrels can easily jump from a two story structure to the ground without hurting themselves. He eventually <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">unwedged</span> himself from the window and sat on the window sill for two hours.<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> The Humane Society book, "Wild Neighbors," suggested just what we were doing as a first plan..leaving the window open. I have found in my five years experience with squirrels and now, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Goos</span>, is that it is simply no good to try to force them to do anything. The animal gets upset and panicked and you risk the chance of a bite and scratches. Better to let them come down on their own time. So we waited...<br /><br />It was easy to go outside to see the progress. Twice the squirrel came down and rested on the bottom window sill. Twice he went back up into the glass area.<br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSp_L4xEN0wGzg34O-6a14RydbyMuo4VIIIa3ZKl4rlHyyAt82CwKKPmMb8n3p7qqcXOIue8RObi2e3lqCJNajEGSN5w3uQh6EPn3u2JKGw8d31t5wezf-z4rZSHKlFfTCssOijw/s1600-h/IMG_1837.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSp_L4xEN0wGzg34O-6a14RydbyMuo4VIIIa3ZKl4rlHyyAt82CwKKPmMb8n3p7qqcXOIue8RObi2e3lqCJNajEGSN5w3uQh6EPn3u2JKGw8d31t5wezf-z4rZSHKlFfTCssOijw/s320/IMG_1837.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359433721942879810" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We could tell that he was really upset about having to jump down two stories but this puzzled us since how did he get up there in the first place since there are no trees right next to the building.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBRdCPJQMDpj2xLxoE-RD3E4eqhklbBaR719uYJBovIsBi2PCdvPyYN4rhl4_P7wQs2kYnm4Ej98cclH5PNQIwFWxbeMckgIMGQ7qEltms_sjBlQwyiZUg7nkXGvxnI1T3Iuugw/s1600-h/IMG_1836.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBRdCPJQMDpj2xLxoE-RD3E4eqhklbBaR719uYJBovIsBi2PCdvPyYN4rhl4_P7wQs2kYnm4Ej98cclH5PNQIwFWxbeMckgIMGQ7qEltms_sjBlQwyiZUg7nkXGvxnI1T3Iuugw/s320/IMG_1836.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359435391910279794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The bottom window is our bathroom window. The window right above it is from our neighbor's laundry closet..you can see a little fuzzy face on the left side of the window if you look closely. This is the leap the poor guy had to contemplate...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, we were pushing 8pm..by 8:30pm it would be twilight, that magical hour when squirrels drop whatever they are doing and go to bed. In our long experience with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Squirrelly</span> (she's going to be 5 year old next month! Big party!), we have seen that when the light hits a certain level, squirrels instinctively know it's nest time. We wonder if this is because owls and other natural nocturnal squirrel predators may start awakening at this hour..not sure but we knew this was not a good time for our squirrel to not be in his nest.<br /><br />We decided to go inside to leave the squirrel by himself lest our presence was delaying his exit. Our kitchen window is right next to our bathroom window so I worked on my Rote <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Grütze</span>, chopping the cherries, strawberries and red grapes while I listened. A couple of times we heard some thumps and rushing to the window and then outside hoping to see the squirrel running across the grass. But instead, he was still in the window. We were getting really worried. We had no ladder either. We needed a plan B. We decided to take the cardboard out of the window which was easy because the squirrel was on the second attempt to wedge himself in the glass part of the window. We spoke to him softly. There is something to speaking softly to animals as you probably know. When they are panicked, a quiet reassuring voice can help calm them. I've seen it work with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Squirrelly</span> and also with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Goos</span>. I suppose it makes sense because a predator wouldn't do that so maybe they know that intuitively.<br /><br />However, I was dreading Plan B which seemed to be our only option and also the second option recommended by the Humane Society. Catch the squirrel in a blanket. I haven't done this with a squirrel. I have had to do this with my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Goos</span> when they start fighting with each other. It is very effective and safe for you/me. However, the effect upon a very pissed off companion animal who just bit his brother on the face (my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Goos</span>) is very different than that upon on a panicked animal who is stuck in a scary place. I didn't want to freak the poor guy out but I knew the blanket would. But it also was the only other idea that we had. So we took the cardboard out of the window so the squirrel could get into the laundry room. And then we waited. For a long time.<br /><br />We were starting to fret that what if the squirrel didn't come down, what would we do? We had no idea. Then suddenly, thump, thump, and a scratching noise. Luckily my neighbor's laundry room door was one of those vented style doors where you can see in at a certain angle. We heard a few crashes but didn't see the squirrel on the floor. And then suddenly a big metal sounding noise and quiet. By now it was 9pm and it was completely dark outside. I cautiously opened the door expecting the squirrel to be crouching in a corner or lunging towards the opening in the doorway. But nothing. On the window sill, the nuts we had placed to lure him down were gone and in its place, he had kindly left little squirrel poos and a whole lot of pee all over the window sill for my neighbor to clean up. He had finally jumped out the window! We don't know if he finally got his nerve up or if just the darkness masked how high the leap was and maybe that made it easily. Whatever the reason, we knew that squirrel was heading straight to his nest, probably exhausted after his adventure. Hopefully, never to repeat it again.<br /><br />So we packed up our gear (which we didn't really use except for the nuts), slid down the pole (okay, climbed down the stairs to our apartment), and knew that we had to be ready for the next call. Because you never know when squirrels will get stuck. But we do know that the Cambridge 9-1-1 Squirrel Rescue Unit will be ready!<br /><br />I want to get matching jackets with "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">CSRU</span> 9-1-1" on them but I don't think H will go for that. Oh pooh!! Needless to say, the Rote <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Grütze</span> will have to wait for another post!<br /></div></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-45737413536641813832009-07-14T21:10:00.007-05:002009-07-14T21:56:56.103-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minutemen and Nonna</span></span><br /><br />On Sunday, H and I went for a long walk on our favorite trail which is just a 15 minute drive from Cambridge out to Lexington. This trail is actually part of the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/mima">Minuteman National Historic Park</a>. Somehow, years ago, some wise person had the idea to preserve the old road that some of the key initial battles of the American Revolution took place on. And I'm so glad! This is one place in America where you can take a long walk into nature while at the same time tread on some pretty historic sites. And it doesn't hurt that it's gorgeous too. This park is by far one of my favorite places in New England so I'm excited to show you. Unfortunately I forgot my camera AGAIN but the Blackberry pictures are okay..not great but they will give you an idea.<br /><br />H poses near a historic marker. There are great kiosk displays throughout the park describing what happened at that point or other interesting information.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5hLWTXWj-4jVuBrD7_bnTPotErYuNIQs_ycQxa8xAhnj7bOJ4zzEu7UvKSDaHRR8uS5fT8hHDvqSa5axY4mtxGaiG0rFVSngZSTZR3wn21TVtkDLBXNnlVMWm6R-MYGVJggY1g/s1600-h/IMG00154.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5hLWTXWj-4jVuBrD7_bnTPotErYuNIQs_ycQxa8xAhnj7bOJ4zzEu7UvKSDaHRR8uS5fT8hHDvqSa5axY4mtxGaiG0rFVSngZSTZR3wn21TVtkDLBXNnlVMWm6R-MYGVJggY1g/s320/IMG00154.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505817924400450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEWYqC3IIKzTi5-xOart2bF1C9zbg1U3cMLefC_vF5uCHLB8-wJhXuxNCyZivb03KAvVdDX8_Gp3tcQWbfyjI5yKtF0nvhBcpjqHNOW6QkUoZKqJIZvPkHgb1di7VwmSb7Mskyw/s1600-h/IMG00155.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEWYqC3IIKzTi5-xOart2bF1C9zbg1U3cMLefC_vF5uCHLB8-wJhXuxNCyZivb03KAvVdDX8_Gp3tcQWbfyjI5yKtF0nvhBcpjqHNOW6QkUoZKqJIZvPkHgb1di7VwmSb7Mskyw/s320/IMG00155.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505813065668402" border="0" /></a><br />The National Park Service is actually restoring this land to a working farm as it was during revolutionary times. I've heard rumors that a CSA will be formed from the produce grown here. How cool is that?!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInSLZ9CeM6YLgByDhhUtUs8n_r2UfKwgYSLGrYOBMzXdLqvizqNzehNrvWqhKq5UZGqVOnjNTrzAKo5NK_1brZKYR4IfeubH_DCYXTitT7IMS1FHmC_xbf-0eskAsR5KR1Kknqg/s1600-h/IMG00156.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInSLZ9CeM6YLgByDhhUtUs8n_r2UfKwgYSLGrYOBMzXdLqvizqNzehNrvWqhKq5UZGqVOnjNTrzAKo5NK_1brZKYR4IfeubH_DCYXTitT7IMS1FHmC_xbf-0eskAsR5KR1Kknqg/s320/IMG00156.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505808372385090" border="0" /></a><br />Old farmhouses dot the trail. Some are still occupied and have farm shares, some staffed, some pay on the honor system. But many are empty, either restored by the park service to their original state or waiting for restoration.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV9yfLNIp-t_5dl33wXpCj-wvcHDKs1TcCg7IWk6W7Vye86QTEdfaCDlw_V8bYRERKQr5BNZ_0Vs33aUnl3VeYyk5xWWZ6Zn_I1GnzlFEWBTQxVXX-BwUu5RfJaCHWGCVSwipqg/s1600-h/IMG00157.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV9yfLNIp-t_5dl33wXpCj-wvcHDKs1TcCg7IWk6W7Vye86QTEdfaCDlw_V8bYRERKQr5BNZ_0Vs33aUnl3VeYyk5xWWZ6Zn_I1GnzlFEWBTQxVXX-BwUu5RfJaCHWGCVSwipqg/s320/IMG00157.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505799392628706" border="0" /></a><br />We didn't go far enough for me to take pictures this time but some of the renovated houses are open to the public so you can step inside a colonial house to see what it's like. It wasn't glamorous and it was dark even in daylight. The park service does several programs a year with rangers in period costume, some with working muskets!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYrfd94wPnCDKHKjfXORS1ttXfYlNyZaGx_VrBaRzgT4W_Gkdk4vBCuVmtG41yRaRTrr9cseU7AuXUs4bXlZ84tF3GbX1C04mDhvKhnhzT95HjpvUwAmOvMYhJdbE2xdoRuCJgA/s1600-h/IMG00158.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYrfd94wPnCDKHKjfXORS1ttXfYlNyZaGx_VrBaRzgT4W_Gkdk4vBCuVmtG41yRaRTrr9cseU7AuXUs4bXlZ84tF3GbX1C04mDhvKhnhzT95HjpvUwAmOvMYhJdbE2xdoRuCJgA/s320/IMG00158.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505789955436834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszxuo0SWpgnItjpV4ijqut7zyztI838FSS9dflyUh8rTBe-_kUgy1DExyxQoaQWqlXdgid6kPhqn_tifZNq3ulIExrudHF-eXi-miK7NEBSTPMfRdMiimpGv5lrXTpa4ufPm-eg/s1600-h/IMG00159.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszxuo0SWpgnItjpV4ijqut7zyztI838FSS9dflyUh8rTBe-_kUgy1DExyxQoaQWqlXdgid6kPhqn_tifZNq3ulIExrudHF-eXi-miK7NEBSTPMfRdMiimpGv5lrXTpa4ufPm-eg/s320/IMG00159.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505477887808194" border="0" /></a><br />The trail goes through several marshes. There are boardwalks. These are my favorite parts of the trail. During the hot summer months, stepping onto the boardwalk a few steps into the marsh, you'll notice 5-10 degree temperature drop..I've never quite understood why but it's really interesting to experience!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf7aAb-ZoftqFRftRjqJZyts4oPSePRZLXu_1zfCxLUfSFxX0UQU2DK9K8j08bAVGfrfGvJX04XDmJ9Tdx47WgRKam1CI52EszIMT5LBgdWuTPvBBpmT8wVlI37QPmrklWTV-Hg/s1600-h/IMG00168.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf7aAb-ZoftqFRftRjqJZyts4oPSePRZLXu_1zfCxLUfSFxX0UQU2DK9K8j08bAVGfrfGvJX04XDmJ9Tdx47WgRKam1CI52EszIMT5LBgdWuTPvBBpmT8wVlI37QPmrklWTV-Hg/s320/IMG00168.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505163258043202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_smGGQF6yA54Bjak6wFAtTMcQkhcJi5NAeNl-6B6CPhsFry4tVJRbAI_Hq3MZZrGtnWph-JDqVrver-CGDbe4aJT_33_KBcFpHgJp3TU9Uh08JnfVHsZn8Cp10nKfHXT34Sc8Kg/s1600-h/IMG00160.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_smGGQF6yA54Bjak6wFAtTMcQkhcJi5NAeNl-6B6CPhsFry4tVJRbAI_Hq3MZZrGtnWph-JDqVrver-CGDbe4aJT_33_KBcFpHgJp3TU9Uh08JnfVHsZn8Cp10nKfHXT34Sc8Kg/s320/IMG00160.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505471087051890" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Wasn't Ben Franklin vegetarian at one point? I thought I read that somewhere..<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePEEe102_E7rEN5tHU5TrI1ja-YNRP4qvz8EUHrFHzUkCE8r7A7POuthUsIzBlk5wyUfcRD-4UuoMQbTj9jbJD93RKRqIMmqmvkPs2rOJyUCNh1HZWU4mw_Xknm1ZAvoY4Qv9kw/s1600-h/IMG00161.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePEEe102_E7rEN5tHU5TrI1ja-YNRP4qvz8EUHrFHzUkCE8r7A7POuthUsIzBlk5wyUfcRD-4UuoMQbTj9jbJD93RKRqIMmqmvkPs2rOJyUCNh1HZWU4mw_Xknm1ZAvoY4Qv9kw/s320/IMG00161.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505465724310578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4KX59-MePuBxx_YvbthxLqcgiDVB9du3P33ORhRvElTM7CYjlPOsZS4-qis74wC3_dgI6s1CGSBgQFlumBBPLo4Un4s58oNNOKJJjVX2rwdVZsKJe-nwZxlxcjHQzZKo2uFfwA/s1600-h/IMG00162.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4KX59-MePuBxx_YvbthxLqcgiDVB9du3P33ORhRvElTM7CYjlPOsZS4-qis74wC3_dgI6s1CGSBgQFlumBBPLo4Un4s58oNNOKJJjVX2rwdVZsKJe-nwZxlxcjHQzZKo2uFfwA/s320/IMG00162.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505459522842530" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Fields of gold..yup, busted. I'm a secret Sting fan...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvpuLWjmJQ34vvTho_CGbv9bbGPigut0QHLknTSa1kIm2yCqY-e25GMTdM4cKU-eSO49VNbRNQK1LCxCLO5kX2P034Vjg3TcMg3kJiyaObfAWBkS3kLU6qWs8olOECdjTOTNxMg/s1600-h/IMG00164.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvpuLWjmJQ34vvTho_CGbv9bbGPigut0QHLknTSa1kIm2yCqY-e25GMTdM4cKU-eSO49VNbRNQK1LCxCLO5kX2P034Vjg3TcMg3kJiyaObfAWBkS3kLU6qWs8olOECdjTOTNxMg/s320/IMG00164.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505180877968098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6bZoFhoo1-E2dGE17enf1jM3kE5ZhpIRqtKpH3pQgx3031h0DOsDpdT50xRbv3ByIdiZPcJogx0nVfoJTkKkoUo1OEO0r7qmTfcisELSjaohMwp1G1NmA4xVklIjl_cXJFZ_TQ/s1600-h/IMG00165.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6bZoFhoo1-E2dGE17enf1jM3kE5ZhpIRqtKpH3pQgx3031h0DOsDpdT50xRbv3ByIdiZPcJogx0nVfoJTkKkoUo1OEO0r7qmTfcisELSjaohMwp1G1NmA4xVklIjl_cXJFZ_TQ/s320/IMG00165.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505177451938770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqy4UnQ7lOA59uVDjioAy1Qq76n39P5WT174X1u2Ey61KMTxkuOtWOCi6NRklTJkSFez59uk8XBQmzRRfdAagAfipgs-ebaB56Jpuk6mVXAcSrwbLADqVF7DugCBHq_UBNSkOBg/s1600-h/IMG00167.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqy4UnQ7lOA59uVDjioAy1Qq76n39P5WT174X1u2Ey61KMTxkuOtWOCi6NRklTJkSFez59uk8XBQmzRRfdAagAfipgs-ebaB56Jpuk6mVXAcSrwbLADqVF7DugCBHq_UBNSkOBg/s320/IMG00167.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505171168392274" border="0" /></a>I forgot the name of this flower..it's beautiful and in a few weeks, the marshes will be blooming with purple and pink. Unfortunately, it's an invasive non-native species. It's sort of like a big, blond beauty queen who beats up the other contestants (aka other plants) so she can win the competition..or so I'm told. I met someone recently who spent a summer pulling these weeds out of local marshes. For fun. Really.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvsA-8Y3JXTEsYlKPyaHW47YLyV2XcKZ6XmTOSZGbv3ZFf3F8E-N-OD1_RYEAB4frkX1w4p1CgSBg6gxHQ0U0TEbWGwCuU2gNvQDlp8ZVJQeT48R4DcC9mwL5WrotQoBO1tumeQ/s1600-h/IMG00169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvsA-8Y3JXTEsYlKPyaHW47YLyV2XcKZ6XmTOSZGbv3ZFf3F8E-N-OD1_RYEAB4frkX1w4p1CgSBg6gxHQ0U0TEbWGwCuU2gNvQDlp8ZVJQeT48R4DcC9mwL5WrotQoBO1tumeQ/s320/IMG00169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358505162323853778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjPNlTN08rAeZ684NXdgWSJjQhftp9PoOZiOlx5VcFfkrsAkAG2qY73hD74qAKuf7WpxxX2VE5Oo-l69LfDvZhM-971RvdvuwsLl0H-89W-HetaBEb3ipc8ubqbTX-pQLh9AS4Q/s1600-h/IMG00170.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjPNlTN08rAeZ684NXdgWSJjQhftp9PoOZiOlx5VcFfkrsAkAG2qY73hD74qAKuf7WpxxX2VE5Oo-l69LfDvZhM-971RvdvuwsLl0H-89W-HetaBEb3ipc8ubqbTX-pQLh9AS4Q/s320/IMG00170.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504932067667314" border="0" /></a><br />There be lil' fishies in here too..and funny little crabs that move sideways..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGQyjx3WpeLyNUp_2jQEWQVZUoDrldkF5Erojy1mPGNMouubYsHXIUYjIbM-Pc2O1wc8sjr4yNJ1Q94evmXDL4Kbui69YqdN6T3UFbYTQTltNZW_cVfMhyphenhyphennQWjU1pyhMTGpqhdQ/s1600-h/IMG00171.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGQyjx3WpeLyNUp_2jQEWQVZUoDrldkF5Erojy1mPGNMouubYsHXIUYjIbM-Pc2O1wc8sjr4yNJ1Q94evmXDL4Kbui69YqdN6T3UFbYTQTltNZW_cVfMhyphenhyphennQWjU1pyhMTGpqhdQ/s320/IMG00171.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504930240172818" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">In colonial times, these open spaces would have been hay fields.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggs5XuG48iWOPhTaKoJZJxNDLmhgJ-j5ofVyNOKf0v1l8RZuhg5evnbj6mikk0z3lq3z9Fxzc9IcAJX_dhx2dX4T58-4xs9epE-OI7Tj0xlKoxmKhTmCm7vwckwMPmxIfqgTkmyg/s1600-h/IMG00172.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggs5XuG48iWOPhTaKoJZJxNDLmhgJ-j5ofVyNOKf0v1l8RZuhg5evnbj6mikk0z3lq3z9Fxzc9IcAJX_dhx2dX4T58-4xs9epE-OI7Tj0xlKoxmKhTmCm7vwckwMPmxIfqgTkmyg/s320/IMG00172.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504922626535970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsR4UeMUZWMfk3y1EJ9Sc91jPP4_Ty-rC7uDUE1LEm8ALw3v-ltQOy0Gje87tNpNDPY2ZGDm6vtmSB58xFSb4TmmwXScOVz-ZbBzWD802_coSb3UkUQ5Db7mIF76JrD56TzNSaw/s1600-h/IMG00173.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsR4UeMUZWMfk3y1EJ9Sc91jPP4_Ty-rC7uDUE1LEm8ALw3v-ltQOy0Gje87tNpNDPY2ZGDm6vtmSB58xFSb4TmmwXScOVz-ZbBzWD802_coSb3UkUQ5Db7mIF76JrD56TzNSaw/s320/IMG00173.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504919313417122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKDqXh3qhE3rnnhaidmHwK9adYJkB7mBJxLVquOksCiUr7WmH36e40tpRBYpEBglDRx0cgE-t-sB7sGaMv5QetgnFrV3WmCdy9VfRhs9erl-WneYkF1g4TY_tjOrzVgji4rChew/s1600-h/IMG00174.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKDqXh3qhE3rnnhaidmHwK9adYJkB7mBJxLVquOksCiUr7WmH36e40tpRBYpEBglDRx0cgE-t-sB7sGaMv5QetgnFrV3WmCdy9VfRhs9erl-WneYkF1g4TY_tjOrzVgji4rChew/s320/IMG00174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504911817807714" border="0" /></a><br />Tiger lillies..my grandma would have loved this spot! They were her favorites and I'm kinda partial to them too. They will always remind me of summer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinp3W_RMqDjcajQ0YVUju_vr3Vw2B49z1chQRSub9SfgHPm4INxwhbB2Jow6GiBZ48LaWaJedyQC4avYTVSjrbOzK9kraVpHxo40MFYEJqq4vTwactN19TvDPLQ2IFuFgzdTIbBg/s1600-h/IMG00180.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinp3W_RMqDjcajQ0YVUju_vr3Vw2B49z1chQRSub9SfgHPm4INxwhbB2Jow6GiBZ48LaWaJedyQC4avYTVSjrbOzK9kraVpHxo40MFYEJqq4vTwactN19TvDPLQ2IFuFgzdTIbBg/s320/IMG00180.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504625017591186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZDlFKVOpFw8y_IMh1dOVs3oQ7bohP6LpHlOdhPrRSZvQN_Xhbl5uOtM38ZK_XFawHgKnKqETqkWNSZm_XLON7wpN2D_i6tOB-OoLMwQyXK46d0uL7vpQuPPzIOb_VlZ5RiVzSw/s1600-h/IMG00181.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZDlFKVOpFw8y_IMh1dOVs3oQ7bohP6LpHlOdhPrRSZvQN_Xhbl5uOtM38ZK_XFawHgKnKqETqkWNSZm_XLON7wpN2D_i6tOB-OoLMwQyXK46d0uL7vpQuPPzIOb_VlZ5RiVzSw/s320/IMG00181.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504244397216482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCGsZRgF9aYARM8ITUGzBh5wF1PK9P4aFarZpfUX4tJLnVYA02xLQL84bKXuWyyHJ1sWtle9yWem8pcRoCiLN7MuscqGga9ahUZGKpVp95gk1dmNbtWVhoo0eEs8QhZaYnVA7Bg/s1600-h/IMG00179.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCGsZRgF9aYARM8ITUGzBh5wF1PK9P4aFarZpfUX4tJLnVYA02xLQL84bKXuWyyHJ1sWtle9yWem8pcRoCiLN7MuscqGga9ahUZGKpVp95gk1dmNbtWVhoo0eEs8QhZaYnVA7Bg/s320/IMG00179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504618599738962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv12XXPH2apSn_Jl-lRWmPAgk4p23iDRnS9Pmc6UqpmU-LpCrTZcg4OmZ5deibPV-3SW2P0bvHqypCd9CuNuRLtqCXnibvTFd2N_CCR3DmB-nep0lw8625_dBeGodGgD4KSyQ01Q/s1600-h/IMG00178.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv12XXPH2apSn_Jl-lRWmPAgk4p23iDRnS9Pmc6UqpmU-LpCrTZcg4OmZ5deibPV-3SW2P0bvHqypCd9CuNuRLtqCXnibvTFd2N_CCR3DmB-nep0lw8625_dBeGodGgD4KSyQ01Q/s320/IMG00178.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504616505384082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32Cmd7am0DOhrvdQPZ2nOO7to2Fp4syFVoyQCKTS06l7-YSvBXIpM6o30FSU51uKlTAUtnCdhE74u2GUL1a8Nv7O22MYlmnVpsyKa74eGd5TsszG9U09KVWXL5yGxwg2i1kmANw/s1600-h/IMG00182.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32Cmd7am0DOhrvdQPZ2nOO7to2Fp4syFVoyQCKTS06l7-YSvBXIpM6o30FSU51uKlTAUtnCdhE74u2GUL1a8Nv7O22MYlmnVpsyKa74eGd5TsszG9U09KVWXL5yGxwg2i1kmANw/s320/IMG00182.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504251793174034" border="0" /></a><br />Old stone walls run throughout the park. These must be close to 350 years old. That's "wicked" ancient for North America!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc36NKfrkmueZOn-7Q_xZAXpdXXoEqNX87OnWr-ULLshYhBvZyNEtMpRHShSh4mZqoRW3oHFvQ7T6SElbULnqZoRFqKC_FEpwno-peWrojh5nsnmQ74wH15VGbbNlHZ-N36Kptg/s1600-h/IMG00177.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc36NKfrkmueZOn-7Q_xZAXpdXXoEqNX87OnWr-ULLshYhBvZyNEtMpRHShSh4mZqoRW3oHFvQ7T6SElbULnqZoRFqKC_FEpwno-peWrojh5nsnmQ74wH15VGbbNlHZ-N36Kptg/s320/IMG00177.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504611999302130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SeEy3NvnsIx-CfS6vILqc1xV3Dsk9LGFhCYyR4d2fNSSv36oJ2fM2uWB5ufMKt60Zua1jxDaq5zl_iixVOH4cgdz0ySlX8PNhrPbjdyTUwA4JaXluE7OJ_kr_dvCsaplnS3MUw/s1600-h/IMG00176.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SeEy3NvnsIx-CfS6vILqc1xV3Dsk9LGFhCYyR4d2fNSSv36oJ2fM2uWB5ufMKt60Zua1jxDaq5zl_iixVOH4cgdz0ySlX8PNhrPbjdyTUwA4JaXluE7OJ_kr_dvCsaplnS3MUw/s320/IMG00176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504608076758690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEQwr9PzEaXR6ML4ZfB2BngfoXQgcDwk6eVHSen1cWL5tK805SHWd4M7PlHSvtBo-fqLrEjq7yOjJ5C3ZXWNW0ZNqPEzBzXfJ7nAJ7cws5N58kKHrfbCzkhyKoMoLTPsLbqRgfg/s1600-h/IMG00183.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEQwr9PzEaXR6ML4ZfB2BngfoXQgcDwk6eVHSen1cWL5tK805SHWd4M7PlHSvtBo-fqLrEjq7yOjJ5C3ZXWNW0ZNqPEzBzXfJ7nAJ7cws5N58kKHrfbCzkhyKoMoLTPsLbqRgfg/s320/IMG00183.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504253984307874" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, some pretty wild flowers for my special "somebodies"..my little sweeties at home...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKegzZFvdAmKaIP0wAKQN5rtHLPO3wY0tLkY2s-CZDU3bhPyC0oQcGPRSREO3wvCtBrnAgc_B0v2H8Ge6MlZDMaU6gW7bOyFuMWvHrA3OrYkgXEl0Dt7CWhktd1GqGmNN6BJ3yKA/s1600-h/IMG00184.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKegzZFvdAmKaIP0wAKQN5rtHLPO3wY0tLkY2s-CZDU3bhPyC0oQcGPRSREO3wvCtBrnAgc_B0v2H8Ge6MlZDMaU6gW7bOyFuMWvHrA3OrYkgXEl0Dt7CWhktd1GqGmNN6BJ3yKA/s320/IMG00184.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504258347268690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Yes, I mean my goos. They love nibbling on clover blossoms and wildflowers. Could they get any cuter???<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykHeydnyQByCDS3SvmEslPhFKtGvXgUXTNphD9p4vjmHMMaBafdZWg54G99OM9ltBMEoHW_PHK0cdzda9Q0AryW-g13xnLfAWynFbKOhHgw5qeuPskKo2Ihdrg_0snK5UW2YnDw/s1600-h/IMG_1820.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykHeydnyQByCDS3SvmEslPhFKtGvXgUXTNphD9p4vjmHMMaBafdZWg54G99OM9ltBMEoHW_PHK0cdzda9Q0AryW-g13xnLfAWynFbKOhHgw5qeuPskKo2Ihdrg_0snK5UW2YnDw/s320/IMG_1820.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358504264367664866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbqiMdRM62tvPbqtFSrYwmUyWlGYyVvdZps5zCvBw4H5y_VbngVy4ytl70t4M1EW5BgLgfIVE0JNIuyUggG1i8Y97w5Q3h0Km5XO9DIbZFY0tzB4TguaBrMTXiDOdNkOch4cK0A/s1600-h/IMG_1822.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbqiMdRM62tvPbqtFSrYwmUyWlGYyVvdZps5zCvBw4H5y_VbngVy4ytl70t4M1EW5BgLgfIVE0JNIuyUggG1i8Y97w5Q3h0Km5XO9DIbZFY0tzB4TguaBrMTXiDOdNkOch4cK0A/s320/IMG_1822.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358503861188082674" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, some food pictures. First, I have a confession to make. I'm a cookbook junkie (that's not the confession) and I'm a very shallow one. I judge a book by a cover. I blame it on my past life as a graphic designer but man, it steers me wrong. I almost completely missed Nonna's Italian Kitchen by Bryanna Clark Grogan because, well, it's got an ugly cover in my not so humble opinion. I know, I know..silly shallow thoughts! This should teach me a lesson because I have been missing out on the BEST VEGAN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM EVER! Seriously, this stuff is so amazing. I know I raved about the Vegan Scoop, and it is truly a great book but the recipes call for stuff I don't usually have in the house, like Soy Creamer. I don't drink coffee so I just don't have the stuff in the house. Bryanna, however, makes her ice cream from stuff I do. Almond milk, agave, maple syrup, cocoa powder, cashew...check, check check. And this recipe tastes so good, has good texture and best of all, doesn't freeze rock solid. It's actually soft when I go to scoop some out of the container in the fridge! I added almond extract..Bryanna does say that adding alcohol to your mixture will keep the ice cream softer. Whatever the reason, I love this stuff! I added toasted almonds to the top. Think vegan gelato..that's the best way I can describe this stuff.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_H8Ite5QKQzcSyQD7v_zjXDOGYkWMLSSpoAusl6RuZFD6Y5Ez_Zf7uOU39ED9nCq3n3nNAFAKIkTtQh-rANXYxhVuein8eYTdjtUx6I7obch4O-bt16STdLrpXsyoCI9N3CSrlw/s1600-h/IMG_1825.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_H8Ite5QKQzcSyQD7v_zjXDOGYkWMLSSpoAusl6RuZFD6Y5Ez_Zf7uOU39ED9nCq3n3nNAFAKIkTtQh-rANXYxhVuein8eYTdjtUx6I7obch4O-bt16STdLrpXsyoCI9N3CSrlw/s320/IMG_1825.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358503889744025346" border="0" /></a><br />Her pizza dough recipe was easy to whip up. Used half for a swiss chard sicilian pie...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcg2j8X5yVxb0Xq-dlYyie12DaZgzRzwRRZAsRl4JX4MkaCKaS1GXLH1RBu0rrPzP4C9oJK6vF9HsW1hWh32ATnY-LNXL5EK9NttdS06cZQ4PvyBDCW_M0ewlF_l1JZJGrW3f7gg/s1600-h/IMG_1830.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcg2j8X5yVxb0Xq-dlYyie12DaZgzRzwRRZAsRl4JX4MkaCKaS1GXLH1RBu0rrPzP4C9oJK6vF9HsW1hWh32ATnY-LNXL5EK9NttdS06cZQ4PvyBDCW_M0ewlF_l1JZJGrW3f7gg/s320/IMG_1830.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358503881848335218" border="0" /></a><br />And the other half for a veggie pizza. Really good..low in fat too..what a plus (so I don't have to be!)..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzJC_o3KGinVRnXB5qVB7heTbdRfbQS5oWFpavEPda9i7zayLHN2pwNoONdxRXtAASB0cS25Q3UZS-5DqcN0pOw63xvzffSW1X9ZN8jvNdzqd9JUN-AHEXqzTZzhjXnYIXgMqlQ/s1600-h/IMG_1826.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzJC_o3KGinVRnXB5qVB7heTbdRfbQS5oWFpavEPda9i7zayLHN2pwNoONdxRXtAASB0cS25Q3UZS-5DqcN0pOw63xvzffSW1X9ZN8jvNdzqd9JUN-AHEXqzTZzhjXnYIXgMqlQ/s320/IMG_1826.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358503873809979922" border="0" /></a><br />And she solved my fennel dilemma with a delicious fennel orange salad (with a little focaccia from Whole Foods).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVf3-mP6d8ZPqiFk1VHVtiBzkmbnJ_bMUVnDlQ7i5YXutMOBvqF3lkVwZIw5-rWOgxv8hZFuEuBG0xDHCnJb-X32GcAHz1TSNVddDE6VUzRuapSpaQl2jRDCknsHBwNWx0Q40Vjw/s1600-h/IMG_1824.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVf3-mP6d8ZPqiFk1VHVtiBzkmbnJ_bMUVnDlQ7i5YXutMOBvqF3lkVwZIw5-rWOgxv8hZFuEuBG0xDHCnJb-X32GcAHz1TSNVddDE6VUzRuapSpaQl2jRDCknsHBwNWx0Q40Vjw/s320/IMG_1824.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358503867301949346" border="0" /></a><br />Have I learned my lesson about judging a cookbook by its cover? Sadly probably not (I'm such a sucker for packaging)..but I am definitely buying Nonna's Italian Kitchen since this copy was a just a loaner from the libary!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-57296528928705335832009-07-13T20:02:00.006-05:002009-07-13T21:11:53.782-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NoHo</span> and Vegan Trickery</span></span><br /><br />I'm back in Cambridge after almost a week away. My sister, Nicole, and her partner flew in from San Diego and brought the good weather with them (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">yay</span>!). My other sister, Michelle, came up from NYC and together with H and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Goos</span> in tow (yes, their first road trip!), we headed up to New Hampshire for a variety of family activities. The first was to move Grandpa into his new senior housing right into the center of my hometown which is fairly hip for a New Hampshire town. This is a big relief to my mom after having to shuffle between her house and Grandpa's previous housing in East <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Redneckville</span>, about 20 minutes away. Nothing wrong with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Rednecksville</span> for sure..actually I enjoyed seeing motorcycles fly up into the air near the side of the road as part of their regular monster truck rallies. Not something I see in Cambridge every day, no sir! And thanks for that..no offense to monster trucks though =) However, no more of that since Grandpa is firmly settled into his new digs (can I say it? way nicer than my Cambridge apartment..<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sooooo</span> jealous!). The best part: he's steps from downtown and our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">fav</span> bagel place. Oh yes, we'll be visiting him often. Whoops..gotta be careful what I say..he may be 93 but he's on The Gmail and an active web surfer! Also on the schedule was celebrating my mom's birthday and sadly, saying goodbye to our family camp. Michelle, my youngest sister, had to go back to NYC last Tuesday to catch yet another flight to Africa (it's her work, not for pleasure). So we offered to drive her down to Springfield, MA to catch a train to NYC. NH? MA? VT? Yes, it's a tad confusing. Where my parents live (and where I was born) in a part of NH that is 20 minutes from Vermont and the same from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Massachusetts</span>. So there's a lot of interstate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">higgly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">giggely</span> you could say. But if you want to go to NYC other than by car, you must go to MA to catch a train. Vermont and New Hampshire (as well as Maine) have very limited train connections <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">unfortunately</span>! So to Springfield, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Massachusetts</span> we went to drop Michelle off. It was not an uneventful trip down. First we got caught in a blinding rain storm. Luckily my German driver was driving (H) so all was well but it wasn't pleasant. Second, we got stuck in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">construction</span> traffic..but it was okay because using the wonders of the Blackberry, we could see that the train was running late. Are you sensing a "stuck" theme here? Uh huh..well, we got to the station just 5 minutes before the train departed. Michelle ran up to buy herself a ticket while Nicole and I grabbed her bags. And got stuck. Literally. Something about the zipper on her bag snagged the cargo gate in our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Prius</span>. The bag was so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">stucksville</span> that H had to spring into action with a tool to bend the zipper bag meanwhile I was trying to explain to Michelle that her bag was literally stuck to our car. D'oh! Finally freed from the bonds of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">stuckness</span>, we three sisters literally ran up two flights of stairs with Michelle's bags, sprinting, racing, and making it. I think she was the last person to board. But she made it. Whew. So by then Nicole, H and I were ready for lunch. And it had better be a darn good one. Nicole suggested stopping in North Hampton, MA.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">North Hampton (NoHo as we jokingly call it) is a classic New England downtown. Very walkable!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZGMwDcg6J8HR2TzezVa8eLRvrBwIxHgtDwrB9WgtO5YWWBlDY10nyvNzVZ0d4l4oHDEx3fr86dwJsxc8zP_4Mx5hD2Prn5tX4L4n-yV9tBohKvkIyYByRFFojNBueCqQqT4M8A/s1600-h/IMG_0789.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZGMwDcg6J8HR2TzezVa8eLRvrBwIxHgtDwrB9WgtO5YWWBlDY10nyvNzVZ0d4l4oHDEx3fr86dwJsxc8zP_4Mx5hD2Prn5tX4L4n-yV9tBohKvkIyYByRFFojNBueCqQqT4M8A/s320/IMG_0789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116141899951282" border="0" /></a><br />And you thought town troubadours were only in Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls reference)? Nope! They live, they live! In North Hampton at least.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5xOwMR842h83fCHWt19u2WHQQc1lGV6sv3h2xDGPUGE0J24VZe_416UK2RZsA70rPtbdDecvWNqbhVvxE7MsbMz3LctqjVW1t1oVtlo5HNVoxQ5rsAEmNlvf387jqLctZ31uVw/s1600-h/IMG_0790.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5xOwMR842h83fCHWt19u2WHQQc1lGV6sv3h2xDGPUGE0J24VZe_416UK2RZsA70rPtbdDecvWNqbhVvxE7MsbMz3LctqjVW1t1oVtlo5HNVoxQ5rsAEmNlvf387jqLctZ31uVw/s320/IMG_0790.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116146729414818" border="0" /></a><br />We stopped here at Paul and Elizabeth's for lunch. Are you ready? I mean, really, are you ready?!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7ynXbg1cuTNnc_sAh8YrFLv0c1WT0dJubyE0C071XUIKoDf1P-XEYIYW0kM4DaE28NV9y5SM8QVYixJYF_8JENyGJXYpKtuDXjhbtk6DOoVUnfsPAu6Y1EnzLdy3Sn6_ieRgcw/s1600-h/IMG_0788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7ynXbg1cuTNnc_sAh8YrFLv0c1WT0dJubyE0C071XUIKoDf1P-XEYIYW0kM4DaE28NV9y5SM8QVYixJYF_8JENyGJXYpKtuDXjhbtk6DOoVUnfsPAu6Y1EnzLdy3Sn6_ieRgcw/s320/IMG_0788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116137386301442" border="0" /></a><br />Homey and casual decor..it's on the second floor so you can sit by the window and look out on to the town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPuVn3a6cLPjl6YtCZhw9wDa2c9fRSRxhJXn9NmYNcdGkmQrFCgwyD19NVaPfgBgcgB45oSDR-JeUC4z6FrmEgj9k-i4jx1yXFZf2-HhKWbXJjiLGmYZKKotHjuTUcj84JAkrBQ/s1600-h/IMG_0780.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPuVn3a6cLPjl6YtCZhw9wDa2c9fRSRxhJXn9NmYNcdGkmQrFCgwyD19NVaPfgBgcgB45oSDR-JeUC4z6FrmEgj9k-i4jx1yXFZf2-HhKWbXJjiLGmYZKKotHjuTUcj84JAkrBQ/s320/IMG_0780.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115859847342674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwNVGU7fS1Ij1l8ParrHNg-ZpqLm_RTldEXiZnpfYgFXF5ZLP_ahraj6MA-qTIBUza0NZvzS-P-oGbZ-T5ojyTrkBTzZuITmf1X9prBzOWP4faPV8zvFxXUEP18iiRTC_jzbO/s1600-h/IMG_0779.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwNVGU7fS1Ij1l8ParrHNg-ZpqLm_RTldEXiZnpfYgFXF5ZLP_ahraj6MA-qTIBUza0NZvzS-P-oGbZ-T5ojyTrkBTzZuITmf1X9prBzOWP4faPV8zvFxXUEP18iiRTC_jzbO/s320/IMG_0779.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115852415697762" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Hibiscus peppermint iced tea..delicious!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPu7LYeQF3izosQ5PCShdCOln9wuJy5ZRtl8jU8_-6dQFekpNW28mPZ1nh0r1vEjox7-CwiomNpvvuvNhz7hYJbF5chaZQIxMs7dFq9AZcGntei2nL5OGXpFwRdlvk3EDa5u0uQ/s1600-h/IMG_0762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPu7LYeQF3izosQ5PCShdCOln9wuJy5ZRtl8jU8_-6dQFekpNW28mPZ1nh0r1vEjox7-CwiomNpvvuvNhz7hYJbF5chaZQIxMs7dFq9AZcGntei2nL5OGXpFwRdlvk3EDa5u0uQ/s320/IMG_0762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115391410918162" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Yummy black bean soup..hold on, the big one is coming..be patient!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMNLFHuRQl0BToz79Eyj6EaoYjwDrs_Pqt0683pal5v_IbxFpXAPDyaxEVB7DB2paH9WllNkxUFs4V0wxEEulXqsqOiaGvstgl58uEq-39OloiWsUxw8gjXQgqVqfiyYiYk7azA/s1600-h/IMG_0765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMNLFHuRQl0BToz79Eyj6EaoYjwDrs_Pqt0683pal5v_IbxFpXAPDyaxEVB7DB2paH9WllNkxUFs4V0wxEEulXqsqOiaGvstgl58uEq-39OloiWsUxw8gjXQgqVqfiyYiYk7azA/s320/IMG_0765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115400536321650" border="0" /></a>A wonderful soup and salad combo with homemade bread..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EXkQLnyMl7xw8oW9rXt4Ykka9-fpb2G2U8ZD3pqv09nyoNuZz3F6DgSrw_HOlblJxS32muyzKn5EtMvnvyupHnG97zKBzud7HcrBWRqmxM2kogpEW23gsbj0DzN17LndvXXMAA/s1600-h/IMG_0764.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EXkQLnyMl7xw8oW9rXt4Ykka9-fpb2G2U8ZD3pqv09nyoNuZz3F6DgSrw_HOlblJxS32muyzKn5EtMvnvyupHnG97zKBzud7HcrBWRqmxM2kogpEW23gsbj0DzN17LndvXXMAA/s320/IMG_0764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115397558509138" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Are you ready? I mean, really ready??? May I introduce vegan chocolate mousse pie with maple glazed almonds and a raspberry sauce...<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYFKCMviSsRVAukwM_KqRlN5HCOYKAVVM5-N2JyA09lPBevGmkOmzTdth6lSwBL13kk9Z8P0RVUnaYpbpCjRFrnIW5JEx51mrhZJsj0sjRvmPkGuUGDx_iez5hTsfsH2ptk9uZQ/s1600-h/IMG_0766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYFKCMviSsRVAukwM_KqRlN5HCOYKAVVM5-N2JyA09lPBevGmkOmzTdth6lSwBL13kk9Z8P0RVUnaYpbpCjRFrnIW5JEx51mrhZJsj0sjRvmPkGuUGDx_iez5hTsfsH2ptk9uZQ/s320/IMG_0766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115405105894482" border="0" /></a><br />This rivals the chocolate pie I had in Toronto in March at Live...I actually the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">NoHo</span> pie wins. The BEST vegan dessert I've ever had..<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">evah</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">evah</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">evah</span>...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZSZjM6lqwTJXm0CXD03zzDK4ngdMeueNBxNpIySU8JY8bPyUzyk3YwH5VRfdJBFe9Gg66jWMS2IbRtOpHOGZpd6Ydp79HSV5yeKYltdBTcpXRc4XaPWvXDtjveXkro7pz9g0JA/s1600-h/IMG_0769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZSZjM6lqwTJXm0CXD03zzDK4ngdMeueNBxNpIySU8JY8bPyUzyk3YwH5VRfdJBFe9Gg66jWMS2IbRtOpHOGZpd6Ydp79HSV5yeKYltdBTcpXRc4XaPWvXDtjveXkro7pz9g0JA/s320/IMG_0769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115846092687362" border="0" /></a><br />Afterwards, we walked around the "mall" attached to the restaurant. This is common in New England: developers take old factory mills or in this case a department store and make them into "malls" filled with funky little shops and restaurants. And after the pie, we needed to do some walking!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLuYjKOVpNCKLUbqPlNr5E-NW_5mGTAFnJ81Cyax5J11CdAlaLvEHt4ojHjAuVW6eFUyHCBulWruAc0taURyfkaYc-y88LiU-dnvY4-9AXeh_ziswYMe1m-l1c0hLzSlo3JCV/s1600-h/IMG_0783.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLuYjKOVpNCKLUbqPlNr5E-NW_5mGTAFnJ81Cyax5J11CdAlaLvEHt4ojHjAuVW6eFUyHCBulWruAc0taURyfkaYc-y88LiU-dnvY4-9AXeh_ziswYMe1m-l1c0hLzSlo3JCV/s320/IMG_0783.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115863859264258" border="0" /></a><br />H and Nicole discuss who had the better meal while they wait for me to snap my heart's content of pictures..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFAqVZ_9IUjhjtGL0J_c96aFSwMaGD6bjX1bovQODnq8Zn-D7lPP9jPE4EmipsZvkGUac9XJ4Lb8VU4IYz2IQ84gGA-taEk3im2md5_gjc8zrCQcQ-65ZY89qb3kZ30UTvIRYlg/s1600-h/IMG_0785.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFAqVZ_9IUjhjtGL0J_c96aFSwMaGD6bjX1bovQODnq8Zn-D7lPP9jPE4EmipsZvkGUac9XJ4Lb8VU4IYz2IQ84gGA-taEk3im2md5_gjc8zrCQcQ-65ZY89qb3kZ30UTvIRYlg/s320/IMG_0785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115868757746354" border="0" /></a><br />In a health food store in the mall, I find my second favorite vegan dessert of all time. The evasive, chocolate-covered peanut butter crunch bar. Oh dear god...or rather, <a href="http://ohsweetmamas.com/about/">Oh Sweet Mama</a>. I will be figuring out how to get goodies from this local vegan bakery in Cambridge. Oh Yes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio51i3bUXFfV9QHfS-0Dt_DUyBXA5AckmMl04_9vTFy3NLHDZY4mwnBBLnIa9unv_JaBO3GwcMfe9o2mksuL8z8e_lrev1vMNATSXEFbMiXAyfgDfJ2-gESL95VPoejZnxVT0XNQ/s1600-h/IMG_0791.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio51i3bUXFfV9QHfS-0Dt_DUyBXA5AckmMl04_9vTFy3NLHDZY4mwnBBLnIa9unv_JaBO3GwcMfe9o2mksuL8z8e_lrev1vMNATSXEFbMiXAyfgDfJ2-gESL95VPoejZnxVT0XNQ/s320/IMG_0791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116153392887058" border="0" /></a><br />So it would have been gluttonous to eat this right after the chocolate pie..so not that I wouldn't have (gluttony a sin? No way! I am a lapsed Catholic for soooo many reasons..tee hee!) but I was so stuffed from lunch that I packed this to go for the next day. It is vacation after all I reasoned with myself. All I can say, amazing, simply amazing. I'm still craving more! Am I becoming a vegan dessert addict? Is there a problem here? Um..let's change the subject, okay?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfHqnVt4G0H2ZHMDHwHKOR07xiHt1bMmMftJ2Y6S9QOPVpSzeMrlLq6suAfVmFXQBm5MCRo3ZRfHSmQY6YQyTwy5bKwF8Ul-jatZorPXSOOogocy0dZDLjeddVG9qvValw4cokw/s1600-h/IMG00148.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfHqnVt4G0H2ZHMDHwHKOR07xiHt1bMmMftJ2Y6S9QOPVpSzeMrlLq6suAfVmFXQBm5MCRo3ZRfHSmQY6YQyTwy5bKwF8Ul-jatZorPXSOOogocy0dZDLjeddVG9qvValw4cokw/s320/IMG00148.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358115386715001474" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, back in New Hampshire, it was time to figure out Mom's birthday dinner. I had just a day to plan, prepare and cook. She decided on veggie lasagna and carrot cake. I was a little nervous about the lasagna. The vegan carrot cake I figured would be easy. Nicole and my mom were in on the plan and all for it. But pulling off a vegan lasagna for the whole family would be very hard for three reasons in order of difficulty:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meat-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">eatin</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Gramps</span></span>..open to new stuff but not if it doesn't taste good. Firmly believes my husband is so skinny because I feed him rabbit chow non-stop. Can't explain why I'm not skinny though...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">lol</span>!!<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meat-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">eatin</span>' Dad.</span> Not at all open to new stuff in the very least. Must stick to the known. Freaks out at fresh veggies, prefers canned. Really. Honest. I don't get it myself either!<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Native I-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">talian</span>.</span> My sister's partner, Clarissa, isn't Italian American, she's actually <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Italy. I'm sweating at this point. She's open to vegan food but a vegan lasagna? Blasphemy!<br /></li></ol>Strategy:<br /><ol><li>Make lasagna taste super yummy</li><li>Don't tell Dad or Grandpa that it's vegan, ever..<br /></li><li>Hide all tofu packages if they enter kitchen while making lasagna</li><li>Compromise with Clarissa and call this lasagna a "casserole" since I am <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">bastardizing</span> her native fare</li><li>Whenever possible, make it look, smell and taste just like the "real" thing aka, the crap they're used to (meaning Dad is used to!)</li><li>Evil giggling and victory dance only permitted after success!</li></ol>I pulled up the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Veganomicon</span> <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Cashew-Ricotta-284547">cashew ricotta recipe</a>..that was truly the cornerstone of my plan. And ya know what? It worked!!! Look at this amazing "casserole" complete with roasted veggies:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmzyfAxHHu7Z9kIO8BdBXsmGSWC2F5iGnCiiUkh3cRHpmihD2kQOqHh48ESNemxuwLb_TAEKUKRv-NijXWZ_6zqFynNlgpAMgubJzZVT-cxD6F-oqEqsP1wI7pMaxndXHeaD6PQ/s1600-h/IMG_0795.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmzyfAxHHu7Z9kIO8BdBXsmGSWC2F5iGnCiiUkh3cRHpmihD2kQOqHh48ESNemxuwLb_TAEKUKRv-NijXWZ_6zqFynNlgpAMgubJzZVT-cxD6F-oqEqsP1wI7pMaxndXHeaD6PQ/s320/IMG_0795.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116155842951714" border="0" /></a><br />To <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">successfully</span> fool my dad, I need to make the top look "cheesy"..Nicole had the brilliant suggestion of spreading the vegan ricotta over the top to look like melted cheese. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Perfecto</span>! No one was any wiser.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfdtOenyyKPng8IV5qyJ6lUxpppSaEpEZHKJaxmed5ovFeIWwj-qZBDyj5VdNGk-l4W2GaCSBLWWJornn7yS4GiD3UbqkHo9y_Ux2RexqzLmh5WrbYLq69C25y8_lq5EKPdrkPw/s1600-h/IMG_0803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfdtOenyyKPng8IV5qyJ6lUxpppSaEpEZHKJaxmed5ovFeIWwj-qZBDyj5VdNGk-l4W2GaCSBLWWJornn7yS4GiD3UbqkHo9y_Ux2RexqzLmh5WrbYLq69C25y8_lq5EKPdrkPw/s320/IMG_0803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116408492218578" border="0" /></a><br />Poor Dad...he doesn't know that he just consumed a boatload of tofu..he he he!! Insert evil giggles here!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRnwXPuYl09doGLWLre8Jaq3roOhJIzmlJDmWxvi3V_SIHxqvRrkbR6WeGXhX2nSWeu5P89JrOiLhUq6h5yLzsNznk3Zww3fMWwRjFuIR1Qni5uITJNS9bO-Li9IT70S5fySiwg/s1600-h/IMG_0796.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRnwXPuYl09doGLWLre8Jaq3roOhJIzmlJDmWxvi3V_SIHxqvRrkbR6WeGXhX2nSWeu5P89JrOiLhUq6h5yLzsNznk3Zww3fMWwRjFuIR1Qni5uITJNS9bO-Li9IT70S5fySiwg/s320/IMG_0796.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116399895135250" border="0" /></a><br />And the Italian? She had a second helping which I take as the BIGGEST compliment I could get. She commented the next day that vegan food really agrees with her. I have hopes for this one yet!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZCHZvQbrU6qbIcGCx0txLBDmaM1NF8orkAFRp94sunoEW3tYWN91Mq7lOIF0m4Q4oRSbfCftEAiO0LFQzEva87dzl9sckHY812ZTKKhXJRJkC9Wy-wr30pvZEEEvstsaoi9pZA/s1600-h/IMG_0799.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZCHZvQbrU6qbIcGCx0txLBDmaM1NF8orkAFRp94sunoEW3tYWN91Mq7lOIF0m4Q4oRSbfCftEAiO0LFQzEva87dzl9sckHY812ZTKKhXJRJkC9Wy-wr30pvZEEEvstsaoi9pZA/s320/IMG_0799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116407724186914" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, the carrot cake with a scoop of So Delicious coconut milk ice cream. A perfect way to end a big day of cooking AND eating! This recipe is aptly called "<a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6516.0">Incredible Vegan Carrot Cake</a>" and it certainly was. It was a big hit with Follow Your Heart cream cheese frosting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1h4XuOC_NfDTjgg0iEEAVhMSrocm1uMLclQ1HG375ydQcVS1etFAfuO-lKRAT9OeQ3ctiHd69md450buJkYQTh9sS4dJPCj1FGC1hsI3zhZbIR_YmJGu2D2Oe_Xngo50RpL1Xw/s1600-h/IMG_0806.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1h4XuOC_NfDTjgg0iEEAVhMSrocm1uMLclQ1HG375ydQcVS1etFAfuO-lKRAT9OeQ3ctiHd69md450buJkYQTh9sS4dJPCj1FGC1hsI3zhZbIR_YmJGu2D2Oe_Xngo50RpL1Xw/s320/IMG_0806.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358116416153632578" border="0" /></a><br />Whew..I'm full. But still dreamin' of that pie. And peanut butter bar. Isn't it ironic that people think being vegan means deprivation? HA!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-26966424318890033232009-07-11T20:46:00.007-05:002009-07-11T21:31:52.691-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dilly Dallying 'Round Town</span></span><br /><br />We don't have any plans to go away this summer..bah! So many things going on with work and family that we simply haven't had time to plan anything. However, I've been having a great time on the other side of the river in Boston in my free time. One evening two weeks ago when it wasn't raining (!), I took the red line across the river to the super big and ritzy Whole Foods on Cambridge Street. My regular Whole Foods is pretty big and gorgeous but not quite as nice as this one. Now, I know that many people know what a Whole Foods looks like but I thought I'd take some pictures for some of my European friends who haven't been able to check one out. They are certainly an experience!<br /><br />The Red Line drops me off at the Charles train stop...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLrI4IBU_VzcH5rA7DkLSfARSIP_ld-xsdFNEXKNkng4Glb57cTk4hMNie5EGaoyOIxeSY6kW9DsTsjL0h_bMjutXsT0uwPgrfSOuylgTN9T2uUcfVV-k5lzQkVbfxHhQMaKesA/s1600-h/IMG00131.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLrI4IBU_VzcH5rA7DkLSfARSIP_ld-xsdFNEXKNkng4Glb57cTk4hMNie5EGaoyOIxeSY6kW9DsTsjL0h_bMjutXsT0uwPgrfSOuylgTN9T2uUcfVV-k5lzQkVbfxHhQMaKesA/s320/IMG00131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385567058495922" border="0" /></a>It's about a 7-8 minute walk to the Charles River Plaza Whole Foods..'<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cuse</span> the crappy picture quality..only had my cell phone camera on me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p8VII8v0_FTO_j99FVrS4yxA95Daq4hiA9LeVACbFvUvTTpUDBwvdsScXqq49Ooh34-4ZFdVxLqlGpEpbs0n40bLSg1SY5tSGdBPw5mBz6GYU5oWKombKLcQbNYz0taGndheVw/s1600-h/IMG00127.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p8VII8v0_FTO_j99FVrS4yxA95Daq4hiA9LeVACbFvUvTTpUDBwvdsScXqq49Ooh34-4ZFdVxLqlGpEpbs0n40bLSg1SY5tSGdBPw5mBz6GYU5oWKombKLcQbNYz0taGndheVw/s320/IMG00127.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385559552943218" border="0" /></a><br />Veggie grilling anyone?!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW-8T4WSLSc1qOcRdHF-ggJCuka4zKYoMNcoQwYG75SqKlIFGqYZstVKQCBgQtQ9RweZyyX3_ZXWX45BJwWVdbnAXrq2xA_-Unh3U28SgKhezas4P3W3YVAK44oDRVeL3kt2eIg/s1600-h/IMG00119.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW-8T4WSLSc1qOcRdHF-ggJCuka4zKYoMNcoQwYG75SqKlIFGqYZstVKQCBgQtQ9RweZyyX3_ZXWX45BJwWVdbnAXrq2xA_-Unh3U28SgKhezas4P3W3YVAK44oDRVeL3kt2eIg/s320/IMG00119.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357386213054358818" border="0" /></a>Their deli bar is a veggie dream...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW1ROEtVJV3mC61o7oHfXdIsfQjOFqsDj2djwRIfSUcc8-l7zDlt68FCkhjwGlBxfs8PLqYWWX1SbxVjTCLCoqFfvlyoas4YCV19HsX5BmYE23MbQMvXpRkduyBJ6s0MoyKBYsw/s1600-h/IMG00117.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW1ROEtVJV3mC61o7oHfXdIsfQjOFqsDj2djwRIfSUcc8-l7zDlt68FCkhjwGlBxfs8PLqYWWX1SbxVjTCLCoqFfvlyoas4YCV19HsX5BmYE23MbQMvXpRkduyBJ6s0MoyKBYsw/s320/IMG00117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357386214056848866" border="0" /></a><br />The floral department is integrated with the beauty products section..I could spend hours there!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM7FjYLxHJjgJgaglwaObowM9_TD7AOVvkrkm8g9q_DMhQdqhLf8r431QrP1iiI20FwePmkXG2eAbYhicjO9jDXaI0c2kTiZgi9W-j0m606I7UwLtu48T5CkPY_WFuH398h8lMQ/s1600-h/IMG00115.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM7FjYLxHJjgJgaglwaObowM9_TD7AOVvkrkm8g9q_DMhQdqhLf8r431QrP1iiI20FwePmkXG2eAbYhicjO9jDXaI0c2kTiZgi9W-j0m606I7UwLtu48T5CkPY_WFuH398h8lMQ/s320/IMG00115.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357386207787764338" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, please..<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDy7fPs9VcaCR5JuoEn-T5wYAMI9SbyvUWlT7T_XmotRfZTa74DsFrSEVe06y1GBt8E76T39LlzUpNd8pKpfyqJBWkYkW4dPRarSLeqLcupkunbQivKp2IIDPXZsMoebLlHUiPA/s1600-h/IMG00114.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDy7fPs9VcaCR5JuoEn-T5wYAMI9SbyvUWlT7T_XmotRfZTa74DsFrSEVe06y1GBt8E76T39LlzUpNd8pKpfyqJBWkYkW4dPRarSLeqLcupkunbQivKp2IIDPXZsMoebLlHUiPA/s320/IMG00114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357386203800941586" border="0" /></a>I heart <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Pacifica</span>..by far my favorite vegan non-edible products! Thanks to Katie aka the Chocolate-Covered Vegan, I know know about the Mexican Chocolate scent. I also love the Hawaiian Guava and Tibetan Mountain Temple..<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ahhhhh</span>!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3mLlRQ-YbxJ7krYPIM1jl2WKXn9x3Hb1gGWzRMVb_YAZ1Uo6thM7feDO9VrWK2yegijkPuOmHgSqjSJE78joIAfuxhePeCET1K-ADxR1SpNp0xL9c6a86-iKZguwezzNYpg8LA/s1600-h/IMG00113.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3mLlRQ-YbxJ7krYPIM1jl2WKXn9x3Hb1gGWzRMVb_YAZ1Uo6thM7feDO9VrWK2yegijkPuOmHgSqjSJE78joIAfuxhePeCET1K-ADxR1SpNp0xL9c6a86-iKZguwezzNYpg8LA/s320/IMG00113.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357386200445783810" border="0" /></a>You are now entering the bakery zone..zeroing in on vegan bakery products...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEVnkoUO-jFDY77xZcvF1RJZW6mU1yneOV4dSljfGPzbXcdXFy5SufsLd2Fo1C6CwoKkUf46HA9kkcVvtD7qTw2IJo3ik75dW3JmgljPzMHgaAezLz3YTpGYbcLA8DyHxjBc6EQ/s1600-h/IMG00125.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEVnkoUO-jFDY77xZcvF1RJZW6mU1yneOV4dSljfGPzbXcdXFy5SufsLd2Fo1C6CwoKkUf46HA9kkcVvtD7qTw2IJo3ik75dW3JmgljPzMHgaAezLz3YTpGYbcLA8DyHxjBc6EQ/s320/IMG00125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385861371176162" border="0" /></a>Located target! Yum...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhven08MJxFpHkaXdJ9jyqGwB5skPMeaUGis9tW1pDUvJ-vKBnVfqveD6hpC5QbrcjSRhYh7B9P7kXoUT-Ghx9WqJk8Xd6ZH_Dwxj8mBP6PhSdcvXyCFchHUn359xaICanJmg7Bkw/s1600-h/IMG00124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhven08MJxFpHkaXdJ9jyqGwB5skPMeaUGis9tW1pDUvJ-vKBnVfqveD6hpC5QbrcjSRhYh7B9P7kXoUT-Ghx9WqJk8Xd6ZH_Dwxj8mBP6PhSdcvXyCFchHUn359xaICanJmg7Bkw/s320/IMG00124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385856697447618" border="0" /></a><br />Moving on to the produce department to seek the elusive dragon fruit. I read about it in my new vegan ice cream book, The Vegan Scoop. My local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WF</span> doesn't have it. Supposedly tastes like a cross between <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">strawberries</span> and kiwi. The very friendly produce team gave me a sample. Hum..<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">strawberries</span> and kiwi are not exactly how I'd describe it..it was, well, rather bland and not sweet. Maybe it wasn't ripe. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Grrr</span>...doesn't it look <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">dragonish</span>?! Or maybe like a porcupine?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdasfUni4BFpvHUvSFqGHERqkrffFar9JRMpo6XHCZxsEMnhpwvUAikuhAFIE2mHk-AAcjuhuqcNEpgxar95Nms7yfTzSyUPABWN3HgOQj4ltovwegOn4vFTvj_kcUyB4MTmXrCA/s1600-h/IMG00121.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdasfUni4BFpvHUvSFqGHERqkrffFar9JRMpo6XHCZxsEMnhpwvUAikuhAFIE2mHk-AAcjuhuqcNEpgxar95Nms7yfTzSyUPABWN3HgOQj4ltovwegOn4vFTvj_kcUyB4MTmXrCA/s320/IMG00121.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385848055916098" border="0" /></a><br />The produce worker who gave me a sample told me that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">lychees</span> are related to dragon fruit and personally, he prefers <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">lychees</span>. He gave me a sample. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lychees</span> look exactly like dragon fruit minus the thorny thingies. And so much better tasting!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHStHZqUerbjL_GYNGWwqyFZ_TjYfOU54nD603PlfeTXdJ0klrBoz56XG5PBe51DahyBoWkwuSADg6guy156Ltnt-qqe8WAmstewfyZN1cOYq-UPplqS2ps2cdIM3BBHdr7H-8rQ/s1600-h/IMG00122.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHStHZqUerbjL_GYNGWwqyFZ_TjYfOU54nD603PlfeTXdJ0klrBoz56XG5PBe51DahyBoWkwuSADg6guy156Ltnt-qqe8WAmstewfyZN1cOYq-UPplqS2ps2cdIM3BBHdr7H-8rQ/s320/IMG00122.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385851464785810" border="0" /></a><br />A Pure bar sample smorgasbord! Thanks again to the Chocolate-Covered Vegan for letting me know that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Clif</span> is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">discontinuing</span> my favorite vegan bar, Nectar..we've been on a search for a suitable replacement. Pure won't be it (must be chocolate, folks..there are no compromises on that) but the cranberry orange flavor is really good. I would buy it regardless of its zero chocolate content and that's saying something =)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EPUoRduYX9q4B4OES3NDR56ffww7pZLoCct-lysEn96oOJmpMBuqQwv0FWEeE5qM6jVukQ4TSmOq9o1tctCXV_HtBsNK85E6EtGZwNxwzlFXLsu3Ux16pI0KRJWdvAKA9kidew/s1600-h/IMG00137.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EPUoRduYX9q4B4OES3NDR56ffww7pZLoCct-lysEn96oOJmpMBuqQwv0FWEeE5qM6jVukQ4TSmOq9o1tctCXV_HtBsNK85E6EtGZwNxwzlFXLsu3Ux16pI0KRJWdvAKA9kidew/s320/IMG00137.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385571422774226" border="0" /></a><br />Mission <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">accomplished</span>..I left Whole Foods, with a dent in my credit card and Sweet and Sara vegan <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">marshmallows</span> packed in my bag. Onwards to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Newbury</span> Comics, our local discount and very fun music store chain. This was worth a shot...Tofu is so going to win, I just know it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Dn8Cn8wzYHwuCgXT5nSig9aXFF92LRWcOR1PKet0wEZHUT8KEo-kzKT9JnFwkLPZnHubdmxt2_V8OuM-ka2yTRogFQFHQ95eawzTt9FVc2t8DzXHcWEljLNpbH3b_naS_WglRA/s1600-h/IMG00138.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Dn8Cn8wzYHwuCgXT5nSig9aXFF92LRWcOR1PKet0wEZHUT8KEo-kzKT9JnFwkLPZnHubdmxt2_V8OuM-ka2yTRogFQFHQ95eawzTt9FVc2t8DzXHcWEljLNpbH3b_naS_WglRA/s320/IMG00138.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385573171728018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z3G7uOdYWQgTBEuU1CnApBg6pfB_lHU1jo2_CnfzMlzGOU-p797h3ihfEibqxAnVVIBKT7CgYDlFfAzNnEdHabhG3eR-BTHsF4JLQZ-kO1PiPF2T1uKQY1M03arh4oGFd7RjtQ/s1600-h/IMG00139.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z3G7uOdYWQgTBEuU1CnApBg6pfB_lHU1jo2_CnfzMlzGOU-p797h3ihfEibqxAnVVIBKT7CgYDlFfAzNnEdHabhG3eR-BTHsF4JLQZ-kO1PiPF2T1uKQY1M03arh4oGFd7RjtQ/s320/IMG00139.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385172011441554" border="0" /></a><br />Later at the Harvard Bookstore, I plunked myself down to drool over some lovely vegan reading. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Ani's</span> Raw Food Desserts..healthy and sweet..my heart was beating extra fast...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpu7lt8xqeerelWFuyhUCkc5hgm1kw1N5uxaHkmkK8VmrtIjDAsz-e3DUSItZ9BdRtsimsNYVigiADBXD4h4qsZ420oomCidcSDCE-MODrOV-_Cjs7QsjPx3FsmjQA1yW80Bpzw/s1600-h/IMG00151.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpu7lt8xqeerelWFuyhUCkc5hgm1kw1N5uxaHkmkK8VmrtIjDAsz-e3DUSItZ9BdRtsimsNYVigiADBXD4h4qsZ420oomCidcSDCE-MODrOV-_Cjs7QsjPx3FsmjQA1yW80Bpzw/s320/IMG00151.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385249211733938" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Shellyfish</span> has blogged about this book quite a bit and I know it will be mine soon. But not today because it's $35 and my credit card is still too hot from Whole Foods to touch...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTEHXHf8AzM6GUUvkyeoxCk60L3fWt-IkiAUDRRe7_G3UEtXrNaj9VfSGb7nqL1lEHKmh06P9TIYe0DWx5gNpOhSZLJpcsg8zBVkjdk94wCyoYkkjQZ1jqxft7dFS99uUk64GkA/s1600-h/IMG00150.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTEHXHf8AzM6GUUvkyeoxCk60L3fWt-IkiAUDRRe7_G3UEtXrNaj9VfSGb7nqL1lEHKmh06P9TIYe0DWx5gNpOhSZLJpcsg8zBVkjdk94wCyoYkkjQZ1jqxft7dFS99uUk64GkA/s320/IMG00150.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385228890300466" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, have I been living in a cave for a few years? How did I miss <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Babycakes</span>, the vegan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">cupcakery</span> in NYC? So checking it out next month when I visit my sister in NYC...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9AtXmRxb22qrYZ-6WwfKsfa2JJ2xvDt9yMxwtHOH_rB0EM69ejstc_HoPeCE0EeSuLDltmEPIDUCu8cmgZciGRTpZKQAT1gt7tRNt3Y4nGVpNYEXy9Z6CjhGmAqt10Xy3ehdPA/s1600-h/IMG00149.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9AtXmRxb22qrYZ-6WwfKsfa2JJ2xvDt9yMxwtHOH_rB0EM69ejstc_HoPeCE0EeSuLDltmEPIDUCu8cmgZciGRTpZKQAT1gt7tRNt3Y4nGVpNYEXy9Z6CjhGmAqt10Xy3ehdPA/s320/IMG00149.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385225829773826" border="0" /></a><br />And last but not least, a trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Fiore's</span> Bakery in Jamaica Plain..it's not all vegan but it's got enough vegan offerings to warrant many return trips!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5YdWXcHcJi4Xw09ZmuVw7hGAbB72XBERNYjAeUaEIccfCZ4o4krPdEzGdH3YBcT9PPTlitPPapTkt53sTFR5I5DPVMAgXbAT5Zn6YYk7ROolo4LlOfPUiyYjtJ0rgXCVUr94qg/s1600-h/IMG_1737.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5YdWXcHcJi4Xw09ZmuVw7hGAbB72XBERNYjAeUaEIccfCZ4o4krPdEzGdH3YBcT9PPTlitPPapTkt53sTFR5I5DPVMAgXbAT5Zn6YYk7ROolo4LlOfPUiyYjtJ0rgXCVUr94qg/s320/IMG_1737.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357384300167037410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsx2L7Po7Gk8Iqc3iy0vdOlJSbQbiWoT2WnQB0w5ZYtqKxYlrzVL5zhkhtp6YPgSiI9k3gjLuLtFNeOI6p1pVuA_9dhhrory83pIiFQl1KCK2decyO7K6ES37vQ6vvSN854cFJw/s1600-h/IMG_1725.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsx2L7Po7Gk8Iqc3iy0vdOlJSbQbiWoT2WnQB0w5ZYtqKxYlrzVL5zhkhtp6YPgSiI9k3gjLuLtFNeOI6p1pVuA_9dhhrory83pIiFQl1KCK2decyO7K6ES37vQ6vvSN854cFJw/s320/IMG_1725.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357385253007681282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJryPb9ijpIiY8qIY3tgOF7ZtvLLVkjgRj2aouIG9AqtpyM9QOQhgGIw-KP-RRSPcAGhz014n9XOJ4yN0uWccVdm_AdOl02qx9uplqkyHI2bAmM7mToTYEu7xbVso95KHTHGLdg/s1600-h/IMG_1729.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJryPb9ijpIiY8qIY3tgOF7ZtvLLVkjgRj2aouIG9AqtpyM9QOQhgGIw-KP-RRSPcAGhz014n9XOJ4yN0uWccVdm_AdOl02qx9uplqkyHI2bAmM7mToTYEu7xbVso95KHTHGLdg/s320/IMG_1729.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357384311746494882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS4WSgsUCf6pLQZ4gAmAfUFeOEYo_7e8QIJVLSvHSur_ytnvGUQLRD2Swe_dkDCRpk7JRaJKNOgKpyD8xTtEy9JRnDNOYw0W0kvarFrYS7G31so7n7IGP_eMcchmmjVN810zzyw/s1600-h/IMG_1730.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS4WSgsUCf6pLQZ4gAmAfUFeOEYo_7e8QIJVLSvHSur_ytnvGUQLRD2Swe_dkDCRpk7JRaJKNOgKpyD8xTtEy9JRnDNOYw0W0kvarFrYS7G31so7n7IGP_eMcchmmjVN810zzyw/s320/IMG_1730.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357384306860977522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj8bjesYaCoQ9KK9sdPj4CLy53uCEEtFBK6sOc1k0q-IxTSfSbfnTOQRVKeNxww3Mx0lUAzUt8uxy8bb_SzbI6dK57ox8qM5uiJY6keKSrz81BDrWqGnYpiUte_HGoo8FwjF15A/s1600-h/IMG_1732.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj8bjesYaCoQ9KK9sdPj4CLy53uCEEtFBK6sOc1k0q-IxTSfSbfnTOQRVKeNxww3Mx0lUAzUt8uxy8bb_SzbI6dK57ox8qM5uiJY6keKSrz81BDrWqGnYpiUte_HGoo8FwjF15A/s320/IMG_1732.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357384304580408642" border="0" /></a><br />My lunch..I forgot the name but it was so delicious..I ate half, wrapped the other half up to eat at home for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">yummilicious</span> leftover session later in the day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGHoeWXwLjoHCiKJpksmta3XgQ_Xeqf4WPjPcJIhqY6R-M5RZLwTChoUjZb4rhA_9QTT_T6jjTJQTAPFOFEFR4H3HpRdzaRzQb4-T0pFMCENBdaWYFwGfM8v2PiL_IQatGnKmKg/s1600-h/IMG_1738.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGHoeWXwLjoHCiKJpksmta3XgQ_Xeqf4WPjPcJIhqY6R-M5RZLwTChoUjZb4rhA_9QTT_T6jjTJQTAPFOFEFR4H3HpRdzaRzQb4-T0pFMCENBdaWYFwGfM8v2PiL_IQatGnKmKg/s320/IMG_1738.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357384290961346018" border="0" /></a>So much to tell you soon about converting my entire family to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">veganism</span> this past week! Okay, just for a day but hey, I cannot believe my dad ate a tofu-based lasagna and loved it. Yeah, okay, so he didn't actually know it was tofu or vegan but if you can't convince them with the facts, appeal to their taste buds! Long Live Passive Aggressive Vegan Conversions!! Lol!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-15235240143216313882009-07-03T17:01:00.005-05:002009-07-09T22:34:17.610-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Purple Cows And More Squirrels</span></span><br /><br />Hello everyone! I've been on a mini-vacation with my sister in town. It's been a really fun visit but unfortunately the weather here in New England has been awful for not only the entire month of June but also for the first few days of July. It's been downright dreary. It's hard not to let the gloom settle upon us when the skies are dark when we know this time of year they are supposed to be light. I am working hard not to let my usual somewhat pessimistic inclinations (oh, I fight them hard!) take over. Two pros: I haven't had to water my container garden since May (oh yes, really) and we haven't had to run the AC at all yet. I despise air conditioning but sometimes it is a necessary evil when the humidity hits a certain point (above 70% like now) and it's hot. I haven't mentioned it before but my apartment is actually a portal to hell..well, at least it can feel like it in the summer! Our western exposure and one wall of windows that faces the west means that we bake in the summer sun. It's often 90+ in my apartment late afternoon. Luckily, we've just had the humidity but not the heat. Am I doing a good job of trying to find a silver lining to a storm cloud? I'm trying REALLY hard!<br /><br />So I was surprised when I went out into the garden the other day and saw that we actually had blackberries growing in our garden. I mean, did we even had enough sun for that? Guess so and no complaints here. And then when an email from VegNews appeared in my inbox and had a recipe for black raspberry ice cream, I knew that my procrastination in getting you good people a proper ice cream review had really paid off. Don't you love it when a procrastinated plan comes together? Ha ha!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh-FjHs8f4ITq2vbBafmttEMnhRxwHyZ-VHtaH55coU5kkAaiaRYbYQF8Bogdd_cLUJNbsz5b4n3whkcNRR75G3c9Gpy2DFHfdEKIs_iNpHtTIX-_yzRPUKknIAn7MB0BKbXBwg/s1600-h/IMG_1815.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh-FjHs8f4ITq2vbBafmttEMnhRxwHyZ-VHtaH55coU5kkAaiaRYbYQF8Bogdd_cLUJNbsz5b4n3whkcNRR75G3c9Gpy2DFHfdEKIs_iNpHtTIX-_yzRPUKknIAn7MB0BKbXBwg/s320/IMG_1815.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354372886512759362" border="0" /></a><br />So into the garden I went and I picked those raspberries undercover of darkness. Not because I didn't want anyone to see me but rather because inspiration strikes me at odd hours and I've learned to just run with it. I used to love picking blackberries as a kid. Do you find that sometimes your childhood memories leave out certain details? Yup, totally forgot about the prickers on the raspberry bushes. Ow ow ow..not sure if I woke the neighbors but I'm sure some squirrels heard me and shook their fuzzy heads and said "oh that one. She's so odd. But she gives us nuts so we like her." I do not recommend blackberry picking in the dark just in case you were all inspired and planning to do it from my post. He he he...<br /><br />So anyways, since VegNews published this recipe from Wheeler del Torro's "Vegan Scoop," I figure it's cool to post it here. The original recipe is a black raspberry ice cream but of course, I had to modify it (don't we all?). I haven't had Purple Cow ice cream (black raspberry chocolate chip) in years because I've never seen a vegan version. OMG..the result is sooooo good! I used a 70% bittersweet chocolate bar that I chopped up into bite sized pieces. Since this ice cream recipe is so sweet, the bittersweet seemed suitable. Actually, I cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup and I thought it was still too sweet..I'll try for even less sugar next time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAnecD58xPPRuftph9sklSxbuWPpevcqwHZxY0G4Tj5g3d4PeJINfSE2d86VainaJgX16aLvIgY5_I1aDuJAo8c4deItatZpN3X2AzGFG8dtl9NsaweZemMIzegDRcSeGsWNjig/s1600-h/IMG_1808.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAnecD58xPPRuftph9sklSxbuWPpevcqwHZxY0G4Tj5g3d4PeJINfSE2d86VainaJgX16aLvIgY5_I1aDuJAo8c4deItatZpN3X2AzGFG8dtl9NsaweZemMIzegDRcSeGsWNjig/s320/IMG_1808.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354372890985280354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Raspberry Ice Cream or "Black Cow" Ice Cream Variation (recipe from VegNews)</span><br /><br />Makes about 1 quart<br /><br />What You Need:<br />1 cup soymilk, divided<br />2 tablespoons arrowroot powder<br />1 cup fresh black raspberries, divided<br />2 cups soy creamer<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1 tablespoon vanilla<br /><br />What You Do:<br />1. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup soymilk with arrowroot and set aside. In a blender, purée 1/2 cup raspberries, soy creamer, remaining 3/4 cup soymilk, and sugar.<br /><br />2. Transfer mixture to a medium-size saucepan and cook over low heat. Once mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and immediately add arrowroot cream. This will cause the liquid to thicken noticeably. Add vanilla extract.<br /><br />3. Refrigerate mixture until chilled, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. In the last few minutes of churning, add remaining 1/2 cup raspberries. My note: I added 1 cup of chocolate chunks at this point too.<br /><br />I'm enjoying The Vegan Scoop quite a bit. So far I've made chocolate chip ice cream, strawberry and now blackberry raspberry chocolate chip. All were very good. My only complain is, again, that the recipes are very sweet. When I feel more confident with these recipes and my new ice cream machine, I'll try agave and cutting the sugar more. Speaking of ice cream machine, thank you for all the excellent advice on ice cream machine. It was great to hear what you all thought about your machines. I ended up getting the standard Cuisinart machine. It's nothing fancy..actually relatively low tech but it does the job and it was within my budget.<br /><br />Some more pictures..the garden is growing gangbusters with all this rain:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqkxnuZsn7Sl38L8nFunN1i9hI8xOd0tZrASxAcwPGIRcGcELT5kJT12H2vPCPodyDu_7OXBA-nCeBOoCVoK-yLdEA-SgZHcT-Uqjcx7fSn3SMsmxQoDrUC3ZwCcnTyCdbGTMPA/s1600-h/IMG_1817.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqkxnuZsn7Sl38L8nFunN1i9hI8xOd0tZrASxAcwPGIRcGcELT5kJT12H2vPCPodyDu_7OXBA-nCeBOoCVoK-yLdEA-SgZHcT-Uqjcx7fSn3SMsmxQoDrUC3ZwCcnTyCdbGTMPA/s320/IMG_1817.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354372872386374898" border="0" /></a><br />The tomatoes are going to be big with all the water..but will the sun return so they can turn red?!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaLMdgrxE9hmjTKdw5ZN_kQ565QwLjO9JKnyOFWsscph3jN5vWgORrn1dWH5gW4JvlqCDBfUOEJTYK2M4_eGKdFmcM1ld6uJKDeNFSSHrLKwE2u2I4NZhJMM-3kMO-53uPAgphA/s1600-h/IMG_1816.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaLMdgrxE9hmjTKdw5ZN_kQ565QwLjO9JKnyOFWsscph3jN5vWgORrn1dWH5gW4JvlqCDBfUOEJTYK2M4_eGKdFmcM1ld6uJKDeNFSSHrLKwE2u2I4NZhJMM-3kMO-53uPAgphA/s320/IMG_1816.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354372879004354754" border="0" /></a><br />Very excited! I found an herbal tea from Celestial Seasonings..it tastes pretty close to caffeinated ice tea and mixed with a little agave and some lemon, it's perfect..if it ever gets hot here again! I'm naturally caffeinated unfortunately and the littlest bit of caffeine will have me bouncing off the walls. Oh, and sugar works too =)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzj0W31ekG8OHGd_9EPlu7GcRph_eVJ6NhqlIqqFoUS0E0rCR4_tP0RieuNf6GqEmbUAJfVoncY8U5dhMIyGcJfzxTGupbMkeE96Tq2P7nMX_e3kvKzkQ538l89QsbElvBpskJg/s1600-h/IMG_1818.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzj0W31ekG8OHGd_9EPlu7GcRph_eVJ6NhqlIqqFoUS0E0rCR4_tP0RieuNf6GqEmbUAJfVoncY8U5dhMIyGcJfzxTGupbMkeE96Tq2P7nMX_e3kvKzkQ538l89QsbElvBpskJg/s320/IMG_1818.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354372867413338210" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, here's some shots from Squirrelly's family. These little siblings are really cute and they always seem to be together:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_w5a5WZJyHdWR27o8A8Wv8E6rLtpA1JkMGgYMngE50aI2XYdXSJyDrL3fCqtXJNvaakkYMFTeTzNKO83s2z6PDe8nJkC9ceFs2FFNklOQ6-x2aBzXdasxiKJQi-8h3RwNnPIPsA/s1600-h/IMG_1795.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_w5a5WZJyHdWR27o8A8Wv8E6rLtpA1JkMGgYMngE50aI2XYdXSJyDrL3fCqtXJNvaakkYMFTeTzNKO83s2z6PDe8nJkC9ceFs2FFNklOQ6-x2aBzXdasxiKJQi-8h3RwNnPIPsA/s320/IMG_1795.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356157958605222818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdcNN57t10JkhvDNtPLniMwIf8NvCeK00Go6dR48d-xuxozt6hKfViDNlmQR3UbFXE00iwOPD_Vv3HO3xBC3rTGPjhua84iU0PfeuTC_bR2OKmXMwMhT62eb7leKlOSfcF3yDug/s1600-h/IMG_1797.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdcNN57t10JkhvDNtPLniMwIf8NvCeK00Go6dR48d-xuxozt6hKfViDNlmQR3UbFXE00iwOPD_Vv3HO3xBC3rTGPjhua84iU0PfeuTC_bR2OKmXMwMhT62eb7leKlOSfcF3yDug/s320/IMG_1797.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356157957839593698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YiERPhx15S3TaooclZi2emZyKaRjkit_9IG3flDqOM76onO4xG1EYi7PyF_hxB80mU29pa7Ojg0NawAmooRk2nNEAsiK00Q6NZqZRf6KintRw_NjX5YQX3z-s5eOyxdAlSR2YQ/s1600-h/IMG_1798.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YiERPhx15S3TaooclZi2emZyKaRjkit_9IG3flDqOM76onO4xG1EYi7PyF_hxB80mU29pa7Ojg0NawAmooRk2nNEAsiK00Q6NZqZRf6KintRw_NjX5YQX3z-s5eOyxdAlSR2YQ/s320/IMG_1798.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356157954140878754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzfw-RNkH1bizEiu8FZ3Pq_SysDbiGqQA_gJw_knHp77xyJCm82iuY5wS52fKj2-9T9IQeyVoA1iGu-ZtwtrcVNAOGWyH1creGpybYuBzJJYf8YR2eI8YZ15fR8XcC7v-dqzPkQ/s1600-h/IMG_1801.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzfw-RNkH1bizEiu8FZ3Pq_SysDbiGqQA_gJw_knHp77xyJCm82iuY5wS52fKj2-9T9IQeyVoA1iGu-ZtwtrcVNAOGWyH1creGpybYuBzJJYf8YR2eI8YZ15fR8XcC7v-dqzPkQ/s320/IMG_1801.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356157946568470802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHUASbs3mSNI1LAn6pc11YiTFTrSoa5xH0zeMPqbr4gzJbshVYQF1BoLJZZ3ff4CBHX0Wz0fcs66sJDLe8n9uptAnq0hmiK7ks_kUcx8IXzc2R_Z8Z-txQT9vDMI4TIKqjvo9HA/s1600-h/IMG_1805.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHUASbs3mSNI1LAn6pc11YiTFTrSoa5xH0zeMPqbr4gzJbshVYQF1BoLJZZ3ff4CBHX0Wz0fcs66sJDLe8n9uptAnq0hmiK7ks_kUcx8IXzc2R_Z8Z-txQT9vDMI4TIKqjvo9HA/s320/IMG_1805.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356157939994821698" border="0" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-39740531635665469552009-06-28T20:36:00.004-05:002009-06-28T21:44:00.773-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The "Jordan Marsh" Vegan Blueberry Muffin</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPu_gJ0AuF3vP3XBXrcGRZ8QWJk2WP5lU-g2fwrRq_U8EPhVBqQegysNKEtEKXofWAKsbRVh65R0Wxf732z6iF0wvmbC91FXhEgRZ-NULxg9HjtOsLdo9NE-Ko50DeMYqhGA3UZw/s1600-h/IMG_1780.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPu_gJ0AuF3vP3XBXrcGRZ8QWJk2WP5lU-g2fwrRq_U8EPhVBqQegysNKEtEKXofWAKsbRVh65R0Wxf732z6iF0wvmbC91FXhEgRZ-NULxg9HjtOsLdo9NE-Ko50DeMYqhGA3UZw/s320/IMG_1780.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352570618354309234" border="0" /></a>Today is a very special day. It's my friend Sarah's birthday! She and her hubby are tromping through that other "Portland" (the Oregon one) and probably passing out in ecstasy at the vegan mini-mall there as I type. Aside from being a just amazing friend and super duper meteorologist (hurricane force winds? getting knocked over by a 10 foot wave? No <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">problemo</span> for this girl..she's up for it), she's also quite the vegan baker. So when she said she had a vegan blueberry muffin recipe, I knew it was going to be good.<br /><br />I've affectionately called these "Jordan Marsh" blueberry muffins but technically they are not. Bear with me for a little Boston history. Jordan Marsh was a Boston-based department store chain that closed down a few years ago along with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Filene's</span>, our other well known local department store. Jordan Marsh and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Filene's</span> will always remind me of the "old" Boston that I used to know when I was a kid. My mom use to schlep me and my two sisters via Volvo station wagon two hours from New Hampshire to hang out in "the big city." Those Boston trips were the highlights of my childhood. I will always remember them with a smile. Boston was quite different back in the 80s compared to today. It's downright cosmopolitan now in some ways. Not that anything is wrong with that but strolling thorough town you can see the chains and brands that you can see in well, just about any other American city. Some of Boston's specialness has been lost unfortunately in this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cosmo</span> boom. Was it the big shoulder pads and big hair of the late 80s that made people think everything had to be big, that local was yokel? I have no idea but by the time I started college in Boston in 1990, the old Boston that I loved from my childhood was quickly slipping away. Boston is a very historic town so you may not realize how much has changed if you visit but for locals or even New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Englanders</span>, we notice..sigh..the price of progress. If you're interested in the whole story about the Jordan Marsh muffin, you can check it out <a href="http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2004/12/27/a_farewell_to_the_muffin_man/">here</a>.<br /><br />But we have our memories/muffins luckily! I grew up with my mom remembering from her college days those "Jordan Marsh" muffins that were sold at the namesake department store and well loved by Bostonians near and far. I can't tell you for sure if I ever had one myself but when I think of the gold standard of blueberry muffins, I always think "Jordan Marsh." It seems that I'm not the only one because there are a slew of variations of this muffin recipe on the web and all claim it's the best. However, they simply cannot be for one reason..they're NOT vegan!<br />So I christen these blueberry bundles of joy, the Jordan Marsh Vegan Blueberry Muffin!<br /><br />Sprinkled with vanilla sugar on top (do you make vanilla sugar? I noticed that in Germany you can buy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pre</span>-made vanilla sugar..it appears to be big in our German cookbooks but I rarely see it here in the US. So I just chop a vanilla bean in a few pieces and put it into a small locking jar with some sugar.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9D4If2YRSquWsTAxXuuIxxHzukgdB2oU5bQZXiHINipPdSqPwVERw7KJrMSA9rHq2IC7-4Y2PXABG2g5_l5AjeamEdceynUBaOunGCNz_eMh04EjWvvRdeu7gJiPTtNr62fAoEg/s1600-h/IMG_1777.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9D4If2YRSquWsTAxXuuIxxHzukgdB2oU5bQZXiHINipPdSqPwVERw7KJrMSA9rHq2IC7-4Y2PXABG2g5_l5AjeamEdceynUBaOunGCNz_eMh04EjWvvRdeu7gJiPTtNr62fAoEg/s320/IMG_1777.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352570631818431538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_i1HhPcZSKRdAg_LKIr19li9FkNpNtc6TaLyxhe5e47WCVAGJL8u9y_XMAr9ds0bhgoEDfg72q7GY_4kgOnnaHmxqVY4bXRIGocPzvnvrn6Nfw0OL3BgoeV0nnGhkHGBCKQzHA/s1600-h/IMG_1778.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_i1HhPcZSKRdAg_LKIr19li9FkNpNtc6TaLyxhe5e47WCVAGJL8u9y_XMAr9ds0bhgoEDfg72q7GY_4kgOnnaHmxqVY4bXRIGocPzvnvrn6Nfw0OL3BgoeV0nnGhkHGBCKQzHA/s320/IMG_1778.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352570622088790370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sift:</span> 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp. baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp. salt<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In a bowl mix: </span>the equivalent of two eggs, 2/3 cup "milk", 1/3 cup canola oil<br /><br />Mix the wet into the dry ingredients until most lumps but not all are mixed.<br />Add 1 cup blueberries<br /><br />Scoop into muffin tin, greased or lined and sprinkle sugar on top before baking (I used vanilla sugar..yum!)<br /><br />Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes when tops are golden brown.<br /><br />The final product below..on my squirrel plate..H has the "lucky duck" variation. I spread some of my blueberry lemon jam from last year on top..yum. For whatever crazy reason I feel that I should hurry up with my current jam since it's pretty much jam season AGAIN. So we're eating a lot of jam lately from last year's batch (plum, blueberry lemon and strawberry..hoping to branch out and try some new flavors this year).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1O22hsruJh-qZ_HKT5upgMWRF2xqpGRhQGcgP-a1YaW4hZNYwnuChBgrbS10EHH2waAHh0no4wkVysYrg7dTK_NBj704GN_TQ6qt8oPjmr0dO51c9raPlX8hnYif3wFjcmU8Fw/s1600-h/IMG_1781.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1O22hsruJh-qZ_HKT5upgMWRF2xqpGRhQGcgP-a1YaW4hZNYwnuChBgrbS10EHH2waAHh0no4wkVysYrg7dTK_NBj704GN_TQ6qt8oPjmr0dO51c9raPlX8hnYif3wFjcmU8Fw/s320/IMG_1781.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352570613436207858" border="0" /></a><br />And of course, because I can't help myself, look at these sleepy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Goos</span>! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ohhhhh</span>...believe me, they are as cute in person..can't stand the cuteness sometimes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Glj6T246_aVoT07ogD1UT3hnMzNLWjj8XhrGDwyu8rAarMyWK71jFGT9UFzKc07EKx06TMnoPXc-tER1P2nOztXpvRIk29oyi5oDyO0z6SNU9wg3G-NP51RMgaDOvIf6zEw0xA/s1600-h/IMG_1764.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Glj6T246_aVoT07ogD1UT3hnMzNLWjj8XhrGDwyu8rAarMyWK71jFGT9UFzKc07EKx06TMnoPXc-tER1P2nOztXpvRIk29oyi5oDyO0z6SNU9wg3G-NP51RMgaDOvIf6zEw0xA/s320/IMG_1764.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352570634894590546" border="0" /></a>I'll be back soon with ice cream posts, vegan almond cheese and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">jammin</span>'..later!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-7588719491889850752009-06-11T10:47:00.011-05:002009-07-16T09:57:25.526-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I Scream, You Scream</span></span><br /><br />We all scream for vegan ice cream! Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dagnammit</span>, it's about time! Two new vegan ice cream books have arrived. And this girl couldn't be more excited.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Itq02Xg_SmE0pjLcC2ukp5mjyJeo6D8Tiy5tr3dtU7Pjagt0RxZQSm7Ode7Ovdvz4H7_QQZLc97gKOk9otzdATZCtkOZn-iYperlqEfJQGcetcF1rlXXUMjP5Fj30VR6gNMfiw/s1600-h/veganscoop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Itq02Xg_SmE0pjLcC2ukp5mjyJeo6D8Tiy5tr3dtU7Pjagt0RxZQSm7Ode7Ovdvz4H7_QQZLc97gKOk9otzdATZCtkOZn-iYperlqEfJQGcetcF1rlXXUMjP5Fj30VR6gNMfiw/s320/veganscoop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346099717269009570" border="0" /></a><br />Now, first you must understand something about New England to understand why I am so excited. New England has the #1 per <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">capita</span> consumption rate of ice cream of <span style="font-style: italic;">any region in the country</span>. Why? Not exactly sure but I think it is because ice cream is part of our local culture. Really. When I talk about growing up in NE with other native New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Englanders</span> we all have the same stories from our childhood. Going to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Friendly's</span> for a grilled cheese and ice cream with the grandparents. Taking a ride on a hot summer's eve with the family to wait in line at the local Creamy Cone under a stretch of tall pines while the purple mosquito lamp buzzes. Or day dreaming of the long gone Bailey's of Boston ice cream parlor complete with marble floors and tin sundae cups. And our "frappes" are not wimpy milkshakes..they're so much thicker cause the main ingredient is, you guessed it, ice cream!<br /><br />So what's a girl to do when she goes vegan? Distance herself from her dairy-ridden past? No way! In Boston we are so incredibly fortunate to have a vegan ice creamery to line up during the hot humid summer months sweating in relief. Okay, even in the wintertime when New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Englanders</span>' appetite for the cold creamy stuff doesn't disappear with the first snow. Our own Wheeler <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">del</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Torro</span> opened up his Wheeler's Frozen Dessert Co. Shop just last year. I hadn't heard a peep about Wheeler's new book, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/theveganscoop.com">The Vegan Scoop</a> until earlier this week when I stumbled upon it in my local bookstore. Imagine my surprise (jumping up and down in the cookbook aisle is a regular form of exercise for me). Just released last week, so hot, or should we say cold, off the presses! This book is AMAZING! If I must tear myself away from its gorgeous pages to say, shower, feed the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Goos</span>, or go to work, it's only out of necessity. Check out his <a href="http://www.theveganscoop.com/">book web site</a>..some sample recipes and fun stuff.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmlRvN420mWqDf6d7yM1ebV96q7qf9HqsjPjcg51CPL1tjBBmrIS8tE_Icl3AuNBIeCYv2eXK1IDyP0Lw_1JqqSLPvmMInvN8CEzgGnBDxLraRvNAx4LgpmcPflo1wxwCAm78Lw/s1600-h/lick-it.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmlRvN420mWqDf6d7yM1ebV96q7qf9HqsjPjcg51CPL1tjBBmrIS8tE_Icl3AuNBIeCYv2eXK1IDyP0Lw_1JqqSLPvmMInvN8CEzgGnBDxLraRvNAx4LgpmcPflo1wxwCAm78Lw/s320/lick-it.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346103283099538994" border="0" /></a><br />Also released recently is Lick It!, another vegan ice cream book. I have yet to get my hands on a copy but Tami from <a href="http://www.veganappetite.com/2009/05/contest-lick-it.html">Vegan Appetite</a> has heaped praise upon it and Tami's thumbs up is good enough for me! Check out the publisher's web site and <a href="http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/lick-it-creamy-dreamy-vegan-ice-creams-your-mouth-will-love">sample chocolate raspberry ice cream recipe</a>.<br /><br />So finally, with new cookbook in hand, I realize it is time to invest in my own ice cream maker. I've had my upstairs neighbor's hand crank ice cream maker on "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">permaloan</span>" (upstairs neighbors rock!) but I find it's not a very good ice cream maker. Well, not to my creamy perfection at least. So time to go electric? Maybe...so off to Williams <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sonoma</span>. Now, just a quick disclaimer..yes, Williams can be a bit overpriced with some items..but not always. I usually compare on Amazon. But when making an appliance purchase, I usually try to purchase at Williams because of their AMAZING return policy. I can't tell you how many times I have bought small appliances at other retailers, even local mom and pop ones, only to have the appliance malfunction or break in the first months, year, etc. and be told by the retailer that I'll need to contact the manufacturer. Contacting a manufacturer is often torture (I'd rather be blogging, cooking or eating!) and if they won't cover the shipping it can get expensive. Williams is a snap for situations like these. Even if it's been several years..just bring in your original receipt and they'll either give you a new appliance or give you a fair value discount based on your use of the item towards a new item. They rock! And as long as every darn small appliance I want just happens to be made in China, I feel I need the little extra insurance (no offense meant to my chinese factory worker blogger friends..which number zero at this point but ya never know!). Okay..sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a Williams <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Sonoma</span> advertisement! To get back on topic, some ice cream machine options I am considering:<br /><br />At almost $300 this guy is WAY out of my budget. And I think it would be a bit overkill for just me and H. The main advantage with this guy is that he has a built in compressor so you don't have to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">prefreeze</span> the chilling bowl. Isn't this the same ice cream maker that Lorelei receives as a wedding gift after she calls it off with Max in what, the fourth season of Gilmore Girls? He he he!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Jw1BQBvzW4fKMCdi95vj5sennei60LxrlC8a2oNz3sOoGv-yMOS4xphWNZSE33DGbLyqPsL3YEnk55AKMp2YmKQJRVAkwco6ao3fzGiPPRP97PrVzd1Bm9_E704VeXPJsTaXQ/s1600-h/img36m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Jw1BQBvzW4fKMCdi95vj5sennei60LxrlC8a2oNz3sOoGv-yMOS4xphWNZSE33DGbLyqPsL3YEnk55AKMp2YmKQJRVAkwco6ao3fzGiPPRP97PrVzd1Bm9_E704VeXPJsTaXQ/s320/img36m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346106462294927650" border="0" /></a><br />This one is $79.95 and does 2 quarts. You do have to freeze the chilling bowl in advance. Williams <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sonoma</span> is offering a $30 gift certificate for when you purchase this guy. Cool. Literally!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaB8tjSlVY_0HqYFofN_kw_x1QR-ZBK_AN3fZtP6gtpFrhQXaFKbyARa5VD48_Fy8D9pUEsF7kMfWBqkeRjhfzwtirA-x0YiWh0XRpdLEiYMMSzOKTTC0cocuqEZhe18P23ur3w/s1600-h/img61m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaB8tjSlVY_0HqYFofN_kw_x1QR-ZBK_AN3fZtP6gtpFrhQXaFKbyARa5VD48_Fy8D9pUEsF7kMfWBqkeRjhfzwtirA-x0YiWh0XRpdLEiYMMSzOKTTC0cocuqEZhe18P23ur3w/s320/img61m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346106463654851042" border="0" /></a><br />This guy is $59.95 and includes an extra freezer bowl..hum, sounds convenient. Makes 1 1/2 quarts at a time vs. 2 quarts in the machine above but hey, 1 1/2 quarts is quite a few servings of ice cream. Even for a New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Englander</span>...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YH7E94aN-T41e6hKi-QsBzXx7wJ7Gb1ClJEhP1vN82Nmd1Dz7OlCK6_9wYkmY8nO0-XVX35hIHOVj2J-R15eePhsVM8RCcnl9cKwpIOXe7RQTMPSZVBj1Qkax6vGIC1XpbrjCw/s1600-h/img75m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YH7E94aN-T41e6hKi-QsBzXx7wJ7Gb1ClJEhP1vN82Nmd1Dz7OlCK6_9wYkmY8nO0-XVX35hIHOVj2J-R15eePhsVM8RCcnl9cKwpIOXe7RQTMPSZVBj1Qkax6vGIC1XpbrjCw/s320/img75m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346106469356610802" border="0" /></a>Do you have an ice cream maker to recommend? Let me know!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-70507878232366374052009-06-08T21:15:00.005-05:002009-06-10T11:11:53.777-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Watching My Wallet..Some Veggie Storage Tips and A Whole Lotta Asian Food</span><br /><br />Before I get started with this post, just want to let you all know that I have three guest bloggers working with me on this post. They are Cubbie, Keebler and Trolli..and they are fuzzy and have really cute floppy ears. Yup, this post is gonna be a little "goo"-ey aka Degu-y. So when they decide they have something to add, they've gonna do it. In between comments, they will be trying to chew on any remaining piece of wood furniture I have left in my bedroom.<br /><br />Cubbie says: ```````````````````````````````````````````````<br /><br />It was one of those days recently when I came home for lunch and we didn't have a thing ready in the fridge that wouldn't take more than /======== (Trolli) a few minutes to prepare. So we decided to run out and try a "new" sushi place down the street that opened two years ago. Obviously, we are creatures of habit (as far as lunch choices go) so this was a big outing! It was a pleasant surprise..and light on the ole wallet...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7ofrjM7dGtFJO4XGN7M8DetoaNMWhtiLaLlwaW6j3Z0dM5qiqfPgydFVlTH3gmKZdWwtr-mAb_1TsMgURI_OuOyP9Y7zkpDggzmfbGJrVwJtdlM0pKS1X8UXgpPrAZhA36mICg/s1600-h/IMG_1706.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7ofrjM7dGtFJO4XGN7M8DetoaNMWhtiLaLlwaW6j3Z0dM5qiqfPgydFVlTH3gmKZdWwtr-mAb_1TsMgURI_OuOyP9Y7zkpDggzmfbGJrVwJtdlM0pKS1X8UXgpPrAZhA36mICg/s320/IMG_1706.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345146010928335026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODlnH5gfMAjxaUXj9EvtwUQ-kOMQybZibOxMPkE_dhUAfDj8is4hvsSqjLRsC5_Sd5NU9Rk9K3uPt4MU08_2Juu72U2kC0NqMGtuXSHMTXtiEV7oR75mnGVrhydvlMztawzfSaA/s1600-h/IMG_1700.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODlnH5gfMAjxaUXj9EvtwUQ-kOMQybZibOxMPkE_dhUAfDj8is4hvsSqjLRsC5_Sd5NU9Rk9K3uPt4MU08_2Juu72U2kC0NqMGtuXSHMTXtiEV7oR75mnGVrhydvlMztawzfSaA/s320/IMG_1700.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345146328492875890" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We loved the laughing dragon tea pots and the soy sauce containers were darn cute too!<br />\\3 (Cubbie)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lSwDaxTa6csJ3XK5RI2nefTLoBNGD3Uve7GpkapFfYDWbXLtkEdnG85au9BZsvoBKIs3m7e_ctx_6RMwcuYmAdvboEea0dQ3K18g4o7jkVhgp7Ne0k8Hj8ULgj0G8_DwWVGnfA/s1600-h/IMG_1702.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lSwDaxTa6csJ3XK5RI2nefTLoBNGD3Uve7GpkapFfYDWbXLtkEdnG85au9BZsvoBKIs3m7e_ctx_6RMwcuYmAdvboEea0dQ3K18g4o7jkVhgp7Ne0k8Hj8ULgj0G8_DwWVGnfA/s320/IMG_1702.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345146339313641202" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sweet potato tempura sushi is my weakness..oh yeah..and chocolate cupcakes..shhhhh!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: <a href="http://fortheloveofguava.wordpress.com/">Guava</a> has let me know that not all tempura is vegan..most has egg..ack! Big duh on my part. Sayonara sweet potato sushi..I'll check next time I go. Thanks Guava!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ9QpKyu9eyyI9J84qZtJvxBvY5RD1gA5uzfCW1UaS_ToMNHvIUsvUOFGPvc7Qtl2b_we463B_V3ZSfOQ1E1n9x_TfypQRw-YzsdQLIOfcyPaTrbpN7EHuPpSsDb2yb69XBjNFA/s1600-h/IMG_1704.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ9QpKyu9eyyI9J84qZtJvxBvY5RD1gA5uzfCW1UaS_ToMNHvIUsvUOFGPvc7Qtl2b_we463B_V3ZSfOQ1E1n9x_TfypQRw-YzsdQLIOfcyPaTrbpN7EHuPpSsDb2yb69XBjNFA/s320/IMG_1704.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345146340089554690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Cucumber avocado isn't bad either...they even had a vegetarian dragon roll..don't know about where you live but those are tooting hard to find here in Boston. Speaking of dragons, I almost died laughing reading <a href="http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-santa-vs-satan-the/http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-santa-vs-satan-the/">Santa vs. Satan</a> a book of imaginary fights. Chinese Dragon vs. European Dragon was hilarious! I digress..$8.95 for two sushi rolls + miso soup (and it's vegan..whoot!). Not bad. My wallet is happy.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisS39eIhgqZjhoW-B8X3SzYd00m1hiVbb3GFaSA4Tls9fXXzqk07lpk3sEZjCN8bzVf_9hnDKHYgd9e8mIGiVMtWoZbk8TY_iYWfzEhslI4uhCrxPuOOseSpqKEUJbGGIG-ey6GQ/s1600-h/IMG_1703.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisS39eIhgqZjhoW-B8X3SzYd00m1hiVbb3GFaSA4Tls9fXXzqk07lpk3sEZjCN8bzVf_9hnDKHYgd9e8mIGiVMtWoZbk8TY_iYWfzEhslI4uhCrxPuOOseSpqKEUJbGGIG-ey6GQ/s320/IMG_1703.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345146334395119650" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">On Saturday night, we visited a thai place in the burbs called the Lemon Tree..delicious garlic chive pancakes<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildXKY0_T9VqN5SIgthvZBGOtvY-R5JMwxof24BzJwXcz8SLDklHEQnxyK4vcq7TXltpBwL8ySYu98zL969KiVHCjrF-esHTOjd87581YBJ_9L8u5eqB66Pl7DNnhKSqE8icJvbg/s1600-h/IMG_1708.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildXKY0_T9VqN5SIgthvZBGOtvY-R5JMwxof24BzJwXcz8SLDklHEQnxyK4vcq7TXltpBwL8ySYu98zL969KiVHCjrF-esHTOjd87581YBJ_9L8u5eqB66Pl7DNnhKSqE8icJvbg/s320/IMG_1708.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345145984638999858" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My favorite Thai dish..Rainbow Garden aka Smother Me In Peanut Sauce And Call It Bliss (that's my literal translation)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_Tmktt_car5mN6QfbqEzWl9PN6pigZ8eS-vCfxxDF6BHk1tI1AY9lZnYngYaLe1NFmg-rwkJ89GGisYLpuoBsT4c3zF2FiguMaEo8sRcg8jZCLayKyzRdnzTyxIwmfuc3a3BVQ/s1600-h/IMG_1710.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_Tmktt_car5mN6QfbqEzWl9PN6pigZ8eS-vCfxxDF6BHk1tI1AY9lZnYngYaLe1NFmg-rwkJ89GGisYLpuoBsT4c3zF2FiguMaEo8sRcg8jZCLayKyzRdnzTyxIwmfuc3a3BVQ/s320/IMG_1710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345145987765987810" border="0" /></a><br />What wasn't bliss..the bill. Almost $50 for two people for dinner. Like, really??? Geez..I so screwed up looking at the prices before we ordered..just too focused on the vegan items I suppose. We're in a recession Thai Restaurant Peoples! Have mercy on the working masses. So I'm on a self-inflicted restaurant hiatus for a week or so to make up for this! Hence, the lumpy mango summer rolls from Vegan w/a Vengeance below ...they aren't so pretty but man, they were good. I whipped up a peanut sauce to go. Sorry for the upside down picture..didn't realize it until now and am just too lazy to change it =)<br /><br />\\\\\\94 (note from Keebler who just climbed on my keyboard..must be in code..hopefully you know what this means 'cause I don't)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixKfjcfyWfR6stNPM0hREb8TqLjyFR_z4pKy_79qKP6jLPdG4UhR2kcyFD_Mxzs4DQxtQ0jGxED-izfY3ybZR_-CBHj7OpJK4SNpQGRHYXXOI_plThOd7BQmyFxQ7d-EnTEEVAg/s1600-h/IMG_1711.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixKfjcfyWfR6stNPM0hREb8TqLjyFR_z4pKy_79qKP6jLPdG4UhR2kcyFD_Mxzs4DQxtQ0jGxED-izfY3ybZR_-CBHj7OpJK4SNpQGRHYXXOI_plThOd7BQmyFxQ7d-EnTEEVAg/s320/IMG_1711.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345145977005425858" border="0" /></a><br />Another good reason to eat at home this week is that my first farm share pickup starts this Thursday. Good excuse to empty and clean the fridge since, well, I won't share the details..let's just say, it needs a good bath. We've been on hiatus with our farm since November so it will be nice to be back with the fresh local veggies. In the off season months, I've been supplementing with our local fruit and veggie delivery service, Boston Organics. Love them and am considering switching my delivery over to just fruit every other week instead of canceling for the season since my farm rarely has fruit to offer (strawberries in a few weeks and melons in August but that's it).<br /><br />Some tips I have gleaned over the years for storing my produce:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wash all non-leafy veggies before storing in the fridge</span> otherwise you will end up with a very messy fridge. Organic farm share veggies are often straight from the field and can look the part! Also, let the veggies air dry a little after washing before going in the fridge.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy special bags. </span>Those green bags that claim to prolong the life of your produce really do work. Hands down, they triple, maybe quadruple the life of my greens and other greens.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't put twisty ties on your bags</span>..instead loosely fold them closed. Something about the air circulation helps my greens stay fresher this way. I got this tip from my German mother-in-law who is a fountain of knowledge in the food preservation area!<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">If your greens, green onions, herbs, etc. come bound with an elastic or twisty tie (or both), remove those.</span> Shake off excess water and towel dry if necessary. Greens/green onions/herbs do best with the minimum of moisture (too much encourages rot) and lots of space within the bag.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Put herbs and green onions in a cup of water if using within 4-5 days</span>..they'll stay perked on your countertop as if you just picked them yourself!</li></ol>There are a lot of interesting suggestions out there for storing veggies and prolonging their fridge life..I try to avoid methods using paper towels or newspaper but some people swear by these methods. I'm sure those work just as well!<br /><br />And finally, my first soap from the <a href="http://strawberryhedgehog.com/">Strawberry Hedgehog</a> vegan soapworks arrived on Friday afternoon. My mailbox was wafting with a lovely scent..just in time too because my vegan bar from Nakid is so melting, melting...it you haven't checked out Tracy from the Hedgehog, please do so..she's a vegan soapmaking star!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAIrq0McB1Ifs2qHGUCdQkN4CqaJ3A9S3dAMM7_Hk-kgtN5Vv7E_VP0zJVwTWfW9qq28H9VIFiDO5P0JUAASQQPI0mbdmdUHP4KEXL-vX-vIjiL9km8uZfBc_f7kAWdtwVPzhHw/s1600-h/IMG_1712.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAIrq0McB1Ifs2qHGUCdQkN4CqaJ3A9S3dAMM7_Hk-kgtN5Vv7E_VP0zJVwTWfW9qq28H9VIFiDO5P0JUAASQQPI0mbdmdUHP4KEXL-vX-vIjiL9km8uZfBc_f7kAWdtwVPzhHw/s320/IMG_1712.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345145974631778306" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, finally, the winner of my little "Tell me what you like about New England" is the amazing <a href="http://shellyfish.wordpress.com/">Shellyfish</a>! More on her "cool" prize later..don't want to spoil the surprise!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-55714924697903057032009-06-03T20:07:00.005-05:002009-06-03T21:27:14.835-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Whole Buncha Fuzzy Wuzzies</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br />I am very excited to tell you that this:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qcKWNLU-G_kZp8jQES4fPg8K51ppINRL5LJQejw3qidR7SP45IoYVWFOVTxNbYH79rfj1moQPbZGHY6UofZCs6YVOVIPyIJsyPBt384ogdwb81fb7Wu77fhap4VsVaUKCHxGHQ/s1600-h/IMG_1677.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qcKWNLU-G_kZp8jQES4fPg8K51ppINRL5LJQejw3qidR7SP45IoYVWFOVTxNbYH79rfj1moQPbZGHY6UofZCs6YVOVIPyIJsyPBt384ogdwb81fb7Wu77fhap4VsVaUKCHxGHQ/s320/IMG_1677.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273612488191378" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Came from this, my very own container garden, just started two weeks ago!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJdmAq7uRs2dQDmcbrZBdIqPF77R-dSg4vEsMaV6ZOTyrLjR9LWqE5S-WFA-v4m0_MsKMppTkUxAKeOlUlY1q4xE0_0P1EniNnp4zKMRyftJYAQoYLdTjFnYGFsGISgM_I9gMsQ/s1600-h/IMG_1678.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJdmAq7uRs2dQDmcbrZBdIqPF77R-dSg4vEsMaV6ZOTyrLjR9LWqE5S-WFA-v4m0_MsKMppTkUxAKeOlUlY1q4xE0_0P1EniNnp4zKMRyftJYAQoYLdTjFnYGFsGISgM_I9gMsQ/s320/IMG_1678.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273616035137234" border="0" /></a>Also very excited to say that my Goos are head over heels herbivores. I had no idea they would love a fresh herb salad quite as much as they did. Here they are on their "patio" which is a board on an old fish tank on a table with a beer box on it..for whatever reason, they love it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBqs0LeM-dl0hYUNGXha9brdUH36dWbViQFd_q5KZiV5WR3facEpehWpSm81VBx4mnFUYTC_gcN8WqRz1OlsMo1hgxSWVjlSfjXsVmcoZZATP7_rNRehuQthMLYVzA0trZaqplg/s1600-h/IMG_1680.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBqs0LeM-dl0hYUNGXha9brdUH36dWbViQFd_q5KZiV5WR3facEpehWpSm81VBx4mnFUYTC_gcN8WqRz1OlsMo1hgxSWVjlSfjXsVmcoZZATP7_rNRehuQthMLYVzA0trZaqplg/s320/IMG_1680.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273487598831138" border="0" /></a><br />There was much enthusiasm in grabbing the lavender and mint from the bowl. Even the chive flowers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPBlz4Mil4fQQmPFMV-Ydn0xRbCx5Np7ZJLpB35EUaXmOKTeqG07_tsc99bbg7aUhLv3O9gRIxKpx1elfzFgadw7eHEFeTLF1eRt_np26yEL3onv2Z9DECGKLpzCkm4JNTsawrg/s1600-h/IMG_1684.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPBlz4Mil4fQQmPFMV-Ydn0xRbCx5Np7ZJLpB35EUaXmOKTeqG07_tsc99bbg7aUhLv3O9gRIxKpx1elfzFgadw7eHEFeTLF1eRt_np26yEL3onv2Z9DECGKLpzCkm4JNTsawrg/s320/IMG_1684.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273483782629554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJIj1afvhEJLbbRISUaxnDiABktYIDqpL_7OiW1G0kqpr4wDR4c3orPOByXcpHuAUhgCmmALrxdvisD7z5f2jsYgbtMfd1BtXJDro7uxpof0Rgy_fMMcpVlOSiGPEvR01vR419w/s1600-h/IMG_1686.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJIj1afvhEJLbbRISUaxnDiABktYIDqpL_7OiW1G0kqpr4wDR4c3orPOByXcpHuAUhgCmmALrxdvisD7z5f2jsYgbtMfd1BtXJDro7uxpof0Rgy_fMMcpVlOSiGPEvR01vR419w/s320/IMG_1686.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273481405265490" border="0" /></a><br />And again today, repeated this time with some oregano which was a big hit too! So much so that Cubbie grabbed some away from Trolli before he realized there was enough for everyone (and will be all summer!). Silly Goos...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3RP15Ha-3Mahn2r0AR5_9albtiipGfyCfzDI0HAWo0G2q3ikDskgu_thKWrW7phfCgGdb-ahvNaSrNJnnzV8c0vk8VIYUA10ewERyG2Vdf9mJtP0QBeV0uWuDE_pVIYmJU9s4A/s1600-h/IMG_1688.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3RP15Ha-3Mahn2r0AR5_9albtiipGfyCfzDI0HAWo0G2q3ikDskgu_thKWrW7phfCgGdb-ahvNaSrNJnnzV8c0vk8VIYUA10ewERyG2Vdf9mJtP0QBeV0uWuDE_pVIYmJU9s4A/s320/IMG_1688.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273474031603714" border="0" /></a><br />And today we caught a glimpse of Squirrelly's spring babies, almost grown up! It's amazing to watch how fast they grow. Mom was no where to be seen but three of these little guys came out to gawk at the weird, tall hairless squirrels with the camera (me and H).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fHeUydCohrW1SKmS2CD-5TKdBikPe4nK9E_cPncgbXpdFMhxxulFomLhsVybviRHDOUnh6iP4JZcg1OdkC3uzrqjpu6PVBz-8xFPPV_VJN48cEQIy6DPpyvXswO9Xx0uiThjgQ/s1600-h/IMG_1689.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fHeUydCohrW1SKmS2CD-5TKdBikPe4nK9E_cPncgbXpdFMhxxulFomLhsVybviRHDOUnh6iP4JZcg1OdkC3uzrqjpu6PVBz-8xFPPV_VJN48cEQIy6DPpyvXswO9Xx0uiThjgQ/s320/IMG_1689.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273470143256338" border="0" /></a><br />This is actually one shot where the tree forks..one baby on one side, another on the other.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHCgMz1Ez8HIWd3d3kiss5PS-NEwgm0Nlhz330VUGZapqFIrErkA8zn4-btyUbStwmi-5kEfewjJO-rlvwQUY6bI9vzKePfxtCzOnO0w_CXi8hz2hvN_K55U1xLcRVB9w4TmOXQ/s1600-h/IMG_1690.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHCgMz1Ez8HIWd3d3kiss5PS-NEwgm0Nlhz330VUGZapqFIrErkA8zn4-btyUbStwmi-5kEfewjJO-rlvwQUY6bI9vzKePfxtCzOnO0w_CXi8hz2hvN_K55U1xLcRVB9w4TmOXQ/s320/IMG_1690.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273163917569170" border="0" /></a><br />Young squirrels have such cute white fuzzy bellies. Let me tell you, there are few things as nice on this earth as getting to rub a fuzzy white squirrel belly. And the squirrelly doesn't mind either..well, at least if she knows you! I wouldn't recommend it with a squirrel who doesn't know you that well. H used to rub Squirrelly's belly at night to help her sleep and she loved it. Whoever would have known?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBJ_sQnYrSzGgtgMLmNuIbywi8oBiZOmFEOhjg57pPGfvZ4gXnkYzYncUfyxr3TPDZxzkFWyQ9Nrcn5a72WWZ9H4kA-UVLXXx8sf67M6FIDesu_4fMnvCYPsoWPId8qW5uzk9Mg/s1600-h/IMG_1691.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBJ_sQnYrSzGgtgMLmNuIbywi8oBiZOmFEOhjg57pPGfvZ4gXnkYzYncUfyxr3TPDZxzkFWyQ9Nrcn5a72WWZ9H4kA-UVLXXx8sf67M6FIDesu_4fMnvCYPsoWPId8qW5uzk9Mg/s320/IMG_1691.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273154122951410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTalyaiQfpL1YAQT-eKx8pSfZAObC0yNKghjv5AnNTJyflFdvUjxdJiOMwgz7EmkjLjJIFHZv_DaTZsL6woIUm4f2G3woU-wxRMgTI6lQgBVeHp15QXKjPn85RqjgeNNRQanUjA/s1600-h/IMG_1692.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTalyaiQfpL1YAQT-eKx8pSfZAObC0yNKghjv5AnNTJyflFdvUjxdJiOMwgz7EmkjLjJIFHZv_DaTZsL6woIUm4f2G3woU-wxRMgTI6lQgBVeHp15QXKjPn85RqjgeNNRQanUjA/s320/IMG_1692.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273148288385890" border="0" /></a><br />And finally, the food..I whipped together some sushi tonight from some leftovers. A sushi ar-tiste I am not! They barely held together. But they tasted great with the avocado and carrot. Hopefully my technique will improve over time..please..maybe??<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-MHq07bNTCK1tZ4QCHCr9ymrbizvtF_poR0dSYOD-vuDCrO0r_OO4lM9WqWgTs4NoXxinR4ppWhe2a56M_y04vHd0PwvTTiZ7wKzDn6z2nBD_wFQgAhvwf-PWi5uMvgNNNM3DQ/s1600-h/IMG_1693.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-MHq07bNTCK1tZ4QCHCr9ymrbizvtF_poR0dSYOD-vuDCrO0r_OO4lM9WqWgTs4NoXxinR4ppWhe2a56M_y04vHd0PwvTTiZ7wKzDn6z2nBD_wFQgAhvwf-PWi5uMvgNNNM3DQ/s320/IMG_1693.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273148968635314" border="0" /></a><br />I was really excited to make my favorite salad dish..Oshitashi..a Japanese marinaded spinach salad. It turned out okay..I think I'll try a different recipe next time and maybe let it marinade more. I should have plenty of opportunities to practice soon as I just got a postcard from my farm share..the first deliveries start next Thursday..eeekk!!! I just yesterday cleaned out some purple cabbage and rutabaga (so sad I know, hiding my head in shame) leftover from last November.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iouyW_z0XrtipPGuxiPswmpNOm6YvuhzJL39sWAdMp4cSUDS1UDcuYg3IPj7zqEHXEtGBZ8Gq2aDdXLEjWLW-bWmBa677V3AYVxKuwBdXLjdlqKaaF1IsYX2iNByQy7cDnRzVQ/s1600-h/IMG_1695.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iouyW_z0XrtipPGuxiPswmpNOm6YvuhzJL39sWAdMp4cSUDS1UDcuYg3IPj7zqEHXEtGBZ8Gq2aDdXLEjWLW-bWmBa677V3AYVxKuwBdXLjdlqKaaF1IsYX2iNByQy7cDnRzVQ/s320/IMG_1695.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343273143764120306" border="0" /></a><br />Over and out for tonight good buddies!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17831866.post-66259549023700300152009-06-02T20:08:00.012-05:002009-06-03T07:37:06.920-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Portland Moment</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqpHOsXJBIhEhEEkM7QfoGPTt4VFdInKlw1_faupnhbuuq_Cr7aGdIXOtNfePVn-50ef67FEfzzhxjibkKluMs9NH1zs5irHL6K_rnA9SNGQzaty-EDmY0KKfazMLYW_muaGmGw/s1600-h/Vegan+Brunch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqpHOsXJBIhEhEEkM7QfoGPTt4VFdInKlw1_faupnhbuuq_Cr7aGdIXOtNfePVn-50ef67FEfzzhxjibkKluMs9NH1zs5irHL6K_rnA9SNGQzaty-EDmY0KKfazMLYW_muaGmGw/s320/Vegan+Brunch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342911912376995330" border="0" /></a>First, a BIG GIGANTIC thank you to Jenn from <a href="http://vegandance.blogspot.com/">Vegan Can Dance</a>! Jenn gave away three signed copies of Vegan Brunch and I am one of the happy over the top winners!<br /><br />Next, here are some soundbyte (or photobytes!) from my weekend. Most people when you mention that you're going to Portland assume that you mean Portland, Oregon..unless you're in New England. Then we know you're probably going to Maine! I needed a break away last week so I drove up to Portland to visit my friend Sarah last Friday. It's about a two hour drive up from Cambridge, going north from Boston, up through the tiny coastline of New Hampshire and then hugging the coast of Maine up I-95. While Sarah sees a trip to Cambridge as her escape, I see visiting a trip to Portland as mine!<br /><br />First and most important was tons of girl talk on her comfy sofa but after a bit, we were hungry and that meant the moment we had been waiting for: The Green Elephant Vegetarian Restaurant!! This is by far my favorite veggie restaurant in New England. I've blogged about it before so I won't go into more detail but will instead show you what we ate:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A crispy Asian salad with a sesame soy dressing<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNriTyE83aG4o_wK75C7L8es3jfMZ2rpqOt5mjYwVX5WtgNOr86r-W8hxgHCu0AsJHXixZVftrD8S3QFCvPfF87HbvP9eRXGq3Y9DE_fw2LQFchIpKFkLAZEgv0-AAY7of8o3pmg/s1600-h/IMG_1626.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNriTyE83aG4o_wK75C7L8es3jfMZ2rpqOt5mjYwVX5WtgNOr86r-W8hxgHCu0AsJHXixZVftrD8S3QFCvPfF87HbvP9eRXGq3Y9DE_fw2LQFchIpKFkLAZEgv0-AAY7of8o3pmg/s320/IMG_1626.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904609069799346" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Crispy soy nuggets<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSt1HxoPS0hiYYqT8b3k261L6rG9ZdrC87CQ4pZ2RlDHieHZLxh-CLehQOJ2S5B2To9cSCFkNRMrybL2Dx_ke5GbdA4EmzoPpZhF4ajnCL7T876pEeXZuDeSbuhnGg5CdO7o_Qg/s1600-h/IMG_1625.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSt1HxoPS0hiYYqT8b3k261L6rG9ZdrC87CQ4pZ2RlDHieHZLxh-CLehQOJ2S5B2To9cSCFkNRMrybL2Dx_ke5GbdA4EmzoPpZhF4ajnCL7T876pEeXZuDeSbuhnGg5CdO7o_Qg/s320/IMG_1625.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904604803812354" border="0" /></a><br />Fresh rolls (oh..my favorite..I have to admit that I eat these at least once a week wherever I can find them..he he he)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcdV-IFLaMyqeDNVzYuATvbX1rMWD8hg_qQ_1qv82YTaQt7v78sfFt1PXJrcVactww6iwrj4PuRsp6ipvsZwuwSRYdzNXmNz1trt0xEDAW_6g8Hm7dK0cRDxvssHPuPP2biyRLQ/s1600-h/IMG_1624.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcdV-IFLaMyqeDNVzYuATvbX1rMWD8hg_qQ_1qv82YTaQt7v78sfFt1PXJrcVactww6iwrj4PuRsp6ipvsZwuwSRYdzNXmNz1trt0xEDAW_6g8Hm7dK0cRDxvssHPuPP2biyRLQ/s320/IMG_1624.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904600972590690" border="0" /></a><br />An inside shot...we got here right at 5pm when they opened but it very quickly filled up. That's always good to see isn't it? When a veggie restaurant is doing well!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVevF_mDeZUTGcp4YQ_NvQCBTQoSHEWiabTE0YJKYSP2wo1s1UMbYI0m2UeENl0hbBt0eTKO-mVXJVcGdiMiYM9gv-qp9mACTuoQYq1yUEwm5AnKMRorH0h4IVDk3XKh_qBrpX0g/s1600-h/IMG_1627.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVevF_mDeZUTGcp4YQ_NvQCBTQoSHEWiabTE0YJKYSP2wo1s1UMbYI0m2UeENl0hbBt0eTKO-mVXJVcGdiMiYM9gv-qp9mACTuoQYq1yUEwm5AnKMRorH0h4IVDk3XKh_qBrpX0g/s320/IMG_1627.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904373026640946" border="0" /></a><br />Chocolate mousse pie with dark chocolate dipped orange segments..oh oh oh...the best...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJ9PbUIBJq8U5Xh5yobebzJnOpXyeSec5_ssRzaDyErDEwEKnSTt91OWanIqi0g8Ln_zkSPFsNGBSoiDYS_9QFKJFv4qKK-YCOzQa3444rgD_Lvd1Gh8sJbkcfbpub1qs2-k8Q/s1600-h/IMG_1628.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJ9PbUIBJq8U5Xh5yobebzJnOpXyeSec5_ssRzaDyErDEwEKnSTt91OWanIqi0g8Ln_zkSPFsNGBSoiDYS_9QFKJFv4qKK-YCOzQa3444rgD_Lvd1Gh8sJbkcfbpub1qs2-k8Q/s320/IMG_1628.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904616976267506" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A close up!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJJUu8nBepNFmAh8xMNyUUbcOhrdUs4g0XGNRylHodPBmor9d22WBEYBR5YqwzOigdmUOCFtJn34NYdyZ6cD9l_ronoIc5XxzVJ2fY3b359O9dheXIOKuPAisrsL6YgqmPnnMpQ/s1600-h/IMG_1629.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJJUu8nBepNFmAh8xMNyUUbcOhrdUs4g0XGNRylHodPBmor9d22WBEYBR5YqwzOigdmUOCFtJn34NYdyZ6cD9l_ronoIc5XxzVJ2fY3b359O9dheXIOKuPAisrsL6YgqmPnnMpQ/s320/IMG_1629.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904368113218002" border="0" /></a><br />I woke up in the morning to the smell of freshly baked vegan blueberry muffins..served with watermelon and cherry blossom green tea. Do I love this girl or what??<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWr0zThYnnDlI1yNaDCDiRV8Sw1AsxwvRXIusIRKTJQH7i-zt7N5o9Oj7Tz06g0YETk12PT8glPFERR80NM1Ve3DADzm5ySs7pExWwe87GaY4F_CORllSMVxdqlnUiJnqPNngIw/s1600-h/IMG_1630.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWr0zThYnnDlI1yNaDCDiRV8Sw1AsxwvRXIusIRKTJQH7i-zt7N5o9Oj7Tz06g0YETk12PT8glPFERR80NM1Ve3DADzm5ySs7pExWwe87GaY4F_CORllSMVxdqlnUiJnqPNngIw/s320/IMG_1630.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904363457246738" border="0" /></a><br />Then off to the Portland Farmers' Market..Sarah packed the cute bag that she got in Japan last summer. Like many Japanese-English translations, it's a little peculiar and adorable!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldkqwjM6sXYgcT79qmVwRPp_0OLAOK2vhWWeQdOoOZ6EVbNPXCoVTqh2BOfINVdcFDcIbR7j7BxVKTAF6qQaaUwnc_htStmZr2i4tklDxsti9W5sE0jEW7LNEpDmLJLTWwxZ_eA/s1600-h/IMG_1634.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldkqwjM6sXYgcT79qmVwRPp_0OLAOK2vhWWeQdOoOZ6EVbNPXCoVTqh2BOfINVdcFDcIbR7j7BxVKTAF6qQaaUwnc_htStmZr2i4tklDxsti9W5sE0jEW7LNEpDmLJLTWwxZ_eA/s320/IMG_1634.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342904355811693058" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We loved this edgy basil..very fragrant and almost a little fuzzy!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5e7VmbUeyQjxCTSUspTHhpa69bxszNYD3AG_RPqdCdzb6HyoVEpf_BOK4zhYTqApvrD5sAG3LLxlA9Jp6_PHzzEeF4GMnvNvgUrgx2_3GvKr3lHdN1mg8_N8GMB15YEROf4cKw/s1600-h/IMG_1637.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5e7VmbUeyQjxCTSUspTHhpa69bxszNYD3AG_RPqdCdzb6HyoVEpf_BOK4zhYTqApvrD5sAG3LLxlA9Jp6_PHzzEeF4GMnvNvgUrgx2_3GvKr3lHdN1mg8_N8GMB15YEROf4cKw/s320/IMG_1637.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903947058405234" border="0" /></a><br />Looks of pickled items for sale..I was intrigued by the pickled garlic..hum..note to self to try this.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqegff_2zow78lpthNcCChhSIs5I835wLIrAfnUC-SOVzRsAdj9BfShm-7Aup558T_YLDBwJeg-BMR5Vfe6ZPFwlRPPj7ZQtKb2Jqs0B6JV6YuwB7odLR4jf6GfHOrrKCecF2AQ/s1600-h/IMG_1640.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqegff_2zow78lpthNcCChhSIs5I835wLIrAfnUC-SOVzRsAdj9BfShm-7Aup558T_YLDBwJeg-BMR5Vfe6ZPFwlRPPj7ZQtKb2Jqs0B6JV6YuwB7odLR4jf6GfHOrrKCecF2AQ/s320/IMG_1640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903939010360290" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah's radish shot...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwEJGoGkfiHyIY7o_PObVe4aeAyIWaDt_068RS5j-Od2TVGqrFG5Bqa2lcNVq-s-5nKPzYd3Q4FYRuVJDi-FjoH-x3miz73czSUc_gkT0MNz7vyxi7SyQWmQpGZNHxCWBwToIMQ/s1600-h/IMG_1643.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwEJGoGkfiHyIY7o_PObVe4aeAyIWaDt_068RS5j-Od2TVGqrFG5Bqa2lcNVq-s-5nKPzYd3Q4FYRuVJDi-FjoH-x3miz73czSUc_gkT0MNz7vyxi7SyQWmQpGZNHxCWBwToIMQ/s320/IMG_1643.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903930024949714" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Deering Oaks..a park of sorts where the market is held<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGMET0rKPun9REN9zRPcKLikhxS1WVZZPH5KhtcUihqC8LTXzmag0ZdDNc7DjEcn4diebcbmbdf4QejblibW29CGCoOYht4hVDEFhEqCw_Ff-2DWYsbqIlBJRcmul0Z1fEcV95Q/s1600-h/IMG_1644.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGMET0rKPun9REN9zRPcKLikhxS1WVZZPH5KhtcUihqC8LTXzmag0ZdDNc7DjEcn4diebcbmbdf4QejblibW29CGCoOYht4hVDEFhEqCw_Ff-2DWYsbqIlBJRcmul0Z1fEcV95Q/s320/IMG_1644.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903927058625458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaRfxvNoO3K577T0IF7h7tRb8lFR3By0f2nzXVKUhoEO8xMOcdlS2bIocycUxZv1u1HUxe6e0jZvS1LdkPP1CeOlXQeD_cun7ogflYutNv_6mBnqxxiAfxQ1P6Hc6pzgglXLdog/s1600-h/IMG_1647.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaRfxvNoO3K577T0IF7h7tRb8lFR3By0f2nzXVKUhoEO8xMOcdlS2bIocycUxZv1u1HUxe6e0jZvS1LdkPP1CeOlXQeD_cun7ogflYutNv_6mBnqxxiAfxQ1P6Hc6pzgglXLdog/s320/IMG_1647.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903928260656482" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Later, lunch at Yosaku, a Japanese restaurant with a patio and zen-ish garden<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v6OhwLtZwimuD7Fkiwd2XZuDRnGwCPhsap4vfTIxkueryZvbJXxhWO1fvg9sWQJKZZ5LWD1Yg4YnyleiHTc0xcVdIFmcQgh0GhpAFzNGh12Aj4iLGiRw5RqkZdSj2rOgfCt0sg/s1600-h/IMG_1652.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v6OhwLtZwimuD7Fkiwd2XZuDRnGwCPhsap4vfTIxkueryZvbJXxhWO1fvg9sWQJKZZ5LWD1Yg4YnyleiHTc0xcVdIFmcQgh0GhpAFzNGh12Aj4iLGiRw5RqkZdSj2rOgfCt0sg/s320/IMG_1652.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903570026021970" border="0" /></a><br />They have a great selection of veggie sushi..I got the sweet potato tempura (my fav), mushroom avocado (pretty good!) and inari. I was suprised when the inari arrived as inside out rolls. I'm used to it as pillows of rice stuffed into the inari (fried tofu) pockets..but instead the tofu was rolled up inside the rolls. Tasted just as good!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz_1ehzCYPs5BrQfQZZvhG42K-Y3wAPd6fGCZlo0ots_tVgS2Z9_vEw7U7oMrr05y8WtNFKSIlas7xVceXvLiYOVln9JNl_in2MqWNIoLLxAvoy0YevQD38xHtfAScPCPbtLxoA/s1600-h/IMG_1649.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz_1ehzCYPs5BrQfQZZvhG42K-Y3wAPd6fGCZlo0ots_tVgS2Z9_vEw7U7oMrr05y8WtNFKSIlas7xVceXvLiYOVln9JNl_in2MqWNIoLLxAvoy0YevQD38xHtfAScPCPbtLxoA/s320/IMG_1649.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903579172047346" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Tom's Agedashi tofu in broth<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGb1JZ0aPCv__zY1jw2wpzMhR2veUm0rM0jl-Rua9MIPIDVZbcyqAWpZWbH8ia12vXEFPa5nO37-arIuI5S77E0V1xIDVAtlTufNX316aAjvLx9oxtcknjtRVX-1FAH4WiVVjNyQ/s1600-h/IMG_1650.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGb1JZ0aPCv__zY1jw2wpzMhR2veUm0rM0jl-Rua9MIPIDVZbcyqAWpZWbH8ia12vXEFPa5nO37-arIuI5S77E0V1xIDVAtlTufNX316aAjvLx9oxtcknjtRVX-1FAH4WiVVjNyQ/s320/IMG_1650.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903575466170306" border="0" /></a><br />After lunch we went for a walk in downtown Portland..gorgeous day..lots of people out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSicBpOisZZ87XHXlBajIIOyGKN-aH39iu6GBJr2AT02m_m7zqivDkgJ6jmbgqPYA0GXttiyQ52PBHWUVkOZlm-P3honvwQkrIhKcepQRJcjvfjHJ2LvEFQ0xzVrY0WuBYV8AAg/s1600-h/IMG_1654.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSicBpOisZZ87XHXlBajIIOyGKN-aH39iu6GBJr2AT02m_m7zqivDkgJ6jmbgqPYA0GXttiyQ52PBHWUVkOZlm-P3honvwQkrIhKcepQRJcjvfjHJ2LvEFQ0xzVrY0WuBYV8AAg/s320/IMG_1654.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903567709414530" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We stopped for a coffee/tea at a local coffee shop. Isn't Sarah a cutie?? Normally she and the hubby would zip on downtown on their Vespa..but with me the third wheel they might need to add a sidecar (shhh..don't tell them I'm planning on moving in especially if they keep feeding me such great chow)..<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDw7FxvLMiIJ_WBPfDyZh4pT74RZQvMIbn6QRMFNDzOXtaoVO8Ll6BRfpZXdThmjpVWt0HVVCN-CqCl8mXp8z2pKYvQJWQv7fduYpaCy-DuGSSb-kBUI5G-CanzO4enMiQKzo9w/s1600-h/IMG_1659.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDw7FxvLMiIJ_WBPfDyZh4pT74RZQvMIbn6QRMFNDzOXtaoVO8Ll6BRfpZXdThmjpVWt0HVVCN-CqCl8mXp8z2pKYvQJWQv7fduYpaCy-DuGSSb-kBUI5G-CanzO4enMiQKzo9w/s320/IMG_1659.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903062147550642" border="0" /></a><br />I had an iced chai w/soy and vegan "love" chocolate almond cookie which was warmed up to melt the chocolate chips.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ahnE6o2jCQW1O9fvc7j7c8JyU7Csrr4-15D5VHATxk29oFDEc5UgzT64iLpXBl2jyQRGKq74CTpiQI6ZWENsy7tpsF-UHZPlOWlKdAweLuu8RqFH56LAbJVSt9-ZOcuJxchaXA/s1600-h/IMG_1657.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ahnE6o2jCQW1O9fvc7j7c8JyU7Csrr4-15D5VHATxk29oFDEc5UgzT64iLpXBl2jyQRGKq74CTpiQI6ZWENsy7tpsF-UHZPlOWlKdAweLuu8RqFH56LAbJVSt9-ZOcuJxchaXA/s320/IMG_1657.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903562445216578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Finally, we hung out in Sarah's backyard and admired her gardens.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR23EN2Qg_ZEKovYz93bBNs1Suhzq2JWZVWGLBH2hvE0bqSHs193702o1Ws2D4QaLnpNmT3EX_fBjdSN4I6Ok6gjTGUIxcy3pkdleyABIJSWgo6Vo8hD3MG-YhiLLxCCEkfnTpQ/s1600-h/IMG_1664.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR23EN2Qg_ZEKovYz93bBNs1Suhzq2JWZVWGLBH2hvE0bqSHs193702o1Ws2D4QaLnpNmT3EX_fBjdSN4I6Ok6gjTGUIxcy3pkdleyABIJSWgo6Vo8hD3MG-YhiLLxCCEkfnTpQ/s320/IMG_1664.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903078468697282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCF8zXR3MQWBV14zEURqdOva6Uhf3LamtMDpFf1zQ3rnrqp0wuU-uVB67pv-9hjon2ClvtKuvEpRVhpIBVSguPMYHYNvL9OSTcrBQnTWaORV4MafpI1TKij-DQKM9gaRhBNOOzKw/s1600-h/IMG_1663.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCF8zXR3MQWBV14zEURqdOva6Uhf3LamtMDpFf1zQ3rnrqp0wuU-uVB67pv-9hjon2ClvtKuvEpRVhpIBVSguPMYHYNvL9OSTcrBQnTWaORV4MafpI1TKij-DQKM9gaRhBNOOzKw/s320/IMG_1663.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903072755652114" border="0" /></a><br />A very rare Lady's Slipper..they grow wild in New England and it's illegal to pick them. More than one New England child has made that mistake! Mom?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnWrBrUiKVAMonmoW8UoT0S-IO7O9QrpRKxWTAbvqUrc0PzRA1MWR5XjS9qm3ruJnEYEV8TaAw_BATFXHfFstiAeuv-Ep6GUaBzMiCU9OMeKbSWJ3LoMdzWt1vivXlAlb7Nq9EQ/s1600-h/IMG_1661.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnWrBrUiKVAMonmoW8UoT0S-IO7O9QrpRKxWTAbvqUrc0PzRA1MWR5XjS9qm3ruJnEYEV8TaAw_BATFXHfFstiAeuv-Ep6GUaBzMiCU9OMeKbSWJ3LoMdzWt1vivXlAlb7Nq9EQ/s320/IMG_1661.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903068105212402" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White lilacs in bloom...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vSu-WfAoJGQaivG9DAFrFe-04sivG4R6x6g8OJ-pVp7XGBdrGQ6izPGZND2vbL0iqUyXSEOO0sFQNsozNM5OBAQ2LGsWEJj9U3c0ZMVng7DF_fmgsmXLw63FYWxofCcprRYE0A/s1600-h/IMG_1660.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vSu-WfAoJGQaivG9DAFrFe-04sivG4R6x6g8OJ-pVp7XGBdrGQ6izPGZND2vbL0iqUyXSEOO0sFQNsozNM5OBAQ2LGsWEJj9U3c0ZMVng7DF_fmgsmXLw63FYWxofCcprRYE0A/s320/IMG_1660.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342903063341046258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chives in bloom..does anyone else love looking at chive flowers? I've always loved them.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTSLsrJrJuruPy1X0ClnlTdu6cbmIP1MjRZqTZlmN4WU1AJTKRwOT17cpfjEp-_p_Tf1XMpBnmW0_4m3KuWU0jRqmrBCuOjC0iw1TyaITrRUMXlBJUPJW-TUA7vgyAeYqFJeaxA/s1600-h/IMG_1665.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTSLsrJrJuruPy1X0ClnlTdu6cbmIP1MjRZqTZlmN4WU1AJTKRwOT17cpfjEp-_p_Tf1XMpBnmW0_4m3KuWU0jRqmrBCuOjC0iw1TyaITrRUMXlBJUPJW-TUA7vgyAeYqFJeaxA/s320/IMG_1665.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342902658990431282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP3bhArJdiMxXBIRZgziilqhOWhq3f7nvRVCMNHIbUTBWBaAfQcam_luYovPD9WNHRDM-nJ01yhjQRT1tY71j03w9x7RzSicr1KIv02rmlooon8wVlHnka1sknluslIaas0dfow/s1600-h/IMG_1670.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP3bhArJdiMxXBIRZgziilqhOWhq3f7nvRVCMNHIbUTBWBaAfQcam_luYovPD9WNHRDM-nJ01yhjQRT1tY71j03w9x7RzSicr1KIv02rmlooon8wVlHnka1sknluslIaas0dfow/s320/IMG_1670.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342902656226831778" border="0" /></a>Tibetan prayer flags. Sarah and Tom got to see the Dalai Lama last month..he wore a New England Patriots hat during the talk..lol!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr7s2qQV3NrE02qp1Doevy0h_Un9zC2FygIvYgAjRhlWl8v8aZbGy1rnLZZafnzl8E4fS5mV2tEc5yGUNFHxedHImOo50shxpxEl5R8ozeUS8fMOsAW3bllLgttktXIUPWVIdUQ/s1600-h/IMG_1668.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr7s2qQV3NrE02qp1Doevy0h_Un9zC2FygIvYgAjRhlWl8v8aZbGy1rnLZZafnzl8E4fS5mV2tEc5yGUNFHxedHImOo50shxpxEl5R8ozeUS8fMOsAW3bllLgttktXIUPWVIdUQ/s320/IMG_1668.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342902646365752914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcqSZ4O6gdCGgycR2yPSm7E76vSv1-PKCoXNYR88dbC4KVK9XzdFHf4DmaMvZhln3Fk3w2g6HoNYz5hrJIiy8FBQc9rXGcNbDTPO3Weoi9AT6Hx-pdfcp07IYbmxzt3aawBGEvw/s1600-h/IMG_1667.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcqSZ4O6gdCGgycR2yPSm7E76vSv1-PKCoXNYR88dbC4KVK9XzdFHf4DmaMvZhln3Fk3w2g6HoNYz5hrJIiy8FBQc9rXGcNbDTPO3Weoi9AT6Hx-pdfcp07IYbmxzt3aawBGEvw/s320/IMG_1667.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342902645391124754" border="0" /></a><br />And last but not least...chocolate...Sarah introduced me to this chocolate, Coastline Creations' "River Mill" in January. Maine-made and it's all dark chocolate with..sea salt! Sounds odd, huh? We thought so too until we tried it. I don't know what it is but the salt balances the chocolate out perfectly and I find that I only need a nibble or two and I'm satisfied. And their label is completely honest and lists one serving size as a whole bar! I hate it when chocolate bars list nutritional info as something odd as 2.5 servings. Pluzzzeee!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.coastlineconfections.com/Coastline_Confections/Rivermill.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF7ArKRSmBeUkaHxXaQEqEGO7KC-XZJHxWSyz4tJUdDU5lLmaZdi_7qRVzKXBmxZagxIlnge0rT497BTjini4uEQag8Q2atCaG5gEEuIFCyneK4IcuibaV6CGYmBkV4VpVSirDA/s320/shapeimage_2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342914537693978498" border="0" /></a><br />So in the spirit of giving, if you're interested in a little gifty from New England (hint see image above!), post a comment before this Friday, June 5th and tell me what you think of when you think of New England (yes, it can even be gay marriage..we're kinda proud of that!). I'll randomly pick a comment and send the person who commented a little gifty!<br /><br />And a big thanks to Sarah for giving me the escape I needed!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14408260969108340619noreply@blogger.com4