Portlandia

So after months of toil, I finally accrued enough vacation time to go on a short jaunt up to P-town, aka Portland, Oregon, aka the best city EVER. I went to college in Eugene, and since I was the SUPER COOLEST and decided to stay for a fifth year, during that time I got to visit my much smarter friends who moved to Portland after graduation.

I didn't get to do or eat everything I wanted to because my time was so short (vegan waffle cart, I think about you and weep!), but I'm planning another trip up in July so cross your fingers. And, most importantly, I got to spend lots of time with dear friends that I miss very much, and who were kind enough to put me up for a night or two during my stay. There was also a long walk with a cute dog, Smash Brothers tutorials, a birthday party, shopping, multiple vegan donuts & bagels, yummy homebrew and backyard sunshine, the comfiest blanket ever, some amazing homemade meals, and a new tattoo!

Picture highlights:

Kale 'n Quinoa bowl with tempeh and avocado, and chamomile tea, from Red & Black Cafe


Amazing delicious want-to-eat-a-wagon-full-of-them Chickostick donut from Voodoo Donuts on top of recently purchased copy of Thrive by Branden Brazier (from Herbivore)...what a juxtaposition. I'm sorry Branden, will you still go out with me? Or at least allow me to stare at pictures of you creepily? Wait, I already do that...


Funny sign I saw while wandering around


Nobody beats Sweetpea's bagels and schmear, or the atmosphere


Gorgeous cherry blossoms from inside Sweetpea


The inside of Scapegoat Tattoo


Getting tattooed by Dylan. It hurt so good.


AMAZING vegan brunch that my BFF M-poo's neighbors made us...to-die-for biscuits and gravy, potatoes, tofu scram, and OJ. Not picture: fruitses!

Moral of the story is, if you're vegan and haven't been to Portland yet, get off your ass!

Birthdays, picnics, and easter, oh my!

Long entry but it's mostly photos!

Our weekend at home with the famfam was all two girls could ask for, and we have photo evidence to prove it!

First up is our picnic on Saturday. Mom, Kelly, and I rode our bikes 4 miles down to Asti Winery (the site of the former Italian-Swiss Colony), and Dad met us there with a picnic lunch that Mom had prepared that morning!: Chips, hummus, a huge container of veggies and pickles and olives, bananas, and 21st Century Carob Cookies, an Isa/Terry cookie tester!

Mr. Coyote came to visit us! He played at chasing birds, but I think what he really wanted was Terry's cookies!



That evening we celebrated my dad's birthday. In the afternoon, Kelly and I made the Bananas Foster Cake from My Sweet Vegan. Being at my parents' house meant I got to use my mom's stand mixer! Yay! And yes I am wearing my awesome CakeSpy t-shirt. The cake was so delicious, two omnis and three vegans have made promises of undying love to it. I think it's now my favorite recipe from MSV. And it has bananas in it, that means it's healthy, right?



















Not the greatest decorating job ever, but I'm still practicing. I don't get a lot of opportunities to make cakes (they're not exactly bike-portable) so this was a fun experience to put some of the skills I learned from the UO Craft Center cake decorating class to use.

For dinner we made one of my favorite meals: chickpea cutlets with mustard sauce (both recipes from Veganomicon), roasted asparagus with garlic, and mashed potatoes, which were made extra special with the addition of chives from the garden.





We also made Easter brunch Sunday morning, which consisted of Classic Broccoli Quiche from the PPK blog (and Isa's upcoming brunch book), herbed red potatoes, and fruit salad.









I hope everyone had a lovely, restful weekend!

Happy Bunnies Effing Day!

What can I say, I'm not at all religious.

But, our family still is (sort of), AND today is our daddy's birthday (happy birthday Daddums!), AND I am lucky enough to have a half day at work, so Kell and I are headed up north to visit the famfam. There will be much bike-riding and food and hopefully some chocolate. 'Twill be excellent.

I leave you today with testers from the lovely and talented Terry Hope Romero's upcoming Vegan Latina cookbook! The recipes span the South American continent and so far they are fun to cook AND fun to eat!

Colombian red beans, Llapingachos (mashed potato pancakes) and Peruvian Spicy Cheezy Sauce


Simple Sofrito


Butternut Black Eyed Pea Tostadas


Pupusas with Simple Latin Tomato Sauce, Swiss Chard with Capers & Raisins, Cilantro-Lime Rice


Beans with Rice, the remix (Pinto Gallo)


Homestyle Refried Beans (featured in simple tacos)

There are also these AMAZING Eggplant Torta Sandwiches (complete with Pickled Red Onions, OMG TASTY!) that I didn't get a picture of...because they went in our tummies so fast! Favorite recipe thus far.

Why yes, I DO use the same plates for EVERYTHING I cook. Back off, it's vintage Corningware from the 1970s! (I <3 50s & 70s kitchen stuff...and knitting patterns/yarn.)

Are you starving now? Because I am. Where's my banana?!!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday y'all! I never understood the phrase "living for the weekend" until I graduated, starting working, and then got a new bike. I commute with it all week, which is great, but the best part of owning a bike, the uphill battles and downhill adrenaline rushes, start tomorrow, and I can't fucking wait!

It's been too long since I posted Isa & Terry cookie testers! Isa posted an amazing Flickr set which has muuuuuch better photos than mine, so move any electronics out of the way before you click that link - it's mouthwatering!

Even so, here are my humble test cookies:

Lazy Samoans (toasted coconut/chocolate...like the girl scout cookies)


Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows...thar's peanut butter in them thar cookies!

And my personal favorite...


Cheesecake Chip Topped Brownies

Yes, they did, in fact, blow my mind.