I haven't been blogging, but I have been eating!

Well! I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, just barely keeping my cool ! Well, maybe it's not quite that bad, but it's darn-near close. We've been eating a lot of take out, but I have done some actual cooking as well.... some of it has even turned out quite well & is definitely worth sharing!

Here's a yummy breakfast that I had the other day... a nice bowl of Wildwood plain yogurt, two cut up apples, and a little handful of walnuts. Quick & delicious. I like the wildwood yogurt because it isn't sweetened - it's got that tang that yogurt should have.

Mmmm! Two nights ago I made Julie Hasson's delicious "Diner Loaf." This recipe was in Vegetarian Times at some point, which is when I first made it... and I was happy to see it again on the Everyday Dish DVD. Musty and I both loved this tasty recipe, and my mom was oooing and aaahing over her "meatloaf" sandwich. We've still got some in the fridge, so I think I'll try that sandwich idea tomorrow. I've never had a meatloaf sandwich. Sounds weird, but I'm sure it's worth a try. We had it with broccoli and kabocha squash.

YUM! One of my very sweet yoga students got me a great Christmas present! A pint of Maggie Mudd's Peanut Butter Palooka. It's fantastically outrageous.... Thanks Santa!

Last weekend we went to our friends Victor and Karo's house for a dinner party. Karo made these tasty appetizers... they were made with mashed potatoes, split peas, and some indian spices. Very nice! She served them with some delicious mustard-fresh mint sauce, which was extremely delicious!
Here's my dinner plate. Karo's a vegetarian, and she's always very sweet about making some vegan options for me... there was lots for me to eat! Rice, lentils, spinach, cauliflower, bread, and more mustard-mint sauce. It was great gathering, and a fun chance to visit.

We had dinner over at my mom's house during the week - and she made a very nice pilaf from a cookbook called "Quick Vegetarian Pleasures" - a nice rice full of veggies and raisins... Musty had 3 servings! ha ha. When he likes something, he REALLY likes something. Have I ever mentioned that my mom makes the best salads? He makes these simple little salads with a zingy, flavorful dressing. I love my mom's salads! and I love my mom!

On Sunday night I made dinner for my family, we were having a good-bye dinner for my Great Aunt Tashie, who was heading back up to Oregon. I wanted to make something yummy & special. So! I turned to "Voluptuous Vegan." I like the way that book organizes things by menu, and then you can just select however many items you have the time or inclination to make. This is the "Red Kuri Squash and Bean Ragu", the "Arepas", and the "Sauteed Sweet Potatoes with Red Onions and Balsamic Vinegar"... wow! It was a delicious feast, and was greeted with rave reviews all around. The sweet potatoes were especially stellar, a simple and delightful way of preparing them (see how they are chopped up so tiny!?). The Ragu was thick, flavorful, and hearty. Very nice.

For dessert, I made these: the Super-Charge Me cookies from "Eat Drink & Be Vegan". I really trust Dreena's cookies. I don't think I've found a dud yet! These were quick, easy, and actually have many healthful ingredients. I used dried blueberries instead of raisins, and that was a tasty touch. My whole family loved these babies!

Tonight I made dinner for grandpa again. My parents came over to his house as well. I made "Booker T's Southwest Tempeh Chili" from the "Vegan World Fusion Cuisine" cookbook. Wow!!! What an amazing and delicious meal! Such a cool and unusual selection of ingredients - like cashews, fire roasted tomatoes, ancho chili, corn, tempeh, beans.... the list goes on! Greeted with rave reviews and satisfied bellies all around the table. My cousin Lisa gave me this cookbook for my birthday this year... this is only the 2nd thing I've made, but both were excellent. I find the weird titles for the recipes a bit confusing, but the recipes seem like they're really great. I look forward to trying more soon!

To go along with the chili, I made a half-batch of my favorite corn bread, the Skillet Corn Bread from "Real Food Daily Cookbook." We had it with light agave nectar. Yumola!

All in all, it's been a very healthy holiday season for us - as I am far too busy running around getting ready for my trip and Christmas to even eat - let alone eat naughty treats all day. I have a few Christmas gifties that I am still hard at work on, and quite a bit more travel prep to do... Well, I've still got 5 days left!