randomness to get caught up

This is just a small group of photos I forgot because they weren't in chronological order in iPhoto. That's what I get for using a cheap 2mp camera that my MIL gave me. Not to mention being without a printer to upload and having to add them to disc. What a pain.

Anyway, these are all from the fall of 2007 to early 2008. And, now, I'm officially caught up with my posts. Which is great because right now, Mark is baking some buns to go with the Snobby Joes from Veganomicon. Also, I'll be baking Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes today followed by Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes on Saturday. All of these are first-time recipes. I'm looking forward to seeing if they are worth adding to our repertoire. Sadly, that burrito pie, pictured at the bottom, was not a keeper.


a pumpkin loaf, courtesy of VegNews.



tiny bite-sized burgers.



the tiny burgers, served along with bean soup.



Lulz...



a burrito pie, from La Dolce Vegan.

not-so heavenly sweet potato cake (10.22.08)

This cake was from the latest issue of VegNews. I was going to bake two, one for the house and one for my co-workers but it ended tasting too "vegan". A bit dry and definitely not something I'd want to share with omnis.

seitan fajitas (10.16.08)

Another recipe from RFD. This time, using the chicken-style seitan. Who knew adding white beans to baked seitan could be this delicious?

seitan with veggies & mashed potatoes (10.13.08)

I was in the mood for American comfort food and this is what Mark came up with.


panko-crusted seitan, sautéed veggies, homemade mashed potatoes, with lots of gravy and Earth Balance-d rolls. So good!

chili & cornbread

Mark made this chili from scratch (no recipe) which lasted for quite a few meals. Tasty and economical.


fresh-baked cornbread.



chili topped with jicama and cilantro.

pizza & carrot cake cupcakes (9.24.08)

Pizza made from scratch, Mark's creation, and cupcakes from VCTOTW.



there's nothing better than homemade pizza.


little morsels of sweetness.

....and, because I forgot to post this earlier, I'm just going to tack it on here. This was another homemade pizza, made with pesto.


and it was good :)

seitan enchiladas with salsa verde & refried black beans (9.20.08)

Another recipe recreation from the RFD cookbook. Although, we didn't have time to fully cook the black beans from scratch, canned black beans worked in a pinch. Also, we added salsa rojo with the salsa verde and were pleased with the results.


baked seitan, an economical and easy way to prepare it.


cooking the seitan with the salsa verde.



et voila, dinner is served.

cinnamon rolls redux (9.15.08)

This is a result of Mark's baking. Each time he bakes these, the result is tastier. Now, he adds fresh caramel, pecans, and tofutti cream cheese icing.

better with cheddar nachos (9.01.08)

One of the first recipes I begged Mark to try, from the Real Food Daily cookbook, was the nachos. We'd already had them at RFD and were interested in seeing how well we could recreate them. The cashew cheese hardened pretty quickly but easily melted. All in all, a success.



all the nacho ingredients, waiting to be assembled.


the finished product.

resto meal: Real Food Daily, Santa Monica (8.08)

This was our first joint trip to Santa Monica, which is how we celebrated our 14th anniversary. After a disastrous experience at Bubba Gump and their so-called "vegan" menu, we decided the only place to eat was at Real Food Daily. These are some pics we took of our takeaway meals. Unfortunately, I never took any when we were at the restaurant. The cookbook was worthwhile investment.


the Supreme burrito.


Mark had the brownie and I had this tasty concoction: a chocolate chip/rice cream sandwich.


vegan tea cookies. Yumminess!

veggie casserole (4.03.08)

A light spring meal of veggie casserole, fresh potato chips, and sautéed green beans with mushrooms.

enchiladas (3.31.08)

Enchiladas, the way we like 'em. Lots of red sauce, and topped with olives, green onion, and vegan cheese.

more sandwiches (3.25.08)

Mark baked the bread for these tasty sandwiches. The filling is fresh veggies and Field Roast "sausages". The macaroni salad (our new favorite), is from Veganomicon.

stiry-fry (3.29.08)

Mark made a trip to the local Asian market and came back with some mock meats. This is one of the dishes he created.

veggie sandwich with the works (2.24.08)

The veggie sanwiches were our own creation, the beans came out of a can, the seitan from La Dolce Vegan, and the macaroni salad from Veganomicon.

cheap comfort food: conchas y frijoles (11.08.07)

Sometimes, when I don't feel like busting out a meal from one of our many cookbooks, I fall back to the food I grew up with. This, of course, is the veganized version of conchas (seashell pasta shells) with refried beans, vegan cheese, and a corn dish that Mark came up with.

meal on the go: cajun pasta (2.08)

I've already experienced the (lack of) meals on the Amtrak. This time, I came prepared for the long journey home. From the Emeryville Public Market: cajun veggie pasta, salad, bread, and a lychee boba drink. Superb!

resto meal: Herbivore, SF (2.10.08)

A trip to San Francisco is not complete without a stop at one of our fave vegan restaurants, Herbivore.


bruschetta, a tasty starter.


Mark's choice: a black bean burrito with salad.



I ordered the portobella mushroom sandwich with macaroni(!!) salad. It was delish.



Dessert: a generous slice of German chocolate heaven.

a squadron of sugar airplanes (11.02.07)

I made these for my sister's baby shower and none of the omnis were none the wiser that these were vegan. Mu-ha-ha-ha.

sunday breakfast: fronch toast & fried potatoes (9.02.07)

These are from the Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook though Mark usually dresses them with candied pecans, powdered sugar, Earth Balance, and maple syrup. Yummy.


Made with fresh rosemary.