Wow, it has been so long since I have posted! My excuses are flimsy except for the recent version which is that I have been very busy resisting the confusing policies, untruths, disrespects and lack of transparency of our new President. I guess you could say I am trying to do my part to protect our democracy and the tenets of our constitution.
So, my dedication to veganism has not waned, just gotten stronger every day. Being able to say that one way (3 times a day) I am not contributing to animal cruelty, climate change or the downfall of my health gives me a happiness that permeates every part of my existence. Speaking of this, please note the 2 delicious plates of food above. This was my dinner this evening. On the left was a romaine/kale, almonds, hemp seed, tomato, onion, orange, dried cranberries salad with Italian dressing. The plate on the right is my version of enchiladas - black beans sauteed with onions, red peppers and garlic for the filling. Corn tortillas are crisped up on a grill, then the layers begin in a 9X13 pan. First a layer of tortillas, then the black bean mixture and a sprinkling of daiya cheese (or sometimes I make my own cashew cheese sauce), then a layer of tortillas, then another sprinkling of 'cheese' on the top. Cover it all with an enchilada sauce. This time I used a green sauce for variety. Bake for 20 minutes and grab a beer and you are set to go. YUM!
One of the best things that has happened lately has been the proliferation of vegan meal gatherings. These are so good for moral support, connecting with new friends, sharing ideas and eating all kinds of delicious vegan food. The newest one is a local vegan meetup. The events are mostly once a month. Some of them have been potlucks and others trips to restaurants. Sometimes there are speakers, some of whom tell a story of how going vegan saved their life. One of my favorite people in the meetup community is a vegan chef. He offers recipes, cooking tips and such a passion for cooking vegan. Another favorite of mine is a friend who now works for PETA. Her dedication and fearlessness in advocating for animals is always so inspiring. Just being around her makes my day better.
My last words for this post will be a funny story about the last vegan meetup at a local Mexican restaurant. I had not been to it before, but knew that the food served there was favorably reviewed and the ambiance urban and hip. There were 25 of us at this one pretty much filling up 1/2 of the restaurant. Since the menu included lots of Mexican dishes made with crispy tofu instead of meat protein, a majority of us ordered something with the crispy tofu. The funny part happened after the meal was over. One of the waiters starting chatting with us and asked if we were a vegan group. Once he found out we were, he told us he ran a video game drop-in down in his basement for friends etc and he always served vegan food. So, the funny part of the story was that when he took all our orders to the kitchen sort of at the same time, the chef/cooks said 'whoa' and asked him if all his friends came to the restaurant at the same time because of all the tofu orders. We all had a good chuckle over that one. Needless to say, we invited him to get on our mailing list!!!!
