Vegan MoFo, Day 20: Yearly MoFo Survey!

It's that time again! Time for an easy day, haha! This weekend is pretty busy, what with getting the venue ready for the wedding in TWO weeks. It's the same place Philip and I married, on a friend's family ranch. We have to clean out the barn and make sure the lights we left hanging up from three years ago still work.

I debated doing a survey because I've really liked bringing you awesome recipes, but I feel it's necessary to continue the tradition. Plants and Pages has a great survey, so I'm using that one.



1. What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?

Lately, I’ve been missing the little Lipton packets of chicken soup. They don’t look very appetizing, all yellowy and foamy, but they’re from my childhood, and I was eating a lot of this before going vegan in 2010.

2. What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?

I’m going to say several things—beets, sauerkraut, cheese (I didn’t like actual cubes of cheese, but I like substitutes!).


3. What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?

Beyond Meat “chicken.” My husband and I ordered some, tried it, and actually don’t like it NEARLY as much as the Simply Truth we get through Kroger. I know, it’s close in texture, but you have to chew and chew and chew, and it kind of made me feel gross afterward. Eveyone’s gaga about it, except us, haha!


4. What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?

I’m down with coffee lately every morning but usually drink water throughout the day.


5. What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?

Lately? Cinnamon rolls. Always a crowd-pleaser J


6. Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?

Well, several Vegan MoFo’s ago, I wrote that I ate one food on my plate at a time, then moved on to the next food. I find that I’ve been breaking that rule for a while now. I can’t really think of any other odd rules I impose on myself. Happy plates, maybe? :D


7. What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?

Chocolate, hands down. Doesn’t matter what kind or form. It’s my weakness!


8. What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?

I loved making my own almond milk, veggie stock, and sauerkraut but haven’t had much desire to lately. Maybe I’ll pick up doing that again!


9. What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?

Vegan ice cream…So Delicious brand. And nice vegan bread…

10. Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?

Uh, is the sky blue? Heck Yes, I’m a snacker. It’s borderline unhealthy, too, my level of snacking. I love various things, from frozen corn to anything chocolate to sliced tomatoes…Chips, popcorn, popsicles…everything tasty. I’ll even eat sauerkraut out of the jar/can.


11. What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?

I actually love lettuces. I know some can be bland, but when you get a good head of red lettuce, it’s the best ever. And for fruit, I really love anything citrus—oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, and all the other weird ones.


12. What is the best salad dressing?

Lemon juice…and maybe salt. Best. Ever.


13. What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?

Melted vegan cheese!!!


14. What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?

Just a simple brothy veggie soup that I can make at home. Runner Up—Amy’s brand soups, like the No-Chicken Noodle and Lentil Vegetable. Delicious!


15. What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?

OMG TACO NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!! Every Tuesday is Taco Night in our house. Philip cooks up some delicious Simple Truth “chicken” in a chipotle-pepper sauce, really limey rice, and we put all of this and toppings into individual bowls and build our soft tacos at table in the living room while watching “Drunk History” on HuluPlus. This past Tuesday, I was surfing the interwebs at work and came across taco recipes and thought, “Dangit, I REALLY want tacos!” When I then remembered that night was Taco Night, I instantly got giddy with excitement!


16. What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?

Well, it’s just Philip and myself, so this is based on him—he won’t eat salads. When we met almost 10 years ago (squeee!), he wouldn’t eat lettuce AT ALL. I know. He’s very slowly incorporated it into his diet. He’ll add spring mix to his sandwiches and loves that. But eating lettuce alone, like in a salad, sadly, is not his thing. Wish it was, though. Boy needs some chlorophyll.



Have a happy weekend! I'll be back tomorrow with a fab fruit cobbler recipe :)

Past Vegan MoFo posts on this day:

VMF 2012 Day 20: Coconut Cream Jumbles
VMF 2011 Day 20: Blah Tofu Satay
VMF 2010 Day 20: Spaghetti and a Promising Sunday

Vegan MoFo, Day 21: Yearly MoFo Survey

Today was a wonderful day spent out with family. We saw sights, shared giggles, and celebrated a birthday!

Somehow, I managed to make a loaf of bread but not get something made from the cookbook, so I'll have to settle for a survey today. Looking back on my 2010 survey, here's how my responses have changed in two years!

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?

Whipped cream, but there are several other options out there!

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?

Still thinking beets is the best answer for this one. I loooove me some beets now, though.

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?

Hmmm...I'm not sure about this one. I've grown to love a lot of vegan foods. It's amazing how tastes change over time if you just try.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?

Water. All day long.

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?

I haven't yet found a dish that I bring to gatherings a lot, besides a simple pasta salad.

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?

I've grown out of my "eating one food at a time" rule. Plus, I'm also really, really into spicy foods now.

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?

Chocolate. Yum!!

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?

I've come to like my own bread. It's not just satisfying to eat but is fun to make!

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?

Maple syrup, the real stuff. Beats the crummy fake stuff by miles.

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?

Oh heck yes. Way more than I should. Ice cream, pretzels, chocolate. Cravings!

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?

Daiya, mushrooms, and black olives. Classic.

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?

Asparagus and bananas. Could eat these every day!

What is the best salad dressing?

Lemon juice and salt. Or a quick vinaigrette made from lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard.

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?

Fruit jam! Well, except crappy grape. Bleh.

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?

I've really grown to love blended-up vegetable soups, like butternut squash soup. My favorite is still brothy veggie soup made from whatever I have on hand.

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?

CHOCOLATE! AND CHOCOLATE!

What is your favorite kind of cookie?

Still a fan of chocolate chip cookies.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?

Baked potatoes and corn-on-the-cob on Wednesdays! It's become our weekly ritual around here. Everyone at me husband's workplace wishes him "happy baked potatoes and corn" when he leaves Wednesday afternoons!

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?

Sauerkraut. My husband isn't having any of that...ever.

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?

Maybe like an hour now. I've become way more efficient with my time compared with before.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Here's to the work week...bleh.

Jes

VMF 2011 Day 21: Kitchen Sink Taboulleh and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
VMF 2010 Day 21: Peasant Supper Sundays: Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit...

Vegan MoFo, Day 12: Survey Time!

Hello, midweek. Now get the hell out of my way. I'm headed for Friday.

I felt like taking a Vegan MoFo Survey (one a year!) and saw this one on Manifest Vegan a few days ago. Seemed cute and not like the survey from last year, so here goes!

A is for Avocado: How do you like yours prepared?

Avocado is best when it's perfectly ripe and topped with lime juice and salt. Totally just made my mouth water. Also, I hate cooked avocado...gross.

B is for Bread: Regardless of nutrition, what is your favorite type?

I like pretty much any bread...except for croissants. They're just not my thing ever since I went on a trip to France in 2001. Dunno why...

C is for Chocolate: What is your favorite kind currently?

I've always been a complete sucker for dark chocolate. I love the Chocolate Dream chocolate chips. Super super delicious!!

D is for Doughnuts: You might not currently eat them, but what kind do you fancy?

Oh gawd, I'd kill for a doughnut. I haven't had one in forever. For reals, a doughnut pan is on my xmas list. There is a local bakery that makes vegan doughnuts but only on Wednesdays. Haven't made it over there yet. Wait! Today's Wednesday!

E is for Egg(plant): How would you like yours prepared?

I don't like cooking eggplant for myself. Every time I make it for myself, it tastes nasty. I'll probably forget and try it again...have to keep trying!

F is for Falafel: Yay or nay?

Yay times infinity! In fact, I'm thinking of making some next week.

G is for Groceries: Where do you purchase yours?

We get some items at Target because they are cheaper, but mostly we shop at Dillons (local Kroger). I love the Saturdays that I can make it to the farmer's market, and I find specialty vegan foods at Food For Thought, a local grocery (awesome store).

H is for Hot Beverages: What is your favorite hot drink?

Tea is awesomeness in a cup. I don't drink it every day, but waaaay more than coffee. Every time I buy a new box of tea, The Hubs complains that I have too much :)

I is for Ice Cream: Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.

Chocolate. Vegan Sprinkles. Simple and cute.

J is for Jams or Jellies: Do you eat them? If so, what kind and flavor?

Hmmm, I prefer jams. My mom and I used to make a strawberry-rhubarb jam as xmas gifts every year. It was THE BEST.

K is for Kashi: Name your favorite Kashi product?

I really like their some of their frozen meals, like the Mayan Black Bean thing. That's pretty tasty.

L is for Lunch: What was yours today?

Leftover mac & cheeze from the epic sandwich I made last night. Still soooo freaking tasty. And guess what? I have another serving left at home for me. Score!

M is for microwave: What is your favorite microwave meal/snack?

I've been loving microwaved squash lately. Soooooooo much quicker than baking.

N is for nutrients: Do you like carbs, fats, or proteins best?

Do I have to choose??

O is for oil: What kind do you like to use?

Usually I use olive oil, but I will dig out canola, sesame, grapeseed, vegetable, and definitely coconut if it's suitable.

P is for protein: How do you get yours?

Everywhere and anywhere. That shit's in everything, man.

Q is for Quaker: How do you like your oats?

I was into overnight oats for a while there. Pretty good!

R is for roasting: What is your favorite thing to roast?

ROOT VEGGIES!! Roasted beets make my heart swell!

S is for sandwich: What’s your favorite kind?

Just a plain jane Tofurky, tomato, red onion, lettuce, and Vegenaise. I am sure there are better sandwiches out there, but I always come back to this one.

T is for travel: How do you handle eating while traveling?

Yeah, I don't get to travel very often at all since our dog is socially-impaired. But when I've driven to KC or elsewhere for conferences, I usually take some nuts and fruit because I KNOW there won't be much more than iceberg lettuce for me on the lunch buffet.

U is for unique: What are some of the unique foods that you like?

I've been known to eat straight up nooch...and more than 1 spoon.

V is for vitamins: What kind do you take?

I take a vegan multivitamin and a spray each of B-12 and D2 every morning. I probably pee a lot of it out, but at least I won't lose brain cells :D

W is for Wiener schnitzel: Do you ever recreate this traditional Czech food?

Nope...haven't done that yet...

Y is for Youth: What foods remind you of your childhood?

All the "wrong ones" LOL. McD's chicken nuggets, shrimp, grilled cheese, ice cream...

Z is for Zucchini: How do you prepare it?

I've used zucchini for a lot of stuff: soups, raw hummus, baked, fried, yum yum yum. I tried growing it this summer but only got 2 zucchini out of 4 plants before bugs got to them.

I'll be back with more recipes and adventures (and wheelies and handstands and awesomeness) tomorrow.

Jes