(our myspace photo, hee hee ;-o)

Most days I can eat anything. If I am hungry enough, I will even eat McDonald’s! (gross) Then there are those days when my whole body craves something special and no matter what I do, I will eventually have to give in to the insatiable craving.

Today it was hotdogs.

I haven’t had a hotdog in years and years and years. I couldn’t tell you the last time, really. But my body wanted hotdogs so the only reasonable next step was to hunt down a hotdog house.

Hmm… the only hotdog I will eat will be wieners NOT encased in pig intestine. So where there are veggie version hotdogs, I will more than likely find what I am looking for.

Hans’ smartphone can do pretty much everything including backflips!  (well, not really) but it’s cool. So as we are driving around he gets to searching for a hotdog house and finds Frank’s. A place with a full bar, gourmet hotdogs, and frois gras sausage. What!!!?? Frois gras?? Those bastards! Frank’s is not for the PETA fans.

We also found that Frank’s is famous for their bacon infused Marker’s Mark whisky. Of course, we had to try it. I really wasn’t up for drinking alcohol but they do have a nice selection of beers from the Lagunitas, Breckenridge, and Independence breweries that I will surely indulge in next time. Yum!

I ordered a few veggie dogs as all their meats were in fact encased in pig guts. God, ick!!! But the veggie replacements were pretty good. Hans had the Jackalope which is an antelope and rabbit sausage topped with a compote of berries. Looked really good. His description of it; “Great topping, but the meat itself was a bit bland.”

He did like his Chicago dog! In order to get the full experience, Hans ordered  himself the Bacon infused Marker’s Mark Manhattan. Definitely bacon-ie!

The taste reminded me of a spring morning at my grandmothers country home. And the flavor just lingered on and on until I had to wash it away with a big swig of sweet tea. Hans seemed to like it for the novelty but I wasn’t amused. We both agreed it doesn’t hold a candle to the traditional Manhattan.

As far as prices; for four dogs, a small order of waffle fries, tea, and the cocktail we spent $34.00 plus a 30% tip. (the waiter was friendly). Pricing on the wieners vary from $4 to $8.

I would totally go back. I wish I could find it in me to try the frois gras or their venison, but I don’t think I can find that courage. Someone try them and tell me what you think!! Yum dogs!

*Long exhale*

It’s been quite a weekend. I feel like I’ve been shaken up, down, and all around and left at the heels of Monday dazed and confused. This is all in a good way, but it does mean that my thoughts are all over the place, including my blog post ideas.

So I’ll start with my proudest accomplishment of the week.

I ran a half marathon.

Well, ok, I came close. I ran 12.5 miles. Let’s call it a half marathon though, because .6 extra miles wouldn’t have been no thang after +12. I never would have believed this is possible two weeks ago. I joined the Kailua Running Company for the Sunday run and this past weekend’s was a doozer. It included many hills. But I kept a smile on my face, joined the artist I met last week with a similar pace as mine who is also training for the Honolulu Marathon, and forged ahead.

As we turned back to the running store I was positively giddy. I remained on Cloud 9 the entire day. I never would have thought that I was at the athletic level to run an almost half marathon distance. I don’t have a lot of self confidence. I’ve never thought of myself as a runner. I remembered my days in cross country, lagging in the middle of the pack, and I figured I I’m not a runner, I’m just a poser.

No more, kids. I think I’ve had the athletic capabilities of such distance for a while but not the belief or confidence. Although you may have the necessary skills, in this case endurance skills, you need to 100% believe that it is possible to bring your vision to fruition. Of course, I am not saying that you can jump off the couch and run a half marathon, like anything else it takes time. But I’ve been running mostly on and sometimes off for 4 years now. I have the athletic foundation, I just needed to believe that. Afterward I was fitted for new running shoes. I was sure that my running gait was awkward, remembering what my coach said during my junior year of high school. But I was told that my gait is great and that I have an athletic foot. I was beaming. Hi guys, my name is Maya and I now call myself a runner.

Check out my Kailua Running Company bumper sticker rocking out on my Camelbak. Represent. But do not check out my post yoga hair. Also note the headphones, because while writing this post I basically listened to this one song non stop that I’ll divulge at the end of the post!

I mentioned in my post on vegetarianism that I loved hot dogs as a kid, before I knew hot dogs were meat. Well, I rediscovered hot dogs, or shall I say… veggie dogs! I don’t know what a meat eater would think, but the Morning Star veggie dogs tasted just like I remember hot dogs tasting, that is to say delicious! I’m not sure if it’s typically Chilean, but in my dad’s family we top hot dogs with the works, which for us means scrambled egg, avocado, and tomato.

My fruit runneth over

I used a piece of flax bread as my hot dog bun, which I actually preferred to traditional buns.

I now welcome comestible dogs back into my life. It’s been far too long.

In other news I got a few surprises in the mail!

To be revealed in future posts.

Ok, fine, I’ll share one:

I was the Crofter’s blog pick of the week! I’m stoked to try the awesome, superfruit filled flavors.

Today I’ve been listening to Matt and Kim’s Daylight nonstop. No, really, I have.

Enjoy, my lovelies.

In keeping with the beginning of this post, here’s a quote I love from running coach and author Franz Stampfl: “The runner’s greatest asset, apart from essential fitness of body, is a cool and calculating brain allied to confidence and courage.”

Yes, indeed.

Big thanks to PETA (via Twitter) and Oriole Park at Camden Yards (home of the Baltimore Orioles) for now offering veggie dogs and veggie burgers.

According to Soy Happy Venue Guide, “The O’s are now offering veggie dogs! They are sold along with veggie burgers at the Pastimes stand. They also offer a roasted veggie wrap (made to order), various salads, onion rings, french fries, chips, cole slaw, popcorn, soft serve yogurt, caramel apples, nachos, corn bread, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pretzels.

*The veggie dogs are Lightlife’s Smart Dogs (vegan and certified kosher.) The veggie burgers are probably not vegan. We will update the information here when we get a confirmation.”

It’s always good to know when vegetarians and vegans have more options to enjoy along with America’s favorite pastime.

Now if the Orioles were having a better season, there would be even more reason to celebrate!

—–> What is your new favorite place that has veggie options? Leave a comment and let me know!

Chef Wendy

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Good evening, folks. I am feeling a little internet overload for some reason right now, but I wanted to share about the day. I took a long walk and a bike ride. It was sooo gorgeous today. A cool breeze kept it from being too hot. I walked at high noon, which says a lot about the temperature!

My walk was long and I didn’t have lunch until 2ish! I was lazy and heated up some sun-dried tomato pizza and whipped up a quick salad.

Yum! The pizza place is a locally owned Italian Restaurant and they make incredible pies!

I went shopping and found some cute shirts! I guess it was a relaxation-oriented day. I saw my sister and her boyfriend later on and we had a simple dinner. I used meatless Italian Franks and garden tomatoes to make some yummy “hot dogs.” When was the last time I had hot dogs and pizza on the same day??

I found some awesome dijon mustard which was the perfect complement.

I also opened some vino in honor of the day o’ relaxation! It was good, but now I feel a bit fuzzy. Boo! I must have drank my ONE glass to fast. I do that sometimes.

I almost always drink merlot, so this was a nice change! I generally am a big fan of Barefoot wines!

Time to get ready for a big clinical day tomorrow! Night night!

There are several things that I’m simply not good at. Saying No, being right up there near the top.  But, I also have other, more lasting, character flaws, that I’m afraid err on the side of my being “too good at.”

It’s true. But, no worries, I’m not perfect. For instance, I have a cowlick.

100% Natural Cow Lick

No, what I’m referring to is my “curse.” I have one. (I probably have more than one, but I have one that is simply prevalent, at all costs, regardless of any personal demographic).

I never forget an injustice.

Ever. As a matter of awkward fact, I could go for years without seeing you, or thinking about you, and not even a second after a re-introduction, or a chance meeting, I immediately am reminded of That Thing You Did.

I can’t help it.

Once, I was at The Pig to buy some veggie dogs, and, because as always happens in the grocery store I simply cannot leave with only what I went there to buy, I’d decided to get some Fig Newtons, and as I turned the corner, there stood a person I’d not seen (hadn’t really wanted to run into, either, to be honest) in over a year, holding a bag of potato chips, the real good kind.

“Well, Kris, I’ll be…how on earth are you?”

I was so hoping I’d not been spotted. I was shoulder-level to a row of canned squash (perish the thought) and of course, I pretended to need four cans of it, announcing that I was in quite a hurry, and how good it was to see them (it wasn’t good to see them – we’d never been that close), and how was the family, and blah, blah, blah.

Ahem. You’ve been there, before, I know…you’ve filled your buggy with cans of squash a time or two, I’m sure.

I should have been nicer, more southern, I knew better, I did, but I couldn’t look at them without recalling that time (and this was back in high school!) that they’d stolen two candy bars from the Store (we sold candy in between classes to raise money for the annual) and then blamed me for it.

No one believe it, not for one hot second, of course, but still…I had not forgotten. I hadn’t remembered that I’d not forgotten until right then, but you see my dilemma.

This raises an interesting question within my Articles of Faith, you understand.

If I can’t truly forget what you’ve done to me, for whatever reason (and I’m sure a few were warranted), then can I truly forgive? 

I hate to sound petty and trite about this, but I am a little worried. Why does my subconscious care so much?  Have I somehow given such absolute weight to every grievance done to me? (And is this a reciprocal action?)

Godspell.

I mean, Lord knows, I’ve not gotten hung up on your wrongdoing in my daily life, or routine, but why should your “mistake” (let’s call it) be the first thing to crop back into my mind, the moment we run into each other again?  I accept the fact that I’m human, and thus, flawed. Fine.

But, what else lies down there in my psyche? 

I had no idea you could carry a grudge and not feel it, not know it…

What’s the point of anger, in that case?

It’s even a little embarrassing. I try to make light of it, to joke about it, but it still sits there, right under my eyebrow, there I am sitting at the bar with you watching you sip, sip, sip your G-a-T; or, there I am, elbow-to-elbow with you in the audience enjoying a play, a musical, a concert; or, there I am passing by you in Wal-Mart, pretending I’m not recalling that time you stood me up, didn’t pay me back, spread a lie about me, left me off the invite list, whatever – it never has to be a big thing, you know, doesn’t have to be a major event.

Probably, I could argue, that it’s the smaller ones that hurt the most, that my psyche clings to.

But, get this, it’s not even that I care that much about it, or that I’m usually that offended by the oversight…the kicker is that my mind thinks it is. Heck, if I kept a list off all the things that overlooked me, the times that stood me up, the unpaid debts, and so forth, I’d go missing.

What I hate is that the moment we reconnect, this is the first thing I think of. I go straight to it. And so, I have to re-evaluate my dialogue, in that conversation, because you’re probably not thinking of that stray moment, either…and I don’t want to bring it up, necessarily, myself.

I’m just not sure how to work through it. I swear, I don’t really keep a tally. (Maybe I should, though, maybe that would alleviate this need I have mentally to “judge”).

It’s a horrible thing to discover that about yourself, that you judge others, when you really, truly, didn’t think you did. It’s like discovering those sebaceous pimples – the kind that hurt, that bump up, but they never break the surface, so no one else really believes you have a pimple.

Oh, but you do. You do. And you know you do.

I’m not even sure therapy would help. I tend to think of the subconscious as being this massive sieve, and all day long it sweeps through the murk, the mud, the mess and collects all those moments, issues, feelings, etc. that you couldn’t deal with and its first attempt comes that night, through your dreams. (This is why I’m a vegetarian).

But, if it doesn’t get a chance to release them then, it just throws them into a back room until later. Later, by the way, usually manifests as aggravation, anger, frustration, irritation, divorce, diarrhea, headache, bankruptcy, and suicide. Sometimes, the only symptom is mild discomfort, but you should still consult your phys — wait, wait, wait. I’ve gotten this confused with Levitra.

Doctor Feelgood isn't in. Ever.

What I mean to say is, probably that’s the basis of my Mistake Retention. I’m just projecting onto something within my control that stems from something that isn’t or wasn’t. Maybe that’s the whole reason we make the mistakes we make in the first place. We just haven’t cleaned up, on the inside. All that clutter gets in the way and the next thing you know, we’re operating under the Best Intentions Rule.

If best intentions were money, we’d have no poverty left in the world, would we? I haven’t met a soul yet who doesn’t have them.

The trouble is, we just don’t know how to spend them.

I’M ON MY WEEKEEENNNDD!!! Can you tell I’m pumped?? I actually realized that today was my eleventh straight day of work and not my tenth. But, I got through it, and now have two glorious days to myself before I work the real weekend.

After writing my post on sleep deprivation, I hit the sack early, sleeping eight hours. Just what the doctor my body ordered. I rolled out of bed and did ten minutes of Polly’s Yoga for Yin. It was the perfect. Left me feeling all loosey goosey again

Then I wobbled my way to the kitchen and whipped up a spectacular batch of blueberry flax protein pancakes.  

These were some of the fluffiest pancakes I’ve made in a while. I think the fat in the flax helped?

Work today was actually kind of fun. My boss and I went to the fitness centre on a military base about 15 minutes from here. Apparently they have the largest field house east of Quebec. It was so neat to see! The indoor track was bee-yoo-tiful. There was also a huge outdoor track, the biggest weight room I’ve ever seen, a special crossfit set-up, huge spin class set-up, indoor and outdoor pools, free ski use, camping gear, snow shoes, tennis courts and a bowling alley! Umm, I’m totally joining the army!

The fitness center’s manager also told me he’s run 89 marathons! He was so blasé about it too, saying a lot of them were write-offs for him. But it still amazed me. I love meeting people who are so passionate about fitness like that. He’s currently organizing the second annual Canadian Army Run in Ottawa for September. So if you’re in the area, check it out! (ahem, Sara!!)

Apparently the local base is also hosting a triathlon in September. It definitely piqued my interest since the swim portion is in a pool. Something I may actually consider doing depending on what the bike course is like… The manager told me they didn’t want to close any streets for the event, which means the biking may be on trails, and I don’t have a mountain bike.

Anyways, it was work as usual after all that excitement. There was however another highlight in my work day…

My frozen food find!!!

VitaMuffins!!! I’ve been lusting after these things ever since I heard about them over a year ago. I thought I was doomed to never trying them since I don’t allow myself to buy food online (I spend enough at the grocery store, without shipping costs to Canada…).

Deep chocolate was all the store had. As if it mattered! I’m pretty impressed with the stats and ingredients.

I really enjoyed the flavour! The muffin was quite crumbly and messy, but overall it lived up to all my expectations. I had it with a cup of applesauce and a babybel and it held me over quite well. I can’t wait to make a parfait with it!

As for supper, my squash/nut butter obsession continues…

Kind of a weird supper combo, but satisfied all my cravings. Two Yves veggie dogs and steamed butternut squash mixed with PB. Stirring the squash partially mashed it, the texture was soooo good.

Speaking of marathons and triathlons, those of you who read Caitlin’s blog may have seen her mention a great new website the other day. Racevine allows you to search and review races. You can also create a profile, add races to it, and network with other people on the site. I just signed up and think it’s great!! I really want to spread the word about it because the more people who use it, the more useful it will be. So if you’ve participated in a race, go review it! And let the web administrators know if you’d like to see a race up there

One more thing… I have an assignment for you guys. Yes, that’s right, I’m putting you to work. It seems a lot of us could be using a little more sleep, so my mission for you (if you so choose to accept) is to go to bed one hour earlier sometime between now and Sunday. Get those hours you need! I did it last night and feel so much better today, I’m going to do it again tonight. I know we’re all busy, and cherish the downtime we get in the evenings. But I think if we can dedicate an hour to go to the gym every day, then surely one night a week, we can take an extra hour and hit the hay early. I bet you will feel so much better when you do

Report back to me and let me know how it went!

Now, if you don’t mind, there are Tour de France recaps for me to catch up on

Event: Revenge of the Buns: Veggie Dog Eating Contest
When: July 4th, 2009
Where: Tiniest Bar in Texas (Austin, Tx)

Only in Austin, Texas will you find an event that has Zombie Veggie Hotdogs, a man dressed as a unicorn, other crazy costumes, and the mandatory live music all on Independence Day! July 4th was the 3rd annual Revenge of the Buns: Veggie Dog Eating Contest and it was a freakin’ blast! (We could have done without the record breaking heat, but whatever.) This 4th of July, we wanted to do something new and exciting! That resulted in us having a new found hatred of Hot Dogs…

Anyways, contestants in a doubles team or singles had 10 minutes to eat as many veggie dogs their bodies could take. Our team ate a combined total of 9.5 or 10.5 hot dogs. We were a bit delirious and lost count but we know for sure it’s over 9 and a half veggie dogs! The winning team ate 28 while the solo winner ate 16. We never knew how much it took to eat so much! Because of this event, we declared we are never entering in another food eating competition. Ever.

The event was amazing but seriously; keep hot dogs away from us!

Links:
- More of our event photos
- Event Photos by Matthew Wedgwood
- Event Photos by Ed Lehmann
- Event Photos by Ann Harkness
- VeggieDogContest.Com
- ILoveMikeLitt.com

Delicious vegan sugar cookies helped us ring the bell of freedom on Independence Day, as we struggled with our addiction to sugar. Photo by Christopher.

While sitting on the lazy bike at the gym on Saturday, I glanced up from Louis Fischer’s book “Gandhi” to see Joey “Jaws” Chesnut cramming down his 68th hot dog to set a new world record and defend his title as part of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest which has been held on July 4 for the last 94 years on Coney Island in New York City. Call it coincidence, but as I read about one man fasting to create powerful social change, another man waved a large trophy in the air, while 1.5 million people like me sat watching it on national television.

As part of our most recent experiment in eating, Kerri and I have been spending quite a lot of time at the gym, planning menus, and doing our best to eat well, but the process has been quite challenging at times. There is food everywhere, most of it is sweetened or salted to a “bliss point,” and when people get together, it’s usually over a meal. The eternal invitation to indulge is hard to resist. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the power of vegan cupcakes during Father’s Day, but as Saturday was Independence Day the veggie dogs, potato salad, and sugar cookies at our friend Justin’s house were ready to be enjoyed en masse and pushed into the depths of my belly.

I went back to reading about Gandhi. More fasting. More political change. Then another glance up at the television. On a commercial break there was one ad proclaiming that you could “Use food to lose weight!” complete with before and after pictures. Another for a salad dressing that apparently had something to do with a man and his dog getting the paper (the sound was off). And on another television, a breeze of snack crackers danced around the screen as kids chased them into the house. Our culture is food obsessed, and utterly self conscious about our weight (rightfully so?). This duality is hard to reconcile in any meaningful way, and is exactly what I have been struggling with. At that moment in a room packed full of other people looking to be fit, it seemed comically tragic.

After the gym, I spent the morning preparing sugar cookies. This says it all.

But if that is not enough. I even made my own dyes for the frosting. A crafty endeavor stemming from a desire to not eat “chemicals,” or “artificial” food products. I think this is what literary people call irony, and our country’s attitudes toward health and eating are marinating in it. Regardless, while making the cookies I could not help but eat chunks of dough every now and then, and when they came out of the oven, it was easy to find the ones that had to be eaten (this one is a little too crisp, that one a little too broken). And so my physical exercise was easily overcome by the buttery baked biscuits of sugar.

I began to wonder what Gandhi would say about Joey “Jaws” Chesnut and an event such as this annual eating contest. I thought about my own struggle to eat well and get in shape. I wondered if it would ever really be possible to create lifestyle habits that are both bliss filled and healthy. If you have suggestions, please get in touch.

To the taste of sugar in my mouth,  the need to be fit, and a culture gone wild over it’s eats…

- Christopher

this week, vegetarianism has been slightly more difficult. i’m working at a camp (as i may have said before – i don’t remember) and i usually have to take whatever they give me because i’m “Program Staff” and i eat with the kids (i’m a counselor). it’s because of USDA (US Dept. of Agriculture) standards – the camp only gets money back if the standards are followed to a T. and, see, i have this problem with wasting food. i hate when perfectly good food gets thrown out. (here, i guess we have to definite “perfectly good” – normally, i wouldn’t consider meat as “perfectly good,” but it is edible and people are starving in some places in the world (a lot more than the average American likes to think about), so in this case i guess we could consider disgusting meat as “perfectly good.”) and i don’t want to just throw away the meat i’m given (because that’s wasteful). sometimes i give it to a camper or another staff member, but sometimes it’s really the only substantial part of the meal, so if i don’t want to get sick (from lack of eating), i’ll eat it. the other day i ate a beef hot dog – i got sick from that. thankfully, i have some yummy veggie dogs now.

i’d like to take this time to segway into a nice, little rant about feeding hot dogs to children. seriously, what IS in those things anyway? who really knows what they’re eating when the bite into a hot dog? i mean, if you want to make sure it’s organic and all beef or turkey or whatever, that’s fine, but just your average run of the mill hot dog – what IS that?!?!? and why on earth do we feed them to children? (i think it’s safe to say that today’s average American child does not get the right balance of vitamins and nutrients, so why do we give them heart attacks in a bun, smothered in a sugary processed tomato foodstuff?) and for that matter, why do they even exist? what purpose does the hot dog serve other than to temporarily satisfy our accustomed tastebuds? (here’s the link to a video i posted on facebook a while back about hot dogs vs. veggie dogs – http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=194278580149&saved) anyway, do your own research if you want, but i think hot dogs are disgusting…

just one last thing. i hate being stuck at near-vegetarians when i want to be completely vegan. it’s a tough world…

For Memorial Day, we had a little office barbecue-themed potluck. I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about it because I usually can’t (or don’t want to) eat much of the stuff people bring to these things, but this one went surprisingly well.

I decided to re-create it — all vegetarian — in my new lunch sack, which, incidentally, looks perfect for a real picnic.

On the menu:

• Veggie dogs in whole wheat buns, topped with diced tomato, onion and dill pickle
• Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry
• Extra pickle
• Peach
• Spicy coleslaw

OK, so maybe it’s not the healthiest meal in the world, but after yesterday, when I threw up in the middle of a crowded restaurant (in a trash can, thank you!), I felt like I ought to eat a substantial meal. But I bet you’re asking yourself how to make that coleslaw, aren’t you?

Spicy Slaw

• 16 oz. shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• About 1 Tbsp. celery seed
• About 2 tsp. sugar
• 1-4 tsp. Sriracha (hot sauce), to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• About 2 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

1. Mix up the ingredients, except the vegetables, in a small bowl.
2. Pour dressing on cabbage and onions to coat them thoroughly.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Notes: Increase vinegar or add lemon juice if you like it extra tangy and add milk or more mayonnaise if you like it mild. Omit hot sauce for a more traditional slaw. Go light on the salt and heavy on the black pepper. As for the cabbage, I bought a 1-pound bag of mixed shredded green and purple cabbage and carrots because it was cheap, but a shredded head of cabbage would work just fine, too.

Cool dictionary fact: Coleslaw comes from the Dutch word “koolsla,” which sounds much cooler.

First, since I haven’t had a chance to post my latest CSA deliveries I’m just gonna do it now.  Three weeks ago:

salad greens, collards, rainbow chard, green garlic and asparagus

apples, navel oranges, radishes, strawberries, kiwi and sweet potatoes

And last week:

zucchinis, green chard, parsley, the world’s largest leek, lettuce

more apples, oranges, strawberries and radishes, teensy carrots and Meyer lemons

Now, spring is a great time for grilling. We all know this.   Summer as well.  Really, we grill year round, but I love grilling much more when the sun is out!  This was my first grilled meal after it turned officially Spring.

It was spur of the moment, and mostly from what we had at the house already – half a Tofurkey sausage, potatoes and a salad with grilled mushrooms, soy bleu cheese and balsamic reduction.  A fairly basic meal, but I wanted to share the method for the potatoes, which our friend Tom first introduced to us.  You pre-cook the potatoes, either by boiling them whole then slicing, or slicing then boiling.  The trick is to keep the slices fairly thick and cook them through, but not so much that they can’t stand up to the grill.  Once they’re boiled and drained, oil and season one side.  I think this time we only used kosher salt, black pepper and paprika, but you could go wild.  I think the paprika is key though, paprika makes everything better.  Grill the seasoned side over hot coals until it begins to char a bit (a little burning is good in this case, I think) and while the first side is cooking, oil and season the other side.  Flip, cook, eat.  Very good.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here yet, but baseball season started and we’ve got season tickets for the A’s, so we’ve been going to lots of baseball games.  And when those games fall on Saturdays, we tailgate!

Tailgate number one:  veggie dogs, grilled asparagus and coleslaw with radish and carrots.  We kept it simple for this one, since it was opening weekend and lots of friends came to join us.  The coleslaw dressing was just Vegennaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar and seasonings.

For tailgate number two we made kebabs!  In the past bf has been opposed to kebabs because they’re a little more work to put together, but we liked that they were a deviation from the normal burgers and dogs.  Above are my smoked tofu/pepper/onion/marinated mushroom kebabs, pre-cooking.  Yes, all of those just for me.

We didn’t bring anything to go with the kebabs, but the aforementioned Tom, who is apparently the potato master, brought these amazing garlicky parsley-y potatoes.  At Giants games and A’s games you can buy Gilroy Garlic Fries (Gilroy being renowned for garlic), and these were Tom’s version for grilling.  Did I mention they were amazing?

While we were grilling, this car pulled up across the aisle.

Awesomest baseball car ever!

(By the by, on a search for veggie food at the Oakland Coliseum I found veggie dogs!  They were $2.50 each if I recall correctly, which by stadium prices isn’t too bad.  They also weren’t more expensive than non-veggie dogs, which I appreciated.  I couldn’t tell you which stand they’re at specifically, but there’s something called the food court or food row or something, and it’s in there.  I had to walk almost halfway around the stadium from our seats in the outfield bleachers.  I plan on taking food with me from now on, but it’s nice to know that in a pinch there are vegan options.)

On the weekends we also like to drink a tasty beer now and then, and I wanted to tell you about this one.

This is Dale’s Pale Ale by Oskar Blues, and it comes in a can.  Don’t let this fool you though.  Just pour it in a pint glass and pretend it wasn’t in a can, cause this is one fine pale ale, if you into that sort of thing.

I leave you with Jake, trying to pretend he’s not interested in the fact that I’m sitting on the kitchen floor.

Veggie Dogs, extra mustard please!

Our World Champion Phillies are set to open this Sunday. Let the games begin! The Phillies also happen to play at the ballpark PETA has named “No. 1 vegetarian ballpark in Major League Baseball. ” The Philly City Paper reports that this year many Citizen’s vendors are going more “local” as well as increasing their vegetarian options offering “black bean burgers with cilantro sour cream and pepper jack cheese, veggie quesadillas, vegan burgers, veggie cheesesteaks and veg-friendly hoagies courtesy of Planet Hoagie will be available at various locations throughout the stadium.” That’s what I’m talking about!

Now, in the past I’ve searched the stadium for veggie burgers and veggie dogs, and I have found them over time (along with the Yards Pale Ale I was searching for) but veggie-friendly locations aren’t particularly well marked in the stadium. Are you heading out to the opening game, or other games this season? Send me a tip, and I’ll compile a veggie-friendly guide to the stadium!

Combine one of the most effective models of animal activism ― restaurant outreach ― with the ubiquity of mock meats such as veggie hot dogs, throw in a stadium full of hungry baseball fans, and you’ve got one of the most successful campaigns going.

     Prior to 2000, there was not a single Major League Baseball park in the U.S. selling veggie dogs. Today, there are 15 and counting, thanks to Johanna McCloy, who has been introducing meat-free hot dogs and other vegetarian fare in MLB stadiums for eight years with her California-based organization Soy Happy.

    Hot dogs once gave new meaning to “mock meat” as one of the most ridiculed meat analogs, perhaps owing to the hot dog’s place in popular culture ― and the debatable taste of early veggie versions. Flavor and texture have improved, however, and now sports fans can enjoy the quintessential concession food without the cruelty and cholesterol.

     “We’ve been instrumental in opening the door to veggie dogs and other vegetarian fare in

Johanna McCloy

ballparks, one, two, three or four at a time, every year since we began,” says Johanna (pronounced “yo-hawna”), who was working as an actress when she started Soy Happy ― she says her claim to fame is guest starring on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Ensign Calloway (“I had the rare pleasure of being one of only two characters in seven seasons to make out with Worf”).

     Johanna sets up introductions between concession managers and potential food suppliers and suggests which menu items would work for each particular park. “Then I connect the dots to initiate sample deliveries,” she explains. Johanna says baseball fans are critical to Soy Happy’s success. “Without their feedback, ballparks would never know what their customers want,” she says, adding that the same is true for any food establishment, so consumers must tell businesses if they want mock meats.

     “Soy Happy’s particular approach may also have something to do with it, as we put a particular focus on the happy and encourage consumers to come from a place of positivity and appreciation ― offering options with a smile and thanking concession managers for their consideration.”

     Johanna also credits an increase in soy-meat sales, a focus on healthier school menus, and the nation’s expanding waistline as instrumental in making faux meats more readily accepted among the sports crowd.

     “Now ballparks are also offering vegetarian chili, veggie burgers and much, much more!”

For more details, visit www.soyhappy.org.

Just yesterday I included a piece about how baseball is going green and I remarked, “Now if only we could get them to start serving veggie dogs.” Well, guess what? Today in the LA Times there was an amazing piece about how actress Johanna McCoy is spearheading the effort. In fact, the LA Dodgers are now serving veggie dogs at their games along with many other baseball and football teams. Damn, that was quick!

Click here for a fantastic piece from the Washington Post on how Major League Baseball is making an effort to be more environmentally conscious. We’re talking solar paneling stadiums, grounds keepers using non-toxic cleaners, and even waterless toilets in the men’s room. Now if we could only get them to start serving veggie dogs instead of hot dogs!

(Stay Tuned to the End of this Post for a Very Important Announcement from Our Sponsor)

I got nuthin’.

I mean it, not a fucking thing.

Nada, Zilch, Zippo, Jack, Squat, Zero. The Cupboard is Bare, Barren, a Virtual Wasteland.

Well, I do have this…

A Veggie Dog on a Plate.

What the Fuck?

Maybe I can put it on Ebay, and call it Art.

Or, better yet, I can carve a little mouth, and eyes into it, and tell people for only $47.62, it will Predict Their Future.

Or maybe, I could take him to “Dirty Kroger,” in my pants, and let him fall out while standing in the Check Out Line.

“Holy Toledo! Either that man just took a Shit, or his Dick Fell OFF! Quick, get me a Ziploc…and some Tongs!”

I told you, I Got Nuthin’.

Oh, I also have these-

Play-Doh SpongeBob
(Old SpongeBob is looking Rough)

Play-Doh Patrick

Play-Doh Squidworth

Play-Doh SpongeBob, Play-Doh Patrick, and Play-Doh Squidworth Frollicking

I’d say that’s enough for one day.

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Jonestown is currently 20, 15, 10, 5 Comments away from 5000, and whether you’re a Regular or First Time Viewer, we need you to Step Up to the Plate, and make yourself Heard.

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Aa

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Hey! There apparently is a word for what I’m doing: pescetarian. Who’d have thought?

In any case, things have been fabulous since we got our barbecued. I grilled tuna steaks for Dave’s birthday with lemon and fresh herbs. I’ve been making some delectable salads, and am particularly re-loving my baked homemade french fries (curried is best). I’ve even started having soymilk on my cereal without a problem.

You know what I don’t like, though?

At the cottage last weekend, I was a little forlorn at the lack of steak action, but veggie burgers with steak spice helped me out. However! When Dave was having his amazing Italian sausages, I decided to try out some veggie dogs. Now, I hadn’t had veggie dogs in probably ten years, and when I had them, I completely hated them. But my sister swore to me they were great again, and I gave ‘em a shot.

Dave called them Not Dogs and said they looked like Tootsie Rolls.

They were sick. Sick. I couldn’t even finish a single one and hated them so much that I actually threw them in the garbage.

Nonetheless, when I found soy chicken nugget looking things and soy chicken strips, I still bought ‘em. Sigh.

I was just about to publish this post when my internet closed the page unexpectadly and I lost the entire post. So here’s take two.

::shakes fist at WordPress::

Josh and I have been making seitan like nobody’s business lately. We use the seitan cutlets recipe from Veganomicon and then we cook it on the grill pan with some grill seasoning (tonight we used a garlic pepper grinder) and a little margarine. It makes it all moist and grilly and delicious.

My Nanna always likes to make “1-2-3″ dinners, which is “meat,” a starch like pasta or potatoes, and a vegetable. Josh and I have been making 1-2-3 dinners more than ever lately, now that we’ve been finding new ways to cook up seitan. Josh bought some steak sauce, which for me was a very different flavor then anything I’ve ever had, but as soon as he tasted it with the seitan he said it was almost scary how much it tasted like, well, you know. It almost looks like the real thing too, which is kind of eery.

We also ate brussel sprouts for the first time a few days ago. Brussel sprouts have such a bad reputation but I personally believe it’s all in the way you cook things. I bet the people who say they hate brussel sprouts probably steam them and throw some salt and pepper on them, if that. We opted to grill them with some olive oil and some grill seasoning, and we think brussel sprouts are absolutely delicious.

The parts that are really grilled taste a lot like cashews, and for us anything that tastes like cashews is going to be a new favorite food. So for anyone who thinks they don’t like brussel sprouts, try cooking them like this and you may decide you like them!

So another thing that my Nanna is famous for is her baked macaroni and cheese. She used to cut up veggie dogs into coins and bake them in with the macaroni, and it was always one of my family’s favorite recipes. That was actually the last non-vegan meal I ate. I thought I’d go out with a bang.
Josh and I have had a few different vegan macaroni and cheese dishes, and as so many of you know, it never really leaves you saying holy crap this is exactly what I’ve been missing. So we decided we’d take a crack at recreating Nanna’s baked macaroni and veggie dogs.

Now I haven’t had macaroni and cheese in almost 3 years (May 20th will be my 3 year vegan anniversary!), but this baked macaroni dish satisfied my cheesy cravings and Josh’s too (that says a lot right there). The veggie dogs gives it a little smokey flavor, and the bread crumbs on top get all golden brown and delicious…it’s just awesome.

This recipe will be in our recipe zine which is still in the works (no we haven’t forgotten about it!) so as soon as we finish that it’ll be for sale for like 5 bucks and then you can make this amazing macaroni every night like we do (well, almost every night).

I first ate a hot dog salad many years ago when I was in between apartments.  I was staying with a friend and eating very limited groceries.  I made a salad and wanted to add some protein and all I really had was half a pack of leftover veggie dogs.  So I sliced one up, added Annie’s Goddess Dressing, and by jove it was really good!  It feels white-trashy, but also healthy, and thereby doubly okay with me.  I’ve never tried a different dressing, because the Goddess goes so well with the hot dog that I’m afraid to stray.

I only buy dogs occasionally when we have a bbq and I want to fit in and be junky.  This is one of my two favorite ways to use the leftovers, the other being beany weenies.

Dessert was an oatmeal chocolate chip nut cookie from a local bakery that my awesome coworker Lauren brought for me yesterday as a parting gift.