• Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 78 other subscribers

  • “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers” — Isaac Asimov

  • Recent Posts

  • Pages

  • Categories

  • Archives

  • Blog Stats

    • 195,694 hits

Hold the Cheese, Please!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by auburnchick

Yesterday evening, Rooster and I had one thing on our minds…

Dinner.

The Mr. was working late, so it was up to us to fend for ourselves.

I did what all good mothers do.

I called and placed a to-go order at my favorite Mexican restaurant.

I always get two bean burritos but substitute the cheese sauce for enchilada sauce.  Not only am I vegan, but I am lactose-intolerant.

Rooster requested plain chicken and cheese nachos.

The gentleman who took my order repeated it back to me.  Everything was set to go.

I arrived at the restaurant, asked about Rooster’s order to ensure that my wishes had been adhered to, and made my way home…eager to dig in.

Take a look what I found when I opened my meal…

Do you see the cheese?

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

I was also angry.

Very much so.

This is a restaurant I frequent often.

They know me.

They know my order.

I can tell you how much it costs before and after tax.

I quickly called them up and explained what had happened…IN VERY FIRM WORDS.

I was ticked off royally and vented, explaining to the gal that I knew she was just the person who’d answered the phone (actually, she was also the one who gave me my order, so in reality, she should have checked it).

She knew I was mad.

I told her that I did not want to go back right then because 1) I was tired and 2) I was about to jump in the shower.

She offered to replace my meal the next time I go back…even mentioning how she knows me but still didn’t check my order.

Seriously?

Sheesh.

I meekly agreed to get a replacement meal on my way home from work the next day, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I’m going to ask for my money back…sans the meal.

I jumped into the shower with tears flowing down my face…heartily disappointed.

I didn’t have dinner.

It sucked.

I feel as though I am constantly sending dishes back to the kitchen because SOMEBODY DOESN’T PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I’VE TOLD THEM.

How hard is it to write my order down or, if you’re the cook, READ the order?

If you’re the person picking up the order to deliver it to my table, shouldn’t you CHECK THE ORDER?

Last week, the Mr. and I visited our local Bennigans.

I was thrilled because I’d called ahead to make sure that the veggie burger didn’t have an egg binder…that it truly was vegan-friendly.  It was, so we traipsed to the mall.

I ordered STEAMED broccoli…strictly requesting that it NOT be cooked in butter because of my ALLERGY TO MILK.

Guess what I got?

I got an order of steamed broccoli with PARMESAN CHEESE!

Seriously?

The server was mortified when I called her to my table.

That order should never have even made it to my table!!

Here’s the deal, folks.

If a person asks you to hold the cheese, white sauce, or butter, ACQUIESCE to the request.

Most of the time, it’s because there is an allergy that the person HASN’T CHOSEN to have to live with.

How would you like to be stuck in the bathroom for hours while your body tries to get rid of the stuff that’s been put in without the owner’s knowing it?

How would you like to have to call in sick because SOMEBODY FAILED TO DOUBLE-CHECK AN ORDER?

Been there and done that, which is one reason why I went totally vegan.

That’s the reality of my life.

My Mexican restaurant has lost a fan.  It’s too bad.  I don’t trust them any more.

In fact, I’m going to have to buckle down and stick with what I know…plain and simple home-cooked meals.

I’m really very tired of having a spotlight shine on me nearly every time I go out to eat…all because of something I cannot help…all because someone can’t see fit to hold the cheese.

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Teaching Them More than Reading

Posted on February 14, 2014 by auburnchick

On Tuesday, I had one of those moments when I realized how much more than Reading that I’m teaching my students.

During my first class, one of my girls, “S,” came in and saw my Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie…

Don’t ask me why, but one day last week, I got a hankering for peanut butter.

I’d been trying to make myself like smoothies, but I was having a rough time of it.  I like to eat my fruit, not drink it in chunks.

Then one day, I discovered the heavenly combination of banana and peanut butter.

Elvis would be so proud.

One thing led to another, and I found myself sitting in Target’s parking lot Googling peanut butter/banana smoothie recipes.

I found a couple I liked and took ingredients from both to come up with something that tasted DIVINE.

I’ve been on my Daniel Fast…more hard core than the last year or so, when I’d been baking and eating some refined sugar.

Since January 1st, I haven’t eaten any sugar (not on purpose), French Fries, or other junk food.

Thanks to the Ninja blending system I received as a Christmas gift, the ingredients (shared below) were turned into something that my picky taste buds enjoyed.

Anyhoo…

I’d taken my drink into school a couple of days, and my students had taken notice.

On Tuesday, “S,” saw my drink and told me that she’d made a smoothie, complete with Chia seeds, which I’d told my kids about.  She went on to say that she had added strawberries and suggested that I try doing the same.

I could not help but smile.

You see, my students and I chat.  That’s how I have created relationships with them.

They’ve been very curious about my eating lifestyle, at first thinking that being vegan is weird, but slowly coming to the understanding that it is a healthy way to eat.

These kids need this kind of teaching.  They often dine on fast food or whatever comes out of the freezer.  Much of what they eat is fried or microwaved.

This distresses me, but I don’t lecture them.

It’s obvious, from the conversation with my student, that I am teaching them more than I realize.

They are listening.

Some of them are even experimenting with new dishes.

This makes my heart happy.

Here’s the recipe I’ve created…super fast, easy, and delicious.

For a single serving…

1/2 cup Almond or Soy milk (or whatever kind you prefer)
1 banana, slided
3 tbsp peanut butter (I use Publix’s store brand natural, which has salt and peanuts)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (you may want to up this if the peanut butter flavor is too strong)
Ice Cubes for consistency

On Tuesday, I added some nutmeg to cut the peanut butter taste.  It was simply delicious!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

Vegan Crock Pot Cooking

Posted on February 2, 2014 by auburnchick

I’ve been doing more cooking lately…ever since I finished my ESOL Endorsement.

Specifically, I’ve been cooking a lot of vegan dishes in my crock pot.

Around Christmas, my friend, Christina, told me about a Kindle book that was being offered free of charge for a short time.

It was this book…

I’ve tried a few recipes from it, and oh word!  They have been delicious!

Spicy Tomato Lentils (needed more vegetable broth but delicious)

Spicy Tomato Lentils

White Bean Chili

Mexican Minestrone – Probably my favorite so far!

Refried Bean Bake – A short cooking time that was delicious with chips!!

Veggie Casserole – The spinach cooked down…yum!

Yesterday, I made Cajun Kidney Beans and Rice.  Oh my word!!!  This dish was packed with so much flavor!  It makes a lot, so I’ll be eating on it all week!

Cajun Kidney Beans and Rice

Cajun Kidney Beans and Rice

People always wonder what I eat since I don’t partake of any animal products.

As you can see, being vegan doesn’t mean you have to suffer for lack of flavorful dishes!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets

Posted on August 29, 2013 by auburnchick

I tried a new recipe yesterday, but because it needed to be chilled, the guys and I couldn’t dig in until today.

The wait was more than worth it, for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets (recipe found in the book Vegan Pie in the Sky) were the perfect blend of chocolate ganache yumminess, peanut butter creaminess (not too strong), and crispy chocolate cookie crumble crust crunchiness (the English teacher in me begs you to admire the alliteration I just incorporated into that sentence).

Rooster’s eyes nearly rolled back in head when he took his first bite, and we almost had to fight him for the plate, which we were all sharing.

Take a look and just try to tell yourself that you’re not a teensy bit interested in vegan baking…

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Baking to Relax

Posted on August 15, 2013 by auburnchick

It’s been a busy week around here.  I went back to school for in-service training Tuesday and Wednesday.  Today (Thursday) was my first “official” day in my classroom doing pre-planning.

Getting up at the crack of dawn these past three days has worn me slap out, and baking has been a desire but not something I’ve been able to actually attend to…

Until this afternoon (Thursday).

One of my key motivations for baking each week is my Small Group, which I attend on Friday evenings.  I’ve had a lot of fun presenting new desserts to their gracious hands and bellies.

I had already decided that I wanted to make Lemon Bars.  The recipe is found in the book Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar; however, a couple of days ago, I received another vegan recipe book by the same authors…

Ignore the one on the left.  That is probably going to be a Read Aloud later in the year.

After thumbing through the Vegan Pie in the Sky book, I decided I also wanted to make the Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding Pie.

Yum!

With Friday evening a scant twenty-four hours away, time was ticking.

As soon as I got home from work, I got down to business…not even sitting down until almost 7:30.

Here is the fruit of my labor…

Lemon Bars

The Lemon Bars call for agar agar flakes.  I could only find this item at the health food store, and it was expensive…$11 for a small bag (look closely…bottom left of the picture that I was too lazy to crop)…

It turns out that agar agar is a type of seaweed that turns liquid into a gelatinous blob.  It was super-easy to use and did what it was supposed to do.

I also zested lemons for the first time ever.  Go Me!

The bars are very lemony and tart.  The crust turned out well.  I’m pleased with the result.

Here’s my Chocolate Pudding Pie (recipe found in my newest book)…

That’s a graham cracker crust.  I need to work on my crust-making skills.  It was way too crumbly and loose.  My pie plate was also too small, which could account for why the crust didn’t harden up enough.

The texture was arrived at by using arrowroot powder, another first for me.  The consistency is exactly like pudding.

Folks, do you know how many years it’s been since I ate pudding.

Oh word.

The pie is not overly sweet, nor is it overly chocolaty, despite what it looks like.

I’ve gotta tell you, once again, that I could place these desserts in front of any carnivore, and he/she would not know that it was vegan-friendly.

I highly, highly, recommend this recipe book series!!

I also highly recommend baking to get rid of work stress.  The anticipation while waiting for these desserts to set in the refrigerator took my mind off of my long, school-related to-do list, and that is definitely something special!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Chickpea Stew

Posted on August 12, 2013 by auburnchick

A couple of days ago, the Mr’s mom sent me a recipe for Chickpea Stew.  It sounded good, so I didn’t waste any time mixing up a pot.

I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth that was originally in the recipe.

I’m posting the recipe below the picture.  Instead of plum tomatoes, I used one can of diced tomatoes.

The next time I make this, I will not add the parsley.  The cooking I’ve done this summer has taught me about spices and herbs, and I have a better idea of what I like and don’t like.  Parley tastes a bit like kale to me, so I think I’ll leave it off next time.

Other than that, this is a delicious recipe!  If you are serving more than four people, double the recipe.  It is very easy to prep for, and cook time is under thirty minutes.  It is a hearty stew that leaves bellies full and satisfied.

Enjoy!

CHICKPEA STEW 

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 t. dried thyme
1 C diced (1/4″) red onion
1 t. honey
2 T. finely minced garlic
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 t. ground cumin
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Place olive oil in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add onion, stirring occasionally until wilted, about 12 minutes.  Add garlic during the last 2 minutes.  Stir in cumin and cook 2 minutes more to mellow the flavors.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes with juices, thyme, honey, lemon juice, broth, salt & pepper.  Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.  Adjust seasonings and stir in the parsley.

Serves 4.

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Deluxe Cocoa Brownies

Posted on July 30, 2013 by auburnchick

So, I’ve been blogging about the dinners I’ve been making, but I’ve left out the desserts that have accompanied said dinners.

First up is my batch of Deluxe Cocoa Brownies.  The recipe is in the book Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

I made my first batch (yes, I said first) early last week.  I’d had my eye on that recipe the moment I’d seen it while thumbing through my book after it arrived in the mail.

The first batch was good, but it was a teensy bit overcooked.  Brownies can be a bit difficult to bake simply because you don’t want them too gooey, but you also need the batter done enough to eat.

Although my family enjoyed the brownies, I was determined to make them better, so I headed back to the store and bought a couple of different items.

The first was a silky tofu, which is part of the recipe.

Although I’ve been a vegan for over two years, I haven’t fully embraced all of the specific ingredients used to cook these types of dishes.  The staple of my diet has been beans, fruits, and vegetables.  Now that I’ve gotten into baking, I’ve discovered the value of cooking with tofu.

With that said, the repeated baking of these brownies taught me another valuable lesson:  all tofu is not the same.

There’s a reason why recipes ask for silky or extra firm.

It has to do with texture.

l could tell, immediately upon opening the package of tofu, that it was very different from the others I’d recently been using.  It was much softer.  I had to use a spoon to scoop it out.

I used a food scale to measure out the required amount and proceeded to make the brownies as instructed.

The other item I bought at the store was a bag of vegan chocolate chips, which I added to the batter before putting it in the oven.  I had not done this the first time because it was not part of the original recipe.  It was suggested as an alternative.

I’ve always loved chocolate but have found myself unable to eat it with my new eating lifestyle.  I figured the more “chocolate,” the better.

I watched my timer carefully and poked the brownies more than a couple of times checking for done-ness.  I figured out that withdrawing a toothpick that had a little bit of brownie stuck to it was okay because the pan kept cooking after I pulled it from the oven.

One final inspiration that struck me on Round 2 of brownie making was to whip up a pan of chocolate ganache, which I drizzled over the top.

You should have seen my guys’ eyes light up when I set this on the table after dinner…

The big test was the taste.  I wanted to find out if they were better than the first batch.

Obviously, from looking at the picture above, you can see how moist these brownies were.

The texture was very smooth and chocolate-y.

The guys raved over them.  The Mr. declared this to be the best dessert I’ve made since embarking on my baking adventure.

That’s when I started telling the guys about the tweaks I’d made…dropping the bombshell that there was tofu in the brownies.

Their jaws dropped open, and they began sputtering, “Tofu…you put tofu in these?”

And then they started laughing…hysterically.

They could not change their minds about the brownies.  They could not take back their words of delight over this dessert.

The brownies did not last long because, as Chicky explained, I’d cut them so small that she had to eat two at a time.

heehee

I made a third batch the next day for my small group and returned home with two left in the pan.

I’m calling this recipe, with my modifications, the Ramped Up Deluxe Cocoa Brownies.

Yum!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Tofu Scramble – Undistinguishable from Non-Vegan Food

Posted on July 25, 2013 by auburnchick

While perusing Chicky’s cooking board on Pinterest, I came across a site that has a number of links to vegan-friendly dishes.

I was drawn to the Tofu Scramble recipe because I had tofu in the refrigerator, and I knew I needed to cook it.

I added quite a few veggies…mushrooms, a sliced onion, basil (my new favorite herb), garlic, green pepper, and fresh tomato chunks.

Tumeric is the spice that gives this dish its yellow color.  I’d never owned tumeric before beginning my odyssey into cupcake baking.

I grew excited as I was cooking this dish.  It resembled scrambled eggs, which I haven’t eaten in ages.

The taste was quite flavorful, with all of the veggies playing a role in the chorus that sang in my mouth.

From the looks of it, the link provided when you click on Tofu Scramble (above) contains many recipes that look both do-able and delicious.

As always, I’ll keep you posted when I try something new!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

A Baking Fiend

Posted on July 22, 2013 by auburnchick

Ok.

I have a confession to make.

While I haven’t been working, per se, I have been studying…

My vegan cookbooks, that is!!

I’ve been on a mission to make yummy vegan cupcakes and other desserts.  You’ve seen a couple of the cupcakes.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time shopping for ingredients.  One of my local Walmarts had this amazing assortment of extracts…three entire shelves!!

I went a little crazy, I’m afraid, and stocked up…

On Friday, I needed to find a dessert to take to my small group meeting that evening.

I decided to make Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes.  They are similar to Red Velvet Cake.  The frosting is a custard type…very different from the buttercream I’d been making.

Ok…so the frosting…well…it had some issues.  The taste, though, was DIVINE.  I haven’t had custard in YEARS.  I could have eaten this stuff with a spoon.

I took most of the cupcakes with me and returned with one left.  It didn’t last long.

Because I am the ultimate good student, I knew I needed to figure out why I had the issue with the consistency of my frosting.  What better way than to try again?

The frosting came out almost identical…dang…despite making sure the custard I’d made beforehand had completely cooled.  I don’t think I properly creamed my sugar, margarine, and shortening.  I’ll be working on this skill.  Darn.  I hate that.  😀

One change I made when making the cupcake batter was that I added the proper amount of food coloring after purchasing a large bottle (don’t you dare tell me how unhealthy it is…I know but I don’t do unhealthy hardly ever any more so whatever).  I also added a little bit more almond extract.

Oh word.  The extra wet ingredients may have made a difference.

The second batch of cupcakes were soooo moist and delicious!

Look!

On Saturday, I received a new vegan baking book in the mail…

You may be astute enough to recognize that it’s written by the same gals who authored the cupcake book I’ve been using.  It got great reviews on Amazon, so of course I had to order it.

Thumbing through the book was a pure delight.  There’s so much helpful information in the beginning sections.  They provide how-to’s for making recipes gluten-free and even more organic.

One of the tips I picked up was to check my oven temperature, which can cause a lot of problems when baking.

I already owned an oven thermometer, so I pulled it out as I prepared to make my first batch of cookies from this book.

I’ve always thought that my oven heated quickly.  It beeps when the temperature reaches what I’ve programmed.

I was very surprised when I discovered that my oven had only reached 250 degrees!!!  THAT is why recipes tell you to turn on the oven first!  I’ve always figured that I was wasting electricity by leaving it on too long!  Lesson learned!

So…back to the baking.

When I showed the Mr. my new book, he told me that he wanted Chocolate Chip Cookies…his favorite.  Coincidentally, that was the first recipe in the book!

I started the recipe and realized, just as I was adding my flour, that I had not added my soy milk to the sugar mixture, which I was supposed to prepare first.

I dumped everything and started over.

Yes, I wanted to get this right.

After adding the soy milk and following the recipe even more closely, things resembled how they were described in the book.

Imagine that!

Here’s what the cookies looked like when I pulled them out of the oven…

I had to put them back in for an extra two minutes.  They were a lot more wet than they were supposed to be.  However, that two minutes did their thing.  When it was time to eat…well…take a look for yourself at how “normal” my vegan cookies were…

I am so thrilled that I can finally indulge the sweet tooth that had been dormant for so long.

There are many recipes in this book that will be fighting for priority status.

You know I’ll keep you posted!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

S’mores Cupcakes!

Posted on July 15, 2013 by auburnchick

I had somewhat of a baking fail on Saturday.

I won’t provide the details, but I will say that I think it was the fault of the recipe, not Yours Truly.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a cupcake fail.  It was a dessert recipe the Mr. had found on Facebook.  I won’t be making that recipe again.

With that failure in mind, I felt the need to redeem myself.

I’d already purchased items for my next batch of cupcakes, but I’d put off the baking all week.

It was time…

To make…

S’mores Cupcakes…with buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache drizzle…

We here at Chez AuburnChick are food critics, let me tell you.

Here’s what we decided.

The flavor of the cupcakes is delicious.  There’s cinnamon in the batter, and it comes through.

The texture is strange though.

The recipe calls for soy yogurt.  Because I live in Podunk, USA, I could not find soy yogurt ANYWHERE.  Ugh.

I googled for a substitute and discovered that I could use buttermilk.

Being lactose-intolerant and a vegan, but being in possession of the following recipe book (in which the above recipe can be found), I’d learned that vegan buttermilk can be made by mixing together a spot of apple cider vinegar with soy milk.

I substituted this for the yogurt.

I’d also substituted coconut oil for the canola oil per a discussion I’d had with the owner of the health food store I frequent.

The cupcake batter was liquidy but with strange little lumps.

I still don’t know why.

It’s got to be one of the above substitutions.

The cupcakes did cook though, but the texture is very spongy.

My buttercream also did not come out as well as the Golden Vanilla cupcakes I made last weekend.

I have no idea why.

I figured out that adding more powdered sugar doesn’t help in this situation.

The icing was still yummy…just not as fluffy as I’d like.

I’m learning that there is a science to baking, and practice really does make perfect.

I am having a lot of fun practicing, let me tell you!

Filed under: Vegan | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »
  • January 2026
    S M T W T F S
     123
    45678910
    11121314151617
    18192021222324
    25262728293031

  • Currently Reading

  • Books I’ve Read