Vegan Carrot Cake

I had been planning on making goodies for Brent's family's Easter but we ended up not going.  Luckily, I responded quickly to an Easter invite for my family and declared myself in charge of dessert before my sister got to it...(I don't have any kids and also have lots of bakers in my family and friend circle so I never get to make cakes!) 
I have a vegan carrot cake recipe that I LOVE despite the fact that it is borderline pudding by the time it gets to the table. Or, that's why I like it.  I haven't decided.
For Easter I topped it with beloved real cream cheese frosting, but I also have included a vegan cream cheese frosting below that is equally tasty (and has been known to fool people).
I had some leftover batter and made bunny cupcakes with it.  I have to make them every year because otherwise I have to get rid of the pan, which I refuse to do because I scored it super cheap at Goodwill.  They are impossible to decorate precisely, so this year I gave up and dumped them in coconut flakes.

I was very excited to decorate the cake, but it didn't go so hot.  For one thing, I exhausted myself making the frosting without an electric mixer and was shaking as a result.  Also, I don't have the right equipment.  (Don't get me wrong, I did use it as an opportunity to get an offset spatula and frosting sculptor.)  I saw Alton Brown use one on TV.  However, I need a spinning cake plate to perfect the technique and that's not something I'm going to buy right before moving!  Let's get one more thing that doesn't fit in a box and is awkward to carry!  Right?
The cake was delicious and it made it to Easter despite riding on my lap in the car since my wonderful carrier is MIA.

Here's the recipe:
Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake
Yield= one 9x13 pan or two 8 inch round cakes or 22-24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. nondairy milk (I used almond)
1 1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. maple syrup,
1/2 c. crushed walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 3. Grate the carrots and add along with the rest of the ingredients except for the walnuts to the flour mixture. Gently fold until just combined.  Mix in the walnuts.
Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake for 40-50 min at 350F until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  8 inch pans = 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Cool for 30 min and then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream cheese frosting:


Ingredients:
16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:
1. Blend butter and cream cheese until combined and fluffy.  Make sure both are at room temp. or they will get lumpy.
2. Blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.  If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1/4 c (58 g) Earth Balance vegan spread, softened
1/4 c (58 g) vegan cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese Non-Hydrogenated Spread)
2 c (312 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice to taste

Directions:
1. Cream together the margarine and cream cheese just until combined.
2. Sift in the powdered sugar in half-cup batches, whipping thoroughly combined after each addition.
3. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and whip until fluffy.

We had a very nice Easter with family and a beautiful day after a week of rain.  Here's the sunset from our living room:

My Favorite Savory Vegan Scone Recipe

Here it is, my favorite vegan scone recipe.  I love this recipe because you can whip it up out of the pantry.  It would also be good as a topper on a vegan pot pie.

Usually the recipe calls for rosemary, but I had some ramps left over and used them instead.

Vegan and Ramp Scones
Adapted from the book Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Yield: 8-12 scones depending on how you slice them

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 fourteen-ounce can tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped ramps (or rosemary, chives, etc)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place baking stone in oven to heat up with it, or grease a baking sheet.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Measure the olive oil into a large measuring cup (3 cups or larger) and whisk in the tomato sauce, vinegar and rosemary. You can mix it all directly in the measuring cup, so you don’t have to dirty up another dish.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the wet ingredients. Gently mix, using a wooden spoon. 5. Once the batter is loosely holding together, lightly flour a clean work surface and turn your dough onto it.  The dough is very sticky. Gently knead until a soft dough forms; it’s important not to over-mix it or it will become gummy. (To give you an idea of what it should look like, some patches of flour are great.) If the dough seems sticky, add a little flour as you knead, until it’s easier to work with.  Keeping your hands floured will help too.
5. Remove the pizza stone from the oven and place on thick pot holders.  Or, just use a baking sheet.  Form a disk of the dough on the center of your stone or pan and flatten to desired thickness.  Slice the dough with a wet knife into 8-12 wedges. 
6. Place scones on a baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes; the tops should be firm. Remove the scones from the oven and let cool a bit on a plate or cooling rack. Serve either warm or at room temperature.

Butterscotch Birdnests

In honor of Easter, I made these.  I think they'd be cute as cupcake toppers.  These cookies are terrible for you and not vegan (not even vegetarian if you use the marshmallows).  But isn't that what Easter candy is all about?

 

Butterscotch Birds’ Nests
Source: Gimme Some Oven via With Sprinkles on Top

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) bag butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups miniature marshmallows (or leave them out and add more chow mein noodles)
6 oz. chow mein noodles
candy eggs, for decor (I used Reese's)

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet (or two) with waxed paper.
2. In a double boiler, heat the chocolate chips until they are melted. If you don't have a double boiler, do what I do and throw a heat-safe glass bowl over simmering water in a pot.  Don't let the water touch the bowl.
3. Stir in the peanut butter, and mix until it is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Add the chow mein noodles and marshmallows and continue stirring until everything is evenly coated.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto the waxed paper & add candy eggs.  Let cool until they are hardened.

Ramp Walnut Pesto (Vegan)

Saturday was the first outdoor Dane County Farmer's Market on the Square of the year.  On the drive there, I Brent and I brainstormed our favorite things that may be around this early in the season.  We decided to have restraint and not buy everything the first week.  Here's what we took home:
-Spicy Cheese Empanada from Stella's Bakery (didn't make it home...)
-Country Sourdough loaf from Stella's Bakery
-Ramps
-Oyster Mushrooms
-Farmer John's Cheesecurds

And that was us holding back!

Most memorable was the ramps, which neither Brent or I have tried.  They are only available a small part of the season so we grabbed them up while we could.  They taste like a cross between onion and garlic, and they resemble green onions with larger leaves. 

Some of our booty.

After consulting the internet, I decided the best way to try the ramps was to make a simple pesto of them to eat over pasta.  It was very good.  Brent and I thought the flavor was pretty subtle mixed with pasta, but we also love garlic and hot spices.  I think almost everyone would enjoy this.

Vegan Ramp Walnut Pesto
Yield: about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:
1 small bunch of ramps, rinsed and roots removed
2 cups chopped oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup walnuts
salt and pepper to taste
about 3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Blanch ramps for about 5-10 seconds until just wilted and bright green.  Remove ramps and place in an ice bath.
2.  In a food processor or blender, pulse ramps and walnuts.  Add lemon zest and juice. 
3.  Pulse in olive oil, until the pesto has desired consistency.  Add more walnuts if desired.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Ramp Walnut Pesto

Notes:
- Use toasted walnuts for a deeper flavor. 
-We kept it simple so the ramps would shine through, but garlic lovers may want to add a small clove or two.
-Pecarino or Parmesan cheese would be a nice addition for non-vegans.
-Try it over pasta with tofu and mushrooms:

Eco-Wool Felted Laundry Balls- The All Natural Dryer Sheet Alternative

Yesterday I purchased these at the sheep shearing at Rainbow Fleece Farm:

Felted Laundry Balls from Rainbow Fleece Farm

With the impending move to New Jersey hanging over us, I've only been able to buy things that are deemed useful.  This was my attitude when choosing a souvenir in Pensacola Beach (I chose a tar ball from the beach and a magnet), and it has served me well so far.  (It also doesn't exclude kitchen gear since it is ALWAYS useful...hehe).  These laundry balls are functional and I'll always be reminded of a fun day with a friend whenever I use them.

Here's how they work:
You just put them in with your clothes and towels into the dryer and they are supposed to reduce static, shorten drying time, and soften your clothes.  I used them today and I was very impressed.  Now if I could just find a place to put them where they'd stop rolling around...

Sheep Farm Visit

Today I drove out to New Glarus with my friend Maggie to go to a local sheep farm's annual spring shearing day.  Maggie and I both dream of one day having hobby farms and thought we should check one out.  Even though it was 80 degrees out last weekend, it was snowing this morning and freezing cold.  I've decided that I'm going to act like it's spring until the weather decides to cooperate, so we ventured out anyway.  It was a quirky place but a fun experience.  Even the drive was nice despite the weather.  The rolling hills and oak savannas of southwestern Wisconsin are beautiful. I'm going to miss this state!

There is a sheep in there somewhere.  That's a roll of wool that has been sheared off.

Newly naked sheep and lambs.

A black and tan sheep getting sheared.

The lamb in the middle is the black and tan's daughter.

This is Flower the sheep dog.

One of the farmers let us take a peek at the baby chicks.

He's one handsome dog.

A glimpse into her future?!

The wool is spun into yarn by hand.

Navy Beans with Kale, Diced Tomatoes, and Onion Over Mashed Potatoes (Vegan)

Spring is finally here, but I'm still eating like I'm hibernating.  Here is a dinner idea that is straight out of the pantry and hearty!

Navy Beans with Kale, Diced Tomatoes, and Onion Over Mashed Potatoes
 Source: Me
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 small bunch of kale, cleaned, stems and ribs removed, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 14-15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 14-15 oz can of navy beans, rinsed and drained (look for BPA free cans!)
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
2-3 servings of mashed potatoes (any kind will work; we used frozen ones from Trader Joes)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, mixed with mashed potatoes

Directions:
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet.
2. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender.
3. Add kale and cover with a lid for a couple of minutes, until it wilts.
4.  Add the navy beans and stir. 
5.  Add tomatoes, including liquid, and stir.  Stir in yellow mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer over medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and bubbly.  Serve over mashed potatoes.

Potatoes on the left, Goodness on the right.

Bowl of goodness with stale bread croutons!

Easy Veg/Vegan Dinner Ideas- Pasta mix ins!

Tempeh with kale and onions.

Brent and I have been eating Annie's Mac and Cheese since we met.  We always have a few boxes on hand for those nights when we are too lazy to go anywhere and want a hearty meal.  However, it doesn't take a scientist to tell you that it isn't the healthiest meal.  It may be better than Velveeta and Kraft since it is all natural, but it doesn't have a lot in the way of nutrients.  So, Brent and I routinely fry up some protein and vegetables to be tossed in with the pasta.  While Annie's isn't vegan, you could do the same with plain pasta or with a frozen vegan mac and cheese meal.  It's also a great use for leftovers.  Here are some of our favorite combinations:
1. Sharp cheddar mac and cheese with soy chorizo and onions.
2. White cheddar mac and cheese with fried tempeh, kale, and onions.
3. Mac and cheese with black beans and diced tomatoes or salsa.
4. Mac and cheese with fried tofu and mushrooms.

We've even been known to mix leftover baked beans, chorizo, pasta sauce, and noodles to clean out the fridge.  As you can tell, I really love my whole meal in one bowl!  Good thing we got amazingly giant bowls for Christmas this year!

Apple Oatmeal Cookies (Take Two)

This is the second time I've made these cookies, but the first time I made them correctly.  They were much better the 2nd time around!

Oatmeal Apple Cookies -Vegan Version
Source: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
 Yield: About 3 dozen small cookies (I'd recommend making fewer but larger cookies)

Ingredients:
8 tbsp vegan butter, softened OR 1/2 cup neutral cooking oil (I used vegan Earth Balance butter)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups (about 5 ounces) chopped dried apples*
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup nondairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together (or use a pastry blender and work by hand); add the applesauce and beat/mix until well blended.
2.  Combine the flour, oats, apples, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.  Alternating with the nondairy milk, add the dry ingredients to the batter by hand, a little at a time, stirring to blend.  Stir in the vanilla.
3. Put tablespoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool for about 2 minutes on the sheets before using a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.  Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two.

*Notes:
- Dried apples are easy to find in ring form. I recommend chopping them with a very sharp knife.  I cut some up with scissors too, but neither way is very easy.
- I made cookies bigger, 2-3 tbsp size after some trial and error.  I would also flatten them into the shape you want them to be before they go in the oven, as mine did not spread at all.  This may be because of the butter I used vs. oil.  The ones that went in as balls came out as balls etc.
-I baked my cookies closer to 10-11 minutes or the apple pieces will begin to burn.  
-These cookies held up for several days and are delicious and unique.

 I put some of the prettiest cookies into a tin for our neighbor as a thank-you for watering our plants.

The Great Cookie Disaster of 2011

Apparently I truly did leave part of my brain in Florida.

My goal was to a) make cookies as a thank-you gift for our neighbor who watered our plants while we were gone and b) try a dessert recipe from my new cookbook: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.  (Side note: this cookbook really doesn't have a lot in the way of desserts, probably because most desserts are already veg.)

This is what resulted:

Oatmeal apple cookies that I thought were a bit weird...

 I thought, "Hmmm....Something doesn't seem quite right but..."  I generally still thought I made them correctly and that this was an "Ehh" recipe.  Until I tried making chocolate chip cookies and this happened:

Remnants of chocolate chip cookies

Here's how it played out.  I put a few cookies on the pan for a test round in the oven.  Brent and I sit down on the couch and a few minutes later smell cookies.  A good start.  Then...I smell burning.  This makes no sense as the cookies still had minutes left to bake.  I open the oven (sorry I have no picture of this...wasn't exactly the first thing I thought of when I opened the oven) and discovered my cookie sheet covered in a thin layer of cookie muck, which had run off the edge and burned on the bottom of the oven.  I scooped it into a bowl and Brent ate it over ice cream... at least it didn't go to waste like the apple oatmeal cookies.  I now realized my mistake.

Sorry Mark.  These are all on me. 

You see, I used the Earth Balance baking sticks of vegan butter.  I've used these before, but had apparently forgotten that while they almost resemble 1/2 sticks of butter, they are actually equal to 1 stick (or 1/2 cup).  They are a different shape and that threw me off.  So, I had doubled the butter by mistake.  Once I discovered this, I reexamined the oatmeal cookies.  They came out of the oven sort of resembling a cookie, but as they cooled, they really became mushy and didn't taste very good.

I did salvage the rest of the chocolate chip dough with some sketchy math, adding in more ingredients.  I doubled the butter so I needed to double the other ingredients, minus the cookies I had already made from the dough.  Eventually I succeeded in that the cookies at least looked like cookies.  They were a bit tough, but hey, I know at least one person on my couch who will eat them!

I also tried the oatmeal apple cookies again...more on that later!

Blueberry Pound Cake with Berries and Yogurt Sauce

While we were in Pensacola Beach, my parents renewed their vows.  I wanted to bake a nice treat for all of us to enjoy after the ceremony and my thirteen-year-old brother wanted to make a cake he made last year, so we combined our ideas and made blueberry pound cake with berries and yogurt sauce.

Working in a rental house's kitchen and with my brother was a challenge, but luckily I've become skilled at whipping up recipes without an electric mixer.  We doubled the recipe and each made our own pan.  We definitely succeeded because they both came out looking the same!  My brother did a really good job and tried to recall what he learned in his Family and Consumer Education Class (F.A.C.E) in 7th grade.  Now if he would just quit eating all the berries while we went along!


Blueberry Pound Cake
Yield: one 9x13 pan

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch tube pan with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle pan with 1/4 cup sugar. Mix together 2 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Dredge blueberries with remaining 1/4 cup flour, then fold into batter Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 70 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Yogurt Sauce
Yields: about 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. container of Greek yogurt 
1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp fresh lime zest
1 tsp honey or use honey flavored yogurt

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients.

To serve:
In a bowl, place a mix of fresh berries and sprinkle 1/2 tsp sugar over and stir.  Refrigerate until berries are juicy. Chop a few leaves of fresh mint and mix with berries.  Place 1 slice of blueberry pound cake on a plate.  Top with berries and yogurt sauce (or whip cream for the kiddos).

Enjoy!

Soy Chorizo goes on Vacation!

Our philosophy for eating on vacation was this: find ways to make what everyone else is cooking and eating vegetarian, unless it is not worth it, in which case go to dinner or make something different (and perhaps introduce new foods to others in the process).

Here are the results of that philosophy:

When the meat eaters ate this:

Egg Casserole with Bacon

We vegetarians ate this:

Egg Casserole with Soy Chorizo and Tomatoes

We didn't even make this one!  Soy chorizo is so easy to use straight from the package that my step mom just made her normal casserole and threw it in. 
Tofu can be intimidating, so I made it for this dish where it replaced the chicken:
This pasta salad is one of my all time favorites.  The spices are from New Orleans, the sauce is mayo based, and it also boasts green peppers and pineapple.  Normally, it has grilled chicken but my Dad (the creator of the salad) just left some without so we could throw the tofu in.

Cajun Pasta Salad with Tofu

Another night, we made tacos.  This worked well because everyone puts their own tacos together the way they like them.  We had chorizo (vacation is also about using up leftovers) and refried beans.  At first, the teen boys (AKA garbage disposals) had no interest in them, until my older brother added cheese and reintroduced them as bean dip.  At that point, we learned an important lesson.  When on vacation as a vegetarian healthy food eater, be prepared to guard your goodies!

Really,  there was plenty to go around, and nothing makes one feel more like a freak than labeling and guarding food, but the truth is that while we may eat things other people enjoy, we don't necessarily eat everything everyone else eats, so it is important to differentiate.  If you don't mind eating regular Cheetos, don't eat my all natural ones!  Also, sometimes labeling and differentiating protects others from our strange vegan food (i.e. Mr. Mike and the Sour Supreme incident).

The meat eaters enjoyed some fresh fish with pineapple chutney.

Soy chorizo in the pan and refried beans!

However, sometimes it is best to just do your own thing.  One night, the gang decided to have a shrimp boil.  Here's the ingredients: Fresh shrimp, celery, potatoes, onion, and corn.  Neither of us eat shrimp (well one of us (not me)  maybe would have eaten one shrimp but they weren't de-veined.)  I hate (HATE) celery and Brent highly dislikes corn.  Plus, I'm not really against plucking a potato or two out in the end.  Its vacation!

That day, we had gone to Joe Patti's, a seafood store and market, for the shrimp.  Since I'm not super interested in watching fish be sliced up, I took my five-year-old niece over to order some vegetarian sushi and watch it be made.  That became our dinner that night.

The fish boil gets poured out on a table.

Our fresh veggie sushi was beautiful and delicious.

 

It was a fantastic week, and clearly, we ate very well.

Mr. Mike Makes Pancakes

The first morning that we woke up in Pensacola Beach, Mr. Mike made pancakes for the whole group.  He used Alton Brown's recipe found here and used some whole wheat flour, fresh blueberries (in season in Florida right now) and walnuts.  After taking a few bites, I thought, "I could get used to this!"  I loved having so many wonderful meals to share with such wonderful people!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Walnut Pancakes
Source: Alton Brown 

Ingredients for Instant Pancake Mix:
6 cups all-purpose flour (Use whole wheat if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions for Instant Pancake Mix:
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.
Use the mix within 3 months.

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Blueberry Walnut Pancakes:
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired

Directions for  Whole Wheat Blueberry Walnut Pancakes:
1. Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
3. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.
5. Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.
6. Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)
7. Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
8. Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

 Notes:
- This recipe is great for taking along on a vacation because you can make the Instant Pancake Mix ahead of time and add the wet ingredients when you get to your destination.  That is what vacation baking and eating is all about!
- Pancakes are very easy to veganize.  Just use non-dairy milk with a splash of vinegar for the buttermilk, and ground flax seed egg replacer (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp hot water, let sit for 10 minutes).

Vacation to Pensacola Beach!

For a Christmas present this year, my parents took all the family to Pensacola Beach, Florida for a week long vacation.  It was amazing, the beach was the best I've been to with white sand and clear blue water.  I'd recommend it as a vacation destination to anyone looking to spend a week relaxing in the sun!

We ran down to the beach as soon as we arrived.  Here's how it greeted us!

Tar ball :(

The Gulf Coast was devastated by the BP oil spill last year.  While most of it has been cleaned up, the crews still came by every day to pick up tar balls hidden in the sand.  One worker told us that on one day last week they had removed 80 pounds of tar from the beach we were on.  A week before, eight workers had removed 3,000 pounds of tar from Pensacola Beach in one day!

Oil spill clean up workers.

Brent and I were the token vegetarians in a group of 17 people, so as you can imagine, food was a bit of a challenge.  We had planned ahead, packing our favorite snacks for the road trip and a few things to eat during the week.  For the car, we packed Stonewall's Jerquee snacks, lots of treats and goodies from Trader Joe's, and some good iced tea.  We figured we could find some form of tofu down there, but we packed our favorite soy chorizo from Trader Joe's as well.  The next few posts will be about what we ate while everyone else was enjoying giant tuna steaks, oysters, and lots and lots of meat!

All in all, it was a beautiful week.  We had a great time, but really didn't appreciate being welcomed back to our home state by a hail storm~ figures!

 I'll leave you with this: