Cooling Rack Full of Love

It's cold here. It's 41 degrees (Fahrenheit) according to my computer. I haven't ventured outside to feel it, because 1) I don't have to, and 2) It's raining.

I bought groceries yesterday and stocked up one some canned pumpkin. It's a generic brand, but I think it will be okay. So after eating my soup for lunch, I decided I needed to do some baking. And wa-la - I Stumbled Upon this website, which has this recipe.

Ah, pumpkin and chocolate. One of my all-time favorite combinations. Does this call for some afternoon coffee? I believe so...

Next time I am leaving out the almond extract. The almond flavor should be more subtle than it is. But they are still great muffins, perfect for the oncoming of a Minnesota winter.

Vegan Meme

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

Cheese. Despite my recent digression.

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

Squash

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

Raw tomatoes :( They would be so beautiful on a salad.

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

Coffee and water

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

In the summer- the Mexican pasta salad. For the holidays - the vegan green bean casserole. And cookies.

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

I really don't like nuts in my sweets. But that's it.

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

Cookies!

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

guacamole

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

Vegennaise

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

Big snacker. Have I mentioned my love of cookies? But my favorite snack is probably pistachios.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?

Mushrooms are a must. Pineapple. Black olives. A bit of Daiya vegan cheese.

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?

Broccoli. Avocado. Strawberries. Nectarines. It's hard to pick just one.

What is the best salad dressing?
tahini

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?

Peanut butter!

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

Chickpea noodle soup

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?

Mmmm...probably the S'mores cupcakes from VCTOTW. Frosting? Maybe chocolate. But I'm thinking about something coconut right now.

What is your favorite kind of cookie?

Chocolate chip. Or oatmeal pumpkin. Or chocolate chai.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?

Tacos. Plenty of guacamole

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

Tempeh bacon. But then there's more for me!

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

1-2 hours

How many fingers am I holding up?

7

What kind of things are you doing for VeganMofo?

Reading lots of awesome blogs.

Confession

I have not been a very good vegan lately. I don't know what it is. Laziness? Depression? Apathy? Addiction? Whatever the reason, I had a hand in helping my kids finish off their Halloween candy. Even the non-vegan chocolate that contained milk.

Blech!

This stuff used to not even tempt me.

I knew that if I put something bad into my system, I would feel bad. I had no urge.

Now it's like I want to make myself feel bad. Like I don't deserve to feel good and healthy.

And then the ultimate sin. Last night we had pizza in the house and I was craving a piece so bad that I just ate one. With cheese on it. Real cheese.
........
.......

OK, OK, I ate TWO!

It was like eating despair.

But it did something good anyway. It made me feel so yucky that I no longer have the urge. I need to remember all of the reasons I became vegan in the first place. I need to think about my health, and about those animals. Especially the animals suffering for their entire pathetic lives so that we can order a pizza and drink the milk and stuff ourselves with ice cream and cheeseburgers and cholesterol and death.

Karma.

I am not perfect. Not even close.

I do care. Enough not to fall into what is easier and more convenient and more socially acceptable. Enough to say what I think and do what makes me feel like me. Eating that pizza did not feel like me.

Now, if I could get my hands on some more Daiya vegan cheese, that would be me.