Holy Crap!

HOLY CRAP! So many things to catch up on guys. Those weddings I went to, my & Joe's bdays, the holidays, I got engaged, work stuff, Colonel Mustard is turning 2, New Years Revolutions, SO MUCH!!!!

hmm...


Did you see what I slipped in there? I bet you did. I GOT ENGAGED!!!!!! :D

I'm pretty excited about it in the sense that I love Joe & want to spend the rest of my life with him. I am not excited about all the crazy that can come with it though. So here are the details:

Well as Joe puts it: "Alex & I had a frank discussion, then on the 23rd I asked her Dad's permission & then we were engaged". The events are pretty true to that. Being the non-traditionalists that we are we had talked about "getting married one day" for quite a few years. Serious discussions of a sneak-attack guerrilla wedding at Disneyland started in the Fall of 2011 and by December we both decided ring or no ring it was time we let everyone know we were together for realz.

After we had discussed and decided to engage Joe began psyching himself up to talk to my Pops. I confirmed a million times that the worst thing that he would say would be "took you long enough". So we flew back to the tundra of Michigan to visit our families for the holidays. After a 3 hour delay in Denver we made it to my folks place on 12/22/11 at 6:45-ish A.M. There was a remark made by my mom about the two of secretly being married (details on the conversation are fuzzy as we were exhausted from being up all night). I said no we aren't married but...Joe gave me the panic eyes, I made excuses & we went to bed. The next morning Joe took some deep pump up breaths & walked into my Pop's office. The following conversation is completely verbatim (the notes in parentheses are what I was sensing from the kitchen as I listened to this unfold):

Joe (trying to hide his fear): Hey Larry, can I ask you a question?
Pops (whilst fiddling with the computer & various office items): Sure, what's up?
Joe (holy crap I have to ask!): Can I have your blessing to marry Alex?
Pops (completely shocked by this out of left field question): What? Uh... Sure, of course! Welcome aboard! (sounds of hugging)

I then popped her head in and said "Ta Da!" and hugged my Pops.

And then we pretty much shared with the rest of our families, then my extended family (we went up north that day for my mom's side big extended family get together), then close friends via text/phone calls, and then that night before bed we Facebook-ed it. YAY!



So there is a little update. I'll post more ASAP-I promise. I need to kick my own butt for not being on here enough. I apologize dear chickens. I hope you're still interested in reading about my silly life in La-La Land. :D

xoxox

Sunny With a Chance of Friendsgiving!!!

Oh friends! I am so sorry for not posting in quite some time. It has been a month. I have so many pictures from the weddings last month that I want to share with you & loads to catch you up on (some great things & some trials/tribulations). But today I just want to give thanks.

So thank you to all of you who do read this little blog & to those who follow it publicly super thank you! I promise I will get my butt in gear and get back to posting on the regs!! Thank you to all my friends for being friends, to all those friends I have parted ways with (good and bad partings) thank you for making me who I am today and being my friend at the time you were. You all have helped me learn who I am & who I am not. To my family thank you for being bat-shit crazy and so loyal and supportive. Though we don't always get along you are always there for me. Thank you to my boyfriend. I LOVE YOU!!! Thanks for being "home", my safe place, my best friend, my sweetie, and my MoneyPenny! LOVE LOVE LOVE you! Thank you to my puppy Colonel Mustard for all your puppy kisses, snuggles, pounces, prancing, keeping my feet warm, and your soft ears! You're are the best fur baby a rescue mama could ask for & I am so lucky that Kari found you that 14th of August & that we got there one day before they were going to euthanize you! Thank you to all my doctors-my back is literally a huge pain in the ass but I am so thankful to the doctors, my pilates/rehab instructor & friend Dionna, my acupuncturist Oscar, my new Swim instructors at SCAQ, and everyone who is helping keep me healthy!

Basically I am thankful for all the people in my life, for the ability to live each day in a city always showing me new things, the ability to pursue my acting dreams whilst still paying the bills, the fact that I've stayed out of surgery for 6 years, the fact that I have a honey who loves me as fiercely as he did almost 6 years ago (AHHH! February is rapidly approaching), and that tomorrow I get to host our 2nd annual Friendsgiving! I am so excited y'all!

Joe & I have meticulously planned out this menu & here is what we are making for dinner (eat your hearts out):

Appetizers (to be served with homemade bread):
-Sun-dried Tomato Dip
-Savory Tofu Dip

Salads:
-Warm Spinach Salad
-Pressed Salad

Main Dish:
-Lemon-Thyme-Agave Braised Vegan Short Ribs and Seared Tofu Scallops in a Mineola Tangelo-Saffron Sauce!

Sides:
-Kabocha Squash with Creminis & Herbs
-Sweet Potato & Banana Casserole
-Polish Dill Mashed Potatoes
-Garlic Glazed Green Beans
-Kale with Pine Nuts & Currants
-Chestnut Stuffing
-Cranberry Chutney

Desserts:
-Chocolate Pumpkin Tart
-Apple Crisp
-Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones
-Almond-Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Isn't your mouth just watering right now?! Mine is (Colonel's too)...mmmm! Hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings full of love & traditions. Cannot wait to hear all about them & tell you how ours goes! See you soon chickens! :D

Sunny With a Chance of a Celebration!

Happy World Vegan Day friends! Hope yours is amazing! :D

It's kind of weird not to be posting a recipe after this past month but we'll try to get back to our normally scheduled program here. I am at work and then auditioning for a play so I will try to post some TCM Tuesday goodness when I get home.

Until then, look back at our 20-ish recipes, pick one & eat up & enjoy since it IS a celebration of all things VEGAN!! :D

Vegan Mofo Day 20.5!

Fitting in one more recipe here for the last day to make up for my sucky posting this past week. This one is an amazing one though so ENJOY!!

Gołąbki!!!!! (or stuffed cabbage rolls)

RECIPE:
The Cabbage:
2 large heads of green cabbage, cored

Boil a large pot (approx. 1-2 gallons) of salted water. Submerge cored cabbage. Continue to boil until cabbage leaves are pliable. Drain. Cover in cold water 5 minutes. Set aside.

The Stuffing:
1 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 tbsp red wine
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp paprika
1.5 cups uncooked rice
12 oz. Yve's Veggie Cuisin Meatless Ground (you could use 1 cup TVP or some tempeh if you prefer, find a flavor and texture you enjoy [whilst saving the beef & pork traditionally used in this recipe])

Cook your rice until ALMOST done. Set aside. In another pan saute onion & carrots over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add garlic, continue for another 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, parsley, wine, mostly cooked rice, meatless ground, & some salt & pepper to taste. Mix for 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

The Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 18oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup veggie stock
1.5 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp tofutti sour cream
10 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

Saute garlic in oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes & stock. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar & brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Use an emulsion blender to blend until mostly smooth (my mom prefers chunkier, Joe prefers smooth, do whatever makes you happy peeps). Add tofutti sour cream in slowly & stir with spoon. In separate pan saute mushrooms with oil for approx. 10 minutes. Add mushrooms to tomato sauce.

To assemble & cook:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully peel off cabbage leaves (I usually set aside the first 2 leaves because there is always a little dirt left no matter how much I clean them & they're usually ripped up a little or too huge to roll-DO NOT THROW AWAY THOUGH! You'll use them later). Just to one side of vein take a heaping scoop of your filling. Wrap it up burrito style (tuck the non vein end over, then fold the side that the filling is close to over & roll). Place little cabbage-burrito into pyrex baking dish or roasting pan SEAM SIDE DOWN. Keep up this process using the larger leaves of the cabbage first until your filling is all gone (this filled 2: 13"x9" meatloaf sized pyrex dishes for us). Cover the stuffed cabbages with sauce (leave some sauce aside for after they are cooked). Cover with any unused (the biggie leaves we set aside!) cabbage leaves & any smaller unused leaves (they will keep your rolls from burning in the oven). Cover dish with aluminum foil or lid. Place in oven & bake for 1.5 hours. Remove from oven & allow to cool.

To Serve:
Place rolls on plate. Top with some heated left-over tomato sauce & a dollop of tofutti sour cream. Chop some sprigs of parsley & sprinkle on top. Serve with your favorite red wine or some Warka or Żywiec beers from the motherland! Na zdrowie!!




REVIEWS:
Alex: an old family favorite this dish reminds me of winter in Michigan. Great stick to your ribs & keep you warm kind of dish. Rolling these reminds me of good conversations & eating them reminds me of amazing family dinners! Love making & eating these!! DELICIOUS! :D

Joe is half asleep right now as I type this up (it IS 1AM after all) but he still managed to mutter out in his sleep when questioned "It's so good, I love them". So from the mouth of a half asleep non-Polish kid they're truly delicious!

Vegan MoFo Day 20!

Day 19 has us enjoying a quickie recipe we converted from an old stir fry fave of ours.

Beef(less) & Broccoli Stir Fry

RECIPE:
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
12 oz. broccoli florets
3 scallions
2 tbsp. hoison sauce
2 tbsp. mirin
1/4 cup water
red chili flakes
2 tbsp. peanut (or veggie) oil
2 packages Gardein homestyle beefless tips

Mince garlic & thinly slice white parts of scallions & red onions. In wok (or large skillet) preheat 1 tbsp oil on high heat until faint wisps of smoke start to rise. Add garlic & sliced white parts of scallions. Stirring until fragrant (about 10 seconds). Add thinly sliced red onions & Gardein beefless tips. Stir until browned on all sides. Add 1 tbsp mirin & 1 tbsp hoison sauce. Continue to cook for 30 seconds. Reserve this mixture into a large bowl.

In same pan add remaining tbsp oil & bring to heat (about 45 seconds). Add broccoli florets, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add water & remaining mirin & allow broccoli to steam until water evaporates (3-5 minutes). Add the beefless mixture back into wok as well as remaining hoison. Thibnly slice remaining green sections of scallions, add to wok with large pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve with steamed rice & enjoy!





REVIEWS:
Joe: Pretty great, quick, & easy meal. Perfect for weeknights!

Alex: I love broccoli so this really hit the spot for me when I crave green veggies. Delicious quick stir fry ready when you are starving and don't want to wait to cook a big fancy meal. Yum! :)

Vegan MoFo Day 19!

Oy, I have been crap at blogging this past week-sorry friends!! Been busy busy busy here. Hope this recipe makes up for it a little though!

This is another delicious Polish family recipe from Alex's house that has been converted. As kids my Pops used to take all of us down to Hamtramck (Detroit) to the Polish Bakery & our favorite restaurant (Polonia Restaurant and order this to start our meals. Now I got the recipe from a Polish manager of mine at a restaurant I worked at (Thanks Jacek!) who had his Mama fax it from Poland to me, he translated it, and then when I went vegan I converted the recipe to what you will see below! It makes my Polish heart (and tummy) so so happy!!!

Zupa ogórkowa or Dill Pickle Soup!

RECIPE [for 1.5 gallons of soup]:
4 leeks,
7 carrots
3 celery
5 potatoes
vegan butter (we use Earth Balance buttery spread)
3/4 bunch fresh dill
1/4 bunch fresh parsley
3 quarts water
4 tbsp Better Than Bouillon's No Chicken bouillon
1 64 oz. dill pickle jar (all the pickles & 1/4 to 1/2 cup brine)
tofutti sour cream

Chop carrots, celery, & leeks. Throw in pot with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer until veggies are fork tender.

In separate pot, cook finely diced pickles (3/4 of the amount) in Earth Balance. Simmer & cover for 1/2 hour (add water if needed).






Peel & cut potatoes in small cubes (we chopped into about 1/2" cubes). Remove cooked veggies from water & add in potatoes & bouillon. Stir in bouillon to dissolve. Cook potatoes until fork tender. Add in cooked pickles to potatoes & cook together.





In separate bowl, scoop 1/2 a container of Tofutti sour cream. Add a little of "soup" mixture & mix with it to bring temperature up without "curdling". Slowly add sour cream mixture into large pot of "soup".





Add other veggies back into pot. Process until smooth with an immersion blender. Add freshly minced dill & parsley as well as remaining pickles & brine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook together another 2-5 minutes. Serve & enjoy with friends (like my pal Sarah whom I know from college who visited LA last week)!!



REVIEWS:
Joe: When I first heard about this soup from Alex, I was put off. I am not the biggest fan of pickles! So I wasn't sure how I would feel about a pickle soup. But this soup has a really nice flavor & I really enjoy it!

Alex: I love, Love, LOVE this soup!!! It tastes like childhood and straight up yumminess to me. Amazingly creamy and dilly. How can a Polish gal go wrong with potatoes, pickles, and fresh dill?! The answer is that she can't friends, she can't! I hope you all enjoy this soup as much as I do :D

Obviously this recipe can be made in smaller batches but as most things in good home-made recipes there are no measurements so feel free to add more (potatoes Alex thinks) or less depending on your tastes and group size. Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo Day 18.5!

So I am late in saying my thanks but I was nominated by Kelly at Three and a Half Vegans for the Liebster Award! So so so sweet of her (I love her little blog so go take a gander, you won't regret it)!



Here's how it works:

1. You show your thanks to the blogger who gave it to you by linking back to them.
2. You reveal YOUR top 5 pics for bloggers with less than 200 followers, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog. (Right click on the image, and select 'save image as'.)
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet! And in this case, fellow mofo'ers.
5. Have fun, and spread the love! :)

So without further adieu my five:

1. Czech Vegan, I gotta give it up for the Eastern European heritage and support this blog! :)

2. Some love for a fellow Chicago/MI gal at Dorm Room Kitchen.

3. I love all the movie themed posts at Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk! Makes my day :)

4. I love all the photos over at For the Love of Food Blog, gorgeous!

5. fuck yeah vegan ice cream-the name says it all really.

So thanks and yay! Go vegan mofos ;)