Domestipithecus

Friday, the 4th, we took Vinny to the vet.

Vinny relaxing on his favorite scratching thingy:

He had seemed to be eating less and would squeak at me in the morning until I gave him wet food. This is not a normal occurrence. Wet food is a sometimes treat in this house, so this was odd. Especially since after he ate (Jack got some too), he was fine.

It was difficult, but I tried to look at his teeth (he is not very cooperative) and it seemed there was a demarkation. So I made an appt and Boo and I took him in Friday.

Poor baby did ok, but he does indeed have a tooth or so that needs to come out. They did blood work that day and called Sunday with the results. Everything was fine except a slightly elevated kidney enzyme. I freaked. I lost a cat a long time ago to kidney failure and my brain shorted and “Slightly elevated enzyme” meant “Vinny is going to die like Peabody did.”

The Dr. expained it was most likely just slight dehydration and that they usually test it against urinalysis, but they didn’t have a urine sample. So when he goes in on Friday (the 11th), before they do the teeth, they will do kidney enzymes and urinalysis. Then if all is well, they will take out the poor kitty toof.

The rest of the day was spent at Boo’s parents’ house celebrating his sister’s birthday. It was on the 1st but her boyfriend planned something special for her so we celebrated on the 4th. Yummy Smart Dogs and Not-wings along with some cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

Saturday Boo and I continued our marathon training in the morning and then went to fellow Raveler subliminalrabbit’s yard sale and scored some pretty yarn and a bookshelfy thing.

We saw WALL•E Sunday after doing some shopping. It was wonderful. We both enjoyed it so much.

Then we had to go to the running store to get me some new running shorts. The pair I was wearing had been with me through two marathons and decided to just stop holding up at some point on Saturday. I couldn’t find the same ones in the store but I found a suitable substitute. I did find the new version of the ones I love (I bought them in 2006) so I will be getting a couple pairs of these soon. They are a little longer and the key pocket has moved - both are good things for me.

Today will be spent doing some cooking I think. We got a new produce box today and I always love diving into that.

Not like I post every day usually, but this has been a pretty long absence.

We’re settling into the new place, slowly though. We don’t have a lot of storage furniture like shelving and such so there aren’t a lot of places to put things. The last place had so many built-in bookshelves and things that we didn’t need any. Now we have no built-ins. We have a fireplace so there’s the mantle. Currently it is holding all of the knick-knacks and such that I have so far unpacked. It is full.

We do like this new place, though it is more difficult to keep cool than the last one (no central air here). The landlord just told us how to turn on the attic fan, so that shoudl help some. She also told us we could put a window unit in the bedroom. We will probably need to do that seeing as it’s only June and it’s pretty hot. It’s only going to get worse from here.

In other news…

Boo and I are still training for the Pasadena marathon. The released the course and I have to say I am disappointed. It’s rather… crappy I think. Too many “run down this street for a mile and then turn around and come back” sections. I hate that during training never mind the actual marathon. Eh, it’s not THAT big of a deal. I’m just being whiny.

We have a catering tasting thingy-do this Saturday. We’ll also do a tentative set up for the reception site so we can put in an order for the tables, chairs and such.

We have a cake tasting July 19 with this place. Sounds soooo nummy. Hello pumpkin chocolate chip with maple cream cheez frosting! All her cakes are vegan and organic so yay!

We plan on asking a good friend of ours, D, to be our officiant. He’s a really great guy who we like a lot and he’s very articulate and witty. Boo and I are very excited to ask him as is K, his girlfriend, and our other good friend. We ran it by her first so as to not put him in an awkward position if it was something he wouldn’t really just not want to deal with, and she thinks he would be honored. That made Boo and I feel honored that she thinks he would be honored so there’s all sorts of squishy good feelings going around. So we’re getting together the weekend of July 13th so we can ask in person. We can’t wait!

I think that’s all the updating for now. I don’t feel like cooking tonight though so we will be ordering from Egg Roll Express. It’s OMG delicious chinese food with amazingly yummy vegetarian “meat” dishes like sweet and sour pork and kung pao chicken. We obviously haven’t had any of their meat dishes, but their fried rice is the best I have ever had.

I don’t think I’ll have to do much work convincing Boo.

Marathon training starts this Saturday. 7am. I’m tired already.

Really though, I am looking forward to it. I do miss running, so this will push me into being a little more disciplined about it. Or to actually DO it.

I remember how surprised I was that I loved doing it so much. I think the training in a large group helped me to stick with it. Though the first time there was a bit more obligation as I did it for charity (APLA). This time around I am doing it for me. Boo is doing it as well. We are both looking forward to it.

This will be our third marathon, but this one is like starting from scratch as we haven’t really run since last March’s Los Angeles marathon. I am heavier than I was when I signed up for the first one in 2006. Boo says he is as well, but I am not sure I believe him

What’s good about running long distances? Eating for running long distances.

April 5th, Boo and I had our engagement party at the house. It was supposed to be a housewarming as well, but we had received notice from our landlord that he was putting the house up for sale, so it turned into a houseleaving.

We had a lovely vegan BBQ with plenty of snacks and nummy desserts.

Setting up:

Backyard (the dark spots were hastily filled holes - we think the previous tenants had a dog or something):

Mmmmm beer:

The BBQ setup:

Table set up in the Wii room - yes we had a Wii room for the party (veggie platter with “ranch” dressing; avocado, sprout, white bean hummus rolls - some with loaf):

Hot stuff (Not-wings - both buffalo and not, veatballs and fixins for the metric ton or so of veggie burgers we had):

The bar:

The dessert table (Vegan Magic Cookie Bars, Fudge Drop Cookies (made and brought by my sister) and Banana Split Cupcakes - made by Boo’s mom - I think from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World):

And my favorite and proudest part of the whole party:

This is a snack platter made up of Cheddar Cheez, Jalapeno Cheez and Onion, Horseradish and Dill Cheez all from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook (well the jalapeno is just the cheddar with finely chopped jalapenos) and vegan pepperoni (veggeroni) from one of my favorite blogs, Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

The party was great. So many people tried things that I know they would have never otherwise even thought about, and most were pleasantly surprised. We only had a few people who didn’t bother to try anything but the desserts and only one person who complained. We had given all our guests fair warning that all would be vegan and to inform us of any soy or wheat allergies (as most of the stuff was going to contain some of that). We also grilled up some portabello mushrooms for a handful of people.

Boo and I are baby-stepping to the vegan diet so we have decided to have a vegan wedding. We figure by then we will be mostly vegan - the exception being when we read ingredients and don’t recognize the animal ingredient. So we wanted people to not be afraid of the wedding and had the engagement party be vegan as well.

It was a great time and it was wonderful to have all those people we care about in one place. No I have to actually put the thank you notes in the mail. They are right there, just waiting… bah.

I love produce weeks!

We have (as they say in the UK) subscribed to a box scheme. We get a box of produce delivered to our door every other Monday. For the last couple deliveries, we have gotten the mixed fruit and vegetable box. We were getting a lot of fruit as opposed to veggies and when we would look at what the all veggie boxes were getting, we would be all jealous. So we switched to all vegetables.

Boo and I love veggies. There are very few that we don’t like and the ones that we haven’t tried yet, as was the case for me with some chard one time, we are so excited to try. This is the list we got this time around:

1 Lettuce,Green Leaf
1 Peas,English(3/4 lbs.)
1 Tomato,Cluster(1 lb.)
1 Onion,Yellow
1 Chard,Rainbow
1 Spinach,Bunch
1 Asparagus,Bunch
1 Carrot,Rainbow(Bunch)
5 Squash,Zucchini
1 Tomato,Roma(1 lb.)
1 Potato,Red(1 lb.)
1 Bell Pepper,Yellow

I am so freaky excited it’s ridiculous.

Speaking of ridiculous freaky excitement. The blueberries and strawberries we got last time were starting to… fade. So I made sorbet! Its so yummy. I sort of used the recipe in my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker booklet. I cut the tops and softer spots out of the strawberries (I had a one pound container) and put them in the blender. Then I threw in the blueberries, about 4oz and about 1/4c water and blended. Then I poured in the simple syrup (made previously with 2c sugar and 2c water), blended and then poured into the already churning Kitchen Aid bowl.

The results (the picture sucks but whatever):

I also made some vegan sourdough english muffins.

Basically used an english muffin recipe but used warmed, unsweetened soy milk instead of regular milk or powdered. I had thought Dwight (my starter) had died when I went to Ireland for 3 weeks, but he’s alive and kicking and sour as ever! I love making things that look like they do in the store. I remembered the first time I made these I kept exclaiming, “They LOOK like english muffins!!”

These are more dense than the store bought ones and the holes (nooks and crannies) are not as pronounced, but I have read that the real English english muffins have much smaller holes than what we expect here in the states. And they taste great so who cares!?

Since we borrowed Veganomicon from Josh’s mom I have been obsessed. I love it. I want to make everything in it, except for that nasty portabella mushroom steak thing. *hurl* I despise mushrooms. They are disgusting and slimy and they taste like moldy dirt. You want to torture me? Make me eat mushrooms with cilantro. I’ll give away any secret I know to avoid putting that bile-rise inducing “food” in my mouth.

I have gotten better with the mushrooms. I can actually eat food that they have come in contact with. I didn’t used to be able to. I remember going to chinese buffet years ago, back when I ate meat, with my co-workers for lunch. I would go to get something from the buffet and I would come back to a mushroom on top of my peking dumpling. I would then have to give it to someone else and go get another for myself. I ended up getting a lot of dumplings for other people that way.

Cilantro I will never, ever be able to eat. That leaves out a LOT of food when you live in SoCal. They put it in EVERYTHING. When I first moved out here, I couldn’t figure out why all the food I had tasted like dirt. Finally, a friend figured out that it was cilantro. I didn’t even know what cilantro was. They don’t use a whole lot of it back in New Hampshire. Here, they use it like salt. *shudder*

Well. That was a rant.

What I had originally started this post for was to put up some pictures of things made from the book mentioned above, my own stuff and other new cookbooks.

Below is my own home fried potatoes with a tofu scramble from How It All Vegan! (minus the mushrooms). Isn’t it cool how the tofu looks like scrambled eggs?

This is my own roasted garlic mashed potatoes (roast 2 heads garlic and mash with 4 largish russet potatoes and some earth balance), corn and vegetarian bangers (sausage) from a mix I bought while in Ireland. I also sliced up and sautéed some elephant garlic to put on top of the potatoes.

This is my easy peasy (though I used corn) vegan shepard’s pie. Easy peasy because I layered the potatoes that were left over from above on top of a can of corn which was on top of onions and Boca Ground Burger that I had fried up. I used regular ketchup on top with onion powder, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning mixed in. This was incredibly yummy and tasted just like I remember from when I was a kid (except my mother, knowing that I hated peas, would use peas. Stupid peas.)

I love how the camera caught the steam rising from both plates.

And last, but certainly not least, Boo had flowers delivered yesterday. They are gorgeous.

I love me my Boo.

Lunch today is a Chickpea Cutlet from Veganomicon (which I just discovered I have been putting a wayward ‘r’ in) on a Kaiser Roll with some Vegenaise. I am in heeeaavveeen.

No picture, but I could eat these things every day… Wait I may have a pic of another time I made them (during my blogging blackout). Here it is served with a “beefy” onion gravy (Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix is vegan), alongside a “steak” of green cauliflower. This is also called Broccoflower but Boo and I decided to call it cauccoli because, well, we’re twelve and it makes us giggle.

These things are like crack. I just finished my sandwich and I want another.

Yes, finally, pictures.

I did this in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. I used size 5 needles for the body and size 4 for the edging.

Cast on: Evening Nov. 5, 2007 Washed with Dreft and Blocked: Friday, Feb. 8
There were a lot of “I can’t deal with this project anymore so I am not going to” moments where I wouldn’t touch it for a long time.

The blanket was delivered to it’s adorable little recipient, Benjamin, a couple weekends ago.

Unblocked corner:

Blocked blanket:

Yes, I know. I have neglected this little blog for too long.

Coming soon, pictures of a finished Alphabet Blanket, home made paneer, wedding location update (we FINALLY found a place!) and all sorts of other things.

I promise.

We got our first organic produce delivery on Monday. It was chock full of goodies. We ordered from Paradise O on the recommendation of a fellow Rose City Knitter, subliminalrabbit.

Just look at the veggie goodness! I have only used the red chard but I see in our future steamed artichokes, a yummmmy salad, possibly Aloo Gobi and Butter Paneer Masala and and and and and…whew. I’m tiring myself out just thinking about it.

Over Thanksgiving I made my pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting (all vegan). It came out better this year than last and I think it’s because I added more pumpkin puree so it was crazy moist. I always make cupcakes with any new cake experimentation first so I can taste it before subjecting anyone to a possible fail. CN has no problem with that as he gets to eat the test cupcakes.

After deciding that the cupcakes were missing something, I remembered that last year I had used Sugar in the Raw and this year I was using white vegan sugar. That made a difference in the taste so I changed the second batch to turbinado sugar (the same as Sugar in the Raw). I also added more pumpkin puree. I honestly have no idea how much pumpkin pie spice I put in, but it was until it tasted right.

The cake was fantastic, if I do say so myself. The frosting needs some help, but I’ll work on it.

Then there were the pumpkin seeds to deal with. A little kosher salt and peanut oil solved that problem.

Tuesday I had a dentist appointment. I had to get an old filling replaced. It’s all fine now. The only place that hurt when the numbness went away was the site of the injection of the Novocaine. I couldn’t open my mouth all the way for a day. So I made salami. Seitan salami to be exact.

I used the recipe in the latest issue of Cutting-Edge Vegan Cuisine newsletter by Bryanna Clark Grogan. It’s ok. Not “OHMYGODITSSALAMI!” but it’s close. It’s a little too moist for me so I put it in a very low oven to dry it out, kind of like with meringue cookies. Now it’s back in the fridge.

I also whipped up a batch of “Even Better than Veganaise” that I got the recipe for over at Epicurvegan. It’s yummy, though the recipe makes a lot. I will need to cut it in half next time. I have a picture, but it really doesn’t photograph well so I won’t be including it.

Now I have to go get ready for date night. I think we’re going to hit Crown City Brewery and add a couple more beers to our scorecard. There isn’t a lot there for us to eat, basically just a veggie burger and some sides/appetizers, but the over 100 different beers is worth a not so tasty dinner.