My favorite month

The great thing about October is that it ends with one of my favorite holidays. It's Logan's first Halloween and she's going as a ladybug. Unfortunately, I haven't done as much decorating as I would've liked. I enjoy getting creative but I just haven't had any time this year it seems. Next year, I have vowed to do better.

Whenever October comes around, I immediately feel the need for a trip up to the mountains. In fact, my husband asked me to marry him while we were in the mountains in October. One of my favorite places, one I've visited since I was young, is the Peaks of Otter. It had been a few years since I've been up there and I really wanted to take Logan up there. There's this great lodge that we normally eat dinner after a day of driving on the parkway and some light hiking. I'll get to that in a bit.

My parents decided they wanted to join us, so they picked us up on Saturday the 16th and we headed up 52 until we hit the parkway. It was a nice drive and we drove past a lot of produce stands as we got into Virginia. One of my missions was to get some apples and a pumpkin but that didn't end up happening. There were plenty of places to stop along the way and I would love to do it next time we drive up that way. The leaves along the parkway were pretty but despite what the weather guys were saying, I think they were past peak. We passed some pumpkin patches and beautiful homes. Around lunch time we stopped for a picnic at a scenic overlook that was supposed to "overlook" Pilot Mountain. Unfortunately, the trees had grown up so much you couldn't see much of anything. Groundhog Mountain was just up the road and little did we know, there were a bunch of picnic tables. Next time we'll stop there.



We also planned on stopping at Mabry Mill but it was packed. I guess everyone else decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and head up there. So, we passed up the photo op at the mill and continued down the parkway. We stopped at another overlook that had a trail you could hike down to the Roanoke river. We didn't go down the trail but we walked around a little bit before we continued on our way to Peaks of Otter. When we got there it was around 4:30 and people were already getting in line for dinner which began seating at 5pm. We walked around the large pond that sits behind the lodge, checked out the fish and the beautiful view of the mountain. Logan was entertained by a couple of little boys, much to her daddy's dismay. Quite a few people were out enjoying the view or picnicing by the water. It was pretty chilly with the wind whipping through, though. We had to buy Logan some ear warmers, which she kept on for a little bit, then proceeded to remove it like she does with all of her hats. After milling around for a bit, we made our way back to the Lodge to get a seat for dinner.



We look forward to dinner there because it's always so good. This time, however, it left a little to be desired. First, the service was pretty slow. It took a good while for my mom to get her wine, my dad never got his water and we didn't get our bread until we asked for some. I order something new they were offering that I was pretty excited about. It was a sesame tofu stir fry with veggies and rice. Unfortunately, the veggies tasted like the frozen Asian style vegetables you get at the grocery store. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't worth the amount they charged for it. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal but felt the service left something to be desired. Logan enjoyed her mashed potatoes, fried apples and bread. I guess management or whoever runs the kitchen changed. Either way, we decided to check out some other places to eat next time we go up there.



All in all it was a wonderful day and I can't wait to make it a yearly adventure with Logan. It really feels like fall when you're enjoying the beautiful colors of the leaves on the Blueridge Parkway.

I'm never joining a gym again...this time I mean it.

I'm all about having a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise. Even though, the latter is not my most favorite thing but I still do it. However, since joining the gym-that-shall-not-be-named(hint: it rhymes with the Rush), I have acquired a bad taste in my mouth.

When I first joined, it looked like it would be fun and different from other gyms. They had a pool, rock climbing wall, simulated boxing ring, a separate women's gym and a basketball court. It looked like it could be fun because I'm one of those people who likes to get their exercise by doing things that don't seem like exercise. The getting in shape part is just an added bonus. I went pretty regularly, even tried out a trainer for a while. Then I got pregnant and I went less and less. I did more walking in the neighborhood during that time. Now, they offered the option of deferring your payments, for instances like pregnancy, while you weren't able to workout. Then I decided to quit work to be a stay-at-home mommy. Well, $50 a month wasn't something I wanted to pay while we were relying on one income. So I called them up to see if I could cancel the membership and pay an early termination fee or whatever. Well, I was informed much to my astonishment that I would have to pay the rest of what I owed for the remaining 3 years of the contract or show proof that I either a.) moved b.) had a doctor's note that I was disabled and couldn't work out or c.) was active military and was being sent out of the country. Really?! So, I guess if you were laid off or even dead you are SOL in getting out of the contract. I guess they'd just tell you "sorry" if you'd been laid off but you still gotta pay. That also goes for the surviving members of a family when they let them know the gym member is no longer with us. What a crock!

So, reluctantly, I just downgraded my membership. But guess what? It was like re-enrolling so I had to pay another deposit and basically sign up again for two years. Freaking A! Now, if that isn't enough, they draft my checking account for the fee. That was going along fine for a couple of months, then all of the sudden I get a letter saying I owe them double the amount I pay a month because they weren't able to draft my account. Uhhh, okaaay. I call them, they have no idea why there was a problem but wanted to say it was our fault and we still have to pay the fee. No, I'm sorry I don't. I gave you the account number and you drafted it for a few months with no problems AND there was money in the account so it must be something on your end, slick. Gotta love that customer service. They waived the fee after some convincing and things went back to normal. Then this week I see a charge come out of my account for a different amount and on a different date than the fee normally drafts. So I call and find out it's an enhancement fee that comes out every year so they can upgrade their equipment. Well what the frick are the membership dues for?!

To say they've soured my gym membership experience would be an understatement. However, I want to thank them for making me see the error of my ways. I will reluctantly go to your gym while I still pay you money but when I'm done, it's all about jogging and working on the Wii Fit.

Balloons are evil

What happens when you have a rainy day at the beach? You blog about some complete randomness, if you’re me.

We went to watch the Cape Fear Roller Girls bout in Wilmington on Saturday the 24th. I’ll write more about that later but I will say this; they are awesome and they won. The crowd really gets into it in Wilmington. I’m talking about air horns, loud music, signs, etc. Logan came with us of course and she didn’t seem to mind the all the noise. We did make her some make-shift ear plugs, though. We were impressed that it didn’t upset her and it got me thinking about how I hated loud noises when I was little. One that particularly disturbed me was balloons. Yes, like the way kids are scared of clowns (someone believed to bring joy); I was scared of the balloon.

Who thought it was a good idea to give kids these nerve-racking, ear blasting devices at birthday parties? All they were going to do with them is stomp on them, twist them or squeeze them until they pop. Of course, you could always use them as an air-filled baton to beat someone over the head repeatedly. I could never totally relax at a party where balloons were present. I was always keeping an eye on them, like you would a shady looking person you walk by in a dim lit area. I would always expect any kid that came near one was going to pop it and even though I would watch them, the noise still startled me.

I didn’t even trust them in my own possession. I would always think they would find their way to the ceiling and pop themselves on one those textured bumps. Or just pop on their own for no reason at all. I only felt relief when they would start to lose air and sink closer to the floor. Not only the popping could be offensive but the squeaking when you rubbed your hands across it or the shrill sound when you slowly let the air out. Then what about the chalky, nasty tasting residue they leave on your lips after you blow them up. It probably will be something shown to cause cancer in the future.

Now whenever I see a balloon floating up into the air, I am relieved because that balloon can never be popped by child and wreak havoc on the nerves of others like me.

My 30th Birthday Present to Myself

As I approach my last few weeks of being a 20 something, I feel more relaxed than I thought. I'm not really worried about turning 30. I've heard mixed reviews of the milestone; some saying it was horrible others saying it was great. I think for me, or at least I hope, it will be a time where I really get to know myself and be comfortable with myself.



Which brings me to my birthday present to myself. I've decided I am going to celebrate by going to the beach for two weeks. I LOVE the beach, it's like instant zanax. There are no worries, I can relax by the pool or beach and for a little while life is at zero stress level. It can be a diet buster though, because the main thing you want to do is eat and snack and then eat some more. At least that's the way I feel! Then when it's time to go back home it always seems like the trip was never long enough, even if I've been down there for a week. I've never been for two weeks so we'll see if I still feel that way at the end.



We were there at the end of June for my dad's birthday. Logan's first real time in the pool was then and while she wasn't sure about it at first she eventually decided she was okay with it. Her daddy had the magic touch. If anyone else took her in the pool, she would start to cry. When Brian took her in she started a little bit but then she would stop and let him twirl her around. She even started to fall asleep! She'll get plenty of pool time this vacation along with some beach time(we'll see how she does with that). We're also taking Darby. If any of you that read this remember, he was a little nervous when we took him to Asheville. We were only there for a few days so he'll have some more time to get adjusted. I'm eager to see how he responds to the beach and ocean!




I'm so excited to be able to do this! I'm going to take a lot of pictures and I'm going to try out my camera Brian gave me a couple of Christmases ago that I have yet to use. It takes really cool looking pictures and requires special film. I'll probably update the blog from there, if I get motivated enough. ;-)

Carolina Roller Girls Bouts-Dorton Arena 6/12/10

It's been 5 months since I began this journey into the roller derby world. I've learned so much in a short amount of time. My skating has improved quite a bit but I know I can be so much better. I've gone to a couple of bouts in the past few months also. Since I've never seen a bout they've been an opportunity to learn more about the sport. The skill level with every bout has improved and I've learned something different from each one.

This past weekend we drove down to Raleigh to check out the Carolina Roller Girls' two bouts. Brian and I picked up my friend who lives in the area and we headed to Dorton. The first bout was between the Carolina Bootleggers and the Columbia Quad Squad. Unfortunately, they lost but it was a good bout. Both teams played hard. The next bout was between the Carolina All-Stars and Dutchland All Stars, a team from Pennsylvania. This bout was probably the fastest one I've seen yet and showed some different skills and strategies I've never seen. I was so glad I got to watch these teams in action, they were awesome. My friend even got into it after I explained to him how the bouts are played and the rules. The Carolina All-Stars pulled off the win, too!

Seeing the bouts only makes me more inspired to go for it. These girls have fun out there, even though they're serious about winning. Hopefully, I'll get to experience it firsthand in the near future.

Wanted: Mommysitter?

So being a stay-at-home mom has brought more challenges than I thought. In my naivety, I thought I could be the superwoman; take care of baby, stay on top of laundry, keep the house immaculately clean. Yeah, right. Now, I'm not the most organized person out there I'll admit but if I ever had a chance to be, it's gone now. Logan takes up a lot of time, most of it's fun stuff but I didn't realize how much would get layed to the wayside. Now, I suppose you could say, "well, you could take the time you're writing this blog to do some of that stuff." True enough, but she'll only nap for about 20 minutes and I need some form of free therapy.


What I really need is a nanny for me or a maid or maybe both. Maybe what I need is a mommysitter. They would take care of me, make sure I eat and do some light housework, too. Yes, I said make sure I eat because I can forget in the midst of making sure Logan eats. She wouldn't be here for only those reasons, she would provide adult conversation while my husband's at work. I love to babble with my baby but sometimes you need some consonants and actual sentences. She could watch the baby some while I do some other housework and she would definitely accompany me to the grocery store.


It sounds silly, right? I'm a stay-at-home mom and my only job is to take care of my baby and do the housework and I sound like I'm complaining. Waa waa waa. I'm not complaining but some days it would be nice to be able to start something without having 20 interuptions or walk into the next room to get something without some form of protest. But hey, that's what having a kid is about and I wouldn't trade it for a thing.

More offshore drilling? Um, no thanks....

First, let me start by saying that I don't believe anything dealing with our planet and its future, OUR future, should have anything to do with politics. It's a humanitarian issue. Unfortunately, politics does play a part in it. The recent oil rig explosion, loss of 11 lives and resulting oil leak has really disappointed me on so many levels. Now the containment unit that was supposed to help, doesn't work because, well, it was kind of a dumb idea to begin with. Each new idea seems worse than the first and does anyone find it funny that if the TOP HAT doesn't work they're going with the HOT TAP? Anyway, it seems the concern is not with stopping the leak altogether but saving the oil and that bothers me. Would it be horrible to shut down the flow altogether? They are drilling a relief well anyway, so it doesn't seem necessary to keep this one going. How is it that the country that put a man on the moon can't seem to fix an oil leak? Then once it does get fixed, there's the clean up. Guess what? All that oil doesn't go away, in fact, there's still oil on the beaches in Alaska from the Exxon Valdez spill. That was 20 years ago and not nearly as bad as this spill.
The oil is being spewed into our ocean at a stunning 200,000 gallons a day. Sounds like a lot of money and oil that is being lost. The sad thing is, most of that oil isn't even used by our country. People believe that more offshore drilling will get us away from foreign oil. Um, nope. You see, as long as politicians get their pockets fattened by "big oil" we're not getting away from foreign oil. Most of our oil goes to other countries, so putting a rig off the coasts of Florida, California or my homestate of North Carolina is not going to do much. I was against this idea before the rig explosion. Too risky for those who work them, they are out in the middle of the ocean after all, and too risky for our environment. We need to work toward sustainable, alternative energy. I know it can't happen overnight, there needs to be a transistion. Wind energy, water energy and solar energy have come a long way and we need to invest in these options more.
You know, the funny thing is that some politicians thought the wind farm they're planning on building off the coast of Massachusettes would interfere with the environment and the fishing industry among other things. Well, I don't forsee hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil spilling into the ocean or an interruption of the fishing industry if a wind turbine breaks down, the way the explosion of an oil rig did. I have the sneaking suspicion, however, that had this been the approval of an oil rig, those same politicians probably wouldn't have argued.
Another benefit to the wind farm is that won't require people to be working them daily and risk the possiblity of being hurt and out in the middle of the ocean. A man who has had a wind farm on his land for 10 years has never seen a bird killed by a turbine or thought that the sound that came from them was loud and distracting. Obviously, wind can't power our cars but many other options are out there from electricity to hydro-electric power. We, the people, just have to be willing to take the risk and ask for these options to be more readily available. The more we do to show those in power that this is what we want, they will listen. And those that are seeking to make money, will find a way to do so from alternative energy. It's about our planet and our home, the only one we have.

Sweets to get me through the week

I have a pretty big sweet tooth and I love to bake. Since I'm not eating dairy now, I've been trying to find good things to bake without using eggs or milk and that actually tastes good. In a good way, I can't buy a lot of sweets from the grocery store either. One of my favorite things to make is from the book "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone. They are basically a different take on rice crispy treats, made with brown rice cereal, brown rice syrup, peanut butter and non-dairy chocolate chips. The first time I made them, I used almond butter with no added salt or sugar. They were so delicious, I would have to stop myself from eating three a day. The other great thing about these treats is that they aren't sweetened with sugar, so they're actually kind of healthy! Brown rice syrup is a great alternative to sugar because it doesn't spike your blood sugar.
Recently, I made "Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" from the Vegan Planet cookbook by Robin Robertson. I was worried about how they would turn out using the Ener-G egg replacer I bought, but I was pleasantly surprised when they were soft. I prefer soft cookies to crisp ones, so that was great for me! I didn't have any non-dairy chocolate chips so I used carob chips instead. I wasn't too happy with the fact that they melted so fast and the chips that were touching the cookie sheet burned. I scraped the burned chips off and they were fine, but next time I'm using the non-dairy chocolate chips. Here are the recipes, try them out and see what you think.


Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips
1 box brown rice crisps cereal
1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup
Fine sea salt
3/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips


Pour the rice cereal into a large bowl. Heat the syrup with a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat. When the rice syrup liquefies, add the peanut butter and stir until well combined. Pour over the rice cereal. Mix well with a wooden spoon.


Once thoroughly mixed and cooled to room temperature, stir in the chocolate chips. Make sure the mixture is cool, so the chips don't melt.


Turn the mixture out into an 8"x8" or 9"x13" baking dish. Wet the wooden sppon lightly and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Let cool for about an hour, before cutting into squares or bars.


Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies-Only Better
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar or natural sweetner
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup corn oil
Egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet non-dairy chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts(optional)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil two baking sheets.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, corn oil, egg replacer and vanilla, mixing until blended. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts(if using). Drop the dough by the spoonful onto the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Mac and Not-So-Cheesy Bake

Ever since I went vegan, I've been trying to find a good recipe for macaroni and "cheese." Since most vegan cheeses I've come across don't exactly melt, I thought this would be impossible and would definitely not taste like the original. So I kind of gave up on the idea of ever having mac and cheese, which was sad, because I loved it. Then I decided to search again. I came across a recipe at http://vegweb.com/ that had many comments raving about how good it was. It seemed pretty simple but most of the comments also said that while it didn't taste so much like the original, it was still good for what it was. So I decided to give it a try. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand. The recipe calls for Nutritional Yeast, which is found at most health food stores. Many people say it has a cheesy flavor, that's why it's often used in the vegan versions of mac and cheese. I actually forgot to include it in mine(oops!) and it was still good, so if you don't have it, don't worry about it. I have to say, it was really yummy! My non-vegan husband even liked it. We also had it with leftover veggie chili for a delicious chili-mac! Also, I cut the recipe in half because it makes a LOT and even after cutting it in half, we had a lot left over. Feel free to adjust things to make it to your liking. I would probably play with the liquids and amount of tofu if you want it a little "creamier".

Ingredients:
3/4 box of elbow macaroni(for vegs, make sure the noodles don't have eggs)
3/4 cup of soymilk
1/2 cup of water
2.5 tbsp of soy sauce
1/2 tbsp of paprika
1/2 tbsp of garlic powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1/8 block of firm tofu
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast



1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water in a large pot.
3. Add all the ingredients except the pasta into a blender and blend well. Once pasta is cooked, put into a baking dish or casserole dish. Pour the blended mixture over it and bake until slightly brown and crispy. It didn't take too long, just keep your eye on it.

Asheville, how I love thee....

Sunday, Brian, Logan, Darby(the dog), and I went to Asheville for a couple of nights. I've been to Asheville a few times, mostly to go to the Biltmore house, which is awesome but I wanted to explore the city itself. Also, they have quite a few vegetarian/vegan restaurants that I wanted to check out. We stayed at the Cabins of Asheville. We've rented a cabin before but it was in Gatlinburg and they've always been nice. These cabins were nice but they were smaller than I expected. I wasn't too sure about it when we pulled up but it was a really cozy, cute place. They had the hot tub ready for us and a gas fireplace that looked like a wood stove. Score points for the owners!

That afternoon, we headed to Rosetta's Kitchen. They specialize in vegetarian/vegan comfort-type food. I have to say it was a bit overwhelming to be in a restaurant where you could order anything off the menu! Yay! Brian ordered the Veggie Burger and I ordered the Nacho Plate, hoping to try their vegan queso. No luck, they were out. I really wanted nachos so I went with the black beans and pico, nothing incredibly special but it was good and hit the spot since I was starving. I tried a bite of Brian's burger and it was good. Nice and thick, too not like the little flat ones you get at most places. I'm pretty sure it was handmade with potatoes or beans, maybe even both. Check out their website http://www.rosettaskitchen.com/ and you can read all about their menu and what goes into everything. The atmosphere reminded me of a place I'd probably frequent in college. Funny little side note, as we were driving back into Asheville from the cabin I saw a sign for the Blue Ridge Roller Girls and they happened to have a bout the day before we got there at the Asheville Civic Center. I would've dragged Brian and Lo if we'd been there that day!

The weather wasn't that great, it was too cool to walk around downtown so we headed back to the cabin for a while. Darby was not handling being in a strange place very well. He wasn't terrified but he didn't really want to eat and would follow us around everywhere we went. So he was happy when we came back and didn't leave him to some horrible fate! After we went out to eat, just a quick trip to Fatz Cafe, we went home and called it a night. Logan didn't seem to mind sleeping in a different place but we made sure to bring some comforts from home.

Monday we checked out the Sunny Point Cafe. That was another neat little place, with a cool atmosphere. Not a big place, maybe 10 or 12 tables but there were quite a few people there. This wasn't a solely veg restaurant but they had a lot of options for them. I ordered the Orange Scented Cornmeal Cakes with a side of Tofu Bacon. So yummy! The orange flavor was a nice touch and not overpowering. The tofu bacon was super good and I'll have to figure out what they marinated the tofu in to get that flavor. I really enjoyed this place and they serve breakfast all day, which also scores major points in my book. After we filled up, we ventured to the Grove Arcade. No, not an arcade with games. It is a historical building that now houses various shops, restaurants, offices and even apartments. We went to a shop that sold knit goods and yarn called Asheville Home Crafts. I found a cute, crocheted hat for Logan and a knit hat for myself. While we were checking out, the lady informed us that a 94 year old woman crocheted Lo's new hat. And that she also volunteers at the old folks home! lol! How amazing is that?! She's probably older than most of them, too.







After walking around there a bit we decided to go for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As we went further up the parkway, we were driving through clouds. The temperature dropped to 32 degrees and we were a little concerned with the sign that said "Watch for sudden icing." Once we emerged from the cloud bank, it was cool to check out the houses. The views were awesome, you could see all of Asheville. That night we ate at The Laughing Seed Cafe, a vegetarian restaurant. This was hands down my favorite place. The place was packed on a Monday night. The menu had a great selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Again, a little overwhelmed with all the choices. We started with an appetizer of Sundried Tomato Hummus with naan points. Really G-O-O-D. I ordered the Harmony Bowl for my dinner and Brian ordered the pasta of the day. My dish was a big bowl layered with brown rice, black beans, seasonal vegetables, grilled tofu and I added a sea vegetable salad and sliced avacado. It comes with a yummy ginger dressing. This was so good and filling. My tummy was happy! I tried a bite of Brian's dish which was like a baked pasta dish with tofu ricotta, mushrooms, seitan and a bunch of other deliciousness. I couldn't believe how good it was! He really enjoyed it as well. Despite being full, I couldn't go away without trying a desert(well, to go). I tried the Vegan Dark Chocolate Raspberry cake. So good! I went to bed quite satisfied that night.

http://www.laughingseed.com/

Tuesday we had to leave but we decided to head back into town one last time. We took Darby to Three Dog Bakery for a treat. He wouldn't take anything from the owner(still a little nervous about staying at a strange place) but he came home with a few goodies. All the ingredients are listed on the trays of treats, so you know what you're getting and they're all natural. It really looked like a little bakery! We also stopped by the Mast General Store. I bought a few little kitchen doo-dads and some bulk candy. They have so much candy and a lot of old school stuff that's hard to find. I had to leave before it got ridiculous! I think we quite possibly spent more on the candy than anything else. We decided that we would come back when it was warmer and walk around downtown. There were so many cool shops that I wanted to check out but not bad enough to brave the chilly wind, being nestled between the moutains, it can really whip through there. I'm looking forward to a return trip and maybe a visit to the Biltmore House since Brian has never been.

Nostalgia Movie Night

I didn't watch the Oscars but I heard about the tribute to John Hughes. It made me think about all the great movies I loved from childhood and how he seemed to be responsible for most of them. Starting with my all-time favorite movie, Pretty in Pink. I can't really say what exactly about this movie struck a cord with me. I knew I wanted to be like Molly Ringwald's character Andie. I must have been around six years old when I first saw the movie and I wanted to get my ears pierced because of her. She had the coolest earrings! Her character designed and made a lot of her clothes which seemed stylish to me at the time. The story is about a girl from "the wrong side of the tracks" who falls for the rich, popular guy. I also loved her best friend, Duckie. He was secretly in love with her but too scared to say anything. Anyway, it's kind of a Romeo and Juliet story. Their friends don't agree with them dating, they get into fights with them and continue to see eachother. It ends happily, even though they "break-up" for a brief moment.

Other movies from Hughes that I loved include; Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. He wrote, directed, and produced so many great movies. They always had a "lesson" but it wasn't preach-y. A lot of his movies dealt with teenage angst. Some were funny, others had a more serious, dramatic tone. I've yet to see anyone make movies quit like his, there was just something about them.

Every time I come across a movie that I grew up watching, I will watch it again, even if I have seen it a hundred times. Seeing those movies takes me back to my childhood and to a time when all you had to worry about was getting homework done so you could go outside and play. Everything felt so simple compared to adult life. So I've decided I'm going to have a Nostalgia Movie Night once a week. I'll pick out a movie, Hughes or not, and transport myself back to a time where life was simple and stress was not a part of the vocabulary. I'll think of it as a nice way to relax.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili with Skillet Cornbread with Smoked Chiles

So I love black beans. I could pretty much eat them everyday. I decided to make this recipe for my mom and husband one Saturday night, after much debate with myself. It comes from a book that my husband bought for me called "Vegan Planet" by Robin Robertson and it's full of recipes. 400 recipes, to be exact. So you can see why I was having a hard time deciding what to make. After much consideration, I decided, you really can't go wrong with black beans or chili. Not to mention, I love one pot meals. I also decided to make the skillet cornbread with smoked chiles to go with it. It was the first time I'd made either chili or cornbread but I was up for the challenge. Turns out both recipes were pretty simple and very delicious!

The chili has a sweet and savory taste to it thanks to the combination of the butternut squash and the jalapeno. It's hard to see from my picture but it's got a cool color contrast between the black beans and orange squash. The cornbread does have a nice, smoky flavor and it's not overwhelming. Both the chili and cornbread were a hit with my mom and husband, so I must've done something right!

Black Bean and Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 jalapeno (optional), seeded and minced

One 14.5 ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped (I couldn't find these so I just used regular canned tomatoes)

1 cup water

1 cup apple juice

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice

3 cups cooked or two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno (if using). Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, apple juice, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, and squash and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Add the beans, then taste and adjust the seasonings. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve hot.

Skillet Cornbread with Smoked Chiles

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup soy milk or other dairy-free milk

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 cup fresh, canned, or frozen corn kernels, cooked and drained

1/4 cup corn oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce(I had dried chipotles. If you use these instead, soak them in hot water to cover for 30 minutes to rehydrate them).

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I didn't have a skillet so I just used a metal, round baking pan. If using the baking pan, grease lightly.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the soy milk, maple syrup, corn kernels, corn oil, and chiles and set aside.

4. If using the cast iron skillet, oil it well and heat over medium heat until hot. While the skillet is heating, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well with a few quick strokes. Transfer the batter to the hot skillet or baking pan and bake on the center oven rack until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm. I like to put some Earth Balance spread on mine. Yum!

What's Going On With Me

I've thought about blogging but I've never felt like I had much to say that anyone would be interested in. So I'm just doing it for fun and for myself. If people find it interesting, then great but I'm not going to worry too much about it. This is new to me so until I figure out how everything works, my blog might look pretty boring.

I'm going to share some recipes I've tried and some I've invented. As I mentioned in my "About Me" section, I'm working on being vegan. In certain situations, where I'm not in control of the menu, I can't avoid things like dairy. That's why I refer to it as a work in progress. I'm not going to be preachy about it, so don't worry. I'm just going to do a little documenting of my journey and sharing recipes that I think anyone would like. I've found that I feel so much better on a plant based diet. Also, I never thought much of myself as a cook so now that I'm doing more of it, when I get a good meal out of it, I want to share that success!

I recently decided to try Roller Derby. Talk about random! It's something that's intrigued me for a while, as does speed skating. Now, anyone who knows me, knows I'm not the best skater nor did I spend a lot of time skating as a kid. In fact, I didn't like skating when I was younger because I could never get used to the feeling. I like to challenge myself and this will definitely be one. Not to mention, it's great exercise. We had our first official practice on Sunday and I could absolutely feel it! A lot of squatting is involved. The other funny thing about me doing Roller Derby is that it's a full contact sport and I'm not super aggressive. I'm going to have to channel all the things that tick me off!

I'm the mother to a 3 month old little girl who is my world. So I'm sure I'll be sharing stories and some issues I'm having. Logan is such a character already, I can only imagine what she'll be like when she starts talking and walking! I quit work to be a stay-at-home mom and it's such a rewarding experience. Due to the cut in household income, I've become a coupon using, bargain-loving, thrift shop shopping, sale seeking mad woman! I've kind of always been that way but now even more so. I'll share any good deals I come across, too.

So that's what's up with me right now. My next posts will be a little more focused, I promise!