Testing My Veganism

 Last weekend I thought that I was done with birthday shindigs for a minute but its seems that Wednesday night I had one more left in me. Another friend had a birthday and I found out that he didn't have any plans for his birthday and you know my rule: No one should be unhappy on their birthday. So I asked if he would like to go out. The first task I had to conquer was a sitter. Finding a sitter is a very hard task as a single parent but lucky for me I have a great friend that watched my child as well as his. ( thanks Aisha) Now that I had the children settled I had to work on a plan as to what to do on a Wednesday night.

  I decided to stay in my comfort zone and go someplace where I would not look like the weird vegan asking a million questions about the menu. So off to GreenCork we went. I called the day before to make sure they were able to veganize what I think is their signature item and lucky for me they were. When I first saw the picnic basket I knew that I had to have this. He is an omni but I don't hold that against him but mama has to eat as well so being able to include things that I could eat as well is great. My side of the basket was filled with lots of raw veggies, fresh and dried fruit, olives, figs and I even had stuffed grape leaves. There were a ton of things to nosh on, so much that we weren't able to finish the basket.

My favorite thing about Greencork is of course the way the wine is served and as the seasons change so does the wine selection. I am the weirdest wine drinking in the world. I have never picked a wine by the notes that it has or any of that madness, I always pick it by the bottle. Crazy I know but it has yet to fail me. Sadly with the changing of the wine selections my 19 Crimes wine was out of rotation. It made me a little sad but I have discovered another wine that ranks right out there on my list of favorites. Its called Flirt. I love that there motto is Cheat on Your Wine and yes I cheated on Chuck but hey its ok. Its a new year time to try new things. Plus I will always go back to 2 Buck Chuck. Flirt is a blend of Shirah and Zinfandel so it is slightly sweet with a nice bite at the end. Plus the bottle is kinda sexy. What's not to like about this wine?

We had great wine and nice food the evening was going well, then it took a turn for the worst. They brought out cake. Not just any cake chocolate cake. Mama loves chocolate cake but of course this cake was not vegan, yet there were two spoons on the plate.  Of course being the gentlemen that he is he offered me the cake and I politely told him thank you but I can't eat it, its not vegan. He of course understood and said ok but then he decided to test  my vegan pimpin. He said if you don't eat the cake I'll consider this a date.  Crap I was screwed. Cassi does not date, dating scares the shit out of me so I avoid it all possible cost. Too much work goes into it. I have to be "on" at all times, making sure I don't say anything stupid, trip over anything, making sure I put on the good bra. Its too much work and I will have no such parts of it!  So I had to make a choice eat the cake or have the evening considered a date. Minus the wine this may not have been a hard descison to make but I was about 3 glasses in. I picked the spoon up a few times but could not bring myself to eat unborn chicken fetus and morphine filled cow pus. ( that's what I call eggs and milk to keep myself in line) So I had to take one of the team. I was on a date....crap. Now before you go after him, he knew I was NOT going to eat the cake.  It was his way of letting me know he was into me. It was a corny move but cute at the same time. 

Since he was able to have cake hell I wanted cake too so we strolled down to Imagine Vegan Cafe where I snagged a orange "hostess" cupcake. It was not chocolate but it was sugar. 

All in all it was a nice date. ( i'm sure he will giggle if he reads this) My veganism was still  safe, I discovered a new wine and even got a cupcake.  What more could a girl ask for from a night that went from hanging out to being on a date?

So Sore So Tired

Now before anyone gets concerned, no I'm not getting the flu or any sick madness. Today Lisa and I helped our friend Amy rearrange her mom's house. Rearrange is actually putting it lightly. We damn near did an overhaul getting the house ready for Mama Pam to come home from the hospital. We weren't asked to help but it needed to be done and we love Amy so we did it. Now I had a really awesome post lined up for tonight but mama is tired and my brain is not working. So inside I am going to post about my awesome finds at Mama Pam's house!

  Of course Keithon was with me and we gave him the task of cleaning and straighten the book shelves. That is not a task for me because I love books and would have never finished but unfortunately I did go over to the bookcase and found cookbooks. There were two books that caught my eye. One that was filed with nothing but soups and one by my ultra uber favorite Tv personality Alton Brown! I love how he combines food, science, humor and cinematography. ( It's the cooking nerd in me)  Meeting him is on my bucket list. When I was in New York a few years ago I even went to Chelsea Market hoping to run into him. (Chelsea Market is where they film a lot of the food network shows) I'm sure that there will be a few recipes I can veganize but I'm more excited about the knowledge I'll gain from this book.

  Now my next find is less of a find and more of a victory item. You guessed it, wine! I'd been eyeing this baby all day and now it is mine. Victory sweet victory. Getting the wine was not the victory but how I obtained the wine was. We will just leave it at,  I was in bitch mode and I wanted it so I obtained it and dared a certain someone to stop me.

Now please excuse me while I get into my pjs, slurp on some noodles and call it a night. Tomorrow I promise to have a super awesome post. (Please excuse any typos I am not proof reading I just wanna lay down.)

New Year's Eve for One Was So Much Fun

  New Year's Eve is right up there with Valentine's day  because it is a couples holiday and well Cassi is single. Yes, I have a great group of friends but they are ALL married or in long term relationships. So what's a single girl to do? Well my original plan was to stay home and stream cooking shows and bring in the New Year with my son but that plan was nipped in the bud when his grandmother called me at work to see if he could go to a New Year's Eve party that his uncle was throwing for the children. Now if my 10 year had plans I had to find something to do. After a pep talk from Bianca, Aisha and Jennifer I made up my mind that I was going out ALONE  (Enter dramatic music here) Yes it took all three of them to convince me. I saw that Greencork was throwing a party, since I knew the space I figured it would be cool. After Aisha came over and give me another pep talk, in person this time, I went to get some Chow Mei Fun for dinner and a bottle of bubbly.

  I loved what my fortune cookie said. It was the same thing Bianca told me minus the unicorn, sparkly stuff. (The girl has an obsession with unicorns and glitter)

 

Now my plan when I went to the liquor store was to buy a single serve bottle of bubbly, since it would just be me but when I got there I decided, I deserve the best so I am getting the best! And of course one of the best is Moet! I settled on the bottle of Rose well honestly because it's pretty.

I walked out the liquor store feeling like a rap star's girlfriend!
Once I got home I painted my toes and got dolled up!

I couldn't let all that pretty go to waste for I jumped in the car and headed to Greencork.  Needless to say my nerves were shot to hell! I was walking into a bar on New Year's Eve alone but I held my head up high smiled and walked in. It was a decent crowd, not to crowded and not too empty.  So I put my money on my card and made my way to the bar. After sitting at the bar for a minute, I struck up a conversation with another group over the music that was playing. It was straight 90's hits! Music will always be the one thing that brings people together. The bartender Lexie was SUPER awesome! She was the one in charge of the music and the one that keep the party going. She even showed us how to slap sage and gave me my 1st REAL maraschino cherry. Dear God it was orgasmic. I will be ordering a whole case of these.

Now if you are drinking you need to make sure you have food and Mrs. Robin was kind enough to whip up this non menu item for me. It had all types of vegan goodness. I loved the pickled green beans.

And of course New Year's Eve is not complete without a champagne toast at midnight. Lucky for me I made 3 new friends to toast with.

At the end of the night I asked Miles, the host, if I could have a balloon and a Sharpe. I wrote all the things I wanted for myself on the balloon and Miles along with another guy that was with us, released them into the night sky. All in all going out alone for new years was the best decision I made. I made new friends, tried new foods and I held my head up high like the awesome, unicorn sparkle that Bianca said I was! It was an amazing night and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Check back on Friday for the recap of my New Year's Day food awesomeness!

Who says vegans don't drink

  Once a month Bianca, author of the vegan cookbook Cooking Crunk, puts together a Vegan Drinks events. The only rules for choosing a location is that its has to have vegan food and drinks. This month we held our shindig at R. P. Tracks. Its a cool bar near U of M that has a good bar menu as plenty of vegan food. Something that should be a requirement near a college, if you ask me.

Our group is normally a younger crowd and we meet up right after work around 5:30.  Mainly because after working 8 hours who doesn't need a drink and yesterday mama needed a drink. We had a few newbies, one that even came as far as California but the regulars Autumn, Katie and Nathan were their as well.

  We arrived just in time happy hour. The special was a dollar off drinks so of course I decided on a wine and Tracks has boxed wine! It was the same Bota Box that I had at the potluck Saturday. It tasted a little different, maybe because I didn't get to pour it from the box myself but it was good wine all the same.  I only had one glass because it was a Tuesday and going to work with a hangover is not cute.

  I knew what I wanted, food wise before I hit the door. Buffalo Tofu Strips, I love theirs because they use extra firm tofu that is deep fried and dipped in Franks Red Hot Sauce. It was served with a side of celery and ranch dressing which is not vegan. That made me kinda sad because I may or may not have ordered it back in April, I don't remember. ( I was only a vegan for a month then. Mistakes were made.)

Just like any other Vegan Drinks meet up this one did not disappoint. We met new people, noshed on vegan bar food and had a few drinks.

I know I'm a day late but the winner of the cookie ornament is  girlgoesveggie with the peanut butter blossom cookie! My son loves anything with peanut butter. Email me so I can ship your prize.

Got me some wine, momma loves her wine!

  Now before anyone gets up in arms, I am not a booze hound. Normally when I am out I am the first one to stop drinking. I haven't found a beer a like, I can do without hard liquor but give me a good bottle or box of wine and I'm in! ( Yes there are good boxed wines)

  Last March on my way home from a P!nk concert I saw a billboard for Grinder's Switch Winery, it was Sunday, they were open so I was in. It was a bit of a detour off the highway but it was worth it. The tasting room is a cabin! It was beautiful, welcoming and filled with wine. There were also some pups on the property. After purchasing a few wine knick knacks and of course wine, I discovered that they have a wine club. I was already a member of another club but their wine is so awesome and affordable I couldn't pass up the chance to have it delivered to my door.

*Here is an overview from their website*

  ~Located on a 110 acre estate in the small town of Centerville, TN, Grinder’s Switch Winery is a country oasis that boasts of some of the best wine in region. Our wines have won awards and medals across the country including the prestigious “Wines of the South” competition.The vineyards and tasting room welcomes visitors far and wide and encourages guests to come and relax on the deck, take a walk through the vineyards or explore the surrounding countryside. The beautiful tasting room is nestled inside the cozy hand -built log cabin and offers an array of local hand made crafts and other unique gift items. Stop by today and enjoy the hospitality and the fantastic wine!~

  Their wine is delivered quarterly and you can choose from either a 3, 6 or 12 bottle shipment and  every with every shipment they include recipes as well as a gift. Next to wine there is nothing I love more than presents. The shipment I originally signed up for was the sweet but once I got it, it was a little to sweet for me but my girls Amy and Karen loved it. So this quarter I opted for the Dry, all you have to do is call before the shipment date and let them know your request. I am not sure if their wines are vegan but I am sure if you call and ask Jodie she can tell you. (Jodie commented below and informed me that their wines are indeed vegan, so stock up) She is awesome and will answer any question via phone or email. Plus she is a blogger so she is good in my book. Check out her blog Eatin on the Cheap.

  This month's shipment include one white and two reds. A Chardonnay which won a GOLD MEDAL, the Three – Eighty-Two which is a BRONZE MEDAL winner as well as a Colleytown. I can't find that one on their site which means I'm going to love and I won't be able to get more. That's always my luck. Also my gift this quarter is a holiday wine chiller, which is perfect for me because some days I don't have 30 minutes to wait for a bottle of wine to chill. I didn't receive any recipes this shipment but that may be because Jodie recently found out I was vegan. (she says I'm a brave woman lol)

  I can't wait until my Cookie Club party so I can uncork these babies. Make sure you check out their site and join the wine club. They are a great family owned winery, you won't be disappointed.

When baking fails bring wine!

Once a month the Food awareness group that I am a member of hosts meetings at local vegan restaurants around town but this month we had a Thanksgiving themed potluck. There was food for days! Everything from soups to curried fingerling potatoes.

My planned dish a dessert was a dish from the newly released Pies and Tarts with Heart by Dynise Balcavage. The Easy Muffin Tin Pies seemed easy enough. I even purchased a new cupcake travel pan that also has a display. I previously made a pie crust for another recipe so I knew I could knock this recipe out. Yeah not so much. After three batches of pie dough I gave up and attempted another recipe. An apple cinnamon cupcake, another recipe i've made numerous times. Cassi failed again. At this point I was late to the meeting and near tears. I truly had a kitchen disaster on my hands.  I was defeated so I jumped in the car  with the plan to go to Whole Foods and grab something from their deli. My soul wouldn't allow me to take a pre made dish to a potluck. BOOZE! Every potluck needs booze so I went to Joe's to grab a bottle of wine. I walked in and asked for a cheap wine that will make up for my baking disaster. I was lead to a $12 bottle of Cab. It was pretty awesome.

By the time I arrived the potluck was in full swing. We had a large turn out and our host Barbara's house was amazing! It had a total Zen vibe to it and I was in love with it and totally mellowed out. So after a bit of mingling everyone grabbed a plate. This was my first meal of the day so my plate was loaded with vegan goodness and of course wine.

After the potluck ended a group of us had a major sweets craving and we missed out on the cookies that were in the spread. So we headed to Bianca's house to make doughnuts. I would not be defeated a third time! Success mini doughnuts for all! Bianca whipped up some pink icing and we used all the sprinkles we could find in her pantry. These mini wonders hit the spot and I redeemed myself in the kitchen.

Contest time!! I have a awesome circle of friends, a lot whom are artists. These chicks are great at what they do and with Christmas coming Funlola Coker made the most adorbs mini cookie ornaments. She is an alum of Memphis College of Art and makes mini food jewelry. Her work is amazing! Check out her tumbler page for more of her work. (Just click her name)  Want to win just leave me a comment telling me what your favorite holiday cookies is. To be fair i'll let Keithon pick the winner. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday.

Its a Celebration

No, its not my birthday but it is another important day in my life. Its my VEGANVERSARY! Today I have been a vegan for 8 months and let me tell it has been a journey.

Now the first question people ask  when they find out I'm vegan is why did I do it? (no I don't announce i'm vegan, I just wait for someone to offer me food) The main reason I became vegan is health reasons. Yes, I love animals and want to protect them all but I have to accept that I can't and take care of my body so I can be the best Cassi I can be. My friends have always known me as a health nut (fast food is the devil to me) but when my eyes were opened when I learned how chicken was for lack of a better term killed. It hit me, I don't want that crap in my body. What you but in your body is what you get out.

When I decided to take the vegan leap I decided to go all in. I went RAW vegan. I borrowed cookbooks from my friend Bianca, my friends posted recipes on my Facebook wall, it was great. Then a cold snap hit, I missed soup and I wanted hot food. So no more raw vegan, normal vegan would have to do and I have barely looked back.

Now to celebrate my big day I made two favorite dishes. Chow mei fun, spring rolls and a glass of Charles Shaw "2 Buck Chuck". Who knew 2 Buck Chuck would be vegan?! I picked it up months ago on my first magical trip to Trader Joe's because it was cheap and if it tasted like crap, hey I only wasted 3 bucks. Let me tell you this wine is awesome! Best 3 bucks i've ever spent. Ok now back to the food.

Chow mei fun has always been my favorite because of the thin rice noodles. I always order it spicy, if its not spicy its not right but making it at home is fast and easy! Soak the noodles in warm water for about 10 minutes drain and place on a towel so you get all the water out. While that is happening saute your favorite veggies and then combine. Simple, yummy and ready in about 10 minutes.

Now my beloved spring rolls take a bit more work but once you get the hang of it you will be able to do it in your sleep. Spring Rolls are my favorite because they are not fried, I've never really cared for fried foods. (I'm sure a piece of Bianca's soul just died because I said that. That girl loves her fried food.) Spring rolls are fun because you can add whatever makes you happy. I love bean sprouts in mine,  my son loves tofu sticks in his so I put tofu in his and load up on the bean sprouts for mine.

Here is a recipe, trust me its not as hard as it seems. You can find the rice paper wrapper and noodles at Asian markets. If you can't find the items you need in the market just tell them you want to make spring rolls and they will be happy to help you. I use a mixture of soy sauce and chili garlic sauce to dip mine in. Keithon likes a little Sriracha with his. That's my boy!

Ingredients:

Cellophane noodles (Bean thread noodles) 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar Red or Boston lettuce leaves (leaves separated, rinsed, dried, and tough ribs discarded Fresh mint leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped Fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped Fresh cilantro leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped Coarsely shredded carrots Spring Roll Wrappers (rice paper rounds), 8 1/2-inches in diameter**

Preparation:

Cover bean thread noodles with hot water and let soak 15 minutes; drain well in a sieve or colander. Pat dry between paper towels and toss with rice vinegar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

(1) Spring Roll Wrapper or Rice Paper Wrappers come out of the package hard and inedible, and they must be soaked in water before using.

Fill a pie plate or bowl with lukewarm water. Immerse rice paper in warm water for 10 seconds to soften them up just until soft but still flexible (work with one rice paper at a time, being gentle as they break easily when brittle). Remove from water and place rice paper on a kitchen towel and let rest approximately 30 seconds until it's more pliable.

(2) Arrange one piece of lettuce on bottom half of soaked rice paper, folding or tearing to fit and leaving a 1-inch border along edge. Top with some of the seafood, noodles, mint, basil, cilantro, and carrot (don't overfill). Make sure the ingredients are not clumped together in the center, but evenly distributed from one end to the other. Note: The fillings may be placed on the rice paper in any order your desire.

(3) Pressing down on the filling with your fingers (pressing down on the ingredients is particularly important because it tightens the roll), fold the bottom end of the sheet (side nearest you) over the top of the fillings and roll into a cylindrical shape halfway.

(4) Fold the left and right sides inward and complete rolling the remaining half (If rice paper is too dry to seal, moisten unsealed edges with a little more hot water). Transfer summer roll to a plate, seam-side down, and cover with dampened paper towels. Make additional roll in the same manner.

Now a celebration wouldn't be a celebration without a CUPCAKE and Mama loves her cupcakes!  Bianca surprised me last night with this yummy treat from an up and coming vegan baker. Now go whip up some spring rolls, you'll thank me later.