sundays are good for productivity

I didn't have the most restful Sabbath and that will probably result in a less than rested Monday, but boy, did I get a lot done!

After a slow, cozy half-hour long warm-up, I pulled myself out of bed and made oatmeal with mixed berries while I watched snippets of people alternately nailing and obliterating the National Anthem.  The last clip was Christina Aguilera many years ago at a basketball game...a little prophetic?  Anyway, after a satisfying breakfast, I made myself get going...going food shopping, going over to the new place to take pictures and measurements, going through the last shelves of books, going to the used book store to trade them for credit, going home and continuing my aggressive packing while cooking dinner and doing laundry.

Yes, I am a domestic goddess, in case you were wondering.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to the thrift store, but I can always continue my packing-purging at night and have Mister deliver the unwanteds the following day.  I'm about to run out of boxes, so I'm glad the ice has melted off the sidewalks, enabling me to walk home while carrying multiple new boxes to fill.  This is not going to be a restful week.  To quote an old friend, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

I'm thinking of reserving the photos I took of the new place until we're moved in so I can do a Before & After post of my awesome new home...but maybe I'll give just a little sneak preview:

the kitchen (obviously)
not much counter or cabinet space, but I have plans

little living room; exposed brick against hardwood
and yes, the fireplace works

Mister provides a little perspective

Hello!

I'm looking forward to filling up all that empty space (which I don't anticipate should be a problem, considering we're moving because we need more space) and creating a lovely little home for my lovely little family.  Grocery shopping was a bit of a mixed bag this weekend because I decided to continue cooking through Thursday, so I still needed almost a complete week's worth of groceries.  On the other hand, I wanted to be cautious not to get any more than we need for this week only.  I kept the menu short, sweet, and relatively comfortable:

1. Punjabi Peppers and Tofu from La Dolce Vegan because a) I had some leftover tofu in the fridge and b) there are [almost] never leftovers (another goal in menu planning).  Oh, and c) because I love this recipe so much.

2. Blessed Broccoli and Tofu Stirfry, also from La Dolce Vegan.  That was dinner tonight.

I have a lot of trouble accepting recipes that are written without garlic.  Unless I can see a really good reason for its absence (for example, if we're talking about almond bundt cake), I feel compelled to add it at my own discretion.  So....at my discretion, I sauteed the tofu in olive and sesame oil with 4 cloves of pressed garlic and it was divine.  I did stir the broccoli and carrots in, but it seems they sat on top of the tofu and steamed more than anything else.  I served the stirfry on brown rice cooked in broth and the whole combination tasted fantastic.  I've mentioned before that something I enjoy in Sarah's recipes, specifically from La Dolce Vegan is that like me, she is just cooking for herself and her husband, so the portions are almost always perfect.  No leftovers here, either.

3. Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon, to be served with mashed potatoes...if I stop at Whole Foods or Superfresh on the way home one night and pick up the potatoes I forgot.  Although, Mister and I developed a pretty severe hankering for french fries tonight, so maybe I'll just pick up a pack of frozen fries...

4. Pasta e Fagioli, also from Veganomicon.  I think Pasta e Fagioli is the Italian answer to beans-n-rice.  I'm pretty sure every vegan cookbook in existence, as well as every blog that provides recipes, has at least one recipe for each.  I'm not sure I've ever made this one, so I'll let you know if anyone succeeds in usurping the #1 spot from Dynise.

5. Farfalle with White Beans and Cabbage from Vegan on the Cheap.  In the spirit of not having a bunch of half-used boxes of pasta, I'm subbing Rotini Primavera, since it comes in a 12 oz box.

Well, it's late and there are still dishes to do, so I'm signing off.