walkin' in berkeley (SF part 2)

Before continuing the picture parade, I realized I left out one of the most memorable parts of our karaoke experience, so we'll pick up with my inventive rendition of "Walking in Memphis" (inventive because it's been a while since I've heard it so I made up parts of the melody that I forgot...oops!  no one seemed to notice, though - tip from a music teacher: if you are confident in your mistakes, no one will know you made one).  Anyway, there was a group of about 8 reeeeaallly drunk 20somethings close to the stage and by the time I sang my last song, they were singing along with everyone and dancing to everything.  One of the girls had fabulous legs and she knew it, since she was wearing a micro-minidress and apparently doing high kicks to impress her boy-toy and showing off a bit more than she needed to.  I'll censor one of the comments my sister and her friend made, but this one needs to go down in history (inserted inflated sense of importance here):

"I felt like I was watching a peep show with my sister singing in the background."

There ya have it, folks.  Glad I could entertain.  Moving on....

Sunday morning we packed up our things and checked out of The Chancellor because Sister's company was picking up the tab at the Oakland hotel we were staying at until Tuesday.  After checking out, we took BART to downtown Oakland (which I learned upon my return home is the 5th most dangerous city in the USA) and checked in at The Waterfront on Jack London Square, overlooking - you guessed it - the water!  The room had a charming nautical theme and was a bit larger than our room in Union Square.  It also had a Keurig, which is really all you need to make me happy.

Best Do Not Disturb sign ever

Between the BART station and the hotel, we passed two Starbucks and I'll tell you - people in the Bay Area take their coffee seriously - every Starbucks we passed while we were out there had a line to the door and every table was taken.  I've never seen anything like that in Philly, but then, we have an almost snobby "need" to patronize indie coffee shops.

After getting settled in the new room, we headed up to Berkeley, my mouth watering just thinking of the cinnamon bun I was only minutes away from eating.  We made our way to Cinnaholic and I was stunned with all the choices.  I realized I was just going to have to make a decision and regret that I couldn't come back every week until I'd tried them all (and gained about 10 lbs).

Sister chose the Blackberry Pie bun: vanilla frosting with blackberries and pecans and a sprinkle of streusel topping.

After much deliberation, I ordered a cinnamon bun with butterscotch frosting and bananas.  It was insanely tasty.  I thought it was funny how they made the frosting (since I was watching everything like a hungry vegan hawk); there was a big bowl of pre-made vanilla frosting and they added the desired flavor to it (in this case, butterscotch), but it still looked like vanilla.  The bananas were perfectly ripe and the whole experience was just incredible.  As I was waiting for my bun, I spied something irresistible in the corner of my eye.

And so I came to be the proud owner of a 16 oz Cinnaholic travel mug.  At the time this picture was taken, it was also full of freshly brewed coffee mixed with Silk French Vanilla creamer.  Heaven!

After the buns, we walked around town a bit to burn off the calories.  While I don't doubt a dieter would get into serious trouble there, the buns were actually not that big - they were smaller than a Cinnabon which is the food equivalent of Death, I think.

Sister ducked into a coffeeshop (Peet's, not SBUX, so she could get a table) to work on something she was presenting at her conference while I wandered the streets of Berkeley and visited a few bookstores, emerging victoriously with a book I'd been searching for for years (2nd in a series of which I already possess the 1st and 3rd books).  We were meeting up with a couple of her friends for dinner, but were a little ahead of schedule, so while we waited for them to show up, we decided to make a little Happy Hour action happen.

Completely by accident, we ended up in a beer garden called Jupiter.  The reason we found this amusing enough to commemorate with a photo is that our dinner plans involved the Saturn Cafe!

We met Sister's friend and her boyfriend at Jupiter and headed over to Saturn together after we finished our Ciders (yes, we drink the hard stuff).  It was funny being at a vegan/vegetarian diner with three omnivores because they were both intrigued by the menu but also felt like they needed to state how they don't actually eat meat all that frequently... such an interesting phenomenon - I've even noticed my mother saying that to me more, as though my lifestyle demands reckoning of their own.

Anyway, we started out with a not-so-healthy appetizer just to nail down that "vegetarian" does not always equal "healthy."

potato fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, taquitos and some kind of ranch-y lookin' dip

Then we all ordered burgers, which came with more fries.  I was thinking of getting a vegan milkshake, too, but decided that between the burger (which was quite substantial!), fries, and earlier cinnamon bun, I didn't really need those calories.

As you can see, the food was incredibly colorful!  Isn't it just astonishing what fresh ingredients can do?  Sister went with the California Burger, made with organic veggies and a slice of local jack cheese, accompanied by the standard burger toppings, as well as avocado - they put that on everything out there, don't they? No complaints here!

Hers took a prettier picture but I was pretty darn happy with my Guacamole Burger - an organic veggie patty topped with house-made guacamole and salsa - and a very generous quantity, too!  We both selected sweet potato fries because they are such a novelty to us East Coasters (I don't care if she currently lives in Arizona, they still don't have sweet potato fries there, either).

Sister's friend and her boyfriend shared a Portobello Burger with a side salad - they were far more responsible than Sister and I, but we normally eat very moderately, so we felt like it was alright to splurge, especially with all the walking around we'd been doing.

Speaking of which, after we stuffed ourselves with dinner, we wandered around University of California's Berkeley campus before getting back on BART and returning to Oakland.  From our travel from downtown San Francisco to Oakland and then to Berkeley and back, my sister proudly dubbed us Public Transit Queens until I had to go and rain on her parade by pointing out we were just barely skimming the surface of my daily commute to work.

We retired early because Sister had to be up very early the next morning for her work conference.  I got up shortly after she left and made my way back to San Francisco because I wanted to visit the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.  I mean, I heard they had vegan donuts - how could I resist finding out if that was true?  Also, a friend told me I had to try Blue Bottle Coffee while out in San Fran.

It turns out they do have vegan donuts.  Tucked away in a dark corridor near Sur La Table, Pepples Donuts were everything I wanted them to be - cakey and dense, moist and sweet... I got a Salted Caramel donut and I can't describe how satisfying the crunch of coarse salt sprinkled over sweet icing was.

I wandered along the corridors, seeing specialty shops of all ilk - salted pig bits, a creamery, a butcher, a couple of confectioners, a honey stand, a jam stand, assorted ethnic food kiosks, a couple of actual grocers, a little corner devoted to tofu (!), and plenty of trendy looking restaurants.  One loooonnng line caught my attention and I was not at all surprised to find that it led into Blue Bottle Coffee, so I took my place and waited for my super-hip pour-over brew.  While waiting, I looked at their merch and found a couple of gift-worthy coffees, so I left with a cup of fabulous coffee (you are so right, Kelly, and I'm glad Pure Food serves this coffee for an East Coast fix!) and two bags of beans - Bella Donovan for my sister, Giant Steps for me and Mister.  My favorite line from the description of our Sumatra-Uganda blend is "if it were any heavier-bodied, you could pour it on pancakes."  In all seriousness, it was some of the richest coffee I've ever had - it was very similar to espresso.

After walking the market back and forth a couple of times, I went out on the back deck pier, overlooking a gorgeous setting while I drank my coffee.

After mourning my East Coast anchor, I took one more pass of the market, including a short pit stop in the ladies room, then headed back to BART and north to Berkeley to have lunch in another spot I didn't want to go home without hitting.

I scoped out Cafe Gratitude while wandering around Berkeley before dinner the day before, but there simply wasn't enough time between our Cinnaholic "lunch" and Saturn dinner to squeeze in even low-cal "living" food, so I figured I'd lunch there while Sister worked.

The menu is amazing - I very much encourage you to check it out, not only for the actual food descriptions but also for the names!  I'll admit, ordering felt a little bit awkward, but I figured the nice lady behind the counter had probably watched plenty of non-crunchy folks fumble through their orders before.  The really fun part was that when she brought out the various components of my order (that is, my beverage and entree), she turned the affirmation around on me, saying "You are [insert fruity affirmation here]."

I am Effervescent
(lemon + ginger + agave + sparkling water)
incredibly refreshing and no flavor overwhelmed the others

I am Fortified
(quinoa + steamed veg + avocado + sunflower sprouts + sesame-ginger dressing)
completely satisfying, hunger- and taste-wise; aptly named!

After my life-affirming lunch, I wandered back through Berkeley, taking my time observing the amusing interactions between college kids, John Mayer Wannabes with a guitar, their voice, and a hat for cash, and homeless folks trying to sell "newspapers."  Intriguing culture, really.  It occurred to me to double back over to Saturn Cafe to see about that "milk"shake for dessert, but then I came upon Gelateria Naia, which had a stunning selection of vegan gelato.

I got the small size, which consisted of two scoops, so I chose Mint and Cookies 'n' Cream (the irony was not lost on me).  It really hit the sweet spot on my tongue, though I must say, the Cookies 'n' Cream could have been a bit more flavorful.  The Mint, however, was sublime and I was thrilled to see flecks of real mint in the gelato.

When I'd finished my gelato (and numbed my lips!), I got back on BART and returned to the hotel just in time to join Sister for her company's wine (and cheese) reception in the lobby of the hotel.

It is indescribably bizarre to walk into a room in July and see a fire burning in the fireplace.  It is even more bizarre to be excited and grateful for that, but I was and Sister claimed the seat closest to the fire.


After some amusing and slightly rowdy conversation with a few of Sister's colleagues, we headed to the room to pretty up for dinner.  Ever the Public Transit Queens, we hopped back on BART and returned to Berkeley at my suggestion for dinner (thanks for the tip - again - Jackie!) at Herbivore.

We started dinner with a couple of cocktails - a Mad Cow for me (kahlua + amaretto + vanilla soy milk) and a dirty martini for James Bond my sister.

We shared Sister's greens-n-beets salad, as well as an order of Bruschetta that appeared to be coated with a sprinkling of sumac for reasons I will probably never understand.  It was interesting, but the tomatoes and basil could have been marinated in olive oil and lemon juice with a bit of garlic for flavor, in my opinion.  There are way too many Italian restaurants with close proximity to my home...

Although there were many amazing things on the menu, I could not escape a need to order the Macaroni and "Cheese".  I've steered pretty clear of the obsession with vegan Mac 'n' Cheese so far, but eventually, if you hear about something enough, you have to just go for it.

I was not sorry - it was as delicious as it is attractive.  I was also quite happy about the broccoli.  Despite my best intentions, when I travel I turn into Captain Junkfood and feel completely justified in eating all manner of NotGreenThings.  Granted, my Fortified lunch was totally, unavoidably healthy, but aside from that, I didn't exactly seek out vegetables.  Whenever I do that, this moment comes when I have an irrepressible obsession with veggies - although that did not happen this time, I think the kale at Gracias Madre and the broccoli at Herbivore (and everything at Cafe Gratitude) helped keep it at bay.

Ever the curry-lover, Sister got Coconut Noodle Soup, which shamed me with its BrimmingWithVegetables-ness.  Once again too stuffed for dessert, we returned to the hotel for a nightcap at Miss Pearl's Jam House.

The next day was Leaving Day.  My flight actually ended up getting cancelled and I was rebooked on a flight that left 10 hours later, so I waited for sister to get finished her conference, then we went back to the Ferry Market, ate another donut, drank more coffee, looked out over the bay, and then took the ferry back to the hotel before heading to our separate airports (she flew out of Oakland, I flew from San Francisco).  I had plenty of time to kill, since my flight didn't leave until 11, so I discovered:

• how easy it is to get through security when everyone is bored - seriously, there was no line.
• how easy it is to get a seat at the only restaurant in the terminal when there are no flights for a couple of hours.
• how tasty a Lemon Drop really is.
• what restaurants do when they run out of silverware.

again with the avocado - do you see it peeking from beneath the bun?

apparently, plastic knives are a completely acceptable 
substitution if you run out of "real" knives.

So there you have it!  I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear how much it sucked getting home (San Fran to Detroit was the most turbulent flight ever) or how after two planes, two trains, a bus, and a few blocks I finally walked through my front door at 11AM, crawled into bed and completely messed up my schedule by sleeping until 4PM, and then went food shopping and made dinner for the first time in 5 days... but if you do, then there's always tomorrow's post!

a quick 'hello' from NorCal

Having a blast here in San Francisco/Oakland!  My sister and I have packed a huge amount of fun and activity into the last few days!  I'm not going to give away too much, but here's a taste of the fun you'll have when I get back:

DAY 1

• near fatality on my first flight
• finding out how stinky dried jackfruit is
• a fabulous dinner and terrific experience at Millennium (thanks, Dad!)

DAY 2

• wandering around San Fran's Mission district 
• lunch at Gracias Madre
• dinner at Saha (arabic fusion!)
• karaoke at Pandora - I won't tell you what I sang, but I have to share my sister's best quote of the night: "I felt like I was watching a peep show with my sister singing in the background." 

DAY 3

• switched to our Oakland hotel
• traveled up to Berkeley
• had a banana-butterscotch cinnamon bun at Cinnaholic (and it was everything I wanted it to be)
• dinner at Saturn Cafe

More to come, but I didn't want to keep you waiting too long, so there's your little teaser and I'll see you in a few days!

grocery shopping on saturday night

It's the thing to do.  It'll make you feel good.  All the cool kids are doing it.  Or, well, nothing quite says "party animal" like going grocery shopping on a Saturday night.  I'd say I'm a total loser, but working six days a week and not getting home until 9PM on five of them tends to make the food shopping schedule a little bizarre.  Besides, since everyone else is already at the bar, restaurant, dance club, or strip club, I don't have to dodge as many people as I do on say, Sunday afternoon.

I only did one "leg" of my shopping adventures.  I really just wanted to get enough food to make one of the recipes on my new menu, so I went to Superfresh and got a head start on about a third of my list.  My menu is short but my shopping list is relatively long.  The main reason for this is my desire to stock the shelves, fridge, and freezer with enough appetizing and affordable food that Mister won't eat pizza every single time he's hungry while I'm in California.

That's right.  I'm going back to California on Friday, for my first ever Sister-Vacation.

We've gone on plenty of vacations together, obviously.  I mean, we did live together growing up and all, so if my parents decided to go on vacation, they usually took us both with them.  However, we've never done more on our own than just hang out for a day at the mall or go out for dinner and drinks.  I've visited her at college and stayed with her when she graduated, but we've never actually gone somewhere together.

We're off to San Francisco and I am stoked.  I'm reading and re-reading my VegNews magazines for ideas of where to go and what to do.  Sometime in the next couple of days, I will make our reservation to dine at Millennium, a fine-dining vegan restaurant I've heard plenty about but never been to.  Very excited for that.  The other thing I am absolutely the most excited for (besides spending plenty of time with my sister) is our trip to Cinnaholic.  I want to drool just thinking of it.  Mountains of vegan cinnamon buns waiting to be turned into your own personal cinna-bundae (clever, yes?) with custom icings and toppings.  It might be fruitful to walk back to San Fran after that...

It seems so long ago this was just a little, crazy idea hatched through text messages and now it's nearly here!  I'm sure I'll ramble a little bit about the trip every day between now and Thursday, and then possibly go missing for a few days, then come back with a massive picture parade post, so let's move on to my mini-menu to carry us through until Mister gorges himself on pizza and sandwiches and I eat, drink, and breathe in everything I can on the West Coast.

1. Mexican Rice and Bean Bake from Vegan on the Cheap.  I was going to make the Salsa Rice and Beans, but I continually and unfortunately neglect this tasty recipe in its favor almost every time, so I decided to mix it up a bit.  It's not like I'm actually going to try baking the brown rice.  Can you hear me laughing from wherever you are?

2. Better Bean Burgers also from Vegan on the Cheap.  I was actually intending to make these tonight, but Superfresh was hiding the cheap black beans, so I will have to wait until I see the prices at Whole Foods tomorrow.

3. Pasta Shells with Black-Eyed Peas from The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook.  I was poking through some old posts and I came across the first time I made this, so I decided it was time to repeat.

4. Pasta Primavera with Fresh Veggies and Herbs from The Vegan Table.  Talk about a cookbook I've been neglecting!  I nearly had to blow the dust off of it!  Anyway, I wanted to make the last meal I cook this week to be something very big with lots of leftovers (for obvious reasons, I would assume) but more importantly, leftovers Mister would find attractive.  I remember this making a huge yield, so I specifically sought out the cookbook for this recipe.  Regardless, when I return from Cali, I'll have to devote a whole week to this book because I'd forgotten how many great recipes there are in there.

5. Chickpea Stew with Fried Polenta from The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook.  As I was making this for dinner tonight, I found myself reflecting on how this is truly one of my favorite recipes.  Because I've grown to love cooking so much and since I'm continually trying new recipes I find myself hesitant to declare "favorites" the way I imagine a mother avoids and appearance of liking one child more than another.  Realizing, however, that food does not have feelings, I would like to let you in on a personal secret:

I love this one the most.

sunday, windy sunday

Aside from the near-cyclonic winds blowing down through the concrete jungle today (and by the way, Chestnut Street makes a mighty fine wind tunnel), it was a gorgeous sunny day.  It seems like ordinarily, I spend gorgeous sunny days in my cube farm, alternately wishing I was outside and wishing my office had no windows.  Today, though, I spent the whole day wandering around Philadelphia with my dear sister, delighting in one another, the sunshine, and a feeling of glamour that can only come from shopping (with a side of gossip).

You want Hollywood glamour?  Look no further than this incredible consignment store find - a black, sequined mini-dress, shrouded by a sheer black-and-white, leopard print (sometimes) overlay with a train.  We were daring each other to wear it to Brother's wedding next month in between giggles.  After all, the whole point of the trip was to find a fabulous dress for the wedding.

Bohemian Barbie

Backyard BBQ Barbie

1920s Glamour-puss Barbie

I am so blessed to have such a stunning sister - when I look at her, I think how serendipitous it was that her parents named her after a Greek goddess - this lady should be in magazines and on some billboard on Times Square.

This lady should not.  No, I did not leave with that hat - it stayed in the store where it belongs.  I did get a snazzy scarf (50% off!) that Mister said looks exactly like my other scarves; I explained that it was different - this one has tinsel woven in.

The most clever back-door-protection I've seen.
Arcadia Boutique on Rittenhouse Square

Eco-Chic Barbie

By the way - in case you were wondering - nothing looks bad on her.  She is simply breath-taking!  In addition to playing Runway Model, I also had fun walking down the streets of Philadelphia with her and watching all the guys checking her out.

After we had exhausted ourselves and most of the clothing stores we were interested in, we stopped into a few other places - the Borders closing sale, the Kimmel Center so she could see the Eiffel Tower, and Anthropologie, where I haven't been in forever.  We had fun poking through the clothes and oddities, and then came upon a table full of houseware treasures.  We examined a set of [presumably] hand-painted measuring "cups" and after a discussion on how I still need beautiful things to be functional, dear Sister scooped up the cups I had been admiring and headed for check-out.  Over my protests, she explained that she had to buy me a housewarming gift since she didn't get to help me clean when we first moved in.

Have I mentioned I love this girl?

After Anthropologie, we stopped into Starbucks for the first iced coffee beverages of the year, which we sipped through funny green straws as we walked home through sunshine and flower petals.

Lots of petals.  I wish they would stop raining, actually.  But it was still a lovely scene, and a cat hung out with us a few minutes, too, so that's always fun.

Once I had bored Mister half to death with my new measuring cups and scarf, I went out to be a responsible adult.  In other words, I went food shopping....for this menu:

1. 2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma from Appetite for Reduction, since I failed to make this last week.  Mainly, because Mister failed to be awake for dinner.

2. Jerk Seitan on Coconut Rice, both from Vegan With A Vengeance; same story as above. 

3. Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil.  Aside from the pretty recipe box I was given at my bridal shower 4 years ago, I have no idea where this recipe came from.  I'm not too sad about that  because it's just barely a recipe.  It sure makes for a tasty (and simple) pasta dish, though.

4. Mediterranean Chickpeas and Vegetables from an old issue of Cooking Light magazine.

5. Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes, Olives, and Tomatoes, from an old issue of Body + Soul magazine.  This is one of the first pasta dishes I made that did not involve a heavy red sauce, so it has a special place in my heart.  Oh, and it's also hella delicious.

6. Spicy Black Bean Burritos, adapted from the original red-and-white-checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, lovingly given to me by my mother before I had figured out how to cook.  I've made the recipe straight before, but Mister and I agree that it tastes far better when wrapped up in a soft, salty tortilla.

So, tonight, I has happy to be able to employ the help of two of my new measuring dishes:

flaked coconut never looked so pretty

I love jasmine rice anyway, but it's far prettier now

After oohing and aahing over my pretty dishes, I got to work on Jerk Seitan on Coconut Rice, which is hardly a one-pot meal.  It's actually more like a three-pot meal, if you must know.  It smelled so delicious and so tropical, between the coconut, cinnamon, and lime scents filling the air.  To tell the truth, my hands still smell like the three limes I juiced (two for the marinade and one for the rice).

The Coconut Rice recipe yields a huge amount, so although there were no leftovers of the peppers and seitan, there is leftover rice.  I'm contemplating turning it into an easy-to-reheat breakfast cereal, although it could come in handy as a base for the Korma.  I guess you'll just have to check back and see what happens!

Bon Soir, mes amis!

(sorry.  too much PIFA)

at the root of reduction

One of the things I have really enjoyed about being off from work (besides not being at work) is the almost unlimited time I've had to mess around in my kitchen.  Honestly, the only way my kitchen capers could have been more fulfilling this week would have been if I was playing with all my new toys and new recipes in a...you guessed it - new kitchen!  All good things in time...

I actually started my day with a light breakfast - multi-grain toast with Earth Balance and a sliced Rome Beauty apple - a little P!nk to get me moving, and then I showered and got dressed as though I was actually going to do something productive today.  And eventually, I did go food and toiletry shopping.  First, though, I had a wonderful late lunch with my sister and some Beaujolais.

We went to Mi-Lah because I want to take everyone there at least once and because Mister won't go with me.  My sister is not vegetarian, but she appreciates diverse food and has an open mind.  With this most recent trip, I have now dined there for Sunday Brunch, mid-afternoon lunch, and dinner.

I had a seitan-zucchini cheeseburger with sweet potato fries.  I'll admit, that burger looks less than appetizing...actually, it looks less than cooked, but when I bit into it, I was very happy.  The seitan they use would best be compared to chicken and although it's a little revolting to look at, it tasted fabulous.  The sweet potato fries are incredible and I'm not ashamed to say they were a big influence in my decision to order this platter.

Sister, recently infatuated with Pho, ordered just that, complete with slices of tofu and "ham."  It looks savory and comforting, doesn't it?  Perhaps Beaujolais was not the most fitting accompaniment to her Vietnamese hot pot, but she didn't complain.

We shared a delightfully overflowing bowl of miso-braised kale on the side.  I cannot get enough of this stuff and must figure out how to replicate it at home.

Speaking of home... upon returning there, I apprised Mister of Sister's and my gustatory exploits and then headed out to find things to fill our fridge.  It makes me ineffably sad that I only had to shop for four dinners because that means I'm halfway through my staycation and I am absolutely not prepared to return to work yet.  This point is kind of like my normal Saturday night, where I know I still have all of Sunday to relax and not be at work, but I'm already dreading Monday.

Anyway, I shopped for my abridged menu, completely selected from Appetite for Reduction which includes:

1. Miso Udon Stirfry with Greens and Beans

2. Red Lentil and Root Veggie Dal

3. Potato-Spinach Curry

4. Irish Stew with Potatoes and Seitan

Tonight, I made Red Lentil and Root Veggie Dal and it was a delicious inauguration to my new cookbook.  I have at least a dozen Dal recipes, but I pass them by, one by one, because I can't figure out how it's supposed to be a main dish; ordinarily, there is nary a vegetable to be found.  I was elated, upon perusing AfR to find a Dal recipe than incorporates not one, not two, but three vegetables - carrots, parsnips, and turnip/rutabaga.

It's not much to look at - I guess simmering for 30 minutes with red lentils will do that to you.  It smelled very pungent and tasted delicious.  I'm pleased to have found a good dal recipe, and best of all, it is extremely filling!  I served it over brown rice, which did a marvelous job of soaking up the extra broth.  I'll do a more thorough review of the book once I've made more recipes (but before I return to the chaos at work), but for now, let me encourage everyone who was the recipient of a giftcard this Christmas/Hannukah to head to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Appetite for Reduction.

a delicata situation

My sister has accused me of having a strong personality.  Actually, she meant it as a compliment and that's exactly how I took it.  It came as a bit of a surprise to me, though, after what felt like a lifetime of being "the girl with."

The girl with?

You know, the girl with Kara, the girl with Mandy, the girl with Mindy.  The girl with.  I wasn't Natalie or anyone really - I was Michael's girlfriend, Scott's girlfriend, Annie's friend, and occasionally, when I was lucky, That Girl Who Sings.  My personality was smothered by my friends' bigger personas, prettier faces, or just my own personal weaknesses and fears.  So when my sister told me I have a strong personality, I loved her more than ever before, and I loved me, too.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to having a strong, confident personality - people who are still who I used to be: uncertain of themselves, lacking confidence, thin-skinned.  So, I have recently found myself pussy-footing around the insecurities of entirely too many people for my own comfort. 

When I was younger, I was the target of many pickings-on at school.  I wouldn't ever say I was bullied, but I was definitely terrorized a little by my classmates.  I used to come home and cry to my mother and beg her to intervene somehow that wouldn't make people laugh at me or to send me to a different school where I could start over.  She almost relented and I know it hurt her to see me so sad, but she said something to me that helped me to become who I am, who I love now.  She told me I was too sensitive and needed a thicker skin.

She was right.  If she hadn't said that to me (and believe me, I didn't appreciate it at the time), I might have become one of the people I'm busy trying not to offend now and I wouldn't have liked me nearly as much as I do.  Now, if only someone would tell my colleagues/"subordinates" to toughen up a little.

As long as we're talking about delicate situations, let's talk about my new Wednesday Night Adventure:

Broccoli, Delicata Squash, and a sweet potato, all scrubbed and ready for roasting.  I've never had delicata squash before, but there was a whole basket of little, pretty delicatas at Essene the other day, and I thought they were pretty when I read this post, so I thought I'd give them a try.  On a Wednesday.  Because Mister hates squash.
 
I came up with a new recipe when I picked up the squash, because I was also craving tempeh, so I figured I'd really do it up this week on One-Serving Wednesday since I slacked off last week and shoved vegan pizza in my face instead of cooking (one plain cheese and one with sausage and avocados).

 

Tamari Tempeh with Roasted Vegetables

2 large or 4 small servings

8 oz tempeh

1 small winter squash (I used Delicata)

1 small jewel yam or 2 medium carrots

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 Tbsp tamari

1/4 cup water

olive oil

sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the yam and squash into generously bite-sized pieces (remember, they'll compress a little while roasting), toss with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired.  Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes.  Add the broccoli florets and more oil in the last ten minutes, stirring to combine. 

Meanwhile, cut the tempeh into four equal pieces and place in a large skillet with sloped sides.  Combine tamari and water, then sprinkle liquid over tempeh.  Heat over medium heat until liquid has been absorbed by the tempeh, flipping once or twice with tongs.

   

I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home from the train tonight because I was one breakfast away from running out of fruit.  After selecting one of each variety of apple (because I live to make life difficult for the cashier), a bunch of almost-ripe bananas, and a couple of kiwis, I also picked up a new-to-the-shelves jar of apple butter.  I spread some on a slice of bread while the veggies were roasting and realized that I probably would have been perfectly happy to make a meal out of that, so it was a good thing I'd already set the wheels in motion for my roasted dinner.  

 

Happy October!  (again)