November 18, 2012
by derm9131
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Updating Again..

HIII lovies!

I don’t know who reads this or not but I figured it was worth updating once in a blue moon.

I finished my first full work week- I mean, with a normal schedule and daily duties and all. Thankfully, one of my classes this week was cancelled so I didn’t have to go while also trying to get used to being productive at 7 AM. Work has been fun/interesting. Also- waking up ridiculously early has made me stop being an insomniac and actually want to sleep early.

To summarize: I am a geezer.

Also- I’m going to San Francisco next week. 3 days of work, 1 class, and then it’s Thanksgiving! We’re going to cook a ridiculous amount of vegan fake meats and then head to San Francisco on Friday. I’m cautiously excited. :]

Hmm..I feel like I don’t have any other news? Since I updated, I mostly just worked and ate food with Kyle. We also saw both nights of Jack’s Mannequin’s last shows ever but my brain/heart have a disconnect going on so I can’t really find the words to say what that meant to me. I’m so grateful for the music they made and shared with the world and for McManny and for being able to see them say goodbye. I’m also completely in denial that I’ll never hear him sing those songs in person again. I’ve seen so many of those songs so many times, in different places. I just can’t put it together that that’s not going to happen again. Saying goodbye to a band is weird. It’s like having a friend who has written you countless letters over time or something. But this is even better because there’s a melody?

Here’s a few pictures of what’s been going on lately:

November 6, 2012
by derm9131
4 Comments

Hi hello!

I was playing on Tumblr and someone asked me to update the blog! I seriously leaned over on the couch and glanced at Kyle’s screen to see if it was him messing with me (not that he spends any time on his computer doing anything other than finding obscure movie clips and rap videos). And yes, we are currently sitting on my couch, with our Mac Pros on our laps, in jamas, not talking. We’re such a modern couple.

Also, here is proof so no one thinks I’m crazy..and yes, that is a baby in a RUNNING outfit in between the asks. Baaaabies.

Anywaaayyy…I’ve been cooking and baking, but haven’t been good at taking pictures of the things I make, other than with Instagram(dermieee on there). I mostly cook dinner and by that time, there’s no light for good pictures! However, swoony homemade dinners are the best and for like a week I was making brussels sprouts every night because HECK YES FALL FOODS in 90 DEGREE WEATHER.

One night, I was SO close to wearing my AA huge scarf (ya know the ones that you can literally wear like a dress?) to the dinner table because I wanted to pretend it was autumn. The real reason I did not do this is because I thought I might get food in the scarf and that is wickkkkeddd attractive. I’m a lady.

So, here’s some Instagram pictures of what we’ve made and consumed and purchased lately:

Spongebob Blueberry Muffins (with coconut oil and ginger)

At the Golden Road Brewery…fritters (super good, they’re fried so duh), jackfruit tacos (these are Kyle’s),
Southwest Burger (it’s a barley patty!)

Tempeh Burger from Sage in Echo Park…did not like it too much, it was WAY salty and just a huge block of tempeh+vegenaise

Cold Pressed Ground Work coffee from Kind Kreme (which is inside Sage)…this is perfection

When I was in high school my friends and I only ever went out for breakfast foods. At Denny’s, I would always order the Moons over my Hammy without the Hammy..basically, a super cheesy egg sandwich. Kyle used black salt in this and it was amazing. This picture is of his because he used ham but I still got mine without the Hammy.

Kyle made these. Waffles are too American for Mama Diddy, I don’t think we ever had waffles for breakfast growing up. When I told her Kyle made these she was like ‘WAFFLES, FROM..SCRATCH!?’ El oh El, foreigner. Kyle made pumpkin waffles and a caramel apple pecan topping. I didn’t exit my sugar coma for like 5 hours which means I was a happy happy girl.

We used a spring form pan to make a HUGE batch of chilaquiles. This had an entire block of tofu, a can of black beans, a bag of tortilla chips, and a bag of Daiya in it. It was epic.

The best fake chicken nuggets to ever exist. The 365 brand burgers are pretty good too. But these with a ton of Heinz ketchup? Yeaaaaaaah.

So, there’s the food update.

If you were looking for a life update, here it is:

I am trying to convince Kyle to bring a blonde chihuahua puppy home to me.
USC is really weird but I like my one class more than the other and am hoping next semester is better. Also, there is a Brooklyn Bagel place on campus that I keep meaning to go to so I can have bagels for breakfast again.
I still can’t find a place to get my nails done.
I’m really excited about these pastry tips.
I cried for like 5 minutes over Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt’s engagement.
I start working at PETA tomorrow.
I still really want to be Beyonce. And I want a weave.
I’m sincerely worried about how it doesn’t feel autumn like here but I’m pretty sure everyone is sick of me saying this.
I watched a video of my baby niece learning how to clap approximately 58 times. I’m very excited to go to Chicago and see that baby koala bear.
I sometimes spend a lot of time thinking about the breakfast bowl at the Chicago Diner.

October 16, 2012
by derm9131
1 Comment

Albuquirky, New Mexico

I don’t have any recipe posts to put up! I haven’t spent proper time in the kitchen since before my Austin trip. I got back from Austin on Wednesday night, spent Thursday thinking about class, then on Friday morning Kyle and I decided to go to Albuquerque for the weekend.

I’m sort of really into hot air balloons. They’re beautiful and in the air and they remind me of wishes. And of Something Corporate.

There’s a balloon fest every year in Albuquerque and they have a Mass Ascension every morning- ALL of the balloons in the sky all at once.

It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen and it makes me all emo to think about how amazing it was to be able to see that. Like. It was out of a picture book, it didn’t even look real and I was there!

And it was really nice to spend time in a little but fun and quirky new city. And giggle a lot. And play. And tra la la. And drink coffee. And appreciate time. And not think.

I’m clearly a happy and sappy little lady right now :]

After the balloons we found coffee. I can’t remember the name of where we went but it was big and hipstery but not in a pretentious or uncomfortable way. It was nice and black coffee is always good after standing in the cold and losing feeling in your toes.

We went to Mint Tulip while we were there. They happened to be doing their vegan brunch this weekend so we had good timing because brunch is the best. It was really cute inside- like a doll house. The food was wicked good too :]

Blue Cornmeal Pancake?

Pumpkin French Toast

Biscuits and Gravy

Kyle also got the tofu rancheros and it had green chile thingies on it so he was all excited and I did not taste it because there was things (French Toast) with sugar in front of me. Priorities, people.

October 10, 2012
by derm9131
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Austin

School sent my video game class to a conference in Austin. I was stomping my feet and whining about flying/going to a new place but I’m sort of in lovelovelove with Austin now. I just didn’t want to fly/travel when I’m still getting used to LA. BUT BUT BUT…I’m way happy and I way enjoyed visiting Texas. So, all’s well that end’s well? Something?

I stayed at the Driskill and everything is covered in D’s and it is a beeeaaautiful building. They told me that the room I stayed in was an original room from 1886!

The first day, I checked in at the conference and then our professor took us to lunch with a whole bunch of his ~INDUSTRY FRANDS. They were old men. Who ate dead animals next to me. Stellar! However. The Four Seasons was BEAUTIFUL. And we sat outside and got to look out at water and a hammock.

On Wednesday, I tra la la la-ed. The hotel suggested Kerbey Lane for vegan food. They had an entire vegan menu. I got the breakfast platter- it was pretty good, nothing special? But the place was wicked cute and full of students and a pretty typical diner so it was nice to be in that kind of place and not end up with lettuce and fries?

Then, I did what any normal person would do and I found a 7-11. DC 4 LYFE.

Then…I got my nails done. Yeah, I did. Whatever. I was on a college campus and there was a cheap place and they didn’t really do a good job but I had time to waste so I did it. Okay? Okay.

Thennnnnn…I walked to Capital City Bakery, a vegan trailer bakery!

Afterwards, I went to a museum. It’s the Mexican Art Museum and they had a special feature for the Day of the Dead celebrations coming up.

And then I went to the airport. On the way, the cab broke down. So on the express way, the cab driver ran around and tried to get another cab to pull over. A van cab pulled over and some Seattle IT techs and the cab took me to the airport.My. Life.

October 8, 2012
by derm9131
0 comments

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

Marshmallows are awesome.

It’s just fact. And you can’t argue with facts.

Even when I was..a little nuts..and mostly eating hummus and celery/cucumbers as meals, I’d eat 2 of the really big chunky marshmallows for dessert at night. I know. I was destined to fail at ‘healthy’ eating.

Anywaayyy…vegan marshmallows are kind of wonky.

I mean, they’re good. Really good. But, that’s the problem. They aren’t airy and you-feel-like-you-didn’t-eat dessert. They’re sort of thicker and chewier and you feel waaay more of a sugar rush.

And they’re not as easy to turn into Rice Krispies Treats. When I made a batch with Dandies, they were really good and had a more solid texture. But DAAAAAANG melting Dandies is like science in your kitchen. And when they finally do break down, they are so incredibly hot you end up burning your fingers trying to mix everything together. And if you want mix-ins? Don’t use chocolate chips. The hot Dandies will melt them. You’ll make brown bricks which are like..ya know, so appetizing to give to people to eat?

That’s why I turned to Ricemellow. The most ugly and unappetizing glue-looking vegan product to ever exist. But when you pair it with peanut butter and cereal and chocolate chip..it’s like MAGIC. ;P

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats (this is a cop out recipe because it’s not really one)

4 cups puffed rice cereal (Whole Foods has one that’s good and not-sugary!)
1 tub Ricemellow
1/2 jar creamy peanut butter (I probably wouldn’t use the organic oily kind in these)
1 cup chocolate chips

Stir everything together. If you feel like it’s way too wet, add more cereal to yours!

Press it into a deep dish.

Stick in the fridge for a few hours. They’ll harden up in the fridge.

Eat eat eat eat.

October 5, 2012
by derm9131
1 Comment

Tofu Chilaquiles

“Be pleasant until ten o’clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself.”

~Elbert Hubbard

I can’t be the only one that finds breakfast absolutely charming? There’s just something sort of romantic about every morning. It’s a new day- and no matter how much noise you wake up with in your head, you can sneak in to the kitchen and put together a meal that’s homey and comforting and delicious but simple. And that’s sort of indicative of a good day, isn’t it? Being able to make yourself something out of nothing but simple ingredients and enjoying yourself before the noise begins again?

That was my ramble for the day. I’ll get to the FOOD now.

This morning, Kyle and I decided to make more tofu taco scramble (we had this for dinner a few nights ago) and turn it into a tofu chilaquiles sort-of-thing. I’m not one for spicy things but I tolerated this because it all tasted good. AND GUYS. I’M SWITCHING TO CAPS LOCK FOR THIS. SORRY I’M THIS PERSON. IT’S THE FIRST MEAL I MADE THAT DIDN’T GET COVERED IN HOT SAUCE (SRIRARCHA-CHA-CHA-CHA)BEFORE EATING. Breakthroughs, guys. Apparently, when you cook for boys that grew up in what is essentially Mexico, you have to douse everything in red pepper flakes and cumin.

I also feel like I should write a disclaimer and say that the newspaper above is his. He’s like an adult.* You guys know that my day begins with Tumblr and Instagram. And thinking about how to get Diet Coke.

*Only if adults also yell really loud rap lyrics and poke people 900 times a day.

Anyway. Make this. While it’s baking, make yourself coffee. Or, better, get a Diet Coke. Don’t turn on Spongebob for one morning. Don’t stare at Twitter for one morning. Sit with someone that makes you giggle and enjoy the beginning of your day.

Tofu Chilaquiles (a loose recipe!)
1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced (I didn’t have any this morning)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
canola oil
cumin
red pepper flakes
salt
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
Daiya shreds (cheddar/pepperjack is better,I think)
1 jar chili verde (you can use salsa verde)
1 jar salsa
tortilla chips
avocado for topping

1. Coat a pan with canola oil. You only need enough to cook down your veggies.
2. Heat up the oil and add in the green onions, green pepper, and red pepper.Cook until the veggies are soft.
3. Add about a 1/2 cup of chili verde to your veggies and let them cook down a little more in the sauce. Probably 3-5 minutes.
4. Add cumin and red pepper flakes to taste. I’d guess a little less than a tablespoon of each. Salt to taste. Add your nutritional yeast.
5. This is when I add the tofu. I use a potato masher to get the tofu really broken down into the veggie/sauce combination. You can also use a fork. Cook for about another 5- minutes. Everything will start to bubble up a bit and mix together.
6. Lower your heat. On my stove, the dial goes from 1-10. I cook the tofu at around a 6 and then at this point, I lower to between the 2 and 3. Add a few handfuls of Daiya and cover your pan. Let sit for 3-4 minutes.
7. Once the Daiya has melted, mix everything together again and taste it. Add more spices if you need to!

Assemble your Chilaquiles:
Pre-heat your oven to 350.
Use an oven safe dish, always!

Put down a layer of tortilla chips. Cover them in the salsa of your choice. Cover that with the tofu scramble. Cover that with some chili verde. Repeat: tortilla chips, salsa, scramble, chili verde. Once you’ve filled your dish, cover it with another layer of cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese gets all melty.

Top with avocado!

EAT IT. WITH POP. DIET COKE! :]

Don’t tease any puppers who might be watching in case you drop anything or decide they should also get to share in your morning meal:

October 4, 2012
by derm9131
0 comments

Kourabiedes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

When I made spanakopita I decided to make the night a Greek night and make my Mama’s Christmas cookies for dessert. I know, guys. I blog with so much intention and purpose. THEME NIGHT, HOLLLLAAAA.

Well, really, I wanted to see how similar they’d come out to Mexican Wedding Cookies when veganized. They really didn’t turn out like those. These are softer. And better. And still in my kitchen.

After Kyle ate one (some?) of the cookies homeboy had powdered sugar all over his shirt. MAN BABY.

Anyway- it made me think of my older sister and brother. Apparently, one year Mama Diddy made some platters of these cookies to give to people. She left the room and when she came back, a whole ton of cookies were gone. She automatically blamed my sister who, like me, has a sweet tooth. She swore every which way it wasn’t her and Mama Diddy didn’t believe her..until my brother, Angelo, walked into the room COVERED in powdered sugar. He also swore every which way he didn’t eat any.

See, sentimental and junk. Also, I’m sort of excited to watch my nephew and nieces eat these this Christmas.

Kourabiedes (COOKIES THAT ARE GREEK AND SERVED AT CHRISTMAS, GUYS)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups almond flour*
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 sticks Earth Balance, softened
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

*Use the bulk bin- this makes it cheaper!

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the Earth Balance and powdered sugar.
3. Add salt, lemon peel, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Cream together until smooth.
4. Add almond flour.
5. Add all-purpose flour slowly,by 1/2 cup full,mix, then add 1/2..
6. Roll into small balls and put on sprayed baking sheet or on your silpat covered baking sheet.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. As soon as you pull them out of the oven, cover them with powdered sugar.
9. When they cool, cover them in powdered sugar again.

October 2, 2012
by derm9131
0 comments

Spanakopita with Tofu

You know how bloggers always have some sentimental reasoning behind making wicked ethnic dishes?

Yeah.

No.

This isn’t like that.

Kyle and I went to Whole Foods on Sunday after going to a museum and I was in a foul mood and now that I’m typing this I can’t remember why we went to Whole Foods because we mostly just wandered. At some point, he managed to make some kind of sound-really random syllables thrown together that sort of sounded like a request for spanakopita.

So, phyllo sheets came home with us, and I used Spotlight to search my Mac for the recipe. I found it. Because I saved it in ALL CAPS. ‘SPANAKOPITA!!!’

These became Monday night’s dinner and that’s the entire story.

I know- life is like a movie, guys.

Spanakopita

2 bags fresh baby spinach
1/2 block extra firm tofu
1 pound phyllo sheets (1 box, defrosted!)
1 bunch of green onions
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp dillweed
1 tbsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
*Daiya Mozzarella shreds (I added a few handfuls )

1. Boil water. Add spinach. Let spinach hang out for about 3 minutes. Strain and let sit until the spinach is dry.

2. I used the same pot from boiling water. Coat the bottom of your pot with olive oil- you don’t need much. Chop your shallots and garlic and let them cook down a little in the olive oil. About 5 minutes.

3. Drain the water from your block of tofu and crumble the tofu before adding it into the pot. You can use a potato masher. Cook the tofu with the onion/garlic for about 5 minutes.

4. Add your dry spices and mix everything together.

5. Add the cooked spinach, mix everything together again. You can add a little more olive oil if the mixture seems too dry.

6. Taste it! Add more spices to taste- and salt and pepper your mixture. If you’re going to add Daiya, this is where you should do it. Just add it and stir so it melts in with the spinach.
7. Now that your filling is done, take your box of phyllo and open it up. If you want to make really little appetizer sized spanakopitakia- cut the strips in half. You can use the box as a sort of guide to cut right down the middle of the strips.

8. Take 2-3 strips of phyllo and brush over it with a little bit of olive oil.

9. Put a few tablespoons of your spinach filling at the end of the strip. Wrap in triangle form. Like people fold flags. This part is hard, and annoying. I made some egg roll looking ones because they annoyed me.

10. Once you’ve finished folding, put them on a baking sheets and brush the top with a little olive oil.

11. Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350.

October 1, 2012
by derm9131
2 Comments

Mixed Berry Muffins

When a boy says they are coming over for morning coffee, you’re pretty much required to bake something.

Right?

I’m going for the adult version of: “When a boy comes over, it’s always important to have something baking.”

But, for reals, who is going to believe I’m an adult? Certainly not the security guard who told me I looked 15 this weekend. Definitely not him.

Maybe the hipster version? Hipster-loft-life-transplant-version? I did, after all, make French press and not normal coffee. Sha-la-la-la. (That’s my fancy sound effect. I did it out loud and typed it. You know you want to make that sound now.)

However, we might be right back to 15-year-old-life because when I was alone I drank my French press coffee with a stripey-pink-straw. And my breakfast to go along with it was not the muffins I baked, but some of the batter before cleaning the bowl. All while wearing sweatpants that say PINK across my booty. You’re probably now asking yourself how I’ve convinced a boy to come over for morning coffee- don’t ask me.

Maybe it’s because I’m good at making muffins?

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour (you can use all all-purpose or all whole wheat pastry)
1 cup Turbinado sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 6 oz. container yogurt- I used mixed berry
1/2 cup oil*
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup blueberries (frozen works)
1 cup raspberries (frozen works)

*you can use more yogurt or apple sauce in place of this for a “healthier” muffin

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.Prepare a muffin tin with liners!
Combine apple cider vinegar and almond milk, set aside. This might curdle- it’s supposed to, it’s making a buttermilk!
Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk so all of your ingredients are mixed together.
Take your almond milk mixture,oil, vanilla and add it to the dry ingredients. Just combine- you might see some flour still.
Add your berries and now mix completely so there’s no lumps or clumps.
Scoop batter into your muffin tins- until they’re almost full to the top.
Bake for 25-27 minutes.
Use the freezer to cool them down if you baked them for a boy who needed to get to the train station that morning and they didn’t want to stuff face with hot muffins.* But really, you should let them cool and then eat them.

*hehehe hot muffins sounds weird

September 29, 2012
by derm9131
1 Comment