Simply Tink

Sushi Cravings Satisfied

2011-10-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I made the Sushi Roll Edamame Salad in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's book Appetite for Reduction. I don't know what to say--it was perfection on a plate. This woman knows how to put her flavors together, people. And the Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette you make to dress it. Well. . .let me just say it's good enough to smack your momma. But not mine, because she would NOT play. Seriously though, Isa says that she wants to put it on everything and I concur completely.

I have made a couple of the recipes from AFR before, and I haven't run into one that I didn't like. This one, though, will be a staple in my house. It was tedious to cut up the veggies, but so worth it in the end. I did cheat a bit by using Trader Joes frozen brown rice (we love that stuff). If you don't have AFR, get it and make this. You will love it!!!

Soy-Mirin Glazed Tofu with Peanut Sauce from Vegan Yum Yum

2011-10-25T18:50:00.001-04:00

Here is another recipe I have been really wanting to try. This turned out to be a fabulous recipe. I had to substitute some things based on my refrigerator and my daughter's allergy issues. I used frozen green beans and soynut butter as substitutes. I am blogging from my phone today so I have literally just pasted the link address below. But definitely check out this blogger/author's page. I love the step by step approach that she has included in her beautiful cookbook and app. Lolo is fantastic!!
http://veganyumyum.com/2007/04/soy-mirin-tofu-over-rice-with-broccoli-and-peanut-sauce/

It's Paella Time!!!

2011-10-20T06:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, so my MoFo blogging hasn't been going as consistently as I would like, but I am happy to say that I have been keeping to a theme this month nonetheless. At home, when I have had the time, I have really been trying to cook from books or recipes that I have been longing to try and this is one of them. I have to admit that I bounced back and forth between a couple recipes for this to work and I advise you do the same. When cooking a traditional omni dish, I usually will find a regular recipe and a veg recipe to bring together in my kitchen based on what I have on hand. This worked in much the same fashion along with the help of a friend at work. I also added kelp seasoning to this to give it a by the sea taste, making my chickpeas the seafood element, if you will. I have a basic step by step of what I did below, but again, this is only meant to be a guide.
Ty's Paella, Y'all

2-3 links vegan sausage (I used the Julie Hasson version, awesome)
2 Gardein scallopini Chick'n planks (I had these on hand, but chick'n style seitan would have worked)
1 yellow onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tsp dried parsley (use fresh if you have it, most recipes call for it)
1 tsp dried thyme (again use fresh if you have it, I didn't and it still worked)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 to a 1/4 tsp of cayenne (you can use more, but my hubby hates kick)
1 tsp kelp seasoning or super finely chopped nori sheets should work
1 pinch saffron threads soaked in about 1/4 cup warm water to release the color
3/4 cups short grain rice (I used sushi rice because I had it on hand)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas rinsed thoroughly
~2 cups of broth (I used a combination of Edward and Sons "not chicken" bouillon and veggie broth)
olive oil for sauteing
salt to taste

It is suggested that you use a very large skillet in most of the recipes online and in hindsight, I might have used our 12 inch non-stick, but my 10 in. cast iron rose to the occasion here.

Get your little one to help.

Prep your veggies ahead of time if you can, it will make things flow so much nicer, I promise.

I sauteed both the Gardein and the vegan sausages separately in a little olive oil first.

Remove them from the pan, slice the Gardein into strips, set aside and load in your veggies, all but the garlic.

Drizzle the veggies with a little more olive oil to sweat out the moisture.
Also add all of your seasonings now except for the kelp seasoning and the saffron mixture.

Cook down the veggies until your onions are almost translucent-don't brown them though. Add the garlic just before adding the rice. You shouldn't need any more olive oil, but keep an eye on it. You want to toast your rice until the grains shine and begin to become translucent.

Add in your liquid, saffron mixture, and tomatoes. Give a good mix/fold to get everything melded together, bring up to a nice simmer (not boiling) and then resist the urge to stir too much.

Keep your eye on the cooking rice. Add more broth or even water if you need it, and you may stir very occasionally. After the rice has begun to absorb the broth, add the chickpeas and kelp seasoning. Gently stir to incorporate the chickpeas.

Now for the difficult part. Just when your rice has nearly reached the texture you want dress the paella with your sausage and , resist the urge to stir at all and let a thin crust form on the bottom of your pan, be careful not to burn it but be sure not to disturb it either. Sprinkle with parsley, remove from heat and serve.

My First DC VegFest!!

2011-10-17T15:15:00.002-04:00

I am going to tell this story in pictures and words, but mostly pictures. I had the best time ever at the DC VegFest this year. In November, I will be nearly 2 years vegetarian and officially 1 year vegan. I am so happy with my lifestyle and this wonderful compassionate choice that I have committed to. My Hubby is omni and though he is supportive, he is equally as committed to his eating habits. (I'm working on him).

Well this year I found out about DC VegFest from a tweet by Terry Hope Romero and I was so happy that she sent it out. I don't think I would have known otherwise. I loaded up the car for our 3 hour drive and I took my daughter, her best friend, my niece, my best guy friend and my brother met us there. My husband couldn't go since he had to work. When I say great time, I really mean it. It was so encouraging and uplifting to be surrounded by people who shared my views and thoughts on how to change the world! The vendors were great and the speakers were AWESOME!! I got to meet and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Isa Chandra Moskowitz!!!!!!! They were so informative and very approachable and even took pictures with me!

The goodie bag tatoos modeled by my girls.

All in all DC VegFest was a validation for our lifestyle like no other and really helped even the veggie-curious take that leap. Outside of my daughter and best friend getting to participate in the Sticky Fingers Bakery Cupcake Eating Contest, the very best thing that happened at the festival was that my beautiful daughter finally took her final leap into vegetarianism and I couldn't be prouder of her for making such a compassionate decision. I feel so blessed and excited and I am going to be bending over backwards to keep her tummy full and her spirit encouraged.

Can you say Cupcake Eating Contest? Oh yeah, this was certainly a highlight for the girls. They had so much fun competing and really, who wouldn't?

Doron posing with my niece, daughter and her best friend.

Spectacular sweets from Vegan Treats.
So so so so good!!

This is the ASL team that provided translation for the hearing imparired for all of the tent events. They worked so tirelessly and were amazing, I asked them for a pic because they truly deserved to be celebrated.

Isa's demonstration complete with sample

A picture with Collen Patrick-Goudreau.
She was so freakin' cool.

The fact that I got to meet Isa was like
icing on a cupcake. She was great!!!

As I said, I got to meet SUCH wonderful vegan superstars at this festival. I had a great time with my family, my daughter's friend and my best friend, Dameon.

The last shot of my daughter is because she was bummed that she didn't get to take a picture with Isa, so I took one of her with Isa in the background and that seemed to satisfy her. She's pictured in her Sticky Fingers T-Shirt (earned for participating in the contest, as if she needed more of a reward than the cupcakes themselves.) This was such a great experience, I hope everyone gets to visit a festival near them. Thanks to all the people that made this day possible.

Vegan Spicy Italian Sausage

2011-10-06T00:42:00.000-04:00

The sausages were excellent with my couscous and broccoli.

I have been wanting to do this recipe since I first saw it on Everyday Dish. Julie Hasson is awesome and I watched the video at least three times over the last year. I printed out the recipe months ago and I kept saying "I'm going to make that, I am really going to make that" as I thumbed past it often in my greasy blue folder full of "Gonna Try 'Em" recipes.
Well for MoFo, it was only right to start with this. Julie has nailed it. I love love love these sausages! My daughter really enjoyed them too and of course that is so important for the mom of a 10 year old who has allergies and the pickiest taste to boot.

I have used these in everything and they are so easy and inexpensive to make. Every once in a while I use prepared vegan "meats" but I don't think I will be doing sausages from a package again for a long time. Thanks, Julie!!

Good Morning MoFo 2011

2011-10-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

All weekend I have felt guilty that I didn't greet everyone on Saturday. I have since stopped self-condeming however, and decided to start my MoFo journey on this chilly Monday. This year is my second year participating and I am so excited to share what's cooking in my kitchen. I've decided not on a theme but more of a mission this year. I am a collector of cook books and recipes and I stash them until I will have time to get to them. Of course I never have the time so this month I'm making the time to try out my "I'm gonna make that someday recipes". I also hope to throw in some tidbits on shopping, saving and just living vegan. I am ridiculously excited and I'm glad to have y'all with me. -Ty

Vegan Eats!

2011-09-19T16:32:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it has been quite some time since my last post. I assure you that I am still eating, but I haven't been cooking nearly as much this summer. I am excited about fall and Vegan Mofo in October and this weekend's DC VegFest, so I expect to be bloggin' it up here soon enough. Here are a couple of things I have enjoyed over the last week or so.

Buffalo Tempeh from Appetite for Reduction with steamed green beans.

Creamy Pasta with fresh basil and tomatoes. This is not really a set recipe. I usually just blend up a pack of silken tofu, throw in some white wine, nutritional yeast, garlic, olive oil and salt to taste. I love this it's quick and smooth.

If you're near D.C. this weekend, definitely check out VegFest!! Isa Chandra Moskowitz will be there doing a food demo and book signing along with a ton of other wonderful speakers and personalities. Come out and support this awesome lifestyle and the great vendors!!

Breakfast for Dinner and Mac and Cheeze too!

2011-06-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

I had a lap full of cookbooks tonight trying to figure out what to cook tonight. My 10 y/o daughter sat down beside me and took Vegan with a Vengence out of my hand flipped through and found pancakes. Not that she really had to find them, I make them all the time. I love that book! As soon as she said it, the decision was made and I remembered how awesome I used to think my mom was for making breakfast for dinner when my brother and I were young. I thought she was so innovative; I love that lady. Anyway, add some tofu scramble and a modified version of the sausage crumbles (I made them with TVP instead of tempeh) and you have a relatively quick nostalgic meal. this photo is taken before we drenched them in warm maple syrup. I am sure that all of you have done this before, but let today or tomorrow be another day that you do.

And since we're discussing throwbacks, here's what we had for lunch yesterday. Stove-top Mac and Cheeze. Now I have blogged on this before, but I really enjoyed it yesterday. It came out creamier. I went back to my old post to update the recipe a little. For those who remember, this recipe lies somewhere between a Velveeta-ish, Kraft-ish, Tuna Helper-ish cheesiness and it worked. I hope you enjoy. Click here for the recipe. I make with ingredients that have a long shelf life and that most vegans actually have on hand. There are a couple of substitution suggestions for some of the ingredients too. Happy stove-topping!!

A Sweet Potato Story?

2011-06-08T11:01:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard of a white sweet potato? I had not until about a week ago. I have a darling gardening neighbor who shared two samples of this phenomenon with my family. As my hubby walked in with them, I blurted out "Oh, white sweet potatos"-as if I knew. I really had no idea, I think I just deduced based on the shape and the color of them that they could be nothing else. It turned out that I was right about what they were, but had no idea of the culinary mind trip that I was about to be taken on. I scrubbed and baked the beauties and then when I sliced open the foil, I was at a lost. Savory or sweet? It smelled like a sweet potato, but looked and flaked like a yukon or a russet. What to do but try it both ways? Earth Balance save me! For the first one, I used a pat of EB and a sprinkle of cane sugar and cinnamon.

This was really good, not quite the texture of a baked sweet potato, but when I closed my eyes, the flavor was perfect, maybe even better than an original. I probably should have stopped there. But I didn't, I had to see whether this baby could double as a savory side. Another pat of EB (diet be darned), sea salt, and fresh black pepper.

For me, this was NOT the answer. It looked so good and I was eager to dive into a sweet and salty bliss. I was stopped mid plunge by this one. I just couldn't wrap my head around the way the flavors did or didn't come together. For the braver at heart, you may want to give it a try, I'm rooting for you. On the other hand, my boxer Kapone and multi-poo Jersey loved it!

Cinnamon Rolls from Vegan Brunch

2011-06-02T15:40:00.002-04:00

Vegan Brunch Cinnamon Rolls with a Vegan cream cheese glaze

I think everyone that knows anything about my vegan journey knows that I rely on the Post Punk Kitchen (The PPK), the PPK forum, the thousands of users there and vegan cookbooks, especially those by powerhouse Isa Chandra Moskowitz. My vegan self is growing up with them. A change has happened deep inside me that I can pass on to my family and anyone else who will listen to the possibilities. This post is a long time coming. A few weeks ago, I made cinnamon rolls from Isa's cookbook Vegan Brunch. I only modified the glaze by adding Tofutti cream "cheese" and a little lemon juice. Vegan Brunch is a beautiful book filled with pictures and indulgent recipes that will make any vegan or non-vegan stand up and pay attention. I am thankful for the recipes that can feed my entire family on those special days that we can actually be home together and enjoy a late breakfast or brunch and each other.

My family truly enjoyed every bite of these and my daughter is already begging me to make them again. They were a hit, not just because the recipe turned out great, but because every great vegan recipe that I can create helps my family live a step further into a cruelty free, healthier, greener life and I love that.

Enchi-sagna!!!!

2011-06-01T09:52:00.001-04:00

So this is what happens when you have big ideas to make wonderful quick enchiladas, but your corn tortillas have gotten just to the "we're crumbling on the edges" stage. I had been putting off making my enchiladas and kept tossing my package of 12 tortillas to the side in the refrigerator in exchange for quicker recipes. When I finally decided, I have to use them before they go bad, it was too late for the roll up and I had to improvise. I watched an episode of Rachel Ray once where she made taco-sagna, I think, and I decided to put my ingredients in layers and hope for the best. It turned out wonderfully. Definitely give it a try, so quick and good. And though my omni husband nor daughter could say the name, both of them loved it, it was a great vegan triumph.

I coupled it with Terry Romero's Cilantro Lime Rice from Viva Vegan and a dollop of Tofutti Sour Supreme.

Ty's Enchisagna

12 corn tortillas
1 Package Daiya (cheddar style)
2 cups TVP (you could use crumbled tempeh or black beans also and skip the rehydration step and water)
2 2/3 cup water or vegetable broth
1/2 onion
1/2 green pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp dark chili powder
1 Tbsp taco seasoning (I used Southwest Seasoning by the Pampered Chef)
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
canola oil for sauteing and quick frying the tortillas
1 recipe warm vegan enchilada sauce ( I used this one) It made about 2 1/2 cups.

For the crumbles:

In a cast iron skillet (or your favorite frying pan), saute onions and green peppers in about 1 Tbsp. of oil until onions are translucent and just a little browned. Add the cumin, oregano, chili powder, taco seasoning and cilantro and toast along with onions and peppers for about 2 minutes, add a splash more oil to keep the pan lubricated. Add your water or broth to deglaze the pan and bring to a low boil. Add the soy sauce, salt and tvp. Once the tvp has hydrated add the garlic and onion powders and salt to taste. Set aside your crumbles until cool enough to handle.

To assemble:

Preheat your oven to 375

Prepare a casserole dish (with a paper towel, lightly oil the inside).
Then, I take Terry Romero's method to heart. Make an assembly line. Use a pie plate for your enchilada sauce (keep some in the sauce pan to ladle in later) and a small skillet heated to medium high with enough oil to just cover the bottom. Ladle about a 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish.

With tongs quickly (were talking 10 seconds each side tops) dip your tortillas into the hot skillet, flip to heat each side, they will become pliable. Dip them into the pie plate of sauce and then arrange them on the bottom of the casserole dish (I could fit three and then a couple broken pieces from another to cover the holes. Add a little more sauce to coat and then a layer of crumbles over the tortillas followed by a layer of Daiya cheese. Go back to the tortilla layer and repeat ending with a third layer of tortillas on top. Top that final layer with your remaining sauce and Daiya.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 min. Remove foil and bake for 10 min. more. Let rest and cut to serve.

Vegan Pho!!

2011-05-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

It is no secret about me that pre-veg, I could have lived on Vietnamese pho. I liked to eat it, smell it, say it. . . everything. I have looked for a recipe online forever it seems, and then I saw that Meagan from Rhymes with Vegan had tackled it and I decided to finally give it a try. I don't have a recipe here, because I truly took a hybrid of all the vegan recipes I could find online and then compared them to omni recipes online as well. I made a version and technique that was easy for me and my pantry and I suggest you try it that way before going out and buying a long list of ingredients on any one recipe. When I make it again, I promise to write it down, becuase I really loved this, really. I used homemade thinly sliced seitan in my recipe.

Cool noodles ready for seitan and broth.

Thin slices of seitan over noodles.

Hot broth poured over the noodles and seitan and sprinkled with green onions.

Finally dressed with bean sprouts, thai basil leaves, peppers, vegetarian hoisin sauce, hot and ready to eat.

My Ratatouille Experience

2011-02-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

I love all things french and Remy the Rat and his now famous ratatouille is no exception. It has been a long time since I blogged, and I missed everyone after Vegan MoFo, but life has been sooooo busy. I find that I am not even shooting my food the way that I used to. This dish is from a while ago, but my omni family loved it and though tedious, it will be a staple for us during holidays I think. I loved the meditative process of slicing the veggies just right. The recipes all over the internet if you want to give it a try, but this one is pretty good, I think. Don't be intimidated at all, it was a complete joy and so yummy. Happy slicing.

My First Visit To Sticky Fingers Bakery

2010-12-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

Last month, I had the wondrous opportunity to visit Sticky Fingers Bakery in Washington, D.C. The bakery and cafe is completely vegan with so many options, free wi-fi and really nice and knowledgeable people. I don't know that any of my words can do it any justice, in my opinion, but I will try with just a few words and lots of pics. I took these with my camera phone so be kind, but all and all the food and sweets speak for themselves.

Cookies, the best oatmeal pie/bar you'll ever eat, bagels, and of course sticky buns.

On the other side of the display case there were cupcakes and brownies and cakes oh my!!

I had this cute little pumpkin whoopie while I waited for my sandwich, but forgot to take a picture until the very last bite. Dessert before lunch is so nice.

The picture is not nearly as awesome as it tasted, but this was my sandwich, a "tuna" melt with Daiya, tempeh bacon and tomato.

I brought cupcakes home for my daughter and I to enjoy, they were awesome too of course. Front to back was Tiramisu, Red Velvet, and Chocolate Cookies and Cream

And the wonderful Oatmeal Pie, which wasn't really an oatmeal pie at all, it was in between a soft cookie and blondie bar, but the taste and texture was so amazing.

If you EVER have the chance to try out Sticky Fingers get there. It is wonderful, compassionate, beyond good food and sweets. D.C. has some great options for vegans. I live in southern VA, when I get the chance to get up to the Northern VA/D.C. area, I take advantage. Happy eats!!!

-Ty

My First MoFo's End

2010-11-30T11:48:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I am late with this post (I am back-dating it to Nov. 30th). I have been a procrastinator forever but I hope that some of those bad habits will change and some good habits like blogging will stay. I have really enjoyed being a part of MoFo 2010, and though I only cranked out 10 or so posts this time, it's nearly half of my blogs history. I have learned that I love the community, the food, the wittiness and talent that I have seen in blogs all around. I am in awe and honored to have been able to participate. I hope that you will continue to look here and at the many blogs I read (check out the blog roll below) and embrace or continue to embrace this wonderful compassionate lifestyle. Peace and blessings to all and remember to Keep it Kind.

Thanksgiving Recap. . .

2010-11-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

This wasn't my first vegetarian Thanksgiving, but it was my first vegan Thankgiving and the first time, I was able to share some of my favorite foods with my extended family. With my uncle's house filled with about 40 or so people, the festivities began. My family is very used to me turning down the various meats on the table, but bringing a bunch of "alternative food" sets off their individual "this girl is trying to convert me into one of them veh-gee-ter-ree-Uns" radars. Guess what? They loved it. I don't think half of them knew that they were eating vegan at all, and I only bothered to tell them about the Tofurkey, mainly because I didn't want them to waste it and partly because I didn't want them to eat up all of my only protein option. My hubby and I traveled to Accomac County, which is where I am from originally, with goodies in tow. Included in our trunk for travel where a roasted Tofurkey with carrots, celery, onions, garlic and rosemary;

Tofurkey before cooking...

Tofurkey after cooking (I really enjoyed it and so did my daughter, who also had a completely meat-free holiday too)

Green Bean Casserole;

My Cream of Mushroom Soup made from a roux for the casserole

After blanching my frozen green beans, I mixed in the soup

Topped with store bought french fried onions, (I don't skimp on the crunchies)

Though I didn't get a picture, we also took Rum Carrots (My Hubby made those and they were awesomely sweet with brown sugar, rum and Earth Balance), he also made a wonderful vegan stuffing based on his mother's recipe, I was so proud and hopeful for his Vegan conversion (he is destined to be veganized, I can't wait and I won't ever give up ever, muah-ha-ha-ha), I digress.

The following tasted much better than it looks, I browned it just a bit too much, but I was very pleased with how it turned out and my daughter loved it. She begged for sweet potato pie for a week so I took the plunge. Now, I have never made a vegan version of this until now and I may have taken a few more creative liberties than I should have right out of the box. I used Silk Nog instead of just soy milk, which made the normal sweetening and spice choices a bit tricky, basically I don't recommend it for the virgin veganizing voyage on your recipe, but I really did like the idea of playing around with cool flavors. I know, I know, I am not posting this recipe now, but I will as soon as it's perfected the correct way in my opinion. But, I will say this Sweet Nog Potato Pie did please and has been devoured.

Overall, Thanksgiving went so well and I think that I enjoyed it so much more because of all we were able to bring to the table. It has been a busy week, but oh what a week it was. I hope everyone had as blessed a time as we had. Happy Tofurkey Day!!!!

-Ty

Baking Beer Bread

2010-11-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

Until about a year ago, I had never heard of beer bread. I know, I am the only one left in the free world, but I had just been beneath the beer bread radar, I guess. Imagine my glee when as a vegetarian, I flipped over a box of pre-made beer bread and found that it was vegan. Shut the front door! Naturally after taking the step from veggie to vegan, I went back to the sweet dense bread for some more of the guilt-free, cruelty free yumminess. There are recipes everywhere, many vegan already, some easily veganized by using melted Earth Balance in place of butter (or eliminate it all together to make it more healthy). I used the recipe here and used EB in place of the butter, next time I may eliminate it altogether. Please take a look and try these recipes, if for no other reason, than that you get to chew your beer in a good way, duh. These were my finished products, my daughter and hubby devoured it.

Roux to Gravy and Smothered Chickpea Cutlets!

2010-11-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

I have real respect for Rachel Ray and anyone else who can get dinner on the table in 30 minutes and have it look like real dinner, but I have officially cracked 45 minutes with the help of two awesome cookbooks and some old skills I try to keep handy. For dinner on this night I aspired to make Veganomicon chickpea cutlets (smothered in mushroom gravy from a roux, read on), not-chick'n broth couscous, and Vegan Soul Kitchen's Citrus Collards Redux. It was a night full of C foods (chickpea cutlets, citrus collards, couscous) I just noticed. I firmly believe in a roux. Even before I was vegan or vegetarian or anything in my diet had changed, I had been taught this awesome technique in a high school food management class and never let it go. In this case, I started with my post chickpea cutlet cast iron (more c's, I know). With all the wonderful bits in the bottom (as Isa would say), I added some Earth Balance to the leftover oil in the pan and heated to a sizzle. I added unbleached flour (you can use any flour you'd like) to the oil, about 1 and half parts flour to 1 part of the oil, then a little more flour if it thins out too much. It should be slightly pasty. Before you start this, be sure to have at least 2 to 3 cups of veggie or no chicken broth heating to a simmer in a saucepan nearby.

Stir constantly and smell the toastiness until it has browned to your desired color of gravy (blond, light brown or deep brown). When you're there, add your veggies to saute to this mixture, remember it's hot oils so be careful, saute them with salt and seasonings to taste (salt them well in order to give your gravy a good flavor). It will look a little dry and you'll think to yourself that you should add more oil, don't. Let the veggies soak up the roux making it look wrong and pastey, then when you can't take it anymore, ladle in your broth one after one and keep stirring. I promise it will get creamy and wonderful. . .

Finished roux based gravy for the soppin'.

Zoom in, steamy shot of my goodies for the evening. BTW, you have to try these collards, the citris and raisins seem preposterous, but are soooooo good, my omni hubby loved dinner. Happy MoFo Folks!!!

-Ty

Quick Favorite Fast it's MoFo Pizza

2010-11-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

I love pizza and making it at home is always so much fun. Thanks to wonderful conveniences, like the vegan pre-made pizza dough at Trader Joes and of course the wonderfully melty Daiya shreds, my family can have pizza night that is easy and omni-friendly. Simply flour a surface, roll out your dough, put down sauce, daiya and toppings, pop it into the oven and "you're good to go". (There's a cooking show hostess that says that ALL the time, it annoys me, but it works here). My husband and daughter always get in on the fun. When they do it, there is flour everywhere, the pizza is at times odd-shaped, and I may have more Daiya on the cooking stone than on the pizza, but it tastes wonderful and they are enjoying something completely vegan without missing a thing. My daughter is forever coveting the real "cheesiness" of things, as I have said before. Daiya really gives her that when I can't make my own cheesy product. There are just so many more options for us to enjoy these days, this just goes to show that Veganism will in fact take over the world much sooner than we think.

-Ty

Veganizing an Old Favorite. . . It's Curry Time!

2010-11-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

I have a sister-in-law, she is Guyanese and truly awesome. She has introduced me to so many wonderful South American/Caribbean dishes that have become staples in my kitchen at home. One of the first dishes she really "taught me" was curried chicken. Now, I have veganized this before with tofu and then with tempeh, or even veggies only. This was my first time with seitan. I used White Wave seitan, although I have to say that usually I make VWAV homemade seitan, and though I do like that a little better, the tenderness of the store-bought seitan was really great in this recipe. It probably sounds gross, but it gave it a more fatty texture that is custom to many curried meat dishes.

I served it with sauteed kale (olive oil, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds). I thought it was delicious, I am biased I know. I don't really call this a recipe, because it changes so much, but I will give a rough idea of what I do.

Curried Seitan

10 oz to a pound of seitan, tempeh, or extra firm pressed tofu

2 cups (at least) bite-sized cut potatoes (I quartered small red, purple and white potatoes for this batch)

1 bell pepper (any color)

1 medium or 1/2 large onions (I chose red for this)

2/3 can coconut milk (optional)

Curry Powder* (I don't know how much, it really depends on taste and what type of curry you are using) Start with about 2 Tbsp., I would say

4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp each ground coriander and cumin

1/2 freshly ground black or white pepper

Oil for sauteing

2-3 cups of water

Salt to taste

*I use a combination of Jamaican curry powder (which is diluted some with salt and flour), madras curry powder (be careful this can be hot), and generic bulk bin curry powder for balance (my local health food store has a really great one). How much curry powder you use really depends on what type you get and what spice tolerance you have. Just keep tasting and don't be ashamed to do so.

First saute onions and peppers in oil at the bottom of your stock pot. When onions and peppers have softened and onions begin to become transparent, add in the garlic and continue to saute. Add the curry powder and other seasonings and toast in the veggies and oil to release more flavor. Add your protein and more oil if possible, brown the protein, stirring gently to brown on all sides. Add coconut milk, water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and add salt to taste here. Continue to simmer and reduce, potatoes and coconut milk will serve to thicken. Remember that the curry will continue to thicken even after it has been removed from heat, so continue cooking until you have ALMOST reached your desired level of thickness. Serve over rice. Such good stuff, I think so anyway.

It's Monday, What Pray Tell is For Lunch?

2010-11-08T22:45:00.001-05:00

Some of the challenges that I first experienced with going vegetarian and then vegan were lunch choices. Because of my job, I often grab lunch out and about. Yes, I should prepare my lunch at home and I do that when I can, or steal home to have lunch sometimes too, but it isn't always practical and you have to find options. One of my favorite options is Chipotle. The food is usually great and fresh and there are so many choices. I personally choose, the vegetarian fajita bowl. I get rice, black beans, tomato salsa, corn salsa and my guac on the side with chips. Waaaayyyy too much food always, so you can save some for later, unless you're greedy like me (I can't eat dinner on the nights I go, I'm so full). The food is colorful and pretty and so tasty, if you haven't tried it, just know that there are vegan friendly opts all around. Check out the special diets section where they actually let you know what's out for vegans, yay. I really like what they do there.

My bowl.Chips and guac are a must if you can indulge, if not, guacamole in your bowl is such a winner too. It's so beautiful.

-Ty

Ode to My Cast Iron with a side of fungus?

2010-11-07T22:47:00.000-05:00

"Why do you cook in that one, Mommy, it's so hard to clean". I remember saying that to my mother whenever she would pull out the dreaded black heavy frying cast iron to make EVERYTHING. It was crackly on the outside and ugly and hard to clean when Iwas old enough to do the dishes. . . Uggggh.

BUT. . .

One day, my stepfather taught her how and then me how to "season" it. I didn't know why at first, I certainly didn't want to eat it, lol. But when he showed me how to oil it lightly before I put it away and how to care for it and never leave it in a sink of water "soaking" because I hated finishing all the dishes, well I just finally fell in love with them. OMG, things just taste better in my cast iron. My cast iron skillet, which was given to me by my grandmother, when I got my first apartment (she picked it up thrifting, I love her), lives in the oven and gets used ALL the time. I sautee veggies, I make roux (apparently that IS the plural as well), I make sauces, and sear seitan and make chickn fried tofu, and...well you get the idea. The point is that I think all kitchens should have one. And if you have shunned the possibility because you were, like me, afraid of the heavy, black, hard to clean, "what if it leaves particles on my food", potential weapon of opportunity, I am here to tell you that will not regret that you did. treat it with a thin layer of oil after each cleaning and watch it become your favorite nearly-non-stick surface.

My beautiful cast iron skillet.

Oh yeah and I used mine last for sauteed mushrooms. Yay fungus!!

-Ty

My Stove-top Mac and Cheeze

2010-11-03T22:22:00.002-04:00

My friends at the PPK just gave me the topic for my MoFo blog tonight. I am going to post my recipe here. I didn't really find this recipe anywhere, I wanted something that tasted like kraft but creamier and more real frankly AND, I needed something to satisfy my daughther's yearnings for real cheesiness and gooeyness like everyone else gets to eat (she is an aspiring herbivore but for now just allergic to dairy). I looked at a few recipes, one on the FFV which is a blog that I love, and it had great flavors, but wasn't completely my style. I also used some of the thoughts from an article on Soul Vegetarian's Mac and cheese (which I have tweaked a bit too for mega creaminess and thickness and because I could never get theirs quite right). I am finally happy with what I have come up with and I hope you enjoy it.

Ty's Stove-Top Mac and Cheese
1/2 box of pasta (sometimes I pick macaroni, other times, I pick more fun pasta)
3/4 to 1 whole package of Mori-Nu firm vacuum packed silken tofu
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain unsweetened soy milk (soy creamer also works really well)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white miso (or whatever miso you have)
1/2 tsp umeboshi paste
1 Tbsp umeboshi vinegar (in a pinch dijon mustard might work to replace the umeboshi ingredients maybe)

Cook pasta according to directions in a nice size sauce pan. Meanwhile, add all the remaining ingredients to a blender or magic bullet, and blend until smooth. Drain pasta, reserve some pasta water, just in case you need to thin out the sauce. Add the pasta back into the sauce pan along with the blended cheeze sauce, and stir gently over medium low heat until it's fully folded in. Then enjoy.

The munchkin actually loves the mac and cheeze, so of course I am pleased. My wonderful puppy (okay he's not a puppy) Kapone, looks on hopefully.
Nothing is very definite in my world of recipes. I don't keep cute index cards with pictures in the corner, filed neatly in a decorated recipe box. I generally experiment in the kitchen and if my family of omni's like it, I jot down the recipes on nearby scratch paper or printer paper and stuff them all into this well worn blue folder that sits on my cookbook shelf. I keep my own recipes and computer print-off's or magazine tear outs, I recommend everyone get a folder like this and mix it up some days, you might be glad you did.

My scribbled mac and cheeze recipe...
-Ty

Ode to the Pressure Cooker and Navy Bean Soup

2010-11-02T19:27:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I made Navy Bean Soup for my family. It has been a regular in my home for a long time. It is a great simple recipe that I have tweaked and veganized (which didn't take much since it is a vegetarian recipe anyway) and I have to credit my ex-husband's religious background for the recipe. Trust me when I say there is nothing like a warm bowl of Navy Bean Soup to cure what ails you.

But, more than all of that, I must to give homage to my pressure cooker. Definitely the cheapest at the store and completely aluminum, however, the thing has changed my life. I cook beans and veggies without much fuss at all and since I LOVE dried beans, it makes my time in the kitchen so much more efficient and fun on beans day. I hadn't used one before my sister swore by it when cooking her mother's Guyanese Dal recipe (I might do that one to later this month, now that I think of it). I had just never been introduced, my family (a beautiful bunch of "suthun cookin'" divas) had never used one to my knowledge at all. Beans were done in a slow cooker or on the stove. So of course, that's how I did it.

Now I have seen the light, and I hope you will try to see it to if you haven't already. A pressure cooker is great for veg-heads, because often times, we need to infuse things with flavor. I am talking tender collards, perfect beans, and super-juicy-flavorful seitan dishes, that will make you think about smackin' your Momma (notice I said think). If you haven't given it a try, do. Read your instructions, maintain it well, and keep it super clean, and it will love you and your belly for years. I don't really follow a recipe, but here is what I usually do each time. I call it bean soup for the soul (much better than chicken soup for a cold, in my opinion).

Navy Bean Soup Recipe

1 lb dry navy beans

4 or 5 pieces kombu

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6-8 cups water for soaking and

6-8 cups water for cooking (Pay attention to your pressure cooker levels if using one)

1 can tomato paste

~1/4 cup Earth Balance

1 large onion chopped

4-5 celery stalks chopped

4-6 cloves garlic minced

3 carrots chopped

1 green pepper chopped

3 bay leaves

1 Tbsp sugar

~1 tsp each (marjoram, basil, cumin, smoked paprika, rubbed sage)*

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, I just love it and the vitamin boost is great)

fresh ground pepper to taste

sea salt to taste (I usually start at about a tablespoon, though)

*feel free to play with your seasonings, these are just the ones I love, and they seem to work together well.

Sort and soak your beans overnight in about 6 cups of water and add 2 of the pieces of kombu. After beans have soaked, drain them, rinse them and then add them to your pot or pressure cooker, discard the first two pieces of kombu and add the next two pieces to your pot. Add your 6-8 cups of water and the olive oil (Do Not Add Salt now). Bring to a slow rolling boil for a few minutes and skim off any foam that rises. Once you have skimmed it clean then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover or pressurize. If using a pressure cooker, you want the pressure gauge to get to a gentle rock and keep it there for about 35-40 minutes. If you like your beans pulverized and creamy like me for this recipe, then keep the pressure going for another 15 min. or so. If you are using a regular stock pot, that's fine, you may need to cook the beans covered for about 1 1/2 hours, keep checking them for desired tenderness.

Add all the rest of the ingredients, be sure to stir until the tomato paste is dissolved (leave in or take out the kombu, your call) and then continue to simmer for about 20 min. If you are using a pressure cooker, add the ingredients, stir until tomato paste is dissolved, then bring the pressure back up just until the gauge is gently rocking and then remove it from the heat and let the pressure come down naturally. (It may take about 15 to 20 min.) Enjoy.

Beans soaking with kombu pieces

Pressure cooker at work, I wish I could capture the magic :)

After bringing down the pressure and adding the other ingredients.

A close up for good measure.

The finished product, I hope you try it out!

-Ty

Vegan Mo Fo Virgin

2010-11-01T23:11:00.000-04:00

Okay, so today is the first day of the fifth annual Vegan Month of Food (Vegan Mo Fo) and I am excited to participate this year. I wouldn't call myself an avid blogger by any means. I could read all my posts from the last two years in just a couple of minutes. However, I have always been intrigued by blogging and I absolutely love vegan food and cooking, so this is a perfect storm for me, if you will. My only follower right now is my sister, who I love, but maybe others will find something interesting in what I have to say and what I cook up and join in, at least for this month.

Soap box moment: veganism is the best decision you can make for your health, your animal neighbors, and your planet. If you can't commit forever, try to commit this month, or a week this month or every Tuesday this month, any commitment is a step in the right direction and you might find it to be easier and much yummier than you think. (and, Scene)

There are so many wonderful people participating in the Mo Fo madness, check out the blogger list to see who and link up to what they are cooking up.

I personally, don't have a theme yet for my month, but I am committed to sharing my great eats, my family's acceptance (or denial) of what I bring to the table and my cooking adventures in general. So welcome and let's cook!!

Vegan MoFo

2010-10-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

I am really excited to get back to blogging and to try my hand at the wonderful Vegan Month of Food. I really love looking at everyone else's blogs about what they are cooking and eating, so I am going to take my shot at it. Alright, alright, I admit, I don't exactly have the best blogging track record, I tend to start and stop and stop some more, but with a month of food photography, I think I can get myself on the wagon pretty good. Keep me posted on what you think and we will see how it goes.

Welcoming Myself Back to Blogging

2010-01-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

Well, that was quite a break, was it not? I haven't been here for some time and a lot has changed since I last blogged, well blogged seriously anyway. I have gotten married to the most wonderful man :) and just recently, I have finally taken the vegan plunge. There are other things that have happened since I have last been in blog mode, but many aren't to be mentioned here. Needless to say, I am still tremendously blessed and and supported and thankfully still loved by God and my family and what can't you get through when you have all that.

Recently, I have been greatly inspired by so many food blogs that I am tempted to revamp my blog into a diary of my vegan ventures. I only hesitate because there are other things that I still enjoy talking about and sharing about. For that reason, I will refrain from making this blog too specific and let it just be a voice for me (even if I only feel like talking about food for the next year or so). That is still simply tink, I think so anyway. I hope someone will join me on this experience as I dare to document my thoughts and happenings in this greater something we call the internet.

Beautiful Day

2009-04-03T14:13:00.001-04:00

It is sunny and windy in Virginia (Tidewater) today. I am stuck in my office for a while but it's my sweetie's birthday today so I will leave early and enjoy some of it with our kids. I am looking out of the window of the office across the hall over the water of the James River. The surf is excited and white foam is speckled out on the water. I remember that for years I wondered why there were dark spots on the water in lakes and bays. I didn't realize until much later that it was the shadows of clouds dancing on the surface. This earth is so beautiful and such a feast for our eyes, I am going to try to do at least one thing to better care for it today. I hope you will join me.

Some Seitan Ideas and Vegan Cheezecake

2009-03-31T23:02:00.000-04:00

Okay so here are some dishes I ultimately made with my most successful (to date) batch of seitan:
I have to say that VWAV (Vegan With A Vengence) Jerk Seitan is the BOMB!!

This one below was my lame attempt at Seitan Adobo, which in my mind was a really good idea, since I have been craving the adobo flavor, but in practice turned out just a sour mess, but the plate looked good. I offered it to my very wanna-b-veg dog, and even he had a hard time with it.

This is not Kapone after the food, but just a pic to give you a visual.

I also tried my hand at a cheeze steak. This was actually really good, but I want to tweak the seasonings a bit. I made the nutritional yeast cheeze sauce on the stove top for this one and I was pleased. I sauteed it with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. This is just the filling, because I didn't have a bun or sub roll handy for the pic, but it was good, let me tell you.

Finally, this I am really proud of, it is a cheezecake mainly derived from the baking sheet (via fat free vegan). I had to sub vanilla for the almond flavoring (I'm allergic to tree nuts) and I reduced the lemon juice and added some soy creamer, (which will start to coagulate on you if your not careful, who knew?), but the cake turned out really great. I threw some frozen fruit, wine and sugar on the stove for the topping.

Some Vegan Recipes I've been working on here lately.

2009-03-21T16:30:00.000-04:00

Lasagna, inspired by Soul Vegetarian in D.C. I've tweaked it quite a bit (I use TVP and also make the cheese with a soymilk and toful mixture), but I do love this recipe.

Lasagna roll-up, my fiance' (self proclaimed skeptic of all things veg) really liked this one.

Vegan "Save a Veal" Parmezean. A baked seitan cutlet.

This is my snow day chilli. I made it with TVP, black beans, and kidney beans. It was good and my daughter and fiance' loved it.

Hopefull this is just a beginning for me. I absolutely love getting into the kitchen and experimenting with new vegan and vegetarian recipes. I am still on my path to converting for my sanity, my part and my health, but it is still a work in progress. Hopefully the pics will get better too :)

Come on Sunshine. . .

2009-03-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

It has been raining for a week in Tidewater. I have just about had it, I assure you. I love the rain sometimes. Like when I don't have to get out of bed and it makes it a little bit darker in the room behind my blinds and the warmth of my comforter that much more satisfying. Or when it is rainy and cold, but not uncomfortable and it reminds me of a trip to Paris I took years ago, where it rained all week, but I could not of cared less, because I was in freakin' Paris and the buildings were beautiful even under the heavy weather. But today, I have had it. I need the warmth of the sun. I need to feel it on my skin and see it glisten off of the streets making illusion ponds. The sun makes me smile. I feel like my body is using my food better or something. I love solar panels, but today I say a prayer for those folks who are off the grid and have no real way of making their homes snuggly in this sunless stint.

As a result of the sunlessness (I will blame it on that) I am lacking motivation for anything. I am work right now, waiting to go on a lunch break. I need motivation. All I really want to do is look at vegan blogs and plan my wedding (which will be decidedly un-vegan, sadly, my mission to go vegan is stifled slightly by those around me, although my darling fiance is eating a lot less meat these days). I am very thankful for today, though, don't get me wrong. I feel remarkably blessed lately and a little satisfied even that I am at my middle again. But I am antsy, I do need to feel that I am continuously growing and striving toward some goal. Of course I just need to know what that new goal is. The clouds are not helping with guidance on that one. . . at all.

Seriously. . .I got nothin'

2009-02-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Well that's not exactly true. I am in such awe of those that do have or make the time to keep up with their blogs on a daily basis. I will say that I have taken quite of few pictures of some dishes that I have been truly proud of lately, and I just finished up a play run of Nunsense II which was bunches of fun, so I should have so much to talk about. I love the blogger community and I am excited to have my own forum, but today, I don't really have anything to add to our abundance of information. I just wanted to say that I am still here, still creating and experiencing life and still happy as all get out. Butterflies, Dragonflies and Flowers. . .Peace.

Special Diets

2009-01-31T22:52:00.000-05:00

My daughter is allergic to everything. Okay not everything, but I learned very early that she couldn't have peanuts, tree nuts (I'm actually allergic to those myself too), dairy or eggs. Soooooooo, what else is left? Tons of things. I have been modifying my way of cooking for a long time, even before she was born. I love all types of foods and I have a respect for all types of diets. Because of my daughter's allergies, I have picked up a bunch of vegan and vegetarian techniques as well. I should make it clear that we are not vegetarians, I guess technically I am a pescetarian, but I don't even go into all that with most people unless I have to. My daughter proclaims weekly that she is going to stop eating meat for the sake of the animals but will have a hamburger at a restaurant the moment I'm not looking. As for me, I still eat seafood and eggs and dairy occasionally, but I do avoid the other stuff. I would love to follow a completely vegan diet, but it isn't that easy. Additionally, I find that when I am not eating any meat at all, my skin suffers. If anyone has any insight on this one let me know. Any way, I digress, I LOVE meatless recipes that fool everyone else though, and tonight's trial is brownies. I got the recipe from http://www.theppk.com/ a site that I love by the way and I've tried it tonight with all of it's steps. The brownies are good, and my daughter approves. I will admit though that I baked them in the wrong kind of pan (it should have been 9x13) and I wish they tasted more buttery. The next time, I may substitute softened Earth Balance for the oil and add a pinch more salt. I will say though that they rose very well and as long as you don't have a deep aversion to the "tofuey" taste that comes with many vegan recipes then you will likely love this. The brownies are very moist and fudgey, but be sure to use the right size pan, lest you have to cook the brownies to death to get them done. (I speak from experience :) I will keep you posted on my quest for veganism and just a healthier lifestyle in general. My daughter gave her tummy rub approval.

Overyly Overwhelmed

2009-01-15T09:35:00.000-05:00

OMG, I have been feeling like I can't get my hairline above water. Have you ever had one of those months? Not one of those days, not one of those weeks, but one of those months. There are so many things going on in my life at this one moment. Some great, some not so great at all. There are more bills than money, more work than time, more demands than supply, just more. I am trying not to have thoughts about giving up some of the things that mean so much to me, but truthfully, I have to look at those things now. Wow, they say that busy people get things done, soooooooo, my guess is that based on how my January is going, I should have Rome built by February easily. I'll keep you posted.

Prayers

2008-10-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

All intent on writing yet another apology for being gone and wanting to catch up. I only have to say now that I am praying for my friend. She is hero to so many more than she knows and my heart aches for her. I read her blog today and three days ago, she had a difficult day. I only wish that if you know words of prayer, that you lift her up. Just know that she and her girls need God close right now.

Back in the Swing. . . well sorta

2008-08-07T09:44:00.000-04:00

I have been absent for a while and I haven't much to say at this time either, or at least not the time. Life has been very interesting lately and I am feeling truly blessed despite all of its uncertainty. I have added a couple new bloggers, if you are wise you will check them out as well. Jessica, the photographer that did wonders with my family's four generations of women, is one of them. She is amazing. I can not say enough about what she has done for me and my family and what she will continue to mean to us as I continue on this journey through life. I will be posting some of the pictures from our session here soon. Until then, be encouraged in all that you do and be blessed of course

Spring is Coming

2008-03-13T15:36:00.001-04:00

Though, like any real person, I dread the thought of losing a very precious hour to the "spring forward" b.s. that marks our manipulation of time; I can't help but be excited about spring and summer looming in the near future.
The weather is showing itself here in V.A. The winds are up, the sun is bright, the air has that wonderfully clean smell (you know, before it gets polluted with pollen), I love it. It almost makes you want to keep the windows open even in the cold. Of course, the nights faithfully remind me that it is indeed still winter and not quite time to break out my vintage ebay finds and strappy sandals. C'est la vie.
I have spent so much time online looking at the fall fashion week RTW lines that I have forgotten that there were such beautiful ideas and colors and shapes for the spring. I don't have the money to support my love of it all, but I do enjoy interpreting the styles while staying within my budget. Happy Spring.

. . .

2008-02-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

How goes it, world. I have been missing from blogger for a while. Well not really (I still check out the Sartorialist's blog every few days, love him). I also received an encouraging comment from another blogger and decided to jot something down. I feel like I have been in the mix of so much. There are the primaries and of course fashion weeks all over the world, I am a little addicted to Ebay (vintage finds from 2tryhard are fabulous), and I am still busy being a mom, and oh yeah, there's work.

Lately, I have been assessing my place in life. I am happy and, at times, proud of the things I've been blessed to do; but at other times, I just long for more. I may be going through an early mid-life crisis. What do you think? I watched the debates last night and one of the things that I thought about was each speakers' drive to do great things. Greater things for and in the world around them. Those types of thoughts always leave me longing for something more. I am not sure what the something more is, but I have got to explore it. How about you?

Greetings and Introductions

2008-01-31T13:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, now that I have all of this power, I haven't a clue what to do with it. I came to Blogger by way of another blog that I love and I decided it may not be such a bad idea to start and maintain one of these creatures myself. I say creature, because I am figuring that I will have about as much to do with it's growth and direction as I do with my daughter. Sure, I provide the basics but she has a personaility and interests all her own. (At times, much to my dismay).

I have viewed many blogs with such harmonious focus and direction and though I do not scoff at them, I do realize that I couldn't begin to pare down all of the things that I claim to have an opinion on into one subject. I love so many things that this life has to offer. Of course there are passions too. I love art and theater, and providing the best life for my daughter as a single mom. I believe in natural living to a degree and I have a blind faith in the power of the body in birth, in parenting and in survival. I love travel and the world beyond our borders and the differences that make it fascinating.

I don't pretend that I am more interesting than anyone, or that you have any desire to read anything I wish to write, but what I do know is that I will, from here, share my thoughts, my story, my opinion, my beliefs and my dreams and without worry of who may or may not read them. Because as much as we all like to speculate about whether or not a sound was made by the tree that fell in the forest where there was no one to hear; I doubt that that fact ever mattered much to the force that made the tree fall in the first place.