Open Doors

Hello Lovlies!

Guess what time it is? [I'll give you a hint: I promised it in my last post.]

Good news time! And what's better than that? Oh, I know: good news AND good eats.

First, I'll tell you my good news. In one of my last posts, I mentioned that a few things I was looking forward went awry. I'm a firm believer that as one door closes, another one opens. From the look of things, it seems as though many doors have been opening and all it took was patience.

• Remember how I was disappointed that my summer plans and part of my yoga training were squashed? Not any more! Can you believe that I found a way to solve them both? This summer I'll be going to a teen yoga camp intensive at the Omega Institute. Not only will I be practicing yoga with some very experienced yogis, but I'll also be able to spend some time with like-minded teens. Oh, and did I mention that they're a completely vegetarian camp and easily accomidate vegans? It's almost too good to be true!

• A long time ago, I mentioned that I would have a few gagets to share but never followed through. That was because I kept having issues ordering my BPA-free steamer after ording it more than a few times from different companies but getting emails back saying it was no longer available. I almost gave up but by some stroke of luck, my uncle was able to order it from one of the retailers we tried but got rejected from. Now I have no clue how this happened, but I'm not about to question a good thing.
• Best. Surprise.
• Did I mentioned I squealed when I opened the package to find this baby within? It sounds crazy, but honestly I was giddy with happiness. It's all in the hunt, my friends, it's all in the hunt.

And now, on to the food...

I was lucky enough to recieve some goodies from my favorite vegan & local bakery. I love getting things from them because I feel good supporting a bakery that is focused on building up the local economy and using ingredients that are both good for you and are compassionate.

Vegan Blueberry Muffin

Vegan Carrot Cake (or lack there of-- please excuse this but I live in a house of nibblers. But hey, I'm not complaining because it means that they are enjoying vegan eats.)

Vegan "Cranny Branny" Muffin (my favorite! I've eaten a few of these since...)

I also made a few new recipes this week from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan and Veganomicon. I'm sad to say that these definitely don't rank among my favorites. Honestly, I've never eaten something vegan that I didn't like but these just simply didn't measure up. I guess I'm a bit of a food hedonist because I believe that everything I eat, I should enjoy.

Gimme Chimis from ED&BV (it was simply alright)

Vegetable Wrap from ED&BV (I liked this one much better than "Gimme Chimis" and might make it again, but it's not a favorite by any means)

Black Bean, Mango, and Quinoa Salad from V'con (packed in a container for school on a nice bed of kale)

I'll be honest, I actually didn't like this. I wouldn't tell you not to make it, but it just wasn't my thing. I think it was too onion-heavy. Maybe I would like it without the scallions, cilantro, and red wine vinegar since I'm a bit of a salad purist (no dressing for me!) Oh well.

Well that's it for now on the meal front. This week I'll probably be posting more so be on the lookout for some yummy, steamer inspired meals. Speaking of my steamer, here's some of my goodies that I got from my "Kabocha date" last night (aka quality time with my mom's fiance J, doing what we both love: checking out some awesome produce).

Hellooooooooooo, Love! I finally have a blogger-worthy stash of kabocha and am in bliss. Come on, who doesn't love kabocha?

For all of you squash lovers out there, what's your favorite way to eat it?

I also got some greens, spaghetti squash, and millet (a new grain for me) for supplementation. The greens included zucchini, bak choy, and Shanghai (apparently a kind of bak choy but not baby bok choy... oh well, it looked cute so I wanted some), and a baby artichoke. For some reason, I've really wanted an artichoke every since I decided I wanted a steamer. Finally my dreams have come true!

I haven't used bok choy in a really long time and wonder how Shanghai will compare. Any suggestions?

Have you ever bought something because it looked cool or you had a random craving for it (even if you've never tried it before)? What was it?

Just one more week and it's spring break time for me. Wahoo!

Have a lovely night, my fellow kabocha-lovers!

xox

P.S. Happy Pi Day! [I can't believe I almost forgot!] Did you celebrate?