Woo! Another week meat free and I am feeeeling good! Since it has been crazyyy hot lately, I have been mostly eating green beans, cauliflower, and zucchini steamed, roasted, sauteed, you name it! Those aren't very exciting things to talk about so I unfortunately haven't had much to post. There has been some tasty aspects to my week that I'd like to share though!

Ya that hot..

First is that it's officially corn season, which is awesome. Corn is a staple in my family during the summer months, and if you ever come over for dinner you'll find the way we all eat it quite unusual. After a combination of one of those full arm L-shaped casts (pink, of course) and 3 kids with braces, my family has a particular knife that we use to almost shave the kernels off the cob before eating it. It makes it a lot less fun, i'll admit, and sometimes when you put the butter on before it becomes a slippery mess, but it's all worth it! We get our corn around the corner at Kern Farms which is such a great, convenient way to get fresh vegs without going to the grocery store. Plus, they have a pretty loose concept of a dozen :) But yes, my mom brought some corn to my apartment this week and it was the first time I ever made some by myself. I have an abundance of zucchini and cucumbers from the farmer's market and my share last week, so I combined the fresh corn with them, added some chopped jalapeno for a kick, and sprinkled my fav feta on top! A perfect post-run dinner and easy leftover to take to the park the next day. YUM!

Aside from that lil treat, I also made chocolate zucchini bread this week, which was AMAZING! Sometimes I get so boggled down sauteing the zucchini every night that I forget that I can use my excess as an excuse for baking. Fortunately this realization occurred the same night as the bachelorette finale! Somehow they stretched 10 minutes into 3 hours, so I had ample time to get my bake on during the show. By the end of the night I found myself alone, sobbing on my couch, with literal handfuls of chocolate cake. I'd say it was a pretty epic ending to my day and obviously an appropriate celebration of Emily and Jef's love (Ary was just too sensitive, I think I would offend him within seconds of meeting him). Anyways! I adapted the recipe from these two blogs (sliceoffiest, oneordinaryday) and even put my version of the recipe below, because it was really that amazing. I baked mine in 3 little loaf pans, shared with friends, and got more enjoyment from my "secret ingredient" than I did making the cakes themselves. Really though, make these now. I just might myself!

1 3/4 c shredded zucchini
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc., more cinnamon than nutmeg if you're making your own!)
1/2 c veg oil
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
As many choco chips as you can part with!
Preheat oven to 350 and grease whatever pan pleases you. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice (or your own combination).
In a separate bowl, beat the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended. Lightly blend in the zucchini. Add the flour mixture and carefully beat until combined. Then dump in your chocolate chips! Since I used such little pans it really only took 40ish minutes to cook, but I would definitely set your alarm for 35 minutes and use your judgement at 5 minute increments after that! 

Crazy color beets!

So those were my top 2 creations this week! I picked up my share again yesterday and was totally excited over more beets, green tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and yellow beans (so much better than the green, really!). Buying into this CSA was probably one of the best decisions I made all year and has really made it easy to call it quits with the meat. Wednesday mornings I get an email from the organization listing all the things that may be in my bag and ways of preparing the new vegetables, and my excitement just builds until I pick it up! It might not be christmas morning, but to me it's pretty damn close. I'm heading home to the suburbs this weekend with my vegetables in hand, so hopefully I will have more exciting recipes to post from my trip home. I got my mom to read Eating Animals and am SO proud that she went veg for over a week, so I definitely want to show her some tricks when I am there ! :)

My stash for the week!

Oh and one last thing, get these crackers. A box for you, a box for me. THANKS

Beet week!

Not too many amazing recipes to be posting this week! Lots of friends are back at Pitt so I have been grabbing lunch instead of fixing up some vegs in my apartment! I can tell you that Oakland has some pretty amazing vegetarian options. Veggie burger at Red Oak Cafe, gigantic salad at Hello Bistro (GO!), all the best things at Pamela's, my go to drunk food, the vegetarian quesadilla at Fuel and Fuddle, have made this last week pretty easy for me! The biggest challenge was not getting a corn dog at Kennywood, but after hitting 5 intense rides immediately after I wasn't regretting my decision :)

The new recipes that I did try this week all involved beets from my share this week! BEETS! Who would ever go to the grocery store to "just pick up a few beets"? Not me, or at least not me before last week! At first they intimidated me. I hate radishes and they look quite similar, so I was def nervous. I have had beets one in France and some macedonian salad before, so I knew I wouldn't die if I ate them (a radich, I would) so clicked on my trusty food gawker for some inspiration. What I put together was the most amazing dish I have made in my baby kitchen in the longest time! I couldn't stop talking about it for days and even sent the recipe to my CSA so they can share it on their website! Seriously, it's that amazing! Just cutting up the beets was an exciting experience, so many rich colors that these just have to be good for you. I ate this before doing a power hour for my friend's birthday, and had to warn everyone that I ate beets beforehand to avoid this hilarious situation.

One large beet or two smaller ones
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Chicken Broth (this amount I am really unsure of)
Garlic scapes or the green spring onions (from 2 weeks ago)
Chopped beet greens
Chopped kale leaves
Whole grain pasta
Feta cheese
Put beets and olive oil in large skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender. Add the choppped garlic scapes or spring onion and cook for another minute. Add broth and simmer until beets are very tender. Add the greens except pasta. Boil pasta, top with beet mixture and serve with tons of the feta cheese.

At the time I just used some of Trader's feta, but after cruising down to the Strip this weekend and picking up a gigantic block of fresh feta from Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, I am never going to buy it from anywhere else ever again. I also got eggplant, cherry tomatoes, kiwis, asparagus, and thyme all for under a dollar a piece. Just the experience of going to the Strip is enough, but the prices really are incredible. I also bought some more loose tea at a little hole in the wall called Prestogeorge where you can get an entire box worth of tea for 2 dollars. Its all loose, which means you get to smell dozens of different containers and pick which ones you want, and making your own teabags is hella fun. Last night I made organic chamomile before bed and it was such a peaceful end to my day :)

Drinking flowers!

Anyways, I had to pay 50 dollars to get my immunizations up to date today making not only my arm hurt but my wallet too. I don't think there's a huge trip to Traders in the next week, so I stocked up on 1.99 Lucky Charms at CVS. I don't think anyone will be needing a recipe for that :) Picking up my share tomorrow, so can't wait to see what I have to experiment with for the next week!

So, hypothetically, let's say....

SO! One of my favorite questions for people I am getting to know is what they would have for their last meal if they were on death row and were to die tomorrow. Hopefully this is solely a hypothetical questions, so it has no rules. Your meal could be compiled of things you've eaten all over the world! Some people know the answer immediately, some really need to think, but I think it gives awesome insight into a person. Since I have asked it SO MANY times, I know my meal right off the bat!

My appetizer would be a plate of fried calamari from a cafe in Zagreb, Croatia. I visited the city twice during my backpacking trip, and each time it couldn't be more perfect. The first time, we were coming off a solid month of city hopping. We were really booked for a while, seeing 3 cities in a week, so although we tried to enjoy the local cuisine we did spend a lot of time heating up pounds (no joke) of spaghetti in our hostel or eating crackers and cheese on overnight trains. Once we got to Croatia where we had 2 weeks (and a legit currency exchange for the first time!) we slowed down a bit, ordered a nice lunch, and enjoyed it while gazing out across a small square. It was so magical that when we stopped in Zagreb for a day on our return trip, we got it once again. I want this one more time :)

Beautiful square in Zagreb, Croatia where you can find the most delicious calamari EVER

Now my dinner is pretty complicated, or usually sounds so when people tell me their one item they would have. You could have sides in this game, you know!? My dinner would be based off the dinners my family has on our back porch in the summer. This meal usually consisted of steak as a centerpiece and I am not sure if I would still be attempting vegetarianism in prison, but if I was, I would just substitute my dad's steak (NO ONE ELSE'S) with some salmon. My sides would be garlic bread, a tomato with basil and olive oil, potatoes, onion from the garden with a side of salt, and a garden salad of just lettuce and oil and vinegar dressing. You would also have to stack your bites, which is something I thought everyone did but apparently not? Anyways, with this, I would have some "fresh squeezed lemonade" that they sell at  the Art's Festival. I never seem to have enough, so it would obviously be bottomless. YUM!

And since I won't need to be worrying about caloric intake ever again in this situation,  I would not pass up dessert. In Macedonia, I had what they called a "hot and cold" numerous, numerous times. It's basically one of those chocolate lava cakes with a side of vanilla icecream, and yeah you can get them at like Fridays, but the one at this restaurant surpasses them all. I think I'd top it off with a cappuccino from Big Dog in Southside since concerns about sleeping would also be unnecessary :)

Can't believe I found a picture!

There you have it! My last meal :) Just writing about everything makes me so hungry, but I do get (hypothetically) nervous that despite the meal being a combination of some of my best dining experiences, it wouldn't come close to eating each of the dishes in the context, with the company, where I had them. Without surviving off of pasta for a month, without the company of my family, without the numerous stories that come along with each dish, maybe the meal would lack any significance at all.

Besides the substitution of steak with salmon, I know this post doesn't really touch upon much, but I think it is important nonetheless. Ironically, a week ago, I got a text from my little brother asking what I would have for my last meal. His point of asking was not to gain insight into my soul (hopefully he has that already) but to bring up an amazing point. What would you eat if you knew it was going to be your last meal? Now, go eat it. Except in extreme circumstances, we don't know when our last meal is going to be nor do we have the choice to decide what it should be. So think about it, and plan a day this week to eat it (or something similar if it's anything like mine!). Enjoy the food, but more importantly enjoy the company and relish the experiences you have had with the meal. I did this weekend :)

EGGPLANT FAIL

What it was supposed to look like:

What it actually looked like:

NAILED IT!

It's official. I AM STRUGGLING! The weekends have been absolutely awful with temptation, but I am back on a Monday and hopefully in safe territory. Let's recap the horrors:

Last weekend I went to my family reunion at my grandparents and this was awaiting me (Not the adorable cousin, the pile of pig). My mouth legit watered but I settled for bread in bbq sauce instead. NOT THE SAME. I even had to lie to my grandpa and tell him I had a rib when he wasn't looking. I just wasn't feeling strong enough to tell the truth?

Before I launch into this past weekend, let me just say that my parents are completely supportive of this little "phase" of mine! My mom is reluctantly reading my vegetarian bible, and my dad is more than happy to steal the pepperoni off my salad. My little brother on the other hand, ya you'll see.

ANYWAYS, this past Thursday I eventually made it back to the suburbs after a bit of a rough start. (On my way into the city, I legit had to get off one bus I was so sick (4th of July FTW), only to catch a bus that took me to Southside without me realizing. With no other options, I decided to walk across Birmingham Bridge - not pedestrian friendly- to wait for a bus in the Hill district. On top of that, I had an hour long trolley ride followed by a 30 minute drive to my grandparents where I was forced to pull it together. Thank you God for my brother who bought me a gigantic Gatorade when I told him I had to bounce off a bus, and my grandparents for their potato pancake recipe!) Despite the rough start, Thursday wasn't killer and I got to make my zucchini pasta for my parents! I also carried a heirloom tomato from my share on my journey home, so we got to all share an epic first tomato of the season!

Friday, I spent about 10 hours shadowing in a Suboxone clinic. Not really vegetarian/green so not a blog topic, but absolutely magical and a medical revolution, I tell ya! My dad and I plan on writing an article for the paper, so if and when that happens I'll def post a link!

Saturday, on the other hand, was THE WORST! My little brother (who is not so little) left this weekend for a 6 month food and beverage internship at the Ritz Carlton in Doha, Qatar, so he got to choose all his meals for his last day. With a smirk on his face, he announced for breakfast that he just wanted an entire pack of bacon, fried with onions. Yea this might have been legit as he will be pressed to find any pork in that part of the world, but really NOTHING SMELLS THAT GOOD EVER! There we sat watching an ANTM marathon (perhaps that's why he was so cruel) as the smell of bacon and fried onions wafted in from the kitchen. That was the closest I have come to caving yet!

To get me out of the house (at this point I think I may have been cranky), my mom and I go to Giant Eagle, where OF COURSE they are having their annual burger bash! What other day would they possibly have it?!?! The old lady at the front door proudly listed off all the samples of burgers they were handing out as I snuck by with no eye contact. The only burger I was able to eat was some old man's creation of gelato inbetween two nilla wafers thereby appearing like a burger, with a side of potato straws and strawberry jam. I give him an A+ for imagination, or maybe a C for not telling me that the potatoes and jam were just for looks, but it regardless it didn't cut it.

I'll save my complete dinner for another post, but it would not be spoiling the ending to say that, of course, my brother chose steak for dinner. My mom, feeling sympathetic, bought me salmon which was just as delicious I'm sure!

Sad salmon.

Awful, just awful. I thought that the Sunday departure of my meat-eating brother would have eased the tension a little bit, but what do you do after dropping someone off at the airport but cruise some IKEA?! IKEA is basically the coolest place ever, and a great place to bring a boyfriend as it brings out everyone's true colors. Stay on the path or go directly to what you're looking for? This is apparently a deal breaker. Anyways, I love IKEA even though they discontinued french presses, but what I love even more are their Swedish Meatballs! INCREDIBLE!!! Obvs at this point you should know that my family doesn't change their ways on my behalf, and I had to sit across from my mother as she devoured her plate full. I got a taste of her gravy, mashed potatoes, and ligonberries, but still a slap in the face ending to a rough weekend! I am happy to be back in Oakland and am anxiously awaiting my share on Wednesday :) It's officially the highlight of my week!!

PS: I feel like I complained a lot, so here is a cute picture of my evil brother and adorable cousin to put that smile back on all our faces!

Ain't no thang.

Happy Sunday!!

Ah I love Sunday mornings! Usually I wake up decently early and drink coffee out of my favorite mug as I check different blogs (like postsecret, every week!) and send an email to my bestest friend. This morning I was home, and although the routine there is to watch Sunday morning on CBS with my parents, I wanted to mix it up and made my mom and dad these absolutely amazing brown butter and buttermilk biscuits. This was my second time making them and oh god did it go easier than the first. Let me tell you about that, ok?

So a couple weeks ago, I have plans to go over a friend's house for lunch and get the strongest craving for biscuits EVER! I follow this amazing blog where I saw a recipe not too long ago and definitely wanted to cruise that. Unfortunately it calls for buttermilk, which apparently isn't something North Oakland keeps stocked at the gas station. After running around in the crazy heat I came up with the bright idea of just mixing butter in milk and calling it a day and came back home to get me some biscuits! (Note: you can make ghetto buttermilk by just adding 1 tbsp white vinegar to a cup of milk, ta da! Now you know). I was so incredibly overheated from running around that when I did finish my biscuits and threw them in the oven, I took advantage of the 15 minute cook time and jumped in the shower. There I am, 5 minutes later, shaving my legs when my fire alarm goes off! My first thought was "BACON'S READY!" from experience, and once I remembered I was in the shower and there was no bacon, the second thought was not an appropriate word as I ran out of my shower. I crossed my bedroom into my living room, realized I was completely blind without my glasses, and slid across the wood flooring back into the bathroom. I am basically in full panic mode when my fire alarm turns off? Alright. Relieved, I figured it was no big deal, and decide to check on my biscuits. Within seconds of opening my oven door, my apartment refills of smoke, setting off that damn alarm once again. At this point, any decency is out the door along with my attempts to cover up with a towel, and with one oven mitt and nothing else I am climbing on chairs to turn off the incredibly loud beeping as the rando Asian dude outside is taking a break from his daily Tai Chi to check out what the noise is. Fire alarm down, biscuits billowing smoke on the table, it turns out it wasn't my cooking but the parchment paper that decided to catch fire, of course! Pausing only to smile at how awesome the real biscuits were turning out, my hair dripped all over the tray and left a great hectic path through my apartment as I had to cut the down charred paper away from my baked goods. Moral of this story is to not leave your parchment paper long because it looks cute, and to be thankful for times when there's no one around to laugh at you. Whatevs, they turned out amazing!

Here's how they looked the first time I made them! Wasn't able to take any pictures today since my dad was patiently waiting next to the baking sheet, but I promise they were gorgeous. Follow this easy recipe and treat yourself to a glorious start to a morning!

YUM!