Sunday, November 21, 2010

What I Do When I'm Starving


Part of being vegan is maintaining a vigilance, a level of organizational skills that keep us ahead of the game. Oh, who am I kidding?  Sometimes, in a bustling household on a weekend, I find myself truly operating as if I were the clown in the circus spinning plates balanced on sticks, running from plate to plate, just trying to keep track of which one needs a little spin to keep it from toppling. That's where I found myself this morning, lost in thought while writing an article, while simultaneously responding to the needs of kids, husband, telephone and dogs. Suddenly I realized I had forgotten to eat. It was way too late for oatmeal.  I needed substance.

I started boiling water before I even had a plan. When in doubt, pull out the pasta. Whole grain penne this time.  Then I began pulling food out of the fridge in a random fashion, really just a collection of things that would each be delightful to me on its own.  While the pasta was still boiling, I filled a bowl with jarred marinara sauce, great northern beans, fresh spinach leaves and capers. I popped the bowl into the microwave for a minute just to take the chill off and then mixed in the drained pasta.  To top it all off, smoky, cheesy nutritional yeast!  (What an unfortunate moniker for such a delicious food!)  Start to finish, this meal took me only 10 minutes!   It was YUM!

I love to think of myself as an artiste with food, I like to imagine that I am worth the extra effort, the time spent perusing stores and recipes, but that is not always reality.  I can't always execute a plan. But I don't have to sacrifice my vegan principles. Keeping your larder stocked with some basic staples that won't go bad is a good idea, for moments like the one I had today.

7 comments:

  1. Love it! I'm feeling that way today, so glad to know I'm not the only one with a billion things going on!

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  2. What a beautiful and effortless meal! You seem to be keeping those plates spinning nicely. I'll be making this dish soon. Thanks!

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  3. Funny comparison with the plates! Haha! Looks yummy. My go to dish lately has been roasted veggies. Chop, mix with olive oil and spices, bake, throw over a grain and eat up.

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  4. Sounds perfect, Melissa! I will be making Alicia's Scarlet Roasted Vegetables as one of my many Thanksgiving Projects! It's one of my faves! Happy Thanksgiving!!

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  5. Cheryl, you ARE an artiste! With food and your words! What a wonderful post. :) You REALLY are inspiring me...and you KNOW my horrid eating habits, so THANK YOU! :)

    Happy Thanksgiving, Sweetness!

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  6. Hey Girlfriend! YOU are the inspiration. You rock! Thanks for the kind words -- Happy Thanksgiving and love to everyone!

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