Happy New Year!

Thank goodness collard greens and garlic are always happy waiting for me in the 'fridge for a week or so. We returned from a whirlwind trip to the Boston area only a couple of hours ago, and my good luck New Year's Day Black Eyed Peas were easy to whip up in a jiffy from what I already had on hand. After a fun-filled-toe-freezing "First Night" walk all around Boston last night, we were finally nestled all snug in our hotel beds (albeit still bone-chilled) at around 2:30 a.m. Somebody snores sometimes, so by the time the wake up call sounded at 6:30 a.m., most of us had slept for only an hour or two. Hustling to our early morning flight thus impaired was no joke, and we all are in a bit of a fog this New Year's Day 2014. Needless to say, I was not up to a grocery run, so was very happy I could make this dish so easily without getting out of the pajamas I had quickly donned upon our arrival home. The canned black eyed peas were rinsed and quickly fried in olive oil along with three smashed garlic cloves and half a bunch of collards. I added a little salt, quickly stirred it around and voila -- good luck in a bowl.

We visited three wonderful families while in the Boston area -- folks who knew us decades ago before we were hitched. Among many other attributes, Boston has amazing pubs, and we had wicked good pub food -- lots of it! Aside from cold salads, however, greens did not figure into the pub food, and even the kids missed them. This bowlful fit the bill today. This is how we do it in the South!

We had a wonderful trip, and are so grateful for dear friends, but there is no place like home!

Odds -n- Ends, Post-Beach Transition

See the semi-circle in the line of umbrellas and beach chairs? We sweet-talked the attendant into arranging them for us this way so we could all engage socially as a group. These are just the adults' chairs. We brought our own from home for the kids.

You know the old saying, "I need a vacation to recover from my vacation,"? Yeah, that's where I'm living right about now.

Vacations are always worth it, but, depending on your family dynamic, they can tend to be a lot of work for one member of the household. As the "default parent", i.e. the one at home to  run to the store for a protractor at bedtime, etc., I am the accountant, shopper (groceries and bathing suits), cook, organizer, maid, animal-husbandress, laundress and medical consultant. These titles are all self-bestowed but pretty much touch on what I'm doing all day. This is all plenty to fill all the hours of my day (except blogging, which serves as therapy!) during everyday circumstances. Adding the additional planning for- and cleaning up after- a vacation is enough to overwhelm, to say the least.

So, still plowing through piles of mail, bills, laundry and dust, I'll take a moment to share a couple more photos which fell through the cracks.

Here is a glimpse, finally, of my short haircut. It's not usually so windblown as in this beachy pic, but that is what I like about it -- windblown or not, it doesn't matter! I LOVE effortless! I was trying to change my profile photo for this more current one, but I haven't yet figured it out and don't have the time right now.

Back home again, I made another kale salad from the beautiful savoy kale appearing at the top of the blog. It was another rubbed salad with lemon, olive oil, avocado and artichoke hearts. I had the salad with a sweet potato and my beach salsa (yes, it made it all the way home without spilling!)

That's about it for this installment of "Odds -n- Ends" Back to the laundry/bill-paying/unpacking.

Beach Food

You're looking at what I ate at least once a day while I was living in the beach condo. It would have been better on a couple of pieces of Eziekiel bread, which I couldn't find at the beach, but I wasn't complaining. This is six grain bread, spread with hummus and stuffed with kale that was rubbed with plenty of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. It made a handy picnic lunch to eat on the veranda or with my toes in the sand. Eating the same thing for a while might not float your boat, but personally, food like this never gets old. Raw, dark green leafies, especially paired with a protein such as hummus, beans, whole grains or avocado are what I crave. One day, as I took a big bite while sitting in my beach chair, one of my friends said, "That looks GREAT, Cheryl!"

Another, meat-eatin' friend said, "No, that does not look great, and by the way, you've got something in your teeth!" He was only razzing me -- I had nothing in my teeth. Here he was later in the day while I was still going strong from my nutritious lunch:

Besides my fabulous green sandwiches, I also ate a few great restaurant meals, not without the need to educate local Florida Gulf Coast chefs ("yes, parmesan does count as cheese, but that's okay, I'll wait for you to make a new one!")

Otherwise, I enjoyed fresh sliced tomatoes on "buttered" bread and made a big honkin' bowl of fresh salsa to share with everyone, along with some jicama and red peppers in lime and cayenne for dipping. I also made a bowl of fresh guacamole that did not last long enough for me to snap a photo.

Mmm, the simple basics go perfectly with an effortless beachy existence!

Odds -n- Ends

Lest I lose track of some of the deliciousness that has been happening around here, I thought I'd better document some of it. This is a lovely, easy salad of mixed greens and herbs, topped with my aforementioned Israeli Couscous Salad, avocado and raw skinless almonds in olive oil and sea salt. I just drizzled a little blood orange olive oil over the salad for a dressing. Yum. The couscous salad had lost its lovin' feeling to me on the fourth day, which was the day after this salad ( the raw broccoli's flavor had soured from the moisture) so I gave it to the pups. They LOVED it!

A simple sandwich -- sourdough toast with vegenaise, roasted red pepper, cucumber and arugula, salt and pepper. Crazy delicious and decadent, if you can believe it! I want another one right now!

A recent lunch out highlights two approaches for a vegan-unfriendly menu:  If you will recall, my plan was to come to the lunch toting a baggy of oil-massaged kale and almonds. So here is my house salad before:

And here it is after my alteration:

I plopped this pile of yum upon the restaurant salad when nobody was looking. I got a kick out of the server's quizzical expression each time he walked by thereafter. He knew something was different. This approach did work for me, but the bottom half of the salad was not very fresh, obscured as it was by such a lovely tangle of fresh carrots.

Finally, to continue in my random selection of photos, I was driving home the other day and saw heaven opening up above, so I hopped out of my car in the middle of the road and snapped it:

I was struck by the unfolding sky and acted impetuously. I wouldn't recommend such behavior unless you live on a cul-de-sac like I do and there's no other traffic around. I did put my car in park before hopping out. While this photo captures the most stunning portion of the sky, I wish you could have seen it in full context. The rest of the sky was dark grey with roiling storm clouds. Very humbling and awe-inspiring!  Thanks for indulging my odds and ends today.

Stylish Blogger Award!

Something pretty I made and ate a while back . . .

Sally Kitten at "Of the Kitten Kind" has bestowed the "Stylish Blogger Award" upon "A Midlife Vegan" among other blogs. I am honored!  I love Sally's blog. Her recipes are inventive and luscious (I featured her "Almond Parsnip Soup" on "A Midlife Vegan" once). Her photos are beautiful and artfully done, which is no surprise since Sally is also an artist -- there's a link to some of her amazing artwork on the blog. Besides the rich content of Sally's blog, I get a real kick from visiting because of Sally's positive, youthful exuberance. I always leave smiling and refreshed.

As a recipient of the Stylish Blogger Award, I need to provide seven facts about myself:

1. I have been vegan for a little over a year now. I provided details ad nauseum about this transition in a recent post "Happy V-Day to Me!" Suffice it to say, it was the right decision. I'm not going back.

2. I've not held a full-time job since 1993 when I was a Campaign Associate at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. My duties there included Events Planning, Fundraising and  Speech Writing. I was honored to work with remarkable people including survivors of the Holocaust. I used to give hardhat tours of the Museum's construction site to prospective donors. My husband and I moved to Detroit right before the Museum opened its doors to the public.

3. Since getting married in 1992, we have moved eight times. Cities have included Detroit, MI, Williamsburg, VA (back to my alma mater for a couple of years -- William and Mary - yeah!), Winston-Salem, NC, Fairfax VA, and Alpharetta GA. We have been planted here in Georgia for over ten years now.

4. Being a mother is the most fulfilling and most difficult thing I've ever done. I would not have missed it.

5. I love writing -- I've published some articles and have a book of short stories that is languishing on my hard drive since blogging is currently a better fit during this "drop everything" chapter of life with teenage kids.

6. I have ambitions for more schooling, maybe something in healthcare for my second chapter of employment. I'd love feedback about suggested courses of study from any of you with experience in this area.

7. I've been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis for over 15 years now. I have been giving myself injections daily for over ten years. The injections are not interferon, which I tried for a year before starting this "decoy" medicine. I think interferon is the devil and will not try it again under any circumstance. Integrative Medicine has been very helpful to me. The vegan diet has provided the most dramatic benefits.

Now I get to award ten more recipients of this coveted "Stylish Blogger Award". I will do so with the caveat that I have a feeling I've seen some of my favorites with this award already, So if you find yourselves "doubly awarded" don't feel the need to go through all the motions again, unless you want to!

I'm in a bit of a "branching out" phase of my veganism, and am loving learning more about specific nutritional approaches. One blog that is very intriguing to me of late is Lisa's "Raw on $10 a Day (Or Less!)" The content is so new and fresh to me that I had to run right out and buy a dehydrator! I'm officially inspired. But beyond the content, we have another artist here folks! The blog is gorgeous and meticulously styled and Lisa's actual artwork (link is on her blog) is ethereally beautiful. It positively transports. When I look at some of Lisa's pieces, I am compelled anew to pursue neglected dreams with a youthful vigor. Well done, Lisa.

Another blogger whose nutritional expertise is much appreciated is Dr. Joanne M. Williams at "Foods for Long Life". Dr. Joanne has been inspiring my cooking and attention to nutrition for quite some time. Thanks!

Debbie at "The Health Seekers Kitchen" is someone else with some nutritional expertise I'd like to recognize. Her healthy, creative recipes never disappoint and her photos are gorgeous! Though I've not personally met Debbie, she feels like a good friend through the blogwaves. Debbie is one of those I may have already seen as a "Stylish Blogger Award" recipient.

While we are still on the subject of nutrition, I'd like to feature someone whose work I've recently been enjoying, Ainslie from "Everyone Is Vegan". Ainslie is a nutritionist (forgive me, Ainslie, if I don't have your title just right). In any case, she sounds like she knows what she's doing. I always feel like I have learned something important about the vegan food I'm eating whenever I visit Ainslie's blog, and as a bonus I get to enjoy quirky clips from different sources that mean something to Ainslie. I remember one day, during my son's recent health crisis, being afforded a much-needed belly-laugh from a "30 Rock" clip posted by Ainslie on her blog. Ainslie's energy  is enjoyable in a blog format. Her irreverance is refreshing.

Speaking of irreverance, I LOVE "Vegan Burnout".  Shannon is amazing, she's just . . . anything I say won't do her justice. You've just got to read her for yourself.  She's awesome -- oh yeah, and her food is good too!

Trying not to veer off the subject of nutrition just yet, I do want to mention Vivaciousvegan at "Adventures of a NutritarianVegan in Midwestern America". I am absolutely positive that Vivacious recently received this award, but I need to count her as one of my most current inspirations. Besides a wealth of knowledge about nutrition beyond the scope of my own, Vivacious (who does have a name, I think it is Jennifer? -- I can no longer find it on her blog and my short-term memory loss is kicking in . . .) is inspiring to me as a fellow chronic-illness manager. Right after my diagnosis, many family members urged me to find a support group, but I intuitively knew that belonging to such a group would be the beginning of my demise. I employ a healthy dose of denial in my disease management. So, while my approach of "let it be as if it were not," has worked for me thus far, it does leave me with a deficit of identifiable associative personae. Vivacious' (Jennifer's?) blog allows me to step harmlessly for a moment into the experience of another with perhaps similar challenges (though our diseases are very different). Vivacious' upbeat attitude through it all is most healing to my soul. Thanks, Viv!

Talking soul-healing now, I must feature Jeri and David of "GOD'S DREAMS FOR ME in my Vegan Playground". These amazing people are wise, holy. When I visit I am always inspired and, in Jeri's words, "refreshed". This is another one I'm almost certain has received this award, and again, someone who feels like a friend, though I've never met her personally.

In the same genre of "inspiring cyber-friend" is, of course, Lindsay Wolf of "Kiss Me, I'm Vegan!" Lindsay's star shines brightly and her activism, beyond the scope of anything I am likely to accomplish until perhaps my next chapter in life, is infectious nevertheless.  Inspired!  (Yeah, you've probably gotten this award already too, huh?)

One of my earliest inspirations is Morgan at "Little House of Veggies". Before I learned how to cook for myself, "A Midlife Vegan" was one reinterpreted "Little House of Veggies" recipe after another! (though I did cite her!) Morgan is an amazing chef, her photos are beautiful and I predict she will go far wherever she puts her energy. She is a wonderful cyber-friend to me. Thanks Morgan! -- You continue to inspire!

Another blog I love lately is Stephanie's "Diary of a Frenzied Vegan". This girl has got the goods. Stephanie is a great cook and I've been eating a lot of her creations lately, albeit with my lazy spin upon them.

That's ten already, but since there are quite a few here who've already gotten the award (I think) I can mention a couple more who mean something to me:

Melissa at "Green Beans and Yam" -- Activism, young energy, spiritually and healthfully blooming -- an inspiring cyber-friend.

Sara at "Busy Vegan Mama" -- Great cook, visiting this blog transports me back to a lovely chapter of my own life, but Sara is doing it better through veganism. The cheeks on those babies!!

Hilary at {Plate+Simple} who has been on hiatus from blogging for an undisclosed exciting project, has nevertheless been an early and huge inspiration for me as a vegan. Plus, I love her rockin' haircut which I just copied. I'll post a new photo soon if I get one. Anyway, Hilary's blog archives are worth checking out if you haven't yet. Best of luck to you, Hilary, on your project, and if you can, come back to the blogging world -- we miss you!

I could go on and on. There are so many creative souls on the blogosphere who inspire daily. I'm grateful to honor just a few, and thanks, Sally, for the award!

Bunco!

I hosted our bunco group in my basement pub the other night. It was a wonderful opportunity to flex my "vegan ambassador" muscles. Though I personally enjoy "freaky" vegan food as much as the next vegan, it's nice to show folks that vegan food does not necessarily need to be so very different from the food they are used to. Featured here are Alicia's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from The Kind Diet, fresh dipping veggies with my avocado aioli, crostini with "butter" and olive tapenade and with artichoke spread. Here are my easy recipes:

Artichoke Crostini
Ingredients:
1 can artichoke hearts in water
5 Tbsp. Vegenaise
5 drops umeboshi vinegar
salt and pepper
1 baguette, sliced thinly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spread the bread slices on a cookie sheet. Toast the bread until lightly browned, turn the slices over and  toast the other side. Meanwhile, drain the artichoke hearts and press in a colander with a bowl and something heavy on top for several minutes to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Combine all remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is achieved. Top each toast with a spoonful of artichoke spread. I then garnished with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.
Variation: Butter each toast and top with olive tapenade. I bought mine at Costco. The butter is a nice compliment to the oily/vinegary tapenade. 

Avocado Aioli
3 avocados
6 Tbsp. Vegenaise
Juice of 1 lime
salt
Process all ingredients in a food processor.


I have featured this aioli several times on "A Midlife Vegan", and each time it is different. It's that kind of a recipe -- hard to mess up.  The proportions don't matter so much. This version was more avocado-centric than others. The lime is crucial.

It was so fun to get together with the girls and I love feeding friends healthy, kind food. After rolling the dice, I didn't personally win any money, but everyone loved my food so I still felt like a winner!

Full Disclosure

Here is my Christmas Eve dinner! It is whole wheat linguine with olive tapenade, olive oil, steamed broccoli and cannelini beans. I also topped it with a tablespoonful of marinara and some nootch. It was really, really good. Everyone had their choice of pasta types and toppings. I also offered regular angel hair and real parmesan. This was a perfect Christmas Eve plan for myself and for Wynne, but not necessarily for the boys.  They went with the flow anyway though.  Normally we are the lucky beneficiaries of our friends, Gretchen and Sean, who invite us to enjoy their family's Christmas Eve buffet celebration with them. This year, however, my burning the candle at both ends to prepare for Christmas and our party stirred up whatever germs still lingered from my illness the week prior. I woke the day after the party with full-fledged laryngitis and a basically closed windpipe. I finally bit the bullet and went in to see the doctor where I was prescribed antibiotics (perish the thought, but they are working). Anyhoo, since I was sick again we skipped our friends' Christmas Eve and had pasta in our p.j.'s.

Things don't always go as planned, and in most cases, around here, it's because the plan is never really fully formed. My husband and I are a bit of an odd couple.  Most wives are the planners, the social ones. I do try my hand at this, and am as social as most other gals, but my social prowess pales in comparison with my mate's. He's quite gregarious -- the life of the party. As such, he's the one who normally makes our plans. If I manage to make a plan of my own, my husband, who truthfully would prefer not to be pinned into any plan, will usually tweak or alter it. So you can imagine how, through the years, I have lost much of my enthusiasm for the role of planner. Nevertheless, occasions such as holidays tend to go better with at least a loose plan, so try I did.

My husband's best friend, Dan, from Boston, returned last month from Afghanistan so my husband made a plan to meet him, along with his son and ours, for a fishing trip in Miami right after Christmas. So here's me trying to plan our Christmas festivities:

"When are you and Hans leaving for Miami?"

Him: "I don't know, right after Christmas,"

Me: "Right after opening presents or the next day?"

Him: "I haven't decided yet,"

Me: "I only ask because I need to know in advance if you would like a nice Christmas dinner since the store will be closed on Christmas,"

Him: "Won't you and Wynne need to eat dinner?"

Me: "Yes, but we don't eat turkey and ham. I'd rather not make those if you won't be here,"

Him: "Do I need to decide now?"

Me: "No, but just let me know when you do,"

I never got a decision. As our lovely, lazy Christmas day lingered, Andres said, "What have you got planned for dinner?"

We ordered Chinese takeout. It was delicious!

Merry and Bright

It's so peaceful and quiet this morning. Everything is blanketed in white and the dogs and I are the only ones awake. I'm enjoying this slow start to the day, lingering over my coffee and soy nog . . . mmmmmm.

You Yankees will laugh at me (I know, I used to live in the D.C. area) since what we have here in Georgia is really only a dusting of snow, but it is so uncharacteristic and magical that it is, to me, like a winter wonderland. My daughter told me yesterday that she'd heard the last time the Atlanta area had a white Christmas was 1880-something (the exact year escapes me and I'm not going to wake her to ask).

Here are some photos of what I see out the window. I tried to get a shot of the dogs in the snow as I let them out, but they are both southern wussie-girls like me and couldn't get out and back in again fast enough!

Outside my front door . . .

I love how the snow makes my front-yard jungle look like lace!

And the backyard -- I suppose it would look more lovely without the lacrosse pitchback and goal and the trampoline, but this is who we are!

Maybe this is a better angle, off to the side . . .

Looking around this morning I realize how fortunate we are to have been able to dig our roots in here for 10 years, surrounded by a community who is like family. In this moment, I am  . . . Grateful!