"You're the Lady Who Likes the Bok Choy!"

"Yes, I am!" I answered with a smile.

My birthday turned out to be a bit of a "birthday week". There are many generous surprise- and party- minded folks in my life and so I really had a delightful time being surprised and showered with goodies over and over again. I am very lucky! By the time my actual birthday rolled around, a Monday, my only two remaining requests were for a moratorium on sibling rivalry and a break from cooking dinner. The initial plan was for the four of us to go out.

We have been in the process of having a roof constructed over and around our backyard patio and fireplace since it is about a gazillion degrees, Farenheit, back there in July and August, and the roof was in the final stages of being waterproofed late in the day on my birthday. By the time we were finished helping the workers tidy up the work space, we were too dusty, sweaty and hungry to rally to get dressed for dinner. So we all agreed to plan B -- take out from my favorite Chinese restaurant, Xiang China Bistro. We toyed with the idea of eating al fresco in our new outdoor space, but, alas, even at 7:30 p.m. it was oven-like out there. So we ate in the comfort of our air-conditioned kitchen.

We each have our favorites at Xiang, so we normally order way too much food, but most of it gets eaten over the course of 3-4 days. I am the only one who orders two entrees, since I am the biggest leftover-lover in the family. I eat every speck of my choices, so I've no guilt in doubling up. I order "Garlic Baby Bok Choy" every time, and I choose from tofu or other veggie dishes for my second. I LOVE the Garlic Baby Bok Choy! In a light, garlicky broth, pristine bok choy specimens are quickly braised to the perfect crisp/soft consistency. The slight bitterness I covet remains, and the rich broth is not overly salted the way many restaurants tend to do. I have never been disappointed in Xiang's bok choy.

On my birthday, when my pups began doing their thing, slobbering all over the front windows, snarling  and barking to announce the visitor, I slipped outside to sign the receipt and add a tip.

"Oh, you are the lady who likes the bok choy!" the delivery man said with a little bow and a smile.

"Yes!, I love it!" I answered, realizing that I must have been the subject of some discussion back at the Bistro. A few months prior, a different delivery man from Xiang had asked which one of us likes the bok choy, and I got into a little discussion with him about other veggies they all love to make and eat in their own families, which are not on the menu at Xiang, only because it was determined the clientele wouldn't have much interest. Sugar Snap Pea Shoots (not the pea pods, themselves, but the actual shoots, or young stems) were that delivery guy's fave.

As I set up the offerings, buffet style, so we could each serve ourselves, I told my husband what the latest delivery man had said, with reverence.

"I bet you are the only person in Alpharetta who orders bok choy!" he posited.

Maybe so -- if that is the case, I wondered why the bok choy remains on the menu. The restaurant workers obviously like it, and I'll keep ordering it. Hopefully that will remain incentive enough for the bok choy to stay!

Since it was my birthday, I indulged in my favorite cocktail, a Grey Goose Martini, on the rocks this time, all the better to linger longer over, and with giant caper berries instead of olives -- I found them at the Natural Foods Warehouse! I love the traditional shaken martini with the olives, but this one was fun for a change. The caper berries, the original martini garnish, imparted a mild, pickled, slightly sweet flavor. This martini felt very old-fashioned and special. It was lovely before and during the Bok Choy, Szechuan Tofu and steamed brown rice feast!

Odds-n-Ends, "Working With What Is" Edition

Long time no blogpost, friends! Sorry I have been AWOL, all I can say is that I've not been the captain of my own ship lately, and we continue to sail right along, nevertheless. That's just the way it goes in a family sometimes, particularly in chapters of transition. In any case, since life lately has not exactly fit any plan I have had for it, I thought a good theme for today is "working with what is".

The tofu scramble above was fabulous. I had no plan for it, just utilizing it as a vehicle for not wasting food in my larder. The celery was beginning to get limp, so I chopped it up and threw it in there. The carrots had seen better days, so in they went. Leftover roasted potatoes? Check. Certain herbs in my garden that have already begun to bolt in this 95 degree heat? They were lovely within this melange. This tofu scramble was nothing new, but it was amazing.

These are the happiest pots on my property, mainly because they get just enough sun, but not too much, and retain their moisture since part of their day is spent in the shade.  I love the "Creeping Jenny" that persists from years past. I just stuck some fronds of it into every pot in my yard, and struggled to make it work in most of them, and then finally gave up. The Creeping Jenny only loves these three pots, so I will quit trying so hard with the other ones. This year, I added begonias and lantana. I am also attempting begonias and lantana in the windowboxes in full sun which are adjacent to these happy pots. If it doesn't work out, I will shift gears and go another route, as I've already decided to do for some other window boxes up front, under a shallow eave which never gets any rain:

Everything I've ever planted in these forgotten window boxes dies mid-season, so I decided on a selection of succulents this year. Yay for plants that thrive on neglect! I don't know the genus or species, since I picked these up for a song at Walmart, but look at how pretty they are -- I love the bluish "bloom" on the surface of this palnt. It's almost more like a little creature than a plant!

"Working with what is" to me is simply the cessation of paddling upstream. I read somewhere that to turn one's boat around in a downstream direction, one need only lift the paddles out of the water. The boat easily rights itself with no effort from the rider. What an amazing, comforting concept that may be applied to many facets of life!

Since my "odds-n-ends" posts are of a random nature, I'll shift gears now only enough to share some things that feel like blessings to me.

I finally found some Kombucha! I won't share where I found it, lest I "out" the store, subjecting it to some kind of government agency regulation. This bottle was not labelled differently as I understand  it was supposed to be. I am grateful for this contraband, this elixir of health, life, peace and energy. I think the whole hullabaloo about alcohol content is ridiciulous, by the way, From all the bottles of Kombucha I've consumed, I've gotten nary a buzz.

Happy Memorial Day! We remembered members of our Armed Forces and their families on this day, especially my grandfather, Lloyd Charles McKenzie, who perished when he was only 28 years old. I wish I had known him.

My gorgeous gardenia bush decided to bloom right on time to honor the flag. This bush was almost a goner last year and I nursed it back to health. I love the gorgeous, healthy blooms. Their sweet, heady fragrance blasts me right back to the time I spent all over Greece as a college student. Smelling these blossoms, my Greek holiday feels like yesterday!

Grape tomatoes are already on the vine in May!

This Chinese Long Bean has found the trellis with no help from me! These beans were free this year -- I just grabbed a couple of the beans I missed in their thicket last year, all dried out and white, saved them in a brown paper bag all winter, then pulled the pods apart and planted the beans within.

Look what I found this morning! This shell is the size of a thimble. This egg was not of the incredible edible variety, but rather was the former home of a precious baby bird!

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that paddling upstream is futile. I'm getting better at remembering this fact with practice. "Working with what is" feels good, wastes less and uses a lot less energy. Give it a try!

The Carnivore Loved This Coleslaw!

Isn't nature lovely? This cabbage is so pretty, but the brain-like convolutions are easier to see in a purple cabbage. You can use either for this coleslaw recipe.

Friday nights are funny around here. I normally need to fix dinner, but it can't be something too special since my husband is as likely to want to go out as not. This week, still nursing a sore back from walking all over South Beach in high heels and then spending 13 hours in a car (little ole' lady issues for you young-'uns to look forward to . .) I proactively announced I was taking a night off from the nightlife. Ahhh, just writing that feels good!

So I prepared a simple dinner from what I had on hand. I started with a couple of Tofurkey Italian Sausages I needed to use up. I cut them into little bits, then threw them into the crock pot with the other ingredients for my lazy chili: A Tbsp. olive oil, a can of crushed tomatoes, a tomato-canful of water, a packet of McCormick Chili mix, a can of pinto beans and half an onion, chopped. I let that simmer on low for a couple of hours while I dismantled the Christmas decor. Then I began brainstorming about some new and different veggie dish and found the cabbage in the 'fridge. Instantaneously all the ingredients for a lovely coleslaw popped into my head. I could almost taste the flavor combination as I considered each ingredient. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best coleslaw I have ever put in my mouth.  If you like coleslaw, you have to try it. If you don't, you should try it anyway. It just might change your mind. Here's the recipe:


Excellent Coleslaw
Ingredients:
2 c. cabbage, very thinly sliced or shredded (I like sliced best)
1/2 an organic carrot, shredded
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1tsp. sesame seeds, plus another pinch for garnishing
Dressing:
3 Tbsp. Vegenaise
1 Tbsp. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
a generous grind of fresh pepper (I like the multi-colored peppercorns)
a pinch of salt


Use a fork or whisk to combine dressing ingredients thoroughly. In a large mixing bowl, combine cabbage, carrot and dressing until every strand is coated. Add seeds and stir. Finish with another sprinkling of sesame seeds over the top.

Here's the finished product. I have eaten coleslaws before containing a lot of sugar and mayonnaise, which only serve to obliterate the flavor of the vegetable, which most folks like, I guess, especially in the south. I prefer a lighter, fresher, more complex flavor combination. The caraway seeds do a lot here to enhance the combination. Rather than being dry and strong as they are in a rye bread, this scant teaspoonful shines with a subtle anise-like flavor that is almost sweet. The slaw is further subtly sweetened by the organic carrot (a completely different flavor than a non-organic one, in my opinion) and the apple cider vinegar. Finally, the vegenaise serves to balance and smooth any sharpness. In this recipe, you can actually taste the fresh cabbage -- and that's not a bad thing!

Here is our simple meal. It was a major victory night for me. As I was serving it, my husband grimaced slightly, saying, "I have never been a fan of coleslaw,"

"Just try a little bit, and if you don't like it, you can have a spinach salad," I countered.

After the excessive week in Miami Beach, I could tell my husband was feelin' a bit fluffy around the edges, so I was perfectly positioned to press my vegan advantage.

"What's in the chili?" he asked.

"Tofurkey sausage," I answered.

"Okay," he said.

The carnivore enjoyed the chili, but positively RAVED about the coleslaw! "This is really, really good! Does it have a lot of fat?"

Score!  It is really good -- give it a try!

Sure It Looks Like Cat Food, But It Is Shockingly Delicious!

Right -- so this is not the dish you want to take to a non-vegan pot-luck. It would do nothing for your vegan cause. Unless the non-vegan tasted it. But you know the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," So bring something more colorful and less mystery-grainy (they don't know what they are missing, those non-vegans, do they?)

This delectable dish was created from a reinvention of my own "Vodka Sauce" ("One of My Own Recipes", Archives). This time I used "Spicy Marinara" by Barilla, which is really more of an Arrabiata sauce. I adore a spicy sauce, but nobody else around here does, so after my serving, I was still left with a large panful of my vegan Vodka Sauce, spicy version. A girl can only eat so many bowlfuls of spicy vegan vodka sauce, so I decided to risk wasting half a box of red quinoa and a can of garbanzo beans in a quest for greatness. Believe it or not, greatness I found! I did not use water or broth in the cooking of the quinoa, I only used the sauce, and simmered it at a low heat instead of boiling, and stirred periodically to avoid burning the thicker liquid. The resulting dish was a wholesome, flavorful, infused grain. The sharpness of the spice was tempered and mellowed. The flavor and texture were addictive.

In other experiments, I decided to teach myself how to cook tofu (aside from chopping it up in a blender that is). I made Vegan Yum Yum's "Crispy Tofu with Kale and Noodles". It was a good lesson. If Yum Yum hadn't said it was possible, I never would have believed I could achieve such a crispy/silky texture by cooking the tofu longer and hotter. I loved the tofu. The noodles and kale were not my favorites. I guess I really prefer to eat kale raw. (try Morgan's "Raw Kale Mediterranean Salad" at http://littlehouseofveggies.blogspot.com -- you will love it!) I will definitely be making the tofu again. The whole meal was lovely in a photo:

But it was not as amazingly delicious as the "cat food"!