Happy Hump Day

 Some funny memories of teaching... made me laugh on this rainy day!

Puppies Not for Sale!

I was shocked to read this!
I will leave with a picture of my puppy...

I'm Baaaack

Sorry for the long break. Working for an UES all girls school can be exhausting plus I have been making pretty lame dinners. Today's post is short...

Today while shopping at Whole Foods and the Union Square Farmers Market I was struck with a simple sandwich inspiration. I picked up some whole wheat bread, peanut butter, strawberry jam, and some  raspberries....

Here's what I came up with...

The fresh raspberries were pretty great. I plan to try making peanut butter sandwiches with all kinds of fresh fruit this summer... peaches, strawberries, etc. I think this is a fabulous way to cut down on the processed sugar in fruit spreads. 

In other news I am growing a little garden on my balcony. I have three types of tomatoes (all have little green tomatoes!), basil, oregano, mint, thyme, and rosemary. It's pretty great not to have to buy herbs anymore... MONEY SAVER!

Vegan For a Week: Day 1

Today's post is going to be a little different... I am going to write my meal plan in the morning and then fill in the pictures and comments at the end of the day.

Breakfast: Iced Latte made with Almond Milk and a banana
Snack: Almond Butter

Lunch: Sandwich with avocado, tomato, basil and an orange
Snack: Edamame

Dinner: Vegan tortellini with vegan pesto (bought from Whole Foods) and possibly a salad or a small bowl of my vegan veggie chili.
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie pre-made unbaked (Whole Foods)

Revised Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

1/2 a jalapeno, 2 peppers (red, yellow or orange), a spoon of crushed garlic and 1/2 a large onion. Chopped and sauteed in a large pot for 5-8 minutes with olive oil. 

Add a teaspoon of cumin and 2-3 tablespoons of chili power. Stir for 1-2 minutes. 

Add 1 1/2 zucchini, a package of organic frozen corn, and a can of diced tomatoes with juice. Cover pot and simmer until zucchini is semi-soft. 

Add can of rinsed organic kidney beans and a small handful of dark chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Cover and simmer for a few more minutes. 

Enjoy. 

Joining Morgan's Vegan Challenge

I am joining Morgan in her 7 Day Vegan Challenge. So... I started doing a little research. Since I am already a vegetarian all I have to do is make some minor tweaks to my diet. The two things I know I am going have trouble with is... cheese (cheddar and parm) and my morning latte. I talked to Charrow who is an amazing barista and artist at Joe Coffee and she said I can bring my own almond milk...


I learned that sugar is normally filtered using charred cow bones... not vegan. I found vegan marshmallows... by Dandies. I also will have to start really looking closely at labels for hidden animal products.

Any vegan recipes you wanna share?

The Oprah Vegan Challenge

Ok... I normally don't watch Oprah. BUT tomorrow she and all her staffers are going vegan for one week. She is having Michael Pollan as a guest! So I will DVR Oprah and I might try to go vegan for a week. This shouldn't be a stretch since I am already a vegetarian... how will I give up my morning latte?

Grapefruit for breakfast... vegan