Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 184

Memphis Vegan Food Trucks: Raw Girls

I have some VERY exciting news to share! Memphis has a high raw vegan food truck!

It's run by an adorable and awesome vegan couple —Amy and Hannah Pickle of the Raw Girls, LLC. They've run a successful raw catering/meal plan business for several years here. And over the years, I'd sampled a few of their desserts (back when they used to sell at my hula-hoop studio, Co-Motion). So I was THRILLED when I heard they were starting up a vegan food truck!


Last Thursday night, they posted an unexpected announcement — they'd be holding a soft opening in the Hollywood Feed pet store lot at Poplar and Yates on Friday. Well, I work Downtown, and that location is in East Memphis. It's a good 20- to 30-minute drive in traffic. But I wasn't about to let that stop me! My editor Susan (a vegetarian) and I hopped in my Subaru and made the trip out east to grab some lunch.

When we arrived, we were greeted by hugs! Amy and Hannah are as sweet as can be. We studied the menu, which they told us would be expanding over time, and finally settled on some meals. I picked the Black Bean Spaghetti with Pesto. It came packaged like this — container of black bean pasta with hemp seeds, container of spicy jalapeno pesto, and container of raw tomatoes, onion, and corn.


And here's how it looked all mixed together. Love this cold noodle salad! Gluten-free noodles are my fave because I prefer that chewy texture, and the pesto was so flavorful. Loved the jalapeno bits!


Susan opted for the Raw Girls Taco Salad — bowl of mixed greens, bowl of taco nut meat, bowl of guacamole, and bowl of raw tomatoes, onions, and corn.


And then she mixed it all together. I sampled a bite of hers and was super-impressed with the nut meat. I've made taco nut meat from various recipes, and it's always good, but sometimes mine seems a little dry. This was wetter and more flavorful.


As a bonus, they let us try some of their cold-pressed juices!! I went with the Green Love Bomb because I'm partial to fruit-veggie mixes. This had a strong celery flavor (my fave) and lots of sweetness from the apples. It was so good that I drank half this bottle on the long drive back to the office, so you get a pic of a half-full bottle. Sorry!


And Susan had the Master Lemon/Turmeric Cleanse. Much better than any master cleanse juice I've ever made!! That turmeric really helped! And the maple made it sweet like lemonade.


The Raw Girls food truck isn't on a regular schedule yet, but "like" them on Facebook and follow their page for updates. They're currently taking special orders for the holidays on the catering side of their business, and they have gift certificates too.

The Fork

My foodie pal (and colleague at The Memphis Flyer ) John Klyce Minervini has just launched a Memphis dining website called The Fork. It has listings for local (mostly) farm-to-table restaurants (and more are added daily), and through the holidays, it features fun specials at local restaurants, breweries, and coffee roasters to help feed the homeless (read on for details!).


The site, which John describes as an "online dining portal," isn't totally vegan, but several of the restaurants listed have vegan options. And as the site grows, more vegan options will be included. Since he's trying to get the word out, I thought it'd be nice to run a little Q&A with him.

John Klyce Minervini
Me: In a few sentences, can you describe what The Fork is all about?
John: Heck yes! The fork is an online dining portal. Which is really just a fancy way of saying that we help Memphians figure out where to eat, what to eat, and why.

How would a local restaurant qualify for a Fork listing? Does it have to be farm-to-table?
Great question. In a perfect world, all restaurants would serve exclusively local, seasonal fare. And maybe someday we’ll get there. But in the meantime we want to meet Memphis where it’s at.

So what counts? How do you define farm-to-table?
Our definition is pretty simple. A regional farm is a farm you can drive to in a day. And when The Fork says that a restaurant is farm-to-table, we mean they have significant local and regional offerings. 

Currently, you only have a handful of listings on the site, but you're adding daily. Could you estimate how large the farm-to-table scene is in Memphis?
I moved back to Memphis in February, so I can only offer a rough estimate. But my guess is that there are between 120 – 150 restaurants that would fit that description around here.

Besides listings, what will be the other features of the website?
I guess the first thing would be Hungry Holidays. That’s this big celebration we’re doing until the end of December. Basically, we’re collaborating with 11 chefs to help Memphians discover great local food—and help feed the homeless at the same time.

How does that work?
OK, so we feature a dish on the website. Roasted butternut squash bisque, let’s say. And if you go to the restaurant and order it, 20% of your purchase will be donated to the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry. They’re this nifty Memphis nonprofit that delivers hearty meals (burritos) to homeless people – by bike!

How about after December? Any big plans?
Honestly? At this moment, I’m mainly focused on Hungry Holidays. Trying to line up eleven of these promotions, schedule photo shoots, and print table cards—it’s kind of a full-time job. But starting in January, The Fork will start to roll out the regularly occurring features of the website. Things like expanded listings, ingredient spotlights, meet the farmer, meet the chef. I’m also interested in doing some events around town. Things like a book club and guerilla dining.

Most of Vegan Crunk's readers are vegans or vegetarians. Do you know of any Memphis restaurants that offer veg options that would qualify for a Fork listing?
First just let me say that I have been reading Vegan Crunk since I got back to town in February. And I’m not the only one! So (as I’m sure you know), you’ve got some devoted omnivore readers. But I digress. To answer your question, I can think of several of farm-to-table restaurants with great veg options. For starters, Jeff Dunham at the Grove Grill has been taking care of his veg diners for fifteen years! Other restaurants that jump to mind are Bounty, Interim, Sweet Grass, Cosmic Coconut, McEwen’s, and Ecco. That’s just off the top of my head.

Speaking of vegan options, check out Orr Restaurant's falafel & hummus plate!!
Anything else you'd like to add?
You bet! I wanna give a big shout-out to Jeff Hulett at the Church Health Center for coming up with the following three words: Memphis as Fork. I’m currently working with a graphic designer to put that on a t-shirt. So check back in January, and hopefully you’ll be able to order Memphis as Fork t-shirt.

Third Annual Christmas Cookie Club

Three years ago, Cassi read a book called The Christmas Cookie Club , some sappy click-lit about sisterhood and cookies. Well, this book gave her the bright idea to actually start her own Christmas Cookie Club.

There are only 12 ladies invited, and new people can only be added when one person drops out. No chocolate chip cookies or peanut-containing cookies are allowed. That last part is because of Cassi's peanut allergy. The chocolate chip rule is just silliness. In year's past, each of us had to bake 13 dozen cookies, and we'd package them by the dozen and swap. The 13th dozen was donated to a charity of Cassi's choice. But every year, we'd all moan and groan about baking 156 cookies. And besides, who wants to go home with that many cookies?!

So Cassi finally relented this year and knocked it down to six cookies per person. Much more reasonable. We met up Saturday night with food, wine, and lots of cookies. The wine was placed in the center of the circle.


And Nicole walks in dressed like Ms. Sexy Claus.


And each person took turns going around the room, talking about our cookies and how they related to our year. Oh yea, that's another rule. The cookies have to somehow tie in to your past year.


Well, I don't like rules. And since I'm 34 now (and it's my last year to check off that 27-34 age box on surveys), I've decided that if I have to be a grown up, I'm just gonna do what I want. In fact, I've dubbed 2014 the Year of I Do What I Want. I'm not following any traditional life path of having to get married or have kids. I don't care about that stuff. Instead, I'm just doing what I want. Isn't that what being a grown up is all about? I wanted to run a half-marathon in 2014, so I pretty much made my whole year about getting that checked off my list.

So what did I bake? Chocolate Chip Cookies, bitch. Breaking the rules!


Okay, technically, these were chocolate "chunk" cookies. That was a bit of a loophole in Cassi's rules, so I took advantage of that. I used Isa and Terry's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, but you can also find it here on the PPK.

Here are the rest of the cookies.


Left to right, clockwise — Nicole's Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, Pam's Italian Wine Cookies, Aisha's Cinnamon Rolls Cookies, Karen's Lemon-Black Pepper Shortbreads, Cassi's Stained Glass Cookies, and (in the middle) Jennifer's Crockpot Christmas Crack (her name for it).

Loved Nicole's buns. She's also a rule-breaker for bringing pastry rather than cookie. Pam's wine cookies were festive and perfect for dunking in a glass of merlot (yes, I did that). Aisha's cinnamon roll cookies were like little bites of Christmas. Karen got totally inventive and combined lemon with fiery black pepper, and you know what? It was a genius combo. Cassi's very Christmas-y stained glass cookies were so pretty, and they have a melted Jolly Rancher baked into the center! And Jennifer's Christmas crack is SO GOOD. It was made with vegan chocolate and peanuts (she's also a rule-breaker), and I'm sad that Cassi can't eat this stuff because it really is like crack.

I forgot to photograph Lisa's Hershey Kiss Cookies because they weren't vegan, so they didn't make it onto my cookie snack lunch today. Yes, I ate leftover cookies for lunch. I do what I want. Most everyone veganized their cookies this year, even though several ladies aren't vegan. How nice, right?! And they all did an excellent job.

Of course, we had to have some savory food too. I brought Somer's Kick Ace Extra Sharp Raw Vegan Holiday Cheddar Cheese Ball, which has been basically taking over the vegan internet lately. And it's no wonder because it is FREAKIN' AMAZING. This is a quick cashew cheese that doesn't involve any aging, so you can make it on the same day you plan to serve it. It gets its orange hue from sundried tomatoes, and it has a silky yet solid texture from the coconut oil. This was a total hit for the vegans AND the nonvegans!


Cassi made some fire Buffalo Mock Chicken Ranch Dip. I couldn't stay out of this. It's from her cookbook, which hasn't been published yet, but I have faith it'll happen. It was creamy and ranchy and loaded with bites of vegan chicken.


And she made some Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms that were really tasty.


There was also Chocolate Hummus and Cranberry-Orange Hummus.


And a big ole bowl of Kettle Sriracha Popcorn.


And as if we didn't have enough sweets, Cassi also baked these Almond Butter Cup Banana Cupcakes for Jennifer's birthday, which is coming up. When you bite into these, there's a homemade almond butter cup in the center! These were really, really good.


So that's it for Christmas Cookie Club 2014. Even though I bent the rules a bit, Cassi didn't kick me out (yet!), so looks like I'm down to bake another 66 cookies next year. Now I'm off to eat more cookies before I go to bed.

Eat Your Peas! And Beans! And Barley!

Months and months ago, Pereg Natural Gourmet Food sent me several packages of their dried legumes to sample. But since I cook for one (Paul and I don't eat the same things), it takes me awhile to work through a big sample box. I tried the jumbo-sized Chickpeas, the Pearl Couscous, and the Autumn Lentils in various dishes.

And this week, I finally got around to the last item — Pereg Soup Mix.


I grew up eating 15-bean soup, which is packaged as a bunch of dried beans and legumes with some sort of ham seasoning packet. God knows what was in that seasoning. But I remember loving that soup as a kid! I loved all the various textures, shapes, and colors of beans all mixed together. This Soup Mix brought back those fond memories.

The package contains barley, yellow and green split peas, yellow and green whole peas, black turtle beans, romano beans, Dutch brown beans, and red lentils. Some are big. Some are teensy. Some retain a firm texture. Some get super-soft and mushy. And all those flavors and textures together make for one pretty special soup.

I followed the recipe for Mixed Bean Tomato Soup on the back of the package to make this!


So good. It's creamy and chunky and savory all at the same time. The Soup Mix is cooked with crushed tomatoes, onion, pepper, celery, carrot, and garlic. And it's seasoned with veggie stock, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Such a warming meal on these cold winter nights. I've been enjoying this soup all week with vegan cheesy bread some nights and with vegan cheese and crackers other nights.

Stuff I Ate

I've got a random hodge-podge of meals and vegan desserts to share tonight. Since I've got a ton of pics, I'll keep the words to a minimum.

I was inspired by my pal Dana from Vanishing Veggie to create some Breakfast Stacks this week — whole wheat English muffins, baby spinach, tofu eggs, avocado, and sriracha. The tofu was cooked in Vegg powder mix to make it taste like eggs. 

 
Last week, I made Tonya's Brown Rice Breakfast from The Garden of Vegan. An oldie but a goodie. Sprouted grain toast topped with brown rice, tofu, flax oil, Bragg's, and ketchup. This time, I used some leftover Tofu Sausage from The Lusty Vegan that I had in the freezer.

I've been having some great savory breakfasts lately. Loved this Bagel Sandwich with Tofu Eggs, Field Roast Chao Cheese, and Homegrown Alfalfa Sprouts.

And one day, I had this AMAZING Sweet Earth Big Sur Breakfast Burrito . LOVE THESE! I buy them at Target. This one has roasted peppers, potatoes, smoked seitan bits, and seasoned tofu.

Speaking of breakfast, last Sunday was Stephanie's last day in the U.S. before her month-long holiday trip to the U.K., where her husband's family lives. We had a farewell brunch at Imagine Vegan Cafe, where I had a slice of the Pumpkin Sausage Tofu Quiche that Stephanie baked to sell there. She bakes all their desserts and their quiches. On the side was a salad with vegan ranch.

After I ate my quiche, I had to have one last Cinnamon Roll (also baked by Stephanie) before she left. I'm sad that there are no more cinnamon rolls at Imagine until January.


There will be dessert at Imagine while Stephanie is away though! My pal Cassi has stepped up to supply the cafe with cupcakes! Tonight, she brought in her Chocolate Cupcakes with Cookies 'n' Cream Frosting. These are my fave cupcakes that she makes because the frosting tastes just like Oreos (probably because it has Oreos in it). This sad dimly lit pic doesn't do this yummy cake justice.


Sometimes, during Sunday brunch hours, Kristie at Imagine (the owner) makes vegan doughnuts. God, they're so good. This Vegan Maple Doughnut was especially delicious.


My gym — Envision Memphis — sells vegan grab-n-go items from Get Fresh Memphis, a healthy food catering service. A couple weeks back, I grabbed this Kale Caesar Salad after yoga.


The dressing was so good! It was loaded with olives, and there were hemp seeds throughout the salad.


Oh hey crappy pic of Chili Cheese Fries with Homemade Low-Fat Sour Cream and Daiya Mozzarella (made from plain soy yogurt and lemon juice)!


One night, Paul and I went out for a fancy-schmancy dinner at Interim Restaurant. It's honestly way too classy for me, but we had a gift certificate. This plate of Roasted Beets, Blackeyed Peas, Brussels Sprouts, and Sauteed Squash was delicious. Paul thoroughly enjoyed his meat plate.


After Thanksgiving, I had some leftover Cream of Celery Soup that my mom had made to go in my dressin'. She sent it home with me, so I enjoyed it with some sriracha and a vegan grilled cheese.


Back in October, my parents gave me a bottle of Extra Hot Muscadine Hot Sauce they picked up on a trip. It's very sweet because of the muscadines, but it's also delightfully spicy. Nice flavor combination.


I used some to baste this Baked Spicy-Sweet Tofu. Enjoyed this with a side of Earth Balance White Cheddar Mac and Steamed Broccoli.

Miyoko's Creamery!

Miyoko is the Queen of Vegan Fancy Cheese. Her cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese, flipped the vegan script, y'all. Before Miyoko, we purchased pre-made block cheezes for our fancy wine parties. And they were good (still are), but they weren't artisan cheese. They weren't aged, and they didn't compare to the stinky cheeses our omni friends eat. If we were feeling really fancy, we'd create vegan hippie cheeses using nooch and agar, a la Jo Stepaniak's Ultimate Vegan Cheese Cookbook. And those classic recipes are great too!

Miyoko at Seattle VegFest!
But just as there's a difference between the dairy cheese blocks you get in the fridge case by the butter and milk and the dairy cheese in the expensive case, there's a difference between aged nut cheese and other vegan snack and sandwich cheeses. I've used Artisan Vegan Cheese to create homemade aged cheeses a number of times, and though the recipes are simple, they're also very time-consuming. I mean, aging doesn't happen in a day, folks. So thank freakin' goddess for Miyoko's Creamery!

You can now order Miyoko's cheeses online. There are various sampler packs so you can try multiple cheeses, and there's even a holiday sampler pack with limited edition flavors (in case you're wondering what to get me for Christmas!).


Miyoko and I were both presenters at Seattle VegFest this past March, and she mentioned that her cheese-making business was opening soon. Oh my gawd, I couldn't wait! Having had Miyoko-made cheeses before in Portland — when she made all the cheeses for the Vida Vegan Con 2013 gala —I knew things just taste better when Miyoko makes them.

Well, the Creamery finally opened for business a few months ago, and Miyoko sent me a sampler box to review. But there were eight cheeses in this box! And one girl can only eat eight cheeses so fast. It's taken me quite awhile to work through them, but I'm proud to say that I've finally eaten all my nut cheese. Each cheese comes in a cardboard package, and inside they're wrapped either in wax paper or cellophane, depending on the style of cheese.


It's like a little present just waiting to be ripped open!


Although I hoarded most of this cheese for myself, I did manage to share two wheels at my October dinner party for our soon-to-come Veggin' Out webisode series. I brought out the Fresh Loire Valley in a Fig Leaf and the Aged English Smoked Farmhouse.

The Fresh Loire Valley in a Fig Leaf was impressive as hell. This cheese is seriously wrapped in a wine-soaked fig leaf! At first, we weren't sure if we should eat the leaf, but I braved a bite and realized it had a mild flavor that actually complemented the soft, tangy wheel. Great with crackers! Several dinner party guests declared this to be their favorite of the two.


But my fave of the two was the Aged English Smoked Farmhouse. In fact, this was probably my second favorite cheese of them all! This semi-hard cheese was much more firm than the Loire Valley cheese, so slices held together well. And I'm a fan of anything with a smoky flavor. We enjoyed it on crackers, but this would also be lovely sliced and served on a vegan turkey sandwich.


A few days after that party, I opened Country Style Herbs de Provence. This is a tangy semi-hard cheese that's completely coated in herbs. There's lavender, maybe some oregano and thyme. I'm not really sure what combination of herbs were used, but there's a LOT of them.


I thought maybe this cheese would be best enjoyed crumbled over a salad, and I think I was right. Here's a simple salad with Field Greens, Country Style Herbs de Provence, and a Raspberry Balsamic-Olive Oil Vinaigrette. The tangy cheese paired perfectly with the bitter greens and tart-sweet dressing, and since the herbs got coated in balsamic vinegar, they were a little softer and easier to eat than dry herbs.


One thing I didn't pay attention to when prioritizing which cheeses to try first was the expiration dates. My package arrived in early October, and a couple of the cheeses expired earlier than others — one by the end of October. Others are good through January. Well, sadly, the French Style Winter Truffle was coated in mold when I opened it past the date. Of all the cheeses, it has the shortest shelf life. But never fear!! I just cut that mold right off, and hiding underneath was perfectly good cheese. Waste not, want not.

After cutting off the mold, I enjoyed the French Style Winter Truffle (on the left) and the Double Cream Sundried Tomato Garlic (on the right) with crackers, vegan pate, wine, and grapes one night for dinner. I love simple meals like that. Look! They're like little Pac-Mans!!



Hands down, the French Style Winter Truffle was my favorite cheese of all!! I'm so glad I took a chance and cut that mold off. Miyoko did not skimp on fancy truffles in this cheese. They're peppered throughout, and this cheese boasts a strong truffle flavor. It's soft, woodsy, earthy, magical. I will be ordering this one again!

The Double Cream Sundried Tomato Garlic was great too! It's a creamier cheese but still very sliceable. The sundried tomatoes add a rich umami flavor and a tanginess that's accented by the garlic. This cheese is made with chickpea miso, which adds to that deep flavor. I enjoyed both cheeses on crackers, but the sundried tomato cheese was just calling for something more. Something like this!


That's kamut elbow noodles coated in melted sundried tomato garlic cheese! I just melted the cheese in a saucepan with a bit of almond milk, and it made a creamy, rich sauce in no time. I would highly recommend that with this cheese.

The Classic Double Cream Cheese Chive is like a plain version of the sundried tomato, and IT IS SO GOOD! I'm a sucker for any creamy cheese sub with chives mixed in, and this one is loaded with chives. It's super soft and spreadable.


So of course I had to try it on bagels! My favorite way to enjoy this cheese was schmeared on whole wheat bagel thins with little blobs on roasted garlic & onion jelly.


Just this past week, I've been enjoying my last two cheeses — High Sierra Rustic Alpine and Aged English Sharp Farmhouse — with multigrain crackers, dolmas, and wine. But I wanted to try them other ways too.

The Aged English Sharp Farmhouse is very similar to the smoked farmhouse, only minus the smoky flavor. It's sort of your basic straight fancy sharp cheddar. It's a harder cheese that's great on a cracker. But it also makes for a damn fine cheesy bread topping. I broiled some over slices of multigrain baguette this week to eat with some bean soup. It didn't get super melty as I'd hoped, but it sort of melted in your mouth when you bit in.


The High Sierra Rustic Alpine is a semi-hard nutty cheese with a sweet buttery flavor. It's a bit hard to describe, but if you can imagine the flavor of a cheese that seems suited for a risotto, that's it. It'd be nice with fruit, and I enjoyed it with crackers. But I just kept thinking, "Risotto!" So I made some.

This was definitely the best risotto I've ever had. I melted half a package of the High Sierra Rustic Alpine in it, and it made for the absolute creamiest, dreamiest risotto ever. I know asparagus is so not in season, but it seemed like a veggie that would pair well with this cheese, so I added that, plus some fresh thyme and lemon juice.


It wouldn't be fair if I didn't share the recipe, right? I used this recipe from Eating Well as a guide, but I veganized it. Here ya go.

High Sierra Rustic Alpine Risotto with Asparagus & Fresh Thyme
Adapted from Eating Well
Yields about 7 cups

6 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and discarded, cut into bite-size pieces 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dry arborio rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry white wine
Half package of Miyoko's Creamery High Sierra Rustic Alpine Risotto, grated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh lemons juice
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but is not simmering.

Put the asparagus in a steamer basket and turn the heat on high. Steam for about 7 to 10 minutes or until asparagus is just tender but still firm. You want it to have a little bite. Remove from heat when it's done and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and salt and stir to coat.

Stir 1/2 cup of the hot broth and a generous splash of wine into the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to cook on medium-low, adding broth in 1/2-cup increments followed by a splash of wine, and stirring frequently after each addition, until most of the liquid is absorbed. The risotto is done when you’ve used all the broth and wine and the rice is creamy and just tender, 25 to 35 minutes total.

Remove from the heat. Stir in nut cheese, asparagus, thyme, lemon juice, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Crunk for the Holidays: Tofu Scramble Giveaway!

I'm back with my weekly holiday pimpin' of my cookbook, Cookin' Crunk: Eatin' Vegan in the Dirty South. Buy it for yourself if you don't already own it! Or buy it as a holiday gift for that fried tofu-lovin', waffle sandwich-eatin', green tomato-cravin' person in your life. Here's the link to buy a copy on Amazon. It's filled with 150-ish recipes of comfort food dishes I grew up eatin' in the dirty-dirty.

Since I launched this weekly blog series before Thanksgiving, I've already given away a copy of my cookbook (Hey Amber, your copy is in the mail!). I've posted my beloved coconut icebox cake recipe, and I've shared an ideal holiday meal created from Cookin' Crunk recipes.

But tonight, I want to give away something totally weird! I'm giving away tofu scramble! Okay, okay, I'm not actually going to send bean curd through the mail. That might get nasty. Instead, I'll send one lucky winner a jar of my tofu scramble seasoning. It's the same seasoning I used to make this delicious scramble.


My recipe is for Tofu Scramble is in Cookin' Crunk, of course. And it's posted right here on my blog, so if you don't win, you can still get scrambled this holiday season. But if you win, I'll do all the measuring for ya. And the jar holds enough mix to make multiple scrambles. Plus, I'll make it all cute and gifty.

All you have to do to win is leave a comment here about your favorite scramble add-ins. Do you like it plain? Do you prefer greens? Other veggies? Vegan breakfast meats? Chocolate chips? Jk! That's gross.

Also, please LEAVE YOUR EMAIL address in your comment so I can contact if you win. I'll pick one winner next Monday night.

My First Half-Marathon!!!!!

I finally finished a half-marathon!! Last year, I set a goal to run a half in 2013 and a full marathon in 2014, and then halfway through training for the October 2013 half-marathon I'd signed up for, I got a stress fracture in my foot. And even though it wasn't terribly painful, it was apparently a pretty bad break because it took six months to heal. I even wore a walking boot for several months and had to use a bone stimulator for 10 hours a day! My running dreams were smashed —at least for awhile.


And that made yesterday's personal victory of finishing the St. Jude Half-Marathon all the more special.

Before I broke my foot, I looked at my half-marathon goal as a mere stepping stone to my bigger goal of running the full 26.2 miles. But after my foot healed, I had to start completely over. We're talking couch to 5K. It took me a lot longer to get to the 13.1 than I'd ever dreamed it would. But I'm nothing if not stubborn, and if my body tells me I can't do something, I try even harder. While my injury really sucked at the time, it made me appreciate the stepping stones. It made me all the more grateful that I was able to finish yesterday's race.

It took me 2 hours and 48 minutes to run 13.1 miles, and that's really slow. But my goal was simply finishing. I didn't care how slow I was. I'll work on my fast game later.

Here's a little half-marathon weekend recap. It started on Friday night with the St. Jude Expo, where Cassi, her co-worker, and I picked up our race packets and shopped for new running supplies! I got two new running shirts and some YurBuds headphones, the first headphones I've ever worn that do not fall out of my tiny ears.


Then I went home and had some dinner. I'd always heard about "carb-loading" the night before a big race, but from what I've read in Runner's World over the years, that's sort of a myth. So instead, I opted for a balanced meal with whole grain carbs, protein, healthy fat, and greens. I used some of the Target brand Simply Balanced Miso Mushroom Meatless Turkey (Have y'all had this yet? It's awesome!), Himalayan red rice, sauteed Swiss chard, and a homemade miso-tahini sauce to create this Greens & Grain Bowl.


Yum! This was nice and filling, but it didn't leave me feeling bloated or anything the next day. I woke up at 5 a.m. on Saturday since my race began at 8 a.m. I read somewhere that you should have a light breakfast two hours before the race and then a banana one hour before. So at 6 a.m., I had Sprouted Grain Toast with Sunflower Seed Butter and Bee-Free Honee. On short runs, I usually just eat dates, but for my long training runs, toast with nut butter and honee always did the trick.


And then I drove downtown to AutoZone Park, where we were supposed to check our bags and stuff. Around 7 a.m., while milling around the park and trying to stay warm (I'd already checked my bag with my hoodie in it. Oops!), I enjoyed this banana.


Then it was time to line up for the race! There were 15 corrals, and you picked which one you should be in based on your average pace per mile. I run about a 12-minute mile, so I picked Corral #12. At around 8:22 a.m., my corral was off!

Just like with most of my training runs, the first five to six miles were a breeze. Plus, we ran through the St. Jude campus (they offer free medical services to children with life-threatening diseases) around mile 4, so that was pretty cool. There were people lined up all along the course cheering us on with signs. And there were random drum corps bands, bag-pipers, and other cool attractions along the way.

Oh, and I designed a GENIUS playlist, if I do say so myself, with inspirational poppy songs carefully selected for each mile. Iggy Azalea's "Impossible Is Nothing," Eminem's "Lose Yourself," Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger," and DJ Snake & Lil' Jon's "Turn Down For What" to name a few. Crazy things were happening with that playlist! "Eye of the Tiger" came on right as we ran past the Memphis Zoo! I paused Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" to use the porta-potty at mile four, and when I hit play again as I was taking back off, it was right at the line where she says, "I'm lightening on my feet."

Anyway, Paul was able to take off long enough to cheer me on at the halfway point. He snapped this shot.


Shortly after that pic was taken, I realized my tummy was grumbling. Luckily, I'd stashed a Huma Strawberry Energy Gel in my sports bra. It was a little sweaty, but I didn't care. Love these gels! They're made with chia seeds, real fruit puree, evaporated cane juice, and brown rice syrup.


That kept me going until about mile 10. And then I realized I was hungry again. But too bad! I'd only stashed one gel. So I just powered through. The last couple miles were pretty rough. But another crazy thing happened as I approached the finish line. I was listening to Katy Perry's "This Moment," and right as I spotted the finish, this lyric played: "And when you get to the finish line/Will you wish for more time?" I remember thinking, "No! I will not wish for more time. I want this race to be over!"

But I crossed that line and IT FELT SO GOOD! Queen's "We Are the Champions" came over my headphones, and I took my medal and just basked in it for a few minutes. Once the fuzzy head "I just ran a long way" feeling wore off, I headed to the food and beverage tent. But I wasn't impressed with their very non-veg options — pizza and potato soup. I did score some fruit and crackers there, but I put those in my bag for later. I needed protein, and fortunately, I'd stashed one of these NuGo Organics Dark Chocolate Almond Bars in my bag.


Then I went to find Cassi. She ran her first 5K on Saturday, and she stayed at the after-race party waiting for me. She got a 5K medal, and she was very excited about that. I'm quite proud of her because she hadn't trained for it at all. She hadn't even run about a year. But she made it to the finish line!


Our race bibs included coupons for free beers, so we enjoyed some Wiseacre Tiny Bombs!


By that point, it was freezing outside. While I was running, I got pretty hot. But about 15 minutes after the race, I realized just how cold it was. I believe the temps were in the low 50s, but they were steadily dropping all morning. I used my heat blanket to try and stay warm, but after our beers, we decided to head home and get into the warm car.

About an hour after the race, I snacked on the Peanut Butter Crackers and Mixed Fruit Cup I picked up in the food and beverage tent. I don't typically eat crap like this, but it was free. And deep down, I love those peanut butter crackers. I was just craving something salty.


My real post-race treat came at dinner time! I knew months in advance that I'd order Imagine Vegan Cafe's Vegan Chicken and Waffles after the race. And I did!


And it was damn delicious. I don't order this often because it's so decadent. But I earned it. For good measure though, I did request a side of Garlic Kale.


Of course, I had to get another post-race beer — Big Pants Brewery's Chocolate Oatmeal Porter. This is my favorite beer of the season.


Typically, I think that meal would have made me miserably full. But after dinner, I felt just right. I burned about 1,000 calories in the race, according to my FitBit, so I needed that.

I'd planned to go out to a trivia night on Saturday night, but by 8 p.m.-ish, I was beat. All I wanted to do was sit around and rest my weary legs. So we rented Maleficent, and I made some Quinn Olive Oil & Herbs Microwave Popcorn. Love this stuff! It's plain popcorn in an eco-friendly bag, and after it pops, you mix in a packet of olive oil and a packet of noochy herbs. I guess I did my carb-loading after the race! Whoops! Sorry not sorry.


So there you have it! Race day fun! Now I'm rewarding myself by taking this whole week off of running or cross-training. I'll do some yoga here and there, but mostly, I'll be sleeping in and chillin'.  No early morning workouts this week!

Vegan Holiday Nog Protein Smoothie!

It's nog time!! Growing up, I never had real egg nog because my parents told me it was gross. I missed out on a lot of things for that reason — pumpkin, winter squash, and all kinds of seafood. But later in life, when I finally tried pumpkin and hard squash, I realized that both were freakin' delicious. But as for egg nog and seafood, I'm pretty grateful that I never tried those. The less meat and dairy in my childhood, the better, right?

After going vegan, I quickly learned that I loved vegan egg nog! It's got all the good stuff — cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg — without the eggs. I never allow myself to have nog until the day after Thanksgiving, and nog season officially ends on New Year's Day. And when I enjoy a glass during the proper season, I typically spike it with spiced rum, like you do.

But sometimes, you want nog right after a long run, early in the morning before work. And spiked nog might not be the best idea. Enter the Vegan Holiday Nog Protein Smoothie!


It's perfect for post-run muscle recovery. It's filling enough to serve as a weekday breakfast. And it's freakin' delish. For this one, I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog, but Silk Soy Nog or Califia Farms Almond Milk Nog would work as well. The Vega One Vanilla Chai protein powder is perfect for this because it has the same nutmeg-y flavors as the nog.

I had one earlier this week after a run, and I'll definitely have another after Saturday's St. Jude Half-Marathon! I've been training all year for my first half (since dreams of finishing a half last year were squashed by a broken foot), and knowing this smoothie awaits me will get me to that finish line.

Here's the recipe!

Vegan Holiday Nog Smoothie
Serves 1

1/2 cup vegan holiday nog
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other plant milk)
1 frozen banana
1 scoop Vega Vanilla Chai Protein Powder
Handful of ice cubes
Rice Whip for topping
Cinnamon for topping

Add the nog, milk, banana, protein powder, and ice cubes to a blender. (If using a Vitamix, set the blender to the "smoothie" setting). Blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and top with Rice Whip and sprinkle with coconut milk. If you're not headed into work, hell, throw in some rum too.

Memphis Vegan Food Trucks: Hot Mess

There's a new burrito truck in town, and they're serving up some dope-ass vegan burritos! It's called Hot Mess, which is a fine name for a food truck if you ask me. I recently caught up with the Hot Mess truck at the grand opening of Memphis Made Brewing Company's taproom in the Cooper-Young neighborhood.


Because what goes better with delicious craft beers than massive mission-style burritos? Nothing. That's what. Here's my burrito and pint of Memphis Made Junt, a dark Belgian farmhouse ale brewed with a dash of cumin and a touch of smoke. The perfect burrito pairing beer.


Here's the menu.


I ordered the Veggie Burrito with Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Onion, and Pepper. It doesn't come with a side, but that's okay because this thing is huge. The veggies were perfectly seasoned, and they were generous with the beans. I added bonus avocado and roasted tomato sauce. Oh, and the burrito is vegan by default. There's no asking folks to leave off the cheese! Love that. But the very best part of this burrito was the soft homemade tortilla. Nothing beats a homemade tortilla.


You can find Hot Mess all over town, but they're often parked at Memphis Made during taproom hours. To see their daily schedule, check out their Twitter page.