Kitty Doughnut Tattoo

 

This is a memorial/good memory tattoo I had done over the weekend in honor of Mar. He loved doughnuts so I thought a kitty doughnut would be appropriate. Of course it has to be cute and fit in with my cute foods theme. The tattoo was done by Buddha over at Born to Lose located at 1009 McHenry Ave, Modesto, CA 95350. Go to him/his shop for a friendly staff and a clean shop.

[Vegan MOFO] Throwback Thursday - Mama's Banana Nut Bread

Banana Bread Is Love

Growing  up my mom would often bake during the holiday season. She even baked things like cookies for the class for special occasions (back when parents were allowed to send in homemade treats). Everyone who tries her banana-nut bread falls in love with it, even those on the fence about banana-nut bread. So now she makes it vegan - she even says it tastes better vegan. I request it for the holiday season and for my birthday. I do not know her recipe - I just want to have her make it, it is a comfort food treat that screams 'love from mom'...

I have been playing around with sugar free baking lately, mainly so I can share treats with my diabetic neighbors. After buying the Forks Over Knives cookbook at Costco I tried the Better Than Mom's Banana Bread, well it is not better than my mom's but it is good. I have been playing around with the recipe, different spices and flours...

Sugar free takes on classics is not as scary as it may sound, people often equate sugar free, oil free and vegan as bland. Not so! Sweet treats are a cinch if you keep things like maple syrup and agave around. I am really into spelt flour lately, maybe it is a gateway to other flours! Do you bake sugar free? How about oil free? What is your favorite flour? I want to know!

Tea Time Tuesday - Teavana Honeybush Vanilla

Mat bought me a bag of Teavana's Honeybush Vanilla over the weekend. After having one cup - I am hooked! For a herbal tea - it is really rich, almost like a black earthy tea. There is a sweet note to it, but nothing artificial tasting like some teas. I like it with even more vanilla flavor in the form of vanilla almond milk, however on it's own it is pretty good. I am going back to get more!

Sweet & Spicy Stir Fried Noodles

Fast Sunday night dinner...Basically it is a package of baked tofu (Teriyaki flavored), some left over frozen veggies and fresh pineapple with fresh rice noodles. I cooked the veggies with tofu while boiling the water/noodles. I added the noodles to the oan, the pineapple and the sauce. Sauce: a dash of Sriracha, a tablespoon of fresh pineapple juice from the pineapple chunks, a squirt of Braggs and about a teaspoon of rice vinegar. Dump it over the mix and let it heat up and serve. 

Note: The fresh rice noodles from TJ's are hard to work with. They turn into a huge clump once cooked. I tried my hardest to break them up with no luck!

This Weeks Eats: Tex Mex & Peach Tofu

The Tex-Mex plate:

Chili lime rubbed tofu (Appetite For Reduction), black beans in a simple sauce (2 cans of rinsed & drained black beans, a dash of Mexican spice blend and a couple of shakes of hot sauce), red rice with lemon and salsa on the beans! Tasty, spicy but not crazy so and comforting!

East meets East sweet & savory plate:

Smoky peach  tofu (from Cooking With Trader Joe's Vegetarian - I love this book!), coconut water lime basmati rice (cook white basmati, replacing 1/2 of the cooking water with coconut water, juice of a lime and slices of lime floating on top (pick 'em out after cooking). I served pakoras from Trader Joe's on the side baked in the oven and toped with the sauce. Sweet and savory, comforting and tropical!

I love tofu, it is comforting and pretty cheap. I go for the super firm pressed stuff. That way no roll of paper towels goes down the drain and no extra prep. You can just use one paper towel to dry it off and cut and get busy with your dish. 

Rice is another cheap staple. I go for basmati, it has a texture and nuttiness that I enjoy. I buy my rice from Trader Joe's or go for something in the natural foods section. I check over my rice carefully because pantry moths are known to go for it in stores, especially in the bulk area. Icky right?

 

Theo Spicy Chile Chocolate Bar

So as we know I am a fan of chocolate and spice. So when I came upon this bar over the weekend you know I had to buy it and try it!

The chocolate is rich and dark, it is the predominant taste, the ones that hits you first and stands out. Then a bit of orange flavor comes in and on its tail a spicy kick! The spicy kick is not overwhelming but it is there and it does warm up your mouth. All the flavors mix well together and compliment each other.

If you are looking for some sweet spice to kick off the new year, then grab this bar!