We thanked her for her help by treating her to lunch at Native Foods in Chicago, where we stopped on our way east. One of my close friends met up with us, and we braved the unseasonably cold temps and threat of rain and sat outdoors for our meal (not that we had a choice; we had Moria with us). Happily, they had set up some gas-powered heaters, so we were not uncomfortable. And my mom loved her first Native Foods experience — she was adorably excited about it for weeks before the trip. I’m pretty sure she only volunteered to help us move because I mentioned that we could stop there for lunch that day! (JK, JK.) She told everyone she talked to how happy she was to be there and how she’d come “allll the way from Rhode Island!” to try it. Just look how genuinely excited she was:

Native Mama!

Moms are great. That includes S’s mom, who’s happily letting us stay with her until we move into our new place (more on that soon). She and Moria are getting along famously!

I know this is a short dispatch from Maryland, but I’ll have more soon. I’m two days into my new job, so expect to hear more about that! In the meantime, I’ll be trying to come up with a new tagline for my blog — “a vegan in Dairyland” is wholly irrelevant now that I no longer live in Wisconsin. Thoughts?

By which I mean kitchen packing mode.

Ugh.

Today I started cleaning out the fridge. It wasn’t too bad, but there were some notable finds in there that made me feel ashamed and wasteful. And also like a weirdo. For example, stuck in the back was sticky bag of really old sliced almonds. Why was the bag sticky? Because I put an unfinished glass of red wine in the fridge, forgot about it, and spilled it while rooting around on the top shelf last week. Oops.

Stale almonds in red wine sauce.

Also, I found half a lime. The rind was extremely hard and brittle, but because I stored it face-down, the actual lime was okay. I squeezed it into the citrus chia water I like to keep in my fridge for a before/after-run refreshment. (Yes, I go running now. Who am I.)

Mmm, desiccated lime!

Then there was a container of what I can only assume is oatmeal. WTF, y’all. I rarely eat oatmeal at home (it’s an at-work breakfast), and when I do, I don’t have leftovers. It might be from a month ago when I was rushing to eat breakfast before heading off to an all-day volunteer event, but I dunno.

Must be oatmeal, right?

I also discovered this tiny bowl of sliced green onions. They did not look or smell like a particularly appetizing garnish for any dish.

Green-brown onions.

Aaand finally, I found a ridiculously small amount of coconut cream left in its can. Seriously, Past Kelly, why did you save that?! No one ever wants that small a serving of coconut cream. Ugh.

That’s half a tablespoon, tops.

This was, obviously, not all I found. The freezer housed a treasure trove of mysterious creamy concoctions, mostly sauces that we never finished and I optimistically assumed would seem appealing later on. (Spoiler: They rarely do.)

Up next? Actually cleaning the fridge. Those sticky red wine spots ain’t gonna scrub themselves.

Ah, the food.

My current company has a top-notch culinary team. Truly — they’ve won competitions. Every day they offer three soups, at least two entrees, multiple grill items and sides, a full salad bar, and a sandwich bar. (Also dessert, but it’s never vegan so it doesn’t count!) And the prices? They’re excellent. Dishes rarely cost more than $5.00, and you can stuff a small salad container pretty darn full of yummy fixins, including vegan-friend proteins like roasted tofu or spicy seitan.

Yep, seitan.

There’s at least one vegetarian soup and main dish every day. Usually, one of those dishes (if not more) is vegan. And the vegan dishes rarely cost more than $3.00. I’ve been spoiled, I know. During most of my tenure I tried not to buy lunch more than once or twice a week, but lately I’ve been splurging more often. Because we’re cutting down on grocery shopping in an effort to clean out the pantry, our dinners tend not to provide leftovers. So I’m saving a bit on groceries but spending more on lunch. Worth it! I’ve been snapping photos of noteworthy lunches sporadically for the past few years, but I’ve never shared them. Now seems as good a time as any to do so!

Let’s start with sushi! This dish included eight pieces of sushi, lotus root salad, and a cup of miso soup on the side.

How about a lettuce wrap filled with spicy ground tofu? That’s edamame on the side.

This nut- and seed-crusted tofu was savory perfection. The roasted veggies offered a delicate counterpoint to the heavier tofu.

Errybody likes tacos. (I’m pretty sure these were tacos. There seems to be a tortilla shell buried under the veggies…)

Back to the Asian-inspired eats with udon noodles and veg in a savory broth.

Another nut-crusted tofu! I’m 87% sure this one featured pistachios.

Falafel is never not a good idea, especially when served with lavash bread and a big ol’ salad.

Moar tofu! This time it was gently fried and served over udon noodles and veg.

Are you salivating yet? Yeah, me too. I’ll be sad to say goodbye to these dishes. Those chefs definitely know their way around a vegan dish. My only complaint was the consistency of the vegan offerings — some days I had two or three options from which to choose, while other days there was nary an animal-free option in sight. In those situations, it was straight to the salad bar for me.

Are you able to find good vegan food at your place of work?

Like we did for autumn and winter, S and I celebrated the alleged change in seasons by hosting a themed party a couple weeks ago. Our spring party was our biggest one yet, with more than twenty people packed into our apartment. Our gracious guests, who knew we’d have all sorts of tasty treats available, brought enough beer and wine to pack our fridge to the brim. Our guests then consumed nearly all the beer, leaving us with countless (fine, four) bottles of wine to enjoy. That’ll come in handy as we pack for our move!

So – what delicious eats did we share? Here’s the spread!

Spring party!

Our savory dishes included:

• Mini Mushroom and Spinach Quiches (using a recipe from our vegan friend — these were super yummy)
• Carrot Hummus (GF)
• No-Knead Basil and Tomato Focaccia
• Creamy Artichoke-Spinach Dip (GF)
• Chesapeake Dip (GF. Okay, it’s called “Crab Dip” in the recipe, but I wanted a more animal-friendly name!)
• Store-bought mango salsa (GF)
• Lots of dippers! (Veggies and two types of gluten-free cracker-chips)

I would’ve loved to use more seasonal produce, but it was still a little early around here for asparagus and other quintessential spring veggies. Alas!

For the sweet-toothed, we offered:

• Vanilla-Bean Cupcakes with a Raspberry-Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Bars (made GF with spelt)
• Strawberry Mousse “Shots” (my recipe, also GF)
• Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake Cookies (GF. You could barely taste the cream cheese in these, so I just called them “Raspberry-Coconut Cookies instead because the coconut oil flavor was very prominent.)

I think we did a nice job of keeping things fresh and spring-y with the desserts, yeah? The lemon bars were particularly tasty, but next time I’ll double the lemon layer — it wasn’t thick enough for my liking!

Lemonlicious.

Although we had lots of the aforementioned beer and wine on offer, I also whipped up these amazing Birthday Cake Martinis on request. Sadly, a few of my guests thought these were too strong (one guest-of-a-guest (who called herself bad with alcohol) choked a little on her first sip). I say, if you don’t want a strong drink, don’t order a martini! I personally thought they were fantastic, although I did reduce the amount of vodka and add a little extra coconut milk.

Our spring party was probably our most successful yet by all measurable metrics. If you’ve been following along, you know that S and I are saying goodbye to Wisconsin next month and heading east, which means that we won’t be able to round out our quartet of seasonal soirees with a celebration of summer. Believe me, I’m disappointed — and not just because of the way this bugs my OCD. A summer-themed party would’ve been a delight to throw, with all sorts of fresh produce to use as ingredients. And believe me, if S and I could’ve squeezed a party in, we probably would have. But the fact that we’ve already sold our table and chairs and started to pack up our kitchen items will most likely prevent us from doing that.

What are your favorite spring treats?

The entire experience was nerve-wracking. I feared that I’d fail at my job, that my writing skills wouldn’t be up to par or that technical writing would be horribly boring, that my new roommate and I wouldn’t get along. I feared not making friends.

In short, I was pretty sure the whole thing was a huge mistake. But the swift decline of the grace period on my loans and my desire to spend no more than six months post-college living with my parents compelled me to take the job. This was back in 2009, in the height (depth?) of the recession. As an English major, I felt pretty damn lucky to get the job I did, with the salary it offered and the benefits I received.

And despite my negativity, it all worked out just fine.

I soon discovered that my roommate and I were kindred spirits and that I was going to be successful at my job. I started to enjoy my new life. I began to appreciate Madison and its picturesque surrounding towns.

The Verona Public Library.

Over the years, things continued to surprise me and I surprised myself with how happy I felt. I discovered that mastering technical writing makes one a better all-around writer, and that working in the healthcare software industry gave me insight as the US began to think about how to reform our healthcare system.

And, oh yeah, I met S. And I adopted Moria.

Wary pup.

My life here is comfortable. I have lovely friends; a sweet pup; and the most loving, forgiving, and inspiring partner I could want. It’s a good life. And we’re getting ready to say goodbye to that life.

In a few short weeks, S and I are packing up and heading east. Because as much as I like the Midwest and my life here, the cold truth is that many of my friends and most of my family live on the East Coast. Visiting them is a chore that requires annoying, expensive, time-consuming flights or a very long drive. And I hate driving.

I’ve been feeling the call to move closer to home for a while now. But when my sweet little nephew Theodore was born last February, well, I knew it was time.

Superbaby!

But I didn’t want to move just anywhere or take just any job. I wanted a job that would keep me engaged and that would not feel like a step down from what I do now. Thanks to my still-existent student loans, it also had to have a decent salary. So I waited. I refused to do the resume spam thing, where you apply to every potentially relevant job you see and hope for the best. Instead, I applied to exactly two jobs. One, I discovered, was for a position that wasn’t actually available.

The other? Well. It was kinda-sorta the position of my dreams. And I got it.

Starting next month, I’ll be working as a production editor for The Humane Society of the United States. I’ll be using my writing, editing, and project management skills to advocate for animals. Pinch me, please.

At the very beginning of June, S and I will be moving out to Maryland. It’s the perfect place for us – it’s where he’s from, and it’s much closer to Rhode Island for me. I can take a quick, direct Southwest flight home or make the 7-hour drive when I’ve got time to spare. It’ll be so much easier.

We’re not sure where exactly we’ll end up. Maryland’s cost of living is much higher than that of Wisconsin, so we’ll be staying with S’s mom until we find an affordable place of our own that’s close to work for me and close to a metro stop so we can get into DC easily. S will be pursuing freelance writing and radio journalism, so he wants to be close to the city.

It’s really scary. Just like the last time I moved, I’m nervous. What if the job and I aren’t a good fit? What if S can’t find enough work to pay the bills? What if we can’t find an affordable, decent place to live?

But it’s a good kind of nervous. An exciting kind. I can’t wait to start this new chapter of our lives and to finally bring my professional and personal passions together.

So in the next few weeks, pardon me if I’m a little quiet. I’m just busy packing and planning and wrapping up my time at my current job… and possibly hitting up all my favorite Madison eateries one last time.

And waiting for my mushrooms to grow.

This past Christmas, my dad gave me a Back to the Roots oyster mushroom-growing kit. I was so pleased by this gift — Back to the Roots is doing great things, and I love that my dad found that gift and knew I’d like it without my ever having mentioned it to him. After Christmas, I let the unopened cardboard box kit sit in my bedroom for months; I was waiting until the seasons started to change so that my mushrooms would get ample sunlight and warmth.

Mushroom kit!

In March, I experienced delusions of spring and decided to start growing the mushrooms. I followed the directions on the box and cut through the plastic, soaked the bag of coffee grounds and mushroom spores, replaced the bag in the box, and set the box on a windowsill. I dutifully spritzed the grounds twice daily and saw a couple tiny mushrooms appear after a few days. Sadly, those first sprouts shriveled up and died within a week or so — I figured there wasn’t enough (read: any) sunlight, or maybe I wasn’t watering them enough. Disappointed, I left the box on my bookcase and ignored it for a couple of weeks.

Then I noticed a new set of mushrooms growing, despite my inattention, and I happily took up the task of giving it its twice-daily spritz of water. Aaand then S and I went away last weekend (more on that later), and the coworker I asked to care for my mushrooms didn’t quite keep them moist enough, and the new set of mushrooms withered up into hard, inedible nubs. Sigh.

But then! Lo and behold, a third set of ‘shrooms popped up in another corner of the box! To quote a recently re-released movie, life finds a way. (Ha ha ha.)

Determined not to let this batch die, I’ve been keeping the roots extremely moist. The box has a new home on the windowsill of my brand-new office during the week and my bedroom during the weekend, and I think that the spring sunshine (which finally appeared) did the trick. Just check out their growth in a matter of three days:

I feel good about this set of ‘shrooms; they’re already growing much faster than my first two attempts did. Third time’s the charm, eh?

The cool thing about the kit is that after you’ve harvested mushrooms from the front of the box, you can repeat the process with the back! When I do that one, I’m going to be sure to soak the roots more thoroughly than I did the first time. I suspect that some of my problems were caused by me not scoring the roots deeply enough when I cut the plastic and soaked the bag. Next time, I’ll knife down deep so that the mass of roots and coffee grounds are well soaked.

In the meantime, here’s hoping that I don’t have to wait on these mushrooms much longer. Got any suggestions for a delicious oyster mushroom dish we should make with our bounty?

Seriously. I really, really like it. So much so that my pantry has gotten into a rather alarming state; it’s packed with re-used glass jars filled with beans, grains, and all sorts of dry goods. And let it be known that my pantry has some deep shelves.

It’s a little out of control.

So, with the intent of actually consuming the staples I’ve been essentially hoarding, I’m trying to make meals that use up those staples and only require purchasing fruits and veggies. It’s actually been quite successful, and I’ve enjoyed seeing S try various grains for the first time (kasha! wheat berries! black rice!). Plus, it’s frugal!

Of course (this is me, after all), I’ve been pretty bad when it comes to taking photos. So you don’t get to see the delicious black rice and sweet potato dish I made, or the creamy, delicious broccoli polenta we had for dinner last night.

But you can see this photo of my quinoa “fried rice,” inspired by Jenna’s non-vegan version.

Bowl o’ quinoa.

My version featured purple cabbage, minced garlic, crumbled marinated tofu, diced green onion, black sesame seeds, and lots of flavorful sauces – ume plum vinegar, hoisin sauce, low-sodium tamari, and mirin, to name a few. (Incidentally, our “sauce and oil” cupboard is nearly as full as the grain-and-bean pantry shelf.)

Quinoa is a lovely stand-in for rice in a simple stir fry. If you haven’t tried it, you should. In the meantime, I’ve got a whole lot of grains to use up, so feel free to share your favorite recipes for black rice, amaranth, Israeli cous cous, and bulgur.

Suddenly I heard someone call my name. “Kelly?” I turned around. It was Nick, a friendly member of the staff, and he was holding a box. “I thought that was you,” he said as I walked eagerly towards him to grab my package. “But you were wearing sweats, and I’ve never seen you in sweats!”

So much for slipping out unseen.

Anyway, I got my package, opened it, and discovered lots of tasty treats.

Basket-box.

Mama included a couple of protein bars, snack bars, a cute dish towel, dark chocolate bunnies, and jelly beans. I was very pleasantly surprised by those NuGo protein bars – instead of being gritty, like many protein bars, they’ve got a fun crunchy texture thanks to some puffed rice. They also taste more like candy bars than protein bars because of their high-quality dark chocolate. The mocha one you see up front was my favorite. I knew it contained a decent amount of bona-fide coffee because my pee smelled all coffee-like after I ate it. TMI? Oops.

I also really liked the Rise energy bar (I haven’t eaten the breakfast one yet*). It’s like a Larabar with a few more ingredients, giving it a more diverse texture than that of a Larabar.

The Surf Sweets jelly beans were fruity and sweet without being too sugary, although I discovered that they’re not actually vegan (darn confectioner’s glaze – leave the bugs alone!). And, of course, the dark chocolate bunnies are delicious because, um, they’re dark chocolate.

Yay for Easter baskets! And yay for Easter celebrations in general. That Easter brunch I attended was full of even more delicious treats, including some amazing tofu mini-quiches and muffins bursting with dried fruit. I brought along a batch of macaroons, which I stupidly forgot to photograph when they were all plated up. Instead, you get this crappily lit photo of them just after baking.

Balls o’ coconut.

I used this recipe for my first-ever macaroon-making endeavor, and it was quite successful. I’ll definitely make these again!

* Upon a closer look at the ingredient list, I discovered that the breakfast bar contains honey. I gave it away.

My first full day in RI was a Saturday, and in the morning I accompanied my mom to the Wintertime Farmers Market in Pawtucket. Color me impressed! This was not some piddly little affair with a couple folding tables stocked with the anemic, sparse produce of winter. No, this was a bustling, busy affair with dozens of vendors, lots of happy shoppers, and a kick-ass locale.

Great space.

The market is snugly housed at Hope Artiste Village, a fantastic space that’s actually a renovated mill. Check out the gorgeous brick walls and exposed ceiling work – isn’t it cool? Beyond the main drag where most of the produce vendors sell their goods is whole other room with mostly prepared goods. My mom and I sampled a delicious Middle Eastern chickpea spread before moving on to a vendor that looked promising – EvaRuth’s Specialty Bakery, makers of wheat- and gluten-free goods.

Now, I don’t do the gluten-free thing, but I do know that many GF bakeries also offer vegan goods. My hunch proved correct – they had vegan brownies, cookies, and… doughnuts! I’ve been craving a vegan doughnut for three years, y’all. This was a baked cinnamon sugar doughnut, and it was good.

Cake-y deliciousness.

Just cake-y enough and not too sweet, this doughnut pleased my tastebuds. I slowly nibbled it as we perused the rest of the vendors, listened to some live music, smiled at some adorable children dancing to the live music, and then poked around in one of the art shops that also lives in the building. On our way out, we purchased some fresh almond milk from a local vendor that’s hoping to buy a food truck to deliver fresh produce to food deserts. Impressive, right? I really enjoyed the almond milk – pure, unadulterated almond milk is nothing like its creamier, shelf-stable cousin, but it’s hard to beat with a glass of cake.

And I definitely enjoyed it with cake – my dad made his famous German chocolate-inspired vegan cake one night, and it was super delicious. And then, a few days before I left, we celebrated my birthday a little early with some yummy blondies.

But I’m getting ahead of myself! One of the other culinary highlights took place at Julians, which I’ve blogged about a couple of times in the past. This time, I was meeting my friend Nicole (and some of her other friends) to celebrate her birthday with a late-morning brunch. And by late-morning, I really mean early afternoon, because the Julians staff clearly doesn’t know how to deal with brunch crowds, and we were waiting for well over an hour. It was not pleasant. At least my meal didn’t disappoint! I got the Tofu Benedict, an amazing concoction of thick sourdough bread; big, soft cubes of tofu; vegan Hollandaise sauce; sauteed spinach; and a side of delicious home fries.

Benediction.

Most of my fellow diners also loved their meals, although the birthday girl herself wasn’t too impressed with her French toast. I was just happy that I had leftovers – nothing like making a tasty meal last for two days, right?

And that, friends, about wraps up the highlights! Apart from these special treats, I (of course) had lots of healthy, hearty vegan meals cooked up by my parents (and myself). I always eat well when I’m home.

In the meantime, I’ve got to come up with something to bring for brunch. It’s an afternoon affair, so there won’t be any typical heavy brunch foods. I considered making mini tarts or pies, but I made some mini coconut cream pie tarts a few weekends ago when we had a friend over for afternoon tea – the same friend who’s hosting this weekend’s brunch! So I figure I can’t really use that idea again, pretty and tasty as the little pies were.

Tiny tarts.

Yum yum! These were surprisingly easy to make, and they were super delicious. Definitely a recipe I’ll add to my roster! I served them with a sliced orange and a bowl of kumquats that our friend brought – the perfect accompaniments to cup after cup of freshly brewed tea.

What would you bring to a low-key, light brunch? Is it warm where you are?