DAY ONE HUNDRED SIX OF COOKING COURSE

 I was a very busy cook today.  Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so I needed to cook a little extra today.  First I made Coconut "Bacon" Chips.  I will post about them tomorrow.

Then I made Simple Oil-Free Hummus.  I made hummus years ago, it was a disaster and I haven't tried it since.  Today I changed my streak. I made delicious hummus.  Just the way I like it. 

Then I made some vegan mayonnaise.  I will use it tomorrow when I take a photo.  

I have costochrondritis again. It may be a delayed reaction from getting vaccination #2.  Anyway, I am in pain in my left side of my ribs this time.  It is painful to breathe, laugh, yawn, cough, sneeze, and take a big breath.  I am hoping it will fade away quickly.  I went back on the Orencia two days ago so that should help but it takes a few weeks for the Orencia to kick in.  Fingers crossed I am back to normal in a day or two.  

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED FIVE OF COOKING COURSE

 I was putting off cooking this item because I remember as a child cooking it and it taking so much time.  Grating the potatoes.  Today I made Potato Fritters!  I used my food processor and it took just seconds to grate the potatoes.  So much easier.  Once the potatoes were grated I threw in some flour and dropped spoonfuls in a well oiled frying pan.  They tasted delicious!  Crispy and chewy.  

I put salsa on them and it gave them a good kick.  

I worked the rest of today.  Then tonight I started watching The Handmaid's Tale.  It is so good.

Until tomorrow...

CABBAGE, POTATOES AND CHICKPEAS

 Another day of work and other stuff.  Last night I made this great recipe of cabbage, chickpeas and potatoes.  They all get put on a cookie sheet and baked.  The cabbage gets carmelized, the chickpeas get baked and the potatoes get roasted.  It tastes delicious and made enough for many meals.

The vinaigrette is made out of Dijon mustard, oil, and some spices.  Delicious.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED FOUR OF COOKING COURSE

Another busy day.  Called the roofer, had the handyman seal my stairs, Amazon delivery.  Plus I worked for hours and finished up my cooking project.  

My cooking project today was Smoked Carrot "Salmon".  I took carrots and peeled them into strips.  Then I made a marinade and left the carrots overnight in the marinade.  

 Today I took the carrots out of the marinade and put it in a dish.  I added some capers and asparagus and took this photo.

The carrots tasted smokey and salty.  They really tasted good with the capers and asparagus.  They would also taste good with vegan cream cheese and bagels.  

My front stairs have been sealed.  I found a crack and he sealed it.  Old terrazzo stairs crack so it will happen over and over again.  They are beautiful just high maintenance.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED THREE OF COOKING COURSE

Busy day!  Laundry, phone calls, cooking.  

I finished my dish from the cooking course. It is Spicy Peanut Dip.  It is fantastic!  The base is made from cooked carrots but the funny part is you don't taste it.  There is peanut butter and sriracha in it too and that is what it tastes like.  I ate 1/2 the bowl in one sitting.  Of the four dips I made, this is my second favorite.  I liked the Basil Cashew dip the best but this one comes in a close second.

I had lots of laundry after my tough vaccine weekend.  All those night sweats.  Plus I went through two pairs of PJs in three days.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED TWO OF COOKING COURSE

 I spent an hour today putting the outside furniture out in the backyard.  About a week and a half ago I cleaned up the weeds and such on the slate in the backyard so today I could put the furniture outside.  I wanted to do it today because it is raining out right now.  I thought I would use Mother Nature to help clean the furniture off.   I am getting ready to possibly have distance, masked visits with friends in the backyard now that the weather is getting nicer and I am vaccinated.  All friends must be vaccinated and masked too.

I finally watched the entire movie Thunder Force.  I tried to watch it last weekend when I had gotten the vaccine.  I would watch 5 minutes and fall asleep and wake up at the end.  Then rewind and watch 10 minutes and fall asleep again and wake up at the end again.  I also did this with The Croods II.  I watched that yesterday.  Thunder Force was cute.  So was The Croods II.

I made Overnight Oats last night.  Basically you put the rolled oats and the almond milk in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning the oats are soft.  Then I added cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, hemp seeds, apples and banana. It was delicious and very filling.  

Then I made another dish from my class.  I want to be a few dishes ahead of my social media posts so if I need a day off this week, I can use one of those pictures.  You know, have one or two photos in my pocket!  I'll show you in a few days.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED ONE OF COOKING COURSE

This was a busy day.  I woke up early and went to the dentist to get my crown put in.  While I was there I had a full set of x-rays completed.  I only bring this up because a few times this past year I had terrible pain in a tooth.  Pre-pandemic the dentist checked it out and there was no cavity.  Mid-pandemic when my crown fell out, she checked it again and no cavity.  I am a horrible tooth grinder and clencher.  I always have been even when I was a little girl.  The reason I am telling you this long story is that today when the x-rays came back, there was ligament irritation of great proportions in that tooth.  It turns out that I have been grinding so hard I am irritating that tooth so much that I am causing ligament damage.  This is not good.  The tooth already has a crown.  I am not sure what the next step will be.  Meanwhile she adjusted my mouth guard and we will see if it happens again.

I came home and cooked.  I made Savory Pancakes.  It is nothing like regular pancakes. Regular pancakes is mostly flour/pancake mix.  Savory pancakes is mostly silken tofu. Silken tofu has the same consistency as a poached egg.  The tofu is mixed with different things that make it yellow and "eggish" tasting.  Once mixed spoonfuls are put in a frying pan like pancakes.

They tasted very good and I ate five of them in one sitting.  

I now have 2,500 followers.

Until tomorrow...

EARTH DAY & NATIONAL JELLYBEAN DAY

 Happy Earth Day! I was not a very good environmentalist today. I blow dried my hair for the first time in 20 years. I had an interview today and I wanted to look put together. 

It’s also National Jellybean Day! I love jellybeans but they are not vegan so I was excited to find that Jelly Belly made Jelly Belly Gummies.  They taste just like jelly belly jellybeans but they are in gummie form. 

I had a gig interview today. My first since July or August. It has been a slow six months for work. 

Until tomorrow...

FEELING MUCH BETTER

 It is getting closer until my solar panels are installed.  The plans are approved and now we are on to the permitting process.  So exciting!

I reposted some old food photos today.  I wasn't up to cooking again.  Maybe tomorrow.

I am starting to feel myself again.  Today was the first day that I didn't feel like falling asleep all day.  Last night I fell asleep at 9:30 pm.  Let's see if I can stay up to 10pm tonight.

I am heading off to bed now.  I am going to watch TV in bed.  

Until tomorrow...

DEREK CHAUVIN FOUND GUILTY

 This was a weird 4/20.  Normally all anyone talks about on 4/20 is that it is the annual 420 day - the holiday celebrating marijuana.  It is a big deal here in The West.  Or it has been.  Now that marijuana is legal it has become commercialized.  I am not even sure there was a celebration this year because of Covid.  But it usually is a big deal in the news.  Not this year.

This year was all about Derek Chauvin.  It was such a nail biter hearing the verdict which is strange because it was so clear he was guilty.  But after other verdicts that should have been guilty, nothing is as clear cut as it should be.  He was found guilty and I cried.  Then I whooped.  Then my dog growled at me because I woke her up and scared her.  

Today I didn't feel up to cooking yet.  I still feel tired and have brain fog.  Instead I posted an older photo of a dish I made back in November. 

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED OF COOKING COURSE

 I am feeling much better from my Covid vaccine. I actually got out of bed and took a shower. I didn't eat until noon because I don't have an appetite. The funny and weird taste in my mouth has gone away and things are tasting the way they should. I am super tired.  My arm still aches.  So much better than last time. 

I posted a photo today of Japanese Porridge. It is made with soy sauce and miso. It has sesame seeds and sesame oil on top. They are what make the porridge palatable. It makes it sweet rather than savory.  I liked it more than I thought. 

I'm really tired now. 

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-NINE OF COOKING COURSE & COVID VACCINE DAY 2

I survived day 1 of the Covid vaccine #2 yesterday. Last night was tough! I had night sweats, chills, headache, and upset stomach. I kept waking up to pee because I drank do much water.

Today I spent the day in bed sleeping with a headache and body aches. I finally got some mild food in me around 3pm. I kept trying to watch a movie but fell asleep. By the evening I was starting to feel a bit human. 

I was very happy I cooked in advance and took photos. All I had to do yesterday and today was post them. Today I posted Italian Porridge. Once again we call it oatmeal here in the USA. It is a savory porridge that has tomato paste and capers. I liked it a bit with the capers but it really isn't my thing. 

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-EIGHT OF COOKING COURSE & COVID VACCINE #2

This is going to be short. I got my second Covid vaccine this morning early. Once again I took a taxi there and back. There was hardly anyone at the facility. I asked why and I was told no one wants to get up early on Saturday morning. I registered the minute I walked in the door and went directly to a seat to get my shot. Waited my 15 minutes and out the door I went. I was gone from my house just over one hour. Amazing! 

I got home and took a bath and laid down. I've been laying down all day. I tried to watch two movies but slept through most of them so I gave up. I made myself drink a bunch and eat a bit. I have the same stiffness I had last time in my shoulder and back. My arm (not the injection site) aches. I'm just starting to get a headache so I need to get back to sleep. 

I posted this photo for my cooking course today. It is Tofu Feta. It tastes really good. It could go on a salad or a cracker. 

Well that's it for me.

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-SEVEN OF COOKING COURSE

 One more day until my Covid Vaccine.  I spent today preparing for me to either 1) have a bad reaction or 2) be perfectly fine.  If I have a bad reaction, I am prepared with food, water, drinks, ice cream, all the important things.  If I have a fine reaction, I will have nothing to do for a few days and I can bring out my backyard furniture and sit outside and relax.  

I cooked a lot today.  I wanted to be able to post on my social media for a few days if I have a bad reaction.  I made quite a few dishes over the last few days in anticipation. Today I posted Mexican Porridge.  It was interesting.  It is oats with some spices (cumin, chili powder), soy sauce with a corn garnish.  It is very savory.  Okay, I'll just say it, I didn't like it.  It was too savory for me.  I couldn't imagine eating this for brunch or anytime.  There are four porridges and so far we are 1:1.  

I continued to cook two other porridges that I will post later.  I also have some other photos that I took that I can use in an emergency situation.  

That was pretty much my whole day.  

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-SIX OF COOKING COURSE

I was so happy to get my groceries.  As usual it was an adventure.  I have to call them because once again I got regular ice cream.  I know I said I wasn't going to buy ice cream anymore but I get my Covid vaccine on Saturday and I wanted to get a special treat to celebrate.  I wanted the new Ben & Jerry's flavor.  I ordered two pints.  I even wrote in the notes that if they don't have that flavor to give me another VEGAN flavor.  It didn't work.  They gave me the regular ice cream flavor.  Oh, well, the store will reimburse my money and my neighbor will be SO happy to get a free pint of ice cream.  Last time I gave her one, she ate the whole pint for dinner!

I rushed to get my cooking done before my social media meeting.  I made a Nacho Dip.  I never really go the queso and nacho dip faze.  I have been lactose intolerant since I was a kid so I stayed away from cheese dips but this "cheese" dip is vegan and delicious.  I ended up eating half this bowl with crackers.  It is gooey just like what I have seen queso. 

I had my social media meeting and I learned a bunch.  I learned how to do a poll on Instagram.  I put my linktree link on my Instagram profile.  Now I can get folks on Instagram to go to my website and blog.  This is really exciting.  I also worked on my logo.  

Tomorrow is a big cooking day.

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-FIVE OF COOKING COURSE

 I finally got around to ordering some food.  I wanted to do it before my second Covid vaccine so I had some food available.  I got some comfort food.  Some canned soup and Ben & Jerry's ice cream (it was on sale and they had some of the newer flavors) and chips for my dips.  I also got my regular food too.

I make something very different today Tofu Egg Salad.  I am not and never have been a fan of regular egg salad. So I was quite skeptical of making vegan egg salad.  It turned out fairly good. It doesn't have that eggy smell that puts so many people off.  I made a nice sandwich with pickles and lettuce and I used my homemade mayonnaise.  

I spent part of the day trying to organize my life again.  Somehow I got unorganized around three or four weeks ago.  I think it was around the time I was spending all my time trying to get an appointment for a Covid vaccine.  I had no free time to do anything but sit on my computer and refresh trying to get a date!  It is amazing how much time was spent doing that particular task.  I felt like I had so much free time the past two weeks since my first Covid vaccine.

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-FOUR OF COOKING COURSE

 I doing the count down for vaccine shot #2.  I have 4 days.  I spoke to my nutritionist today and I want to make sure I have cooked rice, made soup and ordered food before Saturday.  

Today I made Tofu Scramble.  I have made tofu scramble many, many times but this was a different way to cook it.  It turned out pretty good.  To take the photo I added some of the Pickled Cherry Tomatoes from last week.

I also started making Vegan Tofu Feta.  It is tofu squares that are fermented.  They will be finished in a day or so.

That was pretty much my whole day.

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-THREE OF THE COOKING COURSE

 I was productive today.  I made a vegan grilled cheese sandwich for National Grilled Cheese Sandwich day.  I made a sandwich with vegan Gouda cheese and Craisins.  It was super tasty.  

Then I worked on my cooking course and made Vegan Mayonnaise.  It was super easy.  

 Then I made Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream.  It was a multi hour process.  It is really good.  It was supposed to be strawberry but I didn't have enough berries so I threw in some bananas.  

I proportion it out in 1/2 cup portions so I can pop out the perfect amount to eat.  

That was basically my day.  I am getting ready for Saturday when I get my shot.  So far I have Curry and Ice Cream.  I want to make soup and rice before Saturday. 

Until tomorrow...

WEEDED THE SLATE IN THE BACKYARD

 It was such a nice day today that I decided to go outside and put out the furniture.  I wanted to sit out in the sun.  But I didn't want to put out the furniture until the slate is weeded.  So I got down and weeded the slate.  It wasn't hard because the weeds came up easily.  It is just hard for me.  My back is killing me about 15 minutes in.  My hands are killing me and I have to keep switching hands when they cramp up.  I think I was out there for 30-40 minutes and I got the 30' x 15' area done.  I figure if I do a section a weekend I will have the ground of my backyard done just in time to start over!  LOL. When I finished I took a long Epsom salt bath. 

I worked on my social media for a bit of time.

Lucky is so looking forward to going to the park tomorrow.  She has been going a bit stir crazy this past week being at home.  She is going to go bananas when she sees her dog walker.  I look forward to a few hours without her. She is a bit needy.  

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-TWO OF COOKING COURSE

I am loving the Brunch Chapter.  I think I will finish this chapter pretty fast.  Hopefully before I have my second vaccination shot.  Today I made Golden Milk Porridge.  It is what we call oatmeal in the USA.  It was a slightly spicy and sweet porridge made with rolled oats.  It had turmeric, cinnamon and agave.  I put bananas, almonds, hemp seeds and toasted coconut on top.  It tasted really good and I might make it again.

I had to cook later in the day because Lucky had a little accident.  She slipped in poop so she had to have a bath.  She needed one anyway because she smelled but I was putting it off.  Now she REALLY smelled so into the bathtub she went.  She was not happy about it until it was over and then she actually smiled and ran around wiggling her butt. That pretty much filled up my whole day.

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY-ONE OF COOKING COURSE

 I started "The Perfect Brunch" chapter today. I made a Basil Cashew Dip.  It is a tasty dip that goes will with veggies and chips/pretzels.  It is made out of cashews, basil, nutritional yeast and some spices.  It tastes a little cheesy and basily.  

I worked on social media and set up more things to make everything work easier and smoother.   

Until tomorrow...

DAY NINETY OF COOKING COURSE

 I did it!  I finally finished the Korean Chapter of the cooking course.  I am about a week behind schedule since I took a week off from cooking when I had a reaction from my Covid vaccine.  

Today I made Kimchi.  It was a whole afternoon activity.  First I had to put the cabbage in a bowl and put salt on it and let it sit for 2 hours.

Then I made the brine and put it on the cabbage.

Then I sanitized the jars and let them dry. Then I put the kimchi in the jars.

In a few days it will be ready to try.  I have the two jars for my friend and dog walker and a little jar for me to try.

Then I took the Korean Chapter test and I got a 100%.  I am a Korean Vegan Master!  

I did some work on my social media stuff and did some work-work.  

Lucky is waiting patiently for her dog walker to come back from vacation.

Until tomorrow...

GETTING READY FOR 2ND COVID VACCINE

 I had a busy day of work. It was fun to have a bunch of work after months with no work.  I didn't get to cook because there wasn't enough time.  It felt weird not to cook anything but my day was broken up and there was no time to cook anything.  

I cooked this last week and posted it today. Spaghetti, mungbeans, mushrooms, spinach and black olives.

 I have to plan for the week after my covid shot.  I want to be prepared just in case I am not feeling well.  I already made some curry to freeze.  I am going to make some rice.  I plan to make some soup and freeze it.  I am going to make some ice cream so that is ready.  I need to have a supermarket delivery and make sure there is a water bottle on the stand.  Then I think I will be ready if I feel lousy.  I moved my dental appointment back two days just in case.  I think I am ready if it goes south.  If the shot works out fine, well I have some free time!  

Until tomorrow...

DAY EIGHTY-NINE OF COOKING COURSE

 Now that I am feeling back to normal, I am back to cooking. I made Fried Water Chestnuts.  It was supposed to be Fried Lotus Root but I can't seem to find lotus root during a Covid lock down.  I used the next best thing: water chestnuts.  They made an interesting snack.  

I then opened the jar of Pickled Cherry Tomatoes to see how they taste.  They are an interesting flavor.  The liquid is quite pungent but the tomatoes are earthy tasting.  They aren't as pickled tasting as I thought they would be.  They will be tasty on a salad.  

I just hit 1,700 follower on social media.

This was basically all I did today except entertain Lucky since it is her second day with no dog walker.  He is on vacation this week and she is not taking it well.  

Until tomorrow...
 

POTATO CURRY

 The potato curry came out great.  I ate it for dinner tonight.  I am going to freeze some just in case I need some food the week after my second Covid shot.

I got a message from the solar company and my assessment has been approved.  It is so funny.  They said everything was good but I would have to move the "pink thing on the wall".  I was like "what pink thing on my wall?"  Then I realized they were talking about a piece of paper I taped up on the wall that was the directions on how to clean out my on-demand water heater!  I think I can move that to another location in order to get solar power!!  Ha ha. 

I sent my tax prep to the tax people and that felt great!   A big relief.  

Then I cleaned up a bit around my living room.  I have boxes everywhere.  Boxes from my birthday, boxes that just arrived, and boxes from a week ago.  SO many boxes.  I needed to empty some and just break others down.  I put some things away and just organized things a bit.  Thank goodness I can't have guests there is nowhere for them to sit with all the stuff on the chairs.  I need to work on it some more.

Until tomorrow...

DAY EIGHT POST COVID VACCINE & HAPPY EASTER

 It was a weird Easter.  As low key as it gets.  I spent the day cooking and watching Hop and Peter Rabbit. That was the day.

I decided to make a vegan Asparagus, mushroom and tofu quiche.  It tastes really good. Someone on social media said it looked like it was made in a restaurant.

Then I decided to make a Potato Curry.  I didn't take a photo of it yet so I will post it tomorrow.  I am making a few things just in case my second covid vaccine makes me sick for a long time.  Best to be prepared.  If I have a few things ready and in the freezer, then I can just pop them in the microwave.  

Health update: Today is the first day since my first covid vaccine (last Saturday) that I feel almost like myself.  I could cook two things.  That is amazing and I am so happy.  My coughing has decreased.  The costochrondritis has decreased.  My neck is not stiff.  Good news!

Until tomorrow...

DAY SEVEN POST COVID VACCINE

 I was feeling a bunch better but I had to pick up something heavy and I started to feel some pain again.  I decided to take a long hot bath with Epsom salts and that helped.  

My neighbor finished the job of clearing out the ivy along our communal fence. He spent hours working on this project and I can't believe how well he did.  He took down the lattice and cut down the ivy and dug out the roots.  Then he cleaned off the fence and removed the nails and screws.  He put everything he could in the garbage and compost bins.  Now it looks like I may be able to plant some plants or flowers along the space.

Now, some may say the fence looks plain but anything is better than that horrible ivy that attracts rats and grows unruly.  It is such a small space.  There were 5 plants he had to dig out that were probably over 20 years old.  They were dug in.  The ivy in my backyard is older than that.  Don't plant ivy.  It is a weed.

I finished my tax preparation.  I am so happy.  It took my longer than I thought it would mostly because of Covid.  I got a bit disorganized buying so many things online.  But I am done with my part. Yay!

Until tomorrow...

DAY SEVENTY-EIGHT OF COOKING COURSE & DAY SIX POST COVID VACCINE

 I got up as usual to do my post office run but then I also had to go to the dentist. Today was the first half of my crown installment. The “prep your tooth day”. The only not so fun part was when they drilled out my very large filling that had cracked, it broke and pieces of filling went everywhere in my mouth, throat, tongue. Yuck! I didn’t look at it but there is very little tooth left. I asked if it was worth it to keep the tooth and she said yes. It’s my last tooth on that side. Would I miss it? Probably not. People get wisdom teeth pulled what’s the difference?  Anyway she did a great job cleaning it out and then building it back up. Now I have a temporary until I go back. 

Then my neighbor next door texted me to see if I really like the ivy on the fence between our properties. Now, if you read this blog you probably know I think ivy is a weed and a home to rats. I told him I would be happy if he wanted to get rid of it. The problem is the roots are on his side of the fence and the ivy is on my side of the fence. Not sure how that happened. Plus there is a fence and attached to the fence on my side is lattice and the ivy has grown in-between the fence and the lattice. He proposed to dig up the roots on his side and then come on my side and chop down the ivy and rip down the lattice leaving the fence exposed. I agreed and he started tonight. It looks great. I am not sure I knew there was a nice fence behind all that ivy and lattice. Now I can plant some cute flowers or something colorful. 

I am on the fermenting section of the Korean chapter. Today I took the Fermenting Rice Drink and finished that. It had been fermenting for two days.

Fermenting

Fermented rice drink

The rice drink didn’t taste as I thought it would. It is hard to explain. I did not like it. I gave some to my friend and dog walker to see what they thought.

Then I took the Mango Vinegar Pickled Limes and drained off the liquid which is now called Mango Vinegar. I used the Mango Vinegar in my next pickling of Pickled Cherry Tomatoes. That has to set for 24 hours.  The mangos and limes that were pickled can be eaten. I tried a mango and it tastes like a tart mango. 

Mango Vinegar Pickled Limes

After 2 weeks

Mango Vinegar

Pickled cherry tomatoes 

It was a fun afternoon. I only have a couple of things left in Korea. I get set back a bit with costochondritis. How am I feeling. Thanks for asking. I was feeling really good at the dentist. Laying down slightly inverted I guess is the best way to lay. It takes the pressure off .  It is feeling better every day. Little by little. 

Until tomorrow...

DAY FIVE POST COVID VACCINE

 I am feeling somewhat better.  My shoulder and back feel all better.  My neck is still a bit stiff. My chest is still hurting but not as much. It hurts to breathe hard, laugh, cough, sneeze and yawn.  I am coughing a lot but it will go away soon.

Today was the assessment for solar power.  He was supposed to come between 10-12.  So of course he showed up at 11:40.  The assessment took over one hour.  I had another meeting at 1pm.  So my calm day turned into meeting after meeting.  The assessment went well and I should have the results in a few days.  

Then I met with my social media guy.  That was a successful meeting that I ate my microwaved lunch during.  Then I had a doctor's appointment with my cardiologist.  She just wanted to check in.  Nothing worth noting.

It was about 80 degrees F today.  It is really early to be this hot. It is 9pm and I have windows open.

Until tomorrow...