Culinary Challenge, update

I was out of town this weekend, which afforded me to be able to eat out as several different vegan-friendly places. This made my "job" of meal prep etc a complete cinch. I walked in, sat at a table, ordered off the menu and enjoyed something I didn't have to think about cooking. And I was able to get a few ideas of stuff I want to try out in my kitchen. I did think I was going to have a bit of a challenge with the party menu I was helping with on Friday. It was full of all the yumminess one could think of.... cake... meatballs... butter cream.. bacon....cheese...soooooo yummy! But surprisingly enough I didn't want any of it. I didn't even lick the frosting from my fingers as I prepped the cake. {which was from Costco and one of my all time favorites!} I really didn't have a desire to eat any of it, which is really weird for me, and it felt good :) Weekend.. successful!

Today was a tofu scramble, something that I have come to look forward to experimenting with on a weekly basis now. Ingredients: tofu {firm}, potato, tomato, brussel sprout {yes, singular- I cut up just one }, corn and avocado. It was really good. But for some reason I kept thinking "this would take even BETTER with the richness of an egg yoke from a poached egg on it." I dismissed the thought and kept on munching away. The boys loved it too! Trying to get a 3 year old and 15 month old to eat stuff like this is hit and miss but they've gobbled it up and even asked for more...

Breakfast.... success

I can't really remember what I ate for lunch.. humm I think I might have to think through my crazy day to remember. Oh yes, I was craving something sweet so we had peanut butter and honey "open faced" sandwiches. that hit the spot. I really need to make some cookies, I'm DYING here {oh-so-theatrically-said} ... I NEEEEED SWEETS. I found a few vegan doughnut, caramel, cookie, brownie and cake recipes that I think I might be starting to make this week to help curb that darn sweet tooth of mine!

Dinner. Ahhh *sigh* my lovely dinner plans. I started off thinking I'd give in to my burger craving. The menu: Burgers, baked fries, salad and vegan chocolate torte with raspberry glaze. The recipe I found was for black eye pea and mushroom burgers. Sounds simple enough. right? hahahahahaaaaaaaaaa. WRONG! I tend to look at recipes as merely a suggestion {like suggestions stop signs} and do my own thing. Because after all, I can do it better, right?

Tonight felt like a total melt down. It was getting later in the evening, I should have started dinner earlier {the boys have a 6:00/6:30 lights out} and they were going bananas. Toddler melt downs, in stereo, while attempting to try something, that you feel incredibly inadequate to be making in the first place, just plain SUCKS. No way to put it but like that. I followed the recipe, for the most part. I've been itching to use my new food processor since I unwrapped it weeeeks ago and thought, heh- why not! I think this was part of the mistake. Instead of mushing the peas with a fork I "pulsed" them {apparently into oblivion} in the food processor. I thought it would be ok since there was still visible chunks of corn, mushroom and shallots.. but alas, it was like frying up wet cat food. Bleh! The taste was spot on though, so I give myself credit for that. Consistency, however, was a complete and utter failure. Texting a vegan friend for a little advice left me thinking of my options as I waited for a reply. What the heck can i do to save this crappy looking mess? Staring into the pan was a little more disheartening when realized it was well after 7:00 and my boys might start gnawing on my pant leg or throw yet another fit. Hey, I don't blame them. It was now over 2.5 hrs when we normally eat and my dinner was a disastrous failure. Quinoa. Maybe I can add that to the burgers mush and fix the consistency. Might as well give that a try, what do I have to loose?

Sometimes we [more like I] just have to get over it already, get creative and not freak out. After-all, sometimes food mistakes become great dishes with an open mind a bit of creativity. I think I made it happen. Food crisis averted. I spent so much time freaking out over the burger that I didn't make my hummus to spread on the buns, no sides were made either and dessert.. for-get-about-it! I think a handful of chocolate afterwards will make me feel better :)
The final product: Quinoa, black eye peas, mushroom, corn burger topped with avocado and tomato.


Dinner... ummm I guess I can call this a success. YES! give myself a bit of credit! Ok I'm all better now :) ps. the boys and hubby had seconds and thirds.. I think I got it right :) with the boys now in bed, asleep OVER 3 hours after normal bedtime, I think I can relax and start planning for tomorrow's meals.

why do I have to make things harder than they have to be? dunno. but I should really stop it one of these days.