Hummus & Veggie Melts

Quick post today, still recovering from the weekend, ha ha! It was full of old friends, margaritas, the most delicious drink ever called a Shanghai Mule, late-night bike rides, beer and hiking. As soon as I download my pics, I promise to share, but for now you’ll just have to make due with these Hummus and Veggie Melts.

They’re so quick and easy, perfect for dinner (or lunch!) when you have no idea what to make and much healthier than take out. They’re simply english muffins, hummus, veggies and a dab of vegan cheese.

Toast your english muffins, then slather them with your favorite hummus. While they’re toasting, water saute a handful of vegetables with a sprinkle of powdered garlic (I used kale and orange bell peppers). You don’t need to cook them all the way, just soften them up. Add them to your muffins and top with some vegan cheese and stick under the broiler until the cheese melts. That’s it!

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Mile High Vegan Eats: Root Down

Since moving to Denver I’ve felt lucky to be surrounded by so many vegan dining options. Some are hidden gems, and some, like Root Down, are pretty well known within the vegan community. And why wouldn’t it be? Just look at that menu, plenty of “vegan by request” options on there. And really, doesn’t seeing the word “vegan” on a menu just make you all squishy inside?

Root Down has been on my dining wishlist for nearly 2 years, I just never quite made it there… Until now. I went with a small group and although I was the only vegan, everyone was more than happy to eat plant-based with me, and (most importantly) to let me eat off their plates

Before we get to the food though, let’s just talk about the restaurant itself. It resides in what used to be a service station, and has a really great vibe. A little trendy, a little industrial, and very comfortable and inviting.

Garage doors from when the building was a service station

And now, the food. First up was the Sweet Potato “Falafel”, topped with an Israeli salad, sesame seeds and chile oil:

They were crispy, and the sweetness of the potatoes went perfectly with the chile oil. I could’ve eaten 3 more, honestly.

Next we tried the Veggie Burger Sliders:

You see that red sauce in the background? Jalapeno jam, thankyouverymuch! I dipped everything in that sauce, the sliders, the sweet potato fries and possibly even my spoon, ha ha. The sliders themselves were tasty and perfectly cooked. If only all restaurants served handmade veggie burgers like this!

I also sampled the Stir Fry Tofu which was served over this mushroom risotto cake that I’m not sure I can even accurately describe:

It was literally a cake of risotto, all crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside. I don’t know if they fried it or baked it or how exactly they got it that way, but it was divine! There were also tons of veggies including carrots, eggplant, anaheim peppers and garlic, and it was all topped off with a coconut cream and spicy date sauce. This was seriously delicious. The tofu itself was cooked the way it was meant to be (in my opinion), it was crispy on the outside and soft, almost flaky on the inside. In a way it reminded me of breaded fish, although it tasted nothing like that of course.

And finally, there was dessert….

Confession time… I don’t really remember exactly what this was. It was strawberry sorbet with oats and sweet celery. I think maybe it was deconstructed apple pie, but I might be wrong. I didn’t take notes because I rely on the menu to help prompt me, but it was a special that night and so it’s not listed. All I can say for certain is that it was delicious, hope that helps, ha ha.

Okay, so now we’re going to switch gears and talk about the bathrooms. You might think it’s a strange thing to talk about during a food review, but the bathrooms were just so cool that I can’t not mention them!

What makes a bathroom cool? Smart sinks!

Did that make sense? Or do you need something a little more visual?

Yes, that’s a sink above the toilet! You wash your hands, and then the next time someone flushes, the toilet refills with my used sink water. Brilliant!

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Agave Roasted Red Potatoes and Owlets

These Agave Roasted Red Potatoes are a simple yet delicious side dish suitable for any meal. Literally! You could serve these alongside some grilled tofu and a kale salad or as part of a fancy dinner party. Heck, these would be great for Thanksgiving too! They’re sweet, but not too sweet (thank you, chili powder!), and you can make them as crispy as you like.

So, this is pretty cool. About a month ago I was walking along a trail (I’m not going to say where, the reason for which I’ll explain in a minute) when I glance up into a tree and happen to see an owl. A great horned owl, to be precise. I can’t even remember the last time I had seen an owl, let alone in broad daylight, so I stood there for at least 10 minutes just watching him from a respectful distance. He was awesome.

I didn’t spot him again until 2 weeks later, this time he was with his mate! Great horned owls mate for life, which is really neat. I’ve actually become a bit of an expert on these amazing birds. For instance, did you know that their average life span in the wild is only 13 years, yet in captivity they can live for more than 28 years? It’s very sad that up to 86% of GHO deaths are caused by mankind (shooting and trapping, hit by cars, electrocuted by high power lines).

This past Sunday I was meandering by and saw the one adult owl, and as I was admiring him I saw movement just below him, where I then saw two owlets! Baby owls! So cute! This is a terrible picture that I snapped with my iphone:

It’s terribly fuzzy but you can see how the two babies are snuggled up to each other. The one on the right kind of looks like a puppy, haha.

I went back last night with my “big girl camera” (this is the dramatic part of the story)… I saw one of the adults, but no sign of the juveniles. I stayed quite far from the tree the adult was in, assuming the owlets were in the same one. I was circling it, looking for them while keeping an eye on Mama (or was it Daddy?) when allofasudden I look up and right in front of me is one of the owlets! It was so close I almost could’ve touched it! But I’m not crazy, and I saw the wings start to flap so I turned and crouched and got the heck out of there as quickly as I could. I don’t want any owl talons in me! And I felt horrible for inadvertently disturbing them. I would never have gotten so close if I realized where the birds were. From now on, I’m staying on the path!

I did manage to snap a picture though! Isn’t he beautiful!? Not sure how how old he/she is, but it’s definitely a juvenile so it must’ve been born earlier this spring.

Here’s Mama/Daddy. You don’t need to be an owl mind reader to know what he’s thinking…

In case you’re wondering why I made a point of not sharing the location of this trail, it’s because of idiots like this. You suck, Gazette.

Agave Roasted Red Potatoes (4 side servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb red potatoes
1/4 white onion
3.5 Tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon+ chili powder (more to taste!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
a couple pinches of freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted

Directions:

Wash the potatoes and cut into large bite-sized chunks. Chop the onion as well, somewhere between a dice and a chop (a large dice?) and set both aside.
In a medium bowl mix the remaining ingredients together until completely blended. Add potatoes and onions and mix until coated.
Spray an 11×17 baking dish with non-stick spray and pour in the potato mix. Bake at 375 until the taters are tender, 30-40 minutes, stirring two or three times during. Give another sprinkle of sea salt before serving.

Enjoy!

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A Joyful Vegan

I stole the term “joyful vegan” from JL, but other than that tiny little detail I have really come to own the term. To make it mine. To live and breath it.

I had started to let things bother me. From angry omnivores (and rude party guests) to the mundane stresses of daily life, I was letting things get under my skin. Then I had a total meltdown on a new neighbor who didn’t deserve it. A woman who, as I later found out, has much bigger problems than I, and who – of the two of us – was the only one with the right to a meltdown! I’ll spare you the details because I’m not proud of them, but the silver lining is that it gave me a wake up call. A few days later my father passed away, which also taught me a few lessons.

As I thought about it, I knew I didn’t want to be the person who got angry when someone took her parking spot, when someone cut her off in traffic, when things just plain didn’t go her way. I want to be the person who takes a deep breath and rises above it all with a smile. I don’t want to judge those who make different choices than I do, I want to be kind to everyone and have more than enough love to go around. I don’t want to snap at the people I love just because they can’t read my mind. I don’t want to be angry at myself for falling short of expectations and goals that don’t really matter. And I don’t want to be weighed down by disappointment, regret or frustration.

I want to be a joyful vegan!

I’ve learned a few things in my 30-something years on this earth, and one of those is that the best way to make changes in your life is to, for lack of better phrasing, pretend you’ve already made them. Sort of like… ‘fake it till you make it’, I guess. Want to eat healthier? Pretend (to yourself) that you’re someone who eats healthier! Then, when faced with the old cookie vs. apple dilemma, you know which choice to make because you’re already thinking like the healthy eater. Want to start going to the gym more often? You gotta get yourself into the mindset that you are that person who goes to the gym, even when she’s sleepy/lazy/doesn’t feel like it. See?

In my case, I’ve decided that I am a joyful vegan. And when I start to see behavior or emotions that run counter to that fact, I simply whisper to myself “Joyful Vegan”, and I’m reminded of who I am and who I want to be.

A joyful vegan.

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Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

If you’re here for the the Virtual Vegan Potluck, welcome! Add some of the Vegan Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms to your plate before they’re all gone, ha ha!

And if you’re not here for the potluck, well welcome anyway! And may I also suggest that you head over to Vegan Blogs Unite to check out the entire event from start to finish. I think you’ll find plenty to ~~eat~~ salivate over.

So, mushrooms. Glorious, delicious, oft-maligned mushrooms. Personally, I love ‘em. They’re perfect in salads, in stir-fry’s and on pizza. And when you have some vegan cream cheese and bacon that you just need to stuff into something, well mushrooms can’t be beat!

I made a hilarious (to me) joke about mushrooms in the last virtual potluck, and although I wont repeat it here, just know that I’m laughing to myself as I type this. I may or may not have snorted, I’ll never tell.

But, in all seriousness make sure you continue along the blog chain, whether you’re going in order and are on your way to visit my girl Bex at Vegan Sparkles or if you’re a renegade who is making your way backward and are about to hit up Saving the World One Bite at a Time – either way, you can’t lose!

Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

8 slices vegan bacon (I used Smoky Maple Bacon Marinated Tempeh from Tofurky)
Smoked applewood sea salt
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
1 dash powdered garlic
pinch chili powder
16 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and de-stemmed (save the stems!)
4 oz vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
S&P
Green onions, chopped

Directions:

Cook the bacon per package instructions, sprinkling with just a bit of the applewood sea salt. Remove from pan and chop. Set aside.
Water saute the onions with the garlic and chili powder over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Chop the mushroom stems and add to the pan, leaving over medium heat.
Reduce heat to low and add the cream cheese, nooch and chopped bacon. Taste test and add salt and pepper as needed. Place mushrooms on foil covered baking sheet and stuff with cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. The filling should be hot and the mushrooms should be soft! Top with green onions and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Ashcroft Ghost Town and Bobo’s Oat Bars

How far is too far to drive for a delicious vegan meal? Well, on a recent weekend my friend Jamie and I decided that driving 3.5 hours to Aspen to eat at the Pyramid Bistro was perfectly reasonable and so we did just that.

The most disappointing sign EVER

Unfortunately, the owners of Pyramid decided to close before the end of the ski season and didn’t see any need to post that very important bit of information on their website, but we didn’t let that get us down! We still had tons of fun including some delicious vegan sushi, drinks at the historic Hotel Jerome, and a very educational tour of the Wheeler/Stallard Museum. We’ll be going back this summer because I’m dying to get my hike on, but for now I wanted to share one of the highlights: The Ashcroft Ghost Town!

Colorado is filled with ghost towns, but most of them are just grassy meadows with a sign pointing out where buildings once stood. Not very thrilling.

Ashcroft on the other hand is full of buildings, fifteen in fact, many of which you can still go into – Including the old two-story hotel! A must-see for any history buffs or families traveling through Aspen… and as the pictures below show, it’s actually appropriate for kids of all ages!

It was snowy, but we powered through… and mostly stayed on top of the snow.

Here’s a close-up of the hotel. See all the ornate woodwork at the top? Amazing!

This is the view from the second story windows:

Visitors are allowed into many of the buildings…

… and of course you couldn’t keep me out of them!

Finally, this was (obvs!) my favorite building of all, the old saloon! Like the outhouse out back?

After getting our socks nice and wet we headed into Aspen for some beer and some sightseeing

Our flight at Aspen Brewing Company- they don’t serve food which means that DOGS are allowed in the bar!

View from our table at Aspen Brewing Company

All too soon the trip was over, and it was time to sit in the traffic on I70, but luckily we had some of my new favorite snack with us: Bobo’s Oat Bars!

Have you tried these? They’re handmade by a local company in Boulder and are delicious. Also they’re gluten free which doesn’t matter to me, but I know that’s pretty popular with a lot of people these days.

So far my favorite flavors are Maple Pecan and Cranberry Orange. They’re ridiculously good and you must try them. They sell them all over the place, and you can even buy them directly from the website.

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Easy Korean BBQ Tofu and Kimchi Fried Rice

I found the original tofu recipe on Pinterest, but of course had to change it up a little bit. Perhaps you remember my Korean BBQ tacos? Or the Korean BBQ pizza? They both included Sriracha pineapples (as mentioned in the LA Weekly a while back), and I knew that my version of the Korean BBQ Tofu would have to include some of those as well. And as expected, they combined perfectly! This was my first time making Korean BBQ with tofu (I’ve always used seitan in the past), but it wont be my last. By using the extra firm and pressing it for an extra long time, you ensure the tofu will have a nice firm texture. The BBQ sauce is just a little sweet (and you’ll definitely want to use Korean, not American, BBQ sauce!) which adds a wonderful balance to the spiciness of the Sriracha pineapples.

I also finally got around to buying a bottle of vegan kimchi. I had looked for it last spring when I first got on my ‘Korean Cooking Kick’ (TY, Shawna!), but all the brands I found had some sort of fishy nastiness going on.

Not sure why it never occurred to me to check Whole Foods. I’m a bit slow sometimes.

Anyhoozle, I finally did and I got me a bottle of Zuke kimchi which is some of the best kimchi I’ve ever had. First on my list of things to make with it was Kimchi Fried Rice. Shawna is always talking about how yummy it is, so I had to try it.

And she was right. The rice had so much flavor! I know that not everyone loves the taste of kimchi, but it wasn’t overly strong in this dish.

If you’ve never tried kimchi, it’s fermented pickled vegetables. The veggies are crunchy and the flavor is a combination of sour and spicy. It also has a very pungent odor. It’s delicious, but for many is an acquired taste.

And now, the recipes!

Korean BBQ Tofu with Sriracha Pineapples (serves 2 hungry vegans)

Adapted from averie cooks

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed for at least 3 hours
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1+ Tablespoons Sriracha
1 cup Korean BBQ sauce (I always seem to use Bibigo, or make my own)
Aluminum foil and non-stick spray

Directions:

In a small tupperware, combine the pineapple and Sriracha. Cover and shake until all the pineapple is covered with sauce. Taste, and add more Sriracha as needed. If you added too much, you can rinse the pinapple and start over again! Set in the fridge until you’re ready to add it.
Slice the tofu into 8 strips, then place in a bowl with the BBQ sauce, stirring until coated. Let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, although the longer the better.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with the non-stick, then lay out the slices of tofu. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then flip and put back in for another 15. Sprinkle your Sriracha pineapples over the tofu and place under the broiler for just a couple minutes, and then you’re done!

Easy Kimchi Fried Rice (serves 2 as a side dish)

If you have some, you should definitely use leftover rice that is a day or two old. If you don’t (I didn’t), just whip up a batch of brown rice, it’ll still work!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup diced sweet onion
Sprinkle garlic powder
1 cup kimchi, chopped
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups brown rice
Handful of chopped green onions

Directions:

Water sautee the onion (with garlic powder) 2-3 minutes, then add the kimchi. Stir well and let sit over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add the soy sauce and rice and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Ideally you want the rice to get a little crispy, but if it’s fresh it probably wont.
Top with green onions and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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May I Be Frank: A Giveaway

This contest is now closed and the TWO lucky readers are… Debby D. who went vegan as part of a complete life overhaul (I’m so impressed!) and Michelle D. who says her vegan life has saved her!

The first email I received from the producers of May I Be Frank really struck a chord with me. It referenced a man with hepatitis C and a weight problem, and how a change in his diet saved his life. My father had hepatitis C and a weight problem and I knew I wanted to share this documentary with him. Unfortunately I didn’t have time, but I feel like it can hopefully still help other people, and to that end I’m excited to announce that we have TWO copies of the documentary to give away!

Here’s a little more background on the film:

From the website:

Ex-addict Frank Ferrante is a 54-year-old Sicilian-American from Brooklyn with hepatitis C and some bad habits. He also wants to fall in love one more time before he dies. MAY I BE FRANK documents Frank’s transformation as he stumbles into the aptly-named vegan Cafe Gratitude, and, over 42 days, begins a life-changing journey during which he is coached physically, emotionally and spiritually by three twenty-something staff members on the path to enlightenment. Challenged by years of addiction, fatigue and family dysfunction, Frank’s quest for a healthier lifestyle is both tense and touching. Through Frank’s metamorphosis, we witness the powerful effects of change upon one person’s life, and the potential we all have to find the most important love of all – love of ourselves.

Although Frank does adopt a vegan diet as part of his new lifestyle, food really isn’t the focus of this film. It’s much more about his personal and emotional growth. And, honestly, his BMs. Frank is hilariously honest and open about everything he goes through (especially his BMs, ha ha), and the parts where he interacts with his ex-wife and daughter were especially moving for me.

The Giveaway:

~~Two lucky readers will each receive a copy of May I Be Frank on DVD.~~

The contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Sunday 5/12. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us what changes eating vegan or vegetarian has made in *your* life.
Contest is limited to US only.

Good luck!!

*Cinema Libre Studio provided me with free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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Asian Spinach Salad

First, thank you so much for all the best wishes and wonderfully heartfelt comments on my last two posts about my dad passing away. Your kind words truly did help.

But, since this is a food blog and not a bereavement blog, (and since I know my dad wouldn’t want me to wallow), I’m going to focus on moving ahead and getting back into the swing of things! And I’m starting with some deeeelish Asian Spinach Salad that I think is just perfect for the warm spring and summer weather that is (hopefull?) finally upon us. Of course, we had a snowstorm on Wednesday and a blizzard just last week, but it’s May now so I’m going to assume the snow is behind us.

I first made this salad about a month ago, on a warm day. I had gone for a short hike after work and didn’t even make it into the kitchen until after 7, and really wanted something quick and delicious, but still healthy. Of course, there’s oil in this salad so it’s not the healthiest, but there’s also spinach so let’s just go ahead and pretend that counteracts the oil, k? Besides the spinach there are so many flavors and textures: the crunchy water chestnuts (a favorite of mine!), the sweet n’ tangy oranges, and all the healthy seeds and sprouts.

This was a veganization from my secret Pinterest board (no one can follow that one, but you should totally be following my other boards!), and other than subbing in my chicken-style seitan I didn’t make too many other changes, I just reduced the oil a bit and added mandarin oranges and green onions. This salad would be perfect for a picnic or just a simple summer dinner enjoyed on your patio!

ALSO… Make sure you check back Monday for another giveaway! I had the opportunity to watch the most touching documentary, and I have TWO copies to share with you guys!

Asian Spinach Salad (makes two servings as the main dish)

If you want a lighter meal, you can totally skip the seitan. Adapted from non-vegan/vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:

For the salad

1/2 bag of baby spinach
4 ounces of bowtie pasta, cooked, rinsed and cooled
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2+ can water chestnuts, sliced
1 loaf chicken-style seitan, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained

For the dressing

1/4 cup oil (a mix of 4 parts canola, 1 part sesame… doesn’t have to be precise)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1.5 Table spoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
a couple cracks of fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix the dressing ingredients together and place in fridge.
Toss the salad ingredients together, then add dressing right before you’re ready to serve. If you need more dressing, just drizzle some more soy sauce and/or sesame oil over the top. Mix well and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Things I Learned From My Dad

Me and Dad, 2011

I’m sure I’ve learned many things from my dad throughout my life, but the lessons that are most clear and feel like the most important are the ones he has taught me in the days since he passed away.

1. Make the most of time spent with your loved ones, because you never know how much you have left. When I visited my dad in February, part of me knew it would be the last time I saw him, but I was in denial. I didn’t take the opportunity to tell him all the things I wanted to because I knew that by acknowledging the fact that he was dying I would have to deal with it, and I wasn’t ready. I was too scared to speak the words in my heart, and I took for granted the fact that I would see him again. I don’t believe in living with guilt and regret, but I’ll always wish that I had spoken up during our last visit and taken that opportunity to tell him everything I wanted him to know.

Me and my brother Bobby

2. Never judge others because they’re not doing what you think they should be. They’re probably doing the best they can, just like you are. We as humans tend to be judgmental, and I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else – probably even more so. As my dad began getting sicker, I was so frustrated with him for not dealing with his health the way I thought he should. I was literally mad at him. Thankfully I was able to keep it to myself (mostly) and it didn’t drive a wedge in between us, but looking back I’m ashamed of myself for many of these thoughts. I wasn’t in his head, and I didn’t know how he was feeling or what he was thinking. I know now that he did the best he could: he fought to stay alive as long as possible and ultimately that’s all that matters. I also spent a lot of my younger life disapproving of my dad’s lifestyle but with the wisdom of age comes the realization that it truly does take all kinds, and just because he lived his life differently than I lived mine doesn’t make him wrong. Other than his failing health, my dad actually had a pretty great life! For more than a decade he’s been married to a wonderful woman and had so many amazing friends. I was lucky enough to meet some of his friends and in-laws last week and I don’t have the words to tell you how kind and giving and loving these people were towards me! I love them all for what they did for my father, and now for Patti and my brother and I, and I consider them all to be family.

Me and Patti’s mom, who we all just called “Mom”

Juanita and me... she was like a sister to my dad

Me and Juanita… she was like a sister to my dad

3. Always keep your heart open. My dad was a big ol’ guy, and had the heart to match. If you needed help, he was there. He put his own life on hold many times to help others, and was always willing to lend a helping hand to those who needed it. He was very generous with his family, friends and neighbors and I really hope this is a trait that will live on in me. In all of us, really! If everyone did just a little more to help those around us, think of what a difference that would make.

Allagash, the prettiest little pitbull girl ever!

4. It’s never too late to change for the better. My dad went through many phases of his life, and they weren’t all positive. I don’t feel like I’m dishonoring his memory by saying this, because he would’ve been the first to tell you that he made some huge mistakes. The thing is, though, rather than sitting around and regretting his mistakes, he changed his life! He dedicated himself to becoming a better person, and I believe he was successful. He had a wonderful marriage, he become closer to his children and his extended family, and he was truly happy. I think this is a wonderful lesson, as we all have things about ourselves that we could improve (see #2! Although my dad would probably have told you that I’m perfect just the way I am )

Me and Patti

5. You’ll never regret the things you did, but you might regret the things you didn’t. When my step-mom Patti called to tell me my father was in the hospital, I tried to decide if I should jump on a plane. I kept rationalizing that this wasn’t the first time he had been hospitalized and he always ended up back home. In the time I spent trying to make up my mind, my dad lost consciousness and then I thought maybe I should wait until he woke up… but he never woke up again. Looking back, I wish I had flown to Florida to be with him. Even if I had arrived after he was unconscious, I still could’ve sat by his bed and held his hand. I know if my dad were reading this right now he’d tell me that he wouldn’t have wanted me to see him that way and that I shouldn’t worry about it, but when I think about the cost of a plane ticket versus a few more hours with my dad it seems obvious that I should’ve gone. This isn’t something I feel guilty about, but I’ll always wish that I had gone.

Dad and me on top of Pikes Peak, 2011

6. Family is the most important thing there is. My dad was estranged from his own parents when they passed away suddenly, and I know he never completely got over that. He also went through long phases of estrangement from some of his siblings but rebuilding those relationships was a huge part of his later years. He came from a large catholic family and had 6 brothers and sisters, and he really did try to bring everyone back together, and was mostly successful. And as sad as his death was for all of us, it was wonderful to see so many of my aunts and cousins last week! I reconnected with people I hadn’t seen in 20 years, and I believe in my heart that those connections will hold this time. That will be my father’s legacy: Bringing our family back together.

From left: Cousin Laura, Patti, (Third!) Cousin Brock, Me, Cousin Donna

My dad and his (big!) sister Sandy

Me and Cousin Shavonne

Me and my little cousin the future cruise ship captain!

There are so many other family members that I’ve reconnected with who were camera shy (I’m looking at you, Aunt Wendy!!), and just because they’re not pictured here doesn’t mean I don’t think they’re wonderful, cause I do. And speaking of wonderful, can I just say how great everyone was about feeding me during all this!? Shavonne went right to the kitchen and started cutting up raw veggies for me, her husband James was always on hand to open my bottle of wine, Juanita adapted her pasta salad recipe to make it vegan, and Patti and Laura smoked a ton of veggies for me! And don’t even get me started on how willing Donna was to keep my glass full of gin… The point I’m making is, my family is fantastic and I’m so grateful to have reconnected with them.

I’d say I wish my dad had been there to see it, but I’m pretty sure he was.

Sunrise over Daytona Beach the morning of my Dad’s funeral service

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That Was Vegan?

Recipes so delicious you'll never think twice!

Hummus & Veggie Melts

Mile High Vegan Eats: Root Down

Agave Roasted Red Potatoes and Owlets

A Joyful Vegan

Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Ashcroft Ghost Town and Bobo’s Oat Bars

Easy Korean BBQ Tofu and Kimchi Fried Rice

May I Be Frank: A Giveaway

The Giveaway:

Asian Spinach Salad

Things I Learned From My Dad