Now Here’s The Plan

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Lately I feel like my blog focus has been none existent and I really want to get back to more dedication and consistency.  That being said to keep me focused I have decided to set up a bit of a posting schedule to keep me inspired and writing.  That is the other thing I want to improve me writing and to do that I need to be more focused and spend more time writing and well re-read before I post.

My plan (for now) is to have a 6 day plan:

M- Recipe of the Week

T- Nutrition Related Post

W- Readers Request Post

Th- Self-Care Post

F- Fitness Friday/Staying Active Update

S- Off

Su- Weekend Wrap Up

That being said i am also going to try and post more frequent daily/bi-daily posts and will still be including the occasional travel, restaurant post or other posts that I think are relevant.  Most product reviews/giveaways will now be under the “Reviews” tab on the navigation bar. I also am making updates under the “Dining Out Vegan” tab so keep checking back.

 

For readers requests post you can send any requests to Lindsay@cookingforaveganlover.com

 

Sangria Saturdays

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POM Wonderful sent me a sample of their new POM Cranberry Juice and I have been enjoying it with seltzer, however since it is a beautiful sunny Saturday and the Hubz and I are relaxing I decided to make POM Cranberry Sangria.

Yields 2 large serving

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1oz shot of Cognac
  • 1oz shot of Triple Sec
  • 1/2 cup POM Cranberry
  • 1 apple diced
  • 1/4 cup frozen wild blueberries
  • 1 small lemon thinly sliced
  • Seltzer

In two large glasses half of the apple, half the blueberries and half the lemon in each. Mix the red wine, cognac, triple sec and POM cranberry together and pour half into each glass.  Top the red wine mixture with seltzer to fill the glass. Sit back, sip and enjoy!

Staying Active: April Update and a GIVEAWAY!

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We are a week into April and things have been going great, both the Hubz and I are keeping on top of working out and we even started Couch to 5k again! I have also been using Daily Mile to keep track of my activities and it is really great to connect with other people and find support, motivation and inspiration. So here is the break down of April 1-7:

– Friday Community Class at Evolution Yoga 1 hr 15 min

– Saturday 30 minute walk around Middlebury

-Sunday C25K Day 1 Week 1 plus walking – total 3 miles in 40 minutes

– Monday Rodney Yee AM Yoga and Yoga for Abs 40 minutes

– Tuesday walked on the bike path with the Hubz 1.5 miles 30 minutes

-Wednesday C25K Day 2 Week 1 plus walking- total 2.9 miles in 35 minutes

-Thursday- OFF

Totals: 6/24 days and 4hrs 10minutes/15hours

 

 

OISELLE REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Now that we have discussed the updates lets get down to the good stuff- the giveaway.  I think that this giveaway is perfect for this post, my new love like of running and because I know that many of you are runners or are active in other ways.  Oiselle just sent me one of their Recycled Poly Tech Tops to try. The Recycled Poly Tech Top was designed to be so light, “you might forget you have it on. The wing motion graphic across the chest mimics the lightness of your feet’s flight. And because it’s made of 50% recycled polyester it’s light impact on the planet too. A running top so light it’s practically gravity defying.”

– Light, silky fabric
– Flattering fit
– Silk screen graphic
– 50% recycled polyester/50% polyester
– machine washable

I have been wearing it for running and other activities.  I honestly thought the shirt wasn’t too cute in the photo and was like oh well I don’t need to look cute to run I just need to have something that is light and is great for running.  To my surprise (and delight) the shirt came and it was actually super cute on and it fit perfectly.  I immediately put it on and went for a run and fell in love.  The shirt is really great because not only is the fabric light on your skin it breathes really well and even though I got sweaty I didn’t feel drenched and weighed down.

Now that I have this top the stripey tank has caught my eye and would be perfect for summer. Oh and if you are a bride-to-be and a runner you will love this.

Now that you have fallen in love with this top (you have right?) I should mention that they sent me two and since it isn’t in my size one lucky person will have the chance to win this top.  Now the top is the one you see to the left (same color) and is in a size medium, however depending on how you like your clothes to fit it could easily fit someone who wears a small.  Now here is how you enter, oh and this is open to US and Canadian residence and you can enter until April 10th at midnight.

The Winner is:


Mandatory:

1. Visit the Oiselle website and tell me something you learned. (leave a comment below)

Additional Chances to Win (you must leave a separate comment for each)

  • Follow Oiselle on Twitter
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Follow my health counseling on Twitter
  • Tweet “I want to win the @Oiselle giveaway on @cookveganlover http://wp.me/pFVWo-1Lw”
  • “Like” Oiselle Running on Facebook
  • “Like” Cook.Vegan.Lover on Facebook
  • Leave a Facebook Comment on Oiselle saying that you want to win and include http://wp.me/pFVWo-1Lw

Dining Out Vermont:Trattoria Delia

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After six weeks my parents finally returned from their trip to Florida and we decided to take them out for their 30th wedding anniversary -YES 30 YEARS!! Since it was a special occasion we gave them a few options and they chose Trattoria Delia.  I was excited because I had never been there and the Hubz who had been with work said it was really delicious. Since it is a nicer spot I felt awkward whipping out my camera so the following are sneaky iphone photos.

We started with a liter of wine for the table and enjoyed the beautiful fire place and rustic atmosphere. We also had some amazing yummy bread with wonderful fruity olive oil.

We started with a vegan antipasti for the table and an order of bruschetta both were really amazing.  The vegan antipasti was not on the menu but they had no problem creating a vegan plate for us.

For our main courses the Hubz and I both got the Orecchiette con Fricone  “Fricone, dialect of the southern region of Puglia for a fried tomato sauce, made from vine-ripened tomatoes, crushed garlic, a pinch of red pepper and arugula, tossed with an imported handmade ear-shaped pasta and pecorino cheese. This dish was easily veganizable and they were will to create other dishes for you as well. It sounds really simple but it was one of the most amazing pasta dishes I have ever had.

We finished the night with espressos and lingering conversation.  Overall we had a wonderful experience.  The food was delicious, the atmosphere was lovely and although service was not over the top they were attentive and allowed you to enjoy the experience there was no push to get you out the door.

The Hubz and I decided to extend the night into a date and had one cocktail out at a bar where we had a horrible experience but oh well we were together.

 

Hubz Cocktail- "Border Patrol- Canadian Club Whisky and Vermont Maple Liqueur"

However after a late night (for me) I feel a little like this today

Candle Cafe Inspired: BBQ Sweet Potato & Black Bean Sandwich

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One of my favorite things to do is take restaurant menus and use them for inspiration to create recipes at home.  It allows us to enjoy a restaurant meal in our own home at a fraction of the cost and allows us to experience restaurants we aren’t able to visit on a regular basis.  So today when I received the Candle Cafe Newsletter with their Spring 2011 menu I was inspired by one of their sandwiches:

Instead of making a BBQ Tempeh & Sweet Potato Sandwich I made a BBQ Sweet Potato and Black Bean Sandwich.  I baked the sweet potato and glazed it with BBQ sauce. I grilled the kale and red onion on our little George Forman Grill and I whipped up a variation of my smoked paprika aioli, I added roasted garlic and roasted shallot to the aioli- YUM!.  I then layered up the sandwiches and grilled them on the George Forman Grill to make them nice and toasty and served a green salad along side.

Q: Where do you find recipe inspiration?

Vermont Vegan: Vermont Pub & Brewery

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Vermont Pub & Brewery (VPB) is a popular spot among locals and guests to Burlington.  They have a variety of housemade brews and serve local wines.  As most people know it can be hard to find vegan options when dining out especially at a brew pub but VPB has exceed expectations with their list of vegan friendly items check it out:

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont Pub and Brewery Vegan Options

  • Soup, Salad & Chili:
    • Mesclun Salad
    • Spinach Salad
    • Caesar Salad – without cheese & with House Vinaigrette or Oil & Vinegar
  • Appetizers:
    • Spud Skins – plain
    • Salsa & Chips
  • On The Side:
    • Basket of Brewhouse Fries
    • Sweet Potato Fries
    • Beer-Battered Onion Rings
  • Hot Sandwiches:
    • Veggie Mushroom Philly – without cheese (with bread, not roll)
    • Portabella Mushroom – without cheese (with bread, no bun)
    • VPB Wrap – without cheese
    • Toasted BLT – Lettuce & Tomato (no bacon)
  • Brewery Sandwich Fare:
    • Vegetarian Rolli Polli – without cheese
  • Desserts:
    • Apple Crisp

So the next time you are in Burlington and want good food, local beer and a fun atmosphere I recommend you head to VPB!

Topics of Interest

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I have really been loving the feedback from readers regarding current posts and the new newsletter. That being said I’m asking you to take a few minutes to submit any topics that might interest you or questions that you have; questions can be personal, vegan related, health related, IIN related…basically anything you want to know. Thanks in advance for your feedback!