A couple of queer vegans.

FatFree Vegan Kitchen Skillet Gardener’s Pie

acoupleofqueervegans — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:41:34 +0000

A friend of ours, Andrew, was coming over to celebrate his birthday. We were pretty busy the other day, after taking my mom out for a belated birthday present to see the new Harry Potter. We hadn’t had much time to prepare for his arrival. He got to the house around 8 and none of us had eaten dinner, so we decided to make FatFree Vegan Kitchen’s Skillet Gardener’s Pie because we had all the ingredients. I didn’t feel so bad, once I realized he was excited about whipping up something vegan. He has a knack for cooking and it is a recent new-found interest of his. So, the two of us got this thing going.

It turned out to be absolutely fantastic. It really hit the spot, made for easy clean-up and we saved over half the pie for leftovers!

Pie virgins.

acoupleofqueervegans — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:44:58 +0000

I have never made a pie before. I have never really cooked, prior to going vegan about a month ago. It is now, however, one of my favorite pastimes.

My grandfather’s favorite treat is cherry pie. It also happens to be my mom’s favorite, too. In preparation for next week’s visit with my mom to go see him for the day, I decided to try out a recipe for a vegan cherry pie.

Me and the grrl, before putting the pie in the oven, after we made a huge mess of the kitchen.

We actually aren’t big about cherry pie, but I had a slice. My mom approved, it was actually her first cherry pie made with fresh cherries. The pie turned out fantastic, though not very pretty. It was just a tester so I’ll be sure to worry about the asthetics on the next round.

-The boi.

Southern vegan comfort food, veggie plate

acoupleofqueervegans — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:58:48 +0000

Tonight, we were totally feeling some Southern comfort food; Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots and Easy Golden-Brown Brussel Sprouts with Squash and Onions.

Spinach Artichoke Dip and Chicken-Free Nuggets

acoupleofqueervegans — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:58:37 +0000

The grrl and I have always loved Spinach Artichoke Dip. It was definitely a must-have appetizer at most restaurants we visited, unless some form of queso dip was offered. We had even picked out some of our favorite restaurants by whether or not their Spinach Artichoke Dip was up-to-par.

So, for lunch, I whipped up Poopie Bitch’s Spinach Artichoke Dip to have with tortilla strips alongside our Health is Wealth Vegan Chicken-Free Nuggets. I’m not sure why we chose this combination for lunch but after hitting up Whole Foods for an abundance of vegan treats, we’ve just been excited about trying new things.

The Chicken-Free Nuggets were amazing. The Grrl loved them. I think she makes for a great meatless meat tester, as she was an omnivore just a few short weeks ago. I usually let her bite into whatever it is first. I haven’t had chicken nuggets since probably my last trek to McD’s when I was nine or something. They tasted freakishly like my memory of chicken nuggets, to the point that I was too freaked out to have more than two.

But, more importantly, the Spinach Artichoke Dip was to-die-for. Poopie Bitch did a fantastic job of adapting this recipe and it really was quite perfect!

After every new vegan treat we give-a-go, I wonder more and more why other people don’t go vegan. I have eaten better in these past few weeks than I ever have in my entire life. I have grown a new love and respect for food since going vegan. It is a fun and exciting adventure and I am kicking myself in the ass now for not taking this step earlier in life.

-The boi.

Melissa Etheridge concert and Road’s End Organic Mac & Chreese

acoupleofqueervegans — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:32:04 +0000

Photo credit: Melissa Etheridge eco-friendly street team

The Melissa Etheridge Live and Alone 2009 concert at Harrah’s in Tunica, Mississippi was a blast! The grrl and I rode along with our “lesbian moms”. It was their sixth time seeing Melissa Etheridge in concert so we felt like quite the amateurs.

The entire experience was fantastic, save for the old ladies next to us that did not seem to enjoy that we were enjoying ourselves so much. I will admit that my new diet has gotten the best of my alcohol tolerance and after seven beers, I was through.

The grrl won some money at the casino but I lost all of my play money so we ended up breaking even for the most part. After the show was over and we got done at Harrah’s, everyone was wanting a late-night snack. I had forgotten to pack me and the grrl something so we were left to fend for ourselves in the nasty world of fast-food chains. The four of us settled for a gas station on the way out. By that time, I couldn’t even make it into the store and left it up to the grrl to recall some healthier options from PETA’s Accidentally Vegan list. After I relinquished my leftover burrito in the parking lot, I munched on some peanut butter crackers and Lay’s potato chips.

Since going vegan, I have lost fifteen pounds but made up for some of that in beer on Saturday night I’m sure. Either way, we made it home safe and sound after a wonderful night out with our friends.

On Sunday, while at a visit to the grrl’s parents house, we tried out Road’s End Organic Mac and Chreese Alfredo Style that we picked up for times when convenience is a factor. I cut up a fresh tomato from their garden and added it to my share. I liked it, was kind of impressed actually.

I started my day today with half a Clif bar before class. After class, I was getting a little hungry and realized that I had left it to melt in my car. It still tasted amazing and definitely held me over to lunchtime. At lunch, I had another Yves hot dog. I should have taken a hint when I saw the beautiful salad that the grrl had prepared herself but I was having a craving for those yummy things again and couldn’t resist.

-The boi.

lentil soup & PPK vegan cornbread

acoupleofqueervegans — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:03:43 +0000

One of our favorite comfort meals is lentil soup. I was new to lentils only some time ago though the grrl’s grandma regularly serves up lentil soup with smoked weenies and apple pancakes.

When I found this recipe, the grrl was quite skeptical. With a few of our own additions and adjustments, this has become a favorite in our household. Even when the grrl’s younger sister lived with us, she requested our version over their grandmother’s on a consistent basis. Tonight, we served this up with the PPK vegan cornbread.

-The boi.

vegan burritos & apple pie juice

acoupleofqueervegans — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:41:09 +0000

I work for a local school district and am rewarded with summers off, so I’ve been playing the house-wife/husband role to the best of my ability. Truthfully, I suck at it and rely on the grrl to come home and pick up after me most days. Other days, we both just let it go.

Today, I decided to be productive and fix lunch for the both of us whereas generally we whip up something quick during her hour lunch break.

I borrowed this recipe for vegan burritos with guacamole and concocted a similar version from what we had in our cabinets. On the side, I borrowed this recipe for Apple Pie Juice and threw that together using a hand-me-down juicer that my parents gave us this morning.

The juice was probably more successfully tasty than the burrito. The burrito could have used more spices and less cinnamon. It was way-filling and I put half of mine into the refrigerator to devour later on. Either way, I enjoyed it and would definitely make them again with some minor changes.

My most favorite ingredient in our meal today was the Rishikesh Whole Grain Brown Basmati Rice that we picked up at Whole Foods on our last excursion there. Like Uncle Ben’s 90-second brown rice, you just toss it into the microwave to find deliciously-cooked rice only a minute and a half later. So what’s the difference? The Seeds of Change brand is whole grain and Certified Organic. Yummy!

-The boi.

Yves Meatless Hot Dogs and other favorites so far.

acoupleofqueervegans — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:19:46 +0000

This will not always be an easy journey for either of us. I was born with an innate love for cheese, all the way back to stories my biological mother told me about how she craved grilled cheese’s when I was living in her womb though she never really liked them before. It must have been in my DNA. And the grrl has the love of her German grandmothers cooking, her country-boy grandpa’s fresh kill and candy, boy does she love candy.

We have seen the light, though, and there is no going back. Anymore, it’s not so much the craving of animal products because we know how bad those things are for our body, for the little creatures themselves and for our environment. I’m not sure where the struggle will be really, maybe there won’t be one. Thus far, it’s just been fun and exciting.

Last night, I was craving one of my favorite kidhood dishes; beanie weenies. I cut up some hot dogs into a small bowl of vegan baked beans. It could only have been any better if I’d been watching syndicated reruns of Fraggle Rock. The grrl was craving Yves Meatless Hot Dogs in another form, barbecued. Barbecued hot dogs are a favorite for camping trips so we picked up a bottle of sauce and stuck that sucker on the grill, wrapped it up in a piece of Rudi’s Organic 100% Whole Wheat bread and she seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. While in my pseudo-vegetarian years, I had never been much for meat replacements, I’ve discovered that they are quite tasty and the guilt-free factor makes them even better!

In addition to those little wonders, some of our other favorite vegan eats so far are; Silk Chocolate Soy Milk, Blue Diamond Natural Almond Breeze almond milk, roasted red pepper hummus, guacamole, peach salsa, Amy’s Black Bean Enchiladas, Clif bars, Whole Foods vegan almond cookies, spicy pumpkin seeds and we have definitely rekindled our love for plain fresh, raw fruits and veggies.

Grocery shopping is even more fun now than it ever was. Our enslavement to bad-for-you-foods has been replaced by wholesome, good-for-you, cruelty-free treats. Finally!

-The boi.

Our journey into veganism.

acoupleofqueervegans — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:33:36 +0000

The grrl and I connected during a more self-destructive span of our lifetime. We were barely eighteen, fresh to being out and on our own. We smoked a lot of reefer, drank way too much beer and lived off of ultra-processed boxed foods and off-brand soda. Five years later, we have grown in stability but the grrl and I will always be children at heart.

We are real folks. We love what is bad for us but recognize the importance in what is good for us. After my eight-year bought with bad pseudo-vegetarianism that resulted in rapid weight gain combined with the grrl’s ongoing interest in animal rights and healthy wholesome foods, we’ve decided to take things to the next level by going vegan.

We commenced our journey into veganism on June 22 and here we go!

- The boi.