Eating Vegan: A Two Week Challenge

What the heck? We are going to give it a try.  A couple weeks ago Ernesto and I watched a documentary in which a study was done with three random volunteers asked to change their diet to vegan for 6 weeks. 

Hmm, could we do that?

We agreed on two weeks.  Why?  We are bored.  Yeah right!  With this little guy?

We just thought it would be a fun food challenge.  What are we going to eat?!  If you are like me and love a big fat juicy steak, it is pretty hard to fathom living a vegan life.   Not only are you eating vegetarian, but forget fish, poultry, eggs, animal milk, and a whole slue of other things.

The following is a definition from Vegan Peace:

Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.


...Unlike the word "vegetarian", the word "vegan" specifically implies moral concern for animals. Therefore the word vegan extends to more than just diet. For that reason, people who follow a vegan diet for reasons other than moral concern for animals are not considered vegan, but can be considered strict vegetarians. 

Ok, so Ernesto and I definitely aren't vegans.  We are missing the moral part.  But for the next couple weeks we will be eating like one or rather a "strict vegetarian."

{via vegan peace}

Well, we are on day two, and just finished a delicious pancake breakfast.  Last night we had durum whole wheat pasta with roasted tomatoes (from the garden) garlic, rosemary & basil over a bed of arugula.  I can do this.

Cheese.  I will miss cheese.  I imagine we will be eating a lot of Indian food, I never miss the meat in Indian dishes.  I did buy some tofu, so I'll be looking for something interesting to make with it.   If nothing else, the next couple weeks will be a good cleansing.

If you have any delicious vegan recipes to share, please leave the link in the comments!

Wish us luck! 

ps. Mateo will not be eating vegan.  He loves his morning yogurt.

Aunt Margies Blueberry Pie

Our fridge has been packed lately.  We have been making regular trips out to the Dekalb Farmers Market and barely have enough room in our ample fridge to house all the fruits and veges we come home with.  The other day Ernesto and I both picked up blueberries without knowing the other did too, so we had quite a few.   My Aunt, who is here with my parents visiting suggested a blueberry pie.

Yes, have some.

 Aunt Margie got me a "pie making kit" at my wedding shower [11 years ago], and I was embarrassed to not have ANY of it in my new kitchen.  No rolling pin, no pastry cutter, no glass pie dish, ugh! (it must be in storage)  Being the baking queen that she is, she made due with the "tools" I had and created this:

I would say the key to any pie is a good crust...and obviously a delicious filling.   I do buy graham cracker pie crusts for my yogurt pie (I'll share the recipe soon)  but for regular pie crust I'm not too sure why you would buy it ready made with the "from scratch" is so quick and easy to make.

Perfect Pie Crust

1 cup Crisco

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

Blend with metal pastry blender (or fork if yours is in storage)

Add 4tbsp. ice cold water and stir (it should be crumbly now)

Add 3 more tbsp water and work with hands until all dough pulls away from dish.  

Place dough ball onto floured surface and roll to about an 1/8 inch thick. 

Place in baking dish and fold over any excess on the sides.

To crinkle the edges, press your thumb like so into the dough:

Continue around dish.

For the lattice topping, roll another piece of dough out and cut into thin strips to criss-cross over the top of the filling. 

 

Aunt Margie's Blueberry Pie 

4 cups fresh blueberries 

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp tapioca (could substitute cornstarch)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix together and add to pie pan.  

Criss-cross lattice over filling.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and cook for 45 minutes.** 

** My Aunt let me in on an a trick she has been using for years.  As a matter of fact she learned this in her microwave manual when it first came out (whoa?) back in the late 70's early 80's??   She "pre-cooks" the pie in the microwave for 10 minutes before putting it in the oven.  I admit I was a bit disappointed when I found out she puts pie in the microwave (since I only use mine to warm up coffee or left overs) but, just like she said, the crust was very flaky and delicious! If you try it, pop pie in the oven for 15 minutes after microwaving for 10. 

More Ohio Visitors!

A big thanks to my parents for making another visit (and bringing Aunt Margie this time!).  They arrived the last day of the month to make sure they got in their June and July visit.  (they have seen Mateo every month since he was born)
Since they drove their van, they were able to deliver my $5 chairs from the garage sales back in May! Paul's Shuttle has never let me down.   The chairs are even better than I remembered them.  I'm loving the dark wood and velvet.  (oh! if only my hardwood floors were this color instead of red)
Not sure where their permanent home will be, but they have been sitting in front of the fireplace for a week, and that is just fine for now. (Anything that distracts from that blah tile)
Mateo started waving last Sunday and a week before that he started clapping.  Needless to say, it has been extra fun at our house.  (he also learned biting, which is not as fun)

I can just kiss him all day long.  He was loving having grandma & grandpa around.  Grandma can make him laugh at the drop of a hat and grandpa has squealing contests with him.  For the record, Mateo can squeal higher and louder than grandpa.

Although it was nearly 100 degrees all week, we still got outside (mostly in the mornings).
We went walking at the Olympic Track,  Grant Park farmers market, Piedmont Park splash park, and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.   I snapped this pic of my mom and aunt while in the same position.  Cute, right?

{gardening queens at botanical gardens}

{keeping cool at Piedmont's splash park}

{relaxing in the shade at Piedmont Park}

The rest of the week we stayed inside, ate delicious food and played cards. Such is life at the relaxing 

house.  Let me know if you'd like to pay us a visit.

Happy 4th of July

I hope you guys are having a great 4th!  My parents and my Aunt Margie are here from Ohio and we just pulled a blueberry pie out of the oven. **

Guys have been golfing and the girls have been fabric shopping (wait til you see what I scored at Fabric World this time!) thrifting and to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

We were amazed with yesterdays new development: Mateo took a few steps! Yikes! Video to follow!

**My aunt gave me a lesson in making pie crust from scratch.   Recipe coming!

Anise Almond Biscotti

When I lived in Columbus Ohio, I frequented a little place called Motzarts Bakery and Piano Cafe.  Their biscotti was the best I had ever tasted.  I became obsessed and stopped in every week.  I never even considered trying to bake it myself.

Years later, I copied a recipe out of a cookbook at the book store and although it took me a few years to actually make it, once I did, I proclaimed it the best alternative to Motzart's.   It is unbelievably simple and perfect to serve to guests with coffee.  (I have made them 2x in the last few weeks!)

Give them a try, you won't be disappointed.  You could get creative too and go with different nuts or omit the anise if your not a fan. 

Almond Anise Biscotti 

2 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup veg. oil

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

2 tsp. crushed anise

1 ¼ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt 

optional:  1 tsp Almond extract 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chopped almonds

Heat oven to 350.  Mix eggs, sugar and oil until smooth.   Mix in next 6 ingredients.  Add flour and almonds and mix until a sticky dough forms.  On a floured surface, mix dough with hands and form into a ball.  Cut into two equal pieces.  Form 2 logs no more than one inch thick and place both on a greased cookie sheet. (or put foil down)  Bake 25 minutes and set on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.  Cut on the diagonal into one inch strips.  Lay cut face up and put back in the oven for 4 minutes.  Take out and flip to other side and cook additional 4 minutes.  Let cool on wire rack and store in air tight container.

Vintage Indian Brass Lamp, Oh My!

A couple of weeks ago I got so excited after opening an email from Lucy where she sent me a link to Mod Pieces Blog with this picture:

{via ModPiecesBlog}

OMG, these are the same as my brass lamp that I picked up for $5 at a school rummage sale last year.  The moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it.  It was something special.  Look at it up close.  The whole thing is carved (etched?)

It has been sitting in my living room with no shade now for ooooooh 9 months.  I just wasn't sure what shape/color would be right with this unique lamp, but as we both can see here, these are PERFECT!!

{via ModPiecesBlog}

Check out the inside which glows of gold! How gorgeous!  I immediately wrote to Lia for an estimate on one lamp shade, but unfortunately $167 is out of my price range for my $5 lamp.  I don't doubt it is worth the money, because these lamps look like a million dollars....but still...no. can. do.

I am now on the hunt for a similar shade.  Im sure I will have to DIY the gold and black.  I actually saw one on ebay and I may just try re-vamping it.  The size is right and price is more within my relm.  I feel excited now that I have a goal/plan for my beauty. 

First step though is to shine this baby back to his original sheen with some Brasso.
Have you ever bought something and later found out it was much more special than you originally thought?

Fit Fridays!

The country is being hit by a summer heat wave.  Atlanta is in the high 90's-low 100's and guess what?  It's not even humid.  It feels like we are in Arizona.

Ernesto and I have been getting out of the house early to get our workouts in before the sun comes over the trees at the Olympic Track, just two block from our house.   Its a perfect place to do Crossfit [on the go] workouts.  We did 5 days last week and are going for 6 this week.

Im having trouble going down the stairs because my legs are sore, but I consider this a good thing.  We have been doing a lot of sprints, lunges/squats and those damn burpees.

For example:
Sprint 100 meters and do 20 air squats.  Repeat 10 times.
10 burpees, 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups.  10 rounds
Run one mile. and stop every minute for 30 walking lunges.
Run one mile for time.
(This week was 8:10 and my goal was 8:00, so I was chided by my "trainer.")

What about you guys?  are you working out in this heat?

Selling on Craigslist!

Not only do I scour Craigslist for items to buy, but I also post things I'd like to sell.  Granted, this piece above is in the 'free' section.  Ernesto wanted to just put it in a dumpster, but I told him I would list it as a "curb alert" ie: free.
It is an antique, but how could I ask money for something that has a broken leg and no cushions?  I had such high hopes for this couch when I bought it on Craigslist a back in 2010!  I even went through a whole fabric search and started to take it apart....Ernesto said I would never do anything with it and by gosh, he was right!  (I hate when that happens!)

Anyhoo, I posted this couch at 11:30am today and I was contacted before noon to arrange the pick up.   Done and done!  Furniture really goes quick.  We practically sold all the contents from our first house on Craigslist.  It's so easy.
This lady just bought a plantation house in south GA and thinks this couch (once it is re-done) will be perfect.  Im sure it will.  I still see a diamond in the ruff just as i did when I saw the ad. Unfortunately I paid $50 for it, but Im so glad someone is going to use it. 
Ernesto's trash is another [wo]man's treasure:)

ps.  listing a shaggy off-white rug (5 x 8) tomorrow. 

Nine Months Old {Mateo's Monthly Photo}

 Just on a related side note, the "monthly photo shoot" has officially gotten out of hand.  Trying to get a picture of this mobile 9 month old while sitting still was a challenge, but gosh darn it, I succeeded (after about 50 pics).  Here is a glimpse into our photo session.

Summer Summer Summertime!

When my brother Bill told me a few months ago that he and his family wanted to drive to Atlanta this Summer to visit us I got very excited!  I absolutely LOVE having family visit.

My dad asked Bill what they wanted to do in Atlanta, he said " absolutely nothing...just relax" and my dad said "well, you are going to the right house." That made me laugh. 

Although we didn't "do" much, we had the best week. We just hung out with the kids all week.  Four adults and three adorable kids!  No obligations...Espinester style!!   We all walked away with a lot of great memories and 5 million pictures to support them.  (Barbie was the original "picture ass" in our family, but I have been hot on her tail for years) 

A big thank you to Bill and Barbie for taking a chance on a potentially hell-ish 12 hour car ride with two small kids.  You did it!  (Now we will expect you here for Thanksgiving:)

Instead of listing all of the "absolutely nothing" that took place,  I thought I would share some pictures:

{morning workout at the olympic track by our house}

{cousins at pajama time}

{beautiful beautiful Eleanor rides Clifford at the splash park}

{Playing at DH Stanton Splash Park}

{The Napping House...Neto joined the kids...daily}

Bill picked up a book to read the kids and it was in Spanish.  He just went ahead and read it anyway.  If you want a good chuckle,  watch this:

{walking to get ice cream and coff coff}

{Mustache munchins}

Poor Mateo! He had just fell and hit his head, but Lukester still wanted him to sit up for the picture.  Barbie made these great mustache shirts for the kids.  They looked so cute in them.  Here we are at the zoo in a shady spot for a feeding break. 

{Merry-go-round at the zoo}

{train at the zoo}

{a goaty-goat at the petting zoo}

Every night we had the kids in bed between 730-830p.  We taught Bill & Barbie a card game [called footy-foot] that we always play with my parents. Teams were in-laws vs. siblings.  Siblings won..that's right!   Our video monitors sat side by side.

Besides playing cards and having a few drinks we laughed our a$$es off.  Have you guys ever played around with Apple's Photo Booth?  Bill started taking photos on his paddy-pad and we could not stop laughing.  Here are some favorites.

What got us started on this (other than being immature)?  Bill pulled up a pic that he had taken of my dad.  We laughed until we cried. 

I know my dad is wondering what we said about him all week.  He'll be happy to know that we had some good laughs at his expense!

Yep, overall it was a pretty cool week.  Take it from this little guy.