yum...beer....

...as in Beer Battered anything! Sunday night I made Beer Battered Seitan Strips based on a recipe posted by Jess at Get Sconed. Oh these were delicious. Not so healthy but that's ok you can't eat healthy all the time. The next time I make these I will not make a potato side dish. Although delicious it was a bit heavy and carby. As a dipping sauce I made a Pesto Aioli using some fresh pesto I made with some wilting basil mixed with vegan mayo. Did we enjoy this meal hot off the stove? No. Its hard to eat a hot meal once you have a baby. She seems to want attention as soon as dinner is ready.



The other evening I was feeling nostalgic and remembering my early vegetarian days as a teen when I first discovered chili. My chili back then wasn't as good as it is now simply because back then I was afraid to try cumin. I was stupid but slowly started using it and now all these years later am a cumin addict. I also thought I didn't like beans but I couldn't eat broccoli for every meal (which I did for a few days in the very beginning, oh the horrendus gas pains I had in my chest) so slowly thru the miracle of chili I learned to love both. Now I get gas pains in my chest from broccoli and beans. This chili contains 3 ingredients I usually don't use in chili: zucchini, corn and Field Roast Chipotle Mexican "Sausage". I also made some yellow rice because I was feeling festive.

Desperation Dinner.

The other night I was desperate for food. I hadn't had a chance to eat all day. Reno, who is a good baby, decided to be cranky for a bit and Peter was out picking up our new stereo. It was a bit impossible to cook with her needing attention, but if I didn't I would have passed out and I was getting a major headache. I managed to get her to sit in this rainforest bouncer chair on the kitchen table for about 15 minutes while I whipped up this delicous but desperate Italian Stirfry. It consists of Zucchini, Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Carrots, Pinenuts and fresh Basil. It was great and made me feel a ton better. Even better is that it was something that i've never made before so yeah to me for creating a new dish.




Here are some new pics of Reno. I never got around to telling you all about the birth and everything BECAUSE!!! my second night home from the hospital I ended up back in the hospital with a pretty wicked kidney infection! It was horrible! I was on all these drugs and such which I ended up being allergic too and my face swelled up 5 time bigger then my face already is!! I had to spend the night in the hospital (would have been two nights if I didn't have the allergic reaction) I've never been sick or allergic to anything so this was all a bit too much for me. But i'm all better now (i think) and Reno is a wonderful baby. She only wakes us up once or twice at night to be fed and sleeps the rest of the night away. She's already grown 2 inches!

I've pretty much recovered from the birth. It was pretty horrible being induced because the induction processed worked alittle too well with me and it all happend to fast which in the long run I guess is better than laboring for 20 or more hours before pushing, the whole thing took only 12 or so with actual contractions and labor being only 5 hours.



So I should be posting more often now since i'm back cooking us dinners and such which i'm excited about. I've missed making my dinners and I can't eat anymore take out or other people meals anymore! See ya's soon.

7lbs 12 oz. 19 1/2 inches

Here she is!!! Reno Sofia!!!! Born Friday August 31 at 11:36 a.m. 7lb. 12 oz. 19 1/2 inches.

More info to come later in the week!