Vegetarian 100 Foods to Try

Let's see how I've done in my short life! Credits to About.com vegetarian.

1. Fresh young coconut
2. Vegetarian caviar
3. Truffle oil
4. Pomelo
5. Vegetarian black pudding
6. Kalamata olives
7. Saffron
8. Inari sushi
9. Huckleberries
10. Cashew nut butter
11. Banana roti
12. Laotian coffee
13. Goat cheese (not a particular favorite, but I've tried it anyway)
14. Chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter milkshakes (in Chicago!)
15. Poutine (you can find a vegan version in Brooklyn)
16. Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
17. Gnocchi (not a favorite)
18. Roasted chestnuts
19. Baba ganoush
20. Wheatgrass juice
21. Soy cheese pizza
22. Yucca or taro root
23. Fresh grilled corn on the cob
24. Sangria
25. Macaroni and cheese
26. Persimmons (don't plan on ever eating them again, LOL ;-)
27. Indian barfi
28. Mangosteen
29. KFC Vegetarian Chicken Sandwich
30. Vegetarian turducken
31. Steamed edamame with sea salt
32. Saltwater taffy
33. Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup with lotus and woodears
34. Black sapote
35. Vegetarian Chinese steamed buns
36. Navajo tacos
37. McDonald’s Veggie Burger (it'll be a miracle if they ever sell one in my area...now BK, that's a good burger!
38. Sake
39. Gulab jamun
40. Fried pickles (YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!)
41. Chai tea
42. Thai papaya salad (som tum)
43. Pecan pralines
44. Fried green tomatoes
45. Vegetarian s'mores (over a campfire of course!)
46. Stevia
47. Macadamia nuts
48. Nutella
49. Veggie corn dogs
50. Garlic ice cream
51. Jackfruit
52. Vegetarian shu mai
53. Mango
54. Tandoori masala
55. Fennel
56. Fried plantains
57. Horchata
58. Sweet potato fries (also butternut squash fries)
59. Sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes
60. Caramel popcorn
61. French camembert
62. Tofurky
63. BK Veggie Burger
64. Vegetarian gyoza/potstickers
65. Sun dried tomatoes
66. Gartini (garlic martini)
67. Vegan cheesecake
68. Avocado maki
69. Durian
70. Brussels sprouts
71. Nutritional yeast
72. Real butterscotch (what! I'm supposed to eat my cat???)
73. Starfruit
74. Lemongrass
75. Chartreuse
76. Zapp’s or Tim’s brand potato chips (trust me on this one!)
77. Fortune cookies
78. Cotton candy
79. Salted lime margaritas (the non-alcoholic version for me!)
80. Vegetarian rice crispy squares
81. Vegetarian prawns or shrimp
82. Balsamic fig reduction sauce
83. Passionfruit
84. Marmite
85. Wasabi
86. Vegetarian fluff
87. Honey dijon mustard
88. Bubble tea/boba
89. Blueberry beer
90. Deglet noor dates
91. Chocolate covered espresso beans
92. Chinese or Taiwanese stinky tofu “choh doh-foo”
93. Vegetarian Tom Kha (Thai Coconut Soup)
94. Vegetarian reuben
95. Coconut oil
96. Peanut brittle
97. Creme brulee
98. Vegetarian jerky
99. Crystallized ginger
100. And last but not least, someday.....Carl’s Jr, Wendy’s and Jack-in-the-box Veggie Burger (Hey, a girl can hope, can’t she?)

 59 out of 100...guess I need to get working eating, LOL ;-)

Maple Time 2010

Scrapbook layout of the first day of sap cooking, March 2010.

Morels

Hidden treasure awaits,

Come, take a peek,

Don't tempt the fates

By resisting temptation to seek.

Where find this treasure?

You certainly will ask,

And I with pleasure

Am equal to the task,

As into the forest we trek.

From damp floor to mossy tree,

Our eyes blur as we continually inspect

Amongst leaves, the certain lee,

For certain characteristic wrinkle,

Soft, moist, smelling earthen,
Nurtured by rain's sprinkle,

Sun's warmth the grounds unburthen.

Stooping, we carefully pluck,

Not disturbing a single asci cell,

Counting the bounty of our luck,

The delectable, edible, precious morel.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Camping

Rain or shine, all is fine
When away from home we roam.
We pack meals in our home on wheels
Clothing, things we use, even our shoes!
Playing cards, perusing the bards,
Swimming, sightseeing, but no water skiing.
History abounds, from ships to Indian mounds.
A camping foray is our favorite way to play.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Noah

When sin and wickedness fouled the earth
God's option was destruction and rebirth.
Faithful, righteous Noah answered His call
to build a boat, teach, and plead with all
sinners to heed and repent.
He preached, not in a tent,
but at a construction site,
where grew in height
the giant boat He was given instructions to build.
No union workers or carpenter's guild
assisted with his project,
nor could he persuade any to protect
their lives by repenting and going inside.
The animals knew to follow the unseen guide
as out of the forest and across the plain
they came, from feather to mane.
Into their places they quietly went,
and then the angel God sent
ominously closed the door and withdrew.
Jeered by more than just a few,
the ark for seven days remained motionless
on dry land and grass.
Then the rains came,
forty nights and days the same
pounding, rocking, floating, wondering
what could possibly withstand the hammering.
Below the waves, mountains grew,
canyons receded, the earth's shape no one knew.
Protected inside by angels unseen
the family's awareness was keen.
As the waters began to recede
Noah wondered indeed
when they would disembark to the plain,
pitch their tents and crops again.
First the raven did fly
until things began to dry;
Then the dove was given a turn,
and with a fresh olive leaf did return.
Seven more days passed
and the dove disappeared at last.
With the ark's roof no longer there,
God said, "Enjoy the fresh air!
Come out and inhabit the earth, all of you.
Bring the birds and animals, too."
In gratitude and thanksgiving
with thanks to God, for they were living,
they offered Him sacrifices pure.
God's promise today still does endure,
sealed in the sky, the rainbow bright,
reflecting the Son's pure light,
as we will see on the day of glory,
the end, yet beginning, of the story.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Bracket Fungi

Neat fungi...same formation, viewed from opposite sides.

Spring Trillium

My favorite spring wildflower.  Did I say favorite?  OK, I meant one of my spring favorites ;-)

Psalm 23

Nothing will I lack
With the Lord at my back
My Shepherd, my Guide.
He takes me beside
Pastures of green
Near waters' shimmery sheen
A place of rest
A haven, a nest.
My innermost being
Undergoes reconditioning
As along the passageway of spirituality
He pilots my journey.
All due honor, respect, and praise
I give to His name, all of my days.
Even when I am near life's eclipse
No cry escapes my lips
Darkness doesn't leave me fainthearted
For I am comforted
Because my Shepherd has marked me
His sheep, for eternity.
While in view of the tempter outside the stable
With confidence, I come to the table
Heavy laden with Your gift, a fete
Lovingly prepared, my own personal banquet.
I am set aside, consecrated, my mind
With cascading oil I to you bind.
For the remainder of my days
I am blessed by your gentle, softhearted ways.
And when thru resurrection my life extends
My Shepherd will forever be, My Best Friend.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Family

Mom, dad, two kids,
The perfect, All-American family.
Two goldfish and a cat
Do blend in quite dandily.

Though far apart in age,
We've formed a unique blend,
Whatever life may bring our way,
On each other we depend.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Based on Genesis 1:26, 27; Exodus 3:14

You are My reflection
With My hands
Your body I formed
Lovingly
Carefully
Tenderly
Your are My friend
Glorify Me
Show the world who I AM

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Poetry Foray

I know, I've missed nearly all of Poetry Month (April), but it's never too late to start celebrating. I've read lots of poetry this month, and even started a poem based on the 23rd Psalm. I will finish it sometime, I promise! I also began working my way through Painless Poetry by Mary Elizabeth (a Barron's book). It was a fail for my junior high daughter, but I think it will be a GO for me. I've never learned to analyze and understand poetry, although I do enjoy reading it. I would like to know more. So here I am!

The book segment that I read today challenged me to write a poem using a starter sentence that they provided (1st sentence). My writing is based on a tree that I did see (and photograph) a few years ago, that had literally just been struck by lightning. The photograph shows it the morning after, and it has since been cut completely down.

Lightning just shattered that tree!

Tendrils of smoke, still do I see

wisping from its scattered pieces;

Broken, black, scarred: the tree ceases.

Synchro Swimming

DD12 participated in an introductory synchro swimming class this spring. This is the routine her class performed at the team's spring show last night.

Spool & Cord Gears

This is a pretty cool gadget. You can rearrange the spools wherever you want them on the pegboard, and there actually is a double drive gear (the small black thing behind the red spool). DS8 is laboring hard to turn the crank and get everything moving. He did it!

Racecar for Two

One's a wild driver, and the other looks less than thrilled to be there ;-)

L'il Racecar Driver

Every young man should have a GREEN racecar, right? OK, he won't get far...but it was fun pretending, and playing "pit crew".

More License Plate Art

Two sports cars created entirely from license plates. They were more monochromatic (or is that monostate-ic) than the US maps I posted yesterday, but cool nonetheless.

License Plate Art

These US maps are made from old license plates, with each state being cut to the proper shape from a plate from that state. Even Hawaii makes it into the picture (lefthand photo bottom lefthand corner) with the islands showing the letters to spell "Aloha St."

Happy Pi Day!

A party isn't complete without decorations!

Chique Pot Pie from vegweb.com http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=14660.0

Even the salad looked like pie :-) And then there's this dessert concoction...PMS Pie. Nobody in our house has PMS but the pie was good anyway! http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=25721.0

Blue Skies, Smiling at Me....

I just can't resist an incredibly blue sky photo!

Maple Tree Knothole

Proof Positive...

that the fire burns! Every time I stick my nose outdoors (which seems quite often, for some reason ;-) I savor the sweet smoke that wafts over my yard.

It Only Takes a Spark....

To get a fire going....

Gathering Kindling

Breaking sticks for kindling...

Woodpile for the first fire...

Loading the fireplace. Ready, set, cook!

A Little Bubbly, Anyone?

Mmmmmm, sweet bubbles. Now, somebody light the fire!

Sapsicle, Anyone?

Mmmmm, frozen sap in natural popsicle form ;-) She said it was good!

Icy Sap

That sap freezes in the buckets overnight...here it's being filtered to screen debris and the ice is caught on the screen as well.

First Sap Collected!

On the left, you can see the first day's haul...20 gallons. On the right is just one tree, and you can see that the bucket is already partially full and it hadn't even started flowing yet in the morning! As it warmed up, I could see the sap dripping into the top jug all the way from in my house.

How'd He Do That?

This squirrel appears to be growing right out of the tree!

But, this proves that he really wasn't...and there's no hole in the tree nor is there a branch for him to perch on. He just suspended himself, for no apparent reason ;-)

Looking Rather Pathetic...

Wouldn't you say?

Even the tail over the head wasn't keeping off the chill that day!

Happy Birthday Poppa!

Leaves and Shadows

I've been waiting for the perfect picture and I got my opportunity! 5 minutes after I snapped these shots, the sun was GONE...no more shadows, no more sparkles!

Yesterday's mystery photo object is asparagus!

Whatzit?

Mystery photo item. Any guesses? Check back tomorrow for the answer!

Squirrels...or Monkeys?

Introducing Tom...Peeping Tom

Yes, the picture is oriented correctly. He's at the top of the wall, trying to figure out which direction to go next.

This is a different squirrel...headed up, or down.

New Work Critters

There were two of them (and I think these pictures show the two but I never could manage to get a pic with both of them at the same time).

Go Ryan Bedford!

Watch Ryan Bedford skate today for the US in the 10,000 meter speedskating event. This photo was shot in my hometown in January, when he came back for a visit with his first speed skating club. GO RYAN!!!