our last snow

 We took a drive in the morning, then it got very cold and started sleeting.  I think it was early April.  We went home to huddle up, and it started snowing huge snowflakes.

And I baked banana-carrot bread and rosemary-mint chocolate chip cookies (all vegan.)  To celebrate our LAST snow.  We got too much this winter.

an update to Ralph's vegan kitchen

I don't find much time lately to cook from recipes, much less update the blog, but I had some quiet time to try these delicious cookies (inspired by the creator's short and funny You Tube video demonstrating how easy it is, hence her new cookbook Isa Does It - play on words "easy does it.")

Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tofurky Day

Popcorn and Caramel are the "pardoned turkeys" who are now staying at Mount Vernon.  We went to see them one day, but they returned to their warm turkey house to escape the cold.  We could hear them gobbling.  I got this photo from the internet.

 We'd been traveling on Thanksgiving, so the day after, we had Tofurky roast.  I've never had this before, because I had a hard time finding it in stores.  This year I found it at Safeway and it kept well in the fridge while we were away.

 Gravy and "the bird"

 I made up the surrounding feast with frozen veggies, onions & garlic, sage, water chestnuts, and tater tots!

It was enjoyed by all for several days.  Delicious!  Still hope to see the turkeys if we can get to Mount Vernon on a warmer day.

Texas Salad

It's something we make up with black beans, cilantro, peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and this time pinto beans and corn.  Maybe some rice vinegar and salt.  We were getting ready for our trip to Texas!

Lovin' Hut

Our neighbor, Jehangir, and his friend, Mitch, ventured with me to Lovin' Hut. Jehangir & I have been going to his standing appointments, so decided to have a lunch outing in Mitch's town of Falls Church.  Lovin' Hut is a worldwide chain of vegan restaurants.  Supposedly, there were some in Tokyo and Taipei, but we could never find them (addresses can be confusing in those countries!)

This Lovin' Hut specialized in Vietnamese food.  We ordered a few dishes and shared them all (eggplant & tofu, vegan spicy shrimp, I forgot what else.)  I had mango tapioca drink and we even had vegan cannoli and chocolate cake.  It

We talked with the owners/workers, including Mimi Clark, who teaches vegan cooking classes.  I really admire them for running an all-vegan restaurant.

green oatmeal

 Green oatmeal is our power food.

So we can go running.

(Top oatmeal is especially green with lacinato kale puree - delicious!  Ariel's is a bit purple with pureed cranberries.  We call is "smoothie oats" with green smoothies we make in the Vitamix.)

a serious dinner

I made up a dish with potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and basil.

 There's usually something seriously good for dinner at our house.

 Jeff and his livestock made up something with bean dip, Italian potatoes, and tortillas.

Update

Today marks 4 years since arriving in Japan.  We watched the Beijing Summer Olympics in our Kanto Lodge room.  Now we're watching the London Summer Olympics.

It's also about a year since I became vegan.  Still one of the best decisions I ever made.  I'm not perfect every time, but I try.  I've enjoyed lots of new flavors and cooking.  Jeff & Ariel like the food, too.

Ariel is 25.8 pounds and just under 3 feet.  She enjoys sitting on the potty while working on her iPad.  She especially likes Monkey Preschool Lunchbox and Monkey Mathschool Sunshine apps.

Jeff got his orders today, so we are finally on our way out.  We should leave very soon.  Nene will become an American citizen!  Well, maybe she'll retain dual citizenship, as she is a proud Nihonjin.

convalescing

 We've been taking it easy.  Ariel has been a bit tired as she heals after the adenoidectomy.  We did get out to a new farmer's market and got this giant brown root.  We boiled it, and made "mashed potatoes with garlic & broccoli" with it.  We have quite a variety of weird potato-like roots in Japan.

Ariel's home gymnastics practice hasn't slowed down.  She has some new squeaky sandals that have her jumping with delight.

tofu cheese and pottty head

It's been almost 6 months since I transitioned to veganism.  I experiment a lot in the kitchen, and probably spend too much time there.  My friend Bridget, who's vegetarian and likes to cook vegan (and has a cute baby and dog) likes to exchange foods with us.  She cooks some good stuff!

This day I was making "tofu cheese" by frosting a block of extra-firm tofu (pressed) with miso paste.  Miso paste is fermented soybeans and comes in many flavors/varieties.  After letting the frosted tofu sit for 8 hours, and up to 3 days, you scrape off the miso paste (and save it for other uses.)  I sliced the tofu and ate it on crackers.  Really good!  I've learned lots of ways to get creamy, healthy textures for dips, soups, etc., without using dairy.  It's better for the cows.  I've learned most dairy cows do not live happy lives.  So tofu cheese it is, for me anyway.  I've read a lot of people have trouble giving up cheese, but I don't miss it.  There are so many other foods and flavors to enjoy.

 We've all been listening to Patrick Swayze's memoirs in the car.  So we decided to watch Dirty Dancing.  By the end of the movie, I noticed Ralph affectionately curled up next to Nene (and she was a little suspicious.)

Taking our time with potty training.  She prefers to wear the basin as a hat, and just sit on the hole like a real toilet.  This potty is a special hand-me-down from the Sweeneys.

more fun things

 These are some ladies (and a man) of the 459th.  It's the squadron Jeff flies with sometimes.  So while he's gone, I'm part of two spouse groups.  The 459th has been busy lately with socials, going-away parties, etc.  Several of them are my neighbors, and it's always a joy to hang out with them.

Making kinpira for Halloween.  The funny-face veggies are renkon (lotus root.)  They taste like potatoes, but are firmer and tastier.  Kinpira is a Japanese stew, and this recipe was from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet.

Let's see if the baby naps long enough for me to enjoy this.

Tofu scramble with cilantro, kinpira, and icy wine.

More cooking adventures on Ralph's Vegan Kitchen.

Okay, I stole this from a friend's Facebook.  Tey (the friend) was having Norma and Scott over for Cambodian food.  Scott works with Jeff, and they are both our friends.  They're leaving Japan soon, and we'll miss them.

ryokan breakfast

 Each morning, our hosts fed us breakfast in an elegant tatami room.

Ariel especially liked the tofu, rice, and pears.

 They made the breakfasts vegan (for the most part.)  We got our full day's serving of fruits & veggies just at breakfast! 

Ariel wanted to try the chopsticks ("o-hashi").

See more photos from Nagano on our Flickr photostream (look right and scroll down.)

smoothie time

 I'm experimenting with "green smoothies" in our new Vitamix.  It blends fruits & veggies into a very smooth, drinkable texture in 30 seconds.  My neighbor, Elizabeth, told me about hers and sold me on the idea.  Plus, I read it's popular for vegan and raw eating.  I haven't yet used all its capabilities (making warm soups - the motor warms the blender contents in a few minutes, chopping veggies in a few seconds, etc.)  I have two books: Live Fresh Recipes (from Vitamix for vegan & raw ideas), and Green Smoothie Revolution.

 Smoothie with carrot, nashi (Japanese pear), mysterious farmer's market greens

Ariel enjoys a blueberry-banana-collard greens smoothie.  I'm learning tricks to control the foam (adding flax seeds or another fat source does the trick.)



Typhoon Kote

Typhoon Kote is passing through.  Rain is heavy, winds are sometimes strong.  School and non-mission-essential personnel had early dismissal.  We are just holing up in the house.  Ralph is in for a big surprise this weekend.

 Great rain sleeping.

Typhoon vegan lunch special: mustard greens, masala baked tofu, broccoli with sauteed mushroom-scallion mixture, seasoned pinto beans, and soba noodles in the middle (with wasabi, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.)  Asahi beer.  I have lots of eggplant ("nasu" in Japanese) from the farmer's market, so later I'll make eggplant chickpea curry from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks.  Read more on my new blog: Ralph's Vegan Kitchen.