is all really fair in love and war?

so this weekend marked the beginning of Memphis Roller Derby Season 3. The PrissKillas went up against the Angels of Death. the aods still reign victorious with their main line consisting of girls who have played together since the first season. what an advantage to have over all of the other teams. i will say this though- the PrissKillas are getting it together. we need work and we need time- an advantage that we never have in this sport because the other teams are constantly getting stronger and faster. i do know that our team is closely knit. more so probably than the other teams and that is an advantage that we have as friends. maybe it is priorities? im not sure. in fact, im not sure what this rambling is even all about. i do know that i would love to see people win gracefully for a change. that would make a real difference in my perception of our organization. at what point is it more about- "we are all strong women who play a sport that is not only tough on you physically but also mentally. we built it from the gound up and we don't take any crap" instead of winning a game. cuz in the end, that is what it is. a game.
that is not to say that we dont play to win or that we dont play our hearts out.

pot pie in the sky

So this was my first attempt at a real vegan pot pie. It is a recipe i adapted from my vegan cookbook.







1 can rinsed chickpeas
1 can corn
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups spinach
Soymilk, vegan smart balance and flour to thicken
the recipe recipe for biscuit topping
(mine looked more like):
1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tablespoons CornMeal
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 1/4 Cup Soy Milk
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil


Next time i make this, i will be sure to thicken my soymilk/smart balance mixture before adding it to the casserole dish. I also need to read my recipe more carefully as i added WAY too much oil. It is tasty though!

soba easy

how easy can you get. spicy soba noodles, onions, bell peppers, yellow squash, and tofu. i cooked my tofu in a non stick skillet with just a bit of olive oil until browned and crunchy. mmmmmm yum. this is actually a new discovery for me. i had never had soba noodles before now.
in other news- i have to bring something vegan and preferable clever to the PrissKilla prebout carbohydrate load this Friday night. i might have to go steal some deliciousness off of someone's blog. there are so many amazing vegan blogs out there though so i have lots to choose from! i need to get crafty and creative and start coming up with more recipes and testing more out! its really amazing how many vegan options there are out there!

bounce bounce bounce

school is back up and running heading into my second semester as a graduate student. i love school. at first i thought it would be too hard and maybe i was getting in over my head. somehow i rock at school even when i think that i am clueless. just saying. this semester i am a teacher's assistant for two undergraduate classes, taking methods, behavioral medicine I, colloquium, and three hours of research. its a full time job but i am doing what i love to do so it seems less like "work".

in other news- Brandon had an entire birthday week. his mother made dinner for him on his actual birthday- the 14th which was a wednesday. this was a family affair with his siblings, parents, and grandparents.

i threw a surprise birthday party friday night. i invited his two closest guy friends and their wives and a mutual friend and her boyfriend. six guests, him, his brother, and myself. of course this was an omni affair so i made fajitas. mine were tofu, bell peppers, onion. yum! i also made this neat little graham cracker smore pie thing that i plan on whipping out again when i have a get together. there are not many vegans in memphis so you have to cook the SAD diet. what can ya do? but i will tell ya, no one turns down vegan fudge!! anyway. we had a ridiculous time playing catch phrase. Brandon somehow got a hold of a darth vader mask and wore it for about half of his party. our game got loud and outta control. it was great! needless to say, he had a wonderful time. i had a good time playing hostess/chef and getting to talk more with the wives.
note the darth vader mask to the left of Brandon. he took it off for a second to make Brian make that face. :P

the we.

ok.
here is a look at what our collective life is like.

i get this look a lot from my handsome husband.

im pretty spazzy and usually a little "sparkly, glitter, disney world" for his taste but don't let this scowl fool you, he loves it. Brandon is kinda a metal head. i mean i guess that's what you call it. a bit "great white hunter/mountain man" meets "iced earth/symphony+heavy metal/phantom of the opera" kinda thing. don't ask me how it works, it just does.

but just ask him to do a little dance. if he's in the mood, he will show you the most hilarious invader zim dance impression in the entire world.

point is- we are very different and very alike.
vegan-carnivore. hippie-hunter. beer drinker-wouldn't touch the stuff. locks all the doors like an ocd on crack-says "locks are illusions." however, the way we both "work"/process information and our core beliefs are very much the same.
when it comes right down to it, like all great mysteries, it works and for that i am very blessed.

photo by our friend Jessie.

wassail? cider? you pick.

nothing says Thanksgiving/Christmas/Winter to me quite like cider. Brandon's mom makes a very simple version. she gets unfiltered "apple juice" which is really nothing more than squished up apples and water flash pasteurized so partaking doesn't give you e. coli. anyway, then you just add some cinnamon, ground cloves, and maybe some brown sugar to your taste preference. she heats hers in this silly clown thermos thing that stays heated by tea lights. should you not have such a silly gadget, you can just make a single serving and heat it in the microwave.






my sister prefers wassail which is about the same thing.
it goes something like this:

1 gallon apple cider
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon whole allspice
16 whole cloves
4 sticks (6 inch size) cinnamon

there is also the option to add 1 quart cranberry juice. you boil the whole batch for a few minutes and strain out the cloves and cinnamon before drinking.
she calls this everquest tea as when i was making it in high school she was playing that blasted rpg every second.

im still drinking cider in my "wicked" mug to hold on to a bit of the winter magic.
and sitting in the sun to stay warm.
makes no sense. :)