Congrats wake up yoga!

I jsut found out my Yoga studio won best of philly 2008 for best yoga studio. Congrats Corinna. check out the schedule at

India obsessed....

Today after a soaking rain delay at the Phillies game I had a flash to what a monsoon in India may be like..... only there i think it will be 10 times worse maybe 100x. After leaving soaking wet without seeing a game but good fun tailgating I traveled to the art museum to see Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose. An Indian artist during the revolution of India. Some really interesting work, with a deep look into the Indian devotional religious traditions. It is the first and only time on the East coast. You know its good when Ghandi likes you. Check it out before it leaves in September. AKA when i depart for india

hybrid fruit

Name this fruit.....

Ok so times up it a black apricot says trader joes. I bought it because i had never seen one before and i had to try it. Apparently its one of those hybrid fruit a cross of an apricot and a plum 2/3 apricot and 1/3 plum. I wouldnt want to see that in action. It is black like a plum out side but fuzzy like an apricot inside is juicy like a plum.... I thought it tasted more like an apricot then a plum. After investigation found them also to be called black velvets, not to be confused with pluots or apriums which are registered names they call them interspecifics--- i guess hybrid is weird.....

pick up some today

mango blackbean quinoa salad

From Veganomicon very easy recipe. Quinoa is an ancient grain first cultivated by the Inca hundreds of years ago. It has highest amount of protein than any other gain and is a complete protein. It contains all 8 essential amino acids. The grains are round and after cooking the grem seperates and a pretty translucent ring forms around each one.

Recipe-

Orzo salad- courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis (and Jen Wasko)
4 cup veg broth
1.5 cups orzo
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans drained
1.5 cups grape tomatoes halved - 1 dry pint
3/4 cup chopped red onion- 1 small
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup red wine vinegrette
salt and pepper

Bring broth to a boil then stir in orzo. Cover partially and cook about 7 min until orzo is tender but still firm to the bite stirring freq. Drain in a strainer. transfer to a wide bowl and toss until it cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.
Toss orzo with beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint and enough vinegrette to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Vinegrette
1/2 cup red wine vineger
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey(my non vegan indulgence- but you can use agave or sugar i'm sure)
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons ground pepper
1 cup EVOO

Mix vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in blender. With running add oil to emulsify. Season with s&p to taste.
This makes about 1 3/4 cups. I used half for the salad!!!

Orzo salad

I made Orzo salad for a shower at work today. I have to give props to my friend Jen who found the recipe and passed it along. I perfect BBQ food. BUT, i made it at work. Actually the bidal shower was for another friend Jen at work. You can see my desk in the background. Without intent I advertise physical therapy (on the post-it) its a hand which reads about "Healing Hands", a timer, and my desk calander.
It's such a quick easy recipe Orzo takes 7 min to cook. With tomatoes, basil, mint, red onion in a red wine vinegrette. Its a Giada recipe I had to veganize.

What I come home to everyday!

I bought a new camera- the Cannon powershot SD1100is if you were wondering. Check out the site Newegg.com. I got a great deal with a free 2Gb picture card. This is the view from my rooftop deck. Which is usually empty by thy way of the art museum on one side and center city on the other. Beautiful, Gorgeous, Wish you were here

Trader Joes

I am not a huge fan of trader joes but everyonce in a while if i am walking by i will stop in. This is the one on 22nd and Market. I like their dried fruit. It is usually pretty reasonable. ANd i like to try new things. This time i picked up some Dried Mangosteen and bananas actually called nothing but bananas flattened. I recommend both!
Mangosteen is not related to the mango but is an exotic fruit often called SUPERFRUIT presumed to have a combination of 1) appealing subjective characteristics, such as taste, fragrance and visual qualities, 2) nutrient richness, 3) antioxidant strength and 4) potential impact for lowering risk against human diseases. I was illegal to import but recent was legalized if you can find it and if you can affoard it at $45 a lb. IF I WAS A RICH GIRL.......
so i decided to opt for the $2.99 dried type.


The Bananas were true to the title just bananas flattened. I do not like the typical dried bananas which are deep fried and crispy. It is chewy like a fruit roll up with a pure banana flavor and at $1.29 makes a great snack. Pick some up

Cheesy fourth! Welcome to Philly!

We were walking by in Old City. Made entirely from cheese. I know its not vegan but still really cool. I was not inclined to take a bite like others. It was sponsered by Cheese- it who do it every year. Once it its dedicated the center is donated to the needy hungry people of the city!

Tofu Scramble

The thought kinda freaked me out with the faux eggs and all but i decided to be adventurous and attempt it. I ordered some black salt off the internet- Not knowing what it was. It is and indian spice that has a sulfur (eggy) smell.This was my inspiration--- I was so surprised and now it is my favorite breakfast food! So easy to make.
I used Isa's recipe from Vegan with a Vengence
1 T olive oil
1 onion cut into cubes
2 cups of mushrooms and any other veggies of choice
3 cloves of garlic
1 lb of tofu drained
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Spices-
2t ground cumin
1 t dried thyme
1 t paprika
1/2 t tumeric
1 t salt
I added the black salt about 1 t

Saute veggies and garlic. Add the spice blend. Add water to the bottom of the pan if needed to deglaze it. Crumble in tofu and mix well- let it remain chunky. Let cook for 15 min adding water if needed. Mine was preety wet to begin with so i didnt need it. Add lemon juice. Add nutritional yeat and mix up.
EAT and ENJOY

A Peaceful Joke

A Buddist monk walks up to a hot dog vendor on the board walk and says make we ONE WITH EVERYTHING!
(hope it was a vegan hotdog)