Day 19 NaBloPoMo Passed on Veggie Fair

Day 19

Texas Veggie Fair, Dallas

Is today and I had planned to drive the 4+ hours to attend & show support

for Veganism and compassionate living.

The fact that upon leaving Dallas at the end of the Fair, 

I would be traveling for the next two weeks, visiting friends and family, including elderly

80-90 year olds, children, and people with compromised immune systems from

medical treatments, caused a change in plans.

With the viral situation in that area, though supposedly contained, 

not worth risk of the unknown.

Will be noshing yesterday's leftovers from game watching that did not go well;

3 of my favorite college teams played so poorly that...well...

Let's just say I completely empathized with the songwriter of

"It's five o'clock somewhere..."

Hope today's NFL games are more entertaining.

No real irons in the fire, though, since my 

Houston TEXANS 

play MNF tomorrow.

WE R TEXANS!

Day 18 NaBloPoMo Saturday Farmers market finds.

Day 18

Hung out late last night with friends at a bar where their band was playing.

Only vegan food on menu, other than expensive salads with iceberg lettuce,

French fries and sweet potato fries, or tortilla chips.

Shared couple orders fries over my signature indulgence

Scotch Neat with Ice Water Back, please.

(Though this was first time my ice water came in styrofoam cup - go figure...)

Cool, though, cause you can walk out with the cup.

Hungry this morning so trip to 

Urban Harvest farmer's market at Eastside

for sustenance from two of my favorite vegan eateries.

Sinfull Bakery

got mini-cinnamon rolls and Kolaches for game watching later.

& Ripe Cuisine Food truck

Market frittata with sweet potato tots and whole wheat biscuit.

So good!

Day 17 NaBloPoMo Campfire/bonfire

Day 17 Prompt

When was the last time you went to a campfire/bonfire? Tell us about it.
Last campfire/bonfire was part of the aforementioned AC vacay
(see day 16).
Hayride in between wine tastings one night.
Bonfire another night at the resort.
Vegan marshmallows weren't as widely available then,
But I did bring my own dark chocolate and graham crackers
for vegan s'mores around the fire.
And my own almond milk hot chocolate.
Told ghost stories to the children there.
Easy to do since we were sort of in the Jersey Pine Barrens,
also known as the Pinelands,
rural, heavily forested, sparsely inhabited coastal plains of southern New Jersey.
Fond memories; must do this again soon.

Day 16 NaBloPoMo Hay Rides

Day 16 Prompt

Tell us about your ideal hayride. What would you bring? Who would be there?
WOW!
Haven't done an authentic hayride in YEARS...
Last one was 5-6 years ago, while vacationing in Atlantic City, NJ area.
FUN? YES!
The pre- & post- wine tasting enhanced the fun factor,
and lessened the temperature chilliness.
Then there was the one 10 years ago in my community.
Took my good friend's 3-year old daughter,
who seemed more fascinated by the diaper catching the horse poop than the ride itself.
Was in a residential neighborhood, along streets; so poop control essential.
IDEAL Hayride? Hmmm...
Would be an authentic hayride, rural or country setting,
somewhere where the seasons change enough that leaves change color
and we could enjoy that and jump off the wagon to admire the scenery.
Hot chocolate with/without marshmallows, warm spiked apple cider, wine...
Delicious finger foods, like spring rolls, hand pies, wraps, mini-pies/cakes
All Vegan of course!
And since my fellow S.L.U.T.s
(Stressed-out Ladies Unwinding Together)
have not had the pleasure of experiencing authentic Autumn/Winter hayrides,
I'd invite them along.
And, yes, Mr. Majestically Magnificent, you're coming too!

Day 15 NaBloPoMo Timing

Day 15 Prompt
Do you usually run late, early or on time?
Depends on event, situation, commitment, person(s) I'm meeting, whatever.
For flights, trains, travel situations where I'm not navigating, most often early,
So I can get a seat, or not be rushed.
Court for my volunteer advocacy work, early so I can park where I like,
And be there for docket call.
Medical appointments, on time usually, maybe early first time,
Or at unfamiliar location.
When I worked for pay, on time of course, with the occasional flex in early,
So whomever I was relieving from duty could give me a good briefing and get out of there.
Sporting events, on time, cause I like to be there for the singing of
Out National Anthem.
(One of my favorite renditions, the late great Marvin Gaye singing)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QRvVzaQ6i8A

Hanging out, clubbing, etc., usually late, sometimes "fashionably late" -
Madame has to make an entrance!

Day 14 NaBloPoMo

Day 14 Prompt

What do you always put off til last minute?
Things I put off til last minute:
Things I don't really enjoy, like shopping.
Dressing, since retirement, tendency to wear "comfort clothes" all the time.
Routines, still getting used to how long these actually take to do.
Packing, while I thoroughly enjoy traveling,
I adore my home so much that I am reluctant to leave it.
What I do not put off is chowing down on delicious Vegan food!

Tofurky's artisan sausages, 4 to a package, 

 one chopped to top my daily Hugh Jazz salad.

Cruelty-free Cajun goodness.

Day 13 NaBloPoMo Pressure Crunch, Ginger.

Day 13

Prompt:

Do you work well under pressure when it is crunch time?

When I worked for pay, yes, worked well under pressure at crunch time.
It was the nature of the business in which I worked,
Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Think of firefighters at a station.
Much of the time things are routine. They are there for their shifts.
They maintain equipment, keep up to date on training and any changes affecting their work,
handle the everyday things that come up, like people coming in for BP checks,
directions, socialize with coworkers on breaks, etc.
Yet, when they are busy, They ARE BUSY!
CRUNCH TIME often means the decisions they make have consequences
that affect people's lives.

Same with ATC.
Tremendous pressure, not always, yet often enough.
And that's the job.
"Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests."
Or, as cooks are known to say,
If you can't stand the heat...

Unlike the song, Rainy Days & Monday's don't get me down.
More beauty from my gardens on this lovely, rainy day.

More blooming ginger.

Day 12 NaBloPoMo Vegan Potluck Dinner - VSOPs 2nd Saturdays

Day 12

Last night was our Vegan 2nd Saturday's Potluck with

Vegan Society of P.E.A.C.E.

October theme celebrates

Hispanic Heritage Month,

delicious food honoring Latin Cuisine,

most notably from our Southern neighbor, Mexico,

and the hybrid know as Tex-Mex.

I did a crock pot version of tamale pie.

Numerous other delectable dishes all delivering tasty, stylish answers to the question,

What do Vegans Eat?

Day 11 NaBloPoMo Dirt playing

NaBloPoMo 11

I enjoy the outdoors, gardening, etc. immensely.

Maybe because, as a child, my dirt playing was often limited by asthma and illness.

Grateful that the military doctors were right in their predictions that

I would "out grow" those health issues.

Leaving the cigarette smokers behind when I went off to school probably helped, too.

Blooming in my home gardens this week:

Crinum, with a tiny visiting tree frog

Close up of the cutey visitor

Cannas in bloom

Ginger

Day 10 NaBloPoMo Crunchy

NaBloPoMo Ten

Prompt:

Tell us your favourite crunchy thing to eat.

Nuts!
Popcorn, sprinkled with nutritional yeast for a savory touch.
Kale chips.
Potato chips, especially sweet potato.
All vegan of course!
And when it's really hot, crunching ice chips, while not the best thing for my teeth,
Soothes me and takes the temps down a bit.

Day 9 NaBloPoMo Vegan

NaBloPoMo Nine

Prompt:

Is there any fall flavour that turns your stomach?

Initial answer would be no, not really.

There are smells that turn my stomach, though, and they are not specifically associated with fall flavours.

Being Vegan 

for ethical, health and environmental reasons, 

I am against the commodification of sentient beings for human pleasure.

The smells of cooked flesh turn my stomach.

I deal with this year round, so it's not a fall flavour turning my stomach.

It's the smell of death,

Dead animals commodified as food for human consumption.

This, I can do without.

Day 8 NaBloPoMo Pumpkin

Today's Prompt

Which pie wins your heart as the classic autumnal pie: apple or pumpkin?

Pumpkin

Sinfull Bakery's mini-Pumpkin pie, surrounded by pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Personal preference, though, is for 

Sweet Potato.

Day 7 NaBloPoMo & Texas Go Vegan Week. Pepper Tree Veggie Cuisine

Day 7 NaBloPoMo October 2014

Today's prompt

Tell us about your favourite autumnal edible treat.

No brainer, Sweet Potatoes!

Could also go with good butternut squash, like the dish on buffet at

Pepper Tree Veggie Cuisine!

Dined there Tuesday night celebrating Day 7 of 

Texas Go Vegan Week 2014.

Tell us about your favourite autumnal edible treat.

NaBloPoMo Day 6. Pumpkin pleasure

NaBloPoMo Day 6 prompt

Monday, October 6, 2014

Pumpkin spiced flavoured everything: can't get enough OR enough already!

Not everything, just the Pumpkin Spice coconut milk from So Delicious Dairy Free 

when it hits stores, since it is a seasonal item. 

It's good, yet it's 'sister' drink 

Nog Coconut Milk

is my favorite fall/winter seasonal beverage.

Day 6 of Texas Go Vegan Week

Sinfull Bakery is on a pumpkin roll as well!

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and Pumpkin pie!

Yum!

Texas Go Vegan Week Day 5 VSOP door prizes & dinner at Loving Hut

Day 5 of Texas Go Vegan Week.

Early afternoon football watching.

Then

Dinner and Door Prizes Open House Celebration with

Vegan Society of P.E.A.C.E at

Loving Hut

Heavenly wraps with potato salad