Friday, June 6, 2008

My Own Form of Detox

I am honored to have been chosen by VegNews to receive a VegBloggy award for 2008! I am so excited to see who else has gotten one (here's some I know of right now: conscious kitchen, vegan talk, urban housewife, bittersweet, veganyumyum, get sconed, fatfree vegan kitchen). The July/August issue hits newstands on July 1 (earlier for subscibers), so be sure to pick up a copy! And I really wish this was one of those awards that you could also give to five other bloggers so we could spread the love to all vegan blogs. Because really, I think we all inspire each other and are all deserving of recognition in the vegan/vegetarian community. I'm also excited that this gives me an excuse to stop in San Francisco at the end of the month (on my way to Las Vegas) for the Music Issue Launch Party. Hope to see some of yall there!

Now, back to my regularly scheduled blog post.... looking back on recent posts, there has been a lot of dessert! And I've seen several of you blogging about all the raw food and cleanses and detoxes you have been doing, and this is a great season for it! Now I'm not really on a detox, just a blog post detox (yes, just last night I had a brownie, but it was low fat!). All healthy food in this post. First, a grilled vegetable salad with corn, asparagus, and portobello mushroom over a bed of spinach with heirloom tomato and sunflower seeds.

The mushroom was marinated in red wine, olive oil, and dried basil. The corn was just basted in some olive oil and placed right on the grill for about 15 minutes. As you can see, the grilling of the asparagus was a bit tricky... we lost a few to the doldrums of the charcoal fire! I've tried skewering them in the past, but was just too lazy to do it that particular evening.
For Memorial Day, we brought out the grill once again for more corn on the cob and some homemade burgers! This was my first attempt at a homemade burger and it was not really very successful. I spaced reading the instructions earlier, and discovered the burgers had to chill 4 hours, time that I didn't have. So our tempeh mushroom burgers (grated beet lending the red color) kinda fell apart. John showed some mad skillz with the grill by managing to get them off in one piece!
And finally, the Taco Salad from Yellow Rose Recipes. Romaine lettuce with cilantro topped with taco TVP, avocado, tomato. Joanna's spice mixes (this one for the tvp) are the best. And no oil! Okay, so there was a dallop of sour cream, but the rest of the dressing was just fresh lime juice. I've been making a few things from YRR lately for the review I submitted to our Society of PEACE newsletter.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Tomorrow I am going blackberry picking!

48 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Congratulations!!!!! I can't wait to receive my copy of the new issue of VegNews in the mail, so that I can see all 21 of the blogs that were picked - thank goodness that YOUR amazing blog was chosen!! Hooray!!

Looks like your "blog post detox" is still full of deliciousness :0)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!
If I had a choice, I would have chosen your blog to win, always so inspirational in all aspects of vegan life! =)

Anonymous said...

Congrats!! I hope to see you at the party, I'll be there too! :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, Congratulations! What a well-deserved award. Looking forward to the magazine as well! And hope you have fun at that party :o) !

Bianca said...

Oh congrats!!! That's so awesome. I can't wait to see the new issue. All the blogs you mentioned are so great. They all deserve this awesome honor.

Now, onto the food...I don't know how it tasted, but your burger just fine to me...and that plate of grill food...wow! Can somebody say summer?

Animal-Friendly said...

CONGRATS on your award!!! You definitely deserve it so much!

The salad looks great- I absolutely love grilled vegetables in the summer. Also, your homemade veggie burgers sound yummy and the color of them is gorgeous!

julie hasson said...

Congrats on the award! That's so exciting and you have a great blog!

Rose said...

Congratulations! You really deserve that award because your blog is always so professional and interesting.

aTxVegn said...

YAY!!!! Congratulations, Amanda! How exciting for you. You SO deserve it!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations...I love reading your blog. Can you tell me where you are goihng to pick the blackberries?

sharon from sugar land

Katy said...

Congrats on the award!
That grilled veggie salad looks so good! I wish I had a grill!

Alicia said...

Congratulations! I'm very happy for you, it's a well deserved award! Just look at all that grilled veggies! I have bought a grill wok this year to be able to cook small vegetables without skewers, I'll tell you how it goes (I think I'll be using it next week...)

Liz Ranger (Bubble Tea for Dinner) said...

hurray, you so deserve it! and so much fresh food in this post, eek, I want to dive into all of it!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Congratulations! We have to meet up at the launch party!

The food all looks amazing! Ryan & I were both looking at your grilled items & brainstorming for the Fathers Day BBQ we're attending.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

Congratulations on your award! Such an honor from the coolest magazine ever. And well deserved - you have an awesome blog!! Have fun at the Music Launch Party - heard about that & really really wished I'd be in SF for that. Tell us ALL about it!

Anonymous said...

Congrats! How awesome is this, I still can't believe my blog was chosen! All that amazing food up there just proves how much you deserve it though... Looks incredible. :)

Ruby Red said...

Healthy food posts are always welcome -- that ciabatta bun and the grilled marinated portobello!!!

i am so happy for you and your big award! you are da bomb!

Little Miss Sunshine said...

Congratulations!!! You truly deserve it my girl!! I'm so happy for you ^^ Hope you have a great day and can't wait to see your creation for daring bakers!!

Emilie said...

congrats! yay! i'm so happy for you.

wish i were able to go to the launch party and we could actually meet in person, but alas, i can't hop across the country right now.

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

As I said in my last email, congratulations. (Although I am not surprised AT ALL that your blog was chosen.

The Vegan Snorkeler said...

Congratulations!!! What an honor from VegNews!

Al said...

Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! They picked a great blog!

Kumudha said...

Congratulations! Your blog is great!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your award! That is so exciting! I'm thrilled for you, and I must say, you do have a snazzy blog!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!!

You totally deserve it...you have such an awesome blog!!

Fran Z said...

Congratulations! Such lovely, fresh looking enticing food!

Anonymous said...

Oh, YUM! That taco salad looks to die for! Have fun blackberry picking - I am so jealous!

Anonymous said...

That grilled veggie salad looks awesome...

Congrats on the award!! I enjoy your blog so much.

Lisa (Show Me Vegan) said...

Congratulations on your award! Very exciting. And your food looks great. I've got to delve into my copy of YRR a little more.

Pink Theory said...

woot! congratulations!!!

Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...

your food is always so fresh and beautiful - you deserve the award

the little one said...

I go away for a week and a lot happens! First, CONGRATS on the award from such a wonderful source. It is very much deserved!

Second, when did you get this new fancy looking page. It is sweet!

Third, your pictures seem to keep getting better and better.

Theresa said...

Congratulations on the award! You totally deserve it. And the food looks really good! I did a detox once and it didn't really do anything for me--probably because I did it wrong, but I'm good at blame shifting so I'll say it was the detox's fault. Ever since then I've been pretty uninterested in them, so I love seeing all your dessert posts!

Bianca said...

Hey there. To answer your question on the Teese, that's actually all the same kind of Teese. I think it looks like two different colors because it oozed away some places, and the orangey-red sauce sorta blended with the thin layers....

Danielle said...

Oh my gosh. I literally just stumbled upon this blog... but your pictures, your descriptions, your award-worth blog! How have I not been here before? Keep up the amazing work! I'll definitely be coming around here more often :)

Hungry Hungry Dancer said...

OH CONGRATS!!!!!
Your totally deserve the recognition. Your blog is definitely one of my favorites :)

I always have tough time when I consider something a Detox or a diet... i never stick with it and feel like im breaking rules if I have something cooked or not on the detox. I say lets just eat healthy and vegan and all be happy !!!

Ashasarala said...

Congratulations! That's very cool. :)

I failed on my detox diet this spring because a lot of drama came up. Not to mention, recording has been trying. I plan on doing it again when the dust settles. Though, I must add, I haven't been doing too bad overall diet-wise.

All of this food looks perfect for a summery day on the porch or in the backyard. The burgers still look delish, regardless. Ya for John and his mad skillz! ;)

Erin said...

All your salads look fabulous, and congrats on the award!

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

congrats on the bloggy!! happy grilling and traveling!

bazu said...

congratulations! you do more vegan outreach than a lot of people I know... oh, and your food ain't so bad, either!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Congratulations on your award, Amanda, you really deserve it. I always enjoy visiting your blog :)

Vegan Girl (Roni Seabury) said...

Congratulations, that is so wonderful. I'm so honored to know you! :)

Sarah P said...

congratulations!

Mari Soulforce said...

This is what I really wanted to comment on ~ Congrats on the VegNews Award! How prestigious and it could not have gone to a more deserving site. Wonderful!!!! I can't wait to see "Walking The Vegan Line" in the next edition! Wow~wee!

Jackie said...

Congrats on the award :)

Can't say I am very good at actual detox as it makes me feel hungry all the time, I just eat raw food for a few days and hope that helps.

Love the colors of your food, bet it is real tasty as well.

Anonymous said...

What a well-deserved award! Your blog ROCKS! I'm so proud of you, not only for the blog and award, but for all your efforts & activism!

The new blog colors are cool, too! : )

Anonymous said...

hi this is Davis.Congratulations! I'm very happy for you, it's a well deserved award! Just look at all that grilled veggies! I have bought a grill wok this year to be able to cook small vegetables without skewers, I'll tell you how it goes .
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Davis.


http://www.detox24.com