Why Pasta Is a Savior

Buenas tardes todos (good afternoon all)!
See, I told you I would blog more now that I have access to my computer.
So, as I mentioned before my mom was here visiting in Spain, and it was so much fun I wish she could visit every week.
While it seems weird to have your family visit your first full week of being abroad, it worked out really well for a few reasons.
1. I have a horrible sense of direction and get lost A LOT, especially somewhere new.  With my mom and her BFF Marlyn (my second mom) here they helped me get around and I got a better feel of the city.
2. There are so many cool things I wanted to do, but wanted to do it with people I would cherish the memories with: so who better than my birth mom and second mom?  We did as much of Barcelona  as you could fit into 6 days.  My feet are still recuperating from all the walking.  We saw Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, the beach, the Picasso Museum, and so much more.
3. I got to see Madrid with them for the first weekend, and I don't know if I would have gone by myself.
4. I got a lot of great meals on the expense of my moms instead of out of my own pocket haha! (This is a joke, while it was nice to have fancy meals their company was much more appreciated).

My mother, Marlyn, and me at Park Guell

So while they were here they rented an apartment in Barri Gotic (the Gothic quarter) which was great because they got to cook for me too! Well, technically I believe they got the apartment to cook for themselves but I got to enjoy it as well.  So in this picture Marlyn had made delicious haricot verts, (which is really just French for thin string beans), pasta with tomatoes, olive oil, tons of herbs, and we had a salad not pictured.  We also had bread with olive oil and this Ibizan sea salt they bought with dried flowers in it (I have to get some of this for my cooking back state side).  While there is cheese in this picture, and in the ravioli I assure you I did not eat any of it; although it was very tempting.

Sadly on Friday I had to leave for the academic trip and they finished their time in Barcelona.  While I was gone I found that in smaller Spanish cities being vegan is non-existent.  So I tried to stick to either the vegetable platters (which are really expensive), or pasta with olive oil if possible.  When in doubt, I've found that going to an Italian restaurant in Spain can save your vegan soul.

This was 10 euros!

Pasta with olive oil, garlic, and oregano for 8 euros

So for those of you planning on traveling to Castilla y León, Burgos, or Sargossa, be ready to eat really expensive salads or Italian food.  Subsequently I've also found gyro places to be great for vegetarians but my food was covered in tzatziki sauce.  Sometimes being vegan is just not going to happen, but you need to learn to roll with the dairy punches and hope for a more humane meal next time.
Hasta luego, I need to get back to practicing Spanish.

Veggie Garden

Mis amigos, I swear I have not forgotten you or my quest.  Believe it or not today is actually the first day since coming to Spain that I have been able to use my laptop!
First, I was living out of a hotel, and then I moved in with my host mom (who is super sweet and trying very hard to understand what vegans eat).  The converter I have only works for 2 pronged appliances and my computer plug is 3 pronged.  So, I had to wait for my mom to come to Spain (more on that later) to give me a 3 to 2 prong converter so I could plug that into my European plug converter!  See, it is very complicated.  Then, I stayed with my mom while she was here, and my program had an academic trip from Friday morning till this Tuesday evening.  Consequently, I have a lot of catching up to do of blog posts that I've wanted to write.
This post will be about a diamond in the rough of meat and cheese filled restaurants.  I found, through the amazingly useful tool Google, a restaurant in Barcelona called Veggie Garden and I was determined to try it out.  While I may have gotten a wee bit lost getting there, and very lost getting back, it was totally worth it.  Not only is the place so cool to look at, murals all over the walls and ceiling, but the food is tasty, healthy, and cheap(y).

A little peak inside with all the murals

I got the "menu" which is basically the daily special.  I got to choose an appetizer, main course, dessert, a drink (water or wine) and it came with bread.  And the best part of all of this was that it was for 8.25 euros, or about $11.  This is very reasonable considering the quantity and quality of food you get.


So first up was my appetizer of marinated vegetables with a pesto sauce on top!  While I really enjoyed it, I thought there was a bit too much eggplant.  But otherwise it was quite delicious, and a nice cool start to my meal on a hot day. 

 Next was my main course.  I do not remember what it was called because I pointed at someone else's table and said "yo quiero" which literally translates to "I want."  (As a side note I've found I need a lot of practice thinking on my feet in Spanish).  So while I do not know the name of the dish I can tell you more or less what it was, and how much I loved every bite.  Obviously the bottom left is rice, next to that are two large pieces of very thin bread.  It seemed like the naan version of tortilla chips.  Then some breaded veggies, in a tempura style with pickled onion and a nice curry sauce that was cold.  On the top, from left to right, there was my basket of bread (I did not eat much of it because it really did not go with my meal), then two hot curry dishes with veggies and lentils!  Those two were my favorite parts of the meal.  The green on the right was a hot spinach and seitán dish which I was not so much a fan of because I was hoping it would be something like paneer saag.

 Finally I had a choice of dessert, and i chose the chocolate mouse.  This did not have the consistency of mouse, more like a thin pudding.  And it was clearly made with some kind of grape juice.  So while it was not what I was expecting, it was very delicious and a great sweet treat to end my meal.

Being vegan in Barcelona is much harder than in Washington D.C. by far, but places like this make it worth the struggle.

Hola from Barcelona!

Mi amigo, ¿está bien?

I arrived in Barcelona just on Monday. So far it is great and everyone on my trip is very nice, there are only 10 of us but we are getting to know each other well. I meet my host mom tomorrow, which I am nervous and excited about. I was still a vegetarian when I filled out my housing form, and trying to explain that I am now vegan is not going to be fun. Hopefully she understands, and doesn't try to sneak cheese in my food like my tricky boyfriend did last week (I made the lentil tacos again, seriously one of my favorite vegan dishes). 

Anywho, while my flight was better than I was expecting (I absolutely hate flying and get very nervous) there was no vegan option for food. So I had to eat a cheesy pasta meal. Then when I got to Spain the lunch we were served was ham on bread and cheese on bread. I was starting to worry that being vegan was not going to happen in Spain. For dinner I had a salad and French fries (the meat eaters also got a sausage). We suspect they think this is what Americans eat and that's why we are getting these strange, not at all Spanish, meals. Then breakfast today we had a croissant, a roll, and toast with butter and jam. I skipped the butter but was really hoping for something with less starch. Then lunch was the same thing only with salami this time. I was beginning to panic, had all my work at becoming vegan gone to waste? Not to mention the combination of jet lag and newly added dairy made me feel really out of it and groggy. 

But alas! My vegan prayers were answered. At one of the metro stops for the Universitat de Barcelona there is a restaurant proudly displaying a sign "we <3 vegans"! I was ecstatic. On the way home I stopped in and used my broken Spanish to order a vegan "white sausage" bocadillo( sandwich) with avocado on a multigrain small baguette.   While waiting on my bocadillo the owner was showing me all the vegan options on the menu and there were so many I couldn't believe my eyes. And it was especially confusing because none of them said if they were vegan or not; so the chorizo was but the brown sausage was not. But who cares because now I know I'm not the only vegan in Barcelona!

I hope it will be easy for my host mom to understand because my Spanish has a log way to go before I'm truly conversational. 

I think I can post more regularly now that I am not running around trying to do a million things at once. After DC I was home for a few days, NYC for my visa, Ocean City NJ for a family vacation, Saratoga NY on a different family vacation, Virginia to see my friends and boyfriend, back to NYC for a night on the town for my other friend's birthday, a going away dinner on Saturday, then Long Island to see family before I left for Spain Sunday night. WHEW! It seems crazy even just to type it all. 

Anyway here are some things I've seen so far, adios until next time!

The king stays here when he comes to Barcelona. 

Me and a dragon gate made by Gaudi!

And a billboard I thought was cute. 

Road Trip to Saratoga

Cheerio,
This weekend I took a trip to Saratoga with my father, sister, and two of her friends.  While we were traveling I realized how hard it is being vegan on the road/ somewhere new.  Unless you spend a good 30 minutes on the internet every day trying to find restaurants, it is very hard to find vegan options on the go.  So here are my vegan road trip tips (try saying that 3 times fast):

1. Stop at health food stores if possible.  They often have some sort of deli/cooked foods section with plenty of options to choose from.  If not, there are loads of things you can get that could work to fulfill your hunger.  Somewhere in northern NJ we stopped because my sister and her friends wanted Panera, which happened to be in a shopping center with a health food store.  So I got sesame kale salad, sweet and sour tofu, and a Hail Merry tart for dessert.  Not only was this lunch delicious, but it was healthy (even the tart)!  We did not buy other food while I was there but I would recommend buying snacks and things to eat in case later on you run into a non-vegan-friendly zone.  This is something I wished I did for our breakfast Saturday because I ended up with a side of hash browns and a less than fresh fruit cup.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for alterations to the menu.  The first night we went out to dinner and there was nothing but a vegan salad on the menu.  Now I can appreciate salads, but I am a lover of hot meals.  So I saw pasta with tomato sauce on the kids menu and asked them to make an adult-sized portion.  I did not realize how much food that would be (I barely ate half of it before I had to throw the napkin in).  But this is a good example of how to get something vegan friendly in a new place, do not be afraid to ask for a decent meal.  Yes being vegan is your choice, but really so is meat.  You have just as much right to a good meal as a meat eater, and don't you forget that!

3.  Read signs around town.  This might sound obvious, but you would be surprised how easy it is to over look the "dairy-free" signs.  We saw a gelato shop in town and I noticed a small "dairy-free options" sign in the corner of the window, so we went in.  HALF of their flavors were vegan friendly, and you would not know without asking because none of them were labeled as such.  I got lemon-basil with strawberry on top, and it was the perfect dessert for a hot afternoon.

 

 4. My final tip, ask the locals. After our disappointing breakfast Saturday, we went back into town and asked locals where would be a good breakfast restaurant with vegan options.  We were pointed to the Country Cafe and they had, right on the first page of the menu, "vegan option."  It was a tofu has with a choice of two vegetables ( I picked broccoli and avocado), polenta hash, and a grilled grapefruit half (which I really did not like).  This meal was probably my favorite of the trip.

Viva La Pizza

Hola Amigos!
Lo siento (I'm sorry) for the lack of posts lately, I was on a lovely beach vacation with my mom, sister, and our two small pooches.  While I did have internet access while I was there, I just wanted to enjoy my time with family and friends as well as trying to complete my summer tradition of re-read all the Harry Potter books (sadly I only got to book 5).

Pockets

Pippa

 Aren't they the absolute cutest?  I mean seriously look at their little faces!  Pockets is more of a wilderness dog, and Pippa is more of a sit on your lap while constantly licking your face dog.  Can you imagine trying to write a blog post while they are there and the beach is steps away?
Anywho, I did not give up on my veganism while at the beach; but I accidentally ate butter one day in a fit of absolute hunger; they put the bread basket in my face!  It was an impulse and once I realized my mistake I moved the butter dish far, far away.  I've learned being a vegan is not a life or death deal, people are allowed to have mishaps.
One night we went out to dinner at a restaurant in Atlantic city called Mexico.  The waiter was really confused when I asked for tacos with no meat, cheese, or sour cream.  So instead he brought me a bunch of sides (still quite delicious).  And of course we got a pitcher of margaritas because we were on vacation!  If you're ever in AC I suggest heading there, the food is so fresh and authentic.

Sadly, my beach vacation is over, but I am glad to be back home with my dad and his dogs (who I've hardly seen all summer).  My dad is also vegan and we went grocery shopping the other night to get tons of vegan things to experiment with (mostly loads of different Dayia cheeses).  I've realized that I really like Dayia cheeses when they are melted, which works for me! 

Just so we are clear, Mexican food happens to be one of my favorite things in the entire world.  While I was grocery shopping with my father we bought a few things for a Mexican meal, pizza, and an Asian meal.  We had my veggie stir-fry last night and were going to have pizza today, but I decided to put a Mexican spin on it.

So, instead of pizza sauce I spread re-fried beans on the frozen Rustic Crust we got from Whole Foods.  Then we put Dayia Pepper Jack cheese on, chopped onions, roasted red pepper flakes, and this special habenero pepper sea salt that we got my dad for his birthday last year from here.  When the pizza was cooked I made guacamole and we slathered it on top.  It was sooooooooo good!!!!

 

I had three pieces! I couldn't help it, it was the perfect combination of Mexican, pizza crust, and guacamole.  I will definitely be making this again in the near future, maybe with some tomatoes on top!

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: My Time in DC

Good day all,
I am now completely finished with my internship in Washington D.C.  While I was so thrilled to get home and see my family and pooches again, I will miss being in D.C.  It truly was a fantastic opportunity and I will never forget my time at the Anacostia Community Museum or the time spent exploring D.C.
I thought it would be good for me to take some time to go over my experience.
1. The good: obviously the vegan restaurants/ vegan options available in D.C.  I haven't even been home for 48 hours and I am missing Sticky Fingers Bakery so much (seriously everything there is worth eating 100 times).
I also loved all the free things there are to do in D.C., there are museums, and shows, and events, etc. I tried to do everything, but I swear it is impossible to get it all done.  I met people who were living in D.C. who had never even been to the monuments!

 Me while running around the monuments with my mom when she visited (we had the best time)!

 One day while I was there I saw the corpse flower, which only blooms for 24-48 hours and the last time they had one in D.C. was in 2007!

So while there were tons of great things to do in D.C., there were bad things that happened as well.

2. The bad: first of all, D.C. parking laws make no sense at all.  I had to buy a parking permit that last for six months, even though I was only there for 8 weeks, and it was almost $300.00!  And then on top of that, I could only park in certain areas (and they will ticket you faster than you can blink, BELIEVE ME).

More bad: while there are plenty of free events, travel, food, rent, utilities, everything you need to survive is super expensive.  City living I guess.  As Phil Robertson would say "that's yuppieville for you."  

3. Finally: the ugly.  The worst of city experiences happened to me while I was there (obviously not everything bad that could possibly happen you cynics).  One night, walking to my apartment I was mugged!  This kid came by on a bike behind me and ripped my phone out of my hand and took off.  I started running and screaming, caught up, punched him in the back, cursed at him, and took my phone back.  CLEARLY that was very stupid and I could have had something much worse happen.  But it was very scary and I was shaken up after.  I was on my phone because I thought if I was on the phone I was less likely to be messed with because there was a witness in a sense.  However, I also made myself a target.  I learned my lesson and never walked around with my phone again.

This being my first experience living on my own (I didn't know a soul when I got there ), I truly learned a lot and enjoyed it overall. 

In other news, I go to get my visa for my semester in Barcelona tomorrow (yikes!).

My last sunset in D.C.

Hope you all learned from my lessons and get to take in some of D.C.'s finest one day!

Mac and Cheese, Hold the Cheese

Hello all,
I have a confession: I found love in a cheese-less place!  I discovered a restaurant with my sister that has vegan mac and cheese I would be willing to sell my first born to get the recipe for (well maybe not, we will see if they are cute).  My sister and I googled vegan restaurants in DC and found one UP THE STREET from where I used to live!  How I did not discover it before is slightly heart breaking but probably good for my wallet and waistline. 
Two things you should know about Everlasting Life Cafe: 1. the portions are so huge Agustus Gloop from Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory would be satisfied and 2. it is ALL vegan and ALL delicious for extremely good prices!
When my sister and I went, she ordered the ginger spiced tofu over brown rice with a side of mac and cheese and a side of the curried chick peas (I told you they don't mess around with portions).

 All her food was delicious!  I could not help but try some and it was all mouth watering.
I ordered the fried "chick'n" sandwich and mac and cheese (we seriously could not get enough of it).
Let me tell you, that sandwich was the best I have ever had in my life!  I actually woke up thinking about it (ask my sister it's true).  Whatever the "signature sauce" is that they put on, I would like a bucket full for all of my future sandwich needs.

Sadly, my sister left on Monday night. Tuesday, I woke up to my car having been towed and the water in my building shut off (it eventually came back on).  While this all sucks majorly, my car was taken down the street from Everlasting Life Cafe, SO I obviously had to go there for dinner.
I ordered the shepard's pie, more mac and cheese (duh), and broccoli.  This picture is after I ate half of it (I was salivating so much at the sight of my food I forgot about my need to share this wonder with you all).

So moral of the story is, watch where you park in D.C. and get Everlasting Life Cafe's mac and cheese whenever you can!