The View from the Backyard
I’m going to go out on a limb and call this 4th of July one of my favorites ever. I didn’t make the homemade pound cake I wanted to. I didn’t make it to the baseball game I wanted to. Or that I pretended to want to. My only contribution to our party spread were two overripe avocados that I somehow found the energy to mash with a fork and turn into guacamole. It was exhausting. The funny thing is, sometimes it takes relying on a little cold... Read More
Recipeas Worth Repeating: Yukon Gold White Bean Basil Burgers
I don’t think you would have liked me much in junior high. Aside from the obvious Aqua Net issues, I was the one in school who recopied her notes twice, with a ruler lined up under the lines of text to make the letters concise. Just to make them prettier. They were notes. No one was going to read them but me. But I had four neatly written versions hole-punched and ready to go, in case that cute boy in the second row ever needed to borrow them. Because... Read More
Cooking for Daddies
Buying gifts for Pea Daddy isn’t easy. I know you’re thinking, “Hello?! Tommy Bahama shirt!,” but I can’t exactly make fun of it if I buy it. Though I wouldn’t put it past me. Luckily, we’d tucked away a little something Gigi made at school a few weeks ago just for today. And I shouldn’t have wasted a moment trying to come up with a great Father’s Day gift. Nothing was going to top this. I suddenly feel totally inferior as... Read More
Notes From a Monday
Pea Daddy and I had our first “date” in over a month tonight. We didn’t go out. We stayed home and ate our dinner of homemade veggie burgers in front of 60 Minutes. Because there is nothing sexier than Andy Rooney along side a healthy serving of beans. We couldn’t decide if we wanted to share a Werther’s or a bowl of prunes for dessert. I told him Pea Daddy he could choose if he’d volunteer to be the one to clap off the TV when... Read More
Mother of the Bribe
I’m not sure why, but people are sucking up to me around here. Gigi definitely has something brown on her nose. Maybe she’s trying to prevent a Mama Pea freak-out because we leave for our Phoenix vacation in less than 24 hours and nobody’s packed. Gigi knows that buttering me up could mean the difference between a purse crammed with homemade chocolate chip cookies and a complimentary tiny foil bag with three pretzels in it. Between a carry-on... Read More
Disneyland: The Vegan Friendliest Place on Earth?
We’ve been back from Disneyland for a week and a half now, and I’m still surprised. Surprised that today was the first time I’ve cleaned a toilet and mopped the floor (we’ve been busy!). Surprised that Gigi was playing “Disneyland” this morning and was almost in tears because there was a “20- minute wait for the Teacups!” I love the imagination, but she needs to learn to have it work for her instead of against her. Surprised that... Read More
Don’t Have a Cow
I’d be lying if I said I never was a big burger fan. My mom tells the story of when I was Lulu’s age and tried to stick an entire McDonald’s hamburger in my mouth. As half of the bun spilled from my lips, filled with the pressed patty, almost non-existent squirts of ketchup and mustard, two thin, limp slightly cooked pickles and minced onions that had no business being there, I used both pointer fingers, one right after the other... Read More
Old, New, Borrowed, Blue
I truly can’t remember if on my wedding day I had “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…” This post has a bit of everything to make up for it. It also is a good opportunity to congratulate both Janetha and Kalin on their nuptials this past weekend. Love you, girls! I’m not exactly traditional, so I’m going to start with the borrowed. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,... Read More
Secrets Don’t Make Friends, but Giveaways Do
I hate to keep secrets from you guys. But how does that saying go? “Why buy the charming, hilarious, almost finished meat-free memoir cookbook when you can have the recipes for free?” So in exchange for my relentless teasing, I have another giveaway for you. I’m just going to make you wait for it first while looking at pictures of recipes that I can’t give you. Yesterday we hosted a birthday barbecue for Pea Daddy with... Read More
I Have Something I Want to Tell You
While I do have many things I want to tell you, I am actually referring to Gigi’s new favorite phrase. Like most of Gigi’s habits, including refusing to have even a stitch of material touching her shins or forearms at any time, or the collecting of used Band-aids in her ballerina princess jewelry box (that was a fun discovery), I have no idea where she came up with this one. However, for every sentence Gigi spoke this weekend, she prefaced... Read More
Pea Mail: Winging It, Lunch Edition
We are literally pooped and had a day full of errands and laundry (for obvious reasons), so I thought today would be a great day to pick up with Part II of reader Jessica’s question. You may want to see the previous Pea Mail posts to bring yourself up to speed: Pea Mail: Winging It, Breakfast Edition Pea Mail: Vegan to Go Here again is Jessica’s eloquent and flattery-filled question (as all questions should be…): Hey Mama Pea, Love... Read More
Not the Same
I put some Baby Spinach Blend in my Smoothie in a Bowl this morning. “Baby Spinach Blend” is NOT the same as baby spinach. And unless you like some bitter radicchio and spicy arugula with your frozen strawberries, almond milk, protein powder, stevia, cinnamon and granola, it is definitely worse than the original. I tried to tie some lacy black underwear around my head this morning. It was NOT the same as “V’s” fashion... Read More
Fresh From The Farm
Today Pea Daddy and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. If you had told me six years ago that I’d be a vegan food blogger/permanently retired attorney/stay-at-home mom to a curly-haired ballerina and a pig-tailed princess, and that I love and respect my husband even more than I did that day, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s too good to be true. In preparation for the big day, we cleaned house (Gigi was so scared, I... Read More
Christmas Came Early
This morning was my fourth morning in a row that I’ve gotten up early to work out with Jillian. I am so SORE, specifically my legs. I’ve been waking up with terrible leg cramps that have me leaping out of bed and hopping around like someone smashed a pickle ornament on the kitchen floor and I’m avoiding dill shards. Sadly, I know exactly what that is like. After a little Googling, I learned that my nocturnal leg cramps are... Read More
Sick and Wrong
Two things I hate to admit being: sick and wrong. I know I’ve been griping on and off about a cold for the last week, but it hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. I woke up Sunday morning at 4 am feeling like Oprah, Steadman AND Gail were all sitting on my chest. “Hey, let’s sit on her!” I’d like to quash any beliefs that I am always sick or that it has anything to do with the fact that I don’t eat meat or much... Read More
Let’s Keep It Clean
We woke up this morning in some serious need of cleaning: our digestive systems, our house, our mouths and our minds! Before Daddy went into work for a few hours, I did a treadmill walk, some light weights and ab work (I should be clear to start running again tomorrow). After forty five minutes, I had wine and pie coming out of my pores. I could have wrung my sweaty socks out and taken communion. Instead, we made ice cream. I threw some bananas... Read More
What I Learned From My Kids Today
If you run out of cinnamon rolls, it’s just plain fine to eat icing for breakfast. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. heated Honeycrisp apple cinnamon Kashi Go Lean Pumpkin Spice Granola Don’t ask Daddy to take pictures for the blog. He will take only one photo, and make it as unflattering as possible. The only reason to take a shower is if you smell bad or you think you might get some your mom tells you to. Don’t... Read More
What Time Is It?
Couch cushion obstacle course? Must be “7 a.m. horseplay” time. Lulu taking a spill? Must be deja vu time. Smoothie In a Bowl? Must be breakfast time. 1/2 banana 1/2 c. almond milk 2 large handfuls of spinach large scoop of silken tofu 1 c. frozen strawberries ~1/4 c. Kashi Go Lean ~2 T. granola Gigi hamming it up for the camera? Must be “Warming up for School Picture Day” time. Black bean burger salad? Must be “Leftovers... Read More
Hide and Go “Boo”!
I woke up this morning before anyone else: SCORE! I heated up a cup of coffee, laced up my running shoes and got ready to head out to the treadmill. Then Lulu woke up. “I want Mommy, I want Mommy!” Even though Daddy was right there to get her up, she’s been obsessed with me lately and it’s interfering with my “me time,” as she grabs onto my leg and won’t let go. Of course, I could say the same for Daddy,... Read More
