*** Before I get started I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a comment or send me a message in response to my previous post. I really hope you all understand how much it meant to me. Just reading all of your kind words brought tears to my eyes several times and completely brightened my day. I don’t know how I got so lucky to ‘meet’ so many great friends, but I am so glad I did. Thank you! ***
Yep, there was a 10K this Thursday…..
…for Cody! I don’t feel ready to run quite so far yet. I love running and have been going out into the desert with my dogs to run several times a week, but 10k? Not even close!
The race began at 7:30am so we were up at 6:00 and guzzling our green smoothies by 6:30. Ain’t she a beaut’?
While my adorable best friend Polly and I cheered from the side-lines, Cody enjoyed the run.
Here is Cody passing us by on lap one, grabbing a bottle of water from one of the race helpers. Child labor, tsk, tsk.
Run, Coco, run! Poor guy, he is so shy and I just kept screaming out encouragement and snapping his picture. Ha ha ha!
Crossing the finish line! Hooray!
He said he had a blast and can’t wait to do another. I’m so proud of him!
When we headed for home we were both famished. He had just run 10 kilometers and I had worked up quite a hunger from standing around, playing with Polly, and cheering very loudly whenever I saw Cody. We knew we needed a big brunch!
As soon as we got home I ran into the kitchen and began cooking. I am always so hungry when I wake up earlier than usual! So, I made a batch of hashbrowns, a few tofu omelets from Vegan Brunch, toast, and a big pile of citrus. I can’t get enough citrus lately, I eat it almost every meal! I chopped my tofu omelet up and put it on toast with some homemade tofu mayo and mustard, it was ridiculously good.
My dad had spent the morning across the causeway shopping and hanging out in Bahrain and when he returned this afternoon he had brought Cody and me some goodies. These things are awesome and totally unavailable here in Saudi Arabia, so I feel like I got a whole bunch of little treasures.
(I think this is my dad’s way of trying to bribe me to keep cooking for him even after The Great Vegan Challenge of 2010 is over!)
Soy flour, I’ve never used it before but I can’t wait to try. Anyone have any suggestions? And vegan mayo! Hallelujah! I LOVE mayonaisse SO much, you have no idea. They don’t carry this at all here in Saudi Arabia so I haven’t had any in way too long. I am beyond thrilled to have it back in my life and I think my raw veggie wraps are too.
Chopped basil in oil. This stuff smells ridiculously good, I can’t wait to use it. It is just like pesto, but without the cheese. I’m thinking it is going to have to go on pasta!
I love these things! They are great for you and they taste wonderful as a little snack, or added into oatmeal or even baked into cookies. YUM!
I’ve never tried these before but they look interesting, don’t they? I’m glad that they are organic, that will be a nice change to my typical food. Here in Saudi everything isn’t so much sprayed in pesticide/herbicide/fertilizer as it is bathed in them. Yummm……not so much.
Don’t these look so pretty? I’m really excited to give them a try. I’m such a sucker for pretty packaging, and these just make me feel all healthy and nutritious and I haven’t even had any yet. Well done, design teams, well done.
Tobasco spicy salt! How cool is that!?!? I love that it is in a Tobasco bottle. This really has me and Cody, excited. It is delicious and so fun to add to everything.
My dad even brought back a bunch of toys for the animal herd….
But Jack, being the jerky little brother of Polly and Lobi snatched all of the toys for himself and wouldn’t let anyone else play. Oh Jack, you are so bratty but I love you so much! He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body….just a lot of very naughty ones.
After unpacking all of our goodies and playing with the dogs I went out to the stables to visit with Ender. We bought him some fly boots and a fly sheet and I couldn’t wait to put them on him. Basically they are thin net wraps for his legs and a very thin net like blanket to drape over his entire body that will prevent flies from landing on him. Almost all of the other horses at the stables already have these things, so it was definitely time for Ender to get some, too.
I have no adequate way of explaining how horrendous the flies are out here. From sun-up to sun-down they are blood sucking monsters. Ender has very sensitive skin and I have gone to the stables in the afternoon to find blood running down his legs from fly bites. He kicks his legs and stomps his feet and nips at the flies constantly, but even though he is covered in gallons of fly spray they still won’t leave him alone. So, full body fly netting! He looks ridiculous/adorable and I will take pictures soon, I promise.
Once at home I had way too much writing to do to even begin thinking of cooking. And besides, all I really wanted was hummus, moutabel and sambusa. So that is exactly what I ordered from a nearby restaurant for delivery.
It was all delicious, and dessert was, of course, a bowl of citrus and fresh blueberries. What a sweet way to end a very sweet day.
I hope some of you have a few great suggestions for how I can use my new special treats from Bahrain. I would love to hear any of your ideas!
*****
Don’t forget to enter my Grand Opening Giveaway #2 for your chance to win a whole bunch of amazing goodies from the wonderful Vivapura company. Good luck!
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The spicy salt sounds delicious! Have you ever had Old Bay seasoning? It’s a Maryland thing but you can get it elsewhere (perhaps not internationally). It’s salty and spicy too, traditionally meant for seafood (it is the only acceptable way to flavor steamed crabs here, just for context). Red loves it on popcorn. I’m gonna add it to the Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes from Vegan Brunch for some extra authentic Chesapeake flavor. I’ll mail you some!
Brilliant suggestion! It is so sweet of you to offer to send me some but we definitely do get that here. I’ve never bought it before because for some reason I just assumed it wasn’t vegan, probably because it is so closely associated with seafood. How silly of me! I really never stopped to think about it long enough – it’s just spices! Delicious, delicious spices. Tell Red that the popcorn idea is pure genius, one of my favorite snacks of all time is just about to get a lot better.
YAY! I can’t wait to make some awesome vegan ‘seafood’ dishes. Thanks!
Aren’t special groceries the best? When I lived in Korea, getting a care package of groceries from home was SO exciting because it was a change from the routine. It can be frustrating living abroad as even as you’re discovering new foods, you miss the stuff from home.
And I second the recommendation of Old Bay. I use it in moderation but I have friends who dump it all over fries and burgers. Spicy but good!
WOw, that is all beautiful. WOw, on the 10 k for your guy …i am impressed. Once upon a time i did all that stuff…now i would be standing on sidelines like u ! you are beautiful natasha! Lovely food. Restaurant ordering is fun!
Have a beautiful day
Congrats to Cody finishing/enjoying his 10k! I love citrus as well.. and paired with blueberries- yum! Sometimes take out is all you want, and that hummus looks so good! Cute of your dad to bring you treats and goodies!! My dad does the same thing and it’s always like opening a treasure chest.. I have some soy flour and I have no idea what to do with it either.. i’ll be looking forward to ideas as well!
my husband has been drooling over your cooked foods. he loves vegan samosas and things like that.
goji berries! good for you! an easy way to use them is soak them overnight and add a few to your smoothie.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll give that a try for sure.
Can I please come over for dinner… that hummus + whatever else dish looks amazing! yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
So does Bahrain tend to have tons of vegan products? The ones your dad brought back look awesome!
Do you think you’ll be doing one anytime soon?
That 10k looks like so much fun, way to go Cody! I can’t wait to run my first race.
Can’t wait to see some more pictures of Ender.
Wow, I love special packages like that! I’m not sure what you can do with soya flour, but google is your friend on this one. I can’t wait to see what you cook up, though!
That spicy salt looks so cool! I want some!
I love seeing all the different products you guys have over there!!
I rarely have tofu, and you’ve given me the meanest craving for a tofu scramble!
i love the dogs!! that pictureof you and polly is so cute
& yay cody for running in that race!! that is great
Congrats to Cody!
Love all the dog pics! Polly is so cute– what breed (s?) is she?
She is half dachshund and half blue heeler. Isn’t she so cool looking?
OMG great race pics, great foodie finds (I love looking in at what other people’s/countries’ culinary finds are!) and of course, the mayo. Make my vegan slaw dressing that i link to all the time. Vegan mayo, sugar/agave/stevia, ACVinegar. Done. So good! But that’s basic and no doubt you will be rockin out the AMAZING eats with your stash!
xoxo
congrats to cody on his race! i think 10ks are my favorite!
and that breakfast afterwards looks amazing! i totally want those hashbrowns and tofu scramble…too good!
got your email
aw your pups are so cute! haha it’s sweet that you were cheering cody on and documenting his race…what the heck he looks so put together, barely broke a sweat, i’d be keeled over heaving for air after running like 5 minutes!!!
Wowsers you have some awesome goodies there Tasha, I LOVE innocent juices and smoothies…sooo good and tasty. Wow your dad is really trying to win you over
Hey I see a hot hunk of spunk in some of your photos too
And gooooo Cody
what an awesome dad to bring you such awesome treats! tabasco spicy salt!? yum!
and that pesto in sunflower oil looks rockin’!
Congrats to Cody! I am definitely not ready to run 10k, but someday… someday! Your food looks delicious- I have got to figure out vegan omelets. And you dad rocks for getting you all those treasures.
Tofu omelets are SO easy and they taste better than any egg omelet I ever had. I’m sure you could find many recipes online, but I used the one from Vegan Brunch.
I just found your blog and love it! It’s awesome how much you value your health and how you have made this blog to help others who use you as an example of health and wellness. I used to live in Egypt and, after a long day at work, I found it was not the easiest thing to get fresh ingredients for recipes, so we used to go out to eat–a lot. I would order the healthiest thing on the menu but it still left me feeling “blah” most of the time. It’s just so great how you stick to healthy eating even if it means you have to use imported goods from Bahrain or other places. I just want to say “way to go!” and I’ll definitely be adding your blog to my daily reads
Thanks Catherine! It can be hard to find quality fresh produce around here, but we definitely manage. It isn’t necessary to bring any special treats over from Bahrain, it’s just fun!
Wow, congrats to you an to Cody for the 10K Run! (Hey, who says cheering isn’t just as exhausting for the voicebox and hands as running is for the legs, right?)
I love seeing how in Saudi Arabia, a 10K is actually a 10K. Here in North America, it seems like our 10K’s are actually “10K + hoopla + mumbo jumbo + fancy pants + etc.” Ya know? Life should be simple, right?
AND i LOVE your exciting treats! Enjoy making the most and the best out of all your little edible treasure gems!!
Love,
Aletheia
i love that you and Ms. Polly cheered Cody on – hooray for his 10K. that rocks so hard! i’m always super hungry when i wake up earlier than usual, too – it throws me off a bit. that’s one rock’n plate of brunch times yummies – and the grapefruit looks so pretty! your dad = the sweetest! personally, i’d eat the vegan mayo with a spoon or smear ridiculous amount of of it on sammies/wraps or use it a coleslaw. i have been known to enjoy spoonfuls of vegan mayo. i know it sounds gross, but i just love the stuff! ah ha ha! i’ve used soy flour in gf baking before, but haven’t vertured outside of that with it just yet. i love the sound of goji berry cookies, Tasha – and hooray on the organic veggie mix. Jack cracks me up! he reminds me of my parent’s dog, jasmine – she does the same thing with toys. she isn’t too keen on sharing. ah ha ha! enjoy your weekend, Tasha!
Vegan mayo with a spoon? Been there before! Many times before! The stuff is ridiculously delicious, I loooove it. It has been way too long since I’ve had any, today will be wrap time for sure!
Hey girl. Your pics are looking great! I’m enjoying your blog.
Yay for Cody!
Your croceries look amazing. That mayonnaise looks interesting. I always thought grano vita was a German brand, but I guess I was wrong…I’ve never seen their mayonnaise. Although they sell the most amazing sandwich spreads over here.
Soy flour is an excellent egg replacer. I use it all the time. 1 T = one egg. And you can add a bit to your smoothie for extra protein.
[...] get enough of them. I spread them with a thick layer of vegan mayo and chopped basil in oil (remember the goodies we picked up last week?), and then I stuff them with avocados, baby spinach, bell peppers, carrots, sprouts, pumpkin seeds, [...]