I’m a star!

I was just cast in the lead role of Catherine in our local theater group’s production of the Pulitzer prize winning Broadway play Proof! YAY!

And when I say lead role, I mean lead role. There are 83 pages in the script, and I’m in 80 of them. Whew. That is a lot of [...]]]>

I’m a star!

I was just cast in the lead role of Catherine in our local theater group’s production of the Pulitzer prize winning Broadway play Proof! YAY!

And when I say lead role, I mean lead role. There are 83 pages in the script, and I’m in 80 of them. Whew. That is a lot of lines to memorize.

But I’m not worried, I’m thrilled! This is my first time on stage in 8 years. Growing up I was always in the theater. In fact, during school we traveled all over Europe and the Middle East participating in acting and debate competitions. So, being back on stage feels so good and really natural.

The performances will be the first week of November, so the next 2 months will be a flurry of preparation. Catherine is such a compelling character, I really relate to her struggles and her personality…except for the math genius part!

So, on top of that news, I’ve been busy in other areas of my life lately. That explains the lack of posting. Sorry! I’ve been even more swamped than usual with women’s rights work – writing, researching, editing, rewriting. The usual. But I love it, so no worries. I’ve also got a ton of grad school paperwork to muddle through. Does anyone else hate mindless paperwork as much as I do? Plus, I’m gearing up for our second World Hunger Souljourn. The amount of work that goes into that is unreal, so I’m trying to get a head start.

But, as always, I make plenty of room for delicious food. Here are a few highlights from the past week -

Snack Plates 4 Ever!

Nutty Noochy Pate...I love you.

All the usual suspects get food processorized into my most favorite of nut pates – cashews, lemon juice, garlic cloves, soy sauce, turmeric, nooch, HOT SAUCE, anything delicious and nutritious.

The REAL star of the show.

The tiniest bit of leftovers from THE BEST POTATO SALAD IN THE UNIVERSE. Yeah, some of you bitch and moan that I claim that too many things are THE BEST, but you know what? I don’t care.

Anyway. This potato salad REALLY IS THE BEST. I boiled rough chopped red new potatoes, tossed them while warm with vegan mayo, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, thinly sliced red onions, and chopped marinated green olives. OH MY YUM.

Veggie Packed Zatar Bread

It’s the Muslim holy month of Ramadan right now, which means an entire month of dinners and parties and celebrations with family and friends. The grocery stores help out by always having tons of freshly prepared goodies you can grab up and take with you. Veggie packed Zatar bread is my favorite quick and easy snack.

Speaking of veggie packed...

You know I can never get enough veggies! I love veggie wraps with a side of super salty roasted pistachios. And I think I just about eat a salad with every meal. I think it’s cause I like the dressings!

The magical fruit!

And you know it wouldn’t be Voracious Vegan Headquarters without a pot of fresh made beans in the fridge at all times. The more onions and garlic in there the better! Serve with a side of fresh made bread topped with avocado and it’s a perfect meal.

We’ve also been social butterflies lately which is SO unlike me and Cody – we are usually the two biggest homebodies. But we’ve been playing tourguide lately to this really awesome American guy who just moved to Saudi last week. He contacted me through my blog a few months ago to see what it would be like to live in Saudi as a vegan. Yep, he’s a fellow veggie!

The new guy himself!

Me and the infamous Coco Larue.

Expat music night!

We also went took him out to dinner with a big group of our friends.

Of course, my brain froze up, probably unused to all the social graces being required of me, and I forgot to take any pictures.

Except one. It’s like my brain wanted to prove that mentally I’m still 12 years old.

Until next time! Hope you are all having a great week!

xoxox

A – To spend an awesome afternoon laughing and conspiring with her favorite feminist comrade, of course!

***

You know those once in a lifetime friends? The kind of friends that are so incredibly amazing you still can’t believe they are in your life? Well, that is [...]]]> Q – Why did the feminist cross the causeway?

A – To spend an awesome afternoon laughing and conspiring with her favorite feminist comrade, of course!

***

You know those once in a lifetime friends? The kind of friends that are so incredibly amazing you still can’t believe they are in your life? Well, that is the kind of friend I am lucky enough to have in Ro. Even luckier? She lives right across the causeway from me in Bahrain, and back when Cody and I still lived there we were next door neighbors.

Ro is my mentor, my friend, my comrade, and all around the coolest person I’ve ever known.

You have probably heard me gush about Ro before. She is an internationally renowned feminist, global south advocate, vegetarian, and gender specialist. (Here and here are 2 interviews I did with her.) She is also a globetrotter extraordinaire so I have to be sure to catch her when she is in town. So, it was off to Bahrain!

Bahrain is a tiny island kingdom located right off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The two countries are connected by a very long bridge, a causeway, that spans 25km of ocean, with a checkpoint in the middle so you can go through immigration and customs to switch countries. It sounds like a lot, but it isn’t so bad. In fact, I used to commute (with a driver, of course) from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain and back again every day for school during high-school. On a good day the whole trip only takes about 45 minutes. So, heading over to spend the afternoon with a dear friend is simple and not too much hassle.

First, though, you gotta wake up and get the day started right. And with me that always means a green smoothie -

Then it’s time to change into my comfortable traveling duds. No matter the occasion, comfort is always the most important thing in determining what clothes I wear. And being stuck in a car for at least an hour, in this brutal summer heat, means I need something soft and easy.

After reliving my modeling days for a bit, I remembered where I live, and that any time I leave the compound I need to wear my abaya. Of course, I chucked it off the second I reached the very liberal shores of Bahrain.

After saying goodbye to one of the more elusive members of my herd (gotta catch her when I can)….

…I loaded up into my car for the trip across the causeway.

Women can drive on my compound, but not anywhere else in Saudi Arabia, so I have to use a driver to get around. Women can also drive in Bahrain, but I have to use a driver to get from here to there! So, as the trip begins I hand him my passport so he can hand it over to the causeway immigration guards to get stamped once we reach the border…

I get my tunes going (it is impossible to ride in the car for any length of time without good music!)…

I also like some light reading material; I can’t read anything that requires too much concentration while I’m in the car, otherwise I get a headache…

Yep, the one ‘starring’ yours truly…

After only half an hour or so waiting in line on the causeway we finished crossing the border and before too long reached Bahrain, and the lovely ramshackle compound where Ro lives. Actually, Cody and I lived there for a year or so, too, and we still keep an apartment there.

It is such an offbeat and unique place, exactly our style, and a type of compound you rarely find in Bahrain anymore. It is one of the very few ‘authentic’ compounds left, and one of the only ones with grass, flowers, trees, and room for dogs to run. Plus, it was located right in the village that is known as Bahrain’s riot hot-spot. Bahrainis love to riot, so a few nights a week we would always be surrounded by the sound of Molotov cocktails, riot police, rubber bullets, and flying tear gas canisters. It was exciting, to say the least!

Happily, the whole family was home to greet me. Even Crystal, the blind, yet pugnaciously pushy rescue dog.

Peter, Ro’s fantastic husband, is the best cook. He is a star at making hearty yet simple dishes that I can never seem to recreate. I wish he would write a cookbook! We feasted on a veggie packed lentil stew and a crisp and crunchy salad topped with a tofu salad dressing. Delicious!

After lunch Ro and I talked for hours and hours, but no matter what, the topic always came back to global feminist struggle – my favorite! We dished, we laughed, we ranted (as all good feminists do), and we had a wonderful, fulfilling afternoon.

There aren’t many people like Ro in the world, unfortunately, and there are even less in my neck of the woods, so spending time with her is like a breath of fresh air. I was sad to go, but didn’t want to leave the trek back across the causeway till too late. So, I called my driver and piled back into the car for the journey home.

You know you're back in Saudi when...

Before too long I was home sweet home in Saudi. I didn’t really do much that day, but whenever I have to travel any amount of distance in this heat it tires me out. I lounged in bed, cuddled with my dogs and Cody, did some writing, did some reading, and for dinner feasted on a super tasty snack plate!

What you see up there is mashed spicy beans, toast topped with avocado and hot sauce, a salad, a few crackers, and super sweet tangerines. I never get tired of snack plates, aren’t they delicious?

What a wonderful day!

***

***Don’t forget to spread the word about the t-shirts for sale from Conducive Chronicle. The proceeds will all go to the Navdanya Project in India to fight world hunger. To be honest, I was shocked and dismayed by the lack of enthusiasm about this simple and wonderful way for us to all raise money for a good cause. We are a community of people who claim to want to make the world a better place. Are we all talk? Come on people, buy a t-shirt if you can, and spread the word. Take a stand and do something!***

Remember how [...]]]> Well, as you know, Cody is in Washington DC on a business trip, trying to secure his work visa for Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, he should be home soon…but these things have been known to take weeks, and sometimes months. So, please keep your fingers crossed for us that it will all work out quickly!

Remember how upset I was that Cody was leaving? Well, I miss him desperately and can’t wait for him to be back….but….I’m doing better than I ever imagined! All of you who told me that I’m so much stronger than I know, were right! It has been a bit lonely and boring not having my best friend around to make me laugh and keep me loved up, but I’ve really surprised myself by how well I’ve coped. Of course, we talk non-stop on the phone, and spend several hours a day video chatting, which helps tremendously!

Something else that has helped me keep a smile on my face is the love of my adorable, wonderful dingo herd! I’ve been cuddling them even more than usual this past week and there isn’t a moment that goes by when one of them isn’t sitting next to me or is curled up (held captive) in my lap.

Lobi

Polly

Jack. Yes, he really does sleep like that!

Yesterday started like any other day….except there was a 25lb bed hog lying next to me!

Normally, Polly sleeps in her bed on the floor, right next to my side of the bed. But since Cody has been gone, we are two single ladies again and she is back in her rightful place. Unfortunately, in her sleep she quadruples in size and manages to hog every square inch of the bed. But I love her anyway.

Rise and shine!

Breakfast was an icy cold green smoothie…that was actually green. So often I overdose on blueberries and it all turns into a purple (but still delicious) sludge!

After chugalugging my yummy green breakfast I skedaddled to the gym. Okay, I didn’t so much as skedaddle as almost die from heat stroke during the 5 minute drive over there. Have I mentioned that it is HOT? Like 125F and 90% humidity HOT? It is brutal and I hate it. And it will last until about October.

ANYWAY. I had a great workout – 1 hour of cardio divided into 20 minute segments on 3 different machines. I can’t stay on one machine longer than 20 minutes without getting bored out of my mind. And it is a lung saving device, too. People around here wear A LOT of perfume – A LOT. And it is the most gag inducing thing, especially when you are huffing and puffing for air. Seriously, give me some stanky BO any day, over too much perfume.

I headed back home to luxuriate in the AC with my sweet dingos, do some editing and writing (feminist work! yay!) and eat LUNCH!

LUNCH!

This lunch made me SO happy. You know those times when you eat something that fills you up, refreshes you, and is EXACTLY what you were craving? Well, that was this. And it was good.

A big raw veggie salad, crackers topped with raw cashew cheese, avocado, and hot sauce, and some perfectly ripe tangerines. YUM.

The afternoon was spent working working working and taking my dogs for a long rumble in the desert. It’s times like that when I really miss Cody. Our family is incomplete without him!

And then for dinner….well, for dinner I ate dog food.

Yes. I did. I ate dog food.

Allow me to explain. You see, my dogs eat better than most people. I homecook all of their meals and it is as organic as I can get it. We can’t get fresh organic produce here, but we can get some dried/canned/frozen organic stuff…and that is what my dogs eat. I make several pots a week of different combinations of beans, rice, lentils, Bulgar wheat, sweet potato, zucchini, green beans, barley, millet, peas, carrots, pumpkin, etc, etc, etc. Anything delicious and tasty and organic, my dogs get it.

In the US my dogs were all vegan; I fed them Dick Van Patten’s vegan dog food. They loved it! Here in Saudi, the selection of dog food is pathetic, obviously no vegan options. So, while their diet is predominantly vegan, I do supplement their meals with a small amount of the highest quality dog food I can find. (Cue the hate mail.)

So, last night I had just cooked them up a big pot of rice, lentils, bulgar wheat and peas…and it looked so good I just had to try some. I piled it into a tortilla with added black beans, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, fried it up and served it with roast cauliflower. It was tasty, but the cauliflower was out of this world! I roasted it and then when it was all crispy and caramelized I tossed it with nooch and vegan butter. YUM!

Alright, you wonderful people, I’m off to relax for the rest of the evening and cuddle my sweet dogs…and keep my fingers crossed that Cody can come home soon.

Keep your fingers crossed, too!

Okay. Confession Time.

As you all know I am an expat, born and raised, and still living in Saudi Arabia. Because of this I have spent much of my life traveling the world…by plane. By my rough estimate I have been on over 200 planes in my lifetime, starting with my first [...]]]>

Okay. Confession Time.

As you all know I am an expat, born and raised, and still living in Saudi Arabia. Because of this I have spent much of my life traveling the world…by plane. By my rough estimate I have been on over 200 planes in my lifetime, starting with my first international flight at the age of 6 weeks, 2 around the world journeys before the age of 3, and extensive travel in over 40 countries by the time I was in my 20s. You would think after 200+ plane rides it would be mundane and boring, a fact of life. Not so.

I have a severe fear of flying. Severe. As in nightmares about plane crashes months before I have to fly, hysterical crying at the slightest bit of turbulence, and irrational terror at the mere thought of flying. It is crazy, irrational, absurd, yes, all the things that make a fear a phobia. But it doesn’t make it any less terrifying and life altering just to know it’s not rational. I know, logically, that flying is the safest way to travel, and far safer than driving a car…but no matter how often I remind myself of that it just doesn’t help.

I wasn’t always this way. For most of my life I hopped on and off planes without a care in the world. But about 10 years ago, when I was 18 or so, it all started to change. Slowly, slowly, slight nerves gave way to unsettling fear which gave way to all out blind panic. It isn’t pretty and I wish it weren’t so, but it is.

Yesterday we found out that  Cody has to spend 2 weeks at the end of July/beginning of August in Washington DC on a business trip to sort out visa paperwork and get his Saudi residency. For the past year he has been on a temporary visa which has made day to day life a hassle and getting a permanent visa is not only necessary but will make our life a lot easier….if only it didn’t involve putting the only person on this earth that I’ve ever really loved onto not 1, not 2, but 4 planes. I will be staying here while Cody flies all the way to the states and back. Oh the terror.

As soon as we found out I’ve been crying pretty much non-stop, envisioning the worst, as a worrier like me always does in situations like this. I always predict disaster when it comes to the most mundane facts of life, so you can imagine that I really go overboard when it comes to my biggest phobia of all. Add to that the fact that in our 6 years together we have never spend more than 3 days apart, this is pretty rough. The only thing worse than me having to get on a plane is the man I love having to get on a plane.

Cody is sweet and patient with me, just like he was when we flew from the US to Saudi Arabia and he was left with scars on his arms from my digging fingernails. He is just as wrapped up in me as I am in him, so it will be hard for him to be gone for so long, but he is not scared of flying at all so he sees this as a fun summer holiday. He is looking forward to visiting all of DC’s amazing museums, visiting with our oldest and dearest friend Maris who calls DC her home, and spending a few days with his parents who are going to fly up from Texas to visit with him. For him this is an all-expenses-paid vacation, for me it is sheer, miserable terror.

So. If you all want to help me (and I know you do!) you’ll tell me how ridiculously silly I’m being. Tell me how often you fly, or how often your family members or friends fly. Tell me how fine it always is and how ludicrous I’m being. Seriously. Please tell me. A lot.

When I’m terrified beyond belief the last thing I want to do, or can do, is eat. I have to struggle just to fill my stomach, everything loses its flavor and nothing is appealing to me in the slightest. Here are the meals I nibbled at yesterday.

My usual morning green smoothie was okay. Green. Tasty. Cold. Sweet. My tears only slightly distracted me from its tastiness.

After breakfast I dragged myself to the gym for an hour of cardio which turned more into an hour of me trying not to have a full blown panic attack at the gym. Lovely.

When I came home for lunch this last thing I wanted to do was eat, but when I don’t eat I end up feeling even worse. So I spent an hour picking over this gorgeous and very tasty burrito and salad lunch –

It looks delicious and it was delicious, it just took all of my determination to finish it all even though this is my favorite kind of lunch. What you see is a spinach tortilla filled with vegan butter, Amy’s refried black beans, a batch of brown rice I made that is filled with onions, bell peppers, and garlic. I topped it all with sliced avocado and hot sauce. The salad is a mix of baby spinach, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, a dollop of homemade hummus and balsamic olive oil dressing.

I wish I could say that I felt better as the day wore on, but it was the exact opposite. As the sun dipped towards the horizon and the day wound down everything seemed even worse. Yes, there were more tears. Yes, I know how ridiculous my phobia is, that is why it is a phobia. It doesn’t make sense, logically I know it’s ridiculous, but like I said, it feels real to me.

So, amidst the tears and sobs I could not even think of eating something for dinner. Cody made me a tasty juice and convinced me to drink it, but that was all I could stomach.

That lovely juice had lots of celery, cucumbers, carrots, apples, ginger and mint. It was not enough for dinner, I know, but this blog is nothing if not honest and that is all I could manage last night.

So far today I’m doing a bit better, I feel all cried and panicked out. I just can’t believe that someone like me who has flown several times a year for every year of my life is this terrified of planes. It is ludicrous. Go ahead, laugh at me, hopefully it will make me feel better!

***

The TofuXpress giveaway was a big hit and the lucky, randomly selected winner is….Jessie from Bites and Pieces! Congratulations Jessie! Contact me with your address and we’ll have your TofuXpress to you in no time. Thanks again to TofuXpress for their generosity.

Yesterday morning started like any other, with a refreshing and invigorating green juice and two pieces of toast. The juice had lots of chard, 2 apples, a big carrot, [...]]]> Thursday and Friday are the weekend here in Saudi Arabia and Cody and I decided we were going to spend this one doing something a little different.

Yesterday morning started like any other, with a refreshing and invigorating green juice and two pieces of toast. The juice had lots of chard, 2 apples, a big carrot, a couple celery stalks, a hunk of ginger, and a cucumber. Looks like a normal way to start the day, right?

Well, after breakfast is when things got a little….insane.

Yesterday Cody and I started the Insanity workouts – and they are everything I hoped they would be. After hearing a lot of buzz around the blogosphere I was so excited to give these a try. This workout series is supposed to be tough, brutal, and excruciating, something no workout dvd I’ve ever done has managed to be.

Insanity is a 60 day program of 10 different workouts that you follow according to the given schedule. According to the website:

“The secret to these mind-blowing results: MAX Interval Training.  Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The results: burn up to 1,000 calories an hour and get the most insane body in only 60 days.”

You all know I love to workout. I spend an hour a day at the gym, 6 days a week, on top of all the bike riding, dog walking, and horse riding I do. But falling into a routine can be a real drag and it makes me feel less than motivated. I have also known that I was plateauing – I had reached a pretty comfortable limit and I wanted to bust out of that rut. Enter Insanity…I had heard that professional athletes were having trouble coping with the workouts, that it was the hardest thing ever put on dvd. I knew I had to try it!

Yesterday we did the fit test, a quick 30 minute workout designed to let you gauge your fitness level. You retake the fit test every 2 weeks so you can see yourself improving. Well, this fit test was a pretty tough workout all on its own.

The thing about Insanity is that it is largely based on plyometric movements; fast, explosive, jumping movements that crank up your heart rate and use all the muscles in your body. Doing just a few minutes of the routine got my heart pounding like an entire hour on the treadmill never does.

After that rigorous workout, which was technically only a fit test, we needed fuel fast! And what better than complex carbs and some tasty protein?

Rice, Bean and Veggie Burritos with a big fresh salad to the rescue! I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture, but I assure you it was identical to this meal:

After an afternoon spend reading and writing and an evening spent at the stables with my sweet boy Ender, I came home and settled down to movie night and a pile of tasty sushi and edamame.

We watched Blade Runner – stunning visuals, gorgeous music, but the story line was a little bland and it lacked the depth that I really wanted. I’m a sci-fi junkie and I expected more. But the sushi was just as delicious as always!

***

Day 2 of our Insanity madness began with a green smoothie, filled with bananas, chard, frozen strawberries, and rice milk. Always my favorite breakfast!

After letting our food digest it was on to our second day of Insanity with 45 minutes of plyometric circuit training.

Whoa.

WHOA.

I can’t even tell you how ridiculously hard this workout was – I loved it! Sure, I had to stop and gasp for air a few times (having excercise induced asthma is a pain), and I chugged more than a little water, and some foul language might have escaped from my lips, but it was GREAT!

Wow, what a workout. There is little that can compare to the cardio workout we received today, plus it was coupled with strength building moves that left me feeling weak and shaky and totally wrung out. This was exactly what I was looking for. (And no, I am not in any way recieving anything for my review of Insanity, they don’t even know I exist! I bought this on my own and am gushing about it because I really do love it.)

And the host and creator of the program, Shaun T, is an absolute doll. A lot of times workout dvds get on my nerves because the host is obnoxious. Well, not with Shaun T. He is so high energy, and encouraging, and funny, and really inspiring – love him. I want to bake him some vegan cupcakes.

Also, as we were working out, our cat Twilah plopped down right in front of us and watched us in horror and concern for the entire 45 minutes. Cats just don’t get working out.

As you can imagine, after a workout like that I was desperate for, what else – burritos! With a side of roasted broccoli. Oh yum.

We spent the afternoon recuperating, reading, dingo cuddling, and relaxing, before heading out to the stables in the evening.

So, these pictures have nothing to do with vegan food, or Insanity workouts, but I love my boy Ender SO much I just had to share his cuteness with you. Hope you don’t mind!

He looks so calm in these photos, but believe me, he is not. Imagine hanging out with and riding a volcano, or a lightning bolt on speed! But he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, he always means well, and he is super friendly and very outgoing. He also has the biggest heart and the silliest personality – I adore this horse.

(If you want to read more about Ender and about how and why I am a horse riding vegan, please check out this post.)

Ender lives for his food, it is the center of his world, and he especially loves all the tasty treats I give him. His favorites are apples, carrots, and watermelon. He would follow you to the ends of the earth for some watermelon!

Has there ever in the history of time been a softer, more velvet-like quilt of a nose? I don’t think so. Oh his sweet snuffly carrot scented kisses really do make my heart skip a beat. How can he be so perfect? I’m giddy just thinking about him.

Riding Ender after a morning of Insanity was over the top craziness, my legs were screaming when we came home from the stables. I needed sustenance and I needed it NOW!

Inspired by Heathen Vegan’s latest post of cilantro and lime tofu, I blended up some cilantro, garlic, fresh ginger, lime zest and lime juice, olive oil and salt, marinated the tofu in it for an hour and then baked it till it was chewy. Then I piled it on top of a quick and tasty brown rice and veggie stir-fry.

It was just the thing I needed. The flavor combination of lime and cilantro is so fresh and summery, I’m thinking of making it into a salad dressing. How great would that be?

Alright, guys and gals, I’m outta here. These sore and aching muscles need some rest and I’ve got some dingos who need cuddling.

And of course, lots of dark chocolate that needs to be devoured….didn’t you know it’s the perfect workout recovery food???

Oh SO delicious! A sundried tomato tortilla, filled with sliced avocados and hot sauce, fried till crisp and served with a side of sea salted edamame, and raw veggies with a nut cheese pate. This was one of my favorite lunches ever!

Finding [...]]]> Over the past few days several things have put a smile on my face…

Oh SO delicious! A sundried tomato tortilla, filled with sliced avocados and hot sauce, fried till crisp and served with a side of sea salted edamame, and raw veggies with a nut cheese pate. This was one of my favorite lunches ever!

Finding yummy new products in our commissary always makes me smile….even though I know they’ll be permanently out of stock in a week. These Yogi Chips were tasty and I could pronounce everything in the ingredient list. That’s not a must for me, because I like myself some junk food every now and again, but it is a bonus for sure!

When Polly yawns I don’t just smile, my heart melts!

My latest OBSESSION is so simple but I just can’t get enough. I eat a version of this almost every single day, sometimes twice! Rice and beans and veggies, piled into a tortilla, topped with avocados and lots of hot sauce. YUM! This time I served a vegan butter filled tortilla and a raw veggie salad on the side. Perfection.

Speaking of salads, my new favorite thing to add to the mix is lots and lots of chopped chives. I love the mild onion flavor. To me, raw red or white onions are too strong in a salad, but chives have the right amount of onion punch without being too overwhelming. Try it!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies from Bittersweet’s brilliant new e-book Blondies and Brownies! These made everyone smile, look how insanely moist they are! These are powerful peanut buttery treats, perfectly accented with a hefty serving of chocolate. The original recipe calls for dark chocolate and white chocolate chips but since vegan white chocolate doesn’t exist here I just added more dark chocolate. Is there a better combination in the world than peanut butter and chocolate? I think not!

If you haven’t bought Bittersweet’s new e-book Blondies and Brownies, what are you waiting for? I’m slowly cooking my way through the whole thing and every recipe I’ve tried so far is just out of this world delicious.

Dozing kitties always make me smile! Twilah’s little pink nose is cute enough to cheer me up even on the bleakest of days. And look at those whiskers! Isn’t she regal? Twilah barely tolerates me, she is Cody’s cat through and through, but she lets me worship her from afar. I’m the dog’s favorite, they follow me around the house from room to room, so it is good that Cody has his own little side-kick…even if it is a persnickety cat!

A simple pasta dish topped with roasted veggies will always make me smile. Pure tasty comfort food, and just the thing after a long and tiring day. I made a quick basil, tomato, and cashew pesto coated pasta and simply piled on a mix of oven roasted broccoli, zucchini, and bell peppers. It was so great!

But out of all the things that put a smile on my face this was the absolute best.

A few days ago the cops actually found my stolen car! Sure, it was busted up and had missing license plates but they found it! It was on the side of the road in Dammam, the city right outside of our compound. No one can believe it was actually found, not even the police.

But the whole thing gets even weirder because a note of apology from the thief himself was slipped under our neighbour’s door! I guess the thief was mistaken about who actually owned the car, but our neighbour (who just got back from vacation today) brought the note over a while ago and none of us could stop smiling or laughing. Isn’t it crazy?

The note says:

“I am sorry I stole your car yesterday and I went outside Aramco and now the right arm is broken. I’m so contrite and I’m so sorry. Please forgive me I really don’t know why did I do this stupid thing. It’s a white mustang GT 1991. I am 14 years old and I don’t want to get in trouble. My name is Fadi. I wish that you forgive me. The car is in Dammam.”

(And at the bottom is a map where to find our car.)

Can you believe it!?! That note definitely put a smile on my face…although my grin would have been a lot bigger had it been accompanied by a pile of money to pay to repair all the done to the car!

Cody is working full time and going to grad school, and I’ve been busier than ever with my [...]]]> What a great week we’ve been having here in the Land of Sand. Our weekends here are Thursday and Friday, so this one is almost over but we packed in lots of good food and good fun!

Cody is working full time and going to grad school, and I’ve been busier than ever with my writing and activism, so we decided to put all that aside for the past few days and just relax! (Speaking of writing, the last post of my world hunger Souljourn has been published on Conducive Chronicle. Check it out!)

Even the dogs got in on the relaxation action.

I also spent a lot of time outside soaking up the gorgeous sun, my nose buried in a book, as usual. I have to get all the yummy sun while I can, it is already in the 100s during the day, soon it will be hitting 125F with 99% humidity and we won’t even be able to go outside during the day.

See? Us freckle-faced, red heads love the sun, too. After a lifetime of living in the Saudi desert I’m pretty used to the heat, but don’t worry, I never stay out for too long!

Polly loves to sunbathe with me! My sweet soul mate is never far from my side.

And it wouldn’t be a week worth blogging about if there weren’t some delicious eats! And this is Voracious Vegan headquarters, we’ve always got tasty food.

I can’t wake up and start my day with one of these power packed green smoothies. YUMMMM!

Asparagus and cashew pesto piled on top of lots of fresh pasta- SO GOOD! It was so rich and creamy, I love this stuff.

This one bag is illusion. Multiply it by about 4 and that is how many bags of salt and vinegar chips I’ve eaten. Best flavor EVER!

You know me, I adore my snack plates. Isn’t this one a beauty?

We took a break from all this eating and lounging to take our dogs to the Spray Fields, large grassy pastures on our compound…I’m not sure what purpose they serve exactly, but the dogs love them!

While we were there Jack made a new best friend – Nelly! They hit it off immediately and romped hard! Aren’t they the cutest pair?

Awwww! They love each other!

We also went to spend some time with my sweet boy Ender and his best friend Cyprus. That is Suhail, their groom, in the middle, trying to keep the two big boys under control.

They decided to team up and attack him for carrots!

After lots of fun romping with the dingos and with the horses out in the heat we headed home for more relaxation. And  lots more food, of course!

Chimichangas stuffed with black beans, rice, bell peppers, onions, garlic, avocado and TONS of hot sauce. This is my favorite thing to eat lately, I can’t get enough.

Spicy Cuban potatoes make a great side dish. These little bites are hot, zesty, and oh so addicting!

In this heat, I’ve been making plenty of room in my diet for lots of simple, leafy green salads. I love the fresh and cooling crunch of the lettuce, and making big salads is a great way to use up any veggie odds and ends you have lying around.

And after a fantastic week of fun, family, friends, and lots of great food, you know I need a special dessert!

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream fits the bill! It tastes like the coldest, creamiest, richest pumpkin pie imaginable. Don’t worry, recipe coming soon!

And on that sweet note, it is time for me to get back to my place in the sun, with my book and my sweet Polly. I hope you are all having a great week, too!

First of all, to all of those who followed me, supported me, and encouraged me through my 7 day world hunger journey – THANK YOU. I cannot tell you how much your words of kindness meant to me. To all of the people who shared their expertise and knowledge with me, guided me along [...]]]> Hi Everyone!

First of all, to all of those who followed me, supported me, and encouraged me through my 7 day world hunger journey – THANK YOU. I cannot tell you how much your words of kindness meant to me. To all of the people who shared their expertise and knowledge with me, guided me along the way, and offered their support – I couldn’t have done it without you. And to the kind editors at Conducive Chronicle, I really appreciate being given such a wide reaching platform with which to share my story. Thank you.

And to the many, many of you who tweeted, posted to facebook, blogged about, or emailed, or in any other way spread the word about world hunger – thank you so much. Because of you we raised awareness about this topic and inspired many more people to take action. We also raised a nice sum of money for a few very amazing vegan organizations that are committed to fighting poverty and world hunger.

I’d like to say a special thank you to Kenda Swartz Pepper, the brilliant and compassionate woman whose 21 day Souljourn inspired my own journey. I could barely manage for 7 days, and she managed for 21! From the moment I reached out to her she was generous, encouraging, and a non-stop source of support and knowledge. Thank you Kenda!

***

The 7 days that I spent mimicking the diet of the world’s hungriest people affected me deeply. More than the hunger, more than the exhaustion, more than any physical discomfort, was the alternating sadness and anger that I felt as I studied the causes of the poverty and chronic undernourishment that is affecting 1 out of every 6 human beings alive. The one fact that I couldn’t get out of my head was – the planet produces more than enough food for every person to live comfortably, it is just not shared equitably. Tens of thousands of people die every year from hunger and hunger related diseases not because there isn’t enough food, but because of inequality and oppression.

It would be completely false and morally reprehensible for me to suggest that the hunger and weariness that accompanied my journey of voluntary undernourishment can in any way even remotely compare to the challenges facing the 1.2 billion people struggling with world hunger. I knew that logically going in, but I know it viscerally now. For me there was always the option of quitting, I had a kitchen full of food available to me at all times. I could have put a stop to my hunger at any time. This is an option that 1.2 billion peopled do not have and may never have.

The 7 days took a toll on me that was even more emotional than physical. I feel overwhelmed and drained, just completely frustrated at the injustices in the world that we all accept as normal. People ask me how I’m doing now that it is over and I find I’m having trouble answering them. It has been several days now but I still haven’t even begun to process the experience, I don’t think I have the strength yet.

I’m tired and angry and raw, my emotional armor has been completely obliterated, but it would be wrong to say that I have no hope. While I’ve been heartbroken and depressed by this journey, I’ve also been inspired and made hopeful by the brave and valiant people who are making a difference every single day. Therefore, I still have 2 articles planned for Conducive Chronicle detailing various solutions to world hunger and strategies we can begin enacting in our own lives to address poverty and inequality. I will also be sharing my interviews with Kenda Swartz Pepper and Anna Lappe. I will post the articles here as well, so stay tuned.

***

It feels very strange to try to transition back to a happy, light-hearted food blog after the past few weeks. I’m not exactly sure how to do it without seeming heavy  handed and forced. A part of me even feels guilty for switching so suddenly from discussing the people in the world who have no food, to celebrating the bounty of food that I am lucky enough to have.

But the fact is: I am lucky, so very lucky to have this life with so much richness and comfort. I am healthy, my friends and family are healthy, I have enough money to buy the food that I want, whenever I want, and I have never had to worry about my next meal. And I don’t think it is wrong to celebrate that. What would be wrong would be to forget that this is not the case for the majority of people in the world. I stand in solidarity every single day of my life alongside those who do not have enough, people and animals who are literally fighting for survival. And while I will never stop fighting, and I will never forget the job I have to do, I also know that it won’t help anyone to deny the pleasures that I am able to enjoy.

On that note, on my first day off of the world hunger ‘diet’, I indulged in some of my very favorite foods and took the entire day to rest and recuperate and fortify my strength. It was such a beautiful experience to be able to eat freely again. As you all know, I have never in my life gone on a diet or restricted myself in any way. Food has always been a source of joy and delight to me, a necessity of life that has superseded the mundane habit it requires and taken on the status of something extraordinary. I cherished my meals before, but now they have taken on a whole new level of significance. Each of these meals was eaten in reverence and gratitude.

Breakfast

All week long I had been desperately missing my usual green smoothie breakfast. Oh leafy greens, you mean so much to me! Love doesn’t even begin to cover the rapture I felt as I took that first icy cold sip. And the pancakes were super jam packed with spelt flour and flax seeds, and topped with a ton of earth balance and 100% pure maple syrup. I wanted to start the day off right and I definitely did!

Lunch

During the week I had also ravenously missed giant raw veggie salads. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not always readily available to people living in poverty, so they had not been a huge part of my diet while I was mimicking the food choices of the chronically hungry. In my ‘regular’ life, however, they are a huge part of my daily meals and I was glad to have them back. I also feasted on an absolutely delicious black bean burrito, dunked in plenty of barbecue sauce, and a sea salt covered pile of edamame.

Dinner

There was never any doubt what my dinner was going to be. It had to be my now famous Mediterranean Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers with a ton of oven roasted fries. If you haven’t tried these burgers yet – what are you waiting for? The recipe still gets hundreds and sometimes thousands of page views a day, and that many people cannot be wrong. This burger was so good  I think I groaned throughout every bite. Pure yum and so hearty (and gluten free for all my celiac friends!)! And yes, that is more barbecue sauce for the fries. I LOVE barbeuce sauce!

Dessert

This is, without a doubt, the very best dessert I have ever created. In all honesty, it is the best dessert, vegan or not, that I have ever in my life enjoyed. It tastes like pure luscious, dense, chocolate. If chocolate has a soul, this is it. I won’t tell you what it is yet, because I’m going to devote an entire post to it soon, but I’ll give you a hint: to make it, you only need 4 ingredients. Can you believe that you can create heaven on earth with only 4 ingredients?

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