"Don't stop believing." - Journey (and the cast of Glee...duh!)
I had a bad introduction to the television sensation Glee. Madonna is one of my favorite singers of all time and, unfortunately, the first episode of Glee I saw was the Madonna special. Clearly, I wasn't amused. But since then I've come to love the show. The characters are well drawn, the vocal numbers are (mostly...aside from Madonna mash-ups) great, and the plot lines are genuinely inspiring.
In the first episode, the passionate Spanish teacher/glee club sponsor wrestles with quitting his teaching duties to become an accountant. His wife pressures him to switch careers to make more money. At the end of the episode, the conflicted teacher walks in on the glee club rehearsing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and immediately decides to follow his heart (by not becoming an accountant). It was wonderful! Dance, music, yoga, and school teachers notoriously make less money than they should - - and it was so nice to see the passion and sacrifice behind their work showcased. I have the first season of the show on DVD and I'm sure these are episodes I'll watch over and over again. If you haven't watched the show, you should check it out :)
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In food news, I had a couple friends over for dinner the other night and - honestly - I found my side dishes more flavorful and successful than the main course (a gumbo)! Sometimes, side dishes can make an otherwise "okay" meal great. Here's what we had (in addition to the gumbo)...
Potato Salad
This salad comes from Alicia Simpson's Quick and Easy Vegan Celebrations. As far as vegan mayonnaise goes, I like Nayonaise brand...don't knock it 'til you try it.
- 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup vegan dijonaise (or mayonnaise)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- pinch of paprika
- pinch of salt
Place the potatoes in a medium stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until a fork easily pierces the potato flesh (about 15 minutes). Drain and let cool completely.
In a medium serving bowl, combine the cooled potatoes with all the other ingredients until well mixed. Let sit in the fridge for at least a few hours before serving so the flavors can mesh. We ate this over some mixed salad greens. serves 3-4
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
These decadent cookies are easy to make and (warning!) slightly addictive. Feel free to substitute chocolate chips for peanut butter chips. This recipe comes from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Vegan Table, a great collection of recipes for entertaining.
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup Earth Balance, or other nondairy butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
Preheat the oven to 350 and lay a piece of parchment paper over a large baking sheet. Spray the sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Furiously whip the flaxseeds and water together in a bowl with a fork, until thick looking. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar (with a standing mixer or hand beaters) until creamy. Add the flaxseed mixture and vanilla.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients and stir until completely mixed. Next, add the peanut butter chips and mix until evenly distributed. Form the dough into balls and flatten onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until just set.
Hint: If you want to keep your cookies soft and moist longer, transfer them to a sealed container before they completely cool. For whatever reason, this keeps them chewy instead of hard. makes 12 cookies
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In exercise news, I went back to running today (yay!). It's still too yucky and cold outside for me to fathom taking my run outside, but I was able to utilize the treadmills at the university's gym. I walked one mile and jogged a second mile - - nothing grand or too impressive, but it was a nice return for me. Not running had been - psychologically - hard for me. It was something I really enjoyed and I felt that I had "given up." (And it had only been three weeks since my last run!) But now I'm back and feeling better than ever. Woohoo.
There's nothing more exciting than a comeback ;-)
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