Shopping adventure 12.22.09

The hubby and I were all over town today shopping. Most of what we bought was food, nothing new there. I finally decided on Christmas dinner and needed to make another run to Costco for provisions (aka fresh produce). The hubby wants lasagna for Christmas. Since that is a traditional Italian feast dish it made sense to me so that is what we are having. I imagine the family will find this crazy, but since they already think we have gone “all granola on them”, crazy is fine with me. ;)

Before I forget, the next time you go to Costco check to see if yours has agave nectar. Our local Costco had 2 bottles of Wholesome agave (23.5 ounce bottles) for $7.75. That is the best price I have seen on agave so I wanted to pass that along.



Next we stopped at the health food store. I just love the going to health food store. While there we found the probiotics powder that is recommended in “The Conscious Cook” for making nut cheeses. I can’t wait to try that experiment. Once I saw the recipe for nut cheese I thought the probiotics would add the umami that is missing in most nut cheeses. I love nut cheese without the probiotics. However I think the probiotics will make it that much better. That experiment may happen tomorrow, if I can get all my other Christmas stuff accomplished.



While at the health food store we picked up a couple of cookbooks, which will go under the tree for a couple of days. One book is on raw “cooking” and another on baking with agave. Doesn’t this just sound like me? There was also a wild hand product that is a lotion/candle/massage cream that was vegan so I had to pick it up. You burn the candle and then it melts the lotion so you can smooth it on your skin. Additionally, is smells wonderful. I may have to try my hand at making a replica of this at home. I love the concept. I really am so easily amused.

At Wegman’s I finally broke down and bought fresh turmeric root. Not that know what to do with it, but I will figure it out. They also had sea beans, so that I was very exciting. (Louis and Sue, yes I squealed like with the fresh cardoons and curry leaves … in case you two were wondering). I love it when our chef friend has sea beans so I had to grab some of these. Why would I let the fact that I haven’t cooked them before stop me?

Overall it was a great day, and we picked up all sorts of fun and healthy stuff while we were out. My cooking has become so much more adventurous since we became vegan. I am always surprised when people ask us what we eat.

On the juicer front I finally decided what I wanted (after the hubby confirmed the mechanical aspects). We ordered an Omega 8006 juicer. I am really looking forward fresh green juice. And, as my friend Alexandra put it, "more opportunities to feed Dan the stuff other people throw away". Specifically, I am really anxious to make flax crackers with green juice pulp. Yes, I really am that healthy. Scary huh?



Has anyone else picked up the current issue of Oxygen magazine? I can’t believe I am younger than Tosca Reno, the cover model. That woman looks amazing, and she is 50. Unbelievable! I clearly can’t use my age as an excuse. It that cover doesn’t make you want to run to the gym to lift weights nothing will.

There won’t be any dinner recipe tonight since we came home famished and had a quick salad with hummus and veggie burger with BBQ sauce. I will try to get at least one of my backlog recipes posted tonight before bed though.

I hope you all had as wonderful a day today as I did.