21 July 2006

Ramble on Rose

I could say that some little sparkly fairies came and swept me away to another land, but they didn't. Wow, it's been so long since I've posted and while I've been up to a lot, I've also been up to not much at all, if that makes any sense. It all started off when I decided to take a small break from blogging a few weeks back. After all, it's been hot and living on fruit and fruit smoothies isn't much to blog about. But then I didn't buy any groceries because I was planning on going away on a short trip. The trip was cancelled because for the last week-week and a half, I've been feeling dizzy. Now, I usually don't do the whole doctor thing. If I don't feel well (which is a rare occasion to begin with), I just let it pass or treat myself naturally. But I was dizzy for about 4-5 days straight, almost falling over, and really not feeling well. I let laundry and dishes pile up and Ray bought me meals from restaurants for a few days in a row. I was getting worried that I didn't know what was going on in my body. Finally, I was forced (by someone who loves me) to go to the doctor so I went to the hospital and it was the biggest crock of shit ever. They didn't do much. After the weekend, I went to the conventional doctor (I'm not getting into that one either) and had a check as well as a blood test. Everything's fine and turns out I have vertigo from either something I breathed in or from something with my ear. It's subsiding, but it makes me a bit dizzy at the computer, hence me not blogging a lot.
But it's been making me crazy not being able to post even though I haven't made any elaborate meals. I've been making re-runs, if anything at all. Of course, special treats as I always like. I have a pathetic MwM list that I am not going to post. It's a bunch of random stuff I've bought over the past few weeks.

Other than from trying to enjoy summertime, not feeling too well lately, postponing a trip and avoiding the 115 degree heat and serial killers and rapists, I am doing ok. I appreciate everyone who has chimed in wondering about me. I have been cruisin around other people's blogs, that doesn't make me dizzy!

This first photo here is my freezer. Typical of me. And this photo is not staged either. I usually have at least 2 ice creams (not including Ray's Organic Stonyfield Farm dairy), and sometimes up to 4 or 5. If you didn't know already and don't get it from the photo, I love ice cream. I try to eat it everyday. The coconut sorbet is the best I've ever had. I also have the new Whole Foods 365 brand of soy vanilla. It's good, very creamy, but I prefer the SO Delicious over that one. It is twice as much ice cream as the Soy Delicious, and the same price. Oh well. Cookies n Cream is my standard, and I love the white chocolate and raspberry one when I'm feelin' fancy.

Let me tell you a story about how I got the top two ice creams. First, the 365 soy vanilla: Ray and I were at Whole Foods Market and I almost fell over and died when I saw they had a sampling station set up with rootbeer floats, including SOY ice cream. This was seriously the best sampling station ever. I had a Virgils rootbeer (also the best kind) with soy vanilla and sprinkles and almonds. She gave me 2 scoops for free! I went right ahead and purchased the 365 soy (and gave into the marketing scheme). That same day, most likely due to my overwhelming excitement of the sampling station, the lady told me there would be 4-5 non-dairy ice cream samples set up the next day. I planned the whole next day around the ice cream sampling time, went to the store, and she wasn't set up yet. I thought we would just come back later, and to our suprise, she took us into the ice cream isle with 8 spoons in hand, and told us to pick out 4 kinds of non-dairy's that we would like to try. I almost fell over again! We tried the CaoBella coconut sorbet and immediately decided to buy it. We also tried Soy Delicious purely decadent Swiss Almond Vanilla which was amazing, Soy Dream blueberry, which was good but I could do that at home, and a rice one that wasn't even that good I can't remember the brand. It was mint chocolate chip. I don't care for the textures of rice ice creams, but the sorbet is a good alternative to soy. Those 2 days at the store were seriously the best ever. Our 4 samples were the ones that were going to be used for the station. I loved that we got to pick them out. I also didn't know that it is WFM policy to let anyone try *anything* they ask for while at the store. They already let me dig through the basil containers. Hmmm...

Below is my very first vegan cheesecake. I purchased it at the co-op from a local baker. I had no idea what to compare it to since I can't remember ever having cheesecake in my life. Most people I know have "issues" with cheesecake, vegan or non. But this was good. It was a marionberry with blackberry cake made with tofu, non-hydrogenated Tofutti cream cheese, raw sugar, soymilk, maple syrup and vanilla. It was 100% organic and mighty fine. It may be a while before I miss it though.
Next up cookies. To all of you people who are baking up homemade cookies (hint hint Dreena!), I have been missing cookies (homemade especially) since December. So many posts lately have been of cookies and I seriously need to offer some big money or something to have someone send me some. This is the closest I've got to pretending they are homebaked. First up, my favorite, Uncle Eddies. These are great, all vegan and the Trial Mix is my favorite. I really wanted simple chocolate chip, but it seems that's what everyone else at the store wanted before me. A few days later, even though I had cookies at the house still, I took a long drive up to Wild Oats for lunch and ended up buying this bag of Wild Oats veg oatmeal raisin cookies. They are good and taste like cinnamon snickerdoodles but with raisins. I am happy.
And something healthier, but not necessarily more nutritional: yellow watermelon. Am I the last person on this Earth to discover yellow watermellon? I saw it at the store and it looked interesting so I got one. Ray cut these (I cut watermellon differently) and they taste just like regular pink watermelon. Maybe not as juicy, and they didn't have seeds. This was organic, of course. Yum.
I finally splurged. I was informed by Kris that the co-op has vegan whipped cream. I was also informed that there is a better brand out there, but this is all I can find so far. I saw it at Wild Oats for fifty cents cheaper. This whip cream was interesting. The first taste was a bit "chemically", maybe the processed soy. But it was a nice texture and creaminess and I really liked it after a few bites. Scroll down and you can see how much I really liked it. Did I mention that it's been 7+ years since I've had whipped cream? And my newest find, Hip Whip, doesn't count.
This smoothie is a mango kiwi smoothie. I forgot that I was gonna keep it yellow, and without even thinking, I tossed in blueberries. Maybe because I always do that. At that point, I knew it wouldn't "look" like a mango smoothie, so I also threw in a red plum. Ingredients: all organic, mango, kiwi, blueberry, plum, vanilla soymilk, hemp seeds. I have been going whipped cream crazy... Oh, and I am not trying to advertise for Pom here. These are the new pom teas and mine was a pomegranite green tea with lychee. Yum. I like these because you can keep the glass. We have a few at the house now, and they are just as good, if not better, than our other glasses.
Next up on the food porn list (or rather whipped cream list) is a Virgil's rootbeer float with 365 vanilla soy ice cream and whipped cream. This was Ray's. I can't handle this much of any type of soda. I only had a few splashes of rootbeer and it was great. I can handle any amount of ice cream though!
And this was my dinner the other night. Don't be mislead by this post, I do eat foods other than ice cream and sweets. After all, I am a nutritionist (and human), but my simple meals of grains, pasta, beans, salads, etc, have all been meals that show I haven't been feeling well lately. I also haven't felt like taking photos of these foods, treats are way better. I'll be back in the routine again soon. For now, this awesomeness was my dinner. It was cookies n cream ice cream, Uncle Eddies cookie, whipped cream and Alaska chocolate syrup. Yum. So, I'll leave you all with this great looking food porn to glaze over for a while.

"Did you say your name was Ramblin' Rose? Ramble on baby, settle down easy. Ramble on, Rose." ~Robert Hunter

32 comments:

kaivegan said...

My blog must not make you dizzy 'coz I saw you over there... hehe.

Whoa! You made up for all those non-blogging days, Leslie. Great, humongous post!

So many nummies to comment on, but my favorite is the rootbeer float. Yum.

Interesting WFM's policy. Thanks for sharing.

Our local organic farm had yellow watermelons last year so I'm hoping to see them back this season.

Hope you are feeling better.:)

And again, great post!

KleoPatra said...

Dear Leslie, i hope you are getting back to your regular self... my mom's had vertigo so i've seen it first hand. I'm glad you have a sweetie around you to help take care of you... We care about you!

And as for the delicious cool treats... wow, what a great great great post!! My sweet tooth is satisfied somewhat... at least by my eyes. I love what you have on here. ALL OF IT!!!

My fave: Cookies 'n' cream "ice cream," the Uncle Eddie's cookie (my favorite!!!! oatmeal chocolate chip is sooooooo good!), the huge dollop of whipped "cream" and yummy chocolate syrup.

That sounds like a needed dinner for you at the moment. I think our bodies, if and when we listen to them, tell us what we need... do you know what i mean?

This was the best line, Leslie: "I planned the whole next day around the ice cream sampling time..."

Please take care!

karen said...

What a post! Taste testing soy ice cream AND getting to pick the flavors! My favorite is pb zig zag from so delicious...

Freedom said...

Oh wow, that sucks - feeling so unwell, having to cancel your trip, the heat etc... yuck. Being sick would be especially bad when you live such a healthy lifestyle I think, because you sorta think "hey, I take care of my body, I eat good foods and I'm feeling horrible while all the SAD eaters out there are okay." But I guess it'll be their turn when they get old (if they get old!) and have heart attacks and cancer...

I can't say I share your love of ice cream, especially since going raw, but the pics are pretty :-) Hope you feel much better.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

leslie - hope the uncle eddies worked it's magic & that you're feeling better!

"I planned the whole next day around the ice cream sampling time" I copied that line right away, and later saw Kleo did the same thing - & it's worth repeating it's so cute.

awesome post.

Amanda said...

I'm so jealous of everyone's talk about Whole Foods. The nearest one to me is over an hour away. Alas. All of your goodies look amazing! Especially... well, I was going to try to name a few things, but I really can't. I guess the rootbeer float is probably my favorite, just because I haven't had one in forever. I finally got to try that whipped cream today as well, and I agree that the first taste is weird. Very soy-tasting. It grows on you, though.

I hope you're feeling better!

Kris said...

Gee, Leslie, I hope you're feeling better! I've had vertigo twice and it's awful, other than the dizziness you're fine and you get so stir crazy! Hopefully it will ease up soon.

I've been eyeing that yellow watermelon lately too, I just noticed it myself. I think I'll have to get some soon to try it.

Enjoy your ice cream and take it easy!

Dr. Melissa West said...

I hope you are feeling better soon Leslie. I had been wondering why you weren't blogging for so long. I absolutely adore ice cream too. My favourite is toffuti's better pecan ice cream (I don't eat chocolate... so this really limits my ice cream choice)

I'm also jealolus of people who talk about Whole Foods... ours is also an hour away, so buying things from the freezer probably wouldn't work. I am growing a list of ingredients that I can't find around here to take to whole foods next time I swing by there.

Catherine Weber said...

I would plan my day around ice cream sampling time, too!
I picked up some strawberry Soy Delicious last night, and it's not that good. I'm so disappointed! It doesn't taste much like strawberries . . . it just tastes "pink," if pink can have a taste! I have a pint of Cookie Avalanche waiting for me in the freezer, though, so that will overcome the disappointment, I think. ;-)
I'm glad you are feeling a little better!

Dreena said...

Leslie, I'm not going to be commenting much on my 'break' but I had to on this post to say...

first... I'm relieved to hear that you are okay. I'm sure you were very nervous about what was happening - I was anxious reading it. That must have been stressful for you. Hugs to you - and I am really, really happy to know things are fine with you. ox

Second...
I'm with you 100% on the ice-creams, sister!!!! Bring 'em on! I would have also scheduled my day around the taste testing (and it's sad that that doesn't embarrass me!). My freezer has about 5-10 ice-creams in it at all times. If the little pints are on sale, you can expect to see more in there! I just wish we had the varieties/flavors you have. I would love coconut sorbet (I know because I love coconut gelato), but we don't have that. Also, I hear the new "Rice Cream" ice-cream is very good - better than the other rice ice-creams. Have you tried that? We don't have that one. Sucks!! I like the rice ones sometimes because they are like a sorbet, but not tangy/sour like fruit sorbets. Ok, can you tell how much I eat ice-cream based on this last paragraph???? I'll stop now!

Take care of yourself, and eat whatever you feel you want right now. Treats, simple boring meals... and we don't care what you post, we love it all!! It's always great. :)

Everyday Superhero said...

Leslie, Good to hear that you're ok. Take care of yourself.

MeloMeals said...

I hope you feel better... that sort of thing can really make life hard to deal with.

Eat Peace Please said...

Kai, I still am dizzy but I love your blog. Plus, it had been a while since you posted, and I love your newest posts. Go get some yellow watermelon.

Oh, and I just realized that I spelled watermelon wrong so many times in this post!

Savanna, Ice cream is up there on the lists of great dinners. Sloppy lenties can be mushy, you don't want to overstir. I use a wooden spoon. Did I mention you have to cover them the whole time there cooking? Oops if I didn't.

Kleopatra, Thanks for your kind words and thoughts. I am still dizzy, its getting better, but I still don't feel normal. I had to print out all these comments because scrolling up and down real fast was bothering me. I do know what you mean about listening to our bodies. I can be a bit bad about that sometimes. I finally went to check it out 5 days into dizziness. That's kinda bad.

Karen, I've never had the peanut butter kind, only because the only peanut butter anything I really like is just straight up. I'd try it if it was free though. We had 4 samples and there were about 50 to choose from.

Freedom, I don't think the SAD eaters are ok. Many just don't stop and take a minute to think about things. Sometimes I don't either, it took me days to get checked up on. I also thought I could treat myself naturally, in fact, there's not much treatment I can do anyway. Thanks for the kind comments.

Vicki, yep, the Uncle Eddies always seems to do the trick. How could I not plan my whole day around it knowing that I was supposed to be out of town (but not) and still not feeling well. It was the highlight.

Vegancore, I say get a cooler, pack up, and go. The rootbeer float is a nice treat that doesn't get recognized that much. I just can't handle too much soda at once. Thanks for the get-well wishes.

Vegegriff, I know that Reeds has ginger ice cream. They have a website and they have good ginger everything. As for green tea, I've seen it in the Soy Delicious pints of the fruit sweetened kind, and I've also seen it as gelato (with dairy, I'm pretty sure) at caobella www.caobellagelato.com I think. That's what I've seen at WFM.

Kris, I hope it's easing up and I'm not just getting used to being dizzy all the time. Did you treat yourself in any way? Go get some yellow watermelon. It's good, but don't expect too much yellow excitement within the taste...

DragonSlayer, thanks for the kind thoughts and wishes. I like Toffuti brand, it's a bit creamy and overly sweet to my liking though. I like the tofutti cuties. Get a cooler, pack up, and go. WFM will offer freezer bags as well as free ice. You should just go with a cooler or freezer bag. We use a freezer bag even to go a half mile away, but it's so hot here.

Catherine, eew, I totally get what pink tastes like. Yuck. I'm glad you had a better alternative around. That cookie avalanche is my favorite, but the one I show here is the one I get all the time because I'd eat that whole pint in a day or two and it's way more loaded up than the quarts. Thanks for the get-well.

Dreena, yay, you came to visit me! Thanks for thinking of me. I am getting better, I think. I know you are 100% with me on the ice creams, I think that's what initially *bonded* us if I remember correctly?! I can't believe someone has more ice creams than me though. I'm too afraid of freezer burn or not eating them fast enough if I always bought them on sale. Little hint, I get coupons from the website all the time, and fill out whatever I can from magazines and I get free ice cream once in a while and at least a dollar off every week. Thanks for your comments, it's thoughtful of you. I am missing your posts already, but drooling over those cookies.

Sweetpea, thanks for your wishes.

Melody, thanks for your wishes too!

Thanks everyone (wow, this was long)!

funwithyourfood said...

I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well. Before I moved I got so stressed that I spent an entire night on the bathroom floor b/c i couldn't move I was so dizzy. I know how you feel girl :(

At least you have a great guy helping you out and all that Ice cream.

I am SO envious that your whole foods was doing that promo. there isn't even a whole foods near me!

Teddy

Carrie™ said...

Holy doodle Leslie! I don't know where to start. First off, let me say that I'm glad you're feeling better. That's kind of scary that you can get vertigo from something you breathed in. But with all the crap in the air, it doesn't surprise me. Ice cream is a great medicine. I must look to see if that coconut sorbet is available here because it sounds very enticing. The cheesecake looks awesome - too bad it wasn't that great. Cookies, melons, smoothies, whipped 'creme', you've been having good eats girl! Perfect summer food. Get better. More ice cream will surely help what ails you.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're back Leslie and hope you're feeling 100% better soon. Please don't go away for so long again. I missed you.

Your desserts are KILLING me. I'm trying so hard to kick my sugar addiction. It doesn't help that I ate 2 cookies tonight.

Wish I lived close enough to a store to buy soy ice cream. Unfortunately, it would melt before I could even get it home. Unless I brought a cooler along with me. Hmmm, there's an idea!

Jody from VegChic said...

LOL, what a great post. It reminds me a little bit of stream of consciousness writing from an college class. I love reading that type of writing because it fits perfectly into my ADD mind!

Sorry, to hear you weren't feeling too well. That whole ordeal had to be frustrating, especially when contending with the heat. I'm very glad that you are starting to feel better, and posting too!

Yum, I love ice cream too. While I was vegetarian that was definitely a vice. As a vegan, I eat it less. Though, I have to say I have a tub of Turtle Mountain in the freezer in the office!

I found Soyatoo whipped cream a few weeks ago and I kind of dig it. Rootbeer is a no a go for me. It is in my top 10 worst tasting list!

The POM teas are awesome and the glasses are great. I've purchased a few and save the glasses and covers for future re-use.

Uncle Eddie's are my fav store bought vegan cookies. One of your first comments on my blog, was when I posted about them.

Oh and the last thing for my long, long comment. I'm hoping to make Dreena's double chocolate almond cookies that she posted about the other day. If I have time, I plan to make them Sunday night. Originally, I was going to make a half batch...but I will make a whole one. Drop me an email with your addy and I will get 1/2 of them out in the mail to you. (Perhaps, I will include a bar of homemade vegan soap too. ---Wrapped up separately of course!) Can the cookies take the Arizona heat?

Michelle said...

wow! look at all that great food! i wish we had a whole foods in canada :( how cool that you got all those free samples, and that coconut sorbet sounds delish!

i am sooooooooooooo jealous over that rootbeer float and that cookies and cream creation!

sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well, so glad that you are back :)

Eat Peace Please said...

Teddy, thanks for your warm thoughts. You are always so sweet.

Carrie, thank you for your wishes. All that food has helped, although I haven't had much of an appetite for fancy stuff anyway.

V V, I hope I don't go away for that long again, as it was hard on me too! When I cook or make my own sweets I usually only use agave nectar not sugar. In all of these cases, that is not so.

Jody, first of all, you are the sweetest! Are you seriously going to send me special cookies? ANd Dreena's by that matter?! You are the best! I'll email you but I don't want my email posted online, ok! Oh, and the cookies won't stand the heat, although the temps are supposed to go down. I have a PO Box that is strategically placed inside so I send most things there. Thanks for the awesome offer, I didn't think anyone was serious. How much $ do you want?
Being dizzy in record high heats (118 Friday, 116 yesterday, 114 today) isn't fun. I like the whipped cream too. I think my favorite part is squeezing it out. How I've missed NO2 containers! Thanks for your warm wishes.

Michelle, thanks for your thoughts. I will hopefully be better soon. More ice cream should help.

Savanna, oh Savanna, don't use metal on metal! Get out a wooden spooon or a heavy spatula that won't melt and stir with that! I like how the flavors marry together too. Thanks for your thoughts too.

Mary said...

I hope you feel better! I'm jealous that you can eat ice cream every day and still stay skinny! If I eat it too much I will gain weight. :( An on going life struggle!

Eat Peace Please said...

Mary, I don't worry about intake (besides a whole carton of ice cream) because all foods I eat are vegan and mostly unprocessed so I don't care. I should exercise though, I don't. I was heavier (but not heavy or fat) when I was a vegetarian but that was due to all the dairy. I also eat what I want that makes me happy because if I didn't I'd eat everything else around instead.

Kris said...

I wish I had some vertigo advice for you. I just had to take it easy and work through it. I think the longest I had it was the most recent time and it lasted about 1 1/2 weeks. I hope you're doing better!

Dori said...

Leslie, I am glad ou are feelilng better! Dave got vertigo awhile back, he couldn't get out of bed without falling over. He went to see the PA at our doctor's office. She said that it wasn't an inner ear infection, but sometimes a person could get an ear stone... yeah, a real stone in their ear, but there is no way she would be able to see it. She recommended that he take some motion sickness medicene (over the counter) and if it didn't get better within two days he could schedule an appt with the physical therapist because they have a technique of moving a stone to relocate it it so that it relieves the vertigo.

Cherie Anderson said...

Might want to open the windows and air out the house, if you haven't already done (or do) that! We both had respiratory irritations from something in the air; I imagine dizziness can be caused by the same thing, perhaps.

I love Uncle Eddie's, too! They're so good. My favorite ice cream from the store is Temptation. It's organic as well and the chocolate chip cookie dough is to die for! Try to get it, if you can. I know it's only available in certain areas right now. Also, Oatscreme is tasty and lower in calories than other ice creams.

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

Dear Leslie,

This post seriously cooled my down! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your "ramblings", missy.
I've never had a summer before where all I wanted was soy cream until this year, darn dry heat wave! I didn't think Portland got like this prior to moving : (
Oh well..I stopped by WF today and their soy cream was 4.99 so I skipped out, fortunately in my not doing so well freezer I still have turtle tracks.

<3 jess

Crunchy Domestic Goddess said...

so sorry about the vertigo. i had it myself for a few days about a year and a half ago and, having a history of migraines, i initially thought i was having an aneurysm. it was pretty darn scary. hope you are doing much better now.

the food porn is glorious. i had never heard of yellow watermelon either. love that sundae at the end. *drool*

Julie said...

Ooooh, boy--that cheesecake looks glorious!

I totally love that Pom tea & I love the free cup even more!!

I had never heard of yellow watermelon before until I had the taco special at Green (after you told me about Ray getting it--I had to give it a try)...it was very refreshing!

Hope you get to feeling great!!!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Eat Peace Please said...

Pamela, I got your comment about the Pom but I couldn't edit out the contact info for you. I would have loved to have posted this and start a discussion, but I couldn't edit your stuff, so I deleted it right away.

Thanks for the info about the Pom tea. I will investigate more. How did you learn of this (and other companies like that)? Thanks for the heads up, I was not offended in any way, rather I appreciate it.

holiday at sea said...

i just wanted to mosey over to say hi...i found your blog from vegancore's, too, and have been lurking around for awhile. :) all the food you make looks delicious, although i want more recipes! i'm always drooling over it with no way to cure my hunger pangs. :)

ahh yes, the landover baptist church. that cracked me up. i thought it was real for a bit until i really went through and read the whole thing, and then i was just dying...sooo funny.

Mary said...

I eat vegan too Leslie and I have lost about 15lbs and struggling with the last ten! I actually hated ice cream before I went vegan. I absolutely looooove soy ice cream though. Isn't that weird?

Eat Peace Please said...

To everyone: I always liked ice cream, but was never as huge of a fan with dairy. As a vegan (7+ years) I love love love soy ice cream. I only have been on this ice cream kick for about 3-4 years now! Ha ha, *only*.