You gotta love Bawlmer, hon.

"The Greatest City on Earth", at least on the day that someone in Baltimore decreed that particular slogan should be painted on all the park benches in town. I found it to be pretty great, too, especially since Kevin and I sought out local hangouts instead of doing all the tourist trap Inner Harbor junk on this trip.

We spent our anniversary weekend there and had a fabulous time. We especially loved the wonderful Brewer's Art in the Mount Vernon section of the city for its amazing belgian ales (Resurrection!) and interesting bar menu (Rosemary Garlic Fries!). We got there early and scored a window seat by which to enjoy the evening. Next time we are definitely making dinner reservations, even if just for the pleasure of sitting in "the dining room that blew my mind".

What's for Supper?

I was so busy in the kitchen last evening that I didn't get around to posting the menu. So here's what we ate...

Southwestern Corn Chowder
Nouveau Iowa Potato-Black Bean Pie
A lovely Cabernet Sauvignon for the Big People
Zen Soy Chocolate Pudding

...a wonderfully hearty meal for a chilly autumn evening. It took me quite awhile to throw it all together, but that's mostly because I was chatting with my mother-in-law and trying to keep the kids occupied, all the while attempting to chop and stir and devote the proper attention to the dinner preparations. Still, I can't wait to make it again.

The chowder recipe, unlike any I'd tried before, is from Simply in Season, a terrific cookbook by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. The book is organized according to season, with sections titled Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and All Seasons. Under each section, you'll find the fruits and vegetables that are in season at that particular time. The Autumn page has got a beautiful orange photo of pumpkins with the list of produce: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, cranberries, grapes, kale, pears, persimmons, pumpkin, swiss chard, and winter squash. Simply in Season is my go-to cookbook when I bring home an interesting farmer's market find that I hadn't bought with a plan in mind.

And while I might sound like a paid spokesperson, the cookbook is a project of an organization called Mennonite Central Committee, "...to promote the understanding of how the food choices we make affect our lives and the lives of those who produce the food. MCC is a relief, community development, and peace organization of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in Canada and the United States."

The Southwestern Corn Chowder recipe was different from most in that it didn't have a creamy milk-type base. You simply saute onion in olive oil, add vegetable broth and sweet corn, simmering gently, and puree part of the soup. Finish with some chopped tomatoes and sweet red peppers (I used orange peppers for some added color), and then top with a splash of lime and a sprinkling of cilantro. In keeping with the southwestern feel of the soup I added a nice amount of cumin. I wish we had leftovers.

The Nouveau Iowa Potato-Black Bean Pie (what a fancy name!) is from the enormous cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon (again with the names!) called Passionate Vegetarian. And I was pretty sure that my kids would either passionately love the recipe, or passionately hate it. Turns out they thought it was great. Plus I think the fact that the meal didn't arrive at the table until nearly 7:00pm and their tummies were rumbling helped a little, too.

I could put mashed potatoes on top of most savory dishes and the children would chow down without bothering to ask "what else is in here, mom?" They are some mashed potato loving kids. Fortunately they like the mashed potatoes made with soy milk,too. If my mom had tried to pull that shit when I was a kid I would've sat at the dinner table and gagged with a vengeance.

Under the delicious pile of potatoey fluff is an equally delicious combination of sauteed onions, celery and garlic mixed together with lots of refried beans, taco-style crumbles, and a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. The combination of the two layers is absolutely delish. Lucky for me there are leftovers of the pie. Is 10:00am too early for lunch?

The Family Freak Flag is Flying High

Remember how horrible it was back in junior high when your mom packed some crazy health food item in your lunch? Something that no one else in the whole school would have ever heard of, let alone ever eaten? Like whole wheat bread? All you want is to be normal like everyone else, but mom has to go and let the Family Freak Flag fly. Thanks mom.

Turns out I am now that mom. I am my mom. Hi mom...I am you. You can go escape to Hawaii or Tahiti or wherever your little heart desires because I have officially taken your place. I am now The Most Embarrassing Mom in the World. The kids thought it couldn't get worse, but they were oh so wrong. See I've completely lost it, gone over the edge and gone vegan. And I couldn't be happier about it...not just because my kids are horrified either. I'm thrilled to be embracing a plant-based lifestyle after many years of tossing the idea around. The time has finally come.

So just when the kids are starting to get used to the idea of tofu dogs, soy burgers and the like, they are now going to be seeing lots of soy milk, soy yogurt, soy pudding, etc. Lucky kids.

Someday they'll thank me, just like I now thank my mom for the whole wheat bread. Hey, does that mean I get to escape to Tahiti someday too?

Autumn May or May Not Be in the Air

My sister Karen and I had this great conversation out on the balcony last evening, as we enjoyed the briskness of the night air and the hum of the helicopters flying over the city. (Apparently they're getting hard on crime again.) Karen is of the opinion that this chilly spell is just a tiny little bump in the unending summer that we will be experiencing this year. She feels that the warmth could and just might last forever. I on the other hand believe that summer is now officially over, and in fact we have moved right into "pre-winter".

I guess it's all in how you look at it. Wonder what that says about me, assuming summer is completely gone, and why I want it ended? Or her, and why she wants it to continue forever? Probably it has something to do with the fact that she is young and has her whole future ahead of her, and I'm old and washed up and my idea of fun centers on scrubbing the woodwork with a toothbrush.

Either that, or she likes summer a lot and I like autumn a lot.

What's for Supper?

Amy's Broccoli Pot Pie
Mashed Potatoes
Wendy Jo's Pumpkin Roll from Historic Lancaster Central Market

Seems as if I barely set foot in the kitchen today, doesn't it? And that would be correct. It's nice to be able to fall back on a delicious veggie pot pie like Amy's frozen varieties. And the kids love them, so we're all happy. We hit the jackpot when dessert time came around...I had completely forgotten about the wonderful pumpkin roll treats that I purchased yesterday on a trip to market, so that was a nice surprise. Do drop by Central Market if you ever find yourself in the lovely city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It's the oldest continuously operating farmer's market in the nation!

What's for Supper?

Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
Macaroni and Cheese
Baked Beans
Tossed Salad

Something new! Mmmmm...Vegetarian English Sausage Rolls. Even the meat-eaters loved them. My husband remarked that he liked the fact that it wasn't just another vegetarian convenience food (which I've apparently been relying on a little too heavily lately). But they were super easy and super quick. Basically you take two convenience foods - Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry and Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage - and a completely homemade item is magically created. Hallelujah!

You can find the recipe for Vegetarian English Sausage Rolls at the lovely blog Albion Cooks. The photos are outstanding over there.

The Reason for the Corny Name

My girls like to give me a hard time. They really, really like making me crazy. See I've been a vegetarian for just shy of two years now, and still hardly a meal goes by where the little knuckleheads don't ask me "Momma, is there meat in this?" To which I respond "No. Duh."

I especially like when they ask me something like..."Are these hotdogs real?" And I get to say that of course they are real, you can see them sitting on your plate, right? They are real tofu dogs, sillies.