America's Pasttime

This past weekend, last minute of course, I spent the weekend in St. Paul/Minneapolis with my guy and his dad. It was not what I intended for my weekend off but decided to fly by the seat of my pants and enjoy some time away. If you know me at all, you know that I am not one for big cities, the lack of grass or hillside views makes me feel as if I'm a caged animal. Yet there I was, in the Minnesota capital attending my first ever Major League Baseball game. Both of the guys have been Minnesota twins fans the majority of their lives. I refuse to say since birth considering cognitively they had no idea what was happening around them. Anywho... we stayed in the Foshay Hotel, an identity crisis no matter how you look at it--a beautiful old exterior and a modern interior with a rage atmosphere. Not at all what I was expecting. Heck they expected you to pay for everything you can imagine, I'm surprised we weren't charged to breath!  

The view from our seats...before everyone dashed for cover! 

As soon as we checked in we were off to the ballgame!! Dressed for summer in shorts and a red t-shirt, my meager attempt of blending in with the crowd, I was unprepared for the hour of intermittent showers we experienced while sitting in the 26th row from the field on the right side. Our area seemed to be the target of most of the fly balls, in my case not an ideal placing. I don't know about you but I am not a fan of baseballs flying abruptly at my head! Through the rain and sun I survived my first game- a WIN at that!! In the final inning the Twins managed to score off a walk-off (as if I truly understand this idea, but I'm sure I will learn!) It was a great ending to the game as I was slightly worried about bringing bad "juju" to the game and having the guys refuse to ever bring me again. Luckily--I may be a goodluck charm, ha! On a side note..if you're a vegetarian at a baseball game..everyone around you is enjoying the traditional ballpark hotdog or burger and beers...well I managed to steel a few fries of the guys and enjoy a nice bottle of water and some ice cream, not an ideal afternoon meal but c'mon..who hates ice cream? Not this girl! 

The Storms a coming!! 

After the excitement left us we walked back a few blocks to our hotel room to change into dry clothes and look up a few local eateries. After what felt like hours ( but was really maybe 40 minutes) we decided to hit up a local place by the name of 'Hell's Kitchen,' no this is not a place based of the tv show rather they've been around a bit longer than the tv show itself. As we walked down the stairs of the street toward what felt like a dungeon I was immersed in amazing aromas and a fantastic array of art covering the walls. Yes a few of them were slightly disturbing but they were beautiful!  Seeing that we were in a larger city I didn't think much of worrying about vegetarian options, luckily I was right. This place had a decent number of dishes and options that I could choose from yet I was drawn to a sandwich, considering sandwiches are the target for me these days naturally I couldn't resist trying their grilled vegetable sandwich. Slathered with peppers, carrots, and mushrooms I found it amusing, slightly bland, but amusing all the same. The flavors were well blended with goat cheese and a slight Zap! when the jalapenos decided to show their faces but again I was hoping for a little less mess. Either way I stepped away from my normal salad and found another sandwich to score on against all the others. I'm not sure I would choose this meal again but I did find it educational..sliced carrots on a grilled sandwich..not my thing! At least not in this case.  

Fast forward to the next morning, I wont bore you with the uneventful evening, we arose and found ourselves back on the streets heading to a place called 'Basil' located just a block or so from our hotel. Now I am a lover of all breakfasts, I don't believe any menu can do harm and this eatery managed to elevate my day! I was instantly excited to see a greek yogurt parfait with granola and fruit compote! Delicious! Not to mention the amazing butter-pecan bread that came with it. I was granted my protein fix for the morning to prep me for the bike ride ahead and the deliciousness I ever so desire with my breakfasts! This place is a must if you are ever in the cities! I insist! The atmosphere is bright and alive with a view into the skyline of the city. The presentation alone of their dishes was appealing and inviting. Not to mention the portion sizes were preferable. Nothing like the buffet line nor the traditional Perkins/Village inn type. The plate was laid out with just a few of this and a couple of that. No piles or pools of food falling on each other. Merely a delectable meal that wouldn't end in your stomach being upset with your eyes! 

View to my right. Thats the Bridge

Off to the trails we went. The next few hours we spent riding the trails around Minnehaha Falls and the neighboring state park. Absolutely beautiful! Minnesota in the summer is a site for sore eyes! The greenery of the parks and the trails leading you every which way were perfect! No need to worry about pedestrians on the bike path, they had their own a few feet away.   We ended up riding approximately 24 miles before we decided to end the ride with a quick stop and a local tavern a block from where we parked the car and started our ride. At the time we had no idea the street below the bridge was covered in great pubs and such, yet we didn't waste any time picking the one with a great menu and and even better drink selection. If there is anything I have learned from my guy's family its they enjoy their drinks. Not to say they are heavy drinkers but they don't hesitate when enjoying great company or great food to have a nice beverage to accompany. This time my selection wasn't vast but I did have options. I ended up getting an open faced sauteed curry vegetable sandwich with swiss and coleslaw. I've never been eager for curry in my menu but this one seemed interesting enough to try. Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots sauteed in a yellow curry sauce placed atop whole grain bread and finished with a thin layer of swiss. I found it tasty but not extremely appealing on the eyes. It almost appeared to be a mound of cheese until you realized a simple tear with a fork and the rest of the sandwich is uncovered. No matter what I thought of the food I was amazing with the location. Tucked under the bridge next to the river a cobblestone street lined with great pubs and entertainment. While we were eating we were treated to watching tourists take lessons for a segway tour. Naturally I was hoping to see a little fall, not one that brought about any injuries of course! Fortunately for them, they were all very quick learners and after their brief lessons away they went for the tour! 

To my Left. Hey that's Me! 

Thus our weekend in the Twin cities is over, but I was not unhappy with any of the local discoveries. Turns out I may be a slight baseball fan, only if I'm at the game though, and I am finding every outing to be an adventure for my taste-buds. Not that they would complain, I have treated them to some very delicious and new foods over the weekend. Until my next adventure! 

Thunderstorms Ahead!

The trees are turning into the beautiful green beings we all know and love but not without the help of the spring thunderstorms! This past weekend I spent my time enjoying the daylight with my guy and his family. We managed enjoy a local bar and try some new brews and spend the next day exploring down-town Des Moines on the Des Moines B cycles. Now if  you're not aware of what those are let me explain to you....think of a traditional coaster bike..big seat low bars and high handlebars... now add a 20lb weight to the front of the bike and a basket. That is a B cycle. With three gears under our belts we escaped the busy streets of Des Moines and ventured into the paths of escape. Lakes and forests and rivers Oh My! We stopped at Mullets to fuel up for the ride after spending nearly thirty minutes finding TWO bikes to rent! Needless to say a drink, alcoholic or not, was necessary.  

Other bike enthusiasts were out and about as well as families spending their Sunday's together! I couldn't have felt more at ease with the beautiful scenery Iowa had to offer us that day.  Thus before we left, a grill session seemed to be the best way to top off a great weekend of sun and family.  Unfortunately MotherNature must have felt that we had a little too much sun...cue thunder clouds and lightning through the skies! The grill was already lit and the coals were burning red awaiting their grilling counterparts.  Naturally as any right-minded person would do.. we ignored the storms warnings and proceeded to prepare the nights meal.  Remember the saying "Rain or Shine"  well we took that to heart and through the oncoming downpour and proceeding tornado sirens the grilling continued. 

Grilled green beans, red potatoes and peppers, and pork for the men while I enjoyed a delicious spicy black bean burger.  No matter the weather we managed to bring together a PHENOMENAL Sunday dinner. A fresh salad with strawberries, baby lettuce and cauliflower manages to entice my taste-buds to ignore the "nearly-full" alarm of my stomach until I could no longer! So much flavor and enjoyment covered the table as we brought the weekend to a close. 

But thanks again to the springtime storms we were stranded for the night as tornado's were popping up all along our route back home. After that dinner, a little couch time to let the food settle and the conversation soar wasn't such a bad idea. I was overly aware of how lucky I am to be in a relationship with a man who's family is so easy to enjoy and I actually want to visit them! Same goes for him, my family couldn't be happier of my partner in crime and adventures.  This weekend provided me so much more than sunshine and great activities. I was able to bond with my extended family and truly appreciate the man they brought into my life. He deals with my crazy food habits and manages to be apart of it all as much as possible. Even though it was never my intentions to be a vegetarian I couldn't be happier with what the lifestyle has provided me.  Cheers to enjoying the storms! 

Summer. Sunshine. Sunscreen!

May it be known that I am a huge advocate for sunscreen! I've been the pale faced with freckles girl since I could remember and do the best I can to keep my skin healthy and protected. 

With this being said I'm not perfect. Earlier this week, on my day off, the weather was reaching new highs and the sun was bursting in a cloudless sky. Naturally I aim to enjoy this by splurging on an early birthday present for myself---a bike! I felt like such an adult walking into the bike shop and asking the questions, testing the merchandise and walking out a new bike owner! My guy and I decided the nice weather would have the best first ride atmosphere- Naturally. But of course, I put sunscreen on a few times that day yet forgot to pack in on our ride. About an hour or so in I realize my skin is starting to tingle and the red tint is starting to develop. I was devastated. We were too far from my place and we did our best to take a shady route but mid-day and cloudless sky was not ideal for protection. 

Either way the minute we arrived back to the safe surroundings I call my home I raced upstairs to asses the damage. I am now the occupant of a classic first burn--it doesn't hurt unless its hit or brushed aggressively and luckily it hasn't effected my sleep. Let this be a testament to always carry a safety of sunscreen. Thus, for the next few days I will be lathering my skin up with lotion and aloe as if it has been in a 10 year drought. 

On the food front, I haven't been making as much food as I would like but I have been scarfing down the salads! Fruit salad, pasta salad, lettuce salad! I can't seem to get enough! Between the weather and the amount of activity I've been taking up nothing seems to make me happier than a salad! 

My favorite salad this spring has been a fresh spinach with cut strawberries and kiwi with a light balsamic vinaigrette and some lemon juice to top it off. Crunchy, savory and sweet! Talk about a great combination when you're needing energy and satisfaction.  Now if only I was on my way to California to visit my best friend! The strawberry patches are open for business and I would love nothing more than to walk the lines to pick fresh berries for my afternoon snacks. If you haven't experienced this, trust me you need to put it on your 'to-do' list! You will NOT regret it.

Now I've got myself thinking about a salad..Off to raid the fridge for some fresh berries. I'll post again soon! Trust me it wont be a month from now! I promise to stay more connected! 

Chasing the Flavor

Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been busy testing my recipes on my guy. Bless him for dealing with my crazy scientist-esc personality in the kitchen. Lately I've been cooking as much from scratch as I can. In today's habits fast food and in a box seem to be the norm. But I miss the smells erupting from the kitchen like they did when I was little.

Firstly--My grandpa was a baker. So fresh breads and baked goods was a staple in my upbringing. My mom followed in his footsteps and wow'd my brother and I in the goodies she would make us or the cakes she would make and decorate for our birthdays.

The first recipe I dove into was an eggplant bean veggie burger. I was a bit hesitant at first. I love eggplant and have found a real pleasure in the many ways of cooking it..but in a burger? let me just say..IT WAS PHENOMENAL!!  Even the man approved. Before I could get a second bite he was on his second burger. Either way it was a great find and is officially on a card in my recipe book. Next up is a spicy black bean burger...every black bean burger I've had has been fall off the bun sloppy...not THIS one. Its going to be great!!

For other meal ideas (while the man was away) I managed plenty of stir fry dishes and pasta bakes. I'm a huge fan of steamed veggies and an even bigger fan of flavor! Broccoli is my favorite..next up spinach! As a vegetarian a lot of my nutrients can dwindle if I'm not careful and these two have helped me stay afloat. Mushrooms were next. I wasn't very fond of these fungi when I was younger but with the evolving nature of being a vegetarian my taste buds and screamed for them in my diet! I have not been unsatisfied!!

I will do better with my postings! I've been bombed with graduate school applications and internship applications. I'm looking to expand my horizons into public health and maybe even become a Dietitian. Lets hope its in my cards. If not...meh..I'll keep pursuing my passions of food and health. Something will come of this life of mine. I never doubt that.

I'll upload the recipes and some pictures of my food adventures soon!

Non-traditional Vegetarian.

Vegeraptor - Why the name? Well I feel its what best describes my lifestyle. Ten years ago I was forced to eliminate red meat from my diet for the betterment of my own health. I wasn't overweight by any means but my body was refusing to digest any ounce meat that I was putting into it. Let just say that for small town Iowa meat and potatoes were the staples of every dinner table setting.  So how was I suppose to transition my own dietary needs without forcing my family to make drastic changes with me? It wasn't easy but I managed. 

I would openly admit that because of my needs changing I became more self sufficient in a manner I wasn't yet prepared for.   Going out to eat was a larger struggle than I was willing to admit and eating at home at first was made up of salads and relish plates. I don't know about you but my options were suffocating me and boring me off my seat. 

As of today, I have taken my needs as a mission to constantly reinvent my food and what it tastes like. Some days its vegan, others its temple-sweat inducing.  I stopped looking at the basics as a last resort and started looking at them for what they really were--the beginning to a masterpiece. 

Ok ok back to the name. I didn't choose this lifestyle for myself thus I have had to adjust to the idea that I can no longer eat a juicy fresh off the grill hamburger; the meals I grew up on were no longer items I could pull from for last minute ideas. So I've spent the last ten years searching....searching for a new flavorful, mouthwatering, mind-blowing "burger" that could provide more pleasure than what I once ate on a regular basis. At first this was a shallow path that provided nothing but disappointment with every turn, but now its become enjoyment of trying to foods and pushing the limits. 

Thus the name-- As I evolve I am searching for meals and food items that blow my taste buds away to overshadow  what I was considered an everyday meal and is now something I have come to despise. Through this blog I want to share new meal ideas that I've discovered, created, or just been in awe of.  Meals that would put the carnivores to shame and chalk one up for the herbivores.   Welcome to my life as a Vegeraptor and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.