Lately

It has been a minute since we’ve checked in on a personal level.

So let’s do it with a lately post!

reading: I set a new years resolution to read at least one page every day, and like nearly every kind of new years resolution, I’ve failed. BUT I do turn to a book when I’m bored more often than I did in the past, which is a win IMO.

I’ve been making my way through It Was Me All Along (affiliate link), and I’ve really been liking it. It’s definitely a bit heavy, but it’s about a fellow blogger’s struggle with her relationship with food. It’s really well-written, and I can relate to a lot of her experiences.

I also re-read The Haunting of Hill House (affiliate link), which I love! It was my second time through it, and it’s awesome. Kind of a psychological thriller. And I also recently read The Bell Jar (affiliate link) and Turtles All the Way Down (affiliate link). Both are a bit intense, but I really liked them. I’m super into psychological fiction books if you couldn’t tell.

New in cookbooks: I was sent a copy of Food is the Solution (affiliate link), and it’s really really interesting. I’ll definitely say that I’m not the most in-tune person with things like the environmental impacts of my food choices, but I’m always looking to learn more and find awesome plant-based recipes. I’m loving the look of the recipes in this book: Pittsburgh Pierogies, Trail Mix Cookies, Lemon Meringue Pie…all vegan! Definitely check it out!

Also still gawking over Jessica’s The Pretty Dish (affiliate link). Here’s the recipe I shared from it, and here’s a picture of Maya claiming it as her own:

Last thing! I bought my dad Flour Water Salt Yeast (affiliate link) for his birthday, and I’ve kind of sort of…uh…booknapped it? It’s awesome. Perfect for food science nerds and bread-obsessed folk like myself. I will say that the levain recipe is kind of huge for homecooking, but the book as a whole is great for really understanding bread at its delicious, carby core.

eating: Oh man. Mark and I got takeout pizza for the first time ever this weekend. We’ve never gotten pizza out because I like to eat vegan at home and because we typically don’t go out to eat because $$$.

That said, we decided to treat ourselves this weekend with an epic VEGAN Buffalo Chicken Pizza!!! Y’allz know how much I love my buffalo’d stuff. It was so good, complete with copious amounts of french fries. It was a big beautiful mess in the best way possible. It also had some vegan chicken and vegan cheese on top (more on that below), and the dough was perfectly chewy. Definitely check out Mandy’s if you’re local!

That said, I feel like I’ve been eating all the things lately. I think that’s just because I’m coming off a weekend of tacos and pizza (times 2), but MAN. I just feel kind of bloaty and bleh. I see lots of Banana Ginger Green Smoothies in my future.

What else. We have reservations at tako this weekend, and I cannot WAIT. Fancy, bougie gourmet tacos. Sign me the heck up. I’m eyeing the Shishito tacos with lots of salsa.

I’ve also been hitting steel cut oats hard recently. I typically reach for rolled oats, but I have a lot of steel cut in my pantry, so I figured it was time to work my way through them. SO good and chewy.

I’ve been craving peanut butter (like every other day of my life), so I like to coat a banana with lots of cinnamon and have it with a big spoonful of peanut butter. So simple, but so so good.

Last thing: We’re really loving the Hi-Protein Veggie Burgers from Trader Joe’s. I like to make my own veggie burgers (see here, here, and here), but when I’m wanting something quick and easy, these are great! I make a vegan burger sauce and we dive in! So good and super duper filling (26 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER PATTY!).

thinking: So that vegan buffalo chicken pizza was great, but fake vegan meat and vegan sheese? Not my thing. And I did a lot of thinking about it this weekend.

I just don’t think I’m the target audience for stuff like that. Fake chicken, Impossible meat, etc. As a vegetarian-almost-vegan, I don’t miss the flavor or texture of real meat, so I don’t desire the fake stuff at all.

It’s probably great for people who want to cut down on their meat consumption for environmental or moral reasons but miss the whole meat experience, but I’m so not one of those people.

I dunno. Am I totally missing something with the fake meat / cheese trend? I just like choosing whole foods whenever possible (most of the time), and I have no problem substituting something like chickpeas in place of chicken, you know?

Also making a mental note to write a post about why I’m vegetarian-almost-vegan (if you’re interested!).

drinking: SO. MUCH. COFFEE. I’m still totally 100% in love with my Nespresso machine (affiliate link), but we don’t drink it every day because the pods are a bit more expensive than just regular ol’ coffee.

That said, these are the pods I will buy time and time again (affiliate link), and they’re so much cheaper on Amazon. And SO freakin’ good. Americanos at home have never been easier. With a little splash of almond milk?

Heaven.

Related: Here’s another photo of Maya claiming something that isn’t her’s as her own (Those are our Nespresso pods. Obviously needed by a floof):

watching: One of my goals for this year is to seriously cut back on the TV I watch / listen to. I have Hulu or Netflix on all the time in the background whenever I’m cooking, working, or just vegging. I’d much rather spend my time doing something like working out, learning new skills, or reading, but falling back on TV is easy and comfortable.

That said, I’m loving the “Silicon Valley” episodes this season (Jared is my spirit animal), and I’m rewatching “Greek” because I wanted to feel like a teenager again. Also because Cappie is adorable.

I also really love “Crazy Ex Girlfriend.” Usually not my kind of show (it’s a musical comedy), but it’s hysterical, really easy to watch, but also kind of deep and makes you think. Seriously check it out on Netflix if you want to laugh!

listening: My boss has recommended the Startup podcast to me a thousand times, but I finally started listening to it, and I’m obsessed! They recently made a show about it (which is about 1/10 as good as the podcast), but the story and concept is super fascinating.

I keep telling Mark that we should record the conversations we have in the car and do the same kind of thing. We always seem to have our deepest conversations while en route.

working: Out! I like to work out at least three times a week, but once the weather (FINALLY) breaks, I’d like to be more active. I’m still totally loving Classpass (use this link for $30 off your first month!), and I recently tried a reformer pilates class. It was kind of intimidating (SO much equipment), but also kind of fun. And it also made my tight hamstrings feel amazing.

I did hurt my knee a few months ago, but I’m wearing a brace and the pain isn’t too bad. It really just hurts at the class and when I bend it in the wrong way, and then it’s fine. I went to the doctor and they said it’s Patellar Tracking Disorder, so I really just need to focus on strengthening the right parts of my leg and I should be good to go.

I also haven’t gotten new running shoes since, oh I don’t know, freshman year of college? They’re still in decent shape, but I’d love your recommendations if you have them!

wanting: A puppy. So bad it hurts. I know I’m a long way away from getting a dog (Maya is super happy to be living in a single pet household), but that doesn’t stop me from totally freaking out over all of the dogs in our neighborhood and all of the dog-centric Instagram accounts I can find.

I can already see the dog I want, and I already have a name picked out. It just needs to be the right time.

And for someone who has never owned a dog before, the right time feels like every day of my life.

*sigh* Someday!

Also wanting Maya’s vet appointment this week to go well. She had a few seizures this time last year, but has been seizure-free after being on medicine (twice a day, every day) and switching to a healthier grain-free wet food. I really think her seizures were caused by the kind of food she was eating before, but we’ll see! Crossing my fingers (and toes and eyes) that we can try taking her off the medicine!

Also wanting cookies. Constantly wanting cookies.

wondering: OKAY. This is where I need your advice!! I’m thinking about starting a private Facebook group so that we can share our favorite plant-based recipes with each other. The Fooduzzi Fam is small but mighty, and I’d love to learn about your favorite plant-based meals and treats and support you on your plant-based journeys!

I’m also kind of against this idea because Facebook has been super creepy recently, but I also kind of think it would be fun. Thoughts on this?

laughing: At Maya. She’s one of my favorite things in the world. My little cat daughter.

She just does the weirdest, cutest things. She loves plastic bags full of carrots. She will only lick our feet. She hates being out of her comfort zone and anyone other than me and her dad (Mark). She constantly feels the need to sit on a book when I’m reading it. She also loves sitting at the computer. She loses her gosh-darn mind whenever we take her anywhere. She has the softest fur ever, and she loves curling up on our favorite blanket with me.

And she just loves when I take selfies with her. LOVES it.

liking: My new headshots!! Omg. My friend Isabel shot them for me, and MAN. She’s so talented, you guys.

This is going to sound dramatic and kind of dark, but I honestly can’t remember a time when I ever really liked a picture of myself. I always looked weird or awkward or like…in pain.

Isabel took pictures of me that actually looked like ME. Pittsburgh peeps – hit her up. Girl’s got game.

loving: Mark, Maya, fuzzy blankets, seltzer water, HIIT classes, strength classes, photography, homemade peanut butter eggs, warmer weather on the horizon, my job and coworkers, yoga, taco dates, working from home, and Y-O-U.

Thanks for reading, friend. <3 More plant based yum soon!