The ABCs of Food

Apparently, there have been some of these silly little things going around the internet,and it looked fun. I found this one on my friend's blog, Czech Vegan (In America), and I had to do it. Let the ABCs commence!

A is for Avocado: How do you like yours prepared?

• I love it pretty much any way I have ever had it: in salsas, as sandwich spread, as guacamole, you name it, I love it.

B is for Bread: Regardless of nutrition, what is your favorite type?

• Such a hard question! I love naan, pita, whole wheat, multigrain, sourdough, French, Italian. It's literally impossible for me to choose just one. I am what you might call a carb-a-holic. My favorite recently is the simple, generic store brand multigrain sandwich bread; tasty and cheap.

C is for Chocolate: What is your favorite kind currently? 

•  I like the Chocolate Dream bars, which are one of the very few dairy-free chocolates I can find locally. I love them.

D is for Donuts: You might not currently eat them, but what kind do you fancy?

• I haven't had a donut in ages. But, I have recently been looking at buying a donut pan so I can make my own. My old favorites were nutty donuts, cinnamon-sugar, and the cinnamon twist. Mmm. Yum. I think I need to hurry and get that pan....

E is for Eggs: How would you like yours prepared?

• I don't eat eggs. Ever. When I used to many years ago, I would get horrific stomach pains and feel sick for hours. I did like omelets back then, despite the pain. I make a mean tofu scramble that tastes like, feels like, and even looks like eggs. It goes ridiculously well with salsa, veggies and served on tortillas, like a breakfast burrito. 

F is for Falafel: Yay or nay?

• YES!!! I simply CANNOT get enough falafel. Baked, fried, whatever. It's only made with my most favorite legume, the chickpea. There is nothing I don't love about it. I'm pretty sure I could eat it 5 times a week and never tire of it. Here's my recipe for fried falafels.

G is for Groceries: Where do you purchase yours?

• I primarily get my groceries from a regional store called Meijer, but also hit Kroger when I have coupons. Did you know they double coupons up to $1.00? Wild. So, I do my coupon shopping there. The few health food stores are pretty much cost-prohibitive, so I make do with non-specialty stores.

H: is for Hot Beverages: What is your favorite hot drink?

• I love Yogi Teas, especially their Immune Support tea. It's herbal and tastes like heaven. I've never been a coffee sort.

I is for Ice Cream: Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.

• I love the So Delicious ice creams and the Purely Decadent flavors. I especially any sort of minty or cookies and cream ice creams. My fun topping of choice is some Oreos.

J is for Jams or Jellies: Do you eat them? If so, what kind and flavor?

• I love strawberry basil jam the best. But, it's quite expensive here, so I tend to only buy it on occasion. Instead, I usually stick with a strawberry jam of some sort. I never could stand the orange marmalade or the grape jellies. Icky.

K is for Kashi: Name your favorite Kashi product?

• I've never found a Kashi product that I liked. Bad vegan, I know. 

L is for Lunch: What was yours today?

• I made a super yummy sandwich with LightLife turkey deli slices. It involved some soy-free Vegenaise, spicy brown mustard, onions, romaine lettuce and a bit of Daiya cheddar. I scarfed it in about 2 minutes flat. Oink, oink.

M is for microwave: What is your favorite microwave meal/snack?

• I enjoy an Amy's brand frozen meal occasionally. Otherwise, I don't really use it all that much except to reheat certain leftovers.

N is for nutrients: Do you like carbs, fats, or proteins best?

• I'm a complete carb lover. But, since legumes are packed full of proteins, I'm learning to love protein a lot more. I can honestly say, though, that I have drastically cut back on my simple carb intake...less bread and a LOT less pasta. Go me!

O is for oil: What kind do you like to use?

• This is another one of those things that I have greatly reduced lately. When I do use oil, I tend to use olive oil or sesame oil. 

P is for protein: How do you get yours?

• From pretty much everything I eat. Even veggies have protein...hard to believe, I know. My primary sources are legumes, nuts, veggies, grains, quinao and the occasional bit of soy (tempeh primarily). 

Q is for Quaker: How do you like your oats?

•  In the occasional granola bar or cookie. I seriously struggle to eat cooked oatmeal. It kind of gags me.

R is for roasting: What is your favorite thing to roast?

• VEGGIES!! I love roasted cauliflower, potatoes and asparagus the best. 

S is for sandwich: What’s your favorite kind?

• My favorite is my delicious chickpea sandwich, kind of like a tuna salad sammie, but a million times better (and no mercury!). Second favorite would have to be a tempeh BLT, or TLT, if you will. I have this awesome TLT recipe.

T is for travel: How do you handle eating while traveling?

•  I can find veg options pretty much anywhere, so I still eat well. A lot of my travel involves family vacations that include a chef uncle...so I have little to worry about there. I find that many fast food places have numerous options, from salads to sandwiches. So, I am never at a loss for food. For roadtripping, I often pack snacks like fruit, nuts, sandwiches and chips. Easy peasy.

U is for unique: What are some of the unique foods that you like?

• For the non-veg folks, my love of tempeh seems odd and unique, as does my love of Daiya cheese.
• Brussels sprouts, baby! I love them immensely while many hate them.
• Ultra-spinachy green smoothies.
• Popcorn spritzed with Braggs Aminos and sprinkled with nooch (nutritional yeast).

V is for vitamins: What kind do you take?

• I take a multivitamin and B-12 supplements.

W is for Wiener Schnitzel: Do you ever recreate this traditional Czech food?

• I can honestly say that I've never eaten wiener schnitzel. I don't even know what it is. Maybe I'll have to look into it.

X is X-RAY: If we xrayed your belly right now, what food would we see?

• Raspberries. A lot of raspberries. And water.

Y is for Youth: What foods remind you of your childhood?

• Mashed potatoes
• Mac and Cheez
• Spaghetti and lasagna
• Raspberries (we had a massive raspberry bush in our back yard when I was little)
• Corn on the cob

Z is for Zucchini: How do you prepare it?

• Lightly sauteed with some vegan butter, onions, and mushrooms
• Grilled
• Raw in salad
• Roasted in the oven

So, there you have it. That's my ABCs of food!