Here is me, in my natural state, in my natural habitat (at Champs)

Alex went to philly for worksutff for a while, and so while he was away I bought a ton of makeup online and as it arrived I photographed it piece by piece and spent a lot of time organizing where it is all going to fit into my bedroom. Every girl needs three mascaras. At least three from Pacifica, I mean.

In the May Vegan Cuts Beauty Box it included a brush from Terre Mere that was the softest most beautiful brush and I loved it so much. They also included a coupon card with the box for 50% of your entire order from their site, so I went and bought 2 more from them. In the box they included a blush brush, an angled kabuki style white brush, and I bought the bronzer brush, similar to the blush brush but not tapered, and looks a little like a stipling brush, and a fluffy eye shadow crease brush that is perfect for transition shades. I think I just became a real girl. Anyway, I want to thank the unicorns that donated their lovely, soft and beautiful white hairs to make these amazing brushes.



I read Patti Smith's Just Kids last month and got obsessed with Leonard Cohen throughout reading it, playing Chelsea Hotel over and over. Alex and I spent a very nice night walking all around Chelsea the weekend he came home from Philly and went to go look at the Chelsea Hotel. Just as we arrived, we looked down the street, and happened to catch a Manhattanhenge style sunset right there on 23rd. It felt like one of those times in your life that you wandered upon the exact spot you were supposed to be in. Like you definitely feel like you belong right there in that moment. Has anyone ever felt that? It was a very nice feeling.



That weekend we went to Coney Island for the first time to check it out, I was obviously retracing Patti Smith's steps from her book and wanting to just be her, basically. Coney Island is nice to see, very much like Asbury Park, and many other boardwalk and beachside parks, but a tad more iconic. Vegans: bring snacks lest you starve.


We went to the Whitney and hung out on the observation deck on each floor, taking in some views of the west side that we don't often find ourselves on.


Of course I had to make the Long Weekend Grilled Salad from Oh She Glows Cookbook for the long weekend. I was super amazing and I want to make it all the time now. I forgot to buy corn, but I added black beans, so it worked out. I want to make it for 4th of July, I think it would be perfect alongside the Apple Baked Beans from ThugKitchen's first book, and a Yeah Dawg or 2.

Saw Frida's face on the street in Chelsea

Given my attitude toward the summer being unusually optimistic, I made another summery dish, the Summer Sauté from Isa Does It. It reminded me of Chipotle, but obv better. I used Blackbird Seitan and loved it.


While flipping through Isa Does It, I came across the Pizza Bowl, a dish I've made a bunch of times but had sort of forgotten about. I remade it and wondered why I don't make this once a week. If you have ever made it, you know what I'm talking about. I used Field Roast Italian Sausages, and they worked great.


On a rainy Sunday, we went to Little Choc Apothecary for crepes and coffee. I also got a smoothie, and we sat and read for a while. That place has such great vibes, and you can constantly smell the nutty crepe batter and it is so intoxicating.


Finally I made it to Riverdel in Prospect Heights. I don't know anyone who lives there and so we don't wander that way much, but it is a tiny little shop with floor to ceiling shelves filled with vegan cheese products and accompaniments for vegan cheese. I scored these 3 cheeses, Riverdel's Truffle Billy, tasted a lot like Miyoko's winter truffle, which I love, Cheezhound's Grey Day Blue, my favorite of the three, which I ate all of within a week by myself, and Eséé Ché's Gorzonzola, which I liked but it didn't taste very much like gorgonzola to me.


Here is my spread, with fruit, crackers and wine to go with my cheese. I felt sophisticated until I ate most of this whole thing by myself. Then I felt like I needed to nap and contemplate what I'm doing with my life.


More Buffalo Tempeh Salad with Terri Ranch!!! I bought more Barry's Tempeh, the best tempeh, at Riverdel and made this the following night. This is the best salad of the world, just so you know.


One night I was too tired to cook and Alex offered to make his specialty, BBQ chickpeas, salad and Rice Pilaf. Sometimes when someone cooks for you, it tastes so much better than if you made it yourself. It must be the love that gives it such a good taste :)).


I saw Cadry post about using her Tofurky slow roasted chick'n to make chicken salad, and since I had a pack of it lying in my fridge, I was instantly inspired. I put it in the food processor with some Just Mayo, garlic powder, celery, lemon juice, mustard, and capers! That's it! I spread some Follow Your Heart Vegan Ranch on a big wrap and put the chick'n salad, then spinach, some avocado, and bell pepper strips on top and wrapped it up to take to work. That Cadry, she's crafty, and just my type!


Last weekend, we drove back to New England, stopped for the night and in the morning carpooled with some friends up to North Adams, MA to see The National at Mass MoCA. It was raining, but it was such a great day. We got to hang with our friends that we don't get to see often, tried beers from some new breweries, and got to hang out while watching a great band. They put on a great show, and I had a great time, except for at the end, when as a group of bro-y boys rushed the stage, I took an elbow to the gut and another to the side of my face, pretty much ruining the rest of the show for me, as I had the wind knocked out of me and a ton of pain in my jaw, cheek and ear. I'm not a very sturdy girl, and am knocked over easily, and it happens every now and then at shows. No one meant to hurt me, but it certainly is frustrating to wonder why they thought shoving people from behind in order to reach the front wouldn't result in some harm to anyone. Boys, amirite?


Lastly, my lovely and amazing sister sent me a copy of Raw Vegan. Not Gross. by Laura Miller. It has tons of new types of recipes and ideas that I am excited to make. The first one I made is this Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese, which I was obviously obsessed with, and served it with grilled lemon garlic tofu, spinach and beans. Best ever!


That is the end of my reel, thanks for sticking it out until the end!
Be back soon with more foodstuffs and travel adventures and general wit and commentary by a vegan unicorn indie princess that is myself, or what I tell myself I am in the mornings before I go to work.
<3 KZ