DC: Day 1 - 2/14 (V-day)

Waking up in DC (and having traveled on the Chinatown bus, in heavy traffic, late the night before) we woke up ready to take our grumbling bellies somewhere else besides the egg-laden hotel lobby for breakfast. Being a Saturday, and being late morning, it was really more like brunch, which is okay by me because I really hate breakfast anyway.

The Metro stop at Farragut North was a hop skip from ours at L'Enfant, as we headed towards Java Green Cafe. I was already impressed by the sheer sight of it...a cute little organic gem in the middle of a seemingly bland looking street. Upon entering this veg wonderland, I noticed immediately that they were not joking around on the whole eco thing. All "throw away" cutlery, cups and napkins were made of biodegradable cornstarch and paper, in this ultra eco-conscious cafe that purchases 100% wind power and fair trade. It was worth the extra dough it costs to eat here, and the food was truly deee-licious!!!

(above) Grilled Chicken (soy) sandwich on whole wheat, (below) Veg Max on ciabatta

Veg DC guides were scattered about, so you can't go wrong when it comes to eating well here!


As an early V-day present...Neko Case tickets!!!! (Ok, this called for one of those vegan cookies calling my name behind the glass case in celebration, nom nom nom). Oatmeal cream sammiches...Mmmm!


Another V-day present was a trip to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. I have been wanting to go here FOREVER! The staff was super awesome, and I couldn't stop taking photos and immersing myself in the art here. A truly impressive permanent collection (no special exhibitions at the time).

© May Stevens, Soho Women Artists, 1978

Filled up on art, and feeling like a beer, we ventured back towards Chinatown and headed for the pub to discuss women painters over a shared plate of french fries, which truly hit the spot.


Next up, and after a small buzz, we wandered into the National Portrait Gallery to find out that they were just about to release the Presidential "cupcake portrait art" of Obama & Lincoln, which turned out to be a "right place, right time kind" of moment. What's better than 5,900 cupcakes of freedom? (Ok, they weren't vegan or anything, but we couldn't resist lining up like lemmings for free coffee & treats!)For V-day dinner, we were a little unprepared; all the good veg restaurants were booked solid. We opted for the ol' trusty stand-by...Thai food! And headed towards "Foggy Bottom" for Thai Place on Pennslyvania Avenue.

(below) Vegetable spring rolls, Vegetable Pad Thai, Kee Mow Tufu Noodle
A perfect end to an (overrated) holiday:

DC: Day 2 - 2/15

The morning started off with an intense craving for an all-American type breakfast patty and some insanely sweet treats, so we were off to Sticky Fingers Bakery at the Columbia Heights stop on the Metro.This completely vegan eatery had it all, from little pre-made packaged goodies on the go (with a microwave nearby to heat up anything that needs a warm kick), to a glass case full of vegan baked goods. I wanted to try every single thing in there at least once, but I targeted on the cinnamon bun that looked like a fluffy pillow I was ready to bury my face into. It was a nostalgic throw back to the "Sticky Fingers" (eh-hem) of childhood, and lazy suburban days of wandering through the mall. I haven't had one of these in ages!

Tim had the strawberry shortcake cupcake, which was simply divine! (I stole a few bites)
It was so sad leaving all those precious, untouched, cupcakes behind...but we were off on our journey to bigger things like monuments and capitols...(I did take a chocolate peanut butter "Smacker" for the road).


(below) Ok, I would go as far to say that the entire visit to DC was worth a bite full of this peanut butter explosion that literally made me stop in my tracks to enjoy this sensational moment.

After the very phallic Washington monument, and the longest walk EVER to a large loafing Lincoln on a lawn chair, it was refreshing to see the ladies represent:

Another great unexpected wander...the United States Botanical Garden:


I was really looking forward to getting a trip over to Bus Boys & Poets, which is a bookstore, bar, music venue, and restaurant all in one. The best part above all was the soy cheese pizza and vegan calzone options, which were just melt-y fantastic! (although, I was in fact drunk before we even sat down because of the long wait at the bar)

© Busboys and Poets logo courtesy of website

I highly recommend this place for vegan pizza lovers!!!
Some cool Obama graffiti on the way back:

What a great day! And, while waiting forever in the Metro station after a few vodka martinis and the humor of a 5 year old, somehow stops like "Foggy Bottom" and "Ballston" were making me more giggly than I could tell you.

DC: Day 3 - 2/16 (Prez-day)

What's that saying...three times a charm? I'm not sure, but what I am sure of is that Java Green Cafe blew my taste buds out of the water, and I was back like a junkie, hefty prices aside, for more. We weren't just there for another meal, we were even ordering additional food to-go for the bus ride back home! I couldn't get enough of this place, and the (soy) Chicken Ramen was phenomenal.


As if the food wasn't delicious enough (and we weren't glutens enough), we ordered two supremely frothy drinks: Mango & Banana Nut Milk Smoothie, Coffee Soymilk & Ice Cream Milkshake

Dear foodie purists, this nutmilk base was some seriously fresh shizzat! It was a pleasant surprise to slurp up a little almond chip knowing that you are getting the real deal, and not some boxed sugary confection that you could get at any grocery store these days.


President's Day wouldn't be complete in DC without a visit to the White House, and a special unexpected wave from Marine One overhead (or so we like to tell ourselves).

Saying goodbye: Vegan Burger on whole wheat bun, homemade veggie patty, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, onion, soy cheese, avo spread, and garden dressing

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

My 4-year-old niece & nephew re-framed the saying "don't play with your food."

Play-Doh sundae's anyone?

Something to Write Home About

There are so many great recipes out there; my kitchen bookshelf is filled to the brim with cookbooks that I refer to often, and I have just the overly crusted, oil-stained pages, to prove it. But I must single out a special praise for Fresh Foods Fast, a book that I received as a birthday gift from Dani Sue two years back, and one that still surprises me on how simply amazing it really is.

The recipe that has me typing away (while still licking my chops) is called "Spicy Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Collard Greens" (although, I didn't use the jalapeno pepper, so remove spicy from the title, and I also used "lite" coconut milk instead of the regular). This soup is soooooo damn delicious, and you can make it in a pinch! I can't get over how fantastic this tasted; I am still dreaming about it. I took a "seitan from scratch" class with Peter Berley at the Natural Gourmet Institute (pre-blog days), and this guy, while not a vegetarian himself, really knows his stuff.

I added a side salad with chic peas and homemade croutons (from some stale crusty bread). This soup is a must, especially for coconut lovers!

In Sickness & In Health

Something that I feel is important to mention: never underestimate the importance of good nutrition when you're sick.

I've been known to go around saying such falsehoods as "oh, I rarely get sick," and yet I feel like every time I blog it's about some stupid cold I've had.

What I have noticed to be true, however, is the duration of the cold itself. For what felt like the harsh beginnings of a flu coming on, I nursed myself diligently until it went away (antibiotic-free) in about 4 days. Here are some healthful & yummy samplings:

Above: Red lentil cabbage boats with guacamole, kale and garlic-ginger veggie soup, white bean garlic mash, fresh fruits, detox anti-oxidant tea, whole wheat pita, live sprouts salad, yellow carrots, grapefruit, miso soup, lemon lentil soup with spinach, red lentils and quinoa, sesame soba soup with broccoli. Below: seitan and bean burrito in a whole grain tortilla with two sides of vitamin C!

Pop Sparrow came to the rescue in Brooklyn by bringing over some ingredients for his Latin American inspired yuca and eddoes soup, along with broccoli rabe, plantains, and a bootleg copy (eh-hem) of Gran Torino.

While I definitely was not a fan of Clint Eastwood and his white-man's-burden of a flick (sorry, Pops), I really did appreciate the TLC. And that truly is the best medicine there is.