If your anything like me – sometimes you just need to cook something. After a long week, you just want to chop vegetables, shake that saute pan, and fill the house with the aromas which represent your creative epicurial therapy. (Note: “Epicurial” is not exactly a real word, but I love the way it rolls off the tongue.) Some people find relaxation in opening the freezer, pressing 7 minutes on the microwave and pressing play on the Tivo (there is absolutely nothing wrong with that). I personally really need to work my hands, mind and senses after a long week of work- and then I make sure I am perfectly comfortable when I finally sit down to enjoy my creations. In fact, I am so obsessed with making sure I am comfortable to sit down and eat my food, that last night, my curry was cold by the time I finally dug in because I kept getting up. First the lights were too bright, then I wanted a blanket, then I realized I needed a glass of water, and damn if I am gonna see the TV I would need my glasses, and right when everything was perfect…I had turned the lights down too  much I couldn’t even see what I was eating. OCD much?

Anyway, the real point of this post is the idea of cooking just to cook. As a food blogger, I strive to provide people with great recipes. I usually have a notebook by my side in the kitchen, scribbling down hardly legible notes about what is going into the bowl or pot, trying as hard as possible to keep track of measurements. But sometimes you just have to go with it.

Here is a snapshot of the curry I made last night (from my Blackberry – how unprofessional of me). I’m not going to tell you how exactly to make it because I made it how I wanted it last night. I wanted sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, carrots, coconut milk (light), tons of red curry paste, broccoli and onion all in one. So that’s what I made. As much joy that comes with finding a great recipe (I fall asleep looking at cook books) the fulfillment of sometimes just going with what you want right then and there can be more rewarding, especially when you are only cooking for yourself. So next time you are planning a – night for you and your Tivo, ditch the recipe, roll up your sleeves and make exactly what you feel like.

Last week I had a birthday. My cousin (@laurencook) dubbed it my “brave birthday”. It was so appropriate because I was discussing with my mother (who came out to visit for my day) and Lauren about how this is the first birthday in a while I have not been with my friends and family in VT, let alone in a city I am still adjusting to (Denver). That’s why it is my “brave birthday”. Catchy eh? I hear everyone has a few.

I did have a great birthday though. My mother and I went on a nice, long hike. A hike in which we intended on taking the 2 mile route but ended up on the 6 mile route, no biggie. We just laughed the whole way, asking ourselves how we ended up on the “trail” for the mountain goats. I think my stomach hurt more from laughing than my quads from hiking.

My lovely friend Ashley came down from Breckenridge for a delicious Italian dinner at Il Posto. And Amira and Chip (fellow veggies) made me a lovely “Gil-friendly” chocolate cake! Champagne and chocolate – that’s always how your birthday should end.

That was birthday cake number 2. The first one was one of those cakes that after a while you just ditch the plate and start digging in with the fork. In fact, it was so good I forgot I was eating it after a while – until Ashley stepped in and took the cake away. No one could believe this cake was a vegan Carrot Cake. It was the best some had had! Watercourse Bakery really has the science of vegan baking down.

This was my second vegan birthday. Last year my mom and friends surprised me with the biggest vegan chocolate cake I have ever seen.

Moral of the story here is, on your birthday, eat as much cake as your little heart desires.

23 candles round 2

What’s a girl in the PR and social media world to do when she is walking around with the weight of 60 something days of the same post on her blog. I always advise people that a key factor in executing a social media presence is to maintain it. Why have a blog, Twitter account or Facebook page if you aren’t going to do it right?

Well I have officially committed a social media faux paux with my own blog but I can guarantee I have not only been exercising my PR and social media skills, but have also been quite the whiz in the kitch.

What could I have been up to the past few months that I have not had time to update my personal blog? I have been working at Pure Brand Communications 5 days a week, and spending weekends with friends and family, going up to Aspen, and celebrating the premiers of my good friends at Level 1’s ski film, Refresh.

Pure has given me the chance to develop a routine – reporting there everyday. I work hard and I am learning more and more each day. In comparison to my last agency experience, which was such a great way to start off, I work with a whole new range of clients (oil and gas, entertainment and non-profits), extending my experience in PR.

I have also been contributing to Pure Thinking, the Pure blog, as well as working on various social media and grassroots projects.

Since I last blogged, I have perfected my new chili recipe, managed to make delicious fall oatmeal cookies with no baking soda or canola oil (took a risk based on a serious cookie craving that kicked in at 9 on a Wednesday night), and have managed to explore and discover all of my new favorite spots in Denver to get the best latte in town and devour the tastiest sweet potato hash I’ve ever had. Oh, and during this blogging dry spell I managed to eat a sweet potato every day for 2 weeks. And no, my skin did not turn orange. They just are so darn tasty!

I’m gonna go ahead and tell you what’s been going on for Veggie with a Vision the past few months, whether you like it or not.

Photo essay time!

Ran from a hail storm on Aspen Mountain.

Ate a delicious tempeh, avocado, spinach and tomato melt while reading the Sunday paper.

Went camping with friends at the Green Mountain Reseviour.

Made a new best friend named Switch.

He was a Chocolate Lab, Britney Spaniel mix.

Ate more sweet potatoes than some people have eaten in a lifetime.

Bought a new coffee maker, a Michael Graves coffee maker.

Spent a lot of time here, at City O' City, eating the best sweets in town and consuming the tastiest coffee a girl can get her hands on.

Attended a bunch of Level 1 Refresh premiers to support my buddies.

Just because I haven’t been blogging lately, does not mean I have not been playing around in the kitch! I’ve simply been settling in with my new life in Colorado: hiking, camping, Core Power Yoga-ing, job searching and freelancing. So far, so wonderful. And now I have some catching up to do as I have lots to share from the past month.

Because of the heat I have found myself making a lot of salad. I hate having the air conditioning on in my house, and daytime here in Denver can get very hot. A refreshing salad is the perfect way to cool off on these days, followed by a chilled mango or peach.

I, along with many others, become obsessed with whats in season. And last month it was blueberries. My cereal would be half cereal, half blueberries, I couldn’t walk through the kitchen without nibbling them, and of course, like last summer, I started adding them to my salads.

This salad has a very complementary mix of sweet and savory. I mixed fresh spinach with blueberries, beets, chickpeas, scallions, tempeh, and chopped dill. I dressed it with a splash of balsamic and olive oil.

Try it! And stay posted for some great summer sandwiches.

Doesn’t summer just make you want to eat the most colorful foods? While I was in Nantucket and at home in Connecticut for a brief time, I had the chance to make some delicious, beautiful, and refreshing dishes. Eating outside, with family and friends is the best way to enjoy good food too.

Breakfast can always be a challenge for vegans, and people are always asking me what I eat in the mornings. I never feel deprived in the mornings, and always have my bowl of Kashi and soy milk as a good backup plan. In Nantucket, I offered to make my best friend a healthy, filling and vegan breakfast. As I rummaged through the kitchen, I got out all the vegan ingredients I could find.

I found:

1 Amy’s Texas Veggie Burgers
2 Dr. Preagers Veggie Burgers
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Fresh Parsley
Salt
Pepper
English Muffins
Local Raspberry Preserves

What did I make?

Veggie Scramble!

All you do in put a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a skillet, break up the veggie burgers, chop up the veggies and throw those in. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, making sure to toss all of the ingredients around every now and then. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on all of it. When you plate it, top it off with some fresh, chopped parsley and serve it with a side of a toasted English Muffin and voila!

That dish was a great way to start the day. (Not to mention it helped with recovery from the previous nights gab and wine fest…)

Another colorful dish that was inspired not only by the warm weather but also by all the ingredients in my mother’s kitchen, was a very fulfilling salad.

What was in it?

Mixed Greens
Chickpeas
Cherry Tomatoes (sliced in half)
Corn
Red Onion
Beets
Avocado (obviously)
Cilantro
Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil (and some salt and pepper)

With salads I just tend to add, add, add, because honestly you cannot have too many veggies in a salad.

I went a little crazy with photographs. Dinner time happened to fall during my favorite time of day; when the light is golden. The perfect time to take pictures of such a fresh and colorful salad.

I also grilled some eggplant and drizzled balsamic vinegar on it, with some pepper to add some flavor. And of course paired it with a crisp and cool glass of Pinot Grigio.

Instead of take you all down the whirlwind of an adventure I have been on since I graduated from Champlain College in May 2009, I will tell it all in bits and pieces.

our view from the kayak

Steps Beach

To start my summer off right, and say goodbye to the ocean the right way (I am moving to Colorado for the summer), I went to Nantucket with my best friend for a week. We practically had the island to ourselves; restaurants weren’t even open until mid-week. Some days were spent sitting in the same spot on the porch all day, and some included adventures on the island. If I were to paint a picture for you of this vacation, I might as well be reading right out of a summer beach read, “long walks along the beach, endless amounts of laughter, wine and food”, but to set it apart from all that, it was effortlessly the best time ever, especially being with my best friend, Dana.

As a graduation gift, my mother treated us to dinner. We chose Black Eyed Susan’s, a restaurant that has been around since 1992, in which we brought a—what seemed like—a bottomless bottle of Pinot Grigio, as it is BYOB, and got the coziest seat by the window. We started out with a loaf of organic sourdough bread to ourselves (which we ate so fast “in fear that it might get cold”), dipped in olive oil of course, although they offer it with Vermont Butter. The thing I liked when I looked at this menu was the diversity in the dishes. I saw “avocado espuma” and “coconut and potato puree”. Not to dub myself an expert by any means, but I have mastered the art of manipulating a menu that does not have vegan options to get a meal that is 100% satisfying. Simply ask to speak with the chef, or communicate through your waiter. Ask what fresh vegetables they have that evening, or just ask them to make something fabulous with all the vegetables in the kitchen, and make sure it has flavor. Depending on how hungry you are, have them add tofu or pasta to that vegetable dish. I was full on bread, so a vegetable dish was perfect.

I mean it when I say this was plate licking good! I got the most beautiful and flavorful dish of vegetables including beets (both yellow and red), tomatoes, peas, carrots, and onion all soaking in a basil sauce. The best kind of full is a tummy full of vegetables! It left room for our “night cap” drink that we went to The Boarding House for. Too bad I was holding the glass up to my face all night to cool off my sunburn from earlier that day.

Organic vs. Conventional

We are all guilty of starring at produce, conventional on the right, and organic on our left, and seriously debating which to get, usually comparing the prices. I recently took a Nutrition class and learned about what produce should be organic, and what you can buy conventional. This has saved me time, money and most importantly kept me from blankly staring at the tomatoes for way too long.

Here’s what you should buy organic:
1.    Peaches
2.    Apples
3.    Bell Peppers
4.    Celery
5.    Nectarines
6.    Strawberries
7.    Cherries
8.    Lettuce
9.    Grapes
10.  Pears

My favorite thing to save money on? Bananas! They grow up to 30 feet off the ground and are protected from the peel so they have one of the lowest pesticide loads of any fruit! Other fruits that are extremely protected from pesticides? Avocados, kiwis, mangos, pineapples.  In terms of vegetables, you do not need to buy organic broccoli as it grows in colder weather which requires fewer pesticides.

No I did not make it to church, once again. But that did not stop me from celebrating Easter. I am celebrating as long as I am treating myself to a pleasant day. Although I had endless amounts of school work, and was helping a friend with their horror film for school at 4, I managed to make it feel like Easter. Nina Simone playing in the living room, scones cooking in the oven, coffee with “foamed” soy milk (see blog post from earlier this month), and of course, the mandatory mimosa. Holiday’s are what you make them. Some people require religious practice and some require copious amounts of food. I’d say I, like so many Americans, am much more concerned about making sure the cookies turn out just right on Christmas than I am about which service I will be attending. I had no intentions of writing a sermon this morning, but I just want to emphasize the importance of celebrating holidays just as you please. Any way you want; as long as you feel good.

Onto the Cherry, Walnut, Ginger Scones I made. I am not posting a recipe because it was my first time making scones, and I might have a secret ingredient I am not willing to reveal. But here are some lovely pictures of my Easter brunch.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend, and are feeling the Spring sunshine! And, by the way, the horror film shoot was so much fun! Lots of fake blood and [off-camera] smiles.

Joining associations such as AIGA, the professional association for design, give you the chance to stay connected with personal and professional opportunities. It is easy to get wrapped up in the world of Web 2.0, and you can now lead a career and even a life without face-to-face interactions but you might be missing out. In order to grow you must expose yourself to the full social circle of a community. This is both internet connections and networking events. Remember, “networking” began with people shaking hands and distributing business cards. Now, when people hear the word “networking” their thought bubbles are filled with various URL’s such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Times change, and those URL’s are the current form of networking, but the value of face-to-face interactions has not disappeared.

An organization such as AIGA is a great chance for you to socialize and network with those who share the same profession and interests as you, ultimately broadening your prospective of your field. This is very rewarding. This gives you the chance to meet mentors, friends, and even employers.

One thing you must remember is that not everyone is “connected” online. This does not mean that they are not influential. Some never will be a member of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, but that does not mean they don’t have worlds of experience or brilliance to pass on to you. When you can combine those who choose to stick to printed business cards, phone calls, and handwritten notes, with those who rely on Twitter to reach out to people, you have a melting pot of expertise, both modern and traditional.

I am an avid social networker, and truly enjoy the process. I also thrive on interactions with people, and am a huge fan of snail mail (I refuse to let it get old). This post was inspired by a response to an article written on the AIGA website . Someone was upset that AIGA’s social media efforts were not larger. “ AIGA encourages its members to develop a kind of social order that will enhance the growth of the profession and success of all designers, not only themselves,” Richard Grefé, Executive Director of AIGA. Becoming a young member of AIGA offers you the opportunity to join a community of those who believe in traditional networking, as well as modern networking. This is also a community of successful designers who practice and create with pen and paper alongside the completely digitalized designing crowd. Associations such as AIGA create a community of people using a unique set of approaches to reach ultimate growth, personally and professionally.

If you are interested in joining AIGA, click here.

Salt Lake City, Utah. I had no idea what to expect when I got off that plane (after 3 flights…) All I knew was that the mountains are exceptional and that it was founded by the Mormons. Well, that’s what I got. It is a very plain-Jane city, with little spots of edge here and there. There is strong coffee, weak beer and a lot of streets that look the same. The weather there is amazing, coming from Vermont’s brutal winter; blue skies, warm breeze. It is so dry, which is why the snow is unlike anywhere else, but I felt like I was in a constant battle to stay hydrated.

First day of hiking. (That's me.)

I was there for 11 days; visiting my best buddies who moved out there after college, my ski buddies. These are the boys who changed my skills and gave me the best season I have ever had last year; Stowe is not the same without them this year. Hiking, getting buried in powder like never before, more skiing, followed by screaming “ahhh my legs!” with the biggest smile on my face. That sums up my trip to Utah. All followed by some R & R in the hot tub at The Cliff Lodge. I now know why people move to Salt Lake City. Those long, fresh runs at Alta make you forget about the mundane, gridded city.

View from Alta.

There is a lot of traversing at Alta.

A plus for me was that there are so many places for vegans to eat! My favorite was Blue Plate Diner, where I had wanted to eat ever since I saw a clip about it on the Food Network. I wish I had taken photos of my food both times I went there, but I was truly too excited to eat. But I will tell you what I got so you can drool dreaming of their homemade Veggie Burgers and their mmmm Portabella and Hummus sandwich! (That’s what I got.) If you do go, don’t get the Cajun fries. They are not what you expect them to be, and you are pretty much getting two whole potatoes. Go with the Skinny fries. They also had the crunchiest, greasiest Tempura Onion rings which were so good after a long hard day of skiing.

I also had some delicious vegan pizza at Este Pizzeria. That was great too, except they made me feel really self-concious about ordering a Bud Light instead of their organic, local brew, which I thought was some what snobby of them. Sometimes you just want a cheap, cold beer, especially when your funds do not give you a choice!

Very happy vegan after dinner at the diner!

Crisp, blue sky's are very common in SLC.

I thought I would be doing some Veggie With a Vision cooking while I was out there but to be honest, I was exhausted every night! My legs could not hold me up long enough to stand in the kitchen, which was alright by me.

I had a blast in Utah and plan to return to ski at Alta. The best mountain experience in the US I have had, besides skiing with my family in CO of course!