Posted with BlogsyGreetings! I’m Annastasia
I'm bit keen on the colour green and like to ramble on about food, cooking, veganism, refashioning, sewing, clothes, list making, music, reading and anything else that pops up in my overcrowded existence! I'm also one half of Ink drops boxes, stationery by the boxful, dropped through your letterbox.
Category Archives: midorigreen
Saturday adventure
Gosh, I hear you say, that looks a bit bleak. Not surprised that you’ve been worrying about September blues. It may look a tad desolate but it was an excellent place to spend an afternoon, even with a bit of rain. I was visiting some family and they… Continue reading
Posted in midorigreen
Leave a comment
A tale of two restaurants
Dinning out should be pleasure. It’s an opportunity to enjoy food without having to think about what might go into it, labour over preparations, or worry about washing up. I intended to eat out twice last week and the experiences couldn’t have been more different.
Experience 1 – the Saracen’s Head Hotel, Dunmow
On Thursday I decided it would be nice to eat dinner out. The weather was warm. The forecast for the next day was rain. I thought it might be the last night of summer.
I choose the Saracen’s Head Hotel on Dunmow High Street. I‘ve eaten there on several occasions in the last year and always found them very accommodating. The chef made me a fantastic five mushroom risotto on Easter Sunday which I still recall with delight.
However on this occasion things did not go so well. Having ordered a drink I began to size up the menu for things that could by alteration or omission be made vegan. The mediterrrian platter with roast vegetables, hummus, olives, bread and halloumi seemed like an option (minus the halloumi). There was also a rather delivious sounding vegetable curry. When the waiter arrived I explained that I was a vegan and asked if he could find out if the curry contained any animal products.
A few minutes later another member of staff appeared . She told me that she had spoken to the chef and that everything contained eggs or dairy. The only thing they could offer me was a bowl of dry leaves. Or nothing.
I considered asking if they could manage an oil and vinegar dressing to go with the dry leaves. Or if the roast vegetables were cooked in oil. Or what animal products the hummus contained.
Instead I decided to take the ‘nothing’ option and eat at home. I began to finish drink. Before I could leave the staff member returned to reiterate that they had nothing I could eat, adding that I should notify them in advance in future.
Experience 2 – Giraffe, Chelmsford
Sunday evening I’d arranged to have dinner with some of my fellow burlesque enthusiasts, and those who taken part in the Change your life in 20 weeks project. We decided to eat at Giraffe simply because someone had some vouchers.
I was a little late arriving but my fellow dinners had already mentioned my vegan lifestyle to the waiter. He was extremely happy to go through the menu with me and suggest which dishes could be altered. He was also very helpful when other in our party wanted alterations to dishes.
I enjoyed a Falafel burger, followed by a sorbet sundae (yes – a vegan desert) and a soy cappuccino.
The staff were excellent. Cheerful, accommodating and good humoured.
The combination of good food, lovely staff, and delightful company made for a really good meal. Our party left Giraffe feeling relaxed, well feed and ready for the week ahead. I feel quite enthusiastic about returning to Giraffe in the near future.
Wishing you all things green,
Annastasia
Posted in midorigreen, vegan
Leave a comment
What’s in my lunch box? Fish and chips
I was so, so organised this week. Knowing I had a busy weekend and wouldn’t be home much I started my lunch preparation on Thursday. Then I had a big coking night on Friday. The result? A calm Monday with a nicely put together lunch. Clockwise from bot… Continue reading
Posted in midorigreen, vegan
Leave a comment
Something green – vegan mint choc chip ice cream
Summer might be packing its bags and leaving town but that no reason to think that the time for ice cream has gone.I made this delicious mint choc chip ice cream using a recipe from Mind Body Green. It’s vegan. It’s full of lovely things like banana, a… Continue reading
Posted in midorigreen, vegan
Leave a comment
Things I Love Thursday – embracing autumn
Walking to work along the river – because it looks so lovely. It’s also good to note the seasonal changes day by day, observe the ducks, and reflect on how the river would have been such a central part of the town in the past. Given how well trafficked the footpath is I can only conclude that this is still the case.
Changing up my morning routine – because September is that wonderful month for fresh starts, and making changes. Also because one of my changes is…
Getting out of bed when the alarm goes off – This makes me want to embrace the day while pressing snooze makes me want to avoid life. As a bonus I have more time to…
Dance – I’m doing a bit of burlesque in the morning (post yoga, pre-breakfast). Not only does this free up some evening time but makes me feel energetic. So lively and smug as outcomes! My heads is full of moves at the moment. I’m learning new routines for October Cabaret and choreographing a couple of things for Hogswatch.
Cooking fresh food as I buy it – I’ve been inspired by the Everlasting meal and have started cooking immediately vegetables that would either require cooking before consumption or that I would be likely to cook before eating. As a result I always have a fridge full of food that is ready to go. There’s also added incentive to use the vegetables up. Evening meals suddenly seem to require less planning.
Other stuff – nettle tea – great books – a cosy chair to read in – the positive effects of lots of sleep – sunshine.
Wishing you all things green,
Annastasia
Posted in midorigreen, vegan
Leave a comment
What’s in my lunch box? The time has come at
I came across a recipe for a salad with lentils and stone fruit earlier in the summer, and have been waiting for the moment stone fruits came into season to spring into action. Yes, I’ve made my usual substitutions (particularly in the dressing) but think I stay close enough. I even did the onion pickling, which proved to be quick and easy, and definitely worth it.
From bottom left:
Lentil and stone fruit salad – based on a recipe from PPK. Spinach, rocket, Cos lettuce, red onion, green lentils, and greengages with a dressing made from rice vinegar, mustard powder, olive oil, dried onion, garlic powder, and a little salt and pepper.
Apple and blackberry crumble
To read – More adventures of Ms Stackhouse in Dead as a doornail by Charlaine Harris
Tomatoes – a mix of market bought and home grown.
Wishing you all things green,
Annastasia
Posted in midorigreen, vegan
Leave a comment
Where to find me online – August 2013
I’ve started contributing the Project Pin Up blog. My first posts are about signatures style and how to develop your own.
Over at Ink drops I’ve blogged about my new typewriter, secret rooms and missing letters, and clearing out your pencil case.
And finally I visited the Videopia lorry at the Reading festival and had a go at taking part in one of their mini remakes. Watch me attempt to master an American accent in my starring role as Marty McFly in Back to the future…
Wishing you all things green,
Annastasia
Posted in midorigreen
Leave a comment
What’s in my lunch box? Post Reading
.JPG)
I was beautifully organised for the Reading Festival. I’d purchased my tickets well in advance. I’d coordinated transportation of the required camping equipment across our party. I’d bought Melissa boots in case the site was muddy. I’d washed my hoodie and dug out my ‘festival clothes’. I’d made a list of bands I wanted to see. I’d packed vegan food should the onsite offering disappointed (it didn’t but I never did find the vegan chocolate brownies which were supposed to be on offer).So I had a splendid weekend watching bands I knew , discovering new ones, taking part in a mini remake of Back to the future with Videopia, drinking cups of tea under the stars, and noting with delight the makeover the female urinal area has been given (hello spotty curtains, fake grass, flowers and a general air of luxury). I delivered chums home on Monday. Ensured the tent was airing and got my kit put away in no time.
What I had totally failed to do in all my planning was make any arrangement for my lunchbox for the following week. In fact I patted myself on the back before leaving for running down supplies of fresh food.
But there’s always something lurking in my pantry, fridge or freezer. Plans to turn a stale baguette (I failed to put it in the freezer before departing) into vegan French toast reminded me of the wonder that is gram flour. So I grabbed a chunk of onion, rescued some wilting greens, dug out some recently frozen sweet corn, and stuck them in a frying pan with some oil (the dregs of various bottles – I really need to go shopping). Then I mixed some gram flour with water and salt and tipped it into the pan.
You never know quite how a batter with a random and unknown flour to liquid ratio will turn out. This wasn’t quite up to pancake standard but it did produce some chunks/balls. They worked perfectly well by themselves, but as the week has progressed I’ve also enjoyed them with pasta, and wrapped in Cos lettuce leaves. A handful of greengages followed up (finally made it to the market) and The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey (so gripping I couldn’t sleep) went alongside.
I’ve added ‘food for return’ to my planning list for future festivals.
Posted in midorigreen, vegan
Leave a comment
What’s in my lunchbox? Dio Loso Qua
.JPG)
In The Constant Mistress by Angela Lambert, Laura is teased about the habits of bachelor girls and asked if it’s her turn to cook the spag bog. She responds that it’s actually Dio loso qua on the menu. Apparently it’s Sicilian for ‘god knows what’.
This recipe was pretty much anything I had in the fridge mixed up together in a frying pan. So some Mexican millet, roast aubergine, cooked runner beans, cooked potatoes, tofu, cooked peas, a chunk of vegan bratwurst, onions, garlic powder, and possibly a mystery ingredient or two. It tasted very good. Enough for me to want to try this approach more often.
I served with some tomatoes and Balzac’s The Girl with Golden eyes for a truly magnificent lunch.
Posted in midorigreen
Leave a comment
What’s in my lunchbox? V Festival 2013
.JPG)
An excellent rule of thumb for the vegan on the move is to carry your own food. I was very happy that I had some mini Mexican millet pasties, and some tofu with me at the V Festival.
The food choices were on the narrow side if you weren’t keen on burgers, hot dogs, or hog roast. And the queues resembled a theme park. Even the water point had a long wait at one point.
On the plus side, there seemed to be fewer things thrown around in the crowd. Or fewer things that hit me anyway. And the weather was lovely.
There was also some fantastic music. On my highlights list were James, Paloma Faith, Idris Elba, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Tom Odell, Seasick Steve (with special guest John Paul Jones), Maximo Park, Of Monsters and Men, Labrinth, Stereophonics and Kings of Leon.
Posted in midorigreen
Leave a comment