Favorites from the 2014 Virtual Vegan Potluck

As always, this past weekend’s Virtual Vegan Potluck was a ton of fun, with so many tantalizing dishes and beautiful photos to peruse!

It’s an honor to participate but selfishly I also LOVE the VVP because I always discover so many new blogs and come away with dozens of new, amazing recipes to try!  In case you didn’t have a chance to browse the 85+ dishes that were presented this weekend, I’ve collected some of my personal favorites for your viewing pleasure.  It was tough but I narrowed it down to two from each course (except in courses with less than seven submissions, in which case I chose only one favorite).

Please note that all photos are the property of the bloggers whose dishes they show.  I am reposting them ONLY so that you can appreciate the talent and hard work of the bloggers, and in the hope that you will give them a visit to check out the recipes for yourself!

Appetizers
Lemon-Thyme Polenta Bites with Arugula Pesto and Mushrooms from Seasonal Veg Head
Vegan Dilled Ceviche from Veggie Inspired

Beverages
Festive Spiced Tahini Hot Chocolate from Bunny Kitchen
Cranberry-Grapefruit White Wine Spritzer from Glue and Glitter

Salads
Tropical Fruit Salad with Raspberry Dressing from Parsley in my Teeth
Rosemary Infused Grapefruit and Kale Salad from The Glowing Fridge

Breads 
Rosemary and Meyer Lemon Focaccia from Yup, It’s Vegan

Soups/Stews
Creamy Lemon Asparagus Soup from Helyn’s Healthy Kitchen

Sides
Lentil Sweet Potato Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette and Crispy Shallots from Veganizzm
Cranberry Pomegranate Pear Sauce from A Journey with Tiffany

Mains
Mushroom Duxelle Ravioli in Cashew Cream Sauce from Astig Vegan
Seitan Marbella from Fried Dandelions

Desserts (aside from my own Spiced Maple Butternut Crisp of course!)
Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Truffle Tart from My Darling Vegan
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Pretzel Frosting from Veggies Don’t Bite
Lemon Curd Tiramisu from Marfigs’ Munchies

Okay…I couldn’t pick just two desserts…

Another VVP in the books.  Now, off I go to get started on recreating some of these delights!

Virtual Vegan Potluck: Spiced Maple Butternut Crisp

Welcome!  I hope you’re enjoying the December 2014 Virtual Vegan Potluck so far.  Thanks for stopping by A. Cook in the Making!

For the dessert course of this year’s VVP, I’m bringing a Spiced Maple Butternut Crisp.

Featuring tastes and aromas that evoke late autumn and the holidays, this not-too-sweet dessert is warm and familiar but still a little unique.  Plus, you can feel good about eating it because it’s technically made from a vegetable 🙂  Leftovers heat up very well and make a terrific breakfast too!

Spiced Maple Butternut Crisp
Vegan, dairy-free, soy-free; gluten-free option
Serves 8-12

Ingredients
For squash:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled well and sliced into thin half moons (think apple slices)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablepoons Earth Balance buttery spread (optional…use soy-free blend if necessary)

For topping:
1/3 cup flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
1 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free if needed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or Earth Balance

For serving:
Non-dairy vanilla ice cream (I use So Delicious Vanilla Bean coconut ice cream and it is divine)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9 x 11 baking dish and set aside.

Place butternut squash slices in a large bowl.  Add cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and stir until well coated.  Add mixture to prepared baking dish.  At this point, if you wish, add Earth Balance on top, like so:

To make the topping, combine all ingredients and stir until well incorporated.  Spread evenly over squash mixture.  Cover baking dish with tin foil, poke a few holes in the top with a fork, then place in the oven and bake for 40-60 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.

To serve: I recommend stirring this before serving, because a lot of the sweet gooey stuff tends to collect around the bottom.  Once stirred, place in a bowl, top with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!

If you would like a sweeter crisp: sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup of granulated sugar over the crisp while still warm and stir to incorporate.

To move on in the potluck and see what dessert Apsara has brought, follow this link to Eating Well Diary.

To go back and revisit Koren and Alana’s submission, follow this link to She Makes Magic.

Happy Potlucking!

Simple Soup-Making & Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup with Kale (in a Bread Bowl!)

I lurrve me some soup. I could eat soup every day of the year, no matter the season. And I’ll tell you, making a tasty soup at home is incredibly simple.

There are approximately 69084023948 amazing vegan soup recipes available on the web, and even more in cookbooks. I’ll admit though that sometimes I’m too lazy to follow a recipe for soup or to shop for ingredients. This is where it comes in handy to know a few basics for throwing together a delectable liquid dinner from whatever you happen to have lying around.

Almost all vegetables (except for maybe like, iceberg lettuce) can go into a soup. So if you find yourself with a surplus of carrots, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, squash–really anything!–a soup is an easy, tasty, and cost-effective way to use it up.

Every soup follows the same basic formula: saute some onion and garlic (in either water or olive oil, depending on your preference), then add broth and beans/veggies/grains/potatoes and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until everything is tender. At this point you can puree, or just eat it as is. If using grains or leafy green veggies in a pureed soup, you’ll want to puree first and add these ingredients last.

It’s really that simple!

Here it is broken down for you mathematical types:
Pureed or “creamy” soup = ([sauteed onion + garlic] + broth + beans and/or potatoes) + blender  <–adding other veggies is optional but encouraged!
Brothy soup: = (sauteed onion + garlic) + broth + vegetables and/or grains

Broth can be actual storebought or homemade broth, or it can be water + bouillon, or it can be just plain water (though if you’re going with plain water, be prepared to add some serious seasonings to avoid blandness).  You can also sub in part of the broth in a recipe for another liquid like soy milk or canned coconut milk for extra richness.

Here is an example of the formula in action: Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup with Kale that I threw together last night from stuff I had in the house.

This recipe is probably quite similar to the White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup from Vegan With a Vengeance as well as the Roasted Garlic White Bean & Kale Soup from the Domestic Vegan blog (which sadly no longer exists). I’ve made both recipes dozens of times and it’s extremely likely that they sub-consciously informed my soup-making, so I just want to make sure I give credit where credit is due.

Ingredients
2 bulbs roasted garlic (see note)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cups broth
3 cups (1 large can) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chopped kale
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional add-ins: nutritional yeast, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, other spices and seasonings (see note)

Directions
Follow the formula! The only difference here is that you don’t have to saute your garlic because it’s already roasted. So:

1) Saute the onion until softened.
2) Add broth and beans. Bring to a boil then back down to simmer for about 10 minutes.
3) Puree the soup (or lightly blend to keep some texture, if you like it a bit chunkier).
4) Add kale and stir until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. It’s ready to serve!

Note on roasting garlic: Simply stick 2 bulbs of garlic in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes and forget about them while you do other stuff. Let them cool a bit (about 10 minutes is usually enough time) and then squeeze or peel to remove the roasted cloves.

Note on seasonings: Isa uses sage and a bay leaf in her white bean soup, and Domestic Vegan used rosemary, crushed fennel seeds, and a bay leaf in hers. All of these flavors are amazing and I encourage you to use them if you have them (1 tsp each if using dried; 1 tbsp if fresh…add them with the broth and beans in step 2 so the flavors have time to infuse the soup). Just make sure you remove the bay leaf before blending!

Oh, and about those bread bowls…

I buy the smallest-sized boules I can find (Trader Joe’s usually has them but I found these at my local Stop & Shop yesterday) and use Chloe Coscarelli’s method to prepare them–cut off the top and scoop out the inside, then brush the inside with olive oil (to keep soup from leaking out), and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Use the extra bread for dipping (like you needed me to tell you that!).

More simple soup recipes:
Easiest Lentil Soup
Sunshine Soup (a brothy soup that I also pureed because I’m a rebel like that)

I’m also submitting this soup to this week’s Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck!

Chili Lime Corn on the Cob: A Simply Perfect Snack or Side

I’m not sure why, but up until last year I had never cooked my own corn on the cob. I guess maybe I thought it was hard or took a long time, but boy was I wrong.

Bottom line: if you can boil water, you can cook corn on the cob.

Here are the steps:

• Bring a large pot of UNSALTED water to a boil.
• De-husk the corn cobs and place them in the water.
• Leave them there until the water starts to boil again (this takes maybe 2 minutes tops). [Note: if you want it a little softer and less al dente, give it an additional minute in the boiling water.]
• As soon as the water is boiling again, remove the corn with tongs.
• Season to taste and eat, typewriter-style.

[Source]

That’s it!

My absolute favorite flavor right now is Chili Lime Corn on the Cob. To make, just spread a pat of Earth Balance over the still-warm corn, then add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a generous couple of dashes of mild chili powder (or for an incredible kick, try a spice mixture like Slap Ya Mama). Toss to coat evenly, and enjoy. My mouth is watering just thinking about it…

This is so quick and fail-proof that I’ve recently taken to eating a piece of corn as a snack when I get home from work. It also makes a fantastic side to pretty much any dinner entree. Right now is the time to enjoy sweet end-of-summer corn, so don’t delay!

I’m also sharing this delicious corn dish in this week’s Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck–check it out!

Berry Lemonade Smoothie

Thirsty?  This ultra-refreshing, sweet, summery smoothie is just what the doctor ordered.

In honor of the 5th Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck, I present one of my new favorites: a Berry Lemonade Smoothie.

Serves 1

Ingredients
1 cup lemonade (I used Newman’s Own diet lemonade)
Generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries (can also use frozen)
5 fresh mint leaves
Agave nectar or other natural sweetener to taste

Directions
Blend first 5 ingredients together until smooth.  Taste and add sweetener if necessary (it may be tart depending on the lemonade you use and the sweetness of your fruit).

Drink up and enjoy!!!

Neat Fiesta Rollups

If you follow me on social media, you may already know that I took a brief hiatus from blogging over the past week and a half following the sudden passing of our beloved cat, Marty.  I wouldn’t say that things are back to “normal,” but they are certainly getting better.  Most importantly, Stewie seems to be doing remarkably well in his adjustment to life as a single cat.   Thanks to those who have offered support and condolences during this difficult time.

I’m back today for the fourth installment of the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck with some delicious Fiesta Rollups made with Neat.

Neat is a meat substitute made from pecans, garbanzo beans, cornmeal, and spices.  Its texture goes perfectly in these pinwheels but if you don’t have any, you can simply leave it out.

Neat Fiesta Rollups
Serves 3-4 as an appetizer

Ingredients
1 lavash (I used Arnold’s brand)
3/4 cup vegetarian refried beans, warmed
3/4 cup prepared Neat (I used the Mexican Mix variety)
1/2 cup salsa (I used Tostitos medium chunky)
1/4 of a fresh avocado, finely sliced
1/4 of a fresh red bell pepper (about 1/2 cup), chopped and lightly sauteed

Directions
Prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time.

The assembly for these is akin to your basic pinwheel: Lay the lavash out on a flat surface.  Spread the refried beans evenly over the entire lavash.  Then, start to roll and layer.  You do this by starting at one end of the lavash and adding a line of a given ingredient, then rolling it again, adding another ingredient, and so forth until your entire lavash is rolled.

Mine went: Neat, avocado, salsa, bell pepper, avocado, Neat.

Then, slice the lavash roll crosswise to make your pinwheels!  Super-easy, and super-adaptable–use whatever ingredients you have on hand.

P.S. – My omnivore husband loved these too!  And he is not into the meat “substitutes,” believe me.

Summer Strawberry Arugula Salad with Maple Lime Vinaigrette

Hey there!  Hope everyone is having a great week–it’s already more than halfway over!

For the second installment of the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck, I’m sharing yet another fabulous and simple way to enjoy summer produce.  Feel free to substitute whatever greens and fruit are abundant and tasty right now where you live–the sweet, tangy dressing goes with pretty much everything!

Ingredients
For the dressing
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. maple syrup
3/4 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
dash of salt and pepper

For the salad
6-10 strawberries depending on size, sliced (about 3/4 cup) (or blueberries or other delicious seasonal fruit)
3 cups arugula (or spinach or other green)
5-6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (use more if you love fresh basil like I do!)
1/2 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts (walnuts or almonds would also be great)

Directions
Whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.  Combine salad ingredients, tossing until well combined, then add dressing and chow down!

 

Unfortunately I am still having issues with WordPress, so my posting has continued to be limited.  I’ve learned that it may have something to do with computer system updates (??), which unfortunately are out of my control, but I’m hopeful for a resolution at some point in the near future.

In the meantime I’ve been *trying* to be more active on Twitter, Instagram, etc., just so that you all know I’m still alive!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

I Love Goats, and Potlucks

Hello friends!  So even though I am still basking in the awesomeness of Virtual Vegan Potluck, I figured it was time to post again so I can share a little bit about the day that H and I had at the animal sanctuary.

But first of all…seriously, how awesome was VVP?!  I lost count of the number of new-to-me blogs I discovered and incredible recipes I bookmarked.  Huge props to Annie of An Unrefined Vegan for coming up with such a fantastic idea, and for being willing to put in the immense amount of work it takes to organize it.

Anyway, as I mentioned last week, the day after the Virtual Potluck, H and I went to a real-life potluck at Sunny Meadow Sanctuary in central Massachusetts.  Before the potluck though, we spent several hours working around the farm. 

It was a grey fall day, a little chilly but not terribly cold, with a few spots of rain.  I was bundled up to begin with, but quickly shed layers as we began working hard!   First, we cleaned out the goat barn, removing all of the soiled bedding and hay, sweeping, and replacing it with fresh shavings.  This required several trips across the farm to empty our wheelbarrows on the manure pile.

 We also cleaned out the goats’ water buckets and gave them fresh hay and water.  Once the goat barn was clean, H and I took a short break to walk around and see some of the animals.  I felt so peaceful seeing them out in the pastures, just enjoying life, free from the horror, noise, and filth of a commercial “farm.”

Afterwards, we visited the pigs and helped to clean up their pasture area.  And then, I got to play with goats!!!

Anyone who knows me knows that I seriously love goats.  I have always thought they were such funny, mischievous, intelligent creatures, but now I think I love them even more!  The five young male goats at Sunny Meadow are some of the sweetest animals I’ve ever met.  The pictures show me hanging out with one named Alex, but all of them were equally affectionate, leaning right into you to let you scratch them behind the ears or tilting their heads up to nuzzle you.  Oh my God, I had so much fun hanging out with the goats on Sunday! 🙂

Anyway once darkness had fallen and the work was done, it was time to feast!

My plate included a big helping of a delicious salad made with lots of fresh parsley, marinated tofu cubes from Whole Foods cold bar, an absolutely incredible quinoa and bean salad, mashed spiced sweet potatoes (from a Veganomicon recipe, I’m told), a two-bean salad (chickpeas and green beans), Tofurkey roast with wild rice stuffing and gravy, and toasted baguette slices.  I had seconds and thirds of the mashed sweet potatoes…they were incredible!

There was also a really delicious split pea soup, plus the dish that I brought, which I somehow failed to photograph (derp).  I made Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry from Veganomicon, though I had to take some serious ingredients liberties.  I’m happy to report though that it was very well received 🙂

Overall it was just a really nice day, and a great chance to meet some big-hearted people trying to do some good for the animals.

So now I have officially kicked off the season of cooking stuff to share with other people.  It’s important to me that I share really high-quality, well-prepared vegan food when serving to an omnivore crowd.

This Thursday night is my work holiday party (super-early, I know!) and because I feel confident that there will be nothing vegan to eat, I am going to make at least two appetizers and at least one (but more likely two) dessert to bring along.

The first appetizer I’m going to make is this super-simple Chipotle White Bean Dip using as a base the recipe from the Plant Based on a Budget blog, which I like to tweak by adding additional spices and lime juice.  Click here to see the original recipe.

The other is going to be the Spinach Artichoke Dip with Garlic Cashew Cream that Glue and Glitter shared in the Virtual Vegan Potluck (click for recipe).  And for dessert, I have options, options, options!  The one that’s jumping out the most at the moment is Chloe Coscarelli’s Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies (click for recipe), but I’m also weighing some peanut butter and chocolate concoctions, because those always seem to go over well.

AND I have to make a decision ASAP about what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner next week, both for sharing with omnis and for my own dinner.  Same deal with Christmas dinner a few weeks later!

Finally, I just found out today that there is a Thanksgiving themed vegan potluck coming up this weekend, followed by a tour of another animal sanctuary, Maple Farm Sanctuary in Mendon, Massachusetts.  Not sure if I’m going to be able to get to that one but man does it sound fun.

Whew! It’s time to start making some lists.  🙂

Virtual Vegan Potluck: Beet ‘n’ Bella Carpaccio

Welcome, and thanks for stopping by!

I am so excited to be participating in the VVP today, and am bringing an appetizer to share.  Not just any appetizer, but a beautiful perfect-for-fall Beet ‘n’ Bella Carpaccio!

Beets are the featured ingredient for this installment of the VVP, and since I absolutely love them I decided I’d commit to using them in my appetizer creation.  I’m so glad I did!

This appetizer (it’s sort of a salad too, I suppose) is served cold.  Enjoy the earthy flavors melded with the tanginess of the lemon juice, sweet acidity of the balsamic vinegar, fresh bitter bite of the arugula, and creamy crunch of toasted pinenuts.

Here’s how you make it:

Beet ‘n’ Bella Carpaccio – Vegan and Gluten-free
Serves 3-6 as an appetizer (you’ll want to make a lot more if you’re bringing it to a real potluck!)
Active time: 15 minutes
Inactive time: 20 inactive
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1 large red beet, peeled and trimmed
1 large portabello mushroom cap
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus (optional) more for drizzling
2 tsp. tamari
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tsp. lemon zest (about 2 lemons–zest before juicing!)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, chopped
1/2-1 cup baby arugula
1 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
Slice the beet and mushroom cap as thinly as possible.  (I do not have a mandoline so I did this by [very carefully] cutting on the bias with a sharp knife.)

Make the marinade by combining the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, tamari, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, and rosemary in a small bowl.

Place beet slices in a shallow dish and mushroom slices in another shallow dish.  Divide marinade over both dishes and swirl around a little, making sure the beets and mushrooms are mostly covered.  Let marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

While the beets and mushrooms marinate, wash and dry the arugula, then prepare your plate by adding a thin drizzle of olive oil (I used a garlic-infused variety) and then laying the arugula over it.

When the beets and mushrooms have finished marinating, remove the individual slices, shake off the marinade a little, and then lay them one by one on your serving plate, alternating beets and mushrooms.

Garnish with pine nuts, salt, and pepper.  Serve chilled.

Recipe Note: When prepared according to this recipe, the beets remain pretty crunchy.  If you would like them to be more tender, simply increase their marinating time, which will give the acids in the vinegar and lemon juice a chance to break them down more.  I’d guess you could leave them in the marinade as long as overnight.  I wouldn’t leave the mushrooms in for more than an hour, though.

Variations:
1) Try subbing orange juice and zest for the lemon.
2) Try grilling the beets and mushrooms before plating.

Enjoy!

To see what Radhika is serving over at Tickling Palates, click the icon below:

To go back and see what Ketty at Luminous Vegans has brought, click the icon below:

Or click here to start at the very beginning of the potluck!

An Apple a Day, Vegan Potlucks, and More!

Woo hoo, it’s Friday!!  Gotta love a shortened work week.  I’ve also been extremely productive this week, both in the office and out, which for me always makes time go by more quickly.

Also I have lots of fun stuff coming up!  Tomorrow is the Virtual Vegan Potluck and I am bringing an appetizer which incorporates the featured ingredient, beets!  Be sure to check in tomorrow to see what I made, and to check out all of the other incredible vegan goodness being brought by bloggers all over the world.

On Sunday, H and I are going to a real-life potluck at Sunny Meadow Sanctuary, an animal sanctuary in Central Mass.  It’s actually a “work day” and potluck, which means that we will be going over in the early afternoon to volunteer around the farm as needed for a few hours, followed by feasting.  I have been wanting to do this for SO long but something always comes up.  As for this weekend, the stars aligned: H and I are not out of town for the first time in months, and the Patriots aren’t playing on Sunday, so I’m finally going and am super-excited!!  I’ll try to get some good pictures while I’m there.  Now I just have to figure out what to bring…

I have a few other projects in the works that I’ll reveal in the next week or two.  But for now I just wanted to share a confession, which is that I’ve recently been eating an unholy amount of apples.

We may not be able to have avocados growing in our backyards (SoCal = SoJealous), but Massachusetts does manage produce apples that are absurdly delicious and plentiful all autumn long.  On the last day of our local farmer’s market, October 29, I bought around 20 lbs. of them.  My original intent was to wait until early December, then slow-cook them down into apple butter (Vanilla Rum Apple Butter, to be exact) to give to neighbors and co-workers as holiday gifts.  But…now I’m not sure that’s going to happen, because I’ve already eaten like half of them.

Mostly at breakfast time as Apple Butterballs (as I call them):

This involves slicing open an apple, scooping out the seeds, and then filling the remaining little well with raw almond butter (or any other kind of nut/seed butter).  Then you sprinkle it with cinnamon, put the apple back together, and wrap it in tin foil to bring to work for breakfast.

Sometimes when you unwrap the apple, you’ll find that the almond butter got a little gooey and melted out the end, but I don’t mind this.  I just scoop it off the tin foil and put it back on the apple when eating it. 🙂

I find the apple butterballs very filling, but for something even heartier, I go for an Apple Breakfast Sandwich:

You’ve got a toasted whole wheat English muffin, spread with raw almond butter and topped with hemp seeds and apple slices.

Sprinkle on cinnamon (always cinnamon. Always.):

And add a drizzle of agave, if you dare:

Try to tell me there’s something wrong with this and I’ll call you a liar!  At least I know I’m getting my apple a day. 🙂

Pile on the Miles Update: I hit my goal of 10 miles this week, but at this point I’m below where I should be at the halfway mark of the month (goal is 43 miles during this 30-day month and I’m at 17.25 as of the 15th), so I’ll probably try to get another 4-5 miles in tomorrow.  Yay for having a weekend where I’m not traveling and can stay home and actually do stuff I want to do!!!

Also, by some miracle, my running fitness has returned relatively quickly.  I did a really fun four-miler last night and it felt great the entire time.  That’s not to say I didn’t have some precarious moments.  As with many small New England towns founded in the 17th century, mine has a lot of trees.  Old trees.  With big roots that grow underneath and ripple the sidewalks.  Being accustomed to running and training in the spring/summer (read: with daylight), I didn’t realize how dark and poorly-lit parts of my town actually are, and how difficult that makes it to avoid the tree roots!  I might have to start wearing one of those silly-looking head lanterns, Ragnar-style:

(Just now realizing I wore that exact white longsleeve and reflective vest combo last night.  The headlamp would just totally complete the look.)

What should I bring to the Sunny Meadow potluck on Sunday? Any fun plans for the weekend?? Let me know in the comments!