Getting Crazy in the Kitch'

Good day. It's Monday. I don't want to talk about it, but it's almost done.

I woke up feeling like I was beaten mercilessly with a baseball bat. Perhaps I was...I'm looking at you, Timmy.

I have some extraordinary news: we got a dishwasher, yo! I'm so fucking pumped about it. It's borderline obscene.

glorious.

I love it. The dogs, not so much. It's my suspicion that they think the dishwasher is in cahoots with the vacuum. So far, I have yet to witness any collaboration between the two. If you ask Loxley, he's convinced that the dishwasher is the hissing, gurgling cohort of the loud, scary vacuum. I would feel bad for him, but it's just too stinkin cute.

Moving on...it's been awhile since you've heard from me. I've been told that absence makes the heart grow fonder, so hopefully you're feeling very fond of me. I know how I feel about you [wink, wink]. I'm sure you've been up to super fun, super Fallish things. I've been slightly less exciting and more domestic: cleaning, cooking, baking, laundering [clothes, not money].

Here are a few recipes that I find to be rather stellar and I think you should try them immediately:

Veggie Chili [adapted from a meat-based crockpot recipe]. In the effort of full disclosure, I should warn you that you'll have the most hellacious gas ever but it's totally worth it. Trust me.

Cowboy Casserole...stop laughing. It's a crockpot recipe I found online so I can't be held responsible for calling it Cowboy Casserole. It's hearty and homey; perfect for a cold, rainy day!

I forgot to take pictures of the chili and the casserole [I know, I know. I'm the worst.] It's just that they are so delicious, I couldn't stop eating them long enough to take a picture.

I did remember to visually log these little babies:

One Bite Fudge Cookies, adapted from Oh She Glows, obvi. Why adapt anything she makes? Simply to avoid using the tortillas because those little bitches are impossible to stuff into a mini cupcake tin. Annnnnnd I thought I'd cut out some of the carbs by not using them. Less frustration and slightly less fat ass. Win-win.

I decided to put the fudge in cupcake wrappers and let them chill in the freezer as per Oh She Glows' recipe. I also made the Chocolate Chip "cookie" dough dip and put that on top. It's incredible that its main ingredient is potatoes, and it tastes like cookie dough!!! The consistency is a little different, but once it's chilled, it's much more comparable.

I also have a huge confession to make. I've been falling off the vegan wagon like a god damn junkie. I was doing really well at first, but my resolve is reaching its limits. I've decided to try having a cheat meal each week to see if that helps keep me on track until I get over my weakening discipline. I ALWAYS feel like complete shit when I eat dairy and meat, but I keep coming back for more.

I know I can man up and go meatless, no problem but being vegan is so much harderrrrrr. My new goal [so I don't continuously fall into a shame spiral] is to be vegetarian 4-5 days of the week and vegan for 2-3 days. I had also considered going meal-by-meal like two meals a day are vegan and 1 is just vegetarian, but that seems to be too many steps in the wrong direction. I don't know which would work best, but I'll try the day-by-day approach first. You're supposed to take things one day at a time, right?