I only cook when I'm in TX, apparently

I'm noticing that the only time I have cooked lately is when I'm in Texas. I guess living with a chef in Cali had something to do with that. Another large part is my Mama wanting to come up with new things I can eat. Mostly, it's because there aren't many food options in Texas. Expect more recipes coming up!

Here's the first meal I've made so far.

Tomato sauce

(Here's the recipe for the sauce)

Grilled onions

Baked chicken and squash

All of the above over brown rice noodles

You Are What You Eat

This article hit home for me in multiple ways.

See, I grew up in The South. And in The South, we love our chicken sandwiches. I ate Chick-fil-A multiple times a week (there was even one in my high school). And in the South, we love "traditional" values and we love Jesus. As a result, I was raised in an environment full of homophobes and extremely religious Evangelists. I was taught that Jesus loves everyone- but the environment in which I lived told a much different story: Jesus loves you, but not if you're gay. And actions speak so much louder than words. I also dressed as the Chick-fil-A cow on a couple different occasions, and my Dad and I used to collect their cow kid's meal prizes.

I loved Chick-fil-A. I'm not gonna lie, just thinking about their waffle fries and bbq sauce is making my mouth water. My Mama warned me about the Devil's temptations! There were Sundays that I was bummed they were closed, but I understood. When you grow up in The Bible Belt, many businesses observed the "day of rest." As a youth, I had no idea that when I ate at Chick-fil-A I was swallowing hatred.

I've known for several years now that Chick-fil-A was "against civil rights for LGBT individuals and have even discouraged anti-bullying campaigns that seek to prevent LGBT teens from taking their own lives" and I have been vocal about why I don't eat there, before (I know I can't eat there now, anyway, but I wouldn't even if I could).

I'm glad this topic is coming up again and is becoming more well known, garnering widespread press when before there were only rumblings among the LGBTQ community. Do I think that by not eating there, I will change their stance? No. Do I think that writing this, sharing that article, or telling people that Chick-fil-A is homophobic will discourage others from eating there? Maybe. Do I think it's important to bring things like this up, so that people can be aware of what they're supporting? Yes.

I didn't choose to be Gay. I also didn't choose where I was born or how I was raised. But, I do have a choice in the kind of person I am and what I put my time and energy toward. In the last two years this has become more important to me than ever. It takes so much effort to hate others, and it poisons your own soul. Life is so, so short and I just don't have the time or energy to spend on hating anyone, especially for who they were born to be. I choose to love them, instead.

"Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us." -V For Vendetta

My integrity is worth more than a chicken sandwich. You are what you eat, afterall...

Compliments of the chef

I went to TX, and didn't starve!

Growing up in the grand ole state of Texas, my diet consisted primarily of beef, dairy, casseroles, and baked goods. I thought guacamole came from a packet of powder that you mixed with water. Vegetables came from a can or a freezer bag. I had never had hummus, avocado, Thai food, or brown rice. I didn't know what gluten or Vegan meant. I had heard myths of Vegetarians or Lactose-Intolerant people existing, but like Sasquatch, had never actually caught sight of one. My brain wouldn't have been able to comprehend cheese coming from cashews or milk from rice. Most of my meals came from a drive-thru or a mircowave tray.

Five years ago I moved to California, and was exposed to a world of organic, free-range, fresh foods. I explored Farmer's Markets, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. I learned how to use a rice cooker and how to steam vegetables. I introduced edamame, tofu, and kale to my vocabulary and my palate. I stopped microwaving things. I fell in love with Thai, Mediterranean, hummus, Agave, and goat cheeses. I traded in Guiness, Bud Light, and Keystone for Fat Tire, Stella, and PBR. I still ate a LOT of dairy and baked goods. I went home to Texas for barbeque every chance I had.

I used to plan my trips home based on what and when I would eat. Breakfast at Cracker Barrel, followed by lunch at La Madeline's, topped off with dinner at Spring Creek Barbeque. I planned my life around The Texas State Fair and made sure I would be home during the winter months when Blue Bell puts out its peppermint ice cream. Life was simple. Life was grand. Life was about to take a backflip.

After I was diagnosed, I didn't go back to Texas for two whole years. Why bother? I wasn't allowed to eat anything! My sister had to go and get pregnant to get me to come back. Smart move, Sis! Oh, and there was that whole recovering from surgery thing, too...

While I was home for nearly three weeks, I was certain I would starve to death or be living on almonds and carrots which is usually what happens when I travel. This time, I learned a Whole Foods has opened near where my parents live, so we took a family excursion over there. Minds and wallets were blown, interesting stocking stuffers for the whole family were acquired, and Bren-friendly food was found. My Mama made it her mission to ensure I wouldn't starve, bringing me something to eat approximately every 27 minutes:

Fried egg, bok choy, tomato, brown rice, black beans with corn


Rice crackers, cucumber, hummus


Black beans and corn, chicken, rice noodles


Fresh raspberries


Stir fry


And of course, there were the pancakes that she perfected the recipe for!

She even packed my lunch when a friend picked me up so I could visit another friend in the hospital. (That's almond butter in the container, btw)


I was even so nice as to decorate cookies for my family, (while elevating my foot, no small feat). I think my tears added something extra special to the taste.





Much to my surprise, Texas and my Mama did me well.

Whatever I Feel Like, Gah!

A few people have asked why I haven't been posting recipes. Well, I haven't made anything new in a long time. Partly because I'm lazy, partly because I live with a chef who cooks for me, and largely because I got tired of if.

I make the same things repeatedly and eat large quantities of raw veggies, so there's not much to report.

These are pretty standard meals for me:

Turkey, corn, & broccolini



Quinoa, broccolini, & chicken with red onions & garlic



Egg whites with avocado and tomato



Lettuce with hummus, tomato, black beans, & onions



Quinoa, carrots, zucchini, & bell pepper

Enslaved by ensalada

I eat a lot of salad these days. That's an understatement. Have you ever eaten salad without dressing? Right, why would any mentally intact person choose to eat rabbit food without some sort of buffer. Enter me: I have no choice. Ugh.

So I've had to come up with some alternatives...

Quinoa with black beans, chives and corn atop chopped cabbage soaked in sea-salt water.



Shelled pumpkin seeds, soaked with rosemary and sprinkled with sea-salt on cabbage drizzled in olive oil and lime juice.



Assorted greens with avocado, pear and slivered almonds.




"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” -Edward de Bono

Shameless Plug

This is my cousin-in-law Ryan Farr:



He owns 4505 Meats:



I can't eat anything they sell, but YOU can! He's at The Ferry Building Thursdays 10am-2pm and Saturdays 8am-2pm, or you can order online here.

He made me some really good chicken and veggies at his house, which I took a picture of and then accidentally deleted (of course).

Spaghetti squash, round two

Spaghetti squash
Green pepper
Red pepper
Red onion
4 large tomatoes
Vegetable broth
Glass dish
Large skillet/pan
2 avocados
Lemon juice
Garlic

From top left, across:
-Cook & prepare spaghetti squash
-Chop a green pepper, a red pepper and a red onion
-Bake peppers and onion with chicken breasts doused in vegetable broth for 30 minutes on 350
-Chop tomatoes and saute in large pan
-Remove chicken from other dish, chop and add to tomatoes, cook for a few minutes while stirring
-Yes, we used that many knives...
-Combine peppers, onion and a few cloves of chopped garlic to pan then dole out ontop of squash
-Leftovers were used the following night for some lettuce wraps at a party. Zucchini was steamed, chopped and added. Guacamole was made with 2 mashed avocados, some chopped garlic and a squirt of lemon juice
-I needed another pic to round out the grid, so here's me in my party dress

Come on baby, light my fire

I haven't spent much time with friends since getting sick. This is largely because I was either on my death-bed; because my immune system was too low to be around large groups of people; because I was feeling sorry for myself and the fact that everyone else would be eating/drinking when I couldn't; because I didn't want people to know what was going on with me; and because I've been going to bed by 8pm. Last night I broke my social dry-spell and hung out with a great group of people at a bonfire on Ocean Beach. It was the best time I've had in a really long time. I really needed to be around good people and have my spirit lifted.

I missed out on the s'mores my friends and the 75 Brazillian kids mowed through, but I did make some choice kabobs (minus that one that fell in the sand, and that other one that got charred).



In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -Albert Schweitzer

"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu..."

This is what I ate on the 4th, when I was mourning the fact that I wasn't gorging on brisket:

Chicken breasts, yellow squash, chopped red onion, pressed garlic and orange bell peppers splashed with rice milk(I didn't have Dr approved olive oil with me) and a dash of ground cinnamon. Baked on 350 for 40 min(flipping chicken halfway through). It wasn't BBQ, but it was a tolerable substitute. I'll def be making this again.

Attention friends: Please note, if you go out to eat with me, and you ask me whether you should get a salad or chili cheese fries, I will demand you get the fries and also a milkshake to wash it down, as witnessed tonight. *Cue Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying...*

If I can't eat it then you'd damned well better! I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not only going to enjoy living vicariously through my friends' eating habits, but also watching them get fat as I wither away. Happy eating y'all.

Wait, you mean to tell me I was allowed to eat that all along?!

-In case you were wondering, Vegas has two Whole Foods and three Trader Joe's...and most of the people who live there have no idea that Trader Joe's is a grocery store.

In case you were wondering further, The Bellagio Cafe has Organic, Free Range Chicken and steamed veggie options.

In case you were wondering even more, they sell raw, unsalted almonds in the airport.

You're welcome.

-I managed to turn a picky-eating, non-healthy eating friend(who asks not to be named as to preserve her reputation) onto hummus. I found this exciting and fabulous up until realizing I am now going to become one of those Health-Preaching Hippies.

*My. Nose. Didn't. Get. Horribly. Burned. (Don't ask me about my thighs or chest if you know what's good for you)

-In other news: My roommate made barley last night and I tried it for the first time. I was cleared on this grain over a week ago, but having no idea how to procure or perpare it, I'd been holding off...A somewhat different experience from when they cleared me on oats and I ate 4 bowls that day(that's oats + water, plain, if you're wondering, and it was one of the best days of my life)

*I also learned that I AM allowed to have cashews, when all this time I thought I wasn't allowed. Vegan cashew cheese here I come!

Pumpkin Chicken Chili

2 zucchini
3 celery stalks
2 chicken breasts
2c (or one can) black or red beans
1c (or 1/2 can) pure pumpkin
1 yellow onion
1 red onion
chili powder
olive oil



-Cut onions in half and place face down, with chicken in a glass dish. Cover onions, chicken and bottom of dish with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, turning chicken over at 20 minutes
-Chop, then steam celery and zucchini
-Heat beans in boiling water and drain
-After cooked and somewhat cooled, chop chicken and onions
-Combine celery, zucchini, chicken and onions with beans
-Add pumpkin
-Season with chili powder to taste

*Optional- I put my chili onto romaine lettuce and topped with plain Greek yogurt to make a taco-esque option.

I came up with this on my own and I'm kinda proud of myself :)