VEGAN RECIPE REVIEW: Firecracker Tofu

This one is a doozy. I have to admit that while this recipe sounded absolutely delicious, I just hadn't made it because there are so many steps and so many dishes to clean. I love spicy food and today, I made time for ME--I really needed it. So, I spent a couple of hours(!) in the kitchen this evening, taking my time rather than rushing to get dinner ready for the family. (Jerry and Noah were working, and Eli had his girlfriend over--they usually get Qdoba.)

So, I finally decided to tackle this recipe without feeling rushed or pressured. I prepped everything before I actually started cooking, and I'm glad I did that. It was hard to keep track of all the ingredients and steps!

The recipe I chose to review is Firecracker Tofu from Vegan Travel Eats (I'll link to it again at the end of the post).

The ingredients: tofu, cornstarch, soy sauce, vegan mayo, soy milk, black pepper, light brown sugar, Franks Red Hot sauce, vegan butter, vegan Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. (Not mentioned in the ingredients list is oil for frying)

Whenever I use Worcestershire sauce, I can't help but think of this meme:

It's not even that funny, but I laugh every time!

Anyway, back to the recipe. This is a long one with lots of pictures.

First, I put some jasmine rice in the rice cooker so that it would be done when the tofu was ready.

I'd already pressed the tofu, so I just took that out of the fridge. I bought this tofu press on Amazon (affiliate link) because we eat so much tofu now and the press is so much more convenient than trying to use towels and heavy objects to press it. I cut the tofu into cubes and tossed with soy sauce and black pepper before setting it aside.

Then I mixed the Worcestershire, garlic powder, vinegar, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes in a little bowl to set aside.

Next, in a small sauce pan, I added the brown sugar, vegan butter, and and Franks Red Hot, cooking over medium heat until the butter was melted and brown sugar dissolved. 

Turn off heat, add the previous mixture to the pan, and then set the pan aside (that whole mixture makes up the Firecracker sauce).

Next, I got out two bowls: in one, I added the cornstarch; in the other, I combined the vegan mayo and soy milk.

From there, the recipe says to take a piece of tofu, toss it in the cornstarch, then dip it into the mayo mixture and set it on a clean plate. Repeat for all of the pieces of tofu. While I usually follow the recipe as written, I just couldn't fathom doing it one piece of tofu at a time. So I did a small handful at a time.

Those look like cookie dough bites in vanilla pudding or something, haha.

Once all of the pieces of tofu are coated (I forgot to take a pic), you heat a large pan and add 1/4 cup of oil. That seemed like a LOT of oil to me! If it had been on the ingredients list, I'm not sure I would have even made the recipe--I don't like to fry things in that much oil. But still, I followed the recipe. Once the oil is hot, you add the tofu pieces.

After cooking for a couple of minutes, you just stir them around to brown them a bit.

Then, you spray a baking pan with cooking spray and transfer the browned tofu to the pan. I cringed a little at the amount of oil in the pan and was tempted to lay paper towels down to absorb it, but I just used a slotted spatula and left as much oil in the frying pan as I could. You can see it's still pretty oily on the baking sheet.

After that, you pour the sauce over the tofu and stir it around to coat all the pieces.

Then, finally... FINALLY... I put it in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, I took it out to stir it up and I was a little shocked--it looked SO burnt to the pan that I thought the sauce would never come off.

It actually didn't stick like I thought it would (probably because of all the oil!) so I tossed it around with the spatula and stuck it back in the oven.

I baked it another 13 minutes (the recipe said 10-15, so I just chose 13). When I pulled it out, again, I was taken aback by how burnt the sauce looked in the pan. I got a phone call *right* when the timer had gone off, so I forgot to take a picture before stirring--but I thought for sure the pan was destroyed. After giving it a stir, I could see it wasn't burnt--it was very, very sticky, though.

I tasted a piece and expected firecrackers to go off in my mouth, but I found it to be a little bland--which was a bummer. However, I added a little salt and stirred it up again, and that made all the difference! It was delicious. I put it over some jasmine rice in a bowl and it looked SO good.

The tofu was a little softer than I normally make it, but I think that may be because of the reduced baking time. I usually bake it for about 50 minutes to get a chewier texture. However, the texture of it was perfect for this dish. 

It was a little spicy, but not quite as spicy as I would have preferred. Next time, I'd add extra crushed red pepper flakes.

The little browned/burnt bits were the best part!

I would absolutely cut down the number of steps and dishes when making this again. For instance, instead of putting cornstarch in a separate bowl, I'd just add it right to the bowl with the tofu and toss it all to coat. I think you could probably skip the mayo mixture, too, and just cook it with the cornstarch. (I've done that before and the result was very similar.) There are a few other ways I could cut down on the steps and dishes, so I'd definitely do that next time.

And there will definitely be a next time! I gave a piece to Eli and his girlfriend to try and they both liked it. Eli said he would even eat a bowl of it for dinner--I couldn't believe it. I made a big bowl for Jerry to eat tomorrow; I'm sure he'll love it. I have a feeling Noah will like it, too--I'll ask him to try it when he gets home.

Anyway, all of the steps and dirty dishes were worth it. If I'd been in a rush, I would have been totally overwhelmed (which is the theme of my mood lately--I've been so overwhelmed in a dozen different directions). Taking my time and enjoying the process in a quiet house was actually really nice. And I got a delicious dinner out of it!

Now I have a baking sheet soaking in my sink. I'll save that for the morning ;)

You can find the full recipe on Vegan Travel Eats.

Continue Reading...

Deep Thoughts with Jerry #5

I think this is my favorite "deep thoughts" post of Jerry's yet--it shows a bit more of his personality. When we first met, the first thing that drew me to him was--well, aside from his "punk" look at the time, haha--was his humor. He's always been funny and can (almost) always make me laugh. As he gets older, his dad jokes get worse and he just laughs harder at them, but I guess that's just a sign of age ;)

Anyway, here are some deep thoughts from Jerry this week...

If you’re at trivia night, what would category would you know most about?

Either Friends or Star Wars trivia. Katie always tells people I know the most random bits of trivia. I pay attention to the most mundane details of everything. However, I've seen Friends and Star Wars billions of times. You know what? Add the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to that as well. The MCU consists of 29 full-length films with a handful of shows sprinkled in there to appease us fans until a new movie comes out. I've rewatched all these movies, in order, too many times to count.

[Katie here: Fun fact--I hate Star Wars and I didn't even know MCU was a thing until just now! But Jerry is right about knowing his trivia. If 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' was still a thing, Jerry would definitely be my phone-a-friend lifeline.]

What’s an album you recommend that has no bad songs?

S.C.I.E.N.C.E. by Incubus. There's a funk, nu metal feel to the entire album and it's not overbearingly rock. It's one of my favorite albums of all time. It's followed closely ​by Alice In Chains' Unplugged album. I'm kind of a music nut, and I can think of so many more. However, I must say, my most favorite albums are from the mid-to-late 90's... maybe early 2000's. And they're all rock. 

Would you rather speak all languages or be able to talk with animals?

Such a random question with a not-so-easy answer. I would love to talk to animals. I could yell at the raccoons and they would understand me when I tell them to get off my deck or else. The squirrels will be able to tell me which nut they might like... some of them can be picky. When Estelle is meowing all over the house she can tell me what she's bitching about. So I guess I'd rather be able to talk to animals.

What celebrity do most people say you look like?

People are always confusing me with Chris Hemsworth. I don't see it, but maybe they're right. My mom always used to tell me I was the most handsome boy. And if that boy grew to be a man, that man would look like Chris Hemsworth. See? It's uncanny.

What’s the last thing you completed that you’re proud of?

I don't know if it counts, but, I made a vegan recipe the other night and Katie really seemed to like it. It was a creamy spinach gnocchi and it was delicious. I have a tendency to get heavy handed with some ingredients like garlic and garlic. And sometimes, I add too much garlic. Katie always jokes that I just like throwing my touch into everything, she even said that I think I'm Emeril or something. LOL. However, I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out really good.

[Katie here: For the record, I *love* garlic. Jerry just doesn't understand that a little goes a long way. Also, that garlic powder and garlic salt are NOT the same thing, haha)

Would you rather be reincarnated as a cat or a dog?

​Easiest question yet... I would be a cat. I always tell Katie that. Hell, the other day I asked her if sometimes she wishes she was a cat so she can play with Duck AS a cat. She said no. But, I know deep down, she would. And so would I. Cats have the best life. It's like all the novelty shirts say, they do what they want.

What is the best romantic comedy?

You've Got Mail. Hands down. I can watch this movie over and over and over again. It's got to be the chemistry between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. There's humor, nothing crude, and they're romance. If you haven't seen this movie I would highly suggest you stop by your local Blockbuster and rent it tonight. You won't regret it.

What is your go-to TV show to watch at night?

Friends. Always. Friends. 

Continue Reading...

Friday Night Photos

I could have sworn I took about 10,000 photos this week; however, when I went through my camera roll just now, I really don't have much. The photos I took were pretty much every angle of my bedroom and bathroom to use as "progress" photos later (if it ever gets finished). 

As if I didn't have enough on my plate right now, this morning my dad had to go to the emergency room because his blood pressure was ridiculously low and he was passing out. He has health issues as it is, so I was worried. Then he got to the hospital and tested positive for COVID! Right now, he's set up in a room but isn't allowed visitors. He hit his head one of the times he fainted, but the CT scans looked fine for that. I just hope it isn't anything serious (or more serious than it has been, anyway). 

We haven't made much progress at all with the bathroom. I'm really scared to frame a wall, even though it seems so easy. It's just a tiny little wall, too--like a practice one. Today, I started using drywall compound in the spots that needed it. I'm dreading having to hang the drywall and then tape and mud it, but we aren't even close to that part yet.

After removing the one wall that was next to the shower, I saw that the ceiling still had the texture (like popcorn ceiling) on it. I swear, I still have nightmares of removing all of that from the ceilings in this entire house! I scraped that off and then had to put drywall mud there and sand it. I totally forgot to put on my safety glasses and respiratory mask before sanding--I looked straight above my head and turned on the sander, got dust all in my eyes and I started sputtering dust from my mouth--while Jerry took pictures and laughed at me.

I have absolutely no idea what or even when this picture is from! Jerry must have taken it without my knowing. I don't know what I was doing sitting in there, but I definitely know that Duck must have followed me because he thought it was cool. He and Chick are obsessed with the bathroom right now.

When Jerry and I went to a thrift store a while ago, he picked up this creepy jacket with porcelain arms from a shelf and we both commented on how weird it was. (They were obviously from a doll or something.) Then Jerry had the idea to put it on the cats and take pictures! So we bought it and it was the perfect size to slip over the cats' heads. I had to glue the ribbon back on, so it's not on Estelle's picture.

Since Duck is my favorite (yes, I have a favorite), I hoped his picture would be the best. But I never expected Estelle's would turn out even better...

Estelle's really needs to be a meme, but I need a good caption for it.

I didn't even try to get a picture of Phoebe, and Chick just wouldn't hold still enough.

Last cat picture... Chick and Duck were cuddling on the bed and I just thought they were cute. They were even grooming each other.

Since I haven't been feeling great mentally lately, Jerry cooked dinner yesterday and it was delicious and comforting--creamy vegan gnocchi soup with spinach. This bowl may not look so good, but it was definitely comfort food and just what I needed.

When I was trying to take the picture, the light kept causing a reflection. As I was moving the bowl around, I naturally tipped it over and spilled it on me. 

I made another jar of sprouts! The first one, mung beans, weren't very good at all--they weren't soft like I was used to. These other sprouts are a mix of four salad-type sprouts. They looked so pretty! But I have no idea how to eat them. I've tried stirring them into things and I just don't like them. I don't eat salad, so that doesn't work either. I'm not sure if I'll make more, but it was fun trying it out.

This was on my porch when I came home a couple of days ago and I was stunned--they were all packages for my cross country team! We have plenty of stuff (I got more packages yesterday and a few today) so we don't need any more. Thank you thank you thank you to all of you that donated something! I'm so excited to show the kids at our next practice. I have a feeling they are going to be very motivated to run that day ;)

Yes, everything about this picture is filthy--my phone, the mirror, what's left of my nail polish, the entire background and floor--but in my defense, I was working on the bathroom and just had to stop to take a picture of this shirt when it was delivered. I saw it on Amazon when I was looking for cross country stuff and I just had to buy one for both Renee and myself.

Again, the stuff in the background. I hate posting pictures with clutter! But until my bedroom and bathroom are put back together, this is what my photos are going to look like. I found this game at a garage sale called Trivia for Dummies; Eli loves trivia games, and I'm terrible at them, so I thought it was fitting. It's actually a much easier version of something like Trivial Pursuit.

I don't remember why we took this selfie, but I thought it was cute. Well, except for the drywall mud behind Jerry's head, haha. 

And speaking of mud, I'll end with this adorable picture of Luke--totally in his element!

Have a great weekend! xo  (And please keep my dad in your thoughts.)

Continue Reading...

Weekly Running Recap: August 25-31

I'm kind of excited to actually be back to writing running recaps! I know they aren't the most fun thing to read, but when I'm writing about running, it means I'm actually doing it.

I feel like I've gotten to a place (for the first time ever!) that I'm starting to see running as an outlet. There are several times over the past couple of weeks where I would have just procrastinated the run or not done it at all because I was dreading it. Now, my initial reaction is, "Oh, man, I have to run today!" but when I stop and think about the run itself, it starts to sound good.

I like that I don't have a "real" schedule or any particular goals when I run. Sometimes I really need that structure, but at this point, I like doing things without a plan. I already wrote about my run from last Thursday, so I'll just go through the last couple of runs.

Sunday

Sunday's run was pretty funny. I started off going at a leisurely pace, just enjoying that I wasn't home cooking dinner. Running on Sunday evenings is kind of fun because you get to see all the stuff that people are throwing away--Monday is garbage collection day. (I mean it's fun to see things like furniture; I'm not digging through trash cans or anything!)

I'm going to try and do a little drawing on this satellite picture and hope it's not too confusing. The little yellow star is me and the little red star is a good-looking man running with his shirt off. The red arrow will come into play in a minute. (The other colors are just my running route.)

The guy was running downward on the map toward that little loop. The loop is at the end of the peninsula, so I like to run down there and circle the loop (which is exactly 1.5 miles from home, so it's a perfect three-mile run from my house) and then continue--only I stay to the left instead of the right in order to circle the whole peninsula.

Well, on Sunday, when I was at the spot where I placed the yellow star, I saw the shirtless guy (turquoise star) running the same route I just did. I knew, I just knew, he was going to circle the loop and then continue his run behind me. The red arrow is basically just where we passed by each other going opposite directions.

I was not delusional enough to think that I'd outrun him, but it would be embarrassing for him to circle the loop and then catch up to and pass me. So, I naturally picked up my speed--I couldn't help it! See where my route goes from blue to green? That's where I picked up my pace to pretty much what I could stand.

Inevitably, he caught up to me right at the two-mile mark. I called over to him that today is my easy run day; if I really wanted, I could crush his pace and run laps around him, hahaha. He laughed and then kept going, getting farther and farther ahead. Then my goal was to keep him in my sight; and after a few minutes, I didn't even see him anymore. He was definitely running fast! Although, it looked like it might have been an easy run for him, too.

Anyway, I had picked up the pace so much that I just kept going. When I got home, I saw that I'd definitely moved a little faster when trying not to get passed by a boy.

It's funny that you can see exactly where my pace went from about 12:30 to 10:30

I was exhausted after that! When your first mile is 12:39, and then you third mile is 10:20, that's a LOT of time to make up. I was pretty impressed with my 11:34/mile pace when I was done.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I did three more miles outside. At first, I really didn't want to do this! I had been working in the garage and in my bedroom, I had to go to Lowe's for some stuff for that, I hadn't cooked dinner, and I was just exhausted. However, I started to think about how it would feel to go out for a run and I found I was kind of looking forward to it. 

This time, I figured that since my pace was almost 13:00/mile last time, I'd try to go faster. My main goal was to beat my total time from my previous run--which was 35:20. So, I ran the same route and consciously tried to run faster. 

My first mile was 11:53, and I could have SWORN I was going 10:30-ish! My legs felt so tired. So, I picked up the pace to a point where it felt like a tempo run--I knew I could finish, but it felt so hard. My second mile was 10:45--I was happy to see sub-11:00!

I kept going at what felt like a tempo pace, and then I saw that my overall pace was 11:30 (with at least half a mile to go). I knew I wouldn't be able to hit sub-11:00 for my overall average (I was already pushing myself pretty hard). But then I decided to aim for sub-11:20. It doesn't sound like much of a difference from 11:30, but I was making up time from the first two miles as well, and it was so hard! I kept glancing and seeing the numbers going down so slowly.

When I turned onto my street (I had two houses until mine), I saw that my pace was exactly 11:00 and my distance was at 2.99 miles. I ran as hard as I could for the last moment--even going a little farther than three miles, just in case--and when I was done, I saw my overall average pace was 10:52! I was really surprised, but then when I saw my third mile, I was even MORE surprised: I ran it in 10:02. I wish I'd known it was so close, because I would have pushed for that sub-10.

The whole goal was to beat Sunday's time of 35:20; well, I crushed it with 32:57. I was thrilled with that! It's funny how my weight really doesn't have anything to do with my pace. In 2010, I could run a sub-30:00 5K at 180-ish pounds (as a beginner runner). Now, I'm under 135 pounds and it's a struggle to stay under 11:00/mile. It actually makes it kind of fun so I can see myself getting better.

When I first started running, I kept trying to beat my previous times, even if it was just by one second. I almost wrote that I'd like to try that, but then I'd have a goal and that would put more pressure on me, so I am just going to stick with running however I feel like it. This week went really well!

Continue Reading...

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 66

Fresh out of the shower and in my pajamas

Wow wow wow! I cannot even express how excited and grateful I was to find a ton of Amazon packages on my porch today when I got home from some errands. To those of you that have donated items for my cross country team, I cannot thank you enough! I'm SO excited to show the kids. I'll bet that they run more laps than ever at our next practice  ;)

If you missed it, I created an Amazon Wish List for the cross country team I coach. The team is made of up of third through fifth graders and I like to give them rewards for reaching certain milestones. This season, I'd like to really focus on getting them to run longer distances without walking or stopping. I think that seeing the rewards will be just what they need! (You can find the wish list here.) The items will ship directly to my house, so you don't have to worry about shipping. I truly cannot thank you enough. (Ask Jerry how I straight-up ugly cried when I started opening packages!)

Anyway, this weeks weigh in...

As you can see from the picture above, my bedroom is far from done. Tomorrow, I'm going to work on framing my first-ever wall. It's small, so I think it'll be good practice. But I had such a hard time finding a place to take a mirror selfie today! Everywhere I moved there was so much stuff in the background. My mirror isn't on the wall, so I had to prop it up with a footstool. Then I had to move it all over the room to get lighting where you could actually see me and that there wasn't a ton of stuff cluttering the background.

See it propped on the footstool? An accident waiting to happen.

I had a feeling I was going to lose weight again this week. With all of the stress and feeling so overwhelmed, I still haven't had much of an appetite. I've definitely felt the weight loss in my clothes...

I was at 135.6, which is down from 136.8 last week. Woot! I am only 2.6 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight. The last time I was at my goal weight was June of 2017--over five years ago!

I feel so much more comfortable in my clothes--I love that I can wear jeans and still breathe when I bend over to tie my shoes. I love that I can wear my belts again (on the smallest holes). I love that I don't have a pile of clothes that I might wear again "someday". I literally don't have any clothes that are too small on me anymore!

It feels fun again; when I was first losing weight, I loved being able to feel my clothes get bigger (well, my body get smaller, rather).

Jerry just made a delicious looking vegan gnocchi soup, so I'm going to eat that and then get cozy and watch a movie with him. Today is the 31st, which means Jerry has made it through the entire month eating plant-based. I won't go into his thoughts about it--he's actually going to write a guest post about it--hopefully this weekend!

Continue Reading...

Transformation Tuesday #84

Happy Transformation Tuesday! My days are so messed up this week. I was so sure that Sunday was Monday, Monday was Tuesday, and today is Wednesday. I even woke up and did my Wednesday Weigh-In this morning.

Today was Eli's first day of school--he's starting 11th grade. Noah started last week, but his classes are a little odd because they are all college classes now and his schedule is much different. He would normally be starting college this fall with his friends, but because he did a "middle college" program, he's been taking college courses for the last two years. So, it's hard to say what "grade" he's in. But I wanted a picture anyways! So here is a before and "after" of my boys.

OHMYGOSH, I miss that age so much! They were so stinkin' cute. One of these days, I'd like to put together a collage of all of their first days of school.

 I'm lucky to have such great kids!

Anyway, I have a couple of readers' transformations to share today as well. Enjoy!

We've been remodeling our basement for 3 months and the end is almost in sight, LOL! 

New bathroom- We're adding a second bathroom in the house and decided to upgrade all of the water lines when we had the new plumbing put in, so it's been a pretty major deal in our entire basement all summer. Thankfully breaking up the concrete and re-pouring it only took a few days because I work from home and it was LOUD! And the concrete dust took well over a month to settle, yikes. 

Paint- We can't afford to put up drywall, so we had a family friend repaint the cement blocks, the laundry room floor, and even the laundry room ceiling, including all of the pipes, LOL. I had no idea you could just spray everything! Our goal wasn't a finished look, per se, but just something more aesthetic and less dungeon-feeling ;)

Laundry room- We spent hours and hours scraping the old linoleum glue off the floor before it got painted. It's just a plain gray, but I love it. As you can tell, gray is my theme :)  We replaced the old cabinet and counter top on the washer/dryer side, added a beautiful rug (that I loved so much I bought 3 more for the other rooms, ha!) and reorganized and added more storage on the other side. I know there are just as many spiders waiting to get me, but it doesn't FEEL like there are just as many spiders because it's so bright and fresh now ;) 

Bedroom- We put waterproof vinyl plank flooring in my son's room (which we will carry into the other side of the basement once the bathroom is done), painted it, and got new furniture and bedding. He is a high school senior and this feels a lot more grown up for him. I'm just so happy looking at it!

-Sonja 

Sonja, I don't even know where to start--it all looks so amazing! It must have been a TON of work (that's awesome you had a friend do the painting for you). The bedroom looks so nice and cozy; and I hear you on the spiders. I despise them! Hopefully you won't encounter any now ;)  I'm glad you're enjoying your new space! -Katie

---

I love seeing people's transformations! Here's a recent one of mine. My husband bought a TV that was too large for our old TV stand (which I hated because it was ugly anyway).  We needed a new stand, but all the ones I liked were between $500 and $1500--crazy in my opinion.  So we took a trip to Goodwill, and found this filthy chipped up one for $17.  It had lots of dings on it, and I didn't like the black color, but we hauled it home and I cleaned and sanded and painted it in our driveway. I like it much better now! And it fits the TV perfectly. Total investment, with paint, was $37. The color is Tidal by Behr.

-Karen McBride

Karen, I love the new color! I always love it when people paint their furniture something bright and fun. Isn't it awesome to see your hard work pay off in the end? As you know, I adore thrift shopping, and this looks like a fun project piece. What a great find!  -Katie

---

Thank you so much, Karen and Sonja, for sharing your transformations! I'm always in awe when I see before and after photos--so fun. If anyone has a transformation to share, please do so--I always need them! Just send a before photo and an after photo (unedited) to me at: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. Include your name and a description of your transformation. Let's see what you come up with!

---

I'm going to write this or a few more days on my posts... I decided to create an Amazon Wish List for my cross country team. I did it a few years ago and it was a huge success with the team! I like to use running-related items as rewards for kids who reach certain milestones. They are in the third through fifth grades. If you purchase something, it gets sent directly to me, so you don't have to worry about shipping. And of course I'll post pictures! I can't thank you enough--and I know the kids will be thrilled.

Continue Reading...