We typically prepare most of our meals ourselves while on vacation, which is what we do at home normally. But it’s nice to have one or two meals out. This year, we did takeout the first night. But later in the week, my daughters and I decided to visit my favorite breakfast place we discovered a couple of years ago.
Hot Stacks Cafe
Hot Stacks Cafe appeared in a Google search for vegan friendly restaurants, and by the looks of the menu, I knew I’d have several options. It’s now an annual tradition to dine here at least once while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. Service is always prompt and friendly, and the food is always delicious!
I’ve had a few dishes now. The vegan waffles, granola French toast, vegan sausage, and hash browns are all delicious! This time, I tried something new, which is highly unusual for me! I’m such a creature of habit. But I ordered the Just Ranchero omelette, with Just Egg, black beans, avocado, and chipotle grits with a spicy aioli. It was really good! Especially since it can be a challenge finding savory breakfast items that are vegan. Here, you have several choices, including tofu scrambles and burritos. Their lunch menu also features a Beyond burger. Their menu is also clearly labeled if items are vegan or gluten free.
The Just Ranchero omelette
This restaurant, at least with regard to food, reminds me a bit of the Silver Diner in the Richmond/Maryland area. But the vibe is different, with a clean and modern decor with beachy colors. The owner of the restaurant is an Ironman athlete, and he has lots of pictures from these events on display in the dining area, including some medal displays and black and white, artsy photos. I love it!
With multiple Vegan options and omni friendly fare, it’s worth a visit to Hot Stacks Cafe if you are ever visiting Myrtle Beach!
I’m currently pondering this question as I sit on the balcony of the condo where I’m vacationing in Myrtle Beach. I think Americans ask this question frequently. It’s a by-product of staunch meritocracy beliefs in our society, I think, to think that we must work, work, work with little play. It’s also seemingly the foundation of Capitalism to exploit the average worker. But truly, taking time off from your job is good for you, providing a much needed break from stress and preventing burnout. So why does American society not respect this need?
Think about how little vacation we are allowed as full time employees. You get two, maybe 3 weeks a year, if you’re lucky. And if you’re sick, those days come out of this time as well. It’s even worse if you work part time. And some companies will force full time hours while still classifying you as part time to deny benefits. I worked for a company that would never allow time off, always creating excuses as to why I couldn’t go on vacation with my family because of “staffing” issues, etc. It was enough to create significant anxiety and was a pivotal factor in my choice to leave the job.
The sunrise as seen on my run this morning.
What is the standard in other Western countries? Well, it may surprise you that in the US, there is absolutely no legal requirement for your employer to provide vacation days. However, any country in the European Union is required to provide at least 4 weeks vacation. Many countries provide even more time off. I’ve read arguments about why the US policy, or rather, lack thereof, is more than fair based on the average salaries of the US vs. EU. However, they fail to calculate the cost of healthcare in the US vs. the EU. I’m certain that would more than make up the difference.
And what about time off for maternity leave? In the US, there is no requirement, and certainly barriers in place that make it challenging to even get some money while recovering from childbirth and bond with your new family member, and this is typically in the form of a short term disability policy that you must buy. (I’m also old enough to remember that I had to also purchase a maternity rider so that my pregnancy would be covered by insurance. Otherwise, an accidental pregnancy would have meant paying out of pocket for those expenses. The ACA stopped this discriminatory practice.) In contrast, the European Union requires at least 4 months off per parent.
This is just the practical aspects of American culture and vacations. The belief that we are more worthy as members of society and more noble and giving to our companies if we don’t take vacation is harmful in my opinion. This also results in more “long weekend” types of mini vacations vs. long weeks off, thus not adequately unplugging from the normal stressors of your job. And even when you do go on vacation, many jobs expect you to check in periodically. To maintain our wellness, we must take breaks. And even though I love my job, it gets overwhelming from time to time. I absolutely love where I work right now. I feel valued. My boss knows that I give 110% while I’m there, but that when I need a day to recoup, I mean it. It’s the luxury I have by working PRN. But my husband bears the burden of working full time and carrying the benefits to allow me to work this way, and for that, I’m so grateful.
The view of the marsh in Cherry Grove Beach on my run this morning.
Have you ever gone on vacation and felt guilty the whole time, thus virtually eliminating any joy you should have taken from your time off? This is me on any girls’ trip. I will sabotage my happiness by ruminating on the money I’ve spent on lodging or race fees, etc, thinking that I shouldn’t be wasting money on myself. I don’t know why I do that.
This vacation is our annual trip to the beach with my husband’s parents. We are very lucky to have access to this time. And this year, I’ve worked really hard. I’m going to give myself some grace for all the time spent in layers of PPE caring for Covid patients, and all of that time wearing an N95 to protect my non-Covid patients from catching it. I will finally allow myself to feel that I deserve this.
Do you ever feel guilty taking vacation? Have you been able to travel now that most Covid restrictions have been lifted? I’d love to hear your thoughts and what you’re up to this summer. As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
If you read my last post with the recipe for peach salsa, you remember that my daughters and I took a day trip to Charlottesville last week. Part of the reason for the visit, besides peach picking at Carter Mountain, was to visit one of our new favorite restaurants, Revolutionary Soup!
One of the tables at Revolutionary Soup!
My younger daughter and I happened upon this quirky little gem of a restaurant pre-pandemic in a Google search for vegan friendly restaurants on one of our trips to the area. The menu and reviews looked promising, so we decided to check it out! We were not disappointed.
Views of the dining room at Revolutionary Soup.
The decor is eclectic with some very fun themed tables. There is always great music playing. And if you are poetry savvy, apparently reciting some will earn you something special when you order! I didn’t know this until I looked at their website for this post. I’ll be prepared for my next visit!
This omni-friendly restaurant features local and organic ingredients, and has several vegan menu items, including three soups and a couple of sandwiches. My go-to meal is their wonderfully warm and perfectly spicy peanut tofu soup with chunks of tofu that remind me of paneer. I pair this with a bag of potato chips. I get it every time! I have been known to get two different small bowls of soup, depending on the special that day! One day, I’ll have to get a combo with a small soup and half a sandwich or wrap.
The Peanut Tofu Soup
Located on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, it’s just a few minutes from Carter Mountain. It’s also close to some of our other favorite places to visit in town, like Darling consignment shop and Sidetracks, a favorite record shop.
So if you’re ever in Charlottesville, I highly recommend a trip to Revolutionary Soup!
I was lucky enough to have a Monday off last week. Don’t get too excited for me, as it was merely a shift in my workweek. I worked Tuesday through Saturday. Anyway, my daughters and I decided to take a little trip to Charlottesville with our free day.
As is required during peach picking season, we stopped at Carter Mountain to pick peaches and get some yummy snacks! One of these was a jalapeno hummus that we are going to try to recreate!
The view from Carter Mountain!
Toward the end of the week, some of our peaches were already starting to develop some bad spots, so the perfect solution was to make peach salsa! Now that we are in full swing of peach season, you may have had your fill of sweet recipes with peaches. So I’m offering something more savory!
With the sweetness of peaches, the acidity of tomatoes and lime, and the heat of the jalapenos, this is a nice change from your traditional pico. And it’s so pretty! For this version, I added avocado to balance some of the sweetness as well. It makes a great accompaniment to taco night!
Ingredients:
5 Roma tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes, diced.
3 peaches, peeled and diced
1-2 jalapenos, diced small (I used a hand chopper)
½ red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 limes
Salt to taste
Other optional tasty add ins:
chopped cilantro (¼ cup)
green onions, diced (2-3)
Directions:
Combine the diced tomatoes, peaches, jalapenos, onion, and avocado in a medium mixing bowl.
Squeeze the juice of two limes over the mixture.
Salt to taste.
Mix and serve!
Peach Salsa
Have you ever made peach salsa before? What are some of your favorite recipes with peaches? I’d love to hear about it! If you try my recipe, post and tag me @annecreates on Instagram! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
I think this little honeymoon phase with Covid is about to be over. I’ve felt relatively safe since being fully vaccinated, but now as restrictions are lifted, I find myself increasingly nervous that I’m around others who aren’t honest about their vaccination status. Who thought the honor system would work, anyway?
My hospital system stayed pretty quiet for several weeks with regard to Covid cases, but we are now seeing a handful of hospitalizations again. I suspect those numbers will likely increase as the Delta variant spreads. Delta accounts for 83% of new cases in the US now. It’s more virulent than previous variants. This website with graphics shows where the virus is now most active, and how sharply cases are increasing across the country.
Numbers in Virginia today: 721 new cases reported July 20th. To give you some perspective, July 15th saw 440 new cases. Only 53% of our population is fully vaccinated. We have only the honor system for masking to protect us.
I wear a mask all day at work. At least a level 1: a basic surgical mask. For certain tasks, like going into a patient’s room within a certain time frame of a nebulizer treatment or for showering, I must wear an N-95. So when I go out, it’s really not a big deal to wear a mask.
I’ve talked about how hard it is to wear an N-95 all day. I don’t want to go back to those days. They were miserable.
My normal daily PPE to do my job during the height of the pandemic. N-95 with a level 1 surgical mask on top and goggles, since the virus can also enter through your eyes. Entering a Covid room also required a face shield and plastic gown.
I’ve told you how I feel about mask mandates being lifted. And I still feel the same way. I’m still worried that a booster will be required at some point, as most healthcare providers are past the 6 month mark of being fully immunized.
The honeymoon is about to end, folks. We are about a month behind Great Britain. The President of France has lots to say about his citizens who refuse vaccinations. Areas of America that have low vaccination rates are starting to see surges in cases.
Excuses for not getting vaccinated that include conspiracy theories are worthless. (I do realize that some folks are highly allergic to many things, and are choosing to avoid vaccinations. This plea is not for them.) It’s also not true that healthy people can’t die from this virus. Please, for the love of humanity, get vaccinated! These folks who watch Fox “news” and listen to the lies spewed are so under a spell. Funny thing is, I’ll bet all the “news anchors” have been vaccinated already. I’m lost as to why they would want all of their viewers to be so vulnerable to this virus. Do they really want to lose their audience to Covid? Sigh. Even our former president got vaccinated. The more people get vaccinated, the less likely it is for variants to form.
If you still have doubts about whether or not you should get vaccinated, talk to your primary care doctor. They know you best medically, and can make recommendations based on your individual needs and concerns.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: just like there are no atheists in a foxhole, there are no science deniers in a Covid unit. I wish everyone could see what healthcare providers experience with regard to this virus. I wish they could watch someone with a relatively mild case in the hospital try to walk across the room, gasping for air, with their oxygen levels dipping into the 70’s on supplemental oxygen. I wish they could watch the heart rate of these patients skyrocket with just the minimal activity. I wish they could feel our heartache for our beloved patients who died before vaccinations were available to the general population. I wish you could see how difficult it is to recover from the virus when you have been intubated for weeks with resulting ICU myopathy. It’s absolutely terrible. My fear is that we are about to go through these immensely challenging days all over again, simply because people won’t trust real science.
Regret is powerful. But regret does not cure Covid. Healthcare providers are tired. It’s been a rough year and a half. Do us a favor, and get the vaccine. We don’t want to see more death, and we’re tired of wearing N-95’s. We simply want the best science has to offer to our patients and the general public, and right now, that’s prevention through vaccination. We are one of the luckiest nations in the world to have access to three very effective vaccines. If you aren’t willing to get vaccinated, at least wear a mask indoors when out in public.
Now as the Olympics begin, we are already hearing of athletes testing positive for the virus, including an alternate to the US women’s gymnastics team. For anyone worried about Simone Biles, she did reveal on social media that she is fully vaccinated! Let’s hope the virus can remain contained for the games.
Stay safe everyone. Keep masking in indoor, public spaces. Get vaccinated if you can. As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
Thai Top Ten is one of my family’s favorite restaurants in our area. Located in The Creeks shopping center in an unassuming strip mall across the street from Virginia Center Commons in north Henrico, they serve omni friendly fare, but they do have vegan options as well. The key here is to let your server know you are vegan. Several of their menu options can be adapted to be vegan.
Spicy Noodle Soup at Thai Top Ten.
My favorite dishes there? Their spicy noodle soup can be made vegan, featuring a flavorful broth and tofu, and their noodles of the drunk can as well. You can choose wide or thin noodles with this! I always choose wide rice noodles with tofu and add broccoli. On the appetizer menu, they have vegetable dumplings and veggie spring rolls that are vegan as well. Sadly, their curry dishes cannot be made vegan.
Fired vegetable spring rolls
Noodles of the Drunk with wide rice noodles and tofu.
We go often enough that the staff know who we are and what our preferences are. That’s always a good thing! Plus, it’s awesome to know that you are supporting a local small business. We used to order takeout frequently during the height of the pandemic, and we are happy to be back to dining in person there.
Austin East pineapple cider
If you are there during happy hour, try an Austin East pineapple cider! They’ve got it on tap and served in a chilled glass. I swear, it tastes better here than anywhere else.
Do you enjoy Thai food? We are lucky to have this great restaurant so close to us! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
A few months ago, my daughter expressed some curiosity about making fried spring rolls at home. Knowing that you can buy pre-made vegan egg roll wraps in the store, we decided to try our hand at making them.The twist? We used the air fryer!
Soon after our first successful attempt, our air fryer broke. After 3 years, which coincidentally coincided with the expiration of the factory warranty, our beloved Cuisinart toaster/convection oven/air fryer just stopped working. Everyone in the family was sad. I mean, this appliance was utilized several times a day. The mourning period was… extensive.
Sure, we went to Target to look for a replacement, we searched Amazon for a good deal, but we just couldn’t decide, as we were sufficiently overwhelmed by all of the choices on the market now. We had almost decided to go to Costco and buy a new one, knowing that if we had a problem this time, we could return it there, no questions asked. (We bought our first one somewhere else, but they have the same model at Costco now!)
Then Amazon Prime days happened. What did I see? Our same oven. On sale. A ridiculously GREAT sale. Sold. Oh, happy day! We can now enjoy air fried goodness once again!
These vegan egg rolls feature high protein tofu as the star of the filling, with the meatiness of baby bella mushrooms and crunch of walnuts and cabbage as accents. Using sesame seed oil gives another layer of flavor. Air frying makes these crispy, but not too heavy.
So, behold, the recipe for Vegan air fried egg rolls!
Most of the ingredients for Vegan Egg Rolls!
Dorot cubes. One of my favorite cooking shortcuts!
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 T avocado oil
1 T sesame seed oil
½ block extra firm tofu, pressed with paper towels
¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped (I use a handheld chopper)
½ cup mushrooms, finely chopped (again, use a handheld chopper)
1 clove garlic, minced (or use Dorot cubes)
1 ginger Dorot cube
¼ cup soy sauce
Coleslaw mix (shredded)
For the wraps:
8 vegan egg roll wraps (I like Nasoya brand)
Water
2 T avocado oil
1T sesame seed oil
Directions:
In a large, nonstick skillet, warm the avocado and sesame seed oils over medium heat.
Add chopped walnuts, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger, cooking until lightly browned over medium heat.
Add tofu, crumbling with your hands as you add it to the pan.
Add soy sauce. Cook until lightly browned.
Set mixture aside.
Prepare a small bowl with water and another with a mix of the 2 T avocado oil and 1 T sesame seed oil; stir to combine.
Prepare an egg roll wrap for filling by wetting the edges with water (I use my fingertips).
Fill with two spoonfuls of the tofu mixture and top with a bit of coleslaw mix.
Fold on a diagonal per the instructions on the egg roll wrap package, sealing the edges.
Place finished egg rolls on the air fryer basket.
Brush both sides with the oil mixture.
Air fry at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through to ensure even browning. (Air fryers vary, so watch carefully to avoid burning!)
Dip in your favorite duck or chili sauce, or in a mixture of soy sauce, spicy mustard, and chili garlic sauce!
Enjoy!
Filling in progress!
Prepping to fill.
Ready to roll!
Brushing with the oil mixture.
Ready to go into the air fryer.
Egg rolls complete!
Do you have an air fryer? Have you ever used them to make egg rolls? Are there any other recipes using the air fryer that you’d like to see? I’d love to hear about it! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
Do you google your dreams? I often have the most vivid dreams that I can’t fully figure out the meaning of, so I look up the prevailing symbols my subconscious imagines at night. Often times, I will dream of a number. It’s even creepier when the number then appears to me throughout the next day or week.
A couple of weeks ago, the work week started with an unexpected job offer. My former boss, with whom I’m still friends, is losing a beloved full time staff member. The job was mine if I wanted it.
I was initially very tempted. After all, I used to love working there. I loved the patients. I loved my colleagues. But I realized I was nostalgic for the way things used to be before the rehab department was sold to a contract agency. Everything changed after that. I felt like I was serving the corporate machine, not my beloved patients. So, after some soul searching, I turned down the offer.
Truly, I’m very happy where I am. I love the company I work for. I love my colleagues. I love the different opportunities I have, the size of the facility, and the team atmosphere. I feel valued. I feel at home, but also have room to grow. And I love the freedom of working PRN.
And the morning after I made the final decision, I had a dream with the number 49 in it. That number appeared to me 2 more times at work the next day as a patient’s age and again as a patient’s number of years married.
Looking up the number, this “angel number” indicates a symbol of intuition and inner strength. It is a message that I have made a good decision based on my instincts. I’m going to go with that.
During Sunday’s run with my marathon training team that week, I happened to spend some time with a fellow runner who believes in things like this, and she was very affirming of the connection of 49 and what I’d found it to mean. It may sound silly, but I believe the dream was affirming my choice!
Since then, I’ve had several more signs that I am doing the right thing, and working in the right place. My patients have given our case managers great feedback about their experiences with me. I’ve had my colleagues support me when I was anxious about a work issue. And I was able to help one of the OT’s with serial casting, teaching him a few new techniques to make the process easier, and he was very appreciative.
And then a new angel number appeared: 10. I dreamed about it, and then I went out to dinner with my daughter, and we were seated at table 10! Apparently this number indicates that I should have faith in my chosen path. I’m going to go with that, too.
For now, work is busy, but work is good. It’s taken me a long time to get to this place, and for that, I’m grateful.
Do you ever dream about specific things like numbers? Do you ever google them to see what they mean? I’d love to hear what you think! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
During my last trip to Kroger, I was lucky enough to find a huge bargain. They marked down their Simple Truth vegan chorizo sausage links to 45 cents. That is not a typo! Of course, I bought some. These pack a whopping 27g of plant-based protein per sausage. I’ve never tried this seitan chorizo before, but for this price, it was worth the experiment.
Seriously. 45 cents for vegan protein? Yes, please!
I had no idea really how I was going to use this, but inspiration struck after work Tuesday. I would make a one pot dish with rice, peppers, onions, and tomatoes, adding in some Tex Mex flavors as well. I think it turned out well. It even passed the teenager test!
Simple Truth Vegan Chorizo
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
One onion, diced
One bell pepper, your choice in color, diced
1-2 cloves garlic (or use Dorot cubes or jarred minced garlic)
In a medium saucepan or small Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onions and garlic, sauteing until translucent. Add about a tsp of salt with this.
Add the peppers and cook until starting to lightly brown.
Add the Tajin and paprika, stirring to combine.
Add the sliced sausage, cooking until slightly brown.
Add the rice, Rotel, and vegetable broth.
Bring mixture to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Adjust salt as needed, and serve!
Note: You can easily swap the seitan chorizo with seitan Italian sausage or kielbasa. Simply swap out your spices for 1 T Italian seasoning and 1 tsp red pepper flakes!
And there you go. A quick, one dish, easy weeknight dinner! Leftovers are equally great, and can also become a great filling for a tortilla!
I cooked this in a small Dutch oven.
Have you ever tried the Simple Truth seitan chorizo sausage? What did you think? Let me know if you try this recipe! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @annecreates! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
Pho Que Huong is a Vietnamese restaurant in the Virginia Center Commons area of north Henrico County outside of Richmond. They took over the old Famous Dave’s location, and have slowly been adding decor to make it look less like a BBQ joint! But much of the old seating, etc. remains. It’s what one would call a hole in the wall kind of place; the kind of place where you walk in and instantly know it has fabulous food!
Indoor seating at the restaurant. You can see it still has some of the Famous Dave’s feel to the space.
We discovered this omnivore and vegan friendly restaurant a few years ago. I was craving noodle soup, but was finding it challenging to find close to my home and vegan. I lucked out here, though!
In addition to their vegan pho, they have a good variety of noodle and rice dishes on their vegetarian menu which, in the absence of dairy and eggs, is essentially vegan. I keep promising myself that I will venture out and try something new, but I keep going back for the soup!
The vegetarian menu at Pho Que Huong.
For $9.95, you get a giant bowl of vegetable broth, thin and crispy strips of fried tofu, loads of tender veggies, rice noodles, and a pile of herbs and bean sprouts. You can make it as spicy as you want with the spice rack! I especially love how they prepare the tofu for this dish.
The Vegetarian Noodle Soup
As far as service goes, it’s always fast and friendly. Even when we go for takeout, they have meals together quickly.
If you are in the RVA, please go check out this restaurant! There’s something for everyone, even any non-vegans in your life. They are locally owned, and it’s great to support your neighbors! Make it a local business date night and visit Intermission Beer, a woman owned brewery next door, after your meal!
Do you love Asian food, too? Have you visited this restaurant? I’d love to hear about it! As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.
Anne the Vegan 