I feel so scattered right now. Please forgive me for being away so much lately! The longer I’m pulled away from the blog, the harder it is to sit down and write something meaningful. I don’t know why, but nothing feels right lately. There’s so much on my mind and so much to say, but I just draw a blank when I finally sit down to type. I’ve written 3 draft posts recently and scrapped each one of them. Eric, the stater-of-the-obvious, looks at me and says, “Well, why don’t you write about how you’re having a hard time writing then?”
I’ve turned into a 90 year old woman who goes upstairs only to forget why she went up the stairs in the first place. This is mildly concerning at my age. The other day, I found a new jar of almond butter in the freezer. Scary. Shifting from cookbook mode to blogging mode has been more challenging than I anticipated and my best work seems to result from the days when I totally step away to saturate myself in one thing. Multitasking can be a double edged sword – trying to do everything at once often gets me nowhere, but when I only focus on one thing I have guilt about the other things I’m leaving behind. To this Eric says, “Well, don’t feel guilty about it then.”
This right here is the difference between men and women.
All of this self-indulging talk today is for me to say: it’s not you, it’s me. This long-distance thing has been a drag and I’m counting down the days until I can run to you and twirl you around in a big bear hug. Until then, I’m doing my best each day and trying to forget about the word balance because sometimes that just doesn’t exist. Let’s be real. The good news is that I finished shooting all 100 photographs for the book. Twenty-five of those photos were shot in the last 7 days alone. Yes, it was insane and no I don’t ever want to do that again.
Currently, I’m knee deep in the editing process which probably won’t let up until August. Even though it’s been a crazy time, I’m so grateful to be able to do the kind of work that makes me feel excited when I get up in the morning. No one said the worthwhile things in life would be easy. I’m trying to be mindful each day and not worry needlessly about the future. These are the moments I will look back on with fondness…even the days when I spill milk all over my photo.
Plus, there’s always coffee.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Iced Mocha Green Monster Smoothie
Yield
2 servings or 3 cups
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
This icy drink is a hybrid between an Iced Mocha Coffee and a Green Monster Smoothie. I snuck in a handful of greens, but you can’t taste them one bit.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee, room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 small handful spinach
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 large Medjool dates, pitted (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 10 large ice cubes
Directions
- Blend until smooth. Gulp. Cool down. Enjoy summer!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)I’ll leave you with one of my photo set-ups (Jared this one is for you!). I was cleaning up yesterday and turned around to catch this angle. I had to laugh at this hot mess. There’s an antique, beat up baking sheet for the background, and old wood slab for the base, and a white board to reflect light coming in from the window. The baking sheet is from a garage sale. The poor lady looked at Eric with great concern and said, “You aren’t going to cook with this are you??” Once she knew it was for photography she was relieved. Oddly, enough the photo turned out quite nicely despite its apparent shortcomings!
Many of you are asking about the date of my cookbook release and I don’t have an official date yet, but it’s slated to be released early in 2014. My publisher is hoping for a January/February release to kick off the New Year. Yay! I’ll be sure to keep you up to date as soon as I know for sure. As always, thank you for your excitement and support. It means the world to me.
If you’d like to sign up for my cookbook newsletter, you can do so here. I haven’t sent anything out yet, but I hope to send some juicy tidbits as the date gets closer.
By the way, happy almost summer! Bring on the fruit and veggies.
Thanks again for another delightful recipe Angela. One thing we’re asked in our caregiver support group is: “What have you done for yourself lately?” Tell your readers you’re going to and then take a month or two off from blogging and spend some time with that insightful, supportive husband of yours and fine-tune. From the comments you have a wonderful support group and we’ll still be here when the cookbook (which I will pre-order as soon as it’s available) details are dealt with.
Sounds like you’ve been crazy busy but that it’s totally been worth it. The cookbook is going to be fab! I’m a recent follower of your blog and so many wonderful recipes to try!
I am an editor and I’ve worked on another vegan cookbook before, so if you need any extra support on a paid or unpaid basis I’d be more than happy to help out with the book!
Every time I make one of my favorities of your recipes or recipes inspired by you, I think to myself “I hope Ange includes this in her cookbook!” Such was the case yesterday when I made/devoured that white bean hummus-like” spread/dip that you posted last (?) summer (with basil, lemon, nooch.) SO good!
On another note, did you ever find/create that sign for your kitchen to remind yourself to “Cook Inspired?” Since you posted that idea borrowed from Millenium, it’s been stuck in my mind. Now, I want one too! Would you mind sharing your resources if you’ve designed or commissioned one for your kitchen?
Take it easy, Ange…don’t worry re. us – we know what you are up to and are rooting you on from the sidelines:) Can’t wait for the book!
You’re so sweet! We all have times like those – times when it feels like you’re wheels are sprinning and the harder you work that more it seems you backpedal. I can’t wait for your cookbook and know it’s going to be a masterpiece!
Angela,
Keep up the fabulous work darling, we all have moments where the balance is off but it comes back and we appreciate it all the more when it does.
I have been following you for 4 years now (I am British living in Saudi) and you have given me so much pleasure and you have taught me so much, just wanted to say thank you for doing what you do, you are my inspiration to live a better life.
So looking forward to the book coming out.
Sending lots of good thoughts to you.
Kindest regards
Kim
Thank you Kim, that means so much to me! I can’t believe you’ve been reading for so long. How cool. Thanks for sticking with me!
I LOVE adding coffee to my smoothies during summer, especially when it is flavored one. It gives the smoothie the perfect punch. ;) I hope that things start to unwind a little bit for you. Take one day at time, breathe deeply, and try to enjoy the moment!
Oh sweetie… just wait until you have kids and there is no end in sight.
For what its worth, this cookbook is something I am bursting at the seams to get my hands on! And you know what else? I am not vegan or even vegetarian AND I don’t buy cookbooks because I can find everything on the internet for free… which is how I found your blog to begin with!
Angela
I love your honesty! We can do it all, just not at once!
Funnily, I was thinking this morning – could I combine coffee and kale? Your smoothie read my mind.
Natalie
Sometimes when we are in the thick of things, we can lose sight of just how marvellous we are. Your blog has been such an inspiration to me – your recipes and photography are phenomenal. So keep your chin up, honey! You are knockin’ it out of the park!
You are being too hard on yourself! We’ll be here when you recover. :) That’s the great thing about being able to sign up for e-mail notices for new posts. We don’t have to stress over when a new one might pop up. When it arrives, it arrives.
Since I started a new job, my blog has suffered beyond belief. I’m lucky to get supper on the table, let alone think about creating something new and taking a good picture of it for posting! I can’t imagine preparing enough things to take 25 innovative pictures of them in one day. Mercy. No wonder you are toasted. Go – put your feet up, drink a monster green smoothie (you need the magnesium in the greens to combat the stress you are under), and do something relaxing (read, watch TV, knit/crochet, stare mindlessly out the window….) Anybody who doesn’t understand doesn’t deserve your attention.
You are doing a great job. Keep up the good work. We have all been there and when you are in it is seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but there is and you will get there. And on a different note, is there a recipe for those bars on the top of the post online? Those look wonderful and I would love to make them for an upcoming trip we are taking. Take a deep breath when you can and enjoy what you have (when you can). :)
Thank you Megan!
The recipe for my Glo bars will be in my book – two of them to be exact! Thanks for your kind words.
As always, I love your post Angela; I commend you for being so open with your readers. Please don’t feel like you are letting your readers down by having this ‘blogging blip’; we love you no matter what!
As someone who also also struggled with disordered eating and anxiety, I know that stressful times often precipitate relapses. I hope that this isn’t the case for you, but if it is I know you have a great support system to fall back on. Keep calm and carry on!
Also, I would be more than happy to help out with the cookbook in any way, shape, or form. Recipe testing, taste testing, (personal coffee-fetcher… ok maybe not :P) you name it!
You inspire me so much (I’ve recently started a blog- it’s SO FUN!) and have truly impacted my life for the better.
Peace&love
-Suzanne
Good luck! We’re rooting for you!
Great recipe to keep you focused–good luck with everything!
Whoa, 25 recipes photographed in 7 days? I cannot even imagine. The kitchen clean up must have been fun this past week :) Anyway, I will be ordering your cookbook as soon as it becomes available. And that iced mocha green monster smoothie is just what I need today. Thanks for posting, even though you’re super swamped. Hope you get a much deserved break SOON!
HOLY CRAP THAT BURGER LOOKS AMAZING.
I make more of your recipes than any other vegan blog I have found. I adore your vegan lasagna with basil cashew cheeze, I just made your vegan broccoli cheeze soup, and your pumpkin mac n’ cheeze is a winter staple for me. I also love all of your grain salads, SO refreshing and good for summer. I cannot wait to buy your cookbook, your food is amazing!!!
I miss your blogging and recipes for sure but it’s totally worth some short term pain for what will surely be an amazing cookbook. Also, as someone pointed out above- it gives us a chance to review previous posts and try out those amazing recipes I wanted to try but forgot all about.
I am SO excited for your cookbook, that monster smoothie recipe sounds AMAZING! I always add some caffeine whether it be green tea or black coffee to my smoothies for a little ZINNGG! Sending you lots of fun times editing!! Love + Shine CourtStar
Hi Angela!
Just made this shake this morning with my stephmom and it was soo delicious. We both loved it and having so much energy now :) Thanks for the recipe and good luck with your book. You are great.
Jolijn