Scotty Soul's Surprise

     October has been more than busy, stressful, emotional, and brilliant. It started off with the death of a brilliant man, upsetting family realizations, emotional roller-coasting, a draining wallet, and rounded off with birthday celebrations, party preperations, smiles, laughter, growth, an anniversary, new family members, Halloween jams, and November began with a SURPRISE!
     This is a silly side-note and apologies to my girl, but Hamlet and I celebrated two years together on October 26th! She has brought so much joy and love into my life! The nights I've ended snuggling up to her are immeasurabley blissful!

baby~ photo taken by VeganBeats~

     Anyways, Scotty Soul had his birthday on October 29th and since Halloween is on the 31st, it's been a bit neglected. For his actual birthday I made him a super veggie friendly but NOT vegan birthday dinner paired with a massive yummy salad~

up close, and not that pretty~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     When I was a little thrasher, my nanna used to make baked macaroni and my entire family and I would literally melt in it's scent. She would make a creamy roux, rich buttery smells and whole wheat flower, with soft cheeses, and baked with a crunchy ritz cracker and butter topping. Not healthy, but very comforting, and delicious. Scotty Soul isn't vegan, and I wanted to make something homey, comforting, and special...

     The non-vegan dish was a baked three cheese macaroni. The cheeses were feta, extra sharp cheddar (VT!), and pepper jack. The veggies I threw in were broccoli, spinach, kale, caramelized onions and bell peppers, and the topping was blended tortilla chips (less salt overall chyea)~ 

Scotty Soul's plate~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     The salad I made was chalk full of greens and all sorts of textured roughage. Iceburg lettuce, romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, onions, broccoli chunks, celery, cucumber, and bamboo shoots! The dressing I made was my "friends with salad" dressing.
      One of the gifts I made for him was a custom deck~ Got a board, sanded it down (thanks to my neighborhood grocer for finding sandpaper for me~) and spent all night painting finishing touches while ruining four cakes...ugh

his deck~ photo taken by VeganBeats~

again~ photo taken by VeganBeats~

     But...BUT this past weekend a community that has nothing but love for Scotty Soul joined up at Braii Republic for a Surprise party! I still managed to ruin a couple cakes but eventually made two that I aimed to make! The first one was Jake the Dog from Adventure time WATCH THIS SHOW!!!

Jake the cake~ photo taken by VeganBeats~

     ...and the second was one of his childhood "dream" cakes!~ (Thanks to the goddess and stunning Carrie for helping me out =^ㅊ^=)..

dream pool cake~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     The Jake cake was a dark chocolate cake with white chocolate and cranberries with a coconut butter cream frosting with cocoa essence. The dream cake (the swimming pool cake) was a dark chocolate, cranberry, white chocolate, and peanut butter swirl cake with a dark chocolate and coconut butter cream frosting with raspberry and strawberry essence. The "pool" part was organic strawberry jam.
     The cakes themselves were vegan but the frostings weren't due to actual butter used (baked birthday dinner leftover ingredients) and the peppero sticks~
   

Introducing Gamja and Mandu~

     On the 19th I kicked it into 26 with loads of fun sticks, clever licks, and jams nothing short of esoteric~ I'm now in the upper 20's and entering the 26-50% mark of the "ideal" 100-year life! My birthday was full of lightness right from the start! It began brilliantly, and came to a close with an embraced and loving ease~
    I'll write more about it's overwhelmingly positive experience soon, I just wanted to introduce to all of you, and the internet world~ the VeganBeats family has gotten two more!

     I introduce Gamja (Korean for potato)and Mandu (Korean dumpling!)~

Gamja on the left and Mandu on the right~ photo taken by VeganBeats

     They're still teeny little pups and starting to grow a bit more adjusted to their new home...holy hell are they beautiful little pups~

morning snuggling, Gamja int he back and Mandu up in your face! photo taken by VeganBeats

     Hamlet is having a hard time adjusting to the new girls, she's already quite defensive and aggravated that she is having to share time and seems a bit more needy~ There were chatterings and a bit of fighting...they'll grow on her...sometime~

The VeganBeats' ladies, Mandu, Hamlet, and Gamja~ photo taken by VeganBeats

Pol's Birthday~

     This weekend began so well, Friday was such a great day! It started off with smiles and a "heavy" head but continued on with all around smiles and plans for Pol's Birthday! Pol, being one of the main Seouls in Korea, chose to have his birthday at one of the best quality restaurants in Seoul...think chill, fresh food, flavor-packed portions, a great staff, and all around great environment...

photo taken by VeganBeats

     None other than Vatos Urban Tacos, located in Itaewon. It's the only restaurant that I get excited going to, want to share with others, and often suggest. All of the food is fresh, everything is made to order, and the drinks are pure perfection!
     I made a reservation for 22 for the night (we're so lucky to have gotten the tables) and Vatos was packed! I could hear satisfied sounds escaping from stuffed mouths! This was all about Pol, but I was more than eager to have our crew kicking it in this place and about to greater understand the glory of Vatos! Kenny, Jonathan, and Jeena were GREAT~ they gave us the roof (!!!), were super patient, got orders in with ease, and service was awesome. We ordered over 50 drinks over the evening, everyone got plates of food, salsas and freshly made tortilla chips were served throughout the evening (that red chipolte salsa is amazing!), and kimchi carnita fries were feasted on by all them omnivore folk!
     Because there were so many people, and an overwhelming number of orders being thrown at Kenny, I didn't want to add too much trouble with making something special and vegan...worry about the other 20+ orders. Due to heavy traffic and a packed house, beans, avocados, and some other ingredients were lacking...but I got a great salad!

special salad! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     The salad was exactly what I wanted. Chopped cabbage, jalapenos, salsa fresca, and an onion mix blended perfectly together to give me that crunch and sweetness that allowed the ingredients to shine. I threw on some of the salsa verde and chipolte red salsa just because I can! Along with the mango makgeolita(s)...this vegan lady was stuffed.

     I can't thank Vatos enough for their accommodation, and for all of the crew for coming and supporting both Pol and Vatos!

My past Vatos pieces~

So the Weekend concluded~

          Yesterday was my "Sunday" and I won't be having that "blues" that I could count on like clockwork anymore...anyone can with a full-time job that fell on weekdays. When 9pm starts to roll by, I won't feel the need, innate desire to keep my eyes open and push back sleep time...because the sooner you close you eyes, the closer Monday truly is. I won't have this going on for...months~ I'll add a teeny shimmy to this.
     Since my final day with the kids (tears), there's been full-fledged chill time in action. I walk the girls, chase them around sometimes, do my yoga, get some necessary vitamin D and have spent some time playing in the kitchen! There are some things I want to tackle...lasagna (damn heavy- essentially a ratatouille with some more body, no noodles), falafels, jalfrezi, vegan mayo (why, because I can), and master some sort of whole-wheat nut-studded bread!
     This past "week" of free time has got me playing around with all sorts of stuff and getting in some quirky finds. There's been a LOT of puppy snuggling and relaxing but there's also been a fair share of wandering.

snuggle~ (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     On Friday, I caught a movie with an old friend over at Coex and I'm feeling I need to wander the stall more, some of the new fashion is so awful, it's desirable. For example...I really want this track suit.

photo taken by VeganBeats

      On Saturday, I was getting ready to hit up a Birthday party for one of my favorite Seoul Vegans! The theme of his party was to dress like you did in high school. I rocked the Catholic uniform back in my promming days. I scraped together a bunch of clothes and did a whole load of skirt rolling and well..it's almost there!

Catholic School girlin'- photo taken by VeganBeats

     The party was at an Irish pub, soaked in good music, filled with people wearing Hawaiian shirts, army cargo pants, pinstriped suits...a room of glorious people! This got me missing high school, back int he visual environment of high school likes...granted I wore the same thing everyday at school, I miss my uniform.
     Kia whipped up a bunch of cute and delicious cupcakes! She made vanilla cupcakes with hazelnut frosting, some with vanilla, and others with chocolate frosting. I had a vanilla frosting cupcake and...nom nom nom!

cupcakes! (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Several drinks in, hugs and birthday exchanges, I wandered off for midnight coffee and one on one time with another wonderful Vegan. So far...so good...!

MY Birthday...getting older and celebrating it OUTSIDE of the states!! night 2*!~

So last night I got off work around 6, hadn't showered, so drained from the day but made plans to go to Wednesday Woodstock, in Gangnam. Wednesday Woodstock is a weekly get together with Jaxs and her crew at a bar in Gangnam. Lots of cheap beer, good music, and from what I heard...great people.
I hustled home, showered up and still managed to spend two hours groggily wandering around...Met up with JAxs around 10 (eeeep) and was welcomed to a SUPRISE BIRTHDAY!!! I entered this teeny bar full of fifty people (all this English whaaa!!!) singing Happy Birthday! There was a vegan cake from sticky fingers and...ahh Jaxs...xoxoxoxoxo

photo taken by VeganBeats

 What a delicate and beautiful cake!! Everyone in the bar was GEPIK people, so I met all sorts of individuals from IReland, Scotland, the states...etc!! It felt like I was in New York, or Providence...just...familiar!

photo taken by VeganBeats

 There was lots of laughs, lots of great energy and so much wonderful music. IT was great because we all got to request stuff and...I felt so honored, so special....left and right I heard "Birthday girl's choice" etc etc etc...I didn't take advantage but I didn't deny privilages! I got to hear Wilco, the Ramones, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, AND David Bowie!!!

Oh, Jaxs and I got a free Jager shot....jeezum!

Another gaged fellow, meet Garret
photo taken by VeganBeats

playing with fire
photo taken by VeganBeats

photo taken by VeganBeats

The night ended with more dancing, more new faces...and a slumber party at Jaxs'!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you...turning old is still tasting sweet

cookies (peanut butter, chocolate chip, sugar, and coconut), more cookies (almond bites and shortbread), cinnamon cocnut swirl bread, and walnut almond cake
photo taken by VeganBeats

Oh by mention of sweter, Sticky Fingers has been making BANK off of my Birthday....check out what my emo suprised me with!!

MY Birthday...getting older and celebrating it OUTSIDE of the states!! night 1*!~

A new year, another start...a new number now attached to my life...ahhh I'm getting older. As we all are every second of every minute of every day..but Birthdays have this significance where (at least I) we review the past year, the past failures, regrets (none), accomplishments, obstacles, etc. Birthdays are everyone's official "New Year."
This is the first time where I celebrated (and still am) my Birthday outside of the states, away from old friends, old familiar buddies and my crew. I do miss them all very much, but it is with a sweetened coating.

This year I went out with a new crew!!

First things, didn't get out of work until 7, and didn't really manage to shower...AND I had a futon to move out of my place...I sprinted home, jumped in the shower, whipped on some clother, threw a futon down three flights of stairs then yanked on those hot boots and to the subway...

Got to Konkuk University and met up with Steph and Jaxs...then Brian and Kevin, Jin met up with us later. We cruised around and found a pricey bar and started the night with a Long Island Ice tea...then Jin arrived...so before sipping, grabbed him!

Drink was good, super sweet and super strong...but of course couldn't taste anything so A-ok!! All the ladies got a Long island, Brian got a beer (I think), Kevin got a White Russian and Jin got a gin and tonic...that apparently tasted like water.

After drinks we wandered to a hookah bar and then...well things got hazy!

what hookah flavor...bucket or pure shots?!!
photo taken by VeganBeats

Trying to figure out what to get...I don't generally like making up the decision for a group, I mean I do love having control *yelp* but when it's kicking it and celebrating, I'd rather let the crew do what we are meant to do...Every hookah flavor I wanted the place was out of, and we tried to, well I tried to barter down a bottle of vodka...got a free cocktail and free shot though!! huzzah!!

Kevin and Steph
photo taken by VeganBeats

I got drunker (of course) than planned, heya I had work at 9 am!!!

Steph and I
photo taken by VeganBeats

OF course, the night was full of love and snuggles...just how I like them!!

Brian and Kevin
photo taken by VeganBeats

My free fruity cocktail!!!
photo taken by VeganBeats

Steph
photo taken by VeganBeats

Brian
photo taken by VeganBeats

Jin
photo taken by VeganBeats

As silly and embarassing as this may be to admit, I wish I had a little invisible photographer kicking it with me all the time, then I don't have to awkwardly whip out my camera and try to take candid photos to capture moments...telling people "DON'T POSE!!" only gets you so far....

Jin and I
photo taken by VeganBeats

my lovie my bestie, my Jaxs
photo taken by VeganBeats

Night one (yes, night one) of my birthday was wonderful!
The fact that all these people came out to kick it meant soso much...
The night ended wonderfully too!