Vegan Stir Fry, Peach Pina Colada, and Trip Finale Pics

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How are you doing today? Well, this post brings our Aruba trip to a close.  After I hit Publish on this one, we’re off to the airport.  Sigh.  As I mentioned before, I know all good things come to an end, but I am sad to leave Paradise.   

Beach in Aruba with boats and people in water


We’ll be back next year, though so that’s the silver lining!  

Thanks for the great comments on Deb’s Guest Post about Yoga Mat Folding and of course her awesome looking smoothies!
Smoothie in cup
And glad you enjoyed yesterday’s smattering of vacay photos!

 Woman and young girl in swimsuits on beach in Aruba smiling

But let me take you down Veggie Memory Lane from the Past Few Days’ worth of Eats…
Enter in: a Stir Fry Mix that was actually in stock at the Grocery Store. They’re sold out of kale, as mentioned.

Stir fry mix in package

So I’m in MKW (Major Kale Withdrawal).  But I’m making do….haha!

Close up of Stir Fry Mix in package

Threw my stir fy mix in a sautee pan with about 1/2 c of water

Stir Fry Mix in pan with lid

Added about 1 Tsp of Ginger and a few twists of Black Pepper

Ground ginger

And that’s when things got all X-Rated Steamy

Lid taken off of Stir Fry

Oh that’s better.

Stir Fry Mix in pan cooking

And I let the veggies cook and steam for about 5 minutes

Close up of vegetables steaming in pan

And Tossed them with Romaine, a little Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing, and a Baked Potato on
the side

Overhead of Vegan Slaw Dressing
Stir fry with Romaine, Vegan Slaw Dressing and Baked Potato

And I was happy: Romaine, Carrots, Cauli, Zukes, Cukes, Yellow Peppers….yeah baby!

Close up of Stir Fy

If you missed my last stir-fry here, check this post out.  I was made aware that Italian Salad dressing is not truly vegan.  Hey, I do my best people and I just give myself major props for cooking 3 squares a day, on vacation no less!   As always, use ingredients to suit YOUR lifestyle and read the fine print on the labels if you’re into labels.  I am not.  As Elise says, she’s not 100% vegan.  And I always think it’s good to keep a healthy, balanced, non-obsessed, carefree attitude.  I do my best and I think 99.278998% of the time I succeed at being vegan.  I do not obsess over trace ingredients nor get fanatical.  I don’t go out and buy a slab of cheese either and I don’t ever intentionally try to mislead, but us bloggers, we’re human too. 

Stir fry on plate

And when in Rome, you make do with ingredients that aren’t sold out of the grocery store, and enjoy because the stir fry was great!

Close up of Stir Fry on plate

Moving along to another plate.  This one was Scott’s. 

Mixed Salad with Homemade Creamy Tahini "Cesar" Dressing

A Cesar-ish Salad dressed with my Homemade Creamy Tahini “Cesar” Dressing on Romaine with Cukes, and a Baked Potato on the Side

Close up of Mixed Salad with Homemade Creamy Tahini "Cesar" Dressing

And this one was mine:  Romaine, Cukes, Brock, Cauli

Mixed salad with vegetables

With  Homemade Vegan Slaw Dressing that you can see pooled up.  Slurp.  Chrysta told me she’s gotten in on my recipe and has been loving the sweet tang of it, too!

Mixed Salad with vegetables topped with Slaw Dressing

And then remember when I wrote about not having drank alcohol in the past 4+ years?  Well, the dry spell (no pun intended) was officially broken!!!!

I bellied up to the bar

Outdoor bar

Gorgeous scenery at the Hyatt as I mentioned.

Outdoor seating at hotel
Outdoor seating at hotel with beach view

And ordered myself a Peach Pina Colada.  

Sitting at bar looking at bartenders
 There it is being made!

And it was amazing.

Pina Colada in clear cup

Come here, little girl…

Woman sitting at outdoor bar with Pina Colada

As it whispered in my ear: Drink Me Now!

Pina Colada with Cherry and Pineapple

And I did.

Close up of Pina Colada

On my Chaise Lounge

Woman on lounger in bathing suit holding a drink and smiling

Oh sorry, too much skinI’ll cover Up.

Woman on lounger covered up with towel drinking a drink

Truth be told, I split the Colada with Scott.  Didn’t want to catch a buzz on ya know, half a pina coladaAfter 4.5 years, I was worried hoping.

Woman on lounger drinking a drink and smiling on beach

And Skylar even ate the pineapple garnish and contemplated drinking her cup of sand.

Young girl playing in sand on beach
Young girl with cup playing on beach

And a piece of pineapple that may or may not have gotten stuck in her teeth.

Young girl sitting on sandy beach

She didn’t seem to mind.  Pineapple, the full undivided attention of 2 parents for nearly a month, and lots of sandcastles = A Child’s Definition of Paradise!

Young girl smiling playing on beach

And that my friends, sums up 3+ weeks in Aruba.  And, on the last day, I broke my drinking dry spell.  Not sure when I will next drink again.  Definitely not on New Years Eve!

Yoga Today is Practicing a Zen-Like State with a 20 hour travel day ahead of me and a 2 year old in tow.  ‘Nuff Said.

Back to New Year’s Eve…I’ll be at home, hopefully in bed long before the stroke of midnight.  With a child who’s also in bed and I plan get up and go to yoga on New Year’s Day!  What are your New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day plans?  Going out?  Staying in?  Cooking or not?  Drinking or not?  Swinging from the chandeliers or not?  Seriously, whatcha got going on?  And if you’re going out, do you have your wardrobe lined up?  Whatcha wearin’?

Stay Tuned For Great Food and Recipes from back home in AZ…

 

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Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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