Sunday, August 20, 2023

Appleton Eats - Bowl 91

Proving you can find vegan food anywhere. I'm going to post more about eating vegan in Wisconsin. I'm extremely pleasantly surprised how much I have grown to appreciate and enjoy living in Wisconsin. We haven't made any other vegan friends yet, but we've found quite a lot of good food. 

As I am wont to do, I start my exploration of vegan options by trying every Thai place I can. So over the last year and half of splitting our time in Illinois and Wisconsin, we have found quite few fun Thai places. None will take the place in my heart that is saved only for Thara Thai in my hometown, but we have found some favorites for sure.

Bowl 91 in downtown Appleton is definitely a favorite for dine in and take out. It is conveniently located and has a nice atmosphere. College Ave is the main street in Appleton's downtown. Lawrence University (where my partner, Eric, works and what brought us to Appleton) is at the east end of downtown. I've heard Bowl 91 is popular with the students. It is located in what is currently called City Center building, but the instance is right off College Ave. They are often busy, but it is easy to order online and take it to go.

Bowl 91 is not specifically a Thai restaurant, but is called "cross-cultural cuisine" and does seem like a fusion of a lot of Asian flavors. I love that the restaurant is a locally woman-owned business and she named it 91 for the year (1991) when her family came to the United States as refugees. Supporting small local businesses is one of my favorite parts of living in the Fox Cities.

They have dishes which are labeled vegan, but just tell your server you are vegan and most dishes can be accommodated.

Bangkok Flat Noodle no egg with tofu

I appreciate how fresh and plentiful the vegetables are and they always give an option to add more or different vegetables.
Drunken Udon with tofu

Eric is a newer vegan (less than 4 years) and also still learning to appreciate vegetables so he orders no vegetables and then will slowly add some in, but he really prefers his udon with tofu and udon with the sauce and nothing else.
Curry Noodles (no egg) with tofu (spiciest)

Milo (my 15 year old son) and I are used to very spicy food and we prefer it. Eating in Wisconsin has been tough because even when we say "spicy" it is usually not flavorful enough for our palates. At Bowl 91 we request the spiciest level and it definitely works for us.
Garden Ramen (no egg) with tofu (spiciest)

The Garden Ramen is pure spicy comfort food and always makes me happy. It is like a warm, satisfying hug in a bowl.


Saturday, September 17, 2022

Panda Express - New Beyond Orange Chicken

I don't think I've eaten at Panda Express more than once or twice in my life, but I think this is going to change. We had to try the Beyond Orange Chicken since every vegan is posting about it. At the same time, I just don't enjoy or feel good when I eat fast food so when eating the leftovers I had to doctor it up a bit. Eric bought a Family Meal. I think it is 2 large sides and 3 large entrees. It lasted even longer because they gave us two Super Greens and no Chow Mien. We had to go back and pick up the Chow Mien so they gave us an extra one. Lots of food and multiple meals for multiple people so it ended up being a deal!
I enjoyed the leftovers even more than the first night. Eric ordered brown rice for me since I prefer it and it is better for you. I warmed up the leftovers in our cast iron pan and added apple cider vinegar*, sesame oil, black cumin seeds**, turmeric***, black pepper***, and red pepper flakes. 
Aside from adding everything to make it taste better, there are health benefits too.
From Nutrition Facts (nutritionfacts.org):
*Sprinkling vinegar on greens may augment their ability to improve endothelial function.
**For three cents a day, black cumin may improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar control, as well as accelerate the loss of body fat.
***Less than a teaspoon a day of turmeric appears to significantly lower the DNA-mutating ability of cancer-causing substances. Eating black pepper at the same time as turmeric boosts the bioavailability of curcumin–the chief purported cancer fighter in turmeric–by 2000%

It is so nice to have options when traveling and easier options for the kids when they are out with friends. I hope Panda Express realizes it makes good business sense to keep vegan options on the menu!

Friday, September 2, 2022

Appleton Eats - Glass Nickel Pizza Co.

Glass Nickel Pizza Co. in Appleton, WI Daiya Delight and make your own salad

We haven't eaten in the Glass Nickel Pizza Co. restaurant yet because we ordered take-out on our first visit to Appleton, WI together. I really appreciate any pizza place that has broccoli as a topping option and Eric really appreciates the vegan cheese. I've been vegan for almost 30 years so I am still getting used to vegan cheese being an option and I enjoy cheeseless just as much. I ordered the Daiya Delight and a made to order salad. This was enough food for two or three meals. While Daiya isn't Eric's favorite vegan cheese, I love to really pile on toppings so this is my favorite pizza place so far. I like that they have a speciality pizza that is vegan and lots of build your own options. Eric likes that they offer vegan "meat" options. The crust was just the right thickness and cooked perfectly. The salads are such a refreshing alternative to most "side salads" which are nothing but iceberg lettuce and maybe some carrots and cherry tomatoes. I would go there just for a salad. We make our own pizzas at home quite often so we haven't tried Glass Nickel again, but now I'm craving it!

We stayed at this sweet airbnb, which we would also highly recommend. It is close walking distance to LU campus and downtown Appleton with lots of cute local shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars. We knew this area was where we eventually want to live. Being within walking distance of work and places to shop, eat, and socialize is very important. There are also several great parks nearby and, of course, the Fox River which is a huge draw for us.






I'm usually not a fan of pillows or wall art with words, but this seemed appropriate for us. That is exactly how we feel about each other. Now if we can just get everything in our lives to align so we don't have to juggle long distance or being away from our kids. It is complicated, but we'll get there.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

(Part-time) Dairy State (Full-time) Vegan

I am splitting my time between my beloved college home town in Illinois and a new quaint college town with my beloved in Wisconsin.

Life is such an interesting ride.

My life partner, Eric, graduated from Lawrence University some years ago and through a crazy wild winding road, he is back as University Counsel for his alma mater. I couldn't be more proud, but we also have so much to figure out.

Anyway, while we are splitting our time and working toward living in only one state and one house, we are also navigating the wily Wisconsin waters of vegan dining. Vegans in the Cheese State sounds next to impossible, but I will be blogging again so I can keep track of what we find. The good, the bad, the palatable, the delicious, and everything in between.

I hope posting Appleton vegan eats will help others since I haven't found a good resource so I will create the resource.

There are lots of wonderful things about LU and Appleton. I'm embracing the change and our new adventure. This means I'll be sharing a lot more.

Lawrence University at the end of winter.
View of the Fox River from the LU Gym walking track in the Spring.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

MLK Jr. Day

On this MLK Jr. Day, I'm trying to take this time to think about how to be a better advocate for Black voices and listen. I want to share this podcast with you and keep it here for me to remember.

This podcast with Candice Brathwaite covers birthing, parenting, trauma, race, etc. etc. All topics I feel strongly about and I definitely need to buy her books.

Listen!


Thursday, January 6, 2022

Choosing Joy

During the early months of the pandemic, friends who had moved away to different states reconnected and we started up a bookclub that had ended years prior. It was like the pandemic opened the door for us to connect via Zoom and start things up again. These friends, two women who I admire greatly, came along at the perfect time and chose the perfect books. 

One of these books was Untamed by Glennon Doyle. So much of what Glennon says in the book was completely relatable to me and what I was going through. The book helped me process a lot of difficult things in my life and got me through the long divorce process. I listen to her podcast We Can Do Hard Things and one of the things she talked about recently is choosing joy. Feeling deserving of joy and love has always been a very uncomfortable and hard thing for me. This is one of the reasons my marriage did not work out and what probably doomed from the start. 

I had options of people to start a life and family with. I was engaged several times before going forward with Rob. I chose Rob because he felt safe and familiar. Not safe in a healthy way, but safe in a way that I would never completely lose my heart to him. Safe in a way that we would never truly be partners in life. It wasn't healthy for either one of us and a relationship built on a feeling of unworthiness has a huge hole to dig out of before even starting to climb the lifetime mountain. It would have taken more than we ever had to fix that deficit in our lives. We tried therapy long before the kids were born and several times after. We both tried very hard...perhaps never at the same time. I was 23 when Rob and I fell into a relationship. He was 32 and coming out of a marriage, unhappy with his job and location. We both ignored the warning signs and eventually started a family.

Even as a mom who believed in giving 110% to her kids, I was doing them a disservice and not giving them one of the most important life skills...I never modeled feeling worthy of love.

I'm trying very hard, at 50 years old, to break this pattern. It didn't start with me. My mother also never felt deserving of love and didn't feel like she could choose joy. She died so young, only a few year older than I am right now, and never got a chance to live a joyful life. I'm assuming her mother was the same. I never got a chance to know my mother's mother because she also died in her 50's (earlier than my mother) and I was only a year old. My mom would tell me stories and I'm pretty sure I am right...my grandmother Opal didn't feel worthy of joy and love either. Who knows how far back in my family history this feeling goes. It is part of my DNA. 

I want this to stop with me.

I know some of my actions and decisions over the past two years can look selfish. I "left" my husband, I broke up our (dysfunctional) family, I stopped being the primary caretaker of my father with dementia, and I chose to start a new romantic relationship with my best friend (whose children may never accept me). I finally feel like I have a safe space and someone I can be vulnerable with and someone who wants the same things. We both have a lot of growing to do and old habits to break. We have so much work to do with our kids before we can ever dream of being a family all together. Maybe that part will never work out. I won't give up, but it definitely one of the hardest things I have had to do.

I have cared for and watched my mother die of cancer. I have cared for and watched my dad completely lose himself to dementia. I have cared for and watched my youngest child deal with gender dysphoria. I have cared for and watched my middle child fill with anger and blame regarding me and my parenting. I have cared for and watched my eldest go through so much adulting before becoming an adult and now at 21 I see so clearly the good, the bad, and the ugly that I have passed down...at the same time marveling at the amazing human being who emerged.

I am completely filled with shame, blame, and unworthiness. Feeling like I could have done so much better. Feeling like despite my careful planning and trying, I missed the mark where it mattered most. I acknowledge my shortcomings and how I completely failed.

I am ready now for a new beginning. 

I'm still here. My kids are still here. We are alive for now and I want to make the rest of the time left count. This means I can't hold onto the past. I can't live in what ifs and guilt.

I want to go forward and choose joy. I will choose joy. I am choosing joy.

Saturday, January 1, 2022

My Holidays 2021

The last two years have been very complicated. I'm sure I'm not alone. Pandemic living makes everything different. 

I'm finally officially divorced! I am living in a rental house (I started a farewell post to my old dream house, but haven't been able to bring myself to post it yet) on the other side of our twin city college towns. My youngest (who is now my 14 year old son and his name is Milo) lives with me full-time. My middle son, Dema, lives full-time with his dad since he is 17 years old and high school senior...they live in a rental house close to his high school. My favorite present this year was Dema coming to stay with us over the holidays for 12 days! 

I have a loving supportive partner, Eric, and he has a wonderful family and they have been amazingly welcoming and supportive of our relationship.

Eric's family on his dad's birthday at his brother's house.

Eric, me, Eric's dad and step-mom

Eric and me

Eric's step-dad and mom, Eric, me, Eric's dad and step-mom
Eric opening presents at his mom's house

Me, Eric, Eric's step-dad and mom, Milo

We were so fortunate to be able to gather together inside this year. We all got tested and have been vaccinated and boosted (except for Milo who can't get boosted yet because of his age). I'm so thankful for my community for countless reasons, but one of the best is how easy it is to access COVID testing and vaccinations.

I'm feeling hopeful about 2022 and very lucky to have so many loving people in my life.