Cooking is therapeutic

When I was younger, I used to believe in "shop therapy," but that can cause as many problems as it alleviates. Once I became vegan and started really cooking, I discovered there was comfort in cooking and in eating a meal I had just cooked. I also enjoy baking cookies and cupcakes, and it's not just eating them that provides comfort.

I received some devastating news on Monday evening. My paternal grandmother passed away at the age of 97. For most of my life, she lived in Tampa, but a few years ago, she moved to the Fort Lauderdale area where one of my uncles lives, and it wasn't easy for me to get down to that area when I did fly to Florida, so I didn't see her as much as I used to. But I remember she was always very sharp mentally, even as she grew frail physically (she was in her 90s, I recall, before she needed a walker). But oddly, the thing I remember most about my grandmother was that she loved to cook and bake. My dad was the same way. And I guess in my 30s, I've become the same great baker that my grandmother and father were.

Last night, I made Tomato-Soup Spice Cupcakes (it was originally a cake recipe that I adapted to cupcakes) with a sweet vanilla icing, recipes found in La Dolce Vegan! I also made another batch of the Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vive Le Vegan! Now, don't get freaked out about the name of tomato-soup cupcakes. Yes, it has tomato soup, but it is a delightful version of a spice cake, and the icing is delicious. The only change I would make is to use nuts instead of raisins and maybe use a little more cinnamon and clove.

Tonight, I made the salisbury tempeh with some pasta and dish of teriyaki green beans and carrots, the latter dish from the RecipeZaar Web site. It was pretty good, but I think the sauce was too thick. Still, I would make it again, but maybe with a different sauce, perhaps soy sauce/tamari or Bragg's aminos. I've made the salisbury tempeh before, and it was as good as I remember, although the sauce was thinner than last time. Unfortunately, all the pictures came out blurry, so I don't have a picture of tonight's dinner. Still, it was very delightful. Maybe I can get a picture of it as leftovers.