What makes me happy

Oh wow.  This is a great topic.  What exactly makes me happy.  First of all, I have to say FOOD!  Food makes me very happy.  Gotta give shout-outs to Gardein, Spork Foods, Cafe Gratitude, and so many other cruelty-free products and restaurants.  It's funny because before I went vegan, I think that I took food for granted.  I didn't really taste anything or understand my relationship with food.  However, now I am practically orgasmic for certain foods.  It's fabulous, made all the more better by being compassionate as well!

Animal Acres makes me extremely happy.  My good friend Kelly planned my bridal shower there and it was more than I could ask for.  Not only did it get many people that otherwise would not step foot on a farm there, but I think some of my friends finally made the connection between the animals out there to the ones on their plate.  Yes, there were a few jokesters who made bacon comments in front of the pigs (which enraged me but I kept my cool) but for the the most part everyone was on their best behavior.  Animal Acres is just so lovely.  It's apparent that the staff truly loves and cares for the animals. They couldn't ask for better homes than Acton.

My girlfriend/fiancee/wife-to-be makes me happy.  She's my best friend and the only person I've ever been able to spend so much time with without being driven crazy.  Sure we fight sometimes and I get mad at her, but she's helped me become a better person.  She's unlocked a loving part of myself that I had hidden away.  Becca really is the best.

Brand new babies (including but not limited to human) make me happy.  Our friends just had their first son two days ago and I'm very excited to meet the little guy!  I will also be attending my first bris which makes me nervous I'm not going to lie.  However, I love how newborns look, smell and feel.  I love anything that just sleeps and looks cute all the time!

Traveling to new places makes me happy as well.  Perhaps not the travel part since I dislike airports and get bored in cars but nevertheless, I love being somewhere new.

And finally yoga makes me happy!  I am a new convert and still don't get to practice as often as I'd like due to my hours but I love every second that I do attend.  I am getting back into the habit of going at 6:15 am just to round out my 6 am bootcamps haha.  I am getting more into the idea of liking exercise so yoga is my transition.

Wynn Hotel Las Vegas

So this weekend was March Madness.  Becca and I went to Las Vegas to meet up with her dad and step-mom for the second year in a row.  We stayed at Platinum Hotel this time but I made a point of saying that I'd like to dine at the Wynn because they now offer vegan menus at all their locations.  We went to the Country Club: A New American Steak House.  We figured that this would give her 'rents plenty of options while still allowing us to eat well.  We started with the tempeh crab cake pictured.  The flavor was great, not much like a crab cake per se but really nutty and delicious. The sauce, which I think was made out of walnuts, was awesome.  I really enjoyed it.  I think if they used a little seaweed powder or something, it may have given it a certain "fishiness" that would make it taste more authentic.

Next I ordered the Gardein Chicken while Becca got the Quinoa Pasta. The chicken was well seasoned and really tasty.  I wasn't in love with the sweetness of the mango salsa but I kinda knew that going in.  The plantain crisps were a bit bland and could have probably used a little salt.  However, the green sauce on the plate was fantastic. I just kept smothering my chicken in it.  Finally, the purple yam was awesome.  It was really great to mix all the different flavors together.    Becca's pasta was very creamy.  She loved it.  I didn't love the sauce but I'm not a huge fan of white sauce in general.  Suffice to say she loved it.

I wanted to do some dessert but the only vegan one they had available was the sorbets, which I was lukewarm about.  So all in all, the meal was fantastic. However, there are some negatives. First of all, the original menu I looked at when choosing this restaurant was much more extensive than the actual one for the day.  Also, they do not give you a vegan menu if you do not request it, nor do they advertise that they have vegan options.  Outside each restaurant they only post the meat menu, which I find annoying.  I'm sure Steve Wynn has it on the lock-down and will make changes, but at least let the people know it's available!  Finally, $38 feels a bit steep for a piece of Gardein chicken.  It was very tasty but come on, people. Really??