I’ve been going to a gym for about 9 months now. I started going because I needed to run and I couldn’t run on an icy sidewalk when it was 4 degrees outside. But I was lured over from the treadmills to the weights; I got a personal trainer and started lifting in earnest. It’s been a big change in my physique since then. I might be skinny, but I’m sure as hell not scrawny.

My trainer is not only a great trainer, but a neat person. We talk between sets, about all sorts of things. One day we started to talk about food, and it came up that I bake. A few days later I brought in an extra cupcake for her. She shared it with one of the women who runs the gym, D___, and they both raved about it. “So good, and vegan too! Really!?”

I knew that I could spread the magic, even in a small way. So a few weeks later I brought in two cupcakes, which were promptly snacked up. I’ve been doing this for months, bringing in cupcakes, cakes, muffins, cinnamon rolls.

That’s right. I bring vegan baked goods to a gym. I feel bad when I see D___ on the stairmaster because I know that she’s working off my cupcake.

My next challenge is the guy who runs the gym, who is a real bodybuilder and not inclined to such frivolous snacks. When I offered him a cinnamon roll, he said “it’s high protein and low sugar right?” I can’t compete with an Energy Bar. Yet.

Am I crazy for making these pumpkin cinnamon rolls two nights in a row? Look at this, and then tell me I’m crazy:

I weighed in at 140 this morning, which makes me officially as heavy as I’ve ever been. Go me! I’m still 10 pounds away from my target weight, but I’m on the way.

Also, Vegan Man is now the #1 search for “vegan man” on Google. I finally beat out that Moby guy, whoever he is.

I shamelessly stole this from Katie, but as I’m in the middle of making her pumpkin cinnamon rolls, it seems appropriate. A kitchen tour – where the magic happens!

First up is the sink and counter. Mostly the dishes happen here, but a lot of chopping and etc.

Next is the range and oven. You can see the microwave/coffee/rice station next to the fridge, and below that the majority of the pots and pans.

Here’s the fridge. There’s a bookshelf next to it which contains sundries and cookbooks (and the iPod). I’ve got to store stuff on top of the fridge too, such as the minty green Kitchenaid and collanders.

And finally the pantry, which is currently filled to capacity.

We had a friend over last night, and she had a bowl of the alphabet soup. She loved it, and asked if should have the recipe, and if it’d work in a slow cooker. And without the alphabet noodles! I wasn’t sure how it would work, so I made it again today, and it was a winner.

Like most of my recipes, it doesn’t require a lot of exotic ingredients. It’s perfect for those cold evenings!

I’ve got a big pot of alphabet soup cooking right now. There’s something so very comforting about it, and I could use an extra dose of comfort about now.

In other news, my bulbs arrived, and am now able to take ridiculous pictures of alphabet noodles in a glass jar.

It’s busy here at Vegan Man HQ, so not much of a content-rich post today. But I’m going to talk about tabouli.

I love tabouli. I could eat as much as you put in front of me; eat as much as I could possibly eat before exploding. I used to make it in my dorm room as an undergrad with Fantastic brand mix and a cheap tomato I got from Kroger. I would eat it every day if I could, I think. If I had time, right now, I’d make a giant vat of tabouli. And then I’d eat it all.

Because, you know, I kinda am sorta fond of it.

I ordered a fancy-ass light kit to use for photography and video projects, including food shots. The bar for vegan food photography is such that in a few months everyone will need a professional studio, a few assistants, and the reanimated corpse of Ansel Adams to even have a chance at things.

As I put the kit together, eager to try out all manner of wacky lighting techniques – I mean, I have a boom flood! – I realized that the company left an essential part of the package out. The bulbs.

What this means for you is that some awesome food photography is upcoming. What this means for me is that there is some awesome food waiting to be cooked and eaten. Everybody wins!

One of the most reliable recipes in my playbook is this red dal. I got it originally from a friend years ago as “Slow Potted Masoor Lentils (Christopher’s Version)” but I’ve pared down the recipe and made it my own. It’s dead simple and maybe takes 5 minutes to set up in the morning. In honor of VeganMofo I share it!

It’s November, and it’s not too late to jump on the “November do things obsessively” trend for 2007. In 2006 I was taking care of my dad, and in 2005 I managed to put together a CD.

This year it’s VeganMoFo: The Vegan Month of Food. I started by kicking it up a notch around here with a new look. What comes next? Stick around and find out!