While the official day Spring has come, the actual advent of Spring is just about here. The weather has been steadily improving, and Vegan Man has been caught up with day hiking fever. There’s something truly magical about spending time out in nature.

On the first few hikes I used my only pair of boots, a 7-year old pair of Doc Martins, purchased well before becoming vegan. It was apparent that the ankle support wasn’t going to cut it, and that it would be a good idea to invest in some real hiking boots. But could I get a pair of vegan boots that were up to snuff?

In turns out the answer is yes. I went to a local REI and after talking to the shoe guy for a while, ended up getting a pair of Garmont’s Kiowa Vegan XCR boots on his recommendation. I had to order them from somewhere else because REI doesn’t actually stock them, but the guy was convinced these were the best available. A major advantage of these was that they have a Gore-Tex lining, which is breathable and waterproof.

In my size, the boots weigh a smidgeon more than a pound each, and are very supportive. I’ll be doing more trail-tromping in the next few months, so we’ll see how well they wear in the course of a season.

I’m a bit obsessed with noodle soups at the moment. Tonight I made udon noodles with a spicy soy ginger broth (and just a splash of mirin). It was much less salty than the last broth I made.

The broth was good, and the whole wheat udon performed like a champ, but the veggies made this dinner. I added baby bok choi, scallions, a carrot, two small thai bird chili peppers, and some honshimeji mushrooms. The mushrooms were incredibly expensive to the tune of $19.99 a pound, but I only needed a dollar’s worth for a hearty serving in two bowls.

The veggies, cut and ready to go:

The finished product!

This scramble is made with onions, black beans, pico de gallo and enchilada sauce. Served over blue corn tortilla chips and covered with guacamole and cilantro.

Thursday night’s dinner. Veggie sushi and udon with a soy ginger broth. The sushi didn’t turn out as photogenic as I’d have liked, but it was delicious. Avocado at this time of year is a treat.