May 3, 2019 - 5 Intriguing Facts about Bronx Parks and Vegan Lentil Loaf AND Tanya's Road Trip across the United States

Elisa's Daily Scoop 
Covering Long Island & NYC Boroughs 
CURRENTLY IN:  LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
​NEXT TRIP: TBD

Tanya's Daily Scoop 
Covering the West Coast & the World
CURRENTLY IN: OHIO
NEXT TRIP: NYC - TOMORROW

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​5 Intriguing Facts about Bronx Parks and Vegan Lentil Loaf

Hello My Lovelies! 
I don't know about you, but his week just flew by in a jiffy!  Here we are and it's Friday already!

Fridays have become important here on Travelin' Cousins with two important elements that I love to bring to you.

The first, is of course, a link to my weekly column in ThisIsTheBronx.info.  This week, I have featured the parks of the Bronx in my article: The Green Bronx: 5 Intriguing Facts About Bronx Parks. 

(photo: Kristine Paulus / Wikimedia Commons)

These facts include:
1. Home to the Largest New York City Park
2. Fascinating, Historic Grounds 
3. Trees and Natural Species Galore
4. Bronx Park Had The First-Ever “Recycled Plastic Bottle” Pier
5. Ecologically Diverse Wildlife and Fauna
​
Read more to find out all the details...


Secondly, as promised, Fridays I will feature a new vegan recipe that I have tried.  This week, I made a delicious vegan "meat loaf" using lentils, nuts and veggies for my father.  

Right now, we have him on a diet of all veggies, no dairy, no sugar, no salt and no wheat or grains.  

You'll notice I use rolled oats to make flour and flaxseed meal with water as a binder and egg substitute.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

(c) travelincousins.com

​INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dry green lentils
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (I steamed the veggies since my Dad cannot have oils right now)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small white or yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup diced onion)
• 1  leek
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 stalk celery finely diced 
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup gluten free oat flour (I made my own!)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt (I omitted salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:
3 plum tomatoes - sliced and placed on top

Rolled Oat Flour, Rolled Oats, Ground up Walnuts and Sunflower Seeds (c) travelincousins.com

all the veggies in the pot to be steamed (cannot saute for my Dad's diet) (c) travelincousinscom

Lentils simmering (c) travelincousins.com

Veggie-Lentil Loaf ready to go in the oven (c) travelincousins.com

INSTRUCTIONS

• Rinse the lentils in a large mesh strainer. Add 4 cups of water to a large pot with lentils and a dash of salt, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils absorb most of the water and become tender. Drain lentils and set aside.
• While the lentils cook: Mix flaxseed meal and 1/3 cup water to a small bowl and place in the refrigerator while you make the rest of the loaf. The flaxseed meal will help bind the loaf together.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• Place large pan over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrot, jalapeno and cilantro; saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften a bit. Add in spices and cook for 30 more seconds, then transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend about 2 cups of the cooked lentils. Transfer to the bowl with the sauteed veggies, and stir in the remaining lentils along with the oats, oat flour, and flaxseed meal (from the fridge!). Add salt and pepper, then taste and add more spices or salt and pepper if desired.
• Add mixture to prepared loaf pan, pressing and smoothing to the sides to make sure it bakes evenly.
• Top with sliced tomatoes. Bake loaf for 45 minutes
• Remove from heat and cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from pan. Cut into 5 slices and serve! I like to enjoy it with a little extra ketchup or bbq sauce. Also delicious served with mashed potatoes!

Here's to the start of your weekend!!!

-Travelin' Elisa

My road trip across the United  States

Hey strangers!

It's Travelin' Tanya here....finally! WTH 

I have come to the conclusion that I completely suck when it comes to blogging from a road trip. UGH

I left SoCal on Wednesday morning with my friend Dave (sorry I couldn't be any more creative! LOL) and we've have been clocking miles upon miles across middle America.

Climbing trees and enjoying America's Favorite pastime - Baseball.

On day one we had drove all of 1,350 miles. Stopping in Hays, Kansas. 
On day two we went from Hays to Kansas City, Missouri and I finally got to Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals play some baseball.

Yes I made it to my 26th stadium and finally went to see a game in Kansas City. 

DID YOU KNOW: That I lived in Manhattan, Kansas during the filming of a movie that I was working in 1997.

Why didn't I go to see a game back then? I dunno.

But what I do know is that things got kinda screwed up when I was suppose to go catch a game in Kansas City back on my baseball road trip back in 2007...
Read more here:
A Good Luck Charm for a MLB Road-Trip

​The second time I had thought I was going to go catch a game in Kansas City was in 2014 when the MLB All Star Game was in Kansas City...

But there was a family reunion over the same set of dates and I chose family over baseball.

So when I came up with the plan of us driving cross country instead of flying. I quickly checked the schedule and  knew that we just had to go!!

It was a blast and I'm so glad that we did. The last place Kansas City Royals were playing the first place Tampa Bay Rays  and it was a close game through and through, but in the end the Tampa Bay Rays won 3-1.

We then continued our road trip to St. Louis for dinner - It was too bad that  I did not have the opportunity to get a good picture of the arch.

Next up was dinner at Tree House Vegetarian Restaurant.

---

And then back to the driving and calling it a night in Indianapolis!

Today is all about Go Ape treetop adventure park, then to Pittsburgh to hopefully catch a Pittsburgh Pirates game...

You catch my drift. Insert smile here.

That's all for night now, Over and out.
​-Travelin' Tanya