Happy 2022! We made it to another year! I found 2021 to be monumentally better than 2020 so it’s a win. Given how crappy 2020 was, I was so grateful this past year when things started looking like they could be “normal” again – within reason of course. There were times I hated 2021 like when we had that awful winter storm that left us without power and wondering which neighbors were down with us. Or when violence against Asian people was finally being talked about but you learn which people are real allies and which people are just being performative and are ultimately virtue signalers.
But 2021 also brought the birth of my blog in January when I published my first post which was for my vegan version of Adobong Itim (Vegan Filipino Adobo made with soy sauce). I finally learned how to make amazing vegan chocolate chip cookies that multiple people kept telling me were the bomb and apparently not obviously vegan. LOL! I kept telling them it’s because it’s vegan that it’s good. (wink) Is my age showing? But 2021 was also when I finally got to see some long-distance loved ones again after almost two years.
For 2022, I have a few different plans for the blog but I’m hesitant to list them because what if I lose interest and/or steam and can’t complete something? When I committed to that 12 Months of Dim Sum Project, I was so excited at first. But as things started opening up again and we were able to be social outdoors with both new and old loved ones in addition to fulfilling personal obligations – you know, like chores around the house, volunteering at my daughter’s school, engaging in mutual aid and actually taking care of my family, I found less time for the blog.
I started to kick myself for committing to such a goal. Despite meeting the goal in a half-assed way, I was still secretly disappointed that I hadn’t gotten around to making all twelve recipes.
So for 2022, I’m trying to be more chill and blogging about what I want, when I want – so long as it’s related to vegan food and/or veganism in general. I don’t know how that will look right now so I’m going to go with the flow.
However, one thing I do feel sure about is adding a new category to Bakeroise called Free Fridge Food; This category will encompass posts that focus on my experience in contributing to the nearest free fridge by my house. If you live in Portland and notice fridges and pantries right next to sidewalks, chances are they are a part of a network of fridges called PDX Free Fridge. For those who don’t know, they are intentionally set-up, outdoor fridges and/or pantries for people to take what they need and give what they can so that they can be fed.
Community members around Portland put them up and we work to keep them stocked and maintained. I’m not a part of anything official but do I try to try my best to adhere to the Community Guidelines – which are freaking important but don’t seem to be on most people’s radar, including my own sometime. I’m not perfect so I now make myself look at the list regularly. Last night I was at the pantry dropping off some ramen soups and noticed there were some canned soups on the ground. I chalked it up to overcrowding on the shelves so I didn’t disturb the cans since we’re not supposed to touch stuff we’re not taking with us but apparently, nothing is supposed to be placed on the ground!
So you do decide to contribute food, best to go over said guidelines for everyone’s safety of course.
As far as what the fridge and pantries need, people just kind of update their personal Instagram posts and/or stories on the status of each location, then they tag @PDXFreeFridge in said posts/stories and @pdxfreefridge reshares their content as a story, to share far and wide… so others else will know the needs of the pantry and fridge.
For example:
This pantry/fridge set-up exists because we do have a pretty high population of houseless humans in Portland proper. Every time there’s a heat wave or temps drop below freezing, concern rises for those who don’t have adequate shelter and protection. These fridges have been monumentally helpful for people. And it also helps when people bring individual ingredients and bags of veggies because there are also many housed humans with kitchens but also food insecurity.
A few days ago, I made six of these meals and when I checked the fridge the next morning, they were already gone.
So…the food goes quickly. It’s good to see it’s being used but it’s obviously depressing because of real systemic issues that cause this symptom of hungry people living in poverty.
But we do what we can.
I personally believe housing and safety should be a human right but of course politics. Anyway, I’m starting to learn my limits and I just want to do my best in terms of directly contributing the best way I know how. And right now, one of my top priorities is making simple meals for those who are unhoused.
I spent a part of my last day of 2021 making a bunch of simple vegan peanut butter organic jelly sandwiches for the fridge with ingredients I already had. It wasn’t fancy stuff but I’m grateful I got to do that with my limited time. Oh and if you’re wondering if peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren’t already vegan, the answer is…they are not vegan if the jelly is not-organic because it means the sugar has been filtered through animal bone char.
If you’re interested in the super simple recipe for the lunch I posted, here is what I used:
I cut each English muffin so I could spread a teaspoon of mayo on one of the surfaces. I know that not everyone is as obsessed with mayo like me.
Then I divided the chick’n barbecue pieces into six portions (even though the package is for only 3 servings) since one serving wouldn’t fit between a sliced English muffin.
So I was able to come out with six English muffin sandwiches instead of just 3. I put those in a completely sealed sandwich bag. Then I also added some sliced pickles in a separate sealed bag for anyone who wanted more flavor somehow. I felt bad about not having something more suitable for the pickles (and yes I do think about waste) and I also didn’t have any disposable silverware to assist.
I also added a small bag of chips in another bag (and yes I know this seems wasteful but you know what? I’m trying my best).
It wasn’t perfect and I wish I had the time to make coleslaw with some good greens I had in my fridge but I was pretty limited.
I also typed out labels that had the name of the items inside, what common allergens they contained and when I date them.
I crossed my fingers and just hoped these sandwiches would help anyone. And they apparently did.
I would like to try to do more of this in 2022.
