Tom Petty: The Family Tie That Binds

I thought it was about time for the first music post of this newly formed chaos.  This would fall under the “Sing a song” portion of our weekly program.  I hope you enjoy it.  Remember to always listen to the tunes that make you feel your very best, and share them with those you love.

On Sunday, October 1, 2017, I turned 43.  I’m not a big birthday person.  Chilling at home with the family and a good movie is alright with me.  And that’s probably what we did.  Then Monday, October 2, 2017, I got up, took Lennon to school and went to work like any other day.  Then I got the news.  Early that morning, Tom Petty was found unconscious at his home, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest.  It was unreal to me.  This man.  This icon.  This stranger that had been a part of our family would most likely not make it through the night. 

We had grown up on Tom Petty.  The memories were endless.  He knew our grief, he knew our joy, and he knew we were regular, normal people trying to get by.   He put our visions and emotions and wants and needs into words when we weren’t even able to ourselves. I was fortunate enough to see him perform when I was younger.  But now… now being older (and wiser?  Questionable, I know), he seemed more of a peer than a rock star. He seemed like that favorite beat up old cozy sweatshirt you bust out on the cold days for that extra layer of physical, emotional and mental comfort.  He seemed like an old friend.

After Doug and I were married, we saw him together in Charlotte.  It was like a rediscovery of life.  All of the good parts of it.  Over time, we found that, often unbeknownst to us, Tom and his lyrics would weave themselves in and out of our lives at fairly regular intervals.  What better anthem for your 10 month old pulling himself up and gaining independence than Learning to Fly?

Lennon would ask for Tom Petty at a very young age, recognizing the safe feeling of home it gave him.  I remember him singing Runnin’ Down A Dream.  He would get half of the words wrong, but that was okay, and I’m sure Tom would think it was okay, too.  We listened to a lot of Tom in 2017, and the Highway Companion album became a front seat passenger on the many baseball road trips we would take.  We couldn’t go anywhere without Tom.  If I had a nickel for every time I heard “A coyote ran across the road, on the move without a home…” well, let’s just say I’d probably have a lot more time to work on this blog.  His lyrics gave us things to talk about as a family.  It gave us things we could relate to.  In a time of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and everyone with their face in a device while sitting 5 feet away from each other in the same room; where everyone rushed through everything and there never seemed to be enough time for anything or anyone, his music was somehow able to bring us together.

Earlier that same year, after a quick stop to see Tom's childhood home in Gainesville, FL, and take a stroll down his old street, we were fortunate enough to see him perform in Tampa.  To be able to share that with Lennon, to watch him experience this person who had just been a voice on a recording, it was worth every penny and then some.  

It must have been the music gods that scheduled that part of the tour while we were in Tampa for a Rays game.  Because who knew that 5 months from then, he would be gone.

I remember that day so clearly.  I had picked Lennon up from afterschool and we stopped at the dollar store for something.  We were in the car in the parking lot and I told him that Tom Petty was really sick and in the hospital.  I had never seen my little boy cry so hard and feel so much pain.  He understood and it hurt like hell.  But he remembered.  “I’ll never get to see him again!” he screamed through tears in the car trying to catch his breath.  He remembered seeing him. He had the memory and that would never go away.  And we would all help keep that memory, and the overall memory of Tom, alive.  Because that’s what he did, and does, for us.  He keeps us going.  He keeps us alive.

In late September of 2018, Tom Petty, An American Treasure was released, billed as “a career-spanning Tom Petty box set featuring 60 tracks on 4 CDs that unveils previously unreleased recordings, alternate versions of classic songs, rarities, historic live performances and deep tracks that spotlight Tom's remarkable depth and evolution as a revered and tremendously influential songwriter, recording artist and performer.”  I couldn’t have put it better myself.  So many new things to discover, and rediscover.  Perhaps one of the coolest things for us is that the “Even the Losers” track was recorded live at Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester, NY on September 9, 1989…and my husband, Doug, was there.  Talk about coming full circle.

I have listened to this collection almost daily over the past 5+ months.  A lot of it on my own and quite a bit of it with Lennon.  And we now have a new favorite song.  It’s our feel good song.  Our song that even after a rough, rushed and harried morning, we can get in the car, take a deep breath and know that the day is going to be okay.  Maybe even better than okay. Previously unreleased track 16, “Keep a Little Soul,” is a 1982 cut from the Long After Dark sessions.  I was 7.  And now I listen and smile and rock out to it with my 8 year old son, volume blaring and windows down even when it’s 20 degrees out.  Because, is there any other way?  You’re welcome.

I tried to find a food reference in Tom’s lyrics to pay a special culinary tribute, which after weeks of searching are, oddly, slim to none.  But Doug did find an article where Tom says his favorite sandwich was peanut butter and jelly.  So in honor of the late, better than great, Tom Petty, I give you my own little creation of thanks…Full Moon Fevers (vegan, of course!):

FULL MOON FEVERS

Ingredients:

• 1 flax egg (courtesy of The Minimalist Baker – click HERE for recipe)
• 1/2 tbsp. water
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (I think creamy works best.  Also, you could use any nut butter, but since this is paying homage to Tom, we’re sticking with the traditional peanut)
• 3-1/2 tbsp vegan heavy cream (courtesy of tybeet contribution @ Genius Kitchen – click HERE for recipe)
• 1.5 tbsp vegan confectioners’ sugar (I prefer Wholesome Organic Powdered Confectioners Sugar
• 1 package of puff pastry - should include 2 rolls (I prefer Athens Phyllo Dough Sheets, vegan and easily found in even the freezer section at Walmart!)
• 3 tbsp jam/preserves of your choice

Directions:

·     

• Thaw pastry dough (see box for best method) 
• Make your vegan heavy cream.  I made mine a few hours before and put it in a glass jar in the fridge.  It separated little, but all I had to do was shake the jar up.  It is a little thinner than heavy cream, but did the trick J
• Make your flax egg and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then add the additional water and stir.  Set aside.
• Mix your nut butter of choice, v. heavy cream and v. confectioners' sugar in a bowl until the smooth and well blended. Set aside.
• GOOGLE WORKING WITH PUFF PASTRY!!  This stuff dried out super quick so it’s good to have some wax paper and a wet towel on hand.
• On a hard surface that you can cut on, unroll 1 pastry sheet.  Either dust the surface with flour or lay down some wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking. (Yes, there are supposed to be lie 30 ridiculously thin sheets that comprise one layer or sheet. No one told me this…I was confused.)
• I used a canola oil nonstick spray and sprayed between each layer to maintain moisture and to help give it a buttery, crispy texture after baking.
• Using a round cutter, cut 6 circles out of one sheet (if you get better at it, you can probably get more out of a sheet, but being new to the dough, I had a lot of scrap!)  You really need to press down and twist the cutter back and forth to get it to cut through all of the layers.
• Lay each of the circles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  
• In the center of each circle, plop a spoonful of the nut butter mixture and a spoonful of your jam/preserves. (I had some of the nut butter mixture leftover, but yummmmmm, that was fine with me!  Freeze it, you’ll love it).
• Using a brush or small spook, spread the flax seed mixture around the edge of the dough circle, this will help create like a glue to seal ‘em shut.
• Using the same technique, unroll the other pastry dough and cut 6 more circle.  Place these on top of the 6 beauties on the tray (actually they won’t look beautiful yet, so don’t panic.)
• Press the edges of the top and bottom circles together to seal them up.
• Stab them gently once in the center with a fork to create 4 much needed vent holes (I'm just saying), or a small slit with a sharp knife.

• Bake for 15 minutes, then let them col on the sheet for another 15 minutes. 
• Top with confectioners sugar (I finally got to use my clearance special sifter!!!  I felt very chefyJ)

These reheat well, too, but just for like 8-10 seconds in the microwave, wooh!  That jelly gets hot!

Let me know if you have any questions, or if you have any other filling ideas!  And if you make them, post it on Instagram and tag me @veganvocalmama !

And Tom, thanks for Keeping Me Alive.

Now go have a rock star day.

Spring Training...VVM Style

For those of you that may be new to the insanity that is my daily life, you may not be aware of my family’s baseball obsession.  My husband and I both grew up liking baseball, but life takes over and we don’t have a major league team where live and it just kind of fell to the side.  After our son was born, around age 3 we took him to a minor league game here in Asheville.  He showed an immediate interest.  As time went on we attended more games and my husband and I began to rediscover our love of the game.  In the spring of 2017 we were on vacation, not far from Miami and it happened to be the Miami Marlins home opener, so we went and had a blast.  And lucky for us, it was the first time Rally Cat made an appearance and thus an unofficial mascot was born…my husband does the best play by play…

In early May of that year, we trekked down to Tampa to see Tom Petty (more on that in a later post) on a Saturday and saw that the Tampa Bay Rays had a home game on Sunday, so we extended the trip by a day. Again we had a blast.  And the best part was sharing all of this with Lennon, who at this point was almost 7.  Our wheels started turning.  These had been two of the most fun family experiences we had ever had.  And then the question was asked…

Could we see all 30 major league ballparks? 

And then the challenges grew…

By car?

And then we were just gluttons for punishment…

In 18 months?

Bottom line is, yes. We did it, by car, in 16 months.  Boom!  But that’s a fun filled story for another post.  What I want to write about today is the food.  I was on my veggie to vegan journey through all of this, and these long trips and ballpark food did not make it easy.  Many parks now have veggie burgers and veggie dogs (while sodium filled and most likely not vegan, they will do in a pinch and at least feels like ballpark food).  Some stadiums have Mexican Food vendors now where I could score a veggie taco or veggie nachos.  Arlington, TX had a baked potato stand, of course all potatoes advertised were smothered in chili, cheese and butter.  Some stadiums have little markets with prepackaged cheese and fruit platters, and salads. (I have to draw the line here.  I’m at a baseball game, not a cocktail party.  This is a completely last resort in dire circumstances only).  But I’ve learned that if you ask nicely and get creative, even within the confines of a baseball stadium, people, will happily do their best to accommodate you.

Well, it’s March.  It has been 6 months since my husband and son have seen baseball game, and almost 7 months for me.  Spring is in the air and cannot get to the currently cold, rainy, dreary mountains of western NC fast enough.  But we simply could not wait.  The calling was too strong.  Friday night, March 1, we hit the road at 5:45pm after work, stopped and stocked up on 10 bean burritos from taco bell (no cheese), ate 3 each in the car for dinner, checked into a free hotel near Jacksonville Airport around 1am (thank you Hilton Honors Points).  Hit the road again at 5:45 Saturday morning and headed to Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fl.  Home of the Detroit Tigers Spring Training season. 

It was in the 80’s.  It was sunny.  We were sweating.  We were happy.  We arrived at the ballpark a little before 10am for the 1pm game as we had batting practice tickets and needed to continue the tradition of getting a ball at every park.   While the boys were hawking, mama did her ceremonial stroll and investigation of the concourse and the offerings.  No veggie burgers.  No veggie dogs.  There was a little market with the fruit and cheese and salads (I had not hit “dire” on the Vegan Vocalmama meter yet).  And then I saw it.  “Mac and Taters”.  Take your pick of mac n cheese or tater tots and load them with a protein and various toppings.  Hmmmm.  It took a while for them to understand that I did not want to “choose a protein” and could I please have a few extra other toppings instead.  Finally we overcame the nutrition communication barrier and for $10 I got tater tots topped with guacamole, tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans and crispy tortilla strips.  Voila!  Vegan Tater Tot Mexican Taco Salad!  It was oddly, insanely delicious and did not sit in my stomach like a rock.  That is successful dining at Baseball Park.  BOOM!

And not only did we make a new baseball stadium fanatic friend from Michigan (Hi Ron and family!), we got another ball to add to our collection.  Ok, we got 8.  Including one I caught with a textbook two handed grab from high atop the Braves bullpen.

After a sweat filled day we headed a bit back east to Orlando where we scored another free night (thanks again Hilton Honors Points).  After a dip in the hot tub (because who doesn’t want to submerse themselves in scalding water after they’ve sweat all day?), it was time for a run to Subway for some yummy veggie subs to end the day.

Up early Sunday morning for another pool dip, split the third veggie sub and polish of our remaining 2 bean burritos each…breakfast of baseball vegan champions!  So off we set to Champion Stadium, home of Atlanta Braves Spring Training.  Park, enter, and chill on the berm.  Very fun atmosphere.  And then mama takes her concourse stroll.  No veggie burgers.  No veggie dogs.  Not even the dire circumstance fruit, cheese, salad option.  But wait.  Rounding the last bend I looked up with a total sense of defeat at one of the last concession stand menus and could not believe my eyes. 

Not veggie burger or veggie patty.  But a Vegan Burger.  This was a first from any major or minor league stadiums I had been too.  Someone finally understood that there are vegan baseball fans who want to eat baseball food too.  I was so friggin excited.  I wasn’t ready to order and eat yet, but I was giddy.  I literally stood in line just to talk to the worker about it.  They were delighted at my excitement and said that when I come back and ate it, I needed to tell them how it was because they had never had one.  They also, said, "yeah, we also have that Tomahawk Shrimp!"  Which just reminded me that not everyone knows what vegan means, but they generally mean well.  Later in the game I went back and for $12.25 I purchased my vegan burger with vegan pepper jack cheese, vegan sriracha mayo, arugula, tomato and pickled red onion served on a warm pretzel roll with a side of fries.  Yes, please.  I stopped at another stand for plain tater tots for Lennon and met Terry who had a smile and energy that lit up the concourse.  She was happy for me and couldn’t wait to try the vegan burger herself.  Terry rocked.  Hi Terry (sorry, I suck at selfies)!!!

And then I ate.  And ate.  And ate.  

And then it was gone.  

And I was once again happy.  SCORE!!!!!!!

The day ended with several more balls, including a toss up to moi of an official spring training league ball from the Marlins pitching coach. One for the books.

My point is, if you keep asking, you will find it.  And the more we ask in more places, the more likely we are to start seeing more options and changes. I always make it a point to thank someone in charge for whatever option I was able to find.  It reminds them that we are not all the stereotypical barefoot, granola crunching, tree hugging, tie-dye wearing people you see in movies and on TV (but I love them too, please tell them to subscribe J).  Many of us are just normal everyday people who participate in life and activities and just want to eat things that did not come from an animal or involve hurting an animal for whatever our reason(s).

So speak up, vote with your dollars and say thanks where it applies.  And most importantly PLAY BALL!!!

Now go have a rock star day.