…as promised, here’s the recipe!

Crockpot Caramelized Onions (Vegan)

• 5 small onions
• 2 TB Coconut Oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Chop the onions, and place in a sprayed crockpot. Dot the top with Coconut Oil and salt. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, stirring every hour or so. If there’s a lot of moisture, leave the lid off until the liquid is absorbed (about 30 minutes).

I still can’t believe 1. How long that took (this was the “quick” version – most recipes take double that time) and 2. How ALL those onions shrink into nothing…

…they filled a container smaller than Julius’ dinner bowl…

…but dang, they pack a punch. Dinner was elevated to another level!

We roasted some Cauliflower “Steaks” – coated in olive oil, salt, and pepper – 350 for 40-50 minutes, turning once halfway

Camembert melted on Great Harvest Dakota…

…next layer…

…and finally:

Mmmmm!

Some pops of color for dessert – VitaCake + grapes/pear

Caught the first half of the SAG Awards…

…then turned the Screen Actors off to see some Stage ones!

Our cousin Paul did a wonderful job in his debut

(FYI – You can get discounted tickets for “God’s Ear” via Goldstar!)

Back home, cocoa and the rest of the Awards Show were waiting for me…

…what did I do before DVR’s and crockpots???

We walked into Larchmont this morning. Picked up some 1/2 off Cornbread Muffins from BabyCakes…

…then swung by the Larchmont Farmer’s Market – Abe was inspired by a recipe I posted on T.A.D.’s Facebook page and requested cauliflower

(Noshed on a whole bunch of fruit samples too)

Back home, I decided to clear some room for our fresh, new produce – too many of these guys sitting on the counter…

…I never have the patience to make Caramelized Onions, but my crockpot does!

There are lots of recipes on how to do this online – most of them require anywhere from 8-12 hours on low; I am living dangerously and setting mine on high, because I can’t wait til 11pm for dinner!

Also veganizing my version with coconut oil – will post the recipe later if the experiment goes well!!!

It’s only been a few hours, but the house already reeks of onion – sorry, flowers!

I escaped the stink by reading on the porch. Look what’s in the latest issue of KoreAm – an entire article on Asian Fit Glasses, which I never even heard of last week:

(Check out who’s on page 48 too!)

What does your place usually smell like? I remember growing up how remarkably pungent other people’s houses were to me – my piano teacher’s was like Murphy’s Soap, my babysitter’s was like melted American Cheese…it seems like most homes I visit now don’t have any fragrance – did my sense of smell die or did people stop cleaning/cooking?!?

First, I “studied” a bunch of cartoons to prepare for an upcoming voiceover audition. Then, we watched Liz Lemon make fun of our alma mater on “30 Rock”…

…Julius got interested when we started a certain Oscar screener about horses…

…literally, his ears perked up!

We switched gears, though, and went with the pilot episode of Downton Abbey instead

Heavy tube time had me craving popcorn!

His and Her’s bowls

(Mine got refilled with frozen grapes)

Eventually we needed to turn that screen OFF!!! So instead, I read about movies…

…what can I say, I really love my job.

For a behind-the-scenes look at my newest movie “Yes We’re Open,” check out this recent blog post by my leading man, Parry (who was also just featured on After Elton’s “12 Men on the Verge” List!)

…nor to attend an 80′s Flashdance Tribute…

…we were celebrating the 1-year Anniversary of our blog, Thick Dumpling Skin!!!

Every month, Foodbuzz features 24 blogger meals around the globe over 24 hours. When I found out I was chosen for January’s 24×24 I decided to throw a TDS birthday party at Bao Dim Sum House.

I consulted with Howard (the General Manager) all week for a dumpling feast…

…loved the variety on their menu – a true reflection of what TDS is about – our diversity and uniqueness!

We had Chicken Potstickers…

…Shrimp and Pork Shumai…

…Shrimp Har Gow…

…Pork Soup dumplings…

…Mixed Veggies…

…Mushroom…

…and Crispy Crab balls:

Those came with a sweet, sticky sauce – I used some, but mostly dipped my bites in a mustard/chili/soy/vinegar mixture

Aside from the various dumplings, we also ate our veggies – String Beans…

…Pea Shoots…

…Baby Bok Choy…

…and Chinese Broccoli

It was A LOT of food!

Here’s everything that I inhaled…

…then I made a little speech before our “birthday cake.”

Milk Buns…

…and Egg Tarts

As we say on “Thick Dumpling Skin,” it’s what’s on the inside that counts – this creamy filling was phenomenal!

I enjoyed several bites of dessert:

Stuffed as dumplings, we headed outside for pictures

(Got a little distracted by Lisa and her sister Angel’s shoes)

Also there – Phil Yu (a.k.a. Angry Asian Man) and his wife Joanna, TDS contributor Andrea Lwin, and my Saving Face/Nice Girls Crew co-star Michelle

Cheers, Thick Dumpling Skin! We hope you keep growing and growing.

…like National Chocolate Cake Day!!!

Celebrated early Friday morning with a double decker.

The weather in Los Angeles has been glorious…

…I took my afternoon melon + miso outdoors:

For dinner Abe and I split a Paleta meal…

…bulked up by roasted broccoli

Brussels Sprouts with shallots…

…Acorn squash stuffed with couscous/nuts/dried fruit…

…delicious – even the skin – which is high in fiber (and will keep you regular)!

Speaking of which, why in the world would you call your candy “Drops?”

Especially when you’re a chocolate company?!?

Still, that shit was good.

Sorry for ending this post with a little toilet humor…but yesterday was also Thomas Crapper Day!