West Coast Vegan

I shall return!

2010-08-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

Can you say cute? That's my new kitty, Sam. We got him in late June at exactly 8 weeks old. It didn't take long to remember why I prefer older cats over babies haha.

I realized it's been over two months since my last post but this semester has taken me by storm. I blame it on statistics and my bratty kitten.

Since not updating I haven't been experimenting in the kitchen at all, I haven't really tried any new vegan products nor do I have any AR related stuff to blog about.

However, I plan on restarting in about two weeks. Look forward to my experience with henna hair dye, a vegan vacation, kitty pictures and news stories :)

Ohio Dairy Farm

2010-05-28T18:04:00.001-07:00

I have seen many animal cruelty videos and this is by far the most disgusting and cruel. If this doesn't switch you off dairy I don't know what would.

Here is a quote on the video:

During a four-week investigation between April and May, MFA's investigator documented farm workers:

* Violently punching young calves in the face, body slamming them to the ground, and pulling and throwing them by their ears
* Routinely using pitchforks to stab cows in the face, legs and stomach
* Kicking "downed" cows (those too injured to stand) in the face and neck – abuse carried out and encouraged by the farm's owner
* Maliciously beating restrained cows in the face with crowbars – some attacks involving over 40 blows to the head
* Twisting cows' tails until the bones snapped
* Punching cows' udders
* Bragging about stabbing, dragging, shooting, breaking bones, and beating cows and calves to death

After viewing the footage, Dr. Bernard Rollin, distinguished professor of animal science at Colorado State University, stated: "This is probably the most gratuitous, sustained, sadistic animal abuse I have ever seen. The video depicts calculated, deliberate cruelty, based not on momentary rage but on taking pleasure through causing pain to cows and calves who are defenseless."

View the video here.

And from the Huffington Post, here is a link to some dairy alternatives if you don't know what to drink besides cow's milk.

Murdered Coyotoes

2010-05-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

I actually saw two coyotes on Burnaby mountain last week and they were sooooooo cute. They looked really scared of the cars and the road though, which was sad.

Things like this make me so sad.

What gives us the right to kill a coyote any more than to kill another human being? Why are human lives considered the most valuable? Why can't we just be equal? If you were offered $20 to bring in the paws of neighbourhood cats, hamsters or even the hands of children it would be viewed as barbaric, disgusting and totally inhumane, but a coyote? Who cares, right? The worst part about this article is the main reason for the bounty wasn't even for coyotes attacking humans but attacking "our" livestock. It's a double whammy of abusing animals. The only reason the ranchers were pissed is because there are less profits, less cattle, whatever, not because they are upset that their cows were dying. Who cares if they die, what matters is money. Since when did money become more valuable than a life?

Every day on the news it's considered a tragedy when a soldier or a family dies, and that is just one or two beings. Hurricane Katrina took less than 2000 lives and we are still discussing it five years later. That was a HUGE catastrophe, HUGE!!! But the death of billions of animals (and in this case 71k coyotes) pale in comparison to that or any other human death. 2000 is a huge number of deaths, but 71,000 is incomprehensible. You bet if 71,000 people were murdered for cash rewards there would be riots and chaos...but when it's a "lesser being" or a "nuisance" people seem to ignore the fact that they deserve life just as much as you or I. I know you are probably thinking that I should respect and value human life more than others, and most people get pissed when you even remotely suggest that a life of an animal is of equal value to a human life. I think that we are all on this planet to live and love and we all deserve the equal chance and respect to do so.

Most of what I just typed is a big ramble, not to mention it's been an extremely long week (I know it's on Wednesday haha) and I'm tired. I apologize for my lack of sense.

I just wish there wasn't a need to view animals as lesser beings, and that we just accepted and all believed that they are equal and deserving of our love and respect.

I have to go finish reading Heidegger now. Wish me luck! It's tough stuff.

Soy Candles by Phebes

2010-05-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Soy Candles by Phebes are great smelling, hand crafted, 100% soy candles. At $13 each they are a pretty good bargain too.

I just want to say that I LOVE candles but my biggest beef with them is that they never actually smell when you burn them and they are generally either beeswax or filled with chemicals. As soon as I stumbled across these candles I knew I just had to order some. They come in over NINETY scents! How crazy is THAT? I spent like a week just choosing which ones to order.

They are a great size and the glass can be used a drinking cup when the candle is finished. The scents are not overpoweringly strong but you can smell them when you are near them or while they are burning.

We bought four for mothers days gifts and they were all well received. You can see the scents I ordered in the picture above and I loved ALL of them. Ginger Bergamont is my absolute favourite new smell in the world.

Shipping to Canada isn't bad either, I think $20 or so.

So if you are in need of a gift or just want a new candle I highly recommend you order a few of these. They rock my socks.

I love BC

2010-05-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

This post isn't really related to anything. I just wanted to share the beauty of British Columbia with you all :)

I love BC. It is too gorgeous for words. Last week I took a walk along one of the million dikes around my house and it was so rejuvenating and refreshing. I can't believe it took me so long to check out this dike, it's breathtaking. It is totally my new jogging route!!

Here are some pictures from the dike:

By the way, for one of my summer classes we have to do a green project. My teacher gave us absolutely no direction other than it has to be "green" related. I want to do it on something vegan but I need an idea. We can do it in a journal, movie, sculpture, painting...literally ANYTHING and on ANYTHING green.

So, if you have any ideas on an interesting vegan related "green" project drop me a comment. I would love some ideas.

Boca Vegan Burgers!

2010-05-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of veggie burgers in general. I have tried many brands and types and the closest that came to being "good" was the Yves ones. This was until I tried Boca burgers!!

Where have these burgers been all my veggie life? Seriously, they are the BEST veggie burgers on this planet. My mom said she thought she saw them at Costco in huge boxes...but I can't confirm that. As far as I know you can only buy them in the states.

The nutrition boasts "80% less fat than a ground beef burger" which doesn't concern me because I don't eat beef. But, a lot of people are trying veggie burgers for health issues and I would definitely say these are the most omni-friendly burgers out there.

The taste is great, there is no strange soy flavour at all and the texture is PERFECT. It's not so realistically meaty that it disgusts me, but it's not weirdly chewy or squishy. It's just right. They are easy to make too, you just pan fry them for 8-10 minutes. I believe they cost $3.99 for a pack of four so not a bad price either.

So with BBQ season around the corner I highly suggest you go buy yourself some Boca vegan burgers. These are the best veggie burgers by far, I actually look forward to eating one! (Significant because I generally cringe when I have to eat a veggie burger)

Apple Cranberry Cobbler

2010-05-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

APPLES in a COBBLER you ask? I always though cobblers were reserved for berries and the like but I decided to go out on a limb and use apples. Let me just say the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness in the apples is just amazing. And who doesn't love a doughy crust?

I apologize for lack of a picture. I suck. By the way, use an 11x7 glass dish.

Filling:
4 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples (grannysmith)
1 cup cranberries
1/2 sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup of water

Dough:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1/3 cup Earth Balance (or now vegan Becel!!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375.

For the filling, combine all the ingredients and spread out evenly in the baking dish.

For the dough combine the dry ingredients and then add the Earth Balance and soymilk. Mix together with a fork until it's sticky and dough-like.

Plop rough tablespoons of the dough out on top of the filling. There is enough dough to fill it exactly, but you can spread it out a little if you want. Optional: brush the top with soymilk.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the crust is slightly browned.

Enjoy!!!

I would just like to say that my cats are hilarious. Right now Alma is sitting in the bathtub and I can JUST barely see the tips of her ears (super cute). For the last 15 minutes I have been turning the faucet on and off so it drips for her. She attacks these drips and drinks the water. When it stops dripping she gets upset and starts meowing until I give her more water. She basically does this like 5x a day and I never get sick of it, it's so ridiculous that I just laugh even though it means I have to get up every minute to assist her. If only I could teach her to turn on the tap - I am convinced Charlie knows how actually because sometimes I see him using his paws or nose to push it to the left, he just isn't strong enough to actually turn it. Charlie enjoys bathtub water too! At least twice a day he goes into the bathtub and swats at the metal drain stop (soo loud!!) until we come in and give him water. I don't know why they don't drink the water in their dish, I change it twice a day and give them filtered water. Silly cats.

I apologize for lack of posts and recipes etc as of late. I THOUGHT that I could post a bunch of stuff the last two weeks but alas I was extremely lazy. I played wayyy to much Sims and watched wayyy too much House. Good times. I do however have an arsenal of vegan product reviews/pics to be posted - stuff like more gardein products, ice cream, yogurt, candles, scratching posts, Amy's stuff and possibly even some beauty products.

And just for shits and giggles, and partly because I feel lame not posting a single picture...here are a few of Charlie. That cupboard is over four feet from the ground and he literally just jumps up into it. He knows he isn't supposed to go in there, so he is giving me his sad "but I'm soooooooooo cute and lovable and soft that you HAVE to let me sleep in here" eyes.

Bye for now!!!!

Get your cow ribbon everyone

2010-04-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

So mother's day is coming up, and in support of all the dairy cows who never get to be mothers you should get a cow ribbon.

I got mine the other day and I'm going to keep it on my purse. Now, every time somebody sees it I can create awareness about the horrible dairy industry. Plus, who doesn't want a super cute cow ribbon?

If you visit cowribbon.com you can donate to get yours, as well as get some info on the dairy industry and get pictures for your facebook/twitter or posters to hang up in your neighbourhood. I am going to hang a poster in each of my buildings foyers once I buy some printer ink!

Dandies Marshmallows

2010-04-25T16:36:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love a marshmallow in a bow tie? I personally can't resist something so awesome.

So, I never really liked marshmallows except in rice krispies squares . I decided I should at least try some vegan ones and they were AMAZING! I ate an ENTIRE HANDFUL of these. I could NEVER eat plain marshmallows before without gagging, the texture and the taste were just horrifying. If you are vegan and like me, were disgusted with traditional marshies and thought vegan ones would suck just as much, treat yourself and try some gelatin-free ones. They rock. And if you still eat gelatin, buy these instead, and you will never return to the dark side haha.

I love how they are all different shapes and actually change shape when you squish them (unlike traditional marshies). Look how CUTE they are!!! Like little pillows of heaven.

I don't know why I had doubts about them melting but as you can see, they melt perfectly.

They haven't turned hard either! Normally after a day the rice krispies get all hard, even if they are covered super tightly but these are still perfect AND I just have a loose piece of tin foil over them.

By the way, if you have 12 minutes watch this video and send it to all your meaty friends. It's a nice uplifting video that gives a good introduction to veganism without showing any images of slaughterhouses and the such.

That's all for now! I'm gonna go eat more rice krispie squares now haha (it's already over half gone. I'm so fat sometimes)

Bow chikka wow wow

2010-04-25T00:08:00.001-07:00

I finished my last exam today! *sigh* I'm so relieved.

The plan for the next 2 weeks? COOK AND BAKE LIKE A MAD WOMAN!!!!!!! I am going to try out dandies marshmallows tonight to make rice krispy squares (yes, at 1am haha), attempt a cheesecake on Monday, make 3424 batches of COOKIES and make fancy shmancy dinners. I can't wait. Nothing but yummy food, books and video games. Oh, and I plan on donating blood and taking my driver's test somewhere in there.

Here is a great blog post. Send the link to any meat eaters you may know. I love the end haha.

Now I must wean myself off of caffeine. It's been my savior for the past two weeks. I had a red bull this morning but that was it and I've had the worst head ache all day!! Blah.

Peace out y'all

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

2010-04-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

swimming, swimming, swimming. I am totally watching that movie once these horrible exams are done with!

I've had 3 rockstars, 1 large coffee and 3 espresso shots today. I slept 2 hours last night and plan on not sleeping tonight (today?) and tomorrow night. Since Sunday I've probably had like 8 hours total sleep. And, in case you don't know I am highly disfuntional and incredibly bitchy unless I get at LEAST 10 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is my drug. I love it. I can sleep for 48 hours straight. Even if I wake up after 15 hours of sleep I can just crawl back under the covers and sleep for another 15, it's kind of ridiculous.

But alas, I can't sleep!!!

I have no time!!!!!!!

3 exams within 10 hours of eachother is not enough time. Not to mention the other 3 I've finished already.

Blah. Blah. Blah. I can't stop now or I will fall asleep.

Anyways. I should end this nonsensical blabbling. Is that even a word, nonsensical? I know there is a word similar to it.

I had a vegan starbucks frappucino today. It was so good! I am gonna get another one on the weekend after I sleep for 48 hours straight haha.

BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so braindead right now. Hahahahaha.

PS
Having to memorize the details of 75 criminal law cases is the fucking worst.

Becel Vegan Margarine! Hooray!

2010-04-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Check it out!! Becel now has vegan margarine. I'm so happy! I always preferred margarine over butter, mostly because it spreads easier. Since going vegan I have been buying Earth Balance and while it is delicious, it's very pricy.

From now on I'm going to buy Becel Vegan. It's way cheaper than Earth Balance and spreads easier and has a prettier package haha. I will continue to buy the EB sticks for baking though. It's much more convenient then smushing margarine into a measuring cup and then scooping it out and making a giant mess.

So, why buy the regular margarine when you can buy the Becel Vegan?

I love when big companies come out with vegan products. I also noticed that save on foods now carries the entire frozen line of Gardein. It's right beside the other frozen meals so hopefully non-veggies will see it and buy it and convert. HAH. Yeah right, but it's nice to see more visibility and accessibility of veggie products.

I'm back to studying! I have 2 exams tomorrow and I'm finished this semester on Saturday. I CAN NOT WAIT!!! I'm sooooo exhausted.

Grilled Avocado Sandwich

2010-04-15T13:24:00.001-07:00

These are seriously amazing. They are fast to make, filling, healthy and great when cramming for finals! I just noticed that picture has a cat hair attached to the bottom of the sandwich. Gross. I probably ingest so much cat hair it's ridiculous.

This really doesn't require instructions but I'll provide some anyways. This is how I make mine:

- bread
- Earth Balance
- 1/3 of an avocado
- tomato slices (optional)
- salt and pepper

To make it just cover your bread with Earth Balance, smear on the avocado and put on the tomato and salt/pepper. Cook it until it's brown and then eat it with a huge smile.

My new frying pan is sexy:

And just because it looks sexy (word of the day) this is what I've been eating for the entire week because I have no time to cook. I chopped up a giant container or veggies and made a double batch of hummus haha.

So they put up a poster of Keith Urban at one of the bus stops near my house and every time I drive by it I get slapped in the face with hotness. It is seriously the hottest picture of him ever. I need to take a picture of it so when it's gone I have that picture haha. I'm such a nerd.

Did you know they are coming out with the movie Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging???????? I used to read that book series and was considering seeing it when it comes out to indulge my inner 15 year old girl. I might even reread the books haha.

Well. I have to go back to studying. I've been pulling 12-16 hour days the last week with little to no sleep. It's horrible. It's all over in nine days though!! I can't wait for my break, I'm just going to play Harvest Moon and read some books.

And finally, for a touch of cuteness, here's Charlie:

Guess who's going to Vegas, baby??

2010-04-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

Our original summer vacay plan was to go on a staycation in Vancouver but we found an awesome deal to go to Vegas which is cheaper than Vancouver. So why not? I've never been to Vegas. I don't drink or gamble, but maybe I'll live it up for one night HAH. That's a lie actually, I've been to Vegas as a 12 and 16 year old...so, I walked around and shopped. I didn't really do Vegasy things for obvious age reasons haha. I do remember my mom telling us not to pick up the flyers the men hand out on the street though, and I picked out up and I just remember huge tittys and I was like AH and my mom got mad. Haha. Good times in Vegas.

I'm just excited to GO AWAY!!! My last real vacation was Hawaii three years ago. I've only had disastrous camping trips since then haha.

This will be my first trip as a vegan. I'm quite nervous about it actually. Supposedly Vegas isn't that vegan friendly but I've been doing a little research. Did you know there is this amazing donut shop there (Ronald's) that is like 90% vegan!!!!!! The donuts look SO good there, and I haven't had a donut in agggges.

So, if anybody out in this internet abyss knows a good vegan-friendly place to eat near the Strip let me know.

Now I must go try to calm down the kitties. They had a huge fight last night and now they are all skittish and on edge with each other. Ugh.

my quacking kitty

2010-04-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Bella has a hilarious meow that she does whenever you come near her or walk into a room. She sounds like a duck.

Make sure to turn your speakers up!

Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night to her making those noises and rolling around on her back. It's quite entertaining.

Shoes galore

2010-04-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

I love shoes. I have a few leather shoes still kicking around from before I went vegan, but the vast majority of my shoes are vegan. I happen to love canvas shoes, which is kind of bad because it rains here all of the time! It can be difficult to find vegan-friendly shoes, so hopefully these links will help.

Here are some general shoe websites. You can find everything from high heels to flats to sneakers and mens shoes on these sites. Most of them are reasonable prices too, even with shipping.

Mooshoes
Vegan Chic
Alternative Outfitters
Ragazzi Vegan
Zappos Vegan Shoes

The main thing I look for in shoes is animal friendly materials (fake leather, canvas, hemp, rubber, etc). Oftentimes, even when the shoe itself is fake leather etc, the sole will be made of real leather so that is something to watch out for. Another issue is animal-based glues. I try to buy shoes specifically labeled vegan-friendly but sometimes that isn't possible and I accept the fact that maybe the glue used is animal based.

The shoes in the picture above are the ones I wear the most. I used to have quite the large stash of high heels, but they all got ruined last year in a pee-flood from the above apartment *sigh*. I hardly wear heels anyways, I just like the look of them.

Note: I try to buy shoes that do not use animal based glue but am not 100% certain all of these use vegan-friendly glue.

#1 - Simple Shoes flip flops. I wore these every day last summer (hence the dirtiness on the soles) and they are the greatest flip flops EVER. They are made of recycled car tire, carpet underlay and organic hemp and stuff. They are vegan and environmentally friendly. They are pricey, but considering I have another year (at least) of wear in them, it's worth it.

#2 - Asics Gel Nimbus (10?) running shoes. These are made of synthetic leather and rubber and are the best running shoes I have ever bought. I ordered them off zappos and got them for half price! Asics makes a lot of vegan friendly shoes so I like them. Another good brand for vegan running shoes is New Balance.

#3 - Dollhouse boots. I love these boots! I bought them at Winners a few years ago for super cheap. Stores like Winners and Payless Shoes are a great place to find vegan shoes. Because the stores carry "budget brands" most of the time the shoes are synthetic leather. It's a win win - cheap and vegan!

#4 - Tretorn Faux-Fur lined gumboots. One day I was walking home from school and my converse got soaking wet and my feet and socks got wet and I was just pissy and miserable. That day I decided to buy gumboots. I love the bright blue of these boots and the fuzzy lining keeps my feet warm(ish) when it's slushy or snowy out. They are pretty comfy although I have gotten blisters on my heels from them. Now when it rains I don't cringe in fear of wet feet!

#5 - Saucony Originals Jazz Lo-Pro Vegan Shoes (stupid name haha). These are my favourite shoes. I seriously love them. They are the only shoes I have ever bought that were instantly comfortable. I have not had a single blister or anything from them. They are made of hemp and are padded so they are relatively water-resistant although my toes did get wet last week in a ridiculous rainstorm, but that's to be expected with any shoe. These were only $50 from zappos too. If you need comfortable daily shoes, buy these. I can walk for hours and stand for ages in them and my feet still don't get sore

#6 - Sanuk "I'm Game" sidewalk surfers. These are also my favourite shoes (I can have two, right?). As I mentioned above I am obsessed with canvas no-fuss shoes. I can just slip these on (no socks required) and walk for ages. They feel like you are bare foot. The only problem with these is that they are a really thin fabric and thus have zero water protection. I avoid wearing these if it's remotely rainy outside.

#7 - Draven slip ons. I love the cute factor these shoes have, and that they are vegan. The only problem is that they give me serious blisters. I have overly sensitive heels, so they might not give everyone blisters, but I can't wear them for very long periods of time. They do get better after they are broken in however. Draven has lots of cute shoes, so check them out.

#8 - Simple Shoes sneakers. These have the squishiest soles ever! I love them. If you go to their website you can find tonnes of colours and styles of this shoe. They aren't the comfiest shoes out there, but they are eco-friendly.. Even if these shoes felt like death I would buy them just because they say "eco-sneaks" on the tongue. I love it!

#9 - Nine West leopard heels. I am most certain that these use animal-based glue as the company is full of leather shoes but I included these to show that sometimes you can find non-leather shoes in an otherwise leather filled store. These have a man-made sole and a fabric upper. I emailed Nine West about their glue situation but they never answered me, so oh well. I still check out big leather shoe companies once in a while because I like their shoe styles, and sometimes you can find a friendly shoe :)

#10 - Rocket Dog sneakers. I had a pair of black rocket dogs for like 7 years that I wore to death. By their retirement water would soak through the bottom of the sole because they were so thin haha. If Jason didn't make me throw them out I would still wear them! I will say that every pair of rocket dogs I have owned give me blisters for the first few months so you have a pretty long break in period. After that though, they are comfort heaven! You can buy a bazillion different patterns and styles too. I emailed Rocket Dog and they told me they use animal-free glue as well. Plus, who doesn't want bright orange soles? I know I do.

#11 - My totally cliche Converse. These shoes aren't even that comfortable, but I do like the look of them. Plus, like other shoes, you can get any colour you want. I read somewhere that they use animal-free glue as well, but all their shoes are made in some serious sweat-shops, so that's not the greatest. When these need to be retired I am going to look for a more ethical substitute. I know there are many knock offs of this style.

#12 - Steve Madden booties. Steve Madden/Madden girl have a lot of cute vegan friendly shoes. Any pair of Steve Madden's I have owned (these included) are not that comfortable though, so I usually only wear them out for dinner or something. Oh well, at least I can have cute shoes for a few hours every once in a while, right?

#13 - And last but not least my gladiator sandals I got for $8 at Target. Even though Target is an American store, I still love it. They have really cheap and vegan friendly shoes. Just be sure to read the materials before you order anything.

Now you know that vegans can buy cute and comfortable shoes too!

Happy shoe shopping everyone.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

2010-04-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

So I made these cinnamon pumpkin rolls for Easter yesterday. They were absolutely fantastic!!! A day later they are still just as moist and tasty as they were straight from the oven. If you don't like pumpkin, don't worry, you hardly taste it :)

They didn't take long to make and the only change I made to the above recipe was that I added more cinnamon. If you have a few hours to let the dough rise, then I highly suggest making these. Spoil yourself, you deserve it!

Jason and me splurged and bought new bedding. It's so much softer and luxurious feeling than our previous craptastic IKEA cotton bedding that we bought for $25 haha. The kitties much prefer this one, just look how cute Bella looks:

I have serious reading to do over the next few days. I have my final paper due on Thursday which I haven't really started. This is the biggest paper I've had to write in over a year and I still have to do the background reading for it. I have a 4" stack of papers to read but I just can't motivate myself to read them. Once I'm finished reading that I get to choose my real topic and do more reading. Blah.

On the plus side, the paper I have to write tonight is short and relatively easy. It's almost too easy of a topic, which has made me leave it until the last minute. Oh well, what are you gonna do? I just want this semester to end. Less than three weeks, yahoo!

I have to go to the gym too! I only went twice at the beginning of March because of my tattoo removal and general business. I'm so bad. All the weight loss progress I made went out the door haha.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday everyone.

Exotic Animal Skins

2010-04-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

I always thought snakes were super cute. The exotic animal industry is something I have not really looked into but this video shows a pretty good idea of what it's like. Basically the same horrors that occur in the fur and leather industries. It's just sad what people will do to wear an animal.

On a happier note, it's April! Can you believe it? This year is just flying by.

Apple Sage Field Roast Sausage

2010-03-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yes! I FINALLY tried Field Roast Sausages!!! I bought all three flavours and then I realized of all the flavours Apple Sage is the most strange and I almost regretted buying it. Seriously, what sort of foods do you combine it with? We decided to just cut it up and pan fry it and serve it with szechuan green beans and roasted potatoes.

The verdict: pretty good. I wouldn't say these are as amazing as people say they are, but they weren't bad. The texture was perfect but I think they had a slightly weird taste, but after I dipped them in ketchup it went away and they were great.

I don't really know what to do with the Apple Sage flavour though, that's the main problem. I was considering making a hot dog with them, but I think it would still be weird. At least the mexican and italian flavours are more versatile (although I've yet to taste them, they could be awful).

Here is a picture of them raw:

All you have to do is remove them from their plastic casing, which is super easy to do and then they are ready to cook. Make sure if you are cutting them up that you have a sharp knife though. I could see these falling apart pretty easily.

Overall I say if want some veggie sausages the Apple Sage Field Roast ones are pretty good. The texture is the best I've had out of all veggie sausages I've tried. Smell is really important to me, so even if something tastes good but smells bad, I hate it. Fortunately, these have no strange faux-meat smell, just a yummy smell :)

On a side note, we bought a new chair for the bedroom because we don't have any seating besides the cat-hair infested couch or our uncomfortable dining chairs. Unfortunately all three cats have decided to take over the chair and its footstool! I haven't been able to use it for more than 10 minutes because I feel bad moving a sleeping kitty. On the plus side, the cat hair comes off super easy! I feel bad for Bella though. She keeps trying to sleep on it but the other two kitties chase her away and a fight ensues haha. She did get the footstool last night though, she probably went fierce on their asses to get it. I'm surprised I didn't wake up to angry kitties actually.

I only have three papers left this semester! I can't wait until I'm finished. It's all over on the 8th and then I start studying for finals which is just as taxing. Ah well, such is life as a University student.

I am ordering some soy candles this week. There are a million scents though, so I have to sit down and seriously decide or I will end up buying like 40 of them. I'll let you know how they smell when I get them!

Anyways, go try some Field Roast and spoil yourself. They are rather expensive (another downside) but they are worth it.

Peace y'all.

Earth Hour

2010-03-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight is earth hour, so let's all turn our lights out from 8:30pm-9:30pm. Of course, you should always have your lights off when you're not using them! Be POWER SMART!!!

Also, if you are really concerned about the environment and global warming etc, eat a vegan diet. It's the best thing you can do for the planet :)

Have fun with your lights out!

Blah

2010-03-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Today sucked. Enough said.

I want to curl up with a book and a hot chocolate and listen to the rain, but I can't.

Blargh.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Linguini

2010-03-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

This didn't photograph too well and I only took one picture because it smelled SO good that I didn't feel like taking a pretty one, I just wanted to eat it!

The garlic bread is from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. You freeze the bread and then rub a clove of raw garlic on it and the PERFECT amount of garlic rubs off on the bread. How genius is that idea? Seriously.

To roast the pepper: preheat the oven to 500 degrees (you heard me) and then put the pepper(s) on a roast pan and roast it for about 30 minutes. Turn it once or twice, it is done when it's all burned and bubbly. IMMEDIATELY after you take it out of the oven seal the pan with tin foil. When it's cool peel off the skin and remove all the seeds and whoa-la, roasted peppers!

Here's what you need for the pasta dish (serves 4):

1 large red pepper, roasted and sliced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, lightly chopped
3 handfuls of spinach
1 tbsp red pepper flakes - less if you don't want it too spicy (optional)
1 can of italian stewed tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1 box of whole wheat linguini

Pour the can of stewed tomatoes into a sauce pan and break them apart with your fingers so they are in various sized chunks. Add in the tomato sauce, salt and pepper, garlic powder, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper and chili flakes (if using). Simmer for 30 minutes.

When the sauce is almost done simmering, cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. Strain and add back to the pot. Pour the sauce into the noodles and add the spinach. Mix everything together with tongs.

Serve with garlic toast.

This is my favourite pasta dish. The leftovers are soooo good too.

And on a fabulous little side note, check out my new sexy-ass broom. I just need a matching dustpan to go with it now. $10 at Homesense :)

Grocery Time & Other Ramblings

2010-03-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

I was coming home from the doc’s in Vancouver this morning so I did the first bit of my grocery shop at Whole Foods and then went to Save on Foods later. I also picked up the boyfriend’s drycleaning and felt like a 1950’s housewife. It was great. My internet is finally back! It has been down since Saturday because Telus is stupid. We ordered more TV channels and then like an hour later the tv and internet stopped working.

I’m so busy right now! I am halfway through my essays (4.5 to go) which is great. I’m really nervous about finals this semester so I have to start studying for those like next week, ugh. I splurged today and bought a few cans of this organic canned kitty food and they LOVED it. Even Alma, who normally just takes a nibble of wet food, gobbled hers up. I guess I’ll have to buy more of it.

Here’s what I bought this week, it was about $150 but I threw out my receipts so I don’t remember exactly.

OOH! I JUST FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE THE SPLIT SCREEN THING ON WINDOWS 7!!! I have been trying to figure this out since I installed it. This is AMAZING!!!

Sorry, back to what I bought haha:
4 corn on the cob
2 organic tomatoes
2 organic red peppers
2 organic orange peppers
1 red onion
6 bananas
2lbs of organic strawberries
1 pineapple
2 bunches of organic kale
small bag of organic mixed greens
1lb bag of organic kiwis
1 zucchini
bag of organic green beans
bag of cremini mushrooms
3 cans of organic canned kitty food
bag of organic quinoa
bag of organic long grain brown rice
Whole Foods guacamole (I NEVER buy guac from the store, but I’m too lazy to make some this week)
organic frozen potato wedges (Rosemary garlic flavour, yummy)
Oasis orange juice
1 can of refried beans
2 cartons of coconut water
2 boxes of whole wheat linguini
1 box of Nature’s Path cereal (I forget the flavor, some red berry mix I think)
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
pack of whole wheat burrito shells
Seventh Generation laundry detergent in the 2.5L size
ketchup
Dr.Praeger’s TexMex (I think) veggie burgers – I have never had Dr.Praegers before, but I’ve heard good things, so I’ll see
Vitasoy soy milk –I had the urge to try a soy milk I’ve never had this week. I don’t know why.
carton of organic, vegan chai tea mixture – I have literally no idea why I bought this. I don’t even really like chai tea lattes, but I saw it on the shelf and I bought it
(These next things aren’t in my picture because I had put them in the fridge when I got home from Whole Foods and ran out of room on my stove)
organic almond butter
baby spinach
tofutti cream cheese
muffin from Whole Foods bakery (it was SOO GOOD! It had pumpkin seeds and raisins and a bunch of other yummy stuff in it. It was totally worth $3)
organic cotton all natural tampons (at least it’s better than tampax, I need something as backup still cuz I can’t get my divacup working!! Haha)

On Friday I pick up my online order for some vegan goodies like s’mores, cookies and chocolate eggs. I’m going to drive down to Bellingham to buy some Field Roast sausage. Hopefully the border isn’t retarded and realizes it’s NOT real sausage, but who knows. They took away a can of soup from me once because it had meat in it, yet it was MADE in the US so who knows, border guards are a strange folk.

What are we eating this week? This list is not exhaustive btw, it’s just what comes to mind after I wrote out my grocery list. We are going out for dinner on Friday in the States and I have no idea where to go…so I have to look that up.
Breaky = cereal, smoothies, fresh juice, fruit
Lunch = sandwiches, chili, soup, leftovers from dinner, fruits and veggies, juice
Snacks = crackers with PB/Almond butter, fruits, veggies, granola bars, fruit leathers, ice cream,
Dinner = burgers, burritos, shishkabobs, lemony/garlicky broccoli quinoa, braised cauliflower, szhechuan green beans and rice, corn on the cob, fancy pasta, soup, chili

Oh. And my day was ruined this morning by a chicken truck. It was 7:30 in the morning, driving down the #1, so obviously it’s pretty slow-going. I merged onto the highway behind a chicken truck and almost DIED. I had to follow it for like 20 minutes and then I finally got to pass it and then like 10 minutes later his lane caught up and I had to sit by it for another 10 minutes, I was so heartbroken.
The chickens were FILTHY and so SAD looking. I saw two dead ones (or at least I think they were dead…they weren’t moving) and these other two had their wings around each other and were just blankly staring into space with this sad and scared look on their faces. This other chicken was all curled up in a ball with her head poking out and she looked so sad too. I just started bawling. I knew they were on their way to the slaughterhouse which was the worst part. They all looked like they knew something horrible was going to happen to them, and I couldn’t even help them. They could have been traveling for hours too, I have no idea. I read this one story of a lady who followed a chicken truck from Banff to Vancouver (that’s like 12 hours!!) I really wanted to stop the truck and take the one chicken curled up on her own, but I couldn’t. Ugh, it just ruined my day. I was all pissed this morning too because I overheard a conversation two girls were having in the library yesterday that just highlighted the ignorance and defensive nature meat eaters have. I just wish people weren’t so scared of change, but alas, that’s the world we live in.

I have 3 more journal entries for my police studies course to do tonight and then I am going to have a bath. I have to apply for a rent-a-cop volunteer position too, that should be fun. I’ll get a good reference out of it at least.

Bella was sleeping in one of the million folds of this giant purple blanket I have. It was so cute!

Amy's Minestrone Soup

2010-03-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

I went to Costco on the weekend and to my surprise they are carrying lots of organic items now! I got a case of 8 Amy's soups for $13 which is a great deal considering one can at Save on costs $5.

This soup was the best canned minestrone I've ever had. It filled me up and didn't have that "can" taste that lots of soups have. I love the weird noodles too. I definitely recommend this soup. It makes a light, but filling lunch and would make a good dinner if you paired it with a crusty baguette or something.

My favourite part about Amy's soups is how all the vegan items just say (Vegan) in front of the ingredients. Why can't everyone do this? It would make checking for ingredients much easier...although I'm not sure if I would trust larger companies definition of "vegan" so I might end up checking anyways. But, it's still a good idea.

I am going to go eat a can of this now :)

BTW. I ordered Sweet and Sara s'mores and Field Roast Sausages!!! I'm so excited!!

Brown Rice and Beans Jambalaya

2010-03-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

If you don't own Eat, Drink & Be Vegan already, then I highly suggest you go buy it. Every recipe from there has been amazing, and I've had to make little to no modifications to any recipe - rare for me!!! I'm always changing stuff. Plus, there is an ENTIRE HUMMUS CHAPTER!!!! Who wouldn't want that? Seriously, go buy it.

Anyways. I made the Brown Rice and Beans Jambalaya from it last week and it was absolutely delicious.

I won't post the recipe because it isn't mine but I'll tell you what I modified. I didn't have file powder or Worcestershire sauce so I just did a quick squirt of ketchup instead. I also added red pepper chili flakes and extra cayenne pepper to make it spicy. I used a green and orange pepper and added extra onion. At the end you are supposed to stir in parsley and green onion, but I forgot to mix it in!! I had it cut up and ready to go to haha but it tasted great without it. I used short grain brown rice and had to cook it for about 10 minutes longer than the recipe said because it was still chewy.

Oh, and the book says it makes four servings but it made eight. Overall this dish was excellent and makes great leftovers in the freezer too. I'm gonna add this to my recipe rotation for sure.

In case you can't tell by the picture, it's really filling too! I could hardly finish mine and the only reason I did was because it was so tasty I forced myself to finish haha.

Being on hold sucks

2010-03-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Blah. Being on hold with VISA is the worst. After 20 minutes I got my online account unlocked and then I entered my password and it got locked again all of the sudden.

So now guess what I have to do?

Phone VISA back and wait on hold AGAIN!!! Argh.

The worst part is they keep blabbing about stupid Olympic VISA cards. Who would want that?

Fur and other things

2010-03-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all.

I went to the Canucks game tonight. I was in row 3!! If I actually liked hockey and glorified the players like I did 5 years ago then I may have found it interesting, but I was just bored. Jason had fun though, so that's good.

My neck hurts now because of looking up to the megascreen and way down ice to my left, ugh. It's a little stingy, but hopefully it goes away tomorrow. The bandage is starting to itch like a mother and I really want to take it off but it would hurt haha.

I finally found this website I came across a while ago. Apparently these were advertisements on the skytrain but I never saw them. If you read the stuff it's just ridiculous....cuz I'm really going to believe the words from the Fur Council of Canada. HA HA. Plus, who is anti-fur mainly for the environmental damages? Maybe they should say furishumane.com and people will see how ridiculous the industry really is.

This is my favourite:

While it is totally legitimate to have differing personal views on the use of animals, whether in our diets or for the clothes we wear, is it really fair to single out one industry and attack the livelihoods of thousands of people, who, like everybody else, have families to raise and bills to pay? Is it really fair to attack the fur industry in a society where 97% of the population eats meat and uses animal products everyday?

This is a pretty lame justification too:

In nature, each plant and animal species generally produces more offspring than the land can support to maturity. Like other species, we live by making use of part of this surplus that nature creates

So, does that give me an excuse to skin the Duggar children then, or any family that has more than 2 children? Anything more than 2 is excessive. I just don't get how that justifies killing an animal for its fur. Gah. People are so stupid.

I think the site is hilarious though. Go check it out and have a laugh at the ludicrous suggestions it makes.

Gardein Chicken Strips

2010-03-11T14:25:00.001-08:00

Being in Vancouver yesterday I had to stop by Whole Foods (yay!!!). I got this frickin delish cookie from the bakery there. Anyways, I found the Gardein frozen line there and got really excited. I bought the Chicken Scallopini because that's the one they always show on tv and in cookbooks and is supposedly the best tasting/most versatile one. I haven't tried them yet, but I'll let you know how they are when I do!

VegNews claims the chicken strips are great and I generally agree with their food suggestions, plus they are the only vegan strips I can buy around here (the rest have egg) so that made me really excited to try them. Now, I rarely ate chicken strips pre-veg but sometimes you want something junky/fast to make for dinner so I figured I would try them. After all, it's a great excuse to use Renee's Tangy Thai sauce!!!

I thought the chicken strips were excellent! They tasted great, there was no weird faux meat taste and they were easy to make. As you can see in the picture they are incredibly chicken like, which kind of scares me. In fact, they are so chicken like you could trick a meat eater into thinking they are real chicken. These would be a good transition food for meat eaters moving towards a veggie diet. The batter was really thick and tasty too.

They were the best with the Renee's Tangy Thai sauce, which made them a bit spicy, but I ate half of one plain and it still tasted good. I got 10 in my bag and it cost $5 so they are a bit pricey, but for a small meal once in a while it's worth it.

I feel strange eating something so chicken like but nevertheless these taste great and are a good transition food for meat eaters. I don't know where you can buy them in BC, as they just came to Canada, but I found the frozen line at Whole Foods.

Now I just need Luna and Larry's coconut milk icecream to get it's butt up here!!! Their website says coming to Canada in 2010...so, that could be next month or December!!! Bah humbug.

Well, enjoy the rainy weather!!! I'm stuck inside doing schoolwork with a painful neck anyways, so I know I'm enjoying it. I love the sound of wind and rain from inside.

/cry

2010-03-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

I got my tattoo removed today. I'm still somewhat numb but thankfully he removed it all in one go so I don't have to get more stitches/bandages/annoyingness in 6 weeks.

I'm quite sad.

It's going to suck to sleep.

A Rekindled Romance

2010-03-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

I have rekindled my long lost love for tomato soup. You heard me. I haven't had tomato soup in years and I think I liked it as a kid, especially with huge chunks of crackers that get all soggy but the very middle is still crunchy - delicious.

I had a can of Campbell's tomato soup in the back of my pantry which I found and was like "poo, it's probably not vegan" and it turns out is IS vegan. So I had that but then I wanted to find a healthier version and I found the tomato soup made by Imagine Soups and it tasted delish (it's the one in the picture). It does cost more (who can compete with Campbell's condensed soup prices, really) but the packaging is more convenient and the lack of crap in the actual soup makes up for that. Plus, it's organic!

I compared the nutrition of each and they were basically the same with the Imagine Soups marginally more healthy. The main difference is in the ingredients, where Campbell's uses preservatives and high fructose corn syrup, the Imagine one uses no preservatives and brown rice to sweeten. The Imagine one tastes better too. They also have a creamy potato leek soup I want to try!

So. The lesson for today is go buy tomato soup. I need to go buy a giant case of it because I'm that obsessed right now.

And for good measure here are some pictures of cute kitties!!!

We were fixing our bedframe so we had the mattress/boxspring up against the wall so of course Charlie jumped right up there and made himself at home. He looks soooo happy!!!

And then of course, who can resist a tubby girl? Look at all those rolls!!! And that cute smile!!!

And last but not least, Bella taking a cat nap. I'm jealous that cats get to sleep most of the day and I have to do stuff, it's unfair really lol.

I'm off to make the Brown rice and beans jambalaya from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan now. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Articles

2010-03-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

I have a stash of bookmarked newspaper articles and the like in my history that I should start posting links to in case anyone is interested.

Here is an article I found today that analyzes our digestive system and compares it to the systems of herbivores and omnivores. Seems we're herbivores, interesting!

This is an article someone posted on a forum I read and it's quite good, here's a quote:

"If, as a meat-eater, being exposed to this reality bothers you, it is not the fault of the vegan. Lashing out or making up endless excuses doesn't change the stark scientific fact that animals are suffering because of our taste buds. Your neatly packaged chicken breast, all wrapped in pristine plastic, was once part of an animal that felt fear and pain. It's called responsibility and culpability, and we're all to blame.

Now, you may try to argue that eating animals is a matter of personal opinion or choice, but again I'd have to disagree -- this is not about your opinion versus my opinion, this is about animal suffering. You can't discuss your "personal choice" of eating animals while leaving animals completely out of the conversation."

And last but not least, here is an article that talks about the disgusting and ever growing manure problem in the US.

I'm off to do some late night studying now...I slacked off all day after I wrote a paper, oops!

Peaceable Kingdom

2010-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

I found a link to a spanish animal rights website that has the entire Peaceable Kingdom video on it. There are spanish subtitles, but you hardly notice them.

Here is the link and I highly suggest you take 70 minutes out of your day to watch this. It's a movie about farmers/previous meat eaters/childhood animal lovers who rescue animals from factory farming conditions. It contrasts positive images and stories with horrible ones which I think makes the film really powerful. I highly recommend it.

I cried basically the entire movie, but it wasn't all sad crying! Unlike many animal abuse videos this one shows animals being rescued and has a lot of positive stories about animals too...which of course, make me cry harder than the sad parts! I'm a sucker for rescued animals, just seeing their joy is the most powerful feeling and I can't help but cry for them and be so happy for them. Anyways, I'm rambling and don't make a lot of sense right now because I just finished watching the video. If you watch it, the story about Snickers is soooo heartwarming.

I have been extremely depressed and annoyed by the ignorance in the world as of late - about an assortment of issues, not just animal related ones - and I don't really know what to do about it. I just wish people weren't such fucking idiots.

Blah. I'm going to eat a PB&J sandwich now and write my outline for my horrible essay due tomorrow.

Share the video with people you know. We all have compassion buried somewhere inside of us, we just need to find it.

Bye for now :)

Groceries!!

2010-03-05T14:45:00.001-08:00

The weather today is amazing!!! If I hadn't already showered and put on my makeup and stuff before I realized this I would have gone for a long jog or something. Oh well, I'm lazy today anyways.

So today was GROCERY SHOPPING DAY!!! MY FAVOURITE DAY!!! I love to buy food.

Here's what we bought:

Earth Balance sticks ($5.69! Ugh)
Nutritional yeast
Organic long grain brown rice
So Delicious chocolate coconut milk icecream
Amy’s organic vegetable pot pie with tofu (For Jason, unfortunately it has milk *sigh*)
Premium Plus crackers (gotta have these with tomato soup!)
Crispy Minis (Sweet chili for me, Ketchup for Jason)
Organic quinoa
Nature Valley granola bars (Roasted Almond for me, Strawberry Yogurt for Jason)
Nile Spice Soup in Minestrone (I’m eating this now…not amazing, but a decently healthy and quick lunch)
Oasis orange juice
Organic peanut butter (only ingredient is peanuts :D)
Man razors
So Nice original soy milk
Imagine Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Soup
2x butterscotch pudding for Jason (jealous)
Giant bag of Whiskas Temptations for the babies
Goji berries
Chia seeds
Apple Lara bar (*gasps* I just noticed it's UPSIDE DOWN in my picture. How sad, you don't get to see the pretty label)
Organic canned pumpkin
Can of crushed tomatoes
Bush’s vegetarian baked beans
Can of green chilies
Canned black beans
2x canned chickpeas
canned corn
Frozen fruit (strawberry, blueberry, peach I think)
2x canned kidney beans
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Green beans
Green onions
2x organic green peppers
1x organic orange pepper
2x giant jalepenos
2x lemons
Parsley
Pineapple
Red onion
2x zucchini
Mini watermelon
2x garlic
20 mushrooms
Cascades toilet paper
Cascades paper towel
3x Cascades kleenex
Ecomax lavender dish soap

So what am I making with all this delicious food? Well for snacks we have some crap like crispy minis, icecream and I’m going to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls and veggies with hummus and goji berries of course. For breakfast it’s cereal with soy milk, smoothies and pancakes. For lunches I’m gonna make chili and soup to freeze and we have bread for PB&J, soups and veggies/fruit. For dinners I am making lemony broccoli quinoa, shishkabobs, jumbalaya with green beans and some other stuff. We have some soup and frozen meals for that too.
Should be a tasty week.

Total cost was $200. I’m not a bargain shopper when my budget allows me, although most stuff I buy is on sale. $50 was on household stuff like toilet paper and razors, the other $150 was all food. That’s quite average for us, especially when I’m making freezer lunches and this week I spent $50 just on Goji Berries and Chia seeds! I bought more canned and processed stuff than normal too but all in all I was still on budget! We give ourselves $300 every two weeks for groceries. Some weeks are as cheap as $75 but that depends on how stocked up we are and if I have to buy big ticket items (anything over $8).

Time to go write a paper on CCTV monitors now. How boring, eh? First I'm gonna go make an apple, cinnamon, peanut butter sandwich. So. Fucking. Good. Seriously, go make one! I never have banana and peanut butter anymore because this one pwns. (Lately I've been saying pwned/pwns for some reason. My brother is rubbing off on me and my WOW lingo is coming back to haunt me haha)

Anyways. Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

Tired

2010-03-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

My feet are so tired! My back is so tired! My neck is so tired! I could go on, but I think you get the idea - I'm tired.

Today sucked. They were testing the fire alarms in the building so on top of the fire alarm going off every 2 minutes for 6 hours I had to wait around at home all day for the guy to come in for 5 seconds to check if mine works. The kitties were so nervous and scared all day. I think I talked about this in my post this morning actually so I'll stop blabbing about it now.

Volunteering was really fun today, I was so busy the entire time and finally got to leave when BAM a woman throws up ALL over the clean floor so I had to help clean it up. Oh well, I still got to leave early. My grandma is buying me new shoes from zappos.com so next week I won't have sore feet. Unless of course, these new shoes turn out to suck and give me blisters and even more sore feet, but I doubt it, they look uber comfy.

I'm gonna go eat something and watch my American Idol recording now. Goodnight.

PS.
I'm seriously craving a decadent baked dessert, but I don't know what I want. Ideas? I'm thinking a pie with cocount milk icecream or a fruit crisp...but I might go totally wild and make my first vegan cheesecake. OR PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS. OR this weekend I can gorge myself and make ALL of those things!!! I can't be that fat though, so I have to choose one. I'll make the kitties decide.

Banana Crumb Muffins

2010-03-02T11:31:00.001-08:00

If these muffins don't make you want to die and go to heaven I don't know what else would. Seriously, these are the best. They are a great way to use up those bananas you forget about that go brown and too ripe and mushy to eat. Just throw those bananas in the freezer and when you have a few you can make these muffins. Bananas don't take long to thaw either.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
3 large or 4 small bananas, mashed
1/3 cup Earth Balance, melted. I'm sure you could use canola oil or something, but I like the flavour it brings so I use butter
1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp water until it's gelatinous and gooey (egg like!)
1/2 tsp vanilla
cinnamon*
allspice

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
cinnamon
nutmeg
canola oil

To Make:

Preheat the oven to 375 and get your muffin tins ready. This makes 12 muffins.

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl.
2. With a fork mash together your bananas, earth balance, white sugar, vanilla and flax seed mixture making sure to leave a few small chunks of banana for tastiness.
3. Add the banana mix to the flour mix and stir together until just moist and then pour into the muffin pan.
4. Mix together the ingredients for the topping. It takes 1-2 tbsp's of canola oil. You want it to JUST be moist and crumbly. When done sprinkle on top of the muffins.

Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nice and clean.

* I never measure spices like this, so use your own judgment here. I find I add more cinnamon than most people (as in triple whatever a recipe calls for) because it's never strong enough. Go easy on the allspice though, it's a strong blend.

I can't decide if these taste best still warm from the oven or the next day. Something about day old banana bread is friggin' amazing. You could probably make this into a loaf and just baking it longer at a lower temperature. I like muffins better than loaves however, so I've never tried.

I MUST go check out karmavore for field roast sausages. I checked their website and they just had the celebration loaf. I should phone them, too bad I have a phobia of talking on the phone, gross.

I shall leave you with a picture of Charlie on the counter (where he is NOT supposed to be). They are testing the fire alarms today so they keep going off which makes for scared kitties so I'm letting him stay there, just for today. I must say, my counters look very clean and shiny in that picture.

Yves Veggie Balls

2010-03-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

Let me just say that the word "balls" is the greatest word ever.

I bought these a while back because every time I was staring at the tofu section of the grocery store I wanted to buy them. I figured I may as well try them so I can move on to something else. I still want to find field roast in Canada, but companies seem to forget we exist north of the 49th parallel and never ship anything here! Or they give us limited selection or it's in one store in TORONTO. Hello???? Vancouver is a big city too!!

Anyways.

The veggie balls as you can see in the picture look quite meaty. I wouldn't say they are bad but I wouldn't say they are delicious either. I may buy them in the future, but I think I prefer plain spaghetti, I never was a huge meatball fan...although I may buy them and make the IKEA meatball sauce that vegandad has on his blog...that could be good! HAHA, I could add "Sweden" to my list of international cuisines to make. Yes I know, IKEA food = not Swedish.

Yesterday afternoon I was browsing vegan products to try and I still need to get field roast sausages, rising moon organics ravioli, amy's dairy free mac and cheese bowl, whizzers chocolate eggs (If I order soon I'll get them by Easter) and some "chicken" noodle soup. I also discovered some skin care/makeup brands I want to try but I have no money for that sort of thing right now. I need to order more Daiya cheese too! I am going to make a grilled cheese sandwich on the weekend to use up the rest of the cheddar.

My toe still hurts and we are out of episodes of Lost to watch so Jason and me are very bored tonight haha.

I might bake muffins. In fact, I am going to go thaw my bananas right now. I normally peel them before I put them in the freezer because it's sooo cold to peel frozen bananas, but I've been a lazy person.

My brother has full intentions of going vegan in the future and just told me he wants to give up eggs and dairy asap. I told him he should probably wait as he still lives at home and my mom would be annoyed, but he could give up eating plain eggs and buy soy instead of regular milk. He's been veggie for two months and I'm very excited I know another veg*n in real life! My friend told me she wants to stop eating everything "bad" as well and has been asking for advice on a vegan diet as well. Yay! I'm a positive influence. Even my mom and step dad eat less meat now and Jason orders vegetarian food when we eat out quite often.

MUFFIN TIME! Check back for food porn. Yes. I said food porn. I hate that term too. Fudge.

Juice Detox Day 5

2010-03-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

I had originally planned to do seven days, then I switched to five because I was going back to school today, then back to seven because it's only two days longer, but now I am back to five days. Yesterday was my last day. I had the same stuff I've been eating the last few days and my juice was spinach/carrot/celery. Sounds grosser than it is, mostly because of the spinach - I hate spinach. It actually tastes extremely bland, you should try it some time!

So, was it worth it? Have I noticed any changes? I would say YES! Do a juice detox. I have so much energy, I lost 5lbs (without exercise, boo ya), my skin is clearer, my brain feels lighter and I actually have no cravings for sugar (especially pop, my biggest sugar pitfall). I'll see how I feel over the next few days, if my sugar cravings come back to me or what. I might do a bi-weekly juice fast on Saturdays. Basically I would just drink 5 or 6 glasses of fresh juice and a shit tonne of water once a week or every other week to cleanse my system and stuff.

When I wrote my paper last night I was the most focused I've been in a long time. I noticed almost immediately when I went vegan that I had a lot more energy and I was more focused and stuff but that feeling faded and although I still feel better than pre-vegan I don't have that euphoric feeling. This detox really brought that feeling back and I'm really happy about it.

Anyways. If you have a juicer and 5 or 7 days I highly recommend doing a detox. I don't think I could do a total fast, but the detox is basically healthy, mostly raw foods and it's just great.

Part of the reason I stopped 2 days short was the fact that I go back to school today for quite a few hours and it's annoying to bring juice because it isn't as good for me old versus fresh and because I LOVE FOOD. I never had a stronger desire to cook and bake than during the detox. I am going to continue to try to juice once a day and increase my intake of raw foods however.

I saw that Amy's has a frozen rice noodle daiya mac and cheese bowl now!!! I totally need to find it, I read reviews and it looks sooo cheesy and yum. Plus, daiya is da bomb so it must be good. Most frozen meals suck, and sometimes you just need a convenient meal, so I usually turn to Amy's. I sound like a commercial, but her stuff is really good.

I'm so excited for Mexican food on Friday!!! Anyways. I have to go walk up a billion flights of stairs now which is going to suck because I somehow pulled/hurt the muscle in my big toe and down to my arch. I woke up in the middle of the night and it hurt and it still hurts. I have to walk all stupid and even though I wore my comfy running shoes I can't walk properly. I'm annoyed because now I can't go to the gym later!!!

I get another midterm back today, hopefully I did as well as the other ones I've had returned. I'm on a roll this semester with regards to marks, yay!

Bye.

OH! And HAPPY MARCH EVERYONE!!! I love March. And thank god the Olympics are over.

Juice Detox Day 4

2010-02-28T12:31:00.001-08:00

God, yesterday was brutal. For some reason I was hungry all day and had no appetite. I felt really sick after dinner and still feel sick this morning and my nasty juice concoction today isn't helping me. I don't know if it's period cramps or because I ate chips or because I'm hungry or because it's been 5 days since I ate a lot of food or what. The only reason I got through the day was the fact that I am now over halfway and couldn't quit now! I did however eat some chips because I felt sick and wanted to indulge myself in my cravings. I don't regret it. Afterall, the only ingredients were organic potatoes, sunflower oil and salt...pretty good as far as chips go!

I had

3 giant glasses of peach/pineapple juice
3-4 glasses of water (no lemon/lime today, ugh)
sunflower seeds
2 boxes of raisins
banana
quinoa with broccoli, carrot, lemon and garlic
chips

I think that's all I ate, I was really busy and forgot about eating which is probably why I felt so hungry all day. My skin is even nicer this morning and I do have lots of energy, which is good because I have to write a stupid essay for tomorrow.

Anyways. Time for my lunch juice. Gross.

Juice Detox Day 3

2010-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my toughest day. I felt sick in the evening and had HUGE cravings for chips or french fries. Ugh. Not to mention I'm a little sick of peeing every 15 minutes haha.

I had:

3 glasses of beet/apple juice (1 beet and 3 apples per)
4 or 5 glasses of water all with lemon or lime
sunflower seeds
banana
2 boxes of raisins
2 rice cakes
hummus with 3 carrots and a small red pepper
a salad from White Spot with spinach, some lettuce stuff that tasted like dirt, supposed dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and tomatoes. I chose balsamic vinaigrette because I figured it was a safe choice. It wasn't bad as far as salads go and that's saying something because I despise salad

I think I ate a piece of bread again to deter some of my chip cravings. I felt great all day, lots of energy, lots of pee, clearer skin, better mood but then after dinnertime my stomach started killing and I had a headache. I'm not sure if it was the amount of beet juice in one day, or myself getting over my fried potato addiction or what, but it sucked. I feel better today though. After lunch I'm halfway done!! Woot!!!

My friend I haven't seen since Christmas is coming over later and I'm super excited!! We are just bumming around watching some tv or movies but we usually just talk anyways so it doesn't matter what we do haha, we usually have a good time.

I have to reformat my computer later. It's so fucked. I'm going to install Windows 7 so hopefully all goes well or I'll be uber pissed.

Anyways. Gonna go put on my makeup now. My grandma bought me a vegan foundation so I'm hoping I love it because I'm sick of trying them.

Juice Detox Day 2

2010-02-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday went really well again. I woke up hungry and got a little hungry in the afternoon but I had a "big" dinner so I went to bed satisfied. The foods are really filling and I'm eating quite a large amount...so I think my "hunger" is artificial and most likely cravings for crappy salty fried foods.

I had:

3 glasses of grapefruit orange juice (YUMMY!!!)
5 glasses of water, with either lemon or lime juice
2 boxes of raisins
banana
hummus with 2 carrots, 1 orange pepper and 1 celery stalk
2 rice cakes
sunflower seeds
quinoa with broccoli and carrots sauteed in lemon juice and garlic (really good actually, might make it a regular quick meal)
3 slices of bread (bad, not on my list of allowed foods...but Jason bought a loaf of crappy white bread and it just looked good so I caved in)

Today's juice is apple/beet. I have lunch with my grandma, and it was surprisingly hard to hunt down a restaurant with an easily veganized salad, because you know, restaurants could not have a vegan salad. That would just be horrible.

Next Friday I am going to start "foods from around the world" and I'm really excited. I have to think up 10 or so countries and then vegan dishes for each. We already decided on Mexican for Friday, and we're going to eat out.

Anyways, I have to go put my face on and get my hair did. HA. I love saying "get my hair did" because it's so ridiculously lame, especially because all I do is put 3 bobby pins to hold my bangs up and spray with a little hairspray. Adios amigos!

Juice Detox Day 1

2010-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

I'm very irritated today because of school. I submitted assignment 1 for one of my distance ed classes and I got an N because I apparently didn't submit the answer for question 2 when it clearly says answer "either" 1 or 2. So now I have to do question 2, which is a BS question that makes no sense. Argh. This is the worst class I have this semester. The textbook is written in this ridiculous font so I can't read it AND it makes NO sense and doesn't even have a glossary so I can lookup complicated political words.

Blah. Oh well. I don't think I'm getting late marks, not that I give a crap anyways. It's worth like 5% of my mark, but if I don't do it I get an N in the course.

Anyways, back on topic. Day 1 of my juice detox went great. If you don't know the difference between a fast and a detox a fast is where you only consume fresh juice and water whereas a detox you eat limited solid foods like brown rice, fresh fruits/veggies, hummus, rice cakes and some seeds (plain but nutritious foods).

What did I have?

5 big glasses of water, 2 with lemon, 2 with lime and one plain because I HATE lemon/lime water so I had to give myself a break.

3 glasses of juice - apple/carrot today (4 apples, 3 carrots in each glass)

hummus with 2 carrots, a yellow pepper, 1 celery stick
a box of raisins
a bunch of sunflower seeds (SO great for snack cravings because it feels like you are eating wayyyy more than you actually are)
grapes
3 plain rice cakes

I wasn't hungry at all, and my cravings for my evening snacks were easily overcome with my sunflower seeds.

Today's juice is orange/grapefruit so that should be yummy.

I managed to sneak my way into a psychology course I need for the summer semester in order to switch my major to criminology. There were two offerings and BOTH were evenings (which is fine) but SFU has this new "Nights or Weekends" program which means you must be a NOW student to enroll in the courses...and I'm not one. I was all panicked but I talked to three different people and they snuck me in to the Vancouver one (kind of far, but whatever).

Anyways. I'm going to figure out what to write for this stupid ass assignment now. I don't even understand the question!

Szechuan Green Beans and a messy desk

2010-02-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

The other night I finally got around to making some szechuan green beans. They taste exactly like the ones you get at a restaurant and are delicious. My picture isn't the greatest, and I overcooked the beans by accident so they got shrivelly lol, but it still looks good!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp of fresh garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp's hoisin sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp peanut oil
few squeezes of Sriracha chili sauce
green beans (not sure how many I used...a few handfuls)
lots of canola oil

To Make:
1. Heat up some oil in a pan and saute the garlic and ginger until lightly browned and fragrant. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, mirin, peanut oil and chili sauce. Lightly simmer.
2. In a seperate larger pot heat up enough oil to fry your beans in (1-2 cups). Make sure it's really hot then add the green beans and fry for about 1 minute until they turn dark green. Take them out and add them to the sauce.
3. Simmer for a minute then serve.

Once you have your asian sauces stocked up this recipe is really cheap to make, and fairly quick as well.

So the other day I finally got around to cleaning off my desk, it's amazing how much shit gets lost in the pile! After midterms and after finals I usually try to clean off my desk, usually because I have flashcards, study notes and like 30403 drafts of papers mixed in with pens and textbooks and I can't find anything so I get frustrated and clean it all off. Yes, I know. I shouldn't let it get so disastrous, but trust me, any University student will tell you it's impossible to keep a tidy desk.

Here's everything useful that I had to find a place for back on my desk. I managed to do it too! The main surface of my desk is rather empty now, yay! I don't know why I had a screwdriver on my desk, I put it back in it's lovely toolbox house.

And here is my garbage/recycling pile. Haha. I'm so ashamed.

Now I can eat at my desk without teetering my plate on a pile of crap and worrying about the food or fork sliding off the plate and causing a disaster haha.

I started my 7-day juice detox this morning. I'm rather excited about it. I'll post my feelings about it as I progress. I've never done a juice detox before so I don't really know how my body is going to react. I'm most worried about snacking.

I also finally got around to transferring my computer to the external hard drive so I can reformat. I'm probably going to try out Windows 7.

I'm going to watch American Idol now. Bye all.

Shish kabobs

2010-02-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

If I was on death row, this would be my last meal. Well, most likely. I especially crave it when it's sunny outside. The weather the last two weeks has been GORGEOUS!!!!!! I don't really like sunshine, but when it's the winter and it's kind of chilly, the sunshine is the best weather. I'm gonna go for a jog outside after I finish this, it's like 15 degrees out!

I put each type of veggie on the same kabob to help with cooking times etc. I generally use zucchini, red onion, 2 types of bell peppers, pineapple and mushrooms. To prepare, chop everything up in the same sized chunks and put in a bag with olive oil and salt/pepper and then mix it up like shake and bake. To serve, cook up a pot of brown rice and drizzle Renee's Tangy Thai sauce on everything. Talk about deliciousness.

I can't decide what looks tastier, the raw super fresh looking veggies, or the charred bbq'd goodness.

I've had this for dinner like 4 times this week, and I want them again tonight!! So simple and so good.

The only problem with using the barbeque is that Charlie is determined to get outside. We have to keep pillows at the backdoor so he doesn't scratch at the weather stripping (which is destroyed). I had the window in the bedroom open to talk to Jason while he was bbq'ing and Charlie managed to get 3/4's out of the window (which is like 4 feet off the ground). Look at this little determined face!!! I wish it was safe for him outside so I could let him out.

Poor boy! He was so hard to pry off the window too haha.

Go enjoy the sunny weather and make some SHISH KABOBS (it's so fun to say) and pet your kitties.

I'm off to jog now, hopefully my hair isn't too noticeable from the cars driving by because it looks ridiculous lol. Bye!

No Subject

2010-02-18T15:37:00.000-08:00

I just got back from 8 hours in Fraser Valley Institution. Talk about intense!!! The prison itself is really pretty and they all live in cute houses and stuff...but we walked into the max security wing and one of the windows to the cell block was smashed and there was still blood all over it! They had been cleaning the blood up for 2 days and they still can't get it all out, scary! The max wing and segregation were so weird, the rest seemed normal to me...mostly because I regularly go to ACCW which looks the same.

I played aboriginal drums and "smudged" myself with lifers, murderers and even one sex offender. I sat beside Kelly Ellard for two hours, which was really weird. It's so unreal that someone so pretty and normal could commit such a crime, but looks can be deceiving.

Now my sister informs me that she wants to spend the night tonight instead of tomorrow night after I just got home! I drove through Mission 20 minutes ago and could have picked her up haha. I have to go clean my bathroom before she gets here, it's a disaster!!! Haha.

Peace all.

Haluski

2010-02-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

Haluski is (as far as I know) a Polish dish that's basically cabbage and noodles. Usually it contains onions and bacon or kielbasa sausage. It's super easy to make, and besides the excess of butter and oil it's quite healthy!!! It's also a good way to sneak cabbage into your diet, afterall, how often do you get a chance to eat cabbage?

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup or so of Earth Balance
- few tbsp's olive oil
- head of cabbage, sliced (don't use the core)
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 cups of noodles
- LOTS of salt and LOTS and LOTS of pepper

To make:

1. Cook the pasta
2. Melt the butter and olive oil together in a cast iron skillet. Add the onions and saute over med-high heat until browned, add the cabbage and saute for about 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft. Add tonnes of salt and pepper continuously throughout the cooking process.
3. Add the pasta into the cabbage and mix together for a few minutes. Serve.

I LOVE onions, don't they look so friggin' good?

All the cats are on edge today. Around 4am this morning Bella started meowing like a crazy cat and all the cats had their tails puffed and what not. I have no idea what happened, but they're all pissy today. Alma and Bella are enjoying the sunshine though! I think Charlie gets too hot with his black, long fur though so he avoids it. Look how happy they both look in the sun:

Actually, Bella looks grumpy haha. I think she is staring down Alma in that picture.

Today I am going to "spring clean" the bedroom and closet. I was going to do the living room tomorrow, but I have a field trip to Fraser Valley Institution for women (max security prison in Abby) for my women and the CJS course. It should be interesting. I guess I'll finish cleaning the house on Friday, fun!

I was going to make a Moroccan stew with couscous for dinner...but it's so nice and sunny out I might make something else. Hopefully my veggies are still good, I've been planning on making this stew for almost two weeks now!

I'm having a debate with myself about a worm compost bin. It seems kind of hypocritical to have worms, being a vegan and all, but I think the environmental aspects and the cheapness of not having to buy fertilizer or manure that's covered in god knows what is better. Plus, I'll treat my little worm friends with love and care. Afterall, I do pick up worms I see lost on the sidewalk and move them to a nice grassy spot...people always give me strange looks, but whatever, the worms deserve to be in their habitat, not lost on some concrete slab. I like worms, they're cute. I remember as a kid I would always try to find them to keep as pets haha.

Anyways, I am going to shower. My shoulders/upper arms are sooo sore from my workout earlier so it's going to suck to wash my hair haha.

See you! Enjoy the sunshine if you live in Vancouver!!! It's gorgeous.

Creamy Spinach Lasagna

2010-02-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

So last night I was feeling adventurous and made a lasagna. I've only made one since going vegan (from the V-con, I have it on my blog somewhere) and although it was delicious it sucked to make.

This recipe is frikkin' amazing tasting! It's pretty fast to make as far as lasagna's go too. Another bonus is that it makes great freezer leftovers! We got 8 portions from the dish.

There is no picture because I was too excited to eat it, and then after I put it into my Tupperware containers it didn't look as pretty!

Ingredients:

1 box of whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed
1 container of herbed Tofutti cream cheese
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced THINLY crosswise into circles
few handfuls of spinach
3 cans of tomato/spaghetti sauce
1/2 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup veggie broth
few squeezes of fresh lemon juice
basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, dried parsley (enough to speckle the tofu...I guess a tsp each?)
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg

To make:

1. Boil your water and cook the lasagna noodles. Once cooked set aside until needed.
2. While the noodles are cooking, saute the onions and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes over medium-high. Add the parlsey and garlic and saute for another minute. Add the veggie broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl crumble up your tofu until it looks like ricotta cheese, add in the spices, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, nutmeg and mix it all together.
4. Add the tofu mixture and the Tofutti to the carrot mixture. Mix it all up for a few minutes until it's gooey and melted. Set aside.
5. Now you assemble the lasagna. Sauce -> Noodles -> Tofu mixture -> spinach -> Repeat. When you get to the top just cover it with the rest of the sauce...make sure it's reallly covered otherwise the noodles go hard and chewy.
6. Bake, covered, at 375 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 or so.

Enjoy. I'm going to eat some leftovers now :)

Calzones

2010-02-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Like an angry apple tree, I throw my apples if you get too close to me!

I'm obsessed with that song right now. (Locked up - Ingrid Michaelson)

So I lied. I said I would post my calzones and like a terrible person I DID NOT!!! The pics aren't the most appealing, but here you go anyways:

So, as you can see...we didn't seal them properly and they exploded, nevertheless they were fantastic! We made six and ate them in like 2 days haha even though I had intended to have easy frozen meals hanging around. Oh well.

So, I tried to make my pizza dough linkedhere but it failed to rise for some reason so I used the pillsbury stuff instead. Still good, but not as good as homemade dough. 1 container makes 3 big calzones.

I sauteed some mushrooms and added the spinach at the last minute to wilt it.

Other fillings I used were green peppers, jalepenos, pizza sauce (link above) and daiya italian cheese. They were sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!

I can't list amounts cuz I winged it, but put all those things on the dough, pinch it together like a pizza pop and bake at 375 for half an hour or so. They freeze great too.

Now, go make calzones!!! Experiment with different toppings (or insides I guess, haha) like asparagus, onions, pineapple, olives, broccoli, whatever! They are fun.

The BSOT

2010-02-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

I passed the BSOT (border servicers officer test)!! YAY!!!

The lady told us at the beginning of the exam that it's a 20% pass rate, so 1/5 people pass. Ugh. I got so scared and kept second guessing myself, not to mention I BOMBED the math section. Am I really expected to know what 7% of 23950.67 is? Or 567.23/89.22. Really. I'm sure I will have a calculator with me in my booth!

Anyways, I passed 2 rounds of recruitment now...so next week I have an interview at the truck crossing (I guess that's where I'll work if I get hired? I don't actually know) and if I pass that I guess I do the fitness test? I'm not sure, but that would be 3 rounds down.

I'm so happy.

Later I will post my delicious calzones!!! YUMMY!!!!!

But, now that I've basked in joy for 10 minutes I must go back to studying for midterms. I had my first one this morning and with the exception of one question, aced it.

Adios amigos.

Groceries

2010-02-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I went on a real grocery shop today for the first time in a few weeks. Lately we've been eating out a lot or buying a few things at a time which costs so much! You don't even realize it.

I LOVE to grocery shop. I love it more than any other type of shopping. I just love it. I love love love it.

Anyways, here is what I bought this week. It cost $191.08 which is not bad for us. We usually spend $130-150 per week and this shop is for almost two weeks AND I had to buy a tonne of pricey stuff like toilet paper and razors which I hate buying.

Produce
5lb potatoes, 5lb organic apples, 2 lemons, 2 limes, 1 lb green beans, green cabbage, celery, 1 lb mushrooms, four corn on the cobs, ginger, 4 onions, acorn squash, butternut squash, organic green pepper, organic red pepper, organic kale, 6 organic beets, 4 turnips, spinach, frozen fruit bag, tomato, zucchini, lettuce, parsley, 4 jalepenos, cilantro, bananas

Spices and Sauces
Mirin, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, basil, soy sauce (Can you tell I had to stock up on my asian sauces? Haha)

Bath and House stuff
Shampoo, deodorant, razors (ugh, so pricey), paper towel, toilet paper, cotton pad things to remove eye makeup, sandwich bags

Canned, Grocery stuff and other crap
2 cans tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, refried beans, whole wheat lasagna noodles, canola oil, 2 larabars, granola bars and pudding (Jasons), orange juice, soy milk, tofu, tofutti cream cheese, Alma’s favourite balls, Yves Mexican ground round, tortilla shells

Alma loves when I go grocery shopping too! I come home and put the bags in the foyer and immediately she races over and dives face first into any bag with PLASTIC. She effing adores plastic, she chews it, plays with it, rubs her face on it, she just loves it. Anyways, today I put my groceries all out on the counter which confused her so she leapt up on the counter and chewed the plastic beet bag for like 20 minutes, it was quite amusing. (And yes, I always watch her to make sure she doesn't choke herself to death on plastic)

So what am I making with all this delicious new food?

Well we had most of our breakfast foods already but we're having cereal, oatmeal, scrambled tofu, hashbrowns and toast.

Lunch is usually just leftovers. Other stuff would be sandwiches, fruit, veggies and granola bars.

Dinner this week is mainly HUGE portions of freezable stuff like szechuan green beans with rice, Moroccan curry couscous, lasagna, calzones, lentil soup, marinara pasta, tacos, corn with veggies and a grain. We'll also be eating chili and various other things I already had in my cupboard.

I try not to snack much, but I bought kale to make kale chips and I drink smoothies and fresh juice otherwise.

I have to put together a powerpoint presentation on bait cars later tonight for my policing class (which is super fun by the way) and start studying for midterms! I told myself to start studying last weekend, but that came and went so I really need to start studying or I'm gonna fail my midterms haha.

Olympic break is in a week and a half! Woot!!! SFU NEVER gets a reading break or anything, so I decided to embrace this two week break despite the fact that my summer breaks are shortened before and after the semester.

Ignorance

2010-01-30T17:35:00.001-08:00

People are so ignorant these days. I don't even know why I bother.

Why is it that as soon as someone is into AR or a vegan or whatever people assume they stop caring about humans? Can they not be cared about equally? Is it really that difficult to care about BOTH humans and animals at the same time?

I always hear and read about people whining and bitching that us AR freaks are only worrying about dying cows and seals and we ignore children dying in third world countries, or in the sex trade, or in abusive homes, etc. I think people just want to make themselves feel better by bitching out AR people for caring about animals over their own species because they feel bad about not caring themselves.

I treat both animals and humans with respect. I don't put either one above the other and am perfectly capable of helping both at the same time. I am sure most vegans would agree with me.

I would actually say I care about humans more than most people do. Compassion should be extended to all living beings, not just to those of the same species.

Sorry for the negativity, I'm not very annoyed with mankind right now. On the plus side I had a great time volunteering today! Drug addictions and being in prison aside, the women I help out are amazing. Every single one of them is so kind, welcoming and thankful for the time I spend with them. Funny how I get more respect and thankfulness from the women in the shelter and prison than from people at my school or the grocery store.

Uber Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

2010-01-28T09:10:00.001-08:00

Pre-vegan I had perfected an amazing spinach artichoke dip. I was craving some the other day so I decided to veganize my old recipe, the only problem I had was with substituting the romano-mozzarella-parmesan blend. I thought to myself, "NUTRITIONAL YEAST!!!!!! I HEARD THAT ADDS A CHEESY FLAVOUR!!" Yes, I literally yelled that inside my head...it was that much of a revelation, plus...I NEVER use nutritional yeast (except in scrambled tofu) so I was surprised I thought of it. Nevertheless, it added a mighty strong cheese flavour.

I would have to say that NOBODY would notice that this is vegan, it is that creamy and cheesy tasting. Go ahead, give someone the vegan-taste-taste, guarantee they won't know :)

With regards to the Sour Supreme - adding this was a last minute decision, the amount I used seemed to work great, but feel free to add less, more or I guess you could omit it altogether, but I think it adds to the creaminess factor. I just had some leftover in my fridge so I thought, why not add it in?

You need:

1 container of Tofutti plain cream cheese
1/2 cup of Tofutti plain Sour Supreme
1/2 onion, finely diced
8 oz of frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed out and chopped up
most of a 12oz can of artichoke hearts, chopped (I think I used four hearts)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp each of the following - basil, parsley, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt
olive oil
quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice

To make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Saute the onion, artichoke hearts and spinach in the olive oil for a few minutes until the onion is clear (do not brown)
3. In a hand blender mix everything else together until smooth
4. Combine the onion mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix together with a spatula.
5. Bake in a small dish for 20 minutes until it smells delicious and the top is lightly browned.

You could serve this with veggies, crackers, bread, pita slices or nacho chips. All would be delicious.

Note the creaminess:

And, because my girls were sitting so close together on the bed I snapped a few pictures. The quality of this one is terrible, but I love how smug Alma looks and how angry Bella looks. I think it's hilarious.

Food Loggity Log

2010-01-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Isn't that piggy cute?

I ate pretty healthy yesterday until I sabotaged myself and gave into my craving for an entire bag of Jalapeno Kettle Chips (argh).

- giant glass of juice with 1/2" piece of ginger, 2 apples, 2 pears and 2 beets
- 2 pieces of Me n Ed's leftover pizza (really healthy pizza)
- handful of roasted almonds
- brown rice and veggie soup with some crackers
- Triscuits with peanut butter
- 1 apple
- an ENTIRE BAG OF Kettle Chips. ARGH! I had intended to save the rest for today to eat, but I wanted a snack while I was watching American Idol (yes I know, the show is so lame...but Ellen is going to be a judge so I must watch!) - but to be fair, kettle chips only have 150g bags so it's not THAT bad.

I haven't really eaten anything today. I had chocolate soy milk, some Sjaak's mini caramel chocolates and a strawberry fruit roll up thing. I'm having a burrito for dinner and am going to make spinach-artichoke dip later tonight (I'll post the recipe tomorrow if it turns out good). So today is unhealthy, but I am writing an essay with a ridiculous topic, so I am justified in my poor diet haha.

To add to my extremely busy schedule for the next two weeks, CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) contacted me and I have to go write a 4.5 hour written exam in Richmond (I'm going to get lost and probably get hit by a car or something haha) on Tuesday. If I get a good grade on the exam I go on to the next part of recruitment so wish me luck! I really want this summer position, it's great resume experience!

Dairy

2010-01-26T21:26:00.001-08:00

Anyway you look at it, the dairy industry is extremely cruel.

Mercy for Animals just finished an investigation of New York's biggest dairy provider. Here is the video:

Here is the website where you can find other information on the investigation.

Ugh. I honestly don't understand how people can do this, how people continue to ignore it and how people who know about this continue to consume animal products. Seriously? I always hear of people making excuses even when they are fully aware of the treatment of animals, but somehow taste buds and mindless government sponsored nutrition facts are ground into our heads.

I am going to cheer myself up by looking at cute pictures of cows now. Just remember that animals have feelings too and under no circumstances should they be exploited and abused for our taste buds, clothing or entertainment. It's disgusting and unnecessary.

*Edit* Here is the link to Mercy for Animals general website. You can get other info and see videos of their other investigations there.

Inner World of Farm Animals

2010-01-26T09:35:00.001-08:00

As a vegan I am constantly reading about veganism. Usually it's on the negative effects of factory farming, animal products on your health, general horror stories, etc but the other day I decided I wanted to buy a happy book and that's where the Inner World of Farm Animals by Amy Hatkoff kicks in.

This book is so good and it's FILLED with super cute pictures of farm animals (which are surprisingly hard to find on the internet). I will admit I did tear up at a few of the stories like the one that talks about this cow that died. The farmers buried her and all her friend cows stood on her grave all somber and then left for two days to grieve. So sad! Those poor cows lost their best friend.

It was very refreshing to find a pro-vegan book that focused on the joyful reasons rather than the negative ones. It is my new "coffee table" book.

Oh! And another bonus is that when you take off the book jacket (which I usually do because I HATE them) there is another picture and the title on the actual cover. I was so surprised because normally hardcover books are just plain under the jacket (yes I know, that is a lame thing to get excited over...but I think it's a revelation).

I am not looking forward to the next 2 weeks. Four papers, volunteering, midterm studying for SIX midterms all before the Olympic break. Ugh.

I am going to eat breakfast now. I already had beet/pear/apple juice and now I am going to have toast with delish raspberry jam.

Did I mention my new life goal? Starting at the Olympic break (I gotta use up the crap left in my cupboards or I would start now!!) I am giving up 99% of refined sugars. The only thing I am going to eat with sugar is my own baked goods...but I am going to buy fancy organic cane sugar or something so it feels less unhealthy. I am trying to be healthier, so it's the obvious next step. I'm actually quite excited...mostly because my real addiction is to chips (I love you Jalapeno Kettle Chips), but sugar still wins me over quite a bit so I don't think it will be that hard.

MY FRIDGE!!!!!!!!

2010-01-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

I have an old post on what's in my pantry/fridge. But, my fridge changes weekly, and to prove to the world that vegans don't have freaky weird food in their fridge (for the most part!) here's what's in my fridge this week.

Coke (BAD!!!!)
Asparagus (hiding behind the coke haha)
Tofutti Sour Cream
Tequila and Triple Sec (literally 6 months old...look how full it is still!)
Water
Hemp seed oil
Almonds
Taco salsa stuff
Soy milk
Chocolate soy milk
"Prairie Naturals" protein powder
leftover taco stuff (Yves mexican ground round and refried beans)

organic salsa
leftover hummus
organic apples
chickpea flour (finally found some!!!)
organic peanut butter
the best organic store bought raspberry jam (Crofter's)
organic applesauce cups
Earth Balance (why I have 2 tubs, I don't know)

tortilla's
organic celery x3
10lbs of organic carrots (mostly for juicing)
cauliflower
lettuce
beets (in that blue container)
cantaloupe

Lemons
Limes
Oranges
Pears
Grapefruits
Cilantro
Broccoli
Leeks
Green Beans

I think that's everything for the shelf part. See? All yummy and nutritious stuff!

Tofu
Yves Salami deli slices
oatmeal
assorted nuts

I think for the most part you can tell what's in the door. Mostly condiments and pickled things like peppers and pickles. I have more salsa and some grenadine in there too. I just realized I have FOUR different salad dressings in the door and I HATE salad. What is wrong with me?

Now I am hungry!!!

Dinner and Kitty Pics

2010-01-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Hello internet world, I've been quite busy this semester with my two volunteer jobs and my SIX courses! My house is so messy! This weekend was quite nice though. I caught up on some school work on Friday, did nothing on Saturday and then my brother came over for the night last night and all we did was play video games. Actually, I depotted all my eyeshadow and was going to make my own palette but it messed up so now I have to go buy a real one *sigh*. It was fun to depot them though.

I went to Bruce's Market today and saw some corn (which I thought couldn't be grown in the winter...but I guess anything is possible nowadays) so we bought that for dinner. I made some quinoa, broccoli, baby bok choy and leeks to go with it. Yummy!

The corn was DELISH!!! I can't believe I ever hated corn on the cob as a child. What the heck was wrong with me?

Here's some pics of the kitties:

FUZZY TAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's really gross when he cleans it because he'll hear a noise or something and look up but the tail hair will still be in his mouth and it looks all stringy and wet. Ew!

It's only been three weeks, and look how close Bella is to the other kitties!!

Bella really can't take attractive photos haha.

Earlier Alma was drinking some water and Bella came out of the bedroom to get food. She saw Alma there, and kind of sat still wondering if she should risk trying to get food so near to Alma...but she risked it, and walked right up and started to eat but then Alma kind of perched on her back legs and made this double chin hilarious rocking motion face. It was great. Bella looked defeated and just walked away haha. (I just read this over, that story doesn't really make sense but I don't know how to word it better...so, hopefully you get what I'm sayin')

I was going to start an essay tonight but I decided to take the night off instead. Good refresher. On the weight loss front - I have lost an inch off my thighs and arms so far! I've also lost 1/2" from my boobs/waist/butt too. Progress!!! It's only been two weeks too, so I'm quite proud of myself. I even went to the gym at 6:30 in the morning last week before I left for school. I have to go four times this week to make up for my poor eating yesterday.

I heard a rumour the COPAT is no longer required for corrections jobs - but it's probably just that, a rumour.

Goodbye, my sweet love

2010-01-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

It's official! March 10, my tattoo removal process begins via excision. I AM SO NERVOUS!! It's going to hurt like a mother fucker, basically they just cut the tattoo OFF and stitch it back up. I can't get laser removal because the colours are too vivid, which is better I think anyways. I don't care about scarring ( I LOVE SCARS!) and if there is a nice scar, it will remind me of my beautiful tattoo.

I'm so sad. I don't want to get it removed...but who knew I would be going into law enforcement? Oops. Should have put it in a more inconspicuous spot. When I graduate I am going to get the EXACT tattoo put on my hip or something haha.

At least it's going to be free. My sisters plastic surgeon is doing it for me, so I'm sure my scarring will be minimal. After all, this man can make ears from butt skin and rib cartilage...I'm sure scraping off some neck skin is a walk in the park for him!

Now I must go write this fucking retarded 4k word essay which was due YESTERDAY. I swore it said next week....it's just strange to have an essay due 2 weeks after we started classes.

Oh well. I'll lose a few points for lateness, not the end of the world. (Actually it is kind of. I've never handed anything in late before, and it makes me sad to lose points for something so stupid...although it's a distance ed class, and it doesn't say explicitly anywhere how many late points are to be taken off)

Cereal

2010-01-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Nature's Path Acai Plus granola cereal is my new favourite! The little apple chunks make for a nice chewy texture, and the granola part isn't super hard and painful to chew like some cereals.

Go buy this! So yummy!!! (and of course, eat it plain or with an "alternative" milk like soy)

Gardein

2010-01-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

Gardein frozen line is coming to Canada in February!

I really want to try their "chicken" strips. I was considering driving down to Washington to buy some but they don't sell them their either!

I'm excited.

What do I eat?

2010-01-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

I pride myself on being quite knowledgeable about the animal/food/etc industries, so if a situation comes up where someone asks me something I can answer it truthfully (or at least know a place where they could find the answer). But there is one question I hadn't really pondered. I was getting my haircut today and the lady asks me, "I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude...but what DO you eat???"

I was like, "uhhhhh....................I eat everything?" Then I went on and said a few random foods like Asian foods, whole grains, cereal, fruits/veggies, stir fries, pasta dishes etc...but I had to THINK about what I specifically ate.

I didn't know how to answer at all, especially because I eat whatever I want...I don't feel limited by being vegan at all. I'm sure if you asked an omnivore what they ate they wouldn't be able to tell you specifics either. People think vegan food is strange and foreign and we only have 2 or 3 options (all of which must be nasty tasting).

I just thought it was funny. I wish I had something witty to say, but I was caught very off guard. My wittiness is always an afterthought and I always have these grand things planned to say, but in reality they never work.

LUSH Celestial Moisturizer

2010-01-13T21:30:00.001-08:00

LUSH Celestial moisturizer is ahhh-mazing. It is super thick, so I would only recommend it for winter/nighttime use because I think in the hot summer it would be too greasy. It also smells extremely relaxing making it perfect for nighttime. I've had the jar for over a month and as you can see in the picture, it has a tonne of product left. I use a little more than a pea sized amount morning and night and my skin has had zero flakes since I first used it. I have always had dry skin on my nose and forehead and sometimes cheeks in the colder air, but this moisturizer works great for that.

It is a little greasy feeling for about 10 minutes, but it is kind of a nice greasy unlike other moisturizers, and once it goes away your skin is soft as a baby's bottom.

I paid $21.95, so I guess that's pricey to some...but it lasts forever, is vegan and is from LUSH the greatest store ever, so the price is worth it to me.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a good moisturizer for really dry and sensitive skin go buy this NOW. It kicks the butt of all my previous heavy-duty moisturizers.

I would also like to say I LOVE LUSH. I went there to buy new toner today and I saw Snow Fairy (it's a Christmas time only product, I thought it was gone already) so naturally I gravitated towards it and snatched one up when the salesperson was like, "You know, that's buy one get TWO free right now?". I literally squealed with joy. I now have a year's supply of snow fairy, hooray! It really is heaven in a bottle!

I was a fatass today and ate Burger King and an entire bag of Kettle Chips which totally ruined my two kickass workouts I had today and yesterday. I must lose 16 inches (total) and this is not the way to do it!!! I really need to find something that has the satisfying crunch and saltiness of chips without the fat and calories.

Vcon's Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

2010-01-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

I decided to make the "Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits" from the Veganomicon. You can find the recipe here It was fantastic, especially the biscuits. It made 6 portions, so we have plenty of leftovers which reheat nicely with the exception of the biscuit (turns a bit gooey).

It's pretty time consuming to make but I would make it again, maybe with more leeks and spices though...it was a tad bland. I also substituted white kidney beans for navy beans because I don't know what a navy bean is and I didn't see any at Save-on.

Apple, Pear, Beet Juice

2010-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

I have never had a beet in my entire life so I was very anxious to try this juice. I have heard beets are fabulous for you though, so I want to juice them at least once a week. Let's just say this juice is AMAZING. The recipe is from the Juicing Bible.

1 pear
2 apples
1 1/2" piece ginger
3 beets
1/2 lemon

All my fruits and veggies:

Look how VIBRANT it is. Seriously amazing. My tongue and lips were kind of pink after I drank this, but it was totally worth it - I had so much energy after I drank it. When I scooped the pulp out I used my fingers which was a mistake because they were pink for the rest of the day haha.

It almost looks fake.

School is really busy this semester, but that makes it go by faster so I guess it's okay. Bella is adjusting to the other cats still, but they haven't fought or anything serious yet which is encouraging. I don't really have any other updates, I lost 1lb in my first week - and I still had a bunch of chips (my big addiction) and only worked out twice. I'm hoping to lose 2 or 3 by the end of this week.

Bye!

Avocado Green Tea Face Mask

2010-01-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

I love face masks but I don't do them enough. I usually walk around or lie on my bed in savasana (corpse pose) for 10 minutes with relaxing music on while I wait for the mask to work its magic. Tonight I listened to Deuter's "Escape from Gravity" and I would have fallen asleep had Alma not walked up and sat right by my head snoring and purring extremely loudly.

I remember the first time I did yoga in my apartment, I finished in savasana and both Alma and Charlie walked up and started sniffing me all over. It was so hard to concentrate because their whiskers were tickling me haha. I guess the weird music, the weird movements I was making and then lying on the floor dead seeming concerned them.

Anyways.

Back to the mask. Tonight I used a handheld blender and it creamed the avocado to perfection! Normally I use a fork and chunks of avocado keep falling off my face, but I will definitely use the blender from now on.

You will need:

- 1 avocado
- 1 teabag of green tea leaves
- some olive oil (I just did two splashes...so whatever amount that is)
- 2 cucumber slices for your eyes

Mix everything together and bam, a face mask! Avocado, olive oil and green tea do GREAT things for your skin so do this mask frequently.

I think it's best to steam your face with boiling water, then exfoliate thorougly and then put the mask on for 10 minutes. After you take the mask off use toner and lots of moisturizer and your skin will feel amazing, I promise. If you are lazy, skip the steaming and just exfoliate really well.

Look how creamy it is! I wanted to eat it so badly. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container with the avocado pit for a few days in the fridge...if it goes a little brown that's okay.

I look so sexy! The avocado even matches me green eyes.

I can finally put my last load of laundry into the dryer now and go to bed. Goodnight everyone.

IKEA, Kitties and other ramblings...

2010-01-11T00:16:00.000-08:00

Jason and I went shopping yesterday (or the day before? I can't remember) and we bought a new camera, some things from IKEA and I returned a cookbook I had bought which turned out to not be vegan even though it claimed to be.

I had been wanting to go to IKEA for awhile to buy air tight glass jars for my grains because I keep them in bulk plastic bags or open rice bags which isn't very good. I decided to put them on my counter because they double as decoration. As you can see in the picture, they aren't very full haha, I definitely need to go buy some more grains to fill them. I have brown basmati rice, quinoa, green lentils, red lentils, whole wheat couscous and short grain brown rice right now. Eventually I want to add some more. We also bought some serving dishes including a super cute bird platter for only $6!! I had to buy it. We also bought some tan duvet cover/pillow set because we needed a new one. I haven't been to IKEA since we moved here and I forgot how much I love it. (Hehe, my grapefruit is showing itself in my grain picture...I really need to eat it before it goes bad)

We went to Future Shop and bought this camera too. My old Sony cybershot has been taking blurry pictures lately, even after I cleaned the lens out so we figured it was time to finally buy one. We spent a bit more than we wanted to but it was totally worth it. The camera rules! It's easy to use, the auto function works great and most importantly the photo quality is amazing.

Here's what it looks like. Red it so pretty and it's really vibrant in real life too:

I bought Pat Barker's Juicing Bible the other day because I don't really know a whole lot about juicing, plus it's handy to have a bunch of recipes. I don't really know what juices to match with each other so it's really helpful.

Here are some pictures of two kitties just for fun:

Charlie always wraps his paws around his eyes when we have lights on and he's trying to sleep. It's so cute.

Juicing

2010-01-06T11:21:00.001-08:00

I have renewed my long lost love for juicing. Seriously, go buy a juicer and use it as much as you can. I use this juicer by Breville and it works great. I think it was $200? I can't remember exactly, but I got a $50 giftcard to use at the store so it was really like $150 and I got to buy an immersion blender! I am a sucker for lame deals, I know.

Today I had celery apple juice and it was a total flashback to my childhood. My parents had a juicer when I was a kid and I remember piles of oranges, grapefruits, celery, apples, carrots, etc. Every day I would wake up to the annoying buzz of the juicer but it always tasted good, except for the nasty garlic, spinach, ginger, etc cleansing juices you would have to drink if you were getting sick or something.

I'm off to the gym now. I met with a personal trainer last night and she gave me a great cardio routine.

VHS and other things

2010-01-05T00:43:00.001-08:00

I was going to go to bed, but something reminded me I wanted to research some animal cruelty stuff regarding the Vancouver zoo. It's just disgusting.

Then I got sidetracked and ended up on the Vancouver Humane Society's website, which for some reason I have never been to! 665 million animals are raised for food each year in Canada...something I never knew before. I don't know why, I guess I wasn't looking hard enough, but I could only ever find worldwide or US specific stats.

Here is one stat I took from the VHS' website:

The Fraser Valley has the highest animal stocking density in Canada (UBC Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Dr Hans Schreier).

There are approximately:

* 15.4 million chickens
* 128,000 cattle
* 95,500 pigs
* 9,000 sheep
* 5,000 goats
* 767,000 turkeys

Disgusting right?

Here is a website about egg production in Canada. In Jan 2008 SFU apparently switched to cage-free hens (which means nothing to me) but at least we're trying! You can email and ask which restaurants in metro-vancouver offer cage free eggs too, which I think is nice. I emailed them, not that I eat eggs, but it would be useful for people I eat out with.

My heart hurts now, I can't help but cry for all these poor souls. Even just last night me and Bella shared a very peaceful moment. She was sitting by my side purring and sleeping and she started to knead her paws totally unprovoked and I just knew she was so happy and relaxed and dreaming of better times ahead because she can finally rest her head on a soft couch with a loving family and not in a crowded, stressful and sad shelter. I felt so happy for her, but it made me sad to think of all the animals, on farms and in shelters or abusive homes, that are sad right now. I wish I could give them all hugs and tell them that one day they will be safe.

I don't know what I research animal issues at night time, it always upsets me and then I can't sleep. I am going to go read the first of the True Blood series now, so far it's exactly the same as the tv show but apparently in the next book it changes quite dramatically. Hopefully the terrible writing will ease my mind!

Bella

2010-01-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Bella is pretty adjusted already. She is extremely confident around myself or Jason and is warming up to Charlie. After the one hiss Charlie gave her, and the hilarious and creepy stalking (which he is almost over) Charlie seems to be indifferent now. I put Bella on the top of the china cabinet where Charlie was sleeping and they were about a foot away. Bella looked at him, Charlie opened his eyes for a second and just went back to sleep so neither of them felt threatened by each other or anything.

I wish I could say the same thing about Alma. She is being a grumpy girl! Both Bella and Alma hate each other still, oh well, it's only been a day, by the end of the week they will be besties.

Here are some pictures of Bella:

The last picture is how she sits, it's absolutely hilarious looking. Alma sits with her arms straight out all the time, but Bella looks like she dislocates her shoulders or something to get them to stick out even further, and then she pulls her head back so she gets this hilarious double chin.

I'm off to research juicing recipes and tips now. Bye!

Bella

2010-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

We adopted a new cat today :)

Her name was Cricket, but I like to give human names to my pets so we renamed her Bella. She is the sweetest girl and a huge sucker for pets. The second I walked into the room I knew she was the kitty I was going to take home. She was standing on her big scratching post tree just "marching" and purring and meowing and she just looked at me with her big green eyes.

I wanted to take all 150 cats home. There was another cat who was almost identical to Bella, only 8 years younger that Jason really liked. I convinced Jason that Bella has been at the shelter for nearly 8 months and because she is "old" nobody wants her, no matter how charming she is. (Bella is supposedly 10, but when I first met her she seemed 4 or 5...she is probably more like 7 or 8, but who knows)

The second I opened her carriers door when she got home she pranced out all curious and wide-eyed. She didn't seem scared at all. Charlie met her with a hiss but he doesn't seem angry or mean, just curious and almost scared of her. Alma took one look at her, went entirely tense and hissed like crazy. Now she's just sitting on the couch angrily.

Bella is sitting under the bed right now, she doesn't seem that scared because as soon as either of us go over to her she comes out for pets. I think she is just hiding from Charlie, who just fell asleep beside the bed haha. He was crouched down staring at her, but I guess he got bored or something. He looks hilarious.

I took some pictures of her, but none of them really turned out. I need a new camera because mine is taking blurry pictures 80% of the time now, and it didn't help that Bella kept moving around because she is so excited. I'll take some pictures tomorrow when she is more calm and post some. She is one of those white/orange/black smudgy cats. Generally they are my least favourite cats, I just don't really like their markings...but for some reason Bella just stole my heart, she's so pretty!!!

Chip Dip

2009-12-31T16:35:00.001-08:00

I mentioned I was going to try to replicate the Cactus Cut potatoes from Boston Pizza the other day. Well, I think I did it pretty good...except I burned the potatoes so I just used plain potato chips and it will still really good.

The recipe isn't exact, I just kept adding things until it tasted good so I don't actually know how much I put in, these are estimates.

Ingredients:

1 tub of Tofutti sour cream
4-5 sprigs of green onions, sliced
a few dashes of Cayenne pepper
3 tsp's of chili pepper flakes
a squeeze of lime juice (hides the weird flavour in the sour cream)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder

To make, just mix it all together in a bowl. Add less or more spices depending on your mood. Enjoy!

Bye, Bye 2009

2009-12-31T16:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight me and Jason are going to a friend's house for board games. It should be a nice quiet evening and a good way to ring in the new year. I made six layer dip so I'll have something to eat too, I'm so excited to gobble it up.

Today I cut my thumb open, and bruised the bone, with a knife while trying to get a very stubborn pit out of an avocado. I'm very clumsy.

Have a happy, and safe night everyone! Hopefully 2010 will be good, except for the whole Olympics thing, ugh.

Nonsense

2009-12-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ugh. So, I booked an appointment to get my hair cut later...but I just looked in the mirror and actually liked my hair so now I am thinking to just not show up haha. I guess I'll have to dodge some salon phone calls because I feel awkward phoning and cancelling when I just booked it an hour ago haha. Oops!

Maybe I'll wait until it's at chin length, so another month, and then decide. I am definitely going to dye it red on the weekend though...I need to do SOMETHING to it.

I am going to attempt to replicate the Cactus Cut Potatoes from Boston Pizza, which I loved pre-veg, later today. I also have to make a 5 layer dip for New Year's eve. I haven't made it in awhile and it's so good that I'm considering making two, one for today and one for tomorrow haha.

I want one of those mandolin graters. I was originally going to buy a large stock pot as my next kitchen thing, but lately I've been into slicing things (particularly potatoes) and it's annoying with a knife.

My diet has been horrid the last 3 weeks. Basically fried foods and chips and orange juice. It's so bad. I feel so lethargic haha. I have eaten good so far today though! I had a smoothie and a bowl of Bob's Red Mill oats with agave nectar and blueberries in it. I'm most likely gonna make spaghetti for dinner, so at least today will be healthy. I need more greens though. Frig.

Anyways, off to the store now. See you!

Crockpot Stuffing

2009-12-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

I didn't take a picture of the stuffing I made for Christmas, so I stole that one from the internet hahahaha. Anyways, this stuffing was absolutely delicious...next time I make it I might add a cup of diced apples too.

If you are wondering why I cook this stuffing in a crockpot and not on the stove or in a casserole dish, it's because the crock pot simulates the moistness that you get when you cook stuffing inside the turkey. I HATE dry stuffing, and this made the moistest (is that even a word?) stuffing I've ever had.

For the bread cubes, I just used a big loaf of white bread and cut it up and let it sit on a cookie sheet overnight. Then in the morning I just baked it at 300 degrees (stirring every so often) until all the bread was hard. If you have squishy/soft bread it will just turn to mush in the stuffing...I made that mistake the first time I made this.

Ingredients:

12 cups of bread cubes
2 cups diced onions
2 cups sliced celery
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Earth Balance
2-3 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper
2 tbsp's or so of "poultry" seasoning

To Make:

Melt the butter in a big frying pan, saute the onions and celery for about ten minutes over medium heat until they are soft (do NOT brown them).

In a crock pot mix together the bread crumbs, cranberries and seasoning. When the onion mixture is finished add it to the crockpot and stir everything together. Add about 2 cups of vegetable broth and mix it around until everything is moist.

Cook it on low for 4-5 hours. If it seems to be drying out you can add more broth but be extremely careful not to add too much or it turns to mush.

It's a pretty basic recipe which I just sort've made on a whim, but it turned out absolutely delish. I'm definitely going to make this more than once a year!

Jokerz chocolate bar

2009-12-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness Christmas is over. Although, I just went to the mall to use a giftcard I got and the parking lot was RIDICULOUS!!! I don't even try to park near the entrance in those situations, I have legs for a reason....walking an extra five feet isn't going to kill me.

There was however, this "battle" going on between this old guy and this Indian girl. It was absolutely ridiculous. There was one parking spot right at the front and neither would move to let the other take the spot, so they just sat there (blocking all traffic) honking at each other. It was funny. When I left I saw the old guy's car in the spot...so I guess he won lol.

I mentioned awhile ago that I had ordered some of the Go Max Go chocolate bars from vivagranola.com. I put the Jokerz one in my stocking and it was amazing!! Jason said it tasted like a Mars bar but I've never had one so I don't know if it actually does or not. I definitely recommend Jokerz to anyone, vegan or not, because it's so friggin tasty. It wasn't overly sweet like the Mahalo bar either.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Last night I hosted my vegan Christmas dinner and everything tasted delicious. There are no leftovers except some buns and stuffing so that's lunch for me haha.

I'll post the recipes for the pot pie and the stuffing on the weekend.

I'm off to do my gift-baking now!

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls..."

2009-12-16T17:51:00.001-08:00

Hello virtual world,

It's been awhile I know. I've been busy with exams but my last one is Friday! After that I promise to update more regularly again.

Here is a video I found, it sums up all the reasons I went veggie pretty nicely. I even learned some news things like in some farms 40% of the fish die before being sold as food! That is fucking disgusting and cruel. Why would you want to eat the same fish that were raised in conditions so horrid that they killed 40% of their friends? Gross.

I like the quote at the end too, "It is only prejudice that allows anyone to think there’s a difference between abusing a cat and abusing a chicken, or abusing a dog and abusing a pig. Suffering is suffering no matter how you slice it." - Paul McCartney

Here's the video:

My life is so interesting

2009-12-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Not.

I'm at school right now, my bus got here freakishly quickly...I guess when it's final exam time less people take the bus, so less stops, so it gets here faster. Although, the 701 was really busy...so I would think that would even it out.

There was an extremely irritating man on the bus sitting in the front. EVERY time and for EVERY person who got on the bus, this man would practically scream "Merry Christmas" to them. It was so distracting and pissed me off to the maximum.

I have my first exam in 30 minutes. I'm quite excited, when you finish the first of your finals it feels like the semester is that much closer to finishing. Sure, class ends but it doesn't seem like the end until you actually write an exam. I finish next Friday!!! I don't know what I am going to do next weekend in "celebration", probably just clean my house and gorge myself on fatty foods haha. I guess I might go buy Jason's Christmas present.

I was trying to calculate my textbook cost for next semester...most books aren't posted/are custom course packs but I think I'm looking at about $600 or $700 bucks. I hate buying textbooks!!!

I won't be posting any new recipes this week, we are eating boring food that I've made 100 times because I don't have time to experiment and then if I fail to remake something. It's sad, really.

Anyways, I'm gonna go read news websites or something. I might go buyback my textbook actually.

See ya.

Pierogies

2009-12-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

These are incredibly tedious and bitchy to make, but totally worth it. You can't buy vegan pierogies at the store so I had no other option but to make these. They taste delicious and for my first time making homemade pierogies ever, they turned out great. Make a fun afternoon out of making these. This recipe made 30.

Dough:

1 cup warm water
3 tbsp canola oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Filling:

4 red potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup canola oil
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper
1/3 cup Daiya cheddar cheese

To make:

Cook the potatoes in boiling water and strain. Saute the onions until clear (do NOT brown them). Mash the potatoes together with the onions, canola oil and salt and pepper. When sufficiently mashed mix in the cheese. Set aside.

Here's the "fun" part. Mix together the warm water and canola oil in a bowl. Mix in the flour with a fork and when you can't anymore dump it out on a clean counter. Knead together with your hands until nice and dough-like.

Divide the dough into quarters. Roll out each quarter until it's pretty thin and then take the top of a cup (3-4" in diameter) and make the circles. You will have to roll out each quarter multiple times until you use it all up. After you've finished the dough lay them all out on wax paper.

Here's a picture of the rest of the process:

Put a walnut sized amount of filling in the pierogi. Wet the edge of one half of the pierogi and fold it over and pinch very firmly. You can also pat the top of the pierogi before pinching to release any air. The first few will probably "leak" but after that it goes pretty quick. It's fastest to lay out all the pierogi's and then put the filling in all of them so then you just keep folding and pinching. But, you could do one at a time as well if that's your thing.

I froze most of mine by laying them out on a cookie sheet until frozen then I put them in a bag. To cook, just boil until floating and saute them if you want.

That's it for new recipes! Enjoy them. I have my last day of class tomorrow and exams begin Wednesday. They are expecting 2-4 cm of snow Thursday night and 10cm of snow on Friday. I have an exam at 8:30am on Friday...and if there is snow there will be double the snow on Burnaby Mountain which SUCKS because now my exam will probably be canceled and rescheduled and everything gets messed up. I hate rescheduling exams. Actually, I just hate the fact that some idiot decided to put a University campus on the top of a mountain. The mountain isn't even that high, but it seriously gets a tonne of snow. Every year students get trapped up there (last year I caught the LAST bus down - took 3 hrs to get home and it usually took 45 minutes) overnight and every year multiple days of classes are canceled because the buses can't run. Last year a bus crashed and the driver had to be flown to a hospital because her entire face got smashed in!

At least all my classes are at the Surrey campus for the spring. My distance ed exams will be at Burnaby but they will be late enough that snow issues shouldn't be a problem.

I think I am going to play Sims now. I made the True Blood cast (Eric, Sookie, Bill, Jason, Hoyt, Jessica, Tara and Sam) and just finished furnishing their mansion. Eight people is really hard to manage but I can't wait! I'm such a nerd, but I am going to make Sookie and Bill get engaged, then Sookie falls for Eric and then there is major dramz. They all live together too, so it will be extra dramz. HA HA! Hey, at least I don't play WOW anymore...so I'm not THAT nerdy.

Hummus Avocado Pita

2009-12-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

I know this doesn't require a recipe, but sometimes people don't know how to make something easy like a pita without meat or cheese or something. I can assure you this is extremely filling, tasty and healthy! This makes a great lunch and can be made ahead of time too. If you keep the pit in the avocado, you can save the other half in the fridge without it going brown.

1 whole wheat pita
half a tomato, diced and seeded
half an avocado, sliced
half a red pepper, julienned
half a large carrot, julienned
2 huge spoonfuls of hummus (Recipe Here)
handful of greens (I used a prepackaged "spring mix")

To assemble, cut the pita in half and smear in the hummus on each side. Place your veggies in and then cram as much greens as you can fit. When full, warm it up in the oven for optimal tastiness.

If you've been reading my blog you would have seen my post of our makeshift bookshelf tree, but now we have a real tree! Well, fake, but it's still a Christmas tree. Doug still had his old one from when he lived in an apartment so when we are my moms on the weekend we got to take it. It's small enough that the kitties aren't as interested as last year too. I had to spray citrusy perfume all over the bottom branches though because Charlie still wanted to eat it.

It's so cute!!!

Alfredo

2009-12-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

Alongside the Daiya cheddar I ordered, I got two bags of the Italian variety as well. As a vegan you get tired of tomato sauce, or "pasta primavera" and just want a creamy thick pasta sauce like the old days. Today I had that desire and decided to make an alfredo recipe and boy did it taste fucking delicious! (yes, swear words must be used to describe the sheer tastiness of this recipe)

Make this. You won't regret it!

Ingredients (makes 2 servings - leftovers won't keep as the butter will separate):

1/2 cup soy creamer
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tbsp Earth Balance
1/2 tbsp flour
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
salt
pepper
PINCH of nutmeg
1 cup or so of Daiya Italian Blend cheese
Whole wheat linguine noodles for two servings
Veggies

To Make:

Melt the butter until it's bubbly, whisk in the flour for a minute. Add in the soy milks, garlic and spices. Bring up to a very low boil while constantly whisking. When it boils lower it to a simmer until it is nice and thickened. Remove from the heat when thick.

While you are making the sauce, cook the linguine according to the package. I used some frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot blend) and added them to the boiling water in the last 5 minutes which worked great and made less dishes.

Strain the veggie/pasta and return to the pot. Remove the garlic chunks from the sauce and mix into the pasta. Serve immediately.

YUM!!! Enjoy the recipe.

Black Bean Enchilada's

2009-12-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

I basically slapped this recipe together on a whim. It turned out really delish, and was my first time making enchilada's in over a year!

(Ignore the ugly factor, mushy food really doesn't photograph well!)

According to Jason (who got the leftovers) these taste even better the next day. I might pre-make them next time.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans
1/2 can refried beans
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 jalepeno's, diced (with seeds)
1 cup salsa
8 corn tortilla's
1 can enchilada sauce
Daiya cheddar cheese
cumin
salt and pepper
olive oil

To make:

Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a casserole dish.

Saute the onion in olive oil until clear. Add in the jalepeno's and green pepper. Saute for a few minutes then add the spices and salsa. Saute for another few minutes and set aside.

Warm up your corn tortilla's so they don't break when you roll them up. Spoon some refried beans into the middle of a tortilla, spoon some of the filling on top. Roll it up and place seam side down in the casserole dish. Repeat for the rest of the tortilla's until the dish is full.

Pour the enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle some cheese on. Bake for 20 minutes covered and 10-15 uncovered.

Enjoy! These will definitely become a new staple in our meal line-up.

Uncle Eddie's and Go Max Go

2009-12-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

I picked up my order of vegan goodies on Saturday. I was so excited! I now have a four month stash of vegan candy! Awesome, right?

I ordered some of these chocolate bars by Go Max Go. On the chocolate bar front there isn't anything for us vegans to buy except plain dark chocolate bars, sometimes with nuts or fruit...but nothing full of artery-clogging-sugary-goodness like a kit-kat or snickers.

I tried the Mahalo one first. YUM! It tasted exactly like a Bounty (my pre-vegan fave), only better. It has a rice chocolate coating, a coconut middle and almonds on top. I could only eat half of it in one sitting though, it was definitely very sweet and rich. But who cares, if you can only eat half in one sitting that makes more for later!

Here are some pics, isn't the wrapper cute?

I also ordered Twilight and Jokerz which I will be trying later. If Mahalo is any indication though, the other flavours will be just as delicious. I think you can only order these online, which makes them a pain....but if you "stock up" like I did (candy addiction here!) then you can have vegan candy bars on hand for when you get a craving.

I also ordered a bag of Uncle Eddie's Peanut Butter Cookies. I had heard they are really good, though expensive. It was $6 for a bag, but totally worth it. Again, it's difficult to find pre-made vegan cookies...so the convenience factor totally makes up for the price. I would definitely order them again. They are REALLY rich and filling though, and you definitely want a glass of soymilk to go with them!

I have been busy lately and haven't updated with any new recipes lately. I'm going to post a few after this post. Now, go order some vegan goodies! Get them for Christmas stocking stuffers or something.

Epic Fail

2009-12-04T12:20:00.001-08:00

My pumpkin pie was an epic failure. Balls.

Daiya Mac and Cheese

2009-12-02T12:26:00.001-08:00

I tried out my Daiya last night. It was amazing!!! I tried a bite of the cheddar variety just on it's own and it tasted almost identical to real cheddar.

I veganized a mac and cheese recipe. Look how CREAMY it is!!!!

Amazing, right?

Jason gorged his down and finished mine because I was full, he said it tasted like regular mac and cheese too.

Here's what I came up with:

3/4 soy creamer
3/4 cup soy milk
cayenne pepper
pepper
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup daiya cheddar cheese
3 tbsp Earth Balance
3 tbsp flour
2-3 cups dry pasta either shells or macaroni

Melt the butter and mix in the flour until nice and thick. Add in everything else but the pasta and cheese. Whisk over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it's bubbly and thick. When thickened, stir in the cheese until it's creamy and entirely melted. Meamwhile cook your pasta. When everything is done, mix the two together.

It took me like 15 minutes to make, and was great. Jason want's "snobby joes" tonight, but I want to try another thing with cheese haha. I might make some black bean enchiladas instead. Yum.

I'm off to eat my leftovers!

Daiya Cheese

2009-12-01T14:33:00.001-08:00

I got my order from Viva Granola today. It took 3 days to get here (well technically 4 because I wasn't home when they tried to deliver it) so my cheese was still cold. I ordered Daiya Cheese, Primal Strips and a pin that says "vegan" on it with a baby chick beside it for my backpack.

I opened the box and they included a handful of dark chocolate peppermint patties, some business cards to other vegan things and a note on my receipt that said "Thanks very much, Michelle :)". It was so nice, nobody hand writes on things anymore! I will definitely order from them in the future despite the $10 shipping.

I was absolutely stunned when I opened the bag and the Daiya smelled identical to cheddar cheese!!! It was amazing.

Here is a picture of the two flavours of Primal Strips I ordered. I will be testing them out at school tomorrow and Thursday:

and my 2 pounds of cheese! Yay!! I hope it's good.

My bread crumbs are in the oven drying out right now and it smells absolutely fantastic!!!

It's Charlie's Birthday!

2009-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLIE!!!!!!!!!

He turned two today. He's so big now!!! And all grown up!!! Now both my babies are two and it's really sad, I think I need another kitten haha.

Haha, I just noticed you can see my nose in that picture. It's kind of funny, the only way Charlie likes to be carried is if you wrap him up like a baby...I guess he feels more secure or something haha.

Random Life Things

2009-12-01T12:38:00.001-08:00

First I would just like to say I find it hilarious when people justify saying a member of the opposite sex is good looking with "I'm not gay, I just think they're hot/sexy/good looking/etc.."

Seriously, who cares if you were gay anyways? I would say stupid American's, but people do it here all the time to haha.

I weighed myself today and was 176.8 pounds. I lost 6 or 7 pounds this month! I didn't even exercise!

I have new goals this month:

- weigh 169 pounds or less
- pass all my finals (well 4/5 should be A's...but philosophy I had 50% and 47% on...so I need to pass one of the exams!!!)
- start my food log again
- stop buying and eating candy/sugary things - I have a sugar addiction and a crunchy addiction
- wear fun eyeshadow at least 3 days of the week (This sounds retarded, but I enjoy applying makeup, esp. eyeshadow...and lately I haven't worn any at all)
- from the 18th onwards do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except bake goodies, play video games and dance around my apartment

So basically, lose weight and be less stressed this month. Good luck to me!

Here's a quick recipe you could make for dinner! Pasta Primavera:

Well, I don't really have a recipe....but I think this is what I generally use.

2 cups vegetable broth
1-2 tbsp's corn starch (depends how thick you want the sauce)
oregeno
basil
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups of cut up veggies - i always use broccoli, carrots and onions. Zucchini and mushrooms would be great in this too. Or those snow pea things.
1 tomato, diced
Cooked Spaghetti for 4 people

Saute your garlic in some olive oil until it's fragrant. Add in the spices and the vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil and add the veggies...cover and cook them for a few minutes until they are mostly soft. Then stir in your cornstarch and simmer (while stirring) until the sauce is nice and thick.

When the sauce is thick and the veggies are cooked (but have a slight crunch, yum) dump the sauce in the pot with the cooked spaghetti noodles. Add in your diced tomatoes (the best part) and mix it all up. Serve with crunchy french bread.

Now I must go put a hat on (my hair is at a really awkward length, so all I can do is wear a hat haha) and get my DAIYA CHEESE! WOOT! I will be back later to post my first success or failure with it.

I'm also test running my stuffing recipe tonight for Christmas. I'm excited, I haven't had stuffing in over a year. (I wrecked my Thanksgiving stuffing lol)

Bye!

Corrections

2009-11-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

I just found out corrections Canada doesn't have a tattoo policy! I won't have to get mine removed until I become a cop (and who knows, I may stay in corrections!)

I also bought the divacup today, I'm gonna test it out later tonight or tomorrow. Aunt flo is coming later this week, so hopefully all goes well!

Random jabbering

2009-11-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

So, I have a 300gb hard drive and the other day I was trying to download this ultra-Disney pack of movies. It turns out I only had 5gb or so free.

As a result of this inconvenience I have a new goal for the Christmas break: organize my bloody hard drive (including my pictures folders which are absolute chaos).

I also have to organize my SFU email account. I have 200 pages of email (25 per page) most of which are useless....but I still have to go through them all, ugh.

On a less mundane note, I decided where I want my first trip to be once I graduate!! I am absolutely, definitely going on an African safari. I am not sure how much roughing it I want to do...but you can go on SEVENTY-THREE DAY safari's through like half of Africa. That might be a bit long but I might do a 30 day one or something. Gah. I need to graduate and get a bazillion dollars to fly to Africa. The actual safari prices aren't too bad, it's the flight that kills it pricewise lol. Oh well, I think it would be totally worth it.

I must go finish this paper now. ONE WEEK OF SCHOOL LEFT!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!! My first final is in like 10 days, fuck. I hate finals, especially when all of my classes have one.

**Also** Anne Murray's Christmas album (which the exception of the blatantly religious songs like away in a manger) is AMAZING!!!!! I have listened to it like 45 times this past weekend. GO GET IT!!!!!! Spread the Holiday cheer, muahahaha.

Impatient

2009-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Impatient should really be my middle name. I don't like waiting for anything, except in line which is weird. Did you know 3 minutes is the time when people go from annoyed to angry when waiting in line? 3 minutes is like nothing!!! Seriously. You can't even finish popping a bag of microwave popcorn for that.

Anyways.

I really want my damn daiya cheese to hurry its butt up and get here. I want to make pierogies!!!

That's all I really have to say.

Pho!!!!

2009-11-27T13:06:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Pho. Actually, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pho to be even more specific. When we lived in Surrey there was a place right under Surrey Central (yes, super ghetto) called Pho Tam that made the best pho ever. It was like $4 and you got a gigantic bowl of delicious pho-y goodness, although not vegan!

I was craving pho, so I decided to make my own. I browsed through a few online recipes which are all pretty similar...but this is what I used, it tasted pretty authentic!

For the Broth:

8 cups of vegetable broth
3 tbsp soy sauce
8 cloves of garlic, cut in half, skin on
2 onions, cut into big chunks, skin on
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
2 anise star things
3 2" sticks of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cloves

Put all the dry ingredients into a hot pot and sear them. When they are nice and brown add in the soy sauce and vegetable broth. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so. When it's done, either strain the broth into another pot or just scoop out all the big nasties.

For the Toppings:

Fry up some Tofu (I used half a block for 4 bowls, but adjust to your tastes)
bean sprouts
green onions, sliced
Sriracha hot sauce (yum!!!)
I think some people also use lime wedges and basil...but I keep it simple

You also need a package of thin rice noodles. To assemble, put some (cooked) rice noodles in a bowl, add the broth to cover and then put in your desired toppings.

Here's all the random things used to make the broth taste authentic, it smelled absolutely delicious:

Here's my tofu frying, Jason said it looked like croutons. It totally does too haha. Maybe I was subconsciously craving Caesar salad (ew).

Here is what anise star pods look like. OH MY GOD!!!!! They are the most amazing things ever, it smells like black licorice and it is AMAZING. I LOVE black licorice smell and am hell-bent on making some pretty potpourri with this stuff even though Jason strongly objects and refuses to enter the house if it smells like black licorice hahaha. You definitely need the anise seed pods (not ground anise seeds either...different!) to get the authentic taste, so make the trip to the asian market to buy some.

And finally, you NEED the Sriracha hot chili sauce:

Fashion Victims

2009-11-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Someone posted this video on veggieboards. It's just a quick re-cap of stuff I already know, but others may not. Here you go:

I'm still sick too! Jeez Louise, it just isn't going away. I had planned to make home made pho tonight but I couldn't find anise stars anywhere. I was going to stop at T&T market on the way home from school but I felt like poo again this morning, so I didn't go. Argh! I was so excited for pho, I haven't had it in like 8 months.

I suppose I could drive to T&T, at least I'll be warm in my car and not standing outside in the rain waiting for the bus which is the worst when you are coughy and have a runny nose!! Plus, I hate sitting beside people when I'm sick, I feel so awkward and rude. And, if I drive at least I'll be in and out faster....less time to spread my sickness haha.

I'm annoyed I missed school today though, I was supposed to get my 2nd philosophy midterm back. I told the TA I was sick for the last two weeks (lies) just so I wouldn't have to go to the useless class, and now today I am actually sick. I was reminded of the boy who cried wolf lol, so I told her I had an appointment with my department adviser and asked her to email my grade. I AM SO SCARED!!!!!!! At least half the class didn't even finish the exam from what I can tell, so maybe I'll be above average because I finished.

As for food. Well I weighed myself yesterday and I was 175 which means I would have lost like 9 pounds this month...but that number is quite artificial I think. Seeing as how I've been sick and haven't been eating too much. Oh well, if it stays the same until Monday I totally kicked my goal of 4lbs out the window. Woot!

I haven't made anything new or exciting all week. I am making curried chickpeas and cauliflower over basmati rice tonight though. It's super easy and I feel dumb posting a recipe but here:

Ingredients: Can of chickpeas and coconut milk. Some cauliflower, onion, rice and curry spices. I just use curry paste from a jar (ignore the sodium content) because it's easier.

To make: Saute the onion until clear, add chickpeas and cauliflower. Cook for a minute and then add the coconut milk and curry paste. Meanwhile cook your rice. Just simmer the curry mixture until the rice is finished and then serve over the rice. It's delicious, fast and cheap. Yum.

Anyways. I really have to muster up some energy to do some studying. I've done jack-all the last week and am super behind. Bye!

Candy cures everything

2009-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

I got a phone call from the website I ordered my boots from and apparently they screwed up and don't actually have my size in stock. My calves are too muscular for any other boots so I just canceled my order. *cries*

I can't find any cute/warm/waterproof boots ANYWHERE.

So in order to appease my sadness I ordered a bunch of vegan candy and chocolates online. I am so excited!!! With shipping and driving to Sumas to pick it up I just ordered a bunch and Jason has to hide them from me so I don't gorge myself silly lol.

I'm going back to bed now. Bye.

Christmas Decorations!!!

2009-11-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. I especially love Christmas trees and Christmas music (I've expanded my collection by 200 songs in the last 2 days).

Last year the kitties completely wrecked our fake Christmas tree and because we can't afford a new one (nor do we have space for one) we decided to decorate our shelf as our "tree". It worked great!!! I even put the Christmas mat in front of it, so later we can put all the gifts on it haha.

Here are the pictures:

The bedroom door, notice the garland had to be cut short (and is now even shorter) because a certain someone kept attacking/eating it.

The bathroom door:

The back door:

Our ballin' Christmas village. My mom is obsessed with these villages with lights and moving parts and music and all these decorations (I swear it's like 100 pieces) and it takes up like half the living room....well, as you can see, our village totally kicks her villages butt:

The Mantle:

My genius idea to turn our entertainment shelf into the Christmas tree. Notice the tree topper and everything lol:

And, the entire thing complete with stockings for us and the kitties:

I finished creating the recipes for my stuffing and pumpkin pie. I'm gonna test drive them next weekend and then I think my feast will be complete:

- Savory Mushroom Pot Pie
- Apple Cranberry Crock Pot Stuffing
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus
- Steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
- Whole wheat buns
- Pumpkin Pie

Mmmm. I can't wait!! We made a list of all the baked goods we are making people too including candied nuts and caramel popcorn!!! Yum.

Now I'm off to shower and then to an early bedtime. I still have to go to school tomorrow even though I know I shouldn't/can't. Ugh. Monday's are so long and I have to leave so early.

Exploring Kitties!

2009-11-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight we set up our Christmas stuff but we had to dig the box out of this storage room we have in our bedroom. Alma is constantly scratching and meowing at the door to get in(god knows why) and every time we open it the kitties go crazy with excitement.

Last time they both tried to jump onto the very top shelf and both fell. I think they learned their lesson because neither of them tried to jump anywhere without being very cautious about it.

Here are some pictures of their adventure in the closet filled with crap like coolers, hockey skates/gloves, bags, boxes and fans and the a/c unit:

Charlie made it to the top!!

Vegetable Soup

2009-11-22T20:00:00.001-08:00

As I was making this, I realized it was extremely similar to my minestrone soup minus the zucchini. Oh well, I'll post it anyways. I really wanted alphabet noodles but I couldn't find them! I should have bought the shell shaped ones now that I think of it, that would make it less minestrone-esque.

Anyways.

Ingredients:
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery sticks, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 white potatoes, very smally diced
1/2 cup peas
1/2 green/yellow beans chopped into bite sized pieces
1 can of beans (I used Romano just because that's what I had)
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups veggie broth (I used Better Than Bouillon base)
3/4 cup of fun noodles (shells, alphabet, macaroni, wheels)

Spices - basil, parsley, poultry seasoning mix, salt and pepper

You could also add cabbage or spinach or something for some greens, but I didn't have any on hand.

To Make:
Saute your celery, onion and carrots for a few minutes. Throw everything in except the noodles and beans. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until everything is cooked. In the last 10 minutes add partly cooked noodles and the beans.

Serve with a crispy bread, or alone.

Christmas

2009-11-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

So, I'm hosting a vegan Christmas dinner at my apartment on Dec 23rd for my grandma and brothers and sister. I'm really excited! Firstly because this is my first veggie Christmas, and secondly because I just had the greatest idea!!! I was thinking to myself, aw crap, I am baking goodies for Christmas gifts this year on the 23/24 AND I have to make dinner on the 23...AND I only have ONE oven.

How am I going to cook stuffing?

IN THE CROCK POT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I did a quick google search on crock pot stuffing and apparently it's a pretty common thing, who knew? It apparently simulates the moistness you get from cooking stuffing in a turkey, and I LOVE moist stuffing. I can not stand dry stuffing, so I am hoping it will be delicious.

I am trying to put together my feast list this week so I can test drive some recipes. I already have my pot pie recipe I made a few weeks ago that was absolutely delicious, and the scalloped potatoes from V-Con (no mashed, everyone does mashed!!) and now I am trying to come up with a stuffing recipe.

Anyways. I am going back to bed, I think I have swine flu and I have to go cook a vegetable soup in a few hours so I need my rest!!!

I'm sick

2009-11-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sick today, so I have nothing interesting to post other than I checked on my garlic and a few of the sprouts are at least 5 inches and are starting to fork! I was so excited. There is one baby sprout though, it's only about an inch and it's very sad looking haha.

I was supposed to start at the ACCW today, but felt too sick. I had to cancel dinner with my grandma too! It's terrible. Jason did bring me cherry pastry things though, so that made me feel a little better.

I think I've lost 4 pounds too! YAY!!!

And, I figured I am sick...so what better way to cheer myself up than to browse through old kitty pictures.

The kitties both sleep in very similar positions at least 50% of the time, it's soooo cute.

Alma investigating my flowers last spring. Look how skinny she was!!

And, count on Charlie to sneak his way into unlikely cuddle spots. He completely ignores the cat beds and snuggle sacks we buy him, but embraces a plastic bag for hours lol.

I'm trying to plan a trip to Mayne Island (one of the gulf islands). I really want to visit the Rest Q Animal Sanctuary, and I want to go kayaking, and hiking, and nature looking and just resting. It looked like a fun place to spend a weekend. The only problem is I only have 1 week at the end of August between semesters. Hopefully something is free the last week of the summer!! We'll probably take the ferry there, but if we have money I really want to take the plane ride over there. I think it's $90 a person. I guess it will depend on how much our accommodations cost.

Oh well, I still have plenty of time to figure it out. Either way, I'm excited.

I think I'm gonna go play Viva Pinata now. I haven't played it in ages and it's a good sick game.

Boots

2009-11-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

I finally found a website with nice vegan boots. My favourite pairs only had a 13" calf circumference and I have muscular bad boys, so they wouldn't fit me. There were super cute, peter pan esque ones too, but they only had a size 11 or 6, so I couldn't get those either.

I ended up going with my first choice faux-suede-uggesque boots. They won't be as good in the rain and slushy snow but on the plus side they have a rubber wedge part, so I'm off the ground a little. Plus, it's not like I'm trekking directly through gigantic puddles and snow piles...I generally go around! I can't wait to have warm fuzzy toes!!!

So, these are the boots I ordered. I'm super excited!!! I shipped them to Sumas, saved me $20 shipping plus UPS will charge me like $80 for customs and brokerage fees when they deliver it directly to my house.

Woot!

The Most Delicious Fruit Crisp

2009-11-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the recipe for a fruit crisp. I forgot to take a picture and it was all eaten by the time I remembered lol! It's that delicious.

You will need an 11x7 glass baking dish. If you don't have one (which you should, it's the one dish everyone has) go buy one, it's so versatile and costs like $5.

For the Filling - Ingredients:
3-4 Grannysmith apples
3-4 Pears
1 cup blueberries
2-3 sticks of rhubarb (I didn't actually use any, but I had planned to and the store had none...but it would make it even MORE delicious)
1 lemon's worth of juice
1/4 maple syrup (the real stuff!)
2 tsp's cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg, cloves

For the Topping - Ingredients:
1 cup oats (not the quick cook ones)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans (or just 1 cup of either)
2 tsp's cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg, allspice
1/4 tsp salt

To make:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice your fruit.
2. In the 11x7 dish mix together everything from the filling ingredient list
3. In a bowl, mix together everything from the topping ingredient list. If it's too dry add a little more Earth Balance until it's all gritty and chunky.
4. Sprinkle the topping over the filling. Bake for 45 minutes or so - until the fruit is soft.

It is best served warm. Or, you could buy the So Delicious Coconut Milk vanilla icecream and eat it with that! I am totally doing that next time.

Anyways. I highly suggest making this, especially with this windy, wet weekend coming up! Talk about comfort food.

On the personal life front, my day was extremely boring. Both my classes today dealt with spousal abuse, snore. On the bright side, my bus connections both to and from school were perfect, which always makes my commute 10x better, especially in the wet, cold, windy weather.

I think I'm finally going to get into ACCW this Saturday for this volunteer position with Elizabeth Fry I've been trying to get. Basically I go hang out with the female inmates for a few hours every other Saturday and help them write letters and make cards to their family, or just to give them company.

My contacts are dry, I have to make dinner, and the Office must be watched, so goodnight everyone.