Fallen Into Veganism

Wanting to Take Cooking Classes

2011-12-12T23:31:00.002-07:00

I grew up like a lot of kids did, both my parents worked and our dinners were... not the greatest. Whatever was fast and easy to make for 5 people was what we had. Usually some kind of frozen dish.

As I have been getting older and gaining weight I feel like I need to learn how to cook. I know one day I'll be living with Mike and my son and we got to eat. I never learned how to cook. I can try, but usually it turns out to be a huge disaster and the food gets thrown out.

I want to take cooking classes like a simple basic cooking class, but I cannot seem to find any. Most are either through the culinary schools and those are for people wanting to become chefs. I don't want that, even though I like the idea of having my own bakery. Others offer things I don't want... well mostly it's hard to understand what they are teaching.

I don't live in LA or New York so there probably isn't as many places to learn as the bigger cities. I still not even sure if I want to just try to learn to cook healthy or go back to veganism. I just need to make a change.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2011-11-29T22:11:00.001-07:00

taken from someecards

That's right today is my birthday. I turned 28... geez time is flying buy. I actually had to take out a calculator a few weeks ago to remind myself if I was turning 28 or was 28. Yeah, I know I'm not really that old, but when you cannot remember your age it is a bit sad.

So my family has this tradition where we got out to dinner to the restaurant for the birthday person's choice. I was told to make sure it was more omnivore friendly years ago so I try my best to do that. Since my dad had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon we did a lunch instead. We went to this salad bar place call Sweet Tomatoes. I love this place, it's more vegetarian friendly than vegan friendly, but at least I can eat healthy. I did stick to eating the vegetarian options and didn't eat any meat. It's a nice place for everyone to et what they like.

Present wise I got Batman Arkham City from my boyfriend and my family got me a pie pop maker, chocolate melter and a gift card to Amazon. I have so many ideas of that to make with the pie pop maker that I think that is what my gifts will be this year to people. With my gift card I just bought Vegan Pie in the Sky. I have been wanting this book since I heard about it. I've never made a pie and my counter space is limited, but I think it would be fun to have some vegan pie recipes. Maybe I will be making pies like the pie maker in Pushing Daisies (I miss that show).

Still Overweight and Still Not Vegan

2011-11-24T00:49:00.001-07:00

Yep, you read that right. I am still dragging my heels. I cannot explain it other than I don't have much food at my house (still live with my parents) and my cooking skills are... bad. We know this already I have mentioned it many times.

I am trying to compile a list of meals I know I can make and anything else food wise on top of the odd list of groceries I write up. I think if I try simple that will help. I have lots of cookbooks, but the thing that bothers me is the long list of ingredients and the amount of space I would need to prepare the food. I also feel like I need to find some vegan cooking class here in Phoenix so I can learn to properly cook food and know the secret to good tasting tofu. Restaurants do an amazing job yet I am so horrible at it. Even with the tofu Xpress tofu press that I have it doesn't taste good to me.

This is coming about because I had to go up another pant size when I was buying clothing for my aunt's funeral and a possible internship I will get next semester. Also, my mom keeps mentioning to me how much weight I have gain. She's blaming fast food, I'm blaming lack of exercise, though it's probably both contributing to it.

I am hoping to get some roller skates and that might help me cut some of the weight, but I also need to make a decision on my diet and stick with it. It will be difficult at Mike's grandparent's house for Sunday Dinners, but if I have my own food and it doesn't look like rabbit food I'm sure they won't be so bad about it.

Vegan Mofo 2011

2011-10-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

So this time Vegan Mofo snuck on me. To my defense I've been busy trying to come up with a topic and research for my history thesis paper. The other two years I dropped out after like 3 weeks or less. Vegnews had an article on their website about it.

IF you want a list of the bloggers taking part try this site VeganMoFo

Good luck to those of you who are taking part. I will try to follow now that I see it's on and maybe get back on that vegan horse.

Tofu Xpress

2011-08-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

So I finally had some extra money to give in and by one of those Tofu Xpress machines that will press the tofu so you can get rid of all the water. Apparently, if you have too much water left in the tofu it will not soak in the marinade nor will it taste good. I can believe that I have mentioned here before that my tofu even with good marinades never tasted that good. I hated the old method of stacking big books with soup cans on top of the tofu. It seemed like a lot of water was still locked inside.

I will try this product out and will write a review on how I liked it and if my tofu tastes better. I'm always jealous of tofu at restaurants because it will taste amazing there and mine tastes blah, even with marinading for several days.

2011-08-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

I must say that I think today was a big wake-up call for me. I was lucky enough to get an actual call for a job I applied to for an interview. I haven't had to interview in 6 years and so I had to go out and buy clothes that look good for a "professional" business. I say it like that because I would be a glorified tour guide, but it's at the state capital museum, which means I need to dress like a professional.

Now when I went to the store to buy clothing I was having to try on pants and tops a few sized bigger than I was the last time I bought clothing... to add on top of that the styling of clothing that is out there makes me look even more pregnant than I am already not. Or on a skinnier version of me it would look cute, but heavier me I look dumpy. We know that first impressions are everything and since this job is at the capital I have to look nice.

I realized that I have known for some time that I need to make some changes, but I just don't do it. I do get a bit of exercising at work with all the walking I do, but that does nothing for me. I also have gone crazy omnivore with my eating habits. It's really bad actually. Too much fast food and nothing healthy. I am trying to once again buy vegan food to make and if I need a quick meal that I stop at Green. It's the local vegetarian restaurant that offers food to go and is 100% vegan.

I also bought one of those kettleweights. I haven't used it yet, but hopefully I can at least lift it a few minutes a day to build up my arms. They are flabby and look horrible right now. You'd think with a kid and picking him up I would have some amazing looking arms. Well I do not. I also just bought one of those tofu presses from Amazon. I think one of the reasons my tofu doesn't taste good is that I have too much liquid still trapped in the tofu. So hopefully I can start making some needed changes.

Vegan Yet?

2011-08-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

So have I been doing a great job... no. I have been off the wagon in both veganism and eating healthy. I went back to drinking normal soda, eating fast food or fry food, lots of processed foods, not exercising (I'm not counting work), and I am sure there are other things wrong. I'm not 100% sure if I have gained even more weight. I went to buy shorts for the remainder of summer and for my trip to Vegas and I had to buy a size 15... never have I been a size 15. My 13 jeans fit fine, so maybe that it was brand runs small.

I oddly don't think enough about returning a vegan lifestyle even though I do have facebook feeds from different vegan companies. I guess I have somehow just ignored it all. We can be good at ignoring things we know we should not.

I did buy the current issue of Vegnews and inside was an article of an A-Z guide to budget vegan living. Don't we all need that? It's nice to see because that is one of the complaints/reasons people don't go vegan or stop. I have taken a quick glance and there are even alternative ones to what made the list. I also noticed that some of the list is pretty common sense.

So I am hoping to kick my ass and get back on the wagon. I am also going to Boston next month so any cheap vegan eats that I should check out let me know!!

Actually Loosing Some Weight

2011-04-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I might be loosing some weight after switching to drinking diet soda. A few of my guy friends have made the switch and they said that they lost a bunch of weight. Now, I have been very anti-diet soda for years. Even when I was first vegan years ago and knew that sugar was bad for you. I was not convinced that it would work, because I heard about the sweetener that is in diet soda being bad, and everyone that I know that drinks diet soda either never loosed weight or is already skinny.

Then I decided to switch to vegan, when I was home. Wasn't always happening, but I have been trying. I thought I notices my bugling belly shrinking. When I put my work shorts on, they sit at my waist and not my hips like my jeans, I had to use a loop in my belt that I have never used. I am almost to the last loop before I would have to go down to a medium size belt.

Now I don't expect to be super skinny, but I would like to be thiner and a healthy weight. I am overweight, which is the first time in my life I have ever been overweight. Me and overweight never would be used in the same sentence. I may not have the worst sense of self esteem, but I knew I could use some improvement. I don't mean the kind of improvement where you always think there is something else to be done. I just want to be healthy and happy with myself.

When I came home from work I decided to bake a potato and cook the rest of my buffalo tofu. Like I have said I am not sure on how to cook tofu. I feel like I under cook or just don't drain it enough. It didn't turn half bad. I used tofutti sour cream and Daiya Cheese for the bake potato and cooked the tofu for as long as I could. I didn't want to over cook it.

Trying Things Out

2011-04-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

I mentioned before that I started to read the Veganist. Well I accidently bought it on my kindle. I was trying to see how much it would cost and hit buy book instead. So, I've started to read it. I'm only on promise #2, there are 10 promises in total. So far I like it, a lot of the information I already knew, but there is some new stuff. Hopefully once I finish it I can inspire myself to try to switch back to a vegan diet.
Today I did try to eat vegan. I made pita pizzas, but used real cheese instead of the Daiya cheese that I have in my fridge. I felt a bit bad, but I did use Field Roast's apple sage sausage and some vegan pasta sauce. It tasted good, next time I will try it with Daiya, if anyone knows of which flavor is the best let me know. I have the cheddar one. So when I came home from my Latin class I decided to cook the WW shell pasta that I bought and cook that with the pasta sauce and have a baked potato with Daiya cheese and tofutti sour cream. It didn't taste too bad. I was able to eat it all without any issues. Well I did feel a bit bloated and had cramps, which makes me think of the Simpson's episode where they go vegan by buying veggies from the hillbillies.

I have been meaning to actually read the vegan books I have like Melliser Elliott's The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life. I also wanted to write reviews of the books. I will try to do this with the Veganist when I finish it.

I will say that with reading what I have so far in the book that switching to a plant-base diet will help in easily loosing weight. I will say that I realized my weight was decent when I was not eating meat. I not obsessed with being thin, but I am overweight and I am not happy about it. I feel like I could be putting myself in bad health as well as my son. He's already picking up on so much that he sees.

Before I end this I just found out about my favorite vegan magazine is using photos of meat & dairy products when showing what a vegan meal looks like. Check out QuarryGirl's blog of all the information.

How Do I Do Better?

2011-04-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

I believed that I mentioned that I bought a bunch of vegan food and should be able to stick with it for a week. Well that did not last. The tofu was okay, but either I am expecting a more meaty taste or it was the fact I use Daiya cheese. I marinated tofu in two different kinds of marinade, buffalo and Caribbean jerk. On chicken it tastes find, with the tofu it's marinaded fine I am just not sure if I just did not cook the tofu long enough. I cook it with a little oil and sauteed it. I just have no clue what I am doing or looking for.

This is my whole down fall with veganism. I don't know how to cook and all the cookbooks that I own (I have 20) just don't teach someone like me, who was never good at cooking. I can bake without an issue. Cooking is a whole other story. I just never learned, my mom stopped cooking for us when I was like 10 and I hardly remember the meals she did cook. I know it can be a trial and error thing, but I hate to waste money on food. Even the simple stuff like pasta and red sauce I mess up.

So how can I stay vegan and feed myself without resorting to lot of fake meats and not eating enough?

I started to read the trial chapters of the Veganist. I saw the Oprah episode about vegans because a friend of mine was talking to me about it. I was watching it and even some of the information about slaughterhouses I did not know. It seems like an okay book, but I only read 2 chapters.

I also just bought a new camera. It's a Nikon D120. It's not an SLR, but it's one of the better point & shoot digital camera out there. I've taken no pictures of food, but maybe I should if I learn how to cook.

Lastly, I leave you with a video of some awesome vegan pizza rolls.

Body Image

2011-03-30T01:26:00.000-07:00

I will say that I have a pretty decent body image. I don't get too hung up on how fat or thin I am or how ugly I look. I may have days where I feel ugly, but I am a new mother and it's bound to happen. With this said I have been getting a lot of comments from my family mostly about how much weight I have gained since having my son. I lost my pregnancy weight within the first week of having my son. I was a size 11, I haven't worn that size for a while. I was happy. 3 months later I was my heaviest and still at a heavy weight. I was 170 last time I weighed myself. That is the heaviest I have ever been. I am a tall girl and built to be thin.

3 years ago

We all have things we don't like about ourselves, but this has been bothering me. I had a friend of mine on Facebook ask if I was pregnant again. I looked it in the picture she saw, but I am defiantly not pregnant. I have just been gaining weight. I have gain a bit of weight here or there, but this is a drastic amount.

Now

Yes it's hard to hear people tell you that your fat, even if it's true and they are not saying the word. I'm not happy with how I look and I know I need to make changes, but I am not doing anything. I don't work out, unless I am at work and I walk a lot. That doesn't help much. I try to eat healthy, but fast food and soda is calling my name. I am trying to better myself. I need it for me and my son. Though mostly for me. I have to do it for me first before I can do it for anyone else.

So tomorrow after my appointment with my advisor (who better show up this time) I plan on doing some grocery shopping. I found a few simple recipes in Appetitive for Reduction that I think I can make without too much trouble. Also a few other things I can easily make.

So I am thinking of making the jump back to veganism to help with getting myself back to being healthy. I have about 20 vegan cookbooks and have probably only cooked out of 3 of them. I use the lack of counter space and tools for not being able to make anything that needs a lot of prep work. I know I keep making this promise, but I do need to do something.

SodaStream

2011-03-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

I gave in and bought one of those homemade soda kits that you might have seen on TV. I drink a lot of soda. I know it's not exactly good for your, but the taste and carbonation is what I like about it. I spend who knows how much money I figured it would be cheaper to buy one of these kits. It cost $99 at Bed Bath & Beyond. I came with the machine, which needs no electricity or batteries. 2 1 liter bottles, a CO2 cartridge and 12 sample flavors. It's pretty easy to do and for the most part the soda tastes great. The only ones that I am not 100% sold on are the regular cola ones. I have tried their cola and dr. pepper syrups and they just are okay.

The other flavors like the fruit ones and the energy are really good. No nasty after taste, I think sprite and orange soda have an odd taste in general so to find a cheaper kind that taste light and fresh is nice. The one thing I did notice that is not clearing marked is on the caps of the syrup. It just says to fill in the instructions, but I noticed after 2 failed attempts at making the cola that there are 3 lines. You have to look at it just right to see what line is for which size you are using. The top line, not the tip of the cap is for the 1 liter bottles.

My kit also came with 3 flavors of sparkling water. I've only tried one of them, but it tasted nice. The website also shows teas as well, which I would love to try.

Diet Still Bad

2011-03-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

I keep telling myself that I will switch my diet back to plant base to help loose weight. I know I'm just a bit overweight. My clothes don't fit, not even ones I bought when I was pregnant. This means I have gained more weight now, then when I was pregnant. That's not good. I already have friends of mine who asked if I was pregnant again. I had to convince them that I have been gaining weight, but not pregnant again. I am defiantly not pregnant. We've been careful this time and I know I'm not pregnant.

I have been trying to eat healthy and work out. Laziness of course is the reason why I have not stuck with anything. I even tried this roller derby workout, but after week one I stopped. My aunt is a member at our multi-gen center and my mom has mentioned that I should go with her. She does classes there, but a lot of them are when I have classes or when I am the only one home with my son. My gym has even been sending me e-mail that they want me back. I would love to and get back into swimming laps, but I am sure after a month or two I won't be able to afford it anymore. So I don't want to rejoin.

I bought this blender to make smoothies to go. I hope that if I have more smoothies that might help me eat at regular and help with the weight. I drink a lot of soda and I've tried to stop, but I find that my mood and everything gets affected when I stop drinking caffeinated soda. There's this Blue Sky soda, that's pretty good, but it does not replace my Coke-Cola. I've tried a lot of different things to help switch off soda. Sport drinks, flavor water. Nothing works to replace my cola. Maybe smoothies will help.

I think one of my big issues with not switching my diet is peer pressure. When I was a vegan and vegetarian I got so much crap from my friends and family. Mostly because they felt like we could not go anywhere because most places did not have food I could eat. I get into the typical fear that I cannot find food I will enjoy and have to deal with all the crap all over again. I did the whole vegetarian stuff for 4 years without any issues and then pregnancy and whatnot I stopped.

Maybe if I go back to just being a vegetarian I can slowly work my way into what I have always wanted, but always seem to find excuses. I need to take things slowly to make sure my health is not suffering and that I am doing things right.

I Nee To Do:
1) Take my prenatal vitamins
2) Eat 6 times a day
3) Read ingredients
4) Eat healthy food and drinks

Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis

2011-03-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

A friend and co-worker of mine suffers from Cystic Fibrosis or CF for short. She's 27, same age as me and is lucky to be alive this long. Many others who have this do not live an average life.

Every year she does this walk and I never seem to be able to make it. This year I would like to not only walk, but raise money. My starting goal is $150. The team goal is $3,000. I am not sure if we are doing any fund raisers, but whatever dollar amount you are willing to give would be greatly appreciated. I might try doing something to raise money like making lip balm or something small and easy to make to help with money. I will post when I know what I am going to do. Click the icon below to donate money for us.

I survived the semester and holidays

2011-01-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Yeah I totally failed Vegan MoFo. Sorry!!! I got wrapped up in school work. I have 4 classes I had to pass and a huge paper to write. I had so much research and writing to do that I was ignoring everything else. But I passed all my classes and my GPA was gone up so I am no long on probation, yeah you lied ms. adviser, and I don't have to fight for financial aid this semester.

Since I last posted I have bought or received two more cookbooks, Color Me Vegan and Appetite For Reduction. I really want to cook out of them, but my history with cookbooks is they sit on my shelf because I have no space for prepping food. That's my excuse, but I know I need to eat better because my weight isn't going done, I'm also not being very active. Which is could get worst because I have online classes only this upcoming semester and that means no walking around campus. Nope more sitting on my ass this year.

So I am going to try to see if I can actually cook more of my own meals, stick with a healthier diet and a vegan on at that. I will have time to cook, when my son is playing or taking a nap and I am not doing homework.

I do not do the whole new year's resolution thing. I think it's an easy way to sabotage yourself. Goals is one thing and start them when you are good and ready. The new year is usually stressful enough so adding a plan that doesn't have a good solid support means you will not be going to the gym daily or not going out every weekend. I just hope that things work out better than the year before and I have no regrets.

Custom Apron Finalist!!

2010-11-07T03:13:00.000-07:00

So I saw a contest on Bake and Destroy's blog for the chance to have a custom apron made by Cupcake Provocateur. I love both girls and I really could use a nice apron for when I do get to bake or cook. So I went searching the internet for pictures of cherry and rockabilly because that's what I love and have dreamed of. I have no clue how many entries there were, but I just check Bake and Destroy's blog and I am a finalist!!!

I'm not going to beg for votes because well that's just not fair. Do check out the blog though she has a lot of cute things and Cupcake Provocateur has a lot of cute aprons. If I win I will post pictures of me wearing it and maybe have the urge to cook and what not.

Here's my image collage of what I wanted:

I will say if I do win it would be one way to celebrate Vegan MOFO

Vegan MoFo Survery

2010-11-04T23:35:00.001-07:00

I feel bad that I haven't posted much so I will use this survey that I found on Manifest Vegan's blog. Enjoy and hopefully I will have some interesting posts to come!!

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?

Ruben's!!! They are my favorite food of all time, but I have found a few recipes and restaurants that make vegan ones

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?

Tofu, even though I didn't know what tofu was as a child I am sure I would not touch.

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?

Soups. There are a lot of "different" soups out there that I see in just about every vegan cookbook, but growing up in the desert I am not much of a soup person.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?

Coke-Cola!! I had huge withdrawals when I was pregnant and nursing.

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?

Dessert. Just about every year I either make a dessert for a holiday dinner or two or I give bake goods for gifts.

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?

Food has rules?! I do not have any that I can think of.

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?

Tings and Veggie Stix, both I can eat the entire bag in one sitting.

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?

Usually cake batter. I like to add my own spices and flavors that the box mixes don't always have.

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?

Tea. Yeah I am a tea drinker and I like only certain brands.

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?

If there is food in the house I will snack on it. If not then no.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?

Bell peppers and sauce

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?

Veggie: Broccoli

Fruit: Cherries

What is the best salad dressing?

any kind of fruit vingerette

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?

Apple Butter

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?

As mention above I am not a soup person, but if I am feeling like soup I like potato leek soup. I ate it all the time in Ireland and Oregon

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?

I have to pick?!! Geez for cake I really like a white cake. For frosting I would love to try an Irish Cream buttercream.

What is your favorite kind of cookie?

I like just about all cookies, but my absolute favorite is oatmeal raisin.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?

Stir fry it's simple to make and I do not need to do a lot of prepping.

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?

Any kind of fake meat. It's real meat or no meat in my family.

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?

20 minutes. I'm busy so I am hardly ever in it.

Vegan MOFO Day 1

2010-11-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well that day is here, vegan mofo has started. Of course I wish I was feeling better. I got sick last night. I have a very healthy immune system and I only get sick if I am in long term contact with someone who is sick. I have not been in contact with anyone I know who is sick. So I am hoping it's due to not getting much sleep this week and will be gone tomorrow.

For this vegan mofo I am planing on doing lots of reviews. Restaurants, products and cookbook reviews. I do not have all the details yet, but look forward to new things you should look into trying.

Crafters in AZ

2010-10-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

I saw this on Green's facebook message and thought I'd post it here to share.

ATTENTION ANIMAL-FRIENDLY CRAFTERS! Looking for a GREAT way to spend your thanksLIVING day? Consider joining us at green new american vegetarian restaurant for our 3rd annual thanksLIVING celebration! Enjoy music, special guest Paul Shapiro of the Humane Society of the United States, an extraordinary dinner and the opportunity to show your work to other compassionate shoppers. All vendors who join us for the celebration will receive a 10% discount on their thanksLIVING dinner! If you are a crafter, who sells vegan, cruelty-free products (no silk, leather, wool, feathers, down, or other animal products/by-products) and you’re interested in being a part of an exciting and growing Arizona thanksLIVING tradition, please contact peaceanimal@cox.net for more information. Hope to see you there! For more event info, click on the events tab at the top of the green new american vegetarian official group page. Thanks!

I'm not doing it. I haven't crafted in a while, but wanting to get into hair accessories and aprons, but haven't had the time.

Gym= Kickass body

2010-10-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

Okay well some people can have a healthy body without going to the gym, I am not one of those people. I have been struggling with my weight for a few years now and it seems harder to keep weight off since I have had my son. I decided with what little I had left from my financial aid money I would get a gym membership. My school does have a gym, but it's full of guys hitting on girls and not a good place of me. So I went to the closest gym, LA Fitness to look into getting a membership.

Yes, gyms are expensive I am paying month to month because I wasn't willing to shell out $500 for 3 years with all the bells and whistles. I also had a free fitness assessment, which was really a trail training session where they try to get you to buy more sessions. It will take more than a pretty boy who's nice to get me hooked. I told him I couldn't afford it and would like to try things on my own.

It felt good to work out and even though the assessment did not meet all my needs I am still ready to hit the gym a few times a week. They have the classes I want and I think I can use the workout in my fitness magazine and get the results I want. I am not willing to pay for a pretty boy to help me when I know I can do it myself. I know what needs to be done and will do it. Plus a friend.. of a friend I guess is what he technically is said he'd plan a workout for me if I wanted. I told him thanks, but will try on my own first. I am very independent and like to figure things out for myself.

So if you want to join a gym, but fear them going all crazy on you for being vegan I don't think you need to worry. That hardly came up because they were trying to think of a fitness plan and how to get to you spend more money than you want to. If you cannot afford a gym, but need a push in the right direction, go with a friend who has a membership. More than likely they are able to bring guest with them and might be happy to have a workout buddy.

My Mistakes

2010-09-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

Granted I am not perfect, but I think for my vegan lifestyle to work I need look at all the mistakes and issues that keep me from keeping it up. I know I made a list a while back of 10 common mistakes I hear people make when they go vegan. Some of those I defiantly have struggle with. If anyone sees something on here they have comments or suggestions on how to keep strong let me know.

My number one fail at veganism is not having enough food around. I often find myself some place with no vegan options or no money to buy food and I am stuck on what to do. I need to make sure in my house there is plenty of food for me to eat. More that just Veggie Stix and vegan ice cream. I also need to make sure I either bring food with me and snacks throughout the day. It sucks to be somewhere, have nothing to eat. That is when temptation sets in.

The second mistake I make is forgetting to keep things simple. Every time I get back to the vegan diet I pull out one of the many vegan cookbooks that I have and try to look at what recipes I want to make. What gets me is looking at all the ingredients I need to get and how long it will take to make the dish. I have no space for prep work, I have a collection of very old cooking pots and pans and an electric stove that takes FOREVER to heat up. So I get discourage and go grab something unhealthy and possibly not vegan. I need to remember there is tons of simple dishes I can make. I just have to make sure I keep a variety available for me so I do not get stuck eating the same things.

Those are to two BIG mistakes I tend to make. The rest seem to go with these two mistakes. I hope to work on these two mistakes and will blog on possibly each day how I did not give into these mistakes.

A Few Updates

2010-09-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post for a while, but school has started and already I have papers due in 3 of my 5 classes. I am a bit behind, mostly because there just is not enough time in the day and I have not received any financial aid so I have not been able to buy all the the books and readers needed for my classes.

The first thing I wanted to share was a Vegan purse give away by Susan Nichole. Every night starting Sept 16th, yes I know I am a bit late in posting this, she's giving away a free purse. Visit the site for details, but my favorite one is the Ms. Betty!! It's so cute!!

Another announcement is the Veganmofo will be in November this year. For those of you not familiar with the "event" it is when vegans blog about vegan food and lifestyles. You are suppose to post everyday, but we all know it's not always possible. I tried last year, but I think I only posted a few times. The details are not all hashed out yet, but keep an eye out on here or over at the PPK for details.

And lastly I just picked up the latest issue of VegNews and the last page is of the co-founder of Cinnaholic. I unfortunately live in Phoenix and not Berkeley, but I wanted to share the picture they used in the article. Isn't she cute!! I want to learn how to do my hair like that!!. I need to take a trip to Berkeley so I can try this new bakery I have been hearing about.

Look forward to me talking about some of the new books coming out hopefully some actually cooking ventures as I try to get back to eating healthy. I've gain about 20 pounds since I had my son, which means I have regain all of the pregnancy weight. I know the food I have been eating and the crazy amount of soda has been a big contributing factor to that. I also did not get much exercise the several months after I was feeling better. I have decided to cut soda out to see if that helps and I am going to come up with a list of groceries I need to have more food and meals available that are not pre-package and just plan nasty.

Also Halloween is coming up and I am already thinking of possible costume ideas for this year. We don't have plans as of yet, but I am sure we are doing something!!

So stay tune!!!

VegNews Veggie Award Survey

2010-08-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to make sure you vote for your favorite vegan things at the VegNews Veggie Awards!! Every year they put the survey out and when you vote you are entered to win prizes. Who doesn't like prizes?! Here's the information:

Grand Prize: GLOBAL GETAWAY
Take the trip of a lifetime with a coveted spot on a VegNews Vacation™ of your choosing! Join the editors of VegNews and the expert guides from Veg Voyages on any future fabulous trip, including our already sold-out adventures. Whether it’s the next Great Adventure to India or one of our special, soon-to-be-announced getaways, get ready to experience the history, culture, and cuisine of a fascinating destination. Meals, accommodations, site entry fees, guides, events, and airport pick-up and drop-off are all included. Bon voyage!

First Prize: YEAR SUPPLY OF DAIYA CHEESE
Melty, delicious Daiya vegan cheese has revolutionized kitchens across the country. Sporting fantastic cheddar and mozzarella flavors, it’s perfect for everything from pizza to the ultimate grilled cheese, and one hungry winner will win an entire year’s supply! Think it’s more vegan cheese than you can handle? We’re also including plenty of mouthwatering recipes to inspire you to have the tastiest year of cooking ever. (one winner)

Second Prize: VEGAN MARSHMALLOW SMORGASBORD
Revel in the ultimate dessert collection, thanks to the marshmallow masterminds at Sweet & Sara. Start with your favorite gourmet marshmallow flavor: Will it be vanilla, toasted coconut, strawberry, or cinnamon pecan? In addition to each mouthwatering marshmallow variety, you’ll also receive Sweet & Sara’s nostalgia-inducing Original S’mores and Peanut Butter S’mores, incredible Rocky Road Bark, cocoa-ready mini marshmallows, and rice crispy treats. What else could you ask for? (two winners)

Third Prize: VEG COOKBOOK COLLECTION
Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or are just starting your veg culinary education, a substantial cookbook collection is key. With more than 20 cookbooks under her belt and 4,300+ recipes in print, restaurant chef-turned-author Robin Robertson earned a 2009 Veggie Award for her amazing cookbook contributions, and we want to share her successes with you. Stock your recipe arsenal with five of Robin Robertson’s amazing cookbooks, including signed copies of Quick Fix Vegetarian, Vegan Fire and Spice, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, Vegan on the Cheap, and Party Vegan. (three winners)

Plus, Weekly Giveaways! TOFU PRESS KITCHEN TOOL
Be prepared for the TofuXpress to change your life. This easy-to-use, fast-working kitchen tool takes the trouble out of tofu, resulting in a perfectly pressed product that absorbs sauces, seasonings, and marinades with ease. Skipping on the traditional paper towel saves trees, too, making this a green step for your grub. From pesto tofu scramble to sesame-ginger cutlets, you’ll love this simple but life-saving countertop companion! (five winners)

The Details: Ballots must include identifying information and be at least 50% complete to qualify for prizes. Entries must be received between August 2 and August 31, 2010. Nominees are based on the people, places, and products receiving the most votes in the 2009 Veggie Awards as well as nominations made by VegNews editors, and we encourage you to submit write-in votes. Happy voting!

Reusable Cup

2010-07-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

I just bought this cool reusable cup by Aladdin. It looks like the cups you get at fast food joints or at the gas stations. I found it at Target while buying more ink for my summer classes. I like it because I drink a lot of soda and it's hard to unscrew caps while I have my son in my arms or in my lap. It does not sweat and comes with a hard plastic straw.

Remember An Elephant Day

2010-06-23T20:57:00.001-07:00

I got this e-mail from the Cause application on facebook about tomorrow being "Remember An Elephant Day" and I was excited. The event is for everyone to tie a string on their finger because an elephant never forgets. By wearing this piece for string it will make people ask you what it is for and you can explain the horrible conditions elephants are kept in circuses and some zoo.

I work at a zoo in the education department and I have seen first hand what this treatment does to elephants. Two of our elephants were in the circus and were not treated well at all. Both girls caused harm to their trainers because they felt so threaten and now they act still with fear of being hurt. One of our elephants cannot be with the other two. She will bully them, try to fight and other dangerous behavior. She should not have to feel this way and have to act like an abuse animal instead of feeling safe.

There are millions of videos out there about the cruelty of circuses and the horrible abuse elephants go through. These animals are amazing creatures and they deserve respect!!
Photo from Peta

So if you want to show support of elephants then please join this event over at facebook and tie a string around your finger.