TheLoraxUnless

The Apex

2011-11-13T11:34:00.001-08:00

I do not know what I did to deserve all I have received. My life has been so great, especially as of recent, and I hope that everyone who has helped me get to this point knows how much I appreciate everything they have done for me. I could not achieved all I am about to tell you about without the people that helped me get here.

So, you might be wondering what in the world I am talking about.
WELL my friends, over the past two weeks or so I have been accepted into two programs. First I was accepted into the Levitt Leadership Institute through my school, and then the big one. I am officially joining Ethical Expeditions on their trip to Borneo, Indonesia this summer. I wish I could tell you how much this means to me. I have been waiting anxiously these past weeks and obsessively checking my e-mail, just waiting constantly to hear news of any sort. And I got it. Oh did I get it.

A rundown of both programs:

The Levitt Leadership Institute is a two-week program through the Levitt Center at Hamilton College focused on, you guessed it, cultivating leadership skills in its participants. Not to mention, the program is being designed and run by former Ambassador Prudence Bushnell. The first week I will be coming back to Hamilton early from winter break. It will be focused on getting to know my personal leadership style, how I work with a team, developing more skills, and eventually culminating in a trip to Utica for interviews as well as a team challenge. Week 2 will be during my first week of spring break in Washington D.C. This is more focused on applying my leadership skills to concerns at the national level and regarding public service. I will be making plans on how I want to use my leadership skills to benefit a community, gaining experience by working and networking with public leaders around D.C., and basically just refining the leadership skills I have been working on.
Website: Levitt Leadership Institute

I have told you guys a little bit about the Ethical Expeditions trip already. I will be participating in the Tropical Ecology Research program for Borneo 2012. Basically, I will be based at a research station in the Wehea forest in Indonesia, learning field research techniques, applying them, and doing some of my own research work (focus to be determined). What's really awesome is that the Indonesian government just last week or so made the Wehea rainforest officially a protected rainforest. Also, when I had my interview with Sheryl from Ethical Expeditions, she was saying how they got evidence on camera last summer of this monkey scientists weren't sure was extinct or not. It is a subject I could possibly even study. I'm going to be taking samples, doing nocturnal surveys, climbing into abandoned orangutan nests. Just absolutely mind blowing stuff. I can barely put into words exactly how excited I am for this trip. I can't stop looking up gear, I've started learning Indonesian from this awesome podcast program, and just...I'm in shock that I could ever be accepted to something I wanted so badly. It's actually surreal.
If you want to check out the site: Borneo 2012
If you want to learn Indonesian with me: Learning Indonesian (this is also available as a podcast on iTunes for free!)

On to other exciting things I've been up to...

I took a try at my first not-quickbread bread recipe last week by making a few loaves of Challah (a Jewish bread traditionally made for the Sabbath). Now, it is not traditional that people make Challah without eggs, but my family my whole life has actually preferred Water Challah, in particular from our neighborhood Tel Aviv Bakery. Water Challah sometimes still uses an egg wash to get the nice siny glaze on top, but I used almond milk as a substitute.

For the recipe, go here: Kosher Water Challah recipe (it also has traditional instructions)

Also, something I never told all of you out there about was the Janelle Monae concert that I volunteered at. It was super cool, because Reverb put together this Campus Consciousness tour with Janelle Monae, where she toured with all these environmental groups/companies to spread an eco-friendly message. Reverb itself was started by a member of Guster to decrease the environmental impact of music tours (availability of recycling, encouraging water bottles, etc.). So Janelle Monae toured with Silk, Ben & Jerry's (advertising their new Fair Trade ice creams), Fair Trade Universities, OxFam, and Brita. As volunteers, we helped set up this Eco-Village for people to see these stands. I worked with Fair Trade Universities, got people to sign up to make Hamilton a Fair Trade University, and made them cool patches supporting Fair Trade (one is pictured below as an example; I had another one that was on canvas and said Fair Trade Universities with the logo in green, but it got destroyed in the rain after I sewed it onto my backpack). OxFam was giving out free music cards; Ben & Jerry's, free ice cream samples; Silk free chocolate soymilk; earlier in the day Brita gave out Nalgenes; and we also had two club tables, HEAG and the Recycling Task Force (RTF). Volunteers also got free t-shirts. It was a great night; Janelle is one of the most legit, awesome performers I have ever seen. By far. It was just great to see mainstream going eco-friendly. Or making steps towards it.

I'm next to Janelle, but mostly blocked.

Patch example, free OxFam music card, my volunteer bracelet, the ticket I bought before I knew I'd be volunteering, and the Fair Trade tote I got for helping out with Fair Trade Universities.

For more information on Reverb, the tour, and the Eco-Village participants, go here:

Things are going great for me, really looking up. I hope you all have such auspicious returns to applications and such. Have questions? Comment! Let me know!

Have any of you ever been to Indonesia? What is it like?

Did you go to Janelle Monae's Campus Consciousness tour? What did you or did you not like?

Not to keep you waiting

2011-11-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

But I am expecting big big news. This is why I don't want to tell you all the spectacular things I've been doing/thinking about, because I want to tell you in a big hunk of blog that will hopefully include supah good news.

So keep looking out for my next post, because it will be filled to the brim.

Autumn flavors Part 1

2011-10-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. I apologize. It's been a busy few days, but it's settling out now. But actually not really, but enough. Mostly because sadly rugby season is over as of Saturday (ish, I might play in a Ruck Cancer event this weekend too). Anyways, two weeks ago was Fall Break. This post is only part one, because I know I will have more delicious things to talk about after Thanksgiving break. Fall Break for Rugby meant some Thanksmas. Basically, we split up as Pilgrims and Native Americans (spare political correctness for the night) and we made the rookies elves, reindeer, and Santa. We also get no cost gifts from the elves. Excellent. For this event, we also make copious amounts of food. To give you an idea of the amount, there was not only a Thanksgiving turkey, but also a Christmas ham, and a few pans of mac and cheese. Lots of potatoes, few to zero veggies. The like. I decided to take this opportunity to take my hand at making risotto with some local veggies from the farmer's market.

So using garlic, onion, red and purple potatoes, shitake mushrooms, carrots, sage, rosemary, and arborio rice made with bay leaves, I had the base of my risotto. I also made a sun-dried tomato squash pesto out of some sort of winter squash (I just know that it is related to acorn squash and was a pale yellow) that I roasted, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, sage, garlic, nutritional yeast, walnuts and extra virgin olive oil. I just mixed it all up and it was god. Also, keep in mind that this was to feed a lot of people. I made more than 9 cups of it. Delicious all the same though.

I wish I could give you certain amounts to recreate this delicious meal, but I really did most of it by taste. First I fried up the veggies in a pan, and then added it to the cooking arborio rice. I blended together the pesto ingredients. All of it got mixed up and it was good. But don't forget to take out the bay leaves from the risotto. The squash definitely added a new quality to the pesto, and it was just mmm good. Also, don't shy away from using walnuts in pesto instead of pine nuts. They work great. So, if you feel like making an easy (although not necessarily quick meal), I definitely suggest breaking out the risotto. It's a perfect fall dish. It's creamy, and even more so, a perfect vehicle for bringing out the flavor of sage.

I do want to take this quick moment to apologize for the poor quality of my photos. I am only using my cell phone after all.

During that weekend, I also made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies using a veganized version of the Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe, but replacing the egg with a can of pureed pumpkin. No pictures (update I found a dough picture shown to the right), but wow were they soft and delicious. I also tried my hand at a raw pasta with a more classic pesto. It turned out ok, but not as good as I have had before (specifically at Karyn's on Green).

I did get to also use the pesto last night on some pasta. I got some gorgeous gorgeous rainbow chard from the farmer's market, and with it made an Ethiopian style pumpkin chickpea curry. It was good, but I do want to improve on that idea, so no pictures, no details. Also, sometimes a girl just needs a good tofu scramble. Which was great with some tomato, some of the rainbow chard, mushrooms, and all that good stuff. Nutritional yeast, curry, whatnot.

Lastly, what was also delicious was some zucchini bread I made for a very special event. Real Food Challenge came and gave an awesome presentation and other people also brought food for a delicious potluck.

I will talk more about all this important stuff at a later date when I don't have all these food pictures I have for you taking up my attention.

Reflections, and a few yummy things

2011-10-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Yom Kippur, and before you might question why I am blogging on the most holy day of the year (especially this year since it is also Shabbos), I do want to say that college has not proven to fulfill the wishes I have for observing the High Holidays. I assume many college students out there, minus those who can visit back home, share this feeling. So, to observe, I do still fast, but I take time to reflect on my own without a prayerbook and with a lot more resulting insight. Let's start.

Yesterday, I talked to my sister, Becca, on the phone. And, as I get all emotional, she is one of the most important people in my life, and always has been. I always hear stories about siblings who grow to get along with each other over time, but Becca and I never needed to develop to that stage. We have always been close, and I can always tell her everything pretty much. But the thing is, I don't even need to tell her everything. We just know that if we need something, the other one will always be there regardless of what's wrong. She can always give me new insight into dilemmas I have, give me a down-to-Earth perspective, and reassure me. My mom always loves to say how Becca is the definition of a true mensch (see definition), and it really is true. I do not know someone more caring and responsible than my sister.

Now, my parents happen to be the best parents out there. Total cliché for a daughter to say? Well, here's the catch: I really do mean it, and would not trade them for the world. They have worked so hard and done so much to ensure I need or want not, but not in a way to make me spoiled. There were rules when I grew up, and I distinctly remember being sung "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones a few times. It happens too, speaking of singing, that they both are in the choir together and do Purim Spiel. The music i like has been somewhat influenced by them, but more so, they have just made music an integral part of what I love. They have put up and accommodated with all the changes I began to make once more independent: they adjusted to veganism, piercings, and going away to a school fairly far from home. But they are always there for me, they laugh with me, they cry with me, and they always only hope for me to have the best and be the best I can be.

My mom is at the top as a "Hamantaschen" and my dad is the Twinkie.
I believe the song was "If I were a Hamantaschen."

My dad is everything a dad is supposed to be. He is strong, warm, and looks out for me all the time. He never wants me to worry, and thinks I worry too much (and I do). He doesn't want me to feel stressed or sad ever (and has told me more than once that it wouldn't kill me to do a few less things that demand my time and energy). He makes the most classic, not-funny-in-need-of-sympathy-laughs jokes, and has the best smile. He is basically always looking out for me in the ways that I don't always care to look out for myself in, and more. As a kid, he gave me the confidence to do things I wasn't always sure I could. He would always remind me that I shouldn't expect to be perfect at things I was trying for the first time. Before my games and meets, we would always have a "mind-meld," where he would reassure me that I would do awesome. Now, in rugby, he reminds me that even if I'm not starting, the work I'm doing is making the team better. If I keep working hard, everyone has to keep working just as hard if not harder. A lot of times he might role his eyes at some of the things I do (again, not too crazy about the whole vegan thing), but I also give him a ton of the credit for why I am who I am today. He is a science teacher, and he always emphasized the importance of caring for the environment my whole life. He fostered my curiosity, and I would definitely not care about the things I do today if it were not for him. There is not a more warm-hearted person than my dad.

I have never been closer with my mom than I am now. We definitely had our rough patches in high school (I wasn't the easiest adolescent to talk to, and was perhaps a tad know-it-all-y. Unthinkable, I know.), but we have pulled through them with flying colors. My best friend from my freshman year of college, Kieran, used to say that my mom and I are the same person. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that, we are very similar. We always put literally everything we have into what we do, we overload ourselves with activities and committees we care about, and we can talk your ears off. My mom has really taught me how to invest myself into something, and to always pursue what I want, because she believes that I will always do great at it. She has taught me that, even at your lowest point, you can overcome your struggles, and has taught me empathy. It has always been her hope that I would be confident in myself and what I do, and honestly does not attribute enough of what I am today to herself. I now know I can always talk to her about almost everything, and I do. Unfortunately, this means I sometimes worry her. As a kid, she would read to me during breakfast every morning. She began my craving for a good book or story. Now, even while I have made all these changes recently, she has been willing to listen to me about them, and she has made changes herself. She now only eats meat if she knows where it's coming from. She is everything I could ask for in a mom, and I wish everyone were so lucky as to have someone like her.

On to other things.

This year, I feel like I have lived up fairly well to what I want to be. There was a time I tolerated people being mean to each other, and a time where I felt it was okay to be a tad inactive in things I cared about. But, I adjusted to college, and my ethics came back. I made the changes I was too insecure to make before and am all the better for it. I'm not on a "no activity left behind" motto, but I am doing things I care about, and they are making a difference for me, too. I'm not saying that I'm perfect, and I'm not even saying that I did everything I wanted or didn't do anything I wouldn't approve of. What I'm saying is that I'm trying, and I feel like I am doing better because of it. People on my rugby team joke about how crunchy I am, but I kind of like it. I feel good, I'm eating foods that feel right in my body and make me feel better, and I'm taking a stand on issues that matter.
Crunchy?
Sounds good to me.

So, perhaps on to some crunchy food postings:
Something I made at camp this year can be made by anyone, and so I think it should be shared with everyone. A nice Indian-style chickpea side dish. So easy, but so good. Basically, chop up some veggies (I think I used onions, garlic, and either tomatoes, peppers, or both), and sauté them in a pot that can hold this whole dish. Then, add marinara sauce, and doctor it up with some spices (the main ones I used to get the Indian-style feel were curry, cumin, coriander, cayenne and most importantly, cinnamon). Then I added the chickpeas to the marinara sauce, and let it all stew up together and be happy and mixed to be delicious.

My parents visited for parents/alumin/bicentennial weekend this year. My rugby game that weekend happened to be at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. You know what else is in Ithaca, New York? Moosewood Café, one of the most famous vegetarian establishments (because of their famous Moosewood Cookbook). I got their red bean burrito there and some fresh orange juice. But let's be real. Dessert is what we care about. There happened to be three of us, and three vegan desserts. So we got the vegan chocolate cake (great frosting), the vegan Thai black rice pudding (light and yum), and this baby:

This is their mixed berry cobbler (I believe all seasonal) with a cornmeal crumb on top (I think). It was delicious; so good and fruity.

While my parents were here, they also got me a crate of clementines, which I devoured throughout the week for breakfast. I started mixing clementines, pumpkin spice cashew butter, and chia seeds into one refreshing fall breakfast. Nomnomnom.

And for your viewing pleasure: a flower I saw on the side of the road amongst construction and debris.

General on-goings

2011-09-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

So I guess I could take this post to just catch y'all up a little more in detail on where I'm at with life. But I will do this with pictures, so it will be interesting. Or something like that.

Butterfly chairs, a sweet vacuum/dust buster
combo, cool lamp and a TV.

Door to the outside porch,
and a super comfy chair.

A super comfy couch, and a glimpse
to our kitchen.

A futon= convenience.

So I'm living with some of my best friends in an apartment this year, except it's an on-campus apartment. Whatever. It's great. It has two floors. The second floor has our bedrooms (1 double, 2 singles. I have a single. I miss rambling time before sleep, but it hasn't been as lonely as I thought it could be), a bathroom (with a shower/bath combo even), and a linen closet. The first floor has our living room and a kitchen, plus another closet (yoga mats and winter gear is currently being stored there. Our living room also has a door that leads out to a porch outside. So I'm pretty much living the luxury life of college.

Furthermore, living in an apartment lets me do great things like choose a 14 meal plan. For convenience, I generally just have breakfast here. Usually it's fruit, some chia seed gel, and agave nectar. Chia seeds are awesome. They regulate your metabolism, they're super nutritious, and they slow the absorption of carbs slowly, so energy is slowly released throughout the day. That means upping the endurance factor. I recently made a gel with them out of almond milk (because chia seeds can absorb 9x their size in water, in liquid they make a gel), and it's a much thicker gel than with water.

Every now and then though, I can make a pretty sweet breakfast, like this one for Sunday breakfast/brunch time. I took some Van's blueberry waffles, put some homemade almond butter on top, added some almond milk chia gel, some raspberries, and then agave nectar. It was delicious. Obviously.
I should note that a lot of what I'm eating has been inspired by my cousin, Rachel. You should all check out her blog: http://eatlearndiscover.com/. She has made an awesome journey, and she just keeps sharing her wisdom. So I picked up the chia seeds from her, and her spiced pumpkin cashew butter is giving me some super tempting ideas for future adventures in the kitchen. One other thing to mention: if you need a quick, healthy, veggie meal, keep spring roll wrappers around. If you have some matchstick chopped veggies, you can just wrap them up and dip them in a sauce of your choice.

Also, we get some regular visitors we can see from outside our kitchen window.

Then Hillel is starting to get super active, which is great and what we were aiming for. Two weeks ago we had over 20 students come to Shabbat dinner. Last week we went to a Verona Beach State Park for Shabbat dinner. That did not have such high attendance, because it was super cold and a bit more of a time commitment, but it was beautiful. We got there right in time for sunset.

Let's end this post on such a gorgeous note as this. We can talk later.

And we're back...

2011-09-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry. I have been gone for a long time from the blog world. However, perhaps you would like some quick updates before I get to the most exciting news of all.

Prom Rugby anyone? Aggressive, I know. Hamilton v. Syracuse.

I left you after spring break. Since then I did a lot of rugby and a lot of club stuf. My parents also visited for a week. By the end of the semester, I was then elected to be the Co-Delegate for Model UN, the treasurer for HEAG (environmental action group), and the Religious and Cultural chair for Hillel. Then there are a ton of other club stuff. But it happens. Also finals were great. I got Lifeguard, CPR, First Aid, and AED certified and such. So I bet that was the fastest semester update you've seen.

On the Black River during Staff Trip.

The whole staff prior to put-in.

This summer I spent my time at my Jewish summer camp URJ OSRUI in Oconomowoc, WI. I worked in the outdoors unit. I got WFA (Wilderness First Aid) certified. The first session I went on a short staff trip, went on a three-day canoe trip on the Black River, lead a three-day biking trip on the Glacial Drumlin trail, and went on a rock climbing trip at Devil's Lake State Park. Second session I did two four-day trips: I lead a canoeing trip on the Wisconsin River, and I went on a hiking trip in the Chequamagon National Forest. The kids were amazing, it was great getting back to the outdoors, and I just had a great time. Then I was home for about a week, and headed back to beautiful Hamilton College.

Thanks to Eunice for the pic!

Since I've been back, I've been doing my classes (Bio, World Lit, Architecture and the Environment, Intro to Poli Theory, and Hebrew), doing my super amounts of club things, playing rugby and getting fit in other ways, and hanging in my apartment with my best friends. I'm on my way to getting leader certified with the outdoors club here. Also HEAG is working on two initiatives: to get the word out about hydrofracking (because it sucks, makes people's tap water flammable, and more reasons I'll go into at a later date, and a Take Back the Tap campaign (bottled water: who needs it?). Plus, we cleaned up a beach on Lake Ontario (see the story: https://my.hamilton.edu/news/story/heag-helps-clean-up-lake-ontario-beach).

Now I can't hold it in anymore. I might be going to Borneo this summer. I found this amazing program called Ethical Expeditions, and they offer a trip to Borneo working in the Wehea forest. Here's a link: http://ethicalexpeditions.ning.com/. I've been keeping up with Borneo since I was 12 and working on my Bat Mitzvah project. I sold t-shirts with the Earth Foundation T-shirt Fundraiser to buy back acres of rainforest in Borneo to help preserve the orangutan habitat. I think I bought back over 200 acres. I want to do more. It's pretty much everything I want to do with my life. I'm going to have to work out the finances and such, so if any of you out there have some fundraising ideas, I would love to hear from you. This is sort of my dream, and totally how I would love to make a difference in the world.

Seriously. I need ideas. Hit me up.

Bahston and more

2011-03-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm in the city of Boston and it's pretty chill. I can't say I've done too much, because NYC robbed me of my cash supplies, but on Tuesday I was able to walk around. First, I started going down Newbury St., and ducked in to Espresso Royale Coffee, because I had read they offered bagels with tofu cream cheese. So I went in and got a whole wheat everything bagel and sundried tomato tofu cream cheese and a dirty soy chai. There spread wasn't as good as Bagels on the Square (see NYC post 1), but it was still pretty good, especially because it was nicely toasted and warm when I ate it. The dirty chai wasn't the best I've had, but then again I'm more of a tea person on the whole. Then I walked on the Freedom Trail with a few stops here and there. All I wish for officially is a place to open up in the North End that serves vegan cannoli. Today I was visiting with friends, and we went to dinner at Papa Razzi, but it wasn't a stop for vegan purposes, so I won't really write about it. I got what was available pretty much, and also I spent too much money on it. Awesome.

So I never wrote about the baked goods from Champs Family Bakery. The chocolate glazed, peanut butter filled donut was good, but would have been better if I didn't have to refrigerate till the morning for breakfast. The blueberry cheesecake brownie was good. It was a bit crisp around the edges, but the plump blueberries made up for it. Lastly, the cinnamon roll was soo good, which I was happy about, because I wasn't sure how well it would hold up in the fridge for more than a day. It was a tasty breakfast though, so all and all I was a happy camper. More later!

Dinner Time!

2011-03-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

So after meeting my absolutely adorable baby cousin, Viviana, I came back to Rachel's dorm to make a nice, healthy dinner with whatever veggies and spices were around, plus some quinoa. Some badda bing, badda boom, and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with a side of Grilled Zucchini was made.

I didn't measure any of this, so I guess do the spices to taste.

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water, 2 bay leaves, and a dash of sea salt (heat the water until it boils, then let it simmer for about 10 minutes; check it afterwards, etc.). While that is cooking, saute about 1 teaspoon or 1.5 teaspoons minced garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Once it starts cooking, add 2 diced portobello mushrooms to the mix. Cook until the mushrooms appear coated, or have started to cook. Then add 2 diced tomatoes to the pan, and let it all simmer. Add to taste cumin, chili powder, zatar, and some sea salt. Add the now cooked quinoa to the pan with the vegetables and mix. Take 2 hollowed out red bell peppers (although I believe there is enough quinoa creation to fill 4 bell peppers), cut the tops off (but save them), and take out all the seeds and, if you would like, the ribbing. Fill the peppers with the quinoa mix, and put the tops of the peppers back on. Wrap the peppers in foil, and place on a pan. Put in the oven, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Take out, eat, and enjoy!

Grilled Zucchini
The morning you will cook the zucchini, cut flat (or as flat as possible) slices of 2 zucchinis, and cut these slices in half. Put all the zucchini pieces in a medium to large plastic bag. Put in dashes of dried oregano, dried basil, ground coriander seed, red chili pepper flakes, about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, about 5 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, and about 3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. Let the zucchini marinate. When ready, grill the zucchini until you would like. I, using a George Foreman Grill, grilled the zucchini until there were browned lines showing up. Serve warm/hot.

This time I actually remember pictures, so I hope you enjoy!

Exploring More of NYC

2011-03-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Flatiron Building

Friday was a fun day for me, in terms of the neighborhoods I was checking out. After a delicious breakfast of quinoa with dehydrated then rehydrated peanut butter (check out PB2) and seeds and berries, I headed out onto the road. First I went over by Union Square and walked through an amazing looking Farmer's Market (I didn't want to stop for too long--I'm living on small change!), and then headed up to take a pic of the Flatiron Building.

Then it was over to Old Chelsea. I only got to look into the lobby of the Chelsea Hotel, but they had some pretty cool art in the lobby, and some informational plaques on famous people that lived (and sometimes died) there. Jimi Hendrix was a regular stay, and Arthur Miller lived there. Right next to the Chelsea Hotel was maybe the most amazing guitar shop I've been to, Chelsea Guitars. The vintage Gibsons were just beautiful, and plentiful. Then it was over to Chelsea Market. Granted, a lot of the food sold at the stores at Chelsea Market is not vegan, it is still an enjoyable stop for any foodie. They are getting real food there. For instance, one store was focused on Italian cuisine. Much of their stuff was homemade (like homemade pasta, yum), and what was not was often imported from Italy. Pure Food and Wine has a takeout service from there called One Lucky Duck, but I just cannot justify their prices.

Wonder Woman!

Then I went over to SoHo, with only one particular stop in mind, called Kiosk. It was a cute little store; the owner travels to a country and brings back knick knacks of all sorts and sells them in the store. Unfortunately, the prices are a bit steep, so I didn't get anything. However, I did pass by MAC makeup store, and they have a pretty cool campaign going on. I guess they came out with a Wonder Woman line of makeup, and so the store had a huge Wonder Woman display, including walls lined with comics dating back to Wonder Woman's beginning. I nerded out for a quick bit, then kept on walking.

And walked in to Chinatown. Chinatown was packed, and it was really hot out. So after visiting the Pearl Market (if you want anything Chinese, they probably have it there, as well as other stuff to boot), and examining a few tea shops, I went to Teariffic for a cool down with Lychee bubble tea. Afterwards, I stopped into a bakery and got some yummy red bean paste and peanut filled treats (I love mochi and mochi-esque treats).

Hopefully you can see the moving panels for the storefront.

On the way back to Rachel's, I also stopped by the Storefront for Art and Architecture, which is in itself a piece of art. Panels built into the storefront can move, and thus make the display something to stop by and look at.

Delicious Stogo

Then, after Shabbat dinner with our aunt and uncle, Rachel and I went to Stogo for a late night treat. We both ended up getting the same thing (although the choices were plenty, and tough to make): a scoop of Ginger Vanilla Bourbon ice cream and a scoop of Mexican Chocolate ice cream (it was actually spicy!). Everything was so good, rich, and full of spice, I went home happy.

Today we started off the day with brunch at The Organic Grill. I got there Tofu Omelette (I have no idea how they made it so much like an omelette) with spinach, sundried tomatoes, and vegan mozzarella cheese. Then, after a quick stop back home to get my plans together, I headed over to Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Do you see the texture on this thing?

First off, this is a hip neighborhood to say the least. So I knew the stores there would be calling, and I'd have to resist. But there was one place I had to go to. Every Saturday and Sunday, there is a little market called Artists + Fleas. Basically, some cool jewelry and clothes designers, as well as vintage shops, show their wares. It was so tempting to get some stuff, but it was just as fun to look around at all the great gear. Afterwards, I headed over to Foodswings to get my milkshake fix. Once I got there, it turned out I would be solving my Buffalo Wing fix too. I don't know how they make these wings, but they actually get the texture down. It was bewildering. I also got The Seymour milkshake, a mix of pistachio ice cream, peanut butter, and cookies. It was, of course, delicious. Lastly, to stock up on sweets, I went to Champs Family Bakery. Started by the owners of Boneshakers, this all vegan bakery (although not advertised way) made me speechless. They were able to create vegan versions of things I had never seen vegan takes on before. For instance, they had vegan danish and a vegan bear claw. Apparently, from reviews I've read, they also often carry vegan croissants. Unfortunately they did not have the croissants when I was there, but I stocked up good. I got a cinnamon roll with nuts; a chocolate glazed, peanut butter filled donut; and I got a blueberry cheesecake brownie. I haven't tried everything yet (I have to wait for dessert or breakfast), but I will let you know how they taste.

For dinner, Rachel and I went to NYC Thai chain, Spice. I got Pad Thai, but unfortunately they forgot to take the egg out. Got me down a little bit, but then we finished the night by exploring the local Whole Foods, which always cheers a girl up.

More tomorrow!

A Long Post for a Too Long Hiatus

2011-03-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

I officially apologize from my long hiatus from writing. I've had midterms and stuff to deal with, and just general catching up on things since I've had some fairly busy weekends. Because of all the things I've been doing to, this will be an extremely well organized post. I set up things into two sections, with the places I hit, or important organizations highlighted. Prepare yourself, and here we go.

Food and Justice Summit 2011

The summit was sponsored by Real Food Challenge.

So on Friday, February 25, I headed over with a group from Hamilton to Northeastern University in Boston for the Food and Justice Summit. I participated in three workshops. One was held by Corporate Accountability International, particularly focusing on the fast food industry and marketing practices (and in particular how they target children). This workshop culminated in the Retire Ronald McDonald campaign (http://www.retireronald.org/). It's really important to recognize how many companies use child-focused marketing, because they embed these happy thoughts regarding their crappy food into the minds of kids starting from an early age. I remember wanting to go to McDonald's for their Happy Meal, toy, and PlayPlace. It's honestly sick. The second workshop was held by Equal Exchange, and focused on fair trade products, and their business in particular. They trade in coffee, chocolate, bananas, tea, and snacks like almonds and cranberries. Equal Exchange focuses on working with farmer co-ops internationally, to help their businesses develop, use sustainable farming practices, and guarantee fair food prices and labor wages. For more info: http://www.equalexchange.coop/. The last workshop the speaker didn't show up to, so the people who showed up instead had a discussion amongst themselves about how to get real food to low-income communities, especially when the interest is not there.

Some food I tried while I was there (and made me Oh, So Happy): Boloco is an awesome chain in the Northeast, particularly concentrated in Massachusetts, that makes delicious burritos of every sort (I got a Thai inspired one) and is super on the environmental watch. All their plastic is even compostable! Next up is Peace o' Pie, a gourmet vegan pizzeria in Boston that had a vendor station at the summit. Yummy Daiya combinations, and pretty awesome baked goods too. I'll be headed there next week again! Also, the summit provided lunch tickets to the Clover Food Truck. A sandwich machine of greatness, they turn out warm tasty sandwiches that really fill you up. I got the Sweet Potato sandwich that had a cumin sauce. Yum. I also got a taste of their mulled apple cider. Not too shabby, but I'm biased to the kind you make at home on a snowy day. Lastly, My Thai Vegan Cafe had some delicious entree offerings (I got a curry vermicelli dish) and also desserts to boot (Why, hello there carrot cake!).

Also, if you go to Boston do not skip up going to the Charles River just to look out on it. Truly. Beautiful.

Support CIW!

Our weekend ended as we joined the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), or Coalición de Trabajadores de Immokalee, in their march to Stop & Shop to try and improve the wages this coalition of tomato pickers get (the group centers on tomato pickers in Florida). While we weren't able to march the whole route, it was really inspiring. The amount of hard labor that is put in, and the horrible wages these workers get, is atrocious. To help improve these conditions, CIW is signing up large companies to demand better wages for the workers from the growers that provide them with food. So far companies that have joined the cause are: McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway (the largest purchaser of tomatoes in Florida), Whole Foods, Bon Appetit Management Co., Compass Group, Aramark, and Sodexho. For more information on their action in Boston, look here: http://www.ciw-online.org/dotherightthing/day1.html. For more information on CIW, check out their website: http://www.ciw-online.org/.

Some Fun Time: Spring Break 2011
My school is beautifully generous with the time off students receive. For spring break, we get two weeks off. Two. Glorious. Weeks. So, I took this time to tour two big cities on the East Coast: New York City and Boston. Now, while I've been to Boston a few times, it's always been with family, so I haven't gotten a real feel for the city yet (the time spent away from the summit being the closest I got). And as for New York City, prior to this break, I had been here once on a weekend for my Uncle Joel's wedding. I think I was nine, and maybe saw Central Park, as well as a bad showing of Saturday Night Fever (it was pretty much all understudies). So, now I am in NYC in my cousin Rachel's NYU dorm. But this is also my fifth day here. So let's review!

I got into NYC Saturday night, and headed over to Brooklyn, where I would be staying in my cousin Micah's apartment for a few days while he enjoyed visiting his brother in Costa Rica. Hungry for something, I hopped on over to Lotus Vietnamese Sandwiches, and I got two orders of Garden Rolls with peanut hoisin sauce and an iced jasmine tea.

Sunday would prove to be a big, but stressful day. After multiple confusions with the subway system, I finally made it over to Atlas Cafe. However, I was by then running short on time, and just had to grab a cranberry coconut scone and chai tea to go. Then I headed over to Central Park, walked around and took some pictures (sadly, my digital camera is yet to be fixed, so you'll have to wait for these pictures to be developed old school style). Next stop was The Met. Simply. Amazing. Their Egypt collection is by far the most amazing exhibit I think I have seen at an art museum. Also, all their other sections are great (my favorite art periods being European Impressionism and Modern art). Then I headed back across Central Park to Peacefood Cafe. It was so crowded! So, I ordered the Mediterranean Oven-Dried Seasonal Vegetables panini with cashew cheese and basil spinach pesto, as well as the Strawberry Shortcake (it looked too good to resist) to go, and sat in a little park with my sandwich. Then I toured the American Museum of Natural History, which, while there are definitely some good exhibits (particularly the dinosaurs, human evolution, and gems/minerals exhibits), kind of seemed to cave to Western biased anthropology to me. There were too many exhibits on the tribes of different parts of the world, and it struck a wrong chord with me. Finally, I headed back to Brooklyn, and after a short rest with some rejuvenation via half my Strawberry Shortcake, headed out to dinner at The V-Spot. A really awesome place. Also extremely crowded, I opted to sit at the bar. I ordered a coconut water to get some electrolytes flowing, but it was so crowded that they forgot my order for a bit. However, they definitely made up for it. First off, every Sunday they have a $10 special. So for my meal, I got a lentil soup, an empanada, quinoa and red peppers, and a curry kale and chickpeas dish for 10 buckaroos. Then, due to the wait with the coconut water, they didn't charge me for it. Also, they threw in a free empanada, because they are awesome (I think that was something they do normally though). Then I came home to the second half of Strawberry Shortcake (which by the way tasted so so fresh), as a happy, tired tourist.

Monday proved to be a pretty big day as well. I started off the morning with a breakfast scramble wrap and orange juice at Terri, and then headed over to the Empire State Building for some observatory action. Then, I headed over to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and basked in my favorite art period. Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, Jackson Pollack, Salvador Dali...I was a very happy girl. Plus they had exhibits on Architecture and Design, fields that if I were more mathematically or artistically inclined, would probably be among my possible careers. Then I got some fruit (which kind of put my head in check about NYC prices...they're a tad high sometimes if charged by the pound), and headed over to Paley Park to check out some Berlin Wall remnants. Then I headed to the Top of the Rock, and lastly Times Square. After Times Square, I went to Angelica Kitchen, and got a delicious Hot Open Face Tempeh Sandwich (sourdough bread with marinated and baked tempeh on top, covered by a mushroom gravy, on a bed of spinach with ruby kraut in the center). I walked around a little bit on search for some dessert, and ended up back at Atlas Cafe (it was a long walk) for a Peanut Butter Bomb cupcake vis a vis supplier Vegan Treats. While the cupcake itself had suffered a bit from refrigeration (not as bad as the cake I will talk about later), the peanut butter bomb topping was delicious. Then home for some rest and to enjoy my cupcake.

Tuesday was a more relaxed day. After getting a whole wheat everything bagel with Tofutti sundried tomato cream cheese from Bagels on the Square, I headed over to Battery Park for a ferry ride to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Try to preserve some of my cash, I didn't get a Monument pass, so I just stuck with riding past the statue. Then I headed over to Ellis Island, and started the search (yet to be finished) for my relatives' information in the Ellis Island archives. As of now, I have found two records, one from each side of my family, that I'm pretty sure belong to my family. Then I headed back home to some yummy leftovers.

Wednesday was also fairly relaxed. I started off the day with some leftover fruit for breakfast, and some homework (blech). Then I met my cousin Alex at a vegetarian Korean restaurant in more Midtown area than Koreatown called HanGawi. First off the atmosphere was really cool. Shoes are taken off upon entering. The interior design was exquisite, and the tables were low to the ground. But rather than making customers struggle with uncomfortable seating positions, there was a sunken area beneath each table, so it was like sitting in a chair! Alex got the Pumpkin Noodles with sauteed vegetables, and I got the Spicy Mushroom Stew. It was so delicious. It was served in a stone bowl and was hot (temperature wise) and spicy in the only way Korean food can deliver. So really, really spicy. There were glass noodles, lots of veggies, and some tofu in the stew. It was just so good. Then I headed over to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across. By far the best view of NYC. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. From the Brooklyn Bridge, I took a train over to Prospect Park and walked around a bit (I definitely like it more than Central Park--it's more accessible and not trying to be grand), finally walking back to my surrogate home. After a little rest, I headed over to NYC veggie staple 'Snice. I got the Sushi Sandwich and a mint tea, both delicious. The idea of a Sushi Sandwich sounds weird, but it was really good. Just think avocado, carrots, and tofu, with some pickled ginger, nori, and plum sauce too. Satisfying and fresh. Then I went over to Ozzie's Coffee and Tea for a Dirty Chai and Red Velvet Cake. While the drink was good, I was extremely disappointed by the cake that looked oh, so promising. I think it was from Red Mango Bakery, which I had heard great things about, but it seemed like refrigeration had gotten to this cake. It tasted like fridge, and I felt the sugar.

This was Rachel's Mac n' Cheese!

This was my mac n' cheese!

Lastly, today, Thursday. I packed up my stuff, and headed over to NYU. Upon arrival, Rachel and I headed over to Viva Herbal Pizzeria, where she got the Tutta Verde pizza (just think a lot of yummy greenness), and I got the Zen pizza (think about a pesto pizza with sundried tomatoes, garlic, caramelized onions, and mushrooms--then make those mushrooms Asian mushrooms, and add shredded miso tofu for cheese, and infuse the pesto and spelt crust with green tea). It might sound weird, but it was really tasty. Also, I got a Pumpkin Spice whoopie pie, courtesy of supplier Vegan Treats. We walked over and looked into an Asian mart by Rachel's dorm (I got some green tea mochi and aloe juice for the road), and then headed back. After catching up on some sleep (I got a little homework happy the night before, and woke up earlier than preferable), we headed out again to S'Mac for some vegan mac n' cheese. I got mine with mix-ins spinach and garlic, roasted tomatoes, and rosemary. They serve the mac n' cheese in cast iron skillets. It's pretty cool. I got the smallest size (Nosh) and boy was it filling. This next part, though, would top everything I had every experienced before, and thus deserves its own paragraph.

This was Rachel's ice cream.

So after a little walk on St. Marks to clear our stomachs a little, we headed to the one and only Lula's Sweet Apothecary. Everyone, I can tell you what heaven looks, sounds, smells, and tastes like. Lula's is it. After trying a few flavors (which the super nice staff encourages you to sample, unlike some ice cream clerks that get annoyed), I went in for the plunge. Rachel got a single scoop of Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream topped with Marshmallow sauce and Mint Chocolate Cookies. I got a Classic Sundae with Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream and Maple and Waffles ice cream, topped with Marshmallow sauce, Candied Pecans, Coconut Whipped Cream, and a cherry. I should let you know, I was pretty much drunk from this ice cream post-consumption. My face literally felt numb with happiness. There are just not enough words.

Updates to come on the rest of my adventures!

This is me just about to experience heaven. Sundae heaven.

Off to Food and Justice Summit 2011!

2011-02-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Just wanted to make a quick post about the awesome conference I will be leaving for in about 50 minutes. Northeastern University is hosting the 2011 Northeast Food and Justice Summit. The whole conference is focused on workshops and learning about real food and how to start making changes and impacting communities. A lot of people don't have access to real food, and there are also a lot of people who suffer from working in current food industries. Also, there's a march I believe, and basically a lot of awesome people are getting together to talk about the most important staple to life (or at least one of them): food. I hope you guys look into it, and hopefully sign up the next time it happens!

Here's a link for information: http://realfoodchallenge.org/nefoodjustice2011

Also, if you are confused about the whole "real food" concept, here's a cute video made by the Colorado College Farm Club that I thought was pretty cute.

Live to the fullest. Live to love. Live the life you love.

2011-02-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today."

-James Dean

This poster looks over my bed.

While this is something to aspire to, I can't say it's the easiest thing to do. However, I feel like things get a lot better when you are at least trying to do all you can every day. Again, while I worry all the time, I try to only worry about homework. If it is affecting my relationships, that's when the worrying needs to stop. I think that if we all live in the moment more often and stop reading more into things than necessary, life will be more enjoyable.

Furthermore, think of all the good change that can come about every day, if you are living it to its fullest extent. Nothing will go by the wayside. Things will move and change, and you will power it all. Feel good about yourself every day for the things that get done right. And make things get done right, because it is an excellent, satisfying feeling to be on top of things.

If we all live a little more each day, if we all get more done every day, we can devote more of ourselves to every aspect of our lives, and to every thing we love. And to love, to have room in all the thoughts buzzing in our heads for true love, compassion, and kindness--that is simply comforting to everyone.

What would you devote your life to if you had a year to do it?

2011-02-17T14:07:00.000-08:00

I forgot to write about this yesterday, but I am intent to discuss this. Yesterday I went for a meeting with someone at my college about scholarships, fellowships and the like. Then she posed the question that basically every fellowship will ask:

If you had a year of your life to devote to doing/studying anything, what would it be?

And of course, these fellowships being competitive and such, the answer is never simple, always original, and always full of impact, ideas, and interest factor. So, I began to think what could I offer a whole year of my life to?

To give some examples, two students from my school are doing fellowships right now. One is studying fermented foods for a year, while the other is looking at bring food from the farm to the table, particularly in urban settings.

I'm sure if some people had a year to give up, they wouldn't do much, but I feel the most innovative minds in the world could really change things if they had a year to focus on one thing alone. Studies can be taken into seeing why our world is the way it is, and how best to change it. Also, as you may know if you have read up on fellowship ideas, that is how a culture is discovered. So many people do projects focusing on the marginalized parts of life, that, for some people, is their life and is really important.

In worse news, today I had to dissect a worm in biology. As I am already skipping out on the fetal pig dissection, I did not think I could avoid this too. Let's just say while we were waiting for our worm to fall unconscious in a water bath, and I was turned away, my lab teacher came over and told me to try to relax. My response: I start tearing up and crying a little. Vegans are not meant to dissect. It just is bad news. Technically when my lab partner was cutting into the worm, it was still alive, and squirming as well. The fact that I had to help keep it from squirming while seeing its innards come out of the cut she was making...just bad. I have not felt ok since. It's just very upsetting at the moment. Also it was just sad, because our professor made it clear that he had grown these little guys, which means that their whole purpose in their short life was to be cut open at the end. Shitty.

Anyways, back to the earlier point to try and end this on a happier note. While I have come up with my own answer for what to do for a year, the possibilities are really endless. I would love to hear what any readers out there would like to do for a year of their lives.

"Power to act is duty to act."

2011-02-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

I could not agree more with Peter Kropotkin.

As I sit here after a satisfying shower (spinning makes a shower the only place you can crave), having just finished a tasty apple, listening to a recently made playlist made for a darling friend, and enjoying the scents of a.) my new Shikai sandalwood lotion and b.) the jasmine tea brewing next to me, I can only think of all the things I wish to tell all of you out there in cyberspace. It may sound familiar.

Deal.

The past few months, I cannot say that I have been living word for word what I have written about how you should treat people, and after a recent epiphany, I'm looking to rectify my ways. I have joined in with others in gossip, and I have talked too much behind people's backs. As a result, I have become more bitter and insecure. But, No Longer. I will not lean towards excusing my actions as being new in college; I know better. We all know better when we do things against our moral codes. So, I am hoping that in the following entries, I can do better and be better, and can even report it to all of you. Just remember: when someone does not act like a true friend all of the time, it doesn't mean that there is not good in them. It is best to look past their misgivings to who they can be. Then it is your duty to help them become this person the easy way. That means showing them how a true friend acts by being a true friend, and being honest with them. Also, that means you should let them know when they are being a bad friend. Eventually, they will change when you don't take their crap. The bad way to get them to change is to just drop them all together. They need help; they need your help.

Secondly, I hope to inform you all about the real food movement. I touched on this a little bit in the last post about gardening. As Americans, we accept too much processed crap made completely out of corn or soy, not to mention all the other stuff with animal products in it (which I'll avoid from ranting about for the purposes of my focus, but do look into what those products are and what they're processed with). It is cheaper to get a fast food meal than it is to buy vegetables for a healthier home-cooked meal (this was well demonstrated in Food, Inc.). That, my friends, is messed up. Enter a pretty awesome, international movement: Slow Food. As you may guess, this movement was started in response to fast food chains worldwide. Founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy, Slow Food promotes good, clean, and fair food. Good as in seasonal, fresh, and of different kinds (for instance, Slow Food supports heirloom or heritage produce). Clean, as you may have guessed, pushes for food that does not have negative impacts on our environment, the animals we occupy this world with, and obviously ourselves. Fair refers to fair labor practices, as well as fair in that a low-income family can access this food. At my college, we are working on starting a chapter. I highly suggest you look up a chapter near you. For more info on this awesome movement: http://www.slowfood.com/

Last, but certainly not least, the snack food powers that be are lobbying to make February "National Snack Food Month." This also can be called "National Shove Ads and Promotions for Unhealthy Food that Makes Us Rich Month." It's atrocious. So, in response, #20ate was born. Make the 28 (or 20ate) days of February go by without the junk food and snacks. Opt for some healthy snacks you can make at home (that often also gives you more bang for your buck). Check out the initiatives at: http://20ate.org/

On #20ate.org, they have a video by Michael Pollan about the supermarket. You should watch it. It shows excellently how tricky it actually is to navigate away from all the crap in a supermarket. It's all about drawing the people into the center.

Remember, we can all do a whole lot to make our world better. That goes for everyone, even if they're not the nicest, richest, or smartest.

Worms, mice, and everything nice.

2011-02-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

Everything nice I wish. Unfortunately, I was not able to post yesterday, because amidst the other things on my mind such as homework, there is also a mouse dwelling in one of my room's walls. My roommate and I have no idea how it got there, but it keeps on scratching or chewing at something (it sounds like scratching at the actual wall), and is all in all very distracting. So I had to bang on the wall every time I heard it, because, if you couldn't guess, I don't want to kill it. But I really want it to go away. All I can keep thinking about when I hear it is, if it gets out of the wall into our room, and it happens to be a pregnant female mouse, that it will nest in one of my suitcases conveniently located beneath my bed.

But on to better things: Compost and vermiculture.
Here is another thing you can do every day! Composting is a perfect way to lead a zero waste lifestyle. Plus, if you garden, or get food from a local farmer, you can provide nutrient rich soil to further growing endeavors. So, all waste that is not from an animal can be mixed up with some soil, and eventually will become the soil. At my house in Chicago, coffee grounds become a large part of the compost. Also for everyone who is vegan, that pretty much means all food waste can go into the compost. Awesome. However, you should avoid putting newspaper, too much citrus/acid items, and oils in there a lot. Otherwise the quality of the soil goes down, plus sometimes you could be creating an acidic soil, which mostly conifers are only a fan of. However, if you do have a lot of acidic compost, thrown in some acid buffers to make it all better. Often limestone serves this purpose well, but I'm sure there are more cost-efficient means.

Then there is vermiculture. To really create good soil, you want worms. You want hungry worms that are just going to process and decompose everything for you. For those in a cold climate, that means you are going to want a box of worms inside the house during the winter, because only a few kinds of worms can survive outside in a compost bin during the cold season. Anyways, what everyone learns when they learn about soil is that a rich soil comes from a good rate of decomposition/churning for nutrients to get incorporated. That, and they learn worms are the doers of all that is good in our precious soil resource. And soil is one of the most important resources in the world. If its worth could be estimated in dollars, its monetary value would be in the trillions easily.

All this ties in to what I mentioned last time: good, local produce. What is more local than a farmer's market? Why, your own backyard of course! So starting a garden, while not only a great hobby, can deliver the most delicious, sweet produce you have ever had, and the best basil for the best pesto. Seriously. Gardens are the shit. And literally, they are starting to become trendy, weird as that may seem. Everyone reading this should look into urban agriculture and the whole movement of growing food wherever you are in general. Also, I guarantee you that you will never know better food than what you grow yourself. Tomatoes from your own garden will be the sweetest tomatoes you have had. You will not want to go back. Plus, what is better than fresh picked herbs to add some kick to a nice, homemade dish? Nothing.

So cut down on all the negative impacts of monoculture farming and importing from far away places, and in place of that, start your garden, make your soil, and become besties with worms. Awesome.

Now, for a gardening quote:
"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful." -Abram L. Urban

Note: If I have not mentioned this before, none of these images belong to me. Thanks Google Images!

Do One Thing

2011-02-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

Taking a tip from Alliance for Climate Education, or ACE (http://www.acespace.org/), I will now be a writing a series of posts of single things you can do to help better the world, better yourself, and just better things. ACE calls it the DOT campaign, or Do One Thing campaign. This is because, while I can rant and rave for longer than I care to estimate, it is the things we do that define us. So, I figured I could help you find some things to do. Now, since I have not posted since Saturday, I will write three single things you can do that will be awesome.

1.) Turn the water off when you are soaping up in the shower. By doing this, you can save gallons of water in a short amount of time. Also, let's be honest, if the water is on when you're soaping up, you are just working against yourself. Soaping up while the soap is running off is just silly. So turn off the water, help the planet, and get clean clean. Not kind of clean.

2.) Use your own belongings instead of using disposable, wasteful, temporary replacements. This means next time you head over to the store, bring your own bag. Don't take theirs. Or if you go to a cafe for your daily caffeine fix, bring your own mug or thermos. Also, bottled water is completely unnecessary. Grab a BPA-free water bottle and drink from the tap. I did a test in my environmental science class: there is barely any difference (and tap water usually has more minerals anyways). Not only is it better for the environment to use less products, but also there is usually a financial incentive for acting responsibly in this way. Granted it's only a few cents, but it's still money.

3.) Think globally, act locally. To narrow this down for the moment, let's say I'm talking about food. Shop at farmer's markets in your area, check what foods are in season, and more or less try and stick to the food that is coming from near you, not Peru. This is harder in winter, but at least try to stick in your time zone, in your country, for transported food at least.

And as a quick side note: if you want to kick your metabolism into gear, and also keep off hunger cravings, look towards oatmeal and/or granola for your source. Nothing starts my day off better than oatmeal, so, naturally, I think you should give it a try. And when you're looking towards winding down the night, drink a cup of green tea. It's soothing, plus high in antioxidants. Also, if you do buy some green tea, look for a naturally decaffeinated tea. Caffeine is very acidic, and in general bad for your stomach. Plus it makes you have to pee like a race horse.

Good luck DOT-ing!

It builds character. Keep at it.

2011-02-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

As Western consumers, many of us live beyond our means, and what many would consider a bit extravagant. However, that lifestyle is actually the lifestyle that we have just come to grow up with, and have become accustomed to, without thinking of the consequences of such a lifestyle.

Wintertime is a great season to demonstrate this. First off, as Western consumers, we expect to always be warm based on the heating in a building, and don't dress appropriately for the temperatures. So, when we're cold, we don't say: "Man it's chilly. Let me grab a sweater." Instead, we make a bee line to the thermostat and crank it up a few notches. We let the car heat up while we gather are stuff for the day, instead of dealing with a few minutes of cold in the car. And shoveling? Why do that when there are some real spiffy machines called snowblowers out there?

The cold of winter, while often seen as inconvenient, can really serve as bonding experiences with the family. Knit up a few warm garments, cuddle up in some blankets, play in the snow together. It's not necessary to fuel up as much as we do for the winter. We can survive just fine without spending tons of money to keep warm, as well as expending lots of fossil fuels. Keeping warm via clothes, tea, and family is a win-win. More money in your pocket, less fossil fuels, plus some real memories.

Also, I promise, all that produce of very specific seasons can be spared for a few months. We all like strawberries, but we don't need them all the time, and we don't need them at the costs of transportation. Embrace the goodness of root vegetables and whatever is in season somewhat close to where you live.

Winter is definitely the tough season for living. We're humans, and we did not evolve with particular physical characteristics to battle off the cold. Just a good brain to make innovations with materials for warmth. But, I guarantee it, we can make it through the winter with a little less than what we're living off of right now.

And, even if you don't like it, then it will at least build character.

Things that are awesome. Things that are, well, not.

2011-02-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

One thing that is awesome: VegNews. I wish I was not a broke college student so I could subscribe. They have news reports on everything veggie, and a lot of good information about what you eat. Not to mention, it is updated everyday with news from restaurants to books to celebrities trying the vegan diet. Awesome.

One thing that is very not awesome: Burger King Veggie Burgers and the Morningstar Farms fail. So you would think that BK is awesome for having a veggie burger on the menu. Then you find out they put mayonnaise on it. Then you find out why Morningstar Farms in the end is the true letdown of this story. The actual veggie patty is not even vegan. It contains egg whites as well as calcium caseinate, a milk derived ingredient. Awesome move Morningstar Farms. I will still have trouble getting food on my road trips.

Another thing that is awesome: Soap products that make you feel good inside and out. I'm currently a personal fan of JASON natural sea kelp shampoo and conditioner, as well as their chamomile "revitalizing" body wash. It keeps me smelling good, feeling clean, and being happy. I might not smell like roses, but I smell like chamomile and marigolds. Also, I have recently become a big fan of Alba Botanica's sea algae enzyme facial scrub. It exfoliates, so it makes me feel super clean and my skin feel super smooth. Plus, it also smells good.

Another thing that is not awesome: Bad labeling in college dining halls. So maybe this is just at my college, but although Bon Appetit catering does have a label for vegan foods, they are very fond of just using the vegetarian label. So, now I get to inquire and hold up lines all the time to find out exactly what kind of vegetarian food it is. No worries, though. I'm going to a food committee meeting hopefully, and I will my voice my frustration.

Third time's a charm awesomeness: Getting active. Try it out. And I mean getting active in every way. Exercising makes you feel good, activism makes you feel good, and just doing things that you think need to be done (in the not selfish kind of way, but the beneficial to all kind of way) makes everyone feel good. So get going.

Go. Be awesome. The list can go on about not awesome things, but that's why the best thing you can do to be awesome is to fix the things that are not awesome.

On that note: Burger King, you might be hearing from me soon.

And on another note, I forgot to mention some other awesome things I discovered over the break in my last post and/or things that I've known are awesome for a while and want to divulge:

-Chicago Soy Dairy makes a lot of great things, like Teese Vegan Cheese and Temptation Vegan Ice Cream/Soft Serve (this is what makes Chicago Diner milkshakes so yummy...or it's at least a factor in it). Over break, I finally tried Dandies Vegan Marshmallows. I ate a lot of them just out of the bag. Okay, most of them. They will make you so happy and (for corniness sake) dandy.

-If you want to get fat, keep Daiya Vegan Cheese in your house. You will want to make everything melty and delicious. I overindulged in vegan grilled cheese, vegan pita pizzas, and vegan scrambled tofu with this stuff. And ate a lot of it out of the bag too. There might be a reason I don't keep too much delicious food in my fridge here at college.

-If you are look for a cool, alternative, hip hangout spot, Kopi Cafe is perfect for you. It's a "Traveler's Cafe" so it has a ton of worldly kind of things, like Moroccan candle lamps, Tibetan prayer flags, etc. So it may be stereotypical worldly things, but their food is mad good. As a vegan it's a bit harder to find stuff there, but it is a vegetarian paradise. If you are still vegetarian and not vegan, try their Green Chai Milkshake. It will rock your world. However, I am discovering their vegan secrets. They have some pretty good veggie burgers, and last time I went, I had a chocolate chip vegan cheesecake. It was rich and delicious and probably totally not something I should eat. Too bad. It was sinfully good. Not to mention, Kopi also has a great boutique in the back called Jalan Jalan, with a ton of antique jewelry, regular jewelry, locally made clothes, and just a ton of other fun stuff. Definitely always look back there. Furthermore, as a "Traveler's Cafe," Kopi has a fairly large assortment of travel books on their book shelf. And just other fun books.

-M. Henry's is a godsend for any brunch fanatic. Which I am. While definitely aimed towards the vegetarian crowed rather than the vegan, they do make me very happy with their Vegan Epiphany. I always look at the lunch options on the other side, but I always end up ordering the same thing. The Vegan Epiphany is their scrambled tofu (which they make sure to put a lot of healthy good spinach in), their house potatoes (made just right with onions, red peppers, and rosemary), some fresh fruit, and yuba. Yuba, for all of those who don't know, is a soy product made from what is skimmed off while boiling soy milk. It's salty, light, thin, and kind of crunchy. Also, I will sometimes go a tad overboard and order sweet plantains as an extra side. The owners recently opened up a dinner place as well, which I have yet to visit, called M. Henrietta's.

Some tips and tricks left in my hat:
Panko breadcrumbs will always taste better than regular breadcrumbs when cooking.
Traditional Medicinals Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat tea is a lifesaver. Drink that, orange juice, and some miso and you will beat any cold. Don't forget sleep either.
Myfootprint.org and Earthweek.com are cool websites. Visit them.
Check out ChefChloe.com. She is the first vegan winner of Cupcake Wars, and is an awesome chef with a perky personality.
Spork Foods has a great vegan pantry video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07bbqeoKGcg

That's all for today!

Why "The Lorax" is Fantastic

2011-02-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

"At the far end of town

where the Grickle-grass grows
and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows
and no birds ever sing excepting old crows...
is the Street of the Lifted Lorax."

And so begins by far one of the best books of all time, applicable to all ages, at all stages--The Lorax. I first heard it I think when I was around 12 years old. At the time I was at summer camp in the unit that focuses on overnight trips outdoors and connecting to nature and community. This past summer, when I was a counselor in that unit, I bought my own copy (printed on recycled paper!) to read to my girls and spread the love.

I have yet to even meet someone who does not love The Lorax. One night I pulled out The Lorax and talked about how nerdy I was for this to be the only book (more or less) that I brought back from home, and that if she wanted to read it, my roommate could indeed borrow it. Accordingly, my roommate begins to enthuse about how awesome The Lorax is, and indeed asks to borrow it. That is the bonding nature of The Lorax.

Not to mention, here Dr. Seuss lays out in the simplest manner just why we need to care about how we affect our Earth. There are so many beautiful places, and they are so absolutely fragile to any disturbance in their ecosystem. Plus, the commentary that even a defender of such a place will only have success if people care is so right. Otherwise, no one will care until it is gone or too late.

Also, The Lorax was first published 40 years ago. So I think it's about time everyone starts caring a whole lot more, because the message The Lorax is trying to send is just more applicable and more important now than ever before. And hopefully, since not enough people listened then, they will listen now.

We all need to care about what is happening to our Earth, and we all have to stop ignoring the changes we can make in our daily lives to try and preserve our beautiful home. Care for the people around you, care for the people you've never met across the world. Care for the trees outside your window, care for the redwoods in California, care for the numerous other species of trees in the rain forests across oceans and continents. Care for every little bit of the world, and care for it enough to work towards its preservation and even a chance for it to thrive. Our world should be more important to us now than ever, because our structures of industrialization can not last in the end.

And, of course:

"Unless someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not."

Note: If anyone wants to borrow my copy, I promise I'm not exceptionally greedy with it.

To-Do List Item #6: Blog about all the cool shit you have forgotten to write about since Thanksgiving.

2011-02-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

Hey all! So if you haven't noticed, I took one of my long term hiatuses again, but then again, finals were during that hiatus so...excuse? Anyways, I will go over all the cool things I have done, experienced, fallen in love with since around Thanksgiving. Ready. Go.

Ok. Item number 1 of need-to-know things if you are vegan in Chicago. Garrett's Popcorn, the famous Chicago based gourmet popcorn shop, is not as un-vegan as one would think. In fact, their "Buttery Popcorn" is not made with butter, but rather coconut oil (which by the way is 10 times better for you). So, if you are going to see an IMAX movie in Navy Pier, I suggest stopping by Garrett's for your popcorn. And do that thing where you act super stealthy and sneak it into the theater. Of course, they still have all their classic flavors for the non-vegans who have no qualms about ordering whichever ingredients. For more info on Garrett's locations, their flavors, tins, orders, and the whatnot: http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/

Item number 2. I don't know how I haven't told everyone in the world via blog this yet, but Vosges Haut Chocolate, a gourmet chocolate shop, is delicious and offers a lot of vegan chocolate options, including vegan truffles (acai and coconut to be exact). Not to mention, if you are as big of a hot chocolate fanatic as my roommate, some really good hot chocolate options. They are actually so good that Vosges can't call them hot chocolate. That doesn't give enough credit to how rich they are. They are instead called "Drinking Chocolates." So basically chocolate in pure liquid form. Yum. My favorites would be the Black Pearl chocolate bar (ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds make it oh so good), and the Aztec Elixir drinking chocolate (dark drinking chocolate with a spicy kick). This chocolate isn't lacking either. My parents' favorite chocolate flavor, the Red Fire bar, also happens to be vegan. My parents are very much not vegan. To browse and salivate: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/

Item number 3. Karyn's on Green is by far up there on the list of best gourmet vegan restaurants I have had the pleasure of experiencing. The restaurant, owned by Karyn Calabrese of Karyn's Fresh Corner and Karyn's Cooked (two other vegan hotspots in Chicago), mixes a youthful interior with gourmet, feel-good foods. When I was there, I ordered the Aged Raw Cheese plate and the Sausage Pizza. The raw cheeses were all cashew based but with different mixtures for different flavors, including green algae, brazil nuts, and more that I just can't remember (I did go there over Thanksgiving break after all). While it might not sound like cheese to everyone out there, my carnivore of a dad even took the plunge and tried some, even saying that it tasted like real cheese. The sausage pizza had a white bean sage puree and broccoli rabe too. It was really light and good, but I was still fascinated by the cheese plate to pay it due attention. Also, my friend from Scotland was visiting with us, and he got a curry dish with steak fries. While the curry dish was extremely good, my parents and I couldn't help but steal the steak fries and enjoy the delicious dips that accompanied them (the chipotle was as it's meant to be, and the barbeque sauce was nice and smoky). Note, also, that when heading over to the washroom, there is a list of famous vegetarians painted on the wall. Some of those included, such as Chicago rapper Common, have been to the restaurant and signed their name. For more info: http://www.karynsongreen.com/default.htm

Item number 4: I also cannot believe I haven't told you all about the Little Asia neighborhood in Chicago. Well, by Argyle and Broadway is a plethora of restaurants, shops, and grocery marts of Asian background, many of which sell vegan stuff. Definitely go to La Patisserie P for your baked goods (in particular the sesame seed mochi balls and the snowballs), and then stop over by Hai Yen, a Vietnamese restaurant for some delicious veggie tamarind soup. You can look all these different places up online. For La Patisserie P: http://www.lapatisseriep.com/

Side note: I made mochi over break thanks to a recipe I found on Veganyumyum.com. This was the softer mochi, not the sesame ball kind. I made the dough with Mochiko in the microwave, as the recipe calls for, and made my own red bean paste! Future warning: look up where to find Adzuki beans, or you will become quickly frustrated. Also, note that this is a project, and does not go perfect the first time around. I had some trouble making the mochi into the nice little pillows they usually are, but again, first time for everything. Plus the dough is super gooey. Corn starch will become your best friend if you try making these. Also, for the record, if you are cooking, a soba noodle salad is super quick and super delicious. As is miso soup. Put these three together for a delicious Asian feast for family and friends.

Item number 5: My family's favorite restaurant of maybe all time in general. Ras Dashen, an Ethiopian restaurant. With almost every veggie option being vegan, plus spicy meat dishes for the omnivores in my family, everyone comes here pleased, leaves about ready to burst, and cannot be happier. I highly recommend the okra and lentils in berbere sauce (Misserana bowmia), the ground chickpea stew which almost has a buttery flavor (Shirro), and the sweet and sour red cabbage (Yeqay tikil gomen). Also, if the beet salad is on the specials list, it is definitely worth getting. The staff is always exceptionally nice and helpful with your orders. Oftentimes people will go to Ras Dashen and just ask for recommendations, because the servers will help you get it right. While I am not a coffee fan, Ras Dashen serves traditional Ethiopian coffee (Buna be jebena) that is just right for the big coffee fan. I usually get the Ethio Chai myself. Furthermore, the restaurant is owned by an Ethiopian Jew, which I find particularly awesome. My whole family ate at Ras Dashen before I left for Israel, and the servers talked to me about it. For more info: http://www.rasdashenchicago.com/

Item number 6. Chocolate. Peanut butter. Milkshakes. Everyone, I have found bliss. So, when I came back to Chicago, my parents took me to Chicago Diner. Score number 1 for my awesome parents. I got the Country Fried Steak, a side of Mac n Cheese (my fav alternate mac n cheese I've tried), and decided to take the plunge into fat heaven with the Chocolate Peanut butter Milkshake. My friends, I will never look back again. It was a thick, liquid Reese's peanut butter cup. It was absolute heaven. I just...I need to find out how to make them for every week of my life. I am also telling you now that Chicago Diner does it best. I tried Earwax Cafe's milkshake of the same flavor, and while still delicious, it was just a grade below (although I will always go there if I'm craving a cinnamon milkshake, my second fav flavor). Not to mention Chicago Diner is just the about the awesomest of the awesome. Go there. http://www.veggiediner.com/wp/

Item number 7. Liquid nitrogen + flavors and colors + milk of your choice= Ice Cream for the scientist. That's what iCream offers. You choose the kind of ice cream you want (organic, regular, low fat, or soy), flavors, colors, and mix-ins. Then they pop everything in an electric beater and mix it with liquid nitrogen. Wham bam ice cream. They also do this with yogurt, and for the cold days, you can opt for pudding (rice or regular). It's cool and awesome, and totally worth going at least once. For info: http://www.icreamcafe.com/

Item number 8. Fritz Pastry is a little Euro-style cafe that offers a super good Chai latte, vegan donuts (courtesy of Glazed Donuts), and a yummy, buttery tasting blueberry muffin. While they are not a strictly vegan place, just ask what is vegan there, and they'll help you out. I hear they are good to go to for macarons, and also my Aussie friends said their croissants were really yummy. http://fritzpastry.com/

Also, just enjoy Wicker Park if you go there. Veggie Bite, an all vegan fast food place, is also down there, and is a constant favorite of mine (http://veggiebite.net/APRIL2009VB(2).swf). But yes, Wicker Park is trendy and super vegan friendly. And just friendly.
If you like hookah, try out the Nelson Mandela flavor at Samah. It really is worth it.
Sprinkles cupcakes, found nationwide, is super cute. I vote they get more vegan flavors than red velvet.
If you hit up Evanston, Blind Faith Cafe has been a vegetarian staple for a long time.

Anyways, I think that's about it for now. I'll talk more about inspiring things later, but I just thought I'd give my two cents on some delicious eating around Chicago. And cooking. Try what you can, and you will be a happy, putting-on-the-pounds camper.

What have you done for your Earth today?

2010-11-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure I've said in earlier posts, this blog is not only about veganism. Though it does seem often like that's the direction I'm headed in, being vegan is just one of the ways I find it easiest to make an impact on today's environmental situation, and one of the ways I feel like I make an impact that is tangible in my own life. Our environmental situation is not yet getting better, and right now is the time for those of us capable of making decisions for our futures to make responsible decisions, and the choices necessary for human survival. While the Earth will keep going, our stay as a species is not guaranteed, and the threat is only ourselves. Though I may just be writing to whoever is out there in cyberspace, I urge whoever reads this to take personal action in their own lives, and not just their own, but in consideration of those lives we wish to save in the future. Do not just take action for yourself either, but write to those in power with your concerns. We have voices, and we ought to use them to demand a structural change for thousands of species', including our own, survival. Every human is capable of making changes, and every idea is untouchable, but can spread like a virus. Spread the word for the sake of our environment and all living kind. Innovation must not be stagnant, and the only direction to go is towards sustainability. Imagine a world where problem solving is not delayed for the economy's sake, but where the economy is the force of sustainability. Governments around the world met and found that they spend around 500 BILLION dollars subsidizing fossil fuels (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100421133110.htm). We are paying for our own destruction. Think of the infrastructure that money could build. At the rate we are going, we are ensuring our extinction, and it is time to stand up for our rights as living beings. Not to mention the billions, or maybe even trillions, of dollars spent on military funding to protect oil interests in Middle Eastern countries. The unemployment level, last time I checked, was around 10% for Americans. Think of how that figure can transform when we rebuild our systems to function sustainably. We have the technology, we have the money, we have the capital; what we need is the dedication.

So, again, what have you done for your Earth today?

So I'm in college now...

2010-10-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

And I am jonesin for some tips on how to survive here. Granted the only true obstacle I've had to face is a leaky ceiling (which really does suck), but food for a vegan gets fairly repetitive, and I do not know what to make when my supplies, time, and foodstuffs are nonexistent or extremely difficult to retrieve.

So, if you have any ideas for a vegan student to satisfy her cooking cravings in a very college-satisfactory way, that would be appreciated in the likes you cannot imagine.

My First Baking Recipe (!!!)

2010-05-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for a while I've wanted to try my hand at making my own cookie recipe, or basically a recipe I can go to for a base dough and just throw whatever I want into the mix as I go. I finally tried it when I made dessert for mine and my friends' Alternate Prom. And so, without further ado:

Super Chunky, Everything but the Kitchen Sink, Vegan Cookies
Makes 1-2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1.25 c flour
1 c oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1 banana
1/2 c margarine (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c cane sugar
3 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs vanilla soy milk (this is just what I used, but feel free to use a different alternative milk)
1 c vegan chocolate chips (I like chunky cookies, but feel free to use less chocolate chips)
1 c miscellaneous ingredients (In this batch I used sliced almonds, pecans, dried cherries, and dried cranberries. You can take out the chocolate chips and just add this stuff if you want.)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover two cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper, but never ever ever use wax paper or you will cry as you try to scavenge some cookies off the sheets of paper they are stuck to. If you choose to just grease pans, the baking time will be less at the end.
2. Mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and ground flaxseed in a large bowl.
3. Mash up banana in a medium bowl. Then add margarine, light brown sugar, and cane sugar. Mix well. We don't want chunks of brown sugar.
4. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract to the sugar and margarine mix.
5. Add the liquid ingredients in the medium bowl into the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Mix well.
6. Add the vegan chocolate chips and mix.
7. Add the miscellaneous ingredients and mix.
8. Add the vanilla soy milk and mix.
9. Drop in heaping tablespoons onto the cookie sheets.
10. Bake for from 13-18 minutes. If using a greased pan, go more towards 13 minutes, but if using a silicone mat, go towards 18 minutes or so. You want the cookie bottoms to look golden brown, not burnt.
11. Take out the cookies and let cool. If you used a greased pan, use a cooling rack.
12. Eat and enjoy!

Let me know how this goes for you!
Next time I make them, I will post pictures.

Lessons from Memphis

2010-05-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

So, as lately I've been very serious in everything I've written, I thought I'd lighten it up and just do a bit of recounting of my trip to Memphis this weekend.

The reason for my trip was my cousin's wedding. Now, Memphis happens to be the barbecue capital, specifically barbecued pork capital, of the world. You might think I'm exaggerating a tad, but Memphis is actually the host of the International Barbecue Fest. That took place this weekend. If you are not a new reader, you may recall that I come from a family of meat eaters, so they had no dietary issues this weekend. However, if you are going to Memphis, be prepared to eat a lot of fried food, salads, or make your own entree based on the side dishes and vegan ingredients used in other dishes. However, whatever you do, DO NOT pass up on trying the barbecue sauce at Rendezvous. No, there is not a dish at Rendezvous that offers the barbecue sauce on some meat substitute, but I tried it on some bread rolls, and it is not worth passing up. Rendezvous does also have a meatless red beans and rice entree too, so it's not a place worth passing up, even though they are renowned for their meat fare.

Tips for car rides: Bring. Snacks. I made the cardinal mistake of depending on gas station convenient stores for my snacks and it was not so fun. Sure they have trail mixes and chips and the like, but generally only the super super salty kind that just makes me feel greasy and gross. SO DON'T FORGET. Trail mix is easy to make, and I wish I had thought of making my own stash for the trip, but you win some you lose some. I'll be sure to remember for my trip to college in August.

Tips for a wedding where you are the only vegan: Sneak in dessert. Generally there will be some sort of vegetable side or entree that can supplement for a meal, but it is torture supplementing dessert with the fresh fruit tray when there are little mini desserts on hand, as well as a gigantic wedding cake taking center stage. I actually had to remind myself why, no, taking a little dip of the finger into a mousse was not something I stood for. Seriously, having a dessert stash on hand would definitely come in handy (as long as you don't devour it if you forgot trail mix and snacks for the car ride).

However, when it comes down to it, traveling is so worth any dietary mishaps. Memphis is filled with attractions that I could not get enough of. Don't be fooled by what I said earlier, there is vegetarian fare in Memphis, it was just no where that I went with my family. First off, come to Memphis if you like music. Period. Beale street is filled with live cafe joints, and if you're over 21, offers a supposedly swinging nightlife with lots of alcohol (I can only assume a little of this as I was not really allowed into any of the actual blues clubs since I'm only 18 and they don't want to risk serving alcohol to someone underage). But, I was allowed on Beale during the day, and there was some cool stuff going on. A. Schwab's is a must because they have everything imaginable and have been around for over 100 years. Also, definitely check out B.B. King's Blue's Club. I went there for lunch, and along with some tasty fried dill pickles, listened to some rocking blues (the lead guitarist was 89 years old! Respect.). Everyone was singing and dancing, including an old lady who started pole dancing, but it was awesome. Simply. Awesome.

Graceland is also really cool. I can't say I've been a big Elvis fan, though of course, like anyone, I know his songs, but I think it's partially because I didn't know much about him. It was really interesting looking into his home life and how down-to-earth he was, at least before Las Vegas. But don't get souvenirs there. Way too pricey.

However, my favorite stop was probably at Sun Studios. Any true music lover would appreciate this landmark for all music of all time. Rock was invented there and there is not really any place that can match Sun Records for authenticity of awesomeness in music history. I've got mad respect for all the people that are there and have been there.

Now that I'm back in 'Sweet Home Chicago,' I can strut my stuff in my Sun Studios shirt, Elvis sunglasses, and rock out to my B.B. King (live at Cook County jail of course). It was a great trip, and there is no excuse for anyone or any veggie to skip over Memphis on account of anything.

Being an adult

2010-05-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

So I officially turned 18 on April 28. The world should begin preparing itself now, because there needs to be change, and I hope to be in the front lines for it (if that was not made evident enough by my posts so far). However, still being in high school definitely provides its limits. Such a big part of me wants to drop what I'm doing (which, being a second semester senior with more than enough credits to graduate, is not much) and go to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and help in the animal rescue. If I didn't have five million things before graduation to do, I probably would do it too.

I'm not superstitious or anything, but if there was ever a sign that people need to stop being so caught up in their own wants and needs and start worrying about our planet, it was that oil spill. Beforehand, majority of Americans supported offshore drilling. Now they have reason to really think about the consequences of constantly sucking every little drop of a nonrenewable resource left. It's not a good thing that the oil spill occurred at all, and in no way am I saying that it is, but it has provided a wake up call I hope will serve as momentum for more energy alternative measures.

As someone who is trying to live conscious of the degrading environment we live in, and thus sustainably, I just want to say:
IT'S NOT HARD!

I do not have to forego five million things a day. I actually like how I'm living thank you very much. I use less water in my showers, and I feel like I'm really helping our crisis. I bike and my body feels better, and I feel better guilt wise. I don't eat animal products, and it has made so much difference in how I feel day to day physically, mentally, just, every way. People learn about my lifestyle and think it must be difficult, but it really is not. I believe in what I am doing, and I believe that it is necessary for the changes to be made. Anything is made easy if you really believe in it.

So, everything comes down to the personal decision. You can't make a decision without knowing the facts, so educate yourself on what is really going on out there. And I mean from factual sources, not bloggers or editorialists. Then look at how you're living, and if it really fits in with what you believe is right. If you feel guilty or a nagging feeling inside, chances are there's something you're doing that you don't feel quite right about.

Make the change. If you believe in your actions and yourself, it's not hard in the least.