Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Kind Holiday Wishes

Now that the air has turned crisp and the sky is a little more grey I can believe that the winter holidays are really on their way! This makes me think of wishes and gifts. Here's a little peek at some things that are on MY wish list, and things I'd like to get/make for those I love.

(Thug Kitchen - $14.61 on Amazon)

This Vegan cookbook is getting great reviews. I love reading cookbooks just for fun and this one looks like a real winner. Of course, the recipes are supposed to be amazing too. This would make a great gift for non-Vegan chefs as well. Because after all, good food is just good food!



(Harveys Seatbelt Bag/Storm-Chestnut Black Label Briefcase - $168)


I seem to always be on the hunt for a lovely, solid, Vegan bag. I love that this one zips to protect your computer, papers, etc... from the harsh winter elements. Harveys is also a great company that feels good to support. It was started by a husband/wife team making quality bags out of recycled seatbelts. My Haveys bag is my most complimented bag of all time.


(Ahnu Women's Karma Mesh Ballet Flat - $69.98)


Cute, Vegan "work shoes" can be very difficult to find. Personally I like accessories with a little quirk. These Vegan ballet flats fit the bill perfectly!



(Dr. Bronner's Magic "All-One" Organic Lip Balm - $2.99)

This lovely little balm would make a great hostess gift or stocking stuffer. It works fantastic keeping your lips smooth for hours, even after indulging in some holiday nosh. I like the "naked" best, but if you're more into flavors they have plenty to choose from.


(Animal Holiday Gift Tags from sanaeishida.com - FREE!)

I found these adorable gift tags on Pinterest and plan on using them this Christmas for my friends and family gifts.


(Raw Vegan Fudge - Recipe from "The Culinary Life")

This was another Pinterest find. I typically do some baking and this is my first holiday as a Vegan. So, I was looking for some Vegan subs to my favorite foodie gifts. I'm looking forward to giving this recipe a try.


(Cool Photos That YOU Take - Free/$$$)

I came up with the idea of taking black and white photos of some of my (now grown) son's favorite toys, then turning them into a collage for him. Photos make wonderful, personal gifts that you can really tailor to your recipient. Personally I like Shutterfly for my printing. They have good coupons and sales and save you the hastle of dealing with the post office during the holidays.




Monday, November 3, 2014

Vegan Police

People who think they are the "Vegan Police" bug the crap out me of. It's not anyone's job to police anything that another person eats. Seriously! And being a Vegan isn't about being "perfect" or never eating anything that came from an animal or insect ever again for the rest of your life.



To me being Vegan means that animal welfare is a top priority for you and that you do your best to be a thoughtful consumer. For me that didn't mean trashing every leather purse and pair of shoes I own because now I'm Vegan. I woudn't buy them again in the future, but to waste what I already have is a little crazy. I also admit to once in a while eating a non-Vegan meal. It is rare, but it does happen. In short, I just do my best! No one needs the Vegan Police to judge their choices (even if it means you lose your Vegan superpowers).


(Photos courtesy of Scott Pilgrim vs The World)

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Skin Deep

What you put on your skin is just as important as what you put in your stomach. Did you know that your skin is your body's largest organ and that it absorbs whatever chemicals you put on it? For women, that can be a LOT of toxins going in your body. From lead in mascara, to collagen (from animals) in your face cream, to formaldahyde in your nail polish (and remover.) You need to know what are in these products you use.



Vaseline recently came out with a product I just adored called "Spray & Go" spray lotion. My skin is super dry (especially my back) and this product really helped! In fact, I'd go so far as to call it a medical necessity. That is till I read the ingredients. Along with tons of things I can't pronounce and have no idea what they are (always a bad sign), it contains "lactic acid."

According to the "interwebs" (as we call it in our house) lactic acid is:
  1. a colorless syrupy organic acid formed in sour milk and produced in the muscle tissues during strenuous exercise.

EW! Apparently that's what I was spraying on my back! I have no idea the source, if it's dairy or fermented herbs? But I'm looking for an alternative with ingredients I can pronounce. Enter the Etsy search! I love Etsy. Aside from supporting artists around the world, you quite often get a much higher quality product with great ingredients.



I ordered a bottle of hand made spray lotion from the Etsy seller AardeLlios and am excited to give it a try! Her ingredients are: Aloe vera, shea butter, coconut oil, hempseed oil, avocado oil and Vitamin E. I love that I know what all that stuff is and can pronounce it all! I'll be sure to share how it works out.

(If you're curious, the ingredients for Vaseline Spray & Go are: Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Sorbitan, Isostearate, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Avena Sativa (oat) Straw Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Disostearate, Tapioca Starch, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloydimethyltaurate/vp Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Dihydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium Edta, Propylene Glycol, Lactic Acid)

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

No Trick... Just Treat!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I just love the idea of being someone else... anything else for one night! (Although I'll likely spend this Halloween on the couch with my husband watching old Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV episodes.)

Every year we go to the same pumpkin patch, and every year we carve pumpkins together. Here's this years crop!



Every year I also try to make roasted pumpkin seeds. This is the first year it worked!
Here's what I did:
- Separate out the seeds from the goo and wash them well in a colander
- Boil the seeds for 30min in water
- Drain and dry the seeds
- Toss the seeds in a bowl with 3 tbsp olive oil, paprika, cyan pepper, garlic powder and salt. (Or whatever floats your boat)
- Spread seeds on a pan and bake at 400* for 30min
- INHALE!



(Finished Roasted Pumpkin Seeds)



Have a wonderful Halloween!

Monday, October 27, 2014

The Sweet Sweet Life

I have a morning sweet tooth. I can curb my urges later in the day, but I really love something sweet first thing! Must be the little kid in me. I've shared with you my 12-step worthy addiction to Whole Foods Vegan doughnuts, but the other day I also was introduced to these beauties...


I popped one of them in the toaster oven at my school and was instantly transported to heaven. Seriously. HEAVEN!

That same weekend my awesome husband came to Berkeley with me. While I had class, he made a special trip to Cinnaholic for me. An all Vegan gourmet cinnamon bun shop. (Then he carried my buns around all day.)




They have tons of flavors to choose from. We had brownie and berry.
(I ate it too fast to even get a picture!)

The lovely ladies of Cinnaholic

So yeah... As you can see... being a Vegan means having a diet full of sacrifice, bland food, and a lot of willpower. NOT!!! I sure am living the sweet life. I'm sweet on animals, and sweet on these Vegan buns. YUM!


Thursday, October 16, 2014

Yo Vegan!

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary shared this "Vegan Rap" video on Facebook today. I loved it so very much that I just HAD to share! I hope it makes you smile too.


Saturday, October 11, 2014

Ready to Party!

I frequently find myself in this odd window of "hungry" when I have a party to go to. You're a little hungry, but want to wait for all the good food at the party. But you know that if you don't eat SOMETHING you'll come off like a starving refuge in front of all your friends.

This is the PERFECT solution. A hemp protein shake.
Now before you roll your eyes at me and think "hemp is for hippies!" stay with me for a bit. Hemp is a great source of protein. 3 tbsp of Hemp Protein powder (which is only ground hemp seeds) has 16g of protein! Add some organic soy milk into the shake and you're up to 20g+ IMPRESSIVE! In fact it was my nutritionist who suggested I give it a try.

Note: You always want to look for "organic soy" because soy is the #1 GMO crop (but if it's organic, it's not GMO.) This goes for soy milk (or "bean juice" as my husband likes to call it) and tofu.

So, here's my perfect delicious pre-party smoothie:
(layer them into your blender like this)

  • 1 banana (broken into 3-4 pieces)
  • 3 tbsp Organic Hemp Protein Powder
  • 1 handful mixed greens (or just kale w/o the veins & stems)
  • 1 cup frozen organic blueberries
  • A few pieces (about 3-4) of frozen mango (or other sweet fruit)
  • 1 cup Organic Soy Milk (I use unsweetened)
  • 1 cup Orange juice with Vit. D & Calcium fortified


Blend baby! BLEND!

I like to drink it out of a quart mason jar, not because I'm a Hipster, but because it fits perfectly!



One word about smoothies. Make sure you soak or rinse out your blender right away. This stuff sticks like glue! Ditto for whatever cup you use. You'll also note that I'm using a cheap $20 blender. I've had it for a zillion years and it works just fine. I've had Vitamix smoothies before I feel personally that it's just a gimmick to get more money. But hey... do what works best for you!

Now I'm all charged up and party ready!