Vegan Fox in the Snow

Coming soon...

2011-12-07T08:20:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! Today is the day for the talk. I plan to pick up the pace a bit after that and thought I would give you a taste of what is coming up. ;)

I plan to post recipes and photos of some of our current favorite things to eat, including a tempeh potpie!

Is anyone interested in a swap? I know that December can be a little rough for many people, but perhaps we could do a simple holiday card exchange, homemade or store-bought. Either way, we will definitely get the ball rolling in January!

There is a lot of great vegan literature out there! I have been reading bits and pieces of things to prepare for the talk. I will post some of my recommendations very soon! If you have read anything wonderful, please post about it in the comments! You can also check my Twitter profile (bird icon on the left) to see a few quotes from my readings.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful December so far!

November is here and so am I

2011-11-21T14:14:00.001-06:00

Hello out there!! Sorry for dropping off the blog-world for another month. It will happen ;) Lately I've been feeding my new obsession: swap-bot. It's so great to send out happy bits of mail and find some in my box in return! Speaking of, if you would like a bit of happiness let me know or e-mail me with your snail mail addy and I would be happy to send a note or bit of mail art your way. It might be a few weeks (as I will discuss in a minute), but I'd be happy to do it. I'll be loading some photos up to Flickr soon and will be sure to post a link here.

In other news, next month I am giving a talk on vegetarianism, veganism and the in-between. The program is titled "Demystifing Vegetarianism." Isn't that an awesome title? A branch manager for one of the other library branches in town asked if I would be interested in hosting this and I had to say yes. I'm very nervous about it, but I am so excited for the opportunity to share some ideas with the community and promote any changes that people are willing to make (or consider)! I'm definitely a team player and value others thoughts and ideas, so if you have given a similar talk or have any helpful tips or thoughts please send them my way! The vegan blog community is AMAZING and I would love to hear your thoughts! If you're not a vegan, what sorts of things would you want to hear about? I will keep you updated with anything interesting that comes along in the process.

We have a winner...

2011-10-20T09:07:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to ikkinlala!!

This book had been banned by the Republic school system, very close to where I live. The Springfield-Greene County library system received a grant allowing Sarah Ockler, the author, to come and speak in the area. It was an amazing opportunity for the community and I'm so happy to be able to celebrate and pass on the love of banned books! For the curious, here's my previous blog entry about the giveaway. To learn more about the book here's a link to goodreads.

Yo swappers! Want a sweet treat in the mail?

Vegan MoFo Swap 2: Sweet Treats

2011-10-18T17:45:00.002-05:00

**This swap has been postponed until further notice. Please feel free to comment or contact me if you are interested and I can let you know when it happens :)

Did I mention that we are having two swaps this month? Well, that was no lie!

Sweet Treats Swap:

* You will send a package with one sweet item (regular sized candy bar, large cookie, etc.) to one other person! Feel free to send a sample of smaller chocolates or sweets, as long as they are equal in value to a regular sized item it is fine ;) You are welcome to send more, but this is all that is expected ;) Sweets may be store-bought or homemade!

* To sign up, leave a comment below or send me an e-mail. Please contact me if you have any dietary restrictions, allergies or general dislikes (people who don't like chocolate do exist! strange, I know!). I will pass that information on to your partner, but do not let this keep you from signing up!

* Sign-ups close on Mon., Oct. 31. You will receive your swap partner's information sometime the next day.

* Swaps should be sent out by Fri., Nov. 11. If you are unable to send it at that time, please send early or do not sign up.

* If you are a first time swapper, please send your snail mail info. to me at aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com

* Questions or thoughts? E-mail me or comment below!

This is just a fun way to send a little sweetness in the mail :)

By the way, I am getting very excited about mail swaps, mail art, postcards, etc.! If you are interested in doing a separate, one-on-one swap please e-mail me and we will set something up!

VeganMoFo: Pumpkin Harvest Curry

2011-10-15T14:47:00.002-05:00

A few days left for the Banned Book Giveaway!

Last night I met up with an awesome group of vegans, vegetarians and anyone else interested! We have a group set up on Facebook for anyone in the area to join. This was our first meet-up and around 15 people showed up! Next month we're going to have a vegan Thanksgiving potluck and I'm psyched!

Over the past year I've become very intrigued by mail art and mail correspondence in general. I've mentioned the bookmark exchanges on goodreads before and these have really added to my interest. A week or so ago I signed up for swap-bot. If you like receiving and sending mail you should definitely check it out! Feel free to look me up and give a shout ;)

Here's a package I sent out this morning (my first bit of mail art; before postage):

There's an awesome crew of vegan bloggers in the Vegan Cooking and Cookbooks group on goodreads. In honor of Vegan MoFo we decided to hold a cooking challenge! Each of will make a pumpkin dish and post about it on our blogs. I will list links to each of their entries at the end!

For this challenge I decided to use fresh pumpkin. I've only cooked with the canned stuff and pumpkin seeds in the past, so I thought this would be interesting :) I picked out a leaning medium pumpkin that I took fancy to at a local produce stand, but from what I've read since you might want a smaller pumpkin. Evidently, smaller pumpkins are ideal for cooking as they will have more flavor. In the end, we were pleased with the results, so no complaints from this house!

Pumpkin Harvest Curry

I just threw in spices that appealed to me in the process so please adjust and experiment to suit your tastes!

The Goods:
1/2 med. pumpkin
1 pkg tempeh
1 zucchini
2 sm. or 1 lrg. red pepper
1/2 red onion
1 can coconut milk
1 c. water (add more as needed)
sesame oil
tamari or other soy sauce
curry spice mix
cinnamon
coriander (freshly ground)
garam masala spice mix
ginger
lemon juice
pinch of salt (if needed)

Pumpkin:
Divide the pumpkin into eighths and roast at 350 F for 30-45 min. Set aside.

Zucchini, pepper, and onion:
Slice and fry at medium-high heat in a dry skillet (I use cast-iron) for 1-3 minutes. You want these to stay crisp to add a little variety to the textures in the dish.

Tempeh:
Add a little sesame oil to the skillet. The skillet should already be warm from the veggies. Toss in tempeh and splash a little tamari or soy sauce on top. Once brown, set to the side.

Curry Sauce:
Add sesame oil to the skillet. Add all spices and stir around for 30 seconds or so. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and mix with spices. Let this sit for a minute or so. This is the base of your sauce, like using a curry paste. Add the coconut milk and cup of water and mix thoroughly. Then let the sauce simmer over medium low or medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Putting it all together:
Mix everything into the sauce, add a splash of lemon juice, and let simmer for a few minutes. You want everything to absorb a little of the flavor of the sauce without losing the crispness of the veggies.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cooking Challenge!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares ~ Plenty Sweet Enough

Pumpkin Curry with Lentils ~ A Cowhugger's Life
Vegan Baked Pumpkin-Bourbon French Toast with Pepita Caramel Syrup ~ The Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Lasagna ~ Carrot Top Vegan

Liebster Award ~ Thanks Farrah!

2011-10-13T21:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks Farrah! Farrah's a new vegan who has an awesome blog that you should definitely check out ~ Carrot Top Vegan.

"Liebster" is German for 'dearest' or 'beloved' but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea behind this award is to bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers and show some support.

The rules of winning this award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!

I am so honored to receive this award a second time :) Especially because it means that I get to share the love! Once again it is so freakin' hard to choose! For this round I have chosen some of my fav's over 100, but still under the 200 follower mark (last time I tried to stay under 100) and some newer fav's. Once again these are all AMAZING blogs that you should check them out!:

*Vegan Flower*

*Coffee & Sunshine*

*Vegan CineGrub*

*VegSpinz*

*Bread Without Butter*

Liebster Award ~ Thanks Val!

2011-10-12T14:13:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much Val! Please check out her blog, A Cowhugger's Life. As some of you know I'm a huge fan of goodreads. We have a great vegan group on goodreads with awesome bloggers, like A Cowhugger's Life ;) In the past I've been really bad about award posts, so I'm posting this asap before it gets left behind!

"Liebster" is German for 'dearest' or 'beloved' but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea behind this award is to bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers and show some support.

The rules of winning this award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!

It is NOT at all easy to pick, but all of these bloggers deserve it! They are all awesome and you should check them out!:

*Zombie Cats Eating Plants*

*Vegan and so Forth*

*Dandelion Vegan Blog*

*lovinlivinvegan*

*Budgeting with the Bushmans*

Want to get in on the action?:
* Recipe Swap ~ sign-up by Oct. 15
* Book Giveaway ~ sign-up by Oct. 18

Banned Book Giveaway: Twenty Boy Summer

2011-10-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to commenter 5: book_pusher!!

*Giveaway now closed*

During Banned Books Week the Springfield-Green County Library system (Missouri) held a series of events. The headliner this year was a visit from Sarah Ockler whose book Twenty Boy Summer was banned from the Republic school system and later made available to students with parental permission. You can view more links and read some of my ramblings about it here. The Republic Monitor recently published an interview with Ockler, taken after a Read-Out at the Republic Branch Public Library. -link-

GIVEAWAY: A signed copy of Twenty Boy Summer :)

To Enter:

* Leave a message in the comments telling me about a banned or challenged book that you have read or would like to read. There are tons of books out there to choose from! (You'd be surprised at some of the books that have been banned: The Giver, Call of the Wild, The Great Gatsby, Slaughterhouse Five, Little Women, A Wrinkle in Time, Merriam-Webster Dictionary...)

* Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you (if your e-mail is attached to your profile, that works).

* Giveaway will be open until October 18. I will randomly choose the winner the next morning.

Vegan MoFo: Weekly Wrap-up

2011-10-08T21:20:00.002-05:00

There is so much awesome food floating around on the blogosphere during Vegan MoFo that I decided to take a cue from Scissors & Spice and create a Pinterest board to keep track of some of the awesome food finds. Have you checked out Pinterest yet? I found about it while at work one day and decided to use it to tag ideas for teen programs. It's like have tons of virtual cork-boards to view. And yes, it can be quite addicting!

I'm just starting to catch up on some of this week's feed, so much of this is from the last day or two. Here's a screen shot with some of this week's selection. It's quite small because I haven't quite figured out the best way to do this. BUT it's here and if you click it you'll see the bigger picture:

And now for some Shout-outs to some awesome bloggers. Check them out!:
*Molly ~ Vegan Flower ~ Especially made my week because I got lucky and won her giveaway!
*Amber ~ Zombie Cats Eating Plants
* Jenny ~ Vegan and so forth
* Rose ~ Dandelion Vegan Blog
* Michelle ~ lovinlivinvegan
* Carissa ~ Coffee & Sunshine
* Bobbie ~ Budgeting with the Bushmans
* Val ~ A Cowhugger's Life
* Lee ~ Plenty Sweet Enough
* Farah ~ Carrot Top Vegan
* Betsy ~ The Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes
* Kathy ~ Healthy Slow Cooking

Vegan MoFo: Coconut bacon, Avocado, & Tomato on Focaccia

2011-10-07T15:40:00.001-05:00

In the trend of trying new things in the kitchen, I made focaccia! I used the recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Next time I will make adjustments so that it is thick enough to slice through the middle for sandwiches.

A few years ago I worked as a cook in a coffee shop in Columbia, MO. We made huge cookie sheets of focaccia that we had to slice through for paninis. Initially it was so intimidating! Here you are, faced with a huge sheet of bread, and you're expected to cut through it - no mistakes. But you get the hang of it by starting slowly. By the fourth or fifth pan you'll feel like a pro ;)

I filled this bad boy with coconut bacon, avocado, tomato, fresh sprouts, zucchini, and veganaise. Served up with burrito leftovers (beans, rice and Daiya).

Inside shot:

It's been quite fun (and a bit challenging!) posting every day this week. I was planning to aim for the whole month, but I'm going to change it up a bit. Part of the fun of Vegan MoFo for me is previewing the awesome things everyone else is doing and discovering new blogs. This week I haven't done nearly as much of that as I would like! I would rather make more time for blog reading than fretting about posting daily. So, my current goal will be 3-4 a week during October. Considering I didn't post for nearly two months before that I think it's a good goal ;)

Check back soon for the Banned Books Giveaway!

I'm Sprouting!

2011-10-06T20:37:00.001-05:00

Ever since my sister told me how easy it is to sprout I've been meaning to do it. Well, I'm a bit of a procrastinator and a few years have passed. But Sunday I took charge and started soaking some beans.

The beginning of my sprout revolution:

And success! We now have homegrown sprouts :)

Vegan Mofo: Big Fat Burrito

2011-10-05T20:28:00.000-05:00

First I'd like to give a shout-out to my friend Bobbie who just started blogging! Her new blog, Budgeting with the Bushmans, is awesome and you should definitely check it out! Bobbie and her family recently moved to a small town in Northwest Missouri near an awesome eco-village, Dancing Rabbit (read about my visit last year here: part 1 and part 2).

Craving a burrito? Here's what we put in ours:

The Beans: After cooking dry pinto beans, I left enough "bean juice" (the water they cooked in) to cover beans, and added: tamari, garlic, roasted red bell pepper, lime juice, chili powder, and salsa.
I usually add cumin, but was out. These tasted great regardless! Black beans always work well too.

The Rice: After cooking I added tomato paste, broth (I used "Better than Bouillon"), lime juice, smoked paprika, green onion and garlic.

Everything else: Kale (from our garden :), green bell pepper, Daiya, and salsa.

This definitely hit the spot!

If you like getting mail and swapping join in on the VFS Recipe Swap!

Vegan Mofo SWAP! 1: Recipe Swap

2011-10-04T22:05:00.002-05:00

*Swap is now closed*

Hey, hey, hey! We are long overdue for a swap my friends. If you haven't swapped before don't let that stop you! For VFS swaps we aim for inexpensive, small swaps. Just a happy little something for those of us who like to get "snail" mail ;)

In celebration of Vegan Mofo there will be two swaps this month! For swap one you will share three recipes with three people and for swap two...well you'll just have to wait and see!

Recipe swap rules:

* For this swap you will have three partners (crazy, I know). The people you send to will not necessarily be the people sending recipes to you (it'll be a surprise!). As you might have guessed, you will receive recipes from three different people for a total of three pieces of mail and nine recipes ;)

* Send three recipes to each of your partners. You may send the same recipes to each person. These do not have to be your original recipes. Feel free to choose recipes that have been posted on your blog. The choice is yours ;)

* Recipe design is completely up to you! A few design ideas: zine or mini-cookbook, index cards, written on stationary, bookmarks, anything goes! Keep in mind that this shouldn't cost more than a stamp or two.

* Sign-ups will end on October 15. You may sign-up in the comments or by sending an e-mail to the address listed below. (If you are new see the note below)

* On Sunday, Oct. 16 you will be e-mailed your swap partners' information from me and should send the recipes out by Friday, Oct. 28. If you can not send your recipes out by this date please do not sign-up.

* If you are new to VFS swaps please send your mailing info. to me at aveganfox*at*gmail*dot*com

* As always feel free to leave ideas for this swap or future swap in the comments :)

Participants:

Amber

Aya

Theresa

Vegan Mofo: Coconut Bacon

2011-10-03T21:46:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post this for a looong time. It all started with this Simple Coconut Bacon on VegWeb.

Coconut Bacon (For measurements see link above or measure to taste)

Coconut Flakes
Tamari (or soy sauce)
Maple Syrup
Smoked Salt
Apple Cider Vinegar (opt.)

Mix all ingredients in a dish until coconut flakes are well-coated. Let sit for as long as you can stand, 20 min. - 1 hour. Heat skillet on medium high and toast until lightly crisp and brown. These will crisp up a bit more as they cool.

We have served this on pizza (see Pizza Time!), as a breakfast side and as a soup topping (see below). We're planning sandwiches this week, so there may be a follow-up post ;) Coconut bacon is quite tasty! It's definitely hard not to stuff it all in your mouth before serving ;)

Vegan Mofo: Raw Hot Cacao

2011-10-02T23:14:00.001-05:00

Is there anything better on a cool autumn day than a warm cup of sweetness?

Raw Hot Cacao (inspired by Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)
This will fill two mugs, plus a little to top them off after a few sips ;)

3 c. Water
1/3 c. almonds* (or cashews)
1/3 c. dates
1/4 c. cacao nibs
touch of agave or raw coconut sugar to taste

Put all ingredients into blender* and blend for 7 minutes or until desired temperature is reached. Enjoy!

*Soak almonds for 6-8 hours ahead of time. This will make them easier to digest. They do not need to be completely dry before use in this recipe.
*I used a Vitamix for this recipe. Please let me know the results if you make this in a standard blender and I'll share the info.

Vegan Mofo!!

2011-10-01T22:27:00.023-05:00

It seems my urge to start blogging again came just in time for Vegan Mofo :) This will be my first year participating and though I didn't sign up in time to be on the official list, I'll be blogging every day possible. Besides blogging, I'm back to checking Google Reader and it has reminded me of the great inspiration found on other blogs. I'm excited to spend more time in the kitchen and discover new great blogs this month!

As I mentioned in my last post, not every entry will be about food. We have swaps and such on the way after all! But for this month I will try to at least link to other vegan posts to celebrate all the wonders surrounding Vegan Mofo :) Speaking of sharing, I'll be posting many awesome finds on Twitter this month. So stay tuned...

Ramble On

2011-09-30T15:45:00.000-05:00

A short paragraph in which I blab about what is to come: It's crazy, but for a little while there I thought that maybe I was done with this whole blogging thing. Seriously. It probably won't continue forever, but I'm not quite done with it yet. I have decided to branch out a bit. I'm still vegan. I cook food and eat it. But lately I'm focused on other things, like books, music, enjoying the outdoors before it gets cold, and many other things. What this means for the blog is that I will be writing about other things if I start posting more often. I tried starting another blog, but wasn't really attached and as some of you know, it's hectic trying to keep up with more than one. Kudos to those of you who do so successfully!

Did you know that it's Banned Books Week here in the U.S.? It's true! So stop in to your local library or bookstore today and show your support by picking one up! (I should mention that I started this entry several days ago, but just because it's the end of the week doesn't mean you have to stop celebrating banned/challenged books!) I recently read Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. If you're interested, you can read my review here. I also read Slaughterhouse Five, which I highly recommend! These books were recently banned in Republic, MO. Book banning frustrates me, but having this happen so close to home really pissed me off. It all started with a man by the name of Scroggins who discovered "filthy" books disgracing the local school libraries. You can read what he had to say in this link. So the Republic school board listening and decided that these books were not appropriate. I would like to mention that, to my knowledge, the board did not read the books before voting. It's hard for me to not go into a long rant over this. So, to keep it short, the books are now available, but only accessible to students with parental permission. The Springfield-Greene County library system is doing amazing things to celebrate Banned Books Week this year! Sarah Ockler is presenting tonight and tomorrow here in Springfield! There are several other events happening that you can read about here. You should also check out Ockler's blog!

Yes this was a rambler. No, I won't wait so long to post again. To prove it, these entries will be up in the next week (since I've taken so long to get them up!):
*SWAP! Information for the next swap will be posted in the next week. As always, you are welcome to leave suggestions in the comments or e-mail me with your ideas.
*Coconut Bacon - I will post this soon. I've actually had the recipe sitting by the computer for several weeks...
*Stayed tuned: Sometime soon there will be a GIVEAWAY!!

Surprise!

2011-08-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

BOO! I'm back! Right now I'm working on offline pursuits, so blogging may be a little sparse for a time, but I plan to make more time for it! I can't believe it's been over two months!!

The Vancouver trip was amazing and I will post more pics and discuss some of the incredible food we had very soon! Here's a sneak peak:

In September there will be a SWAP! (That's a promise Amber!) I miss swapping with you guys. I haven't decided on a theme yet, so if there are any requests feel free to let me know!

Taking Flight!

2011-06-06T21:06:00.001-05:00

Early tomorrow morning we're flying to Vancouver! I'm psyched! Unless something crazy happens, like breaking an arm or a camera, I should have some pics to share when I return :)

Coming up (after June 14):
* Vancouver pics - of course!
* Next swap!
* Coconut Bacon
* Vegan Advocacy tips
* A surprise post (if you're lucky ;)

'Til then I wish you all a wonderful week and look forward to catching up on your blogs when I return!

Review: Chocolate Inspirations

2011-06-02T19:28:00.001-05:00

English Toffee via website

Chocolate Inspirations, Inc. was kind enough to send me a wonderful sample pack of their vegan confections last fall. Now that I'm on a roll with posting more regularly I thought it was about time to pull this one from the vault! Though it has been some time since my tasting I took notes regarding my thoughts. Overall these were a little sweet for me. I am so used to using things like coconut crystals and dates that sweets loaded with cane sugar are not as thrilling as they used to be. But for those who regularly use sugar you might be interested in their variety of vegan options.

Cashew Brittle: Toffee-caramel taste with a semi-sweet chocolate coating, and a crunchy-chewy texture. This is not as crisp as the brittle I grew up with, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Caramel Latte Pretzel Bites: These were very sugary-sweet, not much more to the flavor than that. The pretzel seemed stale. I noticed this to be the case with most of the pretzel bites. I know that due to weather it took a bit to get the package and this may have been the issue. I didn't notice a lot of difference in flavors between the pretzel bites. All featured a sweet coating and pretzel.

*Caramel Cup: Sweetly satisfying :) One of the best things I tasted from the selection! A thin chocolate layer on the top and bottom of a chunk of caramel. The caramel had a fudgy texture which I found very satisfying!

English Toffee: A tasty, soft-textured toffee.

Coconut Brittle: Chocolate covered crisp brittle with a hint of toasted coconut. Not certain if the coconut was toasted, but it tasted like it.

*Granola Bark: Very tasty! Mixed with dried fruit and topped with a layer of chocolate. The texture was somewhere between a granola bar and a no-bake cookie, quite nice!

Cinnamon Toast English Toffee: Good taste and was exactly what I expected from the title: loads of cinnamon and sugar flavor accompanied by a crisp, caramelly flavored toffee covered in chocolate.

Granola Bark w/chocolate via website

This link will take you directly to the vegan selection: link.

Quickie

2011-05-31T21:14:00.002-05:00

Cameron - the legless cat wonder

For any new folks stopping by, Cameron does have legs. He just has special powers that allow him to make them disappear whenever he likes;)

If you like making raw food or want to try there is an awesome contest you should check out at Vegan On the Go's blog.

Blogroll...I've been updating again. Twitter is a crazy new land that I have entered. Within I have discovered even more fantastic vegan bloggers and I've added a few to the list. I removed blogs that haven't posted in 6 months or more. For now I want to feature bloggers that post fairly regularly. If you do not see your blog listed and would like it to be so, please tell me! Recently I've noticed several missing that I thought I had listed ages ago.

I enjoyed a lovely weekend! Yesterday Madi, my niece, and I spent most of the day together geocaching, drawing by a lake, and running around.

If you are interested in regular updates regarding recipes, bits of information, and some randomness you can join me on Twitter via the little birdy at the top of the right column ;)

Smile Time - Donut Style

2011-05-29T19:50:00.001-05:00

Happy donut face

Recently I borrowed Babycakes Covers the Classics. Scanning the recipes I thought to myself, "What haven't I tried since I started baking with coconut crystals?" DONUTS! Since my wonderful mom bought me a mini-donut pan to match the regular pan (also from her ;), I had to use both. For this round I made the "Agave-sweetened Plain Donuts" with coconut crystals.

Before

After

And how did they turn out? Pretty tasty, but a little sweet for my tastes. They actually reminded me of a fluffy vanilla wafer (must admit that I used to have a weakness for those). These babies were loaded with vanilla (a whole 1/4 c!). Next time I'll try them with a little less vanilla and sugar.

Slightly blurry inside shot

No smile Cam - he didn't get a doughnut

Mini Strawberry Face :)

Trivia Question: What inspired this entry title?

Local: Pizza at the Grotto

2011-05-24T00:15:00.003-05:00

We borrowed Adam's Mom's camera for the Vancouver trip in June. I took this opportunity to slip the small traveler into my purse and snap shots of local restaurant eats as promised ;)

The Grotto is a local joint in Springfield, MO that serves pizza, sandwiches and salads. A vegan menu is available at request, which makes the experience even better. The most exciting thing about the Grotto is vegan cheese! I could hardly believe it when a friend told me about this place last year.

We went out for a girls' lunch since Hannah (sister) was in town for Tori's (niece) graduation. The crew included Mom, Hannah, Tori, Madi (niece) and me.

First up, appetizers! Homestyle chips seasoned with rosemary and thyme, and hummus with herbed focaccia.

The chips were slightly crisp and had a nice delicate herby flavor. The hummus was decent, but pretty average. I was happy to see the extra oil on top :) It was a little more oil than necessary, but since it's been dry on previous occasions it was a welcome sight. Their focaccia was quite nice; flatbread sprinkled with herbs and sea salt and slightly crisp.

Did I mention how enticing it looked?

We ordered two large pizzas. Hannah and I decided that it was important to have plenty of food and had no fear of taking home leftovers if necessary ;)

The Vegan Veggie Medley features a light marinera with roma tomatoes, grilled squash, red onions, portabello mushrooms, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and fresh herbs.

Nicely loaded with veggies and very satisfying. Check out the huge slice on my plate!

Our second pizza was a classic Vegan Margherita. Also very pleasing.

A very satisfying meal :) Adam and I enjoyed the leftovers cold. It was definitely just as good the second time around ;)

Almost forgot photos of happy people!

Hannah, Tori, and Madi = 3 lovely ladies!

My lovely Mom :)

Trying to Tweet

2011-05-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know that I've decided to give twitter a try. I haven't had a chance to find everybody yet, so if you're on there let me know so I can follow you!!

I posted a happy new video on the other blog for anyone interested ;)

And then there were two

2011-05-16T23:14:00.003-05:00

Decorative wall at Dancing Rabbit -Aug. 2010

After toying with the idea for a few months, I have decided to make a second blog. This blog will continue to be devoted to veganism and food. The second one will be more of a inspiration and project blog. I'm trying out WordPress and will probably be playing around with different backgrounds, so it may change quite often for a while ;) You can check it out here if you dare. If you're into stop motion animation, I just posted a fun music video over there - link.

The next swap will be on hold 'til mid June. A lot of things keep coming up lately and I know my mind won't sit still until I've seen Vancouver, which happens June 7-14 ;)

Happy Things to Come

2011-04-29T15:04:00.000-05:00

The sun is shining brightly today and it's hard not to smile about things, even while visiting the laundry mat. We took a detour and had a slice of vegan blueberry cake at a local tea bar. We also ordered pita and hummus and I had a cup of berry tea, a very delightful event :) As soon as I get a smaller camera I will start posting photos of local eats. Believe it or not, there are more options popping up in Springfield, Missouri all the time :)

Up for tomorrow: Heading to Mansfield for the Baker Creek Spring festival and hopefully getting back in time for a vegetarian potluck! If it's not raining too hard I'll try to take some pictures.

It's not too late to sign up for the poetry swap!

In the news: The Good Stuff

2011-04-26T18:50:00.002-05:00

How often do you get excited by the news? Usually I end up pissed off or depressed. Today that is not the case :) I actually have some happy things to share.

Adventures in Veganism features a very positive outlook on veganism. Published in our local 417 magazine, editor Katie Polluck goes vegan for a week and writes about her experience.

Have you heard of Loreen Dinwiddie? This awesome lady just turned 108 and has been vegan since 1922. That's 89 freakin' years!!! Check her out on Vegansaurus!

*Don't forget to sign-up for the Poetry Swap!
*Check out the updated Blog lists (in the right column)! I've added some newer pals and cool blogs. You can always contact me if you would like to be added ;)
*Coming up: Spreading the Word (The Importance of Vegan Advocacy)

SWAP! Poetry

2011-04-25T19:10:00.002-05:00

Public domain image link

It's SWAP time again! In celebration of National Poetry Month (April) I thought it would be fun to send a poem through the mail. It is your choice whether to send an original, favorite, or just an awesome poem that you happen to find. Send it as a letter, card, postcard, mail-art, bookmark, or any way you like! Rose had a cool suggestion a few months ago to send a poem and picture.

It's only necessary to send a poem, but you may be as creative as you like.

Want to put a little verse in the mail?
* E-mail your mailing address to me by Tuesday, May 3: aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com
* Once you have received your swap partner's info., send out a poem by Wednesday, May 11.

As always, feel free to discuss ideas for this swap or future swaps in the comments below!

Current Swappers:
Amber
Rift Vegan
Rose
Affectioknit
Rebecca
Dirty Duck
me

Two Raw Green Dips

2011-04-23T21:25:00.003-05:00

Time for a food post! Dip night has become a weekly event for us. Dips are generally something quick and simple to whip up, not to mention extremely tasty! Tonight's features were guacamole and broccoli hummus.

The guacamole was simple with two avocados, 7 garlic cloves, a little salt and a swirl of lime juice.

In our hunt to add more raw food to our diet I came across an exciting new hummus recipe. It features broccoli, zucchini, tahini and a heaping tablespoon of mustard. My next trial will probably feature a little less mustard, but it is very good either way. Try it out! [Broccoli hummus on Choosing Raw]

If you're excited about raw food, there will be recipes and links throughout the spring and summer because we're hooked!

Do not support VegNews!

2011-04-16T16:57:00.008-05:00

You've heard of the VegNews fiasco by now, right? Luckily for me, the ever-reliable Erik Marcus laid it all out. Quarry Girl spilled the beans a few days ago on VegNews' meaty photos. VegNews uses stock photos of nonvegan food to represent vegan food in their magazine and on their website. After this was discovered, their initial response was to delete website comments that "bullied" them by revealing the truth.

Their response is not good enough. What would be good enough is to take responsibility for the mistake and become a real advocate. I really think that the recent New York Times headline "Meat discovered in Meatless Magazine" says it all. These issues are confusing enough for people.

Want to read more? Check out Quarry Girl, some of the comments are interesting, too. Though there might be a million by now. Vegan.com updates regularly with related articles. You can now read comments on VegNews site since the release of their statement. And of course, since everyone's talking about it everywhere, you can hit up the PPK forum and anywhere else that supports veganism.

UPDATE 4/18: VegNews has now issued an apology.

Vegan Outreach Leafleting

2011-04-14T11:16:00.002-05:00

Before I head to work this morning I just wanted to say that I had an awesome experience leafleting with Jon Camp (from Vegan Outreach) and Chip, another Springfieldian! It was amazing to see how receptive people are to the information we were handing out.

Visit again soon because I guarantee I will be writing more about my experience and how easy it is to get involved.

Also coming up: recent food pics and the next swap.

Live Delicious: Cookbook Giveaway!

2011-04-04T13:59:00.002-05:00

Hopefully you've noticed this image in the sidebar. I just wanted to take a few minutes to let you know about it. So what's so awesome about this giveaway?! The Book Publishing Company, who put out a great variety of vegan and raw food books, are hosting it as a way to promote veganism. By entering you have the opportunity to win one of six titles, including Speed Vegan and Becoming Vegan. There's a little something for everyone: new vegans, fitness conscious, fast and simple recipes, and those interested in wholesome, unprocessed foods.

You may remember my review of Speed Vegan, where you can sample the Alan Roettinger's recipe for Hominy Hash, which I would definitely recommend!

Other great titles published by the BPC include The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, Sweet Utopia (preview a recipe here), and The Simple Little Vegan Dog Cookbook.

Enter to win a new cookbook for your collection and tell your friends to spread the awesome message of veganism!

SWAP! Seeds

2011-03-28T19:55:00.002-05:00

If you're planning a huge garden, a few pots or just hoping to poke around in the soil then seeds will come in handy. For this round I thought it would be fun to do a seed exchange. It's about time to get dirty and this is another inexpensive gift that can fit in a reasonably sized envelope :) So are you in?

Game Rules:
* E-mail your mailing address to: aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com by April 4.
* Let me know if you have any seed specifications for your garden, such as organic, heirloom, etc.
* Let me know if you are able to send seeds that might meet someone's specifications (see above). This will help me to make appropriate matches.
* Swappers will be notified of their secret partner by April 8.
* Mail seeds by Friday, April 15 - this is very IMPORTANT to ensure that everyone receives their swap gift around the same time. For this swap you are only required to send one packet of seeds, but may do more as you like. If you have a hoard of seeds and want to divide some these to send, that's fine, too! (On the other hand, if you are only interested in unopened packages be sure to let me know!)
* If you have any questions or thoughts, please comment below or send me an e-mail. Feel free to include ideas for future swaps!
* And have FUN!

{Oh, and you may have noticed but there's a little swap fox in the right hand column. He's your one click for all swap updates!}

Current Swappers:
Affectioknit
Hidden Treasures
Enjoying the Journey
Rift
The Dirty Duck
Dandelion Vegan Blog
Coffee & Sunshine
Vegan Fox

Vegan Bloggers Unite!

2011-03-20T23:00:00.002-05:00

It's the ULTIMATE Vegan Blogs List, brought to you by Molly of Vegan Flower. If you host a vegan blog be sure to let her know and spread the word to all of your fellow vegan bloggers because it's amazingly awesome ;) (She's on facebook, too, often a handy way to spread the word)

The next swap is coming...so WATCH OUT! For now I have some blog reading to catch up on, so it might be a day or two. In the meantime, check out that awesome link above and discover a few new blogs!

Lovely Bookmarks!

2011-03-18T10:28:00.005-05:00

Here they are at last! The fabulous bookmarks from the last swap. If you have any other photos for the swap that you would like included, send them my way! For anyone interested I will post info. for the next swap later this weekend. Enjoy the photos!

Laloofah's bookmark for Dirty Duck:

Nik's bookmark for Emily:

bookmark, label, and nameplate set

Vegan Flower's bookmark for Affectioknit:

front

back

Roxanne's bookmark for Nik:

Affectioknit's bookmark for Roxanne (And a special thanks to Teresa for sending me a set of 3, too :) They are awesome!):

From Dirty Duck to Rose, with donations from the notorious Lilly ;):

adjustable length

Rose's bookmark to Vegan Flower:

front

back

Emily's bookmark to Laloofah:

front

separates into three

back

Jenny's bookmark to Rebecca:

Rebecca's bookmark to me:

lovely soft bookmark with cool PETA stickers

hand stitched :)

My bookmark to Rift:

front

back

Encourage Puppy mills...really Missouri?!

2011-03-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

AH! Missouri what is the deal?! I guess I'm on a news rant lately. This morning, I had a little time before work and found this link on a friend's Facebook page that indicates lawmakers are considering a repeal of Prop. B. The idea behind this proposition is to discourage puppy mills.

Basically it proposes "new rules for dog-breeders, including capping the number of dogs that were used for breeding purposes, requiring resting periods between breeding and establishing other requirements. The measure required that dog-breeders only be able to have 50 breeding dogs and required them to feed those animals daily and regularly." (cited)

Is that really so much to ask?!

Bookmarks are coming today or tomorrow!

S*#% in the News

2011-03-11T10:42:00.000-06:00

source

BAH! So, I was all set to post bookmarks today and then read about this NY Times article via Kristin Cashore's blog entry on goodreads. You'll have to read them...but be prepared to be pissed off after you do. You might also be interested in what others have to say: Mother Jones and Jezebel.

An eleven-year-old girl is gang-raped and the community is concerned about what will become of their dear boys (also known as, the rapists).
"The case has rocked this East Texas community to its core and left many residents in the working-class neighborhood where the attack took place with unanswered questions. Among them is, if the allegations are proved, how could their young men have been drawn into such an act?"

I was immediately enraged when I read Cashore's entry. Then I stepped back to read the Times article thinking that maybe the reporter was just putting the story out there, as it was. But I think the reporter screwed up big time because he chose the language and design of the article.

Here are some of my thoughts, as posted on goodreads:

The article mentions the "whereabouts of the victim and her mother were not made public." Perhaps the father is not in the picture and perhaps the mother was at work during all of this. And who knows? Maybe the mother never suspected these boys capable of such a thing. She could have seen them as adopted older brothers for her little girl. Sometimes it's so difficult to be an outsider looking in (After all, we only know how the reporter has described the situation). It amazes me how quickly people can judge others, as many seemed to judge this girl by her appearance. I don't know this eleven-year-old and what her interest was in the older boys. But only a fool would question who was at fault here.

I'm surprised that more in the community didn't comment on the videos going around and that these boys have some serious issues, the ones that the article implies many wish protect. It's hard to imagine what this women is looking for:
“It’s devastating, and it’s really tearing our community apart,” she said. “I really wish that this could end in a better light.”

Could it end any better than providing justice and safety for the girl? It also wouldn't hurt for the community to set aside prejudices and learn to support one another so that travesties like this would be less likely to occur in the future.

And if that's not enough to rattle you, here is another thing that disturbed me recently. Heard of Monsanto? A big scary corporation bent on destroying our environment by spreading GE seeds and polluting the air with Roundup. And if you've seen Food Inc., you have an idea of how they are making life difficult for many farmers and others nationwide. Well, thanks to Krys's Facebook page I received news in regards to this dangerously powerful company. Monsanto is not regulated properly by our government, most likely because they fill many a man's pocket, and I fear for our country. If you missed the link above, here it is: Organic Elite Surrenders to Monsanto: Whole Foods Market okays GMO coexistence.

The Bookmark post IS coming and if you would like any photos posted, e-mail me. Soon I will announce the March Swap and much more...on a more happy note ;)

Happy Mailbox

2011-03-04T12:32:00.001-06:00

While greatly anticipating my very own vegan/animal-inspired bookmark, I was happy to receive some other gifts in the mail :)

A cute little fox keychain from River.

A bookmark from a swap on goodreads. This was the one that inspired my Feb. swap ;)

As many may have heard...crazy, spectacular bookmarks have been floating through the mail these days. I will wait a week for a few more to receive their treasures before posting, but no need to despair! If you're anxious to see some mailbox surprises, check out these blogs and their recent finds:
Affectioknit
Dandelion Vegan Blog
Vegan Flower

And friends, there is more swapping to come! Keep your eyes peeled for a little critter who will soon show up in the right sidebar. In the future you will be able to click that link for info. about current swaps and view links to photos from past swaps.

To the Swappers

2011-02-24T08:59:00.000-06:00

Hey, for everyone who signed up for the February Swap, be sure to send out your bookmark tomorrow! You can e-mail me photos and I will post these the first weekend of March.

Soon I will post about the March Swap, so keep your eyes out if you're interested!

If you would like to receive e-mails with future swap updates, you can contact me at aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com.

Fun Finds

2011-02-19T16:09:00.008-06:00

Just a little entry to share a few things that I recently found inspiring, tasty, or delightful :)

Harmony by Mr. Doob: Check this out! A very cool online doodler ;) Be sure to check out the different "brush" and color options

Any Edward Scissorhands fans? This was on an artist's blog that I just found and it made me happy. I really like this one, too.

STAMP MAKING!! I haven't done this before, but would like to try my hand at it soon. Here's one nifty tutorial and here's another.

Whether you have kids or work with them, you have to admit that this robot is a cutie!

A few recipes that are making my mouth water:
Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli and Deep Dish Pizza on Vegan Meow!
Blackforest Chocolate Cheesecake and raw SAMOAS!! on Bitt of Raw

Want to win something?

There's still time to win a sweet little necklace at Coffee & Sunshine.

A cute planner and vegan zine are available at the Peace to All Creatures 'Zine Project.

Recent Projects: January and February

2011-02-17T09:13:00.004-06:00

SWAP UPDATE: If you are still interested in joining in on the Feb. swap, be sure to sign-up by tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 18). I will mail out addresses on Saturday!

January:

A woman at work knits tons of hats on knitting looms. We bought several sets of looms for the teen department (at the library) and she shared her expertise with many interested teens (as well as some intrigued staff members ;). After completion, I gave this to the lovely Ruth. For those who don't know, Ruth is an amazing friend of mine. She is 91 and the mom of my Aunt Jo. I am fortunate to hang out with her and her sister, Edna, once a week. If you think that the later years of life are only a time for slumber and laziness, these two ladies could show you a thing or two!

Here's the loom, hook and hat:

February:
Bookmark for February bookmark swap on goodreads. This one was inspired by a recent YA book read via audio, Before I Fall.

Front

Back

Pizza Time!

2011-02-09T18:19:00.004-06:00

Oh man, we're big on the pizza lately. I think we've quasi-officially decided to have pizza every other week.

The Crust: Vegan with a Vengeance recipe, using spelt flour.

Thai Spinach: Thai tahini sauce inspired by this recipe, wilted spinach, red onions and mozzarella daiya.

Italian-style: Marinara sauce, TVP, garlic, red onion, coconut bacon, a mix of cheddar and mozzarella daiya, and red pepper flakes.

SWAP: There's still plenty of time to sign-up if you're interested ;) I will update the list as I receive e-mails and comments from those interested.

SWAP! February

2011-02-04T11:30:00.016-06:00

Last year I started finding listings for swaps in various places online. I got excited, but never really made time for it. Packages are awesome, but they're kind of pricey to send out. Well, my recent obsession with goodreads lead me to a group where they exchange handmade bookmarks. How cool is that?!

This gave me an idea. What if every month I hosted a swap on my blog? The swap would involve small things that could fit in a letter-sized envelope and cost (more or less) the price of a regular stamp to send? Also, these little projects will fulfill one of my goals for this year to create a little art or craft every month. I'm a huge dreamer and sometimes fantasize about things more than doing them...

Excited yet? I came across some really cool mail art, letter-writing, and collage related blogs that might inspire you:
Good Mail Day

Everyday Correspondence

Every Day Should be a Red Letter Day

The Sketchbook Project
CappaccinoandArtJournal
Swap-bot

For this month, I'd like to do vegan/animal-inspired bookmarks. These can be used for tagging your favorite recipes in a cookbook or marking your current read.

Want to get involved?

*E-mail your mailing address to me by Friday, Feb. 18: aveganfox(at)gmail(dot)com

*I will randomly pair people up and e-mail you with your swap partner's information.

*Please send bookmarks out by Friday, Feb. 25. This is just to ensure that everyone receives their goods in a decent amount of time. (For this swap it's just one bookmark, but if you're feeling inspired feel free to make another ;)

*Feel free to e-mail me images of your creations or the goods you receive! I will happily post them around the first of March, just before announcing the next swap.

*Don't have the time right now? No worries, I'm aiming to do a swap every month ;)

Questions for you:

Would you prefer to swap goods with the same person who will be sending you goods or would you like to be surprised?

Do you have any ideas for future swaps?

Current Swappers:
Jenny (Vegan and so Forth)
Aimee (...aka Darzy...)
Rift (Static8 Journal)
Michelle (dirty duck)
Teresa (Affectioknit)
Rebecca (Enjoying the Journey)
Rose (Dandelion Vegan Blog)
Laloofah (Mehitable Days)
Roxanne (The Good Luck Duck)
Emily
Molly (Vegan Flower)
Nik
Cassie (me)

Books Read in 2010

2011-02-03T16:24:00.000-06:00

Firstly, have you heard about this crazy weather we're having in the Midwest? The library has been closed for the last couple of days. Adam and I have happily stayed in most of that time :) The schools will remain closed through tomorrow. Supposedly there's more wild weather predicted for the first of next week. We shall see!

Inspired by Jeni over at heathen vegan, I have decided to post the books I read in 2010. There are many YA selections due to my job as a YA (teen) librarian and from Sept-Dec. I was a reader reviewer for the Gateway Award nominees for 2011/2012.

Though I enjoyed much of what I read, those with a * stood out a notch or two above the rest.

YA List
Reality Check - Abrahams, Peter
The Compound - Bodeen, S.A.
*Hate List - Brown, Jennifer
Because I Am Furniture - Chaltas, Thalia
**The Hunger Games - Collins, Suzanne
*After - Efaw, Amy
The Morgue and Me - Ford, John C.
If I Stay - Forman, Gayle
King of the Screwups - Going, K.L.
Brutal - Harmon, Michael B.
North of Beautiful - Headley, Justina Chen
Muchacho - Johnson, Louanne
The Otherworldlies - Kogler, Jennifer Anne
Liar - Larbalestier, Justine
Flash Burnout - Madigan, L.K.
*The Devil's Paintbox - McKernan, Victoria
Dirty Little Secrets - Omololu, C.J.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Pearson, Mary E.
*Life As We Knew It - Pfeffer, Susan Beth
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Ryan, Carrie
Gray Baby - Sanders, Scott Loring
A Blue so Dark - Schindler, Holly
Shiver - Stiefvater, Maggie
The Chosen One - Williams, Carol Lynch
**Briar Rose - Yolen, Jane
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have - Zadoff, Allen
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
We Were Here - Matt de la Peña
*Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Purple Heart - Patricia McCormic
Funny How Things Change - Melissa Wyatt
Fat Cat - Robin Brande
Diary of a Witness - Catherine Ryan Hyde
Paper Towns - John Green
Hold Still - Nina LaCour
*If I Grow Up - Todd Strasser

Everything Else
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
*Try - Dennis Cooper
**Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist
*Rape: A Lovestory - Joyce Carol Oates
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin
Savage Night - Jim Thompson
*Beasts - Joyce Carol Oates
*Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
**The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. Le Guin
The Stranger - Albert Camus

Did you read any good books in 2010? Or have any great book suggestions?

Anyone else on goodreads? I think I may be addicted... Feel free to look me up!

One Blog vs. Two Blogs

2011-01-25T10:36:00.002-06:00

Has anyone tried running multiple blogs at once? And if so, what was your experience?

I have thought about starting a second blog to record unfood related items, like books, music, crafting, etc. Some days this seems like a perfect idea and other days I think it could all just be collected into this blog.

Any thoughts?

Giveaway Winners!!

2011-01-24T19:26:00.002-06:00

The winners are...

Winner 1: River - Sweet Utopia

Winner 2: Mihl - Speed Vegan

Enjoy!

I was going to take pictures to show the drawing process and my less than perfect handwriting on the slips of paper, but my camera batteries failed me...oh well!

Living in the Raw - Cookbook Review

2011-01-22T20:07:00.004-06:00

Enter here before 7 p.m. on Monday, January 24 for a chance to win one of four cookbooks!

Living in the Raw contains an assortment of raw fare. It opens with some general info. on raw living, such as sprouting and transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. For these recipes you will need the usual weapons of a well-tooled raw kitchen: food processor, blender, and dehydrator. We chose to make several dips, since we do not have a dehydrator, and were very pleased with each of them.

My only complaints are against full pages reserved for short recipes, like zucchini chips, that could have easily fit the two other recipes like it. This only occurred in a few places, however. When it came to the juice section, pages were happily shared between recipes.

For the newbie interested in trying raw recipes or others who want to add a few to the collection, this book would make a great addition.

Avocado Dulse Dip

If you like avocados, you'll like this :) This seaside guacamole is just as friendly as it's cousin.

Spinach Herb Dip

This was a very nice, herby dip. I would recommend using it as a topping on pizza or on a sandwich coupled with something like the "Crab Delight." On its own it's decent, but it is best paired with something else. We only had 1/4 lb. of spinach left and the dish calls for a full pound. I love the creamy taste of avocado and was just fine without the extra spinach. The herb combination was good and I'm excited to revisit this when I have some fresh herbs in the garden!

"Crab" Delight

This was our favorite! Perhaps because we've never really made anything like this. It's made up mostly of almonds and is oh-so-filling. We added in some dulse flakes and a little veganaise to make dipping easier. I also liked the additional creaminess from the veganaise, making it a perfect sandwich filling ;)

Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook - Book Review

2011-01-21T15:59:00.001-06:00

This book really excites me! Someday I will borrow or purchase a dehydrator and make some sprouted bread of my own. Unfortunately, I have not tried any of these recipes. The recipes I most wanted to make call for a dehydrator or, as you might guess, advanced planning for sprouting.

It is full of exciting recipes, such as Sweet Potato Raisin Sprout Bread, Sprout Pizza Dough, Cashew-Apple Nuggets, Cashew Egg Nog, Sunflower Farmer Cheese, California Wine, Coffee Ice Cream, Dried Onion Rings, Sunny Parmesan Cheese, Manhattan Sprout Chowder, Natural Sesame Halvah, Braised Tofu, and much more.

Prepare to be entertained by cute, and sometimes flirtatious, cartoon sketches, sketches ("Sproutman Meets The Marx Bros"), and poetry ("Ode to the Banana"). I also found this book to be very informative. It contains information on the benefits of sprouting, the benefits of alternatives to dairy, and benefits of light cooking (or dehydrating).

Without having tried any of the recipes, I still feel as though I have gained a lot from this book. There are very detailed explanations on the processes used in each recipe, as well as the information I mentioned above.

Some recipes do use honey, so this book is not completely vegan. But without having actually tasted anything, that was the only fault I found in this book. And luckily, there are easy substitutions for honey.

Has anyone tried any of these recipes? Feel free to list your experiences with this book in the comments!

Speed Vegan - Cookbook Review

2011-01-18T22:30:00.002-06:00

Everything we have tasted from Speed Vegan has been very enjoyable. Besides the good tastes, one of my favorite things about this book is the personality. The titles are pretty straight forward, labeled for what they are, but it's the introductions and descriptions for each dish that entertain. Roettinger might tell a little story of how the dish came to be or tell you why he thinks a dish is tasty. I enjoyed these little snippets :)

In general, the recipes from start to finish have been speedy to make. As for ingredients, you must plan ahead. Though they are listed in the "Stocking the Vegan Pantry" section, many recipes included one or two ingredients that I do not regularly have on hand. So speedy, yes, as long as you have all of the ingredients ahead of time. Right after the pantry section are the "Jump Starts," which include recipes for other pantry items to stock. How cool! One other thing I'll mention, there is huge salad section, almost 50 pages worth. I'm really not much of a salad eater and it takes much convincing for me to remember that I do enjoy them (usually by eating one someone else has served me ;) But for those of you that do salads, there are plenty of options here.

Everything we tried took 30 minutes or less to prepare, that includes chopping veggies and all prep. I'm not very good about pulling everything I need out of the cabinets before I begin, so it even makes time for that ;)

The color images are tasty, but the black and white images I could do without. I don't think they add much to the book and many of them look a little grainy and unimpressive (perhaps due to printing). If you have flipped through this book and had similar thoughts, making you question the book's quality, I would suggest that you give this one a second chance. Once you have gathered the ingredients and made a few recipes, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Since this book is about the speed, I will list approximate cooking times for each dish, based on my experience. Sample recipes can be found on Alan Roettinger's website, the author of Speed Vegan.

Glass Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Start - Finish ~ 30 min.
Haha...know what I said about salads? Well, I was being honest. Although, pasta salads are more likely to catch my eye. But we didn't eat this one as a salad. We couldn't find any glass noodles (or mung bean threads) and decided to warm this dish up with sprouted wheat noodles instead.

Often I am disappointed by the heat level of "spicy" dishes in cookbooks, but this one was pleasantly spicy. Not hot enough to need a sip of water between every bite, but enough to enjoy and recognize it as a spicy dish.

We substituted sprouted noodles for the glass noodles and cashew butter for the peanut butter. We may have added a little more garlic as well; I used 3-4 cloves. The cucumbers made this dish fresh and crisp, and every ingredient in the sauce blended to leave my mouth savoring each component. If you like to tweak recipes as you go, I would definitely recommend trying the sauce "as is" on the first round. Other things that would go great in this dish: green onions and avocado.

Tofu and Soba Noodles with Hot-Sweet-Sour-Pungent Sauce
Start - Finish ~ less than 20 min.
It has been many months since we made this dish. But what I can tell you is, we liked it so much that it became a quick meal staple. We just wore this one out and haven't added it back into the rotation.

Hominy Hash

Start - Finish ~ 25 min.
Do you gaze with longing at small diners wishing there was something on the menu for you? Does your mouth start to water when you hear the words "homestyle cookin'?" If so, then this might be a dish for you. A different take on the traditional hash, this one uses hominy instead of potatoes and smothers the whole dish in tomato paste. It's really great. This was my first time (to my memory) that I have every eaten hominy and it will not be the last. And since it's so cold outside, it seems only fair to post the recipe so that your belly can be overwhelmed with a warm, filling happy feeling.

We did not make the garlic oil, or have any on hand, and I have no doubt that it would have been a spectacular addition. The dish is good, either way. We actually used 2 cans of hominy, one white and one golden. We used a 6 oz. can of tomato paste. For the sausages we made a black bean version of a recipe from Vegan Brunch and we would happily do it again ;)

Thanks to the kind folks at BPC, I get to share this recipe with you. Enjoy!

Hominy Hash
4 Tbl. olive oil
4 (3 oz.) vegan Italian sausages
1 red onion
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 can (15 oz) white hominy
1/2 c. tomato paste
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. Garlic oil
Sriracha sauce (optional - but I highly recommend it!)

Put 2 Tbl. of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, stirring constantly until it has browned lightly (about 2 min.). Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 2 Tbl. of olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring constatly for 1 - 2 min., or until softened. Add the celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 min. Add the hominy and cook fo 2 min. Add the tomato puree, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan, decrease the heat to medium, and cook for 5 min., or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the sausage and parsley, stirring well until the mixture has warmed through. Serve at once with garlic oil and Sriracha sauce on the side.

Year of the Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Carrot Raisin Spice Chewies

2011-01-14T12:46:00.017-06:00

One of my goals for the year is to try a new cookie recipe every week. We're using Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar to jump start the project. Everything in this book looks fantastic! I've had it for a year now and have only tried a few recipes, but that's about to change ;) In my cookie posts, I will try to include tasty-looking finds from other bloggers, too. That way if you want to take on a cookie challenge yourself, you will have plenty of options. ;)

A few blog notes, then back to the cookies... I have finally switched my blog ownership over to my new e-mail address aveganfox(at)gmail(dot)com. In the next week or so I will be making a few updates and updating my Google Reader.

For those who don't know, we're in the midst of a giveaway. It's my first and I'm psyched! Currently your chances are pretty good. ;) Two people will win a cookbook of their choice (out of four). So hit this, and get signed up! Next week I will post book reviews and winners will be chosen at random on January 24.

Back to the cookies:
Week 1: Last week we made the chocolate chip cookies that everyone raves about. They are definitely worth the reviews! Even with the substitutions we made, they still had the best texture of any chocolate chip cookies I've made in a long time! You can check out the original recipe at the PPK.

Week 2: This past week we made the Carrot Raisin Spice Chewies from VCIYCJ. These are wonderful and great for breakfast, too! (Take it from someone who knows ;) Filled with carrots, walnuts, raisins, coconut...are you hungry yet? They're crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'm pretty sure that Adam would like to have these every week.

(Hey River: You can't see it, but that's Teeccino in my cup ;) For any who don't know, you can check out River's experiements with coffee alternatives over at Wing-It Vegan)

Substitutions:
(ours : original)
coconut oil : canola oil
coconut crystals/sugar : all sugar listed
spelt flour : AP flour
allspice : nutmeg (We were out!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from VCIYCJ)
oven: 350 F/8-9 min. (total time 15-20 min.)
makes: 16-24 cookies, depending on sizw

3/4 c. coconut crystals/sugar
2/3 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. soy milk
1 Tbl. cornstarch
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. spelt flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
chocolate chips - eyeball it ;)

* Preheat oven - 350 F. Lightly grease 1-2 baking sheets.

* Combine sugar, oil, soy milk, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Mix well for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.

* Add 1 c. of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until all ingredients are blended in. Mix in the rest of the flour. This dough was not quite as stiff as the recipe suggests (due to changes in the ingredients). Feel free to add more flour.

* Fold in chocolate chips.

* Grab ping-pong or walnut sized dough balls and flatten out a little with your hand, as you place them on the cookie sheet.

* Bake for 8-9 min.

Follow these cookie crumbs for more delights:
Double Chocolate Spritz Cookies
Samples recipes from VCIYCJ

January Bulk Order

2011-01-12T18:11:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things about ordering stuff in bulk (besides saving so much money!) is being able to walk through the market with mostly fresh goods in my basket :)

Check it out, Adam's dad loaded us up with rice for Christmas. We're still finishing off our rice from a bulk order many months ago, so we should be set for awhile! He also gave us more coconut milk to add to our stock ;)

My First Blogiversary! (and giveaway :)

2011-01-10T19:50:00.002-06:00

Cam and me playing in the snow last winter

[This giveaway is now closed]

One year ago today I started this blog. Inspired by reading so many wonderful vegan food blogs (secretly ;) I finally decided to try it out myself. It has been wonderful. Mostly because I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful bloggers online!
SO the main event of the day: a giveaway!! Something I have been meaning to do for many months now, but might as well start this year off with a bang, right?

Here's the deal, I will give away two books.
How to play:
* Leave a comment with your first and second choices of the four books listed. Be sure that you leave a way for me to contact you. (If your e-mail address is connected to your profile, that works)
* All winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, January 24.
* The first person drawn will receive their first choice.
* The second person drawn will receive their first choice, if different from the first winner's, and otherwise, their second choice.

What can you win??

Before the giveaway is over I will post a review of each book. Most reviews will pop up next week.

Book Reviews:
Living in the Raw
Speed Vegan
Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook
Sweet Utopia
- Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusel Coffee Cake
- Chocolate-Covered Almond Tangerine Balls

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I'm pretty excited about this year. Here are a few goals I've come up with for this year:

* Play saxophone at least once a week (when able)
* Record (or compose) music at least once a month
* Write often [at least twice a week, but aim for DAILY]
* Read 50 books
* Visit Vancouver
* Make art or craft something every month
* Spend more time with my nieces and nephews
* Try a new cookie recipe every week
* Blog once a week or no less than every other week

For January I have a few things to wrap up from 2010, a few awards I never really honored AND a giveaway that never happened! So here's the deal, a giveaway WILL happen on January 10. I will try to do a review or two beforehand, but regardless it will happen. That's my blogaversary and what better way to celebrate?

Any game lovers out there? I love games. The two that have recently kept me occupied are Munchkin, a card game, and Fallout, a post-apocalyptic role-playing computer game. Any other fans?

Oh and speaking of Troll 2, if you are a fan or would like to be, you should check out Best Worst Movie. This documentary has given me a whole new outlook on a movie that I could finally laugh about after a second viewing (my first impression was not good). I would recommend this to you whether you enjoyed Troll 2 or not, it will endear the film to you in a whole new way. Seriously, the director, writer, actors and fans are so sincere! Art appreciated for art's sake, where the art is exceptionally bad, but strangely wonderful. And if you need one more reason, the goblins are vegetarians ;)

George Hardy (as Michael; Dad), also the star of Best Worst Movie

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T22:24:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone has a very merry time celebrating!

~ Winter is here and it's time to spread the warmth and joy from the inside out ~

My Blender Blues are Over, Baby

2010-12-20T18:48:00.000-06:00

A while back I posted about our need for a new blender. Well, we now own a Vitamix!! It took us awhile to decide, but after an awesome $4 food processor find at a local thrift store it was hard to pass up. These fellas are pretty pricey, as I'm sure you know, so this is our birthday and Christmas to each other. And we are quite happy with it!

First we made Buckwheat Groat Pancakes. We have missed these since our last blender died. The original recipe is from this blog. These are a great thinner, grainy pancake.

We have had many green smoothies the last couple of weeks! It's wonderful! Adam was inspired by this blog for our first one. For those who have been making these for years, perhaps it seems silly to look for a recipe. But this is new territory for us. Honestly I love starting off the day with one, it feels great. But I do like to have something to munch on, too. Generally I will eat a piece of toast or something before downing the thick, ooey greenness that are our smoothies.

Has anyone seen Troll 2?

Every time I see food this green, I can't help but think of it.

Nilbog brew, baby! Drink up!

Finding Inspiration, Homemade Cereal and Muffins

2010-12-17T09:19:00.000-06:00

Squirrel visitor outside my window

Last Sunday we woke up to a light covering of snow. Perfect for a special day. That afternoon my neices and nephews (all but the youngest, who just turned one :) came over to make Christmas ornaments. I dug out a variety of craft supplies, made some muffins (see recipe below), and listened to the sounds of John Dowland. It was a festive atmosphere and thanks to Adam's help, everything was ready to go when they arrived.

I don't have any pictures, but there were some great ornaments I wish I could have captured. Popular materials of the day were felt, paper and bottle caps. I won't go into details in case any are used for gifts for sisters who may read this blog. Thanks to Tori, Madi, Sean and David for such a wonderful afternoon!

Any writers reading? Well, I have recently decided on a little challenge to keep the creative juices flowing. For the next month I will write at least 50 words per day. 50 words isn't much at all, so it should be very doable ;) The idea is to set aside time each day to write a few thoughts, a poem, journal, or whatever wordplay comes to mind. If you are a writer who is not writing, maybe you should consider creating a challenge for yourself. Or perhaps there is something else that you dream about, but make little time to do. Just remember to make the challenge something that is easily doable, so that it is not a matter of stress, but just a chance to allow your creativity to flow. If you decide to do anything like this, I would love to hear about it!

Besides wonderful blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, Mom always made orange muffins. Not only are they flavored with orange juice, but they are slightly crunchy from grape nuts. Since we didn't have any berries in the freezer, these seemed like the perfect choice on Sunday. It also gave me the perfect opportunity to make homemade grape nuts. That is, until I remembered that I didn't have any orange juice. By the time that occured to me, I had already made the grape nuts and prepared the dry ingredients. So what did I actually make that day? Hearty Cereal Muffins with raisins.

Hearty Cereal Muffins with Raisins
(adapted from Mom's Orange Muffin recipe)

Dry ingredients:

2 c. flour (I used spelt)

1/3 c. coconut crystals (or other sweetener)

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. grape nuts (see recipe below)

Liquid ingredients:

2 T. flax mixed with 6 Tbs. water

1 c. soymilk

1 T. orange peel

1/2 T. cinnamon

1/3 c. coconut oil

2 handfuls of raisins

* Mix all dry ingredients, except raisins, in a large bowl.

* Mix all liquid ingredients in a medium bowl.

* Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until moist.

* Gently mix in the raisins.

* Bake in a greased muffin tin for 20-25 min. at 400 F (204 C)

Homemade Grape Nuts
(adapted from More-with-Less)

1 1/2 c. flour (I used half spelt, half ground buckwheat)

1/4 c. wheat germ

1/2 c. (or less) coconut crystals (may use other sweetener; use a little over 1/3c. if liquid)

1 c. soymilk + 1 tbs. lemon juice

1/2 t. baking soda

pinch of salt

* Beat all ingredients until smooth.

* Spread dough onto a large greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 F (177 C) for 25-30 min.

* Crumble while still warm using a blender, a cupful at a time.

* Crisp in oven, set at 250 F (120 C), for 20-30 min.

* Store in an airtight container.

Soup's on!

2010-12-13T19:15:00.000-06:00

We've been all about soup lately! It's warm and delicious, all fits in one bowl...what more could you ask for?

Last week we tried these and maybe you would like them, too ;)

Curried Lentil Soup from the Vegan Feast Kitchen

Potato Broccoli Avocado Soup from Seglare in Copenhagen -

A blog I recently discovered and definitely recommend.

The Lentil recipe we followed pretty closely. Good with a little salsa on top. (Pictured above with a side of toasted sprouted wheat bread smeared with Earth Balance)

Our broccoli went bad, so we made Potato Avocado Soup, but it was still delicious! We decided not to blend ours, we were too hungry and impatient ;) The potato soup tasted nice with a smoky pepper sauce.

I definitely recommend adding a little spice to both, if you're the spicy type.

December Bulk Order

2010-12-10T17:30:00.001-06:00

Remember the Green and Crunchy blog? It was one of my all-time favorites. At some point the blog's author, Sheri, began sharing images of her bulk food purchases. Adam and I had heard of a group in town and the more we saw Sheri's posts, the more we realized that it was time we got started. Unfortunately her blog no longer exists, but her inspiration stuck with us and we have proudly bought in bulk ever since.

We don't buy nearly as much as she did, but then again there are only two of us (she fed seven!). The extra coconut crystals are gifts for the Moms. We've been experimenting with it lately and thought our moms might, too. A couple of things were left out of our order, which happens occasionally. We often put our order in the night before and I assume they run out of certain items before filling our order. Though sometimes a little disappointing, we're happy to save on the items we do receive.

Does anyone else order in bulk?
I'd love to hear about others' bulk buying adventures ;)

I'd Rather Go Blind

2010-12-01T16:53:00.002-06:00

I can not get enough of this song! Trixie Whitley's voice is incredible. I have been listening to this over and over on youtube today and realized that I had to share it with everyone possible.
So enjoy!

psst...

2010-11-11T17:12:00.000-06:00

Hey. Really I just wanted to check in and let ya know that I'm still kickin'. No extended entry today. Just saying hey and heading over to check up on some of my favorite blogs I've missed the last few weeks.

One thing I will say is that Adam and I were disgusted with the results of the recent vote. One good thing that came out of Missouri was legislation against puppy mills. Yay for that!

We've been thinking a lot about Canada these days. Honestly it's not just about the vote (though US politics has a something to do with it). I have wanted to travel north for awhile and why not just try living there to get a feel for it? We've both decided to get a masters in library science (we've quite taken to the field ;) and school is fairly cheap in Canada, even for internationals. Cost of living is another thing to consider, but if we can make it work, well we are seriously considering heading in that direction a couple of years from now.

Feel free to leave a message just to say 'hey.' I'd love to hear from you guys!

Geocaching

2010-11-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

I went geocaching for the first time a couple of weeks ago with my niece, Madi. If you haven't been, it's awesome! A little adventure and scavenger hunt typed up into one. Not sure when I will get my own device, but I am definitely hooked.

See that little fellow above? That was my treasure find of the day. I found a mini-crayon set in my purse to leave behind and retrieved this little guy. Next hunt I will be sure to take a little packet of items in preparation for another geocache exchange. How awesome is it that you can go on a modern day treasure hunt like this? I love it!

So, we had a couple of people in my department transfer to another library branch in town. Hence I have had little blog time due to picking up tons of hours. The good thing is that it will help me to save a little money. My bank account has been looking puny since my auto insurance payment and replacing my windshield. OH and why did I need to replace my windshield? Because some kids got into a fight that involved a homemade billy club, which was actually a sawed-off bat, and my windshield got hit in the midst of it. Wild huh? Just another day at the library ;)

Happy Fall!

2010-10-15T16:57:00.001-05:00

Japanese Stroll Garden 2010

Hey! It's been awhile since I've visited the blog world. There've been a lot of changes around here lately and I've just been catching up with life lately :) But I hope to set aside time soon to start blogging more regularly.

Today, Adam and I went to check out the new Botanical Center. Actually we saw the ribbon cutting on Monday, which was super exciting! But Adam got excited and I realized that he hadn't been out to see any of the gardens or park. Since we were both off work today we took advantage of the beautiful weather, packed a lunch, and enjoyed the beauty of the area. What a lovely day!

The picture above was taken the same day as the pics from the post below. Adam and I decided not to take a camera today and to just take everything in. We actually only saw half of the area because it's HUGE. So next week we're heading back to look over the other gardens and lake area. If you ever visit the Ozarks I definitely recommend this stop.

Stay tuned: I still have book reviews and a giveaway to come (I haven't fogotten ;), chocolate sampling reviews, and more pics from Dancing Rabbit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

2010-09-17T18:19:00.001-05:00

Finger suckers

Today is my Dad's birthday :)

The pics are from a venture to the Japanese Stroll Garden with my brother and his baby Jude.

Two blog entries in one day...crazy, huh? (here's the other)

Creamy Green deLight

2010-09-17T17:48:00.000-05:00

Strange title, I realize that. Last night we were listening to Type O Negative. And while we were gazing at the very greenness that we were about to munch on, Adam realized that the song Creepy Green Light was playing and I couldn't resist ;)

We tried out mung bean noodles for this dish. These fellas have a definite beany taste and hearty texture, both of which we enjoyed. And, like Soba noodles, are a quick fix, taking no more than 6-8 minutes.

For the sauce we were inspired by the Roasted Garlic Artichoke Spread from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. For 45-50 min. you roast a mixture of garlic, artichokes, oregano, oil and lemon juice. I mashed some white beans and mixed them with soy milk and black pepper while heating over medium low heat. Next I added the garlic artichoke mixture, red onion, chopped olives, and marinated shiitake mushrooms.

This dish was served up on a bed of spinach and sprinkled with leftover topping from the previous night (cashews, nutritional yeast and hemp seed). After the photo was taken I covered it in nutritional yeast and I would highly recommend this! In fact, this dish would be quite good with nutritional yeast mixed into the sauce to create a sort of beany fettuccine.

All in all, not bad. In the future I would like to add more herbs and garlic. I would also recommend frying the onions and mushrooms ahead of time (which we did not do) to really bring out the flavors.

"Squash the Shiitake" Stir-fry

2010-09-15T19:49:00.001-05:00

Just a quick number from tonight's dinner. Most of the veggies were local. Since we missed the Farmers Market on Saturday we stopped by Homegrown Foods while doing laundry. This place is awesome! They just got started this year and already serve up a wide assortment of local foods and related items (coffee, pottery, etc.).

Before cooking, the shiitake mushrooms were marinated in tamari, Worcestershire sauce (vegan of course!) and brown rice vinegar. The following were stir-fried in toasted sesame oil: red onion, elephant garlic (local!), marinated shiitake mushrooms, yellow squash, green pepper, turnips, cashews and the remaining marinade.

After boiling and rinsing the soba noodles, I mixed in some toasted sesame oil, basil, black pepper and black sesame seeds. Then these were tossed in with the veggie mixture.

Served up with a topping of fresh sprouts and a mixture of finely chopped cashews, hemp seed and nutritional yeast.

Dancing Rabbit pt. 2 - Canning

2010-09-14T19:12:00.001-05:00

This is the second installment about my adventure to Dancing Rabbit, an amazing Ecovillage in North East Missouri. In case you missed the first part, you can check it out here.

We had an AMAZING time! We made salsa, applesauce, peach jam and pickled okra. Check out the Milkweed's entry, too!


Getting started with salsa


Down to business

A giant bowl of salsa!

Tina cranks while I concentrate, oh so hard, on watching

We got to take home lots of goodies, as you can see above :) Aprons, canning books, canning funnels, canning tongs, FOOD, and a few other things (like smiles!). And yes, that is Vegan Cream Cheese topped Carrot Cake. If you have the opportunity to take part in such an excursion, I highly recommend it!

Other things...
I have been enjoying my offline time more and more. And in my efforts to make more time for other things, I'm trying to spend less time online. This week I made a firm decision to only check facebook once a week. I have already been limiting blogging time, but still plan to aim for 1 to 2 entries each week, so please stick with me :) I do still check out many other blogs, though I haven't been leaving as many comments. Just fyi, for anyone who might wonder. There is so much inspiration out there and it would be a shame to give up all of that!

Speaking of blogs, I was sad to discover that Green and Crunchy no longer exists. If anyone knows the story, please fill me in. This blog was a true inspiration! It's what gave us the motivation to join a bulk-buying co-op.

Blog Updates (They may happen slowly, but they are coming!)
Coming Up: Cookbook reviews and giveaway; DR pt. 3;
Summer Garden pics

Why Vegan? - a story from Warped Tour

2010-09-08T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a pretty cool video about a girl who decided to go vegan after attending Warped Tour. I could not post the clip here, so please follow the link. To those who are already vegan, this shows that we can make a difference in a variety of venues. You never know who might be inspired to make a change ;) Organizations like Vegan Outreach off lots of resources to help anyone interested in reaching out to their community.

Other sites that might be of interest:
Info. for new vegans
Why Vegan - Vegan Outreach

Blog Updates
Coming Up: DR pt. 2; cookbook reviews and giveaway; and more...
Recent Changes: You might notice that there is now a search bar to aid in searching through past entries. This has allowed me to condense the amount of labels used ;) More to come...

Dancing Rabbit pt. 1 - Welcome to the Milkweed Mercantile

2010-08-30T21:11:00.002-05:00


Milkweed Mercantile

This weekend was amazing! We hit the road Friday morning for Dancing Rabbit, an ecovillage in Northeastern Missouri. We stayed at the Milkweed Mercantile (pictured above), a bed and breakfast that just opened this year. After we unloaded, Alline gave us a quick overview of the neighborhood, we had a few beers and relaxed. Alline and Kurt were wonderful hosts!

Alline has a point...haha, ok maybe that was corny

Jessica, Tina, Ann and Bobbie try to focus in the sun

Kurt and Alline behind the counter busy with dinner prep. and serving beers ;)

A fuzzy pic, but doesn't Kurt look so happy to serve? haha ;)

Fancy dinner arrangement

Ann and Jessica enjoying the amazing hammock chairs

Bobbie and I having an intense discussion (evidently) over beers

Want to find an Intentional Community near you?: Check out the Fellowship for Intentional Communities.

Credit: Thanks to Ann for allowing me to use a few of her photos! (The first one of the Mercantile and the last photo)

Next up: Photos from the canning seminar!

Still to come: Dancing Rabbit tour, more book reviews and a cookbook give away, garden pics, food and projects.

FYI: Some changes are on the way! I'm hoping to make some long desired changes in appearance to this blog. For awhile I considered starting a second blog for projects and inspiration, but I have decided to integrate those ideas with this blog. Exciting for some and not to others, but you have the power to choose what you read ;)

Chocolate-Covered Almond Tangerine Balls

2010-08-26T19:08:00.003-05:00

Chocolate-Covered Almond Tangerine Balls
from Sweet Utopia by Sharon Valencik

4 small tangerines
2 c. sugar
1 lb. raw or lightly toasted slivered almonds
1 c. choc. chips or 6 oz. semisweet choc. (melted)

Squeeze the juice from 1 of the tangerines and strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Combine the juice with the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat, stiffing often. Lower the heat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Rinse and peel the remaining tangerines. Place the peels in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them completely and bring to a boil. (Save the fruit to eat at another time.) Boil the peels for 5 minutes *start timing after the water boils). Drain and rinse the peels under cold water. Drain again and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels so there is minimal moisture on the peels. Remove any black spots.

Combine the peels and the almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container as necessary. You may need to process them in 2 batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Do not let the mixture become a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add the juice mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined.

Shape into 1-inch balls using wet hands. Let the balls rest uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours to dry out a bit.

Dip the balls in the melted chocolate until evenly coated all over. Arrange the coated balls in a single layer on waxed paper and refrigerate to allow the chocolate to harden. Store layers of balls between waxed paper in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

______
Don't these sound delicious? The pic. is from the book because I still have yet to try them. But if any of you do soon, feel free to send me the pic and I'll put it up ;)

More from Sweet Utopia:
Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusel Coffee Cake
Book Review

This weekend I am headed up to Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage with a few girlfriends. And I'm psyched! We're staying at the Milkweed Mercantile and attending a canning seminar. I will try to take some photos, but sometimes I get a bit carried away and forget to use my camera. Regardless, you WILL hear about the adventure ;)

Monday News

2010-08-23T16:00:00.012-05:00

Cameron ponders the backyard

This week I would just like to encourage you to check out Vegan.com (if you don't already). This is an awesome place to get a good dose of vegan related news stories, books and a variety of good information.
Some recent entries to check out:

Egg Recall Increases to Half a BILLION - You've got to be kidding me! But guess what, they're not kidding...

Humane Society Calls to Abolish Battery Cages - Perhaps Salmonella is good for something.

Beef, the Tenth Healthiest Food - Served up with a side of heart disease, yum!

Hog Farmer Goes Vegan

As recommended at Vegan.com, check out Jack Norris RD. This blog is, also, really impressive. As it mentions on the site, it's intentions are to provide: summaries of recent research related to veg. diets and notifications of VeganHealth,.org updates.

Something else:
Animal Rescue Stamps: This is actually from Vegan Etsy, but it was too sweet to not share with you ;)

Stay tuned...
More book reviews and a give away to come!

Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusel Coffee Cake

2010-08-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

Maybe your taste buds are aching to have a go at a recipe from Sweet Utopia after reading my last entry. Here's the first promised recipe. Of everything I tasted, this was by far my favorite and I hope that you enjoy it, too! As I mentioned, you can replace the granulated sugar with date sugar and it tastes great. Everything else we kept the same. For the vegan butter substitute I think we used Coconut Oil. We did not have a springform pan and just used a 9 in. square pan, which worked just fine. Also, we do not have an electric mixer and did not find it necessary.

Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusel Coffee Cake
from Sweet Utopia by Sharon Valencik

For Coffee Cake:
2 c. AP Flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 c. soy cream cheese
1/2 c. vegan butter substitute, room temp.
3/4 c. soymilk
2t. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. nondairy choc. chips

Streusel Topping:
1/3 c. granulated, brown or turbinado sugar
1 1/2 t. ground cinnammon
1/2 - 2/3c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven: 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9 in. springform pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese, and "butter." Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in soymilk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.

To make the streusel topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add the nutes and toss until evenly mixed. Sprinkle half of the streusel topping over the batter in the pan. Pour the remaing batter evenly into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining streusel topping.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top. Cool before removing from the pan and slicing.

Thanks to the Book Publishing Company for allowing me to share this wonderful recipe with you!

Sweet Utopia

2010-08-16T17:26:00.004-05:00

With a book like this, what's the first thing I do? Flip through the pages and drool over the pictures. And oh man, everything looks mouth-watering tasty! And believe me, I wanted to try everything. (Check out this site for more images and recipes;) So, I would like to take a moment to thank the Book Publishing Company for tempting me with such delicious things straight out of my mailbox and then giving me the opportunity to share such things with you!

A Little Education

Like many cookbooks on the shelves these days, Sweet Utopia by Sharon Valencik contains a "Stocking the Kitchen" section to inform you of anything you might need for the recipes. Next, in "Succeed in Vegan Baking," Valencik shares a few tips on particular ingredients, including substitution and conversion charts. Vegans with an assortment of cookbooks or experience will be able to skip this section, but these things are helpful for those new to vegan baking. I am disappointed to see Nonvegan Alternatives listed in the substitution chart and, in general, find most of what this chart contains common sense.

The Sweets

What comes next? What do you think?! The good stuff, that's what. All of the sweet treats are divided into five tasty chapters: Decadent Cakes, Scrumptious Cookies, Creamy Cheesecakes and Pies, Velvety Mousses, Puddings and Cremes, AND Luscious Treats. Most of the titles are pretty descriptive in their offerings, but let me clue you on what you can find in the last chapter. Luscious Treats includes coconut tiramisu, chocolate-covered almond tangerine balls (I'm still dying to try these!), chocolate-rose halvah balls and more! Over at Vegan Family Style, Debra has collected the whole contents page if you would like to check it out.

Sweet Tastes

We tried the Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusel Coffee Cake, Very Berry Corn Muffins, Tahini-Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies, and the Cocoa-Berry Cake with Berry Cream Frosting :) For the Tahini Cookies I basically followed the recipe and even with regular raw sugar these were subtly sweet, which suited them fine. For the other three we used alternative sweeteners, date sugar for the most part. The Very Berry Corn Muffins were about what you would expect and were a pleasant afternoon snack. The Cocoa-Berry Cake was interesting. I don't think that ours turned out very well because perhaps other changes needed to be made to accommodate the sweetener change. I did, however, enjoy the texture of the cake, though the flavor wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. Now, the Coffee Cake?! This was my favorite! It was amazing. We used date sugar in the cake and in the streusel topping and this worked out just fine. The texture and flavor were both quite desirable and it looked quite nice, too. With a cup of the coffee on the side, well, what do you think? AMAZING!

Overall

I think this is a worthy purchase. Valencik has created some interesting, new spins on old favorites and made some gourmet-style treats seem quite obtainable from your home kitchen. You may have to pick up some new ingredients that you wouldn't normally have on hand and put aside some extra time in the kitchen. But I think you will find it all quite worth your while :)

***Stay tuned for a couple of sample recipes. I will feature one that I made and one that I am dying to try. You can also expect more cookbook reviews with a GIVEAWAY at the end.***

Why Vegan? - Meet Your Meat

2010-08-04T14:46:00.001-05:00

This video is extremely important to me. It is the initial reason I became vegan:

Find out more at meat.org.

Back to Business

2010-08-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

So, I'm planning to get back to regular posts ;) Last week was quite good, I got to spend time with good people and enjoyed every bit of it! Over the weekend I headed to St. Louis, which was a fun venture. Although I will admit that my van was probably too crowded with family members. I have decided that traveling with 6 family members on a weekend excursion may not be the most ideal situation.

Here's what's ahead:
Why Vegan?: A new feature for Wednesdays to discuss the MANY reasons and benefits of being vegan, along with other related topics.
St. Louis Vegan Eats
Cookbook Reviews AND CONTEST!! (at long last, eh?)

Postponed

2010-07-26T15:13:00.003-05:00

The pic's from Tiff's wedding. She had this awesome photo booth at the reception. Everything was pretty lovely, though brutally hot at the botanical gardens. And, though I still stand that I am not very fond of weddings, it was quite lovely.

So, I just wanted to check in, so you would know that I have not disappeared ;) I'm pushing the reviews and contest back a week or so. Honestly, I just haven't made enough time for friends these days. And since they have some time freed up, I'm reserving my time for them. Not that I don't consider some of you friends! But you know how it is. In the mean time, I do hope to slip in some blog reading time. There are quite a few I need to catch up on.

Oh, and for any who wondered, the niacinamide has helped my anxiety tremendously! There's a lot of stuff I'm still sorting out, but things are getting better :) If you want to understand me a little better and what sorts of things I'm dealing with you can check this COH site out. I'm not ready to go in to details, but opening up a little has really helped.

Monday News

2010-07-12T20:05:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the second edition of the Monday News! This is just a sampling of my recent discoveries, click the links for the whole story. If you have any ideas or news stories that you would like to contribute please let me know!

Monkey Cat
Ok, not literally, but this is seriously cool. Observers have suspected wild cats of mimicking other animals, but until now it had never been documented. "Cats are known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning which merits further study," said WCS researcher Fabio Rohe." A cat making monkey calls? That seems like a cunning cat to me!

Obama Responds to a Vegan Outreach
(discovered through Vegan Outreach)
"Americas would actually benefit from change in diet." Check out Obama, too bad we can't be too progressive. But I can appreciate that he cares, even if it's not enough.

Cage-free Coming to California
A step in the right direction. Check out Vegan Outreach for more.

An Act of Terrorism?
Evidently not! The case against 4 animal rights activists who were arrested in Santa Cruz in 2009 has been dismissed! Get more details here and here.

New Species
(I'm a sucker for a new species, so from now on when I spot one you're sure to hear about it!)
Pancake Batfish - 2 new species!

From the BLOG WORLD

A Squat Cafe?
Perhaps, like me, you thought that squatting was reserved for homeless or bohemian types that take up temporary residency in an abandoned building. Well, at the Vegan Backpacker they put this myth in it's place.

My Thoughts
I can really appreciate this thought on Vegan Outreach. I won't lie, I've been a little frustrated by the question of honey popping up on various blogs lately. But I truly do not mean my frustrations to be an insult to anyone. It's good that people question things and put thoughtful efforts into making their own decisions about how to live their lives. But Vegan Outreach reminded me of something important. As vegans, we are all striving to make a difference. And while I do think it's important for us to support one another and discuss our questions and concerns, perhaps I shouldn't feel so much frustration. After all, we have bigger problems to contend with ;)

Contest Update
The Give-away is still coming! I will be out of town part of the week for my friend Tiff's wedding :) So I may not be able to start the reviews until next week. Sorry to put you all in suspense, but I promise the day will come!

CARTOONS!!!
So, here's some good news: The awesome vegan cartoonist Dan Piraro is allowing me to post some of his comics for my news entries :) He's very talented and of course I'm very flattered to share these right here with you guys. (I will work on making these more viewer friendly, for now click for an enlarged image.)

Contest Preview

2010-07-09T17:45:00.001-05:00

Way back in April I mentioned that I would be having my very own contest :) Well, it's coming up in the next week or two. First I will be reviewing Sweet Utopia and provided you with sneak peaks at a couple of recipes. Since we still have yet to purchase a new blender or food processor, I have not tried many recipes from Living in the Raw or Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook, but I will still provide short reviews. I have, also, tried some tasty goods from Speed Vegan and you can expect a review for it, too ;)
The contest will take place the week after next and the winner will receive the book of their choice.
Until then, be sure to check out the Book Publishing Company for more great books!

Monday News

2010-07-05T16:01:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the Monday News! From now on I hope to feature a bit of news on most Mondays. These entries will include vegan and animal-related info. that I've picked up the previous week from other blogs and news sources. Feel free to list any news you've picked up in the comments and let me know your views on recent happenings.

Happy Birthday Cameron!
Cameron turned 6 today :) Isn't he a handsome fella?!

Lion Burgers in Mesa, Arizona
Many of you probably read about this horror in the last couple of weeks. I would like to thank Vegansaurus for informing me about it. Supposedly the meat was sourced from a free-range farm in Illinois. Oddly enough, it seems that the owner hadn't really done his research. The meat was purchased from Czimer's Game & Sea Foods, but don't worry it's in Illinois. This guy Czimer has sold tiger, lion, and liger meat (amongst other things). And where did he get his lion meat? Well, he doesn't plan to reveal that, but it's from a man who runs a skinning operation. So at least more of the animal is getting used and his operation seems to be USDA approved. But if you ask me, the whole thing makes me sick! You see, according to these articles lions are not endangered, but why is no one concerned with the fact that their population is rapidly decreasing and they are red-listed as a vulnerable species?

BP's Continued Distaster Now Includes Burning Sea Turtles
Thank you Vegan.com for the heads up. BP's recent active solution to clean up their mess involved controlled burns. They just happen to be burning up turtles, such as the endangered species Kemp's Ridley, along the way. In the process, BP prevented those involved in rescue operations from doing their part. Thanks goes to many animal welfare groups who have stepped in to discourage this sort of activity from continuing, for now at least.

Jasmine, a Greyhound Hero
Early last month the Kind Life featured a fantastic story about a hound with a huge heart :) This girl has a truly wonderful gift and I hope that all of you read her story!

If you have any news you would like included next week, please send me an e-mail. Does your pet or animal friend have a birthday coming up? Send me an e-mail with a picture and I'll post a shout-out :)

Crafty Contests

2010-07-01T13:45:00.002-05:00

There are a couple of contests you might not want to miss out on!

TreeWool: Are you a knitter or crafter? Then check out this interview with Vegancraftastic and enter when some goods ;)

Speaking of Vegancraftastic, get over to her blog for a chance to write down your thoughts and dreams in a new pocket journal made by Studio827 KC.

And stay tuned! I will be having a Giveaway of my own very soon...

Here are so more artistic and crafty blogs that I have recently discovered that you might enjoy ;)
My Zoetrope
The Sassy Crafter
Journal Artista
Herbivore Knits
Do Stuff Blog
iHanna's Blog: Create and Live Happy
GPP Network Street Team
Woven Letters
Creating FTW!
Film and Thread
Carbon Torbus

Know of any other great contests or arts/crafts blogs? Feel free to post the link ;)

Nutty for Nut Butters

2010-06-17T21:50:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday...question day!

What is your favorite nut butter? And how do you like to eat it? If you have a delightfully nutty recipe, please share! (I realize seed butters are becoming popular, as well, so feel free to discuss those, too.)

Adam and I have grown quite fond of cashew butter. It's creamier than peanut butter and so delicious. Our weekday morning breakfast consists of a bowl of oats, seeds, dried fruit, etc. - topped with a generous helping of cashew butter :) We usually buy East Wind Community cashew butter. Lucky for us they are located in Tecumseh, MO, which makes it a "small footprint" buy AND it tastes wonderful!

Test Kitchen Tuesday

2010-06-15T21:34:00.004-05:00

More delicious things have appeared in the kitchen thanks to Krys at Two Vegan Boys (click to see the last selection). What sorts of things you ask? Oh...Black bean and Corn Quinoa with lime dressing, Avocado Cashew Enchiladas, Curried Mustard Greens with Chickpeas, Roasted Coconut Carrot Soup, and Carrot Maple Muffins. All of them wonderful!
We couldn't find mustard greens at the time and subbed whatever we could find at the store, which still turned out quite well. Unfortunately we were unable to find any tomatillos at the time, but someday we will get to try the luscious tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas. On their own (with Follow Your Heart) they were wonderful and creamy, although they could have definitely used a sauce. I am not much of a carrot soup fan, but this one was amazing! And I will gladly feast on it again :) Below are some of these wonderful things.

Overboard with Anxiety

2010-06-14T16:26:00.001-05:00

I'm going to sidetrack from my current blog agenda for a more personal note. I happened on a new blog today (Yummy Raw Kitchen) and was inspired by this post. And because I've seen it a few times now on various blogs and think it's grand, here's an inspiring photo:

We all, at least sometimes, have issues that we would like to resolve. Recently I was able to put a name to some of the crap I have been experiencing - ANXIETY. And it's wonderful to know and be able to identify what's going on with you. More and more I have realized that some of my emotions are a little out of control. It's not the sort of thing you know about unless you live with me (I don't think). But my mind will sometimes be constantly churning, feeling pressure that doesn't exist. Expecting what I think others must be expecting of me. Does that sound a little loony? Well it is! And recently I've determined that I'm not so sure I can just practice mind control to work it out. So, I've been looking at herbs and vitamins that might do the trick. My trial cure of choice (as of yesterday) is Niacinamide. It is a vitamin and comes from niacin (vitamin B3). I have read many good things about it and am very excited.

Today I am extremely happy because I have taken it for the first time and think it may already be helping. Maybe it's just a quieter day for me, but some of my anxious thoughts have seemed less existent today. And it's quite pleasant :) Thanks for letting me get that out of my system. It's nice to talk about.

So, what are you happy about? (And if anyone is interested in Gluten Free cooking I would love to read your thoughts, please check out my last entry ;)

Your Thoughts on Thursday

2010-06-10T18:28:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned on Mon., Thursday is my new space to ask a question (or two) and get your thoughts. Feel free to give as lengthy a response as you desire! And feel free to e-mail me with ideas for future Thursdays.

What are your favorite gluten free flours and recipes? I am very interested in the details, so if you have any tips on mixing gluten free flours or on other ingredients to use with them, feel quite free to elaborate! (You can even mention the things you don't like)

Some Gluten Free blogs and websites to check out (not necessarily vegan):
Alternative Flours on allrecipes.com
Book of Yum
Celiac Sprue Assoc. Flour List
Celiac Sprue Association Recipes
Celiac.com
Gluten Free on Fat Free Vegan
Gluten-free Girl and the Chef
Gluten Free Gobswacked
Gluten Free Goddess
Gluten Free Mommy
Gluten Free Vegan
Information on Vegfamily

More to Come

2010-06-07T19:25:00.001-05:00

I've been away from the blogging world for a couple of weeks. But I'm back. And what can you expect in the near future? Some cookbook reviews (Sweet Utopia, Speed Vegan), more images of luscious testings for Krys at Two Vegan Boys, garden pics and other musings. Be sure to lend me your thoughts on upcoming Thursdays. On Thursdays I will be asking for your thoughts on a variety of topics, such as: ingredients, tools, veganism, gardening, etc. I am always interested in what I can learn from others. If you have curiosities of your own feel free to e-mail me with ideas for future Thursdays.

And for any who don't know, that giant of a cat above is my boy Cameron ;)

Buns!

2010-05-10T19:19:00.002-05:00

Just a quick entry to get things rolling again. I decided it was finally time to show off my buns! I am pretty proud of these babies. You may remember them from this entry. Born from a simple recipe on about.com, we haven't been disappointed yet.

Burger/Patty Buns adapted from about.com
(These instructions are adapted from the notes I took on the recipe.)
1 c. warm soymilk
1 c. warm water
2 T. agave nectar (or other sweetener)
2 1/4 t. yeast
5-5 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
for tops: a little soymilk and sesame seeds (or sunflower ;)

1) In a large mixing bowl combine the soymilk, water, agave and yeast. Let stand several minutes. In another bowl combine the flour and salt. Add flour/salt (approx.1/2 cup at a time) until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft, but not sticky or dry. Knead until elastic, then place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and allow to rise until doubled, approx. 1 hr.

2) Preheat oven - 400 and line a baking sheet.

3) Punch down the dough and divide into 12 rolls. Knead each on a dry surface until tight, then place on the baking sheet. Let rolls rest for at least 5 min., then flatten slightly with your palm. Cover loosely and allow to rise, 20 min. or until doubled.

4) Mix a little soymilk with water and gently brush tops of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or other topping of your choice. Bake for about 15 min. or until golden.

New Kitchen Toy!

2010-04-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

My parents are so thoughtful! On some random blog entry I mentioned an interest in owning a donut pan and then my sweet, darling mother scans her catalogs for ideas. Last week I got a call to stop by for a surprise.
So check out my new toy...

Of course, I had to try it out the next morning...

These were made by veganizing the recipe on the back of the packaging. They weren't bad, but I will have to test some other recipes and tweak to my liking. But these definitely cured a donut craving :)

There's a lot coming up: more test recipes, garden pics and reviews.

Rawish Chocolate

2010-04-17T13:13:00.002-05:00

So, just maybe you've heard of Averie over at Love Veggies and Yoga. Well, she makes some pretty inspiring raw treats. Recently we've been going crazy over Coconut Oil Chocolate. This stuff is tasty! We have been trying different variations: chocolate and walnuts, peanut butter chocolate, and chocolate with blueberries (I do not recommend using frozen). Besides Agave, we have found that it is also delicious with Brown Rice Syrup or Barley Malt Syrup.

Below I have posted the ingredient amounts we used for the Peanut Butter Chocolate. Check out the original recipe and see more pics on Averie's site.
Here are some images of our trials with chocolate and walnuts:

For one large bar of Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Chocolate I used:
3 T.   Coconut Oil
4 T.   Agave or Brown Rice Syrup (agave will be sweeter, so accommodate your tastes)
2 t.    Vanilla
5 T.   Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 T. Peanut Butter

Heat oil and sweetener in microwave until coconut oil is melted. Stir in Vanilla, then cocoa and lastly peanut butter. Freeze until hard. That's it!

So what are you waiting for? This stuff is quick, easy, and delicious!

Testing tasty treats

2010-04-10T00:25:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, Krys of Two Vegan Boys is awesome, so is her blog and her food. Lucky for me, I get to test recipes for her ;) Along the way I will share pics and thoughts on my trials with you. Not sure if I've mentioned, but I love trying out new recipes! It's exciting and I learn so many things along the way.
Today I am sharing pics of Indian Curry (with tofu) and Blueberry Scones. Both were quite tasty. My current favorite, however, is the curry, which was nice and spicy. We will definitely be making this again! Also, check out the Two Vegan Boys blog for another pic of the Indian Curry.

Blender Advice Needed!

2010-04-07T21:15:00.001-05:00

So, we have finally decided to buy a new blender. It has been on our minds a lot lately out of much frustration with our current wimpy blender. I have heard so many wonderful things about the Vitamix AND Blendtec that I am determined to buy one of these. In casual conversation I discussed these woes with Adam's mom and the wonderful woman insisted that we get one right away as she slipped some money into Adam's hand. She's so generous and I will gladly put it to good use! But I haven't decided which one to go with. My question to you is, do you have experience with either of these devices? If so, what are your thoughts??

I would like to share with you what a wonderful weekend we had! We visited Adam's mom this weekend. It is so quiet there and a river runs right behind her house! So each morning we took off before breakfast and took a nice walk by the river. It was so beautiful and peaceful. We are determined to have a little place in the country of our own someday.

Tonight's meal was Chickpea Cakes Piccata, recipe via Happy Herbivore, served up with mashed potatoes and corn.

In the Hometown News

2010-04-05T21:15:00.002-05:00

In Missouri there has been a lot of rallying against puppy mills these days. Fellow Missourian Lisa, at Show Me Vegan, recently posted about the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. In the midst of it, some livestock owners have become concerned over how far regulations might go.
On March 25 an article titled Proposal: No government intrusion in livestock was published in the Springfield News-Leader. The end of the article really struck me,

"Loehner, a Republican and farmer from Osage County in central Missouri, said there are methods in raising livestock that the general public doesn't understand.

For example, Loehner said, lambs are born with an eight-inch tail that is cut off after birth. If the tail is left on, it can affect the lamb's growth and development, making the animal less productive and profitable, Loehner said.

"It seems awfully cruel that you have to do that, but that's the only way it can survive" and farmers can make a profit, Loehner said."

________

I agree on one point, that there are a lot of methods that the public doesn't understand. And I would go as far to say, a lot of methods that the public would rather not know about. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

In My Happy Mailbox

2010-04-02T16:59:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago something wonderful came in the mail. 3 new cookbooks to peruse!

Familiar with the Book Publishing Company? If not, you need to be! They are an independent press located at The Farm, an intentional community in Summertown, TN. They have a wide selection of vegan, raw and vegetarian titles in their collection. BPC is "dedicated to publishing books that promote a healthful and sustainable lifestyle." If you weren't already, I bet many of you are interested now ;) Besides books their website features cooking videos, articles and more. Check out this article, "America's Tragic Love Affair with Processed Meats."

Over the next couple of months I will be reviewing these books. The kind folks at BPC have encouraged me to post a few recipes along the way. So get ready for some exciting new recipes to try and a CONTEST! I'm so excited because this will be my first one! After I have reviewed all three books you will have the opportunity to win the book of your choice. So stay tuned!

A Garden Obsession Grows

2010-03-28T22:55:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed that my time online has been much less these days. I have been obsessed with gardening and trying to read as much as possible to decide how to set up my plot. Also, I have been working more the last couple of weeks, causing me to choose wisely how I spend my time.

Is anyone else gardening this year or has in the past? If so, I would love to hear any stories, tips and thoughts you have on your experience.
The weather has been driving me crazy! I finally put some cold crop seeds in this week (it's a little late, I know), but I am still afraid that the wind or rain will rip them away. Despite these concerns, I did it anyway and am determined to just pop in a few more seeds if in doubt! We have plenty of seeds this year (I may have gone overboard). Really, I will just be happy when something green starts sprouting up for me (fortunately we do have some Egyptian Walking Onions standing tall!).
I'm trying out the square foot garden method and this is my current set-up:

Adam and I blocked out four squares and covered them with newspaper. We now have one square topped (it's a slow process right now) with four bags of topsoil, one bag of vermiculite and a wee bit of compost. Our compost really isn't "garden ready," but I couldn't help throwing a little in.
Here's one more image to show all the seeds in their places topped with a little vermiculite.

Ruth and Edna, my friend-relatives who I see at least once a week (Ruth is my aunt's mom and Edna is her sister), have been kind enough to allow me to start some seeds under their grow lights. I do have a few sprouts there! Some Cauliflower and Millionaire tomatoes have sprouted. I don't have pictures of these yet, but will post when I do. Since I haven't mentioned Ruth and Edna before, I would like to let all of you know that these are two ladies to be greatly admired! They garden, read, and exercise. Ruth knits and Edna cooks. And that's really not all, but why are these things especially amazing? Well, Ruth just celebrated her 91st birthday! What cool ladies :) I learn so much from them and am so happy every time I see them.

Soon to come: A few reviews and FOOD (of course)!

Awesome Things

2010-03-14T18:36:00.014-05:00

For those who visited my blog in January, you might remember Weekly Intrigue posts where I listed some of the wonderful things I came across on the net. (If you want to check any of those out again click here or just click inspiration under labels). In that same spirit, and because I just couldn't keep up the weekly thing, here are some new awesome things I have come across.

TREEHOUSES! What is not cool about tree-houses? I remember dreaming of living in treetops or inside of trees as a kid. And now I realize people build these dreams and it is absolutely amazing!

Wilkinson Residence: This looks like something out of a sci-fi movie and is super sweet! It is located in Portland, OR, somewhere I still dream of visiting.

Recycled Houses: This is actually something I heard about awhile ago (thanks to Gina Marie - fellow librarian friend) and it is so cool! Not only is this guy building up in the trees, but he is using recycled items to do it! He, also, encourages and teaches others the skills to build their own. He is truly an inspiration :) The link above features a cool image of this guy and one of his houses. Here is a video that shows you what it's all about.

Villages in the Sky: East Wind, an intentional community in Tecumseh, Mo, is hosting a festival in June. People will have the chance to help build tree houses and windmills. It's an opportunity to bring people together to promote sustainable building, renewable energy and volunteer efforts. This one's close to home, so I may have to check it out!

FOOD

Interested in Fermenting? A quick visit to Green & Crunchy is sure to give you any motivation you need to get started!

Vegan sausages, pasta, and apples?! You bet! Head over to Healthy Happy Life and you're sure to get excited by this combo.

I miss croissants and am extremely inspired by these rolled up fellas over at Cupcake Kitteh. Mmm, almond croissants even!

SWEET TREATS! Yep, the sweets belong in a category all their own :)
Over at the Crafty Kook, River is making some mighty fine sweets with coconut milk! Check out this thick and creamy Mousse and some deliciously fudgy looking Eureka Brownies!

Decadent Chocolate Caramel Bars await you on Seitan is my Motor. Your mouth is sure to water as soon as you see these!

GARDENING

How cool would it be to have plants growing on the side of your house, literally?! Mo Zone is a really cool blog that features all kinds of planting ideas and helpful tips for those on a budget. Especially rad are the many recycled planter ideas that pop up!

As excited as I am about gardening, I'm worried that my aims are a little too ambitious this year. It's important to me that nothing goes to waste (which may involve some free food for family and friends). This entry on Living the Frugal Life provides helpful tips for meal planning with your garden.

Roof gardens, like these pictured on Fresh Dirt are amazing! And I must say I have been very intrigued by succulents lately, which are part of these garden schemes.

BRAIN FOOD

Heathen Vegan: I've visited the blog many times, but this is the first time I saw the new front page. It is FULL of reasons to be vegan, very motivating reasons. Check it out!

Canadians on Seal: Many of you have probably already heard about this, but it sickens me, so it deserved a mention.

Food Safety Offender: America PLEASE get your food act together!

Recent Eats

2010-03-12T17:35:00.003-06:00

Here are a few recent eats, unrelated to the Eat World extravaganza.

Recently I've been trying to add more side dishes to our meals. In the past I've been mostly a one dish kind of gal with the occasional canned veggie or potato on the side, so we're trying to mix it up a bit.

This was a quick dinner that was quite tasty! This dinner included a baked potato covered in salsa, margarine, nutritional yeast and ground pepper, roasted nuts, wilted spinach with Thai peanut sauce, and oranges. The Thai peanut sauce was the real "wower" of this meal! I highly recommend checking the link out and trying it.

This was a lunch dish all packed up for work! The sun was shining and I was wishing for Spring and a luscious garden, so I quenched my desires through my taste buds :) This pasta salad contained an assortment of vinegars: red wine, rice and apple cider, I think, some agave and a few other things. I tossed in some onion, carrot, spinach and roasted red bell pepper. For the wrap, I was inspired by this recipe for a Creamy Avocado and White Bead Bean Wrap. Our wrap also included spinach, cabbage, and roasted nuts.

Two pics to view the toppings and see it all stacked up!

Oh man, these patties were awesome! If you don't mind something that goes squish when you bite in, make them! We mostly used this recipe for Bean patties and Spicy Guacamole on top of grilled homemade buns and served with French Fries. I really do love greasy french fries! And yes, the buns were a wee bit small, but we didn't mind!

CONTESTS!

2010-03-10T13:49:00.002-06:00

Okay, originally this wasn't going to just be about contests, but man! There are a lot of good things out there to win. Unfortunately many of these have a deadline of TOMORROW because I have not been spending much time online. Good luck! (I remember noticing some others this week, so I will post them if I find them again!)

Contest opportunities!!!!
Want to win this
5" Ceramic Kitchen Knife?
Head over to A Bitt of Raw for your chance!

If you could use an extra blade (or are in need of a new one like me!) this could come in quite handy.
Get details about the blade on CSN's website.

How about a fancy new bag to show off at the local grocery or out on the town? Check out EasyEcoToGo for a chance to win one of these guys. These are 100% organic cotton and durable. Sound good? Head over to Project Green Bag and check out the selection.

Who wouldn't like another cookbook to add to their collection? After scanning mouthwatering images from these blogs: Cooking the Vegan Books, The Veggie Patch,and so many photos on Vegan Appetite's Flickr page. Speaking of Vegan Appetite, head over there to check out the author's blog! So head over to Vegan.com for a chance to win!

Shanghai Tofu (China) and Potatoes with Creamy Tomato Sauce (Colombia)

2010-03-03T21:37:00.003-06:00

Back to the food, finally! You may have noticed that we're not too worried about sticking with one culture at a time. To me, it's kind of exciting to mix dishes from different cultures and see how they can compliment one another.

It seems that Colombian food is a good choice for mixing cultures, since the food is already a mixture of tastes (see Colombian Cuisine). Like in many parts of the world, the food will also depend on the region of Colombia. Sad for veggies on vacation: "Colombia is not a paradise for vegetarians as the Colombian diet includes a lot of meat." (see South America: Colombian Food) And how about this quote from a description of Fritanga (a heaping pile of meat): "Guaranteed to sate any carnivore and send any vegan into therapy..." (see Traditional Colombian Food). But for those of us making our own food here at home, no problem! Just a few tweaks here and there. On the South America: Colombian Food page you can find a wonderful list for common dishes served in Colombia. For the vegan side of things they have huge quantities of tropical fruit and coffee, of course!

Since China is quite big, here's a bit about Shanghai: Shanghai's cuisine is mostly a combination of the surrounding areas, being a relatively new city (see Shanghai Cuisine). Sugar is a very common ingredient, especially in combination with soy sauce, and more is used in Shanghai dishes than in any other city in China. Speaking of soy sauce, Shanghai chefs are known for their use of heavy and highly flavored sauces (see Shanghai Food). Alcohol is also commonly used, like in "drunken" meat dishes. On a vegan note, smelly tofu is a popular local treat in the street.

Potatoes with Creamy Tomato Sauce or Papas Chorreadas (Colombia)
(adapted from Extending the Table)
2 T. margerine
6 green onions
1/2 an onion, diced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. soy milk
1 t. cilantro
1/4 t. oregano
pinch of cumin
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup cheezy sauce - more if you like! (we used a recipe from Vegan Vittles)
8 large potatoes, cut into four pieces and boiled

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add and fry onions (green and red) and tomatoes. Stir frequently and cook for about 5 minutes. Lower heat and add everthing except for the "cheese" sauce and potatoes. Cover, while cooking over low heat, stirring often. Meanwhile, fix your "cheese" sauce.
After 5-10 minutes, add the "cheese" and heat everything together for about 5 minutes or so. Pour sauce over potatoes and serve.

Shanghai Tofu or Hongshao Zhurou (China)
(adapted from Extending the Table)
2 pkgs Firm Tofu (more if you like, the sauce is supposed to cover 4 lbs of meat)
3/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. agave nectar
2 T. lime juice
1 in. ginger root, sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-3 anise stars
2 c. water

Bring everything, minus tofu, to a boil. Add tofu, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 or 2 hours. Be sure to turn the tofu periodically to help it absorb flavor more evenly. Remove cover, increase heat and cook 15-20 min., until only about 1 cup of liquid remains. Slice and serve.

Both of these dishes were extremely tasty and will be served again! Adam suggested cutting the tofu up ahead of time to absorb more flavors. The taste was very much like a ham baste and the tofu was juicy! The potato dish was saucy, creamy and wonderful!

More about the food and Recipes:
Colombian Food Recipes
South America: Colombian Food
Recipes Wiki: Colombian Cuisine
Shanghai Food

A Busy Week

2010-02-25T19:01:00.001-06:00

Wow, I really didn't mean to go so long without posting, but it's been a busy week for me. I'm not sure if I've mentioned, but I work part-time and usually have plenty of free time or at least, time available for other things. Last weekend was the Lawn and Garden show in town which was fun. I went to another gardening seminar at the library, this one by Ruell Chappel, which was very inspiring :) And then I've been working every day this week, so that I can head out of town for a Jazz Festival at Truman State (where I graduated from). I'm pretty excited. When I was still living in Kirksville (working at the rehab) I made a point to stay away from campus because I had become so tired of school. But now that I've been away for awhile and since I haven't seen some of these friends for years now, it will be quite nice I think. Plus it's always nice to hear some good jazz. I was a music major and this is kind of an unofficial time for music alum.

I promise there will be more food coming next week. The posts of Intrigue will no longer be a weekly post because I don't think I can keep up with that, but as I've mentioned before I discover so many wonderful things through other blogs and sites that it is important to me to recognize them. Actually, that's the reason this isn't a food post because I want to catch up on everyone else's blogs ;)

A few pics for fun (and though I now have an account, none of these are on Flickr - YET!):

Adam & me

Jordan said the hat was too big!

But it looked fine to me :)

Oh well! It happily belongs to my parents now. Next time I won't make an expert guess at such a novice level, haha. I guess that's how we learn, though!

Onion Lentil Snack and Potato Curry (Bangladesh)

2010-02-17T23:20:00.008-06:00

First of all I have some great news. Know that fantastic Peanut Soup I talked about a few days ago? Well, I have permission to post the recipe! So, head on back to that entry and make some fantastic Peanut Soup (compliments of the Mennonite Central Committee who publish the fantastic line of World Community Cookbooks)!

Staples in Bangladesh include rice and lentils (dal or daal), especially red lentils (according to Bangladeshi Recipes). Bangladeshi Recipes, also, states that these are commonly used: mung beans, ripe coconut, mustard oil and paste. Fish are a major source of protein. From Wikipedia: "As a large percentage of the land (over 80% on some occasions) can be under water, either intentionally because of farming practices or due to severe climatological, topographical or geographical conditions, not surprisingly fish features as the major source of protein in the Bangladeshi diet. There is also a saying which goes, "Mach-e-Bhat-e-Bangali" (Fish and rice make a Bengali)." Beef is also very common. You might find this 'common to region' information interesting (also from Wikipedia):
South - sea fish and coconut milk
Dhaka - fried rice and lot of meat (biriani)
West and NW - Vegetable curries, heavily spiced food and river fish
NE - lake fish, fruit, and pickles
Most important spices: ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili.
For sweet dishes: cardomom and cinnamon.

This meal: I really enjoyed the Potato Curry. The book recommends serving crisp, brown onions on top, which was a fantastic suggestion! I would not recommend serving it on rice, however. It was too dry for that. I think, like the book recommends, that it would be a good idea to serve it with a juicier dish (which you could serve on rice if you wanted). I wasn't a huge fan of the Onion Lentil snack, but I haven't really developed a taste for lentils. Perhaps I will work to develop a lentil treat I like ;)

Potato Curry or Alu Torkari
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 med. onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
12-14 oz. tomatoes
1 t. garam masala
1 t. tumeric
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. dry parsley
1 T. lemon juice (we used lime because we are out of lemon)
4 potatoes, cubed
1/4-1/3 c. water

Fry the thinly sliced onion in oil until brown and crisp, then set aside. Fry onion and garlic until soft (about 3 min.). Add tomatoes and spices and fry until tomatoes are soft (3-5 min.). Add everything else, cover loosely and simmer. Be sure to stir ovvasionally and continue until sauce is thick and potatoes are tender. Garnish with onions.

For more food from Bangladesh, try these sites:
BangaliNet
Bangladesh.com
Bangladeshi Food and Recipes
Bangladeshi Recipes
Khanapinaa
Sify Food - Indian Food

Tofu Benny and my second hat

2010-02-16T01:55:00.001-06:00

If you don't own Vegan Brunch, you should find access! Try requesting it at your local library if it's not a good time to buy it or borrow it from a friend (if you're lucky enough to live near many vegans). Every single image looks amazing. Seriously. I remember discovering scrambled tofu, VwaV style, and realizing that we could have homestyle vegan breakfasts that matched our omnivore days. What a delight! I am a breakfast lover, which means that there is rarely a time that it doesn't sound good :)

Now, let's take it to the next level. We once made the Greek Tofu Benedict from Veganomicon, which turned out quite nice, served up with a tahini dill sauce, tomato, and olives with a side of fried potatoes. It was actually my first "benedict" and a good experience. When I asked Adam what he would like to celebrate his 3rd Veganversary (which was actually in January) he wanted Tofu Benny from Vegan Brunch (one of the incentives for gifting it to me at Christmas) and I was happy to oblige. We've talked about making English Muffins for sometime and this seemed like the perfect time to start. We made the English muffins in the book, using spelt flour and they were great. Just as good as the store and we know all of the ingredients without spending $5 for the "good stuff." The only other changes to the English muffins that we made were coconut oil instead of margarine and we did not add sugar to the yeast. For the tofu marinade the only thing I substituted was apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar, which worked out fine. For the Hollandaise sauce I used lime juice instead of lemon and apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar. All of these changes were made to accommodate what we had on hand.

These babies were served up with Breakfast Sausages that I mentioned in yesterday's post and a little spinach and raisin salad on the side. Delicious! I highly recommend this recipe. The tofu had a wonderful texture and the Hollandaise tasted amazing! Strangely, the texture of the Hollandaise sauce really reminded me of egg yolk. Has anyone else had this experience?

And, how about a pic of my second completed hat?

This was meant for Jordan (my brother), but was a bit bigger than he wanted. For some reason I had decided to add a few stitches misunderstanding what the yarn was capable of! But, I will say that I am very proud of how smooth the top turned out compared to the last (which you can't really see in this picture). And my parents were quite happy to receive it, so all is well!

I plan to start a Flickr account soon and then you can see each of us styling it if you choose :)

Something Simple

2010-02-14T17:20:00.003-06:00

It seems easy to spend hours in the kitchen, especially when trying a new recipe. You don't want to miss a step and want to put all the pieces together to test out someone else's discovery and learn something new. Though, I enjoy such things, I feel there is nothing quite like looking at the things you have on hand and putting those to good use. This could almost be a Pantry Raid-type entry. The difference is my pantry raids usually start as a frantic "what the hell are we going to eat tonight?" until I open a magical door or two in the kitchen and realize that we will survive. With these meals I had a vague idea of something I wanted to use and went from there. All of these were quick and easy, and most likely involved some sort of leftover from another meal (seitan, falafel, rice, etc.).

Creamy Seitan and Rice

2-3 c. seitan
10-12 oz. tomatoes (feel free to use more!)
ground bl. pepper
red pepper flakes
paprika

Rice (mixed with margarine and tamari)

For this dish, I sauteed an onion for about 3 min. Then tossed in seitan to brown. Once it was to my liking, I added in the rest of a 28 oz. can of tomatoes (probably 10-12 oz.). Once the rice was done cooking I mixed in tamari and margarine. This was then thrown in with the rest and mixed up. I think I threw on some other spices, like paprika, pepper and red pepper flakes. But, this is one of those things that will change each time you make it anyway.;) Top with nutritional yeast and that's it!

Cannellini Sausages, Veggies and Rice

If you haven't made Vegan Dad's Breakfast Sausages, you should! He is probably the Master of vegan faux meats. We have made these numerous times and love them! Usually I make them the size described in the recipe, ping-pong balls stretched out. But we decided to make them larger yesterday for some Tofu Bennies (from Vegan Brunch).

2 large cannellini bean sausages, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/3 head of cabbage, sliced in 2 in. pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 handfuls of spinach
fresh ground black pepper
cayenne pepper
rosemary
coriander
water
rice

After heating skillet with a little oil, brown sausages. Remove sausages from the pan and set aside. Toss in onion, carrot and cabbage. Saute for about 7 min., tossing in the garlic for the last minute. Add sausage, spinach and spices. After mixing, add 1-2 cups of water for cooking and to create a thin sauce. Allow to simmer for 15 min. or so, until carrots have softened. Mix in rice and it's ready to serve.

I may have forgotten some spices, so if I think of them I will update. But throw on whatever sounds good to you!

DIY Stitch Markers

Today I was determined to finish knitting a hat, but needed stitch markers. The last ones I cut up from a thin piece of cardboard fell apart and since the yarn shop is closed today (and I didn't want to go to one of the BIG stores), it was up to me. I've seen some fairly simple looking homemade markers that use jewelry making materials, but I wanted something quick (a bit anxious to finish!). So, first I posted on Ravelry boards to try to avoid an hour of searching (which is what I do, constantly looking for another idea). After an hour of no results (impatient), I looked up some ideas. I found this idea to use leftover yarn pieces and was hooked. But then, skimming through a craft box I found some metallic pipe cleaners. These were super easy, a real cut and bend procedure. One thing about these, though, is that they strip off a bit as you knit, leaving behind little bits of shine in the project. So, maybe not the best option, but they worked today and I am pleased :) I will post a pic. soon!

Vegan Fox in the Snow

Coming soon...

November is here and so am I

We have a winner...

Vegan MoFo Swap 2: Sweet Treats

VeganMoFo: Pumpkin Harvest Curry

Liebster Award ~ Thanks Farrah!

Liebster Award ~ Thanks Val!

Banned Book Giveaway: Twenty Boy Summer

Vegan MoFo: Weekly Wrap-up

Vegan MoFo: Coconut bacon, Avocado, & Tomato on Focaccia

I'm Sprouting!

Vegan Mofo: Big Fat Burrito

Vegan Mofo SWAP! 1: Recipe Swap

Vegan Mofo: Coconut Bacon

Vegan Mofo: Raw Hot Cacao

Vegan Mofo!!

Ramble On

Surprise!

Taking Flight!

Review: Chocolate Inspirations

Quickie

Smile Time - Donut Style

Local: Pizza at the Grotto

Trying to Tweet

And then there were two

Happy Things to Come

In the news: The Good Stuff

SWAP! *Poetry*

Two Raw Green Dips

Do not support VegNews!

Vegan Outreach Leafleting

Live Delicious: Cookbook Giveaway!

SWAP! *Seeds*

Vegan Bloggers Unite!

Lovely Bookmarks!

Encourage Puppy mills...really Missouri?!

S*#% in the News

Happy Mailbox

To the Swappers

*Fun Finds*

Recent Projects: January and February

Pizza Time!

SWAP! February

Books Read in 2010

One Blog vs. Two Blogs

Giveaway Winners!!

Living in the Raw - Cookbook Review

Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook - Book Review

Speed Vegan - Cookbook Review

Year of the Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Carrot Raisin Spice Chewies

January Bulk Order

My First Blogiversary! (and giveaway :)

Welcome to 2011

Happy Holidays!

My Blender Blues are Over, Baby

Finding Inspiration, Homemade Cereal and Muffins

Soup's on!

December Bulk Order

I'd Rather Go Blind

psst...

Geocaching

Happy Fall!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Creamy Green deLight

"Squash the Shiitake" Stir-fry

Dancing Rabbit pt. 2 - Canning

Why Vegan? - a story from Warped Tour

Dancing Rabbit pt. 1 - Welcome to the Milkweed Mercantile

Chocolate-Covered Almond Tangerine Balls

Monday News

Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusel Coffee Cake

Sweet Utopia

Why Vegan? - Meet Your Meat

Back to Business

Postponed

Monday News

Contest Preview

Monday News

Crafty Contests

SWAP! Poetry

SWAP! Seeds

Fun Finds