tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61523171366682457452024-02-07T20:44:57.211-06:00Vegan Fox in the SnowVegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-2591015363175329602012-05-14T17:21:00.000-05:002012-05-14T17:26:25.427-05:00Farewell for now!Thanks to everyone who has stopped by the blog these past few years! For awhile now the blog has not been my focus. This past weekend, I was walking along the Elk River and realized that it was time to set it aside. I have a tendency to change my mind, so who knows? You may see me pop up again in a month or a year or five years or never. Right now my focus is on local vegan activism, community building, and sustainability. I recently read the Moneyless Man and have a strong interest in freeconomy, the Transition Movement, and ecovillages. <br />
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Want to stay in touch? I will still post links, quotes, and bits of life on<b> <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/Vegfox">twitter</a></b> and will occasionally load photos to<b> <a href="https://secure.flickr.com/photos/78595670@N06/">flickr</a></b>. <br />
Feel free to e-mail me at aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com<br />
I'm always happy to chat! <br />
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Always inspired by something or someone, I have to leave you with some of my current favorites!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/">The Freeconomy Community</a></b> - all about connecting locally and sharing skills and resources.<br />
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<a href="http://vegan.com/blog/"><b>vegan.com</b> </a>- still my number one source for vegan information and news.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.transitionnetwork.org/">Transition Network</a></b> - develop projects within your community to work toward a better future.<br />
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<b><a href="http://jacknorrisrd.com/">Jack Norris, RD</a></b> AND <b><a href="http://www.theveganrd.com/">The Vegan RD (Ginny Messina)</a></b> - great sources for information on vegan health.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.veganoutreach.org/">Vegan Outreach</a></b> - if you want to take your veganism to the next level, they can provide you the tools!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.budgetingwiththebushmans.com/">Budgeting with the Bushmans</a></b> - an awesome friend of mine has taken her frugal and sustainable lifestyle to the next level (she was recently interviewed for a show on TLC!).<br />
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<b><a href="http://awhimsicalmelody.blogspot.com/">A Whimsical Melody</a></b> - my neice's awesome blog filled with bits of inspiration, diy, NEDA awareness, and more.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.dancingrabbit.org/">Dancing Rabbit</a></b> - an awesome ecovillage in NE Missouri ~ <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2010/08/dancing-rabbit-pt-1-welcome-to-milkweed.html">I've been there</a></b> and <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2010/08/dancing-rabbit-pt-1-welcome-to-milkweed.html">we canned</a></b>!!<br />
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Also be sure to check out the blogs in the right column!<br />
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One last thing, I never made my henna post, but still wanted to share the results with you: RED hair!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4j3WBtqNy-MumfQKdan4sJeMVg4hZrZTW59E3cOl4nOpz8Ws-tFuJgckqb-2w05VzjBqO-z56twAArINZIII_AkYze4tdLXe3SjgW7P4yakZTiKNnYzve1NDgTKCP-xt6pJrZHEdBTd4/s1600/adam&me.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4j3WBtqNy-MumfQKdan4sJeMVg4hZrZTW59E3cOl4nOpz8Ws-tFuJgckqb-2w05VzjBqO-z56twAArINZIII_AkYze4tdLXe3SjgW7P4yakZTiKNnYzve1NDgTKCP-xt6pJrZHEdBTd4/s320/adam&me.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm on the right ;)</td></tr>
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<br />Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-22615649724100802072012-04-23T17:20:00.002-05:002012-04-23T17:20:33.874-05:00Spring Rolls, Udon Noodles, & Tamari Roasted Almonds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyR2igVbJpnjz6banbV9IARzCTCgjtybkocLI5Ta68BLbk6HWxRjCXwpwYgXfan2KuKB5EqY8jJkNUzuVWx20fNKdp7g-_-uLBFMW62VRyVx6BtXnFezQLdMyXUajXmIPwtnO7U3tgrc/s1600/spring+rolls+and+almonds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyR2igVbJpnjz6banbV9IARzCTCgjtybkocLI5Ta68BLbk6HWxRjCXwpwYgXfan2KuKB5EqY8jJkNUzuVWx20fNKdp7g-_-uLBFMW62VRyVx6BtXnFezQLdMyXUajXmIPwtnO7U3tgrc/s400/spring+rolls+and+almonds.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was recently inspired by a photo posted by my friend Ann on facebook featuring udon noodles and spring rolls. As my mouth watered, I wondered why I had not yet attempted spring rolls. They are a little intimidating, especially when your only experience is from ordering them at Chinese and Thai restaurants. <br />
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Never fear! They are not very difficult and rice paper is incredibly inexpensive!<br />
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The rice paper will come dry in the package. To rehydrate, fill a large bowl or dish with water and add a piece of rice paper. When it softens and goes limp, remove the paper, add your filling, tuck in two ends, and roll. That's it! My first few were not very pretty, but that didn't effect the taste. ;)<br />
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<b>Spring Rolls</b>: <i>napa cabbage, spinach, carrot, green onion, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes</i><br />
For a dipping sauce, we used a pre-made hoisin sauce.<br />
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<b>Udon Noodles</b>: <i>mirin (a new favorite!), brown rice vinegar, tamari, and sesame oil</i><br />
After cooking the noodles according to package directions, I added the other ingredients to taste. Top with sesame seeds and green onions.<br />
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<b>Roasted Almonds:</b> <i>tamari, chili powder, ginger, and sesame oil (enough to coat almonds)</i><br />
Coat almonds by mixing all ingredients by hand. Place coated almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for about 10 min. at 350 F.Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-75742828665299297222012-03-19T14:26:00.000-05:002012-03-19T14:26:34.356-05:00Test Kitchen: Soy Curls and Spicy Nothings Curry Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Soy Curls + Spicy & Tangy Curry Simmer Sauce = One Lethally Tasty Combo</div>
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A couple of months ago I added a package of Butler Soy Curls to our bulk order. I've been curious about these for awhile now, but none of our local stores carry them. When I discovered that these were available through <b><a href="http://www.azurestandard.com/">Azure Standard</a></b>, my wait was over! We put in a bulk order through Azure about once a month through a local buying co-op. It helps us to save money on things like organic raw nuts, beans, and rice. (It's been awhile since I've posted one of our orders, so I will try to do one for April or May ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnavFMeFfOCnuRGe76sRuT9leRijJ5PYNlAPDn2pD4omZbcJ3V2LvK53Faj3n9MsDfU_octimSGOLP4WdiwEuc0eB8VBforsZvn5dVoxodsSx_7jd5JcBsvkjZ4Mqgpo1Pda-zbxHyDjo/s1600/soycurl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnavFMeFfOCnuRGe76sRuT9leRijJ5PYNlAPDn2pD4omZbcJ3V2LvK53Faj3n9MsDfU_octimSGOLP4WdiwEuc0eB8VBforsZvn5dVoxodsSx_7jd5JcBsvkjZ4Mqgpo1Pda-zbxHyDjo/s320/soycurl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mighty Soy Curl</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I'm a curious gal, so I had a taste fresh out of the package. Nothing special at this point, just flavorless and crunchy. <br />
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For those who are unfamiliar with<a href="http://butlerfoods.com/products/soycurls.html"> <b>Soy Curls</b></a>, they are a dehydrated product (like TVP) made from whole soybeans. After re-hydrating, you can add them to a stir-fry or favorite recipe. <br />
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<b><a href="http://mamajeansmarket.com/MaMa_Jeans/Welcome.html">Mama Jean's</a> </b>(our local Natural Foods Market) carries a line of <b><a href="http://www.spicynothings.com/">Spicy Nothings</a></b> curry sauces. Though it's great fun and tasty to make a sauce from scratch, we like to have some things like this on hand for those nights when I want something fresh at home that takes a little less time and effort.<br />
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While waiting for the soy curls to re-hydrate, I chopped and stir-fried some fresh veggies (5-7 min.). I removed the veggies, added a little oil and the soy curls to my skillet. Once they were lightly browned (~10 min.), I added the simmer sauce and about 1/2 c. water. I left it on for 15-20 min. before adding the veggies back in. We served ours immediately over rice because we like the veggies still a little crisp. You could easily mix them in and leave the whole thing to heat for about 5 more min. before serving. <br />
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This is definitely a meal worth repeating! The sauce is decently thick and flavorful (even better if you add some extra chili pepper powder or hot sauce) and the soy curl texture is excellent (tender and slightly chewy when lightly browned).Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-13321086422148996192012-03-17T20:21:00.001-05:002012-03-19T13:58:48.834-05:00Happy St. Pat's! (and Guinness Extra Stout)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Celebrating St. Patty's this weekend? Although most <b><a href="http://www.barnivore.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keyword=guinness&commit=Search">Guinness varieties</a></b> are not vegan, Barnivore informed me that the Extra Stout IS vegan. It is made by Moosehead, who do not use isinglass. Always good news to hear that a popular beer is vegan!<br />
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For anyone who likes to indulge in an alcoholic beverage from time to time, I definitely recommend checking out the <b><a href="http://www.barnivore.com/">Barnivore website</a></b>. It is a great resource and well organized. And if you don't find your drink listed, they have an <b><a href="http://www.barnivore.com/askacompany">excellent letter</a></b> that you can send to your company of choice.<br />
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What am I doing tonight? Drinking a <b><a href="http://mothersbrewing.com/">Mother's</a></b> Winter Grind (local beer), making scrambled tofu (which we will eat on a bed of spinach and topped with guacumole!) and then heading out to see this month's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Buffy-The-Vampire-Slayer-Staged-Readings/164727613571898">Buffy reader's theater</a> episode :)Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-51852354405113824752012-03-15T18:25:00.000-05:002012-03-15T18:57:08.147-05:00Black Bean Brownies...blehA year ago we tried a black bean brownie recipe that we found online. They were awful! It could be that we substituted something that didn't work out. They were gooey...not in the good way. So many bloggers were singing odes to black bean brownies, but I was no longer interested.<br />
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We've been trying out different recipes in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Vegan-Slow-Cooker-Intensely/dp/1592334644/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331853418&sr=8-1"><b>The Vegan Slow Cooker</b></a>. Low and behold, a recipe for black bean brownies! We decided that it was worth a shot and made them. What did I discover? Nothing spectacular. These are protein-dense with a dominant banana flavor. The texture is nothing delightful. I'd much rather make a loaf of banana bread!</div>
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What about you? Has anyone had any success with a black bean recipe? (Horror stories welcome too!) </div>
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<br /></div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-17711115765925241582012-03-05T20:46:00.000-06:002012-03-07T20:35:56.138-06:00Meatout!<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8712015328928828"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Do you know about </span><a href="http://www.meatout.org/about-meatout.htm">Meatout</a><span style="font-weight: normal;">?</span></span></b><br />
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From the </span><a href="http://www.meatout.org/">website</a><span style="font-weight: normal;">:</span></span></b>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/deGRk1tQnHGXiyCuIYLyZr6DCDHWlow7MmWtAlFohAnDXFssQhHXVvhBoMKGfvCMq0jX1Z5EBLPywoggemN9-vHAA-S3y5FLwMSsFjkuv-wzYHR8ha0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/deGRk1tQnHGXiyCuIYLyZr6DCDHWlow7MmWtAlFohAnDXFssQhHXVvhBoMKGfvCMq0jX1Z5EBLPywoggemN9-vHAA-S3y5FLwMSsFjkuv-wzYHR8ha0" width="107px;" /></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8712015328928828"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is Meatout?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meatout is the world's largest grassroots diet education campaign. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On (or around) March 20, thousands of caring people in all 50 U.S. states and two dozen other countries encourage their friends, families, and communities to "kick the meat habit” and explore a wholesome, compassionate diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 2012 goal of Meatout is to distribute free vegan food samples to 30,000 people!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is an awesome way to spread the word locally. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Haven’t planned anything or short on time? No problem! There are so many things that you can do to celebrate and spread the word. (Be sure to check out the</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <a href="http://www.meatout.org/">website</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> for more information and for vegan literature & samples to share!)</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* Bake cookies for coworkers</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* Make dinner for a friend</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* Write down a favorite recipe and share it with someone</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* Hand out leaflets one afternoon at a nearby college or park</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* Wear a vegan-inspired t-shirt</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* Tell someone why you are vegan</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember that no matter what you do, you are a making difference. So spread the word!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Not vegan? No problem! You can still celebrate :) Try </span><a href="http://www.meatoutmondays.org/index.php">Meatout Mondays</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or a new meat-free recipe. Check out some of the great blogs in the right column or grab a book from your local library. I encourage you to spend a little time this month exploring the vegan lifestyle. (If you’re reading this, you’re clearly on your way ;)</span></b>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-18048413227088104002012-03-01T17:14:00.000-06:002012-03-01T17:14:21.474-06:00Back to Blogging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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March is here and it's time for me to start blogging again! Woohoo! I'm psyched! Blogging and blog reading can be very time consuming for me, but it's something I want to incorporate back into my life. Kala, on <a href="http://vegancraftastic.blogspot.com/2012/02/juggling.html">VeganCraftastic</a>, talked about balance recently. Isn't that something we always strive for, the right balance? We readjust ourselves and our lives, as something is ALWAYS changing, to find new balance. And that's just fine! In my current balancing act, I am reintroducing myself to blogging, so feel free to join in!<br />
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My neice, Tori, inspired the photo above. She recently started a blog <a href="http://awhimsicalmelody.blogspot.com/">Sia felice. Sia forte. Appartenga.</a> She is AMAZING and this week has been promoting NEDAwareness week (National Eating Disorders Awareness) on her campus and facebook page. She's always taking fun photos with words written on cards or scraps of paper and I love it!<br />
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Stay tuned...there is more to come...Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-80088291628668547972011-12-07T08:20:00.001-06:002011-12-07T08:27:26.851-06:00Coming soon...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. ;)<br />
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I plan to post recipes and photos of some of our current favorite things to eat, including a tempeh potpie!<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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I hope everyone is having a wonderful December so far!<br />
<br />Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-42520471943338330002011-11-21T14:14:00.001-06:002011-11-21T14:25:34.632-06:00November is here and so am IHello 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.<br />
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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. </div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-7162616258729887402011-10-20T09:07:00.000-05:002011-11-21T14:12:03.288-06:00We have a winner...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Congratulations to ikkinlala!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMMC3IkFdsuZflyz9lcTHP62ussQ36Dfh9QDnYnMfMyUBLkTyyOxEHlZlKJ6hJHgUmYBf1ULBapsR6prGZRCnlFbJC84aGcfuyWXHF4ac-jTKatWaxmfeq1_X5JCzZBtcn7E4EMoTRpk/s1600/twentyboybk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMMC3IkFdsuZflyz9lcTHP62ussQ36Dfh9QDnYnMfMyUBLkTyyOxEHlZlKJ6hJHgUmYBf1ULBapsR6prGZRCnlFbJC84aGcfuyWXHF4ac-jTKatWaxmfeq1_X5JCzZBtcn7E4EMoTRpk/s1600/twentyboybk.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">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 <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/banned-book-giveaway-twenty-boy-summer.html">previous blog entry about the giveaway</a></b>.</span></span> To learn more about the book here's a link to <b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5231173-twenty-boy-summer">goodreads</a></b>. </div>
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<b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegan-mofo-swap-2-sweet-treats.html">Yo swappers! Want a sweet treat in the mail?</a></b></div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-25778674037462389732011-10-18T17:45:00.002-05:002011-10-28T21:12:47.644-05:00Vegan MoFo Swap 2: Sweet Treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggArGtqmckMFLb9s19kIfjemWVwLJZ1rGv8f73zI-c1OS32c4gxILj7N7rH9xOZVWCmwIqftsCUq65AipX8rGmXjjy6b1bXR_jRF2lS55dfCxOhkGrhPY4h8l2IblP291I6kGVFn_DKbk/s1600/veganmofolong1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggArGtqmckMFLb9s19kIfjemWVwLJZ1rGv8f73zI-c1OS32c4gxILj7N7rH9xOZVWCmwIqftsCUq65AipX8rGmXjjy6b1bXR_jRF2lS55dfCxOhkGrhPY4h8l2IblP291I6kGVFn_DKbk/s400/veganmofolong1.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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**<i>This swap has been postponed until further notice. </i><i>Please feel free to comment or contact me if you are interested and I can let you know when it happens :)</i></div>
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Did I mention that we are having two swaps this month? Well, that was no lie! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6XA1TQr3qJp4lT0eFik1haC3MZeKVR0IOjIEgaxu3mAG4oi9B7EO-ZsMbimuTKhF1OJms_BkPxnzr-QFGKa35Zi8AUlx-WqjSVY41dSOjt5O7H-TKbCG1DyJaNuqqAtCvyGEAEw-fMw/s1600/carrotwalnut2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6XA1TQr3qJp4lT0eFik1haC3MZeKVR0IOjIEgaxu3mAG4oi9B7EO-ZsMbimuTKhF1OJms_BkPxnzr-QFGKa35Zi8AUlx-WqjSVY41dSOjt5O7H-TKbCG1DyJaNuqqAtCvyGEAEw-fMw/s320/carrotwalnut2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Sweet Treats Swap</b>:</div>
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* 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 ;) <i>You are welcome to send more, but this is all that is expected ;)</i> Sweets may be store-bought or homemade!</div>
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<i>* </i>To sign up, leave a comment below or send me an e-mail.<i> </i>Please contact me if you have any dietary restrictions, allergies or general dislikes (people who don't like chocolate <i>do</i> exist! strange, I know!<i>)</i>. I will pass that information on to your partner, but <b><u>do not</u></b> let this keep you from signing up! </div>
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<i>* </i>Sign-ups close on Mon., Oct. 31.<i> </i>You will receive your swap partner's information sometime the next day.</div>
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* Swaps should be sent out by Fri., Nov. 11.<i> If you are unable to send it at that time, please send early or do not sign up.</i></div>
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<i>* </i>If you are a first time swapper, please send your snail mail info. to me at aveganfox[at]gmail[dot]com</div>
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* Questions or thoughts? E-mail me or comment below!</div>
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This is just a fun way to send a little sweetness in the mail :)</div>
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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!</div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-16992945854214307282011-10-15T14:47:00.002-05:002011-10-16T09:39:29.416-05:00VeganMoFo: Pumpkin Harvest Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.veganmofo.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJmA-XsDMgPb7zGUVFbdkO1uCdMEat6jSJ8R3DgDNIEizL80B5o-ZSHgHe1ZPGutiBOy1dIk1uawfitN44epx587urV5BgI6Nf1iwD6mh0Y9X0wXBuzZfHK3qqI8QuSWsy7B7oyAnmQ8/s400/veganmofolong2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>A few days left for the <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/banned-book-giveaway-twenty-boy-summer.html">Banned Book Giveaway</a></b>!</i><br />
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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!<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">swap-bot</a>. If you like receiving and sending mail you should definitely check it out! Feel free to <b><a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/user:Vegfox">look me up</a></b> and give a shout ;) <br />
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Here's a package I sent out this morning (my first bit of mail art; before postage):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitxRaxoyxUDB7niLw3Qd2woMFLmao7RviLY4tzVWFNfI6X-Ob_ynFtDbqeESSQQy9KsIXUaj-o6yLfKlj2QbADHF6Nd9Luv-oMMYOw3jjWtYGmteqih_5KDFucBI-79XSifGEVXv3E20/s1600/hopemailart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitxRaxoyxUDB7niLw3Qd2woMFLmao7RviLY4tzVWFNfI6X-Ob_ynFtDbqeESSQQy9KsIXUaj-o6yLfKlj2QbADHF6Nd9Luv-oMMYOw3jjWtYGmteqih_5KDFucBI-79XSifGEVXv3E20/s400/hopemailart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's an awesome crew of vegan bloggers in the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/44979.Vegan_Cooking_Cookbooks">Vegan Cooking and Cookbooks</a> group on goodreads. In honor of <a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan MoFo</a> 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!<br />
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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!<br />
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<b>P</b><b>umpkin Harvest Curry </b><br />
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<i>I just threw in spices that appealed to me in the process so please adjust and experiment to suit your tastes! </i><br />
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The Goods:<br />
1/2 med. pumpkin <br />
1 pkg tempeh<br />
1 zucchini<br />
2 sm. or 1 lrg. red pepper<br />
1/2 red onion<br />
1 can coconut milk<br />
1 c. water (<i>add more as needed)</i><br />
sesame oil<br />
tamari <i>or other soy sauce</i><br />
curry spice mix<br />
cinnamon<br />
coriander (<i>freshly ground)</i><br />
garam masala spice mix<br />
ginger<br />
lemon juice<br />
pinch of salt (<i>if needed)</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GksCkrGV2RbgYaIERGiudAFibhyphenhyphenQUxApJvV9vvfkg1dG0J0gDsIRlvhyx3jFT5zK_oLvmeobe6WitnyDeY6xXeQNG8HTC_whV6kyi9Ej9xRrvT9Jr_s7CFnGeoYtLMfS0YmZ2cihlb8/s1600/pumpkin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GksCkrGV2RbgYaIERGiudAFibhyphenhyphenQUxApJvV9vvfkg1dG0J0gDsIRlvhyx3jFT5zK_oLvmeobe6WitnyDeY6xXeQNG8HTC_whV6kyi9Ej9xRrvT9Jr_s7CFnGeoYtLMfS0YmZ2cihlb8/s320/pumpkin1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pumpkin:<br />
Divide the pumpkin into eighths and roast at 350 F for 30-45 min. Set aside.<br />
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Zucchini, pepper, and onion:<br />
Slice and fry at medium-high heat in a dry skillet (<i>I use cast-iron)</i> for 1-3 minutes. You want these to stay crisp to add a little variety to the textures in the dish.<br />
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Tempeh:<br />
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. <br />
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Curry Sauce:<br />
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.<br />
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Putting it all together:<br />
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.<br />
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Serve over rice and enjoy!<br />
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<u>Pumpkin Cooking Challenge!</u> </div>
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<a href="http://plentysweetenough.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-peanut-butter-oatmeal-squares.html">Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares</a> ~ Plenty Sweet Enough</div>
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<a href="http://cowhuggerslife.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-curry-with-red-lentils.html">Pumpkin Curry with Lentils</a> ~ A Cowhugger's Life<br />
<a href="http://www.thebloomingplatter.com/vegan-breakfasts/vegan-baked-pumpkin-bourbon-french-toast-with-pepita-caramel-syrup">Vegan Baked Pumpkin-Bourbon French Toast with Pepita Caramel Syrup</a> ~ The Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes</div>
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<a href="http://carrottopvegan.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-pumpkin-lasagna.html">Sweet Potato Pumpkin Lasagna</a> ~ Carrot Top Vegan<br />
<br /></div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-42820443026335131902011-10-13T21:28:00.000-05:002011-10-13T21:28:28.137-05:00Liebster Award ~ Thanks Farrah!Thanks Farrah! Farrah's a new vegan who has an awesome blog that you should definitely check out ~ <b><a href="http://carrottopvegan.blogspot.com/">Carrot Top Vegan</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivf64ypSGkGJEs34GaK5eEcEURM1Huo8ZGkvGYjigYtEeJRHBF5RQTH2hUY_6DNPTfRsJoWUXsfEIRxTxWDkgk13KyaX6pWnyGnhb2EUyfGL_XmiGDw0YRa3j9NkpY2G_V_NEZjM83Gjc/s1600/liebsterawa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivf64ypSGkGJEs34GaK5eEcEURM1Huo8ZGkvGYjigYtEeJRHBF5RQTH2hUY_6DNPTfRsJoWUXsfEIRxTxWDkgk13KyaX6pWnyGnhb2EUyfGL_XmiGDw0YRa3j9NkpY2G_V_NEZjM83Gjc/s1600/liebsterawa.png" /></a></div>
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"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.<br />
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The rules of winning this award are as follows:<br />
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1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.<br />
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2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.<br />
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3. Post the award on your blog.<br />
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4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!<br />
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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!:<br />
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*<b><a href="http://www.veganflower.com/">Vegan Flower</a></b>*</div>
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*<b><a href="http://elilaiann.blogspot.com/">Coffee & Sunshine</a></b>*</div>
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*<b><a href="http://vegancinegrub.blogspot.com/">Vegan CineGrub</a></b>* </div>
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*<b><a href="http://vegspinz.blogspot.com/">VegSpinz</a></b>*</div>
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*<b><a href="http://breadwithoutbutter.blogspot.com/">Bread Without Butter</a></b>*</div>
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<br /></div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-18746246351045409652011-10-12T14:13:00.001-05:002011-10-13T13:40:32.687-05:00Liebster Award ~ Thanks Val!Thank you so much Val! Please check out her blog, <b><a href="http://cowhuggerslife.blogspot.com/">A Cowhugger's Life</a></b>. As some of you know I'm a huge fan of<b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">goodreads</a>.</b> We have a great vegan group on goodreads with awesome bloggers, like <b><a href="http://cowhuggerslife.blogspot.com/">A Cowhugger's Life</a></b> ;) In the past I've been really bad about award posts, so I'm posting this asap before it gets left behind!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivf64ypSGkGJEs34GaK5eEcEURM1Huo8ZGkvGYjigYtEeJRHBF5RQTH2hUY_6DNPTfRsJoWUXsfEIRxTxWDkgk13KyaX6pWnyGnhb2EUyfGL_XmiGDw0YRa3j9NkpY2G_V_NEZjM83Gjc/s1600/liebsterawa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivf64ypSGkGJEs34GaK5eEcEURM1Huo8ZGkvGYjigYtEeJRHBF5RQTH2hUY_6DNPTfRsJoWUXsfEIRxTxWDkgk13KyaX6pWnyGnhb2EUyfGL_XmiGDw0YRa3j9NkpY2G_V_NEZjM83Gjc/s200/liebsterawa.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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"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.<br />
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The rules of winning this award are as follows:<br />
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1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.<br />
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2. Reveal 5 of your top picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.<br />
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3. Post the award on your blog.<br />
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4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the www!<br />
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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!:<br />
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<b>*<a href="http://zombiecatseatingplants.blogspot.com/">Zombie Cats Eating Plants</a>*</b></div>
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<b>*<a href="http://veganandsoforth.blogspot.com/">Vegan and so Forth</a>*</b></div>
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<b>*<a href="http://flyawayvegan.blogspot.com/">Dandelion Vegan Blog</a>*</b></div>
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<b>*<a href="http://lovinlivinvegan.blogspot.com/">lovinlivinvegan</a>*</b></div>
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<b>*<a href="http://budgetingwiththebushmans.blogspot.com/">Budgeting with the Bushmans</a>*</b></div>
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Want to get in on the action?:<br />
* <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegan-mofo-swap-1-recipe-swap.html">Recipe Swap</a></b> ~<i> sign-up by Oct. 15 </i><br />
* <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/banned-book-giveaway-twenty-boy-summer.html">Book Giveaway</a></b> ~ <i>sign-up by Oct. 18</i>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-14036421223402129552011-10-11T21:30:00.000-05:002011-10-20T08:56:31.813-05:00Banned Book Giveaway: Twenty Boy Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMMC3IkFdsuZflyz9lcTHP62ussQ36Dfh9QDnYnMfMyUBLkTyyOxEHlZlKJ6hJHgUmYBf1ULBapsR6prGZRCnlFbJC84aGcfuyWXHF4ac-jTKatWaxmfeq1_X5JCzZBtcn7E4EMoTRpk/s1600/twentyboybk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMMC3IkFdsuZflyz9lcTHP62ussQ36Dfh9QDnYnMfMyUBLkTyyOxEHlZlKJ6hJHgUmYBf1ULBapsR6prGZRCnlFbJC84aGcfuyWXHF4ac-jTKatWaxmfeq1_X5JCzZBtcn7E4EMoTRpk/s1600/twentyboybk.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Congratulations to commenter 5: book_pusher!! </span></div>
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*Giveaway now closed* </div>
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During<b> <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm">Banned Books Week</a></b> the Springfield-Green County Library system (Missouri) held a series of events. The headliner this year was a visit from <b><a href="http://sarahockler.com/">Sarah Ockler</a> </b>whose book <b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5231173-twenty-boy-summer">Twenty Boy Summer</a></b> 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 <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/09/ramble-on.html">my ramblings</a></b> about it <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/09/ramble-on.html">here</a></b>. The <b><a href="http://republicmonews.com/news/ockler-makes-appearance-at-republic-branch-library/article_85d56b96-eea9-11e0-b3e6-001cc4c03286.html">Republic Monitor</a></b> recently published an interview with Ockler, taken after a Read-Out at the Republic Branch Public Library. <b><a href="http://republicmonews.com/news/ockler-makes-appearance-at-republic-branch-library/article_85d56b96-eea9-11e0-b3e6-001cc4c03286.html">-link-</a></b><br />
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GIVEAWAY: <u>A signed copy of Twenty Boy Summer</u> :)<br />
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To Enter:<br />
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* 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...)<br />
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* Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you (if your e-mail is attached to your profile, that works).<br />
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* Giveaway will be open until October 18. I will randomly choose the winner the next morning.Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-90768191963359303162011-10-08T21:20:00.002-05:002011-10-08T21:44:32.330-05:00Vegan MoFo: Weekly Wrap-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJmA-XsDMgPb7zGUVFbdkO1uCdMEat6jSJ8R3DgDNIEizL80B5o-ZSHgHe1ZPGutiBOy1dIk1uawfitN44epx587urV5BgI6Nf1iwD6mh0Y9X0wXBuzZfHK3qqI8QuSWsy7B7oyAnmQ8/s1600/veganmofolong2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJmA-XsDMgPb7zGUVFbdkO1uCdMEat6jSJ8R3DgDNIEizL80B5o-ZSHgHe1ZPGutiBOy1dIk1uawfitN44epx587urV5BgI6Nf1iwD6mh0Y9X0wXBuzZfHK3qqI8QuSWsy7B7oyAnmQ8/s400/veganmofolong2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There is so much awesome food floating around on the blogosphere during Vegan MoFo that I decided to take a cue from <b><a href="http://www.scissorsandspice.com/">Scissors & Spice</a></b> and create a <b><a href="http://pinterest.com/foxmuses/vegan-mofo-2011/">Pinterest board</a></b> to keep track of some of the awesome food finds. Have you checked out <b><a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a></b> 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!<br />
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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:<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/foxmuses/vegan-mofo-2011/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ02ZJmAMVDRmg2ZQoFZZylkbf-hBrHfG42qProY0PVV31v5nCobmHkyYmm8qtlfYz8ahyphenhyphentx56sw4l7O4ZqbCBGfIKwGluYihz58EJEpXglsM3HE9JxsYF2szxXY1WLXkYfoNvvNVr_A/s400/pinterest1b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And now for some Shout-outs to some awesome bloggers. Check them out!:<br />
*Molly ~ <a href="http://www.veganflower.com/"><b>Vegan Flower</b> </a>~ Especially made my week because I got lucky and won her giveaway!<br />
*Amber ~ <b><a href="http://zombiecatseatingplants.blogspot.com/">Zombie Cats Eating Plants</a></b><br />
* Jenny ~ <b><a href="http://veganandsoforth.blogspot.com/">Vegan and so forth</a></b><br />
* Rose ~ <b><a href="http://flyawayvegan.blogspot.com/">Dandelion Vegan Blog</a></b><br />
* Michelle ~ <b><a href="http://lovinlivinvegan.blogspot.com/">lovinlivinvegan</a></b><br />
* Carissa ~ <a href="http://elilaiann.blogspot.com/"><b>Coffee & Sunshine</b> </a><br />
* Bobbie ~ <b><a href="http://budgetingwiththebushmans.blogspot.com/">Budgeting with the Bushmans</a></b><br />
* Val ~ <a href="http://cowhuggerslife.blogspot.com/"><b>A Cowhugger's Life</b> </a><br />
* Lee ~ <b><a href="http://plentysweetenough.blogspot.com/">Plenty Sweet Enough</a></b><br />
* Farah ~ <b><a href="http://carrottopvegan.blogspot.com/">Carrot Top Vegan</a></b><br />
* Betsy ~ <b><a href="http://www.thebloomingplatter.com/">The Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes</a></b><br />
* Kathy ~ <b><a href="http://healthyslowcooking.com/">Healthy Slow Cooking</a></b>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-27077976757033684762011-10-07T15:40:00.001-05:002011-10-07T15:41:44.820-05:00Vegan MoFo: Coconut bacon, Avocado, & Tomato on Focaccia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggArGtqmckMFLb9s19kIfjemWVwLJZ1rGv8f73zI-c1OS32c4gxILj7N7rH9xOZVWCmwIqftsCUq65AipX8rGmXjjy6b1bXR_jRF2lS55dfCxOhkGrhPY4h8l2IblP291I6kGVFn_DKbk/s1600/veganmofolong1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggArGtqmckMFLb9s19kIfjemWVwLJZ1rGv8f73zI-c1OS32c4gxILj7N7rH9xOZVWCmwIqftsCUq65AipX8rGmXjjy6b1bXR_jRF2lS55dfCxOhkGrhPY4h8l2IblP291I6kGVFn_DKbk/s400/veganmofolong1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwzvqFM1JvRtEVHaDdp6kLhQeklZlYoD7f2OpMFun-OGiW-FWgF0s6IvyclNBOeGxr30BYNl_l1sQ8mRMw16CAKeZh7Yw9_BXRQMQm7pUi2W_R1l0IRsfUpRKaP1HHAUU5C8UCXAyJnM/s1600/paninimeal1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwzvqFM1JvRtEVHaDdp6kLhQeklZlYoD7f2OpMFun-OGiW-FWgF0s6IvyclNBOeGxr30BYNl_l1sQ8mRMw16CAKeZh7Yw9_BXRQMQm7pUi2W_R1l0IRsfUpRKaP1HHAUU5C8UCXAyJnM/s400/paninimeal1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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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.<br />
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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 ;) <br />
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I filled this bad boy with <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegan-mofo-coconut-bacon.html">coconut bacon</a></b>, avocado, tomato, <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/im-sprouting.html">fresh sprouts</a></b>, zucchini, and veganaise. Served up with burrito leftovers (beans, rice and Daiya).<br />
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Inside shot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qTkrKLF337pWKVfwg6j6CHJtsPVOU9cwVrlclkZQEuBMzWzjUSCFwdkpjPcUbz3RuXhdNoYavzXttD66UFcsIPH0Bogwcos-9ImOVfMn-aDoU99vHvtYgJKohfV54nbyeHO_31ttnZA/s1600/paniniopen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qTkrKLF337pWKVfwg6j6CHJtsPVOU9cwVrlclkZQEuBMzWzjUSCFwdkpjPcUbz3RuXhdNoYavzXttD66UFcsIPH0Bogwcos-9ImOVfMn-aDoU99vHvtYgJKohfV54nbyeHO_31ttnZA/s400/paniniopen2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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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 ;) <br />
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Check back soon for the Banned Books Giveaway!Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-24082095998099895522011-10-06T20:37:00.001-05:002011-10-16T09:43:10.488-05:00I'm Sprouting!Ever since <b><a href="http://theapplebys.blogspot.com/">my sister</a></b> 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.<br />
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The beginning of my sprout revolution:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JO9imhmQ0p1DUvMe_q3TgQY9Pg7a83dAbstADl7fEj1PTbM6Ubt5AyXqCXh_8vdnfGL44pJrGKsMCUValIZBSZQAQG8i_EqwnEe5Js0z80cX40YeAHAf_SJMK6YXo678vhv1YKDR8GE/s1600/sprouts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JO9imhmQ0p1DUvMe_q3TgQY9Pg7a83dAbstADl7fEj1PTbM6Ubt5AyXqCXh_8vdnfGL44pJrGKsMCUValIZBSZQAQG8i_EqwnEe5Js0z80cX40YeAHAf_SJMK6YXo678vhv1YKDR8GE/s320/sprouts.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And success! We now have homegrown sprouts :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkYlD_yA2jn3hyV_UQlTCg6HS4WUpu0Y5g9zBhiRG5vWjD48ydi31gJm9zt9VYUcBTHCfVTndQCDNF_jZQ97VxDEpL-ugx0h6g2Xe_Hd0_MdXDei5X25K-bqGY4KrlYfd2eV0hgPdDt4/s1600/sprouts2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkYlD_yA2jn3hyV_UQlTCg6HS4WUpu0Y5g9zBhiRG5vWjD48ydi31gJm9zt9VYUcBTHCfVTndQCDNF_jZQ97VxDEpL-ugx0h6g2Xe_Hd0_MdXDei5X25K-bqGY4KrlYfd2eV0hgPdDt4/s320/sprouts2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-38059991230447976662011-10-05T20:28:00.000-05:002011-10-05T20:28:50.894-05:00Vegan Mofo: Big Fat Burrito<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tQsUwWTvIupihknWsjC80M_2zBH7io-WJMetd1BQebWhUP4z8KO38yqjMpC3pzS7fAAlKaEpRH8culXA7RLeUoaDOFio56jStnXEI8ODFLMzLGHWv9q4rqFsvkJohyGcEyy5QDYKAXw/s1600/burrito1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tQsUwWTvIupihknWsjC80M_2zBH7io-WJMetd1BQebWhUP4z8KO38yqjMpC3pzS7fAAlKaEpRH8culXA7RLeUoaDOFio56jStnXEI8ODFLMzLGHWv9q4rqFsvkJohyGcEyy5QDYKAXw/s400/burrito1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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First I'd like to give a shout-out to my friend Bobbie who just started blogging! Her new blog, <b><a href="http://budgetingwiththebushmans.blogspot.com/">Budgeting with the Bushmans</a></b>, 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, <b><a href="http://www.dancingrabbit.org/">Dancing Rabbit</a></b> (read about my visit last year here: <a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2010/08/dancing-rabbit-pt-1-welcome-to-milkweed.html">part 1</a> and <a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2010/09/dancing-rabbit-pt-2-canning.html">part 2</a>). <br />
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Craving a burrito? Here's what we put in ours:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSlR65OBPJb9QRXzFe_f73ivw98g3neJ9gZQsab_ie8LvGdJ3pcdnrddGfVfMPEGfBb1Y319wTLEevfFpV2qdA553hCDRUk4yD7SLGi8IY3RPirwiLSC21-jdloSvm3lWBNMO7NLwHiM/s1600/burrito2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSlR65OBPJb9QRXzFe_f73ivw98g3neJ9gZQsab_ie8LvGdJ3pcdnrddGfVfMPEGfBb1Y319wTLEevfFpV2qdA553hCDRUk4yD7SLGi8IY3RPirwiLSC21-jdloSvm3lWBNMO7NLwHiM/s320/burrito2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The Beans</b>: 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.<br />
<i>I usually add cumin, but was out. These tasted great regardless! Black beans always work well too.</i><br />
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<b>The Rice</b>: After cooking I added tomato paste, broth (I used "Better than Bouillon"), lime juice, smoked paprika, green onion and garlic.<br />
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<b>Everything else</b>: Kale (from our garden :), green bell pepper, Daiya, and salsa.<br />
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This definitely hit the spot!<br />
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<i>If you like getting mail and swapping join in on the <b><a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegan-mofo-swap-1-recipe-swap.html">VFS Recipe Swap</a></b>!</i>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-82895032426465127632011-10-04T22:05:00.002-05:002011-10-16T22:06:57.827-05:00Vegan Mofo SWAP! 1: Recipe Swap<i>*Swap is now closed*</i> <br />
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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 ;)<br />
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In celebration of <b><a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan Mofo </a></b>there will be two swaps this month! For swap one you will share <i>three</i> recipes with <i>three</i> people and for swap two...well you'll just have to wait and see! <br />
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<b>Recipe swap rules:</b><br />
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* 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 ;) <br />
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* 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 ;)<br />
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* 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.<br />
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* 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. (<i>If you are new see the note below)</i><br />
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* 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.<i> If you can not send your recipes out by this date please do not sign-up. </i> <br />
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* <b>If you are new to VFS swaps please send your mailing info. to me at aveganfox*at*gmail*dot*com</b><br />
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* As always feel free to leave ideas for this swap or future swap in the comments :)<br />
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Participants:</div>
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<a href="http://zombiecatseatingplants.blogspot.com/">Amber</a></div>
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<a href="http://aya-reader.blogspot.com/">Aya</a></div>
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Theresa</div>
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me</div>
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<br />Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-10168919808021846432011-10-03T21:46:00.000-05:002011-10-03T22:21:48.782-05:00Vegan Mofo: Coconut Bacon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been meaning to post this for a looong time. It all started with this <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7639.0">Simple Coconut Bacon on VegWeb</a>.<br />
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<b>Coconut Bacon </b><i>(For measurements see link above or measure to taste)</i><br />
<br />
Coconut Flakes<br />
Tamari <i>(or soy sauce)</i><br />
Maple Syrup<br />
Smoked Salt <br />
Apple Cider Vinegar (opt.)<br />
<br />
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. <i>These will crisp up a bit more as they cool.</i> <br />
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We have served this on pizza (see <a href="http://aveganfox.blogspot.com/2011/02/pizza-time.html">Pizza Time!</a>), 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 ;)<br />
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<br />Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-78761519971075492492011-10-02T23:14:00.001-05:002011-10-02T23:14:08.028-05:00Vegan Mofo: Raw Hot Cacao<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Is there anything better on a cool autumn day than a warm cup of sweetness?<br />
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Raw Hot Cacao (inspired by <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/aniphyocom-20/detail/1600940005">Ani's Raw Food Kitchen</a>)<br />
<i>This will fill two mugs, plus a little to top them off after a few sips </i>;)<br />
<i> </i><br />
3 c. Water<br />
1/3 c. almonds* (or cashews)<br />
1/3 c. dates<br />
1/4 c. cacao nibs<br />
touch of agave or raw coconut sugar to taste<br />
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Put all ingredients into blender* and blend for 7 minutes or until desired temperature is reached. Enjoy!<br />
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*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.<br />
*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.<br />
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<br />Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-58971452058947387072011-10-01T22:27:00.023-05:002011-10-02T22:56:39.704-05:00Vegan Mofo!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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!</div>
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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...</div>
Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-60432615712202399332011-09-30T15:45:00.000-05:002011-09-30T15:45:28.974-05:00Ramble OnA 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!<br />
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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>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>) I recently read <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5231173-twenty-boy-summer">Twenty Boy Summer</a> by Sarah Ockler. If you're interested, you can read <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/191973112">my review here</a>. I also read <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4981.Slaughterhouse_Five">Slaughterhouse Five</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100918/OPINIONS02/112020001/Filthy-books-demeaning-Republic-education">this link</a>. So the Republic school board listening and decided that these books were not appropriate. <i>I would like to mention that, to my knowledge, the board did not read the books before voting.</i> 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 <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/277459/3/Republic-school-board-moves-banned-books-back-to-library">only accessible to students with parental permission</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110825/NEWS01/108250349/Banned-book-author-appear">read about here</a>. You should also check out <a href="http://sarahockler.com/blog/">Ockler's blog</a>! <br />
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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!):<br />
*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.<br />
*Coconut Bacon - I will post this soon. I've actually had the recipe sitting by the computer for several weeks...<br />
*Stayed tuned: Sometime soon there will be a GIVEAWAY!!Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152317136668245745.post-21775691067590720612011-08-21T20:48:00.000-05:002011-08-21T20:48:09.167-05:00Surprise!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJxZ4xDEv86-j4CmWVFWN6UJ75fCpUXfkFgafP3JSHek2NY84jkBNPUQ762uDQYo-CupK5DYiXiSDxAt6i1vcTsSOt_r5zV4idgNv2ciPnQheh1Ejd37fBLWLC3dODlCbNDgh1FplG70/s1600/DSCN0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJxZ4xDEv86-j4CmWVFWN6UJ75fCpUXfkFgafP3JSHek2NY84jkBNPUQ762uDQYo-CupK5DYiXiSDxAt6i1vcTsSOt_r5zV4idgNv2ciPnQheh1Ejd37fBLWLC3dODlCbNDgh1FplG70/s320/DSCN0480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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!!<br />
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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:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In September there will be a SWAP! (That's a promise <a href="http://zombiecatseatingplants.blogspot.com/">Amber</a>!) 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! </div>Vegfoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07161746382384690296noreply@blogger.com6