tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17446242758911044992024-03-13T06:57:16.928-07:00There's a hippie in my kitchenOf.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-27878098755281772702012-11-11T20:06:00.000-08:002012-11-26T19:27:36.438-08:00What's for dinner? How about Red Lobster biscuits and the best Kale salad ever?<br />
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Make the <a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2010/09/what-kale.html" target="_blank">world's best raw kale salad</a> with <a href="http://www.meettheshannons.net/2010/04/betty-crocker-project-garlic-cheesy.html" target="_blank">vegan cheddar "Red Lobster" style buscuits</a> to win friends and make your tummy/your waistline/the environment/animals/me happpy.Happy Meatless Monday party people!</div>
Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-79589914194335891952012-11-11T13:18:00.000-08:002012-11-11T18:30:18.148-08:00NYC or Bust (your pants from all the eating)This blog's grand adventure was a another big fat vegan roadtrip! We had the incredible luck of travelling just days before Hurricane Sandy hit. When writing this, I still can barely believe the destruction and devastation that's happen in the short time since we've been there.<br />
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Since April 2011, I've been living the nerdy dream by working my way through Vegnew's "99 things you must do: A vegan bucket list". Given my love for trying new things, eating, travel and checking things off lists-I couldn't love this challenge any more. So far, I've done 45 of 99 and travelling to NYC would let me get multiple checks into one trip! Woot!<br />
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My journey began with a very long drive. Technically it started before the really long drive with a rental car who's alarm was broken. Do you know what's awesome? Driving 20 minutes through town with your alarm going off! After a switch, I was now one person driving a big mini van over 7 hours!Environmentalist fail. First stop was Strong Hearts Cafe, a vegan cafe tucked away in a historic building in Syracuse, NY that came highly recommended. To be totally honest, my "chicken" Caesar was pretty meh but I took a menu and planned to visit on my return anyways-they had freakin cupcakes *and* milkshakes.<br />
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Here begins the portion of this journey that I call "4 hours in hell". Original plan was as such: Drive rental to airport. Park at airport, public transport into and around city. Easy right? Yuhuh. So my gas light goes on about 40 minutes from the airport. I figured there would be gas stations right on the road further into the city, and didn't want to risk getting lost. Ha. So I get to the bridge that goes over to the airport, and the sign tells me 60 minutes of traffic until I get there! As I'm sitting in the middle of 8 lanes of gridlock traffic- the last exit before the bridge 100 metres from my vehicle. AHH! After numerous middle fingers, I was off the road and in the Bronx. Isn't this where drive bys happen? *small city girl in a rental minivan hyperventilating*. From here, my GPS kept taking me in the same loop for an hour. FML. With our dinner reservations looming closer, and her flight having arrived three hours prior, Kristi (<a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2011/03/vegan-in-vegas-vitamix-cabbie-and-other.html" target="_blank">who you might recognize from our previous adventures in Las Angeles and Las Vegas</a>) suggested I meet her at the hotel. Perfect. Well, except that it was in Manhattan, three blocks from Times Square at Friday rush hour. I've got this. Except I didn't, and almost imploded from stress. Once I finally arrived (shaking and nauseous), it was a failed subway attempt (times two) and we were *finally* eating at Blossom Cafe. Bucket list check one. My dinner was amazing, <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable crepes with a bunch of fancy delicious accroudements.</td></tr>
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But by far the winner was Butterfinger milkshakes for dessert. ZOMG. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get used to my crazy dessert face, you're going to see it a lot.</td></tr>
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The other great thing we got there was insider info on the best places to visit on an NYC vegan pilgrimage. Score! Our first stop the next morning was the highly recommended Champs Cafe in Brooklyn. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scones.Scones.Scones. </td></tr>
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It was hipster heaven with tattooed servers, interesting crap on the walls, </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's what she said.</td></tr>
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A whole case of baked heaven, and VEGAN EGGS BENEDICT. Ahhhh, delicious!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish we lived in the future, where I'm sure we'll have the technology for you to be able to taste this on the screen.<br />
Pictures don't adequately capture it's heart stopping deliciousness.</td></tr>
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1.5 hours into the day and I was already overloaded with happiness. A few cake pops for the journey and we were off. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flags! People! Buildings! Adventure!</td></tr>
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We explored some funk-tastic vintage stores, people watched, and took lame pictures wherever we could.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone that says vegans are unattractive, or don't wear aviator sunglasses clearly hasn't seen this photo.</td></tr>
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I also happened to find more Vegan baked goods. How does this always happen to me? Most likely because I never stop thinking about them. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my red velvet crazy face.</td></tr>
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We also spent a good portion of time trying to find parking in Chinatown. $46 later, it was getting close to dinner at Candle 79! Number 21 on Vegnews bucket list "Dine at Candle 79 in New York. Go with people whom you truly adore, and feast on appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts." My pen was freakin ready to check this one off. And my tummy was ready for it's endurance test. First, we had to get ready for our big night out, which also included a trip to Pine Box Rock Shop-vegan bars don't just happen every day for this girl!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage shop find. "Oh this old thing?"</td></tr>
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Dinner was amazing, and we were so absorbed in great conversation, ambiance and wine that it's hard to recall exactly what we ate. Most like because it was one of those fancy meals that has 20 different elaborate sauces and frou frou names for things. <br />
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I know somewhere in there were glazed brussel sprouts, pomegranate seeds, sweet potato gratin and seitan something or other. It was amaaaazing. The rest of the night whizzed by in a blur of fancy drinks at a vegan bar that had both a Big Shot hunter game (oooh the irony) and Jamaican jerk Empanadas, late night subway rides, and an $84 trip through the Times Scare haunted house (perfect idea at 2 am).<br />
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The next morning didn't hurt as much as it could have, so we got up and went to foodie heaven. a.k.a. A Food Tuck rally. For those of you that don't know about Food Trucks other than ones that sell french fries; food trucks are making a comeback as gourmet eateries on wheels. In large centers like NYC, Las Angeles and others, food trucks have devoted followers who follow them from location to location with tips from facebook and twitter. My big fat hairy dream is to one day have my own mobile gourmet restaurant! A food truck rally is when many get together to set up food courts on wheels! Our choices were curried shitake Empanadas (you know it's a great trip when it's all Empanadas all the time), Kimchi Tacos made with falafel (Sounds totally weird, and it is! Pickled cabbage, spicy sauce and falafel. Weirdly delicious that is.)<br />
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Sesame noodle salad with dumplings and a carrot cake ice cream sandwich with lychee champagne sorbet in the middle. All from different trucks! *siiiiiigh* It was awesome. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my ice cream sandwich happiness face.</td></tr>
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After this, our whirlwind trip wrapped up so Kristi could return to LaLaland, and I could return to the great white(or in this case multicoloured fall splendor) North. I got lost no less than 7 different times trying to leave the city and the state. Once I got to Pennsylvania, I had to pull over to sleep so my soul didn't cave in on itself. In short, travelling to NYC is a grand adventure, but for the love of yourself, do NOT drive there. I'm sure you could have told me that, just as everyone else has. Though if you *really* know me, you'll know I like to learn things the way that teaches the most concrete lesson and tells the best story. Check. Mark.</div>
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Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-38602786506291696762012-08-18T20:20:00.000-07:002012-08-18T20:20:01.660-07:00Have vegan will travel: Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down '12I swear this is the hardest blog of the year to put together. There are a lot of reasons, the sheer volume of photos and stories that were accumulated is the first. The other is that sometimes one has experiences in life that transcend words, and this is one of them. I'm struggling to articulate how much fun, food, friendship, learning, growing, shopping, laughter and animal cuddles were packed into two days of camping in upstate New York. This year was an even bigger adventure, because I was going by myself! My travel companions were three near strangers, all of whom I begged to go so I'd have a way to get there. Not having a vehicle was not a good enough reason to miss Hoe Down! We started our journey as all trips tend to-with an unexpected detour! Money? Check. Camping gear? Check. Passports? Err....So Adrian is probably going to hate me for retelling this story yet again, especially this time putting it in electronic narrative form. If you've read my blog before, you know that sparing other people embarrassment isn't my thing. Adrian forgot his passport. In Toronto. 2.5 hours from where we currently were. Back we went! Our arrival time was originally going to be around 4 pm, but ended up being closer to 12 am. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what a blood moon looks like from a moving car. Hold your applause until the end please.</td></tr>
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While that part certainly wasn't the highlight, it meant unexpected detours and exciting new discoveries! First up, Armenian food in St. Catherine's. It was Vaughan-tastic. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If anyone could give me a definition of "Vaugh-Tastic". that would be enlightening.</td></tr>
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You know what else was awesome? Meeting another vegan in there who directed us to a vegan bakery RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. Ah! I haven't had a donut since March 9th! </div>
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Not that I'm keeping track or anything. So after doing my happiness dance in a crowded restaurant and purchasing what was probably a month's worth of sugar intake-this is what I got to eat!<br />
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Then it was border crossing time. Just like every time I cross the border, I learned yet another lesson. Previous lessons include: Inappropriate jokes are not appreciated, always have American cash on you and what *not* to say if you don't want your car to be searched. Today, it was " K.I.S.S". When asked how we all know each other, I answered "I was the catalyst that introductory everyone". Hold up. "Catalyst?" And then I panicked. Was this one of the car searching words? Had I used it incorrectly and now had to bear my shame in a car full of strangers? Nope, he just didn't know what I was talking about. So he asked us about previous drug conviction/arrests, and says to me "what about you Catalyst". *facepalm* After we were over the border, it was straight on till morning. This year I was way more prepared and got up my tent by myself, faster than anyone in my group (though I'm pretty sure they didn't realize they were part of a tent assembly competition). This is what happened last year:<a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2011/10/hoe-down-2011-time-free-wine-happened.html" target="_blank"> Hoe Down 2011</a>. I didn't win outdoorswoman of the year for that one. I didn't to keep my title for very long this year either though, as this still happened on the last day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tent Fail 2.0</td></tr>
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I had a really hard time settling to sleep that night knowing how much excitement was just around the corner. Saturday morning, I immediately met who would turn out to be my conjoined twin for the rest of Hoe Down. Danielle, who is the coordinator at <a href="http://www.ourhenhouse.org/" target="_blank">Our Hen House</a> (Indie Media Powerhouse winner for 2011, no big deal). The first thing I noticed were these:<br />
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And then this: Which is that she's the funniest person ever. The following is taken five minutes after we met, right after she did an impression of her cat falling into a toilet. It was brilliant.</div>
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Danielle was just one of the first of many incredible people I met at Hoe Down. She let her famous rub off on me, and then we rubbed up on some even more famous people. Such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Kucinich" target="_blank">Elizabeth Kusinich.</a> No big deal. And by no big deal I mean huge freakin deal. Squeal!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uR-Q71oUIl8/UCHjIwFJp3I/AAAAAAAAAus/YwQ7-CGjceA/s1600/P8041277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uR-Q71oUIl8/UCHjIwFJp3I/AAAAAAAAAus/YwQ7-CGjceA/s320/P8041277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Right around this time was lunch. This year's food was absolutely incredible. It was like they read my mind-When the question is food, my answer is always yes. I was never hungry, which is crazy because I always am.</div>
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Clockwise from the top: Buffalo tofu (Which was too spicy for some people. To those people, you have a year to work on being more awesome.), fresh bread, cranberry oatmeal cookie, black bean salad (which was incredible), quinoa and kale salad. After this, we heard the most incredible tales of rescue and survival from the staff of Farm Sanctuary (In particular from the amazing Susie Coston). This is always the most joyful and most heart wrenching time at Hoe Down. It's amazing to meet these animals that have survived things we can't even really imagine, but impossible to forget that millions upon millions each year still have to endure it. Now without further introduction....GOATS!</div>
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And then....</div>
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You know what's cute? Goats. And do you know what else is cute? Their little squishy neck things.</div>
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This adorable goat with a prosthetic leg is Juniper. She was rescued from neglect, but not before she lost her ears and leg. Sad story with a happy ending-she gets to live at Farm Sanctuary!</div>
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We had so much fun playing with the goats that we may or may not have done something close to a goat-human metamorphoses.</div>
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After goats, it's was time to "chicken our faces off". </div>
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Chickens get a bad wrap, but it turns out they are pretty cool. These little chickies were rescued from a free range egg farm, you'll notice their weird beaks-that was where the sensitive ends were painfully removed so they wouldn't peck each other in their cramped quarters. Anther sad story turned happy! And they tried to eat my shorts. Oh you chickens! Quit being adorable! Next up, pigs!! Squeal! Their ears feel like velvet *sigh*.</div>
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As if gallivanting with goats, pigs and chickens isn't enough for the perfect day, I got to meet Terry Hope Romero-who has written and co written my favorite cookbooks and is the reason I'm such hot stuff in the kitchen. I got to learn how to make Caramel Coconut Flan and then meet her! Ah. Best day ever!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're wondering why I look so sweaty it's because it was a million degrees. That and I'm a hot sweaty mess.</td></tr>
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After Terry's cooking demo, it was time for more awesome presenters. Next up was John Pierre, who is a plant based nutrition expert and personal trainer to celebrities like Ellen Degeneres and Joaquin Phoenix. His knowledge on the topic blew my mind-this guy is amazing! It really resonated with me, despite the fact that this is what we ate during his talk.</div>
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In my defense, the store was right behind where I was sitting, aaaand I never get these kind of specialty vegan treats where I live. Don't judge me. After a hard afternoon of listening and junking out, it was cocktail hour baby! This was one of my highlights from last year because of free wine, </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jcgmNxdMKM/UDANrXmk3oI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/tViGEoik2i0/s1600/P8041319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jcgmNxdMKM/UDANrXmk3oI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/tViGEoik2i0/s320/P8041319.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the hand in the picture. It says "I can't wait the two seconds needed for pictures. Give me free wine fool!"</td></tr>
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Free food, free fiddle and (free) new and old friends! Also, numerous ridiculous photo taking opportunities.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well done ladies. Nailed it!</td></tr>
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Despite the fact that we were still stuffed from vegan crabcakes with chipotle mayo that we may or may not have stalked waiters for, dinner was served!</div>
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Oh baby-it was incredible! It was followed in the way that all meals should be, with a perfect ten peanut butter chocolate brownie. </div>
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Although very little can surpass brownies in awesomeness, something did. Faux mustaches! They were given by as a promotion by the company that provided dinner (Faux mustaches for faux meat-so clever!) You know what mustaches mean. First, hilarity will ensue. Second, I'm about to be the happiest girl in the world. I *LOVE* me some mustaches! It's like a wig, minus the itchy but plus some gender confusion. It messes with people's mind's and I like it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone is gangsta and someone is a 70s cop. An unlikely pair.</td></tr>
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Things only went uphill from there (as events with open bars tend to). The people barn you see behind us turned first into a barn dance with a caller and fiddlers, and second into a nightclub! After so much fun that it should be illegal, it was campfire and Ukulele sing along! This time I'm not joking. Best.Day.Ever!</div>
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And then 7 am came. First with a rooster and then with a raging wine headache. At this point I remembered promising John Pierre and many others that I would be at 8 am bootcamp. Nice foresight Christina. If I could sum up the experience in one word, it would be this:</div>
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Rough.</div>
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After a breakfast that I'm sure was delicious tasted like ash, it was time to let petting animals make everything better!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey baaaaa-by, come here often?</td></tr>
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Sheep are awesome for lots of reasons, but I like to think of them as the players of the farm yard.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let me help you with that.</td></tr>
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These guys crack me up! We saved the cows for last, because they moo and because they are the cutest! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"So that's when she said..."</td></tr>
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What a spectacular adventure this year's Hoe Down has been. New friends (animal and human), new information to reflect on and share, new insights and a renewed sense of self. To sum it up very simply, it was life changing. If you have the chance and want to go somewhere that will a light fire in your soul, see you next year. Look for the girl with a mustache going for seconds on dessert.</div>
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Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-21841925948614312072012-08-02T19:35:00.000-07:002012-08-02T19:39:02.692-07:00Garden Party of my dreamsSince being a single mother with a business, two jobs (one part time and one full time), in the last stage of training to be a group exercises instructor, two serious volunteer commitments and a busy social life isn't enough-I've decided to follow my passion and become a whole foods plant based lifestyle coach. Because I clearly can't decide on one thing, it will encompass catering, workshops, cooking lessons, and a 30 day whole foods lifestyle makeover program. I'm currently in the beginning stages, figuring out exactly what I'm offering and exactly what it's worth-but it's a go! I have four lovely women already started on the lifestyle challenge; 30 days of whole, delicious plant based food where I'll show them the what, why and how while providing coaching and most likely shenanigans along the way. If you're looking for serious, I'm not going to be your best bet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxUnw-Rvbgk/UBre6tVJNsI/AAAAAAAAAoM/u2Ar9dCgfs0/s1600/P7301264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxUnw-Rvbgk/UBre6tVJNsI/AAAAAAAAAoM/u2Ar9dCgfs0/s320/P7301264.JPG" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My program can be adapted to show more or less leg depending on your comfort level.</td></tr>
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I also launched the catering part with a super fun garden party. For reasons unknown(until now), I have been randomly purchasing from garage sales/second hand stores/estate sales lots of fancy china, silverware and crystal serving wear for years. FINALLY, I can do something with all this useless clutter and justify my hoarding. First up, costumes were mandatory. When I say garden party, you best show up in something fancy! And they did!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oMiM4vMB9wM/UBrekF8xlbI/AAAAAAAAAoE/nJ5CzZbI3bs/s1600/P7301261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oMiM4vMB9wM/UBrekF8xlbI/AAAAAAAAAoE/nJ5CzZbI3bs/s320/P7301261.JPG" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh this old thing?</td></tr>
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And then there was food! </div>
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I tend to go a little overboard, so our menu for today was:</div>
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Creamy Pesto Finger Sandwiches</div>
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Cherry Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies</div>
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Coconut Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake</div>
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Chocolate Brownie with Peanut Butter Icing</div>
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Community Garden Tomatoes</div>
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Iced Coffee</div>
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Iced Chai Tea</div>
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Iced Herbal Tea</div>
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Organic Lemonade</div>
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The pesto sandwiches were the clear hit of the party, which is crazy because they were made with raw vegetables while the other things were made of sugary goodness. That almost never happens. To make them, start by making this pesto: <a href="http://www.thenorthlife.com/spinach-linguine-wbasil-cilantro-pesto-artichokes/" target="_blank">Cilantro Basil Pesto from Veganomicon</a>. For mucho delicious flavour, buy your herbs and veggies at a farmer's market or get them out of your garden the morning of. Mix equal parts pesto with vegan mayo. Take slices of bread, and carefully remove the crusts. If you're like me, make a friend do the grunt work (thanks Courtney, who put up with my anal retentiveness in the kitchen and even met my unrealistic food standards for beauty).Cut each slice in half. Spread liberally with the pesto mayo mixture. Top with seasonal veggies- for us it was super thin cut zucchini, squash, tomatoes, dill and chives. Ta da! </div>
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Courtney gets a photo shout out for being the perfect sous chef! Nice sandwiches baby!</div>
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Next up, garden party fun! We played Bocce ball like it was our job! For 20 minutes.</div>
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That's it, I wish you were there-we had a blast! If you'd like me to bring the party to your next one, I'm now available for hire (though not sexually as that might imply).</div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-16905737270302814442012-08-02T12:40:00.003-07:002012-08-02T19:37:16.250-07:00Another epic fail for my collection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With no further introduction, here's how I messed up this time. I inherited a bunch of containers from a friend when her mother in law moved into a retirement home. Many of them had free dry goods in them-woot! So I lovingly emptied my ugly bulk bags into these shiny canisters and stacked them into the pantry of my dreams. Fast forward to this particular evening when my dinner guest Courtney and I decided to make chocolate crinkle cookies for dessert. Before tonight, these crinkle cookies have pretty much been my ace in the hole. While we were making them, it was taking an alarmingly long time for them to thicken. We just kept adding more and more flour with no change. So we called it and started rolling them in sugar. But first the taste test. TEETH PAIN! That was no flour, it was icing sugar! *Facepalm* They were so sweet you could get a cavity from looking at them in a mirror. We tried to bake them anyways as I hate wasting efforts/food. To try to save them, we put large globs of organic peanut butter in the middle. Turns out that didn't save them, it just wasted more food.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookies that look like nipples and tastes like regret.</td></tr>
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In the end, all we got was cards and dinner which turns out isn't that bad a deal. </div>
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If you'd like to give these usually delicious, but one time epic fail cookies a go, here is the recipe. <a href="http://www.clockworklemon.com/2011/03/chocolate-crinkle-cookies-vegan-friendly.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Vegan Cookies Take Over the World.</a> Check out this girl's apron. Must. Have.</div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-84642367219279950632012-07-13T07:20:00.000-07:002012-07-13T07:32:48.344-07:00How to get drunk on dinner: Gigantic spiked fruit salad in a whale.Ah, this is my favorite day of the month! Vegan potluck day with the Kingston Vegetarian Network! The second Wednesday of every month means tons of food, a chance to show off cooking skills to an adoring crowd and hanging out with my people. Plus our great location is in a gorgeous historic townhome with an eclectic community feel.<br />
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On the wall, new quotes! Today's selections:<br />
"Life is easier than you think: All you have to do is accept the iimpossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable."<br />
"Life is like a party. You join in after it's started and leave before it's finished."<br />
"If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."<br />
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If you haven't made major life decisions based on advise you get off a wall, then you haven't lived.<br />
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This time we ate penne pasta with roasted red peppers, olives, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes, cous cous salad, zucchini chocolate chip muffins and the booziest fruit salad whale you've ever seen. I've been craving strawberry shortcake like a mother for the past couple weeks. It's just at the end of strawberry season here, but my favorite creme for it (Mimi creme, made with cashews and rainbows) is only available in the States. Waaa. But then this happend! When I asked Sharon what she was bringing, she said "something cute and naughty". WTF? We're talking about food? My best guess was a kitten in lingerie."Close" I'm told. After waiting all day to find out what on earth it could be, this is what turns up: A WHALE. Cut out of a WATERMELON! Soaked in booze!!! Topped with MIMI CREME imported for just this occassion. OMG *love*! When asked for the recipe for this whale, here is what I was given:<br />
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<strong>Sharon's Boozy Fruit Salad Whale</strong></div>
-Cut watermelon into whale shape.<br />
-Add a container of blueberries, cut strawberries and chopped watermelon innards.<br />
-Pour on raspberry vodka. Lots. And then some more.<br />
-Let sit in the fridge all day, serve with whipped Mimi creme.<br />
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Now you get to get drunk and call it dinner. Thanks Sharon.</div>
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I used up the <a href="http://www.theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2012/07/kingston-food-festdisappointment-fest.html" target="_blank">pesto from this dinner</a> to make a fab potato salad that reeked of basil and awesome. <br />
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<strong>Potato Salad on the Beach</strong></div>
2 pounds potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces and boiled until done. <br />
1 pound green beans, lightly steamed in bite sized pieces<br />
1 cup small tomatoes,quartered <br />
1/2 cucumber, dices<br />
1/2 cup leftover pesto<br />
1/2 cup vegan mayo<br />
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Combine all ingredients except pesto and mayo in a large bowl. Add pesto and mayo in a separate bowl, and then toss to coat your salad. Cool until ready to eat. <br />
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I was also inspired by another friend's "best picnic ever", which involved baguettes in France. While I don't have the exotic locale, I do have a baguette and a competitive spirit that makes me want to win every "best ever" contest ever held. So I also made these sandwiches with<a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/search?q=happy+tears+tofu" target="_blank"> fried tofu</a>.<br />
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<strong>Bad Ass Beach Baguettes</strong></div>
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1/2 whole wheat baguette<br />
Hummus for spreading<br />
1/2 cucumber, sliced as thin as you can<br />
1/2 avocado, sliced thin<br />
Fried Tofu<br />
Handful of greens<br />
2 tbs of whatever dressing you have in your fridge. I had miso cashew.<br />
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Cut baguette in half, spread both sides with hummus, and add your remaining ingredients. Wrap it up all pretty to impress your friends with your skillz.<br />
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Most enjoyable when eaten on a sunny day with friends overlooking an embarrassingly polluted great lake.Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-24733353794182306972012-07-09T06:10:00.000-07:002012-07-12T05:23:14.620-07:00Kingston Food Fest=Disappointment fest. Good thing I can cook!I knew it was going to suck before it did.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weird cow you can milk. A sign of things to come.</td></tr>
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Any time there is any kind of "fest" though, in particular when it promises food, I just can't stay away. What if there was some lovely little booth full of vegan options? What if no one went there and they didn't come back next year? I had to go just in case. Turns out the reality was much worse than I could have imagined. Not only were there abysmal vegan options, for a city who claims to be "a foodie's heaven on earth" the choices were pretty poor in general. Perhaps I missed the great local flavours by arriving within two hours of closing, but for the most part, the choices were all national/international chain restaurants. Laaaaame. Way to showcase our local flavour with restaurants you can get in any city in Canada *slow golf clap*. I bought ten dollars worth of tickets, which I had a stupid hard time spending. I had salsa and a fruit cup, and a gigantic water bottle filled with painfully sweet lemonade. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good thing I wasn't counting on satisfaction. Or a meal.</td></tr>
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Sigh. And then, the heavens opened up and out came Tandoori Sizzle. This is the Indian take out place by my house that I *love*. I went there once after the world's most expensive grocery trip and had $9 to feed three people. While I maintain you get enough food to share, the owner would *not* let that happen and gave us a feast for $9. It was so kindhearted and thoughtful. <br />
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Anyways, here they were to save me again! With Samosas! The line up was unreal, probably because this was the only local/different thing there. From Tandoori Sizzle, my day just went uphill. Next up- I bought myself A NEW FOOD PROCESSOR. My other one got smashed and I needed an upgrade. A food processor is essential for raw food deserts, nut cheeses, hummus, pesto and many other delicious things. I love kitchen gadgets like nothing else, so any time I bring home a new major player it's like having a new baby. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Say hello to your new baby sister, Vitamix. I love you the same, but different. </td></tr>
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Since I didn't have exactly $400 to buy the Kitchen Aid of my dreams, this fine Hamilton Beach will be the processor of my now until the dreams come true. But wait! Have a look at the french description. Robot Culinaire. <br />
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This beast is not just a food processor, it is now officially my Culinary Robot. OUI!<br />
I also got a trip to the farmer's market as a consolation prize for being downtown on a Saturday, so I had the freshest produce in town to play with.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basil, carrots and a free(and awesome) restaurant guide to Kingston. Score!</td></tr>
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It was time for me and my new Culinary Robot to make some magic. Pesto! My dinner guest for this evening was Deb(one of the funniest girls I know) who, thanks to a big promotion, is no longer my boss. Woo hoo, lets ditch the professionalism! With booze!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So close to becoming a rap video.</td></tr>
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After an embarrassing muscle fail,<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you don't open soon, shit's gonna get real.</td></tr>
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it was time for picking dinner. Green beans from my garden....look at us all homesteady and shit.<br />
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For our luscious dinner tonight we had Roast vegetable pasta with<a href="http://www.thenorthlife.com/spinach-linguine-wbasil-cilantro-pesto-artichokes/" target="_blank"> basil-cilantro pesto,</a>, , garlic bread, and <a href="http://purplesandgreensorganics.weebly.com/1/post/2011/11/garlic-glazed-green-beans.html" target="_blank">these green beans</a> that are out of control delicious. OUT OF CONTROL!!! <br />
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And because carb on carb on carb isn't quite enough, <a href="http://veganchicksrock.blogspot.ca/2011/03/chocolate-chip-cookies-invade-my-belly.html" target="_blank">chocolate chip pecan cookies</a> for dessert. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not even kidding, I had 27 of these.</td></tr>
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At this point, it's time for cards. This is my nerdy secret. I love cards. I love shuffling, I love trash talking (clearly) and more than anything I like winning. So when you dine at my house, the unofficial initiation is beating me at cards. I won't tell you this at the time, but if you can't beat me at Speed at least once without me letting you, you won't be invited back. Turns out Deb is a shark, because bitch smoked me right from the start. I let her have her sitting ovation for awesomeness. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next time I won't let you win.</td></tr>
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Just this once.</div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-16828283858054029252012-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:002012-07-06T19:15:06.711-07:00Vegan picnic in paradise (Who would have thought Wolfe Island?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EG0JAt55Rx8/T_eF9DV8ITI/AAAAAAAAAjM/pVH2j-2Vz3A/s1600/P7051300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EG0JAt55Rx8/T_eF9DV8ITI/AAAAAAAAAjM/pVH2j-2Vz3A/s320/P7051300.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
New adventures abound! My English friend Sally invited me to spend the day with her family at their cabin/mansion on Wolfe Island. If you're anywhere near Kingston, Ontario-Wolfe Island is a perfect day trip on a free ferry!<br />
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When travelling with children, you should consider hiring a sherpa to carry all the junk you need to get them happy throughout the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu1Is0MdjS0/T_dMlKssfPI/AAAAAAAAAic/eIcmpyfYrFA/s1600/P7051273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu1Is0MdjS0/T_dMlKssfPI/AAAAAAAAAic/eIcmpyfYrFA/s320/P7051273.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unintentional product placement.</td></tr>
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I was unable to locate one for this trip and instead looked like I was on a backpacking trip through Europe. Totally worth it for the good times about to unfold. Their beautiful house is right on the water, and is the perfect place for both epic fun and random yoga bombs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dqc4kj49L0/T_dNng-oH0I/AAAAAAAAAiw/vc5WdhqOJzo/s1600/P7051281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dqc4kj49L0/T_dNng-oH0I/AAAAAAAAAiw/vc5WdhqOJzo/s320/P7051281.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what triangle post on Wolfe Island looks like.</td></tr>
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Sal doing the prerequisite "what will you do to be on my blog" shot.</div>
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Sucker. Taking pictures and doing yoga is hard work. This meant it was time to refuel. Though it's almost always time for me to refuel. Feed me! Today was no ordinary lunch. We had a vegan(though they aren't) FEAST on their private island! I got to prepare it in the kitchen of my dreams overlooking the water. It even has my dream gas stove. In their cabin. I like to stand over it and weep. Despite the fact that I don't get to keep the kitchen, I still feel fortunate to even get to use it. My contribution to this potluck was portobello mushroom fajitas with cilantro<a href="http://www.ecornell.com/certificate-programs/plant-based-nutrition-training/certificate-in-plant-based-nutrition/crt/TCCC01" target="_blank"> sour creme</a> (just sub the chipotle for 2 tbs of minced cilantro that you'll add after everything is blended) and avocado (the weird looking thing in plastic wrap.) <br />
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<strong>Christina's F-Bomb Fajitas</strong></div>
4 portobello mushrooms<br />
1 onion<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 red pepper<br />
1 green pepper<br />
2 tbs olive oil<br />
1 tbs meat rub (I like Costco's sweet mesquite)<br />
2 tbs coconut oil<br />
1/8-1/4 cup dry white wine (red also works, just with a bit different flavour.)<br />
Juice of one lemon<br />
1 tbs mesquite seasoning (failing that, a mix of salt, cumin, chili powder and cayenne works well)<br />
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Drizzle washed mushrooms with olive oil, and use your hands to get into the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle first portion of rub, and massage into your shrooms. Set aside for about 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients and heat your BBQ. Cook until tender and not charred to death. Set aside. Once cool, slice. In the meantime, heat your pan and melt coconut oil. Cook onions until they're about halfway done (not quite translucent)and then add your minced garlic. Saute for another minute, and add the peppers. Once your veggies are about 5 minutes from tender-add the portobellos back to the pan, in addition with the remaining ingredients. Cook until everything is tender, taste and adjust seasonings.<br />
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Also featured were artisan PB and J sandwiches, homemade pickles, tomato salad, and garden salad. Oh baby!<br />
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From there we watched huge cargo ships pass by and tried not to get epically sunburned. Mini practiced her skills on the water, which clearly involved being fancy. For those getting picky about the irony of fishing during vegan lunch, you'll be happy to know that vegans don't fish-we weed :D<br />
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The only thing about Wolfe Island is that the ferry fills up quickly in the summer, so catching it back is always 30 panicked minutes rounding up your junk and hauling ass to get in line. Our hustle paid off, because it gave me time to enjoy the view and take random pictures.<br />
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Yuhuh. And then look who I got to make friends with!<br />
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Awesome. If your day doesn't end with a turtle, then it can't really can't be "the best day ever". So thanks to Sal for the good times and to Wolfe Island for being a pretty fabulous place to spend a gorgeous summer day. Go check it out for yourself, and remember that Kingston is waiting right where you left it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for the gorgeous photo Shannon!</td></tr>
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<br />Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-36541176343339136682012-07-03T20:26:00.002-07:002012-07-03T20:36:04.174-07:00Shit hippies like: D.I.Y. HaircutsMy hair is currently one of my most prized possessions. I get to wear on my head a reminder that out of one of the worst things that ever happened, came one of the best things that ever happened. So it went down like this. The day after this picture was taken,<br />
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I kiss my sweet slumbering son awake only to be two inches from the biggest infestation of lice the world has ever known. On my pillow. In my bed. After we had just spent two hours cuddling head to head.*Insert a word so bad I won't even post it*. So I call the Dr. It isn't something they treat. I call a hairdresser. Like hell will they come within 20 feet of my house. This calls for the mother of all D.I.Y jobs. We all had glorious long hair, and since I'm a hippie and won't put chemical death on myself or my family-we were going to have to do this the long way. This meant torturous hours of wearing a cap of vegan mayo on a hot day, tea tree oil shampoo and the agonizing process of painstaking combing that would go on for weeks. Cut that shit off! So thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I got a basic tutorial on how to cut off the long hair that I've had all my life. And went from this <br />
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to this.<br />
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And they went from this, <br />
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to this.....<br />
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And this...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-xmcXXjmx8/T_O3LtVNJNI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/kAROzA-Zfu8/s1600/104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-xmcXXjmx8/T_O3LtVNJNI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/kAROzA-Zfu8/s320/104.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I realize this isn't a shining example of awesome. It was almost physically painful getting near hair with so much lice, so it was a hack job. I've since improved.</td></tr>
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Booya, I just saved $130! So it turns out I'm actually awesome at cutting hair! 90% of the time I like it more than any hairdresser has ever done and I get exactly what I want! Plus I can change it whenever I like. Though the back is often a group effort(there've been a few hot messes to date), as I can't see what the hell I'm doing. Hippies like saving money. Hippies like doing things themselves. Hippies love a chance to say "screw you man, I'm going off the grid". So that's what I've done with my hair. I get compliments on it all the time, even from hairdressers. Yeah, I did that shit myself!Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-8113602273704035242012-07-02T15:00:00.000-07:002012-07-02T15:01:18.561-07:00More adventures feeding OmnivoresTonight my dinner guest was my fabulous German friend, Sunny. I met her at the gym I work at and loved that she's always wearing yellow! Matching your clothes to your name=winning. Sunny is a music therapist and was in charge of the tunes while I supplied the culinary magic. Sometimes Germans have amazing taste (hello electronic music) and sometimes questionable taste (David Hasselhoff anyone?). This was displayed beautifully by the Macarena and Chicken Dance sandwiched in between other amazing music that didn't make your ears bleed :D. Germans also have a reputation for a serious love afair with meat, so I was a bit nervous about the response to vegan food. For our culinary delight, we had <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/chickpea-spinach-curry-over-brown-rice-420374" target="_blank">Chickpea and Spinich curry from Vegan with a vengance.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5i6fwfQlDP4/T_IDxPzN32I/AAAAAAAAAhI/BPvdTydT7lY/s1600/P6231240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5i6fwfQlDP4/T_IDxPzN32I/AAAAAAAAAhI/BPvdTydT7lY/s320/P6231240.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I realize this doesn't look that awesome. Lighting was poor and curry is hard to make look pretty.</td></tr>
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For the second round, I made <a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2012/05/how-to-eat-chocolate-fondue-for.html" target="_blank">avocado chocolate mousse</a> on fresh local strawberries.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-huwsUfwnJt8/T_IYCKKX4rI/AAAAAAAAAhU/rjS0PN88lEQ/s1600/P6231250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-huwsUfwnJt8/T_IYCKKX4rI/AAAAAAAAAhU/rjS0PN88lEQ/s320/P6231250.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a little secret-if you dessert looks like turds, shredded coconut hides a multitude of sins.</td></tr>
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I picked these bitches myself (in a mini skirt no less) so was extra proud of them! Dessert and dinner were enthusiastically recieved! Woo hoo. Winning over German Omnivores-check mark!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rqNH3u-ELDE/T_IY0h-e-VI/AAAAAAAAAhc/P0gN-NoIu5I/s1600/P6231253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rqNH3u-ELDE/T_IY0h-e-VI/AAAAAAAAAhc/P0gN-NoIu5I/s320/P6231253.JPG" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny may never talk to me again. We laughed at this picture for two hours and I promised not to post it on the internet. I lied.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-56789027250630729852012-06-21T04:14:00.000-07:002012-06-21T04:14:23.799-07:00Another excuse to eat dessert for breakfast!So a couple weeks ago, I gained 10 lbs in 5 days. This quickly sent me into panic mode that all my late night cupcaking was finally catching up to me. I made a pact to eat in the best way I know how, and that's raw fooding. Just like when I tried vegetarianism and veganism, I decided to give it a go for one week to see how it went. Now I never committed to full raw- I just have no idea how to do that. Essentially, when you are a raw foodist you don't eat food cooked over 104c to preserve the living status of the food. This shit is hard, but I'm getting there.. After doing this for one week, I have a few observations. <br />
1) Raw fooding makes your body feel amazing. Like "my cells have all banded together and are having a rave" kind of amazing.<br />
2) It's astounding how fast your body can burn through $40 in nuts.<br />
3) Simple vegetables really can taste delicious on their own, but you have to get rid of the other crap that's killing your taste buds.<br />
4) A big salad for dinner actually can be the most filling and yummy part of your day.<br />
5)If you're a sugar junkie like me, you won't actually perish from sugar cravings. In fact, I barely had any!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I realize this dessert isn't made with oranges. And I'm not the world's best dad. Deal with it.</td></tr>
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So here is the tastiest thing I've made in the past couple days. It tastes amazing and you can have it for breakfast! Since the beauty of this is it's simplicity, I'm going to force you to cook without measuring. It's awesome and you can do it! <br />
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<strong><u>Raw Orange Yum</u></strong></div>
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One orange peeled and cut up</div>
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2 handfuls pecans</div>
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1 lrg handful dates</div>
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salt </div>
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ginger</div>
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nutmeg</div>
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cinnamon</div>
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Process all ingredients except oranges in a food processor until crumbly. Peel and cut orange, put it in a bowl and top with fruit/nut mixture. Best enjoyed in sock monkey pajama pants while contemplating the complexities of life. </div>
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</div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-19172140273523431442012-06-19T06:36:00.001-07:002012-06-19T07:03:22.781-07:00Stop what you're doing! Make this RIGHT NOW!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture has nothing to do with this blog post or Chia Seeds. <br />
But she is pretty much the best thing I've ever made(though not in the kitchen).</td></tr>
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Guys, I just made a discovery that rivals chocolate avocado pudding. CHIA SEEDS! I am seriously going bananas. These little things are so insanely good for you-read this <a href="http://thefreedomfreaks.blogspot.ca/2012/03/chia-seeds-what-you-need-to-know.html" target="_blank">link</a> to learn about why Chia seeds are a superfood you need to make friends with! <br />
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I have been trying really hard lately to get corresponding pictures of delicious meals, but haven't been terribly effective. Hopefully you'll be able to use your creative little brains to imagine how good it looks. Though this one actually looks a little like barf, so you may have to paint in some mint and raspberries too. This is also my weak apology for the delay in posts. The thing is, this stuff is so flipping amazing that I couldn't stop shovelling it in my mouth long enough to take a picture. And just for the record, real life application of photographing everything before you eat it is both embarrassingly nerdy and painful on the delayed gratification front. So without further delay, here is a recipe for <a href="http://fooddoodles.com/2011/03/15/chocolate-chia-seed-pudding/" target="_blank">Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding</a>. Please make it today, and then call me so I can come over and make sure there are no leftovers!Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-30191246255021233152012-06-08T06:06:00.001-07:002012-06-08T06:09:16.184-07:00Belly flops in the kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Successes and failures in the kitchen can often be metaphors for life. Such as, you need to take risks in order to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Sometimes it will pay off and you'll make an exciting new discovery. Other times you'll fail epically. That was dinner tonight. <br />
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Does it mean I'll never have salad again? Of course not, but tonight's dinner was gross. I think the problem was that I tried to do too many things at the same time. Tzatiki, corn and roasted green peppers are actually not awesome all mixed together. Thankfully (baked) <a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2012/05/i-like-it-fried.html" target="_blank">fried tofu</a> can save almost anything. The tzatiki was alright, but just not as a salad dressing. I give this dinner a three out of ten and a sad panda face. On the plus side, if you stick it out through dinner-the next course is dessert. Keep calm and have a cupcake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, life's silver lining.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-36327543886255533932012-06-07T04:43:00.000-07:002012-06-07T10:06:56.691-07:00Pina Colada muffins and other shit that goes down in hotel rooms<br />
Another road trip, another excuse to make muffins. This time it was back to Toronto. I was out of all the basic ingredients for my sweet potato muffins, so I whipped up something new! I'm really trying to pull together a blog for you that is both hilarious and entertaining, but after sitting on it for four days I've got nothing. Read it and shut up. I'll do better next time when I'm not cranky from quitting smoking. Highlights from this trip includes vegan dim sum and hotel yoga/dance parties. First, dim sum. I somehow managed to convince my omnivorous companions that a vegetarian restaurant was a good idea. We choose King's Cafe, as it was the closest to where we were. I went a *little* bit overboard.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, all mine. I took it down like a boss.</td></tr>
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Surprisingly, my travel buddies loved it but I was a little underwhelmed. It was good, just not amazing. Just like Thai food, I've got pretty high standards for dim sum. See below for after dinner hotel yoga bomb.<br />
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And now for muffins! If you make this recipe, please tell me how it turns out-I'm a non measurer by nature, and would love to know that it's duplicatable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goooooood Morning!</td></tr>
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<strong>Hotel breakfast pina colada muffins</strong></div>
2 cups diced pineapple<br />
2 cups flour (preferable unbleached)<br />
1 cup oats<br />
1 tbs baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 apple and 1 orange blended with water to a consistency that resembles applesauce<br />
3/4 cup maple syrup<br />
2/3 cup coconut oil(melted) or equivalent in canola oil<br />
1 cup chopped dates<br />
1/2 cup chopped walnuts<br />
1/8 cup unsalted sunflower seeds<br />
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Set oven at 410. Combine flour, oats, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt. Add dates, and mix them in so that each piece is coated in flour. Pour in apple/orange mixture, maple syrup and coconut oil. Mix until just combined. Add pineapple and remaining ingredients. Bake in muffin tins for 25-28 minutes. Best enjoyed sitting on a hotel bedspread that may or may not ever be washed, while reading a free Globe and Mail.Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-1587442025583065262012-05-31T20:26:00.000-07:002012-05-31T20:33:32.563-07:00Cheap and easy. No, not me. Indian food.I'm a slacker when it comes to menu planning. I never know what I'm going to make until someone breaks into the "I'm hungry" tears. Usually it's me. Bitch gets craaaanky. So here is my go to recipe for Chana Masala. I always end up making it the day before payday when it's pantry shopping time, or when I've got to have shit done in under 30. Serve over hot brown rice and chutney or India pickle if you've got it.<br />
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Chana Masala</h3>
2 tbs coconut oil or olive oil<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
1 lrg clove garlic, minced<br />
1 tbs curry powder<br />
1 tbs tomato paste or ketchup<br />
15 oz can chickpeas or about 1.5 cups homemade (3 Tbs of liquid reserved. You can leave this out, but add 3 tbs water later)<br />
1/2 tbs lemon juice<br />
1/2 tsp salt or 1 tsp Braggs<br />
Black pepper<br />
Optional crushed red pepper.<br />
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Melt coconut oil in a pan and cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Add everything but the chickpeas. Mix together, cook for a minute or so and then add the chickpeas. Stir to coat, have a bite and season to taste.<br />
For maximum enjoyment, eat while listening to someone play the sitar.Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-41250801522318597542012-05-31T04:34:00.000-07:002012-05-31T04:34:45.663-07:00I like it fried!Mandy came into town tonight to share some laughs and some dinner. I promised to make her my famous fried tofu. She got the warning that the last person I served it to went b.a.n.a.n.a.s. To the point of begging/bartering for the recipe and then desperate pleas for more. It was awesome. This tofu is the base of many recipes. It's incredible on salads, in stir fries, dipped in anything, wrapped in anything and sandwiched in anything. The best part is it's easy to make. Woot. <br />
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Happy Tears Tofu</h2>
1 squeezed/pressed block of organic tofu, cut into about 8/10 squares<br />
Braggs liquid aminos/tamari/soy sauce<br />
1/4 cup Nutritional yeast (Nooch)<br />
1/4 cup Chickpea flour<br />
1 tbs broth powder (You should make your own for supa cheap with <a href="http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.ca/2008/02/homemade-veggie-broth-powder-big-batch.html" target="_blank">this recipe</a>. It makes this dish! )<br />
Coconut oil for frying.<br />
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Heat oil in the most non stick pan you have-cast iron is the best. Combine Nooch, flour and broth powder is a shallow bowl.Dip slices of tofu into the Braggs, and then coat in the flour mixture. Fry until golden on both sides. You can drain them or just let them sit on a plate like I do and soak up all that sweet fatness. Set aside until ready to use.<br />
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For tonight's dinner, I made this tofu into an orange ginger stirfry, because of some rice hanging out with an "eat me" sign on in my fridge. <br />
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Orange Ginger Stir Fry</h2>
Juice of one orange<br />
2 tbs-1 tbs ginger<br />
1 tbs Braggs (there is usually some left over if you just made tofu, so use it up!)<br />
2 tsp sesame oil<br />
1 tbs rice wine vinegar<br />
Sriracha hot sauce either for the sauce, or for the side if you're dining with wee ones<br />
1 tbs cornstarch/tapioca flour mixed with 1/4 water<br />
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Combine in a bowl until ready to use. Cut and prep 3 cups of assorted veggies. I had mushrooms, onions red and orange peppers and carrots. Broccoli or kale would be amazing additions. Melt one tbs of coconut oil into your pan and cook onions until lightly brown. Add veggies (of course adding the ones that take longest to cook first). Cook until about 2 minutes from tender crisp and add your sauce. Give it a couple minutes to thicken, and then spoon over hot rice. Slice tofu into strips and place on top. You can garnish with toasted almonds and hot sauce. Serve with and to friends that make you smile.<br />
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<br />Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-10261275891930228082012-05-29T20:55:00.004-07:002012-05-29T20:55:54.086-07:00How to eat chocolate fondue for breakfast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind if I fon-due!</td></tr>
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My friend Tammy is a raw food genius. Last time we had a vegan potluck, she made us raw chocolate fondue that may be the best thing I've ever eaten. Plus it's so simple to make you'll cackle like a mad scientist! So take two ripe avocados, 1/4-1/2 cup cocoa or carob and 1/2-1 cup of maple syrup (add more cocoa/syrup to taste) and blend until smooth. Ta da! Now this can be used for lots of things. Pudding, check. Fruit fondue, check. Frozen into fudgesicles, check! I fed them to my kids because they are picky jerks that won't eat avocados. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sucker!</td></tr>
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Then I fed them to my neighbor's kid because he came over with cut up hotdogs in a plastic bag. <br />
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Nutrition NINJA!</div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-640139318913729592012-05-29T05:43:00.000-07:002012-05-29T05:44:48.895-07:00Have muscles, will travel.So this week in the world of "what the hell does a vegan eat", we add another challenge! What does a vegan eat on an athletic adventure in another city? This weekend was training to become an instructor for a barbell weightlifting class(Bodypump) in Burlington, On. Training requires you to do 5 classes and then another super challenge-lift 50-150% of the weight you normally do! No big deal right? So on top of just doing it, I had to find a way to keep my body fueled for two days of intense physical activity. This road trip required epic planning! Here is what my food pile looked like before I walked out the door.<span id="goog_801075017"></span><span id="goog_801075018"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bananas, orange, apple, avocado, 7 lbs of almonds, walnuts with chocolate chips, 5 pb and j sanwiches and <br />
vegan power muffins. </td></tr>
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So for your eating pleasure, I'm posting the recipe for Sweet Potato Date muffins which I make for nearly every road trip I've ever been on. They contain only good things and offer outstanding sustained energy, whole food nutrition and packability. They have gone with me to Toronto, Las Vegas, New York and anywhere else my little wandering feet take me. I even contacted the author, Jae Steele, to get permission to use the recipe. Talking to her on messanger made me feel like a VIP! Make these and all will be right in your world (and intestines too). Its from "Ripe from around here" which you should go get right now! Now! One of my favorite cookbooks eva!<br />
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<strong>Sweet Potato Date Muffins</strong></div>
2.5 cups peeled and cubed sw. potatoes, steemed to perfection<br />
2 cups Spelt flour<br />
1 cup rolled oats<br />
1 cup oat bran<br />
1 Tbs baking powder<br />
1tsp baking soda<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
1 cup chopped dates<br />
1 cup applesauce(or 2 apples blitzed in the vitamix if you forget to buy applesauce like I always do)<br />
3/4 cup maple syrup<br />
2/3 cup sunflower oil or coconut oil (I've only ever tried this with coconut oil)<br />
Set your oven to 410 and get busy! Whisk together flour, bran, oats, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dates and stir to coat. Pour in applesauce, maple syrup and oil (if using coconut oil, melt it first). Mix until just combines and stir in the sweet potatoes. Bake around 28 minutes.<br />
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So we hit the road, and started playing "what can I convince a near stranger to do just to get on my blog". The answer was, yoga poses in public! Rebecca chose to show off her mad yoga skillz in the middle of a cobblestone alley in front of our restaurant. Woot! Spirit of adventure=check!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She makes it look easy, but I dare you to try to do it right now!</td></tr>
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As soon as we hit town we hauled ass to Kindfood, a gluten free vegan restaurant that's won best cupcake four years in a row. It was closed :( After I shed some tears and licked the door, our search continued for something delicious. Persion eatery won this round!<br />
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A beautiful night meant outdoor eating! I usually hate beer, but it said "local, microbrewery and organic" which I tend to be a sucker for.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Company was good, beer was bad. I maintain it only tastes good if it's free.</td></tr>
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Dinner didn't meet my standards for beauty, but the service was awesome and it tasted wonderful!</div>
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The next day brought hard core training and a quick lunch break that meant speeding across town to get in some vegan eats. Kindfood, finally you're mine! R and I both got the intensely awesome "Gene Baur" green smoothie and $20 worth of cupcakes LOL! Fitness inspiration right there folks.<br />
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Kindfood was filled with all of the things that make for a Christina happy place. Vegans, cupcakes, vitamixes, and signs that say things to make me smile.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check.</td></tr>
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This is what $20 worth of cupcakes looks like.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top left, mint chocolate, dulce de leche, pina colada and cookies and creme.</td></tr>
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After our day ended, down time meant wandering around industrial Burlington. It was highway-arific. Hidden among industrial supply buildings and freeways, I found a field of wildflowers. Happiness! So, I "bought" myself some flowers. First because I just finished something really challenging and second because I'm worth it damn it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1O_o8qLH94/T8SveEFeaHI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/lhPWCZNYvGo/s1600/P1011251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1O_o8qLH94/T8SveEFeaHI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/lhPWCZNYvGo/s320/P1011251.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worth it!</td></tr>
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Then it was time for my sub par food court dinner. Just so you know, cute takeaway boxes does not equal culinary magic. Though to be fair, my mom is a Thai food rockstar so my standards are pretty high. <br />
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Dinner sucked but dessert was awesome! Four cupcakes. That's right, four. </div>
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Here's Rebecca, enjoying her Kindfood brownie after our intense day 2. She'll most likely hate me forever for posting this photo, but I feel it captures the essence of brownie bliss perfectly. She's a doctor, so you can pretty much take that as medical advice to eat brownies as recovery food ha!<br />
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That's about it. It was a pretty awesome trip, filled with my favorite things-sweating, new friends, yummy vegan food, cupcakes AND muffins, and accomplishment! Huzzah!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zotqcEwRmYk/T8SweinzcoI/AAAAAAAAAew/W_ZN9M789_U/s1600/P1011238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zotqcEwRmYk/T8SweinzcoI/AAAAAAAAAew/W_ZN9M789_U/s320/P1011238.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-25955605861138573142012-05-23T19:45:00.000-07:002012-05-23T19:45:45.768-07:00Things Hippies like: Protesting shitSometimes I can write funny, sometimes I can write foodie, sometimes I can write without swears and *sometimes* I can write serious. Today is that last one. Whomp whomp. Hippies like to protest a lot of things and today these hippies were getting serious about the circus. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AdzXhKUU45A/T72ZHe_ADQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/_fplKJTAWkU/s1600/P1011218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AdzXhKUU45A/T72ZHe_ADQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/_fplKJTAWkU/s320/P1011218.JPG" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Protesting barefoot no less. Stone cold hippie.</td></tr>
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Circuses that use animals suck y'all. The bottom line is that wild animals don't want to do tricks and are forced to do so in heinous ways. If you'd like to know more, you can check it out <a href="http://www.paws.org/circus-cruelty.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Or google it so you can look at all the sad pictures of baby elephants. Please do me a solid and never go to one that uses animals ok? So when things are going down that shouldn't be, it's time to pick up a sign and get your ass picoting. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4RPleGcV9jc/T72a884f9GI/AAAAAAAAAck/yUk9Ym8oHoA/s1600/P1011220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4RPleGcV9jc/T72a884f9GI/AAAAAAAAAck/yUk9Ym8oHoA/s320/P1011220.JPG" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my ass picoted. </td></tr>
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Somebody should do something and you can be somebody! So we drove out of town and held up signs like it was our job. And then we got distracted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDr_fGiXi8s/T72cuxTLFjI/AAAAAAAAAcs/HW_mVUceIjU/s1600/P1011222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDr_fGiXi8s/T72cuxTLFjI/AAAAAAAAAcs/HW_mVUceIjU/s320/P1011222.JPG" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lets reenact famous album covers. But with signs!<br />
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And then there was this huge cow on the top of an adjacent building. We though a little bit of vegan pranking was in order immediately. It turns out break and enter is illegal, so we settled for more ridiculous photo taking opportunities.<br />
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I hope this post has made you realize what a serious issue this is, and question why you don't go to more protests :) So go ahead-get mad about something and then go do something about it!Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-16501111458918436292012-05-21T19:20:00.000-07:002012-05-21T19:57:58.779-07:00Foodie adventures in Brockville take 2<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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PsqQqrKJ5lU/T7qaC0xSPCI/AAAAAAAAAa0/GRtqQnrUpJo/s1600/P5201271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PsqQqrKJ5lU/T7qaC0xSPCI/AAAAAAAAAa0/GRtqQnrUpJo/s320/P5201271.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting out of town! Stay cool Kingston.</td></tr>
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There's nothing like the thrill of the open road to get your blood pumping, hey? What kind of adventure awaits this time? Some people travel to all kinds of exciting destinations on their long weekends, but not me-I go to Brockville (or Brockvegas as it's sometimes called ha!) Anyone who's been to Brockville is aware that this ain't no vegan utopia. It's rural Ontario at it's finest/most stereotypical. Mandy and Rob's house is, however like my very own vegan food laboratory. They are always ready to cook with a freakishly well stocked fridge. Any fruit or vegetable you could want and they've got it! I've been told this is solely for my cooking purposes-they sure know how to make a girl feel loved. They even get treats just for me like dark chocolate almond milk and alcohol (lots). For the long weekend we had lofty plans for fun, frolic and food. Let's start with food! I need three things to cook a great meal: A cute apron, good music and a drink in my hand. Check check and see below. Double check. Who says vegans say goodbye to delicious boozy fun? We had exactly that with strawberries and creme daiquiris out of crystal glasses. It made me feel both classy and sloppy at the same time, which doesn't tend to happen very often.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr>
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To make your own "As healthy as alcohol gets Daiquiris", combine 3/4 cup of cashews covered with water and blended with 3 1/2 shots of Rum in a blender. Then add strawberries, raspberries, pineapple (or whatever fruit you like), 10 dates, 2 tbs agave syrup, 2 Tbs Salba and lots of ice. Blend and try to drink slowly enough that you actually taste it-so AWESOME.<br />
Since I've been told that my fajitas are the bomb, that's what we choose for dinner. Pictured here is our tasty supper, which I was *thisclose* to messing up with overzealous seasoning. Note to self: drinks after dinner. On the plus side, the more you drink the better things taste! <br />
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So our fajitas consisted of spinach tortillas, daiya cheese, mesquite portobellos in white wine, Mexican spiced veggies, salsa, avocado, cashew sour creme and of course hot sauce. You know it's good when you're practically wearing dinner as a mask and don't care. Mmmm. Speaking of masks, here I am indulging in my fifth favorite hobby, mustaches. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ni9aQz1alFA/T7qtQST253I/AAAAAAAAAbc/Z4PBnLzk84Q/s1600/P5191233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ni9aQz1alFA/T7qtQST253I/AAAAAAAAAbc/Z4PBnLzk84Q/s320/P5191233.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son says this picture "isn't funny, it's too weird". Whatever, <br />
like it's the first time I've heard that one.</td></tr>
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For dessert, summer means raw! Hoo-ey do I love me some raw sweets! Since their fruit selection was way more bountiful than mine ever is, I went crazy with our raw pie filling and had banana, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, mango and peach. Yes! The top was made with dates, cashews, a pinch of salt and some agave in a food processor. I'm not going to write out a recipe both because I'm too lazy and because you essentially just mix those things until it tastes nice and has the consistency you desire. Tada!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDwsymp0Q4I/T7qvAb-yAjI/AAAAAAAAAbk/dw8wRhYUp1s/s1600/P5191224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDwsymp0Q4I/T7qvAb-yAjI/AAAAAAAAAbk/dw8wRhYUp1s/s320/P5191224.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leftovers didn't make it until daylight. Just so you know, it tastes amazing with vegan vanilla ice cream. <br />
Not like I'd know from having six servings or anything.<br />
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Rob and Mandy even have a fire pit! For roasting stuff and warmth! I love the country! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire pit excitement! Veggie dogs abound.<br />
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After a couple hours of staring at the fire, we started thinking up ways to get into trouble. We were going to go toilet papering, but realized it wouldn't be an environmentally friendly prank and therefore would bring shame to my blog. We settled for letting our designated driver take us into town to see what kind of fun we could find. Turns out the answer is "not much". We spent a good amount of time trying get a picture under this airplane so it looked like an overhead attack.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvlHKrCElw0/T7rkHGsdULI/AAAAAAAAAb4/sLmzVWNZKGY/s1600/P5191242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvlHKrCElw0/T7rkHGsdULI/AAAAAAAAAb4/sLmzVWNZKGY/s320/P5191242.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overhead attack simulation=Fail.<br />
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Then we found some cool graffiti in the park-this is what rebellion looks like in Brockville. Someone said this picture makes us look like hookers. I disagree. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Losers maybe.<br />
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So after an embarrassingly early bed time, we woke up ready for round two! This time it was breakfast nachos! This may be pretty much the best idea ever. We mixed our fajita leftovers with ground round, coconut oil and salsa. We then piled it on top of nacho chips, topped with daiya cheese and broiled to melty deliciousness. To serve-more avocado and pickled jalapenos. We paired it with Mexican spiced potatoes with onions and strawberries with sweet cashew creme. Perfect!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PxsS3-VHmYE/T7rp6mwALTI/AAAAAAAAAcM/skXAWdEtt4w/s1600/P5201250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PxsS3-VHmYE/T7rp6mwALTI/AAAAAAAAAcM/skXAWdEtt4w/s320/P5201250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I get to eat this! Squeeeee!</td></tr>
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I left Brockville yet again with a happy heart and wishing I was wearing stretchy pants. </div>
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In conclusion, life is what you make it! Go near or go far but just go.....</div>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-72955330711749946842012-05-18T18:48:00.003-07:002012-05-18T18:53:36.970-07:00I'm feeling yeastyAnd by that I mean nutritional yeast, and not in my junk. I share a lot, but you have my solemn vow that I won't talk about yeast infections and food in the same post. Oh wait, I just did. Sorry.<br />
I <em>big puffy heart</em> nutritional yeast. Not even exagerating, I've eaten Earth Balance with nutritional yeast on toast every day at breakfast for two years. If I don't end up having it for breakfast, it's most certainly on the menu for lunch, snack, second lunch, with dinner or around 10 pm for second dinner. Otherwise I get really cranky, I'm not good with routine changes. I tend to be pretty picky about brands though, it's Bob's Red Mill brand or <em>nothing</em>. If you get the right stuff, you'll be rewarded with a tangy, savory cheese like flavour. Vegans eat it more than the general public because it's a source of B12, the only nutrient we can't get from plant sources. Since I'm sure it sounds like weird hippie food, I'm going to tell you what to do with it so that you can experience this flavour explosion for yourself. You can eat it in all sorts of ways and I've compliled a small collection of recipes for you to play with. Ch-ch-check em out y'all!<br />
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<a href="http://www.theppk.com/2011/11/cashew-queso/" target="_blank">Cashew Queso</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.theppk.com/2011/02/mac-shews/" target="_blank">Mac and cheeze</a> </div>
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<a href="http://theresahippieinmykitchen.blogspot.ca/2012/05/trade-secret-tofu-scramble.html" target="_blank">My bad ass tofu</a> scramble</div>
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<a href="http://www.theppk.com/2011/03/spaghetti-nos-with-mini-lentil-meatballs/" target="_blank">Spagetthi Nos and mini lentil meatballs</a> </div>
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Or, you could skip the middle man and enjoy "Nutritional Yeast a la Lola".</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8J3lrF298Gs/T7b6H9Gu7JI/AAAAAAAAAao/nWQlhO4T5vw/s1600/P5161213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8J3lrF298Gs/T7b6H9Gu7JI/AAAAAAAAAao/nWQlhO4T5vw/s320/P5161213.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, licking it off the floor like a dog. Mother of the year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-11456016144755754612012-05-17T20:58:00.000-07:002012-05-17T20:58:32.315-07:00My spectacular healthy life failSo confession time. I'm currently both a hypocrite and quiter.:( I started smoking. Ugggg. Since I've been 16 smoking has been a hobby, a friend, an outlet and a smoking hot lover. I've been able to stay away from my bad news ex for a full 7 years now, but recently life has been pretty heavy and my resolved slipped. I decided to give them one last chance to redeem themselves. Every single time I've fallen off the wagon, it's gone exactly like this:<br />
<br />
<strong>Week 1</strong>: Drinks with friends. Friends are smoking. That looks great, I just want one puff. Yeah, that's gross.<br />
<strong>Week 3</strong>: Drinks with friends. Friends are smoking. That looks great, I'll just have a puff off of every one they smoke. Yeah, that's gross but kind of awesome.<br />
<strong>Week 4</strong>: Sober with friends. Freinds are smoking. That looks great, I'll just have my own so they don't have to share. This is awesome, I can *totally* handle being a casual smoker.<br />
<strong>Week 4 day 2</strong>: Still sober, still with friends. I'll just have this one now, another in an hour and then one for the road. I am SO good at not smoking full time.<br />
<strong>Week 4 day 3</strong>: I wasn't with smoking friends before, but now that I got in my car and drove across town I am. I've brought either money or barter type items to ease my guilt of taking 5 for the road.<br />
<strong>Week 5 day 1</strong>: F*ck it, I'm buying a pack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwYIZS1q034/T7PZUxXj_-I/AAAAAAAAAaU/0WZOpWBRrdg/s1600/P5161210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwYIZS1q034/T7PZUxXj_-I/AAAAAAAAAaU/0WZOpWBRrdg/s320/P5161210.JPG" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suited up for yoga. Healthy living fail. This is my shame face. Or something.</td></tr>
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Since it's been so long since I've been a smoker and I've been mooching off friends up until this point, when I finally gave in and bought a pack I didn't even know what to ask for. "What kind do you want?""A good one." And then sticker shock $12.83?!?! Cool, it looks like I'm not eating this week. So here I am, bearing my shame for your pleasure. The real reason actually is because I want you to know that the road to health is up and down, often filled with challenges and your own demons. Plus no one is perfect, so be gentle on yourself. So-here is my imperfection for all to see. I'm going to quit *really* soon (monday I promise), smoking does about as much for veganism as donuts do for a diet. "You should eat vegan for your health" while hauling on a cigarette doesn't exactly make me a winning advocate. Now that you know my smokey little secret, what is the challenge that stands in your way of the health you deserve?Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-11233412493549786782012-05-16T19:00:00.001-07:002012-05-16T19:00:40.007-07:00Things hippies like: Swap meetsHave I ever told you how much I love to get a great deal? Do you know what's even better than a great deal? Paying NOTHING! Wooooooot! Swap meets are pretty much the best thing that ever happened to me. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For freeeeeeee!</td></tr>
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It might surprise you to know that almost everything in my wardrobe currently has been acquired for free. Or not surprise you at all. I tend to be at least moderately stylish so it should. So why would one want to paw through another's cast offs? Well firstly, it's like a treasure hunt and I always get so much great stuff for nothing. Plus I get to unload things I'm no longer using. How it works is that people show up to the swap meet with things they are no longer using to trade for other things. <br />
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There isn't really a system at the ones I've been to, just first come first serve. I have literally never seen a fight-we hippies are a peaceful people. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happiness in plaid.</td></tr>
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Did you know cotton and coffee are the crops most heavily sprayed with pesticides? Second hand "shopping" allows you to tread more lightly on the planet. Using less stuff, reusing more stuff and getting crap for free-life doesn't get better than that. Think about organizing a swap meet for yourself, in particular if you've got children who are always growing and outgrowing-it's like the motherload.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6P8EmBZCyY/T7OhNxN2ChI/AAAAAAAAAaI/HUNqfYwVWkU/s1600/P5151214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6P8EmBZCyY/T7OhNxN2ChI/AAAAAAAAAaI/HUNqfYwVWkU/s320/P5151214.JPG" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for a hot date. "Can you believe I found this in a dumpster?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744624275891104499.post-3442290382777343582012-05-15T21:00:00.001-07:002012-05-15T21:06:35.941-07:00Trying to gain some weight? Start here. BROWNIES!Ahhh, I've spent two days with these on my mind. I've eaten them on my porch. I've eaten them hovering silently in the kitchen hoping my kids won't notice. I've eaten them at 6 am and I've eaten them at 12 pm. I.love.these.brownies.They are delicious in a way you'll only get when you make them yourself. A good vegan brownie is pretty elusive-I don't want to let you down but this isn't the fudgey kind of brownie. It is however moist, cakey and soooo yummy. Plus the recipe makes a huge double batch-you can spend the next couple days in a torturous yet delicious cakey coma like I have. You're welcome. Come on, come over to the dark side (as in dark coloured baked goods). This recipe was photocopied from a book, which was compiled from Internet gems-so thanks "Beth". You're brownies rock my world and make me chunky but happy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's with the flower you ask? First, it's pretty. Second, my icing looks like poo.</td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Vegan Brownies from heaven</h3>
2 1/4 flour<br />
3/4 cups cocoa<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tbsp baking soda<br />
1 cup canola oil<br />
1 1/2-3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 cup cold coffee<br />
1 1/4 cups soymilk<br />
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toaster<br />
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (I like president's choice semi sweet)<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 375. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar, then coffee and soymilk. Add wet to dry, mixing until just combined. Fold in nuts and chocolate. Pour into a greased 9 X 13 baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or more, until a toothpick/knife inserted comes out clean. Now if you possibly can, wait until it cools to frost or eat it right out of the pan as is.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Christina's 'delicious but gross looking' chocolate peanut butter icing</h3>
3 tbs melted coconut oil<br />
2 cups icing sugar<br />
2 tbs-1/4 cup cocoa (I'm going to be honest, I don't remember how much I used-add it until you find it sufficiently chocolatey)<br />
2 tbs-1/4 cup peanut butter (again, I need to learn to measure)<br />
Some boiling water for mixing<br />
<br />
Pretty much just mix everything together, adding water as needed until it looks like frosting. Or fecal matter as mine did. When it taste this good it doesn't really matter what it looks like.Of.Varied.Interestshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00947606228341467925noreply@blogger.com2