Don't Worry, Be Happy, Be Vegan :)

I want to keep my followers!

2010-07-15T14:05:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! (If you are still out there...) Remember, I have a new blog now - http://www.foodforpeace.wordpress.com

It's up and running, but I haven't heard from many of you. :(

Please stop by and follow if you would!

Peace and Love.

Katie

New Blog!

2010-06-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! My new blog is up and running at: http://www.foodforpeace.wordpress.com

Go check it out and don't forget to add me to your blogroll/become a follower! :)

Note: I will be eventually deleting this blog and only posting on Food for Peace

WORDPRESS FAILURE!!!

2010-06-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Can anyone PLEASE help me with this switch to Wordpress? I have my new blog set up, but the only problem that I am having is figuring out how to follow non-wordpress blogs. Is it even possible?? How do you all do it? I am trying to get this set up by the weekend. I leave for Argentina on Thursday and would love to update you all on my new blog with pictures from these past couple of months. Any help would be MUCH appreciated! I would even be willing to let someone just "take over" my blog and and do the dirty work themselves if they were so inclined to do so. I am DESPERATE!

Thanks a bunch - love you bloggies!

Let it out.

2010-06-13T04:21:00.000-07:00

Hey guys.
This post is not really positive, so read if you want to.
I am feeling really down about my body right now. I've been on vacation for one week in North Carolina with my boyfriend and his family. I've been eating out a lot, eating tons of cereal, and ice cream practically every night. FULL FAT ice cream.

On top of all of that I haven't been doing daily exercise. We've been walking almost every day. Two nights in a row Brad and I did do a run on the beach. And, most nights I've been doing some abdominal exercises, but I have gained weight and it's really pulling me down, emotionally.
I know that I am not fat, but I feel ugly and I FEEL fat. It's like I have lost all that I have been working for. I was going to the gym 6 days a week. I did yoga 3 times a week. Cardio every day. Strength training about 3 times a week. And, now I feel LAZY.

I honestly can't wait to get home tonight and then tomorrow morning head to the gym. I also need to cut the bad eating habits that I have become accustomed to here.
I only have 1.5 weeks to get back to the way I was before I go to Argentina. I CAN'T do what I did last time I was there (2 years ago). I gained 6 lbs. I was the biggest I had ever been. 6 lbs doesn't sound like much, but I was puffy. And, it caused me to spiral into my eating disorder. I know that I still have a disorder, but it's not nearly as fierce as it was then. I gained that weight because I would eat wayyy tooooo many sweets each and every day. I was eating red meat, fried foods, very cheesy stuff. I wasn't exercising at all either.

I think this summer will be different. I hope. I will be staying with my host sister, Mili, who is very health conscious, like me. She eats a healthy clean diet: lots of yogurt, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit. Her mom grows a garden with avocados and she even makes homemade almond milk and yogurts! I am very thankful for that. And, Mili told me that we could run/walk every day. Plus, I think I am going to bring some fitness DVDs and there is always Hulu to find exercise t.v. and other videos on. Plus, I will be taking yoga classes every week (maybe every day, if I have the time). It's only $40 for a full month of yoga classes. Mili is also a dancer, so I will be participating in some dance classes.

My 5 weeks in Argentina will be healthy, I think. I hope. Fingers crossed.
I know that I can do this. I know that I can get back to my fitness routine of going to the gym every day this next week and a half. I know that I can get back to eating healthy. I have a buttload of yogurt at home waiting to be eaten. I need to eat all of my perishables. So, meals will pretty much be overnight oats (with yog), yogurt messes, yogurt and fruit, chicken salad (made with greek yog), spinach salads with grilled chicken, salmon, fresh veggies. I also have some breads to eat like wraps, pita, sandwich thins. I want to try to avoid cereal as much as I can, but I do have some boxes that I need to eat up that are open. Cereal is a food that causes much strife with my eating disorder. I will eat a bowl of it for a snack (not a very filling and healthy snack). Then, I will go back for more...and more...and more. After I finish my stock of cereal, I think I am only going to keep two healthy boxes of it on me at once.

I also haven't been drinking enough water this past week. I feel sluggish and dehydrated. Too much sugar, fat, and other bad stuff from ice cream. I want to flush my toxins. So, onto healthy eating and fitness it is!

Sorry, I know this was a very negative post. But, I needed to vent. I keep complaining to Brad, but he just tells me I am fine...beautiful the way I am. I know that I am beautiful to him. But, I want to be beautiful to MYSELF too. I felt amazing before this week. I had nice abs, firm thighs, butt, and arms. Now I feel like blubber. I am making a promise to myself that by the time my plane jets off to Argentina in a week and a half, I will be back to the way I was before. I can do this! How is that for positivity?

Help me before I go?

2010-06-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...it's been a while..too long to be honest. :(
What's been up with me?
I've finished high school.
I had my very last dance recital - senior solo and all.
I'm vacationing in North Carolina with my boyfriend.
I'm about to head to Argentina for 5 weeks in just 1 and a half weeks.
My summer is about to get CRAZY. Heck, it already it crazy!

On top of all of these shenanigans, I have been trying to set up my new blog over at Wordpress. I've been having some bad luck with trying to convert all of the blogs that I follow on blogspot over to WP. :( It will only let me add the WP blogs. Is there anyone out there that could help me with this? I will take any/all the help that I can get! Please and thank you :)

Also, before I venture off to South America, I would like to post about my graduation, recital, and vacation. Oh, I also have to recap my birthday from about a month ago. ANDDDD, I need to do another buttload of reviews. It seems that the next few days will be pretty blog heavy for me. No worries though, I love the bloggin' :)

Another thing: I know I haven't been commenting at all, but I HAVE been reading. I am keeping up as much as possible right now. I really hope to be able to comment more once things start to slow down. But, I do know that I don't want to spend my entire summer glued to the computer screen and potentially sacrifice my last summer before college, a summer in Argentina, and a summer with my amazing boyfriend. So, I apologize. But, this little blogger girl has to do what she has to do. I truly miss posting and commenting. :( Hopefully, things will work out and I can stay relatively updated!

Well, if anyone could give me some tips on the wordpress thing, it would be greatly appreciated! I am off to figure out what to do with the rest of the evening with my boyfriend here in beautiful North Carolina. We are literally a 2 minute walk from the beach. Ah, c'est la vie! :)

Here's what's going down:

2010-05-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hey my fellow followers (if you are still out there) *cricket noises in the background*

As you know, I graduate in just 2 weeks. That means these next two weeks are going to be crazy busy. So, here's how it's doing down on Don't Worry, Be Happy, Be Vegan:

I will be posting one more post on this blog. It's one full of reviews, so be ready. I already have it written, but I need to upload the photos (if it will let me this time). After I post it, I will probably not post again on this blog domain...

I am getting a new blog! I figured that since I no longer follow an all-vegan diet, I should change my title. And, I have heard that Wordpress is 100x better. Your thoughts? I am going to try and make my new blog one that includes my daily doings and not just food. We'll see how that goes...

Therefore, you won't be seeing my birthday recap for a couple of weeks. I hope you stay tuned, though! I am still reading all of your lovely blogs, so don't worry! :) I have been so anxious to post, but time has not allowed me to. 2 weeks, 2 weeks!

I hope that everyone is enjoying this month of May - it sure is flying by!
See you in a couple of weeks, blogging buddies. :)

18 years...

2010-05-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

18 years old. That's how old I will be tomorrow around 7:00 ish pm (I believe).

Wow, I can't believe I am going to officially be an adult. This is crazy!

It won't feel that different, but some things will change. No curfew. WHOO!

This year, my birthday is something special:

May 6th (my actual day of birth) - Oxford, OH to spend the day with my boy. Eating at a lovely organic/local restaurant, Kona Bistro. Spending some time outdoors and enjoying life.
May 7th - Lunch with my pappy (dad) at some cool restaurant on Broad Ripple in Indianapolis. Quite possibly Zest.
May 8th - Day out with madre, step father, and Brad. Columbus, OH - German Village, Polaris Mall, and PATTYCAKE BAKERY where I will be consuming/buying lots of vegan baked goods, including my carrot cake birthday cake and my graduation cake (I will surprise you with that one later!)
May 9th - Mother's Day! Celebrating my birthday in conjunction with el dia de las mamas con mi familia. Eating the carrot cake, receiving gifts, and appreciating my mother all at once.

The rest of this week/weekend is going to be wonderful - a great breather for me considering these past few weeks have been nothing but hectic.

C'est la vie...happy birthday day to me! :)

Buttload of Reviews

2010-05-02T18:18:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gents (if there are any of you out there), it's time to get rolling on these product reviews. I have 50+ samples (okay, major exaggeration) to review and only so little time before I leave this summer to spend one week in North Carolina with my boy and then five weeks in Argentina with my host sister. It's going to be a whirlwind of a summer! This will be quick and painless...but you shall enjoy.

Blue Mountain Organics: raw, vegan, gourmet, organic, sprouted superfoods.

Pretty much the coolest kids on the block. Wow, this company packs a huge healthy punch into their products! They were so kind to send me a huge box of goodies back in January…yes, I know..I am a slacker…oopsies. :/

Here's the loot:

I loved every one of their products. Not only were they healthy, they were flavorfull! The sprouted nut butters were different and sort of bland at first, but now I like the earthy flavors. I like to spread it on some sprouted toast with some jam. J The macaroons were out of this world! I have never had a macaroon (gasp, I know!), but these were by far the most sweet, rich, and chewy little things that I have ever put in my mouth (TWTS – sorry had to do it!). The little Love Bites were my favorite – they are little date/nut nuggets. So cute and so yummy!

Sun Warrior Protein Powder: raw, vegan protein packed powder; great for smoothies!

This stuff is the bomb – so much protein and it's vegan – raw brown rice protein! I love it. It's a tad bit expensive, so I won't be buying it anytime soon. The little samples are nice though. The stats are pretty impressive too. 130 calories for this packet and around 25 grams of protein!

Ulimana: raw, organic, vegan treats – so satisfying to the taste buds!

These little date/nut filled goodies are so dang good! I don't think that I could just go out and buy them though. I would seriously gain some pounds – these are addictive! The Chia Seed Moon was my favorite (it's the one with the cashew on it). The Hemp Brownie was delicious too. Other treats included a goji ball and carob ball, as well as an apricot bar and date roll. Love them all!

Nature's Path: Best freaking cereal/granola around!

Gluten-Free cereals. First I was afraid, I was petrified… haha..anways…I LOVED IT! The Maple and the Vanilla were phenomenal and I ate them up in about 2 weeks flat. The Maple Granola bars are freaking good too – my favorite way to eat them is curmbled in some cottage cheese with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Sounds gross, but it is oh so good. Try it.

Raw Revolution: raw, vegan, nut buttery filled goodness!

Love these bars and everything about them. They are a bit calorie dense, but it's the good stuff, people! Healthy fats, omegas from flax seed, dates, nuts. Where can you go wrong? My favorite was the cookie dough and the cashew agave. They even sent me little 100 calorie bars, which are such a good afternoon pick me up when you aren't too hungry but just need something to give you a burst of energy. I would imagine one of them before a morning run would be light on the stomach and a little catalyst. ;)

Galaxy Granola: Fruit NOT Fat – bam!

Awesome…there were 6 apples in that box..in the form of granola! This granola is not your average granola. Nope, it's better – better for you! Instead of oil, they use fresh applesauce. The granola clocks in at about 115-140 calories per ¼ cup. And it's very low in fat. No need to worry about your waistline with this one! I loved the crunch of it, as it didn't get soggy quickly..such a good addition to yogurt messes. The Raspberry flavor even had REAL freeze dried raspberries in it. I am a major fan of raspberries, as is my host sister in Argentina. I think I might just have to buyu her a bag of this when I go this summer. I give these 3 thumbs up..oops, I only have two thumbs. :D

Intention Cookies: Find your inner being with these meditation cookies.

These aren't your typical cookies. First of all, they all hold an inspirational message beneath their wrappers and they send a feeling of Love, Harmony, Prosperity, and Well-Being to you as you nibble on them. They were pretty crispy – I usually prefer my cookies to be chewy and soft. However, the flavors were great! I loved the chocolate and orange combo and the pinapple coconut was amazing too. I can't say anything bad about these cookies, they were well taken care of…in my belly!

Everyday Gourmet: gourmet vegan cookies for a gourmet girl!

Okay, so I am not gourmet, but I like to pretend sometimes when I am cooking in the kitchen. I tune into my inner Rachael Ray and get my cooking on. Well, these cookies are the best darn cookies that I have EVER tasted. Even better than grandma's chocolate chippers. And, that says a lot! My favorite flavors were…well all of them! But, seriously, if you want to eat some really chewy HUGE ASS cookies..eat these! The oats in the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan cookie were so chewy. Loved it! And the coconut chocolate chip cookie had HUGE shreds of coconut in it..and HUGE choco chips. Orgasmic!

Sorry, I don't really have time to link all of these products, but you can surely just type in the company on google.com (or your favorite search engine) and find them. All of these companies were so generous and their products were outstanding! I suggest you give them all a try!

This may or may not be my last post on this domain. Remember, I am making a new blog once school gets out. I am so anxious...only 7 more school days! I can't wait to graduate and then get my summer going. So much to do and I am extremely excited! Okay, I should be going to bed soon...school tomorrow and my last day of working at the library ever! Freedom!

Uh oh, oh no: SMOOTHIE EXPLODES!

2010-04-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, I made this post about a week ago, sorry for the absence. Life has been chaotic, crazy, stressful, and emotional. I am hanging in there.

Yes, you heard it right. My smoothie exploded. Well, technically I dropped it on the floor, but by looking at these pictures one would think that the blender went bazerk!

I made a lovely green protein smoothie/mousse concoction the other night out of 2 tbsp. BioChem Chocolate Whey, ~1/2 C. Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Breeze, handful of spinach, stevia, ice, and 1 tsp. xantham gum. It turned into a very light and airy bowl of green chocolate mousse. Much to my surprise I could not eat it all, so I took it to the freezer.

On the way there, in the dark, I ran into the wall. Yeah, what great cordination I have. Remind me that I am a dancer again? And the bowl toppled to the ground...and made it's way ALL over the floor, walls, and into my dad's study. Wow, great job Katie. Turns out I couldn't save it for later after all. Le sigh.

Now onto some food from yesterday:
(well, actually from a week ago..)

Breakfast:

greek yogurt, spiked with stevia and protein powder. topped with berries, coconut dust, and a slice of Whitney and Coutney's pumpkin bread that was smeared with sunbutter. lovely.

Dinner:

egg white scramble of spinach, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and a tofu dog - all drizzled in ketchup. i paired it with a toasted TJ's ww english muffin: on one side, earth balance and apricot preserves; the other side, cashew butter and apricot preserves.

I would love to post my lunches, but because I pack my lunch for school, I never really remember to take pictures. Maybe, I will start doing that if I remember. Although, life is crazy right now, especially since this is my senior year and it will all be over in less than 4 weeks. However, I am EXTREMELY thankful for that. I will take the chaos as long as it gets me the diploma. :)

What's happening with Katie?

2010-04-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hello little bloggers, I hope the weekend is treating you splendidly. :D First and foremost, before I continue on with this post, I would like to thank each and everyone of you who commented on my last post. There was not one negative comment to be read - I appreciate that so much. " Coming out" to the food bloggers about not being vegan anymore was tricky for me, but I am happy to see that you all are so supportive and that a label doesn't matter. Some of you mentioned that it doesn't matter what you eat, what makes you who you are is not decided by your diet. And, you gals are exactly right. Thanks again for all of your kindness. :)

Now, since eating some animal products I haven't taken very many photos of my food...well...because at first I was afraid to tell everyone, so why take pictures? So, this post is going to be a little update on my life, food being included with what few pictures I do have. I may also throw a little review in here. Just to spice it up a bit. Drum roll, please....

What's happening with Katie?

I grabbed some booty...

Veggie Booty, that is! Tyler would be proud. :)

Chomping on some balls...

Betty Lou's Nut Butter Balls!
Review ALERT!
- I really tried to LOVE this, but sadly, I didn't. The texture was weird for me. The flavor was just "eh." I give it a 5/10.

I've been noshing on some berries!

Pumping up my protein with some protein cookie dough, thanks to Mr. Jay-R

I've headed back to the 1960's...

My last year on the Phoenix Dancers dance competition team. 15 beautiful years of dancing - oh, I will miss thee. Don't think I won't keep it in my life, though! Heck no...I will be dancing at Earlham, for sure. :)
We placed second in our division, but had an overall brilliant performance. I came off the floor crying, not because I was sad, but because I was so happy that I was out there doing something that I loved doing and I felt amazing throughout the whole time. I believe it was best performace in all my years of dance. What made the weekend even more special was that there was so much family support. Parents, friends, and even boyfriends (yes, Brad too!) painted their finger nails to match their dancers'.
Above you can see 1) me with my groovy nails
2)the senior girls with their parents (my dad wasn't present at the time)
3)my coaches, Laurie and Cindy, with me
4) my mom getting her nails painted
5 & 6) performing! our show was called HAIR! and we danced to It's Hairspray! (from the musical Hairspray), Beauty School Dropout, and Hair (from the musical Hair!). Can you spot me on the floor? :)
7 & 8) My super supportive and loving boyfriend, Brad with me on Sunday before my final performance. I love him. :)

I've been celebrated my 18th a little bit early this year...

Court and Whit from Teen's Eat sent me a birthday package! Homemade "larabars" and pumpkin bread. Oh my goodness. It was delicious. Thanks girls, you have some great cooking talent! :)

I've been adding some ovo/dairy back into my diet...

Cottage cheese protein oats in a pb jar, duh! and a Janetha style protein pancake made with 6 egg whites, soy flour, ww pastry flour, and some other things. Topped with coconut, cinnamon, apricot jam, and sunbutter. It sort of tasted gummy, but I think I should have used coconut flour like Jantha suggested. I bought some today, so now I won't have this problem again!

And, I've been stealing...

...stealing some deals! Check out some of these sticker tags! .50 - $1 protein bars, .50 mango, $1 avocado, peppers $1 each!, $1.77 cantaloupe, $1 frozen veggies, 2lbs. strawberries $2.88!, veggie meat ranging from .99-$1.99!, whey protein powder $4.50!, $1.99 ORGANIC pasta sauce.
Let's just say I was in grocery shopping heaven that day. :)

So, there you have it. This is what has happened to Katie since you've last heard from her. What has been happening to you, anything exciting?

Changes

2010-04-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Before I get into the news that I have to tell/break to all of you, let me give a big thanks to all of you who left those lovely, heartfelt comments on my last post. You all really helped my self-esteem and I was glad not only to have a support system that gave feedback, but that also ultimately listened. I see that a lot of you have gone through what I am going through right now...and it gets better eventually. I just need to stick to being me. No problem there! :)

Okay...so I have some news. It's good news for me actually, so don't worry. However, some of you might be disappointed, saddened, and confused. I haven't posted in a while because I have been trying to figure out a way to tell everyone this. And, there really is no other way. So, here it goes...

I am no longer a vegan.

GASP!

I know, I know. Why? What? How? OH MY GOSH!

Well, truth be told, I've been having cravings for non-vegan foods. I have also been having a hard time consuming enough protein for the amount of exercise that I do. I was bored with downing protein powders all day. So, I have decided to go back to being a vegetarian, but a more health conscious vegetarian. Before going vegan I was a vegetarian for about 9 months. I ate healthy, but this time around I think I can do better.

I am going to be trying to level out my macros so that I get a balance of the essentials. 40/40/20 style. 40% daily intake protein and carbs, 20% daily intake fats. I know every day won't be perfect, and I don't expect it to be. I just think this is what will work best for my body.

Before, I was eating so many carbs in order to keep me full. Lately, since consuming more dairy and eggs (only egg whites and egg substitute), I have noticed that I become full a lot easier and for a longer period of time. I am also loving Greek yogurt. I missed it a lot - as well as fro yo, but that only gets consumed once in a while. ;)

Now, just because I am not vegan anymore doesn't mean that I don't consume vegan meals or don't cook/bake vegan food anymore. Heck no! Sometimes, most of my meals are 100% vegan. I am just eating what my body wants in order to feel satisfied. I still LOVE vegan desserts and when I go to restaurants, if there is a vegan option on the menu, I will most likely steer towards that with the addition of some vegetarian protein, if needed. I am not going to consume cow's milk straight, unless I HAVE to. I will consume it if it is in a pre-baked good or other food (like at restaurants or something a friend/family member has made), but I will be using non-dairy milks for things like cereal and my baked goods/recipes. I never really did like the taste of cow's milk straight up. See? Some things won't change. :)

So you see, this change isn't huge...okay, well it was at first because I remember when dining out that I would flip out if there was a single shred of cheese on the side of my plate. I feel like before I was being restricted into eating a certain way for the value of being called a "vegan." Now, I don't really have a label for myself. No, I don't eat meat, poultry, or fish, but I won't call myself a vegetarian unless I have to for people to understand my eating style.

This is just a way for me to discover who I really am and to avoid trying to be someone who I am not. I think before it was an "all or nothing" thing (just like my dapple into raw veganism was). I am still very environmentally conscious and try to consume organics/local. However, this is hard for me right now due to the fact that I have a small, limited budget. Buying mostly organics/local will probably have to wait until I am older and in the right area to do so. There is a really neat co-op that has opened up a few minutes away from me, though. I will try to buy some of my groceries there, if possible.

If you are a vegan and you read my blog, it is your decision to keep following me. I would love it if you would because I don't think a label or the way someone eats defines a person. I am still reading vegan blogs and still eating vegan things, so I don't see a problem. However, it is your choice. Well, I think that is all for now. I hope you understand my decision and I don't mean to put a bad wrap on veganism. I honestly just think it isn't for me right now. Maybe some other day, who knows? Right now I am living for Katie. And only right now.

I will be back soon for some pictures and a few of my recent meals, plus some product reviews (I am behind!).

Thanks for reading. Love you guys.
Peace always,
Katie :)

Needing a Shoulder to Cry On

2010-04-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is going to be first for me. I have never really reached out to my blogging friends when I am upset or needing something. Typically, this blog is an outlet for my vegan diet and sometimes a few daily occurrences. However, I really need to let this out. To write it down. Maybe get some words of encouragement and sympathy. So, here it goes. All of it. Most of it. Or, at least what I can handle for now...

My High School:

I am ready for it to be over. I have never wanted to be finished with something so badly forever. It's not the work. No, I don't mind a little homework each night, essays to write (my writing is actually improving and I like to see the results of my efforts), and tests to study for. What I can't wait to get away from is the malicious immaturity of my classmates and peers. I've seen/heard enough this year to make me go insane. I don't know what it is that gets to me so badly. I guess it's the fact that a lot of the people who I go to school with (now, I can't say everyone because I don't know all of them personally) are backstabbers, liars, cheaters, bullies, cowards, thieves, and lazy. Harsh words coming from me, no? Well, it's sort of the truth. I don't feel that there is one person who I can trust 100% in my school, besides a few teachers. This is why I don't have any real friends in my school. I mingle with a group of girls, but I see and hear them everyday talking about each other behind their backs. Do I want a friendship like that? No, of course not, this is why I keep my distance. I actually enjoy conversing with my teachers because I find that I am on a similar level with them. I can talk about topics that would bore my classmates. Also, adults (most of the ones I come into contact, anyway) don't judge as often as teens/young adults do. I love being able to talk about my vegan diet with someone without them looking horrified, dumbfounded, or making any rude comments. You all know (if you have been reading for a while) that I have had a few encounters with some of my fellow classmates who have scoffed at my lifestyle/diet and have even thrown meat in my face. Not fun, not fun at all. And, truthfully, it really hurts. I have cried plenty of times about these high school woes and I am emotionally and physically tired of it. Tired of it all. Thankfully, I only have 7.5 more weeks of this to endure.

My Relationship:

For any of you who don't know, I am in a relationship with a young man named Brad who I met last summer while shopping at Kroger. He was my cashier consecutive times; I found him on Facebook; and the rest is history. I can honestly say that I am in love with Brad and I have never felt this strongly towards anyone. He is the person I go to first when faced with a dilemma or just need someone to talk to. I talk to him more than anyone I know and we never go a night without talking on the phone or in person, ever since August 29th 2009. I will never forget the night I stayed out until 4am talking to the guy who would soon become my boyfriend, and eventually (hopefully) my life-long partner and best friend. Yes, I do feel that I will marry Brad one day. The feelings that I have are that strong, and no, I am not underestimating love. I feel it. I know it's there.

As much as I love Brad, there are times when we disagree and even times when we raise our voices, or I get so uspet that I want to cry. For instance, this happened tonight while we were talking on the phone. I am not going to go into details because I feel that the details don't need to be shared in order for you to understand. Even though we argue or disagree, I still love him all the same. This is why it hurts so much when we do have these moments. I hate to be upset, but I hate it even more to see/hear him upset. The tears don't start coming because I am upset with what he has said, neccessarily, but because I don't want to think about losing him. I don't want any little disagreement to ever end in us going to bed without talking it through or either of us giving up on what we have. My biggest fear used to be dying before I could do everything that I wanted to do in life. Since meeting and falling in love with Brad, my biggest fear has become losing Brad and being stuck the rest of my life wondering what life would be like with him still in it. I know that I could never find someone who makes me smile as much as he does, or sacrifices so much for me. He is always there and when he can't be physically, he is there on the other end of the phone consoling me in my troubles/stresses. I don't want to spend my life alone without the person who was made to be the last piece to my body, mind, and spirit of a jigsaw puzzle.

We will have our struggles, I know that for a fact. This summer I will be away for about 6 weeks of travel in Argentina, while Brad will be at home awaiting my return. I know it will be hard for the both of us, him more than I. But, I believe that we have the love to surpass this small separation. I feel thankful for technology, very thankful! However, what I am most thankful for is our love, our strong, real love.

More struggles will be come our way, for sure. I will be studying abroad at some point in my college career. Brad might be going to grad school, doing the Americore, or even some overseas military service. The future is up in the air for us, but that doesn't mean that our relationship is up in the air. No, just our locations. Wherever we may go, I have a strong feeling that we will end up together in the end. Again, it's the love that keeps us going.

Brad, if you are reading this, I love you and I always will. Never forget this.

My Mind, Body, and Spirit:

This is something that I need to work on. I need to be at peace with my mind, body and spirit. Stop the comparisons, stop the counting, stop the obsessive behavior. I am fighting this, still, but hopefully one day I will overcome my anxieties and become the strong-willed and self-confident Katie that I wish to be - the Katie that I am meant to be. The Katie that I used to be in some aspects. I do admit, since becoming older (and wiser) I have become more confident. I have my own voice (which will continue to develop as I learn/experience more), my own values/beliefs, and my own perceptions. I have learned to express myself more freely and not to hold back my emotions, as you can clearly see in this post. However, there is still a lot more room to grow. I have insecurities that I want to cure. I have body image issues, goals of perfection for my future, and a huge hope for a life full of happiness. Someday I hope to find my balance without worry, regret, fear, or anxiety - just pure thankfullness, love, and happiness. I have started down the path to finding my mind, body, and spirit.

More food posts will be made soon. I just needed to get this all out of my head in order to cool down a bit. Thank you for listening.

Glorious Grub

2010-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

I am elated. Why? It's spring break. I am able to go to morning yoga (due to no school). The weather is beautiful. My food has been more than delicious. Life is good. Oh, and did I mention that my 18th birthday is in a little over a month and school gets out in about 2 months? Yes, life sure is good. :)

In all things glorious, I present to you, my grub:

first experience with xantham gum - berry smoothie!

Another great Betty Lou's fruit bar (blueberry) crumbled in some Jay Robb Brown Rice Protein filled soy yogurt. I added some puffed wheat for volume.

HUGE apple with Betty Lou's Krispy Bites - BEST vegan substitute for a Rice Krispie Treat. They are made with brown rice syrup and peanut butter. Om nom nom!

See, told you that it was a HUGE apple.

An empty peanut butter jar. Mmm, you know what that means?

OATS IN A JAR!
cinnamon vanilla protein oats with puffed kamut, blueberries, pb leftovers, and a drowning of chai soy protein drink

x2! This jar looked a little lonely...

Nothing a little bit of pumpkin oats couldn't fix

Along with this amazing rice milk

And this bundle of joy was born, adourned with bananas of course.

I wanted waffles the other day - so, waffles were made. Banana waffles with pumpkin soy yogurt and cocoa nib sprinkles to be exact. There's a dollop of Bee's Knees back there in the distance. Waffles can never go without nut butter. Duh!

Whole Foods was visited on Monday. This means deli/food bar time for lunch! These were my leftovers which became my dinner that evening. A little bit o' everything with some Curry Tofu and Sesame Tofu. Yum!

This expensive sushi caught my eye. Hey, it was vegan and delicious. So worth the 7.25.

Hlaf of the sushi became my dinner Tuesday night, along with some steamed broccoli and carrots drizzled in teriyaki.And a toasted TJ's ww English muffin spread with Earth Balance and Raspberry Pom jam and raw cashew butter and pumpkin butter to complete the meal.

A small bowl of 100 Cal Kettle Corn sprinkled with cinnamon made its way into my mouth later in the evening.

Whole Foods in Indianapolis now carries Chicago Diner desserts! I was psyched. Chi Diner was the first exclusively vegan/vegetarian restaurant that I ever went to. I was in heaven while there. I can't wait to go back! These blueberry muffins brought back sweet, sweet memories of the diner. :)

This morning I had vanilla rice protein powder soyogurt with half of a Chi Diner blueberry muffin, some cinnamon sprinkled puffed kamut, and sliced strawberries. So fresh.

Today's lunch consisted of a Flat Out Light wrap filled with TJ's Smooth and Creamy Spicy Hummus (my fav hummus!), spinach, sprouts, mushroom, tomato, and honey mustard. I also ate some Newman's Own Thin Sticks Pretzels and BBQ Soy Crisps. These soy crisps are amazing! And, they pack on 6g of protein per serving!

Surprisingly, this was one of the best bowls of cereal that I have had in a while. A sample box of Chocolate Cheerios, Kix, rice puffs, dried berries, and Vanilla Hazelnut Rice Dream. Oh! And the best part: a drizzle of Creamy Sunbutter! It tasted like Peanut Butter Captain Crunch!

Another snack, before dance practice: Rudi's Honey Sweet Bagel - one side topped with Earth Balance and jam, the other side topped with Sunbutter and jam. Also, half of a small fuji.

Dinner: leftover vegan sushi with green beans and okra drizzled with Siracha.
A small bowl of mixed cereal was also consumed an hour or so later. :)

After writing this, I realize how excited I get about food and especially describing food. To some, food is just a source of survival - something to shove in your mouth to live. Not for me. This girl loves her food and takes pride in and cherishes every morsel that she puts into her mouth. What can I say? I am a foodie. :)

PS: I just entered to win 5 FREE product coupons from Turtle Mountain, but I need YOUR help. Go to http://alturl.com/rqe2 & comment to win. Be sure to mention that I sent you.

2 Product Reviews!

2010-03-28T17:40:00.001-07:00

Finally, some time for posting these reviews! I have a lot of products to review and these are just two of them. I am on spring break this week, so I will have more time to be posting and getting these reviews up. Are you ready? :)

Kaia Foods
a box full of raw, yummy goodness!

Kaia Foods sent me a huge box filled with raw goodies galore! Among this loot were their Buckwheat Granolas (Raisin Cinnamon, Dates & Spices, and Cocoa Bliss), Fruit Leathers (Gogi Orange, Vanilla Pear, Lime Ginger, and Spiced Apple), and Sprouted Sunflower Seeds (Teriyaki, Sweet Curry, Sea Salt, and Cocoa Mole)!

Here are a few words from the Kaia company:

about kaia foods. kaia foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. We sprout, mix and dehydrate our organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain 'raw.' No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps!

keep it simple. That's our philosophy towards food and our philosophy towards life. Eat whole foods for great health. Exercise daily. Laugh and smile often. Hug everyone. Be mindful of your choices and their impact on the earth. The keys to health and happiness are really that simple.

the story. kaia foods was born in the summer of 2006 when I was hiking in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado with my friends Nina and Billy. Somewhere just below the tree line on a sun-drenched day, inspiration struck. I decided to leave behind the world of finance and follow my dream to make minimally processed, truly healthy food more readily available to everyone and have fun doing it. Fifteen seconds later I passed a horseshoe on the trail (no joke!) and I interpreted it to be a good sign for the journey ahead. -Nick

1% of sales. As part of our mission to improve quality of life through proper nutrition we invest 1% of sales in fighting hunger. We currently donate to The Hunger Project and to the United Nations World Food Program.

Wow! These products really blew me away. I went through the granolas in just a couple of weeks...therefore, I only got one decent picture, but trust me, it does this granola justice. This breakfast bowl was delicious! Enter Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat Granola drowned in vanilla coconut milk, topped with sliced banana, and sprinkled with shredded coconut. Yum, yum, yum! I had many bowls like this one. All 100% delicious!

The fruit leathers were very interesting for me. When I first received the package and looked at the flavors, I was skepticle. However, upon tasting them, I grew to like the exotic flavors and really enjoyed the change.

I am not a huge fan of sunflower seeds on their own, so I am still trying to make a dent in the little bags, but I do know that these were very flavorful and great accents to many of my salads. I was even thinking about grinding up the Cocoa Mole seeds into a sunflower seed butter. What do you think?

Overall, I was extremely impressed with this company and their generosity. I didn't expect such an adundance of goodies. Thank you so much, Kaia! I will defnitely be buying some more of those granolas in the future!

French Meadow Bakery
sprouted grainy goodness, baked to perfection (and a cute mug to go along with it)!

French Meadow Bakery also sent me some awesome products to test out! They were even kind enough to ask me what I would be interested in trying. To that, I replied anything sprouted that includes bagels or tortillas! I was surprised to see that I received both AND a loaf of bread AND a cute mug. :)

French Meadow Bakery prides itself in it's product line of great gluten-free breads/grains. These items weren't gluten-free, but they were still very good on the taste buds! The sproutedness (not a word, I know!) added a nice and chewy touch to texture of these breads. The tortillas surprised me by being so pliable - they didn't rip or tear as I suspected would happen. The bagels were sort of small, but they filled me, probably due to the 13g of protein in one bagel! Impressive! I enjoyed both the bagels and bread smeared with Earth Balance and jam as well as nut butters. Obviously. :) The tortillas made nice lunch wraps and single-serve pizza crusts.

The only disappointment I had was the fact that I wasn't able to finish all of it. For some reason all three products molded before I could finish them off. :( I don't know if I should have refrigerated them, or not. There weren't ant instructions included in the box. I do wish that I could have finished them because they were so good and I felt bad for wasting. However, I still give French Meadow 2 thumbs up! I love their 100% natutal approach and how tasty their breads are. They also included some coupons, so when I go to Whole Foods next time (tomorrow - yipee!), I will have to pick up something yummy - I had my eye on their Hemp Bagels!

Be sure to look for these two companies' products in a store near you! They are worth every penny from your pocketbook. :)

Let's Get Blendy With It, Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah...

2010-03-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Because I am blogging foodie, I have been swept up into the Green Monster, Green Smoothie, Green Juice craze! Making these swampy drinks is not only fun, but they're nutritious for you too. Not to mention, they are easy to make, especially if you have the right equipment. Speaking of which, I will be receiving something great in the mail soon that can be of great use to making smoothies and it would also be a great compliment to home bars ;) Yes, one day (when of age) I hope to have a little bar in my home just for my smoothie making!

Since the weather is perking up, smoothies have been on mind lately. Here's some of my past smoothie creations to get your stomachs growling. :)

Other blendable creations I've made in the past:

soaked and ground oat groat cereal

Sweet potato and nut butter soup

soaked and ground oat groats in a pb jar

apple and banana spice cereal

carrot cake (carrot juice) banana softserve

carrot chia pudding

blueberry banana soft serve

So, what are you waiting for? Get some blending action going on (click on the link above to see some cool stuff)!

While you are at it, go check out this amazing giveaway by a girl who loves her muffins!

Jai Ho!

2010-03-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

Friday night, Brad and I got down Indian-style with Samosa Filled Potatos (Veganomicon) and Curry Baked Tofu using Dulcet Cuisine Mild Indian Curry Sauce that I received in the mail as a sample a while back. We were in the mood for Indian food (our favorite) and this really hit the spot. While we were cooking we even pumped up the jams with some "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionare and had a little dance fest in my tiny kitchen. Ah, good, good times. :)

The 'fu - thin and crispy, but still good!

What made the 'fu so dang good (Mild Indian Curry Sauce)

The remains of our filling - looks gross, but really this was spectacular.

His - PLUS another half of a stuffed potato, obviously...come on, he's a growing boy. ;)

Hers. Can you tell the difference?

All in all, we had a great dinner and were stuffed! After chowing down, we snuggled up and watched "The Box." Uhhh, I don't recommend this movie. I fell asleep before it was even over. It was boring, I guess you could say. Ha, isn't that an understatement? Brad said that it was just weird and didn't have a great ending. It was also slow starting out, but I will give it props for weirding me out at times. The creep factor was probably about a 6. Now, I will never look at peace signs the same again...ff you've seen it you know what I am talking about. Ha!

Skip to My Louuuu

2010-03-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I have some random meals to show you because I've been a bad blogger and letting my camera fill up. Oopsies. So, I'll just get on with the pichas because I know you are all dying to know what I stuff in ma face. ;)

bbq tofu and spinach on ezequiel, broccoli with honey mustard drizz

yogurt mess: WildWood Unsweetened Probiotic Plain Soyogurt, Nutribiotic Vanilla Brown Rice Protein, baby carrot food, cinnamon, nutmeg, sun crystals, banana, 1/2 TJ's Ginger Carrot Muffin! (Hey, Allie! ;)

Pb swirl pancakies with half a nanner and pumpkin buttah

Brown rice bowl with broccoli, butternut, and bbq

Brad and I's veggie pizza - before bake

after bake - so goooood

Brad played paparazzi while I dishwashed...

And then I took the camera :)

My lunch during my sick day...
and a very GREEN smoothie to boost the immune system

I made these banana muffins with my 3 rotting bananas

To explain the title of my post....

The lovely folks over at Betty Lou's sent me a wonderful package filled with vegan Betty goodness...it's like a healthy Betty Crocker made these scrumptious snackies. I've only tried the strawberry fruit bar (gluten-free!) so far, but me oh my, this is one lovely pie! It did not disappoint me one bit. ;)

mixed in a yogurt bowl with puffed wheat, Jay Robb strawberry rice protein, cinnamon, and bloobs

Look out for another Betty Lou post soon!

I've also been blessed with the opportunity to review these creative cookies:

From Bountiful Vegan, these Intention Cookies are one of the most creative snacks that I have ever encountered. Each cookie has it's own inspiring feeling that it provides to the eater. So far, I have tried the Harmony Lemon Snickerdoodle. It was a bit crunchy and flat on it's own, but oh so good in a small bowl of nightime cereal. :)
(from bountifulvegan.com)

"This flavorfully balanced lemon snickerdoodle cookie delivers on the yummy idea of peace and unity inside and out. The appetizingly gratifying teamwork of the lemon and cinnamon are a testament to how opposites work together for the good of the whole."

"The design on the front of the package uses lemon and cinnamon colors to draw the imagination deep into the eternal dance of harmony where serenity exists in abundance. The peace dove signifies the unincumbered flight of joy that comes with a life of harmony."

Keep an eye out for more posts about these beauties - the inside of each wrapper holds an inspirational message...I'll have to check out the Harmony cookie's message tomorrow morning!

That's all for tonight, peeps. I am pooped and I have a tad bit of school tomorrow and a doctor appt (which means I miss two of my classes, whoo!) Senioritis has set in, officially.

Flackin' Face Smackin' Crackins

2010-03-12T04:50:00.000-08:00

What a weird title, no? Let me explain...

The kind folks at Dr. In the Kitchen sent me three boxes of their Flackers raw flax seed crackers to review. They sent three varieties: Dill, Rosemary, and Savory. I found all flavors to be quite tasty, but Savory was my favorite. It had a Mexican vibe to it...and I LOVE Mexican flavors. The crackers are simply made of sprouted and dehydrated flax seeds, apple cider vinegar, soybean protein, water, and spices. They are 100% raw and packed full of Omega-3s and fiber!

Check out these awesome nutritional stats:

I ate these plain, dipped in hummus, and also paired with salads:

If you are high raw, or even just looking for an extra boost of Omega-3s and flavor, these crackers are for you. Go check out your local health food store now! Most Whole Foods stores even carry them. Happy face smackin' flackin' with your crackins. :)

Now onto some random meals and product finds that I failed to blog about...

(Grr, this picture won't rotate. Please, ignore the odd placement!)

Well, people...this is what a lack of blogging does to you. Tons of pictures and not enough posts to blog about it all. Sorry for this JUMBO MEGA load of a post. If you have any questions about the pictures above (recipes, products, ingredients), feel free to ask - it would take forever to place captions under all of these pictures!

A few last things: The beautiful Bella's are giving away something special!
American Gourmande is having a giveaway especially for YOU!

Nicobella Truffles

2010-03-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

Do you love chocolate? Do you love dark, succulent chocolate filled with a creamy truffle center made of cocoa, fruits, and nuts? Do I have you salivating yet?

A while back, I was lucky enough to be able to sample Nicobella's Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles. These little squares of decadence did NOT disappoint! So gourmet-esque. (If that was a word!)

The cute little box contained 6 different gourmet flavors of truffles: blueberry almond, ginger green tea, pumpkin chai, pure cocoa bliss, walnut flaxseed crunch, and sunflower banana butter.

All of the flavors were so delicious that I could not decide which one I liked the best. They were all favorites in my book!

Check out the very simple and natural ingredient list:

If you are a lover of all things chocolate and like to be stay healthy while sinking your teeth into creamy truffles, then Nicobella's vegan dark chocolate treats are perfect for you. I loved how each piece was the perfect size for my subtle daily chocolate cravings. It was a disappointment, however, when I had to eat the very last one! More, please! :)

Carrot Cake Pancake Roll Ups?

2010-02-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

So, in an attempt to make Katie's famous pancake roll-ups AND win a fantabulous Artisana giveaway, I concocted some of the carrot cake variety. I followed her recipe for her 24 Carrot Cake Cupcakes version and ended up with these. So, yeah..they didn't quite "roll-up" like I had planned. I don't know what went wrong. It was probably the fact that I had to use whole wheat flour rather than ww pastry flour. However, they were still tasty, just a little rubbery and flat.

filled with So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Kefir, chopped banana & topped with coconut butter, pb, and more banana slices. Yum!

If you haven't, you should try some of Katie's great pancakes! Just don't forget to use whole wheat PASTRY flour. I picked some up at Whole Foods today so that I could make some more pancakies soon. :)

BBB

2010-02-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Boy. Banana. Bran.

Last Sunday I had a quaint little dinner with my lovely boyfriend at his university's cafeteria. Not the finest place to dine, but I managed. Raisin Bran, banana, and Rice Dream. I loved it. So simple, yet so yummy. And I was dining with the greatest boy ever. What more could a girl ask for? Not much. :)

Rant

2010-02-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

Frustrated. Yes, me. I am frustrated.

What gives people the right to pick on other people's dietary lifestyles? Don't you hate it when someone cracks a joke about you not eating this, or that? Being a vegan or vegetarian? "Come on, just eat a hamburger."

I am seriously annoyed by it and I am done with it. I'm to the point where I will go off on someone the next time they try to shove meat in my face or make a snarky comment. What gives them the right to manipulate me, or any of us for that matter? We don't shove lettuce in their face or tell them to eat a vegetable. It's ludicrous.

At least once a week I will be harassed by the boys who sit a lunch table away from me. From throwing ground hamburger meat from their spaghetti right in front of my face to daring me to eat hot dogs for ten dollars - I am fed up.

I am seriously considering getting rid of most of my Facebook friends because most of them I don't even talk to. They just hover around, trying to get as much dirt as possible on people who they don't even converse with in real life. The other day I set my status to "Stomach pains. Gahh" because I was having a little bit of intestinal discomfort (which is usual for me, especially when I haven't eaten for a while and then eat a big meal), and sure enough people comment: "Maybe your stomach is telling you that it wants a big steak or hamburger..." and "Yeah, maybe you should eat some food ;)"

Okay, those two people are my friends, but it is those comments that just aren't necessary. Maybe it wouldn't have bothered me as much if I hadn't been having so many problems with those boys at school. Either way, I am tired of the comments, jokes, criticism, teasing, and harassment. Why do I need this?

That's right. I don't need it. IT needs to stop. THEY need to stop.

Another form of discrimination has surfaced. It seems like everywhere you look people find something else to pick on and discriminate against. If only this world were a much more well-rounded place where people could accept differences and learn to live together but not alike. I am not asking for everyone to become vegetarian or vegan. I am only asking for more appreciation and respect for those who are.

I know I am not the only victim of harassment or discriminatory remarks. Who else out there feels disrespected? Tell me your stories. Vent your feelings.

FULL 18 Rabbits Review

2010-02-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

Back in December, the company 18 Rabbits was oh so kind and sent me a few of their granola bars to review. Well, silly me, I reviewed their newest flavor (Belle Banana Foster), but forgot about the rest! I am terribly sorry for the belated review, 18 Rabbits! However, these bars were AMAZING and I really enjoyed giving them a taste test. :)

These bars are crunchy, yet chewy, with just the right amount of sweetness to them. The company's very own granola is what I think gives these bars a distinct flavor. I tried the bars containing their Veritas Granola, but had to let someone else sample the two bars containing Gracious Granola because it contained butter. Here is some info from the 18 Rabbits website:

"It all started down a gravel road in Farmers Branch, Texas in the kitchen of Two Lost Valley Lane. I liked to play outside with my four brothers and sisters and our rabbit, Blackjack, while Mom watched from the kitchen where she made her special granola.

On days Mom made granola, the aroma of oats, coconut, honey and nuts wafted through the house and out the windows, and we’d all leave off playing and head inside. One day we ran off and forgot Blackjack, leaving him to a rabbit rendezvous. Soon he had a family of 18, and our yard was hopping with more rabbits than we knew what to do with!

I created my own recipe for 18 Rabbits granola because I like for people to feel good—the kind of good that comes from enjoying the most delicious, most nutritious food. Like the way your favorite childhood memory gives you a spring in your step, wherever it comes to you—even as you head down a busy city street far away from where you grew up. Eat some and see where it takes you." - Alison Bailey Vercruysee, Founder

I just love their philosophy:

Our Mission:
Everyone has the right to pure simple food.

Our Vision :
Bring food back to its roots through simple authentic treats.

Nibble A Sultana - Perfect taste of pumpkin seeds and spices; the apricot gave it a nice fruity kick! My second favorite, after the Belle Banana Foster.

Funky Figs and Cherries - This bar was filled with flavors. The figs gave it a nice, chewy texture. Two thumbs up!

Cheeky Cherry Chocolate & Haute Diggity Date - Sadly, I couldn't sample these because they contained dairy. However, my friend, Emily, over at Nutriciousisdelicious tried them and said nothing but good things. I am sure 18 Rabbits couldn't go wrong on these bars since they blew me away with their other flavors. :)

Belle Bananas Foster - the newest addition to the rabbits drove. This was by far my most favorite of the bars. The chunky banana chips were so sweet and crunchy and dates really amped up the flavor. I am really wanting another one of these right now!

Overall, these planks of deliciously tasting goodness are the perfect size and not too small like most granola bars out there. I was left completely satisfied after noshing on one for a snack (though, I wouldn't have minded more). ;)

If you see 18 Rabbits products in your store, I suggest you grab them up! Somehow this company makes the best granola - probably the best I have ever tried. I am not trying to fool 'ya, these bars are phenomenal!

Love and Other 4 Letter Words

2010-02-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

I have never been a big fan of Valentine's Day, but that doesn't mean that I don't like a little lovin' every once and a while. Buying expensive gifts and going out on extravagant dates just isn't my thing. This year was a tad bit different for me now that I am with Brad. I felt a little more creative and I "celebrated" the holiday much more than in the past by making him a little conglomeration of our relationship in card form. Sort of like a storybook. Sadly, he was feeling sick (sorry for passing the bug, Brad!), so I made him banana-blueberry waffles. We then went on a trip to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I have such a wonderful boyfriend who puts up with my obsession of all things food related - crazy shopping trips to the best two stores on earth included! Regardless of the simplicity of the day, I shared it with someone who I love very, very much. :)

4-Letter Loving:

Bowl (of cereal: aka tummy loving goodness)

Tofu (love)
I pretty much had every variety of their tofu at Whole Food's deli on Sunday. It had been much too long since I had a slice of this deliciousness. Reunited and it feels so good. :)

(Bagel and) Deli
One of the best places to eat in Oxford with my boyfran :)

Blue(berry) Waffles

Brad (my one and only love)
Never have I been with someone more amazing. Sure, I haven't been in a plethora of relationships, but I know a good one when I see it and I know not to let it go. He was the cashier at Kroger 3 times in a row (how cute, the whole grocery thing) and Katie was the vegan who bought a lot of fruit. "What do you do with all of your fruit?" he asks. "Um, I eat it," replies Katie wondering what else you would do with it. Turns out he liked to make smoothies with his fruit. So did she. A match made in heaven, if you ask me. :)
I love you, Brad. Always.

2010-02-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

After being out of school for the WHOLE week due to gigantic snow storms, I have accomplished quite a few things. Among those, I am most proud of my new membership to a local gym and making/eating great vegan food. Oh, and finishing my 1,000 word essay for AP Lit. and Comp. that turned out to be a 1,600 and some word, 6 page essay. Hoo-rah!

I've gone to my new gym 3 times so far and I am loving it! Tuesday was my first day there. I did 35 minutes on a bike and then some ab/core moves on a mat and with a stability ball. Wednesday I attended a fitness class called CoreConnect. We basically did core work to music for 30 minutes. It was intense, but I loved every minute of it! I thought I would be horrible compared to everyone else, but actually, I was one the ones I could hold everything and do everything the longest. That deserves a pat on the back. :) Today, I was going to go to a Zumba class at a local dance studio, but no one showed up. Bummer! I was so exicted to go. So, instead, I drove to my gym and did a heart-pumping 30 minutes on a bike (with back support - my back is sort of sore from CoreConnect). All the while I was talking to my boyfriend on the phone. What a workout!

Food has been great lately. Since I need to get to bed soon (chances are, we will probably have school tomorrow, guhh), I will give you a little look at what I have been eating.

Teatime Tuesday
To help aid with the nasty cold I had. It was alright, I'm just not as into tea as much as I would like to be. Any flavor suggestions? I've heard Sleepytime by Celestial is good...I'm looking for some to sooth tummy troubles (gas, bloating, that time of the month) and stress.

Homemade semi-raw granola (recipe). I made a few tweaks, but it still tasted great.

Fruit bowl with homemade granola.

I noshed on one of these beauties - vanilla, lemon, cashew balls with gojis (just like the Cliff Nectar bar!)

Wraps for Wednesday
Taco lettuce wraps - avocado, yellow pepper, Gina's Chia Chili Cheese, salsa, roasted onions and eggplant. Served with a side of tortilla chips and salsa

I decided to make baby tacos :)

Snackin' on some fruit and granola; peanut butter is a must!

Breakfast for dinner. Uh...and sweet potato fries - always wonderful!

I used this recipe for pancakes, but added crystallized ginger chips and peach butter instead of the applesauce. So good! Served with Heather's Hot Chocolate Soup (I need to master this puppy yet) and strawberries.

I had to resort to using my dad's Marsh ketchup - HFCS filled. Blech! Luckily, today I picked up some Kroger Organic. :)

Thank Goodness It's Thursday (because that means tomorrow is Friday!)

Taco salad with chips! Never tired of this combo.

I had a small bowl of Kashi cereal with chopped fig and half of a banana swimming in homemade almond milk before going to the gym.

Vegan Mac & Cheeze! One of the most delicious meals I have made/had in while.
And yes, it did come out of a box. :)

I made the meal more substantial by filled it with broccoli, carrots, peas, and black beans. I also doused it in cumin and a drizzle of this hot mama. I've seen this on other blogs and knew I had to try it due to my love of everthing hot and spicy. ;) This was a winner.

The Raw Food World
I received my order from rawfoodworld! Teflex sheets for my baby Excalibur, skin brush, and Lydia's Raw Organic Vanilla Crunch Cereal. I am having some of this for breakfast tomorrow - can't wait!

Look at the little heart-shaped buckwheat grains. Awwh. :)
Everytime you place an order at rawfoodworld you get sent free samples! Always cool.

Whew, what a long post and a long week! I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday. I am going to pick up Brad at the uni. We are going to either eat Indian there or Bagel & Deli. I can't wait! Hopefully I can snap some pictures without freaking the other college students out. ;)

Xagave Review!

2010-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

A while back Xagave sent me a sample of their all-new raw agave nectar! Not only did they send me a huge sized bottle of it, but they also sent me a cookbook. Thanks Xagave! :)

First of all, this stuff is loaded with benefits. Not only is it low glycemic in comparison to refined and processed sugars, it also offers a sweet and yummy taste, similar to honey but not as bitter. I find it great to use as a syrup replacement. Or, you can even mix it with a little cocoa/carob powder to make yourself a chocolatey syrup. Serve this over some banana soft serve and you have yourself a yummy little dessert! Another plus about Xagave is it's price tag. At only around 8 or 9 dollars this is a deal. Most agave nectars are more expensive for the amount you get in the bottle. If you see this in your local grocery store, I suggest picking one up and trying it for yourself. You can even ask your grocer if they would be willing to carry it. You won't be disappointed in this new and healthy find! Upon seeing it in my kitchen pantry, my dad promptly took the lid off, squirted some on his finger, and tasted it. Nodding his head in approval, he commented, "That's good stuff!"

Also, go check out Gena's latest giveaway!

What a weekend

2010-02-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

Hey all. Wow, my weekend was crazy. Not crazy good, but not necessarily crazy bad either. Just crazy, hectic, and sort of stressful. I've been run down with a head/sinus cold since Wednesday finally feel better (with the exception of having to blow my nose every so often) after 7 days! One thing I did learn though, is that you get a nice abdominal tightening workout every time you blow your nose. :D Haha, I had to get my exercise in somehow with the zero amount of energy I had.

The remainder of my weekend was filled with snow, 3 hour dance practice, hitting a snow drift that resulted in doing a complete 180 and getting stuck near a ditch (luckily there are generous people in this world that would do anything to help), and having my car battery die when I was 30 minutes from home and stuck in the cold. I didn't go to school yesterday due to the fact that I didn't have a car until 4pm and I still didn't feel that well. Luckily, today school was canceled. Now I have time to get things done, sleep some more, and just relax!

I am really trying to get rid of a lot of the stress in my life. I am on overload practically. My goals are to:

prioritize
listen to my body
get more sleep
have a positive outlook
practice yoga a few times a week
exercise daily
eat food for me and no one else (no "all or nothing" approach!)
smile and be thankful and hold onto everything and everyone I have
continue to be myself and not change for anyone else
:)

In an effort to eat according to what my body wants; I've been incorporating some cooked meals into my days when I crave them. I figured my body tells me what I want, so why not feed it what it wants? Surely if I am craving something that isn't raw, but is still nutritious, then it's okay. I am thinking that it means I am lacking in something and my body is telling me by craving it. Yesterday I listened to my body as best as I could even though I was feeling sick and my taste buds were dull and the stomach was kind of crummy feeling. For breakfast I had a lovely bowl of green oatmeal with spinach, dried figs, peanut butter, coconut, and peach butter. Lunch was a nice big salad (I knew I needed to get in some more greens!). My snack was a green smoothie to help fight this nasty cold and dinner was a recipe from Averie - her Vegan Gluten-Free Pancakes! I made some substitutions (chickpea flour and less oil), but they still turned out tasting good! They were sort of falling apart, but that may be due to the fact that I accidentally ground the flax seed into a meal, instead of keeping it in seed form to make that "eggy effect". Oops. Better luck next time?

romaine, spinach, sprouts, yellow pepper (my new favorite!), carrots, black olives, raw falafel, guac, salsa

banana, kiwi, orange, strawberry, juice pulp, water, coconut, dried fruit, sunflower seeds

Averie's Vegan Gluten-Free pancakes topped with coconut, pb, fig spread, carob chips, and fresh berries

Because I don't have school today, I am going to be trying to get a lot accomplished. I have some raw granola in the works, some reading to get done, essay writing, scholarships, maybe some yoga or treadmill walking (slowly easing back into exercise after being sick), and maybe a little nap. I'll be be posting a product review soon also! Depending on where you are on the map, keep warm in this wintery weather.

It's been a long time...

2010-02-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

I apologize, readers. It has been much too long since my last post; it's already February! The year is flying by - exciting for me because I graduate in less than 4 months. These past few weeks I have been flooded with homework and sickness. Homework consisting mostly of Pre-Calculus and AP English. The sickness set in Wednesday (head cold mostly). I am still recuperating today, but feeling a little better. So, in all of this lazy free time that I have I decided to post. Here's what I've got lined up for all of you:

1. Raw chili
2. The raw diet and my body
3. Product reviews
4. Blogger exchange

Raw Chili

The other night I made some really good raw chili from The Complete Book of Raw Food. I never thought that chili could taste good in a cool/room temp. state. Turns out that I was proven wrong by this fantastic recipe. With the raw soaked barley and corn, it still had the texture of a real cooked chili. I added some broccoli and tortilla chips to make it a well-rounded meal. If you have this cookbook, I recommend trying this recipe asap!

The Raw Diet and My Body

Since eating a high raw diet I have noticed that my body does not accept many cooked foods. I know this is a sign that my body has gotten used to eating raw, uncooked foods. However, sometimes I am stuck in a situation where I only have the option of cooked foods. So, I eat the cooked food and then feel both bloated and dissatisfied. Often times I will gorge on non-raw foods because they don't satisfy my hunger like raw foods now do.

I would love to be 100% raw, but my main concern is nutrition. I don't want to be lacking any essential nutrients; therefore, I have decided to keep cooked beans and steamed/lightly cooked vegetables in my diet. I've had zero success with sprouting beans. Anyone have some helpful advice? I find that sprouted hummus tastes funny. Oh, and I won't even go into my trial and error of sprouting black beans for raw black bean burgers! Nasty. Nasty. Nasty. I don't know if I didn't sprout them long enough, or what, but it was not a success.

Product Reviews

Soon to come: I have some product reviews that need posting! Everything from raw granola to agave nectar. Be on the lookout for these in the next few days.

Blogger Exchange

Emily over at Nutritiousisdelicious and I have done another exchange! This time it was with bars. I sent her two 18 Rabbits granola bars in exchange for two Cliff Nectar bars. Lemon Vanilla Cashew. In other words, my favorite flavor out of these bars. They are so delicious that I made some of my very own today! I will post about them next time as they are firming up in the icebox. (That's the old school term for refrigerator). ;)

Cute blender card! :)

That's it for this post. I may post a review tonight; it depends on how my homework/scholarships stuff goes. I need to read Part I of The Plague by Albert Camus, work on an essay, do a couple of scholarships, clean my kitchen, and maybe work on a bill for Govt. class. Yay, all done while being sick. Guhhh. Dord. (Dear + lord).

Requested Recipe: RAW Sweet Potato-Peanut Butter Soup

2010-01-31T12:50:00.001-08:00

RAW Sweet Potato-Peanut Butter Soup
1 sweet potato (peeled and chopped)
1/4-1/3 cup almond milk (use more for a thinner consistency)
1 banana
1-2 tbsp. peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
sprinkle of Stevia or a drop of agave
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Blend everything in a food processor until well-combined
Top with banana slices, raisins, shredded coconut, and whatever else your heart desires!
It's also great eaten out of an almost-empty jar of nut butter!

*Note: This is adapted from Michal's SP&NB Soup; I am not the only one to receive credit for this amazing recipe!

WARNING: This soup is highly addictive, so please, proceed with caution. ;)

All I need is a bowl and a spoon...

2010-01-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, I practically eat everything with a spoon and out of a bowl. Smoothies. Puddings. Soaked oat groats. Soups. Raw granola. I just love my liquids! On behalf of my love for everything in a bowl (and having my hand equipped with a spoon 24/7) I will present to you some of my favorite food bowls as of late:

Amazing Grass Chocolate-Green Smoothie
topped with Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar & coconut

Cinnamon-Banana Chia Pudding
topped with slivered almonds, ground chocolate chips & coconut

Diced Apple-Cinnamon Date Dessert
topped with pumpkin butter & coconut

Sweet Potato-Peanut Butter Soup
topped with banana, pumpkin butter, raisins, & coconut

Sweet Potato-Peanut Butter Soup (in a pb jar!)
topped with bananas, pumpkin butter, raisins, & coconut

Banana-Mango-Pineapple Green Smoothie
topped with flax, wheat germ, coconut & trail mix

Pour it into a bowl, stick a spoon in it, and I will most likely eat it up! As long as it's whole, healthful, and vegan of course ;)

Wednesday's Awesome Rawsome Challenge

2010-01-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I partook in a challenge. Though, not just any challenge, but an Awesome Rawsome Challenge with my friends, Michal and Miho! We decided that we would eat totally raw (with the exception of oils, etc.) for one whole day. We even made set meal plans:

Breakfast: Smoothie

Lunch: Roll (raw, nori, veggie, etc.)

Dinner: Raw soup and salad

Dessert: Your choice!

Breakfast: smoothie made with banana and mango; topped with coconut, flax, The Raw Bakery Chocolate Snackaroon (review to come soon!)

Lunch: Nori wrap filled with parsnip rice, cucumber, carrot, & avocado; Dr. Flackers Dill Flax Crackers (review coming soon!); and a small Green Machine Smoothie (not pictured).

After school snacks: Chocolate Coconut Raw Organic Food Bar - best bar ever, yes indeed! Unpictured fruit of an orange and a banana before las clases de baila.

Dinner: Corn-Bell Pepper Soup from The Complete Book of Raw Food. I subbed avocado for the almonds, added cumin (of course), and topped it with more corn, green onion, and cilantro. And a mixed salad of spinach, carrot, green beans, raw sauerkraut (good for digestion), grapes, a Raw Food Bakery Flax Cracker and this dressing:

Agave-Mustard Dressing, adapted from The Complete Book of Raw Food

Dessert: Gena's Rawnola, Kaia Foods Raw Buckwheat Granola, blueberries, & coconut mik.

Gena's Rawnola! - I demand you to go make this right now. So crispy and crunchy, yet it absorbs coconut milk so well. I halved the recipe and still came out with a good size batch.

Simple, right? It sure was, even with my hectic schedule of school, homework, and then dance! I was busy from 6:00am-9:30pm. 15.5 hours - sheesh! These meals were well-deserved throughout the day.

Eating raw is not as difficult for me as I thought it would be. I actually love it! I am in the kitchen more (a good thing) and I am using more creativity when it comes to "cooking". I am still undecided on my limitations as far as how raw I actually plan on being. I am still in that stage where I ward off even steamed/roasted veggies. I am just listening to my body and what it craves. I am answering those cravings tonight with some raw sweet potato soup in an almost-empty PB Co. Cinnamon-Raisin jar. I am psyched! Foodie nerd, you don't have to say it - I already know. :)

Greeeeen

2010-01-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today has been a fairly productive day thus far. I am all energized after doing a 30 minute jog on the treadmill and Gina's Winter Shape Up 2010! I've missed exercising and the high feeling you get after doing it. I think following this regime for 6 weeks will not only shape up my bod, but my digestion too. Daily exercise is supposed to aid in correct digestion. I can see how. If you are sitting around all day, well your food just might do the same. You need MOVEMENT. I can't wait to get these 6 weeks rolling and I can't wait to see/feel the results!

I am trying to blog regularly, but it's just not working out with all of the schoolwork, scholarships, and daily activities that I have day to day. But, I will try to this week...hopefully! However, schoolwork always comes first in my book. So, we will see.

This past weekend I have been eating a lot of green food. I want to get all of my essential nutrients and vitamins. Plus, I have low iron levels naturally, so I have been trying to up my spinach intake. Yesterday I bought two 10 oz. bags of spinach on sale for $1.50 each!

Spirulina smoothie in a bowl:
banana, mango, peach
spirulina, banana slices, coconut, arils, mac nuts

Veggie lunch plate:
dehydrated eggplant, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, Mary's Gone Crackers
Guacamole and salsa

I found this cute little citrus fruit while at Trader Joe's the other weekend. It has a taste similar to a grapefruit, but also an orange. I forget what it is called. I don't think it is a Tangelo because those are usually orange. If anyone knows, could you help me out? Haha, thanks! :)

T'was mighty yummy; I wish I would have bought more.

Oh, and I only spent $25 dollars on groceries this week. I am trying to save some money back for some dehydrator sheets (my Excalibur didn't come equipped with them - making raw granola on wax paper is not fun, let me tell you) and some Amazing Grass! This superfood powder is really expensive, but oh so good. Fingers crossed that I can buy some soon!

Chocolate Covered Katie is having a giveaway - I would go check it out if I were you! In honor of her giveaway I made her Peachy-Green Ice Cream. I topped it a sliced cinnamon sprinkled apple for some dippage. This was the perfect afternoon snack! And, I got some more spinach in for the day. ;)

That is all for today. I am taking Brad back to MU today, after this long 3 day weekend. I dread taking him back because this means I don't get to see him for a week or so. Gah, I am going to have to get used to it when I go to college next year and start my studying abroad either this summer and/or in a couple of years!

Brad and I, early Janurary 2010

Obsessed

2010-01-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

I am just way too obsessed with these raw mexican ensaladas! Whenever I choose to make a salad, I proceed to turn it into a little mexícano. :D But, oh they are so so good. This one I had the other night was filled with spinach, red pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, tomato, green onion, cilantro, guacamole, and salsa. I also had a few savory flax crackers on the side (review coming soon).

Monday I made Eggplant Pizza from The Complete Book of Raw Food. It turned out very flavorful and delicious, except I used one clove of garlic instead of half of a clove - very garlicky! I also made the mistake of dehydrating the eggplant too long before I made the whole recipe. So, when I put it in the dehydrator the second time, it was too chewy. Next time I will know not to do that. Oh, and there will be a next time. ;)

Going into the dehydrator

Plated as my meal with a side of carrot sticks, zucchini, and salsa for dipping

I bought some spirulina because of all of it's health benefits (essential proteins, amino acids) and I finally got around to using it! I incorporated it into a yummy tropical smoothie. I should have taken a picture before I added the spirulina because the color was just lovely. This color is pretty too, though. :)

Banana, pineapple, mango, and spirulina smoothie sprinkled with coconut and almonds

I had my first Pink Lady apple! Today I ate this delicious gem of a fruit. The flavor was sweet, yet it had a bit of sourness to it. I don't like Granny Smith because of the extreme sourness, but this was just perfect, especially spread with peanut butter and Amish spiced pumpkin butter.

Quote from Brad: So, does eggplant have egg in it? Oh thank goodness he was joking...or so he says. ;)

One last thing: Go check out my last post. I still have two 18 Rabbits granola bars up for grabs. All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me what you want to swap! :)

Anyone want to do a swap?

2010-01-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I received some 18 Rabbits bars a few weeks ago and have consumed all but two (review soon to come). The other two contain dairy (butter), so I won't be eating them. I was wondering if anyone out there wanted to do a little blogger swap with me? The flavors are Cheeky Cherry Chocolate and Haute Diggity Date.

Do I have any takers? :)

Feeling sickly: quick post

2010-01-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

I am not feeling too great today - woke up with horrible head and body aches, stuffy nose, and stomach troubles. About 30 minutes after slurping a super fruity and green smoothie, I had to use the restroom and let's just say that I think I cleared my system out. I've been backed up for a couple of days (probably due to eating some not raw eats). I felt a lot better after using the restroom, but my head is still achy and I am veryyy tired. Brad is coming over soon to help me get some stuff done around the house (i.e. laundry, dishes, etc.). Gotta love him.

I have quite a few photos to post, so I am going to do it quickly because I hate to be so far behind in blogging that I don't know what to do with all of my photos. Then, I think I will rest for a while, go get Brad, and then rest some more. Hopefully later I feel better so that I can get some much needed reading done for my AP Lit. and Comp. class, as well as some Pre-Cal. Yay.

The fantastical smoothie that got my digestion going.
frozen banana, pineapple, mango, and blueberries; spinach; kiwi; water to thin; ground flax, shredded coconut, and slivered almonds for topping

Remember when I made Gena's Carrot Falafel? Thursday I finally got around to dehydrating them in my new Excalibur! :)

That night I made falafel wraps for dinner.
carrot falafel, cucumber, tomato, and Gena's Tahini dressing

The remaining little falafels made great salad toppings for my lunch and dinner on Friday. Great quick and easy recipe, Gena!

Blueberry-Banana Softserve was my dessert of choice one night last week.
frozen banana, blueberries, drizzle of water to thin; topped with toasted coconut, a dollop of coconut ice cream, and almond buttah.

Beautiful cantaloupe that I sliced up last night for easy snackage in the fridge.

Request from Michal!

2010-01-08T23:06:00.001-08:00

A great blogger friend of mine, Michal from Lil' Earth Muffin, requested the recipe for a bowl of deliciousness that I had a few weeks back. Presenting my mostly raw pumpkin oatmeal!

High Raw Pumpkin Oats:

1/4 c. soaked oat groats blended with half a banana
pumpkin
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever tickles your taste buds!)
a splash of nut milk (your choice)
top with other banana half
coconut shreds
Honest granola bar crumbles
dark chocolate chips
pumpkin butter
cinnamon-raisin pb

Obviously you can top this with whatever you like. You could easily make it 100% raw by using raw nut butter, carob chips, and raw nuts/seeds/granola.

Try it and tell me how you like it! :)

Carrot Crazy

2010-01-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

I've been in the carrot loving mood lately. Sam at Merit to the Carrot would be proud. :D
Speaking of Sam, go check out her grand giveaway!

I made some carrot pulp to make Gena's Carrot Falafel (which I will be preparing Thursday)...

Which resulted in a wonderful glass of beta-carotene...

That I turned into this...
Carrot-Banana Soft Serve! I think I may have created my best recipe yet.
Simply blend a frozen banana with some carrot juice, coconut milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I topped mine with toasted coconut, raisins, dark chocolate chips, and a spoonful of coconut ice cream. Divine.

And this!

Carrot Chia Pudding! Soak chia seeds and spices overnight in carrot juice. In the morning, blend with half of a banana and some nut milk (optional). Top to your liking. I topped mine with coconut shreds, slivered almonds, the other half of banana, maple pb, and pumpkin butter. Again, divine.

Even though my overconsumption of carrots makes my hands and feet turn orange, I just keep on eating because well, carrots are just that good! If you don't believe me, take another looksie at these delicious treats. Or, just go ahead and whip one up for yourself. ;)

18 Rabbits Review

2010-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the company 18 Rabbits was generous enough to send me some samples of their unique and tongue-tantalizing granola bars. Of the flavors that they sent me, I have only tried one so far - their newest flavor: Belle Bananas Foster. This tasty bar is filled with 18 Rabbits' signature Veritas Granola, caramelized bananas, and dates. Let me tell you, the banana in this bar really stands out! It brought me back to my childhood days of eating one of my favorite snacks, banana chips. Crunchy, yet chewy, the texture was just right. The size of this bar is perfect as well, not too small that it didn't fill me up like most granola bars. Not to mention, the nutritional stats are pretty impressive. At 180 calories and 8 grams of fat, it is the perfect snack. Now I am sure you all remember a famous quote from commercials when we were kids, "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!" Well, this silly rabbit (as Brad calls me) has no interest in Trix cereal, but I certainly am hankering for another one of these 18 Rabbits granola bars! I give it two rabbit thumbs up!

Look at all of that crunchy, Veritas Granola goodness!

These bars will be hitting the shelf as of today (January 4th). You can find them at your local Whole Foods, so go grab a few before everyone else gets to them! ;)

Stay tuned: I will be reviewing the other 4 flavors soon enough!

I would like to thank my boyfriend, Brad, for being my partner in this taste-test and review. :)

I've Been Tagged!

2010-01-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite bloggers, Michal and Miho just happened to tag me for the Happy 101 Blogger Award! Thanks girls!

My top 10 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

1. Food - I just love it. Cooking it. Buying it. Learning about it. Everything about food I love, especially vegan and raw food.

2. My bofriend - Brad is my best friend. He's supportive, charming, generous, and a loving and protective individual. He is so much more, but I don't think I will ever find all of the words to describe this blessing of mine.

3. Family - Spending time with my family is something that I have enjoyed even more as I get older. Family is important to me. Without them, I wouldn't be here. I can't wait to have a family of my own one day to nurture, love, and raise to my best ability.

4. Reading - Books are one of the most inventive resources ever made. What a great feeling it is to curl up in bed or on the couch with a blanket and a great book. Working at a library provides me with a long list of books that I wish to read. (Speaking of which, I need to get on that!)

5. Dance - I have been dancing since I was 3 years old and I have never stopped loving it. I feel a sort of release when I dance. Worries are gone and I become ultimately happy.

6. Health - I am extremely happy and grateful for the healthy body that I have now. My body is truly a temple. There was a time not too long ago that I was suffering, I was depriving myself, and malnourished. I not only lost weight, but I lost who I was as a person. Never do I want to go back to that place of worry, anxiety, and foolishness.

7. Photography - I love to take pictures of anything and everything. There is something accomplishing about taking a really great picture.

8. Music - Without music, I think life would be dull. I listen to music constantly and I couldn't imagine dancing to silence, singing to silence, or even exercising in silence. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful thing like music.

9. Nut butter - Okay, so this sort of goes with my number one, but I LOVE nut butters. Peanut butter. Almond butter. Cashew butter. You name it, I love it. You can put it on anything! Now, wouldn't that make you happy? :)

10. Blogging - Conversing with other people who have so much in common with me is so much fun! I love to find new recipes, new friends, and just useful information. Starting my blog has been one of the best things for me that I have done in a while. It really helped me with my transition into veganism and then into a high-raw diet. Thanks all of you bloggies out there!

I know the way you are supposed to do this is to start tagging people after you have been tagged, but because I wish I could tag EVERYONE that I follow, I am not going to do this the traditional way. So, if you read my blog, just leave a comment on this post telling me your top 10 things that make you happy!

The Making of Green Oats

2009-12-30T22:42:00.000-08:00

The other night I was trying to think of something quick to eat for dinner. Oats were the first thing that came to mind. Warm. Satisfying. Filled with yummy toppings and mix-ins. So, as I was grabbing the ingredients, Brad (who was with me), told me to double the batch. I wondered, "why?" Turns out he wanted to eat some oats too! This shocked me, but I obliged. :)

Oats in the making...

Being creative, Brad made a smiley face. :)
I didn't.
Then, we stirred it up and made poop.
Brad said his needed more flavor.
So, he added some Greek yogurt.
And, a huge glob of peanut butter.
Drowned it in milk.
He sort of liked it.
But.
It gave him a tummy ache.
Then, we clogged the sink.
The end.

Christmas Post

2009-12-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Only pictures because blogger won't let me post anything. Grrr.

Christmas Eve:

Breakfast: apple banana bowl

Lunch: green salad

Pear paired with my lunch salad

Vegan blueberry scones from VWAV made for Brad

Sister, Patricia, guessing what her present was. She guessed right - I made her pumpkin oatmeal cookies from VWAV!

Pops and brother, Andy, chilling out on the couch.

Oh, Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree.

Everyone went out for pizza, while I ate this raw stuffed pepper at my bf's house.

Christmas Day:

Breakfast: raw pumpkin oat groats.

Made for dinner: raw pecan pie

Made for dinner: raw Spanish cauliflower salad

Made for dinner: raw zucchini lasagna with cashew ricotta and marinara

My dinner plate

Andy's dinner plate. My brother insisted that I take a picture for the blog. :)

Gourmet pine cone cake. Not vegan. :(

The evening festivities

My loot. 5 bags of nut-filled trail mixes!

My momma gave me an amazing gift. It made this beautiful green smoothie the next morning. What is that gift, you ask?

A 9-cup KitchenAid food processor! And it's yellow! This gem works like a charm and is so quiet. Thanks mamacita. :)

There is one more gift on the way. While I am waiting for the mailman to bring me my package, I'll keep you guessing as to what my dad got me. ;)

Boyfriend Brad's Quote of the Post:

"I ate glue today" - his adventure in eating a peanut butter sandwich...that he slathered with brown rice protein powder. Oh, Brad. What am I going to do with you? :)

One last thing: Chocolate Covered Katie is having a giveaway! Check it out ;)

Fibertastic

2009-12-23T15:21:00.001-08:00

For some reason blogger was being a poohead this morning and wouldn't let me upload any photos. I had all of the text written for this post and then I went to upload and the entire window closed...and it happened TWICE. I was, of course, pretty frustrated. This post won't be filled with many words, just mainly photos due to my blogger letdown this morning and my lack of posts this week. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Breakfasts:

Banana, strawberry, blueberry, & spinach smoothie with some arils mixed in.

Soaked oats in a jar - a favorite of mine - raw oat groats, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla almond milk, a few chia seeds, chopped gala apple, coconut, small piece of an Alternative Baking Co. Lemon Poppyseed cookie. All of this was eaten out of this jar of yummy peanut butter:

Target's Archer Farms' Vanilla Cranberry peanut butter. I plan on making my own raw version of this sometime soon. ;)

Yum yum in me tum tum. :)

Snackage:
Juicy Gala apple with some salted mixed nuts (compliments of my dad's workplace)

Grapefruit! I haven't had this juicy, tart fruit since summer. Reunited and it feels so good. :)

Lonchy:
Raw veggie plate with Sabra's Spinach & Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper hummus.

A very green salad of broccoli slaw, bebe corn, cucumber, and green bell pepper. This salad was tossed in Chicago Diner's tahini dressing which I whipped up (see below).

Din Din:
Romaine leaves filled with a carrot-mushroom paté, alfalfa sprouts, and caponata.

Taco salad: kale, spinach, carrots, shrooms, green pepper, avocado, homemade salsa, and Garden of Eaten flax tortilla chips. I thawed the corn, broccoli, and edamame and mixed it in later.

Random fun:
The Chicago Diner Tahini Dressing that I made (from the Chicago Diner cookbook)

Homemade salsa. I put some hot pepper in this...turns out I used a Habanero. Yikes, it was much too hot for my liking!

And this would be my boyfriend and I being perverted with food. Use your imagination. :D

One last tidbit:

#1 Reason why NOT to eat 3 or 4 servings of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal in one sitting:
"It was like an explosion." - My boyfriend explaining the result of his hyper-fiber intake today.

I hope everyone has a great holiday! I will be un-cooking up a raw vegan Christmas dinner tomorrow and Christmas morning. :)

Welcome to the Church of the Holy Cabbage. Lettuce pray.

2009-12-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

No, this post isn't about cabbage. Sorry to disappoint. But! It is about a lot of raw/leafy/greeny eating, so I suppose the title works. ;)

I've been doing this mostly raw thing for a few weeks now, but it seems that by nighttime I fall off the wagon due to some soaked oats (not raw) topped with granola, pb, and jams. Yeah, I have a sort of big fat sweet tooth when the sun goes down. Alas, most of my non-raw foods are gone. I am giving them to some vegan/vegetarian college friends of mine. I figured that would be so much better than throwing it all away, obviously. And, they are pretty broke due to the private college thing and all.

I've been experimenting with some different raw creations, especially breakfast ones because breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. :) I made my own version of Michal's Spiced Carrot Puree. I blended the carrots and half of a banana with almond milk, agave, and lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. I added some walnuts and then topped with the other half of banana, coconut, cinnamon-raisin pb, and some carob chips. Tasted just like carrot cake!

My other breakfast adventures as of late have been filled with smoothies.

1. Green smoothie. What's in it? Spinach, banana, few cashews, mango, and coconut.
2. Smoothie parfait! Banana soft serve, mango, coconut.

Butter lettuce, red pepper, zucchini, broccoli, and avocado. Topped with hot sauce and a gross nasty dressing I mixed up made of olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin. TOO MUCH LIME! A failed attempt at a salad, but I somehow fixed most of it with the addition of some eggplant-tomato spread and went on eating.
To supplement my raw snacking I usually eat some nuts, dates, dried fruit, whole fruit, veggies, etc. When I am on the go (i.e. going to work) I like to take some sort of raw food bar. I don't know if these are 100%, but the ingredients are comparable to Larabars and they taste really great.

Cliff Nectar bar: cranberry, apricot, almond. Made with those ingredients plus dates and apple juice.

Around Christmastime there is so much gift giving and generosity that it makes me happy. Especially this year! My dad's workplace gave him a gift bag full of navel oranges and two tins filled with nuts. He knew I would like them, so he gave them to me. I am in heaven. I never appreciated these sort of gifts before I was vegan. Now, these items are like precious gold.

The nuts are salted, but I can handle it - afterall, they were free!

That's a lot of nuts, especially the cashews! Weird thing is, I never liked cashews before becoming vegan. Now, I love them. Veganism has really made me appreciate so many great foods! With some of the cashews I am going to make my brother some chocolate covered cashews for Christmas. He loves them! I hope they turn out well.

If I don't post another blog before the 25th (hopefully I do!), I wish everyone a great holiday! Stay safe and keep warm. :)

3 More Days!

2009-12-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Gahhhh, only 3 more days and I am home free...from school...until break is over. Poo. Oh, how I wish this year was over already. At least break is in 3 days. Then, I will be able to relax (maybe!), get some scholarship stuff done, start on my senior solo dance for recital this May, read (for MY enjoyment), spend quality time with Brad (bf), make some raw recipes that I have been hankering to try, buy a pass to the local wellness center and start yoga classes, and watch some good movies! Do you think I can achieve all of that in just 2 weeks? Oh, and I need to clean my room and my kitchen. I am going to sure try to do all of this, and maybe more!

Yeah, I've been MIA for the past, um, week? Sorry, folks. I am just one busy child. I have been documenting some of my eats though, with my beloved Canon baby.

First thing, I received some really yummy Amazing Grass Bars (in exchange for my non-vegan PB Loco) from a foodie friend of mine over at http://nutritiousisdelicious.blogspot.com! This girl is really fun and generous. Thanks Nutridee. ;) (Check her out!)

Sorry this post is extremely small. I have finals to study for! Grrr. So, here are some random raw/almost raw eats from the past week.

1. Green Pumpkin-Cocoa Smoothie
2. Green Strawberry Banana Smoothie in a bowl like my friend, Michal ;)
3. Spinach-Kale Salad topped with Herb Gardenburger
4. Soaked & ground PB-Banana Oat Groats

...That's a whole lotta greens in ma belly...

Oh, and in other news: I GOT ACCEPTED EARLY DECISION TO EARLHAM COLLEGE (my top college of choice and the ONLY college that I applied to)!!!!!! :D

Random shizzz.

2009-12-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

First things first: I am watching/listening to Hanson videos and I have to admit, I am getting back into the groove of these guys. Downloading will be be occurring soon. ;)

They support Tom's shoes!

Numero dos: I received my Kombocha squash from HEAB! I can't wait to eat this gem. :) Thanks Heaby!

Trois: My dad had a company Christmas party (where he supplied the raffle prizes because he is manager) and he won the juicer! Of course, he supplied it just so he could win it for me. ;) I love my daddy.

Four: I bought a sprouting jar. Now I can make me some RAW sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Estoy emocionada. :D

5: Here are five meals that I have prepared/eaten as of late:

Spinach salad: mushrooms, carrots, Sunshine Burger Garden Herb, hot sauce, salsa, y cumin.
Roasted butternut squash fries con ketchup.

Today's lunch: red pepper stuffed with my walnut-carrot paté (soaked walnuts, carrots, evoo, garlic, cumin, pepper, red pepper) and topped with green olives. A huge, juicy apple!

Freshly made juice with the new juicer (thanks again, Dad!): 1 pear, leaf of kale, 3 strawberries, 3 cubes frozen pineapple, 3 cubes cantaloupe. This was Amazing with a capital A.

Lunch for tomorrow: nori sheet filled with mushroom-carrot paté (mushrooms, carrot, braggs, and teriyaki - so easy!), cucumber, and avocado. Side of snap peas drizzled with mustard and agave. Not pictured: handful of trail mix (almonds, dried cranberries, dark choc. covered almonds).

Breakfast for tomorrow: oat milk soaked oat groats, flax meal, dried crans & mixed nuts/seeds. Tomorrow it will be topped with some dark choc. covered cocoa nibs, coconut, peanut butter, & banana. Yum! I will be dreaming about this in my sleep.

Pure2Raw Giveaway. Clifftastic. Raw.

2009-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I have 11 followers! This is really exciting for me because when I first started blogging this past summer, I felt that I wouldn't get any followers. I was a little discouraged. Alas, I am getting blog comments daily and it's making me mighty happy. :)

For all of you vegan/raw food fans, go check out the Pure2Raw twins, Lori and Michelle, for a chance to win a package full of raw goodies! It includes:

Raw brownie bites
Raw rosemary cracker
Raw pumpkin kale cracker
Raw collard green fiesta flatbread
Raw spinach flatbread
Chocolate chips cookies
Cranberry orange scone
Lemon blueberry scone
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffin
And our holiday raw gingerbread macaroon

Doesn't that sound amazing? I think so. :)

Over the past week or so I have successfully tried all of the seasonal Cliff bars! (If there is a Pear Strudel one out there, can someone let me know?) My favorite was the Spiced Pumpkin Pie! It had an icing covered bottom, kind of like the Luna Bars. Delicious!

Wrapping it up raw, here's my dinner Saturday night from The Cheesecake Factory:

Lettuce wraps. Sesame seed cucumber, mung bean sprouts, romaine leaves, carrots, zucchini, avocado, and cilantro. I subed avocado for the chicken and shredded zucchini for the coconut noodles to make it raw. Sauces: Cashew Tamarind, Spicy Peanut, & Red Chili. Muy delicioso. ;) I am definitely remaking this!

I am domesticating!

2009-12-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Er, I mean I am becoming such a domestic young woman. (That title makes it sound like I am an animal or something of the sort, eek). Well, anyway, my reason for the title and this post is because I now have my very own kitchen! I live with my dad now and his house was originally three apartments. I am up on the top floor, so I have my own kitchen. I am so happy for this! I can make my own meals in my own space. I feel like I am actually living in an apartment. Feels pretty cool, if you ask me. :) It still needs a lot of work (some cleaning, repairs, etc), but here is my very own mini-kitch:

Light cascading through the window...Old stove, yet works like a charm...

Dishes to be cleaned...

Kitchen "table" (oh, look it's blogspot on the screen!)...

Knife set that my father bought for me ($10 on Black Friday!)...

You can just call me the (almost raw) vegan bitch in the kitch' :)

Goody swap, best friend and boyfriend, and CCK!

2009-12-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

Attention bloggers out there, remember when PB Loco said they would send me samples of their famous peanut butter to do a review on? They sent them, but unfortunately, they sent non-vegan samples (White Chocolate Raspberry and Cookie Dough). I am terribly disappointed and sort of annoyed because I told the company that I was vegan. In order to a review you would think that I would have to actually eat the peanut butter, huh? Haha, anyway...I was wondering if anyone would like to have these little jars of pb in exchange for something equally small, but vegan? If I have any takers, please drop me a comment or an email!

In the title of my post I have wrote "best friend and boyfriend." Well, I just can't stop feeling so happy and thankful for a certain person in my life who fills those two roles. Every day, I find myself loving him even more than the day before. I have never before felt this strongly about someone. Meet the missing piece to my jigsaw puzzle, Brad:

I was playing paparazzi and took many a photo of him at Chipotle the other night. :D

His burrito; not vegan, but I still love him.

We made smoothies together over the weekend. These were vegan. :)
Hers: frozen banana, frozen blueberries, wheat germ, and coconut, almond milk. His: frozen banana, strawberries, peanut butter, almond milk.

Lastly, everyone needs to go check out Chocolate Covered Katie's latest giveaway! Raw nut butters, yes please? :)

I'm Going Raw

2009-11-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

Slowly, but surely, I am transitioning into a raw vegan diet! I am so excited and ready for the positive changes that will occur within my body after I engage myself in this new and intriguing way of eating.

I have already noticed, from what few fully raw meals that I have been consuming this past weekend, that my body is feeling much more energized and clean. And, when I do eat something that is cooked or processed, my stomach starts to hurt.

I love not having a gassy feeling all of the time or a bloated stomach. Tonight, however, I did get that feeling because I ate a cooked dinner, just so that I can use up my non-raw foods and ingredients. I don't want to waste them; therefore, I am going to be incorporating them in with my raw meals. So, dinner tonight was this:

Lavash wrap filled with Nate's Meatless Balls, VeganRella, tomato basil sauce, & spinach; grilled in the oven. (Kind of like a hot pocket) B-nut fries with ketchup.

Now, this past weekend I had the opportunity to venture out to Whole Foods and Jungle Jim's with my dad, sister, and boyfriend. I had a lot of great grocery shopping fun! I spent wayyyy too much, but I hadn't been to a Whole Foods or Jungle Jim's in over two months! What's a vegan foody to do? Ha! Here are some photos of my grocery escapades:

My lonchi at Whole Foods: mixed cold salad bar (I don't even remember what I put in there!) and roasted autumn veggies. KOMBOCHA!!!

My pappy wanted to show off his apple juice. :)

And, here's his not-so-animal-friendly lunch. Otherwise known as his "2nd Thanksgiving." But, at least it's local/organic!

My cart full of goodies from Whole Foods. See? I told you I bought too much. (I also spot some non-raw things in there. Tisk, tisk).

My dad found these Sour Cream & Onion Crickets at Jungle Jim's*. No, he did not buy them! Thank goodness!

Some tea that I bought at Whole Foods. I love these teas because on the bottom of the lid there are always little sayings/quotes.

A new flavor for me! It was quite tasty, actually. It really resembled an actual Chai tea. Cool.

Well, that's it for this post. I have tons more photos, though. So, plan on seeing more of my blog soon! I'll have a post about my raw transitioning, a post about my very own kitchen, and a boyfriend post, perhaps. ;)

*For those of you who don't know what Jungle Jim's is, it's a really cool international grocery store! They have anything you could possibly imagine, even stuff that you find in every Wal-Mart. But, the most awesome thing is that they have a massive organic/natural section where they sell a lot of vegan/raw food. :) It's located in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you are ever in that area, check it out! You won't be disappointed. Oh, I purchased some natural coconut oil there for only $3.99. (I found it in the Japanese section, I think). Compare that to Spectrum's $10.99 jar! What a deal.

Happy Tofurkey Day!

2009-11-26T15:34:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! So, my promise to blog more often didn't really happen...but I assure you all that I will TRY to blog more often when time permits. ;)

Anyway, my Thanksgiving was alright. Yes, just alright. I had a lot of fun cooking my three dishes that I brought to my family's Thanksgiving, but the whole get-together was not so great. Being the only vegan in a very omni-family is sort of difficult. Not difficult that I can't find anything to eat, but that my family is not very supportive of it (making fun, criticizing, etc). For example, today my uncle said/whispered to my grandmother: "Why can't she just eat turkey today. It's Thanksgiving." WHAT THE HELL?! (Sorry, excuse the language). I am not a "part-time" vegan. I have reasons for eating what I do eat. Being vegan (for me) is not just some fad or trend. It's a passionate consideration for all of humanity, the animals, and the environment. Just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean that everyone needs to go out and buy a turkey, throw it in the oven or deep fryer, and call it a feast. People, you can survive without killing a bird and eating it. There are other things to eat out there. Vegetables, legumes, beans, fruits, grains. The list goes on and on. Meat, dairy, and eggs weren't always the center of our diets. Maybe there should be a change?

Well, enough of my ranting. My three dishes that I made were Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie, Steamed Lemon-Drizzled Asparagus, and Pumpkin-Coconut-Chocolate Chip Bars. The shepherd's pie was a hit with my sister (who is a pescitarian), and was considered "pretty good" by my mother and grandmother. The asparagus was fresh and crisp, a perfect addition to the meal. However, the bars weren't so great. I liked them, of course, but others thought they were too chewy. I can see how they thought this considering the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of applesauce and no oil. Maybe the next time I will make them with half oil, half applesauce. Nevertheless, the leftover bars are surely going to make some great oat toppings for me. :)

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie (recipe)

Pumpkin-Coconut-Chocolate Chip Bars (recipe)

Steamed Asparagus with freshly squeezed lemon juice

My vegan Thanksgiving plate; the best Thanksgiving meal I have ever eaten :)

My mom supplied the spinach/mixed green salad. It had strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, and dried cranberries. I topped it with more berries, freshly chopped pineapple, and some Newman's Lighten Up! Raspberry-Walnut Vinegarette. This dressing is SO delicious. Sadly, I left it at my grandparents' house. :( But, weep no more! I am going to try to make my OWN raw version.

Speaking of raw, I am going to try and make tomorrow a raw Friday! I am immensly intrigued by the raw lifestyle. I don't think that as of now (being a senior in high school) I can become fully raw. But, I am going to try to make some big strides towards it. Hopefully, once I am out of college I can fully committ myself to being a raw vegan foodist. However, I don't think that I can give up my love for cooked oats and sweet potato fries. Sigh. I will just have to wait and see what the future brings...after all, if I gave up animal products, surely I can give up some cooked foods?

Question of the post: What are your opinions on raw veganism? If you are raw, what do you do about some cooked foods, etc? Are there specific foods that you just have to eat cooked?

I hope your Thanksgiving was one filled with great food, family, and fun! For all of you partaking in Black Friday: good luck and try not to get trampled upon! ;) I will be working at the library from 11:30-2:30 and then probably spending some quality time with my boyfran. :D

Finally, I have time to blog!

2009-11-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I won't go too deep into it because a.) it involves family issues and b.) it would probably bore most of you. Well, in order to catch up on what you all have missed out on, I will just make this one big motha' of a post. I hope your eyes don't droop too much and that you enjoy my creations. :)

Let's start with, hmmm something I made a few weeks ago: a quick and simple dinner salad with roasted acorn squash and zucchini.

Salad: mixed greens, kale, carrots, tomatoes, green olives, crumbled tofu with oregano, and olive oil-vinagerette. Roasted acorn squash and zucchini slices served with ketchup.

Now, onto some really, REALLY good oats that I have been eating these past few weeks. I had about half of a Mahalo bar left over. This sparked my creativity. Sure, the vegan candy bar (resembling an Almond Joy, oh my gosh) was quite tasty on its own, but I knew it could do wonders in a special bowl of oats. Behold "Almond Joy" Oats:

"Almond Joy" Oats: rolled oats, oat bran, flax, coconut extract, water soaked overnight; Dark Chocolate Dreams, toasted coconut, sliced almonds, and diced up Mahalo bar.

Just this past Thursday I was invited to a vegan Thanksgiving at Earlham college (where I will be attending in the fall)! It was a great time with great people. I am sad to say that I didn't get any pictures, but the food was quite tasty: stuffing, green bean casserole, sugary yam stuff (that put me in a sugar coma but was so damn good), pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, ginger-garlic spinach, gravy, and the Pumpkin Oatmeal cookies that I made from VWAV:

Baking away in the oven.

Hot out of the oven, just waiting to be gobbled up. (Thanksgiving turkey pun intended. Yes, I am lame).

Tons of cookies!

Close up: these WONDERFALL (okay, I am done with the puns...not really =P) cookies are chocked full of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, and walnuts.

Thanks to Isa and her great cookbook, Vegan with a Vengeance, my vegan/vegetarian friends thouroughly enjoyed these cookies! I will definitely be making them again soon. They are a great use for topping pumpkin oats ;)

And, to conclude this post, I have a lovely salad that I put together the other day. Hugh Jass Mexican salads are a favorite of mine. I usually have avocado or guac in them, but I went to cut open my only avocado and found it to be poopy brown inside. :(

Hugh Jass mexicano style: spinach, kale, edamame, corn, cheddar Teese, Valentina hot sauce, TJ's Flax Veggie chips, homemade pico de gallo.

I know this was one giant of a post, but I hope to be blogging more often now that things have calmed down. I won't make any promises, but that my intention is to blog regularly. :)

PEANUT BUTTER COUPON & a potluck :)

2009-11-10T17:26:00.001-08:00

Hey bloggers! The students loved the little cupcakes for Día de los Muertos. Success! I was proud of myself. =P

Today, I went to a vegan potluck dinner at Earlham College, where I will be attending next fall(!!!). :D Oh my friggin gosh, there was so much yummy food. Guac, tofu-broc stir fry, lavendar lemon sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies, hummus, cupcakes, salsa, pastas, and more! I made Banana Split Pudding Brownies from VWAV. Delicious! I wish I would have brought my Canon. There was also going to be a guest speaker, Carol J. Adams. I didn't get to stick around to see her because I had to get home to finish writing a paper for AP Lit. & Comp. (Which I still need to get working on).

But, I am posting this before I settle down with my work because I received an email today from PB Loco. They are willing to send me two samples of their amazingggg peanut butter to review on my blog! I am EXTREMELY EXCITED! I have always wanted to review some vegan goodies on here. :) So, with that being said...you guys have a chance to get some great savings on PB Loco products...aren't you lucky? ;)

All you have to do to get free coupons is go to http://www.pbloco.com and sign up for "Free Stuff". But, for now here is a coupon for your immediate use: Spend $30 or more at Pbloco.com and receive a FREE jar of P.B.Loco Dreamy Creamy Peanut Butter. To redeem this coupon, place $30 or more of merchandise in your shopping cart at Pbloco.com. Enter coupon code BLOG1209 when you checkout. A free jar will be added to your order. Offer expires December 25, 2009.

GO NOW FOR SOME GREAT PEANUT BUTTERY SAVINGS! :)

....and there's more where this came from. Check it out. ;)

Success: Cupcakes!

2009-11-06T04:28:00.000-08:00

I am teaching about Dia de los Muertos to a Spanish 1 class today as a part of my internship for school. First, I was going to make the bread that is traditional for Day of the Dead, but I couldn't find a vegan recipe. :( So, I decided that I couldn't leave the students without a sweet treat. Hence, the cute little cupcakes that I made.
I found the recipe for the cupcakes and the buttercream frosting online. It's actually the recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I was delightfully surprised to find it online. (The way these turned out, I am definitely buying that cookbook...and the cookie one too). I made half with sprinkles and half without. The sprinkles are really cute, but I won't be eating any with them (there are tooooooo many nasty chemicals. Blech). But, the students won't mind! ;)

Not blogtastic

2009-10-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not really in the blogging mood. I have quite a bit of things to complete for school and tonight So You Think You Can Dance is on! Here are a couple pictures of some yummy meals (definitely keepers).

Udon noodles, broccoli, carrots, edamame, and Tree of Life smoked tofu. Topped with a quick peanut sauce of crunchy pb, asian chili sauce, soy sauce, and a dash of water. (I received my first VegNews magazine!)

My own VEGAN chicken parmesan. :D Whole wheat spaghetti with a breaded Boca "chicken" patty. Topped with a slice of Tofutti and covered in basil-marinara sauce and Parma!. Served with a side of steamed snap peas and roasted yellow squash.

My most beloved possessions

2009-10-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

I always love bloggers' posts where they take the blogger world inside of their refrigerators, freezers, pantries, etc. Well, I was inspired! So, today I took a few snapshots of some of my favorite goodies, all for your veggie viewing pleasure. I would have taken A LOT more, but my mom and step dad thought I was being weird. Sigh, they just don't understand my love for food. =D

Some of my gotta-have-em' condiments: (L-R) fig spread, mango peach jam, dates, homemade strawberry preserves (in the little margarine container), pure maple syrup, Annie's BBQ sauce, tomato basil pasta sauce.

(Starting from the back going to the right) Pumpkin pie puree, tofu cubes, butternut squash (in large container with green lid), my dad's homemade seitan (on top of b-nut squash), bbq pulled "pork" (on top of seitan), zucchini slices, coconut shreds, Ezequiel sprouted tortillas (underneath), Rudy's Bakery spelt English muffins, Ezequiel sprouted grain bread, sprouted bagels (all the way in the back corner).

(Back to front): Roasted red pepper hummus, garlic hummus, Earth Balance spread, Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, Whole Soy & Co. yogurts, tempeh, smoked tofu, House tofu, Parma!, peanut crumbles (in the little white container), banana peanut butter (in the green container), dark chocolate square, and my "cheeses" - Tofutti mozzerella slices, cheddar and mozzerella Veganrella, cheddar Teese.

Now, here are some of my oat toppings that I like to use:
True North Nut Clusters, Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds, Organic oreo-like cookies, Honest granola bar, Justin's cinnamon pb and maple ab, Barney Butter (they sent me two of these little boogers as samples!!! I LOVE THEM!), vegan almond joy bar, Jocolat hazelnut Larabar, almond butter snacker thingy.
Oh, and there are lots more oat/cereal/ice cream toppings where these came from. :D

And, my collection of bars. Yes, I am a bit obsessive and yes, I do like variety. So, sue me. :D

You can pretty much see what's in there. But, I love my Cliffs, Larabars (especially the pb&j and the pb cookie!), Lunas, Pb Z-Bar, some Dark Chocolate, mmmm, and I think there is a random Prana bar and an Odwalla almond bar in there too. Whenever I go to the store I usually end up with one more to add to my collection. I need to get to eating these, pronto!

Well, bloggies, I hope you enjoyed a look into what I have in my kitchen. It was quite fun to look like a freak taking pictures of inside the refrigerator. I will be sure to do it again sometime. :)

Much to catch up :D

2009-10-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's the scoop: I have SO many photos that I want to show you guys, so I am just going to post them on here with minimal commentary (if that's possible!). I will tell you now, though, these meals were pretty spectacular according to my taste buds.

(I REALLY like this photo for some reason). Fruit&Nut bagel, toasted. 1/2 spread with Tofutti BTCC & apricot butter. 1/4 spread with crunchy pb & blackberry jam. 1/4 spread with raw cashew butter & fig spread. Side of straws&bannas. Oh, and oj. Breakfast = love at first sight.

Leftover tofu scramble and fauxsage gravy topped with avocado and hot sauce. Toasted pita.

My own museli: oats, oat bran, kamut, cinnamon, dried crans & pumpkin seeds, grapes, chopped fuji, and flax soaked in Soy Vanilla Chai & H20. Topped with coconut, melty banana, and almond butter.
All mixed up. Best. Bowl. I. Have. EVER. Had.

Lackluster of a dinner: pita pizza (tomato-basil sauce with added garlic, zukes, squash, spinach, Veganrella, and fauxsage), carrots&celery with red pepper hummus, & bagel chips.

1st pumpkin oats, ever! Oats, oat bran, flax, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg (all soaked in water), pumpkin pie filling, más pecans, vegan choc. chips, almond butterrr. This bowl is a new love of mine.

Pita stuffed with more leftover tofu scramble, tomato, spinach, & avocado. Side of b-nut fries with, of course, ketchup!

I made VeggieGirl's B-nut-Banana-Pecan Bread! And, so of course, I had to recreate this amazing...

bowl of oats by Shelby! Oats, oat bran, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flax soaked overnight in Soy Vanilla Chai. Topped with coconut, banana, and B-nut-Banana-Pecan bread! You are so creative, Shelby! Three (if I had that many) thumbs up! :D

Back to Business

2009-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

My new keyboard is here, up and running. YOO HOO! Now, I can get back to emailing, Facebooking, and of course, blogging. :) First of all, I want to thank those of you who left lovely comments despite the lack of words with my last blog post. It was painful not to be able to add little captions, but I am glad that it all worked out. A picture can say a thousand words. (Isn't that a phrase, or something of the sort?)

Well, food bloggies out there, Friday I had a bangin' bowl of oats. It was an orgasm in my mouth, actually. Low and behold, Peanut Butter Banana and Jelly Oats.

What's in this magnificence you ask?

Multi-grain oats, oat bran, and ground flax (soaked in water overnight).
1/2 melted banana stirred in (Chocolate-Covered Katie!)
1/2 chopped banana atop
spoonful of blackberry jelly
melty spoonful of Earth Balance crunhcy PB
Sahale PB&J Almonds (go. buy them. now.)
sprinkling of peanut crumble*

*I made this tasty topping myself by grinding peanuts in a coffee grinder until they formed a crumble-like consistency. Clever, eh? Well, I thought so.

And here are a couple more photos. My lunch and dinner, or dare I say breakfast?

Bible Bread pita pocket filled with garlic hummus, avocado, spinach, and roasted red peppers. Alongside a bowl of Whole Soy & Co. Peach soy yogurt topped with strawberries and Cascadian Farm Dark Chocolate Almond Granola. This flavor of soygurt really blew me away. I was hesitant to try it at first, but I am so glad I did!

Breakfast, er, dinner of a champion. Here we have my blah and quickie version of the tofu scramble from VWAV. For the veggies I used asparagus and broccoli. I think I used too much turmeric because it tasted really mustardy. So, I generously topped it with salsa. Next time, I will make sure to measure the ingredients. ;) Along with the scramble I made a quick fauxsage gravy on top of some Ezequiel toast. The gravy recipe went like this:

1/2 cup almond milk
faux sausage (I used Lightlife)
spices: garlic, pepper, onion
2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

All you do is stir it all together on the stove until it thickens. Yum! I also had another piece of Eze. toast spread with blackberry jam. This wasn't the best meal, but I know that the next time I make it, it will be better. :)

broken keyboard = photos

2009-10-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

i spilled water all over my mac keyboard, so until i receive the new one in the mail i have to resort to using keyboard viewer. in other words, i have to click each character with my mouse and i can't capitalize or use certain punctuation that involves the shift key. ughhh, it's a big pain in the booty. so this post will be only photos. if you have any comments/questions please feel free to submit them...i'll get back to them and all of your blogs asap.

Dinner and a Dessert

2009-10-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've not been in the blogging mood lately, my apologies. The Argentine exchange students left, the weather is puny, and I am grounded for a month. :(

But, here's a couple of foodie pictures for some viewing pleasure.

Whole wheat spaghetti with garlic tomato basil sauce, spinach, and topped with Parma!. Alongside of the noods are baked zukes, breaded eggplant, and some really freaking good fresh whole grain bread.
Talk about a carb-filled overload, but I enjoyed every bit of it. :)

A scoop of Soy Delicious Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Mocha Almond Fudge and a scoop of Tofutti Chocolate Chip Cookie. I placed these balls of yumminess on top of some pieces of Alternative Baking Co. cookies (Snickerdoodle and Coconut Macaroon). And...everything is topped with toasted coconut and TJ's peanut butter filled pretzels.
OMFG was this amazing or what?

I don't know what to do. HELP!

2009-09-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

Hey bloggers,

I am in sort of a crisis. Well, not really, yet...but by June I will be if I don't get some advice. You see, I am going to be traveling to Argentina for a two month long stay. I will be living with a girl whom I am hosting now and I will also be staying with her family part of the time while she is at the university. While I am with her I will be living in Buenos Aires and while I am with her family I will be living in Venado Tuerto (a town about 4 hours away from BA with a population of about 70,000). My dilemna is the fact that I am a vegan going to stay in the meat capital of the world for two whole months! I have NO idea what to do.

At first I thought it was possible. I have a friend who is vegan that stayed in Argentina for a month and did fine! But, my mother is worried and so is the teacher in Argentina. They don't want it to be a hassle for my host family. (Although, my host family is quite healthy and my host sister [Mili] said that they could probably help with my needs, she just needs to talk to them a bit more about it). I know that I could bring along some non-dairy milks, flax, and tofu. And, they have soy milk, some soy products, and lots of fruits and vegetables in Argentina. I am sure that I could manage. I just don't want to be a bother.

However, I don't think I could go back to being an omnivore...or even a vegetarian for that matter. :/ I am too determined to keep this lifestyle. I love it and I don't want to give up or not try my hardest to support what I believe because of the doubts of others. I am also afraid that if I do go back to being vegetarian that a.) My mother will not allow me to return to veganism once I return (but, I will be 18...soooo haha) b.) My body will reject the animal products or not work well with them and I will get sick.

I've researched restaurants in Argentina and there are many that are veg-friendly, but I do realize that I won't be eating out all of the time while I am there. Please, if anyone has ANY suggestions, tell me. I need some real help on this one. I am worried, because I want to stick with my values, but I also want to spend 2 wonderful months in a country I love so much and with people who I love so much.

Thanks and I really appreciate it. :)

Breakfast: the most important meal of the day.

2009-09-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

Plain and simple: I love breakfast. I mean, I REALLY love breakfast. If I could, I would eat it for every meal of every day. Cereal is om nom nom and bagels are a treasure to me. Pancakes, waffles, and french toast are scrum-diddly-umptious. Breakfast = amazingness.

My breakfast one day last week: Museli soaked overnight with flax and chia seeds. Added bananas and blueberries in the morning. Ate it with half of a toasted Harvest Fruit bagel spread with Tofutti and apricot jam. Orange juice to drink of course. :)

CHICAGO!

2009-09-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to Chicago with some of my family and the two Argentine girls I am hosting. It was my first trip to the "windy city" and it was fantastic! But, I wish I could have stayed longer and visited more areas and vegan eateries. However, I did get to eat some wonderful dishes and I even had the privilege to eat at The Chicago Diner! I was in heaven, seriously, I thought I was going to cry of joy. It was my first time eating at an all-vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Of course, I ate as much as my stomach would allow and I even bought the diner's tshirt and cookbook! I can't wait to try out some of the recipes.

Without further ado, here are some pictures from my Chicago adventure...

Dining at FoodLife, an amazing food court that featured many different choices. I had a chopped salad with tofu and many more veggies along with cilantro lime dressing and a spurlina mango smoothie.

The AMAZING Chicago Diner! I ate the Raw Nachos (best thing ever!), Peanut Butter Cookie Dough shake, and I brought the Cookies and Cream cake in a box with me for later. ;) My favorite was the shake!

While at Whole Foods, on my way home from Chitown, I found that they carried the diner's Carrot Cake...of course I had to buy it! It was good, but nothing compared to the shake!

They are here!

2009-09-04T04:05:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be happier to see my friends after a year and a half. I love these people! :)

Food is love.

2009-08-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went to Jungle Jim's with my dad and had the best time! It was a great day with my dad, shopping for groceries (always fun!), and singing along to music in the car. It was one of the best days I have had in a while. :)

I bought me some really cool stuffs at JJ's. =P I'll be sure to inform you guys of the newbies in the pantry/fridge/cabinets once I use them. ;)

Here is my lunch from a few days ago. This sandwich is love, purely love.

Hummus, guac, roasted red pepper, cuke, and spinach all on sundried tomato basil bread. Alongside is a bowl of Whole Soy & Co. yogurt with berries and granolaaaa.

Currently my favorite nighttime snack. I bought the toasted coconut at Jungle Jim's. =D

Wheetabix, Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Squares, bananner, Rice Dream, a drizzle of White Chocolate Wonderful (pb at it's finest), and toasted coconut. I cannot get enough of this stuff!

Mediterranean style. My lunch yesterday:

Stuffed grape leaves, chickpea salad (JJ's), steamed squash, my homemade hummus (still need to find a good homemade recipe. mine just aren't cutting it), and whole wheat pita.

Last night's dinner had two of my favorite things: sweet potato fries and zucchini/yellow squash. My mother said that my hands and elbows are turning orange due to all the beta-carotene foods that I eat. So the question is: to eat, or not to eat them? Uhhh, duh...eat them! There's no way I could stop eating sweet potatos, oranges, carrots, or anything else orange that I can get my hands on.

Along with the sp fries and squash I had a Morning Star BBQ Riblet. I do suggest trying these.

Well, tomorrow the Argentines arrive at my school. I am more than excited...more like ecstatic! I have been waiting for this moment since I left Argentina last summer. With this in mind, I will probably not be posting a lot during September. I will try to update and keep in touch with other blogs as much as I can. Maybe I will post some pictures of their stay, not just my eats. ;)

4 Days Until...

2009-08-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

MY ARGENTINE EXCHANGE STUDENTS ARRIVE HERE! I am veryyyyy excited to be hosting two Argentine girls (whom I became friends with when I went to Argentina last summer). My school has an exchange with a school there and every other year they come for the month of September. So, the month of September blogging will be quite choppy. I will definitely try to post some pictures of the group's stay, as it is one of the most exciting times of my life. This exchange means so much to me and has opened so many doors to my life and future. Through these friendships, I have discovered what I want to do with my life and that is to teach English in Argentina one day. :)

Well, here are some random eats...
I tried the Cherry Pie LaraBar! Very, very cheery! I don't know if I like all of that cherriness, haha. But, nonetheless, it was quite tasty. Today I had the Key Lime Pie flavor and I prefer it much better. I loved the coconut shreds. This is weird, but it sort of tasted like a yeast roll at one point...I know REALLY weird. I think it was the mix of coconut and lime. You put the lime in the coconut and you....get yeast! =P

A nightime cereal mess consisting of Wheetabix!!! (love this stuff), Kashi Cinnamon Harvest shredded wheat, frozen banana, almond butter, some chocolate icing stuff I made a while back, and Vanilla Hazelnut Rice Dream. Mmm, I am getting hungry just writing about this...another cereal mix tonight, maybe? :)

Dinner last night: Gardenburger Grilled Chikn patty on TJ's Whole Wheat English muffin topped with kale, brown mustard, pickles, and roasted red peppers. Served with a side of sp fries with ketchup and sugar snap peas.

Tonight's dinner: whole wheat & flax spaghetti with an olive oil, tomato, and basil sauce and Nate's Meatless Meatballs, also some Parma!. A slice of toasted sundried tomato basil bread. Some roasted zukes and squash.

Have a great evening and woo hoo!...tomorrow is Friday! :D

Some Damn Good Eats!

2009-08-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Excuse the language, but I couldn't resist. These past few days of eating have been beyond splendid. :)

Sunday's lunch: sun-dried tom. hummus, spinach, roasted zuke, roasted red pepper all on tomato basil bread. Served with a bowl of Whole Soy & Co. strawberry yogurt - granola and berries.

Some more homemade hummus, thanks to Veganomicon. I can't wait to try more recipes from this beauty of a cookbook.

Sunday's dinner: It's All Good Tuscan Chikn Breast. Roasted zuke & broccoli. Sweet potato fries, of course. ;)

This morning's breakfast: my first ever Museli (I've fallen in love) with banana and bloobs. :D I also had a cinnamon roll that I made a while back (t'was in the freezer) and topped it with pbu. Yummm. This museli is great for the warmer months and once it gets cooler I can even heat it up for something warming and satisfying.

GROCERY TIME! Krogers :)
It's not as great as Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but it's as close as it gets where I live. Sigh. :(

Dear Prudence...

2009-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

...won't you come out to play? Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day. The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you. Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?

Oh, how I love that song. It's from "Across the Universe". I listen to it every day. Seriously, it is like a ritual, only because the lyrics are so beautiful and they make me feel happy. I wish my name was Prudence. :)

I have a random assortment of photos to show you all. I need to get into a habit of blogging each day so that way I don't overwhelm you with tons and tons of photos.

Like I promised, here a couple of the bagels that I made the other day.

Dark chocolate chip with Tofutti and strawberry preserves. Wheat with almond butter and bananners. And a bowl of berries & mmm mango. ;)

Brown sugar-cinnamon with Tofutti and more brown sugar and cinnamon. Whole Soy & Co. blueberry yogurt with berries and granola.

My conclusion on the homemade bagels: good, but not the best. Too small. Sort of dense. I'll try it again, maybe with more dough leavening time or a different recipe. I am not going to give up! :)

My lunch today consisted of an Asian-inspired salad, two Archer Farms spring rolls, and a slice of Carob-Banana bread. (This stuff is to die for, seriously...try VeggieGirl's recipe, now!)

Spinach, shitake mushrooms, Wildwood baked terriyaki tofu, mung bean sprouts, carrots, and Newman's Sesame Ginger dressing.

My dinner tonight was a classic, easy fix. TJ's soy nuggets, baked zucchini, and sweet potato fries...which I made this time! Talk about a taste-bud explosion...I dipped the nuggies in Annie's Original BBQ sauce. That stuff is extremely spicey! I think I will try the maple next time for a sweeter taste.

Organic ketchup for sweet potato dipping, claro que.

And just for your viewing pleasure I am posting this photo from last week...

(Disregard the cleaning supplies) My mom found a pair of her old jeans from about 25+ years ago! High wasted, pegged leg, acidy wash denim. Guess who's they are now? :)

I am a proud Vegan!

2009-08-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did spell the oh-so fantastic v-word with a capital "V"...because it deserves it! I am proud to say that I am a Vegan. I am not only caring for my own body, but also for the bodies of every other species out there. Since making this lifestyle change, I have discovered so much about myself and others. I have a better sense of body image, a healthier outlook on life, and a much more positive attitude. Not to mention, my love for cooking and baking has grown immensely, which brings us to the yumminess of today's post. :)

I was in a baking mood today, so I decided to make some Carob-Banana Bread courtesy of VeggieGirl!

It came out of the pan very easily...I was impressed. I haven't tried it yet, but when I do, I will definitely let you know how it is! If it is delectable (of course it will be...it's from VeggieGirl!) my sister will be buying half of the loaf from me. She has requested for me to cook/bake some vegan eats & treats and she would pay me for them! What a great way to spread the vegan love and make a little extra cash for a near-future travel to Argentina. :)

I have always wanted to make my own bagels. Well, since I was in the baking mood today, bagels were right up my alley. They are baking in the oven at this moment, so I will have to show you the finished product and review next time. :)

Floating...
Brown sugar & cinnamon, carob chip, and granola: all prepped for the oven.

I can't wait to try one of these. Hopefully they turn out alright! Now, here are some more photos of eats from yesterday and this morning...

Yesterday's breakfast: Apple pie oats (oat bran, applesauce, cinnamon, brown sugar, diced apple, pecans) with almond butter and a splash of vanilla soy.

Cold Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce & Seiten from VWAV. I used some Wild Wood pre-cooked tofu instead of the seiten and I used some of my own peanut sauce that I had in the freezer. I promise there are noodles, tofu, and peanut sauce in there...
See? Told you. :) (The peanut sauce is sort of lightish brown...hard to spot)
Today's breakfast: Sprouted bagel. One side with almond butter and apple slices. Other side with Pbu, homemade strawberry preserves, and banana. I also had half of a grapfruit and some Simply Orange Juice that is made with mango. Yum! :)

Almond butter distaster and my (food) love life.

2009-08-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to make homemade almond butter and I ended up with this:

So not almond butter. More like powdery paste.

I think I may have found the problemo: a.) the almonds were old. b.) my food processor is a piece of poo. or c.) i just fail at making almond butter! I blame it on the food processor. First thing on my Christmas list is a Kitchen-Aid food processor 7 cup minimum. I think this junkie is about 1 cup? Ha. Got any suggestions?

Here are a mishmash of eats I have been well...eating these past few days. Enjoy and don't forget to salivate. ;)

PB Puffins = sent from the Gods. I love eggplant, especially with saucy noodles, yum. Good ole' veggie burger hits the spot. And those sweet potato fries....wowwww. Soygurt with granola and mango, aka tropical paradise. FRENCH TOAST: enough said. Soy nuggies and the last of my oh so sweet sweet potato fries (tear). First ever wafflewich. I am proud. Hugh Jass salad sexi mexi style and rutabaga fries (woo Shelby)! Oh, and tomorrow's lunch inspired by Vegan Lunch Box. Oh, it is love.

Here's the excited face:
Yes, I do have bottom teeth. Do not worry. ;)