LJ's Veganlicious Life

Goodbye. Hello.

2011-06-09T20:08:00.000-04:00

After two years of writing LJ's Veganlicious Life, it's time for a new adventure! I have loved every minute of writing this blog. I've learned about myself and I've grown so much as a vegan, as a writer, as a social-media user, as a cook, and well, as an eater.

My new site, It's Veganlicious (please add it to your reader), will have a similar whimsical feel, but it will be more focused and posts will be more consistent. Also, here's a little tech talk, it was time for me to switch to Wordpress, which will give me more control (Virgos like control) and more room to grow (long term goal: create a Vegan Non-Profit).

Wow. As excited as I am that all of the hard work I've been doing to create It's Veganlicious is finally ready to share, this moment is actually kind of sad for me. I didn't expect to feel that. I'm just really proud of the person I've become while writing this blog. I'm LJ. I like being LJ.

So thank you. Thank you for following, reading, commenting (or not commenting). Thank you for encouraging me, validating me, inspiring me. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with you on our next adventure.

It's been a joy.

It will be a joy.

xoxo,
LJ

An American Vegan in China Part II: The Ship

2011-05-28T18:01:00.003-04:00

Ohh, the ship. Though we saw really epic sites (Terra Cotta Soldiers, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City) later, the 5-day cruise down the Yangtze was my favorite part of the trip. First of all, it was the most relaxing part--one excursion each day, followed by delicious napping or journaling or relaxing on the deck or on my private balcony in a bathrobe and slippers. Secondly, we drank copious amounts of wine. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, I had a classically trained chef actually willing to go out of his way to cater to my vegan needs.

1st night on the cruise. Sauteed Greens & Tomato Sauce

Soy Milk! Breakfast was super easy every day!

Sammich. Chef is German. I'm American. Cute.

1st Chinese night on board. Yummeh Tofu & Noodles!

More Yummeh Tofu, Rice, & Veggies

There's pear in that little roll. Yummm

Vanilla Soy Pudding, Pineapple, and Raspberry Sauce. I found
out later he did some googling to create this special pudding for me.

Veggies & Pasta! (Chef owns an Italian restaurant in Hamburg)

That's a Rice Ball. SO delish!

Life-Changing Risotto. I had seconds.

Ooooh, little pancakes for dessert!

Ratatouille and Polenta. Spicy Goodness!

OMG, this veggie soup was loaded with Chickpeas.

Last night on the cruise. :( Hand-tied pockets of fried
tofu goodness w/ veggies, woodear mushrooms (my
obsession), and peanuts. Out of control YUM!

Saying goodbye to my Chef. <3

Funny that when the cruise ended, so did my food porn pictures....

xoxo,
LJ

An American Vegan in China Part I: Shanghai

2011-05-28T17:29:00.002-04:00

I took 40 Larabars with me to China (I came home with 10--I shared w/ Jill and Katelyn). I also took all of my usual vitamins, plus more probiotics than usual, and fiber (thank you, Ali, for the advice), as well as chocolate flavored greens powder that I mixed with bottled water every morning (we were advised to not drink the water or to boil it first...even to not brush our teeth with it, but by day 3, I was brushing my teeth with tap water with reckless abandon, but still rinsing with bottled). Being vegan, as well as taking care of myself (except for living on the edge with the tooth brushing), I was the only one who left China without experiencing ANY kind of tummy upset. #veganawesomedance

Here are some highlights. Enjoy the Yum.

1st night in Shanghai. Without my tour guide, Jessie, I used
the Veggie Passport iPhone app to get what I wanted.
Otherwise, this would have had oyster sauce (ew).

Sadly, I didn't have time to eat here on our whirlwind Shanghai
tour, but it still made me super happy to pose in front of it!

Mongolian Grill. Cooking my meal with giant chopsticks on a
grill that had just had meat on it. A lesson in letting go...kinda.

Mongolian Grill Yumminess. No meat on THIS plate!

Veggie Dumpling and some kind of bready goodness

Noodles and Veggies prepared special for Meeee!

Bonus points if you know what movies the post title is referencing!

xoxo,
LJ

A Big Meanie I Met in China

2011-05-27T22:37:00.002-04:00

I really want to blog about the epic journey that was China for me. Life-changing in so many ways for me to get out of my comfort zone and see more of the world, but really hard to find the words (stop laughing...even I get speechless every now and then!). For now, let me just say that I have caught the travel bug big time, and my next trip will be to Europe probably next spring.

I wrote the following in my journal on 17 May, mostly as a vent, but I still want to share, because if anyone understands what I was feeling at this moment, it's my blog readers (some edits to the original journal include after-the-fact commentary and far less rambling ranting and swearing):

Boat Tour of Lesser 3 Gorges
Scene of the Following Incident
(Which did NOT spoil the beauty of the Gorges)

Today I was approached by a cowboy named Dallas from Denver. You may already know where this is going, but I got context later from another passenger to share now: apparently, Dallas from Denver is a Factory Farmer with 16,000 cattle.

He approached me (repeatedly, multiple times throughout the trip after this first interaction) with one purpose: try to antagonize the Vegan. He told me I looked anemic and pale (pale, yeah, pale, the girl w/ the deep Florida tan is pale). I informed him that according to my doctor I'm not anywhere near anemic and that my cholesterol levels are rockin' and, as nicely as I could, I told him that he obviously knows nothing about nutrition.

He of course claimed that he knows everything about both human and animal nutrition, to which I wondered silently why he's feeding corn, hormones, and antibiotics to his cows.

Yes, wondered silently. I knew that it would be beyond useless to engage in a dialogue (read: impassioned argument) with this man, because there was no way he would even pretend to hear what I had to say.

So I took the high road and walked away.

But inside I was RAGING! SHAKING with rage, even!

But then when I finally sat down to write and let go of the rage, I realized WHY he approached me and I had to laugh. Fear. This fucker is SCARED of the VEGANS. And he should be. Because we've got truth and everything that is RIGHT for animals, the environment, and health on our side. And our voices are being heard. And we're strong!

That's right, you factory-farming, torturing, murdering fuck in your "#1 Grandpa" hat. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

China Photos Posted to Flickr

2011-05-26T15:21:00.001-04:00

Hi Bloggie friends!

I have mixed feelings about being back. Happy to be home, but missing my Jill and my Katelyn, missing China itself, and missing someone special I met there. I have a few blog posts brewing in this little head of mine, but for now, you can enjoy the photos on Flickr. Feel free to comment there, as well.

xoxo,
LJ

The Night Before China

2011-05-11T00:31:00.002-04:00

So it's 11:49 pm. I'm probably not going to sleep tonight, maybe two hours, maybe not. Tomorrow morning, I embark on a really big journey. I'm going to China. Me. Laura Jill. The homebody Virgo who loves her comfort zone. I've never been a world traveler. But tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for China.

Tonight I'm feeling really sentimental. And really jittery. But I'm talking to people I really care about (damn, I love twitter), and I'm smiling a lot...right now, in fact. I'm all packed (packed on Sunday, repacked on Monday), and it's as freakishly organized as you would expect (ask Jason, I showed him all my bags, lol).

This trip is going to challenge me in many ways. And be good for me in many ways. I have no idea what to expect. And I'm strangely at peace with that.

(I'm having a hard time writing this post. So much going through my mind.)

I'm really looking forward to spending this time with Jill (my stepmom, isn't it cool that her first name is my middle name?!) and Katelyn (my step-sister in name only, she's my seester!). I cannot wait to see them tomorrow morning when we meet up at O'Hare. That is the moment when this is finally going to seem real. I'll probably cry, because yeah, I'm like that. I got teary tonight when Mom wished me a "Fly Carefully."

I know I'll be journaling a lot while in China (thanks, Kenda, for my NEST journal!). If I have access, I'll blog and/or post pictures to Flickr. If not, I won't.

See you on the other side!

xoxo,
LJ

Review of BunnieCakes in Miami

2011-05-07T02:04:00.010-04:00

It's a BUNNIECAKES Day!!!

Vegan, GF, Organic Cupcakes in a Big Pink Box? Yes please.

Mine, mine, ALL mine! (Well, I gave ONE to my neighbor.)

I've been counting down all day long until I would have The Best Vegan/Gluten Free/Organic Cupcakes in all of Miami in my belly, and now they're finally here! I've eaten three (so far) and I created my very first vlog, extolling the many virtues of the BunnieCakes (Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Key Lime) Cupcakes. Enjoy!

For more information and to find out where in Miami-Dade (and even all the way up in Boca) you can get BunnieCakes, check out Mari's website (www.bunniecakes.com), Facebook Fan Page, or follow @MARIBUNNIECAKES on Twitter. She does do special orders, and she will personalize for you. And very soon, she'll even start shipping nationally! YAY!

Local Miami Businesses: Are YOU as vegan friendly as BunnieCakes? Would you like to be profiled on my blog? Please contact me. I'd love to have you!

xoxo,

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers..."

2011-05-04T19:39:00.000-04:00

Nothing like a film quotation taken completely out of context to be the title of a blog post....

I had a little adventure yesterday. I had to go to Whole Foods because I wanted a quick bike ride and some fresh air, I'd run out of kale (a collective vegan gasp! heard 'round the world), and I like it when the WF salad bar has already done all the chopping for me. ;)

Let me put it in context for you:

Whole Foods = not far, maybe 1/2 mile tops, less than 5 min bike ride.

Somewhere on Michigan, between 9th & 10th, my bike just felt weird. I paused, checked it out, couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then I was on 10th, headed toward Alton when the light changed. It's a long light and I really wanted to make it (I'm workin' hard on that patience!), so I pedaled like crazy and my BIKE CHAIN POPPED COMPLETELY OFF...you know, when I was going FAST...toward a BUSY INTERSECTION. (My flip flops were my brakes--catastrophe averted.)

So I'm on the corner of 10th & Alton trying to get the chain back on. This is not a task I enjoy nor am I good at it. It makes my hands dirty, for one (I may be a dirty hippie, but I have clean hands!). And also, I just haven't learned proper bike maintenance (please, how much maintenance does a beach cruiser really need (don't answer that)--that's why I pay the guys at Fritz's). But in this moment, I'm really trying. People walk past me as if I'm invisible, and finally, one man makes eye contact. And he stops to help. And together, we get the chain back on. I thank him, and we go our separate ways. The rest of the trip to Whole Foods, then home, is uneventful.

But it gave me hope. One stranger stopping on the street to help another. It changed my whole day, gave me hope, and later I paid it forward to a girl crying in the park.

What gives you hope, bloggie friends? When was the last time you witnessed/received/gave a random act of kindness?

xoxo,
LJ

A Healthy Green Smoothie Full of Chocolatey Goodness!

2011-05-01T13:48:00.001-04:00

The following smoothie recipe is based on Vegan Epicurean's chocolate-banana softserve, something I discovered over a year ago, and make more often than I should.

The thing with softserve is that I can't really include a lot of ingredients, because the blending time has to be really quick to prevent a lot of Vitamix meltiness. So why not make a smoothie instead? Same great taste AND even more nutrition? Healthy AND chocolatey? Good for me AND satisfies my sweet tooth? Yes please.

Look! There's more left in the Vitamix! I'm so lucky!

Ingredients
3 leaves kale
2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup almonds
1 date
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp maca powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 c almond milk

Process
Put it in your Vitamix (or other superhero blender), blend, blend, blend, and enjoy!

I'm going to keep playing with upping the veggie content on this one, but it was super delicious just like this, and didn't have me feeling guilty for indulging afterward.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
LJ

Vegan Tattooing (with a little Thankful Thursday too!)

2011-04-28T10:47:00.004-04:00

Well, my friends, I think I just got what is probably my last tattoo. I feel like my artwork is complete. First of all, I have symmetry now (my tattoos: mid back from neck to base of spine, left ankle-right foot, left belly-right bootie, left wrist-right wrist, and now finally, left upper arm-right upper arm), and as a Virgo with a "mild" case of OCD, this matters to me. A lot. Secondly, I love this tattoo so much that all of my other tattoos are jealous of it. It's so perfect, so me, that I don't think I can do anything to top it. Ever. (I'm sure that this pleases my parentals.)

A Few General Words of Advice Before I Go On

It's really important to find a tattoo artist who you vibe with. If you're not already working with an artist, talk to a few about what you want. Look at their portfolios and talk to them, make sure their style is what you're looking for and that they "get" what you want.
Get estimates--if they lowball you, you're probably going to get crappy work--a tattoo is forever, it's worth it to pay more for quality.
Check out the studio--are the walls covered in cheap flash geared towards tourists (like SO many places on Washington Ave in South Beach)? Avoid it. Is the place clean?
And finally, don't be impulsive. Again, a tattoo is forever, so think it through. (When I was 21, I got an impulsive tattoo...5 years later, I had it removed and was left with a really weird scar, which I finally got covered up about 3 years ago. Now, this tattoo was in the planning for more than 6 months before I finally did it.)

Vegan Inks and Aftercare

I've been vegan for over 2 years, and I'm obviously pretty passionate about it. Many brands of tattoo inks contain glycerin (ew), and a lot of black inks are made with bone char (more ew). So I did some research. The following inks are vegan:

Pelikan (black)
Waverly (colors)
Unique (Permapro) (colors)
Starbrite (not black)
Stable
Eternal
Classic

Take this list with you to your artist--most of them use these brands (Starbrite is apparently really popular, and the colors are PHENOMENAL!). Also, for aftercare, Dr. Bronner's soaps (not the tea tree) are great for keeping your work clean as it heals, and After Inked is an incredible tattoo moisturizer which is not greasy or sticky and is Vegan/Cruelty Free.

The Last Tattoo

So I knew I wanted something to celebrate my veganism, that it had to be on my left arm (for balance and symmetry, see above, LOL), that I wanted a lot of color (most of my work is very colorful), and that it was definitely going to be whimsical.

So a few months ago, I contacted Michelle, the fabulously and adorably whimsical vegan artist behind My Zoetrope. I gave her a list of my favorite fruit and veggie friends, and she sent me this:

How freaking cute are they? Misters Mushroom, Asparagus, &
Blackberry didn't make the final cut, but I still heart them!

Then last week, I took that image and the above list of inks, and consulted with tattoo artists up and down Washington Ave. Luciana at First Class Tattoo (1241 Washington Ave in South Beach) was the second one I met. I met with a few more just to be sure, but I knew she was the one, based on all of my above criteria. I scheduled my appointment for the very next day. The world Luciana created for my Fruit & Veggie Dance Party already had me SMSing images to my friends and squeeing and giggling with delight:

Squee! Giggle!

Every time we took a break that night and I looked in the mirror, there was more squeeing and giggling. Not only did I enjoy the experience, but Luciana did too, and she took photos for her portfolio, which really meant a lot much to me. Here are a few photos she took that night to get a feel for the tattoo as a whole:

Five hours later...that was a long night!

And this last shot was taken by my friend Ari the next day: it's my current twitter profile pic:

Smiling at Them, Smiling at Me

I hope this is helpful for vegans, and anyone, interested in the art of tattooing. I am filled with gratitude for both Michelle and Luciana for helping me to create such an amazing piece of art that seems to fill a lot of people with a lot of joy (I get stopped at least once a day (usually more) by someone smiling at my Friends). I'll leave you with their theme song (yes, of course, my Fruit & Veggie Dance Party has a theme song, how could it not?!)

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2011-04-21T21:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday Bloggie Friends! For one thing, I'm thankful that tomorrow is Friday! I've been having a hard time adjusting to being back in the classroom--each time I feel like I have a system in place, it somehow doesn't work for me. I have a new plan for next week that I think is going to be more positive, so I'm excited about that. Oh, and I'm thankful for my new boss, Linda, for all of her patience and support. She's made this period of transition a lot easier for me.

Today, I'm also super thankful for my tweeps, especially my vegan tweeps, since I seem to spend most of my time with them. Twitter is like a family, I love it! I can't even begin to list everyone here, but you're all as important to me as my "real life" friends, and I know that you all know who you are. :)

I'm especially thankful for Ali (Vegan Epicurean), not only for her amazing nutrition advice/feedback/holding me accountable, but more importantly, for her amazing friendship.

And, as always, I'm thankful for my besties, Kristi and Kenda. These two girls...wow, I am so freaking blessed. No judgment from them, ever, no matter what shenanigans I'm up to.

Swoon!

And finally, I'm thankful for Special Agent Dale Cooper: "Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it; don't wait for it; just let it happen. It could be a new shirt in a men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black, coffee."

And you, bloggie friends? What (or who) are you grateful for today?

xoxo,
LJ

Smoothies taste better...

2011-04-20T12:17:00.000-04:00

...out of Glass Dharma straws.

I seriously love these straws. I also love my special smoothie glass, but that's not what I'm talking about right now (I think I bought it at Ross). Seriously. This is a win-win-win. They're cute (love the dots that keep them from rolling away), environmentally friendly (reusable, washable), and they come with widths wide enough to accomodate thick smoothies.

I should probably talk about my smoothies, I have them for breakfast every day, and sometimes even for brinner! Here's what they usually consist of:

Greens (kale, spinach, romaine...whatever I have in the house)
Other veg (carrot, broccoli, beet, again, whatever I have)
Fruit (always 1/2 banana and 1/2 apple, and sometimes blueberries...I keep these frozen)
Nutritional Boosts (greens powder, flaxseeds, maca powder)
Almonds (always, always, always: Ali from Vegan Epicurean taught me that they increase serotonin, which makes you happy, and as someone who suffered from clinical depression for a lot of years but has decided to live medication free, I gotta have my almonds!)
A Date (just one for a little more sweet)
Liquid (equal parts almond milk and water)

So. Go drink a smoothie, lovies! Out of a Glass Dharma straw--I promise, you'll love it! Enjoy!

xoxo,

P.S. Glass Dharma did not solicit this review: I bought them because I wanted them and I love them because I love them.

Thankful Thursday

2011-04-14T19:32:00.000-04:00

I'm keeping my promise to blog more consistently (this week). First of all, I'm super thankful for YOU, my readers, for sticking with me even when I disappear. I was going through some stressful changes, both personally and professionally, but everything seems to be falling into place now, so here I am!

As many of you may remember, a little less than a month from now, I'm heading to China! Since my role at work changed, I now needed to find people to cover me while I'm away...for two weeks! How would I get anyone to help out with my grading and take my phone calls for 14 days...including weekends?! I was in a panic.

Let me just say that I had no reason to worry. The English II team at Florida Virtual School is so amazing. Within an hour of asking, I had my entire two weeks covered. So HUGE THANK YOU to the following amazing English II teachers:

Susan S.
Stacey K.
Angela B.
Michele N.
Sharon P.
Charlotte B.
Teri R.
Courtney P.
Kathryn C.

I am so blessed to work with such amazing people.You will all be getting either gifties from China, or yummy vegan baked goods from "Cafe Laura," or both, when I see you in September for Staff Conference! And you all have a free place to stay whenever you visit Miami Beach.

xoxo,
LJ

Holy Crap! I haven't blogged in a MONTH!

2011-04-10T16:16:00.000-04:00

Wow. Sorry, dear readers. I've been busy. Like really busy. I had a few bad weeks, my role changed at work again, and I seem to be in a state of constantly adjusting to my circumstances (the only constant in life, is, after all, change). I've also been working on a big project that's taken me away from my blog...more on that later.

However, it looks like life is starting to get back to normal, so I'll try really hard to blog a couple days of the week...I'll at least work on bringing back Thankful Thursday....

Anyway, one project I've been working on is happening in my kitchen, which is kind of small (normal for the size of my condo, but small nonetheless). It's beautiful, but has limited counter and cabinet space. the counter space I've adjusted to easily, even when I entertain, but the cabinets...they just weren't laid out as well as they should have been--there was wasted space and a lack of shelving which means a lot of stacking and a lot of stuff falling out...like every time I opened the cabinets.

So I bought some shelving. And this weekend I installed it. And I took some before and after pictures, because that's how I roll:

My little IKEA cart is far less cluttered b/c I can put stuff away now!

Oh look! There's room for me to buy more appliances now!

No new shelves here, but neater b/c of shelves below.

And these are the shelves below. More Usable Space = Less Stacking = Less Mess (And yes, my plastic Whole Foods containers have label-maker labels on them with the bulk section code and the name of the item so I can reuse them.)

I may order another shelf for the top. This cabinet is hard to reach and stuff used to fall out all the time!

Again, I may order another shelf for the top. Still a work in progress (oh, and I do have a step stool).

No Before & After Here. This cabinet is just awesome. And I like garlic. And my spices are alphabetized. #virgo

OK, so that was my big kitchen project for the weekend! What's happening in YOUR kitchen, dear readers?

Also, for the record, some of these shelves had to be installed using a drill and a power screw driver. I'm proud that I can do such things all by myself. Woman Power!

xoxo,
LJ

Some Yummies from a Couple Weeks Ago

2011-03-12T11:59:00.001-05:00

So I plugged in my camera the other day to download the soup pictures, and I discovered all kinds of muffin-y and fruit-salad-y goodness that I'd forgotten about.

I think what I love best about Happy Herbivore is her baked goods. They're definitely a much healthier alternative to most baked goods, and we all know how much I love my baked goods!

For my friend Diana's baby shower, I made the Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins (p. 45). HH gives the option to use 1/2-1 c raw sugar, so I compromised and used 3/4 c, but I think they would still be sweet enough with just 1/2 c, so I'll do that next time. Notice I used my mini-muffin pan. So cute, squeee!

Chocolate-Zucchini Mini Muffins
LOL that I couldn't wait to take a pic before eating one!

Then, a few days later, my friends Deanna and Ari came over for a little brunch. In addition to a tofu scramble and some seitan sausages, I made the Apple Crisp Muffins (p. 40). I made them normal size (because as cute as the mini-muffins are, the pan is a PITA to wash!) and they were delish! I also made a little fruit salad (pictured below).

Apple Crisp Muffins

Fruit Salad:
Mango, Banana, Blackberry, Blueberry

I have a fun new toy--a photo light box to play with--can't wait to see where that leads!

xoxo,

Soup: The Ultimate Comfort Food

2011-03-08T18:04:00.003-05:00

So I've been really stressed the past few weeks at work, some of it good stress, some of it, well, less good. I still love my job and totally believe in what I'm doing, it's just a hard time right now. In the wise words of my dad, "This too shall pass."

Last night, I was so upset, in fact, that I was in tears. Today, however, the main program that we use at work, has been DOWN. Without access to it, I really can't get anything done. And honestly, I can't say that I mind. Don't get me wrong, I have been working, but the big, rather less enjoyable tasks that have been stressing me, can't really happen today. Bummer. ;)

So what did I do with my day? I made SOUP, of course!

I have a lot of produce in the fridge that I've been wanting to use up, so I looked up a few recipes for Potato, Leek, and Cabbage Soup, and here is what I came up with:

In the words of my friend Jeanne, "Mmmmm soup."

Ingredients
Splash of olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 head of cabbage, sliced into ribbons
2 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
5 potatoes, coarsely chopped
1 container veggie broth + 2 c water
rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper
big spoonful of miso paste
1 can of navy beans, drained and rinsed

Process
Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil.
Add the onions, cook 5-7 minutes, until tender.
Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the leeks and the cabbage.
Cook another 3-5 minutes, add the carrots and the potatoes. Give it a good stir to combine, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Add the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir, stir, stir, and add the broth and the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered until the potatoes are tender.
Add the beans and stir in the miso until it's incorporated.
Eat and enjoy!

xoxo,
LJ

P.S. I just got an email from my boss about the "gift of time" we were given today. Naturally, I replied about the soup. She's had my cooking. ;)

Thankful Thursday, a Couple Days Late

2011-03-05T11:09:00.001-05:00

So I had kind of a crazy week at work, a lot of busy, a lot of stress, and not a lot of time to be thankful, though I do have some great moments from each day recorded in my Great Things Journal. Here are my top three for the week:

My friend Ali (Vegan Epicurean). She's working toward possibly becoming a Nutritional Coach and I'm her first client! I already read her blog and follow her on twitter (@VeganEpicurean), and we've been corresponding by email for a while now. But now we've taken our online friendship to the next level--we talk on the phone and text and it's so fun! And in addition to the evolving friendship, she holds me accountable, which I really need (read more about my history of bad eating habits here) and gives me really great advice (what to read, teas I might enjoy, exercise suggestions, and more). If you don't yet read her blog, start now, you will learn SO much!
There's a man in my life, and he's pretty special. I've been hesitant to talk about him here, because we're taking things very slowly and our relationship is a little unconventional, but the way we communicate with each other is nothing short of awesome. Anyway, I've been wanting to mention him on "Thankful Thursday" for a while now, because I'm so thankful for his very existence in my life, but this week, I've got a special reason. On Thursday (that's right, the night I wore my new Ecolissa dress), he had me meet him at the corner of Lincoln and Washington at 5:30pm. From there, we got in a cab (he wouldn't give me any details, which he knew would drive this Virgo crazy) and we had dinner at Indomania,which was amazing (he's not vegan,
but he's really considerate about making sure there's something for me to eat wherever we go). After dinner, we started walking, and again, he wouldn't tell me where we were going (in fact, he actually answered one of my "Whys" with a "Because I said so," lol). We ended up at The Fillmore--it's the South Beach Comedy Festival this weekend, and he had bought us tickets for Gabriel Iglesias (SO funny)! See how good he is? Not only did he get the control freak to give up control, but he also got me to really enjoy giving up control too! Apparently, the Pisces is a good influence on the Virgo.
Finally, I'm thankful to the Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts. As you know, I've really been grappling with the decision to move to Austin. I have a lot of reasons to stay right here where I am--I'm happy in Miami Beach--I have great friends, a great guy in my life, great weather, a (usually) great job, and a great condo (which I can't sell or rent without losing money). But I also had some equally valid reasons for going to Austin--being closer to some of my family, culinary school, new friends, and it's AUSTIN (duh)! Yesterday, however, the culinary school made my decision for me. They are no longer offering the part time Professional Culinary Program (and I can't do full time because I won't give up my career). So they made my decision for me (not going was pretty much the decision I was leaning toward anyway), and they refunded my deposit in full. I love it when fate steps in and confirms that I'm on the right path!

How about you, dear readers? What and who are you thankful for this week?

xoxo,

Ecolissa, revisited

2011-03-04T08:09:00.000-05:00

So, about a month ago, my friend Melissa (follow her on twitter at @mgonyeo or @ecolissa), owner of Ecolissa.com, approached me about offering a 20% discount to my readers (which is still going on, by the way, just enter coupon code "vegan20" when you check out. And let me know what you buy!

I, for one, fell madly in love with the Toggery "J" Dress. I haven't reviewed it yet because I've been waiting for someone to come take a picture of me in it. You know, like a good picture. Better than one that I'd set up with a timer (I tried), and far better than one I'd take of myself in the mirror with my iPhone.

But it's been a month. And I owe Melissa a review. And I freaking love this dress.

I'm not really great at reviewing clothes, as I'm just recently starting to care about them again (c'mon, I work from home--I live in PJs and yoga clothes), but I would say this dress is both simple and classy. The fabric is deliciously soft and I like the way it flows on me--it's definitely a flattering cut, and it's comfortable (which is super important to me). It's a great length above the knee (I'm not very tall, only about 5'4"). It has long sleeves, but it's light enough that I'm not too warm to be going out to dinner in South Beach.

So last night, I was getting ready to go out to dinner and then to take in some of the South Beach Comedy Festival (I didn't know this at the time--it was all an excellent surprise). And I wanted to know if the Toggery Dress looked good with my cowboy boots (from Alternative Outfitters, FYI). And I can't make that decision alone--I had to send a pic to my BFF (isn't this why camera phones were invented?!)--so I took a picture of myself in the mirror with my iPhone.

Anyway, this review is far overdue. And the photo isn't that bad. You can see the awesomeness of the dress, right?

xoxo,
LJ

Blogger ABC's

2011-02-25T08:26:00.003-05:00

I just saw this on Cook. Vegan. Lover. and I thought it looked fun, so here's mine!

A. Age: 37

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore you hate: Laundry. And washing dishes. And making my bed.

D. Dogs: I grew up with Pugs. I love funny little dogs. I should adopt one.

Squeeeeeee!

E. Essential start to your day: Green smoothie

F. Favorite color: Pink

G. Gold or silver: Silver.

H. Height: 5'4" (but I thought I was only 5'3" until a few months ago)

I. Instruments you play: I played piano when I was a kid (I played The Muppet Show Theme Song in a recital!). I'd like to learn guitar.

J. Job title: Customer Retention Instructor at Florida Virtual School. I was a high school English teacher for 11 years; now, I teach teachers. It rules. I'm also a Prenatal Yoga Instructor.

K. Kids: I like other people's kids. Especially my BFF Kristi's daughters--they're awesomesauce. I kind of doubt I'll have any of my own, and I'm pretty OK with that.

L. Live: Miami Beach

M. Mom’s name: Bobbi

N. Nicknames: Laur'. LJ. Vegan Monkey. Chick Smiley (remember Guy Smiley from Sesame Street?). And I'm not even going to get into all the names my brother used to give me.

O. Overnight hospital stays: When I was born...I think that's it.

P. Pet peeve: The use of "gay" or "retarded" to mean that something is stupid.

Q. Quote from a movie: "Alright, alright alright!"

Dazed & Confused is one of my all time favorite movies.
And Matthew McConaughey is delish!

R. Right or left handed: Right.

S. Siblings: Younger brother. MUCH younger step-sister on my dad's side, but we're really close (going to China together!) and I just refer to her as my sister. Two step-sisters and a step-brother on my mom's side, but I'm not really in contact with them other than via facebook.

T. Time you wake up: Around 7am, but I often hit snooze a lot.

U. Underwear: What about them? (I just got the Barenaked Ladies' "Pinch Me" in my head: "I could hide out under there/ I just made you say 'underwear.'")

V. Vegetables you dislike: Eggplant. The texture--blech!

W. What makes you run late: Nothing. I'm an obsessive compulsive Virgo.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, hips, shoulders, toe, knee, mammogram, MRI of my head (I used to suffer from frequent migraines)...actually, pretty much everything because I've been to chiropractors.

Y. Yummy food you make: This is primarily a vegan FOOD blog, so I make a lot of yummy food!

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: I don’t go to the zoo, but I love elephants and monkeys.

What about you bloggie friends? What are your ABC's?

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-24T20:48:00.000-05:00

Hi Bloggie Friends! Happy Thursday! Are you ready to think about everything you're thankful for? I obviously think about it all the time, I have a special journal almost specifically for gratitude and great things in my life, so here's what I'm thankful for this week:

I've realized before, and especially realized today, that I really spend a major portion of my time at work writing. My major in college was English: Creative Non-Fiction (yeah, I majored in writing memoirs, and now I'm a blogger). The kind of writing I do now isn't the kind of writing I envisioned myself doing back in college, but I really enjoy it nonetheless. I'm thankful to have a career in which I really get to use my strengths and my creativity.
Many, many, many of my blogger/twitter friends for your support and comments on my post on Tuesday. It was really important to me to speak out, and I thank you for understanding where I was coming from, and for really getting my beliefs on positivity.
The World Language Department at FLVS. I sent an email this week to three of our Chinese teachers, with important phrases I had been researching for my trip. Not only did they verify and correct my transliterations, but they also gave me more phrases and recorded themselves saying the phrases to additionally help me with my pronunciation. I'm getting so excited for this trip, and I heart my colleagues.

And you dear readers? What are you Thankful for on this lovely Thursday evening?

xoxo,

On my mind...

2011-02-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

Over the past couple of months, there have been two incidents within the online vegan community that have been bothering me. As vegans, we stand for a few big causes: animal rights, environmentalism, and health/nutrition (and more, I could easily break down into sub-categories). We scoff at defensive omnivores who give us a hard time about human rights, because damn straight we care about humans too. And yet....

I am more than just a vegan, and I stand for more than just "vegan" issues. One thing that really bothers me about our society is that with labels comes separation. (Thank you to Pema for inspiring me to really think about these issues.) Vegan. Yogi. Partier. Pothead. Doctor. Lawyer. Lobbyist. Surfer. Techie. Gay. Runner. Corporate. Mother. Artist. All of these labels that can be broken down into even more sub-labels really mean nothing. Aren't we all just people? Don't we all want the same things, to be happy, healthy, safe, and loved? How do these labels make life better? Do we really need more separation between us?

So here's what's been bothering me.

Remember Tasha? Formerly known as the Voracious Vegan? Back in November, she spoke out about no longer being vegan and was hit with such a mean-spirited backlash that it was shocking. And after multiple threats on her blog and on twitter, she's disappeared. I can only imagine how difficult it was for her to write that post, let alone to come to the decision that a vegan diet was not optimal for her health (to an extent, based on my research and the research of my friends, I do find that hard to believe, though we are all different and perhaps a vegan diet is not for everyone). Yes, she put it out there to the blogosphere, and that does make it the business of her readers, but really, what right do we have to judge her personal decision?

And then, last month, there was some drama between two amazing cookbook authors, Isa Moskowitz and Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) Nixon (both of whom I really respect--I own and love all of Isa's books, and every one of Lindsay's recipes I've tried has been a winner). Basically, one was accused of plagiarizing the other's ideas. They both said what they had to say via their blogs and/or forums, and as the saying goes, somewhere between those two sides lies the truth. But it got really ugly when their followers started ganging up via amazon book reviews. Like I said, I really respect both of these authors, so this made me really sad. And when both of their cookbooks arrived (I ordered them prior to the drama), I couldn't bring myself to cook anything from them (fortunately, I also received Terry Hope Romero's awesome Viva Vegan on the same day, and also fortunately, I've since happily cooked from both Isa and Lindsay's books). And there it is. More separation. Between people who should be allies. Why?

I try to just go with the flow. I work really hard to not force my viewpoint on my omnivore friends: I am happy to simply cook good vegan food for them and share nutrition and food policy info if they ask (or via facebook). I blog about food and gratitude and positivity; I engage in the twitterverse, and I love that it gives me a vegan community that I don't really have in Miami Beach. I try to keep controversy out of my blog. But I couldn't sit back and watch any longer. Dearest vegan blogger friends, I hope that you're still my friends.

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-17T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hi Bloggie Friends! Happy Thursday! I've had a crazy busy week at work, and right now, the first thing I'm grateful for is that tomorrow is Friday and that we have Monday off! But of course, I'm grateful for a lot of other things too:

My role at work is changing again. I'm excited about projects, new types of phone calls, and the way my friendship with my teammate Michelle is growing (she's actually the one who suggested I start this blog almost two years ago!).
Yoga. My practice has been kind of inconsistent for a while, but I got back on the mat today--love my friend Jason's class (follow him on twitter: @jasonlawner), and I'm feeling good. I also had good numbers of people in both of my prenatal classes this week.
My friend Diana. She asked me to be with her while she's in labor, and I am so honored that she wants me to be part of that very special day with her.
All of my twitter/blogger friends for their kind words congratulating me this week on my Two Year Veganniversary. Your community and support means so much to me.

And you, my friends? What are you thankful for today?

xoxo,

Happy Two-Year Veganniversary to ME!

2011-02-15T21:15:00.004-05:00

I'm amazed. I've been vegan for two years. Me. The girl who ate no vegetables other than potatoes and corn until 2005. Vegan. For two whole years.

Last year, I honored the occasion with a tattoo of the Vegan Society Logo. This year, I celebrated with a slightly less permanent gift to myself. Some fabulous new shoesies from Alternative Outfitters (every time I order something, they send me a coupon to use next time!).

Jambu Journey Vegan Black Slip On Wedge

I had some other plans for the day (I intended to go donate blood--I'm finally allowed to do so since it's been a year since my last tattoo), but was so busy with some fun projects for work, I didn't have time, though I might go do that tomorrow. Instead, shoes are my celebration. Which is appropriate since I've been working on rebuilding and upgrading my wardrobe lately. YAY VEGAN SHOES!

Anyway, I've been thinking back over the past two years, all that I've cooked, all that I've eaten, and all that I've learned about animal rights, environmentalism, and health. I'm looking forward to the coming year, to continuing to learn and grow, make new vegan friends, and cook great vegan food for all of the omnivores in my life who I love so very much (you know who you are).

What about you, dear readers? I know that many of you are part of the online vegan community. How long have you been vegan? Why? What have you learned about yourself through becoming vegan? I'd love to hear your stories....

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

Hi Bloggie Friends! It's another Thursday, and I am very, very thankful.

Specifically, for:

My Dad and StepMom. I'm going to CHINA in May for almost two weeks with Jill (stepmom) and Katelyn (stepsister). My dad can't come with us, but he was instrumental in making this happen. He'll be missed, but I know I'm going to have a blast with the girls. Also thankful to FLVS for letting me have the time off!
My Career. I've been insanely busy, but busy doing things I love. I get to play with Excel and Powerpoint all day (yeah, I'm a geek...so?), and I get to lead chats on cool books like The Energy Bus and You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader, and a whole lot of people come to sessions I & my partners lead to learn our strategies. It's just really awesome.
My friends. (Refer to previous post on Friendship. They make difficult decisions easier.)
You. Yes, YOU, sitting there, reading my blog. Thank you for being here. I hope you're enjoying.

And so dear readers, it's YOUR turn. What are YOU grateful for this week?

xoxo,

Friendship (or why I'm questioning leaving Miami)

2011-02-07T19:24:00.003-05:00

When I first started thinking about moving to Austin for culinary school, one question my mom brought up was why would I want to leave all of my wonderful friends and the amazing life I've created for myself in Miami Beach. I blew it off, knowing that I already have new friends in Austin that I've made through the bloggerverse and the twitterverse.

But last week, with the snow and ice and rolling blackouts in Austin (as I was biking and practicing yoga in the park and kayaking), the doubts crept in. Or rather, other doubts, beyond the weather, crept to the surface. Most of the money from my grandmother's inheritance was already earmarked for culinary school, but when I received it, I wondered if I really wanted to spend it all in one place, and what I will really do with that certification when I'm already passionate about (and making a huge difference with) my career.

And then, there's the friendship and community I have here. Miami Beach lacks the crunchiness that I love about Austin, but there is a small crunchy community here, and I'm definitely a part of that. I love my friends here, and I love my life here.

Today, I had a doctor's appointment on the mainland. On the bus and the metro, it would have taken me a really long time to get there and back. I put up a request for a ride on facebook, and immediately, two of my friends offered to help. My friend Pema and her husband and baby picked me up in South Beach, and drove me through the nightmare that is Miami traffic (US1) all the way to South Miami. I took the metro and the bus home, but they saved me SO much time, and I got SO much work done that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to deal with. I am beyond grateful.

This post is a shout out to my friends, but really, it's a shout out to Pema. Her blog is amazing--I love her writing and I love and believe in what she has to say. She's the real deal, and I highly recommend that you start reading Wonder Momma, it's Wonderful if you're a Momma or not, if you're crunchy or not...no labels, just truth. This post is also a shout out to Pema and John's delicious little baby...she just turned one, and she is one of the most amazing beings I've ever met. I spent most of the car ride giving her "puffies" (what my grandmother used to call soft touching on our legs and arms) and eating her feet (bad vegan?). But when I looked into her eyes...I think I finally understand what it means when people refer to a child having an "old soul"--there was so much wisdom and truth and peace in this little girl's eyes...I was captivated by her...she's truly magical. And my friend gave birth to her.

These are not friends I'm ready to leave behind. They give me hope.

It's a good thing I don't have to decide now.

xoxo,
LJ

Conscious Shopping: 20% off at Ecolissa

2011-02-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

I got an email today from my friend Melissa (follow her on twitter: @mgonyeo and/or @ecolissa), owner of Ecolissa.com, an amazing website full of gorgeous eco- and vegan-friendly clothes and accessories.

I'd been drooling over Ecolissa's dresses for quite some time, but they were a little over my budget. But Melissa reached out to me, and to my dear readers, with a nice discount! Just enter coupon code "vegan20" for a terrific 20% off! I already ordered the dress below, which may very well be the perfect Miami Beach "Winter" Dress (I hope it fits--I'll post pics when it gets here!)

Toggery "J" Dress

Once again, bloggie friends, go do some shopping at Ecolissa.com! When you're ready to check out, enter coupon code "vegan20" for 20% off!

Enjoy, dear readers, and let me know what you end up buying!

xoxo,

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

Good morning, Bloggie Friends! Happy Thursday! I woke up so full of gratitude that I wanted to start my day with a post before I even start my work day!

This week, I am grateful for:

My career. This week, I co-led part 1 of a 3-part webinar series on strategies to improve student engagement, learning, and success in an online school. More than 230 people attended. If each of those people has 100 students, then that is potentially 23,000 students whose virtual education experience I helped improve. That feels like a pretty big deal--I love that my career choice makes a difference in the world.
My Mom and my BFFs Kristi and Kenda. Any time I try to make decisions in my life, I turn to these ladies--they all have different perspectives and completely different advice, but they all understand me really well, and are an amazing help to me in getting my thoughts in order.
Three. New. Cookbooks. Yesterday, I received Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction, Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan, and Lindsay S. Nixon's The Happy Herbivore Cookbook in the mail. I flipped through all of them, and I'm excited about all of them, but I think I'm most excited to start playing with the recipes in Viva Vegan. I guess I've really become a Miami girl...after all, I've lived here for almost 10 years!
Miami Beach. Yeah, when the rest of the country is suffering through ice and snow and cold and rolling blackouts, I'm basking in warmth and sun of South Beach. I think I'm going to take a nice long bike ride today just because I can.

And you, dear readers? What are you thankful for today?

xoxo,

"Chow Down" Movie Review

2011-02-02T08:15:00.001-05:00

"Are there multiple chronic diseases, or is there truly only one, which has multiple ways of expressing itself?" ~Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

This week, I was contacted by Julia Grayer to watch and review her documentary, Chow Down. It has a similar message to other documentaries such as Supersize Me and Food Inc., so naturally, I totally enjoyed it. However, I didn't really learn much that I didn't already know (to be fair, I didn't learn a lot from the others either), but like those other movies, it can provide great information for the mainstream.

Here's the trailer:

Even though I didn't learn much (since I'm obviously pretty well read on the subject of a plant-based diet), I still enjoyed this movie. Two of my favorite doctors were featured--Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Joel Fuhrman--and the animations were super cute (with some really great info on how heart disease really works--see, I did learn something...and of course it was from animation!).

I did get a little annoyed by the people-on-the-street interviews, with the usual idiotic omnivore arguments about a plant-based diet being difficult or tasting bad or my personal favorite, "who-cares-if-my-life-is-shorter-as-long-as-I-can-have-[insert processed meat product here]." This aspect may annoy some of my veganlicious friends as well, but it was only a brief annoyance, and the rest of the movie was worth it.

Overall, I definitely recommend this movie, especially to people who have been recently diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes (or obesity or cancer or high blood pressure or high cholesterol or...) and would like to avoid surgery, or to those who are just starting to learn about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. You can watch it on Hulu or you can add it to your Netflix queue.

Enjoy, bloggie friends! And let me know what you think!

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2011-01-27T15:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday, Bloggie Friends! I seem to have gotten my blogger groove back, so here I am again for another Thankful Thursday.

Today, I have much gratitude for:

My Work Friends. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am so blessed to work on the team that I work on. I took two days off this week, and when I came back, yes I was busy, but I was not insane...and maintaining my sanity is really a good thing. So huge shout out to Jeannine, Michelle, Carla, Sunday, and Veronica--I heart you girls so much!
My Dad. We had a really great visit with little-to-no drama, AND since he hated my TV (which I bought in 1998), we walked over to Best Buy and he bought me a 26" flat screen. Thanks Dad!
Myself. Yeah, it's kind of a cop-out, but seriously, I'm so thankful that I decided to start this "2011 Great Things" journal project. Every day I write down the little things and the big things that make me happy. Even if my day is stressful, I can still easily find something positive about it, and I know it's going to be fun to go back and read this at the end of the year. I may very well end up continuing this project for the rest of my life.

I have more, but they can wait until next week.

What about you, dear readers? What are you grateful for today?

xoxo,

A Tale of Two Smoothies

2011-01-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

My dad doesn't eat as healthfully as I would like him to eat. He had back surgery last year, and he's still in a lot of pain, so while he's here, I'm trying to inspire him to eat a little better, and to hopefully start practicing yoga (I have some yoga teacher friends in the Harrisburg area, so I'm in the process of finding him a teacher who he can do private classes with--he's very much a beginner, and he needs yoga therapeutics more than anything).

For now, I'm just showing him the joy of the Green Smoothie, and I'm hoping he enjoys them enough to invest in a high-powered blender of his own.

Dad's First Green Smoothie. His comment: "It's GREEN!"

Ingredients

Celery

Carrot

Spinach

Cashews

Date

Banana

Apple

Kiwi

Maca Powder

Flax Seeds

Green Super Food Powder
Vanilla

Coconut Milk

Water

Dad's Second Green Smoothie. Blueberries made it less scary.

Ingredients

Celery

Carrot

Spinach

Date

Banana

Apple

Kiwi

Blueberries

Maca Powder

Flax Seeds

Green Super Food Powder
Ground Ginger and Cinnamon

Coconut Milk

Water

Today, Dad will enjoy a Thai Massage w/ my BFF Ari while I teach Prenatal Yoga at Synergy, and then there will be a nice healthy lunch. Perhaps another smoothie.

I know a lot of my bloggie friends enjoy smoothies too. What are some of your favorite ingredients?

xoxo,
LJ

Dinner Party w/ Dad

2011-01-24T13:20:00.004-05:00

Since my dad is visiting, I thought it would be fun to have a little dinner party so he could meet my Miami friends. Silvia, Diana, Renea, Ari, Miguel, Jason, Nicole, Andres, and my dad all had some laughs at my expense because I took so many pictures of the food and none of them (but they also joked how they appreciate that I link to them--so look at their sites!).

One of My Faves--Celery Root Remoulade from VeganYumYum

My Signature "Gigilicious" Salad (named after my friend Gina)

Ingredients (All Chopped Super Fine)
Romaine
Spinach
Flat Leaf Parsley
Celery
Carrot
Golden Beet
Mushrooms
Red Onion
Artichoke Hearts
Chickpeas
Walnuts
Raisins

Seitan Cutlets over Polenta & Asparagus w/ Mustard Sauce & Sprouts

The Seitan and Mustard Sauce came straight out of Veganomicon (p. 132 and p. 204, respectively), but after the baking-in-broth step, I baked the seitan again without the liquid for 15 minutes on each side to get the right texture (I didn't have space to do it on my stove top--this worked well). I steamed the asparagus and then added a little salt and pepper to it. As for Polenta (Ari's Fave):

Ingredients
3 "tubes" of Quinoa Polenta (they're totally tubular, right?)
Unsweetened Almond Milk (as much as you need for the right consistency)
1 package of Mozzarella Daiya
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Process
Put the polenta in a pot and mash it with a potato masher. Add the milk and stir. Probably add more milk and the rest of the ingredients, stirring frequently over medium-low heat until the Daiya melts. I'm sure you could make your own polenta, but I've never done that before and I didn't think that doing so for the first time would be in my best interests for a dinner party.

(Oh and the plates are from Preserve--made from recycled plastics, reusable, and dishwasher safe with heat dry OFF.)

Diana's Fave--Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding (V'con, p. 251)

I felt a little awkward with my worlds colliding, but red wine helped with that (thanks, Dad for bringing that great Cab from the Elyse Winery in the Napa Valley--it totally lived up to your hype!), and everyone had a great time, and my dad really liked meeting my friends.

I've had a lot of dinner parties, and I usually get exhausted from all the cooking, but not this time. My last big party was Thanksgiving--I had twice as many people here and made twice as many recipes, so this was a breeze and I really enjoyed it. What about you, bloggie friends? Do you find it fun to cook for your omnivore loved ones? Do you enjoy entertaining? And what happens when your worlds collide?

xoxo,
LJ

Dinner at Escopazzo (another review)

2011-01-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love when a restaurant is organic and vegan friendly. My dad is visiting from PA (he took the train down!), and tonight, we went to the lovely, organic, gourmet, and oh-so-delicious Italian restaurant Escopazzo (13th and Washington, Miami Beach). (I ate there with Gina back in April when I had a groupon, it was delish then too!)

Dad had a little bit of a panic because there was (gasp!) no chicken on the menu. He ended up with a ravioli loaded with ricotta and pears--it looked delish and he enjoyed it, but not vegan, so I didn't take a pic of it.

I had not one, but two of their raw dishes (doin' a little raw vegan dance!) and they both rocked my world:

Tagliatelle of Butternut Squash with Pine Nut/Ginger Sauce

Warm Mushrooms Over Arugula in a Lemony Dressing

We also enjoyed some organic Sangiovese. The only flaw (for me) is the prices at Escopazzo...definitely out of my budget. Hence, the groupon in April and the Dad now.

Dinner party tomorrow night with Dad and a bunch of my friends. I've got a fun menu in the works, and I plan to spend most of tomorrow cooking.

Sleep well, bloggie friends!

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2011-01-13T19:38:00.001-05:00

Hi Bloggie Friends. I apologize for my neglect. I took some time to play with starting a new blog on tumblr, then decided that what I was doing there was better suited for my personal written journal (I'm so old fashioned), so I'm back, and being that it's Thursday, I am, indeed, thankful.

Today I am thankful for:

My friends. They're awesome. Even when they make me suffer through a really crappy movie, at least they're suffering through it with me.
The SWAP! This weekend is the SWAP at my friend Silvia's house. It's time to purge all my stuff, share it with my friends, and get some of their stuff, too! And the best part, whatever is left over after the swappage gets donated!

Grandmom Rosie & Me, 1975

My grandmother. We were really close. She passed away last year, and I just received my inheritance, which will be really helpful in paying for culinary school. Thank you, Grandmom Rosie!
Central Heat. Not a lot of people in South Florida have it. I do.
Atlantic Broadband. They took away channels that I hadn't paid for in almost five years. I didn't even realize I wasn't paying for them. At first I was pissed. But now that I haven't turned on the TV in days, I don't even miss HGTV or A&E or Bravo or Food Network or... *tears* ...no wait, wait, I'm thankful!

And now dear readers, on this lovely cold Thursday, what are you thankful for?

xoxo,

New Camera: Green Smoothie

2011-01-04T17:42:00.000-05:00

I took nine pictures of my smoothie today. You get to see my favorite two.

No there weren't any oranges in the smoothie,
but my counter is small & that's where they live.

Mmmmm...smoothielicious!

Ingredients (almost all from this week's share!)
1 huge collard green leaf
1/4 carrot
1/4 cucumber
1 date
1 apple
1 banana
1 handful frozen grapes (only produce not from this week!)
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 scoop greens powder
1 c coconut milk
1 c water

Blend, blend, blend in your Vitamix! Enjoy!

xoxo,
LJ

Happy New Year and Other Stuff.

2011-01-03T15:50:00.004-05:00

So I just got home from my trip to PA, and I'm thrilled to be stylin' in flip flops and a tank top once again. I had a great visit with my family, despite the weather. I was supposed to go to NYC to meet some of my bloggie/twitter friends, but with the snow and spending time with my family, I decided to stay in Harrisburg bundled up in a blanket on the couch by the fireplace reading (at one point, I was wishing for a snuggie...don't judge!). (I highly recommend The Help by Kathryn Stockett (wonderful feminist and civil rights themes); if you enjoy the cheesy YA supernatural genre like Kristi and I do, then check out The Forbidden Game by L. J. Smith; finally, I was really inspired by a memoir, My Fathers' Houses by Steven V. Roberts.)

While away, I finally bought a camera. It's an Olympus SP-600UZ, and I think I like it. It has good zooming, and a lot of cool settings to play with, but I still have yet to figure out all the bells and whistles. Still, it's a HUGE upgrade from the iPhone pics that my readers have been suffering through for almost two years.

Annie--Mom's "Best Child"

Or, as I call her, Mom's "Life Partner"

Dad & Me at his 65th Birthday Party at Passage to India--YUM!

Vegan Pad Thai made special for ME at Cafe Fresco in Downtown Harrisburg!

Veggie Spring Rolls at Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant in Lancaster

Buddha's Dumplings...the menu had TWO PAGES of Veggie Goodness!

Early in the week, my BFF Kristi came up from visiting her parents in Chambersburg ~~for me to cook her lunch~~ to have lunch with my mom and me. She brought the hubs and the girls, and we all had a great visit (the girls were thrilled to meet Annie, and they love Aunt Laura's cooking!). From Veganomicon, I made a variation of the Chick Pea Noodle Soup (I didn't even have the recipe w/ me, but I've made it so many times...I added green beans this time, YUM!) and the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. I also made Vegan Sloppy Joes, my own recipe, pictured below:

Sloppy Joe, Slop-Sloppy Joe, Sloppy Joe, Slop-Sloppy Joe

Ingredients

1 package of tempeh (which wasn't enough, so I added...)

1 c quinoa (so glad my mom had it in the house)

olive oil
1 onion, small dice
1-2 stalks celery, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 container of my mom's homemade tomato sauce
herbs of your choice (basil? oregano? I made it a week ago and forgot to write anything down....)
salt & pepper to taste

Process
Crumble the tempeh and put it in some water on medium heat to steam. Cook the quinoa.
Over medium-high heat, saute the onion, celery and carrots for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, stir for about 1 minute more. Add the tempeh, quinoa, herbs, salt & pepper, stir to combine. Add the tomato sauce, stir to combine. Simmer over medium-low heat, and serve on toasted buns (I like the Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Buns). Eat and Enjoy!

Happy New Year to All! Any good resolutions?

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

Whew! Today was my last day of work before vacation (cue the Go-Go's getting stuck in my head)! Somehow, I got everything on my to do list done! I have tomorrow to relax, and then Saturday, I leave for Harrisburg and then NYC! (Very excited for both parts of the trip, especially some fun with vegan blogging friends JL (JL Goes Vegan) and hopefully Andrea (Celery in the City), too! More details to come next week....)

So, today I am grateful for:

FLVS for giving us a winter break. In a world of "Any Time, Any Place, Any Path, Any Pace," it's super awesome to actually have a week+ off. (This is a new policy--this is my 5th year here, and it's our first winter break...didn't realize how much I missed this kind of vacation from my brick & mortar days.)
My Dad. First of all, he bought my plane ticket so that I can be with him on his 65th birthday. Secondly, he's having his party at Passage to India (also known as the Indian restaurant in Harrisburg), and he specifically made sure that there would be vegan food for me.
American Apparel for their winter leggings, and Andrea (mentioned above) for letting me know that such thick and wonderful warmth exists.
My Twitter Friends. I have a winter coat that I keep at my mom's house. I got it 18 years ago from the J. Peterman Catalog (yes, it's real, not just on Seinfeld) and I still love it. Unfortunately, it's wool, and I was going through all kinds of moral dilemmas about whether I should wear it or not. Even though I've had the coat for 18 years, long before I ever even imagined that I'd some day be vegan, I still feel guilty and hypocritical when I think of wearing something from an animal that has been exploited. I brought it up on Twitter, and got so much support, that I think I'll be OK wearing it until it wears out. So, huge amounts of gratitude to @MFIoFV, @hellomyavocado, @tati22, @NothingInVain, @sweetpotatoes, @LurleenChicken, @MegVegLibrarian, @sweeton, @TeenyVegan, @thelibra1210, @seaweedgirle, and @celeryinthecity for all of their advice and feedback.

And so my dear readers, in this season of family and friends and gratitude, who are you thankful for?

xoxo,

A Special Treat Smoothie

2010-12-18T12:37:00.001-05:00

There are foods I just can't keep in the house because I have pretty much no self control around them. Chocolate and Peanut Butter are two of those foods, which I, uhh, had in the house this week (they're gone now). I needed them for a couple of recipes...no really, I did, it had nothing to do with PMS, I swear!

So I couldn't stop eyeing these grain-sweetened chocolate chips and the peanut butter taking up space in my cabinet, so I thought...those little yummies belong in a smoothie with a banana and some almond milk. But wait, there's more! That smoothie needed a little more nutritional value...enter the kale...and a few more yummies!

Cheers!

Ingredients (serves one+)
1 big kale leaf
1 frozen banana
1 date
1 teeny tiny bit of ginger (for just a little kick)
1 heaping tbsp creamy peanut butter (really heaping)
1/4 c grain sweetened chocolate chips (again w/ the heaping)
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 scoop green superfood powder
1.5 c almond milk

Blend, blend, blend in your Vitamix and enjoy!

I loved this smoothie so much, that I think I'm going to name it after someone I love. As soon as I let the namesake know, I'll share. ;)

xoxo,
LJ

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

I forgot to blog two "Wednesdays are for Gratitude" in a row, and since I like alliteration, welcome to my Thankful Thursday!

This week, I am deeply grateful for:

My friends. Especially Kenda, Kristi, and Jeannine. They were there for me this week when I really, really needed them.
Alternative Outfitters. I buy shoes from them often. I bought a winter coat and it didn't fit me right, so I'm exchanging it for MORE SHOES! And...because of the inconvenience, they're not charging me shipping for the new shoes. Squeeee!!! (Now I just need to decide which shoes I want, LOL, decisions, decisions!)
My boss (who's not officially my boss anymore), Veronica, for having so much faith in me and nominating me for National Online Teacher of the Year. It's an honor to be nominated, and even though the application is a lot of work, I'm actually kind of enjoying writing the essays.
Spicy Soups. Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice. Nettle Tea.
All of the people in the past couple of weeks who told me to see ELF. I can't believe I hadn't seen it until yesterday--I laughed, I cried, and I want to see it over and over again!

I have a few more people on my gratitude list, but I'm saving them for next week, for a special reason. Hope you're all having a good week. And now, dear readers, I must ask...who are YOU grateful for?

xoxo,

Kitchen Sink Curry

2010-12-13T22:46:00.000-05:00

Subtitle: Oh Crap, I'm Halfway to Produce Day and Still have a TON of Food!

So I was sick and lazy last week (still coughing this week), and I really only wanted Whole Foods' Channa Masala. I really wish I was craving salads because I love them and they're good for me, but with this weather (it's 46 degrees in Miami Beach and that's not even factoring in wind chill...yeah, you heard me, WIND CHILL in MIAMI BEACH!!!), the last thing I want is anything raw. Truth be told, I still just wanted Whole Foods' Channa Masala, but it was too cold to walk there and I happily never changed out of my pajamas today. Nevertheless, when I realized how much food is in my fridge, I had to get moving on the cooking and eating.

Ingredients
Peanut Oil
Coriander Seeds
Mustard Seeds
1 small onion, diced
2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
2" ginger, grated
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet potato, sliced super thinly
1 c mushrooms, chopped
1 c broccoli, chopped
1 c frozen green peas
1 c garbanzo beans, cooked
1/2 c red lentils
salt & pepper
curry powder
2 c veggie broth
2 c romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
juice of 1 lemon

Process
Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the Coriander and Mustard seeds, stir for about a minute, then add the onion.
Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger. Give it a quick stir, then add the pepper, sweet potato, mushrooms, and broccoli. Stirring frequently, cook for another 3-5ish minutes.
Add the peas, garbanzos, lentils, salt & pepper, curry powder, and broth. Stir to combine, increase the heat until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and cover, simmering for 5-10 minutes.
Uncover, turn the heat off, add the romaine and the lemon juice, stirring to combine as the romaine wilts down.

Serve over brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds. Eat and enjoy!

So, I made a little space in the fridge and had a yummy, hot, and healthy meal. YAY!

xoxo,
LJ

Tastes Like Childhood

2010-12-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

Imagine my delight this afternoon at Whole Foods when I discovered that they're finally carrying Dandies Vegan Marshmallows. I've been waiting to try these for so long--marshmallows weren't even one of my favorite foods in my pregan days (read: the entire bag won't be devoured in a matter of days), and yeah, they're definitely vegan junk food, but I'm still super excited, so YAY!

Hot Cocoa w/ Dandies!
(I used the 1977 instagram filter b/c it tasted like childhood.)

Ingredients
1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp maple syrup

a splash of vanilla

2 c almond milk (normally I buy unsweetened original, but when I saw the Dandies, I chose the sweetened vanilla instead)

Process

Combine all of the above ingredients in a small saucepan on medium/medium high and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Ladle into your favorite over-sized mug that was a gift from a student back in Dallas because lots of hot cocoa is a good thing and serve with Dandies, imagining that you just came in from playing in the snow back in early 1980s Harrisburg. Or, well, do something similarly nostalgic that involves your own memories instead of mine.

Wow. Two blog posts in one day! I'm back!

xoxo,

Jason's Vitamix Lesson

2010-12-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

My friend Jason (he's an awesome yoga teacher--check out his site) recently bought a Vitamix (the red one). He also recently joined our Produce Group. He's been asking me for some Vitamix lessons, and since it's been over a week since I've blogged (I've been sickie), here's the first one. (And oh, dear readers, you're going to love this--I was actually semi-conscious of measurements!)

LJ's Vitamix Soup o' the Day

Ingredients (all produce from this week's share or the share before)
Serves One
1/4 zucchini (b/c they're HUGE)
1 leaf of kale
1" ginger (Jason loves ginger--he'll use more)
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
handful of macadamia nuts (b/c I have them, thought they'd add creaminess, cashews would be better)
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt & pepper
1/2 c warm water

Toss all into the Vitamix and blend, blend, blend for 2-3 minutes on high until you see steam!!! Enjoy!!!

Now that I'm starting to feel better (and getting over my MoFo burnout), I hope to be blogging more consistently again. I've got a trip to PA and NYC coming the end of the month, and already I have a couple of posts in mind for then, so YAY!

xoxo,
LJ

Wednesdays are for Gratitude

2010-12-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

Things are finally getting back to normal after the Thanksgiving Feast/Asheville Wedding whirlwind of a weekend! I'm getting over my cold, but still have a lingering cough...should be gone by the weekend. :)

Today, I am grateful for:

My family. I had such a wonderful visit with Mom, Aunt Grace, my New Uncle Hugh, Josh, Jenn, Emma, Gavin, Jon, Jen, Becca, Brad, Leah, Neal, Lucy, Darren, and Alicia. Even though I was sickie, I was full of so much love for everyone.
My career. I really believe in what I'm doing, and I love my colleagues. I've grown and learned so much, and I'm excited about everything I continue to learn.
VeganMoFo. I'm thankful that ~~it's over~~ I found some really cool new blogs to read. No, I didn't follow through this year, but next year, I'll do better. ;)
My friend Diana and South Florida Weather. Yeah, I'm grateful for weather. Being cold is really terrible to me. Asheville was nice, but when I landed in Ft. Lauderdale, I was overjoyed to take off my sweatshirt, scarf, and hoodie, and be left with a tanktop. And Diana rocks--she picked me up at the airport with all the windows down and the sunroof open. Delicious.

What are you grateful for, dear readers?

xoxo,

Second Annual Veganlicious Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-25T23:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm exhausted from cooking for two days straight and being a hostess for six hours and I have an early flight tomorrow morning, so this will be quite brief.

Here's my Menu (some of these recipes are posted on my blog already, too tired to link to them or include details right now):

Roasted Squash Soup
Seitan Roast Stuffed with my Mom's (Veganized) Stuffing
Noochy (Nutritional Yeast) Garlicky Mashed Potatoes
Gravy (Veganomicon)
Sweet Potato Hashbrown Casserole
Roasted Green Beans with Almonds
Cranberries (Veganomicon)
Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Seeds
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
Apple Galettes

And here are a few pictures:

Alvaro and Gina Digging In

Plate of Veganlicious Thanksgiving Goodness

In the Kitchen w/ My Seitan Roast

I'm super thankful to everyone who was here. So much love to all of my friends who joined me for this feast.

I'm also super thankful that I have a lot of leftovers to share with my mom and my cousins tomorrow! Hopefully TSA will let me through security with them, LOL!

Goodnight and Happy Thanksgiving! YAY for my BED!

xoxo,
LJ

Wednesdays are for Gratitude

2010-11-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

I am exhausted from doing Thanksgiving prep all day, but I am also so grateful for a few really big things on this day before Thanksgiving:

I am thankful for the 20-30 people coming to my house tomorrow for my Second Annual Veganlicious Miami Thanksgiving Feast. I love that so many people are so open to vegan cooking, and it is with so much love that I'm preparing this feast to share with them. I was just having a conversation with my friend Stephen (@TLTSD) on Twitter about friends and family. My Miami Beach friends are my family, and I am so blessed to have them in my life.
That being said, I am also thankful for my relationships with my family, which have really evolved in a healthy way through the years. On Friday, I'm leaving for Asheville for my Aunt's wedding. I'm so excited to spend time with my cousins, to meet my "new" uncle, and to spend some quality time with my mom (we're rooming together!). Facebook and Twitter have both enhanced my relationships with my cousins all over the country. Because we're so close virtually, it makes it even more fun when we get together in "real life." (Check out my cousin Becca's blog, That Loud Girl--she's awesomesauce!)
I am incredibly thankful for my sisters from the Goddess Gatherings. We've been meeting in our monthly circles for a year, and I'm amazed at my growth, at who I've become, since we started gathering last year. We gathered last night, and it felt so good to share where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going. My sisters really helped me to put some recent changes into perspective--I was concerned about a situation that looks like I could be repeating old patterns, but after last night, I have a lot of peace about it, and I'm excited to see what the future holds. Very special thank you to my dear, dear friend Gina for leading these circles.
And, of course, I am so thankful for all of my vegan blogging friends. I love you all and I love our online community so much. You mean more to me that you know.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! Enjoy your day with family, with friends, and of course, with food.

xoxo,

Lost my MoFo MoJo (Poor Excuse for a VeganMoFo IV post #16)

2010-11-23T08:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been five days since my last post. And no, I'm not going to make one of those trite blogger apologies. I'm not sorry, LOL, but I have kind of lost my MoJo. (I am sorry, however, about my inability to keep up with my reading and commenting on your blogs...I'll make it up to you, somehow!)

So what's going to happen now? I'm abandoning my themes and I'll try to get back to my regularly scheduled blogging 2-3 times/week (maybe more). In fact, tonight is the Goddess Gathering, and I'll be making a baked pasta dish. And Thursday is Thanksgiving, so I'll blog that rockin' meal. And then I'm going to Asheville for my Aunt's wedding, and she ordered me a special vegan meal from a local restaurant, so of course, I'll have to blog that too.

Alas, MoFo exhausted me this year. I'm owning it and I'm moving on.

xoxo,
LJ

Thirsty Thursdays (VeganMoFo IV post #15)

2010-11-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

Another day, another smoothie, and another offering to Ganesh, the Remover of Obstacles (Om Gum Ganapatye Namaha!). This week, I discovered the absolute delight of putting raw cacao in my smoothies, and I can't believe I've lived without it for this long! (This week, I also discovered the delight of the Instagram iPhone App...sigh...some day, I'll get a real camera!)

Ingredients
Banana
Cacao Nibs
Spinach
Blueberries
Coconut Milk
Cinnamon

Nom, nom, nom!!! Delicious!!!

Not much more to say...I kind of feel like I'm losing my MoFo MoJo...think I need a good night's sleep.

xoxo,
LJ

Wednesdays are for (MoFo) Gratitude (VeganMoFo IV post #14)

2010-11-17T17:30:00.000-05:00

Alas, I missed a day of MoFo, dear readers. I'm not used to blogging every day, and I guess I needed a rest. But now I'm well rested, and ready to share with you another great list of Bloggers/Tweeters ("Tweeps") I Heart.

Today, I am grateful for the following Vegan Bloggers/Tweeters:

Celery in the City. Andrea really makes me laugh. I love her blog, I love her presence on Twitter. Follow her because she's awesome: @celeryinthecity
Vegan Whore. Megan is also awesome. We first met months ago during the "Super Sexy Sugar Cleanse," and she totally rocks. She and Andrea are BFFs, and it's so much fun hanging with them on Twitter: @Coughing_Colors
Cookin' Vegan. Jenn totally rocks, and I love talking to her on Twitter. We both had really debilitating migraines before becoming Vegan, but once we got our eating habits under control, we're both much healthier. Let that be a lesson to all migraine sufferers (I haven't taken an imitrex in about a year)! ;) Anyway, follow Jenn: @cookinvegan
Jew on a Diet. Mel and I were like immediate BFFs when we met through Andrea on Twitter. We're totally soul sisters, so much in common it's actually a little freaky. I love it! Follow her: @Mel_Edwards
One Crabby Vegan. Brian rocks--his blog is so real and honest, and I love that about him. And he is friendly (not nearly as crabby as he claims he is), so definitely follow him: @CrabbyVegan

I actually have a few more, but they have to wait until next week, my friends, because I'm about to have a Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Best. Show. Ever.) marathon with a friend of mine. Priorities.

But before I go...are you on Twitter? Any bloggers that you follow and really enjoy interacting with there?

xoxo,

Meat Substitute Monday (VeganMoFo IV post #13)

2010-11-16T08:37:00.003-05:00

***I started this post last night, on actual Monday, but I was so sleepy after a paragraph and a half, I went to bed. Is this still legally my Monday post?***

Gotta get in a quick MoFo post before I go to sleep...it's been a wonderful but long and busy day. I did another test run of the Seitan Roast for Thanksgiving. A couple of friends came over to be taste- and texture-testers for me. There were a couple bottles of wine....

Seitan Roast Fresh Hot Outta the Oven

The original recipe came from Vegan Dad. However, I actually found it on Vegan Nutritionista. The first time I made it, I wasn't thrilled with the texture. This time, I liked it better. Instead of steaming it first, I just baked it in the oven, a technique I got from A Vegan Riot's post Seitan My Way. Unfortunately, though I used the same recipe as before, I found the flavor really bland. I'll be substituting veggie broth for the water in the recipe, and I'll be increasing some of the seasonings (a "poultry bouquet" will be included in my share next week...sighhh at the unfortunate name, but yay for the fresh herbs included in it). Also, the roast will actually be stuffed with stuffing and it will have gravy, so I'm confident that it will be just how I want it to be.

Now, since this post is my Meat Substitute Monday post, I'd fully intended to give you the lowdown on Seitan (pronounced "SAY-tahn" officially, but it's more fun to just say "Satan"), but now I'm a day late, and I'm a little cranky first thing in the morning, so I'm going to say only that it's high in protein (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), and has a wonderful omnivore-friendly texture and flavor (when properly prepared and seasoned). I go back and forth between seitan and tempeh as a favorite...in my opinion, tofu decidedly ranks below those two. (Ahhh, here's one post from Happy Healthy Life with some great info on seitan. Enjoy!)

Have a great day! I'll be back this afternoon with my actual Tuesday post. ;)

xoxo,
LJ

Weekends are Wild! (VeganMoFo Post #12)

2010-11-14T18:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you've all had a MoFolicious weekend!

When I received my review copy of Melisser Elliot's The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life, I also got the opportunity to interview Melisser. I gave her two sets of questions. The first is my favorite set of questions ever asked, James Lipton's Questions from Inside the Actor's Studio. I love these questions, because in a fun way, they reveal a lot about who we are. I really enjoyed Melisser's answers:

What is your favorite word?

Superfluous

What is your least favorite word?

Cruelty

What turns you on?

Dessert, Nerdy boys in glasses, Morrissey

What turns you off?

Meat mouths, Blue pens

What sound do you love?

My favorite song when I'm on a dance floor

What sound do you hate?

Alarm clocks

What is your favorite curse word?

Fuck! or maybe dickface.

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Professional sleeper

What profession would you not like to do?

Slaughterhouse worker

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

It's about time, let's get this party started!

One of my favorite parts of the book were the profiles of awesome Vegan Girls. My second set of questions are Melisser's very own questions from those profiles. She mentioned on Twitter that she was actually stumped on one of her own questions (I'd love to know which one), but she answered them all, so here they are:

Favorite Dish to Cook:

Indian food, especially curries

Funniest Vegan Moment:

I was on a photoshoot and the crew wanted to get Japanese food. I let the photographer know it wasn't my 1st choice, as I'm vegan, and he said, "oh, but they have fish." I let him know that vegans don't eat fish and he flipped out, insisting that vegans DO eat fish and all the vegans HE knows eat fish.

Favorite "Accidentally Vegan" Treat:

Hungarian Baumkuchen at Naschmarkt in Vienna

Favorite Vegan Hater Comeback:

"Oh, I know, right? Being compassionate totally sucks. Killing innocent creatures is AWESOME.. right? ...no?"

Item You Can't Live Without:

My dog, Strummer

Thank you so much, Melisser, for taking the time to answer these questions, and for having fun with them too. It really means a lot to me. :)

And now it's your turn, dear readers, to answer James Lipton's questions in the comments below. I'm excited to read your answers!

xoxo,

French Food Friday (VeganMoFo IV post #11)

2010-11-12T19:05:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, it was supposed to be Fast Food Friday, but my themes are Flexible (as you will see, today could have just as easily been called Fromage Friday). But as long as they have alliteration, I'm perFectly Fine.

One oF my best Friends, Gina, has been out west For about Four months. Last night, she got back to Miami Beach (she'll be here For about a month). Today, we all dined at A La Folie.

A La Folie is a lovely little French caFe on Espanola Way in South Beach. It's Gina's Favorite. UnFortunately, its menu is not very vegan Friendly, so I don't really go there (Fromage, Fromage, Fromage everywhere).

Nevertheless, dear vegan Friends, the staFF was totally vegan Friendly! All I had to do was ask, nicely, and I had a lovely salad and some yummy bread.

So that's the lesson, dear vegan Friends, iF there's nothing on the menu For you, ask; it will beneFit you in so many ways:

Mainstream cheFs will become aware oF the demand For vegan Food (which beneFits us all).
You'll get a good meal, Freshly made just For you.
IF you're Friendly and you ask nicely, perhaps with a sense oF humor, you'll help to counteract that high maintenance in-your-Face vegan stereotype.

Sounds like a win-win-win to me! And you, dear blogger Friends, have you had any similar positive restaurant experiences?

Have a delicious weekend!

xoxo,

Thirsty Thursdays (VeganMoFo IV post #10)

2010-11-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm...after a busy day of work and teaching two prenatal yoga classes (also work, I guess), I'm happily enjoying a green smoothie (which is, in fact, purple) out of my Princess Glass (a gift from my boss--she's awesome) while catching up with my Twitter Friends.

A Smoothie Fit for a Princess

My smoothies are always a kind of Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink situation. I always process the fruit from my Produce Share as soon as its ripe, then I freeze it for my smoothies.

That being said, today's Vitamix'ed smoothie includes:
Handful of Spinach
A few leaves of Kale
Banana (not frozen, from this week's share)
Blueberries (frozen)
Pears (frozen)
Kiwifruit (frozen)
Grapes (gotta use up the green to make room in the freezer for the red from this week's share)
1 tbsp Flax Seeds
1 c Coconut Milk
1/2 c water

Blend, blend, blend, and enjoy!

xoxo,
LJ

Wednesdays are for (MoFo) Gratitude (VeganMoFo IV post #9)

2010-11-10T12:11:00.000-05:00

What's up, MoFos? Happy Wednesday! Once again, today's gratitude post is dedicated to bloggers I heart. And these five special ladies are all from (where else?) Austin!

Today, I am grateful for:

Ellie <3s Crafts. I just discovered Ellie's blog this week in the VeganMoFo Blogroll. Her blog is full of yummy recipes, and she just inspired me to Adopt a Turkey, which I'll be doing as soon as I get paid on Friday.
Glitter Every Day. Nanette isn't doing MoFo, but she's still super awesome. Her blog is about is about her journey through breast cancer, and I love her honesty--she makes me laugh, she makes me cry. I met her in Austin last week, and I'm looking forward to getting back there so we can hang out more. :)
Lazy Smurf's Guide to Life. Smurfy (also known as Stephanie) has a wonderful writing style, and her food porn makes me want to lick my monitor. I love the way her blog is organized--especially her Vegan Austin Guide and her list of Austin links.
Scratch and Sniff. Molly is another great person I met in Austin last week. For MoFo, she's doing a series about packing lunches for grown-ups. She has some great tips and strategies, as well as some amazing lists. If I didn't work from home, I'd be super excited about packing lunch now.
Vegan Vanguard: Charging Ahead of the Mainstream. Christina is all kinds of awesome. We just missed each other at a Halloween party in Austin, but I'm looking forward to meeting her when I get back. Her blog is also well written with great food, but I especially love her "Saturday Sustenance" series...oh how I can't wait to get to Austin!

And so, my bloggy friends, it's your turn. Please share the MoFo love! Who are you reading?

xoxo,

Time-for-a-Book-Review Tuesday (VeganMoFo IV Post #8)

2010-11-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

Before I get started, huge shout out to my friend Keri (I Eat Trees) for giving me a great alliteration for today. (Admittedly, Tapas Tuesdays might not have been the best choice, since I really only make tapas when I'm entertaining, I didn't pre-plan any posts, and I've been busy with work and yoga.)

Nevertheless, I have a really great post for you today: a review of Melisser Elliot's new book, The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life. (Now, I'm a book nerd, and I really loved this book, so get ready for some gushing.)

First of all, I am one to judge a book by it's cover, and I love the cover and the whole feel of this book in my hand. Melisser looks like someone I want to be friends with, and the cover is bright and appealing. I love the weight and texture of the pages (like I said, I'm a book nerd), and the full color is fabulous.

As a guide, I'm reminded a bit of Vegan Freak (which I also loved): both are well organized and full of well researched information. But Melisser takes it to a few new levels. First of all, she profiles some rockin' Vegan Girls that many of us know and love. Secondly, she includes an incredible recipe section (wait, wait...any tapas in there for me to try right now?). And finally, she has a great DIY section that has me really inspired.

The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life is chock full of lists and facts (I've already used it as a reference when my omnivore friend Michelle IMed me today about needing more iron in her diet). But Melisser also shares her own path to veganism, and she gives a lot of the "why behind the what," in a wonderfully conversational voice and tone throughout the book.

If you're already a well-educated vegan, there's not a whole lot of new information here, but you'll enjoy Melisser's spin on it, as well as the profiles, recipes, and DIY section. If you are new to veganism or are veg-curious, then I highly recommend that you go out and buy this book right now. Enjoy!

xoxo,

Meat-Substitute Mondays (VeganMoFo IV Post #7)

2010-11-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

I had a great, albeit chilly (in the 60s--brrrrr for South Florida) weekend with my BFF Kristi. Dinner party, walking around and shopping on Lincoln Rd, lots of good food and wine, and a whole lot of laying around and just reading. Kristi and I are total book nerds, and we're both currently obsessed with The Hunger Games (I read book one while she was here and finished book two this morning...she finished book two and started book three while she was here...she finished it on the ride home, and dropped it in the mail to me this morning...priority mail, of course).

After finishing book two this morning, I was ready for a warm comforting breakfast, because it's still in the low 60s here! When I was planning my MoFo themes, my original ideas on Meat-Substitute Mondays were about tofu, seitan, and tempeh. But then I started thinking about other great places we get our protein, so this morning's Peanut Buttery Oatmeal with Banana and Raisins is loaded with Protein goodness!

Peanut Buttery Oatmeal

1/2 c oats (7g protein)

1 c almond milk (1g protein)

1/2 c water (because I like my oatmeal rich and creamy, but not too rich and creamy)

2 tbsp peanut butter (7g protein)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 banana (1g protein)
handful of raisins (1g protein)
sprinkle of ground flaxseed

Prepare oatmeal according to instructions, stir in syrup and peanut butter after about 1/2 the liquid has been absorbed. When it's ready to serve, add the banana, raisins, and flaxseed on top, and enjoy!

Yummy, hearty and warming on this cold winter's day (only sort of kidding about that), and has almost half of the protein I need for the day! How's that for a meat substitute?!

xoxo,
LJ

Weekends (Much like Jokers) are Wild (VeganMoFo Day 6)

2010-11-06T10:26:00.000-04:00

Keri on I Eat Trees does a "Your Thoughts Thursday" series that I really enjoy. She had a Special Edition this week for VeganMoFo, a survey that I decided to answer on my own blog for one of my Weekends are Wild posts. So here it is:

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?
Sushi, but I'm totally satisfied w/ veggie sushi now.

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?
LOL, ALL veggies!

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?
Eggplant. So many people love it--it makes me gag.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?
Water.

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?
Desserts--I love baked goods.

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?
As OCD as I am, I'm surprised that I don't! ;)

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?
Sweets, peanut butter, bread, pasta.

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?
I like to make my own ice creams/sorbets in my Vita-Mix

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?
I don't pay a lot of attention to money when it comes to food (I probably should); I shop primarily organic, and it doesn't matter that it costs more.

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?
Yes. Anything chocolaty or crunchy.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?
Artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and DAIYA!

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?
My favorites fluctuate. Right now, artichokes and bananas.

What is the best salad dressing?
Annie's Goddess Dressing FTW.

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?
Earth Balance.

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?
I love Isa's Chick Pea Noodle soup, but lately, I've been making a lot of roasted squash soup. YUM!

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?
Chocolate. Chocolate.

What is your favorite kind of cookie?
Chocolate Chip.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?
Maybe just a big salad.

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?
LOL, I live alone, so none.

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?A couple hours?

How many fingers am I holding up? (Just kidding… but the answer is 11. “My name is Inigo Montoya…”)

Thanks, Keri! That was a fun survey...and now I want to watch The Princess Bride! ("You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.")

In other news, last night's dinner party was a success. Good friends, good wine, good food. I mentioned everything I was going to make yesterday, so here are a few photos just for fun:

Diana's hand, tempeh, slaw, lime crema, tortillas, millet, beans

Plate full of Tex Mex Goodness

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding (SWOON!)

It's a little chilly here in South Beach this morning (currently 57!), so the BFF and I are going to get all bundled up and take a walk. Enjoy your Saturday, dear readers.

xoxo,
LJ

Fast Food Friday (VeganMoFo Day 5)

2010-11-05T13:23:00.001-04:00

My BFF Kristi is coming down for the weekend, so of course, I'm having a dinner party tonight, so she can meet my Miami BFFs! Having just returned from Austin, I'm in a Tex Mex mood, so I'm putting together a few recipes from Veganomicon (Baja Style Grilled Tempeh Tacos p. 96, Mexican Millet p. 102, and Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding p. 251) and 500 Vegan Recipes (Refried Beans p. 282 and Salsa Fresca p. 81). My friends have all been recruited to bring the Coronas, because I have plenty of limes.

Huge Bowl of Salsa

So, for this Fast Food Friday, I want to talk specifically about the Salsa. It took less than 20 minutes to get everything chopped, then after mixing it up, I gave it a few pulses here and there with my immersion blender. And that's it. Ready to nom nom nom.

OK, dear readers, time to get caught up on my VeganMoFo reading before I get back in the kitchen. But before I go, I'd love to know what fun plans y'all have for the weekend!

xoxo,
LJ

Thirsty Thursdays (VeganMoFo day 4)

2010-11-04T20:43:00.000-04:00

For my first Thirsty Thursday, I thought I'd share a smoothie...it's been a long time since I've shared a smoothie, and I was away without my Vita-Mix for a week, so I'm happy to be home with Buffy the Vegetable Slayer making smoothies again.

My Desk at the End of this Long Day

Today, I taught two Prenatal Yoga classes, and got back in the swing of things after being off of work for a week. (My teammates are awesome, so I didn't come back to any chaos, but it's still an adjustment.) I also made a trip to my (small but much loved) Whole Foods to get ready for a dinner party I'm hosting tomorrow night. I had a bad eating day--I had very little in the house after being away and I was so busy with work and yoga (and other MoFo blogs and twitter) that I sort of forgot to eat...until I got to Whole Foods...where I had a vegan chocolate chip cookie (wow, it feels good to admit that, I was originally deliberately vague, then i revised). So, after my second yoga class, I finally had a nice smoothie.

Smoothie-of-the-Day

(hello new readers, I'm not always good at measuring, but I'm trying really hard)

1 banana (fresh, but frozen is just as good)

3 leaves of lacinato kale (stems and all)

handful of spinach (stems and all)

1/2 carrot (b/c my carrots are ginormous)

1 kiwifruit (frozen, I peel them and cut them into 3rds to freeze)

handful of pineapple chunks (frozen)

1/8 c-ish goji berries (frozen)

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1 date (I have a sweet tooth)

1 scoop GreenSuperFood (for that added boost)

1 c hemp milk

1/2 c water

Blend, blend, blend.

In other news, I just received a review copy of Melisser Elliot's The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life. My first reaction is that I love how the book feels. It has a great weight, and I love the texture of the pages (yes, I'm a book nerd). If I were to, say, judge a book by its cover, I would say that the cover is engaging, as is the table of contents. I'm going to go sit and read--I'll share more later, I promise.

xoxo,

Wednesdays are (Still) for Gratitude (VeganMoFo Day 3)

2010-11-03T20:33:00.001-04:00

Yes, Wednesdays are (Still) for Gratitude, but of course, there's a VeganMoFo twist:

Today, I am grateful for the following Bloggers:

Vegan Epicurean. I first started following Ali's blog last year during MoFo. I am grateful for her vast knowledge of nutrition and her wonderful friendship.
La Vida Vegga. I love Kelly's writing style--she has a great voice and tone, and I really enjoy her sense of humor.
Dancing Through Life. I don't think Ashley is participating in MoFo, but new MoFo readers (*waves hi*) should know about her anyway. I love how she speaks her truth.
The PPK. Duh. Who in our community isn't grateful for Isa Moskowitz? She totally rocks!
Born in Our Hearts. She's not a vegan, but she's still my BFF, and her blog inspired me to blog.

Show the bloggy love, dear readers. Whose blogs are you grateful for?

xoxo,

Loosely Themed Tapas Tuesday (VeganMoFo Day 2)

2010-11-02T19:25:00.001-04:00

Happy Day 2 of MoFo! I'm leaving Austin tomorrow morning. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'll be happy to get home and back to my normal day to day life in South Beach, but I'm really looking forward to home and my normal day to day life being here.

My BFF Kenda arrived today (she lives in London), as did her Aunt Cindy and Uncle John (I've been staying at their house, babysitting their pooch). Cindy and John spent most of today flying from Hawaii (changing planes in Salt Lake City), so I made sure they came home to a good meal.

I made one of my usual big "Gigilicious" Salads, Roasted Squash Soup, White Bean and Kale Crostini (a slight nod to my Tapas Tuesday theme), and Chocolate Banana Pudding with Raspberries.

Roasted Squash Soup

(serves 8-ish)

Ingredients

Veggie Broth (I used a 4c box)

2-3 c Non-Dairy Milk of your choosing

1/4 c maple syrup

Squash of your choosing (I used 1 butternut and 2 delicata), cubed

1 Medium Onion, halved, then quartered and separated

4-6 cloves of garlic, smashed

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Process

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, s&p in a roasting pan (or two). Roast for 20 minutes, give them a stir with a spatula, roast for another 20 minutes.

Combine broth, milk, and syrup in a stockpot on the stove top, and turn the heat on low.

Add the squash, etc. to the liquid, and puree with an immersion blender. Simmer on low, then serve.

White Bean & Kale Crostini
Ingredients
Baguette cut on the bias into 3/4" slices
1 can navy beans, rinsed (I wanted cannellini beans, but couldn't find any)
5 leaves lacinato kale (because that's how much I had left)
1 clove garlic
2-3 tbsp nooch (nutritional yeast)
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Process
Combine all of the above ingredients (not the baguette, sillies), in your food processor. Set your oven to broil, spread the mixture on the baguette slices, broil for 2 minutes, and serve immediately.

I forgot to take pictures of the Chocolate Banana Pudding, but it's pretty much the same recipe as the Chocolate Banana Soft Serve, but the bananas aren't frozen because I left my Vita-Mix at home.

So far, I've made my way through "A" of the VeganMoFo Blogroll, and I'm already super excited about some of the new-to-me blogs I've added to my reader. I'm going to try to make my way through "B" right now, before I go out on the town with Kenda (YAY for my last night in Austin with a BFF!). Since it's Election Day (I voted early), I'll leave you with this important message I saw on a bumper sticker this morning in the Whole Foods parking lot:

xoxo,
LJ

Happy World Vegan Day, Happy VeganMoFo IV (day 1), Happy still-in-Austin!

2010-11-01T21:11:00.004-04:00

Happy World Vegan Day, Y'all! And Happy VeganMoFo, MoFo's! I played with so many theme ideas for this year (I was pretty random last year)--I wanted to do all raw or all low fat or all comfort food. But then I finally decided that I wanted to play with alliteration and do a different theme every day. So, here goes:

Meat-Substitute Mondays (a play on Meat-Free Mondays and an answer to the question that plagues all vegans: "Where do you get your protein?")
Tapas Tuesdays (a day honoring favorite finger foods...heh, more alliteration)
Wednesdays are Still for Gratitude (no alliteration, sorry, but definitely will be MoFo themed)
Thirsty Thursdays (a day dedicated to smoothies and juices)
Fast Food Fridays (meals that can be made quickly and/or a diatribe against the fast food machine)
Weekends, much like Jokers, are Wild (anything goes on the weekends...even a couple days off)

I'll get to today's Meat Substitute in just a moment. But first, I have more Austin Fun to share. Today, I met up with my friend Nanette. We met on Twitter--she's a rockin' vegan realtor, and we had a blast today. She picked me up and we went straight to Daily Juice (the one on Lake Austin Blvd)--YUM! Then we drove around and looked at neighborhoods. I can't even express how much I love it here, everything is beautiful and historical and wonderful...I'm so excited to move here. I'm definitely feeling the Clarksville/Old West Austin area, and I could tell that Nanette totally gets what I'm about when she mentioned looking at garage apartments and older homes converted into apartments.

Daily Juice

After our driving tour, we headed over to Casa de Luz for lunch. More YUM.

Today's Menu

Carrot Sweet Potato Ginger Soup &
Salad w/ Walnut Hemp Raisin Dressing

Quinoa Salad
Rutabaga,Parsnip,kabocha and Carrots
Greens w/ Pepita Cilantro Sauce
Great Northern Beans
Arame Salad and Hijiki Salad
Kimchee

Oh look! The above photo has a whole lot of protein...in fact, what some might even call...Meat Substitutes! Beans, beans do more than make you fart (or toot depending on which version of the rhyme you know); they are high in both fiber and protein, and are, therefore, quite good for you. One cup of Great Northern Beans, in fact has 50% of the US RDA of fiber, 21% of the US RDA of iron, and 15g of high quality protein (NutritionData.com).

But wait! There's more! I didn't even get to the Quinoa yet! One cup of Quinoa has 21% of the US RDA of fiber, 15% of the US RDA of iron, and 8g of high quality protein (NutritionData.com). All of that with NONE of the cholesterol you'd get from meat. So there, naysayers! ;)

So my dear readers? How many of you are MoFo'ing this year? Any fun themes and plans? Who else is on your blogroll that you'd recommend? Spread the MoFo love!

xoxo,

More Austin Explorations

2010-10-31T23:24:00.001-04:00

So in my preparations for this visit, I created a personalized Google Map with landmarks that are important to me (grocery stores, restaurants, farmer's markets, thrift shops, yoga studios...you know, things that matter to me). Some friends recommended a few neighborhoods that they thought I'd like, they're on the map too.

Being the foodie-without-a-car that I am, a big part of the where-I'll-live decision is based on which grocery store I like best. I've already been to the big shmancy Whole Foods (twice) and Central Market, so today, I took a field trip to Wheatsville Co-Op. I was really stoked to check this place out, because I love the concept. I loved it because it reminded me of my Miami Beach Whole Foods (it's small and super friendly), and I definitely enjoyed their salad bar.

Down the street from Wheatsville is Buffalo Exchange, the rockin'est thrift/vintage shop I've ever been to. It's well organized with a huge selection, and the people who work there are super awesome. I don't generally enjoy shopping for clothes, but I actually tried on a lot, and ended up with two new-to-me shirts and a new-to-me dress. Score!

And now I'm exhausted and ready for more food and exploring tomorrow!

xoxo,
LJ

(P.S. I'm feeling that the neighborhood with the big shmancy Whole Foods is going to be the winner, but I'll decide that for sure tomorrow.)

Austin Day 4

2010-10-31T01:16:00.001-04:00

Another great day in Austin and another night that I'm totally exhausted. I work from home--I'm not used to all this go-go-going all day long.

First, I had lunch with my San Antonio family (they drove up to see me--YAY) at Mr. Natural's south location. It's a vegetarian, though very vegan friendly, buffet. It has mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it (so much that I forgot to take a picture of my plate).

Uncle Neal, Aunt Lucy, LJ, cousins Martina & Darren

bumpersticker I saw today, another reason I heart Austin

Tonight, I went to a Halloween Party / Potluck organized by Vegans Rock Austin--it was especially fun because I got to hang out with some of the new friends I met Thursday night. I've been waiting for a reason to wear my Carrollton uniform again (that I wore about five years ago when I dressed as a student on Dress-as-your-Favorite-Teacher-Day), so tonight, I was a Zombie School Girl. I made a tofu frittata (mushroom, spinach, scallions, and garlic) and chocolate covered pomegranate seeds (SO yummy and SO easy--all I did was melt some chocolate, mix the pomegranate seeds in, and then drop them onto a cookie sheet by the (approximate) tablespoonful!).

Zombie School Girl

Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Seeds

Not sure what I'm up to for tomorrow, but going to try to sleep in. Happy Halloween!

xoxo,
LJ

Austin Days 2 & 3

2010-10-29T21:56:00.001-04:00

Austin. I'm seriously already madly in love with this city. There was never any question in my mind that moving here will be the right decision, so the past couple of days have really reinforced that.

Yesterday, my friend Jen from college (the last time I saw her was 1995!) drove down with her two-year-old, Jack. We spent a couple hours at Zilker Park and then had lunch at Central Market (they have a great cafe and salad bar and a kids' play area--Jack played, and Jen and I got to catch up).

Taking a Pic of Ourselves just like in the Good Ol' Days

Jack & Me @ Central Market. If I eat him up, am I a bad vegan?

Yummy Salad Bar Salad from Central Market

After Jen and Jack left, I took a little nap, then headed over to South Congress to check out a few thrift shops before dinner at The Vegan Yacht (Austin has a huge food truck scene--love it!) with a whole lot of awesome people from Vegans Rock Austin (hanging out with them tomorrow night for a Vegan Potluck / Halloween Party too! YAY!).

Vegan Frito Pie @ the Vegan Yacht. YUM! (sorry it's so dark)

I took it easy this morning (it was 51 degrees when I woke up, and my thin Miami blood wasn't ready to leave the house), and then at noon I had an appointment at the Natural Epicurean to fill out some paper work, meet some people, and check out the space. Once again, I feel that the choices I've made have been reinforced. The people are wonderful and the space is beautiful, and I am so excited to be a student there.

Happy LJ @ the Natural Epicurean Kitchen!

After my meeting, I stopped at Bananrchy (another food truck), then browsed at Book People and wandered around Clarksville (the neighborhood where I'm 90% certain I want to live) for a bit before a great yoga class with Leigh at Black Swan Yoga (which might not have been the best idea for my toe which may or may not be broken, but I enjoyed it nonetheless).

Banana Covered in Vegan Chocolate, Nuts, & Coconut

And now, I'm hanging out with Paris while I catch up on Facebook and Twitter. Looking forward to another fun Austin day tomorrow (while my condo is finally being shown for the first time since being listed in Miami Beach!).

Gratuitous Cuteness: Paris

xoxo,
LJ

Wednesdays are for Gratitude (Live from AUSTIN!)

2010-10-27T23:17:00.001-04:00

So I arrived in Austin today. I'm here for a week to get my bearings, meet with people at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, meet up with old and new friends, and figure out where I want to live when I get here permanently. I'm exhausted from a long day of travel, but I always have time for gratitude.

Today, I am grateful for:

My friend Silvia for taking me to the airport.
Southwest Airlines for getting me here safely.
My BFF Kenda's Aunt Cindy for a place to stay (with a gorgeous kitchen stocked with "toys," including a Wolf gas cooktop with six burners), a car to drive, and the cutest little Pomeranian named Paris to babysit.
Vegans Rock Austin, Meetup, and Twitter for helping me get in touch with the Austin Vegan Community and make new friends.
Whole Foods. Just for existing. Oh and for the delish made-to-order Vegan Burrito and Vegan Chocolate Mousse I had tonight at their flagship store on 6th and Lamar. Swoon.

Whole Foods Parking Lot

Vegan Prepared Foods

Vegan. Vegan. Vegan. Vegan. Vegan.

This pic doesn't even begin to give the vino section justice.

Barely half of the bulk section.

Bulk Spices.

Of course I had to buy a bag. Duh.

Now it's your turn, dear readers. What are you grateful for today?

xoxo,

Grown-Up Decisions

2010-10-23T11:42:00.006-04:00

At the age of 37, I'm finally making some really responsible (read: not impulsive) decisions. I'd been planning on moving to Austin the end of June 2011, when I finish my current contract year with FLVS, and attending school full time at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts. I was going to look for part time work, and in my late 30s, I was actually planning on becoming a poor student again.

What? Why? Ridiculous.

Yes, life would only be crappy for a year, but why have a crappy hard year when I can keep my rockin' online job (and financial stability) and go to school part time, right?! There were so many things weighing on me, and so much coming up that I wouldn't be able to do.

And then, I was on the phone with my friend Sunday on Wednesday night. She's like my work soul mate (she's a Taurus, of course, and if you know anything about Taurus and Virgo...well, we're basically like a power couple, lol). We were brainstorming like we've never brainstormed before, finishing each other's sentences, really getting our creative groove on. We have some really big ideas (we're like positive energy revolutionaries!), and I knew right then that there was no way I could leave FLVS, or even move into an adjunct position. As much as I'm amped to follow my dream to become a vegan chef, I have other dreams about education that I just can't drop.

Thursday morning, I talked with my parents, my boss (love that I can work online from anywhere!), and the awesome people at the Natural Epicurean, and it's all arranged for me to start the part time professional vegan chef program in January 2012. Do I have to wait a little longer? Sure. But following my dream(s) while maintaining financial stability is worth waiting for. And here are a few more benefits:

I'll have time and money to attend Vida Vegan Con in August 2011.
I'll be able to have one more birthday celebration with my Miami Beach Family in September 2011.
I'll have an easier time getting out of debt (without accruing more debt).
I'll be stylin' with my Miami Beach Salary in the Austin Cost of Living.

Yes. A very big and responsible decision indeed. Even bigger than the fact that I've been thinking about and planning my second veganniversary tattoo (15 February 2011) for a few months instead of just running willy-nilly into a tattoo shop. (If you know what lurks behind the lotus on my right arm, you know that this is a really big deal too.)

xoxo,

Wednesdays are for Gratitude

2010-10-20T17:21:00.004-04:00

I'm super busy with great stuff happening at work (and more importantly, with my upcoming trip to Austin (which includes Halloween!)--leaving a week from today!). But I always have time for a little gratitude!

Today, I am grateful for:

Everyone who commented on my "Support Group" post--here, on Facebook, and on Twitter--it's so good to know that I'm not alone. I went with some friends Monday night to a real life support group for eating disorders at Synergy, and I think I might actually go every week. It feels like a good way to check in.
My friend Ari. For a lot of reasons. I don't think she even realizes what a positive influence she is on my life.
My new work friends Sunday, Stephanie, and Carla. Jeannine, Michelle, and I are all so excited to be embarking on this new project with the three of you. Thank you for being so receptive and excited and open about everything we're doing for kids.
Everyone who is wearing purple today. I love the solidarity of everyone--gay, straight, bisexual, transgender--standing up together against bullying.

Wow. I just realized that every"thing" I'm grateful for today is a person. Knowing myself as I do, this makes sense.

Your turn, dear readers, WHO are you grateful for today?

xoxo,

Blog as Support Group

2010-10-14T09:30:00.005-04:00

I joke a lot about my sweet tooth and my love of comfort food. But as I look back on my life, I realize that my relationship with food has really been less than funny. I'm an emotional eater, and I have some bad habits that, as healthfully as I try to eat, are still hard to break.

I suffered from severe clinical depression for most of my life. I was finally diagnosed in my late 20s, was on anti-depressants for years (starting on the highest dosage and making my way down to the lowest as I worked on all of my shit), and am finally medication free due to a great combination of exercise (yoga and biking), meditation, and (mostly) clean eating. (And I mean entirely medication free--no more migraines or acid reflux either, both ailments I used to take frequent and/or daily meds for.) What I learned from Eat to Live (primarily about eating a high percentage of raw) is what finally made all of that possible.

I was also fat. When I was married, I was a lot closer to the 200 lb mark than I would like to admit. And even though I've lost a lot of weight, I still see myself as heavy. Most of my friends are a lot thinner than I am, and though I usually have a great deal of self confidence, and though I also know that we all have completely different metabolisms, body types, etc, it's really hard, in a society so obsessed with body image, to not compare myself with them.

I've noticed my weight creeping up lately. And my skin breaking out. And frequent heartburn. Come into my house, and you'd never know about my sneaky bad eating habits. Unless I'm entertaining, all I eat in the house is smoothies, salads, and fresh fruit--nothing processed, ever (and yes, there are certain things I won't allow myself to bring into the house because I know my habits). But watch my behavior in Whole Foods, and it's a whole 'nother story. I buy things and eat them in the store or on my way home--very unhealthy bingeing sitch right there, especially with how often I'm at Whole Foods. So I finally realized that I need to make some serious changes (starting with my own awareness, as well as owning up to my sneaky eating). I've alluded to these a few times here and on Twitter over the past couple of days, so here they finally are:

Limit Soy--I'm still going to allow myself edamame and tempeh, but the tofu has got to go. It's processed and it gives me hella gas (and the Whole Foods Buffalo Garlic Tofu is one of my binge items).
Limit Gluten--I've read so much on so many blogs about how much better people feel by eliminating gluten. And with my Whole Foods Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie (another binge item) habit, as well as my undying love of breads and pastas, it's time for me to give gluten-free a serious try.
Limit Sugar--I really need to conquer this sweet tooth. Fruit really does satisfy me. So does homemade sorbet in the Vitamix (with a little agave or maple syrup as sweetener). And I can avoid baked goods.
Work on my Self Control--this should actually be #1. Notice that I said limit above, as opposed to eliminate. I'm a realist, and an entertainer, and my Thanksgiving "turkey" is going to be seitan based. But I tend to overeat (read: binge) when I entertain (before, during, and after said entertaining). I'm working on "healthifying" some favorite desserts (eliminating gluten and sugar to the best of my ability), but, well.... This is a big one, about which I need to be constantly vigilant.

This was not an easy post to write, dear readers--it took a few days (over which I actually lost a few lbs!). Thank you for reading, and thank you for your support. I am stronger just knowing that you're there.

xoxo,

Wednesdays are for Gratitude

2010-10-13T16:09:00.008-04:00

I'm having kind of a busy day--conference call at 8:30, co-leading a webinar at 12:00, another conference call at 3:00, teaching yoga at 6:30--but I wanted to make sure that I made time for Gratitude Wednesday.

Today I am grateful for:

My friends. I have really, really, really great friends. Online friends. Friends I've known for a very long time. New friends. Friends that are (literally) family. Friends that are (figuratively) family. Friends that live nearby. Friends that live far, far away. Friends I can talk to about anything and everything and nothing. I am so blessed by my friends.
And along those same lines, all of the support I get. Not just from my bras (though that's important too). The support I get from my friends and my family, especially my parentals, to follow my dreams. And the support I get from the online vegan community--I'm about to make some changes to my diet, limiting soy, gluten, and sugar, and I know that I'll be able to follow through with those changes, because I'm making it public knowledge.
My Mommy. For everything in general, but in this moment specifically, for helping me pay for a dress on Etsy that I really want, but wouldn't have gotten because I'm not good at justifying spending money on clothes. (Mine will be hot pink w/ white polka dots with a black tulle petticoat.)
My friend Janie. She's an awesome realtor, full of excellent and realistic advice, and I know she's going to do everything she can to make sure my condo gets sold.
Granny Smith Apples. Seriously. These are my most favorite apples in the whole. wide. world. I just googled them, in fact, and learned that they "originated in Australia in 1868 from a chance seedling propagated by Maria Ann Smith" (Wikipedia). So thank you, Maria Ann "Granny" Smith, for that happy little appley delicious accident. My life is more tasty because of you.

And now it's your turn, dear readers. What are you grateful for this week?

xoxo,

Noochie Patooties, Take 1

2010-10-11T21:08:00.006-04:00

So I'm starting to plot and plan for the Second Annual Veganlicious South Beach Thanksgiving Feast. We got red potatoes in our share today (it's funny how I've done a complete 180 about potatoes--they used to be my number one favorite (and one of the only veggies I ate until about five years ago); now I'm lucky if I can finish them before they go bad!).

The combination of the potatoes, Kathy (Healthy-Happy-Life) mentioning nooch in a tweet, and the exhaustion I always feel at the end of Produce Day, gave me a craving for something easy, which actually turned into a prep-for-Thanksgiving experiment.

Ingredients

Red Potatoes (they're small, I made one serving w/ two potatoes)

Splash of Hemp Milk

Tbsp of Nooch

Garlic Powder (next time, I'll use roasted garlic)

Salt & Pepper

Process

Give the potatoes a coarse chop, bring to a boil, then simmer until fork tender.

Add the other ingredients, then mash.

Eat and enjoy.

Easy Peasy.

This was a tasty little snack, super easy (please, I could make mashed potatoes with my eyes closed), and nicely lower fat since I omitted the Earth Balance that I normally would have included to excess! I may very well make these for Thanksgiving...or, I may have some other tricks up my sleeve (Ali's Mashed Millet and Cauliflower is always a winner)...we shall see....

xoxo,

Wednesdays are for Gratitude (The Tech Edition)

2010-10-06T11:50:00.004-04:00

I look forward to Wednesdays so very much. Life is so good, and I have SO much to be grateful for, but for today, I'm going to focus on a theme: Technology:

I am grateful for my Grandpa Hal for teaching me about computers in the early 80s, which set me up for a great career, and so much more online delight. He died in 1986. I wish so much that he was still alive to see what we're up to today. He would sooo love this.
I am grateful for Twitter for enhancing my relationships with other Vegan Bloggers, for inspiring me to write a lot more, and for creating dialogues on important issues.
I am grateful for the invention of the iPhone. I love having my phone, my planner, my iPod, my camera, (and so much more) all on one device. I'll be upgrading to the iPhone 4 soon, I hope.
I am grateful for Meet-Up, Facebook, Google Maps, and sooooo many other sites (Austin Neighborhoods, Austin Farmers Market, Austin on Two Wheels, etc, etc.) for providing so much wonderful info on Austin. My visit the end of the month, and moving there, are going to be so much easier because of all of the research at my fingertips.
I am grateful for FLVS for giving me an awesome job that keeps me in my pajamas, and allows me to help other teachers help their students.

And now, my dear readers, it's your turn. What are you grateful for today?

xoxo,

P.S. I'm also grateful that VeganMofo is coming up again next month! I'm going to try for a theme this year, not sure what yet. Sign up here.

The High Cost of Fashion: A Moral Dilemma

2010-10-05T19:28:00.008-04:00

It's not always easy to shop with a conscience. As a vegan and a yogi and a (just see my bio--it's to your right), I try to make the best decisions that I can for animals, for the planet, and for all humans. "Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu / May all beings be happy and free"--I really try to live by that mantra.

So if that means that I no longer shop at Old Navy because they throw away their plastic hangers, then I no longer shop at Old Navy (and I used to love their clothes). Period.

With my rather hippified sense of style, it's not too hard to shop for clothes. Etsy is always my first choice for shopping--I love them for upcycled and handmade tops and dresses. Land's End has sustainable and responsible policies and practices. Anything I buy on World of Good is people positive, eco positive, animal friendly, and/or supports a cause. I have a huge folder full of bookmarks for online clothes shopping, and in real life, I also frequent thrift stores and small boutiques. I don't want to pay a lot and I want my footprint to be small.

So what happens when my favorite sandals that I wear every day that are actually pretty ugly anyway break?!

I have a problem with shoes. First of all, I don't even really like shoes (I'm sorry Mom--maybe I was switched at birth and your real shoe-loving daughter is out there somewhere shopping for shoes right now, teehee!). Honestly, I'd prefer to be barefoot, but that's not exactly practical.

I needed new sandals and I needed them now. I did a little online shopping around: Alternative Outfitters, Moo Shoes, Ragazzi Vegan, Ahimsa Footwear...all my usual haunts. But everything I like is (of course) really expensive (see Mom, I do have good taste in shoesies!) and I'm trying really hard to save money right now.

So I went to Payless. Sigh. Cute shoes? Yes. Manmade alternatives to leather? Yes. Great prices? Yes. Sounds like a win, right? Maybe. I saw that little "Made in China" sticker on the bottom of a pair of sandals, and I had an immediate vision of a sweatshop full of human rights violations. I'm assuming the worst right now, and I am going to do more research.

But I'm not going to beat myself up about it (any more).

I bought the shoes. I felt guilty and pissed off about it for a while, and this post started composing itself in my head as I biked home (I stopped at Whole Foods on the way, it made me feel better). But writing this post was actually cathartic for me...it made me realize that I can't be perfect all the time (yeah, you try telling that to a double Virgo!). My footprint is still smaller than most people's, and the decisions I (usually) make are the most conscious ones they can be.

So now I'm going to put on my new sandals and bike over to Ari's house so she can be proud of my cute new shoesies.

But before I go, dear readers, what's your take on the high cost of fashion? Where do you draw the line?

xoxo,

Impromptu Dinner Party

2010-10-03T23:41:00.010-04:00

Tonight's Impromptu Dinner Party with Ari, Miguel, Barbie, and Pink (Ari's Doggie) was inspired by Roma Tomatoes from my produce share.

At 5:30, I decided that I wanted to make Roasted Tomato Sauce. I texted Ari, and a couple hours later, friends were here and dinner was on the table.

I served Chick Pea Cutlets (Veganomicon p. 133) on a bed of Cheezy Quinoa Polenta, with Balsamic Glazed Asparagus, Roasted Tomato Sauce (see above link for technique), and a garnish of Sprouts.

For dessert, I served Grape Sorbet from the Vitamix with Banana Caramel, Almonds, and Raw Cacao Nibs.

Techniques

Cheezy Quinoa Polenta

In the rice/pasta aisle of my Whole Foods, they sell those tubes of polenta. I was super curious when I saw the quinoa polenta with ivory, red, and black quinoa, so I bought it. I mashed it up in a pot over medium heat with some veggie stock, a little salt & pepper, garlic powder, and some Daiya Mozzarella. Ari and I both went back for seconds.

Grape Sorbet

Frozen Grapes

Agave Nectar (or Maple Syrup)

Vanilla

Hemp Milk

Blend, blend, blend in the Vitamix.

The most fun about this meal for me was the spontaneity of it. Now, I love planning big dinner parties: thinking up the menu (I'm already planning Thanksgiving), making long shopping lists, organizing my day (or two) of cooking...it's exhausting, but I love it. But tonight was just as much fun for my Virgo self. I watch a lot of cooking challenge shows, and I often wonder about my skills under the pressure of time.

This is what I noticed: prepping a small dinner party at the last minute really brings out my creativity and ability to improvise. And this feels good. Very good.

Tonight, I had the tomato sauce idea, so I got the tomatoes roasting, made the sorbet, and made a quick Whole Foods run. I knew that I wanted to make the cutlets, and as I biked, I thought of the asparagus. The polenta was the most spontaneous element, and it was (in my opinion) the best part of the meal.

What about you, dear readers? Do you enjoy planning elaborate meals? What about at the last minute? When do you feel the most creative in the kitchen?

xoxo,

Use Your NOODLE!!!

2010-10-02T11:32:00.003-04:00

If you know me at all, then you know that I've always been a freak for pasta. I love, love, LOVE it, and then I eat way too much and I regret, regret, REGRET it. For a couple of days.

So, as I said yesterday, I was pretty excited to try the Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles that Gena wrote about last week on Choosing Raw. So much so that when I got home last night (it was after midnight), I decided that I had to try them. So I opened up a package, gave them a quick rinse (actually, let them soak for a couple of minutes while I made the sauce, but that's not required), and made Averie's 2-Minute Peanut Sauce.

The verdict? DELISH!!! For the record, there really isn't much pasta-like about these kelp noodles, other than the fact that they look like pasta. Maybe boiling them would give them a more pasta-like texture, which I might try if I decide to use them with tomato sauce, but I actually really like their subtle crunchy texture. And Averie's Peanut Sauce? Also delish, and really only takes two minutes!!!

Definitely a win-win! And now, off to the beach!

xoxo,

Lunch and Shopping!!!

2010-10-01T15:14:00.006-04:00

My friend Jason and I have been trying to go to The Honey Tree for what seems like months, and we finally got there today (pretty good reviews via word of mouth and on Happy Cow). YUMMY! Worth the wait, but also beating ourselves up for not going sooner, LOL. We ran into a mutual friend there, Carmen, who didn't know we knew each other (Jason is her yoga teacher, I'm her produce dealer, small world), so we all had lunch together.

The Honey Tree is basically a health food/product store with fresh lunch being served in the back. Almost everything they had was Vegan, YAY! I tried a little bit of everything. The greens (4:00 on the plate) were one of my favorites, as was the slaw (9:00), and the vegan "meat" loaf (12:00, seitan based) was phenomenal (and I was a meatloaf hater back in my omnivore days).

Then, being, well, me, I had two desserts. (Stop laughing! I didn't plan it that way! Really!) First I had the guava and soy cheese pastelito (ahhh, I'd been missing my traditional Miami desserts since becoming vegan), but then they brought out this chocolate mousse pie, and I couldn't resist...I just couldn't, it was SOOOO good!!!

And then, we shopped! It was a little pricy, so I just looked for some obscure things that I haven't seen at my Whole Foods. First, I found this Aztec Secret Healing Clay which I'm masque'ing with right now (no photos, but believe me, I'm lookin' good, haha). Then, I found the Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles that I've been wanting to try since Gena blogged about them last week on Choosing Raw. I almost ordered them from the website, but I had to order by the case, and the shipping cost was really high. That's why I did a little dance of joy when I found them today. I bought three packages, but I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to try them because, ummm, I'm a little full right now.

Have a great weekend, bloggie friends!

xoxo,

Gratitude Wednesdays, Tropical Storm Brunch, and a Matinee

2010-09-29T14:49:00.008-04:00

I love the rain. I have no fear of getting wet (as long as my iPhone is protected), and it's actually really fun to ride my bike when it's pouring. For years, I didn't even own an umbrella (and I live in South Florida--we have "the rainy season" here)--I only own one now because it was a birthday present...and I don't even mind using it (I've used it once, LOL). We're having a bit of a tropical storm situation today (nbd), so while I'm a little bummed to not be lying on the beach during my week off, I'm still having a great day.

So, without further ado, today I am grateful for:

My rockin' boss Veronica for giving me (and my teammates) the week off to relax and regroup before we start the next big thing on Tuesday.
Ari and Silvia for their friendship and love--thanks for our brunch and movie day!
Silvia for showing how well she knows me with a great upcycled purse for my birthday (it's bottlecaps!)
The tropical storm for providing me with perfect afternoon nap weather.
How much more affordable (and environmentally friendly) it is to rent a bike instead of a car for my visit to Austin at the end of the month.

And now, onto Brunch! We had:

Smoothies (celery, carrot, ginger, date, blueberry, gojiberry, grape, flaxseed, and hempmilk all sent for a whirl in the Vitamix)
Fennel Breakfast Risotto (Vegan Brunch, p. 48, but added broccoli to the recipe when I added the red pepper and shallots...I have a lot of broccoli to use up)
Sweet Potato Hashbrowns (used the technique from VB, p. 114, but with sweet potatoes instead of yukon golds, and therefore, also including maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg) Super excited to use my muffin square pan and these were CRAZY DELICIOUS!!! I'll be making them again, and often.

After brunch, being that it's perfect movie weather, and there would be no lines because everyone is at work/school, we went to see Easy A. This movie was fantastic--I wouldn't mind seeing it again, and it might make its way into my Top 20. It's incredibly witty, has a terrific cast, an intelligent basis in literature, and excellent allusions to some of my favorite 80s high school movies. I highly recommend it.

And so dear readers, being that it's Wednesday, so I close by asking...what are you grateful for this week?

xoxo,
LJ

"What's in a name?

2010-09-28T16:32:00.007-04:00

That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."

My name is Laura Jill Steinig. I'm pretty attached to it.

I had another last name, briefly. My paternal grandfather died shortly after my divorce, and I vowed to never change my last name again...to honor him, to honor my father, to honor my heritage, to honor my feminist ideals...to honor my identity.

I remember when I found out that even the non-leather Birkenstocks had suede footbeds and were, therefore, not vegan. I'd been wearing only Birkis for years (I'm not even exaggerating, I'd been known to even wear them with a business suit). Not being able to wear them really messed with my head, who am I without my favorite footwear?! I've obviously since come to terms with that identity crisis (thanks, in large part, to shops like Alternative Outfitters), but it was a crisis nonetheless.

But back to my name. For most of my life, I've been known as Laura (as well as an unending variety of nicknames that all start with "L" supplied by my younger brother (Lulu and Laryngitis being some of his best work)). But in recent years, primarily online and by a small group of my real life friends, I've become known by my full name, Laura Jill, or as my initials, LJ, and I really like it. It still feels a little awkward to hear it/say it out loud, but I think I can get used to it, and more importantly, I think I want to get used to it.

I'm about to begin a new and exciting phase in my life. I'm selling my condo, quitting my job, and moving halfway across the country to go to vegan culinary school. Maybe adjusting to a different form of my name is part of adjusting to this new life, maybe it's part of adjusting to a new aspect of my identity.

So you can call me Laura. Or, you can call me Laura Jill. Or, best of all (I think, right now), you can call me LJ.

Just don't call me Jill. I won't answer.

xoxo,

Back on the Mat

2010-09-26T00:31:00.013-04:00

I was first introduced to Yoga in 1998. I was on a cruise with my family (15 of us--aunts, uncles, cousins--to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday), and I was spending a lot of time with my Aunt Grace, and she shared a few poses with me. I was immediately hooked. Yoga was perfect for me--I always hated PE Class, joined gyms only to let membership money go to waste, you know, maybe you've been there too?

But Yoga was different. It wasn't just physical--it had mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects that I felt on a subconscious level from the very first moment. And I felt really good after practicing. So when I moved to Dallas shortly after that trip, I bought a few videos (on VHS!) with Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden and I started practicing. I wasn't yet practicing consistently, but like I said, I felt really good whenever I did.

Fast forward a couple years and I'd moved to Miami and was suffering through a craptastic marriage. In November 2002, I wrote in my journal a list of things to do that would make my life better. Number One on that list was "Find a Studio & Practice Yoga Regularly." I found an Iyengar studio, and practiced there for a couple of years. Fast forward a few more years to 2005 and I'm happily divorced, practicing Vinaysa, and earning my Teacher Certification, followed shortly by my Prenatal Teacher Certification.

Unfortunately, as really good as I feel when I'm practicing regularly, setbacks happen. A hip injury. Busy at work. And I'm not ashamed to admit it, laziness. Suddenly, I found myself practicing, at most, once a week. And even though I eat super healthfully (for the most part, though I do, as most of my readers know, have an incurable sweet tooth, and lifelong issues with emotional eating), I felt terrible in my body. My teaching was suffering. And my business suit pants at Staff Conference (ahem, 2 weeks ago) were a little uncomfortable. And, um, so were my jeans.

And then suddenly, I find myself Back on the Mat. On Wednesday. On Thursday. On Saturday (twice). On Sunday. And I find myself fascinated by muscle memory, because all the binds, all the arm balances, they're coming back to me. And I feel FANTASTIC, like I'm back in my own body again. For me, Yoga is comfort food. When I'm practicing consistently, I have more power to resist those Whole Foods Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, more power to resist Daiya melted all over a flour tortilla, more power to resist Macaroni and Chreese...and that's a good thing.

Already, some of those extra LBs I gained recently are coming off. Already, I like better what I see in the mirror. Already, and most importantly, I feel stronger and more flexible, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I'm sharing this post because I needed to put into words how I'm feeling. If I start to get lazy again, I can come back to this post as a reminder. I feel so great to be eating right and exercising, and I don't want to lose this feeling...body, mind, and spirit....

For me, Yoga, in addition to a balanced vegan diet, is the key to a healthy life. What's the key to yours, dear readers?

xoxo,

Wednesdays are for Gratitude

2010-09-22T19:57:00.002-04:00

Huge shout out to my awesome cousin Becca for inspiring me to join her in doing a special blog post every Wednesday.

Today, I am grateful for:

Becca for being an inspiration
The interwebs for bringing me closer to my cousins even though they're far far away
FLVS for gifting us with Jon Gordon's The Energy Bus at last week's Staff Conference (great read!)
Ari for a great class tonight in the park, and for Savasana just as the Moon was rising...love getting my asana on!
All of the signs that the universe is giving me (daily!) to show that I'm on my path

And now, dear readers, what are you grateful for?

xoxo,

Super Sorbet Day

2010-09-21T21:05:00.005-04:00

I'm in the process of auditioning for an episode of HGTV's My First Sale. I submitted my application last Monday, spoke with a producer that day, and today, they sent a production assistant to my house for a casting shoot. It took about an hour and a half--he interviewed my realtor Janie, my friend (my "sounding board") Diana, and myself. It was a lot of fun, and I have a really good feeling that we're going to get the episode.

Now, I couldn't possibly let all of these people into my home and not feed them, right?!

From 500 Vegan Recipes, I made the Broccoli Hummus (p. 84). The hummus is all kinds of yummus, and I got to use up some of my broccoli from my share (we've been getting a lot of broccoli lately).

By the way, does anyone else get Chopping Broccoli stuck in their heads when they're chopping broccoli or is it just Kristi and me?

I also had all sorts of fun with my Vitamix today. I made three kinds of sorbet. All super easy and fast. From left to right, we have Red Bartlett Pear, Gala Apple, and Plum. The process was exactly the same for each, and if you are so blessed, as I am, to own a Vitamix, you can really do this with pretty much any fruit.

Ingredients

(measurements are, as they often are, my best guesses)

2-3 c Frozen Fruit of Choice (in this case, pears, apples, or plums)

1-2 tbsp Agave Nectar

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 c Coconut Milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you have on hand, I like the thickness of coconut)

Process

Toss it all in your Vita, start it on variable speed 1, quickly working up toward high, using the tamper repeatedly to push everything down into the blades for about 30 seconds. Eat and enjoy!

xoxo,