Bathing Suit Weather

It is happening, just as it happens this time every year. The desert is heating up and the weaker beautiful plants are wilting and dying. I say it every year, but I hate the summers in Arizona. As a wee lass I loved it, I would run barefoot on the sweltering, hot asphalt in my Wonder Woman underoos screaming out in joy. I never once complained of the discomfort of the heat, nor did I dream of bath tubs filled with ice and a car with air conditioning. Now as and adult-child (not quite a real adult) I feel the summer depression hit. No longer will I be able to go on my three to four hour bike rides (unless I desire heat stroke) baking will turn from a passion into a horrifying hellish nightmare as the kitchen heats up but never cools down and I will be sticky with sweat from now until October. I despise Arizona summers. So to cheer myself up from the inevitable discomfort that is vastly approaching I went online and found photos of what real summers look like, summers where people can go outside and play and I have also added a few photos of my own from the last week that will hopefully let Spring linger on in my heart a bit longer.






"oh woman, I wanna go surfing. I don't care about nothing"


her shorts are lovely!

and on to my photos




taken by Dani

Ask A Vegan! Pt. 2

This week's Vegan is none other than the wonderful Katie at Unkamama. She is so friggen' cool and creative I had to feature her on my blog. I have a list of all the Vegans I want to feature and she was right near the top! I was introduced to Katie (via blogspot) by the amazing Courtney (also Vegan) and I have been one smitten kitten ever since. I hope you enjoy her answers and check out her blog. She is truly something special.

Name: Katie
Age: 29
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Website: kjjventura.blogspot.com


at an anti-fur protest with son John

How long have you been Vegan?
Since February 2009

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I had been a vegetarian for about 5 years. I knew that I needed to make the next step, but I kept talking myself out of it and just generally deluding myself about the egg and dairy industries. In February 2009, I saw a small documentary called Seeing Through the Fence. The movie really resonated with me, and made me feel like a hypocrite for being a lacto/ovo vegetarian. I really felt like I wasn't doing enough, so many animals are hurt because of the factory farming industries that I was still supporting. The next day I became a vegan and never once have I regretted it.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I lost about 60 pounds after I went vegan. I feel much better, but I still have a long way to go. I am a strict vegan, but I am not the healthiest vegan. I am learning to be a better cook and to make my own stuff as opposed to buying pre-packaged stuff.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Totally, I am proud to be a vegan and love to answer questions for people. I just try very hard not to be too pushy and preachy.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
I try to be, but this is another area that I know I can grow in. I enjoy going to protests and I am anxious to do some leafleting when the weather cools down again.


Farm Sanctuary walk

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Everyone close to me is supportive, but they all pretty much wish I wasn't a vegan. I know a lot of my family feels like it is inconvenient for them because meals are different now. My husband, who is not vegan is incredibly supportive, and supports raising our two year old as a vegan. Most other people are just very curious about the lifestyle.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
I would say not to worry about all of the things that you will be giving up because there are so many wonderful vegan options out there now. You can almost always find some sort of vegan substitute to replace a non-vegan option. Remember that you are doing something that is going to make and impact on countless lives, including your own, so you should be proud!

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No way, I have major issues with McDonald's aside from just the food that they carry.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
I have two:
1. The famous, "Do you get enough protein?"
2. A lot of people ask me, "But you still kill plants, how do you know that they don't feel things?" I think most of the time people just to it to aggravate me, because no one could honestly believe that. (I get this same harassment. Plants have feeling too...give me a break!)

What is your favorite dish?
Veggie bake is a staple in my fridge. We just buy a bunch of veggies, prepare them, put a little oil and rosemary on top and bake it for 45 minutes or so. Awesome and easy!

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
It is our new family tradition to go to ThanksLiving at green. Last year we had a breaded "chicken" stuffing, corn, salad, bread, pecan pie...and more that I can't remember.


ThanksLiving at Green

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Hmmm, is there such a thing as a vegan cheesecake cupcake? That sounds awesome :)
(there are cheesecake brownies, so a cheesecake cupcake is VERY possible)


Thanks Katie! You are super awesome!

An Afternoon In The Park

Today I spent the day hanging out with my good friend Frank whom I have known for almost 10 years now. He asked me recently to take some photos of him practicing his Tai Chi form. He has just started a school to teach Tai Chi Ch'uan and wanted the photos for his website. Frank is very skilled at instructing and I have even taken a few classes. It was funny to see my friend very serious when teaching me the form. He actually smacked me a couple of times in order for me to stop looking at him as a friend during practice but as my teacher. Around the third or fourth smack I caught on and became a darn good student. That was over two years ago. Since then Frank has just been honing in on his skills and I am mighty impressed by what he can do. I have every bit of faith in him and I know his school will succeed. So needless to say, I was felt very honored when he asked me to take the photos for his site. We went to a park nearby and had a good afternoon hanging out at shooting some pretty sweet photos. When I came home I edited some of them and these are my favorites. Some are a little over the top, but all in good fun.


1960's Tai Chi master


my favorite


flying swordsman


technicolor


holding his chi


moving the earth around him


I gave him a "mom" tattoo :)

Ask A Vegan!

I have been wanting to do a weekly feature on my blog for a few weeks now and I wasn't sure if I was up to the Wednesday Wishes (I have more delusional fantasies then wishes)or enough tattooed friends to do the Tattoo Tuesday (most are prison grade tattoos...ha! just a joke) so I decided upon my own lil' awesome weekly thing-a-ma-bob. And now without further ado allow me to introduce...Ask A Vegan! *applause* (crowd goes wild, I think someone lost a shirt!) See what I mean by delusional? So anywho back to what I was saying, Ask A Vegan will be every Monday with a new Vegan giving me answers to some pretty rad (basic) and clever (basic) questions I have put together with my sweet and highly attune (delusional) brain. The answers will not be censored so I hope they do not offend. Since this is my very first Ask A Vegan there will definitely be needs for improvement so please if you have and suggestions or ideas please let me know. And if you are Vegan and you would like to participate, I would love it! Just shoot me an email and who knows maybe you will be next week's victim...er, I mean Vegan. (:

My first pick is my buddy Brian. He and his lady Erin are super cool! I met/stalked them at Trader Joe's. I rang them up one day and Brian was wearing this awesome Vegan shirt his friend in Phoenix made for him and it was like at first sight. We went out on our first double date not long after that, and the rest is as they say, history.

Name: Brian Straub
Age:30
Location: Tempe



How long have you been Vegan?
12 years.

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I no longer wanted to participate in the exploitation of animals for food, clothing and other products.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
The same.

Are you open about your Veganism?
I am out of the closet.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Not currently, but I founded the Animal Welfare Alliance of AZ back in the early 2000's, which was a pretty active group for a couple of years. We did some cool demonstrations at rodeos, animal research facilities, circuses and other industries that exploit animals.

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
I would consider this more than a diet, I consider veganism a lifestyle and belief system. many of my friends and some family think veganism is interesting.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Avoid thinking that becoming vegan is a huge change and difficult. Transition by eating vegan meals here and there and then switch.

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
How do you get your protein? If I become vegan, will I have a bodybuilder physique like you?:)

What is your favorite dish?
Not sure about a dish, but Asian food is my favorite.

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
Tofurkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. Last year I tied the veggie ham from the vegetarian house and it is great.

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Chocolate and peanut butter.



Please share your favorite Vegan Recipe:

It is not my favorite, but I love it.


Vegan chili

Green olives-one half 14oz jar, sliced

Morning star farms meat crumblers-1 bag

Green chilies mild diced-one 7oz can

Chili beans in sauce-one 15oz can

Kidney beans-one 15oz can

Pinto beans-one 15oz can

Plum tomatoes, whole peeled-two 28oz cans with sauce, tomatoes sliced up

Garlic-5 crushed/minced cloves

White onion-1 whole chopped

Jalapeño pepper-2 peppers chopped

Cilantro



Directions:

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Add ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, sriracha (hot sauce) sauce and cayenne powder to taste. Cook for approximately 60 minutes. Add cut cilantro to the top of chili once in bowl. Prepare for nose and rim singers.


Now, wasn't that fun?

Chocolate Jalapeno Cookies

They sound strange, I know. When I started baking them Tim made the sound of a cat yacking up a hairball. But that is OK, "Whatevs," I said and dusted my apron off. I was curious about how these little guys would turn out and much to my surprise they are my new favorite cookie. I had them at the bake sale and they got many odd stares but those souls brave enough to bite into them smiled and licked their lips in approval. They are not spicy at all, but they do have a jalapeno taste, and if you are a fan of mole poblano sauce you will definitely enjoy these.




1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup Earth Balance (squishy, room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground flax
2 T. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 jalapenos, finely diced
powdered sugar, to sprinkle on tops



Mix flour and baking soda together in bowl. In mixer beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy like a bunny. Add flax, water and vanilla and beat for about a minute. Add flour mixture to buttery gooieness and beat until smooth. Split into two sections and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about a hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease up your cookie sheets, cause' it is time to party!

Remove 1/2 of dough from refrigerator and roll out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Cut into desired shape with cookie cutters (I chose stars)sprinkle on the powdered sugar and place on cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then place on cookie rack to cool completely.

Then eat until the cows come home!

Thankful

I would like to start this post out by giving thanks to everyone who expressed concern for my sweet Adelaide. She has showed much improvement over the last two days. She is eating her food and holding it down and she is even playful with Ellie. We are still unsure as to why she has been sick and are keeping a watchful eye on her, but for now she is happy and seems moderately healthy. She did have a few episodes that the vet has labeled as mini seizures that have given her the look of disorientation and caused her to be more clumsy than usual. I will keep everyone posted on her freak sickness but as for now things appear to be calming down. Thank you so very much for all of your heartfelt words and positive thoughts. She is nothing short of a miracle.

I Am Not That Strong

These last few days have been very rough for me, my sweet baby girl Adelaide Ladybird has been very sick. Today is her second day at the vet's office getting fluids and there is the possibility she may be force fed if she is still refusing to eat. She has not eaten a meal since Saturday morning and that did not last very long in her tummy. Since she has been so sick she has not been able to keep her medication down and her seizures have become rampant. She had three violent ones last night that just swallowed my heart whole. It is so hard to see her like this, dehydrated, tired, scared and the look of emaciation is becoming apparent. I have gone through every range of emotions and today I am worn out, physically, mentally and my heart cannot take anymore of this. This is not the first time she had been gravely ill, she has had surgery for bladder stones and just last year her liver began to fail her because of her long time usage of seizure medication. My wonderful vet has run x-rays, tested her blood and so far the results are normal, which is where this starts to get scary. If she had more bladder stones or if her blood work returned from the lab with problems all of this would be easy to diagnose but so far no such luck.


If she doesn't show signs of improvement soon then that scary word my vet threw out yesterday that drop kicked me to the floor (tumor) might really be true. I can't fathom this, I am just not that strong. Thinking of my life without her makes my stomach hurt and makes my limbs heavy. When I look at her I feel so much love. The most pure love that I can imagine. She has been by my side for about six years now and I can't give her up, I am not ready. I know it sounds so selfish, that is fine, I am selfish I will continue to be selfish because she is my baby and she cannot leave me until I say when. I am sharing all of this because I want everyone who reads this to think about her. I want all of you to put every bit of positive thinking and energy out into the universe and help her to get better. I am more than willing to accept a miracle right now.




I cannot even begin to tell you how happy she has made me through the years. When she licks my face or when she chases her tail I am filled with so much joy. I have songs I sing to her, I have given her about a million nicknames, Brattalaide, Battle Axe, Baby face killah, Adders, Cow Dog, Babycakes, Dog Butt...so many different names. When I adopted her from the pound she was sick, so sick she was about to be put down but I took her home anyway. The pound gave me a discount because they didn't think she would make it. It turned out she only had kennel cough, a severe case but after about a month of medication, feeding her chicken and rice (hard thing for a vegan to cook meat) spraying all of her favorite spots with eucalyptus to help her breathe, she got better. Then when she was about a year old she had her first seizure and it scared me half to death. With the help of the ASPCA I found my favorite vet and she helped me to understand Adelaide's epilepsy and how to control it. Addie has never been completely under control at her best she went three month without a seizure, but she was happy.



Then there were the bladder stones. She had to have surgery and my vet was out of town. I freaked out, called every vet in the phone book begging them to help me, but I did not have the money and they would not even see her. That was the first time I thought I would lose her. I had called my vet's office and inquired (in a most shaky voice) the price of euthanasia and the receptionist Jaqueline said, "We will not let Addie be put down," and she said she would call me back. This was miracle one. She called back and said she had contacted Dr. Lepardo (my vet) and she was cancelling the remainder of her vacation to perform surgery on Addie the very next day. She saved my baby girl's life and I am forever indebted to her. Then there was last year when her medication started to make her sick, it started to poison her liver. She has been on a new medication and has been happy and healthy until this Saturday.

It has been a whirlwind with her, and so many people said they would have put her down years ago, but when I look into her sweet brown eyes, there is no chance in hell I could ever do that. My baby has a heart of gold, I always say this, and I mean it. She is so sweet and gentle. She is my mini cow and I love her with every cell in my body. So please stop for a moment today and put your good thoughts with her. If it worked for the Care Bears, it can most certainly work for us.

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