and this
and this.
You would have to be silly to not check it out!
05 June 2010
Consider My Dear Gifty Stuffs
I don't like to re-post stuff normally but for Beckie my interwebs BFF I will do it. So yeah here it goes, the most amazingly, darlingly, beautifully clever girl Beckie is having a giveaway on her blog Consider My Dear. She has all kind of goodies like this
and this
and this.
You would have to be silly to not check it out!
and this
and this.
You would have to be silly to not check it out!
04 June 2010
Katie Made Me Do It!
1. Where do you see yourself five years from now? Married to Timmy and running my very own Vegan bakery, "Adelaide's" named after my precious dog-face. I want to make cupcakes, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, scones, muffins, candy, macarons, all of it.
home made vegan donut
2. What is your favorite food in the world? hands down, chocolate. raw cacao, 72% dark chocolate, chocolate cookies, chocolate chips, semi-sweet...all of it!
3. If you have any pets what are their names? 2 kitties, Simon and Spoon, two doggies, Adelaide and Ellie
Ellie Mae Chihuahua
Adelaide Ladybird Hale
Spoon Love Utensil
Simon P. Lampshade
4. What is your dream job? it is where I see myself in 5 years
5. Have you been in love? yes! I am in love with Timmy, I am in love with my furry children, I am in love with the sunset, I am in love with my bike. Enamoured may as well be my middle name
who couldn't love this kid?
6. What do you do to protect the earth? organic, Vegan, bike-riding localvore
7. Ten people you would invite to a dinner party in a forest with great music? I am going to make this a dream dinner and say Joan Jett (coolest Vegan ever!) Jason Schwartzman, Dorthey Parker, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, (sorry Ringo) Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Art Tatum, my mom and Timmy. Most of these people are dead but I think they would make great with the food (Isa is the Vegan queen!) there would be plenty of great music (Schwartzman, 3/4 the Beatles, Jett, Tatum) and amazing dinner conversation (thank you Ms. Parker) and lastly it would be great if Timmy and my mom could meet.
8. Tell me something nice you did for someone recently... I don't do nice things. I am nefariously cold-hearted. I once kicked a small child because I could.
1. What is one thing you do that is childlike? ask me one thing I do adult like and you will get a shorter response.
2. What is one of the most embarrassing moments of your life? I embarrass myself daily because shhhhh.... don't tell...I like it.
3. If you could take an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would it be? New Zealand so Timmy and I can tie our knots
4. What is your favorite thing to do to relax? rhymes with trucking, ha got you! I was going to say clucking as in like a chicken. Now if only I could think of a word to rhyme with orgasm...hmmmmm. floor spasm?
5. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Did you regret it? the morning of my birthday least year, I woke up and decided to ask Tim to marry me. Ran all over town looking for a ring...it was crazy. He said yes and I would never regret that.
6. What is your favorite genre of music? skiffle. um no really it would have to be American music and by that I mean Jazz, Blues, Old Country, Motown and Bluegrass. The British may have had the Beatles but we have Coltrane, Cash, Leadbelly, the Stanley Brothers and the Funk Brothers.
7. What is your favorite movie of all time? Alice In Wonderland the animated version, I have loved it since I was like 5 and I will continue loving it until I die.
8. If you had a chance to meet anyone dead or alive who would it be? Jesus, I heard he was HILARIOUS! (Thank you Willow)
home made vegan donut
2. What is your favorite food in the world? hands down, chocolate. raw cacao, 72% dark chocolate, chocolate cookies, chocolate chips, semi-sweet...all of it!
3. If you have any pets what are their names? 2 kitties, Simon and Spoon, two doggies, Adelaide and Ellie
Ellie Mae Chihuahua
Adelaide Ladybird Hale
Spoon Love Utensil
Simon P. Lampshade
4. What is your dream job? it is where I see myself in 5 years
5. Have you been in love? yes! I am in love with Timmy, I am in love with my furry children, I am in love with the sunset, I am in love with my bike. Enamoured may as well be my middle name
who couldn't love this kid?
6. What do you do to protect the earth? organic, Vegan, bike-riding localvore
7. Ten people you would invite to a dinner party in a forest with great music? I am going to make this a dream dinner and say Joan Jett (coolest Vegan ever!) Jason Schwartzman, Dorthey Parker, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, (sorry Ringo) Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Art Tatum, my mom and Timmy. Most of these people are dead but I think they would make great with the food (Isa is the Vegan queen!) there would be plenty of great music (Schwartzman, 3/4 the Beatles, Jett, Tatum) and amazing dinner conversation (thank you Ms. Parker) and lastly it would be great if Timmy and my mom could meet.
8. Tell me something nice you did for someone recently... I don't do nice things. I am nefariously cold-hearted. I once kicked a small child because I could.
1. What is one thing you do that is childlike? ask me one thing I do adult like and you will get a shorter response.
2. What is one of the most embarrassing moments of your life? I embarrass myself daily because shhhhh.... don't tell...I like it.
3. If you could take an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would it be? New Zealand so Timmy and I can tie our knots
4. What is your favorite thing to do to relax? rhymes with trucking, ha got you! I was going to say clucking as in like a chicken. Now if only I could think of a word to rhyme with orgasm...hmmmmm. floor spasm?
5. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Did you regret it? the morning of my birthday least year, I woke up and decided to ask Tim to marry me. Ran all over town looking for a ring...it was crazy. He said yes and I would never regret that.
6. What is your favorite genre of music? skiffle. um no really it would have to be American music and by that I mean Jazz, Blues, Old Country, Motown and Bluegrass. The British may have had the Beatles but we have Coltrane, Cash, Leadbelly, the Stanley Brothers and the Funk Brothers.
7. What is your favorite movie of all time? Alice In Wonderland the animated version, I have loved it since I was like 5 and I will continue loving it until I die.
8. If you had a chance to meet anyone dead or alive who would it be? Jesus, I heard he was HILARIOUS! (Thank you Willow)
31 May 2010
Ask A Vegan Pt. 4
Happy Memorial Day to everyone out there in blog land! Today was a pretty typical day for me, woke up before the sun, biked to work and schlepped a large quantity of groceries and came home. I was planning on settling my tired and a bit hung-over body on the couch for a nap when I remembered today was Monday, Ask A Vegan day and my energy was renewed. I have quite an extraordinary chap who is my Vegan of the week who I met through the wonderful photo sharing world of Flickr. It is always nice to see some one's life in pictures and Kieth impressed me from day one. It may have been the photo of his Bonsai plant or maybe his guess what this photo is game. Either way I knew one day I would make a trip to London and have a couch to crash on. (: This guy is my Flickr soul mate. I hope you enjoy hi responses and as mentioned before if you would like to see any new questions of have any ideas on how to improve my Ask A Vegan feature, I am all ears.
isn't he adorable?
Name: Keith Dickinson
Age: 36
Location: London
Website: www.mybrandnewlife.wordpress.com
How long have you been Vegan?
I've been vegan for about 2-3 years now. Before that I was vegetarian for a year or two, and before that piscatarian (a fish eater) for a couple of years.
What made you decide to go Vegan?
Well, it was as I got into Buddhism that I realised I had to go veggie, when I decided to follow the five precepts for the lay Buddhist, one of which being 'no killing'. Becoming vegan was kind of an extension of that, as I realised by drinking milk and eating eggs I was being complicit in the mistreatment of animals, and karmically that ain't good, so I didn't feel like I had any choice; I had to go vegan.
How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I feel great about it. I've never had any negative effects from being vegan, though I am mindful of including a variety of foods in my diet.
Are you open about your Veganism?
Absolutely, but I don't bang on about it. If people ask I'll answer their questions, but usually I just do my thing and let other people do theirs.
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Not really. I prefer Gandhi's philosophy of "be the change you wish to see in the world". Hopefully as people see the positive effect being vegan has on me, and all the lovely food I still get to eat, they'll decide to give it a go themselves. Kind of like changing the world one cupcake at a time, hahaha.
What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Some are bemused by it, and one or two think it's a bit extremist, but mostly they're quite supportive and genuinely interested in what it's like to be vegan.
What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Go for it! And above all else, be forgiving of yourself when you slip up. The first six months I kept buying stuff that had little bits of milk or egg hidden in them way down the list of ingredients. Eventually you'll get used to what to look for, you'll know which products are 'safe', and you won't have to think about it most of the time, it'll become second nature.
Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
Hell no! I stopped eating there even before I gave up meat. In fact I don't think I've been in a McDonald's so far this century, that's how little I rate their 'food'.
What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
"What do you eat?" I mean for crying out loud, what do you want, a list?
Also, when I tell people I'm vegan to "not bring harm" to anything, they take great delight in bringing up the "harming" plants. What do you say to that? These days, unless they've managed to eliminate plants from their diet, I refuse to discuss it with them.
What is your favorite dish?
I'm British, so anything involving chips is fine with me. But if I was on death row I reckon I'd ask for a proper English Breakfast: Linda MacCartney sausages, hash browns, mushrooms, beans, scrambled tofu, facon (see recipe at end), onion, fried bread! Aawwww yeah!!!
What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
We don't do the Thanksgiving thing over here, but for Christmas dinner I do an nut roast with roast potatoes, roast parsnip, carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing and onion gravy. It's the business.
If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. I'm a man of simple pleasures. :o)
Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
This isn't one of my own, but it was the one that made me think I'd be ok going vegan (Christmas dinner and bacon butties being the two things that trip most people up). It's for tofu fake bacon, or as I like to call it... Facon!
facon!
Ingredients:
1 lb firm Tofu, cut into strips shaped like bacon
2 tblsp nutritional yeast flakes
2 tblsp tamari/shoyu sauce
1 tsp Wright's (or other brand) liquid smoke
1 tblsp oil (something neutral, not olive or sesame)
Fry tofu strips on low or medium heat until they are crispy on the outside. The best way to do this is to lay them in the pan in the oil and let them sit for at least 10 minutes, simmering. They should turn easily after that. Turn them and give them another 10 minutes on the other side.
Mix the tamari/shoyu soy sauce with the liquid smoke first, then take the pan off the heat. Pour the liquid smoke/tamari into the pan and stir the tofu so all sides are coated, then sprinkle the yeast over all, stir some more, over the heat, until the liquid is gone and the tofu is covered with sticky yeast. Try it. It tastes EXACTLY like bacon.
isn't he adorable?
Name: Keith Dickinson
Age: 36
Location: London
Website: www.mybrandnewlife.wordpress.com
How long have you been Vegan?
I've been vegan for about 2-3 years now. Before that I was vegetarian for a year or two, and before that piscatarian (a fish eater) for a couple of years.
What made you decide to go Vegan?
Well, it was as I got into Buddhism that I realised I had to go veggie, when I decided to follow the five precepts for the lay Buddhist, one of which being 'no killing'. Becoming vegan was kind of an extension of that, as I realised by drinking milk and eating eggs I was being complicit in the mistreatment of animals, and karmically that ain't good, so I didn't feel like I had any choice; I had to go vegan.
How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I feel great about it. I've never had any negative effects from being vegan, though I am mindful of including a variety of foods in my diet.
Are you open about your Veganism?
Absolutely, but I don't bang on about it. If people ask I'll answer their questions, but usually I just do my thing and let other people do theirs.
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Not really. I prefer Gandhi's philosophy of "be the change you wish to see in the world". Hopefully as people see the positive effect being vegan has on me, and all the lovely food I still get to eat, they'll decide to give it a go themselves. Kind of like changing the world one cupcake at a time, hahaha.
What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Some are bemused by it, and one or two think it's a bit extremist, but mostly they're quite supportive and genuinely interested in what it's like to be vegan.
What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Go for it! And above all else, be forgiving of yourself when you slip up. The first six months I kept buying stuff that had little bits of milk or egg hidden in them way down the list of ingredients. Eventually you'll get used to what to look for, you'll know which products are 'safe', and you won't have to think about it most of the time, it'll become second nature.
Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
Hell no! I stopped eating there even before I gave up meat. In fact I don't think I've been in a McDonald's so far this century, that's how little I rate their 'food'.
What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
"What do you eat?" I mean for crying out loud, what do you want, a list?
Also, when I tell people I'm vegan to "not bring harm" to anything, they take great delight in bringing up the "harming" plants. What do you say to that? These days, unless they've managed to eliminate plants from their diet, I refuse to discuss it with them.
What is your favorite dish?
I'm British, so anything involving chips is fine with me. But if I was on death row I reckon I'd ask for a proper English Breakfast: Linda MacCartney sausages, hash browns, mushrooms, beans, scrambled tofu, facon (see recipe at end), onion, fried bread! Aawwww yeah!!!
What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
We don't do the Thanksgiving thing over here, but for Christmas dinner I do an nut roast with roast potatoes, roast parsnip, carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing and onion gravy. It's the business.
If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. I'm a man of simple pleasures. :o)
Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
This isn't one of my own, but it was the one that made me think I'd be ok going vegan (Christmas dinner and bacon butties being the two things that trip most people up). It's for tofu fake bacon, or as I like to call it... Facon!
facon!
Ingredients:
1 lb firm Tofu, cut into strips shaped like bacon
2 tblsp nutritional yeast flakes
2 tblsp tamari/shoyu sauce
1 tsp Wright's (or other brand) liquid smoke
1 tblsp oil (something neutral, not olive or sesame)
Fry tofu strips on low or medium heat until they are crispy on the outside. The best way to do this is to lay them in the pan in the oil and let them sit for at least 10 minutes, simmering. They should turn easily after that. Turn them and give them another 10 minutes on the other side.
Mix the tamari/shoyu soy sauce with the liquid smoke first, then take the pan off the heat. Pour the liquid smoke/tamari into the pan and stir the tofu so all sides are coated, then sprinkle the yeast over all, stir some more, over the heat, until the liquid is gone and the tofu is covered with sticky yeast. Try it. It tastes EXACTLY like bacon.
30 May 2010
Post 51 Pancakes
Good morning all of you dewy eyed children. Today is a weekend day and I have it off! Brilliant! This never happens, normally I wake up at four A.M. every weekend and get ready for work, by get ready I mean drag my butt all across the house nearly knocking anything in my way over, putting my shoes on the wrong feet and forgetting something of importance every time I leave for work. My brain is inoperable until around six A.M. so morning time equals clumsy time for me. Today I was relieved when I got to sleep in until 5:45 (yep, that is sleeping IN) and I got out of bed well rested and ravenous.
I decided to make a cheerful breakfast and having been inspired by a random photo on Tumblr I made rainbow pancakes. I am still beaming from their happiness in a round doughy disc. The recipe is the basic pancake recipe from VWAV but with an added banana, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour. Yum!
here I go...
so fun to eat!
nom nom nom
oh so good,
going,
going,
gone!
27 May 2010
Random Food Photos
This is what I have been eating and baking for the last week...
Lemon cupcakes with fondant bow for recent event
Cupcakes for Dani's birthday
Grilled artichokes
cherries! yummers!
brown rice with avocados, tomatoes, "chicken" and a home made "cheese" sauce mixed with black beand and chilis. This was crazy delish
I have been on a black-eyed pea kick. Thi is black-eyed peas with tomatoes, spinach and a veggie broth
Watermelon with sea salt and rosemary
Today I am going to make a raw cherry pie and some more black bean burrito goodies.
Lemon cupcakes with fondant bow for recent event
Cupcakes for Dani's birthday
Grilled artichokes
cherries! yummers!
brown rice with avocados, tomatoes, "chicken" and a home made "cheese" sauce mixed with black beand and chilis. This was crazy delish
I have been on a black-eyed pea kick. Thi is black-eyed peas with tomatoes, spinach and a veggie broth
Watermelon with sea salt and rosemary
Today I am going to make a raw cherry pie and some more black bean burrito goodies.
24 May 2010
Ask A Vegan! Pt. 3
Today for our Meatless Monday I am going to introduce all of you to Janet Hudson. I have been a fan of hers for quite some time now. The first time I "met" Janet was on Flickr. She had posted a photo of one of her cupcakes and I was floored. The flavor combinations and the decorating was astonishing. I immediately clicked on her profile and became infatuated. She had hundreds of photos of cookies, cakes, pies, salads and anything you could dream of eating was all there on her page. She is a goddess and bonafide wizard of the kitchen. I aspire to be one tenth the cook she is! That being said, I hope all of you check out her website and blog and discover for yourself the brilliant dishes she is creating.
Name: Janet Hudson
Age: Old Enough:)
Location: California
Website:
Check out....www.veganfeast.com, www.gonnagowalkthedog.vox.com, Wasabipeas@tumblr or tweet me.
How long have you been Vegan?
Since 1994
What made you decide to go Vegan?
Health reasons as well as morally.
How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
Never felt better. Ever.
Are you open about your Veganism?
Oh Yessssssssssss.
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Sometimes as the need arises....probably should do more of that.
Janet's Norwich Terriers
What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet? Everyone respects it and I do what I can to be proactive about it with everyone.
What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Take small steps...then you can realize the bigger ones aren't that big at all. Make small changes- margarine instead of butter, soy or nut milk instead of cow's...then go from there. Stay away from processed foods.
Black Bean soup
Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
Never.
What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet? How do you do it, it is so hard.....IT IS SO EASY!
What is your favorite dish?
Wow, I can honestly say that I do not have one- I can tell you that I do not like peas or lima beans though. That is a texture childhood thing I am afraid....
What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
I do not care to much for Tofurky....give me fresh vegetables any day. You can check out my FlickR stream for Thanksgiving feasts at our house.
pucker up lemon cupcake
If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?That is hard because you should know how much I love cupcakes by now. Right now I would say vanilla or lemon.
Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Here is a great focaccia bread recipe I do all the time...great for all sorts of celebrations, etc.:
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tsp raw sugar
1 ½ cup warm water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp sea salt
5 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp oregano, minced
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water- allow mixture to foam.
In a second bowl, mix rest of warm water with olive oil and salt. Add in the yeast mixture. Slowly add flour until dough forms. Transfer onto a floured board and knead 15 minutes until smooth. Place dough into an oiled bowl, turn to coat well and cover with towel- place in a warm area and allow rising until doubled, about an hour.
Pinch dough and knead 7 minutes. Add onion and oregano, mixing well. Roll out onto cookie sheet, cover, and allow rising again one more hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drizzle dough with a little olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Bake 15to 20 minutes or until brown. Cut and serve warm.
Janet with husband Tom
Name: Janet Hudson
Age: Old Enough:)
Location: California
Website:
Check out....www.veganfeast.com, www.gonnagowalkthedog.vox.com, Wasabipeas@tumblr or tweet me.
How long have you been Vegan?
Since 1994
What made you decide to go Vegan?
Health reasons as well as morally.
How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
Never felt better. Ever.
Are you open about your Veganism?
Oh Yessssssssssss.
If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
Sometimes as the need arises....probably should do more of that.
Janet's Norwich Terriers
What do your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet? Everyone respects it and I do what I can to be proactive about it with everyone.
What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
Take small steps...then you can realize the bigger ones aren't that big at all. Make small changes- margarine instead of butter, soy or nut milk instead of cow's...then go from there. Stay away from processed foods.
Black Bean soup
Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
Never.
What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet? How do you do it, it is so hard.....IT IS SO EASY!
What is your favorite dish?
Wow, I can honestly say that I do not have one- I can tell you that I do not like peas or lima beans though. That is a texture childhood thing I am afraid....
What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
I do not care to much for Tofurky....give me fresh vegetables any day. You can check out my FlickR stream for Thanksgiving feasts at our house.
pucker up lemon cupcake
If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?That is hard because you should know how much I love cupcakes by now. Right now I would say vanilla or lemon.
Please share your favorite Vegan recipe.
Here is a great focaccia bread recipe I do all the time...great for all sorts of celebrations, etc.:
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tsp raw sugar
1 ½ cup warm water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp sea salt
5 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp oregano, minced
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water- allow mixture to foam.
In a second bowl, mix rest of warm water with olive oil and salt. Add in the yeast mixture. Slowly add flour until dough forms. Transfer onto a floured board and knead 15 minutes until smooth. Place dough into an oiled bowl, turn to coat well and cover with towel- place in a warm area and allow rising until doubled, about an hour.
Pinch dough and knead 7 minutes. Add onion and oregano, mixing well. Roll out onto cookie sheet, cover, and allow rising again one more hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drizzle dough with a little olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Bake 15to 20 minutes or until brown. Cut and serve warm.
Janet with husband Tom
20 May 2010
Live Chocolate Mousse
As I mentioned yesterday it is heating up here in the desert and the thought of turning on the oven to bring sweet treats to my grumbling tummy is not a pleasant one. Sometimes I imagine my famine filled face passing out as the oven heat waves leave me light headed. From there I fall gracefully into a heap on the kitchen floor and my dessert, my master prize, burns to a blackened mess all the while I dream of butterflies. I will awaken to the smell of burning delicacies and cry my weak heart out as I find my pie, my chocolate cake, my sweet tray of cookies have become inedible. Though this has never happened, I fear it. I have haunting nightmares of burned sweets.
But I will not fear, there is hope that lies outside of the soul scorching oven, it is called...the refrigerator!
Okay, enough of the drama, yesterday I mad a delicious chocolate mousse out of avocados. It sounds crazy but it is not only a healthy treat but an amazingly tasty treat! The recipe is adapted from a simple recipe from the Vegetarian Times magazine.
1 1/2 avocados
1 banana
5 medium strawberries
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (you can use cocoa if you like)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Additional fruit to top the mousse with (optional)
Toss all ingredients into a food processor or blender, mix until smooth and refrigerate for at least one hour. Enjoy!
But I will not fear, there is hope that lies outside of the soul scorching oven, it is called...the refrigerator!
Okay, enough of the drama, yesterday I mad a delicious chocolate mousse out of avocados. It sounds crazy but it is not only a healthy treat but an amazingly tasty treat! The recipe is adapted from a simple recipe from the Vegetarian Times magazine.
1 1/2 avocados
1 banana
5 medium strawberries
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (you can use cocoa if you like)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Additional fruit to top the mousse with (optional)
Toss all ingredients into a food processor or blender, mix until smooth and refrigerate for at least one hour. Enjoy!
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