Vegan Cheeseless Pizza

I made this last night, and it was gone by tonight! Its sooo good, and very simple.

Ingredients (Pizza):
Frozen Pizza Crust
Olive Oil
Tomato sauce or paste
Minced Garlic (dried)
Oregano
Basil

Topping Selection:
Red onion
Bell peppers
Faux pepperoni
Pepperoncini
Tomato slices
Olives
Faux chicken/beef strips
etc


1) Lay the pizza crust on a pan. Brush a layer of olive oil over the entire crust. Sprinkle the dried, minced garlic on the crust (especially the outsides).
2) Spread the crust with the tomato sauce/paste. Leave at least a 1/2 inch margin along the outsides of the crust. Sprinkle oregano and basil over the sauce.
3) Add your choice of toppings to the pizza. Red onion slices are always delicious.
4) Cook for 8-12 minutes.


Voila! An amazing, simple, quick vegan cheese-less pizza! I've noticed that vegan soy cheese does not taste good (to truly melt it need casein, a milk derived protein that is NOT vegan). The crust will be lovely and have a hint of garlic to it. The dried minces cook well and seep in to the pizza. You can try fresh, but it will most likely be way to strong and wont cook in 8-12 minutes.

Ads and Such

Unfortunately, I am going to start doing some advertising and promo stuff. While this may not be the best thing asthetic-wise, it will help boost the audience of this blog. I'm going to try to keep them at the bottom of the page, so they wont bother the top part. I am "renting my blog", which allows another person to have a small ad on my site. It will be in the "Blogs I read" section because I am only going to choose a quality blog for there. If you are a member of BlogExplosion and want your ad featured there for 40 credits, feel free to offer on it.
I know that ads on websites have been called the "pitfalls of tech society", but they do work. I want a bigger audience, and this is one of the best ways to get it.
So, if you are interested in checking out some other blogs and stuff, you can look at the bottom of the page and I hope you find something interesting. I am trying hard to keep good, veg-friendly blogs advertised. I want to help others in the veg community to get hits as well. I cant control every ad, but I'm trying to do my best.


Best wishes,
Loki

Protein Snacks

If you do sports, you know what I mean when I say "Protein snacks are lifesavers". Even if you dont do sports, a pick-me-up of protein or an addition to a meal is very important. I do water aerobics, and after an hour of work, I am dead tired and starved way before dinner is even though of. So, here are some of my favorite vegan protein snacks that I like to eat.

• LUNA Bars: These come in a variety of flavors. They are all vegan, and have 10 grams of protein in each bar. My favorites are Chocolate Pecan Pie and Lemon Zest
• Tofu Pups: These are soy/tofu hot dogs.
  
• Baguette Sandwiches: What you do is split a 3-inch section of a baguette in half so it opens. Then you put in red onion, tomato, and veganaise. You then add your choice of veggie slices. My favorite is Cajun Chicken slices by Yves.
• Nuts and Chocolate: Very simple. Take a plastic baggie and fill it with nuts and Ghiradelli Semi-sweet chips. I like to use brazil nuts or cashews.
• Vegan Pizza: Take a premade crust, and layer it with pasta sauce and veggies. You can add soy cheese if you want, but it wont melt if its vegan. (If it melts like regular cheese it has casein, a milk protein which is NOT vegan!) Then you top it with vegan pepperoni (Yves is my favorite brand)
• Veggie Brats: Similar to tofu pups, these are vegan sausages. I like zesty italian (Yves) best. I like to top them with sauteed peppers and onions, and a little mustard.
• Tacos: You can either use soy ground beef or mashed black beans. Either way, season with dark chili powder, cayenne, and red pepper flakes, and add chopped onions and tomatoes to the base. Top tacos with soy sour cream, guacamole, onions, tomatoes, salsa, leeks, etc.
• Burritos: Amy's makes fabulous vegan frozen burritos. You also can make your own.

If you have any other quick and easy vegan proteinful snacks, comment up!

Sad people...

Its just pathetic when people actually think posting negative comments on here gets them anywhere. I really dont see how posting "I love meat, even though I have colon cancer I'll still eat it" makes them feel good. Its so dumb.

I'm not trying to tell anyone that this annoys me. It doesnt. If you think I get fed up with those dumb comments, you are wrong. Its not hard to press a button and delete it. I actually laugh at your stupidity. So, if you want to make a fool out of yourself you are more than welcome to. Just dont expect it stay up here for very long.

I've noticed that all negative comments seem to come from anonymous people. Besides being pathetic enough to post stupid things here, it's just cowardly to post something like that without saying who you are. Its like the short little 7th grade boy trying to act all tough just because people cannot see him.

It actually doesnt matter, since you aren't really anonymous. I can find out where you live if you happen to visit any part of my site. I'm not fucking stupid, unlike you.

I'd just though I'd post that. I dont really mind all the dumb comments, but it would be nice not to be bothered by them. I'm done now, so everybody go eat a stalk of celery!

More Graphics!!

Remember how I said graphics are good for supporting animal rights? I am obviously right.

Anyway, I have a banner that I like to use for advertising the site. I've found that by linking to an interesting page instead of the whole blog, you attract more visitors to it. I've been using banners on BlogExplosion (a traffic exchange site). Even though by spending my credits on banners which gets me less traffic, I think its a better idea. Why? Because I am getting the type of visitors I want. I want people who are vegans and want good vegan information. I would love non-vegans to come here and learn, but my main audience is to help vegans and people interested in veganism.

So, I have a banner that I use to link to my recipe page, VOILA:

Isnt it spiffy? I love the photos, kudos to Inmagine.com, a royalty free stock-photo site. I am also hoping to get clicks from people who want to lower their cholesterol, and maybe have them learn about veganism.

Anyway, I would really appreciate if you used my banner. A personal page, blog, website profile, a link share site, anywhere. I know for some this is impossible, but I think it would be a good idea to help the vegan community grow (and flourish!)

If you would be ever so kind and use it, here is the URL of the banner:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/bartandlisasimpson12/banner1.jpg
And the URL of the post is:
http://aveganlife.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipe-archive.html

I was going to put it in a handy dandy textarea box, but blogger wont let me and it keeps f***ing up my URL's. Sorry bout that.

Here are some other graphics I have made!

Click Here to see (and use freely) a wallpaper I made of the vegetarian rock group Good Charlotte. I only want a (link back/text link) to this site if you are distributing it for others to use.

Click Here to see the Vegetarian tutorial I made. Feel free to show it (email, ping, etc) to anyone. If you use it on the web however (including emails), please (mention/link it to) the url of my blog (aveganlife.blogspot.com)

Click Here for a 79x80 pixel animated avatar/buddy icon that tells people to check out www.goveg.com. Feel free to use it for anything you wish. Again, if its on the web either hyperlink it to me, or give the url of the blog the credit. (i.e. if you use it for an avatar on a website, in the profile please say something along the lines of "Avatar Credit: http://aveganlife.blogspot.com")

Green Grid Background. 1024x768 or 800x600 . Feel free to use these on any computer. I only want a (link back/text link) to this site if you are distributing them for others to use.

I hope you all like these graphics! If you do use one (or more!) please give appropriate credit, and thank you very much!!

Yummy Veggie Sandwhich / Veganly Shopping

I went shopping yesterday, it was fun. I got a bunch of cool stuff. Some blue hair dye (its vegan!), a pair of underwear from Victoria's Secret (who don't use animal tests), and a Green Day shirt. And everyone knows Billy Joe (who's on the shirt) is a vegetarian. And 2 skirts from Charlotte Russe. So now I can rock out like punk-rawk vegan. (So sexy, lol)

And then I went for lunch. Yum. I got a customized veggie grinder. Lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, cucumber, pickles with oil and no cheese. The best part was all the insides were cold, but the outside bread and oil were toasted. (I didn't even ask!)Yum. (I hate when you ask for a warm sub and they warm the lettuce, yuck!)

Hopefully, if my mum truly loves me, I can dye my whole head blue. It's a blue black, no electric like wanted my streaks to be. I also want to hack off 4 inches and have it rest just above my shoulders, but where I can tie it up in back.

Devils Number

I know this isnt related to veganism, but I found this when I woke up this morning!

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1845/2190/1600/666_blog.0.jpg

We sure as Hell aren't weak!!

Soooooo many people think vegans are weak. I already know that I have a post on this, but I have come to prove it.

First off, I'm the 6th or 5th best person on the track team. The first 5 guys are what you call super athletes, they are about 5'10 at least, muscular and skinny at the same time, and are seniors with full developed bodies. And they are all MALE.

My coach was surprised today when I ran an 800 meter dash. Even though she knows I can run pretty fast with good endurance, she was still surprised, saying that for a middle-level girl, I could definitely go far in middle distance running and maybe long. Which was totally sweet to hear. And I thought I was out of shape!

After running a hell of a lot today (more than any other girl), I was the only one not exhausted. I was even able to do a full campus loop around VTC, when everybody except 2 of the "superguys" did a half loop. We even finished before most of the ones doing the shorter loop.

So, I think its safe to say that we vegans are not f***ing weak!! :)
Do you have a story of comment on that proves how you arent weak, even though society wants to believe that you are? POST IT!!

Cant stay too long

I cant post much tonight. I am dog tired. Running, jogging, hopping, skipping, "skiing", biking and doing jumping jack in the water for almost 2 hours makes me very tired. I also had to write a HUGE paper for geometry which is due tomorrow. Thank god for Luna bars.

Mmm, I get to eat roasted vegetables tonight. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and all sorts of yummy things baked with oil and butter (vegan). Yum. And American Idol is on (Carrie Underwood is a vegetarian.)

I'll talk later, I have to go. Bye bye!

Vegan Fast Food Options

A lot of restaurant foods are vegan, but many do not know it. Here's a handy guide to use when eating out!

Last Updated: April 30 (Taco Bell, Panera Bread, McAlister's Deli)

FEBRUARY 15 - The VFFO list has been completely redone, now with about 50% more options!

The information here is to be used as guidelines only. Menu items can change between franchises, and the information here is the from the company, checking with the individual stores is advised if you are unsure. Please be sure to ask that they hold any unvegan condiments from otherwise vegan items (ie some place will add butter to a baked potato without you asking.)

5 & Diner – Bagels, Toast (all kinds), Instant Oatmeal, Hash Browns, Tortilla, Vegetarian Burger, Veggie Delight, Breaded Mushrooms, Onion Rings, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Salad (w/o cheeses and croutons), Italian Dressings, Baked Potato, Corn on the Cob, French Fries, Sauteed Mushrooms, Steamed Veggies, Spaghetti with Marinara

Applebee’s – Sizzling Vegetable Skillet, Steamed Vegetable Plate, Nachos (w/o cheese, sour cream, + beef)

Arby’s – Garden Salad, Side Salad, Marinara Sauce, Apple Turnover, Cherry Turnover, Italian Dressing, Baked Potato (plain!), Sourdough Bread, Potato Cakes, Raspberry Vinaigrette, Seasoned Tortilla Strips, Apple Turnover, Cherry Turnover, Chocolate Twist,

Backyard Burgers – Garden Veggie Sandwich,

Baskin Robbins – Sorbet, Ices

Bennigan's – Boca Burger, Garden Salad, Roasted Vegetable Primavera (w/o Lemon Butter Sauce)

Blimpie – Italian White Sub Roll, Wheat Sub Roll, Mediterranean Flat Bread Marbled Rye Roll, Spinach Tortilla, Flour Tortilla, Ciabatta Bread, Fat Free Italian Dressing, Light Italian Dressing, Blimpie Dressing, Blimpie Sub Dressing, Apple Strudelette, Long John, Original Potato Chips, Jalapeno Chips, Pasta Salad, Guacamole, Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Jalepeno Peppers,

Boston Market - Chunky Cinnamon Apple Sauce, Fruit Salad, Steamed Vegetables, Zucchini Marinara, Apple Cobbler (not pie!), Tossed Salad (no croutons or dressing), Cranberry Walnut Relish, Cinnamon Apples, Fruit Salad

Brueger’s Bagels – Bagels (Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Sugar, Cranberry Orange, Pumpernickel, and Rosemary Olive Oil), Soups (Chili Cilantro, Gazpacho, Tuscan, Minestrone, Garden Split Pea, Marcello Minestrone, Roasted Roma Tomato, Vegetable Tomato Lentil, and Ratatouille), Sandwiches can be vegan by omitting cheese and dressing

Burger King – French Fries, Strawberry Apple Sauce, Dutch Apple Pie, Plain Salad, Onion Rings, Fruit Jams, Ketchup, Mustard, Dill Pickles, Hash Browns,

Carl Jr. – French fries, Hash Brown Nuggets, Breadsticks, English Muffins, CrissCuts, Salad Bar, 3 Bean Salad, Fat Free Italian Dressing, Great Stuff™ Baked Potatoes (ask for all-vegetable margerine)

Cheeburger Cheeburger – Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich (w/o cheese), Boca Burger, Salads (minus cheese), Fries, Onion Rings,

Chi-Chi’s – Chips, Salsa, Dinner Salad (w/o cheese), Refried beans (w/o cheese), guacamole

Chili’s – Chips, Salsa, Veggie Quesadilla (w/o cheese and sour cream add extra veggies), Cadillac Fajitas (w/o meat), Bottomless Tostada Chips, Fries, Steamed Broccoli (no butter), Sauteed Mushrooms with Onions and Peppers (fried in vegetable oil),

Chipotle – Vegetarian Fajita Burrito (w/ black beans NOT pinto beans), Vegetarian Burrito (with BLACK beans, no cheese, no sour cream)

Chuck E. Cheese – Pizza Sauce, Pizza Crust

Claim Jumper - Broiled Portobello Stack (ask for UNmarinated mushrooms, w/o cheese), Nacho Platter (ONLY with Black Beans, Salsa, Guacamole), Pretzel (w/o butter), Candied Walnut & Asian Pear Salad (w/o candied walnuts, dressings, or cheese), California Citrus Salad (w/o pecans, bleu cheese, or dressing), Crunchy Spinach Salad (w/o bacon, cheese, or pecans), Produce Bar, Roasted Veggies, Roasted Vegetable Pizza (w/o pesto or cheese), Vegetable Soup

Cold Stone Creamery – Lemon Sorbet, Tangerine Sorbet, Raspberry Sorbet

Cousin’s Subs – Hot Veggie Sub

Culvers – French Fries, Seasoned Green Beans

Daily Grill – Grilled Vegetable Plate

Denny’s – Oatmeal Fixins’ (raisins, brown sugar, sliced banana), Juice, English Muffins, Grits, Applesauce, Fresh Fruit, Frozen Strawberries, Jelly (all flavors), nut and fruit topping, fruit syrups, baked potato, marinara sauce, sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions and peppers, guacamole, barbecue sauce, vegetable plates, seasoned fries, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, garden salads, dressings (light Italian, reduced French, Oriental dressing, oil and vinegar) light rye bread, bagel, boule bread

Einstein Bros. Bagels – Plain, Jalapeno, Chopped Onion, Everything Bagel, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, Chocolate Chip, Poppy Dip Bagel, Wild Blueberry, Salt Bagel, Sesame dipd Bagel, Pumpernickel, Cranberry, Sun-Dried Tomato Bagels

Flamer's Grill – Veggie Pattie

Hard Rock Cafe – Vegetarian Burger, Veggie Sandwhich, Salads

Hard Times Cafe – Cafe Veggie Burger, Veggie Chili (ask for no dairy products)

Harvey's – Veggie Burger

Houston's – Veggie Plate, Vegetarian Burger (ask for vegan bread)

Jimmy John's – Vegetarian Sub (w/o cheese and mayo), Gourmet Veggie Club (w/o cheese and mayo), Pickle Spear, Whole Pickle,

Johnny Rocket’s – the Streamliner (vegan Boca Burger), Fries, Onion Rings (no ranch sauce), Grilled Mushrooms, Garden Salad (w/o cheese)

Krispy Kreme – Fruit Pies (not coconut)

Little Caesars – Pizza Crust, Pizza sauce, Crazy Sauce, Crazy Bread

Macaroni Grill – Pasta w/ Garlic and Oil, Capellini Pomodoro, Tomato Brushetta (w/o cheese), Penne Arrabiata (w/o cheese), House Salad (w/o cheese), Garden Salad (w/o cheese), Balsamic Vinaigrette, Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette, Italian Dressing

McDonald’s – Fruit and Walnut Salad (w/o the walnuts or yogurt), Side Salad, Low-fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, Baked Apple Pie, McVeggie (only available in NYC, Canada, and California)

McAlister's Deli - Veggie Spud (without cheese), Spud Ole (w/o cheese & w/ vegetarian chili), California Classic (w/o cheeses), The Veggie (w/o cheese or dressing), Taco Salad (w/o cheese & sour cream & w/ vegetarian chili), Garden Salad (w/o cheese), Chili In A Bread Bowl (specify vegetarian chili), Chips & Salsa, Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinaigrette, Lite Italian, and Fat-Free Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

Mimi's Cafe – Veggie Stack Sandwich

Moe's – (All tacos, fajitas, salads, and burritos are vegan if you ask for tofu/beans instead of meat and ask for no cheese)

Noodles & Company – Japanese Pan Noodles, Pasta Fresca (w/o cheese), Indonesian Peanut Sautee, Penne Rosa (w/o cheese), Tomato Marinara (w/o cheese), Rustic Roll,

Panera Bread – Everything Bagel, Sesame Bagel, Plain Bagel, Blueberry Bagel, Sourdough Bread, Ciabatta Bread, Nine Grain Loaf, Rye Loaf, Artisan Three Seed Bread, Artisan Sesame Semolina Bread, Artisan Multigrain, Artisan French, Artisan Stone-Milled Rye Bread, Artisan Country, Lower-Carb Pumpkin Seed Bread, Lower Carb Italian Herb Bread, Mediterranean Veggie (without feta cheese)

Papa Johns – Pizza Dough, Pizza Sauce, Thin Crusts, Veggies

Papa Murphy’s – Pizza Crust, Sauce, Veggies

Pizza Hut – Thin n’ Crispy Crust, Hand Tossed Dough, Pizza Sauce, Sweet Sauce, Spaghetti Marinara Sauce, Pasta, Italian and French Dressings, Dessert Pizza crust, Cherry topping, Icing, Garlic Bread (make sure its oil not butter),

Pollo Tropical – Vegetarian TropiChop, Balsamic Tomatoes, Bananas Tropical, Black Beans, French Fries, White Rice, Yellow Rice, Boiled Yucca, Corn

Pyramid Brewery – Boca Burger (can be substituted for any burger, make sure its the vegan variety), Margarita Pizza

Quizno’s Subs – Garden Salad, Potato Chips

Rainforest Café – the Natural Burger (w/o Safari Sauce), Morningstar Garden Grill, Paradise House Salad

Roy Rogers – Baked Potato, Vegetables (side dishes), Salad Bar, Mashed Potatoes (w/o gravy)

Ruby Tuesday’s – Veggie Burger (w/o mayo and cheese), Veggie Burger Wrap, Salad Bar, Lettuce Wrapped Burger (substitute veggie burger for meat burger)

Sbarro – Tomato Cucumber Salad, Garden Vinaigrette Dressing

Shari's – Gardenburger

Subway – Veggie Delight Salad, Italian Roll/Bread (customize a sub), Veggie Delight (w/o cheese and mayo), Fruizle smoothies, Veggies, Vegan Breads: Italian, Hearty Italian, and Sourdough

Swenson's Drive-In – Veggie Special

Taco Bell – Bean Burrito (w/o cheese), Bean Taco (w/o cheese – specially prepared), seasoned rice, tortilla chips, Veggie Fajita Wrap (w/o cheese), pinto beans, Cinnamon Twists, 7-Layer Burrito (w/o cheese and sour cream), Mexican Pizzas (w/o cheese, meat, sour cream), Nachos (w/o cheese, meat, sour cream), Tacos (w/o meat, cheese, sour cream ADD Black Beans/Refried Beans) Taco Salad (w/o meat/cheese/sour cream, w/ refried beans)

Tubby's – Hot Veggie Stir-Fry Sandwich,

Village Inn - Boca Burger (w/o cheese, w/o mayo, ask if its the vegan variety)

Wendy’s – Plain Baked Potato, French Fries, Deluxe Garden Salad (ask for no cheese), Side Salad, Dressings (French, reduced fat/reduced calorie Italian) Applesauce, Taco Chips, Mandarin Oranges, Veggie Sandwich (everything thats on a burger, without the burger, w/o cheese and mayo)

World Wraps – Tofu and Mushroom Teriyaki, Bombay Curry Veggie

Linkings

I just added a bunch of links to the sidebar. I now have more AR organizations. IDA (In Defense of Animals) and MFA (Mercy for Animals) are both great organizations. They give out lots of free materials. I suggest every get the Free Anti-Fur Door Hangers from MFA. You can order as many as you need.

If you were REALLY good with details, you will have already noticed the "Important Posts" section. That is where things like debates, important info, etc will be located. That is where you will find the recipe archive post, which I update with the link to every new recipe. I thought about putting each recipe up individually, but I decided against it. Its much easier to put them all together. Also, if I ever change my template, I wont lose all the links and have to find them again.

I also added links to blogs that I read. So far there are 3. FYI: Vegan Porn is NOT PORN. Its just the title :)
The blogs I have currently linked to are huge blogs, and I am not requesting a link back. However, if you would like YOUR blog to be on that link list, I am happy to do so. I just want a link back to my blog in return.
If you want to exchange links, you can leave a comment on this post or email me at:
kiss_the_night_sky@hotmail.com

Am I back up?

Grrr.... My blog is very touchy. Sometimes its working ASAP, other times its all down or just acting weird. Not fun.

And the PETA2 street team is down.

Irish Breakfast!

Happy Saint Patty's Day!

Nothing is better than an Irish breakfast. Okay, maybe there are, but an Irish breakfast is still awfully nice!

---

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 onion, chopped finely
Black pepper
Salt
Red pepper flakes
Olive Oil
Fake Canadian Bacon
Fake Sausages

---- Potatoes ----

1) Heat oil in a skillet.
2) When oil is hot, add onions and saute until translucent.
3) Add potatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
4) Its done when the potatoes are thoroughly hot. Add more seasonings to taste.

----Bacon and Sausages ----

1) Heat oil in a skillet.
2) When oil is hot, add sausages and bacon.
3) Cook to package directions. Bacon should be crisp, sausages should be hot thoroughly.


Serve on a plate with half a heated tomato and tinned beans! Voila, you have an Irish breakfast.

Recipe Changes

I hate when companies change their recipes. Boca is especially guilty of this...

I bought some "sausages" the other day. 2 months ago they were vegan. Now they have eggs in them. Luckily I noticed this before I ate them. I've had some close calls in the past. Usually I check ingredients on everything, but these used to have the word "vegan" written right on them. It wasnt very big, so when they made the change I didnt notice the missing word from the package.

I just wish companies put "NON-VEGAN" in big letters on products that are no longer vegan. Its such a shame to buy something like that and not be able to use it.

I have no idea why vegetarian companies do this. They are getting MORE customers when the product is vegan, everyone can eat it! But when its not, only the vegetarians can eat it.

On a similar not, many soy cheeses claim to be "vegan" and "animal product free" yet they contain casein, a milk protein.

Why cant the whole world be vegan??!! It would really solve a lot of problems :)

Stats

I've already gone over my pageload, unique visitor, and returning visitor stats for February in these few weeks of March. Yayness! I must not suck so bad after all!

Thank you for ALL your wonderful comments, links and everything else that has helped my blog grow and flourish like berries in Lapland :)

Love,
♥ Allie ♥

Survival Hunting

Eh, Social Studies is getting disgusting. We keep having to watch buffalo hunts by native americans. As much as I hate hunting, the type of hunting they do isn't as bad as today.

• They cannot grow crops all year in their area
• The US government moved them to places were the land was not suitable for crops
• They use EVERY part of the animal. Hides, organs, meat, bones, etc.
  
• They ONLY kill what they absolutely NEED.
• They consider it "borrowing it from the earth" and do not like ending the life of an animal for no good reason.

I just thought that was interesting.

Vegan Shopping List!

Because sooooo many people say vegan food shopping is hell, I am here to prove otherwise. Here is a copy of my shopping list. (I'm using the one from last night for reference). Note that some things I buy regularly, but not on a weekly basis (spices, vitamins, etc, different kinds of veggies) Also, things like standard veggies are shared with the family.

Fresh Vegetables:
Romaine lettuce
Avocados
Portabella mushrooms
White mushrooms
Tomatoes
Onions
Tomatoes
Bell peppers (red, geen, yellow, orange)
Jalepenos, chilis, etc.
Kale
Leeks
Squash (butternut, winter, spaghetti)

Fresh Fruits:
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Pomegranates
Kiwis
Pineapple

Breads/Grains:
Foccaccia
Jewish rye bread
Wheat bread
Finnish/German rye bread(brown color)
Granola Berry Cereal
Blastems (organic fruit loops)

Jarred/Canned Goods:
Beans (black, pinto, refried, etc)
Roasted red peppers
Mixed olives
Salad dressing
Pasta sauce
Pesto (non cheese)
Salsa

Soy foods:
Boca burgers
Sandwhich mock meats
Soymilk
Faux ground beef
Soy Yogurt
Tofutti Sour Cream
Tofutti Cuties/Icecream

Other/Ethnic:
Frozen Samosas
Channa Masala (curried chickpeas)
Kofta Curry (curried vegetable balls)
Bean ravioli
Polenta
Pasta (wheel, noodle, ziti, etc)
Corn chips
Fruit Bars
LUNA protein bars
Chopped potatoes
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Prepared:
Bolanee
Fatma Samosas
Marinated portobellas

Juices:
Mango lemonade
Acai
Pomegranate

Spices/Staples/Supplements:
Rice
Oils (canola, extra virgin olive, refined olive, etc)
Peprika
Salt
Black Pepper
Chili Powder (dark)
Cayenne
Red pepper flakes
Garlic
Cal/Mag supplement
Cocoa powder

Its long, but it shows the vast variety of vegan foods available! I usually dont even get 1/3 of all these foods in 1 week, these are the foods I usually choose from. I make a lot of my own recipes and I also do a lot of altering of recipes. Dont forget to have fun and do whatever you want!

Yay

Yay, my blog is up again. Blogger was doing something so I couldnt access it.

I went food shopping last night. Yumm!

Did I mention middle eastern/Indian Subcontinental food is soooooo good? I cannot think of a better dinner than Fatma Samosas and an Afghan Bolanee !

I love food shopping! So many people think vegan shopping is hard! Man are the off their rocker.
So I (the magical magician Allie) will show you what I buy on a weekly basis (Next post)

Peta2.com having problems

The site has been having problems today.

First, this morning and afternoon the page wouldn't work at all. You would either get a blank screen or the offical PETA error page.

A little while ago you could explore the site, but when you tried to log into the boards or street team, it wouldnt load at all.

Now you have either a 50-50 chance of getting a blank screen or the homepage. You still cannot log into anything.

This is really annoying... Grrrrr...
This has been happening quite often in recently, but not for a whole day.

Hey!

How is everyone? I had my dance last night, it was pretty good. It took me forever to do the decorations, and within 45 minutes not a streamer was still hanging. Thats 7th grade boys for you.

I ended up banging my eye off a table, and its turning pretty colors. Purple, blue, yellow, red, green, what's next? It hurts when I smile, which isnt good because I like smiling.

I'm kinda pissed because there were no vegan snacks there. Oh well, like I need junk food anyway.

I'm working on a bigger post, so ciao for now.

Vegan Wonderfoods

As we all know, some foods are better for you than others. And some make you feel better than others. So here is a list of some Vegan Wonderfoods!

1) Açaí (ah-SIGH-ee) -
This little berry is a potent and powerful little berry. If you have ever tried Açaí (commonly in the juice form), you know what it can do. It gives you an energy boost without a crash, makes you feel full, gives you alertness, makes you feel "awake", and has more anti-oxidants than an other fruit known to man. It has 167 ORAC units of antioxidants per gram of fruit. Its delicious, and because of all the free-radical fighting anti-oxidants, it helps fight signs of aging. It's the number 1 item on Dr. Perricone's Superfood List.

2) Nuts -
Nuts are a great source of protein for vegans. They are also a great source of fat, which is good because many vegans have trouble getting enough fat in their diets (myself included). Nuts can be added to desserts to give them a protein boost. They are also a very versatile food to work with.

3) Beans -
Like nuts, beans are good sources of protein and fat. They are also high in fiber. Bean can be used in many recipes, but are traditionally in Mexican foods. In many recipes you can substitute beans in for meat (like tacos, enchiladas, stews, chili, etc) You can put beans in cupcakes (very yummy.)

4) Chocolate/Cocoa -
Chocolate IS healthy, in small quantities. Dark chocolate has naturally occuring chemicals in it that help lower blood pressure. Chocolate also contains anti-oxidants which fight off free radicals. The more cocoa in the chocolate, the better it is for you. As we all know, chocolate makes us feel good and tastes delicious. Cocoa powder can be used in tofu pies, pudding, fudge (I made some last night), brownies, and pretty much any dessert.

5) Soy -
Soy is high in protein, and has no cholesterol. It can be used as a meat substitute. Soy is also known to slow or stop the growth of certain cancers. Though studies have contradicted each other on whether too much soy is good or bad for you, the FDA recommends 25 grams of soy protein a day to help control heart disease. (Vegan however, dont have any cholesterol intake since its only found in animal products)

Voila! Here are you're 5 vegan wonderfoods! If you have anymore, leave a comment with a little paragraph on why its super!

Meat Eaters and AR? Hypocriticial, or not?

This is a very common topic on AR boards. Should omnivorous animal rights activists be considered hypocritical?

Here are the two sides and their views:

Hypocrites: Going vegetarian or vegan saves over 95 lives per year on average, and all you are doing is making dietary changes. Telling people to be kind to animals is hypocritical when you are you are eating them and paying for their slaughter with your dollar.

Not Hypocrites: They are not hypocrites because even though they eat meat, they are helping animals, even if it is on a smaller scale than not being vegetarian/vegan.

There is also the middle ground:

They are hypocrites, because they are trying to save the same things they eat, yet at the same time they are helping animals. Even though they pay for the killing of animals, they are trying to help animals in other ways.

I would like everyone who reads this to comment on how they feel about this issue. It would be nice to see what everyone thinks of this, since it is a highly debated topic. I think many people would like to see this, especially so they can understand the views of people who do not agree or have different views from them. If possible, I'd be interested (and others would be too) in hearing from an omnivorous Animal Rights activist.

Also, what about ovo-lacto and non-vegan vegetarians? Are they hypocritical too, or is there too much pressure on them? You decide!

Thanks for your time, its much appreciated by myself and many others!

********** Please NO arguing, insults, jabs, attacks, threats, etc etc. **********

Wednesday, Already???!!

Today was such an interesting day. Since we didnt have school yesterday or the day before, I have loads of homework due this week and in the near future.

1) Packet on Manifest Destiny
2) Additional paper on Manifest Destiny
3) Science project on wind power. My group has to present for 80 whole minutes!
4) French penpal letter
5) French poem in french, decorated
6) Typed final drafts of poems for english
7) Additional poem for english
8) Paper for geometry on TRIG!
9) Design my duck shaped teapot for art
10) Poster for science

Then today I had to film my presentation on earthquakes for health. It was pretty funny. We had to pretend we were newscasters. So, as a comedic act showing me putting on makeup before going on air, my friend starting shaking the table. It ended up me having black eyeliner and deep maroon lipstick all over my face. And then we had someone yell "5 seconds till airing". So (as an act) I had to look startled and try to wipe off the makeup, which ended up smearing it all over my face. It was quite fun.

Anyway, that was my day. And the rest of my day is homework. How lovely.

Spa Day - Pamper Yourself Gals!

All this animal activism gets stressful. I can't tell you how many times I've cried after watching PETA vids or hearing things in the news. (On Sunday a dog died in a New York fur trap. In a nature PRESERVE, with its owner by its side.)

Now to lighter stuff...

You don't have to do all the spa stuff together. I did it over 2 days, and it is sometimes better so you have time to do other things. You can also add things to it that aren't listed here. Do whatever YOU want, since that's what its all about.

Not only does spa stuff make YOU feel good, its is GOOD for you. Helping your skin stay clear AND relaxing at the same time is a pretty sweet deal, dontcha think? And while still being vegan? Damn tight.

Now for the sched------------

1) Exfoliate your skin with your favorite vegan scrub.
i) Wet your face. (If your face is particularly grimy, you can also wash with a mild cleanser so that the scrub will actually work)
ii) With a cotton boll or your fingers, apply your scrub in a circular motion. Rinse clean.

2) Open the pores with hot steam.
i) Fill a sink with hot water. Dip a washcloth in it. Wring until damp but not wet.
ii) Put the cloth over your face until it cools down. Do this about 8 times or longer if you feel like it. Lie down, and relax!

3) Kill bacteria, and get rid of oil.
i) Take some Tea Tree oil, and rub over your face. Make sure to do the T-zone and other acne prone areas.
ii) Take a damp hot washcloth and put it over your face. Do this for as long as you like. This helps the tea tree oil get in the pores. The oil will kill bacteria and get rid of oil in your pores.

4) With a clean cloth, wash your face with warm water to get rid of the tea tree oil and anything it brought out of your pores.

5) Close the pores.
i) Take a clean cloth, and wet with ice cold water. Wring until damp.
ii) Put over your face until the coolness goes away. Repeat for as long as you like.

6) Apply moisturizer. No matter how oily your skin is, you MUST do this (use a light one or dilute one if need be, but dont skip!). The tea tree oil is a heavy duty astringent. Your skin will be tight and can dry out if you dont do this. The moisturizer wont clog pores because they have been closed.

** Many women say "Moisturizer gives me acne". Many women apply their facial moisturizer right AFTER a shower. A hot/warm shower opens the pores, and lets the moisturizer get deep in, causing acne. If the face is cooled, and if the pores have been allowed to close, the moisturizer will do its job of hydrating the cells instead of clogging the pores. **
(This is a good thing to keep in mind, even when it isnt your spa day. However, after a shower, apply moisturizer to your body within 3 minutes to trap in moisture. Splash cold water on your face to get the best of both worlds, without ending your showing with a icy blast!)


By now your pores should be clear. If you like, you can replace Step 3 with a mask (or do it after Steps 3 + 4), preferably with The Perfect Pore Cleansing Mask.
You also could do the mask beforehand, to make your skin softer and make the pores open easier.

After you close the pores, you shouldn't do anything to your skin because it will have little effect.

This procedure will leave your skin dewey soft, less red, and help reduce acne.

DONT FORGET TO MOISTURIZE!!! Its the difference between a lovely complexion and looking like a fish out of water (scaly) I cannot emphasize this enough!!

The Perfect Pore Cleansing Mask

This is a great mask. I made it last night, and it works great.
I've found that cornstarch and water make the best base for masks. It goes on easy, dries up, and comes off easily. No chemicals either. I didnt put measurements for the cornstarch and water because you often have to add more cornstarch/water to the mixture to get the correct texture.

Ingredients:
Cornstarch
Warm water
Tea Tree essential oil
1 teaspoon Green Tea extract (dried, approx. around 4 capsules)

1) Put some cornstarch in a cup. Add water until you get the consistency of gak. If you can tip the cup and have it flow, yet at the same time you can press down on it with your finger and have it be solid, its the right texture.
2) Add a few drops of tea tree oil. Stir in the oil completely.
3) Add a green tea extract. Stir in completely.

Voila! You are done. Wet your skin, apply, and let dry. Then remove.

***If you dont have Green Tea extract you can substitute brewed green tea for water instead.

Update...

Because I've been so busy, I don't have the time to research for the second part of Down With Meat. I wish I could, but I dont have enough time to research for it.

In other news, the film "Manolete" (Lolafilms, starring Penelope Cruz and some hunk) has some great news. The film is about bullfights and such, and it recently declared that they will be using CGI (computer generated images) in the film, so that no animals will be harmed in its making. This is good news, since many animal rights organizations (including PETA) have been concerned about the film.

In the next posts I will do a mini-series (I promise to finish this one!) on how to pamper yourself veganly. Sometimes dealing with the news of animals being abused gets stressful and you just want to relax and remember that YOU are making a difference, and that other's stupidy is not YOUR fault. And a little YOU time helps you feel better for a lot of animal time. YOU perform worse when you are frazzled, and this is going to help defrazzle YOU.

Love YOU,
Allie

Steven the Vegan

Have you seen Steven the Vegan yet? If not, you need to. He is uh, a very interesting vegan chef. This guy is awesome, check him out here.

Its FUNdue

I just got a 3-cup fondue pot for my birthday (an upgrade from the 6 oz one I got for Christmas.) With it I got a fondue platter (its a quarter circle, almost looks like a sushi box)

You can expect to see some more recipes for fondue coming up! As soon as the brownies are gone, I will be making fondue.

Exiled, But With A Rowboat. A Vegan's Guide to Desserts

Don't get lost in the metaphor. The point I am trying to make is that desserts can be a minefield to navigate.

Don't get me wrong, desserts should be eaten in moderation. Instead of, cutting them out completely. What would we do without desserts on birthdays? (that is, if you aren't a Jehova's Witness.) What do we eat after the mash potatoes and Tofurkey on Christmas?

As we pretty much all know, eating desserts in restaraunts is almost out of the question (unless its a vegan restaurant or specializes in vegan items.) The caviats to this are fruit platters (which arent really a "dessert", and sorbet, which is typically vegan. (Ben & Jerry's Sorbet will be available in supermarkets this Spring, Yipppeeee!!!)

Many co-ops and a handful of supermarkets are carrying things like vegan cookies and brownies, tofu chocolate pies, etc. The deli counter at the Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier, Vermont actually had vegan chocolate cake for sale by the slice on Friday. Look around and you might find something.

The bigger problem is when you cannot make it to a store, or they don't carry anything like that. Then you are on your own. There are many vegan recipes, but you need to know how to weed out some of them. For example, the brownies I posted turned out delicious (I'm eating them right now as I type), but I wouldn't serve them for company because they sag in the middle and don't stay together since there are no binding agents (which normally would be eggs) in them. You can add egg replacer to recipes, and use things like applesauce, mashed bananas, corn starch, etc in baked goods to replace eggs.

I suggest to use recipes from place like PETA, Viva, Farm Sanctuary, IDA, etc, if you are presenting to company because these are the experts on veganism. Many recipes off message boards will work, but sometimes they will sag or not hold. The experts (including chefs and people who have made the recipe before) know the exact conversions, tips and tricks, and what type of replacer for what type of recipe (or for their specific recipe.) Many times people try to take a regular recipe and "fix it" by adding an egg replacer, only to screw it up because it was the wrong one. (For example, using the 1 oz applesauce = 1 egg conversion in cookies will make them too moist and gooey. You should use cornstarch or something less liquidy)

When making a vegan dessert, it is nearly always best to use a recipe that is vegan to begin with than to try and veganize a recipe on your own. PETA2 has many (yummy) vegan dessert recipes.

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Another hard part about desserts are when people ask you if vegans can even eat dessert. It gets old quick. Even most semi-sweet chocolates are vegan! Then there are the times when people ask if you can "bend the rules" just "once". I normally try to be a civilized person towards non veg's when they ask rediculous things, but this just makes me mad. Its asking "Do you want to promote the veal industry just this time?" And usually its not once. If you gave in every time someone said that you wouldn't go 2 days before you got asked again!

---------

Hope this helps torch some of the mines for you!
Lots of Love from the vegan brownie muncher,
Allie

Put Some Pix Up

I will put some pictures up as soon as I get more signal. The only way I can get the pictures off my phone is to email them to myself. I cannot email photos without more signal, which I should get at school (on Wednesday) or if I take a walk down my street.

Luvs,
Loki

Its my Birthday!

Yay, today I'm 14! That means I can legally buy and consume wine and beer in Switzerland! Sweetness baby.

So far I got a pack of gum with one piece missing from my old 7th grade teacher, and 4 tic tacs from a friend. Tomorrow is my party with my family where I get my cell phone.

I'm making those brownies for my birthday "cake", so I will tell you how they are. I'm going to make boiled chocolate frosting to drizzle on it, which is essentially fondue that has cooled. And I'm making some truffles. Yum.

If you want to give me a birthday gift, you can refer your friends and fellow vegans to my blog, and it will be much appreciated. A simple hyperlink is justice. You dont have to, but I'd love it if you did. Getting publicity for a blog can be a pain in the you-know-what sometimes. It's fun, but is still work.

I'm going foodshopping in a few mins so I can get stuff for the "cake" and truffles.

Au revoir mes amis et mes copains,
- Le "birthday" fille. ♥

Vegan Brownies

I got this off the PETA2.com message boards. Enjoy! As of March 2, 2006 I have not tried it, but I may soon.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in the water, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 (or 8x8) inch baking pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Busy Busy Busy

I was so busy last night. I had tons of Social Studies homework for a big project that was due today. And also, I went up to Burlington and got a new cell phone for my birthday, which is tomorrow. Yay!

Its so sweet! Its like a regular phone but you can lift the top and it has a keyboard and mini speakers. It does video and pictures too. Of course, its going to be my new tool for animal activism. I can take clips of PETA videos and record them on there, along with pictures. I am also going to use it to make phone calls to people like David Novak (CEO of KFC).

If you have any ideas for what I should do with my phone, leave a comment!