tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216356772024-03-09T21:46:45.672-05:00My Life As A VeganPreviously this blog was dedicated to the life and endeavors of a teenage vegan navigating a non-vegan world, with recipes, tips, animal activism and more!<br>Now, as of March 2011, I am embarking on a raw food journey for health as well as ethical reasons. Although I am currently raw, I am leaving all of my previous content up, including cooked-food recipes, etc. Veganism is great for the planet, the animals, and YOU!, no matter which form of it you choose to follow :)Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-69459919982574161362011-03-21T09:34:00.000-04:002011-03-21T09:34:55.233-04:00<span style="font-size: 85%;">So far my raw diet is going pretty well, though I have decided I'm going to eat a few cooked convenience foods as I am transitioning. Last night I had a 6inch veggie sub from subway and some chips because I really needed to eat and couldn't go home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">My main problem at this point is that my parents are trying to sell the house so I'm not allowed to use the kitchen 24 hours before a showing because its all been cleaned. This means no smoothies, no dehydration, nada. The biggest thing I can really do is grow sprouts, and those seem to be doing very well! About half my seeds have sprouted so far. Hopefully my mom will help me take care of them because I'm going to Vermont tomorrow night and I doubt that they will be ready then. In Vermont I'll probably have to eat less raw since I will be at a friend's house but I think I will make do alright.</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-2912807021815415872011-03-20T21:51:00.002-04:002011-03-20T21:51:26.874-04:00I have some sprouts!A few of my seeds have germinated (despite my not watering for 24 hours, oooops!)<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-13512953336981094302011-03-20T08:25:00.001-04:002011-03-20T08:25:18.193-04:00Unfortunately I never had the chance to either buy or make raw bread last night. I got asked to work early this morning so I didn't want to be up all night then have to wake up at 8am.<br />
<br />
I did get to do a lovely food shopping though! I got cantaloupes, hummus, mangoes, rice milk (it was on sale and much cheaper than almond milk this week), raw sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, a case of clementines, turbinado sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Lara bars.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I fell a bit off the bandwagon last night because my lack of bread prompted me to eat hummus with Ritz crackers and then a bowl of chex with rice milk I wish I hadn't eaten it before bed because I woke up with sore spot in my stomach that I could pin down to cooked food. I'm not too upset though, I didnt have enough protein yesterday anyway because my sprouts haven't germinated yet.<br />
<br />
Right now, the goal is to switch my tastes from processed and cooked foods to whole and raw foods. Right now I'm eating half a cantaloupe for breakfast and it is delicious. I forgot how much I love fruit (instead of baked sweets) and I'm trying to switch in fresh fruit for all the desserts and sweet snacks I used to eat. So far I think I'm doing pretty well!<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-40020610005256509482011-03-19T13:47:00.000-04:002011-03-19T13:47:37.572-04:00Tonight's Plan<ol><li>Go to the grocery after work in Enfield (which has more natural foods than my town) and pick up some raw foods like nuts, seeds, flatbread (if available), avocadoes, fresh fruit, and agave nectar.</li>
<li>Make raw, dehydrated flatbread for the next few days (if I don't find it in stores). I'll probably have to do this in the main oven because my toaster oven is quite small</li>
<li>Water my sprouts :)</li>
</ol><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-3069007572159175162011-03-19T13:41:00.000-04:002011-03-19T13:41:46.798-04:00Sprouts have been planted!<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.survivalsolutions.com/store/media/FoodStorage/KitchenCropSprouter_Full.jpg" width="274" /></div><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">This is the sprouter that I have and I just finished planting and watering my first batch of seeds! Hopefully they will germinate, they're a year old but I think they will be okay.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">I planted a mix bean variety, broccoli, and alfalfa sprouts. I am looking forward to sprout salads, peanut butter with sprouts on raw bread, and hummus with sprouts on raw crackers! </span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-13823055492919672662011-03-19T11:48:00.001-04:002011-03-19T11:54:48.427-04:00Taking StockBecause I am a poor college student, I don't have a lot of money to spend on raw food equipment or food. This is what I have and what I will need to cheat on in the future.<br />
<br />
What I Have:<br />
<ul><li><b>Sprouter and seeds</b> - A gift to my mom but she never uses it. She says I can use it as long as she gets to eat the sprouts too. Fair enough!</li>
<li><b>Toaster Oven</b> - This will be my makeshift dehydrator. It has a dial thermostat so I can set it to below 112F.</li>
<li><b>Blender</b></li>
<li><b>Food Processor</b></li>
<li><b>Two Raw cookbook/guidebooks</b></li>
</ul>Concessions to be Made:<br />
<ul><li><b>Pasteruized foods</b> - <i>I don't have a juice</i><i>r</i> and cannot afford one plus all the fresh fruit for it at this time so I will have to drink pasteurized juices as well as nut milks that have been heated until I can get a nut bag.</li>
<li><b>My current pantry </b>- My mother will kill me if I don't finish off what I already have but I will try to spread it out over the course of the next month or so. Right now I have a lot of roasted nut butters, soy milk, and protein bars.</li>
<li><b>Steam-rolled oats</b> - Right now I don't have the time or energy or money to use raw oats so I will have to use conventionally prepared oats.</li>
<li><b>Vinegar </b>- For the sake of salad dressing, I will continue to eat balsamic vinegar. Although its not raw, vinegar isn't exactly a super food so I'm not too worried about this. </li>
</ul>If after a few months or so I decide to stay raw, I will probably invest in a juicer and some other equipment, but for now this is what I will have to make do with.<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-19085040808873081832011-03-19T10:08:00.000-04:002011-03-19T10:08:49.104-04:00I'm Going RAW!So after gaining tons of weight at college and falling off the vegan bandwagon, I have decided to try raw veganism! I'm not sure how long I will do it, but I feel that it is worth a try.<br />
I definitely want to blog about my journey but I am not sure whether I want to blog about it on this blog, on another blogspot blog, or on Tumblr (where my other blogs are). I feel that Blogspot is more professional but Tumblr is a lot easier to use. Hmmm....<br />
<br />
Any suggestions good people?<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-23990074020251692782011-02-17T11:10:00.000-05:002011-02-17T11:10:17.937-05:00For all the hateful commentsThis blog is basically dead.<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<div>I did most of the writing when I was 14-15.</div><div>I'm 19 right now. I still make $100 every 2 yrs with my ads just by keeping this site up, that is why it's not taken down.</div><div>And for the people bashing my reasons to go vegan, etc, they are my personal reasons, not scientific or whatever. Stop picking on a English project a teenage girl started 5 years ago and get a life.</div>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-81061206361568476432010-10-09T11:32:00.000-04:002010-10-09T11:32:40.175-04:00College and Being Vegan<span style="font-size: 85%;">Being vegan at college has been kind of tough, not going to lie. There are no vegan desserts at the dining halls. The soups don't specify whether or not they are made with animal stock or not. Things are supposed to be labeled vegetarian and vegan but I've seen things that are obviously vegan (for example, lettuce) not labeled at all at certain stations. The french fries aren't labeled vegan but I know they are because I asked the chef. So whenever I get something that appears vegan I can never be entirely sure. And one day I saw the vegan meal of the day list "milk" as an allergen. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Of course, none of the servers speak English so when you ask them for help they just smile and nod or give you more food. I literally told one guy that I wanted "everything but the meat" and then he said I looked skinny and gave me the meat anyway saying it was good that day, then got mad when I demanded he give me a new plate after smothering all my veggies in carcass juice.</span><br />
<br />
Its not that bad though, I guess. They have a really nice salad and sandwich bar. They have margarine and lots of non-milk beverages. Soymilk is a pain to get but its there if I need it. And they do sometimes have a tasty vegan meal of the day.<br />
<br />
I think I might mosey down to downtown Troy today and check out the vegan bakery. I haven't gone yet because I've been busy but I dropped Organic Chem because it was too hard (and my new major doesnt need it) so now I have time. The hours are crazy but they're open on Saturdays :)Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-13665975184801869502010-02-24T22:33:00.000-05:002010-02-24T22:33:46.566-05:00Almost 18 :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.timeinc.net/recipes/i/recipes/ck/clce/german-chocolate-ck-222774-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img.timeinc.net/recipes/i/recipes/ck/clce/german-chocolate-ck-222774-l.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 85%;">My 18th birthday is in one week (3/3)! I am BEYOND excited to be legal!!!!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">To celebrate, I'm getting my belly button and sternum (vertical) pierced, and then going to Taco Bell for some delicious vegan tacos with my best friends. My mom is also going to bake me a vegan cake. I'm still trying to pick a flavor, but I'm strongly leaning toward the German Chocolate from <i>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</i> (my favorite cookbook in the universe!)</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.peta.org/images/640_jenna_jameson_ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.peta.org/images/640_jenna_jameson_ad.jpg" width="241" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">I already know one of my gifts. Its a 2-day vacation to Montréal with my mom to see Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, and Sick Puppies at the Bell Centre, then clubbing (18 is the drinking age there) and shopping in Montréal. In case you didn't already know, Montréal has a 5 kilometer underground shopping center. I'm looking forward to picking up some of the latest fashions there (vegan, of course). Montréal is known for having lots of pleather in every color and style possible, so I hope to find some good things there. And the restaurants are fantastic there, so good vegan French food is a must!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">I plan on taking pics from my birthday celebration(s) so I'll post them when I get the chance. Until then, ta-ta! ♥</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-91350778060805062572010-02-11T16:05:00.001-05:002010-02-11T16:09:41.272-05:00Indoor Track is Almost Over :(<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/T+USA+Indoor+Track+Field+Championships+Day+p8l9L6od6eel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/T+USA+Indoor+Track+Field+Championships+Day+p8l9L6od6eel.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 85%;">On Monday night, I ran in the North Central Connecticut Conference Championship meet for Indoor Track and earned two medals!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">My relay team got 4th place in the Sprint Medley Relay (I ran the 400m leg) and my other team finished 3rd in the 4x200m relay. I also got 13th out of 40+ girls in the 55m dash (8.1s F.A.T.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">This Saturday I'm back in New Haven for the Connecticut Class S State Meet, and I'll let you know how that goes (if it goes well). This will be my last Indoor meet ever, unless I do it at RPI. And I'm so excited for this meet, we might be stopping at either Taco Bell or Burger King afterward (my last fast food meal before I go on an insane health binge before Outdoor Track).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Speaking of getting healthy for the outdoor season, I've been working out a lot. In the past two weeks I've been able to get my max bench press at 90 pounds, which I think is pretty decent for a small girl like me. I also have been able to do 230 pounds on the incline leg press without a problem. </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">So far I haven't even started using creatine or protein shakes, and in the next 5-6 weeks of offseason I plan on trying to bulk up. </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">Hopefully I'll have my bench press up to 100 or more by the time Outdoor starts!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Any other vegan weight-lifters out there? Especially vegan female weightlifters?</b> Most people I talk to are surprised that a girl, let alone a vegan, works out and can lift as much as I can (not being conceited, my school has weak and wimpy girls). Anyway, if you're out there, share a story!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sportsposterwarehouse.com/catImages/marilynbarbell05ja-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sportsposterwarehouse.com/catImages/marilynbarbell05ja-1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-34805079182691025912010-01-29T23:57:00.000-05:002010-01-29T23:57:11.555-05:00Vegan Discoveries<a href="http://www.theonlinecandyshop.com/ProductImages/FRUITBYTHEFOOT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.theonlinecandyshop.com/ProductImages/FRUITBYTHEFOOT.jpg" width="175" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">I love it when I find out that ostensibly non-vegan foods are actually vegan! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Just this week I discovered that Fruit by the Foot and World Classics Trading Co. Majestic Mint chocolate bars are vegan.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">You would think that Fruit by the Foot would have gelatin because it is goey, but instead it gets its texture from pear concentrate and locust bean gum. I used to eat them like crazy when I was a kid, so now I am really excited that I can enjoy them again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">It was also really exciting to find a good vegan chocolate bar. My grocery store (Big Y) has a terrible selection of brands that specialize in natural foods. Natural food brands are great for finding vegan options because they generally try to keep the ingredients lists of their foods small, so they won't unnecessary extras like whey. World Classics isn't really a health food brand, but they aren't a General Mills / Nabisco company either.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">What I like about this chocolate is that it is only 55% percent cacao. To get a vegan chocolate from a regular supermarket brand, you usually have to go to at least 70% cacao in order for there to be no milk in it (You can find chocolate chips at 65%, but many brands will add milk when it is in bar form). I dislike bitter chocolate because it makes me feel sick (don't know why, but super dark chocolate gives me a headache and a stomachache), so this is a great chocolate that is sweet and light enough yet still vegan. It's smooth and creamy, not grainy like many vegan chocolates. Plus it has crunchy mint pieces in it :) Score!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Enough with my chocogasmic ramblings... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><b><span style="font-size: 85%;">Have you had any recent/groundbreaking vegan discoveries? Please share!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">P.S. Wanna know favorite part about finding seemingly non-vegan foods? It's when I eat them in front of my omnivorous friends (and especially friends who are considering going vegan/vegetarian) and they say, "Hey, those are vegan? I guess you really don't just eat lettuce and carrot sticks!" This happens to me with Oreos a lot, people assume the cream is from milk (they're actually made from vegetable fat).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/education/assets/oreos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/education/assets/oreos.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-92198403152244783802010-01-22T15:00:00.001-05:002010-01-22T15:00:01.095-05:00Vegan Staples For The Grocery Challenged<span style="font-size: 85%;">I live in a small town (approx 12,000 people) with a grocery (Big Y) that has a terrible selection of vegan foods, and an even worse selection of healthy vegan food. Unlike nice stores like Shaw's and Stop & Shop that put all the health/alternative foods in a special place, the vegan foods are scattered around the store. I live far away from Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or a real co-op, so I have little choice in where I buy my groceries. Luckily, I went vegan in a hippie Vermont town with a comprehensive co-op market where I learned what foods I liked and what was out there. Had I tried going vegan where I live now, I don't think I would have made it (I was 14 when I went vegan).<br />
So, for those of you who live in an area where vegan foods are hard to come by, here are some staples that your local store *should* carry. If my store carries them, then I bet your store will too.<br />
</span><br />
<table border="0" height="428"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="79%">1. <b>Boca Vegan Burgers</b> - Probably the easiest <br />
vegan veggie burger to find out there. <br />
</td> <td width="21%"><img height="200" src="http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/75/92/83/33/0075928333445_215X215.jpg" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td height="42">2. <b>Smart Deli (by Light Life) Vegan cold cuts </b>- <br />
These come in ham, bologna, turkey, etc. My favorite is ham because it tastes <br />
the least fake plus if you fry it in oil it tastes like Canadian bacon!!!<br />
</td> <td><img src="http://vitanetonline.com/images/products/921.jpg" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3. <b>Silk Soymilk</b> - Best. Soy. Milk. Ever. Creamy, most <br />
realistic taste, and wind-powered. Silk also makes soy yogurt, which is <br />
available at most grocery stores (but not mine).<br />
</td> <td><img height="200" src="http://helenw13.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/silk-soy-milk.jpg" width="94" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4. <b>Tofutti Ice Cream Tubs</b>- It may be hard to find other <br />
Tofutti products, but most stores carry the tubs at least. They come in <br />
a variety of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, and "better" <br />
pecan.<br />
</td> <td><img height="149" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Tofutti.jpg/275px-Tofutti.jpg" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5. <b>Bolthouse Farms Beverages</b> - Green Goddess and the <br />
fruit/veg blends are packed with nutrients, and the Vanilla Chai is a great <br />
protein boost. <br />
</td> <td><img height="200" src="http://ryanchen-wing.com/img/2008/2008-03mar-25-3250094-bolthouse-vanilla-chai.md.jpg" width="133" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6. <b>World Classics Panko Breadcrumbs</b> - Vegan breadcrumbs <br />
are hard to come by since most brands include whey. This brand's pank breadcrumbs <br />
are vegan and all-natural. 4C also carries a vegan variety.<br />
</td> <td><img height="88" src="http://www.foodcity.com/docroot/media/Image/Brands/World-Classsics-TC-logo.png" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>7. <b>Top Ramen, Oriental Flavor</b> - Okay, so not the healthiest, <br />
but these are good for a quick meal (they are high in protein, as well as <br />
fat and sodium). Make sure you get the Top Ramen brand, Maruchan uses beef <br />
in their Oriental flavor. <br />
</td> <td><img height="200" src="http://img.meijer.com/assets/product_images/styles/xlarge/1001029_070662010013_A_400.jpg" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>8. <b>Vermont Bread Company Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread</b> <br />
- Again, many breads contain whey and/or honey, especially healthy whole <br />
wheat varieties. This bread is my absolute favorite, its whole wheat AND <br />
sourdough! Can it get much better? Ezekial also carries vegan whole wheat <br />
breads.<br />
</td> <td><img height="166" src="http://www.baldwinhill.com/images/prod_bread.jpg" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>9. <b>Simply Asia Noodle Bowls</b> - These come in a variety <br />
of flavors, and taste delicious.<br />
</td> <td><img height="200" src="https://www.wegmans.com/prodimg/831/200/854285000831.jpg" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>10. <b>Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets</b> - Best rib <br />
replacement that I have found yet, the sauce is absolutely fantastic!<br />
</td> <td><img height="200" src="http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/02/89/89/43/0002898943405_215X215.jpg" width="200" /><br />
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-51676313358293273002010-01-20T16:12:00.001-05:002010-01-20T16:16:33.170-05:00There Needs to Be More Vegan Guys!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Tim_McIlrath_of_Rise_Against.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Tim_McIlrath_of_Rise_Against.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-size: 85%;">Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the majority of vegans and vegetarians are female? Maybe some guys are afraid that caring for animals or the environment isn't manly. Well, here are 10 reasons why being vegan is HOT for guys.</span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Girls find it cute when a guy actually cares about something other than COD or football.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Knowing that a guy cares about and respects animals makes a girl believe that a guy will care for and respect her, too.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Being veg gives you a better chance with vegan and vegetarian girls, and everyone knows that veggie chicks are the <a href="http://www.peta2.com/feat/CutestVegetarian2009/Default.aspx">cutest</a> (click on female contestants to see more).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Subsequently, no cute veggie girl is gonna want to swap spit with you if you taste like a pepperoni pizza. <br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">A diet high in cholesterol can cause impotence in men. Last time I checked that wasn't very manly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Nor is being pudgy from a high-fat diet. Just saying...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Milk has been linked to aggravated acne outbreaks. That's uh, real sexy.<span style="font-size: x-small;">(And no, this isn't just PETA bullshitting reasons. My skin got 10000x better after shunning dairy products.)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">A balanced diet high in fruits and veggies make you less prone to getting sick. Doesn't sound like a big deal in the dating scene, but try making out with a runny nose and you'll see my point.<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Its a turn off for girls when a guy takes himself so seriously that he refuses to be compassionate.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Generally, girls think animals are cute. So, by helping animals you get your name associated with "cute." Score for you!</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: 85%;">If any guys who are considering going vegetarian/vegan are reading this, please know that a lot of girls find veggie men attractive, even if they aren't vegetarian themselves (think numbers 1, 2, 9, and especially 10!) I myself am back on the market, and although I don't date exclusively vegan, finding out that a guy is vegan or vegetarian is probably the biggest turn on possible!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs128.snc3/17534_248097492853_552287853_3187271_2630276_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs128.snc3/17534_248097492853_552287853_3187271_2630276_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wish you were my cat Deuce's in this picture? Being vegan will definitely help you!<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">P.S. The hottie on the side is Tim McIlrath, the vegan lead singer of one my favorite bands, Rise Against.<br />
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</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-51671251211484611302010-01-18T13:51:00.002-05:002010-01-18T14:15:58.625-05:00I Qualified for States!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://expertsportsandcoaching.com/images/indoor_track_350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://expertsportsandcoaching.com/images/indoor_track_350.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;">Whenever I get the changce to point out that vegans are good athletes, I like to do so.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Friday, I qualified for the Connecticut Class S State Championship Meet in the 55meter dash and the 4x200meter relay with my team.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In the 55m I qualified WITHOUT blocks, because the meet organizers wanted the meet to run faster so we couldn't use them for the trials.I ended up getting 7.9s, but with blocks I'm sure I will improve upon that time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> In the 4x200m relay, my team ran 1:98.2, which is really good considering the meet was poorly run and the third leg runners (lucky ol' me) were not told where to receive the baton until the second leg runners were on our heels. Either way, I'm happy just to have qualified with my girls!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm a little disappointed that they cut out the 300meter dash to speed up the meet, because I was only 0.2s away from qualifying the last time I ran it, and I cut 0.1s off my 55m from the previous meet! Oh well, there's always next time!</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/1/f/7/d/1195423166415281351johnny_automatic_veggies.svg.hi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/1/f/7/d/1195423166415281351johnny_automatic_veggies.svg.hi.png" width="320" /></a></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>So, do you have any athletic accomplishments that you are proud of? Leave a comment and let everyone know that vegans kick butt :)</b><br />
</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-70485844283448428182010-01-13T20:33:00.001-05:002010-01-18T14:10:32.432-05:00Winter Pet Safety Brochure<span style="font-size: small;">As promised, I am sharing the Winter Pet Safety Brochure that my Students For Animal Advocacy club made. I'm really proud of my group and the brochures were pretty popular among the students in my school. The brochure didn't take too long to make, maybe like around an hour and a half or so. It also wasn't hard to make, we just found facts and added pictures.As an added touch, we put the phone numbers to local shelters and national hotlines on the brochure alongside the general information. To help increase credibility, we included our sources on the back (and also to cover our butts because the school administration doesn't like new student groups after last year's short-lived GSA pulled some pretty weird stuff.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm mostly uploading this to show off my hard work, since much of it pertains to my town only. <i>However, you are more than welcome to use it</i>. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The file is in Microsoft Office 2007 Publisher format. Since I don't have Publisher at home, I was not able to remove anything from the original document. Also, I wanted to show it as we presented it. So, if you want to use this, you will need to put in your own local phone numbers and club information. <b>I do ask that you put the link to my website (http://aveganlife.blogspot.com) on it somewhere if you use it at all</b> (put it anywhere you want, just somewhere please.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The pictures and the text are all black and white because there are no color printers at my school, and this brochure will look good if you put it on colored paper (we were delegated to green paper by our admin.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Whether you use this to help promote animal safety in your town or just want to see what I did, enjoy!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1263388078386"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2S81Y953">Click here to download the file from MegaUpload.com</a><br />
</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-78690982077091095392010-01-05T19:54:00.003-05:002010-01-05T20:18:17.776-05:00Post Holiday Post (Get it?)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.marieclaire.com/cm/marieclaire/images/spaghetti.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 166px;" src="http://www.marieclaire.com/cm/marieclaire/images/spaghetti.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, I know I sure did! (minus writing a 30-page paper on Joseph Heller's <span style="font-style: italic;">Picture This</span>)<br /><br />Since Christmas dinner was not at my house (and I didn't find out in enough time to make something), I was afraid that I'd have nothing to eat. Boy was I wrong! My family is Italian so we have pasta for Christmas instead of a giant slab of carcass. While everyone else had cheese and meet ravioli, I had three plates of spaghetti with homemade red mushroom sauce. There was also plenty of fruit, salad, and guacamole & chips. Instead of eating the regular dessert, I ate the vegan candies left over from the gingerbread houses (I still have some leftover LifeSavers in my purse)<br /><br />I also got some pretty cool vegan gifts that I'd like to share :)<br /><ul><li>TONS of Swedish Fish. One of the few gummy foods that are vegan! Also, they are made with mostly real sugar, and no high-fructose corn syrup!</li><li>Hot Wasabi Coated Green Peas. One of my favorite snacks because they're hot, spicy, and crunchy. Plus you can't eat too many of them before your nose starts to burn up.</li><li>Pinapple dark chocolate bar. Can't recall the name because it's loooooong gone now, but it was vegan and tasty. My big problem with vegan dark chocolates is that they aren't smooth enough, but this one was very creamy and not too bitter!</li><li>Are you hungry yet? Well this one isn't food. With my Christmas money I ended up buying myself a lovely acrylic & nylon grey/black striped sweater from Target. It was on clearance for $12 and it feels softer than any wool or cashmere sweater I've felt. Best part is that since its not wool, I don't have to wash it by hand or line dry it. Can you say, "That was easy!"?</li></ul>So, I want to hear from you! What did you eat for your holiday dinner? Also, did you receive any vegan/animal friendly gifts? Leave a comment so we all can be jealous :)Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-36021237339115708252009-12-12T11:20:00.005-05:002010-01-05T19:53:14.636-05:00Winter Pet Safety<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/12/24/gal_holiday_pets_08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 226px;" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/12/24/gal_holiday_pets_08.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This winter my Students For Animal Advocacy group will be making winter-pet safety brochures to pass around the school!<br /><br />I am really excited for this, because our adviser, a vegan, has sort of steered us in the promoting veganism direction. As much as I like promoting veganism, I'm really afraid it has alienated us from people who like animals but aren't vegetarian.<br /><br />Winter pet safety includes using nontoxic ice melts, storing antifreeze away from pets, banging on car hoods, and keeping dangerous plants away from pets.<br /><br />Our plan is to pass out the brochures in the morning with people dressed as our school mascot (a bulldog) and as another dog costume we have. When the brochures are finished (on Wednesday) I will post the file so everyone else can use them!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EDIT 01/05/10: Sorry the file hasn't been posted yet! I wasn't able to get the file off the school computers before winter break and these past two days back have been super busy. I plan on getting it sometime this week when I have a free period, sorry again for the delay!</span>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-31743760156038103362009-09-04T07:35:00.003-04:002009-09-04T07:51:48.490-04:00Easy Way to Be a Cruelty Free Shopper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://shopcrueltyfree.peta2.com/images/s_cf_main.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 72px;" src="http://shopcrueltyfree.peta2.com/images/s_cf_main.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Thanks to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, now there is an easy way to see if the beauty and skin care products you buy are tested on animals. Peta2.com, the youth activism portion of PETA, had launched a page that makes finding which companies are cruelty free and which are not much easier than it used to be.<br /><br />The page consists of three drop down menus. The first allows you to see the names of companies that DO test on animals, grouped by name.<br /><br />The second lets you search for cruelty-free brands by product type. I absolutely love this menu, and it is very complete, it includes listings for items such as deodorant, bleaching cream, pregnancy care, healing salve, insect bite treatment, massage oil, Rosacea treatment, first aid, massage oil, feminine hygiene, and Ayurvedic supply, just to name a few.<br /><br />The last drop-down menu is a list of cruelty-free companies, grouped by name.<br /><br />Finally, in the product and brand listings, the letter "V" has been placed next to the name of any company that makes vegan-only products. (Though many of the companies that are not marked do offer some animal-free items as well).<br /><br />Ready to <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> check everything you own? I know many vegans have put this off because of the daunting task it is to look at a giant list or search product-by-product on a search engine, so now you can stop procrastinating! <a href="http://shopcrueltyfree.peta2.com/index.aspx">Click here to begin!</a>Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-73525256880582979562009-06-29T00:00:00.000-04:002009-06-29T00:00:14.129-04:00Broccoli and Potato Curry on QuinoaThis Indian-style curry can be adjusted to your tastes by tinkering with the spices. Cayenne/red pepper will increase the heat, while using more turmeric will make it more mild. Curries are generally very flexible, if you want to add more vegetables go right ahead. You could also replace some of the water for coconut milk to give it a sweet vibe (I ended up topping it with some shredded coconut).<br />I made this on <a href="http://aveganlife.blogspot.com/2007/03/just-got-some-quinoa.html">quinoa</a>, but you could make it on brown rice as well, they cook the same exact way.<br />This recipe will should serve about 3 people, or 2 hungry people, or 1 person who is very hungry and likes midnight snacks :) This recipe is one of my new favorites so enjoy!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 small onion, diced<br />2 TBS olive oil<br />3 cloves garlic, crushed/minced<br />1/2 red/green bell pepper, diced<br />1 medium or large potato, skinned and cut into half-inch cubes<br />1.5 cups broccoli, fresh or frozen<br />1 carrot (or a couple baby carrots)<br />1 cup water (for curry)<br /><br />1 cup dry quinoa<br />2 cups water (for quinoa)<br /><br />Spices:<br />Use as much or as little of each spice to suit your tastes. I used about a tablespoon of each (except for the salt and black pepper).<br />Cumin<br />Coriander<br />Red pepper flakes / Cayenne<br />Ground ginger<br />Curry Powder (Indian yellow)<br />Turmeric<br />Salt<br />Black Pepper<br /><br />Quinoa:<br />1. Rinse quinoa if not already prerinsed, and then add to two cups of water in a small saucepan (preferably nonstick). Cover on low heat until all the water is absorbed (like rice).<br />2. The quinoa will probably be down around the same time as the curry if you start right away!<br /><br />Curry:<br />1. Saute garlic, onion, and bell pepper in the oil on medium heat until onions are translucent.<br />2. Add water, potato, and spices. Cook on medium until potatoes are nearly tender.<br />3. Add broccoli and carrot and simmer until tender. You may need to add more water if too much has simmered away, and thus you may need more spices.<br /><br />Voila, enjoy!Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-29085586652978764272009-06-24T10:38:00.005-04:002009-06-24T11:28:26.004-04:00Ants On A Log!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMqv5IbRFLzTRrqjz8oa_HVSdWY30vr5qDHbCELWChhr3syDRsoJLWiyNTBWk8HAyJK2HnO7beQkBiQktb1aPicwEx8dCYekNvheTdxdoWoatXoe4W6NJJYKaEh-QhZuJYOAa/s1600-h/kainen+antsonalog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMqv5IbRFLzTRrqjz8oa_HVSdWY30vr5qDHbCELWChhr3syDRsoJLWiyNTBWk8HAyJK2HnO7beQkBiQktb1aPicwEx8dCYekNvheTdxdoWoatXoe4W6NJJYKaEh-QhZuJYOAa/s200/kainen+antsonalog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350903711537492402" border="0" /></a>Ants On A Log were always my favorite preschool snack, and I still love them today! With only 3 ingredients, they're so easy to make. Just spread the peanut butter and sprinkle some raisins, voila!<br /><br />They're actually not bad for you either. Peanut butter has healthy fats and protein, celery is low-calorie (actually negative calorie, it takes more energy to digest it than it provides), and raisins have concentrated nutrients.<br /><br />On Monday my boyfriend and I were hungry at his house with hardly anything to eat, vegan or not. We were able to scrounge up the ingredients for these (he was going to eat some blood sausage but I threatened with no kisses for the rest of the day if he did. It was promptly returned to the fridge.) The picture is of him stuffing his face and holding part of our masterpiece.<br /><br />What's your favorite childhood snack?Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-28692496393924743672009-06-15T19:53:00.005-04:002009-06-15T20:48:01.006-04:00Vegetables? What are those?With all the processed and prepackaged foods out there, no wonder why it seems like everyone is gaining weight and becoming sickly. Many would think that vegetarians (and vegans) would be safe, with our healthy plant-based diets. However, after watching what my vegetarian friends eat, and analyzing my own diet, I have noticed that it is very easy to eat vegetarian without getting a lot of nutrients.Furthermore, it is quite possible to be a vegetarian and rarely touch a vegetable!<br /><br />How can this be? Well, this concept has long been discussed in articles against teen vegetarianism, but most vegetarians brush it aside and say "That won't happen to me." After all, we've done our research, we bought that new avant-garde cookbook, and invested in foods we can hardly pronounce, like "tempeh" and "quinoa". Surely we're <span style="font-weight: bold;">never</span> going to be <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> vegetarian, who lives off cheese pizza and french fries. Heck, I don't even like fast food!<br /><br />So maybe most of us are above pizza, fries, and cola, but I am willing to bet a lot of vegetarians aren't as healthy as they think they are. And yes, I am going to be honest, it was my own self who rudely awakened me to this predicament.<br /><br />It wasn't all my fault that I wasn't eating great. I had finals to worry about, end of year projects and assessments to do, track and field was getting more and more competitive as the season went on, my animal rights group was doing a fundraiser, and I had about 5 different events for the National Honor Society. Plus my job, and my social life. My mom started working nights, which left me to make my own dinners (whereas when she was home there would always be some sort of vegetation as a side dish).<br /><br />My diet wasn't exactly unhealthy, it just was missing things. I would eat a veggie burger at school most days for lunch, and if I was lucky I'd get a bit of iceberg salad on the side. If I had time to make lunch, I'd bring peanut butter and jelly (with wheat germ). Or if I was feeling ambitious, a faux ham and veggie sandwich (with a piece of lettuce, a slice each of tomato and onion, some mustard, and hots). For dinner, I'd make something quick. Quick meaning one dish, no sides. My main main always had to include protein (I need it for running), so it often focused around beans or pasta. I had carb-protein-fat down pat, but what about nutrients? And vitamins? And minerals? After a few weeks, I started to say "Hey, I'm a vegan, but I can hardly count on one hand how many vegetables I've eaten <span style="font-weight: bold;">this week</span>!"<br /><br />And its not just me. At least I tried to make what I had healthy on its own for the most part. I have friends that get cheese pizza or a veggie burger with an ice pop and soda for lunch and eat oriental ramen noodles and mashed potatoes for dinner. Yay, no animals, but no nutrients either.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We are not safe from this obesity epidemic if we continue along this path. </span>We cannot sit on this high horse if our bodies are being filled with the same crap of the people below (let's not break the horses back with out fat behinds, okay?)<br /><br />Time is the big issue. Adults have it better off than students. Yes, they work, but we have school <span style="font-style: italic;">then</span> sports and extra-curriculars (need em for college!), homework and projects. Oh and okay, Facebook & Myspace too, but still. Teenagers also have a hard time because we do not make a lot of money, and sometimes parents aren't the most helpful when it comes to eating healthily (and on top of that, veganly).<br /><br />My summer goal is to get back on track. Tonight for dinner I made broccoli curry with quinoa. I wasn't left feeling tired and lethargic after eating (look how much I've written!) With the garden coming along, there will be fresh picked lettuce for salads, and tastier grilled veggie burgers and tofu pups (less fat then frying, plus if they taste better I'll ditch the white bread for whole wheat). Plus I'll have time to drive 30 minutes away to grocery stores with better vegan specialties (like quinoa, curry sauces, local vegetable specialties, etc).<br /><br />Overall, I'm optimistic. I've identified my problem, the things that triggered it are gone, and I'm going to tackle it head on. Plus, this has only been a recent occurrence for me, I'm usually quite healthy. But I know not everyone who's fallen into this trap is going to be as lucky. Its a misconception that being vegetarian/vegan automatically equals healthy. I'd say about 7 out of 10 times it is, but especially for Generation Y and Generation Z, where a cardboard box or a can and a microwave are our best friends, it's not always so. Before we can tout that our diet is the best (besides for animal welfare), we need step back, take off our rose-colored glasses, and make sure it really is.<br /><br />---<br /><br />And if you do happen to have a rockin' veg diet, keep up the good work! (and let us know how you stick to it when the times get tough!)Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-25652903185798211612009-06-15T16:43:00.003-04:002009-06-15T16:51:18.843-04:00School Is Out!Well, just about. I have to marshal the graduation and then I'm done for a bit. Then I must go to a school-sponsored summer camp (27-2). But for the time being, I'm enjoying my freedom, despite the looming summer homework (read three books by Joseph Heller and "The Lively Art of Writing"and college searching.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to having more time to experiment with vegan recipes, blog, and just help animals in general.<br /><br />This school year, our Students For Animal Advocacy group was quite successful in its first year. We sponsored a school-wide Meat Out (over 100 people participated, around 1/5 of the school). We also did a coin-drive for our local animal control center, and we raised almost $200! I'm very excited about this and next year we should be able to do even more.Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-87410214244947621642009-06-06T18:50:00.005-04:002009-06-06T18:57:18.146-04:00Soy Yogurt SubstitutionA lot of vegan recipes are calling for soy yogurt, which can be very hard to find in most supermarkets (and many people just don't like it plain). Here's a replacement for it, thanks to Celine from <a href="http://celineyum.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-replace-soy-yogurt-in-recipes.html">celineyum.blogspot.com</a> who found it on the <a href="http://www.theppk.com">Post Punk Kitchen</a> boards.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />6 oz. soymilk<br />1.5 tablespoons cornstarch<br />Splash of either lemon juice or vinegar<br /><br />1. Add soymilk and cornstarch, microwave for 30 seconds.<br />2. Stir and microwave for 15-20 seconds.<br />3. Add lemon juice or vinegar, stir, and let sit for 3 minutes. Voila!<br /><br />Now I can go make some <a href="http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dessertsbeverages/r/lavacakes.htm">vegan chocolate lava cakes</a>!Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21635677.post-70817608685185814412009-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:002009-05-17T00:00:00.958-04:00Decadent Peanut Butter Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.foodbeam.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/peanut-butter-cookies-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 189px;" src="http://www.foodbeam.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/peanut-butter-cookies-2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'm usually not a fan of peanut butter cookies, but these cookies are phenomenal. They're chewy, buttery, and completely vegan! I made a double batch last night (one with chocolate and one without) for my step-dad so that he would change the oil in my car for me. They also brought my omnivorous boyfriend to his knees, even without the chocolate. A must try!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />2/3 cup creamy peanut butter<br />1/3 cup vegan margarine (I like organic Smart Balance)<br />2/3 cup brown sugar (break apart all clumps or hard spots first).<br />1 1/2 teaspoon Ener-G Egg Subsitute<br />2 tablespoons water<br />2 tablespoons plain/vanilla soymilk<br />1 or 2 teaspoon(s) of vanilla extract<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />3/4 cup all purpose flour<br />1/8 teaspoon salt<br />Handful of vegan chocolate chips (optional)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Note:If you do not have Ener-G, use 1 egg's worth of another substitute that you know works in cookies. The water in the recipe is the amount required to make the egg replacer, so omit if your replacement already has the same amount of liquid as an egg</span><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C.<br />2. In a small cup, mix the egg replacer and water.<br />3. Using an electric mixer/beater, cream together the peanut butter, sugar, and margarine until you have an even consistency. If your peanut butter is sugar free and you are not adding the chocolate chips, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of sugar.<br />4. Blend and mix in soymilk, prepared egg replacer, and vanilla extract.<br />5. Add flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture and mix fully.<br />6. Fold in chocolate chips if desired.<br />7. Make dough into slightly squished balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. The cookies will expand a little so give them some room. Don't flatten the cookies too much, thin cookies end up dry and hard.<br />8. Bake for 8-12 minutes. When they are done the edges will be slightly browned. As with most veganized cookies, they will be soft and first but will harden as they cool.<br /><br />This recipe should make around 20 cookies. The brown sugar is what gives these cookies an extra special boost.<br />Another tip: If your peanut butter is really oily (as a lot of organic and natural nut butters are), use a tablespoon less of margarine. Don't worry if the dough is really greasy, it won't be an issue once the cookies are fully baked.Allie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15497442248829049906noreply@blogger.com3