My Life As A Vegan

Stop blaming the models and put that doughnut down!

2008-05-02T17:58:00.002-04:00

I’m really sick of people bashing models and thin people for causing everyone else to have low self-esteem. These people claim that models and magazine pictures distort the idea of what beauty really is. To some degree, I agree. Magazines do Photoshop, edit, and airbrush their subjects to make them look skinnier, prettier, and generally more attractive. In this scenario, I do believe these images are detrimental to the minds and confidence of young women, and I think Spain was correct in banning models with low BMI’s (healthy is around 18.5-24, anorexic is 17.5.) But sometimes they go too far.
One well-known example is the Dove “Campaign for Real Beauty”; featuring “average” sized women who want beauty to mean more than size 0-2. These people (and supporters and other groups) claim that since the average pants size of an American woman is 14, there should be size 14 models, and that size 14 should be considered “sexy” and “hot”. But does beauty really have a number? Are we so materialistic that we define our beauty by numbers? And what does beauty really mean?
To most men, a woman’s beauty coincides with health. But oh no! Those anorexic models aren’t healthy! However, do you really think guys look at models? Most of the time they have those pert faces and no shapeliness. And have you ever heard guys say, “ ‘Man, that second girl on the Versace runway show last night was hot!’ ‘No way! I definitely think the headliner for Gucci was better’ ‘You guys are whack, that Donna Karan chick was soooo much hotter!’” Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to happen. The only model guys probably have even heard of/seen is Giselle Bundchen (Sunglass Hut) , or maybe Adriana Lima in a Maybelline ad on the back of his girlfriend’s Cosmo. Models are thin and tall because clothes look better; layers are easier to assemble when the person is taller and the CLOTHES (not the person, models model clothes not themselves) look better. Models are to designers as mannequins are to department stores. Have you ever seen a small mannequin? They are tall to show the clothes more prominently.
So, back to health’s relationship with beauty. What attributes do we as a society (and the men we try to impress) consider beautiful? Some would be: healthy skin, healthy nails and hair, toned muscles, curves (including le derrière and le décolletage), lean (not thin or skinny), and a positive attitude. Most guys don’t like stick-thin twigs, they like some t*ts and a** (T&A).
Now, back to the Dove campaign. Have you seen the women they advertise as being “normal”? I’m not trying to be offensive, but almost all of them are overweight, and it looks like they don’t take care of their bodies by eating healthily and vigorously exercising. You don’t have to be a size 0-2 to be healthy (or sexy!), but unless you are very tall, (the US average is 5’4”), a size 14 is most certainly overweight. If size 14 is average, and the average women is overweight (two-thirds of the US is), then what does that say? Simple math, hello! The last time I heard, the average woman was 5’4” and 145 pounds, and apparently, a size 14 (that’s what Dove says.) Size 14 and 5’4??? That’s CERTAINLY not healthy! I’m 5’4” and I am not anorexic. I am on the lower end of the healthy range for my height (the range is from 110 to 125), and I have an athletic/muscular build, not a twig build. I am between a 0 and a 2. Even if I expanded as I aged, I still can’t see myself being healthy and above a size 4. I’m 10 sizes below “average”, and am considered healthy. Somehow, if I gained 10 pants sizes (or even 5!) I doubt I would still be healthy.
I am sick of overweight, inactive girls criticizing me and people like me for being “too thin” (healthy) and making me out to be the cause of their low self-esteem. If they played 3 Varsity sports a year and ate healthily (vegan or not, though vegan is certainly very healthy), they wouldn’t have muffin tops and jelly rolls. While stick-thin, unhealthy, and anorexic models make being thin seem unattainable because they are soooo thin, people have to realize that most people don’t consider models hot, or even use them as comparisons!
So pretty much, there is a bunch of overweight women complaining that healthy and fit women are considered more attractive than they are. I’m just taking a wild guess, but I think the root of this is jealousy, because they don’t have the motivation to treat their bodies well.
I don’t blame overweight women for being upset that they aren’t as “hot” or “sexy” as their thinner counterparts. But they can’t try to overthrow the system and make everyone think that size 14 is attractive. Besides the fact that beauty should be on the inside (men look for personality, too!), if overweight is considered the new thin, people will be switching salad for ice cream because their weight won't matter to them anymore, and we’ll see an increase of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other horrible diseases that are already on the incline because of the unhealthy trends of this era.
Instead, these women should be trying to see that they are attractive, with their curves, attitudes, and personalities, and understand that they have a health issue. I see plenty of overweight women who are happily married. You don’t need to be the stereotype of “hot” and “sexy” to be attractive and lovable. If anything, these overweight/ “normal” girls are the most materialistic because they are judging themselves based on size. They should realize that by becoming healthy, they will no longer have the problem of being what they perceive as unattractive and will only be bettering their health.

Yaaaa, so here's the scoop

2008-05-02T17:43:00.003-04:00

So this past month has been pretty psycho. In chronological order:

I got some sort of flue/cold/strep thing and I was out from school for 4 days and missed a week and a half of track. Which set me really far behind and I'm just starting to improve for the season (I just qualified for the conference meet in the 200m, yay!)
I've been swamped with homework (as usual)
Kenny dumped me because of the distance last Saturday. Which made me really mad, then sad, and now I'm pretty good with it but it still is no fun.
And I had to write a 13 page term paper for history on Anarchy in the United States, which was about the Haymarket Riot of 1886. Pretty interesting stuff. But very long indeed.
I got 5 baby chicks! 3 are Australops, 2 are Buff Orpingtons. They're very cute. They're sold every spring at the place where I work and there were some extras left that needed a home so I took them in. They are all females and are layers, but I'm just going to sell the eggs or use them at Halloween and Easter, since there's no cruelty involved (we're building a coop in the barn and they'll get to walk all around our large yard.)
And now I have impending English and History projects due. Yuck!

So I've been pretty busy. Not a whole lot of cooking has been done. I made more marinara sauce, and it turned out really well, I still have some left in the fridge. And if I have any free time this weekend I will bake something but I have a feeling that will not happen :(

Marinara Sauce

2008-03-30T20:49:00.005-04:00

Food has been getting pretty pricey lately, probably from ever-increasing price of fuel. And the pasta sauce I like (I HATE sauce with sugar in it) is about $6 a jar when its not on sale. So unless I want to start paying for it I had to do something. So I decided to make my own sauce. Most traditional sauces take hours to cook, but this one is very quick and easy and takes 20 minutes. I wouldn't call it 5-star restaurant quality, but I think it is better than most 3-star restaurants and costs $1.25, excluding pantry staples.

Ingredients:

1 can (28-35oz) canned tomatoes (cut, crushed, diced, your preference)
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1/2 to 1 onion, sliced thinly (use as much as you want)

1 clove garlic (use more if you prefer, but this will be pretty strong)

Basil (if the tomatoes don't have them in already, use fresh or dried)

Oregano (as much as you want)

Salt, pepper (to taste, some tomatoes are already are salted)

1. In a 2QT saucepan, heat oil and sautee onions until tranlucent (don't let them burn!)

2. Add garlic and sautee until lightly browned.

3. Add tomatoes (including all the juice in the can), and add spices.
4. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes.

It turned out really good! If you want to improve it further, you could use 1 can crushed, 1 can cut, and 1 whole onion and simmer for longer (until saucy texture).

To give fair credit, I got the basic recipe from the back of the tomato can but I adapted it quite a bit.

Wednesday Track Meet :/

2008-03-30T20:40:00.002-04:00

I'm a little nervous for Wednesday, I have my first track meet. I really hope I will do well, it's quite early in the season and I haven't really gotten into shape yet, but hopefully I'll do the 200m and a relay or two. I usually run 400's and 800's but I much rather do 200's because my body shape has totally changed from muscle-less and lanky to much stronger muscles and a lot of definition. No more 3200's for me :) When I get the results I'll post them (if they aren't horrible :P )

Craziness!

2008-03-22T20:48:00.003-04:00

My life just started to get even crazier because track started. So now I don't get home til around 4:30, which makes it hard to be able to cook anything anymore :( But I think in a few minutes I am going to make some chocolate cupcakes, so that will be good. Last night I slept over my friend Jessica's house, and we're pretty crazy. So since nothing totally vega-licious has happened in the last week, I'll just post some pics of my birthday party from last week!

Birthday 3-09-08

The awesome vegan birthday cake. Chocolate with vanilla frosting, in my favorite color.

My little half brother on the trampoline.

The FOOD!!! The yellow cake isn't vegan (that was for my mom) and everything else there was except for some turkey. There was salad, two kinds of pasta salad, stuffing, corn/bean salad and some other things. It was great!

How to Celebrate a Vegan St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-16T21:32:00.002-04:00

You don't have to eat corned beef to celebrate St. Patricks Day. Here are some ways to celebrate veganly!

Be Irish. Not that you'll be able to do this if you aren't Irish to begin with, but St. Patty's Day is always better when you're Irish (I'm 50%, which is how I know what to write here)
Wear green. Duh. Or else it will be my personal mission to pinch you.
Eat an Irish Breakfast.
And then an Irish Supper.
Paint a shamrock on your face using eyeliner, and wear green makeup.
Make some kind of dessert with green frosting.
Talk with a brogue. But make sure you know what it's supposed to sound like because if you go around with an English accent you will get slapped.
Don't wear orange (like my Grandpa does every year), unless it is part of an Irish flag, or a hurling/footie uniform (I'm wearing my Carlow county jersey tomorrow, which has some orange on it.)
Play hurling or gaelic football. Hurling is pretty much lacrosse+baseball on crack, and gaelic football is soccer with your hands and some crazy dribbling rules. Mad fun.
Kiss an Irish person.

I Got Tagged!

2008-03-11T20:01:00.002-04:00

I've been tagged by the lovely Paulina at Veggie Delight to reveal 5 things about myself... (yippee!)
1. I dont follow a specific stereotype. Lets see, I play soccer and track, skateboard and play drums, wear all black one day and the next day bright pink. When I wear all black I wear hot pink eyeliner and when I wear all pink all my makeup is black. My iPod playlist has Joan Jett, Christina Aguilera and Disturbed next to each other. My 3 favorite places to shop are Forever 21 (eclectic), Aeropostale (girlyish), and Hot Topic (punk/goth). I have 7 piercings and I also happen to be Valedictorian. Maybe I should see the psych.

2. I have an extremely acute sense of smell. If someone is wearing a certain fruit or floral smell (ie Bath and Body works) I can name the scent very quickly. And if I walk by someone I can know exactly what perfume they are wearing, even if I've only smelled it once. And when I cook with herbs I usually choose them from olfactory memory, not by names or loooks. And I always remember what someone smells like. Always.

3. I want to have a career in foreign languages. Currently I'm taking French 3 and Spanish 2, and in college I want to additionally take Italian, Russian, Finnish, and German.

4. I'm an athiest. I'm fine with people believing in whatever they want to believe, but I've had too many people approach me as though I'm a free agent for whatever they believe in, so I've gotten turned off from religion. Plus, people argue over it waaaaay too much. And I just don't buy the whole getting-swallowed-by-a-whale-and-hey-I'm-alive deal, but that's just my opinion.

5. I had severe depression for 4 years (therapists and very close to antidepressents) but I kept my grades up and very few people noticed (I'm alot better now) . And I can't stand when people blame their problems/depression for bad grades.I don't think that there are smart people and stupid people, but that there are people who recognize that they have the power to do well, and there are people who are more concerned with other things and blame their stupidity instead of willpower for their grades. But that's just me, it's alot harder to manage your grades when you have other issues (I'd know!), but it is not impossible.
So there you have it, 5 unique things about me.
I tag... Vko (Lifestyles of the Chic and Vegan), Gnewvegan (Invitation to my Vegan Journey) , VegBitch, Yeah, That "Vegan" Shit, The Urban Vegan!
Rules:Link to your tagger and post these rules.
Share 5 facts about yourself.
Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).

Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Vegan/Vegetarian/VegeQuarian Playlist

2008-03-07T20:43:00.003-05:00

Here's a playlist of veggie bans/singers. I can't guarantee the accuracy of all of them, and some bands have non-veg members in them. I also know than Alanis Morrisette is against eating meat but had to stop being vegetarian because she is severely allergic to soy, but I put here down anyway since she's sympathetic to the cause. So here's some good music, I tried to incorporate all different kinds into the playlist.

Vegan Survey Time!

2008-03-07T19:32:00.002-05:00

I love surveys! So fun! They make me feel like I'm important...
Anyway, I found this one on Pleasantly Plump Vegan, and apparently it's been cross-referenced a million times and I didn't feel like tracing it back to the original source, so if you want to find the original creator be my guest :)
It's a bit random, but that's how I like it ♥
Heeeeere we go!
1. If you have to choose between locally grown or organic, which do you usually choose?
Here where I live, we don't exactly get to choose. But in my old town we had a farmer's market where most things were local and organic, and that was really nice. But I guess I would choose local since it supports community farmers.
2. Favourite way to prepare potatoes:
EVERY WAY. I'm 50% Irish, and taters are one of my all-time favorite foods. I guess the top three would be: red skins roasted with onions, garlic, rosemary, olive oil and fire roasted peppers; Home fries with hot sauce and BBQ sauce; and a fry-up of diced taters with onions, diced red/green peppers, paprika, and salt.
3. Do you press your tofu before preparing/cooking it (if you eat soy)?
I'm not a huge 'fu-fan, actually. I eat mostly prepackaged stuff like Tofettes, which I think I already pressed. If I use it in desserts, I usually don't press it.
4. Name your favorite recipe that is a tradition in your family:
Boiled green cabbage with margarine and roast potatoes.
5. Any food allergies?
More like intolerances. Milk and eggs (makes veganism pretty easy). I used to always get mild stomach aches when I drank milk, and cooked eggs outside of baking always made me queasy.
6. When you want to go to a fancy dinner, where do you go?
Mostly my boyfriend and I eat at Burger King, lol. For fancy food, there's some nice vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Montpelier, Vt.
7. When you have a cold, what do you crave?
Oriental ramen noodles.
8. What kind of water do you drink? (Filtered, spring, tap, etc.)
Filtered water through the fridge. But I love Fiji water :)
9. Name a flavor of soda you'd love to see:
In PEI they have red cream soda. AMAZING. But if I had to make a made-up one, I'd say peppermint.
10. If the recipes you ate as a child were compiled into a cookbook, what would the title be?
Most of them weren't vegan. So if I had to start from when I became vegan, I'd say The Transformation.
11. If you were allowed to grow one food that can't grow in your climate, what would it be?
Cocoa beans.
12. Favorite type of mushroom?
There's so many to choose from, but I love portabella and white mushrooms.
13. Most frustrating part of your kitchen?
Glass-stop stoves and a TINY oven. I have a huge cookie sheet that I can't use here and no copper-bottom or cast-iron pans on the glass-top.
14. Last food you burned?
Cherry Pepperidge Farm turnover in the toaster oven.
15. Usual response to a veg*n's favorite question, "But where do you get your protein?":
Lots of foods, like beans, soy products, mushrooms, pasta, and bread.
16. If you were baking your own birthday cake today, what flavor would it be?
Chocolate cake with butter cream frosting.
17. Favourite brand of chocolate chips?
Ghirardelli semi-sweet
18. You have $200 of your tax return reserved for Williams Sonoma - What do you buy?
I'm not really a kitchen freak, I'm 16 but I guess I get a good orange peeler, apple corer, and those carrot shaving flower makers. And a good knife for dicing herbs and a sharp knife for tomatoes.
19. Do you plan your menus in advance? Any tips to share?
Once or twice a week I'll make an actual meal like burritos, tacos, lemon-butter pasta, etc. I get recipes off the web and in a few cookbooks I have. Sometimes I ask my mom for recipes that I can veganize, or she'll give me some of what she's prepared for me to do what I want with. A lot of times I'll just eat the veggies she makes and a veggie burger or pasta and salad.
20. You have 3 minutes before you have to leave the house and you're starving- What do you eat?
Heat up a frozen homemade burrito or a slice of rye bread with SmartBalance and horseradish and tomato.
21. If Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Rachel Ray got into a fight, who would win and how?
Ummm. I'd say Martha 'cause she's probably learned a few tricks in the can.
22. If you eat oatmeal, what do you add to it before serving?
Maple syrup or brown sugar and margarine.
23. If you got to travel to one country and learn all the traditional dishes there, where would you go (ignore commitments in your current place of residence.)
I'd definitely say India or Oriental, with no fish sauce and ghee.
24. Favourite late night snack?
Chocolate chips with Ritz crackers.
25. Favourite springtime food?
Pasta salad with olives, broccoli, peppers, and other veggies.
26. Favorite food-related magazine?
I'm not a big magazine person but I like Vegetarian Times.
27. Which do you prefer: shoyu, tamari, conventional soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminos?
It's a tie between shoyu and conventional soy sauce.
28. What vegetable or fruit do you dislike the most?
I used to hate asparagus, now I love it. Hmm, I don't really hate anything, maybe raw red peppers and overcooked broccoli.
29. Name a holiday food you look forward to all year long:
Bread pudding/
30. If you could convert anyone to veganism with your magic wand, who would you convert?
Well, I believe it's everyone's choice to do what they want to do. But it's a tie between my boyfriend Kenny, and my friend Cassie. My boyfriend can't cook but loves his meat so if we ever moved in that might be difficult. And my friend Cassie loves animals and really wants to go vegan but her parents wont let her so she doesn't bother to try.

It's My Birthday!

2008-03-03T19:00:00.002-05:00

Today is my birthday! Sweet Sixteen! Wow, it feels so weird to say I'm sixteen. I feel old! My family party is next Sunday, which is when I get my gifts from my family. But so far I've recieved some flowers from my mom and yesterday my boyfriend got me (well, we made it together) a Build-a-Bear. It's velvet and wears a brown "i love you" sash and rides a skateboard (because he skates). So we named it Kenny, after him, so I have him with me all the time.

Almost My Birthday!

2008-03-01T09:41:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited! Monday will be my 16th birthday! It won't be a good birthday school wise though, I have double chemistry lab (so I'll spend the night typing a report) and the next 2 weeks are standardized testing. Oh well. This weekend I'm pretty much going to just hang out with my boyfriend at the mall/movie theater, so that will be fun.
For my birthday I asked for a roman ab chair, a ride cymbal for my drum kit, and a wooden bass pedal for my drum kit, and most importantly DRIVER'S ED. I really need the ed, because I'm terrible at driving (at least reversing, going straight I'm all set). So hopefully I'll get that because I'd love to have my license before soccer season. Some vegan chocolate wouldn't be a bad gift either.

Good, Easy to Find Vegan Pastry

2008-02-22T18:31:00.004-05:00

The company Barry's Bakery was founded by Barry Yellen, who suffered a heart attack at 42. After being put on a no-sweet diet, he created a French Pastry Twist that had no cholesterol, butter, eggs, yeast, or dairy. They also happen to be vegan. The ingredients in the Original variety are: High gluten wheat flour, soy oil, palm oil, beet sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Each twist only has 60 calories. These twists are really good! Vegan pastries are hard to find, and Barry's Twists are available nationwide in most supermarkets (the site has a store locator if you havent seen them before). They are decently priced, and come in Original (cinnamon), Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Wild Raspberry, Maple French Toast, California Almond, Cafe Mocha, and Key Lime.

When I got my 2nd term report card with straight A's my mom bought me 4 bags! Surpringly, I haven't eaten them all!

A Good Way to Eat Swiss Chard

2008-02-21T20:07:00.005-05:00

My mum made the best swiss chard last night. It's too simple to really be a recipe but here's what you do:
- Let diced garlic sit in lots of extra virgin olive oil for at least 15 mins (a couple days is best)
- Saute cleaned swiss chard in oil and garlic until wilted and tender.

My grandmother cooks her spinach like this, which has been a tradition in our family, all the way from Italy. I like it with spinach more, since its milder and softer, but the swiss chard is definitely good.

This is the multicolored type of swiss chard, with red and yellow stems. Alongside it I had brown rice with sesame seeds on top (Halfway through dinenr I found a package of them in my pocket that I forgot to put on my Asian noodles from lunch.)

More Cupcakes and Other Stuff

2008-02-19T20:36:00.005-05:00

So I baked more cupcakes last night because they were so ~~damn~~ darn good. My fam wanted chocolate frosting and I wanted colors so I put chocolate underneath and rainbow on top of it. Anyways everyone thought they looked like Gay Pride cupcakes but they taste wicked good.

And then today for lunch I made a Gardenburger Veggetable Burger (the one with all the veggie bits in it) and I had it on a whole wheat burger roll with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sauteed onions.

Oh yah, and with Cape Cod Potato Chips! The best chips in the whole wide world! So crisp! So crunchy! So pure (tater, oil, salt)!

Amazing Vegan Cupcakes!

2008-02-18T16:17:00.004-05:00

I made these on Friday, and they're already gone! I made them with buttercream frosting. I baked mine in a silicone pan, and the bottoms were nice and moist, but metal will also work.
Cupcake Ingredients:
1 cup plain/vanilla soymilk
1 cup white flour
1 tsp vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup plain/vanilla soymilk
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Food coloring, sprinkles, colored sugar, chocolate chips, etc (optional)
Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 12-cup muffin tin (or use liners).
2. Mix soymilk and vinegar in a large bowl, and let sit for a few minutes to curdle.
3. Beat in sugar, oil, and extracts until foamy. Then continuously add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined and there are no lumps.
4. Pour batter into muffin tins and fill 3/4 of the way. Bake for about 18 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, and start making frosting.

Frosting:
1. Beat (electric beater/mixer is a must unless you want your hand to fall off) shortening and margerine together until well combined (~ 5 to 7 minutes)
2. Add in sugar, and beat for 3 more minutes.
3. Add in vanilla and the soy milk, beat for another 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add food coloring and chocolate chips if you are so inclined.

When cupcakes are cool, remove them from the tins and frost them (you can add sprinkles or sugar if you like)
< < The lone cupcake.

USDA Recalls 143 Million Pounds of Dead Cow

2008-02-17T16:18:00.004-05:00

Okay, the title of the article actually says beef, but I couln't resist.
Anyways, this is the LARGEST recall in U.S. history, by over 100,000,000 (100 million) pounds.
Apparently, it came from a Southern California slaughterhouse, and is sold under the name of Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. Currently it "is being investigated for mistreating cattle" (AP)

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer says his department has evidence that the slaughterhouse didn't contact a veterinarian when cows became non-ambulatory [unable to walk] after inspection.

"Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall," said Schafer. (AP)

Under federal regulation, downed cows are not allowed in the food supply because they pose a higher risk of being contaminated with mad cow, E. Coli, and salmonella. This is because they usually wallow in their feces, and have weaker immune systems.
Operations at Westfield have been suspended, after an undercover video was released of sick animals being pushed by forklifts. On Friday, two former employees were charged with animal cruelty.
This meat is used in some major fast food chains, and more disturbingly, THE FEDERAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.
It is estimated that 37 million pounds have already been sent to schools, and most has been eaten already. No reported cases of illnesses have surfaced.
See the AP article on MSNBC here.

I'm glad I'm vegan so I don't have to worry about this! But I'm praying for the innocent children who may end up eating this, especially since many of them probably only eat federal lunch because they can't afford not to. Yet another reason why to go vegan or vegetarian!

Cool New Website - PetaStudents.Org!

2008-02-16T21:07:00.003-05:00

There's a new website out there called PetaStudents.Org. Here's what they have to say:

The PETAstudents Project is an easy way for hopeful students young or old to contribute to the animal rights group PETA at no cost. We're working together with FastWeb (owned by popular job search engine Monster.com) to provide free information and scholarships for top-notch colleges in the United States, and for every person that provides non-invasive contact information to FastWeb's college and scholarship site, we'll be able to donate $1 to PETA.

You actually don't really do a whole lot with the original site, it's like a referral program. Once you click the "Sign Up" button on PetaStudents, you are directed to a sign up sheet for FastWeb. Since I was dubious at first (and since I get about 10 letters from colleges daily), I put in a fake address. The FastWeb site is very nice and has a lot of useful information and articles, even without the college/scholarship stuff. I presume that FastWeb pays the guys at PetaStudents for each referral, and in turn, they donate $1 to Peta. Which means for free, you and I can give money to Peta!

I think this site has a lot of potential to do well, so if you are high school or college age, please sign up!

Vegan Survey!

2008-02-16T16:31:00.003-05:00

Wow, I've been blogging a lot today. But I'm at work for 5 hours so what else is there to do?
I got this from http://foodsnobberyhobbery.blogspot.com/2007/11/veganmofo-survey.html
1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
Silk brand, chocolate is my favorite flavor but for cooking I use plain or unsweetened.
2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
1) Lemon Butter Pasta
2) More cupcakes
3) Pasta Salad
3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Organic Smart Balance (the org version is vegan). I make my own popcorn on the stovetop.
4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Oooh there's a couple. One is trying to use Ener-G in premade omni brownies, which doesn't work, they come out flat and liquidy after 3 hours in the oven at 450! And the others come from using the book Sinfully Vegan, which sucks for baking recipes (nothing cooks right), good for ideas.
5. Favorite pickled item?
Dill pickles, preferably Claussen brand.
6. How do you organize your recipes?
On this blog under my recipe archive post. If its not my recipe I either get it online or in a book.
7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash, unfortunately. And my stepsister's guinea pig :) But when I have a garden in the summer I compost certain things.
8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
1) Pasta Primavera
2) Tofutti Cuties in Berry
3) Penne Puttanesca (if you couldn't tell already, I LOVE PASTA!!)
9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Making holiday sugar cookies with my mom and (late) stepdad.
10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
TOFUTTI! In chocolate :)
11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Electric mixer! Last night I used it for the first time for cupcakes and frosting. It was so easy! And it saved my hand because the frosting required mixing hard shortening and margarine.
12. Spice/herb you would die without?
3 way tie, garlic, rosemary, and oregano.
13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
The 5 Ingredient Vegetarian Gourmet by Nava Atlas, I got it 5 days before going vegetarian from my (late) aunt.
14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Strawberry preserves
15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Tofu Chocolate Pie or the cupcakes I made last night.
16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Honestly I dont like any of them unless its a premade product. But I'd have to say tofu because its good in miso soup.
17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Hehe, dessert! Okay, dinner.
18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Nothing really, there's a cabinet above it with an icecream maker and some chips.
19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
1) Chocolate Tofutti (one bite left)
2) Vanilla Tofutti
3) Ice pops
There's also some chicken and beef, eww.
20. What's on your grocery list?
Simply Asia noodle bowls, lettuce, sprouts, garlic hummus, bread, juice boxes...
21. Favorite grocery store?
I love the Montpelier, VT co-op because they carry a lot of vegan stuff, but of chain stores it would be Shaws.
22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
Crepes
23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Yeah that Vegan Shit and Eat Air (and a bunch of others so dont feel left out, those two came to my mind first!)
24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
SWEDISH FISH!!!!!
25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
Pom Wonderful and Broccoli sprouts.
26. Make up your own question to put here (and answer it).
Who was the first person to bring your attention to veganism?
>> The artist P!nk, when she wrote a letter to Petco with PETA. I saw it on her website and I liked it an clicked the PETA link because I was interested. And then I went OMG.

AR Wear

2008-02-16T14:16:00.002-05:00

I love to shop, so I found myself bored at work and window shopping online. I found some pretty cool things on the PETA Catalog. Once I transfer my savings account to a checking account in March when I'm 16, I'll actually be able to use my credit/debit card to buy stuff from here online. Yay! (The [x]'s are the links to the catalog page)

[x] "Want Fries With That?" Designed by Ian Grushka of New Found Glory - $16

[x] "No, I Don't Have Any Spare Ribs!". This is a long-time fave of mine - $16
[x] This is much better alternative to those over-worn "Hollister" logo shirts - $20
[x] This Peta2 hoodie looks so warm! And ethical! - $41.95
[x] "Spay Today, Save A Life Tomorrow". This looks really cute! - $9.75
[x] PETA Bunny Necklace. How cute! I want this for next V-Day! - $20
[x] This reminds me of those ghetto name necklaces. Comes in gold and silver. - $20, gold is on sale for $10

[x] Your basic PETA shirt, in my favorite color of black - $16, White Youth Med $5
[x] 50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals by Ingrid E. Newkirkc - $12.99
[x] Frog Saving Lilypad! Helps frogs get out of swimming pools (over the ledge) so they don't drown! HOW INGENIOUS! Yay for PETA! - $15
[x] Humane Smart Mouse Trap - $11

[x] PRIMAL STRIPS!!!! Vegan Beef Jerky, these are sooo good! - $1.29 each, seitan teriyaki and soy bbq

They also have some pretty good sales, on this page.

Some (Crazy) Blog Stats

2008-02-16T13:37:00.004-05:00

Here are some facts about my blog and some interesting stuff I found out using my StatCounter.

Basic Facts:

First Blog Post: January 28, 2006

My age then: 13 (almost 14)

My age now: 15 (almost 16!)

First profile picture: click here

First recipe : Grilled Chreese and Butternut Squash Soup; January 28, 2006

Most Commented Post: Vegan Fast Food Options; 50 comments

5 Most Popular Posts (of last 100 hits):

Vegan Fast Food Options
Vegan Shopping List!
6 Vegan Myths
20 Reasons to Go Vegan
Best Vegan Tacos Ever

Most Used Search Engine: Google (95-100%)
Monitor Resolution of Most Viewers: 1024 x 768 (A close 2nd place is 1280 x 1024)
Two Most used Browsers by Viewers: Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2.0
Average Unique Visitors per Day: 131
Busiest Day for Visitors: Sunday
Busiest Months For Posts: February and March 2006, 33 posts each month

Every once in a while I like to check what keywords or search words people use on search engines to find my blog. Here are some good ones that have been in my last 100 hits:

Cakes that look like cow pies
Sexy vegan
Attractive vegans
Best tacos ever recipe
Breasts explode
XL Tv life

Goal for 2008: Get 30,000 unique visitors!

Cocoa!

2008-02-15T20:29:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures and videos of my step-grandparents new dog!
Feb 16 Edit:Added more pics and some vids!

Here's the new boy!

My stepsister playing with him.

Cocoa says, "Go Vegan!". Don't listen to what she says.

He's slipping on the ice!

Cupcakes, Maybe

2008-02-15T17:12:00.003-05:00

I might make cupcakes sometime tonight. I have a four-day weekend and not a lot of homework. Yay for cupcakes!

Snow Day!

2008-02-13T15:11:00.002-05:00

Today was a snow day! Which means I get to lounge around and do nothings. For breakfast I had a mix of POM Wonderful juice with seltzer and a Strawberries and Cream LUNA bar. Then for lunch I had guacamole and chips. I haven't been too hungry today, since I got up at 10:30 :)

Hot & Spicy Stir Fry for Dinner

2008-02-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had spicy stir fry for dinner. My mum did the veggies for me (she added chicken to hers). I think there were red bell peppers, baby corn, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. She also put a vegan spicy schezuan sauce on them. Then I added Hot & Spicy Tofettes to them (my latest craze, premarinated tofu with a firm texture). They did the trick, and it tasted like good chinese food! The stir fry was over white rice, with soy sauce and a few chinese dried lo mein noodles.

I love the texture of Tofettes, they're similar to the way tofu is prepared in a lot of Asian foods, it's firm and isn't jiggly/squishy at all.

Food Shopping!

2008-02-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

I went food shopping today. And I got some cool stuff. Among them were Hot & Spicy Tofettes, Pomegranate juice, hummus, and Brocco sprouts.

So for lunch today I made a delicious garlic hummus, onion, and brocco sprout sandwich on pita bread, along with all natural corn chips and guacamole.