Morgan Avocado

Done-zo

2010-02-26T10:35:00.000-05:00

My jump to WordPress is complete!! I'm already having way more fun and being way more professional than my first attempt at blogging. Follow me!!

MOVING

2010-02-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

To WordPress, y'all. Check it.

The insanity that is week 8 of the quarter

2010-02-22T12:11:00.000-05:00

I purchased the following on yesterday's Kroger excursion:

WOO! ALMOND BUTTER!! I justified my purchase of this pricy "little" guy with 1)it was on sale and 2)I didn't buy Ezekiel bread (again). I'm not financially stable enough to buy a $5 loaf of nutritional bliss, unfortunately, so I bought a $4 jar of nut butter instead. Makes sense, right? (Considering it was either Ezekiel bread and peanut butter/hummus or just almond butter, well, yes.)

Not pictured is a box of shredded wheat. I'm really into the giant shredded wheats that you only need like one of to feel satisfied. Breakfast the last few days has been a mango followed by one shredded wheat + Tbsp of nut butter (before was peanut, today was almond!!).

Last night I also set up a week of eats by roasting, boiling, and marinating:

original product

sliced, boiling to mild flavor

setting up the marinade

goin' into the fridge

I also bought tofu which I drained, cut into chunks, and marinated in a delicious mixture of miso/water + Bragg's.

Mmmmm cauliflower, eggplant, baby carrots, and sweet potato roastin' away. I splashed them with olive oil (I really need to get some high-heat oil like coconut one of these days)and dusted with salt and pepper before popping them in at 350 for about 40 minutes. I like 'em a little crunchy!

I'm juggling four projects, one for each of my classes, these last few weeks and it's been rough. Interviewing, article-writing, exam-taking, language-creating, data-set-making...but all I've wanted to do is watch Shutter Island!!! Luckily I got to see it last night and I must say, I was impressed. The cinematography, acting, and story line all kept my attention. I'm a bit of a horror movie snob and although Shutter Island was marketed as a psychological thriller, it matches classic-style horror. Go see it, if you can handle a little mental rough housing.

Last week

2010-02-22T11:50:00.001-05:00

I have been reading your blogs religiously, as always, but have sparse time with which to post pictures of my recent eats. I hope you enjoy low-quality photos snapped mid-meal:

super filling breakfast of choice:

oats+water+cinnamon+ Justin's organic almond butter

ghetto asian night:

miso soup (Tofu Shirataki noodles, carrot, kale, leeks, okra, garlic, onion, miso, water) + sushi burrito (sauteed kale, garlic, onion, olive oil wrapped in a sheet of nori)

Vegan Dad's tarka dhal (plus mung sprouts because I had them and minus tomatoes because rarely buy them out-of-season)

tarka dhal plated (topped with green onions, mung sprouts, and unfortunately-not-fresh cilantro)

I made a big grocery trip yesterday for lots of produce. I started roasting veggies on the regular and I love, love them!! I ate an entire eggplant over the course of 24 hours, along with a head of cauliflower and a bag of baby carrots in 48. My room mates joke that I should give up vegetables for lent next year. I honestly don't know what I'd do.

Lent and an epiphany

2010-02-19T01:02:00.000-05:00

This year for Lent - oh, wait, this is my first year ever observing Lent - My room mates and I decided to keep each other accountable in the way we speak about people. When we speak negatively about someone, we have to do ten push-ups.

So far I love this. Not only do I feel incentive to hold my tongue instead of saying something mean (which causes me to re-think what I was going to say and to give the person greater consideration), but I feel like less negative energy goes into the world on my behalf.

Matthew 12:34b-37 "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ³⁷For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Shazam.

Today I finally went back to work!! Yay!! (I work at an after school program for disadvantaged elementary school kids in an Appalachian county.)I loved seeing my little love bugs.

Today I had an epiphany.....I want to be a teacher. I don't know how it will ever happen or when I'll go to school to do it legally, but I want to teach. I love the structure of the school day, knowing you're prepping these kids for success, and keeping them safe. Most of their home lives are terrible but for a couple of hours during the day I get to make them smile and feel loved. Funny, the one occupation I said I'd never dream of doing is the one that has my heart.

Journalism is great - it's exciting and makes my pulse quicken - but I've known for a while that I'll never work as a journalist. I'm far too laid back and empathetic to barrage a grieving family for quotes about their murdered loved one. I can't do that "shoe leather reporting", as my professors call it.

Anyway, as for food:

Breakfast: an orange + vanilla almond Luna bar (my new fav flavor!! tasted like Rice Crispy Treats....drool.) + coffee (a rare treat that seemed to rev my hunger like nuts)

Lunch: super hungry from the coffee, I first had a carrot, then some curry-cayenne chickpeas, then some cantaloupe, then a packet of pb. Plus a few glasses of water. Once that beast of hunger was tamed, I set to work transcribing an interview from last Friday and throwing together a study guide for my Communication Law exam on Monday.

I worked, then ate another Luna bar (caramel nut brownie) on the way to the gym.

I just started lifting so that I can build some muscle (side note: growing up involved in sports I had such great muscle mass. When I stopped eating a couple of years ago, it all disappeared FAST. Now I want it back!). I'm still easing into it. Today I did 4 sets of 10 leg presses with about 100lbs (don't laugh), inner thighs, outer thighs, and arms.

Unfortunately, I have a shin splint so I'm not running. Today was a little baby cardio workout. I miss my cardio fests :( Today I did 30 mins on an elliptical-ish machine that's legs-only with a cross ramp of 10 so that it worked my glutes and quads and so that my shin wasn't strained. Then I did 20 minutes of the strength setting on the reclining bike thing. (I'm embarassing myself here, aren't I? Not knowing the names of anything I use. Wimpy workouts. Oh well, I'm just glad I'm motivated.) I've kept my New Years goal to work out 3 times a week! :)

Dinner: Vegan Dad's Tarka Dal (or my college rendition of it)
Desert: a few spoonfuls of crunchy pb and a handful of raw pumpkin seeds

Tomorrow I hunt for chia seeds!! Wish me luck!

"Lookin, feelin like a million bucks"

2010-02-13T00:50:00.000-05:00

(Written 6pm Feb 11th - waited to publish with pix!)

Just got home from the gym so my workout jams are stuck in my head. Hence the title.

I wanted to time myself running a mile and it wasn't pretty. Not only did I have the cardio overseer staring in my direction by the end, watching for me to pass out, but everyone who saw my scarlet face seemed to look at me as if I had seven eyes.

It took me about twelve minutes to run a mile. Ouch. I need to push myself more.

I stayed on the treadmill jogging and walking at an incline for the rest of 30 minutes, elipticalled for 20, and took my first ever step class. It was carazay! I was already sort of beat from my run and I don't think all of that up-down action is right for me. I still want to do a zumba class, but the gym only schedules them at weirdo times like 8am or 9pm. Alas, I had a good time today!

Now my knee is objecting to the run so I slapped an ice pack on it. I try to stay on the eliptical and bike so I don't strain my already objecting joints, but today I really wanted to see the progress I'd made over the past couple of months by timing my mile.

The view through my screen door - as close to the elements as I was willing to get. Note the KFC across the street...the neighbor that makes my house smell like vomit in the summer.

No work AGAIN because elementary schools are still closed. I'm annoyed at this point because I need money. At least I got paid today for the last two weeks so I can pay my bills and do a bit of grocery shopping.

We didn't get near as much snow as Columbus.

I'm looking forward to a Valentines weekend sans a valentine - I've conveniently never had a boyfriend over Valentines Day, anyway. I believe a dance party is in order at some point this weekend (complete with rap music and a strobe light. Jealous?) and my cousin Ashley is coming to visit on Sunday.

Home made sushi: a photo essay

2010-02-13T00:35:00.002-05:00

Last Friday night I stayed in with some girls to make sushi and watch Say Anything (that John Cusak movie with the boom box):

Ingredients included carrots, shallots, avocado, spinach, sprouts, and miso brown rice

Kaiti, birthday girl, is the pro at slicing sushi rolls.

Notice the two legitimate pieces (Kaiti) followed by mush (me). That's why I just wrap things in strips of nori and shove them in my mouth 'Indian food' style when I'm eating by myself.

Ridiculously small cupcakes! (And a shot of my kitchen ....)

Kathleen shows off the Clementine v navel orange

The finished product! We didn't use all of the avocado in the sushi so we made some guacamole too. We didn't really watch the movie, it was pretty much background noise. Love these girls!!

Baking noms for squirrels

2010-02-13T00:18:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to act like it's not routine for me to be at home on the computer at 11:30 on a Friday night in the winter! Don't get me wrong, I love to get all dressed up and go out, but I love a balance between that and staying in. When it's below 60 degrees outside I just seem to spend more time in than out on weekends.

Today was pretty vanilla. Class 9-10am, grocery store (see exciting food pix to follow!), interview, and helped my roommate move her furniture around. The interview went really well. I do love journalism, I'm just not sure what I want to do with it....or where I can get an internship for the summer.

Which reminds me, I don't think I've mentioned what I hope to do this summer. One of the professors in the j-school is starting a study abroad program to Uganda and this summer will be the maiden voyage. Those who go will receive class credit, internship credit, spend time doing pilates (I know, strange, but apparently he has an affinity for it) and learning the culture through visiting slums, playing musical instruments, and dancing. Basically this trip was designed for me. Now if only my checking account (from which I over drafted last week) agreed. Maybe that guy with the giant checks will appear at my doorstep with $6 grand tomorrow.

Anyway, I got some new things at the grocery store today. Here are a few:

Justin's Organic PB packets were at Kroger!! I got almond butter, honey pb, maple almond butter, and cinnamon pb

Cinnamon pb was my first victim, squeezed directly from packet to mouth like a child :) It was delicious. I think I'm looking forward to the maple almond butter the most, though.

Have you tried Justin's pb packets? Which flavor is your favorite??

Found a new flavor of Luna bar - I feel as if I've had four new flavors in the last month and I like that. Dulce de Leche, Blueberry Bliss, Chai Spice, Raspberries and Chocolate, and now Vanilla Almond?! They're on a roll. Get away from that Lemon zest shizz. Oh yeah, I also bought a baby ginger claw because I'm obsessed with ginger. Dude was like 35 cents.

I've wanted to try these since I heard about them like three years ago. Before even my vegetarian days I frequented the Hungry Girl site and she lurrrves her some shiritaki noodles.

I honestly don't see what the big deal is. First of all, I was not impressed that each serving contained <1g protein. Second, they're rubbery and smell icky. Granted, the package admits to the funky smell and tells you how to get rid of it (microwave for 1 min), but it put me off nonetheless.

I added the noodles to a miso soup I based off of The Voracious Vegan's Miso Soup for the Vegan Soul, but to which I added a ton of veggies that have been chillin in my fridge (i.e. red and white cabbage). I omitted the chickpeas and farfalle because I wanted to use the Tofu Shirataki noodles instead. Unfortunately, the noodles remained rubbery and tasteless in the soup. Next time I will make the soup per the instructions fo sho.

Oh yeah, I found roasted nori sheets at Kroger last week and I've been really into wrapping everything in them since. Take for example what I ate basically all of last week: lentils + sauteed kale and caramelized onion + peanut butter + splash of Bragg's. It's an unlikely combination, I know, but it was so delicious. I have no photo evidence, but I'll make it again soon and document it.

I've been much better about snapping photos over the past few days, probably because I haven't had to work. I've spent a lot more time at the gym because of my open schedule. My room mate made vegan date bread with some (not Medjool) dates I bought on sale at K-Roger's and didn't like. The bread was good, though, especially the gooey middle pieces.

Someone must have thrown out that end piece on the left because this morning I saw this!

Note the Amy's pizza box - roasted vegetable is the best pizza I've ever had in my life. But you should have seen that crazed little guy scarf that bread! He didn't even care that me and two of my room mates were gawking at him from a few feet away. Poor guy!

Oh man...

2010-02-10T23:17:00.001-05:00

So much to say. I ended things with that guy S today and he blew up on me. Might I add that we'd been on three dates and I wanted to break things off in a civil and respectful way? He spewed a bunch of hate back my way, but I suppose you'll meet people like that. I'm sad for him, really, because he'd made our relationship into something much larger than it was and I wasn't ready for that. (Also he thinks interracial dating is wrong and he enjoys hunting...)

My lovely roommate Anna bought me (and herself!) some Purely Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream so that my tart day would have a sweet ending. She's great. I added some pb to it haha I'm a pb fiend.

SUPER EXCITING NEWS is two of my roommates taking the Vegan 30-day Challenge! After I provided Anna with some reading material she immediately said she wanted to make some changes. It rocked her world to know that cows don't consistently produce milk naturally, without being sperminated. (Her parents still don't believe her on that fact, either!) Now instead of living with three omnis and one vegetarian, I live with two omnis and two veg*ns!

I've kept up my 3x a week workout New Years Resolution and I feel and look so much better for it. School has been pretty stressful, but I think I'm in the groove now that I know what my professors are looking for. Next week it's time to schedule for Spring Quarter - this Winter Quarter is flying and I'm so glad!

One of our dining room windows, festively decorated by Jane.

All of the local schools have been closed since Monday because of all of the snow and the slush-turned-ice. I slipped walking down my back steps on the way to the bus this morning, but luckily I caught myself on the railing. You could say I glided down the stairs, really. Maybe it was even intentional, I can't really remember...

I'm sure there's a ton of other relevant details (like an idea for a new blog) to add - and I have lots of food pix, but they'll have to wait for tomorrow! Goodnight.

Stevia

2010-01-30T09:31:00.002-05:00

The book that introduced me to veganism, Skinny Bitch, has an entire chapter called "Sugar is the Devil" and continues on to sing the praises of natural sweeteners like agave nectar, raw cane sugar, and stevia. After doing a bit of my own research I've read that agave nectar raises blood sugar levels

Date sugar also interests me, as it sounds like a great ingredient to sweeten cakes and other baked goods. (Flashback to my super delicious raw Christmas date balls, ZOMG I love dates)

Has anyone heard of FruitSource? This article sings its praises. It replaces half of the fat on top of the sugar in a recipe. I wonder if it gets an oily texture when it's heated then. (While you're at that site check out what they have to say about sucanat and the production of sugar in general. Scary.)

"Tip: Read labels: Two new pharmaceutical-sounding sweeteners, PureVia and Truvia (made by Whole Earth Sweetener Company/Pepsi and Coke/Cargill, respectively) are made from Reb A and the sweetener erythritol, which I haven’t researched (tomorrow is another day…)" Buy Fair Trade/Organic from legit companies, y'all.

Around Christmas I found an article that was really negative about all sweeteners, only showing favor for dates and fruit in their whole form. I can't find it now and it's driving me crazy.

I bought Wisdom Natural Brands' Sweet Leaf Stevia a few weeks ago and I have been using it (alot!) in my tea, hence my curiosity as to which natural sweeteners are best. I want to know your thoughts!!

Expensive Toilet Water

2010-01-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

It's common knowledge that Mondays and Tuesdays are the most stressful days of the week and my schedule doesn't differ. I usually pack breakfast and eat in my classes (a piece of fruit, citrus lately, then a luna bar when I feel hungry again). The walk to the bus, down the street, and up to the third floor usually gets my metabolism going. I like to be truly hungry when I eat, in keeping with Skinny Bitch mentality.

Lunches are salads like those pictured regularly on my page. Sometimes I throw in an Ezekiel Bread and hummus/pb sandwich. Nothing spectacular for less than spectacular winter weekdays.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I do about an hour and a half of cardio at the gym. Between work and class that leaves little room for life. Especially after I subtract the amount of time I spend watching TV shows online (thank you 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Modern Family, The Office, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Grey's Anatomy)

I would really like to eat more "superfoods" but at what point do they become all gimmick? I don't just want expensive toilet water - as my nutrition professor so eloquently refers to Emergen-C and AirBorne. Sprinulina and chia seeds interest me.

On an unrelated note, S has offered to make me dinner next week. He knows full well what he's getting himself into. I anticipate his "four course meal" with interest. I'd promise pictures, but there's no way I'm geeking out by pulling out my camera. Sorry!

A new character, a rose, and a ton of soup

2010-01-24T21:41:00.001-05:00

Although not the most bitter of Januarys (Januaries?), I cooked a lot of soup over the past week. Warm sustenance is so comforting as it fills my belly (no porn intended -- get it?! a pun of the word "pun"!! My ~~obnoxious sense of humor~~ creativity astounds me.)

hummus + carrot sticks = go-to snack these days. Sabra has been on sale lately. Their best flavor is definitely spinach and artichoke, it's new. Speaking of new, there's a Luna bar at my Kroger that I didn't even see on the company's website: blueberry bliss. It tastes exactly like one of those cafe muffins with the crumbly stuff on top. Luna bars are my after work, before working out snack on Tuesdays and Thursdays because they're decent on the calorie meter and good on the protein meter.

Today I made Vegetable Mafia Soup with veggie stock, onion, garlic, carrots, broccoli, lentils, cabbage, red pepper, green pepper, and some Italian spices like oregano and basil. It's pretty tasty, but also filling.

I've lost some weight since the beginning of the year by working out regularly and eating better. I feel way better about my body now that I'm more lean and I put my body to use. I'm also incorporating more steady protein into my diet by eating a soy yogurt + brown rice protein powder every day. I'll have to take a picture of my yogurt tomorrow - it looks pretty unappetizing haha but I'd probably eat dirt if I heard it was good for me.

Guess who had a date Saturday night?!? Let me back up and say that I did not know S at all when he asked me out. We had worked together like once, but he seemed nice enough so I agreed. I'm so glad I did because I had a great time with him. He started off very well by bringing me a rose and opening the door for me (I must say that he gave me the flower in an uncreepy way. Promise.)

Note my room mate Jane doing homework in the background. "You guys are the perfect amount of weird for each other." She had the pleasure of waiting with him while I grabbed a vase for the rose.

We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Athens, Salaam where I had the curried couscous (my favorite item on the menu, I think) and the Salaam salad minus the feta. He got some chicken thing. We chatted easily and I laughed a lot. After our late dinner we went back to my house and watched It's Always Sunny (The Gang Solves the North Korea Situation) and Contact.

I love having four roommates because someone is always around to diffuse odd situations. It would have felt rushed to have watched movies late at night on the first date, had I lived alone. But my roommates' presence in the other room set a tone of, shall we say...friendship.

I initiated a hug in place of a kiss goodbye. It's so refreshing to be treated well by a guy who's interested. I'm used to being invited to a party and having drunken make out sessions. They've gotten real old. He picked me up for dinner, we watched some movies, and have since planned to see each other again soon. Conveniently our schedules overlap for about an hour at work, so I'll see him tomorrow.

Usually when a guy comes around that I'm interested in I feel overly self-aware, but S made me feel comfortable. Maybe it's because he asked me out whilst we stairmastered. He's seen me at my worst. He's not my usual type, but I'm enjoying the change of pace and the casual dates.

I'll keep you updated ;)

I-I-I-I'm so Hard

2010-01-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

WOO HOOO look who's online at 11pm on a Friday night! ;)

I'm sitting on my parent's couch doing homework while they're in bed (I'm digging myself in deeper here, I know). I came home for the long weekend for some appointments and to spend some family time. My mom, grandpa, and aunt were in a car accident on Tuesday evening and my mom is incredibly shaken up about it. Everyone is okay, but the impact broke my grandpa's back and his sternum. He has Parkinson's and has been working in physical therapy five days a week for the past four months in order to move into an independent living facility. Now he needs surgery so they've taken him off of his meds and his Parkinson's is slowly creeping back. We're crossing our fingers that he doesn't continue to digress past the progress that he made in physical therapy.

Anyway, I'm home for moral support. Depression often sneaks in on me and my family and my mom is the current victim.

I've been eating pretty boring lately. I love what I eat, of course, it's just not worth taking a zillion pictures exactly like this one:

Sweet potatoes, broccoli, Braggs, hummus, Indian spices, onion...I think that was it. I also had a soy yogurt with protein powder - a new rival for hummus as my main food group, I think!

I'm loving my workout schedule. Three days a week for a little over an hour I walk/run, do the eliptical, then the stairmaster, then a bunch of crunches. I'm feeling a lot healthier, I have more energy, my clothes are fitting better...Life is good when you exercise!

I found two flavors of Luna Bars at WF tonight that I've never tried before: Dulce de Leche and Chai Tea. Pretty sure I've seen them before and just didn't want to try them ha! ~~They were 99 cents~~ I decided to be adventurous and picked them up along with my soy yog, dried mango, and Kombucha. At the checkout line the woman asked if I wanted to donate the money you recieve for bringing a reusable grocery bag(10 cents, I think?) to help in Haiti relief. I thought it was cool of the WF Corp. to join the aid train. (As opposed to the AIDS train...haha...*ahem*)

***Question: do you ever do classes at the gym? Which ones have you liked and which ones have you hated?

Know anyone who knows ethical retail? HELP!

2010-01-12T14:59:00.001-05:00

I'm writing an article about ethical clothing for my Reporting Contemporary Issues class - more specifically I'm going to find out where the college spirit clothes for my school are produced and in what conditions. Please comment if you know anyone who is well-versed in ethical retail purchasing (ie they own a vegan clothing store). Of course, if that person is you, I want to talk to you!! Thanks!

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

2010-01-11T06:53:00.002-05:00

Ahh this feels familiar: hours spent pouring over textbooks, friends over for brunch, watching movies in bed on my computer, calling mom and catching her answering machine...Yesterday must have been a Sunday. Alas, not a very good one.

I've gone almost a week without Lexapro (thanks, CVS), which was completely unintentional, so I've been trapped on an emotional rollercoaster for the past few days. Yesterday morning I cried for about an hour for no reason, not fun. Thank God my roommates are so loving; they hugged me and sat by my side. After that minor episode we had friends over for the weekly Sunday Brunch. I didn't take pictures because I had already eaten and the meal wasn't vegan. We only had two friends this week and I wanted to hang with them since they're ones I know well. After a couple of hours spent chatting about Arrested Development, the Muppets, and dirt found on historical figures through FBI databases they set out into the snow and I returned to my study cave:

Please note the space heater pointed directly at my chair. It' freakin cold by those windows (and everywhere else in my house).

When I was finished I started to watch Youth in Revolt with Michael Cera, whom I love. So far so good - I't s mostly funny because it's so ridiculous, which seems to be a theme for my brand of humor of late (It's Always Sunny, Arrested Development, 30 Rock).

Dinner was a big plate of veggies:

More specifically raw lettuce, sprouts, and a few carrots + steamed cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, and carrots + a sauce of Braggs, Indian spices, and a few dollops of hummus (Basha garlic). Later I had a soy yogurt with protein powder and a piece of Ezekiel bread with hummus. By the end of the day my hormones felt stabalized somewhat.

I even feel good today. I've been praying with my roommate and on my own a lot about it. Jesus experienced depression; God knows how it feels like quicksand. I'm going to CVS to pick up my prescription today, finally. I just hope that jumping back to 20 mgs won't cause an effect similar to yesterday.

On the bright side, today begins week two of winter quarter; that's progress. I'm going back to work, weather permitting, 3-6pm Monday through Friday. (I work at an afterschool program for disadvantaged elementry school kids in the local city schools. Because of the weather they didn't have school last week, so I haven't seen them since before winter break! Miss those guys.)

Also, I'm going to Columbus this weekend to be a part of a fundraiser for an orphanage in Thailand called the House of Love. One of my friends lived there as a volunteer last summer and she's helping to organize the night of information, Thai food, and generosity.

I'm missing the annual Walk for the Homeless, which raises awareness here in Athens for the large number of people who live without shelter. I've never taken part in the Walk, but my room mate Jane works for Good Works and I've heard her describe it quite a few times as she has recruited our friends over the past few months:

Apparently there are a few different walks you can be a part of, one of which is side-by-side with men and women who have been or are currently homeless. The whole idea is to raise awareness of the vast number of homeless people in Athens County by putting a face on the issue. Meet people who are or have been homeless, talk to them about their lives or just relate to them as fellow Americans and humans. After walking there's a meal of beans and rice eaten in solidarity to think of the rest of the world who sustains on that alone.

So that's what's been on my mind lately. I hope I'm able to share more meals (and less emotional crap) with you over the coming week!

Music Meditation

2010-01-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

In my quiet time today I felt as if I should hit "shuffle" on my iPod and interpret whichever song came on to be from God. I've interpreted music accordingly since I was pretty young - music hits a place inside that's hard to reach; that place that often hurts. I'd like to let God into that place.

I got "Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars. Here are the highlights:

You only know what I want you to

(I know everything you don't want me to)

I'm so silly and I always think that I can hide things from Him, i.e. ulterior motives, lusful or otherwise impure thoughts, or being locked into an image-driven mindset.

Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine

(Oooh you think your dreams are the same as mine)

A lot of the time I don't like what I hear from him; the things I should or shouldn't do. .Although reading of his love for me in the Bible is intoxicating...I'm so set on graduating and going into the Peace Corps - what if that's not the best I can do? Perhaps he has bigger things in mind.

Oooh I don't love you, but I always will (x3)

I always will

He doesn't love my sins, which at times consume my thoughts and actions, but He'll always love me.

I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back

(Ooh the less I give, the more I get back)

When I'm stuck in my own ways, choosing sin or my own interests above others - which is quite often - I want His affirming embrace most of all. But through positive reinforcement He guides me away from sin and to an others-focused mentality.

Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise

(I don't have a choice, I still choose you)

When I'm not in his grace, my selfish actions have a way of bruising my ego. Now that I know the truth, that God is real, when I don't live what I've learned and I take steps backward on the path, I eat it. Something happens that shows me, "Wow, I'm an idiot on my own." Like last week when I had my 'Day of Mourning' and wrote the New Year's entry. I do have a choice, but I still choose Him.

Oh I don't love you, but I always will (x7)

I always will (x4)

God doesn't love my sinful ways, but he loves me everyday more than I can imagine. I'm learning that as I count the number of times he reaches me, even when I'm the most self-focused rut.

Sometimes I don't like him, but I'll always love him. When I want to do something my way or when I don't want to make a fool out of myself by telling the girl at the bus stop that "I feel like God's telling me to let you know that He loves you," I choose my comfort over the abundant joy that's available on his path.

I feel truly alive when I'm serving others and meeting their needs. I loose myself in the well being of another person and it's so freeing! It generally accepted that part of human health is a spiritual outlet - I believe we as humans were created to live in a relationship with God. Humans all over the world practice prayer and meditation not because we're collectively weak but because we're strong enough to forgo our own needs.

**Question: Do you exercise yourself spiritually? If so, how?

healthier state of mind, and body

2010-01-07T22:31:00.001-05:00

tonight's dinner was a heaping plate full of veggies, drizzled with some Drew's raspberry salad dressing, olive oil, and pepper. More specifically, steamed vegetables and brown rice next to a salad. To end it all, a glass of red wine. Lovely :) My room mate, Jane, and I are watching some aweful Matthew McCaughnehey movie called Sahara.

I purposefully took some time in between these last two posts to work though the strong negativity I was feeling. I can honestly say that I'm feeling like a different person. I came back to school to start winter quarter, car and computer fixed thanks to my dad and my brother.

I've worked out twice this week, well on my way to meeting my goal of three times every week this year. Those much needed endorphins worked with my revised diet to make me feel rejuvenated. I've been praying and making time for quiet this week too.

I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow and I plan to buy:
1. Ezekiel bread
2. WholeSoy soy yogurt
3. Cauliflower and carrots
4. Sweet potatoes
5. Grapefruit
6. Salad dressing
7. Hummus (one of my food groups)

***Question: What's a sauce you'd eat on just about anything??

Happy Fucking New Year

2010-01-01T15:47:00.000-05:00

Mom: "Morgan, I only have three of your socks."
Me: "Yep, that sounds right."
"Your socks don't come in pairs?"
"Nothing in my life comes in pairs."

I was less than surprised that my unorganized mess of a room failed to yield an even number of garments for the washing machine. 2009 was chaotic. My GPA tanked last quarter, I've lost a third of my clothes and the other two thirds are dirty, the company I ordered that text book from can't find a copy to send, I've gained about 50 pounds so my self-confidence is all over the place, I can't find the internship that I need in order to graduate, my house has mice - and therefore poop in surprising locations. Everything is erratic and I don't feel as if there's any person or feeling that I can rely on. My friends in Columbus aren't around when I'm in Athens, and to my friends in Athens I feel dispensable.

Similarly, my car broke down because I ran over a cement curb, puncturing the fuel tank and coolant (tank?). I did not realize this and tried to drive to Columbus for its repair, further damaging the engine and warping the head gasket (whatever that is). That was about three months ago and it's still in repair. My dad is an auto mechanic in his free time.

My laptop charger stopped working about halfway through the quarter (end of September), so I bought a new one on Ebay that took three weeks to arrive and stopped working the next day. My dad bought me a good one, only to have the computer stop charging entirely. Six weeks and a new computer part later, my laptop sits disassembled and scattered across two rooms and two tables. My brother is orchestrating it back to one piece as I write this.

My cell phone is the one electronic item that I own that sticks in my hand as an ally. It has rung AAA and 911 like a champ regardless of the number of times I drop it from waist height. It's also, come to think of it, one of the few objects in my life I have not named (i.e. my iPod is tikka and my car is Rocky). One small crack in its mirrored face is the only scar of its durable nature despite a rough lifestyle.

I've had my fair share of crappy New Years Eve situations, and this one was no different. Better, perhaps, than the one spent driving to a party - but at least then my best friend was with me and we got to honk the horn and be obnoxious. Different, for sure, than my senior year of high school; my desperate attempt at a relationship lost in a mud of hormones.

The world just swirls around me, as I spent the moment the ticker flipped to 00:00 this morning. I spent a few seconds navigating the crowd in search of my friends before resigning to stationary solidarity. I found them a few minutes later and we left the large crowd to take shots and watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (note my inebriated tweets...). Someone ordered pizza from Hound Dog's and I decided to make it "vegan" by pulling off the cheese and pepperoni. So that, my friends, is how I celebrated a new beginning: four beers, a few shots, and shotty pizza in my belly. At least I slept well in a friend's clean bed.

I wouldn't have noticed it was a new decade - or even a new year - as the day was unremarkable. Alas, calamity continues as I gather what I can from Columbus and transport it to Athens. Winter quarter starts Monday and I'm not ready for the homework, new classes, or working five days a week. I'm exhausted in a way that no amount of hours spent in clean beds can ease. I've been running an emotional race and I believe that God provides the rest that I crave. I've been trying to reach out to him for the past few weeks, but I feel myself drifting into narcissism.

If you ever miss college because you remember hanging out with friends until early morning and sleeping in, indulging in beer and pizza or some other localized greasy equivalent, just remember that those things were surrounded by another, larger feeling of unease. This period of life called "college" is essential, but emotionally and mentally rigorous.

So as a new years resolution, I'm implementing balance - or trying to.

I apologize for my giant rant of a post. It's the beginning of a bloggier 2010. I need a hobby to keep my sanity. More photos are in the future!!

2am update

2009-12-28T02:41:00.000-05:00

I'm up uncharacteristically late tonight, updating my twitter and blogger backgrounds. That's normal, right??

So those no-bake date and nut cookies? One left. I pretty much ate them all. No one wanted any. Normally I'm a little offended when no one will try one of my creations, but this time I was happy to have them all to myself. Not joking, these were so effing delicious!! Definitely will make them again. Unfortunately I paid for my overindulgence today by experiencing some *gastrointestinal distress*. What? Dates are a laxative??

If any of you live in the Columbus area, you've got to check out a great tea spot that I just discovered. It's caled Tea Zone and it's off of Bethel Road (across from my favorite Banana Leaf!). I took my brave friend Karin and the two of us caught up on months of business once we discarded our shoes and took at seat at one of the tables that are recessed into the floor. The tea was served with some sort of sweet bread and a funky little sand timer to measure the tea's brewing time. I received some of their jasmine loose leaf tea for christmas - Teavana educated me in the art of proper tea brewing and I haven't enjoyed a cup of blah Tazo since.

My good friend Adina, the resident tea afficionado, raves about a spot in Westerville called something turtle...I'll find out details and let you know. I've yet to go there, but hopefully before I start classes next week (yikes) I'll have a chance to go.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, y'all!!

2009-12-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

In lieu of a typical cookie, I opted for a no-bake date based treat from Vegan Planet - a cook book that my omni family highly recommends. I was astonished by the layers of flavor that such a simple concoction made; the only ingredients were dates, nuts, a bit of coco powder, a hint of vanilla, and some coconut to roll the balls in. I'll take some pix tonight at family Christmas #1 to show them in their fully displayed glory.

I hope you all have a chance to spend today with family and loved ones. I've found that's what's most important to me. I also celebrate the birth of Jesus and his sacrifice for my eternal relationship with God. Whatever you celebrate, do so with fervor and thankfulness!

Brownie Hell

2009-12-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

I have returned to Columbus until the beginning of the new year, feeling better, and holding down a job at a local family-owned (not vegan)brownie shop. Allow me to rephrase: working my ass off at a local, family-owned brownie shop. Said shop does not run in shifts, instead each employee stays for however long he or she is available every day. That means that I work from 6:30AM to somewhere around 7:30PM Monday through Thursday, fewer hours on Friday, and not at all on Saturday or Sunday. This arrangement is only for the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve (Or, in my case, this past Monday to Christmas Eve) - when the shop needs help with their holiday rush.

I start my day, blinking and bleary at 6AM. Making my way up to the kitchen to grab my prepared lunch and a piece of fruit, I retrace my steps countless times to collect the daily necessities. I blast the heat in my mom's car to melt the ice off of the windshield and my ears. The shop is a 15 minute drive of dark solitude away from my parent's house.

The factory where the brownies are made is behind the storefront. We soldiers of the batter arm ourselves with caps, aprons, and rubber gloves to shield the onslaught of chocolate, cooking spray, and human flesh. (Okay, maybe not that last one. But seriously, vegans, they use around 1200 eggs a DAY. And so much butter. The company's contract with Sysco has got to be enough to feed a small country for life.

So why do I work there, you ask? I hang out with my friends all day, baking and making lots of money. I've worked there for a couple of seasons now. It's not a living, it's a way to make some much needed cash in college. Everyone has to choose their battles, and I've chosen mine. I wish I could save the world by being 'Super Vegan', but all I would accomplish is an empty bank account. There are no 100% ethical places to work that pay the bills.

I do love working at the Little Shop of Horrors. Although I stand for up to 13 hours a day, it keeps me occupied. It's fun to see all of the(literally 14,000) brownies go through the rotation every day. I could use the exercise, and I talk to the people I work with about veganism. It's cool. So that's been my life since my last post. I finished my Christmas shopping after work today and plan to do some Christmas baking with my mom. Each member of our family was to choose their favorite Christmas cookie, and I have yet to decide...

Sicky McSickerson

2009-12-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

I've come down with something nasty (I think I'd have worse body aches if it were swine. I'm banking on bronchitis.) and I went to the store (Kroger) to find some natural cough drops - or any cough drops that were sugar-free. Since I was young my dad has maintained a theory on cough drops: they should always be sugar-free because the sugar feeds the bacteria in your throat, worsening the situation. My hopes were dashed when I found the only "natural" cough drops contained aspartame. I steered clear and purchased Traditional Medicinal's Throat Coat tea.

I know it seems dumb to run to Kroger in search of a natural product, but as it was 8 pm The Farmacy was closed. Also, the Kroger in Athens has the best natural/organic food/product section I've seen from the chain. They had all kinds of teas and remedies that I have heard have minimal effect and only produce "expensive urine", but no cough drops.

My question for you is, what do you do for cough and cold relief? Do you know of any brands of cough drops that are truely natural and also sugar free?

Shepard(less) Pie for the Family

2009-12-06T12:08:00.003-05:00

After dinner with a friend at one of my favorite restaurants in Columbus, Banana Leaf, I spent the remainder of the evening slaving over a hot stove to prepare for a family gathering today. The omnis of the family (everyone except for me)will have lasagna, bread, and salad, but instead of making a veganized version, I decided to whip up a seasonally appropriate dish. I adapted happyveganface's recipe for shepard's pie to include lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, and cellery. I also used soymilk instead of rice and a completely differnt marinade - spice mustard, soy sauce and garlic - for the tempeh. I must admit it smelled amazing as I put the finishing touches on the dish. I left my camera in Athens for the weekend, but I'll take a picture on my phone or something.

As it is a birthday celebration, there will be cake. I'm trying to cut out a lot of refined sugars and grains, so I opted to make a fruit tart with wheat flour instead - an apple, rasin, walnut tart to be exact. It didn't work the way I wanted it to...I tried to leave it at home but my family is insistant that I bring it. The crust seems tough. The apples didn't let out any juices and just sort of dried up.

I wouldn't be embarassed or anything, but one of my aunts is a professional chef and specializes in amazing deserts. She once had a coniption fit when I was baking cookies at her house because my cousin and I decided to make "free form" cookies instead of perfectly round ones. She's rather judgemental. It's not like I put my heart and soul into the tart - it was an afterthought, really.

I'll just let them know to enter at their own risk and not think less of my cooking ability - or the tastiness of vegan deserts. I'll make something really awesome for Christmas. Any suggestions for a tried-and-true favorite?? I'm willing to go all out. This shepard's pie took me four hours. Not kidding. I cook slowly though.

Now I'm just on a roll

2009-12-03T11:24:00.000-05:00

Check it: two posts, two days in a row. I'm on a roll.

I wanted to share with you the delicious breakfast I just threw together. I sliced a honeycrisp apple, warmed it in the microwave for about 20 seconds, topped it with cinnamon, and sprinkled a few walnut pieced on top. Hot green tea rounded out the meal and now I need to get my butt out the door to go give blood at noon.

This will be the second time I've given blood. The first time I watched a girl in front of me pass out and knock a bunch of shit over. I had been talking to her for about a half an hour before she went behind the little curtain thing to get her finger pricked. I was like "see ya!" after that, until the people next to me saw my expression and said "You look like you're freaking out. It's really not that bad! Awe are you a freshman??" (To which I replied either "Fuck no, are you chinese?! Didn't think so" or "No, I'm a junior", I can't remember which.) Somehow that was comforting and I stayed, gave blood like a champ, and sported the arm gauze for the rest of the day.

Wish me luck!!

Back to Reality

2009-12-02T13:48:00.000-05:00

Please excuse my previous post, as it was incredibly sentimental and cheesy. Such ideas need to be written on paper and kept in a drawer, not posted on the internet. I apologize.

Now I want to focus on eating healthier. Because it's available at my parents' house, I've been eating conventional peanut butter and lots of processed foods and I can definitely feel the difference! Not only have I gained a lot of weight, I'm battling headaches and fatigue like crazy.

I'm going to the grocery store either today or tomorrow to pick up some fruits and veg. I'll probably get some quinoa and natural peanut butter (!). I'm definitely in a food rut and I could use some help.

I'm looking to eat a bit lighter and non-processed. Any tips? Also, do you make your own salad dressings or what do you put on your salads?

NYTimes Photo Essay

2009-11-27T10:09:00.001-05:00

Perhaps even more than the message of this work, I love its composition. The photographs are stunning and it's easy to read. Nonetheless it held a choice thought around this gluttonous holiday that I took full part in, from cooking to eating. My favorite part of the article was when the author posed these questions:

"

Can giant agribusiness shrink while true organic farms grow? Can the elitism of a farmers market shift so that the organic farms can be subsidized and that prices are reasonable for all people? That would be the democracy of healthy eating."

What do you think?

My Thanksgiving was bittersweet this year. We're all aware this is the last holiday season for my mom's parents; even they know. My grandfather suffers from Parkinson's and my grandmother is addicted to pain pills. He lives at a rehab-to-assisted-living center and she lives alone in the hose they've shared for 50-plus years (at her choice). It's scary how quickly my grandpa went from coherent to comatose -- especially because I only saw him on holidays. Now my family has been given the opportunity to bond over their care. The ten of us first cousins are all right around college age and (almost) all of us are willing to stop by the center to feed him dinner and to hang out with him. If I lived in Columbus year-round I would definitely be there more often; as it is I go whenever I'm home for the weekend.

My grandpa knows it the end of his life. He's confident of where he's going afterward, but one thing holding him back is the well being of my grandmother. He worries who pays her bills and who waits on her hand-and-foot (as she has become accustomed to and now demands of the rest of the family). I love my mom's dad so much, and wish I could have been older to hear his stories and to learn from his experience.

Last night I realized that everything I know about him I've learned through other people. I do feel like he and I have an unspoken understanding, somehow. He fascinates me because he's such a strong and accomplished man. He's a WWII veteran, married for 59 years, raised four boys and one girl, provided for his family with a job as a airplane engeneer, and yet he has this peace about him. He is so incredibly loving, and from him and my dad I've obtained my view of God. I have those two men to thank for the life of peace and love that I am incredibly fortunate to experience. He's the only one of my grandparents I've really loved, because he's the only one of them I can respect.

I've never experienced the death of a family member -- or anyone closer than a high school friend. I'm just so thankful that I have such a supportive group of people! I saw last night that I can count on my mom's side of the family, who I've never had much of a relationship with before. Growing up my cousins were the "cool kids", they were intimidating and as much as a I loved them, I didn't dare trust them.

No more. My cousin Jen and I surrounded my grandma as her husband was ushered out of the house in a wheelchair. My cousin Ashley sat with one arm behind my aunt Melissa for nearly an hour as she composed herself after watching the scene. Earlier in the day, I sat with Ashley in her car for the same amount of time as she spilled her feelings about her parents' divorce -- the first in our big family. Even the three boys who are a year younger than me have become so warm and interesting. With a wiked sense of humor they round out the kind of people with whom I'm priveleged to share blood.

I could go on and on about how much I love my mom's side of the family. And like discovering a pearl in that old 'shell' you brought home from the beach, they've been on my dresser this whole time.

I'm Back!!

2009-11-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all. My computer has been out-of-use for the past three weeks because my power cord broke. Right away I used my room mate's computer to order a new one on e-bay but, coming from Hong Kong, it took three weeks to get here. It arrived just a few hours ago, so I'm in the process of updating everything (including this blog).

Current food loves include the pumpkin bread my room mate adapted from AllRecipes. We baked four loaves and are on our last one. No one can eat just a slice! It's moist and deliciously spiced. Chocolate is great too. The Kroger value brand of chocolate chips don't have milk in them. Some carob chips are good too - but some are really gross - what's up with that??

Luckily I only have two exams this quarter, both next week, so I have very little to do this week. I'm trying to study some around working and babysitting. I'll be back in forth between Columbus and Athens for the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to the family time, and hopefully I'll have the time and motivation to try some new recipes! My mom is usually more cookbook-oriented than I and therefore I make legitamate meals when she's around. Otherwise I tend to bake squash, cook dried beans, and make things from boxes - none of which is interesting enough to publish online. I do have a few pictures for you. I'll publish them with my next post!

Secret Recipe Revealed

2009-10-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

Here's my roommate's recipe for the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I featured in a post a bit ago. She has since made them twice (though probably just half of a batch - maybe 30 each time) and they never last 24 hours in my house.

This is Jane's mom's recipe. She makes a batch and passes them out to all of her neighbors. She's an art teacher and while her recipe isn't vegan, it's easily veganized:

I 30-oz (BIG) can of pumpkin

3 cups of sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp baking powder

3 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs replaced with Ener-G or other

6 cups flour

vegan chocolate chips

bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Jane says, "if you make this recipe in full it makes soooo many cookies, probably 100. so i suggest you halve it - i don't think i've made a full batch in a while. and if you're short on a few of the ingredients you should be okay - i always forget something." For half of a batch use one 15-oz can of pumpkin instead of one of the huge 30-oz cans.

Spaghetti Squash

2009-10-04T17:47:00.001-04:00

I forgot to take pictures of the pumpkin pancakes because they didn't last long. Everything Jane bakes turns to delicious and disappears - just take her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, for instance. This photo was taken 24 hours after she baked her nuggets of vegan gold:

I walked into the other room and it was gone when I returned.

Inspired by VeganMoFo madness, I've taken to photographing my meals more frequently. Unfortunately for you all, you will see what I eat. It's not very exciting and it's always cheap. I only buy things on sale - unless it's a staple item like cashews or broccoli.

Tonight I baked a spaghetti squash (79 cents a pound at Kroger- whud up) and prepared what I like to call "curry rice" (aka 2 cups of brown rice + 4 cups water + about 2 Tbsp red curry powder + about 2 tsp garam masala + about 1 Tbsp vegetable oil) in my handy dandy rice cooker. Check it:

Sorry I don't have a light box or anything. My pictures are sub-par. But wouldn't it be kind of ridiculous if I glorified brown rice and plain spaghetti squash? I could go on a tangent about how awesome s squared is, though. it GROWS like that. Just look at all of that fiber; eating the entire thing is probably the equivelent of taking like 2 laxatives. Fuck yes.

Another amazing freak of nature are pomegranites. Last week I discovered the joy of adding the seeds to my cereal (Kashi Heart to Heart Cinnamon, at the moment). SO GOOD. You have to try it.

BTW I got that Westsoy Plain Soymilk at Krog for about $3 and it's huge. I love sales. (Don't tell me how much it's actually worth. I have self esteem to protect and I get my self-worth from my sale-hunting skills.)

I added black pepper and some fresh basil to the squash. Yum.

I do cook,

2009-10-02T14:17:00.000-04:00

contrary to what you may believe from the status of my blog. Guess I'm not cut out for blogging. I can live with that.

One of my room mates made these (vegan!) pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to celebrate the return of canned pumpkin to our local Kroger. They are seriously the best cookies I've had in a LONG time. They're fluffy and sweet, with the perfect amount of chocolate to balance the earthiness of the pumpkin.

The Kroger in Athens only gets its pumpkin (and many other items) in-state and apparently Ohio did not produce enough of it last year. To celebrate the coming of nos amigos gordos y naranjas we've stocked up on enough pumpkin to sufficently theme the weekly post-church brunch that we host for all of our friends and acquaintances. Pumpkin pancake photos to come!! Hopefully they'll turn out as well as the paw paw pancakes.

I've been super busy with my job with an afterschool child care program, which I absolutely love. I should really work with kids as a career. Forget journalism. Once I stopped obsessing over Cosmo I haven't wanted to work for a magazine anyway. We shall see where I end up...I'll leave it up to God.

I'm really into Zooey Deschanel's band, She & Him. I blame my room mates. But really, she's a talented actress who doesn't take herself too seriously, she's a vegan, and she just married Ben Gibbard of The Postal Service. That's a celebrity I'm willing to respect.

Back in the Swing of Things

2009-09-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

Classes started yesterday, and I only had two. I was in class from 9:30 to noon. If I get to do college like this, I want to stay here forever!! It's a whole different atmosphere when I have a house off campus and a car in case of emergencies.

We're decorating the house slowly, but nearly every box is unpacked at this point.

The walk to class is a bit taxing, which I love. Anyone who knows me knows that my only regular forms of exercise are walking and riding my bike. Yesterday I rode my bike to Kroger (there's a bike path along the river that goes straight past the back of the stores in Athens), but I over loaded myself...On the way home I dropped and ran over my big box of lettuce! I thought it was hilarious. The roller bladers who had to go through my mess thought differently.

That's basically as eventful as my life is these days. As far as food, I've shifted from cereal to salads. Still no pictures for you. I plan to start cooking recipes in the next couple of weeks.

We've already done a couple of dinner parties here at the house. The first featured eggplant parmesan, by Anna. The second was breakfast-for-dinner, by Jane. Jane has been a vegetarian for five years and we call Anna the 3/4 vegetarian. She doesn't buy or cook any meat herself. She makes a mean veggie burger and rocks out hummus on a regular basis. She still orders chicken at restaurants, but she plans to give that up in the name of animal rights.

So that's my life right now. I'm learning the quirks of this old house and starting a new semester at school. But I love my life and the amazing girls in it!!

Kashi cereal is sustaining my existance

2009-09-01T17:17:00.000-04:00

I moved into my house in Athens last night YAAAAAAYYY :)

I don't have any furniture with me yet, so I'm sleeping on an air mattress and living out of a suitcase. It's kind of fun. My room is being painted right now, so I'm just chilling in the living room, setting up my empty picture frames. I'm not sure if it's creepier to have no decorations or a bunch of pictures of strangers posed in department store fashion.

There's nothing for me to show you because all I'm eating is Kashi cereal and raw cashews. Oh yeah and the occasional piece of dried mango.

I'm applying for jobs like crazy town. So far I have one interview on Thursday for a kids after school homework help position.

One major downside to my house is the odor from the KFC across the street. It keeps wafting in through the windows, ugh!!

Retiring from babysitting and some tasty cous cous

2009-08-26T16:05:00.000-04:00

Today was my last day of babysitting EVER. Seriously, I'm retired. I'll babysit my nieces and nephews, or my friends' babies, but no more prostituting my ego and gas money for me, measly pennies.

It's strange how no diss hurts more than one from a nine-year-old. Children state the obvious about the way that you look unabashedly. I wish they understood "polite" conversation does not include imitating the shape of a person's nose with sound effects or relating to the clarity of a person's skin with that of a raspberry. ouch.

Luckily today I only had the 13-year-old, since the younger two started school. We went to Easton to visit Teavana, my new favorite little shop. You should check them out. The salespeople teach you a lot as you select your loose leaves.

The picture above shows Brittany modeling some stilettos at Steve Madden. I still shop like a middle schooler: always touching and trying things on without actually buying. That's what happens when you're perpetually broke. At least I clean up after myself, though.

I came home starved, as I'd only eaten a Clif Bar for lunch (Blueberry Crisp flavor). I threw together a tasty concoction you can see below:
I browned some onion with garlic and added basil, terragon, and chili powder. Then I sliced and added a tomato we grew in my parent's backyard and some chickpeas. Then I poured in 1/3 cup of whole wheat cous cous and 1/3 cup water and let it soak up the water for five minutes. At the end I stirred in a small handful of raisins and sliced avocado on top. I've been obsessed with avocados lately.

Speaking of obsessions, babysitting got me back in the loop of the good shows on Disney Channel. I'm watching (and laughing out loud at)Phineas and Ferb as I write this. It's about two boys spending their summer vacation building insane inventions. It's so sarcastic and witty. It speaks to me.

My absolute favorite is Wizards of Waverly Place. Far from Harry Potter, the main character is super sassy. Disney has sure amped up their comedy from that sitcom trash they used to play.

Tonight I'm going to see Inglorious Basterds, which is supposed to be good. Cool.

2009-08-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

Go listen to: Ben Folds and Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me

If I could hire a private chef, I would hire someone who was born in India. I went to dinner at Taj Mahal last night, tomorrow I'm getting lunch with a friend who really wants to eat Indian (any suggestions as to which restaurant we should go to?)tomorrow afternoon, and I'm getting dinner at Banana Leaf to celebrate the first day of Ramadan with Sheema, (my fellow non-muslim friends) Katie, and Ashley.

Afterwards the less morally inclined of us will join my parents party already in progress. To paint a picture for you, one year I was greeted at the door of the luau by our family friend, Stu, dressed in a coconut bra and grass skirt over only a pair of khaki cargo shorts. The loud and confusing encounter prepared me for what was inside.

Okay, my family is sane most of the time, but we sure know how to let our hair down.

I will finally be finished babysitting on Wednesday, which will be a relief. On Tuesday we went to Cedar Point. I skipped out on some of the really big coasters, but I revisited some old favorites like the Magnum, Blue Streak, and Gemini. It brought back a bunch of memories from going during Halloweekends when I was younger.

Mmmmm - my mom just brought home a ton of chopped bok choy, bean sprouts, and romaine lettuce from her friend the caterer. Hello, salad.

This summer, in between babysitting and church meetings I've been watching a LOT of treash reality TV like Dating in the Dark, More to Love, and Hell's Kitchen. Unfortunately, the only movies I've really seen were with the kids: Aliens in the Attic, G-Force, Paul Blart Mall Cop, and Transformers 2, but also Funny People and Night at the Museum 2 with Katie.

I hated everything except Night at the Museum! I never saw the first one so I plan to soon.

In my spiritual life I felt pretty stagnant at the beginning of the summer. A couple of weeks ago I finally voiced those feelings to the people around me. The girls in my homegroup didn't really react...at all. Mom mom, on the other hand, offered to start studying with me every morning before we both go off to work. It's been such a great experience praying and reading the word with her in the morning! It has completely transformed the spiritual tone of my summer. Now, I feel as if God has been usuing me this whole time. He's blessing me with the comfort of my parents' home for the last time. In a little over a week I'll be moving into my first house, where I'll live for two years, until I graduate and move God knows where.

Big changes lie ahead...I'm excited more than anything. Life begins here.

I'm Mad at Myself

2009-08-15T14:34:00.001-04:00

Go listen to: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

I'm mad at myself for not posting this summer, like, at all. What the hell.

Well, I may as well update you on my life as of late. I babysit throughout the week for a family with three kids. They're a major challenge but I love them.

My hair has purple in it, thanks to my cousin Ashley who works at Jolie Laide. There are purple extensions throughout the sides, cut to a match the length. I'm in love with it. If you live in Columbus, consider going there for your next cut. I'm completely honest when I say it's the best salon I've ever been to. Penzone's included.

I've been doing as much of my shopping at the Clintonville Community Market as possible. It's right next to the school that I went to for eleven years, so the whole area makes me nostalgic. Plus I like to support the co-op, of course.

I have a few photos of food that I prepared at the beginning of the summer. I'll load them very soon - for now I'll tell you what I've been into more recently:
-Peanut Butter Puffins cereal
-Ezekiel 4:9 bread (that's nothing new)
-Almond Breeze, vanilla unsweetened
-Medjool dates
-Whole wheat pasta covered in nutritional yeast, olive oil, and black pepper
-Biting into an apple, then eating a pecan, and repeating

I hang out with my mom a lot. We drink a lot of wine and sit in the backyard talking about everything. It's nice but I'm really bored in Columbus. I'm itching to get back to Athens and to move into my HOUSE!!

Summer! Part One

2009-07-14T22:47:00.001-04:00

I should really post something!! Before I left Athens I had aspirations of posting frequently, inspired by visions of myself cooking vegan banquets every night and documenting them for you all. Alas, I am lazy. I hate washing dishes and I rarely have the time to spend 2 hrs going from pan to plate.

My staples are baked tofu tossed in soy sauce, hummus, soymilk, and ezekiel bread.

Having food on hand 24/7 is quite a change - a change for my scale, that is. I'm trying to stay distracted from that fact with my day-to-day activities. Babysitting for a 9-year-old with ADHD and her two older, hated step-siblings keeps me on my toes. I like taking them out to do things that I remember doing, or wanting to do, as a kid. Today we went to the Anthony Thomas chocolate factory; it was like Willy Wonka without all of the technicolor wonder.

Lalala...well I will share some pictures with you soon - as soon as me and my digicam are in the same room. Ha.

RIP

2009-06-28T21:18:00.000-04:00

I just got news that a boy I went to high school with - and who goes to OU with me now - was stabbed and killed at ComFest last night.

The details are fuzzy, but what is known about the altercation is here.

His name is Brian Barbin and he's a good kid. We talk frequently at school, and he deserved so much better than to die at the end of a knife.

If you're religious please pray for his family and friends.

((More posts to come on what I've been doing lately))

Blahh...

2009-06-14T17:42:00.000-04:00

As soon as I feel on top of the world...

I've been eating a bit more than usual since I've come home, both because there's yummy food around and because I've stopped obsessing over calories. My lack of photos is testament to the fact that I've been eating without putting much thought or care into the food.

I freaked out this morning, having snacked all night last night, and my mom came into my room as I was crying. I had never had "the conversation" with her regarding my eating disorder and it was finally time.

Overall it went well. She saw me drop 30 lbs last year so it was no huge shock, my friends and extended family all had their suspicions. She asked questions and she let me answer them. Mostly now I just feel really relieved - a weight has been lifted. She knows not to make comments to me about calories or my weight at a given period of time.

The best part was that as she leads a class for women who have been sexually abused she has materials at hand regarding coping mechanisms. She shared a paper with me that had to do with the difference between being responsible to and being responsible for someone. I always take on "project friends": the people who I think I can fix. Instead of listening to them and asking about how they're doing as a person or the root of the problem, I think of the practical solution to the problem. If they don't do what I recommended they do I'm frustrated and hurt.

Lately, too, my dad has been drinking a lot. For a man with a family and personal history of alcoholism, that's no bueno. Thursday night he went out to some bars alone and stayed out really late. He says he met some young kids who "respected him" and he was talking to them about motorcycles - his love. He has been really self-focused and moody, too. My dad is a teaser and lately the only conversations we've had have been him teasing me about food and me laughing them off. It hurts my feelings when he does this, but if he didn't relate to me in that way he wouldn't be talking to me at all. I need quality Dad time.

Rarely do I cry but when I do it's straight-up waterworks. Today was no exception. I couldn't stop and it was therapudic! I didn't even care.

My brother came over while my mom and I were talking and we had a good convo about spiritual attack. Satan is totally getting at me where my weakness lies because I haven't been into the Word on a regular basis or striving for the goals I set for the summer. I fully plan to get on that beginning tomorrow morning. My mom and brother both see the same things in my dad that I do and my mom plans to talk to him about it. (The drinking, the self-focus, and the anti-social mentality)

I've always thought of myself as the glue that held my family together and the stress that creates is immense. I eat when I'm anxious and the anxiety comes from the feelings I leach from my friends and family. I need to learn how to not own other people's emotion (I'm a painfully empathetic person)in order to be a better friend and worker for God.

News

2009-06-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

I have something really, really exciting to share with you.

I feel like a new person. Over the past few days it's been a slow progression but I finally feel ready to gain weight. I feel as if a veil named Anorexia has been lifted, and I only have God to thank for that.

The events that preceded my slippery slope of an eating disorder are finally coming to light and I'm able to acknowledge them and move past. I have such an amazing support system here in Columbus - it's great to be back!

I knew this day would come: my self-destructive behaviors have taken quite a toll on my body and now I must deal with the consequences. HOWEVER, I have a healthier take on life than before the massive drop in body weight, i.e. veganism.

Before my lovely vegan friends feel slighted by a girl who only lends fuel to the fire in which omnis insist that all vegans have raging eating disorders, I must clarify. My decision to go vegan stands intact. I love conscious living and my friends and family know that it's 'so me'. I've always teared up at the sight of road kill and named even inanimate objects in an effort to befriend them. As I read in an insightful chapter of Becoming Vegan: regardless of your original agenda in going vegan, many people fall in love with the lifestyle in the process. Healing doesn't mean eating meat (MOM!). Healing means accepting yourself and focusing your energy on making the world a better place, rather than keeping yourself thin.

So to conclude - I 100% plan to remain, and flourish as, a vegan. I've found my soap box. I'm ready to gain weight and attend doctors visit after doctors visit in order to re-start my womanhood...

Follow me as I get healthy inside and out. None of this would be possible without my relationshiop with Christ. We had a long chat last night after the OAR concert - I told him I wanted a relationship and he told me I wasn't ready. I was not happy. BUT, this morning, I woke up and realized that he'd liberated me! :)

ConAgra Blast - Hope for Change?

2009-06-09T23:44:00.001-04:00

Oh, ConAgra...karma is a bitch.

I am NOT saying that the people who died or were injured in the blast in any way, shape, or form 'deserved it'. Hell no - my condolences to their families. It's a shame that our current job market forces some to work for companies like ConAgra.

On a purely beurocratic level, I hope this tragedy hurts. Do you know how many animals are murdered at this plant daily? I don't. I can't find the info.

But I did find this article about John Munsell, a former meat-packer who is now an "activist" (I assume they mean a food safety activist). He hates on ConAgra hardcore.

Anyway, the whole point of my post was to send my hope out into the universe that today's horrible accident will inspire tougher regulations on such factories. Not only inspections of the facilities themselves, but more practical solutions in the way of slaughterhouses. While I'd love to shut them all down today, that's not going to happen. The best we can hope for is a small difference - tougher regulations that make it more expensive for companies like ConAgra to run a slaughterhouse. If it were cheaper for them to do it another way (is there another way? a more sustainable, humaine way? ::sigh::) they would - it's all about making bank.

I hate this!! I hate that the murder of helpless creatures persists.

I suppose all that I can do is continue to live as vegan as possible and to educate those around me on the cruelty involved in this senseless industry.

2009-06-08T14:50:00.001-04:00

Go listen to: Ray LaMontagne - Empty

I get to come home on Wednesday!! At this point all I'm doing is eating and watching movies online. No studying. No exercise. I've even gotten into vegan junk food like oreos and these freezable fruit smoothie things they sell in our markets. I just had three of them.

It's time to go home.

I'm very 'all or nothing' so I loose the ability to work in moderation when stress comes along. Sometimes I get really into exercise or sleep. This week it's eating, apparently. I'm not worried, though, I'll have plenty of veg and whole grains all summer...

My parents visited my aunt and uncle in Fort Wayne, Indiana this weekend. They're surrounded by amish farms and they grow a bit themselves. Mom and Dad came home with tons of home-grown goodies and even a few plants from my aunt's greenhouse!

That boy I told you about earlier is trying to redeem himself. We'll see how it goes. I'm very old-fashioned: I won't call him or text him first. He has to make all of the effort and I also have high standards for the way I think he should treat me. (Sounds healthy enough, but this comes from having learned the hard way. My 'type' was the jock asshole who is cocky as hell and doesn't call after the first hook-up unless he wants another. No more of that!!) So far so good - he just gives me a ton of space...don't think there are other girls in the picture, so I can handle space!

Classes = OVER, Exams Here I Come...

2009-06-05T12:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the comments on my last post, Tracy and Andrew. On second thought they are probably situations that no one would enjoy.

I just saw "He's Not That Into You" last weekend and found it throughly amusing in its truthfulness. It came at a good time, too, as I've been trying to push a certain boy who doesn't seem to want to call me out of my mind.

The last Starving Artists' Lunch is this afternoon! I hope Vegan Cooking Workshop will continue on into next year - I know I'm willing to step up to some responsibility (how's that for commitment??) in place of Boaz. Tuesday night we enjoyed falafel, home made pita, tabbouleh, hummus, baklava, and salad with the infamous dressings we know and love as VCW regulars. :)

I cannot convey my excitement in returning to Columbus for the summer!! I hope to work with Mercy For Animals (I really want to speak to Nathan Runkel again and let him know how he's changed my life...last time I met him I was an omnivore who knew next to nothing about animal cruelty.) and do lots of cooking. Next year I'll return to a HOUSE in Athens - no more dorm life woo!! - so I can continue to cook from here on out! I'll keep you all posted with pictures and recipes.

My current favorite cook book (I still use the training wheels) is Vegan Planet. I find it more user-friendly for a college student than Veganomicon.

I'm off to lunch!

commitment phobe

2009-06-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

Go listen to: Iron and Wine - Woman King

I had an epiphany this morning as I was getting dressed for my 9am class (now forgotten, discarded for the pressing matter ahead of me).

I am terrified of commitment.

"Aren't we all?" sparks a voice within.
No, not quite like this.
I go to a school that has a strong reputation for partying. There are "fests" every weekend of Spring quarter, so naturally my friends wanted me to make an appearance at one a few weeks back. I reluctantly said I would join.
This particular "fest" takes place pretty far off-campus. There's no way to get back unless you arrange your own ride, which we were having a hard time acquiring. The tickets had to be purchased in advance. The alcohol had to pass by countless cops who littered the entrance of the neon-orange plastic gate held up by plastic pumpkin-inspired barrels strategically placed for crowd control. Knowing her friend well, H promised she would take care of all of this as long as I actually showed up.
I forgot the final factor: weather.
I attended this fest last year and had a horrible time. There was mud everywhere, clinging to the flip flops it stole from inebriated guests. The "peeing hill" caused the entire field to reek, and I wandered from one group to the next, wondering when and how I would ever return to my room - after a long, disinfecting shower, that is. All of this was on top of room mate issues that forced me to go at the whole ordeal alone.

So this year I spent the entire week prior to the fest with the engagement at the back of my mind. I worried about the weather that promised a repeat of last year. In my mind, I was going to wander alone yet again, hating life and everyone in it.
Thursday rolled around and I could take no more. I told H not to buy tickets (she hadn't yet, adding to my reluctance). She promptly picked up the phone and made other arrangements for her weekend - now her weekend at home 100+ miles away.

Holy shit I never commit. (In my mind that didn't rhyme...)

Similar events float to the front of my mind like bubbles on the surface of a 7-up glass: the time I ditched out on my friend J because I couldn't say I would help him with his project all year. The two clubs I'm a part of that meet on Tuesdays: I never go! I email, give excuses, find a reason to skip out each week. Scheduling for Fall quarter last Friday, for God's sake. I spent nearly a full five minutes contemplating a 9:30am class - could I really promise to be there at 9am every day? But the 1pm was no different - what if I got hungry for lunch around that time?

Oh God, I'm 'that girl.'

I realize that I have baggage just like everyone else. There are events in not-so-ancient history that foreshadow this quirk of mine. I am not the only one who hates to promise something on which I may not be able to follow through...but I never realized I would turn into 'that girl' from the chick flicks. I'm the cute neurotic one that's the butt of all of the jokes. I hate that girl! She make all women look spineless and needy.

Now I'm nauseous, recalling yet more instances my bad behavior. My insanity continues with the resulting fight with myself:
"Remember senior year of high school when you wouldn't join the yearbook because it was year-long comm-"
"I know! Stop using that word!"

Does a synonym for commitment even exist?

How about "death trap."

Bordom

2009-05-27T00:54:00.001-04:00

It's no surprise that I've gone over a month without new posts. I've been leaching posts and attending other blogs with more regularity than my classes. My life is so dry and boring at the moment. Honestly it's for your benefit that I haven't posted! I am enjoying the weather ...

In two weeks I'll be home for summer break and that's when I intend to COOK LIKE CRAZY!!

I tried out a new cookbook, Vegan Fire and Spice, when I was home this weekend. Made a sweet potato and chickpea dish that was pretty simple but tasty. As a snack I also made the many bean salad. It had black and kidney beans, peas, and chickpeas in an oil, mustard, and vinegar marinade.

I got a job as an "activities coordinator" for some tweens. Basically I'll drive them to the pool or to hang out with friends and mediate when they try to kill each other. Pays well.

Okay, seriously, there's no point in my writing this. I need to sleep anyway, I have class at 8:30 tomorrow morning and I think I'm actually going this time.

I'd leave you with a picture but I haven't taken any :)

Earth Day, Swimming

2009-04-22T13:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Earth Day, everyone

My plants made perfect time in sprouting today. Plant intelligence > human intelligence?? The world may never know - just watch M. Night Shyamalan's the happening. I'm a huge fan of his movies and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one of my friends who leaves the theater satisfied with his work. His work is over-glammed but under-appreciated.

I have mentioned in the past that I am forced to eat in the dining halls of my midwestern college. Every once in a while they will surprise me with a tasty vegan meal, but more often than not I leave the feeding trough annoyed (and with a bag full of stolen fruit). C'mon, they say we can take ONE piece? There's no way what I eat in one meal measures up to the $10 they charge me.

I should start taking my camera to dinner so that I can document my massive cornocopias of salads. They win me stares from omni onlookers, it's humorous.

Two days ago for lunch they served really tasty falafel, for which I was pleased and I complimented it with some hummus. (Note: I'm considering leaving an anonymous tip for the kitchen staff in the form of a hummus recipe. The spacle they label hummus leads me to believe they've never heard of tahini. It's nearly tasteless and there's usually half-crushed canned chic peas in it. Alas, I'll eat anything if I think it's good for me, so I eat their concoction daily.)

For dinner last night I consumed a hummus and guacamole sandwich with sprouts and a side salad. The guacamole didn't taste like straight avocados, which got me wondering: is it vegan? Is it common to mix sour cream in a guacamole recipe? I will ask the kitchen staff at my next opportunity...

Sorry I don't have any original pictures for you. It's been really rainy and cold.

http://implaced.blogspot.com/

On a high note, I just got back from the pool. I love, love the water. I always have. So I celebrated Earth Day by enjoying my favorite part of the earth: water. It's the coolest element, anyway. Fire's too hot, air is invisible and sometimes smells badly, and earth is, well, dirt.

Lazy Monday

2009-04-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

There's definitely a possibility that I'm just a lazy person, as this is my second post in a row with "lazy" in the title. Luckily I was prepared for the weather. I walked back from class in full rain gear today, splashing in every puddle I could find; rain boots are great for that.

When I was younger I had the coolest umbrella. It was clear with purple details and it had pictures of minnie mouse hop-scotching on it. My parents got me the cutest things, seriously. I tried to find a photo one like it online but no such luck.

I'm appreciative of all this rain because I know Austrailians would kill for it. The latest Nat Geo had an article about the draught's affect on Austrailian agriculture. The fires weren't the end of the country's worries. This is around when I start to get really cynical about politics and how little governments do for their people. The protection we get according to John Loche's philosophy covers our basic right to clean drinking water.

When I graduate I really want to work for Americorps, possibly teaching or working on an organic farm. Maybe that will open doors for me to work for an NGO in the future and take food and water overseas. That's really what I feel a passion to do, and I know I'm not alone.

I love to chill out with the windows open while it rains. I love to hear the smacking of rain on the catwalk outside. How incredibly spring.

Which reminds me, I saw the most massive rabbit the other day. Hir owners took hir out for a hop in the park - you should have seen that rabbit go!

I can not wait to get settled into a place that will allow for me to have a furry friend. I think my friends with pets are beginning to suspect that I'm more interestsed in seeing their animals than them. They're right.

On a vegan note, they had falafel in the dining hall today. I was shocked. I got three giant pieces in celebration! Plus hummus. I was not disappointed, either. If there's anything our dining halls can do right, it's deep frying. Go falafel go!!

I signed up to attend a local foods cooking class tonight with my friend, but as it's raining I'm not really feeling it. Plus I emailed to ask what vegan options they would have, and apparently only the samosas are vegan. I love me some samosas, but I had them very recently. Have you ever had something prepared really well and it's almost like every time you think of it, you can still taste it? I had samosas at an indian restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana while I was visiting my aunt and uncle over spring break. They were delicious and I don't want to taint my memory of them with a samosa rendition that's not up to par.

(Interesting side-note: If you Google "bad samosa"...you won't get ANYTHING that matches. Yet another example of x + fryer = success.)
No wonder they fry Twinkies, Snickers bars, and cheesecake. This could be deep fried animal droppings and some people would never notice, let alone care. When you take a closer look at some of the stuff that people shovel in their pie-hole these days, the animal droppings might just be more nutritionally adventageous. How nausiating is that?

Lazy Sunday

2009-04-19T15:40:00.000-04:00

As I've decided to begin observing the Sabbath, I did all of my homework Friday. I'm not following any strict rules for the day, simply not working (and for a full-time student, that would mean homework) and reading some scripture.

I was in public the other day when I overheard one worker say to his coworker, "How's your mental health?"
She replied, "It's much better now," with a tone of annoyance, her eyes never leaving the computer screen she was using.
"I'm not going to bring it up again. I just had to bug you one last time," he said.
From this back-and-forth, along with the adjacent non-verbal communication, I drew a few conclusions: a)The woman had recently taken a mental health day from work b)The man thought this a ridiculous idea and was perhaps jealous of her time off - that is, unless he is the type to think himself a stronger person than she for foregoing the opportunity.

I once took a mental health day from high school. It was needed - I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Mental illness runs in my family and the transition from private middle school to public high school proved to be my trigger. After much counseling and religious growth I was fine, but it was a bit dicy there for a while. The mental health day came the morning after my lowest point. It helped me because I was able to focus my thoughts for a long, drawn out recovery.

Those who do not suffer from mental illness are fortunate and should heed their blessings in tolerance of others who do. Mental health can be forged, of course, but we still have a long way to go with the recognition of mental illness as a legitimate disease.

Starving Artists Lunch

2009-04-17T20:36:00.000-04:00

What an amazing spring day...FOR VEGAN COOKING WORKSHOP. Here's the first of many that I will document for you.

VCW is put on by a group called Conscious Ohio and it is a co-op. On Tuesdays we get together to help cook, eat, and clean a vegan, mostly organic meal. The man who runs it all is named Boaz. He's a hare krishna who loves to share his passion for life (and yoga) with us.

Thursday nights Boaz runs an intro to meditation and yoga philosophy group called reflections. Afterward, yep you guessed it, there's a free vegan meal.

Fridays are actually a lunch we call starving artist's lunch. When the weather is nice we get to chill outside on the green.

I eat vegan so this group is a total gem - I schedule my weeks around it. It is my stability, and if any of you remember from your college days, stability is hard to come by! I doubt I could happily sustain myself without this balanced nutrition. Not only is the food cruelty free, it is also AMAZING. VCW has a following around 300 strong and it's growing in popularity all the time. We have a pretty big artsy/hippie crowd here at the midwestern college I attend.

What you're looking at are noodles in a light creamy sauce tossed with broccoli, green, red and yellow peppers over a bed of salad greens, carrots, cucumber, and pumpkin seeds. There was also a salad dressing that was roasted red pepper vinagrette-esque. To the side we have a chocolate chip cookie - Boaz is famous for these!! He must infuse them with all of the wisdom of yogis past. (No, I do not mean weed. The cookies are really just THAT good.)

After lunch we hung out at a cool little antique shop that didn't allow for picture-taking. Then we wandered some more, cleaned a friend's dorm room, ate dinner, and now I'm in for the night. How many college kids do you know that stay in on a Friday night? In my defense I've had two early exams the past couple of days that kept me up late studying.

Before lunch I was hanging out in the stacks at the library and I found a book about beading, which should be cool. Hopefully it will inspire me to start making some new jewelry. It's been since, um, Christmas.

Have a good evening!! TGIF - relax, yo.

Why

2009-04-17T11:15:00.000-04:00

Why am I doing this? Why do I feel the need to blog? Why have I given in and decided to publish my thoughts online regardless of my gut instinct to run vehemently in the opposite direction from my computer?

Because what I have to say is really so important that I should subjugate the world at large to its monotonous cynicism? Nope. Because I find myself unabashedly goofy and unique? Yep. Welcome to my world of nonsense. Call it pretentious but don't call it late for dinner.

I'm a journalism student at a college in the Midwest. I like spinjongle and listening to free podcasts of NPR - especially "Wait, wait don't tell me..."

I have been frequenting vegan blogsites for the past year and a half or so, and I thought it about time I tried to contribute. As a college student living in the dorms, I haven't the opportunity to cook for myself save the vegan coop that I attend weekly. You can look forward to pictures of my Hare Krishna buddies and the amazing ethnic combinations that we whip together.

I consider myself to be a "strict vegetarian", as some of the products I'm forced to use here in the dorms are not vegan. I have been living this lifestyle for about a year and a half. I stopped eating meat as soon as I left home to come to school a couple of years ago.

So this blog will document my quest for a lifestyle more conscious of my eco footprint. I am also very spiritually inclined, so you may well hear of developments in that department as well.

I think that's enough information to start out with, so I wish you all a good day! If you're in the midwest - enjoy the sunshine. :)