Kitchen Tips ...

I made this combo of roasted eggplant, olives, tomato sauce, Italian spices, and a sautéed onion the other night to throw over some pasta. It was fab. Mmm.

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And now ... Some kitchen tips you might know and, then again, maybe not ... Just thought I'd share some of my faves.

♥ To freshen your kitchen sponge and disinfect it, throw it in the top rack of your dishwasher and run it through a cycle of dishes. Voila! Clean, disinfected sponge.

♥ To soothe a minor burn on your finger, smear a little Anbesol (made to soothe mouth sores) on it. Takes the sting right out.

♥ To steam things without them sticking to your steamer basket, cut out a round of parchment paper and make several folds in it. Take a single hole punch and punch holes in it. Unfold and lay in steamer. The holes you punched will allow the steam to come through.

♥ To open a jar easily, just slide a bottle opener tip under the top and let some air in by pulling out the side of the top slightly. The top will pop and it'll be easy to screw right off. No help from big biceps required. ;) [see pics below]

Chewie goes vegan!

I've been thinking about switching little Chewie over to a vegan diet because I don't want him to eat anything gross that I wouldn't eat. Plus, he seriously needs to outlive me; I ♥ Chewie! I came across V-Dog vegan kibble today which looks amazing! I ordered it and I'm so excited to see how Chewie likes it. I'm also going to get him some Organic VEGA Antioxidant Omega oil blend to put over his food as his vet has suggested he needs some oil in his life.

I also ordered the Simple Little Vegan Dog Book by Michelle Rivera and I can't wait to make him some yummy yum yums to enjoy in addition to his nutritionally balanced doggie food. Fortunately, Chewie actually likes his greens and eats zucchini. Good boy.

Here are some resources about meatless meals for your furbabies:
PETA's article about vegan dogs and cats

Good vegan nutrition for doggies

A list of "people foods" by ASPCA and whether or not those foods are OK for your pup.

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New arrival!

My copy of Urban Vegan arrived today!
Oooh ... What will I make first?! I'm so excited!



Order here at Amazon!

New Vegan Product Discovery!

Huzzah! I must admit that I am a big fan of the Kraft Mac & Cheese in a box ... you know ... the flourescent stuff ... yeah. I friggin' love it. So sue me.

Well, while I was perusing the health food store on Saturday, I came across this! YES!

You can also buy online at these sites:
http://edwardandsons.com/pastas.itml
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.veganessentials.com

I had the Cheddar Style Shells & Chreese and it was delicious! I also picked up the Alfredo Style Mac & Chreese, but I haven't tried that yet. I'll post a review when I do. Mmmm.

It can be easy being vegan ...

A lot of people have been asking me about veganism recently and it seems like people just think it's too hard to do. I think it's only hard because we've learned to eat a certain way and you sort of have to rethink that way of eating.

So ... to those people who think "what will I eat?" ... Here are some examples!

Vegan Breakfasts:
♥ Peanut butter and banana on toast
♥ Vegan cereal and a non-dairy milk (like hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk, or almond milk) note: loads of cereals are accidentally vegan - just read the label
♥ Soy yogurt and some granola
♥ Fruit
♥ Oatmeal with maple syrup swirled in
♥ Tofu scramble
♥ Vegan Muffins (I usually make a bunch on Sunday and eat them all week!)
♥ Link to vegan brunch ideas


Vegan Lunches:
♥ Hummus with a pita for dipping and some raw veggies
♥ Salads with no cheese or meat (I love to throw some beans in mine)
♥ Amy's Brand frozen non-dairy meals (great to keep in the freezer at work so it's just there when you need it)
♥ Veggie wrap sandwiches (let your imagination go wild)
♥ Veggie Chinese food (most Chinese food that is vegetarian is also vegan)
♥ Veggie sushi
♥ A veggie burger
♥ Thai food ... Middle Eastern (falafel, baba ganoush, etc) ... Indian ... the list goes on ...

Vegan Dinners, cocktails, and desserts ... See this blog!

Some of my favorite vegan cookbooks are:
Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson
Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
La Dolce Vegan! by Sarah Kramer
The Garden of Vegan by Sarah Kramer
... and my subscription to Vegetarian Times is always a wonderful source of recipes.

Please comment with your vegan lunch and breakfast ideas!
I'm always looking for new ideas. :)

Why I'm eating vegan 80% of the time now ... aka Books that changed my life ... (I still indulge every once in a while ... I hope to cut that out eventually.)
The China Study by T.Colin Campbell
Diet for a New America by John Robbins
The Food Revolution by John Robbins
Total Health Makeover by Marilu Henner
Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier