LotusOutLoud

Big Shopping Weekend! Veg Artisans Gear Up!

2011-11-23T17:38:00.002-05:00

Friday kicks off a huge weekend of shopping, getting holiday shoppers all aflutter! Black Friday precedes a Saturday of supporting small businesses (Small Business Saturday) and Cyber Monday, online shopping's biggest day of the year. Some of my fellow teammates in EtsyVeg are celebrating by offering great sales and perks, giving you a chance to not only support small businesses by shopping with our independent artisans, but the chance to support handmade and more compassionate living!

Take the Pledge to Buy Handmade for the Holidays and the pledge to Shop Small, while supporting vegan and vegetarian artisans- kick the holiday shopping season off ethically while buying gifts that are unique, made with a personal touch, and filled with love! :)

Check out these shops for awesome savings:

AndLive~
30% OFF everything in shop Thanksgiving morning through midnight on Cyber Monday.
Code: ETSYONSALE

Arthurs Plaid Pants~
10% OFF everything in shop on Black Friday, 11/25/11 only!
Code: BLK10
15 % OFF everything in shop on Cyber Monday, 11/28/11 ONLY!
Code: CYB15

ClaynFiber~
20% OFF from Thursday, November 24th through Monday, November 28th.
Code: HOLIDAY20

Ideology~
Save 30% on everything in shop from Black Friday through Cyber Monday (the weekend included)! Cyber Monday buyers will also receive a free gift!
Code: 30PERCENT

KarinaManarin~
FREE SHIPPING on all domestic orders through Monday the 28th!

Krug's Eco-Logic~
$20 & up ... 20% off code: 20PERCENT
$40 & up ... 30% off code: 30PERCENT
$60 & up ... 40% off code: 40PERCENT
$110 & up ... 50% off code: 50PERCENT

LuniqueUK~
20% OFF Friday through Monday.
Code: LOVEXMAS

M's Knits and Things~
25% OFF orders from Friday morning through Monday night at midnight.
Code: BLACKFRIDAY25

Mom, Baby & Me~
FREE SHIPPING NOW thru Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend!
Code: FREESHIPPING

Twig & Leaf Botanicals~
30% OFF on black friday, small business saturday, and cyber monday!
Code: ETSYONSALE

Veganville~
30 percent off everything in shop (except gift certificates) from midnight Thanksgiving through midnight cyber Monday. Yay!
Code: BIG30

Vivace Crafts~
15% OFF everything from Black Friday to Cyber Monday! :)
Code: BLACKFRIDAY1

Have fun! Support Small Businesses! Buy Handmade! Go Veg!

Take the Pledge!

2011-11-09T13:29:00.003-05:00

Old Fabric & Trim Lovelies- Musty to Fresh & Clean

2011-10-18T13:19:00.003-04:00

SITUATION
A dear friend gave me some incredible old treasures: an old slip with a lovely flounce; an ancient dress and blouse remnants with amazing pieces of trim left; loads of fancy ribbons; antique cotton and handmade lace pillow covers in white; scraps & pieces of fabric in cotton, linen, and upholstery; and some cotton convas plain totes.

CHALLENGE
Stains on some things and lots of musty old odor permeating everything deeply. In addition, some pieces are so fragile from age that only a soak and gentle washing by hand was appropriate. The challenge? How to get all the pretties happy, clean and fresh-smelling.

Wet fabric, linens, lace and trim drying on my porch.

SOLUTION
As the smell made much of this lovely stuff unusable if the odor remained, I wasn't too worried about being a little rough and damaging it. But I wanted to preserve as much as possible. Here are the steps I took:

1) Pre-soak: I filled a tub with luke warm water about 6 inches deep, adding a gentle dish liquid and agitating the water to make suds. I then unfolded and shook out all pieces and added them to the water. A gentle swish to get everything submerged, and I left to soak for approximately 2 hours. After the soak, I rinsed in warm running water and squeezed gingerly to remove excess.

Results? I was amazed at the dirt these pieces had collected over time! The water was like a dark tea when I returned, and the rinsing water was brown and grey. There was debris and dirt left behind in the water. So, everything was cleaner, BUT the mildewy-musty-old smell was very strong still.

2) Vinegar Bath: I moved this step to the basement (where my washing machine lives) to avoid stinking up my apartment with vinegar fumes! I took the wet pieces to the washing machine, where I had filled the washer for a small load using warm water and added 1 cup of vinegar. I submerged everything. taking care to open up folded pieces, and used my hand to agitate the water. I left to soak overnight. The next day, I removed the bundle to the laundry sink for a rinse in warm running water and a squeeze.

Results? I was super surprised at how just 1 cup of white vinegar seemingly removed the mildew and must odors! I didn't get excited yet, though, as one soak remained to ensure the things were smell-free for good! A tiny bit of some odor remained, but a just plain "old" smell rather than mildew.

3) Final Soak: I refilled the washer for a small load, adding warm water again along with a cap full of natural liquid laundry soap. I made suds with my hands, and added the linens and lace and fabric, swishing and submerging. I left to soak for 3 hours. I then rinsed well, squeezed out excess wettage, and set aside.

I decided to chance tossing the fabrics in the dryer on permanent press for 20-30 minutes, as it all seemed pretty sturdy. The rest of the pieces I hung to air dry on my back porch railing.

The results? DAISIES! Seriously, in most pieces not a lick of musty odor remains, and some have a tiny tinge of "old" smell, although nothing unpleasant. Some stuff even smells like detergent (I use very a mild-scented one). SUCCESS! No pieces lost or destroyed. Lots of beautiful lovelies to inspire and be made into crafty accessories!

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

2011-10-01T10:20:00.001-04:00

Saturday, October 1st is World Vegetarian Day! A perfect celebration to follow yesterday's "Hug a Vegetarian Day" (hugs to our veggie pals everywhere). :) Sponsored by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS), World Veg Day was "established as an annual celebration to promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism. " There are many great ways to honor World Veg Day, which extends Vegetarian Awareness Month throughout October.

If you are non-vegetarian and currently just thinking about trying meat-free eating or about transitioning fully to a veg lifestyle:
Find other friends who are, too, and explore new dishes at a dinner party or potluck. Seek out a friend, family member or co-worker who is already vegan or vegetarian to ask for support in your own transition. Explore veg websites like NAVS for information on why and how to go veg. Read about the benefits of living a veg lifestyle. Check out veg recipe and info books from your local library. Try delicious veggie foods (see veggie links on my blog sidebar for some great recipe resources and search my blog for some of my favorite recipes) with both vegetarian and non-veg friends and family. Take the Vegetarian Pledge (and get a chance to win $1000!) to avoid all meat, fish and fowl throughout the month!

If you are vegan or vegetarian:
Host veg dinner parties, picnics, and potlucks for veg and on-veg pals. Lend extra support to someone in your life who has expressed interest in or is attempting to go veg. Wear tees, buttons, and bags with a vegetarian message. Set up displays of vegetarian info at local grocery stores, libraries, community centers, etc. Hand out pamphlets about how to go vegetarian and why. Encourage your non-vegetarian friends, co-workers and family members to go meat-free by taking the Vegetarian Pledge (and getting a chance to win $1000!) to avoid all meat, fish and fowl throughout the month! And most of all, be a living, loving, compassionate example!

Go Veg!

In the Garden- An Update

2011-09-20T12:33:00.011-04:00

September weather is my absolute favorite, although this year there seems to be a lot more rain. The mild temperatures and sun feel wonderful as the Autumnal Equinox approaches! As we move toward autumn, many green things in my yard are slowly ending their life cycle, including a few things in my garden. Many others are still in full, happy growth! :)

Late last week I fertilized the garden again, pulled weeds, and clipped/neatened veggies and herbs. Our porch flowers are thriving, with new blossoms daily and pops of color to brighten our home!

Tomato in the morning sun.

Happy Growth:

~Tomatoes! Both tomato plants are still blossoming, and there are plenty of baby tomatoes on each. They are a bit smaller than in later summer, but still vibrant in flavor, color, and deliciousness! This weekend I spent a while staking and re-staking the new growth!

~Eggplants! Well, it seems the purple eggplants we expected are not purple at all. Our little round, globe eggplants turned yellow and remained the size of eggs! Turns out we have an heirloom called Thai Yellow Eggplants! lol We have been collecting them, but haven't yet tried to eat any. There are loads of new blossoms and baby Yellows on our plant, which keeps on growing full and beautiful.

~Wildflowers! My very late planting of wildflowers is showing it's first buds! Alyssum is flowering and the Zinnias have their first blossoms. Can't wait to see what color they will be!

Zinnia!

Winding Down:

~Beans! Our bean patch is definitely on its last stems, and the leaves are growing worn, thin and brown. There are still some flowers and baby beans, but they stop growing at just an inch or so and become soft.

~Greens! The few more mature lettuces we have left are no longer producing new leaves, or their leaves stay small. We had to pull many that were bolting. We have new lettuces that I planted a couple of weeks ago. These have been thinned, but many remaining bolted this past weekend and had to be pulled. Those that are left are looking a little... wobbly and uncertain. :/ The spinach I planted along with the lettuce a couple of weeks back didn't make it. After two days of splattering rain, our new sprouts were smashed. The two that lived haven't grown at all, and one died this past weekend.

And in Other News:

~Carrots! Hmmm... Though we have gorgeous carrot greens that continue to grow, the few I have uprooted to check progress have had teeny, thin roots. :( Looks like another year without a happy carrot harvest. We will have to investigate what could have caused this, as last year's carrots, though small and short, were actually edible and tasty!

~Herbs! Most are looking great! We have some new dill and cilantro that needs some growth time before starting to harvest. We have pretty much depleted our basil- it's no longer replenishing after cuts.

~Broccoli! We've got about 12-14 broccoli seedlings growing! They've been thinned out a couple of times. Having never grown broccoli and never fall crops, I'm not sure what to expect. They are still looking pretty spindly (photo below).

Baby broccoli. Hoping for a fall harvest...

Curtains- My First Machine Project!

2011-09-19T10:16:00.007-04:00

My first real sewing project- kitchen curtains made from vintage fabric in a bright pattern of veggies and pansies, which I found at Creative Reuse Pittsburgh.

I thought the vibrant colors of the fabric were much too loud on the white background of the original fabric, so I put my new tea-dye skills to work! After washing and drying the material, I dropped it into a lighter tea using only half of the tea bags as in my previous dye sessions, letting the fabric soak half the time. The results are perfect, dulling the colors a bit and giving the white background a slightly worn look. They work great in my kitchen, which I prefer mostly neutral with little pops of color in towels and cookware/dishware (I love reds).

As a brand newbie sewer, I have to admit that I find the measuring and cutting of the fabric is much more difficult than the sewing part and figuring out the machine! I feel pretty good about my machine work during the project, actually, and ran into only a few challenges: thread coming out of the needle while sewing, keeping a totally straight seam line, and finding my stitches were very loose. My Mom helped me figure out that I was threading the machine slightly wrong and that I needed to increase the machine tension to make my stitches tighter.

So how'd they turn out? You judge for yourself! Some slightly lopsided seams, a few loose stitches, but overall I am quite happy!

Things I am Loving... Concrete!

2011-09-17T10:17:00.001-04:00

On Etsy, I have been very drawn to amazing things made with concrete, really noticing and appreciating the unique properties of the material when used in creating. Simple. Rustic. Awesome. Here are a few of my favorite concrete-based creations on Etsy, followed by a couple of great tutorials on how to make your own "concrete" planters!

Square . Concrete . Pot:

Oak Leaf and Acorn Necklace:

Slim Industrial Rustic Concrete Vase / Holder:

Grassy Pebble: Concrete and Faux Grass Necklace:

Indoor/Outdoor and Awesome Concrete Planter -Circle:

Electric Blue Bib and Gray Bib Necklace:

TUTORIALS

Great DIY projects for your fantastic concrete planters!

Making Hypertufa Pots

How to Make Modern Cement Planters Using Packaging

Pittsburgh Walk for Farm Animals 2011

2011-09-13T10:45:00.004-04:00

I am so excited to be participating in raising funds for the 2nd Annual Pittsburgh Walk for Farm Animals 2011 next month! On Saturday, October 1st, Pittsburgh will host its second Walk for Farm Animals to support the lifesaving rescue, education and advocacy work of Farm Sanctuary! Please help me reach my fundraising goal of $300! Any amount donated, whether $1 or $100, is hugely helpful. Visit my fundraising page or look for the widget on my blog sidebar to the right to contribute. Any amount is welcome! :)

For 25 years, Farm Sanctuary has relied on the Walk for Farm Animals to support its life-saving mission to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassion. The Walk for Farm Animals takes place annually in more than 75 cities across the United States and Canada to celebrate and promote compassion for farm animals and raise funds to enable Farm Sanctuary to continue its vital work. Last year, Pittsburgh was the 6th BIGGEST WALK ON THE CONTINENT, had 150 walkers and raised over $13,000! This year, our goal is to have 300 walkers and raise $30,000. Please help us move closer to the #1 spot this year!

Our local Walk coordinator, Kim Piper of Sunstone Soap, states, "Our goal is to walk together as a compassionate community while we have fun, raise money and help better the world for all beings!" Please join us! All members of the community (regardless of dietary lifestyle- non-vegans and non-vegetarians are absolutely included) with a love for animals and a desire to end their needless suffering at the hands of factory farms are invited to walk, volunteer, donate, or help in some way.

How You Can Help:

* Sponsor me in my fundraising efforts as part of Pittsburgh's Walk, donating what you can to help me reach my goal of $300! All donations go directly to Farm Sanctuary! Visit my fundraising page via this link or via the widget on my blog sidebar.

* Register to walk in Pittsburgh or your own city!

* If you are unable to walk, register to "Sleep In" as a Virtual Walker!

* Donate a vegan food item to our post-Walk picnic! Please contact me to arrange this.

* Donate a gift card, retail item, or handmade good to our "Moopon" sale! Please contact me to arrange this.

* Spread the word about the Walk, Farm Sanctuary, and the plight of abused and neglected farm animals!

Thanks so much for your support!

Vegan Sweet Potato & Bean Burritos

2011-09-12T11:24:00.002-04:00

I love this recipe, and we have made it many times! Sweet, spicy, fresh, and delicious, not to mention lower in fat. The title of this post leaves out the "Black Bean" in the original recipe simply because when I made them this last time I used a combination of kidney beans and garbanzos instead, with great results.

This recipe makes A LOT of burrito mixture! Two of us eat two burritos each per meal with plenty of filling, and we get 3 meals easily from one recipe.

Experience in making this recipe has led me to make some of my own modifications to better meet our taste preferences. You'll see my changes in italics beside each recipe ingredient and in the Notes section after the cooking directions.

The biggest modification I make is significantly reducing the amount of cumin and coriander called for. I love cumin, but I find the 4 tsp called for is too much and reduce it by 1 tsp. Additionally, I find the 4 tsp of coriander the recipe calls for to be overpowering, and find it adds a strong perfumey taste. I reduce the 4tsp in the recipe to 1 tsp with satisfactory results. Lastly, I almost always end up adding an additional 1-2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice to the burrito mixture at the very end of the recipe, after the bean and potatoes are mixed in with the onion-spice blend.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat [Vegetarian] Favorites

5 c peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
2 tsp canola or other vegetable oil (I used olive.)
3 1/2 c diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tbsp minced fresh green chile
4 tsp ground cumin (I used 3 tsp., reducing by 1 tsp.)
4 tsp ground coriander (I used 1 tsp., reducing by 3 tsp.)
4 1/2 c cooked black beans (three 15-oz. cans, drained) (Make sure to rinse, too.)
2/3 c lightly packed cilantro leaves (plus additional chopped for topping)
2 tbsp lemon juice (Fresh is best. I added an additional 2 tbsp at end.)
1 tsp salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
Fresh tomato salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350 OR 300 degrees F (see "my notes" below).

2. Place sweet potatoes in pot with water to cover. Cover and bring to boil. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

5. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

MY NOTES:
Rather than baking these as called for in step 5, I do the following:

In step 4, I add the bean-potato mixture to the skillet with the cooked onions and spices and reheat entire mixture over low heat. This is when I add the extra lemon juice and adjust spices, adding pepper and additional salt, if needed.

While the mixture is heating in the skillet, I toss the tortillas onto the top rack of the oven for several minutes, preheated to 300 degrees F. Remove when warm and set aside.

When mixture is hot and tortillas are warmed, add mixture to each tortilla and top with fresh additions like:
chopped fresh cilantro, avocado slices, fresh tomato chunks, salsa, vegan (or dairy) sour cream or plain soy yogurt (adds the zing and creaminess of sour cream with lower fat), vegan cheeze or dairy cheddar

Enjoy! :)

Budgie Bathtime!

2011-09-10T11:15:00.001-04:00

Our Lily and Otis love an occasional bath in a bowl of lettuce or spinach leaves and some warm, shallow water. Here, Lily has already indulged and moved away long enough for Otis (green & yellow feathers) to take his turn. :) The video is a bit dark- hope you can still enjoy it!

It's National Yoga Month: What is Yoga, Anyway?

2011-09-09T11:41:00.009-04:00

September is National Yoga Month, a celebration of yoga and a campaign to inspire healthy living through yoga. Check out the official website to learn more and to see if any studios in your area are hosting Yoga Month events or offering a free week of yoga!

Yoga is something I haven't posted much about, despite being a yoga teacher. Coping daily with a chronic illness has left me feel quite alienated from my own practice, although yoga can be a valuable tool for maintaining balance and healing. I've recently been working toward reconnecting to my yoga and rebuilding a practice, and I will hopefully be able to share some of my experiences here on my blog.

What is Yoga (my personal definition?

Yoga is who we are, our natural state of happiness, bliss, joy, and unconditional love. Yoga guides us into stillness so that we may experience the truth of who we are, leading us back to the essence of our true selves. It lets us uncover and discover our true nature so that we can live with new awareness. Yoga guides us inward toward the eternal, creative energy at our core, and fosters the realization that we are than body and mind. Yoga is the practice of celebrating what is. Like all spiritual practices, yoga brings us "home" to the realization that we already have everything we need. When we are alienated or far from "home", yoga reminds us that we are already there, that we are not separate or imperfect after all.

What is Yoga Really?

Here's a little excerpt from an article I wrote about about what Yoga is, the very basic definition of Yoga, during my teacher training 10 (yikes!) years ago:

Yoga dates back to prehistory in India- evidence of yoga practice has been found as far back as 2000 to 4000 BC in the Indus Valley civilization. Yoga was originally referenced in the Vedas, the most ancient scripture known. It was further outlined several thousand years later by an Indian philosopher named Patanjali, who codified the spiritual path of yoga into a manual called the Yoga Sutras, which outlined the yoga way of life to help humankind.

The Sanskrit word "yoga" means “to yoke”, “harmony”, or “union” between the body and mind or between the individual soul and the eternal source of all, the Universal Soul. Traced back to a divine source, yoga has traditionally been a sacred and often carefully-kept secret.

Yoga encompasses physical movement, breathing, meditation, and other practices. These practices make up the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga or the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga, which is a step-by-step guide for "right living", a plan to guide us from action to knowledge to liberation. A blend of philosophy and science, the practice of yoga is intended to purify the body and obtain a calm, clear mind, leading to self-awareness or ultimate "bliss".

I used these books for reference, and recommend all of them:
Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul
Meditations for the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga The Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga
Yoga and the Quest for the True Self
Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness

Backyard Visitor: Awesome Spider!

2011-09-08T14:30:00.006-04:00

This incredible spider was hanging out on our window screen the other day, resting and bug catching from a beautiful circular web! She was huge (the size of a quarter with legs all extended- yikes!), with brilliant, hairy orange legs banded in white and black and a bulbous body patterned in yellow and black. I looked her up online and identified her as a spider called a Marbled Orb Weaver. Stunning!

Here's the picture of our visitor, slightly unclear since the photo was taken through the window screen. Below that is a photo from the internet.

Quote of the Week: Mother Earth, Father Sky

2011-09-07T10:52:00.002-04:00

"Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings, or roots their children?"

~Black Elk, Oglala Sioux

Projects I'd Love to Make: All Lacey and Pretty

2011-09-05T10:22:00.002-04:00

I have been in love with old lace and linens since sometime last year. I love the look of aged doilies and lace mixed in with more modern lines and styles. I would love to try these projects!

Here are more ideas of doily-inspired projects:

DIY with Vintage Doilies

Doily Crafts & DIY Roundup

Many of my dream project ideas come from the Craftzine Blog.

Someday I'd Like To...

2011-09-03T11:46:00.001-04:00

... see the Monarch butterflies at their migration place in Mexico:

... spend a night watching Aurora Borealis anywhere on Earth (Sweden or Norway would be cool, as would Alaska or Australia):

Chocolate Zucchini Bread!

2011-09-01T10:32:00.007-04:00

I came across this recipe for zucchini bread with chocolate when I was still super excited about harvesting an abundance of squash from my own garden. Once I accepted that I won't have any home-grown zucchini of my own (*sigh*), I was ready to find another way to make this delicious bread. Bought a big, healthy zucchini from a Grow Pittsburgh stand this weekend, and made this recipe that very day. :)

The result is a moist, chocolatey bread that is more like cake. The zucchini seemingly melted away into the cake, and with the chocolate chips added little, random pockets of gooey goodness. YUM!

I veganized the recipe and changed a few things, but click on the title to follow the link to the original instructions. I also doubled the recipe with good results.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 c Shredded Zucchini

1 c Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2 c Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 c Canola Oil (I used half applesauce to reduce the fat content. Use 1/3 c applesauce to replace all oil.)

1/2 c Sugar (For a less sweet bread, use 1/4c sugar here.)

1/2 c Packed Brown Sugar

Vegan substitute for 2-Eggs (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer.)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 c Chocolate Chips

Directions

In large bowl, use a mixer to combine oil/applesauce, sugars and vanilla. Add egg replacer and shredded zucchini. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. (I used a regular, fine metal kitchen strainer, as my sifter broke.) Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. Beat until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scrape batter into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan, OR a loaf pan lined with parchment paper (my preference). Bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes, or until sharp knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Eat it up, yum! :P

Quote of the Week: The Longest Journey

2011-08-31T11:38:00.003-04:00

"The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart."

~Julien Green

Zucchini Squashed, Tomato Hope- Garden Updates

2011-08-24T12:44:00.009-04:00

Updates on my gardening hopes and dreams: Sometimes they fall hard.

~Zucchini squashed! I recently attempted to hand-pollinate zucchini blossoms after weeks and weeks of flowers with no veggies. My squash plant is now dead. I discovered it collapsed into a sad, droopy heap one morning. :(

~Tomato hope! The heirloom tomato plant that had grown super skinny and tall and was losing branches had a turn for the better! I noticed that the bottom of the plant began growing new branches a few weeks ago. I decided to give the top part of the plant a specified time to see if it would do the same. When it didn't, I sacrificed the few tomatoes growing there and lopped the whole, long, skinny part of the plant off at the base. The new branches are healthy and full and sprouting lots of blossoms (see photo below, tomato plant closest to camera)! We ended up letting the tomatoes ripen that were growing at the top of the plant before I pruned it, and they were delish! Hoping for more to come! :D

Our second tomato plant (toward back of picture below) has loads of fruit, and after our most recent fertilizing they look bigger and plumper than ever. Our first from this plant were also delicious!

~Green stuff! Our green beans and most of our herbs have continued to produce!

~New crops planted! The seedlings of our very first fall crops are growing: broccoli, spinach, lettuce & dill and cilantro. A hard downpour and hail damaged some of our spinach, but we still have some. The herbs have their first "true" leaves, and I thinned the lettuce and broccoli some just yesterday.

Quote of the Week: The Miracle of Earth

2011-08-23T11:59:00.001-04:00

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child – our own two eyes. All is a miracle."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Inspiration- Sewing & Thrifting Adventures to Follow

2011-08-22T10:25:00.002-04:00

Three of my favorite things are creating, recycling/upcycling, and thrifting, so I get very excited about inspiring people who share their adventures doing these things on the Web. Here are two such people:

New Dress a Day (formerly 365 Dresses)
Follow thrifty fashionista, Marisa, as she takes used articles of clothing and recreates them into adorable, current fashion. This is the second year for her project, which began in 2009 as 365 Dresses (a project of revamping old 365 dresses that cost no more than $1 into stylish cuteness). She is spending another year shopping strictly flea markets and garage sales for wardrobe additions (not just dresses), all on a budget of $1 a day. It's so fun and inspiring to watch he journey! 365 days. 365 items of clothing. 365 dollars. This year, lots of Marisa's projects involve redoing garments people have sent her. And she actually shares the steps and how-tos of every project! :) I love looking through the before and after pictures!

All Thrifty States
Tag along with Jenna on a road trip through the United States as she seeks to learn about America's communities through what they used to own. "Part journalism, part photography, part cultural study, part art documentary project," Jenna is making a statement against consumerism and for thrifty, vintage, secondhand fashion while she explores our nation's thrift stores. Love this!

Morning Walk, Forest Encounters

2011-08-21T16:02:00.021-04:00

Hiked into Frick twice in the past week- I've been craving physical activity and sweating along with woodland peace. :) The Black-eyed Susans are everywhere, water is flowing, big and little butterflies are dancing together in whirls, tiny frogs are hopping. Didn't hear or see many birds, but the forest silence and gentle, rushing streams were blissful.

On one hike I took the trail along Nine Mile Run , something I rarely do because I get so sad about the garbage that builds up there. At one point last summer I was taking a bag there with me on hikes so I could carry some trash. When more and more kept appearing, I got discouraged and just quit walking there. I'm not sure if it's a monetary issue, a lack of volunteers or organization, or simply that the onslaught of garbage is too much for regular maintenance to take care of. The stream is unhealthy, which the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association says is typical of an urban stream. After all of the finances, time, and energy invested in restoring the aquatic ecosystem and the wildlife there (it really is remarkable to see the changes!), though, the stream continues to struggle with a human-caused blight. :( Looking into ways to help more. Until then, focusing on the beautiful along Nine Mile Run and in Frick Park!

Met a sweet little frog on my hike today! I asked if I could take her picture, and she said I could as long as I didn't reveal her true identity. I promised not to.

Quote of the Week: Live Out Loud

2011-08-17T12:32:00.003-04:00

"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud."

~Emile Zola

Just added this to my blog under the banner! I love this quote. Personally, I aspire to live a lot louder. It's a work in progress.

Projects I'd love to Make: Awesome Ways to Salvage Earthy and Thrifty Finds

2011-08-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

Sharing more amazing projects I would love to try my hand at! These three DIY ventures involve making found and thrifted objects into fantastic treasures!

Drink the Wild Air: Zipline Adventure Through the Trees!

2011-08-15T11:21:00.002-04:00

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air..."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

For my birthday this year, we went on a trip to New River Gorge in West Virginia. Led by guides from their Tree Tops Canopy Tour, we traversed through the forest over tall tress and rushing waters along an elaborate and incredible system of ziplines and rope bridges! The environmentally-conscious zip line tour is a combination of short, steep hikes and ten ziplines, five skybridges, and one rappel. It was my first zipline adventure, and it was a-ma-zing!

A thought I remember having while flying through the forest sky was that the experience was far too thrilling and inexpressibly cool for my body to be so calm and my brain to be so orderly! A deep sense of peace and connection to life kept my heart strangely calm even as it and my spirit were dancing and laughing and screaming with joy. It was this strange combination of wanting to take all of it in and let it make an impression, breathless delight, and complete, logical serenity.

The question my friends and family asked me most about the trip is, "Were you scared?" Surprisingly (well, not to me), I was not! I was a bit nervous, but I found that volunteering to be the very first one to zip left no time for nervousness. haha! My only complaint, which isn't really a complaint so much as a desire for more, is that everything happened so quickly that there was barely a moment to let all of that EXPERIENCING absorb into your memory, experience, and system before it was over!

New River Gorge also has an *upgraded* version of the Treetops Canopy Tour called the Gravity Zip Line Tour. Can't wait to sign up!

Check out my photos taken from the zip line platforms, as well as a video of T zipping and someone zipping across a line below the platform we were on (they were on a zip line slightly ahead of us on the course). Awesomeness!

Fantastic Street Art in Berlin

2011-08-14T19:09:00.006-04:00

Check out this video of some fun, terrific street art in Berlin, Germany. Artist IEPE directed crew to take 132 gallons (500 liters) of colorful, water-based, environmentally-friendly paint and dump it onto public roads in the middle of traffic, creating a rainbow in motion! Sorta looks like a daytime version of those videos and photos of cars driving at night, and leaving trails of light from headlights behind. Love this!

I Am Mother Nature- Garden Update

2011-08-13T10:56:00.010-04:00

At least I had fun pretending to be when I hand pollinated a flower for the very first time! :)

After investigating the possible reasons behind having loads of zucchini flowers but no zucchini, we realized that the very few bees we have seen this year may mean our blooms have not been getting pollinated. I decided I had to become a pollinator. I studied pictures of male and female zucchini flowers and read about how to transfer pollen via Q-tip and waited through several mornings watching for open flowers. Yesterday morning I peeked out to see a big, fat blossom smiling at the sunshine. I grabbed a Q-tip & ran to the garden in my cat PJs. :)

The open flower was a male, but there were no other blooms open. I carefully peeled open some flowers that were ending their life cycle but hadn't fallen off the plant yet. All males. Then I found one that hadn't opened at all yet! I carefully peeled away the flower petals from the top and peered inside- a female! I gently swabbed the male flower with a Q-tip until it was pollen-coated, and inserted it into the unopened female bud and swirled it around to transfer the pollen. MOTHER NATURE! :D Just out there watering a few minutes ago, and there are some new buds ready to open tomorrow. You can bet I will be out there with swabs in hand in the morning! :)

My pollen-coated cotton swab post-transfer. :)

More Updates:

~Our green beans and most of our herbs have continued to give us yummy, fresh things to eat. Our lettuce suffered in the recent heat wave and hasn't given us much. We cut it way back and are hoping for good stuff soon.

~Tomato plants: One of our heirloom tomato plants is still struggling. An entire branch died, leaving the two tiny tomatoes that were growing on it in peril. We picked them and will harvest the seeds for next year. There are still two tomatoes growing on it, and it looks as though the plant may be able to sustain these to maturity! Our other plant seems to have stabilized- yay! There are lots of baby tomatoes and some blossoms, and we had our very first little heirloom pink tomato in a grilled cheeze! Delish! After more reading about the bolting plants, we are thinking that perhaps we don't have quite enough light for the garden after all.

~Golden raspberry. I found out that plants don't fruit until the second year. Berries next summer! :)

~Our rogue pumpkin plant died! Suddenly and completely! :{

~Planted new seeds! We decided to go for our very first fall harvest, and after some cleanup, pruning, weeding, and transplanting made room for broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and dill & cilantro. YAY!

More later!

DIY: Tea Dye Fabric for An Antique Look

2011-08-12T09:26:00.003-04:00

On my DIY project list has been trying out tea dyeing on some white clothing I have. I love the look of aged fabrics and laces, and tested out tea dyeing a few weeks ago on a few bits of vintage lace. As I didn't have much tea, the concentration of the liquid wasn't strong enough to tint the laces much. So I purchased a mega amount of tea bags to prepare to dye the sweater, top, and dress I had set aside for the project. After some research online about dyeing with tea, I came up with a plan. Here's what happened!

How to Tea Dye

NOTES:

1) Tea only works when dyeing natural fabrics like cotton, silk, and some wools. It does NOT work on synthetic fabrics like polyester.

2) Dyeing with tea will give your clothing/materials a beautiful brownish-reddish color that you control by how long you leave them in the tea solution. Tea dye does NOT result in creamy or beige tones, so if you are looking for this, it's best to find a clothing dye in the color you desire. Tea dye does not always result in a completely even color result. A clothing dye is best used to achieve this.

3) It's very difficult to impossible to replicate colors using different batches of tea dye. If you need to create large amounts of matching fabric or need two pieces of clothing to match exactly, make enough tea with one batch to dye everything.

DYE PROCESS

1) Before starting dye preparation, soak garments or materials to be dyed in cool water. Damp fabric takes the dye much more evenly and richly. Keep items in water until ready to dye.

4) Create your dye. For every yard of fabric, use 4 cups of water and 8 tea bags (loose tea is a no-no).

Any brand of basic black tea will work, even the generic. I purchased plain black Tetley tea bags in a huge box of 100 bags.

It is best to use a stainless steel or glass container to create your dye in, such as a large pot or large, heavy glass bowl. I know someone who uses their laundry or kitchen sink, too. Just be cautious about staining. ;) I used a large soup pot, which I both boiled my water in and dyed in. Two of the three garments I stained fit well at one time.

Calculate the number of tea bags you will use, and remove the paper tags from the strings each. Bring water to boil, remove from heat, pour water into container you will be using, and add tea bags (sans tags).

Steep your tea for at least five minutes, or longer if you wish to have a deeper color result. I steeped the tea in this project for 10 minutes. When desired richness of tea solution is reached, use a slotted spoon to remove all bags. Depending on the quality of your bags and how easily they tear, it may be okay to squeeze the liquid from the tea bags upon removal. I used my hands for this, which was dumb and difficult cause the bags were super hot! lol Another large spoon will work better, I think.

5) Dye. Once your tea is free of bags, remove your garments to be dyed from the water they are soaking in. Squeeze well, removing as much excess water as possible so as not to dilute your tea. Place garments in hot tea and stir.

If your desired color result is a more even, smooth tone, add clothes to the tea as loosely as possible. Stir and swish in the tea at regular intervals while soaking. If you are looking for a more uneven, mottled, or tie-dye result, you may want to leave clothes a little more tightly bundled when you add them to the tea and stir or agitate minimally, if at all.

Soaking time is totally dependent on your desired color intensity. A 30-minute dye time seems to result in a softer, more subtle color. I left mine in the tea for just over an hour for a darker, richer tone. NOTE: The color of your garment will be lighter after drying, so you might want to dye to a slightly darker tone than you desire ultimately.

Keep in mind that different fabrics and textures will take the color differently. I dyed a 100% cotton crochet sweater that ended up a more subtle version of the deeper peachy color that the 100% cotton jersey-ish knit top turned. Both were dyed together and for the same length of time.

7) Check color. Once you are happy with the color you see on your fabrics, remove clothing from tea (preferably close to a sink, and don't dump tea down the drain yet!) and rinse in cool water until water runs mostly clear. A lot of tea will rinse away, but there should be sufficient color left in the fabric. If your color appears lighter than you'd hoped, squeeze as much liquid out of your garment(s) as you can, and drop into dye for a longer soak. Depending on how long your tea sat after boiling, it may be necessary to reheat to at least steaming before dyeing again.

MY RESULTS? A unique, beautiful peachy-tan-rusty color that I just love! See more photos at the bottom of the article. :)

***WARNING: One thing I failed to find in my research into tea dyeing fabrics is that perspiration in clothing turns darker than the rest of the garment when dyed! Ack! Maybe that would seem common sense, but having no dyeing experience, it never occurred to me! :P I dyed a white cotton dress with almost imperceptible perspiration stains under the arms, and though the body of the dress turned out lovely, the under arm area turned 3 times as dark! Looks like I will need to dye with a clothing dye that is much darker. LOL

6) Post-dye. So, do you love the results of your tea dyeing? :) If so, there are a couple of things you can do to set the color. Take your pick.

*Toss in the dryer. I dried the knit top and crocheted sweater right after dyeing, using a medium setting for knits with good result. If you're worried about leaving in the dryer for too long, try drying for just 10 minutes on a lower setting (i.e., not "high"). Finish by pressing with a hot iron.

*Wash items on a gentle cycle in cold water. I did this with one dress, and the color maintained and set beautifully. Let air dry (my choice to both preserve clothing and use less energy) or tumble dry on low.

* Upon removing clothing from dye, drop into a mixture of water and vinegar. Use 1/2 c vinegar for every cup of water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes, then rinse well. I was a bit leary of having clothes that smelled like vinegar, so I did not try this method.

If you are not happy with the results, as the tea may be dyed out with some type of bleach. Just keep in mind that older fabrics and laces may be too fragile to withstand bleaching and repeated washing.

My Painting is in a Buddhist Journal!

2011-08-11T12:26:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I received a convo via Etsy from asking for permission to use one of my painting images on the cover of a Buddhist journal!

A representative from the Society Of Mountains and Rivers Zen Institute in New Zealand had stumbled across one of my bird paintings online, and wanted to know if I would mind if they used it for the cover of their journal. Of course I sad yes!

Manawa, The New Zealand Zen Journal ended up opting for another image for their cover due to a "bleed" issue, but I was still thrilled and honored to learn that they still wanted to use my painting for an inside page. Yay!

I received a copy of the beautiful, zen-filled journal in the mail today! Have a look! :)

Thanks so much to Geoff Moore (who so kindly contacted me) and the Society of Mountains and Rivers for the extraordinary honor!

Quote of the Week: Companion With Earth

2011-08-09T14:42:00.001-04:00

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."

~Rachel Carson

Confetti Couscous Salad (vegan)- Vibrant, Fresh, Super Easy

2011-08-06T13:03:00.004-04:00

Been making this recipe from Vegetarian Times for years, and it's a favorite because of its alive, bright flavors. I'd forgotten about it for a while, until the recent heat wave and a need for some easy & nutritious whole foods made me start digging for some dishes that are low-cook, low-kitchen-time, and low cost. This is very similar in ingredients to the Easy Burrito recipe I posted last week, but with a little less cooking!

Use fresh peppers and herbs from the garden or farmer's market! I used a fresh-picked Habanero pepper, which is one of the hottest peppers on the Scoville Heat Scale, and my fingertips burned for hours, literally! We made vegan chocolate chip cookies for dessert after this- try this awesome recipe (I prefer to use another egg substitute- Ener-G Egg Replacer- in place of the applesauce. A bit too cakey otherwise)!

Confetti Couscous
from Vegetarian Times Issue: June 1, 2000, p.60

Ingredient List

6 servings

1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 to 4 Tbs. fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup uncooked couscous
15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked fresh (about 2 ears) or thawed frozen corn
1/2 cup diced red onion

Directions

NOTE: Because of my dislike of most raw veggies, I actually saute the peppers for a few minutes before adding to the salad.

In medium saucepan, combine salt, cumin and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add couscous, stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff again.

Add beans, corn, onion, bell peppers if using, cilantro and jalapeno. Stir in oil and enough lime juice to give salad a puckery edge. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This Year's Garden- Good Eats & Challenges

2011-08-05T12:34:00.002-04:00

Gardening continues to be one of my true loves, and like love the garden yields joys and challenges in equal opportunity. :)

My sweet little niece stopped by to labor in the garden for a while with me. :) She's a dirt-y girl after my own heart.

JOYS: Our harvest so far

~Abundant mint and sage bunches, shared happily with neighbors
~LETTUCE- we love fresh salads, and so do our Budgies
~Fresh Herbs (pronounced with the "h" in honor of global friends- heehee):
*fresh dill and basil and mints make our green salads spicy and vibrant
*crushed basil and oregano sprinkled on our pizza after the oven add pizzazz
*chives sprinkled into pasta salads and potato salad make both savory and delish
*peppermint and spearmint make wonderful tea and lemonade
~Green beans- T likes them raw, I prefer them lightly steamed. :)

CHALLENGES: This year's conundrums

~Tomato plants that are shooting skyward instead of bushing out. I guess we didn't prune as we should have early on, given the huge growth spurts that happened with the loads of rain and humidity. Lots of re-staking to keep up. There may also be an issue of not enough sunlight, but our neighbors' tomoatoes last year in the same area did well. Looks like one plant is struggling a little more and may not make it. :(

~Lots of blossoms, but no fruit on the zucchini. There have been so many big, beautiful blossoms that I was sure we would be eating loads of delish zucchini. For some reason, though, we haven't had a single fruit! All flowers, nothing growing in their place. :/ I have no idea why.

~Figuring out the golden raspberry. So far it's not doing much as far as growth, and I've never grown berries.

~Nibbling on some of our leaves and herbs by pests, especially the basil and sage. I haven't been able to find the little culprits like in years past, but I keep hand-inspecting. Today I noticed that whole leaves of the basil were eaten.

~Fickle herbs. Our cilantro plant and dill bolted after two weeks. :( This is my first dill (I love it), but I have yet to have success in keeping cilantro all summer. I just recently read it prefers to be sown directly in the garden soil, so I will try that over replanting seedlings. Rosemary is stunted, so we are uprooting from the garden and putting it in its own pot so it can stay dryer.

PLANS: Fall Planting

Reading up on some ways to make a garden more efficient reminded me that it's time to plant now for fall crops! Just got beautiful organic seeds in the mail from Homegrown Healthy on Etsy: broccoli, spinach, more lettuce, and herbs (can't hurt to give those another go, right?). I may just grow the herbs in pots so I can bring them indoors for winter.

Stay tuned for updates. :)

Projects I'd LOVE to Make- Gorgeous, Eco-friendly, and Garden-Inspired

2011-08-03T17:46:00.001-04:00

I came across these two amazing, earthy-green projects via the Craftzine.com blog. I'd love to make both! :) Already raved about these elsewhere, but loved them so much, here I am doing it again!

Quote of the Week: I was Made for Another World

2011-08-02T13:05:00.001-04:00

If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.

~C.S. Lewis

DIY: Vintage Fabrics & Trim Tote

2011-08-01T17:24:00.002-04:00

Inspired by my ever-growing stash of vintage and antique fabric, trim, and buttons, a love for shabby chic, and a recent Etsy search for a newhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif bag, I took an old tote and made it new (for me) and fun!

I started with a plain cotton tote silk-screened on one side that we used for grocery shopping. I scavenged through my fabric pile and came across a piece of green and cream vintage toile with a lovely country scene (thanks to a purchase from the incredible Red Stripe Vintage on Etsy). I hand-stitched it over the side of the tote with the silk-screened image and added bits of lace and fabric scraps. Some antique buttons and stitched in green thread around some of the images on the toile were nhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifext. Lastly, sewed a pocket on the inside!http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Here's the result!

I am not a sewer in that I have no machine and I don't have much skill, whether using machine or hand. Using an old tote not only solved having to make an entire bag from scratch, but recycled an old bag and made the project even more eco-friendly. My messy hand sewing skills worked perfectly with the shabby chic style. I have been making a LOT of jokes about my sewing- it's probably getting old. ;)

I used my bag the other day for the first time, and got some interest from people wanting their own. Please get in touch if you want to send me an old tote- I'd be happy to do a custom project for you!

And here are some other DIY fabric projects I've come across that I would love to do with a machine (a friend promised to give me an extra) and practice! They are just too sweet not to share! :)

Vintage House Dress to Summer Smock

Summer Skirt & Market Bags

One-Hour Skirt

Frick Park Lushness!

2011-07-30T13:06:00.006-04:00

Recent visits to the park. Loads of lush, thick greenery from so much rain and lots of butterflies gathering on the damp paths. The one in the picture I snapped above is a Red-Spotted Purple. :)

Peaceful as always. I need to go more often. Posting some video, too, just to share the forest sounds- have a listen!

Easy Bean & Veggie Burritos

2011-07-29T11:42:00.005-04:00

This is a throw-in-the-kitchen-sink kind of dish, so be experimental and throw in any leftovers that you think might work. :) We have added sweet potatoes, grilled or steamed veggies, rice, mango, etc.

Measurements are approximate, so adjust to taste. I err on the side of caution here to leave room for correcting mistakes- it's far easier to add more than dilute or reduce. This dish also lends itself to fresh goodies from the garden, like herbs, squash, peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Super Easy Bean & Veggie Burritos (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 14.5oz can beans, any type, rinsed well
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 bell pepper, any color, sliced thin
1 c fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
1/2 - 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into chunks
garlic clove (or 2 or 3), minced
1 jalapeno or other chile pepper, seeds removed and minced
1-2 T chile powder (start with a little, then increase to taste)
nice pinch of dried cumin
1/2 - 1 T or more juice from fresh lime (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh avocado, chopped or sliced
fresh tomato, chopped
fresh lettuce greens, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped
cheddar cheese, dairy or vegan (I prefer Daiya vegan shreds or Sheese Cheddar)
flour or corn tortillas (I prefer whole wheat)

Have fresh ingredients chopped ahead of time, as well as lime juice squeezed. Add olive oil to a skillet or wok and heat over medium heat. Toss in onions, peppers, jalapeno, and garlic. Saute until onions are slightly translucent and garlic is browning slightly. Add dried spices and stir a few minutes until fragrant. Add corn and squash, as well as other produce ingredients you may be adding on your own. Stir in beans (and rice, if adding) and heat through. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

After beans are added, turn oven on to 300 degrees F. Distribute tortillas onto oven rack to warm for a few minutes.

To serve, sprinkle cheese (if using) onto warm tortilla, then layer bean and veggie mixture, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, herbs and avocado.

Eat'em up yum! :)

Hanging On

2011-07-28T13:50:00.005-04:00

During one of our recent crazy-wind-whirling-debris-flash downpours, we spied this little nutty buddy hanging on for dear life to a huge tree in our yard. His ears were back, his fur soaked and dripping, and he was getting pounded and drenched by heavy drops and runoff. Why he didn't seek shelter and chose to cling desperately to the tree for the duration of the storm is a mystery. Seems like there should be a lesson in there somewhere. :)

Garden!

2011-07-27T17:06:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, we had our first green bean harvest from this year's crop! Delicious, sweet, crunchy beans lightly steamed with a touch of vegan butter. YUM!

Past years' gardening adventures didn't lead to very satisfying results. If you followed my posts last summer, you may remember we had our soil tested by the local cooperative extension and had been trying for years to build up the soil with compost, rototilling, planting, fertilizing. Not much success, and lots of hard work and heart invested to see very disappointing crops.

This year we decided to opt for raised beds, after seeing our upstairs neighbors have some positive results last year. We used our neighbors' bed from last year and built two additional 4x4' beds where our bed was last in years past. We used untreated wood to build our boxes, lined the space of each with grass clippings, then a layer of compost, then loads of organic soil (we purchased bags). I'm delighted to share that growth has been explosive since we planted at the very end of May! YAY!

Here are some pictures taken just after our first planting:

Herbs and greens! The sage, mint, one dill plant, and chives showed up from last year.

Our new raised 4x4' beds. So cute!

Two heirloom tomatoes in the back (one red, one pink- wish I could find those name cards- doh!). Beans and eggplant in front.

Zucchini, golden raspberry, and carrots in front!

And just 1 month later- we couldn't believe the growth! Have a look! We swear these photos have not been altered, and all growth is hormone- and steroid-free. :)

Here's our garden today (below), just after a fresh composting, weeding, staking, and watering. Tomatoes newly supported from fallen tree branches, squash caged happily, beans growing around expanded poles, carrots thinned. Dill and cilantro, as well as a lettuce and chard plant lost. We added a rogue pumpkin plant that had sprouted among the oregano- gave it its own spot among the greens. Lots of tomatoes, several eggplants, lots of squash blossoms but so far no squash. Excited at the prospects!

Needless to say, we are thrilled, and tending and watching our little veggies and herbs grow every day adds sweet little jolts of peace and joy to my day. :)

Quote of the Week- Tales & Dreams

2011-07-25T11:42:00.001-04:00

"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."

Neil Gaiman, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Quote of the Week: Eating Animals is Immoral

2011-07-06T11:16:00.001-04:00

“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”

~Leo Tolstoy

Quote of the Week: The Color of the Soul

2011-06-06T09:37:00.002-04:00

‎"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts."

~Marcus Aurelius

Spring Baby!

2011-05-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

Passing the park near my house on a walk home from an errand the other day, I spotted this mama deer venturing out of the woods with her darling little spotted fawn, so young she was still quite clumsy and slow. It was sooo sweet to see her investigate a bird, which she followed around for quite a while, plop down in the grass for a rest, and trying to keep up with her mama. :) I squealed the whole 10 minutes I watched them! Forgive the poor photo quality- I only had my Blackberry with me! With the video, my camera work is all over the place, too- watch and you'll get the jist of it. Not sure WIH I was doing. lol

May is Garden for Wildlife and National Bike Month!

2011-05-12T14:06:00.000-04:00

May is a great time to celebrate Gardening for Wildlife and Biking!

As both a gardening and outdoor lover, I relish each moment I am able to experience and intimate connection with wildlife and the earth. Making our yard and garden alluring to wildlife is something I really enjoy. And as gardening time kicks in on the east coast, it's a perfect time to be conscious of this. When preparing whatever soil, land, pots and raised beds you will use for the growing season, consider the wildlife that will share your space. Plan to nurture elements in your urban, suburban, or rural space that will attract and provide for local wildlife, creating a safe haven not only for nature, but for you, too. Learn how, and certify your garden as wildlife friendly by visiting the National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife Month page.

May is also National Bike Month. Riding a bike rather than driving is not only awesome exercise, but a fabulous way to reduce your carbon footprint and your impact on the planet. Help to reduce pollution and reliance on fossil fuels! Next week is Bike to Work Week, so pull those wheels out of the basement or shed if they've been there all winter, tune em' up, make sure your helmet is a good fit, and hit to roads on two! :) The Sierra Club has some great articles to ready you for it!

Backyard Visitor: Squee Baby Bun!

2011-05-03T09:34:00.001-04:00

Eensy little bun visiting one of our Lily of the Valley patches! A baby of the bun I posted about last week? I bet his little head smells like sweet flowers! :)

Quote of the Week: The Insight of Wise Souls

2011-05-02T12:24:00.002-04:00

Revelry in the death of any being for any reason reveals the most pathetic, empty aspects of humanity. Murder, no matter it claims to be in the name of, is always a cause for compassion. ‎These short statements make a huge impact, and seem pointedly relevant given recent world events.

"An eye for an eye leaves the world blind"

~Ghandi

‎"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

~Martin Luther King Jr

The Breathtaking Works of Terje Sorgjerd

2011-05-02T09:39:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Treehugger, I just discovered the breathtaking works of Norwegian landscape photographer Terje Sorgjerd. These are some of the most beautiful and majestic images I ever seen. "The Mountain" and "The Aurora" display the ethereal awesomeness of Earth and our universe, the incomprehensible, dream-like awe of the celestial landscape. Watching
"The Mountain's" time lapse of the Milky Way as seen from atop El Teide, the highest mountain in Spain, and "The Aurora's" time lapse northern lights as filmed above the Arctic Circle near the border of Russia, steal my breath and make my heart swell with joy and peace. :) How can anything be this beautiful?

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Tips for Earth Month and My New Upcycled Fabric Acessories!

2011-04-29T13:04:00.018-04:00

April is not only Earth Day, but Earth Month, a great time to learn more about how to live a life that is kinder to the planet and minimizes our consumption of resources and impact on the environment.

Choosing to DIY is a terrific way to reduce personal impact. Make your own whenever possible! :) A little resourcefulness and research will allow you to create your own unique version of pretty much anything, and doing so reduces consumption from manufacturing and waste through using recycled, repurposed, upcycled, or reclaimed materials! Do-it-yourself when designing, creating, building, and crafting!

This leads me to talk up my latest creations on the handmade front. I've been spending time designing cuff bracelets using lovely old buttons and pieces, scraps, and remnants of vintage & antique fabrics, laces and trim, and ribbons. Old feed sack, pieces of crazy quilt, dress remnants, old linens, scraps of lace and trim- all of it is lots of fun to create with. It's been fun to dig into the collection of pretty lace and linens I've been building. Vintage pretties are a huge weakness.

Here's a photo with some examples. Come and see more this Saturday, April 30th, at my table at Mt Lebanon's Earth Day Celebration!

Here are a few other tips I personally use to live sustainably. We have reduced our household waste to one kitchen trash bag per week since adopting some of these practices!

Choose just one or two to start with, or a few that make the most sense to you. And although making them a regular habit is best, doing them just whenever when you can is still awesome!

* Recycle everything!
Recycle everything possible in your area: glass & plastic, aluminum and tin, corrugated cardboard, paper board, newspaper, office paper, magazines, junk mail, phone books, electronics, batteries, cork, ink cartridges (most office supply stores), and more. Not every area has curbside recycling, and curbside recycling doesn't always pick up all of these things. But most areas have recycling centers where much of the above can be taken. Earth 911 is an excellent website that allows you to find your local recycling center and look up where to recycle anything you can imagine. Also, be sure to purchase products only in containers that are recyclable in your region.

* Compost.
Composting reduces solid waste being added to landfills and sent to incinerators & makes that waste a useful product while rebuilding the soil and enriching the earth, our gardens, and landscapes. Create compost from yard trimmings and household food waste (plant-based only). There are loads of how-to guides out there. :)

* Reuse shipping supplies.
Save bubble wrap, boxes, and envelopes from your own packages to send your new mail, both personal and business. Remove or cover old postage and postal markings and tape or stick on a new label. Cover any commercial markings on cardboard boxes. Use brown paper bags inside out to wrap boxes or black out writing. Make your own boxes with old cereal boxes!

* Purchase groceries with very little or no packaging.
When buying food, go for as little packaging and wrapping as possible. Buy fresh produce singly rather than in pre-wrapped multiples. Buy the largest container of an item that you can carry and afford, such as the jumbo-size laundry detergent rather than the smaller bottles. Buy in bulk at local grocery stores (may take some research to find one), and if possible, take your own recycled and reusable containers in which to carry the bulk items.

* When possible, walk, bike, or use public transportation instead of driving.
Bike to work, take the bus to an appointment, walk to the movies or the grocery store. Besides reducing energy consumption, walking and biking are great exercise!

* Garbage responsibly.
Many things we throw away can be harmful to wildlife or the environment. Use care when throwing away to minimize danger to animals, and make sure chemicals and other potentially hazardous household waste items are taken to proper sites for discarding.

* Eat organic and local.
There are countless reasons to choose organic and local as often as possible. The Eat Well Guide offers a great resource for finding sustainable food sources near you.

* Go veg!
Going vegan is one of the most important and influential actions a person can take to reduce their impact on the planet. Going vegetarian also has an enormous positive effect on the environment. Eating a meatless, plant-based diet even one meal or day per week can reduce environmental degradation in countless ways. Read about why going vegetarian is the easiest and quickest way to lower your carbon footprint, reduce pollution, and save energy and water. And see why the United Nations report agrees.

* Grow an organic garden.
Commercial farming creates large amounts of industrial pollution, and non-organic farming degrades the soil, water supply, and land. According to eHow Home, growing your own food reduces pollution, adds biodiversity and improves air quality, and is more nutritious! Making your garden organic makes food safer and healthier for humans and other living beings and the planet.

* Pick up litter.
If you go for walks, take along a bag and a pair of puncture- and water-resistant gloves to pick up recyclables and trash you pass along the way. Make the environment safer and prettier!

* Use a dishwasher.
According to Treehugger, using dishwasher uses only half the energy and one-sixth of the water than does hand washing dishes, and also uses less soap. Using the "light" cycle uses even less water, and letting dishes air dry rather than heat dry uses less energy. Also try to wait until the dishwasher is full before running a cycle to wash less often.

* Use cold water for laundry and dishes.
Both use less energy then using hot water, which requires heating. Line drying over using a dryer when washing clothes is another way to use less energy.

* Give away or repurpose unwanted possessions rather than tossing them.
Reduce landfill waste, consume less, and lessen the environmental impact of manufacturing new goods. Instead of throwing away what you no longer want or need, donate to charity thrift stores, give away items on Freecycle.com, sell used belongings in your local paper or on craigslist, or find a friend or family member who may want what you don't.

Quote of the Week- "One" is Still One Who Can Take Action

2011-04-27T11:02:00.003-04:00

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."

~Edward Everett Hale

Backyard Visitors- Spring Arrivals!

2011-04-26T14:11:00.019-04:00

The past couple of weeks and the warmer weather has brought out all sorts of furry and feathered visitors to our yard. :)

The first bunny sighting of the year happened yesterday(we told her she was a day late, but she didn't seem very concerned).

We've said good-bye to the darling Dark-eyed Junco that spet the winter with us. But the Cardinal pair that returns to us every year is back and we have new residents! A sweet pair of Titmice returns each evening, as does a pair of Nuthatch (I'm pretty sure) who has moved into our pine tree. :) And several types of woodpeckers have made an appearance. I love spring!

Bye little Juncos!

These Titmice photos are kinda crappy, but its so hard to get pics of them- they flit around so fast! Plus I always seem to get to my camera too late! :/ Look in the tippy top upper left corner of this one to see this little one...

Another Titmouse! So cute. I love their little plumes!

Our newest residents- I am pretty certain they are Nuthatch!

World Week for Animals in Laboratories 2011- What You Don't Know Will Hurt Them

2011-04-21T10:35:00.017-04:00

Every day, millions of animals are tortured in research labs, enduring painful tests that cause intense physical, mental, and emotional pain. During World Week for Animals in Laboratories Week 2011 (WWAIL), please take time to honor the lives of these animals and consider ways that you can play a part in reducing their needless suffering.

Tens of millions of animals like primates, bunnies and other rodents, cats, and dogs are dissected, infected, injected, gassed, burned and blinded in the name of science. Completely against their will, they are forced to suffer unspeakable experiments. In the US alone, 28 million lab animals suffer each year; 18 million of those are killed. But those are just the ones we know about, as federal law does not require the reporting of such numbers. Add in Canada, England, and the Netherlands, and nearly 5 million more endure the same horrid existence.

Given recent growth in awareness of the plight of animals at the hands of humans, it's shameful and surprising that there are no laws in place to prevent cruel testing on live beings. The laws that are in place (like the Animal Welfare Act) set guidelines merely for how animals are treated before and after the actual testing. Animal testing is not required by law, yet companies persist in the immorality of it despite viable alternatives to it that reduce suffering, reduce the number of animals "needed" for testing, or eliminate using animals as subjects altogether.

Please learn the truth about animal testing and choose to support only companies that do not test. Shop and support cruelty-free.

Leaping Bunny Compassionate Shopping Guide

Directory of Cruelty-Free Companies

Other ways you can fight animal cruelty in the form of animal testing:

* Learn about it and stay informed. Visit these websites for more information about animal testing (all were sources for the info in this post):
The Truth About Vivisection
Vivisection Information network
National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS)

* Spread awareness at every opportunity to friends, family, etc. via Facebook and Twitter, blogging, and emails.

* Take action politically- contact your officials through letters encouraging them to support legislation against testing and for improvement of animal welfare legislation. Know your candidates' views on the issues and vote for those who are on the side of the animal welfare and advocacy.

* Join and/or follow the activities of animal advocacy groups.

* Sign petitions online, an increasingly powerful tool in the fight against animal cruelty and other issues. Good places to start: Care2's Petition Site has a comprehensive list, as does Change.org.

* Write to companies, universities, and other entities that emply animal testing to encourage them to stop testing. Let them know that you won't support or patronize them unless they stop. You can start with this list of major companies that test.

Quote of the Week: To Act or not to Act?

2011-04-20T19:08:00.002-04:00

‎"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little."

~Edmund Burke

Peace in an Unexpected Place

2011-04-19T18:07:00.016-04:00

I've always associated cemeteries with sadness and grief, with creepy noises and spirits at unrest, with darkness and fear. I've had friends who loved to do rubbings of gravestone inscriptions in very old grave yards, but I never understood the appeal until last year when T and I ventured off of our hiking trail into Homewood Cemetery near Frick Park in Pittsburgh.

So anyway, on to our walk...

We discovered a quiet, serene world where birds sing, deer and groundhogs play, and squirrels chase one another. Beautiful trees and flowers, rolling landscape and lots of green. A gothic beauty and sense of history and mystery. Refuge. Walking there, unexpectedly, is peaceful. There, I feel connected to the earth, the cycle of life, a universal spirit, and to myself. It's become a favorite place.

Home to 600 trees and a lily pond, Homewood cemetery is unique in that buried there are people of all religions and ethnicities and social classes. There is a Chinese section, and Jewish, Muslim, Quaker, Greek Orthodox and Indian sections. Military veterans, members of law enforcement, fire protection and emergency rescue are recognized for their contribution to society in a special dedicated section, the “Garden of Honor.” Founded in 1878, people are still being buried there even today. It makes for a kind of history book.

Earth Day Sale!

2011-04-14T15:11:00.010-04:00

Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day 2011! In honor of our majestic planet, SilentLotus Creations is having sale!

Sunday, April 17th- through Sunday, April 24th, save 20% off your entire purchase when you use the coupon code EARTHLOVE. When you check out, there is a place to type in the code for instant savings! All purchases made during the sale will also receive a free gift of an upcycled fabric brooch! :)

P.S. This blog post was featured in EBSQ Friday Five (news from the EBSQ artist blogosphere)! :D Please stop by and comment! :)

An Amazing Visitor!

2011-04-05T17:44:00.004-04:00

We were thrilled a couple of days ago when we noticed a female Cooper's Hawk dining on a fresh meal in our backyard! :D She was absolutely beautiful, and transfixing to watch despite the fact that she was tearing apart her prey. :/ Have a look at both the picture and video (kind of long, but at least watch a few seconds)!

Please Vote for My Bunny Locket!

2011-04-05T17:43:00.001-04:00

My new bunny locket is entered in the latest EtsyVeg creative challenge! Yay! :) The locket is called, "Hush Little Bunny" and is near the bottom of the poll on the EtsyVeg blog. Please vote for me!

THANK YOU for your support!

Budgie Breakfast

2011-03-30T11:31:00.010-04:00

These are my sweet little budgies, Otis (green and yellow) and Lily (blue).

They love a breakfast of fresh fruit and veggies.

Their favorites are...

Carrots:

and Spinach:

DIY: OOAK Fabrics!

2011-03-28T12:52:00.016-04:00

I love fabrics, especially in original patterns and artful designs. If I could sew, I can see myself collecting fabrics obsessively like I do other supplies! :)

A friend from EtsyVeg, Karina of Maple Ash and Oak on Etsy, recently shared this tutorial on how to hand-print your own textiles she wrote for Poppytalk Handmade. She writes, "Beautiful prints can be created with simple methods and materials... found at your local art or craft store [or around the house]."

Another spin on DIY fabrics is creating a design on your own and having OOAK fabric printed for you by Spoonflower. This allows you to take a hand-drawn image or an image from an original painting or other work of art to make a completely original fabric for use in your own handcrafted clothing, accessories, or toys or to sell by the yard. I adore this idea! Spoonflower offers eco-friendly printing on natural fabrics, and allows you to upload your own image, arrange a pattern, and preview what the fabric will look like.

Hope you find some inspiration in these resources!

Animal Rights- Divisiveness or Unity?

2011-03-14T12:19:00.004-04:00

I've been witnessing quite a lot of infighting among vegans in the animal rights movement between those who call themselves "animal welfarists" and those who call themselves "animal abolitionists".

"Welfarists" put forth that first and foremost animals should be treated with compassion and in ways that prevent their mistreatment and suffering. They assert that even small improvements in animals' lives are important steps in moving toward alleviating suffering, such as passing laws to improve conditions on factory farms. On the other hand, "Abolitionists" vehemently support the immediate and total liberation of animals from being used by humans. They assert that no intermediary steps are acceptable in working to achieve this goal, and actually perpetuate animal suffering by allowing people to feel that subjecting animals to use for humanity's purposes is "okay" as long as they aren't hurting as much or have access to more fresh air.

Some would try to label me a "welfarist" over an "abolitionist", but I reject both labels. They add to the divisiveness in our community and ignore that each vegan or vegetarian falls along a spectrum of beliefs and ethics and choices. In my opinion, there's room for everyone. We all ultimately share the same goal: free animals from suffering. The essence of the disagreement is the most effective path to make this happen.

The truth is, the welfarist and abolitionist stances are not mutually exclusive. Making inroads toward lessening suffering, as welfarists express, is better than maintaining the status quo of treating animals without love, respect, and kindness. But only as long as the end goal of eliminating suffering altogether is not forgotten. And in terms of the abolitionist approach, if it were up to me or anyone with an ounce of compassion, of COURSE the optimal solution is to abolish suffering of any kind- people included- immediately and completely. I think all vegans believe that to the core. And indeed, there are those in society who might feel better about eating eggs if they know that the chickens have grass to run around in. However, smaller steps are preferable to no action, and the reality is that in the world today most of the population will not or are unable to commit 100% immediately to liberating all animals from suffering at the hands of humans. That probably won't happen for a very, very long time. The all or nothing approach is unrealistic and allows for no forward movement- in fact, it obstructs it. So what to do until the day when freeing animals totally from the bonds of slavery, abuse, and suffering?

Horrible suffering by animals at the hands of humans exists. The eradication of all suffering will not happen for a terribly tragic length of time. Subsequently, reducing suffering until this is possible is the ONLY solution. Looking into the faces of those being neglected and brutalized and subjected to painful deaths and denying them some relief of that suffering because some activists claim it doesn't go far enough is so not acceptable! If suffering must exist, we must minimize it by advocating for better living conditions and more humane treatment until that suffering can be ended. It's not about what activists believe is the most viable solution, but about doing all we can to reduce the suffering of the exploited. Taking no action because "ideal" action can't be achieved does not benefit the beings who are hurting and struggling NOW! Acting together does! Divisiveness and judgement accomplish exactly nothing.

WE in animal rights, no matter what our stance on how to liberate animals, are aware and see the truth and are willing to open our hearts and minds to commit to end suffering, but WE are a very small minority (sadly). In today's world, animal exploitation and consumption continues to grow. Society will not hear a message that makes veganism and/or ending animal suffering seem extreme and judgemental, an unattainable goal they must to put into action in their everyday lives or else it's pointless. Setting people up for failure is not the way to get their attention and gain their support. That's like walking up to someone and telling them that if they don't accept such and such a religion they will go directly to hell. Most people will not *hear that*.

In making the message more universal, more openness is created in those who hear it. An attitude of embracing intention and small action vs. no action welcomes involvement and fosters a feeling of relation. People who hear "your action doesn't matter if you don't commit 100% and do it *this* way will react to the hostility and turn a deaf ear. Effective action must consider the environment in which it will be taken. And that means accepting and reinforcing the steps everyone makes toward compassionate living, looking for common ground as we work towards a day when all beings will live as equals. This is how we and our movement will grow.

Here's a very similar article, much better expressed. :)

Vegan Pancakes & The Best Vegan Brunch in Pittsburgh

2011-03-09T10:25:00.005-05:00

So, I love pancakes. Actually, I hated them as a kid because the only ones I ever had were made of Bisquick, which is gross. But I rediscovered them in the past few years, trying recipe after recipe until I hit the jackpot on VegWeb- "The Best Pancakes Ever! Vegan or Otherwise". The title speaks the truth. Pancakes, flapjacks, hotcakes, or whatever you want to call them, this recipe produces light, slightly sweet discs that are heaven for your mouth.

Anyway, last week I happened to 'hear' about an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast with vegan options this past weekend to raise money for Tree Pittsburgh. Me + pancakes + trees = LOVE, so I was all about it. So on snowy Sunday morning, we headed to a favorite eating destination that was hosting the event, Double Wide Grill. Now... if you see an event advertising a pancake breakfast with vegan options, wouldn't you assume that meant VEGAN PANCAKES were offered? Well, not according to Double Wide. They handed me a menu with some other options, claiming there was "a mistake" and that no vegan hotcakes were being served. DUH. *sigh* Lesson: Call first. No matter what vegan claims are made. Sucks.

I wasn't about to leave my pancake cravings unsatisfied, and neither were other people I saw leaving for the same reason. Luckily, just down the street from Double Wide is my favorite veg restaurant in Pittsburgh, Zenith, which happens to have a famously amazing vegan brunch on Sunday mornings.

The thing about Zenith is that it's not only an all-vegan restaurant, but a veritable museum of awesome antiques and vintage coolness for your coveting pleasure. When you enter the building, you do so into a mini warehouse space filled floor to ceiling with anything vintage or antique you could think of. Clothes, furniture, jewelry, dishes, collectibles, stained glass windows from old buildings, weird salt and pepper shakers, and art. The inventory is always changing, and it's all for sale.

Once you pass through this area, you enter the restaurant, which is two more rooms of old treasures and art from local artisans. The walls of the first room are completely covered with paintings, sculpture, and display shelves filled with gorgeous antique collectible glassware in a kaleidoscope of colors. The second room's walls are adorned with art for sale from area artists, and one wall has huge lead windows that let in loads of natural light. The coolest thing is that all of the tables, chairs, and dinnerware used at the restaurant are also vintage or antique. And the ceilings are hanging with all sorts of unexpected odds and ends suspended above diners.

Zenith's menu changes from time to time, but is all vegan all of the time (they do occasionally offer eggs at brunch and an option for dairy cheese for some dishes). They have a super long list of loose teas available- more than I've seen in any one place. On any given day, there are 2-3 options available to choose from for each course: appetizer, soup or salad, entrees, desserts, etc. Our favorite Zenith dish is the divine Tofishy Sandwich, breaded tofu on a thick, soft bun served with vegan tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. We lick our hands and plates afterwards, no kidding.

Each guest, for just $10, gets a coffee or tea, choice of one made-to-order breakfast entree like almond french toast, banana pancakes, or a burrito AND an all-you-can-eat buffet of delicious fresh salads of all kinds, breads, and like 10 different homemade vegan pies and cakes. We always leave full and happy. :)

A tip: If you plan on dining at Zenith for brunch, which is offered from 11 am - 3 pm on Sundays only, plan to get there early or expect a wait (which isn't hard given the exploring and shopping you can do in the meantime). There are a lot of tables, but they fill quickly. A line forms at the door well before 11 and wraps around the building, so when the doors open most tables are called for.

Vegan Polenta Lasagna

2011-03-07T08:25:00.005-05:00

After watching Nigella Lawson make a Venetian Lasagna on the NBC Today Show, I was inspired to come up with my own variation, vegan (easily made vegetarian) of course. ;) I greatly simplified the recipe, using primarily the idea of using layers of polenta to make a fantastic, creamy-tasting lasagna!

POLENTA LASAGNA
(inspired by Nigella Lawson's Venetian Lasagna)

INGREDIENTS

2-4 c tomato sauce(depending on how much sauce you prefer), jarred or homemade, any flavor

1/2 c water

1 vegetable bouillon cube, or enough vegetable broth or water to make up the polenta following the instructions on the package

2 c unprepared polenta

1 T vegan butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T dried parsley

1 t each of dried basil and oregano

2 t kosher salt or 1 t table salt, or to taste

1 c vegan Parmesan cheese

2 medium-large carrots, peeled and cut into thin discs (any veggies would work)

1c shredded vegan mozzarella cheese (I suggest Follow Your Heart brand or Daiya)

*You will also need parchment paper and a 9x11" or 8x8" glass baking dish, lightly oiled.

MAKE IT

If making your own sauce, do so first and set aside.

Prepare for making lasagna layers by tearing off 2 pieces of parchment paper a little larger than the size of the lightly-oiled pan you are using. Set aside.

If using a bouillon cube, dissolve in the specified amount of water, or measure out veggie broth or water. Follow the preparation instructions for the polenta you have on hand, using a medium-large saucepan.

Stir as instructed with wooden spoon, and when the polenta has thickened, add, stirring well as you go, the tablespoon of butter, garlic & herbs, salt, and 1 cup of Parmesan. Taste to see if you want any more seasoning. The polenta is finished once thick and coming away from the sides of the saucepan.

When polenta is ready, immediately and quickly pour a thin layer evenly into the bottom of your baking dish. Divide the rest quickly into more thin layers, all the same size, on the sheets of parchment paper. Obviously, the layer depth will be thinner if you have chosen a larger pan. As you drop each layer, use a silicone spatula run under cold water to spread it evenly to the same size as your pan. The polenta will set almost instantly, so you have to work quickly. Allow to set further and cool.

When you are ready to assemble the lasagna, preheat the oven to 400°F. In your polenta-lined baking pan, spoon 2/3c (or other preferred amount) of sauce over bottom. Add one layer of carrot slices and a light sprinkle of vegan mozzarella.

Carefully hold the parchment paper with the next layer of polenta over the pan. Peel back paper as you set the polenta on top.
-OR-
Carefully peel next polenta layer off of paper with fingers or spatula and move to pan.
If any breaks into pieces, simply reassemble in pan.

Add another layer of 2/3c sauce, carrots, and sprinkle of mozzarella.

Top with the final layer of polenta from the third pan, then remaining sauce and rest of mozzarella.

Bake for 1 hour until bubbling and melty, even in middle. Allow to set for 10-15 minutes, then serve. So Good! :)

Walk in the Snow

2011-02-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Monday gave us what may be the last snow fall of the year. Winter is my least favorite season, so normally I can't wait to see it end. But this year, despite my adoration of Spring, I have been reluctant to see the winter go. After the crazy warm weather we saw scattered throughout the past couple of weeks, I was feeling uncharacteristically sad about the coming of a new season. So this beautiful, gentle, brilliant snow was a hugely welcome blessing. :) We celebrated with a hike in the new layers of white in the woods of Frick Park. The forest was quiet, the sun was bright, and the sky was an unbelievable shade of blue. Our steps were some of the first to break the pristine blanket that has fallen upon the park's paths. Blissful.

Animal Cruelty in the Wool Industry

2011-02-23T17:28:00.007-05:00

There's an insidious evil in wool production that is usually justifed as a necessary practice- it's called "museling". Museling is an insanely cruel procedure whereby the flesh is removed from around the . Sheep owners claim it's the only way to stop , yet often flystrike happens anyway. What results is an open, festering, excruciating wound. Australian wool producers make up a huge proportion of those employing the use of museling, causing the horrible, inhumane, and senseless suffering of millions of lambs every year! Despite a promise from wool industry leaders to stop the heinous practice by 2010, very little, if anything, has changed there. This demonstrates that the only viable solution is government intervention and legislation to permanently and completely ban museling as soon as possible.

Watch this video for a more indepth explanation about why banning museling is so critical:

Sheep are sentient beings, thinking and feeling animals that, by many in the wool industry, are subject to unspeakably cruel and unusual suffering! That museling is allowed to go on when there are humane and effective alternatives to flystrike available is incomprehensible and inexcusable.

Please help to end this barbaric practice and the continued infliction of pain and terror on animals who look to humans only for care and protection. The wool industry must be forced to follow through with ending this senseless mutilation! The lives of millions of Australian lambs hang in the balance, waiting to be rescued from miserable lives. Please act now and commit to boycott merino wool, or better yet, all wool!

DIY: Crafty Valentine's Day!

2011-02-12T15:16:00.010-05:00

I'm all about DIY for gifts, even on Valentine's Day! Handmade valentines both save money and make unforgettable gifts filled with love, truly something your sweetie will remember. This is sort of last minute to be sharing this, but thaat's sorta how I roll. ;) I recommend VegNews Magazine's Savvy Vegan blog post about how to do Valentine's Day on a budget. Photo from VegNews. On my own search for DIY Valentine ideas, I happened upon an awesome one (thanks, Karen) on the Paiges of Style blog- a darling DIY Valentine's Day Advent Calendar. I fell in LOVE with this calendar, and it's free to print out on your own and allows lots of room for embellishing. :) Since it's too late to use it from Feb. 1st as intended, I'm going to use it as a Hearts Day garland-card for my sweetie to open. Each one will have written a little love secret inside- sweet nothings on paper! Photo from Paiges of Style. Happy Valentine's Day! UPDATE: My own garland!

First Quote of the Week for 2011

2011-01-11T12:04:00.002-05:00

"Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.

~Rabindranath

A Vegan MoFo Blogger Survey

2010-11-17T08:48:00.002-05:00

Many of the other VeganMoFo bloggers have posted answers to a MoFo survey and I thought that I would do the same. Fun!

What is one food you thought you'd miss when you went vegan, but don't?
Cheese. The funny thing is I have developed a strong sensitivity to the taste and can detect it easily. Where 13 years ago (when I became vegan) cheese tasted creamy and wonderful, it now tastes sickeningly milky and overly rich. When I get hungry for "cheese" now, it's solely for the faux variety.

What is a food or dish that you wouldn't touch as a child, but enjoy now?
Jam/jelly, mustard, salads.

What vegan food or dish do you feel like you should like but you don't?
Raw vegetables. I hate all vegetables in raw form but carrots, unless they are drenched in a yummy dressing or sauce.

What beverage do you consume the most of each day?
Water mostly, with some soy milk in the morning.

What dish are you famous for bringing to gatherings?
Cupcakes! Vegan Red Velvet from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World have impressed many a vegan and non-vegan alike. :)

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?
I have lots of 'food rules'- lol. No fruit with chocolate. No peanut butter in desserts. Raw foods must be smothered in sauce to be edible. A dish must smell good to taste good.

What's one food or dish that you eat too much off when it's in your home?
Anything sweet. If it's in the house, I will find it and consume it.

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available repackaged?
Salad dressing and pancake mix.

What ingredient or food is worth spending extra money on to get the good stuff?
Organic grapes and chocolate!

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?
I'm not much of a snacker, per se, as my normal eating schedule involves eating lots of small meals throughout the day. But when I do snack, I like cookies, chips and salsa or guacamole, steamed and salted edamame, carrot sticks or apples with peanut butter, crackers with Tofutti cream cheese, or toast with almond butter and raisins.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?
Follow Your Heart Mozzarella, fresh garlic, olive oil, tomato slices (Roma are best), and roasted red pepper!

What's your favorite fruit and vegetable?
Pineapple and asparagus.

What is the best salad dressing?
My favorite is a balsamic vinaigrette I make by blending balsamic, olive oil, maple syrup, mustard, a bit of water, and sometimes crushed garlic.

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?
Margarine and cinnamon & sugar.

What kind of soup do you turn to on a chilly day or when you don't feel well?
West African Groundnut Stew with ciabatta.

What is your favorite cupcake and icing flavor?
Hmmm... that's a toughie. Chocolate cake with chocolate icing or red velvet with old fashioned white icing.

What is your favorite type of cookie?
Chocolate Chip!

What is your most-loved weeknight meal?
Pancakes with vegan snausages or Field Roast Celebration Roast with roasted potatoes and carrots. But I have many favorite, go-to meals, and my top choices change frequently.

What is one food or dish you enjoy but can't get anyone else in your house to eat?
I can't really think of anything. My partner loves all sorts of foods.

How long on average do you spend in the kitchen each day?
About 1-2 hours.

There was my survey! I would love to read yours too.

Vegan "Cheeses": Adventures in Cheeze Land

2010-11-16T18:30:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh... the quest for a fabulous (or even adequate) vegan cheeze substitute! My adventures have taken me on quite a journey thus far. :) Here I review many of them...

Yes, this is vegan cheeze! Check out my review of Sheese below.

Amy's Kitchen Mac and Cheese- OMG. Let's start with the best, which happens to be my most recent discovery on the search for the perfect vegan cheeze. I waited for a long time for this to come to my local food stores after I saw ads from Amy's, and checked faithfully for months! Just a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to find it at my local food co-op- hooray! And YUM! SO worth the wait! This mac is soooo creamy, cheezy, flavorful and delicious pasta heaven! Plus the pasta is made from rice. It's a whopping 500+ calories for a small lunch-sized serving, so I indulge (happily) only occasionally. But I could seriously eat this every day. The secret magic ingredient is Daiya, a new and groundbreaking cheeze that has the food scene with a slam dunk. Score!

Be careful when picking this up from the store, as Amy's has several kinds of mac n' cheese, including one with soy cheeze that's not vegan.

On to others, in no particular order:

Daiya- Meh. The latest star on the cheeze scene, Daiya is getting raves across the board and helping take vegan cheeze mainstream. I heard about this months and months before I got to try it. I finally asked Whole Foods when they would start carrying the retail packages, only to find out they were selling it in the deli in containers. I grabbed both a Cheddar and Mozzarella (it comes pre-shredded in bags usually) and raced home clutching them close. I had extremely high expectations, with everyone I know who'd tried it oozing praise. First I tried them cold... pretty good. A nice combination of soft and creamy yet firm, no chalk or sourness. I withheld my conclusion.

Macaroni and cheese was my first try at cooking with Daiya, and I was pleased with the results. The shreds melted right down into a creamy sauce, thick and sticky and gooey-good, but the flavor was a little "off" in my opinion. Pizza was the next experiment, and I gotta tell ya I was disappointed! Maybe I didn't use enough cheeze, but I thought the Daiya thinned out and got watery, almost. Meltability= A+. The flavor, on the other hand, was good as far as vegan cheezes go, but nothing that made me fall in love. I tried the cheddar in a burrito and in a grilled cheeze with tomato. Again, meltability=A+, but I really wasn't crazy about the flavor. I may give it another go and experiment with adding additional ingredients to it now that I've tried it with Amy's Mac n Cheese, but I haven't much of an urge to buy it again.

Vegan Rella- One word... Ew. Back in the day when there weren't very many vegan cheeze options (at least stomachable ones), this was the bomb diggity. Well cheezes have come a loooong way, and if you don't believe me give this a try after eating some of today's variations. I grabbed a chunk of this when my favorite cheddar, Sheese, wasn't available, then a block of the mozzarella when my favorite brand was out. I expected fond memories of my first adventures with Vegan Rella when we first met in Tucson, AZ. Oh No. It was wet and gloppy on the outside, chalky and sour and weird on the inside. It stuck to my teeth. I spit it out and wiped it off of my tongue. Never again. I couldn't find a website for this company.

Vegan Gourmet Follow Your Heart- Mmmmm... Okay, while I don't prefer the other flavors of FYH much, the Mozzarella is my favorite of all brands in terms of flavor. It doesn't melt very well unless it's been in the oven on a pizza on the bottom rack at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. And even then sometimes not-so-much. It's actually even a bit rubbery when it's in a chunk. But I can put those things aside cause it's so YUMMY! I love it on pasta bakes and pizza best. Nothing else has measured up so far. Plus the company makes an excellent mayo alternative and lots of other great vegan foods!

Sheese- LOVE. I noticed this cheeze one day at my local co-op, having never seen it before. I asked a friend who worked there about it and he cut some up some of the Cheddar flavor to put out as samples. After one little nibble I was completely sold- AMAZING! I swear this tastes like the real thing (not that that's the goal- after almost 13 years vegan I just require a cheeze be appetizing).

Imagine an expensive cheeze or some sort of goat cheeze that you'd serve with evening cocktails, with a bold and strong flavor that really makes an impact. It's a harder cheese that's a bit on the dry side. Despite claims about it's great meltability on Sheese's and various vegan retail websites, I have been unsuccessful at getting it to melt in any way, shape, or form. But I love it cut into chunks right out of the wrapper anyway. It makes a killer cheeze sandwich with some sweet mustard on toast. It's great in a burrito! Hands down the best tasting vegan cheeze I have ever tried. Likely to fool a non-vegan, too, possibly. At a hefty $8-9 USD a round block, it's only a sometime treat for me, but it's totally worth it! Fantastic!

Sheese is out of Scotland from family-owned Bute Island Foods, and they make magic! There are nine flavors of hard vegan cheeze: Blue, Medium Cheddar, Strong Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, Mozzarella, Cheshire, Gouda, Edam, and Cheddar with Chives. I've tried six: Medium, Strong, and Smoked Cheddars and Mozzarella, Blue, and Gouda. I love the Medium Cheddar most, and the Gouda is a close second. The others are good, except for the Smoked Cheddar at all, which I don't like at all. I'm dying to try the soft and spreadable Creamy Sheese (there are 5 flavors), but have been unable to find them at my local natural foods stores so far.

Teese- Umm... Yuck. The one big plus Teese has, in my opinion, is its meltability, much like that of Daiya. I also found Teese to be like Daiya in the way that it thins out and seems to get watery when it melts. I think it tastes watery cold and right out of the package, too, even though there's not really any liquid in the tube with it. I am very sensitive to certain tastes, and Teese in all flavors has a peculiar taste that I find totally unappetizing. Not sure what its source is, but it's enough to keep me from buying this again.

Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese- Just okay. Follow Your Heart's cream cheeze is unimpressive, and I could take it or leave it. To me it tastes quite chalky and leaves a bit of a coating on the tongue that I don't prefer. I have baked with this and used it in sauces and it worked okay, but I wouldn't advise it for eating right out of the container on a bagel or crackers.

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese- Eat it up. Cause it's creamy and yummy. I enjoy this on crackers and bagels, and it works great in cooking and baking, too. I can sit with a box of crunchy little Wheat-thin-type crackers and put some Tofutti Cream Cheese aWAY. It's also really tasty on a bagel with avocado and mixed into some marinara sauce for a bit of a different spin on spaghetti.

Be careful to buy the Tofutti Cream Cheese with the yellow container, as it doesn't contain hydrogenated oils! For some very stupid reason, Tofutti makes one version with hydrogenated oils (blue and red container) and one without. Duh.

Edward & Sons Trading Company Macaroni and Chreese- ??? I was sooo excited to find four styles of Macaroni and Chreese on the food co-op's shelf one day a few years back. I immediately bought some in both the cheddar (comes in pasta shells, macaroni, and 1-2-3 shapes) and alfredo flavors! This was the very first prepared non-dairy mac n' cheese dish I'd tried, so I was thrilled to give it a try. I went with cheddar first, and after boiling the shell-shaped noodles, liked that they were tasty with a nice, chewy texture. The sauce comes as a powder in an envelope like in traditional boxed mac n' cheese, and you add it to the cooked noodles with a non-dairy milk and margarine. The results are pretty good, with the sauce turning out quite creamy and thick (stir it well to get rid of any graininess). The alfredo yielded similar results, but the sauce was lighter in color and a very, very garlicky.

Nutritional yeast, of which I am not a big fan, is a significant ingredient in both the Chreese flavors, and its taste is prominent. This may be the reason I felt the need to add lots of vegan parmesan (see review below) to give it anything that resembled a cheezy flavor. Or perhaps I was trying to cover up the nutritional yeast-y taste. If you love nutritional yeast, you're probably gonna go crazy for Mac n' Chreese.

Galaxy Foods Vegan Grated Topping (Parmesan)- GOOD STUFF. This vegan parmesan stinks to high heaven and its strong smell fills a room fast. But it's good- really good! It's a terrific substitute for any hard, granular dairy cheese, excellent on Italian dishes, in pesto, sprinkled on veggies. It has a sharp and sort of salty flavor, and just a little goes a long way. One of my all-time favorites!

Cheese Slices- I've tried'em all. They all suck. I don't do slices.

Hope this review helps in your own search for a tasty go-to vegan cheeze. Or at the very least, entertained you for a few minutes. :P

Quote of the Week: The Dance of Existence

2010-11-15T10:15:00.002-05:00

‎"This existence of ours is as transient as the autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightening rushing by like a torrent down a steep mountainside."

~Buddha

Eating Out Loud: Easy and Scrumptious Vegan Halvah!

2010-11-08T14:40:00.004-05:00

Halvah is a sweet found in many cultures and made from varying ingredients. Though I'm not 100% sure of the exact origin of this particular recipe, I'm guessing Indian, as it's very close to an Indian halvah made with semolina flour called Sooji Halwa. ;) This is just like the halvah I used to get at one of my favorite Tucson, AZ restaurants, a delicious natural foods buffet owned by Hare Krishnas and called Govinda's. I searched and searched for a vegan version online that would replicate it, and this comes very, very close to matching Govinda's. I've added some of my own tips and instructions. It's super easy to make, sooo yummy, and has a light and grainy sweetness I find irresistible! It's an indulgence with all of the margarine and sugar, but well worth it! Enjoy the yum!

I haven't taken a photo of the halvah I've made, but this looks just like it in terms of texture. Just imagine this shaped like a square. :)

Vegan Halvah

Ingredients
1 cup vegan margarine
2 cups farina or Cream of Wheat cereal, dry/uncooked
4 cups water
2 cups unrefined brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins (I omitted the raisins and added frozen blueberries, but you can come up with your own variation! Try nuts, various dried fruit, strawberries, or anything you like the sound of.)

Directions
Melt the margarine in a heavy-bottomed pot and boil it a few minutes, being careful not to burn it. Turn the heat to low and slowly add the Cream of Wheat cereal, stirring constantly. Cook this mixture on low heat until it has the texture of wet sand. Stir frequently and don't let it stick to the bottom or burn.

When it is the right texture, bring water to a boil in a separate pot. When water is boiling, turn the heat under the cereal to high and quickly add the boiling water and Raisins. Cook a very short time stirring constantly; then turn heat back down to low and let steam about 10 minutes.

Spoon into a baking pan and smooth to the edges- the size of the pan will depend on your preferred thickness. I used a 9x11" (23 x 28 cm) rectangular clear glass casserole dish. Let cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. Room temperature is best, but it will need refrigerated if keeping over several days.

Quote of the Week: The Butterfly Effect

2010-11-08T11:14:00.000-05:00

‎"When a butterfly flaps its wings near the tip of South America, it affects the wind patterns near the North Pole. And the same is true in the realm of consciousness: Every miracle you work in your life is a blessing on life itself."

~Marianne Williamson

Eating Out Loud: Vegan Raviolis!

2010-11-04T17:33:00.001-04:00

I came across this delicious ravioli recipe when searching the Web for special meal ideas for my sweetie for Valentine's Day. These amazing "Hearty Raviolis" from Vegalicious delicious, healthy, and well worth the extra time. Plus, the heart shapes are adorable and really make an impact!

My comments are in parentheses. Enjoy!

Classic Spinach Ravioli Floating in an Italian Tomato Sauce (serves 4)

Ingredients

Filling:
•1 lb (450 grams) of spinach, large stems removed and chopped
•1 T grainy mustard
•1 t sesame oil (I went a bit light on the sesame oil as I had reservations about it's flavor, and though it works brilliantly here, I am glad I used less.)
•1/2 t nutmeg
•2 T bread crumbs
•pinch of salt

Raviolis:
•1 c semolina four
•2 t olive oil
•1/2 c water
•pinch salt

Sauce:
•1 can crushed tomatoes (I used a 28 oz or 828 ml can.)
•1 onion, minced
•1 T olive oil
•1 clove garlic, minced
•various Italian herbs (Fresh are always best, I used fresh parsley and basil, with dried oregano.)
•salt and pepper to taste
•dash of lemon
•pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Ravioli dough:
1.In a bowl, combine the pasta dough ingredients to make a dough.
2.Wrap in a towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

Filling:
1.Wash the spinach and remove the large tough stems.
2.Chop the spinach and steam or saute in water. (sweat)
3.Place in a large mixing bowl.
4.Add the mustard, salt and bread-crumbs and mix well.
5.Season further with salt, cayenne and pepper.

Sauce:
1.Saute the minced onion in the olive oil until the onion is glassy.
2.Add the minced garlic and saute.
3.Add the tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer.
4.Add the herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper and continue to simmer on a low heat.
5.Season to taste with additional salt, pepper and cayenne.

Making the ravioli

1.Divide the dough in fourths and roll out each portion on a floured work space, allowing the first sheet of pasta to sit while rolling out the second. One of the tricks to the pasta is to make sure you’ve rolled the dough out very thin.

2.Cut out your ravioli shapes and fill with the filling. Place the top part of the ravioli over the filling and close with a fork.

3.If you have a form or press, then of course that saves time you merely place 1 sheet of dough on one side, put the filling on the dough and then lay the 2nd sheet of dough on top. Close the form to seal and cut off the extra using a knife.

4.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salty water to boil.

5.Put your ravioli into the salty water and cook. They are ready when they come floating to the top. I would suggest cooking only a few raviolis at a time.

6.Place the first cooked raviolis in the oven to keep warm until they are all ready.

7.When ready to serve, put a layer of sauce on the plate and lay the raviolis on top.

8.You can garnish with some fresh cut herbs or if you have soy cheese, you can dust some on top.

Making the Connection: An Excellent Short Film on Veganism

2010-11-03T11:08:00.001-04:00

Some "food for thought" for Vegan MoFo!

"The thinking man must oppose all the cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition or surrounded by a halo...We need a boundless ethic which will also include the animals."
-Albert Schweitzer

Just wanted to make mention of Making the Connection, a thoughtful, artful short film on the the various advantages of a plant-based diet and lifestyle by The Vegan Society.

Watch here!

Happy World Vegan Day!

2010-11-01T20:44:00.012-04:00

November 1st is not only World Vegan Day, but kicks off World Vegan Month and Vegan Month of Food (Vegan MoFo)! :)

What is "vegan"?
A "vegan" is someone who chooses to live free from animal products for compassion and peace, health, the planet (or any combination of these things). A vegan diet is easy and healthy, based on fruits and vegetables, grains, beans and legumes. Vegans choose to save the lives of other living beings each time they eat or shop! They do not consume meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey (some vegans do eat honey) or any other food that is derived from an animal or processed using animal ingredients (such as bone char used to refine some sugars and salt). Most vegans do not use or wear any products that are tested on animals or that are derived from an animal, like wool, fur, silk, and leather.

Have you thought about trying a vegan lifestyle? Try it for one meal, one day, one week, or one month to see if being vegan is the right choice for you! Take the first step by taking the "Vegan Pledge!"

I made these yummy, super simple vegan pumkin cupcakes for Halloween yesterday! Delish!

Here are just a few of my favorite resources for vegan information and recipes. Check my blog throughout this week for more resources for vegan living!

Compassionate Cooks

International Vegetarian Union

Live Vegan

Post Punk Kitchen (PPK)

The Vegan Society

Vegan Outreach

VegWeb

Free Vegan Starter Kit

Happy World Vegan Day!

EtsyVeg Spooktacular Sale and Giveaway

2010-10-27T12:24:00.003-04:00

Come Haunting with the Etsyveg Team October 27th-November 2nd, 2010! EtsyVeg kicks off the EtsyVeg Spooktacular today, with creepy savings and a frightfully fantastic shopper giveaway! In my shop, save 15% on all purchases, get free shipping on all orders $25 and over, and receive a free gift with all purchases of $40 or more!

SPOOKTACULAR SAVINGS
EtsyVeg's vegan and vegetarian artisans are celebrating Halloween with special treats abound, from discounts to free shipping to free gifts! Shop the participating shops listed below to save big!

* 3 AM Art Productions- BOGO on all art prints/photography

* Au clair de la lune

* Blackbird and Peacock

* Crickets Creations Handknit Scarves- $5 off anything tagged "Halloween"

* Gardenia's Garb- 10% off any item tagged "Halloween"

* Jen O'Connell Paintings and Original Artwork- free shipping

* JFIllustrations- free shipping

* Kimbas Critters

* Lalu Jewelry- 15% off

* Maple Ash and Oak- 15% off

* M's Knits and Things- 15% off all scarves

* Mumbot Shop

* Palafox Studio 23- free shipping

* SilentLotus Creations- 15% off entire shop, plus free shipping over $25 and free gift over $40

* Starfirewire- Free Shipping and Free gift

GHOULISH GIVEAWAY

As part of our ghostly event, EtsyVeg is hosting a giveaway in which lucky shoppers will receive scarily fabulous handmade prizes from our ghostly talented artisans! All shoppers who make purchases from EtsyVeg member shops participating in the Spooktacular (see list above) are invited to comment on the EtsyVeg Blog. Include the link to the item(s) you purchased and your Etsy shop name or email address so we can contact you if you're name is drawn, and you will be entered to win an incredible prizes ( a random number generator will be used to choose winners). Winners will be announced on November 3rd!

Extra Entries: Earn one entry for every shop from the list above that you purchase from (please comment separately for each shop)!

Throughout the Spooktacular, check the blog daily for updates, featured artisans and their screamingly awesome handmade creations, and more! Please email us with questions at etsyveg@gmail.com . And Happy Halloween!

Frick Park Fashion- What's Hot and What's Not?

2010-10-18T08:54:00.003-04:00

Fall Forest Fashion: In a Word? Leafy!

We're fresh from Frick Park Fashion Scene! What's new and fresh in woodland style? Plump berry and tall and twiggy are the season's most envied shapes. The hottest looks are trampled-grunge and earthy-crunchy, and a glimpse of nude branch is oh-so-sexy! Hats are all the rage in accessories as acorn caps make their debut. Brown is the new green- last season's greens look old and whithered next to the colors du jour, vibrant golds, oranges, and rusts. An occasional crimson or plum is daring and avant garde, and reveals itself to hushed oohs, ahs, chirps, and squeaks. A hint of what's to come? Perhaps...

Stay tuned for reviews of the latest in swamp-marshland couture!

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

2010-10-15T12:38:00.014-04:00

Today is October 15th and Blog Action Day 2010! Powered by change.org, this year's Blog Action Day will bring together thousands of bloggers from all over the world to help shed more light on water issues around the globe.

Here are some facts that illustrate the severity of the global water problem, and why Blog Action Day 2010 is such an important opportunity to raise awareness about the issue:

* Unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Unclean drinking water can incubate some pretty scary diseases, like E. coli, salmonella, cholera and hepatitis A. Given that bouquet of bacteria, it's no surprise that water, or rather lack thereof, causes 42,000 deaths each week.

* More people have access to a cell phone than to a toilet. Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets. This means that sewage spills into rivers and streams, contaminating drinking water and causing disease.

* Every day, women and children in Africa walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water. They do this while carrying cisterns weighing around 40 pounds when filled in order to gather water that, in many cases, is still polluted. Aside from putting a great deal of strain on their bodies, walking such long distances keeps children out of school and women away from other endeavors that can help improve the quality of life in their communities.

* The average American uses 159 gallons of water every day – more than 15 times the average person in the developing world. From showering and washing our hands to watering our lawns and washing our cars, Americans use a lot of water. To put things into perspective, the average five-minute shower will use about 10 gallons of water. Now imagine using that same amount to bathe, wash your clothes, cook your meals and quench your thirst.

Petitions by Change.orgStart a Petition »

One of the most negative impacts upon the global state of water is animal agriculture and the consumption of meat and other animal-derived foods. Subsequently, transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is one of the most critical actions you can take to help shift ongoing degradation of the world's water supply (and the environment as a whole). Here are some important reasons to go vegan or vegetarian for water, for the planet, and for and all of its inhabitants:

* It takes 6.3 gallons of water to produce just one hamburger. That 6.3 gallons covers everything from watering the wheat for the bun and providing water for the cow to cooking the patty and baking the bun. And that's just one meal! It would take over 184 billion gallons of water to make just one hamburger for every person in the United States. (Blog Action Day 2010)

* The livestock sector is probably the largest contributor of water pollution, the major sources being animal waste, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for animal feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures. (EcoHearth)

* The largest amount of water the agriculture sector uses for livestock is to provide them with food. The feed production industry uses huge amounts of water to irrigate the land on which food is grown for all these animals, which have been bred to provide people products like meat, dairy and eggs. It has been estimated that the livestock sector may account for about 45 percent of the global budget of water used in food production (source Zimmer and Renault 2003). (Vegan Peace)

* Plant-based diets only require around one-third of the land and water needed to produce a typical Western diet. Farmed animals consume much more protein, water and calories than they produce, so far greater quantities of crops and water are needed to produce animal ‘products’ to feed humans than are needed to feed people direct on a plant-based diet. With water and land becoming scarcer globally, world hunger increasing and the planet’s population rising, it is much more sustainable to eat plant foods direct than use up precious resources feeding farmed animals. (Vegan Society)

* In most of the developing world, untreated manure enters water used by people for drinking, washing and bathing. Along with the manure flow lots of other undesirables including pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and their breakdown products, not to mention the surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus coming from fertilizers placed on the feed crops. All of this livestock-related influx upsets balance in nature. It can lead to fish kills and algal blooms which can deaden lakes. (Vegetarian Resource Group)

* It takes 5,000 gallons (18,900 Litres)of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons (94.5 Litres).A totally vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons (1134 Litres) of water per day, while a meat-eating diet requires more than 4,000 gallons(15,120 Litres) of water per day. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year. (useecofriendlyproducts.com)

While these facts may be grim, there is hope for real solutions as more and more people around the world are waking up to the clean water crisis. It's not too late to join the efforts of Blog Action Day 2010! By registering your blog, sharing something you've written or come across about water, embedding an action widget, signing the petition, fundraising for clean water and spreading the word, you're helping shed light on an often over-looked, yet incredibly important issue.

Be a part of this amazing day of blog activism!

Ommmmmm

2010-10-11T09:52:00.005-04:00

An extraordinary finding in my blueberry bush- the symbol for enlightenment or "Om", which signifies the One-ness of all creation and the essence of all the universe. Om (or "Aum") is the sacred sound to which everything that *is* vibrates. I have the tattoo on my foot, inspired from my yoga and Buddhist studies. This mysterious and inspiring leaf message was left by an enlightened little foliage-munching caterpillar. heehee I am amazed every time I see it!

I've left this majestical, mysterious leaf growing for weeks now, wanting to prolong the wonder of it. I think it's time I pick and press it before it disappears! :)

A Glorious Sunny Day!

2010-10-08T13:22:00.025-04:00

It's a glorious, blissful day, warm with a tinge of fall crispness, a sweet breeze, bright and happy sun, and a brilliant blue sky. Though I do adore Autumn, this year I'm having a tough time letting go of summer days (the cooler ones). Just a few days ago we were seeing the end of a string of grey, cold, damp days that really affected my mood for the worse. I'm not ready for a season of that yet!

Anyway, this morning there are lots of good things to talk about. I just came inside from studying a beautiful Woodpecker traversing the giant trees in my yard for a mid-day snack, breathing in wonderfully woodsy air (I love living near the park and so many trees), soaking up some sun, and watching my kitty having an adventure in the yard. AND, I got package in the mail!

Sophie!

I love packages! I recently ordered an amazing handcrafted bracelet from my EtsyVeg pal Debbie of For the Animals Sanctuary! Debbie makes incredible vegan jewelry with passionate messages about compassion, and 100% of the profits from her Etsy shop go to running her wonderful non-profit animal sanctuary! I love my bracelet, which reads "ahimsa", or "non-violence" in Sanskrit, a way of living that involves passionate avoidance of injury to any living being through thought, spirit, intention, word, or action. I am very familiar with the concept from my yoga and Buddhism studies, and hold it close to my heart. The bracelet is sooo pretty, wonderfully made, and I love the chain and adorable heart clasp. I feel happy just having it on! Thanks so much, Debbie! Check out Debbie's shop to see her love-inspired work. :)

My beautiful bracelet! I love it! :D

Another good thing about the warmth and sun sticking around longer this year is that we still have plenty of lovely blossoms adorning our porch and yard. As I walked around today, I also visited our garden and the last of the tomatoes still growing.

A Clematis bud- the vine is still growing and blossoming.

Our garden was the source of much joy throughout the summer as we tended and weeded and tried to balance the nutrients in our soil with fertilizer and compost. The yield, however, was somewhat of a disappointment, as you know if you've been following my garden updates. Our lettuce and spinach were a bust. We got some tasty greenbeans and a few handfuls of oddly-shaped cucumbers. lol Lots of tomatoes, though pretty puny (and really yummy). Finally, within the past few weeks, we tried again to dig up our carrots and... we had some! They were ittybitty (we're chalking it up mostly to not thinning enough and packed soil), but they were there, and were so sweet and flavorful. The next step is to ready the garden for the winter.

The last one standing- our tomatoes! We had intended to plant a fall crop of lettuce and spinach, but got a bit too lazy for it.

Our teeny weeny carrot harvest, all pretty and multi-colored! It's a start- next year we're going for big!

Window Lockets- New in My Shop!

2010-10-07T16:16:00.016-04:00

New Etsy shop listings- awesome window lockets (I love playing with these) holding tiny art collages! Each little collage has a different theme, and images created from vintage and antique materials like glass jewels from the 1940s; a page from a 1920s calendar; an old botanical journal; discarded encyclopedias, children's and art books; rare little copper stampings, fabrics from vintage sample books; handmade paper; bits of chain, jewelry, and millinery; and natural materials like dried leaves, flowers and twigs! I've been having a ball with the whole process, especially hunting for old materials in thrift stores, at flea markets, and online vintage shops.

I shared pics of a couple of these a while back. Two of those are now available in my shop, plus more- hope you like the new ones, as well! :)

"Autumn Woodland" (This one is in an autumn-themed creative contest on the EtsyVeg blog- please go vote for it!)

"Heart Song"

"Madame X"

2010-10-07T16:14:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Original Contemporary Art

2010-09-30T14:17:00.003-04:00

This post comes from Paula Lewis of Scorched Eyebrow Studio, as shared by Nick from the Handmade in PA blog.

"Free Flight", by SilentLotus Creations. Watercolork, and gesso on birch panel.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Original Contemporary Art

10. Bring yourself into your décor. Surround yourself with art that speaks to you and of you. You are unique, so why would you settle for the PierWhatever/BullseyeBox carbon copy stuff?

9. Assure your place in civilization by supporting the Arts. Bonus: By buying from local (and there are fabulously talented people in your community) artists, you stimulate the local economy directly.

8. Develop your own collection. Art is lots cooler to collect than stamps or coins and when you collect contemporary art, you can collect artists as friends- and we are a very cool group.

7. Make your neighbors jealous. All of them will wish they had your self-confidence and sense of style!

6. Connect with your deeper self. Buy original work that speaks to you emotionally, not because it matches the couch. (NOTE: It’s okay if it happens to match.)

5. Feel less like a cubicle-dweller and more human by surrounding yourself with art born of real live passion and creativity – art made because the artist was moved to do it, not paid by the brushstroke.

4. Tap into the mystery of the muse. There is something magical that happens within artists that often pushes them beyond their initial vision; share that wonder.

3. Learn something new. Exercising your mind is healthy and realizing you are developing your eye for quality, style, talent while you’re having fun looking at art is a real kick.

2. Honor your inner creative spirit. We all have the need to express ourselves. Twitter, Link’d In, board meetings, and lawyers are not sufficient. Express yourself visually by living with art you love. Get back in touch with your own creative self.

1. Delight in the presence of art that “you get” and realize that the art “gets you!”

Vending Awesomeness!

2010-09-22T21:57:00.006-04:00

Just got done vending at a string of awesome shows over the past few weeks! Lots of interesting venues, environments, people, handmade eye candy, and colorful sights! :) Thanks so much to Steel City Rockers vs. Mods, to PCC for a terrific Crafts N'At, to Friends of Ohiopyle for a delightful weekend at Music in the Mountains, and to the Steeltown Shakedown for the most colorful, old skool-ified weekend I've had in a while. :) And a big welcome and fat 'thank you' to all of my new customers!

Check out some of the best sights!

Cuties in the Rockers vs Mods pin-up contest!

Testing my new display setup at Rockers vs Mods.

Adorable rocker baby with her rocker daddy (who just happen to be my brand new niece and brother-in-law- lol).

The fabulous space and artisans at the Pittsburgh Craft Collective's annual show, Crafts N'At!

Can you believe this view of the Monongahela River from my tent at Ohiopyle' Music in the Mountains? It looks photoshopped! It was beautiful!

Crafty pal Rachel in her flirty and fabulous hand-altered dress at Steeltown Shakedown (that she helped organize). You should see the awesome flame applique she handsewed onto to the bag to match her sweetie's car! :)

Old-skool cool!

This weekend will be my last show until the holidays! Come and check me and lots of other fabulous local artisans out at Art Harvest on Sunday, September 26th from 12-5 at the East End Food Co-op! :)

New Studio!

2010-09-21T12:24:00.008-04:00

It took a freecycled-from-the-curb bookshelf to transform the second room in our apartment into a working studio! After years of working on my dining room table amidst boxes and bags and clutter and of storing my supplies in disorganized piles and stacks and mayhem, I finally have a craft room and work space! :D Who knew a shelf could make that all possible? I am SO EXCITED! Our yoga/massage room turned storage room is now a craft room/art studio (well, and storage space for clothes and sheets and laundry, but you can't have everything)!

My dining room table was never the most ideal space for creating.

Neatness and actual room to breathe! My work table sits in the middle of the room now, with plenty of light to prevent me from blindness from working with tiny things. :) Yay!

The Big Fake Meat Debate

2010-09-21T11:38:00.013-04:00

In the veggie community, discussion about whether or not folks can "stomach" meat substitutes and how a *true* veggie can eat them (due to the opinions some have about the similarity fo their taste, texture, and smell to the "real thing") has come up quite a bit. So I thought I'd chime in.

I have no problem with fake meats, and I eat them quite a bit. Their texture and smell don't in any way remind me of meat, nor does their taste.

I find the texture, smell, and taste of meat to be highly unique and unreplicatable. I don't eat "faux meats" to "pretend to eat meat" or because I am hungry for meat but want to avoid eating it. I eat them because they are yummy, protein-packed, and time-saving. I never ever get hungry for meat after nearly 13 years of being vegan and 2 of being veggie before that. My palette and mouth don't ever think that anything I eat is 'like meat' cause it's such a foreign concept to me anymore (that doesn't mean I don't recognize the taste of the real thing- I do).

When I think, "Mmmm, I could sure eat a Celebration Roast or veggie burger right now," I am getting hungry for the specific yumminess of that food, not any sort of meat at ALL. In my mind and spirit, there is no connection between 'fake meats' and the real thing . There is no way any kind of veggie food could "fake" the blood, flesh, suffering, and terror of the real thing. And in fact meat "substitutes" are meant to save other beings from ever becoming that in the first place. I don't even consider them "fake meats" unless I use the term to explain to someone with no familiarity what such a food is.

To me, they are just a protein source and way of changing things up a bit. Bring on the BBQ Veggie Riblets! ;)