DIY Beauty (Cheap and as organic or inorganic as you decide):
Eye makeup remover- olive oil
Homemade pore strips- unflavored gelatin and milk OR veganize it using agar agar and soy (or almond or hemp...) milk :)
Asprin Mask (acne)- uncoated or powdered asprin, a little water, and honey (or aloe gel or agave syrup)
Tomato Scrub- tomato top and sugar
(Yes, I <3 Michelle Phan)
More Pricey (but still sustainable)
I have not tried as many of these because of prices...
Aveeno
Aveeno makes skin care and hair products with natural ingredients like soy, oatmeal, shitake, and more. They also have recycling and upcycling programs for your used containers. I haven't used any of their products since my oatmeal baths when I had the chicken pox, so I can't attest to too much. I don't know enough information yet about animal ingredients in their products or testing.
Aveda
Now I am lucky enough to live really close to one of their student salons (an Aveda Institute rather) where students in the Aveda beauty school give you the services at discounted prices. I got my hair cut there- gave my hair to locks of love, and got the star treatment. They gave me a hand massage while I waited, a scalp massage before the wash, and offer you tea to drink while you wait too (which is DELICIOUS by the way) all for a very reasonable price ($12, $15, or $18 depending on the skill level of the student). Now, I don't know if the professional salons are that amazing (and I know they're more expensive), but my student one is amazing and affordable. Anyway, not only do they give awesome salon treatments, but they try to be eco friendly too. Their products use organic and sustainably grown ingredients and packaging containing post-consumer materials, and they use renewable energy in the production of their products. While I loved my salon experience, I did not purchase any hair products mainly because I had products at home and didn't want to buy the products that day. I have however used one of their shampoo/conditioner combos (my mom won it at a fund raiser) and it smelled amazing (like their wonderful tea) and kept my hair pretty soft.
Unfortunately I don't know about the use or lack thereof with palm oil from these companies either. The best I can say is- read the ingredient list before you buy it. If it says a generic "vegetable" oil on it, you might want to avoid the product just in case, if it says palm oil, avoid it, if it doesn't say, it's probably ok.
19 September 2010
13 September 2010
Greening Your Beauty Routine
So, I know it's been way too long and I'm sorry. I've been meaning to do a post about earth-friendly beauty products for a while...so here it is! :)
Basically here's my criteria for my green/ Earth-friendly products: I want products that don't contain harsh, synthetic chemicals that not only harm their users, but ultimately the water system and other organisms besides us. I want products that don't contain animal ingredients, such as lanolin. I'd really love it if the product is also not tested on animals (although unfortunately all prescription medications are required to be tested on animals). Finally, I also really prefer it if the product reduces trash- it uses partially recycled packaging, or comes in a reusable container, etc. Also (just FYI), none of these companies sponsor me in any way, I just like their products. O, and they're all available at your local pharmacy (and Walmart and Target).
Given these criteria, my favorite brands are as follows...
Skin Care
St. Ives
All St. Ives products are formulated without parabens or phalates, contain no animal ingredients and are not tested on animals (which is particularly important since this is a vegetarian blog). My favorite products by them that I love are the oatmeal body lotion, green tea and salicylic acid (which my skin much prefers over benzoyl peroxide) face cleanser, and their apricot face scrub.
Makeup
Physician's Formula
Physician's Formula has 2 lines that are very environmentally friendly. First, there's the Bamboo Wear line, which has bamboo cases that are refillable (reduces trash- reduce, reuse, recycle), bamboo brushes, and the makeup that refills the compact also has bamboo silk in it. Bamboo is very economically and ecologically friendly since it grows so quickly and easily, unlike other wood. Second, there's the Organic Wear line with mostly organic ingredients, formulated free of parabens, GMOs, synthetic preservatives and other harsh chemicals, and animal products. It also uses recycled materials in its packaging and is not tested on animals. Currently, I use the Bamboo Wear powder, the Organic Wear tinted moisturizer (with SPF 15 ), and the Organic Wear bronzer. I want to switch to the Organic Wear mascara and maybe the Bamboo Wear bronzer (I like the sustainability of it, but I like the materials of the other).
Makeup Brushes
EcoTools
They make makeup brushes with bamboo or recycled aluminum handles and bamboo fiber hairs- cruelty-free and sustainable. They also now have body care stuff (body wash, lotion, and butter, and hand and foot cream) that are paraben and phthalate free, allergy and dermatologist tested, and not tested on animals. I haven't tried those new products yet, but I definitely use and love their makeup brushes- they're so Earth Friendly and soft and easy to clean. I have their 6 brush set and their Kabuki brush. I got my set at Target, but I think CVS and Walgreens have them too.
Basically here's my criteria for my green/ Earth-friendly products: I want products that don't contain harsh, synthetic chemicals that not only harm their users, but ultimately the water system and other organisms besides us. I want products that don't contain animal ingredients, such as lanolin. I'd really love it if the product is also not tested on animals (although unfortunately all prescription medications are required to be tested on animals). Finally, I also really prefer it if the product reduces trash- it uses partially recycled packaging, or comes in a reusable container, etc. Also (just FYI), none of these companies sponsor me in any way, I just like their products. O, and they're all available at your local pharmacy (and Walmart and Target).
Given these criteria, my favorite brands are as follows...
Skin Care
St. Ives
All St. Ives products are formulated without parabens or phalates, contain no animal ingredients and are not tested on animals (which is particularly important since this is a vegetarian blog). My favorite products by them that I love are the oatmeal body lotion, green tea and salicylic acid (which my skin much prefers over benzoyl peroxide) face cleanser, and their apricot face scrub.
Makeup
Physician's Formula
Physician's Formula has 2 lines that are very environmentally friendly. First, there's the Bamboo Wear line, which has bamboo cases that are refillable (reduces trash- reduce, reuse, recycle), bamboo brushes, and the makeup that refills the compact also has bamboo silk in it. Bamboo is very economically and ecologically friendly since it grows so quickly and easily, unlike other wood. Second, there's the Organic Wear line with mostly organic ingredients, formulated free of parabens, GMOs, synthetic preservatives and other harsh chemicals, and animal products. It also uses recycled materials in its packaging and is not tested on animals. Currently, I use the Bamboo Wear powder, the Organic Wear tinted moisturizer (with SPF 15 ), and the Organic Wear bronzer. I want to switch to the Organic Wear mascara and maybe the Bamboo Wear bronzer (I like the sustainability of it, but I like the materials of the other).
Makeup Brushes
EcoTools
They make makeup brushes with bamboo or recycled aluminum handles and bamboo fiber hairs- cruelty-free and sustainable. They also now have body care stuff (body wash, lotion, and butter, and hand and foot cream) that are paraben and phthalate free, allergy and dermatologist tested, and not tested on animals. I haven't tried those new products yet, but I definitely use and love their makeup brushes- they're so Earth Friendly and soft and easy to clean. I have their 6 brush set and their Kabuki brush. I got my set at Target, but I think CVS and Walgreens have them too.
03 August 2010
Green Asian Feast
Tonight I had the immense pleasure of having help in the kitchen. :)
The boyfriend showed off his skills and cooked up some crispy fried ramen and some fish (for him) to go with the healing ginger-chive soup that I found on goop.com (we've been waking up a little sniffly and it's exam week for me so...yeah and yes, goop is that Gwenyth Paltrow website that is awesome) and a green stir-fry of bok choy, spinach, and snow peas.
Ginger-Chive Soup
Ingerdients
3 chive stalks, rinsed and cut
5 slices of peeled ginger
1.5 cups water
Instructions
Bring water to a boil. Add the veggies. And let lightly boil for 10 minutes, lid off.
Drink broth. (You can have some of the veggies too, obviously, but the broth has the nutrients you want.)
Serves 1. I made a double batch for Brian and I.
Note: (Well personal note lol) I love that I have a vegetarian soup recipe for a cold now. ^^
Green Veggie Stir-Fry
Ingredients
5 oz spinach, rinsed
5 baby bok choy heads, rinsed and chopped large
3 oz snow peas (I didn't actually measure, I was using leftovers-sorry)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 thick slice of ginger, peeled, grated
soy sauce to taste
water as needed
1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet on medium high (might be high for you- my electric stove is ridiculous). Add garlic and ginger. Let cook until fragrant. Add greens, some soy sauce and some water. Don' drown the leaves in water- give them enough to keep them moist/prevent crisping.If needed, add a cornstarch-water mixture to the stir-fry to thicken the sauce if the veggies are too watery. When leaves have wilted and the water is gone/sauce is thickened, serve and enjoy. We served them on top of Brian's crispy ramen noodles. :)
The boyfriend showed off his skills and cooked up some crispy fried ramen and some fish (for him) to go with the healing ginger-chive soup that I found on goop.com (we've been waking up a little sniffly and it's exam week for me so...yeah and yes, goop is that Gwenyth Paltrow website that is awesome) and a green stir-fry of bok choy, spinach, and snow peas.
Ingerdients
3 chive stalks, rinsed and cut
5 slices of peeled ginger
1.5 cups water
Instructions
Bring water to a boil. Add the veggies. And let lightly boil for 10 minutes, lid off.
Drink broth. (You can have some of the veggies too, obviously, but the broth has the nutrients you want.)
Serves 1. I made a double batch for Brian and I.
Note: (Well personal note lol) I love that I have a vegetarian soup recipe for a cold now. ^^
Green Veggie Stir-Fry
Ingredients
5 oz spinach, rinsed
5 baby bok choy heads, rinsed and chopped large
3 oz snow peas (I didn't actually measure, I was using leftovers-sorry)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 thick slice of ginger, peeled, grated
soy sauce to taste
water as needed
1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet on medium high (might be high for you- my electric stove is ridiculous). Add garlic and ginger. Let cook until fragrant. Add greens, some soy sauce and some water. Don' drown the leaves in water- give them enough to keep them moist/prevent crisping.If needed, add a cornstarch-water mixture to the stir-fry to thicken the sauce if the veggies are too watery. When leaves have wilted and the water is gone/sauce is thickened, serve and enjoy. We served them on top of Brian's crispy ramen noodles. :)
31 July 2010
Lentil Taco Salad
Double recipe post! :) (Since I've been so neglectful to the blog this month...)
I know it is hard to see the nutritional goodness of the lentils underneath all the cheese and sour cream I put on top, but trust me, it's there. I am posting an altered recipe based off of one I found in the lentil cookbook I borrowed from the library.
Lentil Taco Salad
Filling Ingredients
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed (do not soak, just rinse)
1 cup water
2 oz green chiles (1/2 a 4 oz can)
4 oz corn (1/2 a 8 oz can)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion, minced
1.5 tsp chile pepper powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
Put lentils, water, onion, garlic, and spices in a pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes (or until lentils are just barely tender), stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Let sit so the flavors blend. Cool if desired.
While the salad is getting its flavor on, cook taco salad shells according to package directions. Once shells are cooked (and cooled for like 2 minutes), add the lentil goodies and top with your desired amount of cheese and sour cream.
Note: You will have leftover corn and green chiles unless you make a double recipe. I threw mine into some mac n cheese sauce with a can of unsalted diced tomatoes and poured it on top of cooked macaroni for a Tex-Mex mac n cheese.
Lentil Taco Salad
Filling Ingredients
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed (do not soak, just rinse)
1 cup water
2 oz green chiles (1/2 a 4 oz can)
4 oz corn (1/2 a 8 oz can)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion, minced
1.5 tsp chile pepper powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
Put lentils, water, onion, garlic, and spices in a pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes (or until lentils are just barely tender), stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Let sit so the flavors blend. Cool if desired.
While the salad is getting its flavor on, cook taco salad shells according to package directions. Once shells are cooked (and cooled for like 2 minutes), add the lentil goodies and top with your desired amount of cheese and sour cream.
Note: You will have leftover corn and green chiles unless you make a double recipe. I threw mine into some mac n cheese sauce with a can of unsalted diced tomatoes and poured it on top of cooked macaroni for a Tex-Mex mac n cheese.
Spring Rolls
So, sorry about being away for a while. It's been a busy month, but I'm back on the last day to post pics/recipe from my (vegan) dinner two nights ago- SPRING ROLLS. =)
Here's what my finished roll looked like. (<---)
Traditionally, this Vietnamese dish is a rice paper roll wrapped around rice noodles (rice vermicelli), bean sprouts, mint leaves, shrimp and pork, and dipped in a sauce made from Hoisin sauce, water, and crushed peanuts. For my version, I replaced the shrimp/pork with carrots and snow peas. Carrots and snow peas (and the crushed peanuts) have protein although they're obviously not as protein packed as meat. (Which really isn't a bad thing considering diseases like diabetes come from too much protein consumption.)
Sauce Ingredients
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce or so, depending how many people you're serving/spring rolls you're eating
1 tsp water or so, to thin
crushed peanuts
Sauce Instructions
Heat Hoisin sauce in the microwave, about 30-40 seconds. Add water to thin sauce until it is less thick than originally, but is not liquid. Add crushed peanuts. Stir.
Roll Ingredients
1 pkg rice vermicelli (there will be leftovers)
2 handfuls bean sprouts, root end picked off, soft sprouts discarded (they're old/bad)
1/2 pkg Thai mint
handful of baby carrots or 1 medium carrot, peeled
handful of snowpeas
Roll Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil noodles for 8 minutes, then rinse in cold water (This ensures the noodles aren't too sticky). Let stand, cool. Rinse all vegetables thoroughly. Julienne the carrots (cut them into thin sticks). To prepare the wrappers themselves, just run them under a slow stream of cool tap water, on both sides until they are wet, but not soaked. Now, if you have the special spring roll plates that have little holes in them for the water to drain through, then use them and stack the prepared wraps up, 1 wrap per plate. If not, then prepare rolls one at a time. Take about a handful of the cool (room temperature really) noodles, and place it in the middle of the wrap. Top with the vegetables. Roll it together burrito style, then dip in the sauce and enjoy.
Traditionally, this Vietnamese dish is a rice paper roll wrapped around rice noodles (rice vermicelli), bean sprouts, mint leaves, shrimp and pork, and dipped in a sauce made from Hoisin sauce, water, and crushed peanuts. For my version, I replaced the shrimp/pork with carrots and snow peas. Carrots and snow peas (and the crushed peanuts) have protein although they're obviously not as protein packed as meat. (Which really isn't a bad thing considering diseases like diabetes come from too much protein consumption.)
Sauce Ingredients
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce or so, depending how many people you're serving/spring rolls you're eating
1 tsp water or so, to thin
crushed peanuts
Sauce Instructions
Heat Hoisin sauce in the microwave, about 30-40 seconds. Add water to thin sauce until it is less thick than originally, but is not liquid. Add crushed peanuts. Stir.
Roll Ingredients
1 pkg rice vermicelli (there will be leftovers)
2 handfuls bean sprouts, root end picked off, soft sprouts discarded (they're old/bad)
1/2 pkg Thai mint
handful of baby carrots or 1 medium carrot, peeled
handful of snowpeas
Roll Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil noodles for 8 minutes, then rinse in cold water (This ensures the noodles aren't too sticky). Let stand, cool. Rinse all vegetables thoroughly. Julienne the carrots (cut them into thin sticks). To prepare the wrappers themselves, just run them under a slow stream of cool tap water, on both sides until they are wet, but not soaked. Now, if you have the special spring roll plates that have little holes in them for the water to drain through, then use them and stack the prepared wraps up, 1 wrap per plate. If not, then prepare rolls one at a time. Take about a handful of the cool (room temperature really) noodles, and place it in the middle of the wrap. Top with the vegetables. Roll it together burrito style, then dip in the sauce and enjoy.
05 July 2010
Happy 4th of July!
Happy Independence Day/Happy Birthday America! :)
Here was my American-fusion dinner. :)
It looks like typical 4th fair- burger and fries with some sort of side, plus some alcohol, right? Well first off, it's a veggie burger (of course!). Second, the side dish is where our fusion comes in! I made "sweet and sour lentils with fine noodles", a recipe which I got from a recipe book I checked out from the library on Friday. (Yay for free cookbooks for temporary periods!) The recipe is from Lentil and Split Pea Cookbook, edited by Merilee Frets. Now I don't want to get into any legal trouble for sharing the recipe itself, but I'll let you know a little bit- it's a side dish with lentils and ramen noodles with carrots, bell pepper (which I didn't have), and onions (supposed to be green, I had yellow) in a homemade sweet and sour sauce, it's DELICIOUS, and if you can get a hold of the cookbook, it's on page 157.
Now not all of the recipes in this cookbook are vegetarian, but that works well for me since my boyfriend isn't a vegetarian and I cook for him too. I chose to borrow this cookbook from the library because well, it was what I needed- I'm a vegetarian on a college student budget, and lentils, split peas, and beans are more in my college kid budget than tempeh and tofu are protein-wise. Also, the non-vegeatrian recipes give me a chance to prove to Brian that lentils and split peas are not the horror he seems to think that they are from when he looked at my lentil curry or vegan split pea soup, making him more likely to try the vegtarian ones.
Here was my American-fusion dinner. :)
It looks like typical 4th fair- burger and fries with some sort of side, plus some alcohol, right? Well first off, it's a veggie burger (of course!). Second, the side dish is where our fusion comes in! I made "sweet and sour lentils with fine noodles", a recipe which I got from a recipe book I checked out from the library on Friday. (Yay for free cookbooks for temporary periods!) The recipe is from Lentil and Split Pea Cookbook, edited by Merilee Frets. Now I don't want to get into any legal trouble for sharing the recipe itself, but I'll let you know a little bit- it's a side dish with lentils and ramen noodles with carrots, bell pepper (which I didn't have), and onions (supposed to be green, I had yellow) in a homemade sweet and sour sauce, it's DELICIOUS, and if you can get a hold of the cookbook, it's on page 157.
Now not all of the recipes in this cookbook are vegetarian, but that works well for me since my boyfriend isn't a vegetarian and I cook for him too. I chose to borrow this cookbook from the library because well, it was what I needed- I'm a vegetarian on a college student budget, and lentils, split peas, and beans are more in my college kid budget than tempeh and tofu are protein-wise. Also, the non-vegeatrian recipes give me a chance to prove to Brian that lentils and split peas are not the horror he seems to think that they are from when he looked at my lentil curry or vegan split pea soup, making him more likely to try the vegtarian ones.
01 July 2010
Edamame
"Ed-uh-mom-ay"
I think...that's what my friend told me when I said "Ed-uh-mAm".
One of the things I've had on hand this month is a bag of frozen edamame pods to cook as a side dish or snack or even a dinner (as is the case tonight). Basically, it's non-fermented soy beans in their pods. To cook the frozen stuff I have, I bring water to a boil, add the frozen pods, and cook it 5-6 minutes. Then I drain out the water and shell them.
For my dinner tonight, I threw the shelled beans on top of some leftover rice from the other day, seasoned with a little bit of rice vinegar, salt, and pepper.
I don't like them all that much- they're pretty plain on their own, but they were cheap and they pack a lot of nutritional benefits. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_edamame_beans_good_for_you
Do you have any yummier recipes? Cause I could use them if you do. :)
I think...that's what my friend told me when I said "Ed-uh-mAm".
One of the things I've had on hand this month is a bag of frozen edamame pods to cook as a side dish or snack or even a dinner (as is the case tonight). Basically, it's non-fermented soy beans in their pods. To cook the frozen stuff I have, I bring water to a boil, add the frozen pods, and cook it 5-6 minutes. Then I drain out the water and shell them.
For my dinner tonight, I threw the shelled beans on top of some leftover rice from the other day, seasoned with a little bit of rice vinegar, salt, and pepper.
I don't like them all that much- they're pretty plain on their own, but they were cheap and they pack a lot of nutritional benefits. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_edamame_beans_good_for_you
Do you have any yummier recipes? Cause I could use them if you do. :)
Lentil Love
So dinner tonight was red lentils served with some roasted red pepper tomato sauce on top. :) It was delicious and filling (and cheap!).
Recipe:
1 cup red lentils
1.5 cups water
tomato sauce of choice to taste
In a thick pot (if you have one...unfortunately I don't) bring the water to a boil. Add lentils. Boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat and cover. Stir frequently so they don't burn. Mine only took 15 minutes to cook, but yours might take more or less time. Meanwhile, warm sauce. When lentils are ready, serve them and pour sauce on top like spaghetti sauce on spaghetti. :)
Serves 2.
26 June 2010
In Mourning for My Beach
Pensacola Beach was shut down this morning.
I have nothing else to say about that.
But I will say that there's a Tropical Depression in the Caribbean right now. It should be heading for Texas. Although that's days out so we don't really know for sure.
I'm depressed now. Please no oilcanes.
I have nothing else to say about that.
But I will say that there's a Tropical Depression in the Caribbean right now. It should be heading for Texas. Although that's days out so we don't really know for sure.
I'm depressed now. Please no oilcanes.
23 June 2010
Shrimp
Today I had lunch with my boyfriend and my friend Jane. We went to Chili's and, as I'm stretched for cash Brian and I split something. He really wanted the fajita trio- which has steak, chicken and shrimp in it. When our food came and we began making our fajitas, Jane (who knows that I am vegetarian by the way) noticed that I was putting only the grilled peppers and onions in my tortilla with the salsa and lettuce and cheese and she said
"You don't eat shrimp?"
"No"
"So you feel bad for the shrimp?"
Now Jane is a sweet person who has cats the she loves and other vegetarian friends who I would assume also don't eat fish, but I guess maybe they do. Well here was my reply
"Yes, I do. I mean especially all those poor gulf shrimp being smothered with oil right now and the shrimp from other areas being killed beyond regular means to freeze and ship to our area."
Personally I don't think the other shrimp should be killed either, but I'm not stupid, I know there's a demand for them and they're going to be killed, but I'm doing my own part to protest it by not buying it/eating it. (And I realize that there's hypocrisy in this since we ordered the fajita trio in the first place, but I didn't pay for it and in life and love there are times when compromises are made- at least I made a difference by telling Jane something new).
Anyway, the point of the story is that we SHOULD care about shrimp. We should care about sea creatures just as we do land animals. We shouldn't value one form of animal life over another. Funny enough when I came home this afternoon, I began reading a new book on vegetarianism, Diet for a New America by John Robbins. In the first chapter, Robbins details different stories of the selfless love of different types of animals, from land and sea helping humans in danger. It didn't matter if they were the pets who intimately knew the human or animals who knew none intimately, they came to the rescue of humans.
When I think about it, I really don't know why they would. We treat most of them with so little respect. We throw them off their land, destroy their homes, kill them, eat them, enslave their children for a destiny of another dinner plate, and yet sometimes, they help us when we're in need. Don't you think we should return the favor?
Here's a story of a brave pet pig from Diet for a New America:
"[A] mother and son had gone swimming in a Houston lake. The boy inadvertently strayed too far from shore, panicked, and began to sink. The boy's pet pig, Priscilla, evidently felt his distress because she rushed into the water and began to swim towards him. While Anthony's anguished mother watched helplessly, the boy managed to stay afloat until the pig reached him. Then he caught hold of her leash. Anthony's mother watched awe-struck as Priscilla the pig proceeded to tow her son safely to shore."
There are so many more in the book- dogs and dolphins, sea turtles and canaries who risked (or gave in one case) their lives to save humans. And I feel that it is so sweet and selfless and kind that they would do that for such violent creatures as us.
And although, yes, shrimp are small and can't tow me to safety or float me to safety, they are living, breathing, pain-feeling animals. And although they aren't in a feedlot contained to a ridiculously small space all of their lives, they are being suffocated to death in masses on a regular basis purely for our palate's pleasure. So yes, I care about shrimp and feel bad for them because of our treatment of them.
"You don't eat shrimp?"
"No"
"So you feel bad for the shrimp?"
Now Jane is a sweet person who has cats the she loves and other vegetarian friends who I would assume also don't eat fish, but I guess maybe they do. Well here was my reply
"Yes, I do. I mean especially all those poor gulf shrimp being smothered with oil right now and the shrimp from other areas being killed beyond regular means to freeze and ship to our area."
Personally I don't think the other shrimp should be killed either, but I'm not stupid, I know there's a demand for them and they're going to be killed, but I'm doing my own part to protest it by not buying it/eating it. (And I realize that there's hypocrisy in this since we ordered the fajita trio in the first place, but I didn't pay for it and in life and love there are times when compromises are made- at least I made a difference by telling Jane something new).
Anyway, the point of the story is that we SHOULD care about shrimp. We should care about sea creatures just as we do land animals. We shouldn't value one form of animal life over another. Funny enough when I came home this afternoon, I began reading a new book on vegetarianism, Diet for a New America by John Robbins. In the first chapter, Robbins details different stories of the selfless love of different types of animals, from land and sea helping humans in danger. It didn't matter if they were the pets who intimately knew the human or animals who knew none intimately, they came to the rescue of humans.
When I think about it, I really don't know why they would. We treat most of them with so little respect. We throw them off their land, destroy their homes, kill them, eat them, enslave their children for a destiny of another dinner plate, and yet sometimes, they help us when we're in need. Don't you think we should return the favor?
Here's a story of a brave pet pig from Diet for a New America:
"[A] mother and son had gone swimming in a Houston lake. The boy inadvertently strayed too far from shore, panicked, and began to sink. The boy's pet pig, Priscilla, evidently felt his distress because she rushed into the water and began to swim towards him. While Anthony's anguished mother watched helplessly, the boy managed to stay afloat until the pig reached him. Then he caught hold of her leash. Anthony's mother watched awe-struck as Priscilla the pig proceeded to tow her son safely to shore."
There are so many more in the book- dogs and dolphins, sea turtles and canaries who risked (or gave in one case) their lives to save humans. And I feel that it is so sweet and selfless and kind that they would do that for such violent creatures as us.
And although, yes, shrimp are small and can't tow me to safety or float me to safety, they are living, breathing, pain-feeling animals. And although they aren't in a feedlot contained to a ridiculously small space all of their lives, they are being suffocated to death in masses on a regular basis purely for our palate's pleasure. So yes, I care about shrimp and feel bad for them because of our treatment of them.
22 June 2010
Second Post = Food Post
With picture ^^
Welcome to the college gourmet- Vegan, Italian-Style Ramen noodles.
Ingredients:
2 packages ramen, no MSG chicken flavored packets here- toss them aside
1/4 lb asparagus, bottom part removed, sliced into 1" pieces
1/3 bunch of parsley (bunch as sold in stores), chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, diced
1/4 onion, diced
olive oil to desired saucy-ness
Directions:
Pasta: Boil water. When it's boiling, add ramen. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
Asparagus: Steam. I did this in a microwave container for this purpose, small amount of water boils below, tray holds asparagus above. It was in the microwave for 2 minutes. Otherwise, boil water with metal strainer bowl on top. Add asparagus for 1-2 minutes, until heated through and nice and green.
The rest of the dish: Heat some olive oil in a skillet, add onion. When onion smells sweet and is tender, add garlic and parsley. When it smells amazing (about 1 minute), add the asparagus and ramen. Toss. Enjoy. :)
Serves 3 servings slightly larger than the one pictured above (I took a couple bites and Brian gave me the idea to photograph our lovely dinner).
Welcome to the college gourmet- Vegan, Italian-Style Ramen noodles.
Ingredients:
2 packages ramen, no MSG chicken flavored packets here- toss them aside
1/4 lb asparagus, bottom part removed, sliced into 1" pieces
1/3 bunch of parsley (bunch as sold in stores), chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, diced
1/4 onion, diced
olive oil to desired saucy-ness
Directions:
Pasta: Boil water. When it's boiling, add ramen. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
Asparagus: Steam. I did this in a microwave container for this purpose, small amount of water boils below, tray holds asparagus above. It was in the microwave for 2 minutes. Otherwise, boil water with metal strainer bowl on top. Add asparagus for 1-2 minutes, until heated through and nice and green.
The rest of the dish: Heat some olive oil in a skillet, add onion. When onion smells sweet and is tender, add garlic and parsley. When it smells amazing (about 1 minute), add the asparagus and ramen. Toss. Enjoy. :)
Serves 3 servings slightly larger than the one pictured above (I took a couple bites and Brian gave me the idea to photograph our lovely dinner).
Double Post Monday!
First post (Warning: it's a long one)-
Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth From The Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat by Howard F Lyman with Glen Merzer
Review: First I'd like to say that this is quite literally a REview. I finished the book today and enjoyed it's summation so much that I decided to go back through the book and highlight thing/phrases that I found important. It all started this morning- I had 2 chapters to go. And then my power went out (for the 3rd time this month btw- can you believe that?). So I sat by an open window (well open blinds...window closed so as no rain came in) and read....and I was hooked and inspired.
To be honest I hadn't been hooked from the beginning of the book. It started a little oddly, with a different narrative voice than I'm used to for nonfiction. Lyman has a storytelling way of writing. It was an adjustment at first since I expect facts to be in statements and boring reports, not stories, but it ultimately won me over. Around the time that he stopped talking about he and Oprah's lawsuit experience with the Texas cattle industry and he started talking about the facts of the cleanliness or lack thereof of the meat industry I became interested (and sickened at what I used to eat and still cook for mon amour).
In the third chapter he began talking about what got me into the movement- the effects of animal farming on nature. I was happy to be reading something (slightly) less sickening and surprised at the amount of destruction that I didn't know occurred to the land by chemical and animal farming. I knew the pesticides and fecal matter polluted waterways, I knew food growing and animal transport and butchering emitted greenhouse gases. I did not know that the chemical fertilizers destroyed the soil and the trees that grew near farms. I did not know that the fecal matter polluted waters get into the oceans and infect fish with disgusting bacteria. I did not know that the animal consumption of the pesticides is stored into the animals' fat and that our consumption of this fatty meat (and milk) gives people 95% of their exposure to pesticides- not our apples. I was astounded at how much I didn't know.
But then the book goes on. In chapter four he tells his personal tale about his journey into vegetarianism. And though the previous chapter was needed to lead up to it, I feel like this more emotionally charged tale should have come first in the book, not his Oprah experience (although I guess it might not have been published/bought otherwise...Oprah does seem to rule the US in her own way). You see this cattle rancher no longer eats meat because of one life changing experience- he had a spinal tumor that should have rendered him disabled, but didn't. After he had this tumor removed (and survived with legs functioning) he went through a series of epiphanies, including that organic family farming was better than feedlot/chemical operation, he decided that his treatment of the Earth and the animals effected the way he treated humans- his wife, his kids, and of course himself. He became vegetarian for health and compassion. He has gone from farmer to Washington representative (rep for a farmer union though, not as a legislative authority).
Chapter 5 goes into a different direction which is the main title- mad cow disease. It is a rather disconcerting chapter on how unsafe we Americans are from mad cow disease, even today and how little the government cares. Apparently mad cow disease travels by blood- so when you eat a rare steak of an effected cow you're exposed. If that cow gave birth before you ate it- it was exposed. If it's other remains were put in your cat's or dog's food...it is also exposed. I had NO idea. And also scary is the root of mad cow disease- cannibalism.
Chapter 6 discusses more about the government and food industry relations which are upsetting too. Another good resource for this if you interested is the documentary The Future of Food. It's available to stream for free online at hulu.com.
Chapter 7 discusses the environmental issues with feedlot and free range cows. There are also a lot of things I learned from this chapter. Did you know that cattle grazing destroys the topsoil which (along with those chemicals) increases our rate of destruction of land- particularly out west? Our water too.
Chapter 8 talks about weight loss and proper nutrition. It discusses how misinformed we are about nutrition and the effects it takes on our health. Now while I'm not looking to loose weight- I really enjoyed this chapter, and particularly LOVED his discussion at t he end of the chapter. He makes a great analogy of eating meat to smoking: It's a step to decrease from smoking 2 packs a day to 1, but it doesn't significantly decrease your risk of lung cancer. Same with meat, eating less meat a week than you used to is nice, but it won't significantly decrease your chance of diabetes or heart attack or stroke or colon cancer (or breast cancer which I didn't know) like quitting will. He also gave some great arguments that we can use for non-vegetarians who ask us questions, including an awesome response for the infamous "but humans are made to eat meat, we're carnivorous" comment.
Finally, chapter 9 summed it all up with his assessment of a return visit to his native Montana and his philosophical wondering of what matters for us to leave behind when we die.
In the end, it was an awesome, informative, inspiring, philosophical true story. It reads like a novel (albeit slightly disorganized), but gives nonfiction truth. It was an adjustment for me to read a narrative like his, but the initial dislike grew to a love. It's kind of like (actually very much like) when your grandfather tells you a story. He's old, so he tells it kind of slow and gets distracted from the main point frequently, but when you have finally heard all of it, you realize you actually learned something meaningful, something that only those who have seen a lot can tell you with their years of wisdom on you. Putting it that way makes me miss my dad and my grandpa actually (happy belated fathers day!).
Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth From The Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat by Howard F Lyman with Glen Merzer
Review: First I'd like to say that this is quite literally a REview. I finished the book today and enjoyed it's summation so much that I decided to go back through the book and highlight thing/phrases that I found important. It all started this morning- I had 2 chapters to go. And then my power went out (for the 3rd time this month btw- can you believe that?). So I sat by an open window (well open blinds...window closed so as no rain came in) and read....and I was hooked and inspired.
To be honest I hadn't been hooked from the beginning of the book. It started a little oddly, with a different narrative voice than I'm used to for nonfiction. Lyman has a storytelling way of writing. It was an adjustment at first since I expect facts to be in statements and boring reports, not stories, but it ultimately won me over. Around the time that he stopped talking about he and Oprah's lawsuit experience with the Texas cattle industry and he started talking about the facts of the cleanliness or lack thereof of the meat industry I became interested (and sickened at what I used to eat and still cook for mon amour).
In the third chapter he began talking about what got me into the movement- the effects of animal farming on nature. I was happy to be reading something (slightly) less sickening and surprised at the amount of destruction that I didn't know occurred to the land by chemical and animal farming. I knew the pesticides and fecal matter polluted waterways, I knew food growing and animal transport and butchering emitted greenhouse gases. I did not know that the chemical fertilizers destroyed the soil and the trees that grew near farms. I did not know that the fecal matter polluted waters get into the oceans and infect fish with disgusting bacteria. I did not know that the animal consumption of the pesticides is stored into the animals' fat and that our consumption of this fatty meat (and milk) gives people 95% of their exposure to pesticides- not our apples. I was astounded at how much I didn't know.
But then the book goes on. In chapter four he tells his personal tale about his journey into vegetarianism. And though the previous chapter was needed to lead up to it, I feel like this more emotionally charged tale should have come first in the book, not his Oprah experience (although I guess it might not have been published/bought otherwise...Oprah does seem to rule the US in her own way). You see this cattle rancher no longer eats meat because of one life changing experience- he had a spinal tumor that should have rendered him disabled, but didn't. After he had this tumor removed (and survived with legs functioning) he went through a series of epiphanies, including that organic family farming was better than feedlot/chemical operation, he decided that his treatment of the Earth and the animals effected the way he treated humans- his wife, his kids, and of course himself. He became vegetarian for health and compassion. He has gone from farmer to Washington representative (rep for a farmer union though, not as a legislative authority).
Chapter 5 goes into a different direction which is the main title- mad cow disease. It is a rather disconcerting chapter on how unsafe we Americans are from mad cow disease, even today and how little the government cares. Apparently mad cow disease travels by blood- so when you eat a rare steak of an effected cow you're exposed. If that cow gave birth before you ate it- it was exposed. If it's other remains were put in your cat's or dog's food...it is also exposed. I had NO idea. And also scary is the root of mad cow disease- cannibalism.
Chapter 6 discusses more about the government and food industry relations which are upsetting too. Another good resource for this if you interested is the documentary The Future of Food. It's available to stream for free online at hulu.com.
Chapter 7 discusses the environmental issues with feedlot and free range cows. There are also a lot of things I learned from this chapter. Did you know that cattle grazing destroys the topsoil which (along with those chemicals) increases our rate of destruction of land- particularly out west? Our water too.
Chapter 8 talks about weight loss and proper nutrition. It discusses how misinformed we are about nutrition and the effects it takes on our health. Now while I'm not looking to loose weight- I really enjoyed this chapter, and particularly LOVED his discussion at t he end of the chapter. He makes a great analogy of eating meat to smoking: It's a step to decrease from smoking 2 packs a day to 1, but it doesn't significantly decrease your risk of lung cancer. Same with meat, eating less meat a week than you used to is nice, but it won't significantly decrease your chance of diabetes or heart attack or stroke or colon cancer (or breast cancer which I didn't know) like quitting will. He also gave some great arguments that we can use for non-vegetarians who ask us questions, including an awesome response for the infamous "but humans are made to eat meat, we're carnivorous" comment.
Finally, chapter 9 summed it all up with his assessment of a return visit to his native Montana and his philosophical wondering of what matters for us to leave behind when we die.
In the end, it was an awesome, informative, inspiring, philosophical true story. It reads like a novel (albeit slightly disorganized), but gives nonfiction truth. It was an adjustment for me to read a narrative like his, but the initial dislike grew to a love. It's kind of like (actually very much like) when your grandfather tells you a story. He's old, so he tells it kind of slow and gets distracted from the main point frequently, but when you have finally heard all of it, you realize you actually learned something meaningful, something that only those who have seen a lot can tell you with their years of wisdom on you. Putting it that way makes me miss my dad and my grandpa actually (happy belated fathers day!).
16 June 2010
Unfocused College Student
Ok so I SHOULD be working on my homework...it's due Friday, so I have a little bit...but I want to have actually done some of it (or rather some more of it) when I work with friends from the class tomorrow. However, me studying in front of the computer is a bad idea- I tend to play with my computer or browse the interwebs. So today I've been studying in the living room. Having the house to myself, I decided I could watch some more girly shows- like HGTV design sows that Brian would never watch with me and well...you guessed it- I became unfocused.
Well HGTV is awesome and all, but then this episode of a design show came on where they were designing a nursery (not exactly relevant to me)...so I did some channel surfing. While channel surfing, I came across an episode of Top Chef on Bravo where Natalie Portman was on and they had to make a vegetarian meal for her as their challenge!!! It was great! It's not often that you find cooking contests for vegetarians on tv. Plus, I love Natalie Portman! She's just amazing. (I mean just watch Garden State or listen to her Lonely Island song- just awesome!)
Well HGTV is awesome and all, but then this episode of a design show came on where they were designing a nursery (not exactly relevant to me)...so I did some channel surfing. While channel surfing, I came across an episode of Top Chef on Bravo where Natalie Portman was on and they had to make a vegetarian meal for her as their challenge!!! It was great! It's not often that you find cooking contests for vegetarians on tv. Plus, I love Natalie Portman! She's just amazing. (I mean just watch Garden State or listen to her Lonely Island song- just awesome!)
Disappointed with Obama Address, Infatuated With Potato Soup
Tonight at 8 PM EDT Obama gave an address about the Oil Spill which should be available on Hulu and YouTube by tomorrow. While I was impressed by his tour of our area (earlier I saw him at Pensacola's NAS giving a speech as well) and his prompt return to Washington, DC, I was not impressed by what he had to say. I know that he as a politician is not going to have a scientific strategy for how we should stop the leak and clean the ocean and land, but I was hopeful he would decide to take things into the governments hand and get more military involvement in the cleanup (after all, isn't that what the national guard is for? to protect our shores, land, and our people?) and maybe even in research for how to solve the issues at hand. But, no. He gave an eloquent speech saying absolutely nothing about what his administration was going to do other than to not "give up hope". Seriously? Because that speech kind of took away a lot of my hopes...
On a much happier note, I had a delicious cheesey potato soup and got inspired for a recipe for some vegan mashed potatoes that I might try if I ever run out of the powdered stuff.
The soup recipe can be found here online:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,148173-227198,00.html
(and by the way the non-vegetarian boyfriend loved it and I also ate this soup on St. Patty's Day with my friend Jane who loved it as well) We garnished it with fresh basil leaves because my plant is getting weighed down by itself in its tiny pot. It was a tasty choice. We also served it with garlic toast- which was delicious as well.
As for the vegan mashed potatoes...
Basically, I'd take the recipe from the link above, using vegetable broth/stock (I actually used 1.5 c water + a veggie bouillon cube which is a slightly cheaper way) and do everything until the part where it says to blend 1/2 the soup. Instead, I'd just blend all of it. I tasted the mixture when trying to get scraps of it off my food processor into the pot and it was delicious. I'm not totally sure if the food to liquid ratio would be quite right for mashed potatoes, but the taste is amazing. Garlic + thyme = best seasonings ever for potatoes. :)
On a much happier note, I had a delicious cheesey potato soup and got inspired for a recipe for some vegan mashed potatoes that I might try if I ever run out of the powdered stuff.
The soup recipe can be found here online:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,148173-227198,00.html
(and by the way the non-vegetarian boyfriend loved it and I also ate this soup on St. Patty's Day with my friend Jane who loved it as well) We garnished it with fresh basil leaves because my plant is getting weighed down by itself in its tiny pot. It was a tasty choice. We also served it with garlic toast- which was delicious as well.
As for the vegan mashed potatoes...
Basically, I'd take the recipe from the link above, using vegetable broth/stock (I actually used 1.5 c water + a veggie bouillon cube which is a slightly cheaper way) and do everything until the part where it says to blend 1/2 the soup. Instead, I'd just blend all of it. I tasted the mixture when trying to get scraps of it off my food processor into the pot and it was delicious. I'm not totally sure if the food to liquid ratio would be quite right for mashed potatoes, but the taste is amazing. Garlic + thyme = best seasonings ever for potatoes. :)
12 June 2010
Fancy Breakfast For Dinner
Eggs Benedict! (Sans Canadian bacon of course).
Ingredients:
1 English muffin, split
1 packet McCormick's Hollandaise sauce mix
1/2 stick butter
1 cup water
2 eggs
dash Paprika or Chili Pepper for garnish
Cooking:
Timing is the biggest issue with this dish. Start the sauce first! Follow the directions on the sauce packet. While the butter is melting, start boiling some water to poach the eggs in. Once the sauce mixture is boiling, when you reduce heat and simmer it for a minute throw your eggs in the boiling water and start toasting your English muffins. Splash some water on top of the yolk so a thin layer of opaque white covers them and keeps them warm, but not cooking them solid. Once the white layer over the eggs appears and the whites are cooked, the eggs are ready.
Assembly:
Two methods-
1) Sauce lovers- Put English muffins on plate. Top with a spoonful of the sauce, then egg, then more sauce and garnish if desired.
2)Sauce conscious eaters- Top English muffin with egg, then sauce, then garnish.
Ingredients:
1 English muffin, split
1 packet McCormick's Hollandaise sauce mix
1/2 stick butter
1 cup water
2 eggs
dash Paprika or Chili Pepper for garnish
Cooking:
Timing is the biggest issue with this dish. Start the sauce first! Follow the directions on the sauce packet. While the butter is melting, start boiling some water to poach the eggs in. Once the sauce mixture is boiling, when you reduce heat and simmer it for a minute throw your eggs in the boiling water and start toasting your English muffins. Splash some water on top of the yolk so a thin layer of opaque white covers them and keeps them warm, but not cooking them solid. Once the white layer over the eggs appears and the whites are cooked, the eggs are ready.
Assembly:
Two methods-
1) Sauce lovers- Put English muffins on plate. Top with a spoonful of the sauce, then egg, then more sauce and garnish if desired.
2)Sauce conscious eaters- Top English muffin with egg, then sauce, then garnish.
04 June 2010
Gulf Coast Oil Spill- Location Update and Scientific Discussion
The Gulf Coast Oil Spill has reached Pensacola Beach.
We've known for over a month this day would come. We've been waiting for it, preparing for it, dreading it. It has finally reached Pensacola. Now it's ready to be swept into the Gulf Current and blown up the east coast and maybe over to Europe or the Middle East.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_oil_spill_florida
http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Florida-coast-suffers-first-impact-from-oil-spill-2010-06-04T163646Z-UPDATE-2
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Florida+coast+suffers+first+impact+from+spill/3112240/story.html
When we saw this on CNN while eating lunch, Brian jokingly said to me "2012- Wanna go to France?". I don't believe that 2012 stuff- it's silly...but f there was some alien race coming to judge us, I wouldn't blame them if they wanted to kill us for killing the planet-the punishment fits the crime. Think about it- we're killing millions of fish and sea mamals and a delicate ecosystem. Why? So we can drive instead of walk or bike.
Well, there are a couple of new things I want to mention as well. For the people who want to clean up- not all the information needed is actually being disseminated. The dispersants used in the water are actually carcinogens which can be inhaled. Coastal cleanup volunteers should be wearing masks, and could cause a great deal of harm to themselves if they don't. Also, to clean oil off of the animals you need to have special training so you don't hurt the animal.
Another shocking environmental impact that the media is not discussing is the air quality. When we heard the news that the oil had reached our hometown, we both called our parents. When I was talking to my mom, she said that she had been coughing a lot and got a throat swab done (we both usually get atypical strep when we get strep- you can't see white spots, so only the throat swabs will tell if you have it or not) and the results were really surprising- she had inhaled some petroleum. Her doctor's theory is that the burning at the oil spill site got petroleum particles into the cloud and they rained down. From my atmospheric physics class, this makes sense, the small particles could became what we meteorologists call cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and when there is enough moisture (which is basically everyday for the Gulf Coast- especially in summer, sea breeze season), these particles became parts of clouds and then rained down over the area. This same process is how acid rain works, where particles from volcanoes or anthropogenic sources of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides become CCN, form clouds, then rain and fall down. However, with acid rain there is a chemical reaction that turns water and sulfates or nitrates into sulfuric or nitric acid. There is no reaction between the oil and the water because of the molecular bonds, so instead of the combination causing acid rain, it just brings the particles down in normal rain.
Now I do have a Bachelors, but I don't have a Master's or a PhD in meteorology. I have only had one class that discussed cloud physics. I could easily be wrong. It's also possible that she could've gotten it from filling up her car's tank. I feel that the theory is more likely however because she doesn't fill up her car often since she has a hybrid, and there has never been a time in my lifetime where my mom's throat has been irritated by having petroleum particles in it as far as we know of. So these facts plus the timing make the event suspect.
Now, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) recently distributed a PDF on the mutual effects of hurricanes and the oil in the Gulf Waters. In it, it says that if a hurricane passes over the area, it will not rain oil. In theory, this is true and well based on science- hurricanes are powered through the evaporation of warm ocean water- over a larger area than the are of the oil spill. Oil and water have very different chemical properties, so the oil will not be evaporated and get carried into the storm and rain down. BUT they are forgetting that the air will contain particulates of the oil in it if there are oil burns close to the passing of the hurricane and that these particles can become part of the cloud drops, then part of rain drops.
We're hurting ourselves more than we know with our greed for oil and animal flesh (including sea animals!). I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I hope that if anyone comes across this besides my friend Allie that they will at least consider the impacts they have on the earth by doing things as simple as eating and going from one location to another.
And now some legalese as I leave...
Please note: I am not a professional. I have a degree in meteorology, but the theory of oil becoming a CCN is, to the best of my knowledge, an untested one. My ideas do not reflect those of any organization.
We've known for over a month this day would come. We've been waiting for it, preparing for it, dreading it. It has finally reached Pensacola. Now it's ready to be swept into the Gulf Current and blown up the east coast and maybe over to Europe or the Middle East.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_oil_spill_florida
http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Florida-coast-suffers-first-impact-from-oil-spill-2010-06-04T163646Z-UPDATE-2
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Florida+coast+suffers+first+impact+from+spill/3112240/story.html
When we saw this on CNN while eating lunch, Brian jokingly said to me "2012- Wanna go to France?". I don't believe that 2012 stuff- it's silly...but f there was some alien race coming to judge us, I wouldn't blame them if they wanted to kill us for killing the planet-the punishment fits the crime. Think about it- we're killing millions of fish and sea mamals and a delicate ecosystem. Why? So we can drive instead of walk or bike.
Well, there are a couple of new things I want to mention as well. For the people who want to clean up- not all the information needed is actually being disseminated. The dispersants used in the water are actually carcinogens which can be inhaled. Coastal cleanup volunteers should be wearing masks, and could cause a great deal of harm to themselves if they don't. Also, to clean oil off of the animals you need to have special training so you don't hurt the animal.
Another shocking environmental impact that the media is not discussing is the air quality. When we heard the news that the oil had reached our hometown, we both called our parents. When I was talking to my mom, she said that she had been coughing a lot and got a throat swab done (we both usually get atypical strep when we get strep- you can't see white spots, so only the throat swabs will tell if you have it or not) and the results were really surprising- she had inhaled some petroleum. Her doctor's theory is that the burning at the oil spill site got petroleum particles into the cloud and they rained down. From my atmospheric physics class, this makes sense, the small particles could became what we meteorologists call cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and when there is enough moisture (which is basically everyday for the Gulf Coast- especially in summer, sea breeze season), these particles became parts of clouds and then rained down over the area. This same process is how acid rain works, where particles from volcanoes or anthropogenic sources of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides become CCN, form clouds, then rain and fall down. However, with acid rain there is a chemical reaction that turns water and sulfates or nitrates into sulfuric or nitric acid. There is no reaction between the oil and the water because of the molecular bonds, so instead of the combination causing acid rain, it just brings the particles down in normal rain.
Now I do have a Bachelors, but I don't have a Master's or a PhD in meteorology. I have only had one class that discussed cloud physics. I could easily be wrong. It's also possible that she could've gotten it from filling up her car's tank. I feel that the theory is more likely however because she doesn't fill up her car often since she has a hybrid, and there has never been a time in my lifetime where my mom's throat has been irritated by having petroleum particles in it as far as we know of. So these facts plus the timing make the event suspect.
Now, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) recently distributed a PDF on the mutual effects of hurricanes and the oil in the Gulf Waters. In it, it says that if a hurricane passes over the area, it will not rain oil. In theory, this is true and well based on science- hurricanes are powered through the evaporation of warm ocean water- over a larger area than the are of the oil spill. Oil and water have very different chemical properties, so the oil will not be evaporated and get carried into the storm and rain down. BUT they are forgetting that the air will contain particulates of the oil in it if there are oil burns close to the passing of the hurricane and that these particles can become part of the cloud drops, then part of rain drops.
We're hurting ourselves more than we know with our greed for oil and animal flesh (including sea animals!). I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I hope that if anyone comes across this besides my friend Allie that they will at least consider the impacts they have on the earth by doing things as simple as eating and going from one location to another.
And now some legalese as I leave...
Please note: I am not a professional. I have a degree in meteorology, but the theory of oil becoming a CCN is, to the best of my knowledge, an untested one. My ideas do not reflect those of any organization.
31 May 2010
Happy Memorial Day!
Alrighty so May has been a busy month for me- I'm in a pretty hard math class and I'm volunteering at the NWS office like 3 times a week now, and I meant to be posting more, but I just haven't been :(.
Well to make up for lost blogs I'll try and talk about a couple of things-
1. I bought a book! ^^
I've been reading more this summer because I had a couple of fun books I was almost finished with when I got bogged down with homework in the Spring semester. I finished reading a Carol Higgins Clark book- Laced, and I finished up the Final Confessions of Georgia Nicholson by Louis Rennison- Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (Both fluff, but fun fluff ^^.) And from listening to Vegetarian Food for Thought (and checking through her website) I decided to get some new books- which are of more of a serious nature than the other ones I've been reading. I bought Mad Cowboy by Howard F Lyman and Diet For A New America by John Robbins (and I bought Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass for fun <3 for Whitman).
So far I've only read the first 3 chapters of Mad Cowboy (and I'm simultaneously reading Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series)), but so far it's really intriguing. It's written by a farmer who grew up on his family's organic farm, went to college for agriculture and was taught about chemical based agriculture, came home and took over is family farm with these new ideas (his dad was old and his brother had cancer), and basically killed his land and went from dairy farm to cow-mill on the animal front, and then got a paralyzing tumor on his spine from all the chemicals he had been using. Now he's pushing veganism and works as a Farmer Union worker pushing bills in DC to support organic family farms. It's a really interesting book and makes me a little worried about even my veggies from Walmart based on the way he says he and other farmers treated their farms.
2. Reading this book, along with watching the travesty that is the Gulf Coast Oil Spill has made me think about what I can do.
Obviously I can try (and am trying) to put my money with the better choices such as buying organic when I can afford to and not supporting BP, biking, walking, or carpooling when I can, but also by my political action. I'm registered with the green party (yes- crazy hippie, no-not a Ralph Nader supporter), but I regret to say that I haven't updated my address in a while, so I'm mailing that form in tomorrow (no post on Memorial Day) and looking at my state's Green Party website to see what I can do about the Oil Spill (they're trying to get the President and the Governor to declare a state of emergency, which between the spill being unstoppable/unclog-able and the hurricane season coming, I can't say is a bad idea).
I've also already signed a petition on CredoAction http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/epa_bp/?r_by=&rc=paste2 . Surprisingly, it's hard for me to support a lot of these petitions for stopping off-shore drilling though, because while I'm personally against it, I have family working for oil companies doing off-shore drilling (not with BP mind you) and I don't exactly want my family to be jobless. This particular petition is more aimed at BP and how it's financing it's actions to stop the leak.
3. Unrelated Stuff
Allie's going to New Zealand soon! :O
I got a Wii.
I'm seeing Sex and the City 2 in a little bit- I'll tell you if it's as bad as the reviews say.
YAY! :D
Well to make up for lost blogs I'll try and talk about a couple of things-
1. I bought a book! ^^
I've been reading more this summer because I had a couple of fun books I was almost finished with when I got bogged down with homework in the Spring semester. I finished reading a Carol Higgins Clark book- Laced, and I finished up the Final Confessions of Georgia Nicholson by Louis Rennison- Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (Both fluff, but fun fluff ^^.) And from listening to Vegetarian Food for Thought (and checking through her website) I decided to get some new books- which are of more of a serious nature than the other ones I've been reading. I bought Mad Cowboy by Howard F Lyman and Diet For A New America by John Robbins (and I bought Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass for fun <3 for Whitman).
So far I've only read the first 3 chapters of Mad Cowboy (and I'm simultaneously reading Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series)), but so far it's really intriguing. It's written by a farmer who grew up on his family's organic farm, went to college for agriculture and was taught about chemical based agriculture, came home and took over is family farm with these new ideas (his dad was old and his brother had cancer), and basically killed his land and went from dairy farm to cow-mill on the animal front, and then got a paralyzing tumor on his spine from all the chemicals he had been using. Now he's pushing veganism and works as a Farmer Union worker pushing bills in DC to support organic family farms. It's a really interesting book and makes me a little worried about even my veggies from Walmart based on the way he says he and other farmers treated their farms.
2. Reading this book, along with watching the travesty that is the Gulf Coast Oil Spill has made me think about what I can do.
Obviously I can try (and am trying) to put my money with the better choices such as buying organic when I can afford to and not supporting BP, biking, walking, or carpooling when I can, but also by my political action. I'm registered with the green party (yes- crazy hippie, no-not a Ralph Nader supporter), but I regret to say that I haven't updated my address in a while, so I'm mailing that form in tomorrow (no post on Memorial Day) and looking at my state's Green Party website to see what I can do about the Oil Spill (they're trying to get the President and the Governor to declare a state of emergency, which between the spill being unstoppable/unclog-able and the hurricane season coming, I can't say is a bad idea).
I've also already signed a petition on CredoAction http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/epa_bp/?r_by=&rc=paste2 . Surprisingly, it's hard for me to support a lot of these petitions for stopping off-shore drilling though, because while I'm personally against it, I have family working for oil companies doing off-shore drilling (not with BP mind you) and I don't exactly want my family to be jobless. This particular petition is more aimed at BP and how it's financing it's actions to stop the leak.
3. Unrelated Stuff
Allie's going to New Zealand soon! :O
I got a Wii.
I'm seeing Sex and the City 2 in a little bit- I'll tell you if it's as bad as the reviews say.
YAY! :D
23 May 2010
Recipe That a Non-Vegetarian Manly Man Loves
The week before last I made a deal with Brian- I'd cook more of his favorite meat meals (which I already pretty much do anyways but I guess he thinks that I don't) if he tried a week's worth of vegetarian dinners (haha!). So last week he had a vegetarian dinner every night of the week. While he didn't like all of them (and to be honest, I didn't either- I was just trying new dishes out with him), I found one meal that he really loved- like he loved it so much that he had thirds and was sad when we ate it all.
Mexican Pasta Casserole
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=16971.0
Enjoy. :)
Mexican Pasta Casserole
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=16971.0
Enjoy. :)
18 May 2010
Pad Thai Noodles with a Twist
So I still had some leftover veggie snack mix and I could tell the snow peas were starting to dry out and I needed to use it up quickly. I also had some egg-less ribbon noodles (egg noodles sans egg) and some peanut sauce from the last time I made Pad Thai for Brian and I (a while ago). So I had a Pseudo Pad Thai lunch.
Pad Thai Veggie Snack Mix
noodles
veggie snack mix
pad Thai sauce (recipe follows)
dry roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)
In a sauce pan, boil some water. Add noodles, cooking al dente (follow directions on packet). When pasta is cooked, turn off heat. Drain off most of the water, leaving some at the bottom. Add veggie snack mix. Add a spoonful or so of the sauce (to taste/consistency wanted). Stir, mixing thoroughly. Serve immediately. Garnish with crushed, dry roasted peanuts if desired.
Pad Thai Sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 cup peanut butter
garlic chili sauce to taste
soy sauce to taste
rice vinegar to taste
lime juice to taste
chili powder, salt, pepper, sugar to taste
In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add peanut butter and whisk thoroughly, lowering heat if needed. When the heat has melted the peanut butter a bit (not to burning point- turn down the heat if you're there), add the other ingredients, constantly whisking and tasting to find when it tastes good to you.
NOTES:
This isn't an authentic recipe at all. It's an Americanized version that I made to use up my leftovers and get a similar taste to Pad Thai.
Traditional Thai cuisine uses fish sauce, which makes it not exactly vegetarian.
I mentioned in the post that I used ribbon noodles- a more authentic noodle to use would be a rice-based, fettuccine-styled noodle found in Asian groceries.
Pad Thai wouldn't normally have the veggie snack mix, but rather sautéed onions, scrambled egg, and chives (and meat for non-vegetarians, tofu works well too).
Usually, the sauce is very thin and just barely covers the noodles. It often does not actually have peanut butter in the sauce, but rather just garnished peanuts on top for the flavor.
It's usually garnished with bean sprouts and crushed peanuts
17 May 2010
Avocado Wrap and Lentil Curry Soup
Here's some delicious stuff that I came up with when trying to use up stuff in my house last week:
Avocado Wrap
1/2 avocado, sliced
some alfalfa sprouts, rinsed
veggie snack mix (see vegan summer lunches post)
1 wrap of choice (I used whole grain, but use whatever you like)
Warm wrap covered in damp paper towel in microwave 30 seconds or so, to make it easier to wrap. Place avocado slices in the center, add sprouts and veggie snack mix. Wrap or roll and enjoy! ^^
Lentil Curry Soup/Stew
1 lb bag (brown) lentils
1 bag frozen vegetables for soup mix (mine had corn, green beans, lima beans, potatoes, some okra, and tomatoes)
lots of water...about 6 cups, but to be honest I didn't actually measure...
1 Tbs olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
Curry powder to taste (tumeric, garlic powder, chili pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove)
In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and garlic. When the garlic becomes fragrant, add frozen veggies. Wait a little bit for the veggies to absorb some of the garlic infused olive oil and some of the ice to melt, about 1-2 minutes. Add water. Since I don't have an exact measurement you might want to add less at first...I added more later after tasting the lentils. Bring water to a boil and add the bag of lentils. Let cook 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, tasting later to make sure flavors are blending and that the lentils have enough water to become soft.
Serves...a lot...probably about 12...maybe more.
Serving suggestion: serve warm over rice, OR put in a wrap with lettuce and tomato, maybe rice for an Indian twist on burritos- warm or cold works for this one.
Avocado Wrap
1/2 avocado, sliced
some alfalfa sprouts, rinsed
veggie snack mix (see vegan summer lunches post)
1 wrap of choice (I used whole grain, but use whatever you like)
Warm wrap covered in damp paper towel in microwave 30 seconds or so, to make it easier to wrap. Place avocado slices in the center, add sprouts and veggie snack mix. Wrap or roll and enjoy! ^^
Lentil Curry Soup/Stew
1 lb bag (brown) lentils
1 bag frozen vegetables for soup mix (mine had corn, green beans, lima beans, potatoes, some okra, and tomatoes)
lots of water...about 6 cups, but to be honest I didn't actually measure...
1 Tbs olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
Curry powder to taste (tumeric, garlic powder, chili pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove)
In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and garlic. When the garlic becomes fragrant, add frozen veggies. Wait a little bit for the veggies to absorb some of the garlic infused olive oil and some of the ice to melt, about 1-2 minutes. Add water. Since I don't have an exact measurement you might want to add less at first...I added more later after tasting the lentils. Bring water to a boil and add the bag of lentils. Let cook 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, tasting later to make sure flavors are blending and that the lentils have enough water to become soft.
Serves...a lot...probably about 12...maybe more.
Serving suggestion: serve warm over rice, OR put in a wrap with lettuce and tomato, maybe rice for an Indian twist on burritos- warm or cold works for this one.
12 May 2010
Veggie Burger Dinner
Tonight Brian wanted Frisco Melts. (Ok, and it was kind of planned out in the meals for the week too...I have to plan.) Well I'm still in vegan mode- so what to do? I love the Frisco melt sauce (2 or 3 parts French dressing to 1 pat Thousand Island), but there's egg in it (Thousand Island)...I already do a veggie burger patty (Morningstar Griller's Prime), but there's also cheese involved... Well I did have to make a few compromises, but here's what I came up with (it's pretty tastey ^^ ).
Vegan Frisco No Melt
2 slices of bread (preferably "Texas style")
1 Morningstar Griller's Prime patty
1 slice tomato
1 leaf of lettuce
1 Tbs French dressing
Toast bread. Warm up a non-stick pan over medium heat, when thoroughly heated, place patty in pan. While cooking patty, when toast is done, spread French dressing on one slice of toast. Place the lettuce and then the tomato on top of the dressed slice. Flip veggie burger when it starts to smell good and sizzle a little. When "browned" on both sides (patty is already brown, but add some char to taste), place on top of tomato slice, then place other slice of bread on top. Enjoy. :)
Vegan Frisco No Melt
2 slices of bread (preferably "Texas style")
1 Morningstar Griller's Prime patty
1 slice tomato
1 leaf of lettuce
1 Tbs French dressing
Toast bread. Warm up a non-stick pan over medium heat, when thoroughly heated, place patty in pan. While cooking patty, when toast is done, spread French dressing on one slice of toast. Place the lettuce and then the tomato on top of the dressed slice. Flip veggie burger when it starts to smell good and sizzle a little. When "browned" on both sides (patty is already brown, but add some char to taste), place on top of tomato slice, then place other slice of bread on top. Enjoy. :)
11 May 2010
Vegan Summer Lunches
As I mentioned, my mom fed me A LOT of cheese last week...so I'm trying to eat mostly vegan this week. It's also summer (hot) in Florida (hotter) and I just started my summer class, so I need easy stuff to bring with me on those days and stuff that will be low maintenance to make. Well here's what I've done yesterday and today (some recipes may already have been posted):
ATA (Avocado, Tomato, Alfalfa Sprout) Sandwich
1/2 avocado, sliced
1-2 slices tomato
handful alfalfa sprouts, rinsed
2 slices of bread or 1 wrap of choice
Earth Balance "buttery spread" to taste (if non-vegan, mayo works well with this sandwich)
Butter one side of each slice of bread, or the inside of the wrap. On top place sprouts, tomato slice and avocado slices. Place other piece of bread on top or wrap your wrap. Serves 1.
Avocado-Strawberry Salad (not as good as the avocado mango salsa/salad, but I worked with what I had)
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
3-4 strawberries, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
lime juice as needed for avocado
salt, pepper, cumin to taste
Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Note: makes a much smaller portion than the amazing avocado mango salad and tastes more sweet- no onion or cilantro. Refrigerate after use. Serves ~2.
Veggie Snack Mix
1 bag snow peas
1 bag baby carrots
1 box cherry/grape tomatoes
Rinse ingredients, drain, and mix them together. Keep on hand (in fridge) for easy snack for school/work or to throw in salads.
KT'S Vegan Salad
2 leaves romaine lettuce, rinsed, torn
handful alfalfa sprouts, rinsed
veggie snack mix to taste
handful dry, roasted peanuts
balsamic vinaigrette to taste
Mix lettuce, sprouts, and snack mix together in a bowl. Sprinkle peanuts on top and dress. Serves 1.
Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
1 banana, sliced
1.5 cups frozen strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup juice of choice (I used Welch's Orange Pineapple Apple)
Place ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth adding more or less juice for your perfect smoothie consistency. Serves 2-3.
ATA (Avocado, Tomato, Alfalfa Sprout) Sandwich
1/2 avocado, sliced
1-2 slices tomato
handful alfalfa sprouts, rinsed
2 slices of bread or 1 wrap of choice
Earth Balance "buttery spread" to taste (if non-vegan, mayo works well with this sandwich)
Butter one side of each slice of bread, or the inside of the wrap. On top place sprouts, tomato slice and avocado slices. Place other piece of bread on top or wrap your wrap. Serves 1.
Avocado-Strawberry Salad (not as good as the avocado mango salsa/salad, but I worked with what I had)
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
3-4 strawberries, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
lime juice as needed for avocado
salt, pepper, cumin to taste
Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Note: makes a much smaller portion than the amazing avocado mango salad and tastes more sweet- no onion or cilantro. Refrigerate after use. Serves ~2.
Veggie Snack Mix
1 bag snow peas
1 bag baby carrots
1 box cherry/grape tomatoes
Rinse ingredients, drain, and mix them together. Keep on hand (in fridge) for easy snack for school/work or to throw in salads.
KT'S Vegan Salad
2 leaves romaine lettuce, rinsed, torn
handful alfalfa sprouts, rinsed
veggie snack mix to taste
handful dry, roasted peanuts
balsamic vinaigrette to taste
Mix lettuce, sprouts, and snack mix together in a bowl. Sprinkle peanuts on top and dress. Serves 1.
Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
1 banana, sliced
1.5 cups frozen strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup juice of choice (I used Welch's Orange Pineapple Apple)
Place ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth adding more or less juice for your perfect smoothie consistency. Serves 2-3.
09 May 2010
New Recipe Site! ^^
Today when making my grocery list and planning for lunches, I decided to look up avocado sandwich recipes for more ideas (because I love avocado in sandwiches) and came across a site that had pages and pages of vegetarian avocado sandwich recipes. Which was obviously exactly what I wanted. So check it out: VegWeb.com.
Also- yesterday for dinner Brian and I went to Tijuana Flats for dinner (because being away for a week we had nothing in the house). While I was home, my mom did her best to keep feeding meatless meals, but unfortunately since she couldn't eat soy products or beans when she had been vegetarian years before, most of her recipes involve eggs or cheese. I had a LOT of cheese last week and want to be vegan for a couple days. So I ordered something new- I got the veggie burrito with no cheese and no sour cream and black beans as my bean of choice. It was REALLY filling and delicious and also goes well with the Jason's Mom's Sauce which you know I love. So yeah, if you're ever at Tijuana Flats and want to try a healthier vegan dish, I recommend the burrito. (I mean it's not fried like the flautas and chimichangas and when you ask for no cheese or sour cream you don't get all the cholesterol you normally would). :)
Also- yesterday for dinner Brian and I went to Tijuana Flats for dinner (because being away for a week we had nothing in the house). While I was home, my mom did her best to keep feeding meatless meals, but unfortunately since she couldn't eat soy products or beans when she had been vegetarian years before, most of her recipes involve eggs or cheese. I had a LOT of cheese last week and want to be vegan for a couple days. So I ordered something new- I got the veggie burrito with no cheese and no sour cream and black beans as my bean of choice. It was REALLY filling and delicious and also goes well with the Jason's Mom's Sauce which you know I love. So yeah, if you're ever at Tijuana Flats and want to try a healthier vegan dish, I recommend the burrito. (I mean it's not fried like the flautas and chimichangas and when you ask for no cheese or sour cream you don't get all the cholesterol you normally would). :)
07 May 2010
Podcast Addiction
During April I started listening to a vegetarian podcast- Vegetarian Food For Thought (also available on iTunes) and almost immediately became addicted.
It's a GREAT, smart, thoughtful podcast about all aspects of vegetarianism and life as a vegetarian. The author, Collen Patrick-Goudreau is a vegan living in California who has 2 cookbooks out, one on the way, and some other books in the works. She has a master's degree in English literature and her love of books and cinema shows in several episodes of her podcast. She is a really intelligent lady who really researches the issues she discusses and comes up with good, solid evidence that support a vegetarian lifestyle (that people who may ask questions about our lifestyle would probably be interested in hearing). The purpose of her podcast, as she says at the beginning of every episode, is to give people the information they need to make informed food choices (and informed purchase choices in general although she doesn't specifically mention this in her introduction) and debunk myths about vegetarianism and animal rights. She has already made over one hundred episodes. I personally have only had the pleasure of listening to 17 so far, but am working my way up.
The thing that really got me addicted is her compassion for animals, her detailed information, and the support her podcast gives. I've mentioned in several posts that I often feel like there's only two people who really support the decision I've made and only a couple others who tolerate but don't understand it and then everyone else kind of frowns upon it or laughs at it. The lack of support has really been kind of hard for me to deal with, but her podcasts inspire me to keep doing what I'm doing. So it is my hope that her podcasts will give you as much support and love as they've given me.
As I said Colleen's podcast, Vegetarian Food For Thought, is available on iTunes. She also has a website/club, Compassionate Cooks, and a member forum for the podcast and club members.
It's a GREAT, smart, thoughtful podcast about all aspects of vegetarianism and life as a vegetarian. The author, Collen Patrick-Goudreau is a vegan living in California who has 2 cookbooks out, one on the way, and some other books in the works. She has a master's degree in English literature and her love of books and cinema shows in several episodes of her podcast. She is a really intelligent lady who really researches the issues she discusses and comes up with good, solid evidence that support a vegetarian lifestyle (that people who may ask questions about our lifestyle would probably be interested in hearing). The purpose of her podcast, as she says at the beginning of every episode, is to give people the information they need to make informed food choices (and informed purchase choices in general although she doesn't specifically mention this in her introduction) and debunk myths about vegetarianism and animal rights. She has already made over one hundred episodes. I personally have only had the pleasure of listening to 17 so far, but am working my way up.
The thing that really got me addicted is her compassion for animals, her detailed information, and the support her podcast gives. I've mentioned in several posts that I often feel like there's only two people who really support the decision I've made and only a couple others who tolerate but don't understand it and then everyone else kind of frowns upon it or laughs at it. The lack of support has really been kind of hard for me to deal with, but her podcasts inspire me to keep doing what I'm doing. So it is my hope that her podcasts will give you as much support and love as they've given me.
As I said Colleen's podcast, Vegetarian Food For Thought, is available on iTunes. She also has a website/club, Compassionate Cooks, and a member forum for the podcast and club members.
05 May 2010
Oil Spill
Hello!
I'm finally back from my month of Hell! Yay! Originally I wanted to talk about a veg podcast I've become addicted to, but I felt that due to recent circumstances there were more pressing matters to discuss. (So next post will be about my new addiction). I know this is a subject that is probably more near and dear to Allie than it is me, but it also has me pretty upset right now, and I wanted to talk about it in case there's anyone else reading this blog-now or even somewhere down the line. What is it? The Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
Being from Pensacola with its formerly sandy white beaches (which are no longer white or natural thanks to off-shore dredging of sand and bringing it to shore to build more condos) and it's beaches just now recovering from Hurricane Ivan (we had just gotten Fort Pickens back), I know this is going to hurt our local economy, which has been based on tourism for years. But REALLY, the big issue isn't our economy or the seafood industry- it's the animals. The sea and marsh animals and birds who are being threatened aren't even being talked about in the media with the exception of how being "tainted" with oil will effect the people who's livelihood depends on killing them.
This is a media issue and an executive issue that needs to be talked about. Not only did BP respond badly to the explosion and leaking of the oil rig, but the media did as well. The media has been trying to play the blame game at the start of this, and really that is not (or at least it should not be) the main point. The main point is that this explosion and giant leak occurred (and still occurring in the case of the leak) and now we have a disaster of unforeseen proportions. We are talking about the large variety of sea creatures and birds being threatened out at sea, the wetlands and marshes, the amphibian creatures bridging the shore. These animals are being threatened because of our own negligence and we're too busy throwing around accusations about who's fault this is that we're not taking care of them.
I'm home right now and I've been watching the local news and so far they've been cleaning only a few birds and testing dead sea turtles to see if their death was oil related or not, coming to the conclusion of no. We need to be stopping the leak and preventing further damage. BP needs to be paying for not only the stopping of the leak and prevention of landfall of the oil, but also for animal clean up and care, for searches to go out and at least find the birds far out at sea (I realize it's impossible to scoop up all of the fish in the area to save them by taking them away from their homes). When this leak finally ends, there will be fishermen suing for damages for years to come, but who's fighting for the fish? The dolphins? The shellfish? The frogs? The alligators? The birds? What about the endangered species? The manatees? The sea turtles? The red snapper (which are still allowed to killed by fishermen, but are capped at a limit because of the population size)? Who's fighting for them? Not ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, etc. Noone on TV.
And what are these dispersants doing that BP is throwing in the water? They break up the oil yes, but they mix it throughout the ocean column, the fish at all levels of the ocean column are being exposed to the oil. Not only that, but the dispersants themselves are toxic to the sea life. I realize that this is kind of a last minute aid to try and take care of the oil situation, but I really feel that at no point were these animals considered with their right to life, but rather how much BP can spend to make their problem go away and not be sued by all the fishermen for effecting their income.
I leave this rant with a few resources that I hope people will check out:
An article from the Pensacola News Journal about getting training to clean wildlife covered in oil
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100505/NEWS01/100505007
An article about the endangered species affected by the oil spill and how dispersants work from an activist organization
http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/05/05/oil-spill-dolphins-marine-mammals
An article from the Discover Magazine blog about how sea turtles are being affected by the spill
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2010/05/05/beyond-politics-oil-water-shrimp-and-sea-turtles/
And some Facebook cleanup groups trying to get volunteers (Note: the ones I know of are for the Pensacola area, but I'm sure there are more for areas further west)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115890201776737
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117019351652257
I'm finally back from my month of Hell! Yay! Originally I wanted to talk about a veg podcast I've become addicted to, but I felt that due to recent circumstances there were more pressing matters to discuss. (So next post will be about my new addiction). I know this is a subject that is probably more near and dear to Allie than it is me, but it also has me pretty upset right now, and I wanted to talk about it in case there's anyone else reading this blog-now or even somewhere down the line. What is it? The Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
Being from Pensacola with its formerly sandy white beaches (which are no longer white or natural thanks to off-shore dredging of sand and bringing it to shore to build more condos) and it's beaches just now recovering from Hurricane Ivan (we had just gotten Fort Pickens back), I know this is going to hurt our local economy, which has been based on tourism for years. But REALLY, the big issue isn't our economy or the seafood industry- it's the animals. The sea and marsh animals and birds who are being threatened aren't even being talked about in the media with the exception of how being "tainted" with oil will effect the people who's livelihood depends on killing them.
This is a media issue and an executive issue that needs to be talked about. Not only did BP respond badly to the explosion and leaking of the oil rig, but the media did as well. The media has been trying to play the blame game at the start of this, and really that is not (or at least it should not be) the main point. The main point is that this explosion and giant leak occurred (and still occurring in the case of the leak) and now we have a disaster of unforeseen proportions. We are talking about the large variety of sea creatures and birds being threatened out at sea, the wetlands and marshes, the amphibian creatures bridging the shore. These animals are being threatened because of our own negligence and we're too busy throwing around accusations about who's fault this is that we're not taking care of them.
I'm home right now and I've been watching the local news and so far they've been cleaning only a few birds and testing dead sea turtles to see if their death was oil related or not, coming to the conclusion of no. We need to be stopping the leak and preventing further damage. BP needs to be paying for not only the stopping of the leak and prevention of landfall of the oil, but also for animal clean up and care, for searches to go out and at least find the birds far out at sea (I realize it's impossible to scoop up all of the fish in the area to save them by taking them away from their homes). When this leak finally ends, there will be fishermen suing for damages for years to come, but who's fighting for the fish? The dolphins? The shellfish? The frogs? The alligators? The birds? What about the endangered species? The manatees? The sea turtles? The red snapper (which are still allowed to killed by fishermen, but are capped at a limit because of the population size)? Who's fighting for them? Not ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, etc. Noone on TV.
And what are these dispersants doing that BP is throwing in the water? They break up the oil yes, but they mix it throughout the ocean column, the fish at all levels of the ocean column are being exposed to the oil. Not only that, but the dispersants themselves are toxic to the sea life. I realize that this is kind of a last minute aid to try and take care of the oil situation, but I really feel that at no point were these animals considered with their right to life, but rather how much BP can spend to make their problem go away and not be sued by all the fishermen for effecting their income.
I leave this rant with a few resources that I hope people will check out:
An article from the Pensacola News Journal about getting training to clean wildlife covered in oil
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100505/NEWS01/100505007
An article about the endangered species affected by the oil spill and how dispersants work from an activist organization
http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/05/05/oil-spill-dolphins-marine-mammals
An article from the Discover Magazine blog about how sea turtles are being affected by the spill
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2010/05/05/beyond-politics-oil-water-shrimp-and-sea-turtles/
And some Facebook cleanup groups trying to get volunteers (Note: the ones I know of are for the Pensacola area, but I'm sure there are more for areas further west)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115890201776737
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117019351652257
18 April 2010
Captain Planet
So I should be working on my projects due in the next two weeks, but I came across something I wanted to share with you- a nice little throw back to child hood and our kid ideas of environmentalism. Yep. I found Captain Planet episodes online for free legally. Enjoy! :)
http://www.mnn.com/mnntv/captain-planet
Also, apparently there's a Captain Planet Organization where you try and get kids in grades K-12 to help conserve nature too. I wish I knew about this in high school...I might've done my CAS project with them...
http://captainplanetfoundation.org/
http://www.mnn.com/mnntv/captain-planet
Also, apparently there's a Captain Planet Organization where you try and get kids in grades K-12 to help conserve nature too. I wish I knew about this in high school...I might've done my CAS project with them...
http://captainplanetfoundation.org/
07 April 2010
Senioritus
Just a head's up- I'm crazy busy this week/this month. So I might not be updating a lot for like...the rest of April. Nothing personal, it's just that I have a ridiculous amount of homework/labs/projects/tests/finals/honors ceremonies and then graduation (sigh of relief/shot of tequila).
Dinner:
Bertoli. I'm all for convenience right now. I've been eating leftovers brought home from this weekend and have run out and gone to prepackaged food. It was one of the oven bake things- cheese filled shells with a scampi sauce. It had whole shrimps in the sauce, so I just gave them to Brian. The leftovers his mom gave us were noodles with chicken, beef, shrimp, and green beans. I gave Brian the meat and threw cashews on it, some soy sauce and chopped up hot peppers. It was good like that. I know this isn't all exactly vegetarian, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not really eating the meat and I'm not so picky that it can't touch meat at all considering the household and time constraining circumstances in my life.
Well good luck in your end of the semester endeavors!
Peace, Love, Happiness, and Vegetarianism :)
Dinner:
Bertoli. I'm all for convenience right now. I've been eating leftovers brought home from this weekend and have run out and gone to prepackaged food. It was one of the oven bake things- cheese filled shells with a scampi sauce. It had whole shrimps in the sauce, so I just gave them to Brian. The leftovers his mom gave us were noodles with chicken, beef, shrimp, and green beans. I gave Brian the meat and threw cashews on it, some soy sauce and chopped up hot peppers. It was good like that. I know this isn't all exactly vegetarian, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not really eating the meat and I'm not so picky that it can't touch meat at all considering the household and time constraining circumstances in my life.
Well good luck in your end of the semester endeavors!
Peace, Love, Happiness, and Vegetarianism :)
02 April 2010
Nickelodeon
I'm going home this weekend- not for long. I'm leaving tomorrow morning and coming back the next day. Partly because it's Easter, partly because it's a week from my birthday, I'm going to have a little celebration time with my mom and hopefully bring back a bunch of leftovers so I won't have to spend as much on food next week when I have to buy alcohol for my 21st birthday party. :)
Well I know it's not a long weekend, but with the tomato shortage going on and the tomatoes on my counter being a little sketchy, I wanted to cook up something tonight that I'll probably have leftovers of when I get back. Basically here's what I have that I wanted to use up before I leave: tomatoes, spinach (Jane left the rest of it from Wednesday with me) and some soaked black beans (I buy dried because then I can pick through them more...plus sometimes they're cheaper then canned and they take up less space). So...what in the world can I make with that? I mean, I love all of those ingredients, but I don't know any recipes for all of them together. Ok, so I did a little Google search (Topeka search? :P) and I found some recipes- all Mexican/Tex-Mex/Cali-Mex (yum!). One was a tomato spinach and bean burrito (which I'm going to cook), one was a Mexican poblano, spinach, and black bean 'lasagna' with goat cheese (which sounds great, but I don't have all the ingredients for), and one was spinach black bean empanadas (also sounds delicious, but I don't have masa).
Like I said, I'm going to be cooking the burritos (tonight- I'll try and get back to you on them), but I wanted to mention the last recipe a little more. Although I'm not making it, the last link intrigued me. First off- spinach and black bean empanada- warm, fluffy, savory pastry- sounds delicious. Second- it's on a parenting website, so the recipe is actually aimed at getting kids to eat vegetables, so it should be something I could make say, for my nephews and hopefully they'd enjoy it. Most interesting to me however was the fact that this parenting site is actually by Nickelodeon. It's called Nickelodeon Parents Connect and it's basically a social network for parents where they don't have to poke your wall, but they can like your recipe or discussion topic and comment on it. I had no idea Nickelodeon had something like that. I mean, I knew networks like this existed, but I didn't realize that there was a Nickelodeon sponsored one. If you think about it, it's kind of a cool way for them to say thanks for spending that extra money on your cable bill to watch us- now talk with other parents who you can vent. Haha...well sort of. I'm probably making it sound worse than it is, so I'm going to stop there.
Well I know it's not a long weekend, but with the tomato shortage going on and the tomatoes on my counter being a little sketchy, I wanted to cook up something tonight that I'll probably have leftovers of when I get back. Basically here's what I have that I wanted to use up before I leave: tomatoes, spinach (Jane left the rest of it from Wednesday with me) and some soaked black beans (I buy dried because then I can pick through them more...plus sometimes they're cheaper then canned and they take up less space). So...what in the world can I make with that? I mean, I love all of those ingredients, but I don't know any recipes for all of them together. Ok, so I did a little Google search (Topeka search? :P) and I found some recipes- all Mexican/Tex-Mex/Cali-Mex (yum!). One was a tomato spinach and bean burrito (which I'm going to cook), one was a Mexican poblano, spinach, and black bean 'lasagna' with goat cheese (which sounds great, but I don't have all the ingredients for), and one was spinach black bean empanadas (also sounds delicious, but I don't have masa).
Like I said, I'm going to be cooking the burritos (tonight- I'll try and get back to you on them), but I wanted to mention the last recipe a little more. Although I'm not making it, the last link intrigued me. First off- spinach and black bean empanada- warm, fluffy, savory pastry- sounds delicious. Second- it's on a parenting website, so the recipe is actually aimed at getting kids to eat vegetables, so it should be something I could make say, for my nephews and hopefully they'd enjoy it. Most interesting to me however was the fact that this parenting site is actually by Nickelodeon. It's called Nickelodeon Parents Connect and it's basically a social network for parents where they don't have to poke your wall, but they can like your recipe or discussion topic and comment on it. I had no idea Nickelodeon had something like that. I mean, I knew networks like this existed, but I didn't realize that there was a Nickelodeon sponsored one. If you think about it, it's kind of a cool way for them to say thanks for spending that extra money on your cable bill to watch us- now talk with other parents who you can vent. Haha...well sort of. I'm probably making it sound worse than it is, so I'm going to stop there.
01 April 2010
You Know What's Good?
Key Lime Pie
So tonight was game night. Every Wednesday (more or less) my friend Jane and her boyfriend come over to my house and we cook and play a game and/or watch a movie. Usually there's some drinking involved- not a lot, like a glass of wine or a margarita with dinner before the game playing/movie watching starts. Well, Jane has a test tomorrow and I have a quiz, so instead of alcohol we had key lime pie. And it was delicious. Dinner was spaghetti with tomato sauce, spinach and chicken (which I just ate around). It was pretty good, but not nearly as satisfying as the desert. We made dinner, ate it, played a round of Clue, ate desert, then played another round of Clue. It was so fun- I haven't played that game in so long! :)
So tonight was game night. Every Wednesday (more or less) my friend Jane and her boyfriend come over to my house and we cook and play a game and/or watch a movie. Usually there's some drinking involved- not a lot, like a glass of wine or a margarita with dinner before the game playing/movie watching starts. Well, Jane has a test tomorrow and I have a quiz, so instead of alcohol we had key lime pie. And it was delicious. Dinner was spaghetti with tomato sauce, spinach and chicken (which I just ate around). It was pretty good, but not nearly as satisfying as the desert. We made dinner, ate it, played a round of Clue, ate desert, then played another round of Clue. It was so fun- I haven't played that game in so long! :)
30 March 2010
Vegetarian Grocery Budget
Ok- we're in a recession and I'm a broke college student. Last month I went a little over budget with my various purchases, so this month I've been working on giving my budget a makeover. And with my non-negotiable costs being the way they are, it looks like the area I have to cut back on the most is the area I enjoy spending the most- food.
Basically, I need to stop eating out. Period. I also need to spend less on groceries than I've been spending (although my bank estimated spending is a little skewed because I generally shop at Walmart and sometimes I make other purchases there besides groceries, like cleaning supplies, toiletries, batteries, and occasionally actual splurge items like boardgames and shoes...). My old budget was about $175. My new one: $100. Now, Brian and I split the groceries, so this is really giving us a $200 budget for the household of 2, which in that perspective doesn't sound quite as bad, but still...It's going to be tough. I mean the household budget went from $325 to $200!
Now, you will read in a lot of places that a vegetarian diet is cheaper- which is true in some aspects. Beans cost less than meat. BUT at the same time if you try and switch it up and use tofu or tempeh...well that can get more expensive. Add in there nuts to switch things up/make awesome snacks and you've got trouble. You see , when articles tell you it's cheaper to do more vegetarian meals they really just mean cook some beans and rice 2-3 times a week and save money. But that's not exactly healthy.
So here are my tips to keeping your (and my) vegetarian food purchases in budget:
1. Keep a log
I've started saving a spreadsheet that I update after every grocery shop. I list the food, the date it was bought (some items are more expensive at different times of year + the economy varies with time too), the store it was bought at (helps for finding the stores with the best prices), the price, weight/amount, and price/unit ($ per oz, lb, liter, slice of bread, etc.). This can help you see if fresh, canned, frozen, or dried vegetables are cheaper and when and can help you know what store has the best bargains.
2. Check out what's in season locally
For me, this has meant check out a website and try and find as many local products as I can at Walmart. It's honestly not the best method because a lot of their food in the 'local' section is from Mexico, Chile, Argentina, etc. and even the US products can be from like Washington St. for a Florida store. A better method which I need to start waking up early for and trying is a trip to the farmer's market. At any rate, buying seasonal, local vegetables is the best way to get good quality food at the best possible price (they charge more off season since it's harder to get).
3. Make a lot of a couple things every week
Eat leftovers for a couple nights, or make leftovers your lunch, or freeze the leftovers. Do something so that the food you buy doesn't go to waste. I've generally been eating mine multiple times in a week. This week I'm eating mostly last week's leftovers which saved me a ton on groceries this week. I also made a lot of a soup last week, so I froze one container and ate/will be eating the other two.
Limiting yourself to purchasing more of the cheaper items instead of some cheaper items and some more expensive ones will help keep you budget in check. Plus you're not wasting money on wasted food!
4. Buy the things you'll use a lot in bulk if they're on sale
ONLY if you'll use them! (Notice the use a lot in the title). For example, Brian's parents give us rice in bulk (budget saver- free rice!). It may seem like you're paying a lot for what may be a 25-50lb rice bag at the time of purchase, but you can use it for several months. Same thing with beans. If you really like black beans or pinto beans you can buy the dried beans in bulk when they're on sale at your local store or the cans when they go on sale. If you need lots of coffee, you might consider getting the bulk coffee- although keep it in an airtight container so it doesn't go stale/absorb random smells.
Buy dried/canned food in bulk rather than fresh. I mean you can buy fresh stuff in bulk if you're planning on canning or freezing it, but I don't have that much storage in my apartment (or cans for canning/time to can) so I limit my bulk purchases to only a couple items that I can pack and store easily.
5. Pack your lunch
This may sound counter-intuitive. By packing my lunch, I'm buying more groceries/spending more money on groceries. BUT, by packing my lunch, I'm NOT buying my lunch at a restaurant or fast food place. Options from home are generally less expensive than restaurant fare and certainly more healthy than fast food. Plus, you know how hard it can be to find yummy vegetarian options at cheaper restaurants.
6. Plan Ahead
You might have figured out by now that to follow these guidelines, you're going to need to make a list of what you need at the grocery store so you can do all of these things without forgetting something. Plan out your meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner- for the whole week. Make list of missing items that you need to buy, eat before you go to the grocery store (so you don't impulse buy based on hunger), and stick to your list.
7. But be a little flexible
If you're in the store and there's a good sale on something that falls into rule 4, then you might want to get it. But still, try and check the store circular online before you leave to anticipate this type of event.
Also, being flexible in terms of brands is a definite plus. Check out the price/unit on the tags by the items (instead of the full price) to help you find the best bargain on the item you need.
Keep In Mind:
There are tons of more tips out there on the web for cheaper grocery shopping, but there are some things I can't do. For instance, it's a lot cheaper as a vegetarian if you have your own garden of vegetables, but personally I live in an apartment with no patios, so there's no way for me to grow a vegetable garden or even an herb garden. It's also cheaper to buy more things in bulk than I have space to store. You can also save money by finding coupons online and in circulars, but this can waste a lot of paper, ink, and time if you're not selective about them and often times stores won't take grocery coupons printed online since you might have edited them.
Basically, I need to stop eating out. Period. I also need to spend less on groceries than I've been spending (although my bank estimated spending is a little skewed because I generally shop at Walmart and sometimes I make other purchases there besides groceries, like cleaning supplies, toiletries, batteries, and occasionally actual splurge items like boardgames and shoes...). My old budget was about $175. My new one: $100. Now, Brian and I split the groceries, so this is really giving us a $200 budget for the household of 2, which in that perspective doesn't sound quite as bad, but still...It's going to be tough. I mean the household budget went from $325 to $200!
Now, you will read in a lot of places that a vegetarian diet is cheaper- which is true in some aspects. Beans cost less than meat. BUT at the same time if you try and switch it up and use tofu or tempeh...well that can get more expensive. Add in there nuts to switch things up/make awesome snacks and you've got trouble. You see , when articles tell you it's cheaper to do more vegetarian meals they really just mean cook some beans and rice 2-3 times a week and save money. But that's not exactly healthy.
So here are my tips to keeping your (and my) vegetarian food purchases in budget:
1. Keep a log
I've started saving a spreadsheet that I update after every grocery shop. I list the food, the date it was bought (some items are more expensive at different times of year + the economy varies with time too), the store it was bought at (helps for finding the stores with the best prices), the price, weight/amount, and price/unit ($ per oz, lb, liter, slice of bread, etc.). This can help you see if fresh, canned, frozen, or dried vegetables are cheaper and when and can help you know what store has the best bargains.
2. Check out what's in season locally
For me, this has meant check out a website and try and find as many local products as I can at Walmart. It's honestly not the best method because a lot of their food in the 'local' section is from Mexico, Chile, Argentina, etc. and even the US products can be from like Washington St. for a Florida store. A better method which I need to start waking up early for and trying is a trip to the farmer's market. At any rate, buying seasonal, local vegetables is the best way to get good quality food at the best possible price (they charge more off season since it's harder to get).
3. Make a lot of a couple things every week
Eat leftovers for a couple nights, or make leftovers your lunch, or freeze the leftovers. Do something so that the food you buy doesn't go to waste. I've generally been eating mine multiple times in a week. This week I'm eating mostly last week's leftovers which saved me a ton on groceries this week. I also made a lot of a soup last week, so I froze one container and ate/will be eating the other two.
Limiting yourself to purchasing more of the cheaper items instead of some cheaper items and some more expensive ones will help keep you budget in check. Plus you're not wasting money on wasted food!
4. Buy the things you'll use a lot in bulk if they're on sale
ONLY if you'll use them! (Notice the use a lot in the title). For example, Brian's parents give us rice in bulk (budget saver- free rice!). It may seem like you're paying a lot for what may be a 25-50lb rice bag at the time of purchase, but you can use it for several months. Same thing with beans. If you really like black beans or pinto beans you can buy the dried beans in bulk when they're on sale at your local store or the cans when they go on sale. If you need lots of coffee, you might consider getting the bulk coffee- although keep it in an airtight container so it doesn't go stale/absorb random smells.
Buy dried/canned food in bulk rather than fresh. I mean you can buy fresh stuff in bulk if you're planning on canning or freezing it, but I don't have that much storage in my apartment (or cans for canning/time to can) so I limit my bulk purchases to only a couple items that I can pack and store easily.
5. Pack your lunch
This may sound counter-intuitive. By packing my lunch, I'm buying more groceries/spending more money on groceries. BUT, by packing my lunch, I'm NOT buying my lunch at a restaurant or fast food place. Options from home are generally less expensive than restaurant fare and certainly more healthy than fast food. Plus, you know how hard it can be to find yummy vegetarian options at cheaper restaurants.
6. Plan Ahead
You might have figured out by now that to follow these guidelines, you're going to need to make a list of what you need at the grocery store so you can do all of these things without forgetting something. Plan out your meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner- for the whole week. Make list of missing items that you need to buy, eat before you go to the grocery store (so you don't impulse buy based on hunger), and stick to your list.
7. But be a little flexible
If you're in the store and there's a good sale on something that falls into rule 4, then you might want to get it. But still, try and check the store circular online before you leave to anticipate this type of event.
Also, being flexible in terms of brands is a definite plus. Check out the price/unit on the tags by the items (instead of the full price) to help you find the best bargain on the item you need.
Keep In Mind:
There are tons of more tips out there on the web for cheaper grocery shopping, but there are some things I can't do. For instance, it's a lot cheaper as a vegetarian if you have your own garden of vegetables, but personally I live in an apartment with no patios, so there's no way for me to grow a vegetable garden or even an herb garden. It's also cheaper to buy more things in bulk than I have space to store. You can also save money by finding coupons online and in circulars, but this can waste a lot of paper, ink, and time if you're not selective about them and often times stores won't take grocery coupons printed online since you might have edited them.
28 March 2010
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I know my blog's original intent was more about becoming vegetarian and finding new delicious foods to eat that don't involve meat, but lately I've found a second food related interest that I've picked up...
SCHOOL LUNCH
It all started when I read about that elementary school teacher who decided to eat the school lunch everyday. I subscribed to their blog, wrote a post about my reaction, and have been continuing to read it. It really is eye-opening to see what the school food system has come to. Although my lunch meals weren't much healthier than what her school's serving in elementary school, they didn't come in the individual prepackaging which is horrible for the environment and probably has a TON of preservatives in it. My meals were cooked by women and men in the school kitchen. The only packaged stuff was the milk and orange juice. (Well I suppose everything was packaged and with preservatives it just was in a more economical Sam's Club size packaging).
Anyways, another new find in this school lunch conundrum is this new show on ABC Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef as he used to be called) read a CDC report about Huntington, WV which stated that it is the most obese town in the nation (and our nation is the most obese nation in the world) and decided to start with that city for his food revolution. A look at his Wikipedia profile and from watching the show told me that he has done a similar project in England. He basically has 3 projects at once going on: he's helping a family (his "grass roots" effort), changing up the menu at an elementary school, and opening a shop where he gives free cooking lessons to kids.
It's kind of overly dramatic at times, and maybe not the best directed show, but there have been some real shocking moments for me in each of the two episodes so far. Also, I feel like the cooking shop thing is a little contrived- where do these kids come from? I mean in one episode a kid from his family comes in but the other kids just walked in without a chaperon...which was a little weird to say the least.
Anyways, first episode shockers: The family he's working with that want his help appeared to regularly consume NOTHING except fried foods and pizza, the kids in the school also apparently only wanted to eat said foods and strawberry or chocolate milk and the BIG one- the kids DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ANY VEGETABLES WERE!!!! I was shocked. First off, my family cooked real food at home and had me cook with them and most of my friends parents cooked real meals too (although most weren't as active with the food as I was). I live in the south and noone I know fries everything they eat except for pizza. Second, my elementary school only had chocolate milk on Fridays! What's this chocolate milk everyday thing all about? And not knowing any vegetables?! They didn't even know what a potato was! With all the french fries and mashed potatoes they eat I thought for sure that they'd know a potato!
Second episode shocker (really only one thing in this episode surprised me): The kids don't know how to use knives!!! The lunch ladies were like, 'are you saying they actually give knives to kids in your schools???' like it's some kind of alien idea. My elementary school had forks, spoons and knives, as have all of the cafeteria's I have ever been in. My parents gave me silverware as long as I can remember (I mean I'm sure they started me off with plastic wear and all, but still). All of my nephews and my niece know how to use silverware except for the newest one who is less than 5 months old! That just blows my mind.
Basically if you haven't checked it out yet, you should. It's up on Hulu and it's on ABC at kind of irregular times. The first episode premiered on 3/21/2010 and there was another episode yesterday (3/26/2010) and according to the show's website the next episode will be on 4/2/2010 and then on 4/3/2010.
SCHOOL LUNCH
It all started when I read about that elementary school teacher who decided to eat the school lunch everyday. I subscribed to their blog, wrote a post about my reaction, and have been continuing to read it. It really is eye-opening to see what the school food system has come to. Although my lunch meals weren't much healthier than what her school's serving in elementary school, they didn't come in the individual prepackaging which is horrible for the environment and probably has a TON of preservatives in it. My meals were cooked by women and men in the school kitchen. The only packaged stuff was the milk and orange juice. (Well I suppose everything was packaged and with preservatives it just was in a more economical Sam's Club size packaging).
Anyways, another new find in this school lunch conundrum is this new show on ABC Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef as he used to be called) read a CDC report about Huntington, WV which stated that it is the most obese town in the nation (and our nation is the most obese nation in the world) and decided to start with that city for his food revolution. A look at his Wikipedia profile and from watching the show told me that he has done a similar project in England. He basically has 3 projects at once going on: he's helping a family (his "grass roots" effort), changing up the menu at an elementary school, and opening a shop where he gives free cooking lessons to kids.
It's kind of overly dramatic at times, and maybe not the best directed show, but there have been some real shocking moments for me in each of the two episodes so far. Also, I feel like the cooking shop thing is a little contrived- where do these kids come from? I mean in one episode a kid from his family comes in but the other kids just walked in without a chaperon...which was a little weird to say the least.
Anyways, first episode shockers: The family he's working with that want his help appeared to regularly consume NOTHING except fried foods and pizza, the kids in the school also apparently only wanted to eat said foods and strawberry or chocolate milk and the BIG one- the kids DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ANY VEGETABLES WERE!!!! I was shocked. First off, my family cooked real food at home and had me cook with them and most of my friends parents cooked real meals too (although most weren't as active with the food as I was). I live in the south and noone I know fries everything they eat except for pizza. Second, my elementary school only had chocolate milk on Fridays! What's this chocolate milk everyday thing all about? And not knowing any vegetables?! They didn't even know what a potato was! With all the french fries and mashed potatoes they eat I thought for sure that they'd know a potato!
Second episode shocker (really only one thing in this episode surprised me): The kids don't know how to use knives!!! The lunch ladies were like, 'are you saying they actually give knives to kids in your schools???' like it's some kind of alien idea. My elementary school had forks, spoons and knives, as have all of the cafeteria's I have ever been in. My parents gave me silverware as long as I can remember (I mean I'm sure they started me off with plastic wear and all, but still). All of my nephews and my niece know how to use silverware except for the newest one who is less than 5 months old! That just blows my mind.
Basically if you haven't checked it out yet, you should. It's up on Hulu and it's on ABC at kind of irregular times. The first episode premiered on 3/21/2010 and there was another episode yesterday (3/26/2010) and according to the show's website the next episode will be on 4/2/2010 and then on 4/3/2010.
27 March 2010
Eating Veg at School Functions
Today I had the luxury of two free meals provided by my department because I applied to their grad school and they were having a preview weekend. Yay! They had a breakfast early this morning and then a lunch. For breakfast- everything was vegetarian. There was coffee, juices, bagels, pastries, bread, doughnut holes, and fresh fruit. I had coffee and fresh fruit with a slice of a chocolate bread. Yummy! Then for lunch they ordered a bunch of pizzas. I was going to go for cheese, but by luck they ran out and the box next to it was pineapple! It was just pineapple slices on cheese pizza and it was so good! I had two slices of that and some apple juice. :)
Then tonight I had to make something quick because Brian and I were going bowling for this fund-raiser for our local American Meteorological Society chapter. Sooo I made some beef (for him)/mushroom (for me) stroganoff and it was good. ^^
lol Unfortunately I'm already hungry again (after two bowls!)...I might have to go grab a snack... =P
Then tonight I had to make something quick because Brian and I were going bowling for this fund-raiser for our local American Meteorological Society chapter. Sooo I made some beef (for him)/mushroom (for me) stroganoff and it was good. ^^
lol Unfortunately I'm already hungry again (after two bowls!)...I might have to go grab a snack... =P
26 March 2010
Tofu Salad Sandwhiches and Leftover Asian Soup
Thursdays are my busy days. I wake up early because my earliest class is on those days, so I have to lay everything out the night before or I am a mess- pack my lunch, set up my coffee, maybe even my clothes. Then I'm on campus all day because I have class on and off (mostly on) from 9:30-3:15, then I have my volunteer work at the NWS office and send up the weather balloon, leaving me on campus until about 00-01Z. (lol Yeah I threw in Zulu time because that's how I roll). Today I was particularly busy because I also had a makeup class before NWS time and had to copy notes from a friend for a notebook I lost after NWS, plus pick up a folder from home for my boyfriend...so I was running around. LUCKILY- I knew about most of this and planned ahead.
For lunch, I packed myself a tofu salad sandwhich and lychee jellies. Basically I smashed up some uncooked, drained tofu and added mayonaise (making it not vegan, but you could use that nayonaise stuff if you really wanted to), dijon mustard, and some fresh ground pepper, then spread it on bread. It was a first try and...it was pretty good, but I'm not sure if I'd want to try it again...it starts out like an egg salad sandwhich, but then it has a weird aftertaste...I think I'll just stick to the real stuff for now.
For dinner, I brought some leftover soup which I added some pepper to when I packed it for myself because I made it bland for the bf since he doesn't like it spicy. It's really good.
Well it's time for me to finish up a lab due tomorrow and get some sleep so I can wake up early for my new grad student orientation breakfast. ^^
For lunch, I packed myself a tofu salad sandwhich and lychee jellies. Basically I smashed up some uncooked, drained tofu and added mayonaise (making it not vegan, but you could use that nayonaise stuff if you really wanted to), dijon mustard, and some fresh ground pepper, then spread it on bread. It was a first try and...it was pretty good, but I'm not sure if I'd want to try it again...it starts out like an egg salad sandwhich, but then it has a weird aftertaste...I think I'll just stick to the real stuff for now.
For dinner, I brought some leftover soup which I added some pepper to when I packed it for myself because I made it bland for the bf since he doesn't like it spicy. It's really good.
Well it's time for me to finish up a lab due tomorrow and get some sleep so I can wake up early for my new grad student orientation breakfast. ^^
24 March 2010
Delicious Grilled Cheese Recipe
Alright I took some blog time off, so I'm trying to make up for it with recipes. :P
So this was my dinner tonight. It's amazing and the boyfriend loves it too. But I will be honest, as far as vegetarian foods go, this one is one of the least healthy, but it is such a good comfort food that I think it is well worth the caloric splurge. This grilled cheese in particular has 3 different cheeses, pesto, and caramelized onions. It's delicious cheesy goodness.
You will need:
ALSO- Surprise Bonus Recipe
For St. Patty's Day, my friend Jane came over and brought beer (that we dyed green lol) and I made a potato soup and some Irish soda bread. I will not give you the soda bread recipe because the recipe I used turned out kind of bad- it was WAY too wet and I had to add a ridiculous amount of flour to make up for it and then it came out very heavy. It was tasty, but heavy... Anyways, here is a link to the potato soup recipe that I used. Although note: I used vegetable broth and used Herbs de Provence instead of thyme because that was the closest thing I had...and I had no parsley.
So this was my dinner tonight. It's amazing and the boyfriend loves it too. But I will be honest, as far as vegetarian foods go, this one is one of the least healthy, but it is such a good comfort food that I think it is well worth the caloric splurge. This grilled cheese in particular has 3 different cheeses, pesto, and caramelized onions. It's delicious cheesy goodness.
You will need:
- 2 slices bread of your choice (it's great on Texas size bread and whole wheat bread), per sandwich
- 1 slice of Swiss, 1 of Cheddar and 1 of Provolone
- pesto, to taste
- 1/8 yellow onion, diced
- butter, as needed
- brown sugar, 1 tsp or to taste
ALSO- Surprise Bonus Recipe
For St. Patty's Day, my friend Jane came over and brought beer (that we dyed green lol) and I made a potato soup and some Irish soda bread. I will not give you the soda bread recipe because the recipe I used turned out kind of bad- it was WAY too wet and I had to add a ridiculous amount of flour to make up for it and then it came out very heavy. It was tasty, but heavy... Anyways, here is a link to the potato soup recipe that I used. Although note: I used vegetable broth and used Herbs de Provence instead of thyme because that was the closest thing I had...and I had no parsley.
Homemade Chips and Homemade Dip ^^
So last Monday I made Allie's delicious avocado-mango-black bean salad (recipe below for other readers that may make this culinary discovery later) and bought some of those fancy blue corn tortilla chips. Well it was delicious, but I ran out of chips and had some extra dip.... sooooo I ended up making my own tortilla chips with some corn tortillas that I had on hand from doing fajitas a while ago (I know those are normally done with flour tortillas but it's all I could find in the right size at my crazy Walmart) and it was AMAZING. Even the meat-a-tarian said that it was restaurant quality. ^^ So here are the recipes:
And for homemade tortilla chips:
Avocado/mango/black bean salad (Allie's notes in red):
· 2 mango, chopped
· 2 avocados, chopped
· 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered * I had 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, as a filler to make it last more
· half a small red onion, diced
· 2 cloves of garlic, minced
· 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced * I added 2, you know I like it spicy
· 3 tablesppons limejuice
· 1 15-ounce can of black beans
· sea salt
· freshly cracked pepper * I added lemon pepper and a small amount of paprika
· 2 tablespoons choped cilantro
· Cumin? * I didn’t have any, so I didn’t use it.
First DRAIN THE BLACKBEANS very well. Then add the blackbeans to mixing/serving bowl and use a napkin to absorb excess liquid. Then pretty much mix all of it together. Be sure to add plenty of the limejuice over the avocados to prevent browning, and refrigerate leftovers after eating immediately.
And for homemade tortilla chips:
- fajita-sized corn tortillas, cut into chip sized pieces (I like to make about 6 chips/tortilla, pizza cutter works well for this)
- canola or vegetable oil (for frying)
- salt, to taste
17 March 2010
School Lunches
Alright, in college we have it easy as far as lunch goes- there's on campus dining halls to eat at, we can make and bring our own lunches, we can drive off and get something and hope to find parking again, etc. We have options. But remember back when we were in elementary school and there was only the one cafeteria line? Your parents either made your lunch for you or gave you money, or you had the special government plan and that was your lunch- not much choice. Remember how bad some of the food tasted? It wasn't all that healthy either...a lot of hamburgers, pizza, chili fiesta sticks (which I thought were delicious- but not exactly healthy, I mean a bunch of ground beef in a flour tortilla that you dip in cheese?), french fries, chicken fried steak, etc. I mean sure they always had an apple or an orange and probably a little pre-packaged salad, but they always looked old and bruised (and you couldn't exactly go wash off your pesticide-filled apple that you probably didn't know had pesticides because you were 5). I remember one time I went to turn in some lunch money for my balance in middle school and saw a lady arranging the lettuce leaves for a salad 3 hours before lunch...while not wearing any gloves... that was it for me with those pre-packaged salads.
So why am I talking about this right now? It's not like I have a kid in school or anything- I am my own kid in school that I have to make lunch for (although I often forget). No. I'm writing this because there's been some buzz about an anonymous school teacher who has had it with the unhealthy lunches they serve at her school and has decided to prove the point by eating her school's cafeteria food for a year and blogging about it. You should check out the blog link- it's pretty interesting. In a recent post, she had a guest blogger who has his own blog and occasionally talks about food. He's a teacher too and travels around, but right now he's teaching English to kinder-gardeners in Japan. His guest post kind of made Japan seem like a magical place for school children to me lol.
Anyways, it got me thinking- if you were to raise your kid vegetarian you'd have to pack their lunch EVERY DAY. I mean they really don't have that many healthy options at the school lines involving the proper servings of vegetables and fruits. Even if your kid wasn't being raised a vegetarian, they're getting used to eating these fatty meats and salty and fried foods all the time and won't think anything of eating it later and get into bad eating habits and you should probably pack their lunch anyways.
Personally, I never really thought about it much as a kid. I was lucky, my mom made me lunch most of the time and I'd get goodies like PB&;J, yogurt, trail mix, washed fruits and veggies, etc., but not everyone was getting to eat that kind of healthy food. I ate in the lunch line on the days when they had the "yummy" food. And at home, my parents always had me cook with them, which is why I'm a good cook now. I mean, in middle school we went through a rough patch after my dad died and we couldn't afford to pack my lunch all the time- I qualified for the discount lunches so we did that more often than before. But by middle school the school had more options because kids that age are more picky and I didn't really think anything of it. When my parents cooked with me they also taught me what foods were good for you and which you shouldn't eat as often, so I knew how to pick healthier options and when I could indulge and grab the pudding. But a lot of kids don't have that. A lot of families don't know proper nutrition and can't teach it to their kids. A lot of parents don't know when to tell their children 'no, you can't have another bowl of ice cream'. A lot of parents don't have enough income to buy enough healthy food to get their kids a good lunch every day.
So, what do you think? Do you think school lunches should be regulated to be healthier? Or do you think that school lunches are something that shouldn't be as high on the priority list as other important things such as classroom sizes that are getting bigger and bigger with recession budget cuts or the way that we are teaching (or rather not teaching) our kids to read?
Also, would you raise your kid to be vegetarian or would you let them eat meat and educate them and let them choose for themselves?
So why am I talking about this right now? It's not like I have a kid in school or anything- I am my own kid in school that I have to make lunch for (although I often forget). No. I'm writing this because there's been some buzz about an anonymous school teacher who has had it with the unhealthy lunches they serve at her school and has decided to prove the point by eating her school's cafeteria food for a year and blogging about it. You should check out the blog link- it's pretty interesting. In a recent post, she had a guest blogger who has his own blog and occasionally talks about food. He's a teacher too and travels around, but right now he's teaching English to kinder-gardeners in Japan. His guest post kind of made Japan seem like a magical place for school children to me lol.
Anyways, it got me thinking- if you were to raise your kid vegetarian you'd have to pack their lunch EVERY DAY. I mean they really don't have that many healthy options at the school lines involving the proper servings of vegetables and fruits. Even if your kid wasn't being raised a vegetarian, they're getting used to eating these fatty meats and salty and fried foods all the time and won't think anything of eating it later and get into bad eating habits and you should probably pack their lunch anyways.
Personally, I never really thought about it much as a kid. I was lucky, my mom made me lunch most of the time and I'd get goodies like PB&;J, yogurt, trail mix, washed fruits and veggies, etc., but not everyone was getting to eat that kind of healthy food. I ate in the lunch line on the days when they had the "yummy" food. And at home, my parents always had me cook with them, which is why I'm a good cook now. I mean, in middle school we went through a rough patch after my dad died and we couldn't afford to pack my lunch all the time- I qualified for the discount lunches so we did that more often than before. But by middle school the school had more options because kids that age are more picky and I didn't really think anything of it. When my parents cooked with me they also taught me what foods were good for you and which you shouldn't eat as often, so I knew how to pick healthier options and when I could indulge and grab the pudding. But a lot of kids don't have that. A lot of families don't know proper nutrition and can't teach it to their kids. A lot of parents don't know when to tell their children 'no, you can't have another bowl of ice cream'. A lot of parents don't have enough income to buy enough healthy food to get their kids a good lunch every day.
So, what do you think? Do you think school lunches should be regulated to be healthier? Or do you think that school lunches are something that shouldn't be as high on the priority list as other important things such as classroom sizes that are getting bigger and bigger with recession budget cuts or the way that we are teaching (or rather not teaching) our kids to read?
Also, would you raise your kid to be vegetarian or would you let them eat meat and educate them and let them choose for themselves?
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