Soup+Salad, Mexican-Style

Sorry about no post yesterday. I had been stuck inside for over 48 straight hours and I absolutely had to get out of the house. Of course, when I finally did, things got a little stressful, like I rented a DVD and then it got stuck in my laptop. It's due back to the video store tonight, so hopefully I can get it out. Also, I realized it's probably time for me to get a new computer, as mine is five years old and starting to fall apart. (Of course, it still has lasted me twice as long as my PC did...) The only problem is, I have no money to buy a new computer. So, in case you weren't aware: I'm broke.

But I did have an awesome thing happen yesterday before all the stress: My brother bought me lunch at Qdoba!!


We love Mexican food in our family, and though we often prefer Chipotle for their fresher ingredients and commitment to social responsibility, the closest one is about 20 miles away, whereas this Qdoba is about a half mile from where my brother and I live. [We could probably walk there when the weather gets nice.]


I got the wonderful tortilla soup [one option that Chipotle doesn't have, so I usually take advantage when we come to Qdoba]. It is super spicy and I love getting it with the tortilla strips to give it some crunch. I omitted the sour cream and cheese, of course, but this has plenty of flavor and I wouldn't want to mask it with those anyway... [Even if I did eat dairy!]


I also had this amazing "naked" taco salad. [That means it doesn't have a taco shell bowl, which is fine since those are deep-fried anyway...] I just got the romaine lettuce [so glad they don't use iceberg], black beans, pico de gallo and salsa roja, which is wonderfully spicy.

It was a perfect lunch, especially since my awesome brother paid for it! :) Both of us were stuck inside all week, so it was good to get out and be around people again. And to not have to cook!! [That reminds me--My kitchen is a mess!]

I love Qdoba!

Preserve It.

I pack my lunch at least three out of five days during the work week. There used to be a time when I would pretty much always pack my food in one of these:


Sure, it seems pretty "normal" but when you start reading all the stuff out there about BPA plastic and about how we rely so heavily on plastic that can't even be recycled, it starts to get you thinking. Then, when you look at huge corporations like Glad and Rubbermaid who make these containers and see that they aren't the best businesses to spend your money on, you might decide you need a change.
And that's what I did.

I started purchasing these:

Preserve containers!!

I love these things! Preserve makes products from recycled #5 plastics (which cannot currently be recycled at most recycling centers in Indiana), as well as Brita filters and makes really awesome containers like mine. [To learn more about how to recycle your #5 plastics, click here.] Every month or so, I pick up a new container and I want to eventually get to the point where I only use glass containers or Preserve.

I also totally love the green color, but they also have products in other colors. They make bowls, plates, colanders, cutting boards, cutlery, cups, razors and toothbrushes!

I use the toothbrush as well (green, of course!). [I would have included a picture of it, but I actually left it at work, so I'm using my temporary back-up now!] I get the type that comes in the mail-back package so that when you finish using the toothbrush, you just stick it back in the container it came in, seal it up and put it in the mailbox. Preserve will recycle it over and over again!

As a single, broke vegan I don't have a lot of money to go green in my entire household or buy a Smart car or anything like that. But doing small things like this gives me confidence that even a little change makes a big difference.

Living Alone

Today seems like the perfect day to discuss this topic, as most of Indiana (and the Midwest, for that matter) are shut inside their homes due to Icemageddon 2011.

I am single. I love being single. Sure, it has its depressing moments. Like when I need a date for a party or something and there is no one there to help me out. But I'm only 24. No rush, no fuss.

One of my favorite parts of being single: living alone. Now, I have lots of single friends. Some live alone, some don't. Of those that don't, they're split pretty evenly between living with their parents or living with a roommate. Living with parents (or a roommate, for that matter) is definitely a way to save on rent. But when I lived with my parents, I still paid them rent (albeit, very, very cheap rent) and there was only one bathroom. I also lived in my mom's craft room (this is post-college) and had less than half the room for all of my personal belongings. Not good.

A little over a year ago, I moved out to the apartment I'm living in now. And I love it. It's a very small apartment (I don't know the square footage, but it's not much), but all of the space is MINE! Yay!! I know that one day, I'll probably have to share my space with others, but for now, I'm enjoying making it my own.

I can leave my clothes on the floor:


I can fully take advantage of my OCD and organize my DVDs alphabetically and not have to yell at someone when they put it back wrong:


I can spend $25 on a funky, vintage couch from Goodwill and not have it match anything in my home and still love it. (In fact, nothing in my apartment matches anything else...)


I can go a couple days without doing dishes and no one will complain (except my mom if she comes over...)


I can dump my coats, sweaters, papers, etc on the futon in the living room once I get home and not have to worry about cleaning it up until I have guests.


Essentially, I get to be a major slob. But I also have my moments where I want everything to be clean, so living in a tiny apartment with no one else in my way means I get to clean the whole thing in about two hours. Score!

Some people would consider it a little scary to live alone, but it totally suits me. I love my neighborhood. (Now if only I lived within walking distance of a Whole Foods!)

And my favorite part of living alone?? I don't have to fight anyone for the bathroom first thing in the morning! Yay!!

Endangered Species

I love this chocolate. Yum.

I've been eating Endangered Species chocolate for a few years now. Way before I was a vegan and even before I actually started eating somewhat healthy. I saw the chocolate bars with the cute animals and I was like, "Awww... how cute!" Now, it's much more to me than just a cute animal and yummy chocolate.


Each bar comes with info about an endangered animal and things we can do to help. 10% of the profits are donated "to help support species, habitat and humanity." The company is located in Indianapolis, my hometown, so I'm even supporting a local business! Yay!!

The Dark Chocolate with Cranberries & Almonds has always been my favorite "flavor." Fruit+nuts+chocolate = deliciousness. Plus, the wolf is so pretty. Way prettier than Jacob Black.


I decided to make a snack bar using my favorite ES flavors, but without spending $3 per bar (which is what an ES bar typically costs). I found a fruit/nut bar recipe and adapted it to my specific needs (well, wants...). The result?

Snacky goodness.

Here's the recipe:

Wolfy Bars
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1/2 c. agave nectar
1 c. coarsely chopped almonds
1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. vegan chocolate chips
extra chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
**The original recipe (and the one I used) called for a teaspoon of salt. I would recommend omitting this, as it made my bars a little too salty. But if you're adventurous, toss it in.

Stir together the flaxseed and agave nectar in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the chopped almonds, shredded coconut, dried cranberries and chocolate chips. Pour in the flaxseed/agave mixture and stir together until everything is evenly coated. Grease an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and press mixture into pan. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 23-25 minutes, until edges are crispy. Cool for about 15 minutes before cutting them, as they may still be rather soft. Once they're cool, they should be rather crispy.

So, if you decide to make this recipe, think about the endangered wolves. And if you see one, give him a hug. Unless he's in Twilight...

Thanks, Mama Pea!

I posted a couple days ago about some of my favorite books and blogs. I mentioned Mama Pea's blog. She has some amazing recipes and today, after a Whole Foods trek with *my* momma, I tried two of her yummy treats: Curry Kale Chips and Smoky Chipotle Zucchini Hummus.

Currently, the kale chips are still cooking, but I tried a couple after turning them at the hour mark. They are SO awesome!! Here's a pic of what I've got so far:



And the zucchini hummus is quite delish. This was my first time working with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, but oh, they are quite yummy! I'm definitely gonna use this as a chip dip and maybe a salad dressing (after I share some with my momma, of course!).

It tastes and looks similar to roasted red pepper hummus, but it's made without beans and has a wonderful smoky flavor. SBV-approved!!


I didn't really eat breakfast this morning, because I was super tired when I got up this morning. I didn't sleep well and when I have a rough night, I am not at all hungry in the morning, so after I prepared these two dishes, I made myself a big lunch of sauteed veggies w/ black beans and rice. The veggies were: carrots, sweet mini peppers and broccoli slaw. I also added a touch of cumin and some black pepper. The whole thing was sauteed in coconut oil. That's the first time I've used it for cooking and it was really, really good! I saute them just enough so they're still crisp and colorful, but warm. Perfect lunch!

I only ate half, and I put the other half in the fridge for later. I'm looking forward to those kale chips for a snack in a couple hours!

Friday Baking Night

I baked TWO vegan foods tonight!

Let me just go ahead and preface this entire post by saying that vegan baking has been a struggle for me. I love to bake. Baking is one of my passions. (Cooking is the other.) Since I started my vegan diet, I've had trouble making my vegan desserts and baked goods taste as good as they did before. A lot of it was because I would find recipes online. Recipes that people had made up. So, for Christmas, Mom bought me The Joy of Vegan Baking. And everything I've made from it has been quite yummy. :)

So tonight, I decided to make chocolate chip scones and corn muffins. The scones turned out pretty well. The texture is chewy and they have a good amount of sweetness. The recipe told me to sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the top, so I did, but I think that was a bit of a mistake. Next time, I'll leave it off. (Well, maybe a little bit of sugar...) Here are some pics of the scones:




I wrapped them in plastic so that I could share them with my mom and brother tomorrow as we go to Whole Foods (for my favorite hobby: grocery shopping!)


Let me tell you my story about corn muffins. Tonight was my third attempt at corn muffins. I tried to make corn muffins at Thanksgiving and I tried to make them another time. Both times, vegan, of course. I used rice milk those times, and I think that was my first mistake. Rice milk is a lot thinner than other nondairy milks and I'm pretty sure that was a major reason why they got messed up. I also used internet recipes, recipes that had not been tested over and over again to be published in a cookbook.

These corn muffins, however, were from my trusted cookbook and I used soymilk this time instead of rice milk. Major difference! I haven't tasted them yet, but the consistency is good and they look and smell great! Here are the pics:






I love baking and I'm so glad I have this book to help me figure out awesome ways to bake my favorite stuff. (Next step: cakes. I've never been good with cakes...)

Confessions of a Not-So-Perfect Vegan

Let me start off by saying that there is no such thing as a perfect vegan. I don't even know what being a "perfect vegan" would entail, but I certainly am not one. Vegans eat zero animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs. If an animal took part in it, we don't eat it.

Same with the wardrobe. No fur. No leather. No wool. No feathers.

Well, I hate to break it to you all, but I fail miserably at this all the time. Sometimes, I'll eat a piece of bread or a cookie that was made with milk or eggs. I eat it because someone I love made it or provided it for me. Most of my close family and friends know that I am vegan, so they know better than to offer me something non-vegan. But I don't like breaking people's hearts.

I also own two wool coats and a down pillow. The pillow is for my neck. Not an excuse, but maybe I'll switch up next time I go shop for a pillow. One of my wool coats was purchased several years ago when I was away at college. On sale at Marshalls for $25. What a steal. It's still in great condition and I love wearing it. The other coat was a hand-me-down from a woman at work. It's longer than my other coat, so it's great for dressing up and most importantly, it was free.

See, that's the thing about being a single, BROKE vegan. I don't have extra money to go spend on fancy dress coats at the store, even $25 ones. (As if I could find a deal like that again...) And I don't want to stress about being a "perfect vegan."

When I bring food into my home, it contains no animal products. When I feed my family and friends, most of the time, I'll feed them vegan food. (Except when my dad forces me to make him banana bread or cookies using eggs and butter. There's no compromises for that man...) When I go out to eat, I try to prepare ahead of time so that I can order a cruelty-free meal that is healthy for me.

For me, being a vegan is about doing what is best for me, my body and the world around me. I want to live a healthy life. I want to make the world a little bit greener and a little bit happier. I want animals to live lives free of torture. And that's me. I'm not really a post-modern girl, but I'm also not one to tell anyone else how to live. If I ever make you feel bad about not being vegan, I'm sorry. It's definitely not my intention.

But I always welcome questions. Well, curious questions. I do not welcome rude, scathing questions that belittle me and the path that I've chosen.

A little deep, yes, but I didn't have pics for today and it's been a long day. I just wanted to get all of this out here early on before I start blogging more regularly.