Monday, November 7, 2011

Not a fan of this time of year...

Every year, right around the time of my birthday (October 18th) I begin to get a bit anxious. Even though Halloween is my favorite holiday, this year I just couldn't really get into it.
This part of the blog really has nothing to do with being vegan, fyi.
For those of you who do not know, I already have some depression related issues (whole other story, for another day) that I have been dealing with for an extremely long time. Now, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) gets to kick in. Strangely, though, I think that the end of Daylight Savings Time has helped.
Which doesn't really make sense.
How do you handle emotional issues, whether they are season related or it depends on the time of the month or whatever...??
That being said, yes my birthday was fun. Even had a vegan birthday cake made by the great bakery lady at Earth Fare (I don't know what I would do without that place). Halloween was fun, and not only did I save some money by using stuff from my own closet for costuming it also helped with saving the planet (as reusing always does, though it was honestly due to me not being able to find a costume I liked in time). For next year I'm going to have some money set aside so I can buy a real costume that I love & will last for years to come. I hate using things only once.
Now... here comes two times of the year I don't really care for, Thanksgiving & Christmas. Why, you may ask? Well, first off Thanksgiving is just an excuse to torture and murder more animals just to have a huge and wasteful meal. Of course there are many of us that do what we can to make it a cruelty free holiday... and there are so many ways we can do that.
There are many resources out there for us. The easiest is to ask your local grocer. Places like Whole Foods and Earth Fare are usually staffed with knowledgeable people... but for those without a helpful store there are online options. Peta2.com currently has a vegan turk'y give away (as well as many helpful tips & fun stuff for us vegheads). Healthy-eating.com has many options available to order year round, and especially during the holidays. They even offer Tofurky brand options, which are always a favorite. If those aren't options, or you want to avoid the whole faux meat stuff, there are a large amount of recipes available online. Google is a vegan's best friend, just be sure to plan ahead. You don't want to get caught without a vital ingredient on the big day. And a best thing about these foods is that they are great for any meal, not just special occasions.


For those who are cooking a "traditional" turkey day meal, you may need to help accommodate the dishes for some vegans or vegetarians that may arrive. It's easier than it might seem, though it may reach outside of your comfort zone. As always, any help needed or question... and I'm here for you.


I like to think of it more as "Save-the-Turkeys" day, personally. So many are cruelly treated, and slaughtered in ways that most cannot stomach (and if you can, you need help... now).

So, how do you plan to spend your "Save-the-Turkeys" Day???



Monday, July 11, 2011

A (Vegan) Food Must Have: Nutritional Yeast

A staple of any vegan pantry, nutritional yeast is one of my favorite food discoveries since becoming vegan. This flaky, yellowish seasoning has a nutty (dare I type it, almost cheesy) flavor that I swear I could just eat with a spoon (ok, so I have before, you try it and see if you don't get the urge). I love how it's full of B vitamins (something a lot of us vegheads miss out on without supplements) and is super yummy added to almost any dish. I love to put it on salads (especially pasta salads) and add it to soups. It's also a great thing to add in with any dish involving a vegan "cheese" to give it more of that "cheesy" flavor and add stuff our bodies need.
I usually get my nutritional yeast (ok, the name isn't the best, but the product is so it's ok) in the bulk section of my favorite local health food grocery store (Earth Fare for us) but this time bought the prepackaged stuff in a nifty container at a "regular" grocery store I will frequent (Krogers, actually, for us has some great organic/vegan/health food options at some of their locations here). They only had one option, though... but luckily it was one of my favorite brands: Bragg. Their religious messages on their packaging can be a little off-putting, but don't let it deter you. They are all for the cruelty free and healthy lifestyle. One item of their's I always make sure I have is their apple cider vinegar (so many uses, but sometimes I like to just drink it plain) and now I am adding their nutritional yeast to that list.
So, what do you think of nutritional yeast? Any recipe ideas to share? What do you put it on?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Decadently Vegan, on Facebook!

Since I'm pretty horrible at taking pics, I have yet to get some good ones of my newest creations. One day I went kind of earring crazy, but am pleased at the results. Even with the hemp I've done pretty well (one bracelet is even a kids' size). What I do have pics of, though, are in my "For Sale" album on my Facebook page! I even have a rockin' shirt I prettied up a bit :)
If you have a Facebook profile, please look up my page and click that lovely little "like" button & share with all of your friends! You will get posts for when my blog (yes, here) is updated, and you will also get first dibs on new product postings. Any specials, deals, or discounts will be listed on my page before anywhere else, and it would be the best way to get any special orders to me! You can also find me on Twitter (RogueDecadence; it's linked to my FB page). I will also be updating my page's statuses with various quick tips on planet friendly/vegan life, and most likely much more!
I look forward to seeing you all on Facebook!!!
I have heard a person or two voice some concerns over security issues and that is why they do not have a Facebook. As long as your computer has all the needed up to date security programs & you do your settings on Fb right, there are no real worries! 

Friday, May 13, 2011

New Shop is up & running... kinda...

All of the items in my old Esty shop have finally expired, and I have been working on the new one... www.decadentlyvegan.etsy.com! Yes, it is currently empty... but that doesn't mean that there aren't items on their way. A recent purchase of some hemp thread and new beads has given me creative hope, as has the pending purchase of a book on different hemp designs (I like to be able to learn on the go, and my phone doesn't always have web access in the many places I go). For some reason the hippy in me is starting to show it's self again... which I always love. I'm constantly searching for hippy clothes online, have a great desire for anything made of organic hemp, and if it isn't fair trade I give it a dirty look. 
My favorite thing about this time of year, though, is being able to hang my clothes out to dry. The smell of sunshine in my clothing beats any fabric softener out there, and is as all natural as it gets. I have an umbrella style clothesline, and it's portable and folds easily for storage. The portable part comes in handy if you're yard doesn't have one certain spot that stays sunny as it can be moved around. For those of you who read my old blog, you saw some pictures there. Sadly, those pics died with that blog, and I will have to take new ones. 
I have made a couple of new peices to go along with the new shop, but have no new pics yet. Am hopefully going to find the time to work with a friend on taking better pictures of things, and just better pictures in general. Even though my phone has an amazing camera (and takes great video, too) I just haven't used it as much as I used to. There are so many things that I loved that I let slip to the side while I hid in the darkness. I let the negativity surrounding me suffocate me until I had almost forgotten. 
Strangely, what I think pulled me out of it was getting very, very, very sick a few months ago. It lasted for about 2 weeks, and kept me out of work. A trip to the ER taught me that I had an ear infection, sinus infection, chest infection, a little strep, and whatever strain of flu that was going around at the time (I basically NEVER get anything that is contagious since going vegan, so I was shocked). Kalifornia helped to protect me from the hyperness of the other dogs and stayed by my side through almost all of it (she deserved the right to go potty, ya know). I truly felt as if I was dying, and when it was finally over I felt like a dark cloud was gone from my world... and I could allow myself to enjoy life again. So I am dating someone new, who does truly care about and want to be with me, and am slowly getting back into yoga. One small thing I really dig right now are wasabi peas... the hot kind. They can be found in many stores, especially asian ones. I have to force myself to not eat a whole can at once. 
Also, I love coconut milk but still do not care for almond milk. There was a sale at my usual grocery store so I could afford to give them a try (again, for almond milk, hoping it was the brand I had tried before). I think I will still stick with soymilk as my staple, and have yet to try hemp milk (rice milk tastes too much like rice for me, though I love rice). 
So... what is new with you guys?

Friday, March 4, 2011

Avocado Update (Strange Happenings...)

After discovering there was a huge lack of sunny windowsills to place my avocado seeds in I decided to put them outside in the sun, as in the pictures in the previous post. Seems like this was a bad idea. I went to check them today to find that they were gone. Yes, gone. Toothpicks and the seeds, but not the little cups (which were still filled with water).
I'm sure the dogs or any other animal would have knocked over at least one of the cups, so I have no clue what happened. And I'm not really going to worry about it since that will honestly do no good.
I will probably wait until it gets to be a bit warmer, since this time of year the temperature fluxuate so much that it's difficult to tell what time of year it truly is without  looking at a calender...

One good thing is that my hair is pink again, though it was on accident. The red bled into the bleached part in the front (my beloved Rogue stripes) and is now bright pink. I will post pics when I am able, and of course I used Manic Panic brand in the shade of Vampire Red (which always turns pink on the bleached out parts of my hair).

Now to get back to "real world" stuffs, and fantasize about what it was like when I had time to do some crafting... beading, oh how I do miss you...

Monday, February 28, 2011

Finally, growing an avocado plant...

For some time I have been saying that I wanted to grow two things; an avocado plant and a lemon tree. Well, I've finally started one. Ever since the last time I started a container garden and locusts decided to take it over I have been hesitant to begin again, and just the other week my aloe plant (the great grand baby of my original one) died. But with two avocados in my fridge that needed to be eaten soon, I decided to take the opportunity to at least attempt to test out my green thumb again.

To find out how to grow my avocado plant I did the only thing I knew to do, I googled it. There are many many links to blogs and vlogs giving instrucitons and showing how to do so with little variation in the directions.
In the pictures above you see how I have set them up. The toothpicks help to keep the avocados suspended on top of the water with only the wide actually in the water. I also found information that lightly scraping the skin off that part will help it absorb water faster (I used my thumbnail, you want to do this very delicately so as not to damage the seed).
It is easier if you are lucky enough to have a seed that already starts to root in the fruit. If you ever notice you have one like that, go ahead and start it then!
Some links said these will not grow fruit, some said it will take several years at least if you have other trees around to help polinate. Either way, I look forward to the beautiful plant that will grow and help to oxygenate our world.
Things I will have to watch out for: the weather turning cold again, and nosy dogs. I will keep them inside and give them as much sun as possible, and keep them out of reach of the furkids... I took the pics of them outside because there was no sun coming in through any windows at the time, and the lighting was better. :)

At least once a week I will post an update, even if there are no changes... 

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Recipe: Oatmeal Crisps (Cookies)

This recipe was very easy to veganize, and I'm sure this version came out much better than the original. I don't recall eating them before (it's my mother's recipe, but she's not much of a baker) but my mom said they came out really really good. 
Not the best pic... not the prettiest of cookies... but they taste damn good! 

The banana is in there as an egg replacement (1 banana = 2 eggs). I also love the flavor it adds to the cookie, seems to make the oatmeal taste even better. I use organic ingredients whenever possible, and all of these things can be bought at most grocery stores (like, Krogers). Turbinado sugar is different in the way it is processed, and is not bleached (yes, that white sugar you use has been soaked in BLEACH THE EVIL CHEMICAL). Those Dixie crystals you are used to have been processed using a carbon filter, and they make that carbon with animal bits etc etc etc... google it all to find out more. This post is about a cookie recipe, not sugar. :)

1 c Earth Balance vegan margarine
1 c brown sugar
1 c turbinado sugar
1 banana
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 c organic all wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 c oats
chopped nuts, about 1/2 c, I used pecans 
Cream the butter and sugars thoroughly. Then mash in the banana, mix very well, and the vanilla. Mix the flour, salt, and soda together, then slowly mix in with the other. Stir in the oats and nuts, and make sure the entire mixture is mixed very well. I used a fork at first, but finally ended up just using my hands. Form into rolls that are 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper, or the like, and chill thoroughly. You will know it's ready when you go to do the next step. 
Once ready, use a sharp knife to slice the dough into cookies about 1/4 inch thick. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 or until lightly browned. It makes about 5 dozen or so, but this does freeze really well so you can make a few now and save the dough for later.