Vegan Tip of the Week (VTOTW): How to get started...? (AKA Written for another)

This was originally written for a vegan website whose owner was looking for guest writers/admins on their facebook page. I was give free range to post about anything, with it being under a "tip of the week topic". Long story short, this didn't quite fit what that owner was looking for it seems (I didn't stick to one tip, and I honestly have forgotten the other complaint) and I wasn't asked to write another post. I saved it just in case, and thought I might as well share it with you guys. Not only does it give some tips on how to get started, but it also gives insight into how I started on my cruelty free lifestyle. So... here ya go!

Vegan Tip of the Week: How to get started…?

My first step was kind of an accident. I was tired of the small container of cows' milk expiring before I could finish it, and a friend recommended soy milk. I wasn't a fan at first, but per her instructions I began using the vanilla soy milk in my cereal and just like that I was hooked. Keep in mind that at this point I had no idea that the word vegan even existed. Most start by giving up some form of meat, like most of my vegan friends. One of them, Michael, decided to give up veal and other young flesh back in the early 1980’s after learning about the horrific treatment they go through. Ten years later he was vegetarian, but after learning the truth behind milk and egg productions he realized going vegan was the only way to be intellectually honest with himself and also at peace with his conscience. No matter what it is, that first small step may be one of the biggest in your life.

Giving up dairy and eggs was my next step, but I was still feeling not so great and was ready for more.  Thanks to the great and wonderful internet, I found some support and the most amazing book: Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It’s a no nonsense book that tells you that if you don’t want to feel like crap then stop eating it. Skinny Bitch in the Kitch was my first vegan cookbook, and they have expanded their series. They even have Skinny Bastard just for the guys. Another book I’m madly in love with is The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone (huge fan, love this woman!). It includes 3 different steps to living a plant based life and she has created The Kind Life, a great online community for support and information. I didn't know any vegans in person when I started on this lifestyle, so this community really helped get personal tips instead of online reviews on almost every and any aspect of life.

These books aren't it, either. There are so many more out there, something for everyone. I can’t even begin to count the number of vegan cookbooks on the market. This leads us to another important step: cooking. Anyone can cook, no matter what you've been told. I still wouldn't say I’m a great cook, but I am pretty darn good when it comes to some bbq tofu and sweet carrots! Find a cookbook that fits your needs, and just follow the recipes. I like to take my cookbooks grocery shopping with me and use them instead of making out grocery lists for ingredients. Soon you will learn what you really need and don’t need, what you really like and don’t like, and it will all become second nature. This may take time, but it will happen. There are also books about veganism (like Becoming Vegan) that can help as a guide into a plant based lifestyle without focusing on just cooking.

Need some real life interaction? Check out Meetup.com and search for a local vegetarian/vegan group. They also have many groups for other things (gaming, yoga, even saw one for board games and puzzles once) that will meet in person. No matter what the interest is, I think it always helps you to grow as a person to be around others that share that interest with you. Life is for learning, and learning does help us grow no matter how old or young we are.

The main thing to remember is that living a cruelty free, vegan, plant based, or whatever you call it lifestyle is also about being kind to yourself. Do not expect things to change overnight. Just like anything else in life this is a process and can take time. Making mistakes, having slip ups… this happens even to some seasoned vegans. Accept it happened, learn from it (and how to avoid it next time), and move on. If I can do this, I know that you can.  

Super easy laundry soap recipe!

I've been making my own laundry soap since before I even went vegan (over 5 years ago, in case anyone has forgotten) and have always loved doing it (or at least that I do it, I am quite lazy). I love being able to take pride, even just a little bit, in doing things for myself. Not to mention having control over the ingredients in the things that I put in or on (yes, even though it's to wash your clothes it's still there and eventually on your skin which is our biggest organ-teehee) my body is just smart with there being so many too many toxic things on sale for public and regular use... yeah, I could go on this rant for a while.
But I won't.
The recipe I used previously involved castile soap, which meant lots of grating if I wasn't able to splurge on the liquid stuff. It also involved a big bucket or taking the time to cook it a big pot on the stove. But now... NOW... thanks to the amazing and super awesome Sadie from AllNaturalMe.com I have found the easier answer that lazy butts like myself love to hear...
There is an easier way!
I did have to tweak some things, as usual, so here is my version:

Easy Laundry Soap (32 to 64 loads - 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup per load)
6 Tablespoons Borax
6 Tablespoons Washing Soda
16 cups water - boiling or just about that hot
4 Tablespoons eco-friend dish soap (I currently am using Seventh Generation's Lavender Floral & Mint)
1 gallon jug (or a bit bigger, I am using one of the large glass apple juice jugs from Earth Fare- apple juice already finished off, of course)
A funnel definitely will make things easier, and make sure your measuring cup can handle the super hot water. Having at least an oven mitt, maybe a pot holder as well, never hurts.
I add a couple of cups of the water (after boiling in my teapot on the stove) in the jug first. Sometimes this just makes it easier to keep things mixed. Remember to pour slowly so you don't spill because this is going to get hot. Then I use the funnel (ok, it's the cut off top part of a 1 liter soda bottle, so it's not suitable for the boiling water but you may have a funnel that is... so use it!) to add in the powder parts. Swish to mix it all up, remember this is going to be hot so the oven mitt/pot holder can come in very handy. At this point I start adding in the rest of the water, but like to dissolve the dish soap in with one along the way. I think things mix a bit better this way. When the jug starts to get full you may want to go slow to help prevent any over flow.
I use an old scoop from something that just happened to be about 1/4 cup in size to measure it for each load, and I do feel like my clothes are a lot cleaner than with my previous recipe. Feel free to add any essential oils you may like, but depending on the dish soap you may not have to (I didn't this time, but sometimes love how the smells do fill the house while I'm washing clothes).

You could use this right away, but remember the water was boiling not long ago (aka IT WILL BE HOT) and some clothes don't like hot water.
And here is the link to the original post by Sadie

I still use the same "fabric softener" recipe, with a bit of a tweak.
But if you don't already know what happens when baking soda and vinegar get together, you are going to learn now.
Super Easy "Fabric Softener"
One part baking soda
One part white vinegar
Two parts water
Whatever essential oils I feel like using when I'm making it.
Funnel & a glass bottle to store it in
I first add in the baking soda. This will settle easily and will have to be shaken from time to time. Then I add in the water that I have dashed in about 30 drops of whatever essential oil or combo of essential oils I feel like using (today it was 20 of sweet orange and 10 of tea tree oil -always a good choice- or so, I am sure I lost count). Then you SUPER SLOWLY ADD THE VINEGAR. Seriously, go slow or you will have a mess. Your counter will be super clean when you are done, but it will be a big mess.
I use this with my Downy Ball (have had this thing FOREVER and it is a huge help since my washer doesn't tell me when to put the fabric softener in) as I would the store bought kind.
Please don't expect this to act like store bought fabric softener. It's mainly great for prevent static cling and helping to add a fresh scent. I don't think anything home made can do what the store bought stuff can do, but I love my clothes and adding a chemical that weakens the material of my precious clothing... no thank you.

I'm always interested in learning more, so if you guys have any tips or tweaks of your own you would like to add - or even a great recipe to share - please do so in the comments!

Update to "Crafty: Fixing My Tom's"

Ok, I will be the first to admit it: I was wrong! I was rushing things a bit, trying to not have to buy anything new and use stuff I already had (great and easy way to save money AND be eco-friendly). But using wood glue (ugh) to fix my Tom's wasn't the best idea.
They are too stiff.
Duh.
I plan on visiting a local crafting store today to see what they have available, but my previous searches in the real world didn't get very far. Honestly, our crafting stores here kinda suck. Sometimes I can find some cute beads, and for those who sew there seem to be a lot of things to go along with that... but for my random crafting? Eh.
I will keep updating on this, and my next life adventure: eating more of a raw/fruitarian diet! 

Getting the crafty bug again (finally!): Fixing my Tom's

Several years ago (probably over 5, really can't remember) a friend's dog chewed up my favorite pair of Tom's just enough to where I could not wear them. I hadn't had them long, so I was furious... but I couldn't stay too mad at the cute furry butt that did the crime. For years I've asked some crafty friends about how to fix them, and they were even in the possession of a friend who swore she could do it (she couldn't, so didn't) and my mother who said she would take them to a repair shop for many months.
Fast forward to a couple of months ago. I finally had to come to the realization that my favorite jeans, what I called my hippie jeans, were just too worn to wear anymore. Holes appeared in places that couldn't be patched and would risk public embarrassment... and we can't have that. Oh, no. But I couldn't just throw them out, and my scrap material storage space is growing super small. Then it hit me: I could use some pieces from them to patch up my long holey Tom's!!!
Sadly, for many months the crafty bug left me and all my crafty stuff was truly neglected, including the jeans and my beloved Tom's... until tonight.
Unfortunately, taking before pictures slipped my mind. But I am pretty sure this is just step one in a process that mainly requires the glue to dry. Fun note, I used the wood glue I had handy to glue the denim in place. I did have some outside inspiration a while back, though. I read a blog, not sure which one or where I saw it, that had a tutorial on the patching of the toe part of a pair of Tom's.
As you can see from the pic, the right shoe got the worse of it. The toe area had a couple of good holes in it, and the part that would go over the top of the heel was chewed out to the point of it not staying on. The left shoe had minimal damage, but still needing patching on the heel. I'm using clothespins to hold the denim in place while the glue dries, but they didn't fit for the toe so I had to hold it... and scrub glue off my hands. Definitely not a problem. Just wish the clothes pins would go a bit farther to hold more of the denim to the heel area.
I do plan to trim some of the excess denim off, and possibly have to patch them up a bit more. For all I know the whole thing will be a waste of time and supplies and the patches will just fall off, but I do plan on reinforcing with something (stitches, idk yet) once I get the patches in place. So we will see!

I truly feel that I didn't have a choice...

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm all about being as natural as possible while keeping my sanity and staying vegan. Well, yesterday I did something I didn't think I would ever do.
Actually, my boyfriend (Matt) did it for me.
We did the bug bomb thing on my home.
Yeah.
Ok, he did it. And while it was doing it's thing he took my girls to his mom's so they could play with her dog AND he even changed the oil in my car (a bit overdue, but still super awesome). Best part is he was able to do it all while I was at work and be there early to pick me up.
"What's the most funnest part ever???" you ask? Well, it's putting it all back together.
Some stuff got packed up so it would be protected and still needs to unpacked. Certain things like towels, etc, had to be washed well... I didn't plan ahead as well as I should have and put up more. But I also have to wash dishes before I use them, and I can't help but feel super stupid for doing so much laundry this weekend.
Matt was able to help with some things, but he did have to get back to work and my home is my responsibility so... yeah.
And the girls still need a bath!
So, now you are probably asking why this all had to be done. It's very simple, and it's one word of complete and total annoyance.
FLEAS.
Yes, the fleas were taking over. Cats had begun moving into and breeding under my home, and while adorable I'm about as allergic as one can be to them AND they brought in the fleas. And it's the fleas they left behind when they moved out. Fleas that have been eating my girls alive, and I just can't have that. Nope. I believe in live and let live until me or mine are threatened.
Those little parasites had to go.
And now is the time for healing and growing (not for the fleas, though) and getting this place back together.
And the girls need a bath.
Or, even better, we all three need a day at a spa! Yes! lol

I would do anything for my girls! Just look at them... could you blame me? <3 p="p">

Tofu Fried Rice (vegan style!)

You may not know this, but rice is one of my favorite things (foodwise). Jasmine rice is my ultimate favorite, but rice in general is a main staple in my diet. I think that if I did decide to ever go fully raw it would be my one vice...
But this past grocery store visit I ended up with the stuff to make tofu friend rice. Fried rice is pretty easy to make vegan. Just don't use a butter or eggs. If you must add a protein, use tofu. It's also fairly inexpensive to have the ingredients on hand.
I will typically make a good sized pot of rice (whatever kind I have handy, this time it was just a basic medium grain white rice) already cooked in the fridge. Directions vary depending on the kind. I've even found some that say to cook them for about an hour... yeah, no. My patience doesn't go that far. 20 minutes seem to be the average. Whenever asked how to make the best rice, my advise is to always follow the directions. :) (no, I'm not a fan of that boil in a bag/minute rice stuff. Stop being so lazy, get you some real rice... you will NEVER go back to the crap).
Another good thing to have on hand, if you love the stuff of course, is tofu. I typically buy extra firm tofu, maybe firm, but the stuff I typically make works best with extra firm. I didn't even press my tofu this time..
I do try to keep some frozen veggies on hand at all times. I love peas, and something about the firm texture I get from the frozen ones is just the best. This time it was frozen peas and carrot squares (I had a coupon for a free bag, and free is my fave number). Carrots are one of my top veggies to have around, anyway, and the way the frozen peas and carrots are set up are perfect for this recipe and very cost efficient.
One of my pantry staples is some kind of oil. Right now it's a canola and olive oil blend. Not all pans need it, but it can make things tastier and although some may not believe it our bodies require some amount of fat to survive.
Ok, enough of that. Here's the recipe:
Cook the rice according to directions.
Cube the tofu, about a half a block for 2 cups of cooked rice depending on how you like your rice to tofu ratio.
Heat your pain on medium/medium-high heat, and put in a bit of oil if needed. Brown on all sides, if you can wait that long. Some don't like it too crispy, so just cook to your liking. Keep an eye on it. And if it starts popping to the point that you burn yourself, put your shirt back on and turn the heat down a bit.
Set that aside in another dish.
Put a bit more oil in the pan. Add the amount of cooked rice you have decided you want to fry. Make sure as much of the rice as possible has oil covering it (it will be shiny). Kind of move it around and break up any clumps. Then spread it out in the bottom of the pan and let it cook a bit. I like to chop it up with the spatula to kind of check on it. Flip it, toss it, move it around in the safest way you can. The longer it cooks, the crispier it gets and the easier to flip almost like a pancake will be!
Soy Sauce! I forgot to mention the soy sauce.... the amount is up to you. About 2 tablespoons is average, depending on how much you like. I am a soy sauce snob, and will spend a bit more on a good one. The cheap ones taste terrible to me... so fake and... ick. So at this point add your soy sauce a mix well.
I have some fresh chives that I froze a while back. I use my kitchen scissors to cut some of that into little pieces and mix in. Then I add my frozen veggies.
You can add anything else you like at this point. If I had some onion on hand that would get chopped up and added, too. Keep in mind that frozen stuff needs to be added a bit before anything fresh (they obviously have to cook longer). Also, if you don't like crunchy veggies, like onions, you will want to cook them a bit longer too.
And don't worry, it's not difficult to tell when it's done. I like mine a tiny bit crispy, and it makes my house smell amazing...

I try not to make too much of this at once because it is so good that I end up eating almost all of it at once.. yeah, I love food :). Keeping the supplies on hand for your favorite dishes always makes life a little bit easier.
What do you always like to keep on hand in your fridge/pantry?

Pancakes. & Pinterest

At first I wanted a veggie burger, but was thinking of finding a recipe and making my own.... but that passed quickly when I realized I probably already have the stuff to make pancakes.
So I did what I normally do when I want to find a recipe. I googled it.
"Easy vegan pancakes" to be exact.
And this is what I found:
http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/easy-vegan-pancakes-63509

Ok, so I didn't exactly have the ingredients, but close enough. Like, instead of all-purpose flour I used buckwheat flour. And I thought it said a tablespoon of cinnamon instead of a dash. I did use soy milk, and coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. Also, I did mix it a bit too much, and it made such a large batch I am going to save some of the batter to try to make pancakes later.
Buckwheat flour makes them a lot darker, so you can't always tell when they are that golden brown we look for. But they are good. I topped them with some organic strawberry preserves and agave nectar. Washing them down with chocolate soy milk just made them better.

The past couple of weeks have been kinda sucky for me. Everyone knows my allergy issues are pretty serious, and even though I've started allergy shots those can take YEARS to work. And, every once in a while, about every 18 months or so, I get so sick from them I end up going to the ER in need of an antibiotic that will actually work and not to wait for EVER in a doctors office. The worst part was that I had to work while I was sick, and my biggest symptom was a sever sore throat ( I work at a call center, of course). At least I got to sit down all day. And of course it lasted the longest of all the symptoms.
Happily, today was the first day with no sore throat.
This morning I took my girls for a long walk, and then dropped Carli back at home (she is only about 8 lbs) and took Kalifornia for a long run.
And for those who are wondering, yes all of my locks have been changed as have all of my passwords. And for whoever tried to break in after they were changed, you can kiss your own ass. Thank you :)

So now on to the other part of my title. Pinterest.
Yes, Pinterest.
On a smaller scale I'm learning how to use Instagram, though I think I will love that one more... but Pinterest.
Pinterest! Pinterest! Pinterest!
Up until recently, other than signing up for it, the most interaction I had with it was the emails I would get that someone was following me.. or something like that. But now I've decided to jump in... and that reminds me to get it set up on my phone...

Next I just need someone to teach me how to use this old sewing machine I have... or help me sell it...