Pancakes, Smoothies, Alfredo, Breaded Tofu...oh my!

I am now only a week away from finishing summer school. But that also means that I have 3 exams next week, and a presentation on Evolution of the Factory Farm and the Implications of our Agriculture World. Im madly excited about the presentation, but its a class on Western Civilization, not really on America. So most my sources from home only speak from US perspective, so its going to be a bit of work to get all the facts from the UK and EU. But Ill do it, and Ill probably over do it. When it comes to writing papers on animal rights and environmentalism I want them to be perfect, I want the person to feel some emotion, I want the reader/viewer to find something through my words. The class is 10 people, so its not large, so I hope that since it is smaller group, people will start to question, as PETA says, authority. I hate using phrases PETA uses, but this one is true. But my only issue is I got some sort of cold this week. I am filled with mucus and my head is extremely congested. I got home from school each day this week and slept. So I have not started yet, Im still on a rough outline, which is nerve wrecking since the presentation is on the 3rd. I also have an exam on the 2nd, so I have two big things to deal with this weekend. But I still don't feel, sooo.

Today I got the paint for my new room at my house and the paint for my bed frame. Since I am moving out, my mom wants my room for the new main guest room. So I am moving back to my old room, though Im okay with it as it has the walk-in closet and better circulation of heat/air. My mom will be painting the room this week, then we'll set up my room for home. After its all set up, I can disassemble my bed that is going to my new apartment and paint it! Im really excited, if you can tell. I doubt anybody wanted to read that load of crap. I move on the 22nd, so after summer school is over. I'll go back to work and will then start the packing.

Well moving on to the good stuff. My week in food!


Last Sunday I woke up and was craving a hearty breakfast. I decided to make the pancakes from VwaV. They turned out really well. I had a bit of trouble with my pan, but its been awhile since I made pancakes so I don't think I pre-heated the pan for long enough before I started the first pancakes. But by the end, they were perfectly browned and even. I served it with a nice fruit salad and a smoothie. My mom got me one of those bullet blenders. She knows I make a ton of smoothies so it is great for my small new space. This smoothie was with: pomegranate-blueberry V8 juice, orange juice, fresh mango, watermelon, and blueberries. It was delicious, perfect pair to the great breakfast.

The next days I had a lot of leftovers and wraps for meals. I also got a chance to try Amy's Organic Tuscan Bean & Rice Soup. It was delicious I highly recommend it. It was thick and hearty, the perfect soup for a long day. I have two more of her soups to try.

A few nights ago my mom told me that my grandparents were coming over for dinner to have fettuccine alfredo. She told me to figure out what sauce I wanted. I was like uhh, alfredo? I saved a link from PPK's forums of an alfredo sauce a few people were raving about. It was entirely too easy to make, just needed extra firm tofu, milk, arrowroot, and spices. I highly enjoyed it, it was thick and creamy and everything an alfredo should be. I made half the recipe, but I still had a huge amount of leftovers (3-4 servings). So tonight I heated up some penne and peas and had it all over again. Im quite full and it was so lovely the second time around. I still have a third and fourth time to try it. My sister is even going to take the recipe and make it for her vegan friend.

My mom has been highly supportive of my switch to veganism. I dont think she is highly amused or excited, but she would never tell me I wasnt allowed. We had gone to our local library a few weeks to look for cookbooks or other books about veganism, but they had none. Other libraries had a ton, but I didnt really think of it, I like now now now. Damn impatient gal. But my mom went and ordered cookbooks for me from the other libraries. I got home a few days ago and there was the Student's Go Vegan Cookbook, Veganomicon, and the Vegan Microwave Cookbook

The Student cookbook is nice because it is small and short recipes, but Im not sure if that translates to poor instructions. My only issue so far is there is a lot of ingridients she uses that I dont have readily in the house. So I haven't made a recipe from it yet, but I will! I want to try her recipe for Tofu Feta Cheese, Steadfast Winter Soup (who cares if it aint winter!), Maple-flavored Brussel Sprouts with Carrots and Toasted Pecans, Apple Crisp, and tomorrow Im making her Carmalized Onion, Walnut, Sage Pizza. I was going to make it tonight if I found a pre-made dough that was vegan...no luck. Out of the 3 in the store, one had dried honey, another whey, and the other parmesan cheese. I dont get why companies find it necessary to load a simple dough with all these extras. My mom was like well its just cause you don't eat it, ergh. I have gone through the first two thoroughly and have marked what recipes I want to try before I buy them. Its a simple dough, it should not have so many extras. So tomorrow Im going to make the pizza dough from VwaV, Ill make two doughs, so that my mom and dad will have a pizza as well tomorrow. I was going to make Isa's pesto sauce, but 3 cups of basil is a lot, and we didn't have any basil plants in our herb garden. Though, now we do! Two plants, they look great and smelled great, so Im excited for them to grow, and then ill make the pesto!

So far I've read most of the preparatory guide of Veganomicon. It is helpful, and is definitely a guide that I would love to have just around the house when I want to cook veggies/beans without freaking out. I always hate when a recipe will tell you to roast a veggie, but then not tell you how long, temperature, etc...but now with this cookbook no more googling. I also love the humor of Isa and Terry in this one, they really play off each other and is fun to read. So far I have made one recipe. The Chile Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu. We ended up not having cornmeal, so I substituted the cornmeal with polenta. They were so easy to make, spices, cornmeal, and lime zest make up the breading. Isa gives the option of frying or baking, but to stay a bit healthier I baked them. It was the perfect amount of spices with the sweetness playing off the lime. I had lime infused rice. I wanted brown rice, but I realized I was pressed for time. Thank god I have a rice cooker, so I was able to scramble ready for class while my food was cooking. My mom was going to have brussel sprouts with her dinner, so I told her to put it in the steaming tray that came with my rice cooker, its so convenient. I cant wait for next year when Im pressed for time at school, just put some rice and veggies and some marinated tofu and steam it all. Quick and painless meal.

I am also planning to make the Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry cookies tomorrow. There are actually so many different sweets from that cookbook I want to try. For example the Not-Tella, Chocolate Chocolate Walnut Cookies, Vanilla Ice Cream, Blueberry Brownies, Smlove Pie, need I go on?

I will look at the microwave cookbook a bit more. I know she got it for me because of the convienence. It will be nice to see how she converts traditional recipes to quick meals. Which is a must when you are a student living on your own. Im not sure I will be buying that cookbook, but Ill definitely hope to learn those little tips.

Okay, now I MUST go work on my presentation. I have a ton of research to do, and only 3 days to do it. I slept the afternoon away, then watched the final rounds of the spelling bee. A bit behind I might say. Oh my.

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Paulina of Veggie Delight! Oh my!

Here are the rules :

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. Share 5 facts about yourself.

3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names, linking to them.

4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

Alright here are my facts:

1. Going along with Paulina's first. I like to keep to myself. I often would rather sit at home reading a good book or reading up on the internet than going out to some party. I do like to go out with friends and get a good laugh. But I do need my alone time to unwind and relax, if I dont have that time, then I might not want to go out at all.

2. I love interior decoration. It excites me to the max to plan a room and see it come alive. Since I am moving into my own place this summer, Im going to have a lot of fun finding the rest of the big items and then putting it together with all the accents and finishing touches. I've been ready with floor plans and designs for the past 6 months.

3. I am adopted. I was adopted at birth. I left the hospital at 7 days old with my mom and dad. I don't find it weird or something sad. Adoption is something great, I dont understand why most people think adoptees think its horrible or something traumatic. I have been blessed with a loving family and they are all I know. And right now all I want to know.

4. I don't like not knowing something. Like going to the supermarket and not knowing where a certain item is, or having half-assed directions to a location, or if Im going to buy an item I want to know all the reviews before I buy. So this lead to a very psychotic love for the internet. I adore google.com/maps especially now that the maps will tell me how to get to the destination by public transportation. I always will ask my mom before I leave to get groceries exactly where the crescent rolls are, or read like 30 product reviews on a camera or printer before I commit. So I use the net loads to be sure of those type of things and also to educate myself on political topics and activism, of course.

5. I have a large collection of magazine cut-outs. I normally don't pick them due to the clothes, that helps, but it is mostly images that I find artistic or beautiful. My collage at school last year was probably around a foot and half wide and a foot tall. I have about the same at home. Next year at my apartment, Ill be putting it back together piece by piece (dont worry I took a picture) on the walls near my desk. It helps me to work as I have some inspiration, not just a blank wall.

Hrm, I have no idea who to tag since I dont really know anybody yet!
So Ill just do the people that I have taken recipes from:
Vegan Dad
Fatfree Vegan
Veg Bitch

that's all so far, so I guess that is all Ill do.

Roasted Veggie Wrap and Cashew and Tofu Stirfry

So this post should have been from Wednesday, but with summer school I didn't really get time to sit down and write this til now. Though I have been keeping up with all of my blogs with my google reader and all the podcasts.

I made lunch and dinner on Wednesday. I did what I said I would and planned my meals a week in advance, but it turns out my meal on Wednesday lasted me 3 days.

My mom was looking at her magazine and saw a good idea for a roasted veggie and hummus tortilla wrap. Sounded good, so I made it. It was simple to make. It had red pepper, onion, zucchini, squash, alfalfa sprouts, and hummus. We drizzled a little olive oil and sea salt on the sliced veggies and roasted them for a good 15 minutes at 450degrees F. Spread the hummus on the tortilla and put on as many sprouts as you like while the veggies are roasting. Then just assemble. The hummus began to melt right away, it was juicy and delicious. I served it with fresh zucchini, red pepper, and squash 'chips'. Ill be making that again.








Then for dinner, I made a Cashew and Tofu Stirfry that I found on Vegan Dad's blog. It was very simple to make, took only 20 mins. I actually had to wait for my rice to cook to eat, I had judged the prep of the dish to be longer. The aroma from the sauce was intoxicating, it smelled so delicious and after it was added to my wok the whole house was infused with the sweetness! It only took a minute for the sauce to thicken. It was soooo good. I think the only difference I would make is to add less ginger, we used an inch piece, but I think Id only use a quarter inch piece next time. The first few bites were a bit strong, but it was sweet and so filling. And like I said, I had it 3 nights in a row. It was just as good the second and third day. Yesterday instead of having rice, I ate it with alfalfa sprouts, it was nice since the cashews and tofu had softened a bit, so it added a nice crunch. This is definitely being added to my binder of recipes!

Tonight my mom made dinner. She made Spicy 'Chikn' Parmigiana atop layered potato. Ill be making this again and will post the recipe. I just want to wait til I get my hands on a better cheese. It was nice to not be cooking.

I'm off to a baseball game tomorrow. I am allowed to bring food in, so Ill be making some kind of sandwich with some fresh veggies and fruit and nuts to snack on. Its supposed to be really nice tomorrow too. GO WHITE SOX!!!

Shopping Trip

So I finally made my journey to the health food store yesterday. I decided on going to the one right near my house, its called Pass Health Food. I had a very enjoyable experience at the store. I walked in and was greeted right away, but I decided instead of overload her with my billion questions, Ill just walk all the aisles and find what Im looking for. It isnt the largest store around, but I found all but one item on my list...and a few more.

I looked before I left on their website to see if they had any flyers or promotions, and they did. I decided not to bother with printing it, as all the items Id be interested in I already had or did not reaaally need. But when I got there, conveniently all the items that were in the flyer on sale, were already marked that price. The only item I could not find was Teese, but the woman in the store wrote down the name of the brand and said she would talk to her supplier about getting it, since it is made probably only miles down the road. The total came to 50 something, but she told me that they had a newsletter and for signing up in the store that day she would give me 10% off. Every month the newsletter holds a secret code that I can say to get that 10% off. I then saw that they had Hint, I remember Vegan Lunch Box's posts about it and decided to try it. The sales clerk let me try it for free! I was so amazed at the hospitality and helpfulness in the store. I might every so often venture to the bigger health store to get other items or a larger variety, but I was pleased with my experience and left so happy!


I am in summer school for the next 3 weeks, so I will be posting less. But I am cooking loads and started to collect all the recipes I want to try out on in a Microsoft document. Im printing the recipes as I go and am making a big 'ol binder. Oh the joys of organization.

Couscous Salad & Cupcakes

So my sister's graduation is over. I have to say I was proud, it was cool. The first university graduate of my nuclear family. It was crowded and took awhile to find seats, but we did. We came home to find out that my sister's dog went under the fence and went bolting. Our friend's kids came to bring the chicken for the party. Ella is very timid, she apparently threw up and then ran away. I was freaking out. I went around my neighborhood for what seemed like forever screaming her name and asking neighbors if they saw her. I get a call maybe 30mins later and my sister has found her a half a mile from our house. Little mischievous dog, gave me a heart attack. My dog, was barking at me when I got home, he never does, so I realize that he was telling us that Ella left. He's such a good boy. He did the same when Maggie would get out

So my mom made the Couscous salad with Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas. It was really good. I loved it. She was yelling at me when I was taking photos of it, since she thinks I wouldnt give her credit for the dish. Well here we have it, my mother made it, I did not. I am not taking credit for it. Now that that is over.
The recipe can be found on Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine webiste. It calls for whole wheat couscous, cauliflower, carrots, scallions, and for seasoning salt and pepper, cumin, and lemon zest. The flavors were delicious and it was served on a bed of arugula. Everybody who tried it loved it.





Today I received my last batch of cookbooks that were ordered. I received Dreena Burton's Everyday Vegan and Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.


I HAD to make cupcakes today I decided...so I did. I made them for my sister. Since I still havent gone to the store for margarine or agave nectar and a few other vegan essentials, I just made the vanilla cupcakes with a ganashe topping. They were very very good. I think next time I will use less cornstarch and replace it with something else. They have a bit of a strong cornmeal flavor. I did add a pinch of cinnamon to the batter, and it made them so delicious. We did not have big cupcake cups, so I made mini's. They are just too cute. My mom loved them and hopefully my sister will too. I will definitely be making these again.

Cookbooks and more

Well I havent done much cooking since Tuesday. I worked on Wednesday, so I just did a quick bag meal, since I of course was running late.

Breakfast:
-Kashi Cereal, soy milk
-apple sauce

Quick Lunch Break:
-Pasta e Fagioli (dinner from sunday night, was even better second time around)
-apple
-pretzels

Snack Break at Work:
-rest of pretzels
-rice cake with cinnamon

Dinner:
-Leftover Quinoa and vegetables
-bread
-salad with a bit of olive oil

and of course my fix of popcorn.

Boring day of food, but when I work I am always running late and tired.
BUT! I got to come home to two of my three packages.
I received Becoming Vegan by Davis and Melina and Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz!
I was soooo damn excited when I ripped open the packaging. I have already dog-eared almost every page of VwaV. Id show you a picture, but apparently my digital camera hates me. I should start a 'Sarah needs a digital 35mm' fund soon well really funds in general are need round these parts. I have Becoming Vegan next to me, like literally a few inches from me. Ill be reading more of that tonight. I have a highlighter ready for things I want to be able to quickly find.

I still have coming Vegan Cupcakes and Everyday Vegan. There are a ton of other cookbooks I want, but my birthday is soon, and that can be another fund to start since Im apparently obsessed with vegan cooking/food...already. Its been what a few days since I started this blog, and look at the list on the side of vegan blogs I visit. dear me. My google reader has 70 new items...shit

Today I woke up late since I stayed up late reading VwaV. I was going to make pancakes for breakfast, but I didnt really wake for breakfast. So today I had

Lunch:
-Kashi Cereal, soymilk
-orange juice
-apple sauce
(i just woke up, I dont like eating when i wake up)

Dinner (out with rents and grandparents)
-salad with stir-fried vegetables and ginger soy sauce
-fries...yum

We had issues at dinner, the lady forgot to put in my dad's order, so he got his food after we finished eating. So the boys stayed, while the ladies went across the way to the supermarket. I found the Soy Ice cream section, always brilliant when your ever so spoiling grandmother is around. So she got me a box of Tofutti Chocolate Chocolate bars and Purely Decadent Chocolate Brownie Almond Ice Cream. So I ate a Tofutti when I got home, and they were just as good as I remembered.

While I was watching Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy (im all caught up now, whew) I had some of the Purely Decadent. I wouldnt say it was my favorite. I think it was because it was more chocolate almond, and barely any brownie. I dont think it was the ice cream itself, just the fact that it was too much nut crunch for my taste. I still ate half the pint, but next time Id grab another flavor.

Tomorrow is my sister's university graduation. So we are piling in the car to go downtown. We are returning home to have an outdoor graduation dinner. We decided it'd be too crowded out for all of our tastes, so outside it is. They are all having their fried chicken, but I will be having a pasta salad my mom actually found in Everday magazine. Its Couscous with vegetables and chikpeas. I found it easily on the internet, but after I eat it and review and what not, Ill post the recipe as well. It sounds delicious and calls for arugula. Ill also be having marinated grilled tofu.

Since Im still moving back in from school, I havent gotten to my vitamins yet. Bad bad bad me. So I need to do that tomorrow, cause I know the past week I have been lacking the iron and other necessities. So Ill bring that box into the house and start using my fitday.com again to log my vitamin intake. I will also start planning my meals for the week in advance to make sure that I get the best variety and nutrients. So those are my two goals for the rest of the week food wise. Other than that, I have to go buy my books for summer school, get my school ID, and fill out the damn form for my SSN card, since im the idiot who put it in my wallet while moving home...then loses the wallet while out to lunch.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Quinoa & Vegetables

Last night was a family dinner with the grandparents and rents. They had chicken and pasta salads, so I brought my own rice and spicy lentils with vegetables. They were very good, though I wish it was spicier. This was the first meal with my grandparents so they were very curious to why I went vegan and what I COULD eat, since they pretty much figured i just ate beans and rice. My gran told me she thinks Ill be skinny as a rail since I cant eat any desserts. I kept trying to tell them I will be able to. My grandad just does not get it, so he kept asking how I could tell if something had egg/dairy in it. My gran kept yelling at him and saying itd be mean if he tricked me. But I was ready for the reactions, as this was what I got when I went vegetarian years before.

I had planned for my mom's gift for mother's day to cook for her. But because I worked Sunday and Monday. The night before I invited my grandparents to come as well. I hoped that by having them come over they could see that vegan food was yummy and not paper. They were going to be trouble to please. The simpler the better with them. My grandad was very unsure of what he'd expect. So my mom made pasta with meat sauce just in case they were going to throw up or something.


Earlier in the day I made chocolate chip cookies for dinner. I used Dreena Burton's Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vive le Vegan!, p.131

The batter was a bit dry. I felt like it was necessary to put the dry mix into the wet, not the other way around. As the maple syrup and molasses was hard to coax out of the bowl. As you can see on the cookie sheet, they were very crumbly. I had to pack them together. But the batter tasted very similiar to normal cookie dough, so I was still excited of what the results would make.

When I took them out of the oven, they seemed as if they hadnt moved like cookies with egg do. But they were crisp and golden.


After the cookies cooled, they looked very very good. The chocolate morsels were melting still and gooey. I tried one and it was delicious. I could tell that there was a little too much flour. But they tasted so good. I enjoyed the ones I sneaked before dinner. The recipe only makes 9-10 large cookies, I got 12 out of the recipe, but I would probably double the recipe next time.


While I was cooking, I had this beautiful flowering dogwood to look at. The picture does not give it justice, but that is because of the screens. I love spring arond this place. My mom and I took a walk the night before and it was so beautiful and so fragrant everywhere. There was 5-6 large lily plants, fully blossomed, you could smell them a block away. Just great.











Then an hour before my mom was picking up my grandparents I started the main course. I was making Spring Green Quinoa found on Fatfree Vegan. I knew my mom would love it as she is a bit obsessed with quinoa and she loves her veggies. It was easy to make and quick. The longest time was waiting for the quinoa to cook and chopping all the vegetables. It was fresh and full of flavor. The sun-dried tomatoes were smoked making the flavor even greater. But everything was subtle, allowed all the flavors to come through and be just as powerful. My grandad had seconds. My mom loved it. I was so glad. And since it was so much, we still have a 3-4 servings left. Im going to have it for lunch tomorrow at work.


The cookies went just as well. My whole family loved them. Everybody had 2 cookies. My grandad couldnt tell that there wasnt any dairy or egg. Ill be making him another batch just for him, cause he ate every drop.

So I'm glad that my first day of vegan cooking went well.

About Me

I feel like it is necessary to have this first introduction post for people to get to know me while they are reading my blog. And also some kind of marker of where I am when I began.

Currently, Ill just introduce myself and my reasons for turning vegetarian, turning vegan, and what I plan to do with the blog.

Sarah
-19, two months to 20
-I am a student at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. Marquette is a smaller, Jesuit Catholic university. I am not religious, so I am often butting heads with professors and other students. I am a director of a mentoring program for Women and Youth (WYSE) and it is a large aspect of my school life. I work retail while I am at home.
-I love music, music truly is my life. I do not actively make my own music (though I used to play the piano, clarinet, and violin) but I always must have music playing and I find power in words, movements, and layers of pieces. I love many genres of music, though my favorite artists are Sia, Damien Rice, old Nelly Furtado, CocoRosie, M83, Broken Social Scene, Ben Harper, Fiona Apple, Wallis Bird, City and Colour, and M.I.A. I have a last.fm that I am obsessed with, because it organizes all of my music so well.
I am a bit obsessive with organization, I keep everything in tabs, folders, binders. Yet, I am not very clean.
-I love fashion, I read about it, I obsess about it, and I love creating. I would love to work in the industry, but for many ethical/moral reasons I've decided to keep it a hobby. I will have my own sewing area in my apartment Im moving to this summer. So hopefully I get more actively involved.
-I love running and dancing. I ran cross country in high school, I wasnt the best later on and got acute inner and exterior shin splints (worst pain ever) which I am still paying for. I try and run as much as I can, but normally during the school year never get a chance to do so. Summer is here, so I will be running a ton in the woods. Dancing has been something that I've loved all my life. I was trained in ballet, tap, hip hop, and a bit of jazz. Though you will always finding me dancing randomly wherever I am. I love to tap when I am impatient and while I listen to music I normally am choreographing a dance in my head if I am not imaging a scene.
-I love photography. I started to take photos 'seriously' when I was 10-11. My friend and I would go to the lake everyday to play with our 35mm cameras. We would take the same shots on 1-2 rolls every time we went. I still have every photo. I always see scenes in my mind, still or moving, when I am moved deeply by something.
I love learning, but I despise examinations. I never have a moment in university to enjoy my education or to inquire farther.
-I love food. Well I dont love most foods, but the foods I love, I love. I am extremely picky. Which will be shown through my choices in vegan food. But there is only one food I cannot tolerate in any amount...mustard. Foods Im not fond and will pick out if I have the chance: banana, raw tomatoes, mushrooms, olives.
-One of my biggest passion is animals. This has evolved much during the years of vegetarianism. But I have always felt very connected with animals. I have had 4 dogs in my life. Maxine (Boxer, died in 98 to cancer), Maggie (Boxer, died 08 to degenerative mylapathy), Mack (Boxer, deaf 13yr old), Ella (Mutt Mutt Mutt, 2yr old puppy). These are names I will probably reference to somewhat often. Or maybe some pictures of Mack and Ella drooling over the cooking. Maggie's death this year has effected me profoundly. She was my best friend, no doubt. I loved to the point most don't understand. But she was the most profound creature I have ever been around. Everyone feels her death and Im not sure how much longer Mack will live without her. Other than my dogs, I love all animals. Most of my response for animals will be mixed with my experiences with vegetarianism.
Currently my goals in life are to graduate from college with good grades, have had studied abroad in London (King's College or University College of London) and hopefully have had an internship with the FBI Forensics Laboratory. I am so busy with school I dont think of much aside from it, but I hope to find some lucky boy to share my life with. I also hope to teach the vegan/vegetarian message to as many people and continue to be a voice for animals.

I became vegetarian for a mix of reasons. My best friend's sister who I idolized as a kid was the one that introduced me to the idea of even cutting meat out of my diet. She talked a bit about animal rights, but I wasnt really thinking about it. A few months after I spent a week with her eating vegetarian food, I decided to go vegetarian for health reasons. I was 12 when I became vegetarian. I began to research the lifestyle and was able to tell everybody the health benefits, yet I was learning more and more about the treatment of animals or lack of...every year I became a bigger voice and had more knowledge. People would continuously belittle my decisions and try and throw off my philosophy. 'PLANTS FEEL!!!' was a big one I got. So they just encouraged me to study harder in science and know the differences between all the sensory systems. Most people respected my decisions and while studying abroad in Brasil, where I lived in the country, I was able to get most people to help me out. My mother was very supportive as well, she would make me a vegetarianized dinner of whatever we were having. I ate well, sometimes too well. I had always thought of going vegan, but it wasnt really on my mind.
While in my first two years of university. I was eating very unhealthy. The dorms are not good places to eat well as a vegetarian. I was extremely sick gastroenterologically speaking...if that is a word. I had to have a colonscopy this year to make sure I hadnt developed Krohns disease. I started eating a high fiber diet, but my stomach was always upset. I couldnt go to the library without my stomach making noises. I would want to just curl up due to the pain of the cramps. My roommate was lactose intolerant, and my symptoms were very similar to hers. I finally decided to cross over a week and half before school was over this year.

So far I have felt better physically and also emotionally. I feel like it was necessary for myself to make the move to feel more valid with my views and animal compassion. I am doing this now purely for animal rights and voice. I dont think I will ever eat meat and probably never dairy or eggs again. I will be raising my future family vegan and hope that my future husband and kids are as passionate as I am. I try hard to be politically forward and pass the message on to people I meet. I am not very forward in a way to turn-off others, but to help them see what the benefits are and how it will effect them personally. After they see what it will do for them and other humans, most open up to animals. In the past year I have helped influence 4-5 people become vegetarians, and it is a great feeling.

I want to use this blog to talk about my transfer over to full veganism. Struggles, troubles, inquiries, new knowledge, cooking, and other bits. Animal rights is my highest passion in life.

whew. now that the base is formed...