I’m officially done with summer classes. What a relief! Except, I’m having a hard time unwinding. Somehow, not having school or work to focus on, for even a day, caused me to stress out about really stupid things. Like my wardrobe, for instance. We were supposed to meet up with friends at the Renaissance Festival yesterday morning. I would comment on how nerdy this is, but I’ve never been to Ren. Fest. Needless to say, we didn’t end up going yesterday either. Why? Somebody’s girlie side came out in full force. I went into a rampage about how unbelievable it was that I had a full closet of clothes and not a single item that actually looked good on me. Plus, my shoes were all worn out from me walking so much. And the ones that weren’t worn out gave me such bad blisters that I couldn’t wear them! My underwear’s old and full of holes. I needed new bras. And to make matters worse, I just felt totally uncomfortable in my skin. Do you ever have days like this?

When I finally calmed down a little, the hubs and I went for a jog. It sucked. I felt hot and gross and unfit. But it did make me feel slightly better. When we got back, I grabbed a big pile of clothes and threw them in a bag to donate. Then I took a nap. And another nap. And another one. My first day to relax had failed, simply because I was overtired.

That evening, we went out for pizza at Punch. You can build your own delicious personal Neopolitan pizza there and it takes only a few minutes to bake in their awesome super hot oven. I had a delicious roasted red pepper, mushroom, and basil pizza. After several naps and a good meal, I was finally starting to feel like my old self again. We went to Office Max and I used my warranty to exchange my ratty brown Franklin Covey “leather-like” vinyl business tote for a new red one, and then went to Famous Footwear and got some cute new inexpensive Blowfish flannel upper, rubber sole slip-ons.

That night, we relaxed at home, watched a few episodes of the Sarah Silverman Program, and I passed out early.

And today, we’re going to shop some more! Normally I hate malls, but today I’m kind of looking forward to it. However, more often than not, I cannot find what I’m looking for. I’ll probably end up resorting to online shopping, but I’ll give the mall the old college try one more time. Next week: a haircut. I’m ready for the new me! I hate to admit it, but sometimes the superficial things can make a difference.

The Vegetable Museum - 02, Ju Duoqi, 2008 The Raft of the Lotus Roots

I guess I’d rather eat my vegetables, but as a lady with an art degree, I have to admit, I am impressed. Ju Duoqi is a Chinese woman who’s been quite experimental with her vegetable art. From dressing in clothes made of vegetables, to directing a vegetable play and now recreating famous paintings (like the one above) with vegetables as her medium. Duoqi clearly knows vegetables in an intimate way. And I don’t mean that to sound gross. I mean, she clearly spends a lot of time with vegetables and sees many different layers of beauty that most of us would never notice as we’re scarfing them down for dinner. Like looking at a head of iceberg lettuce and seeing ocean waves. And that’s a huge part of what makes an artist a good artist: the ability to see beauty and build from it in ways others cannot.

Go check out more of Ju Duoqi’s “The Vegetable Museum” here: http://www.parisbeijingphotogallery.com/main/the_vegetable_museum.asp

I popped on the Food Network and 10 seconds in, I hear the word “soymilk.” Zeh?? The show was The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Crunchy. Duff Goldman was salivating over onion rings. There’s a place in Culver City, CA called Akasha that apparently has the best onion rings ever. What makes them unique, you ask? Well, instead of soaking the onions in dairy milk, they use soymilk, so the rings can be consumed by VEGANS and people with dairy allergies! AND they use rice flour for the breading. So they’re gluten free, too! A couple of people close to me have gluten allergies, which I think might actually be harder to deal with than being vegan. Have you tried gluten-free bread?? And for people who are allergic to gluten AND are vegan? All I can say is, I’m sorry. It’s probably a great, healthy way to lose weight, though (unless you’re living off of these onion rings).

Anyway, back to the onion rings! I don’t live in California, so I can’t say firsthand how good these rings are, but I can say that they looked amazing and sounded beautifully crunchy. Yum. And looking at Akasha’s menu, I can say they have several awesome vegan options, besides onion rings. Healthy options, in fact. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it looks like a cool place, and it sure sounds like the food is fantastic.

Chef Ashaka’s bio on the restaurant’s website says: Akasha is the co-founding chef of Eaturna, an all-natural and organic take-out food company devoted to revolutionizing the way people eat, with delicious and beneficial meals for every day. Her love of cooking with soy led her to be the celebrity chef for Silk® Soymilk, the number-one selling refrigerated soymilk in the nation. She has served her Silk®-based recipes at the EMA awards, backstage at the Grammy’s and Farm Aid, and at ChefDance during the Sundance Film Festival. Akasha also works with The Baker Organic, producers of artisan organic breads, and Americraft, makers of high quality stainless steel cookware.

Anyone who loves cooking with soy and “revolutionizing the way people eat” with organic and natural food is alright in my book! Though I’m still not sure where I stand with Silk after watching Food, Inc. But I do love soymilk. And I still buy Silk when other options aren’t available.

Akasha Restaurant, Bar, Bakery
9543 Culver Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232
310.845.1700

I was all ready to post a blog about this delicious multigrain pancake mix my husband picked out, which we used to make pancakes this morning, and to brag about how they actually recommend using soy or rice milk to make the pancakes, when I took a closer look at the ingredients. Buttermilk! Grrr. My husband’s usually very good about checking ingredients, but he missed it. And I trusted him and didn’t double check before we made the pancakes.

But I’m not freaking out. The thing is, we all make mistakes. And there are probably things we’ve eaten at restaurants that we thought were vegan or were told were vegan that weren’t. But that’s no reason to throw in the towel or feel like you’ve failed. It’s hard work being purely vegan. There are animal products in so many things. It takes a lot of research to become a pro at avoiding animal products in what we eat, wear, and use each day. Heck, even natural toothbrushes can contain pig hair.

But for me, I know that for the most part, I’m already doing more than many people by avoiding as many animal products as I do each day, educating others about veganism, and supporting charities that fight against animal cruelty. So if an item containing milk ends up in my system once in a rare while, it’s no reason to feel like I’m tainted. I just think of it as a learning experience and move on.

We are vegans living in a non-vegan world. Accidents happen. But think about all the times you don’t use animal products and give yourself a pat on the back. Be proud of your accomplishments. Try not to dwell on the accidents.

And watch this adorable video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA1i36Dd1qs

Things that are pleasing me presently:

• I’m getting a good workout (and a good tan) this summer by walking to and from campus every day, which is at least 4 miles of walking a day. Even if it does mean I show up to class drenched in sweat because of how crazy humid it has been. And I’m getting used to the two showers a day ritual. The second shower is just a quick rinse, I swear! I’m not abusing my water privileges too much. Besides, I’m making up for it by walking, which is so green!

• Because of all this raw sun power I’m getting, I’ve developed a little sun damage on my face. Boo. Don’t worry– I’m much better about using sun block now. BUT, I’ve discovered apple cider vinegar and lemon juice help! I rub the vinegar on my face (not too close to the eyes, or you’ll be crying like you just cut an onion) and then I take a cue tip, soak it in lemon juice, and apply it directly to the darker spots. I’ve only been doing it for a few days now and I’m already seeing results. Vegan home remedy, folks!

• My father-in-law brews his own beer, which is delicious. And free! He makes a wide variety, too. It’s fun to learn the process. I’ve enhanced my beer education this summer. And we save the bottles so he can use them a again. Happy recycling!

photo by harvette eats

• Speaking of recycling, what does one do with the spent grain after it’s used to make beer? Why, you make beer bread, of course! My father-in-law’s girlfriend found a recipe for (vegan) Spent Grain Bread, and gave us all the fixins this past weekend so we could make some. MMMmmm!! We have so much fresh, homemade bread right now. Delish! If you are also a home brewer and are looking for ways to use your spent grain, go here: http://www.ptialaska.net/~gbrady/pages/spentgrain.html

• The local beer company, Surly, which is my husband’s favorite, just came out with a limited edition of Surly Hell, which is an unfiltered delight! And hard to find. But, lo-and-behold, the little local liquor (3x fast!) store across from our apartment carries it. We depleted their supply. Man, I’m sounding like an alcoholic with all this beer talk. Honestly, I generally only have a couple of drinks a week. I’m not as bad as you think!

photo by Jill Clardy

• I never have time to go to the farmer’s market on Thursdays, BUT my night class just ended, and I got done with work just in time to catch the tail end of the farmer’s market today! I have oodles of fresh veggies now. I’m thinking the freshest stir fry ever might be in store for tonight’s entrée.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, this is turning out to be a pretty fantastic summer. I’ve had a lot of great adventures, I’ve seen a lot of family and friends, and have quite a bit to be thankful for. What makes you feel sunny and bright this summer?

photo by jonny2love

A reader commented on one of my posts with an important question concerning saturated fats. It’s a topic that seems to come up often when discussing what’s lacking in a vegan diet. So, I thought this was a good question to post in order to provide some clarity on the issue:

Question: what do you do about your body’s need for saturated fats (more likely found in meat/dairy products)?  While you need very little, if you don’t eat any, your body takes it from other sources within your body – namely, your brain…in which saturated fat makes up about 30+ percent of your brain!

Response: Great question! Believe it or not, vegan diets are not devoid of saturated fat. Oils like extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, and coconut oil all contain saturated fat. The thing vegans do not get in their diet is cholesterol, since that is only found in animal products. However, from what I’ve read, we do not need this cholesterol to be healthy. That being said, getting a lot of hydrogenated oil can actually cause the liver to make too much of its own cholesterol. But overall, vegans tend to have much better cholesterol levels than non-vegans.

sources: http://www.vegfamily.com/dietician/0904a.htm, http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_you_need_saturated_fat

The author of a new children’s book, Nathalie VanBalen, contacted me recently, mentioning that her book, Garlic-Onion-Beet-Spinach-Mango-Carrot-Grapefruit Juice, is great for vegan kids. It’s also a fantastic title.
I took a look at the website and it does look pretty darn cute. I might have to get this one for my nephew. He’s not vegan or vegetarian, but it’s important to teach all kids about where food comes from, isn’t it?
I think so.

I also just discovered my nephew’s love of coloring books, and the website has some adorable coloring pages you can print out. And if you’re looking for a unique, but super cute limited edition plush doll like Thora there on the left, go here. They’re hand made by the author herself! Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

I don’t write too many posts about kids and veganism, so this gave me a good excuse. Thanks Nathalie! Here’s a little blurb about the author I yanked from her site. (click the image to continue reading about the author)