Conscious in College

reliving the scariest day of my life

2011-08-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

email to my father
(no subject)
May 26 8:19AM

first off, i am COMPLETELY safe now. in cusco. about to take first hot shower in two weeks. then i wrote an explanation of yesterday, pòssibly scarier.

´"i spoke too soon. the stomach worsened and i wasnt abole to keep any
food or water down for 3 days. really scary. no hospital around. of
course the border is closed due to protestors, but i wanted to get to
peru asap for a good hospital. but we had to take this 9,5 hr refugee
style boat across the lake to puno. it was so crazy, they led a big
group of us down to a marshland, no dock, set up a immigrations
desk in the tulles and at 7am a boat showed up. all the while i was
tooo weak to lift my backpack couldnt even think, crying. THANK GOD there was a doctor in line by us who gavce me a pill and within an hour i kept down sips opf water, the first in 3 days, my mouth hurt from dehy,
then puffed rice and a half banana. it no longer felt like someone with
sharp fingernails was wringing out my stomach like a washcloth.
obviously still didnt feel great, but didnt think i was dying. 9.5 hrs
later we arive in puno, a city full of 10000 protestors. great. all
the roads are bloackad and stores closed. the protesters march by our
hostel about once an hour. but were safe in here and i feel completely
mostly better and am feeding myself. and have another one of those pills in case. ate a full pesto ravioli dinner and big breakfast and am feeling good. now we have to get out of this city. love you"

at immigrations in puno we had to bang on a metal opverhead for 10minut4es until they let us in. scary protestors, throwing stones, concrete. all day and night. all streets out of town blockaded. everyone said no way out. we climbed a huuuuge steep hill for over an hour in the 4000m altitude trying to see f we could walk out. got to the to p and were told we weer in unsafe area there was no way out and should turn around. found a group of police officers who we bribed to take their friends cars to take us out, but we had to pay kind of alot and convince them since it was likely their windows would be smashed. we drove off roading and around blockades, ducking. then we hit the real blockade of the main highway. they were going to let us out, saying there would be more cars on the other side then we saw the blockade moving they were running towards our two cars. then they were sprinting, throwing huge blocks of concrete. i thought we were going to die. the cops turning on the car and spun off into a country farm road well not a raod, but a path thing. we watched the protesters through the rear window still runninf towards us throwing the concrete and holding huge sticks. we drove on the dirt farm roads for about an hour, asking evey country person we saw where the roads we safe o get to juliaca, the next own where there would be buses to cusco. finally we made it to julicaca. got on a bus for 8hrs driving through a beautiful lightning storm, and got here to cusco, at 3am where we are safe, fed and my belly is well. no injuries. i honesly cant believe the amount of luck that was involved in this. but also feel we were very smart in the decision making, the protests were supposed to be worsening and the protestors had announced they wanted a few dead people. wouldnt an american death be a priz. going to tootle around cusco today and just relax and enjoy the feeling of being alive and healthy. then to sacred valley maybe in a couple days. train to macchu piccu on the 1st. . love you, em
so much
glad to be safe and feel me made some very good wuick decisions, helped with luck lovelovelove em

Now I'm on my own, vegan and poor...lets cook!

2009-09-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Dinner after the first days of class:

I baked some tofu and made this Curried Tofu Salad:

1/2 cup soy mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 pound firm tofu cut into chunks and baked
2 cups chopped carrots
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
raisins
chopped apple would be good too
also maybe some sliced almonds next time!

Then I had leftovers from last night. This idea is from PETAs College Cookbook. I just made quinoa, added black beans, cumin, a jar of salsa, salt, pepper and a tomato from the garden...easy!

Quick Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa

can of black beans

sprinkle of cumin

jar of salsa

add it all together!

I bought bulk amaranth, dried fruit, and oats from the natural food store. Tomorrow is the farmer's market where I'm planning on only bringing $10 and trying to stretch it. I'm also planning on baking bread to roti or something this weekend.

Food Inc...go see it before it's too late!

2009-06-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

No really, it could be too late. This movie is crucial for everyone to see. It is basically a simplified version of the Omnivore's Dilemma, which I finished tonight, which I also highly recommend. This movie gave the basics of agribusiness such as GMOs, animal treatment, and discusses farming techniques. It concludes that we can all make a difference "three times a day" when we choose what we are eating. Even if you think you know it all, which you may, this has some great visuals and puts complex arguments into simple, easy to digest snippets. Go see it, and bring a friend!

Easy Shirataki

2009-06-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is a quick, cheap and easy dish that will be great next fall when I'm once again a poor struggling college student. It was really good and healthy for being so simple.

1 package Shirataki Noodles

any veggies you have

soy sauce

garlic powder

Microwave it and eat!

A little activism

2009-06-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a snippet of the activism I took part in at UCSC. I got table tents with different facts about vegetarianism up in all the dining halls. I called the campaign "Veg for a Week". We also got over 200 people to go vegetarian for a week through tabling and having people sign a pact. I really enjoyed this, but want to do more. Any ideas??

Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2009-06-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

This recipe was great. I didn't have high expectations for vegan cookies after a bit of a fluke with some chocolate ones from veganomicon, but these were highly recommended on the web, and the praise was well deserved. Great texture, great taste, you'd never know they were vegan. They're from Vegweb and you don't need any fancy egg replacers or pureed tofu, just a good old banana. Here's the link:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6605

Tuna Salad?

2009-06-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make this for a long time now, and I finally did. And good thing I did, because this is a keeper. This was so cheap to make and healthy, and tasted even better than how I remember tuna salad. Definitely good for a poor vegan college student.

No-Tuna Salad

1(15 oz.) can chick-peas, drained

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2.5 T. minced dill pickle (about 1 pickle-slice, give or take)

1 green onion, chopped

1 t. soy sauce

salt 'n pep

Put it in the food processor, and that's it!

Review: TJ's chickenless pulled chicken strips

2009-05-01T01:39:00.000-07:00

These get an A+

-from TJ's

-$2.99

-good texture

Dining Hall Mocha!

2009-04-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

Does the dining hall now have a full cafe?! no. However, all the ingredients for a soy latte or mocha are there!

Soy Mocha

1 part coffee

2 part soymilk

2 part chocolate soymilk

Soy Latte

1 part coffee

4 part soymilk

For hot drink, put in the microwave. No, this wont steam the milk, but it will make it piping hot! For an iced mocha or latte hop on over to the soda machine and grab some ice.

that's just gross...

2009-03-10T23:51:00.001-07:00

Really people...fried pigs tails...gross

http://justcookit.blogspot.com/2009/03/nose-to-tail-tuesday-n3t-pigs-tails.html

BBQ Tofu Wrap at the dining hall

2009-03-05T00:13:00.000-08:00

This was a nice surprise the other day at the dining hall. It was a BBQ Tofu Wrap with baked beans, tofu, BBQ sauce and coleslaw.

Vegan Hawaiian Pizza

2009-03-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

This was so worth the trek through the biggest storm yet this year. I literally had the umbrella pulled from my grasp as I swam through the rain to the Porter Dining Hall. But the wet clothes and matted hair was well worth the Vegan Hawaiian Pizza. I don't know which brand of cheese they used, but it was reaaaaally good, like better than regualr pizza, seriously.

BBQ sando

2009-02-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

Quick and easy snack I make all the time inthe dining hall. Just bread with vegan mayo, BBQ sauce, and tofu. Sometimes a add tomatoes etc, but sometimes I just love it simple and BBQ-y.

Dining Hall Vegan Pizza...sooo worth a walk in the rain

2009-02-22T02:15:00.000-08:00

I trekked through the most intense storm of my life across campus just to get some vegan pizza. And it was completely worth it. This stuff was so rich and tasty. Not sure what brand of cheese it was, but it was really good, had pineapples and a thick doughy crust. Delish!

Definitely worth a listen...(Michael Pollan)

2009-02-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

I heard Michael Pollan the other day on NPR and definitely thought it was interesting and you might too! This interview is jam-packed with info on the agriculture industry.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100755362&ft=1&f=

Oh and here he is!

Smoothies in the D-Hall?

2009-02-17T01:06:00.000-08:00

Yep, ya heard right! In one of the dining halls across campus on certain days of the week there's a smoothie bar. It has various fruit, some fresh, some frozen, yogurt, and juices. My boyfriend made this vegan one for me. I think this is what he said was in it:

apple, banana, mango, pineapple, mixed berries

Definitely a winner!

Wait, you had what with your cereal? A GOOD IDEA!

2009-02-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

So I had an idea today as I pondered the excessively sugary, annoyingly colorful, or ridiculously bland cereal choices at the cereal station at the cereal bar in the dining hall today. So rice krispies were the least offensive of the cereals, but it is just so bland. Turning around to see what I could spice it up with I spotted the coffee mugs...get it? Yes I mixed coffee with my cereal and yes it was great. Try this if you hate boring cereal:

Krispy Mocha

rice krispies (or any bland-ass cereal for that matter)

vanilla soymilk

chocolate soymilk

sugar

coffee

banana

Directions:

make a bowl of cereal like normal, add a dash of chocolate soymilk (depending on if your a mocha or latte person) then add a little sugar and a splash of coffee. Slice on some bananas for texture and extra delish-iousness! SO GOOD!

Healthy Tangy Tri-bean Tacos

2009-02-11T23:04:00.000-08:00

So the other day the salad bar had not one, not two, but three types of beans! Overwhelmed by my choices, I had to use all three. So what better way than tacos to enjoy the black, white and garbanzo beans. These tacos were good:

Taco shell

black beans

white beans

garbanzo beans

rice

guacamole

red peppers

peperoncinis

tomatoes

carrots

pineapple

lemon juice

Pile everything onto a taco shell. Eat!

Now THESE are animal rights activists...

2009-02-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

An epic report on the show "Sea Shepherds". Ship ramming for the whales, rock on.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090206-whale-video-ap.html?source=rss

Salad Bar Hawaiian BBQ Tofu

2009-02-08T23:20:00.000-08:00

Easy and god when there's nothing vegan in the dining hall. Just greabbed some tofu from the salad bar, pineapple (even though it was really shitty pineapple), doused it in BBQ sauce and microwaved it. Voila! A good snack!

Veggie burger Taco Meat in the dining hall

2009-02-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Normally when the taco bar has vegan "meat" it's seitan, but today it was crunched up veggie burgers. At first it looked like a rip off, but when I put it in my health food nachos, it was super good. I'm gonna remember this next time I make tacos at home and run out of the taco tofu. A good sub no doubt.

Sweeeeet, Sour, and Vegan

2009-02-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

If I could taste one type of meat ever again, it would have to be sweet and sour pork. I don't know what is is about that oily, MSG-laden goodness that I always loved as a little girl, but I know that's all I wanted when we went out to Chinese food. After becoming a vegetarian, I discovered sweet and sour wheat puffs (fried...puffs of wheat? I don't know how to describe them) at a local Chinese food restaurant which seemed to do the trick. But now I have the ultimate: Sweet and Sour Tofu and Vegetables and pineapple right here at the dining hall. It has the same sauce as the meat stuff but is vegan and somewhat healthy.

Swiss chard in the salad bar??

2009-02-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

Couldn't pass up this goodness when I ventured to the distant dining hall across campus. Fresh chard as a salad green. Super fresh, super pretty, super good for me! I'll be trekking over there more often if they keep that up. Just mixed it with some bell peppers and vinaigrette.

Vegan Dining hall events of the week and convincing some meat eaters

2009-01-27T00:47:00.001-08:00

These are vegan chile rellenos...basically bell peppers roasted with rice and seasonings and black beans...pretty fricken good. And below is vegan vegetable soup, which I was too full to try, but took a pic since it was lovely.

The other vegan events of the last few days was creating a facebook group convincing meat eaters to try being vegetarian for a week and vegetarians to go vegan for a week. Way more people joined than I thought so now I have multiple friends embarking on veganism and vegetarianism this week, super exciting. If you have a face book please ask your friends to join!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=57322264041

Ideas for Oreos?

2009-01-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

So there's always this enticing ice cream sundae station that I pass by longingly every day. But I happened to notice that one of the bowls has crunched up Oreos....which are vegan...havent figured out something good to do with them yet but I'm thinking something involving soymilk...maybe bananas...any ideas?

Veg Club

2009-01-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

So I haven't talked much about it, but at the beginning of the year I started a Vegetarians Club and then combined with an animal rights club called Banana Slugs for Animals, I hate the name and don't like promoting PETA, but other than that, it's a good place for me to start my life of vegan activism. Last quarter we did lots of tabling. My big projects though, not being the leafletting type, were to organize a movie night with a big projector and all where we watched Fast Food Nation, a good flick if you haven't seen it. It is not only entertaining (has a funny story line and great cast), but also can turn omnivores into herbivores, namely my ex-boyfriend, who continues to not eat meat. My other project was to get Tofurky to donate a bunch of deli slices right before Thanksgiving. We set up a table around lunchtime by the bookstore and gave out free samples. Not a singe person didn't like it, it was really nice to see some people be surprised by the good taste of meat alternatives. It was also fun hollering at people and giving out free stuff, I mean who doesn't like free stuff (actually surprisingly a lot of people don't, considering how many couldn't spare a second for some "CRUELTY FREE TURKEY!" or "FREE TURKEY ALTERNATIVE!" or even when we were desperate "FREE FOOD!") And plus I still have some leftover slices in my fridge!

This quarter, I'm heading in a different direction. I'm doing a campaign asking people to "Go Veg" for a week at our leafletting table. They sign a clipboard with their email, get a free veg starter kit and I send them a follow up email with recipes and info. Pretty excited. Also my friend Maggie and I are working on a sign asking kids to request cage-free eggs in their food at the dining halls (cage free is available upon request, but few know it is). And also to get info sheets on every table at the dining halls about the veg lifestyle (ie famous vegetarians, facts, etc).

Hoping for a fun and active quarter. Comment if you have any fin ideas for the club!

I just got HOOKED UP

2009-01-20T21:36:00.000-08:00

So when I asked the dining hall manager for a new bottle of the vegan mayo that I had guilted the staff into purchasing about a month ago, he came with a few more surprises. After our conversation about getting some vegan cheese and meats in the sandwich bar, he had obviously taken me seriously as he told me to hold on for a sec and promptly returned with the items in the picture. Apparently he tried to order sliced fake meat for the sandwiches, but ended up with entire fake chickens..but what the heck! He got a really nice and tasty buttery spread made from almond oil and with a slight orange flavor and three types of cheese. Not only did he order this stuff for the dining hall, but let me take back everything pictured to "try out". Being vegan around here is kind of like being a princess. Well, not really and not always, but you get my drift. This was a great experience.

My favorite dining hall snack

2009-01-19T00:13:00.000-08:00

If I happen to be hungry at any time other that the two prescribed meal times during the day, the dining hall experience is particularly frustrating. With french fries and rice crispies the stand out vegan options, I've found myself searching for a reliable, nourishing, and delicious snack... and that I have found. This masterpiece was the result of a few variations of peanut butter and banana sandwiches to produce the grand-daddy-of-'em-all. This creation consists of:

toasted wheat bread

sliced bananas

slices almonds

sprinkling of brown sugar

sprinkling of cinnamon

(and raisins are great, but not always available)

It's the perfect snack as the ingredients are almost always available and it is absolutely mouthwatering good, plus this creation seems to inspire others every time I eat it. More often than not, someone at the table asks me for a bite and once asked me to make them the same thing, it often sparks a conversation too about how vegan food is good food.

Some great vegan surprises in the dining halls!

2009-01-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

So here is some evidence of some serious positive change in the dining halls. I mean I thought I had it good with a salad bar and nightly tacos. But occasionally the usually dairy-laden dessert table greets me with the pleasant surprise of vegan sweets or a vegan soup! Here is a little collection of those surprises:

Vegan Berry Turnovers
these were so nice to see one moring, and even better to eat. I think I'm even going to ask for the recipe. The were flaky and delicious and the inside was good too, although a bit too sweet for me.

Vegan Cupcakes
Yep, that's right this is a tray of vegan cupcakes in a college dining hall. And good ones at that. The cake part was pretty good, but the frosting was reallly realllllly good and plus they were super cute.

Vegan Chili

I've seen this a couple times, and I make a bee line for the stuff when I spot "vegan" in the title from halfway across the floor. It has various beans, corn, tomatoes, onions and maybe some more. And it's goooood. In fact I don't think anyone would even realize it's meatless if it weren't for the sign that gives it away.

Back on campus...a dish!

2009-01-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

So fall quarter has officially begun. Back to class, back to dorm life and back to the dining hall. After visiting the nutritionist at the end of last quarter about healthy vegan choices and a healthy vegan diet in the dining halls, I am excited to put the new info to work. She gave me an outline of serving sizes and such and basically I learned that I am actually alright with protein, but need some more starch. It's just tough when you love veggies like I do! Here was one of my first meals:

Kung Pao Taco Salad

From the taco bar I took a taco shell, black beans, rice, cilantro. Then I took some Kung Pao tofu (some apparently chinese sauce on tofu) and put it inside for some more protein. I topped it with bell peppers, tomatoes, frozen corn(literally!) , and olives from the salad bar. The salad is just mixed greens and a healthy handful of mushrooms. Oh and some cantaloupe.

Organic

2009-01-11T00:44:00.000-08:00

Some late New Years resolutions for the dining hall:

-use as much of the organic salad ingredients (the salad bar has a side with only organic ingredients)

-eat more protein!

-talk to the dining hall staff to put up a sign informing students that free-range eggs are available upon request.

-talk to dining hall staff to put up flyers at the tables promoting a vegetarian lifestyle.

-get vegan cheese and tofurkey slices (we have mayo and fake chicken now!).

Product Review: Celebration Roast

2009-01-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

My mom bought me one of these bad boys the other day and thanks god she did. The Celebration Roast by Field Roast meat alternative company. It was filled with some squash apples and mushrooms, so obviously it was delicious. I had it for dinner, then on my sandwich the next day and then it was gone! And it only could have been one of my meat-consuming family members! Really though, it tasted so much less processed and salty than Tofurkey. It gets 5 stars for sure. A great alternative to traditional meat alternatives. Also I checked out their site (www.fieldroast.com) and it looks like they make a ton of good stuff. Can't wait to try the Chipotle Corn Cutlet soon!

Since it was only a buck...

2009-01-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

With the knowledge that Duncan Hines Baking mixes are vegan, and with the knowledge that they are on sale for just a buck at the supermarket, I somehow convinced myself it was a good idea to experiment with the hydrogenated-oil-laden-and-god-knows-what-else White Cake Mix. So here goes Deliciously Crappy Cake mix treats.

Deliciously Crappy Cake Mix Treats

1 box Duncan Hines White Cake mix

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

sprinkles (optional)

tofutti

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Mix together everything but the tofutti.

2. Bake for 12-15 in a cupcake pan.

3. Let cool and top with tofutti.

Hot Cocoa-Nut...Hot Chocolate's rich tropical aunt!

2009-01-02T23:25:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled upon a jewel of a hot chocolate recipe. In desperate need of a mug of cocoa the other night, I found myself with only a sip of soymilk left in the carton! Tragic? Not quite! I could have mixed in some water, but when I spotted some coconut milk left over from the sweet potatoes, I jumped on the opportunity to create! And good thing I did, because I will never be making hot cocoa the old school way again after I concocted this treat! It was soooo good, the coconut milk made it seem so rich and the flaked coconut added some fun texture, not to mention the flavor! Give this on a try!

Hot Cocoa-Nut (Coconut Hot Chocolate)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. cocoa powder (see note above)

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1 tbs shredded coconut

Directions:

In a large mug, mix together cocoa powder, sugar, and non-dairy milk.

Whisk together with a small fork until blended.

Add the rest of the coconut milk and microwave on high for one minute; stir.

Sprinkle shredded coconut on top, Enjoy!

Not-Too-Sweet Yams and Mustard Brussels Sprouts

2008-12-27T22:15:00.000-08:00

My Christmas dinner was unfortunately high in the boring bland traditional Christmas dishes and low in the exciting delicous traditional Christmas dishes, so, feeling unfulfilled a couple days after the big meal I decided to make what I consider two crucial components to a holiday meal: sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. For Thanksgiving I mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk and brown sugar and it was delish but a bit more "candied" for my tastes. This time I wanted them a little less sweet and that I could see myself making often and quickly.

Not-Too-Sweet Baked Yams

4 yams

1 C coconut milk

1 T brown sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1 small can mandarin oranges

1/2 C pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400. Stab a few slits in the yams to help them cook evenly.

2. Bake for 45 minutes.

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

4. Once the yams are soft take them out and cut one long slit lengthwise and make a hollow basket shape. Fill with the coconut milk sauce.

5. Sprinkle pecans and enjoy!

Mustard Brussels Sprouts

30 brussels sprouts

1.5 T yellow mustard

1/2 t dill

2 T rice vinegar

1/2 t lemon juice

2 cloves roasted garlic

1t salt

1t pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350. Boil sprouts for 1 minute, take off heat ad let sit.

2. Put in oven for 15 minutes.

3. mix the rest of ingredients with the roasted sprouts.

4. Enjoy!

Christmas Oatmeal

2008-12-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

I was feeling festive when I woke up the other day and decided to make my breakfast Christmas themed. It's like a gingerbread cookie that's warm and creamy. It's super easy and smell as delish as it tastes.

Gingerbread Oatmeal

1 cup quick cooking oats

2 cup water

1 tbs molasses

2 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 C soymilk

1/4 C dried cranberries

1/4 C walnuts

Prepare oats, then add everything else!

My Favorite Food Veganized: Davey Crockett Taco Salad

2008-12-16T09:58:00.001-08:00

So I'm finally home again and have a kitchen...AND a camera, what a coincidence! So last night I veganized my favorite family recipe, Davey Crockett Taco Salad. I've been eating this stuff practically since birth and have never/will never grow tired of it. It's the type of meal that you run home from swim practice for when mom tells you she's making it.

Now I'm not even a big taco salad fan: I never even think of ordering it when I eat Mexican food because I know it will come no where close to this magical dish. Since I can remember, every time my mom or dad even hinted we might be having it for dinner, the day was automatically a good day, no matter what. Now I know your thinking "Why in tarnation is it called Davey Crockett Salad?? And who in the hell is Davey Crockett??" So let me tell you the history of this McDonell family recipe: When my older brother was a confused little three year old he refused to eat this incredible dish (which is now his favorite food too). And he was obsessed with the Davey Crockett movies(go here if you don't know who I'm speaking of: Crocketthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett ). So my dad told him this was what Davey Crockett ate the night of the Alamo. In turn, the gullible little buy decided it must be worth eating if Davey ate it. So it was named Davey Crockett Taco Salad. Now the original version contained ground beef and cheddar cheese, but as my family evolved, the ground beef became tofu.

Davey Crockett Taco Salad

1 package Yves brand Veggie Ground Round with taco seasoning

1 can kidney beans

1 small can sliced black olives

1/2 bag corn tortilla chips

1 avocado

2 tomatoes

3/4 bottle light Kraft brand Catalina salad dressing

1 cup vegan cheddar

1. Make the ground "meat" as the package directs.

2. Add kidney beans and olives and turn off heat.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix.

4. Enjoy!

ALERT: BEST SANDWICH EVER

2008-11-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

So it's been really really really long since I've posted :(...My camera broke, so it's been hard to find inspiration to write about. But it's okay because I made the BEST SANDWICH EVER in the dining hall the other day and it will make up for a month of so-so posts. So here it is:

wheat bread

mustard

veganaise

sliced tomato

roasted red pepper

lettuce

BBQ sauce raw tofu from salad bar (sliced)

artichoke hearts

and a sprinkle of S & P

Grilled this puppy on the panini grill and was in a state of euphoria for about 45 minutes thereafter.

Dining Hall Decisions

2008-09-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

So, I have decision-making problems: in life and at the cafeteria. Firstly, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to start a campaign to get hand dryers in all the campus bathrooms (as of now we must use paper...major waste of trees, energy, carbon) or start a Vegetarian Club. I did some ground work for both and finally, today settled on the Vegetarian Club since I think it will be funnest. I was thinking: Vegan potlucks, guest speakers, field trips to vegan restaurants, activism and education...more ideas are welcome! Now for the real decision problems...in the cafeteria. I just can never pick one thing! But that's why it's all you can eat!

This morning I got:

Tofu scramble (tofu, spices, peppers) but then I went over to the omelet station and borrowed some fresh veggies (bell peppers and tomatoes), salsa and Tabasco. Then I made oatmeal...my style. I like to call it Miso Style Oatmeal because it reminds me of miso soup. I put about 1/4 cup oats in a bowl with some sugar, raisins and whatever kind of nuts I can get (this morning was sunflower seeds) then I fill the bowl with hot water. It's like a mixture of my morning tea and oatmeal. Some say watery, I say perfect! I made half a slice of toast w/ crunchy peanut butter, banana and sugar sprinkled on top. I grabbed a slice of melon to top it off. What a nice way to start the day.

And as the day progressed I ate even more yummy cafeteria food. For lunch I had to be creative, there were vegetarian tacos, but nothing vegan. Here's what I had:

Open faced Asian Burger...an invention by yours truly. I took a slice of bread and spread dijon mustard on it. Then I put a veggie burger on that. Next I layered tomatoes, sprouts, bean sprouts and baby corn. Lastly I drizzled the thing with soy sauce. It was bomb! I will definitely be trying this again. Next time I'm thinking some Asian burger with mandarin oranges? Just a thought. Then I made a green salad w/ mixed greens, bean sprouts, white beets, and italian dressing and a little soy sauce to keep the asian thing going. Then I made what I'm gonna call Italian Cauliflower Bowl. took steamed cauliflower, raw tofu from the salad bar and vegan marinara, olives and mixed it all together. Delicious and healthy, however not asian at all. Oh, well. Of course I finished it off with more PB and banana... once you start on the peanut butter you just can't stop.

Also, I've been emailing the Dining Administrator to try and get hooked up with some vegan cheese at the sandwich bar and it looks like their gonna help me out! They said their going to purchase "Follow Your Heart Brand", which I've never tried.

Some Cafeteria Creations, Indian food, and a trip to TJ's

2008-09-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

So I started off yesterday the day in the cafeteria with this:

Oatmeal w/ Raisins and Peanuts (yes I said peanuts. They were the perfect crunch in the oatmeal. I had this Idea as I passed the salad bar which has peanuts to top salads.)

Sliced Strawberries in Soymilk another creation that came to my mind as I passed the salad bar (which has fruit too in the morn)

PBB aka Toast w/ Peanut butter and Banana....yum is all I can say

So my mom came down and took me out to lunch and shopping Trader Joe's yesterday. We got some really good indian food downtown at a place recommended to me b a fellow vegan back home in Sebastopol.

Here I am in front of it...it's called Jumping Monkeys

And here's the side salad with some type of delicious dressing.

And this is the Masala Wrap: Crepe with potatoes, veggies and masala spices. This was so good.

Here's what my mommy got me from Trader Joe's for the dorm:

I'll definitely be doing some reviews on some of these Trader Joe's finds soon!

Eatin' Good In Neighborhood (and by neighborhood I mean the dining halls)

2008-09-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

So being vegan in college is fun. Yes, that's the first word that comes to mind... after one day at least. It's like a puzzle, but not a hard puzzle like a rubix cube, more like a word search or something. UCSC has the dining hall options for the week listed on the net, so I check out my vegan options, and decide what cafeteria I will eat at by that. There's 5 different cafeterias each with different options depending on the night. Here was what I had today:

Breakfast:

oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and soymilk

watermelon slices

Lunch:

vegan taco: rice, black beans, guac, tomatoes, salsa

salad: fresh mixed greens from UCSC farm w/ tofu, corn, peppers and vinagrette

corn on the cob rolled in tabasco and salt

Dinner:

So I flaked and missed the dinner hours in the cafeteria, so I had to resort to the microwave for dinner. I had this Indian chickpea thing which was probably better that the dining hall food and all I had to do was press a couple buttons! It's a premade package from Trader Joe's called Indian Fare: Punjab Choley and was delish and spicy! I also had some fruit I slipped in my bag from the dining hall and my trusty Trader Joe's tamari almonds.

Vegan Lesson #1: There's way more vegan food and most of it rocks....and corn on the cob rolled in Tabasco rocks too!

1st Day of School, 1st Day Vegan!

2008-09-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz

So I don't have time to write much about this life changing event, but it went quite well! Went out to lunch at a vegetarian burger joint called Saturn Cafe in downtown Santa Cruz and got a vegan BLT and tortilla soup which were both good. Then had dinner in the cafeteria: Vegan Chili (muy bien), salad (greens with tofu, beets, and vinaigrette) and a pb and j. Then of course I got hungry and had trail mix back at the dorm.......success! Hopefully more, better posts coming soon!

Emma's Yellow Raisin Cookies

2008-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

One thing I'm gonna miss about home when I live in the dorms is my oven. I love baking: everything from Linzer Tortes to Red Velvet Cakes. So when I had some free time on my hands today I decided to make my first batch of vegan cookies.

So my dad makes the best carrot cake in the world. Hands down. No question. So when I was deciding what type of cookies to make I took some inspiration from some of the key ingredients in his recipe: yellow raisins, nutmeg, coconut. They have a basic chocolate chip cookie base(no chocolate chips obviously!), but I added my own ingredients and then messed with dough for the right consistency. These rocked! No really these we're so good, like chocolate chip cookies blended with snickerdoodles and then some new flavors. They were crunchy on the outside and doughy on the inside, just how I like 'em. The perfect treat with a nice cold glass of non-dairy milk!

Emma's Yellow Raisin Cookies

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup raw white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup shredded coconut

topping
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp. powdered sugar

1. Have all ingredients at room temperature. Set over to 350.
2. Mix first 7 ingredients.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix in a mixer.
4. Make 1 1/2 inch diameter balls and put on greased cookie sheet, press lightly with flat surface.
5. Mix topping and sprinkle over cookies.
6. Bake for about 12-18 minutes, erring on the less time. (better to chewy than too hard!)
7. Let cool and eat!

I will definitely be making these again, and probably within the next week, since after that I'll have no oven!

Spicy Peanut Ramen: Dorm Friendly!

2008-09-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

So I was feeling lazy yet creative yesterday and decided to make my first vegan-prep recipe. We had left over Top Ramen from backpacking, so I decided to give the college student's favorite meal a vegan makeover. It was undoubtedly a major success. I used all items I will have in my dorm room (if I nab a lemon from the soda area in the cafeteria) and it was wonderful. In fact, I saved the three bites I didn't eat so I could have them later.

Spicy Peanut Dorm Room Ramen

1 package ramen (any flavor since we wont use flavoring)

1.5 T creamy peanut butter

1 C + 2 T water

1 tbs soy sauce

1t lemon juice

2t rice vinegar (or more lemon juice)

1/2 t hot sauce

a few chunks tofu (I used Willowood Brand spicy Thai flavor)
2 chopped baby carrots

2 chopped green beans or any crunchy veggie I can find

handful of crushed nuts (I used Chili Lime Cashews from Trader Joe's)

1. Crush ramen in package. Dump contents into bowl with 1 cup water and microwave for two minutes. Drain excess water.

2. Add peanut butter, rest of water, lemon juice, vinegar and hot sauce and mix well.

3. Sprinkle rest of ingredients on top.

4. Enjoy.

This was quick, CHEAP, delish, kinda healthy and good cold too! What more could a vegan college student want??

A Long and Exciting Road: The Vegan's Hundred

2008-09-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

Well this looked kinda fun. And it was... It was humbling to see how little I've experienced and exciting to see realized how how much I have to explore!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. Peanut butter & jelly sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

Doin' Some Research

2008-08-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

So now that I have this nifty fridge I've been thinking about what the heck I'm gonna fill it with. I want things that will last so I can buy it all beforehand (with my parents ;) ) and hopefully not spend too much money on food while I'm down there. So I'm making a preliminary shopping list of vegan unperishables that I love now...hopefully I will be discovering more soon:
-tofu dogs!
-Morningstar brand links
-fake chicken strips
-bbq sauce
-veg mayo

-Amy's brand breakfast burritos

-Amy's vegetable pot pies

And I was excited to discover this site so I can keep eating junk food even when I'm vegan!! This is a list of 'accidentally vegan' food (mostly junk)(but also mostly delicious).

link http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

And then I researched some common animal ingredients masked by innocent sounding names. I need to get familiar with these names:

gelatin

casein

rennet

whey

mayo

pasta (many have eggs)

One recipe (if i can call it that) I make often when I'm feeling uncreative, tired, or protein deprived is my tofu dog salad. I just now realized it's vegan and perfect for college:

2 chopped tofu dogs 1 tbs hot mustard 2 tbs dill relish
1 tbs vegan mayo 1/2 c pinto beans 1/2 c cooked spinach

mix it together and microwave for 40 seconds. simple, healthy, yummy, dorm friendly.

A First Step

2008-08-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

So I began the preparation for veganism today: I bought a fridge and a microwave for my dorm. I figure I will want to have some vegan food staples in the fridge just in case the dining halls are unbearable or just to keep some snacks. Even though I'm wary of microwaves, the feeling of hot food somehow outweighs the risk of brain cancer. I'm in the process of inventing some good cup of noodles recipes that will hopefully come in handy at school.

I also heard a great clip on NPR the other day, which turns out is actually entertaining once I finally realized it's okay to like something my mom likes. This short clip is about why vegetarianism makes since. Even my mom was moved by this blip. She uses all information I know, but puts it quite eloquently:

http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R808010737

Plus it turns out this lady has a podcast too

How It All Started

2008-08-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I could start off by letting you all know how I became a vegetarian. My college application essay happens to do a pretty good job of telling the story and even a little more! Here she is:

A Grown-Up Vegetarian

When I dozed off in the backseat, I had a feeling I’d be awoken unpleasantly. I figured my neck would ache or my little sister would wake me up for an I Spy rematch, or maybe the 95° heat would finally get to me. I, however, was roused by a smell. I looked around. There was only tan colored dirt for as far as I could see. “What is that?” I asked my dad, the only other person awake in the 1989 Honda Accord. The worst stench I could imagine had seeped into our car. He chuckled. I pressed my face into the pillow separating me from my sister in an effort to snuff out the odor. After ten suffocating minutes, I lifted my sweaty face from my pillow. The view had completely changed. We were surrounded by tens of thousands of cows. These cows were enveloped in mud, splattered with manure and crammed so tightly, there were barely inches between them. These weren’t the convivial black and white dairy cows I was used to seeing in my native Sonoma County either. They looked sick and demoralized, jammed into a mud pit. My dad came out of his silence and explained that we were passing Harris Ranch, one of the largest beef producers in America . He said the smell was a blend of cow feces, urine and blood. Moments later a signed popped up, reading, “Harris Ranch Steakhouse: Next Exit”. How could anyone in their right mind eat a steak (right?) just a few minutes after enduring that smell and witnessing the abused cows with their own eyes? How could I ever eat meat after experiencing that?

On the drive back home we passed the “Ranch” again. Although the smell was equally potent, this time it didn’t blind me to other twisted aspects of the massive slaughter house. I wondered how it would feel to be one of those many cows, not knowing fresh air, water or grass. I couldn’t bare to think of their short, uncomfortable, fly infested lives. My commitment to vegetarianism was born that day. Not only did the scene revolt me, I also hated the idea of victimizing these innocent animals for my own selfish pleasure.

Eight years ago I chose to become a vegetarian because I couldn’t bare to eat animals that smelled so horrible. As I’ve matured, my dedication to avoiding meat has been unwavering, but the reasoning behind my commitment has evolved.

My ideals strengthened when I researched the effect of the meat industry on the environment. What started as a mild interest in an editorial on the destructive tendencies of the meat industry became an obsession with finding out every detail about the industry. It was like uncovering landmines; I was appalled with the facts, but, at the same time, glad I knew that the problems existed. I annoyed my friends with horrific updates on the meat industry’s greenhouse gas output, or numbers comparing the water usage of a single human to that of a single livestock animal. Many of my friends ignored the information, just nodding, and then changing the subject. However, some were genuinely interested. A couple of friends even gave vegetarianism a try after being bombarded with my information condemning the industry.

Learning about the meat industry has not only activated me related to that industry, but this awareness has also caused me to investigate (be curious about?) the impacts of other industries or practices on our planet, and has born a lifetime environmentalist. Through this experience I’ve gained a deep desire to understand problems in our world. I strongly believe that if we don’t know of a problem, it’s impossible to with a solution. This craving for information has brought about a habit of waking up twenty minutes earlier every morning, because I’m eager to read the daily paper. It’s caused an every increasing pile of magazines and pamphlets on my bedside table, and also a fervor to aid in the solutions. These last two years I’ve become increasingly more aware of the impact of my choices on the larger world, whether it’s the water I drink, the gas I pump, or the clothes I buy. I’ve come to realize that it is my duty as a human being to make choices that have a positive effect on our Earth.

Through the years many of my values have evolved. Although vegetarianism has been a priority all along, my incentive for the commitment has greatly matured. Now when people ask me why I became a vegetarian, I still tell them it all began with a stink. But when people ask me why I remain a vegetarian, I tell them it is an expression of who I am and how I feel about our planet.

Well here goes nothin'...or somethin' rather!

2008-08-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

The countdown has begun! 37 days until I stop eating all animal products. September 20 I leave for college (UCSC) , become a vegan, and lose my precious 1998 Volvo sedan. I'm scared but excited. Right now I eat yogurt twice a day and cottage cheese non stop and most of my favorite foods contain cheese. So I know this wont be easy, but this is why I'm starting my research now. I need to learn what will be available to me in the cafeterias and hopefully figure out some creative and crave-worthy meals to make with what I have.
Even though it will be no walk in the park, I'm headed to the right college for going vegan. At the orientation for college I chatted with some of the dining hall people and learned that they're actually very attentive to vegetarians, and often have options for vegans. For the next while I will be researching vegan products, what dining halls offer, and keep up to date on animal rights issues to fuel the fire.