Letters for Lilly

I know, I know-I promised I'd be back to blogging at the beginning of the 2012. It is now almost March and I'm barely back. I planned to post blogs and to read blogs in January, but I failed. The past couple of months have been...well...let's just say they have been. It is a long story, but there is no need to tell it here. Sometimes we just have to shrug our shoulders and agree that things are what they are and move on.

In the spirit of moving on, I bring you another post about letters. I received a request from a childhood friend, Carrie (also known as "Taweewee"), to make letters for her niece. I agreed, but it took me longer than it should have to complete the letters. She asked me in April and I sent them to her in time for Christmas. I guess they are better late than never.

Carrie informed me that the theme was animals and I wanted to make the letters cute, but not too girlie. Those of you that know me, know my disdain for all things pink and girlie. I just don't get the love that some people have for that color- it makes me want to puke. So do girlie things. The thought of monogrammed handbags, aprons, and floral patterns literally makes my head spin. I must have missed the girlie boat. I'm cool with it though, I like my boat better- it has less flowers. :-)

With the theme information, I made the design my own hoping that it matches Lilly's room. Carrie seemed pleased with the letters and I hope that Lilly enjoys them for years to come! Happy first year, Lilly!

A New Year and a Rebirth

I have been absent from reading and writing blogs in the past month. I have been quite busy with some life changes and the holidays. While things have not slowed down completely, I still plan on coming back. I have a lot of favorite blogs to catch up on as part of my return. I might be slow, but I'm still here.

As you know, it is the new year and time for resolutions and rebirths. I personally have not made any resolutions this year. I find it hard to choose a resolution that I feel committed too. Eighteen years ago, I made a resolution to go vegetarian. That resolution has evolved into becoming a vegan. I can't top that resolution, so I don't try any longer. Instead, I have a life-long resolution to stay vegetarian and continue to increase my compassion and commitment towards animals.

As part of my commitment, I have already made a significant change this year. I gave up my career in the corporate world to pursue my passion for animals. Starting on January 3, I will begin a position with an animal rights organization. (I would love to say more, but I am not sure how much I am allowed to say at this point, so I'll have to speak in general terms.) Words can't express how excited and honored I am to be working for an organization whose mission is similar to how I live my life.

I feel so fortunate to say that I will begin work each day with saving animals from torture, suffering, and pain at the forefront of my thoughts. So many of us go to work each day as drones, working for the weekends. It feels so surreal that I won't have to live my life like that any longer. It reminds me of a quote I saw recently by Confucius that encouraged me to take a chance and apply to this position.

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

I try not to kid myself as I know this job won't be perfect, as with any job, but I will always be able to fall back on the passion for animals that I feel. And, while your passions may be different, I hope you will consider the impact you have with each meal you choose to eat. Remember that with each bite you take, you have a chance to make a choice. You can choose to lessen suffering by eating a cruelty-free vegan meal. My wish is that more of the world will come to realize and accept this choice.

Here is to a New Year, a new start, and for pursuing our passions! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Adopt-A-Turkey: It Is Not Too Late!

I have been absent from blogging for several weeks. The short of it is that I have been busy and have not had a chance to focus on blogging. I will get back into the groove at some point in the near future.

I wanted to share the Adopt-A-Turkey project from Farm Sanctuary. If you don't already know about this, I recommend you give this site a view. This campaign offers a humane alternative during Thanksgiving by offering a chance to donate money to sponsor a turkey. It is after Thanksgiving, but not too late to donate to help sponsor a turkey.

As a vegan I do not consume turkey, but felt I needed to do more. Each year John and I donate money to save a turkey. I like the idea of knowing that my money is going directly to the sponsorship of turkeys during this time of year. Not all turkeys are as lucky as those saved by Farm Sanctuary. There are more than 46 million turkeys that are killed each year so that those in the United States can celebrate Thanksgiving. These and all factory farmed turkeys are subject to cruel practices such as being packed into small cages, de-beaking, de-toeing, genetic manipulation, rough handling during transport, hanging from metal shackles, heads submerged in electrified water, throats slashed, and many other awful practices. I hope you will consider being part of the solution this year and future years by having a meatless Thanksgiving and donating to Farm Sanctuary.

I hope you all had a Happy Turkey-free and cruelty-free Thanksgiving!

Mint Hot Chocolate Almond Drink

It is the time of year when you start seeing Silk seasonal creations such as Pumpkin Spice and Nog. I like those well enough, but I'm crazy about the mint chocolate flavor! Facebook has been buzzing with talk about the new flavors in the store (ok, maybe only for those of you with lots of vegan friends). John was at Whole Foods and I asked him to pick up the chocolate mint kind. Much to my dismay, they were out of that kind and only had the pumpkin spice.

I am not a fan of the pumpkin spice. I always expect it to taste like pumpkin and it doesn't. I know it is just the spices from a pumpkin pie, but I want it to taste like pumpkin. Instead of sulking, I decided that I would make my own version of the minty drink. I looked through our cupboards and felt like I had the right combination and got to work. I must say that this recipe is as good as the store bought version. Although, I'll probably still buy it once and a while for a treat!

Mint Hot Chocolate Almond Drink

• 1 cup almond milk (soy or coconut would work too)
• 3 Tbsp vegan, fair trade chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Place the soy milk into a small saucepan and turn the heat onto medium. Whisk in the chocolate chips and cocoa powder and whisk until the chips melt. Add in the agave nectar and extracts and whisk again until warm.

Pour into a mug and serve warm!

One Year Ago

One year ago in September I opened our mailbox to find a large envelope addressed to me from my Doctor. I knew some form of communication was coming from him, but my heart still raced as I was unsure of what the communication would say. I felt unsettled as I ran to the house. I stood on the porch and contemplated if I should open the envelope. Once opening it I knew my life would be different, although I did not know how. But I had to open it.

As my fingers trembled, I opened the envelope and read the note. Dear Amanda..... What came next, I could not even decipher because I was in shock as I read the words. The letter informed me that I had Celiac disease and that I would have to start a strict gluten free diet immediately.

I opened the door and walked in the house to John cooking Pad Thai (with wheat noodles nonetheless) and I burst into tears. Concerned, he ran over to me asking what was wrong. I handed him the letter and he read. I knew my life was going to change. I am accustomed to changing my diet as I had done it twice before. Once at the age of 14 when I became vegetarian and then when I became vegan about three years ago. This was different though, this wasn't because I wanted to save animals from a life of torture and suffering. This had nothing to do with a personal conviction. This was because I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

I did not even want to eat that evening because I knew that our dinner was what was making me sick. John tried to convince me that I should take gradual steps towards gluten free to help ease the transition. Those of you that know me know that when I make a commitment to something I go all in. This would be no different. The next day, I started my gluten free journey.

The good news was that despite having a disease, I did not have to take any drugs. I could control this through diet. When I put it into perspective, it did not seem as tragic as I first thought. I was not being given a death sentence, I was being given a chance to live. I was told that if I did not follow the diet, there was a possibility that I could die early from cancer or get osteoporosis and/or other issues. I am a fighter and I would fight this and win. I would not let Celiac disease defeat me.

It is now a year later and I have lived virtually gluten free for a whole year. I have had a few incidents where I accidentally consumed gluten unknowingly, but I have not once eaten it purposefully. While the feat may seem small to most, this is something that I am proud of myself for accomplishing. I have had many occasions where I have drooled over people enjoying vegan confections, breads, sandwiches, pizza etc. and I stayed strong. I have many flaws and shortcomings, but will power is not one of them. When I set my mind to something I stick with it and having a disease with consequences makes it even more important for me to stay on track.

This past year has been a challenge and I constantly realize areas of my life where I will always be different from others. I identify most with compassionate vegans, but still feel different from them- they can consume gluten. So I find myself in a strange and often lonely category- a Gluten free vegan. It becomes painfully obvious how different I am when folks (usually omnivores) say to me "what the hell can you eat?" I try to spin it in a positive direction.

Most of the people in my life have been supportive. Some of the people in my life have been nothing short of amazing in my journey. John has willingly removed almost all gluten from his diet at home as to make the kitchen a safe place for me. My vegan and vegetarian friends always consider me in making sure there is something gluten free for me to enjoy. My Mom has learned how to bake both gluten free and vegan. This is touching as she is neither gluten free nor vegan. Then there is the amazing blogging community which has shared so many recipes. Without the loving support of John, my parents, and friends I am not sure that I would have made it to a year of success.

Thank you to all of you who have been there with me this past year and have helped me through my journey. Thank you for not making me feel like an outcast and accepting this new version of me. Thank you for listening to my struggles, tears, and successes. I appreciate all of your open ears and hearts and for loving me.

Happy one year.

Breakfast Qunioa

Post number 21 for VeganMoFo. I met my goal to have 20 blogs during Vegan MoFo! Now I am exceeding it!

I am not all that exciting when it comes to breakfast on weekdays. I would like to be, but I do not want to wake up any earlier than I already do. I generally eat something quick like dry gluten free oatmeal (that may seem gross to you, but wet oatmeal often makes me gag), gluten free English muffin with peanut butter and banana or other toppings, or gluten free cereal. As you can see, weekday breakfasts are not very inspiring.

After visiting a B&B recently, I was introduced to the idea of quinoa in the morning. It blew John and I away. It was so delicious, filling, and nutritious. We have now incorporated it into our routine and sometimes cook it the night before. Not only is quinoa delicious and versatile, it is also healthy. It is rich maganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and is low in fat. Having quinoa in the morning is a good way to add some nutrients early on in the day. I also plan on adding fruit and vegetable smoothies, but I am taking it one step at a time.

We buy mostly black and white quinoa based on the availability in our bulk section. This week we had black quinoa, which looks more purple when cooked. They probably all taste the same, but I tend to prefer the black and red. This is the recipe we make, but you could add in any nuts and fruits.

Breakfast Quinoa
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups of water
1 Tbsp chopped pecans
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
Fresh organic raspberries
Blood orange infused olive oil (you could use regular)

Bring the water to a boil and add in the quinoa. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. When finished, fluff with a fork. Place a serving in a bowl and sprinkle in the pecans, walnuts, cranberries, several raspberries, and a drizzle of the olive oil.

Sweet Potato Nachos

Post number 20 for VeganMoFo. I met my goal to have 20 blogs during Vegan MoFo! I might even exceed my goal by a post or two.

The concept of the sweet potato nacho is not a new one. I am sure I have seen it on other MoFo blogs and that it is in several cookbooks that we own. I am posting it here not as my own recipe, but just to share a fun idea.


Sweet potatoes are always in season in North Carolina, so we can find them every weekend at our year-round farmers market in Durham. This is a vegetable that I have only recently begun to like. I decided that when I became vegan that I would try to like everything that is vegan. Now that I am gluten free and vegan, I do not refuse any food as long as it comes under both categories. If I can eat it, I will eat it. In making myself consume sweet potatoes, I actually began to like them with the caveat that I only like them savory. Well, unless you bake a vegan and gluten free sweet potato pie. I think I would like that, although I never had the non-vegan or vegan version of it.

This week we had four sweet potatoes, two large and two small, and we decided to make sweet potato nachos. I am not going to post a recipe, since it is not mine to share. I will, however, tell you what I used. I roasted potato slices with smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and cumin. When the potatoes were crispy, I placed them on a plate and added the following toppings: vegan refried beans, tomatoes, salsa, black olives, hot red pepper, avocado, and cilantro. You could even throw on some vegan cheese to make this more fun.


Serve this up with some greens and you have a healthy and fun meal!