10 In the Rest of 2010 Update: I Adopted a Turkey!

I can cross the first thing off my Ten (in the Rest of) 2010 List! I adopted a Turkey through Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project. The below turkey is Daphne, but I don't know which turkey my sponsorship will go towards. You can choose your turkey, but I wanted my sponsorship to go toward the turkey who needs it most (maybe one of them didn't get as much love, and I can't have a turkey feeling sad and not as loved!) so chose the "pick for me option". I'll let you know which turkey I got when I get the e-certificate from Farm Sanctuary.

I do think Daphne's the cutest though. Shhhhh, don't tell the other turkeys...

Sluggish Snow Induced Sloth

It's been a while since I've written. Things have been busy around here- there's the SNOW for one thing, and the family has had a revolving cold that just seems to circulate from person to person and then back again, 0h and work has been a little weird. My life is sort of in one of those Never Never Lands where it seems to be changing from what it was but the final destination of the change hasn't been revealed yet. Not that life changes ever result in a "final final" destination (depending on your life after death beliefs anyhow) but usually changes result in a directed state of cruising towards something tangible. (Or something). Anyway, changes needed to be made- not that anything was BAD per se, but some (mostly work) things have become a little stale- so I'm working on that...but life hasn't revealed what my future 'state of cruising' will be.

One thing I HAVE been fairly focused with has been food. I still haven't eaten meat since the new year, which has been an accomplishment I'm proud of. (Well...outside that one tuna sandwich. Damn you Tuna Steve!) Even when I've been at other people's homes I've managed to eat the non-meat items while politely leaving the meat ones where they are. My biggest issue with being vegetarian is not being impolite in the face of someone's hospitality. Don't want to be "any trouble". I know that plenty of vegetarians and vegans are able to make this work on a daily basis, but its something I struggle with, and making it almost a month and a half is a big deal for me.

That being said, the past week or two have been a little junky food wise. I haven't eaten completely horribly, and a year or so ago I probably would have considered how I've eaten to be pretty healthy, but my body was starting to run really smoothly and I can definitely feel the difference in the past two weeks. Much more sluggish and- TMI alert- decidedly bloated. Wah wahhhhhh. :) I think it's been all the snow. Being stuck in the house for 4 days definitely doesn't do much for keeping one from the kitchen- in fact, I made cupcakes at 9am one morning just...
'cause. I am trying to lose baby weight, and have lost all but 10 lbs (I gained a LOT of weight so only having 10 lbs to go is major). BUT... before this week, I had lost all but seven pounds, and I definitely don't like going backwards on that account. (Although it could be pounds of muscle that I added from all the shoveling out of my car...TWICE. In case you didn't notice the rear view mirror poking out in the picture to the right, that's my car halfway through the first storm this past weekend. I think I'll consider shoveling muscles to be the reason behind the weight gain and move on.) :)

On the other hand, the time stuck in the house was great for trying new recipes. My husband and I are usually super busy during the week- he usually doesn't get home before 6:30 and we go to bed at 9 (please keep all comments about how sad that bedtime is to yourselves thank you very much) so dinner is usually functional and "git 'r done" and not so much exploratory. So during the snowstorm, we tried some new recipes and even had a leisurely brunch one morning (which never happens except on Christmas morning), and that was really fun. My mom got me a book of easy and quick Indian recipes last month, so we made several from that. Definitely tasty!!!

So, in light of my sluggish and slightly off the healthy food wagon self, I am going to make a small, and I think achievable goal of consciously eating more raw foods (lots of raw or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables) and not so much of the processed and more ingredient laden concoctions for a week. (Ingredient laden meaning those foods with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, not ingredients in recipes.) And to help me with this goal, I am going to try to be accountable by posting everyday for one week straight (or at least posting something ABOUT everyday, sometimes I might post about Monday on Tuesday, as well as posting about Tuesday on Tuesday due to time issues, but in the end, I will have eight posts about eight days of eating healthier).

I already have several recipes picked out from Choosing Raw and am planning a trip to the store tomorrow to hunt and gather all those super duper healthy veggies, so...here I go!

Onward Sluggish Soldier, onward!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's the new year and I've been trying to think about what it is that I did last year that I liked and what I would like to continue doing so that those things can become automatic and part of my whole lifestyle in the future. One of those things is vegetarian eating with an emphasis on more vegan food. I have been doing great eating vegan at home thanks to my Vegan with a Vengeance and Vegan Comfort Food cookbooks, as well as several food blogs including Vegan Crunk and Vegan Dad. So far this year, with the exception of one tuna sandwich, I have not eaten any meat, and I'm trying to continue with that- one meal at a time.

I have been trying to recycle more, both with "trash" going out back for recycling pick up and also by repurposing things that aren't necessarily trash- like glass sauce jars. I even just remembered to put some paper bags by the door for when I go to the grocery store later today. Woohoo! :-)

I am slowly getting stuff together to sell on Etsy. I paint and have been trying to make other things as well and I would like to develop that into a successful side business- to both help support my family, as well as my favorite animal rescue. I've never done anything like Etsy before, but I am slowly putting my site together and trying to make a go of it. My shop is still pretty rough, but it's getting there. I am slowly adding descriptions and items.

Other than the things I've mentioned, my OVERALL goal this year is to be frugal. Babies are crazy expensive, so to keep some of the OTHER things I love in my life- like my five rescued animals- I need to cut back and find ways for me and my family to save money. Not eating meat and cooking for myself is DEFINITELY helping, but I know there are more things I can do to help save. The Mindful Merchant is one of my inspirations- she seems to be genetically thrifty and provides great inspiration and tips. I'm not naturally frugal, but I'm making a go of it and so far I think I've been doing a great job. Coupon clipping and all!

So, this year, as always thanks for reading and may 2010 be the best year yet for all of us!

Update on Goings on Here at the Eco-ing Myself House

Cooking is still going well (the above is a tofu stir fry I made with brown rice. YUM. And pretty too!), and as for the 'eco-ing myself' part of this blog, I am doing well with that also! I really find myself thinking before I do a lot of the things I used to and making changes based on what would be greener. For instance, I used to print out tons of things at work. Mostly because I read better off paper than off a computer screen, so I liked to print things out to work on and then follow up with the document on the computer. Lately though, I have been thinking about all the poor dead trees before I push print. "Do I really need to print this?" runs through my head before I do and most of the time, the answer is no, so I don't. Sometimes it takes a little more effort, especially when I'm switching between multiple spreadsheets, but I'm working on getting better at it and it's working!

I also think twice before throwing things away- I have found all sorts of uses for old jars and bottles that I never would have thought of before. All it takes is a little creativity.

So things there are going well! A special thanks to all my friends who frequently Tweet and post blogs about little ways to be greener- they really help keep me on the straight and narrow earth wise. I guess I have developed an eco-conscious, and am hoping to find even more ways to improve. You know, when you start with little things...going greener really doesn't take that much more energy and time, all it takes is a new mindset.

To close, below is a picture of the card I made for my dad's birthday with fabric scraps I had left over from sewing projects. It would have looked much better had I not used super glue- it was all we had in the house and unfortunately...it came through the fabric and left little crusty looking spots after it dried. But hey...it was still a cool card and my dad liked it, which is all that matters anyway. I paired it with some cocoa chip muffins that I made by leaving the coffee out of the mocha chip muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance. My dad isn't a mocha fan, but the muffins were a hit by leaving it out! :)

More Cooking

I've been really successful with my cooking projects and am really finding that a) I enjoy it and b) that it has really helped me save money because I actually PREFER to eat at home because the stuff I make is yummy. This is unheard of in the Hope Mentality. In the past I eat at home because it's necessary...not because I want to. So that's awesome, because it helps me in my goal to transform into Scroogy McFrugalson due to the nature of the family finances (babies are SO PRICEY! Yikes.) I could stand to learn some frugal techniques, and not eating out is really helping me get a jump start. I've also made it into a game, so that's been my sanity saver. I'm kind of having fun seeing where I can cut corners to keep the dough residing in my wallet. Coupon cutting anyone? (Thanks to The Mindful Merchant for letting me know about Mambo Sprouts!)

Today's adventure is trying to find the brand of cat litter I use at the lowest possible cost to me. Woohoo!

But anyway, back to food. Here's some things I've made lately:



These are the herb potatoes from Vegan with a Vengeance, which are a big hit with the fam. I always have to make extra for lunches the next few days. YUM! (Note: This is not meant to be a Food Blog, so I know the pictures are crappy and make the food look....um...not as appetizing as it actually was. I'm just trying to document my progress here.)









This picture is of the tofu scramble (also from VWAV) I make to go with the herb potatoes. Also tasty. Even my non-vegetarian husband likes it. It's especially yummy when made into a breakfast burrito with tortillas, salsa, and guacamole.






And HERE...are the cupcakes I made to take to Pumpkin Night- a night of fun and pumpkin carving my family always stages around this time of year. It was also my cousin's birthday, hence the candles. They were a hit, and I told no one that they were vegan. :)



I also made frosting...that didn't quite do what I wanted it to do. It didn't firm up enough to spread on the cupcakes without being a TOTAL mess, so I left it in the bowl and it became "Pourable Frosting", which totally worked because in the end, people were dripping it over ice cream and dipping fruit into it. Multipurpose! I figured it was a major success when my cousin told me I should bottle it up and sell it.


YAY for a non-cooking person being a success at cooking!

Where I've Been and The Slightly Altered Focus of this Blog

Where have I been lately? Good question! I've been...MAKING STUFF! It all started with finding out that cheese is not my body's favorite. See, since I didn't eat much meat before, and now eat even less now that I'm trying to be vegetarian, cheese was my primary source of protein...along with a frequent veggie burger. So with cheese out, most of my diet disappeared.

So I got to thinking, if I want to, you know, get some nutrients once in awhile, I'd better start cooking. So I went online and got the awesomest cookbook EVER: Vegan with a Vengeance. I've made cookies, and muffins, and tofu, and stir fry, and stuffed shells (sans cheese = AWESOME!), and tacos, and...more cookies and muffins.

This is amazing to me, mostly because I am not someone who ever had a desire to cook- I found it an annoying necessity and relied mainly on frozen microwavable entrees and take out. Needless to say...that's not that good for you (at least as much as I was doing it) and it’s also expensive...and being that I am also now on a pretty strict budget...this is good for both my health and my wallet. It’s also better for the environment with less packaging, less animal products, and less chemicals used to produce the food I'm eating. The biggest discovery during all this though, is that I'm enjoying it! I LIKE cooking… make things that are actually EDIBLE...and all while having...FUN?!! Who knew!?

Well...THAT’S NOT ALL! As I was cooking and realizing- “Hey...I can do this!”- I was also trying to do more reusing and 'repurposing' of household items to, again, help my budget and the environment all at the same time. One of the things I wanted to do was to repurpose some of my extra sheets and comforters I have laying around to make a DIY dog bed for my poor geriatric Pomeranian and THAT idea led to the purchase of a sewing machine from Overstock.com... which led to wanting to make my own placemats (I never could find any I liked)...which led to my mom getting me the Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp...which led to...a crafty DIY addiction! (And yes…I’m a little late to the DIY game…)

This "I can make stuff" mindset led me to look around at all the paintings I have sitting around my house (I’ve taken a watercolor class every Wednesday for the past three years)…which led me to think...I could sell prints of these...which led me to think "and note cards! I can make note cards!" which led me to think...I can make prints, note cards, AND stuff I can sew...which led me to think...I should open up a shop on Etsy!

So. That's what the last few weeks have been for me: Lots of new ideas and a sort of refocusing of my life, which was LONG overdue.

So as a result, this blog might be changing focus a little and I'm going to focus more on posting the various projects I undertake using my goals to be greener by reusing things I already have (sometimes with the help of an awesome sewing machine), cooking my own vegan food (I'm not totally vegan when I'm out, but I don't make anything for myself that isn't), and attempting to raise some money for my family (and a favorite charity) by selling some things on Etsy! Still Eco-ing Myself...still going vegetarian...but with a new and improved focus!

Stay tuned...and if anyone is still reading this...thanks for sticking around. :)

Mayo Shmayo

I am trying to go Vegan...more on that later (in short- I found out I was allergic to cheese after many years of digestive system issues so...no cheese...no dairy. Cheese being the main reason I wasn't considering vegan in the first place- I figured...well, since cheese is out...might as well go all the way! It's a slow process, mostly regarding baked goods and things where animal ingredients are more 'hidden'...but there you go. I'm trying.)



ANYWAY, I used up all my regular mayo- since I'm not throwing out things I already bought...just using them up and then replacing them with their vegan alternatives when they're gone- and was in the store looking for a vegan mayo replacement. I have never had vegan 'mayo' so I didn't really know how this experiement was going to go. At this particular store, my choices were limited to...one brand...so I picked that up and left.



Here's what I got:





Enter Nayonaise.










Once I got home...I still wasn't sure how fake mayo would taste, so with much trepidation...I opened the jar and tentively tasted just a smidgeon. And then another smidgeon. And then a more generous smidgen.



YUM!!!!



And do you know WHY I now think Nayonaise is the best thing since sliced vegan bread?! Because (at least in my warped opinion), it tastes just like Miracle Whip. And I LOVE Miracle Whip.

Now, I know that Miracle Whip is kind of an aquired taste. My dad loves it and therefore, I ate it at his house. My mom on the other hand...thinks it's absolutely disgusting and banned it from her refrigerator shelves. So, I suppose the moral of this story is...if you aren't a fan of Miracle Whip, you might not like Nayonaise, but you might!...try it for yourself!

Bring on the Facon Lettuce and Tomatos!

Taking the Steak Out of Cheese Steak

This is yet another post about food. Whee!

Friday I had a dilemma...it was my stepmom's birthday and in keeping with my family's long and glorious history of Celebratory Subs...we were going out for cheese steaks for her birthday. Now normally...this is one of the times, like at Five Guys, where I give in and eat meat just because it's easier. Unless I want a pizza sub, there aren't tons of veggie sub options that appeal to me- and lets be honest, sometimes you're not in a pizza sub kind of mood. Added to that is the All Meat All the Time mindset of my dad's family, and I'm a 'go along to get along kind of person'. I wish I was one of those people that could just do what I do and not worry about the comments of others...but unfortunately...I am definitely NOT one of those people when it comes to my family and I dread the 'So you're not eating meat now?' convo. Yes...I'm a wuss...I'm working on it. (My mom is easy though- she's already a vegetarian. I'm trying to learn from her.)

So, for all of those reasons, I woke up kind of indifferent to my vegetarian goals that morning- Hey, it happens!- and was thinking I would just go ahead and get the meat, but then...as I arrived...I thought 'HEY- what I really like on subs is the toppings anyway!' Just like at Five Guys! SO why not just get the toppings for the cheese steak! BRILLIANT! (Like I said...I don't always think of these logical solutions first...)

So I got a cheese steak sans steak- lots of cheese, fried onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo...the whole bit. It wasn't so vegan, but it WAS meat free- and DELICIOUS! I will definitely get the same in the future.

Full disclosure: When faced with the peculiar looks from the family when I nixed the steak on my sub- did I proudly say it was because I have goals of going vegetarian?! No...*sheepish*...I used my post pregnancy weight loss goals as the explanation (which is true...but also not the Whole Story.)

Apparently...standing up for my beliefs is ALSO something I will be working through on this blog.

(Actually...my dad's family is interesting, they eat mostly organic and use tons of natural products in their homes- including using essential oils for ailments!-but meat is a touchy thing with them...I think they think of vegetarians as all crazy militant environmentalists- I know...environmentalists!- what terrible people THEY are! ;-) - and it's a hard preconceived notion to get past. I HAVE talked about how I don't agree with the factory farming practices in this country and so forth, and they mostly agree; but VEGETARIAN is a word I will have to get used to bringing up. I'll let you know what kind of progress I make on that front as well.)

Five Guys Go Vegetarian

Confession: I love Five Guys Burgers. I think they are the best burgers on earth and it is one of the few restaurants that I frequent that I do not even consider a vegetarian option. The burgers are just TOO good.

BUT...since I'm writing this blog and keeping track, I feel like it's holding me accountable, so when a friend and I made plans to go to Five Guys last Saturday...I was determined to find a vegetarian option.

Besides the Yummy Factor of the regular burgers, another reason I had never gone veg there was a perceived lack of veggie options. There is a grilled cheese, but WHO gets a grilled cheese when what they WANT is a greasy burger!? Not I.

There is also a 'veggie sandwich' but it's not a veggie burger- it was described to me as 'veggies on a bun'. Now, I like veggie burgers, but I am NOT a fan of grilled vegetables. I'm just not. Grilled veggie sandwiches first of all, usually contain veggies I don't like- namely peppers. I HATE peppers of any kind unless they are used in a recipe. I hate them by themselves, grilled or otherwise, so most veggie sandwiches just don't do it for me unless it's like a Powerhouse type thing. So in the past, when an employee described it thus, I said 'screw it' and got the burger.

However, given my new goals, I was determined to find something- so I did research on the Five Guys website. There I found a different description of the Veggie Sandwich, which said basically, that it was a bun on which you could load as many toppings as you want.

Ohhhhhh TOPPINGS you say!!! Now that's DIFFERENT!! I LOVE toppings! In fact, when I get the burger there, it's the cheese, mushrooms, lettuce and tomato that make the whole burger in my opinion. So...that's what I got: A yummy toasted bun piled with grilled mushrooms, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mustard. And it was FAN-tastic!

So there you have it- my affair with Five Guys (hee hee) does not have to be at the expense of my Veg Goals.

Faux Ham is Good Ham and Taco Tuesday Goes Vegan

Well...Operation Recycle is still in the Find a Bin stage. Yes...I know. How hard is finding a receptacle to throw your recycling in?! Not hard. But unfortunately...this is Wants to Be Green meets Huge Slacker with More than a Pinch of Procrastination. Basically...I suck. I just haven't gotten down to my basement to find something to put the stuff in so that we're not All-Trashcan-All-the-Time. I'll get there- I promise...

So why don't we talk about something else. Lets talk about...SMARTDELI!




I love it. I have been trying to be budget conscious and take my lunch to work with me...an idea that usually dies within two days because I get so bored with what I pack, but not so this time! It's been almost three weeks (a record, believe me) and I attribute that to the fact that I love the sandwiches that I make with Smartdeli faux ham slices. Just Smartdeli (I don't even need a full serving which is four slices. Two are plenty, which helps the package last longer) a slice of cheese or two, mustard, and a dab of mayo. So...not so vegan, but vegetarian for sure. I'm sure you're thinking from that description...boy she's a simple soul and...you're right. It's not even fancy mustard. It's YELLOW. What can I say, I have cheap taste, but if it helps me keep my spending down by bringing my lunch (in my reusable lunch bag of course!) and helps me keep lunch vegetarian...than whee! I shall rock on with my simple cheap tastes.

Speaking of vegan however...today's project is VEGAN lunch. I bring my lunch every day but Tuesday- which is Taco Tuesday for me and a friend. We go to Chipotle and usually I'm not even quite vegetarian because I get the pinto beans...which have bacon in them. So I have been trying to get the black beans instead...but it's been a slow change because the pinto beans are slightly yummier. Probably BECAUSE of the bacon. DOH. Today's challenge though is to go VEGAN with it...just to see if I can find a combination of ingredients that will still get me as revved up for Taco Tuesdays as my former combination, but without the cheese and sour cream (which...I'm not going to lie...are kind of my favorite part).

Wish me luck and I'll let you know how it goes!