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!

I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I'd start with....

... your LEMUR OF THE DAY! Courtesty of Cute Overload.

(No, this has nothing to do with anything- I just really like lemurs.)

Pin Cushion Project

Last week, I made the most beginner of beginner projects in the Sew Everything Workshop Book, which was the pin cushion. It served two purposes- I needed a pin cushion, because I didn't have a pin cushion and it gave me a chance to jump back into sewing. The project was successful, and in the process I was able to re-purpose a pair of fuzzy socks that had holes but which I hadn't thrown away because...I have problems throwing things away. So I used the socks to stuff the pin cushion instead of buying polyfill. Economical AND environmentally friendly. Not to mention emotionally friendly since I didn't have to throw away the socks that I clearly had some unnatural attachment to. (I'll say right now because anyone reading this will probably find out eventually anyway- I have a real issue feeling sorry for inanimate objects and therefore have trouble doing things like....THROWING STUFF AWAY.)

But I digress. I was very successful in my pin cushion project and made something that is super cute AND functional!

Viola!



The only problem was that I didn't use my sewing machine. It was a small project and I sew pretty quick by hand, so instead of learning how to use my new machine, I just went ahead and sewed it by hand. It didn't even take me an hour from start to finish, which was cool, but before I do any larger projects, I need to learn my machine!

So that's my goal for the weekend. To learn my machine and make a pillow. I have the fabric cut and pinned...so all I need now is to bite the bullet and get acquainted with my Brother. :)

I think I should give it a name. Make it a friend. I'll think about it and let you know what name I come up with for my new sewing friend.

Successful Thursday Mealtime

Tonight I made the Maple Dijon Potatoes and String Beans from Vegan with a Vengeance and can I say...AWESOME. I also had a pack of tempeh in the fridge that was getting dangerously close to it's use by date, so I used the glaze on that too (my husband used it with chicken) and it was ALL AWESOME. Smiles all around. And leftovers! Whee!

Not only that, but last night I finished a painting for my friend's housewarming.


(The painting is way more vibrant in real life, it's not the greatest picture...but whatever...I'm trying to get more comfortable posting things I've painted, so...there it is.)

It's been a successful week of making stuff!

I have another yummy meal planned for tomorrow...so hopefully that will set off a successful week-END of making stuff. We'll see how it goes. :)

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!

Disposing of the Daily Dirt- UPDATE

Two of the blogs I follow recently posted on the issue of dog waste and how best to dispose of it. Both have good ideas so I wanted to share them:

The Mindful Merchant found some biodegradable bags that actually degrade and she did a trial with actual doggie messes to see if they were up to the job. Answer: They were! Check out her post for more info!

The Greenists also had an interesting discussion on the issue. Here's the poop!

These ideas coupled with my friend Lucy's suggestion to keep one bag (until it's full, instead of one bag per 'deposit') in the backyard and to use a shovel for pick up means that I will now be a little more environmentally efficient when picking up after my dogs.

So thanks guys, I now I know what to do with poo. :)