VeganMoFo IV: Dollar Store Vegan

Alternate titles: Oooooone Dollaaaaaaar and Constanza Has Nothing on Me.

So, the only thing I love better than being vegan is finding super awesome cheap vegan deals.  DEALS, people!  MrsBadMouth did a marvelous blog on how to be a thrifty vegan earlier this week and she pretty much touched up on everything I'd ever say on the subject.  It got me really inspired to do something that most vegans would never think about doing: head to the dollar store.

Okay.  I first fell in love with the dollar store during the holidays.  I make gift baskets like a mothatrucka, and it is so much cheaper to drop a buck on baskets, cellophane, and ribbons than to buy a pre-made basket.  A little bit of money and a decent amount of time really makes for a happy and cheap holiday season.  Plus, a store like Dollar Tree or 99 Cents Only makes for decent holiday decor, a starting place for crafting, and cheap, non descript mugs.  You just have to know what to shop for and make sure to inspect the quality before leaving the store.

Also, discount stores are like a secret vegan playground.  When you get to reading ingredients, you find A LOT of vegan things.  Healthy and decadent.  Organic and filled with disgustingly awesome things.  I love discount stores.  Part of me doesn't want anybody to know about these deals, but since none of y'all live near me...it's cool.  Muahahahaha.  Here's what I scooped up last night (everything except for the Amy's soups which were on clearance at Ralph's)...

clockwise from middle: Westsoy low fat soymilk, Amy's soup, syrup pourer, organic pinto beans, creminis, pizza crust, dish towel, more creminis, more Amy's soup, big bag of Mexican oregano, organic black beans, and organic kidney beans

oregano

I usually get packs of Mexican oregano for 67 cents.  This bag was more than three times the amount I usually buy and only a dollar.  Cool beans.  Speaking of beans, we were stoked to see organic beans there.  Also found some other things I didn't feel like purchasing, but I managed to sneak a few pics inside the store on my crappy camera phone.

Mrs. Freshley's cookies

Mrs. Freshley's does have accidentally vegan treats (confirmed by email).  They definitely aren't healthy.  And they aren't some awesomely tasty treat.  But they are $1.

sugar in the raw

Other cool things I've found at 99 Cents Only: Earth Balance (buttery sticks and shortening), coconut cream, Switch carbonated fruit juice, Snackimals (large bag), and Boca products (chili and spicy chikn patties).  My sister recently found Tofu Pups and soyrizo.

Another cool place is Big Lots.  I love their cereal selection.  I think all the boxes are $2.50 at most.  Also found half gallon shelf stable Almond Breeze for $2.50!

The point is you can be vegan and find great deals even at the dollar store.  My advice?  Go on a little journey to your neighborhood dollar store.  Browse the grocery and refrigerated section and see what is vegan.  I'm certain you'll be surprised.

Happy Saturday, everybody!

VeganMoFo III: The Struggle and Noobie Fundamentals

I don't remember much about when I first went vegan.  I know it was the second week of August in '01.  When people ask I just tell them that I've been vegan off and on for 8 years.  From '04-'07 I was floating back and forth between vegetarianism and veganism.

Honestly, my heart always belonged to veganism.  I cannot express the amount of self loathing I felt during those days.  I would pledge to be vegan at least once a month.  It wasn't until late Fall of '07 that I realized this was going to be a lifelong commitment for me.  I got two tattoos to remember the occasion.  The vegan society flower on one wrist and the Chinese symbol for "fu" (which means the ability to judge right and wrong) on the other .  It was my way to remind myself that even if veganism is a struggle for me, I believe it is the ethical thing to do.

I think some of us forget how hard this can be for a newbie.  I am not the type to ever shame somebody for struggling with veganism.  I love vegetarians just as much as vegans (though vegans win for food hands down!).  In the beginning, the easiest thing for me to do was make food I was used to.  I didn't own a single cookbook until I was 24 so my source for everything was Vegweb.com.  I remember my first birthday as a vegan.  My mom told me to pick any recipe and she'd make it.  I had her make this chocolate raspberry mocha layer cake because no combination tops chocolate and raspberry for me.  This was my first encounter with vegan sweets and my hips haven't been the same since.  Hee hee.

Looking back on it, I'd tell the 19 year-old me that all I'd ever need to survive is a good chili recipe, the ability to manipulate tofu, and the knowledge that vegan desserts are just as good (if not better) than the stuff that comes out of a box.  Oh, and I can't forget the sketti!  Spaghetti was one of the first things I learned to make.  It's easy, filling, and super versatile.

This, right here, is what I like to call pantry spaghetti.  This is a non-recipe recipe.  It doesn't involve anything but pouring stuff into a pot.  I sauteed some canned mushrooms (Era bought these and I don't know why) in some olive oil with red pepper flakes.  Then I added garlic powder and onion powder.  I emptied a 28 oz can of tomato sauce into the pot and added oregano, basil, a pinch of sugar and some salt.  Then I simmered for about 20 minutes before adding the olives.  Topped it with parm and served it with fresh spinach and a breadstick.

As basic as that is, it was some of the best spaghetti sauce I've had in a while.  Even with the canned mushrooms.  Brr...

What was the first thing you learned to make as a vegan?

Airing of Grievances

I want to apologize for my absence. A piece of my laptop broke and I've been grudgingly using a Mac. I hope everybody had a glorious 4th! I made some bomb ass strawberry coladas, which is unheard of for me. I am not what one would call a mixologist. I have been known to completely ruin martinis and micheladas. Onto the good stuff...

While watching Food Network today, I felt this intense feeling. I was watching The Next Food Network Star and some show about tablescapes (you know the one) and feeling super bitter that FN does not take vegetarianism seriously. I'm about to get Kanye on y'all. FOOD NETWORK DOES NOT LIKE VEGETARIANS. Yeah. I said it.

If I have to watch another piece of asparagus get violated by a blanket of pork, I may just do an Excorcist style projectile vomit all over my television. The strange thing, y'all, is that Bobby Flay has the most vegan friendly show on there unless I'm missing something. Hear me out. He often has substantial vegetable sides that are completely vegan or easily veganizable. Also his marinades are often vegan. Plus, he never disrespects the vegetables by slathering them in butter and covering them in cheese. I have nothing but mad crazy booty love for Bobby Flay. My love for this man is ridiculous.

Anyway. I had this idea. Stop me if this already exists...Vegan/Veg*n Food Network. An online recipe and cooking show database with vegetarian and vegan cooking shows. No meat for you! I'm kinda sick of being considered a niche market. It's insulting. People want to see vegetable recipes that don't involve bacon and salads that aren't slabs of meat garnished with greens. Amiright?! Somebody who isn't as big of an artistic flake as me should totally make this happen. If we can't have a show on a television network, we damn sure should make our own network!

Also, I'm totally going to start doing an online show. I have too many opinions and too much time on my hands not to make this happen now. It will probably start out more as a video blog and hopefully become more awesome. More on this later. For now, I leave you with a fiery passion to change America's mindset on veganism and some Viva Vegan by Terry Hope Romero testing photos.

quicker red posole garnished with pickled red onions, avocado and cilantro


yellow rice with garlic


black bean and plantain pupusas covered in simple latin tomato sauce, rainbow chard with capers and raisins, avocado


un-tres leches cake!!!

Not testers...just me cooking it up:

brownie topped with homemade caramel ice cream


bbq sauce and rice recipes I'm working on

jalapeno and cilantro hummus recipe that my friend gave me

Not Your Average 'Fu

This could just as easily be called Vegan Brunch: Preview Review or How I Became a Foodie. I want to take a little time to introduce my self: my name is Monique. It's pronounced with an umpty. No, wait. That doesn't quite work.

So my mother just finally started reading my blog. I know! No love. Anyway, we were talking the other day about how I absolutely loathed cooking as a child. My sister would always be right up under my mom and dad in the kitchen. Cooking bored me and I didn't understand it. In fact, I didn't start cooking until I began the process of going vegetarian. That involved mostly salads, processed foods, and the occasional veggie paella. Even when I went vegan, I stuck to the simpler cookbooks. Books that only required me to open some cans and add some prepackaged soy product. The first time I thought vegan cooking could be incredibly inspired was when I got Vegan with a Vengeance.

I picked it up at the bookstore because everybody was talking about it. I wanted to know what the fuss was about. After my squee settled down to a quiet calm, I panicked. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull any of it off. The recipes were simple enough, but would I be able to turn the omnis in my life into believers? I mean, as much as I don't care what omnis think about veganism...I want them to like my food. I want to place it on a table, hear their reaction, then see their eyes widen in disbelief that something so good could taste better than the best udder pus injected food. Yum!

And it worked. I did the menu for my wedding's rehearsal brunch three years ago. We cooked most of the food at home and brought it to my friend's house (who conveniently lived down the street from the venue). I don't remember most of the menu, but I do remember my friend turning to me and saying that the VWAV pancakes were "Hot fire!"

That, my friends, is when I became a foodie. This is the reason I will continue to purchase anything with Isa and/or Terry's name on it. The recipes they create have the ability to turn omnis into believers.

Last night I made it about halfway through Vegan Brunch. I basically read everything except the actual directions for the recipes. There's definitely some funny in there and tons of really good tips. I did manage to make one recipe, though. The Beer Battered Tofu (pictured above) is super simple and very tasty. It is fantastically crunchy. I plan to batter many, many things in my future. My batter isn't incredibly dark because I had a medium colored beer. I hit the poor, battered tofu with a splash of lime and topped everything with a simplified version of the corn salsa I talked about two posts down.

Simplified Corn and Pepper Salsa
1 cup fresh frozen corn, thawed
1 roma tomato, diced
1 smedium* orange bell pepper, diced (any color will do, but orange makes it purty)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
small fist full of cilantro, minced (1/4 to 1/3 cup depending on your fists)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt to taste

Place everything into a bowl or container and stir/shake to your hearts content. This is super good when ice cold. Also, I forgot the jalapeno and garlic this time...and it was still good.

My husband and I should go shopping sometime this weekend so a big review is coming. And maybe even a photo blog.

*smedium is a term coined by a friend of mine for when something says medium but is kinda small. go for a smallish medium pepper...or not.

VeganMoFo: Attack of the Killer Vegans

I just got season three of How I Met Your Mother on dvd. I was watching it last night, and my ears perked up when I heard the word "vegan." Shortly after that, I became incredibly disappointed. I often wonder when the entertainment industry will start reflecting veganism as a legitimate lifestyle...and the only one that is truly environmentally sound. How hard is it to come up with the same tired lines about how bad vegan food is? We aren't all granola crunchin', patchouli smellin' hippies! Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I tried to think of all the shows I've seen where veganism was mentioned. Note that I have watched a ridiculous amount of movies and tv...so I know I'm missing some stuff. Buffy, Kitchen Confidential, Sex and the City, Felicity (I'm not 100% on this) and countless others have all referenced veganism. Almost anytime veganism is mentioned on television or in the movies it turns to: the food is bad, the people are crazy activists, and/or the people are weird hippies.

Quite frankly, I'm sick of it. There has to be better representation. I feel like we are stuck in the counterculture because there is such a stigma attached to the word "vegan." And the more I think about it, the more I want to wreck shit up! Are you with me? Let's riot! Break some windows! Graffiti some walls! Viva la revolucion, guey!

No?

Okay. Instead of rioting, I'm fairly certain I'm gonna just write Emily Deshanel or Hart Hanson and tell them to make Bones a vegan already. She could explain it with facts about factory farming and pollution and whatnot. Or keep it super simple...like she doesn't believe death should be the foundation of life. And if that doesn't work, I'm gonna riot.

And for now, I'll leave you with positive portrayals of veganism:

Pepper Ann-I'm fairly certain her family was vegan. If I remember correctly, they were always talking about tofu. Of course, I might be confusing her family with Patty Mayonnaise's.
House-A vegan couple's baby is dying. Everybody wants to call cps because they think veganism is abusive for the child. The couple responds that they talked to a nutritionist and nothing was wrong with what they fed the baby. House confirms that the baby's ailment has nothing to do with veganism.
Glory Days-Back in '02, when I was a WB whore, Poppy Montgomery and Eddie Cahill starred on a short lived show called Glory Days. This show was effing awesome. I can't remember if they ever actually said Poppy Montgomery was a vegan. But she only ate tofu omelettes and soy lattes. So...another point for the team.
Year of the Dog-This is a great animal rights movie. And I love that Molly Shannon goes vegan. I believe John C. Reilly thinks she's weird for that, but he was a big douche. So, the obvious message was: If you think veganism is weird, then you are a big douche.
Popular-I'm not sure on this one. I'm gonna go ahead and say that Lily is a good portrayal. This show also rocked. Short lived on the WB was the way of my life, man! Put this show on your netflix. It's effing hilarious. Anyway. She was at least vegetarian. I know for sure she was an activist. There was an entire episode dedicated to the pain that lobster's feel when cooked...and they got an award for it too!

And on a serious note...who's down to start a riot...er...revolution?

VeganMoFo: Pro Choice

I just got off the phone with my sister. We were having an interesting conversation about ignorant people thinking Juneteenth is a joke of a holiday. If you want to see me go from calm to militant in a split second, say some stupid shit about anyone’s celebration of freedom. I think acceptance and understanding are the words of the day here. And not just of other cultures, social standings and nationalities…

Talking to my sister made me realize how great I’ve had it. My road to veganism was paved by the family members and friends who stood by and supported my every need. I’ve heard so many horrendous stories about people slipping non vegan products into food or being denied a vegan alternative at family gatherings… All of it makes me super appreciative of what I have.

Sophomore year of high school I had some friends that were obsessed with the ska movement. They went vegetarian and got on my last nerve always telling me “Meat is murder!” as I ate my ham sammich. In fact the more they got into my face, the less I cared about it all. One Fourth of July (and months after my friends had converted back to omnivorism) I sat at my kitchen table holding a chicken leg. That little vein thing was staring me in my eye, and I almost puked. I told my dad I was going vegetarian. My younger sister joined me for the ride.

At the time, my mother was stationed in Saudi. She was worried for us because my father wasn’t really capable of vegetarian cuisine. My sister and I took it slow. We cut out beef and pork immediately. For a few months, we thrived off of tuna helper and ground poultry products. After a while, the smell of chicken and turkey blood haunted me. So we gave up poultry. Seafood was the last thing to go, and it’s still one of my only meat cravings. It took about 6 months for my sister and me to become true vegetarians.

When my mother came back, she made it a habit to always serve a vegetarian option with each meal. My entire family supported us and always made sure we were accommodated for. My family was always about freedom. We could eat what we wanted. We had vocal freedom as long as it remained respectful. Generally speaking, my parents were pretty easygoing and wanted us to form our own identities. And my friends were proud of me. They were always interested in my school lunches. I spent the first year or so eating a ridiculous amount of salads, so I guess I was kinda boring.

The way I went vegan was not my proudest moment. After four years, I broke my vegetarianism. I ate all the seafood I could handle for about a week. I justified every death that filled my belly. Then I got majorly depressed and felt a huge need to repent, so to speak. I told my family I was going vegan the very next day. My sister didn’t join me on this one, and eventually turned omni. I know!

But nothing changed. To this day, my family loves to try all my vegan cooking. My mother always makes sure I have an option when I come to visit. My friends always let me pick the restaurant and make sure to have vegan things on any party menu. In my world, I’m not “the crazy vegan.” The people surrounding me treat me with respect and acceptance of my beliefs. Most of them even swell with pride. Okay. Maybe not..swell. But I do know this: I’ve always had the right to choose and I’m thankful everyday for that.

VeganMoFo: The Most Annoying Meal of the Day

There are many perks to veganism...including, but not limited to: awesomeness, awareness of what goes into your food, a cholesterol free diet, knowing that you will be in the only surviving group of zombies after the zombie apocalypse kills off the human food supply and gets kuru, and these waffles:

Pictured above are the absolutely delicious Pumpkin Waffles from Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. They are delicious and spicy and my second contribution to Pumpkin Week. If you happen to be the last vegan on the planet who doesn't own this book, do yourself a favor and buy it already! These waffles is the shizzle. I served them with ginger-maple caramel and raw walnuts. And I'm aware it's one in the afternoon and I just ate breakfast twenty minutes ago. That's just how I roll.

Yes, it's true what they say. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (that totally rhymed!). But for us vegan types it can also be highly annoying. There is no justifiable reason why a place called the International House of Pancakes shouldn't have at least one naturally vegan dish on the menu. It's dedicated to breakfast and there are so many easily adaptable breakfast items. I still can't get past the fact that they fry their hashbrowns in butter. If you ask for dry hashbrowns, they look at you like you are crazy. What kind of cook can't make dry hashbrowns or use olive oil? Apparently, unless you want to eat a bowl of decaying fruit and possibly dry toast, you have to learn to cook yourself breakfast. So here it goes. My top five favorite breakfast type things.

5. Hashbrowns-When I was little, my mom would make breakfast every Sunday. She'd always have hashbrowns with bell peppers, onion and garlic. I'd top it with ketchup. As an adult, I add cumin to my hashbrowns and top it with ketchup and hot sauce (preferably Tapatio).
4. Barnard's Brown Rice Breakfast-This is from How It All Vegan. When I saw the recipe I thought it was vile because I hated mayo as an omni. One day I noticed I had all the ingredients and wanted to give it a try. Brown rice, sausage and tofu on Vegenaise schmeared toast is so frickin good I could cry. Don't forget the Bragg's and ketchup!
3. Breakfast Tacos-Most people don't know what these are. Never trust a Californian when they say they know breakfast tacos. They have breakfast burritos, but Texas has got that taco method locked down. My favorite breakfast tacos are bean and cheeze, potato/tofu/sausage, and tofu and bac'n. And for it to be legitimate, you serve it in a flour tortilla (not a burrito shell).
2. Pancakes-Not just any pancakes. I have to give it up to Vegan With a Vengeance for making my wedding party very happy at the rehearsal brunch. To quote my friend Cros, "These pancakes is hot fire!"
1. Menudo-Green is a relatively new restaurant in San Antonio. It's the only completely vegetarian one. When rumors spread of it's existence a couple of years ago, I thought they were nothing more than urban legends. Several hangovers, bowls of vegan menudo and migas later...I have to give that soup the number one. I've gone there on two hours sleep just so I could get the menudo with my breakfast.

Honorable mentions: tofu scramble for its versatility and the breakfast sammich for its simplicity.

Martin out!

On Veganism and Weight Loss

There's this common misconception that converting to veganism will produce automatic weight loss. Just like an omni change in dietary lifestyles, it really depends on the individual. Some people lose a bunch when they first cut out animal products. Others stay the same or even gain some pounds. I think it really depends on two things: your diet before veganism and how you eat once you become a vegan.

I first went vegan at age 19. At that time in my life, I was very active. I was in college, involved in a comedy troupe and the poetry scene, had a restaurant job, and went to clubs every weekend. I literally danced my ass off. I suppose it also helped that I was completely unaware of the versatility found in a vegan lifestyle. I spent the first couple of years thriving off of fresh fruits, vegetables and tofu...with the occasional soy lunch meat thrown in a sandwich. I hated reading labels so I stayed away from a lot of sweets and breads (which have always been my weaknesses). I lost about 40 pounds and was at the lowest weight of my adult life at 138 lbs.

Once I discovered decent vegan dessert recipes, however, it was over. Around that same time I got engaged. The stress of the wedding and my new passion for cooking made for a substantial weight gain. I topped the scales at 218. On my 5'3" frame, it was ridiculous. Some people are a healthy 218. I had trouble walking up stairs. I couldn't fit any of my clothes. And I was genuinely unhappy.

It took me several months to get below 200. I'm about 40 pounds away from my goal weight. So I thought I'd share some pretty universal weight loss tips. These work for me, but it may not work for everybody.

1. WATER is essential to weight loss. It's the foundation of life, so don't skip out on this. I've always had a love/hate relationship with water. As a wee lass growing up in South Texas I wouldn't drink it. I was often dehydrated to the point that I couldn't move. I went to the doctor once because my sides had been having sharp pains for days. He told me I was constipated. I think that day definitely changed my perspective on the whole water thing. Drink 8-10 eight ounce glasses a day.

2. EXERCISE is a word that used to make me cringe. I have gym fear. I have workout clothes fear. I don't like to run. And I hate to see skinny people workout. A couple of years ago, I took a cardio kickboxing course and realized how much I loved to work out. I don't like the typical stuff, though. I walk, do pilates, kickbox, dance, bust a fool down in Wii Boxing... It's really possible to make your exercise regimen work for you. Try to, at the very least, walk for 30 minutes a day. It makes a difference.

3. I don't believe in depriving my body of anything. I'm a foodie to the core. When I want to lose weight, I simply incorporate more RAW AND LIVING FOODS into my diet. I do this for a few reasons. First, they offer a lot of fiber...and more fiber equals healthier poop. Also, they are filled with nutrients and sunshine. A lot of raw foods are packed with water as well. I also like the lack of preparation. Throwing a salad together or grabbing a piece of fruit is much easier than cooking something for an hour.

4. The one thing I learned from LA Weight Loss was this: 5 SMALL MEALS A DAY really aids in weight loss. It's common sense people! If you eat throughout the day, you will always feel satisfied. Ravenous hunger will kill a weight loss goal in a minute. This happens to be the hardest step for me. Sometimes I get so stuck on what to eat that I forget to even do so. Like now...it's almost 7 in the PM and all I've had is a handful of raw crackers and some peanut butter/carob/agave nectar concoction.

5. VERSATILITY is the key to happiness. A decade ago, while taking home economics, I learned that your plate should be as colorful as an Alaskan day is long. More colors and versatility equals more nutrients and vitamins. I also think it saves you from a dull fate and the boredom that often comes with a weight loss plan.

6. While I don't believe in depriving yourself of food, I do believe in watching SALT AND SUGAR INTAKE. I don't do iodized table salt because I think it's kinda gross. I stick to sea salt. Usually, I keep it to a bare minimum and add just enough to make the flavors pop. As for sugar, I'm currently using dates and agave nectar as sweeteners. This is a helluva lot more expensive than plain sugar, but I don't crash after and I feel better in general.

Above anything else, I really feel like you should listen to your body. It will definitely tell you what works for you.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go find me some food right now. For shame.