so, i think i may have a new favorite recipe: Baked Barbeque Tofu!

serves four, or two really hungry people
+one block firm tofu, drained and pressed
+one cup of your favorite bbq sauce(i have two that my dad made, brown sugar and mesquite… mixed them and it was heaven in my mouth ) (eventually, i may put one of these recipes up!)
+a roll or two slices of bread
+condiments of your choice(i stuck with a simple dill relish)

preheat your oven to 325. cut the tofu into 8 “cutlets” after it’s been drained and pressed. line a baking pan with aluminum foil and cover the bottom with about half of your bbq sauce. put the tofu in the pan and cover it completely with the rest of the bbq sauce. bake for about an hour.
when it’s done, take a roll or two slices of bread. take two of the tofu pieces and put them on the bread. top with your choice of condiments, then chow down!

what i’ll be working on next is a six-part series, in a bigger series of vegan cooking things and stuff. basically, i want anyone who reads this blog to get down some vegan cooking basics down. vegan food is so often falsely labeled as “rabbit food” or “sticks and leaves,” and i’ve been surprised to meet many vegans and vegetarians over the past few days whose food actually fits this stereotype! it may be unfair that we, as vegans, should be expected to improve our cooking(even if we don’t want to) just so that people don’t think the above of vegan food(and write off veganism as impossible as a result), but it is our duty as animal rights advocates to promote veganism in the best light possible. therefore, over the next few months, my writing will be dedicated to helping other vegans learn how to cook.
my first lesson will be about vegan flavorings, and it will be a six-part series, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

-dia.

i’m back! with a recipe to boot!

Vegan Fried Rice With Ginger Sauce! (super simple)
serves 4 super hungry people
+two cups of precooked long-grain rice
+veggies of your choice, chopped to your desire(i diced up onions and carrots into bite-sized pieces because that’s all i had, scallions and broccoli would have ruled in this too)
+2 tbps soy sauce
+1 tbsp oil/vegan margarine + 4more tbsp oil/margarine(reserved) +1 moretbsp oil/margarine
+your choice of vegan meat!(i used gardein beefless tips; “chiken” or tofu would be good too!)

for the ginger sauce…
+1/2 cup soy sauce
+1/4 rice vinegar
+1 scallion
+1/4 tsp ground ginger(or 1 small piece ginger root)

take a big frying pan or wok. put the first tbsp of oil/marg in there and let it heat up. throw in the veggies and let them cook through until softened(obviously throw in the more delicate ones later). when the veggies are all softened, throw in the 4 tbsp of oil/marg, then the precooked rice, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. stir it while it’s cooking, until it gets slightly browned. add the soy sauce and stir through. turn it off and get out another pan.

take all the ingredients for the sauce and put them in a blender. blend until well-mixed. take your vegan meat or tofu and marinate it in the sauce for 5-10 minutes. then, melt the remaining marg/oil in the new pan, and cook the tofu/fake meat until browned on all sides. take the leftover marinade and pour it into the rice. pour the tofu/”meat” into the rice as well. mix, plate, enjoy

Sorry for my absence! i’ve been busy with other stuff. i’m actually planning on taking a trip to florida next week, to see some vegan friends! i’m really excited.

in other news, my friend is starting a cooking blog/cookbook & i agreed to test his recipes. so, when his project gets off the ground, expect a lot more posts from me! i put him in my blogroll, but so far nothing’s up yet.

anyways, more later!

keep it vegan,
dia.

so, i was GOING to get my car inspected today, but i had the wrong(expired) insurance. oops. and i don’t know where the other one is… NO BUENO D: so i’m going to have to find that & do it tomorrow.

other than that, the highlight of my day has been watching Michael Jackson music videos on fuse, & waiting for Ray William Johnson’s new =3 video. i love him!(Michael too, but especially Ray) i want to start a video blog, but i need a new camera first. & since the only part of my camera that’s broken is the video function, that’ll be a while. :/ still, i want to do it at some  point.

in other news, i’m going to my very first pride parade saturday! i’m going with my bestie & her gay friend. it’s going to be a shitload of fun, & i hope to get a lot of pictures.

that’s all for today!
keep it vegan,
dia.

so, a while back i made a post about how to transition into veganism. now i’m going to give you a couple of reasons why you should try a plant-based diet.

HEALTH:
i’ll start off with health, since most people who read this blog are into health. according to the American Dietic Association’s position paper on plant-based diets, “Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.” veganism is a diet that benefits everyone who tries it(as long as you eat a balanced diet!): diabetics, people looking to lose weight, celiacs or other people who live gluten-free, babies, children, the elderly, athletes, ANYONE. a vegan diet is high in fiber & nutrients, but low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol, the latter of which is a potential witch’s brew for heart disease. people who are at high risk for cancer should also look into a vegan diet. also according to the ADA’s position on vegan diets, “Vegetarians have considerably lower rates of several types of cancer than non-vegetarians. The Adventist Health Study found that non-vegetarians had a 54% increased risk for prostate cancer and an 88% increased risk for colorectal cancer, even after controlling for age, sex, and smoking.” i could go on and on all day, but i’ll continue with other points.

ANIMALS:
factory-farmed animals are among the worst-treated beings in the entire world. these animals are not only sentient, but are intelligent, capable beings. chickens understand sophisticated intellectual concepts, learn from watching each other, demonstrate self-control, worry about the future, and even have cultural knowledge that is passed from generation to generation. pigs have been proven to be as intelligent as 3-year-old children, and they dream, recognize their names, play video games more effectively than some primates, and lead social lives of a complexity previously observed only in primates. cows are as diverse as cats, dogs, and people: some are bright; others are slow learners. some are bold and adventurous; others are shy and timid. some are friendly and considerate; others are bossy and devious. even fish, considered to not even BE animals by some, can recognize their “school-mates” in a crowd of other fish, and even create little “algae” gardens, weeding out the less tasty ones to make rooms for the more desirable breeds. animals are so much more intelligent than we give them credit for, and the cruelty that even “free-range”, organic farms put animals through is not okay. if these were dogs or cats, what is being done to them would be ILLEGAL and PUNISHABLE BY LAW. so, why is it okay because they’re not?
THINK ABOUT IT.

ENVIRONMENT:
global warming, overexploited natural resources, deforestation, wasted land, water pollution, air pollution… all these can be linked to raising animals for consumption. livestock emissions produce methane, which is worse for the environment than CO2. the cost of grain that is used to produce ONE 8-ounce steak can fill 45 to 50 bowls with grains that could feed the poverty-stricken. E magazine once speculated that more than one-third of all fossil fuels in america were used to raise and transport animals for food. nearly half the drinkable water in the US goes to farmed animals. the run-off from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined. i really could go on and on, but i think you get my bottom line: factory farming is a waste of resources and is poisoning our planet.

my sources: ADA’s position paper on vegetarianism, http://www.goveg.com, http://www.chooseveg.com

you know the how. you know the why. now take that first step & go vegan.

keep it vegan,
dia.

i have been SO busy these past few days! it’s ridiculous!
i found an OLDDDD friend of mine, a guy who i’ve known since we were like 4 years old. he plays in a christian metal band, & so i went to see one of their shows with a friend of mine. when we got there, i saw another friend of mine from school, & caught up with her. after the (AMAZING!) show, we all went to chill at whataburger(not very vegan-friendly, lol >.>), then to my old friend’s house to watch a movie. after that, we sat around in his backyard & had a really fun time. it was seriously a much-needed night i really forgot how much i missed having this guy as a friend. i’m glad to have him back in my life, as dorky as that sounds. ha!

also, my boyfriend is leaving for louisiana for two weeks. i don’t know what i’m going to do! it’s going to suuuuuuuuuck. especially since once he comes back, he’s going to be leaving again shortly after. GAHHHH

i’m going to post a vegan post soon, so a lookout!

keep it vegan,
dia.

sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!
i’ve been so busy lately, haven’t had time to post anything good

i promise tomorrow i will have an awesome post for you guys!

keep it vegan,
dia.

last night, i took a bath in…
green tea.
and sea salt.
my skin is soft & i smell delicious.

Breakfast: mango, pineapple, and banana smoothie
RECIPE:
3/4 cup low-fat soymilk
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup fresh banana chunks(pretty much a whole medium banana)
2 tsp your favorite sweetener! (i used organic unbleached sugar)
blend until smooth, serve immediately.

Snack 1: none, wasn’t hungry.

Lunch: a DEELISH sandwich of sprouted wheat, vegenaise, mustard, & a thickly sliced homegrown beefsteak tomato, topped with lots of freshly cracked pepper.

Snack 2: some apple slices & grapes.

Dinner: eugh! i TRIED to make the alfredo recipe from Vegan Yum Yum, but idk what happened! how the heck do 3 tbsp’s of soy sauce = alfredo in any way!? it just tastes like a soy-sauce gravy. i still ate half of it with whole-wheat pasta and sauteed mushrooms.

anyways, my day’s been boring. like, “i think i’ll clean to pass the time” boring.

keep it vegan,
dia.

good morning world!
yes, it is past noon. BUT, i just finished making breakfast! homemade biscuits & “sausage” gravy!

Vegan Biscuits and Gravy!
serves 2-3
FOR THE BISCUITS:
1 & 1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix
1/2 cup plain soymilk

Preheat oven to 450. Stir ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Place on a surface well-sprinkled(and i mean WELL, this stuff is STICKY!) with Bisquick mix. Knead 10 times. Roll dough out to 1/2″ thick. Cut with a circle cookie cutter covered in bisquick mix. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 5-8 biscuits(says 5 on the box, i made 8 small ones because i do not own a circle cookie cutter, & had to use a drink lid and a pizza cutter).

FOR THE GRAVY:
3tbsp vegan butter(earth balance is the best!)
3tbsp flour
1/2 to 1/3 package Gimme Lean vegan breakfast sausage
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups soymilk(if you want a thicker gravy, use a little over a cup)
salt and pepper, to taste

cook broken up chunks of sausage, when done take it out of the pan(into a bowl). melt butter in the same pan, & add flour 1 tbsp at a time, stirring constantly to make a roux. when roux is thickened, add sausage back to the pan, then add soymilk a little at a time, to reach desired consistency. When desired consistency is reached, take off heat & stir in salt & pepper.
Cut biscuits in half, top with gravy, & chow down!

keep it vegan,
dia.

every day, i seem to get more & more readers.
i don’t know how many of you anonymous readers are vegans, but for those of you who aren’t, i’m guessing you’re reading because you’re interested in the vegan diet(or i bugged you to read, ahaha!)

anyways, i’d like anyone reading this to give veganism a trial run. and to help you along, i have some tips that made transitioning to veganism easier for me.

+first off, veganism isn’t JUST avoiding dairy, eggs, and meat. there are hidden animal products in many products, from food to makeup to hairspray. this link has some more common “hidden” animal ingredients. you should familiarize yourself with these and a few others to avoid accidentally consuming any animal products!

+veganism isn’t all reading ingredient labels and being sad when there’s whey or red 4 in something! more and more, animal-free products are appearing in supermarkets all over the country! My local Kroger has an organic/healthy living section that sells vegan meats(chorizo, sausage, chicken, kielbasa, bologna etc.), cheeses, mayonnaise(s! more than one brand!), ice cream, milks, even yogurt! not to mention that they also have veganized baked goods like waffles, breads, bagels, even doughnuts! i mean, even my local WALMART has some Boca-brand products and vegan ice cream.

+while there are MANY vegan “faux” products to choose from, you might only like one. for instance, i can’t STAND lightlife brand vegan turkey, but tofurky brand is a different taste that i much prefer. shop around and see what you like best! it may take a while.

+it’s nice to use fakes to transition into veganism, but eating too much of them really isn’t healthy. make sure your diet is centered around plants(fruits, veggies, whole wheat, legumes) and not around fakes.

+with that last point said, there are many products that are “accidentally” animal-free! as much as i dislike PETA, this is a list of commercial products(stuff you might already have in your pantry) that are vegan! it definitely makes things easier when you realize you don’t have to trash your whole pantry, right?

+if you enjoy cooking, you should try googling a vegan version of a non-vegan dish you love! i can tell you from experience, it is VERY empowering making a specific dish out of different ingredients. however, i do have to say that not all recipes taste like their non-vegan counterparts, but they do typically have the same “feel”(creaminess, spiciness, fried breading, etc.) to help ease cravings. which leads me to my next point,

+CRAVINGS. some people never get cravings for non-vegan food, some crave from day one. IT DOES GO AWAY. i promise. in the meantime, i often found that when i would crave something, it wasn’t the food itself, but a specific aspect of it. if i wanted chicken, it was often that i wanted something lemony-tasting or chewy, which i could tide over with a bit of pan-fried tofu marinated in lemon juice + other things. or when i wanted cheese, i was actually craving the high fat content, which was easily remedied with an avacado(also provides “creaminess” that i missed from cheese).

this is what i can think of off the top of my head. suggestions? questions? comments? voice them below.

keep it vegan,
dia.