Hey I missed it!!!!!

Yesterday was my 1 year vegan-versary and I plum forgot about it.. wow… Well now I have a reason to post my “Why I am Vegan” list. I have been mulling this list over in my head for well.. a year   and it is time to put fingers to keyboard and let this puppy out:

Why Manda is Vegan

1. The thought of eating someONE repulses me (one of the reasons I went vegetarian all those years ago).

2. To me there is no line between the animals you keep as companions and the ones that are raised for food. All life is sacred and should be held in the highest regard.

3. Animals that are slaughtered for food go thru an incredible amount of fear, stress, anxiety and I am sure a million other terrible emotions and feelings.. do you really want to put all of that in your body???

4. We can keep tabs on what we eat if we grow it ourselves, organic home gardens are the way to go! (Or a local CSA/Farmers Market).

5. Hormones, genetically modified food, processed crap.

6. Factory Farms

7. Have you seen Earthlings??

8. I just feel better all around.

9. I am “regular” at least 5 times a day (like you really needed to know this). Which has totally made any stomach maladies I may have had totally disappear.

10. Female time is MUCH more pleasant and less crampy (I seriously think dairy protein made the hormones go more whacko than they needed to)

11. Cow’s milk is made for baby cows.. not people.

12. I continue to lose weight (down 35 pounds this year with only a dietary change nothing more!)

13. I can’t eat something that had a mom, or a face or a soul.

I am sure there are more but none that pop to mind at the moment

Now the question is why are YOU vegan ???

 

oh my :)

In an effort to be more frugal and healthy at the same time I started making muffins to take with me to work for brekkie.. I do believe that I have found the most perfect morning muffin recipe ever (and it’s fat free)! Recipe and possibly pictures later tonight I promise

 

Well isn’t this a fine kick in the pantz…

Looks like this vegan grrl is going to have to do more cooking on her own of non soy items.. that or find smaller local and genuinely ORGANIC soy brands..

*GRRRRRRR*

Silk and White Wave… you suck!!!

Hell no to GMO!!

 

Just sayin…

Fresh, organic strawberries from our CSA box are heaven

As  mentioned to Brap this weekend.. I do believe I am addicted to strawberries…. there are worse things right ???

edit to add : Just got my “what’s in the box email” for our box this week and it is more strawberries and and and and … Raspberries  *swoon*  oh dear I may die, I have never had an organic raspberry…  (ok the whole box isn’t strawberries and raspberries, it does have regular veggies like artichokes, lettuce, carrots, squash, etc.  I just get excited about the new things each week.)

 

Coloring without Cruelty… for the Vegan kid in all of us.

So I was looking at my company’s website (Discount School Supply ) the other day and noticed a section right there on the front page that listed Common- Allergen Free Products (you know, latex, gluten, Peanut, Soy, etc) it got me thinking… could it be possible that we carry Vegan products and don’t even realize it yet? Answer to this is a resounding YES!

It appears that almost all the paint we carry (of the Colorations Brand) is Vegan, the exception being the foam paint which has Stearic Acid, however if you are crafty enough you can make your own foam paint with liquid watercolor paint (vegan) and shaving cream of your choice (I am sure there are vegan options out there right…)

What makes Colorations Paint better than any other out there (well aside from the fact that I am quite partial to it seeing as how I adore the company that makes it, and that it’s umm… VEGAN)?

 

Well let’s make a list shall we….

 

1. It’s Vegan!
2. The range of colors alone will boggle the mind. It runs the gamut from your regular ROYGBV to neons, metallic, cool colors, pearlsecent, skin tones, and of course glitter!!!
3. It’s Vegan
4. 95% of it is totally washable (which is a huge benefit if you or your kidlets are free spirited with the paintbrushes as I have a tendency to be at times)
5. The bottles are all recyclable (gotta take care of mama-earth and recycle!)
6. Most if it is made right here in the USA.
7. It’s Vegan
8. You don’t have to be a kid to use it, seriously, I have the Liquid Watercolor and Bio Color paints  at home and  use them in various artsy/craftsy things and I am far far from being kid-like any more.
9. Because I said so…  :) 

 

 

Paint away, I say… have fun knowing that the colors on your brush, paper, fingers… whatever strikes your fancy are cruelty free and vegan… and enjoy

Oh and here is a link to the Paint directly *CLICKY*

~M~

 

ugh…

So I was suffering thru a bout with hay-fever this morning and decided to get some “effervescent immune system support” stuff (you know the brand) to help knock things out.. I took one then three hours later took another.. then I started getting this funny feeling in my stomach, you know the “oh girl… you put something animal in you, yes you did!” so I read the label…
Contains: FISH (cod, cusk, flounder, haddock, hake, pollock, redfish, sole)

I feel SO bad that I didn’t bother to read the box in the store but this is what I get for assumptions then…
Lesson learnt… READ THE EFFING BOX!!!!

 

Where in the blogosphere is Manda???

Fear not dearest readers .. I am still here.. still vegan and well just swamped with life in general at this point in time, oh and haven’t really made anything too spectacular food-wise that bears photographing and sharing.. but I do have a couple reviews up my sleeve and I suspect those will get posted soon enough

Bear with me… the best is yet to come

In the meantime, check out the lovely, nifty and utterly unique jewelry made by my talented husband Brap and myself (I just make the earrings). It is spring, which means a whole new season of beading for us!! (he’s ovo/lacto so I can’t say it’s vegan owned and operated, but it is veggie owned and operated so there!)

~M~

 

heeee

A movie (not animated) adaptation of my all time favorite book…

Heck ya

(yes I had a little tear of joy in my eye whilst watching this)

Happy Thursday all

~M~

 

Cliff Nectar Bar Review

I got this bar the other day whilst out grocery shopping and added it to my usual stash of bars at work (Larabar, PureBar *yum*, regular Cliff Bars), I decided to change things up a bit and give it a try, I figured it had almost the same ingredients as a Larabar (dates,nuts,cherries) but when I opened the package it was decidedly more sticky than what I was expecting. I love Cliffbars, they are my go-to when I know I am going to be in a non veg friendly food situation, I can hide one in a pocket or my purse and be ok for a few hours, but this was just not the same. The taste wasn’t anything to write home about, it did smell nice but was also very sticky when eating it (something I have NOT found in Larabars or PureBars at all). All in all I can say that I would not purchase these again sadly. I will stick with my regular “stash” as it were…
Win some Lose some right???

~M~

 

Tonight tonight…

After about 22 years of  wanting to and joking to my mom and anyone else who would listen.. I get to do something utterly neat and truly keen.. HERE!!

I GET TO SLEEP WITH THE FISHES!!!!!!  Yep, I, along with countless others who were part of the Teen Volunteer programs are having a reunion sleepover at the aquarium *squeee*.

There WILL be pictures… lots and lots of pictures (I hope my 2gb card on my camers is enough)… Dunno if sleep will be any part of the evening, I mean seriously,how often do you get to watch fish at night and into the wee hours of the morning just being????

Oh and just so this isn’t a complete rambling, let me present you with a photo of some of my Farmers Market finds from the past week.. I give you the “why so tasty” combo of Purple Cauliflower and Broccoli  *yum*

see y’all tomorrow

~M~