tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261309072024-03-07T00:54:23.366-08:00Flippantly Vague Musings of a Quirky VeganRead about my life as a vegan, in all it's wondrous glory. See my food, witness my activism, and contemplate my vegan findings. I also like to point out silly stuff too, so it isn't all about me, or about veganism. But most of it is. Just so you know.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-17297343906409508972008-11-22T13:27:00.001-08:002008-11-22T18:24:25.633-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Etsy shop time!</span></span><br /><br />Holy moly, it has been over a year since I last posted. Wow. That totally sucks.<br /><br />In any event, I will try to ignore that it has been that long, and get right to the point of this post. My sister and I have set up an etsy shop in honor of my Mom. My Mom was a big crafter who loved anything and everything sparkly and colorful. Not too long ago, we all gathered together and started to sort through all of my Mom's belongings, and we came upon a HUGE amount of arts and crafts that she had stored away in her craft room. So many things....beaded jewelry, keychains, drawings, portraits, watercolor paintings, ornaments, decorations, surplus craft suppy....the list goes on and on. We decided that the best way to deal with all of her crafts was to create a shop where we could sell her beautiful and unique items and then donate the proceeds to charities that we think our Mom would be proud of. So here is the shop:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6019281">Sistersunited on Etsy</a><br /><br /><script type='text/javascript' src='http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js'></script><script type='text/javascript'>new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(6019281, 'shop','thumbnail',4,5).renderIframe();</script><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_430xN.45495116.jpg%20"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 359px;" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_430xN.45495116.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_430xN.45850793.jpg%20"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 280px;" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_430xN.45850793.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.46060682.jpg%20"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 727px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.46060682.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We would love to be able to sell all of our Mom's crafts. More will be added daily and there will be different types of her arts and crafts listed, not just Christmas items. Please check the shop often! Thanks and Happy Holidays!Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-74264697046192081802007-11-16T12:58:00.001-08:002007-11-16T13:30:57.688-08:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Good finds</span><br /><br />I have been trying to get back into cooking and baking lately after taking a sabbatical of sorts. I think I am the only vegan blogger left to not have the two latest cookbooks, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b">Veganomicon</a> and <a href="http://amazon.com/gp/product/1551522241/ref=s9_asin_title_3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=07414VD9SV5MJWFMN94M&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=279438501&pf_rd_i=507846">Eat, Drink and Be Vegan</a>. They are next on my list of purchases, though, darnit!<br /><br />But here is one of my favorite prepackaged comfort foods: <a href="http://www.fantasticfoods.com/catalog/england-vegetarian-chicken-noodle-soup-p-7.html?cPath=32&osCsid=cfaa4dc44636cb19c538e76609c51528">New England Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup</a>. I think the last time I made it I ate it for every meal. It's not fancy or anything, but just good and warming. I jazzed it up with one of the suggestions on the back and made a Thai Curry version (coconut milk, curry powder and basil), and next I want to make the Mediterranean version with pesto and white beans. I actually have a pot simmering away on the stove right now. Once again, sorry for the lack of pictures. Camera is still sick.<br /><br />And I found this new cookie at the store yesterday, and felt the need to reward myself with these for my hard work in school: <a href="http://latejuly.com/food_prod.shtml">Vanilla Bean with Green Tea Cookies</a>! These are nice and mellow, not anything wacky tasting...my husband gave me the raised eyebrow look when I offered him one ("green tea? why?? in a cookie?") but gave me the double thumbs-up after partaking in it. Definitely a go-to sandwich cookie when in desperate cookie withdrawal. Or even when not!<br /><br />Three months ago yesterday my Mom died. I am adjusting to the reality of it all, slowly, and I know that the holidays are going to be difficult this year. My Dad and sister and her husband are coming here for Christmas, and I imagine it will be wonderful and sad and all those different emotions jammed into one week. My Dad attended a seminar sponsored by Hospice on how to handle the holidays after the death of a loved one, and he sent me a copy of the power point presentation. I got some good ideas, but was wondering if any of you have experienced the holidays together with your family after a tragedy like this, and what you did to get through it. How do you celebrate?Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-23745799951719085142007-11-10T16:59:00.000-08:002007-11-10T17:08:38.978-08:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >It'll be an Etsy Christmas this year!</span><br /><br />I love <a href="http://www.etsy.com/index.php">Etsy</a>. I've noticed another <a href="http://walkingtheveganline.blogspot.com/2007/11/simple-gifts.html">awesomely cool blogger</a> loves Etsy too. Well, if you haven't checked out Etsy yet, you need to go there now and buy something immediately. Go. Now.<br /><br />Buy whimsical. Buy handmade. Support artists. Spend some hard earned money. <br /><br />You can check out what I like from Etsy on my sidebar. I have unusual tastes. <br /><br />(my camera is still being flaky, so no new pictures of food, but I felt the need to post something relatively happy for a change. It feels good.)Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-88546370258086559252007-10-11T19:07:00.000-07:002007-10-11T20:23:36.213-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >I'm still hanging around.</span><br /><br />I lied. I am still going to write about my Mom, and all that has been going on with my family since August.<br /><br />It's been a weird, wild, emotional, traumatic, intense couple of months here lately. Losing my Mom in August put my life into a strange tailspin of bereavement, especially when I am in the middle of school. It's amazing how hard it is to try to focus on studying when your mind strays all of the time. I also found that when I came back to school after spending some time in Florida for my Mom's funeral and to be with my Dad, I had an aversion to touching people's bodies, which for a massage therapist isn't exactly a beneficial thing. I just felt really disconnected with my touch. I imagine that is totally normal for anyone that has gone through trauma.<br /><br />The past six or so months were terrible for my Mom. I won't go into the all that she was going through, but she suffered so much. None of us knew she would pass on so soon, none of us were remotely prepared for it (are you truly ever?), and none of us knew what to do with ourselves when her death happened. Seeing your Mom laying in a casket, feeling her cold, cold hands heavy with makeup to cover her IV bruises, waiting to see if she ever takes another breath, having to get up in front of 300 people and tell your most beloved memory with her without passing out, seeing her grave covered with wilting flowers on the day you must fly back home....can my heart break any more?<br /><br />And you know, it seems that when things get bad, they get REALLY BAD. Not too long after my Mom died, one of our beloved dogs, Zeppelin, started to get really sick. He got extremely swollen in his belly and lost all ability to get up and use his muscles. He couldn't walk anymore, and we had to carry him outside and hold him upright so he could go to the bathroom. After a few trips to the vet, we found out that he diagnosed with <a href="http://www.vetinfo.com/dencyclopedia/dehemsarcoma.html">hemangiosarcoma</a>. Terminal. He was bleeding internally, oxygen was not getting to his muscles, he was anemic, and was dying quickly in front of our eyes. We had to make that horrible decision on whether or not to let him die naturally (which probably meant watching him suffocate as the internal bleeding moved into his lungs) or to facilitate his death so that is was "easier" (it's never easy) on all of us, and peaceful for him. After my husband and I talked about euthanasia, I laid down next to Zepp, put my hand on his paw and asked him if he was ready to go, in between my sobs of heartbreak. Now, I don't normally walk around thinking I can talk to animals, but damnit, I swear he lifted his head up and look me straight in the eyes and in my heart I felt he told me his was ready...ready to move on. Now I know that many people believe that facilitated death does not permit animals to move on to the <a href="http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm">Rainbow Bridge</a>, but we honestly feel so secure in our decision to let him go. It was a gentle death for him, but one full of pain and hurt for us. We held him as he left us, our eyes clouded by the downpour of tears, and we said goodbye.<br /><br />But no, the pain didn't end there. Once my semester ended, I had a 10 day break from school so I flew back to Florida to be with my Dad. I felt that I really needed to start to heal, and being with my Dad when he needed it the most was the right thing to do. Well, on my second day there, my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Less than two months after losing his wife to cancer. Life sure does try and take a swipe at ya, doesn't it. He doesn't know all the details yet and needs to have more tests to define his diagnosis, but I feel very strongly that he will kick this cancer in the ass, and live a long, healthy life. But don't let me fool you....I am still scared. Still reeling. Still waiting to see what else life can throw my way, our way. I've tried to be as positive as I can be, but that ain't easy, folks.<br /><br />In addition to it all, I have fallen off of the vegan wagon. No, I am not eating meat, but I did start to eat cheese and hell if it isn't difficult to stop. I just don't have the fight in me to worry about too much right now. I am still cooking and baking, and reading every one's blogs, but that occasional cheese pizza sneaks into my shopping cart no matter how hard I try to refuse.<br /><br />On that note, I do want to get back into posting actual vegan food. My camera went wonky again, so I don't have any pictures, but I have made some fantastic food lately. While in FL, I made <a href="http://dgmgv.blogspot.com/2007/09/key-lime-teasecake.html">this dreamy dessert that DGMGV blogged about</a>....holy goodness it was good. And now I am going to make <a href="http://jewishvegan.blogspot.com/2007/10/thin-mint-esque-cookies.html">these easy cookies</a> with my kids, for some good kitchen bonding. And I have inundated <a href="http://foodfightgrocery.com/">Food Fight Grocery</a> with my orders for <a href="http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/soycurls.html">these items</a>, which may be the best substitute for fake meaty things in my recipes...so good when you lightly fry them up and then smother then in a spicy buffalo sauce. I just started to drool.<br /><br />Next time: more food, less pity party. :-)Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-82265192094276333772007-09-04T16:04:00.000-07:002007-09-04T16:37:05.762-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Thank you</span><br /><br />I have been meaning to write a "thank-you" post to all of you for a few days now, but it seems time has become funky around here and I have lost track of days, and even hours....I guess the passage of time during grief isn't meant to be normal or easy. But nonetheless, I need to send out a hefty<span style="font-weight: bold;"> thank you</span> to all of you that have sent me their condolences and warm energy. It's amazing to get love from all corners of the world. It truly helps.<br /><br />I won't blog more about my mom beyond this post. I know people don't come to these types of blogs to read about sadness. We all have it in our own lives on a daily basis, and I don't want to burden my readers with my own sadness. This is meant to be a fun vegan inspired blog, and I will keep it that way after this.<br /><br />My Mom died Aug. 15, the same day we learned about her having brain cancer. This summer had been a true struggle for her, with so much suffering and pain. My family has been on guard for the last few months because of her illnesses, but we never suspected her life would end like it did, and as quickly as it did. Reality has slammed me up against a wall.<br /><br />I'll be back. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNorWwH9m5GKUovmTXgfAu-hiwXmXpenIJKH2mPCbywN3h-vHiVdqTjiR_eHffJBtUWAGdjxSUYG4k0HOw40dXDCJwJlv31L4FmTUEVgWQzCFq-iESDUPN-gQkMgXF0xT2zn2z/s1600-h/storytime.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNorWwH9m5GKUovmTXgfAu-hiwXmXpenIJKH2mPCbywN3h-vHiVdqTjiR_eHffJBtUWAGdjxSUYG4k0HOw40dXDCJwJlv31L4FmTUEVgWQzCFq-iESDUPN-gQkMgXF0xT2zn2z/s320/storytime.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106496705398414850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In happier times, with the grandkids, 2005</span>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-1516155869248093502007-08-15T12:59:00.000-07:002007-08-15T13:00:31.778-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rest in Peace</span></span><br /><br />Mom<br />1945-2007Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-18394059238973922442007-08-12T20:53:00.000-07:002007-08-12T21:00:10.397-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Send good energy my way please....</span><br /></span><br />My mom is very, very sick. I can't wrap my head around much else these days, so I don't expect to blog much in the near future. I really wanted to write about my trip to the Grand Canyon, but I don't have the attention span to go through the 100+ pictures to find the right ones to post, and I have too much emotion coursing through my brain to sit down and write more than a small paragraph. Maybe one day soon I will find it cathartic to blog, but not today.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-69110640367836473592007-07-22T21:12:00.000-07:002007-07-22T21:28:32.150-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Greetings and Salutations</span><br /><br />We are back from our vacation. It was wonderful and invigorating, but alas, we got back last week and had to jump right back into our lives. Massage therapy semester two started the next day, and then I had to have my two upper wisdom teeth removed on Thursday. Needless to say, I haven't eaten much beyond applesauce and mashed potatoes this weekend.<br /><br />I plan on posting our pictures from all the canyons we visited as well as a good write up, but first I need to go study massage material about whiplash and migraine headaches. I hope to have a decent post ready for tomorrow.<br /><br />Here is one of my favorite pictures of the trip:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_I4t1cxkbOdDL7CQLsyTv6AMvs7FSg6iQ1ELT6McviA6BnkGFWqh2wi4a43LTKyQN6ToNV14L0JMCXBm-pFFZ8G5FGfNJexDVhvc2uR1jkpeD2Dxb63DWuQFAhbBDTVw6nIy/s1600-h/condor1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_I4t1cxkbOdDL7CQLsyTv6AMvs7FSg6iQ1ELT6McviA6BnkGFWqh2wi4a43LTKyQN6ToNV14L0JMCXBm-pFFZ8G5FGfNJexDVhvc2uR1jkpeD2Dxb63DWuQFAhbBDTVw6nIy/s320/condor1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090242420869709666" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The elusive California Condor, soaring gracefully in the sky above the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.</span><br /><br />If you don't know the story about the California Condor at the Grand Canyon, please go <a href="http://www.gcnpf.org/projects/condor.html">here</a>. It is a touching story about a captive breeding program, which I am not always in total agreement with, but this time it worked well.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-52633372190878837932007-07-06T17:09:00.000-07:002007-07-06T17:16:46.345-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Off to the Grand Canyon and beyond!</span><br /><br />Tomorrow we head to on our vacation to the Grand Canyon and southern Utah. We will be visiting Bryce Canyon, Mt. Zion, Lake Powell, and <a href="http://www.bestfriends.org/">Best Friends Animal Sanctuary</a> as well as both rims of the Grand Canyon. I look forward to seeing some spectacular scenery, and searching out some vegan food along the way. I do have one restaurant in mind so far in Kanab, UT that am excited to experience and blog about, but I am definitely bringing a ton of fresh veggies and fruit with us, as well as handy soy milk single serve boxes, granola bars, organic bread and cereal. Just in case. :-)<br /><br />Until next week!Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-24768355666604425262007-06-30T21:27:00.000-07:002007-06-30T21:31:49.753-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/fminus2007062036730.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 592px; height: 198px;" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/fminus2007062036730.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/index.html">F-Minus</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/?action=view¤t=fminus2007062036730.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/?action=view¤t=fminus2007062036730.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogger.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/fminus2007062036730.gif%5B/IMG%5D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.blogger.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/fminus2007062036730.gif%5B/IMG%5D" alt="" border="0" /></a>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-80476872998688103812007-06-24T17:51:00.000-07:002007-06-24T18:16:59.664-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Since I was out of cupcakes...</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdf_AgYCVJ5XQU609_SjDssGpUxeREM_AF7thTVbm2tnc3Hoy-IPIdXL7K1mW3Z2VyDnTYa7TAGw5_JBgxccMYPSATMPdP2ZO-EuKFDYwv7LQr_15gT8oGxFV-6CNnJpSGGziQ/s1600-h/shells2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdf_AgYCVJ5XQU609_SjDssGpUxeREM_AF7thTVbm2tnc3Hoy-IPIdXL7K1mW3Z2VyDnTYa7TAGw5_JBgxccMYPSATMPdP2ZO-EuKFDYwv7LQr_15gT8oGxFV-6CNnJpSGGziQ/s320/shells2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079800962073228466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I made cookies! <a href="http://squirrelsvegankitchen.com/">Kris</a> has created a <a href="http://squirrelsvegankitchen.com/recipes/">fantabulous recipe</a> for these chocolate peanut butter shell cookies that the kids and I made today. They are actually pretty easy for the kids to form and fun to squish little hands into the chocolate dough! And super excellent to eat, by the way. Don't tell my butt, but I have already eaten three of them. Before dinner. Within 10 minutes of them coming out of the oven. Shame on me. <br />(My older daughter desperately wants all the bloggers out there to know that she took the picture above. I think it looks better than mine.) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSNjdYfpIV22j9FJdLnTz-pGpUFECBkwflfLpYgkoHCI4_laioWatzL91q1FQ8hL8IMRdp2ktOBMdXieewXtMW2o6FKCLMZDqvGSNlJWHReC6o9HddkR6jjijKTtZZmUrvLnx/s1600-h/shells.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSNjdYfpIV22j9FJdLnTz-pGpUFECBkwflfLpYgkoHCI4_laioWatzL91q1FQ8hL8IMRdp2ktOBMdXieewXtMW2o6FKCLMZDqvGSNlJWHReC6o9HddkR6jjijKTtZZmUrvLnx/s320/shells.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079801163936691394" border="0" /></a><br />I did finally eat dinner, which was a bowl of Spicy Asian Noodles with Teriyaki Tofu. Oh, so yum! I stir fried some teriyaki tofu, zucchini, broccoli, carrots and edamame and added them to a bowl of angel hair pasta drenched in a spicy sauce, topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. The sauce is one I adapted/veganized from an <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101944">Epicurious recipe</a>, which is basically some toasted sesame oil, tamari, balsamic vinegar, agave nectar and a healthy dash of cayenne pepper all mixed up to taste. It brings a slight sweat to my forehead, which is perfect since I am about to go jump into our pool to cool off. Sweet!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUk5laSfhyBdokly2W1osOqiwHGgYbN0SEEH27oB3G-kMNeIbXwdRR9eFtGlrfnJasib3bqbcmY3qMjRr3Bh7U4la4jYIaujQa48xXCNbqRP1h8-sdB88Y32ibFFyEsiSb0oD6/s1600-h/spicypasta.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUk5laSfhyBdokly2W1osOqiwHGgYbN0SEEH27oB3G-kMNeIbXwdRR9eFtGlrfnJasib3bqbcmY3qMjRr3Bh7U4la4jYIaujQa48xXCNbqRP1h8-sdB88Y32ibFFyEsiSb0oD6/s320/spicypasta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079802422362109138" border="0" /></a>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-32630343510918839642007-06-22T13:50:00.000-07:002007-06-22T14:05:45.118-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mouse Takes Over The World...only after a quick nap.<br /><br /></span></span>I love it when I catch Mouse being cute:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXN1Qv7U1SazvThW_oDoXvwhtGyM65NPxrfXOQ2TaxMZkwfqc1zKhvF3aE8wvlU9OaEDLVkhZy8hZuCRX5QT6mCy9vOgmglwJ_tC_fcXX_jQ6BDoInVDQm6BRTCUn5aM6kNxl/s1600-h/catvegan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXN1Qv7U1SazvThW_oDoXvwhtGyM65NPxrfXOQ2TaxMZkwfqc1zKhvF3aE8wvlU9OaEDLVkhZy8hZuCRX5QT6mCy9vOgmglwJ_tC_fcXX_jQ6BDoInVDQm6BRTCUn5aM6kNxl/s320/catvegan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078996209756009618" border="0" /></a><br />I guess she loves this cookbook almost as much as I do, although I don't believe I have fallen asleep on it yet. There's still time, though.<br /><br />'Smores Cupcakes:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0RZ54c7pPbkkhlWN_AkRI2IxPShIi9NaFNEuAcUh8G4_OsM_SwOTszBLVG_8vWq37SAqdj03jQX7gzeeJ5VRVcZfGu6s89RAnb92Dc6gFRro_3clNS4dINt6Pn9YAGP-FKbA/s1600-h/smores.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0RZ54c7pPbkkhlWN_AkRI2IxPShIi9NaFNEuAcUh8G4_OsM_SwOTszBLVG_8vWq37SAqdj03jQX7gzeeJ5VRVcZfGu6s89RAnb92Dc6gFRro_3clNS4dINt6Pn9YAGP-FKbA/s320/smores.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078996523288622242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">seriously</span> need to stop eating cupcakes.<br /><br />(and yes, our camera has decided to start working again, after a little bit of tweaking, but I am not holding my breath.)Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-29114616222919388542007-06-17T14:57:00.000-07:002007-06-17T15:27:34.845-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donation Solicitation</span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.google.com/image/circlelranch/Rb6PZWM6hLI/AAAAAAAAA2A/ir9dLB_jBS0/DSCN4061.JPG?imgmax=720"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/image/circlelranch/Rb6PZWM6hLI/AAAAAAAAA2A/ir9dLB_jBS0/DSCN4061.JPG?imgmax=720" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Today I set up a <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/quirkyvegan">fundraising account</a> with <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/default.asp?did=1">Firstgiving</a> to help a local charity, Circle L Ranch<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>. I would love to make my fundraising target of $100.00 before September, so if anyone would like to help me reach that goal, please feel free to donate as little or as much as you'd like. Thanks in advance!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Circle L Ranch</span> is a rescue organization in Prescott Valley, AZ that saves horses, along with other animals, from slaughter. They also have rescued Premarin mares from Canada. I plan on visiting the Circle L Ranch some time this summer with my kids, and I would love know that I was able to help them help their horses! They have done incredible work in saving horses from slaughter and the Premarin farms, and have shown immense love to these beautiful animals. Please check out their <a href="http://www.circlel.org/">website</a> for information on their work and see the pictures of the residents!<br /><br />Please use this link to donate:<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.firstgiving.com/quirkyvegan">http://www.firstgiving.com/quirkyvegan</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.google.com/image/circlelranch/Rb6RMmM6hYI/AAAAAAAAA3o/uSTrSe5PAU4/DSCN4110.JPG?imgmax=576"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://lh3.google.com/image/circlelranch/Rb6RMmM6hYI/AAAAAAAAA3o/uSTrSe5PAU4/DSCN4110.JPG?imgmax=576" alt="" border="0" /></a>Circle L Ranch Mission Statement:<br /><p><i><span style="font-size:130%;">"Circle L (Circle of Life) Ranch is a sanctuary for horses, dogs, goats, sheep, cattle, chickens, and turkeys who would otherwise have been euthanized or slaughtered for meat. It is our mission to find loving homes for adoptable animals and provide permanent sanctuary for the un-adoptable. It is our hope that our existence will not only benefit the animals whose lives we save, but will raise the consciousness of everyone who visits our ranch regarding the miserable, tragic lives and deaths of so many horses, dogs, and farm animals in this country and the world."</span></i></p> <p>-- Deborah Wilson MD<br />-- Director, Feathers Foundation and Circle L Ranch</p><p><br /></p>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-38433306858217866552007-06-09T00:13:00.000-07:002007-06-09T01:01:15.941-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Want to know more about me?</span></span><br /><br />Since I am still lacking a camera, I will add this survey/meme/whatever here to fill some space and let you all into my world just a little bit more. I first found it <a href="http://myedenkitchen.blogspot.com/">here</a> and then <a href="http://piscesplace.blogspot.com/">here</a>.<br /><br />1. I love...<br />myself, my husband and children, my sistah, my parents, compassionate/passionate people, animals, food, smiling, the power of my hands and heart, giving and receiving warm hugs, people that totally get my weirdness, energy, knowing there are others out there that feel and see the world the same way I do.<br /><br />2. Right now I want...<br />to go to bed. Why am I up this late?<br /><br />3. I feel like...<br />stretching.<br /><br />4. I hate it when...<br />I let certain people affect me negatively.<br /><br />5. I fear...<br />witnessing the death of my children. Being stuck in the desert for the rest of my life.<br /><br />6. I'm lonely without...<br />John and the kids, a good book.<br /><br />7. I need...<br />to seriously go to bed. To study for my Anatomy exam. To do the dishes.<br /><br />8. Today I...<br />took the kids to the <a href="http://phxart.org/">Phoenix Art Museum</a> and had a fabulous time. I also ate at <a href="http://www.greenvegetarian.com/">Green</a>!<br /><br />9. Tomorrow I...<br />have a birthday party to attend and am taking my older daughter to see a <a href="http://www.balletaz.org/eoffice/taf/_balletaz.taf?mnid=0&smid=0&vurl=balletaz">Ballet</a>. And I need to study.<br /><br />10. I just...<br />watched "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Hustle">Kung Fu Hustle</a>". Seriously funny!<br /><br />11. I want to meet...<br /><a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0005351/">Ryan Reynolds</a>. Please?<br /><br />12. I'm hungry for...<br />not much. I am full from Green!<br /><br />13. I love it when...<br />my kids make each other laugh. I make new friends. I make a difference.<br /><br />14. I'm afraid of...<br />swarms of bees and flies, death, feet, acquiring more adipose tissue on my butt :-), never fully reaching my potential.<br /><br />15. I'm listening to...<br />the TV in the other room, the warm buzz of the computer, my dog snorting.<br /><br />16. I'm wearing...<br />my cool linen dress I got from Target. I *heart* Target.<br /><br />17. I wish I was in...<br />Ireland.<br /><br />18. I'm craving...<br />still full.<br /><br />19. I want to get...<br />new shoes. and an iPhone. a winning lottery ticket so I can use that money to open animal sanctuaries/rescues.<br /><br />20. I can...<br />burp on command.<br /><br />21. I can't...<br />sing well.<br /><br />22. I have...<br />too many dishes to do.<br /><br />23. I haven't...<br />heard from my friend Melissa in a long time....it's time to change that.<br /><br />24. I'm nervous...<br />about that A&P exam I'm not studying for!<br /><br />25. My Mom thinks I'm...<br />strange?<br /><br />26. My Dad thinks I'm...<br />pretty darn cool.<br /><br />27. I think...<br />my kids will save the world.<br /><br />28. I'm happy when...<br />people eat my food, I'm 'nuggling my husband, I'm holding hands with my kids.<br /><br />29. I'm sad when...<br />I don't follow through, I reflect on my prior disappoinments.<br /><br />30. I like eating...<br />blackberries, cereal, noodles.<br /><br />31. I hate eating...<br />crunchy food (I have braces), anything from an animal.<br /><br />32. I love watching...<br />movies at home with the hubbie, tree energy, people learn, smiles on children, Ryan Reynolds (sorry!), my husband running.<br /><br />33. I love listening to...<br />Mute Math, the Pogues, Moulin Rouge soundtrack<br /><br />34. I love playing...<br />Peggle Deluxe, cards with my kids, host to guests (well, most of them).<br /><br />35. I hate waking up to...<br />whining, the dogs walking in circles around the bed, lawnmowers, the phone ringing.<br /><br />36. I can see...<br />the computer monitor?<br /><br />37. I'm glad that I'm...<br />taking action on my life, doing what I want rather than what others want of me, married to a beautiful man, the the mother to amazing children, the sister to a wonderful and powerful woman, and stubborn and won't back down on what I believe to be right.<br /><br />38. I'm disappointed that...<br />it took me so long to figure myself out.<br /><br />39. I look like...<br />don't tell me....Jennifer Aniston (minus the fab body and the money).<br /><br />40. I wish I looked like...<br />uggg, do I really have to answer this one?<br />Whoever my husband is hot for this week.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-53073842339141237422007-06-03T18:09:00.001-07:002007-06-03T18:41:33.520-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Artistic post ahead! (Not really)</span></span><br /><br />So, no new camera yet. That means I have to be creative if I want post about my foodly expeditions. And yes, I have absolutely no talent when it comes to using my paint program on the computer. Did you know that I minored in Studio Art in college? Yeh, it doesn't show, does it?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBOhggvP7_eQ6765oRBHg4WjJz31fb726y99IPFWzqqMc0JySD2Dja1m6vE2CQ8wlvOtBrJDhVIR1iEjYCMTdK2WyBNiPg0ROplpa1_JEqWGChP2YP9ys1IYegxkvnkTc1oNg/s1600-h/mydinner.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBOhggvP7_eQ6765oRBHg4WjJz31fb726y99IPFWzqqMc0JySD2Dja1m6vE2CQ8wlvOtBrJDhVIR1iEjYCMTdK2WyBNiPg0ROplpa1_JEqWGChP2YP9ys1IYegxkvnkTc1oNg/s320/mydinner.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072011363798804322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tonight I made a delicious pasta dish I thought I would attempt to recreate via the paint program. Pretty, no? It is a sun-dried tomato white sauce over ribbon pasta with sauteed baby bella mushrooms and crumbled tempeh bacon. It was really tasty and I so wish I had an actual picture to show you. *sigh* And that pink and purple bowl? I don't actually own a bowl like that, but hey, I was taking some artistic license with it.<br /><br />I bought some beautiful rhubarb the other day, wanting to make something dessert-y with it. The cashier told me she just eats hers raw with some salt. Does anyone else eat it this way? I am not willing to try it that way just yet. I am a rhubarb coward. But anyhoo, I decided on making a strawberry rhubarb cobbler using one of the other fruit cobbler recipes in La Dolce Vegan, just subbing the different fruits. It is sitting on my counter just begging for me to dive into it...but my tummy is a tad too full just yet for some. I can also guarantee it will be fabulous based on how good it looks and smells. Here is my older daughter's rendition of the cobbler:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2ayJkk-MxjLiXP1yKQqrWCmwfNScl_kkvndJnyEjwqWj6Z3a9S1VtODEart0SuIqO2kqD2DIdQFRBI_OAwFko6woP1mgVAVwQ4WpSuY9gIxZZtHXNy8AtinTGKI59RMQKH1E/s1600-h/cobbler.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2ayJkk-MxjLiXP1yKQqrWCmwfNScl_kkvndJnyEjwqWj6Z3a9S1VtODEart0SuIqO2kqD2DIdQFRBI_OAwFko6woP1mgVAVwQ4WpSuY9gIxZZtHXNy8AtinTGKI59RMQKH1E/s320/cobbler.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072015680240936818" border="0" /></a>I was told that the two white spots in the cobbler are sugar. She helped me make the cobbler and her big addition was sprinkling sugar on top of the cobbler right before baking.<br /><br />Here is my younger daughter's rendition of her dinner, titled "Green Bean and Pasta, with Scribbles":<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhxWAXFcWviAkk3xKCTqwn1Q95Z9l5ju5ymic-KJRxDsTltKQ4342d63AG9r_lFpHWW0wGFO2TjXksACkLtpe4bgAYJs-cT3Jn0qaBbrbu9PESap4xYFSsQnt9ru3zHOo0eDV/s1600-h/greenbean.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhxWAXFcWviAkk3xKCTqwn1Q95Z9l5ju5ymic-KJRxDsTltKQ4342d63AG9r_lFpHWW0wGFO2TjXksACkLtpe4bgAYJs-cT3Jn0qaBbrbu9PESap4xYFSsQnt9ru3zHOo0eDV/s320/greenbean.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072016633723676546" border="0" /></a><br />All this cuteness made your heart explode just a little, didn't it?Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-12398759181768494832007-05-20T10:41:00.000-07:002007-05-20T11:10:51.330-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">One final post until I get a new camera...sigh!</span><br /></span><br />Yes, my camera died. A slow and painfully horrible death. We buried it in the backyard beneath the ficus tree in hopes that it will spawn a few new baby digital cameras come springtime. Fingers crossed!<br /><br />Here are the last food pictures I have on my memory card until our new camera arrives:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PVhWh9SCNpU80pd2Jsb7m9gnCgM8gUzcuKxwCGb19eKpoT3OF6IoC_AzdjL0gbhLfoZMVZJ5rv1hjTmoLd1JEw1mlrVA1HsLkBVY7bkLDD9uKnJ5g-5CRkLQWDfivrxvqXNt/s1600-h/pizza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PVhWh9SCNpU80pd2Jsb7m9gnCgM8gUzcuKxwCGb19eKpoT3OF6IoC_AzdjL0gbhLfoZMVZJ5rv1hjTmoLd1JEw1mlrVA1HsLkBVY7bkLDD9uKnJ5g-5CRkLQWDfivrxvqXNt/s320/pizza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066700572312790786" border="0" /></a><br />Now, I enjoy <a href="http://www.amyskitchen.com/">Amy's</a> products immensely, but I have an issue with the Soy Cheeze pizza. Why did mine come out completely unattractive compared to the one on the box cover? My cheeze did not melt nicely! Or look even remotely appealing! I got this for my kids in hopes they will start liking soy cheeze more and finally let go of dairy cheese, but I don't think this product helped much. Crunchy cheeze did not go over well. Has anyone else had this problem, and if not, how did you get the cheeze to melt properly?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjExedCu7lllEnYUw_FhTT6Kjp5EHLmk3eMo9noPoVN-s_U-2q-jG4zIk7225D6ovg-LTTjmK37DqFMYhBfwEi9115LV0SUpv0bl8gLFLQ7tn5_-KbCINpfNR8JNJIyvtCEkah/s1600-h/pizza2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjExedCu7lllEnYUw_FhTT6Kjp5EHLmk3eMo9noPoVN-s_U-2q-jG4zIk7225D6ovg-LTTjmK37DqFMYhBfwEi9115LV0SUpv0bl8gLFLQ7tn5_-KbCINpfNR8JNJIyvtCEkah/s320/pizza2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066700658212136722" border="0" /></a><br />For my birthday (May 3), my sister sent me the cookbook that every other vegan already has....Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World! Finally, I get to experience the cupcake hysteria! So I promptly made Cookie's and Cream cupcakes (pictured), as well as Chocolate Mint cupcakes, followed by Vanilla with Lemon Cream Cheese frosting. Happiness in a cupcake liner!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UoXBht7DIjvVTB_BiNG_JgFUFAkqpgGxIQ0kf7qILkOLwtKTs5f9c1VGsnPvESOtiTol9vff6vA09jEUTdAFkdsxDdw7CSgHFc0or6GetdRd6qBVO3I7Iz99OG7TBOqVBlfn/s1600-h/cookiesncream.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UoXBht7DIjvVTB_BiNG_JgFUFAkqpgGxIQ0kf7qILkOLwtKTs5f9c1VGsnPvESOtiTol9vff6vA09jEUTdAFkdsxDdw7CSgHFc0or6GetdRd6qBVO3I7Iz99OG7TBOqVBlfn/s320/cookiesncream.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066701993946965794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFusT_JmY2rRxqq81RinIMZTko3Ze4G3JSrk82fWGoS9Ome8wEwfX2kNpJcO8o8CzjM8bWfWLWKJzKaXHMxWSv-PixOk_tRSt_wmwQWTbZtjxfnAXUKwG9kI9ReBu8NRKXg1Ur/s1600-h/masala.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFusT_JmY2rRxqq81RinIMZTko3Ze4G3JSrk82fWGoS9Ome8wEwfX2kNpJcO8o8CzjM8bWfWLWKJzKaXHMxWSv-PixOk_tRSt_wmwQWTbZtjxfnAXUKwG9kI9ReBu8NRKXg1Ur/s320/masala.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066703007559247666" border="0" /></a>Vegetable Masala burger from Trader Joe's, topped with a curry mayo sauce, spinach and sauteed mushrooms. Potato wedges, too! Such a unique tasting burger, and made without soy! The main ingredient is potatoes, along with green beans, bell peppers, onions, corn and green peppers. Cool, and my hubbie likes them too. Score!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-IAxwdVN-oXIFp2TftTG6tobNPNLQjRiyaulNpQ3JJgowDIQgtv6yJKAshAA0BqMy9FPffJQS7gCDXjBKgD6ofw_R3wFO5F9geowRDgxZgyR5PG3DUh3pjRGbjaqmLZiEwm6/s1600-h/peaches.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-IAxwdVN-oXIFp2TftTG6tobNPNLQjRiyaulNpQ3JJgowDIQgtv6yJKAshAA0BqMy9FPffJQS7gCDXjBKgD6ofw_R3wFO5F9geowRDgxZgyR5PG3DUh3pjRGbjaqmLZiEwm6/s320/peaches.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066704223034992450" border="0" /></a>One night after class I came home to a big bucket full of peaches on my counter, courtesy of my neighbor. These are homegrown, and they are tiny, sweet and juicy. I don't know if we can eat all of the before they go bad, but we will try....oh yes, we will try.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90Gus14LcJ3sMUHvVrVSbl_Mu5vs-pTaOcts4vfGlTQLHRhxb5OCGzlsAiWiw4Zcy_J1bqR1PQhtMCwKgFAbqE4FG3H6ED2JOMBekkD6G_u2hpRVC6xa283ruMkancS1uPu7K/s1600-h/pita.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90Gus14LcJ3sMUHvVrVSbl_Mu5vs-pTaOcts4vfGlTQLHRhxb5OCGzlsAiWiw4Zcy_J1bqR1PQhtMCwKgFAbqE4FG3H6ED2JOMBekkD6G_u2hpRVC6xa283ruMkancS1uPu7K/s320/pita.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066704772790806354" border="0" /></a>The last of my Fantastic Foods tofu scramble mix, with spinach, carrots, tempeh bacon and siracha sauce in a pita pocket from Trader Joe's, with a side of fresh blackberries. I seriously can't get enough of blackberries this time of year. Seriously.<br /><br />School is going swimmingly (hi Robin!), and I am finally on track with eating well and sleeping better. I guess it just took some adjustments to get into the swing of things after being away from school for so long. If anyone needs a massage, just head my way. I need the practice!Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-77299219378689768182007-05-02T13:42:00.000-07:002007-05-02T14:28:20.517-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">School is kicking my booty!</span><br /></span><br /><br />I am in my third week of massage therapy school, which I love, but darn it...the hours suck! I go from 6:30pm to 10:30pm M-Th, so I don't get home until at least 11:00pm. And of course, I am hungry, so I eat a bowl of cereal, wind down and eventually find my way to bed. Then up at 6:00am to get the kidlings ready for school. By 8:00am I am crashed out on the couch trying to catch a few winks before I need to read a billion pages of my anatomy book or study body mechanics for my Massage I class. I am truly glad I don't have a regular day job or else I would be a huge train wreck. So needless to say, I have not been cooking, much less really eating. And now I am sick, sick, sick, Really sick. I know this is my body telling me I need to take better care of myself. I hope to get back on track as soon as I get over this wretched, debilitating cold, and start making meals that keep my immune system in check. I have eaten way too much cereal as meals lately....<br /><br />So, anyhoo, here are a few backlogged pictures I just downloaded off of my camera. I honestly don't know how old they are, as I really have not taken any food pictures in a long time, but I figured they needed to be shared. And plus, this way I get to write a post about something so my three remaining readers don't think I am lying in a ditch somewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhK2t3JWfveoCOCfKdVffUzGKyQgLg7QkUK5D3eq6KZhhJIStXJRXJTHzO7ZUTDd1C7X7fwvcuOmuMR8B5HXk38mgSlCuET4Nm3ugTND9LjkIuqbadIUObhgAcKIzuKxmuWS-/s1600-h/macncheeze.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhK2t3JWfveoCOCfKdVffUzGKyQgLg7QkUK5D3eq6KZhhJIStXJRXJTHzO7ZUTDd1C7X7fwvcuOmuMR8B5HXk38mgSlCuET4Nm3ugTND9LjkIuqbadIUObhgAcKIzuKxmuWS-/s320/macncheeze.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060069722532033330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mac-n-Cheeze fresh from the oven. I honestly don't remember which recipe this was, but it was good. Oh yes, it was good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK-EHdlYMADHLieTGacgpq6b_ySFdPuIOj7FXAcOJ1wzZ_imjJW6x9_VFX3Zjlyside9evRJrw0pxujAe27upzA4u2jsS-zwUOQGDnr3Gdfu5RG_DyJ3X3pTpNsCe5Nuf4A1T/s1600-h/cake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK-EHdlYMADHLieTGacgpq6b_ySFdPuIOj7FXAcOJ1wzZ_imjJW6x9_VFX3Zjlyside9evRJrw0pxujAe27upzA4u2jsS-zwUOQGDnr3Gdfu5RG_DyJ3X3pTpNsCe5Nuf4A1T/s320/cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060070173503599458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Vanilla cake with strawberry sauce. Yet again, my brain has forgotten which recipe this was.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnRHqijdLKxklpoFE-jvY1bSMfg_01L3LMx3MNxZ0YXP8c1qnibqmW-wr5zrn70FboF7uKkz69fn2N7Rme7TWjbLRylhl3xsvxDmxyDRwofn7s6dA813o-1b6pOOxT2H_Mo4x/s1600-h/burgertater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnRHqijdLKxklpoFE-jvY1bSMfg_01L3LMx3MNxZ0YXP8c1qnibqmW-wr5zrn70FboF7uKkz69fn2N7Rme7TWjbLRylhl3xsvxDmxyDRwofn7s6dA813o-1b6pOOxT2H_Mo4x/s320/burgertater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060070010294842194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Jamaican black bean burgers with a kicky chipotle cilantro sauce (my brother-in-law made the sauce), and a side of Caribbean Sweet Potato salad. This salad rocks, with nummy sweet and russet taters with red onion, cucumber and corn swimming in a refreshing lime vinaigrette. I added a lot of extra lime juice, just because I am crazy like that. Both recipes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Planet-Didi-Emmons/dp/1558321152">Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbmohQb2YHtbAmnPewFOBIXgE-qlL8AaJRImxFHo24iooqC92g8yYician2o-re8RMOnnaCIGPVylrXtgqoypVm-04NBjLF10Zlkit9TR9ZCRh9seKaNXUGofwaeajkaJ4GsO/s1600-h/pizzaaahh.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbmohQb2YHtbAmnPewFOBIXgE-qlL8AaJRImxFHo24iooqC92g8yYician2o-re8RMOnnaCIGPVylrXtgqoypVm-04NBjLF10Zlkit9TR9ZCRh9seKaNXUGofwaeajkaJ4GsO/s320/pizzaaahh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060070315237520242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My version of a garlic white pizza, with a sauce I made from melted FYH Mozzarella, a bunch of mashed roasted garlic and some unsweetened soymilk. Topped with spinach, baby bella mushrooms, more minced garlic and vegan parmesan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOt_9BUhmTSCOFIfFC86qHou4OwG58mgM9opAKST7WQk_GUSaT1W6HJ0eVY6pVouktgwMB3Ya8AHGcctikwfJkP_xUTVL2sDwBTuSOZV5s7iXVAnAAy2i1a8eTdwEFmw7P1p8/s1600-h/macncheeze2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOt_9BUhmTSCOFIfFC86qHou4OwG58mgM9opAKST7WQk_GUSaT1W6HJ0eVY6pVouktgwMB3Ya8AHGcctikwfJkP_xUTVL2sDwBTuSOZV5s7iXVAnAAy2i1a8eTdwEFmw7P1p8/s320/macncheeze2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060069825611248450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Another shot of the mac-n-cheeze. Nice and creamy!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLDICMVmatlpMB4rvmRPpYeW50L6CIFRiAFXmiE8VFMcfljrAOyuye01JrLrfhS8uQaR43tyrw2SQCSS-nx9DbDbS6YzFjD4uOr2XbhQX3f5o4Pk26rfOvCoxggIyJxmnjiLR/s1600-h/scramble.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLDICMVmatlpMB4rvmRPpYeW50L6CIFRiAFXmiE8VFMcfljrAOyuye01JrLrfhS8uQaR43tyrw2SQCSS-nx9DbDbS6YzFjD4uOr2XbhQX3f5o4Pk26rfOvCoxggIyJxmnjiLR/s320/scramble.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060073420498875282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fantasticfoods.com/index.php">Fantastic Foods</a> tofu scramble. I made this plain without added veggies, but with the next packet I am going to go crazy and throw in a bit of everything. I guess this product is discontinued now, but it looks like the company is <a href="http://www.fantasticfoods.com/guestbook_ff/view.php">trying to bring it back</a>. Yay!Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-87052617818230853412007-04-04T12:11:00.000-07:002007-04-04T12:42:29.852-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reliving my youth<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/america_ferrera-ugly_betty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 229px;" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/superbrooke/america_ferrera-ugly_betty.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/index.html">Ugly Betty</a>...not me!)</span><br /><br />So, um, yeah...I got braces last week. I have issues about having braces in my 30's. My teeth hurt like the dickens and I can't eat crunchy/chewy/anything remotely solid food yet. So, I am not cooking much. Just eating black beans and rice, applesauce, peanut butter by the spoonful, and lots of vegan ice cream.<br /><br />I had braces wayyyy back when I was 17. I hated them then, and I still hate them now. I didn't get braces to straighten my teeth, but to help correct my horrendous TMJ problems. The orthodontist is moving my teeth around to correct my bite, in hopes that I will no longer suffer from joint problems. Fingers crossed that this works, because I am sick of yawning and having my jaw deviate out of the socket, with lots and lots of pain. No fun. I did wear a splint for a few months prior to getting the beloved braces, and that helped immensely. This is phase two of treatment.<br /><br />Going back to school and getting braces....I feel like I am reliving my youth, but I just hope that this time I am not nearly as pissy as I was when I was a teenager.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-85214157073699762382007-03-25T12:45:00.000-07:002007-03-25T12:55:34.781-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flippant excuses</span></span><br /><br />I am a bad bad blogger. I can't seem to find anything interesting to blog about lately. Yeah, I have some cool food to share (Jamaican burgers and Caribbean sweet potato salad anyone??), but I am too preoccupied to do much about it. I will get to it soon, I promise.<br /><br />I am starting <a href="http://www.cortiva.com/locations/phoenix/">Massage Therapy school</a> next month, so I will really be gone a lot...and probably eating a bunch of vegan convenience food for the next year or so. I am still reading everyone's blog (and constantly salivating), but haven't commented much. I apologize, I really do.<br /><br />Now, to just get rid of this cold I have....Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-91479934784027429762007-03-01T18:50:00.000-08:002007-03-01T20:28:26.239-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elephant Cake</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn-VMnbxcPPhMvLMIx9ieWKkR75lNoiOWbw9-CrYr6lEfxc7Ze39RFpnsAgI31xJ92UBvPhcYYosKh6lE2tAeQVtCHBa38Vo7moal0vGPrxAEsi4YByuSeKv3UJmTr4ctBVP_/s1600-h/elecake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn-VMnbxcPPhMvLMIx9ieWKkR75lNoiOWbw9-CrYr6lEfxc7Ze39RFpnsAgI31xJ92UBvPhcYYosKh6lE2tAeQVtCHBa38Vo7moal0vGPrxAEsi4YByuSeKv3UJmTr4ctBVP_/s320/elecake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037155663262628962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />No silly, there is no elephant in this cake, but there is lots of chocolate! I earmarked the recipe for this Elephant Chocolate Cake in my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Native-Foods-Restaurant-Cookbook/dp/1590300769/sr=8-1/qid=1172805395/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2690443-5166266?ie=UTF8&s=books">Native Foods Restaurant cookbook</a> (pg.279) a long time ago, mainly because I am an advocate for elephants. The recipe is dedicated in the book to Carol Buckley and Tarra at the <a href="http://elephants.com/">Elephant Sanctuary</a>, in Hohenwald, Tennessee. This has got to be my favorite animal sanctuary and I love to watch the <a href="http://www.tappedintoelephants.com/asp/index.php">elecam</a> on their website. I can spend a lot of time staring at the elephants roaming around, playing with each other. It is a truly wonderful place. Please check out the link and see what they are all about.<br /><br />This cake is very dense, rich and almost fudgy. It uses a LOT of maple syrup, in both the batter and the Peanut Butter Cinnamon Topping, so be prepared to watch half of your bottle glug into the mixing bowl. *sigh* You will need a big glass of vanilla soymilk to drink with a slice of this cake!<br /><br />Now, in addition to the <a href="http://elephants.com/">Elephant Sanctuary</a>, I also wanted to make note of some other favorite animal sanctuaries that I keep tabs on, and I hope you all will also find these places just as fantastic and beautiful as I do:<br /><a href="http://www.equussanctuary.com/main_frameset.htm">Equus Sanctuary</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.savethechimps.org/index.asp">Save the Chimps</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.peacefulprairie.org/">Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary</a><br /><br />I like to go to these websites when I am feeling sad. When I first got back into animal rights activism a little over a year ago, I went through a depression of sorts. I got involved in a lot of online activism and forums, and I felt like all I saw or read about was animal cruelty and abuse. Every day I saw something new and unfathomable. I cried on a daily basis, and some days I would scream at all the horrific images I came across. I became a wreck, so sad and so downtrodden, and also very angry. I felt that I was always teetering on the edge of breaking down. My husband can attest to the fact that I was <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> hard to live with. I didn't like those feelings, and I needed to find a way to continue being an activist for animals, but also be a more positive, happier person. I ended up shying away from a lot of the forums and images, and focused on issues that I can handle...and obviously, the animal stories that end happily. Sure, I still deal with animal cruely issues and do what I can with my activism, but I have to set a limit of what I can handle. My heart is a very sensitive one, and I need to know that there is good in the world....so I make sure I take time to see that there are people everywhere that are compassionate, and going to these sanctuary sites helps me get through my week. :-)<br /><br />Now, here are a few food porn shots:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu0Za1pGwcS1apIQZxzphlXvuZ1vC9v6T3FYCX5MElNekbe47qCt6_e-cq6EyUT9pM85DyWH2UqFqAkhSupQM77vyuMZWaJoBqIp1au9GxSFyWOa9br-cY1jdD9NQ-l54XjiN/s1600-h/lemonscone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu0Za1pGwcS1apIQZxzphlXvuZ1vC9v6T3FYCX5MElNekbe47qCt6_e-cq6EyUT9pM85DyWH2UqFqAkhSupQM77vyuMZWaJoBqIp1au9GxSFyWOa9br-cY1jdD9NQ-l54XjiN/s320/lemonscone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037162376296512626" border="0" /></a>Lemon scones, from VwaV (the orange scone recipe), with lemon glaze.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKoK2G4OlDAdjKM4mevj__dFu36d9DfxTlhifFVEk2gpHy9Aur539_CaIowUPYpIiSmdIr4B7mig3ecstj5xTdKNnc3goSj5jCIjAbZvmxlFenCAa-ZB55MvCuYF-WTA5q7Fy/s1600-h/pizzapj.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKoK2G4OlDAdjKM4mevj__dFu36d9DfxTlhifFVEk2gpHy9Aur539_CaIowUPYpIiSmdIr4B7mig3ecstj5xTdKNnc3goSj5jCIjAbZvmxlFenCAa-ZB55MvCuYF-WTA5q7Fy/s320/pizzapj.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037162737073765506" border="0" /></a><br />Veggie pizza from Papa John's. Once a month my daughter's elementary school has a Pizza Night with Papa John's, where part of the nights proceeds goes to the school, depending on how many families order a pizza. Normally it is just my husband who orders his pepperoni pizza, but I decided to get a cheeseless one with baby portobello mushrooms and banana peppers. I souped it up a bit when I got it home with some spinach, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, garlic and some vegan parmesan. So good! Be sure to only order the Original Crust, as the thin crust has dairy in it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BWO2LI9JvYuag_EZXWUIEVtd8g4dtuGb26bNd2Bkuj0ya9C3EctTZHu20Q7zyilWxi5QOjw6gaAUI9fxUvbe_spJ8W6sF-BydWEX0Rwp4WP88FZC27mYpi1WgXyZZBu06tX3/s1600-h/shroom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BWO2LI9JvYuag_EZXWUIEVtd8g4dtuGb26bNd2Bkuj0ya9C3EctTZHu20Q7zyilWxi5QOjw6gaAUI9fxUvbe_spJ8W6sF-BydWEX0Rwp4WP88FZC27mYpi1WgXyZZBu06tX3/s320/shroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037163961139444882" border="0" /></a><br />Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushroom. Sorry, this one is not vegan, because I forgot to take pics of mine before I devoured them. That is just a pile of cheese on top of one of the "other" shrooms. :-)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyVpNcuQxbWxrCYl1alYvFIbwDFWBgZFjVeFwL0M1XEjCnQ5NJx-U667jDqf7dVXoybTN0xv4XZn_XGZlQiHyge8IRPPRkJjeHd6oZMX91sIGAHzLkY2c6N325nGcTInk36Pz/s1600-h/ricepudd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyVpNcuQxbWxrCYl1alYvFIbwDFWBgZFjVeFwL0M1XEjCnQ5NJx-U667jDqf7dVXoybTN0xv4XZn_XGZlQiHyge8IRPPRkJjeHd6oZMX91sIGAHzLkY2c6N325nGcTInk36Pz/s320/ricepudd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037164721348656290" border="0" /></a>Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding, from VwaV. I really wanted to like this one, but alas, it was not for me. Or anyone else in the house. It is still sitting in the fridge....I wonder what I can do to it to make it better. I just don't think I like my pudding with chunks of anything in it.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-80782648578324246112007-02-16T10:24:00.000-08:002007-02-17T08:31:54.720-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I love Louv</span></span><br /><br />Last night I took my older daughter to an event at the Phoenix Zoo (I am not a fan of zoos in general, but this was where it was being held) to see <a href="http://www.thefuturesedge.com/">Richard Louv</a> give a lecture. He is the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Child-Woods-Children-Nature-Deficit/dp/1565125223/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_3_img/103-2690443-5166266">Last Child in the Woods</a>, which I have not actually read yet. My dad, who is a biologist and teacher, recently read this book and was moved greatly by what Louv writes, pertaining to how this current generation of children are no longer taking part in nature, and how this may affect their health and happiness. Their sense of wonder is removed when nature is taken out of their daily equation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:ftJBndQ5jehlnM:http://images.bestwebbuys.com/muze/books/23/1565125223.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 204px;" src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:ftJBndQ5jehlnM:http://images.bestwebbuys.com/muze/books/23/1565125223.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I grew up in Virginia with a huge backyard which led into some woods, and spent many countless hours roaming freely, full of adventure. I was able to be alone all day, rolling around in the grass and watching ladybugs without my parents fearing the worst. My dad would take me out on hikes to go bird watching and to look for salamanders underneath logs. I had a great nature oriented childhood, and I realize now that my children have not had the same freedom I had. My husband and I have bought into the fear of the unknown, and unfortunately, the fear of nature. This fear is so pervasive that we do not let our kids outside alone even in our own backyard, which like most yards in Mesa, is surrounded by a giant cinder block wall. We are fearful of bad men jumping over the wall and stealing or hurting our kids. We are scared of everything and nothing.<br /><br />Going to this lecture has opened my eyes to the need to bring nature back to our kids. I teach my children reverence for the outdoors and respect of all living beings, but I have forgotten to let them be kids, free to be wild and free to discover the world without constant supervision. There will always be a chance that something will happen to my children, be it a scraped knee or a broken bone, or maybe even worse, but I can't let the fear of these things stop me from opening up the world to them and allowing them to explore it, on their own as well as with us. It will be gradual, as I am sure it will be hard for us to break from the fears that surround us as parents. We will always be hawks, watching them with sharp eyes, but we also need to let go a bit, and give them back that sense of wonder that has been lost.<br /><br />When my dad finished the book, he read the last paragraph over the phone to me, and wept. It was a powerful moment for both of us, as he understands the fears of today, but is thankful that he provided me with a chance to grow up with a sense of nature and the world.<br /><br /> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when the world is made whole. In my children's memories, the adventures we've had together in nature will always exist. These will be their turtle tales."</span><br /><br />I bought the book at the lecture and had Louv sign the title page. He is a sweet and gracious man, and he seemed genuinely affected when I told him how my dad reacted to the book. I imagine reading this book will really enlighten me, just as his lecture did. I hope you all get a chance to read it or see his lecture, and take something positive away, too.Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-14287239125439277112007-02-14T13:19:00.000-08:002007-02-14T13:26:17.808-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some days I hate being a human....</span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigbuckhunter.com/">Big Buck Hunter</a>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-34501288441432953372007-02-05T08:49:00.000-08:002007-02-05T09:45:25.683-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, Sunday, SUNday!</span></span><br /><br />Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous outside, sunny and warm...a perfect day to take in some culture as well as enjoying the weather before it gets unbearably hot, which will happen all too soon. We decided to go to <a href="http://www.heard.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=183">The Heard Museum</a> in Phoenix to see the <a href="http://www.heard.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=214&srcid=183">Hoo</a><a href="http://www.heard.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=214&srcid=183">p Dance Contest</a>. What a fascinating competition it was, with such graceful, talented and agile dancers! My kids were in awe of all the amazing feats the dancers could perform with the hoops, and I was just flabbergasted on how they can spin around for 5 minutes straight without keeling over with dizziness.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJQnEQX1NJQFsS4iAWCP_8W4krr3Wg0B0iFKGJrvhSqus0P13PXPDYqc23Gip31Gj3ONKIGuK3HHnvWDD5ptOOLtjMJMXYd0uj_R4kK2m8FhYuYOhLukR_dtaHHixCen4BlUv/s1600-h/hoop3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJQnEQX1NJQFsS4iAWCP_8W4krr3Wg0B0iFKGJrvhSqus0P13PXPDYqc23Gip31Gj3ONKIGuK3HHnvWDD5ptOOLtjMJMXYd0uj_R4kK2m8FhYuYOhLukR_dtaHHixCen4BlUv/s320/hoop3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028095382729646162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgrzxz2AdWJVzCOzdZF-40P4ZW989JE3VdpuSJOdVSx-JVVG5EDF2sWmRoZwei52dJ6qpaN81vOtMLDQVg_1MFxdGL08ETZbSoidttaMus-wR6ieLtdig3dpObT5OuTSYxQFo/s1600-h/hoop4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgrzxz2AdWJVzCOzdZF-40P4ZW989JE3VdpuSJOdVSx-JVVG5EDF2sWmRoZwei52dJ6qpaN81vOtMLDQVg_1MFxdGL08ETZbSoidttaMus-wR6ieLtdig3dpObT5OuTSYxQFo/s320/hoop4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028095507283697762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjLteTlHr95k8DNr0vD6RxTWVSQFmuJHsBkCk50ACV_8mMHo_FNQKPtRO7aYrhf3DXCIs6zIoqx7BZn2qxfeLUPMe_LyfziOD7iDPo7HgsmX3uFsdSmco6IQoOd7m0gWneZ5T/s1600-h/hoop2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjLteTlHr95k8DNr0vD6RxTWVSQFmuJHsBkCk50ACV_8mMHo_FNQKPtRO7aYrhf3DXCIs6zIoqx7BZn2qxfeLUPMe_LyfziOD7iDPo7HgsmX3uFsdSmco6IQoOd7m0gWneZ5T/s320/hoop2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028095223815856194" border="0" /></a>After a wonderful afternoon taking in the warm sunshine, it was time to race back home to watch the SuperBowl. I am normally the kind of wife that glares at her husband as he sits in front of the tv watching copius amounts of football all day, eating chips and growing a beer belly, but yesterday I actually felt a desire to watch an entire game of football. Maybe it has to do with Peyton Manning, maybe not. Who knows. Heh heh. I think I saw stars in John's eyes as I conversed in football-speak with him, and yelled at the tv during great plays. Don't get used to it, honey.<br /><br />I also had an excuse to make horribly unhealthy snacky food! Yippee! John got to eat his favorite swiss cheese fondue with veggies, apples and fresh bread (hey, at least he gets excited about eating caulifower!), while I made roasted <a href="http://fueledbypopcorn.blogspot.com/2007/01/snacks.html">curry flowers</a>, agave barbeque fried seitan, <a href="http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=1282">buffalo seitan wings</a> and <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31309,00.html">fried artichoke hearts</a> with a dill vegenaise dip. I was wallowing in fried, oily goodness! I was hoping John would share some of my food, but since he ate an entire fondue pot full of gooey cheese, he was a bit too full, so I had to eat it all by myself. And now I think I gained 5 pounds. Crap!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx-VMmbrkBJMvUW3uyVeqL9EZWyHbe0sOaxtdilTxRJglJSFXiptI89XBy7euNMrjKmALRDTT9ZENqeFnYibvNI8V0AN3GkWCAwxcWgREi7Sdm3TcLGS-8vv2H6Q6MjtGMe9c/s1600-h/sbfood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx-VMmbrkBJMvUW3uyVeqL9EZWyHbe0sOaxtdilTxRJglJSFXiptI89XBy7euNMrjKmALRDTT9ZENqeFnYibvNI8V0AN3GkWCAwxcWgREi7Sdm3TcLGS-8vv2H6Q6MjtGMe9c/s320/sbfood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028098986207207554" border="0" /></a>I don't have a good picture of the buffalo wings, sorry! But they were excellent. I think I like the cauliflower and the bbq seitan the best, though. I don't think I will make the fried artichokes again...my stomach is turning at the thought of them right now. They absorb wayyyy too much oil as they are frying, even after considerable draining on paper towels, and were mushy in the middle. I did add some vegan parmesan to the coating mix, and eliminated the egg. Still not the greatest recipe ever.<br /><br />Here's some food porn from last week:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbvtMXoqWwT9m9WwbVZ2BogmuzXncJLp3zXsAhIFnCbRhi6-iIMsLx2Fl0L9EkRwfwbudX_u0mPQ2AwZLeBEqr-vV4OtafeWx6BYn17B4ATMSbhCww4nKvKLZHvuA1OuYN2XL/s1600-h/alfredo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbvtMXoqWwT9m9WwbVZ2BogmuzXncJLp3zXsAhIFnCbRhi6-iIMsLx2Fl0L9EkRwfwbudX_u0mPQ2AwZLeBEqr-vV4OtafeWx6BYn17B4ATMSbhCww4nKvKLZHvuA1OuYN2XL/s320/alfredo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028100910352556178" border="0" /></a>Tofutti cream cheese alfredo with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and veg parmesan over capellini. <a href="http://meganthevegan.blogspot.com/index.html">Megan the Vegan</a> gave me the idea for this, from one of her posts that I can't find now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcQIZS_ArdXMDjZFwHTscTBU881M981iaGLZjNC118d30OGjqcHDye1nGcQNlUSlLk-HC_uUC3Feph-1Y5OoYNQi7eR2XD52pHbCEpXZuvgBdbOCzusMVr_p38GrrbT93TymZ/s1600-h/enchiladas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcQIZS_ArdXMDjZFwHTscTBU881M981iaGLZjNC118d30OGjqcHDye1nGcQNlUSlLk-HC_uUC3Feph-1Y5OoYNQi7eR2XD52pHbCEpXZuvgBdbOCzusMVr_p38GrrbT93TymZ/s320/enchiladas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028102151598104738" border="0" /></a>Black Bean, Corn and Spinach Verde Enchiladas. Mmmmmmm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHjmsyzqFRGSLbKGUWhiLhh29jFFwGLaTeKpTp_KJ-c4m-tvGzLPFjdyh6B1CQJ0DafGU89ior3qek877ojSGsgm09e74Z8BlFjVkk9nMDIWKrdK1qPDdpEXQ9gRJrto80Z2U/s1600-h/macncheeze.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHjmsyzqFRGSLbKGUWhiLhh29jFFwGLaTeKpTp_KJ-c4m-tvGzLPFjdyh6B1CQJ0DafGU89ior3qek877ojSGsgm09e74Z8BlFjVkk9nMDIWKrdK1qPDdpEXQ9gRJrto80Z2U/s320/macncheeze.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028102555325030578" border="0" /></a>Mac-n-Cheeze, with way too much breadcrumb topping (I like the crunch). But my kids actually liked this one, minus the breadcrumb overload.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMpkSyg8_JUXZtbM-gJRuXzHcEGwfBRJNbo0JJIhSIvdny7eKGHHRF3efUgsspzDImp0co-NKfUBPmESZPnVJoDELNt38GZgQTETVVJfyfoFgRQAQOiLBkBmy8uVvgBb4BRVl/s1600-h/pudding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMpkSyg8_JUXZtbM-gJRuXzHcEGwfBRJNbo0JJIhSIvdny7eKGHHRF3efUgsspzDImp0co-NKfUBPmESZPnVJoDELNt38GZgQTETVVJfyfoFgRQAQOiLBkBmy8uVvgBb4BRVl/s320/pudding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028103087900975298" border="0" /></a>Chocolate Almond pudding with cookie crumbs in <a href="http://www.fillofactory.com/ProductsBlue.htm">Fillo Cups</a>. The kids ate these in about 2.7 seconds.<br /><br />Wow, I just noticed that all of my food is brown, light brown or dark brown. I am pretty sure I had some green food last week, too.....Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-51247178421642710182007-01-31T13:55:00.000-08:002007-01-31T21:00:02.436-08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">But I don't own an apron!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/347084664_e20df332a5_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 75px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/347084664_e20df332a5_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It's a rainy and cold day here in the desert, making for a perfect opportunity to join in on the <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2007/01/behind-apron-roundup-have-you-ever.html">Behind the Apron</a> fun!<br /><br />My name is Brooke, 33 years young. I live in Mesa, Arizona, the Valley of the Sun. My husband, John, and I moved here about 8 years ago after vacationing in Tucson and Phoenix for a family reunion while living in Tallahassee, FL. And now I can't wait to move far far away from here....<br /><br />Anyhoo, we have two awesomely awesome kids, ages 4 and 7. We are a diverse family with totally different eating habits. It has been a challenge to create food that I think we all will like, and blogging and reading blogs has really helped me in that challenge.<br /><br />I am an animal rights activist as well as an budding environmentalist (whatever that means...). I love to read, sell and buy on Ebay, teach myself to sew, cook (but hate to clean), and to constantly learn about animal issues. I am also a birth doula on the side, but haven't used that talent in about a year. I am looking to go to massage therapy school soon, and be just like my sister! (Hi Heather!) . I am involved in a few local animal rights issues, and protest as much as I can. I think my neighbors view me a the nutty vegan lady, but I am okay with that. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMGGFYlp4WbRO-MgsfOLhjYmPcimSBX4Xr6JvaSQ0k_heBemPO2kWs9hf0yA4OlK8N7u841z5Q8GLe7IideANJ3Aw0uVQNQK1N12drGcTctX5bbF2hOaWkbENMiZNEZFrVe8K/s1600-h/luraygirls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMGGFYlp4WbRO-MgsfOLhjYmPcimSBX4Xr6JvaSQ0k_heBemPO2kWs9hf0yA4OlK8N7u841z5Q8GLe7IideANJ3Aw0uVQNQK1N12drGcTctX5bbF2hOaWkbENMiZNEZFrVe8K/s320/luraygirls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026321542693820882" border="0" /></a> Me and the kids in Luray Caverns, VA a few years ago.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLabGYzr3y_XHJeQNj7Q0WGCa4b8bMMwbrA4esmY3rjd4pKYA9n9uzdPBE1fqVEWdPowQkixn73hZsCWWgKpx7v3AZcJ1rPsSi0UjCyCL6PEpWeijVccrlwsoOOLdIr-cD-OY/s1600-h/mommieandme.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLabGYzr3y_XHJeQNj7Q0WGCa4b8bMMwbrA4esmY3rjd4pKYA9n9uzdPBE1fqVEWdPowQkixn73hZsCWWgKpx7v3AZcJ1rPsSi0UjCyCL6PEpWeijVccrlwsoOOLdIr-cD-OY/s320/mommieandme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026321989370419698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U95uWWQqp-Xe1BwG1F6mplkIFxMW2OkiwcxYbmX2JyyB26gOYPyE3mwNZGzpBKi6HIzUfRAMocEBmnbcwrbs6S6c-PfL6oBPHX1bi7o2qf7_hM3d2Hd4zZamef6tyaSxy1wl/s1600-h/aisandmommy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U95uWWQqp-Xe1BwG1F6mplkIFxMW2OkiwcxYbmX2JyyB26gOYPyE3mwNZGzpBKi6HIzUfRAMocEBmnbcwrbs6S6c-PfL6oBPHX1bi7o2qf7_hM3d2Hd4zZamef6tyaSxy1wl/s320/aisandmommy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026321766032120290" border="0" /></a> My daughter and me at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTtzI3W25CszRsA5jtNhOEK2qZdJU-R6vOMY8kgvUy-XtpArw3kKtcYnksGN5wYLRvNHnQLLVC3B8Wh7_ajTICjnzc1oZAnXRRvoE9EM9QarkZoQPOHzreTXrd_XFV8l_rwyg/s1600-h/selfportrait.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTtzI3W25CszRsA5jtNhOEK2qZdJU-R6vOMY8kgvUy-XtpArw3kKtcYnksGN5wYLRvNHnQLLVC3B8Wh7_ajTICjnzc1oZAnXRRvoE9EM9QarkZoQPOHzreTXrd_XFV8l_rwyg/s320/selfportrait.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5026322345852705282" border="0" /></a> The latest picture of me. I seriously hate having my picture<br /> taken. I am a total dork.<br /><br /><br />One day I will actually own a really cool apron. One day. :-)<br /><br />*Edit to add: I would love to see a comment from everyone who checks my blog...come say hi!*Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26130907.post-32375008937352277512007-01-28T16:03:00.000-08:002007-01-28T16:36:51.878-08:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />Redemption</span><br /><br /><br />My daughter's preschool teacher has redeemed herself to this vegan mama! After the cupcake incident (see post below), I was a little miffed, but had to remember that I am the first vegan most of these people have ever met. I guess I am special in that regard, and my food is special too. I think she only meant well, but just had a moment of poor judgment. A few days later she asked if I had any recipes for sugar cookies, since they will be making and decorating cookies as part of their Valentine's Day celebration. She wants everyone to be able to eat these cookies, so she wants to use a vegan recipe only....WOOT! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.plumparty.com/Merchant2/graphics/products/large/13CUTT1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.plumparty.com/Merchant2/graphics/products/large/13CUTT1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So off I went to find the best vegan sugar cookie recipe EVER on the face of the planet, just to cement the fact into the non-vegan heads that COOKIES DON'T NEED EGGS! I did my usual googling (I love how this word has become a verb now!) and found a few recipes that sounded good, but <a href="http://www.johnandkristie.com/archives/2005/10/perfect_sugar_c.html">one really stood out</a>. I decided to test the recipe before I brought it to the teacher, just so I knew it would be kick-ass. And they truly were kick-ass! And no, I don't have any pictures of said cookies, mainly because I could not stop eating them. Thank goodness I halved the recipe or else I would still be at the gym on the elliptical machine trying to work off the cookie butt!<br /><br />These cookies are a cross between sugar and shortbread cookies, which I like because you don't get the sugar jolt in your brain that occurs with those unmentionable grocery store cookies that come premade in a creepy tube (yes, I made those wayyy back in my dairy days...please don't hate me!). These are subtle and refined tasting, and oh so easy to use cookie cutters with. Perfect! I made big heart shaped cookies, and took a few to the teacher for final tasting...and she LOVED them, even without any colored sugar or icing on top.<br /><br />So the moral of this story is......make these cookies and all will be good with the world. Or at least with one small preschool in Arizona.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(heart cookie cutter photo courtesy of plumparty.com)<br /></span>Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17444634309396273919noreply@blogger.com8