tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47303465566706298922024-03-05T16:25:57.144-08:00VegecagoanThis is your guide to being vegan in the land of Chicago, a haven of steakhouses and deep dish pizza. What is a good vegan to do?E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-92036330719248691652010-08-14T09:48:00.000-07:002010-08-14T10:19:16.737-07:00Being vegan is so easy it feels like cheating<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKILOrSoZCxUUNfA6nWV3W5fxU7uW3Ro9mOwDBLJpVSHE14ZKrjsG_11pZZOVbRRh7BLUFUPs8x0a69uqgSX043CHNgVLmE3dxpiH2aw21OwG0G4rNZQUtL86Jc1cwI-yRLcI0XpSXxXaq/s1600/IMG_2694.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKILOrSoZCxUUNfA6nWV3W5fxU7uW3Ro9mOwDBLJpVSHE14ZKrjsG_11pZZOVbRRh7BLUFUPs8x0a69uqgSX043CHNgVLmE3dxpiH2aw21OwG0G4rNZQUtL86Jc1cwI-yRLcI0XpSXxXaq/s400/IMG_2694.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505309184608318642" border="0" /></a>This is a recent simple lunch I brought with me to work: a Tofurky sandwich. It's so reminiscent of your pre-vegan days, you might feel a little guilty, as if you were cheating at the Vegan Game. Five slices of <a href="http://www.tofurky.com/tofurkyproducts/deli_slices.html">Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices</a>, one slice of <a href="http://www.galaxyfoods.com/Products/VeganCheese/RiceVegan/index.html">Galaxy Nutritional Foods Cheddar Flavor Rice Vegan Slices</a>, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and brown mustard between two slices of <a href="http://www.foodforlife.com/product-catalog/sprouted-grain/ezekiel-49">Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9<strong style="font-weight: normal;"><strong></strong></strong> Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Flourless Bread</a>. Is it just me or do these sandwich components have extremely long brand names?<br /><br />Nutritionally this might be the best sandwich ever created. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ever!</span> In one delicious sandwich, you get 23 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and 20% of your RDA of calcium. With only 320 calories you definitely have room for dessert.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Produ</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nCbrjsNK6yY7tGuiAB4sBWpZa-Hz-R_mwy3dbVUcXcbImutc8Os4s3_llVrT86J2EgP4x9PkX1NiQyA_YNLhW8CjXlgZhWQVUaJZ62ZjAmCUvM-z_24HuaW0FS26sXgG0hODXCijWlRT/s1600/MorrocanOil.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nCbrjsNK6yY7tGuiAB4sBWpZa-Hz-R_mwy3dbVUcXcbImutc8Os4s3_llVrT86J2EgP4x9PkX1NiQyA_YNLhW8CjXlgZhWQVUaJZ62ZjAmCUvM-z_24HuaW0FS26sXgG0hODXCijWlRT/s400/MorrocanOil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505315866039390178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">ct of the Day:</span> After patting myself on the back for using several products from the fabulous yet bargain-priced <a href="http://www.giovannicosmetics.com/">Giovanni</a> line, I was introduced to <a href="http://www.moroccanoil.com/">MoroccanOil</a> by two ladies-in-the-know, Alisa V.H. and Katie "Taysh" S. My hair says thank you, but my wallet is not speaking to you. <a href="http://www.moroccanoil.com/en/our-products.html">The Original MoroccanOil Oil Treatment</a> will give you seriously shiny and soft hair for about $40 for a 3.4 ounce bottle. Luckily it's oil, so you don't have to (and shouldn't!) put very much in your hair. It's quick addicting and I'm already using it daily. I apologize to your wallet in advance.</div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-35487706631347727232010-07-23T08:18:00.000-07:002010-07-23T08:42:00.440-07:00Fun with pasta<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnklQfUO3Om3KkZSpqtJDsbIRkfDnNlwMjpBq9M6NNzE_5s3L2fSm-zp0xaTJR0C-kDIE256UfX416NIG3wAgmxzFeEYyi57AQsL8L56zwR6yI3o0mD1y7XG9u4luP22BXuMcwLjQaFbhT/s1600/Picture+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497121766646601474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnklQfUO3Om3KkZSpqtJDsbIRkfDnNlwMjpBq9M6NNzE_5s3L2fSm-zp0xaTJR0C-kDIE256UfX416NIG3wAgmxzFeEYyi57AQsL8L56zwR6yI3o0mD1y7XG9u4luP22BXuMcwLjQaFbhT/s400/Picture+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#000000;">No time for sass today. We're going to get straight to the FOOD. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="justify"><p><span style="color:#000000;">The easiest vegan meal to make is pasta. EVERYTHING goes with pasta. Just pick your favorite vegetables and hop to it!</span></p></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><p><span style="color:#000000;">I made this pasta salad to take to work for lunch. Here I started with </span><a href="http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html"><span style="color:#000099;">Ancient Harvest Gluten Free Organic Pasta</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> (made with quinoa), and added steamed zucchini and yellow squash, grape tomatoes, black olives, sundried tomatoes, Italian dressing (Whole Foods 365 brand) and </span><a href="http://www.galaxyfoods.com/Products/SoyCheese/Vegan/veganTopping.html"><span style="color:#000099;">vegan grated topping</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> from </span><a href="http://www.galaxyfoods.com/index.html"><span style="color:#000099;">Galaxy Nutritional Foods</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">. I usually only make two days' worth at a time because I'm a little picky about "leftovers." But you can probably make up to 4 days' worth and it would still be good.</span></p></div><div align="justify"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAzxAHFsy-YxBFDBe4giXvL1q43QSdDOjL2V6uX4SEKKjvFnIqpU-hBOcGPhWZb2n3ueS9QrYBrHbRlIdGhb2PVcQ26SwmUZjfUGPB4Fflqq7Ayj-zN1FHuGQ-J94aMEwsZDOKRaPxBAW/s1600/00165.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497126151043971410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAzxAHFsy-YxBFDBe4giXvL1q43QSdDOjL2V6uX4SEKKjvFnIqpU-hBOcGPhWZb2n3ueS9QrYBrHbRlIdGhb2PVcQ26SwmUZjfUGPB4Fflqq7Ayj-zN1FHuGQ-J94aMEwsZDOKRaPxBAW/s320/00165.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#000000;">Product of the Day: </span></strong><a href="http://www.lushusa.com/shop/"><span style="color:#000099;">Lush</span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span><a href="http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/visage/nettoyants/aqua-marina"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000099;">Aqua Marina cleanser rol</span>l</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">. This little is effective but gentle on sensitive skin. Apparently it's all in the seaweed. It looks like a very strange sushi roll. An added bonus is that it is technically a solid so you can put it in your carry-on bag when you fly. I don't see how I can ever go back to any other cleanser. I tend to use several of </span><a href="http://www.philosophy.com/web/store/shop_10001_-1_10001?cm_mmc=sem-_-google-_-b-_-general"><span style="color:#000099;">Philosphy</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">'s products but even they seem a bit harsh and synthetic in comparison to Lush products.</span> </div><br /><div></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-12484431381708219092010-06-29T11:24:00.000-07:002010-06-29T11:55:55.842-07:00Big changes<div align="justify">Hello Vegecagoans!</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Big announcement: I have recently left the Second City for the greener pastures of Denver. I have a few posts left to do on some of my Chicago experiences, but obviously my blog content will change dramatically from here on out. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">My revised goal for the blog is to come up with easy meals and fun treats just to give you some ideas that you might not have thought of yourself. I'll also be talking about the vegan experience in Denver, but it's so easy to be vegan here that my blog would not be very interesting if these were the only entries.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Case in point: on Saturday night I tagged along with some non-vegans for ice cream at <a href="http://www.sweetactionicecream.com/">Sweet Action</a> (<em>52 Broadway</em>), and much to my surprise Sweet Action had two flavors of vegan ice cream on the menu. They also had some vegan ice cream sandwiches available. That's right, I said <strong>vegan ice cream sandwiches</strong>! I love Denver. But where is the challenge?? </div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-14825261708676108242010-04-18T08:17:00.000-07:002010-04-18T12:05:19.742-07:00Pick Me Up CafeI had walked by <a href="http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurants/pick-me-up-cafe/">Pick Me Up Cafe</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3408+n+clark+st,+chicago+il&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=3408+N+Clark+St,+Chicago,+IL+60657&gl=us&ei=NVLLS63wMYa0NsPE4ZkF&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ8gEwAA">3408 N. Clark St</a>.</span>) many times over the last few years but it was not until yesterday that I was actually able to organize a group brunch there.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />It was definitely worth the wait (although I wish I would have discovered this sooner!). Pick Me Up is my favorite type of place for group dining, with selections for everyone ranging from a calamari appetizer to vegan cake for dessert. The <a href="http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurants/pick-me-up-cafe/menu">menu</a> is a diverse selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, burritos, brunch fare and a huge drink list. A small green "V" next to a large number of dishes indicates these items can be made vegetarian or vegan.<br /><br />After difficult internal deliberations, I settled on the berry pancakes, vegan-style obviously, with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. The cakes themselves were perfect, not too sugary, and the berries were exceptionally flavorful. Naturally I used liberal amounts of maple syrup too. The coffee was also awesome(!!), though I didn't get details.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhID74QyOur5gI9c9J-eTuNXsitRaTcWcunLYTVam0qz0OD8L1Q3sxFVGqXCtZfLupWg6YhCbV_2FSW3yzXMAofvMBLM0Y5e05lc1MjY1izWmbz2b3qcKXT5-6evV2dXi9_Ql7s8SN3MBLM/s1600/IMG_2425.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhID74QyOur5gI9c9J-eTuNXsitRaTcWcunLYTVam0qz0OD8L1Q3sxFVGqXCtZfLupWg6YhCbV_2FSW3yzXMAofvMBLM0Y5e05lc1MjY1izWmbz2b3qcKXT5-6evV2dXi9_Ql7s8SN3MBLM/s400/IMG_2425.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461551425101496290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Berry pancakes</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Note R2-D2 and Emperor Palpatine on the table.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">On a side note, Pick Me Up Cafe is just plain cute. All of the tables are decorated differently (we were lucky enough to get the <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars</span> themed table) and it looks like a dorm room decorated by geeky hippies and hipsters. I mean that in the best way possible.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day</span>: Corona Light. Happy spring everyone.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNlCIYVBE060ZdBzpwF79hRQ4VVYcv_EZR7JfQTg6zD1sjczSs2hPWRgV2pBcxo-ZtnYpXABWcN1dO5rViNFOfYxEEzYS89sRj7mQW9ZRNnJoFa7v3t0qlWtAbRngxwRP068xR9kUrtMI/s1600/df_coronalight_366.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNlCIYVBE060ZdBzpwF79hRQ4VVYcv_EZR7JfQTg6zD1sjczSs2hPWRgV2pBcxo-ZtnYpXABWcN1dO5rViNFOfYxEEzYS89sRj7mQW9ZRNnJoFa7v3t0qlWtAbRngxwRP068xR9kUrtMI/s400/df_coronalight_366.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461554952605544130" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-59549656796856527652010-03-28T18:08:00.000-07:002010-03-31T09:10:54.763-07:00Nacional 27<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kbn78BdAtEHxopgk5xHWvrGvLsQYez9nBJIOA4b1f3lYIakgr-9zciRe7NNUEVpQFwfVjEQ-a-J4vOQQbBsoHbI99hwXtqdLUC2XoklnQWLVMtOtbefnCgE8SxW-pezENj4uO_Lfh4hY/s1600/IMG_2374.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454825082567513778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kbn78BdAtEHxopgk5xHWvrGvLsQYez9nBJIOA4b1f3lYIakgr-9zciRe7NNUEVpQFwfVjEQ-a-J4vOQQbBsoHbI99hwXtqdLUC2XoklnQWLVMtOtbefnCgE8SxW-pezENj4uO_Lfh4hY/s400/IMG_2374.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Paella for one at Nacional 27.</span></em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div align="justify">I was a little apprehensive to dine at <a href="http://www.n27chicago.com/">Nacional 27</a> (<em>325 W. Huron</em>)<em> </em>earlier this month. Some friends from out of town had made reservations there to kick off Green River/St. Patrick's weekend on Friday, March 12. It's a hip restaurant and I had never been, so I decided to go anyway. Note: if a restaurant has margaritas or even mojitos on the menu, I can be persuaded regardless of food choices.</div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">After checking over the <a href="http://nacional27.squarespace.com/storage/menus/n27.pdf">menu</a> I figured my best bet was the paella. The waitress, after reciting the specials for a solid 10 minutes, told me that because they did not have many vegetarian options she could let me have the paella for one, instead of the stated two-person minimum. I was pretty grateful for the accomodation. I asked the very knowledgable waitress for my usual requests: no cheese, no butter, no beef/chicken broth, etc. Then she asked "so you would like it vegan-style?" YES! Thank you awesome waitress and Nacional 27.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The vegetable paella is made up of roasted corn, peppers, chayote (squash), calabaza (another squash-y vegetable), orzo and green olives. Served piping hot. Also there was something leafy but I can't remember if it was basil or spinach. Either way, this was a delicious veggie dish at a decidedly meat-friendly restaurant.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBly6ml3JfvnfvUZOmrbc3Rm0MiFnkQcb8Mx_fhSDwmMugPLnGwLAA1RdcRG6Zg-hNm5rHk9-E85TAc1572Xqt9uBkn_HomNirkFI51gOoKXE4hfKwPxL9FeWNpFbcPCakxU8Xk83xuGD/s1600/Larabar.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454830212594624786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBly6ml3JfvnfvUZOmrbc3Rm0MiFnkQcb8Mx_fhSDwmMugPLnGwLAA1RdcRG6Zg-hNm5rHk9-E85TAc1572Xqt9uBkn_HomNirkFI51gOoKXE4hfKwPxL9FeWNpFbcPCakxU8Xk83xuGD/s320/Larabar.jpg" border="0" /></a>Product of the day: </strong><a href="http://www.larabar.com/home">Larabars</a>. All of them. I had the cinnamon roll bar for breakfast this morning. Larabars have no added sugar, preservatives...nothing. These guys have quite a few calories and fat for a little snack, but they are just about right for a small meal or big snack, and the fat is mostly the good kind from walnuts. Walnuts are important for vegans because they are a good source of omega-3s, which we get less of than our fish-eating friends.<br /></div><br /><div></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-10093742464773955642010-03-08T16:59:00.000-08:002010-03-08T17:23:54.135-08:00Beach weather<div style="text-align: justify;">The daily temperature is regularly reaching the mid- to upper-40s here in Chi-town, and you know what this means: day-drinking outdoors. Yes. I don't care if I still need to wear mittens to prevent frostbite while I hold my beer, we're drinking outside, damnit!<br /><br />You know what goes really well with beer? Burgers. More precisely, veggie burgers. <span style="font-style: italic;">Twice</span> last week I had the good fortune to dine with friends at <a href="http://www.dunlaysonclark.com/">Dunlays on Clark</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">2600 N. Clark St.</span>). The Dunlays veggie burger, available at dinner and brunch, is a delicious blend of rice, beans, walnuts, sweet potatoes and wild mushrooms. In addition to being delicious, this burger is actually quite nutritious. We've talked about the benefits sweet potatoes recently, and the substantial walnuts provide some much-needed and under-consumed omega-3 fatty acids. (Does anyone else think "fatty acids" is a horrible term for such a nutritious substance?) Dunlays also offers a small but decent selection of sides to go with your burger: on Thursday I ordered grilled asparagus, and on Sunday at brunch I caved and got the shoestring-cut french fries, to go with my mimosa, obviously.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcvHmvQgq1peea07n12kASQgYWA7-RU_lImnY_PVGUldpXzTlQqJ_JhI4cADJ8W6qNcgRR8lKlgZMQMenOVTMciE-6DsyQSn7eCbIvLpzWU_kuOKPvwxaQNeFvE1XpKAdPz77bhGDXz5Z/s1600-h/IMG_2364.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcvHmvQgq1peea07n12kASQgYWA7-RU_lImnY_PVGUldpXzTlQqJ_JhI4cADJ8W6qNcgRR8lKlgZMQMenOVTMciE-6DsyQSn7eCbIvLpzWU_kuOKPvwxaQNeFvE1XpKAdPz77bhGDXz5Z/s320/IMG_2364.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446438221004121890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day: </span><a href="http://www.imaginefoods.com/">Imagine Foods</a> soups. I just finished a carton of the <a href="http://www.imaginefoods.com/content/organic-creamy-broccoli-soup">Organic Creamy Broccoli Soup</a>. It is delicious both while you are waiting for dinner to cook or when you wake up from a hangover craving green and salty food (another strange side effect of being vegan). The soup is low in calories and has no unpronounceable ingredients.<br /></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-21398957117848821262010-03-05T06:39:00.000-08:002010-03-05T07:04:25.490-08:00The Grove<div style="text-align: justify;">Hello friends. I've had a busy week with moving, a visit from my family and the arrival of my new puppy Seven. Well actually I've been on vacation this whole week, so don't feel too sorry for me. I moved most of my things last Thursday and my parents and brother helped me finish the move when they arrived on Saturday, along with the puppy and his dog-mother Pearl.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />With all this moving and puppy-walking we were all pretty hungry Sunday morning, so we set out for the <a href="http://www.panerabread.com/">Panera</a> a few blocks away. However, on our way we got distracted by a cozy little diner on Diversey called <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-grove-chicago">The Grove</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">501 W. Diversey Parkway</span>). I had been here before and had some decent oatmeal, but nothing to write home about. I figured the family would like it though so we went in. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did they have mimosas for $2.50, they had added a breakfast dish to their menu called "The Vegan Skillet." I seriously could not believe it. It was a very simple mix of hash browns, red and green peppers and onions topped with tofu "cheese." It also came with a side of toast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3Yv7QE6h5p0ILmqIcd5aqUBpVWpg1mVOvLJwEUbyaHta_cib75Vyx6LNoC8Nhs7I6d4ZfVHrgDO0yaIiT6ZuZV3Z_jXUusuQ3ChyphenhyphenkDNAsypGiRZ6WWv7GCzQt_j2_mSPi9BrME1XqLss/s1600-h/IMG00306.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3Yv7QE6h5p0ILmqIcd5aqUBpVWpg1mVOvLJwEUbyaHta_cib75Vyx6LNoC8Nhs7I6d4ZfVHrgDO0yaIiT6ZuZV3Z_jXUusuQ3ChyphenhyphenkDNAsypGiRZ6WWv7GCzQt_j2_mSPi9BrME1XqLss/s320/IMG00306.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445161899412538210" border="0" /></a>Absolutely delicious! They were generous with the peppers and the tofu cheese gives this dish a nice boost of protein. Since I had last visited The Grove they had added a few vegan, vegetarian and other healthy options. Of course they still had all kinds of traditional diner breakfast offerings to cure your hangovers. This just goes to show you that even a "greasy spoon" (no offense, I love a good greasy spoon) can offer some great vegan options. It's 2010 people...it's only getting easier to be vegan, especially in a big city like Chicago.<br /><br />Where have you found vegan fare in an unexpected place?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day: </span><a href="http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/">IntelligentsiA</a> <a href="http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/store/product/id/8043">Papua New Guinea: Agoga coffee</a>. I am drinking this stuff like water this week and will be a little sad to go back to our office coffee next week. Let's be honest: coffee, sustainably produced and sourced of course, is the real glue between vegans and non-vegans.<br /></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-48679142579919154472010-02-21T14:28:00.000-08:002010-02-21T15:03:35.925-08:00Uncommon GroundGreetings Vegecagoans. I'm pretty proud to say I've had an unusually productive Sunday. I did a bit of packing in anticipation for my move back to Lakeview, preceded by some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Power-Yoga-Total-Body-Workout/dp/B0000A2ZQE">Power Yoga</a> with <a href="http://www.yeeyoga.com/index.php">Rodney Yee</a> on DVD and a brief encounter with the elliptical machine. This is what happens when one is powered by tofu (and half a pot of coffee).<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />On Super Bowl Sunday I had the absolute pleasure of going to brunch with Ali and Megan at <a href="http://www.uncommonground.com/pages/clark_home/19.php">Uncommon Ground</a> in Wrigleyville. It was Ali's idea but I've been meaning to check this place out for a while. To put it briefly we LOVED Uncommon Ground. The restaurant, which has a second location in Edgewater, is a <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/articles/living/female-stoners">Stiletto Stoner's</a> dream. The whole dining concept here is based on sustainable and organic ingredients whenever possible. They are committed to the community (from hosting local musicians to displaying local artists' work for sale around the restaurant) and a low carbon footprint. The Edgewater location even has beehives on its roof! I am mildly obsessed with bees and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder">colony collapse disorder</a>, so I'm always excited about local beekeepers.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the brunch experience: when we first walked in we saddled up to the coffee bar to kill time while we waited to be seated. It made me feel like less of an addict that Ali and Megan were just as eager for coffee as I was. We sipped the delicious coffee and admired the work of a local graphic designer on the walls, the large fireplace and spacious lodge-inspired lounge area, where there were about one million babies waiting in strollers but miraculously <span style="font-style: italic;">none of them were crying</span>. Not a peep. Is Uncommon Ground magic?<br /><br />When we were seated, the waiter was very knowledgeable and helped me pick out a vegan veggie burger with sweet potato fries. I give this veggie burger a 10...this is exactly what they are supposed to taste like. I've never met a sweet potato I didn't like, so the fries get a 10 as well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeaUEvB09JO-VNU2xCeVmfvka-uKujR__WygGmwHkEuLgyARwUS4kxfUSxHTgO5daWn7cxBo5CQMDQuJl-qM1eOpaiBLIQXtxwlmtlLvHTpRb98ev8gsYQtsQsSTfxnUqzOMbGXy_nT_W/s1600-h/IMG_2291.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeaUEvB09JO-VNU2xCeVmfvka-uKujR__WygGmwHkEuLgyARwUS4kxfUSxHTgO5daWn7cxBo5CQMDQuJl-qM1eOpaiBLIQXtxwlmtlLvHTpRb98ev8gsYQtsQsSTfxnUqzOMbGXy_nT_W/s320/IMG_2291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440833270144691410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">I took a bite of the burger before I remembered to snap a photo.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Hey Chicago it just started to snow!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsArTetXlpGQuzJSL8-TAfUVQiQdaGNA4hti4_qMhs6M3kldBX_v_ivrSr0BcD7fM6NsdNeDOmCZ7obtA5wgVbYQHNbv8BxfvVL5crEzoc1CTbzPLlHJFJjuRSndEQIBqH0a1BWYLMWssB/s1600-h/Gray-Felt-Clutch-170.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsArTetXlpGQuzJSL8-TAfUVQiQdaGNA4hti4_qMhs6M3kldBX_v_ivrSr0BcD7fM6NsdNeDOmCZ7obtA5wgVbYQHNbv8BxfvVL5crEzoc1CTbzPLlHJFJjuRSndEQIBqH0a1BWYLMWssB/s320/Gray-Felt-Clutch-170.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440834782758093394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day:</span> For you coffee fiends, please head straight to <a href="http://www.cariboucoffee.com">Caribou Coffee</a> and get yourself a <a href="http://www.cariboucoffee.com/asp/shop/category.asp?c=4&s=39&viewall=y">reusable coffee sleev</a><a href="http://www.cariboucoffee.com/asp/shop/category.asp?c=4&s=39&viewall=y">e</a>. I have the grey felt sleeve (pictured). Yes, it costs $4.99 but think about how self-righteous you can justifiably be when you are not using those disposable sleeves. Just a small warning: the people at Caribou are totally prepared for this and will gladly accomodate the use of your coffee sleeve, but at <a href="http://www.starbucks.com">Starbucks</a> they will just make fun of you. Learn from my mistakes.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><br /><br /></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-38326592052105222022010-02-07T08:56:00.000-08:002010-02-07T08:58:18.986-08:00Super Bowl!!!Before I settle in with some vegan beer and guacamole this afternoon, I had to share my favorite commercial of all time:<br /><br /><object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RzToNo7A-94&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RzToNo7A-94&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-899654794917074052010-02-07T08:32:00.000-08:002010-02-07T08:32:00.127-08:00Tubers are tubularMy cousin Alisa and I were discussing the merits of sweet potatoes last weekend, and I realized that I eat them far too infrequently considering how <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tubular">tubular</a> they are. Nothing against good old Russet potatoes, but pretty much every traditional potato dish can be re-made deliciously with sweet potatoes: mashed, baked, French fries, even chips...you just can't go wrong with a sweet potato.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Caution: Vegecagoan is going to be a bit educational today.<br /><br />For this post I did a little research on the nutritional value of Russet potatoes and sweet potatoes. Check out the comparison of some of my fave nutrients:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDLP0pe7lzv3DgyLiwzvCmqfx3SLJuHB3UldDyN9OsWPGKbI3zVyMPMeFRB9XPvCkul91Ukpn09o75jzg1hvASdTsIvzbAGljfh3xWlzdlF4XWjJJXzPIe-1tExmhzCh2bNMSX7C4d_qd/s1600-h/Sweet-Lame-Potato.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 359px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDLP0pe7lzv3DgyLiwzvCmqfx3SLJuHB3UldDyN9OsWPGKbI3zVyMPMeFRB9XPvCkul91Ukpn09o75jzg1hvASdTsIvzbAGljfh3xWlzdlF4XWjJJXzPIe-1tExmhzCh2bNMSX7C4d_qd/s320/Sweet-Lame-Potato.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435369613365360482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><br />Source: Nutrition Data (www.nutritiondata.com) which apparently trademarked the term "Estimated Glycemic Load</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">™</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >" or "eGL." But I made this chart myself!!!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Contrary to popular belief, partly due to that crazy Atkins<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">™</span> phase Americans went through around the millennium, Russet potatoes are not "bad" for you. It is true that sweet potatoes are stars when it comes to <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002470.htm">fiber</a>, <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002400.htm">Vitamin A</a> and <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002404.htm">Vitamin C</a>, but other than that they are quite similar to their friend Russet.<br /><br />I expected the eGL of the sweet potato to be lower than it is. Estimated Glycemic Load™ is <a href="http://www.nutritiondata.com">Nutrition Data's</a> take on the glycemic index. A higher number means that when you consume a certain food, your blood sugar spikes. This is not good. Ideally you want to keep your blood sugar levels consistent throughout the day, or at least on a smooth trajectory. This prevents a ton of bad outcomes, ranging from sleepiness (a mental "crash") to breakouts. As a reference point, a serving of tofu has a eGL of about 2. This is very good.<br /><br />That's enough for today. Now please don't make fun of me if you witness me succumb to the temptation of regular white French fries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlKk6W3n-Lnp4JWqA4vrm1n1q6le2VqlaVVFaIboxhHRdZD5Gnz-D4FqvZyiVvUZv89v49WR3y5IJfSDhFP2S7rQ5fphXreKz3wbt8BG5W6aA3lTsGOCJzEMMSV0yRvcHRgbP2N0bplpF/s1600-h/Sweet+Potatoes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlKk6W3n-Lnp4JWqA4vrm1n1q6le2VqlaVVFaIboxhHRdZD5Gnz-D4FqvZyiVvUZv89v49WR3y5IJfSDhFP2S7rQ5fphXreKz3wbt8BG5W6aA3lTsGOCJzEMMSV0yRvcHRgbP2N0bplpF/s320/Sweet+Potatoes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435383785438190610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quick recipe that you can easily remember:</span> Cut a sweet potato into slices. Lay the slices flat on a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh pepper. You might also try a little paprika. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.<br /><br />Full disclosure: the tuber in the picture is actually a yam (and that's tempeh in the bottom left corner). It turns out that the yam is not the nutritional powerhouse that its döppelganger is, but I didn't know this when I was cooking earlier this week. Choose sweet potatoes...learn from my mistakes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day: </span>Another Giovanni product...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ET78BA/ref=oss_product">Giovanni Invigorating Conditioner - Tea Tree Triple Treat conditioner</a>. I've been using this for about a week, in combination with semi-weekly treatments of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ET78D8/ref=oss_product"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span id="btAsinTitle" style="">NutraFix Hair Reconstructor</span></span></a>. My bathroom is quickly filling up with Giovanni products. Great products, great prices, no critters.<br /></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-21184168079765232562010-01-18T11:42:00.000-08:002010-01-18T13:12:26.392-08:00Housing wanted: must be connected to a Flat Top Grill<div style="text-align: justify;">I can't believe I haven't mentioned <a href="http://www.flattopgrill.com/index.html">Flat Top Grill</a> yet. This Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin chain is pretty much my dream come true: they let you pick out your favorite veggies, maybe throw in a few noodles, put a little sauce on it all and one of the cooks heats it up. The finished dish is brought to your table. I'm not sure why I don't do this for every meal. I'm currently searching for a new apartment and one of my new requirements is proximity to FTG.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />For $8.99 I was able to put together a bowl of white noodles, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots*, mini corn, bean sprouts, spinach, peanuts, potato chunks, tofu and faux chicken meat, topped off with a combination mushroom sauce and lemongrass water. The restaurant is extremely vegan-friendly, and is great for people with allergies too. All the sauces are listed on a giant chalkboard detailing relevant nutritional information. Vegan sauces are marked with a "V." Could dining out BE any easier??<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">(Sorry for the lack of pictures...my camera is not getting along with Picasa at the moment.)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*<span style="font-style: italic;">Always stop eating bamboo shoots when you are about half-way full. I once ate an entire plate of bamboo shoots and later that night thought about giving myself a stomach-ectomy. I'm pretty sure these guys expand in your stomach.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day: </span><a href="http://www.giovannicosmetics.com/">Giovanni</a> Touch Body Butter. I got the idea to try this based on a blog post at <a href="http://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/20100108/beauty-products-that-rocked-us-in-09/">The Girlie Girl Army</a> and ordered the Lavender Vanilla Snow body butter. I've never been much into body butter but this stuff is affordable, cruelty-free and feels fantastic. Sometime in my late teens/early twenties I unknowingly trained my skin to hate cheap products. This means that I spend most of my disposable income at <a href="http://www.sephora.com/">Sephora</a> (no really, I have recently become a "V. I. B." at Sephora which, given my income, is probably not something I should be proud of). Giovanni also has several lines of natural and affordable hair care products, most available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">A</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/">m</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/">azon.com</a>, which I plan to try out one at a time. Good thing I have Amazon Prime...and a serious online shopping habit. Does anyone know where to find Giovanni in stores? In Chicago?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbpsR7lGemwhtjJBJ6K91l2tsWbxVQad5Yx50TvnsxNEvkmPGoENdTeCIikdC8kwd_rZcmgZUaCf0-X8PqYtYmpbPzoFWjBwgX53WkWAr_m7mE1jxXTmII3CsOcPHEVCGDXSDsr7iRocq/s1600-h/Giovani+Body+Butter.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbpsR7lGemwhtjJBJ6K91l2tsWbxVQad5Yx50TvnsxNEvkmPGoENdTeCIikdC8kwd_rZcmgZUaCf0-X8PqYtYmpbPzoFWjBwgX53WkWAr_m7mE1jxXTmII3CsOcPHEVCGDXSDsr7iRocq/s320/Giovani+Body+Butter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428189632178066242" border="0" /></a></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-48189631718700420392010-01-17T07:24:00.000-08:002010-01-17T07:57:06.552-08:00Compassion for Haiti<div style="text-align: justify;">Veganism is all about compassion. I don't know why this particular disaster really got to me, but I am pretty worked up about the Haiti earthquake. I know you are probably overloaded on reports from Haiti, but there is a reason for that: the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere just suffered an enormous natural disaster that shattered their unbelievably inadequate infrastructure.<br /><br />If you are able, please make a donation to the relief efforts.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake_embed"><img src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/images/haiti/help_for_haiti_272x100.jpg" alt="Help for Haiti: Learn What You Can Do" border="0" width="272" height="100" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Or visit the donation sites of the <a href="http://arc3.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_FrontPagePanel">American Red Cross</a> or <a href="https://www.habitat.org/cd/giving/donate.aspx?link=227">Habitat for Humanity</a>. Or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyclef_Jean">Wyclef</a>'s organization <a href="http://www.yele.org/donation/">Yele Haiti</a>. I know I'm a little slow to to post this, and I'm sure my compassionate readers have already made some donations.<br /><br />In a week or two, this disaster will fade from the headlines, but millions of Haitians will still be living a nightmare.<br /></div><br />Some statistics via the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/16/haiti-earthquake-death-to_n_425939.html">Huffington Post</a>:<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>Current death estimates: The Red Cross says 45,000 to 50,000 people have died. The Pan American Health Organization puts the number between 50,000 and 100,000.</p> <p>Bodies collected for disposal so far: 9,000. An additional 7,000 corpses were reportedly placed in a mass grave.</p> <p>People needing help: 3 million.</p> <p>Percent of buildings damaged or destroyed: Up to 50 percent.</p> <p>Hospitals or health facilities in <span class="highlighted0">Haiti</span> damaged, forced to close: eight.</p> <p>Patients treated by Doctors Without Borders initially: more than 1,500.</p> <p>Search-and-rescue teams on ground or en route Friday: 38.</p> <p>Homeless people in Port-au-Prince: at least 300,000.</p> <p>Water needed daily: 6 to 12 million gallons (enough to fill 18 Olympic sized swimming pools a day).</p><p><br /></p></blockquote><p></p>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-80268896499445783772009-11-27T14:21:00.000-08:002009-11-27T15:06:53.237-08:00Thanksgiving 2009<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a lovely time with family and friends.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I spent my Thanksgiving in Iowa for the first time since 2004. Our guest list was small, and the humans were outnumbered by the pets: my parents, brother, grandma and grandpa versus two dogs, six puppies and a 17-year-old cat. Here's what our meal looked like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7ooxjuWZi1PEI_L7Vwt3dISEOVkf10RXItaCISNM9TH8sO5B331IrXMT-uvV77X04yK8PGr-2xs9MoaIf1N-M2CjYEdyiBrVh_Y-BKkxha2gFpmDQ8jYV7Is02P0eCrUr8VOTC6VtxyR/s1600/IMG_2101.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 357px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7ooxjuWZi1PEI_L7Vwt3dISEOVkf10RXItaCISNM9TH8sO5B331IrXMT-uvV77X04yK8PGr-2xs9MoaIf1N-M2CjYEdyiBrVh_Y-BKkxha2gFpmDQ8jYV7Is02P0eCrUr8VOTC6VtxyR/s400/IMG_2101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408915472443299074" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rI1_DNMRf0hBwSF6gyxIz-cgA8Ey5hw_1M-VC5C9MWUKN7Agz8Ph9qnyDw8vkMBNnJgeTOl-87hEFf_ykDZIfjanB1oR-23oKvjs_CamAKKF2MiqoWAlbFJMHkOWOXi-uTOz2QKAaKIc/s1600/IMG_2100.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rI1_DNMRf0hBwSF6gyxIz-cgA8Ey5hw_1M-VC5C9MWUKN7Agz8Ph9qnyDw8vkMBNnJgeTOl-87hEFf_ykDZIfjanB1oR-23oKvjs_CamAKKF2MiqoWAlbFJMHkOWOXi-uTOz2QKAaKIc/s400/IMG_2100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408917168576236194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Can you tell which plate is vegan? The Tofurky gives it away, but in case you were wondering, the plate on the left is vegan. Clockwise from the Tofurky, there is stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and in the middle we have a mashed sweet potato-banana combo. Bonus points to Mom for trying something new and crazy she saw on the Today Show! The plate on the right (my Mom's plate) has some green beans on it. I passed on these...don't even get me started on canned vegetables. That's a topic for another day.<br /><br />As you can see, vegans don't suffer when it comes to food. That's probably the biggest misconception about being vegan. As long as you are not a total lazy bum, there is a way to make a vegan version of all of your favorite foods. Though I understand that Tofurky is not quite the same as actual turkey. But, my friends, check out two tiny carnivores who were sneaking bits of Tofurky from me:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTp4suUbUcWbGXpoLdhPbF9JRfCJU1_FvHqYTvyNCVyBQusu8i4Z5bqbjnzdbXdwUFretu02BgmL7YSUk2bQ66yIVFcjk47HXQ7lxlU-H3YYBqpVhRyRBiIsBSODbTCpFYPEL_NPnHSrdS/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTp4suUbUcWbGXpoLdhPbF9JRfCJU1_FvHqYTvyNCVyBQusu8i4Z5bqbjnzdbXdwUFretu02BgmL7YSUk2bQ66yIVFcjk47HXQ7lxlU-H3YYBqpVhRyRBiIsBSODbTCpFYPEL_NPnHSrdS/s320/IMG_2103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408919109695848882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtD8K92JL_LpJOsqF-IbBm7i32arTCezY5-czC7YbRBoxmNB5b5tOpdDgDYNfIlA_Few-2D6tA2ALYkm9vUdPao_8cCN3aTIqXBvaCkvfFpT87NELYeDlmKm1C3hiBgVAKgRizo0ZOTzo/s1600/IMG_2104.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtD8K92JL_LpJOsqF-IbBm7i32arTCezY5-czC7YbRBoxmNB5b5tOpdDgDYNfIlA_Few-2D6tA2ALYkm9vUdPao_8cCN3aTIqXBvaCkvfFpT87NELYeDlmKm1C3hiBgVAKgRizo0ZOTzo/s320/IMG_2104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408920169202580594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bonito and Lucky were begging for more Tofurky!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I must confess that my plate was not 100% vegan. This is one of the occasions where I step off my soap box (and in some ways step onto a totally different soap box). The seasoned croutons my mom used in making the stuffing had "2% or less" of whey. When anyone, especially my mother, goes to the trouble of making me special vegan dishes, and one of the ingredients of one of the dishes is 1/50 non-vegan, how on earth could I refuse? That would be incredibly rude and disrespectful of someone really trying to minimize the animal products in the food s/he was serving. So some vegans may say I'm making excuses, but I said my thanks for the cows who give us whey and dug into my "vegan" stuffing. In my book, sometimes it really is the thought that counts.<br /></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-60353064554971528762009-11-25T09:12:00.000-08:002009-11-25T09:56:08.212-08:00Carnivale came early this yearWe're going back to basics for this post. What does a vegan do when going out for a nice dinner in Chicago with her meat-eating (yet totally fabulous) girlfriends?<br /><br />Back in October, Ali and I won a gift certificate for $100 to <a href="http://www.carnivalechicago.com/">Carnivale</a> <em>(702 W. Fulton Market</em>)<em>,</em> an upscale and totally hip restaurant with a Latin-themed menu. So last week we went out for dinner, and we brought our friend Kate B. (who is an <a href="http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/oct/16/entertainment/chi-after-ashley-ovn-1016oct16">extremely watchable</a> actress, by the way) because she's just so much fun.<br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Kate was loving the Carnivale Margarita, Ali enjoyed the caipirinha, and I sampled the white sangria and Green City Market Caipirinha. The guacamole was absolutely delicious and the accompanying tortilla chips are that fat-laden kind you always hope the restaurant serves. (Ali and Kate shared the mixto ceviche...for you none-vegans I'm told it was absolutely delightful.)</div><br /><div align="justify">After an hour of drinks and appetizers we finally opened our menus. The waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu and helped guide me to all the dishes that could be veganized. I settled on an entree called "Quinotto" that I had never seen before but makes so much sense. It's like risotto, my favorite Italian dish, but in place of arborio rice they used <a href="http://www.quinoa.net/">quinoa</a>, a nutritious little South American grain. Also in the Quinotto were onions, Brussels sprouts, pine nuts, mushrooms and a chile sauce on the side. Behold:</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408096085902597970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sHP8LdIeD4hI9e1mdZSFeEakrvbfL_DnB1cAkUjhRSTA9Fg_RnzhJg9PGYcUKlQ5Z7gU1tGYE1o9xWArz8aeNeK1IAA6fJUgS4OA62LvSD6dUi54uGHfNKP54sBRUKMUbdd_0DLGFUNb/s400/IMG_2087.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div align="justify">Isn't it lovely? This dish was unbelievable. I of course requested this without the goat cheese that this Quinotto normally includes. The mushrooms gave it that extra dose of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami">umami</a>" I've been hearing so much about lately.<br /></div><div align="justify">After my experience I would highly recommend a night out at Carnivale if you are a vegan but have meat-craving dining companions. They have all kinds of seafood and the steak for which Latin America is famous. (Yum?)</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><p align="justify">I'm off to Iowa today for Thanksgiving festivities. I was planning to cook an elaborate vegan meal at my apartment for my parents and brother, but last week my brother's dog had a surprise litter of puppies. So I'm riding back to Sioux City tonight to see the six little puppies. In the words of my brother, prepare yourself for some pretty extreme cuteness: </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408098203315679666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnVCBpbv8E6fgN5HmhGkSEpqOTciokbMMdGB-XJqfraSHomCcl1xn0iuPRusyPJf0hgngUn_JVCDR91Ox2PAIv7CjKO6B7fZy9w7_QuN7YusTxvSlgtJErSKjWtGvJyfy09ggLpEaO8xU/s400/puppy+close-up.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify">I have been looking at this photo every 30 seconds for the past two days. I can assure you that it does not get old.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MahCyg61VAnMnvYXEhEALy4nZxGIah0CAtHG2qbEnOn3jJbm-DXNET8c99oiBxQ8K_wnpeJHJocCpkgH7dZdZ2pVb_4Ewky6Rt0WGPCMcp46Ygi-sXC8BxZDeG-dd04-NUA_XDE2RPNZ/s1600/Torfurky2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408099388031480226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MahCyg61VAnMnvYXEhEALy4nZxGIah0CAtHG2qbEnOn3jJbm-DXNET8c99oiBxQ8K_wnpeJHJocCpkgH7dZdZ2pVb_4Ewky6Rt0WGPCMcp46Ygi-sXC8BxZDeG-dd04-NUA_XDE2RPNZ/s320/Torfurky2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="justify"><strong>Product of the Day: </strong>Obviously I'm going with a vegan's best Thanksgiving weapon, the <a href="http://www.tofurky.com/tofurkyproducts/holiday_products.html">Tofurky</a>. I can't wait to eat this tomorrow. If you're lucky enough to be in Sioux City, they have them at Hy-Vee on Hamilton Blvd. If you are not in the vicinity of a Hy-Vee, on the Tofurky website you can find a list of retailers so you can get your own spherical bundle of meatless joy.<br /></p><br /><div align="justify"></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-45439736089187458302009-11-17T19:00:00.000-08:002009-11-17T19:03:56.303-08:00Everyone knows that the cover models are airbrushed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BbUQKftSB5l-pT1JIkBEpWUmu5zVm8pUwtznPHGz54N0CShO1eukrIYmCwylerCTTzHf2gEzL4Xt9grEbEtOc_PqCgJ2DxuDcNUd-31XLeZ1n-ZZDAkBplaHmVIrPdZNET_YisO-Ck1J/s1600/IMG_2086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BbUQKftSB5l-pT1JIkBEpWUmu5zVm8pUwtznPHGz54N0CShO1eukrIYmCwylerCTTzHf2gEzL4Xt9grEbEtOc_PqCgJ2DxuDcNUd-31XLeZ1n-ZZDAkBplaHmVIrPdZNET_YisO-Ck1J/s400/IMG_2086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405273582785208818" border="0" /></a><br />Someday my cookies will be cover-worthy. In the meantime, they taste pretty good.E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-91259947237388320722009-11-17T18:14:00.000-08:002009-11-17T18:55:17.693-08:00The oft-neglected polenta and BOOTS OMG BOOTS!For dinner the past two nights I made <a href="http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/polenta.asp">polenta</a> with spinach, tomato sauce, garlic and olives. That's it!<br /><br />Slice the polenta (you can find this little Italian import in a tube package near the pasta), layer the slices in a small Pyrex baking dish, cover it in frozen chopped spinach, sauce, garlic and olives. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, longer if your spinach is <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> frozen.<br /><br />Recently I bought my first garlic press at Ikea for $3, and I highly recommend getting yourself one. Crushing the garlic really brings out the flavor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyheDnAfRSEy4fQXAdyW5hdR-EsYkGC2b4EuTydKwBNK2ljT-qmGzKJ6IaFxQLl9PIOiFQaTWt2mUs_vySLG3-jKVRKTQAT0cs-0jfCgGdaBeMipQgsxtZnEP2ROFvgbz99k92w4LWrI1v/s1600/IMG_2081.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyheDnAfRSEy4fQXAdyW5hdR-EsYkGC2b4EuTydKwBNK2ljT-qmGzKJ6IaFxQLl9PIOiFQaTWt2mUs_vySLG3-jKVRKTQAT0cs-0jfCgGdaBeMipQgsxtZnEP2ROFvgbz99k92w4LWrI1v/s320/IMG_2081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405267061938055826" border="0" /></a><br />Layer the polenta slices and spinach like this!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGevu_cWgw3e7412JpxH0dU1YuEEpNRHoTfJ0auo4cD4Yc47SUG6ms_aPJMkBkU6Ranhrz7PS5SaJn90PHVABAUi1-Yh1I9rUFEkeiW3BvNGzdZBhYZPkJJ_TP3ucGDLnLWqT_bG9f4-3/s1600/IMG_2082.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGevu_cWgw3e7412JpxH0dU1YuEEpNRHoTfJ0auo4cD4Yc47SUG6ms_aPJMkBkU6Ranhrz7PS5SaJn90PHVABAUi1-Yh1I9rUFEkeiW3BvNGzdZBhYZPkJJ_TP3ucGDLnLWqT_bG9f4-3/s400/IMG_2082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405269856706536914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Dinner is served. Yes, those are kalamata olives. Vegecagoan is equal-opportunity and this dish is part Greek.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day: </span><a href="http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/onlineProductDisplay.vs?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=EF-248992&page=1&cgname=OSSHUBOOOTK&rfnbr=6509">Report Over-the-knee faux suede boots</a>. I just got a pair of my own in black. I sleep in these things, I love them so much.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOivqSIsY14prVxe97nneJWPvCmGuggP3LWzOmrTM8v5t3o7bRhwdpA4btPma5qF8rT6QlzwoEQQ-X1dX-w0_g6oRG2M79Pzx5hIHuS8rci4x4qmcAXNctnV4pEbv5HGO39VkbSLa0M-g/s1600/Victoria's+Secret+OTK+Boots.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOivqSIsY14prVxe97nneJWPvCmGuggP3LWzOmrTM8v5t3o7bRhwdpA4btPma5qF8rT6QlzwoEQQ-X1dX-w0_g6oRG2M79Pzx5hIHuS8rci4x4qmcAXNctnV4pEbv5HGO39VkbSLa0M-g/s200/Victoria's+Secret+OTK+Boots.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405271231677808018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-85864854793537936592009-09-23T14:39:00.001-07:002009-09-23T15:00:58.719-07:00New breakfast loveHey y'all. I had such a great breakfast this morning that I couldn't keep it to myself.<br /><br />Ricera Rice Yogurt. OMG. Last week I made my first visit to the <a href="http://www.wholefoods.com/">Whole Foods</a> on <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=30+West+Huron+St,+Chicago+IL&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=30+W+Huron+St,+Chicago,+IL+60654&gl=us&ei=P5a6SoL9OtmBtgfTg5iBDw&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A">Huron</a>. I was getting a little tired of my usual <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a> soy yogurt so I picked up a few different brands and types of vegan yogurts.<br /><br />Why should we eat this yogurt stuff anyway? Ask Jamie Lee Curtis. Or just watch the collection of unintentionally hilarious (non-vegan) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffIo2VAi_qg">yogurt commercials</a> over the past few years:<br /><br /><object id="ce_88941392" height="300" width="400" data="http://current.com/e/88941392/en_US"><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://current.com/e/88941392/en_US" width="400" height="300" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />But I digress. To get to the point of this post, <a href="http://www.ricerafoods.com/index.html">Ricera Organic Blueberry Rice Yogurt</a>, consumed by yours truly for the first time this morning, is my new favorite "yogurt." Low in fat, with a little fiber and protein, and extremely delicious. Did you hear me? EXTREMELY delicious. A little bit sweet, a little bit tart, just like me.<br /><br /><strong>Product of the Day:</strong> Seriously? Did you not read the beginning of the post? Here:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsFErkh6bMC5fut5a407OkTjNAeRn8XTGKfg0FCUxQwlt-63VAc-SUu1lcN8c-O78_5UNhMRc3MQQpu70XAgWvOjbjFfARNQUSpLx1BOMIyfzjpynbiNnpk_qq3r1-VbLYSg7r1ALtn3C/s1600-h/blueberry_cup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384785573051645954" style="WIDTH: 175px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 175px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsFErkh6bMC5fut5a407OkTjNAeRn8XTGKfg0FCUxQwlt-63VAc-SUu1lcN8c-O78_5UNhMRc3MQQpu70XAgWvOjbjFfARNQUSpLx1BOMIyfzjpynbiNnpk_qq3r1-VbLYSg7r1ALtn3C/s200/blueberry_cup.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-85102854563586262602009-09-07T13:55:00.000-07:002009-09-07T14:14:28.731-07:00A laborious lunch<div style="text-align: justify;">Happy Labor Day!<br /><br />Just a quick post to tell you about an easy lunch I just made up today.<br /><br />I started with a <a href="http://www.flatoutbread.com/movie.html">FlatOut</a> Light Italian Herb Wrap, spread a bit of <a href="http://www.sabra.com/products/sabra-hummus.aspx">Sabra Hummus with Roasted Pine Nuts</a>, then added alfalfa sprouts, three slices of <a href="http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=smartdeliturkey">Lightlife Smart Deli Turkey</a>, and steamed zucchini and yellow squash. I'm making this for my lunches this week to take to work, but I'm thinking about substituting the hummus with a pinch of dijon mustard. I think both versions sound equally yummy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWYDC9-lIeNITigE1QEusgNe8rD4xPtKwUSc15Hz8ZUK4B7EolJ4ykAMdmkilJvUXlDXvn3Sz6I9dBbv22nXKx8Sg7Nxjgfb5Cg2KUVPk1wGtkkNvHmhlBsKcm4P6Wx04TWbxZfQYWQ23/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWYDC9-lIeNITigE1QEusgNe8rD4xPtKwUSc15Hz8ZUK4B7EolJ4ykAMdmkilJvUXlDXvn3Sz6I9dBbv22nXKx8Sg7Nxjgfb5Cg2KUVPk1wGtkkNvHmhlBsKcm4P6Wx04TWbxZfQYWQ23/s200/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378836125029745506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zQc5YjqY9iH_z_RjtJ2vUDRkw2MTD_nlLcFxiLOTWwh1H71ZTLXroCBGIGnHaYYBm0dXDxenLr0hnt_bCFaDCWcsOTRXKT3I1OKLFYtAm_aZ52BY4EIP9n-oqBUH5ogihk3ncFGsWslS/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zQc5YjqY9iH_z_RjtJ2vUDRkw2MTD_nlLcFxiLOTWwh1H71ZTLXroCBGIGnHaYYBm0dXDxenLr0hnt_bCFaDCWcsOTRXKT3I1OKLFYtAm_aZ52BY4EIP9n-oqBUH5ogihk3ncFGsWslS/s200/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378836353523627938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In preparation for the Chicago Half Marathon next weekend, I ran 10 miles yesterday, which gave me just enough of a feeling of accomplishment to completely coast through the rest of the weekend.<br /></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-86159723957749296602009-08-28T11:26:00.000-07:002009-08-28T12:09:55.129-07:00Taco-Flavored Kisses<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMHC4gZOJL-2hSD2mI7CaysbmN0jDTpqLrnIoYdm_7fwEHYgDAd16vYeDVMSJXUe-P0Juy10EjYo4WjUONLdDsuHbe-xXs1ZSTI9jtODY6zf9vD74CjWltI9oHFIyXJDhO1nQ5audRq2A/s1600-h/IMG_2043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375090170580524482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMHC4gZOJL-2hSD2mI7CaysbmN0jDTpqLrnIoYdm_7fwEHYgDAd16vYeDVMSJXUe-P0Juy10EjYo4WjUONLdDsuHbe-xXs1ZSTI9jtODY6zf9vD74CjWltI9oHFIyXJDhO1nQ5audRq2A/s400/IMG_2043.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Last night I was totally craving tacos. I have a Mexican dinner scheduled with Marie and Kendra tonight, but I couldn't wait!</div><br /><div>I set out some frozen spinach and sweet corn to thaw, then headed over to <a href="http://www.dominicks.com/">Dominick's</a> to pick up the other ingredients. I found a package of 12 <a href="http://www.el-milagro.com/products_1.html#">corn tortillas</a> for $0.39! And you might think such a great deal would be sub-par with nasty ingredients, but these tortillas are seriously authentic and have only three ingredients: corn, water, and lime. Unbelievable.</div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V19LYJsJSiGN7n-W2j2ETmX6Wc2M2G6IVCSvTPxKW8VFkmQyDcidl9ZcgHCyr7SyUnQcOLs8mSyAQVaSuU1Y0VFJTSpwBK4hSvapA58jM-Ev2s34Qf9UPTkXYyYdvWvIb6qt1_AiJB63/s1600-h/IMG_2042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375088474928318626" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V19LYJsJSiGN7n-W2j2ETmX6Wc2M2G6IVCSvTPxKW8VFkmQyDcidl9ZcgHCyr7SyUnQcOLs8mSyAQVaSuU1Y0VFJTSpwBK4hSvapA58jM-Ev2s34Qf9UPTkXYyYdvWvIb6qt1_AiJB63/s320/IMG_2042.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left"><br />The beauty of tacos, besides their tastiness, is their simplicity: gather your favorite Mexican-ish foods and put them in a warm tasty tortilla envelope. I layered <a href="http://www.amys.com/products/product_view.php?id=551">Amy's Organic Refried Black Beans</a>, the spinach and corn in a tortilla, heated it all in the microwave* and topped it off with some <a href="http://www.tofutti.com/ss.shtml">Tofutti Sour Supreme</a>. (I bought zucchini too for these, but I had too many ingredients and the tacos were in danger of developing into full-blown burritos.) Next time I might try to add some <a href="http://www.teesecheese.com/">Teese</a> or salsa, but really these tacos had enough variety of flavors and textures, so anything else could be overkill. The beans, by the way, were fantastic, and not overly spicy. I had never had these before. Usually I am conflicted on whether to use refried beans or black beans in Mexican dishes, but this product solved that dilemma.</p><p align="left">Looking forward to more vegan Mexican food tonight, con muchas margaritas.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH9Ay6G3zVRTajzZkXLVnrP09GpfEXUiTo5IGsrpFObd3saOPtZQmLmqZciQet0qAfBxZJsclU3OGmPhHW0nQug9Ab3TwTyqTuIDJdzzbblmssghFwp4SXATMzsmWwZPVTna6JpCuOOiv/s1600-h/Amy's+Beans.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375091041032202834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 121px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH9Ay6G3zVRTajzZkXLVnrP09GpfEXUiTo5IGsrpFObd3saOPtZQmLmqZciQet0qAfBxZJsclU3OGmPhHW0nQug9Ab3TwTyqTuIDJdzzbblmssghFwp4SXATMzsmWwZPVTna6JpCuOOiv/s200/Amy's+Beans.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><strong>Product of the Day:</strong> As if you couldn't guess, I'm loving <a href="http://www.amys.com/products/category_view.php?prod_category=15">Amy's Organic Refried Black Beans</a>. </div><div align="left"><br /><br /> </div><br /><div>*<em>I am quite afraid of the microwave oven, but I am able to use it occasionally as long as I don't think about it too much.</em><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-13250602378530983312009-08-07T10:20:00.000-07:002009-08-07T10:59:23.241-07:00Big Weekend/Monday for Vegecagoans!Unless you live under the proverbial rock, you know that this weekend our great city is hosting <a href="http://www.lollapalooza.com/">Lollapalooza</a>. As if copious amounts of <a href="http://2009.lollapalooza.com/">great music </a>isn't enough, this year <a href="http://www.chicagosoydairy.com/">Chicago Soydairy</a> returns to bring us their Temptation Vegan Ice Cream to enjoy at the festival. According to their <a href="http://www.govegango.com/">blog</a>, they will be selling cones of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Fair Trade Chocolate, Vanilla and Mint Chocolate Chip in the north food court. CC cookie dough all the way! This is the same delicious vegan ice cream that <a href="http://www.veggiediner.com/">Chicago Diner</a> uses in their shakes. Could this weekend <em>get</em> any better?<br /><br />No. And to top it off, <a href="http://www.ianspizza.com/">Ian's Pizza</a> on Clark Street is making this upcoming Monday downright bearable. It's vegan pizza night people! They will be using Teese (also from Chicago Soydairy!) and Upton's Naturals and Yves faux meats on the pizzas, in addition to the veggies. Check out the <a href="http://images.veganchicago.com/Ians_Pizza_Vegan_Menu.pdf">menu</a> and take time out of your Lolla weekend to place your order before Monday.<br /><br />I have a large backlog of posts, and I will definitely blog after Lollapalooza for those of you still paying attention. Enjoy the weekend!E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-42126234799367317022009-06-29T07:12:00.000-07:002009-06-29T07:57:31.582-07:00Dinner in Streeterville and a Gay AngelSo I started this blog to show how I navigate Chicago and stick to being vegan, without making my friends go to <a href="http://www.veggiediner.com/">Chicago Diner </a>for every single meal. Saturday night I went to <a href="http://www.pjclarkeschicago.com/streeterville.html">P. J. Clarke's </a>(Illinois & Columbus) for dinner with Katie C. I usually get the garden vegetable burger without cheese but was informed by the waiter that they actually put cheese <em>in</em> the burger, not just on it. Sad face! I knew it was too good to be true. And now I have to concede that cheese does in fact make things even more delicious. The waiter seemed very knowledgable about the food and what is and is not vegan, and he directed me toward the southwestern wrap. It was very good but I'm still salty about the burger. I did have the comfort of the sweet potato fries. SO long story short, if you're in Streeterville looking for beer, food and possibly some outdoor dining, check out P. J. Clarke's and the southwestern wrap. Your dining companions will have plenty of meat and cheese options. Everyone wins (well, the people win...not so sure about the cow that ends up in the burgers your friends may order).<br /><br />On Sunday Chicago celebrated gay pride with a parade in Boystown. Katie S. and Rachael hosted a breakfast to "get ready" for the parade. Katie made some vegan homestyle potatoes for me (potatoes, vegetable oil, salt & pepper...yum!). I meant to get champagne for mimosas but alas in Chicago you cannot buy alcohol before 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday. So when I arrived at Katie's I began drinking screwdrivers. Big mistake. After drinking 3-5 screwdrivers, plus the heat and sun while watching the parade, I nearly blacked out and yes, vommed over the balcony. I was not alone in vomming, which made me feel slightly better, but it was not my finest moment. Anyway, I'm resting on the porch, lying with my face down on the patio table, and all of a sudden there is the neighbor, Paul, hovering over me with a plate of cookies. "I heard you are vegan, and these cookies are for you." He scooped a few cookies off of the plate he was carrying and put them down in front of me. "Feel better," he said and walked away.<br /><br />At least I think this is what happened. Eventually I ate the cookies, rallied and then went to dinner. I ordered fajitas and of course had to grab the skillet with my bare hand. Now I have two burnt fingers. For the past several Mondays I have shown up at work with bandages on at least one body part. I'm hoping for an injury-free weekend but this is a three-day weekend, the 4th of July, Stephanie's bachelorette party, all in Sioux City. I'm just hoping I am <em>alive</em> next Monday.E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-66840391265383386362009-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:002009-06-23T20:32:21.633-07:00I'm still alive!! And well-fed.Hello Vegecagoans!<br /><br />Yes yes I know, it's been over a month since I've posted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH_lPGpuGOVxMNkiOCEFB_q6RZlZgrRtVFGcJmEtgPIftJ7247Z9hGhsMyDRuLVrN-gwsVVyPObJ4AB7tbAp0yJ2stN65DylU1OOAZrw5buWL20TdqzVvfBg7v6KbYbvBM8oriExWPlZe/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH_lPGpuGOVxMNkiOCEFB_q6RZlZgrRtVFGcJmEtgPIftJ7247Z9hGhsMyDRuLVrN-gwsVVyPObJ4AB7tbAp0yJ2stN65DylU1OOAZrw5buWL20TdqzVvfBg7v6KbYbvBM8oriExWPlZe/s320/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350699098497046146" border="0" /></a>I'm pretty proud of this baby. Kendra was in town for the weekend, and Katie Corey is in Chicago on extended leave from K.C., so we had a girls' night out Saturday. Because I'm poor (having had all of my money siphoned off from my bank account to the wedding registries of dear friends) I was completely on board when Marie suggested we make dinner.<br /><br />Kendra, Marie and I were walking around the <a href="http://www.chicagogreencitymarket.org/">Green City Market</a> in Lincoln Park on Saturday, and everything looked so lovely and appetizing! We each got smoothies from <a href="http://seedlingfruit.com/index.html">Seedling Enterprises</a> that would probably make a great hangover cure, though we wouldn't really know. We found some purple asparagus (pictured) that was even better than regular asparagus, but turned green after cooking. I don't get it either. We also bought a "quarter ounce" of purple basil (pictured on the pasta). I don't know why we had to have purple things, it just made sense at the time. The girl selling the basil was pretty witch-tastic, but the guy next to her warned us not to get too crazy with that quarter ounce of "basil." Everyone's a comedian. As we left the farmers' market we strolled through the <a href="http://www.lpzoo.com/">Lincoln Park Zoo</a> to see critters and get a little sunburn. My favorite thing about Lincoln Park is that, because of the free admission to the zoo, you can see polar bears and giraffes on a whim. This was 6-year-old E$'s wildest dream.<br /><br />But I digress. Next I took a quick trip to <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a> on Ontario to pick up the linguine and some organic extra virgin olive oil. At my apartment I steamed the purple asparagus for 12 minutes (I usually do 14 minutes for green asparagus) in my <a href="http://www.target.com/Oster-6-1-qt-Food-Steamer/dp/B000BH96AW/sr=1-1/qid=1245812395/ref=sr_1_1/176-5073488-1048324?ie=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Aoster%20steamer&page=1">Oster steamer</a>. This little miracle worker is $29.99 at <a href="http://www.target.com">Target</a>. Have I mentioned this yet? Probably. I love it. I use it nearly every day to steam vegetables. Steaming veggies is much better than boiling. Not only do the veggies taste better, steaming allows the vegetables to retain more of their vitamins and minerals than with boiling. Better tasting and better for you.<br /><br />I boiled the linguine and mixed a ton of dried basil into the olive oil for my "pesto" sauce. I didn't have any on hand, but a vegan Parmesan substitute can be mixed in for more flavor. I then cut grape tomatoes in halves and steamed them with some sliced baby portabella mushrooms for about 3 minutes. I dished up the linguine, added the pesto sauce, and then topped it off with the tomatoes, mushrooms and the fresh purple basil, with the purple asparagus on the side.<br /><br />Add copious amounts of "fine" wine to taste.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnpD94ojBKqLuPvri9R4ojISTHBWVsPSz5XJj_pVUNkT-mLT8NNK4jG7rk0m5ryEeAs_okWmS_m2pOZk6Cnmwm8tKGZAvBJwSPXB1dZ9NQJTOysIx7zWAjeIsIVk1_1WG1kY3ZfMC_EcA/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnpD94ojBKqLuPvri9R4ojISTHBWVsPSz5XJj_pVUNkT-mLT8NNK4jG7rk0m5ryEeAs_okWmS_m2pOZk6Cnmwm8tKGZAvBJwSPXB1dZ9NQJTOysIx7zWAjeIsIVk1_1WG1kY3ZfMC_EcA/s320/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350727079133732210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Marie, Katie and Kendra putting up with my vegan cooking. (Marie brought a little baggie of real Parmesan cheese, but still...)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Congratulations to Kendra for more than one month of vegetarianism. Wow! And congratulations to Marie for running three miles today! It was 90 degrees out! And Katie...well I know you did something really awesome today too.<br /><br />I'm training for the Chicago Half Marathon again this year. Sometimes I don't believe that I actually finished last year so I'll do it again just to be sure. Today is day two of training and I'm already sore.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxnbmk0qYIgR_2RZsdp2kWkp3U9VYJ3LDuyecCEb6KHo8K04btGKtegfiXa5g1xIMpw4zSMO0RvN2t7jRloTdO0rMXzNdidSsXdExiWyFRZja5btytMti1StXvF-cxpQVsG_cL0ZvMUTb/s1600-h/P104707_hero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxnbmk0qYIgR_2RZsdp2kWkp3U9VYJ3LDuyecCEb6KHo8K04btGKtegfiXa5g1xIMpw4zSMO0RvN2t7jRloTdO0rMXzNdidSsXdExiWyFRZja5btytMti1StXvF-cxpQVsG_cL0ZvMUTb/s320/P104707_hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350730109188318914" border="0" /></a><br />Product of the Day: Jonathan Product <a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P104707&categoryId=C12030">Create Volume Thickening Foam</a>, available at Sephora. This works well in my long hair even in this heat we Chicagoans have been begging for (and are now complaining about).<br /></div></div>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-56956422258279290302009-05-17T20:31:00.000-07:002009-05-17T20:54:23.595-07:00Chicago Diner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IIuJQsJOzg2riEXz3dNzncqjd6J0z56Ae6yyjRuaLfX46kpUYGcc5cVB0hZc7_0-b9PdxO7I8kifgDNiOS8TzxOgk2gwbBwG6jMGBRzyWm7azjp2NMAK938Dm9isT2hUjGjHfGPtRqPR/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IIuJQsJOzg2riEXz3dNzncqjd6J0z56Ae6yyjRuaLfX46kpUYGcc5cVB0hZc7_0-b9PdxO7I8kifgDNiOS8TzxOgk2gwbBwG6jMGBRzyWm7azjp2NMAK938Dm9isT2hUjGjHfGPtRqPR/s320/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337002944518358946" border="0" /></a>Hey Vegecagoans! I have just a very short post tonight. Today for lunch I went to my favorite restaurant in Chicago, the generically-named <a href="http://www.veggiediner.com/">Chicago Diner</a>. This time I actually remembered to bring my camera! The diner is conveniently located two blocks from my gym and on Sundays I am sometimes able to strong-arm my friend K into eating here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The sweet potato quesadillas were calling me but I made myself try something new. I ordered the California Reuben ("agave slow roasted mesquite 'turkey' seitan on marbled rye, topped with fresh coleslaw & cheeze") with sweet potato fries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEwhHZ5iG-jHOEcWzlhouwaHTx8BPa1uHNpeM-9zhoTF1Ppw9lJtQ2Y70nJjluSGu0dplDzb2ZGjpWffEN8faA-ZFpaj38U93Fvdn6k62UcKiwZylT4ky8je5hoS59J6Rcr1PyBT8o5Ms/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEwhHZ5iG-jHOEcWzlhouwaHTx8BPa1uHNpeM-9zhoTF1Ppw9lJtQ2Y70nJjluSGu0dplDzb2ZGjpWffEN8faA-ZFpaj38U93Fvdn6k62UcKiwZylT4ky8je5hoS59J6Rcr1PyBT8o5Ms/s320/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337002539656204850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They brought me the wrong kind of potatoes, but it was a little blessing in disguise because I didn't eat them and was therefore able to save room in my tummy for a shake. We both had a Bell's Oberon Ale (K's idea, I swear) too. K got her favorite black bean burger and they actually brought her sweet potato fries.<br /><br />I was pretty full but I hadn't had one of their shakes in months and I couldn't take it any longer. Sometimes in the gym classes when the instructor is making us do too many lunges I promise my crying hamstrings that I can go to the diner afterwards and get a shake. So once in a while I have to make good on my promise to myself. I ordered my standard cookie dough peanut butter shake. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. I forgot to take a 'before' picture but...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzgUw_dO5AxLRl604f0b6Zr7puTjE5BFZc39Y_qWIevIj-6rQtKTOrHrbriwRi_kj7iYw6K_NE41bfwXhBiw6ko7atF4wlMlGK-DXOKi7GKxqz8JxSN4nf1Htn0pWP2LXF4uKts9nMEE6/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzgUw_dO5AxLRl604f0b6Zr7puTjE5BFZc39Y_qWIevIj-6rQtKTOrHrbriwRi_kj7iYw6K_NE41bfwXhBiw6ko7atF4wlMlGK-DXOKi7GKxqz8JxSN4nf1Htn0pWP2LXF4uKts9nMEE6/s320/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337006010929300834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />...I finished it. Afterwards I took a serious nap.E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-32671251093642072202009-05-14T20:13:00.000-07:002009-05-14T21:08:50.680-07:00I'm too tired to think of a titleGreeting Vegecagoans!<br /><br />I must apologize for completely slacking on posting. Thank you to my seven (7!) followers on Google Reader for sticking with this experiment of mine.<br /><br />To be entirely honest I thought I would do quite a bit of posting from work, and sure enough I start having to actually <span style="font-style: italic;">work</span> during most of my waking hours. And I know I said I would focus on Chicago and its unique challenges and advantages for vegans, but these last few weeks I am lucky if I make it to the <a href="http://www.burritobeach.com/">Burrito Beach</a> down the street, much less an actual restaurant.<br /><br />I went to my first bachelorette party last weekend. I mean, it was the first one I've attended, it was not <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">my</span></span> bachelorette party. Sure enough, the hostess brought out Jell-O shots.<br /><br />This always makes me uncomfortable because the person approaching you with a Jell-O shot truly believes they are giving you a rowdy little ray of sunshine. This one even had whipped cream and a candy %&#!$ on it. But when I look at a Jell-O shot all I can see is the Kind & Knox gelatin factory down I-29 from my hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. The smell of this factory, and the corporate meat-packing plants and factory farms around it, is overwhelming. I concede that it is better to make a "useful" product out of the leftover cattle body parts, using the whole animal rather than just the meat, but gelatin and its components have ruined any chance I have at being a normal binge-drinking 25-year-old adult and just taking a jiggly shot with everyone else.<br /><br />It's easy for me to say no to these Jell-O shots, but it is hard to see the look of disappointment from the bearer of the Jell-O shot when I refuse. There is not much I can do to explain my refusal. Whenever an occasion calls for Jell-O shots, it is the absolute wrong time to preach about gelatin and the virtues of veganism.<br /><br />Two (maybe three?) years ago, before I was vegan (but had mostly stopped eating Jell-O), my second cousin, a professional sorority girl at a state university, brought Jell-O shots to the family Christmas Eve gathering. I gave in and took one. I hated Jell-O, but I really hated the thought of offending my wacky drunken lovable relatives.<br /><br />This past year I did not partake. And at the bachelorette party I avoided Jell-O shots by playing photographer while everyone else participated. Until I was forced to take tequila shots to compensate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Product of the Day: </span>Today I'd like to give a quick shout-out to <a href="http://www.jambajuice.com/#/home/">Jamba Juice</a> for being vegan friendly. As I mentioned my work schedule has been jam-packed lately. (On top of the usual activity, today's events included a stolen shredder and our head of security getting food poisoning from a hamburger around 11:30 a.m...these incidents were unrelated) This morning I was already running around at work at 7:30 a.m. so I eventually needed breakfast like WHOA. I went to my trusty Jamba Juice and got an <span style="font-weight: bold;">Apple Cinnamon Pretzel</span> (just seven simple ingredients, all with non-scary pronouncible names) and a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pomegranate Paradise smoothie</span>. On Jamba's website you can find a list of all of their vegan products.<br /><p><br /><a href="http://www.peta.org/feat-victorias-secret-giftbag.asp?c=pvscbnr"><img src="http://www.peta.com/images/VSPinkPeta-banner.gif" alt="Win a Gift Bag From Victoria's Secret!" border="0" width="101" height="83" /></a> </p>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730346556670629892.post-30731691598089131662009-05-07T09:51:00.000-07:002009-05-07T10:15:24.462-07:00H1N1...or "another blow to the pork industry"<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2CjplQrhjNHGPzXx45L58vxwiGv4bXh-e2TGzD-Dr3LyrGmAFwNdRxTArf74jOMf-OKCiKnuq_TUk9Y2Ey09eng5sEDubF8ph-p8Z-wqM2-rjQF00GSvVmysB_qr-Pqu9q5LfmOwEOeA/s1600-h/pigkiss.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333128908932589186" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2CjplQrhjNHGPzXx45L58vxwiGv4bXh-e2TGzD-Dr3LyrGmAFwNdRxTArf74jOMf-OKCiKnuq_TUk9Y2Ey09eng5sEDubF8ph-p8Z-wqM2-rjQF00GSvVmysB_qr-Pqu9q5LfmOwEOeA/s320/pigkiss.bmp" border="0" /></a></p>I am getting a little off-topic, but until I am ready for a vegan/Chicago-centric post, here are two tidbits of info related to "<a href="http://www.shouldibeworriedaboutswineflu.com/">swine flu</a>."<br /><br /><br />#1 - A <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news_living/health/#vmix_media_id=4017649">video about proper hand washing technique</a>. The nurse in the video is my mom, and she loves pandemics. <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news_living/health/#vmix_media_id=4017649">http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news_living/health/#vmix_media_id=4017649</a><br /><br /><br />#2 -<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE19yJvS-EH5jZ91khNGfNLLMt_35-SW4M_cwz4h7JWrDBQ2DY5U8SGj7zmP-Mxx38HDiKwtDZFMgQMI3VcBvbbFhSjaKgKyhTVu7duj1-dJ5DhPAG4VrnPMFzvbZs3nxXmZD-O8cDxmmh/s1600-h/swine+flu+malaria.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333127488327813506" style="WIDTH: 372px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE19yJvS-EH5jZ91khNGfNLLMt_35-SW4M_cwz4h7JWrDBQ2DY5U8SGj7zmP-Mxx38HDiKwtDZFMgQMI3VcBvbbFhSjaKgKyhTVu7duj1-dJ5DhPAG4VrnPMFzvbZs3nxXmZD-O8cDxmmh/s320/swine+flu+malaria.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Let's not <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30480507/">freak out</a> about swine flu. Egpyt decided to kill all their pigs last week, without any reported H1N1 cases in the country. This just <a href="http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/30/1915246.aspx">doesn't make sense</a>, and it hurts humans as well as little piglets.<br /><br />Last night my dear friend M reported that her roommate works with someone who has a confirmed case of H1N1. Please do not tell my mother.<br /><br /><strong>Product of the Day: </strong>Speaking of mothers, Vegecagoan's product of the day is Best Bath Store's "<a href="http://www.bestbathstore.com/gift-ideas/she-is-seriously-spoiled/">She Is Seriously Spoiled</a>" gift basket (check out the price tag, it is "serious.") Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10th people.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPL1y5IXQGo4b_a1LEgep-ZHGBOXf0f5bCM1u-oyomVbox9FksLHp4JBEKZVZSYF2XO58q1vXbZO6m0IQQ69GiE5_Yeyqj1GzOfAGzW1wQo6jOTT7JaILtHM1m6T8ESd9904iBAiYPRc8/s1600-h/seiouslyspoiledcombo250.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333130997939937394" style="WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPL1y5IXQGo4b_a1LEgep-ZHGBOXf0f5bCM1u-oyomVbox9FksLHp4JBEKZVZSYF2XO58q1vXbZO6m0IQQ69GiE5_Yeyqj1GzOfAGzW1wQo6jOTT7JaILtHM1m6T8ESd9904iBAiYPRc8/s320/seiouslyspoiledcombo250.jpg" border="0" /></a>E$http://www.blogger.com/profile/05813769231295540125noreply@blogger.com0