Asparagus and zucchini round this one out. I'm happy that it's still warm enough that we can breakfast on the back porch. These days will be gone soon enough.








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1. So many people rave about the Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing pads, but I don't think my skin likes them. :( Any insight/tips?

2. Why do people say dairy is bad for the skin? Is there evidence for this? I worry that if I cut it out, even if my skin clears up a bit, my bones will resent me later on...

Thanks!

http://www.mypapercrane.com/blog/?p=1387

Thanks so much for all the great feedback on the photos! Here is a peek at the Christmas cards. They will come in sets of 9, with 3 of each design. They are flat cards, printed on front and back. The fronts are glossy and the backs are matte so you can write a little note in the space provided. And of course they come with creamy white envelopes for mailing.

Just a reminder that the card sets will be a part of the Holiday Update on November 15th :)

I am still working on the Chanukah (or Hanukkah? I am not sure on the preferred spelling so any input on that would be fantastic!) cards, so photos of those soon! Now I am off to gather supplies for a top secret project after a trip to the post office.

hey everyone :)

well, christmas is coming up and my family always ask me what i want and i never really know what to say because i hate gift cards and i basically dont really ever want anything lol, so i am thinking about telling them i just want some vegeterian cook books.

So, does anybody have any suggestions on really good, but not that expensive cook books?

also, did anybody check out that new alicia silverstone cook book? i saw her on a show and it looked like it could have some good recipes.

I need help finding a good vegan womens one a day type vitamin? Any recommendations?

tonite we made some cupcakes. recipe from here and i highly recommend it. A++ delicious, splurge for the full vanilla bean in the batter.

Snagged some sprouts at the market.....




( this way to Brussells )

Once you make them yourself you'll never have them any other way!



I followed Martha Stewart's French Fry technique:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/french-fries

I've been trying to switch to only natural bath products. So far, I've gone no-poo (baking soda & ACV), have continued using Tom's of Maine toothpaste, and have gotten adjusted to using Tom's of Maine deodorant.

However, my face is and has always been a huge problem.

I tried OCM, but it made my face break out like crazy. I tried getting off the topical prescription medication I have, but my face looked awful.

Right now I'm using Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap at night, prescription cream overnight, and Aveeno natural moisturizing bar in the morning.

My question is: What kind of moisturizer do you guys recommend? I tried using a bit of OCM oil, but it didn't work. All the Burt's Bees stuff at my Walmart costs upwards of 15 dollars. I'm definitely not willing to pay more than 10 dollars for moisturizer. Have any of you tried pure Vitamin E? Before I started trying to go natural, I was using Dove moisturizer, and that worked wonderfully.

This is unrelated: I mentioned Tom's of Maine deodorant. This stuff is wonderful. I've been on prescription antiperspirant for a while, so I was really wary about going off it in favour of a deodorant. I think that since my body isn't having to deal with toxic aluminum, I'm not sweating as much. It's wonderful. My dad even uses it now, and he's always had excessive sweating. Highly recommend it!

Greetings, all. I am in search of good lard or tallow for cooking in the Denver area. The only lard I've found so far is the Snowcap lard sold at King Sooper's, and it's hydrogenated, ick. Any assistance would be appreciated!

I'm making some whole wheat pumpkin ravioli soon but am clueless about what sauce should accompany it. I'd like to make it myself but am open to suggestions for store-bought sauces that are available in the Chicago area.

It doesn't need to be super cheap, just not crazy expensive. I saw a pasta sauce recipe that called for black truffle oil, for example, and another that called for saffron. If a single ingredient costs more than $10, the recipe is not for me! I'm not picky and enjoy thick or thin, chunky or creamy, sweet or savory. I just really have no idea what to serve this pasta with since I have seen it mostly with mascarpone sauces.

Thanks in advance to anybody with a good idea. : )

Hi there,

I recently found a spot of ringworm on my leg (maybe due to a razor that I left in the shower.) I have been to the doctor and was prescribed prescription strength antifungal cream that I am using. However, I'm also wondering if other ongoing issues that I have been having with my skin, such as severe seborrheic dermatitis, could be tied to an overabundance or imbalance of skin yeast. I'm handwashing like lady MacBeth and using medicated dandruff shampoo as shower gel on top of using what the doctor recommended, as well as hitting the B-complex pretty hard. Is there anything else I can do do to perhaps get things back into balance as far as my skin is concerned?

And do I have to give up coffee and peanut butter? Some of the sites about candida are recommending this, and those are pretty much staples for me. D:

Hi all. I'm brand new to the community and just wanted to say hello! I’m currently a senior in college so cooking options are limited. I’m not new to vegetarianism seeing as I go through random episodes of being vegetarian and then falling off the band wagon. But I’m going to try really hard for it to stick this time. 

So, with Thanksgiving coming up and the whole turkey issue, I wanted to know your thoughts on “tofurkey.” If possible I’d love some description on how it tastes, best store bought brands, ways to spice up a tofurkey, or any other good advice you can offer! Also, any other Thanksgiving substitutes for the traditional turkey would be welcomed.

Thanks so much and I look forward to participating in the community!

Best wishes!

Gracie

Literally!

Last night, I set out some beans to soak for a chili recipe I wanted to make today. Somehow, I managed to soak about four times the amount I needed. (yesterday was a..trying day, lol) Now, I've got a huge 1-gallon bag filled most of the way with a mixture of navy beans, black-eyed peas, and pink beans.

Can I just stick them in the fridge for awhile until I figure out what in the hell I'm going to make with them? I've already got a bunch of meals planned out and a fridge packed full of food, so it's going to be awhile before I can use them to make any more food, lol.

Maybe the freezer?

Please halp, fellow cooks!

http://www.mypapercrane.com/blog/?p=1383

Here are some sneak peeks from the photo shoot yesterday. My sister Heather came over, helped me set up the scenes and then photographed my plush…which will be turned into holiday cards.

It was so much fun, and although these are not the exact photos that will become the cards, it gives you an idea what to expect. I think Heather did a beautiful job! :)

Vegan Pups in Blankets Recipe

Makes: 4


You can assemble these in the morning or the night before. If your children like to help in the kitchen, let them flatten out the dough with a rolling pin and help roll up their own little veggie pups. They are perfect with ketchup or mustard on the side for dipping.

INGREDIENTS

* 1/3 cup plain, unsweetened soymilk
* 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3 tablespoons wheat germ
* 1/4 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, chilled
* 5 soy hot dogs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you are baking these right away, preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with nonstick spray, and set aside.
3. Mix the soymilk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and wheat germ together in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine with your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the soymilk mixture and stir until a dough forms.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead four or five times, just enough to incorporate any loose pieces of dough. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch square using a lightly floured rolling pin and cut into five 2-inch strips.
6. Working with one strip at a time, place a soy hot dog at a slight angle at the base of a strip of dough. Roll the dog up in the dough so that the dough overlaps along the length of the hot dog and covers the dog from end to end, leaving just the tips of the hot dog exposed. Press the seam and edges gently to secure. Place the pups seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dogs and dough.
7. At this point, the pups can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated until the morning. When ready to bake, remove the pups from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 375°F.
8. Bake until the pups are warmed through and the dough is browned on the bottom, 15 to 18 minutes.


Taken from http://www.chow.com/recipes/13487, originally from the Vegan Lunchbox cookbook

My own note - the dough seems rather sticky each time I make it and thus I just roll out snakes of dough, then flatten them slightly and wrap around the hot dogs. Same effect with much less effort than wrangling sticky dough!

These are delicious! I highly recommend...

Testing out one of the Presidential Cookies on my blog HERE
Made with oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut.

Check out the recipe at my blog! Savory Simple

A friend of mine has a gallery nearby and each month hosts a themed show. November is "GLUTTONY". This is my recently completed piece called, appropriately, "Breakfast of Champions". It is wood, acrylic paint, paper and ink.

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