A Vegan in Athens January 27, 2009

Well the Practical Vegan is off to Greece. Athens to be precise and for work. Boy can I not complain! I really lucked out on this one. I’m pretty excited as its been since Oct that I’ve gone on an installation for work and I was getting kinda antsy. Its been a while since I’ve posted too! Actually my last post was my last work trip lol! I guess that I tend to have some down time when on the trips. Not that I’m not working my butt off but at night in the hotel rooms I usually can’t sleep so I write!

Well just in case you were wondering I do have a bunch in store this year for the blog. Even though I haven’t been posting I’ve feverishly been trying out new recipes, creating a pantry system and a monthly vegan/omni menu (husband is omni so been trying to come up with a dinner system that works for both of us). Needless to say I’ve been busy and in a good way.

So stay tuned for Practically Vegan 09 baby! It’s going to be a good year!

Headed right for the storm October 15, 2008

Well wish me luck. The practical vegan is headed to Puerto Rico tomororw. Just my luck so is hurricane Omar. lol. Should be interesting as Im going for work and my hotel is right on the beach. Im thinking either the flight is severly delayed or Im not comming back the day Im schedueled to. Should be interesting so Im packing my vegan passport and some extra clothes. What does one wear for a hurricane? A rain jacket would be nice. If only I owned one.

Miso! September 8, 2008

Miso!, originally uploaded by oneredsock.

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The Sprout Sac September 3, 2008

I’ve tried a few times to grow sprouts.

My mom gave me this three tier sprouter and I used it in Brooklyn for a bit. When it workd it worked great but it was pretty flimsy and the seeds would keep on clogging the drain so the water wouldn’t pour to the next tier. Then I tried a sprout canister and I made one successful crop of alfalfa sprouts but then the rest were all moldy. So the other day while shopping at Garden of Eden I found The sprout sac. Unlike the others it is a mesh bag that you wet and rince twice daily. Since the seeds are not soaking in the water they have less of a chance to get moldy.

I hesitate to buy sprouts in the store because I rarely finish them all and they jsut go to waste. But I figured if I had my own crop I would eat them more. So currently I am growing Mung Bean sprouts. (they came with the sprout bag) I leave it hanging near my sink to remind me to rinse it out twice a day and todya I saw a little sprout comming out of one of the beans. Yay!! So it must be working.

It takes a few days for it to start up and then a few days to fully grow, but maybe I will have found the sprouter for me =)

I’ll keep you updated.

Hemp Milk..yum September 1, 2008

So I have to say. I’ve tried most of the soymilk brands out there and my favorite by far is Silk (unsweetened). I try to keep out the sugar where I can as its just in everything. But lately ive wanted to see if I could incorporate other milks instead of soy into my diet. I’ve read some really good things on Hemp milk but have never been able to find it until now. I couldn’t find an unsweet version so I just bought original and It was pretty good. Though the price was a bit more it has a nice flavor. If they made an unsweet version I might buy it again. Now things with added sugar are just too sweet and it only tasted like I would want to use this in cereal and not for cooking. It has sort of a nutty flavor. I can only compare it to hazlenut milk (also hard to find here in GA unlike NY) You also have to shake it before each use as it seems to separate more then soy milk does. I poured it out without shaking and got a clear liquid in my coffee. Worth the try! Quite yummie and from what the box says its loaded with some good stuff!

Bentos on VegFamily August 1, 2008

My two loves are bentos and being vegan. Well there’s more then that but imagine my excitement when I found this.

The photos are so fun.

Aside from the fact that they have bento info VegFamily is an amazing resource for recipies, nutritional information and is a great community to ask questions to.

Flickr June 29, 2008

Yes yes, I know its been a ridiculously long time since I’ve posted. I did just start a new job, have been traveling quite a bit and have been non stop. Ironically I’ve been very involved with Flickr and have really kept up with photos and ideas in a hope I could get a good chunk of data to post so that when I don’t have time to post I’m posting ideas and topics that have already been photographed. I’m definitely not at a loss for ideas, its more of a loss of time to post the photos. If this blog were just words it would be so easy, but that would be boring. 

The wonderful thing is that now I have flickr set up automatically to post to my blog. Also my camera phone is set up to the blog as well so it uploads to flickr and flickr posts my email and the photo to the blog…ahhhhhhhhhh ( sounds of angels singing). Thank you Flickr!!!!

My only only thing is I’m planning on storing future posts on it so if you don’t want to spoil the future posts don’t look at my flickr. Or maybe I’ll have to just have to create a folder that says future blogging.

It’s exciting to be back and to share the great things I’ve learned in the past few months.

 

Ode to the Burken April 28, 2008

Well the camera is down for the moment so no pics but wanted to give a little update on what’s going on here at Practically Vegan! For those of you who don’t know me I sort of have an obsession with containers…..Even saying the word container gets me happy! I’ve been away for a bit because I am on this pursuance of the perfect kitchen. Now I know that perfect is not possible so maybe I should say “up to my standards where I can finally walk away from it and say, humm its not bad” 

Each week I say to myself, ” Its almost done, It’s almost done” but now I truly feel like its coming to an end. I want to start off this blog of recipes, and techniques with a good clean surface to work from.

So needless to say this weekend I went to ikea to get the last jars for the pantry. (I bought 17 to even out the number to 100. I don’t think I’ll be needing anymore for a while (even though I only have 5 that are empty right now!!!!)

I also finally came up with an arangement for the appliances and cookware that is easy to access and works!

Also I have about 20 of the smaller burkens that I am now moving into my art studio to make the art supplies visible. For those of you who don’t know I am much more of an artist then a cook but I love the textures and colors of food (plus it tastes so yummie) so if you ever want to check out the art side here is the other site.

So all in all lots of progress that I hope to have photos of soon. I truly believe that putting in the work to make things easier all around is so worth it. I just have to learn when to stop organizing and start Making!!!

 

Wheat Grass April 18, 2008

I am just getting into wheat grass and so far I have to say its pretty nice. 

I’ve lost all desire for iced coffed. (I was drinking it every day just to wake up)

I feel way more energized

My skin has this nice glow to it

Its prompting me to eat better 

Currently I am drinking the powder form of whole wheat grass leaf. I think it has more fiber but less chlorophyll. I also just get a wheat grass juicer and started my first batch of seeds that are sprouting nicely! Hopefully in a week I will have my first batch ready to juice. 

The power form was about 17 dollars for a bottle but you get 32 servings out of it so thats not so bad. At the juice bars its 2-3 dollars for a 1oz shot. Im pretty excited to juice my first batch.

Heres a snipit on the benefits of wheat grass.

Earthlings April 16, 2008

 

   If you ever are wondering why I am a vegan watch Earthlings. 

   I just found out it is now available online which is wonderful!
   Its hard to say much more.

   Every once in a while I re remind myself why I am vegan. 

   Not that I have any desire to go back to eating meat or dairy, 

   but sometimes its good to see it again with your own eyes.

   Please watch this film if you care for animals at all.

   I will be showing the film to a few girls at work who are vegetarians

   thinking of going vegan or omni’s thinking of going vegetarian.

   I hope they let the reality of it sink it.
   It hurts, to watch, its horrific. 
   But to ignore what we see is so much more of a crime.