Is it any surprise that I have yet another blog post about food? Somewhere in the last couple of weeks I missed a 5 ingredients or less post, so you're getting it randomly on a Saturday. Going vegan, being an herbivore, consuming a plant-based diet (however you want to say it) brings up many comments and questions from the non-herbie/vegan/plant-based peanut gallery. Do we get enough protein? How much iron and fiber do we get? What about vitamin B12? And how do you get omega-3 fatty acids without fish? I won't go into lecture mode but I will take some time to present to you one of my absolute favorite super foods: walnuts (hence why it's a "cheater" 5 ingredients post).
This ready-made snack food is up there on the list of best foods for me, along with blueberries, sweet potatoes, kale, pancakes (only my dad's), and pie (homemade, hands down, is of course the best). That might be why I have a 2+ lb. bag in my pantry that I've been munching on since the beginning of the semester (it was 3 lbs when I bought it). But even better than how they taste is how healthy they are. It turns out that walnuts also qualify as a super food, having quite a laundry list of healthful benefits. If you want to see all the facts in chart form, go here, but just to give you an idea of the basics, walnuts contain protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. And you thought you could only get omega-3 fatty acids from fish. Surprise! It turns out that there are three different types of omega-3 fatty acids. The first two, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are the ones found in fatty fish, but the third type, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found in some vegetable oils, some green vegetables including kale and brussels sprouts, and in walnuts. There is some debate about how beneficial each of these types is, with the fishy omega-3s potentially being more beneficial, but our bodies are cool enough to partially convert ALA to EPA and DHA, so either way, plant-based omega-3s are good enough for me. If you don't believe me, see what the Harvard smarties have to say: here.
Because I sure am. Aaaand, that's enough with the rhyming. I can go through a small jam jar in the span of about two days, just give me a loaf of bread and a working toaster, or even just a frying pan and stove. Toast and I are besties. It's what I eat when I'm hungry, when I'm in a munchy mood, when I need an afternoon snack, when I want something sweet but light before bed. When I lived in Ireland I would buy one of those extra-long loaves (they look like two of the flabby sliced loaves that Americans call bread put together, no offense I'm just a picky European) and live off of it for the next week. My toast-eating has always been held in check because of the amount of jam I had in the house. Those jars are just never ever big enough for me. But Costco had an exciting surprise for me when I went there over winter break: massive jars of jam that only have four ingredients (and get this, NO high fructose corn syrup. I swear Smucker's and high fructose corn syrup are as much besties as toast and I am). So, I will be enjoying quite a few slices of toast in the next couple of weeks, with my 5 ingredients or less jam, and will most definitely be returning to Costco for a second round of giant jars during my spring break.
”Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person” –unknown
”If not you, then who? If not now, when?” –Hillel
“Wo ein Wille ist, ist ein Weg”
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” –Dumbledore
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~Albus Dumbledore
“The mind that will not admit it has something more to learn tomorrow is in danger of stagnating” –Masterharper Robinton, Dragonrider Anne McCaffery
“Someday I must read this scholar Everyone... He seems to have written so much- all of it wrong.” –Daine, The Immortals Series, Tamora Pierce
“Who wills, can. Who tries, does. Who loves, lives.” Anne McCaffery Dragonflight
“A single gentle rain makes the grass many shades greener. So our prospects brighten on the influx of better thoughts.” –Thoreau, Walden
"Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.” –Saint Francis of Assisi
“Politeness and consideration for others is like investing
pennies and getting dollars back.” –Thomas Sowell
“When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they’ll remember and be kind to someone else. And it’ll become like a wildfire.” –Whoopi Goldberg
”Only morality in our actions can
give beauty and dignity to our lives.” –Enstein
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” –Mother Teresa
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” –Mother Teresa
“Es ist schön, mit den kleinen Dingen glücklich zu sein.” Sibel Kekilli
"When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.” ~Ingrid Newkirk
“The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?” –Jeremy Bentham
“Wie weit kann man gehen? Auf jeden Fall immer nach vorn.”
–Patrycia Ziolkowska
“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but a few will catch your heart... pursue those.” –Michael Nolan
“Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.” –Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go
Today on the agenda we've got Valentine's Day love and 5 ingredients or less. First up, let's talk about love! The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center is putting together "bags of cheer" for their adult cancer patients and they asked for help from the public in making cards. My mom sent me the link to the website with the specifics on how to make the homemade cards a week before they needed to be sent in, so I recruited my sisters in Kappa Phi to help me make some cards during one of our service meetings. So, a very happy Valentine's Day to the cancer patients at UofM!
And now, it's time for food! I'm such a foodie! Week 3 of 5 ingredients or less should have been over a week ago, but who's paying attention to weekdays anymore? This latest addition is the super duper yummy roman raspberry sorbet (yum yum yum!) that I simply can't get enough of. Seriously, the other night I was eating this and the popcorn from the 5 ingredients post a couple weeks ago (yes, that popcorn that I just keep mentioning! It's really truly honestly that good!). It was heavenly :) But not only is it delicious, but this sorbet is made with 5 ingredients (I don't count water, that's just silly), it's vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, and earth friendly. Happiness and joy!!
So, this is the part of the post where I should start off on a thought-provoking discussion (aka me rattling off random thoughts that pop into my head, oh fun!) but I'm sleepy (I've been up by 6:15ish every morning this week and haven't gone to bed until midnight every night, and for someone who gets kinda loopy without 7 to 8 hours of sleep... yeah) and I have another 8 am meeting tomorrow so I will say good night for now and spare you the loopy-ness.
I've been on a little hiatus from the blogging world, but never fear I will be back in next to no time! I just hit that point in the semester where everything happens at once: tests, papers, club events. It's a super exciting time. Besides all of the normal school-related stuff I'm on the psychology department's search committee to find a new professor for next year who knows something about personality, assessment, and maybe even a little bit about gender roles/effects and inter-group relations. Be amazed :) This week we have several candidates coming in for interviews and presentations so my usual system for recording my schedule in my planner has kind of been turned on its head. That red pen I use to indicate tests and due dates for big projects? It's been hijacked to note when all of the different breakfasts and meetings and presentations are this week. It all started swimming together so much that I had to circle the two tests and two papers I have due this week (seriously, my life is freakishly doubled up right now: two candidates, two papers, two tests, two bible studies, and two 8 am breakfasts per candidate, that's double doubled!).
I do have quite a few blog posts for you, my lovely readers, if I could only find the time to write them. In the meantime, I wanted to preview a few of the blog posts that are soon to be published as well as some of my ideas for future months, just so you have an idea of what's up and also to stall a little bit while I try to keep up with this week.
JUST kidding... That was this year's vegan Thanksgiving feast
So, in the next week or so I hope to tell you a little bit about (bi/tri?)weekly Austin dinners. They look a little bit like this:
Valentine's Day surprise?
I'd also like to talk a little bit about homey-ness and the simple joys of life. For example, click HERE for a moment of pure happiness and joy :) Also, in just a few short days it is Valentine's Day, or as some of us have renamed it: Singles Appreciation Day. I have some loving world-changing-ness to share for that and I've got TWO 5 ingredients or less as well.
Yummy yummy in my tummy!
Speaking of the 5 ingredients theme (and yes I know there are 6 ingredients in that picture, I've just made the executive decision that water doesn't count), I've got some themes to share with you for possibly (hopefully) the rest of the year. Wednesday has accidentally become the 5 ingredients or less day, but I've got some happy rhyme-y ideas for other days, like Thoughtful Thursdays (I know, kinda cliché/pathetic, but would Thoroughly Theoretical Thursdays be better?) and Foodie Fridays (can you tell that I love food? As in love love love love love food?). Then in March I'm kicking off a 31 Changes in 31 Days challenge that I read about in the VegNews magazine I talked about in the 1 month blog. So, get excited! Also, I want guest bloggers!! So check out my blog post about that, HERE, and let me know how cool you are.
Well, for having absolutely no time to devote to this blog this week, I've sure spent a lot of time on this filler post. Whoops... Check in later for (hopefully) more regular posts again!
If I were caught up here on the blog with my world-betterment acts, there would be an act for every day. How cool is that?! When I started this project I knew that there could be no way for me to stay caught up with one act per day, but to be 30 days in and still on track feels amazing. I know some are smaller acts than others, but it all adds up, which is a beautiful thing. I can't stress enough how important it has been for me to just keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities. I've found inspiration on other blogs, in magazines, even just sitting in class. There's been some nights when I literally couldn't fall asleep because my mind was going a mile a minute thinking up new and exciting ideas. My goal this year is to hit on causes from all around the world and of all kinds. As a poor college student I understand the frustration of being presented only with options that involve donating money, so I am also searching for ideas that involve donations of time and (wo)man power, resources I can actually give of freely. Today I've got a nice little mix of acts to introduce to the blogging world. We've got some money donating, random acts of kindness, and even a band to highlight.
First up, the tiny acts. Although they may seem nearly useless or completely unnoticed, I can tell you from experience, those tiny little acts of kindness matter. One little act that isn't usually an act, rather luck, is finding a lucky penny. It's one of those bright spots in my mom's day whenever it happens. I've never really hopped on the bandwagon (it probably has to do with the fact that I hate the smell of coins, especially when it gets on my hands) but the other day I got to class to find a lucky penny placed in the top corner of my desk. Thanks mystery person, it made my day! The second little thing also involves money, this time in the form of one dollar bills. I donated another two dollars, two very crisp new bills, to my church. That makes my attempt to tithe regularly quite a success: 2 for 2!
Now, for the big news. I'd like to introduce you to Hope into Humanity. I was introduced to this by my friend who posted the original video on facebook. What I absolutely love about this initiative is that they are "going back to the basics." Although they specifically mean the basic needs of any human (food, water, shelter), the idea in general is the same as mine. For them 2012 is the year to change the world, just like it is for me! Their current campaign is a 90 day fundraising drive to raise $20,000 for Charity:Water. With that money 1,000 people can get access to clean, safe water. Check out their water cause video HERE and consider donating to their cause! They're already 30 days into the challenge so you still have 2-ish months to donate!
Staying on the theme of other groups doing good, there's this band, the Giving Tree Band, that basically is amazing. Sorry for the lack of originality in that assessment, just believe me, they're awesome. The basics on this group are that the band was started by brothers Todd and Eric Fink in 2004, it is a seven-piece band that plays bluegrass-y tunes with a classic rock touch, they are all "eco-ruffians" who went plant-based (aka vegan) due to appreciation of its health and energy benefits. Ever since I started seeking out information about a plant-based diet and the community that surrounds this lifestyle, I've heard about this group, but I never actually searched for their songs on youtube or spent some quality time researching their mission. Then my mom sent me the best care package in the world: a simple card and the newest issue of VegNews. You may laugh at me, but seeing this (→) is all I needed to make my day that much better! It's so colorful (and if you know me at all you know how easily amused by color I truly am...) and it all looks so yummy! So, back on topic, there was an article about the Giving Tree Band towards the end of the magazine (which I stumbled upon right away because I started reading the magazine back to front) that highlighted some of their dedication to being environmentally friendly: solar-panel energy for producing their albums, playing on reclaimed-wood instruments, biodiesel-fueled tours, biodegradable CD packaging, and of course their vegan diet. So, if you're looking for some super good music and a great cause to support, mosey on over to amazon.com, the iTunes store, or even your local music store and buy one (or all) of the Giving Tree Band's CDs! I might give in and buy one of their CDs soon, or I might hold out a bit so I can buy Home on the Range when it is released. What is that you ask? It's a a joint project of the Giving Tree Band and a whole assortment of other veg and vegan artists that will donate all proceeds to support farm-animal rescues like Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Happy Trails, Farm Animal Sanctuary Inc., and Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Not only that, but the CD packaging will be eco-friendly and it'll include a "Compassion 101" guide booklet to animal welfare (um, hello there future!).
If you're still on the fence about whether you want to support them, here's just a taste to get you interested: Giving Tree Band Video #1
This is Chris. Not actually a desert tortoise, but my absolute
favorite tortoise xx
Today it wasn't even lunchtime yet and I had already been presented with two chances to change the world (mind you I didn't even get up until 9:30). First, my roommate (not the blood-donating one, the other one) and I went grocery shopping at Kroger and at the checkout the cashier asked me if I would like to donate a balloon to a local children's hospital. Yes, yes, I would indeed. For $2.99 I have now given a child something to smile about. Not long after stowing all my groceries in their designated corners of my apartment I checked my email and there was an email from Defenders of Wildlife calling on me to contact the Bureau of Land Management. "Why?" you may ask. Well, because it turns out our well-meaning efforts to expand our solar panel energy use in the US is endangering the habitat of already endangered desert tortoises. Less than 10 minutes after receiving the email from Defenders of Wildlife, I had submitted an email to the Bureau asking them to keep expanding solar energy efforts but also to be careful not to make such expansions into tortoise habitats. →Here← are some tortoise facts for some light reading, and →here← you can get your world-changing groove on with fellow Defenders of Wildlife.
finger puppet hands!
I ended my world-changing acts of the day quite similarly to how I started them, this time donating my time (and questionable artistic skills) rather than money to bring a smile to a child's face. As part of a club meeting (so yet again, I cannot take credit for the idea), we made finger puppets for children at the Akron Children's Hospital. I had fun with it and hopefully my ridiculous-looking finger puppet will make some child smile.
As Lucy Pevensie, aka Georgie Henley, said “when you grown up, you should be just like you” (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader). And, you may say that I am indeed “all grown up,” but then why does there still seem to be such a great need for me to constantly clear up the confusion and explain that no, I am in fact not 16, that I am actually 21 and about to graduate from college... Details and confusion aside, when I grow up I’ll be just like me: odd, bubbly, quirky, German, and very very shy. I’ll totally be fine with that, I’ll embrace it and enjoy it, flaunt it even, but I’d also like to be just like her ---> over here, Dianna Agron: the first one, the one with the blond hair and the amazing voice. Not that I want to be blond necessarily, she’s just so cute. And this whole You, Me & Charlie business makes me smile. One day I’d love to have my blog morph into that, with multiple people and many voices. But for now, I'll content myself with guest bloggers, so if you have something to say, send me a line. If you’ve changed the world lately, let me know! Poems, videos, photos, maybe even a Hogwarts toilet seat, send it my way at--> marieke.abney@gmail.com
Speaking of guest bloggers, I've already got the very first one lined up and ready to go! Remember my roomie, from this blog post? And, well from this one too? She's moving up in the world: she'll be blogging about giving blood because I'm too much of a wimp. I don't like needles and I prefer for my blood to stay safely in my arteries and veins, thank you very much. But, my wimpy-ness aside, giving blood really truly is a great cause to support! Check back soon for her account of giving blood, and don't forget to send me an email detailing your world-changing stories.
It's that time of the week again! A yummy food blog post. Maybe this should become a regular part of my blog, me just bombarding you with yummy yummy vegan food that I can make in my walk-in closet-sized kitchen (no joke, it's smaller than our bathroom...). Anyways, the food of choice this week is EnviroKidz Cereal. I will never grow out of the cereal phase (especially cereal meant for children), no matter how much anyone mocks me. But I do like to have my cereal be relatively healthy. Again, none of that weird sounding stuff that I (1) can't pronounce and (2) don't even think it's a naturally occurring food item. But I digress. EnviroKidz makes a random assortment of food and, as far as I've tried, all of it yummy and with relatively few ingredients. The EnviroKid food item currently residing in my pantry is Gorilla Munch cereal, made with organic corn meal, organic evaporated cane juice, and sea salt. So, again not necessarily super duper healthy for you but much better than that combustible whatever-whatever that I mentioned last time.
