Sunday Funday!

There is nothing better than waking up early on a Sunday, walking down the street, catching a few waves and then going to the Live Oak Farmer's Market.  I picked up a couple of goodies: avocados, heirloom tomatoes, and wait for it.....PADRON PEPPERS.  Numerous people have told me that these little guys are absolutely delicious.  When I saw baskets at the farmer's market I had to give them a try.  I am SO glad I did; Cooking the little padrons was really easy.  The guy at the stand told me that in Spain people put a quarter-size dollop of olive oil in a pan with sea salt and sautee away.  DANG!  They were so good!  I also made up one of my signature tofu scrambles and sliced up an heirloom tomato.  Balsalmic drizzled over the tomato slices summed up this amazing lunch.  I don't usually measure spices when cooking so add spices to taste:

Mike's Tofu Scramble:

-Tofu
-1 Tofurkey Italian Sausage
-Crook-Necked Squash
-Kale
-2 Shallots
-Garlic
-Cilantro
-Fennel Seed
-Cumin Seed
-Cumin
-Tumeric
-Curry Powder
-Himalayan Sea Salt
-Cracked Pepper
-Parma Spicy Nutritional Yeast

Usually I would throw in marinated artichoke hearts, but I am saving the jar I have for dinner :)

Let's All Hail Merry!

The best part of a raw diet is that it admonishes all feelings of guilt!  I mean, sugary, chocolate-y macaroons are far from healthy, but attaching the word "raw" to them makes me feel like I am eating a bunch of kale.  HA!  Is my mentality skewed from reality?  Eh...who cares?!...go buy a bag of Hail Merry raw vegan treats!  Totally Bombskies!

Radical Radness!

My friend Brian alerted me to the awesome video that EcoVeganGal made of the Veg Speed Dating event in Berkeley, California.  Yours truly is featured with commentary on the event.

Check it out: Speed Dating Video

Veg Speed Dating, Leafletting, Green Smoothies, and Vegan Maidens

Last night I attended the first ever vegan/vegetarian/veg-curious speed dating event in Berkeley at the Saturn Cafe across from campus.  Going into the event I was curious, anxious, happy, and energetic.  Basically, my mood was comprised of every emotion in the book.  I decided to put all feelings aside and just HAVE FUN.  Maybe my soulmate would be in the crowd, but if not, the event would serve as an opportunity to redefine what being vegan means to me while being surrounded by a bunch of AMAZING vegan people.

To start the night out, my friend Brian over at vegan outreach, finally got me to go leafletting with him at UC Berkeley.  I was super nervous at first.  I have done door to door campaigning in the past, and my overall view was entirely negative.  Leafletting with Brian completely changed my outlook on activism.   I was finally able to distribute info and talk to people about what I care most about in the world.  Animals, and their safety.  In 20 minutes I distributed 44 leaflets about factory farming and making compassionate choices.  What a great start to what would turn out to be an EPIC evening.

Let me tell you, upon entering Saturn Cafe I was having flashbacks to the cult film 40 Year-Old Virgin, when Steve Carrell goes speed dating and meets "Gina".  My flashbacks lightened my mood and I really enjoyed the event.  Yes, it was tiring, and yes, there were people there who were 30 years older than me, but the event was fun.  I met a few vegans/vegetarians who I would definitely go out with in future, and one in particular who made me weak in the knees, literally.  I hope the future holds bright things.  Even if my veg-dating connections only blossom into bright, plutonic relationships, I am ok with that.  I guess we will have to wait and see.  

I had a few great conversations that were noteworthy, and one in particular that motivated me to continue on my quest to consume a partially raw food diet (about 50% raw).  Today, I woke up and had a handful of raw almonds and a VEGA raw protein bar;  I also made a green smoothie that contains (one bunch of kale, 1/2 cucumber, an apple, a mango, and a can of coconut water).  I feel happy, energetic, and wonderful.  Here are some pictures of what I got at Staff of Life in Santa Cruz (the purple kale is so beautiful I want to put it in a vase):

Redirection, Rejuvination, and Re-radness

At first, this blog was intended to be funny, ironic, and mirror in some ways the brilliant writers of other vegan blogs.  I have decided that poking fun at meat-eaters and condemning them for activities that I once partook in, is not proactive.  I would like to spin this blog in the direction of overall compassion and empathy FOR ALL.  If I am fighting to bring compassion to the world of animals, should my fight also include fellow anthropoids?  Of course it should.  Last night, my eyes were opened by a good friend of mine over at vegan outreach.  Thank you Brian for your sage wisdom and insight!

Here is to moving forward!

Vegan Royalty?!

Ok, ok, I know this doesn't make me the Martha Stewart of the vegan world, but today the fabulous Meave included a pic of a pizza I made on the Vegansaurus website.  I follow this blog from the city religiously, and I am STOKED.  Check it out!

http://vegansaurus.com/post/7803968159

Who Needs Cooked Food?!

I will admit, I am skeptical of the raw foods diet.  I understand the nutritional science behind enzymes and what they can do for your body and digestion, but my prior experiences have left me filling unsatisfied and bored.  Granted, my first raw "cooking" experience was a simple guacamole wrapped with lettuce leaves.  Good, but B O R I N G.  Now, forget all of that mumbo jumbo I just said about raw foods and let me tell you about the freaking awesome raw lunch that blew all preconceptions out of the water.

I purchased a groupon for The Green Boheme in Sacramento about 6 months ago that expires in August.  I needed to get that bad boy used up by putting some awesome food in my belly.  The Green Boheme is a quaint little raw vegan cafe off of Del Paso Boulevard near Arden Fair Mall (sort of).  Upon entering, I was stoked.  Happy, radiant people with nice skin, and chipper attitudes.  I have heard that the raw foods diet lightens your life, but geez.  It was almost nauseating how cool everyone was...in a good way of course.  Water came to the table in a wine bottle with a whole branch of mint leaves in it. I have had cucumber in water before, which was DE-lish, but mint?!  EPIC!  I highly recommend.  Being that I had a $10 groupon, which I might add, I bought so long ago it felt like I got it for free, I decided to forgo the idea of getting a $9 entree and eating for free.  I decided to get an appy and an entree for cheap.  The appetizer I chose was an Indonesian pate called Sambal.  It was sort of like a spicy, creamy hummus with lemongrass.  It was unFREAKINGreal.  The dehydrated flax/sunflower seed crackers that came with the Sambal were like vegan Kryptonite; They whooped my ass, for reals!  Now, for the main course....ready for this...."No Sea Tuna Sandwich".  I don't even know where to go from here.  Describing the amazingness of this sandwich cannot be left to a mere mortal man.  I have been veggie for over two years now, and I cannot remember the last time I had a tuna sandwhich (which I love). The mock tuna pate tasted JUST like the real deal.  Instead of explaining the awesome sandy, let me share The Green Boheme's description from the menu:

Our soft gluten free nut, seed and veggie bread topped with Mock “Tuna” pate (sprouted sunflower seeds, seasonings) cashew mayo, hot mustard, fresh tomato, sprouts, & seasoning blend on our delicious nut/seed bread. Served with a side salad. 

Will I be going back to The Green Boheme?  ABSOLUTELY!

If you want your world rocked, check out their MENU:
http://www.thegreenboheme.com/