Something Exciting!

I am a leader of a group at Calvin called Students for Compassionate Living. Our aim is to raise dialogue about our relationship with non-human animals and the impacts our daily choices have on them. And, we now have a blog of our very own! Here's the link:

www.calvinscl.wordpress.com

Check it out for info on upcoming events and other cool stuff!

Here is a photo of some delicious vegetables for inspiration:

Vegan Poppyseed Dressing

This recipe borrowed from The Vegan Feast Kitchen.


BRYANNA’S NO-OIL VEGAN POPPY SEED DRESSING
Makes about 2 cups


In a blender, mix until smooth:

8 ounces medium-firm tofu OR (2/3 of a box) firm or extra-firm SILKEN tofu, crumbled
6 tablespoons maple syrup OR half of a 6 ounce can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
6 tablespoons non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons cider vinegar (or other preferred vinegar-- not red wine or balsamic vinegar, but light wine vinegars, berry or fruit vinegars are good!)
1- 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 scant teaspoon salt

Store in a jar in the refrigerator. This recipe is easily multiplied.

VARIATIONS:
Use the white part of 2 or 3 green onions, or a shallot, instead of the onion.

Another recipe I Want to Try

Today I got the most random craving for soda bread, and decided to look for a good vegan recipe. I found one on VeganMania, and it looks promising. I am going to try it in the very near future (maybe on a day when there isn't a high of 95 degrees in the forecast ...)

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup raisins
1/2 cups soy milk blended with 2 tsp vinegar

Blend dry ingredients, then stir in raisins. Stir in the soymilk + vinegar mixture. Knead until a smooth, pliable dough forms. Lightly oil a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Shape the dough into a round loaf about 3 or 4 inches high on the pan. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a rack, but is best enjoyed warm, topped with Earth Balance and accompanied by a cup of tea.

latest obsession

If you're bored, or even if you're not, check out www.etsy.com - a sort of online flea market of handmade goods, vintage finds, and all kinds of unique items. Anyone can start their own personal "store," and sell their handmade products, from homemade soap to a custom-made stuffed animal miniature of your own pet. A really neat feature of etsy is a program called Alchemy, which allows purchaser to post requests for custom items, and sellers can bid for the chance to create that item for the seller.

Here is a great video about etsy:

Recipe I want to Try

[source: back of a can of Westbrae Natural organic garbanzo beans]

Mediterranean Garbanzo Stir Fry
1 cup uncooked rice (white, basmati or jasmine work well)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, halved and sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
1 tomato, chopped

cook rice according to package directions, then set aside. heat oil in large skillet over mediu, heat. stir in oregano and garlic & saute one minute. add zucchini, mushrooms & beans, stirring well to couat with oil and herbs. stir fry for 10 minutes or until zucchini is crisp and tender. add fresh mint and tomato and stir to heat, about 5 more minutes. serve over cooked rice.


YUM!

Let's Bring it Back.

I realized recently that lately I've been feeling disconnected from a lot of things that I hold dear, and I plan on spending the summer months getting "back in the groove." This includes writing some short essays on some topics that have been on my mind lately, exploring new ideas & art forms, reading more books, spending as much time as possible outside/ in my neighborhood and spending as little time possible indoors/in my car.

New Blog (for the time being)

I am in Spain this semester, and for convenience's sake I made a new blog that will just focus on my time in Spain. So here is the link!

http://morgan-lifeinspain.blogspot.com/

peace be with you!

Changes

So I'm going to Spain in four days. I will be there for five months.

I remember being a senior in high school, reading pamphlets about the Semester in Spain program at Calvin, comparing it with other schools' programs. Now I am less than a week from getting on a plane and going there.

Life sure flies by so fast. I'm trying my hardest not to let it pass me by.