a breakfast that is not cereal

Normally I eat a totally boring breakfast. I'm not a morning person in any way, shape, or form, so usually my level of functioning upon waking is enough to merely pour myself a bowl of cereal, or if it's a good day then actually operate the microwave to make oatmeal.

I was feeling a bit more ambitious on the day of this picture though, and plus I had some really interesting fruit to use up before it went bad. One was a dinosaur egg, and the other a... plout? I can't remember the exact name. They were both plum-peach hybrids, but had slightly different coloring. I cut them up and spooned some granola and black cherry soy yogurt on top. It was *delicious*, and soooo filling. I was feeling totally stuffed when I went off to class.

Also, organic chemistry book? Gone. That evil spectre has since been banished from my life!

my favorite cookbooks

I thought I'd make a post about my favorite cookbooks, since I'll probably end up referring to recipes in most if not all of them! I also <3 the word games and giant black cat in this picture, but that is unrelated.

I have to say, my *absolute favorite* of the bunch is Dreena Burton's Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan! (ED&BV) I haven't had a failure yet out of this cookbook (except the one time I misread an ingredient and used tahini instead of tamari... oops). I haven't had a chance to try as many recipes as I'd like yet, but everything I've made has been delicious, and everything that I haven't looks delicious. I'm practically drooling thinking of things I want to try. If there was a vote for the one vegan cookbook everyone should have, I would vote for Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan.

As for the others...

The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Cookbook, by Nava Atlas - This isn't strictly a vegan cookbook, but most of the recipes actually are. When I first started learning to cook five ingredients seemed like more than enough, and this book was a lifesaver for me! While many of the recipes now seem overly simplistic, at the time I bought this more involved recipes would've discouraged me. It's a great beginner's cookbook, but it also has a lot of recipes that are great as side dishes, or when you want something fast and easy. I've altered many of the recipes in here by adding ingredients.

Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero - Most of the recipes in here are more time-consuming than I would be able to handle on any given night in the week, unfortunately. Still, there are some really creative recipes that would be good for special occasions... and there are certainly some easier ones scattered throughout. I don't understand why I see everyone recommending this cookbook everywhere -- it is probably my least favorite out of the ones I own.

Vegan with a Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz - Lots of basic and tasty recipes! My favorite potato recipe comes from this book, and actually now that I think of it, several of my favorite recipes are from it! Like ED&BV, this is another one I think everyone should have.

Vegan Planet, by Robin Robertson - A comprehensive TOME of all foods vegan. I think this was the very first vegan cookbook I ever bought. If you need a vegan cookbook that will provide you with, like, a bazillion different options... this is the one! Some of the recipes have been hit or miss for me (there is a theme: the ones involving making a white sauce based on tofu, or using silken tofu to replace cheese), but now that my palate has broadened I can tell by flipping through that this is a cookbook I need to revisit.

How it All Vegan!, by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard - I haven't had a chance to use this book too much yet. It seems to focus a lot on making substitutes for non-vegan favorites, and sticks to the basics pretty much as far as other things. Still, there's a whole list of things I want to try in there.

Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking - Another one that's not solely vegan. I'm a huge fan of Asian and Indian cuisine though, so, I very much appreciate this cookbook!

mabon!

I intended to take some pictures of my coven's Mabon festivities, but of course I forgot to recharge my camera's batteries! I snapped one picture before it died on me. We had a nice little outdoor ritual with a part that focused on the senses, and I got to take home that beautiful vase of herbs in the center, which were used to represent scent. Now I have some dried thyme, basil, patchouli, and mint that I need to figure out what to do with. The athame right next to the baby shoe looks a little ominous, eh? :-D Hopefully I can get better pictures at Samhain.

renaissance, expanded

As I said in my previous post, I'd like to resurrect this blog. I think before it was just too limited in scope, so now I'm broadening it. Now that I'm venturing into veganism I'd like to chronicle that journey, as well as post the occasional bit of art or craftiness, and thoughts on spirituality. So that's my idea: to write about the parts of life that make it rich and fulfilling but wouldn't usually make it into my journal (leandra_nyx.livejournal.com). The things that give texture to my life, if not actual form.

I don't get the chance to work on art projects as often as I'd like, but when I do I think it would be nice to able to show off the things I've made. Who knows, maybe having a place to share would actually inspire me to make more art even!

As far as spirituality goes, I'm pretty sure that I'll always consider myself pagan, but my beliefs and practices are always evolving. I've dabbled in a bit of nearly every pagan (and non-pagan) path -- my bulging bookshelf proves it -- out of personal interest or simply a desire for knowledge and understanding. To make a long story short, I'm an eclectic pagan who's roots are in Wicca and Women's Spirituality, who takes inspiration from Hinduism's views on Deity, and appreciates the mythologies of many cultures. I've been part of a coven for four years, and I'll probably post a bit about our goings-on, as well as general thoughts.

I imagine my vegan experiments will probably dominate this blog, however. When vegan cookbook authors tell you that going vegan is easy, guess what -- they're LYING. Vegan cooking by itself is as easy as any other cuisine, but breaking food habits is HARD. Perhaps it's easier for others, but veganism for me has come with the dual challenge of changing my eating habits while simultaneously learning how to cook. Well, that's not quite right. I know how to cook, and I'd say I'm a damn good cook, but what I lack is some of the skills associated with cooking.

Before I learned about veganism I was a vegetarian, but a bad vegetarian. I would cook something from scratch maybe once a week, and my husband and I ate a lot of frozen pizzas, boxed foods, and ramen. I know that's really lame, but sadly, true. Now that I'm attempting to be vegan those foods don't work anymore, and thank goodness! There are always Amy's frozen meals, but those are expensive. So, being vegan is good in many ways: good for my budget, good for my health, and most of all, good for the animals!

Unfortunately, it's not really coming overnight for me. As I said, I'm a good cook, but haven't really been in the habit of cooking a lot, so I'm having to learn some of the basics. Things like: Planning a menu in advance, and shopping for things that are on that menu. Developing a meal repetoire. Making sure that I'm not planning to make too many complicated meals in one week, which burns me out. And the big thing for me, learning how to cook vegetables! All of that may sound silly to someone who has been doing it for a while, but these are skills that take time to learn! My husband is still only vegetarian too, so when I fail at one of those steps, I'll usually break down and go in for the frozen pizza with him. So while I may not be 100% vegan yet, I'm definitely working on it... and I want to document my progress, not to mention the tasty food I make!

renaissance

Egads! It's been quite a while since I posted in here, eh? I can't just let this thing be dead; I have too much to ramble about. So, coming soon... a post. Other than this post, that is. :-)

altars, as they were, and thoughts on the future

My main altar, as it was back in May of 2007. It was pretty, but I didn't use it as often as I wanted to -- partially because I was feeling something of a disconnect spiritually, and also partially because it felt more ornamental. A friend suggested that I meditate on what gods and goddesses I really wanted to have a relationship with, and also reminded me that my altar is as much for me as it is for them. I think that was a big part of my problem with this altar... it didn't contain much of myself.

A separate problem is the position of the altar (on my dresser), which is a bit awkward since I have to be standing the whole time I'm doing something. I would like an altar that I can kneel in front of of just for comfort's sake, but have no place in the house to set something like that up. I've been working on changing this altar around (it's quite deconstructed at the moment), but I'm also thinking I might need to have some tools and supplies stashed someplace in the living room too where I can just set them up on the floor as needed. It's the only area large enough to have a full circle anyway, so I think that's how it'll be. The bedroom altar will have to just be for devotionals.




I love my Aphrodite shrine, however. It's good as it is. :-)

local nature #3

Ten points if you can spot the ninja squirrel!



Now the camouflage is gone, fallen to the ground where it forms a golden blanket. The squirrels' ninja powers are severely compromised in such conditions. I think they've given up on stealth entirely now -- the other day one was blatantly trying to scale my screen door. I told him that I could see him. He then said no one sees the ninja and lives to tell the tale. I laughed, and then he laughed too, saying that it was no laughing matter and soon he would be in my ceiling, where he would scratch until he made a hole from which he could leap onto my face while I slept.

Yesterday my botany lab was studying fruit, so I stole some peanuts and acorns as a peace offering. I've been feeling bad for the squirrels anyway. Around this time of year their tails become about as big as their bodies and they usually look pretty cozy, but with the mix of snow and rain lately they just look sad and bedraggled. Very much like drowned rats. Also not very ninja-like.