Chickpea Sloppy Joes or Janes… as you wish

Again, here is a recipe that I kind of just make as I go. I make sloppy joes or janes all the time with various substitutes for the meat. On this blog I have a recipe using tempeh. But, here is my chickpea recipe.

What I used:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil  (your choice)
• 1 medium-large onion, diced
• 1/2 cup of diced carrots
• 1/2 cup of diced broccoli
• Garlic
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of mild chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/8 a teaspoon of pepper
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Vegan buns, bread or hoagies

What I did:

• Preheat skillet with oil over medium heat
• Add the onions, carrots, broccoli and as much garlic as you wish, saute until onions are translucent
• Add the chickpeas and slightly smash them, if you desire, saute until browned
• Add in the chili powder, cumin and pepper and stir till equally coated
• Stir in the ketchup and mustard (use more ketchup than mustard)
• Allow to simmer in skillet at medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes

This time I served mine on onion buns.

Current Project….

Hey, so today I’d like to tell you about a current project I’m working on. Actually, I just started the project last Sunday. However, planning had been going on for months. It’s in part why I’ve been so neglecting of my blog. Which makes me sad and I’d like to change it.

On Sunday I started working on a new film project. It’s a documentary and will be about canine rescue. It’s a lot more in-depth than that. It’s a really exciting thing for me because I love both film and helping animals. And it’s not just something I’m working on as a telecom student. I have yet to share a project I’ve worked on as a telecom student. But, I’m very excited to share this project with you!

Just from the initial meeting on Sunday, I was blown away with the individual dedication it takes to run a canine rescue and sanctuary. These are amazing people giving back to the world, one dog at a time. One hope of the film is to generate positive awareness for the organization that will be highlighted in the film.

They need volunteers! They need volunteers badly. I know a lot of people that claim to be animal activists or animal lovers. So, I’ve been asking around IRL (in real life) if anyone would be interested in volunteering. So, far I’ve only had one of these people say they would. That’s pretty disappointing. I realize people are busy. But, the kind of volunteering needed would have required so little.

Anyways, I’m excited about the project and very excited to share updates about the project with you! As of right now, filming will be on or around Oct 27th. So, that means you can most likely expect some stills from me.

Moms are good for soup…

Okay, so I realize that moms are good for  WAY MORE than soup…. But, they are really good at making soup and bringing it to you. Or at least my mom is. They are also really good at not giving you their soup recipes. Or just giving you a little bit of their recipe. Or swearing you to secrecy.
Last Monday I wasn’t feeling very well. The weather had changed and either I had a cold or my allergies were terrible. So, I called Mom and asked her to make me some “No Chicken” Noodle Soup. Except, I told her she just had to add in some beans.

 

Yesterday, Mom was helping me set up my new office. Mondays are her days off. And I insisted that she make me some vegan chili. My mom has the perfect recipe for vegan chili. It contains a secret ingredient she learned from my dad. I don’t know what it is yet. Lol. An example of a recipe that I don’t have.

 

Update….

Hey, everyone!! I know, it’s been a while since I last blogged. Mostly, because I’ve been super, super busy. This past Spring was not a particularly good one for me. Several people in my family passed away. Some expected, some not. I was very sad and depressed during this time. In the span of like 3 months 5 of my family members died. If you follow me on twitter, than you’re probably aware of some of this. I had also just moved to a different city to do theater. Basically, because I’d lost focus with where I was going with school and decided to do something I’d liked as a teen. Who knows. I think it was more likely a quarter-life crisis. Glad that has passed.

Anyways, Summer was really good to me. I went back to school and regained focus of where I wanted to go in life. I’m doing both telecommunications and art history. Embarking on my last art history class has been sad. Lol. You could also say I found love, but we’ll leave this till later. I will say dating a non-vegan can be challenging. I was going to school so often and trying to fix all the messes I’d made over the last year and a half that I didn’t have time to cook. I’ve basically been eating vegan junk food. Hmm….

Okay, let’s move to present day…. So, I have to start avoiding soy. Ugh, I don’t like this at all. It’s gonna be challenging for me, because of the way I’ve grown accustomed to eating. However, this has gotten me back into the cooking mode. So, this blog will once again be updated rather frequently.

And a side note: I haven’t been depressed since May. I’ve actually been pretty happy!

So, this week I’ve gotten back into cooking and made a few recipes. I hope to have those up either by this weekend or early next week.

Hope you’re all doing well!!!

~ Alexa

Vegan No-Bake Cookies — Peanut Free

As you know I’m allergic to peanut butter. Typically, no-bake cookies are made with peanut butter. So, I’ve always had to make mine peanut free. My aunt use to make me no-bake cookies using marshmallow cream. You could use vegan marshmallow cream. However, when we made them last Sunday we used sunflower butter in place of the peanut butter.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of vegan sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup soy or coconut milk
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 1 teas vanilla
• 1/4 cup sunflower butter
• 3 cups minute oats

To make:

• Mix together the sugar, cocoa, milk, butter & vanilla
• Cook those ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly
• When temperature reaches 200 degrees on a candy thermometer, remove from heat
• Add sunflower butter mix well
• Add oats and mix well
• Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper
• Let sit until cooled

I hadn’t been that sick in a long time….

I had a horrific cold/flu for the past 2 weeks!!! I hadn’t been that sick in the past 6 years. Actually, in the past 3 years that I’d been vegan I wasn’t sick once. I didn’t even remember what I felt like to be that sick.

I didn’t think I’d ever get rid of my 103. something fever. I felt absolutely miserable. I didn’t move off my couch for a whole week. And I could barely manage to eat.

I got sick probably because I kept getting coughed on by someone I know. Anyway, I also think I got sick in part because I hadn’t been being a healthy vegan. In fact I’d been being a junk food vegan. My life has been hectic to say the least, money has been a little tight and I’ve been eating cheap vegan junk food. After being sick for so long I’ve decided to put an emphasis on being a healthy vegan and eating right!

So, once again I’ve been absent from my blogging. Except this time it was due to being sick. And actually, I haven’t been making any awesome vegan food. But, I hope to get back to blogging about vegan food, issues & life soon!

Hey, Vegans, Guys, Gals, Dolls, Cats, Peeps, Squirrels…

In other words… Hey, readers or whatever you’d like to go by!

I just wanted to let everyone know why I’ve not been around lately.

Basically, I’ve been getting my sh*t together.

Making plans, organizing, getting work, being artistic, all that good stuff.

I haven’t found much time for blogging or even… OMG… Tweeting.

And most of you probably know… I’m a bit of a twitter addict.

However, I am down to just 2 twitter accounts right now.

Anyways, my fellow living creatures, I’ll be back to blogging soon.

I’ve made some really great recipes admits the madness of my life and I can’t wait to share them with you!!

I’ll be posting some more memoirs in the next week or 2.

In the meantime if you don’t already….

Follow me on twitter @veganmemoirs

I’m always happy to hear from you.

Oh, and FYI I’m not 1/2 as messed up as my twitter makes me sound!

Peace, Love, Happiness and all that good stuff,

Lex

When did I get happy?

To my blog followers…

First of all I just want to say THANK YOU!!! I really appreciate all of you following my blog over the past year. It’s only been around for a year. I guess I made it a year and part of why I made it was because of you all! I really love reading and responding to all of your comments. It makes the whole process so much more fun! I know it’s not always easy for everyone to comment on  blog posts. I’m kinda shy and have a hard time commenting on the blogs I read. It sucks!

Anyway, thank you so, so much! I cannot possibly say it enough! I hope that you’ll stick with me during 2012. It really does mean the world to me.

I know on Thursdays I’m suppose to do “get to know me thursday”…. Well, for this Thursday I’m going to tell you about a new blog I’m starting. I don’t really want to publicize it a whole lot. I kinda want it to be separate from other aspects of my life. But, if you want to get to know me a little bit better or are curious about the topics it cover give this new one a follow too!

My new blog

XOXO

New Year’s Food…

For New Years Eve, we had a house  party and some people came over. We all made something. It was all vegan of course. I don’t allow people to bring food into my house that’s not vegan. I consider that rudeness. Lol. My place, my rules.

I made a Mexi dip with a side of guacamole for the party. It was a really simple dip. Just refried beans, tofu sour cream with a special spices, olives and Daiya cheese. I baked it until the “cheese” was good and melted. Simple, enough!

Here is my plate from New Year’s Eve. You’ll see the dip I made, spinach and artichoke dip, baked fries, the guacamole, and some Gardein crispy tenders.

 

Every year on New Year’s Day we have cabbage. Typically, we have stuffed cabbage. This year we had a cabbage casserole. Which was almost the same as the stuffed cabbage. One layer of cabbage with rice, onions & tomatoes in the middle & then another layer of cabbage topped with tomato sauce. It’s really super good. Mom’s recipe I must add. Below is the pic.

We ended up with some leftovers that were just as good reheated and made for an easy lunch and dinner that following Monday!

Happy New Year Readers!! I know I’m a little late posting this, but I wish you all the best this upcoming year!!

XOXO

Me… 10 years ago…

So, for some odd reason as 2012 came around I began reflecting on my life 10 years ago. I must say that 10 years ago there wasn’t a whole lot I could do. I couldn’t drink, vote or drive a car. I had never been to high school. I had never been on a date. And I was about 2 years away from going vegetarian.

10 years ago I was living with my grandparents. My parents had gotten divorced a little over a year prior. We were building a house. But, until it was built we were living in my grandparents basement in utter chaos! I slept on the floor on a mattress with Rugrats sheets.

10 years ago I was in middle school. Life at school wasn’t the best either. I was bullied by mean little delinquents that made fun of me for having nice clothes and pretty hair. Gosh, jealously can sure cause people to be evil. But, sadly they continued said behavior into adulthood. Not surprising.

10 years ago I didn’t have a cell phone. I had to call my friends on their home lines! Lol. Gosh, I hated talking on the phone! I was probably the only “teen” who did. It’s funny to think how all those people who were supposedly my “friends” back then don’t really know me now. Except for Jules, but she went to a different school and “seemed” to live far away! Lol. Some claim they we are friends, but they aren’t even for sure what I do for a living! Golly, my blog readers know me better!

10 years ago I wanted to be an entertainer or a poet when I became an adult… ahem…. Well, that’s not a far cry from my “career” I suppose one could say. I wrote some kick ass poetry as a teen. I’m still incredibly proud of the poems I wrote back then. Around this time was the first time I actually read my poems out loud. I remember reading them in my English class because my teacher was so taken with them.

10 years ago I wore wrapping paper ribbons in my hair to school everyday. I thought I was so wicked cool! I wore jeans everyday because I hated skirts. I always wore fancy shirts or tees about snowboarding. I wore glitter eye shadow on game days and was never without my lip gloss and hairbrush. I was such a girly girl who liked to snowboard. Or try to anyway!

10 years ago I excelled in every class except shop and gym. I must say I didn’t really put in any effort in either class. Why would I want to sweat! Those were not my type of classes.

10 years ago my favorite band was No Doubt. My favorite TV shows were Lizzie McGuire and One Life To Live. My favorite movies were typically about surfers or snowboarders. My “celeb” crush was Jesse McCartney. My favorite food was pizza. My favorite color was red because it reminded me to be passionate in all that I did. I liked big sunglasses with rhinestone hearts.

Okay, so there’s a little bit about me from 10 years ago! I hope you enjoyed it!!

If you knew me 10 years ago, please share a memory below. Or if you’d like please share things about your lives 10 years ago!