Mandy's Pizza and More...or Less

So BFF, You know how people used to go crazy when a Krispy Kreme would open in their neighborhood and they'd get all worked up & stand in line for an hour? Well, this is the same excitement that comes over a vegan when they discover and pizza place with vegan pizza...that delivers! They will bring it right to my house! Can you even believe it???? I recently found out that Mandy's Pizza and More has gluten free and allergen free pizza & hoagies. Their menu even says suitable for vegan lifestyle! Hooray!!!! So hubs and I ordered a pizza and a "hoagie" and here's where it went down hill...

They have a sign outside of their shop that says they offer gluten and allergen free pizza and HOAGIES. But when I tried to order the hoagie, I was told it was more of a flatbread sandwich using the same crust as for the pizza. And I was hoping for a regular crust pizza with the vegan cheese, but apparently the regular crust is not vegan. Okay fine, we'll try it. When he gave the the total over the phone I almost fell over...$35 for 1 pizza and 1 sandwich! And when I took a look at the pizza I almost fell over again...it was only a 4 slice pizza!!!!!!

Flatbread sandwich...looks pretty...tastes not so much.

Other disappointments: the menu describes the mushrooms as "fresh"...which is a total lie as they are either from a can or jar (yuck!!!!). They also boast a "secret" dairy alternative cheese, which is Daiya. Or identical in flavor and consistency. The crust was not good at all. And the sandwich was disgusting...it just tasted like crappy pizza dough and banana peppers. Totally not worth the outrageous prices...You can spend just as much at Pizza Fusion & get a large organic vegan pizza that is gourmet! But for us, we'll just stick to our good old stand-by. Spak Brothers in Garfield. You can get a large (8 cut) pizza with all the same toppings as Mandy's for under $15! And it is delicious! They also offer true vegan hoagies on real bread, like the Seitan Cheese "Steak" or the Seitan Pittsburgh "Steak". Even add a side of Seitan wings with vegan buffalo sauce.  They may not deliver, but it's well work the drive.

People with gluten allergies may be used to eating crusts that taste like cardboard, but vegans are not! If Trader Joe's can make a delicious vegan pizza dough and sell it for 99 cents, I think Mandy's can do better. But their focus is on allergen free, and I definitely think there is a need for this...especially for all those GFCF kids out there. But there has to be a way to make this more affordable? Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but this vegan is disappointed. But on the bright side...Sesame Inn will still bring Chinese food right to my door!

Till next time BFF...I'll be sharing with you what I've been up to since dropping out of the challenge!

And....I'm out.

After much consideration, I have decided (along with hubs) to withdraw from the La Dolce Vegan Challenge sponsored by The Vegan Culinary Institute. I've come to this decision mainly because of the amount of money I am spending on food that I would never normally buy (frozen peaches, cherries, raspberries, etc.) and also because of the amount of sugar I am consuming. Hubs and I rarely eat dessert (special occasions) and making a dessert every three days is really changing the way my clothes fit me. I have been giving away the desserts, but I cannot continue (financially) to feed all my neighbors. There also seems to be a changing of the guard as far as who is running the challenge, so now seems like a good time to bow out.

To Sarah, thank you for your wonderful cookbooks. I just adore them & cook with them all the time!

To The Vegan Culinary Institute, what a wonderful idea & thank you for hosting and inspiring!

To the other contestants, good luck & I'll still be following along!

To you dear BFF, I will continue to blog about my adventures in vegan cooking, I promise! The blog must go on!

Gawd, I'm so dramatic!

Days 10, 13, 16, and 42 & a minor kitchen fire...

Just a reminder that I am involved in The La Dolce Vegan cooking challenge sponsored by The Vegan Culinary Institute, wherein we cook our way through La Dolce Vegan cookbook by Sarah Kramer & blog about our experiences.

I had a bit of a catch up day yesterday...all desserts! I have an event tomorrow where I'm in charge of desserts, so I saved a bunch for then & also skipped ahead so I'd have enough to share. Here we go:

Day 10 ~ Espresso Cake (247) with Chocolate Glaze (260). First of all, I don't have an espresso maker, so I went up to my local coffee shop for the espresso, thanks Coffee Buddha! I also decided to double the recipe since I need to feed lots of people. The cake recipe was very easy and smelled like heaven! I didn't have a double boiler for the glaze, so I had to fashion one. It was a little messy but did the job. I didn't get to try the finished product yet, but can't wait to!

Day 13 ~ Stephanie's Asteroids aka Sugar Bombs aka Crack aka Instant Cavity (page 209). In my baking frenzy yesterday, I forgot to make these. So I whipped them up this morning before breakfast! Quick and easy. I screwed up by putting the sugar (a reduced 2/3 cup) into the dry mixture, so I ended up putting the remaining 1/3 cup on the stove with the peanut butter and soy milk. It turned out fine & actually made them look a little sparkly:). But so much for trying to watch the sugar intake. My advice before rolling this sticky little nuggets of goo in your hands is to wet your hands with cold water...makes life much easier. And holy sugar!!!! Be so careful giving these to your kids...they may not sleep for days! These are like a non-drug drug...I'm still buzzing! Yum!

Day 16 ~ Cherry Cobbler (page 230). Okay so I hate cherry pie, cherry cobbler, or anything to do with cooked cherries. I only like them fresh. But I actually didn't mind this recipe so much. I loved the little "biscuits" that made up the cobbler part. This literally makes exactly 4 servings...Sarah Kramer is a genius for coming up with this idea. (Though it did sabotage my plan to feed 30 people with it. What was I thinking??) Love it...2 thumbs up. Next time I might try it with strawberries or blueberries.

Day 42 ~ Cranberry Apple Crisp (page 234). This is my skip ahead recipe, since the cobbler couldn't feed more than 4 people. I doubled this recipe as well for the number of people I want to serve and also didn't get to try it just yet. I didn't have enough cranberries for the doubled recipe, so I used blueberries. It was 2 cups cranberries and 1 cup blueberries. Looks delicious & smells fantastic! Just like fall. The hardest part was chopping the apples. But if you have an apple peeler-corer-slicer, it's a breeze. Whoever invented this thing is a stinking genius! It is perfect for making apple pies. If you don't own the stand, you may want to think about getting it, as this doesn't clamp on my kitchen counter tops. You know another thing I love from Pampered Chef? These measuring spoons. Another genius invention and space saver. And for $8, you are going to save yourself a world of hassle. No I do not sell Pampered chef, I am just in love with these two purchases! Anywho...check out the Crisp:

And now on to my final order of blogging...the kitchen fire. As all my lovely desserts were cooling on trivets on the stovetop, I decided to rest and make myself a cup of tea. I put the teapot on the stove, turned it on, and walked away. Within about 10 minutes the house was filled with smoke. I turned on a burner under one of my cooking desserts & set the wooden trivet on fire...and I mean real flames! This is not the first time I have done this & it's one of the reasons I really miss my gas stove. This is, however, the first time there have been actual flames. But I learned something...my smoke detectors don't work so great! I got the smoke cleared, but my house definitely smells like a campfire. Ah well...what an adventure!

Lying on the floor where I tossed it after smothering the flames. *sigh*

Mmmmmmm Noodle Soup...

Day ~ 15 Soba Noodle Miso Soup page 103

So, BFF, I love Miso soup & I love noodle soup & I love Bok Choy...so I was very excited about this recipe....and it did not disappoint! the flavor was wonderful & I loved the addition of the Nori. I have my own Gamashio recipe (from my yoga mentor) that I love and swear by and use on EVERYTHING! But in the spirit of challenge and because I'm trying to incorporate more sea veggies in my diet, I tried Sarah's recipe. And of course I loved it because she is a genius! It was wonderful on top of my noodle soup, I mean soup, I mean noodle soup, damn! I think I may have added too many noodles to this soup, but I really didn't mind. It reminds me of Joey on Friends:

Asteroids, Migraines, and Day 14...

So, BFF, first of all...Day 13 ~ Stephanie's Asteroids (no-bake cookies) are gonna have to wait until Thursday or Friday. But I did make Day 14 ~ Cool Cucumber Salad (pg 83) and Creamy Soygurt Dressing (pg 94). So easy and so stinking delicious! I had this along side the Cumin Rice (really growin' on me!) topped with some Sriracha! I love the hot and cool flavors! I ate so much of this for dinner...at first I had them neatly separated on the plate, but by the end it was all mushed together and delicious. Very glad there was nobody here to witness the spectacle of me eating. Eesh.

Now on to the Migraine issue. So, I'm a migraine sufferer. Usually it's hormone related & usually it doesn't hurt. I just get some tingling in the right side of my face & that's how I know it's happening. But once or twice a year, I get that really really painful and terrible one. Today was that day. I had pain, tingling, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea. It was awful. And to top it off...it was my first day of teaching yoga at a new place. So I decided to try some home remedies. 1st I drank a cup of warm water with 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Then I soaked a hand towel in water & put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes & then on my head and eyes. I took this little rest for about 1/2 hour. Then I made my go-to-fixer-upper, hot water with 7-8 thin slices of fresh ginger (a recipe from my yoga mentor). My ginger "tea"...I use this for everything...headaches, allergies, sinus issues, fatigue, tummy problems...you name it. Anywho...After all these remedies, I actually felt better. Not 100%, but definitely functional. I thought I should share this with you, BFF, in case you ever need it (& I hope you never do).

Follow up on the Cumin Spiced Rice...

Well BFF, I'm the kind of person who can admit when she's wrong, and I was wrong about this rice. Today I took the rice & fried it up in a pan & served with stir fried baby bok choy & it was very good! I think maybe it needs to be paired with something else? Anywho...sorry Sarah & Cumin Fried Rice...I dig you both very much:)

**I cooked the bok choy in the wok with some dark sesame oil, garlic, fresh ginger, and at the end a tiny splash soy sauce. yum!

Day 12 ~ Cumin Spiced Brown Rice page 190

So I love cumin and I love rice, but did not love this dish so much. It was a little bland...maybe I need to add salt? I used veggie broth, but couldn't really taste it in the end. And it was also a little oily. Not sure I'll make it again...I also hate waiting for rice to cook (40-45 minutes). I thought of maybe doing this in my rice cooker, but I don't have any experience doing full dishes like this in there...Hmmmmmm...I might have to experiment.

Day 11 ~ Karen's Mexican Burrito Pie

What a tasty treat this was! I have never thought about cooking avocados before, but it was really delightful! My only problems with this recipe is the number of dirty dishes and utensils it created & it came out of the oven still cold ( I think I may need to invest in an oven thermometer like Sarah recommends). This makes a lot of food! We're going to be eating it for days! Hubs really really liked it too! I used jarred salsa because I had it & didn't want to dirty more dishes...I'm so lazy.

Just look at all those yummy layers!!!! Next time I might use Daiya Pepperjack cheese for a little added kick!

I served it up with my special Mexican rice and fresh jalapenos from my brother!

Not in a good way...

Hey BFF...I've been having a rough few days. I'm feeling really down. I'm feeling down on the yoga community and down on the vegan community and down in general. Ever have those days where you feel hopeless? Like you can't change the world the way you thought you could? Like you just don't want to be a part of a world that does such cruel and awful things? Like if you had a spaceship you'd get the eff outta here? Yeah, that's how I'm feeling. I wonder if this is how Chris Crocker felt when everyone was picking on Britney?

Watch out for the eff bomb & other bad words out of Chris's mouth. When you are distraught, these things just happen. *Hugs* Chris.

At least I've still got my weird sense of humor, BFF.

Day 9 ~ Noodle Salad with Nut Dressing

Recipe on page 81.

BFF, I'm not usually a fan of cold noodle salads with peanut sauce or any other nut sauce for that matter. But this is sooooo yummy! I used peanut butter, but mixed with all other ingredients it was not too peanuty. I used Agave Nectar instead of the sugar (I just can't do anymore sugar), and it wasn't too sweet at all. I also used Mugwort Soba noodles & they were delicious & added some extra color to the dish. There's a nice little spicy kick to this noodle salad that was a nice surprise. Thanks Vegan Culinary Institute once again for hosting this challenge...I'm finding lots of delightful new recipes!

Day ~ 8 ~ Baby Spinach and Apple Salad with Sweet Red Wine Vinaigrette

Recipe found on page 77.

Dear BFF,

I love me a spinach salad! And this one tasted just like fall! I didn't have raisins and don't really like them anywho, so I subbed a dried berry mix that I had on hand (cherries, blueberries, cranberries, and plums). The berry mix along with a tart apple made this salad just perfect in my opinion! And hubs, who could care less about dressing, actually commented on how good this dressing was. I paired this with the potato leek soup from the other night, and it was the perfect rainy day meal!

Heads up, BFF!!! These next few recipes may be a bit out of order. I am strategically planning the desserts to take with me to the lake next weekend. Don't want to make them too far ahead & DEFINITELY don't want to eat them all myself!!

Walk for Farm Animals

Dear BFF,

Every year Farm Sanctuary hosts a Walk for Farm Animals, to raise money and awareness for neglected and abused farm animals. I am doing my second walk this year in Pittsburgh and I am writing to request your help! Last year I came in 2nd place as highest fundraiser & Pittsburgh was in the top fundraising cities. We hope to blow both of these out of the water! If you'd like to help farm animals, please sponsor me on my page! There's a quick link in the top right corner! I'm currently in 2nd place again...can you help me get to 1st?

Farm Sanctuary is one of my favorite places on earth. I became vegan after being there for about a minute. FS has literally changed my whole world. I go there for inspiration & encouragement, for peace and reassurance.

Honestly, spend 5 minutes with any animal there & your heart and mind will be forever changed. Farm Sanctuary does life changing and life saving work. They cannot do this without our help and support.

Please help us make a difference in the lives of farm animals. Anything at all is so greatly appreciated.

Peace and Love,
Your Vegan BFF

Day 7 ~ Blueberry Dilip

Blueberry Dilip is found on page 228 of La Dolce Vegan. This recipe was really simple to make & was soooooo stinking delicious! It's a lot like a cobbler & is amazing served warm. My only complaint is the price of blueberries...I used fresh, but the frozen are just as expensive. That being said, I will definitely make it again!I took this to my book club dinner & the girls looooooved it!

Day 6 ~ Simple Leek and Potato Soup

Simple Leek and Potato Soup, page 109.

Perfect soup for a chilly and rainy day in the 'Burgh. This soup was so stinking easy...I'll be making it a lot this winter! I used my immersion blender (second favorite kitchen appliance), but left some chunks in there.

Pair it with some yummy crusty bread & it's the perfect comfort meal. Thanks Sarah!

Juicer a.k.a. Kris Carr

Dear BFF,

I just wanted to take this moment to introduce you to my new juicer, Kris Carr. I have named her Kris Carr after the person Kris Carr a.k.a. The Vegan Juicing Goddess Extraordinaire. The person Kris Carr spoke at Farm Sanctuary this summer & inspired me to invest in a good juicer. So here she is!

Isn't she pretty? I'm in love! She is an Omega 8006 masticating juicer. I wanted a middle of the line juicer (read: didn't want to pay $500+), but I wanted to be able to make juice & store it at least overnight so I don't have to juice everyday (read: lazy). The masticating juicer slowly "chews" up the veggies, squeezing out all the vitaminy goodness. Kris Carr actually sounds like a little bunny chewing on her veggies! This allows the juice to sit awhile before losing all the nutrients. Masticating juicers also yield more juice, more nutrients & enzymes, less foam & can be stored in the fridge for a day or so...perfect! All pieces-parts are dishwasher safe on top rack (bonus!), so she's super easy to clean. I love my green juice!!! Thanks Kris Carr (juicer and person!)!

Kale, romaine, broccoli, pea sprouts, pears, ginger, cucumber, celery.

Day 5 ~ Estrellasoap.com Peanut Butter Fudge Mounds

Recipe found on page 208 of  La Dolce Vegan.

Crazy name, but these are just No-Bakes! Super easy to make & very yummy. They have the consistency of fudge. I took them to a friend who broke her leg (Feel better Toolie!) and she loved them! I'm so happy to have a vegan version of these cookie favorites!

Day 4 ~ Gerry's Artichoke and Basil Pasta

Wow, BFF, I cannot believe it's only been 4 days! Here's my official shout out to The Vegan Culinary Institute for sponsoring this challenge...what a challenge it is!

Now on to the recipe. This lovely recipe is found on page 132 of Sarah Kramer La Dolce Vegan. Super easy recipe, accessible and inexpensive ingredients (except the pine nuts ~ cha-ching$$!). I loved being able to use ingredients from my garden. Hubs loved it & commented on what a nice and light pasta dish it was. Easy and delish...will make again!

Day 3 - Portobello Pot Pie + All Purpose Pie Crust

Here's the recipe from La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer:

Crust (this is half the original recipe)
1 c all purpose or pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c vegan margarine
2 tbsp "milk"

Filling:

1 medium onion chopped
2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed, cubed
4-6 button mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small potato, cubed
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
3/4 c vegetable stock
2 tbsp flour

Directions:
To prepare the crust: In a food processor, blend the flour and salt together. Add the margarine and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add "milk" and blend until well combined and a dough forms. Remove dough, roll into a ball, and wrap in plastic; chill for at least 1 hour before using. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 10 inch pie plate or an 8x8 inch baking dish and set aside. In a large saucepan on medium heat, saute the onions and mushrooms in oil until onions are translucent. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, tamari, thyme, sage, and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. cover with a lid and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until potatoes can be poked easily with a fork. Stir in the flour and simmer until sauce begins to thicken. Transfer cooked vegetables to baking dish. Roll out the chilled dough and place evenly over top of vegetables. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Okay Bff...here's what I did. For the crust (any crust) I usually do all mixing by hand. So I gave the food processor a shot...the first 2 steps went fine, but had to remove the dough for the last step because it kept getting stuck. 2 things...first, my food processor is not the best, and b.) I used whole wheat pastry flour (possibly extra dry???). So I had to knead the dough by hand, adding extra "milk". Things I used: Original Earth Balance for the margarine, Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, and Rice Milk. When it came out of the fridge about 3 hours later, it was hard as a rock. So I had to let it sit for a bit & then work it with my hands        before I could roll it out...even then it was tough.

The filling was easy & pretty self explanatory. I didn't do anything crazy with it except use vegetable broth instead of stock because it's what I had. It smelled so wonderful while it was cooking...just like Thanksgiving. God, I love sage!

Overall, the Porto Pot Pie was delish! Would be a perfect winter comfort food. I was less than impressed with the crust...but maybe I screwed it up with the whole wheat pastry flour. Hubby liked it also except for the crust. Thanks Sarah! It was fun!

P.S...Dear BFF, I am not going to post the list of ingredients & directions for each dish I make...it takes forever & wouldn't be fair to give away all of Sarah's yummy recipes. If you want to follow along buy the cookbook! If there is something in particular that interests you, contact me!

Cooking with Sarah ~ Day 2

Recipe #2 ~ No Salt Shaker page 303

This was as easy as it gets! Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, paprika, ground pepper, dry mustard, celery seed...Viola!

PS...added the dry mustard after I took the picture because I forgot, oops!

Cooking with Sarah Day 1

Recipe # 1 ~ Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins ~ pg. 274 La Dolce Vegan!

Aren't they pretty? They were super easy to make & taste really yummy! They look a little dark because I used whole wheat flour.

What I did:
1. Used whole wheat flour because apparently that's all I have in my house.
2. Cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup because 3/4 cup seemed like a lot to me with the sweetness of bananas & molasses. I think they'd still be delicious even with 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Used frozen blueberries instead of fresh.

Thoughts:
1. Easy to make.
2. Delicious...had 2 for breakfast.
3. I am going to get fat doing this contest. I'll be making many more sweet things than I normally eat...this could be a problem.
4. I'm going to go broke doing this contest. Blueberries are freaking expensive!
5. I want a bigger kitchen & this thought makes me feel really old.

Thanks Sarah! See you tomorrow!!!

BFF...Let's talk about labels.

Dear BFF,
I'm in a mood. I'm a little cantankerous, if you must know. It has been recently brought to my attention that there are some vegans who really do not like when vegetarians call themselves "veganish" or "95% vegan". I can understand to a point because truthfully, if you are 95% vegan or veganish you ARE in fact vegetarian and not vegan. Refresher - Vegan = nothing from an animal...dairy, eggs, honey, leather, wool, etc. You see the difference? Veganism goes beyond what you put in your pie hole...it's a lifestyle. And it is a wonderful lifestyle if I do say so myself.

Now, here's where I get angry. It is not a pissing contest to see who can be more vegan. I don't think these labels make all that much of a difference...if you are vegetarian, almost vegan, 95% vegan, veganish, I think it's awesome! I applaud you all for taking any step at all in the direction of saving animals lives. If you stop eating meat...I'll light up my lighter and sing you "Free Bird"; if you give up eggs...I'll do a cartwheel; if you give up dairy...Rock 'n Roll high kick for you my friend; stop wearing leather?...I'll play you "Paparazzi" on my harmonium! What I'm trying to say here is that I will cheer you on every step of the way! I'm your vegan cheerleader!! You have my support! And 2 extra cartwheels for you if you continue to read to the end.

Truth in Labeling: I'm not actually a cheerleader in this photo. I was on the Dance Team. BUT, I do still own pom-poms & I can honestly do a cartwheel. I was cheerleading captain in 7th grade. So there.


 That being said...let's talk about labels that really do matter.

1. PORK. Pork is a pig. An emotional and loving animal, who is probably smarter than your dog. When you eat a pig, you are ingesting all of the stress and fear of this animal's last horrific moments of life. Chops, ham,  bacon, sausage = carcass of intelligent and sentient being. You can't fancy up a dead pig by calling it "pork".

2. BEEF. Beef is another word for the gorgeous and furry cow. After it's been tortured and killed. Some of these animals die piece by piece because the "stunner" missed. A slow an agonizing death is what these animals endure in the name of faster production and fewer cost. All so you can stuff your face with an artery clogging burger. YOUR money is paying for others to do this to animals. And FYI there is also disease and shit in your dead cow...enjoy. Don't believe me? Look it up...in fact here's a legal petition requesting that the USDA require FSIS for DECLARE feces in meat. Gross.

3. VEAL. Veal is a DEAD BABY COW. Who was never allowed to nurse from it's mom. Never allowed to roam around, play, or even TURN AROUND. You cannot make this nicer by calling it Veal. It is horrible. Don't think calves like to play and run around? I disagree. Wanna see?

4. Let's talk dairy for a minute...know anything about how lactation works? Well then you know that in order for a female to produce milk, they first have to be pregnant. So dairy cows are impregnated, give birth, have their babies taken away (see VEAL) so that we can steal their milk, and impregnated again, and again, and again...until they don't produce enough milk for greedy milk drinkers & then they are sent to be killed (see BEEF) at around age 4 or 5 (normal lifespan is about 25). Oh and bye the way...there is pus and blood in your milk from the cows udders being pumped constantly. Want some more truth? Here it is.

5.EGGS. God don't even get me started on eggs. Chickens might be the most abused animal in America. The male chicks are unwanted because the cannot lay eggs, so they are either thrown in a grinder alive or thrown in the trash alive...and guess what? The grinders don't always kill them...they come out the other end partially ground up and fully conscious. Layer Hens are subjected to unspeakable cruelty and disease in battery cages where they cannot even spread their wings or properly stand up. The hens literally go crazy and develop psychotic behaviors in these cages. Not to mention they have their beaks and toes cut off without anesthesia. Then they are sent to slaughter. And did you know that chickens are exempt from the Humane Slaughter Act? That's right, if you thought "humane slaughter" was bad, imagine what these sensitive animals endure. AND THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU EAT EGGS. Want more info? Here.

6.PROCESSING. Processing = killing. Don't church it up.

YOUR money pays for these things to happen. Think you can ignore it? Act like you aren't making a choice each and every time you buy meat, dairy, or eggs? You can pretend all you want, but this goes on every single minute of every single day in staggering number that would knock your panites off. Make the right choice...You need look no further than your heart to find it. Put your dollar into peaceful and non-violent purchases.  If you could not stomach seeing how your food gets to your plate, then how can you justify eating it?

It is easier than ever to be Vegan. And you are not alone! I'll help you! I can answer questions online. If you live within a 20 mile radius of Pittsburgh...I'll come with you on your first shopping trip! If you live within 10 miles of Pittsburgh & make a serious commitment to being vegan (truly vegan), I'll help you cook your first week of dinners! I'm serious! And it's time for you to get serious too.

I promise not to do many aggressive posts like this. I like to keep things light & fun & supportive. But I needed to vent & isn't it wonderful to have a BFF to vent to? Remember I love you. And your choices matter, YOU matter!

The 90's were AWESOME!

So...How many cartwheels do I need to do?