Tag Archives: vegan

Weekend in Review

I witnessed the neighbor’s dog eating poop over the weekend. His own poop. In the backyard. In nearly 90 degree heat. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Sorry.

In more fun news, I spent a few hours with my niece on Friday, wandering around downtown in the freaking rain. Here she is in front of Cloud Gate, literally three minutes before it started to pour:

This was taken at approximately 11:30am. We sought shelter under “The Bean” until the Parks representative yelled at us to move away from the bean. “There is lighting and rain and THIS IS METAL. MOVE, PEOPLE!” I’m glad I had the foresight to bring an umbrella with me, but I got wet anyway and cursed my decision to wear my TOMS. They got disgustingly soaked, but I also had the foresight to bring flip flops. Phew.

I cooked some vegan stuff like this and this.

I watched a movie. A woman sitting near me had snuck a fully loaded cheeseburger into the theater. I was impressed and disgusted and wish I had brought a banana or something.

I drank sangria and bought rugs from Ikea. RHYME!

I went to the Long Grove Farmers Market which was small but cute and worth the visit. I had a slice of M. Belle’s strawberry and mango pie which is totally not vegan but was the most delicious thing I ate all week. Ohmigah. I am not kidding. If you’re ever super angry, just have a bite of their pie and you will suddenly wonder what you were angry about.

Currently

Happy Sunday! Wait. Happy Monday! Oh, how I love and hate Monday holidays. I know I should be glad that I will only have a four day work week (and I only had a four day work week last week since I took Friday off), but the weeks where we get Monday off seem so long. Anyway, here’s what’s been happening.

Turning Veganese turned celebrated its six month anniversary which also means that I’ve been on my way to being vegan for six months. I feel great and morally superior to omnivores. Just kidding about that last part. But, I do feel great. I have had to shop for new clothes to go with my slightly new body. A better diet isn’t everything, though, so…

…I’ve decided to start working out again. My reasons for wanting to exercise are mostly superficial. Like I said, I feel great, but I would like to look great. I would also like to be more physically fit. I walked up seven flights of stairs at work a couple weeks ago and sounded like I was having a panic attack afterward. A guy at work does it everyday and said he started out the same way, but now it’s pretty much effortless. That’s good motivation. We have an on-site gym at work, so all I have to do is drag my ass in there. I dusted off the old gym bag (I literally had to dust it off) and packed it for tomorrow.

Another thing I’m going to try doing is bringing my lunch to work. I spend so much money on coffee, breakfast, lunch and snacks at work. It’s icky and it’s putting me in the poor house. Anyone got any recommendations on a good French press? I have one but I’m thinking of buying a nicer one and keeping the old one at work.

As part of my lazy Memorial Day, I thought it would be nice to watch a movie while laying in bed. I guess I could have watched it while working out in front of the TV, but I didn’t, OK? I watched a modern-day classic, the 2011 version of Footloose.

Watching this movie did not change my life and I bet you are rolling your eyes or laughing at the fact that I watched it. Well, I enjoyed it! I thought Kenny Wormald was charming. Shut up.

I also watch good stuff, like Mad Men. Ohmigosh, did you see last night’s episode, “The Other Woman?” Sooo good. So disturbingly good. Quietly shocking and thought-provoking. I just love Jon Hamm. And I love Ginsberg. I think Ben Feldman is cute and I love him in Drop Dead Diva and that Hillary Duff movie he was in and I swear to you that I am an intelligent person with good taste in television and movies.

Music-wise, I’m liking the new record by The Walkmen. I also can’t get Rihanna and Carly Rae Jepsen out of my head. Why am I admitting this on my blog? That’s my cue to end this post and go to bed.

 

Currently

It’s Sunday night and I’m waiting for Mad Men to come on. I’m also dreading having to go to work tomorrow. There’s thunder outside, but I’m enjoying a caramel-flavored coffee and passing the time by watching Doctor Who (zOMG, it’s the CYBERMEN! Help us, Doctor!).

Favorite links this week

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do. - Oh, McSweeney’s. I love you.

What does it take to come up with a really great idea? - I’m a sucker for this sort of art.

Jennifer Lawrence’s Favorite Books - Ugh, Jennifer Lawrence. You’re talented, pretty, funny, and you can read, too? Stop it. (Honestly, I just kind of love the shot of her reading on The Hunger Games set.)

The Awesome Story Of Caine’s Arcade - You’ve probably seen this already. Watch it again. (via Nerdist)

Chocolatepalooza: Chocolove, Koko Black, Artisan du Chocolat - I love chocolate! Nice review of a few chocolates that I now want to try.

Random

I can get these super delicious chocolate croissants at work. Despite them being non-vegan-friendly, I get at least one a week if they’re available. The best part of getting a chocolate croissant is ordering them with a French accent: “Oui, oui, I would like ze soy latte and ze shawcolah crorssahn, s’il vous plait.” Evelyn, my friendly barista, thinks I’m bonkers.

Updates

My skinny pants came in! I am delighted to report that they fit. Now, all I have to do is figure out some flattering outfits. I think I’m going to have to buy some new shoes that go better with them, too. Being a pretty lady is not easy… and I’m not 100% convinced that I don’t look ridiculous all the time, no matter how much effort I put in to my appearance.

Work was exhausting this past week. I learned a lot… a lot of stuff that I almost wish I didn’t know. We’ll see what happens. The good thing is that, no matter how busy or tiring work gets, I have great colleagues to lean on. I also have great colleagues who make me laugh ’til there are tears in my eyes.

I’ve had a great week of laughter thanks to friends, wacky work stuff, and funny podcasts. I love comedy! I really love laughing. And I really, really love when I make other people laugh.

Looking Ahead

I still have a secret mission that I’m hoping to complete by the end of the month. Uggghhh. While I’m completely aware that I need to be more proactive when it comes to making my wishes come true, I still have this hope that fate will throw me a bone and make it happen for me.

 

Potpourri

It was Easter yesterday. There’s something about the holiday that brings out the weird in little kids. Last year, it was a chore trying to get a picture of the nieces. This year? I think  Juju’s face says it all (she’s the one on the left). But, hey! It was my nephew’s first Easter.

When I think of Easter, I think of chocolate. Right now, I’m enjoying a mini Vosges Black Pearl Bar: ginger, wasabi, black sesame seeds, dark chocolate. Holy freakin’ crap. I impulse purchased this while checking out at Whole Foods one day. This is a perfect chocolate bar. It’s kind of pricey, though!

Speaking of pricey things, I love that I can mention $745 hi-top sneakers to my co-worker and not only does she immediately know what I’m talking about, but she goes on to say what I was going to say next: all the knock-offs aren’t worth it and we’d never wear them anyway. But seriously. I can buy 100 regular-sized Vosges chocolate bars with that money. Shoes? I don’t know about that.

Speaking of footwear, I’m thinking of getting a pair of TOMS. Is that female-douchey? They look comfortable and ugly-cute enough that I can wear them without looking like I”m trying too hard. Plus, they have a vegan version of their classic shoe. After searching for $745 hi-top sneakers, I’m thinking that TOMS aren’t a bad investment. Hmmmm….. HMMMMM.

Speaking of ugly-cute but comfortable, I had a hell of a day today in terms of how I look. Hello, fashion disaster! And, hello zit on my face! I also didn’t comb my hair. I should just erase the “cute” from “ugly-cute.” What’s really sad is that today is a prime example of how I used to look most days, until I realized that it doesn’t take a lot of hard work to look cute.

Speaking of cute, I think ASOS is my new favorite online store. I bought some pants and tops from them over the weekend. Free shipping, free returns, tons of stylish inventory and a PETITES section! Oh, perfection. Prices range from not-bad-at-all to would-you-like-my-first-born-child-with that.

Well, I’m going to try and enjoy what’s left of my Monday. This will be another interesting week for me. I’ll be training on some new stuff at work. I have tickets to a show on Friday but I need (want) someone to go with me. I don’t want to waste any time this week! Let’s do stuff and be alive, people.

Gift Guide: Ethereal Confections

Site: Ethereal Confections (link)
What You Will Find: Classy and delicious chocolates that use only the finest ingredients and no preservatives. They are dairy free, gluten free, and vegan*.
Perfect for: Anyone who appreciates fine chocolates and cares about what they put in their body.

Who doesn’t love chocolate? Well… there’s a lady at work who doesn’t like it (Hi, Bettie!), but chocolate is generally a crowd pleaser. It tames the wild, hormonal, and anxiety-ridden beast that lives inside of us. My friend Tammi got me a box of Ethereal truffles for my birthday and I absolutely fell in love with them.

Ethereal Confections are handmade locally (local to me, anyway) and contain local ingredients. You can definitely taste and see how much care is put into making the chocolates. They chocolate itself is so fresh and tasty–and they don’t use any milk or white chocolate. The flavors are creative but never weird for the sake of being weird. There’s something for everyone from the traditionalists to the adventurous.

Ethereal Confections just opened a store in Woodstock, IL where the chocolates are made. Their products can also be found in a handful of stores in Illinois and Wisconsin. You can also buy directly from their web site.

I hope you will consider Ethereal Confections for the chocolate aficionado in your life!

*I contacted Ethereal Confections through their web site to find out if their products are vegan. Sara informed me they are vegan, however, honey (which some vegans may not consider to be totally vegan) is used in the following: Lavender Honey truffle, Sesame Ginger truffle, Ginger Orange bar.

All photos were found on http://www.etherealconfections.com. I would have taken a picture of the chocolates that were given to me but I devoured them.