It's the day before Thanksgiving, and I volunteered at a homeless shelter in San Francisco today.
It was my first time volunteering - ever. I had always wanted to get more involved ever since I had my first experience in high school at a choir outing. We had visited an elderly home and sang Christmas carols for them. Needless to say, it was super depressing. Some cried openly while others were on the verge of tears. I soon found out that as I tried to concentrate on my words that were slowly becoming incoherent, I was mimicking the latter. I'd like to think that we brought them a moment of joy, but I'm afraid we made them sad instead.
Fast forward 8 or so years, and I still had not sought to do what I had a desire to do. Call it procrastination, laziness, or whatever... the idea of volunteering would always be pushed to the back of my mind, and I would soon forget about it. I realized two weeks ago that my procrastination was going to be put to an end :) I needed to act upon my wants, so I looked up local volunteering opportunities and found an organization that offered housing to the homeless.
How was my first experience? Awesome. Truly awesome. I may sound like Bill or Ted, but there really is no other word to describe it.
Including myself, there were only two volunteers, and a few staff helped distribute the food also. I had the chance to interact with some of the residents, and for the most part, they were very friendly. I distinctly remember handing a plate full to a lady who couldn't hear me very well but was so grateful and had such a kind smile. It helped to keep me in high spirits during the 3-4 hours that I was there. After serving pumpkin pie slices for dessert, we cleaned up and I headed on home.
I know that the residents are grateful that they received so much food, but I feel I am the one who feels rewarded the most. There is something truly great about helping our companions and sharing that moment of friendship. Just like kindred spirits.
It's Saturday morning.
This past week, I feel like I haven't gotten much sleep. I attribute it to the video games I play until 2 or 3 in the morning and the way Monster and Trouble sleep so that I basically have no leg space and can't sleep comfortably. That's a cat for ya... And I had a solicitor knocking on my door at 8 this morning. Persistent lil' bugger.
So needless to say, I was not in the mood to make a fancy schmancy breakfast for me and the kiddo. In fact, I NEVER feel like making a fancy schmancy breakfast, but sometimes I do because someone's gotta do it. I didn't feel like making a tofu scramble with tortillas or toasting waffles... actually, I don't even have syrup because it's really expensive right now so that idea was moot anyway.
I did what I do best: bust out with the Tofurky.
When all else fails, I lean on Tofurky to get me through my indecision. I made sandwiches. Using good old Vegenaise, I slathered more than the serving indicated on the nutrition facts label, cut off a piece of lettuce, and placed three pieces of smoked Tofurky slices.
I was so lazy I didn't even use a cutting board to slice up the tomatoes. Yup, I did it on a sheet of paper towel :) Whoo-hoo!!
And the end result? A simple sandwich to satisfy those morning hunger pangs. A bleepin' Tofurky sandwich. The sandwich on the left looks like it's got a green beard...
And now my latest not-even-a-crisis crisis: What the heck am I gonna make for lunch?!!
This past week, I feel like I haven't gotten much sleep. I attribute it to the video games I play until 2 or 3 in the morning and the way Monster and Trouble sleep so that I basically have no leg space and can't sleep comfortably. That's a cat for ya... And I had a solicitor knocking on my door at 8 this morning. Persistent lil' bugger.
So needless to say, I was not in the mood to make a fancy schmancy breakfast for me and the kiddo. In fact, I NEVER feel like making a fancy schmancy breakfast, but sometimes I do because someone's gotta do it. I didn't feel like making a tofu scramble with tortillas or toasting waffles... actually, I don't even have syrup because it's really expensive right now so that idea was moot anyway.
I did what I do best: bust out with the Tofurky.
When all else fails, I lean on Tofurky to get me through my indecision. I made sandwiches. Using good old Vegenaise, I slathered more than the serving indicated on the nutrition facts label, cut off a piece of lettuce, and placed three pieces of smoked Tofurky slices. 
I was so lazy I didn't even use a cutting board to slice up the tomatoes. Yup, I did it on a sheet of paper towel :) Whoo-hoo!!
And the end result? A simple sandwich to satisfy those morning hunger pangs. A bleepin' Tofurky sandwich. The sandwich on the left looks like it's got a green beard...
And now my latest not-even-a-crisis crisis: What the heck am I gonna make for lunch?!!
When one thinks of slandering fast food companies, most people will usually use McDonald's as an example. Why is it that this worldwide fast food chain gets all the bad rap and all the bad publicity, considering that there are a handful of other popular chains (Carl's, KFC, Burger King, etc.) that don't get knocked on as much?
Hmm... like some of the companies in this world today, McD's is a pretty greedy corporation. Aside from the obvious, such as their capitalistic business methods, their insatiable thirst for using up the world's natural resources, and their very unhealthy products, they flat out piss off some vegetarians and vegans everywhere because of their animal-laden products :)
Some of you may have seen this game before, and some of you may have not. It's gotten a good amount of exposure on the net, both controversial and praising. The folks over at Molleindustria created this McDonald's video game a couple of years ago, and it really irritated the big heads at the corporation when it first came out, especially since it exposed their unethical business methods.
The beats of a song that resembles an old school rap anthem plays as you enter the main screen. There are four sections in the game: the agricultural, the feedlot, the actual restaurant, and the headquarters. It is up to you to use your power and methods of brainwa... um, I mean... management to make the big bucks.
Learning curve is moderate. You'll probably have to try and die a few times before you get the hang of it. Wanna play?
McDonalds Video GameAnd to think that this company and its silly lil' commercial could turn into an unethical multi-billion dollar company... wow!
Seriously, what was up with Ronald McDonald? He had a cup for a nose and a whole flippin' meal on his head and resorted to craptacular dancing that wasn't even in beat with the song.
"Watch for me on TV - we'll have lots of fun!" Um, I don't think so, Ronald. I just don't think so...
V for VITALITY
E for ELIMINATE
G for GAIN
A for ANTI-GREED
N for NATURAL
V : Vitality
Heart attacks and strokes are the #1 cause of death in the U.S. High cholesterol is the cause of 99% of all heart attacks and the majority of strokes. There is only one way that you can get cholesterol into our bodies, and that is through the food that you consume. The only food sources that contain cholesterol are animal meats and dairy products. The food you eat should nourish you and give you life, not get you sick and kill you.
E : Eliminate
Get rid of the dead rotting flesh from your body!
G : Gain
You gain a sense of accomplishment when you go vegan because you know you are doing your part to combat animal cruelty. It can be hard to give up foods that you are accustomed to eating your whole life, but you do it anyway for the sake of the animals, your body, and/or the world.
A : Anti-greed
You do not support the greedy meat and dairy industries. For the sake of profit, they pump hormones, steroids, and other drugs into the animals. They don't care that their customers get sick or die in the process. It's all about making that mighty dollar.
N : Natural
Because I truly believe that eating vegan is as natural as it gets. Plenty of whole foods: fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains. Just like nature intended!
E for ELIMINATE
G for GAIN
A for ANTI-GREED
N for NATURAL
V : Vitality
Heart attacks and strokes are the #1 cause of death in the U.S. High cholesterol is the cause of 99% of all heart attacks and the majority of strokes. There is only one way that you can get cholesterol into our bodies, and that is through the food that you consume. The only food sources that contain cholesterol are animal meats and dairy products. The food you eat should nourish you and give you life, not get you sick and kill you.
E : Eliminate
Get rid of the dead rotting flesh from your body!
G : Gain
You gain a sense of accomplishment when you go vegan because you know you are doing your part to combat animal cruelty. It can be hard to give up foods that you are accustomed to eating your whole life, but you do it anyway for the sake of the animals, your body, and/or the world.
A : Anti-greed
You do not support the greedy meat and dairy industries. For the sake of profit, they pump hormones, steroids, and other drugs into the animals. They don't care that their customers get sick or die in the process. It's all about making that mighty dollar.
N : Natural
Because I truly believe that eating vegan is as natural as it gets. Plenty of whole foods: fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains. Just like nature intended!
When people ask me for a good site for vegetarian and vegan recipes, I always suggest the delicious recipes on vegweb. I particularly like that people can post their opinions, suggestions, and ingredient changes in the comments box below the recipe.
Recommendations, you ask?
Mmmm, there are so many of them, but here are a few to get you started:
General Tao's Tofu: One of the highest rated (if not THE highest rated recipe on the site). I find that the coating-the-tofu-with-cornstarch part can be a bit time-consuming and annoying - hey, I'm an impatient person! - but the end result is well worth it!
Cheesy Lasagna: 100% vegan! This recipe is a fave in our home. I made a few alterations to the recipe - I omitted the spinach and replaced it with a whole 8-10 oz. of sliced mushrooms and about 10 oz. of chopped broccoli. I also didn't use any canned tomato sauce. I tend to use about 1.5 26 oz. jars of arrabiata sauce. Arrabiata is not as boring and plain as marinara - has that extra kick, y'know? But if you like marinara or some other spaghetti sauce, then go for it!
Cheesy Bean & Cheese Enchiladas: Yummmm ::drools:: I add a TON of spicy enchilada sauce to this. I pretty much follow the recipe to the T, and I use flour tortillas instead of corn. Corn tortillas are too small... and I want MORE!!
Got any awesome recipes you'd like to share with me? Leave a comment, and I'll try it out!
Recommendations, you ask?
Mmmm, there are so many of them, but here are a few to get you started:
General Tao's Tofu: One of the highest rated (if not THE highest rated recipe on the site). I find that the coating-the-tofu-with-cornstarch part can be a bit time-consuming and annoying - hey, I'm an impatient person! - but the end result is well worth it!
Cheesy Lasagna: 100% vegan! This recipe is a fave in our home. I made a few alterations to the recipe - I omitted the spinach and replaced it with a whole 8-10 oz. of sliced mushrooms and about 10 oz. of chopped broccoli. I also didn't use any canned tomato sauce. I tend to use about 1.5 26 oz. jars of arrabiata sauce. Arrabiata is not as boring and plain as marinara - has that extra kick, y'know? But if you like marinara or some other spaghetti sauce, then go for it!
Cheesy Bean & Cheese Enchiladas: Yummmm ::drools:: I add a TON of spicy enchilada sauce to this. I pretty much follow the recipe to the T, and I use flour tortillas instead of corn. Corn tortillas are too small... and I want MORE!!
Got any awesome recipes you'd like to share with me? Leave a comment, and I'll try it out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
