PostSecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.  This incredible project is celebrating it's 10th year, and the response has been so incredible, there are several books now compiled with all of the various secrets that have been mailed in.

Anyone is invited to anonymously contribute secrets to PostSecret and the newest PostSecret book, PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death and God.  Reveal anything - as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before.

Create your 4-by-6-inch postcards out of any mailable material. If you want to share two or more secrets, use multiple postcards. Put your complete secret and image on one side of the postcard.  Be creative but please don't use any copyrighted images that may prevent us from including your secret in the new book.

As an artist, this is something I've wanted to do for a while.  There is something provocative about sending your art into the world anonymously... and then tying to it such a precious morsel of yourself... wow.  Well, now I can so that I've been there and done that.  My contribution to the newest book and ongoing website has been made.  :)  If you want to contribute as well, check out http://postsecretcommunity.com and http://www.postsecret.com.

Uxmal Mayan Ruins

This is a new experience from SEVERAL months ago (January) that I keep forgetting to post.  So here it is.  Uxmal Mayan Ruins in Mexico.  The only ruins left that you are allowed to walk all over.  There were amazing really...

Charity Miles

Earn money for charity while you walk, run or bike.

It's that simple.  Download the app. Turn it on before heading out to walk, run or bike... and the app tracks your distance and how much money you are raising as you exercise. Bikers earn 10 cents for every mile and walkers/runners earn 25 cents for every mile.

I've been testing it out this past week and have it say... it's legit.  I've got to walk Denver anyway, right? So I just turn on the app and let the $ add up.  Why not?

After each walk/run/bike, you get an email summarizing your contribution for that workout.  The app also keeps a running tally of the $ you have raised for which charities.  LOVE THAT!

Just go to the iTunes app store to download it to your phone.  Their website is www.charitymiles.org.  Great inspiration to get up and move as well! ~ Christina

Carrot Soup

Never in my life did I think I'd see the day that I voluntarily made (and consumed) a carrot soup.  But I also thought that about carrot juice... and it's part of my daily diet now.

I'm seriously that girl that NEVER thought she'd be a vegan. Sometimes it's surreal that this is my life now and that I'm so passionate about it. :)  In a good way.

So this week I decided to try something different.  Part of my motivation in making this was that I already had the ingredients on hand... but also because I was curious how it would taste.  Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised.  My omnivore friends probably wouldn't be jumping at the bit to try this... but it's rather tasty.  Reminds me of a fall butternut squash bisque a little.  My MawMaw (and her sister-n-law) liked it... so that says a lot in my book (she normally hates almost all my vegan cooking).  Here's the recipe. :) - Christina

Ingredients:

• 2-3 large carrots, chopped small
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
• sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

• Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger and curry powder in vegetable broth for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.
• Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender, working in batches if ended.
• Return to heat and stir in coconut milk until well combined.
• Season generously with sea salt, to taste.
• Serve hot, or, chill until cold and serve as a gourmet vegetarian and vegan appetizer soup. This carrot soup will thicken as it cools, so if serving this vegan carrot soup cold, you may want to add a bit extra liquid.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I know.. I know.. two in the same month.  Here's another Quinoa recipe I tried out (successfully) this month.  This one was a hit with several non-vegans, including some pretty hard core cajun relatives. SCORE! :) 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Cooked Quinoa
• 1/2 Can Cannellini Beans
• 2 Smashed Roasted Garlic Cloves
• 2 Scallions (Chopped on the Bias)
• 1/4 Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Mint (chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley (chopped)
• 1/4 Cup Kalamata Olives (chopped)
• Dollop of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (optional)
• Salt/Pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients (except lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt/pepper) in a medium bowl.  Toss together with a fork and be sure to evenly distribute all ingredients throughout the quinoa.  Next, pour in the lemon juice and vinegar.  Toss to combine.

2. Season to taste with salt and pepper (or more herbs if needed).  Garnish with a dollop of roasted red pepper hummus.

Spicy Lentil Sloppy Joes

There is something about Sloppy Joes that I've always enjoyed.  The sweet mixed with the savory... the messiness of them... I don't know.  But the health benefits are certainly lacking to say the least, not to mention the whole meat thing.  So I have given up on this old favorite since turning vegan.

Until now.  I came across an interesting recipe last week for Spicy Lentil Sloppy Joes.  Lentils?!  What the heck did I have to loose?  So I tried them.  I wasn't too sure during the whole prep process... they didn't look very appetizing while it was all cooking down.  But I must say, they weren't too bad once done.  Definitely not the same as the old comfort foods of the past but then again lentils versus turkey meat... I'm not sure the texture alone can compare.  But my new version saves animals and prevents carcinogens from turning into cancer so that outweighs the difference.  Recipe posted to my Crunchy Cajun facebook page.  Will definitely make again. :) ~ Christina

Quinoa Salad

I have never eaten quinoa in any format other than a side dish (like rice)... by itself, unflavored.  For some reason I've been a little intimidated to try it any other way.  But when I ran across this recipe, I decided to give it a go.  Worst case scenario, it was gross... right? Thankfully that didn't happen.  While I did put a little too much lemon in it (I used a whole lemon instead of 1/2)... it came out delightful!  Even my omnivore friends would love this.  Wonderful as a side dish.  Besides, check out all the healthy yumminess in it!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash cumin
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

• Boil quinoa in a rice cooker or saucepan with water until all water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
• Combine all chopped veggies and drained beans with lemon juice, oil, vinegar and spices.
• Toss with quinoa, add salt and pepper, to taste and serve. 

DIY Shaving Oil

Try using this oil to shave and you'll never go back to cream. You won't believe how fantastic your legs will look and feel.

Ingredients: 3 oz almond oil; 1/2 oz sesame oil; 1/2 oz canola oil; 1/2 oz wheat germ oil

Get a small bowl and throw in all the ingredients. Stir and put the mixture in an old bottle. Whenever you want to use it, just shake it up for a few seconds and throw it on and shave! You'll love the results!

I'm definitely all about the mindset "if I wouldn't put it IN my body, why would I put it ON my body?" This fabulous natural solution solves the agile shaving thing for me! - Christina

Apple Cinnamon Protein Bran Muffin

I decided to make a little protein muffin that was easy to snack on after my workouts... but I have to say that this was not a winner.  I followed the recipe to a tee... well mostly... but they just didn't really come out like I had hoped.  No food waste here so I'm still eating them but I can't wait for them to be gone.  I'll spare you the recipe... Bleah. :) ~ Christina

Beauty Angel Total Body Enhancer

The Beauty Angel skin firming and muscle toning system is said to provide the foundation for a more youthful appearance while you enjoy the ultimate total body experience.

Ergoline’s Beauty Angel stand up bed is designed to enhance one’s overall physique and image by reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and cellulite (yes please!).  Using red light energy (non-UV) wavelengths in the 600–700 nm range, Beauty Angel activates the body’s own photo rejuvenation process to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, firm the skin and improve the body’s overall appearance. The skin’s permeability also increases, improving the effect of skin care products and allowing active ingredients to penetrate deeper.

Red light energy is said to be one of the few ways to gently and effectively reduce the signs of aging and is the ideal choice for anybody who is looking for a natural, noninvasive way to improve the condition of their skin.

Sounds great, right?! Not costing me anything, since it's part of my existing gym membership, I decided to try it out.  You're supposed to do it 2-3 times a week (12 minutes each session) for 90-days to see the complete results. Hmmm... that's not too bad of a commitment.  Since I'm at the gym anyway, let's see how it goes.  Today's first session wasn't too bad.  The only negative is all that shaking can give you a teeny tiny headache afterwards. I'll let you know how it goes after 90-days.  :) ~ Christina

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Being a vegan doesn't mean I love all veggies.  Actually, there are a TON of veggies I dislike... at least I used to dislike.  The longer I eat only a plant-based diet, I find there are more and more of these foods that I now kinda like.  Well... at least don't hate anymore. :)

Asparagus is one of the veggies I never really cared for.  Bleah.  Sticky, bitter, odd texture.

Need I say more!?

But I'm determined to change my tastebuds.  To start LIKING all vegetables.

Including Asparagus.

Tonight I stumbled on a fabulous recipe that I LOVED!

This is so yummy, I actually can say I loved it.  I loved asparagus. Wow.  Never thought I'd say that.

The recipe is posted to the Crunchy Cajun Facebook page if you're interested.

Look at me... I feel grown up liking asparagus. 

~ Christina

Hydro Massage

I love massages, but let's be honest.  Who has the time or money to spend on such a regular basis?!  Well... plenty of people I suppose (thankfully so since several of my friends are massage therapists).  But not this girl.  Especially not these days.

So when I discovered that my gym had added the HydroMassage bed... I was ecstatic.  And when I saw an 82 year old woman get on it, push a few buttons to start it up and proceed to tell me it was her favorite part of coming to the gym... I knew I could do it.

Maybe I got ahead of myself just a bit.  But I did figure it out (after 10 minutes).  The last 2 minutes were heaven.  :)  Now that I've got it figured it out... you bet I'll be using it on a regular basis.  Even my MawMaw loved it.  In fact, it helped convince her to upgrade her membership to the $20/month package so she had full use of the massage bed. ~ Christina

Upcycling Wine Bottles

As I become more and more green, I find myself constantly looking for ways to recycle or upcycle items all around me. Between my grandmother and I, and several local cousins, we have lots of wine bottles tossed each month. So I started playing around with ways to recycle them. I've got several different ideas... But being an artist, turning them into works I art seemed like the first option to try.

I took three different types of bottles and after thoroughly cleaning them I got to work painting. Here's the end result. I made it so all three could be used together as a home decoration. The larger bottle has a black square painted in the center in chalkboard paint, so you can write various messages on it. I like the way these came out. I'm gonna play around with a few more options on some others I have set aside. This might be a fun family "craft" project!

- Christina

Football Fun

To date, I haven't found a surface I couldn't paint... But it's always fun when I get a new challenge!

A month or so ago I was contacted by a potential customer, asking if I could paint a couple footballs for her sisters wedding. Hmmmm.. Sure, why not?! So I got to researching just HOW I could pull it off. End result... See below... Came out pretty cute. I learned a few new things during this project, in addition to expending my portfolio. :). - Christina

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

I haven't had a blueberry muffin in years. Definitely not since becoming vegan. And with summer peaking around the corner, I wanted to try and make some. I snagged some fresh blueberries from the local grocer and got to work experimenting with a recipe (or two). What's better than warm fresh blueberry muffins?!

These came out quite delish. I used smelt flour since I already had it... And I begrudgingly used sugar since all recipes called for it and I was worries I was making too many substitutions as it was. I'll keep playing with the recipe to see if I can make it even better... By overall I'm quite thrilled with these. Recipe to be posted on the Crunchy Cajun page this weekend. - Christina

80 Years Young

Since moving to Louisiana, I've been trying to get my MawMaw to accompany me to the gym. Not that she NEEDS to go (though I truly believe we all NEED to work out and stay physical), but I thought that having a more disciplined option would help her get back Ito being more physical. This past week she started talked about gyms... And I reminded her of my offer to have her as my guest and how her how to maneuver the facility. "Tomorrow," she said. Yeah... I've heard that for several months now...

Much to my delight, when asked this morning, she agreed to go! Yay! So off we went... To check out the newest location of Planet Fitness here in Lafayette. After a tour of them gym, we for to business on the cardio machines. The goal was to complete 5 minutes on each machine total so that she could get used to it and become familiar with how they worked. At 80 years young, turning some of them off and on can be a little intimidating.

We successfully completed 18 minutes total... Not bad. The elliptical was a little more strenuous on her knees than we wanted so that one was quickly nixed.

Next up was the "30 Minute Express" room where she learned how the area worked, a few step exercises to keep the heart rate up, and finally how to properly use the weight machines. She did fantastic!

With summer around the corner, she asked about ab workouts so we squeezed those in at the end. I was thoroughly impressed at how well she did. Her sense of humor was delightful as she tried each and every exercise, even those that make the experiences gym goer feel a little silly (like the hip abductor machine).

I watched her smiling and laughing and my heart burst into a million happy pieces. I felt so fortunate to be there with a her, having that experience. I may not have had a good workout, but I did have a GREAT time. :)

- Christina

Coconut Oil Biscuits (Vegan)

Let me preface this by saying I haven't had a biscuit in close to ten years.  Since being diagnosed with a dairy allergy, I've learned that most breakfast foods are no-no's. And since I typically juice first thing in the morning (or do smoothies), it's not something I think about or miss. 

But one of the vegan blogs that I follow, sent out a new recipe this past week for coconut oil biscuits... and it got me thinking.  Hmmmm... that sounds sorta yummy.  And as the days have gone on, I failed to delete the email. So this morning, while in downward dog pose, I started thinking about how good a warm biscuit would taste on this chilly morning.  The received recipe called for a few ingredients I had no interest in putting in my body (like vegan butter or shortening), so I decided to play around with a combination of three different recipes.  Yum.  That's all I have to say.

Coconut oil is no longer on the forbidden foods list, now that we understand how healthy extra virgin coconut oil really is. The richness and faint coconut flavor that the oil adds is wonderful, as well as being antibacterial and antiviral.  

These really are delish! Even my MawMaw (who cringes when she hears the word "vegan") ate one with me. :) It's the little things, isn't it?!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil cold
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 11 tablespoons soymilk to make 3/4 cup

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
• Measure cold coconut oil and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry tool or two knives.
• In a measuring cup, put the tablespoon of vinegar and add soymilk to make 3/4 cup.
• Stir the wet mixture quickly into the dry, just until it holds together. Don’t overmix or knead. Scrape out onto a counter and pat into a rectangle 1-inch thick. Cut the rectangle into 6 squares (or cut round circles - my preference!). Place them on the pan.
• Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the edges look golden. Cool on racks, serve warm.

Chickpeas with Arugula-Lemon Pesto (V)

I LOVE when new recipes work out! That doesn't always happen for me. :)

Last night when reading through my recent issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter (awesome subscription I highly recommend), I came across a few plant strong recipes super high in fiber. Score! While I'm not normally one to try magazine recipes, this looked delish. With my dairy allergy, I've never even had pesto before (I know.... Can you believe it?!). So I decided this would go on this weeks menu.

Yum. That's all I can say. Yum. Even non-vegs will love it.

Recipe to be posted on the Crunchy Cajun Facebook page soon. Worth making! Promise. - Christina

Spinach Basil Brown Rice Risotto (V)

I've never made risotto before... and honestly wasn't too sure what it was.  But this recipe looked delish and I had all the ingredients so I gave it a try.  YUM!  It actually had a slight seafood taste to it... from the seasonings and peppers I think.  It was so good.  I'll definitely create the one again.  Recipe posted to my Crunchy Cajun Facebook page. :) ~ Christina

Old Tyme Grocery

In 1982, Glenn Murphree purchased Olde Tyme Grocery.  When he first bought the store, it had aisles of can goods, produce, and five small carts.  Although it wasn’t fancy, there were three things Glenn liked: it had character, a deli case, and a low price tag.  On Glenn’s birthday, they agreed on a price and around 3 o’clock, Glenn ran to the bank for change and was open by 5 o’clock!

Growing up in New Orleans, Glenn loved a good poboy.  He did not know anything about going into business for himself, but he did know that he wanted to make the best poboys possible.  In the beginning, Glenn was the only employee and made approximately 10-15 poboys per day.  

When my dad showed up in town (surprise!) this past week, the first thing he wanted was a good poboy.  A good SHRIMP poboy.  His older sister, my Aunt Bettye, swore by this place so we decided to all meet up and grab a late lunch there.  I'd never been... and since I don't eat seafood any longer it didn't really matter to me.  I figured they wouldn't have much for me to eat anyway.  Overall it was a cute little dive.  Hugely popular with the college kids, that much was obvious.  Dad said the poboy was ok... not "the best" he's ever had but not bad.  They did agree to make me a veggie poboy (which basically means lettuce, tomato and pickles on french bread with a little mustard).  So that was nice.  It was a gorgeous day out, so the outdoor seating was delightful.  Plus we had a wonderful visit with my aunt and cousin.  Can't be that! ~ Christina