The Better World Shopping Guide (every dollar makes a difference)...

So, I recently picked up a book from Veg Fest called The Better World Shopping Guide. Companies are given letter grades based on Human Rights, The Environment, Animal Protection, Community Involvement and Social Justice. If you want to know where a particular business stands check out the website for more info http://betterworldshopper.org/rankings.html. Supporting only businesses and companies that have an A or B grade is my new goal as a consumer (yes, I know it is not January 1st). And if you are interested in being a more mindful, intentional consumer, I want to provide you with the means to make your dollar count. So here ya go. Learn and Act on the new knowledge, one step at a time.

The 10 Best Companies                   The 10 Worst                      The Top 10 Things to Change
1.Seventh Generation                       Exxon Mobil                       Bank
2. Working Assets                             Kraft                                   Gasoline
3. Eden Foods                                   Wal-Mart                             Supermarket
4. Organic Valley                              Chevron-Texaco                  Retail Stores
5. Clif Bar                                         Pfizer                                   Car
6. Honest Tea                                    Nestle                                  Seafood
7. Patagonia                                      General Electric                   Chocolate
8. Tom's of Maine                             Archer Daniels Midland      Coffee
9. Ben and Jerry's                             General Motors                    Credit Cards
10. Aveda                                         Tyson Foods                         Cleaning Products

Vegan Cuts...

Just wanted to let you all know about a site where you can get great deals on all things vegan. That means no animal testing and no animal products. All natural and good for you and the planet. Yay!

<a href="http://vegancuts.com/">Save 25%-60% off vegan products at VeganCuts.com</a>

Winter...

I get asked many times why I moved to Portland, and why I have managed to stay here in Oregon for so long- especially having spent most of my life in California and Hawaii (18 years combined). One of the main reasons is the seasons. I love the colors, the change- the opportunity to play in the snow, bundle up and keep nice and cozy- especially in the winter months.

Of course a downside to the temperamental weather is not knowing if there will be school closures- most of the time adequate notice is given, but on this particular day I never got a phone call and so went to work. I arrived only to find out school was closed for the day. So, before I left I had to make a snow angel and build a little snowman of course.

Valentine's dinner at Proper Eats...

I had the pleasure of sharing my Valentines Day evening with two of my favorite ladies in Portland. We indulged in an amazing 4 course dinner at Proper Eats. Here are some of the highlights.

Sundried Tomato Tapenade on a Grand Central Baguette

Waldorf Salad

Salad Roll with Peanut Sauce

Raw Spinach Stuffed "Meatloaf" with Raw "Mashed Potatoes"

Chioma's staging of our wine, menu and flowers

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

3 things from this year...

I was also able to finally experience Blossoming Lotus's brunch. I tried the loaded potatoes and loved them!

I helped to organize a Casserole Cook Off as well. It was a fundraiser for the Vegan Iron Chef this year. Who knew how many different types of vegan casseroles could be made!

I love going to Powells events. A couple of months ago I went to a Powells event that showcased the covers of the Portland Mercury from the last 10 years. It was an awesome event!

A Fancy Multi-Course Fundraiser Dinner at Red and Black

I love splurging and having a really nice dinner every once in a while, more so if it is also for a good cause. Some friends and I attended a Multi-Course benefit dinner that raised money for Red and Black to buy the building they had been renting and operating in the past few years. I can not tell you what we ate (because I have forgotten), but I can tell you it was delicious. It had a southwestern flare with emphasis on beets, cashew cream sauce and spice.

Food I Make...

I love to cook and every week I seem to be creating something in the kitchen. One of my resolutions is to use more of my recipes and cookbooks even if I alter the ingredients a bit. So far I have been keeping up with it which enables me to not only try new things but also keep an ever rotation of new foods in my fridge. I also love to be able to see the contents in my refrigerator. In fact, the kitchen as a whole- including all components- are sacred to me. The kitchen is my therapy room, one of the places I go to reflect and process. Here are some of the recent dishes I have made in this very special place...

(From top to bottom: Inside my refrigerator, Raw Chocolate Truffles (from Scatter Vegan Sweets cookbook), Sausage with Tangy Caraway Cabbage (from Real Simple), Marinara and Nutritional Yeast Pasta (Pasta is one of my staple items), Sun Dried Tomato Quinoa (from the Eat Clean Cookbook) and Pasta Risotto (from Sunset magazine), Spinach Artichoke Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

Pursue this...

"The person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which. They simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace in whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them, they are always doing both." - From the Zen Buddhist Text

Heartichoke: An evening of french inspired cuisine...

A couple of my wonderful friends, here in Portland, were nice enough to ask a few of our friends and I to sample a 5 course meal they were planning to make a week later for paid attendees. It was a wonderful night of great conversation, wine and delicious food. I hope the photos speak for themselves.



* Lentil Sausage
* Garlic and Herbs de Provence Marinated Olives



* Cashew Cauliflower Goat Cheese w/ Basil Chiffonade
* Salad w/ Roasted Golden Beets and Rosemary Walnuts



* Kale, Fingerling Potatoes and Cajun Pecan Encrusted Tempeh/ Countryside Frittata



* French Caribbean Coconut Custard Tart

Happy New Year- A month into it!

January is now almost over and the year is under way. 2011 has proven to be a year that is going to be full of fun, new experiences and potentially dating- maybe even a relationship- again (more so since I am finally at the point to consider the possibility and welcome it).

Since graduating college I have always made a point to come back to Oregon for the New Year holiday, except for the two years I was in Americorps of course. The friends I have in Portland share similar goals, interests and still enjoy going out and staying out late.

This year, two good friends hosted a New Years party that was Mexican themed. We had homemade tamales and even whacked a pinata. It was so much fun. There was dancing, a candy fight and a few first kisses of the New Year.



A few days prior to the coming of 2011 I decided what my "resolutions" would be for this year. Rather than address them as resolutions though I rather see them, and refer to them, as goals. The three things I have come up with are...

* Actually enter the world of blogging as a blogger- check
* Visit my brother in West Africa- planned for December 2011
* Update my life list with goals met and new ones I want to add- in process

What has January told you so far about how the rest of the year might play out for you? What are some of your goals for this year? When was the last time you hit a pinata?

Think about it. Make it happen. Live it. Enjoy it.

Life in 2011.

Food in the Islands

Every time I am home my family and I go out to eat- a lot. In fact a couple of months before my brother and I fly back, my parents are usually going out to dinner, testing out places for us to go to together. This year was no different, except that my brother wasn't there to join us.

We had wonderful pizza and calzones at Bianelli's, an amazing Indian Dinner at Shivalek and more Thai (Krua, Bangkok House) than in years past. It's a good thing we love Thai food so much. There were of course opportunities for home made cooking too. I look forward to coming home and testing out some recipes and experimenting with my mom who is also getting into the endless wonders and tastes of vegan cooking. My dad gets excited for me to come home and make things for him to eat as well.

Some of the highlights this year were cream cheese soyrizo wontons, spanakopita, a lasagna made with leftovers including sweet potato biscuits (weird, yes, but they worked in it) and a strawberry chocolate cupcake recipe that didn't quite rise to the occasion but when reincarnated as brownies became a delicious hit. Our Christmas dinner was original too- marinated seitan kebobs, purple and white potato mac salad and asparagus. MMMM...



Another thing I look forward to when I am home besides going to the beach and seeing friends, is my friend Kaia's annual Cookie Decorating Party. This year there were lots of adults, children, cookies and decorations. I brought stuffed mushrooms to munch on and lemon sugar cookies to decorate. The cookie party was a stimulation for the eyes, a vessel for creative creations and a time of celebration and community. It was exactly what it has been the last few years and why it is on my list of things to do when I'm home.

So here's to family, friends, eating out and experimenting with food in new and interesting ways.

The Ocean is my Playground...

"The Ocean Is My Playground" is the text of a bumper sticker I have had for years. Unfortunately, now, more of the sticker has peeled off my car compared to what is still intact. Still, what it said holds true. I love the ocean and bodies of water in general. Here in Oregon I have never had an interest in swimming in the ocean, although I love to go to the coast to visit and reflect, but I still love to go in our many lakes and rivers. When I am back home in Hawaii going to the beach or getting in the water, in some capacity, is always a priority. Being around a body of water is therapeutic for me and always has been.

This year, as has happened the past two years, my parents surprised me with the possibility of experiencing a new activity. Two years ago my younger brother, myself, mom and dad rode ATV's through the old sugar cane plantations of the southern part of the island; a year ago we went zip lining through Kohala Valley and my dad treated my brother and I and one of our closest friends each to a trip on a snorkeling rafting tour. This year, my dad was able to get two comped tickets for a para sailing adventure. My mom and I experienced this activity that has been on my "to do" list since 2000, together. I could have fallen asleep floating 600 ft above the water. It was so peaceful.

A Christmas holiday without my brother C.J.

I have 9 years on my younger brother and although we are years apart, we are super close. In fact, our family, as a whole, is a close knit one. This year was the first year in 22 years that C.J. has not been home during the Christmas holiday. My brother began his Peace Corps journey back in August and will spend the next two years serving a village in Senegal. It was strange to see his stocking hanging, knowing I wouldn't see him in person. My parents and I were able to Skype with him a few times during the two weeks I was home. Our last conversation ended with my parents and I deciding we would plan a trip in November or December to visit him in Senegal for two weeks.

That said, mom, dad and I made the most of our two weeks together. This is the first of our adventures. My dad had to go to Oahu for a day trip to do a survey on a boat. Being the thoughtful, generous person he is, he bought both mom and I a ticket to join him on the island for the day. Mom and I ended up eating wonderful food at the Down To Earth grocery store that had an amazing spread of both hot and cold vegan items. We then decided to spend the bulk of our time together checking out the local Foster Botanical Garden. It was a beautiful landscape of trees, flowers and other interesting foliage.

When my dad was done, we headed to a place called The Peace Cafe and a friend from high school, who lives on Oahu, joined us for lunch. Visiting another island, something I have not done in years, was a great way to start my holiday vacation home.