End of Summer Pasta

Recently, I made an awesome dish that was prefect for bringing in the close of summer. I love pasta and eat it at least once a week. This dish combined pasta, some roasted veggies, and originally called for marinated chicken (I used soy curls instead). I have always sauteed soy curls, but this time I broiled them in a roasting pan with the marinade and it is my new favorite way to cook them. Here is the basic recipe of the marinade and I how I roasted the soy curls. Super easy and really tasty!

1 c olive oil (I haven't used oil for cooking in a year, so I used water)

1/3 c reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

3 T mustard (I used my homemade stone ground mustard)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 1/2 cups of soy curls (or other chicken substitute)

Whisk marinade ingredients together. Rehydrate soy curls, drain excess liquid, and marinate soy curls in marinade, in the refrigerator, for 20-40 minutes. Pour marinade and soy curls out onto a roasting pan and broil for 20 minutes or so, turning the soy curls a couple of times until they reach desired consistency.

Here is the original recipe from Sunset Magazine, September 2005.

Show compassion this holiday!

The holidays are upon us and this year FARM is promoting Compassionate Holidays- a campaign dedicated to supporting people who want to have a vegan holiday this year. Like the World Day for Farmed Animals website, they will have a database listing Compassionate Holiday events happening in the United States, Canada, and beyond.  

If you are already hosting a Compassionate Holiday event, or would be interested in organizing one this holiday season, they would love to hear about it and have it listed on their website. Compassionate Holidays provide an opportunity to encourage alternatives to cruel turkey dinners. By demonstrating the great taste and health benefits of vegan cuisine, we can convince our friends, family, and community to leave the turkey off the table this holiday season. 

Registering your event allows them to send you materials and list your activities in the Compassionate Holidays events directory and provides others a way to get involved. Together, we can demonstrate the true meaning of compassion and the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

For someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth...

I really don't crave sweets like some people do. I am a pasta and bread kind of girl. However, we are lucky enough here in Portland to have a few vegan bakeries, and restaurants and bars that serve smaller businesses goodies. My newest favorite is by a company called Rawdacious. Local, raw, all vegan, and probably the best cheesecake I have ever had. I am on a mission to meet the girl, Jen, behind this amazing creation.

Winter in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest

After having lived in warm weather for the first 18 years of my life, I have completely grown to love seasons. Portland, and the Pacific Northwest, provide some of the most vibrant seasonal changes I have ever experienced, anywhere. Here are some of my favorite photos of Oregon in Winter.

Holiday in Hawaii...

I grew up in Hawaii from the age of 10 until I graduated from high school and left for college. It was a lot of fun and lucky for me, my parents still live there. I go back every year during the holidays. I have brought a few friends home with me, and this past Christmas my very dear friend Chioma came home with me for about a week. We had a great time! It was her first time in Hawaii, so it was fun to show her some of my favorite spots while she was there. Can't believe it's almost been a year already!

Caramel filled apples- Part of Christmas Eve Dinner

Messin' with Bubba Gump stuff

We had to take turns trying on the shoes

Umrao and Leilani, and awesome vegan couple we met at Kua Bay.
We are still in touch!

Welcoming my brother, CJ, home from his travels and Peace Corps service

Lasagna cupcakes veganized- part of Christmas Eve dinner

Sitting at the beach, taking in the salty air and the warm weather

Hawaii's state flower, the hibiscus

My parents dog, Kiko

Chioma and I brushin' our teeth, gettin' ready for our day

The view from a boat on the ocean.
Days like this, so clear with the mountain fully visible, are rare.

By request from our family friends I made stuffed sweet potatoes again.
Part of Christmas Eve dinner. 

My Garden

I love where I live. I have a great deal on my rent and I have a yard space in front. Since I have lived here, I am in my third year, I have had a garden out front. It is mostly a summer garden but I have been working on finding things to grow and eat in the Fall and Winter. Here are a few photos of my garden from this past summer.

My Corn, Lettuce, and Broccoli starts

Corn, Cantaloupe, Cucumber

Just some non edible plants for decoration, like Tiger Lilies

                                            Front porch view: Starts, Basil, Mint, Tomatoes

World Day for Farmed Animals

A couple of months ago I was offered a position as the National Grassroots Organizer of FARM (Farm Animal Rights Movement). It has been a great experience, and I love my commute (working from home). Tomorrow commemorates one of our annual holidays, that is celebrating its 30th year.

World Day for Farmed Animals, on October 2nd, is an international holiday directed at bringing awareness, mourning, and apology to the 65 billion animals killed for food. A group of us are going up to Seattle, from Portland, tomorrow to participate in one of the events. There are events happening all over the world, some of which happened last weekend.

To see the complete and up to date list of events happening worldwide, head to our website at www.dayforanimals.org

For all sentient beings,

Deanna

Photo by Joanna McArthur, Design by Cara Frye