Ok so my b. Already failed the 30 day blog challenge by not posting at all this weekend but I was a busy girl. So I decided that I would continue in spite of my lack of discipline. So today is about what inspires me. Right now animals are a huge inspiration to me. I am going to attend Farm Sanctuary's Walk For Farm Animals which will raise money for the sanctuary. It's so important to help organizations like this because the sanctuary helps raise awareness for the plight of farm animals. It also exposes people to farms, many of whom would never otherwise know how friendly farm animals can be.
The Spork Sisters are also incredibly inspiring. They have a cookbook coming out in October and I can't wait! They offer amazing vegan cooking classes but beyond that, they are true examples of veganism at it's best. They are not judgmental at all. They believe in what they do and teach so it's fantastic to be around them. They're cheerfulness is totally addictive and the good news is that it rubs off as well!!!
My friends also inspire me because they stick with their convictions and help me to lead a fuller life. I will be forever grateful. And of course my bride-to-be helps inspire me to be a better person. I strive to keep us healthy and happy. Because I met her, I am able to better myself for her. I am so grateful to have met her!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
My parents
Ok so today's topic for the 30 Day Blog Challenge is to talk about my parents. Oh man, what can I say about the 'rents? They really are the best. As you may have noticed from my last story, I was a bit of a troublemaker as a kid. I won't lie. I stole from them constantly, mostly booze and cigarettes. I stayed out late, I lied, I got in trouble. Yet they stuck by me every time.
Now I would say that I have a fantastic relationship with both of them. I don't have much time so I hopefully can expand on this another day. Suffice to say, they are the kindest people I know.
Now I would say that I have a fantastic relationship with both of them. I don't have much time so I hopefully can expand on this another day. Suffice to say, they are the kindest people I know.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
First Love
Oh man, okay so here it goes. Today's topic is about first love. My first love came about when I was sixteen years old. As I look back on it, I'm not entirely sure why I cared so deeply for him. Everyone told me he was a bad guy but I defended him to the end. He was cute, in an awkward, crooked teeth, red-headed way. But to me he was the cutest boy I'd ever seen and the only boy I ever wanted...at least at the time.
I was bit wayward in my youth so he and I met at a party in which I got so drunk I passed out on his friend's filthy disgusting mattress. He stayed with me until I fell asleep then left to his apartment which was up the stairs. As a sidetone, when his friend moved out and we moved said mattress, there were maggots living underneath it. Yep, it was basically a disgusting flop house. But hey I was only a kid.
So the guy, let's call him Ginger for his red hair, and I flirted for a couple weeks. All I wanted was for him to ask me out. He had a reputation as a player but spent every day with him so I knew it was all exaggeration. After about two or three weeks, he finally asked me out in the backseat of my best friend's car. It was magical....or at least so I thought at the time. I think it went more like, "Hey, we should go out." Me: (SWOON) Yes! Then I believe we drank a fifth of Vodka and ended up coffee camping at Denny's. Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of...
So we dated for I think about three or four months. Not totally sure of the timeline. As you can see, my memory was alcohol induced. How did it all end you ask? Well, first three of my best friends died in a car accident. It was the absolute worst thing that has ever happened to me and it still hurts to this day despite over a decade elapsing. At a time when a boyfriend should be comforting and close to his girlfriend, Ginger would break up with me then about an hour later would apologize only to do the same thing over and over the next day. It was a turbulent roller coaster of a relationship.
The final nail in our coffin came one night when I was home and I got a phone call. It was Ginger's ex-girlfriend who had actually moved into his apartment with his parents. She had been thrown out of her house so they took her in. After all, Ginger had dated her for two years so she was close with his family. I never questioned the arrangement because I thought he was the most charitable guy ever. Of course I still very much hated her, going as far as to steal her sweatshirt, graffiti it and wear it all over town. Well, Ginger's ex informed me that she was pregnant. At first, I didn't understand why she was telling me this. Then I realized that she was telling me because she was pregnant with Ginger's baby. I felt like all the air was sucked out of me.
Yep, my boyfriend had his ex-girlfriend call me to break up with me for him because he'd been cheating on me the whole time and knocked her up. This was of course enough for me never to speak to him again...not. No, later he begged me to take him back, claimed he didn't love his ex but rather me. Silly sixteen-year-old that I was, I believed him and took him back. We played the he dumps me then apologizes thing for awhile until he just sorta stopped coming over and I sorta stopped looking for him. I heard later that he moved somewhere back East.
So there you have it. I was a pathetic lovesick teen and it truly bothers me how dumb I was. In retrospect, I know he never loved me. (I should have known since his first declaration of love was in a letter he wrote me while he was in Juvenile Hall telling me he loved me and please wait for him. It had all seemed very romantic so I waited. Every day I stayed home waiting for him to call during Rec Hour. Some days he did, some days he didn't. When I wrote him back telling him I loved him as well, he never wrote another letter. I wrote two a day.) All Ginger really wanted was my money and easy access to booze.
I actually saw him about six years ago. He now works at the Dollar Store in my hometown. I've heard he has five kids, two with the same ex, the other three with other women on the East Coast. I was visiting from Film School and ran into him. For years I'd pondered what I would say or do if I ever saw him again. None of those witty, biting comments came out. I just turned bright red and stuttered. My mom told me I looked white as a ghost. I then proceeded to vomit in the parking lot. My mom took me to a bar across the street and got me drunk. It was the only time I've ever done shots with my mom.
I was bit wayward in my youth so he and I met at a party in which I got so drunk I passed out on his friend's filthy disgusting mattress. He stayed with me until I fell asleep then left to his apartment which was up the stairs. As a sidetone, when his friend moved out and we moved said mattress, there were maggots living underneath it. Yep, it was basically a disgusting flop house. But hey I was only a kid.
So the guy, let's call him Ginger for his red hair, and I flirted for a couple weeks. All I wanted was for him to ask me out. He had a reputation as a player but spent every day with him so I knew it was all exaggeration. After about two or three weeks, he finally asked me out in the backseat of my best friend's car. It was magical....or at least so I thought at the time. I think it went more like, "Hey, we should go out." Me: (SWOON) Yes! Then I believe we drank a fifth of Vodka and ended up coffee camping at Denny's. Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of...
So we dated for I think about three or four months. Not totally sure of the timeline. As you can see, my memory was alcohol induced. How did it all end you ask? Well, first three of my best friends died in a car accident. It was the absolute worst thing that has ever happened to me and it still hurts to this day despite over a decade elapsing. At a time when a boyfriend should be comforting and close to his girlfriend, Ginger would break up with me then about an hour later would apologize only to do the same thing over and over the next day. It was a turbulent roller coaster of a relationship.
The final nail in our coffin came one night when I was home and I got a phone call. It was Ginger's ex-girlfriend who had actually moved into his apartment with his parents. She had been thrown out of her house so they took her in. After all, Ginger had dated her for two years so she was close with his family. I never questioned the arrangement because I thought he was the most charitable guy ever. Of course I still very much hated her, going as far as to steal her sweatshirt, graffiti it and wear it all over town. Well, Ginger's ex informed me that she was pregnant. At first, I didn't understand why she was telling me this. Then I realized that she was telling me because she was pregnant with Ginger's baby. I felt like all the air was sucked out of me.
Yep, my boyfriend had his ex-girlfriend call me to break up with me for him because he'd been cheating on me the whole time and knocked her up. This was of course enough for me never to speak to him again...not. No, later he begged me to take him back, claimed he didn't love his ex but rather me. Silly sixteen-year-old that I was, I believed him and took him back. We played the he dumps me then apologizes thing for awhile until he just sorta stopped coming over and I sorta stopped looking for him. I heard later that he moved somewhere back East.
So there you have it. I was a pathetic lovesick teen and it truly bothers me how dumb I was. In retrospect, I know he never loved me. (I should have known since his first declaration of love was in a letter he wrote me while he was in Juvenile Hall telling me he loved me and please wait for him. It had all seemed very romantic so I waited. Every day I stayed home waiting for him to call during Rec Hour. Some days he did, some days he didn't. When I wrote him back telling him I loved him as well, he never wrote another letter. I wrote two a day.) All Ginger really wanted was my money and easy access to booze.
I actually saw him about six years ago. He now works at the Dollar Store in my hometown. I've heard he has five kids, two with the same ex, the other three with other women on the East Coast. I was visiting from Film School and ran into him. For years I'd pondered what I would say or do if I ever saw him again. None of those witty, biting comments came out. I just turned bright red and stuttered. My mom told me I looked white as a ghost. I then proceeded to vomit in the parking lot. My mom took me to a bar across the street and got me drunk. It was the only time I've ever done shots with my mom.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
30 Day Blog Challenge - Nicknames
Ok so today's topic is nicknames. This at first struck me as silly because I don't really have nicknames then I started thinking of some stories in which nicknames were assigned to me. My first nickname was merely Britt, though with two t's. I hate when people write Brit. My grandmother always does!
But for the far more fun nicknames, I would say that Brat-ney or Bitch-ney were common as a prepubescent and teenager. In soccer, I was often called Brat-ney because I threw fits if I didn't get my way. Not much changed as I grew older except we were now allowed to curse. Regardless, it's not my favorite memory of being such a brat that people labeled me as such.
My favorite nickname is Beerney. This was given to me by my dear friend during our first year of film school together. We were hanging out in the boys' dorm watching movies, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. She meant to say, "Brittany, can you get me a beer?" Instead she said, "Beerney, can you get me a britt." It may not sound as righteously funny now but at the time we nearly wet ourselves giggling. The boys thought we were nuts. Nevertheless, my friend still calls me Beerny to this day.
Another nickname is Ruger. I went to Vegas with a few Los Angeles friends to celebrate a birthday party. On our first day, we went to Starbucks where they massacred all of our names. Mine came out Ruger. Still no idea how the baristas managed that one but so it goes... Anyhoo, we decided that our Starbucks names would be our alter egos. Ruger came out many times during the course of that trip, mostly when drunk. While in a total state of intoxication, I actually threw ranch dressing at my friend. She still will not let me forget it! But the highlight of that trip was when we got an accidental text message that read: "Can you take Laylani to church? She really needs to go." Obviously Laylani had gotten herself into some trouble and needed Jesus' help. We sent back a ridiculous reply and then headed to the airport. It was an epically fun Vegas trip and my friends will still call me Ruger when I drink from time to time.
But for the far more fun nicknames, I would say that Brat-ney or Bitch-ney were common as a prepubescent and teenager. In soccer, I was often called Brat-ney because I threw fits if I didn't get my way. Not much changed as I grew older except we were now allowed to curse. Regardless, it's not my favorite memory of being such a brat that people labeled me as such.
My favorite nickname is Beerney. This was given to me by my dear friend during our first year of film school together. We were hanging out in the boys' dorm watching movies, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. She meant to say, "Brittany, can you get me a beer?" Instead she said, "Beerney, can you get me a britt." It may not sound as righteously funny now but at the time we nearly wet ourselves giggling. The boys thought we were nuts. Nevertheless, my friend still calls me Beerny to this day.
Another nickname is Ruger. I went to Vegas with a few Los Angeles friends to celebrate a birthday party. On our first day, we went to Starbucks where they massacred all of our names. Mine came out Ruger. Still no idea how the baristas managed that one but so it goes... Anyhoo, we decided that our Starbucks names would be our alter egos. Ruger came out many times during the course of that trip, mostly when drunk. While in a total state of intoxication, I actually threw ranch dressing at my friend. She still will not let me forget it! But the highlight of that trip was when we got an accidental text message that read: "Can you take Laylani to church? She really needs to go." Obviously Laylani had gotten herself into some trouble and needed Jesus' help. We sent back a ridiculous reply and then headed to the airport. It was an epically fun Vegas trip and my friends will still call me Ruger when I drink from time to time.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Long time, no write
As always, I will start this post with a woops, it's been way too long post. However, for the next 30 days (give or take) that will all change. I'm going to do the 30 Day Blog Challenge which actually has nothing to do with being vegan, but rather it's about writing something every day. So it's about to get personal up in here!
Since it is day one, I am supposed to share a recent picture, introduce myself and share 15 interesting facts about myself. Of course the interesting part is subjective so let's do this.
This picture was taken at the Wiltern just before the band Fun. came on stage. They are one of my all-time favorite ones and it was a great show.
So a new introduction. I am now 28 years old. I am still an assistant to a producer, though the more I learn about nutrition, yoga and other "hippie dippy" stuff, the more I wonder if this is the industry I want to stay in. I may go back to school for nutrition but that is at least another year off. Got to give myself time. I am also a writer and avid reader. I am engaged to a great woman and will be getting married in September.
Facts:
1. I am mostly vegan.
2. I am a lesbian
3. I am at 42, 519 words as of today in my new novel.
4. I have 2 fur babies, Pinkerton and Wilco.
5. I like to cook.
6. I juice every day.
7. My VitaMix was the best gift I ever got.
8. My favorite book is the Count of the Monte Cristo.
9. My favorite movie is The Godfather.
10. A movie I will always watch if it is on is The Sweetest Thing.
11. My guilty pleasure movie is Rock Star.
12. I am the middle child within my family.
13. I have 2 Bachelor's Degrees.
14. I am allergic to corn.
15. I am getting married in September!
Ok so there you go, folks. Easy peasy. But I assure you, it gets much more intimate as time goes on!
Since it is day one, I am supposed to share a recent picture, introduce myself and share 15 interesting facts about myself. Of course the interesting part is subjective so let's do this.
This picture was taken at the Wiltern just before the band Fun. came on stage. They are one of my all-time favorite ones and it was a great show.
So a new introduction. I am now 28 years old. I am still an assistant to a producer, though the more I learn about nutrition, yoga and other "hippie dippy" stuff, the more I wonder if this is the industry I want to stay in. I may go back to school for nutrition but that is at least another year off. Got to give myself time. I am also a writer and avid reader. I am engaged to a great woman and will be getting married in September.
Facts:
1. I am mostly vegan.
2. I am a lesbian
3. I am at 42, 519 words as of today in my new novel.
4. I have 2 fur babies, Pinkerton and Wilco.
5. I like to cook.
6. I juice every day.
7. My VitaMix was the best gift I ever got.
8. My favorite book is the Count of the Monte Cristo.
9. My favorite movie is The Godfather.
10. A movie I will always watch if it is on is The Sweetest Thing.
11. My guilty pleasure movie is Rock Star.
12. I am the middle child within my family.
13. I have 2 Bachelor's Degrees.
14. I am allergic to corn.
15. I am getting married in September!
Ok so there you go, folks. Easy peasy. But I assure you, it gets much more intimate as time goes on!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
My blog is one year old!!!!
Alright so first things first, I've been incredibly lax and lazy with my posts lately. No real excuse except life getting in the way. I can't believe the serendipity that I decided to post today then when I checked it out realized that it's been exactly one year since I started this thing. Once upon a time, I was really unsure whether I could remain mostly vegan but it turns out that wiping out fish and other bi-products really wasn't as hard as expected. I feel better, I'm more in tune with my body, and recently started a mediation and yoga practice! Exciting changes are afoot. The more I learn about nutrition, food and healing, the more I love it. I am currently looking for a new assistant position (fingers crossed on one job in particular) and I think that this will be my final year as an assistant. I want to look forward. If I am not promoted within a year, I believe it may be time to make some real lasting changes in my life, namely getting out of this rat race. I still love film; I really do. However, working in this industry can have a disastrous effect on your health. The constant stress and resentments that build up are toxic to be in for too long and I'm going on my fifth year of it. Now I know some people are thinking then why throw away all that time. I don't see it as wasted time though. Without this business I would have never made many of my friends or met the love of my life. But sometimes you realize that you don't need to identify yourself by your job and maybe that time is coming for me. Anyhoo, enough of that! Let's talk food.
So first things first, I tried the Greek Gyro Bowl at Native Foods. It is described as: Our thinly sliced Native Peppered Seitan sautéed with shallots on quinoa, steamed vegetables, and kale with lemon garlic sauce and hummus. Served with grilled flatbread.
Let me just say it was spectacular. The flatbread was soft and pliable, perfect for scooping. The hummus was a little more like dressing because it was liquidy. Just really a perfect bowl. I felt very energetic after eating and enjoyed that I had some yummy leftovers to boot!
Next, Becca and I got Bistro Boxes from Madeleine Bistro. Basically you get several meals delivered to you on Monday afternoon that you can reheat and enjoy at home. I am a HUGE fan of Madeleine's so Becca and I were very excited. It's now been a week and we've gone through nearly everything. We got a bit lazy in our picture taking so we only have the Mac & Cheese Casserole with roasted veggies.
I will admit the mac & cheese wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped it would be. Mostly it tasted like the bread crumbs on top, which I think were cornmeal since I had an allergic reaction later that night. However, that's not to say we didn't enjoy eating it. Out of our box, I think it's safe to say that the "Chickn" Pot Pie with Biscuits was our fave.
Finally, Becca and I headed to Arizona for Memorial Day weekend with my parents. I was a little worried about the lack of vegan options but managed to find True Food Kitchen. They were FANTASTIC!!! We loved them so much we ate there twice. Both my parents even enjoyed their meals and they can be finicky eaters. True Food has both omnivore and vegan meals. They also have an array of gluten free and soy free foods as well. I was really craving a tofu scramble so I got the Tofu Scramble Wrap (with a Prana which is the most delicious cocktail eva!) while Becca went with the Halibut sliders (not pictured for obvious reasons). The following day we split a roasted veggie pizza with no cheese. Yum. What's great about this restaurant is that the staff was very young and friendly. It was obvious that one of our waiters wasn't entirely sure what vegan meant, just that they offered vegan food. However, he was very quick to ask lots of questions, such as is it ok if there is some milk in the sauce (answer obvi no) and other things like that. He really believed that vegans could eat fish! So here are the pics:
So first things first, I tried the Greek Gyro Bowl at Native Foods. It is described as: Our thinly sliced Native Peppered Seitan sautéed with shallots on quinoa, steamed vegetables, and kale with lemon garlic sauce and hummus. Served with grilled flatbread.
Let me just say it was spectacular. The flatbread was soft and pliable, perfect for scooping. The hummus was a little more like dressing because it was liquidy. Just really a perfect bowl. I felt very energetic after eating and enjoyed that I had some yummy leftovers to boot!
Next, Becca and I got Bistro Boxes from Madeleine Bistro. Basically you get several meals delivered to you on Monday afternoon that you can reheat and enjoy at home. I am a HUGE fan of Madeleine's so Becca and I were very excited. It's now been a week and we've gone through nearly everything. We got a bit lazy in our picture taking so we only have the Mac & Cheese Casserole with roasted veggies.
I will admit the mac & cheese wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped it would be. Mostly it tasted like the bread crumbs on top, which I think were cornmeal since I had an allergic reaction later that night. However, that's not to say we didn't enjoy eating it. Out of our box, I think it's safe to say that the "Chickn" Pot Pie with Biscuits was our fave.
Finally, Becca and I headed to Arizona for Memorial Day weekend with my parents. I was a little worried about the lack of vegan options but managed to find True Food Kitchen. They were FANTASTIC!!! We loved them so much we ate there twice. Both my parents even enjoyed their meals and they can be finicky eaters. True Food has both omnivore and vegan meals. They also have an array of gluten free and soy free foods as well. I was really craving a tofu scramble so I got the Tofu Scramble Wrap (with a Prana which is the most delicious cocktail eva!) while Becca went with the Halibut sliders (not pictured for obvious reasons). The following day we split a roasted veggie pizza with no cheese. Yum. What's great about this restaurant is that the staff was very young and friendly. It was obvious that one of our waiters wasn't entirely sure what vegan meant, just that they offered vegan food. However, he was very quick to ask lots of questions, such as is it ok if there is some milk in the sauce (answer obvi no) and other things like that. He really believed that vegans could eat fish! So here are the pics:
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What Are You Grateful For?
Today's word for me is gratitude. I feel immensely blessed to be where I am in my life. Not everything is perfect by any means, I could gripe about plenty but in this moment, I am truly grateful. For what you may ask? Well, Becca, my friends, my amazing family, kale, Animal Acres, sunshine and my easy-going boss that lets me take off for interviews when I need to. Thank you from the bottom of my soul today.
Oh what else am I grateful for? Cafe Gratitude! Becca and I went there last night and decided to try to keep our meals mostly raw as that is my new attempt in life. Let me just say YUM. We did order a cooked appetizer but hey we made strides :) So here is my review of yum.
First we started with the I Am Vibrant which is sauteed greens and pumpkin seeds. This was seriously so delicious. The sourness of the vinegary sauce, the crunch of the seeds and the straight-up delishness of the greens made this a stand out dish.
Next up we ordered entrees. I went with the I Am Complete, which was almond hummus, olive tapenade, live falafel, a buckwheat cracker and a side salad with a creamy mint dressing. I was skeptical about all of this since it's raw but it all turned really well. The buckwheat cracker especially was fantastic, which surprised me because I thought it would be dry and gross. My only issue was with the amount of dressing on my side salad. It was a little much.
Becca chose the I Am Hearty. It's a live onion crust with cashew cheese, marinara, pesto, and tapenade. They top it with brazil nut parmesan and basil. This was very much the winner for the evening, although it was a bit small. We wished there were two on the plate! Nevertheless, this is definitely something to try, especially if you're a newbie to eating raw.
Cafe Gratitude rocks my socks. For serious. I can't wait to go back there!
Oh what else am I grateful for? Cafe Gratitude! Becca and I went there last night and decided to try to keep our meals mostly raw as that is my new attempt in life. Let me just say YUM. We did order a cooked appetizer but hey we made strides :) So here is my review of yum.
First we started with the I Am Vibrant which is sauteed greens and pumpkin seeds. This was seriously so delicious. The sourness of the vinegary sauce, the crunch of the seeds and the straight-up delishness of the greens made this a stand out dish.
Next up we ordered entrees. I went with the I Am Complete, which was almond hummus, olive tapenade, live falafel, a buckwheat cracker and a side salad with a creamy mint dressing. I was skeptical about all of this since it's raw but it all turned really well. The buckwheat cracker especially was fantastic, which surprised me because I thought it would be dry and gross. My only issue was with the amount of dressing on my side salad. It was a little much.
Becca chose the I Am Hearty. It's a live onion crust with cashew cheese, marinara, pesto, and tapenade. They top it with brazil nut parmesan and basil. This was very much the winner for the evening, although it was a bit small. We wished there were two on the plate! Nevertheless, this is definitely something to try, especially if you're a newbie to eating raw.
Cafe Gratitude rocks my socks. For serious. I can't wait to go back there!
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