assessing your stressors and putting things into perspective on the freeway

Today I was held up at an on ramp, because I had left for work at the same time as my boyfriend who had work 30 minutes before I did, and found myself with some time to kill. What better way to waste time than attempting to take the LA freeways between 5am and 10pm? The 101 was in standstill mode as always, but it gave me the perfect opportunity to do some in depth people watching. There are several types of drivers on Los Angeles freeways; the business man with decent to nice luxury cars, the tourist with their minivans, F-250's and out of state license plates, and the rest of the entire middle class in our semi-decent to jalopy vehicles.

This morning I observed all of these people and it made me think about the different things that consume our lives, the things that stress us out, and where they really fall on the importance meter.

Lets first look at the business suit rocking, Lexus driving, middle aged successful business man. Of the 30 or so cars I was able to actually observe, about ten were of this category. The men and women making their daily commute into downtown and the west side of LA all had something in common that was easily observable, nothing. By nothing I of course mean the blank expressions, the relaxed slump into the drivers seat,  and hands draped mindlessly over the steering wheel. I shudder to think of the submission, the dull effect of the mornings traffic jam upon these people. Of course this is my personal opinion speaking for itself, but I imagine every single one of those men and women to be broken, spiritually, by the stresses of life that comes with living in the city. This is the sad reality. The things in which we are taught to aspire too may leave you empty, broken, and even accustomed to miserable situations such as the morning commute down the 101.

The next group of easily observable individuals was the middle class twenty somethings on their way to their own dead end, minimum wage jobs. This is the group that is the horn honkers, the yellers, and the infamous "bird flippers" of the freeway. But why do we yell and raise our fists at the window at every single car who dare put on his break lights?  Because we are young, we know that there are better things out there and that we should not stand for the crappy choices we are given. It is frustrating to the core to accept the state of the Los Angeles freeways, and we think of a hundred different ways to improve the traffic situation, we yell and stamp our feet and occasionally punch the steering wheel. As traffic inches along we eventually come to our exit, and we are flooded with relief. The problem is forgotten about, and we have moved on until next time.

To apply this to life, DO NOT think that having a well paying job and a fancy car to sit in traffic with will bring you the happiness that you are searching for. Look at your spark, look at the fire that burned inside you as you were directly affected by a problem that most people only hear about in the news. Where is this energy and intensity when you need to apply it to life, such as school, work, sports, physical fitness, and love. Do not become a mindless drone, like those who are accustomed to the traffic problem of Los Angeles and simply exist through it because there is no other clear solution to correct or avoid it.

Find the things that piss you off, that seriously burn you to the core with hatred, and find a way to expel it from your life. I am not asking you to find solutions to your problems, I am telling you to find the things that cause you grief and  find the best possible solution to never face that stressor again. If you hate traffic, wouldnt it be worth it to sacrifice your 15 dollar and hour job for the peace of mind you get from riding your bike five or six blocks to work everyday? If you hate that you cannot afford to feed, house, and care for your pet, wouldnt it be worth it to walk the old neighbors down around in the evenings for free? If your makeup looks to splotchy when you put it on every morning, wouldnt it be worth it to watch some demo-videos, or attend a workshop? It may even spark a new found passion, hobby, or career!

The last group of freeway dwellers that I would like to discuss are the tourists. I admire their ability to sit through traffic jams with smiling faces, faithfully scanning the cars around them as to not miss an opportunity to " slug bug " a sibling. I love the tourists in traffic jams, because they have inspired me to live with my eyes on the checkpoint, and not on the goal. Tourists are able to keep their heads high even in the worst of LA traffic conditions because they are taking in the experience around them, the wonder of so many cars in one stretch of road, the smoke billowing from the factories in the distance.

And that is the moral of the story, experience everything. When you can be sure as to what bothers you and what makes you happy, choose the path that is the most enjoyable. Tourists are able to tolerate these less than desirable conditions because it is a rare experience they dont often encounter. Young people shout because they have an opinion, and even if it is just to our dashboard, it must be heard. Well established working men and women accept the conditions and exist through it.

What category do you want to fall in?

peace, love, keep surviving.

so your 20-something, now what?

Although some may argue, being a twenty something in this world is not as care-free and youthful as Hollywood might make it out to be. When you are a twenty something there are social limitations, expectations, and depending on what side of the hallowed 21 year mark you fall on, boredom.

So what ARE you supposed to be doing as a twenty something? Here is my recommendations to get you away from the oblivion that is your tumblr account, facebook, jersey shore, and whatever mindless shows that have the same basic overly-tan-people-with-fake-tits-and-too-much-money-so-they-fight-because-they-are-too-unintelligent-for-normal-activities.

 Volunteer. Do you know how underly-funded most necessary education, animal, child, and clean up projects in this country are? Volunteering is great for the twenty something because it is the chance to give you a taste of a grown up job without the grown up responsibilities or commitment that comes with such a position. If you know what you want to be doing in ten years, then great! Volunteer in that field, if you are not so lucky as to have your life mapped out yet, then dive into any and every opportunity you have to get the fullest range of opportunities you can. Also, making a name for yourself amongst the volunteer community may open doors for more permanent positions later on in life.

Fate is real, fate is all around us opening the doors for people who have knocked loud enough to be heard. Fate will reward you if you put yourself in the right place at the right time to let her work her magic, I promise.

peace, love, and keep your head above the water.

A Different Approach

It has been days, months even, since I last brought up my blogger and started mindlessly jotting down my activities for the day, what I cooked, what I ate, ect. When we last left off, I was 19 and living in San Diego, California. I was a nutrition major at San Diego Mesa College, who had it all figured out. I loved food, I loved cooking, I loved writing about it and taking photos.

Fast foreword and it is now December 2011. The infamous last month of the year, filled with family and friends, presents and food, parties and hangovers, we all know the context that December bring. I now live in Los Angeles, California where I am still in school however I am on the brink of completing my History degree instead of my prior path of nutrition. I still love food and taking pictures of it, that much hasn't changed.

But myself, as a person, has changed entirely.

As much as I disprove of  web-md self diagnoses, I have diagnosed myself with depression just before I left San Diego in July of 2011. There was a slight sequence of events that led up to this diagnoses, one was the severe lack of money I was experiencing due to my dead end job and overpriced living accommodations. The second, was the chance I had taken at giving someone my life, love, and respect that had been taken then immediately disregarded and myself left nearly homeless within hours of moving to Los Angeles.  The third, and final reason that I have identified behind my less than optimistic view of life, is that I have no idea what I am doing, what I am supposed to be doing, or what I even CAN do.

And I know that millions of other people my age stare mindlessly out their windows everyday, wondering the same things I am. So my apologies to those who checked my blog for vegetarian updates, but this is going in an entirely new direction. I want to asses the things in my life that are making my unhappy, and I want to track my progress and motivators until I have reached a situation that I am happy in, a me that I am proud of.

And I want to help those people, who feel about as important as a red light in in Los Angeles. Those people just like me who are truly struggling to find their place in society. I want to have the kind of page that I find myself looking for, someone who would have all the answers to my problems without me having to ask them.

peace, love, and good luck out there <3

vegetarian 4th of july, yay america!

veggie burger

fries

vegetarian chili

ingredients:

tofu, flour, mushroom, corn, rice, soy sauce, garlic powder, pepper

lettuce

onion

vegan cheese

buns

oven baked french fries

hormel vegetarian chili 

mmm first home cooked dinner together datess

bowls, grilled salmon, and the best boyfriend a girl could ask for <33

on the menu for today:
grilled salmon, with caramelized onions and garlic

spicy tofu cakes ( recipe mentioned in an earlier post )

udon, with carrot mushroom and fried tofu.

getting back to basics

Italliano. theres a type of food i havnt visited in awhile. I apologize for no end product picture, but this meal was prepared just after 4:20pm.

whole wheat pasta, in a zucchini butter-creme sauce.  

prep: boil angel hair whole wheat pasta (about 10 minutes)

to prepare sauce: in a deep pan, sautee zucchini sticks for about 10 minutes in a good ammount of hot olive oil. season with garlic, salt, pepper, ceyenne red pepper, thyme, oregano. after the zucchini has fried on one side, add in half a cup of your choice of almond, soy, or regular milk. add in butter (about a tablespoon full) and salt and pepper to taste. add 3 tablespoons of flour to the sauce mixture, remove from head at stir frequently for about 5 minutes. sauce should be nice and creamy. 

put sauce with zucchinis on top of your pasta, and drizzle all over with olive oil.

bon appetite! 

sorry for neglecting you, ill never do it again

so now that finals week is over i can finally get back to the more important things in my life, like cooking and talking about it :]

i dont take myself that seriously, be-te-double-yu.

while ive been off with my head burried in a book (hardly, ive actually just been tanning and smoking to much to remember that I have a blog.) but I do have some pics saved on my phone from the places ive been and the new ingredients ive worked with.

voilla!

this wonderful thing was a veggie and rice wrap from an amazing little place called CCC (california chicken c...?) they have a lot of healthy options for you meat eaters out there. but also one of the dankest and fulfilling munchie foods ive had in a long time. the grilled veggies were stuffed in a soft whole grain tortilla, along side steamed brown rice and avocado. 

orgasmic. def worth the 2 1/2 hour drive.

 as promised, SPICY TOFU CAKES. nom nom, using my recipe from the 420 post below, put on a "bed" of  thinly sliced carrots with sesame oil and seeds. best eaten with copious amounts of siracha.

for the life of me, i dont remember making this dish whatsoever. but I know I did, because that is my bed. my plate. and my fork. 

i guess i was feeling alittle italliano that day. maybe news of the jersey shore reaching Florence influenced me that day?

and as always, a picture of my favorite pot feinding friend

so may has proven to be a very interesting month. since our last visit, I have graduated from San Diego Mesa College, gotten a new job at Sammys Woodfired Pizza, and got slapped with some fat parking tickets (all within one week) that ive had to pay off by selling most of my possessions. honestly, I have not had much time or funds to go get cool stuff from the grocery store, but I promise I will be updating you guys on my healthy vegetarian friendly munchie foods soon enough.

oh, and ive decided to quit smoking. im 48 hours deep and going strong, we'll see how long it lasts this time

#broke

four twenty food, spring break treats.

ocean beach fro yo. heaven! 

the 4/20 feast begins.

sizzle sizzle

boil boil

on the menu for today: tempura battered eggplant and cauliflower. Sauteed carrots, over rice. Spicy ramen with tofu, broccoli, inoki, and onion.

Everything from the above category is simple to make ( I was high out of my mind and still managed it )

Ill post recipes and more tips later, but my laptops dieing.

BEST. UDON. EVER.

the Galleria, Northridge, CA.

shrimp nacho's con frijoles, avocado, queso, y salsa fresca. Muy Bien! 

and finally, my most favorite foods in the whole world. I woke up especially early on easter morning and made a special trip to vons, but oh so worth it.

Egg, mushroom, broccoli, and cheese omelette 

cinnamon roll, glazed doughnut

black coffee

raspberry lemonade.

L<3VE

warning, eating everything pictured here may leave you feeling like this:

just had to post a misty food coma picture.

countdown to april 20th

with great power comes great responsibility.
with great ganja, comes great munchies.

here is my list of the top vegetarian "munchie" foods, with budget in mind, that I wish to create and consume on this most holly of days

 4/20

spicy tofu cakes

a recipe that I picked up from my korean roomate last year, the vegetarian equivalent to a "chicken nugget". these little guys pack alot of flavor and arent too terribly taxing on the waistline.

ingredients:

tofu (one package goes a long way)

corn (canned is fine, but fresh has less sodium and will help give your cakes a crunch)

carrots ( two large or three medium, gratted )

mushrooms ( 3 little white ones, finely chopped )
steamed white or brown rice (brown is better)
kimchi  ( I hate this crap, but its spicyness and added veggies do wonders for this dish )

flour (about 1/2 cup, but will need to add untill they reach the perfect stick together consistency)
garlic powder
onion powder
cayenne red pepper
pepper

cut up your veggies, and mix about 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of flour, one package of firm tofu, add in as much kimchi as your tastebuds can handle, and fry on both sides untill nice and crispy. since theres no meat, theres no need to worry if its done on the inside. just cook it untill it looks good!

paired with whatever sauce you like, I prefer classic soy sauce or sweet and sour

green onion pancakes

I love this "quesadilla" of the asian world, but dont ask me to make one for you.  for the best green onoin pancakes I turn to no other then my roommate Melodie Ling. we use the prepared frozen brands from 99 ranch market here in San Diego. cooked in sesame oil on both sides, and rolled crepe style with a fried egg in between, this fried doughy protein packed snack always hits the spot.



heres a quick recipe I brought up from google, incase you want to DIY

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup warm water
Canola or vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 bunch scallions

Equipment
Spray oil or cooking spray
Rolling pin
Large metal baking sheet
One 10-inch heavy skillet or sauté pan
Thin spatula
Kitchen scissors

Instructions

1. Mix 2 1/2 cups flour with 1 cup water until it forms a smooth dough. Knead by doubling the dough over and pressing it down repeatedly, until the dough is even more smooth and very elastic. Coat this ball of dough lightly in oil and put it back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

2. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. Lightly oil the back of a large metal baking sheet. Roll out one part of the dough on the back of the baking sheet. Roll until it is a thin rectangle at least 12 x 9 inches.

3. Finely chop the bunch of scallions and have them ready, along with a small bowl of kosher salt.

4. Lightly brush the top of the dough with oil, then sprinkle it evenly with chopped scallions and kosher salt.

5. Starting from the long end, roll the dough up tightly, creating one long snake of rolled-up dough.

6. Cut the dough snake in two equal parts.

7. Take one of these halves and coil into a round dough bundle.

8. Roll out the coiled dough bundle again into a flat, smooth, round pancake.

9. Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, and oil it with a drizzle of canola of vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, pick up the pancake dough and lay it gently in the pan. It should sizzle, but not burn. Cook for 2 minutes on one side.

10. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side, or until golden brown.

11. Cut the pancake into wedges with a pair of kitchen scissors, and serve immediately with soy sauce or another dipping sauce.

dark chocolate covered cranberries

dont DIY this one, just get them from trader joes or someone else who will have a good high quality dark chocolate. I preach these because;

antioxidents, antioxidents, antioxidents.

sweet

tart

chocolate

fruit

need I say more?

sweet potato fries

anything fried is never good for you, but heres how I take most of the oil out of the equation

sweet potatos, about 3 or 4 (1 and 1/2 potatoes per person)

salt

garlic powder

cut the potatos into longish sticks, like what normal fries would look like.

in a baking pan, put down your potatos and salt (generous ammount, as this will help dehydrate the potato) and add about a 1/4th inch of water in the bottom.

throw in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (350 degrees) or untill the water is evaporated

take them out, let cool (its important that they dry out here). in the same pan, toss the potatoes in light canola oil, just untill they are majoritively coated. toss with the garlic powder as well

throw back into the oven, this time with the broiler on. keep an eye on them, it only takes about 10 minutes for those suckers to burn.

and there you go, sweet potato fries with less calories, more flavor, and prettier colors then your ordinary "welcome to mcdonalds" version.

Melodie Lings orgasmic sauteed carrots

all credit to this marvelous creation goes to my roomate, Melodie.

what your gonna need:

sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce

in a wok, or a pan, throw down some sesame oil and let your carrots (cut in the shape you wish) sautee for a good ten to 15 minutes. for the last 5 minutes, leave carrots on one side so that they can slightly burn / give you an amazing caremelized flavor. take off the heat, throw in your salf (as desired) pepper (as desired) and sesame seeds, let everything get nicely tossed together, then add in a couple shakes of your soy sauce and put it on the plate

mmmmmm...

peanutbutter and banana sandwich with blueberry bread

I have nothing positively healthy to say about this, except that it has no meat and taste great :]

what you need:

blueberry pancake mix

bananas

peanut butter

make your pancake batter, then in a large buttered pan fill the entire bottom with a thin layer of the pancake mix. let the one side cook only lightly, just untill it reaches that point to where you can flip it over.

once flipped, layer your bananas and spread your peanut butter on the cooked side while the other side is cooking. fold over omlette style, and enjoy with a tall glass of milk

misty says:

"munnchhiiiesss fuuucckk!"



pho twenty time

OB Noodle House

vegetarian pho'

tofu lettuce wraps (not pictured)

pleasant afternoon lunch with my roommates. 

great food. great laughs.

i wish they could be pictured here too, because i love them

and i love this food

next time your in ob, dont miss out on OB Noodle House 

get your thai on

so your hungry, now. STOP! put the top ramen back in the cupboard. there is enough sodium in there to end the existence of snails (which happen to be my favorite animal) altogether. top ramen consists of three basic elements; water. carbohydrates in the form of starch. and salt.

you can drink water out of a glass, so drop the artificial flavoring packets and lets get our thai on.

what i used:
1 two bunches of bok choy (the baby kind)
[can substitute here with cabbage or spinach]
2 onion, nicely chopped
3 carrots, best put through a cheese grater or just cut into small pieces
4 about 1/3rd clove of garlic, minced (chopped finely)
5 whole grain noodles of your choice

boil your noodles, and strain

in a wok, or a pot, put down about half an inch of water and throw in all your veggies. turn on the heat alittle above halfway and let them cook till the majority of the water evaporates. after it does, throw in about 1/4th cup of cooking oil and your pasta. sautee everything till your onions turn that nice brown carmelized color.

now sauce time

1 two tablespoons of chunky peanut butter
2 about a quarter cup of soy sauce, but here you can really just use to taste
3 onion powder to taste
4 cayenne red pepper and paprika to taste ( a couple shakes of tobasco does the same trick)
5 regular black pepper to taste
6 sesame oil (if you dont have any, no biggie, add in alittle extra cooking oil to make sure everything is moist)

you can just add all of these right onto the noodles and stir

top with sesame seeds (or not) and enjoy! the whole process takes less then 20 minutes. the bok choy/cabbage/spinach contains antioxidants as well as calcium and a whole slew of other essential vitamins and minerals. the peanut butter contains protein, which every girl needs an extra boost of here and there. Onions and garlic have been linked in the prevention and maintenance of cells against cancer.


so grab some chop sticks and feel good about yourself today

your gonna need the energy to keep up with this pup

no milk? no problem.

Heart Healthy, High Fiber, Breakfast

Calories: <260

Ingredients:  1 Banana, 1/2 cup Granola, Tea.

1 slice banana first in half (long ways) and then cut down the length to make as many half circle pieces as you'd like.

2 layer bananas and granola in the bowl

3 heat up some water and pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea or black coffee

i feel like breakfast is best enjoyed alone. take your time, play with your food, just remember to eat it. the fiber from the granola helps to regulate digestion by removing all that junk we have built up in our small intestines. a clean, better functioning small intestine means better absorption of nutrients that allow small amounts of nutritious food to leave you feeling fuller, longer.

getting down to business and keeping new years resolutions.

About the Author

20 years old

studies nutrition at Mesa College

celebrates my 4th anniversary of vegetarianism in August 

mexican upbringing and asian infatuation bring unique influences and various techniques to my food

fruit salad with poppy seed and mustard dressing

About the Blog

i am pleased to have finally decided  upon blogging about nutritious, budget friendly vegetarian food. as social influences like environmental awareness, personal financial deficits, health awareness, and that ever popular term "im on a diet" creep into the fabric of our generations being, more and more people are turning to vegetarianism every day. Or even if you love your steak, adding vegetarian dishes to your daily diet will leave you reaping the benefits from these nutrient dense foods.

i am in college. i hold a nearly full time job. i do not have the means of going to a farmers market a couple mornings a week. i cannot shop at specialty food stores for rare ingredients that will send your boring vegetables to the moon. i dont own fancy kitchen appliances, hell we dont even own a blender.

so i get it. and eventually, youll get it. vegetarian, no, healthy can be done well. healthy can leave your skin glowing. healthy can keep you wearing those one pair of jeans you kept from high school. healthy can put a few extra dollars back in your wallet for the same amount of food on the plate.

healthy can be done. and i can show you how to do it

breakfast of champions?

always good to keep something peaceful within eye sight