September 2, 2010

Do I want to be responsible for hurting this littl bun bun? Oh, hell, no!

A little over a month ago, I made a commitment to purge my household – and my life – of products that are tested on animals.  I heard about the 120 beagles who were rescued on July 4th from a bankrupt testing lab in New York, and was absolutely heartbroken to think that they had never been outdoors, chased a ball or run with other dogs.  They had never been allowed to be dogs; they were just test subjects.

I’ve been vegetarian for 16 years, and 99% vegan for the last 8 months, so it seemed inconsistent that I avoid eating meat, dairy and eggs because I don’t want to be a party to an animal’s suffering, but I’m doing exactly that when I buy my favorite Loreal mascara.  Or Charmin toilet paper.  Or Garnier hair color.

So I decided to get with the program and clean out my house.  Care to know how it’s going?  I’m not gonna lie; it’s a bit tough here and there.  I have these random conflicted conversations with myself…

Maybe I’ll just buy the Charmin toilet paper one more time, then I’ll buy Seventh Generation.

No, you’re a hypocrite. You said you were committed.

I am, but it’s TOILET PAPER for cryin out loud!  I can’t buy crappy TOILET PAPER!  No one will know if I buy it just once more.

You’ll know.  You’ll make one exception, then it’ll be two, then fourteen.  Do it 100% or don’t do it all.

Yeah, but I can’t find a new mascara that I like.  I have to have a good mascara!  You can’t expect me to sacrifice everything!

If you buy that mascara, you’re responsible for poking the wand into a bunny’s eye!  Don’t do it!  Don’t do it!  There are plenty of other mascaras out there that you haven’t tried yet.  Don’t be a quitter.

Well, what about my Clorox Toilet Wand?  Do I have to go back to having a drippy germy toilet brush in my bathroom?

Stop being a baby!  Are you committed to living without contributing to animal suffering, or are you committed to whining?

And so it goes.

To be completely honest, it’s easier to replace some products than others.

• Method and quite a few other companies make cleaning products that are cruelty-free.

• The Seventh Generation laundry detergent that I bought is happily cheaper than Tide!

• I’ve tried 3 mascaras already, and am not in love with any of them, but I have others to try and am confident there is a great mascara out there that is not animal-tested.

• I found a shaving cream that smells heavenly, like coconuts, and feels like buttah!

On the other hand, I’m having some big challenges.

• The biggest is with paper products.  I’m pretty picky about the brands of TP, paper towels and napkins I buy; not to mention those, you know – feminine products – and I haven’t found any good replacements for them yet.  There don’t seem to be many options at all to choose from.  Surely, there has to be a solution!  The search continues…

• I’m also wondering what to do about my Swiffer Wet Jet that I dearly love.  Could there be a way to still make use of it since I already have it, without buying any more liquid or pad refills?  Those things were darn expensive anyway.

As I test more products and find excellent cruelty-free products, I’m going to assemble a list that will hopefully help someone else in my position.  I don’t want to blow smoke at you and tell you this process is a piece of cake, but it’s worthwhile and I’m committed.  Still whining a little now and then, because apparently I’m a much bigger brand-ho than I realized, and I like things the way I like them.  But I’m still committed! 

I’m really hoping that some of you will have some suggestions for me!  If you do, PLEASE send them my way and I’ll pay it forward!

Lil Bunny image from KevenLaws Flickr photostream.

~BigSis

August 31, 2010

We’ve had some big events going on these past couple of weeks in our world, which definitely took some of our time away from BigSisLilSis.

Here are just a few things that have been happening:

• Two weeks ago, BigSis and I met in Chicago for a long weekend to meet Bry’s fiance.

• Last week, I had a training class in Dallas and BigSis was nice enough, after working a full day, to pick me up every night so we could go to dinner.

• HayHay started his Junior year in high school last Thursday.

• Bry got married in Illinois on Saturday. (Yes, without family present; sniffle, sniffle…)

• Bry also learned that he will be stationed here in San Diego and may be relocating as soon as next month! (Hip, hip, hurray!)

• BigSis spent the whole weekend at WordCamp Dallas; 25 different sessions to be exact!  Ask her about it if you’re interested in the scoop!

• My little guy, HayHay’s 17th birthday was yesterday.

• My 19th wedding anniversary is today.

• And, I’m anxiously awaiting to hear about my first assignment for my new job.

I’m ready for things to settle down and get back to normal, but I don’t even know what normal is any more. I think I’m going to have to redefine “my normal”.  Thankfully, we have a long holiday weekend coming up!

BigSis and I will be getting back on track soon and are also working on some new ideas for our site. Hopefully, we’ll be ready to announce a few changes in September!

We hope everyone had a great summer!    Now, what’s going on in your world!  Tell us; it’ll make us feel better about our craziness!

~LilSis

August 30, 2010

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY HAYHAY!

Ahhhh!!! To be young again!!

Our youngest, the baby of the clan, is 17 years old today!

We’re so proud of the young man that he has become and we love that he still acts like a kid and isn’t trying to grow up too fast!

HayHay is funny, kind, loving, creative, compassionate, respectful, and overall; a great person and a great son!

And, we especially love the fact that he still enjoys hanging out with his parents!

We love ya, Hay!

~LilSis

August 19, 2010

This time of year is really hectic for most of us moms; on top of normal chores, we’re clearing our kids’ closets and drawers of clothes that no longer fit, shopping for new clothes, school supplies, backpacks, and trying to stock the pantry with all the goodies needed for breakfasts, school lunches and/or after school snacks.

I do LOVE shopping for school supplies; the whole excitement of it brings back fond memories for me and I sometimes wish that I was still buying pencil boxes and crayons, but I won’t delve into my obsession with school supplies today. Instead, let’s talk about making sure we have what to need to assure that our kids start out each morning with a healthy breakfast.

I don’t have little ones in elementary school or middle school any more and I really miss those mornings when I used to pack the kids’ lunches and put little surprises or notes in their lunch sacks. Since those days are long gone for me and my high-schooler won’t take a sack lunch anymore, it’s more important than ever for me to make sure he has a good breakfast before he leaves every morning.

I’ve always tried to make sure that my kids don’t start the day on an empty stomach or with something sugary. Both can lead to problems with blood sugar levels and make it hard for the child to concentrate during school.

For adults, eating a healthy breakfast also has tremendous health benefits, but specifically here’s what Mayo Clinic says about the benefits for children.

Benefits for children

Breakfast is especially important for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:

• Concentrate better
• Have better problem-solving skills
• Have better hand-eye coordination
• Be more alert
• Be more creative
• Miss fewer days of school
• Be more physically active

My family would probably tell you that I sound like a broken record when I say “You know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve said that.

Obviously on those early morning school days, breakfast needs to be quick, and most importantly, a healthy combination of whole grains, low fat protein, low fat dairy, and fruits and/or veggies.

Here are a few of my favorites.

• Oatmeal with fruit and almonds. (To me, this is a perfect breakfast.) I like the McCann’s Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal but Quaker Oats Quick One Minute Oats is also a great choice. The Quaker brand actually has one more gram of fiber and protein than McCann’s. After cooking the oatmeal, I add some cinnamon and top with blueberries or sliced banana and sliced almonds.

• Scrambled eggs or egg beaters with 2% cheese in a whole wheat tortilla. It’s so quick and easy to make a great breakfast burrito. If your child is open to it, add just a little fresh chopped spinach when you scramble the eggs. (This can even be done in the microwave.)  Then put a little grated cheese on top, scoop into a tortilla and roll it up. I buy a low sodium ham from Trader Joe’s that I sometimes add to this.

• Fresh fruit salad. I make fruit salads all the time and both my guys love it for breakfast. Have your berries and grapes washed ahead and if adding pineapple, it’s quicker if that’s cut up the night before. We like blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, grapes, mandarin oranges, and pears, but you could use any of your child’s favorite fruits.

• Whole wheat or multi-grain bagel. We are really liking the new Thomas’ Bagel Thins. The Whole Wheat ones are great but the Everything Bagel Thins are our favorite. These toast great and aren’t as heavy as a regular bagel. They’re perfect with just cream cheese or even better as a breakfast sandwich with an egg and a piece of healthy ham and low fat cheese.
  

• Yogurt with berries and granola. We also love yogurt at my house for breakfast. I mostly buy the Trader Joe’s brand and instead of granola, I sometimes toss in some Kashi Heart to Heart cereal.

• Eggo Nutri-Grain low fat waffles. It doesn’t get much easier than this.  These frozen waffles are quite good; I have one most mornings after my yogurt and fruit.  I try to find something other than syrup to offer with a waffle and I’ve found that these are great with a little almond butter spread on top.

• Banana and granola bar. If your child is running late and insists that he/she doesn’t have time to sit down for breakfast, then stick a banana and a granola bar in their hand on the way out the door. It’s definitely better than a Pop Tart. There are many nutritious choices for granola bars these days. My favorites are the Peanut Butter Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars.
  

All of these choices take five minutes or less to prepare and when served with a small glass of low fat milk and/or orange juice, it’ll jump start your child’s day and allow them to get through the morning with enough energy to last them until lunchtime.

~LilSis

August 14, 2010

What if I told you I could make brownies without butter? Probably doable, right?

How about without eggs? Hmmm, getting trickier. How will you keep them together without eggs?

Now, what if I told you I made brownies with no eggs, no dairy, AND added blueberries! What?! Get outta here!

Using the Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownie recipe from Veganomicon, that’s exactly what I did. And guess what? They’re awesome!! I took them to the office and actually got good reviews. Even great reviews! And the comments weren’t what you would expect: “I guess they’re ok for healthy brownies, BigSis. Better than no brownie at all”.

Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies

They’re moist, they’re unbelievably chocolatey, and you really can’t figure out what’s different about them. I guess blueberries have such a mild flavor usually, that the brownies don’t scream “BLUEBERRY!!!!”

These guys have 3 chocolates (I used vegan), fresh blueberries, and a whole jar of blueberry spread. Plus the usual suspects: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, canola oil, vanilla and almond extract,

They aren’t completely without guilt, but at least you get a little fruit with your chocolate.

~BigSis

August 12, 2010

Being single and eating my biggest meal of the day before noon, it’s really easy for me to skip dinner or to just have a handful of almonds.  I try to eat intentionally though, and skipping dinner doesn’t set me up for a very energetic morning.

I have a solution that works for me, even in the summertime when you don’t automatically think of something warm.  How about a one-pot stew/soup dish that’s inexpensive, nutritious AND super speedy?  I got it for you.  It’s so simple, I don’t even need to give you an official recipe; I can just tell you how to do it in a few words.

Take 5 cans from your pantry, and don’t feel bad that you’re using cans!  You need a big can of fire-roasted tomatoes (diced or crushed), a small can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilis (similar to Rotel but I think much better!), a can of green beans, a can of red kidney beans and a can of corn.

Open all the cans, and dump both tomatoes into a large saucepan and turn the meat to medium.  Fill the small can with water and add that.  Then add whatever mexican seasonings you like to the tomatoes and simmer for few minutes.  I used garlic powder, cumin, chile powder, dried cilantro, shallot pepper, salt and a touch of dried chipotle.

Bring the tomatoes to a boil, and then add the drained corn and green beans, along with the kidney beans that have been drained and rinsed.  You don’t want that nasty bean juice.  Heat until the vegetables are heated through.  Voila!  You’re done!

I like to serve my stew with dairy-free cheese (Daiya) and sour cream (Tofutti).  My diced tomatoes with chilis were pretty potent so I didn’t even need any Frank’s Red Hot Sauce!

In this one bowl, you get nutrients from the veggies, plus protein from the beans that will keep you full for a good long time.  Use whatever veggies you have, and feel free to add other goodies like mushrooms, onions, and chili peppers.  Hatch chilis are almost in season and they would be incredible in this.

I’d say this is a much better dinner than a few sorry nuts! 

~BigSis

August 10, 2010

Last month I shared the Funfetti Firecracker Cupcake recipe with you for a fun way to turn cupcakes into little firecrackers. Here’s another way you can use those little exploding candies, Pop Rocks to liven up your next summer party. I made these fun cocktails for the 4th of July but they would also be very festive for a Labor Day party.

On the “Rocks”
(adapted from Food Network Magazine July/August 2010)

Juice from half a lemon
Strawberry (red) Pop Rocks
1 part vodka
2 parts juice or mixer (I used Rose’s Blue Raspberry Mix)
1 part seltzer water or club soda

Pound the Pop Rocks packet before opening to crush the candies into smaller granules, then pour them out onto a plate. Next, just dampen the rims of the glasses with lemon juice and dip the rims in the candies.

So you don’t disturb the candies on the rim, just mix the vodka and juice, or mixer, in a shaker first and then pour over ice and add a splash of seltzer or club soda. Serve immediately as the Pop Rocks will start popping as soon as you put them on the rim.

Note: These also turn out really pretty using cranberry or pomegranate juice with the Tropical Punch (blue) Pop Rocks. (As pictured in Food Network Magazine.)

To make these for the kiddos, just eliminate the alcohol and use any color juice and Pop Rocks. These are so easy, it would even be fun to let the kids help make their own.

~LilSis

August 8, 2010

Hey, LilSis, I know you enjoy Pink’s music as much as I do.  I really like the “Glitter in the Air” video you shared the other day.

I love that one minute she’s irreverent, fun and sassy – even wild -  and the next minute she surprises us with a really touching melancholy ballad.  She doesn’t fit the cookie cutter image of a Hollywood pop star (and doesn’t want to), but I don’t feel that her unique style ever overshadows her talent.  Not hatin’ on you, Lady Gaga, I’m just sayin’.

Did you notice Pink’s tweet on Saturday that gave us a link to a special “Please Don’t Leave Me” video that we can download for free?  Just go to Pink’s video page and use the code PDLM.  I don’t know how long the video download will be available, so you might want to grab it now.  If you want to be notified of future downloads, you can sign up for her newsletter.  I did!

You can also watch some of Pink’s videos online on her video page.  I’ve never seen this one for “I Don’t Believe You” but I love it even though it makes me want to cry!

So, now that Pink’s European Funhouse tour has wrapped up, will she be back in the studio to work on a new album?  “Funhouse” was a great one, but I’ve listened to all those songs a bajillion times now and I’m ready for some new Pink music!

~BigSis

August 6, 2010

Even though we’ve had unseasonably cool weather this Summer in Southern California, I realize that in some parts of the country there are still many of you experiencing record high temperatures. I feel for you, I promise!

Summer is actually my favorite season but I know, from spending most of my life in Texas, that the last thing anyone wants to do in that kind of heat is to cook. So, I thought this might be a perfect time for a Summer Salad Roundup.

Here are just a few of my favorite Summer Salads.

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro, and Green Chili

Egg White Salad with Spinach, Feta Cheese, and Parmesan

Tomato Salad with Feta, Basil and Balsamic Reduction

Spinach and Orzo Salad

And, last but not least, this is absolutely, positively my most favorite summer salad EVER! And yes, I do realize that I’ve shared it here before, (more than once) BUT there’s no way that I could leave it out of this Summer Salad roundup.

In the Summertime, I make this almost every time we have  friends over and I take it to almost every get-together we attend. You can’t go wrong with this salad; just make sure you use fresh mozzarella and the best tomatoes and basil you can get your hands on!

Insalata Alla Caprese

These Summer salads are super simple to put together and perfect to take to any Summer barbeque or picnic.

Stay cool and have a great weekend!

~LilSis

August 2, 2010

Have you been able to enjoy any lazy days this Summer?

Do you ever have the pleasure of waking up in the morning and knowing that you have absolutely nothing that you have to do that day?

No?

Me neither.

Not in my world.

I can’t even remember the last time I had a day like that.

It was probably three years ago, which was our last vacation.

I was daydreaming about what I’d love to do given just one day with no responsibilities.

It might go something like this.

First, no alarm clock would be set. (It would be so nice to start off the day by awaking naturally and not panicking if it’s past six o’clock.)

After a nice, leisurely breakfast, I would probably go for a walk and then I would hop on my Beach Cruiser and go for a long bike ride without thinking about where I’m going or when I have to be home.

I’d love to spend a few hours at the beach with good friends, a picnic lunch, some cold beverages and a stack of magazines.

Next, I’d come home and maybe do a little gardening and then curl up on a raft with a good book and not worry about the time or what I’m cooking for dinner.

Just to prolong my lazy day, I’d probably stay up late and watch a sappy, ‘chick flick’ and call my best friend that I don’t get to talk to near enough.

And if I happen to fall asleep on the couch, the family would have strict orders not to wake me. (That’s some of the best sleep I ever have.)

One last thing; on my lazy day, the guys aren’t allowed to call me and ask where I’m at, what I’m doing, or when I will be home.

A girl can dream, right?

That would be my idea of a perfect lazy day.

What would a perfect lazy Summer day be like for you?

~LilSis