February 24, 2011

Just ask us where we're from and we'll tell ya! The Texan way to answer, though, is “I'm Texan; born and raised!”

I've lived in Southern California for almost nine years and that's a question that I still hear every day! (I guess I'll never get rid of my “twang”.)

Even though I don't live there any more, I'll always be a Texan in every way; so that's why I have to give a shout out to OPI for this awesome Spring 2011 Texas Collection!

These colors are amazing and even though OPI always has unique names for their colors, I thought these were especially creative, even though they did leave out our “Big D.”

• Austin-tatious Turquoise
• Do You Think I'm Texy?
• Don't Mess with OPI
• Guy Meets Gal-veston
• I Want to Be A-Lone Star
• Big Hair- Big Nails
• It's Totally Fort Worth It
• Y'all Come Back Ya Hear?
• San Tan-Tonio
• Too Hot Pink Too Hold ‘Em
• Houston We Have a Purple
• Suzi Loves Cowboys

If you would love to have the entire collection at a reduced price, and if you act fast, Amazon has the OPI Nail Texas Collection 12 bottles for a limited time.

I've always had a “thang” for orange colors, especially on my toes, so I think the first one I'm gonna try is Y'all Come Back Ya Hear?

~LilSis

February 20, 2011

Back in July, LilSis and I made a commitment to ourselves and to the animals in testing labs that we would eliminate animal-tested products from our worlds.  We've had some easy instant successes and some challenges.

I talked about one of the biggest challenges in my first shopping update in September.  The problem?  Paper products!

I dare say most of us are UBER picky about the toilet tissue, paper towels and napkins that we buy.  I certainly am. I was completely loyal to Charmin toilet tissue, Puffs tissues, Viva paper towels and Bounty napkins…all animal tested.  Viva is a Kimberly-Clark brand, while Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty are part of the Procter & Gamble empire.

I first tried paper products from Seventh Generation; a brand that I really love because of their dedication to green cruelty-free products.  On a side note, their Free & Clear Natural 2X Concentrated Laundry Liquid is actually less expensive than Tide and is just as effective, in my opinion.  Plus it is non-toxic, biodegradable,  and is free of phosphates.

I also love their Automatic Dishwasher Gel.  I tried another natural dishwasher gel that did a horrible job.  Even after thoroughly rinsing dirty dishes, they still didn't come clean with that product. Seventh Generation's gel is just as effective as the animal-tested, chemical-filled products I used to use.

Now back to the paper problem.  I'm sorry to say that I didn't fall in love with Seventh Generation's line of paper goods.  I wanted to!  I really, really wanted to.  They were just a bit too natural, if you know what I mean.  I tried a few other natural brands and Whole Foods' store brand, and had the same experience with them.  For me, they were just a little too rough and scratchy, and didn't have the strength I was looking for.

Never fear though!  I have a solution that I'm happy about, and it comes from an unexpected source.  Did you know that Safeway products are not animal-tested?  I didn't until I found that bit of news on PETA's Caring Consumers site.

To my happy surprise, Safeway paper products are pretty good, and I'm now purchasing them regularly instead of experimenting with other brands.

In Texas, Safeway products are the store brand for Tom Thumb stores.  In other states, you may find them at Von's, Genuardi's, Carrs, Casa Ley, Dominick's, Pak'n'Save, Randall's, Pavilions, and Safeway stores.

If you don't have one of these stores in your area, you might try the store brands for Trader Joe's and Food Lion, since they are not animal-tested either.  I don't have access to those stores, so I can't vouch for their paper goods, but if you do, please let me know how it goes.

The bottom line for me…if I can find a more-than-ok replacement for Charmin, then this endeavor is totally doable.  Safeway is obviously not a vegan company, and they don't have the same focus and natural-dedication as Seventh Generation and some other companies like Method.  But they do make a lot of products that give us options, and allow us to enjoy quality products without supporting animal testers like Procter & Gamble.

I just noticed that Safeway makes a duster refill that fits the Swiffer duster handle!  Swiffer is another Procter & Gamble product, so I was dreading the day that my last box of duster refills was depleted.  Worry no more, me!  Safeway to the rescue!

Animal Testing photo credit: AlBakker's Flickr photostream

I can haz TP photo credit: ixmati's Flickr photostream

~BigSis

February 16, 2011

We've been talking so much about Valentine's goodies these last two weeks that we haven't yet mentioned that February is Heart Healthy Month. Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability.

Moreover, did you know that if you or someone you know is suffering from a form of heart disease, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits? Additionally, there are a range of sickness and disability benefits heart failure patients may be entitled to claim if they are unable to work.

Correspondingly, if you would like to learn more about disability insurance policies for people living with heart disease, researching common questions such as ‘what is disability insurance?‘ online is a fantastic way to get the answers you need.

Being unable to work can have financial consequences and therefore it is important to understand the different types of financial support and insurance that are available.

Even though heart disease is sometimes thought of as a “man's disease”, women make up almost 50% of heart disease deaths. This fact from the CDC is pretty alarming.

“Heart disease is often perceived as an ‘older woman's disease', and it is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. However, heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25–44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45–64 years.”

The CDC also states that nine out of ten heart disease patients have at least one risk factor. Several conditions and lifestyle choices can put women at a higher risk, including:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Cigarette smoking
• Overweight and obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Alcohol use

We are all aware of the dangers that these factors can have on our health, yet it can be hard for some people to make that initial step to change. Many people avoid the simple task of taking daily vitamins and supplements to get their health up to standard. There are many websites created by professionals of heart health, such as gundry md and many more, that give advice on the best supplements to be taking to take care of your heart. But it doesn't have to be that difficult. Take smoking cigarettes, for example. The road to quitting is the aim of most people and some may like to make the switch to vaping first, and brands like voopoo could be the best place to turn, especially if you want to stop smoking tobacco and nicotine-infused products. In turn, this will prevent you from suffering from the effects that smoking can have on your health, making that first big change to living a healthier life.

As well as this, most of us know that our leading weapon against heart disease is a healthy diet and routine exercise. Heart disease is rampant in my hubby's family so cooking heart-healthy recipes is always on my mind when I plan our menus.

Last year, our physician recommended that my hubby get this book.

The DASH Diet Action Plan: Based on the National Institutes of Health Research: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

We did buy the book and found it to be very informative and helpful, so I would suggest it to anyone who may not know where to begin trying to lower their cholesterol and blood pressure.

And, this is an excellent cookbook from the American Heart Association.

American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook, 4th edition: Delicious Recipes to Help Lower Your Cholesterol

Here are Life's Simple Seven, seven heart health factors from the American Heart Association. You can get your assessment on Life's Simple Seven simply by taking seven minutes to answer a few questions to learn the state of your heart and what you can do to live a better life.

I took the assessment and it didn't even take five minutes. You can spare five minutes, can't you?

~LilSis

February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Not that we need any more cookies in this house since we're still loaded with Girl Scout cookies, but I thought this would be a fun treat for Valentine's Day.

My friend from New York calls these Linzer Tarts and they're one of her favorite cookies so I'll be dropping some off at her house today so we don't end up with too many left to tempt me.

Even though I've seen a few variations of this recipe, I used the original Linzer Sandwich Cookie recipe that was on the package of the Linzer cookie cutters.

I was a little out of my comfort zone when making these because I haven't rolled out cookie dough in many years, but the recipe was pretty simple and I think they turned out pretty good!

HayHay came in right after I finished the photos and he must have thought they were okay because he devoured 3 or 4 in a matter of seconds!

Have a terrific Valentine's Day!

~LilSis

February 12, 2011

How about another colorful cupcake for Valentines Day?  By the way, have you made the Pomeranian Pomegranate Cupcakes that I talked about a few days ago?  If not, here's option #2 for your Valentine's Day, and it's another vegan one!

These are actually called Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes (I love the name!) and they're from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule. I have several of Isa's other cookbooks, but I just got this one and these cupcakes are the first thing I've baked from it.  This cute little cookbook was named the “Cookbook of the Year” by VegNews.

So, back to the baking.  There was nothing weird in this recipe that required an emergency trip to my favorite little hippie health food store (although that would be dandy with me since I love it there).  Just flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and soda, soy milk (I used almond), canola oil and flavorings.  It was super easy to whip up, so the recipe wins kudos for that too.

I also made the icing recommended for this cupcake, Old Fashioned Velvet Icing.  I can't say that I'm a fan of it though.  I thought I followed the instructions to the letter, but my icing came out grainy, and I hate to say, it was just a tad weird for me.  Sorry, Isa.  I only iced one cupcake for the photo, and just left the other eleven nekkid.  I'd rather have a nice traditional cream cheese icing on my red velvet cupcakes, so I'll try that the next time I bake these.

And I will bake these again.  They were easy, inexpensive, pretty, and most important of all: delicious and moist!  Run out and buy Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, or use the Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes recipe I found online, but do make these cupcakes!

Happy Valentine's Day!

~BigSis

February 9, 2011

If you happen to be looking for a fun, festive cocktail to surprise your Valentine with next Monday for Valentine's Day, then you've come to the right place! This Be Mine Martini is so simple that you can whip up for your Sweetheart in just a matter of minutes.

If you've been reading BigSisLilSis for awhile, you know that I LOVE making festive cocktails for special occasions or holidays. If you're new here, you can go to the related posts at the bottom of this post if you'd like to see some of the fun cocktails that I've concocted in the past.

So, let's get started. This is all you need.

And, we can't forget about the red heart-shaped ice cubes. I made mine with 100% Cranberry juice for a deep red color.

Be Mine Martini

Slice of lime
red & pink sugar
2 oz. vodka (My favorite is Ketel One)
6 oz. club soda or seltzer water
red heart-shaped ice cubes
Chambord Liqueur

Coat the rim of the glass with lime juice, then turn glass upside down into plate of mixed red and pink sugar. You can put the vodka in a shaker with some ice and shake before straining into the glass if you prefer, but if the vodka is kept in the freezer, it's not necessary.

Pour the chilled vodka in the glass and add the club soda or seltzer water. Drizzle a small amount of Chambord on top and lastly, add in 3 or 4 heart-shaped ice cubes.

(Note: this was a large martini glass, so if yours doesn't hold 8 ounces, just use 1 part vodka to 3 parts soda or seltzer.)

We don't go out for a big fancy, expensive dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day and I'm not one who expects a dozen red roses or a box of chocolates either. We like to exchange cards, enjoy a nice, relaxing dinner at home, maybe with a fire in the fireplace, some good music, and a fun, festive cocktail.

That's my idea of a perfect Valentine's Day!  🙂

~LilSis

February 8, 2011

You know that age-related memory loss that some of us get?  We forget names and appointments, and sometimes, even simple everyday words evade us.  For some reason, I can't remember the word Pomegranate to save my life these days.

99% of the time I try to come up with Pomegranate, what my brain gives me is Pomeranian.  It makes no logical sense, but in my mind, these little pink guys have been called Pomeranian Cupcakes more often than they've been called Pomegranate Cupcakes.  Sorry cute little yappy doggies, you know I'd never make cupcakes out of you!

But forget what I call these; you should call them delicious! Hannah Kaminsky calls them Pomegranate Ginger Cupcakes in her book My Sweet Vegan.  I successfully baked a bunch of things from this book for our SPCA Bake Sale last December, so I thought it would be a great source for a Valentine's Day treat.  I'm not a fan of crystallized ginger so I left it out of the cupcake batter, and I also omitted the ground ginger in the icing.  I didn't miss it a bit.

One bite missing...

This was a super-easy recipe, and I loved that it used 2 cups of the uber-healthy Pomeranian juice.  I mean Pomegranate juice, of course!  Everybody knows you can't juice a Pomeranian! 😀

The color of the cupcake looks a bit off in the photo, but these were really tasty so don't let that discourage you from making them.  They were moist and really flavorful!  Half of the POM juice was reduced to a syrup and drizzled over the unbaked batter, and it turned into a nice gooey tangy unexpected treat at the bottom of the cupcake.

I ad-libbed the icing with a stick of Earth Balance and powdered sugar and a bit of tart cherry juice, since I'd exhausted my supply of POM juice.  With a dash of good vanilla and some pink food coloring, the icing was finished.

2 bites gone now...

Make these for your sweetie this Valentine's Day!  And remember, they're Pomegranate Cupcakes!

~BigSis

February 6, 2011

If the Bears had made it to the Super Bowl, we would definitely be having a huge party at our house today, but, since that's not the case, we'll be a little more low-key. The guys will still watch the game and I'll probably pay some attention just because the game is in my home town and old stompin' grounds, Arlington, Texas!

(It'll be interesting because no one expected snow in Texas, in February, but Jerry got his Super Bowl!) 🙂

I ran across this recipe while browsing Food Network's site for some Super Bowl snack ideas and I thought it sounded quick, easy, a little different; and I had some eggs I needed to boil, so I decided to give it a try. I tested this out on my guys and a few friends and it got a thumbs up from everyone! It's a little bit of a cross between a deviled egg and egg salad.

Deviled Dip
(adapted from Food Network)

8 hard boiled eggs
1/3 c. Vegenaise
1 T. mustard
3 T. dill relish
3 T. real bacon bits
1/2 t. Frank's Red Hot (plus a few extra dashes)
1/4 t. Paprika
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
dash of salt
chopped chives
sliced baguette bread

Peel the eggs, chop them, place into a bowl. Add the Vegenaise, (or mayo/miracle whip), and puree til smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended well. Serve on sliced baguette bread and garnish with chives or bacon bits.

For the guys, this is obviously just a snack, but for us girls, this definitely could be a very satisfying lunch!

(Note: Since I can't have dairy and I really wanted to try this, I substituted Vegenaise for the mayo and no one even noticed.) Shhhhh… 🙂

~LilSis

February 5, 2011

You don't want to spend all day Sunday preparing for your Super Bowl party, do ya?  Me neither!

I already talked about vegan Bob Armstrong dip, which is now my go-to football snack.  What else could could I serve along with Bob, without spending a bunch of time or money?

I was noodling around some ideas, and I found this recipe for a Ranch Cheese Ball.  I thought it would be really cool to start with one basic cheesy spread recipe, and then use it in a bunch of different quick ways on Super Bowl Sunday!  Let's do it!

The basic cheese spread can be customized with your favorite flavors.  I started with a tub of Tofutti Cream Cheese, a handful (around 1/2 cup) of Daiya Cheddar and a touch of Veganaise to thin it out a bit.  Then I added garlic powder, onion powder, dried onion, dill weed, pepper and Beau Monde seasoning.  You add what you like: hot sauce, olives, cumin, lemon pepper, whatever.  Allow the spread to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to marry all the flavors.

Now, here's where it gets fun.  Take that spread and go crazy!

• Serve the spread at room temperature with crackers

• Heat the spread up (nuking is fine) and serve with crackers or toasted bread rounds

• Create a healthier spinach dip.  Thaw frozen chopped spinach or use leftover sauteed spinach if you have it.  Squeeze it as dry as you can.  Mix it with an equal amount of cheese spread and a few good dashes of hot sauce.  Bake at 350 degrees until hot throughout.  Serve with toasted pita or tortilla triangles.  I like to cut up whole wheat tortillas and bake them until they're crispy.  A little spritz of cooking spray on both sides help crisp them up with almost no added fat.  I don't think you even need to salt them, but it's fun to sprinkle on salt-free spices before they bake.

• Make vegan shrimp toast.  Have you tried this Vegan Shrimp product from Vegetarian Plus?  I hadn't before, but they were a fun little experiment!  There are about 22 shrimp in a package, and the entire box is 280 calories and 8 grams of fat, but no protein.  To me, the texture is very shrimpy!  They don't have a fishy flavor as I expected, but instead they pretty much take on the flavors you add to it, kind of like mushrooms do, so season these guys up.

For your toast, saute the thawed shrimp in a pan with a touch of olive oil over medium heat for about 4 or 5 minutes, just until heated through.  I added lemon pepper and garlic salt while they were warming.  Kind of cute, aren't they?

You could use crackers, but I like toasted whole grain bread as a base for the shrimp toasts.  Just brush the bread rounds with a bit of olive oil and bake until golden.

Add a smear of your cheese spread to the toast, and top with a warm shrimp and a sprinkle of paprika.  Ta da!

• Toast up cheesy shrimp quesadillas.  Do you still have shrimp and cheese spread left?  Use it all up with this dish.  Roughly chop your shrimp and add to the cheese spread, along with some Daiya Cheddar and/or Mozzarella.  Don't worry about quantities; just add these ingredients to your taste.

I'm a spicy Texas girl, so I have to add peppers too.  I have a stash of roasted Hatch chilis in my freezer, so I thawed out one of those little babies, chopped him up very finely since he's a hot little bugger, and mixed him into the shrimp/cheese concoction.  You could use mild canned green chilis if you wish, and you could also add onions.

Spread a generous layer of the mixture onto one side of a tortilla (I like whole wheat), and fold over.  Cook in a little olive oil or vegan butter on medium low heat until toasty on both sides.  Make sure your heat is low enough to heat the filling throughout without burning the tortillas.

Cut into halves or quarters and serve with your choice of guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.

There you have it…one easy cheesy spread that very quickly becomes a variety of savory snacks.  If you're going to have a crowd or you're going to do several of these options, be sure to double, triple or quadruple the basic recipe.  Above all, have fun!

~BigSis

February 3, 2011

I wish I could take the credit for inventing this dip, because it's greatness. You have to understand; I love chips and dips more than almost anything so when I tell you a dip is greatness, I mean it's G-R-E-A-T-N-E-S-S!

I hear that Bob Armstrong dip originated with a Mexican food chain called Mattito's.  It's one of those off-the-menu items that everyone knows about and orders, so you know it has to be good.  Mattito's version starts with their cheese queso with a blob of ground beef plopped on top, along with a scoop of guacamole and a dollop of sour cream.  Then it's stirred all around and gobbled up with tortilla chips.

It sounds weird, but trust me, it's scrumptious.  At least the vegan version I make is, since I've never tasted the meaty original.

Let me give credit where credit is due…I found the recipe for vegan Bob Armstrong dip on the Dallas Vegan blog.  You start with a batch of vegan queso, which can be the tricky part.  There are a couple of good ones available online and at stores like Whole Foods, but I'm a me-do-it kind of a girl, so I follow the suggestions from DallasVegan.com and make my own.  It actually comes out fabulous; beyond what I ever expected.  But it gets even better…

Vegan Queso with Seitan Crumbles

Next, add a whole package of sauteed Upton's Naturals Ground Beef Style Seitan into it.  You can stop there, and be perfectly happy with an excellent vegan version of that Velveeta dip that is required at any Super Bowl party.  But don't stop!  Add a scoop of Tofutti Sour Cream and your favorite guacamole, either homemade or store-bought.  Stay with me!

Vegan Queso with Sour Cream and Guacamole

Something magical happens when you stir in the sour cream and guacamole.  You get an unbelievable creamy texture that makes the whole thing sing!  It's creamy and spicy and cool and hot and tangy and cheesy; all in perfect dippy balance!

The first time I made this concoction, I literally inhaled the whole bowl by myself, and I have to admit I was making the “nom nom” sounds that my cats make when they're really relishing their food.

Vegan Bob Armstrong Queso Dip

Bob isn't photogenic, but he's delicious!  I do have to confess that I could have taken a little more care in setting up these photos, but I was in too big of a hurry to eat Bob!

I conducted a highly-scientific experiment and took a batch of this to my carnivorous office, and guess what?  Voila, Bob vanished!  Try your own experiment at this year's Super Bowl Party, and take vegan Bob Armstrong dip along.  There's no reason to tell people that Bob's vegan now…until after he's in their happy little full bellies!  🙂

~BigSis