annnnnnnd now i'm eating meat!

Well, here's how this goes: I was a faithful veggie for almost 7 years then I got preggers and "the baby" wanted a cheese burger. Actually baby wanted a few cheese burgers then she wanted some roasted chicken and then some steak.
So, baby is 3 months old now and I'm still eating animals. Now what, I just go ahead and scarf down a bologna sandwich! Eeeeeeeeeee! I'm a full blown hypocrite! How did I come off the rails like this? I eat meat about 3 times a week now. I just had some nasty, and I mean NARSTY orange chicken from the local Lucky Panda for dinner tonight. Who knows if it was actually chicken, cat, or coatimundi. I can guarantee there was some animal cruelty involved though and I just ate it like a JERK! It didn't even taste good. I think I tasted a fur. YUK! So, what now? I'll admit it I'm enjoying some carnivorous culinary adventuring. I got a slow cooker for Christmas and I've made Beef Stew and Moroccan Chicken that kicked tofu's extra firm ass. I don't know what to do now. I think I'm gonna try to ditch the meat habit all together again when I'm not so ravenous from breast feeding. Or I may go the good-meat-eater route and only buy organic free range meats which is what I try to do now anyway. I feel a little better chomping into grass fed free roaming buffalo burgers. I'll report back in time. I don't ever want to not be conscious of where the food I eat comes from especially if it was once a living creature. I wish I'd never craved that dang fast food last summer and then I wouldn't be writing this but here I am. It's not too late right? Aren't the other veggies who have fallen off the wagon and gotten back on again for good?

wishing broccoli tasted like a t-bone,

Mary

HOT MILK CAKE ... with Bourbon!

Hot Milk Cake REVISED with BOURBON!

I've been eating Hot Milk Cake all my life. All the women on my mom's side of the family make it and they make it well. The recipe they all use is the one I have based this version on. It comes from my great grandmother Mary Estelle Daisy Carpenter better known as Mah Maw. I assume she learned the recipe from her mother but it could have come from anyone on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where our family is from. Hot Milk Cake is very popular there, or was years a go, and is either made plain, with orange, or with lemon. I decided to swap the citrus for booze! Hot Milk Cake can be iced with a simple cake drizzle if you like. I do! Here's my Hot Milk and Bourbon Cake Recipe.

4 beaten eggs
2 sticks melted butter
1/4 cup hot milk (I use half and half)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup bourbon (original recipe calls for juice of 1 large orange)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
dash of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Simply dump all the ingredients in your mixing bowl and mix on low then pour the batter into a well greased tube pan.
Bake on 375 for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes

Optional: Drizzle cake with simple icing made from powdered sugar mixed with milk, bourbon, or orange juice

YUM!

BAD VEGETARIAN!

WELL,

I never thought I be writing this:
I have been craving and eating fast food! BAD STUFF! Like Cheese Burgers and total crap food like McDonalds or Wendy's Cheese Biscuits! WHY BABY WHY are you doing this to your mother.
I haven't wanted or cared about eating meat in a very long time. In fact meat has never been my favorite of the food groups even before I knew what a vegetarian was. Since about month 2 of this pregnancy though, I have wanted to eat strange things like plain cheese burgers! I caved too! I wanted a cheese burger so bad for so many days in a row that I went and ordered one... then a week later I ordered another one. I loved every bite of it too. Thankfully I think I'm cured now after the second one. I haven't wanted or thought about cheese burgers or meat since. I don't want to eat meat. Especially not nasty ol' fast food meat. I know where it comes from. It goes against everything I believe in to support that industry. I became weak and gave in to my cravings and I feel like a jerk. I really had intentions of only eating free range organic meats if I had a craving now I've blown it!
Back to the start again. It's hard to clean up your life and live and eat healthy. I don't smoke, never have, that is easy. I miss having a mixed drink or a cold beer every now and then now that I'm preggo, but I never thought I'd have a new vice to all of a sudden battle! MEAT! NO WAY! Stay outta my psyche.

I'm gonna try extra hard from here on out to not give in to immediate hunger like that again. Errrrr, I'm still mad at myself!

OH BABY!!!

I'm PREGNANT!!!!! WOW! I still can't believe it!
I can't say we were exactly trying to get pregnant right now. Dave and I just opened a coffee shop 2 months ago and I've been working 15/16 hour days. I guess you could say that we weren't exactly not trying either. I think if left up to our own planning skills we would surely have waited another year... or longer...BUT, it seems this tiny life had a plan of it's own. CHRISTMAS!!!! Seriously! C'mon Kid! You're gonna have to share your birthday with the biggest Birthday spotlight stealer of all time! Jesus! Conceived on Easter and born on Christmas. I might have a mini disciple on my hands! Uh-OH! ;>
THAT BEING SAID...
WE ARE SO HAPPY! SO EXCITED! I don't care what day of the year my water breaks! "Mom, could you pass the Yule Log... and a roll of Brawny! My water just broke!!! EEEEK! Just the thought of things like water gushing from my nether regions and things I've heard about like "mucus plugs" makes me squirm. It hasn't really sank in yet that I will be feeding something from my boobs. I'm really more accustomed to plate art and garnishing when I feed others. This whole thing is going to be the ultimate challenge of my entire life. I wasn't thinking about babies or getting pregnant at all. I've just been too crazy with running a business. I love children and have always thought I would have them someday, but with every year that passed I just thought I could wait a while longer... now I'm 35. I'm considered high risk! I don't feel high risk. I feel alive! I felt instantly protective of this mini being growing inside me from the second I found out. I want to eat healthy and A LOT!!!! I've been a vegetarian for many years now and I haven't craved meat at all other than an occasional pang for crispy bacon. I admit I used to LOVE bacon. Thank SOY for Facon! I love that stuff! I am concerned with everything I eat now. I just want everything I ingest to have a nutritional benefit. Should I eat meat while I'm pregnant? I have been asking myself that. Am I truly missing out on some B vitamins and proteins that I can't easily get from other vegetarian sources??? My good friend Amanda, a long time vegetarian, just had a son recently. She gave me this advice: if you are craving meat you should eat it. If it disgusts you then you shouldn't. I think she's right. I eat a lot of nuts and beans and other things that can fulfill my protein needs. I'm not so worried. I ate some of my boyfriend's Italian sub tonight at dinner. It was ok. it didn't make me wretch or anything but I certainly have no desire to try that again. EVER! I'm going to read up on vegetarian pregnancy and ask my other good friend Shaun what she has to say on the matter. She has been a vegetarian for over half her life and didn't eat any meat during either of her pregnancies. Her children are super healthy and super smart. I think if I do have a hankering for meat, I'll buy some free range organic turkey and go that route rather than just trying to chow into a nasty Italian sub from the local pizzeria. THAT was a mistake!!! I'd love to hear your opinions on a vegetarian pregnancy and also raising a vegetarian child.

I have a lot to learn, a lot to accept, a lot to teach and a ton to love. I can honestly say I've never fallen so hard and so fast in love before which is crazy since he/she is just a miniature weird looking sesame seed with arm "buds" right now.
It's a pretty amazing feeling to know that I am now two.

Oh BABY,

Mary and Mary Junior (Due Christmas 2010)

HB 281 and HB 285

I spent this morning working with the Humane Society in Richmond at the General Assembly Building lobbying for increased animal cruelty penalties. We arrived at 10:00 for a quick overview. I was under the assumption we were going to be helping promote a bill written to protect abused hunting dogs. Sadly, we were told that that bill has been pushed back but it will hopefully be ready for next session. Apparently, since hunting is such a controversial topic, especially in Virginia, there needs to be further rewrites and further work done to secure a bill that will pass with out being killed by the first committee.
Today we went office to office talking to our representatives about HB 281 and HB 285.

HB 281: Violations of minimal animal care standards would be increased from a Class 4 to Class 2 misdemeanor.
The penalty for abandoning an animal would be increased from a Class 3 to a Class 2 misdemeanor.

HB 285: Allows courts to issue a protective order prohibiting harm to a companion animal when a child or family is being threatened.

Both bills were edited and amended substantially just before this morning to keep them from seeming too extreme.

It baffles me that animal cruelty is only punishable by a slight slap on the hand fine, and that animal well fare advocates have to fight so hard for the slightest changes to be made to protect animals. I do realize positive things have happened regarding animals in recent years but there are still so many areas that need to be brought to light.

I spoke to Lashrecse Jones, assistant to Delegate Dance who represents Petersburg, at length about what I have been witness to as a property manager, and in the area. I often call animal control to report chained dogs with no water, food, or shelter left out in harsh weather. Ms. Jones was very interested and seemed to be in favor of HB 281 and HB 185.
I also spoke to Jessica Bowman, assistant to Delegate Lewis who represents the Eastern Shore of Virginia where I grew up. She said she knew of the bill but did not say how she felt about the issues.

I feel like my presence at the Assembly Building today was such a small effort but that the importance of speaking out is great.
The most important thing we can do as animal defenders is keep our eyes and our mouths open. Please, always report animal abuse. We must be the voice for our furry friends. They can't call for help, or show up to Lobby.

I'm looking forward to lobbying next session on behalf of hound dogs! If you are interested in helping out or if you have any questions please let me know.

Thanks so much for all the work you fellow animal lovers do!
Here's a little video in memory of Bonesy Jonesy the beloved hound dog I took in last year. When I found him he was nearly starved but soon fattened up and was crazy for attention and love.

Fun Vegan Fall Frocks

Don't forget all the little animals when you're shopping for Fall and Winter! There are oodles of cruelty free stylish faux fur and faux leather alternatives available!
:>

Check out these finds:
All Vegan...

Life's Water

I'm fascinated by spirits, cocktails, and mixology; and not just because I like to drink. The stories and histories of alcohol are just as intoxicating as a night out on the town with my girlz. I can just imagine standing in an old barn, cellar, stone hearth kitchen, back woods clearing, or even a cave, staring at a pile of corn, potatoes, grapes, herbs, whatever, trying to figure out how to transform produce into a magical elixir. Elixirs meant to soothe ailing bones, rotting teeth, or a burdened mind! The whole process seems a bit crazy, fermenting and straining, aging and flavoring to refinement. All over the world spirits were being born without written recipes, immaculate stills, bottling machines, or even printed labels. How did anyone know what the hell they were drinking? How did they know it wouldn't kill them? Our beverage crazed forefathers were imbibing mad scientists! But truly, the heros of alcohol are the mixologists. The art of taking those raw spirits and blending them with fruit muddles, syrups, herbs, or other spirits to indulge us all, is what keeps this liquor love affair alive. I'm pretty sure most folks use ambosol or just see the dentist if they have a tooth ache these days. We drink for enjoyment, most of us anyway.

My best friend Kate recently brought me a bottle of Linie brand Aquavit from a trip she took to Sweden. Aquavit is a slightly licorice flavored spirit made in Scandinavia. Linie, which means equator, sends it's batches voyaging on ships to cross the equator twice in sherry casks, enduring changing temperatures and humidity, and the jostling of waves, all to tint Aquavit its' signature amber color. Now that's creative dedication! Sending your booze on a cruise half way around the world to perfect it has to be the real definition of a booze cruise.

Stories abound. The next time you're at a bar or in the ABC store try something you've never heard of, read it's label, google it. You're most likely to learn a little something! Not everything about alcohol will kill your brain cells.