you CAN raise a vegetarian child!

Kai Maximilian
Healthy and Happy!

I am raising my child vegetarian due to my own beliefs and experiences.
His father is a carnivore, but acknowledges the health benefits of vegetarianism.

We both agreed that this was the healthiest way to raise our son!

Kai receives well-balanced meals and L-O-V-E-S his veggies!

He is also very open to trying to things and experiencing new flavors!

It seems as if the common misconception is that
all vegetarian parents feed their kids nothing but grass and hay.

Vegetarian kids aren't horses!

Protein seems to be the biggest argument for not going vegetarian.

Protein is actually rarely an issue in vegetarian diets.  

Vegetarian parents tend to worry and overcompensate
and feed their children foods that may be TOO high in calories and fat.

Other sources of worry I constantly hear about are Iron and Calcium--
BOTH of these can be had from meatless sources-- it takes a little research!

By providing well-balanced meals and snacks, you can make sure that

your child has all the vitamins and minerals they need

to be a happy, healthy, and amazing child!



Some great foods high in nutrients for vegetarian children are:

PROTEIN	IRON	CALCIUM
Tofu	Tofu	Kale
Tempeh	Spinach & Kale	Fortified Soy Milk
Seitan	Black Beans	Fortified Nut Milk
Chickpeas	Figs	Hemp Milk
Mushrooms	Raisins	Tempeh
Nut Milk	Fortified Cereal	Tahini & Hummus
Soy Milk	Chickpeas	Fortified Juice
Nut & Seed Butter	Broccoli	Great Northern Beans
Beans & Lentils	Bok Choy	Almond Butter
Hemp	Lentils	Bok Choy
Avocados	Pumpkin Seeds	Tofu
Yogurt	Quinoa	Wakame
Eggs	Blackstrap Molasses	Tempeh
Whole Grains	Swiss Chard	Yogurt

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Isabelle from Le Chateau des Fleurs recently released a new Android app called Smartphone DNA, and to promote it she is giving away a Kindle Fire HD-which she is sponsoring entirely.  The giveaway will be hosted by My So-Called Chaos, but what we need are other bloggers to share the giveaway on their blogs in order to spread the word! In return, you'll get two of your links in the Rafflecopter to get extra promotion for you in return for posting.  This is entirely free, there is NO buy in, we just need two posts from you.

1. Post this announcement on your blog (code will be given after you request to join) to ensure your readers/followers have the opportunity to be a part of this giveaway too! 
2. Post the actual giveaway (full Rafflecopter and all! People will be able to enter directly from your blog!) 

If you are interested in participating in this FREE promotional opportunity, please email Miss Angie and once accepted into the giveaway you will be given all the information you need for your posts.

Giveaway is set to run from 4/10/13 to 4/30/13.

All requests to join required by 4/5/13!

Our DIY Nail Polish Rack Fun Night

My cousin and I kept tossing around the idea of making nail polish racks for our growing collections.

We found this awesome tutorial on the web,
and decided to make a go for it!

We bought pre-cut hobby boards
 at the local Lowe's.
I think we bought pine,
but there were other boards
to choose from.
We just wanted something economical!

We also purchased Gorilla Glue, screws, drill bits,
screw bits, anchors, and duct tape 

(yes, duct tape--you'll see!)
for our project!

How did  we know what sized boards to buy?
Well true to the blog name, we didn't measure--

we just eye-balled it and
brought along our tallest bottles
to gauge the spaces
we wanted between the shelves.

We also asked one of the salespersons
for their "expert" opinion, 

but I think they thought we were crazy
for wanting to make eight-shelf racks
for just bottles of polish!

The spouse decided to help us
with the power tools--

but we were very firm
on making them to our specifications!

Friday, the cat, supervised from her usually spot
as we lined-up our boards.

We turned on some Descendents, Box Car Racer,
and some delicious golden oldies

and drank copious amounts of beer...
...and then some.

Once the frame was complete,
we decided to color our shelves--

somewhat unconventionally!
(Ignore the other stuff in my apartment!
We still have stuff to unpack and build from the move!)

Because I have 140+ bottles of polish, 

I decided to "tier" the bottom three shelves.

We bought some extra boards
that were half the size of the shelf boards
to make a "step" in order to hold more bottles.

 I kept them in place with gorilla glue and duct tape.

Speaking of duct tape,
I decided to cover all of my shelves
in my fabulous leopard print tape!
The frame was covered in plain black duct tape,
and i marked the shelf distance
with a white nail polish pen.

We drilled, glued, and screwed
the shelves to the frame!

Because the fronts of tiered shelves

were skinnier due to the step,

I put my smaller bottles

and favorite indie polishes

on my bottom shelves!

The tops of the tiered shelves
still housed regular sized polishes!

It was so nice to be organized!
(No more shoe boxes!)

Last, but not least,

We mounted the shelf with the anchors and extra screws!

Ta-da!

What a fun night!

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!

I have been eyeballing this cookbook for quite a while.

All of you wonderful readers have told me that you would love a cookbook giveaway, 

so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity!

I will purchase the cookbook for myself and another copy for someone else-- 

We can experience it together!

Written by vegan cookbook superstar Bryanna Clark Grogan,

I think this book will be absolutely delightful, and I cannot wait!

Check out some of these recipe titles!

Looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !

Yummmmy Yum Yum.

Enter below!

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fibromyalgia and plant-based diets

this is a pretty interesting video! as you may or may not know,  i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after almost a decade of misdiagnoses. a plant-based diet can cause significant improvements in fibromyalgia pain management. check it out!

SPONSORS!

wanna post an ad on my blog?!

i am now a member of the passionfruit ad possee!

i will be accepting orders for ads a.s.a.p.!

they will appear on my left sidebar and stay for a whole month!

ad-buyers can participate in my giveaways, and may be featured in a blog post if they so choose!

 40% off for a limited time if you use code TOXIE.

WANNA SWAP FREE ADS?!
use code SWAP
for any size ad you wish!

i cut it all off

springtime is time for change, right?

so i decided to hack off my long hair.

last night, i walked into a random salon, 

and $55 later, this is the end result.

what are new things are you doing for spring?

restaurant review : ruby's brinton lake

Ruby's Diner, Brinton Lake - website - Vf
919 Baltimore Pike 
Glen Mills, PA 19342
(610)358-1983
Sun-Thurs: 7am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 7am-10pm 

Service: Horrible... Waiters need less hormones and be more service-oriented... We were the only table of his NOT filled with giggling high school girls. He must have checked on his other tables about five times, but we never even got a drink refill! My food (and my sister's) came out horribly cooked, and we couldn't even get his attention to send it back! Luckily, my sister has some pretty big balls and got another member of the waitstaff to summon a manager. Oh boy, did she let them have it!

Ambiance: This is probably the only place where they get high marks... The interior is pretty rad.  It is like walking straight into a 1950's diner, complete with the kitschy waitress dresses and little white aprons.  Everything is bright and white and silver and shiny! There is a train choo-chooing along a track, old timey coke signs-- it is a lot of fun to take in!

i took this photo from google -
i was too angry to even think about taking photos that night!

Food: We have mixed things to say about their food.  My veggie burger was HORRIBLE. It was as hard as a rock. I wanted to send it back, but we never got the server's attention. I never had my glass refilled.  My son's grilled cheese was more like a cold cheese sandwich. Corey had a regular hamburger, and said it was alright, but he really liked his milkshake.  My sister Kelly, had a chicken wrap that tasted like it had been under a light bulb for 60 years. This was not a good first impression. I wish I could say that the place was totally packed and maybe we came at a bad time, but there were still plenty of open tables and there were a lot of servers... our was just M.I.A.

As for the menu in general, there are lots of vegetarian options-- sweet potato fries, breaded zucchini, veggies tacos, portobello sandwich-- but I honestly do not think I am willing to go back back and try them... sorry guys!

Pros: It has cool decorations? Apologetic managers?

Cons: If you want to be ignored and be served sub-par food, this place is for you.

Bottom Line: To quote Less Than Jake, "I'm feeling like I'm never going back, no I'm never going back, no... and I'm feeling like I'm never going back again, never going back again!" 

Reviewer(s): Maria, Corey, Kelly, Kai
Overall: 
Price: $$

********************************************************************************************************************

restaurant key:

Vn     vegan - no animal products

Vg     vegetarian - contains dairy and/or eggs

Vf      veg-friendly -  veg options may be offered or requested

price key:

$       treat a friend and yourself!

$$     split the bill.

$$$    ask mom for food money.

$$$$  ouch! you may not be able to buy junior that xmas present.

restaurant review - Big Sky Bread Co.

Big Sky Bread Co. - website - Vf
1812 Marsh Rd, #9
Branmar Plaza
Wilmington, DE 19810
(302) 475-9494
Tue-Fri: 8am-6:30pm | Sat: 7am-3pm | Closed Sun-Mon

Service: Friendly, Helpful, and Patient!

Ambiance: Cozy. Looks like your typical bread bakery with giant loaves and piles of baguettes on shelving.
There is a little area in the front where you can sit and read and munch on your goodies.  It is a comfortable, casual place.

INSIDE!  - picture from urbanspoon.com

Food: They serve mostly lunchy foods.

Check out their soup of the day selection!

Corey, the Carni, ordered a large chicken salad sandwich on a french baguette and some coconut curry chicken soup.  I, Maria the Veghead, ordered the small vegetarian sandwich on multigrain with some vegetarian chili.

Corey's sandwich was HUGE.  It was stuffed full of large chunks of chicken salad.  His bread was fresh and chewy and delicious, just as a french baguette should be.  He loved the soup, but was so full after his enormous sandwich, he couldn't finish it all!

My chili was the bee's knees. wow. It was chock full of beans, hearty, and thick-- my kinda chili!  My veggie sandwich was delicious! I got to pick out five veggies I wanted from a list, so I didn't have to worry about picking out anything I didn't like.  It was a pretty fantastic lunch!

Pros: The large sandwiches are pretty big and yummy. The soup of the day selection is usually a pretty diverse list. I love that you have a bunch of different breads to choose from when you order! The biggest plus about this place is how damn friendly everyone is! 

Cons: I wish there were a few more vegan sandwich options, but you can always change up which veggies you pick on your sandwich!

Bottom Line: We will definitely be back!

Reviewer(s): Maria, Corey
Overall: 
Price: $

**********************************************************************************************************************************

restaurant key:

Vn     vegan - no animal products

Vg     vegetarian - contains dairy and/or eggs

Vf      veg-friendly -  veg options may be offered or requested

price key:

$       treat a friend and yourself!

$$     split the bill.

$$$    ask mom for food money.

$$$$  ouch! you may not be able to buy junior that xmas present.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

OoOoOOoOoooh!

you MUST check out this fabulous giveaway i am taking part in 

from artsy anthropology!

amazing right?!

besides the makeup palette from me, 

you could win ad space, a gorgeous bag, gift cards... 

omg so many things!

get your butts over there and win!

Saturday Challenge

it is time for another saturday challenge from artsy anthropology!

1. Say something nice about 2 different people that you've met through blogging, shop ownership, social media, etc.

emily from artallnight: what a super nice and incredibly creative girl! she is a doll and a half! i own several of her jewelry pieces and i plan on owning several more-- they are so fun and vibrant and gorgeous! 

marcos: superrrrrrrrr awesome guy helps me with my spanish translations when i need them.. haha! no really, he is a pretty awesome friend, and i am lucky to have met him!

2. Do something nice for a complete stranger.

i have been mad sick and haven't been out of the building. =[

3. Do something nice for someone you know.

i cooked dinner for my sister and my boyfriend!

4. Say something good about yourself.

i look damn sexy with a cold... ha. just kidding. uhm! i make good cakes!

5. What are you thankful for this week? (Doesn't have to be big or profound)

i am thankful to be fully moved out of my old apartment and to have my security deposit back haha.

6. Treat yourself to something - a bubble bath, a coffee without distractions, something - just take time out for you.  What did you do for yourself?

chamomile tea in bed... ahhhh.

7. What was the highlight of your week?  Share it with us!

working on my homemade nail polish rack!

snowballs... no, MUDBALLS!

my boyfriend, my cousin, and i had a wild hair up our asses to make cookies.
snowballs sounded great, but we didn't want nuts... so we decided to sub for chocolate... 
and then all that powdered sugar sounded gross at the time...

so we decided to coat them in MORE chocolate.

the original snowball recipe was from The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur by Kelly Peloza.
our modified version is below...


mini chocolate chip mudball cookies

ingredients

• 1 1/2 c margarine
• 3/4 c powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (the real stuff)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups of flour
• 2 cups of mini chocolate chips or we used crushed vegan chocolate bars 
• a bag of vegan chocolate chips + shortening for melting!

the steps

• preheat your oven to 375*
• cream the margarine and powdered sugar until nice and fluffed.  
• add in your vanilla and salt. 
• sift in the flour.
• stir in your chocolate chips or chunks. form into small balls and placed on ungreased cookie sheet. our balls (haha!) were about the size of jawbreakers.
• bake your cookies for about 8 minutes or until they are golden brown on the bottom.
• stick them on a cookie rack, and try not to stuff them all in your mouth at once before they cool.

and then cover!

• get a double boiler going for your vegan chocolate chips and shortening as you would any other time your are making chocolate for dipping/covering. 
• after the cookies cool, dip them in the delicious chocolate 
• place on wax paper to harden.
• eat until you feel like you are gonna die
• eat a few more.

APPRECIATION GIVEAWAY!

ohmygosh!

i have 300+ fans on Facebook!  

thank you, guys!

to show my appreciation, 

i am having a FB only giveaway for some
AMAZING
vegan soaps from AJSweetSoaps!

check out the giveaway on my FB here...
REMEMBER!  
you have to be a FB fan to win!

WOW! dye your easter eggs naturally?!

my sister, kim, sent me this amazing article 

about using natural ingredients to dye your easter eggs!

it is pretty darn exciting, 

and i cannot wait for the veggie baby to try it out!

you gotta see this!!!

check it out

>>>HERE<<<

SHIMMER POLISH WINNER!

WINNING EMAIL HAS BEEN SENT!
BE SURE TO RESPOND WITHIN 24 HOURS!

WINNER:

colleen

CONFIRMED

Nutritional Yeast

i found a pretty great article explaining the origin and uses for nutritional yeast!

it is by far one of my favorite cooking ingredients.

i plan on posting my family's favorite breakfast recipe, 

which uses nutritional yeast as a tofu coating.

check out the article 

>>>HERE<<<

my favorite shops giveaway #3 : SHIMMER POLISH

as you may know,

i am ADDICTED TO NAIL POLISH.

some women have their shoes, their purses, 

but i have boxes and boxes of lacquer!

and yes, sometimes i change my polish twice a day!

i would like to share with you one of my FAVORITE

nail polish artisans on etsy

nothing, and i mean NOTHING compares 

to the amount of sparkle and shimmer that her polishes have to offer.

named after friends and important people in her life, 

shimmer polishes' lacquers pack a real punch of glamorous goodness. 

you cannot help but feel like a princess 

every time you wear jennifer or karen

or any of her other amazing products!

 whether you are looking for subtle shimmer 

or a decadent glow of diamond-like glitz, 

shimmer polish has every color you could ever want-- 

and so much more!
and mega-awesome shimmer polish is not tested on animals
like so many of the drug store brands!
amazing, right?!

my FAVORITE thing about shimmer polish is that you can 

CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM POLISH!

if you do not see the exact color you have always been dreaming about, 

the lovely creator will custom-make the polish that your heart desires!

she will also use her amazing creativity to help fine-tune, tweak, 

and make sure that your custom polish is PERFECT! 

talk about AMAZING customer service!

Check out some of my cousin's 

and my favorite customs below!

(pictures of her regular line came from her etsy shop. pictures of my customs came from my crappy cell phone)



how would you like to design and win your
own CUSTOM polish?!
WOOHOO!
here is your chance!

Entry-Form