Giveaway WINNER and Crazy Rumors Coupon Code!!!

Congratulations to Justine at Learning to Eat Properly! She was randomly chosen to win a Crazy Rumors lip balm A La Mode Parlor Collection in Orange Creamsicle, Raspberry Sherbert, and Chocolate Mint flavors. Justine, please e-mail me at sexyveg@gmail.com with your shipping info!

As awesome as it is to be Justine right now, don't stress for not winning! All of my Sexy Readers are welcome to use this 25% Coupon Code at CrazyRumors.com, just for us!!! Just enter the code "VEG" at checkout! Let me know if you buy anything, I want to hear about your favorite flavors. Code expires 4/15/2010!

Thanks to all you guys for entering, thanks to Crazy Rumors for sponsoring, and thanks to everyone for being generally sexy and awesome.


Also, I'm going on a much needed vacay! I'll be back next week. Enjoy the sun!

xoxo

Cousin's Raw

First of all, don't forget that our Crazy Rumors giveaway ends Sunday, aka TOMORROW! It's a short one, I know, but I'm leaving for Spring Break on Monday so I wanted to get it out there ;)

In my quest to experiment with more raw vegan meals, a couple of friends and I decided to do Sunday brunch at Cousin's Incredible Vitality in Chicago. This was the first time I've had a 100% raw meal in a restaurant, and it was so much more delicious than my home "cooked" raw day in November. I was so pleased and impressed (except for one little thing...details to come).


In true Chicago style, I decided to order the Deep Dish Pizza. SO impressed, you guys. This had a flavorful cashew-based crust with spinach, zucchini, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, and Italian herbs -- btw, I hate olives and didn't even notice them. All the veggies are marinated together in this delicious filling. The dish also came with a side of crackers and two slices of raw "bacon," which was actually spiced and dehydrated sliced eggplant. Mmmm...



One friend had the Falafel Wrap, made with pistachio-based falafel balls, greens, onions, sprouts, spiralized zucchini, tomatoes, ginger tahini dressing, and wrapped in a collard green. This was also super delicious - as a huge deep fried falafel fan it was hard for me to totally love it, but if I wasn't brainwashed by the oily greasy fatty version I would have loved it even more! ;) This dish is considered the house specialty, and I really would recommend it if you're in the mood for a more ethnic-flavored dish.



Friend #2 had a taster platter with several different appetizers. He was initially really skeptical about the restaurant, and though he already had declared that he was going to get a real pizza after this, he ended up really pleased. If you can't decide what to get, this sampler plate is a perfect idea. And it looks great!!! This would also be perfect to split with friends as an appetizer. Well...I guess that's what it's intended for, so...duh.



For dessert we each had a Coconut Dream, which was an awesome little treat of berry-infused coconut. It was really really good. We also tried the Brownie, which was also good but essentially a date ball which I make all the time at home anyway - uneventful for me, but you might love it!


OK, now for the one single pitfall of the meal. The Brown Juice.

It was supposed to be a Green Juice, but for some reason it was brown and red and green and not at all delicious. We joked that they had a picture of it on the menu because it tasted like this:

Maybe I'm just spoiled because I like my green juice sweetened with an apple, but I couldn't deal with it. In fact, we made it a game of Truth or Dare, minus the Truth, and the only Dare was "take a sip of the juice." We choked it down, trying to remind ourselves while gasping, "It's so good for me!"

Overall I would recommend the restaurant and I definitely plan on going back for another piece of that "pizza"! Especially if you're like me - curious about raw food but not yet seasoned or equipped enough to create anything more than a salad.

Cousins IV, 3038 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL

How do you feel about raw food? Have you had good or bad experiments in raw restaurants? What about in your own kitchens?

Also, check out Averie's new giveaway!

A Mid-East Feast

For those of you keeping tabs on my stress fracture situation and my half mile miracle, I ran a full mile tonight. Woo. hoo. This injury thing is rough, y'all.

My darling mom is always trying to find fun vegan goods for me, and recently she found these ZIYAD brand Middle Eastern meals! They are 100% vegan and all natural. They are microwaveable, or you can boil the packets of grains and sauces to heat them. And the verdict -- delish! I love them!


Bulgar Pilaf is my fave. These are super easy and super quick to heat up and make, and they are so flavorful and awesome. I'm a huge falafel fan but never make Middle Eastern food at home, so this is kind of fun to change it up in the kitchen. I had it tonight topped with a Sunshine Falafel burger.


Mmmm mmmm. Have you guys ever heard of ZIYAD or tried any of these entrees? What are your favorite quick and easy dinners?

Don't forget to enter my Crazy Rumors Giveaway!!! You can also check out Earth Muffin's giveaway!

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Crazy Rumors Giveaway!

*This giveaway is closed! Thanks to everyone and keep an eye out for our next giveaway soon!*

Hey you guys. Thank you so much for all your words, thoughts, and prayers for my family. It's been a really tough week and my grandpa will be infinitely missed, but in honor of his unending love and generosity I wanted to come back with a giveaway!

One of the first Veg is Sexy posts I ever did was a review of the fabulous vegan and cruelty-free lip balms from Crazy Rumors - read it here! Now, the super fabulous people at Crazy Rumors is sponsoring a giveaway for us. One lucky reader will win a Crazy Rumors A La Mode Parlor Collection - Orange Creamsicle, Raspberry Sherbert, and Mint Chocolate. I have dozens of these yummy lip balms in all of my bags, purses, sweaters, and random locations around my bedroom. They are amazing! Unfortunately this giveaway is only open to U.S. Residents, but don't worry - when I announce the winner this Sunday the 28th, I will also post a 25% off coupon good for all Veg is Sexy readers!!! How awesome is Crazy Rumors?!

There are several ways to enter this one! Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry that you do!

1.) Leave a comment here telling me why you want to win!

2.) Visit CrazyRumors.com and come back here telling me which flavor looks yummiest to you - or if you own Crazy Rumors, which is your favorite?

3.) Join the Crazy Rumors mailing list

4.) Read my Crazy Rumors review and leave a comment there, then leave a comment here telling me you did so.

5.) Publicy follow my blog on Google, or add me to your Google Reader.

6.) Follow me on twitter

7.) Tweet this giveaway by copy and pasting the following: "Check out the Crazy Rumors lip balm GIVEAWAY @vegissexy! http://tinyurl.com/yllcgyj"

8.) Add my blog to your blogroll (2 entries, please leave separate comments)

9.) Blog about this giveaway! Leave a link here. (5 entries, please leave separate comments)

10.) Check out my Fave Recipes and tell me which looks best to you!

Celebrity Spotlight: Zooey Deschanel

Oh my gosh. How much do you adore this girl? We love her in movies such as Almost Famous, Elf, and last year's (500) Days of Summer as well as some fabulous TV appearances (my personal fave is her stint on as Kat on "Weeds" - heart hug!). We love her in her musical career as the female half of the band "She and Him" (my favorite song is Sweet Darlin'). But now we love her even MORE because she is sexy and vegan!

I think technically she considers herself vegetarian with allergies to dairy, eggs, and wheat gluten. But hey, that's awesome! Her sister, Emily Deschanel (star of TV show "Bones") is vegan and so the two share a love of vegan food, especially desserts from NYC's Babycakes. She turned 30 in January this year but doesn't look a day over 22, probably due to her awesome diet! She's married to musician Ben Gibbard and is originally from Los Angeles. Zooey's got than fun, flirty, indie spirit that is so easy to fall in love with - plus, have you seen that smile?!

Zooey hosted a vegan, gluten-and-soy-free challenge on Top Chef which somehow I completely missed. But that's what YouTube is for!

Click here to see Zooey's vegan, gluten-and-soy-free challenge on Top Chef

Previous Veg is Sexy Celebrity Spotlights include Ellen and Portia, Natalie Portman, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Who's your favorite vegan celeb? Who would you like to see featured in the next Celebrity Spotlight?

Photo source

Close the door, I'm dressing!

I hope everyone had a fabulous St. Patty's - and if not, at least a fabulous Wednesday. I totally dropped the ball on the green eyeshadow! It just slipped my mind as I was getting ready. I'm a little disappointed in myself. However, I'm NOT disappointed about wearing flip flops to yoga class this morning! And while I wasn't wearing anything green, I did eat this green Mixing Bowl Salad...


Let's take another look at that pre-mix.

Oh wow. Lettuce, shredded carrots, sprouts, steamed broccoli, yellow and red peppers, heaps of kidney beans...and what's the delicious creamy dressing on top?

Oh no biggie. It's just my new favorite thing ever: Buttermilk Chive Dressing from Gena at Choosing Raw! First of all, this makes me happy because I've been trying to prepare and eat more raw foods. Second of all, I am a salad dressing whore. I love a creamy, decadent, flavorful salad dressing more than I love my new Madden Girl shoes, and that's a huge freaking deal. But they are impossible to find dairy-free! In fact when I was first trying to go vegan, salad dressing was the biggest thing I was having trouble with - the only ones I liked were cow-milk-based ranches and caesars. But now, the whore has fallen in love.

I would recommend making this the night before using, it gives all the flavors a chance to blend. When I tasted it out of the food processor I was really disappointed in how lemony and awkward it was, but it just needed some time! By lunch the next day there was no trace of disappointment left, only creamy salad glee. The recipe makes about 1 1/4 cup of dressing, so you have plenty for the week!

Things I love about Mixing Bowl Salads: Blow-your-mind nutritious. Equally delicious. You can pick and choose ingredients based on how you're feeling. Full of fiber and keeps you full. It feels the never ending lunch with limited calories. And they do take some time to eat, so I enjoyed some quality reading time along with my long leisurely lunch.

I'm currently reading "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks. I'm on a kick where I'm trying to read books from well-known authors I've never read before, and I feel like Nicholas Sparks has a bit of a "fluffy" stigma around him -- after all, he wrote pretty much every romantic novel-turned-Hollywood-movie that was ever made (The Notebook, anyone?) But I figured hey, there's gotta be something about him if he's so well-loved! I totally admit that I am and always have been a huge bookworm. I'll read anything from classic literature to trashy romance novels and love it. If any of you nerds are on Goodreads.com - or want to be - shoot me an e-mail (sexyveg@gmail.com) so we can become friends on it. I'm always looking for new books and recommendations.

What are you reading now? What is the book you most recommend to your friends? What are your favorite salad ingredients or salad dressings?

What did the Buttermilk Ranch say to the tomato? (see post title. ha. ha.)

A Little Luck...A Lotta Quiche

Happy St. Patrick's Day, lovers! I thought about something funny today...every St. Patrick's Day from 2nd grade up through junior high I wore green eyeshadow. It got a little bit more stylish and well done over the years of course, but I just remembered my old little tradition and it made me laugh. I might have to rock some out today as a tribute to my inner Mimi:

In other totally random news, I did something AWESOME today which was RUN AN ENTIRE HALF A MILE! Yes, 0.5 of a mile! Now all you runners are like, ummm wtf? Well...remember my stress fracture from my race in November? I haven't run since and I've just started again. I jogged a little bit - like two minutes worth - on Saturday, and then I committed to jogging half a mile today! My foot is feeling great and I'm so excited that it's healing so well.

One of my all-time favorite vegan recipe resources is the FatFree Vegan Kitchen, created by the fabulous SusanV. Oh man I love her. She has tons and tons of healthy, creative, low-cal vegan recipes that use no added fats! Look it up, eat it, love it. This weekend I made the Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche with Brown Rice Crust.


Oh this was sooo good. Something about this specific combination of veggies was mouthwatering, and the tofu filling was creamy and delicious. I could almost do without the brown rice crust, but it was good to have that chewy base.

I used the brown rice medley from Trader Joe's - it's a blend of long grain brown rice, black barley, and daikon seeds. Here is the pre-cooked quiche:


And the cooked quiche:


And the ultimate deliciousness:


I highly highly highly recommend this recipe! The pictures don't do it justice, and I know those pictures look good. See for yourself and cook it up!

Are you doing anything fun for St. Patrick's Day? Do you wear green? Do you wear green eyeshadow??? Do you have any funny traditions?
Mimi Photo Source

Photo Salad

Hello darlings! First of all, thank you so so much to all of you who entered the spiralizer giveaway. I really wish I could send presents to each and every one of you for being such awesome readers. Stay tuned for another giveaway coming up in the near future!

How are you all handling Daylight Savings? I pretty much lounged around and did nothing all Sunday so it didn't really affect me...until I woke up this morning and realized I forgot to reset my alarm clock! It totally threw me off all day, I felt completely cheated by time. It was depressing. Anyway, I have a bunch of food photos that I've uploaded recently but they don't really go with anything else. But hey, this is a food/lifestyle blog, so up they go. Besides, one of my missions here is to inspire you with new, fun foods to eat and recipes to enjoy!

Inspired by Gabriela, I decided to give my Artisana Coconut Butter another chance and make a coconut butter and jam sandwich. I spread a little of each on a piece of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin toast. This is a WINNER! It was so good. In fact, I had two. Maybe the coconut butter just needed a little oompf of natural sweetness from another source for me to like it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows that I made for the Chicago Bake Sale for Haiti. Recipe from Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar. These were to die for, and even better than eating them cooked was eating the raw dough! Especially the peanut butter filling! AGH!! The best part was that you don't have to freak out about salmonella from the raw eggs...because there aren't any! (Don't worry sugar cleansers, this was from January!)


Another fun toast/sandwich creation: whole wheat toast with cashew butter mixed with cinnamon and topped with raisins.


A fairly uneventful Lentil Broccoli Gratin from Whole Foods. It had potential, really. It wasn't bad, but I'm not gonna do it again.


I tried to make some raw date balls for dessert one day but didn't have a ton of ingredients on hand. A limited number of dates, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon went in, but because of a more-nut/less-date ratio they totally fell apart. Add a little soy milk and I got to enjoy some date ball-less soup/cereal.


The dregs of a gigantic green smoothie. Now that the weather is warming up I've traded my oatmeal for cool creamy fiber-filled smoothies. This one was 1 banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup almond milk, 1 T ground flaxseed, a few leaves of kale and a ton of raw spinach.

How were your weekends? Did Daylight Savings kick your butt? Tell me something good!

You can also check out these giveaways!
Flirty Aprons at Everything Up Close
Raw Chocolate at Ginger is the New Pink

Giveaway WINNER!

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Congratulations to Abigail S. Bean!

She was randomly chosen out of all this week's comments to win a Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Slicer, courtesy of CSN Stores!

Thanks so much to everyone for entering, and stay tuned for another giveaway coming up soon!

Abigail, please e-mail me at sexyveg@gmail.com with your shipping info!
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Last Day to Enter for Spiralizer Giveaway!

Today is the last day for you to enter my Sexy Spiralizer Giveaway! Just comment on the posts here here here here here here or HERE on this post for all of your chances to win! You can also tweet the giveaway on twitter, just make sure to mention @vegissexy so I can count it! The winner will be announced tomorrow. Thanks so much, CSN Stores!

So I'm still taking it easy and kicking this cold. I'm feeling worlds better thanks to comfort food and gallons of juice, but I'm just really pissed that I got sick! Since going vegan I so rarely feel ill and I brag about the fact all the time. I've gotten more than one "oh I thought you never got sick!" comment this week. Bitches.

Anyway, I think I so easily get lazy after bouts of super healthy activity. I can track my food and eat my vegetables and exercise for weeks, which is then followed by weeks of...well, junk food and not exercising. And I have been totally guilty as charged lately. So maybe that plus the weather change plus sick children to babysit equals my stupid cold.

What is your favorite way to stay healthy? Things you like to eat or drink? Favorite ways you exercise? Do you meditate, take a bath, indulge every so often?

photo source

Academy Awards 2010

I just realized that I never talked about the Oscars on Sunday! Where is my mind?! Ah, well between the giveaway and the head cold I'll give myself a break.

Every year I make it a point to watch as many nominated movies as I can, "warming up" with the Golden Globes. I print out a list of all the GG nominees and highlight everything I've seen, and when the Oscars nominations come out I do the same. It's always really fun to print out ballots and predict the winners too! (Once in college I won an iPod shuffle for predicting every award except one, which I crossed out and changed at the last minute! I even predicted the big upset that "Crash" would win Best Picture. Not to toot my own horn...but toot freaking toot! ;) )

I think my favorite moment of the night was Kathryn Bigelow winning the Best Director award for The Hurt Locker. She is first woman to win for the category, and only four have ever been nominated! Gotta love watching a little bit of cinema history!

Other movies/nominees/winners I loved: The Hurt Locker, Up, The Blind Side, Inglorious Bastards, District 9, Sandra Bullock, Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep, Vera Farmiga, Cristoph Waltz.

Here are my two favorite dresses of the night:

Cameron Diaz

SJP

Both of these dresses were gorgeous, classic yet fashion forward, eye-catching, and so Oscar worthy. I know there were some love/hate feelings about Sarah Jessica's, but I thought it was fabulous. Bravo, ladies!

And let's not forget the most important part: the snacks! We had quite a spread. The vegan goodies my friends and I enjoyed were: mushroom soup, sweet potato frieshash, a fruit plate, seaweed puffs from Trader Joe's, chips and guac, and dark chocolate-covered cherries.

What did you think of the Oscars this year? If you didn't watch, what was your favorite movie, nominated or not, that you've seen this year?

Comment on this post, or any post this week, for an entry to the Sexy Spiralizer Giveaway!


Photo Source: People.com
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Sweet Potato Fries-Hash-ish

I was dying to try my new Paderno spiralizer to make Curly Sweet Potato Fries. Because I used a raw sweet potato and they are generally pretty hard vegetables, I really had to spend some time and use some muscles to get the whole thing cut. If you have your own (or win the one here) you'll see what I mean ;) I tossed them with olive oil and salt and baked them in the oven.


Unfoooortunately I don't know whether I used too much olive oil or cut the fries way too thin or what, but they didn't really turn out as fries. They were more of, like, sweet potato hash? Kind of. I was really disappointed that they weren't fries, but once I got over that shock they were a lovely side dish. I mean, how often do you get to twirl your sweet potato on your fork?


The next time I spiralize a sweet potato I am going to intend to make it into a hash in the first place - then I'll add some chopped onion, garlic, green onions, and various spices. Mmm! Sounds good!

I loved hearing all of your favorite TV shows and movie quotes yesterday! There's nothing like putting your feet up and relaxing with a movie or a good tv show. Another one of my favorites is Modern Family -- it was just on tonight on ABC and I LOVE it! It's hysterical! So witty and clever! Have you guys seen it? Also, thanks so much for all your well wishes yesterday. I definitely have a cold but I am feeling a bit better than I was this morning. I'm trying to drink big green smoothies and eat a ton of veggies, but there's nothing I want more than a big plate of spaghetti with baguette and non-dairy butter, or some Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese -- aka comfort food!!! What do you guys do/eat/drink when you're not feeling well? I so rarely get sick now that I've vegan and I'm really bummed that I caught this!!! Any suggestions or advice for your illnesses?

Comment on this post to enter the Sexy Spiralizer Giveaway! You can also comment on the Spirapple Bake, Zucchini Pasta, and recycling posts for more entries.

It's like recycling, it's good for the environment...

One of my recent favorite laugh-out-loud quotes was from an episode of Grey's Anatomy. Lexie just got down and dirty with Alex (again) right after breaking up with McSteamy and when Meredith asks her about it in the morning she says, "But, it's ok...I've slept with him before!...it's like recycling...it's...good for the environment..."

Haha! What a great excuuuuse. (I couldn't find a shirtless pic of Karev but McSteamy will always do juuuuust fine)

In not so haha news I'm feeling really sick today for the first time in ages. I think I may have caught a sore throat/cold from the kids I sit for. Unfortunately these are not grounds for creative culinary genius, so in keeping with theme a la McSteamy and last week's Oldies But Goodies post I'll be recycling some old favorites -- recipes this time! I've also just posted these fave recipes on the site's sidebar for easy access. Enjoy, cook, eat, and leave a comment for today's entry to the Sexy Spiralizer Giveaway! What are your favorite movie or tv quotes? What are some of your favorite movies or tv shows?

One more thing -- since I got my mom to almost completely stop eating meat, her cholesterol has dropped 37 points!!! Her bloodwork was phenomenal - everything was in it's healthiest range! Who said you need meat to be healthy? NO ONE! Way to go, Mom!

Don't forget to follow me on Blogger or Google reader so you can be notified immediately when new posts are published! You can enter the giveaway on every post this week and the spiralizer winner will be announced Sunday! Also, I'm fairly new to Food Buzz so if you are a member of that please friend me as well!

Fave Veg is Sexy Recipes
Andria's World Rocking Sweet Potato Chili
The Best Freaking Sandwich Ever
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Quesapizza
Simple Sexy Tofu Scramble
Pumpkin Pancakes
Beet Avocado Salad
Maple Roasted Harvest Veggies Over Rice
Sweet Apple Harvest Oatmeal

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Zucchini Pasta

I loved your hysterical childhood paranoias from yesterday's post! From being swarmed by grapes to falling in rain gutters to being attacked by dead pet fish - so funny! And you guys had some amazing ideas for Spirapple additions: maple syrup, brown sugar, toasted almonds, nut butter, lemon juice, flaked coconut, flax, spices...I'm drooling on my laptop. Please share your own of either if you want to join in!

It seems like an overwhelming number of you are dying to get your hands on some zucchini noodles! So I went ahead and spiralized a couple of them today to give you a review.


The zucchinis were so easy to work with in the spiralizer, it took only about a full minute to get both of them done. I can definitely understand why they are so popular in the raw world! They are super easy, fast, and fun. And while you obviously don't need to core a zucchini, I loved that this happened:

You can just chop it up and throw it in your recipe. Or, you know...swordfight.

So while my intention was to make a raw dish a la my shaved-makeshift-zucchini-noodles on my raw day in November, I was running late after yoga and had minimal time. Plus, one of my favorite simple veggie dishes is sauteed zucchini slices, so I decided to just sautee the zucchini noodles!

I threw in a little olive oil, garlic, salt, and a chopped up Boca burger and voila. A yummy, filling, simple, healthy lunch! I would TOTALLY eat this again. I think there is something special about shoveling endlessly long pieces of delicious spaghetti in your mouth and I was so pleasantly surprised that zucchini noodles have that same yummy nostalgia. I will definitely try these raw too at some point, but they are JUST as good cooked!

Don't forget to enter the Sexy Spiralizer Giveaway by commenting on today's post, and here and here for extra chances. You can also go to my twitter and RT the giveaway tweet for an extra entry!

Like I said, a sliced and sauteed zucchini is one of my favorite quick and easy foods. What are some of your healthy yet fast and easy snacks or sidedishes?

Don't forget to ask me anything on my Formspring!

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Sweet'n'Sexy Spirapple Bake

When I was little I was paranoid about eating crunchy apples. My mom would have to slice them for me because I refused to bite into them. I think this was because I hated losing my baby teeth and whenever I would have a loose one people would tell me to bite into an apple. I always nursed the tooth until it fell out by itself (or my mom would trick me and pull it out), so the thought of hard apples drove me crazy. Now the paranoia has passed of course, but how fun would it have been to have spiralized apples as a tooth-losing child?


My favorite kinds of recipes are the one where you throw in a handful of this, handful of that, taste, add some more of this, etc. Everything is to taste and no matter what you do, you can't go wrong. I love to bake but I always get nervous about the blow-ups and melt-downs that can happen in the kitchen when you add a little too much baking soda or something (umm maybe I should rename this post "Andria's Unnatural Paranoias"), so this recipe is perfect for someone who, like me, likes to experiment as long as it's gonna turn out delicious.


Here is the Sweet'n'Sexy Spirapple Bake -- a healthy, breakfast-y version of apple pie. You can make it to taste, add whatever you want, and it's guaranteed to turn out delicious. Here is the general recipe I used:

Sweet'n'Sexy Spirapple Bake

• 2 Fuji apples
• Cinnamon
• Raisins
• 1 T (generous) coconut butter or other non-dairy butter
• Nuts, handful (I used pecans)
• Rolled Oats, two small handfuls
  

- Spiralize your apples
- In a pie tin, mix together your apples, cinnamon, raisins, non-dairy butter, nuts, and one small handful of rolled oats.
- Throw your second handful of rolled oats on top.
- Bake at 350* for 12 minutes.

While it's enough for more than one person, I totally won't judge you if you eat the whole thing over the course of the morning.

But this would also be a great healthful dessert for after dinner as well! Make it whenever, however...just don't forget to use your brand new spiralizer!!! What ingredients would you like to add to the Spirapple Bake? Did you have any weird and crazy childhood paranoias?

Comment on this post for another chance to win the Sexy Spiralizer Giveaway.

SEXY SPIRALIZER GIVEAWAY!

I am so thrilled to announce the SEXY SPIRALIZER GIVEAWAY!!! The amazing and super sexy people at CSN Stores are helping me give away a Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Slicer! You can check out their other sites, Cookware.com and AllBarStools.com. Anyway, CSN peeps were so generous as to send me one to test out and let me tell you guys, it is so much fun!

Things I love about the Paderno:

• Has 3 blades for 3 different slices - noodle spirals, skinny noodle spirals, and thick circles
• So easy to use.
• Even easier to clean! It's a 1-2-3 wipedown and you're done.
• Blades slide in and out with storage a the bottom of the unit. The top section slides out for easy cleaning as well.
  
• As you spin, the small piece on the blade actually cores the fruit or veggie. You don't even have to core your apple, it does it for you!
• JUST SO MUCH FUN!!! Spice up your food by making it a different shape. Who knew?!

Spiralizers have become really fun and famous on the blogs lately. They are a great tool to use for raw cuisine -- zucchini noodles, anyone? But they are also great for spiraling your fruits and veggies into yummy cooked meals as well! Since this is my own first experience with a spiral slicer, I am going to be experimenting all week and posting!


So how do you enter? I'm gonna make it super easy for you. Every day this week, Sunday through Saturday, just leave a comment on my posts. You can leave one every day for a total of 7 chances to win. That's it! I'll ask a question for some prompts, but feel free to comment on anything! One lucky winner will receive the Paderno Spiral Slicer from CSN Stores and will be announced Sunday. Please make sure your e-mail is somehow linked to or typed in to your comment.

So...what is the first thing you would spiralize? Find out what I did with that apple tomorrow!

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Secret Sweet Coconut Ass

I know yesterday I said I felt upset and sassy about a frustrating situation that came up. My lease ended in New York and I was struggling to get my security deposit back, which is hard when you're 1,000 miles away and your only tools are phone and e-mail. Very frustrating, but I think we're good. Thank you to everyone who contributed their stress-busting tips yesterday! What got me through? A walk around the neighborhood, a hot shower, a smoothie, and lots of positive thinking and affirmations. I watched some of The Secret dvd while eating lunch yesterday and it made me feel better. I know that it is really easy to be skeptical about affirmations and the Law of Attraction, but it really works wonders. Just writing out what you want and holding the feeling of gratitude immediately releases your tension. Suddenly the problem seems to slowly solve itself! I highly recommend watching the movie The Secret. It's also a book, but having the visual images and audible interviews is much more intriguing and understandable. What are your experiences with the Law of Attraction?


In other exciting news, my World-Rocking Sweet Potato Chili recipe has been featured here on Your Daily Vegan! KD and her crew have been working so hard for the past 10 months to revamp and relaunch the site and it really looks fabulous. Be sure to check it out!



Let me just preface this by saying that I totally support Artisana and their products are fabulous and I'm really looking forward to trying more of their stuff. But I know that everyone has been a-buzz about this Artisana Coconut Butter that is popping up all over the place, so like the lemming I am I shelled out the $11 at Whole Foods for a jar of the stuff. Guys, I've gotta say...meh. I'm a coconut L-O-V-E-R, but I'm just wholly unimpressed. I've used it on dates for a sweet treat and in oatmeal (pictured below). Maybe it's a bit of an acquired taste? I was expecting a sweeter flavor but it's just very chalky to me. I did try it mixed with a little maple syrup and that seemed to do the trick, but still... I know it's very expensive and somewhat hard to find, so I just want to put my two cents out there for the people who are having trouble getting their hands on it. Plus, I think Danielle was really on to something when she made her own, so if you're dying to try it but can't get a jar, maybe try it yourself. Do you like coconut butter? What do you use it on or in?



Oh, and here's another little treat I found at Whole Foods. I didn't buy it, but if I have any more can't-wake-up-Vitamin D problems you know I'm going back to get some. Tired Old Ass Cream, ladies and gentlemen. Yep.



Don't forget to stop by my Formspring and stay tuned for an awesome GIVEAWAY coming up next week!

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Oldies but Goodies!

I'm feeling sassy today. I was in a really good mood all morning until a frustrating situation came up and I'm really upset. I think I should probably go take a walk outside for a little while to cool off. What kinds of things do you do what you get frustrated? I like to drink. Just kidding...sort of. But healthy things I like to do for myself are vent to a friend, go out for dinner, journal, watch a funny tv show or movie, take a yoga class, give myself a facial (or go get one if I'm feeling like a splurge), shop, or just veg out and do nothing!

I realized something sad about blogs - the old posts get lost! Especially to new readers. Here are some old favorites that I wanted to resurrect. Click around and enjoy!

Why Sexy?

Here's the D(eal).

Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell?

The Dirty Dozen

Recipe Review: Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

Why Veg?

The Ice Cream Kiss

My Ex Boyfriend, Gym

Milk Sucks

The Kermy Coat

Free and Easy

Did you guys hear about the free Teese from Chicago Soy Dairy?! They are having this incredible promotion where by putting in your e-mail address you get a coupon for buy-one-get-another-flavor-free packages of vegan cheese. I've tried it before and it really is delicious! Flavorful and melts really well in the oven. Try it - I mean, why not, it's free! Click here for the coupon! You can also check out the Teese web site.

I'm at the end of Day 9 of the Super Sexy Sugar Cleanse and so far so good. I've experienced some cravings here and there and one really intense headache, but mostly I feel great! I'm also going to bed at night and not feeling guilty about any of the crap I ate during the day...because for the most part, there is no crap! Here are some sugar-free (at least added-sugar-free) treats that I've been indulging in this week:

• Medjool Dates
• Bananas
• Orange Juice
  
• Coconut Oil Chocolate
• Baguette with Earth Balance (for a naughty yet delicious savory treat)
  
• Oatmeal Raisin Date balls
• Vanilla Rooibos tea from Starbucks
• Two Mom's in the Raw Granola Bars from Starbucks
• Organic Fuji Apples
• And this random Cherry Oat Tofu Mess I tried to make the other day...

It's silken tofu mixed with rolled oats, cinnamon, cocoa powder, a tiny bit of maple syrup and thawed frozen sweet cherries.


It was....innnnteresting. Kind of a fun new breakfast! It was creamy and filling and really held me over during the day!

Don't forget to check out my Formspring! I'll answer anything and it's anonymous. Let's work out some problems!

Cute Overload

I've always been an animal lover. I remember plotting with my sister and dad about getting a dog so that Mom wouldn't be mad - but of course she would find out and say, "It's me or the dog! Choose now!" She always won (hey, dogs can't bake cookies like she does!). However, now that my sis and I are older and my parents are empty nesters (well, we're always in and out ;) ) I've been trying to convince them to rescue a puppy. And I'm happy to say that they're starting to cave. Slowly but surely, they are melting with every photo of adorable dogs who need a home.

I think I found the key to the cave-in and now my new favorite web site! CuteOverload.com. Essentially just the cutest animals that have ever been photographed in the history of time. It makes me so happy to be vegan.

Here are some of my favorites:



It makes you want to melt into the floor, right?

Anyway, just an update that I AM having another giveaway soon! It's taken awhile to get the details in order but I promise that it's coming up and that it's gonna be gooooood!