That's Amore...sprouted grain style!

Sometimes a simple meal is the best...

Eating healthy sort of puts a damper on fun foods like spaghetti, white bread sandwiches, etc., but with a little effort, you can recreate those easy meals and get all those warm-fuzzy feelings. Makes me want to pour a big glass of soymilk to have with my little kid-style dinner!

Here's a good one! Sprouted grain pasta (cooks in 4-5 minutes!) with no-sugar added pasta sauce. A side of Ezekiel bread with homemade pesto on it- the basil came from my herb garden! Yum!

Easy, comforting, and super healthy!

And speaking of easy...click over and enter to win vegan Slaughterhead accessories!!

Giada-riffic and Ani Phyo's Taco Nut Meat

I'm pretty sure I have already discussed my lady crush on Giada. She is just the epitome of lovely ladyness. My honey bought me her super shiny food processor a while back and I have been enjoying processing all types of stuff. I broke my old blender jamming spoons in it accidently, so it has been completely great to have the proper tool to use.

I recently mixed up a batch of Ani Phyo's taco nut meat from Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen.

I plan to eat this taco nut meat with some Tofutti sour cream and salsa on top of romaine- taco salad!!!

Yum raw goodies!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway :)

I Like My Coffee Black Just Like My Metal....

(Yeah, that's a lie, but a good line from an old song...)

This post is all about metal...in that friendly way! We had an awesome visit with Brad's sister and her little girl.

First let me start with us...somehow all in black on an antiquing Saturday...posing in front of the Downtown Lounge. It was hoppin' at 10:00 a.m. ;)
:

And now, the metalest sibs ever...my honey and his sis at one of our favorite breakfast places. These two have quite some stories to tell! 

Here's me and the adorable metal-ette.

In honor of our super family visit, I made some Black Metal Cupcakes to harken back to these guys' wild rock-n-roll days. The inspiration came from Metalcakes.

These are the chocolate cupcakes and chocolate frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

I bought silver liners, black food dye, and silver dragees to really do it up. They were yummy and all kinds of metal! Grrrr!

Still time to enter that giveaway!!

Grilling & the best raw "tuna" ever!!

I am SO glad it's grilling season again! This year so far I've been enjoying grilled portabella mushrooms and kabobs loaded with all types of stuff: pineapples, tofu, squash, zucchini, peppers, onions...

I marinated  and cooked some baby bella mushrooms inside last time we cooked out and we had them with our grilled goodies. Try this marinade...delicious!!!

 Here are a few of the kabobs ready to go on the grill.

Another yummy meal as of late:

"Oh My This Is A Tuna" from the Raw Freedom Community.  So, so awesome!!!

There's still time to enter the giveaway! Bye for now!

Currently Reading:

Happy Birthday, Chloe!!!

My honeydarling Chloe is 11 today!! Gorgeous as ever!!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Slaughterhead Wallet & Whatnot Pouch Giveaway!!

I am so excited about this giveaway, not only because the crafters are friends, but because what they make is awesome...and vegan :) !!! I want to run away with the prizes, but I'm gonna share them instead!

Jessica and Joey Slaughter make up Slaughterhead, a local company that makes super-creative and often one-of-a kind accessories. Here's the crew!

And here are some of their wares:

Slaughterhead has so very generously offered giveaway prizes for two Pixiepine readers! Yay!!!!!

Up for grabs are:

*A gorgeous eggplant whatnot-pouch lined in pink!
* A one-of-a-kind bifold wallet lined with repurposed fabric!

To enter to WIN just leave a comment...

(just click on comments below!)

for each of these you complete..

OR IT WILL ONLY COUNT AS ONE!
★1.(MANDATORY) Must be done in order to win.

You must visit Slaughterhead and tell me something you

would love to have!
Bonus Entries:

★ 2. Purchase something from Slaughterhead (5 EXTRA ENTRIES!)

★ 3. Subscribe to Slaughterhead Newsletter (2 EXTRA ENTRIES!)

★ 4. Follow Slaughterhead on Twitter.

★ 5. Follow Pixiepine Blog on Twitter.

★ 6. Follow my blog via google friend connect or Networked blogs. (on sidebar)

★ 7. Post my button on your blog & leave the link. (2 EXTRA ENTRIES!)

★ 8. Link to my giveaway on your blog and leave a link. (2 EXTRA ENTRIES)

★ 9. Follow Slaughterhead on Facebook. (2 EXTRA ENTRIES!)

★ 10. Tweet the giveaway (once daily).

★ 11. Digg this using the button at the top of the post.


****MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A WAY FOR ME TO CONTACT YOU!!!**
Giveaway ends midnight on April 30th, 2010 and the two winners will be e-mailed and announced shortly after. OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY 18yrs up, thanks!!

Good luck!!!

Millet-Stuffed Peppers

Deeelicious! I bought some green peppers in the sale bin at the grocery and decided to make an old favorite. Since rice is out these days, I decided to try millet instead. The peppers were great. I googled several recipes and sort of made a hybrid. The filling includes millet, corn, shallots, onions, walnuts, and celery. For sauce, I seasoned some stewed tomatoes with oregano, parsely, and basil from my little container garden.

Yum!

Green Meal Duo

Here's a few thrown-together, but mostly healthy meals as of late.

Numero uno: some fast-n-loose homemade sushi! White rice is on my s***-list these days, but I had some in the pantry still. I really want to make some quinoa sushi- anyone had a good experience with that?

Numero dos: has no name...nutritional powerhouse bowl of goodness!!!

Included: raw carrots/spinach/avocado, cooked kale/onions/garlic/todu, hemp seeds. YUM!

Happy eating, and stay tuned for a super-awesome giveaway verry soon!!

Compacting Check-In

45 days later...here's my update on how it goes when one (ok me!) goes about the business of not-buying.

GAHHHH. I was doing great until this week, at which point I freaked out! I have been working on cutting down on coffee, not eating "white" stuff, work is crazy, home is crazy...I somehow exploded from having so many rules!! I've still only bought a few new things (blender, frame, reusable sandwich pouch), and I am enjoying the peacefulness of slowing down and using what I've got instead of rushing out for more. Plus, I have spent much less money due to my committment to less new stuff.

I am  proud of my efforts, and I intend to hold on to the habits I've developed thus far, including:

*minimal packaging

*recyclable/reusable packaging

*getting amazing BRAND NEW items at garage sale for change

*using Ebay/Goodwill for nearly-new and awesome clothes

*trading cupcakes for clothes!!

*making my own wrapping materials for gifts

*"shopping" around my house before I buy or aquire something new

Best purchase in the last 45 days: tickets to see Ani DiFranco!!!!!!!!!!!WHOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!

I still haven't bought any new clothes, and I don't see a reason to thus far. House stuff and gifts seem to be a sometimes situation. Onward to more adventures in creative consumption!

Yay thrift!!!

Gah!!! RIP Pretty Blender.

This weekend we worked really hard! We dug up old dead bushes and replanted (by "we" I mean Brad in terms of weilding a machete and a shovel, our very nice neighbor in terms of weilding a chainsaw, and me in terms of...cheering everyone on!) I did my own sweaty work planting a tomato garden in the backyard.

Here's my herb container garden:

My tiny tomatoes:

After all that hard work, I REALLY wanted a green smoothie. Wouldn't you know, my beloved blender, bought at age 19, croaked? Bah!!! I am trying to not buy stuff, so this was stressing me out! I put the No-Buy plan aside though, because I use my blender like twice a day, and cannot be playing around waiting for one on Craiglist or buying wonky ones at the Goodwill. (Excuses, excuses...I don't care! I needed my smoothie!!!)

RIP

I bought this pretty red one and hope it it as good as my old one.

Blendy blendy! Have a happy day!

Whew!!!

I have returned to my senses. I spent the last 5 days feeling insane, groggy, hungry, grouchy...ugh! I know it's bad to be all cracked-out on something, but that's gonna have to be the way it is. I will take my awkwardly pubescent/thirtysomething year-old skin any day over the LAMENESS that was my life without coffee. I didn't even feel like myself!

I had a soy latte and a small cup of regular joe after that today, and I feel so much better! Did all kinds of house projects and am looking forward to a lovely night grilling with my honey. Kabobs loaded, switched from coffee to wine.

Yay!!!

This weekend...planting things, garage sales maybe...nice and refreshing. Have a good one :)

The No-Coffee Trial..UGH!

The above picture hurts my heart to no end...but I'm trying anyway! I have been coffee-free for three days (and if you know me, you know what kind of hooha I have been acting like in the process.)

*Tired

*Grouchy

*Hurty

*Hungry

*...better skin?

Yup, that's why I'm trying this. After consulting with my gorgeous little brother, and reviewing the family traits, it seems that everyone I'm related to has problems with coffee: skin, migraines, etc. Why would I be different? I dunno. I can't make my mind up about the skin/food relationship. I know that I eat a very clean diet, with the usual offenders being for treats only (greasy food, candy, soda). I exercise, I use quality skin care, I take my vitamins, I get enough sleep....I get zits! Ack!

We shall see. I can't decide yet if it is helping. I hope it does, but if it doesn't, I am going to buy like 50 cappucinos, pour them in a baby pool, and just float around in coffee heaven. Watch me.