LOVE your library!

Hey everyone!

I have been super bad about updating, aside from my desire to show how AWESOME Heidi Swanson is. I got her book Super Natural Everyday and it is breathtaking, also featured in Whole Living magazine this month. It's a good thing I pre-ordered...considering that amazon.com sold out! I'll admit I haven't tried a specific recipe yet, but the tips that she gives are always great! Go veggie!

I just finished Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane, and let me tell you it was well worth the procrastinating. So many themes and so much talented writing in one book. After my intense social work research, mixed with lighter chick lit, this deeper read was very welcome. I also read 7th Heaven by James Patterson, which was just so bad that I felt like I couldn't be my normal find-the-good-in-all-social-worker because there were so many clichés and stereotypes that I was not impressed. Next, I'll be reading Unbearable Lightness, by Portia de Rossi. As an LGBTQ advocate, and a huge fan of Arrested Development, I'm excited for this read!

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/books/books-podcast-archive.html

Felt the need to include the NYTimes book review podcast, which keeps me SO updated on the book life whilst commuting for hours to my internship in Queens. I am back working at Borders in NY, and I'm so glad to have the security of employment this summer.

Others aren't so lucky. Libraries have been such a big part of my life, and when my friend Torie and I found out that there were going to be ridiculous budget cuts in NY, we began advocating as a source of our advocacy classwork. However, our need to really help preserve this essential part of the NY communities (esp. Queens and Brooklyn) has become such a big part of us!

Help join the postcard campaign, and join us in June for the Read-In! Seriously, I hope I can get a sweet spot where I can re-live my acting days, haha!

For more info, check out: http://savenyclibraries.org/

I met up with some uber-chic librarians in Greenpoint, and it reminded me so much of Chicago! Love my hipsters out there :)

Be well, and let me know what you're reading!

Everyone needs an update!

So madame Sandra is here, and feelin' pretty good!

I finally have a break from my staying-up-late-to-finish-procrastinating work, so I have the lovely privilege of entertaining Mr. Andy's sister and one of my best friends.

We are both cupcake lovers who appreciate the baking process, so we've hit Magnolia, BabycakesNYC (Where I am praying for a counter job! Keep your fingers crossed!), and soon Butterlane.

I don't have nearly enough time to divulge into many topics I've wanted to write about, but here's a few.

1) Border's in Evanston closing. As much as I sold my soul to pay my rent, I met a lot of people and solidified my love of literature and everything books. Hopefully the e-books don't take over!

2) Japan. Tragic. My love goes out to absolutely everyone affected. One of my friends from LUC is doing business in Japan and my heart about stopped when I heard the news. Thankfully she's ok, but we realize that life is short. Working in a senior center, I fear for the older generation in Japan who saw Nanking and Hiroshima. They are put in this horrible position of having survived this trauma, only to re-live it.

3) On a lighter note: New cookbooks! I have pre-ordered the books seen above. Super excited!

Sending so much social worker love to all! I was accepted to our Dialectical Behavioral Therapy special project for second years. To learn more, click this link. Marsha Linehan, PhD created this remarkable therapy to help those with suicidal thoughts and who engage in self-injurious behavior. I cannot wait for this exciting and thought-provoking opportunity!

Some extra love to my family. When I was back home I realized just how much I love them, and how much support they have given me over the years.

xoxo!!

P.S. I've started to at least type the recipes!

New York!

Hey all,
I have been SUPER busy with this whole "Graduate School" business. Phew! My boyfriend is the one constantly training for 5Ks, half marathons, and marathons....but I have been exhausted from just the first week. Our advisors are always telling us that come December we will "collapse into happy exhaustion"

This does not surprise me one bit.

EXCELLENT things have happened, and some NOT so excellent things have happened.

Given my work that I selected (social work- ta da!), I have to always be mindful of how I am feeling, and try to care for myself.

1) Leaving home was REALLY hard. I have wonderful friends here, but very little can make up for the comfort of family, friends, my boyfriend, and my established sense of independence that I felt in my cramped little studio in Rogers Park. On the other hand, I really lucked out in NYC real estate, and found TWO veggie minded roommates within 10 minutes of campus. One also happens to be a veggie trained chef who works in Chelsea....what?!

2) It's taking a while for me to get my job solidified. This work-aholic is NOT used to this! I am getting a lot of homework done, which is wonderful considering that I have a tendency to procrastinate like CRAZY. (Especially at the beginning of the semester). Hopefully this barista will be serving the thousands of commuters by Madison Sq Garden!

3) I am finally getting the trains/buses here. Chicago= +5000 points for its bus system. NYC= -5000 points for its bus system. NYC= +5000 points for its subway. Chicago= -5000 points for the "el". It all evens out, I guess!

4) Holy vegan friend, Batman! NYC has so many cool vegan restaurants. Too bad that I'm now in a financially compromised position that I can't afford all of them! Oh bother! Candle Cafe and Sacred Chow have already had me, and Scotters and I did my favorite Spring St. Natural Restaurant where I indulged with what I can only describe as the BEST veggie burger I've ever had! EVER! Once the funds come in (and Travis and Jonathan!) I will probably report in more or less detail about these places. Especially Lula's Sweet Apothecary- YUM!

5) Cheese. Oh gosh. When you are on a supreme veggie/student/poor girl budget, it is hard to resist the canned soup and mac/cheese staples for nourishment. I was pretty good about having some hearty fruit/veggie/low fat good foods...until stress and long days came about. I also didn't realize how much I depended on a blender for my quick food smoothie fixes. Thank god for the Mexican fruit and veggie carts throughout the city. If the fruit is right in front of you, how can you NOT eat it?! And hey...PB &J is veggie! Huzzah!

6) My classes rock. I've only had 2 days of class so far (once a week classes....my favorite!), but I can tell that I will be challenged and simultaneously have the ability to thrive. Likewise my field work in Queens looks super cool.

7) I MET JONATHAN FRANZEN! Yep, I'm a book nerd. Always will be. For my birthday I was able to meet the author of Freedom, one of THE most anticipated books of the year- for me AND the NY Times- haha! I told Mr. Franzen my sister's suggestion of his running for Mayor of Chicago. He told me he'd put it on his to-do list. The experience rivaled meeting David Sedaris. Jon Stewart is coming to town as well. So is Jamie Oliver.....

Looks like I need to start writing a book! :D

I miss you all in Chicago, and I feel so welcomed by the NYC crowd.

Now to try to correct the Starbucks folks on what a REAL Red Eye is..... ;)

My boo...plural :)

Before I talk about my boos, a few little treats I got for graduation week! Ebay and Crossroads Trading Co. MAGIC :)

J.Crew...$11.00

Betsey Johnson....$20

J.Crew.....$15.00

I have many "boos" these days. I adapted the phrase from Michael, a coworker of mine in the cafe, who stole my heart with phrases like "kitten" and re-naming himself to BooshalayX (the X is silent). I felt the need to give some pics!

One boo is Vegan Drunk Puppy. It's kind of a joke between friends, but also something cute to alleviate the pressures of being a vegetarian/ vegan activist or supporter. So while we can say "Awww..Vegan Drunk Puppy- stop getting sick near the Seitan!"...I do know that there's more to it. :) Some of my other "boos" are the puppies in my neighbor who get walked all the time...SO CUTE!


Speaking of puppies...hipster puppies...you won't regret it!

Another is my friend, Kelly. Oh Kelly! This girl is going to California to live the dream. YOU GO GIRL! She is one of my inspirations: non-judgemental, and just wanting to do some good for the world. Very litle can go wrong when she's around...

Kelly, the other white meat! JUST KIDDING! :)

Which brings me to a new project! After re-watching the tail end of Julie & Julia (with the lovely Meryl Streep- eep!) , I wanted to see what I could do to channel Julia Child herself, to bring the deliciousness of the French to the veggie community!
Step one was a sort-of creme brulee inspired cupcake. IT WAS DELICIOUS- and on a more egocentric level, photographed quite nicely (see I can still learn, Dad! hehe). I have such a love for food photography after seeing how it was done. YUM! My next step is to try Coq au Vin...veggie style! :)


The Yuppie's Vegan French Creme Cupcake!




Another shout-out to Dan Savage, the sex columnist for The Stranger in Seattle. Much like Anderson Cooper to Perez Hilton, Dan is my boo! He is so open-minded and just lets people get cold and unadulterated advice about their love lives, to the point that I am encouraged to NOT overanalyze my relationship. Seriously, there should be a Nobel prize for that :P


A special "thanks" to my Special Friend, who I'll be seeing in NYC at some point. We'll both be going away from Chicago soon, but we can help each other salvage our love of Chicago in the Big Apple. Vegan fraps for you, boo!

Drunk Puppy Goes Vegan!

So my trip to New York was fantastic. I was lucky enough to get some feedback from Lindsay Wolf of the "Kiss Me, I'm Vegan" blog. She directed me to Sacred Chow, a vegan establishment close to NYU. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The menu was delicious, and the waiter was SUPER nice and adorable...he also reminded me of Harvey Milk! :) I love NYC, and I love the food. Most of the restaurants in the area had at least the option of doing some vegan schtuff (like Two Boots in Soho...vegan pizza that got Amy's seal of approval)!

The trip, along with my vegan pal Amy, really made me re-commit to the vegan-ish lifestyle. Again, I'm not 100%, but I'm making my way there!

And speaking of vegan...I had made a delectable wrap, featured in one of the photos up top, w/ whole wheat tortilla, vegan cream cheese, broccoli, and white beans (and rice and seasoning that I added after I took the picture) . Next up I may a yummy Vanilla Rooibos latte w/ soy (that I brought to my ever-outdated Human Sexuality class...ugh! waste of my senioritis time!) SO good, even my wonderful friend Kelly thought so. Kelly's basically my spiritual advisor...or part time therapist, I can't tell :P

My acceptance into Columbia University was a big deal, and now I'm just waiting on a few more. It was comforting to know that I could find a group of old friends, new friends, and even (gasp!) a job? It would be extremely difficult for me to let go of Chicago, but doable (especially for Columbia!).

But now for crazier news!

DRUNK PUPPY!

Now, drunk puppy is a creation of many, many inside jokes. First, my boyfriend and I deciding that if we ever got a dog (and sure enough will, if we stay together long enough to live together), we thought it would be so crazy that it would basically act drunk all the time. For a preview of such experience, "drunk _____insert random animal___" tends to have interesting videos of drugged cats and dogs after their surgery. Humane-ness is questionable, but most of the owners in the videos seem to have what it takes to be a good pet owner.

AND, my job at the local bookstore is what brought my guilt-driven purchase of our friend..Drunk Puppy.

This super cute Beanie Baby-type dog was displayed in a plastic case with a sign that my crafty co-worker had drawn up to say "Buy me, and I'll love you."

My guilt for trapped puppies ensued.

I HAD to buy this super cute fake dog! Normally I'm not a huge girly-girl, and I haven't so much as expected a box of chocolates from my boyfriend, but Goodness Gracious was I feeling some emotions for this puppy! A fake one, too!

So, I had a little chat w/ Drunk Puppy about my eating habits, and what do you know, crazy drunk puppy wanted a white bean wrap as a vodka chaser!

*Mind you, this is obviously not a real dog*

I'm hoping to catch some awesome pics of Vegan Drunk Puppy!

Until then....ruff!

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Veggie!

Ahh some wonderful health reflections....eep!

So for some of you veggies like myself who grew up in Polish households, perhaps you can commiserate with my constant desire to eat meat. Ok, maybe not constant, but on a quite frequent basis, I continually have to translate my meat cravings for an iron-rich veggie source. Problem: I was never really a salad girl, so what do I do about it now?!

Well, apparently I over-sugar myself. One of the big reasons that I went vegetarian is the overwhelming evidence that (if done correctly), being veggie is the way to go if you've got diabetes....and I was almost there!

The glycemic index diet is a good guide, but I'm hesitant to listen to something that tells me to eat a "deck of cards" worth of chicken rather than a banana. I'll add some peanut butter and call it a day.


I was so happy to meet Kim Barnouin in person! Ms. Skinny Bitch herself was definitely skinny, but there was nothing bitchy about her at all! She's definitely low maintenance, and encourages everyone not to judge each other...um perfect?

Their book was a significant factor in my decision to go veggie- and now more so for me to give up animal products when I can-which is quite often! I just need to moderate the diabetic-non-friendly-stuff!

TWO WEEK UNTIL NEW YORK! :) I've decided to try to cook Indian food..until then the Trader Joe's options sound good to me! :)

CHICAGO DINER ON SATURDAY- introducing friends to seitan and the like....exciting :P

Babycakes NYC

YUM!

You will soon realize that I have a deep obsession with cupcakes. What a perfect confection! My recent athletic jump into the vegetarian lifestyle has also led me to try vegan dishes as well. Upon going to the marvelous Metropolis coffee house (in Rogers Park) they had vegan cupcakes available for purchase. A little guilty for nabbing this yumminess from someone who might've actually been vegan plagued me until me first bite. How. Delicious.

So I looked for vegan cupcakes! Babycakes NYC is a bakery that makes vegan, mostly gluten-free, and lower-refined sugar (important for those of us at risk of diabetes [and in my case, pre-diabetes]) treats for all! An important critique is that many people with coeliac disease (a condition that renders people unable to eat gluten-a little more extreme than just a gluten intolerance) have been upset that the cookbook contains spelt flour, a very not gluten free ingredient. But guess what? She has a gluten intolerance herself and discusses the differences in her cooking in GREAT detail. Maybe I'm just not very sensitive, but I tried out one of the recipes and it came out DELICIOUS. Yay for agave nectar sweetner.

And so I'll begin making more and more cupcakes. Delicious.

Oh, did I mention that I'm definitely going here in NYC? That's what sparked the post. *wink*

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/menu.html

New York City

I shall be venturing to New York City in less than a week, my third visit in 4 years. I never quite understood my draw to this city, but cannot escape the natural feeling that I have a sense of independence. After all, my visits have all been made alone. My first was to visit my first choice of school: NYU. You'll notice a typical "yuppie" student by those who have my same claim, "Oh yeah I almost went to NYU...." met with an exasperated sigh and the crushed dreams of a potential hipster fashion designer or the next Scorsese with a vision to bring life to film and film to life. Me? I was pre-med. Was being the key word. Having decided that perhaps not over medicating a nation with enough problems (you know, insomnia, eating disorders, depression, Munchausen's by-proxy, etc.- things that clearly can only be solved by popping pills), I switch to the social sciences with psych, a program that I rationalize would have been just as ok at NYU as it is at my current school. I occasionally wonder what would've happened if I'd pursued a theater major, and led a similar lifestyle, perhaps 3 times more expensive, but similar all the same.

I am excited to go back. Now I will be searching for exploration as well as a potential living space. Would I ever re-consider the chance to live in New York at some point? In order to stay neutral, I had vacated the option 3-ish years ago when I started school here and adapted. Adapted and began to love the city that I had been so close to, yet so far away from with my sheltered suburban upbringing. What a wonderful place. I'll continue to think, but more explore. I've realized often enough that life gets to be too difficult when you think too much. Hopefully the scenery of NYC will help me stop for a bit...