Trip to North Carolina Summer 2014 Part One

Part the First June 25- June 27

Lets start where all great road trips start. Packing and making a picnic lunch. There are several traditions that we always so when we make a road trip to North Carolina. The first is that we always leave late. The second is that we always make sandwiches and deviled eggs. I no longer eat eggs, so I didn't partake, but I will post my dad's recipe so you can make them if you still eat them. I have yet to make egg salad with tofu, but when I do, you will be getting a post about it because it will be very exciting.

My brother and I used to get really excited when we got to cook in the kitchen when we were little. I was tall enough that I could reach the counter, but my brother couldn't and he had to stand on a chair. This is one of those recipes that we made every time we took a car trip and I have many very good memories of late nights and early mornings making these eggs.

Deviled Egg Recipe (NON-VEGAN)

6 hard boiled eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups Hellman's mayonnaise
(It has to be Hellman's. That is the only mayo that my dad likes and the only mayo that he will put on his deviled eggs.)
1-3 Tablespoons of yellow mustard
salt
pepper

Hard boil the eggs, then let them cool in ice water.
After they are completely cooled, peel them and cut them in half lengthwise.
Take the yolks out carefully so you don't tear the whites.
Mash the yolks with a fork and mix in the mayonnaise and  mustard until you have a creamy, bright yellow mixture.
Add a tiny bit of salt and pepper to taste and carefully spoon the mixture into each egg white.
Chill and serve.

So what did I have if I didn't eat the eggs?

Picnic food at its finest. The pink stuff in the water bottle is watered down watermelon lemonade.

I made roasted red pepper hummus, lettuce, cucumber, and olive sandwiches. I was trying to use up the fresh produce we had in the fridge, so this is what I came up with. I packed some Campari tomatoes, watermelon, apricots, cantaloupe, and black pepper pop-corn to go along with my sandwiches. I also brought along several Larabars, dried apricots, dried mango, and dried kiwi for snacks in the car. It was a really fantastic picnic lunch at an Alabama rest area.

I was super hungry because I hadn't had much to eat for breakfast, just the leftovers from Tuesday's dinner of cannellini beans mixed with tomatoes, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and rice with green onions, and roasted zucchini and garlic. This dish tasted reminiscent of etoufee. I'll have to experiment a bit more to see if I can make an etoufee in the future.

I ended up listening to my Oldies and New Age playlists on my ipod as well as reading The Return of Sherlock Holmes for a majority of the drive. I slept a few times when I couldn't keep my eyes open, but not more than 1.5 hours of the trip saw me with my eyes closed. I really love these Sherlock Holmes short stories. I have been slowly reading them over the past year. I love the way Doyle introduces new characters and the descriptive adjectives he utilizes in nearly every sentence. A few of my favorite words he has used: Meretricious and Crepuscular. Also my new favorite quote from The Adventure of the Empty House is: “My dear Watson,” said the well-remembered voice, “I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea that you would be so affected.”

We arrived in 11 hour and 30 minutes, exhausted, hungry, and ready for bed.

On Thursday, the next day, we did what everyone does when they arrive for the summer: go grocery shopping. The only things we had in the house were some foods my aunt had brought over the day before: a few cartons of vegan soup (yay!), a roasted chicken (not for me!), several different types of mustard, tomato sauce, bagels, cream cheese, and some dressings and sauces for salads and cooking.

My mom and I spent over 2 hours shopping. We had to get all the staples like bread, onions, lettuce as well as my vegan staples like tofu, beans, rice, and pasta. We also had to buy detergent and charcoal and foil, so we were there for a long, long time. After two loads of laundry, a wonderful lunch, and a nap, we traveled to Brevard and saw the music center's Opera's Greatest Hits. It was a spectacular performance. I really wanted to leave by the end because I was so tired of sitting.

 

Breakfast was Angel Hair with a really fantastic jarred sauce from Muir Glenn. It was heavily mushroom flavored and thick with chunks of veggies. It tasted exactly like the sauce from Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli, but without the beefiness. I don't usually use premade sauces, but this one was really fantastic, organic, and vegan!

 

This mix of refried beans, sour cream, and cheese was delightful to eat with my quesadillas.

Lunch and dinner consisted of homemade vegan quesadillas using Gardein Beefless Tips, La Preferrida Vegetarian Refried Beans, Follow Your Heart Vegan Sour Cream, Go Veggie Vegan Mozzarella Shreds, Mild Salsa, Kalamata Olives, Flour soft tacos, and olive oil. I adore the sour cream. This was the first time I used it and I wish they sold it at stores at home. I am on the fence about the mozzarella shreds though. They taste fine when I eat them right out of the bag, but once they melt, they have a really oily and drippy consistency that I don't really care for.

On Friday, my dad and I went for a hike. I tried to take some pictures of the beautiful rhododendron blossoms, but the dim lighting from the overcast sky make all the pictures too blurry. My dad and I walked about three miles before we rand into my mom and I continued back to the house to make a phone call and my parents continued hiking. It was a much harder hike than I was expecting. My left leg was cramping and being a nuisance as we climbed up the hill, and the bugs kept dive-bombing my head because of the floral scent from my conditioner, but it was a really fantastic hike. I sweated completely through my clothes by the time I got back (it was only an hour and 10 minutes that I actually hiked, so we went at a pretty good pace). I had forgotten how much thinner the air is in the mountains compared to below sea level. In the end, I think I did well and I can't wait to do more hiking in the coming weeks.

Breakfast was leftovers from dinner yesterday. I really loved that sour cream with the refried beans. So yummy!

I tried a new Tasty Bite pouch for lunch and did not like it very much. It was the Thai Basil Noodle pouch and it was really spicy and didn't taste like basil at all. It was also very oily and it make my stomach a little upset, so I won't be repurchasing that flavor.

I also had a few apricots and watermelon that I split with my mom. Some of the apricots were super ripe and others were super not.

I stumbled upon an awesome "accidentally vegan" junk food at Ingles: Barbeque Flavored Mini Rice Cakes. They are ridiculously good. I've really been craving crunchy things recently, but most of the chips at the store are either covered in dairy or they are ridiculously oily. These Ingles brand snacks were the perfect balance of sweet and salty with that wonderful crunch and none of that nasty oily aftertaste. I highly recommend them if you are in an area with Ingles stores.

Lilies in the garden.

A new hairstyle I tried. I'm sorry it is so blurry! It is done with two rope braids pinned together. Look at the little curl by my ear. They always happen when I don't want them, but when I do, they never show up.

 

 

This is the video I used to do my hair. Hers looks so much better, but I tried.

 

Our little bat friend that lives on our porch.

June Empties 2014

Welcome to my June Empties!

June is always a fun month because it is the ending of spring, the beginning of summer, the month of my birthday, and we usually go on vacation. I started off this June trying to sort through my makeup collection to get rid of products that had gone bad and to make it easier to see which products are cruelty free and which ones are not. It took me a while, but I got them mostly sorted. There are so many conflicting bits of information online, one must use caution when believing animal testing statements. There are so many that are worded to say: "We don't like animal testing!" That doesn't mean that they don't test. That just means that they don't like it.

That being said, all of these posts I post are just my opinion and what I've been able to find out at the time that I post it. If Estee Lauder decides tomorrow to never test their products on animals, then the information here will no longer be true. This is just what I am using in my own life. Use your own discretion in buying products.

A little refresher: I'm trying to use up my products that are tested on animals and are not vegan. I don't waste things, so I'm not just going to dump them in the trash. While I'm trying to use up these non- cruelty free and non-vegan products, I'm trying to not buy any makeup or beauty products unless I completely run out of something essential (like deodorant, conditioner, contact solution). Because this is an ongoing project, the numbering is a continuation of last month's products.

* denotes cruelty free
** cruelty free but parent company is not
v vegan product
Bold denotes product I will repurchase

62. Hot Topic Blue Glitter Eyeliner
This glitter eyeliner was an impulse buy at Hot Topic my freshman year in college. It was on sale and it never worked well as an eyeliner, so I usually used it when I was doing makeup for Halloween costumes or stage productions. The problem with this eyeliner was that you had to build up 3 to 5 layers of product to make it into a visible line. The applicator was wonderfully thin and easy to use, but the product itself left much to be desired. I'm throwing it away because it is completely dried up. When I bought this, I couldn't find any information about Hot Topic cosmetics and their animal testing policy. Their brand is currently cruelty free, but I don't think this specific product is (it is very old).


63. Gilcrist and Soames London Body Lotion 1.5 Fl oz (45 ml) *
This was a sample in my March or April Birchbox. I absolutely adored the smell of this lotion, but it was too thin for my taste. It didn't absorb into the skin very fast, so I didn't like applying it on anywhere except my legs. It has a wonderful fresh, clean linen smell that pairs nicely with either citrus, powder, or watery fragrances and perfumes. If it had been more creamy and less watery, I would contemplate repurchasing it.


64. Mainstays Odor-Neutralizing Room Spray Sweet Pea 8 Fl oz (236 ml)
Not exactly a beauty product, but an interesting product none the less, this room spray kept my room smelling nice when all I could smell were paint fumes. When our house was being painted, the windows and doors had to be open so the paint would dry correctly. Of course, our house started to smell musty and like wet paint, so I used this product much more often than I would in the past. I bought this about two or three years ago when I was in college and I shopped at Walmart all the time. I am not a huge fan of walmart, but it was the only place in Spartanburg that was always open. I'm not sure if this is still available in the same format or scent, as I can only find aerosol cans online.

65. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Energizing Body Lotion .7 fl oz (20.7 ml)*
I'm not sure where I got this. It was either a sample box or a hotel. I love the smell of this body lotion. The lemon gives the lotion a kick of excitement that wouldn't have been there had it been only sage. Even though Paul Mitchell products are cruelty free, I will not be repurchasing this lotion because I don't use lotion that much. I only really use it when I travel to dry places, or in the winter, or when I get sunburned.

66. Ziana and Atralin acne medication samples (3 each: 2g)
I threw these out when I was going through my collection and saw that they were two years expired. I tried these several years ago when I was trying to get rid of my acne (it is an ongoing battle). I have really sensitive skin and these burned my face as soon as I put them on. The first made my face hurt and turn bright red for about three days. The second made it turn red after three days of use. Atralin also contains fish proteins, so it is nowhere near a vegan product. I shoved them in a drawer and never tried them again. These are only available by prescription or from a medical professional.

67. Swish Alcohol Free Mouthwash- zen 24/7 16 fl oz (473 ml)
I will admit that I bought this because it was pink. It was a marketing gimmick and it got me. I bought this as an impulse buy at Walmart when I was there with my friend. I needed mouthwash and this was there and a cool color and I bought it. It tasted terrible. It was sort of perfume-y and didn't leave a nice taste in my mouth. The whole point of a mouthwash is to kill germs and make your mouth taste better. This made it taste worse. That is the reason it took me so long to use this stuff. It just tasted awful. I will never, ever buy this again. I can find not information about it online, but I don't believe it is cruelty free.

68. Kenet MD Cleansing Bar 1 oz
This was the hand soap we used in the hotel in San Francisco. I really liked the smell of the soap, but it was used up really quickly, as in it only lasted a few days. I am a soap hoarder. I have a box of soap under my sink that I have been adding to for years. I love collective soap and making soap. If this product were available for purchase, I would buy it. There is nothing, however on their website about their animal testing policy. There is a link for questions or concerns, but I can't buy this product, so I'm not going to bother asking about them.

69. (Malin + Goetz) vitamin e face moisturizer .04 fl oz*
I got this sample in either a birchbox or a Beauty Army box several years ago. I decided to use it on my trip to San Fran to save space in my bag and I really liked this moisturizer. These were single use sample packets, so I could only use them once, but I really like the scent and the way it felt on my skin. This product does contain animal products, including milk (which explains why my face broke out while I was in San Francisco even though I was taking my acne medication. I really need to start looking at the ingredients before I put them on my face... but I am learning slowly). So while I really liked the smoothing effect of this product, having my face break out all the time because of it sounds like a bad deal. It is cruelty free, however, and you can read bout their animal testing policy and eco-conscious packaging here. I will not be purchasing it in the future.

70. Kenet MD Conditioner 1 oz
This is the Conditioner that we used at the hotel in San Fran. I had to use a whole one of these to cover my hair. It wasn't particularly moisturizing, but it was serviceable. This product is available for purchase online in the above link. I will not be purchasing this product.

71. (malin + Goetz) vitamin e face moisturizer .04 fl oz*
See post number 69

72. Kenet MD Massage Bar 1 oz
This was the bath soap provided at the hotel in San Fran. I really liked this massage bar. It made me feel really clean and relaxed in the shower after a long day wandering around in the sun. It worked well to get the sunscreen off my body and it smelled really great. I really love soap, but it is not available to the public and only available in Hyatt hotels.

73. Kenet MD Shampoo 1 oz
This was an ok shampoo. The smell was good. It cleaned my hair well. There was nothing really special about this product though. I felt like it left my hair looking dull and a little straw-like, but that could have been the water at the hotel and not the shampoo. I will not be purchasing this product in the future.

74. Kenet MD Conditioner 1 oz
See post number 70

75. Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion 1 fl oz (29.5 ml)**
This lotion really smells like milk and honey. If you don't like those smells, and really strongly, don't buy this product. I have had this little travel size lotion for a few years and I finally finished it on our trip to San Francisco. I don't usually use lotion because I live in such a humid climate most of the year, but when I was in California, my skin got dry and sunburnt, so I used this a lot. Left a bit of a residue, but nothing too bad. Apparently the formulation has changed (see the link above) because the ingredients have changed and several reviewers talk about a different texture than the one I used. I won't buy this again because it is not vegan (it contains milk and honey). Burt's Bees is a cruelty free company, but its parent company does test on animals.

76. Alba Botanica Good and Healthy Moisturizing Conditioner for Normal to Dry Hair 10 oz * v
I loved how this conditioner made my hair look, but I didn't like the smell. This product is apparently so new that it is not yet on the website (some of the good and healthy collection were put up since the last time I looked, but not the hair products). 100 % vegetarian ingredients is written right on the label, but it is not a vegan brand because they use beeswax. (See their cruelty policy here) This product, however, IS vegan. I may or may not repurchase this conditioner because of the smell.

77. Ulta Instant Nourish Facial Moisturizer Protect Skincare .5 Fl oz (15 ml)
This moisturizer worked really well. I used this while I was in San Francisco when I ran out of my other moisturizers. Ulta's animal testing policy is a little hard to understand. They have no posted policy about their brand online, but some of their products, including this one, are marked on the package with "animal testing free". There are conflicting posts online of people who claim to have contacted the company. Because of this, I am wary of purchasing this brand's products. I will do more research about it in the future.

78. Chella Anti-fatigue Eye Mask Kit: Eye Mask and Activator (no crème)
I got this several years ago in either a birchbox or a Beauty Army box. I decided I needed a little pampering on my birthday, so I used it. I'm not sure if it make me look less tired or reduced my under eye circles, but it made me feel refreshed after I took them off. It does contain collagen as the first ingredient and other derivatives of animal fats, so it is not vegan. Nowhere on the website can I find information about the company's animal testing policy. I will not be purchasing this product in the future because it isn't cruelty free or vegan, I don't think it did what it was supposed to do, and it is incredibly overpriced.

79. Benefit So Hooked on Carmella eau de toilette .05 fl oz (1.5 ml)
I have had this perfume sample for a very long time. I got it in one of my very first birchboxes and I decided to finally use it up. I loved the scent, which is strange because I usually don't like vanilla scents and this is very heavy on the vanilla. This is a very strong scent that is perfect for nights out. Benefit is a company that test on animals "when required by law" which means that they sell their products in China, where animal testing is required.  I get really frustrated at companies that say they are dedicated to eradicating animal testing throughout the world, yet still continue to test on animals in order to make more money. It frustrates and angers me. You can check out their animal testing policy here. I will not be purchasing this product in the future because it is not cruelty free.

80. CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion- PM sample 5 grams*
I got this sample from my dermatologist a few years ago and decided to take it with me to North Carolina because it was small and would fit well in my bag. This facial moisturizing lotion soaks well into the skin, but I do not like the scent very much. It works well enough, but I don't like it enough to purchase it in the future. 

81. Dr. Hauschka Lemon Lemongrass Vitalizing Body Wash .34 fl oz (10 ml)* V
Made by Wala. This product came in my June birchbox. This smelled sooooooo good. I love both lemon and lemon grass and this super rich and creamy shower crème was wonderful to wash with. I love how smooth it made my skin. It was small, so I could only use it twice, and the metal tube packaging was a little difficult to use in the shower, but it was totally worth it! I will definitely think about purchasing this in the future because it is a cruelty free company and a vegan product.


82. Secret Invisible Solid Fresh Effects Freshwater Orchid Antiperspirant / Deodorant 2.6 oz
I grabbed a whole bunch of almost empty deodorants when I was leaving for North Carolina and this was the one I ended up using first. I love this scent, but I'm not sure if they make it anymore. I've had this deodorant for a long time because I like to stick a deodorant in my ballet bag, my gym, my shower, my bathroom, and my car so I will always have one when I forget to put it on. I will not repurchase because it is not cruelty free.

That is it for my June Empties! Stay tuned for my July Empties post to see more products I have used up.

Trip to New York

Visiting New York and my friend Sara.
(Warning! Picture heavy at the end!)

 

As I said in my last post about Mordor, I was in New York City for a few days. My good friend Sara, whom I have mentioned several times on this blog, invited me to be a witness in her wedding. I was honored to go and see my friend (it had been over 2.5 years since we had last seen each other!) and witness her wedding.

 

While in New York, we ate. A LOT. And it was wonderful good food. Here are my reviews of the foods I got at several restaurants:

 

Peacefood Café:

 

I went to Peacefood Café twice on my trip. The first night, Sara and I walked there to meet Euntaek, her then fiancée, and his friend Christine. It is a fun, small, vegan restaurant on Amsterdam Ave at 82nd street. Sara and I both had the raw lasagna. I had the other Caesar salad and Sara had the quinoa salad. The lasagna was layers of beautiful flavored mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes with a kick of basil and nutty walnut cheese. The salad was crisp and light with just the right amount of dressing: enough to cover the leaves, but not enough that it would run or drip when eaten. The smoked tempeh tasted just like the turkey bacon I used to eat in high school and the croutons were delightfully crunchy. Euntaek had the Mushroom Panini and Christine had the Roasted Japanese Pumpkin Sandwich and they both seemed to like them a great deal. We all split a side of chickpea fries with a very rich dipping sauce.

The second trip was on Saturday morning. Sara, Euntaek, and I went around 10:30 and it wasn't nearly as packed as Thursday night. We all ordered the Scrambled Tofu with Home Fries, (which also came with lettuce that tasted super great paired with the tofu). The fries were seasoned with rosemary and salt and everything was served at a fantastic temperature. I also ordered a mango lassi that had the perfect combination of soy yogurt and cardamom that blended with the mango seamlessly. I hadn't had a mango lassi in years, and I was so excited to receive such a wonderful vegan one! Euntaek also drank a smoothie, but I don't remember which one (it was purple). Lastly we ordered cookies. I really wanted an oatmeal raisin cookie, but they were out, so I got the double chocolate cookie. It was a little dry for my tastes, but was wonderfully chocolaty.

In all, I would highly recommend this restaurant and I hope to go back and try more foods on their menu.

 

Blossom (in Chelsea):

 

Blossom is a vegan restaurant that we went to after Sara and Euntaek's wedding. The menu was varied and had many options I wanted to try, so it was hard to make a decision. Sara and I ended up sharing a spinach mushroom and pine nut ravioli in cashew cream and a BLT with fried tofu and tempeh bacon with a side green salad. The ravioli was a dream. Cheese is the one non-vegan thing I still get massive cravings for. The cashew cream on this ravioli was so thick and delectable that it satisfied any craving I'll probably have for at least a month. It came with four ravioli the size of my palm and a little cherry tomato on top. It was really spectacular. The BLT was good, but could have used more of the chipotle aioli because the bread was a little dry. The green salad was a pretty basic green salad, but nice. What really sold me on this place was the desert. I had the chocolate ganache that came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of peanut butter sauce. It was heaven on a plate. This super filling desert was rich, dense, creamy, and cold; just what I wanted. The service was a little slow at times, but overall it was a fantastic experience.

 

Café Grumpy (W 20th Street):

 

This little coffee shop was super crowded when we headed there before we ventured on to lunch at Blossom. It was a little cramped for  five of us in the back room, but we managed to fit around a tiny table and have a nice chat. I didn't have any of the pastries because I didn't want to ruin my appetite for lunch, but I did have a white peach blossom tea which was lovely. The front room of the café had a lot of character with the exposed pipes and brick walls. The back room was a little more sterile with different styles of artwork arranged around the room.

 

Grom (On Broadway):

 

Grom is an Italian based gelato company. Pear Sorbet is probably one of the best sorbets I have ever tasted. I tend to get sorbets at all the restaurants I go to because they are usually the only vegan deserts that I can order. Not many places serve pear sorbet though, and this was one of the best sorbet's I've ever had. (The best was a blood orange sorbet I got at this awesome place in Freiburg, Germany.) I loved that the vegan options had a little (v) next to them, so I was able to easily choose the foods I could eat. It is very filling and satisfying. The small is perfect for a snack.

 

Hummus Place (On Amsterdam):

 

This was another great place to eat! I had the falafel sandwich. Euntaek and Sara had this really cool looking tomato egg cheese dish and we shared baba ganoush, hummus, and grapeleaves. Falafel is yummy! It was a great atmosphere even though it was a little crowded. 

 

We did do somethings besides eating. That included shopping!  We went shopping in Sephora and sara got and awesome lipstick/lip stain that was a beautiful bright red that went well with her skin tone. I didn't get anything because I'm trying to use up all the makeup I already own. I did however end up buying done henna and we put it in my hair.That was an adventure. It took several tries, but we finally got the right color. I really love it!  

 

We also went on a walk through central park and by the Met.

At the Met

Looking at the beautiful rainbow

It's the Bifrost!

Me in Central Park. Look at my new skinny jeans!

In Central Park

Sara and I love to be out in the sun!

Totally looking like a dancer in that fifth position

Yay! The Met again!

After the first application of Henna

After second application of henna

I love this new color

It even goes well with my glasses

close up of the color



We walked around town so much while we were there. I walked almost 10 miles on Friday! I was so glad that I had my fitbit so I was able to see how much I actually walked. I also lost a few pounds just from walking around so much. I can't imagine anyone being really overweight in NYC if you end up walking around as much as we did. I did end up having to go back home. (ugh, flying is not so fun... so cramped in those seats) but I'm super glad that I was able to see my friend and have a great trip!

Sara with her flowers

The buffalo tofu I got at La Guardia. It was super tasty but upset my tummy... curse you buffalo sauce of doom!