Saturday 29 June 2013

Fool me once, Shame on me. Fool me Twice, Shame on me. Fool me Three times...really? again Lauren?

I am a massive believer in living with no regrets. This does not mean that I have not done stupid things in my time and thought 'Gee, wish I hadn't done that'. What I mean by living with no regrets is taking that embarrassing experience, accepting it for what it was and moving forward knowing that it has changed you and bettered you in some way. My question is though, if you keep making the same mistake over and over again, is it the universe trying to tell you that you haven't got the message yet? You haven't learnt your lesson? Or is it weakness?
I went out for a girlfriends birthday last night, she is such a bloss, and I had decided from the get go that I wouldn't really drink. I am not a good drunk, I don't like the person I become, I don't like feeling drunk. I Know. What the heck, right. I mean growing up in Australia it is so drilled in that drinking is a part of being Australian.(by society, not my family) It is a horrible label to be landed with and I quite frankly find it very hard to turn away from. But I genuinely don't like it. So there my dilemma stood. Get to the party, vodka shot in hand and then its like the same damn story unfolds. And it is just the same story repeated. Mostly cloudy with a chance of meatballs and bad judgement calls. Geez there was no real pressure to even do it. Its almost like second nature. And I know what the right answer is, just don't do it. But it keeps happening. It has landed me in this spot, on my bean bag, incense burning, music loud, thinking my thoughts out trying to work out if there is a lesson for me to learn. I am going through a massive change as an individual, changing my whole lifestyle, I have even said that I feel like a completely different person. So is there a lesson? Or is it just time for me to declare it that drinking is not for me. Being an ass is not my thing. Having a screaming match in the middle of the CBD is just not who I want to be. I am embarrassed by my actions and I am the only one having to deal with the emotional and physical repercussions of my decisions. Gee I wish I could have learnt these lessons in my teens.
So there I said it. I Don't Like Drinking. And if you don't like drinking, that's okay. Society should be teaching our teens that substance abuse leads to bad decisions and some of those bad decisions stay with you for life. And cool people should teach them that, because lets face it, they don't think there parents are cool!

So, in conclusion... is there a lesson? Is that my lesson? When do you know its time to stop learning the lesson and start living them?

I made these for my friend Ben for his Birthday. Such a lovely, wonderful human being, blessed to have that guy in my life! Maple Pecan Pancake Cupcakes.


Also made Vegan Nachos for Dinner. Just ask me for the vegan cheese recipe, it was Amazing!

We may have eaten it all.


Thursday 27 June 2013

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

I need to go on a little rant. I was sitting at my desk at work getting so worked up and finally decided that I made a blog to share my thoughts and share them I will.

I had a big dance class on last night, so this morning I was playing catch up on the Origin, our Prime Minister and more importantly Wendy Davis's filibuster to deny passage of a bill that would severely restrict access to abortion in Texas. I do not have a massive understanding of politics but bring pro choice, this caught my attention. And what I found was not only inspiring, but also really upsetting.

I used to tell people, I am not a feminist, I am a realist, I don't think that the feminist movement is doing our women justice. Well you know what, I'm going to say it, excuse my french, but I was a Fucking Idiot. I had no idea what being a feminist was about. I was so caught up in the negative stereotype that I was missing the whole point. And now I am striving to educate myself, so I can start educating other women and our young girls, so they might be able to have a true appreciation of what equality is.

And its not even just about educating women, educating MEN. YES. It is crucial that men understand. I sincerely believe that sexism is just a part of our every day life and that generally people don't even realise that it is happening. Kitchen jokes are not funny. Rape is not something to taken lightly. Being called a 'Bitch' is not a term of endearment. This is not just a plea to men, it is a plea to everyone. Don't participate. Stand up and say that it is wrong. Don't laugh at the distasteful joke. Learn your boundaries and stand up for what you believe in.

You know what else needs to be addressed, Sex. Parents, start talking about sex. Teach your kids/pre-teens and your adult children for that matter. Tell them about the clitoris. Its not a dirty word. Explain to your sons that sex is an act between two parties, consenting parties and it is an experience to be shared, rather then a race to the end. They are relying on porn for there sexual education. Hey Guess What? Strangulation is not okay unless you are with a consenting party. Girls don't make heinous high pitched noises during sex. Simply, Porn Is Not Real.
Teach your girls that being sexual liberated is great and empowering, but it is an equal act, both parties are important. They also need to understand that men don't have to deal with the consequences of pregnancy, abortion, ectopic pregnancy, like a woman do. Sex is definitely tricky. Enjoy it, but understand it.

And to the men around my age (mid 20's) Just because I went on a date with you, does not make it my obligation to give you a blow job. Just because you smiled at me in da club and bought me a drink, does not mean I have to go home with you. Sort your shit out.

There were jokes made about Julia Gillard and Wendy Davis on social media along the lines of 'how did they get out of the kitchen' and not only is it unoriginal, but it is down right disrespectful. And I say Enough is Enough. It is sickening and I want all my friends and followers to know this is where I stand.
I think this has stemmed from the realisation that I have been objectified for so many years. I refuse to let my breasts be a part of my identity, yet it seems to be my only identifying feature, I have never had a healthy sexual relationship or just a relationship in general. I have never felt equal, but I never knew it. But now I do and I feel this passion in the pit of my stomach to make sure the girls I love and the girls I don't know never have to experience some of the crap I have endured.

So, my rant took me all day to get out, I think it will be healing for me, but I am glad I have finally found my voice. I am done living in the dark and I am crying out for information to assist me in my path to a better understanding.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

Cooking with Quinoa

Sometimes when I am cooking I like to pretend that I am Julia Childs on T.V., so I can say really cheesy things like 'Cooking with Quinoa' as I wave my hand over my pre prepared table of cooking utensils. The reality of the experience is quite different, I am pretty sure I was wearing my pjs and my utensils were spread from one end to the other. Regardless, with the help of my house mate we managed to create a vegan quinoa explosion of tastiness. So here it is...

Quinoa Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips

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The quinoa patties were really quite simple, although I think there is room for improvement. I am a big one for a little bit of this and that, so my measurements might not be exact.
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Cooked Quinoa
1 Brown Onion
5 Mushrooms
2 Big Garlic Cloves
A handful of Walnuts
1 Tbs and a smudge of Tahini
1/2 cup quick cook Oats
And I think that is about it. If the dish doesn't have to be vegan I might suggest adding an egg to bind the ingredients, or we also considered adding some Chia Seeds, but couldn't find them in the cupboard. (any other suggestions are most appreciated)

For those of you who haven't cooked quinoa before, it is very simple. 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup of water. Cook on a medium heat on the stove until it boils, reduce heat and cover for 15minutes. When you open the lid A) watch for steam burn B) don't think there are worms in your quinoa. It is supposed to look like that.

In a separate pan, cook onion, mushroom and garlic. You really could put anything in here. Maybe even some cauliflower could be nice. Some herbs for flavour, mixed Italian always works well. Just heat it up until it is soft. Helpful Hint: Onion takes a little bit longer, put it on first, then add the other veggies.

In a bowl mix together the cooked quinoa, cooked mushroom, onion, garlic, the tahini, walnuts and oats with salt and pepper to taste. Basically now it's all about making the patties. It will be a bit crumbly so grab an egg ring and a spoon and stuff the quinoa mix into the ring, then just slowly pull it off. Perfect Patty Shape! It just needs 30 minutes in a 180 degree C (350 F) oven and you are ready to serve.


I can not take credit for the DELICIOUS chips that we had. But from what I saw, it was sweet potato, sliced Really thin, some oil and salt and pepper, then in to the oven. BOOM, sometimes I genuinely think we might be culinary wizards.

The rest is explained in the pictures and is not too hard to work out. Buns, Salad, Sauce and it is dinner time.

DO IT. Next time you make dinner, make something vegan or vegetarian. You might be quite surprised at how filling and enjoyable it is.

Friday 21 June 2013

A Quick Catch Up.. Maybe Not So Quick

So it has been a while since I have blogged anything. Almost a month in fact, and I have been stressing about getting on and putting something in writing and today I finally Let It Go. And the words are flowing more freely and I have much to write about.
I have been unwell over the past month, a scary trip to hospital really put some things in perspective for me. For example, our health system is amazing. I don't know what is trending in politics or how people feel about the public health system, but I can not express enough gratitude to the men and women who held my hand from the get go. I was so scared, let me tell you, surgery is scary, and it gets scarier the older I get. I flew to Thailand for surgery and thought nothing of it in my teens, obviously being invincible and all. But the sudden realisation that I am not invincible. What a shock, happy gas all of sudden makes so much sense. So that happened and although I may not encounter those people again, I hope to be able to pass on there amazing love and kindness to others who might need some in there time of need.
I also decided to take a really good look at the person I am and what I want from life and what I want to give back. So here it is. My first baby step. I am a vegetarian. EEKKK
Its been a whole week and I feel Terrible. My body is going through a massive adjustment, but it is going to be so grateful in the long run. Plus I am being proactive in my beliefs which gives me a healthy head. A fresh outlook and perspective on the world and I just generally feel great about my choice. It was so amazed that after making this decision people just seemed to know and gravitate towards me and people are so supportive. Especially other vegetarians. I spent a long time thinking about whether this was the right decision to make, hours and hours sitting there spinning it over and over in my mind and all of a sudden I thought 'why am I thinking about this?' I had already made my decision. It was simple to decide it was the right thing to do. And I don't really have a good answer to the obvious question of Why?. You know why? Because it is the right thing to do for mother nature, for our animals, for people, for me. And I know there is a lot to learn about the companies we buy our food from, our make up, our clothes and in the long run I want to be making the right choices for all of my consumption, but for this minute, I am proud that I made a choice for the right reason and I am grateful that the choice just doesn't end there. I can expand on that and start reaching out to make better choices in every aspect of my life.
So amongst all these new feelings I managed to find something else really exciting. Some peace. Peace with my surrounds, I let go of negative relationships and didn't have fear of letting go, I let go of some of my emotional baggage, forgave those who I needed to forgive and found some solid grounding. I decided to dance more, especially when burning sage. I find myself dancing like a wobbly octopus and it makes me feel so good. I am going to sing more, I am going to give more love and hold less judgement. I am going to learn more about the things that interest me. I am going to love the dirt and the air and the trees and I am going to hug them if I want to. I no longer fear judgement and funnily enough found myself at a seminar today talking about all of the above things. I did learn some new techniques but I already found it. Whatever it may be.

So now that that has all been said, lets talk about something really yummy!!! It happened to be my sister in laws birthday. And as any baking enthusiast would know birthdays aren't about numbers. Ha what a silly idea. Birthdays are just another amazing excuse to make something exceptional. So that is exactly what I did. I have been trying to find a fabulous name for what I made, but have so far come up short. The obvious answer would be Triple Chocolate Truffle but that hardly details how decedent this cake was. Three layers alternating white chocolate mud and chocolate mud. Icing and homemade truffles. Choc mint truffle, white chocolate honeycomb truffle and dark chocolate truffle. Then the cake was drizzled with dark and white chocolate. I can not help but laugh at how completely ridiculously over the top this cake sounds. But I am glad to say that it was a massive hit. I do believe there may have been some questioning my current position in our office on the phones. Perhaps they might take me on as a full time cake maker. Our company most certainly needs cake full time. Anyway here is a picture
You have a good name for it? Let me know!