On This Day in 1732...

George Washington was born.


In celebration, the Bergen County Historical Society held a Country Ball Sunday in River Edge, NJ, complete with music, refreshments, and merriment. The suggested donation: $7 for adults, $5 for children, free for members (individual membership is $20 annually).

While it is important to look forward with a hopeful heart, it is also vital to embrace our history. "There is no death in remembrance," reflects Sarah Carrier Chapman in Kathleen Kent's The Heretic's Daughter.

Music was described as being used to lift melancholy. That is universally true then and now.

What is Anne Enslow (pictured with Ridley Enslow) playing? A limberjack.

Some young historians, with some very modern footwear, were on hand.

The assortment of historical-themed coloring books, $3.95 each, seems like a whimsical way to draw children into history.

A limberjack in the gift shop.

Refreshment time. Cherry pie seemed fitting for this event.

How about a mug of hot cider? Just ask the regal barman.

Decorations in the tavern seating area.

Look out the window and observe modern life. Reflect on what your life would have been like if you lived in Washington's time. Would you want to live in a different time and place than now?

Some very vegan footware: these wooden shoes were worn.

A rare white oak dugout canoe.

You can tour several buildings, but I felt truly transported in time when I stepped into this one: the back kitchen.

Come inside.

Meet the charming cooks.

Think you have a hard time cooking? Try cooking out of this dutch oven.

How does tea and biscuits sound?

The smell of the onion bread was making my mouth water. An apple pie was ready for the oven, and soon would nourish some lucky souls.


Learn more about upcoming events, including a History Cafe on the Lenape New Year and Pinkster Fest, a colonial celebration of spring. Seek out your local historical groups.

Visit History.com to learn more about George Washington. Watch videos on the site if you don't have cable.

So Excited For...

...spring! We're getting closer.

...the start of my French class in early March. How about a little French food to get in the mood? Doesn't pistou, a Provencal vegetable soup with basil and garlic sauce, sound so good? Here's a vegan recipe. I first read about it in Georgeanne Brennan's A Pig in Provence. I can't make to France, but I can make it to Marseille in New York City. Their version, $7.75, paired with crusty bread is hearty enough for an entire meal.

...the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which is coming to New York City's Symphony Space Monday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 9. Tickets are $21 in advance, $24 at the door. Check out their U.S. dates. I am not an extreme outdoors person by any means - a short hike is as far as I go. But I love to live vicariously through these adventurers. The cinematography is like National Geographic (one of their sponsors) come to life.


...the long-awaited return of one of my favorite singers, Natalie Merchant. I'm over the moon. She describes her upcoming album, Leave Your Sleep (due out in April), as "adaptations of poetry put to music." To me, her solo career and her work with 10,000 Maniacs is just that: poetry put to music.


Check out more performances from her BBC appearance.

Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience, set to the haunting photographs of Arthur Leipzig.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

I cherish my weekends. Work e-mails are done when I leave at 5 on Fridays. All can wait until Monday morning. This is my time.

How did I fill my Valentine's weekend? With all of my favorite things...most free or frugal-minded.

Free: a film from the library. A romantic comedy seemed fitting for this weekend.

Free: library books. I had a "blind date" with a book, a fun program at my library where you take a gift-wrapped book home. Don't like your date? Return it next time, no hard feelings.

My date, which came with a lollipop. I'll give my date a chance.

Frugal: splitting a dish. I split vegan pancakes with warm cinnamon-scented pears, $7.99, with my mom at the Rutherford Pancake House. Of course most frugal is eating at home.

Frugal: thrifting. I went to the C.A.T.S. Resale Shop, whose windows were adorned with hearts ($1 each), in honor of past and present companion animals who so fill our own hearts with love and happiness.

Free: cat socializing at the shop. I spent some quality time with my friend Dottie...

...and found Sylvester sneaking in one of my own favorite (and free) weekend pastimes: a nap.

Free: going to the park with the dog. I wondered if I was too old to go sledding?

Free: making a snow man. How about a baby one? I'm just the humble photographer, not the artist.

Frugal: not doing major gifts or eating at expensive places on Valentine's Day. "I love you" doesn't mean fancy jewelry, clutter gifts, gadgets or flowers for me and my sweetheart. We indulged in the sweetheart box from Sweet Avenue Bake Shop, four cupcakes, $16.

All yummy, and all vegan: Elysium Wine (chocolate wine cake) with blackberry frosting, spicy hot chocolate, red velvet cake, and pomegranate champagne. My non-vegan boyfriend loved them all, as did I.

Hope your Valentine's Day weekend was filled with people, animals, places and things you love and cherish. All days should be.

This Garnered Oooos and Ahhhs...

...by the woman sitting next to me and the three guys next to her table at the Loving Hut.

Vegan cinnamon rice pudding with mangoes, blueberries, and strawberries, $5, from their specials menu. So comforting on a chilly February day. Make your own at home with help from The Vegan Chef.

I just popped in to drop off literature for my friends from Farm Sanctuary's Advocacy Campaign Team, but couldn't resist something sweet. It was nice to see business was booming at this fledgling vegan restaurant.

Visit the Loving Hut, 348 Seventh Ave. between 29th and 30th Sts., New York City.

Are you an on-the-go activist? Promote veganism in 10 minutes or less.

Valentine's Tea Party

We had such fun at our winter solstice tea party, my friends and I decided the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday was the perfect excuse to celebrate love - of tea, great conversation, and friendship. So with warm hearts (and hungry stomachs), we returned to Alice's Tea Cup.

Tea for two?

Take a peek inside the table. Hands up all who are excited for the Alice in Wonderland movie with Johnny Depp. Mine's raised high.

They were out of my first pick, French lavender Earl Grey, but for a Valentine's party, tea with rose petals seemed like an even more fitting choice. For a pot, $6.

Roasted cumin carrots and olive tapenade on semolina with black sesame seeds, with a side salad in a yummy sweet ginger dressing. I held the goat cheese. Always check your bill. I was charged $10, not $9 listed on the menu, and had them correct it.

Vegan mixed berry scone, $3. So good! I took half of it home for breakfast. The waitress said their preserves have gelatin, making it un-vegan friendly.

Other vegan dessert options included a vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, $3.50, and lemon or blackberry cabernet sorbet, $7. Both pricey. I had a taste of my friend's black cab sorbet and it was heavenly. Could it be the Ciao Bella variety?

Visit Alice's Tea Cup, 102 W 73rd St. (between Amsterdam Ave. and Columbus Ave.), New York City.

Random Acts of Tea Kindness

Do you have a really cool 'office mom' that's like the cool 'class mother' you had when you were a kid? (I like to think that my mom was the cool class mother!)

Our unofficial office mom, Kathy, organizes so many things to cheer up cubicle life. She runs a knitting group (I'm sadly a community school knitting drop out, it's just not my thing); sends out daily crosswords if you're so inclined; has a book club; and started a book swap. She even does a food drive for a nearby church. On top of it all, she always looks ultra-fabulous in her thrift shop, freecylce and clothing swap finds.

So I wasn't surprised when she sent out an e-mail inviting us all for a tea break in the kitchen. You had a pick of tea, non-vegan chocolate chip cookies, and vegan lemon blueberry cake!

I don't know about you, but I'm like a kid in a candy store when I see all these wonderful teas. I tried a white tea with tangerine.



Here's the recipe for this lovely tea time treat from her.

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Loaf
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted (white or whole wheat)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
6 tbsp vegetable oil (canola works well)
juice and rind of 2 lemons with water added to equal ½ cup
1 cup frozen blueberries

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, making sure it is light and well sifted.
Add oil, water, juice, and rind, and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Add vinegar and mix well (batter will foam).
Add blueberries and incorporate well.
Pour batter into ungreased 8" springform cake pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes to an hour. Check this cake around 40 minutes regardless, and insert a skewer to be sure it's done.

Allow to cool on a rack, and then glaze with 1 cup confectioner's sugar mixed with the juice of the other half of the lemon.

Who doesn't love home baked goods, especially in the snowy weather?

The charming cat above is pictured in front of the Buckmaster Inn in Shrewsbury, Vermont, a perfectly lovely B&B I stayed at once.

Twas an Irish Kind of Weekend

The cold, blustery weather called me to my favorite pub: PJ Finnegan's in Westwood, New Jersey. The soundtrack for the drive? A Thousand Welcomes, every Saturday on WFUV.

I sat in the cozy corner...

...near a very stylish lady.

A glass of my favorite Irish brew: Magners cider, $5.

Want to visit a real pub in Ireland, and have no travel partner? Consider a group tour. I saw and fell in love with the country in my twenties doing just that. I went with CIE Tours.

I browsed in Irish Eyes Imports, which just relocated from Ridgewood to Westwood (162 Westwood Avenue).

I dreamt I was inside one of these colorful cottages by the sea.

Of course, I would be reading something fabulous under a blanket with a pot of tea, jam and...

Irish soda bread.

We hear a lot about local food, but also important, is supporting local downtown restaurants, cinemas and shops. "Store Closing" signs are far too common a sight in America today. I think of Bruce Springsteen's words in My Hometown, "Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores. Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more." When spending hard-earned dollars, I try to patronize main street options most often instead of the mall, the latter which does little to foster a community spirit.


For DVD's, Neflix: good; Redbox, great; library: amazing. I watched a free copy of P.S. I Love You, with stunning scenery of the Emerald Isle, from my local library.

I loved that Hillary Swank's character shopped for her stylish fashions on eBay and its message of finding again that spirited, hopeful person we were before becoming jaded. But I loved most the reflection made by Harry Connick Jr.'s character, "We're so arrogant, aren't we? We're so afraid to age. We do everything we can to prevent it. But we don't realize what a privilege it is to grow old." Wise words in an age of bad Botox and an obsession with turning back the clock. Here's to looking forward with a grateful heart. Wrinkles and all.

A Plea for Inclusion

The Vegan Society says this of veganism:

"Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing and any other purpose."

Note the words "as far as possible" and "practicable." Their statement seeks to include millions of people who wish to explore a vegan path.

Statements that exclude (and alienate) people, are ones like this, given by a high-end vegan shoe company owner urging us to abandon perfectly good non-vegan items in our closet to support things like her $200 shoes:

"It is the responsibility of anyone that is speaking on behalf of animal rights to WALK THE WALK and TALK THE TALK, anything less is half- ass and an injustice to the animal kingdom. You have made the choice to be vegan from your higher realms of consciousness, you are here to be a teacher, and a guide!" The process should "not be stalled by a vegan still wearing leather worried about saving a few hundred bucks...If you believe in the "recession" than you will have one...rise above it!!!"

Oh good, the recession has all been in our heads. I'll mention that to the people I know out of work, and tell the single mom raising a few kids and trying to put food on the table not to selfishly worry about a "few hundred bucks." What's next, a drink of Kool-Aid?

This is why so few pursue veganism. How can we be this socially-aware, environmentally-sensitive community with sentiments like that?

Some vegans are very smug about 'we're the real environmentalists.' Here's the problem. No one wants my sweaty old leather sneakers I use to pick up trash in the park or walk muddy fields with the dog, and they're not going to want yours. I shop almost exclusively thrift, and see mounds of clothes in the 50 cents bin in my favorite thrift shop. They literally cannot give things away for free. Many donations end up in the landfill. Plenty of old sneakers almost certainly will. That is bad for the earth and for animals.

I have a non-vegan coat I bought years ago, and still use. When first pursuing veganism, I thought about replacing it with an identical looking vegan coat from H&M (which would also be a socially poor choice, apparently) to say I had a vegan one, then realized that would be wasteful. How far would I have to take it then? Getting rid of my IKEA couch with down to say I have this glossy vegan life?

High-end vegan companies pride themselves on their so-called moral high ground and ethics. When I read the statement from the vegan shoe company owner I thought, there is nothing ethical at all about shaming people for wanting to use what they bought before pursuing a vegan path; telling them to donate or sell everything to wipe the slate clean; and that you should invest in companies that reflect your values: (READ: buy their high-priced items). I think of a line in R.E.M.'s Living Well is the Best Revenge: "Unbelievable! The gospel according to who?" Meaning - question the source. Are you going to listen to and be judged by someone trying to sell their product, and preys on your emotions and guilt for past misinformed choices? I don't.

What's most reprehensible to me is the nerve to insult millions of animals advocates that we're not up to the level of 'awareness' they are because you don't part with your wool scarf from grandma or your old track shoes. How dare they.

I don't need to "dress the part" of a vegan by wearing a $500 coat and $200 pair of shoes to prove vegans don't dress like granolas. "Economy" and "jobs" are the top two concerns of Americans right now. Having dealt with unemployment in my life, I take this very personally, and am sickened by people's value judgements about what you should prioritize.

One vegan said, "Vegans aren't being judgmental and divisive. It's just that there is zero tolerance for mucking up that definition and having it convenience you rather than the animals. That is why vegans will chime in and correct you."

They refuse to see it, but these smug self-anointed spokespeople for veganism scare millions away with their 'my way or the highway' approach. Their attitude is hurting animals. It's a reason I personally no longer want to tell people I'm a vegan - I say I pursue a vegan lifestyle the best I can, which is what this blog is about. It's not about a term that almost no one can achieve if you have to live up to the standards of these "perfect" zealots who pat themselves on the back so publicly.

The vegan label police was bad enough. The vegan thought police? Needs to be stopped, for the animals' sake.

Sangria Sipping for Charity? Yes, Please.

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate eating Mexican food into my charitable work, aren't you? This week, I did just that when I dined at Blue Moon Mexican Cafe in Englewood and 20% of my bill went to support one of my favorite groups: Hackensack Riverkeeper.

My sangria, $5.50

My sweetheart's Corona, $4.50 His meal is not safe for vegan eyes.

We were going to order the guacamole, but this massive bowl of chips with salsa arrived. Why is guacamole so expensive when you order it out? Here it is $8.95.

Ensalada Tropical, $7.95. I love the sweet fried plantains on this, and have never had them on a salad. With mango and a citrus vinaigrette. Refreshing.


I love that they state this on their site: "Attention Vegetarians! We do not nor have we ever used lard or any sort of animal stock in the preparation of our non-meat menu items. This includes our rice, beans, grilled vegetables and soups."

On February 19th, I'll be dressing like a hippie and eating veg food (so basically, my normal day) at their annual volunteer appreciation party, which has a Flower Power theme. Love it! Flashback to last year's festive pirate-themed party. Learn more about this and upcoming events.

The Closest I've Come to Mexico in New Jersey

Pancho's is good, and does score some major vegan brownie points for offering tofu sour cream and soy cheese, but the most authentic, and best, Mexican food I've had in Bergen County, New Jersey: La Batalla in Bergenfield.

I've blogged about this charming restaurant before, but it's so worth mentioning again.

Food is home-cooked here, and doesn't come out in five minutes, like it has at Pancho's. Feeling like you are in someone's home kitchen in Mexico is an accurate way to describe it. While you wait, snack on their complimentary chips and salsa. I love that this is BYOB, which saves a small fortune.

My stand-by is vegetable enchiladas (hold the cheese). The rice is cooked in chicken stock, so you can substitute with a small salad with sliced avocado. This entire feast cost $9.95.

I've gotten in the habit of bringing my own take-out containers for leftovers, so I can enjoy it all over again the next day (if there's any left!) and not have any disposables going into the landfill.

There's a vegetarian plate, $9.95, (cheese enchilada, cheese chile relleno, guacamole burrito), but go with the chile relleno with no cheese and guacamole burrito if you want to omit the dairy.

The service is always friendly, and the food....making my mouth water as I write this. I truly feel like I'm eating at local spot in Mexico, after a day of sandy beaches.

Bergenfield's main street is filled with "For Rent" signs, like many main streets. While I eat most meals at home, I will continue to support local, reasonabley-priced establishments such as this.

Visit La Batalla, 83 N. Washington Ave, Bergenfield, NJ.

How about a little Mexican packed into your lunch bag or for a festive, inexpensive dinner after a long day? These are new at Trader Joe's, and made it immediately into my shopping cart.

Add your favorite fillings. I like shredded lettuce, black beans and corn, or simple guacamole tacos.


If at home, finish with a fruit floe. A strawberry floe has just 100 calories, lime, just 60. The price is right: $1.99 for four bars. Their mango tangerine sorbet is just as yummy and wallet-friendly at $2.49 for a pint.

Kreativ Blogger Awards

Cate at Budget Confessions honored me as one of her seven choices for a Kreativ Blogger award. I am humbled and touched.

In the spirit of the award, I'm revealing seven things about myself, and picking seven blogs to recognize.

1. I once contemplated going to culinary school and worked as an apprentice for seven months in a fine French restaurant, but decided it wasn't for me. I miss the creativity of the kitchen, not the 80 hour work weeks, low pay and lack of benefits. I have no regrets. I can at least say I tried my dream job out. Sometimes, the grass isn't always greener.
2. I've been dancing for years, and can do hustle, west coast swing and even the country two-step.
3. While working as a waitress there in high school, I was named a Friendly's employee of the month! Will modern science veganize the Fribble and the Reese's Pieces sundae in our time? I hope so.
4. I've been a blonde, red-head, and a brunette. I even streaked my hair with blue Manic Panic in high school. I'm back to my natural state: brunette.
5. I have a very loving, very non-vegetarian boyfriend, and I detest when other people say "My sweetheart learned about factory farming and never ate meat again. He's the perfect guy!" Who are these fairytale men? We've visited two farm animal sanctuaries, and he still orders meat every time we go out. Ah, the challenges of being in an inter-dietary relationship.
6. I have always lived in New Jersey. Please, world, we are not all like what you see on the Real Housewives of New Jersey or the Jersey Shore. When traveling around Europe, people would say, "We know New Jersey. We watch the Sopranos." Nooo! Although we can laugh at ourselves. In our last gubernatorial debate, the three candidates were asked, "Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi?" I answer as they all did, Bruce.
7. I lost a job once and it's one of the best things that ever happened. As a result, I'm so much more conscious with money, I met my boyfriend, and I now have a job in New York City and work with amazing people. But it was a dark, uncertain time when I went through it. If you have job struggles, have faith there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

In no particular order, here are my recipients.
. The Thrifty Chicks
. My Year Without Spending
. Budget Confessions
. Confessions of Young Woman
. Making Hay
. On Loving Animals
. Mad on a Gray Sea

The media, television in particular, projects a world overly concerned with pursuits of materialism and a vapid quest for a youthful appearance. Think everything from spoiled teens getting six figure Sweet Sixteens to Botoxed housewives who would look much better with the wrinkles than the Botox.

These bloggers give me hope. There are more important things to pursue and support....thriftiness, environmentalism, farmers, a better world for animals, travel, reading, wisdom, family, friends, and love. Would we all eat the same thing at a dinner party? Definitely not, but the conversation would be lively.

On Labels, Sarma Has it Right

I mentioned Sarma Melngailis' brilliant blog post, I'm Not a Vegetarian, briefly before, but wanted to devote a proper post to an important topic: absolutism, and how nearly impossible it is to achieve, even when trying.

When I started on a vegan path, I was not expecting to encounter a bullying force that brought me back to the fifth grade playground: the label police.

Who and who cannot call themself 'vegan' is a slippery slope. When you start factoring in vegan sugar, wine and beer, and clothes and other items you owned pre-vegan but don't want to give away, almost no one's going to be able to call themself a vegan. I have a down couch from IKEA I bought a decade ago for my first apartment. Am I not a vegan because I still sit on it?

Alicia Silverstone said of her husband, Christopher Jarecki, "He's a vegan who flirts with fish. Sometimes he gets naughty and has a little fish here or there." Some would start griping over "he's not really a vegan then but a pescatarian" and his intentions are misunderstood and dilutes the term. I love Alicia's friendly, accessible approach at promoting a vegan lifestyle, and the way she phrased it.

I consider myself a vegan who flirts with cheese, among other indulgences. I no longer want the weight of being the ambassador to veganism 24/7. If I want a piece of my dad's non-vegan birthday cake, a cookie at a picnic in the park, or other occasional treats, I don't feel like I owe anyone an explanation, nor do others. This is the vegan good life - not the vegan perfect life. Anyone's path is riddled with challenges, temptations and imperfections, as is mine. I still strive for and embrace the vegan life as much as possible.

One blog commenter on another site stated "Molly [Katzen, author of the Moosewood Cookbook]...said...she ate "vegan 95% of the time for 15 years." Well if she was eating dairy, beef, chicken and fish for the other 5%, then she wasn't vegan or vegetarian!" Note the exclamation point. I think 95% is pretty astounding! Exclamation point. Most people I know won't even consider a vegetarian option for a single meal! Exclamation point.

I read a fairly ludicrous post criticizing PETA's I Can't Believe It's Vegan site for listing products that are a mere 99.99% vegan. Much like people who tune in regularly to MTV's Jersey Shore, I thought, "Don't people have better things to do than waste energy on that?"

One reader, Brad, chimed in, and there are millions of Brads out there. "These comments are actually my greatest enemy in my attempt to be vegan...If there is a term for a person who avoids animal products as much as he can but doesn't look for trace ingredients or throw out the leather gloves he bought before he became vegan, let me know. For me, veganism (or whatever I am, you can have your word) is about working to minimize suffering by your lifestyle choices."

Brad is a smart man. The person who immediately took it upon themself to label Brad an omnivore and lecture him is not. I am so disheartened by the people the label police alienate. How can you tell people 'all or nothing'? Isn't this encouraging failure? People are hesitant to explore veganism for that very reason - because of restrictive rules they don't want to live up to. So eat mostly vegan, then.

Our society often roots for failure. Instead of celebrating the growing numbers of those identifying with the vegan lifestyle, purists want to jump on any slip anyone has. Food is emotional, and what's easy for you isn't easy for someone else. This is not a competition to out-vegan each other.

Rights movements have powers in numbers, and millions of people embracing a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle the best they can is more formidable a force to legislators and marketers than thousands of strict practicing vegans. So I'm standing up the the label fanatics once and for all. I'm with Sarma. Let's skip the labels, and rally on in our beautiful, if not flawed, journey.