Resilience vs. Frustration

Hello all!

It's a new year and it's time to begin blogging here, again. I haven't been a bad vegan, just a bad blogger. My apologies.

Why, you ask, do I feel the urge to post since I haven't for so long?

Well, a couple of reasons, hence this posting...

It all started out with a great dinner. Boyfriend and I are currently in Canton, Ohio where I have been spending much needed time with family that I haven't seen for over 1 1/2 years. Tonight we decided to check out Vegiterranean up in Akron, Ohio. I've heard of the restaurant for a couple of years... It's Chrissie Hindes' restaurant and it's completely vegan. If you get a chance look at the website - Great menu. Cool, urban, modern, industrial atmosphere, great staff. I couldn't quit loving on every single bite of our food.



Well, here's where I got disturbed. And here's the big "A-Ha" moment.

Boyfriend decided to post the picture of the exterior of the restaurant onto facebook and simply stated that he was excited that we could share our meals and that the food was absolutely fantastic. (Boyfriend's attempting pescetarianism but he's been an omni all his life... so when I transitioned to veganism, it wasn't necessarily hard for us but we always have to compromise when going out to eat so that I don't wind up eating only a salad and feeling hungry two hours later.)

Well, you would figure, in a town where people were around me as I was transitioning my ideals and feelings towards a vegan lifestyle that there would be an understanding of how exciting tonight was for us. How special it was. Well, instead of open-minded responses to the photo, people that I consider friends wrote HORRIBLE things. Jokes that they ate my dog and she was tasty, that human fetuses in spicy sauce were enticing, that we should go to the local steakhouse and grab a steak immediately. And on and on...

I was floored and heart-broken. I feel stupid for letting it get to me like this - but hence, the A-Ha moment. I've officially realized that the transition is complete. When people talk like this to be funny - It's not funny. It hurts my feelings.

So, did I just sit back in stunned silence and let those comments make me feel depleted? No, I did what any vegan would do. I stood up for myself, and for boyfriend. I said that the next time Brad invites any of those people over they had better take off their leather shoes and leave them outside my front door before they step in.

You know, I've been home for the Holidays for three months. I celebrated my first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years as a vegan. I'm not being proud, it wasn't like it was an accomplishment. I'm only stating this because I can't understand why omnivores think vegans are similar to aliens. I hate being labeled a hippy, granola, earthy. I hate having eyes rolled at me when I stand up for myself. Because it's still not normal, it's not accepted. It's all very elementary. I mean, I'll continue doing what I do. As will the next person, and the next person will follow suit after them. But, when is something going to give? What does it take? Resilience? Acceptance? Kindness? Compassion?

Last night my brother said, "You know, sometimes the things you say about eating meat in front of people are very offensive." I said, "And all day the things that people say to me when they find out I'm vegan... like... "You LOOK like a vegan." "You're too skinny, you need to eat a hamburger." "You mean you don't drink milk?" Or tonight was great... I had the chance to eat out with my cousin tonight. But I opted out because A) Vegiterranean was so much better than the choice he was offering - and B) because there wasn't anything on the menu for a vegan aside from a side salad with no cheese or croutons and a side order or fries or onion rings. My cousin said... "Oh, well, Brad may still want to come eat with us, why don't you just make you a potato for dinner and then you can still join us for dinner tonight." ... ... Does anyone else here the crickets chirping in reply...? Because honestly, a vegan doesn't want to just eat steamed potatoes so that the meat eaters can eat their meat while she sits and watches. I take offense everyday while people eat meat around me. But because I'm a "Hippy" it's best to keep my mouth shut. For fear I start a riot in a Chipotle.


It's very hard to demonstrate these ideals of acceptance, resiliency, and compassion in a nation that fights hunger off with a 3/4 pounder full of an animal... and wonders why they can't take a healthy shit afterwards.


Till next time.

Hey All!

I haven't blogged in FOREVER! It's not because I'm trying to avoid you. I simply don't have a camera to take pretty pictures. And until I can get the money to do so (Wanna start up a fund?!) I find it ridiculous to blag on and on about amazing food without showing you how pretty it was. :( Sad right?

So, I came across this list that I thought was kinda cute. I guess that a version of the "Omnivores 100" is going around. Someone decided to come across the "Vegan 100".

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food French fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

I honestly wouldn't have a problem trying any of the items that I didn't bold. I just haven't had a chance yet. This is kinda neat, because even though I've learned that as a vegan I DO have endless options for food choices... I do get kinda tired of my "old standbys" and I'm trying to look for ways to vamp it up. This list has shown me I have yet to try many things!

Enjoy!

All good things must come to an end...

Today is August 4th and unfortunately that means that I have to take my brother to the airport today so that he can leave me and go back home to my mom. :( We've been having a freakin' blast together and I'm going to miss him so much. He made me promise that no matter what my financial situation may be, I better find a way to head home for Christmas. I'm gonna try my darndest.

I told you guys that I was going to have a raw day in my last blog and I upheld that promise. It was very hard because it was my first raw day and I didn't know what to expect. I hadn't planned enough so all of my meals wound up having to be made at the last moment which is sort of hard, I've learned, when you're trying to dry out certain ingredients for recipes. None the less, I totally followed through with it.

For breakfast I had a smoothie with so many fruits that I can't even remember them all. For lunch I tried this recipe that's been quite popular in the blog world! Thank You Fitnessista, for your fresh and tasty Raw Sloppy Joes! It was a great success! Even if I'm not having a raw day this is a great addition to a salad, which is exactly how I ate it. I just plated a huge bowl of mixed greens and topped this magical concoction on top of it. Crispy, flavorful, crunchy, delightful!

Now, my dinner was a bit odd. But the whole day I was craving oatmeal of a sort and I was really worried about doing raw the real way ... not realizing that supposedly oatmeal is not raw because the oats have been steamed - which is known to strip the grain of important nutrients. Now, as I said before - I wasn't prepared for my raw day - had I been, I could have plated one of the Fitnessista's oatmeal cookies the night before. I was bound and determined I was going to get my fix of oats in so I had oatbran. I soaked it with some water and some flaxseeds. Then I mashed up half of a banana and sprinkled truvia along with cinnamon and nutmeg into a wine glass to make the sludge look kinda pretty. Needless to say, the boyfriend and brother though my concoction looked much to be desired and it almost appeared that the both of them looked upon me like I was forcing myself through some sort of bizarre self-torture. I thought it was good though. It hit the spot. Creamy, oaty. Yum-O.






The next morning I was absolutely starving and I was SO happy to go back to the original diet. So I treated myself with 1/2 of an Amy's Tofu Scramble (In a pocket sandwich) and a bowl of Kashi 7 whole grain and bran mixed with some cinnamon sugar on top and about 1/2 cup of almond milk. I was in heaven! It was my first time, even as a vegan to try tofu in it's egg form. I LOVED it. Perhaps this weekend I will be scrambling up some tofu with some tempeh bacon. Doesn't that sound divine, people? Maybe I could do that for a quick and easy little dinner tonight. Oh the possibilities - I <3 TOFU!



Even before my raw day I was really really really wanting to try out the oatgurt recipe that Heather found.










I am so excited to try this out you have NO idea. (My brother is taking a picture of my oatgurt as I type this and he says it smells bad.) HaHa! I said "It's supposed to, it's fermenting... it's my yogurt!" I got another day to let it sit out and work it's magic - but if I get the munchies later tonight, I may have to dig in and see how it's coming along... ;-)

While I was at WF I also got some other neat things that I HAVE to share with you. BOTH are chocolatey. One is healthy, one is ... well.. decadent.

Love Fiber? Check it out! This bad boy has a whopping 14 grams! That's 56% of your daily intake and it hits the mark right at 200 calories. Not bad. Eat half, save the other half for later! It also has 3 grams of protein. Not only that but it's chocolatey! I haven't tried it yet, but when I do I'll give you my reviews. There were other flavors and if this one is a success I'm going to have to try them all!





However, it was ironic - as soon as I got this bar I noticed that La Belle Vegan was showing off a "Gnu" bar (haha, being punny) that's out. It's called Gnu. Get it? Bad, I know. They all come in at 140 calories, they have 12 grams of fiber (48% of daily intake) and they have 4 grams of protein. These little treats come in seven different flavors and if I can spy them at WF, I'll be sure to get my hands on 'em. Visit Gnu's website. They over a lot of good research and information about fiber. Very informational and I like to know information about what goes in my mouth - so check it out!




Ok, the other thing I had to show you is this:





Yumm-O! I LOVE dark chocolate. The darker, the better. One little piece and it cures all chocolate cravings. My brother really enjoyed it too. (We get the sweet tooth from our mom!)



So, I've been reading some blogs lately, specifically, I'm trying to learn more and more about the Raw Diet and I've noticed that Kelp Noodles are becoming a new trend. I'm very interested in them, have any of you tried them? What do you think of them? Where can you buy them? I'm going to have to search for them next time I go to WF. Wow, that was twenty questions, eh? We'll consider that my "question of the blog", if you will.


Alrighty, all - wish my brother a safe return home on the flight today and cross your fingers that a great paying job is headed my direction in the very near future! Diva's out!

Up too late or up too early...

Good Evening or Good Morning fellow bloggians...

I am having a rough time sleeping and I've been looking at all of your blogs for about two hours now. I love getting inspiration for the days ahead. Thank you so much for all of the tips and pictures you post daily!

This will be a short post - I have a few things on my mind.

1st - I was very excited to head to WF today. (I get a little too excited and spend more money than I plan on spending everytime I go there!) But the one buy I was really excited about was Nayonaise. A lot of you blog about your love for Veganaise... and I have to be honest pre-veganism, I was never a mayo user/eater. But I've caught myself eyeing this product several times I go to WF, and I finally decided to take the plunge. Have any of you tried Nayonaise? If so, what do you think of it? I think I'll use it to to make a potato salad or tofu egg salad. I've been craving these for a while - probably because these are perfect summer social eats!


The Dijon one looked very good, but I opted for the Fat Free version. (I can always add Dijon mustard to it, if I feel so inclined, right?)


2nd - Brad, my boyfriend, always surprises me. He normally can't handle the WF trip - I SPEND way too much time in the store and it aggravates the piss out of him! But, today he went off on his own and came back to the cart with a heaping mound of HIS OWN goodies. Despite his need to still eat meat (he picked himself up some lunch meat) he decided to buy vegan cheese, and bread! I was excited for him. But I'll never tell him. ;-) Well, maybe...

3rd - As you know, my little brother has been spending time in Louisiana with me, and he's also been making small vegan purchases. Not only has he been completely turned on by all forms of tofu he has been on a kick with Almond Breeze, unsweetened chocolate almond milk.


At only 45 calories per cup, it doesn't harm any cows in the process, and he's been downing this stuff faster than you can whip up some calorie layden Nestle's Quik. The secret - he uses Nustevia packets to sweeten it and it's curbs his little sweet tooth. How bout them apples?

4th - Finally, I have made the decision to bring raw food into my diet. I'm going to transition the process rather slowly (similarly to how I've transitioned into veganism). The last day of this month I plan to make my "raw day". I've been really interested in a lot of the recipes many of you post, and I've honestly already tried some of them with great success. I think it will be perfect to keep me aware of the moment. As the new month comes in I can start "fresh" and feel rejuvenated. As my body starts craving more raw food I think I'll begin to intensify the diet. Having a "raw food" day every week.

As I like to end with a question here we are - I've been searching for raw food cookbooks, I've seen a few that have sparked my interest. Do any of you have a favorite raw food go-to cookbook? If so, let me know!

Cheers!

PS - the sun is rising, sheesh, will I ever go to bed?

PSS - The little bro told me earlier in the day that he was craving some carrot cake - got any good recipes? Elie Krieger has a muffin recipe but it's not vegan. If I get brave I may play with it a little...

Beach bums, Cafes, and hemp, Oh My!

'ello Fellow Foodies!

Long time no talk! I've been without anytime lately, it seems. So many things have been going on and I've been very preoccupied. Finally, I have time to unwind and I am filled with the need to blog or I just may explode.

My little brother has been visiting with me since the middle of June. It has been wonderful and I'm going to miss him terribly when he heads back home to my mommy. Brad and I were lucky enough to be able to plan a trip while he stayed with us. Pensacola Beach was where we vacationed for the past three days and it was wonderful! It was my brother's first time at the beach and I think he really enjoyed himself.

In case any of you ever go to Pensacola Beach and want to try a cute little cafe that serves vegan food you should TOTALLY check out End of the Line Cafe. They even have a website complete with pics and their full menu.

Website: http://eotlcafe.com/

Menu: http://eotlcafe.com/Menu.asp

I totally recommend the Muffaletta - it's only $5.00 and it's served with a housemade olive salad (that is VERY filling), tofu bacon (won over the omnivores that came with me), lettuce, tomato & garlic mozzarella (that is made in house), served on whole wheat bread. It ALSO came with the most delectable cup of cream of celery soup you've ever tasted. All omnivores thought it was a complete success and were craving it the next day!! My little brother ordered the Taco Pocket Panini. The cafe must have been out of Panini bread because it was served on whole wheat toast as well - but for someone as picky as my little brother he ate the entire meal. TOTAL SUCCESS!

A lot of you blog about certain vitamins and nutrients that you can receive at your local Vitamin Shoppe. It's been very unfortunate that Baton Rouge doesn't have one. The closest Vitamin Shoppe is in Slidell, which is an hour and twenty minutes out of the way for a little errand such as hemp protein that I know I can get at my local WF. However, I've been wanting to try Nutiva's Organic HempShake powder for the LONGEST time. I've researched it to the point where I might as well have just paid the shipping cost to get this goodie sent straight to my door - but something held me back from doing so. I knew that the Vitamin Shoppe sold it so I could have ordered it through their website or just ordered straight from Nutiva. (Isn't it funny how we put ourselves through loops for absolutely no reason?!) Nonetheless the time had FINALLY come that I knew I was going to get my hands on my little prized possession. Coming back from the beach we had to drive through Slidell so it was the PERFECT excuse to make a pit-stop at the Vitamin Shoppe and grab what I've been desperately wanting to get my hands on since who knows when!

Ann, I just saw your comment! I'm so bad about checking these things. I guess I figure since I'm so new to the blogger world people really don't read up on me. (Look at me acting like a 2nd grader with low self esteem... gross!) But anyway I wanted to shout out to you and let you know that if you can get your hands on this stuff I totally recommend it! I'm excited to mix it with fresh fruit too!

In other foodie news I'm so very excited! You'll notice that I'm officially part of the foodie blog roll! YAY! I guess that means I'm really going to have to step it up a notch and give you more blogs! I'll certainly try my best. Just because I'm been MIA for a couple of weeks now, doesn't mean I haven't been being healthy and that I hate cooking. It's been exactly the opposite. Having my brother in town has made me really want to impress someone that knows very little about veganism. Speaking of which - for dinner tonight, I made an acorn squash, cabbage, black bean enchilada casserole with some mexican couscous on the side. I also slow roasted a plantain and cut it into quarters and sprinkled Truvia and cinnamon on top! Yummy!

I always like to end with a question I have about certain foods I'm in to or things I'm still very unsure with - since veganism is still so new to me. With that being said - I've still been having a terrible time with seitan. I'm always experimenting with it and I'm always researching new recipes. The texture is spongy and I know a lot of you know what I'm talking about. It makes me very sick when I eat it like this and it's extremely unappealing to my omnivore family and friends. Do any of you have recipes where you add chickpeas or beans to cutlets to ensure a "meatier" texture? Do any of you have an absolutely favorite way to prepare your seitan? If so, please pass along any suggestions.

Everyone have a great Monday night and I hope to be back very soon! Cheers!

Want that Giveaway!

Oh gosh, it's like bingo. (I'm ADDICTED to bingo.) I win one thing and then I just want to win it all. (Well, I haven't won anything yet - hopefully I will soon!) I've entered into a giveaway that I think you should totally try for too!

If you visit Danica's Daily Blog you will see that she is giving away some awesome Amazing Greens Products. Look at all of this:

* 2 Single Serving Berry Green Packs

* 2 Single Serving Chocolate Green Super Foods

* 2 Single Serving Superfood Packets

* 2 Single Serving Wheat Grass Packets

* 2 Chocolate Green Super Food Bars

* 2 Green Superfood Energy Bars

* 2 Amazing Meal Original Packs

* 2 Amazing meal Pom. Mango Packs

* 2 Amazing Meal Chocolate Packs

* 1 Super Cool Amazing Grass Shaker Container

You'd be absolutely bonkers NOT to sign up for this giveaway! But, if for some reason you don't want to... just cross your fingers that I'll win it all... and maybe... just maybe I'll share some with you! ;-)

Cheers!

Ramblings, giddyness, and Harry Potter...

I am so excited about so many things in my life that I fear this blog may runneth over, or I may have to blog twice in a day!

First of all who is excited for this?




I have read all the books and I'm so freakin' pumped for the release of this movie you've no idea!



Since I'm such a new blogger you can probably tell that I know very little about making my blog look kick ass. I saw that Curly Top was giving away a free blog makeover and I totally signed up for this one. Her page is beautiful, and I love what she did with La Belle Vegan's page too. It would be an honor to get her to see what sizzle she could add to my page for me! Cross your fingers for me!

Each day has become easier than the last in regards to being a vegan and I have tons of support around me. At first I was a little sheepish about broadcasting the change. I know many people in omnivore land think it's a drastic change. But, they seem to forget that I haven't eaten red meat for almost 15 years . And I haven't eaten white meat for 2 years. It was an easy step and I feel so healthy! I have so much more energy and I have a brand new passion for cooking, baking, going to the grocery store, and checking out everything at the local farmer's markets.

Your smoothie recipes rock my socks, by the way. It's become my latest obsession. I finally found a great use for all those blueberries I have! I make a chocolate Spiritien shake and put a cup of blueberries in and set off on my day! I recently saw that Nom Nom Nom blogged about a hemp powder that seems to have been on the market for a while but isn't widely sold at stores. The flavor's looked freakin' amazing. Pomegrante this, or Acai Berry that... Yum. Anyway, I found a hemp protein powder at Whole Food's that's Chocolate and will totally get the job done. I've been using this along with ground flaxseeds in my fruity smoothies and it totally rocks. I'm full and I feel great!


Plus, Hemp powder has SO MUCH MORE fiber in it than Spiritein, so it keeps you full so much longer. What is there not to love about it? You vegan pro's probably think I'm making a big deal about nothing, but like I prefaced this blog saying - I was just so freaken' excited about everything I've learned and changed that I just had to blog it or I was going to have to prance around in a tutu for a couple hours just to shake out all of my giddyness!


Many of you blog about your pets. And many of your pets are furry. Well, I have furry pets too (unfortunately I didn't think to take pictures of them, but I'll do this for you soon.) But, we actually have feathered friends as well. However, they stay with my mom because I'm still living in Louisiana since the graduation and all. My mom has been really thinking about opening up her own Bird Shop and I'm totally pumped about this idea. Segue...

See, my bird, Skeeter is officially a girl - (How are you supposed to know, ya know)... well she's layed 5 eggs within the past month! My mom's a dork, so she's been holding onto them like gold - what she's going to do with them, I have no idea - but it's cute - you can sense my mom's excitement at this find! I don't have a pic of Skeeter right now, but she's a Quaker Parakeet.


Beautiful, right? Looks like a Skeeter, eh? - Yeah, I thought so too. ;-)

Well, Skeeter cost me about $300, just for her - so this doesn't include the cage and all the food - plus vet visits and nail/feather clippings... It's quite an expense and there's a profit to be had, considering the really expensive birds.

My mom also has three other birds (Like I say, I don't have actual pics of them but you'll get the idea until I can get up to my mom's place to snap the pics myself!)



This is a Jenday Conure - This is what Sir George of Monticello Street looks like. He's absolutely precious. This bird is just like any of our furry friends. He will cuddle up under your chin and let you pet him all over. He's the sweetest bird ever!

My mom also has an African Grey, named Rocky. She rescued him. Poor guy, the owner was scared of him so she never took him out of the cage. When she DID, she pulled him out with oven mitts... Horrible, right? Well, the worst is that the cage was too small for him - so he was always hunched because his head was hitting the top of the cage, my mom's had him for a little less than a year, and she's JUST NOW been able to see his bald spot grow back in. Poor guy. But he's the talker. He tells the other birds to "Knock it off!" when they get too loud, he rings like a telephone, and answers it in a guy's voice, or a girl's voice, he meow's like a cat and he bark's like a dog.

I suppose he does look a little intimidating, but the first thing you learn about birds is that they can sense if you're scared. If you're scared - don't think you can hold one, because it scares them. You have to show them that they can trust you ... they come around - but for cryin' out loud - don't pull a bird out of a cage with an oven mitt... what is that supposed to teach him?!

Last but not least my mom has a sulfur crested cockatoo.. He's referred to as Mr. Bird. He's a sweetie too... (Not that my mom does this, cuz it's sorta weird... but you could actually put a leash on these birds and take them with you to outdoor festivals. They'll be quite content sitting beside you in a little wicker basket.) These birds like LOTS of attention and you must have the time to give it to them, or else they become very similar to a bratty three-year old child.



So, considering that birds are life long companions, my mom may be able to make a living out of this. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis thing she's going through but I totally support her in this. There's a big chance that I'll move back home, to Ohio, in August to help her try to get the ball rolling with this idea. I'll keep you posted!!



In food news, I was so excited to try Nom Nom Nom's pierogi recipe (I'm actually having some leftovers for lunch) - here are a few snapshots I was able to take when I cooked 'em! The omnivore boyfriend loved them and said I need to make them often and keep the freezer stocked with these good eats! YAY!




I also made a lentil loaf recently too. I have a pic of that. I forget who's recipe it is - so I'm not going to post anything, sorry. It's just not fair to take credit and offer it! But, it was so neat because we got to use the leftovers yesteray - I shaped it into hamburger patty's and seared them on the stove and made a topless lentil burger out of it! Yumm-O!






Last but not least, I feel it is only appropriate to post a picture of myself. That way maybe we can both become more acquianted with eachother. Have a wonderfully happy summer day ya'll!

Cheers! PS - Yep, that's the omnivore boy of mine. He's my little loverbunny. We were at our friend's house the night that pic was taken - see her garden over my right shoulder? Yeah, totally kick ass! She's been growing japanese eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, yada yada - and I get to always take home some of the goodies!!!