Photography, Adventure, Glitter, and (Vegan) Cupcakes
I'm Chelsea, a vegetarian, freelance photographer, feminist, mostly-vegan, hippie-chick, doggie-loving, pitbull-rescuing, Floridian adventurer Mommy. I moved from Ohio to Orlando, Florida in November 2011. You can expect food, photography, secondhand fashion, makeup, home decor, and most importantly, my many adventures as a Midwestern-turned-Southerner in the Sunshine State.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Winter Park Scenic Canal Boat Tour
Central Florida Zoo & Other Adventures
We visited Central Florida Zoo recently, in Sanford Florida, with my parents when they visited. This is a compilation of the photos and video from that day. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Chelsea's Random List of Vegan Tips
Hello!
Many
of our friends and family have recently asked us, “How hard is it really to be vegan?”
Well, it’s really not that hard. We decided to make a list of some of our
favorite vegetarian & vegan recipes, products, and websites for you to
enjoy!
Dairy Products:
·
Silk
Brand Soy Yogurt
·
Earth
Balance Organic Spread (butter substitute, this stuff is delicious and we put
it on everything—zero cholesterol and you can find it at Walmart)
·
Just
Mayo Brand mayonnaise—It tastes just as good as the real thing but less fat and
no cholesterol, and you can find it at Walmart too.
·
Favorite
non-dairy milk is definitely Cashew Milk. It’s creamy like the real deal but
again no cholesterol and just as much Vitamin D.
·
Ben
& Jerry’s Non-Dairy Ice cream (the coffee caramel flavor is TO DIE FOR and
so is the chocolate fudge)
·
A
really healthy alternative to mac n cheese is the Engine 2 Diet’s recipe for
mac n cheese
Fake
Meats:
·
Gardein
products. We have yet to try one that isn’t good, but they have everything from
breakfast sausages to Crabless Patties to Turk’y Filets (in the freezer section
at most grocery stores)
·
Boca
burgers for a good fake burger. Less fat
and cholesterol but still high in protein, and we pile them high with all the
stuff you put on burgers—lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, etc. We eat
this at least once a week! Freezer section.
·
Veggie
hotdogs –Target sells a pretty good one
·
Beyond
Chicken—Freezer section, this stuff is great if you fry it up and put it in
wraps. Seriously we make it for people and they don’t know it’s not real
chicken
·
Tofurky
brand pepperoni and lunch meats, and Italian sausage links (we made an awesome
soup with their vegetarian kielbasa—I’ll make a note of it later)
A note about eggs in baked
goods: in most recipes you can substitute ¼ cup mashed fruit (such as banana or
applesauce) per egg in the recipe. I do this with cake mixes, cookies,
cornbread, etc.
Miscellaneous
food products we LOVE:
·
Amy’s
Kitchen frozen meals and canned soups (If you look at the ingredients labels,
the ones that are vegan are clearly marked “vegan” and they are sold at most
grocery stores. They have everything from breakfast sandwiches to vegetarian
frozen pot pies to Thai curry)
·
Quinoa
(pronounced Keen-wah!): this is kind of like barley but smaller kernels? Anyway
we make it with veggie broth instead of water for flavor, and we eat it as a
side and sometimes stir in cooked veggies and mushrooms too. It’s also awesome
on wraps.
·
OREOS
ARE VEGAN (and that’s how Chelsea sticks with the program!)
·
Hummus.
We eat it on everything: tortilla chips, wraps, celery, carrots, triscuits
·
Chia
Seeds. They’re really high in protein and you can put them on your cereal, on
top of your salad, in your pasta…just about anywhere. They’re pretty flavorless
so the sky is the limit
Easy
Recipes we eat a lot:
·
Veggie
or Chick’n Wraps: Sautee fake chicken, add spinach or spring mix, chopped
carrots, celery, cucumber, tomato, cooked quinoa, mayo, fresh dill, and Franks
Red Hot Sauce on a spinach wrap
·
Kielbasa
stew: fake sausage links cut up in a veggie broth, chopped celery and carrots,
lentils, leek, onions, green onion, red potatoes
·
Coconut
Rice Stir-fry: Tofu fried in soy sauce, rice made in coconut milk, sautéed
spinach and mushrooms, chop up some cucumber and put it in vinegar and dill on
the side. Best served with hot sauce! J
·
Loaded
Nachos: veggie crumbles in taco seasoning, load them up with chopped tomatoes,
onion, green onion, black beans, corn, kale or spinach, and lime juice
·
Basil
Pesto Pasta: blend basil with lemon juice and pine nuts, stir it in with pasta
and sautéed mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, onion
·
Breakfast
burritos: fry some tofu with turmeric (the turmeric makes the tofu more like
scrambled eggs), onion, spinach, red potatoes, and breakfast sausage. Wrap up
in a wrap and serve with salsa or hot sauce
·
Veggie
stirfry with tofu: fry red pepper, water chestnuts, broccoli, snap peas, and
tofu in soy sauce. MMMM!
·
Stuffed
red and green peppers: hollow out peppers, stuff them with quinoa or couscous
and sautéed veggies and bake them for 15 or 20 min at around 250-300 degrees
·
Veggie
bowls: roast broccoli, squash, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or similar with
olive oil, cracked pepper, and sea salt. Serve over spinach and quinoa with
your favorite salad dressing (we like Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing or
Poppyseed.) Good if you add something sweet too like chopped up strawberries or
coconut flakes
Where
do you get your protein?
·
Seriously
everything. Beans, legumes, spinach, broccoli, quinoa, soy products, peanut butter,
cashews and other nuts, whole grain breads, brown rice—most foods have protein.
It is a myth that you need animal products to get protein or calcium. There is
more than an abundance of protein—think about the animals in the wild that are
huge and muscular and don’t eat other animals. Gorillas are vegetarians, for
example.
Awesome
websites:
www.mercyforanimals.org
Why
do we try to eat as vegan as possible?
·
Better
for the environment (less water waste and less pollution)
·
Better
for animals (even the dairy industry is outrageously cruel to animals)
·
Better
for our bodies (there is NO cholesterol found in plant foods and they are
higher in vitamins and minerals-veganism is better for cholesterol, blood
pressure, weight, and blood sugar. Vegans live on average 7 years longer than
omnivores!
·
It’s
actually cheaper! Meat and cheese/dairy are some of the most expensive foods at
the grocery store
Random
Tips:
·
Try
more from different ethnic foods—foods that are not American tend to be easier
to vegetaraian-ize or veganize. Thai, Indian, and Mexican foods are all super
easy to swap out meat for tofu or beans.
We
don’t expect our loved ones to completely change their diets just because we
did, but we love sharing delicious healthy food ideas and are very excited when
people show interest in our food choices!
We love you guys!
Love
and health,
Chelsea
Justin & Genevieve
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
OPP Swap n Shop January 2015
Everyone knows I'm budgety as can be when it comes to Fashion. Well, one of my favorite fashion "things" is the OPP Swap N Shop that is held in Winter Park, Fl, several times a year.
On January 23, around a hundred women gathered with bags of their gently used clothing. Admission was $15, which apparently went to some form of charity.
All the clothing is organized by type and thrown on different tables--dresses here, pants there. At 7:00, the visitors were set loose to pick out whatever we wanted. What a great way to get rid of old and bring in the new! Here was my score:
Most of the items were name brand, and for the $15 admission PLUS the idea of getting rid of things I no longer needed, it was WELL worth the visit. I can't wait to do some photo shoots to show off all my treasures I scored!
Much love to all,
Chelsea
On January 23, around a hundred women gathered with bags of their gently used clothing. Admission was $15, which apparently went to some form of charity.
All the clothing is organized by type and thrown on different tables--dresses here, pants there. At 7:00, the visitors were set loose to pick out whatever we wanted. What a great way to get rid of old and bring in the new! Here was my score:
Most of the items were name brand, and for the $15 admission PLUS the idea of getting rid of things I no longer needed, it was WELL worth the visit. I can't wait to do some photo shoots to show off all my treasures I scored!
Much love to all,
Chelsea
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Costume Post: Rapunzel!
I wanted to post the very beginnings of my Rapunzel-inspired costume. Of note: 1) I am buying a bigger, lighter-colored wig that I can braid with flowers and ribbon. 2) The dress needs a LOT of embellishments--Pink laces instead of purple, floral embellishments down the front and across the hem, and the striped puffs at the sleeves. Like I said, work in progress. Here's the inspiration:
With that said, here's my skeleton of a Rapunzel:
With that said, here's my skeleton of a Rapunzel:
Thrift Store Finds: September Edition!
Hi Ya'll! It's time for my latest installment of "shit I bought at the thrift store recently". Bear in mind that These were not all on the same trip. I would be broke. :)
First up, dusty rose ruffled top by Lauren Conrad (typically sold at Kohl's), $3 |
I just really liked the Black and White version. Whoops. #selfabsorbed |
Next up, white tee with sequins, Express Brand, $3. Purple shorts, $3 |
I am starting to really embrace this crop top thing. I LOVE this one I found (around $2) and the black pencil skirt, which I've been meaning to find for like, forever. Skirt, $2.69 |
Little black dress with ruffle embellishment, $6. Belt I already had, but it's from the clearance rack at Target (around $7) |
This black miniskirt was seriously less than $2. SERIOUSLY. How can you pass that up??? Red top, $3, and the belt is sparkly and has a floral print. You won't believe it: belt, $1.33. Yep. $1.33. |
I'm not self-absorbed. I just really like to fantasize about being a supermodel. ;) So what about you? What's your favorite? Best thrift store find to date?? Comment me! |
Monday, April 22, 2013
Ology Cruelty-Free Laundry Soap
As many of my dear friends know, along the way of becoming a mostly-vegan vegetarian, I have started to incorporate cruelty-free shopping into my lifestyle wherever possible. This means buying soaps, detergents, skincare, makeup, and bath items that were not tested on animals and preferably not made from animal products.
Now, this process is by no means easy. A few afternoons poring over websites, a few cruelty-free apps for my iPhone downloaded, and a few trips to Target and Walgreens later, and I have to say, the selection dwindles infinitely when you decide to stop buying animal-tested products.
But that's the problem and the point I guess; almost everything we buy is tested in labs on poor defenseless animals when now safer, more effective ways of lab testing exists. There is no reason why, in the year 2013, and in the massive amount of technological and scientific advancement that we as a society now face, that we should be testing harsh chemicals on defenseless living creatures.
And so, this is my first post of cruelty-free shopping. My goal is to tell you where you can find the products, their price, and a quick review of the item in question. First item up?
Ology Laundry Detergent in "Free & Clear" formula
Price: $6.49
Where I found it: Walgreens
Now, this process is by no means easy. A few afternoons poring over websites, a few cruelty-free apps for my iPhone downloaded, and a few trips to Target and Walgreens later, and I have to say, the selection dwindles infinitely when you decide to stop buying animal-tested products.
But that's the problem and the point I guess; almost everything we buy is tested in labs on poor defenseless animals when now safer, more effective ways of lab testing exists. There is no reason why, in the year 2013, and in the massive amount of technological and scientific advancement that we as a society now face, that we should be testing harsh chemicals on defenseless living creatures.
And so, this is my first post of cruelty-free shopping. My goal is to tell you where you can find the products, their price, and a quick review of the item in question. First item up?
Ology Laundry Detergent in "Free & Clear" formula
Price: $6.49
Where I found it: Walgreens
I have to first say that I purposely bought the free and clear of perfumes and scents, no dyes, formula. I hate the idea of introducing extra chemicals into my life where they aren't necessary, and I have horrible allergies that cause me tonsillitis a good portion of the year. For this reason, I avoid dyes and extra chemicals in my house wherever possible.
And so, I tried this formula tonight. My laundry seems fresh, if not scented, fairly clean, and not static-y. I have to say that at nineteen cents per load, and no bunnies or mice were tortured for the sake of my sparkling clean delicates, I will probably be sticking with this formula for a while!
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Winter Park Scenic Canal Boat Tour
When my parents visited, we went on the scenic canal boat tour in Winter Park, Florida. Here is a video compilation!
-
As many of my dear friends know, along the way of becoming a mostly-vegan vegetarian, I have started to incorporate cruelty-free shopping i...
-
Everyone knows I'm budgety as can be when it comes to Fashion. Well, one of my favorite fashion "things" is the OPP Swap N Sh...
-
We visited Central Florida Zoo recently, in Sanford Florida, with my parents when they visited. This is a compilation of the photos and ...