This isn’t vegetarian related at all but I thought I would post some ways that I deal with migraines. The internet is a great place to find information of the ever devastatingly painful evil maniacal F-ing migraine! Since I have used the internet to gather info, I figured I would add my two-cents.

GENERAL INFO:

I started getting migraines a couple of years ago and I had no idea why. I would keep track of them: when did they happen, what was I doing, how often was I getting them, etc. I finally went to my doctor where he prescribed me Zomig. I should just say without Zomig my migraines would be so much worse then they are now. However, where Zomig can take a lot of the pain away, it doesn’t seem to help all too much with migraine-related symptoms (nausea, sleepiness, etc.)

HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I DO TO HELP WITH MIGRAINES:

• I realized that a lot of the time my migraines stem from my neck or not sleeping well. I try to get a good night’s rest and I also see my chiropractor occasionally for a readjustment.
• Eating. Migraines can happen if you don’t eat, so I try to eat a balanced diet and not go too long without any food. If I do have a migraine, I will try to eat something filling but not unhealthy. Usually an English muffin or toast with peanut butter. Sometimes it is hard to eat when you are feeling this way, but once I do get myself to eat, it is such an improvement.
• Posture. Since my migraines shoot up from my neck, I try as hard as I can to have good posture.
• Strengthening. Last summer I took out a beginner’s yoga DVD from the library. A lot of the neck stretches help a lot with preventing and relieving migraine symptoms.
• Shower. Taking a hot shower can help a lot to relieve migraine symptoms.
• Peas. Okay, not really peas, but a pack of frozen peas. I keep them in my freezer. Just take the bag and put it on the ole forehead for some quick relief.
• Tea. Make sure to have some back-stock of Black tea in your pantry. I try to drink a cup or two of an English/Irish tea or Chai (a spiced tea). Drinking tea/coffee has been a remedy for headaches/migraines in many cultures, ancient and present.
• Allergies. Not specific to myself, but some people have food allergies that trigger migraines and they might not even know it. Keeping a journal might help figure it out. I don’t get migraines after eating or drinking but some people can get triggers from: MSG, soy, wine, chocolate, etc. (pretty much anything it seems like!).
• Pillows. I changed my pillow a few months ago and it has been a huge step in relief. Even if your migraines don’t stem from your neck, if you are having a migraine, laying your head down on suitable pillow can help a great deal.
• Remember, prevention is the best. If you are eating poorly, sleeping terribly, etc. you might want to change something. I try my best at prevention, but if that doesn’t work, some of the above mentioned tips help.
• Feel free to share your tips, too.

***

Rupert was quite happy today. I think if you were a 10 pound kitty you would be happy too if a large bag of food showed up…

*Rupert inspecting.

*Rupert attacking kitty kibble.

***

I also went to the library today because I finally was able to get a copy of Veganomicon. I wish I could just buy it but money doesn’t grow on trees around here, so the library it is.

This recipe comes straight from a great cookbook that I have called Pasta. The recipes are restaurant-worthy and pretty simple. This allows you to mix it up a but. I recommend this book; it can be purchased on Amazon (and probably other sites and book stores). I would also like to note that the boyfriend helped prepare this meal. He did most of the later cooking and slicing.

Sorry there is no photo. I didn’t have my camera, but we will probably be making this again sometime soon.

• 2 oz Fontina, julienned (substitutions for Fontina: Camembert, Brie, scamorza)
• 2 oz Gorgonzola, crumbled (substitutions: Roquefort, Stilton, other blue-veined cheese)
• 2 oz Swiss, julienned (substitutions: Gruyere, other firm-textured melting cheese)
• 1/2 C cream (we used light, but you can use a heavy cream if desired)
• pasta ( I recommend a short pasta like gemelli)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• grated parmesan
• We also added: splash of sherry and 2 cloves of pressed garlic. Don’t add too much garlic. You don’t want to overwhelm the taste.

1. Cook pasta according to box directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan add together the cream and first 3 cheeses (Fontina, Gorgonzola, Swiss). Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until almost dissolved. (At this step, we also added a splash of sherry and a tiny bit of pressed garlic).
3. Once pasta is done, top with cheese sauce, salt & pepper, and Parmesan.
4. Serve this right away!

*Note-You might also find a sharper version of Fontina packaged using the name ‘Fontinella.’ We used Fontinella because it was cheaper and it is also pretty tasty to accompany some pre-meal red wine.

**Okay, here is a photo of some cheese. Maybe this will entice you to make this recipe??

I had a request for my RSS feed on the About page from a fellow veggie (from the Philippines). Sorry, I am a little slow when it comes to this stuff and I had to actually look it up in the WordPress FAQ, but I have added a button to the sidebar you can click. This will take you to my feed where you can subscribe. If there are any problems let me know.

My friend Pamela’s kitty, Brina, has some serious medical problems right now. Pamela has an awesome blog with awesome recipes (you would think they were out of a cookbook). She made a posting asking for any amount of donation to help Brina (she is at a specialist right now). Pamela also posted her etsy shop’s link. She has amazing hand-knit (custom work available) scarves and hats. Good karma can go a long way.

Help out Brina - -you can donate via Paypal or purchase some of Pamela’s awesome hand-knit items.

This is a great way to clear out your pantry of any canned pumpkin you might have leftover from fall/winter. Unless you plan on making a ton of these raviolis, I am sure you will have extra pumpkin puree. Tomorrow I am going to finish it off by making pumpkin butter. Don’t be scared by these instructions; it really isn’t that hard to make from-scratch raviolis (trust me!). I have a couple of photos that might better display some of the steps. Also, at the end of this recipe, I will post how to store any extra dough.

RAVIOLIS:

• 2 C flour (I used 1 part all-purpose:1 part whole wheat)
• Egg replacer (=2 eggs)
• 1/4 C tomato paste
• water

PUMPKIN FILLING:

• 1/2 C pumpkin puree (actually use as much as you think you will need)
• splash of milk
• nutmeg

***

1. In a bowl put flour. Separately beat together egg replacer and tomato paste. Make a well in the bowl of flour and add egg replacer/tomato paste mixture. Envelope flour over mixture until you have a round ball of dough. You might need to add a few tablespoons of water to bind the dough.
2. Section off the dough into quarters. With a rolling pin, roll out each section into a thin rectangle. Make sure to put some loose flour down on your workspace and rolling pin so the dough doesn’t stick.
3. With a sharp knife or a fluted wheel, evenly cut strips of dough.
4. In a separate bowl mix together pumpkin filling ingredients.
5. On a strip of dough, drop a small amount of pumpkin filling every inch or two apart.
6. With a wet napkin, dab across border and in between each filling drop.
7. Cover with a second strip of dough and cut between each drop forming the individual raviolis.
8. REPEAT for as many more strips of dough desired.
9. To cook ravioli, boil water. Once the water is boiling, add raviolis and adjust to medium heat.
10. The raviolis should dropped to the bottom and as they cook they will rise to the top of the water. Raviolis tend not to take long to cook (~5 minutes), so keep an eye on them.
11. HOW TO STORE DOUGH: Securely wrap any extra dough in saran wrap and put inside a tightly sealed container. You can freeze dough for up to 8 months.

Top with whatever sauce you would like. Here, I drizzled olive oil and topped with Italian seasoning.

BONUS PHOTOS OF RUPERT!

Here is the second review in my rapid succession of product reviews. The other day I asked the boyfriend what he was making for dinner and he replied, “Sausage and peppers. So go and buy some of your fake meat.” I was a little weary because I have had Italian-style “sausage” before and I thought it was terrible! At the co-op I saw Tofurky’s Beer Brats (with microbrew) and they even advertised that they could be grilled. I was skeptical but I still bought them. The boyfriend cooked two up in a a pan, put them on top of sauteed peppers and onions, and then I squeezed on some spicy brown mustard and topped with sauerkraut. I thought they were really good. I definitely could see how they would be able to be grilled. Soft on the inside, I really think that you could fool someone with these. They weren’t chewy or odd tasting at all.

Ingredients: organic tofu, (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed, non-genetically engineered canola oil, water, herbs and spices, textured wheat protein, Full Sale Amber Ale (water, malted barley, hops, yeast), granulated garlic.

So I have a couple of reviews to post. The other day I was super hungry, and I was at the local co-op. I decided to grab a box of Road’s End Organic Penne & Chreese. The ingredients looked okay:

Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Penne (Organic Brown Rice and Water), Organic Green Lentil Flour, Nutritional yeast, Organic Tapioca Starch, Unrefined Sea Salt, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Ground Yellow Mustard Seed, Organic Ground Cumin, and Annatto. No Gluten, No Soy, 100% Vegan

Let me tell you, I was really disappointed. It was bland and had an odd consistency. I found myself adding more seasonings and additional Earth Balance to try and make this a better meal. You should just avoid and make your own (or my awesome and delicious recipe for Mac & Uncheese).

If you have searched through my blog before, you might have noticed my recipe for Vegan Mayo (updated version here). I haven’t made it in awhile and I said to myself that the next time I have an empty jar, I would do that. Also, mayo isn’t a huge part of my diet (I don’t like it on sandwiches; I prefer it more as a dip or dressing- -it goes great with my “Chicken” Salad recipe). I was at the local co-op today and decided to get a jar of Original Vegenaise (they have 3 other flavors-organic, grapeseed, & expeller-pressed). I was pleasantly surprised that it had minimal ingredients but still had a good, tangy taste. I have heard that Vegenaise tastes better than Nayonaise. Now, I shouldn’t really say anything about Nayonaise because I haven’t tried it but it had much more added ingredients.

I seriously don’t think anyone could tell the difference between Vegenaise and regular egg-based mayo. The only differences I noticed, however, were that even though it had that thick mayo texture, it was smoother and tangier but that really is a positive thing. I first tried a little on its own and it tasted A-Okay with me. Than I used it as a dip with some french fries (yes, french fries. I prefer it over ketchup, which is okay, but I guess that makes me less of an American )It was even taken to the test in the New York Times:

* In a test of 13 leading lower-fat mayonnaises which appeared in the New York Times (July 29, 199 Vegenaise^® was selected as a standout, beating out, among others, Hellman’s Low Fat Mayonnaise, Kraft Mayonnaise Light, Kraft Miracle Whip Light Dressing, Nayonnaise Vegi Dressing and Spread, and Spectrum Lite Canola Mayonnaise. http://www.followyourheart.com/vegenaise_facts.php#NYTimes

RECOMMENDED

p.s. The shelf life is a good amount of time.

p.p.s. When I am done with this jar, I will be tweaking my vegan mayo recipe.

I decided to start posting some Quick Meals. These will probably take all of about 10 minutes. I was sorta inspired by The Urban Vegan’s 101 Simple Vegan Meals Ready in 10 Minutes (the link is also on my favorites). These Quick Meals probably won’t have any photos (sorry ) but they are still simple and filling. And here is the inaugural post:

Kidney/Red Bean Salad

• 1 can kidney or red bean, drained & rinsed
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil (try using extra virgin to get all the goodness out of the oil)
• pepper
• sea salt
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• nutritional yeast (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients together. Everything is season to taste. This is low fat, cholesterol free, and high in protein.