Wednesday, August 3, 2011

new perspectives and seeing red

every day i look at the calendar like a little kid who just can't wait for christmas. glowing like a set of blinking x-mas lights are the following words in red on friday, august 26th: vida vegan con . this is just a few weeks away, and i can't believe i'm going. i really thank my loving spouse, friends, and online community for encouraging me to not give up and to keep entering contests so i could go. mr. j. told me if i won a ticket, he would make sure i had plane fare. he worked REALLY hard-(overtime!) and made it happen for me and i'm so grateful for that. it is going to be amazing to see my fellow bloggers in the flesh, learn a thing or two from some role models, and eat super amazing food! i'm planning on bringing a video camera to catch some of the sights and do some video diary stuff while i'm there!

i also look at my tomato plants a few times a week. i want to see red. but i see lots of green fruits that are not red and i pout. i also see blossom end rot (photo above) which is the result of Ca/Mg deficiencies, erratic watering, and THE HEAT, which also makes me frowny. since i'm pretty good about feeding and watering my babies, i know that the heat is shutting my plants down and making them incapable of absorbing the needed nutrients which makes that ugly burnt mark at the bottom of those 'maters.
i have been seeing red. red on my head. nope, not a dr. seuss reference. i'm pretty much sold on light mountain red henna for my hair. just look at your sexy author busily blogging with that wrap on the noggin. this brand is pretty cheap-$6.49 retail, and a little goes a long way. the color is solid and lasts a while. that shot was taken almost 9 weeks ago.

my only complaint about the henna is the time involved. you have to heat water in a non metal container, mix the henna in and let it cure for at least a couple of hours. it looks like poo when it is done curing, and then you have to slather it on and let it sit a couple of hours with some plastic on to keep the heat on the hair. so don't do henna and think you'll be done in 30 minutes, it ain't gonna happen.

back to VVC. this IS a blogging conference, so i have been severely meditating about my blog and have come up with some goals i'd like to accomplish while i'm in PDX. these are in no particular order:
  • give out some sort of memorable thing with thatpainintheassvegan.blogspot.com on it. probably a funny post card.
  • nom the hell out of some voodoo doughnuts.
  • have a nosh at a really good taco food cart. i wanna look like i was mauled by a giant plate of nachos.
  • buy a copy of kittee's new ethiopian GF 'zine and have her autograph it for me. i'll probably obtain an extra copy to give away once i return!
  • meet some of my best bloggin' buddies and fellow ppk comrades, specifically bianca, mo, and tofumom.
  • admire vegan cookbook celebrities from a distance. i'm pretty outgoing online, but i'm pretty sure i'll be reserved in person. i don't anyone to know how crazy i really am.
  • do something about my photography skills. my food porn pics suck! i want to learn how to take prettier photos.
  • i want to get more people to read this blog and make enough money from foodbuzz to make monthly sizable donations to my local food bank or animal shelter. i know this involves more giveaways, video blogging, and possibly a podcast.
  • network with people about private chef services or food writing. momma needs to think about her future. i'm happy as a gardening nerd, but i know i have talents that can be used elsewhere.
  • sleep in past 7am, something i have not done in at least a year.

for the last bit of red: behold the red avocado. whuuuuut? yes, i scored these at the food bank with some amount of suspicion. i figured if they didn't turn out to be good enough to eat, i could always use them for a facial masque. well, they were pretty good. not your typical avocado--a little more watery, slightly sweet, and a tad gelatinous. would probably make a mean popsicle. i used some for guac, and put the rest in the freezer. look at the size of that thing! i put my kitchen shears next to it to show scale. i would say 1 fruit yields almost 2 cups of gnawsome avocado flesh.
i'm also having a bake easy on the 13th to expose some peeps to the world of vegan baked goods and try to scrape together some last minute money for the trip.

8 comments:

sgcorrie said...

I'm really excited to meet you!! I love that you donate blog proceeds to the food bank, it makes my little vegan heart all warm and fuzzy.

Allysia said...

I'm super excited about the convention too! And to visit the mythical city of Portland, of course. Also, that's a really wacky looking avocado.

Bianca said...

I can't wait to meet you too!!!!! Seriously, when I found out you won, I felt like VCC was complete. This is going to be the best thing ever!!!! I was telling my bf last night that the whole thing will be a dream come true, a bucket list item checked. We're gonna tear PDX up! I'll totally join you for a Voodoo Donut (or 12).

Tami said...

Jewy, I'm not sure if my pm went through. But the gazpacho is here-
http://www.godairyfree.org/201107265163/News/Nutrition-Headlines/Beat-the-Heat-with-Great-Gazpacho.html
Can't wait to hear all about your VVC experience and even see some of it!

amberdixie17 said...

Well, Christmas is fast approaching. By the way, good luck on the convention. Just keep up the good work. interior designers melbourne

The Traveling Ph.D. said...

I gave up on getting any red tomatoes off of my plants. I've been doing the green tomato thing. Fried in olive oil. Added to homemade salsa. About to be used in a fried okra/tomato mashup. Hell, I might even pickle the darned things. :-)

Mari said...

I have my stylist (aka friend who cuts hair professionally) put the henna in really late at night (she's a sweetheart) and then I sleep in it until I wake up from itching or 6hrs has passed, whichever comes first.

I buy whatever henna I find at the Indian market that isn't labeled "black" and I use a mix of vinegar, red wine, and clove powder to go dark red.

Unknown said...

Too bad that too much heat is shutting your plants down. Just good luck with that gardening thing and the convention. I know you'll make it. More power!

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