#Answered
vivialive asked: hi eliza! i'm looking into having a very mini garden on my balcony. i'd like to grow some edible things, like herbs. do you have any recommendations for easy to maintain, good at growing together in the same pot plants? :) thanks! you da best! :D
Mint, parsley, basil and rosemary are wonderful options! Although if possible I’d plant them each in their own pot or planter so they don’t compete for root space.
Love ya, Viv! xx
knowledgeandlove asked: The response you gave to freelovefortheworld .... I've been developing as an investigative journalist & an article I've been working on is centered around my citys food culture. I'm trying to point out how unhealthy we are &give a boost to our vegan culture. I come off a bit "militant" & I was going to publish under a pseudonym bc of that. Now I don't think I will. I should proudly publish under my own name and have no shame in voicing the truth or fear of backlash. Thank you.
There’s nothing I could type in to this little space that would truly express how much this message means to me. For every discouraging word you may receive in response to publishing the truth, know that there are thousands of us who support your message and will stand with you in complete solidarity.
Sending you lots of hugs! ~ ea
thenobleqxn asked: So I checked out your grocery list and I was wondering, do you buy everything organic? Or just whatever is available that is organic? How do you preferably wash your food? And what do you think about the "dirty dozen" list?
Oh hey! Well first, here’s my average grocery list for those who haven’t given it a gander yet. To answer your questions:
- I try to buy organic when possible, it really is important… lately I’ve been eating almost exclusively bananas, melons, greens and oranges which are all organic and inexpensive where I shop. I’d say about 90% of what I purchase is organic and the other 10% are things that can be peeled. Never non-organic apples, corn, berries or greens…
- I wash my produce in a vinegar rinse, like this.
- You mean this “dirty dozen” list? It’s a pretty good guide but many of the “least contaminated” foods on the list are almost exclusively GMO foods when not organic (corn and papaya, specifically).
Hope this is informative! xx
love--fruit asked: i really don't like melon too!! it's good to know there's hope. i want to eat more raw & vegan... but not liking that much fruit really hinders me. i thought if i just repeatedly think "love fruit" (hence my url) that i'd start to love it! thanks for the continual inspiration girl xx
Yes! I believe in you, lol! But really though, I do believe you will learn to like more fruit in time. Just takes practice and time, stick with it! :)
freelovefortheworld asked: yesterday I had an agurment with my very carnivore boyfriend that led me to tears. for the first time, I tried explaining him my views on veganism, and when he used the canine argument, my voice started shaking and I lost myself. It wasn't a violent argument, just a sad one. I love the man to death, but I don't know how to cope with our differences.. I'm not a vegan 'activist',I won't push my beliefs down no one's throath,I do it because it feels right for me. thanks for your precious insight<3
I cover this topic pretty extensively here, but I do want to address one aspect of this message:
Being an activist has nothing to do with “shoving your views down people throats” and everything to do with seeking the truth and sharing that knowledge with others in an attempt to rectify a systemic injustice. All peaceful movements need vocal activists, people willing to stand up and speak the truth even when especially when it’s a difficult truth for ‘the masses’ to digest.
I will not shame others for their personal choices but as long as billions of animals suffer needlessly I will continue to speak up and challenge anyone who wishes to deny the truth.
raysymone asked: Have you always been Vegan? If not, how did you transition? I'm attempting to make the transition now, but it's hard with family and friends constantly making snide remarks. I went a year with no beef/pork and have now cut out chicken, turkey, and fish for this second year. After this year is up I want to cut all animal products and then eventually move on to raw vegan. I was basically just wondering if you had any tips or words of encouragement? Thanks so much, I think you're amazing by the way
I have not, actually! First I was an extremely picky omnivore, then an off/on vegetarian, then a gluttonous meat-lover, vegetarian/vegan off/on again for several years, now vegan solidly for just over a year.
I just sort jumped all the way in… I had been vegetarian dabbling in vegan for so many years, one day I just said “you know what, enough of this halfway compassionate shit, I’m going all in!” and haven’t looked back (and it’s been really, really easy).
If you want to go vegan, just do it! And fuck what people have to say, even family, because it’s your life. And it doesn’t have to be some big scary commitment, just do it today… then wake up and see if you can do it again tomorrow. It gets so much easier, I promise. :)
nunca-pares asked: Hi I just want you to know that I think you're absolutely beautiful inside and out. Anyway, I have a few questions too. I'm a vegetarian, I have been for 3 years now, and I'm 16 years old. I want to become vegan but I don't know how and I also don't know when. I'm the only vegetarian in my family which makes it difficult, so I'm questioning whether or not I should wait until I move out or if I should start the process now.
What a tough situation! I remember being vegetarian in a non-vegetarian family around your age, kudos for your thoughtfulness and consideration for your family, and for committing to a compassionate lifestyle at such a young age… it take’s a lot of guts to stand up for what you believe in; most adults don’t seem to know how to do that, you’re awesome. :)
My advice is to approach your parents respectfully and with as much maturity as you can muster. In fact, jotting down a few notes on your most important points in advance may help you feel a bit more prepared…
Sit your parents down and say something like “I’ve been vegetarian for 3 years now and I’m very proud of myself for sticking with it this long! At first I thought it would be hard, and it was, but every day it gets easier. I don’t expect you to change what you eat, that’s your choice and I respect that, but lately I’ve been learning more about veganism, and the more I learn, the more it just feels right to me… I don’t want you to feel financially pressured by this; a healthy vegan diet is less expensive than you’d think and I’m willing to work to help out with food costs and cooking if you need me to, it’s that important to me! For now you can just think about what I’ve said, but in the meantime it would mean a lot to me if tonight or tomorrow night we could sit down and watch Forks Over Knives together. It’s an interesting documentary about food and health and it’s not graphic at all… please give it your consideration! Thank you and I love you!”
I think starting an open dialogue going with your family is the first step in this transition… Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions!
dioptaze asked: hi! hoping you could offer some advice. i'm gluten-free, vegan, & aim to eat raw during the day and have a cooked meal at dinner. my biggest challenge with this is my time management & planning skills. i find that i am constantly worrying about what to buy for a weeks worth of meals, when i should be soaking my nuts/grains bc don't know when exactly i'll be consuming them, finding time to cook, etc. it's especially hard because i have 2 jobs and 2 other gigs at the moment. do you have any tips?
Hey there! Well firstly, I usually eat raw fruit and greens throughout the day and a cooked/raw whole plant foods dinner. I rarely eat grains or nuts as I’ve found both are difficult for me to digest, and they make me feel sleepy and sluggish when I eat them during the day. Plus raw nuts are so damn expensive!
Secondly, here’s a link to my average shopping list.
Lastly, for budget and simplicity’s sake I tend to eat the same foods everyday. Usually my day looks something like:
- Huge smoothie of 1-2 kinds of fruits, usually 8-10 bananas, oranges or a whole melon (aiming for proper food combining for maximum digestion and nutrient absorption)
- A monomeal of 1 whole melon, bananas, mango, bell peppers or berries (when on sale) until full
- Lots of filtered water and herbal tea
- Snacking on as much fruit as I’m hungry for
- Gigantic salad of kale + spinach topped with chopped veggies, homemade vinaigrette and roasted chickpeas.
Hope this is helpful! xx
kumbaraya asked: Hi! I've followed you for a long time and I love your blog, website, etsy, etc! My fiancé and I are going to Portland and (maybe) Seattle for our honeymoon and I was wondering if you could suggest some vegan food places to try, outdoorsy things (I love hiking), or any other fun things you love to do. We don't mind doing touristy things, but we want to do/see things that locals love too. We're going to be going next Spring :) Thanks so much!
Hey cool, congrats! Portland is my hometown and my most favorite place to be (not living there currently). Some places that immediately come to mind are:
- Sizzle Pie
- Laughing Planet
- The Portland Saturday Market
- Voodoo Doughnuts
- Stumptown Coffee
- Casa Diablo (vegan strip club)
- Portobello (expensive but worth it!)
- Sweet Pea Baking Company
- Food Fight
- Townshend’s Tea House
- Vita Cafe
- Papa G’s
- Blossoming Lotus
- Powell’s Books
- Hawthorne St.
- Alberta St.
- The Laurelhurst Theatre
Outdoor things:
And plenty of other stuff, too, but if you’re working with a limited amount of time, I personally would choose to spend almost all of it there (as I just did on my most recent trip home). xx
labyrintho asked: That last post of yours, the vegan meal at the mexican restaurant ... SOOO wonderful! Making veganism accessible for eating out can be such a task, and you tackled it with such simplicity and ease! Props to you! xxxx Thank you for sharing all that you learn on your journey! x
This message made my night, thank you!
lumieresnuitciel asked: how much does your kettlebell weigh?
25 lbs I believe.
memoriesarestories asked: Hello :) Not sure if you're interested, but have you heard of Bleat? It's a new vegan social networking site that's about to be launched. This will probably sound pretty cringey, but you're quite an influential tumblr vegan *cringe*, and it would be amazing if you'd follow their tumblr because they're posting something pretty exciting later on today. Thanks lovely x
You are amazing, thank you! I do know about Bleat and I’m crazy stoked on it. I didn’t know about their tumblr though, thanks for the heads up. :)
Everyone please check it out!
okayfun asked: hey, i was wondering if i could get some advice from you since you seem so smart and easy going and you seem to know your stuff when it comes to food and your body. my best friend has always been really sensitive about her weight and the last several months she's been acting like she might have an eating disorder, or at least seriously disordered thinking about food and her body. what might you say or do to try and help her if it was your friend in a similar situation?
Sorry this took forever! That’s a tricky situation, one which I’ve been on both sides of… I’d probably try to be real with her, but respectful.
Casually be like “hey dude, I love you so much and I promise I’m not trying to be intrusive or seem judgmental… I know I’m not with you all the time but sometimes it seems like you may not be eating enough and that worries me because I love you and want you to be healthy. I think you are more beautiful and wonderful than you could ever realize, and if you ever need to talk to someone I’m always here to listen, (and if I’m way off base right now feel free to smack me for being nosey.)”
She may smack you or say thank you. She may be insulted, humored or relieved; you can’t really control her reaction, but you make sure she knows she is loved and supported no matter what.
baleriyon asked: Hi, first I want to say that I love your tumblr and everything that you do. I wanted to ask you what do you think about marijuana? How do you think it should be used and what are the dangers of it ? Thank you again for all your efforts to show us how a healthy life can make us happy <3
Cannabis is an ancient medicinal plant with an abundance of therapeutic applications and properties, however the truth has been intentionally buried under a huge stinking pile of lies and fear-based propaganda.
Let it be known: I’m an adult and an educated cannabis activist; I won’t entertain ignorant messages so y’all uninformed individuals can save your breath…
I highly recomend (see what I did there, lol) NORML’s comprehensive resource website for anyone curious about cannabis, and especially for those individuals interested in cannabis activism and decriminalization.
Thank you for the love! xx
youyourbestthing asked: Hi Elizabeth, Do you have a recipe for that rice noodle soup you made a while back? It had seaweed, bokchoy, kimchi and shredded carrot and it's literally making my mouth water. I love your blog so much! Thanks!
You mean this one? The ingredients are the recipe… Cook noodles, make broth, add veggies- Done! For more info google ‘Korean noodle soup’ :)
