books, tiramisu, more cakes, raw vegan cupcakes, eating plants, & a friend on my shoulder
Sunny blessed afternoons. I read 10 books in April. I’m now ahead for reading a book a week (I was behind the first three months!). I’m now striving for at least 100 books this year.
I still wish I could clone myself so I could actually be in my own photos sometimes, but benches and tables work as good stand-ins once in a while 
I bought myself a huge tiramisu cake for my own birthday a week ago. The girl at the bakery asked, “Is it for someone’s birthday?” I nodded yes and she let me pick out a candle and a “Happy Birthday” sign. I still have yet to eat it (or make a birthday wish and blow out the candle!). I wonder when I will.
Likewise, two mango cakes for a half-birthday & an anniversary.
Friday a week ago was fantastic.
Speaking of desserts, which I simply adore, I’m excitedly beginning to create raw vegan desserts. Since cupcakes are tempting (and aesthetically pleasing, which is probably why I like them so much) I made a few yesterday with Oliver. (We also finally did a papercraft project together that we’ve been meaning to do since November.) Making food is fun and exciting.. to me, at least. If you’re asking, how could a cupcake be raw? then the answer is: It’s made of fruits and nuts, coconut butter, and natural unprocessed sweeteners like agave (or honey, which is “beegan”).
Yummy raw vegan chocolate cupcakes with frosting! (The frosting was almost too rich and sweet for me! but maybe because I tasted it too much while I was making it…)
I’ve been meaning to write about raw veganism (and all sorts of healthy delicious food in general) since I first started eating more raw food, and many yummy food writings are coming soon!
I’ve also been vegetarian for a couple of weeks and it’s been both surprisingly and unsurprisingly easy for me. My trial period was 30 days (I haven’t slept past noon in over a month, either! hurrah!) but I think I might transition entirely (or at least to pescetarianism). On some days I’m completely raw vegan, on others, I’m just vegetarian… I’m flexible and I like it that way (plus, I rebel against restrictions, self-imposed or not– restricting and depriving is for the weak!).
Either way, I find myself not missing dead animal flesh at all. After I’m done with my 30 days, I’ll be sure to share my journey, considering my parents used to call me a tiger for my carnivorous tendencies and wonder how a horse (I was born in the year of) that was supposed to eat grass became such a voracious meat-eater. The funny thing is that I (along with a few other vegetarians, vegans, or even raw vegans) used to be one of those people that’d say “I’d never be able to be a vegetarian.” But it’s a process, and it’s gradual. Whew! I’d better not get carried away before this becomes a ramble about vegetarianism.
I hope you had a good weekend, and may you have a good week. 
photo by Oliver
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tags: food, loliver, love, reading, vegetarianism veganism & not eating animals
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May 2nd, 2010 at 16:47
I want to be that Sun God baby
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May 2nd, 2010 at 16:48
Omnivore?
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May 2nd, 2010 at 17:21
Especially love that first picture! Really sweet.
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May 3rd, 2010 at 14:37
YUMMY! i cant wait to try these!
Kat’s last blog: uneasy
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May 3rd, 2010 at 22:46
Hi Sui!
How are you??
WHEN WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY?!
So informal, but ~*~ HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY ~*~
You made the cupcakes! They came out superrrr cute, it looks delicious!
The first picture of you and O is TOO cute! ♥
Glad you had such a lovely weekend!
Christine’s last blog: hello sunday hello sunshine
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May 4th, 2010 at 07:40
Hi from Scotland! Just found your blog – really like it. You seem to have a great attitude to life – inspiring. xx
http://equatorlive.com/weshop/
Sarah’s last blog: Madrid day 1: sequintastic shopping
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May 5th, 2010 at 19:06
yes, seaworld does=san diego! we’re just coming for a vacation this time to see friends and family before my husband ships out to basic training. but we will be moving to san diego sometime in 2012.
we’ve taken T to disneyland a couple time and her Tia and Uncle have season passes and are going to take her so she wins either way!
Kat’s last blog: grilled cod fish tacos
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May 6th, 2010 at 02:44
I can’t do total vegetarianism/raw– so difficult mostly because I know the difference between using a good (homemade) chicken broth vs vegetable broth– or caramelization and sauce-making that you just can’t achieve with vegs.
but I’ve gotten the chance to skim through Raw: the UnCook Cookbook which is an amazing collection of recipes (I still don’t find salads drool-worthy) and this other book by some famous chef but half his recipes feature like, “fake-meat” that you can only get online which is kind of cheating if you’re just going to replace meat dishes with “fake-meat” and try to pull it off as authentically vegetarian.
on the other hand, i freaking love (mango)-mousse cakes. I’m pretty sure I can live off of it and not die early. Pretty sure.
Karen C.’s last blog: Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash stuffed with Quinoa
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May 6th, 2010 at 11:34
@Karen C.: mmm yeah I just happen to love raw food… cooking is definitely an art but I leave that for the professionals. also that’s why I don’t ever restrict or deprive myself. I only eat what I want to eat
and there’s a lot of discussion on if fake meat = fake vegetarian. but if most people do it for health/moral/environmental reasons, and not because they don’t like the taste of meat, why does it mean they’re fake if they still choose an animal alternative? :]
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May 6th, 2010 at 21:36
Happy belated!!!
I’m proud of your progress, girlie! I’m trying to do the vegetarian thing, but with dudeguy to think about, it gets to be hard at times.
Can’t wait to haaaaaaaaaaaaang!
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May 6th, 2010 at 22:49
Oh yeah for sure, I love fake meat , don’t get me wrong (they do a decent job most of the time and I’m working on my tofu ‘chicken’ right now) but basing half a book that’s supposed to be teaching people to cook without meat is kind of meh. i.e. making a mushroom patty vs using ground tofu-beef kind of thing.
Karen C.’s last blog: Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash stuffed with Quinoa
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May 8th, 2010 at 19:46
so many things to comment about!!!
ok firstly, 10 books so far!! GOSH i’m really envious
(( i really haven’t completed a book properly this year at all…most of the time i’m so tired out from school that i either don’t wanna read anything or don’t wanna read anything heavyweight…which makes me turn back to my well thumbed shopaholic books over and over again haha terrible i know… i wonder how many books i can catch up on this week and over the next few weeks on my trip! 
why haven’t you eaten the tiramisu cake yet!!! XD it’d be gone in like 2 days if it were me…
i’ve never actually tried vegan desserts before but the concept is interesting! am all for healthier foods… my sis is actually a vegetarian and she’s been one for many years already but not the really strict sort…like she doesn’t mind plucking meat off a pizza and eating the remainder haha… but i couldn’t do without my beef.
lynnette’s last blog: the countdown begins: 7 days to go!
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May 20th, 2010 at 05:07
Your raw cupcakes are adorable! Please can I highlight them on my site the next time I post (it will probably be a few days, as I’m trying to cut back)? It would be an honor.
I wish I had more time to read, but now that my youngest is 9-months-old and getting into everything, I just can’t get a moment. Good luck with your goal.
My son likes to read, too. He has one of the highest tallies in his class for number of books read. I’m so proud of him.
P.S. He likes your cupcake pics, too
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