I’m feeling better today but my grandfather was in the hospital today. He is home now but he gave everyone quite a scare and is still very weak and not doing well. They ran a bunch of tests and such. I hope he keep feeling better. I hate being so far away. Most of my mom’s side of the family, including my grandfather, live in North Carolina.

I found a really neat website that monitors mouse movements while you’re on the computer. This is what my movements look like when I browse the internet for 2 hours. I found it very interesting. What does yours look like? You can download the neat little program at IOGraphica.com. That’s my little find of the day.

I asked Josh to write the recipe down exactly as he did it. Some of it made me giggle, like his ingredient called “fake chicken” which of course us vegans of course would call something like textured soy protein or a meat substitute. Anyway, I am going to write the recipe exactly as Josh did! If you try it, let us know if you like it!

SQUASH AND MUSHROOM THINGIE

Ingredients:
1 green squash (zucchini)
1 yellow squash
half onion
punnet mushrooms (chopped)
half cup soymilk
fake chicken
cup chopped stringbeans
2 tsp margarine
vegetable stock cube

Directions:
Heat large saucepan, melt margarine into saucepan, add mushrooms and 1/4 cup soymilk. Whilst mushrooms are cooking, cube squash, chicken. Add all at once to saucepan. Dice beans, add to saucepan with remainder of soymilk, add veg cube. Dice onion, add to saucepan, cover, simmer for 25-30 min over low heat.

The Rules:
1. Open your 1st Photo folder.
2. Scroll to the 10th photo.
3. Post the photo and the story behind it.
4. Tag 5 or more people.

This is a food court in a local mall. I think it’s hysterical because the food court is a giant Zeppelin. At the time, I was still playing World of Warcraft and all you WoW nerds will understand why I thought this was awesome and deserving of a photo. For the rest of you, just know that one of the main ways that your character travels in the game is via a huge zeppelin. I only wish I could’ve gotten further away because it really is a HUGE ZEPPELIN! (You know, a big airship!) Now, the only thing I need to figure out is why our food court needs to fly away…

I tag Alexandra, Nicola, Jonna, Ashleigh, and Angela.

She asked in the entry if anyone would like a postcard. I commented and said that I would love a postcard if she wanted to send me one! Today, a postcard came in the mail from France! It was a handmade postcard, hand stamped and made especially for me and I love it!

The quote on the front around the stamps says, “The three essentials of happiness are something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for…”

The quote is special to her and she told me why in the message on the back. It was so lovely and it means so much that she sent me such a lovely post card! I love getting gifts from my blog friends in the mail because it makes you realize how special the friends you have made really are.

Moko also liked the post card but after a while she tried to lick and bite it. I think she started to get bored after she read it all. Silly cat. :P

Thanks Alexandra!

So I decided that I’d share with you what you might find in my purse. Here is what I am carrying around with my on a daily basis. Well, minus my camera because that’s usually in there too. Obviously it was in my hands at the time of the photo.

From left to right, top to bottom:
my purse, my inhalers, benadryl, school medical kit (gloves and gause with instructions), a book, wallet, checkbook, daily planner, moleskine journals, breathspray, chapstick, a crayon from my friend for St. Patrick’s Day (haha), my phone, my sparkly hair clips, nail file, my crazy amounts of pens and pencils that I don’t need but insist on carrying with me at all times, and my keys

So… what’s in your bag?

Then, Josh told me to listen to this song.

I love when people are able to take songs and create entirely different and beautiful music and remixes from it. I wanted to share it with you.

Do you have a favorite remix?

I asked him what he needed a stapler for. Theoretically the only thing he should have been doing (and the only thing I saw him doing) was reading his book and you don’t need a stapler for that, right?

I looked again and the only thing he had in his hands was his book. Again, I thought this to be very odd.

He told me that he wanted to staple the book so he didn’t lose his page. He was going to put a staple through the first 35 or so pages and the front cover because he was sick of losing his page. He said he tried folding down the corner of his page but it kept coming back up!

I said I didn’t think this was a very wise idea. I suggested that he take a piece of loose leaf paper and fold it up a few times and make his own bookmark. I told him that on his free time he could even color it and customize it.

He told me that I was a genius.
Just when you thought you had seen it all, right?

“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 12 years since my last confession.”

“Why have you been away from the Church so long?” the friar said.

I explained that, in fact, I had not been away. I was closer than most. I’m quite active in my Church but Confession is just one sacrament I haven’t received in years. I sing at Mass (I’m the leader of song) every Sunday – sometimes two or three times a weekend – and I am at Choir practice during the week. I went to Catholic school for 6 years and then went to a private Catholic College. I sing lots of religious music too. Heck, I even have a Great Uncle who is a priest.

I told the friar my sins, all my deepest secrets that have been plaguing my heart and soul for so long, staring at my feet the entire time. I stopped, took a deep breath, and look up at him.

He laughed, and asked me if I was sorry for my sins.

“Of course!” I squeaked, appalled that he would even ask such a question. Then I remembered it was part of the script.

He told me I was absolved of my sins, and to go in peace.

I stared at him for a moment. “That’s it? Don’t I have to say Hail Marys? Our Fathers? The Creed? The Rosary? Anything?”

He laughed at me and told me to go do a good deed or something.

I was insulted. This was 12 years worth of sins that I just professed and he laughed in my face like I was a child. An insolent child! Silly Caity… your sins are cute… now go keep being good.

I guess in retrospect it’s a good thing. It’s better to have cute sins than really horrible, unspeakable sins. I am still angry, though… he shouldn’t have laughed. They are still my sins and they still weighed me down for 12 years.

I also had to tell one kid that he had an overdue book from October so he couldn’t stay in the library during his lunch period (which is a privilege). I felt bad because he is a nice boy and I know he was just going to do his work but… October is a long time to have an overdue book.

Now isn’t a good time to mention that I have two overdue books from my public library that were due in November, is it? Maybe that is why I felt so guilty for sending him away. Yup… the truth always comes out.

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 14.5 ounce cans chopped or diced tomatoes
2 14.5 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8oz green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces (fresh or frozen)
2 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup natural peanut butter

Directions
1. In a large pot, mix 1/2 cup water, onion, jalapenos, ginger and garlic on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
2. Add cumin, cinnamon, salt, red pepper and coriander. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, green beans, vegetable broth, and peanut butter.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium/low heat and cover the pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
5. Let it cool, then eat and enjoy!

I cooked it a bit differently and altered the ingredients a bit.
You can also use a pressure cooker but I prefer to use a stovetop.
Source: fatfreevegan.com.