Week Six: Armleder Dog Park

Armleder dog park is my favorite dog park in Cincinnati. There's nothing fancy about it; it's pretty close to where I live and there's lots of space for the dogs to gallop and play.

Armleder is large enough that you can sit on the grass without getting run over by a pack of romping rovers.  There are plenty of shade trees under which you can lounge with your tired-out pooch after they've run themselves ragged.  In warm weather there's also fresh water available both inside and outside the gated areas.

This Friday afternoon Andrew and I took Olivet & Meynard out to Armleder.  It wasn't too crowded, and there were just enough dogs in attendance to make it fun.  The weather was perfect and we had a delightful time.  Andrew threw tennis balls to Olivet for about an hour until she finally ran out of steam.  Meynard had a great time playing with the other dogs.

I'm thankful for SPCA Cincinnati who fostered Meynard for 3 months before we adopted him.  I met him while volunteering to walk the shelter dogs there, and he was my favorite dog from the get-go.  I would start each shift by checking for Meynard in hopes that he had been adopted.  My heart would sink every time I realized that he was still there.  Unfortunately, he was just one of the many "long timers" that hadn't yet met his new family.

Eventually I realized that he might be waiting on me to take him home.  So, that's what I asked for from Andrew and Olivet for Christmas.  We brought Olivet up to the SPCA to meet Meynard and she was fine with him (a Christmas miracle!)

Meynard was 5 years old when we got him and came "pre-programmed" with tricks and manners.  He's a shining example of how adopting an older dog can be just as rewarding, if not more so, than adopting a puppy.  And he's been a great big-brother to Olivet.

So far I'm on Day 2 of  Happy Herbivore's WHOLE Days challenge.  I feel pretty good.  You can check out my thoughts on the 30 WHOLE Days Challenge page of this blog.

I did allow myself one small appliance purchase for this challenge.  (I'm an appliance junkie - it's just a fact).  I bought an old school hot air popcorn popper so I could make popcorn without oil.  I was worried I wouldn't like plain popcorn, but I do!  I forgot I used to eat plain air-popped popcorn at my babysitter's after grade school (before microwave popcorn even existed!).  It's by far my new favorite snack.

Adventures in Eating - 30 WHOLE Days

May 1st I'm embarking on a new eating adventure. I'm participating in Happy Herbivore's 30 WHOLE Days challenge.

I'll admit, even as a vegan I eat lots of junk food. My favorite meal is vegan hot dogs on a white bun, with Bush's vegetarian baked beans. I love sweets and have been able to veganize all my favorite cookies and cakes.

I stopped eating animals not for health reasons, but because I don't believe that animals were put here for us to exploit, torture or kill for money. It's a rebellion against corporate greed. So, admittedly, I haven't been concentrating on making the most healthful of choices.

Since entering in the veg lifestyle, my attitude has been "I've given up enough" when it comes to food choices. I'm hoping this challenge will help change my perspective. I'm really anxious, but I'm also curious to see what happens! I'll be keeping a separate page on my blog that will detail the 30 WHOLE Days challenge as I go through it. Here is a link to all the other bloggers who are participating in the challenge as well.

Week Five: Great American Ball Park

I am lucky enough to work for a company that still funds outings for their employees.

This Saturday I went to the Great American Ball Park to watch the Reds game. I actually watched little of the game - I mostly chit-chatted with coworkers and enjoyed free food and drinks! I even smuggled in a couple veggie dogs from home so I could participate in the ballpark nosh.

Great American Ball Park is very cool. The painted steel construction reflects the style of the bridges spanning the Ohio river that can be seen from several areas of the stadium. The open architecture allows fans to watch the game, see the river and view the surrounding skyscrapers from their seats.

The only thing that could make the ball park even better would be a light rail to take fans into downtown and back from the surrounding areas of the city.

Pictured below is my "Sunday Scraps" casserole. I usually make a version of this every Sunday, and this time I remembered to take pictures. I take all my leftover veggies from the week, cut them up and put them in my favorite Le Creuset dish to bake. It's always my favorite meal of the week.

I've been eating so much over-processed junk food lately - I'm really going to try to make better food choices this week.

I just finished watching Food, Inc. and it made me grateful that I've made the decision to be vegan/vegetarian. It also opened my eyes to all the other things that I eat without questioning what it's made of and where it comes from. I signed up for fellow blogger Happy Herbivore's 30 Day Whole Food Challenge that begins on May 1st. I'm hoping it helps me get focused on eating the good stuff and ignoring the junk!

Week Four: Roller Derby

This Saturday I attended my first Cincinnati Roller Girls game at Cincinnati Gardens. I went with two of my old-school friends and we had an absolute blast.

For $10 we were able to see both the junior varsity team The Silent Lambs vs. The St. Lunachix and the varsity team The Black Sheep vs. the ARRG All Stars.

Roller Derby is an amateur sport, and the players are owners and operators of the their teams. While we were waiting in line to get tickets, several roller girls were mingling with the fans and signing autographs.

Before going I did some research into the rules of the game. There are basically 3 types of skaters: pivots, blockers and jammers. The helmets of the pivots have stripes, and the helmets of the jammers have stars. The jammer starts a few seconds behind the pack and must get through the blockers and pivots in order to score. It's a full contact sport and very exciting to watch. All the players have crazy names like "Hannah Ouchocinco" and "Cherry Choke."

I was made aware of this phenomenon thanks to friends I follow on Twitter and Facebook. I also participated in my first tailgate and "Tweetup" thanks to @Mojojacob.

The next home game for the Cincinnati Rollergirls is May 8th and I will most certainly be in attendance.

Week Three: Homemade Soap

I'm lucky to have a friend in the soap business. This weekend she invited me to her charming house for a "Mischief, Mayhem, Soap" party.

Each soap was simple, beautiful and decadently scented. She offered several varieties including Lavender w/ Salt, Green Tea, Rosewater, Calendula, and several types of shaving pucks. It was hard to choose a favorite, and I ended up walking away with six bars!

I'm thankful for the Handmade Crafting/Do-It-Yourself Movement. I love the idea of art created for and by the masses as a part-time hobby. An everyday object such as a bar of soap becomes extraordinary simply because it's homemade. Many do-it-yourself artisans live the dual life of an 8 - 5 office worker by weekday/crafter by weekend. For me, crafting is a great way to balance the benefits of life in the rat race (the pay, health insurance, etc) with my artistic, creative sensibilities.

This weekend, I also attended a housewarming party of a co-worker. She mentioned that there would be a fire pit, so I made vegan S'mores mini-cupcakes for the occasion.

These cupcakes involved several steps, including cutting and dipping individual graham cracker squares into melted chocolate and letting them cool. It was quite a production, but I loved how they turned out decoratively. The extra effort was worth it, as they were both adorable and delicious.

Andrew kept me company in the kitchen during this process. He helped by taste-testing after each step. He also decorated his own cupcakes for the first time!

Week Two: Krohn Conservatory

I must admit I've resided about two blocks away from the Krohn Conservatory for the past seven years and have probably visited it twice.

This is because I'm normally tethered to two dogs that tug me along as they trounce and sniff through Eden Park. Since dogs aren't allowed to enter the Krohn, we usually just cut through the parking lot and weave our way past its visitors as quickly as possible. Since the trees and daffodils are in bloom I decided this would be a good time to visit.

It was amazing. I'd forgotten that you can wind through a tropical rain forest and see luscious foliage juxtaposed against the 1930s Art Deco glass and aluminum.

I felt like I was on The Island from Lost (which was delightful!) It was hot, tropically and awe inspiring. I spent about an hour and then walked home. Did I mention it's free and has WiFi?

Walking through the park sans pooch was a surprisingly pleasant experience. I didn't have to pick up any poop, which was great...but I was also able to see and hear things that I haven't before. I was able to hear the rustling of a snake beneath some dead leaves. He was camera shy and moved too fast for me to take his picture.

This Sunday was Easter. And though this has nothing to do with the Krohn Conservatory, I have to share my Easter craft. I like to mark all holidays with some kind of cutesy craftiness.

I made vegan chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. I dyed the frosting in different pastel colors and placed a chocolate bunny graham on each one. They were delicious, I was able to take some to a friend's house and Andrew and I ate the rest.

Everyone loves owls

Slipcover Your Life’s Stitchery Giveaway!

I just discovered this delightful blog called My Owl Barn that showcases all things Owl related. They are giving away this little craft kit from the Etsy store Slipcover Your Life's Stitchery.

Weekend Plans:

Today we're planning on hiking the trails at the Cincinnati Nature Center. I've heard the wildflowers are blooming. I have mountains of laundry to do, and a guest bedroom that needs painting, but I just can't stay inside on this wonderful day.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and I have plans to attend lunch with Andrew's grandpa and his driver Beverly. Easter should not come to pass without some kind of craft or cute food. I'm working on some ideas now, and hope to have an activity planned for tomorrow.