I've been back from Puerto Plata almost 6 days and I am still sick with a  really bad flu. I was in bed Friday and all weekend but had to come back to work Monday even though I was a mess and not feeling great. Saldy, I can't afford to take off work. After work last night I took a nice hot bath, had dinner (pizza my hubby ordered, with extra sauce and no cheese for me!) and went to bed at 8pm.

Feeling a little better this morning at work but still coughing and tired. Unfortunately I have to get back on a plane Thursday for the weekend to spend some time with a friend, something that was planned almost 2 months ago. Not sure how I will do but I imagine if I get enough rest the next two days I might be alright. I wish I could postpone the trip but he's already purchased his tickets too and is leaving a day before me to meet up with another friend.

The plus side of being sick is that i haven't been shopping or even been much on the internet to buy things. We're living on groceries I purchased a few weeks ago which is good news, but sadly i'm not eating much. I've been off coffee for about a week now because I just can't stomach it for some reason, really funny for me as I am a coffee addict and love the taste so much! I'm surviving on gemai green tea and water right now which is better for me anyways.

I don't have much money saved up for my trip in a few days which means i'll have to do things very frugally. Luckily I have a ride to the airport and a confirmed seat (no more standby! yay!) so things should go smoothly. I spent two days there 1 1/2 weeks ago so I already have 2 bus tickets i can use to get downtown once I get there.

Not much else to report for now. Perhaps I'll have more once I am feeling better and after my second trip is completed :)

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I never thought I would be so happy to get home after a vacation. Flying standby is stressful too and sadly I got a bad flu which left me in bed the last two days of our 5 day trip.  I managed to save money while we were there because I didn't eat much as I was feeling rather ill most of the time there but mostly just the last two days where I couldn't leave the bed. I definitely don't need to lose weight but I think I lost 5lbs in a week's time. When I arrived home, my sweetie said I really needed to eat. I had tried to eat but wasn't happy with the food there (I'm not even really picky!). Being vegan there was next to impossible too, so my choices were limited and i mostly just went to the grocery store to get rolls and fruit to eat.

Got first class on the way back too which was very nice. Because I was ill, the flight attendant served me some hot tea and gave me a blanket; gotta love that first class service! I tried to eat some of the hot meal they served but couldn't get through it, so my friend ate it for me.

Since we arrived last night, I didn't get a chance to cook anything and I went straight to bed since I couldn't afford to miss work today even if I do have the flu. Lucky for me, th cold medication was on sale for $4 at the drugstore so that's keeping me going even though I am usually opposed to taking that kind of stuff. I'll have to venture out for a cheap healthy lunch and make sure I have food for tomorrow.

I never thought i'd say this either but it's nice to be back in the cold. I never really did like the heat! A few days of sun was enough, now I will be happy to cuddle in front of the fire with a nice cup of hot tea.

More travelling next week but luckily not standby! I won't have much cash for this other upcoming trip but luckily I have a free place to stay. Stay tuned!

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Hi everyone!

Well, I never made it to Mexico. After two days of trying and 4 failed attempts, my friend and I ended up in Toronto to see if we had more success getting a flight there. Long story short, mexico wasn't an option anymore so the airline rep told us to go look on the departures board and see where else we wanted to go. Since it was already 3pm, most of the departures were for Europe, one for Peru and one for Puerto Plata. Peru would have been great but since we only had a few days it was a bit far to go and the trip would have cost more since there are SO many things to do in Peru. We entertained the thought of going to Europe but I've lived there and been there many times and right now the weather isn't great. We asked what our chances were for Puerto Plata...she said there were 5 seats left and 5 standbys including us so we were in as the flight was boarding in 30mins. So the Dominican it was. I got a first class seat, my friend let me take it and he sit in the back of the plane. I sat next to a friendly girl and we laughed about our first class experience. She had never been on first class and I had (we lucked out on our Montreal-Toronto flight) so technically this was my second. We were treated like gold, had a nice free hot meal, chocolate and all kinds of other luxuries. Oh, how the other half live! :)

When we got here, I spoke to the rep for the company my friend works for. Luckily she is french too so she helped us out and bartered with the cab driver to give us a deal into town. Normally the price was $35US, we paid $20 canadian...woohoo. My spanish is ok, but not good enough to barter. Cab driver took a liking to us and took us to a reasonable hotel in Sosua which includes breakfast, internet, pool access and walking distance to the beach. We spent $80 a night as opposed to the $35 a night I had booked in Mexico but sadly this place is touristy and even the rep said we'd be lucky if we got anything under $100 last minute. I've been a bit sick since we got here but have managed to do the beach thing and a little shopping.

My friend and I shop at the grocery store for either lunch or dinner, we only eat out once a day but find the cheapest spots around and end up ordering appetizers.

When we got here, my friend was worried about getting back and I also had to get back to work. Luckily, there is a flight tomorrow which is only once a week back to where I live!! THere are 6 first class seats available, which means another luxury ride back and the time zone is the same so no jetlag either. My hubby will pick us up at the airport at 7pm and I will get a good nights sleep & back to work Thursday.

Stay tuned for more............

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The day has finally come! I am off to Montreal this evening, then Mexico in the morning assuming we make it on the flight with our standby passes. *crossing fingers*

I will be mailing a letter & gift card to my sweetie so he can get a nice surprise while I am gone. I also made a sale on etsy.com and have to ship that out today as well.

After work, I will head down the street to pick up my paycheck and send the mail, then off to go home and finish up packing.

I will be making a nice sit down dinner tonight, probably a veggie sheppard's pie which is easy to prepare. No time for baking so there won't be dessert but I do have some dark organic chocolate on hand!

Hope everyone has a frugal week, I will try to report back with some good frugalt travel tips upon my return, assuming I stick to a strict budget while I am gone (still planning to cook in the communal kitchen where we are staying!)

If you're going anywhere in the world, try this website for cheap accommodations:
http://www.hostelbookers.com (I get a free $5 international phonecard when I book on there)

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I just spent 30mins writing my blog and it disappeared! mmmm. I've never had that happen before. darn...

Ok, one more day til I fly out to Montreal, then hopefully if we get on the mexico flight thursday i'll be sitting in the sun thursday afternoon! *crossing fingers*. My friend showed up last night to spend a few days here before we head out. I can't wait! Still having issues packing because I dug out my summer clothes and can't decide what I want to take. We're not checking luggage so I'll have to make some decisions and I also need a few cold weather outfits just in case we get stuck in Montreal for an extra day. We'll stay at my mom's tomorrow night and she'll drive us to the airport Thursday morning! My friend will purchase some pesos at the bank today...

I just received the skirt I bought on Etsy.com. Sometimes I kick myself for buying handmade clothes because it's a luxury, but then when I receive it, I'm always so pleased. I'd much prefer buying a few pieces here and there from indie clothing designers for a fair price, then to purchase the same item for the same price from a big corporation (ie: Esprit, Gap, Banana Republic...). I only buy designer stuff from big corporations when I find it at the thrift store. Otherwise, I like to give my money to people trying to make a living doing what they love. Choices right? I included a picture of my latest purchase which was taken from the listing of the seller. It's made of hemp muslin and silk screened & dyed with enviro friendly inks. She also included a lovely piece of obsidian stone with my order and it was wrapped so beautifully too. I wish I could sew! Perhaps this is why I appreciate handmade clothing so much as I realize how much work it is. I was thinking of taking a beginner sewing class, just to learn the basics because at this point I can't even sew a button on! :)

Tonight I'm off to get some sushi with the gift certificate I received for my birthday. I can't wait as I've had a craving for it for a few days now.

I'm tempted to get a mani-pedi after work. I used to get a pedicure every 6 weeks but haven't done that in 4 months now so I could save a little money. I've been trying to do it myself. I'm not very good at it (especially the polishing part!) There is a cheap place down the road from my office. Not sure if I will do it yet, will check finances first! :)

Still can't believe i'm 39 now. I still feel so young. I'm already planning my 40th celebration in San Francisco! (saving those pennies!). I think we're only as young as we feel. People never believe how old I am because of my free spirit (the bright red hair helps too!). I wonder why free spirited behaviour is associated with youth. I think if we were all TRULY happy and followed our hearts, we'd all look  young. I have a lot of freedom in my life and a lot of joy and abundant amount of love around me. No one stops me from doing what I love. I can travel alone or with friends.....my sweetie supports everything and anything I do. I am the luckiest woman in the world!

Images:

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Well, I must say my birthday turned out so much better than expected! My friend picked me up from work and drove me to my NMT apt which went well. He also gave me 2 AMAZING dark organic chocolate bars (my other obsession!).

My sweetie picked me up when I was done my apt but I was feeling a bit down (Not sure if the treatment brought out emotional stuff but it's possible!) - I was missing my dad too. So I told him I wanted to go straight home. When I got home, he had decorated the dining room with garlands and a happy birthday sign (he has not ever done this since I've known him!), then I see three presents on the table which had been set with candles, placemats, plates and cutlery. He had also purchased some blueberry squares from the bakery as he could not find a vegan cake :) I opened the present, only to find something I had been looking at for a few years! A Keurig coffee machine! You see, I collect coffee contraptions. I have a Saeco which is the main deluxe machine in my house: (http://www.everythingkitchens.com/saeco-RoyalProfessional.htm  (we got it free about 10 years ago), I also have one of the pod  machines:http://www.buyasseenontv.com/images/melita-pic.jpg ,a few french presses and various stovetop contraptions but I don't own a "regular" coffee machine because it doesn't make good coffee :) He bought the carousel to go with it to hold the k-cups and to address my frugal/environmental mind, he also purchase a separate filter so I can put my own grinds or tea! WOW! I put the Keurig in my room upstairs (I have my own separate room with all my crafty junk). Now I can hang out in my room and drink coffee and tea! I also got a few calls, emails....and my friend came from out of town (1 1/2 hrs away) to hang out the next day and take me for lunch. I had a blast! I didn't go out though, I was feeling rather relaxed and wasn't in the mood for any kind of bar scene, plus I'm leaving in a few days and need every cent I can get :)

Sunday I spent almost the entire day making soap and beeswax candles. I bought beeswax in bulk at the farmers market (the size of a 2L milk container) and used almost all of it. I also made Lavender Patchouli Soap and Carrot Orange Soap (I used some organic carrot juice from the market). Both turned out amazing! I did hot process soap so I was able to cut them and package them the same day. I used tiny paper bags and some leftover stickers I had. Looks really homemade! I also used craft paper to wrap around my beeswax pillars. These will be for birthday gifts throughout the year! Now I just have to make some bath salts :)

After shaving the two batches of soap to make the bars smooth, I used the shavings with a little water and let it soak for a few hours, then i melted it down for a few minutes and poured it into a container. This gave me another 6 bars of soap, just from scraps!I I will call this one "Mystery Soap"

I liked the way it turned out, so if anyone out there makes soap, here is my recipe for the carrot one: (this can be done cold process but I used the hot process method as I wanted it to be ready in a week)

Carrot Orange Soap

10oz Palm Oil

16oz Coconut Oil

8oz Olive Oil

1 oz Shea Butter

1 oz Cocoa Butter

10oz cold liquid (I used 8 oz organic carrot & 2 filtered water)

5.4oz lye (sodium hydroxide)

15ml orange essential oil

Hope everyone had a frugal weekend! My friend is showing up tonight for a few days then we'll go to Mexico! Will make a nice dinner tonight, possibly some veggie sheppard's pie. :)

 

Images:

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Well, today is my birthday and sadly it started off a bit shakey...woke up late, realized that "ms.monthly"  decided to make an appearance (gee thanks!), no time for breakfast, late for work, label machine broke at work (but was later fixed) and I almost fell on ice...but that was just the first hour this morning! I told myself not to get disgruntled about it and put out some positive energy hoping nothing else would go wrong.

You see, I have little expectations on my birthday even though I do love it. I've just had bad luck with it most years; people forgetting, not getting any calls or emails, no presents, having to make my own cake, the day going by without anything good happening.....but still each year I hope for a good one. Last year was good but my dad had died a few weeks earlier and I was in a sour mood. My friend had organized a surprise party with a few close friends that lived in town and i had a homecooked dinner. I just remember not feeling festive, even though the idea was wonderful. Needless to say, even though in the back of my mind I hope for greatness, usually that's not the case on this day. LOL

A few astrologers said 2009 would be a great year for Aquarians and a few intuitives told me the same thing at a personal level for myself....so why not believe in good news? When my boss showed up, he handed me a gift certificate to my fave sushi place. I know he paid this out of his own pocket and not "company" money so this meant so much more to me! I logged into my email at 8:30am and I already had about 10 messages on facebook of birthday wishes, increasing to about 20 a few hours later. Then my phone buzzed a few times....two friends and mom wishing me well on my birthday. It was before noon before all of this happened and to be honest, I was a little perplexed. Why ,all of a sudden is everyone remembering?

I know my friend is going to show up here anyime now after he writes his exam. Not sure what he's planned, but he's really good with things like birthdays so I'm excited to see what he has up his sleeve. My sweetie tries really hard, he knows how much this means to me, but he also knows that I don't like gestures that are unoriginal: let's just say I am very anti flowers/jewelry/perfume and I know he loves me that way (his mom is the same!). I am by no means a typical woman! I've actually been referred to as a "femi-nazi", my dad used to call me that and found my radical antics amusing and I could tell he was proud of himself for raising a strong woman with even stronger opinions. haha 

I like feeling special, but not by someone giving me expensive silly gifts. I don't know how women can be happy with a dozen roses as a gift...that's just too darn easy to do, just whip out your wallet and fork out some cash. The only people that are/were allowed to give me flowers are my parents...or my friend who is a florist because he designs the bouquets himself. I'm also not fond of chivalry, i just want to be treated normal :) So imagine knowing all this about me, then trying to figure out what to do for me? hahaha. It's a challenge, I know.

The only thing I REALLY like to have on my birthday is a cake, and i usually have to make it myself because I don't know anywhere that sells vegan cakes (sometimes I wish I lived out west or in a bigger city). My sweetie buys non-vegan ones and I usually have a small piece  because I know he means well. Knowing work has been overly busy and hellish lately for him, it's doubtful that he'll run home at 3pm and start baking. I'm actually curious if he's going to do anything, but I'm not counting on it. I have a doctors apt at 4pm and he said he'd pick me up afterwards. My guess is that he'll ask me where I want to eat (or what I wanna eat if we decide to do take out) and that's usually what happens. But I am determined to have a cake...like every year! So even if I have to bake it myself, that's ok :)

It's only 3pm here now and I'm getting ready to leave work soon! Will let you all know how the rest of the day/evening goes. Oh, and I treated myself to lunch out ($3 indian food!). Even on my birthday, I like to  be frugal.... :)

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I didn't make it to yoga last night as my friend wanted me to come to the SPCA to pick up his cat with him! I was delighted! While all the paperwork was being settled, i danced with the kitty to Ella Fitzgerald which was playing on the radio at the shelter. I conversed with the other kitties, making sure they were all getting a little attention :) It was nice to see how busy it was, i can't imagine why people would get an animal from a breeder or a petstore considering there are so many unwanted and abandoned animals out there and who wants to give money to the  puppy mills??  If I had money I'd run my own shelter for sure. I never wanted chilren as I've never had that instinct to have them or be drawn to them at all,  but I've always had a soft spot for animals, I will always have them in my life. As my friends know, i'll stop for every animal I see on the street and pet them or talk to them. LOL. I would love a few more cats but my sweetie cleans the litter and he said two is enough..darn :( I am hoping when I retire, I'll be living in the country and I'll have lots of animals then.

I didn't spend any money yesterday, not even a dime. woohoo. I get paid today and will put more money on my credit card, it's coming down fast! I also found out that I won't be a temp anymore as of the end of this month. My job is hiring me casually for a few months with a REAL salary ($10 more an hour than what I make now!). So my bills will be getting paid off a lot more quickly. :D So that's good news. I dont like getting used to extra money sometimes because this contract will most likely end in the spring. Let's hope I'll get a good contract in the summer. I finally feel like bills are coming down and we're making headway. I have two trips this month so I have to make sure not to overdo it financially. The good news is that the two friends I am taking these trips with need to be frugal too :)

I've read a little about soy lately, i suppose too much of it isn't good for you (seems like nothing is good for you these days!), so I decided to make my own nut/seed milks for my oatmeal in the morning instead of using soymilk. Right now I have cashew milk in the fridge, i just soaked 1/2 cup cashews for several hours then put them in a blender with 2 cups of filtered water. mmmmm. After tomorrows breakfast I'll have none left, so my next project is sunflower seed milk! Same idea, 1/2 cup soaked then two cups water. I don't sweeten it as I use mine for oatmeal but you can easily add a tsp of honey and a pinch of salt to it. I only make small batches as the milk won't last more than maybe 5 days.

Tonight we're having corn pasta (gluten,wheat free & so tasty!) with pesto that i made using organic basil, rice parmesan, olive oil, and walnuts. I can't wait. I'm going to throw in a chopped  up tomato in the pasta as well.

I still have my free birthday Boston Pizza pasta leftover which I will eat for lunch (might even be enough for two lunches!). mmmmm. Tomorrow is my actual birthday, so let's hope I can find some good freebies in town!

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Since my sweetie and I don't do the whole Valentine's thing but I DO like to write about it in my zines, I constantly do research to find fun and easy things to make and do for those who do celebrate. I do like to give fun gifts to friends though a few have told me not to because they are very anti-valentine even though I do something for fun. haha. Oh well! (most of my friends are male anyway!)

I stumbled upon a few ideas, not necessarily Valentine's themed but I thought this would be nice to give to female friends (or male friends who like a little colour on their lips! sure why not??) Petroleum Jelly is not vegan but they do sell vegan petroleum jelly at healthfood stores so you may use that as well.

Coloured Lip Gloss

2 tbs of petroleum Jelly
few shavings of beeswax
10 drops of food flavouring (not extract, make sure it's flavouring)
1/2 stick lipstick for color. (I like to use a more neutral one like a peach or lightish pink, not everyone can wear really dark colours, you can use one you don't wear or get one at a dollarstore)

Melt the jelly, lipstick and beeswax on low in a microwave and make sure not to overheat. Stir and pour into (preferably) tiny glass jars or even a recycled film canister (yes they still exist!, I get mine at walmart) The dollarstore also has small containers in their craft section. Let cool, then label! You can also use chocolate chips instead of the lipstick, i saw a recipe like this somewhere, this makes a nice chocolate gloss..mmmm

Mailing a Love Letter, Snail mail!

All anyone seems to get in the mail these days are bills, junk mail and flyers. Who gets old fashioned hand written letters anymore? We all email each other these days!  I came up with this idea beacuse I am going to be away with my friend Jake in Mexico for Valentines day. Again, sweetie doesn't care about that day but I know he'll miss me so here is what I did: I wrote him a letter, then made a fun list of 10 things I love about him (some were funny and cheezy because that's how we are). I will purchase him a gift card for his favourite pizza place (he tends to forget to eat all the time..he's slim but loves pizza!) and wrote that I didn't want him to forget to eat which is why I included the gift card. Of course you can include anything like a photo, calling card (if you are not in the same city) or anything relevant. I will be mailing it Wednesday (as I am leaving Wed night) to his workplace (he rarely checks the mailbox  at home so sending it to his work insures that he'll get it!) Most people don't expect a handwritten letter in the mail, so this could be fun and inexpensive.

Rose Plants planted in Heart Shaped Thrift Vase.

I had a friend a few years back who gave me this great idea which is included in one of my earlier zines. He was a starving student at the time and purchased a tiny rose plant he found at the grocery store (I think he paid $3 for it), then went to the Thrift Store and found a small heart shaped vase for 25 cents. He planted the rose in the vase and if I can remember correctly he may have even put a ribbon around the vase. Too bad his girlfriend at the time didn't appreciate it though (she was a little materialistic). Personally i thought it was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. I always tell people to purchase plants instead of flowers. They last longer! Right now I am seeing tulips in pots at the grocery store, that would be great too!

Make a Fun Cinnamon Latte

This is something I came up with once. We're lucky because we have a fancy machine that frothes milk and makes espresso but you don't need one to make this. Get a to-go cup ready, Steam some milk maybe 2/3 cup (any kind: soy, rice, almond...) you can do this in the microwave or on the stove. If you have one of those frothers (i've seen these hand ones at the dollarstore, tiny thing that frothes milk) use that. . Pour one ounce of espresso (or VERY strong coffee) at the bottom of the cup, then pour the milk on top and drop a few of those cinnamon candies inside. You can also sprinkle with red coloured sugar (sugar and food colouring), cinnamon sugar or red sprinkles. Makes a great gift if your honey has to work in the morning!

If I think of more ideas I will post them :O)

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The weather was so terrible here yesterday that i got to leave the office at noon! Only problem with that is that I don't get paid for hours don't work. My boss knows this so he put me on call to give me an extra hour of work. *thanks boss!!!*

I decided to make that casserole using the crescent roll package but apparently i messed it up. My sweetie got home late so I wasn't sure what to do and improvised. I failed to roll it out and just stuck the pieces in the casserole as a crust. I put in 4 cups of frozen veggies, a small package of soy ground and some pizza sauce I had leftover from pizza making night. I baked it for about 30mins at 350F. I didn't really like the taste so I only had a few bites of it, then decided to eat guacamole and a few carrots for dinner instead. My sweetie ate it but we both agreed not to make it again. LOL. I just think i could have spiced it up better or perhaps added a sauce. For dessert, I cut up one of the apple pies we purchased (3 for $2.39!!!!) in 4 pieces (this is a really small pie, maybe 6 inches around). We both just had a small piece and I took another piece with me to work. I think the pie is meant for two servings but 1/4 of the pie was enough for one serving I found.

I got my free coupon from Boston Pizza for a free  birthday meal. I got it several days ago and i have a week to  use it (last day I can use it is my birthday which is Friday). When I saw the food come, I couldn't believe the portion!! That's how much pasta i'd make for 4 people!! So I had about 1/4 of it and packed up the rest to take with me for lunches. So I got a $15 meal free which will also turn into a few free lunches! It was a nice liguini with sundried tomatoes, spinach and pomodoro sauce. I rarely eat pasta because it makes me feel really bloated. Thank goodness I have yoga tonight!

My NMT treatment seems to really be working even though you're not supposed to see too many changes after one session. My allergy cough that I always have really badly in the morning was maybe 70% less than it usually is and I am not clearing my throat as much either. My arthritis is acting up a bit but nothing out of the ordinary.  I go back friday for another treatment and will probably need 6 in total which will cost me about $400. Insurance won't cover it but she's giving me a discount. *phew*. If this works, i'll never have to take allergy stuff or get surgery for my arthritis. Well worth the money investment! I don't understand why people don't try alternative medicine first, it is much less invasive! I never let doctors give me pills or inhalers for anything. Usually our bodies are just not balanced because of trauma or emotional issues which bring on disease. I'll keep everyone posted on my healing process, wouldn't it be great if my arthritis and allergies were gone for good!? I could finally attempt to wear stiletto heals which i have never done! :)

I was going to make pesto pasta for dinner tonight as I made a nice organic pesto with rice parmesan "cheeze" and walnuts. Boy does it smell good!! But given the fact that I had pasta today already, I will opt for something lighter, maybe soup.

Hope everyone is having a good week, work is quiet so I am doing a lot of writing and research for my zine.

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Last night I made a wonderful Sweet & Sour dish with TVP chunks and rice. It was easy and took me about 30 minutes from beginning to end (as tvp needs to soak for 10 mins when you rehydrate it). I defrosted one of the mini apple pies we purchased at the fruit & veggie store but forgot to make it. It's now sitting in the fridge and have no idea how long I'm supposed to bake this thing. No instructions on it but it looks like it was baked and just needs to be warmed. Maybe tonight! :)

Tonights dinner is actually my honey's idea. I guess his dad used to make this back in Holland when he was a kid. We bought  a name brand crescent roll tube, I think it was about $1.50 (to make your own). He said all we have to do is carefully roll it out into a casserole pan, then stuff with veggies and whatever else we want to put in there, then fold the extra dough over and bake. This basically makes a gigantic croissant filled with yummy stuff! I suppose if you don't put spices in there, you could pour gravy on top of it. I will be using a mix of frozen veggies and some soy ground, as well as a few spices. Will try to post a recipe tomorrow.

My friend and I ventured over to Walmart, I had to purchase some holistic cat food. They have a cheaper brand there than at my grocery store and it's made in Canada so it's nice to to know I am supporting smaller companines :) I've been feeding my cats holistic food for a long time and they are never sick. One of my cats is almost 14 years old and apart from the fact that he moves a bit slower, he's very playful and full of life. My 7 year old cat still acts like a kitten and is full of energy. He's never been sick. I've heard that good pet food is imperative for animals, so even when money is tight we still buy it because it's like health insurance for our cats. Once we switched when I wasn't working a couple of years ago, and my older cat deleloped crystals which are very painful. The vet said that bad cat food can do this, and this is what happened. Boy did i feel guilty! So if you can, feed your animals holistic food and you'll avoid a lot of vet bills and will have a healthier animal. It's like humans, if we eat junk and bad food that is not nutritious and healthy, we will develop things like diabetes and other diseases. if we fuel our bodies properly, this highly reduces our chances of being ill. Of course we have to take care of our minds too, so taking some time to ourselves and being happy helps :) Here is a list of cruelty free pet food: http://www.iamscruelty.com/notTested.asp scroll down a bit to see it. You can also click to get the UK version of this list.

The weather is pretty bad today, so I might be able to go home from work earlier today *wish my luck*. If I get to go home, I'll start a batch of soap!

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I had a very good weekend and didn't spend much money at all. I took in the free yoga class yesterday morning and after the class had a nice piece of oatcake. I love it that they serve free snacks after the class. The teacher was great and I am really glad I went.

Spent the afternoon with a few people just sitting and talking, drank some tea and snacked on my garden zucchini salsa with tortilla chips. When they left, I ate a handful of broccoli with two stuffed grapeleaves for dinner as I wasn't too hungry. Also had a few bites of the tofu chocolate pie I took home from the organic restaurant the other night. It's so rich that it's taking me 4 days to eat the entire piece! :)

I brought some leftover curried broccoli soup for lunch that I had put in the freezer, and a few apples for dessert/snack and the two bites of tofu pie that was left. hmmm

Tonight I want to make a sweet & sour sauce with the tvp chunks I acquired but can't seem to find a good frugal easy sauce to make. I have on in one of my veggie cookbooks which I find a bit time consuming. I just want to throw a bunch of things in a blender and heat it up. 

Anyone have any good sweet & sour sauce recipes to share? 

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