As I began watching last night’s episode of Project Runway, all I could think was “I hope Keith doesn’t make anything with those dumb strips of fabric.” Oh, and I hope Stella goes home/gets paint thrown on her by PETA people.

What I should have been asking myself was “which company bought their way into an episode this week?”

The challenge was to take parts and materials from a Saturn Vue Hybrid and make something innovative from them. Because taking car parts and designing an outfit makes a great designer. I am sure Michael Kors learned how to do just that before he hit it big.

The designers went to town filling baskets with all of the materials. Tim reminded them to be extra innovative, which many ignored as they all attempted to use seatbelts in their designs (much like the tablecloth fiasco of episode 1).

Everyone heads back to the workroom where Keith – stressed by his poor performance…the entire season – breaks out the ‘tude. Not only is he rude to the other designers (yelling at them about the sewing machine) and to his model (basically calling her dumb even though it is his shoddy construction that causes the problems), but he talked back to he judges.

Aw HEEEELLL no. Read More »

I love animals. I always have. I had dogs, rabbits, birds, and fish growing up. Never for one moment have I ever thought that animals aren’t ‘alive’. Never for one moment have I thought that they can’t feel. And I still eat meat.

I have absolutely nothing against vegetarians. Many of my friends are vegetarians and, in fact, I was a vegetarian myself for a couple of years in high school. However, I H-A-T-E being talked down to by the occasional vegetarian/vegan who comes my way and feels it’s his or her duty to “inform” me of anything related to the subject matter. I hate it almost as much as I hate religious people who feel the need to damn me to Hell via conversation. I almost hate it as much as the smell of burnt hair. I hate it almost as much as I hate Daisy from Rock of Love 2.

Why all of the hate?

Because it’s not anyone’s place to tell me what to eat. Read More »

My friends are constantly complimenting me on my cooking. It’s always difficult for me to figure out exactly how to respond to a, “THIS IS SO F&*ING GOOD” remark. Typically, that’s because now in my post-Ramen noodle days; it really does seem so simple to me. I can just imagine ingredients that will taste good together.

Granted, some recipes CAN take all afternoon. However, since I have a life…I try to stick to those 15 minute or less recipes when I can. I seem to find that chicken is great for this. I’m always thinking of new flavors for chicken and making them happen WITHOUT taking the time out to marinate. Surprise, surprise: meats can soak in awesome flavor if they’re just cooked with a sauce. You no longer have to plan your meals three hours in advance.

So here are some concoctions I’ve come up with for my chicken. AND how to make them healthy–without sacrificing any of their yummy goodness.

These are all for four skinless chicken breasts. And they’re all pretty great in wraps, too.

CHEDDAR RANCH BACON Read More »

When my boyfriend first told me he was a vegan, a whole mess of things ran through my head. Does that mean we’ll never get to go out to dinner together? Is he going to flip when I show up to his house on a Sunday afternoon smelling like bagels and lox? Are we going to go to PETA protests on dates, and is he going to sneak gory slaughterhouse pamphlets into my purse after I talk about jonesin’ for bacon?

Like a lot of college girls, I had been a vegetarian about 15 times by the time I’d met my boyfriend. I gave up meat in high school to freak out my parents, and I gave it up in college to lose weight, then later to impress the chain-smoking anti-war coalition kids that I wanted to hang out with.

Despite my good intentions, however, it never really stuck. The cafeteria had zero veggie options, and I was lazy — not to mention a sucker for carne asada. To boot, I had a pretty superficial understanding of what veganism is; like a lot of people, I thought all vegans were misanthropic skinny kids with social problems. Then I met John. Read More »

You don’t have to be a staunch vegan, an animal activist, or even a pet owner to understand that if you don’t feed an animal, it will die.

And nothing about that can be considered anything but killing.

Which is why this disgusting story about an artist from Costa Rica who paid (yes, paid) 2 children to catch a dog so that he coud tie it up in a gallery, deny him food and water, and watch him die is so surreal. Do things like this really happen?

And what could this artist’s justification possibly be? Oh right, he couldn’t possibly have one.

Now listen, I’m no PETA member, and I was a vegetarian until I defaulted to peanut butter sandwiches everyday, became really unhealthy, and decided to go back to eating chicken, but how can a decent human being personally put another living thing through a slow and painful death and feel no remorse?

He’s an “artist” but that is absolutely no excuse. I know plenty of artists and let’s be honest, they’re usually the one’s fighting for animal rights, no?

What’s worse is that Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, the animal abuser in question, has been chosen to represent his country in the “Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008“.

What the f*ck?? Read More »

I’m not a vegetarian. I’ve never even tried to be one. I’d starve to death in a week.

I’m also not the biggest carnivore. Red meat is just not my thing, and most of the time I stay away from steak, pork, or ham. Chicken, turkey? Fine. Fish? Fine. Anything else? Nope.

Is it because I have a moral issue with how livestock is treated? Well, I’d be lying if I said I was up to date on all my PETA reading, and of course I think animals should be handled humanely, but the only thing I really won’t eat for ethical reasons is veal. Baby cow? Honestly. Let the thing at least grow up!

But let’s pretend, for a moment, that my dislike for red meat came from a deep-rooted concern for the livestock in the world. Let’s pretend a little part of me dies every time I watch someone take a bite of hamburger. What would I want more than anything? Animal-less meat.

It sounds strange, but in a few years, my hypothetical wishes may be answered. Scientists have recently started work on an experimental way to produce meat in a labratory. Read More »