Recently, my dear friend Cass decided to go veg and wanted to learn more about how our family eats. While this journey is a constant learning experience for me, I am always thrilled to share anything I can. So when I compiled a list for Cass, it started me thinking that it might be a fun way to share some of this information with others who might wonder about vegan options.

Today, I thought I would start with breakfast items that vegans can eat. Please note that there are far more options available than what you will find below, but these are items that we enjoy. If you have your own favorites, please share them below.

Vegan Breakfast Options That I Dig

• Photo by lepiaf.geoFresh Fruit: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Canteloupe, Cherries, Coconuts, Cranberries, Dates, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Honeydew Melons, Kiwi Fruit, Lemons, Limes, Mangos, Nectarines, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Watermelon (many more I am sure I'm forgetting)

• Cold Cereal - There are SO many cereals that are vegan. Just be sure to read labels and avoid those with honey and dairy products in the ingredients. Here is a short list of some that we enjoy: Cheerios, Cornflakes, Frosted Flakes, Grape Nuts, Kashi, Kix, Life, Mueslix, Multigrain Flakes, Nutri-Grain, Puffed Corn, Puffed Rice, Puffed Wheat, Raisin Bran, Rice Chex, Rice Krispies, Rice Flakes, Shredded Wheat, Wheetabix

• Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Almond Milk

• Soy Yogurt with Fruit

• Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal
  

• Toast with vegan butter - Many breads are vegan, but some sneak in whey, milk or honey. Just get familiar with reading labels.

• Granola (make sure it has no honey)

• Raw Nuts (great topping on fruit or by themselves)

• Bagels with Tofutti Cream Cheese *(check bagel ingredients, like note above for breads)

• English Muffins *(again, check ingredients)

• Soy Milk Smoothie

• Hashed Browns

• Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich or Toast (on vegan bread)

• Scrambled Tofu - there are many great recipes for this. I also love the Fantastic World Foods brand boxed type - you just add tofu and it's so easy & delicious

• Ready-Made Vegan Sausage (can be used in hash or by itself) or Vegan Bacon

• Pancakes or Waffles made with egg replacer (instead of egg) and soy milk (instead of cow's milk)

• Frozen Vegan Waffles (look for the gluten-free kind - they are usually vegan)

• Energy Bars (like Clifbar, Odwalla, Lara)

• Fruit Leather

• Applesauce

• Hot Tea

• Coffee with Soy Milk

• Fruit Juices

Breakfast Toppings that are Vegan

• Jams/Jellies
• Peanut Butter, Almond Butter
• Pure Maple Syrup
• Agave
• Cinnamon 
• Sugar (be sure it's a brand that does not use animal bone char - many do)
• Nuts
• Raisins
• Vegan Butter (Earth Balance is great)
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Brown Sugar
• Molasses

I came across this video yesterday and thought it was so beautiful.

Sometimes, you just have to grab ahold of life when the opportunity arises and follow love; pursue what awaits you; go for it!

"Please Forward..." what powerful words, eh?

Enjoy!

I am already in the habit of doing one hour of strength training and Pilates, followed by a 16-mile ride on my bike each morning; but in preparation for surviving our hikes with extra fortitude, Steve and I have started getting up an hour earlier each day to squeeze in a 4-mile walk as well (we did it in the evenings before the time change, but it's just so dark now when he gets home from work, that we switched it to mornings and love it this way). My upswing in exercise time has me feeling stronger than I have in years and has brought about some lofty new goals, which I'll let you in on very soon.

In addition to taking on Baldy a second time a few weeks back, we have also discovered the gorgeous trails of Icehouse Canyon and are set out tomorrow on our third adventure there. Icehouse is a beautiful location in the Angeles National Forest.  The beginning of the canyon trail is a rocky wash that leads to a beautiful, flowing stream, sprinkled with oak, spruce, pine, fir and cedar trees along the way. There are rustic cabins near the start of the hike; some in working/living condition and others just the foundations left intact, due to a flood in 1938 that wreaked havoc and destroyed most of the dwellings.

Icehouse is a 7.5 mile round-trip hike from the base of the trail to Icehouse Saddle. From there, you can choose many options to increase the length, with additional trails ranging from less than a mile further, to 5+ miles that takes you to Baldy. On our last trip up, we continued onto Timber Mountain and took in some gorgeous views there. We also met a new friend - this little squirrel (in the video below) who chirped at us incessantly.

November 7, 1989:

Wilder had previously served as lieutenant governor of Virginia, becoming the first black leader elected to statewide office in the South since Reconstruction.

L. Douglas was named after poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Q) Hi Jinxi, I have started making plans to get my first tattoo and am really excited about it. My sister is opposed to my decision because she thinks that so many people have tattoos now that they have become cliché. What are your feelings about this? - Jenna
 
A) Thanks for the great question, Jenna. A few weeks ago, I wrote about getting tattooed when your loved ones disapprove, so you might want to read this post at some point too; but that aside, I will address the cliché topic here.
 
As with all things, I know that different people will have different viewpoints on this topic, but here goes mine. It is true that tattoos are becoming more widespread, more (dare we say) "normal," and more visible. The number of tattoo collectors continues to rise each year. Does that mean that they are becoming cliché? Does it mean that they lose their "special" factor just because more of those among us wear them? I don't think it does.
 
I look at the increase in the amount of skin being inked as a positive thing and I don't feel like it takes away from my collection, or the reasons that I get tattooed, in the slightest. I get tattooed for me. I love adorning my skin with artwork. I love the whole process that it entails. I love the permanent reminder that each piece carries with me. If others around me are doing the same thing, then I see that as a good thing.
 
Maybe some people get tattoos as a fashion accessory. Maybe some get them as a tribute to someone or something that meant a lot to them. Maybe some people get them just to garner the tattoo experience. I don't see why it really matters. As long as each collector is thoughtful about the process, takes safety into consideration, is prepared to always wear their artwork, and feels ready to enter the "World of The Inked," who are we to tell them that it is trite?

I once heard someone say that, "Once something becomes cool, it becomes ubiquitous, which kills the cool." I guess that can be true in many facets of pop culture, but I just don't see it that way in regards to tattoos. Making the commitment of wearing ink is not like buying a purse that is hot now, but will be old-hat before you know it. It's not like getting your hair cut a certain style, that will soon enough seem passé; it's a permanent measure and not a fad. For this reason, I tend to be really big on reminding people to take their time before leaping in. Do research, be educated, and trust your inner self.

When I see the way that my kids and many of their friends view tattoos nowadays, without the prejudice that some generations carry, I view that as a positive step in the right direction. I hope when their generation is my age that tattoos are commonplace enough that they can be visible in more career settings and appreciated more for their beauty, than vilified because they are misunderstood. I know this will take time, but I see that day becoming more and more plausible. So the fact that more people are inked in today's world, just means that we are inching closer to this possibility.
 
I guess the concept of "cliché-ness" is all in the eye of the beholder. I've always been one to just go with what I like, no matter what others around me think. If I dig a band when they are obscure and unknown, then I still dig them if they make it big (though it is a bummer when concert ticket prices go up). If my style is out of whack with the fashion magazines (which it usually is), then come what may; I'm wearing what I like. If my hairstyle is outdated (oh, wait, that example won't work) ...

My point is, get tattooed for the right reasons. Do it for you and none of the notions that others might have will matter.
 
Happy Inkin'!

This post (and MANY other tattoo-related topics) can be found in the Tattoo Corner for easy future reference.

Hyperbole is used to create emphasis and is a common literary device often used in poetry. It can also be employed as a visual technique in which a deliberate exaggeration of a particular part of an image is shown, like the embellishment of a person's facial features in a political cartoon.

Enjoy Shel Silverstein's excellent example of the use of hyperbole in this poem, "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out."

Photo by Cristina92

Photo by Tyashki

Giving extra attention to someone might seem like the least important of activities, when you really just want to get through the day...but trust me, try it sometime and see how contagious kindness really can be.

You know that old "let someone go first phenomenon?" The one where you let a car turn out in front of you, and then chances are that they will do the same sometime later that day, because they remembered that you did it for them? Well, the same principle applies with sharing love with those around you. If you go out of your way for someone, chances are that they might do the same for someone else.

I think that's a pretty great cycle to keep in motion, don't you?

• Inspire someone today.

• Take a little extra time to show appreciation for someone today.

• Smile at someone who needs it today.

• Make someone feel special today.

You can create positive change in others simply by being positive yourself. Why not give it a shot? It can't hurt, eh?

As you can obviously tell from the title, this is the third installment from Bizarre in their Body Art series. These paperback books are beautifully done and include so many photos and such an array of body modifications. The first two editions were extremely popular and had to be re-printed many times to fulfill demand, so here's hoping that the new book does the same.

It is currently available on Amazon.co.uk and will soon be on the US site as well.

With the holidays approaching it might be a great gift for the tattoo/body mod enthusiast in your life.

The fantastic writer, Denise Stanborough, who interviewed me and worked on my segment in the book also just informed me that there will be a "Jinxi feature" in an upcoming issue of Bizarre Magazine, so I will be sure to keep you posted.

Thanks for your support!

Photo/Digital Art by Archan Nair