Corey

Welcome, Brandon! Congratulations on going vegetarian! Corey

Hey, Ian! Welcome to the boards. I am planning on moving to Chicago sometime next year ... seems like a great city (with great vegan food)! Corey

Seems like there was a huge conflict of interest here to me. What do you guys think? http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/15/schwarzenegger.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Maybe a more easily-accessible, simple keyword search bar on every page? It would just make navigation easier to not have to return home to do such. Thanks for taking suggestions!

That looks great ... I wish I could go.

Did the person on MADE want to be a boarder? Did he/she already know how to ride? I don't normally watch MTV, but I definitely would have for that. Did you happen to catch that series of specials about a year or two ago that aired on the Discovery channel about extreme sports and it followed a group of crazy skiers/boarders into these back bowls up in Washington and Canada? At one point they literally jumped out of a helicopter and down this mountainside that looked completely vertical! It seemed incredibly intense, but it was amazing to watch. I've never been to Oregon. How would you rank the conditions and mountains out there? I've always wants to ski Tahoe as well because everyone says it's beautiful. But, then again, I've never been out there either. Oregon seems like the place to be, though. I read on another board that you're planning on moving out there. That's awesome; good luck with everything (and try not to break too many bones once you get there).

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I have had a problem just swallowing the oil straight too, although I know other people for whom it doesn't pose a problem. I'm with kollision in that it makes me want to vomit. I ought to try the ground up kind - I'm fine with not being able to taste it! Does it have the same nutritional value as the oil?

Rob - I too thank you for sticking to it. And also a big thanks to everyone for such a friendly welcome!

Topher, Oh man, I love snowboarding and am always jazzed to meet someone else who does, too. I spent my first year of school out in Colorado, where I picked it up and have been obsessed every since. I had a multi-mountain pass when I lived there and got to go to Breck, Keystone, A-basin, Vail, and a few other smaller mountains. But it was soooo beautiful out there and I really miss it. There is only one local ski resort in St. Louis, and they just expanded their park, but it's still what I like to refer to as "ice gravel." It makes it hard to get much practice, the conditions just aren't that great. Anything that doubles as a golf course in the summer months just can't be the real thing! Hopefully this winter, I'll be able to take a short vacation somewhere with snow and mountains. My board has been sitting pathetically in the basement for too long. I'm not that great due to lack of consistent practice, but I'm absolutely addicted. I also figure skate and have been doing that since I was 6. It was huge where I gre up in CT. Guess I'm pretty much all about the winter sports, although I enjoy lots of other sports as well - running, biking, field hockey, hiking. I'll throw in a picture or two I took 2 years ago at Keystone. I think you'll be able to appreciate them! http://photos22.flickr.com/25117562_2ba8e147fb.jpg http://photos21.flickr.com/25117561_5c2a012b79.jpg

Sorry if I called you the wrong name, CG. I got my boards mixed up. My bad.

I think that seitan is much easier to master and much harder to mess up. Tofu can go very wrong and I think the reason a lot of people think they don't like tofu is because they've had some awful first experiences. My favorite way to make tofu is to cut into cubes, marinate it, and bake it in the oven at around 375 until it gets golden and crispy around the edges (usually about 20-25 minutes). Natalie, I too have had some nasty seitain at restaurants, but I have found it quite easy to make at home. The only brand on seitan I have been able to find in stores around here is White Wave. It does the job. According to a few friends, it's easy to make at home, but I have never ventured into that. One of the things I enjoy most is cooking. I get a kick out of making vegan food that tastes way better than 'normal' food. There are two seitan recipes that are easy and that I love. One is breaded seitain. First pull the seitan into nugget-like chunks. Haha, that doesn't sound too appealing. Then dip those into a mixture that will allow breadbrumbs to bond to the seitan. I like mixing mustard or dressing with a little bit of water. It doesn't really matter what you use because most times you won't be able to taste it. Then, after dipping the seitan into the mixture, cover in breadcrumbs (of the vegan variety, of course), and saute in a frying pan. I usually use vegetable oil, but you don't have too much ... it's a personal preference. I have actually fried them before too. Not bad. Anyway, cook them until they're brownish ... and you've got delicious seitain nuggets. Another recipe that I love is seitan chicken salad, invented last year in the quest for 'chicken salad.' I can't give exact measurements, but it goes something like this. Two packages of seitan, shredded into pretty tiny bits, couple of handfuls of raisins, couple of stalks of celery chopped fine, sunflower seeds, and veganaise (how much you use again depends on personal preference when it comes to creamy things ... the dijon kind gives it a nice flavor). Salt and pepper to tase. First saute the seitan until it's golden brown. Then mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate before serving. Yum yum. I hope this helps you out a bit. And you have probably heard of this site, but I will link to it just for kicks because I find it to be wonderful. www.vegweb.com You'll find recipes galore there, if you haven't already looked. Happy cooking!

This might sound odd, but ... Since becoming vegan, but more particularly over the course of the past year, the rate of decay in my teeth has seemingly increased. About 9 months ago, I went to the dentist and had 3 cavities filled. And again, a month ago, I went to the dentist and needed 4 more filled. I've always had a relatively clean bill of health from the dentist in years past. I brush, floss, and rinse religiously. My mom's a dental hygeinist, for goodness sake! My dentist went on to ask me about my diet. Do I consume lots of soda? Virtually none. Do I chew lots of gum or candy? No. I told him that I was vegan, therefore had the tendency to avoid sweets, etc. He mentioned that I might be lacking the omega fatty acids, that this might be leading to the decay. I have starting supplementing my diet with flax oil in hopes that this might solve the problem. I was wondering though, if anyone has experienced or heard of anything similar to this? Or is anyone well-versed in the role that fatty acids play with concern to tooth enamel or anything of the like? It seems so strange.

Rob, I think you're adorable, especially in the orange hat, and I can't tell you why you haven't had a girlfriend in three years. What I can say is that it probably has less to do with you being a vegan, and more to do with your physique. Girls might see a guy like you as 'unattainable.' There aren't many guys out there who look as great as you do and are also genuinely nice. Corey

Hello, everyone. My name is Corey and I'm 21, living in St. Louis at the moment. Last year, I was introduced to this site and forum by my good friend, Brendan. And after not much prodding from him, I too have decided to join in and take part. I have been a vegan for nearly a year and a half, and have become increasingly interested in fitness and nutrition. I have been perusing the site for some time, and have found lots of helpful and useful information. It's hard to find like-minded vegans here in the Midwest! This site is a rare jewel. Thanks, Rob! This seems like a great community filled with wonderful people and I can't wait to take part. Talk with you all soon, Corey