The Vegan's Hundred

Hannah came up with this list of 100 things that a vegan (or nonvegan!) should eat in his or her lifetime. It's a pretty cool concept and it is based on The Omnivore's Hundred. So here are the instructions if you'd like to participate. However, each of these food items needs to be the vegan version.

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich (can't figure out how to cross out on blogger, but NEVER, not a fan of PB)
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

Meme!

I've been seeing this meme on lots of blogs lately and after seeing it on Bianca's, I decided to do it. She tagged anybody who prefers cooking to baking, and though I enjoy baking, I'm definitely more of a cook than a baker! So here goes!

What were you doing five years ago?

I was getting ready to go on a cross-country 31 day road trip! I was living in a crappy apartment in Belleville with my ex and my cat, Pumpkin.

What are five things on your to-do list for today?

1) Take a shower.
2) Go with my dad to my grandparents' graves.
3) Have dinner with my dad.
4) Go see Ringo Starr at Radio City Music Hall with my dad!
5) Play video games with Eric! (yeah, it's a good day.)

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1) So Delicious Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
2) Anything dark chocolate
3) Anything with hummus
4) Popcorn with cardamom, cinnamon and sugar with some Earth Balance--yum!
5) Pita chips

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1) Pay off debt.
2) Travel the world.
3) Start an animal sanctuary.
4) Buy a Vespa for me.
5) Buy a boat for Eric.

What are five of your bad habits?

1) I am very disorganized.
2) I've become very lazy and haven't been working out lately. That needs to change.
3) I spend too much time obsessing over food (just like Bianca).
4) I'm not good with money.
5) I have a bit of an addictive personality.

What are five places where you have lived?

1) Fords, NJ
2) South Plainfield, NJ
3) Long Branch, NJ
4) Montclair, NJ
5) Byram, NJ

(I know. I'm boring. I've never lived out of state.)

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1) File clerk for a doctor
2) Waitress at Red Lobster
3) Box office sales and concession cashier at movie theatre
4) Collector for disgraceful law firm that bought out people's debts and collected tons of interest
5) Teacher

Tag! You're it if you ...

1) Have a crazy mutt.
2) Have purple hair.
3) Actually like rodents.
4) Know what lychees are.
5) Drive a Vespa.

Just copy this survey into your blog if you meet the above criteria, and don't forget to link back to mine.

In anticipation of a real snow day!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Sort of. Well, my mom got the name Marisa from the actress Marisa Berenson but I'm not named after her. My Hebrew name is Naomi Rifka. Naomi is for my great uncle Nat and Rifka is for somebody but I don't remember who.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When Susan and Tim got engaged!

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Sometimes

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT?
Duh. None.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Not yet.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
I love sarcasm.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE TONSILS
Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Maybe in my younger, crazier days. But, no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL?
Special K with berries or kashi.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM Off?
No.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Eh. So-so.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?
Mint chocolate chip. Cookie dough.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I'm observant. I can tell a lot about a person soon after meeting them but I can't think of one thing.

15. RED OR PINK?
Depends on my mood. I do love pink though.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My lack of organization.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
I miss my friends who I can't see that often. I miss my Shayla.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
If you want to do a survey, go ahead and do this one.

19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Tealish sweater. Brown pants.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
2 fun size twix bars

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Andy on the speakerphone.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
lime green

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS?
The ocean. Fresh baked bread. Chocolate chip cookies hot from the oven.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Andy

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Of course or why would I spend the rest of my life with him?

26. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Umm...baseball, I guess.

27. HAIR COLOUR ?
Blondish.

28. EYE COLOUR?
Hazel green.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.

30. Your favorite food?
Indian. Thai. Ethiopian. Dark chocolate.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings!!!!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Princess Bride

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Well, I like cold weather better than hot. But I do like my summers off so it's a toss up, I guess.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Love 'em both!

36. FAVOURITE DESSERT?
Anything chocolaty. Tiramasu!

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Jenn.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND ?
Most everyone else.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
"Life and Times of the Thunder Bolt Kid."

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
WFUV.org

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T. V. LAST NIGHT?
Didn't watch last night, but tonight, watched The Martha Stewart Show!

42. FAVOURITE SOUND
The sounds of the beach. The ocean surf crashing and the seagulls calling. Norton's snoring.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
The Beatles!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
US Virgin Islands

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Not really sure.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Edison, NJ.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I dunno.

I've been tagged!

Things have been crazy later. Sorry for the lack of blogging. Eric tagged me to do this meme so here goes...

Little known facts about Marisa

Four things about me that you may or may not have known in no particular order. The directions are at the end.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Teacher

2. Paralegal

3. Server

4. Bookstore cashier (at my college bookstore)


B) Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. Serendipity

2. When Harry Met Sally

3. You've Got Mail

4. Breakfast at Tiffany's (I saw it for the first time a little over a year ago but I loved it!)


C) Four places I have lived:

1. South Plainfield, NJ

2. Long Branch, NJ

3. Montclair, NJ

4. Byram Township, NJ


D) Four shows that I watch:

1. The Office (the only show I really watch regularly)

2. 30 Minute Meals

3. Gilmore Girls (though at this point I watch reruns)

4. Scrubs (behind on this one too)


E) Four places I have been: (besides the places I have lived)

1. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

2. Lave Havasu, Arizona (home of the original London Bridge)

3. St. John, US Virgin Islands

4. Napa Valley, California

F) Four people who e-mail me (regularly):

1. Eric

2. Robin

3. Eric's mom

4. Spammers

(Most of my communication is via phone, instant message and text messaging!)


G) Four of my favorite foods:

1. Indian

2. Thai

3. Ethiopian

4. Dark Chocolate



H) Four places I would rather be right now:

1. My nice warm, heated house (my classroom has no heat. It's broken. I'm FREEZING!)

2. A warm beach with Eric someplace

3. Vermont (we'll be there in less than 2 weeks)

4. In bed.



I) Four folks I think will respond (maybe):
1. Jennifer.

2. Jess

3. Becky

4. Susan


J) Things I am looking forward to this year:

1. Going to Burlington, Vermont for a long weekend in November!
2. Me and Eric's first Thanksgiving together!
3. Another wedding
4. Picking out bridesmaid dresses

Like Eric said, we have a lot to look forward to next year!


RETURN DIRECTIONS: Copy the text, delete my answers and pop in your own. Tag, you're it!

What Color Orange are You?

You Are Cameo

You are understanding and very empathetic. You don't tend to have acquaintances. Everyone is your friend. And all of your friends tend to be friends. You have a knack for bringing very different people together.

What Color Orange Are You?

The Name Game

I stole this meme from Jesser. Steal it from me if you'd like.

1. YOUR SPY NAME: (middle name and current street name)
Lauren Carlisle

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom’s side, your favorite candy)
Ruth Snocap

3. YOUR RAP NAME (first initial of first name, first three or four letters of your last name)
M-Bod

4. YOUR GAMER TAG: (a favorite color, a favorite animal)
Orange Moose

more >>

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Lauren Edison

6.YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother’s maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet’s name)
Bod Orn Nor

7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, the automobile your dad drives)
The Orange Ultima

8. PO.RNO NAME: (First Pet’s name, First street you lived on)
Raja Beech

9. YOUR ACTION HERO NAME: (first name of the main character in the last film you watched, last food you ate)
Doc Cream

Wiki-Meme!

Eric tagged me to do a Wikipedia survey.


Rules: You go to Wikipedia, type in your birthday (month and day) & you list 3 events, 2 births, 1 holiday, and tag 5 friends.


Events

1. 1918 An explosion occurred killing more than 100 and destroying the T.A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant in Sayreville, New Jersey. Fires and explosions continued for three days forcing massive evacuations and spreading ordnance over a wide area, pieces of which are still being found in 2007. (Ordnance? Not sure what that means but thats what the article says.)

(Besides being the hometown of Jon Bon Jovi, Sayreville is a town not too far from my hometown in NJ. It was just listed in Money magazine as #47 out of the top 100 places to live. I don't get it. Sayreville is a town surrounded by landfills and possible cancer clusters. Go figure.)


2. 1927 Gutzon Borslum begins sculpting Mount Rushmore.

3. 1950 Snoopy's First Appearance!!!


Births

1. 1946 Actress Susan Sarandon

2. 1976 Actress Alicia Silverstone

3. 2005 Prince Emannuel of Belgium

Holiday

World Animal Day

Tag, you're it: Jessica, Jennifer and Becky. Do it if you want. Sorry, I don't have 5 blogging friends to tag.

I got Tagged!

Eric tagged me to do a foodie survey. This is a fun one. Enjoy!

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you.Include the city/state and country you’re in.
Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Lulu (Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Chris (Boyne City, Michigan, United States)
AB (Cave Creek, Arizona, United States)
Johnny Yen (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Bubs (Mt Prospect, Illinois, USA)
jintrinsique (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA)
Ace (Hillsborough, New Jersey, USA)
Marisa (South Plainfield, New Jersey, USA)

2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

1. Makeda (New Brunswick, NJ) Makeda is an awesome Ethiopian restaurant, just a stone's throw from the Rutgers campus. Haven't tried Ethiopian yet? What are you waiting for? My favorite is the perfectly spiced lentil dish that Eric also loves--mesir azefah. Everything at Makeda is delicious--from the lentils to the spongy bread to the Monkey Bay wine! And, if you go on a weekend night, you're treated to some live music. Be sure to make a reservation though!

2. Mexicali Rose (Montclair, NJ) Delicious and authentic Mexican food in one of my favorite local towns. Everything is fresh and yummy and its BYOB. There's even a liquor store right across the street. Be prepared to wait on a weekend. Patio dining in the summer. I love the mushroom quesadillas and the vegetarian stir-fry.

3. Akbar (Edison, NJ) This is a wonderful Indian restaurant right on Route 1 conveniently located close to Route 287. I always feel like I'm stepping into an Indian temple or castle when I'm eating at Akbar. The building is simply beautiful and, I believe, they host Indian weddings and parties too. Like many other Indian restaurants, they offer lunch buffets (though I haven't tried they buffet yet). Go for the buffet or go for dinner. Everything is a la carte. Rice, naan bread and all. Service is good and the food is simply delish!

4. Bensi (Several New Jersey locations, including Paramus, Garwood and North Arlington) Bensi is a great Italian local chain offering the gamut from pizza to wonderful pasta dishes. I love their Bensi Salad (with roasted pepper and fresh mozz) and bucatini with eggplant sauce and fresh mozzarella.

5. Sawadee (Metuchen, NJ) A great Thai restaurant in another of my favorite local towns. The owners also have another local Thai restaurant, Pad Thai, in Highland Park, NJ. I love the food at Sawadee. But be forewarned--they serve their food spicier than you may be used to when eating Thai food. Full bar and never a problem getting a table. After dinner, save room for dessert. You've got a great ice cream shop, What's the Scoop, practically right next door and a great local bookstore, The Raconteur, down the street.


3. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.
Jennifer also in NJ, Becky in Ma, Jessica in Co. I can't think of anyone else but if I left someone out, feel free to consider yourself tagged!

Movie Meme

Stolen from Jessica

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times. When Harry Met Sally, Serendipity, You've Got Mail

2. Name a movie you've seen multiple times in the theater. Nine Months (I worked in the theatre at the time so I saw it 3-4 times for free!)

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie. Will Farrell

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie. Mel Gibson

5. Name a movie than you can and do quote from. Napoleon Dynamite, 40 Year Old Virgin.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Pretty much anything Disney and Grease.

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with. See #6

8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see. Napoleon Dynamite.

9. Name a movie that you own. I own lots of movies...one that I own is Happy Accidents.

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Hmm...Queen Latifah!

11. Have you ever seen a movie at a drive-in? If so, what? Never been to a drive in, though I did see Hitch in a park in Watkins Glen, New York a couple summers ago.

12. Ever made out in a movie? No Comment!

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I've got a Scanner Darkly from my netflix queu...been sitting around for a month...also, I've been wanting to see Sabrina, a Hepburn classic.

14. Ever walked out on a movie? Not that I remember.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. I think I almost cried during Brokeback Mountain. I certainly cried during the Tigger Movie. Don't make fun of me!

16. What was the last movie you saw in the theater. 300

17. What is your favorite/preferred genre of movie. Romantic comedies or just comedies.

18. What is the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, I think!

19. What movie do you wish you'd never seen? There was one that was so bad...it was disturbing...I think it was called Fat Girl.

20. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? Who's definition of weird? I like a lot of weird movies! Like Being John Malcovich!

21. What is the scariest movie you have seen? Rosemary's Baby and The Ring both freaked me the hell out.

22. What is the funniest movie you have seen? I was almost crying I was laughing so hard when I went to see 40 Year Old Virgin! That or Napoleon Dynamite!

Another Meme...

You'd think I'd be tired of these things by now. But, alas, I never am. I wasn't even tagged. But I'm doing it anyway.

A- Available or Single?
Happily, I can say neither.

B- Best Friend?
Wow. This is hard. I don't think I can choose one best friend. There's several I'd like to mention. In no particular order--Robin, Jenn, Katie, Karen, Michelle. If I left somebody out--sorry.

C- Cake or Pie?
Cake. With chocolate.

D- Drink of Choice?
Water with lemon.

E- Essential Item?
Cell Phone. Candy Apple Red (my eMac).

F- Favourite Colour?
Pink and/or orange.

G- Gummi Bears or worms?
Do sour patch kids count? Well, if not, I'd say gummy bears.

H- Hometown?
A-town-in-Central-New-Jersey.

I- Indulgence?
Dark chocolate. Ice cream. Indian food.

J- January or February?
February. We get a few days off in February. Plus its Valentines Day. And SOMEBODY's birthday falls in February.

K- Kids?
Not yet, but one day. Hopefully, two or three.

L- Life is incomplete without?
Love. Family. Good friends. Cuddly pets.

M- Marriage date?
Aug. 3, 2008? And, to all my readers with their mouths agape--no, we are not engaged yet.

N- Number of siblings?
Two. A brother, Ryan, and a sister, Ashley. Both younger.

O- Oranges or apples?
Oranges.

P- Phobias/fears?
Heights, but only sometimes. Hiking up steep terrains tends to give me panic attacks.

Q- Favorite Quote?
You must be the change you wish to see in the world (Mahatma Ghandi).

R- Reasons to smile?
Eric. My big, goofy dog. Other big, goofy dogs. Pumpkin's meow. Snow days.

S- Season?
Autumn. My birthday's in the fall, plus Halloween. Cool, crisp weather, and you're never too old to jump in piles of leaves. Apple picking. Pumpkin picking. Thanksgiving. Teacher Convention week (three days off)! Okay, there's lots of reasons, but I'll just stop here.

T- Tag people
Jennifer, if she wants to do yet another survey.

U- Unknown fact about me
If I told y'all, it wouldn't be unknown anymore.

V- Vegetable you hate?
Brussel sprouts, I think. But I'm not sure if I've ever really tried one.

W- Worst habit?
Biting my lips.

X- X-rays you've had?
Spine. Chest. Toe. Nothing too exciting.

Y- Your favourite foods?
Dark chocolate. Ice cream. Indian food. Thai food, Ethiopian food.

Z- Zodiac?
Libra