Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Blessings in disguise? Fred and CC


Do you believe in fate? Have you ever been in the right place at the right time, to change the life of another? I'm finally starting to believe that somethings are just "meant to be", and that many of my hardships are just blessings in disguise...

It all started when I responded to a Facebook post about a cat who needed a foster ASAP or he would die. I received a phone call soon after I offered to help and was told that the cat was safe, another rescue had pulled him. I was super excited and relived, because I really had no business trying to pull cats from another county when my own county was in such desperate need. The lady I spoke to took it upon herself to tell me that there were 2 other cats that needed commitment with in the next hour, or that they would be killed, she even texted me their photos... I was pretty upset that she put me on the spot like that and I told her that the only reason why I offered to take the other cat was because my mother agreed to foster him for me...  and there was no way that I could take 2 cats. I told her that I usually just deal with feral cats who need to be TNR'd (Trap-Neuter-Return) or relocated, or kittens born to feral moms. She told me that the 2 cats were feral cats, and relocation was what they needed. I agreed to take them, but I made it VERY clear that I could ONLY do so if they were feral cats, because I didn't have a place for 2 friendly indoor cats to go.

When I met her to pick up the cats, she told me how they were both super friendly, and how I shouldn't have a problem adopting them out... I was stunned, and told her that I couldn't take them... they were supposed to be ferals... that was our agreement. She played dumb and acted like she forgot, and told me that if I could just keep them through the weekend, she would take them back, she had another lady that could foster them.

Well, I think you know where I'm going with this... She stuck me with the cats!!! Not only that but the poor female cat (CC) was a bag of bones, full of fleas and ticks, and had diarrhea so bad that she couldn't control it, which meant lots of money out of my pocket and multiple trips to the vet. The male cat (Fred) had a severe yeast infection in his ears and was FIV positive, so it took allot of extra time to find him a home with a person that understood that FIV is not a death sentence, and that he deserves to live just as much as any other kitty out there.

Long story short... another rescue took CC, but even though Fred is a major love muffin and a super awesome cat, it still took me 5 months to get him adopted out because of his FIV. Do I regret saving the lives of these 2 precious souls? No! Absolutely not! I love them to pieces and I'm very grateful to have met them.

Some things are just meant to be! :-)

Fred making "air biscuits" :)

Fred the lover boy!

Loukas and Fred
My favorite pic!

Fred goes up for adoption! :)
He's making biscuits as usual.

CC
Poor baby was so skinny. :(

CC is a sweet girl.

Who could resist that face?
Apparently not me...

Monday, September 10, 2012

Excuses, excuses, excuses...


Check one, check two... Hello? is this mic blog on?

Wow, I don't even know where to begin... Where have I been? Why haven't I blogged?

Alien abduction?

Time Travel?

Zombie Apocalypse?

Nope!

It's all MY fault! I have a very bad habit of overwhelming myself with volunteer work such as animal rescue/activism. I also have a VERY hard time saying no, especially when animals are involved. I took on way too many projects, spread myself out way to thin, and became super stressed out... and unfortunately blogging is the last thing on my mind after a long exhausting drama filled day, so my blog and personal life have suffered because of it. 

Excuses, excuses, excuses... I know, I know... :/

I'm back, I'm trying to become more organized, which equals less stress... right? I'm also trying not to over commit myself... pssh... we shall see how that goes, because I've already committed myself to 3 SWAPS THIS MONTH on top of everything else that I have going on...  Ahhhhh, I need help! How do you do it?... How do you organize yourself to stay on track, and how do you say NO? Please someone, help a sister out.

But for now, Here is a cute kitten!
=^.^=


P.S. Don't worry if you are my swap buddy, you WILL receive your package,
I won't flake out on you. :)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Chickpea Tacos w/Fresh Tomato Avocado Salsa

Never under estimate the power of the chickpea!

Packed with fiber, protein, valuable phyonutrients, and the ability to lower cholesterol, reduce blood sugar, and decrease cardiovascular risks; these little legumes are worth writing home about. Just one cup of chickpeas contains a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber, and as little as 3/4 cup of chickpeas a day can help lower our LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in a one-month period of time. Chickpeas are a super food in my book.

Let's not overlook their taste, chickpeas are awesome, so creamy and full of flavor. You can add them to just about anything with great results, as I did here in my Chickpea Tacos.

For more information on why chickpeas are so good for us, go here.

Chickpea Tacos with Fresh Tomato Avocado Salsa








Fresh Tomato Avocado Salsa
2 roma tomatoes
1/2 avocado
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp coriander seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt

Chop tomatoes and 1/2 of avocado into small chunks. Put into bowl. Squeeze in 1/2 lemon and stir. Add other seasonings. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Let sit in the refrigerator while making tacos.

Chickpea Tacos
makes 4 tacos or double for 8
4 taco shells
1 can of chickpeas
1/2 package of taco seasoning
1 cup of water
garlic powder to taste
cumin powder to taste
* optional: 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Add a dash of oil to a medium sized pan or spray with cooking spray, just enough to prevent sticking. Heat pan to medium-high. Rinse chickpeas under water and then add to pan. Cook until lightly brown or to your liking. Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Stir in 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, nutritional yeast (if using), and other spices until well combined. Let come to a low boil. Cook uncovered for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to low, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes for full flavor. Heat taco shells at 325 degrees for about 3-5 minutes.

Assemble tacos by adding chickpeas first, taco sauce if desired, lettuce, and tomato avocado salsa. Or give them a personal touch by adding your favorite toppings.

I promise you wont regret making these. They are so fast, easy, and full of flavor. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

~amber

Monday, October 17, 2011

Catnip Toy GIVEAWAY Winners!


I should have known that it was going to be hard to pick only 1 winner a day for my Catnip Toy Giveaway in honor of National Feral Cat Day. I put all of the names in a bowl and tried to pick a daily winner, but I started to feel bad for all of the others who entered my giveaway and didn't win. ALL kitties deserve fun toys to play with, don't you think?!?

So guess what...

If you entered my giveaway... you are a WINNER!!!

I will be sending out emails today to all of the winners, requesting mailing addresses and color preferences of toys. If you entered my giveaway, but for some reason do not get a message from me, it is because I can't find a way to contact you. If this happens please message me on here, or email me at asimp333@yahoo.com with your mailing address. I will be shipping all toys out this week, but bare with me because I have allot of toys to make and ship, which is a good thing. :)

I would love to see pictures of your feline friends playing with their new toys, so please send some to me and I'll post them on my blog and link to your sites.

If you didn't get a chance to enter my giveaway but would still like a catnip toy of your own, you can find them in my etsy store here.

~amber

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Pizza Pie, A Montage!

Who says vegans can't enjoy a good pizza?!? Blasphemy!

Everyone loves a good pizza pie, so why is it so hard for people to understand whenever a vegan says they love pizza? It doesn't have to be dairy ridden to be good. I actually find it to be quite the opposite. I like pizza more now as a vegan than I did when I consumed dairy. Vegan pizzas are more flavorful, not masked by ungodly amounts of dairy filled cheese like the other.

Making homemade pizzas is allot of fun. You can involve the whole family. Try out some of my recipes and get creative by adding your own special touch, I promise you would regret it.

I give you... Pizza Pie, A Montage!!!
click on the descriptions below for links to the recipes


Loaded Vegetable Pizza
with Green and Yellow Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions, Olives
and Homemade Cashew Cheese
Crust recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz




Diced Tomato Bruschetta Pizza
with Homemade Cashew Cheese
Crust recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz





with Potato Cashew Cheese Sauce




with Potato Cashew Cheese Sauce





with Olives, Banana Peppers, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Onions
and Follow Your Heart, Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Style Cheese




with Follow Your Heart, Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Style Cheese



Vegetable Mini Pizza
with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Green Bell Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes
and Potato Cashew Cheese, on top of fresh Tomato Sauce



Loaded Tomato Mini Pizza
with Fresh Roma Tomatoes, Caramelized onions, Sauteed Garlic
and Potato Cashew Cheese, on top of fresh Tomato Sauce

~ * ~

So make tonight... PIZZA NIGHT!!!

What is your favorite pizza combination?


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Fluffy Butt wants to know if you have entered our Catnip Toy GIVEAWAY for today?
Me and my furry friends are giving away (1) catnip toy a day until Sunday, October 16th, in honor of National Feral Cat Day 2011. Make sure you enter!

Catnip Toy GIVEAWAY!, Day 1 Results


Thanks to everyone who entered day 1 of my Catnip Toy Giveaway!
I have decided to make every one who entered yesterday a WINNER!!!
I will be contacting you soon for your address.

If you didn't enter yesterday, don't be sad, you can enter again today and every day until Sunday, October 16th, which is National Feral Cat Day!

~ * ~

Catnip Toy Give Away Entry Rules:
You can enter the contest once a day by following my blog and leaving me a comment telling me that you want a catnip toy, the names of your feline friends, and which of the below things you have done for your additional entries. Make sure I have a way to contact you if you are a winner. You can enter by commenting on any of this weeks posts.

You will receive (1) entry for each of the following things that you do:
• Follow my blog! and post a comment, that you want a catnip toy.
• Post this link on your Facebook Page!
• Post this link on Twitter!
• Had a Feral cat Spayed or Neutered!

Winners will be announced daily and cat toys will ship on Monday, October 17th, provided I have the winners addresses at that time.


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Catnip Toy GIVEAWAY!

National Feral Cat Day 2011 is only days away, on Sunday, October 16th, and people all across the nation are gearing up for it by hosting events to help raise awareness of feral cat issues. As most of you already know, I'm a huge TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) advocate and active volunteer, so have I decided to celebrate National Feral Cat Week by giving away a Handmade (by me) Halloween themed catnip filled cat toy EVERY DAY until Sunday, October 16th... National Feral Cat Day!

I have been making catnip toys for a few years now as a way to raise money to help cover the medical expenses, including spay/neuter surgeries for feral and homeless cats. I also donate these toys to local rescues and shelters.

Each catnip toy is approximately 6 inches in diameter, (keep in mind they are handmade so sizes may vary slightly), they are made out of polyester fleece, stuffed FULL of 1/4 cup of certified organic catnip grown in the USA, and polyester fluff. The colors I will be giving away will vary from orange/black, purple/black, and green/black. All toys are made in my smoke-free, animal friendly, vegan household. :)

Catnip Toy Give Away Entry Rules:
You can enter the contest once a day by following my blog and leaving me a comment telling me that you want a catnip toy, the names of your feline friends, and which of the below things you have done for your additional entries. Make sure I have a way to contact you if you are a winner. You can enter by commenting on any of this weeks posts.

You will receive (1) entry for each of the following things that you do:
• Follow my blog!
• Post this link on your Facebook Page!
• Post this link on Twitter!
• Had a Feral cat Spayed or Neutered!

Winners will be announced daily and cat toys will ship on Monday, October 17th, provided I have the winners addresses at that time.


Molly having fun with her Halloween catnip toy!













Don't be sad if you don't win, these toys and more are always available in my Etsy store.
I'm also always willing to donate to animal rescues and giveaways.
Find more cat toys here:
Custom orders available!