My friend Missi Pyle is journeying on! In her latest guest blog update, she gives the scoop on her favorite vegan breakfast, and is even inspired to live a little kinder outside of her diet. And even though she still has occasional moments of weakness, she should be proud of how far she's come. Check out the latest in her vegan voyage:
Vegan Blog #7! aka Sorry it took so long! aka I'm really kind of a fake Vegan aka Vegan Breakfast Goulash aka the paper towel conundrum aka Why so many Aka's?
Dear Best Friend!
First of all I just want to say, OMG. Some of you have been so agitated that I have not blogged in so long. To that I say. AWWWWW. Finally someone who cares! Yessssss! Well Suckas I am back. With so much incredible knowledge and wisdom to impart! Let's do this!
So where to begin. Meredith and I left Alicia Silverstone's house shortly after the gorgeous GIGANTIC family of rats left her house. PS. We were mind boggled as to how on earth they were getting in. Here's a tip. If you live in the canyons of Los Angeles and you DON'T want rats to come into your house. Don't leave the door open after say 4pm. Yep that's how they came in. Through the front door. I am a genius.
But I digress.
Where are we now? You might ask? Well. We had kind of special needs in that we have 2 giant kind of scary looking dogs, a rottie mix Ellie and a pit bull mix Sunny, two very nice girls*. So we needed a back yard. Because there is no way I am living with 2 giant dogs in an apartment. Mostly because I have no desire to get up and put on pants to let them out.**
Special need #2- we don't have a lot of dough since Meredith is but a new college graduate and I am broke, bad with money, and paying for half a geodome in Montana. Sooo we looked on craigslist and found this tiny house with a gorgeous backyard with lots of tropical plants, an illegal bonfire and the worlds most disgusting outdoor futon. It is HEAVEN. Really. It also comes with an extremely green pagan landlord who lets us babysit his alpha pit bull Tony*** all day! Party! 
When they are not lazing in the sunshine, the dogs, and meredith, are usually lazing on my bed. tho my bedroom is the size of most of your closets, it has a door to the garden which is incredible. So at any given time, every living being in the house is IN it.
And the kitchen. OMG. the counter tops are concrete. So manly. So cool and since we are broke, all we do is cook. Meredith is not quite vegan. Lets be honest neither am I, I have been eating fish. But its a process. And Alicia says its ok. Be nice to yourself. I adore her. And I try to only eat the wild caught stuff and only once in a while. Don't judge me.
Anyway. In the morning, the backyard is stupidly sunny and beautiful. So we like to cook and eat outside when we can.
So I wanted to share one of our favorite breakfast dishes with you that we make probably 2 to 3 times a week. it's our vegan breakfast goulash/hash/breakfast tacos. Or Yum tacos, for short. We came up with it by just looking in the fridge and seeing what we could use to make breakfast with. Here's what we came up with:
1/2 yellow onion diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1/2 zucchini sliced with the large slicer on the side of the cheese grater which i have NEVER used. but omg it slices zucchini like fine slices of a baby's ass. Sorry.
4 or 5 1/4 inch thick slices of polenta
about 4 oz soy chorizo
1 tomato diced
olive oil
salt
pepper
daiya cheese
corn tortillas
avocado
hot sauce
What we do is saute the onions and peppers in olive oil till the onions are clear. then throw in the zucchini then the polenta and tomato, then the chorizo, and finally the cheese till it looks melty.
in the meantime we heat up the tortillas one at a time on the burners. i usually get distracted and burn them. this makes meredith angry. but actually the really burned ones taste super yummy so then I like to rub this in her beautiful, much younger, face.
then we scoop them into the tortillas and finish off with hot sauce and slices of avocado. Then we go and sit in the sunshine and eat them on the picnic table in the back yard and drink lots of coffee and talk about how cool we think the other is. 

Which brings us to part 2 of our Not so Vegan Vegan Blog. The Great Paper Towel Conundrum of 2012(almost).
Dum Dum Dum!
Apparently paper towels, which have so lovingly cleaned the shit off our counters, cabinets and dirty kitchen floors are controversial! Who knew? I knew Alicia didn't use them. She has a drawer of old rags she uses instead but she's Alicia Silverstone. Kind of the Jesus of the conservation movement. I thought everybody else still used them!
So when we were at her house, we snuck some in that we got from trader Joes, the 100 percent recycled kind, mind you. But we did try to hide them from her assistant. On top of the fridge, roll lying discreetly on its side.
But now that we have moved in with our Pagan Green Landlord. Who we call Pagan Frank, because he is bossy and reminds us of our Dad. But if Frank were a pagan.****
Anyway. He told me he ALSO doesn't use paper towels.
Wtf?? He too uses old rags and shirts.
Holy Guacamole! He suggested we do the same. I told him I didn't HAVE any old t-shirts to rip up.
He then gave me a baseball cap for my birthday wrapped in a blue piece of t-shirt. He said. "why don't u use that? I said. why don't you go f yourself. just kidding. he IS the landlord after all.
Here is Ben. Meredith's new "special friend" holding up the old shirt scrap and the crispy white disposable paper towel. 
What to do...? Well. since we Pyle's never shy from a challenge...
the new challenge for Meredith and I is to use rags and old shirt scraps for the entire month of January. We will see how it goes. And let you know. Ps. Meredith is furious about this.***** But we are doing this for you and for the planet and for our eminent fake vegan fame.
pss. i thought since we are always looking a little rough in these blogs, kind of like we just woke up, which we usually did, and one of us did NOT take off her makeup the night before.******
I thought I would leave you with a picture of us having had our hair and makeup professionally done for the LA premiere of The Artist which I am in.
psss. Please go see it. It's a beautiful silent film. Ironically the biggest movie I have ever been a part of. One in which I am only in for like 10 minutes******* and where I don't make a sound.
Alas. Life can be weird.
But not as weird as you.
Until the next time. think about cutting up some old shirts and using them as paper towels. or making our sexy morning hash.
WE LOVE YOU
xox
Missi and Meredith
* They are mostly nice except when Ellie tries to kill Sunny because she is younger and has real legs.
**I am wearing pants right now. Don't worry.********
***Tony is actually an incredible dog. He likes to howl along when there are sirens, which is almost every day because we live deep in the hood in echo park. And we LOVE having him around. But not as much as Sunny. They hump all day. Actually, it's pretty gross.
****he's actually cool. for a pagan and inspiring and gets shit done. so woo hoo. i guess right?
*****well i haven't told her yet. but she WILL be furious when she reads this. hehe.
******i'll give you a hint. it's usually the one of us who is laying in bed with 3 dogs and a nice glass of pinot noir.
*******it's actually more like 10 seconds. but who cares! go see it. pretty please!
********i'm lying.
Thanks, Missi! Side note about the fish, I think Missi's doing great with all of the huge changes she is making. I think she knows I don't mean "hey, eat fish, it's ok," I just mean celebrate the success. This girl is from Texas for God's sake and she will let go of fish when she is ready. Until then, she should be proud of how far she has come. Missi recently shared with me that she's still vegan and has lost the eight pounds she's been trying to shed for the last three years. She's also converted a few friends; yahoo Missi!
What was the hardest thing for you to let go of when you were starting out?
Related Stories:
Missi Discovers the Dairy Myth
Missi and Meredith Do Vegan Texas-Style
Guest Blog: Missi Pyle's Vegan Quest - Day 1
Guest Blog: Missi Pyle's Vegan Adventure!
20 comments
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missy, you are an inspiration. i loved the artist, btw. best movie of the year, i think. anyway, i totally get the whole paper towel thing. they are so easy and sanitary. plus, we live in a small house and our washer and dryer are basically in the hallway between the kitchen and the dining/bonus room, so there is not a lot of room to pile up wet, stinky used rags. i know i am going to get some comment on the virtues of clotheslines... anyway, i do rinse and reuse my paper towels sometimes and i do own a sustainable sponge. it is progress, not perfection, right?
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If I remember correctly it was a New-York house, but if it's Los Angeles... And I really couldn't believe it was an invasion of rats, a persisting invasion of ants seem way more plausible... In any case Missy Pyle and Meredith are so lovely, reading this blog is touching...
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eggs were the hardest for me! I loved them fried in butter on toast in the morning with my cup of coffee...alas, I have moved on to oatmeal with craisins and almond butter, tofu scrambles, or fronch toast :)
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Hi Melissa,
I think a lot of people struggle with giving up the cheese. However, once people get in their minds the reasons for giving it up, it is truly much easier. You see casiens are truly addicting and so finding alternatives really is key. I like how Alicia gives examples of flirting with veganism because she knows from being around how attached people can be to the dairy products. I too struggled with it because I loved it on everything. Yogurt and sour cream and mayo were a constant too. But as I learned the what is in dairy products, even organic, the hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, pus, blood it just became so much less appetizing. I think we have to educate our minds and then we can overcome the addiction of any type of food. A great resource to read is http://www.notmilk.com along with "The China Study," and "Whitewash" The disturbing truth about cow's milk and your health. I know once you see the truth it is hard to continue doing something that you know is not healthy for you or the animal. I hope this helps you break the habit. That is all it is. I no longer miss it, honestly.
Kind regards
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Missi you rock! We MUST be friends!!! Veganism is going to be a huge transition for me (and apparently you too) - so much harder to give up cheese and dairy than to give up ALL animal flesh. Once I stopped eating meat (which was so crazy easy) I became so much more aware of how much dairy I actually take for granted. UGH. I love dairy. :( Anyone have tips for helping me to wean myself? And sugar! ACK!! Sugar IS crack!! Once I gave up meat it seemed that all I wanted was sugar!! How to curb my addiction??
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We've cut down a lot on the papertowels, but we do still use them for some occasions. Since we don't go through that many, I just toss them in with the compost! As long as you don't use chemical cleaners it's fine!
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The hardest thing that I gave up was cheese. I've tried different brands of fake cheese & while a few get close, they really aren't the same.....sigh. I do like Follow Your Heart mozarella & their cheddar isn't too bad. Wish I could find a decent Parmesan substitute as I miss sprinkling it on my Italian dishes.
Am really loving Missi Pyle's guest posts....please keep them coming, she's so funny! And, everyone go see The Artist. The first 10 to 15 min's I was missing the talking, the color, but the after a bit the acting & story are soooo very good that I forgot that I was watching a silent movie. Very creatively done & such a different kind of film for Hollywood. I hope it gets Best Pictures at the Oscars!
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Love reading these posts. They're hilarious - and easily relatable, 'cause Lord knows we've all been through the vegan-not-vegan thing! A wholehearty "GOOD JOB," though, to Missi & Meredith for even TRYING going vegan(-ish). And for sticking with it, and for expanding upon it, and for just continuing to move forward. All you can do is your best, and if you do your best no one can fault you for it. :)
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Low Cost Vegan Pancakes -
Do it from scratch. Whole Wheat Flour, Baking Powder, Seltzer (to make 'em fluffy), and non-stick spray. That's it.
Thats how we doi it at our Spa and B & B at www.TheHarrisonCenter.com. We have a healing and Holistic Nutrition classes here as well.
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Oh my goodness, I love Missi. Officially. I'm stoked she's following her heart, but doing it at her own pace. Her writing style feels like I'm talking to an old friend, love love love!
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I love reading your blogs...our little family is undergoing veganization so we can totally relate! Eggs are my nemisis...their creamy goodness calls my name and clouds my dreams! Congrats to both of you on your continued efforts to be true vegans!
And I adore the trashy and slightly distasteful bits of your blog...it keeps it real. Real vegans use colorful language...if they choose. Cause it's all about choice :)
PS - We use old cloth napkins instead of paper towels. Less gross than old shirts. Seriously. I live with guys and their old shirts stink like the toxic fumes they used to bathe in...or they are covered in little kid dirt/paint/? stains.
Hugs to you both...gotta go see the Artist now <3
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The hardest thing that my wife and I still struggle with is fish. It happens from time to time, but that tends to be the one item we fall prey to on a more consistent basis.
Giving up milk in place of soy and almond was easier than expected and switching to better forms of sugar like agave and brown rice has been wonderful!
My biggest craving still comes from peanut butter cups especially from Christmas through Easter with those darned Reeces Peanut Butter cup oddly shaped trees and oval looking egg versions that are so fresh...Tina makes sure we always have a supply of Alicia's peanut butter cups from her book in the freezer so I can be "untempted" :)
My wife is a pasta freak so that is her biggest vice, so we always have tofu noodles or some vegetable noodles in the fridge to feed that craving rather than the typical ones from the dry food section.
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Love this post, as always! (Except for the baby's ass thing... I have babies and I've kissed their bums more than once :) That imagerie was a bit too much for me.) But I otherwise loved it. You girls look great in the last picture! And bravo to you both for posting pictures in which you are not wearing much makeup. I had no idea Missy was in The Artist. I haven't seen it yet but I'll be sure to look for her when I do.
The hardest thing for me when I became vegan was not giving up one food in particular, it was giving up being like everyone else. Eating what everyone else is eating. Truly sharing foods with friends. I still do this when people come to eat at my house, but it's just not the same. If we go for mexican, I get a different veggie plate. If we have a BBQ, I get my own special veggie burger. If everyone starts talking about how delicous bacon is, I'm thinking of cute pigs. I feel like an outsider. Then again, I also feel like a rebel and trailblazer :) -
I love this so much I want to marry it.
Missi & Meredith, please please pretty please start your own blog -- us Texas gals need a place to trash talk & keep track of your adventures... and new challenges!
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I think these blogs are entertaining, but I think they would be cuter if the trashy talk were left to the dogs. I am glad both of you are striving to make changes in your diets and lifestyles. If everyone would adopt this idea our world could become a better place for the future.
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Missi, I only managed to give up fish myself about two years ago. I called myself a vegequarian (although I believe the real term is pescetarian. I like mine better). Congratulations on your success! I am looking forward to your next blog.
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Wow sounds like she is doing awesome! I have really enjoyed reading her posts and look forward to the next installment of her Vegan adventure!!

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