Vegan crumb cake. Blueberry muffin crumb cake.




INGREDIENTS

Muffin:

• 11/2 cups - flour
• 1/2 cup - raw turbinado/organic sugar 
• 1/2 - 1 teas - baking powder (sodium-free)*
• 1/8 teas. - a pinch pink sea salt 
• 1 cup - nondairy milk (I like coconut-almond milk)
• 1/4 cup - banana or coconut oil* 
• 1 cup - blueberries

* I use the full 1 cup of nondairy milk since bananas are used in place of oil
If you want to use oil, instead of banana you can do that-- the banana helps to keep the recipe lower in fat
**IF you are watching your sodium intake, try sodium-free baking powder.


Makes a dozen muffins.


Topping:

• 1/4 cup - Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar***
• 1/8 cup (2TBS) Flour
• 1 TBS Melted Earth Balance (or oil of choice)
• 3/4 teas - Cinnamon**

This makes enough topping for half a dozen muffins
**The amount of brown sugar and cinnamon can be increased to add more to the topping and more flavor.
*** The last time I made these muffins (after publishing this post) I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar for the topping and even halved the coconut sugar with raw sugar for the muffins, which turned out fine and well.




METHOD

The method is the same as my last blueberry muffin post:

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients: flour, organic sugar, baking powder, pinch of sea salt.
 Step 2:  Add in wet ingredients: coconut-almond/non-dairy milk substitute and mashed banana/can blend the banana in blender with coconut water or nondairy milk.
  Step 3: Fold in blueberries
    Step 4: For the crumble topping, lightly mix in brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted earth balance.

Set oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 25-35 minutes.
Just be sure to watch them as they're in the oven. I have a double burner toaster oven since I live in a suite-dorm that does not have a kitchen, so the cooking time takes longer for me and will greatly differ among different types of ovens/stove tops.

Also, I found the topping recipe from comparing google search results, which led to vegan websites and blogs that had similar ingredients for it. But I noticed the amounts are good for six muffins so if you are making a dozen, you might want to double the amounts for the topping.





This crumble recipe is so good, yet so easy. When I had the very sugary and slightly crumble-topping blueberry muffins at Harry's Farmers Market, I thought it must be difficult to make. But the more I assemble/make, the more I realize these dishes and desserts really are quite easy to create. The only hard part is acquiring all the necessary ingredients and equipment.

I'm not one to watch the CW network unless it syndicates older 90's sitcoms or comedies of the like, but I came across this interesting comedy with a 90's sitcom-style. The First Family is a 2012 series featuring an extended African American family in the White House.

The First Family. Creator Byron Allen. CW. Entertainment Studios. 2012.

At first glance, this family sitcom appears as though it was produced right out of the 1990s, when syndication actually began in 2012. The show gives screen-time to a great cast with very familiar actors such as Jackee Harry (Sister, Sister) and John Witherspoon (The Boondocks; Friday). Even the nonfamiliar or not-so familiar actresses and actors carry out their roles as they cater to a younger audience. Christopher Duncan and Kellita Smith may take on the roles as President and First Lady, but the show creates a nice balance for the several main characters represented in the show to have their own platform. 


Had it not been for my television not having a remote which led to me having to flip channels, I probably would have never come across this wholesome sitcom, something television viewers may not see very often these days with the slight decline in amount of wholesome, popular television in recent years. Either way, The First Family, with its canned laughter, slightly corny jokes, and comedic irony, is like a modern throwback to those popular, irreplaceable 90's comedies audiences love, remember, and never stop talking about.


The First Family airs on the CW channel Sunday nights at 8 P.M. (Eastern time zone).

During the spring and summer months, the usual cravings for sweet and cool foods begin to arise. This three-ingredient decadent ice cream-smoothie is a great snack and an incredible substitute for [unhealthy] ice cream during this time. With ripened frozen solid bananas along with berries and non-dairy milk, this is better and much healthier than the usual ice cream, as a tasty dream created in a blender.




Ingredients

• Solid Frozen Bananas**
• Frozen Berries
• Non-dairy milk, I use almond-coconut*

This vegan, fruit-fulled ice cream is easy, healthy, and basically fat-free especially if coconut water is used in place of nondairy milk.

Topped with chopped nuts and frozen banana chunks

Almost anyone who watches television either knows, or should know, the power behind it. As television viewers and movie-watchers, it is always important to remember that there may be good aspects to media just as there are detriments.

Kilbourne, Jean. Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women. Cambridge Documentary Films, Inc. 2010.

In my recent Sociology course which is both my most favored, yet most infuriating [towards society, inequality], course of this past semester, a documentary was played and viewed by the class. Classmates and I watched Killing Us Softly 4, the latest and most recent installment to the series of documentaries, all titled Killing Us Softly.


The documentary analyzes the severely dysfunctional correlation between media and women. Most importantly, the abysmal way in which media depicts women, detailing the harshly unfair treatment, silencing, violence, subordination, and complete dehumanization of women.  This is never acceptable and should never be tolerated or even considered to be widely displayed and advertized, or universally exemplified but unfortunately, it is. And it has apparently only become worse, increasing in subtle negativity and severity over time.



For decades, women have be told and continue to be told- both directly and indirectly- to be a certain way and fit into these narrow, unattainable standards. Which is the reason for why women will spend outrageous amounts of money, or feel they need to do so, on products that do not and will not work. Not to forget the dangerous and deadly lengths women put themselves through just in attempting to get somewhere they will never be. This often leads to women feeling insecure with a severely lowered self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders. Surprise.

This does not only affect women but men as well, only to circle back and negatively affect women once again.  In other words, these unattainable and drastically unrealistic images and ideals of women play into the minds of men, making them judge women even more harshly they initially would. In addition to this, the usual depictions of men in advertisements are displayed to appear as having these strong, masculine qualities- again, nothing embarrassing, dehumanizing, or subordinating. Instead, much like the major socialization process regarding males, the value of anything feminine or any quality associated with the concept of femininity such as compassion, caring, or the ability to communicate is either ignored or unwanted; thus, devalued. Which leads us to this society where the masculine male dominates and the submissive or passive female does not (in most cases). Nothing good or beneficial can result from ideas like this and it benefits no one. All it does is make the inequality gap wider.


There are several examples of media, not all, that basically tell women to be, look, and act a certain way, that fits into this narrow and unattainable mold. I do not agree with this and do not accept it, yet alone any other severely negative subliminal messages targeted towards hurting, dehumanizing, and killing women slowly.

This documentary is a good starting point for discussing the issues of media and women, but it manages to leave a lot out intersectionally. Intersectionally, women of color in these magazines and advertisements are altered to fit this same mold and absolute impossiblity to look like white women. Ridiculous. Fortunately, a bit more publicity and awareness has been put on the issue of white-washing/skin-lightening to many women of color in advertisements like Beyonce, Rhianna, and Kerry Washington.  You should really read this piece from Beauty Redefined, that provides a more thorough discussion of "Beauty Whitewashed: How White Ideals Exclude Women of Color."
Another piece at Adios Barbie asks, "Why Are We Still Whitewashing?"

 There are so many issues in the world and our own society where media has some type of influence, sometimes negative through fueling the issue [e.g. discussion of this post] or positive through informing, educating, and bringing awareness to audiences.

The classic NBC cop drama starring Fred Dryer as Sergeant Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sergent McCall, partners who together make Hunter the best classic cop drama I've ever seen.

Dryer. Kramer. Hunter. NBC Universal. 1984-1991. TV.

The first episode, Hunter (Dryer) is shown as a somewhat renegade cop who has had very transient partners, until he's assigned to team up with Sergeant McCall. Sgt. McCall, much like Hunter, has her own unique way of approaching serious cases with force, often battling it out with real bad guys and dangerous criminals while having compassion for those who are in tough situations. The duo then take on a variety of murder cases, often going through great lengths in order to solve cases and serve justice to those who have been victimized.

The depiction of Hunter and McCall as homicide investigators/detectives for the L.A. Police Department, results in this sort of mix between murder mystery and action-drama police series. 

Hunter is a great police series that embodies all the common components of a classic action-drama police series: a catchy, upbeat theme song, classic car chases, pow-punch fist fights, suspense, and the catch-phrase "works for me."

Fred Dryer. Stepfanie Kramer. Hunter. NBC Universal. 1984.

 

If you're looking for a police drama to watch, Hunter is the one I recommend.

It's a show about the cops we wish we had.

Even though I haven't had onion rings in years, I decided to try these out and the turn out was a success.  I'm not one to eat prepackaged foods all the time since they are not really the best option, but occasionally it is a nice change especially when trying something new.

Photo: Alexia Foods

While walking through the frozen section of a grocery store, I noticed these onion rings on sale by an all-natural/organic company. Alexia's onion rings are made without the unnecessary additives, chemicals, hydrogeated oils, animal ingredients, and whatever else used in fast-food chains or other mainstream/cheap prepackaged companies.

For onion rings that are baked, instead of fried, not made in a fast-food chain, and are prepared with less than fifteen ingredients, all of which I can clearly read and understand, they are amazingly good with that crisp, signature onion ring-taste. Not to forget the onion rings even look better when prepared than the photo outside the packaging.

Last March, I did a short television review of Saturday Night Live and Justin Timberlake's guest appearances on the show. In that review, I discussed a few of the hilarious highlights of his SNL appearances. This year, and just last Saturday, Timberlake hosted yet another hilarious episode of SNL, with a series of sporadically catchy tunes, famous comedian cameos, and a segment that musically relates to veganism.



For the fact that it is Justin Timberlake's fifth time hosting the show, he is then granted access into the "Five-Timers Club", a skit which was nicely segued into during the monologue. In this esoteric group, Timberlake happens to cross paths with a few very well-known and hilarious comedians.

Soon after this is another catchy and outrageous appearance from Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake as the dynamic 90s-style singing duo. Only this time, they weren't singing in a music video but were singing contestants on a dating game show. And in a new -ville sketch, J.T. reprises his street-advertizing role, and instead of advertizing for Omletteville, Plasticville, or Liqourville, the new place of interest, and song dedication, is Veganville. Dressed as a block of tofu, Timberlake veganizes a few popular songs with some super silly dance moves and even emulates the new cultural concept of the "Harlem Shake" (something that came to my knowledge via the news).




Not to forget, it is "Justin Timberlake week" over at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.


Photos/Video: NBC Universal, NBC.com

Spartacus: Blood and Sand is the Starz channel original series that extends beyond the implicit to depict the ancient Roman Republic from the perspective of the Thratian native, Spartacus (portrayed by Andy Whitfield), the famous figure of whom lead the slave uprising against the Romans. The first season of the series is the one of which will be discussed in this short review and is the starting point of the series that focused primarily on the severely oppressive disposition of the Roman Republic during the time. Although the historical drama contains an plenitude of graphic violence and explicit scenes of sexuality, it does so in a fashion that attempts to portray the Roman Era in its most brutal and exposed nature with accuracy. Thus the show's sense of story and narrative through such depiction is not lost but is relevant.

Andy Whitfield. Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Starz. 2010.

In the first scene we see an unknown character in shackles beneath the arena floor, anxiously awaiting the punishment of execution: an unconquerable battle against armored men.
The shot flashes to a killing battle in the arena, a punished captive against Roman gladiator, or executor, and then returns to the main character only to depict a flashback scene. Within that scene is recount of the events that posed as causation for such a harsh punishment as well as a glimpse into the life he lived prior to.

It's only after his victory in the arena against execution that the unnamed protagonist is later identified as "Spartacus." As a result of defeating execution a deal is made to train him in the lutus (Roman gladiator training facility) and have him fight as a gladiator, while still a prisoner among other prisoners. In this setting, the oppressive and severe treatment endured by the slaves (gladiators and servants) among the training facility is the center of attention. And within this setting is an exemplified the theme of lost love. Seeing from the circumstances many of the gladiators find themselves- torn from their wives, families, and friends. The Thratian acts as the lead example of this concept, with wife taken from him and condemned to slavery as another instance of further penalty from the Romans.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Starz. 2010.

Looking for a series to watch, I immersed myself within the first season of Blood and Sand, and by the end of it was trilled. This was a first season that concluded leaving viewers with a sense of satisfaction or pride for the characters' vengeance for what was endured. Instead of leaving a feeling of disappointment or leaving viewers anxiously waiting for what will happen next season, viewers are left with a feeling of satisfied closure, although fully aware that was an ending.

Lucy Lawless is in it too.

Official Starz trailer.
Contains explicit content.

Ever since I saw that hilarious Belvita commercial, I wondered if the breakfast biscuits were vegan and it wasn't until yesterday I finally tried them out. The crunchy belVitas should be vegan-friendly, unless they changed the ingredients. However, the soft belVitas are not vegan. When buying products from a non-vegan company (or any product really), always read the ingredient list.

On the road, looking for those addictive, yet supposedly healthy nutritional bars such as the Clif, Larabars, Luna Bars, etc. I ended up running into these belVita biscuits. Before trying, I checked the ingredients and nutritional facts, as always, and figured they're close enough to those nutritional bars I used to indulge on. Although I imagined they would taste more like thick oat cookies, they actually tasted more like a healthier version of the pretty unhealthy, but still vegan, Biscoff cookies and a bit like more plain nutritional bars.. Thus, a mixture of which I didn't mind snacking.

I wish they would bring back these actors in a series or something but here's the awesome Belvita commercial I always tell people about:


Source: BelVita, 2012. "BelVita Breaskfast Police Pre-game Commercial." Commercial.



*I have tried the original and blueberry crispy flavors. I'm not sure if the other flavors are vegan as well so if you are vegan, make sure to check the ingredients.

 Looking back on the first year:

From film reviews to (vegan) product reviews, the discussion of past and present television series as well as music-related posts, and a few vegan recipes, Films and Veganism presents a compiled overview of a few of those favorites.

• Thoughts on LANA DEL REY and her influence on modern culture.

"Del Rey, with her unique music style, and overall vintage style, infused with her jazzy-reminiscent voice, is one that sonically carries through airways loud, almost erotically intoxicating, and evocative."

• BRINDO - a sweet song embedded within a sunglasses advertizement that appears as an intimate music video

film/television photos: Google Images

In a world of pretentious yuppies and superficial social-climbing aristocrats, it just wouldn't make sense for all of them to keep their heads on straight and remain, if ever were, sane.  American Psycho is the satirical film depicting this concept through Christian Bale's performance of a character whose mind slowly but forcefully shatters while his psychological reality goes with it. It is also the perfect depiction of white male privilege and entitlement at its worst.

Christain Bale. American Psycho. Harron, Mary. Lions Gate Films. 2000.

Bale depicts a notoriously narcissistic character who not only strives to be the best, but is convinced that he certainly must be because in his mind that is how he sees himself. This character resorts to the extremes of killing the person who upstages him as though they are nothing.. but ordinary. Bale brings a somewhat shocking, yet accurate look at what a privileged, violent egomaniac looks like in this early 2000 movie. It would be an understatement to say that his character cares too much about himself and how he is perceived, because it has become embedded in his mind and evident in his persona to think that everyone has to know and see him as a "big shot", a somebody of importance when he clearly isn't. The character moves along the two extremes, accentuating the psychopathic and egotistic. The female-directed (Dir. Mary Harron) film does not forget to show the misogyny extricated by this character. Myriad scenes exemplify the character's misogynistic, psychopathic tendencies from preying on, objectifying, and murdering women. But it doesn't stop there he further traverses the streets to kill other innocent people, a homeless person, then slashing co-workers and, by the end, killing anyone who cross his ridiculous inhumane path.

Christain Bale. American Psycho. Harron, Mary. Lions Gate Films. 2000.

By the end of it, through the bloodshed, we see a character psychologically breaking down, struggling to cope with who they really are after realizing what they have become and what they have always been.

One that expresses in extreme measure, the ridiculous and the absurd to the point where the audience questions whether the scene was one that actually happened or if it was just imagined by the character. Through all the absurdity of this killing satire, the point comes across in shocking ways. The biggest problem and most important point of this is that he still gets away with it because he is the result of as well as the embodiment of a misogynistic, white Capitalist male privilege and entitlement.

Amy's Margherita pizza is a nicely delicious, easy to make frozen favorite. It is probably the best vegan frozen pizzas available.. With a flavorful sauce, great seasonings, and lightly sprinkled Daiya vegan cheeze, this pizza will have you eating it whole. The crust is also soft and possibly comparable to a flatbread..  I don't know about anyone else who has tried frozen vegan pizzas but this is most definitely one of the best and most zesty pizzas from Amy's vegan-friendly selection. Of all of the frozen vegan pizzas and non-vegan pizzas (prior to veganism), this is the best. The only problem with this pizza is that I cannot find it anywhere.





 Also, I'm pretty sure it's a slightly better/more nutritious alternative to other mainstream frozen pizzas (those higher in fat with dairy, meat, cholesterol, and several other things). This is not the type of item to eat often as it is still high in fat and sodium, but every once in a while..

After watching the third episode, and observing its growing explosion of humor, I knew this was going to be a well-received series. The recently Emmy-nominated show that not only revolves around Charlie Sheen but also gave him a somewhat-comeback to television, provided several on-screen cameos, and welcomed a few unfamiliar faces to the mainstream television is Anger Management.



Anger Management, with a pretty hilarious cast and a contrasting clash of characters provide a means for a nicely entertaining character dynamic, something we see during the main group counseling sessions. The show revolves around its title as well as the use of other psychological and therapeutic concepts, depending on the episode subject of focus.  The counsel-related settings often showcased include a prison where the main character does anger management counseling, to the couches in his living room where the prime counseling takes place along with other lead cast-members, as well as the office of his own advice-providing therapist, depicted by Selma Blair.



Charlie takes on the role as therapist, one specializing in the counseling of anger management groups and whose character slightly differs from those typecast. Shawnee Smith, an actress I know from Becker, is brought back to television playing the part of Charlie's close friend, yet divorcee. Just as former Spin City actor, Micheal Boatman, depicts the close or "best" friend and confidant to the main character. 





It's apparent that the first few episodes acted as a counter-action and not-so-subtle reference to the events of drama that occurred between the Two and a Half Men producer a few years ago. Soon after the airing of the first season, FX announced the show's continuation. Due to the show's success, 90 more episodes have been acquired according to several media sources. The second season airs this Thursday, January 17th on FX.




Update: Season Two
May, 2014

The second season does not live up to the expectations I had for it when I first wrote this review. After Selma Blair left the show, it really hasn't been the same. Blair's character was an essential aspect of the show, and anyone who has seen the major shifts and changes from the first season to the second will be able to notice how vital this character is as well. The absence of her character made the show seem as though it had no idea where it was going to go, how it was going to replace this character, and even the overall subject-matter. With the number of noticeable female character changes, the addition of another male character, and filtering out of past characters of whom I described above (the ex-wife, daughter, and friend/next-door neighbor), completely changed everything around, making audiences wonder, 'oh yeah, what happened to those characters?' In my opinion, Anger Management just seems to have taken an extreme, slightly misogynist downfall as the second season progresses especially without having an almost-feminist, intelligent female character (Blair) along with other prominent female characters (intelligent daughter character, easy-going ex-wife character) who help balance out the overly male character dynamic and their toxic masculine traits (the show increased in overt objectification of women, revolving the show even more around the idea of sex, etc).

Basically, I only slightly recommend the first season, you know, it times when there's nothing else on TV. Just be aware that the second doesn't at all complement the first, the characters, or any part of the show in general.

Here's an excerpt from Bowen of Slant Magazine that accurately critiques the second season:
"A sexist, racist, homophobic dinosaur in the age of daring and empathetic comedies such as Girls and Louie, Anger Management, whose 2012 debut was shrewdly timed to cash in on the latest speed bump in Charlie Sheen's career, revels in a glib mean-spiritedness. The first season was inhumane and all the more popular for it, so there was little hope that creator Bruce Helford and his writers would try to rise above their tabloid muck. The only, admittedly qualified, hope that one might bring to a second season is that it at least exhibit occasional cleverness in its ongoing smear campaign of everything that isn't Charlie Sheen."


Photos: Google Images

Ingredients


I've become so used to assembling in place of cooking that I forgot cooking could be simple and easy as well. The hardest part seems to be acquiring the needed ingredients for whatever dish or dessert that is desired for preparation.