Madden Girl is one of my favorite shoe brands. I am totally in love with their wedge pumps (I will definitely post some of them in the near future). I have also found some great winter boots by Madden Girl. I truly adore these Madden Girl Zoiiee boots. They are so cute and would be great with a cute pair of skinny jeans.

I am so excited. I have the day off and I am dragging my family out for a day hike. I’m not sure if the family is excited as I am, but they will have fun. We are going on a beautiful 5.5 mile hike up a mountain that overlooks the Central California coastline. My husband actually wants to start training for a multi-day hiking trip. I am all down for that. I will need to get some hiking gear and I was excited for find some vegan hiking boots. These  Garmont Kiowa vegan hiking boots are certainly on my shopping list of things to get. Anybody out there own a pair, because I would love to know how they fit.

To start my morning off right and make sure I have plenty of energy for the hike I had an Amy’s Tofu Scramble breakfast. Not quite as good as the Tofu Scramble I make (I will definitely post the recipe soon), but a suitable substitute. Being able to just pop the breakfast into the oven allowed me time to be able to get everything else ready for the hike.

I also had a vegan chocolate protein shake for a little extra nutrition. Have any of you ever tried out the Biochem 100% vegan protein shake. It is delicious. Just mix with rice milk and you have a nutritious snack. Love them.

Anyway, just wanted to do a quick check in before I head out. Hope everyone has an awesome day. I know I will.

Happy Veteran’s Day tomorrow. I don’t how many of you know it, but I was in the Air Force for 4 1/2 years. It was a really awesome experience. Tomorrow, we get to help the Cub Scouts (my son is currently in Cub Scouts) set up at the local Veteran’s memorial, after which we will stay for the ceremony. Today’s post is slightly reminiscent of my time in the military when I got to wear combat boots to work everyday. The only difference is these Kensie Girl Ramina boots are super cute. They are kind of rugged with a feminine touch. They are my absolute favorite find since I began posting again. I might have to pick up a pair of these, because they will be the perfect winter boot.

I  love the Roxy brand. There are so many vegan-friendly fashion choices. I have found purses, belts, and shoes that are cute and vegan. This always makes me happy. The Roxy Truckee is certainly a more functional boot. A little rugged for my taste, but they definitely look warm and would compliment a pair of jeans or khakis perfectly.

I know I promised great “everyday” boots, but when I saw these Randi boots by Kate Spade New York I just had to post about them. They are so cute and so feminine. When was the last time you played in the rain and jumped in some puddles? They may be pricey, but they are so worth it.

One of the biggest questions I used to get asked when I was blogging before, is where can I find functional winter vegan boots, that don’t look tacky or like snow boots. Living in California, I never had a need for such shoes, but I recently lived in Illinois for a year and to be quite honest, I wore my snow boots to work and changed when I got to work on days when it was either snowing or icy. The few times I wore my “regular” boots, my feet froze. It seems as if, even two years later, things have not changed. It is still very difficult to find a pair of even semi-fashionable vegan winter boots. I am making it my mission this week to find great boots that are fashionable, or at least not hideous.

The first pair of boots I found today are actually snow boots, or snowboarding boots rather. I love these DC Women’s 2011 Phase boots. They are cute enough to make me want to take up snowboarding.

I know when I first began publishing this blog, I focused almost exclusively on vegan fashion. I published a secondary blog about vegan food. As I enjoy food, entertaining, fashion, and fitness, I have decided to include all of these topics into one blog. After all, what fashionista does not love entertaining (after all what better way to show off our great fashion flare). And of course, most great fashionistas are fitness enthusiasts to ensure we look as absolutely fabulous as possible in our wonderful vegan and organic fashions.

Last weekend was my brother’s birthday. He is a Halloween child. This was another great opportunity for me to put my apron on and introduce friends and family to more wonderful and delicious vegan foods. My brother loves Asian food, so I decided to make some Korean food and some Thai food. The food was so delicious. My brother was way stoked. I made vegan “chicken” lettuce wraps, sweet and sour papaya salad, and tofu satay.

Vegan “Chicken” Lettuce Wraps

2 cups steamed white or brown rice, cooked as directed on package

1 head butter lettuce

1 package vegan chicken strips, marinated

Gojujong

Korean red pepper oil

Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1 bunch green onions, diced

4 cloves of garlic diced finely

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon red pepper flake

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 cup agave syrup

Mix all ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl. Place vegan “chicken” strips in marinade and let sit overnight.

Put a little olive oil or vegetable oil in a stainless steel skillet and heat slightly. Add marinaded chicken strips and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until heated all the way through. Take a butter lettuce leaf and put in some of the steamed rice, add chicken, gojujung and/or red pepper oil. Wrap the lettuce and eat. Now I am getting hungry and craving this for dinner.

Tofu Satay

1 package extra firm tofu

1 8oz container plain vegan yogurt

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon agave syrup

wooden skewers

Mix all ingredients, except tofu in a bowl. Cut tofu block in half and slice tofu into 1/2 thick strips. Lay strips in a baking dish and cover with yogurt mixture. Let sit over night.

Next day, soak wooden skewers in water to keep them from burning. Take out tofu strips and put onto wooden skewers. Place on the grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Long enough to get grill marks, but not so long that it dries out the tofu. Serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon red pepper oil

1 tablespoon red pepper paste

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1/4 cup hot water

Place on ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Serve with tofu satay.

Sweet and Sour Papaya Salad

2 green papayas

1/2 package baby carrots

2 cucumbers

1/2 head green cabbage

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup agave syrup

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Cut all vegetables and papaya into julienned strips. Thinly slice cabbage. Place fruit and vegetables into a salad bowl. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, agave syrup, sesame oil, and ginger. Pour mixture over fruit and vegetables and let sit overnight. Serve chilled the next day.

These recipes are guaranteed to be a hit with your guests, so be sure to keep them set aside for your next Asian themed party.