I had my last car longer than I’ve had my husband. Back in 2000, my dad helped me buy a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire. It was green, with a sunroof, stereo controls on the steering wheel, and surprisingly good pick-up. It was a great car for a 21-year old girl in Florida to have. And I loved it. But it didn’t love me back. The first month I had it, a woman made an illegal turn into me and banged up the front. A few months later, during a heavy rainstorm, I slid into a pole and bashed the back. Stereo thieves drilled a hole into the passenger door to snag my CD player. The battery had to be replaced several times. Some mysterious part snapped and prevented me from driving above 10 miles per hour. The speedometer stopped working. The brakes got sketchy. Then, finally, the transmission got flaky and the car started dropping out of gear (it was an automatic). When I realized that my car was trying to kill me, I made a decision to replace it as soon as I started working again. I started a new job last week. So, last night, I got a new car.

I had been dreaming for months of owning a hybrid Ford Escape. I like the size, the gas mileage, and the extra green-ness of driving the hybrid. My husband and I found a great deal on one, and I’m now the proud owner of a silver 2007 Escape. With heated seats. It does taking some adjusting to: the engine goes off if it sits idle for long enough, which kind of feels like the car has died. It’s my first SUV, so I almost have to relearn how to drive in order to accommodate for the extra length and change in visibility. But that’s okay, because I love this new car and I hope I have it for many years to come.

I enjoy spicy food, and lately I have been making an effort to move away from pre-packaged meals and eat more whole foods. To that end, I’ve been wanting to experiment with peppers. I’m not a huge fan of green bell peppers; they’re unripe, and to me not that tasty. I prefer orange and red peppers, but I have two issues with them: one, the peppers in the store are always huge (way more than I need), and two, organic ones are expensive, frequently running around $6.00 a pound.

So last spring I decided to try and grow my own. I bought a pepper plant (as well as sage and parsley) and put it in a pretty pot in my kitchen window. It didn’t do anything for almost a year, and then one day it flowered and sprouted a baby pepper. This one is really too tiny to eat, but I’m pleased that my plant seems to be doing okay. I really like the idea of growing my own herbs and veggies, and I kind of wish I could convert my yard into an orchard. However, I’m not a big gardener and we don’t have year-round sunshine, so potted veggies seem to be the best option for me, in terms of having affordable, organic produce on hand.

Interested in trying it? I recommend reading Bob Purnell’s Crops in Pots for tips and ideas.

I’ve mentioned repeatedly that both Ani Phyo and Sarma Melngailis have new books coming out. Amazon finally has photos for both, and they are lovely!

Ani’s dessert book hits the street at the end of April, and Sarma’s will be available June 30th. I’ll definitely be purchasing them both; even if I weren’t already familiar with these ladies, I would be judging both of these books by their covers, and I wanna look as pretty and pink as they do! They both just look so summery and inspiring, and I can’t wait to try what are sure to be fabulous recipes.

Last week my friend Mia and I checked out one of the coolest places in Atlanta: Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe. This tiny little gem carries food, supplements, personal care products, clothing and accessories, jewelry and more…and it’s all vegan! No need to stress about the ingredient lists or worry that the drool-worthy twinkies have beef fat in the filling. All the work is done for you. So check it out and sample some of the goodies; I had a vegan Slim-Jim style jerky stick that was yummy.

Cosmo’s is located on Highland Avenue, and features delicious baked goods by Dulce Vegan Bakery. If you don’t live in Atlanta, don’t worry: everything can be ordered online!

Hey all! Just a quick note to check out a really great blog: Demeter’s Garden. It’s written by my friend Mia and is all about living a green, vegan, hippie life on a budget!