The joy of animal rescue

I can honestly say that one of the most rewarding things I have done is rescue animals. I have met some pretty amazing animals and have also added members to my family this way. I do not understand how a person could abuse or mistreat an animal in anyway. I have rescued animals from the side of the road that were about to get run over, bottle fed a baby wild bunny when a dog carried it away from it's mother, took in animals that were starving and had been abused.
Currently we have a dog named Tippy. She is approximately 4 years old and she looks like a doberman mix. She is gorgeous. She was found on the side of a highway in a wooded area. We adopted her from the animal shelter and my daughter called her Tippy. She loves to swim and go for walks. She is very vocal and "talks" to us every morning. She is very sweet and loveable.
We have a cat named Cowboy. We were just going to bed late the night of the 4th of July. Our fireworks were rained out by a huge thunderstorm. We heard a cat crying and got up to look out the window. We couldn't see anything so my wife went outside and found him. He was still a kitten and he was soaked and terrified. He was also very hungry. We didn't plan to keep him but he spent that night cuddled up with me in my bed. He is the most well behaved cat I have ever had and he is a sweetheart. How anyone could leave him outside in a thunderstorm on one of the busiest streets in town I will never understand it.
We also have a cat named Henry. He is still just a baby. My mom lives out in the country and is surrounded by woods on all sides. One day she heard a cat crying and found Henry. He looked about 6 weeks old and how he stumbled on her house out there I will never know. She asked me to take care of him and find him a home. Again, we didn't plan to keep him but it's really hard not to fall in love with a tiny kitten you bottle feed. He was so tiny and his little ribs were sticking out. Someone must have dropped a litter of kittens in the wood because her neighbor that lives down the road found 2 more kittens and took them in. Henry is so sweet and he loves to cuddle. He wants me to hold him all the time just like a baby. He jumps up and lays against my chest as if to say "Hold me, Mama." He closes his eyes and purrs.
Now how could anyone not love animals? How could anyone hurt these precious creatures?

Veganized Blueberry Muffins Recipe

This is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe veganized.  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk (replace with soy, rice or almond milk)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar (replace with half a cup of Truvia or agave nectar)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (replace with a pinch of sea salt)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (replace with 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil  (replace with 1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (change to 2 cups)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix milk and lemon juice; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Add applesauce and oil to milk mixture; mix well. Gently stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F at 22-24 minutes or until center of muffin springs back when lightly touched.

Laundry Detergent Recipe

I make my own laundry detergent because it is better for the environment. I like this recipe because my clothes come clean, it costs less, it uses less and there are no extra added chemicals. I also started using dryer balls and totally cut out dryer sheets. My clothes come out smelling fresh. This is good for me because I don't like smelling really strong scents on clothes. This is good for people who are sensitive to smells and also with sensitive skin. It smells clean without being overpowered by a strong scent. Try it out! I have been using it for several months now and I will never buy store bought laundry detergent or dryer sheets again.

                1 bar castile soap
                1 cup washing or baking soda
                1 cup borax
1. Grate one bar castile soap into fluffy flakes. (I personally like Kirk's Original which is $2.99 for 3 bars at my local SuperOne Foods store.)
2. Mix in 1 cup washing or baking soda (I prefer baking soda because I can buy in bulk and use in baking) and 1 cup borax with the soap flakes.
3. Add one or two TBSP to laundry.

An update- lots have changed

Ok so I haven't been blogging in months! My total weight loss so far is 38 lbs! I have become a vegetarian and working my way to becoming vegan. I married my girlfriend who is now my wife. We had a wonderful "gay" wedding in Iowa! :) I have totally changed my life. I intend now to blog way more often. Keep checking back.