Level Five Vegan

Vegan Pho Ga

2012-01-31T17:55:00.000-08:00

I made this last night; it is very warming and calming.

You will need:

Favourite vegetable broth. (I use powder, about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons for a pot of water)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 package rice or udon noodles
1 package tufo (I deep fried mine in pieces, like traditional pho, in oil for 5-7 minutes in a pan on medium high heat. You can buy pre-fried tofu at an asian market if you prefer or cook tofu in oil in a saucepan until golden brown.)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
salt, pepper
mixed of pre-cooked (steam beforehand) or frozen vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots cut large so you can use chop sticks!
Optional:
1 package mung bean sprouts
basil (for added flavour and to garnish)

Cook tofu, add to large pot of water and add in the other ingredients, except noodles. Turn on to medium heat. In a small pot, boil water and cook noodles according to package directions. I used udon noodles which take about 4 minutes. Then, add them to your large pot. Heat thoroughly and serve with mung bean sprouts and basil garnish!

Roasted Bell Peppers

2012-01-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

The recipe for this is pretty straightforward.
You will need:
1-2 large red, yellow, green and/or orange bell peppers
4-5 unpeeled cloves of garlic (peel them after they have roasted)
some herbs such as thyme and rosemary
generous amount of olive oil
salt and/or pepper

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Slice peppers thinly, break apart cloves of garlic and toss in along with several springs of fresh thyme and rosemary. Plave ingredients in a medium size glass baking dish, add in lots of olive oil, stir so that peppers are evenly coated and place in the oven. The roasting will take about 35-40 minutes, depending on the pan, oven and peppers. Just make sure that the peppers are soft and just beginning to brown. If they are taking substantially longer, you can turn the oven up to 400 Fahrenheit and cook for a few minutes (5 or 10) to help them brown. Yum!

Marathon Workouts: Delayed!

2012-01-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

I know my illustration is a bit silly, however, it illustrates that my marathon training is delayed because....Chris and I are going to have a baby! I am still running and working out and doing yoga, I will post what I think are good exercises in forthcoming posts, whether about prenatal yoga, aerobics, how much to push yourself, etc. I plan on really training hard and strong again just as soon as I can!

Chocolate Truffles

2012-01-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

This recipe I got from Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis. It is ridiculously simple yet very rich and very decadent (AND very vegan! : D )
You need a high-speed blender or food processor to grind up the coconut well. The recipe here is halfed from the original-because these babys are rich!

1/4 cup coconut butter/oil, softened
1/3 cup agave
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of sea salt
1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
1 1/8 cup cocoa powder

Put coconut butter/oil, agave, vanilla, salt and shredded coconut into food processor or blender and blend thoroughly. Transfer mixture into bowl, add cocoa powder and stir well, incorporating the powder into the mixture. Refrigerate mixture for 10 minutes. Then form into balls and roll in remaining 1/8 cup of cocoa powder. Serve or place back into refrigerator for later!

A Recipe Called Clapshot

2012-01-02T20:03:00.001-08:00

I had an abundance of turnips and did not know what to make with them. Chris and I had tried roasting them in the past with poor results. So, when we got a new crop in, I googled turnip recipes and Clapshot came up. It is a Scottish recipe that is SO easy and tasty. It creates a light and fluffly, very easily digested mash potato-ish dish.

All you need is:
3 or 4 regular potatoes
4 or 5 turnips
about 15 or 20 carrots
Soy or what we used, Coconut Creamer
salt, pepper

You boil the potatoes and turnips, whole or roughly chopped, and steam the carrots until soft. Then, add in vegetables to a food processor and add creamer, salt, pepper. Blend well. Alternatively, you could mash them by hand for a rougher texture though I had trouble mashing the carrots so I went with the food processor instead. It was really good!

Marathon Workouts: Break-Through Week

2012-01-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

So this week I felt realy great about my running. I asked for and got some new workout gear for Christmas, with the intent of running outside more, even though I never really got into outdoor running before because: it rains a lot here and I am not found of going out into the elements, I used to get sick often and be very ill far from home, there are a lot of weirdos out there, and lastly, because it is difficult! However, I just finished an outside 3 mile run with Bella-No problem. She is seen above in a moment of repose. It felt great, even though it is pouring down rain here and not very warm. We do not spend enough time exercising our dogs and I felt really bad about it this week so I vowed to take many of my runs outside so that I could give our dogs a great workout, we could bond and so that I could catch some of their contagious and undying enthusiasm and motivation. There are some other things I would like to bring up this week as well:
Moving your workout outside.
Adding miles.
Terrain.

By moving your workout out of doors you can get a newfound motivation, especially if you have a canine counterpart. In addition, you can get some fresh air, beat the humdrum of the treadmill (I love mine but sometimes it is downright mindnumbing), and get a better workout. By running on roads you don't get the extra help the treadmill gives you and you get more hills and varied terrain. By running on trails, you help your joints by the softer surface and you have even more uneven ground which causes your muscles to work more and burn more calories. Lastly, by running cross-country, where you run on grass, rocks and various plants, you further increase the interest factor (you'll see something new each time) and up the calorie burn. As for adding miles, I really feel like I broke through the past few days. I have been adding 1/2 mile each run until last night, when I pushed myself to run 4.5 miles-1 mile more than my last run! I suggest starting even slower, with whatever is comfortable and manageable for you. Your body can do more than you think, though!

Here are my workouts:

Monday: rest.
Tuesday: rest.
Wednesday: 51 minutes Cardio Sculpt Fusion DVD by the Firm. (On a combo DVD-click here to read my review.) Very low impact blend of Pilates, Weight training and yoga.
Thursday: 45 minutes Yoga Shakti; 45 minutes Cardio Dance Fusion by the Firm-the funnest workout tape/DVD I have done; AND 45 minutes Burn & Sculpt by the Firm (same combo DVD as above).
Friday: rest-I was sore!
Saturday: rest. Stomach was upset.
Sunday: Ran 4.52 miles no stops in 52:15 for a total of 4.8 at 59:00.
Monday: Ran 3 miles with Bella, outside without stopping, about 30 minutes or so.

The Benefit of Houseplants

2012-01-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

mint in a hanging basket-it's hardy so it will live just about anywhere!Milly looking at our coffee planta basket arrangement with mint, mustard, lettuce and a little figurine with repurposed cans I covered in paperour kitchen window filled with two varieties of thyme and rosemary with some little pots we are starting of rosemary, thyme and sagesmall pot with lettuce, mesclun and mizuna greensthree little chard plants in three little pots I decorated with simple craft paper.

In hopes of making more space outside, I planted a bunch of vegetables, herbs and other things in the house. I planted sage with red cabbage, I planted a ton of radishes with mustard (it makes the radishes spicy) and lettuce. They are right there in the kitchen in case we need to spice up anything we are cooking, they require little water and they look pretty! Also, as I mentioned, they are allowing us to grow even MORE food! You should try bringing some of the outdoors in, too.

Winter Wonderland: No Snow Needed

2011-12-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'll admit, I have become a total garden-nerd. I go out and garden in the rain, I run to get Chris when we have a new sprout emerging, and I spent a chunk of Christmas money on seeds after spending an hour looking through catalouges-comparing various types and prices. It has paid off, however. Yesterday I went out to our garden, determined to start the new year off with as much of our own food as possible. When I mentioned that I planted lettuce, radishes and other things as late as November and a few weeks ago, most people thought I was nuts. Chris thought our broccoli, Bok Choy, celery et. al. would die at the first inkling of frost. However, yesterday I harvested about 1 lb of Brussels Sprouts, 3 lbs Daikon radish, a head of purple cabbage, greens for one large salad including kale, mustard, mesclun, lettuce..., 5 or so radishes, 4 turnips, 1 large Bok Choy-and there is still SO much more out there! Plus, we have sprouts coming up of celery, beets, radishes, lettuce, chard, mustard and kale. We didn't even use cloches or cold frames! I did mulch them with leaves from our two cherry trees, but other than that, they were left to their own devices. The plants did not grow nearly as fast as in the summer or late spring, but there still out there to be had and that is really something I am proud of. For some spring vegetables, if you live in a zone 7 or up (we're zone 8), why not try planting some turnips, kale, chard, spinach, radishes and lettuce. You should have something to harvest in two months' time. The turnips and radishes may take a bit longer, but probably not too much. Or, with the turnips and beets, try planting them in a medium sized container in the garage or patio. If you want to go smaller and even lower maintenance, take a tiny pot, throw in some dirt and a handful of lettuce seeds (or kale) and keep near a window. In a few weeks, you will have a pot full of what are known as micro greens which you can add to store bought salad mixes or greens which will had a healthful punch to your salad! Also, if you have grown attached to your little sprouts, you can save one or two and transplant them into a larger pot and let them grow to their full potential!

Daikon, the white root-like items in the photograph, is a type of asian radish that is rather spicy and interesting when eaten raw. It it used in Chinese medicine as it has nutrients which detoxify and cleanse.You can eat it raw, shredded on salads, cubed in a stir-fry, or do what I did and make wonderful pickles (or relish!). It is incredibly simple:
In a large bowl, place thin slices of Daikon and Cucumber.
Add in about 1/2-1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar or regular white vinegar (apple cider is much healthier)
1 cup water (enough liquid to cover slices)
1 teaspoon salt
1 generous squirt of Agave or 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Cover and let sit for about 24 hours. I think it would make excellent relish or, if you chopped them up a bit more, added to a salad with some other oriental vegetables included.

Vegan Almond Rocca

2011-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

My mother and I worked on this collaboration the other day. She is known for her Almond Rocca and I miss it. She made it the holiday season I first went vegan, or possibly the year after that, and I thought we would give it a try again.

The recipe is easy, though you have to stir it THE ENTIRE TIME it heats up, or it will not work.

You will need:

Large sauce pan
Candy thermometer (the saucepan cannot be too tall, the thermometer must touch the candy)

1 cup vegan butter-Smart Balance. DO NOT use EARTH BALANCE. my mother and I tried it with this and the "toffee" part did not come together, it was WAY too oily.
2 tablespoons water
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (approximate)
3/4 cup chopped almonds (approximate)

In the sauce pan, melt butter on low-medium heat. Once melted, add in water. Add the sugars-DO NOT add in baking soda yet. Add in thermometer and stir continuously until it reaches 290 Fahrenheit. Quickly remove thermometer and add in baking soda, stir it around, and pour mixture on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Let sit until it begins to harden, add chocolate chips to the top and then sprinkle chopped almonds over top of entire surface. Wait a few minutes for it to cool, flip over and repeat. Note: you may need to melt the chocolate chips on this side if it is not hot enough. Break into small pieces and enjoy!

Vegan Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinners

2011-12-26T22:33:00.000-08:00

Roxy and I collaborated on several things that everybody ate one day or the other.
For Christmas Eve evening, we had a salad, Brussels sprouts (from our garden!), some snacks such as Roxy's stuffed mushrooms. For Christmas, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, followed later by my chanterelle mushroom salad (recipe here), vegan lasagna, and vegan rollsStarter:
1 tablespoon yeast
some molasses
1/4 cup water
- - - -
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup Smart Balance
6 cups all purpose flour, wheat flour and/or pastry flour
1 1/2 cups water

Combine starter ingredients in bowl, wisk, and let sit while you take care of other ingredients-it will get frothy. In large mixing bowl (we used a KitchenAid) add in some flour, molasses, and Smart Balance. Then add yeast starter mix. Stir on a lower setting, then add in more water and flour, stir on medium setting and repeat until a good consistency. Put into a large bowl, knead a bit, then cover with a warm wet cloth until it doubles in size, about an hour. Then form into four rolls, butter the outside, and let sit another 20-30 minutes. Then preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit and cook for 10 minutes. Then, lower heat to 400 and cook another 20 minutes or so, until brown. Repeat for remaining rolls.Sauté onions, which have been diced and then add in garlic, minced. Cut the portabellas in large slices. Remove onions and garlic from pan, after they have browned. Then add in ¼ cup of wine and add in rosemary to pan. Add in mushrooms, place them flat in pan. Cover and place on medium low heat for several minutes so they absorb wine and seasoning. Uncover, cook for a few more minutes until brown. Then remove from pan once browned. Add some more wine, about another ¼ cup, and then add onions and garlic back into pan. Add in two cans of organic diced tomatoes. Let sauce cook for 10 minutes or so. You can cook your pasta during this time. In a 9X13 pan, preferably glass, place some tomato sauce in bottom and place portabella slices across sauce. Add in 3 pieces of lasagna, and then add in a small container’s worth, about ¾ lb, spinach. Spoon around ½ cup vegan yogurt across top of spinach. Cover with 3 more pieces, and then cover that with more tomato sauce. Sprinkle around 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast over top and add in handful of chopped parsley. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Sprinkle vegan parmesan over top and serve! The salad I made was just romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, chopped, small grape tomatoes, portabella mushroom sliced thinly and radished sliced thinly with a variety of dressing to choose from. Simple yet yummy.
The mushrooms were stuffed with some ground almonds, chopped mushroom stalks, garlic and parsely and tomatoes. Stuff and bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or so, until browned.Starter:
1 tablespoon yeast
some molasses
1/4 cup water
- - - -
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup Smart Balance
6 cups all purpose flour, wheat flour and/or pastry flour
1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses

Combine starter ingredients in bowl, wisk, and let sit while you take care of other ingredients-it will get frothy. In large mixing bowl (we used a KitchenAid) add in some flour, molasses, and Smart Balance. Then add yeast starter mix. Stir on a lower setting, then add in more water and flour, stir on medium setting and repeat until a good consistency. Put into a large bowl, knead a bit, then cover with a warm wet cloth until it doubles in size, about an hour. mix cinnamon, sugar and molasses together with some water if needed. Roll out dough, cover with cinnamon sugar mixture and add in chopped nuts or raisins if you like, and slice into rolls. Then preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit and cook for 10 minutes. Then, lower heat to 400 and cook another 20 minutes or so, until brown. Repeat for remaining rolls. Make up a nive frosting by adding 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup creamer or coconut milk and a drop of vanilla into food processor and drizzle over rolls.
For these Brussels sprouts, Roxy chopped them in half along with an onion and some oil to a pan, along with some vegan bacon which was really good. We used Smart Bacon from Lightlife.

I have to say, the Brussels sprouts were my favourite of all we made. It was just really good and satisfying and from our garden! I was all really good though and I am glad that many guests commented on veganism and enjoyed the food!

Marathon Workouts

2011-12-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Ran 3.5 miles without stopping
Friday: 15 minutes of weightlifting; sprints: 20 minutes total running 1 or so minutes at 8, 6, 8, 7 miles an hour, repeating for the total time.
Saturday: Yoga, weightlifting for 35 minutes plus 20 minutes Winsor Pilates VHS tape.
Sunday: Firm DVD Cardio Overdrive with 5 lb weights, 52 minutes.

I think I did good this week being that Chris and I were away for two days over Christmas. I woke up bright and early on Christmas Day and worked out to the Firm and felt really great the entire day. I had a lot of energy and I wasn't ravenous and I controlled my eating really well, so that I wasn't stuffed or miserable or starving.

Norwegian Fattigman Cookies, Swedish Open Sandwich

2011-12-23T13:49:00.001-08:00

These are traditional Norwegian cookies that my mother and I used to make when I was little. Since I went vegan, we haven't made them as they contain eggs and sugar. However, today we thought we would try a vegan version of Fattigman.

4 "eggs" Ener-G egg substitute-follow directions for water.
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 Coconut Creamer or soy cream sweetener (We used So Delicious)
2 tablespoons Brandy (We used the good stuff, Hennessy!)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 1/2 cups flour (you will need extra for rolling out dough) Unfortunately, Chris and I only have whole wheat so we used that. It would be much better with pastry or all purpose flour.
1 tablespoon apple sauce

1/2 cup organic powdered sugar (we used a food processor to make it.)

sauce pan half full of vegetable oil or canola oil or other low temperature oil.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except flour together in mixing bowl with egg beater until well blended. Add in flour and blend until the dough is stiff. Knead dough for 3 or so minutes. Turn oil on medium high heat, around 6 temperature. Roll out very thinly and cut into a diamond shape. Make slit in center of diamonds (that was always my job!) and take the top of diamond, put it through center slit and pull. Place 4 or 5 Fattigman cookies in oil and cook until brown; do not over cook!! Place them on a paper bag or several paper towels so the oil may drain. After they have drained and cooled slightly, put them in powdered sugar (this was also always my job!). You can fill a plastic bag with sugar and shake the cookies around or do what we did today, so as to save plastic, was use a bowl with sugar in it and flipped the cookies around. This was the open-faced sandwich I made today using chanterelle mushrooms and onions. It is incredibly filling and easy to make. You just sauté onions and mushrooms-I used 3/4 of an onion and about 3/4 lb mushrooms-in a pan with olive oil and balsamic. Add in some pepper and chopped parsley. You will need a couple pieces of sourdough bread, which I toasted, then I placed the mushroom and onion mixture on the bread. It was so, so good! Makes about 2 open sandwiches.

German Cookies, Swedish Bread

2011-12-22T15:53:00.001-08:00

My mother-in-law and I had a lot of fun! We made a bunch of stuff today with more to come later!
We made a recipe from Roxy's sister-in-law, Susan (Chris' aunt) who lives in Germany known as Wiener Vanillekipferl or, translated, Vanilla Crescents.

1 1/3 cups ground almonds
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup smart balance
7 tablespoons ice water
Topping:

1 vanilla bean
1 cup vegan powder sugar—you can make your own like we did. We used some organic sugar wrapped in parchment paper, cut a vanilla bean which we pulled the vanilla seeds out of, and used a rolling pin to crush it. You could also use a food processor or coffee grinder. (shown above)

Make sure that the “butter” is very cold. Add all ingredients to bowl, except water and use hands to stir. Add in water slowly, stirring with hands every few tablespoons. DO NOT over stir. Form dough in baggie as rectangle and let sit in refrigerator for 2 hours. Bake 400 Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, when corners turn brown. You may want to add a drop or two of almond or vanilla extract to the dough for more flavour, though they are good as is. Then take the cookies after they come out, baste them with some water, then dip them in sugar-vanilla mixture and eat!
Swedish Rye Bread:

Starter:
2 tablespoons yeast
some molasses
1/2 cup water
- - - -
1 cup molasses
1 cup Smart Balance
7 cups all purpose flour, wheat flour and/or pastry flour
5 cups rye flour-2 cups light rye, 3 coups dark rye
3 cups water

Combine starter ingredients in bowl, wisk, and let sit while you take care of other ingredients-it will get frothy. In large mixing bowl (we used a KitchenAid) add in some flour, molasses, and Smart Balance. Then add yeast starter mix. Stir on a lower setting, then add in more water and flour, stir on medium setting and repeat until a good consistency. Put into a large bowl, knead a bit, then cover with a warm wet cloth until it doubles in size, about an hour. Then form into four loaves, butter the outside, and let sit another 20-30 minutes. Then preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit and cook just two loaves on a thick cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Then, lower heat to 400 and cook another 30 minutes or so, until brown. Repeat for other 2 loaves.
Milly came with us to Roxy and Steve's where she got attention and helped out. She is sitting at the table, supervising in the photograph above.

Confetti Stuffed Peppers

2011-12-21T19:23:00.001-08:00

I made these the other night using mini peppers they have at various grocery stores-I bought a pack of about 20 or so for $5 at Fred Meyer.

4-8 small or medium peppers (you can use a hotter pepper, too)
red pepper flakes (for stuffing and garnish)
1 can white beans or garbanzo beans
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 or 3 mushrooms
1 teaspoon balsamic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
salte, pepper, italian seasoning

Take the peppers, about 6 or 7 for two servings depending on size, core them and place in a pan on low-medium heat with some olive oil. The idea is to get them soft and slightly browning which they should do after about 15 minutes. If they are still a bit too hard, you can also slice them up in 1/2-1" pieces, after they have been stuffed. For the stuffing, add all ingredients to food processor and blend well. Spoon stuffing slowly into peppers. Add red pepper flakes to plate, add peppers, and serve. You can get really creative with this idea. You could try green bell peppers with black bean "salsa" or jalapeño peppers with a really mild soy-yogurt and white bean stuffing.

Marathon Workouts: Week 4: Cross Training

2011-12-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

This week I ran but also did weight lifting and walked the puppies with Chris, to add some more fun into my workouts and to get me off that treadmill!

Monday: Walked 4 hours with Bella, 13.5 miles around Tacoma.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Ran about 1.5 miles for a total of 1.66 miles, about 20 minutes. 20 minutes weight-lifting. (I did typical biceps curls, overhead presses, pliés, lunges, squats and ab work.)
Friday: Rest-Chris and I had a Christmas party!
Saturday: 20 minutes of yoga, AM Yoga Hip Openers, along with 25 minutes of weights.
Sunday: 20 minutes of yoga, Chris and I made up our own. 45 minutes of weights, 1 hour walking puppies.
Being done with school, I have a lot more time to workout and am less stressed in general. I think it will prove difficult to keep up my training with school next quarter but in 2012 I am going to focus on eating smaller portions every 3 hours or so, I am going to create a solid schedule and workout more regularly even with school, and spend more time with our dogs. With these changes I think it will be a lot easier to keep my workouts going without going crazy! For over a year and a half, I have been logging my workouts in a little journal I keep with me almost at all times. I write the date, my workouts and, if I feel really bad or really good I generally write my mood or if I got sick. It really has helped me to reinforce that I am a workout-er, that working out is a part of my life. I can also see that day I ran my first mile without stopping, or my first 3 and that is inspiring! Recently, in an effort to rein in my out-of-control portions (12 cookies yesterday?!?!) I have tried writing my food intake and calories. I have not been consistent as it is inconvenient and I don't like seeing how much I have eaten but it is helping me have constant energy and to weat more vegetables-if I have a set number of calories, do I really want to "spend" half on cookies? If I think about it, no. I I also get sick when I run too soon after I eat so it has helped me time my meals and I have a better run on days when I have spread out my caloric intake. So if you are training, like me, or just getting in to working out, I recommend writing what you are doing and how you are feeling.

Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower

2011-12-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

I made this for Chris the other night and he really liked it. So much so that he requested it for lunch for this upcoming week.

I steamed the cauliflower and broccoli in our rice cooker. For the sauce, I used approximately:

1/4 onion
1-2 mushrooms
4-6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup rice milk or coconut milk
1 clove garlic or hefty shake of garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mustard-Sorry forgot to add this in the original post! We use Dijon from Naturally Preferred though any without honey or sugar will do.
hefty shake of italian seasoning
drop of molasses
small drop vanilla
dash of salt and pepper

Sautée onions and mushrooms until golden brown, using oil and balsamic and soy sauce. Add in vegan milk and nutritional yeast and spices. Use a wisk to stir all ingredients, then turn on medium high heat until it starts to boil. Wisk again and let sit a few minutes before you serve over vegetables or pasta for some wholesome mac-n-vegan-cheese. If the sauce is too thin, add in corn starch (worst choice of the three...), arrowroot powder or agar agar. Be sure to wisk thouroughly if you add these thickeners. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2011-12-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

For this recipe, you will need:

Egg replacer to replace 2 eggs (we use Ener-G)
1 cup Vegan Butter (we use Smart Balance)
1 3/4 cups sugar (I only used 1 cup...)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (I mixed in some buckwheat flour, too. Yum!)
1/2 cup oat bran (I used a little more...)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups rolled oats (I used a little more of that too)
Handful of raisins
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 drop vanilla
squirt of agave (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Bake 12-15 minutes on a cookie sheet. To make them healthier, you can add in a scoop of protein powder such as Brown Rice Protein or Vega in chocolate or vanilla. (Note: they sell packets, about 0.5 OZ. for around $2 at most health food stores if you don't want to invest in the grand-size)

They turned out wonderfully! I made some last night and our definitely-not-vegan-friend said they were delicious. He even remembered that I had made them about 8 months ago and said he couldn't believe something that good could be made without butter. So there you have it!

Marathon Workouts

2011-12-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

This week I didn't do as well as I had hoped but am quite proud of my 3 mile accomplishment.

Monday: Ran 2.5 miles for a total of 2.6 30:00 minutes and about 5.3 miles average speed.
Tuesday-Friday: nothing! I had papers and tests and finals. Ugh!
Saturday: Ran 3 miles for total of 3.28 38:00 5.5 average speed.
Sunday: Ran 3 miles 3.3 total, 39:00 minutes.

Tip of the week: for the longest time, I hated running because I would get side aches so bad I couldn't hardly move but I found something that really prevents it. When running, make sure to breathe out when your left foot strikes down and inhale whenever it comes naturally. When drinking water and running, follow this same principle by drinking, swallowing, holding your breath until your left foot is striking. If you feel a side ache coming on, breathe out really hard when your left foot strikes and squeeze your right side. Also, trying breathing in for two strikes and then exhale for two strikes. This upcoming week, I have only one final and I'm done so I will do a lot better with working out.

Dinosaur Kale Quinoa Wrap

2011-12-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

This light meal is slightly adapted from Brendan Brazier's, Thrive.

On pages 241-242, the recipe is as follows:

1 avocado (we used Hass)
2 roma tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 large carrot
2 strips Dulse seaweed
1 cup cooked or soaked Quinoa
3 tbsp salad dressing

For ours, I went really simple (mostly because I was too tired to go look at the recipe..) and omitted the dressing (it was so flavourful, you didn't need any) the cucumber, carrot and seaweed and just added in some sprouts and black beans instead.
You can get really creative with the ingredients you add and you could even do a white rice one that is more in line with sushi tradition, if you like..The possibilities are endless. Like sushi, however, you must roll up the dino kale which can be a bit of a challenge to eat (that's what napkins and handtowels are for!) but it is definitely worth the effort.
I made a ton of quinoa but only needed about a cup for this, and I made 4 individual wraps.
I used just a little bit of beans, black beans and a little bit of tomato. I, like the recipe, used 1 Hass avocado and a handful of sprouts I sprouted. Dinosaur kale is very easy to grow, if you are considering growing it yourself, which is a good idea because it can be difficult to find sometimes. Fred Meyer has it about once or twice a month. But that's all there is to it!

Simple Snack: Crackers & Avocado

2011-12-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

Back to Nature's classic rounds are really great. They taste buttery, like Ritz, but are much better tasting and better for you! 10-15 crackers with 1/2 an avocado is a satisfying snack.

Mexican Meal

2011-12-06T19:29:00.001-08:00

Last night Chris and I made a Mexican-inspired meal using Garden of Eatin' taco shells and Simply Organic taco seasoning.

Ingredients you will need:

1 Can kidney, pinto OR black beans

See Spanish Rice here for the recipe.

For the Taco:
1/2 package tofu
1 onion
a few taco shells
handful mushrooms
some oil and balsamic
1 package taco seasoning (again, we used simply organic.)
Some chopped green cabbage and sprouts (optional, though a delicious option!)

Sautée onions, mushrooms, oil and vinegar in pan. After 15-20 minutes, crumble tofu and add in seasoning along with about 1 tablespoon of water. Let cook another 15-20 minutes, add to taco shell and top with cabbage and sprouts. Serve with rice and beans. Chris even added a little scoop of chopped tomatoes that had chilies in them. They were good! Chris said that he really liked it and he thought it was true to a traditional meal. Hooray!

Marathon Workouts: Sick and Stressed

2011-12-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

This week my biggest challenge was keeping up my running when I was feeling like I was getting sick, having post-workout cramps and needing to do too much other stuff.

Monday: 20 minutes of weights and yoga plus 45 minutes Ultimate Fat Burning Workout.
Tuesday: 20 minutes Standing Poses with Rodney Yee.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Rest days
Saturday: Ran 1.6 miles, 19 minutes and got really sick and cramped afterwards (It was totally my own fault though because I munched a buch of cookies beforehand...)
Sunday: I ran with my one dog Bella (above) for 30 minutes. It was really fun and I chose to run outside because it was something different than I normally do and I thought that it would stoke my waning motivation. It did! Plus, I love being outside and it just made me feel really good. Lastly, when you have a being such as a dog who is SO happy to be out and about and running with their person, it is really difficult not to be happy. I think I went about 1.5 miles running non-stop. I walked toward the end because I was getting cramped again. I think a total of about 2 miles would be right.

On my rest days, I felt like I was coming down with a sore throat or something because I started coughing and my throat hurt in general. I still feel a little like that, but not nearly as bad. Also, I had a huge paper due and test to study for and I prioritized those and Chris and I had a lot of social engagements and household chores to tend to. One tip for weeks such as this, though I didn't exactly follow my own advice, is to find something to do that is not super strenuous or time-consuming and do that on days you feel a little frazzled. There was a quote I read in a fitness magazine once and it is so true: "nobody ever said 'I wish I hadn't gone to the gym today.'" Even when I was really sick post-run, I felt good that I had ran and done something. Yoga and/or pilates are great, too, because they are effective, relieve stress and are workouts you can cater to the amount of time you have available.

Simple Snack: Vegan Yogurt

2011-12-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

For this snack, Chris and I bought two containers of WholeSoy & Co. Strawberry yogurt. There were A LOT of flavours to choose from (click link above to see all of them)-with real, true strawberry flavour-no hydrogenated stuff or corn syrups. These are the ingredients:

Pasteurized and Cultured Organic Soymilk (Filtered Water and Ground Organic Soybeans), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Strawberries, Organic Cornstarch, Organic Rice Starch, Tricalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavors, Lactic Acid (from Vegetable Source), Fruit and Vegetable Juice (for Color), Live Active Vegan Cultures (L. Acidophilus, B. Bifidum, L. Bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus).

We added some granola from the bulk section in Fred Meyer and I chopped some walnuts and added them in. Chris, for the most part, hates nuts/seeds. However, he really liked this creation! For me, I tried some without nuts and the granola and really did not like the texture (I had never had yogurt before...) so the nuts and granola really made me like it a lot more. It is something that is filling without a lot of fat, calories, etc. and with all the live cultures in it, it is really good for immunity and good digestive health. Those are both things that I have problems with, so I am hoping to add in something like this to my diet each day.

Grow Your Own Sprouts

2011-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

One very simple way to add in more nutrition on the cheap is to grow your own sprouts. Sprouts are little bundles of vitamins and micronutrients because they are growing organisms and they need to generate a lot of energy (i.e. nutrients) to get to maturity. All you have to do is get a jar, cheesecloth or special lids like I purchased at a small market, and put what you want to sprout in water. You must rinse them two times a day and keep some water in the jar for the first few days. After that, you rinse them the same, just do not leave any water in the jar. It takes about a week and a half or two weeks until you get sprouts from broccoli and lettuce. It depends greatly upon what you are sprouting, however. The almonds take only a couple of days, while the Mung beans still are not ready yet, after two weeks. When you sprout/soak almonds, their nutritional property rises greatly because, as stated above, it has to harness energy in preparation for growth. They become sweeter and, because they lose their skin, they become easier to digest. Other things you can sprout are:
lentils
quinoa
cabbage, lettuce, mustard seeds
beans

Happy sprouting!

Marathon Workouts

2011-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Monday: I ran 1 mile without stopping, plus walking time so I went a total of 1.6 miles.
Tuesday: I cross-trained with yoga Shakti in the morning for 45 minutes and Ultimate Fat Burning Workout for 45 minutes.
Wednesday: Rest.
Thursday: Ran 2 miles without stopping for a total of 2.164 miles, 25:00 minutes.
Friday: Another 2 miles without stopping: total of 2.142 miles 23:00.
Saturday: Rest.
Sunday: Ran 1 mile without stopping, at a faster pace than the other workouts. Total 1.130 miles and 12:00 minutes.

What worked for me this week was to start slow-I was supposed to run longer than I did in my original plan but chose to change it because I did not want to be uncomfortable and struggling. I ran an average of 5.8 miles an hour for the first three runs, the last one I ran about 6.5 miles average. So far, I feel good and think that I am keeping up without getting too swamped. I have a ton of homework this week though, so we will see how it plays out. I will let you know what works for me.

Some other tips if you are considering running:
-don't eat for 2 or 3 hours before your run. Some people can handle less time, however, I have a very sensitive stomach so I need a lot of time : /
-go at a slower MPH pace than you want to at first. It feels great to bust out the door in a sprint but it is difficult to keep that up for a mile, let alone 2 or 26.2!
-Find a cross-training activity that you enjoy! There are so many classes, DVD's, community programs and games out there that there is bound to be something you really connect with.

Collaborative Dinner

2011-11-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

We had a collaborative dinner a few weeks ago with our friends Jeff and his wife Thuy. This is our second collaboration and it was a success! Chris made his specialty-curry with tofu and vegetables over rice (I helped) and Thuy made Vermicelli noodles with mixed vegetables and sauce. She also made an amazing and rich dessert-sweet potatoes with coconut milk sauce (not pictureunfortun).

For the curry:

1 pack organic tofu
1 onion
handful mushrooms
1 cup vegan yogurt (we used WholeSoy plain yogurt and we tried it in a smoothie too, yum!!)
1 cup coconut milk
1-2 cloves garlic
1 head cauliflower and broccoli
1 stalk celery
3 or 4 tablespoons of curry powder of choice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt
cayenne pepper to taste
juice of 1 squeezed lemon
1 teaspoon olive oil

Start 1 cup (dry) white rice (we always use basmati) in rice cooker and about 2 cups water. Hit white rice button and you are good. While that cooks, cut up 1 onion, 4 or 5 mushrooms and some garlic. Sautée with olive oil for 10 minutes and then add tofu which has been rinsed, drained and cubed. Cook for another 10 minutes. After rice is finished, steam broccoli and cauliflower in rice cooker. Add all ingredients, includinmed vegetables, but excluding cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer 20 minutes (2 or 3 heat.) Add lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste then serve on rice.

Thuy said for her dish you will need:
1 package vermicelli rice noodles (She recommended Bún Gạo type by Bình Tây)
yu choy, chopped
fried tofu package
chopped carrots

sauce:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
organic sugar to taste
pinch of salt

Soak vermicelli for 5-7 minutes or in hot water for 3 minutes.
Add oil in pan and cut tofu into small pieces along with vegetables and cook until soft. Then add noodles. The sauce is just ingredients mixed together. Serve sauce in bowl with spoon, next to noodles so that one may choose the amount of sauce desired.
The dessert was simple but delicious! You steam 2 sweet potatoes (she used purple ones, so pretty!) until soft, peel skins and slice about 1/2 inch thick. The sauce is 2 cups coconut milk and a bit of sugar (1 tablespoon) with a bit of salt, stirred in a pan until boiled. Drizzle over potatoes and serve! You can also add a bit of sesame seeds too, if you like.

Vegan Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Loren!Our table with centerpiece and Chris pouring wineMy plate with all the dishes!Chris' pastaMy seaweed saladLoren's lasagnaGinger mushroom carrots

We invited our friend Loren over for dinner, who has been vegetarian for over 4 years, and he brought his famous lasagna!
Chris made penne with vegan sausage and marinara, chocolate chip cookies and banana bread.
I made a seaweed salad, ginger carrots and mashed potatoes with gravy.

The mashed potatoes were red potatoes from our garden, cooked in boiling water for about 9 minutes. I used a masher, added some Smart Balance Vegan Butter, rice milk and salt, pepper and italian seasonings.

The gravy wasn't how I normally make it because we are out of vegetable broth.
I sautéed onions, added some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and italian seasonings.
I let them sit for a while and the added about 1/2 cup water and rice milk along with 1/2 cup dehydrated split pea soup mix and buckwheat flour. I added garlic powder and italian seasonings, wisked it and was done.

Moving on to the carrots, I sautéed a chopped leek and mushrooms in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I steamed the carrots in our rice cooker. I added ginger powder, garlic powder and pepper. I then sliced the carrots and added them to the pan. I let them cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

The salad consisted of greens from our garden, soaked arame seaweed, nori seaweed sheets torn up, dulse flakes, 1 avocado, chia and sesame seeds with lemon juice, olive oil and pepper dressing. It was surprisingly good!

See the cookie recipe here and banana bread recipe here.

The pasta was easy. Chris used penne, cooked for about 10 or 11 minutes. The sauce was just sautéed onions, mushrooms and oil with canned diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and italian sesonings with Field Roast vegan sausage in smoked apple sage. It was so good!

Loren cooked organic red potatoes with olive oil and mushrooms in pan. He added 2 carrots and 1 head of broccoli and boiled them while the potatoes were cooking. He cooked the whole wheat lasagna pasta and oiled up a lasagna pan. He put tomato sauce and organic crushed tomatoes and placed them in the glass pan then added basil which he chopped up. He layered tofu (extra firm organic tofu) and nutritional yeast, then added the noodles, then another layer with tomatoes, basil and tofu, and do that until pan is nearly full-3 times. He then added the broccoli and carrots and potatoes on top. Normally, he says he would add a lot of mozerella cheese but made it vegan today for me with nutritional yeast! He also says that he sometimes adds black beans or spinach or eggplant. We topped it with a rice parmesean cheese. You cook it for 35 minutes at 425 Degrees. It was delicious!

Overall, Loren said that it was, "hella bomb!" and Chris thought that is was "fabulous!"

Chanterelle Mushroom Salad with Wilted Spinach

2011-11-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

This is my own creation. It is very nutty and warm with the quinoa, a bit sweet with the sautéed onions, a bit tangy with balsamic vinegar and very rich with the spinach. It is also EXTREMELY easy to make!

You will need:
1 small onion
BIG handful chanterelle mushrooms ('tis the season for mushrooms-experiment now!!)
2 cups spinach or more
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 1/2 cups quinoa (pre-cooked in rice cooker or on stove)
spouts or carrot greens (for garnish and to eat!)

Sautée chopped onion and mushroom with oil and vinegar. You may add some agavé nectar if you want it to be a bit sweeter. It will also help to make the onions brown. Yum! Let sautée for 20 or so minutes on 2-3 heat. Add in about 1/4 cup water along with the spinach. Stir and fold spinach in and let cook for about 4 minutes. Then add in quinoa and cook another few minutes. Add garnish and serve! Also, because it is cooked on low heat, it's raw!

What to Eat on the Road: Dollar Store Dinner

2011-11-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

For this post we have decided to do something exciting! We are going to show you that it is possible to make a dinner from food purchased at a Dollar Tree. And we are going to show you how! We bought the following:

TJ Farms select Winter Blend Broccoli and Cauliflower (frozen)
Forrelli Mushrooms Pieces and Stems
Stokely's Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
Breckenridge Fire Roasted Red Peppers
Corina Diced Tomatoes
Columbia pennini rigati pasta

Each was $1.

Chris and I added only:
1 Small onion
Pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning
Olive oil

There were a lot of spices available there. Basil, salt, pepper, onion powder, etc. Because Chris and I have plenty of these, however, we decided to use our own.

We diced an onion, added 1/2 the can of mushrooms and let them sautée. In the meantime, I steamed 1/2 the bag of frozen vegetables. Chris added the jar of tomatoes with chilies after about 15 minutes. We then added 1/2 of the can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 the jar of red peppers and spices. We started the water for the pasta and let the sauce cook another 15 minutes while the pasta cooked. Overall, it was good. The sauce was a little spicy and the quality of vegetables was less than we are used to but that is to be expected because we buy organic and grow our own foods. Chris says, "I liked it. It was about as good as any pasta we have made. It was a good meal for around $2 per person." All of the ingredients contained NO: sugar, dyes, modified ingredients or high-fructose corn syrup.

There were a surprising number of things that were vegan there. In the future, we plan on doing another post about it!

21-Week Marathon Training Plan

2011-11-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I plan to being my Marathon Training Plan. I have wanted to run a marathon distance for some time now, about a year, and just have not had the time or ability to stick with any plan. So today I made my own plan up and will post my workouts once a week, along with highlighting certain foods and meals I ate that helped and/or hindered me and any struggles I encountered. As of yet, I do not have a specific marathon in mind-they are very expensive-and may just run that distance without doing a race on the day indicated in the Plan. I will probably run with my cousin, who is a veteran marathoner and racer, and may post advice from her about running such a distance!

Today and tomorrow, to prepare for a two mile non-stop run (sadly, I used to be able to run 2 miles non-stop easily, but got out of running shape and now it is a struggle..) I am going to walk 1 mile, run 1 mile, walk 1 and run 1 for a total of 4 miles. Also, I will lift weights for 30 minutes.

Blueberry Syrup and Waffle

2011-11-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a little a syrup recipe I made this morning with much success. The syrup Chris and I normally buy is very expensive and, in an effort to save money, we have done a bit of experimenting with various waffle-toppings. We use Nature's Path Buckwheat Wildberry Waffles most often.

Handful blueberries (we use frozen)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1-2 teaspoons agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon water

I made enough for just one waffle, so you will want to double it for multiple waffles. I just put the ingredients in a glass measuring cup and heated it in the microwave. If you are having a super-vegan breakfast or brunch, it would be a good idea to use a small saucepan and make a whole bunch for your guests. Enjoy!

Fried Rice

2011-11-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

I used the leftover rice from another rice dish to make this, though you can make it fresh.
Again, we used white basmati rice; about 3 cups.

1/2 onion
a couple of mushrooms
2 teaspoons balsalmic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small package frozen peas
salt, pepper, italian seasoning.

Just sautée onions, mushrooms and balsamic and soy.
Then add in rice and peas.
Let cook until rice absorbs some of the flavouring and until peas are bright green
(this means they have cooked. You can also just try a bite to make sure they are warm.)

Also, because I am on a bit of a grain/rice kick, here is a grand website that helps end hunger in countries faced with widespread famine. It is called Freerice.com and all you do is choose a category and level (obviously, I love French and Art History!) and answer questions and win grains for those less fortunate! I hope you like the recipe and the site!

Vegan Almond Flax Burger from Thrive

2011-11-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

This is from Brendan Brazier's Thrive Diet.
As I have stated many times before, I love the book and the recipies therein.
This is really quite easy, provided you have a food processor.

Makes 2 patties.

Modified a bit to my own taste, the recipe is as follows:
"Hamburger":
1 cup or so of almonds
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2-1 tablespoon water

Place ingredients into food processor, process, then form into patties. These can be cooked slightly for about 5 minutes, though I prefer them raw. You can even eat just this mixture on its own or with crackers, as a spread.
Again, modified slightly:
salt and pepper
"Red Pepper Pesto":
1 bunch basil leaves
1 red pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil or hemp oil
salt, pepper

Put all ingredients into food processor, process and place a spoonful on burger.

Add to a hamburger bun, add some salad greens or sprouts and serve!

Spanish Rice

2011-11-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

I made this last night and it was REALLY good!
One of my favourite things to do when cooking is think of a dish, like Spanish rice, and try to guess the ingredients it was made with and recreate it. I haven't had Spanish rice in so, so long because it is almost always made with lard at restaurants so I had been thinking about making it myself for some time. Other than lard, I knew that it also contained tomato paste, cayenne pepper, salt and various other spices. I also believe traditional rice contains mild red peppers. But being that we did not have any peppers, I didn't use any. I did my best to find ingredients that we had that would add to the Mexican-style and flavour of the rice.

I started with about 2 cups dry white rice (we use basmati) and about 2 and 1/3 cups water in our beloved rice cooker. I then added 1/2 can of tomato paste, 2-3 tablespoons cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon tumeric, 1/2 teaspoon paprika (more for colour than anything else) and about 1 1/2 teaspoons italian seasoning along with to rice and water. I hit the White Rice button and let it cook, about 25 or 30 minutes from button-pushing to finish. (The water has to heat up so it takes a bit, but rice cooked in a rice cooker is SO much better than boiling it on a stove, especially for grains like Quinoa.) In the meantime, I cut up 1/2 onion and 1 large cremini brown mushroom with about 1/2 tablespoon oil and let them sautée while the rice cooked. After the rice was almost done, I took it out of the rice cooker and put it in the Wok that the onions where sautéeing in and added the other 1/2 can of tomato paste. I turned the heat up to around 4 or 5, added another 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and let the rice cook with the added ingredients for about 5 or 10 minutes.

I used about 1/2 can of black beans, though pinto beans might be a bit more traditional, and put them in a bowl to eat along with the rice, added the rice to the plate, and that was it!

What to Eat on the Road: Healthy Breakfast

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

(photograph above NOT mine)Here is part II to my What to Eat on the Road series. ( See part I here.)
Fred Meyer is the best traditional grocery store I know of in the Northwest to find organic, vegan products. So this was a bit easier than it might otherwise be. However, Chris and I will post in the future about what to do at a Mom and Pop store or even a gas station so don't worry!

Chris and I ran the morning I bought these, and I chose the following for my breakfast which I split pre- and post-run:

PRE-run:
Organic Private Selection raisins. Like dates, raisins are an energy powerhouse. They are about about 67% to 72% sugars by weight1, which means they have a lot of simple carbohydrate. Simple carbohydrates, fructose and glucose, are the energy source that your body can process the fastest. These little raisins transform into pure energy almost instantly!
Organic Naturally Preferred apple sauce. They have regular, which I like best, cinnamon, and blackberry. I ate about 1/4 cup. Easily digested and, because it is a fruit, also a good source of energy though not nearly as high in carbs as raisins because it is not dried (drying condenses nutrients and removes a lot of "filler," leaving a relatively high amount of sugar.)
Bulk, raw almonds. (Bonus: they were on sale!) They are a good source of fat and they are light so you won't feel bogged down if you plan on exercising in the A.M. and need some energy before hand. I only had a handful because that is all you really need and I don't usually digest more than that well.
POST-run:
Another handful of almonds. This time, you don't want more than a handful because your body needs to repair muscles and tissue that were used during exercise. For your body to digest something high in fat, which almonds and all nuts/seeds are, it requires a lot of energy which could be better spent rebuilding muscle.
Organic Naturally Preferred apple sauce. I had about 1/2 cup this time. I ate more of this because it is easy to digest and will conserve energy needed for repairing and rebuilding fibers and tissues.
and O.N.E. Active flavoured coconut water. Plain coconut water from O.N.E. is good, too. Chris does not like the flavoured kind because he thinks it is too sweet. Yet, he has about 30 sweet tooths whilst I have maybe one or two...Anyways, this is a good source of electrolytes (it has a lot of potassium, not so much sodium.) which you must replenish after exercise. Also, it is a whole food and low in calories, unlike Gatorade or regular vitamin water.

Also: though I didn't buy any, if you feel like you need something more filling, try a CLIF builder bar (good source of protein, which is needed in muscle formation/repair). Other vegan breakfast options include: Trail Mix (many brands are vegan, also try the bulk section if your store has one), and other dried fruit such as apples, bananas, strawberries, etc.

Jogging or biking around a new place is one of the best ways to really see it; I hope that this helps you figure out what to eat before and after the physical activity of your choice when you're in a new locale. Even if you just want to feel more energized after waking, I hope this helps you find some options!

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raisin#Nutrition

DIY Hummus

2011-11-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! Here is the long awaited adaption of Elliot Bay Brewery's Hoppin Hummus appetizer!
Hummus is something I think everybody should make themselves, unless they are extremely pressed for time. It is really quite easy to make and, as I noted in my last post, hummus is definitely a staple food for me because it is filling, a good source of protein, versital, quick and it tastes good.

2 cans garbanzo beans
3/4 can black beans
1-2 cloves garlic
lemon juice (just 1 good squeeze from a fresh lemon does the trick!)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt, pepper
2 white pitas (or whole wheat, though Elliot Bay serves the white kind.) We buy "Arabic Pita's" from The Bread Garden.
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 cucumber, sliced

You will need a food processor for this, or a blender, however, this makes things infinitely more difficult. I have made pesto from a blender before and it ain't pretty...
Simply place garbanzo beans, rinsed, in food processor along with lemon juice, oil, garlic cloves and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. You may add more oil or some water to make a smoother consistency. Then with a serving spoon, fold in about 1/2 can of black beans, also rinsed, and place several spoonfuls of hummus in a bowl. Then, add in remaining 1/4 black beans on top of hummus mixture. Next, rinse artichoke hearts in warm water and place as many as desired on plate (I can eat the whole can with pitas and hummus!) Then, add sliced cucumber to the plate. Before I tried this I hated cucumbers. Now, I really like them with this dish and I am looking for other dishes that I might enjoy with cucumbers! Finally, tear pitas into about 8-10 pieces and add them to the plate as well. The very final step: enjoy!

What to Eat on the Road: Noon-Time

2011-11-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

I believe the one question I get more than any other is "What do you EAT?" I eat many things, most of which are good tasting and good for me. However, when I travel or even when Chris and I are just out for a long day, it can be extremely difficult to eat on-the-go. While there are an increasing number of restaurants that know and are accomodating to vegan needs, I prefer to make my own food and like to have the option of snacking on the way! So what does a vegan do? Supermarkets can seem like nightmares; what is a vegan to do when faced with aisles and aisles of cheezy cheddars and meaty treats, in Safeway, QFC, IGA, etc? Well, Chris and I stopped at a Safeway to show you some options for vegan traveling! I plan to have other additions to this post, for different meal-needs and at locations with fewer options. But for now, here is the "vegan-noon-time-tide-me-over" edition.

When walking into a supermarket, I usually do the following:
Find a fruit or fresh vegetable to eat right away.
Find something that will give me a lot of sustained energy.
Find something dessert-y or snack-like.
And, usually, find something that I can share with Chris.

So, I picked out the following from Safeway:

CLIF bar in White Chocolate Macadamia-good source of protein, energy and satisfies my need for something snack-like. CLIF builder bars in Mint Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter are really good, too. (Safeway was out of those.)
SABRA hummus in roasted red pepper. Hummus, while better when you make it yourself, is still super easy to eat on the go and/or in a pinch. There are so many kinds available everywhere and so many things with which to eat it that it is definitely a staple for me-wherever I may be!
Pitas-I prefer whole wheat. As long as they do not have refined sugar and L-cystine or other milk enzymes, you should be fine.
Artichoke Hearts, Quartered and Canned. These are good with the pita and hummus (I will post a recipe tomorrow of a home-made version of Elliot Bay Brewery's Hoppin' Hummus, which inspired this selection.) I love eating vegetables and fruit and one of the biggest cons to traveling is a heavier dependence on processed/ready-made foods. So I like to sneak in as many whole foods as I can! Also, Artichoke Hearts are always in snap-top cans; no can-opener needed!
Safeway ORGANIC apple slices. These were inexpensive, $3.49? or thereabouts for a container of 6 pouches, practically packaged (I reused the packaging so don't worry, environment!) and they fit in nicely with the rest of my meal. They do not, however, taste as good as a whole, fresh apple.

Well, that concludes my first on the road meal guide, I hope it helps you to make healthier, more informed decisions the next time you find yourself out and about without a lunch or snack.

Amy's No Cheese Pizza

2011-10-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

By far, the best frozen vegan pizza Chris and I have tried.
It costs about $7, though it was recently on sale, along with all Amy's frozen products, at 50% off. So we paid about $4. It has artichoke hearts, which I LOVE. (I will post a recipe coming up for hummus with black beans that you serve with artichoke hearts and cucumbers.) It is great for whenyou want something substantial but don't want to cook. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to bake and it is quite good!

Vegan Banana Bread

2011-10-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick, easy and wonderful recipe for vegan banana bread!

1 cup organic sugar
4 tablespoons vegan butter (we use Smart Balance)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg equivalent in egg-replacer (we use ENER-G)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups bananas (I mush them up)
optional: handful or two walnuts

Butter bread pan, add dough, then bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown, depending on size of tray and amount of mixture therein. (Smaller pans/amounts will take less time.) Enjoy!

Fall Planting

2011-10-18T18:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I did our official fall planting. I tore up a few of our tomato plants and made some room for crops to come. We live in a zone 7 area, so it is pretty mild here. Though it can get cold, our biggest problems is so much water things tend to mold easily. Thus, root crops such as potatoes and carrots don't do so so well as the might otherwise in drier climes.
Here is a list of fall plant-crops that generally do well in cold weather, in order of easiest to grow/most productive to hardest/least productive. I have included a picture of the seeds we used, though lettuce and mustard are not pictured, and also a picture of Chris working in our old garden last fall.

Mustards (You can't kill the stuff!)
Lettuce and Kale
Beans
Beets, Turnips and Radishes
Onions
Celery
Oriental Vegatables such as Bok Choy.
Carrots
Cabbage (both Green and Red Cabbage. The Red Cabbage did a lot better here this year than the Green kind for some reason.)
Cauliflower
Broccoli

Tri-Colour Stir-Fry

2011-10-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a little recipe I made the other day which can be made raw (you just need to cook it on level 2 or 2 1/2 heat for about 40 minutes. Raw is anything cooked under approximately 116 degrees Fahrenheit.)

1/2 bag frozen tri-coloured peppers or 1/3 each of red, green and yellow medium-sized bell peppers.
1/2 bag of broccoli and cauliflower florets or 1 large broccoli head and 1/3 medium sized cauliflower head.
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 chopped mushrooms (I used cremini brown ones. They're like white buttons but brown.)
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
salt, pepper, garlic to taste

Add oil, chopped onions and mushrooms to pan and let cook for 10 minutes on low heat (higher if you do not want "raw.") Then add in vegetables and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add in spices and seseame seeds. Let cook and additional 10 minutes. One thing you may want to do to change it up, though not raw, is add in some udon noodles and have a more traditional stir-fry. Make sure they don't have eggs! Chris and I buy organic ones from Fred Meyer (link above.)

Vegan Alfredo!

2011-10-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup Smart Balance or Earth Balance
1/4 onion
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cups ricemilk
1 package Extra firm tofu
1-2 tbsp white cooking wine
2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper
3-4 tbsp arrowroot (you can add more if you like a thicker sauce)
1 cup broccoli (we used frozen broccoli florets but you can use fresh, just steam or boil first)

Directions:
Sautée onions and mushrooms in a pan. Get out blender or food processor and add in the tofu and rice milk and blend (or process). Then add the smart balance and wine and continue blending. Next add the seasonings and arrowroot. When all is nicely blended pour into pan with sauteed onions and mushrooms and add broccoli. When sauce is heated to taste combine with pasta and enjoy!

Two Vegan Wraps

2011-10-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today we have two vegan wraps, an Indian spinach tofu wrap and a Breakfast Burrito with tomatoes and black beans. The Indian wrap was delicious, I scarfed it in less than a minute. The Breakfast Burrito was pretty good too, a hardy scramble in a tortilla. I think these two are my favorite so far.

Wrap and Especial

2011-10-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today I am reviewing Amy's Burrito Especial (not vegan) and Teriyaki Wrap (vegan!). So far the Especial is my favorite non vegan one, it has a very well rounded flavour. Normally not wild about teriyaki but this wasn't bad, I'd give it a six out of ten, its a little sweet for our tastes. I hope in the future Amy will add more vegan wraps to her line up.

Final Day of Workout Video Challenge!

2011-09-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Power Yoga with Rodney Yee is so grand-it is an hour long workout that is really challenging and almost aerobic in nature. It is much faster paced than regular yoga which, in yogic terms, is described as “fluid.” We do this one about once a week, along with about 3 lesser 20 minute yoga workouts.Later, I began my real workout with The 20 Minute Workout from Winsor Pilates. It is not as good as another 20 Minute Workout by Winsor (yellow cover) but it was still efficient. Pilates really focuses on building core strength. I cannot understate the importance of core strength! If you improve that, you will find everything else you do improves as well. Your posture, your running ability, your lower back won’t hurt as much, your lifting ability will improve and, if you’re like Chris and I, your rock climbing ability will improve!I then did Firm Cross Trainers Cardio from 2001 which I was not very fond of. The workout itself is okay, but I thought it would be more modernized than it was. The room was dark and dank with statues, dark carpeting and huge bookshelves with fake books in Firm colours. Also, at several points, you could see the microphone hanging down! It was 56 minutes in length and fairly good pay-off for the time. There was a leg lift part that was really tough.
Lastly, I did a 52 minute workout with my favourite Firm instructor, Allison Davis. It was 1 workout in a 4-in-1 DVD called Ultimate Fat Burning Collection, the workout was Cardio Overdrive. Overall, it was fun and effective and I have done it several times in the past and would happily do it again. The other 3 are good, too. The one by Kelsie Daniels is the HARDEST workout I have ever done! I am not a fan of the other instructor in the 2 other workouts, Emily Welsh. She is just not my type.
Today marks the end of my 30 days of workout tapes challenge!
Above is my "after" photograph. To see my "before" and read about the challenge, click here! I feel pretty good, though the last few days I have been slacking.
It has been a difficult couple of days and I was really sore from rock climbing and running over the weekend that I didn’t have it in me to do videos as well.
But I made up for it today!
Overall, it was fun and challenging and I got to do some workouts that I might not have for some time. (I have a tendency to stick to those I like/are the most effective).
I have toned up considerably. Mostly, I only did videos. However, I am an active person so I did not limit myself to just that. I went on two 8.5 mile walks/hikes plus about 2 miles over the month, about 4 hours of rock climbing and about 4 miles of running during the month. Before measurements are from when I started, 30 days ago, and the after measurements are from today, before my workouts.
waist:
before: 25” after: 24”
thighs:
before: 19” after: 18.3”
hips:
before: 36.5” after: 35”
bust:
before: 33” after: 31.5”
arms:
before: 11” after: 10.6”
In hopes of branching out, I did not do my all-time favourite workout, The Firm’s Ultimate Fat-Burning Workout with Allison Davis. It is 45 minutes, fast, fun and not at all boring. It the only DVD I did (3-4 times a week) for almost 1 year! I wanted to share it though because I think it is a truly grand DVD for those wishing to work out without a gym or who want to begin weight-training but do not know how or those looking for a little change in their routine!

Apples!

2011-09-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

In light of our post on the Organic Apple Shortage, I thought I would post a follow-up. It seems that there are a lot more organic apples coming into mainstream stores now and from what I gather, it is because they are in season. In our modern world, it is hard to conceive of “in-season” because when we want something, as Americans we are used to getting it; the season be damned! So I believe it is heartening to know that perhaps organic practices are more real and organic than one might otherwise think. Apparently, they are not grown terribly out of season, like conventional apples. One has visions of farmers packing in their harvest in the fall, amongst autumn leaves, from the fields and trying hard to save them throughout the winter and spring months in their cellars in order to bring those around the world organic apples, year-round. I doubt this is really the case, though it is good to know our produce is beginning to have seasons again. Though organic foods are better for you, the environment and economy, there still is nothing better than home-grown stuff. For instance, organic strawberries taste NOTHING like those Chris and I have grown ourselves. They lack flavour and are very hard, comparatively. That being said, organic store-bought ones are infinitely better than conventionally grown strawberries. Rather than fretting over subtleties, though, what I believe is necessary is that people become more aware of what food really is; that it is not a box or can, that it is in essence a living thing that has a time and place to grow whose needs should be respected and that the things we see in the conventional produce section, like the grossly waxed, uniform “apples,” are abominations in every sense of the word. Why not try, the next time you are about to go shopping, to buy things that are only in season? It is a grand learning experience, I think especially for children, to see when things grow and are at their peak. (Note: buying in season will also save you money!)
Here are some common produce items and their season:
broccoli: winter
cauliflower: winter
apples: fall
carrots: fall/winter
pears: late summer and fall
corn: late summer
strawberries: late spring/summer

I love this Toasted Apple Cinnamon Cereal from, you guessed it, Thrive!
The recipe is on page 216 though my version varies:

½ apple, diced
1 ½ cups oats
½ cup ground flaxseed
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup diced almonds
1 scoop hemp protein (1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons apple juice

Bake at 250 Fahrenheit for 1 hour on a cookie sheet.

Thrive Diet Pizza

2011-09-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is the Sunflower Seed-Beet Pizza from the Thrive diet.
I modify it a little, but basically the recipe is as follows:
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Crust:
A couple beets, grated (from our garden; pictured above!)
1 clove garlic
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Put ingredients into food processor and blend well, then use a spatula to spread onto cookie sheet.

Topping:
can be whatever you feel like, though I used:

handful chopped mushrooms
1 cup diced tomatoes (from our garden!)
1/2 onion
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chopped parsley (from our garden!)
1/4 cup basil (from our garden!)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast, sprinkled over top
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

You cook it for about 1/2 hour, until the nutritional yeast looks melted and the crust is starting to harden and firm.
So, so good right out of the oven and good later, too!
The original recipe is on page 237 in Thrive!

Amy's Burritos

2011-09-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Jessica has asked me to review Amy's selection of burritos. I will try two at a time every few nights until I have munched them all. I have started with a gluten free/dairy free (vegan!) and a basic cheese, bean, and rice (not vegan). I quite enjoyed the vegan one, the other was rather bland. There were more spices and tomatoes and peppers in the vegan one, very tasty.

The Firm and 30 Day Shred

2011-09-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I absolutely hated this workout!
I never was a big fan of Jillian Michaels as an instructor, but my aunt gave me two DVDs by her so I thought I would try them out. 30 Day Shred is made up of 3 20 minute workouts-level 1, 2, and 3. I did the 20 minute level 2 workout and it was difficult. Why I disliked it so was for two reasons mainly-the first being that she does not do all the workout with you but stops herself halfway through each exercise and tells you what the other two participants are doing (a beginner and a more advanced exerciser) which is distracting and I usually like to have the instructor doing the workout with me for extra motivation. The second being that she said, "I want you to feel like you're dying!" which is not why I workout. Working out makes me feel alive and good. Maybe I don't push myself hard enough but when I do a DVD I like to get in a good workout and have a pretty good time rather than push myself to illness and/or extreme discomfort...
The 1991 Firm tape I did with LaReine Chabut (her name means the queen in French..) was a lot more fun and less pretentious. It was a 45 minute total body workout called Abs, Hips & Thighs Sculpting. It had a lot of ab exercises which were challenging but not boring as well as a good mix of cardio and lower body work and I could definitely see doing this one again in the future.

Yoga and Pilates II

2011-09-20T21:34:00.001-07:00

So today I did 10 minutes of Pilates from 10 Minute Solution Pilates from a segment called "Pilates for Flexibility" and as with the other 10 minute solution workouts, it is good when you don't have a lot of time or are just beginning an exercise.
I then did a Pilates workout by one of my favourite instructors, Mari Winsor. The 20 minute workout focused on lower body doing what she calls the "side-kick series." The moves are interesting, effective and the overall workout is quick and enjoyable.
I also did 10 minutes from 10 Minute Solution Yoga called "Yoga for Stress-Relief." I sometimes strain my shoulder/upper back area and today was one such day so I thought I would take it easy in terms of my workout, and this segment in particular is not very effective at calorie burning or toning. It does, however, offer an easy way into yoga (it was my first yoga DVD and experience) and something to do on "easy days" when you don't feel like doing a lot or on your rest days.
Tomorrow is an A.M. workout with the Firm and a 5-6 mile run!

Five Year Anniversary of Being Vegan!

2011-09-20T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today marks 5 vegan years for me so I thought I would share a list of top 5 vegan things!

Top Five Basic Vegan Products:
1. Field Roast Sausages
2. Amy's No Cheese Pizza
3. Vega Protein Powder
4. Galaxy Nutritional Food Cheese Slices
5. Smart Ground Protein Crumbles (Ground Meat-Replacer)

Top Five Vegan Household Products:
1. Mrs Meyers Hand-Soaps! The Basil scent is amazing!
2. Seventh Generation Dishwashing Soap in Free & Clear Scent
3. Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray in Lemongrass & Thyme
4. Mrs. Meyers Toilet Bowl Cleaner in Geranium Scent
5. Biokleen Laundry Detergent in Cold Water Formula (Free & Clear works, too!)

Top Five Vegan Desserts:
1. It's Soy Delicious Vanilla Ice Cream
2. Mac the Chip Cookie from the Alternative Baking Company
3. Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Leathers
4. Country Choice Organics Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
5. Tofutti Cuties Ice Cream Sandwiches

Top Five Vegan Condiments and Seasonings:
1. Nutritional Yeast!
2. Balsamic Vinegar
3. Olive Oil
4. Soyatoo Vegan Whipping Cream
5. Hummus (Sabra is one good brand though I like to make my own)

Top Five Vegan Cookbooks:
1. Thrive by Brendan Brazier (MUST READ!)
2. La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer
3. Easy Vegan by the Easy Series
4. Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier
5. The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Top Five Favourite Vegetables:
1. Lettuce!
2. Zucchini
3. Cauliflower
4. Asparagus
5. Carrots

Top Five Favourite Fruits:
1. Tomatoes!
2. Apples
3. Strawberries
4. Blueberries
5. Bananas

Top Five Things I've Learned:
1. Just because one is vegan doesn't mean they're super healthy; there is a lot of vegan junk-food out there.
2. As a vegan one has the potential to eat foods that taste and resemble "traditional" foods, one just needs to spend a little time finding recipes and cooking.
3. Being vegan isn't as hard as everybody says.
4. "Being vegan is the single most important thing you can do for the environment."
5. Because my veganism is a source of pride and is so strongly rooted in my ideals and I have found new and interesting ways to be vegan, I could never possibly want to go back!

Top Five Resources for Those Interested in Veganism:
1. The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak
2. Goveg.com's Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit
3. PETA's List of "Accidentally Vegan" Foods
4. Your Local Health Food Store!
5. Vegguide's Index of Grocers, Restaurants, Bakers and More

Top Five Favourite Things About Being Vegan:
1. I eat healthy and unprocessed food the vast majority of the time
2. I am helping animals, my body and the environment
3. I get to experiment a lot in the kitchen and it's fun!
4. Sharing what I know and how I live with others
5. Being the change I want to see in the world!

Five Dislikes About Being Vegan:
1. The stigma(s) that I only eat hummus and salads AND that because I am vegan I must hate meat-eaters and want them all to be vegans.
2. The increased chance of being deficient in certain vitamins (D and B12 primarily)
3. Hearing people respond to my being vegan by saying, "oh, I could never do that." It's okay if you choose not to, but don't tell me you can't.
4. That everything isn't available vegan such as camera film, building materials, art supplies (paint) and automotive parts (tires).
5. That people sometimes think me naïve for choosing to be vegan.

Top Five Go-To Meals:
1. Pasta and Marinara Sauce-choose non-egg noodles and a meat/cheese free sauce.
2. Salads with nuts, seeds, avocados, mushrooms and/or tomatoes. Get creative!
3. Soup! Make an easy minestrone with tomato sauce, potatoes, a can of beans and some pasta.
4. Stir-fry with broccoli, zucchini, onions and tomatoes. Again, be creative!
5. Rice with various dressings and spices.

Well, I believe that concludes my lists.
I hope the above helps to inform you about veganism and where to begin whether you are merely curious, looking to be healthier or if you are considering taking the leap into veganism!

Yoga and Pilates

2011-09-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I did Ultimate Power Yoga with Rodney Yee-another DVD with 5 20 minute segments (one is actually 15 minutes..) and I did the Power Restoration, a 20 minute one.
It is okay. He can be a little condescending at times when he is doing more beginner type DVDs, which this one is. This morning Chris and I did 2 10 minute segments from 10 Minute Solutions Rapid Results Pilates which is a good introduction to pilates and good for when you don't have a lot of time. We did a lower body one (buns & thighs) and a streching one (slim & sleek stretch).
Time for some Chris comentary: "I think pilates is a great way to strengthen and prevent injury to your lower back and core muscles. Pilates also mates up well with yoga and is great mental excercise. Together these workouts really improve the quality of my life and my jobsite effectiveness."
So there you have it!
Tomorrow I will awaken with the dawn for more Firm tapes!

The Benefits of Mushrooms

2011-09-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

We love mushrooms!
I understand why some may be turned off by them-the texture, the "earthiness," the look, and last but not least, the taste.
However, there are many different types of mushrooms all of which have different characteristics and benefits and there are also many, many ways in which to cook with them. I am going to show you a few vegan recipes today and explain some of the little-known benefits they provide for everybody, and of course, vegans in particular.
First of all, I found out several months ago that I was somehow deficient in protein (!!!) and my doctor gave me several easy options for getting more into my diet. One, surprisingly, was eating more mushrooms. Apparently, when they are cooked they provide more protein so Chris and I usually begin any cooked dish with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Even though we are big fans of fungi, you usually don't even notice they're there...unless of course you have fungi-phobia and are searching them out.

That same doctor’s visit, I found out I was also deficient in vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin because it is one which our bodies can synthesize from sunshine. In Seattle, we don’t get a lot of sun year-round. So today I went to a local “health-food” market and re-stocked on vitamin D. I asked a man who worked in the vitamin section if there were any vegan D vitamins (vitamin D can come from Cod Liver Oil) and he showed me an all-vegan brand (Veglife) and mentioned that Shiitake mushrooms, when soaked in water and set in the sun, transform into little vitamin D machines! According to my research, they contain ergosterol, a precursor to vitamin D which is converted to Vitamin D2 by ultraviolet light. Dried mushrooms are a good source, but when they are soaked/set in sunshine, they become an even better source. I found this chart quite amazing:
Moving on to Portobello mushrooms and white buttons: the little white mushrooms that have become ubiquitous in supermarkets are actually little Portobellos in disguise. They, too are good sources of D and protein and are somewhat easier to incorporate into various dishes. (I say somewhat because it really is not that hard to add mushrooms to recipes.) And Portobellos also make interesting and tasty meat substitutes. Portobello burger, anyone?

Now, for the recipes.
Two I have adapted from an excellent cookbook called Easy Vegan. It is in no way lacking, I just have to make things my own way, by not measuring anything for example. For convenience, I have included the recipes with the measurements as they are in the book and have abbreviated the directions.

Baked Stuffed Mushrooms (page 184):
5 large Portobello mushrooms
2-4 teaspoons olive oil
1 celery stick, finely chopped (from our garden!)
1-2 garlic cloves
1 fresh green Chile, seeded and chopped
½ cups fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs (you can make them easily by microwaving a piece of bread for about 15 seconds then crumbling)
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives
salt and pepper along with mixed salad greens, to serve.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit and select 4 of the mushrooms for stuffing, keeping one out to add to the filling. Remove stalks and place de-sralked mushrooms in baking pan. Then, add celery, 2 teaspoons oil, Chile, chopped mushroom, chopped mushroom stalks and garlic into frying pan and sauté until soft. Then add this and tomato, breadcrumbs and remaining oil onto mushroom. Bake for 15 minutes and serve!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Lemon and Olive Oil (page 187):
4 large Portobello mushrooms
Marinade:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or liquid aminos!)
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
handful rosemary
pepper

Mix all ingredients well.
Cover mushrooms for 30 minutes after topping with marinade. Then, cook for 5 minutes on grill.

Success!
To make the burger I just made stuff up and used Dave's Killer bread Blues Buns, added some barley I made for the salad, added some lettuce from the salad and added the world's best condiment, nutritional yeast flakes!
My husband who is a meat-eater and definitely not a fan of nutritonal yeast said it tasted very burger like and very good! : D

Next, my own recipes:

Rice and Mushroom Pilaf:
Base:
4 cups of a blend of rice and lentils: I used forbidden rice, orzo rice, brown rice, barely, green, French and red lentils.
4 and 1/2 cups water with 1 tablespoon vegetable broth mixed in.
I used a rice cooker for this which makes life infinitely easier! However, you can cook it on stove-top for about 45 minutes. I usually guess, but rice to water/broth ratio is about 1:1.5.

Seasoning:
1 onion
handful soaked shiitake mushrooms
handful white button mushrooms
tablespoon coconut oil
tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
handful sage, rosemary, thyme (from our garden) and a bit of salt and pepper.
optional: handful frozen organic mixed mushrooms from Woodstock Farms which includes: shiitake, shimeiji, field and abalone mushrooms.
handful of dehydrated split pea soup mix (for added protein. sounds gross but is really quite good added to things such as this)

Combine all ingredients and serve!

Wilted Mixed Green Salad with Sautéed Mushrooms and Barley!
I first tried an incarnation of this salad with spinach, Quinoa and Chanterelles.Now, I am mixing it up with:

Provençal mixed baby greens, wilted (from our garden!)
1/2 cup Barley, cooked in rice cooker
1/4 cup sautéed onions and mushrooms; shiitake, white button, and Organic Mushroom Mix from above.
Light balsalmic and lemon juice dressing with pepper.

I made all of this today and I have to say that my favourite was probably the salad or the pilaf, though all were good and I was especially surprised by the portobello burger-it was wonderful!

1 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=122

Advanced Yoga

2011-09-14T21:45:00.001-07:00

Tonight Chris and I did Advanced Hip Openers, a 25 minute routine from Advanced Yoga with Rodney Yee. It is a good workout and his commentary is a lot better than in some other DVDs. The Arm Balances/Total Body Workout also included on the DVD, however, is definitely for more advanced pracitioners only. Chris and I can do most of the workout but the handstands we find to be quite difficult. At any rate, they are a great goal to work toward. We will let you know when we complete our first handstands!

3 DVD Day

2011-09-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today, Chris and I did A.M. Yoga for Your Week with Rodney Yee which has 5 20 minute sequences: twists, forward bends, standing poses, backbends and, the one we did today, hip openers. It is a good DVD and we do it often because it is quick and effective.

Then, I did 2 segments from 10 Minute Solutions Rapid Results: Fat Burner DVD. I did the kickboxing and "intense cardio" segments for a total of 20 minutes. The instructor, Catherine Chiarelli, was okay but a little too poppy for me. Overall though, they are good if you are pressed for time. The DVD has 5 total 10 minute workouts. I would definitely recommend the 10 Minute Solutions line for anyone beginning exercise. They have all kinds of different ones to choose from; yoga, pilates, dance, etc.

Then I did more still with a 55 minute Firm workout called Dangerous Curves Ahead which has instructor Allison Davis, my favourite workout instructor I've yet seen. She can be a little too poppy at times too but otherwise is not annoying and tells you what to do clearly. As with most workout DVDs, the first time you do them it is hard to follow exactly. I have done this one a few times so I finally felt like I had it down today. Another neat feature are some "express" workouts which are 30 and 25 minutes focusing on abs, cardio and scultping.
In total, I worked out 95 minutes today!

Yoga Shakti

2011-09-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

When Chris and I first discovered Shiva Rhea we didn't like her.
Seemed too much on the religious side of yoga; too much connecting to your heart center and whatnot.
However, when we grew tired of Rodney Yee and when we discovered he broke the teachings of yoga and divorced his wife and left his children and married one of his students, we weren't to wild about him, either.
So we gave Shiva another try; we bought Yoga Shakti.
I'm glad we did because it is so wonderful!
I love the music in her practices and most of what she says.
In my practice this morning she said something quite fascinating. She said, "find your intelligent edge."
In yoga, I take that to mean find the spot where all is connected and you are thinking with and through your body, not just following directions and thinking with your mind. This is a hard spot to find because many things will pop up in your head as you do yoga and part of the practice is to train your mind as much as your body, if not more so. As you can see above, our cat loves it. She is very affectionate when we do yoga and thus is quite distracting.
Today, I made up a "yoga-matrix" from Yoga Shakti which allows you to pick and choose certain parts from all the sequences. There are about four or five sequences. One for beginners, two for solar flow and two for lunar flow.
Vinyasa yoga, which this DVD is, is much faster than many other forms of yoga and I find that appealing for the reason that it feels like exercise, it feels very rhythmic and very primal as well (hence the lunar and solar flows).

New York City Ballet Workout 1

2011-09-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

I had done some of the first workout on this DVD set before when I first got it, about a year ago, but I was much better today than then. It can be a difficult DVD to follow because ballet is something you have to learn and practice for a long time before you understand what to do. However, this is a very good DVD because it has a lot of different elements within the workout so you don't become bored and it teaches you a lot about ballet. They use real New York City Ballet dancers, classical music (which may sound strange but for this workout is wonderful!), and the narrator is the director of the dance company himself. The first set was pretty long-about an hour-but I thouroughly enjoyed it and did not feel like I was really working out. My only complaint is that there are many little sections within the workout (17 to be exact) and it takes a while for them to introduce each section which I feel takes away from the overall flow. I have not, as yet, done the second workout.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe that we enjoy very much:

-2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
-1 cup smart balance, or earth balance, or your choice butter substitute
-We go light on sugar, 3/4 cup, feel free to sugar to taste, remember refined sugar is made with bone char and is NOT vegan.
-the equivalent of two eggs, we use Ener-G egg replacer but one can use applesauce or ground flax seeds
-1 tsp baking soda
-pinch of salt
-1 tsp vanilla
-vegan chocolate chips or carob chips

Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 8-10 min on a cookie sheet
Fast and easy cookies!

Tara Stiles Anywhere Yoga

2011-09-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was the beginning of National Yoga Month, where you can get a coupon to attend a week of free classes in your area if you visit their website.

Today I did Tara Stiles Anywhere Yoga one hour workout. It was good, though a bit hard to follow at times. She is an interesting teacher because she is unconventional in her approach and teaching philosophy and tries crazy poses that aren't typically found in a yoga class. She is very unassuming and unpretentious. You can even find mini-sequences of hers on her channel at youtube.

Carbon

2011-09-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Question: How many make it blondes would it take to change a light bulb so as to save 300 POUNDS of carbon dioxide?1
Answer: It takes one. All she has to do is replace a regular light bulb with a compact flourescent one. And you can too!!

Question: What can Joe Sausage, who loves his steak and bacon, do to save 35,000 gallons of water a year? What about Annie Cauliflower, a lax vegetarian; how could she save 5,000 lbs of carbon dioxide a year?2
Answer: All Joe Sausage has to do is go without meat just ONE DAY A WEEK! And Annie just needs to cut out meat entirely. And you can too!!!

We watched An Incovenient Truth last night and it was quite sad, however, Chris and I are trying to brainstorm even more ways to be more sustainable and environmentally "friendly." So far, we are thinking of saving up for much more efficient washer and dryer appliances, driving less and buying new things as little as possible.

Other very simple things you can do to help the environment and reduce carbon emissions:

Buy a reusable water bottle.
Buy reuseable shopping bags (and remember to bring them to the store!)
Turn things off and unplug them when you aren't using them, like TV, microwave, lights, computer.
Use alternate transportation-bike, walk, run, bus.
Recycle.
Be vegan! : D

1. http://www.climatecrisis.net/take_action/12_tips.php
2. http://www.climatecrisis.net/take_action/12_tips.php

Banana Bread Energy Bar from Thrive

2011-08-31T10:28:00.001-07:00

I love Brendan Brazier. He is incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition, health and fitness and he brings a very different perspective to it than most. So, here is one recipe from Thrive.

In the energy bar I made, there is sprouted quinoa (just put a bit of quinoa in a bowl, add water and wait a day or so and it'll sprout) instead of amaranth so it's raw.
The bars are made in a food processor and then frozen. I like to heat them up for a few seconds when I get one out of the freezer to eat.

The recipe is as follows:

1 banana (I used 2)
3/4 cups fresh or soaked dried dates
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup popped amaranth
1/4 cup ground sesame seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
sea salt to taste

enjoy!

The Firm at 5 AM

2011-08-31T07:47:00.001-07:00

In watching old firm videos, one thing I've noticed is that any given class is made up of about 1/4 men! The Firm now is women-only and I wonder what caused the shift. The men in the videos aren't small and wimpy, either, they are for the most part serious body-building types. Chris suggested it was marketing backed by studies that changed the demographic. At any rate, the video I did today, called Firm Parts: Tough Aerobic Mix, was a mix of various aerobic parts in other Firm workouts and was about 60 minutes long. It was challenging but not as effective as the newer Firm workouts. Also shown above is me when I was about five working out to Barbie!

Yoga Burn DVD

2011-08-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

This 60 minute workout has Rodney Yee who, as far as a "celebrity" instructor goes, is pretty good. Chris and I like this DVD because the poses are slow and meditative-which is challenging because one has a tendency to rush through poses without thinking. We've been doing this one for about a year. It is good for when you want to unwind, especially at night before bed or a shower.
I truly love yoga!

I'll be waking up at dawn again tomorrow to test another tape!

30 Days of Workout Tapes!

2011-08-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

After bailing out of my raw diet, I have decided to take on a new challenge. 30 days of workout tapes! I have included pictures of my "before" and I will show "after" at the end of the 30 days.
I have pretty much always loved workout tapes. When I was about five years old, I got a Barbie workout tape (with the real Barbie, I might add! Pictured above.) and I would don my workout apparel and tennis shoes and huff and puff in the living room, after my father moved the furniture, for probably 45 minutes. Then, when I was 14 I did a ton of Winsor Pilates. Pressed for time a few years later, I did Ten Minute Solutions Pilates. At 19, I did one particular DVD by the Firm along with elliptical training and a lot of hiking. At 20, I did more workout DVDs by the Firm along with some others and started doing yoga DVDs with Chris. Today, I woke up at 5:14 and fifteen minutes later, I was working out to the 1998 Firm VHS tape I recently purchased on amazon.com. It’s called Fat Blaster: Total Body Workout. It has instructor Allie Strickland (who still does Firm tapes!) and is 45 minutes in length. Overall, the colourful workout wear of the instructors and the students present is rather fun—not to mention funny. The studio is quite funny, too, cramped with floral carpets and fake plants. The workout itself was alright—I sweat a bit and had a good time. Not nearly the most challenging workout I have done but at 5: 30 in the morning, that was okay with me. As with all firm tapes, there is a bit of a learning curve while you figure out which foot to put first and whatnot, but I would definitely do this one again.

Raw Diet Day 2 (yesterday)

2011-08-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not posting yesterday. However, I slept nearly 10 hours and was incredibly fatigued.

yesterday, day 2, I ate the following:

breakfast: our daily smoothie. VERY early in the morning. (or late, late the night before.)
snack: 2 apples
lunch: another smoothie.
snack: some left-over "pasta" from the night before.
what was intended to be an early dinner: frozen squash, broccoli and cauliflower that I heated in a pan on low for over an hour with non-frozen onion slices and lemon juice added.

then, I became so, so fatigued. I slept for about 3 hours, and when I awoke, I ate some more squash-mix (in total, I ate about a pound of the stuff) and feel asleep another 3 hours. When I awoke the second time, I felt like I had a cold and felt very..."gross"...is the best way I can think to describe it. I felt like I had just eaten a package of Top Ramen or something equally artificial. It was very strange. Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to feel this way or sleep even more (I do not like naps...) I decided to break the raw diet and have some spaghetti (vegan, or course) that my husband made for me. I feel bad for not continuing the raw diet, but I was woefully unprepared for any detoxing. I thought that because I had been vegan for almost five years that I wouldn't have anything to worry about; that I was healthy and had been eating really good. Now, more than ever, I am interested in following the raw diet because I want to be healthier and I now know my body has toxins to be rid of! So, in a week or so I will try again, with a strict plan in place, and approach the challenge more prepared mentally and logistically.

Raw Diet Day 1!

2011-08-27T20:07:00.001-07:00

I have decided to “go raw” for 10-14 days. That means eating foods that are fresh—such as apples and salads—and those which have been cooked at temperatures below 116 Fahrenheit. Why go raw, you ask? Well, there is a lot of research and a lot of controversy over the issue. Many believe it is how we are supposed to eat. Others believe cooking destroys essential enzymes that improve health; even turning some into triglycerides and trans fats (!!!). Others yet believe that it’s simply easier to digest and so they eat raw because it makes them feel better. Then, there are people who think it’s insanity because we are, and have always been, carnivorous beings upon which the gift of fire was bestowed. Lastly, there are those who fret over adequate protein intake and deficiencies of other nutrients. I am not fervently opposed to or for any of the above; for me, I am just curious. I think we have cooked long enough that our bodies are used to cooking and meat, at least in moderation. However, I do feel a lot better when I eat an uncooked meal and there is a lot of research confirming the destruction of enzymes in the cooking process. Basically, I want to get the information out there, test it for myself, and hopefully find some new, interesting recipes in the process.

In my research prior to going raw, I found pH changed dramatically on a raw diet.

I found the following quite fascinating: “During my raw trial, my urine was alkaline; every reading was between 7.4 and 8.0. When I measured my urine pH in late March after eating cooked foods for 2 months, the reading was 5.8 (acidic). I’ve been eating 100% raw again…and this morning my urine pH was 8.0 (alkaline). The pH scale is logarithmic, so this is a significant shift. While eating cooked food, my urine pH has always been acidic; while eating raw food for a day or more, my urine pH has always been alkaline.”1
Now, why would pH and alkalinity be important? Well, as Brendan Brazier of the Thrive Diet, notes: “a neutral or good pH is 7.35; maintaining this balance is vital. If the body’s pH drops, meaning our body has become too acidic, the likelihood of ailments rises sharply.”2 An acidic environment causes the body unnecessary stress. When the body is stressed, cortisol rises; a stress-chemical which makes sleep nearly impossible, further stressing the body. Another part of why pH is so important is because, whether you eat alkalizing or acidic foods, the body buffers pH to maintain alkaline levels. This is an unfortunate waste of energy that can suppress immunity and cause fatigue.

On the other side of the coin:
“A study surveying people practicing raw vegan diets of varying intensities found that 30% of the women under age 45 had partial to complete amenorrhoea [loss of period] and that ‘subjects eating high amounts of raw food (> 90%) were affected more frequently than moderate raw food dieters.’ The study concluded that since many raw food dieters were underweight and exhibited amenorrhoea ‘a very strict raw food diet cannot be recommended on a long-term basis’"3

I will note that, even eating cooked vegan fare, it takes a fair amount of food to satisfy nutritional requirements. Brendan Brazier certainly eats his fair share (of vegan fare!) but for me, one who does not like eating food, cooking food, buying food or really anything to do with food, I do not always get enough in me in a day. However, I am working on that and so far, I have not suffered any diseases (such as amenorrhoea), only deficiencies. Would I if I lived raw long-term? I am not certain. I do believe though that the biggest concern of either cooked or raw vegan diet is a vitamin deficiency. But if one pays attention to nutrient intake, you should be okay.

As for evolutionary diet, Wikipedia provides a bit of insight:

“Richard Wrangham, a primate researcher and professor of anthropology, has suggested that eating cooked food is more "natural" for the human digestive system, because he thinks that the human digestive system may have evolved to deal with cooked foods. Wrangham thinks that cooking explains the increase in hominid brain sizes, smaller digestive tract, smaller teeth and jaws and decrease in sexual dimorphism that occurred roughly 1.8 million years ago. Most other anthropologists oppose Wrangham, stating that archeological evidence suggests that cooking fires began in earnest only c.250,000 years ago, when ancient hearths, earth ovens, burnt animal bones, and flint appear across Europe and the Middle East…The mainstream view among anthropologists is that the increases in human brain-size occurred well before the advent of cooking, due to a shift away from the consumption of nuts and berries to the consumption of meat.”

More research to come as the experiement progresses. Here is what I ate today:

breakfast: our daily smoothie.
snack 1: dehydrated vegetable chips. squash, beets, carrots and others.
lunch: 2 gala apples.
snack 2: 2 bananas.
dinner: large serving of "pasta"-kelp pasta with zucchini and cucumber "pasta" (just peeled with a regular peeler to make noodles) tomatoes (from the garden), bean pods (from the garden) red cabbage (from the garden) and some balsalmic vinegar, ginger and pepper. Admittedly, not the grandest tasting thing to eat. Though I feel good and am glad to know I ate something that is really good for me. (pictured above).
snack 3: about 1/4 cup raw peanut butter with sunflower seeds.

I have completed day 1, without any real changes to note, so I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens!

Notes:
1. http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/04/returning-to-raw-foods/
2. Brazier, Brendan. The Thrive Diet. 2007.
3. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism#Criticism_and_controversies
4. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism#Human_evolution

Organic Apple Shortage?

2011-08-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Chris and I buy the majority of our groceries, when we buy groceries, from Fred Meyer. Surprisingly, they have a wide array of organic items—produce, frozen entrées, ice cream, cookies, etc. We pretty much buy organic food and nothing else, so this Fred Meyer is really convenient for us because it’s close, cheap, and organic. One thing I love but we are not currently able to grow are apples. Especially Fujis! The past two weeks or so, however, there have been none. Not a single organic apple in Fred Meyer. We even happened to go to the one in Burien, which has an organic section comparable to Tacoma. None. We happened to be at a Safeway in Seattle, too, and no organic apples there, either. It took a trip to PCC to finally find the elusive fruit. Furthermore, they had a large selection and equally large quantities. So, where are the organic apples in mainstream grocery stores? Ever helpful Google provided this website when I typed in organic apple shortage:
To be continued…

Our Daily Smoothie

2011-08-26T19:58:00.001-07:00

This is our basic smoothie that we have nearly every day. We start with 2-4 bananas (depending on their size) then half cup each frozen blueberries, raspberries and a handfull of strawberries (fresh works too; just add a half cup or cup of ice, depending on your preference). We also add an açai "brick" when we're feeling extravagant (they're expensive!) We add a mix of protein powders; we use brown rice and hemp proteins along with Vega mixed-protein packets in various flavours. (We added the chocolate flavour to cookies once) Next, we add hemp and coconut milk. Sometimes, we use rice milk, too. But if you prefer soymilk or almond milk or another milk substitute, that would be good. Keep in mind though that coconut milk is not only very nutrient-dense, it thickens the smoothie nicely.

That's the basic recipe. We do change it occasionally. We use Agave nectar for sweetness and for added nutrition, we use various seaweeds such as dulse flakes, spirulina powder and Nori seaweed sheets. Among other things, they have one of the only natural vegan sources of B-12.

It is a great way to start the day, giving us a lot of energy. It's good too for fueling up before exercise because having a heavy meal can make working out unpleasant and difficult. Plus, it's darn tasty!

garden salad

2011-08-24T10:50:00.001-07:00

We have some variation of this salad almost daily.
In it, there is: baby kale, looseleaf curled lettuce, swiss chard, home-sprouted sprouts, lolla rosa lettuce and seeds (pumpkin seeds in the above though sunflower seeds are my favourite.) and marigolds and/or nasturtiums, both of which are edible.
One thing we LOVE to have in a salad that we have been unsuccessful at trying to grow are avocados. I am determined to start one from seed, however. Otherwise, everything but the seeds are from our garden.
We like to use Annie's organic Shitake dressing or balsalmic and oil.

Lettuce and especially chard are incredibly easy to grow. There is almost no care needed, they grow very quickly and you can eat them at any stage: sprout, microgreen, baby leaf, full-grown. If you have a baking tray you no longer use, punch a couple small holes in it, fill it with dirt and plant some lettuce, kale and/or chard. Water frequently and enjoy micro and baby greens to supplement store bought salad greens. Really, it is that simple.

hello!

2011-08-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

I should have begun this blog in early spring, however, I simply had too much stress and too much on my plate. I will backtrack a little though and show how our front yard has transformed! The photograph above is my husband putting in our very first section of bed, where now our herb garden lies and is oft visited by the bees and butterflies. Then, some photographs of a few of our first beds before anything had really taken off. Finally, a set when it is in full-bloom.
We do not have a huge sized yard, but we took nearly every blade of grass out (with a handy tool called a mattock) and replaced it with raised beds and planters of all shapes and sizes. We added a bed here and there since March and now we have a total of around 20 beds. We have already gathered (and ate!!) a bounty from them. Photographs and stories about our crop to come!
Other than promoting a vegan lifestyle (organic produce=$$$$$$$$) our garden has given us a sense of pride and it's been really FUN to go out each day and see new things grow. This morning, for example, I went out and unbeknowst to me our beans were growing like crazy! I snapped one off right there and ate it. There is no better tasting food than that which you grow yourself. None.