Vegan on Vacation

Maybe I should have said 98% vegan on vacation...

I recently took a four day trip to Duluth, MN with my husband and three children. I packed plenty of snacks for the drive, brought my own stuff to put in my coffee, and hoped for the best when it came to food.

I think I did pretty good as far as finding vegan choices, or at least the best I could do when I am at the mercy of a restaurant that doesn't really care...at a Mexican restaurant I ate mediocre veggie fajitas, blah refried beans (after I scraped off the cheese), only to discover when I was finished that there was a tiny piece of meat among the leftover veggies. WTF? How does that happen? I don't really wanna know...

I was worried about breakfast, but it worked out well. The first morning there we ate at a very expensive, fancy, revolving restaurant at the top of our hotel. I ordered oatmeal (no milk) and fresh fruit. The oatmeal came with brown sugar, raisins, and cooked apples. I skipped the raisins, and only put in a little of the sugar, and it tasted like I was eating apple pie for breakfast. Grace and I shared the fruit, and the coffee was delicious.


On the trip, I also ate two veggie burgers (one that might not have been vegan), a lot of french fries and onion rings, and some veggie pizza with no cheese. At Perkins I ate dry toast with strawberry jam and some breakfast potatoes and fruit, and more oatmeal. I also drank coffee that was not organic.

Even though some of the food I ate wasn't too junky, I was sick to death of eating out at a restaurant after a couple of days. My body was not happy with me. I had a craving for a real smoothie that felt like an ache in the middle of my stomach, kind of like where it hurts when you miss someone that you love. I didn't actually gain any weight on the trip, but I feel sluggish, and I need a detox. Here comes days of fresh veggies, real fruit smoothies, and delicious, homemade food. Also lots of water, juice, and hopefully kombucha if my batch turned out all right. It's detox time, baby. Off to make that smoothie...

Comedic Therapy

Mmmmmm!

I am coming down from my food high. It was pretty intense. I came across yet another awesome recipe on Oh She Glows- Tahini Avocado Chickpea Salad- and tonight was the night to try it out. I worked out on my elliptical machine (twice this week, oh man!), then turned on some tunes and got out the food processor. Grace heard the sounds of my getting ready to make food and she was there faster than Drew on a can of Root Beer.

But seriously, what could have gone wrong here? It's like mixing all of my favorite flavors all together into a bowl of ecstasy and delight. Chickpeas, avocado, tahini, onions, spinach, cumin, for god's sake...

I don't think I ever want to eat anything else. Except some fruit for dessert. This is the perfect way to get veggies and healthy fats and flavor that will knock your socks off. The dressing is perfectly creamy and slightly spicy with the cumin and coriander. A perfect combination.

There is a potluck at work tomorrow for the paraprofessionals. It's supposed to be healthy food. I doubt there will be anything vegan, unless someone brings fresh fruit. I don't care. I am bringing this salad for sure. At one work potluck, a co-worker saw me eating my soup while the rest of the staff chowed down on potluck food and Christmas treats. She commented that I must be jealous of everyone. Really? I don't think so. It's not like I am being forced to eat this way. It's my choice. And seriously, if I am eating stuff like this, they should be jealous of me. For sure.

Perfect!

Mac and Cheeze with Broccoli

Two posts in two days? That's insane! I must be bored. Or actually cooking real food! Or maybe it's because here in Minnesota we are having yet another snow storm, this time with some freezing rain thrown in for fun. So here we sit...

I make this Macaroni and Cheeze with Broccoli a lot. I mean a lotta lot. Like maybe every other week during the winter. I can't even remember where I found the recipe, I just know it was on someone's blog. It is so freaking delicious, you don't even know. It's so delicious that every time I ask Garrett if he wants me to make it, his eyes get really wide and he nods his head vigorously.

This is sooo cheezy and easy. Imagine the amount of calories and fat it would have if I really used cheese. Yuck. This way is pretty low fat in comparison. And healthier by a long shot.

I usually use whole wheat penne pasta for this casserole, but this time I opted to use the box of quinoa pasta I found at the B&D for like 50 cents or some outrageously low price like that. I had never tried quinoa pasta before, but I am always willing to experiment with other kinds of pastas, and I feel a person should eat a variety of things, including gluten-free options. It was sooooo yummy! Grace was eating it while I was trying to mix things up. It was lighter than wheat pasta, if that makes any sense.

Since I can't really link to the recipe, and I have changed it up a bit over the years, I am going to share it with you. Lucky you! Comfort food at its ultimate best. No joke.

Mac and Cheeze with Broccoli

1 lb box pasta
1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
A few dashes black pepper
2 tbsp. tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch or two of turmeric
1-2 tbsp. canola oil
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 -1 cup chopped broccoli
bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Boil noodles and drain. Melt margarine in a saucepan - add garlic and cook for two minutes. Whisk in flour, then add the 3 1/2 cups water, tamari, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Stir until it starts to thicken- a few minutes. Then whisk in the oil and nutritional yeast flakes. Add half the sauce to the pasta and broccoli and mix well. Then pour the rest of the sauce over everything, top with bread crumbs and sprinkle paprika on top. Bake 20-30 minutes, then cool for at least 10 minutes to let it thicken up. This stuff is seriously better the next day.

Lemon-Lime Detox Smoothie

Who needs detoxing? Probably everyone. I know for sure I do. I have been consuming sugar in unbelievable amounts while I sit around, aching all over, depressed, fat, and miserable. It's a vicious cycle and I must stop it now. For real this time.

This recipe is my first attempt at a green smoothie. I have always been afraid that my blender will suck and not mix the greens enough and I will end up chewing my smoothie. I am going to ask for a new blender for my birthday/Mother's Day (same day).

I had the lemons and limes already because I have been slicing them up and putting them in my water bottle at work everyday. It really helps me get the water I need each day, and it's addicting and delicious. It always elicits comments from my students, and there is one student that will get to eat a slice of lemon from my bottle if he gets his work done first.

Tip: Do not cut yourself while cutting up a lemon. Yow!



I decided to put the ingredients in a glass jar and use my immersion blender, thinking it would do a better job at chomping up the spinach. It did pretty good, but you can still see some small pieces in there. No problem...you can't taste the spinach at all. Seriously.



How does it taste? SOUR! But super-duper delicious and lemony-lime refreshing. I am so gonna make this one again. I feel inspired to get rid of all the processed sugar - again. I can do it. I can be well.

Vegan Alfredo

My son Drew will eat spaghetti anytime. Really, anytime. Since he eats so few foods, I made it just for him yesterday. He can live on the leftovers for a few days.

Since I was boiling the spaghetti noodles anyway, I got the idea to make this Vegan Alfredo sauce from Vegan with a Vengeance. I freaking LOVE this recipe. ADORE it. Lick-the-plate-moaning love it.

The creaminess of the sauce must come from the pine nuts. Also, anything made with nutritional yeast is my BFF. Seriously, I could eat that stuff every day and marvel at the bright yellow-ness of my pee.

I always saute mushrooms to go with this dish, but this time, I felt like adding broccoli as well. How on earth could that go wrong? It just can't. I was not disappointed. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tonight for supper.

I haven't opened up my VWaV book in a while, and that's really a shame. I need to go back and make some more of those recipes again, and try some of the ones I haven't tried yet.

Curried Lentil Soup

This winter in Minnesota stuff is not for the weak. Right now it's 3 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature is dropping. The next two days are going to be worse, with highs barely reaching zero, if they do at all.

Hanging in there....getting through this January stuff. I think I'm going to make it...

Last night I came across this recipe on Oh She Glows. So I made it. It was really easy. I have made soups like it before. Ah....the soothing sounds of my music, chopping onions and carrots, letting it simmer...

If we each have our own personal heaven, mine will smell like curry simmering on the stove.

The soup was good. Really quite good. But thick. And after a while, I got tired of all the lentils. I think that's the only way to explain it. I just didn't feel like chewing them anymore.

It looks like vomit, but many of the best dishes do.

I am sure I will make this soup again. But I may add more veggies, use less lentils, and add rice or couscous or quinoa. But then it will just be another soup. Oh, well.

Meat Meat Meat

I am right now writing an article for the paper on the new meat locker/processing plant/butcher shop/house of torture in town.

I knew this would happen ever since the building was first being planned. I live here. It's only natural they would ask me to write about it.

I waited for my boss to ask. I didn't offer it up.

I stressed about it a little for a week before the interview came up. I felt sad and torn and disgusted. What would I see? What would I have to hear about? Could I handle it? I almost turned it down and said no.

It wasn't too terrible. We sat in the front room so I didn't have to see anyone carve up a carcass. There was some blood on the owner's apron, but that's all. I didn't tell her I was vegan. I didn't say anything. I asked about the animals - turns out they are alive when they come and they "take care of everything from start to finish." Except, of course, when deer hunters bring in their already-dead deer.

It was hard, though. And the place smelled like death. If I would have heard a live animal in the back, I would have walked away.

I just don't get it. How people can look at the animal, living, breathing, scared, and then butcher it. How the pile of guts and blood and bones and tissues can be okay if it's a farm animal, but would be gross or wrong if it was your dog or cat. How these people can look at the meat and think that it looks tasty or delicious.

To me, it's absolutely no different than looking at roadkill and thinking it looks tasty.

Anyway, I survived. And now I am writing the article. Then I will be done with it all.

I wish I could write an article on a tofu factory. Or the new vegan restaurant in town. Ha!

Holiday Cooking

Ah, the holidays are over. If you don't count New Year's. I get to stay home with the kiddos tonight and drink sparkling apple cider and eat popcorn from the movie theater and watch movies. There is freezing rain tonight, so not really a good night to go out anyway. Not that it's important to me. I have been home with the kids all week, and we have barely left the house. Monday I went to the new Trader Joe's that's only an hour away and that was super fun. I have done some cleaning, taken care of sick kids, read, watched several movies, and all around really enjoyed it. Today I need to work on cleaning the kids' rooms.

Christmas was the usual. I made my green bean casserole (again) and I ate the whole thing myself over three or four days. I also made the "turkey" roast (again) and gravy and it was splendid. It does get old bringing my own food to family get-togethers though. There are always people looking at my plate with curious looks, wondering what the heck I am eating. My MIL did make me my own baked potato and sweet potato on the side, though, which was thoughtful of her. I ate way too much food, especially the sweets. I think I gained three pounds. I feel gross and fat. This must change.

Tonight I am making barbecued pork ribs for the family, and the BBQ tofu from Veganomicon for me. The recipe makes so much barbecue sauce that I froze some last time. Unfortunately, I don't believe in such things as labeling all those frozen containers, so I had to open them and smell them. I hope I am thawing out the right one! I am also making mashed potatoes because Grace loooooooves them. And broccoli. We will celebrate the new year together eating a good meal.

But no more cookies. Seriously. I just ate two chocolate chip cookies and I feel sick. I need to stop this lazy eating. I need a freaking salad. I need a few days to detox. I need to try some new recipes. I will let you know how that goes.

Have a glorious and healthy 2011, everyone. Eat well. Be happy. :)

Protein Power!

It has been too long, I know. The truth is, I have not made anything blog-worthy since the last post. This time of year is always a struggle. I come home from work every day, curl up in my recliner with some cinnamon toast and coffee, and write. Lazy. Depressed. Tired. Craving carbs. As a result of this sugar-filled apathy diet, I actually got a cold. Not a bad one, but still. One day in English class I had a sneeze attack so bad I had to go in the hallway until it passed. I could feel the unhealthiness, and my body was craving something nutritious, a way to fire up my immune system so I could feel better.

I must break the cycle!

We are snowed in today. Even as I type, there is a blizzard going on outside. A real one. Tons of snow falling, lots and lots of wind to blow it around, and ice underneath the snow. Roads and major interstate highways are shutting down and they are pulling plows off the road. Tomorrow we will be lucky if the temperature reaches zero degrees Fahrenheit. We were planning on doing some Christmas shopping tomorrow, but it's going to have to wait.

I am okay with that. I have nowhere to go. I have food in the house, and coffee. I have writing I want to do.

And it seems I have my mojo back.

I found this recipe for a Protein Power Goddess Bowl on Oh She Glows , which is a great vegan website for recipes and inspiring stories of health and happiness. And unbelievably delicious food. She is also a great photographer, making her food look so appetizing it makes me drool as I read about it. This recipe looked kind of strange, but it had a few things going for it right away. First, I had all the ingredients. Second, the tahini dressing. I am completely GAGA over any dressing made with tahini. It is delicious, creamy, nutritious, and filling, and has enough fat to make you feel satisfied. Also, this one had nooch in it. Nutritional yeast and tahini all at the same time? I am all over that. Third, all of the garlic. Enough said, really.

I made a few changes. I used green peppers because that's what I have. Red would have been delicious, and of course, prettier. Also, instead of brown rice, I used a packet of Kashi grains. It was good, but next time I will use rice, or maybe quinoa. I also used sun-dried tomatoes, but ended up picking them out.

The tahini dressing was so creamy and lemony and garlicky. :)

I don't know how I ever survived without my cast iron pan. It was a Christmas gift from my in-laws last year. Makes me so happy!

The final result was sooooo delicious! My husband came in the kitchen and asked what the horrible smell was. The lentils were cooking. He wasn't impressed. I made all sorts of moaning noises while I ate, but it didn't do anything to change his mind. He had frozen pizza for supper.

And I had vital energy and health. It felt so good to be eating this creamy goodness, the spinach, the lentils, everything. It filled me up and left me satisfied. I can't wait to eat the leftovers. I will definitely make it again next time, but maybe change it up a bit with different veggies. Who knows?

Oh my god, that tahini dressing...

And a kiwi for dessert! I forgot just how amazing this food makes me feel compared to the sugary crap I have been eating that makes me feel gross afterward. I must remember this!

Thankful for Food

I spent most of the day yesterday cooking, baking, and doing laundry.

My husband watched football and took a nap. But I am not bitter...not at all.

I had some help, though. I hope Grace doesn't outgrow the desire to help her mommy cook. She is so much fun.

I decided to make myself some sort of seitan "turkey" like thing. I found this recipe and decided to give it a go. Grace helped mix up the dough and knead it. It was incredibly easy to make.






I had some cheese cloth, but I ran into problems there. I had trouble rolling it up and having the seitan fit inside. I also could not find a string to save my life. Eventually I decided to just skip the cheesecloth and let the roll of dough simmer in the water free-form. No problem. After simmering for an hour, I baked it in the oven for 30 minutes. It was kind of crispy on the outside.


Grace and I ate some. It was a little bit blah, so I sprinkled a bit of sea salt on it. We just kept eating it. We couldn't stop! Every time I came into the kitchen, I tore off another piece and popped it in my mouth. Yummy and chewy and delish.

I wanted to make a gravy to go with it, so I tried the vegan gravy recipe from Oh, She Glows Thanksgiving Menu. It was easily the most flavorful yummy gravy I have ever tasted. While making everything else, I kept picking off pieces of the "turkey" and dipping it into the gravy.




By the time we had to leave for the relatives house, I had eaten so much of the seitan, I decided to leave it at home. I made my usual green bean casserole that I just love. I also made the usual pumpkin cheesecake that is to die for.


Garrett had some fun with the whipped cream on his pie.




And Grace was excited about the pumpkin cheesecake that she helped make.



It was a successful meal. I ate my green bean casserole (nobody else touched it). I also had some cranberry relish, pickles, and a bun. The potatoes and corn were swimming in butter, so I skipped them. But I was not deprived. We went to the new Harry Potter movie afterward, and I could barely eat any popcorn, I was so full. We had a good time, though, and there are plenty of leftovers for today. We are staying inside where it's nice and warm, relaxing, and eating. Sometimes, life is good.

Thinking Thanksgiving

The more I think about Tasha's post about becoming an omnivore again, the less I like it.

Her post is overly dramatic, and quite frankly, hard to believe.

I don't doubt she was having those health problems. I do have doubts that veganism was the only culprit. And I do doubt that the instant she ate her first steak, she felt better.

It also bothers me that she recently tweeted the praises of bacon and how she can't believe she lived without it. Ewww!

I feel a little betrayed. Whatever. She can do what she wants. As for me, I am busy making myself some vegan pumpkin cheesecake for tomorrow. We are getting together with the hubby's meat-eating, deer-hunting, close-minded, turkey in the deep fat fryer family. Also making my favorite green bean casserole. I really should make a "meat" loaf or something as well. Better think about that...

In the meantime, this video rocks. In a disgusting, horrifying, goddamn good thing I'm a vegan way.

Vegan Thoughts

One of the blogs I follow regularly, The Voracious Vegan, posted yesterday that she is no longer a vegan. She has been suffering multiple terrible health issues for a long time, and she has struggled relentlessly to fight it, but she found health again by going back to being an omnivore.

She has, of course, received tons of criticism. She has been told a thousand times that she is just not doing it right. I don't believe these people. I believe that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. Our bodies are all so incredibly different and individualized. The fact that she has found her health and happiness again after suffering so much pretty much means everything for her life.

It got me thinking about my own choices. Are we wrong to think that being vegan helps to save the earth? Are we wrong to think that it's bad to eat meat and products made from animals? It made me think about the fact that I recently ate cheese and I have not been as fussy as I used to be about whether something has a minute amount of milk or eggs inside it. Is it really true that for life there must be death?

I have not suffered any ill effects from my diet. I enjoy being vegan. I love the peace I feel inside when I eat without any animals having suffered. I like the way my body feels when I eat food that is good for my body. I don't want to change any of that for any reason. And I think the diet is good for my body, as well as my mind. My high cholesterol level plummeted to a happy normal level. I think I look better, as a person looks when they are healthy. I also think it's the best thing for the planet, whatever people might say.

I also believe this isn't a contest to see who the best or hippest vegan is. Yeah, I eat honey on occasion, but that doesn't mean someone who is more hard-core is better than me. Everyone makes the best decisions they can at any particular moment in their lives. It's all about me, not pleasing you, or what a label means.

I think Voracious Vegan was brave to post her experiences the way she did, and I wish her the best.

Thanksgiving is next week and I am going to look through some fabulous recipes for this vegan to bring with her. Because this food is delicious, satisfying, and makes me happy. And that is really all that matters.

Cooling Rack Full of Love

It's cold here. It's 41 degrees (Fahrenheit) according to my computer. I haven't ventured outside to feel it, because 1) I don't have to, and 2) It's raining.

I bought groceries yesterday and stocked up one some canned pumpkin. It's a generic brand, but I think it will be okay. So after eating my soup for lunch, I decided I needed to do some baking. And wa-la - I Stumbled Upon this website, which has this recipe.

Ah, pumpkin and chocolate. One of my all-time favorite combinations. Does this call for some afternoon coffee? I believe so...

Next time I am leaving out the almond extract. The almond flavor should be more subtle than it is. But they are still great muffins, perfect for the oncoming of a Minnesota winter.

Vegan Meme

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?

Cheese. Despite my recent digression.

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?

Squash

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?

Raw tomatoes :( They would be so beautiful on a salad.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?

Coffee and water

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?

In the summer- the Mexican pasta salad. For the holidays - the vegan green bean casserole. And cookies.

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?

I really don't like nuts in my sweets. But that's it.

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?

Cookies!

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?

guacamole

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?

Vegennaise

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?

Big snacker. Have I mentioned my love of cookies? But my favorite snack is probably pistachios.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?

Mushrooms are a must. Pineapple. Black olives. A bit of Daiya vegan cheese.

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?

Broccoli. Avocado. Strawberries. Nectarines. It's hard to pick just one.

What is the best salad dressing?
tahini

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?

Peanut butter!

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?

Chickpea noodle soup

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?

Mmmm...probably the S'mores cupcakes from VCTOTW. Frosting? Maybe chocolate. But I'm thinking about something coconut right now.

What is your favorite kind of cookie?

Chocolate chip. Or oatmeal pumpkin. Or chocolate chai.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?

Tacos. Plenty of guacamole

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?

Tempeh bacon. But then there's more for me!

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?

1-2 hours

How many fingers am I holding up?

7

What kind of things are you doing for VeganMofo?

Reading lots of awesome blogs.

Confession

I have not been a very good vegan lately. I don't know what it is. Laziness? Depression? Apathy? Addiction? Whatever the reason, I had a hand in helping my kids finish off their Halloween candy. Even the non-vegan chocolate that contained milk.

Blech!

This stuff used to not even tempt me.

I knew that if I put something bad into my system, I would feel bad. I had no urge.

Now it's like I want to make myself feel bad. Like I don't deserve to feel good and healthy.

And then the ultimate sin. Last night we had pizza in the house and I was craving a piece so bad that I just ate one. With cheese on it. Real cheese.
........
.......

OK, OK, I ate TWO!

It was like eating despair.

But it did something good anyway. It made me feel so yucky that I no longer have the urge. I need to remember all of the reasons I became vegan in the first place. I need to think about my health, and about those animals. Especially the animals suffering for their entire pathetic lives so that we can order a pizza and drink the milk and stuff ourselves with ice cream and cheeseburgers and cholesterol and death.

Karma.

I am not perfect. Not even close.

I do care. Enough not to fall into what is easier and more convenient and more socially acceptable. Enough to say what I think and do what makes me feel like me. Eating that pizza did not feel like me.

Now, if I could get my hands on some more Daiya vegan cheese, that would be me.

Tomato Soup

Man, I love making soup! Almost more than eating it. Okay, not really. But in the cool fall days, it really warms you up inside. And I love to smell it simmering on the stove.

I made a half of a batch of the Tomato Brown Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans from Veganomicon. Sweet! I had no navy beans, but I used great northern beans and I am pretty sure there's no difference.

This soup was yummy, and comforting. I like tomato soup, but this was different. The rice and beans make it such a complete meal. The subtle spices were perfect. I highly recommend it.

Who knew there were so many things to do with a can of crushed tomatoes? I have used it for barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, and now tomato soup. Lovely.

I had never roasted garlic before, and it didn't go so well. I think I roasted it too long, although I did the 45 minutes the recipe called for. It was messy trying to squeeze the garlic out of the roasted cloves, but I survived. It was a great addition to the soup, and I will try roasting garlic for other recipes.

My picture doesn't do the soup justice. It was still steamy, and there are shadows, and you can't see the beans, but that's okay. Trust me. I haven't had a lot of time (or energy, or enthusiasm) to make anything too fancy lately, but it felt good to make this soup, and great to eat it. One more bowl for supper tonight, though, and that should be enough. Time to move on to another soup!

Crunchy Like That

This weekend was gorgeousness and gorgeosity all rolled into some beautiful, sunshiny weather. I spent the majority of it sitting outside with a book, a crossword puzzle, or my laptop to do some writing. It was pure bliss. Unseasonably warm for October. Still is today. I had nothing major going on this weekend (besides grocery shopping) so I did some cleaning, helped Garrett with his American Indian project for school, and finally got around to making that granola I have been meaning to make.

I admit there was some trepidation in starting this process. Friday night I was sure I had lost all of my mojo, and I was really worried. Everything I made that night bombed, and bombed horribly. I wanted to make brownies, and I had a box mix, so I tried to make it using flax "eggs" instead of real ones. I have no idea what the hell went wrong. I checked on them after ten minutes or so, and the batter was boiling in the pan. It was very surreal. And sad. It all went in the garbage.

Then Drew wanted pancakes for supper, and the pancake mix had moths in it, so I attempted to make them from scratch. I used the recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance, which is a kick-ass recipe. Where did I go wrong? I don't know. They were horrific pancakes. They, too went in the garbage. I was frustrated, depressed, and exhausted. I told my my kids to feed themselves. I gave up.

Saturday things went much better. :)

A while back I won a free giveaway from the lovely people over at Sunfood. I received sample packs of jungle peanuts, maqui berries, and goji berries. Sample packs because this stuff is not cheap. They are raw delicious superfoods, and I was so happy to win. I ate the jungle peanuts right away. I knew if I made granola, I would not be adding the peanuts because of Grace's allergy. The berries I saved for the perfect raw granola recipe.

I spent some time online searching for the perfect raw recipe, then decided to combine a few and make my own. The oats I added are raw oat flakes that I found at my favorite food co-op. The walnuts pieces are not raw. The cashews are raw, as were the flax seeds and sunflower seeds. I made a date paste, then decided to make a larger batch, so I threw in more oats and added some agave nectar without measuring. I mixed it all together, with the help of my lovely daughter.



We ate some right away, then I dehydrated the rest for what I'm guessing was a couple of hours, but I don't know for sure because I never bother to check the time when I do things. I just dried it until it was the right kind of crunchy for me. Then wa-la! A healthy, delicious, super-packed-with-nutrition snack or breakfast, or even supper for that matter.

Possibly the recipe for this granola, give or take this or that:

1 cup flaked oats
18 small pitted dates, soaked, then processed into a paste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2-3 tbsp raw blue agave nectar
1/4 cup whole flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
dash of cinnamon
dried fruit - I used goji and maqui berries. Just throw them in.
Chocolate chips or cacao nibs would have been nice as well :)
I should have added some raw flaked unsweetened coconut

Mix well, place on dehydrator sheets - Dehydrate at 105 degrees for a couple hours or until it reaches desired crunchiness. Or skip that part and mold it into bars. Whatever you want.


Isn't it pretty? I can't wait to try different variations of this. A much better snack than chips or cookies or brownies like I have been eating lately!

Have fun with this. You really can't go wrong.

Warming Up

Boy, it's almost like I have been too busy to blog or something! Imagine that.

The high school where I work is not a very efficient building. The district is also broke as hell, so they won't turn on the freaking heaters until maybe December or something. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. But the nights here in Minnesota have been really chilly, even though the days have been gorgeous and sunshiny, with temps hovering around 70 degrees. During the day, the school stays colder than the part of a witch that would nurse a baby if the witch had a baby. For serious. I am a hot-blooded person, the kind that can hardly even wear a long sleeve shirt because I get too warm, or feel claustrophobic or something. Forget sweaters! I hated wearing sweaters. I couldn't bear to be bundled into one until I began working at this school. Now I need them.

This week in English class the teacher had to teach with her gloves on. I sat in the back with my arms inside my sweatshirt and my legs pulled up under me, trying to keep warm. My nose was cold. Kids were wearing their winter coats. The next day she brought blankets to school so some of the kids could cover up during her lesson. She wore her big warm scarf while she taught. I kid you not.

The thing was, the custodian wasn't going to turn on the furnace when there was an expected high of 70 degrees. Kids were escaping to go outside and warm up. Hell, I was escaping. I went outside during my lunch today to soak some of it up for about 10 minutes.

What's the point of my rambling? There really isn't one. I am getting to the food part, though...

I ate a salad for lunch one day at work, and while it was a good salad full of delicious fresh veggies, it wasn't really a salad kind of day. I needed something warm. There are a few problems to this...

One, I am really low on provisions around here. I do have food, but it's the kind of food that you need to get creative with, and take some time and do some planning with. My life has not allowed for this.

Another, and the saddest part ever, is that I am losing my ambition. Maybe it's winter coming on, and the fact that I have to fight the hibernation urge. Maybe it's because I am so freaking busy I can't see straight. Maybe because it's really getting to me, and I am starting to shut down, little by little. Maybe because every spare second my brain has is used to think about my book.

I made some rice and beans, because that is my back-up recipe. I have written about it before, and I have even written about it in my column. There's nothing that fancy or innovative about it, but it's brown rice and black beans and tomatoes and spices and all that stuff all thrown together. It's easy, the stuff is almost always on hand, it's nutritious, and it's delicious. Most importantly, it's warm...


This time, I had to brilliant idea to slice an avocado and place it on top. I had never done that before, and I didn't know how it would be.

Yes, it was awesome! It's an avocado. Was there ever any doubt?

I threw some corn on top, too. It was fabulous.

Sigh. I really need to get back into the groove of trying new recipes, new foods, new ideas. I am in a rut...

Also, a belated apology for my crappy pictures. I can't find any decent lighting in my house. I wish I was better at photography, but who has time for that when all I think about is writing?

Vegan MoFo is coming up in November. I am not going to participate this year, but maybe with all that blogging going on and the fact that I follow like 40 blogs will help jump start some creative cooking juices for me.

Happy eating!