Oh, How I LOVE LA...

Seriously, I love LA.  Just like the bumper sticker says.  Yes, it is crowded, pretentious, expensive, and apparently has bad air.  BUT it has the most perfect weather of any place I have visited. It has mountains, the ocean, shopping, hiking, biking, spas, amazing hotels, history, beauty, (I think great air), high energy, fantastic architecture, and health consciousness.  It is truly a melting pot - so many unique individuals all in one place.  Did I mention the food? - healthy, delicious, plentiful, beautiful, FRESH, unique, and always gluten free / vegan options.

Yes, I just returned from a trip to LA.   And, I already miss it.

I am really missing it right now, so I will torture myself and document all the fabulous food I enjoyed:

First up - how to travel with food restrictions.  Plan ahead.  I made gluten free oatmeal with frozen fruit and put it in a little container.  In a second container I sliced up a sweet potato and added stone ground mustard.  Gross to some, but I LOVE mustard.  Then, just in case, I packed LaraBars.  They have the least ingredients of any of the bars, no added sugar, no soy protein isolate, etc.  But they are high in fat, as they are mainly nuts.  Always good to have though in emergencies. Here is what I put in my carry on bag:

Guacamole

 

 

Chad and I drove straight from the airport to Planet Raw in Santa Monica.  I was very hesitant to bring Chad here.  This is a truly all RAW restaurant, no turkey sandwich for Chad.   He was up for trying it and found a Mediterranean falafel and hummus wrap.  He cleaned his plate.  I had for the first time, kelp noodles in a green curry sauce.  Delicious.   We started with the flax chips and guacamole.  Unreal.  Then I ended it with one of their chocolate mint shakes.  Decadent.  Truly a unique meal.

Chad's Mediterranean Dish

Kelp Noodles with Green Curry

ALL GONE.

 We drove from Santa Monica to West Hollywood, stopping at a few shops in Brentwood.  I picked up my book for the trip -

 Great book.  Rich Roll is truly an inspiration.  Going from fat and 40 to doing Ultra Triathlons all on a PLANT BASED DIET!!!  Yippie.  Those people who say we dont get enough protein - check Rich out.

We checked into my most favorite hotel EVER - Chateau Marmont and sat out by the pool for the rest of the afternoon.

 The architectural detail in this hotel is  everywhere.  Can you see how cool these tiles are?  These were in the entry way of our room.

That night we went to Izakaya by Katsuya on 3rd Avenue.  Yes, I can eat at sushi restaurants!  What I love about LA, is that you say you are vegan and gluten free and they know what you are talking about. And, they know what you can and can not have on the menu.  Beautiful.  There was not a lot of selection for me, but enough.  And, the difference in sushi in LA versus sushi in Atlanta is the freshness.  There is simply no comparing an avocado roll in LA to one in Atlanta, no matter the restaurant.  I had a seaweed salad, edamame, avocado roll and another veggie roll.  So delicious.

The next morning, I awoke to room service with coffee, soy milk these berries!  Again, the food in LA is just better. No where in Atlanta can I get berries this amazing.

 These berries fueled our hour long hike up Runyon Canyon.  Another favorite place of mine.  It is so uplifting to see how many people are out exercising, even at 7am.  It was packed with people and dogs, of course.  Great people watching.

We then went to another favorite - Urth Caffe in West Hollywood.  Best soy latte ever.  And, delicious oatmeal.  Which fueled our shopping trip and back home again to the hotel.  Again, look at that FRUIT!

Alright - Day Two afternoon and evening and Day Three will be in the next post.

Cholesterol Part Two

I have never given my cholesterol level much thought.  I do get it checked each year, but I never paid much attention to the number, I knew I ate healthy, therefore the number should be low.  Heart disease is just not on the top of my "worry" list.

I have eaten a predominately vegan diet over the last twenty years.  There have been periods when I have eaten fish and dairy but most of the time I considered myself vegan.  Over the past year, I have re-defined the way that I eat as a whole food, plant based diet, instead of vegan.  The distinction is mainly processed foods.  A "vegan" diet can be unhealthy if you eat a lot of processed foods with added sugar and fat.  For example, diet coke and most french fries are considered vegan.  Not that I ever over did it on french fries, but I did use to eat a lot more processed food than I eat now.  I also used to "cheat" more than I would like to admit.  I rarely would ask if baked goods or desserts had dairy in them. I would just eat them, and figure at least I am not eating meat.

I have really focused on eating whole foods and very few things from a "box".  With the discovery of my gluten intolerance, my "cheating" has been eliminated.  All those desserts and baked goods have gluten in them.  I can not "cheat" with gluten.  Now looking back, when I thought I was eating healthy, I could have done a lot better.   I no longer skip meals and subside on vegan bars or other processed food.

The amount of food I eat  has increased, I eat a ton of veggies and fruit everyday.  I do not worry about "carbs" but instead focus eating all kinds of potatoes, squash, rice, beans etc.  I tend to limit most baked goods, and pastas, even if they are gluten free, vegan.  I also do not eat oil, unless I am in a restaurant.

So what has this year's renewed focus on eating well resulted in??  I decided to actually take note of my cholesterol levels.

February 2010 Cholesterol      165
                         Triglycerides    53

February 2011 Cholesterol      153
                         Triglycerides    42

March  2012    Cholesterol     130
                         Triglycerides    43

Yes, my levels have always been great.  But WOW, that is a significant drop in my cholesterol, by simply paying attention and truly eliminating ALL dairy,  most all oil and processed food.  

The best part is - I eat as much as I want, I am not starving or always thinking about food, I do not have the insane cravings I used to have and I have more energy.  And, I have a peace of mind that I  doing all I can do to prevent disease!

Cholesterol and Heart Health

You can be skinny, exercise regularly and still have a heart attack.  In fact 35% of heart attacks occur in people whose total cholesterol is between 150 and 200.  American Heart Association and most Doctors will tell you this is an an acceptable range.  But what does the research tell us?   The goal should be a total cholesterol below 150.  But I am not a Doctor, so I encourage you to do your own research. I have provided links below. 

I was thrilled to see Michelle Pfeiffer on CNN this week, bringing attention to this important subject.  She has always been skinny, exercised, and thought she was eating healthy - lots of lean protein, veggies.  BUT - she had high cholesterol.  She did her own research, was inspired by President Clinton in the CNN: The Last Heart Attack and decided to give a low fat, vegan diet a try.  Guess what?  Her cholesterol lowered and she is now hooked on a  plant based diet. 

I encourage you to:

• watch Michelle Pfeiffer's interview, 
• watch CNN: The Last Heart Attack,
• read Heart Attack Risk Chart, 
• look at Dr. Esselstyn's website and read his book!
• Dr. Ornish

It can be extremely discouraging to lose weight, exercise regularly, think that you are eating well, yet still be at risk of a heart attack.    What you eat is the most important factor to good health.  Switching to a whole food, plant based diet can be challenging at first, but then you realize how great  you feel, and how fabulous the food is!

OMG - Engine 2

Have you heard of Rip Esselstyn?  Or Engine 2?  Well if you have not, check out his website:
http://engine2diet.com/

Rip is a huge plant based advocate.  He deems it "plant strong", which once you see him and read about him, you will know he is indeed strong.  His book is inspiring, easy to read and is a well laid out explanation as to why you should follow a plant strong diet and how to do it.  Great recipes are the cherry on top.
I have seen Rip speak and he is even more inspiring in person.  I also admire is athleticism, it brings to light that you can be a world class athlete on a plant strong diet.
To say I am a big fan is an understatement.  So, today when I saw Engine 2's tweet featuring a story about Allyson's plant strong family, I was more than thrilled.  I submitted a piece about how I am trying to raise two plant strong girls.  Please check out my story featured on the Engine 2 blog:

http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/family-friday-allysons-family/

And, READ his BOOK!!

Summer Trail Mix

Oh the challenge of getting the girls excited about healthy snacks!  We went today and bought these nifty containers, one for each of them.  I laid out all the goodies on our counter and let them make their own trail mix.  I had cashews, pistachios, gluten free pretzels, raisins, dried cranberries, dried pineapple, gojii berries, coconut flakes, vegan chocolate chips, toasted pumpkin seeds all out for them to choose.  They LOVED this afternoon activity and are so proud of their creation.  

Gluten Free Vegan Brownies

My father-in-law brought us a new gluten free, dairy free chocolate brownie mix to try!  Dolci Di Maria out of Asheville, NC.  I loved that it is from Asheville, I liked the packaging, and the whole food ingredients - but what would the taste be like?  It called for oil, which I replaced with apple sauce, and two eggs which I replaced with 2 TB ground flax seed mixed with 6 TB warm water.  This made the brownies not only gluten free, but vegan and low fat.  I did have to bake them longer than the package recommended, about 30 minutes. 

 

The toughest critics ranked the brownies top notch!  Ry said they were really, really good.  Si gave a thumbs up and polished off two of them.  Which is saying a lot considering she was recovering from the stomach bug. 

Thank you Poppa!

This Maybe Useful To You and ME!

I am still learning my way around this blogging world.  Techie stuff is definitely not my thing.  But I realized I could not even find recipes on my blog that I had fixed without scrolling through all the dates.  I am sure there is an easier way to do this, but I finally made a page and linked all my meals to it.  You can go to the Recipe tab on the home page and find a listing. Hopefully all the links work!

Hopefully My Answer To "Gogurts"

I hope these fun little things will be my savior this summer.  I read about them on 100 Days of Real Food and bought them on Amazon.  I used to buy the girls "gogurts" or "squishers" once a month as a treat.  They go crazy for them in the grocery store. I guess their shape and packaging is what they love about them and that all their friends "have" them.  But its just regular yogurt on the inside.  I used to cave about once a month and buy them for the girls.  But I have decided I am not going to do dairy treats anymore, even if it is just once a month.  If Chad and the girls choose to have dairy outside of the house, that is their choice.  But, I just cant do it.  Especially after recently watching this news about the relationship between acne and dairy.  I WILL be the mean mom who doesn't let my children have dairy if it might prevent the heartache I experienced growing up with acne.  There are thousands of reasons I do not like dairy, but I guess my tipping point was listening to the Harvard Nurses' Study associating skim milk with acne.

Thus, I bought these silicone freeze pop holders.  They are the same shape as gogurts, are fun colors, and the girls did get excited about them when I opened the package.  Today, I got an email from Dr. Fuhrman with his recipe for berry yogurt.  I decided to try this in the pop holders.  We will know tomorrow if they are a success.  Using Dr. Fuhrmans recipe as a guide I put the following in my Vitamix:
1 cup of frozen blueberries
1 cup of raspberries
1 cup of unsweetened, organic soy milk
2 TB ground flax seet
3 pitted dates

I poured them in the pop holders, and put them in the freezer.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that the girls will like them tomorrow afternoon!

BTW - you can change up this recipe with different fruit, different plant based milks, or add in a little cocoa powder!

Unprocessed Treats for Kids

A friend told me about a blog 100 Days of Real Food, and although it is not all vegan / gluten free, it did make me think more about processed food.  I limit processed food as much as I can, I do not eat much, really any.  But, when it comes to the girls lunches and snacks, I often relent.  I buy "healthy" processed food, but it is processed none the less.  I was determined to make healthy snacks that would replace some of the boxed products in the girls snack drawer.  These three recipes are all healthy, whole foods, no added oil, salt or sugar!

First up - Fast Cookies for School Lunches - p 186 in the Forks Over Knives companion book.  What could be better FAST is in the title and cocoa is one of the ingredients.  I made mine a little different than the recipe.  This is what I did:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
3 TBS almond butter (unsweet)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups GF oats

Put maple syrup, plant milk, cocoa into saucepan, bring to boil, then simmer for 3 minutes.  Add the nut butter and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and oats.  Stir well then make into small cookies.  Done!  That is it!  I thought they were delicious.  Sierra enjoyed them, and Ryder ate them when there was no other option for dessert.  (But she did eat them!)

 

And, nothing excites my girls more than telling them they can have a cookie for snack.

I really thought I nailed this next snack.  I mean, I was thinking the girls would jump up and down when they tasted this.  No such luck - I was the only one who ate it, and yes, I ate the entire bowl.  Fortunately, not in one sitting. But, your children might like it!

This is a low-fat version of a nut butter, I believe the original recipe is in the Happy Herbivore cookbook.  I saw it mentioned on a couple of blogs.

1 can white beans (I used northern white beans) - drained

1/4 cup of your favorite unsweetened nut butter - I used almond

2 TB maple syrup

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Put all ingredients in your high powered blender and voila!

I dipped apples and veggies in it, I also put a tablespoon of it in my hot oatmeal.  So good.  One morning I spread it on a whole wheat tortilla with sliced strawberries, rolled it up and sliced it for the girls.  Nope, they still did not like it.  Apparently right now they did not like tortillas.  What?

Anyways, try it, I hope your children LOVE it as much as I DO!

 

Yes, I was on a roll, determined to find something they liked.  This one was the winner.  I found the recipe in Whole Living magazine in the April 2012 issue.  This is what I did:

Chocolate Apricot Bars

 1 1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup raw almonds

2 TB unsweetened shredded coconut

1 TB maple syrup

1 TB cocoa powder

Pulse apricots, almonds, coconut in food processor until finely ground.  Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an inch overhang on all sides.  Transfer mixture to pan and press firmly to form a rectangle.

In saucepan, combine cocoa and maple syrup.  Stir until melted into a chocolate sauce.  Using a spoon, drizzle sauce on top.  Transfer to refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, until firm.  Remove, using parchment paper and cut into rectangles or square bars.  I stored these in the refrigerator in individual baggies so they were ready for the girls lunchboxes.

The girls loved these.  Finally...

 

The afternoon taste test:  

The muffin is a vegan banana muffin from Dekalb Farmers Market, I can not eat it because of the wheat, but the girls enjoyed it. 

Challenge

That word packs a powerful punch.  For some, it rolls right off their back.  For me it elicits a physical response.  My heart begins to race and my mind kicks into high gear.  How can I tackle this challenge and overcome it? My first response rarely is, do I want to take on the challenge or not?   That decision comes later.  My instinct is to jump right in.

Through much reflection I have come to realize my response is not the healthiest option.  When I take on physical challenges without thinking them through, I usually (ok, always) get injured.  When I take on other challenges, I often commit then realize I actually have no interest in the end goal.  This makes the process of achieving the goal miserable and actually reaching the goal less than thrilling. 

One thing is certain – I usually do overcome challenges and achieve goals I set for myself.  I just have to work on thinking it through and choosing challenges and goals that I truly want to go after.

So, the other night at our Veggin Around dinner at Café Sunflower when I was asked to put together a 14-day challenge, I jumped at the opportunity.  Fortunately, I have allowed myself to think about it a few days before truly jumping in.  What is the end goal?  There are tons of diets, detoxes, and challenges out there.  The end goal always seems to be to lose weight.  But something is wrong – we have more options out there to help our society lose weight – we are obsessed with being skinny, yet our society is more obese than ever before in history.   Not only are we obese, we have record numbers of heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer.  One in four deaths in the United States is due to cancer.  Our health is declining in a time when we have more doctors, medicine, medical procedures and diets available to us than ever before.

What is going on?

Our diet. 

I have been obsessed with being skinny, losing weight and that darn number on the scale.  The more I tried to diet, count calories, and restrict my food, the worse I felt mentally, physically and the number on the scale did not correlate to how hard I was working (or obsessing).

So I changed my focus.  Why not focus on giving my body what it needs?  Eliminate food addictions and eat nutrient dense foods.  Nutrient dense food that gives me energy, taste good and has the power to lessen my risk of getting cancer, diabetes, and having a heart attack.  I challenged myself to stay true to a whole food – plant based diet.  I no longer count calories, I eat until I am satisfied and I feel good.  I have a peace of mind that I am doing all that I can do to prevent cancer and other diseases.  I seek out nutrient dense food that provides my body what it needs and eliminates all the cravings I used to have.  And yes, a wonderful side effect is that my weight has stabilized.  If you need to lose weight, you will lose weight on a plant based diet.  It might not be as quickly as other diets, but it will happen.  And once it happens, you never have to diet again.  This is a lifestyle – to promote health and to prevent disease.  I have to add that another side effect is that it is good for animals and our planet.  (More on that another day.)

My challenge to those who want a challenge is to focus on your long-term health:

o   Do your own research. 

o   Eat what your body needs – nutrient dense foods.

o   Eliminate the junk. 

Your body will thank you.

Need some rules?

EAT:

·       All the veggies your heart desires – make sure to add in dark leafy greens, onions, and mushrooms.  Eat at least one HUGE salad a day.  Don’t forget broccoli, cauliflower, beets, carrots, brussel sprouts.

·       Eat a variety of colorful food.

·       Eat FRUIT.  Try to eat at least 4 servings a day.  Berries are awesome, packed with nutrients.  Eat berries daily.

·       Beans – (especially lentils) are nutrient dense powerhouses.  Eat at least one cup of beans a day.

·       Limited Nuts and Seeds – packed with photo-chemicals, they help with the absorption of other nutrients, and reduce inflammation.  Limit these to 1 – 2 oz a day.  This is the only food group I measure – as they are high in fat and I can easily over consume.

Read about the immunity boasting powers of greens, onions, mushrooms, beans, berries and nuts and seeds in Dr. Fuhrman’s newest book, Super Immunity.

·       Starchy Vegetables and Whole grains – sweet potatoes, oats, quinoa, brown rice, millet, organic corn– whole grain breads (if you are not gluten intolerant).  These are all healthy, and help fuel you.  They help fill you up.  I eat either these or beans at each meal.  Do not be afraid of good carbs.  Watch and read about Dr. McDougall’s latest book, The Starch Solution. 

Challenge yourself to EAT veggies, fruit, beans, starchy vegetables and whole grains EVERY day.  Eat a lot of them – then see if you have room for the unhealthy stuff…

So here is what to AVOID:

·       Dairy

·       All animal products (includes eggs, fish, chicken, meat, pork, etc)

·       Added Salt, Oil, Sugar – remember SOS – READ all ingredients carefully – don’t buy processed foods that have a ton of ingredients, anything you cant pronounce, and added salt, oil, sugar.  Stick with your WHOLE FOODS!

Why avoid these?

·       PLEASE watch Forks over Knives

·       Read what these people have to say:

o   Dr. Esselystn

o   Engine 2 – Rip Esselstyn

o   Jeff Novick on Oil

o   Jeff Novick on Salt

o   60 Minutes on Sugar

This list will get you started, but ask me for more!

Other tips –

Try this out for yourself first.  I do not recommend making a sweeping change for the entire family all at once.  Try it, read the books and research, take note on how you are feeling.  If you give it time, you feel better, and agree with the research, then start introducing these changes into your family meals.   Its like they say on the airplane, put your oxygen mask on first before you put it on your child.  If you believe in this lifestyle, it will be much easier to make the changes in your family’s lifestyle.

Mindful eating – sit down to eat, relax, enjoy.  Don’t count calories.   Think about how the food is nourishing your body.  And your serving size will be bigger, eat LOTS of salad, veggies, fruits!

The first week, you might not feel great, as your system is getting used to this new healthy food.  Give it a few days.  Just remember do not go hungry.  Eat the healthy foods.

Yes, it takes longer to be prepared.  But I promise it gets easier with time.

Here are helpful meal planning guides:

PRCM – 21 Day Vegan Kickstart

Happy Herbivore Weekly Meal Plans

(I love the recipes, but do not like the focus on the calorie count, 1200 calories is too low for any of us to function on!)

Vegginaround.com

Look for my pantry list and other recipes!

And, lastly –

McDougall’s Maximum Weight Loss Plan

Pantry List

People have asked me for a pantry list many times.  For some reason, I have put this simple request off - for months!  I did not feel I was organized enough, or had a system that was good enough to share.  But,   through all my procrastination, and deliberating over this list, I have realized that I actually do have a system that works for me.  I just didn't realize what I was doing was a "system" or that one would view it as organized. 

With a whole foods, plant based diet, once you get your pantry stocked with the list I have provided below, each week you really just shop for produce.  And, now with the summer months upon us joining a CSA would limit your grocery trips even more.  I do not enjoy going to big grocery stores like Publix and Kroger (nothing against those stores, I just get overwhelmed).  My "system" has allowed me to almost exclusively shop at Trader Joes, Dekalb Farmers Market,  and occasionally Whole Foods.  Yes, I get completely overwhelmed at Dekalb Farmers Market too, but I hope through CSAs and local farmers markets this summer I will no longer need the DFM.


This pantry list is what I always have in my kitchen.  I have a chalk board near my back door.  When I see that something is getting low, I immediately write it on my chalk board.  Before I go to the grocery store, I take a picture of my chalk board!  Then I just shop for fruits and vegetables each week.  With this list you can make almost anything.  I rarely read a recipe that I do not have all the ingredients.   With a whole foods, plant based diet, your grocery list becomes much simpler.  No need for most of the processed food, meat, dairy, etc. 

I wish I could say I was 100% no processed food, maybe next year.  Boxed granola bars, tortilla chips and BPA free canned beans are just TOO easy!  BTW - granola bars - I let the girls pick out a flavor each week, these tend to not be gluten free.  I do not eat them, but there are lots of GF / VG granola bars out there.  Enviro Kidz is one brand we like.  I do rarely buy GF / VG cereal - Enviro Kidz. 

One last note - the "fake" dairy products on the list are good for a transition to this way of eating.  I try to avoid them, as they are very processed.  But they are nice to have occasionally, especially for the girls. 

Here is the list - and I hope you can open it and download it:  (If not, I will be working on this!)

Gluten Free / Vegan Pantry List

Ten Minute Dinner Inspired by Happy Herbivore

Uninspired to go to the grocery store, (ever had this happen to you?), and a homework filled afternoon, I got caught at dinner time with nothing in the refrigerator!  Ahh.  BUT, I looked at my emails, and read a post about this recipe:

Hawaiian BBQ Teriyaki Chickpeas

I did have a can of garbanzo beans / chickpeas, one package of Trader Joes' frozen brown rice and gluten free teriyaki sauce and salsa.  I did not have the the szechuan sauce, but I thought that might be too spicy for the girls anyways.  In my big, beautiful saute pan I put my can of drained garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup of the GF teriyaki sauce and about 1/4 cup of water.  I let this simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then I added the frozen brown rice and a tad more water.  I let this simmer for another 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, I found frozen pineapples and mangoes. I put those in a colander to let them thaw and sliced up the one cucumber left in the house.  I had a little mint and chopped that up.  I mixed the pineapple, mango, cucumber and handful of mint with the Trader Joe Salsa Verde.  This served as the salsa mix. I served the salsa on top of the brown rice and garbanzo beans.

I try not to use sugar, so I did leave out the sugar that was called for in the recipe.  With the teriyaki sauce and the frozen fruit, it was plenty sweet.

I always have certain staples in the house.  I proved to myself that with very little, I could make an interesting meal.

Results - I loved it.  Si said she would not try it, but later, finished her plate.  Ry and Chad said no thanks.  PB&J for them.  And, funny this was the first time I have seen Ry actually eat a PB&J, she usually does not like any form of nut butter!  Always changing taste buds.

Oh well.  IF you like it sweet, try this super easy dish.  Or spice it up as seen at Happy Herbivore.

A Citrus and Spice Easter

Nope - I do not do eggs for Easter.  You probably could have guessed that.  Chad was not up for trying any of the vegan quiches I showed him, so what to do?  We had another family coming over for lunch and I wanted to prepare a "fun" meal.  Nothing says fun more than a little citrus, spice and tequila, right?

I got my menu idea from two blog post I received last week as I was trying to decide what to prepare. 

The FOOD

Chipotle Citrus Superfood Tacos

I made the quinoa, salsa and tofu per the instructions.  We also made yellow rice and black beans and shrimp for those who weren't up for the SUPERFOODS.   (yes, meaning Chad)  We had corn and whole wheat tortillas, and slaw with a honey-lime dressing to go with the meal.  For appetizers I made my super easy bean dip with veggies and low fat tortilla chips.

The quinoa was so healthy, I felt like superwoman eating it.  It had kale, parsley, cilantro, hemp seeds, flax seeds and nutritional yeast.  I believe you could live off that meal forever!  I added a lot more lime juice than it called for, it was a little dry.  But when you put the avocado, mango, goji berry salsa on top, it was perfect.  The tofu turned out really well.  Despite the chipotle, it really was not all that spicy.  Truly this meal was superfood with quinoa, goji berries, kale, mango, avocado, hemp seeds, flax, simply outstanding.


The DRINKS

Pineapple Cilantro Serrano Cocktail
This was the PERFECT spring cocktail, light, refreshing with a little kick.  So good.  When muddling all the stuff together became too labor intensive, we made drinks with soda, pineapple juice, lime, cilantro and tequila - no muddling required.


Strawberry Mint Gazpacho - as a fun drink for the girls:

I made this strawberry gazpacho for the girls (the adults enjoyed it as well).  I put the soup in shot glasses to make it more festive and so hopefully it would not be as messy for the girls.

Stawberry Mint Gazpacho

• 1 pound organic strawberries (take half, cut into smaller pieces and set aside)
• 2 cups honeydew melon - cut into cubes
• 1 large cucumber - sliced
• 2 cups watermelon - cut into cubes
•  1 TB lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

Place all ingredients in the food processor except for half of the strawberries that were set aside.  Blend well, add the remaining strawberries, pulse a few times.  Chill for at least an hour before serving.

The DESSERT

Chocolate Rice Crispie Treats (of course, GF, VG)

• 2 TB Earths Best vegan buttery spread
• 2 TB almond butter
• 1/2 TB vanilla
• 1 10oz bag of vegan / GF marshmallows (I used Dandies brand found at Whole Foods)
• 4 cups Envirokidz Koala Crispies - founds at Whole Foods - VG/ GF

Heat Earth's Best  and almond butter in pan over medium heat until melted.  Then add marshmallows and vanilla.  Stir frequently until everything is well mixed and melted (get ready for a good arm workout) - add the rice crispies - keep stirring. I kept the heat on low as I was doing this, to keep the marshmallows soft.  Then spoon into a greased pan.  Let cool in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours before cutting.  You can cut them into squares or used cookie cutters to make shapes.  Remember to leave on the counter after you make your shapes.  They will get too hard if you return them to the refrigerator.
I put some in a pan and later cut into squares as seen above.  But with some of the mixture, while warm, I rolled into egg shapes for Easter, then let them "set" in the refrigerator.

Si and I thought these turned out great.  Ry informed us she no longer likes marshmallows.  Oh well!

 RESULT

Well, it looks like everyone had a good time to me:

One final thought - yes, I bucked tradition for an Easter meal, (as I always have), but why?  Two reasons - health reasons and for the benefit of animals.  I got this email this morning -  For some, it might be over the top, so be warned!

The Easter Hangover

New Posts at Plant Runner

Not going as planned


Plant Based Athletes

Nacho Dinner

Seriously - these are VEGAN and GLUTEN FREE.   And, oh sooo good.  Thanks to my friend Amy, who suggested putting lentils on nachos, and to the amazing Nacho Cheese Dip by Happy Herbivore I made an incredible dinner this evening.

I made the Nacho Cheese Dip, leaving out cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Then put Trader Joe reduced guilt tortilla chips on a baking sheet, crumbled Trader Joe's steamed lentils on top, and poured the hot nacho cheese dip over all of it.  I put it in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.  They could have gone another 5 minutes, but I was too anxious to try them.  I served these with broccoli and Ry's favorite roasted cabbage.  Delicious.

Nacho Cheese Dip Ingredients - EASY

What to do with a bag of potatoes

I get a little OCD about wasting food.  I hate to throw out food that has gone bad before we have had a chance to eat it.  This week I delayed making my favorite butternut squash and apple soup because I did not have enough apples.  Finally yesterday I got the apples, to quickly find out my butternut squash was BAD.  Really bad.  I had to throw out 2 pounds of butternut squash.  It killed me.

I went into overdrive looking at all our food to make sure there was not anything else that was going to go to waste.  And, I saw a big bag of sweet potatoes.  I cleaned them ALL and put them in the oven to bake.  (350 degrees, for about 30 minutes).   But what to do now with a bag of baked sweet potatoes?  

Sweet Potato Soup

2 cups of baked sweet potatoes (about 2 potatoes)

1 cup of low sodium veggie broth

1/2 of a chopped, sauted, onion (I sauted mine with a little veggie broth until they turned translucent)

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (this makes it VERY spicy) - I loved it, but beware

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or other plant based milk

And, you guessed it - put it ALL in the vitamix (or similar) and blend away!

Voila - a tasty, filling soup.  This is a great base, you could really add any spices, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. I was craving something spicy.

Saute half of an onion in a little veggie broth

Yum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The soup took care of two potatoes.  I put two more baked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for lunch this week.

And with the rest of the potatoes I made sweet potato chips with cinnamon and a little salt. (350 degrees, lightly spray with olive oil add spices) Bake for about 20 minutes, then broil for a couple of minutes.

Last summer I was obsessed with pumpkin seeds.  I roasted some while I was baking all my sweet potatoes.  I put them on a baking sheet in my toaster oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.  Sprinkled with a little salt.  What a great topping for the soup and a handy snack.  Pumpkin seeds rock.  They are a great source of protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and have a ton of great health benefits.  Read more here.