Hot Summertime = Cool Raw Soups

The Vita-Mix has opened up a whole new world of simplicity and ease. We finally invested in one and couldn't be happier with what we've got in return: a powerful blender that we use to make an assortment of awesomeness every day.

One thing we've been making a lot of, during these drenchingly hot summer days, is raw soup. Cool, fresh, and light, these soups really hit the spot and cool the brow. I usually serve them alongside the ubiquitious kale salad. It makes for a filling, interesting, and light dinner. It's also hella nutritious.

Last night, we made Kristin Suzanne's Harvest Soup, served with a side of kale salad.

It was lovely. The soup was flavorful and filling. We topped it with some chopped tomato and the other half of our avocado. It has definitely earned a spot in our raw soup rotation now.

I highly suggest making some raw soup, even if you don't have the fantastic Vita-Mix. There are plenty of blender friendly recipes out there to experiment with.

I wanted to leave you with a few articles that I've found interesting this week:

"The Yoga Mogul" http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25Yoga-t.html?_r=1&hp

"Well, Is it Organic or Not? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/fashion/15skin.html?_r=2&ref=health

"Eating Synthetic Animals" http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/06/eating-synthetic-animals/58930/

"It's a Personal Choice" - Rethinking an Old Standby

I admit it. In conversations about my veganism, I sometimes take the easy road - the simpler explanation, the easier-to-swallow discussion, the quick dismissal of the conversation when it reaches a level of discomfort.

In a conversation with someone about my veganism, I’ve been known to say something very peaceful and non-confrontational, along the lines of “It’s really a personal choice. I don’t care what other people do.” Usually, this puts me in a safe place where I don’t appear to be pushy and the other person can walk away without thinking too much about what I’ve said.

It’s a crutch I fall back on all the time, because I’m a non-confrontational person. I don’t really like having an argument or discussion about animal rights all the time, so I cop out sometimes.

I used to think that there wasn’t anything wrong with this statement. And maybe there isn’t, but for me lately, I’ve been rethinking my position on this common statement of mine.

When a person supports factory farms (or small farms), they are making a choice. That much is true. The statement itself is not incorrect. It technically is a choice that people in society make. But when I say “it’s a personal choice,” I give an impression. I’m indicating eating animals is something that can be done casually.

In reality, the way animals are treated on factory farms is horrific. By saying “it’s a personal choice,” I downgrade what is truly at stake here - the life of living, breathing beings – to a casual choice. I present the body of an animal as something a human can carelessly choose to destroy or not to destroy. It is not a casual thing. It is desperate, painful, and charged with feeling. By reducing it to a simple “choice,” I rob the situation of the truth, while reinforcing the status-quo.

By not taking a moment to feel uncomfortable and really talk about what I truly believe, I let a chance slip by where I can really make people rethink their stance.

I don’t have to be crazy, confrontational, or angry. I could just be up front and honest. Instead of lying and saying, “I don’t care what other people do,” (I do care) I can say simply, “I refuse to support or participate in the suffering and death of animals.” That statement is simple, powerful, and true.

As much as I hate someone thinking of me as “that angry vegan,” I think I’d rather speak my truth, be a little uncomfortable, and take a stance for those ever-suffering farm animals.

Last month, I did 108 Sun Salutations As (and Sun Salutation Bs) in about an hour and a half. If you know what a Sun Salutation is, you may have gasped a little. If you don't know what that is, look at the videos I linked to first and then come back to this post.

Okay, so that is a pretty intense workout, right? I thought my arms would be completely useless after my 50th Chaturanga. And they were. I was modifying my Sun Salutations by plopping onto the ground with a sweaty grunt and doing a half hearted Cobra instead of an Upward Facing Dog. I was prepared to have ridiculously sore arms and shoulders for at least a week.

Surprisingly, my arms were barely sore at all. It was as if I had a moderate weight lifting day at the gym.

The muscle group that was the most sore surprised me: my hamstrings.

I have never had a sore muscle like this in my entire life. Seriously. I grunted in pain every time I sat down or moved a little. Walking up and down stairs was wincingly painful. The thought of stretching my hamstrings in a yoga pose made me want to throw up. My hamstrings were insanely sore for almost a full week and a half.

Several weeks later, I could still feel the soreness, deep in the tissues of my hamstrings. I had a yoga teacher training class while my hamstrings were still sore and while we didn't focus on the hamstrings specifically, it was seriously painful. It was a full weekend of yoga, with lots of stretching. I thought that might be good for my hamstrings. It might give them a bit of a stretch after a full week of avoiding anything that might pull those tortured muscles. Then, later as I fought the urge to throw up in Reclining Hand to Big Toe Pose, I realized I was probably doing more harm than good by stretching them, even gently, even by modifying my usual poses.

Why is it so hard for us to give our bodies the necessary time to heal? The thoughts floating around in my head were silly, if not outright ridiculous. "I'll lose all the work I've put into limbering up my hamstrings!" "Your practice will suffer!" etc, etc. I actually had to argue with my own mind to give my body the rest it needs to repair itself. The hamstrings are notoriously slow to heal. I needed to give my legs at least three weeks ("Three weeks! You'll forget how to do Standing Forward Bend!") and then I need to strengthen them with weightlifting. It'll be a long process, but it was clear my muscles were over stretched and maybe even ripped. I needed to let them heal.

I know a lot of people, besides myself, probably fight with themselves over this same issue. We don't want to take the time to heal ourselves for fear that we'll lose the work that we've put into our chosen activity. Our minds scream that we don't need to take a break, it'll be alright, you're strong. But it's that gut feeling (you know, the throw-up reflex) that lets us know that we must let ourselves heal. We can't continue to grow as a yogi or a runner or a cyclist if we don't let our bodies rest. The poses I'm so worried about losing flexibility in have suffered tremendously because of this injury. I can't get myself in a full Standing Forward Bend if I wanted to. My hamstrings literally won't let me. Even the half Standing Forward Bend has my face scrunched up in pain.

It's time to let myself heal and ignore the voice in my head that wants me to bend a little deeper. My hamstrings will thank me.

Heaven = Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

When I watched Chef Chloe sweep the Cupcake Wars episode she competed on, I knew I had to make one of her cupcakes. Luckily, she generously posted up the recipe for her winning cupcakes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to try what ended up being the best cupcakes (vegan or otherwise) I have had to date.

She has two of her other winning cupcake recipes up and around the Internets – Chocolate Orange and Raspberry Tiramisu. These look a smidgen more difficult than the Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes.

I decided to do the easiest one first and if it was good, then I’d try the rest. I tend to trust only a few vegan bakers, namely Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and if it’s not her recipe, I look at it with suspicion.

After baking these delicious pretties, Chloe makes my short list of vegan bakers I trust. I’m definitely making the rest of her cupcakes!

I made the frosting with coconut oil, which was a first for me. It turned out well, with a sweet, slightly coconut taste. I had to omit the espresso, because I couldn’t find it and I wasn’t in the mood to go on a search. I don’t believe I missed it at all.

The only word of warning I’d like to give about these cupcakes is that the strawberry slices tend to get watery after they sit around for a day or two, causing the frosting to melt and the cupcake to get a little soggy. I’d either leave the strawberry off until serving time or eat them all in one sitting.

Vegan Junk Food: Tofurky Pizza Review

It’s official.

The crappy frozen pizza you loved to scarf down as a child is now vegan… and awesome.

Tofurky has recently released a frozen, thin crust pizza with its faux meat and Daiya cheese. Yes, you heard that correctly – Daiya cheese.

The Husband and I tried two different kinds: Pepperoni and the Italian Sausage with Fire-roasted Veggies. We didn't try the last variation, Cheese Pizza.

On both pizzas the crust is very thin and crispy, so it yields to the strong flavors of the Tofurky “meats” and the Daiya cheese.

The Roasted Vegetable and Sausage Pizza had a respectable amount of thinly chopped veggies (mostly peppers), which held their own in the flavor department. The sausage was crumbled in small pieces and had a wonderful flavor. I’m not normally a fan of Tofurky sausages. (I don’t think they taste the best. I’m a Field Roast fan.) Yet, somehow, they really worked in combination with the other flavors present. The Daiya cheese was the perfect backdrop to the rest of the pizza. It tasted just like it should – perfectly cheesy.

The Pepperoni Pizza tasted like… pepperoni pizza. It was pretty amazing actually. It tasted like what you remember frozen pepperoni pizza tasting like. The Daiya and the pepperoni worked together fantastically in this pizza.

Overall, I’d say Tofurky’s new pizzas fill a much needed gap in the vegan junk food department. The Husband always says that, for whatever reason, he misses junky, frozen pizza most of all from his pre-vegan days. I suspect many others feel the same. I wasn’t ever a huge fan of frozen pizza, but I am a huge fan of Tofurky’s new pizzas. They are a perfect, light easy dinner alongside a crispy salad.

These aren’t in many stores yet. We found them at our favorite health food store in Maryland when we were up there visiting for the 4rth of July. We put them in a container with ice for the road trip home. If you don’t see them in your local health food freezer, make sure to put in a request for them to carry the new Tofurky Pizzas.

Exercise Makes You Smarter

Yesterday, the NY Times Well Blog cites a study showing that exercise increases the production of neurons in our brains, thus improving thinking. Apparently, our brains have bone-morphogenetic proteins (BMP) that control, or often destroy, the growth of new brain cells. Exercise increases the amount of a brain protein, awesomely called Noggin, that cuts BMP production by up to 50%. Thus, allowing the growth of more brain cells. The article points out that there is some questions still remaining about how too much Noggin or too much BMP might cause some craziness in the brain, but it seems like exercise won't create an overabundance of Noggin, even if you run for hours.

I think this is fascinating stuff. It seems to me that our bodies are genetically equipped to reward us for movement. I mean, think about it. Our ancestors had to move around all the time just to survive. It makes sense that our brains are wired to reward us for all that exertion by making us smarter.

I'm definitely not a scientist, but it makes me wonder if our brains adapted to all the movement we had to do, creating more brain cells, making us smarter and helping us survive and procreate.

If nothing else, this news really reinforces a commitment to working out. That can be a new mantra as you sweat away on a run or on your bike: Create more Noggin!

Patience is a Garden

I know it's been a ridiculously long time since I last posted. I tend to get the blogging blues. I run out of things to say or I get discouraged at the concept of all my words and pictures languishing unread and unappreciated. Thus, the long time between posts. I come back determined to write regularly about the things that are important to me - veganism, food, yoga, and health. So, hopefully, I can keep it up for real this time.

Like my gently sprouting resolve to write more on this blog, The Husband and I have planted a new garden.

This is when we first planted the garden. We were so proud!

Our backyard was completely and sadly unkempt when we first moved in, so we decided to fix it up and grow some food. This summer is our test garden. We didn't plant a lot, being totally gardening newbies. We slaved away in the ridiculous NC humidity to clean out the backyard and force it into some semblance of order. We bought organic soil (yay for Whole Foods and their $3.99 soil) and organic veggies (once again, thanks to Whole Foods), then planted them with lots of tredipation and hope. We planted:

- two cucumber plants

- three tomato plants (heirloom varieties)

- purple jalapanos

- yellow bell peppers

So far, we have yet to kill any of them. Although it is still early. Our purple jalapanos plant has actually produced. The pepper is adorable and looks like an itty-bitty eggplant.

One of the cucumber plants has grown and flowered, while the other one seems to be stunted. It hasn't really grown, but it hasn't yet died. So, hope lives on that it is just a runt.

The tomato plants are getting huge, but haven't yet flowered or produced. We finally got some of those little cages that keep the tomato plants from falling over. Now we just need them to get big enough to fall over...

The bell pepper hasn't grown much either, nor has it produced or flowered.

I'm so interested in the garden and check on it all the time, like by watching it closely I might catch a flower blooming or a tomato ripening. You know a watched pot never boils, so I guess a watched garden never grows! Send me patience! :)

Feminism and Veganism

Happy cows at Poplar Spring Farm Sanctuary, living out their lives for themselves.

These are two –isms that I’m not afraid to label myself with.

I was deeply inspired by this blog post by Voracious Vegan writer Tasha on the Choosing Raw website. In fact, at work, before I could stop myself, I began to cry a little when she said, “As a woman and a feminist, I demand the right to protect my body from reproductive exploitation, and I want the same for all the females on earth, no matter what the species.” This really speaks to my heart as a human and as a female.

I remember watching a documentary showing a momma cow being separated from her child. The momma was struggling to escape the grasp of the cow hand in a herculean effort to reach her child. The calf was screaming and trying to reach its mother. Of course, since they were in a factory farm, they ended up being separated in the most rough, cruelly inhumane way possible.

The insanity is that these things happen every day, every minute. The sheer amount of pain and grief that goes into a single glass of milk is so mind-boggling that it defies description. A female cow is forcibly impregnated, then her children are separated from her practically at birth, and, if male, are sent to be raised as veal, or, if female, are raised to endure the same perpetual grief as her mother.

How is it possible that in this day and age people simply accept that things like this happen? So that they can have an endless waterfall of milk? Insanity! Of course, the exploitation of female (and male!) animals does not begin and end at milk production, but for some reason the production of this particular food stuff speaks to me as a woman and I find it a fitting example the correlation between feminism and veganism.

Tasha describes my beliefs much more eloquently than I can. I encourage you to read her post and think about the connections between veganism and feminism. Her words thoroughly describe the powerful correlations between women’s struggle and the struggle that our farm animals face everyday. She talks about it with such passion and clarity that her words will speak to your very soul.

It is things like this that reinforce my choices. I’m grateful for the reminder, even if it brings me to tears at work. However, it also makes me want to run outside and yell the truth out to everyone, grabbing people by the shoulders and yelling at them to see the truth. Yet, at the same time, it also makes me want to give up, curl up in a ball, and cry, cry, cry. If you, like me, can’t bring yourself to the intense, in-your-face-activism of many vegan organizations, but you want to do something for the plight of these animals; please read my post here on being an example of vegan awesomeness. It’s not as action oriented as many approaches, but it is a different take on the usual kinds of activism and I feel like it can be very successful in its own way, especially when it is consciously directed.

An Ode to Winter Squash

Rich in Vitamins A (well over 100% of your daily intake) and Vitamins C, as well as anti-cancer fighting phyto-nutrients, winter squash (like butternut and acorn) are delicious and exceptionally healthy. Take advantage of the overabundance of these wonderful root vegetables during this never-ending winter and let those nutrients nourish your body while tempting your palate.

If you haven’t already purchased Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Food Kitchen, then you absolutely must buy it. It is full of painstakingly detailed recipes that are clearly made with skill and a love of southern food.

For example, his Butternut Squash and Bartlett Pear Soup is simple to make, drop dead gorgeous, and astoundingly delicious.

Bryant Terry’s Butternut Squash and Bartlett Pear Soup

I copied it here for ease, but you can also find it at the Vegetarian Times recipe database here.

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts finely chopped (3 cups)
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 lb.)
3 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (11/2 lb.)
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks, and cook 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring often.

Add squash and pears, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add salt, if desired. Simmer 20 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender.

Remove from heat, and stir in coconut milk. Purée soup in batches in blender or food processor, or use immersion blender in saucepan; blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan, and stir in thyme. Reheat over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Season with salt and white pepper, if desired. Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds, if using.


If you’re looking for an even simpler way to enjoy a winter squash, simply have it as a side dish for dinner. Try this quick and easy recipe and you’ll be full Vitamins A and C before you know it.

Maple Glazed Acorn Squash Halves

1 acorn squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out
1 tsp – 1 T maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the acorn squash (the inside, not the outside) with maple syrup and bake for 45 minutes or until the squash can be pierced with a fork.

Maple Cinnamon Quinoa Stuffed Squash Halves

If you are feeling decadent, then you can stuff the acorn squash with quinoa for a level-7 vegan dish!

1 Cup of Quinoa
2 Cups water
½ - 1 tsp cinnamon (or more if you want it!)
1 Tb maple sryup

Additional add-ins – raisins or cranberries, sliced almonds or chopped pecans

Follow the directions above for Maple Glazed Acorn Squash Halves. Once the acorn squash is in the oven, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa. Let it simmer for 15 -20 minutes until the water is completely absorbed. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon – and any additional add-ins you’d like in your stuffing. When the squash is almost done (8-10 minutes or so), pull it out of the oven and add the stuffing. Bake until squash is completely finished.

A Restaurant Review – Butternut Squash

Lastly, in the theme of squash, I’d like to do a quick restaurant review. In Chapel Hill, NC there is an adorable vegetarian restaurant tucked away near the UNC campus. Its name is… wait for it… Butternut Squash. We were excited to try it out, but had been warned that many of its food items were bland. We decided to give it a go anyway and, I’m glad we did, because we were pleasantly surprised by the food.

We started off with the Tempeh Hot Wings with an avocado sauce. These were deliciously spicy, thick chunks of tempeh. We truly enjoyed them. Then Brandon ordered the Indian curry dish. Piled high with thickly sliced veggies and covered in a delicately spiced tomato curry, it was delicious. I had the house salad without feta, which had pan seared butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and pears. It was good, but not big. I wouldn’t recommend it for a dinner. Along with a soup or a few bites of your husband’s dish, it will fill you up though. All in all, I give Butternut Squash a big thumbs up! It was simple, delicate flavors, but it definitely wasn’t bland.

I'm sorry there were no pictures. I'm terrible at remembering to take pictures in restaurants!

I hope you enjoyed all the squash talk this week and I hope you find yourself enjoying one and reaping all the lung healthy benefits of Vitamin A and beta-carotene.

Sandwiches in Simplicity

Veggie Hummus sandwich pictured here with the best hummus ever (a local brand) and a delicious Earth Fare vegan cookie

A good sandwich can heavenly. The disparate flavors and textures unite together to create a unique flavor experience. There is something simple, satisfying, and down-right magical about a well-made sandwich. It never fails to be an exciting meal for me; maybe because I don’t have it that often.

My favorite sandwiches have grown even simpler since I’ve gone vegan. The ingredients have dropped to a few fresh, healthy items that work together to create a delicious mix of flavors and textures. Many people like a complicated sandwich, piled high with faux meats and condiments. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, but I prefer a more uncomplicated sandwich.

Here are three of my favorite sandwich combinations. Be warned, they are basically the same sandwich with slight alterations. The good thing is, if you are a piler-on of condiments and faux meats, my sandwiches might just be a good starter for you. If you, like me, like an unassuming sandwich - light on the belly and full of flavor - then these babies are for you.

Adapted “Vegan Powerhouse”

In Columbia, MD, there is this adorable café inside David’s Natural Market. Their Vegan Powerhouse sandwich is my absolute favorite. I can’t seem to match the exact awesomeness of this sandwich, but I try. I don’t make it a lot because I don’t buy faux cheese a lot, but sometimes I get that craving and I gotta have it!

2 slices of sprouted grain bread (or whatever bread you love)

1 slice of vegan cheese

Vegan mayo to taste

Tomato

Alfalfa sprouts, lots of it (this is the best part of the sandwich)

Lettuce

Italian seasoning to taste (optional)

Avocado Alfalfa Sandwich

Starting to see a pattern? Do I have an alfalfa sprout obsession or what?

2 slices of sprouted grain bread (or whatever bread you love)

½ an avocado, sliced

Vegan mayo to taste

Tomato

Alfalfa sprouts, lots of it (this is the best part of the sandwich)

Lettuce

Hummus Veggie Sandwich (pictured above) or Hummus Avocado Sandwich

I make this sandwich two different ways. Sometimes, I make it simply a hummus sandwich, but sometimes, I add an avocado. Yum!

2 slices of sprouted grain bread (or whatever bread you love)

Hummus

½ an avocado, sliced (if you’re going for it)

Tomato

Alfalfa sprouts, lots of it (this is the best part of the sandwich)

Lettuce

A Hot Cup of Chai

A single curl of steam curls up off of a cup of chai tea. You breathe in the spices and the warmth, hugging it close to your chest, and then you take that first sip… ahhh.


I love having a cup of tea. It gives me a reminder to take a few minutes to stop and breathe. Enjoying that simple moment in time reminds me to pay attention to the small things in life and not get caught up in my day-to-day worries.

In particular, a great cup of chai tea can truly make your entire body, mind, and soul relax. Those of you who have experienced it know what I mean. Once you begin drinking chai – assuming you like the mixture of its intense spices – then you are hooked. Just a whiff of those spices mingling together can get your attention from across a room.

Everyone has his or her favorite chai tea, and I want to share my three favorites with you.

1. Chocomaya Chai Tea from Chakra 4 Tea (pictured above)

This stuff is insanely delicious. It is chocolately and deeply spicy, with a kick from chipotle pepper. The mix of chocolate, chai, and chipotle will knock your socks off. If you don’t live in Pheonix, AZ where this fantastic restaurant and store is, then you can order the tea off of their website, linked above. It’s pricey at $3.50 an ounce, but it is definitely worth it for an occasional treat.

2. Stash Double Spice Chai

Talk about spicy! The moment this tea hits the hot water, you’ll have people coming in droves wondering what that delicious smell is. This is the kind of tea you want to sink into. Going for only $5.45 (30 tea bags) on their website, this is a cheap indulgence. You can also find it at almost any grocery store or health food store.

3. Indian Chai from Allann Brother’s

For those of you who like milder spices, this tea is the best! It’s a loose leaf chai that smells sweetly of spices without burning your nostrils. Allann Brother’s is a fantastic coffee company out of Oregon.

I hope I inspired you to make a big cup of chai and relax!

Smoothie Mania!

I am addicted to smoothies.

There, I admitted it.

I have one every morning. Usually, it’s a green smoothie – not really sweet, but bursting with greens and fruit. It is delicious, and it gives me a wonderful boost of energy for the day.

One morning, a few weeks ago, it was bitterly cold outside. We had left the heat on low the previous night, so I had been freezing all night long. I felt frozen from the inside out. I looked at my husband, who was preparing cold, cold veggies and fruit for the smoothie and I shook my head. I couldn’t even entertain the thought of putting that cold stuff in my cold belly.

“Not today. I’m having oatmeal.”

He looked at me, knowingly. “Are you sure? I think you might regret it.”

I was absolutely certain though. I made my oatmeal mix and headed off to work, braving the cold in anticipation of warming my insides all the way through with hot, cinnamon and walnut oats once I got to work. The oatmeal was good. It was even pretty good, but it was no smoothie. I missed my burst of energy. I missed the knowledge that I had ingested loads of nutrients before 9:00 a.m. I had a smoothie as soon as I got home, and it was as if all the cells in my body let out a sigh of relief. From then on, I decided that I would meet the winter coldness with a smoothie in hand.

The moral of the story is: drink smoothies! They are an awesome way to get more greens and fruit into your diet. The energy and nutrition are contagious! If the beginning of your day is so healthy, it’s hard not to follow it with more healthy choices.

I want to share our basic smoothie recipe as well as a couple special ones for you to try and enjoy. Just blend all the ingredients together in a blender. We have a crappy, old blender that serves us well. If you use kale and you have a cheap blender, you might have to blend a little longer to smooth up the tough kale leaves. These recipes will serve two hungry people, or four not so hungry people. I suggest doubling the recipes if you are trying to feed more than two or halving it if only feeding one.

Refreshing Cucumber and Berry

This is the usual formula for our breakfast smoothie. Sometimes we replace the fruit with an avocado, add some celery, and have a full on veggie smoothie, but only occasionally.

2 bananas

1 Cucumber, peeled

¾ Cup to 1 Cup frozen fruit (we are on a blueberry kick right now, but I any berry would be good)

Huge handful of spinach, kale, or romaine

1 to 1 ½ Cups Water

2 heaping Tbs of Hemp protein powder, optional

1-2 heaping Tbs of milled flax seed, optional

Sweetener to taste (stevia, agave nectar, dates, etc), optional

Handful of ice if needed

Almond Butter, Apple, and Banana Smoothie (Pictured at the beginning of the post)

We had this one for a weekend breakfast one morning and it was a thick, decadent treat.

3-4 bananas, depending on size

2 medium apples (sweet ones, not Granny Smith or the more sour apples, unless that’s your thing and then go ahead!)

2 Tbs almond butter (or peanut butter, if that is what you have handy)

1 Tbs milled flax seed, optional

Sweetner to taste, (stevia, agave nectar, dates, etc.), optional

Cinnamon, to taste, optional

1 to 1 ½ Cups Water

Handful of ice, if needed

Banana Cherry Peach Smoothie

This fantastic smoothie was discovered while we were in Arizona earlier this month. The sweetness of the peaches and the sharpness of the cherries makes a delicious treat.

2 Bananas

1/2 Cup frozen sweet cherries

1/2 Cup frozen peaches

Huge handful of spinach, kale, or romaine

1 to 1 ½ Cups Water

2 heaping Tbs of Hemp protein powder, optional

1-2 heaping Tbs of milled flax seed, optional

Sweetener to taste (stevia, agave nectar, dates, etc), optional

Handful of ice if needed

Also, the beauty of smoothies is that you have so much control. There are no rules, so you can alter these basic recipes to fit your likes and dislikes. If you don’t like bananas, replace it with cucumbers or a fruit that you do like. If you don’t like spinach, use romaine. Experiment and don’t be afraid!

Arizona - Sunshine, Palm Trees, and Vegan Food

Imagine… palm trees swaying under bright blue skies, lemon tress fragrant and dripping with fruit, 70 degree weather, and delicious vegan food every where you turn.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

I spent four lovely days enjoying these things in Pheonix, Arizona, while we visited Brandon’s aunt and uncle. It was a welcome break from the winter weather here in North Carolina. We relaxed, had great conversation, and ate delicious food.

If you ever find yourself in Pheonix, I have three restaurants you absolutely have to try. I’m only sorry that I didn’t take any pictures of the food we ate. We wolfed it down too quickly!

Chakras 4 Herb and Tea Shop

This place is absolutely awesome. It’s tiny, but it has a nice, colorful ambiance. It’s an all vegetarian restaurant which caters to those who are vegan and who eat raw. The food is pricey, but the portions are big and the food is deliciously spicy. They have unbelievable desserts. All of us, including Brandon’s omnivorious aunt and uncle were blown away by the raw vegan cheesecake (at $9 it better be good!). I suggest you grab a steeply priced pot of their Chocomaya Chai tea with almond milk and agave (it will serve 4 people with seconds). It is wonderfully fragrant, spicy, and chocolately. Everything we tried on the menu was delicious, but if you are a greens lover like me, grab the Rawvacodo kale wrap (although it can also be a sandwich or a regular wrap if you please), and the half-size will serve you well. Any bigger and you will be totally gorged and won’t be able to get those delicious desserts. Just be prepared to spend a pretty penny here. You’ll leave with empty pockets, but a happy belly. The store itself has a ridiculous array of spices and jarred treasures for purchase, from the tea on their menu (really expensive at $3.50 an ounce!) to chia seeds and cacao nibs to grapefruit peel and basil.

Loving Hut

You’ve most likely seen the Supreme Master tv website popping up on random veg websites; if not, check it out here. Not only do they do global, web-based, veg-friendly television, but they also have some pretty darn good restaurants. This all vegan, asian-inspired restaurant was a big hit with everyone. We even ate there twice! The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, and the food is just good. Be forewarned though, that there is a lot of mock meats and soy-based items on the menu. If you don’t eat soy or you don’t like mock meats, you might not want to eat here because that makes up the majority of the menu.

Z Pizza

Don’t let the unassuming outside and Subway-esque inside fool you, this regular-looking pizza joint offers Daiya cheese! Not only that, but many of their menu items are healthy (organic, fresh, whole-wheat, etc.). They know what vegan means and they aren’t afraid to whip up a sweet, vegan pizza for you. We had a nice, casual lunch there and enjoyed every moment and every bite. I had the lovely California Salad and a California Pizza with Daiya Cheese. It's affordable and filling, plus everyone – omnivore, herbivore, or carnivore – will be happy.

With the great company and good food, I really enjoyed my sun-filled stay in Arizona. How can you not be happy in a place that has avocadoes 3 for $1? I hope that my mini-food guide will help you find some good eats when/if you visit the area.

Also, Happy National Yoga Day! Look here to find a studio near you who will be offering free classes. YogaToday is offering a second free weekly class today, if there isn't a studio near you or you just can't seem to get out today. I wanted to go to a studio today, but staying up late last night made it pretty difficult. We'll see if I make it out or if I just do my yoga at home. Namaste!

Lastly, don't forget to sign up for the Vita-mix giveaway on Chocolate-Covered Katie's blog. If you don't know what a Vita-mix is, go here for all the details. Suffice to say, you want one - so sign up!

Soup Versus Salad

Icy cold temperatures across the nation are keeping us all in doors huddled over our stoves, making soup and tea in a desperate attempt to warm up. This frigid winter is a reminder to us all how the food we crave reflects the season. In the winter, you want hearty, warm, spicy foods that warm you from the inside out. In the summer, you want light, crisp, cool foods to cool you off.

Now, I love the taste of salad and I often want salad for dinner. Tonight as I stood in my kitchen, shivering, I debated whether to have the salad I wanted or heat up the leftover soup in my fridge.

The soup won, even though I wanted the taste of the salad. It was definitely the right choice. My whole body curled around the soup and I enjoyed every warm, nourishing bite. It's amazing just how much the temperature outside reflects the choices we make regarding food.

I don't have a picture of my soup, but I do have a couple of pictures of food I've been eating lately. One of our absolute favorite dishes of all time is Veganomicon's Smokey Grilled Tempeh. It is absolute heaven with a sweet potato and buttery brussel sprouts on the side.


I know I just talked about how salad lost in tonight's battle for dinner, but I want to remind myself (and you!) just how delicious and beautiful a salad can be. This lovely massaged kale salad was inspired from Choosing Raw's lovely dish:

I hope everyone is cuddled over their own bowl of soup tonight, or if they are brave enough, crunching on a cold salad.

A New Year

Happy New Year!

I'm not huge on resolutions, but I am huge on reflection and goal setting. I think making a simple goal or two for the year is a great way to get things accomplished and take stock of your life. For me, food is a huge aspect of my daily life, so I like to reflect back on the choices I've made this year. I personally think it's important for all of us to constantly check ourselves when it comes to food; to reiterate to yourself why you've chosen this path.

For most health conscious people, especially those of us that are veg, the path we choose is fraught with sudden realizations, obstacles, and emotions. Choosing this way of eating is ultimately questioning our entire society’s way of living and consuming. It is not easy, and no two people have the same experience; therefore, it’s often a lonely path to take.

For these reasons, I think it’s very important to constantly check in on yourself to see why you are choosing to eat the way you do at this stage in your life. For example, I’ve been eating progressively simpler and unprocessed foods. I’ve began to shed the faux meats and cheeses, eating them only rarely. I’ve added a lot more green smoothies and salads to my diet. I also know that I’ve struggled in the past with calorie obsession, so I have to guard against that in my current diet. I need to constantly check in and make sure that I’m not succumbing to the worry that I’m eating too many calories. Thankfully, I haven’t stressed over calorie content in a long, long time.

Ultimately, you have to answer the question for yourself. No one can do it for you. So, why do you eat the way you eat? It’s good to check in with yourself and see why you are eating the way you are, being honest with yourself about your worries and concerns. Do you worry about weight? Does that affect your choices? If so, does it affect them in a negative way? Are any of your worries unfounded? Do you eat mindfully? Do you eat the way you do in order to reduce animal suffering, is it for your own health, or both or neither? It might even behoove you to have a buddy, who you feel comfortable with, to help you answer these questions honestly.

For me, my reason for eating the way I do is to maintain and grow my level of health and happiness, as well as to reduce the suffering of sentient beings and the planet. I want to love what I eat and feel good eating it. I think I'm definitely on that path. (Re)Discovering your reasons for your choice can sometimes help to keep you motivated and give you clarity. I know it does for me!

If you are looking to make some positive changes in your lifestyle, then I fully suggest checking out the following two challenges:

- http://30dayyogachallenge.com/ - a daily email with short yoga videos.

- http://www.21daykickstart.org/index.cfm - PCRM's fantastic 21 day vegan challenge. If you aren't already vegan, then try it out! It's only 21 days! :)

-http://www.choosingraw.com/choosing-raw-spark-wellness-january-2010-cleanse-program/ Although it costs a little moula, this looks like a great opportunity to really make a major change in your eating habits.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year!!!

Snow, Daiya Cheese, and Berries who <3 Coconut

It’s snowing here in NC.


It’s snowing a lot.

Trapped inside with no where to go, Brandon and I decided to treat ourselves to the Daiya cheese that has been hanging out temptingly in our fridge since we went up to Baltimore for Thanksgiving and brought it down with us. If you haven’t had Daiya cheese yet, I suggest you go out, find it, and give it a try. It might be the best vegan cheese so far. It’s hard to find, since it’s only sold to stores and restaurants for now.

We were lucky to find it packaged in one of our favorite health food stores in Maryland (Roots) and sold in little plastic containers. Not able to pass up something as awesome as Daiya cheese, we filled up a cooler with ice and took it home with us. We used this great, quick pizza crust recipe, which we absolutely adore, and piled it high with veggies: spinach, tomatoes, onions, and olives.


For dessert, we made Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Berry <3 Coconut crisp from Veganomicon. I’ve made this a ridiculous amount of times. It’s quick, easy, and no-fail delicious. Fresh and warm out of the oven, I put a big scoop of Rice Dream Vanilla on it and just savored the awesomeness.


After a day full of fresh veggies – green smoothie for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and fruit all day – I was ready to indulge my bad side with this wonderful dinner. It was a great night – curled up watching the second season of Allie McBeal and frolicking in the snow with our pup. I hope that everyone is also enjoying their snowy night as much as we are!

Holiday Stress, Pumpkin Cookies, and Raw Apple Pie

All the holiday fervor has been keeping me busy. We went up to Baltimore to visit friends and family for Thanksgiving and my sister is coming down to visit us this weekend. Then there is all the shopping and tree-putting-uping... whoo. Plus, it's been a bit of a shock to my system to get out in the real world and go shopping. I haven't been a very good consumer this year, and I had forgotten just how crazy and stressful it is out there. I went out after work one day to do a little X-mas shopping... by the time I got home, I was a stressed, crazy mess. Was it always that way or has it gotten worse?

One good thing about the holidays though is all the baking... (or un-baking): the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the pumpkin... I made these wonderful Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies from the Post Punk Kitchen website for our local vegan meetup. They were a hit! This recipe makes a ton of cookies, so be prepared to gorge yourself or to bring them into work to share.


In our little southern city, we also have a thriving raw vegan meetup. For that meetup, I made the All American Apple Pie from Ani Phyo's uncookbook. Wow! It has the most minimal of ingredients and took me 10 minutes to throw together. Not only that, but it tasted fantastic. Raw vegan desserts are dangerous!


Also, there is a droolworthy giveaway on the adorable blog of a local NC vegan bakery in Carbarro area. The giveaway is here. Good luck!

I hope your holidays are filled with stressless online shopping and tons of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin baked (or unbaked) goods!!!!

Raw Foods

I love raw vegan food blogs.

I’m not raw, but for some reason I love to read them.

Maybe it’s because the writers feel so passionately about the food they make. Maybe it’s because the food is bright and vibrant.

I’m not sure.

I love them though, and my favorites list is full of them. I follow many of them on a regular basis. It is a guilty pleasure in a lot of ways, because I don’t follow a raw foods diet.

I’ve explored it in the past. If you are a vegan and you spend a lot of time online, it’s hard to miss the raw vegan scene. The claims are big. If you go raw, you feel better, you look better, you can cure illness, etc. It’s hard to ignore. I’m a researcher at heart and, although I have an open mind, the cynic in me requires any big change to begin with intense research. I went through a researching bout with raw foods several months ago and remained unconvinced of many of the arguments. I totally saw the value of it, and believed in the healthy aspects of incorporating raw veggies, but I had a hard time believing all the claims. So, I just let it go and moved on with my vegan diet.

Well… except for the raw vegan blogs that I love so much.

Fast forward a few months, and I finally read The Thrive Diet, which had been sitting on my shelf forever. Brendan Brazier makes a lot of raw food claims, but he uses different wording. It all made sense to me, but I wanted more proof. More evidence. I began researching raw food-ism again using the terms and concepts written about in the Thrive Diet. Low and behold, there was the proof I had missed in the previous research. I won’t get into all the research stuff, because each person will resonate with different things, and it’s up to each of us to do our own research concerning food. So, if you are interested, start researching. We all have to find our own answer when it comes to what we eat!

This doesn’t go to say that I whole-heartedly believe all the claims, but I do believe that raw foods does have a lot of benefits. A lot more benefits than I originally gave it credit for. Thus, Brandon and I have been giving raw foods a bigger role in our daily lives to see if it works for us. We are trying to be “raw before dinner.” No rules or anything though. If we want a cooked lunch or breakfast, then we have it. I don’t believe well-chosen vegan cooked food is bad for you in any way.

For breakfast lately, we’ve been having smoothies: lovely green smoothies, packed full of energy. You can practically feel the energy vibrating through your veins. Our greenest smoothie to date, pictured below, had cucumber, avocado, kale, and an apple (with some coconut sprinkled on top). Whoo! Talk about a rush… and yummy too.



For lunch, I’ve been having a huge salad with varied toppings (because I get bored so easy). Yum… isn’t that lovely?



For dinner, we just eat our normal cooked vegan food. Pictured below is one of my favorite comfort food: mashed potatoes and corn, smothered with Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy from Vegan with a Vengeance.

To make our new experiment more affordable, we plan on cooking dinners that will last for more than one meal, so we can have it for more than one dinner. All those organic veggies really add up!!!

If you are curious about those lovely raw vegan blogs I’m talking about, check out two of my absolute favorites: www.choosingraw.com and kristensraw.blogspot.com. I’m warning you though, it’s addictive!

Harvest Dinner

This past Sunday, my local vegan group here in Greensboro hosted a Harvest dinner, where guests paid $10 to enjoy a vegan dinner, created from local farmers. We had the dinner at our host Valerie's gorgeous Blue Moon barn, which is also an art and music studio. Valerie, our group organizer Jen, and I worked hard to create a fantastic dinner for a group of around 20 vegans, vegetarians, and those interested in eating that way.

It was a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day, the appreciative smiles and earnest thanks of those we served made it all completely worth it.

For the meal we had appetizers from our local and awesome nut cheeze makers, a pumpkin soup served in a pumpkin, and a pear and walnut salad. For dinner we had delicious crowder bean croquettes with mushroom gravy, roasted root veggies, and kale. For dessert we had a to-die-for apple pie and homemade ice cream. Not only that, but we had a vegan candy toss for all the veggie children. Like I said, it was a great success.

The pictures here were obviously not taken by me. They are all taken by Heather Spealman, our local (vegan) jewelry maker and photographer.