A Midlife Vegan+

Today's Second Breakfast

2012-02-16T11:22:00.001-05:00

I've told you before about the notion of my "second breakfast" -- I'm not hungry enough for food until about 11:00 a.m. In the early morning I enjoy coffee (I should give it up, I know, but I really like being intelligent, and without coffee, I'm not) and then some lovely, fresh green or purple juice. Mid- to late-morning is when I want something more. Today it was an amazing amaranth porridge. It was so easy to assemble from the pot of leftover amaranth in the fridge, some almond milk, earth balance butter, a tablespoon of ground flaxseed and a drizzle of maple syrup. This was the most decadent, dessert-worthy breakfast I think I've ever had. I think I will have it again after lunch as a dessert, as a matter of fact! I like to eat a lot, and often. With food this healthy, I can.

I don't normally think to include flaxseed in my diet on a regular basis, but I will be including a tablespoonful a day from now on. I've been going to a wonderful Integrative Medicine M.D. for about seven or eight years now. She keeps me healthy, and helps to manage my MS. She has seen me through the changes of a hysterectomy and a vegan diet. My doctor prescribes natural hormones for me, made from micronized soy and yams, which keep my MS quiet and benign. I get my blood tested every six months to be sure all my levels are healthy. Even with a set prescriptive plan, our levels are apt to change due to diet, activity, stress level and aging. So every once in a while the prescriptive needs a tweak. At my latest appointment, my doctor noted that my E3 levels were good (that's what she prescribes) but my E2 levels were on their way up (that's what the body makes in response to the E3) These two balance each other out, which is good. The danger is that if the E2 keeps going up, an excess of it will encourage the production of E1 which is the estrogen which contributes to cancer. To combat this, "plant lignans" were prescribed, which is a tablespoon of ground flaxseed and plenty of cruciferous veggies. I've already got the cruciferous down, so I'm adding the flax. I could be wrong, but I doubt a mainstrean doctor tracks the different types of estrogens when hormone replacement therapy with synthetic pharmaceutical hormones is prescribed. By the way, the production of the most popular pharmaceutical estrogen is a karmic nightmare and involves horses. I shudder to think of it.

I am very grateful for and proud of my doctor. Recently Joan Lunden came here to her tiny office to interview her about Integrative Medicine which combines mainstrean and alternative therapies. The show will run on PBS for several weeks. In anticipation of the publicity, the practice will be expanding shortly. After she's famous, I'll be able to say, "I knew her when . . ."

The New Breakfast Sandwich

2012-02-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

I remember the days when an Egg Mcmuffin was a real treat -- all that warm gooey, greasy mess. That was before I realized that my dairy/grease coma was from the dairy and the grease. I just thought I was not a morning person. Now I eat to support the way I want my body and mind to feel. But I still want something warm and decadent on a cold morning!

This was actually my "second breakfast" yesterday. I make a point of paying attention to my true appetite, and eating when I want to eat instead of when the clock might indicate I should. In the early morning, readying the kids for their day, coffee is wanted and gratefully consumed, but then I want only fresh juice to wash down my pills. I get productive for several hours and about 10:30 or 11:00 is the first time I find myself wanting food. This grilled cheese fit the bill yesterday morning.

I started with a couple of pieces of toasted Eziekiel bread, laid out on a warm, dry griddle. I assembled the pieces with daiya non-dairy cheese, sundried tomatoes and arugula. Then I tried a new trick that worked out beautifully. I put the cover of a pot over the toasts to keep the warmth inside long enough for the daiya to melt a little-- just a couple of minutes. Then I could assemble the sandwich without the daiya shreds falling all over the place. They were already "glued" to the bread. Then I just flipped the sandwich a couple more times until it was all melty and gooey through and through. Mmmmm.

Today marks my second "Veganniversary"! There will be those of you who don't consider me a vegan because, on the rare occasion, I consume shellfish or raw tuna, and that's fine with me. I was never too keen on labels anyway. Pescetarians eat dairy and eggs, which I definitely do not, so that's not the right label. My diet is almost always vegan. I guess the most accurate way to describe what I eat is vegan, dabbling in macrobiotics -- a health-conscious approach which may or may not include small amounts of seafood.

Many of you know my health story, so you can tune out now, but for those of you who might be interested, I decided to become vegan mainly because of a chronic illness. I'd learned a mostly plant-based diet was my best chance for a long, healthy, fully ambulatory life. I did not struggle with the diet at all. It just felt right. Eighteen months into my vegan journey I became weak and fainted a couple of times, which had never happened to me before. It was determined I had a B12 deficiency. Around that time I began wanting seafood -- badly. My body has always spoken loud and clear to me and intuitively I know it is important to listen. Nonetheless, because my B12 stores had been so seriously depleted, I also addressed the problem medically. I worked with my trusted Integrative Medicine M.D. who gave me B12 shots every two weeks. Finally I asked her to teach me how to do it myself. I already give myself a daily injection of MS medicine anyway, so needles don't scare me. I get my supplies from my doctor, and doing it myself I save a fortune and am in charge of my own health. My doctor explained that during times of stress, we burn through our B12 at a much higher rate, so she authorized weekly shots whenever I feel I need them.

Now, many folks would say that the need for injections to maintain adequate B12 stores would indicate that a vegan diet is not healthy. Not so fast . . . the two years of my vegan life are the first years when there was no progression of MS activity on the MRI! I've been diagnosed for 16 years, and the disease has progressed every year since it was diagnosed, until I went vegan! I'd say the evidence shows a little weekly injection to make being vegan work for me is worth it. I urge all of you, vegan or not, to listen to your body's signals and know your nutrition levels, and do whatever you need to do to maintain a healthy balance.

A Ghostly Post

2012-02-09T12:27:00.001-05:00

These photos would be more appropriate in October, but I just took them and I like 'em, so I'm sharing 'em.

Yesterday morning when I woke at 6:45 a.m. to get my daughter up for school, it was still pitch black in the house and outside, except for this full moon, that is. This is actually a shot of a moon-set. The moon is setting in the west, right out my backyard window. The sun in the east was still nowhere in sight. Unfortunately the photo doesn't do the phenomenon justice, since I didn't use the right setting in the dark and I didn't want to break the spooky spell of this fleeting scene by turning a light on, but I like the photo anyway. You should have seen it. The moon was huge and low, and so vividly lit the wispy clouds. The whole thing was over in five minutes. This morning, at the same time of day, the moon was small and ordinary, and in a completely different part of the western sky. I guess this was an illustration of how variable the lunar orbit can be. I was glad to have caught the big spooky moon-set, if even for a moment.

The day of the moonset, I prepared forbidden rice. Have you tried it? It is really, really good. The texture is firm and pleasantly chewy,the flavor is mild and a bit nutty, and it just looks really cool:

I prepared it with water and the tiniest sprinkle of salt, and added a can of white beans at the end for contrast. I think it looks a little bit like my moon-set! This simple dish was surprisingly flavorful and satisfying. I'm eating the leftovers in wraps, on salads and on toast. Boo!

Cruciferous!

2012-02-07T11:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, walking into the grocery store, I ran into someone who has made a positive impact upon my life -- a lovely lady named Kris. About three or four years ago I met Kris at the softball field as we rooted for our daughters. I don't know how many of you can feel or sense "energy" from or around people, so if you can't or haven't you will think I'm a kook, but I can normally feel the gist of who a person is, and some folks' energy comes across more strongly than others. With Kris, her bright, positive, substantial energy preceded her. I knew right away she was a good egg. We enjoyed each others' company, and moved past small talk very quickly. At the time, Kris was a vegetarian (she may still be, I don't know) so she was one of my early inspirations for changing my diet. When softball season was over, with our kids in different schools, Kris and I fell out of touch. I tend to get "tunnel vision" in life, dealing only with what is right in front of my face as a mom and wife, which is something I need to work on. Maintaining a broader perspective is much healthier. When I saw Kris yesterday, I was sorry we had fallen out of touch. We plan on getting together soon for coffee.

In the few minutes we had to catch up, I learned Kris is dealing with breast cancer. With a bright spirit like hers, I'm sure she will regain her health. I look forward to sharing with her what little I've gleaned from my research and experience with diet, from Kind to Crazy Sexy to Macrobiotics.

Inspired by Kris, last night when I was preparing a pot roast for the meat eaters, I decided to feature cruciferous vegetables as well. You all probably already know about cruciferous veggies, but just in case you don't, they are thus named for the shape of their flower -- a cross. They include all manner of cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and more. Cruciferous vegetables contain cancer-suppressing compounds, so we can all benefit from their consumption.

When my boys eat meat, they like potatoes. I see potatoes as an excuse to eat brussels sprouts! That sounds like a stretch, but remember my Colcannon from my Christmas menu? I've not made it since, so it was about time. More cruciferous!

I didn't dig out my recipe but did it from memory -- I cut small new potatoes to uniform size, boiled them about 12 minutes, added halved brussels sprouts on top of the boiling potatoes for three more minutes, drained it all and dressed it with a little earth balance, a little veganaise, a little bragg's liquid aminos and a little liquid smoke -- very delicious and Irish!

To continue with my cruciferous consumption extravaganza, I made broccoli stem juice this morning from the scraps of last night's bounty. The juice also included an orange, an apple, a big leaf of kale, some romaine, some ginger and two cucumbers.

Like magic, these scraps become this:

The broccoli stalks have a lovely, almost sweet flavor, and they contain a shocking amount of juice. I wound up with about twice as much juice today as what I get with other combos, and there was hardly any pulp.

By the way, I want to share a few things that make my juicing easy and efficient:

I soak all the organics in a big bowl of water, and then I just scrub them well with this handy brush which fits in the hollow of my palm. Then there's no need to peel them. The nice sharp peeler is helpful, however, with whatever non-organics I use. finally, a large, sharp, well-balanced knife makes the prep easy and swift.

Eat your cruciferous veggies, and, if you are so inclined, say a prayer or send good vibes to Kris. The world is a better place with her in it.

I Know, I Know, But Look at It!

2012-01-30T15:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, too much juice is on this blog lately, but will you get a load of the gem I created this morning? Here's the juice before it made its way through the juicer:

Gorgeous!

I had bought a bunch of beets with lovely stems and greens still attached a couple of weeks ago, meaning to make a "roots and tops" macrobiotic dish I had read about, but alas, I lost them in the garage fridge crisper and only found them yesterday. The greens and stems were goners, but the roots were still firm and fresh, so juice inspiration was born.

I'd not eaten a raw beet before, so, unsure what to expect, I included an apple and an orange in this combination. I needn't have bothered with the fruit. This luscious juice was positively syrupy sweet, but not cloying. Earthy and rich, the energy imparted was very calming and stable, but over-the top positive at the same time. I tend to live very much in my upper chakras, from the head, ungrounded. Taking in the vibrant, rooted energy of the beets put my focus back on the lower chakras. The primal stance was a relief and a pleasure. I'm inspired anew to make time for meditation.

When I tasted the syrupy sweetness of my juice, I worried about a sugar rush and a crash, but what I got instead was bright-eyed calm energy all morning. The "crash" was more like a gentle flutter down, a full six hours after I drank the juice. I had no breakfast -- just the juice! Luckily I had the rest of the juice in a cup in the fridge and I'm sipping it right now. It's giving me my second wind.

I think my next beet juice will have no fruit, but plenty of greens and ginger root too. Doesn't that sound good?

Menu-less Days

2012-01-28T10:53:00.003-05:00

Regular readers understand that, while I value and strive for vegan epicurean excellence, when it comes right down to it I'm a pretty lazy cook. The fact is that life is full and busy in my present chapter and more often than not I find myself merely responding to its demands rather than proactively charting my own course. No matter -- I've found myriad shortcuts that allow most meals to adhere to my lofty fab food standards.

Not much goes to waste. Leftover take-out szechwan tofu was great with a bit of brown rice from the pot I'd made three days prior and a few stalks of fresh broccoli rabe.

A box of Pacific Pho Stock was improved with some rice noodles, tofu, spring onion, leftover green beans, cilantro, lime and shoyu.

Each time I re-warmed the leftover pho, I added more onion, cilantro and lime to keep it fresh and bright in flavor.

On days with literally five minutes to make food and eat it, I can still add a fresh tangle of cilantro to an Amy's stir fry before I wolf it down.

Obviously, eating prepared foods at every meal would not be the healthiest choice, since there is a lot more sodium and sugar than I would use if I were creating it from scratch, but at least it's not chicken nuggets! Sometimes we do what we have to do and then get back on track when the situation allows.

Yes, Another Juice . . .

2012-01-26T15:00:00.000-05:00

I'm certain you are tired of my juices at this point, but this one is worth sharing. I was inspired by my husband this morning, who is ailing just a tad -- a bit sinusy, a bit tired and prone to chills. I was sure fresh, mostly organic juice, with its megamicronutrients, would be his best bet. The man likes my "buttery" collards-n-cabbage for dinner, but he's not crazy about muddy-looking green juices with their accompanying slight bitter edge to his sugar-addled palate. So today I didn't make a green juice at all. I made an orange juice.

It contained: three oranges, half a lemon, a one-inch knob of ginger, about 6 smallish organic carrots and two cucumbers. All fruits and veggies were peeled except the carrots and ginger. The citrus pith would've been too bitter, and the waxy, pesticide-laden skins of the unorganic cucumbers had to go. By the way, I wash those nasty skins first with soap since I don't want the peeler to transfer so much of the yuckiness to the fresh cucumber flesh within. I obviously need to find a better source for my cukes!

The man is looking better, I think. In any case, I don't think I've ever tasted anything so lovely as this juice. I am craving more of it right now. It is dessert-worthy.

Lately, without boring you with tedious details, there have been some challenges involving kids' and my own health, doctors' appointments, a car accident, talks with lawyers and insurance agents, etc. As you might imagine, time hasn't been mine to the degree that I've not been creative in the vegan part of my kitchen. I've been using a lot of vegan shortcuts to help me maintain my standards for health and fabulous food. I always try to jazz up the prepared meals with a little something to remind myself that I'm worth it. Stay tuned for a future post with some of what I've been eating in addition to my juices.

Amaranth!

2012-01-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

Billed as an "ancient grain," amaranth is actually a tiny seed indigenous to the Americas. So for those locavores living in North, Central or South America, amaranth fits the bill. A gluten-free source of protein, amaranth is a very interesting alternative to rice or quinoa.

I didn't know what to expect, as I'd never tried it before, so I prepared amaranth for the first time simply -- boiled only in water. I wanted to see what it really tastes like. Unlike quinoa, which I think benefits from cooking in broth with a little tomato paste or some other flavorful liquid, amaranth has a very satisfying, mild flavor on its own, in my opinion. I was surprised at the texture of the amaranth. When I read in the cooking directions that the seeds would "bind together," I was thinking in terms of the texture of polenta. Actually amaranth has a more gooey, gelatinous texture. It reminded me of the texture of chia seeds. My description may not be selling you on this nutritional powerhouse, as texture can make or break a food affinity, and our tastes are all so personal. For me, I really loved this texture and flavor. It was very much comfort food and I craved it with everything from this delicious broccoli rabe (yum!) to a frozen organic vegan burrito. I was sorry to see the bottom of the pot.

If my description of amaranth hasn't turned you off, give it a try!

The Verdict

2012-01-10T12:52:00.000-05:00

After the hour of prep work yesterday, My juice pulp flax seed crackers took six hours in the dehydrator to become crunchy. I'm thinking twice about the carbon footprint implications of this exercise.

The result? still warm, dry and crisp, the crackers were okay, not great. With hummus they were great, but for me anything spread with hummus is great. Today, not quite as crisp anymore, the crackers were less great still, even with the hummus.

Everything we do in life has educational value. I am grateful for this experiment because I can add it to my list of things I know how to do. Will I do it again? Probably not.

I am reminded of the time I taught myself how to reupholster my sofa -- not slipcover, though I have done plenty of that too -- reupholster. I disassembled the furniture, panel by panel, and worked with tack strips, piping and hobnails. I used a crow bar, a hammer, a nail gun, a staple gun and a rubber mallet.I sewed each panel, leaving a rough edge for the next section. A couple of times I discovered I was on the wrong track, so I had to disassemble and redo it. I ultimately did a pretty good job with the sofa, but realized I could have benefited from an instructor. So, when I decided to redo my kitchen cabinets, I splurged on an $85 faux painting class. I did it right, and years later the cabinets are all still in good shape, but the whole process took five weeks. Though I saved $20,000-$30,000 doing it myself, I have discovered that time is more valuable than most sums of money. If we spend our time doing something fulfilling -- a learning experience counts here -- it is time well spent. So the crux of the issue is whether we would choose to repeat a project after the fulfillment of learning it is over.

Juice pulp flax seed cracker creation is not an experience I will repeat. My pulp will much more efficiently and appropriately feed the soil of my vegetable garden than it could ever feed me. I believe most of the nutrition left the pulp with the flavor and color, anyway. My healthy diet is a gift to myself, and as such, it should be enjoyable. Every mouthful is carefully chosen and prepared, and is so much more flavorful and pure than the junk I ate for many years. I don't want to waste a bite on something less than fabulous. I will continue to reap the benefits of making delicious juices, and I won't feel guilty about just saying no to homemade pulp crackers.

P.S. -- The topic of the nutritional value of the pulp fiber being lost in the process of juicing has come up among non-vegan friends. You vegans will understand that, unless you are eating only vegan junk food, lack of fiber is not an issue. Juicing simply allows us to pack in a much more diverse selection and quantity of vegetable nutrition than would be possible by consuming the entire vegetable. The juice is not a replacement for a well-rounded diet, it's an enhancement.

Juice Pulp Crackers!

2012-01-08T15:15:00.001-05:00

This was way more effort than I usually expend, but an early sampling of these crackers revealed an unusual but not disagreeable flavor. Once they are crunchy, I just might like them. I spent an hour getting the texture and seasonings right. I first spread out a batch of this "dough" and cut it just like this, and struggled to transfer each little piece to the dehydrator without it falling apart or falling through the mesh of the tray. I finally got wise and scraped it all back into a bowl for some more ground flax seed. I am not sure how much I used. I just kept adding it until the dough was quite bready. It was at least a cupful. I used the pulp from two batches of juice -- again, an unknown quantity. I seasoned with salt, pepper, shoyu, lemon juice, a little sprinkle of curry and coriander. I came up with this combo from several different pulp cracker recipes I found online. Once the dough was bready enough, it behaved well for me, keeping its shape on the dehydrator trays. It's been going an hour so far, but it is not crunchy at all yet.

There was a lot of complaining about all the food processing I had to do to homogenize the pulp. The guys were trying to watch football and I was making an awful racket. My 14 year old daughter came in as I was spreading the dough out and when I told her what I was doing she burst into hysterical laughter, taking photos to e-mail all her friends. I do tend to keep that lot entertained with my vegan antics. It is a curiosity to them -- very different from the way things happen in their own homes. At the last sleepover, Wynne's friends all tried my fresh juice. They said they liked it. I was so proud!

Here's the pulp with only half a cup of flaxseed -- way too moist to hold together.

Here are the crackers in the dehydrator. I stacked four of these trays. The pulp of two juicings, a cup+ of flaxseed, etc. was the perfect quantity to fill the dehydrator.

The khaki-green color is kind of pretty in an odd way. These crackers are raw, vegan, gluten-free and utilize the fiber from my juiced veggies much more effectively than my ill-fated bean soup/chili experiment.I need to wait another couple of hours at least, but I'll report on the final verdict of whether this exercise will be repeated once I've had a chance to take a crunchy bite.

Leftovers on a Lovely Day

2012-01-07T18:04:00.000-05:00

Finally some food! I know I've mostly been featuring juice lately, but I do also eat. I love leftovers. Yesterday was such a beautiful day that I decided to have an alfresco lunch. I sat on my screen porch -- gotta love that natural light! This taco salad utilized leftovers from our dinner the night before. Dinner was chicken tacos from the leftovers from the night before that (rotisserie chicken) The taco bar is an example of how I can best feed a family with different diets. I am feeding a quasi-health-conscious-omnivore (husband), a non-health-conscious-carnivore-with-food-allergies (son), an almost-vegetarian (daughter) and a vegan (myself). Lucky for me, the food that was mostly left over was my kind of food! You can see what it all is. That's non-dairy sour cream on top. Delish!

I am still juicing daily, and today I will share this pretty photo of a pre-juice pile:

This was yesterday's juice: romaine, kale, carrot, two apples, two cucumbers, ginger and lemon! I just want to say that ginger and lemon are the rock stars of this flavor combo -- soooo good! I used a whole lemon (peeled -- the white pith is too bitter) and the lemon flavor was a bit forward toward the end of the glass, so you may want to try a quarter or half of a lemon first and see what you think. But seriously do consider adding fresh lemon to your juice. It is very bright and energizing.

For today's juice (no photo, I think you've seen enough) I tried pears instead of apples. Because of the delicate flavor of pears, I didn't use the lemon or ginger. I wanted to taste the pear. I was disappointed. The pear flavor got swallowed up by the kale. The juice was fine, but not great like my ginger-lemon rock star juice. Fresh juice is such a treat, I'm sticking with my favorites from now on!

P.S. - Happy 18th Birthday to my wonderful son, Hans! We are so proud of you!

Learning Curve

2012-01-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

Today I will share with you some candid, unstyled photos of the inside of my home after everyone has been here every day for two weeks straight. Today is my husband's first day back at work. We normally take a little trip this time of year but that did not work out since my almost-18-year-old is still finishing up last semester due to all the school he missed with his daily migraines. So, the kid was studying, the other kid was running in and out of here with many different friend combinations, and the hubby was staycationing, My daily vacuuming became unpopular (they don't like the noise, bless them). But the point of this post is not to share the level of filth with which I've recently become accustomed -- that's just a side effect of telling you today's installment of my juicing saga.

As with any new equipment, there is a learning curve with using, cleaning, drying and storing the many parts of my amazing appliance. Today, after filling my glass with a fabulous elixir made from cucumbers, celery, a leaf of kale, half a head of romaine, a fuji apple and some ginger root (YUM!), I absentmindedly poured the second glassful into a cup for later. Unfortunately I poured as if pouring from the coffee pot, the lid of which remains attached. The lid of the juicer pitcher is not attached. So here's what happened:

Ugh -- doesn't just looking at that make you nervous? Ellie came running when she heard the catastrophe. That's her tail there poking up over the edge of the counter, and that's her fur there under the cabinet across the room. Fortunately, I had already taken a sip of this fab elixir before said catastrophe, so the mood-soothing effects of greens were already working their magic. I just felt thankful that nothing was on fire this time, then called Emma over to help her sister get started on the cleanup:

My beasts sure love veggies! After the pups gave me a head start, the rest wasn't that difficult to dispatch. And I was left with this:

Ahhh!

In more good news, I've been fighting a little cold which is going away very quickly from the juice and from this bowl of easy curried chickpeas I ate yesterday:

I added half a chopped yellow onion to a bowl of Amy's Lentil Soup, simmered it until the onion was cooked, then added a can of chickpeas, some curry and turmeric. I served it over leftover quinoa and topped it off with some green onion. This was such a satisfying New Year's Day stew!

Now -- vacuuming!

Pulp Non-Fiction

2011-12-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

My first pulp-waste-not-want-not experiment was a fail -- no, a hazardous debacle. I didn't take a photo (I was disappointed in the result, so -- grouchy), but the jungle photo of Curacao, above, looks pretty much like the bean soup I created yesterday from a couple of day's worth of juicing pulp, a whole box of veggie broth, an onion, some garlic and a can of beans. The soup tasted like a bland granny smith apple, and the texture was awful. But I am getting ahead of myself . . .

My idea was to transform the pulp into a smooth, creamy consistency, so I dug out my HealthMaster blender by Montel Williams that I received two years ago. This machine, able to turn a cinderblock to dust in the infomercial, has provided me with many satisfying soups, dips and smoothies, and I was sure it was up to the task of transforming pulp into soup. I knew I'd need to add plenty of liquid so as not to overtax the motor, so I did. I used the lowest setting for about four minutes as I sauteed the onion and garlic to add later. I began smelling smoke, so I went over to the stove, thinking I was burning the onion, but then realized the HealthMaster WAS ON FIRE! I ran back across the kitchen and pulled the plug as smoke billowed forth, filling my kitchen. My brave husband quickly picked up the smoking machinery and placed it in the middle of our driveway, away from anything flammable.

Defeated, I pulled out my old-as-the-hills food processor (it's at least 25 years old, and missing most of its parts) and attempted to improve the texture of the above mess. My ancient food processor did not burst into flames, so my mood improved a little. I put a bit of the mixture aside in a tupperware for future experimentation and put the rest of it in a pot on the stove. I added some shoyu. I added some liquid smoke. I added some salt. It still tasted exactly like a grainy apple. Finally I gave up on my initial idea and decided to turn it into chili. I added a McCormick's chili packet. It still tasted like a granny smith apple, but worse. Sorry -- "waste not want not" didn't work this time. The soup went down the drain, to nourish the enzymes in our septic tank. The bit in the tupperware I will attempt to utilize in a tomato spaghetti sauce, but if that is no good I'm going to quit losing good food after bad, and go straight to plan C -- the compost heap.

Truthfully, the only flavorful part of the pulp was the apple. The kale, romaine, celery, even the carrot had lost every bit of flavor with the absence of juices, and likely most of the vitamins and minerals as well. So I don't feel I am wasting after all as much as I initially did.

Heed my cautionary tale, pulp aficionados, lest your HealthMaster also burst into flame.

Crave!

2011-12-28T12:22:00.000-05:00

Here's today's elixir of health -- two cucumbers, two organic gala apples and five stalks of kale. I wish I could show you the lovely pile of plantfoods before they were processed, but while I was photographing a lovely pile of veggies and fruits, my camera was seeing something else. The resulting photos turned out to be, um, not fit for general audiences. I'll be more aware of my food styling in the future.

I digress . . . This combination is more pleasing to my palate than yesterday's which was too sweet for my taste with three apples instead of two. I believe the organic apples are much sweeter. I like to taste a bit of green. My husband asked for some of this elixir, and grimaced a tad, but then he asked for seconds! He asked if it would dye his teeth green -- isn't this funny? I think we are programmed from childhood that saturated color will leave a permanent mark. There is no green dye number 7 here, and, aside from the odd bit of pulp between the teeth, he has little to worry about.

I've received a comment about wasting the pulp from the juicing process, and I'll be addressing that in the future as I try a couple of options. There are definitely copious amounts of pulp that result from the juicing process. Until I decide how to best utilize the pulp, I will be saving it in the freezer. I'll keep you posted.

Juice!

2011-12-27T10:39:00.000-05:00

Thank you, sweet husband! Look at my wonderful Christmas gift from my hubby. I've coveted this Breville juicer since reading Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet. It's hard to jump in with both feet to Kris' plan without the necessary equipment. This thing is so cool. The first juice we made was carrot, celery and apple. The result was shockingly delicious! The next day, with no more celery, I made apple, ginger, carrot and kale. I tried one less apple (3) than the day before (4) and it was still delicious. After two days of juicing, I am actually craving the next juice. Yes, that's right, with a refrigerator full of decadent vegan meal items from our holiday fare, what I really want more than anything else is my next juice! I'm eating the holiday leftovers too, by the way, but am surprised by the swiftness of this new craving. My 14-year-old daughter and her friends giggle over how thrilled I am with this juicer. I'm so glad I can provide entertainment for the next generation!

Today I think I will make cucumber, apple, romaine and kale. Yesterday and the day before I used the only apples I had, which were not organic but well-scrubbed (I know, that's not good enough). Yesterday I picked up some organic apples: gala and granny smith. Obviously these will be nutritionally superior. I'll let you know about any flavor difference I detect.

Here's our Christmas Dinner table -- just for the four of us this time. Our extended family lives around the Washington D.C. area, except for my brother and his family in China and my husband's brother and sisters in Florida, so it was only us this time. I prepared a turkey breast for the omnis, but the rest was vegan: Mashed potatoes with tofutti sour cream, earth balance and fresh Italian parsley, Wynne's favorite pasta salad with sundried tomatoes and chick peas in a balsamic veganaise sauce and freshly sauteed leeks, collard greens and cabbage with a splash of tamari and plenty of earth balance. I love pairing cabbage with collards. Somehow the cabbage holds the flavor of the "butter" better than the other veggies, so it is a perfect foil to the more bitter collards. This was all delicious and we have plenty of leftovers.

Now for some juice!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

A very Merry Christmas to all!

Holiday Food

2011-12-22T17:54:00.002-05:00

Hello my dears -- how I've missed you! Here is the promised post featuring what we ate at Thanksgiving. This is easy, delicious food that would also be nice for Christmas dinner.

Above is my colcannon, but instead of sliced cabbage I used halved brussels sprouts. I liked this better than the cabbage, actually, since everything was of a similar size and shape. I've posted my colcannon recipe before, so here's a quick recap of this version:

24 oz. new potatoes, halved (I used baby yukon gold here)
about the same number of pieces of halved brussels sprouts (the amounts don't really matter, I just like to have roughly equal amounts)
1/4 purple onion, slivered
3 Tbsp. Earth Balance
1 Tbsp. Veganaise
2 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke
1 Tbsp. Bragg's liquid aminos
Fresh ground pepper

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes. For the last five minutes, add the halved brussels sprouts on top of the potatoes and boil/steam them covered until bright green. Drain the potatoes and sprouts and transfer them to a large skillet over medium heat with the melted earth balance and the onions. sautee the veggies, stirring occasionally to allow them to brown a bit. during this process, add the liquid smoke and the Bragg's to deglaze. Take the veggies off the heat and finish by stirring in the Veganaise.

Debby's "Tender Green Bean with Mushroom and Lemon Peel", from her wonderful blog, "The Health Seeker's Kitchen" made an encore appearance since it was such a hit last year.

Alicia Silverstone's "Scarlet Roasted Root Vegetables" from The Kind Diet were featured again this year as well.

Here's the table, full of my vegan offerings as well as my Dad's famous Sage Dressing (secret recipe!) that he was sweet enough to veganize for me. Dad also insisted I not bother to buy a turkey. He got one himself since he knows raw flesh gives me the willies. He actually roasted it almost all the way, chilled it and packed it in a cooler for the trip to the deep south from the D.C. area where they live. Once they arrived, my Dad roasted the turkey for another couple of hours. I didn't partake, of course, but the others enjoyed it. So basically we had a vegan feast plus a turkey, which was fine with me! Thanks Mom and Dad!

I'm wishing all of you a peaceful, joyous season!

Ode To Yoda (Hallelujah!)

2011-12-02T09:30:00.001-05:00

There it is again -- That luscious, decadent, mouthwatering concoction whose appearance only a mother could love -- The Radicchio Pizza. Here I've created two small pizzas from an Eziekiel English Muffin, split, spread with a lazy tofu cream I whipped up from tofutti cream cheese and a few drops of Ume vinegar, and topped with fresh, mild radicchio marinated in truffle oil and broiled. Sublime -- I'm not kidding.

The marinated radicchio I was unable to fit upon the muffins was placed atop a pile of arugula for a fresh salad. No additional dressing was needed.

Regular readers of AMV+ may recall my disappointment earlier in the year with radicchio pizzas, which I had heretofore adored. Yes, there was the pizza I'd burned that I unwisely made from an Eziekiel tortilla (don't do that -- a tortilla has no chance under the broiler), but in early summer I just could not turn out an edible radicchio pizza. I blamed my tastebuds, surmising my system was out of whack. How disappointing it was to me -- I gave up on my most favorite food for half a year.

Now, after admiring some lovely radicchio at the market and bravely giving my prize another try, I get it. Duh -- radicchio's back in season again! I'm smart enough to know that in 90 degree temps my bitter greens in the garden become too bitter to enjoy. I don't know why I didn't make the connection with the radicchio. It truly tasted awful in the summertime. Now it's again amazing, with the bitterness only a recessive note, rounding out a more complex flavor.

You're wondering why this is an "ode to Yoda" -- well, it's because my son, Hans, calls this "Yoda food" when I make it. He says it looks exactly like what Yoda would scoop up out of his swamp to consume. I'm not offended. Any little thing I can do to entertain my progeny is a win. Incidentally, I've recently enjoyed seeing my two, ages almost-18 and 14, begin to bond over the Star Wars movies. When Wynne, my daughter, first saw Yoda, she flipped out, saying she loved him and wanted to marry him! The fact that Yoda is attractive to a 14 year old girl may be surprising to you, but you don't know my Wynne. She's also crazy about Uncle Iero (sp?) on Avatar (not the blue-people one, the animated one with Aang as protagonist). Old, wise and animatronic seems to be Wynne's thing. Fine with me.

I was tempted today to share my wonderful Thanksgiving spread, but there is so much of that on the blogosphere right now I'll give it a few more days. It's not too different from what you've seen here before, but the holiday was truly a magical, sustaining experience, thanks in large part to my AMAZING parents, about whom I cannot say enough good things. After a little while I'll share and if you see anything you like, maybe you could employ it for Christmas or your next holiday of choice.

An Abundance of Beauty

2011-11-19T10:48:00.001-05:00

These are only a few of the lovely items I purchased at the Holiday Bazaar at the home of my wonderful friend and next-door-neighbor, Sherri. Besides being Supergirl, my friend, Sherri, is an amazingly talented jewelry designer and creator. Her pieces are unique and coveted in this part of the world, and she comes up with new collections all the time. This year, because of growing demand for her pieces, she enlisted the help of a few "elves" for her workshop (more wonderful neighbor-friends). I love to see Sherri's business grow from year to year. Check out her page on Facebook: InspiredDesigns. I cannot show you all of what I purchased from Sherri and other wonderful, creative vendors she hosted in her home for the Bazaar, since some of you may become the recipients of this bounty come Christmastime.

Besides Sherri's jewelry, several other talented ladies presented their wares, many hand-crafted. The creative energy of the place was inspiring and really was a wonderful way to get blasted into the holiday spirit, which I am normally pretty bah-humbug about this time of year.

I enjoyed meeting some new talented people and also seeing again a couple of beautiful people who are not in my usual circle. These ladies, kindred spirits, were such a joy to see, and it seemed like we easily resumed the conversation we had started last year. They asked me why I'm not posting as often here and I explained how and why I'm in more of a "mom" chapter of life to my two teenagers. Of course this topic led back to a discussion we started last year about healthy lifestyles and how crucial good nutrition is. Dawn Corner is one of these ladies. She created the beautiful painting of the owl in the photo. All of her pieces utilize similar saturated, energy-drenched colors and are mesmerizing. I love them!

This year I made the acquaintance of a lovely lady named Peggy whose husband makes amazing hummus. Peggy and I got into a discussion about nutrition also, and this one evolved into a head and neck massage for me. Chakras momentarily aligned, I happily purchased one of each of Peggy's husband's hummus varieties: plain, roasted red pepper and sundried tomato. This is some seriously good stuff! I've been eating it for breakfast on an Eziekiel english muffin -- mmmm. Peggy gave me her business card, but it has somehow left my purse -- probably as I kept taking my checkbook out. Thank goodness her contact info is on the hummus label. I will be ordering more of this.

About an hour after closing time for day one of the Bazaar, clients and artists alike meandered out of Sherri's home, giving her a few hours of rest before it all was to begin again the next day. As I walked in my front door, I realized I hadn't paid for Sherri's jewelry, "shoplifting" all of it, so to speak. I quickly sent my friend a text fessing up and told her I'd bring it all back the next day, since she couldn't remember which pieces I had chosen. Then I remembered I had done exactly the same thing last year! Sherri provides a relaxed, festive shopping experience at her Bazaar, replete with wine, food and happy people, so when I absconded with the goods I felt like I was doing nothing more than leaving a party. Good thing she knows where I live!

When I showed up again the next morning, Dawn Corner, the artist, told me she had made me a juice! She had juiced fresh spinach, celery, carrot, lemon and one or two other veggies I cannot remember. She brought it in this nice cup:

and had put it in Sherri's 'fridge just for me. The juice didn't make it to the photo. I drank it and it was amazing, light and energizing. I thought this kind gesture from someone I see only once a year was so thoughtful.

The Bazaar, and all the amazing, talented, wise personalities it drew was a balm in troubled times. Being surrounded for a little while by folks who operate congruently with their spirits, creating and sharing, restores my faith in humanity. When I speak of an abundance of beauty, the people are as much a part of that as the art they produce. I'm grateful and inspired!

Have You Tried No. 9?

2011-11-16T20:38:00.001-05:00

Have you? I hadn't. I thought I'd tried them all, but this was a kombucha that was new to me. Tounge-tingling as any good kombucha, No. 9 doesn't feature the slight mouth-pucker-factor that I've found in other varieties, not that I find that a bad thing. No. 9 was a light, refreshing, berry-tinged restorative, imparting an uplifting calm in the most inoffensive way. I liked it -- I think it's in a tie with my other favorite, Gingerade. I loved the color on this label too. Unfortunately, taken after dark, this photo is washed out by the flash, so the blue is not properly represented here. It looks pretty, in a cobalt-blue kind of way, but the purplish-indigo tones didn't make it through the flash. You'll have to pick up a bottle yourself to see what I mean.

For a while I had developed a pretty steady kombucha habit. I grew to rely on the nerve-tonic effect during trying times, especially in the afternoon when my energy was lower. It was no different than what a big bowl of kale would have done for my mood, but the drive to the natural foods store for this special treat made me feel I was doing something nice for myself. After a couple of weeks I noticed I'd picked up a couple of pounds. That doesn't happen on the vegan diet, except during vacation that is. So I had to think about what I'd been doing differently, and pinpointed the daily kombucha. I bothered to read the label for the first time, and realized each bottle is two days' servings. The calorie count is relatively low for each serving, but kombucha is not calorie-free.

Chastened by the reminder that anything to excess can't be good, I resolved to cut my habit to an occasional indulgence, and the spare pounds left as easily as they had arrived. But when I do indulge, I still drink the whole bottle at one sitting!

Nabe Vegetables

2011-11-13T13:05:00.001-05:00

I've enjoyed learning a bit about macrobiotics recently. I'm reading A Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics, by Jessica Porter and This Crazy Vegan Life by Christina Pirello. Christina dabbles in macrobiotics as well as vegan food, and makes her food choices for health reasons, so what she is putting out there resonates with me.

In Jessica's book, she explains the framework and philosophy behind a macrobiotic diet. The "energies" of foods, yin, or expanding, upward-growing and yang, or contracting, downward-growing. I like the way Jessica explains there is no judgement, no "right" or "wrong" only consequences for our choices. Perhaps most interesting to me was the notion that extreme yin and extreme yang do not cancel each other out, they just create extreme conditions for the body. The idea of macrobiotics is to engage yin and yang foods which are much less extreme on the spectrum, and thus easier for the body to assimilate.

Traditional Japanese methods of cooking are well-suited to a macrobiotic diet, as they are mindful of these energies. One such method is Nabe (pronounced "Nah - Bay"), a boiled preparation that sometimes contains seafood. Jessica presents a vegetable version in her book. There is no recipe per se, since the variations on this theme could be endless, but there are some guidelines which I followed, and I will share them with you here.

Nabe is essentially boiled vegetables, and is not typically eaten with grains. Traditionally it is prepared on a portable burner in the center of the table, and is shared as it is being cooked similar to the way a fondue would be. Individual dishes of dipping sauce are provided to each diner, but this is not mandatory, since the sauce can be salty, resulting in too much yang. I liked the dipping sauce, and I watered it down with plenty of boiling liquid, so it was not too salty. The energy this dish imparts is very calming and healing. The vegetable bulk is quickly filling, but you may find yourself going back an hour or so later for seconds. When making nabe, a ratio of two upward-growing (yin) vegetables to one downward-growing (yang) should be followed, but the choice and amount of vegetables is entirely up to the chef.

For my nabe, I chose:
organic carrots (in macrobiotics, root veggies are not peeled, so organic is best)
celery
bok choy
onion
mushrooms
cauliflower
tofu

To begin, in a 4 quart pot, soak for at least ten minutes a 2" piece of kombu and two dried shitake mushrooms in spring water, filling the pot halfway. While soaking, wash and prepare the vegetables. Large chunks work best. When the seaweed and mushrooms are soft, slice them and return them to the pot, then bring the water to a boil. add a variety of the vegetables to the boiling liquid, removing them when they look softened with a slotted spoon and adding more raw vegetables. The veggies do not need to be cooked a certain length of time. It is all up to your personal taste. I found the bok choy to be the quickest-cooking and the carrots to need the most time.You may eat as you go, or collect the whole batch of vegetables first.

For each dipping sauce I used:
1 Tbsp. Shoyu
1 C. boiling liquid
1tsp. grated ginger
scallions for garnish

I did enjoy this dipping sauce. Jessica calls for squeezing the juice from the ginger, but I was too lazy, and I like a bit of root roughage anyway. I did go back for seconds, and at the end, rather than packing up the leftovers separately, I opted to not discard the flavorful boiling liquid and turned the whole thing into a light soup. I even tossed the unused dipping sauce into the soup. I ate the "nabe soup" this morning for breakfast. It was a great way to start my day.

I enjoy the mindfulness surrounding macrobiotics and will definitely be incorporating more macrobiotic principles into my vegan diet. Jessica cautions that foods begin to lose their vital energy with each passing day, so leftovers are not often a part of macrobiotics (!) Also she never microwaves, saying that our western culture is undergoing a "mass experiment" about the unknown dangers of living with all this radiation on a daily basis. These two notions fly in the face of the kind of lazy, waste-no-want-not chef that I am, so I will have to sit with them for a while and see if I can conceive of a way to alter my paradigm about food energies/radiation safety. The whole microwave thing is something that has been bothering me for some time already, actually, so that will likely leave my life before leftovers.

In February I will have been vegan for two years, and during that time my mind has opened in ways I never would have expected. The example of how I've handled my B12 deficiency is a good illustration. Many folks, upon discovering the deficiency, would opt to chuck the whole vegan lifestyle. Instead, I'm grateful that I'd had enough time with the bountiful vegetable kingdom to understand its health benefits before needing to consider the deficiency. The vegan diet stopped my MS progression in its tracks, as evidenced by MRIs. Removing dairy has most dramatically changed my quality of life, providing so much more energy, a level, positive mood, a clearer head and no more seasonal allergies. Because of these benefits and more, I was not about to lose the veggie lifestyle due to a pesky lack of B12. Who would have imagined that these days I look forward to the day each week when I give myself my B12 injection. That day is an amazing gift, full of strength, energy and a quick mind, even more than what I otherwise experience. Problem solved, and no benefits lost!

This is just a long way of saying that an open mind during new discoveries has always benefitted me, so I won't be surprised if I find myself warming foods in the oven or on the stove instead of in the microwave, or even making smaller portions, more often, and loosening my dependence upon my old standby, the leftover.

Brown Rice!

2011-11-08T14:48:00.002-05:00

Just a short news flash today: Chipotle now has brown cilantro rice!! Also, the guy who ordered in front of me today ordered a Burrito Bol with Lettuce on the bottom! On the bottom -- that means mostly greens, and all the other stuff on top, not just a little handful of greens on the top of the other food. So, for the first time, I noticed a big tin of greens at the beginning of the line and also at the end.

But back to the brown rice -- brown rice at Chipotle really made my afternoon. I know you may be rolling your eyes, thinking, "whoa, it doesn't take much," but this'll remove a bit of guilt I've had over too much white rice. Chipotle is one of the only places where a vegan/macrobiotic mom, a vegetarian daughter, a health-conscious omnivore dad and a non-health-conscious omnivore son can all find something delicious to eat. Chipotle has long been a leader in providing food that is healthier, using organics when possible and meat without bovine growth hormone, but now a brown rice option! I no longer have to feel guilty about indulging! Yippee! That's all I needed to say today.

The Season's Last Harvest

2011-11-07T14:44:00.000-05:00

Here's the end of my summer harvest, pretty veggies, but nightshades all. I am learning so much about macrobiotics now, and I will make different choices next summer.

With Buster undoubtedly in hibernation, the vines had become a tangled mess groaning with heavy fruits, untouched by tiny little teeth. It's too cold for them to ripen outside, so I'll watch them blush on my kitchen counter instead. Isn't it amazing that now, well into November, I only just harvested all these veggies? There were a couple of frost-burned eggplants on the vine too, even as the tomatoes were growing larger and larger.

Now my garden is empty, except for the one buttercup squash that survived it's period in a pot as I waited for the summer nightshades to begin dying off. I never was very good at stopping the life of an out-of-season vine while it is still productive. The casualties of my lack of ruthlessness are the bok choy and kale who didn't fare so well in the pot, waiting for a vacant spot in my garden. If I have time this week, I'll look around for some more winter veggies who'd like to settle in with the buttercup.

As the 'Roids Wore Off . . .

2011-10-29T10:20:00.000-04:00

Here are the pumpkins Wynne and I carved last evening. Wynne got the idea about the teeth from someone she found on tumbler. This is the first year I allowed Wynne to handle a knife and actually carve by herself. She's 14. I know, she's probably been capable for quite some time, but she is my very last baby. Anyway, it seemed right, and it was -- she was very careful and did a good job, uninjured.

Wynne was prescribed a short course of prednisone so she can breathe and eat past her gargantuan tonsils as the mono runs its course. I tried to give her the first dose of two pills two days ago, but after swallowing the first one she kicked up such a fuss about the flavor of the pill that I couldn't persuade her to take the other one. Since these "symptom" drugs are not mandatory, I didn't push the issue. Luckily, Wynne's half-dose of steroids afforded her over 24 hours of happy, chatterbox well-being! Some folks get 'roid-rage, Wynne got 'roid-joy. I was almost able to imagine her healing. Wynne's quarantined birthday, the day after taking the prednisone, was happy thanks to that awful-tasting pill, but towards the end of the day I could see her energy level lagging and her overall joie de vivre sagging as the illness again took center stage. So I brought out the pumpkins, knives, glue gun and plastics from the craft box.

I carved the large pumpkin on the left and the one with the green teeth, and Wynne did the other three. My pumpkins don't represent anyone in real life. Wynne's little on on the left is Harry Potter, and the one with the black teeth is Frank Iero from "My Chemical Romance" I asked her who the large one on the right is and she said it's just some rocker, so I decided it is Peter Criss from "Kiss". I love how Wynne didn't even remove the pumpkin seeds from his mouth, or even open the pumpkin up for a candle. she just pushed the cut pieces she couldn't pry loose back inside the pumpkin. Wynne doesn't mess around. This is art. She gets it done, she moves on. Here are my pumpkin seeds:

I stirred some olive oil and dried thyme into them, and then sprinkled them with Chipotle Chili powder (smoky! yum!). Into a 300 degree oven they went for 30 minutes. They get soggy in the fridge, so keep 'em out on the counter. They will only be there a day or so. They are addictive.

While I was photographing the pumpkins, I got this one -- bad for the pumpkins, but pretty good of my favorite tree. I think it's a sugar maple. Every autumn I am happy seeing the tree's glow, seemingly from within. As pretty as it looks in the photo, I wish you could see it in person -- It would knock your socks off!

Happy Birthday!

2011-10-28T08:52:00.000-04:00

Today, on my Wynne's 14th birthday, a bright spot: wonderful neighbor-friends donated an electric guitar (yay! recycling!) which Wynne wanted but was not expecting. What a way to brighten an otherwise glum birthday. Thanks Sean and Jackie!

Wynne is still on quarantine for her mono, but is feeling much better. She will likely only be contagious for another week or so. Today, when she needs a break from rocking out, I'll keep the birthday fun going with some pumpkin projects. 14 year old girls are cool because they are basically little grown-ups who still enjoy things like pumpkin projects. Happy Birthday Wynne!