The Lazy Vegan

Ever hear of pot holders?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:41:00 +0000

I have been cooking with a microwave for many years. One would think that I'd have caught on to the concept that things that come out of the microwave are HOT. No, not me! Every time, I reach in bare handed. At least once a week, I end up burning my fingers on a steamy tortilla or the vent hole of my microwave steamer.

I don't know why I abhor pot holders so much. There is certainly nothing wrong with them. I have plenty of them, that's for sure. I just can't seem to bother getting one out of the drawer.

Andi Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:45:00 +0000

I tried the ANDI Chocolate Shake bar recently. I found it at an online gluten free store.

The ingredients include: Fruitrim® (brown rice syrup, organic grape juice), almond butter, rice protein, organic gluten-free crispy brown rice, organic flax seeds, stabilized rice bran, Vance’s Chocolate Dari-Free™, chocolate, salt. It's dairy free and gluten free.

The bar has the consistency of a brownie. It's chocolatey. I was expecting a fruity taste because of the grape juice, but I have to admit it tasted pretty darn good! There's only 8 grams of sugar in the whole bar which is amazing. Usually fruit sweetened snacks are around 18-20 grams. It wasn't bitter and tasted like a chocolate brownie.

The portion is good sized too. Some stuff I've ordered recently has low sugar but the size is so small that you probably need two to feel satisfy.

I haven't tried the other varieties yet. It comes in Blueberry Muffin, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Vanilla Shake.

The Search for the Perfect Microwaved Baby Carrot Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:49:00 +0000

If you ever tried to cook baby carrots in the microwave, you know that they usually end up two ways. They're either hard as a rock or shrivelled up and lifeless.

I've attempted to cook baby carrots in the microwave many times. Most of the times I failed. I learned that they needed to be completely covered with water, but it wasn't a surefire solution. Most of the time the bags would rot in my vegetable keeper because I didn't feel like hassling.

I've recently become addicting to yellow baby carrots. Their a little tastier than their orange counterparts. Being the lazy person that I am, I decided to just throw them on my plate before I heated them up. They'd at least be warm.

You know what? Those were the best baby carrots I ever had! They were warm and softened just enough that they didn't break my teeth. It looks like it takes about 1 minute with other food on the plate.

This is the only way I cook baby carrots now.

Attune Probiotic Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:38:00 +0000

Found a new, little tasty treat for the chocolate junkies out there. It's the Attune Chocolate Probiotic Wellness Bar. I know, you're saying "healthy? yuck!" Oh, but you are so wrong!

Each bar has 10 grams of sodium and 8 grams of sugar. They aren't very large. Maybe half the size of regular chocolate bar. They've got something the other bars don't: 5 times the amount of probiotics (the good bacteria) than yogurt. I don't really know how they keep the bacteria alive in shipping. I'll take their word for it that it works.

I tried the Chocolate Crisp bar. It's very much like a Nestle Crunch Bar. The texture is good and the chocolate is, mmmmmm! I'm a chocoholic and this bar hit the spot!

I'm going to try the dark chocolate and mint dark chocolate next. I'll probably like those even more as I'm a dark chocolate freak. (They've got some non-chocolate variets but those are not vegan.)

Learn more about Attune bars at their website: http://www.attunefoods.com

No Sugar Chocolate Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:54:00 +0000

Get ready for the revolution! Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme. But, as a serious chocolate lover who is vegan and cutting down on sugar, finding any kind of chocolate that I can eat is simple a miracle. Oh, there are lots of vegan products with chocolate. Most are so laden with sugar grams that you might as well just suck on sugar cane like the old commercials.

My sister bought some Amber Lyn Chocolates when they had a food tasting display at CostCo. She was kind enough to share one Dark Chocolate Bar with me. Yeah, just one! Sheesh, what a sister.

The Dark Chocolate bars are dairy free and sweetened with wheat based maltitol. They contain 15 grams of sugar alcohol and no sugar grams.

After trying that first tidbit, I need more! I bought a mixed case from their website. I tried the Dark Chocolate, Dark Hazelnut Chocolate, Dark Mint Chocolate, and Dark Hazelnut Chocolate with Almonds. While all were tasty, the Dark Mint Chocolate was by far the best. I really couldn't taste the difference between the Dark Chocolate and the Dark Hazelnut Chocolate. The Almond version as slightly less sugar alcohol grams than the other bars.

I'm not sure how sugar grams and sugar alcohol grams compare. I know the body converts them differently. I am dividing the bars into the threes and eating a chunk at a time, so that's only 5 sugar alcohol grams.

If you'd like to check them out, here's the website: http://www.amberlynchocolates.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=cb

Low Sugar Cereals are Few and Far Between

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:34:00 +0000

I'm trying to cut back on my sugar grams for health reasons. It sounds like a smart thing to do. I love breakfast cereal. I can't eat anything hot in the morning. Cereal fills me up.

So, I set out on the Internet and at the grocery store to find low or no sugar cereals. Oh, man! What a challenge!

First, anything labelled "no sugar" doesn't mean it's healthy. Most of the time they replaced the sugar with two or three different sweeteners. Because of this, some of the healthy cereals had more sugar grams than your average overly sweetened children's cereal.

Second, finding low sugar and no dairy was next to impossible. Evidentally, they add dairy to cereal to replace some of the taste lost from the lack of sugar. That's what I'm guessing.

I eventually found four cereals that met my criteria of low sugar grams and dairy free/vegan. Just four! They were Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, Rice Puffs (a couple of brands), Cheerios (1 gram per bowl), and Spoon Sized Shredded Wheat.

Well, I already knew I liked Cheerios. Rice Puffs are fine if I mix them with something, otherwise, I have to eat 3 bowls to get full. I haven't tried the shredded wheat yet, but the Kashi was a pleasant suprise. It's got puffs but also crunchy grains. It's very tasty.

If you've found a low sugar, vegan cereal, post the name in the comments. I am eager to find enough alternatives to bring variety back into my diet.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:21:00 +0000

I would like to wish all my readers a Happy 2008! May it be a prosperous, enjoyable year filled will whatever you want it to be.

Have you set health goals for yourself for the new year? I plan to cut my sugar intake and find healthy snacks. My biggest downfall is I can't really eat fruit and I'm addicted to chocolate. So, I will be searching high and low for low sugar chocolate snacks.

I hope you will have a happy and healthy new year!

Luna Bars Pile on More Sugar

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:27:00 +0000

I'm not sure what's going on in the protein/energy bar aisle. First, NuGo doubled the amount of sugar in their bars. Now Luna has jumped on the bandwagon.

Nutz Over Chocolate used to have 9 grams of sugar per bar. It now has 12 grams. The Caramel Nut Brownie used to have 11 grams. It now has 14 grams.

I don't really understand why they are increasing sugar levels when the bars tasted good right from the start. I used to be able to eat two Nuts Over Chocolate bars and keeping my snacking sugar grams under 20 for the day. But, now I can only have one. Two bars equal 24 grams of sugar! Two brownies come out to 28 grams!

I really wish they would revert back. They had a good snack that tasted great. Now they've got a very sweet, sugary tasting snack that you have to be careful of overdoing. Bummer!

Tempeh Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:21:00 +0000

After being vegan for several years, I finally bought tempeh. Have you tried it? It's a fermented soy product that mimics meat in recipes. It can be straight soy bean or it can be mixed with grains.

I don't miss meat, but sometimes I like something else in my sandwiches. I bought LightLife's Three Grain Tempeh and gave it a try.

It looks a little strange, but it's really versatile. I took a hunk, crumbled it into my vegetables, and heated in the microwave. It came out really good! The Three Grain has a kind of grainy/nutty taste.

It freezes well. I put small chunks in freezer bags, then take what I need.

I haven't tried it but it might make a good pattie.

If you're looking for a little more texture to your meals, something on the line of ground beef or tuna (in texture, not taste!), then give this a try. It's a good filler!

NuGo Increases Sugar in it's Double Dark Chocolate Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:22:00 +0000

If you are addicted to the NuGo Double Dark Chocolate bars like I am, take a look at the label. They've almost doubled the amount of sugar in each bar.

The Double Dark Chocolate bars were sooooo good. I loved the fact that they only had 8 grams of sugar. If I wanted to be greedy, I could eat two and it wasn't that big of a deal. Now they have 15 grams of sugar, so you have to be careful. If you feel like two, that's a whopping 30 grams of sugar!

Why did they need to increase the sugar content? It makes no sense to mess with something that already tastes great. They should have left well enough alone.

I guess it's back to Luna bars since the Nutz Over Chocolate only has 9 grams of sugar.

Happy 4th!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 01:49:00 +0000

Wishing everyone a very happy 4th of July filled with great taste of veggie BBQ :)

Summer Squash is Easy in the Microwave

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Thu, 24 May 2007 01:22:00 +0000

Get ready for a change in produce. It's spring and it's time for summer squash. Zucchini, Patty Pan, Yellow Squash, Crookneck, and more. This fruit makes a great compliment to dinner meals and it's a nice change over the carrots and peas you've probably been eating all winter.

All of these varieties are easy to cook in the microwave. Scrub them up good under water. Remove the ends. Break them in half so they'll fit in your bowl. I use glass bowls with plastic lids for steaming produce in the microwave. Put the squash in the bowl and add a little bit of water so it doesn't burn.

Microwave for two minutes then check to see if it's done. Some squash has thicker skins so it takes longer in the microwave.

Who'd a Thunk It?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 01:35:00 +0000

I've been buying baby carrots for the last year. They are precut and can be sliced or mashed after they are cooked. I thought they were easier to work with.

A couple of weeks ago, I was craving regular carrots. Don't ask me why. I bought a bag and washed them up. Chopping carrots is too hard for me to do, so I went the lazy route and broke them into chunks. I put them in a glass bowl with some water.

I wasn't sure how long to microwave them. Baby carrots can take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. I decided to start with 2 minutes.

I sure was surprised when I tested them with a fork and they were done. I couldn't believe they took half the time of baby carrots.

Now all I cook is regular carrots. They may take a little longer to prepare but they microwave better and are sweeter.

Throw it in a Tortilla!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:17:00 +0000

I'm always looking for ways to make dinner quick and easy. I realized a couple of weeks ago that vegetables microwave very well when wrapped in a tortilla. Make sure the vegetables are quick cooking. Fresh broccoli, shredded carrots, chopped zucchini, frozen peas, canned beans, and many others can be thrown in a tortilla.

Here's what I do:
Rinse a handful of broccoli. Break up the florets and throw them in the tortilla.
Rinse some mixed greens and throw those on top of the broccoli.
Wrap it up like a burrito.

Microwave for 1 minute. Let cool a bit. (Although you can touch the outside the inside will be steaming hot.)

It's a really easy way to have a nutritious meal. And, it's filling. You can throw in a variety of vegetables and they steam up really nicely.

Couscous is So Easy to Make

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 01:54:00 +0000

Couscous has got to be the easiest side dish in the world to make. Takes about 5 minutes total and you've got a nice hot meal. It amazes me that it isn't a staple in all American household especially since we're so pressed for time.

If you've never cooked couscous, it really easy to make in the microwave. In fact, it's much easier than cooking it on the stove. Get yourself a microwave bowl. Put in one cup of couscous and 1 1/2 cups of water. Microwave for 1 minute. Then let it sit for 5 minutes.

That's it! You've made a really good side dish and it took almost no time.

If you like you can add to it. Before cooking through in some frozen peas or broccoli (fresh or frozen--takes about the same time). Microwave for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Now you have a meal.

You can use other vegetables, just make sure they are quick cooking. Otherwise, the couscous might dry out before everything is cooked through.

Enjoy!

The Beauty of Braising Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:26:00 +0000

I have to admit that I never liked kale, chard, and many of the other greens. They were too bitter or too stiff for me.

A few weeks ago, I happened upon braising mix which is a collection of mixed greens. Feeling adventurous, I bought the bag. Now, I am addicted.

Each bag has a variety of greens. Some I can figure out (kale, spinach, red chard, beet greens, friese) and other's I've got no clue about. They are so delicious though! I have been tossing greens in everything. It's an improvement over plain old lettuce on a sandwich. I've thrown it into tortillas filled with veggies. It can be steamed by itself or added to anything you like.

Greens are good for you. You get a variety of vitamins and minerals. A bonus is the good bacteria in your intestinal tract feed on greens. The more greens you eat, the happier you are.

So, now I've added something new to my diet. I probably should have tried this sooner. I'm the type of person who likes my food mixed. I never care for one vegetable at dinner. I always have three or more. By getting mixed greens, the more bitter leaves are camouflaged by the gentler tasting ones. And, if you get beet greens, you get to make everything red! (An extra added bonus! LOL)

Luna Bars are Delicious

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 03:57:00 +0000

When I first read the ingredients on the Nutz Over Chocolate Luna Bar, I thought, hmmm...Green Tea extract? Yuck! But, I bought it anyway. You know what, it was good!

Since then I've had the Peanut Butter Bar and the S'mores. All three are very tasty, though the Nutz Over Chocolate is my favorite.

Each bar is packed with nutrition and only 8 grams of sugar. That's pretty darn good! They also have something called inulin which is supposed to helped regular insulin in the body.

They're satisfying too. One bar is good for an afternoon snack.

Be aware that the bars are produced on machinery that produces dairy, nuts, and wheat products. If you have severe sensitives, read the label to make sure that you aren't getting something you shouldn't have.

Here's a link to the website: http://www.lunabar.com/index_main.cfm

Season's Greetings!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 20:40:00 +0000

My Christmas Eve wish for you...

May your celebrations be festive.
May your feast be enjoyable.
May you be surrounded by family and friends.
May you remember those whose Christmas may not be so merry.
May the spirit of giving shine through you.
May their be peace at your dinner table and peace on Earth!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Hannukah!
Happy Holidays!
Joyous Winter Solstice!
And a Happy New Year to All!

Sharing in the Holiday Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:34:00 +0000

It can be really rough for people with stomach woe's and food allergies to enjoy the holiday season. Someone is always tempting you with a gooey cookie or a tantalizing smell from the kitchen. Saying "sorry, I can't have any" can make a person feel left out. Everyone else is digging in why you're clinging to the green salad and bread. And, then they give you those pitying stares. "How sad that so and so can't eat this".

The easiest way out is to cook for yourself. It's really too difficult to make others understand that you can't have milk, wheat, gravy, fatty foods, or whatever. There isn't anything preventing you from baking your goodies or buying some that you know can eat.

I have to be a bit careful. Even safe foods can be overdone. With holidays like Christmas where the festivities drag over two days, I am careful. I bring my own food. The important thing is to share dinner. I don't lament the things I can't have.

Christmas Evening after all the required functions are over and I'm safe at home (and near the bathroom), I will indulge in my favorite chocolatey "safe" treats. I may even have a glass of Ahlaska hot cocoa. It's just reward for being good with so many threats around. And, I deserve it!

Just a Good Cup of Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:17:00 +0000

I miss having easy to cook foods. Sometimes I'm just plain lazy and I don't feel like making anything. I could have a sandwich, but that gets old really quick. I guess I could have a salad, but I never really consider salad a meal.

The answer to my prayers...Dr. McDougall's Right Foods. You may be familiar with Dr. John McDougall and his philosophies on vegetarian diets. A couple of years ago, he came out with a food line based on that diet. There are a variety of soups, side dishes, and breakfast meals all in handy cups that can be made in about 5 minutes. I liked some of their soups and side dishes, but I always had a problem with the serving size (too small) and the seasonings (too much).

The Right Foods folks have solved my problem. First, they've made each cup bigger. Add a piece of bread, crackers, or a rice cake and you have a meal. Second, the seasonings now come in individually sealed packages. Now, I can add as little seasoning as I like and still enjoy my meal. What a great idea!

The meal cups come in a variety of flavors and all can be heated easily by adding boiling water (microwaving water for 1 minute works perfectly)

Where For Art Thou, Schmookies?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:05:00 +0000

Okay, you might think I've flipped my lid. That's okay. I can take it. A year or so ago, I fell in love...with a cookie. Schmookies were by far the best store bought dairy free cookies on the planet. There were made by a small company and tasted like home made. They came in varieties like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Coconut Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and so forth. They were shipped in little boxes with tissue paper making you feel like someone had made them special just for you.

But last Summer, Schmookies went out of production. The owner needed more money to continue. She promised that they would be back. But, a year later, still no Schmookies.

It's frustrating because as a person with stomach problems, it's very rare that I find something that tastes so good that doesn't leave me with rocks in my stomach. You just get to really like a product and then poof! it disappears. Well, hopefully, Schmookies will be back. They definitely have a cookie worth eating. It would be said to see them go out of business.

Grainy Side Dishes from Casbah

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 02:01:00 +0000

Some nights I need help preparing dinner. I don't have the energy to make something from scratch. There are plenty of side dishes in easy to make mixes but I can't eat most of them. They are either laden with salt, dairy, and other things I can't digest. Or, you must mix them with butter, milk, or oil in order for them to come out right. Since I don't eat any of those things, I'm limited.

Casbah, a division of Hain Celestial Group, has a line of side dish grain mixes that are easy to make and taste pretty good. The mixes are based on rice or couscous. The mixes come with seasoning packets so you can pour in as little or as much as you like. All cook easily in the microwave. Also, if you'd like to make a full meal of it, you can add 2 cups of your favorite veggies such as broccoli, peas, spinach, etc.

I have three favorites in the Casbah line: Rice Pilaf with Organiz Orzo, Nutted Pilaf, and Couscous Pilaf. I also like the Spanish Rice, but my stomach doesn't like the peppers that come with it.

The Couscous only takes 5 minutes to cook, while the others take about 15 minutes depending on the cooking method.

A look at the Casbah website shows that they are increasing their product line, although the website isn't fully functioning yet, so you can't see what they are. Looks like more good stuff is on the way! (By the way, they also have a line of grains such as couscous and basmati rice if you'd like to create your own side dish.)

Bumblebar

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 00:40:00 +0000

I don't normally like health bars. Usually they have too many ingredients that disagree with my stomach.

I came across Bumblebars last year. I didn't realize that I couldn't live without them.

Bumblebars are made with a minimum of ingredients. Ingredients vary, however, you'll find an abundance of seeds and nuts in each bar. All varieties are certified organic and are gluten, dairy, and wheat free. Each is chewy and tastes a bit like a granola bar. They are rich in fiber, so if fiber is lacking from your diet this is one way to get it.

I really like the Chocolate Crisp. It's chocolatey enough for my taste buds, but not like a candy bar. I also enjoy the original flavor. I can't eat the others as they contain honey. For some reason, honey and I don't get along.

You might find Bumblebars as a local health food store. You can order direct from www.bumblebar.com as well. If you order from the website, sign up for the newsletter. Each month they offer a case discount on one flavor. When it's Chocolate Crisp I stock up.

This is snack you can indulge in. It taste good and it has nutritional value. You can check out the different varieties to see if you'd like to try them at the Bumblebar website.

Cocoa Mix that Tastes Great

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:25:00 +0000

I have always been addicted to chocolate milk. I never even liked regular milk. If it didn't have three scoops of chocolate, I didn't want to drink it.

When I became lactose intolerance, I gave up on milk and went to soy milk. Trying to find a chocolate milk substitute wasn't easy. Most of the premade beverages weren't very chocolatey. Some were gritty and others had a distinct cardboard taste. I also tried powders that could be mixed with soy milk or water. Most were unsweetened. You had to be a chemist to figure out how much chocolate powder and how much sweetener to use. Others were sweetened but didn't mix well.

I came across Ah!laska's Non-Dairy Hot Cocoa Mix while browsing an online store. This is one of the best hot cocoa mixes I've tried. It makes a chocolate tasting hot cocoa even when mixes with soy milk. It also works well as a cold chocolate drink. If you're like me and like to indulge in the chocolate that sits on the bottom of the glass, you'll be pleased. This stuff tastes great!

Try this mix hot or cold. It makes a great glass either way. You won't be disappointed with this mix.

A Note about my Absence

noreply@blogger.com (Mel) — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 01:25:00 +0000

I apologize for not blogging this past week. My dog was diagnosed with a soft tissue tumor three weeks ago. We saw a specialist who laid out the treatment plans. The options were so extreme! Choice one was surgery to remove the tumor, skin graphs, and then radiation treatment. Choice two was to amputate her leg.

They lead us to believe we had several weeks to decide on how to handle the situation. However, within the short two week period she went from happy go lucky to losing blood. She was bleeding through bandages twice a day by last Monday. It was horrible to see her suffer.

On Tuesday 2/28, we arranged to go to our regular veterinarian to see if there was any hope. We had talked to several people including another vet about amputation. After talking to our vet, we decided this was her only chance. She would not survive another month bleeding the way she was.

To make a long story short, Sierra went into surgery that day and is now a week into recovery. It takes all of my time as she needs round the clock care. She can walk already (in fact, she walked 7 hours after the surgery) but must be watched so she doesn't hurt herself.

The vet bills are mounting up. If anyone would like to make a donation, we would appreciate in very much. I've set up a page for donation and also updates on her recovery.Here's the link: http://www.islandroutes.com/donation.shtml

She is doing amazingly well. She is such a great dog with an incredible spirit.

I hope to be back blogging next week.

Thanks for your support and patience!