Bunny Bites

Quickies: Hummus and Baba Ganoush

2011-10-19T12:01:00.008-05:00

I am totally in love with Middle Easter food. And for the veg-centric eater, your nearest Middle Eastern market is a treasure trove of inexpensive, nutrient-rich eadibles. Last week I was very excited to find fresh eggplant in my garden, however picking the fruit was a little tricky. Who knew they have thorns? Ouchy!!!My new favorite field trip is Middle East Bakery & Grocery, on the far north

Late Farmer's Market Find

2011-10-12T20:40:00.004-05:00

Autumn is my favorite season, and this is one of my favorite things to whip up with the last treasures of my farmer's market. This is total comfort food, and tastes especially great with a glass of wine and a slice of olive bread. Yummy!Spicy Butternut Squash Risotto with Mushrooms1 small butternut squash 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth1/2 cup water1 small onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, sliced

Grab A Blanket and Pray for Summer!

2011-04-20T19:18:00.002-05:00

I know some of my family members are already complaining about the heat and humidity. However, here in Chicago I'm still wearing wool, and cursing the wet snow that is pounding on my just-planted beet shoots! But tonight, I just couldn't help myself. In an attempt to stay away from sugary desserts, I bought a big, ripe honeydew melon. Where did such a lovely melon come from this time of year? No

Love Soup

2011-04-03T16:35:00.004-05:00

I live in the most beautiful city in the world, but there is a price we pay, and it’s called “spring.” You see, we don’t really have spring. We’re famous for our winter, and I love winter, until February. March through May are really pretty trying. All I can really say is, one day it’s snowing, and the next you wake and Michigan Avenue is full of flowers and everyone is showing off their very

Under the Sea…Guide to Underwater Veggies

2011-03-26T21:36:00.011-05:00

Goodness knows, I love a seaweed salad as much as the next girl, but beyond that chewy, sweet and sour goodness, I’ve started using various sea vegetables to create things like Caesar salad dressing and mock-tuna salad. The first time I started looking for nori sheets I was amazed by this world of dried “plants,” that seemed very exotic. The truth is, our Canadian neighbors as well as the Irish

Eating Clean - Day 3

2011-01-28T10:07:00.008-06:00

Like so many folks concerned with mindful eating and healthy lives, a few members of my family have embarked on Dr. Alejandro Junger's 21-day lifestyle program, outlined in his book, Clean. I've jumped on the detox-bandwagon before, with limited success. I get bored, or don't feel well, and I love to eat a variety of foods, so I give up.Many might ask why someone who is clearly pretty aware of

Favorite Thing #1 - Pears

2010-12-28T21:05:00.013-06:00

Have I told you lately that I love pears? I do. I love to paint them, eat them, hang them, arrange them, cook with them and look at them. I'm eating a comice variety pear right now, as I look over at the pears hanging on my Christmas tree, all in a room painted a very pale shade of pear-green. I like soft ones, hard ones..red ones, green and yellow ones. I love the way they smell, I love the way

Where am I ????

2010-11-07T17:24:00.004-06:00

Hello, my faithful friends. I haven't been writing lately because...well, lots of reasons. First, my diet has changed a bit. I'm still maintaining a vegetable-centered diet. Once or twice a week I eat fish, and once or twice a month I eat beef. I haven't eaten chicken or pork or anything else that runs and plays. And I have to say, that the two times I've eaten meat it wasn't easy and I just had

Having a Cow!

2010-09-27T19:57:00.010-05:00

The Wild Cow, that is. Oh my goodness, what a place. I'm not sure if they have specials every night, but Monday is burgers and beers for $10!Although I didn't get a burger, they looked amazing. Made from a homemade black-bean recipe, you can get your burger:*Muppet style - with sauerkraut and green goddess dressing*Picnic Style - with BBQ sauce and fresh mango cole slaw*Animal Style - grilled

Saving Lives - It's in our bones

2010-09-23T13:51:00.018-05:00

Do I look nervous? I was. This picture was taken September 10, 2010, at Northwestern Hospital, as I am about to have a massive amount of blood taken for testing. For those who don't know, I am terribly phobic of blood coming out of me (yes, I have a couple additional phobias to keep this one company). After about 30 seconds of the needle going in, I become ghostly-white, pass out, and wake about

The Sweetest Thing!

2010-09-19T18:39:00.009-05:00

Life is ever-changing, but sometimes changes are bigger than others. When changes are flying at you at warp speed, even when they're "good" changes, it's nice to have comforting reminders of what's important and what's real.Saturday I teach a yoga class in the near-west suburbs of Chicago. It was stormy and chilly on my drive home. As soon as I walked in my building my door man presented me with

Truffled White Bean Spread

2010-09-15T16:53:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite cookbook authors of all time is Rozanne Gold. She has written a collection of really amazing cookbooks that require only 3 ingredients (not including salt, pepper and water). Over the years I’ve purchased every single book from her collection and even though they are not specifically vegetarian, many of the recipes are either vegetarian or can easily be modified. I’ve taken

Indian Summer

2010-09-07T17:34:00.016-05:00

I just returned from New Orleans, and once again, I had a wonderful vegetarian meal at Iris. The location is fantastic and the craft-cocktails divine. I'm trying to re-create some of the really simple, yet totally wonderful items I had for my 3-course tasting menu. It isn't on the menu, but just ask sweetly, or better yet, when you make your reservation mention you would like the vegetarian

Out With the Old....

2010-09-01T18:36:00.003-05:00

I loved the analogy my Sweet Inspiration, Kimberly Wilson, used last year for her autumn inspirational call. She likened the trees shedding their leaves to shedding non-essentials in your life. This could mean relationships, tasks, material possessions. We think of autumn as a time to prepare for the cold months ahead (at least we do in Chicago), and to this end I'm very excited about the

The Wagon (and the injuries sustained from falling off)

2010-08-19T19:59:00.008-05:00

I have struggled with various little addictions and unhealthy behaviors in my life. And often when you're on a "winning streak," you'll do a little self-sabotage. For instance; ever been on a no chocolate diet and sat there, after a long run of no chocolate, asking yourself, "what would happen if you just had 2 M&Ms?"Giving up animal eating wasn't exactly like that. I didn't ever really feel like

Fried Green Tomatoes

2010-08-13T20:40:00.006-05:00

What was I thinking?? All this time I would have sworn I had recipes for my beloved fried green tomatoes posted, as well as how to create a friend green tomato poboy. What in the world!!!Ok, so here it is:Fried Green Tomatoes (Annie May Style)Please! For the love of all things holy, do not make a batter with a lot of flour and milk and I-don't-know-what-all. Unless you want people to think you're

Farmer's Market Finds

2010-08-11T13:09:00.007-05:00

It's that time again. Time when Midwest farmer's markets explode with ears of fresh sweet corn. There are many ways I'd rather spend my time besides shucking corn. Bringing golden kernels from cob to plate is a complex lesson in entomology, biology and general ickiness. At best, you will render yourself a bowlful of gorgeous golden nuggets with only a slight bit of sludge under your nails and a

Fun with Adrenals

2010-08-09T22:39:00.010-05:00

Hello! Wonder where I've been? Oh, it's too much for one post...we'll have to draw it out. For now can we just chalk it up to summer break? For those who are still with me, thank you so much, and I hope all the new info I have to share was worth the wait.First, what do you know about your adrenal glands? Do you even know where they are? They are these little walnut-sized gems that sit on top of

Don't Be Sad Cleveland....

2010-07-27T12:27:00.009-05:00

Can it be? I haven't posted in 2 weeks? Actually, more like 3. Oh my. Well, I have a lot to share, but I'll break it up in digestable pieces. Let's start with Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Poor little Cleveland. I was there the day before LaBron James dropped the bomb. As a huge basketball fan (bet those who don't know me personally would have never guessed, right?)I was kinda' hoping he wanted to

Girl Talk

2010-07-05T14:49:00.014-05:00

I hope everyone has had the most amazing 4th of July holiday. I've had the perfect balance of work, rest, play, contemplation, guy time and girl time. I especially relished the girl time. And something I know for certain is that girls like to snack.When we get together, and it doesn't matter the venue, we just need a little something to quench our thirst, a place where we can sit in a cluster,

True Confessions & North Carolina

2010-06-26T14:12:00.013-05:00

(I simply liked this painting, Tobacco Barn, by Dale Ziegler, though I didn't see many tobacco fields on my trip)I am frequently asked how long I've been vegan, do I ever miss meat, and do I ever "cheat." I'm sure anyone who maintains what is considered an "alternative lifestyle" is asked these same questions.First, I don't miss meat at all. I do miss people that I love feeling good about

Asian Summer Salad Explosion

2010-06-26T13:37:00.002-05:00

I just returned from a long trip to North Carolina. It's Saturday, I've been taking in a little "vitamin D therapy," and now I'm starving. I have a fridge full of vegetables that desperately need to be eaten, but a regular salad sounds kind of boring. And so this Asian Summer Salad Explosion was conceived!Mind you, I'm using all these ingredients because I have them. Use what you have, but keep

Summer Salads of Substance

2010-06-18T13:07:00.006-05:00

It always surprises me when people ask if eating a vegan diet is expensive. One of my primary motivators for eating a veg-centric diet is cost. As Americans, we are so removed from where our food comes from, and the true costs that are incurred to raise animals responsibly and to process them “humanely.” Buying meat that comes from factory farms is not something I’m willing to participate in,

Animal Friendly Father's Day

2010-06-06T15:11:00.011-05:00

Father's day can be a wee bit challenging. You see, both my biological father and my step-father eat an excessive amount of animal products. Hmmmm...quite the pickle. But they also like to eat, and neither are picky eaters, so I've found some of my favorite gift items that are friendly to the earth and to cholesterol levels!1. Love the idea of a hot sauce basket for dad. And the great guys at Hot

TGIF, Baby!

2010-06-04T10:49:00.007-05:00

I read something today that was so profound, and made so much sense I just have to share. "We search outside ourselves for the validation we crave. And since we have no control over this validation, we can never truly be at peace or gain access to our true power in this life."*Ever since turning 40 I’ve been trying to give some sort of theme to this decade of my life. Having never been forty