Chelle's Zone

Staying on Track

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:44:00 +0000

I am a very inconsistent blogger and in 2012 I have not resolved to do better in this area...Real talk (as they say). I'm sure I'll have times when I write more, but keep your expectations low :)

I do want to update anyone who read my previous decluttering/minimizing posts. I am still on track to put my 3 bedroom (1300 sq ft) cape cod on the market in March. I hoped to be done with all of my projects by the end of 2011, but I didn't maintain enough momentum to do that.

I've sold, freecycled and donated quite a bit and used the money that I made to make some minor improvements. I'm dipping into my emergency account to make the last few improvements, which include replacing my kitchen countertop, installing a closet door, repairing my porch ceiling and repairing my fence. I have a few small projects that I can complete as well. My goal is to complete everything by the middle of February. I will post pictures when I'm done, hopefully with someone's wide angle lens since my rooms are small.

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:30:00 +0000

This is the third year that I've prepared a vegan Thanksgiving dinner for my mother's side of the family. They have been so accepting of this change and always rave about how good everything is. I sure hope they aren't just saying that :) As a side note, I choose to cook everything so I can eat everything, not because I am that generous.

There are only 4 of us and I always prepare too much food but it's nice to have leftovers. This year, I delegated 2 dishes since I was bringing everything to my grandmother's.

Pardon the quality of the photos. I used my camera phone and it doesn't do well with low light.

This year, we ate:

BBQ Tofu
Marinated Portobello Mushrooms
Cranberry Sauce
Marinated Vegetables
Collards
Mac and Cheeze
Sweet Potato Soufflé
Rolls
Pound Cake

BBQ Tofu
I used the press, dry fry, marinate and bake method that never fails me and bottled BBQ sauce. No one ate seconds of the tofu, but everyone tried it. I don't think it's their favorite item on the menu, but I like having it. My only problem was that I purchased firm and extra firm tofu and I could definitely tell the difference between the 2 textures. From now on, if one store doesn't have extra firm, I'll keep shopping until I find it. I'm not a fan of soft tofu. I prefer a chewy texture.

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms
These were so flavorful and I really enjoy the meaty texture of the mushrooms. I used Colleen Patrick Goudreau's Marinated Portobello Mushroom Steaks recipe from The 30 Day Vegan Challenge book.

Marinade Ingredients:
1/2 cup each - balsamic vinegar, tamari soy sauce, water
1 teaspoon each - dried rosemary, thyme, marjoram/oregano
Black pepper

I purchased sliced portobello mushrooms instead of whole mushrooms to decrease my prep time since I had a lot to cook. I bought 2 packages and could have easily bought 3-4. I loved them.

Cranberry Sauce
I delegated this dish to my aunt. We used Vegan Yum Yum's Jellied Cranberry Sauce recipe.

Marinated Vegetables
This is a dish that my mother used to prepare for family gatherings. For the longest time, I wouldn't even taste it even though everyone loved it. I used to be a pretty picky eater. Once I finally tasted it, I realized what all the noise was about. It's one of my favorite dishes now. It requires a bit of chopping but it's worth it.

I delegated it to my grandmother this year. I am not sure of the origin of this recipe; however, I am pretty sure that my mother didn't create it.

1/2 cup cooking oil (I used 1/4 the last time I made it)
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 can tiny green peas (le Sueur Very Young Small Early Peas)
1 can tiny/midget butter beans (Baby Lima Beans, Food Lion)
1 can white shoepeg corn
1 can french style green beans
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup diced celery

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients

2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 minutes

3. Allow to cool

4. Drain vegetables and pour cooled mixture over

5. Refrigerate overnight

Notes: Use 15/16 ounce cans of vegetables and tweak the vinegar and sugar to taste in the morning.

Collard Greens
These greens are courtesy of my uncle's garden. Crazy! Right? I know!

My grandmother did the prep (removing the stems, washing and chopping) for me...bless her heart! Here's my collard green cooking method. I can't really call it a recipe.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

2. Add the greens and boil for 7 minutes.

3. Drain the greens.

4. Add a bit of oil to a pan and add the greens.

5. Saute and season with seasoned salt, cayenne pepper and a bit of liquid smoke to taste. If the greens are bitter, I add a touch of agave nectar.

My grandmother asked me how long I cooked them and I honestly can't say but it's not long. I just keep sauteeing and seasoning until they taste the way I like them. It probably isn't more than 15 minutes.

I am not a fan of overcooked, mushy vegetables as is the tradition in most black families.

Mac and Cheeze
My grandmother really likes this recipe so I always make it. It's the Vegan Macaroni and Cheese recipe from VegWeb. I love the flavor, although it tastes nothing like cheese :)

Sweet Potato Souffle
This was a first. I didn't even test it prior to Thanksgiving so I was really lucky that it turned out okay. It's actually so sweet that it should really be a sweet potato pie. I got this recipe from Food.com. The reviews were good so I thought it should work and it did!

Rolls
I am new to bread-making and let me just say-I have a lot to learn. I received my culinary education from the Food Network and I learned nothing about making bread. I attempted sweet rolls twice in the past few weeks: the first batch using Vegan Dad's Pumpkin Pull-Apart Rolls, the second batch using a Sweet Vegan Dinner Rolls recipe from VegWeb. I ended up taking Vegan Dad's rolls with me on Thanksgiving because they were less of a disaster than the VegWeb recipe.

Lessons Learned:
Measure the dern yeast. Vegan Dad's recipe called for 1 tablespoon of yeast. Did I measure? No. Why? I haven't the slightest clue. I used the envelopes/packets and maybe my brain froze and refused to do the calculations to convert ounces to tablespoons, so I used one envelope. Google has since informed me that One package = 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1/4 ounce. Since there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon, I would have needed to open 2 envelopes/packets/packages and measure properly and probably waste whatever was leftover.

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately like I normally do when baking. My dough was pretty lumpy. I should have blended the milk and pumpkin well first.

Make balls a lot smaller. This was the main problem with the sweet dinner rolls disaster. Although I didn't think these rolls were sweet enough either.

Watch some YouTube videos on roll-making to learn technique and unwritten rules.

Needless to say, I still have a lot to learn about making dinner rolls but I'm not completely disappointed. I will try again. I haven't eaten rolls since I became vegan 2 years ago and I miss them.

Here's a photo of my Vegan Dad recipe before going into the oven.

Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
This is delicious! I have taken it to work and fed it to several ominvores in the past and it's always a hit. I used Betsy DiJulio's adaptation of Tracy's pound cake recipe. I made the glaze using the recipe from the Vegetarian Times. Note: The Vegetarian Times pound cake recipe is not as good as the Betsy/Tracy version. I took Soy Delicious Creamy vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert. I take every opportunity to expose people to vegan food!

It was a lot of work but it was definitely a labor of love. My family probably won't eat vegan dishes like this any time of the year so I really enjoy giving them this treat and squashing their preconceived notions about vegan food.

I'm already thinking about next year. I am planning to...

Experiment with a few more mac and cheese recipes
Test vegan corn casserole recipes (my mother used to make this one, but it will need to be veganized; Vegansaurus's adapation might work)
Perfect a sweet roll recipe
Test a few flavorful tempeh/grain combination recipes - I think stuffed bell peppers would be amazing

Follow Friday: Meg from The Snarky Chickpea

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:48:00 +0000

The Snarky Chickpea's Chickpea Ballz Pasta

I haven't been following Meg, like I've followed my other Follow Friday Vegan Rockstars but let me tell you...she has just been added to my Google Reader. Another blogger participating in VeganMoFo made Meg's Chickpea Ballz and I followed the link. I absolutely loved reading her recipe! I love that she called these "Ballz" - Yes, I'm a bit immature and that cracks me up :) She also said things like...

I'm full of awesomeness!
I mashed mined down in the bowl. I don't know why, I'm just giving the facts!
See!!! It is so easy a child could do it. Well, not really that easy, but you get the picture.

I love love love down to earth people and The Snarky Chickpea fits the bill. I can't wait to try her recipes and enjoy more of her "snarky" talk :)

Thursday Thoughts: What a Plate Should Look Like

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Today I'm borrowing again from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's 30 Day Vegan Challenge (page 63). She says everything I want to say but so much better than I ever could...

Some of our blocks about veganism aren't simply about the food itself but are also about how we plate our food. In our meat-centric culture, we're accustomed to having a piece of meat at the center of our plate, surrounded by some token vegetables (most likely covered in dairy-based butter and cream sauces). Many people perceive a vegan meal as lacking because they imagine that piece of meat being removed, leaving the plate with only side dishes. I think this is one of the reasons people think vegans eat "only sides" or "only salads."

But the way we plate our food is a cultural construct-what we've been taught in our families and in our society. If you think about cuisines all around the world and how the food is plated, you'll remember that it can look very different from a Western meal. Think of Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, or Ethiopian cuisines. These plates are made up of what we in the West would call "side dishes." And yet these are the most healthful and flavorful dishes, based on vegetables, grains, lentils, beans and greens. So we need to rethink what a plate of food "should" actually look like as well as embrace the notion of having a plate of what would would call "side dishes."

What? They Have That? Wednesday - Vegan Margarine

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Earth Balance is the "go to" margarine for most vegans. You use it just like you would any other butter or buttery spread and it tastes delicious. No one will know that you didn't use butter.

Downsizing: Round 5 - The File Cabinet

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:51:00 +0000

I must say, I am really surprising myself. Every time I tackle a space, I think..."This is going to be hard!" and then I power through and make it happen. I'm not even procrastinating like I expected. Go me!

So, I emptied the remaining 2.5 drawers in my 4-drawer file cabinet over the course of 2 days.

The first drawer I tackled resulted in this mess. There was some method to my madness though. All of the folders in the foreground are going to be freecyled. The paper in the hidden purple container is recycling. Everything else strewn across the floor needs to be shredded. I did think to get a basket (in the back) for the paper that I need to scan so the space wouldn't be too crazy. Many times during my organization binges...there is chaos before order. I just thought I would share this...

Process, Day 1

All recycling

Everything else

Some of the items in the keep file are for the next home owner and some may end up being shredded once I take the time and go through everything again.

Oh! And I'm really excited because a shredding company (Shred-It) that has "Community Events" will be near me on Saturday, October 29 so I can take 2 boxes to be shredded for free! How awesome is that?!

So...I went from a completely full 4-drawer file cabinet in March to an empty file cabinet today. I responded to a query on Freecycle yesterday for the file cabinet, but am still waiting to find out if the woman is going to pick up the cabinet. If not, I'll post it next weekend.

For the remaining stack, once I go through it at least one more time, if not twice, I'm considering buying 1 of these Stockholm file boxes from the Container Store. I originally thought I wanted to purchase a 2 drawer file cabinet but since I am seriously considering moving into a studio apartment, I think it would be smarter to select a storage solution that is smaller and more portable.

I leave you with a quote from Thom Chambers (said in a very serious tone)...

"Limitations help you focus on what's important and decide what's not."

Trying New Foods Tuesday: Jicama

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:17:00 +0000

I admit, this not a pretty root vegetable. Jicama is pronounced "HEE-ka-ma." I've also heard people call it a Mexican Potato.

One cup of jicama has about 6 grams of fiber, around 1 gram of protein, and contains less than 50 calories. Jicama is also an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium.

It is very simple to prepare; you just peel it like a potato. You can then slice, dice, julienne or mash it.

I first had jicama in a slaw at a restaurant. Since then, I wanted to prepare it for myself. Finally, last fall, I made Emeril's Jicama and Apple Slaw. It was very refreshing! I tasted the jicama before tossing it into the ingredients and I can't say that it has a distinct flavor. Some say that it has a slight sweetness. I don't remember that, but that doesn't mean much. The texture is similar to a firm pear.

During my research at the time, I found that a lot of raw foodists use jicama to make french fries. It's nice and sturdy and would be great with hummus or another dip.

Jícama should be stored dry, between 12°C and 16°C (53°F and 60°F). Colder temperatures will damage the root; do not refrigerate it. A fresh jicama stored at this temperature will keep for a month or two.

This raw Jicama Cheese Fries with Catsup recipe looks interesting. The "cheese" is actually nutritional yeast.

"Single Efficient Lady" Meal Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:10:00 +0000

I've been reading a lot in the blogosphere about meal planning and I always think...Am I the only one who cooks like this? Some of this doubt comes from the fact that most of the bloggers who talk about meal planning have families and I'm a single lady. Not only am I a single lady, but I am also a certified productivity and efficiency nerd. In my opinion, cooking something different each night of the week is an inefficient approach to meal planning for one person. Because I'm not cooking different dishes, it takes me the same amount of time to cook for 5 days as it would to cook for 1. I choose to spend that time cooking on 1 day.

Earlier this month, I read a post on Happy Herbivore, "Minimalist Monday: How to Cook Without a Kitchen" that featured Genevieve and she cooks the way I do:

“I live alone so it's easy for me. I also simplify it more because I eat the same thing for lunch and dinner for a week at a time. I cook for the week on Sundays.”

I'm not alone :-) Yaaaay!

This is how I meal plan. Each Saturday I select 2 dishes (which technically may include more than one dish): one for lunch the following week and one for dinner. I go to the store to purchase what I need to cook and on Sunday I cook for the week. As I recently commented in Katy, The Non-Consumer Advocate's blog post, "What's Your Style of Meal Planning?" -- I eat the same thing for breakfast, every day of every month...Oatmeal. I may switch it up every now and then...raw oatmeal soaked and blended, cooked oatmeal...but the final result is still oatmeal.

Most people crave more variety and I do get variety from week to week, just not day to day.

So onto the real point of this post...Decreasing My Food Budget. Ever since I read Katy, The Non-Consumer Advocate's Food Stamp Challenge posts, I've been thinking that I should be able to decrease my food budget from $200 to $100 a month.

Friday, I revisited my meal cards, started making lists and playing with numbers and that turned into making a spreadsheet (surprise!). Here's a snapshot of what that looks like. As a note, I'm experimenting with Melody from Melomeal's Nutritional Yeast Sauce base, referred to in the spreadsheet as "Nooch Sauce."

Click the image to enlarge

When I initially created my meal cards, I also created a price book (another tab on in the workbook), which I updated over the weekend.

I figured roughly, not exactly, that my lunches (which are more complex than my dinners, because...

1] I enjoy eating a real meal at lunch

2] I like giving my coworkers a visual lesson on what delicious vegan food looks like)

...should be around $12, preferably less, since my weekly budget is $25.

Additional Notes:

I also decided that I'm reverting to eating breakfast food for dinner just to simplify things a bit more (this week, it's granola and a banana).
I have a different meal for lunch during the weekends since most of my recipes won't stretch 7 days unless I double them and then I'd have too much.
I'm also experimenting with making my own raw applesauce to use as a sweetener in my oatmeal instead of agave nectar. This is definitely not cheaper than buying applesauce in a jar, but I'm hoping to get more fresh fruit in my diet this way.

This is the receipt from Saturday's shopping trip, total before tax $20.44. Yes, I shop at Walmart. Don't judge. If you knew where I lived you wouldn't fault me...

3 of the items are not food (2 cards and vitamins). I also splurged on apples since they are in season. I treated myself to 2 honey crisp apples this week and bought all loose apples instead of bagged since they are local (not shipped from Chile).

I anticipate being over budget next week because I realized that I'm out of vanilla extract and flax meal and low on nutritional yeast. These are some of my pantry staples. I'll probably go the bagged apple route next week just for a price comparison. I found that I need 6 apples for my applesauce and I prefer to purchase loose apples since they are larger.

I'll try to be consistent with my updates for this experiment and post them on Sundays.

Making it Easy Monday: Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:32:00 +0000

A pizza without cheese is vegan (as long as the crust doesn't contain milk or eggs). If you're not vegan, I bet you never considered that, right? And don't think that just because there's no cheese, that it doesn't taste good. With an amazing sauce and lots of fresh veggies, a cheeseless pizza is amazing!

Small-Big Caveat: If you go out or buy your own crust, you'll need to check their website and make sure that the crust is vegan (no eggs or milk). Then, order pizza with no cheese...They may look at you strangely, but assure them that's what you want.

If you don't want to make your own dough from scratch, Trader Joe's carries a pizza dough that's vegan. You can also make personal pizzas at home with pita bread.

Here's Some Quick Research Done Just for You

California Pizza Kitchen - No vegan pizzas (Food Allergens and Sensitivities)
Chuck E. Cheese's - No vegan pizzas (Food Allergy Information)
Domino's - Thin Crust dough is vegan (Allergen Info)
Little Caesar's - All dough is vegan, "Little Caesars' pizza crust is made with a quality, high-protein flour and contains no animal products or by-products." (Vegetarian Diet Webpage) - This is pretty smart of them in my opinion.
Papa John's - Original hand tossed dough is vegan (Allergen Guide)
Pizza Hut - Thin 'N Crispy and P'Zone dough is not made with eggs or milk; however, it is prepared in common equipment and therefore may contain allergen (Allergen and Sensitivities Guide)

Downsizing: Round 4

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:33:00 +0000

I tackled the memorabilia. Earlier this week I had visions of dumping the containers blindly into the recycling bin, but luckily I didn't do that. Buried in all of that paper were several documents that contained social security numbers. I tried to move through the containers as quickly as possible and not linger too long on any one thing.

Before

During/After

I realized as I added captions to this photo that my safe deposit box is not large enough for those items. I suppose they will be shredded instead.

The upstairs hall closet is a work in progress. I did photograph all of the barbies that I need to sell. I need to spend some time listing them. I want to try Craigslist first.

I think I might hold a African-American Children's Book Sale for 3 of these boxes of books.

Today's trip to Goodwill included....all of this...

I containerized and bagged a lot of it before I took it there.

I suppose besides selling some things, the next area I need to tackle is my filing cabinet...I'm not looking forward to this, even with my handy dandy ScanSnap scanner. Ideally, I'd like to eliminate it completely, not just downsize. We'll see how it goes.

Follow Friday: Melody Polakow of MELOMEALS

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:37:00 +0000

Melody's Smoked Cheesy Potato Soup

I've mentioned Melody and MELOMEALS a few times this week.

Melody is a Vegetarian Chef and Photographer with over 20 experience in the food industry. She is in the process of losing over 100 lbs so most of her recipes focus on lower calorie, whole foods with very little sugar.

Melody started her MELOMEALS ™ blog in 2006. At that time, she was married and her children were 12 and 14. In the beginning, she focused on big batch frugal cooking for her family. When she was laid off from her job as a Vegan and Raw Food Chef in 2008, she had a very strict budget of $100 a month which works out to $3.33 a day.

Her life has changed since then and once again she is living on a strict budget while she builds her business and writes a cookbook on Eating for $3.33 a Day...which I definitely plan to purchase!

I thoroughly enjoy the depth of flavor that Melody's recipes have. Check out MELOMEALS! You won't be disappointed.

Thursday Thoughts: Eating Affordably

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:16:00 +0000

PCRM Power Plate

Today's post is courtesy of Colleen Patrick Goudreau's book, The 30-Day Vegan Challenge.

Excerpts from Day 2: Eating Healthfully Affordably

Cost Comparison

Animal proteins are generally more expensive than plant proteins. The cheapest cuts of beef average $3 per pound; canned tuna is $2 per pound.
Dried beans and lentils cost less than $1 per pound.
Rice is well below $1 per pound.
Tofu is usually under $2 per pound.

Challenge Your Thinking:
Convenience foods--vegan or non-vegan--simply cost more than whole foods.

Change Your Behavior
In order to make the most healthful and affordable choices, make whole plant foods the foundation of your diet.

My Thoughts

In my opinion, eating a whole food plant based diet is not expensive. Granted, I'm only feeding myself, but Melody Polakow made it happen. She fed a family of 4 on $3.33 per day when she started her blog, MELOMEALS. Brown Vegan stays on a budget as well and feeds a family of 5.

I think people automatically think "vegan" food is expensive, but that just reveals how little they know about the word. I always say, "It's just beans, fruits, vegetables and grains." Nothing fancy. You don't have to eat seitan, tofu or tempeh. Keep it simple and it's completely doable on a budget.

What? They Have That? Wednesday - Field Roast Vegan Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:37:00 +0000

These sausages are the best vegan sausages that I've ever tasted...simply delicious! The texture isn't weird either like other vegan sausages that I've tasted.

Here are the descriptions from the company website:

Italian - traditionally seasoned with fresh eggplant, zesty red wine, pungent fresh garlic and plenty of fennel.

Mexican Chipotle - a spicy hot blend of smoked Chipotle peppers, Chili de Arbol peppers, fresh chopped garlic, sweet onions seasoned with cumin seeds and oregano.

Smoked Apple Sage - a unique combination of sweet granny smith apples, savoy Yukon Gold potatoes and pungent rubbed sage and ginger.

You cannot honestly tell me that you don't want to go out and buy one of these right this minute!

You can cook with these sausages just like you would any others. Check out this food porn...all made with Field Roast Sausage.

Quarry Girl's Field Roast, Potatoes and Hot Sauce

Vegan Purgatory Pizza, Courtesy of Quarry Girl

Brown Rice Salad with Field Roast Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions

Vegan Spicy Sausage Pappardelle Pasta

Red Bell Pepper Sauce with Vegan Apple Sage Sausages

Trying New Foods Tuesdays: Quinoa

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Source

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH) looks like a grain, but it is actually more closely related to beets and spinach. I should eat it more than I do because quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a good source of protein (about 8 grams 1/2 cup cooked quinoa), fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it a nice alternative to white rice or couscous. To prepare quinoa, rinse it until the water runs clear. Some boxed varieties may be pre-rinsed. Read the label to determine if you need to rinse it.

Cook it like you would rice. Add 2 cups of water/broth for every 1 cup of quinoa to a pot. Bring it to a boil, simmer for 3 minutes, put the lid on it and turn the heat down as low as it will go. It should be ready in 20 minutes.

This Quinoa With Pan-Fried Corn and Jerk-Spiced Portobello Steaks recipe from StarChefs.com sounds delicious.

Ingredients

Quinoa
1 ½ cups quinoa
3 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
3 scallions, minced
1 Tablespoon orange zest

Portobello Steaks
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
4 large Portobello mushroom caps
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

Quinoa

Rinse the quinoa well to remove the bitter white coating.
Drain and set aside.
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan.
Stir in the quinoa. Cover and simmer over low heat until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the corn and the scallions and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the corn and scallions, along with the oil from the skillet into the quinoa.
Stir in the orange zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Set aside for 5 minutes so the flavors can mingle.

Portobello Steaks

In a shallow bowl, combine the sugar, cumin, allspice, oregano, paprika, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg.
Coat the mushroom caps with 2 Tablespoons of the oil, then coat with the spice mixture.
Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, turning once, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
To serve cut the caps into 1/4-inch slices and fan out slightly overlapping onto the quinoa.

Downsizing: Round 3 - Purging Product Manuals

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:07:00 +0000

The time that I spent creating this flow chart would have been better spent actually purging the container full of user manuals. I clearly have issues...

Click the image to see a larger version

This is the type of thing that happens during my 750 words. I start rambling about what I'm working on and what's on my mind. As things pop into my mind, I stop writing and begin searching for answers. I come back, write some more. I mention that I need to do something, I stop writing and go do it. It's a mess but I'm sure it's therapeutic :)

So, it all started when I began writing a list of questions that I need to consider when I tackle this box of manuals. Then I decided to make this flowchart for myself, which was actually a good exercise because my original list of questions did not include the second decision point, "Is there any significant chance that I'll need to look at this manual? Have I ever referenced it?" Those are important questions to ask. Those questions get to the heart of the matter and force me to be honest and real with myself.

Okay, so here's what I started with...

And here's what's left

There were maybe 6 manuals/guides that I scanned and 1 that I downloaded.

Great progress - one step at a time!

Making It Easy Monday: Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Source

It doesn't get any easier than spaghetti with marinara sauce. It's already vegan. The only caveat is that you want to select dried pasta from the grocery store, not fresh. Fresh pasta is made with eggs. If you're dining out, ask them if their pasta has eggs in it. I know that unfortunately Olive Garden's pasta does contain eggs.

However, if you're cooking at home, this is super easy. Add more veggies to add more of a nutritional boost. I'm a lazy cook sometimes and I just buy jarred sauce, but feel free to make your own. It's probably one of the simpler things to cook from scratch.

Here's a Simple Marinara recipe from Melody at Melomeals that looks delicious. I may try it next time I have a taste for spaghetti.

Downsizing: Round 2

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:29:00 +0000

I tackled the boxes that sat on the floor! It was much easier than I thought it would be. It baffles me how I've accumulated all of this stuff. Random projects are partly to blame. Now I need to relabel my boxes. Against my type A tendencies, I combined several categories of items and now I don't know where things are. I may be able to consolidate further once I examine everything a little closer.

I have 2 boxes of unorganized photos. I'm considering (maybe) shipping those to a place like ScanMyPhotos. I'll have to decide what my time and space is worth. I'd love to digitize the huge container of photo albums that I have too. It's definitely something to consider.

Before

During

After

I still wonder where this stuff will be stored when I move, but I'll worry about that when the time comes and when I see my new space. Maybe I'll have huge closets :) Maybe I'll have another piece of furniture or ottomans where they can hide.

Here's what I'm taking to the local elementary school tomorrow.

Here's the area dedicated to Freecyling and posting on Craigslist.

Downsizing: Round 1

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Yesterday, after assessing the situation, I tackled the low hanging fruit and started on my office supplies.

Linen Closet
A few items that weren't originally in the closet were moved there since they were evicted from spaces they didn't belong. I think this is good for now. It probably won't need much more work.

Note: It would have been helpful to take the pictures from the same perspective; hopefully you can see my progress.

Before

After

Before

After

Kitchen Cabinet. This was easy.

Before

After

Cedar Chest. Another easy one.

Before

After

Bottom of Closet. Easy peasy.

Before

After

The TV stand is also empty and so is the extra toolbox. It's going to Goodwill.

Office Supplies. I just worked on the boxes on the shelves. I'll need to make more hard decisions and get to the containers on the floor, but I started. That's what's most important.

Before

During

Books. I feel good about this. It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. I guess I've developed a tough skin. I've also been keeping a list of books, that I give away, that I may want to purchase again in Evernote.

This is all I have left. I think these could comfortably fit on a small bookshelf. In case you're wondering, I organize my books by topic so they are stacked accordingly.

Here's what's going to Goodwill today. I also have a Freecycle and Elementary School stack that I'll move once I finish.

69 books, some are small pamphlet-size

Although I'm off tomorrow, I think I'm done for this weekend. I may tackle the closet in my rec room tomorrow, but most likely I won't. I'll come back to this project next weekend. I just needed to gain momentum.

Downsizing

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:21:00 +0000

As I continue my journey toward minimalism, I've come to realize that as a single person, I don't need a 1300 square foot home and huge yard. I no longer want the burden and expense of home maintenance. I have decided to downsize. Next year, I will sell my house and move into a 1 bedroom apartment within walking distance to my job.

This means that I have to significantly decrease my belongings.

The following quotes from Miss Minimalist's most recent post, "Get Your Mujo On" will help fuel me for this task.

One of the central tenets of Zen Buddhism is the concept of mujo. Mujo means impermanence, transience, ephemerality—in other words, everything is changing in every moment, nothing ever stays the same.
When we embrace mujo:

We let go of sentimental items and other reminders of “who we used to be,” instead of clinging to our past.

We accept that our little ones grow up and leave the nest, and don’t preserve every item they used, wore, or created.

We let go of long-lost hobbies and interests, instead of squirreling away their equipment and supplies.

We let people, possessions, and ideas flow into and out of our lives naturally, instead of grasping or hoarding them.

We realize that it’s often easier to embrace change when we’re not dragging around a lot of baggage.

We welcome the person we are becoming, rather than trying to freeze our appearance, relationships, interests, or ideas in time.

I started today and made some good progress. I'll post those pics tomorrow.

Here the areas that need the most work

My books. You wouldn't believe how far I've come with my book collection. It used to be huge. It's still hard to part with them, but I just keep at it. I'd like to cut this collection in half, I think. My books need to fit on a small bookshelf.

The curio. All of these figurines were purchased by my mother. This is hard but in the words of Ev Bogue, I need to untether from these memories and this collection. There are a few things inside that I'll keep, like the eggs that my mother handpainted and of course her urn. I'd like to sell most of the items on the top 2 shelves since they cost the most money.

Filing cabinet. I have 2.5 drawers that are full. The goal is to have 1 drawer, so that I can buy a small 2-drawer file cabinet. They tend to be more shallow than the tall cabinets. I am not looking forward to another marathon scanning session, but I may have to gear up for it or just recycle most of it. I plan to keep the small white cabinet to the right. It holds items that I use and need.

Office supplies. I've always had a nice supply of office and craft resources. This collection must be decreased significantly. I've been through some of it once already and gave several items to a local elementary school. This is a major challenge for me. If I can cut this in half now, I'll feel good and in a few months, I'll take another stab at it.

Upstairs hall closet. I wasn't able to get a great picture because this hallway is narrow and directly in front of the stairs, but all I can say is, "Oh boy..."

This closet contains...

Glass containers that I'd like to sell on Craigslist
Barbies in original packaging that my mother collected that I'd like to sell to a collector
Children's books that I need to pass on
Extra flooring and flooring materials that I could probably leave with the house
My boots...which I plan to keep :)
Product manuals that I need to scan or recycle
2 containers of hair supplies that I've used throughout my natural and relaxed hair phases
A box of memorabilia
And probably some other random stuff

Rec Room Closet. I shouldn't put this in the challenging category because I've already done some work here too, but I have more work to do. I've been keeping lots of decorative items for later but need to "untether" from those decorating ideas and go into my new space with a fresh set of eyes and new ideas. I really want a clean, modern aesthetic in my new apartment. A pure minimalist vibe.

Toolbox. I have 2. The other one is flat with sections for each tool. I don't need 2. This is in the challenging category because I dread going through it. Too many small things.

Here are a few areas that will be pretty easy

Cedar chest. This is going with me. If I end up in a studio, I could have a problem. But the plan is to keep it. It provides great storage and doubles as seating. I've been throwing things in here randomly and need to go through it.

Guest room closet, particularly the bottom. All of those containers need to be reviewed and reconsidered.

Lower kitchen cabinets. I've spent more time on the upper cabinets lately and have completely ignored these lower cabinets. I only need 2 baking sheets and I only use a few of these cleaning supplies.

Linen closet. I've already made one pass through this closet so this won't be hard. I only need one extra set of sheets, but may keep 2. I'll keep the towels for now, but could easily get rid of 2 sets. The beach towel can go in the cedar chest. I could stand to donate some dish/hand towels. I only use about half of the cleaning and wash clothes and I can donate most of the blankets in the box at the bottom and give away all of those gift bags. I'll never use them all.

TV stand. The TV stand and dvd player will be sold on Craigslist. I will Freecycle the TV. I'm waiting until after Thanksgiving so my uncle has something to do while the ladies chat after dinner. I've been wanting to get rid of this TV for a while. I never watch it. I actually never spend any time in the living room. This is another area that I'm glad I already tackled once.

Utility room shelf. I can easily get rid of a few of these things on Freecyle. I'm so very glad that I've already decluttered this area. I won't need most of this.

It's a lot, but it's doable. Even though I'm going to do my absolute best to significantly decrease my belongings, I hope to move into an apartment with BIG closets :) I don't have a lot of clothes. That will leave space for some of the items that I decide to keep.

Follow Friday: Brown Vegan

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:17:00 +0000

"They" always say that vegans represent 2% of the population. I like to hope that number is growing each year, but there's no way of knowing for sure. What most of us do know is that we don't meet other vegans every day or even frequently in our daily lives. As a "brown vegan" myself, I get really excited when I meet another vegan who looks like me. In my mind, the African-American culture is a little harder on those who don't eat what everyone else eats. Holidays can be especially challenging. I'm sure that other vegans who grew up in the south can relate.

I recently met Monique Koch, aka Brown Vegan, on Twitter. I immediately followed her because of her Twitter handle and then quickly learned that we had so much in common it was scary.

Check out her blog, Brown Vegan. Unlike me, a single lady, she's a mother of 3 boys (yes, 3). She has 4 men to feed and does it without breaking the bank and without a lot of fuss. Her recipes are flavorful and she provides great tips on raising vegan children.

Thursday Thoughts: Cow's Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Today I am going to urge you to challenge your thoughts about cow's milk.

Most people never consider it odd that we, humans, drink milk from another animal. The dairy industry has done a wonderful job of selling us the idea that we must consume cow's milk to have healthy bones. Clearly, it's in their best interest to do so, but is it in ours?

My office director asked me the other day, "Don't cows need to be milked?" I didn't state my case well when I responded, so here's my attempt at a "do over."

Cows produce milk when they are pregnant so they can feed their children. Just like a human mother. Dairy cows children are quickly taken away from them and go on to live horrible lives--baby boys enter the veal industry and baby girls become impregnated as soon as they can...over and over again.

Cows would not produce milk if they were not artificially inseminated. If their young stayed with them, they would not "need to be milked."

Human babies drink their mother's milk and are eventually weaned when they begin consuming solid food. The mother's milk does not need to be replaced with another animal's milk.

If you think cow's milk is essential for calcium, you don't realize that the cow is the middle man. Cows get calcium from grass (if they are fortunate, which most are not). So, just as cows get their calcium from greens, so can we. Dark green leafy vegetables are full of calcium and have a multitude of other health benefits.

Want to learn more about dairy? Check out this page on the Vegan Peace website.

What? They Have That? Wednesday - Vegan Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:05:00 +0000

Yes, vegan cheese exists and the best brand that I've tasted is Daiya. It melts beautifully and is great on pizza and even on toast for a grilled cheese sandwich. It's not inexpensive, but it's nice as a splurge every now and then.

When I tell people that vegan cheese exists, the first thing they say after, "Really???" is, "What's in it?" And I never know the answer because I don't care...not in a mean way. All I care about is how it tastes and melts. I don't need to know the science behind it. But, for those who are curious, here are the ingrients for the mozzarella style shreds from their website:

Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavors, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).

If you've never tried it, you must. You'll be amazed! I promise :)

Would Anyone Know?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:29:00 +0000

If I put all of this in the "to be shredded" bin...would anyone ever know?

This is a bookshelf in my office at work...

Does anyone know that it's here?

Is anyone going to ask about something in this pile?

Would I be able to tell them it's in this pile?

I don't know what it is. It was owned by the prior occupant. She said it should be filed in our file room. Some of it should be archived, according to her...but the question remains, "Would anyone know if I chucked it all and put it in the 'to be shredded bin'?"

I think the answer is no and I believe it will begin to disappear over the next week.

I'm about to embark on a major minimalizing/decluttering project and my wheels are a spinnin'. Stay tuned and make way :)

Trying New Foods Tuesdays: Butternut Squash

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Butternut squash has become one of my favorite fall/winter veggies! It's a vegetable that I never ate as a child and only ventured to try once I became vegan. I thank Lauren Ulm for her delightful Delicata Squash Bisque recipe. I substituted butternut squash for the delicata squash. I also enjoy this quick, flavorful Basalmic Glazed Butternut Squash recipe from Sandra Lee.

And lately, I've indulged in Butternut Squash Quesadillas made here by the Tofu Guru. You should definitely check out the video. Not only is her production entertaining, but you can also learn how to easily peel and dice a butternut squash by checking out her technique (skip to 1:25 if you want to see this).

Making it Easy Monday: Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Johnson) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Source

Wonder what you would eat at a party if you were vegan...besides raw carrots and celery? Salsa is already vegan. No adaptations needed. Tortilla chips are usually vegan too. You can make your own or just buy it from the store. Either way, you have a low calorie, flavor-packed food to munch on.

Being vegan isn't so hard. Oftentimes, it's really pretty easy :)