Know Your Food

Jamaican Red Bean Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 01:36:00 +0000

A good friend of mine passed this recipe along to me. I made changes, as I do, to make it more plant based and use the foods that I had available. The Savvy Vegetarian also borrowed the recipe from the book the Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Healthy (Google Affiliate Ad). If you enjoy my blog and the delicious recipes that I share here, please follow this blog and share it with your friends. You may also choose to subscribe via feedburner for email updates. See the link to the right.

My version is below

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced baby carrots
3 scallions, chopped
1 sweet potato, diced
1 large tomato (about 2 c. chopped)
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 t Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 c. kidney beans (if you prepare them yourself) 2 (16 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups unsweetened lite coconut milk (1 can)
1 cups unsalted vegetable broth or water

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a pressure cooker. Bring to pressure quickly and cook with top rocking slowly for 5 minutes. Bring down pressure quickly or wait for it to come down on it's own.

Ingredients combined and ready to cook

chopped carrots

chopped sweet potatoes

Stew and Cous Cous Cooking

home prepared kidney beans

The stew is finished!

Dinner is served with a green salad on the side.

I also served it with pearl cous cous stirred in which was tasty. I cooked up 1 cup of dried pearl cous cous in 1 1/4c. of water for 20 minutes then added it to the pot.

Plant Based Camping

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:30:00 +0000

When I started writing this I had gone over a month without a post! I hope you will forgive me and forgive my lack of photos with my recipes. I realized that I was worrying about getting my blog just right, about posting my recipes and messages as soon as possible and about devoting enough time to this project. So, I took a little break. I am still plant-based and we are going strong on the food. I hope these posts continue to inspire you to be adventuresome and take a leap of faith for your health.

We are approaching our second family camping trip as a plant-based family. I was worried the first time. It wasn't long into this trial that we set out for the great outdoors and I worried that we would have enough to eat and that the kids would enjoy it. But being plant based is not difficult. Transporting plant based food is a bit easier that it's dairy and meat counterpart. Our kids are truly embracing plant-based at this point and aside from the occasional rumbling, 'I want meat,' don't ask for or miss it.

Here are a few of our recipes that camp well:

Breakfast

Rip's Big Bowl - I usually increase this 8x over to feed our family for a couple of days.

Oatmeal

Breakfast Bars

Snacks

Fresh Fruit - apples, oranges, bananas or easy to take along. Berries, although tasty are easily mushed!

Trail Mix (can I just say, 'duh') the original plant-based camping recipe :-)
I usually throw together a mix of cranberries, raisins, cut up apricots with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans and peanuts. You could really use any dried fruit, seeds and nuts in your cupboard. I avoid very small seeds because they just get messy when trying to eat a handful!

Muffins - make ahead and you have a ready to go snack.

Peanut butter balls (or Energy Balls)

Chocolate balls

Lunch

Bread or Pita with

Peanut butter and jelly or honey
hummus, lettuce, veggies
nut butter, banana slices, apple slices

Dinner

Hotdogs, Buns & Beans - you can easily make this plant-based by switching to tofu dogs and whole wheat buns. Opt for organic ketchup to avoid high fructose corn syrup. Don't forget the mustard. You can make your own or buy vegetarian baked beans. Add a side of cut up carrots.

Hamburgers, Buns, Potato Salad - I always make my own bean burgers but you can buy them, too. Whole wheat bun and and easy potato salad like this one (link to spring potato salad). Don't forgot some cut up veggies - asparagus, broccoli, etc make great sides.

Chili - you can make it ahead and heat while camping. I often wing it when it comes to chili but this recipe is VERY good if you are looking for guidance.

Spaghetti - always an easy to make transport camp dinner especially if you use jarred sauce.

Don't forget some extra food containers to save left overs if there are any. I like the lock tight containers or canning jars to camp with. Both seal well for fewer leaks.

Kale, White Bean & Potato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:10:00 +0000

This is an original recipe. I would like to tweak the seasoning some but I will throw it out there to the masses and you can report back to me on the adjustments that you would make.

Ingredients:

1 lb white navy beans (pre-soaked), rinsed and drained.

8 c. chopped fresh kale

1 c. (1 large) red potato, cubed

1 c. (1 medium) onion, chopped

2 t. (2 cloves) garlic, pressed

1 t of anise or fennel

1 T Miso

1 large (1-2 c.) chopped carrot

1. Add beans to pressure cooker and enough water to cover plus about an inch more. Cook beans by pressure cooker, 3 minutes rocking slowly.

2. Cool immediately, add remaining ingredients.

3. Bring to pressure again, cook 4 min additionally.

4. Cool immediately, test for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, etc as necessary

Chocolate Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:40:00 +0000

1 large sweet potato (about 1.5-2 c.) (I usually cook on the 'potato' setting in microwave)
1/4 c. walnuts (optional)
2 T cocoa
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 c. dates
1/4c-1 c. of unsweetened coconut milk (I use Silk brand)

Mix in a high speed blender until smooth. Serve warm or chilled.

Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:23:00 +0000

In recent weeks I have been fielding questions from curious friends on what we are doing, how it works and where to find information. On the surface, it can seem as though you are delving into unchartered territory. However, once you break through the psychological, cultural and tradition barriers you will find a thriving community of people just like you in exactly the same place as you thriving on a plant-based lifestyle.

Three months ago, I didn't even know where to start but now I know how to form my google search to find recipes and blogs that work for my family. I know how to adapt recipes to make them plant strong and we have developed a new set of favorites and go-to recipes to make cooking easier. That first month though was about wiping the slate clean from the eating that we were familiar with and trying something entirely different.

If you are starting this journey, I would encourage you to find blogs of others who are established in eating this way and to connect with friends and family that are willing to set out with you. Here are a few I stumbled on:

http://myplantbasedfamily.com/
http://www.theflamingvegan.com/
http://wholeplantbasedfoods.wordpress.com/
http://forksoverknives.com
http://engine2diet.com

But there are MANY out there. Find ones that resonate with you and your family.

A BIG kudos to two friends who have stepped out to try plant based ideas in the way the best fits them.

The first, "Alfonso", has switched to eating meatless lunches. I absolutely love that he is open to trying what works for him and love that the result has been more energy in the afternoon.

The second friend, "Clarisse", has fully embraced plant based and is on her third day with her young family. Here is what she has to say on how things are going:

"The kids are diggin' the coconut milk! I bought Ezechial's sprout bread and they love that with pb. Loads of dry and fresh fruit. Thing 1 loves hummus so I've given her pretzels with that. Dried sweet corn too. The kids Clif bars are dairy free from what I can tell and they love those! Neither will do broccoli yet but beans have been a daily thing. It's the veggies that are hard with them but I did a brown rice pasta last night in a veggie marinara with kidney beans. They ate it, so yay! Even though Thing 2 picks out what's " different" we've gotten her to try things! Loving kale chips! Me n Hubby, not the kids yet. I did find a crunchy snap pea thing but its not the best. Dark chocolate's been a treat for them for trying things. Bought some rice cheese today and got the nutritional yeast today, too.

I'm going to make yams into "fries" tomorrow with a stir fry. Leftovers for lunch are great! Breakfast has been a lot of cereal and fruit, making sure its dairy free and going whole grains. Bought coconut and almond yogurt from the store because Thing 2 loves yogurt n granola for breakfast.'

I think we make a big mistake and underestimate our beautiful children when we jump to the conclusion that they will not be 'on-board' with this diet change. They may not love every part of it but I think you will find that they will be even more receptive than adults, more open to understanding the hows and why's and more likely to latch on to new favorites. Well done Alfonso and Clarisse, keep up the great work and share your success so that it may be an encouragement to others!

3 months and counting - A new lifestyle not a diet

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:46:00 +0000

I have never been one for 'diets' unless you are talking about diet in the truest sense of the word to mean the foods that we consume. Since changing to plant-based living three months ago I have never felt I have been on a 'fad diet' but the idea of bucking the system, going against the majority of information and traditions I have come to know and limiting my food options from the mainstream has made me feel a little like a weirdo. I am convinced, however, that I will continue to be a weirdo and live and eat this way.

In previous posts I have rattled off the myriad of benefits my family and I have seen eating plant-based. The health benefits have continued the list has increased beyond what I would have ever thought possible. I have had a thyroid condition since my first child was born seven years ago. Tests at that time showed my thyroid to be heterogenous. My levels were way too high. I started medication and was monitored annually for changes in the nodules in my thyroid and every three-six months for my thyroid levels. Last year, I had a 'problematic nodule' that was growing larger. We decided to reassess in a year and if it was still growing, it would be biopsied. I wasn't looking forward to this and the idea that something could potentially be wrong, even if it was fixable, was scary.

At the beginning of April I went for the ultrasound. The technician looked and what she saw was.....nothing. There were no nodules. It wasn't that they had gotten smaller, they were gone. I understand that this could have happened because of the medication that I was on. But given the response of the technician and the fact that I have been on the medication for years and the nodules were only getting bigger, my inclination that this was due to my change in diet. I feel VERY strongly that God has been leading me to this very path through the opportunities for change He has placed before me in my life. In my mind, what happened was a miracle.

Now, I will only have to have my thyroid levels checked annually and my next ultrasound is in five years. My total cholesterol, too, has gone from 211 to 148. I feel great. I feel alive.

So for all of those people who wonder if changing to plant based will work for them. If you think this lifestyle is too hard or too drastic. I do not understand. What I know is that it is scary to change what you have known for your whole life. But it is scarier to be diagnosed with cancer (or even the thought of it), it is scary to be wheeled into an ER with everyone thinking you are having a heart attack...at the age of 32. It is scary to feed your children medication every day because their digestive tracks aren't working just right or worry about agressive behaviors. It is not ok to be tired and run down when you are thinking you are doing all the 'right' things to be healthy.

For me and my family, we are plant based for life because we value our lives and what to live them to the utmost.

Meal Plan Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:53:00 +0000

I make preparing meals easier by cooking some things during the week while I am home such as rice or beans. Also, I prepare the cereal mix we use for the week by multiplying the recipe by 8, I then store it in an air tight container. Our snacks are things like popcorn, cut up carrots, cut up apples, oranges, trail mix, peanut butter power balls, etc that we can prepare quickly or just grab from the fridge or pantry.

Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal Bowl with Hot Milk
Dinner: Smart Dogs (Hotdogs), buns, cut veggies, cut fruit

Monday
Breakfast: Cereal Bowl
Dinner: Spaghetti, Prepared Sauce w/ TVP, Onions, Peppers, Mushrooms

Tuesday
Breakfast: Peanut Oatmeal
Dinner: Split Pea Soup

Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Dinner: Thai Chickpeas over brown rice

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal Bowl
Dinner: Black Bean Burgers, Whole Wheat Buns, Cut Veggies, Salad

Friday:
Breakfast: Brown Rice Pudding
Dinner: Minestrone Soup, Crusty Bread

Saturday
Breakfast: Scramble Breakfast Tacos
Dinner: A Salad Dish TBA

Meal Plan Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal Bowl
Dinner: Black Bean Burritos w/ Kale & Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Monday
Breakfast: Peanut Oatmeal
Dinner: Stir Fry w/ Rice and Carrot Salad

Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bars & Fruit Smoothie
Dinner: Meatloaf, Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cereal Bowl
Dinner: Broccoli Soup & Muffins

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal Bowl
Dinner: Sloppy Lentil Joes, Salad, Cut Up Veggies

Friday
Breakfast: Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding
Dinner: Chili & Chips with Salad

Saturday
Breakfast: Scramble, roasted potatoes, & sauteed Veggies
Dinner: Spaghetti

Peanut Butter Oatmeal

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:52:00 +0000

This is a kid favorite and with no added sugar it is a big winner in our house.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal

4 c. water
1/2 c. chopped dates
2 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. chopped peanuts
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 t. cinnamon
1 apple - chopped

Bring the water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the dates and oats. Cook oats at a just boil for 3 minutes. Add peanuts, wheat germ, cinnamon and apple. Cook to desired thickness.

Serve with raisins and non-dairy milk. The kids like extra peanut butter on top.

Black Bean Burritos with Kale & Avocado

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:05:00 +0000

This is my creation. I am typing this not while I am cooking so I hope I remember everything! I've made this version three times now but it isn't so different from the black bean burritos I used to make prior to starting down the path of plant-based. What I love about this meal is that you can get everything you need in one meal, in one dish. If you are cooking for kids they can put the pieces together and make choices on toppings which always helps with 'buy in'.

Black Bean Burritos with Kale & Avocado

8-10 whole wheat tortillas (check the packaging to avoid processed sugars, fats, and salt)

1 medium onion - chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
1 c. mushrooms - chopped
2 cloves of garlic pressed
1 c. chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 T cumin
1 t salt
4 c. cooked black beans (~2 cans - low sodium, with juice!)
1/4 c. of chopped cilantro
1 bag of chopped, washed kale
1 avocado
1 T lime juice
salt & pepper to taste

For the Kale
Place kale in a large stock pot. Add 2 c. of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 min until tender. Drain off liquid.

For the Avocado
Slice the avocado length-wise around the circumference. Separate halves. Scoop out flesh. Mash with a potato masher. Combine with 1 T lime juice and salt/pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the Black Bean Filling
Saute onion over medium/high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add green peppers. Continue cooking for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook until juices come out of mushrooms. Add cumin. Combine well. Add tomatoes and black beans. Use a potato mashed to mash the beans creating a paste. Continue to cook until the filling has thickened and some of the liquid has evaporated. Add 1 t of salt. Stir in cilantro. Remove from heat.

To assemble the burritos
Spread a layer of avocado on to taste on 1 whole wheat tortilla. Add 1/2 c. of kale. Add 1/2 c. of bean filling. All of these measurements are approximate. I just build it to what will fit in the tortilla! Fold as you would a burrito. Top with salsa or eat as is.

My kids also like mashed sweet potatoes on their burritos in place of the avocado. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:59:00 +0000

This is a no sugar added version of hot cocoa. I think you could also enjoy it as pudding. It's thick!

Makes about 2 c.

In a high powered blender combine:

1 c. mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk (found with almond & soy milks in dairy case)
2 T cocoa powder
1 t vanilla
4 dates, chopped

Puree until smooth. Warm on the stove or in a microwave safe container. Pour into mugs and enjoy!

Meal Plans Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 03:39:00 +0000

Oh boy these weeks are just slipping by! I can't believe we are almost to the end of the 6th week of this adventure. So many great changes since we started. I have also been encouraged by how many other people are interested in this information or already trying plant based. I love how when you try something new you suddenly become aware of it existing all around you. :-)

Here's what we've been eating this week:

I take the recipe for 'Rip's Big Bowl' and times the dry ingredients by 8. I store it in an air tight container and this lasts us the week. Jason has his own container of cereal with pecans instead of walnuts.

Sunday

breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
dinner: Jamaican Red Been Stew

Monday

breakfast: Peanut butter oatmeal *My Recipe
dinner: Warm Black Bean Salad (from Forks Over Knives cookbook)

Tuesday

breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
dinner: Tomato Soup and Toast w/ pesto (the pesto was left over from Monday's dinner)

Wednesday

breakfast: oatmeal bars & green shakes
dinner: Spaghetti w/ a BIG Salad - I fed the kids cut vegatables including blanched brocolli

Thursday

breakfast: I can't remember what we ate! I know it was something new...
lunch: Super Immunity Shake, Blueberry Muffins (from How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease), cut veggies and fruit
dinner: Taco Salad w/ Lime Cilantro Dressing (from Forks Over Knives Cookbook

Friday

breakfast: Rice Pudding (from Forks Over Knives cookbook)
dinner: Vegetable Soup *My Recipe

Saturday:
breakfast: Pancakes w/ fruit salad
dinner: Curried Millet Cakes with Red Pepper Coriander Sauce

Week 5 Meal Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:26:00 +0000

So, we are halfway through the week. I've been enjoying the meals I planned but I haven't had a chance, until no, to post them here. Many of these I modified, I am getting the hang of things and making this new way of eating our own.

We are eating lots of snacks including fresh fruit, raw nuts, energy balls, power balls, hummus, carrot sticks, etc.

Sunday

breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
dinner: Stir Fry Brocoli w/ Peanut Sauce & Brown Rice and a side of mashed sweet potatoes

Monday

breakfast: Peanut butter oatmeal *My Recipe
dinner: Black Bean Burritos with Avocado & Kale * My Recipe

Tuesday

breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
dinner: Spinach Soup with corn muffins (I omitted the sugar & swapped the oil for applesauce)

Wednesday

breakfast: oatmeal bars & green shakes
dinner: Curried Rice Salad over kale (from Forks Over Knives cookbook and modified by me)

Thursday

breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
dinner: Vegan Chili

Friday

breakfast: Rice Pudding (from Forks Over Knives cookbook)
dinner: Chopped Salad

Saturday:
breakfast: Scramble w/ Corn Tortillas and Black Beans
dinner: Veggie Burgers

Hummus!

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:30:00 +0000

I whipped this hummus up this morning and it was delicious! I hope you enjoy it, too.

2 cans of chickpeas (rinsed and drained) or 4 c.
1/2 t garlic
2 T tahini
2 T soy sauce
4 T lemon juice
1/4 c parsley
1 t cumin

Combine all ingredients. Blend well.

Serve as a salad dressing, with veggies, on sandwiches and more!

A thought or two on progress

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 03:51:00 +0000

We're in our 4th week now of eating plant-based and the changes have been amazing. To fill you in, 3.5 weeks ago we watched the movie Forks Over Knives by Fulkerson, Lee/ Aucoin, Joey/ Barnard, Neal, MD [ (Google Affiliate Ad). The research made sense to me and my husband and we agreed that our whole family would try a plant-based diet for two months. We've been tracking changes daily and have been amazed with the benefits. I really didn't think much beyond weight loss and cholesterol initially but these past weeks have shown many more results than I could have expected.

We'll find out about our cholesterol levels in 2-4 weeks when we each have routine blood work. I can only imagine they have dropped because so many other things have changed for the better. To start with, I was not looking to lose weight but my blood pressure and cholesterol were both higher than they should be. I even purchased a blood pressure cuff to monitor but unfortunately the cuff was too small. My weight has remained the same, my energy level is up, I no longer drag in the afternoon unless I have not gotten enough sleep the night before. It feels like my tiredness is 'real' now and not just a groggy feeling I live with daily. My mood is better. I am energized to exercise.

As for Jason, he has lost 11 pounds. His blood pressure went from 132/83 with a resting pulse in the 70 & 80's to 111/57 with a resting heart rate of 49. He is no longer bloated, feels energized after eating and his sinuses are clearing.

We are both exercising almost every day now.

As for the kids, I thought we were just bringing them along for the ride with us. I didn't realize until reading the book Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Fuhrman, Joel [Paperba (Google Affiliate Ad) how much we should have been doing this for THEM all along. Here are a few of the changes:

Our son has seen vast improvements in behavior, he loves all the 'treats' and that he can pretty much eat as much of whatever he wants whenever he wants. He is sensitive to processed sugars and we also think dairy (casein) is problematic but since he has not had either of these in weeks, he has not been craving them. He says he feels good with more energy and feels less angry.

Our middle daughter has always been a big fruit & veggie eater. I think she likes all the raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds best. Her allergies have been less pronounced since we started eating plant based. She is sniffling less.

Our youngest has had digestive problems for her entire life. But those issues are completely gone. Her constant tummy aches are gone. What a gift to give a child! She was addicted to cheese before this and would go to all lengths to get it but has only asked for cheese three times since we started and that was in the first two weeks.

Tomorrow (or soon) I will share my thoughts on what happens next. It is an interesting question that has come up in several conversations with friends who ate plant based/vegan/vegetarian for a while and then stopped. Until then, chews well! :-)

Menu Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 03:31:00 +0000

I am getting later and later on getting these menu posts up and I realized I haven't made any updates since I posted the last menu. So this post will be about this week's menu and the next one will be on the changes we have seen.

I am starting to get the hang of this and develop my own recipes so there are not links to every recipe. But if you see something you would like the recipe for just leave a comment!

Sunday
Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl (I make 8 times the recipe and keep it in an airtight container for the week)
Snack
Dinner: Minestrone Soup, Corn Muffins (I adapted the soup by omitting the oil and using veggie stock, I adapted the muffins by swapping the oil for applesauce, the flour for whole wheat flour, reduced the sugar to 2 T of Maple syrup)
Dessert: Cocoa Energy Balls, Apple Slices

Monday

Breakfast: Pumpkin Oatmeal
Snack: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Dinner: Thai Chickpeas & Brown Rice
Dessert: Strawberry Ice Ceam

Tuesday

Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
Snack: Power Balls
Dinner: Chinese Cashew Salad (from Fresh20.com)
Dessert: Coconut Ice Cream
Note: Make Oatmeal Bars for morning

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal Bars & Green Smoothie
Snack: Fresh Fruit
Dinner: Burgers, Roast Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts
Dessert: Avocado Ice Cream

Thursday

Breakfast: Brown Rice Breakfast Pudding (From the Forks Over Knives Cookbook)
Snack: Trail Mix
Dinner: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Brocoli
Dessert:

Friday

Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
Snack: Carrots & Peanut Butter
Dinner: Kale w/ Cashew Cream Sauce over noodles (In the Forks Over Knives Cookbook)
Dessert: Store Bought Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Saturday

Breakfast: Pancakes w/ Fruit Sauce
Snack
Dinner: Curried Rice Salad (Forks Over Knives Cookbook)
Dessert: Coconut Ice Cream (2)

Menu Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:06:00 +0000

The table format for the menu was fun but it was cutting off the end of the week. So I am just going to list the days and meals below. Also, for the most part we have left-overs for lunch. In that case I do not indicate a meal.

Tonight, we had the bean wraps and all by the littlest child cleaned their plate. Little M even asked for a side of steamed kale. We are all getting LOTS more veggies. The bean wraps were my own recipe. Sauted onion, garlic & green peppers, 1 T cumin, 1 T Chili Powder, 4 c. of black beans with their liquid, 2 c. chopped kale. Black Pepper to taste. I mashed the beans as you would for refried.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Steel cut oats with apples, dates, cinnamon & pecans
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Pumpkin Hummus, Spinach Soup & Brown Rice
Dessert: Cantaloupe

Monday:
Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
Lunch: Peanut butter and apple sandwiches, banana, salad
Dinner: Guacamole, Steamed Kale & Black Bean Wraps, Chips & Salsa
Dessert: Banana Pineapple Sorbet (from Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Fuhrman, Joel [Paperba (Google Affiliate Ad))

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bars & Smoothie
Snack: Powerballs
Dinner: Chili w/ TVP, Collards & Carrots (from Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained (Google Affiliate Ad))

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
Snack: Fresh Fruit Salad
Dinner: Mushroom Stroganoff, Broccoli Salad

Thursday:
Breakfast: Baked Tofu Squares with dip, Fruit Salad
Snack: Trail Mix
Dinner: Barley & Sweet Potato Pilaf, Green Beans

Friday:

Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl
Snack: Carrot Sticks
Dinner: Quinoa Corn & Avocado Salad

Saturday:
Breakfast: Tofu Scramble, Corn Tortillas & Pinto Beans
Snack: Birthday Party! Fruit Rainbow, Twirly Rainbow Popsicles, ??
Dinner: Veggie Sushi, Cashew Stir Fry

I feel like I am starting to get a handle on the recipes and food prep. The kids have been amazingly open to the changes and trying new things. I can't believe we are into our third week. Last night and today we had the opportunity to share a meal at home with friends and family. It was encouraging to be able to share 'plant strong' foods with them and still enjoy and socialize. I am glad to see we can still gather over food!

So Delicious!

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 04:06:00 +0000

Towards the beginning/middle of last week I was feeling pretty bummed about the food I was making. I made a couple of 'dud' recipes and I accidentally undercooked the beans I was using for the week making all my subsequent recipes with those beans very dry.

But, then I started planning for Valentine's Day and Little M's birthday for Thursday and Friday and we found some great options! For Valentine's Day I made broccoli w/ peanut sauce over brown rice. It was gobbled up such that we only had leftovers for Jason's lunch. Dessert was Fuhrman's Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream, we needed something special for Valentine's you know! Another hit! Friday, little M picked out spaghetti, mashed sweet potatoes, salad and carrot cake. I also made double chocolate cupcakes for her preschool friends. Another great day of eating. I was so proud of our plant strong meals and being able to share them with friends and family. It doesn't hurt when the kids just devour what I make either.

Today, we enjoyed a maple syrup demonstration at Ladew. I knew it would be a little bit of a challenge but we enjoyed time outside and learned the ins and outs of making maple syrup. It was a lot of fun. I packed a substantial picnic lunch and everyone did great avoiding the pancakes, syrup & milk and partaking in what we brought. We did all sample the syrup and we all had my favorite, maple sugar candy. Yummy!

I have been reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book, Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Fuhrman, Joel [Paperba (Google Affiliate Ad). Most of what he says is supporting or mentioned in the other works that I have been researching. But, the book also reinforces the importance that good nutrition has in laying a foundation for later years. He demonstrates how what we feed them now could potentially cause or prevent future illnesses. Certainly a powerful message. I am also intrigued by the information regarding behavior and diet. It is my understanding that it could take months to see a change but since we are already making this change anyway, it will be interesting to see what trickle down effects there are. Fuhrman's book has firmed my resolve to avoid all dairy with at least Little J and E and certainly Jason.

It will be pretty easy to do if we eat lots of 'Kale with Creamy Cashew Sauce' another of Fuhrman's recipes. The dish said it served 4 but Jason and I made quick work of it. The kids each had some and although none of them raved about it, they did each eat what was on their plate.

Our Journey Continues: Day 11

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 03:55:00 +0000

We are not even two weeks into this adventure yet and today was difficult. It started out as a great day but had a lot of mental highs and lows.

Our breakfast was oatmeal bars and chocolate (spinach, banana, cocoa, etc) shakes. I thought the kids would love them but the girls were not thrilled and took a while to plow through them. Little J, Jason and I enjoyed these and the shakes turned out much better than the first round from last week. I used a high powered blender which made a big difference in the texture and experience.

For lunch I had we picked from left overs and single ingredients for our individual meals. Little M chose rice, an energy ball (peanut butter, dried fruit & seeds), blood orange. All great choices. Little E had her dinner from the night before which she again refused to eat. I had left overs and salad and that was fine.

Dinner was an attempt at spaghetti and meatballs. The first and most major problem was that I tried using the failed tomato soup as spaghetti sauce. It may be fine as pizza sauce but it just didn't have enough 'umpf' to make the dish. In any case, Little M sensing my distress over-compensated on her praise for the meal, Little J ate it so he could have cookies and Little E just ran around and refused to eat it. I think my disappointment was that it just didn't taste like spaghetti and meatballs. Better sauce would have helped so would a mental shift.

I can't make 'traditional favorites' because they are just not going to taste the same. We need to find new favorites. Plus, I am pretty much done with the oatmeal, banana, cinnamon flavor that we have had in several breakfast/dessert dishes. It is ok once in a while but I need more variety than that.

Prior to this diet change I would plan each week with a beef, poultry, pork, fish, bean and egg dish. It made meal planning easier and meant that we got variety in the foods we were eating. This coming week I am going to re-implement this policy with adaptations, of course. We will have a bean soup, a veggie soup, a salad dish, a grain dish, pasta and sandwich/wrap. I might play with those some until I find the right combination. But I am going to try to avoid 'look-a-like' dishes like the ones I focused on this week because they were just took disappointing.

I picked up The Forks Over Knives Cookbook today and will look for inspiration there. Tomorrow, I will plan for Little M's birthday party at the end of the week. Encouragement is welcome!

Menu Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:02:00 +0000

Here is the menu and recipes for this coming week. I think I did a little bit better planning the full week this time. Links are provided for the recipes I will use except for Friday (I haven't decided which burger recipe to use yet) and Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream (it is from Furman's Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained (Google Affiliate Ad) book)

Today we tried a LOT of new recipes including "bacon" for breakfast (not a hit, too dry) and Tofu Scramble (not quite eggs but yummy and eaten up!) The Polenta Pizza was yummy and I took it to a church potluck.

I was a little concerned going to the potluck as our first adventure out into the 'real' world. I only took one child so I wouldn't have a big job of keeping track of what they were each eating. We really lucked out. There was the dish I brought, green beans w/ almonds, a big salad and a fruit salad. So we were set!

Meatloaf tonight was fun and felt homey on this cold-ish winter day. But looking back at the recipe now I realize that I forgot two big ingredients: the oatmeal (no wonder it was not totally solid) and the nuts. But, eaten along with the mashed potatoes it was great! Definitely will make again. For dessert we had Chocolate Ice Box Pie and while not TOTALLY healthy (there was maple syrup in it) it was so good. I topped it with raspberries and my dear husband asked a couple of times just how bad it was for him. The kids, of course, devoured it and wanted seconds. My favorite part was the crust made of dates, nuts and vanilla.

I am trying to figure out little M's birthday, which is coming up on Friday. She has asked for burgers but wants real meat ones. We could indulge her request for her birthday, it wouldn't hurt anything. Definitely, need to continue to discuss with my dear husband and see what the best plan for our family is.

Some continued health benefits: we continue to feel alert and refreshed. Jason has said his sinuses feel more clear than he can remember. Our littlest one is having an easier time going to the bathroom. DH and I have both felt like exercising and are actually do it, every day. His blood pressure and heart rate is significantly lower than it was 1 week ago. We will continue to monitor but so far so good!

On an environmental note, we have almost no trash! Food scraps go into compost, the wrappers go into recycling and that's about it.

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Scramble, Bacon, FruitSalad	Rip's Bowl	Breakfast Bars & Green Shake	Rip's Bowl	Oatmeal	Rip's Bowl	Saturday
Mid Morning Snack		Power Balls	Rice Cakes & PB	Apples & Pistachios	Trail Mix	Friday	Saturday
Lunch	Polenta, Pesto Pizza						Kale w/Cashew Cream Sauce
Afternoon Snack	Apples, PB and Toast, Pistachios	Hummus	Popcorn	Fruit Salad w/Chia Seeds	Chips & Salsa	Fruit Shake	Saturday
Dinner	Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad	South West Mac & Cheese	Spaghetti & Meatballs	Black Bean Burritos	Stir Fry & Brown Rice	Burgers, Fries, Salad & Fruit	Potato Enchiladas, Guacamole,
Dessert	Chocolate Ice Box Pie	Cookies	Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream	Pumelo		Carrot Cake & Banana Ice Cream	Saturday

Breakfast Is Served!

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 13:21:00 +0000

Saturday is typically our pancakes morning so adapting our traditional recipe would have been a little challenging (though not impossible). So I returned to a whole wheat recipe I have used over the past year.

PANCAKES

Here is the original. My adaptations are below:

Combine:

1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/4 c. corn meal
1/4 c. flax seed meal
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t baking soda

Add:
2 c. milk alternative (I used Almond)
1 mashed banana

Stir and let sit while you heat the griddle
Cook as you normally would pancakes.

SYRUP

For the syrup I combined the following in a blender

1 banana
1/4 c orange juice
2 T dates

Blend well

Add
1/2 c.-1 c. Milk Alternative (I used Almond)
1 T Chia Seeds
Combine

Let sit while the pancakes cook. Serve generously over top (or drink :-))

I've Been Vegucated

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:28:00 +0000

Netflix so kindly recommended other documentaries that would enjoy since I just watched, "Forks Over Knives". From the list I chose, "Vegucated." I made the mistake of watching it over dinner. Although I knew most of the information regarding factory farming and I am learning about the health benefits of a plant based diet, to see the reality of those types of farms was sickening. I am thankful that it's been years since we stepped off of that terrible machine to only eat locally sourced, humanely treated animals. The documentary questions whether it is humane to kill any animal when we do not need it eat that kind of food to survive.

If you are still purchasing any type, organic & free range included, of grocery store meats, eggs or dairy, I would recommend you watch this movie. You need to know and see where you food is coming from.

Four days into this project I am feeling pretty good about this choice. Jason and I have already noticed certain changes such as: we are not tired after eating, we are less tired in general (and it's not because we got more sleep!), he has lost a pound and feels less bloated, we are less hungry in between meals, the food is delicious.

On a TMI note, I thought we would all be more gassy because of all the fruits, vegetables, beans, etc but I haven't noticed it to be any different that usual.

We had 'Blueberry Dumpster Cake' last night for dessert and it was again motivating enough for the kids to devour their food. I am making veggie sushi on Friday and can't wait! It's probably going to be a mess but is should be fun!

Three days in

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:26:00 +0000

We are 3 days in to our 'plant based, whole foods' lifestyle change. I have been surprised by several things. First, the children are actually receptive to the change. We have told them nothing at all about it. But, they have been eating and enjoying the meals I have prepared and snacks. They were especially excited today when I made tortilla chips and the desserts have been a huge hit. None of these items contained any added sugars, fats or dairy.

Second, I have noticed fewer of my own cravings. The breakfast I crafted this morning, "Rip's Big Bowl", was a devoured by everyone and there were no requests for the cereal we typically have. I wasn't even hungry until lunch time. I usually need several snacks between breakfast and lunch to get me there. I love that you can eat as much as fills you up. My sweet husband commented that he is going to need to learn to listen to his body telling him when he is full and hungry as it feels different and the portions are larger. The kids, too, are asking for less food in between meals and amazingly enough Little E hasn't gone diving for the cheese in the fridge yet. That is usually a daily occurrence.

Third, the food I have made so far has been absolutely delicious. The Lentil Coconut Soup from last night was so good we all remarked on it's tastiness :-) The post just prior to this has the meal plan that I came up with for the whole week. I linked most of the recipes to it so you could follow along, too.

I was worried we'd never get through the next eight weeks but I don't think it is going to be a problem now. We watched the extended interviews on Forks Over Knives today. The documentary clarified a few questions that I had. I have also been reading extensively. Trying to wrap my head around a new way of eating, cooking and planning for meal. We have eaten A LOT of bananas recently but that may change as I figure out recipes and plan differently.

I hope you will join me and post your comments, too!

Weekly Menu for Plant Based Whole Foods Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:45:00 +0000

Here is the manu plan that I have come up with. Click the links to see the recipes:

I am not quite finished with this but you can see where I have started to get an idea. We had the Lentil Coconut soup last night with RAVE reviews from the kids, same with the Rip's Bowl for breakfast. Looking forward to these meals!

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Breakfast	Pumpkin Quinoa	Oatmeal	Breakfast Bars	Musli	Rip's Bowl	Friday	Saturday
Mid Morning Snack	Apples and PB	Enfrijoladas	Power Balls	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Lunch	Leftovers	Leftovers	Bean Burritos	Hummus Sandwich with Veggies	Leftovers	Friday	Leftovers
Afternoon Snack	Hummus and pita	Chips and Salsa	Popcorn	Rice Cakes & Dip	Nut Chips	Friday	Saturday
Dinner	Lentil and Coconut Soup	Rice Corn & Avocado Salad	Very Veggie Chili	Rice Salad with Fennel, Oranges & Chickpeas	Cuban Black Bean Soup & Cous Cous	Sushi, SpinachSalad, Noodles	Potato Enchiladas
Dessert	Banana Ice Cream	Pumpkin Pudding	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday

We Watched Forks Over Knives

noreply@blogger.com (Nettie) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:03:00 +0000

Today, my family and I watched Forks Over Knives. The movie had been recommended to us by several friends and I finally had the chance to sit down and watch it. I have watched many food movies at this point and read many food books. Mostly, my perspective on food issues has been to answer the following questions: What is the impact of food production on the environment? Is the food safe for our bodies? To date, I have been able to sustain my beliefs as a locavore but watching the Forks Over Knives documentary has changed my perspective yet again.

I would highly recommend you watch it. The movie promotes a plant based whole foods diet. They provide research which supports the belief that this type of diet provides for a healthy, well balanced life-style and lowers an individuals risk of cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. If you have Netflix, you can check the movie out there or your local library.

With strong evidence of the veracity of this life-style change from a close friend, we decided to try it out. Our goal is to eat a plant-based whole foods diet for the next eight weeks and then have a physical exam to see if there are any changes. My husband is on the verge of high cholesterol and is not at his personal ideal weight. I had had high blood pressure at my last appointment, my bad cholesterol is high and I often feel tired. I hope that the changes we are about to make will help.

I still have a fridge full of food that I am not going to let go to waste so I will incorporate those items in small amounts as we make the transition. But, tonight we had Enfrijoladas and a big green salad with avacados, tomatoes and sunflower seeds. We decided that the only way this would work would be if the whole family were doing it so the kids ate the food, too. Little E (3.5) devoured the two bowls of salad and almost her entire entree. Little M (5) had three bowls of salad and half of her entree and Little J(7) ate only half of his entree but I feel like we are off to a great start.

I am making a meal plan for the week with breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks identified throughout the day since this will be a new way of cooking and eating. I will have to ditch my 'go-to' recipes and foods. I am excited though as I do enjoy trying new things. Looking forward to how this adventure unfolds. I'll do my best to bring you along with it!