Days 10, 13, 16, and 42 & a minor kitchen fire...

Just a reminder that I am involved in The La Dolce Vegan cooking challenge sponsored by The Vegan Culinary Institute, wherein we cook our way through La Dolce Vegan cookbook by Sarah Kramer & blog about our experiences.

I had a bit of a catch up day yesterday...all desserts! I have an event tomorrow where I'm in charge of desserts, so I saved a bunch for then & also skipped ahead so I'd have enough to share. Here we go:

Day 10 ~ Espresso Cake (247) with Chocolate Glaze (260). First of all, I don't have an espresso maker, so I went up to my local coffee shop for the espresso, thanks Coffee Buddha! I also decided to double the recipe since I need to feed lots of people. The cake recipe was very easy and smelled like heaven! I didn't have a double boiler for the glaze, so I had to fashion one. It was a little messy but did the job. I didn't get to try the finished product yet, but can't wait to!

Day 13 ~ Stephanie's Asteroids aka Sugar Bombs aka Crack aka Instant Cavity (page 209). In my baking frenzy yesterday, I forgot to make these. So I whipped them up this morning before breakfast! Quick and easy. I screwed up by putting the sugar (a reduced 2/3 cup) into the dry mixture, so I ended up putting the remaining 1/3 cup on the stove with the peanut butter and soy milk. It turned out fine & actually made them look a little sparkly:). But so much for trying to watch the sugar intake. My advice before rolling this sticky little nuggets of goo in your hands is to wet your hands with cold water...makes life much easier. And holy sugar!!!! Be so careful giving these to your kids...they may not sleep for days! These are like a non-drug drug...I'm still buzzing! Yum!

Day 16 ~ Cherry Cobbler (page 230). Okay so I hate cherry pie, cherry cobbler, or anything to do with cooked cherries. I only like them fresh. But I actually didn't mind this recipe so much. I loved the little "biscuits" that made up the cobbler part. This literally makes exactly 4 servings...Sarah Kramer is a genius for coming up with this idea. (Though it did sabotage my plan to feed 30 people with it. What was I thinking??) Love it...2 thumbs up. Next time I might try it with strawberries or blueberries.

Day 42 ~ Cranberry Apple Crisp (page 234). This is my skip ahead recipe, since the cobbler couldn't feed more than 4 people. I doubled this recipe as well for the number of people I want to serve and also didn't get to try it just yet. I didn't have enough cranberries for the doubled recipe, so I used blueberries. It was 2 cups cranberries and 1 cup blueberries. Looks delicious & smells fantastic! Just like fall. The hardest part was chopping the apples. But if you have an apple peeler-corer-slicer, it's a breeze. Whoever invented this thing is a stinking genius! It is perfect for making apple pies. If you don't own the stand, you may want to think about getting it, as this doesn't clamp on my kitchen counter tops. You know another thing I love from Pampered Chef? These measuring spoons. Another genius invention and space saver. And for $8, you are going to save yourself a world of hassle. No I do not sell Pampered chef, I am just in love with these two purchases! Anywho...check out the Crisp:

And now on to my final order of blogging...the kitchen fire. As all my lovely desserts were cooling on trivets on the stovetop, I decided to rest and make myself a cup of tea. I put the teapot on the stove, turned it on, and walked away. Within about 10 minutes the house was filled with smoke. I turned on a burner under one of my cooking desserts & set the wooden trivet on fire...and I mean real flames! This is not the first time I have done this & it's one of the reasons I really miss my gas stove. This is, however, the first time there have been actual flames. But I learned something...my smoke detectors don't work so great! I got the smoke cleared, but my house definitely smells like a campfire. Ah well...what an adventure!

Lying on the floor where I tossed it after smothering the flames. *sigh*

Juicer a.k.a. Kris Carr

Dear BFF,

I just wanted to take this moment to introduce you to my new juicer, Kris Carr. I have named her Kris Carr after the person Kris Carr a.k.a. The Vegan Juicing Goddess Extraordinaire. The person Kris Carr spoke at Farm Sanctuary this summer & inspired me to invest in a good juicer. So here she is!

Isn't she pretty? I'm in love! She is an Omega 8006 masticating juicer. I wanted a middle of the line juicer (read: didn't want to pay $500+), but I wanted to be able to make juice & store it at least overnight so I don't have to juice everyday (read: lazy). The masticating juicer slowly "chews" up the veggies, squeezing out all the vitaminy goodness. Kris Carr actually sounds like a little bunny chewing on her veggies! This allows the juice to sit awhile before losing all the nutrients. Masticating juicers also yield more juice, more nutrients & enzymes, less foam & can be stored in the fridge for a day or so...perfect! All pieces-parts are dishwasher safe on top rack (bonus!), so she's super easy to clean. I love my green juice!!! Thanks Kris Carr (juicer and person!)!

Kale, romaine, broccoli, pea sprouts, pears, ginger, cucumber, celery.

Day 4 ~ Gerry's Artichoke and Basil Pasta

Wow, BFF, I cannot believe it's only been 4 days! Here's my official shout out to The Vegan Culinary Institute for sponsoring this challenge...what a challenge it is!

Now on to the recipe. This lovely recipe is found on page 132 of Sarah Kramer La Dolce Vegan. Super easy recipe, accessible and inexpensive ingredients (except the pine nuts ~ cha-ching$$!). I loved being able to use ingredients from my garden. Hubs loved it & commented on what a nice and light pasta dish it was. Easy and delish...will make again!

Cooking with Sarah Day 1

Recipe # 1 ~ Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins ~ pg. 274 La Dolce Vegan!

Aren't they pretty? They were super easy to make & taste really yummy! They look a little dark because I used whole wheat flour.

What I did:
1. Used whole wheat flour because apparently that's all I have in my house.
2. Cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup because 3/4 cup seemed like a lot to me with the sweetness of bananas & molasses. I think they'd still be delicious even with 1/4 cup sugar.
3. Used frozen blueberries instead of fresh.

Thoughts:
1. Easy to make.
2. Delicious...had 2 for breakfast.
3. I am going to get fat doing this contest. I'll be making many more sweet things than I normally eat...this could be a problem.
4. I'm going to go broke doing this contest. Blueberries are freaking expensive!
5. I want a bigger kitchen & this thought makes me feel really old.

Thanks Sarah! See you tomorrow!!!

How did your BFF become vegan??

I've had this question a lot, and have been debating on whether or not to blog about it, or just answer it on FB. But...if I'm giving you all this awesome vegan advice, I think it's important that you know where I came from. Thank you Nadia for the question, and here's the answer.

Let's start at the beginning, I grew up in a very health conscious house. My mother believed in her family eating all natural, organic, preservative-free food. We did eat meat, but it usually came from a local farm north of where we lived. Incidentally, I have etched in my brain a visit to the farm where I was hanging out with the farmers daughter in the slaughterhouse while she ate Fruit Loops and we watched cartoons on a tiny tv. Sounds like something right out of the Twilight Zone, right? Even though I didn't see any animals being killed, I will never forget the smell of the place, mixed with the smell of Fruit Loops...still gagging! Anyway as a child, I did not love meat. I demanded that my mom make for me a separate spaghetti sauce that was meat free (which she lovingly did) and I was no fan of pork chops that's for sure. At age 8? 10?, I remember asking about the source of the meat. In my head I liked to think of the animals being humanely euthanized, pain-free and willingly. I think even then I knew it wasn't true. But I asked about the ethics of eating animals & the answer I received was that this is what the animals are raised for. Which is a truthful answer without getting into right and wrong.

At age 19, I one of my BFF's was vegetarian, I worked in a restaurant with a lot of vegetarians, and I took an ethics class that talked about eating animals. This really stirred the pot for me & I decided that I was going veg. But for the uneducated 19 year old, that meant that I ate grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and french fries. Not a well balanced diet and definitely not one for the long haul. Needless to say that I was only vegetarian-ish for awhile & soon fell off the wagon. I did not have the 'a-ha' factor or moment to make the change last.

My 'A-ha' moment (sorry about going "all Oprah" on ya) happened when I got my dog when I was 20 years old. He was only 5 weeks old when I got him & I had to give him puppy formula because he was taken from his mamma to soon. It was love at first sight. It was also not so long after that I realized that he is not different from other animals...if you think so, ask yourself why? Once that connection was made, it was really difficult to separate. I definitely had my moments of backsliding, but this time they came with a heaping spoonful of guilt...and who wants that? The easiest way to alleviate this guilty feeling was to stop eating meat...change my behavior. And that's what I did.

He was just a little bigger than my hairbrush!

So onward we go as a vegetarian. Or pesca-vegetarian, because I still ate seafood. It was actually a carnivorous friend who got me to stop eating fish. She asked me what the difference was between land and sea creatures...why was one okay for me to eat and not the other. Now I'm not sure if she was really curious or really wanted to challenge me, but challenge me she did, and this was my reply: There is no difference, but seafood is just harder for me to give up. Shortly after she asked the question, I stopped eating fish. The guilty feeling that I was ignoring was no longer ignorable. And many other things after this just gradually faded away...eggs began to disgust me, we switched to soy milk for hubby's lactose issues, etc. Hubs and I often discussed that we knew veganism was in our future...we were totally not prepared for how soon it would arrive.

For our anniversary every year, we venture to the Fingerlakes wine country in New York. Coincidentally, right around the corner is Farm Sanctuary. We had tried to visit the farm in the past, but our timing was always off...we ran out of time, farm was closed to visitors...But in August of 2009, the stars aligned and we were able to visit the farm! It was a rainy, muddy day, and we were the only visitors (thank the saints!). I already new it was going to be an emotional day because I'm super sensitive when it comes to the mistreatment of animals. I was tearing up at the get-go, just thinking of all the wrongs in the world & I was super excited and nervous about meeting the cows. I have a soft-spot in my heart for cows (they are just big dogs!) and I just new it would be difficult and wonderful to see them. So our tour began with a video, talking about how the animals used for meat, eggs, and dairy industries are treated. More tears. Then we start up to see the cows. Our guide, my new farm BFF, was talking about a really awful story about sheep....I can't remember it now, because as soon as I got my first glimpse of a cow, I totally broke down sobbing (this is why I'm thankful we were the only ones on the tour). Farm BFF thought it was the story (it probably partly was), but it was really the cows...poor Farm BFF didn't know what to do with me. When I finally composed myself, we headed into the pasture with the "Special Needs" herd...most of whom have joint issues, are elderly, etc. This is where I met Snickers, the beautiful cow with a white heart on his front leg. As we were sitting with Snickers, Farm BFF was telling us his story. He was a veal calf and he was rescued with his mother, who's udders were so severely infected that they were dragging on the ground. This is where I learned that dairy industry = veal industry. Duh! I never really truly made this connection before. Veal was the very first meat I gave up in my teens, and unwittingly all along, I was supporting veal farming every time I bought ice cream or Gouda. That info does not sit well in a vegetarian's stomach. So we continued on with our tour, meeting all the wonderful animals and hearing their stories. We witnessed how many obstacles they've overcome and how they can even find forgiveness. Did you know that sheep comfort each other by leaning on each other, ie applying pressure? They find this comforting, and they help each other out in times of distress. The sheep did this to us...that day, when we were struggling to come to terms with our choices and the choices of the world. They came right up to us and leaned on us, we comforted each other. And during each visit to the farm, the sheep continue to do this...sometimes almost knocking us over! So needless to say, after that visit, both your BFF and her hubby were vegan.

Me with Snickers!

Another great question posed by Nadia was...How do you stay vegan and not fall off the wagon? For me the answer is simple. You cannot un-ring a bell, you cannot unlearn what you know...it is not a choice for me. I cannot support an industry that is cruel to animals. I am also a yogi, and I follow the 8 limbs of yoga. Ahimsa means non-violence or non-harming. I cannot follow this principle and still eat meat, dairy, or eggs. It doesn't work for me. And this is what you need to look at...what is your motivation for being vegan? Is it just a diet? Because I don't know a single person who has adopted a diet as a lifestyle and stuck to it. I think the motivation behind being vegan needs to be something you're passionate about...animal welfare, healthy eating, etc. Sure if you're a strong willed person, you can make the choice to be vegan and stick with it. I am NOT strong willed enough...especially when it comes to food. But I am passionate about my belief that animals are not ours to use for food, clothes, or entertainment. That makes it so easy for me to be vegan:) I'll leave you with one of my favorite yoga mantras..."Lokaha Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings everywhere be happy and free."

Look at the heart on his leg! RIP Snickers...you changed my life forever!

Until next time,
Your BFF

What's on your mind, BFF?

What would you like to talk about? Anything you're dying to know? Something you're mildly curious about? Ask away! I have a long list of topics waiting in the wings, but I'd like to know what you're interested in learning. Comment away!

Love,
Your BFF

Happiness is a good belly rub!

Stinky HIppie!

Once in a while, in every vegan's life, we reach an obstacle that seems insurmountable. It may be trying to find a non-dairy milk that the whole family is happy with, or getting that chocolate bar that actually tastes like chocolate. For me...it's the STINK. Yep, it's time to veganize the pits. And believe me, it's not just about veganizing them, but also about healthier skin care and not putting aluminum into my body (ie. because it is linked to Alzheimer's and my memory sucks as it is). So for me, switching from antiperspirants to deodorants has become my most challenging challenge yet. As your Best Friend, I find it my duty to let you in on my findings...and because I have a sensitive nose and don't want to smell your stink.

First a little background...there once was a day when I lived with one of my BFFs who literally could not smell. She has something called anosmia, which means she smells NOTHING! Oh what bliss it was to live with someone who couldn't smell...those were the days of basking in my own stink without a care in the world about offending the nose of another. Alas, those days ended long ago, and as I cohabitate with a boy (my husband), I find myself caring about the way I smell. I also go out into the world and mingle with others...more specifically I am a yoga instructor who sweats a lot. Hey, we all sweat a lot in class and I like it...it feels good! And I don't even mind others seeing the efforts of my work, I just don't want them to smell the efforts! Plus, I do not want a report card sent home to my old man saying that I play well with others, but need to work on personal hygeine. So what is your stinky hippie BFF supposed to do? Well, I embarked on a journey to find a deodorant that WORKS! Here's what I found:

I started with what I could find easily...Tom's of Maine and Kiss My Face. As your BF, I do not recommend either of these. They do not cut it in the stink arena...trust me.

**It must be said that I passed these along to my 62 year old mother & they work for her. And she's seriously very active! After a brisk 5 mile walk she came to my house and made me smell her pits...for real. And she really didn't stink! So it's all about your individual body chemistry...and my chemistry set is quite stinky.

Next, I emailed another blogger, Chic Vegan, for some advice. Here's what she gave me...

- after shower, completely dry armpits.
- apply 3 squirts of Weleda Citrus Deodorant to each pit. Leaving arms up to allow to dry completely.
- apply a dusting of Burt's Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder (This can be quite messy and takes some practice to perfect.)
- For really hot or active days I carry the mini Weleda spray in my bag and reapply in the middle of the day.

 I found both of these products at Whole Foods. And for the first few days, I loved this combo. Here's what went wrong for me...first, I didn't make it through a long day of yoga without getting stinky. I later found out that when switching from antiperspirant to deodorant, you need you allow your pits to detox. Your pores begin to open after a long time of being clogged & stinkiness can increase for some time. It is important to give your pits 10 days to fully detox. I did not do this. The clincher for me was that the spray burned after shaving and gave my very sensitive skin a painful rash. May still work for some...maybe you want to give it a shot.

I did some more research on the internet and found http://www.bubbleandbee.com/. They make something called Pit Putty that got very good reviews, so I had to try it!

I ordered the original scent which is lemon and clove and the scent was ok. Pit Putty contains arrowroot powder which helps absorb sweat. You actually have to rub pit putty into your pits, which kinda makes me feel like it works. They also have a 100% guarantee on their deodorants! So when this one didn't work for me, I contacted them and they sent me another one...I only had to pay shipping. They make custom deodorants & I tried the Super Pit Putty with patchouli (they have more floral/less earthy scents too). So far so good! and I know if it stops working, I can get another one! Bubble and Bee offers a variety of deodorant stick and sprays, as well as many other personal care products like lotions, soaps, and hair care. I also bought the natural Insect Repellent, and I love it!


But, here's what you really need to know, Stinky Girl. This is NOT your old chemical antiperspirant. So aside from just changing sticks, you have to change some habits as well. Do not think that you can wake up in the morning and roll out the door with yesterday's deodorant on...trust me...from one dirty girl to another. You at least need to wash those pits & re-apply! Some other handy tips from folks at Bubble and Bee...after shower, sanitize those pits with a little rubbing alcohol or apple cider vinegar before applying deodorant. This gives you the cleanest "working space".

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have or do some more research for you. I really really want your pits to be happy, healthy, and stick-free!
Love,
Your BFF

Dear BFF, Let's stock your kitchen, shall we?

One of the biggest obstacles to becoming vegan or veganish, is where to begin. Luckily for you, BFF, I have read the books and done the leg work. I have discovered that once you make that first shopping trip and stock your kitchen for the first time, the rest is cake (vegan of course!).

Many cookbooks will tell you all your must-haves for your kitchen & usually they differ from each other, causing such an overwhelming feeling that your brain shuts down & you start down the road marked "I can't". Don't go there dear BFF...I have narrowed down the list to what I have actually used the most. So before you go and buy 15 different effing cooking oils like myself, let me tell you what you need and where to get it.

Pantry:

Ingredient: Nutritional Yeast Flakes, ie "Nooch"
Why you need it: This ingredient is used to give any dish that savory flavor. Used in Veganomicon's Cheesy Sauce (OMG), most tofu scramble recipes, and homemade "parmesan".
Where to get it: Whole Foods or Food Co-op in bulk section.

Ingredient: Flaxseed Meal
Why you need it: Healthy fat, high fiber, B vitamins, Omega 3's! When mixed with water, it is a great substitute for eggs as a binding agent in baking. Throw it in a smoothie for an extra healthy kick! Store it in fridge/freezer after opening for longer shelf life.
Where to get it: Any grocery store with a health food section. Look for Bob's Red Mill...it's a good one.

Ingredient: High Heat Oils, ie. Refined Coconut, Canola, Safflower, Sesame. Pick one and go for it!
Why you need it: Because olive oil is for drizzling! Actually it's probably not a necessity...I cook with olive oil too, but I think it's nice to have canola oil on hand for stir-frys or baking, where I want a little more neutral flavor.
Where to get it: Any grocery should carry it.

Ingredient: Natural Vegan Granulated Sugar, ie. Succanat, Turbanado sugar, raw sugar, evaporated cane juice. Again, you don't need all of them, pick one and give it a shot!
Why you need it: Because refined sugar is the devil...not to mention un-vegan! Unbelievable, right?? Most white sugar goes through a refining process in which it's filtered through animal bones. I get organic evaporated cane juice and it works fantastic in all my baking. I also get the organic powdered sugar.
Where to get it: Some grocery stores with health food sections, Whole Foods, Food Co-op.

Ingredient: Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Why you need it: Because it's a healthier, lower sodium alternative to soy sauce/tamari for use in cooking. I still have my soy sauce, but Bragg's is nice if you're fingers are getting swollen from your salt intake. Many recipes call specifically for Bragg's, and sure, you can use soy sauce. But as your BFF, I totally recommend getting yourself a bottle...you won't be sorry!
Where to get it: Some grocery stores with health food sections, Whole Foods, Food Co-ops

Ingredient: Dried herbs
Why you need it: Because they are yummy. Many recipes call for fresh herbs, but we don't always have them on hand & they can be expensive. Try substituting 1 tsp dried herb for every 1 tbsp fresh herb called for in recipes.
Where to get it: Any grocery store.

Other things I keep on hand: organic/natural peanut butter, canned chickpeas, white beans, & black beans, canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown and white rice, couscous, pasta, apple cider vinegar, dried lentils, whole wheat bread crumbs, Agave nectar, Tahini, brown rice syrup, whole wheat pastry four, all purpose unbleached flour, organic baking cocoa.

Fridge:

Ingredient: Earth Balance Buttery Spread (different from Smart Balance which is not all vegan)
Why you need it: It's a lovely butter substitute in baking or even on toast or bread. I like the whipped, but the original is great. They also have soy-free version.
Where to get it: Most grocery stores with a health food section, Whole Foods, Food Co-op (and look for the shortening sticks too!)

Ingredient: Non-dairy milk, ie. soy, hemp, rice, almond
Why you need it: Because you like cereal, right? Non-dairy milks are great to sub where ever cow's milk is called for. Great in baking, smoothies and milkshakes, or for homemade ice cream!
Where to get it: Most grocery stores now at least carry Silk. And don't just look in the refrigerated isles! Many non-dairy milks are found on the shelf with other beverages.
***Your BFF feels the need to mention that non-dairy milks, more than any other item, are such a personal choice. This one I cannot decide for you...it's a little trial and error. I use Silk original for just about everything. We liked it right away, so I really didn't search much further. Good luck and please share your findings!

Ingredient: Vegenaise
Why you need it: If you like mayo, you need Vegenaise. It is the ONLY mayo substitute worth your money. Trust your BFF, don't waste your time on anything else.
Where to get it: Whole Foods, Food Co-op, Naturally Soergel's if you're in the Pittsburgh area. p.s. It's in the refrigerated section!!!!!

Other must haves in the vegan fridge: Firm or extra firm tofu, silken tofu (for dips & vegan ranch), Daiya vegan cheese (best vegan cheese on the planet!), Silk soy creamer for coffee and cooking, Tofurkey meat substitutes if you like lunch meats type things, Boca burgers & crumbles in the freezer, and stay stocked with all your favorite veggies! I always have garlic, onions, mushrooms, and spinach. And don't discount frozen veggies...they are easy to prepare and often just as healthy...but make sure to read the ingredients & avoid the ones with added crap.

Other notable items:

Lightlife Fakin' Bacon ~ makes a BLT, or should I say FLT, that is to die for! (Whole Foods, Food Co-op, Soergel's)

Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips, because sometimes you just need a cookie. (Whole foods, Co-op, Giant Eagle)

 Go Max Go candy bars. Mahalo (Almond Joy), Buccaneer (3 Muskateers), Twilight (Milky Way), and Jokerz (Snickers). They are vegan & all natural! Buy them locally at East End Food Co-op or Naturally Soergel's (thanks to your BFF) or at www.gomaxgofoods.com

 

Better Than Bouillon vegan Vegetable Base, No Beef Base, and No Chicken Base. Great for soups and gravies. The No Chicken Base seriously makes a "chicken" noodle soup that will take you back to the comfort of your childhood! Most grocery stores carry the veggie base, the No Chicken & Beef are harder to find...look in Whole Foods or Food Co-ops for them. And be very careful...they make all natural Real Chicken and Beef bases too! Just look for the 'V' for vegan!

I'm here to answer any questions you may have!


Love,
Your Vegan BFF

Meet your new Best Friend!

Please allow me to introduce myself, I am your new best friend...your VEGAN best friend that is. I know becoming vegan can be daunting and maintaining this lifestyle can be very lonely. I get it. I am here for you...if you need advice or just an ear to listen. I have done tons of research during my vegan journey and continue to educate myself. I would love to pass any and all information your way! Ask me questions...if I don't know the answer, I will find it for you! We are going to have so much fun together! Best Friends Forever!