I am super thankful this year that my Mother in Law is doing a mostly vegan Thanksgiving. Yeah, there is a turkey highlighting the evening. But for all the sides she put forth the effort to make all vegan sides. Granted I volunteered for a bunch of sides (1 pie, 1 crumble, lentil balls, 2 casseroles, and vegan gravy) but I would of still have plenty of grub to eat. I am also thankful I don’t have to worry about my husband’s tummy at the end of the night. He is lactose intolerant, but sometimes will have some lactaid. But sometimes, even with the lactaid, too much dairy will hit him hard.
I am also thankful that I have a loving husband who will talk to me for an hour straight about the merits of the Harry Potter books and movies. We talked all morning about the symbolism in the book, and how it can positively effect a kids life. You know, talking about death, puberty, love, family, etc. Some are direct, some are not. The only reason why the conversation ended was because we both had to use the bathroom.
What are you guys thankful for?
Hopefully you are thankful for my Weekend reading posts. We have a lot of Thanksgiving related articles and videos this week. Maybe a little too heavy of the videos. I hope you guys actually watch them. I’ve heard rumors that blog readers don’t like watching videos.
The United States of Thanksgiving
Remember when I mentioned in my Tofurky or Not Tofurky post about how many Italian American Thanksgivings look a lot like an Italian American restaurant? Thanksgiving is different for everyone and New York Times covers it pretty well. They have 52 different recipes that might make it on a Thanksgiving tables with some local flair. Clearly not every Maine local is going to put lobster mac and cheese on their table, but I am sure it isn’t unheard of (I mean I DID see lots of lobster mac and cheese on the menus there).
Booze Before Chews: A Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Drinking Game
I don’t like making gender stereotypes, but most guys tend to watch football while women watch the parade. I was part of the parade watching crowd. I am also all about day drinking so I am all about drinking games for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Cookies and Sangria makes a game for the parade, and provides exercise or drinking options. It’s a shame that 1) I need to cook a bunch this year and you know, don’t want chop a finger off, and 2) My sister works all Thanksgiving and being hammered during work is “unprofessional.”
Against the Grain
All the hype around gluten-free foods is starting to get annoying. No, I don’t deny that there are people with celiacs disease, or people who are gluten sensitive. I do have a hard time believing that gluten is overall a health risk to the entire nation. I recently watched an episode of Parenthood, and there was a gluten-free, fat-free, dairy-free, super healthy dessert made for their father who just had heart surgery. I found the scene annoying since I see no particular reason why a man with heart problems should take gluten out of their diet. It has become a blanket term for “new fangled healthiness.”
But having tons of gluten-free options is a good thing. People with celiacs disease have food they can eat, and it makes it easier to entertain guests with the disease. There are also lots of kids who have temporary wheat allergies, which makes life easier for parents. Overall I think it is just important for everyone else to eat a little bit of everything. Think about what the average American eats? Toast and eggs for breakfast. There’s some wheat. An Italian sub from the local deli. There’s some wheat. For dinner some spaghetti and meatballs. Wheat in the pasta, and probably some wheat in the meatballs. Suddenly we are told that there are other grains, and we should probably start rotating them.
Back in Black – Black Friday and What Black Thursday Protesters Are Doing Wrong
Usually the main person who picks the articles on here is me (Jennifer). But Alexa posted an article on Facebook the other day about Black Friday. The article made the argument that people should shop if they feel like it, and workers should be allowed to work if they want to. Alexa and I both agreed that the person missed the point of the black friday or black thursday protests. I was pretty ticked about the whole article, wrote a whole bunch about inequality. Then Louis Black went on the Daily Show and ranted about Black Friday. Yup. He pretty much got it all right.
Alexa and I have both worked retail and in restaurants, two businesses where you are expected to work during holidays, weekends, and late at night. We both have been blessed that we work at small stores so we don’t work on Thanksgiving, but my sister who is a writer actually has to spend her whole Thanksgiving on the computer posting hot deals for the next day. (and not drinking during the parade with me) She gets an hour off to celebrate Thanksgiving, then hops back on the computer.
I get that people need to work on holidays. There were some occasions where my Mother worked holidays (she’s a nurse). We simply celebrated them on different days. I know people go to restaurants on holidays (which I don’t like, but not going into that), movies, and grab last minute food and drinks for celebrations. It is worth noting there is a difference from Walmart opening up for Thanksgiving day and your local liquor store staying open. Walmart is chaotic, and involves more workers than normal. The local liquor store might only need one or two people working the shop.
And that to me, is where the major problem is. I think I wouldn’t care as a worker to come in, work on a slow day and miss Thanksgiving. But put me in one of the busiest days of the year? And miss a family holiday? And then be told I should be happy that I could work that day? Get out of here. Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that most Americans celebrate. When people don’t have family nearby, they celebrate with other people.
Daily Show – Garden Crate + The Great Crate Debate
Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to post so many videos. There was just a really good episode of the Daily Show. Jon Stewart talks about a bill in New Jersey that would outlaw gestation crates. Alexa and I both live in New Jersey so this is something we are really interested in. I posted the video for the first half of the segment, but left a link for a “debate” about gestation crates. Even though Jon Stewart isn’t vegan or vegetarian I think it is great that he is very open about talking where food comes from.
Chris Christie’s veto is really annoying, but we can happily sign a petition to show that we care a lot of about the issue.
Do Vegans Kill More Animals Than Meat-Eaters?
With Thanksgiving coming up, we might find ourselves sitting at a table with our distant Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. We’ve all been there, being grilled by a person trying to get expose the vegan as being a big giant phony. I Fucking Love Science recently posted an article about how a vegan diet actually kills more animals. Although the data might be truthful, it isn’t a realistic display of what people actually eat. It would imply that my vegan meal consists of only grains, and the omnivorous diet is only grass fed beef.
Emily make great points and approaches to topic in a great way. I’ve had friends talk about how they had summer jobs plucking dead mice and snakes from crops. It happens, and there isn’t anyone trying to hide that. Watch Emily, get educated, and you’ll be able to make an great argument at the dinner table.
Alexa is working toward a vegetarian diet, and is loaded with questions. Jennifer’s got answers. We talk about anything as long as it is vegan. Are tattoos vegan? How do I politely not eat Thanksgiving dinner? How do I order without pissing off the waitress? We know you are dying to ask!
How did people react when you first decided to go vegan as opposed to vegetarian?
I was hesitant to write this post since I can’t say that my family has been incredibly supportive. So I won’t be pointing out anyone in particular and I will be taking examples from both sides of family, my side, and my husbands side. With that said there is only one person I will single out- my husband.
I was a pretty flexible vegan when we first started to date. I pretty much got rid of all animal products from my diet, but I had a hard time being vegan when eating out. I couldn’t accept the idea that I would be forced to eat a salad, and I was pretty bad at asking questions. I am sure there were plenty of times I ate beef broth or ate hidden dairy. So when I announced to my husband that I really wanted to go back to being a strict vegan, he was completely an board. He only asked one question- “So your NEVER going to eat a hotdog ever again?” The question was pretty funny to me, since I don’t even like hot dogs much. I actually like fake dogs better, even when I was omnivorous.
I love how my husband talks about veganism and his cutting back on meat as a positive thing. He talks enthusiastically about where he gets his protein from outside of meat and cheese. He will also boast how happy and healthy he is. One thing I can say is that if your spouse is complaining about how your “veganism” is bringing them down, then you might want to reevaluate that relationship.
As for other family members, their initial reaction was pretty non-existant, which is because my “announcement” was pretty non-existant. Most of the time I came to family functions with my own food. We plate our own food, so most people didn’t question what I ate. No one questioned why, so I never explained (I’m a horrible person, I know).
But I found that when I uttered the word “vegan” a lot of family members start asking “the questions.” Calcium, iron, protein, omega-3, and possibly vitamin B12 get tossed around in the conversation. You REALLY want to be ready for answers. I found that if you don’t have a complete answer people will try to talk you out of veganism.
That said some days it seems that family members are totally stumped and find me as a food road block. I am sure some people think I am going through a phase, or just trying to be different or a pain. Most of my family really love cheese and dairy, which is the biggest no for me. So when family try to think of sides, they think veggies with cheese, bread with cheese, casserole with heavy cream, cheese and crackers, cream cheese based dips, etc. And it seems that they plan one vegan dish, or I am the one bringing the only vegan dish. But, occasionally I found, people prefer the vegan dish. My Nanna asked for my curry pumpkin dish that I made for their 60th wedding anniversary.
On the flip side, I’ve had people bend over backwards for me. I’ve had people make two versions of a dish, one vegan and one omnivorous. This year I am going to a Thanksgiving where the host specifically is making mostly vegan side dishes. Which is a great relief, since this will be the first Thanksgiving that I won’t have to give two craps about what I eat.
That said, I am not the best poster child of educating family members about veganism. Some people I just don’t bother to explain it to, and I never expect people to buy anything specific for a dish (ie fake butter, soy milk, etc) If my Grandma made Jello just for me, I’d probably just eat since I don’t expect her to think about gelatin as a no no. But if other members of the family did that, I would explain it to them.
But overall, as a vegan you might feel ignored. Some family members seem to ignore my eating habits in favor for what they want to do, and I don’t think I am alone. My friend who is vegan is always telling me how she has to fight her family not to go to certain restaurants since their vegan option involves a lot of questions and a salad. I find myself making food that my husband and I only eat. You will get pressured to eat the dessert because you know, it’s a TREAT! People will think it is a phase. People will consider your diet as recommendations. And people will make honest mistakes while catering to your diet, and you can’t get mad about that.
This really isn’t a happy post. Most people have a hard time dealing with family and veganism over friends and veganism. I think it is because these people are so close to you that sometimes they don’t care if they come off rude. It is part of how things go. You can fight and talk about it. Or you don’t. This is something you need to figure out how to handle as an adult.
How does your family respond to your dietary restrictions? Are they supportive? Neutral? Or try and fight you on it?
Shop on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
I start this review on a sad note- my book fell apart. No I didn’t love the book to death, though I do really love it. What did the book in was the binding was crappy construction. This makes me sad since this has NEVER happened to me before. Sure once or twice I might of had a 10 year old cookbook fall apart on me. But never a new one. What makes it more frustrating is that the publishing company has always made solid cookbooks.
And when I say the book was falling apart, I mean the pages were falling out of the glue binding. This usually happens over years, when the glue dries up. So I bought a binder and put each page into protector sleeves. I never really liked the covers so in the end I have the plus of having a sparkly and teal new book.
Am I saying YOUR future copy will fall apart? No. Probably not. As I mentioned before, I have gotten many books from the same publishing company that are very sturdy. But I probably will recommend investing in the hard cover version of the book. In the end it will last you longer anyways. With that gripe out of the way, please read all the GREAT and WONDERFUL things I have to say about Terry Hope Romero’s book.
Spoiler Alert: I think it is staple in a vegan bookshelf
I remember the first time I had green bean casserole. I didn’t have it until I was in my 20s, it was never a Thanksgiving staple in my family. My brother in law grew up eating it and requested it for the dinner spread. My sister read the can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, frustrated by the simplicity. Really just a can? What are “french onions”? We all gathered around the table and tasted the dish. My sisters and I all agreed it was a mistake and voted off the dish from future dinners.
I didn’t listen. I couldn’t shake off has a very classic dish could be so bad. This prompted me to make a 100% from scratch version of the dish, and made it vegan. Each year I kept tweaking the recipe, and trying out new methods. This year, as I made a pre-Thanksgiving testers batch, I found the perfect match.
I debated posting this dish since the photos didn’t turn out so great. I thought I could wait till after Thanksgiving and post it with better photos. I mean, this is a dish you could make for Christmas, right? But then after discussing Thanksgiving dinner with my Mother-in-Law, it seemed that she had plans for her own green bean dish. Posting the dish was a now or never deal.
This is a great dish if you are the guest invited to Thanksgiving. It isn’t hard to make, but it does take some time and planning. First you have to roast the onions, then you have to cook the green beans, then you need to make the sauce, then combine into the casserole dish. So it is great to make, getting all the messy work out of the way of the host. Even better is that it is a vegan dish that doesn’t seem “healthy.”
The plan is simple. Bread and bake onion rings in the oven. Cook the green beans by boiling them for 5 minutes, or use frozen beans (fresh will give the best results). On a stove top make a mushroom-miso like gravy. Cover the green beans with the “gravy” and top with onions. Heat again in the oven. Simple enough.
This weekend has been a little sad. Saturday was the last day my husband and I will be able to pick apples at our local orchard. We go through several pounds a week, and I not sure how we do that. I can say my husband eat at least an apple a day at his work. Then he loves to eat apple pies, apple muffins, and tops his oatmeal with apple chunks. Me? I do make a light green tea and apple drink, apple cereal, and use them in slaws.
Aside from no more organic local apples, our CSA has our last share next Saturday. Then hits Thanksgiving, which means I holiday season starts. My work will now be open 7 days a week (as apposed to 5 days a well, giving me secured Sunday and Monday off). The holiday season is a bittersweet time of the year. I get excited but there are many ways I dred it. But I HAVE already bought two gifts already, so I am ahead of the game right?
Good things about today? My husband and I are going to see Rosewater and baking an apple pie (at home, not in the theater). I plan on watching a full football game and not getting distracted by the kitchen. Making some black bean tacos for dinner while watching a new episode of Once Upon a Time. Which reminds me, shouldn’t Emma be spending more time with her son? Just saying it’s been all about Emma and Hook lately. Just saying.
Israel is the Vegan Capital of the World & Beyond Hummus and Falafels
The first link is to a very short article about how Israel has the highest population of vegans. When estimating numbers, people hear low numbers like 1% to 2% of the population being vegan. Israel has a whopping 5% vegan population, and an additional 8% vegetarian! Sometimes positive news that a movement is working is all you need to make your day brighter. The second article goes into detail about the hows and whys, which I always find interesting.
I know that since I live next to Philadelphia I have lots of vegan options, including several all vegan bar, all vegan pizza place, and pretty much a vegan option at all restaurants. I tend to forget how frustrating it can be to eat out in other parts of the world. After reading these articles, I recently saw that Emily from This Rawsome Vegan Life started to post a bunch of vegan food from Israel on Instagram. I hope she blogs about it soon!
It’s Time To End The Turkey-Tofurky Thanksgiving Food Fight
NPR writes about how people view the morals for vegans compared to omnivores. To me it makes a lot sense. I’ve had many discussions with people about how they try not “think about where their meat comes from” or how they could never “eat Bambi.” There is definitely guilt associated with animals dying. But vegetarian or not, it doesn’t really show all of the ethics people hold.
The article was a little saddening to read that people believe the stereotypes, as if all vegans are righteous jerks who are going to show PETA videos during dinner time. Although I applaud the people go out there and film and expose what is going on with our “food,” I don’t think it is the way to convert everyone.
The GMO debate: 5 things to stop arguing
This article is neither for and against GMOs, but takes common arguments from both sides. I’ve got a lot of beef with GMOs but I recognize that with overpopulation, we might need them. But the biggest argument against GMOs is that they are unhealthy for people and that isn’t 100% true. Can you make a GMO that is poisonous? Yes. Are there natural foods that are poisonous? Yes, some we even eat (hey there is cyanide in apples, and nicotine in lots of foods, just in very very small doses)
I think the issue is far from black and white. But I do support foods labeling when the use GMOs, and I do think some GMOs do sometimes give too much power to companies. I don’t like the idea that one person or company can own the rights to DNA. There COULD be horrible problems on our environment, less chemicals yes, but what if some of our food becomes a weed? It might be fine for us, but it could hurt one animal, which feeds another, and another. I know some of these arguments are speculation, which is why I am not jumping into any GMO protests.
Lolitas Who Aren’t Asian: Why This Style Is Actually Universal
I use to love the Gothic Lolita style of clothing when I was in high school. I had several copies of Gothic Lolita Bible and I would flip through swooning over Mana’s curly hair and Kana bright color choices. I remember being so excited when I bought my first H. Naoto piece, and then never wore it. (Maybe I’ll make it work and post it?) But I never had the cash to buy such a fancy dress to wear maybe for halloween and possibly a convention like Otakon.
I really liked this small video piece that talks about how the Lolita culture has been popular in Amsterdam. I think if there was a thriving community like that in the US, I might be happy to dress up and grab some tea. But then again, I probably wouldn’t. Let’s be real this style is a fashion and hobby commitment. As Alexa has pointed “kawaii is devotion.” I also like the points the girls make, the clothing choice is less about being sexually appealing to men, which seems to be the biggest assumption about what women choose to wear.
Make Thrift Buy: Seashell Bra Mermaid Top
Annika’s recent episode of Make Thrift Buy really inspired me. I love buying clothing, but I know it isn’t the best thing I can do for the environment. I also know there are tons of animals products in clothing, making it hard to buy reasonably priced sweaters, coats, and shoes of lasting quality. Thrifting is eco friendly and animal friendly since you are not directly supporting industries that use animal parts. But I am pretty bad at thrifting. I hate sifting through all the clothes, and I get annoyed when the fit isn’t perfect.
But unlike some previous make thrift buy episodes, Annika took a super simple shirt, and made something cute and trendy of it. I feel like I could go into any thrift store and pick a shirt that I could use. Is it ground breaking? No. Nothing new here really. But maybe I will visit a thrift store soon to buy some clothing to modify soon.
Dress: Old Navy | Jacket: Francesca’s | Boots: Unknown
It’d been quite some time since I had seen Jenny or been able to venture into Philadelphia, so when I had to get my passport I figured that was the perfect time to meet up! I know what you’re saying … ‘Alexa, you’ve never had your passport until now?’ and the answer is no! I have never travelled outside of the country before and my Step-Father was supposed to have some work offered to him over in Belgium. Sadly, that seems to not be happening as soon as I’d hoped…but at least I have my passport.
The weather was perfect for going into Philly. It was sunny and probably around 70 degrees which isn’t my ideal weather for October, but who am I to say anything?! Jenny and I walked all over the city before and after obtaining my passport and got to eat at Hip City Veg, which is definitely my new favorite food destination! But more on that later…notice anything different?
“Alexa?! When did your hair become candy colored!?” …my parents will wonder (Mommy was okay with it, just shocked. I still haven’t seen Dad or my Step-Mommy yet so we’ll see). My amazing friend Carolyn has done it once again and made my hair super fun. I have wanted pink hair since college but for some reason I never pulled the trigger. I had tried it once before on my own but the pink completely washed out and I had Anna’s hair before it was cool.
Who Wore It Best? More like Who Wore It FIRST?
Now that I know someone who understands hair and it’s alien properties I can go crazy and try new things with a professional opinion and it’s so exciting! Carolyn is seriously amazing and wonderful and I don’t think I can say it enough.
My accessories from the day were a mish-mosh, as per usual. The two necklaces I was wearing are both from Urban Outfitters (before I completely stopped shopping there for a multitude of reasons), the one pictured is made of pyrite. It is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry because it looks like someone dug these stones right out of the earth and wrapped them in a chain, like something someone would find in an adventure-type film or show. There’s just something so natural and beautiful about it (even though I know this was made in a factory…obviously). My bracelets are a mix of Alex and Ani, Pandora, my favorite skull bracelet and my “Blaze” engraved bracelet on my other wrist.
And then Alexa transformed into a magical girl.
The dress is from Old Navy and is probably one of the best items I have ever purchased from there. It’s a bit of a heavier material but because it’s black I can wear it during every season. It fits perfectly and flows nicely, the only problem I have with it is how easily it started to pill once I wore it a few times. The jacket is from Francesca’s, it is a lovely teal color that goes with almost everything I own currently, and I like it because it’s a bit of a heavier material as well which means I can wear it in the fall, spring and summer without another jacket on top. The hood is a super cute touch too. I got my boots for $20 from a store in South Carolina when I was visiting my parents, and I’m not too sure what the brand name is, but they’ve lasted me up until now since last winter, so I’m pretty pleased!
My name is Alexa and I love food.
Hip City Veg was certainly the highlight of the day. Not only were Jenny and I starving by the time we got there, but the food was DELICIOUS. I can honestly tell you that I don’t remember exactly what I ate, I know it was some sort of amazing veggie burger Hip City Ranch Burger, sweet potato fries that Jen and I split, and a refreshing green lemon-aid. I just remember everything being perfect and wishing that my stomach wasn’t full so I could eat more, because I’m classy like that. 10 out of 10, will visit again.
Alexa is working toward a vegetarian diet, and is loaded with questions. Jennifer’s got answers. We talk about anything as long as it is vegan. Are tattoos vegan? How do I politely not eat Thanksgiving dinner? How do I order without pissing off the waitress? We know you are dying to ask!
The Thanksgiving tradition of turkey is one that is ingrained in Americans. Hearing what many other people do and won’t do during Thanksgiving, it seems that turkey is the only constant. I’ve met Italian families that serve a soup, a salad, and a pasta dish before the Thanksgiving. I suggested a soup for Thanksgiving once, everyone in my family looked at me like I grew a third head. Some people don’t have mashed potatoes, while I have never heard of a Thanksgiving without them.
I recently was asked if I bought my Tofurky yet for Thanksgiving, and I never even considered getting one. Even before going vegan, the idea of eating turkey freaked me out. I heard about how freakishly huge they were to get that picture perfect roast. The new added weight makes it difficult/impossible for turkeys to walk. So I was already starting to get grossed out. Then the first few years I was able to avoid Thanksgiving since my family was all over the US, and it was GLORIOUS. (secret, I kind-of hate Thanksgiving style foods) But once I started to eat Thanksgiving again, since my husband seems to “love it,” I found that I didn’t care about having vegan or vegetarian replacement for turkey.
But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to. If you find yourself enjoying faux meats, then why the heck not try and eat some Tofurky? But consider your other options. Tofurky kind-of gets all the credit and is starting to dominate the faux Thanksgiving market. But a Slate Article ranked all the turkey roast options out there. The top two? Tofurky and Gardein.
I wouldn’t worry about calories, proteins, or whatever since it is one dinner for the entire year. But there are plenty of vegan options to give you that stuffed stick to your ribs feeling. You could just type in “vegan thanksgiving” in any google or Pinterest search and get lots of results. Some popular vegan blogs even have lists of great Thanksgiving dishes in their blogs like Oh She Glows, Olives for Dinner, The Post Punk Kitchen, and Vegan Richa.
Another tip? Have some food prepped the day before. For example a lot of casseroles can be prepped the night before and then baked the day of. Cranberry Sauces are great to make ahead, but the canned stuff is usually vegan. And of coarse pies can be made the night before. If you love crescent rolls, don’t worry they are accidentally vegan!
What would I serve at my Thanksgiving? Well here are just a few of the recipes I would love to make if I was hosting Thanksgiving- and yes, there would be three pies. Blame Jon for that, he loves pie.
Saweeet! Potato Casserole with Crunchy Nut Crumble via Oh She Glows
Spicy Cranberry Apple Sauce via Connoisseurus Veg
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Shiitake Bacon via Olives for Dinner
Quinoa “Stuffing” (butternut squash, cranberries, & pistachios) via Gimme Some Oven
Thinly Sliced and Roasted Root Chips
My classic green bean casserole (which will be posted soon but there is one on The PPK)
Savory Mushroom Gravy via The Post Punk Kitchen
Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits via Appetite for Reduction
Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie via May I Have That Recipe
Voluptuous Pumpkin Pie via Vegan Pie in the Sky
Cosmos Apple Pie via Vegan Pie in the Sky
Funny thing about this list? Some of the food I don’t even like, but it made the list because I know my husband would want it. Cranberry sauce? Blech. Not a huge pie fan, but I sure do love the Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie I make (which isn’t listed on here since I made it myself- future recipe?). I had a sweet potato casserole once and it was awful, but I am willing to give it another try.
As I get older I’ve realized I don’t hate Thanksgiving, I just hate what other people make. They are too heavy and too cream and cheese based. No thanks. I’m not trying to “watch my weight” or eat healthy, just prefer different flavors than other people. So sit and think, do I LOVE turkey? If you do, maybe you should get a faux turkey. But if you could pass on it, I would recommend just skipping it.
Say what you will, but I find that there is almost something artistic about a messy work space in the kitchen.
I have been so bored with food recently…and that’s saying a lot! I have wanted to try out new recipes but my budget has been tight and I have had so much going on that I haven’t had the time to do anything, or at least it’s felt that way. Yesterday I buckled down and decided that no matter what – I was going to make at least ONE new thing to eat! I have gotten my body in the habit of trying to eat (or at least ingest) something green once a day and when I don’t get to do that it makes me grumpy. While there wasn’t too much green in the foods I ate yesterday I at least know that what I made was vegan/vegetarian recipes AND they were on the healthier side!
I found this recipe on Pinterest (originally from The Simple Veganista) and tweaked it a bit. I had been eyeing the recipe for a while and decided that yesterday was finally the day to try it out! I always tend to think of even the simplest recipes as time consuming, mostly because of all the chopping they would involve (I tend to add more vegetables or more of a vegetable even if it isn’t called for), and let me tell you…this is SO SIMPLE. There are only 3 ingredients that need chopping – if that even, and the curry sauce is really easy to make as well.
I am so excited because I have even more for the rest of the week! Can you say LUNCH?
The only ingredients that were listed in Julie’s recipe were chickpeas, carrots, scallions, raisins and cashews. I obviously included the chickpeas and carrots, but replaced the scallions for the sweet onion that I already had in the kitchen and replaced the raisins with dried cranberries (or “craisins” if you will). I am not a huge fan of raisins and knew that these would give the right sweetness that Julie used the raisins for in her recipe. I also stuck with cashews because they are delicious. I also added some chopped up radish for an extra crunch and added flavor. Radishes are vegetables that I love but I never seem to use them in recipes that I end up making at home.
When I threw all of the ingredients for the curry sauce (curry powder, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, lemon juice and hummus) together it all seemed a bit too curry-ish, which I find is hard to accomplish most times. It may have been the hummus I used, I usually like Sabra as my go-to hummus, but this time I had just used the leftover Trader Joe’s (surprise surprise) hummus I had in the refrigerator. The texture was a bit off and it seemed quite salty, so I read Julia’s notes and she mentioned adding maple syrup or any liquid sweetener to take that edge off. After I added a smidge of my Trader Joe’s Maple Agave Syrup is was PERFECT. I put the salad on bread, made it into a sandwich and brought it to work. It’s a wee-bit messy because chickpeas are big and round**, but if that’s the only thing I had to complain about then I would say it all worked out pretty well.
I will definitely be making this dish again and I am so excited to be keeping up with The Simple Veganista! I always love discovering new blogs and it’s equally as lovely to find out that the recipes they post are delicious. I recommend this for easy lunches, and the recipe makes a decent amount so you’ll have it for a few people or a few days!
** QUICK NOTE FROM JEN: I’ve made some chickpea salads in my day. I recommend mashing them quickly before stirring in all the veggies and such. Just get a few crushes to help them stay together in a sandwich.
I just came home from my trip to Sebring Florida for my Nanna and Pappy’s 60th Wedding Anniversary. And I have to point out, when the average American cuts out meat and dairy from their diet, they are stuck with carbs and sugar! As all vegans do, my husband and I packed a lot of clif bars and snacks, and I was shocked how close we were to eating all of them. Oddly I think it would of been easier to go vegan for the trip if we didn’t have to spend it was family. Then we could of had free reign over restaurants and breakfast.
But when I came home I scarfed down lots of proteins as I didn’t really eat what I normally would during the trip. Then decided I would go on a detox afterwards. And man, did I really need a detox. I am a little hesitant to talk about detox or cleanses, since they have earned themselves a bad rep. I am not really a fan of extreme cleanses where you juice all day or drink lemon water. I prefer cleanses that involving eating more whole foods. In fact my most common detox is a smoothie cleanse, drinking smoothies and soups throughout the day. I like this approach because I don’t deprive my body of calories and fiber that keeps me full. I usually add salads after a few days, and transition into raw foods.
I’ve mentioned my detox diet in the past. I posted an recipe for a Kimchi Detox Soup, which I am thinking I should make pretty soon.
Well, this smoothie was like a slice of summer in all this cold weather. I used cantaloupe that I got from my CSA during the summer. The cantaloupe was so ripe it was pretty mushy, and didn’t really taste great by itself. Freezing it was a perfect decision, as it was just the texture I needed for a smoothie.
I use to drink juiced carrot, cantaloupe, and orange all the time. So I thought that carrot would give a great flavor to the smoothie. It is only a small amount but it gives depth to the flavor. It also helps with the body of the smoothie, preventing too much a slushy texture. Plus, you are adding a veggie to your breakfast! You can also add a handful of green to the smoothie, it will just not be such a pretty color.
You might have noticed we were gone for two weeks, which means I have so much to share this weekend for Sunday Reading! I changed the format a little since there are so much to share, so bear with me guys. I hope I don’t overwhelm you with too many articles, videos, and blog posts. I tried to summarize faster for everyone as well.
I am also being pretty brief since I just got home from my trip to Florida. Most of my Mother’s side of the family lives there, so we went down for my grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary! I will be sharing some photos, a restaurant, and a cool state park. I am just home to be back in crabby and dense Jersey.
I’ve been a huge fan of The Bite Size Vegan. I find Emily great for teaching people about veganism, whether it is about nutrition or how animals are treated. She covers so much and has the cutest puppy ever. That was why when she started the Nugget Army to help support her YouTube channel, I was happy to contribute. Go check her out, and see what you think.
Check out this cool lady who decorated her house with bottle caps.
Jamie recently posted a review on a manga called In Clothes Called Fat. I love comics, and I love how in Japan they are used as a serious medium for a message. I need to pick up this comic.
The Kitchn had a quick article about galactagogue foods, foods that increase breast milk. I thought it was cool because all the foods listed are vegan. Not saying all vegan food are galactagogue foods, but still interesting meat isn’t on there.
Logical Harmony make a quick cheat sheet of vegan friendly brands at Sephora. She even breaks down how vegan friendly they are!
Heard about Advanced Fashion yet? Well, get an introduction with this interview with the very inspiring Tziporah Salamon. Even if you aren’t a fashionista, she really inspires you to keep faith in art, and doing what you like regardless of age.
Jenny at She Loves Dresses wrote a loving letter to her late father. This is one of many posts where she opens up with her struggles in life. Something not enough people are open about.
(Another) Jennifer at Grimmricksen posted an interesting article about adult female ADHD.
The New York Times wrote a humbling piece about how complicated microbiome in our bodies is. We all know that Jamie Lee Curtis is trying to sell us poop-gurt, and all the hipsters are guzzling kombucha, but there is so much we don’t understand.
M.F.K Fisher is well known for her literature about food. Her writing is inspiration for pretty much every food blog, magazine, or book you pick up. But there is a good argument against M.F.K Fisher.
While on vacation my husband was looking at my tablet and wanted to make this Spicy Cranberry Apple Sauce.
Speaking of my husband- I really enjoyed Gena’s post on How to Date a Vegan Without Even Trying. It reminded me so much of my husband. I think he only asked two “annoying questions” about me being vegan which was “So you’ll never eat a hotdog again?” and “So you’ll never eat ice cream again?!” Aside from those two very spaced out questions, he never asked something stupid like “Is semen vegan?”
Since I talked about vegans and calcium, you might want to read this post about calcium.
Jess calls out the problem with Plus Size Models. It is a great step forward, but is a small step backwards.
Cara wrote a quick and helpful post about surviving the holiday season. I am planning on posting my own similar post
Crash Course & Self-Love Part 1
I was hesitant to share this Crash Course video on Eating Disorders. But after reading Raechel’s blog post about Self-Love it made me remember how crappy education was for eating disorders. Was I the only one who watched that TV special with Calista Flockheart? All the lessons about about eating disorders seemed to be targeted to the girls, and it came off as a wag of the finger. “Now don’t go crazy with your dieting girls!”
I think if I was shown this video in school my point of view would of been totally different. I think there is so much shame associated with bulimia and anorexia since it is often viewed at dieting gone wrong. I’ve had a friend who was anorexic, and pressures to look a certain way seemed to be on the bottom of the list. It was much more about control over something in her life. She talked about how she had to compulsively look at a watch and take bites when the hands were on certain numbers. Although she might of started to eat this way because she wanted to look thinner, she never talked about that being a concern about what and when she ate.
I also enjoyed the video because they switched genders around all the time with different disorders. They also mentioned many different disorders, saying that their root is similar- different environmental pressures.
