Welcome! This is a way for me to share about my experiences as they relate to myself, family, health, compassionate cooking, baking and yoga. Enjoy!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Getting Spring Ready

Although it feels like we've passed spring and gone right into summer, the time has come to get our homes, outdoors and ourselves in springtime shape.

Here are some tips on getting your home, outdoors and yourself ready:


1.  The healthiest way to get spring ready is to opt for cleaning products that are more eco-friendly such as; Method, Seventh Generation or Ecover.  An even better, and less expensive way, is to make your own cleaning products using everyday items that you probably already have on hand.  Don't forget, it's not just what you're spraying, but also, what you pour down the drain by doing dishes, washing hands and doing laundry.  All those pretty smelling detergents are typically made from chemical that give it that perfume smell and then you breathe that in all day long while you wear the clothes and all night long while you sleep on those sheets.  You can make pretty smelling cleaning agents with natural ingredients.  Here are some helpful sites for creating your own natural and non-toxic solutions... http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-diy-green-cleaning-recipes-141129 or http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/green-cleaning-spring-cleaning-460303.  Not only will you be doing the planet a favor, but you will also be creating a healthier home by avoiding toxic chemicals you, your family and your pets would be breathing in or coming into contact with.  


2.  Buying household plants can also help to clean the air in your home from toxins that build up due to cleaning agents, paints, carpets, etc.  A few good ones are english ivy, gerbera daisies, pot mums, peace lily, bamboo palm, and mother-in-law's tongue.  You can purchase these from local garden nurseries, Home Depot or Lowe's.  If you have pets, just be sure to check that whatever plants you wish to buy are not poisonous to them.  


3.  We all like to smell scents that make us happy, but all those store bought air fresheners are usually full of chemicals.  So what you are breathing in is not healthy at all.  Buying a small oil burner, I've seen them at the Dollar Tree, and adding a few drops of natural essential oils is a much better choice when it comes to using scents to boost your mood.  Another very inexpensive way to make the room smell good is to cut up a lemon, squeeze out the juice for cooking or for making your home cleaning products, and then throw the peels into the garbage disposal.  Run the disposal for a minute and you've got a citrus smelling kitchen.  


4.  For the outdoors, using chemical weed killers, pesticides and fertilizers can make your lawn and garden look great, but make you, your family and pets feel sick.  There are plenty of natural ingredients to use that are much healthier.  You can purchase a large yard sprayer from your local hardware store, mix up a large batch of vinegar, eco friendly dish soap and water and go to town spraying your garden and weeds.  You can also add salt for those stubborn weeds, but DO NOT use a salt solution on the garden or you will change the pH level of the soil so that your fruits and veggies won't grow.   For the garden, you also want to make sure the vinegar solution is diluted and try not to spray the plants directly.  For first timers, try spraying the perimeter of the garden first, rather than in the garden, and see if that does the trick to keeping pests away. 


5.  When it comes to pampering yourself, try making your own special spa essentials.  Foods that are good for to consume are also good to use topically.  Make up your own facials and body scrubs using items such as avocados, bananas, non-dairy milks, sugar, oils.  You can find plenty of recipes on the web.  For vegan recipes, try http://vegan.sheknows.com/2011/05/24/diy-vegan-beauty-treatments/ (fyi, the brown sugar body scrub is a must try).

Have fun and be creative in making your own recipes.  If your worried about the smell of vinegar for any indoor or outdoor recipes, don't, I can assure you the smell dissipates quickly.  Creating your own healthy products will make you feel better inside and out.



Friday, March 16, 2012

White Bean and Tomato Soup

Although we haven't had much of a winter in most places, soup is still a great comfort food.  Pair this with a grilled cheese panini made with Daiya cheese or, our favorite, Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese (sliced thin).

The White Bean/Tomato Soup can be left chunky or pureed with an immersion blender for a creamy soup.  This recipe comes from 1000 Vegan Recipes cookbook (so many wonderful recipes to choose from!)

If you've done the beans ahead of time, this meal can be ready to eat in about 30 minutes. * See note about beans at the bottom.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp      olive oil
1 small      onion
28 oz.       crushed tomatoes
4 oz.         green diced chiles, drained (I'm a
                 wimp so I use mild)
3 C.          white beans (cooked/drained or 2 15.5 oz.
                canned beans drained/ rinsed)
2 Tbsp.     creamy peanut butter (organic if possible)
3 C.          vegetable broth
1 Tbsp.     fresh lime juice
salt to taste

Directions:
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, cover and cook until soft, do not let them brown.  Add tomatoes, chiles and beans.  Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.  Stir in peanut butter, broth and salt, simmer, uncovered 15 more minutes.  Optional, puree soup to your preference with an immersion blender.  Stir in lime juice, simmer over medium heat, stirring until hot.  Serve.  I doubt there will be leftovers, but if there are, store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

For Panini's:
Using a firm bakery style bread, cut into equal slices.  Brush one side of each slice with olive oil.  Place olive oil side down on panini press.  If using a dressing, spread a little on the bread then add cheese, veggies, whatever you like (slice all thin so it stays together once you close the panini press).  Top it all with the other slice of bread so that the olive oil is on the top.  Close press, gently press down a little.  Should be done in a minute or so.  Remove from press, slice with sharp knife and serve along side the soup.  Yummmmmm!!!


*Preparing your own beans is so much better in taste and in your health (it creates less gas because you soak and cook out the complex sugars that cause much of the uncomfortable gas associated with beans).  Many people are intimidated by cooking their own because of the time issue.  Here are some tips...

1.  Get a large bowl the night before pour a few cups of dried beans into the bowl, fill the bowl to the top with water and allow to soak overnight while you sleep.
2.  The next day, drained the water and rinse thoroughly.
3. Place beans into large pot and fill with water so that the water covers the beans.
4.  Bring beans to a boil, reduce to low/simmer, cover.
5. Set the timer for 1-2 hours (depending on the bean) and go read a book!
6.  Once done, drain and gently rinse beans.  Allow beans to cool completely.
7.  Store beans in separate freezer safe baggies in one cup measurements so you can easily pull what you need depending on your recipes.  Place bags in freezer and you should be stocked up for the next few meals.

If you work and cannot do the beans in the morning, here are some tips for you...

1.  In the morning, prior to leaving the house, get a large bowl and place a few cups of dried beans into bowl, fill to the top with water.  Allow to soak all day while you're at work.

2. Once you get home, or even later that evening, follow steps 2-7 from above.

See, not so bad, seems like a lot of steps but while they soak and cook you are doing other things.  Piece of cake!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Amazing Brownie Bites

Ok, before you say ewww, this recipe is made with pureed black beans and I promise, no one will be the wiser.  These are also gluten free.  This recipe is by far one of the best brownie recipes ever!!

Ingredients:
1 C. cooked and drained black beans (if using canned, rinse very well)
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
5 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (melted)
1/2 C. cocoa powder
dash of salt (optional)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (no need to level the measurement)
1-2 Tbsp. non-dairy milk (warmed slightly, room temp is fine)
1/2 C. semisweet non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease mini muffin pan.  Mix flaxseed and water in a small bowl (mix well), set aside.  In food processor, puree black beans until very smooth.  Add coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt if using, vanilla sugar, baking powder and milk and puree until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Using ice cream or cookie scooper, fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full.  Bake 12-15 minutes (tops will start to look dry and pull away from pan).  Allow to cool completely.  Makes 24 bite size brownies.  

Friday, March 2, 2012

Finding Balance

Hectic, frantic, crazy, scattered, running, exhausted!!  How do we manage to get so much done in a day, but then never seem to find time for meditation?  If we think about all that we did in 24 hours, I believe there were 5 minutes somewhere that we could have just stopped everything and found a quiet place to just be.  Meditation is good on so many levels.  Especially in this fast paced world, finding a few minutes to center, calm, quiet and reconnect helps to balance you, which then helps to balance those around you.  Allowing yourself those few precious moments to find balance is healing to your body, your mind and your spirit.  Taking this time everyday can help to keep you healthy instead of succumbing to stress, pressures, illness, disease or depression.  I know I feel an enormous difference in how I feel and how I interact with others if I miss a day of meditation.  Making sure to find those few moments each day is a practice, but it is one that offers so many rewards.