Vegan

First - the big news!Congratulations to TofuCat for winning a copy of Whole Grain Vegan Baking!~~~~~Tomorrow I'll be hopping on a plane (with my awesome mom!) to go to the VidaVeganCon vegan bloggers conference and I CANT WAIT. It's going to be so much fun to see old friends and meet new friends and meet old friends I've never met - if you know what I mean!! :)One thing I am really looking forward to is Eating Myself Silly while in Portland. However, that does mean that I've been making an effort to keep things light around home this week. :)Did you even know that a salad could be one of your favorite dinners ever?? I don't think I knew that. Over at the PPK Forums, I've so many rave reviews about the Salad Nicoise recipe from Appetite for Reduction, but I hadn't ever made it. But, inspired by pre-VVC week, I finally did, and I AM IN LOVE. Seriously, this isn't just one of my favorite salads ever, it's one of my favorite dinners ever! Light, filling, flavorful, beautiful, easy, delicious... it's a hands-down winner!Plus, look at my amazing baby potatoes that I got at the farmers market: I was so happily surprised that the red new potatoes were red on the inside too! And the purple potatoes were so purple! So much fun. In fact, almost everything in the bowl is from the farmers' market - my favorite way to eat!

Tomorrow Ginny Messina and I will be in Portland – as will Jasmin and Mariann of Our Hen House. Today, however, Ginny and I are on the Our Hen House online magazine. Check out Ginny’s article Protein in Vegan Diets: Take Advantage of the Options which includes my recipe for Grape and Brazil Nut Chicken-Less Salad, which contains the grilled version of Beyond Meat. So easy, so yummy!

Celebrate Memorial Day with Red, White & Blue Parfaits (both plans) & Patriot Pancakes (family plan)!! Other new picnic perfect recipes include Jalapeno Hummus (both plans), Quinoa Dill Salad (both plans) and the Black Bean & Mango Salsa Burritos (both plans). We've also included fan faves that are perfect for BBQs, picnics, and potlucks like the Citrus Sweet Potato Salad and Quick Burgers. Make this your most deliciously memorable Memorial Day!Individual HighlightsJalapeno Hummus (NEW!)Citrus Sweet Potato SaladSpinach-Tomato PilafFantastic Fruit SaladBlack Bean & Mango Salsa Burritos (NEW!)Portobello Steak DinnerRoasted Chickpea SaladRed, White & Blue Parfait (NEW!)Spicy Orange Broccoli & NoodlesQuinoa Dill Salad (NEW!)Get this meal plan now.Family HighlightsQuinoa Dill Salad (NEW!)Pepper FajitasCitrus Sweet Potato SaladRed, White & Blue Parfaits (NEW!)Quick BurgersMexican CabbageRed, White & Blue Pancakes (NEW!)Red Pepper Hummus WrapsBlack Bean & Mango Salsa Burritos (NEW!)Jalapeno Hummus (NEW!)Get this meal plan now.Testimonials"My biggest problem had been the prep time, but I now have a method in that while cooking my dinner, I also make my lunch for the next day and so on. This has put me in a rhythm and now I bee-bop along each day with the meal plans I purchase from HH." - Christy K"Here's what I've observed in the 2 weeks that I've followed the meal plans: lost 4 lbs, whiter teeth, skin looks more tanned, tupperware is easier to clean!" - Val UGet the current meal plan now.

Lately I have been obsessed with brownies. I made the recipe I posted recently over and over. I tried different nuts (peanuts, walnuts) and different liqueurs. I also made them with a decreased amount of alcohol and instant coffee powder one time and I have to say they are very versatile! This is a version made with walnuts and instant coffee powder. They tasted almost like a bar of dark chocolate. They are perfect for ...Brownies ‘n’ Yoghurt Ice Cream is a post from: seitan is my motor

Orcas and other sea mammals routinely die prematurely from stress and other captivity-related causes in marine parks and aquariums, such as SeaWorld and Loro Parque. Despite numerous tragedies, including the deaths of many orcas and trainers, the safety of marine mammals and humans continues to be jeopardised. Blackfish, the new film from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, exposes what lies behind the “entertainment”. The film tells the story of Tilikum, a performing orca whose captivity led to the deaths of several people. Shocking video footage and emotional interviews explore his extraordinary nature, the cruel treatment of his … Read more.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Whole Grain Vegan Baking! Happy to have you here and happy to be showcasing this book.Tami and Celine bring you a comprehensive look at vegan baking - from a healthy perspective. Using whole grains, minimally processed sweeteners, and better-for-you fats they pack a huge number of tasty treats into this book. The photos are lovely (taken by Celine of course) and the book is user friendly - nice layout to the recipes, and logical chapter groupings.The recipes include everything baking, from yeasted breads, to scones, muffins, cookies, cakes - sweet and savoury, treat and everyday so I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy.The only bad thing for me about this book is that I couldn't make many recipes, being as I am now eating gluten-free, and there is a reliance on gluten containing whole grains for most of the recipes. However, I do look forward to at some point trying to switch up the whole grain flour to get gluten free alternatives which work!I made -Page 26 More-than-Maple GranolaNot too sweet, and tasty. This one I didn't have to make any changes to.Page 29 Morning Boost MuesliOriginal recipe and photo follows.I changed the cracked wheat for steel cut oats, and used old fashioned rolled oats for the spelt and kamut flakes. I also omitted the wheat germ. I added the pineapple as suggested. Very tasty, if tricky having to remember to get it done the night before!Thanks to Celine and Tami (and their publishers) for letting me reproduce the recipe.Morning Boost MuesliWe know, we know: There’s technically nothing baked about muesli, but this is a whole grain book after all, and we love muesli too much not to sneak in a recipe for it. Loaded with cracked wheat, wheat germ, heart-healthy spelt flakes, and pleasantly chewy kamut flakes, this breakfast will ensure you won’t get hungry again before lunch.1 cup (235 ml) water53 g (1?3 cup) dry cracked wheatpinch of fine sea salt240 g (1 cup) plain or vanilla-flavored vegan yogurt1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened pineapple juice24 g (1?4 cup) rolled spelt flakes24 g (1?4 cup) rolled kamut flakes20 g (2 heaping tablespoons) date crumbles or chopped dried cranberries25 g (1?4 cup) pecans, broken into smaller pieces16 g (2 tablespoons) wheat germCombine the water, cracked wheat, and salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly while preparing the rest.Combine yogurt, juice, spelt and kamut flakes, dates, pecans, and wheat germ in a large bowl. Stir the cooked cracked wheat into the muesli, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight to let the flakes plump up. Stir the muesli again before serving. Eventual leftovers will keep well for up to 2 days after preparation when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator; stir before serving.Yield: 3 cups (855 g), 2 large to 4 more modest servingsServing Suggestions & Variations• For a fruitier muesli, add 248 g (11?2 cups) of fresh pineapple chunks, chopping them finely before stirring them in. Other fruits, such as fresh or thawed berries, would also be fantastic when added upon serving, to further increase the fiber and vitamin profile of this healthy breakfast.Recipe noteDate crumbles are nuggets made from dried dates, with only oat flour added to prevent clumping. They’re ideal to use in baked goods because there’s no sticky chopping involved, but you can replace them with regular chopped dates without missing a beat.Now the give away - only to residents of the US and Canada (the publishers rules not mine) - please comment with your favourite way to eat cereal for breakfast (seeing as the recipes I made were both breakfast cereals) to go into the draw to win your very own copy!Closes 26th May @ 6pm Pacific.

I'm off to Portland for the second bi-annual Vida Vegan Con food bloggers conference! So this will be my last post until next Wednesday. But don't worry — I'll share oodles of drool-worthy shots of vegan doughnuts, vegan s'mores, gorditas, and goddess know what else I'll find in the vegan mecca when I return. And of course, I'll have lots of fun stories about hanging out with other bloggers!Since I'll be gone for so long, I want to leave you with something good. How about a review and recipe using Beyond Meat? The folks at Beyond Meat, a new plant-based chicken that tastes and feels alarmingly like animal chicken, sent me samples of three of their chicken-free strip flavors to review in conjunction with their national release of Beyond Meat products at Whole Foods stores. Before, some Whole Foods (like the one here) carried prepared deli foods made with Beyond Meat, but now you can find it in the freezer case!And if that wasn't awesome enough, Tropical Smoothie shops have begun carrying Beyond Meat for their wraps. The world is a beautiful place, my friends.So how is it? Well, y'all know I love some plant meat, right? I've tried every plant meat I can get my hands on cause deep-down I'm a meat-and-potatoes gal who just can't bear to eat other breathing creatures. And I'll tell ya, this is the most realistic-tasting vegan meat on the market. It looks like meat. It tastes like meat. It even fooled my omni partner Paul (okay, he knew it was plant meat when he tried it, but he said it was delicious ... and that means a lot coming from him).I got three flavors from the Beyond Meat folks, but tonight, I'll feature the Southwest Style because that's all I've had time to play with.The soy-based meat comes in strips, and Southwest Style is seasoned with chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, green pepper, and cayenne. Perfect for making fajitas!I whipped up some Southwest Style Beyond Meat Fajitas for a quick weeknight meal.Here's an inside shot (look at that sexy guacamole).Here's the recipe.Southwest Style Beyond Meat Fajitas----------------------------------------------1 Tbsp. coconut oil 1 onion, chopped1 red pepper, sliced into strips1 green pepper, sliced into strips1 frozen 12-ounce package of Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips, Southwest Style2 tsp. chili powder1 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepperSalt and pepper to taste4 tortillas GuacamoleLettuceTomatoesHeat the oil on medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add the onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.Add the peppers and saute for about 3 minutes, until they begin to soften.Add the Beyond Meat strips and spices. Stir to coat. Saute 7 to 10 minutes, until Beyond Meat is browned and veggies are tender. Serve in tortillas with guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Indian sweets often combine the classic medley of coconut, cardamom and sugar. In my Coconut Shortbread, I use these Indian ingredients to put a delicious spin on a Scottish favorite. Desi loves shortbread and so do I. What's not to love about a cookie that's utterly simple and yet stunningly exquisite? I make my vegan shortbread for him often enough, but this time I wanted to try something different and something possibly healthier. Therefore, Coconut Shortbread. For my Coconut Shortbread I chose not use coconut flakes-- I don't like the idea of anything, even delicious flakes, interrupting the perfect texture of shortbread. Instead, I substitute the butter with coconut oil. And then add a smidgen of coconut milk to intensify the flavor. Coconut oil is a great substitute for butter in shortbread and other recipes that require flaky crusts, like pies, and even in cake frosting. That's because it remains solid at room temperature in all but the most tropical climates, like shortening would. Be sure to use an organic variety to make sure you get the purest flavor and texture. One thing to keep in mind when baking with coconut oil is that it has a strong, coconutty flavor, so don't use it in a recipe where you want a neutral flavor. It works perfectly in this shortbread, though, because we want it to be as coconutty as possible. The reason I said that this shortbread is possibly healthier than regular shortbread is because some research shows coconut fat is actually heart-healthy (although any fat is still fat, so moderation is key). Cardamom makes this shortbread extra-special and reminds me a little of Naralachi Barfi, an Indian coconut fudge that is a sweet childhood memory. My mom would often make these soft and diamond-shaped barfis for my brother and me when we were kids and they would be pink or blue, exactly as a child would love them. They filled the house with the heady fragrance of sugar, coconut and cardamom, much like this shortbread does. Enjoy, all! Coconut Shortbread Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup coconut milk, cold 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp powdered green cardamom 1 tbsp sugar for dusting shortbread (optional) Mix together the flour, cardamom powder, and salt. Cream together the coconut oil and the powdered sugar with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until it's soft and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the coconut milk and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour in three batches, mixing well with a spatula after each addition. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 15-30 minutes. Grease an 8 by 8 inch glass baking pan. Place the shortbread dough in the pan. Press with your fingers into an even layer all the way to the corners of the pan. Bake the shortbread in a preheated 300-degree oven for 50 minutes or until it is slightly darker at the edges. Remove to a rack, cool for 10 minutes, and then, using a sharp knife, cut into diamond shapes without going all the way through the shortbread. Cool thoroughly and then separate into diamond shapes. (C) All recipes and photographs copyright of Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes.

VEGAN DAILY RECIPE:  Mini Chickpea Wraps

It is easy to get into a fashion rut in the work place. Ensuring that you are both professional and stylish in the workplace will work wonders for your job prospects and confidence. In most cases people judge you by the way you look, for better or worse, and that’s why it is important to choose the right accessories and work clothes. Other than the pant or skirt suits there are stylish work dresses that will influence the way people behave around you in a positive way. The work dresses need to be stylish, but follow the rules of your workplace that is they need to be acceptable and conforming to the standards of the company. It’s your job, not a wedding after all. A look that’s put together and thought out sends out the message that you pay attention to the details. In addition, you will be comfortable with the different stylish dresses that flatter your body. It is not hard to find dresses that will suit your body and some of the best designers include Calvin Klein, Chloe dresses and the Diane von Furstenberg dresses among many others. The price varies; however shopping online can give you more options to select a style that will represent your personality. There is no need to look stylish in a work dress and have no shoes to compliment the style. In the past women sacrificed their comfort for stylish shoes which despite looking good were quite uncomfortable. Things have changed now as there are different fashionable shoes that you can wear to work. Most of the shoes are from past designs that have been made to look more fashionable. There are many brands like Taryn Rose that will give you both fashion and style as they were designed for comfort and proper support. The feet need to get proper circulation and the stylish sandal needs to be comfortable. There are times that the job you are in is not want you want or may seem simple with no rule in the dress code. However, you can choose to be trendy everyday and look professional at all times. This is a way to boost your confidence and also open doors for new opportunities. Being a simple secretary doesn’t mean that you simply wear anything. Have fashionable suits and dresses that will help you earn respect from those that visit the office. Look formal yet presentable for the job that you are doing. No matter your dress code, your personality needs to shine through. There is the possibility of adding personality to the outfit that you wear with matching accessories as handbags, chains as well as earrings and belts. The outfits do not need to be expensive just appropriate and fashionable. Plus that way they can double as vacation wear or your at home style. There are versatile designs that could be simple business suits or dresses and the designs tend to be more appropriate for the office. Understand the nature of your work environment so as to know which styles will work best. You need to be able to move smartly and freely in the work place without any hindrances from the clothes. The post Work Wear: What to Put On appeared first on .