This is so easy to make!
Ingredients:
Soymilk
Honey
Pour however much soymilk you want into a bowl and then add enough honey to make it sweet. Put the bowl into the freezer and let the ice cream start freezing. Stir every 30 minutes or so, until thick. Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
My First Vegan Thanksgiving
At first I was pretty worried about how this year's Thanksgiving was going to go for me, since it was my first vegan Thanksgiving. It actually went really well, and I had an abundance of foods to choose from. I didn't feel deprived one bit (in fact, I felt rather special). I started preparing my food on Wednesday, and I had a fabulous time getting to cook and work in the kitchen.
My Thanksgiving Menu:
Dressing
Cranberry sauce
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Pumpkin pie
Ice cream
I wish I had taken pictures of everything because it all looked so good! Here are some little tidbits on how I made each food.
Dressing:
First I made some vegan cornbread, which was pretty easy. I just got a recipe off some vegan website. After it cooled completely, I crumbled it up in a bowl with some wheat bread that my sister had made a few days before (we always keep our pantry well-stocked with homemade bread), and then I added some sauteed celery and onions and some spices. Finally, I added vegetable broth, stirred everything together, and cooked it for about 30 minutes. It turned out really well. It was moist in the middle and a little crispy on top, just how I like it.
Cranberry sauce: Well, I sort of cheated on this one because I just ate the stuff from a can, but it tasted awesome anyway!
Mashed potatoes: My sister and I started by boiling the potatoes until they were practically mush, and then we drained them and started blending them. Right before the milk and butter was added (for my family and the rest of our holiday guests), I scooped myself a portion of the potatoes and salted them. Later my dad sauteed some onions and celery for me to put in them to add some flavor.
Green beans: A friend who visited for Thanksgiving kindly saved out for me some green beans from her green bean casserole. They tasted wonderful and went perfectly with my mashed potatoes.
Pumpkin pie:This one was my favorite item to make. First I made a pie shell from flour, oil, soymilk, and salt, pressed it into a pie tin, and then put it in the refrigerator to set. After that I made the filling, which was basically pumpkin (from a friend's garden), soymilk, spices, and oil. I mixed it up, poured it into the pie shell, and cooked it for about 40 minutes. I did this on Wednesday night and left the pie in the refrigerator after I had finished cooking it because I figured it should let it set for a little while since I did not use any egg replacer to "glue" it together.
Ice cream: I was thinking of making my own ice cream (I'll post that recipe one of these days), but a friend called ahead of time to let me know that she was bringing some vegan sherbet for me to try. It was so good! I looked at the ingredients on the back of the carton and read that it was basically made of fruit juices. No sugar added, just fruit juices. I'm going to have to try my hand at making sherbet myself.
So my Thanksgiving turned out to be rather lovely. At the end of the day my tummy was full of tasty and (mostly) healthy food, and I even had leftovers that lasted me a few days. Luckily most everyone in my family is scared of my vegan food, so I got to keep my whole feast all to myself. I really did have a wonderful time.
My Thanksgiving Menu:
Dressing
Cranberry sauce
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Pumpkin pie
Ice cream
I wish I had taken pictures of everything because it all looked so good! Here are some little tidbits on how I made each food.
Dressing:
First I made some vegan cornbread, which was pretty easy. I just got a recipe off some vegan website. After it cooled completely, I crumbled it up in a bowl with some wheat bread that my sister had made a few days before (we always keep our pantry well-stocked with homemade bread), and then I added some sauteed celery and onions and some spices. Finally, I added vegetable broth, stirred everything together, and cooked it for about 30 minutes. It turned out really well. It was moist in the middle and a little crispy on top, just how I like it.
Cranberry sauce: Well, I sort of cheated on this one because I just ate the stuff from a can, but it tasted awesome anyway!
Mashed potatoes: My sister and I started by boiling the potatoes until they were practically mush, and then we drained them and started blending them. Right before the milk and butter was added (for my family and the rest of our holiday guests), I scooped myself a portion of the potatoes and salted them. Later my dad sauteed some onions and celery for me to put in them to add some flavor.
Green beans: A friend who visited for Thanksgiving kindly saved out for me some green beans from her green bean casserole. They tasted wonderful and went perfectly with my mashed potatoes.
Pumpkin pie:This one was my favorite item to make. First I made a pie shell from flour, oil, soymilk, and salt, pressed it into a pie tin, and then put it in the refrigerator to set. After that I made the filling, which was basically pumpkin (from a friend's garden), soymilk, spices, and oil. I mixed it up, poured it into the pie shell, and cooked it for about 40 minutes. I did this on Wednesday night and left the pie in the refrigerator after I had finished cooking it because I figured it should let it set for a little while since I did not use any egg replacer to "glue" it together.
Ice cream: I was thinking of making my own ice cream (I'll post that recipe one of these days), but a friend called ahead of time to let me know that she was bringing some vegan sherbet for me to try. It was so good! I looked at the ingredients on the back of the carton and read that it was basically made of fruit juices. No sugar added, just fruit juices. I'm going to have to try my hand at making sherbet myself.
So my Thanksgiving turned out to be rather lovely. At the end of the day my tummy was full of tasty and (mostly) healthy food, and I even had leftovers that lasted me a few days. Luckily most everyone in my family is scared of my vegan food, so I got to keep my whole feast all to myself. I really did have a wonderful time.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
How to enjoy doing something you don't like to do
Well, the school semester is coming to a close, which means it's time for finals-frenzy. I've been studying like crazy, and when I'm not studying I'm worrying about how much I have left to study. Last weekend I spent every spare second I had sitting at the dining room table pouring over biology. I had a test Monday and I was frantically trying to get ready for it, hoping desperately that I could pull off a B. Needless to say, after about a day and a half of nothing but mitochondria, photosynthesis, chromosome transcription, and phospholipid bilayers, I was ready to scream. I couldn't concentrate on the words in front of me because I couldn't stop thinking about all the things that I would have rather been doing. I thought of biking, sewing, blogging, gardening, and hanging out with friends. After about twenty minutes of this I realized that I wasn't helping myself out one bit. It didn't matter how much I wanted to do something else, I had to study that weekend, and I had to study well in order to be ready for the test.
I'm sure all of us have been in this position before, whether it be working a boring job, doing yucky chores, dealing with (sometimes yucky) people, or, like I was doing, studying like mad to get ready for a test.The thing is, these "yucky" things are always going to be yucky unless we make them enjoyable. No one else is going to make biology more fun or make a job more interesting. We have to do these things ourselves. But how? How can biology be more interesting after nine hours straight of studying it? How can a boring job suddenly be made enjoyable?
It's all about perspective. If a person can be optimistic about the yucky things in life, he or she can enjoy just about anything. Here is a simple guide to making yucky things interesting again:
1. Instead of thinking of all the things that would be better than doing the yucky thing, make a list of all the things that would be worse than doing the yucky thing. This really helps me to be thankful for the things that I am doing, even if they are hard or boring at the time. Here's what my list looked like:
Things that would be worse than doing biology:
-having absolutely nothing to do
-cutting/cooking meat
-cleaning something gross
-working outside in the cold
-feeling ill
-listening to annoying music that gets stuck in my head
2. Make a list of things that make doing the yucky thing worthwhile. For example, I studied biology all weekend because I wanted to get a good grade on the test so that I could get a good grade in the class so that I could move on to the next biology class so that I could further my education and hopefully in the future get a degree. If someone is working a yucky job he or she may decide that the reason the job is worthwhile is because he or she gets paid well and can support a family, buy good food, pay for nice things, and not go into debt. Once you come up with one reason why the thing you are doing is worthwhile, keep asking yourself more and more "why" questions relating to the first reason, and before you know it you will have a whole page of reasons.
3. Incorporate something you enjoy doing into the yucky thing. For example, sometimes when I am doing chores I don't like to do or working outside in the cold, I listen to my favorite music to get my mind off the yuckiness of what I am doing. Or when I am studying biology and beginning to get sick of it I treat myself to a little happiness by enjoying some fresh, sweet fruit or cold glass of chocolate soymilk. Make what you are doing fun by adding in something you really like to do.
4. Find something interesting about the yucky thing. If you have a boring job, find something new that you can learn about the job to make it more interesting. Start asking people questions and exploring things that you wouldn't normally spend time exploring. For biology I decided to quit concentrating so much on all the little details and instead concentrate (for awhile) on the part that I really like to learn about: genetics. I let all those cell definitions go by the wayside for a short bit while I had some fun learning about what I really enjoy, and then when I came back to the definitions I felt refreshed and ready to memorize all those long words.
5. Just get it done! Don't stall on the job or take forever making it enjoyable. Spend a little bit of time making it fun, and then just work your butt off until it is finished. Also, do a really good job. Being proud of the work you have done (no matter how boring or yucky) is one of the best ways to make it worthwhile. Give it everything you've got.
6. Reward yourself! After all that hard work, a reward is definitely deserved. Write out a list of all the things you would really like to do and then enjoy yourself!
I'm sure all of us have been in this position before, whether it be working a boring job, doing yucky chores, dealing with (sometimes yucky) people, or, like I was doing, studying like mad to get ready for a test.The thing is, these "yucky" things are always going to be yucky unless we make them enjoyable. No one else is going to make biology more fun or make a job more interesting. We have to do these things ourselves. But how? How can biology be more interesting after nine hours straight of studying it? How can a boring job suddenly be made enjoyable?
It's all about perspective. If a person can be optimistic about the yucky things in life, he or she can enjoy just about anything. Here is a simple guide to making yucky things interesting again:
1. Instead of thinking of all the things that would be better than doing the yucky thing, make a list of all the things that would be worse than doing the yucky thing. This really helps me to be thankful for the things that I am doing, even if they are hard or boring at the time. Here's what my list looked like:
Things that would be worse than doing biology:
-having absolutely nothing to do
-cutting/cooking meat
-cleaning something gross
-working outside in the cold
-feeling ill
-listening to annoying music that gets stuck in my head
2. Make a list of things that make doing the yucky thing worthwhile. For example, I studied biology all weekend because I wanted to get a good grade on the test so that I could get a good grade in the class so that I could move on to the next biology class so that I could further my education and hopefully in the future get a degree. If someone is working a yucky job he or she may decide that the reason the job is worthwhile is because he or she gets paid well and can support a family, buy good food, pay for nice things, and not go into debt. Once you come up with one reason why the thing you are doing is worthwhile, keep asking yourself more and more "why" questions relating to the first reason, and before you know it you will have a whole page of reasons.
3. Incorporate something you enjoy doing into the yucky thing. For example, sometimes when I am doing chores I don't like to do or working outside in the cold, I listen to my favorite music to get my mind off the yuckiness of what I am doing. Or when I am studying biology and beginning to get sick of it I treat myself to a little happiness by enjoying some fresh, sweet fruit or cold glass of chocolate soymilk. Make what you are doing fun by adding in something you really like to do.
4. Find something interesting about the yucky thing. If you have a boring job, find something new that you can learn about the job to make it more interesting. Start asking people questions and exploring things that you wouldn't normally spend time exploring. For biology I decided to quit concentrating so much on all the little details and instead concentrate (for awhile) on the part that I really like to learn about: genetics. I let all those cell definitions go by the wayside for a short bit while I had some fun learning about what I really enjoy, and then when I came back to the definitions I felt refreshed and ready to memorize all those long words.
5. Just get it done! Don't stall on the job or take forever making it enjoyable. Spend a little bit of time making it fun, and then just work your butt off until it is finished. Also, do a really good job. Being proud of the work you have done (no matter how boring or yucky) is one of the best ways to make it worthwhile. Give it everything you've got.
6. Reward yourself! After all that hard work, a reward is definitely deserved. Write out a list of all the things you would really like to do and then enjoy yourself!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Calories for "Vegan Power Bars"
I always count how many calories I consume so that I can be sure that I am getting enough, mainly because I work out a lot and I want to be sure that I never put my body into starvation mode. I began wondering the other day how many calories my vegan power bars have in them, so I went ahead and calculated it all out. I also changed the recipe a bit by simplifying the ingredients and adding oats for a little more flavor (and to save costs on nuts). Here goes:
Vegan Power Bars, Revised:
1/4 c almonds
1/4 c peanuts
1/4 cup pecans
1 c oats
1/4 c raisins
chop in blender and put into bowl. add:
3 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
Mix thoroughly, spread into 9'x9' pan, and put into the refrigerator.
The entire batch is about 1720 calories, so if you divide it into 10 bars, each bar is 172 calories.
Vegan Power Bars, Revised:
1/4 c almonds
1/4 c peanuts
1/4 cup pecans
1 c oats
1/4 c raisins
chop in blender and put into bowl. add:
3 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
Mix thoroughly, spread into 9'x9' pan, and put into the refrigerator.
The entire batch is about 1720 calories, so if you divide it into 10 bars, each bar is 172 calories.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Another Awesome Green Blog
Reason For Raw #11 – Going Green
I really like this blog, and I especially enjoy this article. Check it out!
I really like this blog, and I especially enjoy this article. Check it out!
Recipe: Pumkin Apple Spice
We had some pumpkins left over from Halloween that needed to be eaten, so I came up with this recipe. It's easy and fast, and tastes like Christmas.
Ingredients:
- A couple of diced apples
- One small raw pumpkin, diced
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Honey
- Olive oil
Put apples and pumpkin with the olive oil in a skillet turned on meduim heat. Start frying, and once the pumkin and apple starts to get soft add the honey and spices in whatever quantities you think will taste best. I did about 1/4 c honey, a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon, and a few sprinkles of nutmeg and allspice. Continue cooking until the pumpkin and apple get pretty soft, and then enjoy!
Ingredients:
- A couple of diced apples
- One small raw pumpkin, diced
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Honey
- Olive oil
Put apples and pumpkin with the olive oil in a skillet turned on meduim heat. Start frying, and once the pumkin and apple starts to get soft add the honey and spices in whatever quantities you think will taste best. I did about 1/4 c honey, a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon, and a few sprinkles of nutmeg and allspice. Continue cooking until the pumpkin and apple get pretty soft, and then enjoy!
Stuff, Stuff, and More Stuff!
I try hard to maintain a minimalist lifestyle. I just think that life is so much simpler when I have less stuff to worry about. With less clutter, my space stays cleaner, my school backpack stays lighter, and I don't get stressed out as often about messes. I was originally convinced to be a minimalst by this website:
http://zenhabits.net/
And I also have found this website to be extremely helpful:
http://mnmlist.com/
Recently I became even more convinced that minimalism is the way to go by this eye-opening video:
http://www.storyofstuff.com./
The entire website is really good, actually.
I often wonder why people get so attached to their stuff. I'm guilty of this attachment at times, too. I keep buying things just because I think they are nice or pretty, even though I have no use for them. I spend money on stuff that I get rid of a few weeks later, and then I feel like I have to go out and buy something else. Just like the above video states many times, we Americans are consumers. We consume and consume and consume, and then we consume some more. Food, clothes, toys, books, electronics, furniture, stuff, stuff, STUFF! It's gotten pretty ridiculous. Shopping and eating are both major parts of our cutlure. They are both social activities that are enjoyed far too much in our society. I often find it difficult to participate in social gatherings at church or school or with friends without having to face the prospect of food- mostly food that isn't vegan. And many times people just want to go shopping when they are bored. This is a major waste of time and money.
Why can't we have social gatherings that involve something other than consuming? What about those old quilting bees that the fronteir women used to have? What about having a food making party instead of a food eating party? We could benefit so many people and improve our own lifestyles significantly if we would just limit our consumption.
I read a quote from Gentle World once that has really stuck with me. (Gentle World is an amazing vegan website that I visit quite regularly: http://www.gentleworld.org/) The quote is very simple. "Tread lightly." That's it. Apparently it originated from an old American Indian proverb. The idea that is being conveyed is that we should tread lightly on the earth while we are here. In other words, we should try to leave as small a mark as possible on the planet. The way America consumes stuff is a perfect example of how not to follow this idea. I believe that the best way to live life is to own and buy as little stuff as possible, eat what plants provide (so that no animals have to be killed for our meals), and be producers. By "producer", I mean someone who does something to repay what he or she has consumed. This "producing" could take place in the form of making and selling something, such as clothes or soap. A "producer" might also garden and sell produce. The idea is that a producer gives back to the earth and other people instead of just consuming.
Every day I strive to live up to this description. I try to be a producer, and I hope to tread lightly on this beautiful earth that God has given us.
http://zenhabits.net/
And I also have found this website to be extremely helpful:
http://mnmlist.com/
Recently I became even more convinced that minimalism is the way to go by this eye-opening video:
http://www.storyofstuff.com./
The entire website is really good, actually.
I often wonder why people get so attached to their stuff. I'm guilty of this attachment at times, too. I keep buying things just because I think they are nice or pretty, even though I have no use for them. I spend money on stuff that I get rid of a few weeks later, and then I feel like I have to go out and buy something else. Just like the above video states many times, we Americans are consumers. We consume and consume and consume, and then we consume some more. Food, clothes, toys, books, electronics, furniture, stuff, stuff, STUFF! It's gotten pretty ridiculous. Shopping and eating are both major parts of our cutlure. They are both social activities that are enjoyed far too much in our society. I often find it difficult to participate in social gatherings at church or school or with friends without having to face the prospect of food- mostly food that isn't vegan. And many times people just want to go shopping when they are bored. This is a major waste of time and money.
Why can't we have social gatherings that involve something other than consuming? What about those old quilting bees that the fronteir women used to have? What about having a food making party instead of a food eating party? We could benefit so many people and improve our own lifestyles significantly if we would just limit our consumption.
I read a quote from Gentle World once that has really stuck with me. (Gentle World is an amazing vegan website that I visit quite regularly: http://www.gentleworld.org/) The quote is very simple. "Tread lightly." That's it. Apparently it originated from an old American Indian proverb. The idea that is being conveyed is that we should tread lightly on the earth while we are here. In other words, we should try to leave as small a mark as possible on the planet. The way America consumes stuff is a perfect example of how not to follow this idea. I believe that the best way to live life is to own and buy as little stuff as possible, eat what plants provide (so that no animals have to be killed for our meals), and be producers. By "producer", I mean someone who does something to repay what he or she has consumed. This "producing" could take place in the form of making and selling something, such as clothes or soap. A "producer" might also garden and sell produce. The idea is that a producer gives back to the earth and other people instead of just consuming.
Every day I strive to live up to this description. I try to be a producer, and I hope to tread lightly on this beautiful earth that God has given us.
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