For the love of Schmukinuck

My friend Christy wrote me that lovely comment about what a great mom I am cooking my kids all this home-made food, and well, I've got to come clean:  When I excitedly announced to my family that I had joined Vegan MoFo....

...they GROANED.  Collectively.

And just last week in fact, before this Vegan MoFo business even began, my husband whined pathetically that I don't cook enough "Dude Food".

So although it might look all Happy Healthy Homemaker from the outside, I've got the same problems as the rest of you.  I perhaps, am just really good at ignoring them.

No but seriously, "how to get the kids/partner to eat healthy foods" is a question that comes up a lot with coaching clients.  So let's talk it through.

Many of you have already heard this story, but my mother says that my first word was Pop-Tart and my love of junk food and all things processed and packaged just grew from there.  Do you guys remember something called "Space Food Sticks"?

Mercy me, these things were a 1960's Space-crazed version of giant tootsie rolls to fuel us young astronauts through our busy days of moon rock collecting.  I actually became so addicted to them that my mom had to stage an intervention.  I am NOT kidding.  She had the entire family corroborate the lie that the company that made Space Food Sticks (Pillsbury) had gone out of business.  And because I always did the grocery shopping with her, she had to constantly invent growing subterfuge to keep me from wandering down that aisle and uncovering her deception.  I eventually did and have yet to forgive.

My mom was a gourmet cook and ahead of her time whole-foods wise (Pop tarts and space food sticks notwithstanding). I of course hated everything she made and invented a name for healthy veg-filled meals:  Schmuckinuck. Yes for real, and if any of my childhood friends are reading you are surely cracking up right now.  For about 15 years I subsisted on scrambled eggs, grilled cheese and tuna fish sandwiches with the crusts cut off.   The daily Schmuckinuck that appeared on our dinner table along with those objectionable bread crusts, rarely passed my lips.  When at age 16 I announced I would no longer be part of the animal cruelty machine and was from here on out Vegetarian, my mother chuckled and said "OK, good luck with that."  The only vegetables I ate were tomatoes, corn and potatoes. PB and J became my new stand-by although my discrimination of bread crusts continued.  Yet through all my pickiness and food-stage-weirdness, my mom kept cooking the healthy stuff and I got pretty used to seeing it there on the table.  Now I understand this was Brain Washing.

So what's the point of all this?  I just want to encourage you to keep cooking healthy meals despite your kids' grumbling.  They'll survive and may end up coming around eventually and be Schmuckinuck lovers just like me!  But if you NEVER introduce them to healthy food, then they don't stand a chance as adults.  I'd say that like 90% of my clients never ate veggies, not as kids and not as adults.  And now they're sick and overweight with 40 years of food habits to change.  Think of yourself as Jaimie Oliver and step forth boldly and with humor, involving the kids in your healthy kitchen experiments.  Tell them your afraid of Brussels Sprouts too but you'll try them if they will and then make edible green sprout snowmen and bite their heads off.

At the same time, keep up a steady stream of grilled cheese, PB and J, and tuna fish sandwiches with the crusts cut off.  You have to make some concessions to prevent all out rebellion.  Case in point:  Yesterday was my husband's birthday and I made him a Flan.  Eggs, butter, milk, sugar.  I am not veganizing it because I don't want to be divorced.  Or murdered.

Vegans, avert your eyes!

Birthday Flan (NOT Vegan)

But I'm also made this:

Egg-less Egg Salad (with the crusts cut off for old times sake)

THIS is Vegan!

Egg-less Egg Salad
1 container firm tofu, drained and crumbled with your hands
2-3 T vegan mayonnaise
1 T mustard
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
Mix it all up.  Easier than egg salad and just as tasty!

Cardio Vs Strength Training: Who Wins?

As a cardio addict, I myself have been guilty of neglecting weight training.  And it shows.  Although my weight roughly stays the same, my shape has not.  I'm flabbier than I was 8 years ago.  And I work out.  Imagine what would be if I wasn't exercising at all!

Something else interesting happened too:  The number of calories it took to maintain my weight 8 years ago, versus the number of calories it takes to maintain my weight now, has dropped.  Meaning, I have to eat less to stay this same weight.  Ugh.  Who wants that?

So last year, I began to take a closer look at the role our muscles play in our metabolism and how not building them, can lead to both of the above problems.  And I started lifting weights.  It's been start and stop, but the past month I have been much more consistent and am VERY pleased with the results.  Plus I get to throw around phrases like "super set" and "chest press" and that makes me totally cool.  Or a geek.

In last week's GOOP, Gwenyth Paltrow's excellent weekly newsletter, she had the following interview with Dr Oz Garcia.  It explains this muscle business perfectly:

Q:  “How might a 40 something jump start a sluggish metabolism?”



Dr. Oz Garcia, who I've been working with, gave us his answer:


A:  Staying slim and fit is always a challenge but maintaining your girly figure after age forty can be an all out battle. Even maintaining an exact diet and fitness regimen will not beat the penalty of aging.


On average, women gain 25 pounds between the ages of 30 and 60 and it’s not from eating those extra Twinkies. During the course of the natural aging process, women shed lean muscle mass. These lean muscles are the force from which calories are burned even while sitting around and just blinking.


Technically speaking, a pound of lean tissue burns 35 to 50 K’s each day. A loss of just a half-pound of lean muscle could cause you to gain three pounds in just one year, 25 pounds in 10 years, 50 pounds in 20 years and a hefty 75 pounds in 30 years.


So in order for women to stay lean well into their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s they need to maintain those lean muscles. This means working out every day. Yes, every day. Exercise with increased resistance and lower reps will provide increased muscle density and bone strength.


Interval training, when you get your heart pumping at maximum capacity and then slow down for a period of recovery, is great for losing weight in your 20’s and 30’s. Once you’re a bit older, however, you want to regulate your cardio training into a steady bell-shaped progression. Start off slow, work to a crescendo and then work you way back down.

Dr. Oz Garcia is a New York city based nutritionist. He is an expert in anti-aging nutrition and the author of several books on the matter including, “Redesigning 50: The No-Plastic-Surgery Guide to 21st-Century Age Defiance”

So, have I convinced you yet, to pick up some dumbbells?  Here are some great resources to help you design a weight program and get started on re-building your lean muscle mass:

The Body Fat Solution by Tom Veunto
http://www.tomvenuto.com/  (It's worth clicking that link just to get a gander at Tom's AMAZING physique!)

The New Rules of Lifting for Women - Alwyn Cosgrove and others
http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/

E-program, Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne who gets brownie points for recently going Vegan!
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/presentation.shtml  There's a good video presentation when you click that link.  This is mostly body weight exercises, so a good place to start if you're afraid of the weight room. 

You can get a free 4-week trial of Turbulence Training through fellow blogger Swigg:  http://skwigg.tripod.com/TurbulenceTraining4WeekBWW.pdf

Now, this wouldn't be a post by yours truly if I didn't take a minute to have an honest REAL heart-to-heart with ya'll, right?:

Experienced Exercisers:  If you aren't getting the kind of results you want even though you workout regularly, YOU HAVE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR WORKOUTS!  Sorry about the yelling, but you would not believe how often people complain to me "I already workout a ton and am STILL overweight!"  They use this as excuse to give up or as proof that they really cannot be as lean as they'd like.  Bollocks I say.  Not getting the results you want mean it's time to change something, not throw in the towel completely.  Open Your Minds, people!

Beginning Exercisers:  Don't worry too much about everything I wrote in this post.  You just need to begin building the exercise habit.  Start with walking if that's all you can do.  Start slowly but consistently.  Try to workout every single day.  This is the fastest and most effective way to build this habit.  Don't do so much that you get injured.  Keep it small, keep it slow, but do it daily.

OK, let's build some muscles!

FeeFiFoFum, I smell the blood of a Vegetari-un

Thanks so much everyone for all the get well messages!  I don't have any answers yet, but as the lab results come in, I can certainly share what is good about them.  Here are some of my blood values from now compared to one year ago, before the 100-day vegan challenge:

Glucose:  1-yr ago = 85     today = 84
(In 2001 I was bringing in blood sugar numbers way over 100 and brought it down with diet and weight loss, so yay me!  And I just want to point out that I get these kind of blood sugar numbers even though I am eating a lower-protein, whole grain carb and fruit-heavy VEGAN diet.  You don't have to go low-carb to control your blood sugar, folks!)

Total Cholesterol:  1-yr ago = 162     today = 156

HDL:  1=yr ago = 69   today = 61

LDL:  1-yr ago = 84  today 83

Triglycerides:  1-yr ago = 44     today = 50

So all that's pretty great, right?  I'm probably not going to get diabetes or die of heart disease in the near future.  Unfortunately, the panel gets less brag-tastic after that.  I don't know what a lot of it means so I'll wait to get more info before I blab on.

But enough about me...


So before I get into the whole Fermentation discussion, I wanted to share a recent recipe.  These are Banana-Orange-Corn Pancakes and Strawberry Sauce.  The kids loved 'em!

Banana-Orange Corn Pancakes
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 banana, mashed
3 eggs
juice of one orange
pinch of cinnamon
few sprinkles of any whole grain flour to make a thick batter

Mix together all the ingredients.  Fry em up in a lightly oiled pan and serve with or without...

Strawberry Sauce
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 cup water
1 T ground flaxseeds or agar agar powder to thicken

Blend all in blender to desired thickness.

Next subject is Fermentation:
So, what's the deal with fermented stuff and why would I want to eat it?  Fermented things are pickles, pickled vegetables, kimchee, kefir, sauerkraut, sourdough bread starter, rejuvelac, kombucha, yogurt, etc.  These are all kinds of different items that we can make in our homes and as they ferment, they are enriched with helpful yeasts and bacterias from the air, such as the all-important Lactobacillus acidophilus.  Sure you can buy these products from the store, but then they will be pasteurized and it's questionable how many of the good germs survive the process.  All of those good bacteria help us with proper digestion and keep harmful diseases and other bacteria in control. 

In fact, whatever my problem is health wise at the moment, is probably due to some of the bad guys who have run rampant and done some damage.  Most digestive disorders, such as Crohn's, IBS, ulcer, Colitis, chronic diarrhea, bloating and gas, leaky gut syndrome, food allergies and intolerances, parasitic infection, Celiac, Candida, and even some cancers, often take hold in a poor digestive flora environment.  If you were not breastfed, have taken a lot of antibiotics in your life, have eaten a poor diet with lots of sugar and processed foods, or have been on hormonal birth control for a long time, you too may have an imbalance in your gut bacteria.

I have long wanted to try making some of these items and getting sick has been the impetus to get on it.  Here we have some sourdough starter bubbling along...

and here is some kimchee

I will let you know how they come out.  I'm a little dubious about the sourdough.  I can't decide if it smells horrible (which means it got invaded by bad bacteria) or if just smells sourdough-y?  At any rate, if these turn out good and I don't kill myself eating them, I will definitely pass along the recipes and how-to. 

If you are a successful fermenter yourself, PLEASE share your tips and advice with me and the readers!

(Disclaimer:  Remember folks, I am not a doctor and whatever you read here is my opinion.  Always, use your own common sense and the advice of a trusted medical practitioner!)

The truth about what's been going on

Blogs are funny things.  The main reason I started this blog is so that clients and potential clients could get to know me better on a more personal level than what comes through on my business website.  I found out that I love writing it and get some really nice feedback from all kinds of people who have been inspired to make changes in their lives and health, in part by something they read here.  So that's really cool.


But the "funny" part comes in with how much to share?  I'm never really quite sure.  There is this desire to share everything, but that's dumb because anyone in the world could read this.  Right?  But then not sharing anything at all feels dishonest too.  Is it better to be more transparent even if it exposes that all is not rosy behind my curtain?  I sure hope so, because that's what I've decided to do...


Why have I not been keeping up with my blogging like I was before?  The truth is that I haven't been feeling well.  It's awfully hard to write about "Glowing Health and Vitality" when you feel quite a bit less than glowing and vital.  And since I've been living on applesauce and rice porridge for several weeks, there hasn't been much to photograph either. 


I haven't actually been sick for years and it's kind of a blow for someone who prides themselves on exceptional self-care, to feel less than excellent.  I kept trying to heal myself without a doctor, but finally gave in today and went for a series of tests.  I was impressed with the scope of tests ordered and both hope and don't hope that something will turn up to answer my questions.


Frankly, I can't wait to feel like myself again!  Nothing makes you appreciate feeling fantastic every day like NOT feeling fantastic every day.


There, I said it. 

How long do you think it will be before my mom writes me an angry email that says "How come you didn't tell me you're sick?!"


In other random, unrelated news:


1.  I just took over the moderation of a yahoo group I have long been a member of.  If you live in Israel, or have some connection to Israel, and are into all things Holistic Health/Enviornment, please join us here: Israel_Wholistic_Forum@yahoogroups.com


2.  Through a message posted to the above forum, I found out about this:  http://1smallchangeblog.blogspot.com/ , a chance to pledge one small eco-change you'd like to make each month.  I haven't yet decided what mine will be, there are so many:


-  I would like to make a complete change over from chemical cleaners, detergents, soaps and shampoos to all natural, homemade ones.  (This is hard as my husband does most of the cleaning and the man is ADDICTED to bleach!)


-  I would also like to start fermenting my own foods: sauerkraut, sourdough, kombucha, pickles, kimchee...


-I would like to devote more time to yoga and meditation.


-I would like to plant herbs in my window box and not kill them.


-I would like to treat my dog's sad summer skin condition without resorting to steroids.


So, I'm not quite sure where to start but I'm working on it.  Let me know if you join the challenge and what you will pledge to undertake for one month!


3.  I think I already mentioned this, but my brother-in-law is designing me a new website that will have blog and website and all sorts of cool stuff all in one place.  I am looking forward to greatly expanding my services to a broader international market when we get that up and running.  Fun times ahead!


4.  Even though I feel like the bottom of a shoe, I am going to try my dadgummitiest to cook some cool food and blog about it and maybe write some non-food related holistic wellness posts.  Deal?  Thanks for being patient with me in the meantime.

Liquid-ation

I love Tom Venuto.  He's a hunk, he's a body-builder, he's super smart and he's a good writer.  If he showed up on my doorstep with a Vitamix, my husband would have some serious competition.  Here's the link to his latest and greatest, which I want you all to read, BUT NOT YET.  Read the rest of my post and then scroll back up to Tom.  Please?  Thank you.
http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2010/03/healthy_fast_food.php

OK, so by this point in my cleanse, I am pretty much on just fluids - juices, smoothies and soups.  Here are some of the quaffs I've been quaffing:

Sesame-Almond Mylk

1 cup sesame seeds, soaked overnight

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight

4 cups water

2-4 dates or stevia to taste

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Drain nuts and seeds.  Place in blender with 2 cups water.  Blend on high for 2 full minutes.  Strain pulp through a nut milk bag or strainer.  Pour milk back into blender with remainder of the water and remaining ingredients.  Blend until totally smooth.  Store in fridge.  Pulp can be spread on baking sheets and toasted in the oven to be used in baked goods.

Here is a video of my other celeb crush, Karen Knowler, preparing almond milk if you need visuals:

Then we have...

Parsley-Green Apple Juice

Tomato Vegetable Soup with Fresh Spinach

Green Smoothie with my fresh almond-sesame mylk, banana and spinach

Cherry-Gogi Berry Smoothie

1 banana

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup pitted cherries, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup gogi berries, soaked and drained

few drops of stevia if you used sour cherries (like I did!)

Them's some serious anti-oxidants!

Tomorrow, I'll be flushing my liver.  Trust me, you're not gonna want to miss that!

OK, now go back to the top and read Tom Venuto's brilliant article on the new "healthy menus" being offered at fast food joints.

bossy, bossy, bossy, i know....

The 7-Day Sugar Detox is Coming!

OK so it's Back to Business around here.  Many of you have seen the tweets, ads, and Facebook updates for my latest program.  Here are all the details:

The 7-Day Sugar Detox:  March 4 - March 11, 2010

20:00 - 21:30

Kfar Saba, Israel (address to be provided on registration)

Cost 200 nis

Whether you define yourself as a full-blown "Sugar Addict" or you've just got a pesky Sweet Tooth, please join Holistic Nutritionist and former Sugar Addict Supreme, Emily Segal, for 7 days that will permanently change your relationship with the white stuff.
We will meet as a group in Kfar Saba for 2 evening sessions, first, the evening before we begin and last, the day we finish up AND enjoy email suppport all the days in between. This way you have full support and accountability to stick with it.

Topics covered:
-Why do we crave sweets (and chocolate) in the first place?

-How sugar and artificial sweeteners are destroying our health and our future and why chocolate is good for you if you know how to eat it right!

-How we can enjoy sweet tastes without ruining our health. I will bring you right into my own Kosher kitchen and share my best and most delicious, healthy sugar- and artificial sweetener-free recipes. My clients LOVE this part!

-How to put an end to destructive Emotional Eating for once and for all.

Additionally, during the 7 days of the Sugar Detox I will be guiding, inspiring and supporting participants every day on our own private yahoo group. No matter how many times you've tried to kick sugar in the past, this time I will give you all the tools to succeed!

Here is a sample of the some of the amazing recipes I will share.  All of the recipes are Sugar-Free and Artificial Sweetener-Free.  They use NO honey, silan, stevia, barley malt, or maple syrup.  All the sweetness comes from natural, whole fruits.  Additionally, all recipes are wheat-free, Kosher and Vegan (no animal ingredients of any kind).  Most are also Kosher for Pesach as well!

And yes, they still taste DELICIOUS!

Whipped Oats for Oatmeal Haters (Oats are great blood sugar stabilizers)
Decadent Choco-Oats
Granola and Museli
Baked Apple Oats

My Famous Raw Brownies
Almond Crunch Cookies
Peanut Butter Balls
Fudgey Date Nut Torte
Apple Pie
Chocolate Mousse
Banana Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce
Pecan Fudge
Chocolate Tofu Fudge
Lemon Poppy seed Cookies

Strawberry Mylkshake
Halvah Smoothie
The Art of Making Great Fruit Smoothies and Green Smoothies

Aduki Bean Squash Stew (Aduki Beans are especially helpful in combating sugar cravings)
Cream of Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Sweet Sensation Root Vegetable Medley
Carrot Raisin Crunch
Salad Dressings to Live For

If you'd like to attend - and I hope you will - please send me an email to Emily@TriumphWellness.com or register through my website http://www.triumphwellness.com/.

Join the 7-Day Sugar Detox and have some fun while kicking the habit!

Day 94 It's Hot in Topeka

And in Kfar Saba.  It's only February and I've got my sweat on just sitting here.  It's times like this when I look around at myself, living here in Israel, and think "What the @#$% were you thinking????!!!"

Oh well.  I'm here now.  Israeli citizen and all.  Therefore, the show must go on.

I went for a run this morning at 8:30am.  Clearly this is no longer early enough as it was hot enough to melt my jog bra to my chest.  Then I came home and drank this:

Banana, Orange, Strawberries, Flax-Pumpkin Mix & Water

Refreshing!

For lunch I had this pretty baby:

Veggie Burger, Pesto, Tomato Slices & Avocado on Whole Grain + Side Salad of Baby Greens

Yum

Then I decided to make Nut Butter.  Aside from the heat, Israel has another fault.  Yes, just one ;-)

No Trader Joe's.

This is a crime really.  And because there is no Trader Joe's, there is no TJ's Almond Butter for $5.00/big jar.  Yes, we have almond butter here and no doubt it's fresh and straight from our very own almond trees.   However, the price is steeeep and the container very small.

I had tried to make my own almond butter before.  My juicer, for pete's sake, claims it will make creamy, smooth almond butter, but it lies.  I was met, several times, with expensive, almond butter failure.

Then I found the answer here.  It turns out that I was on the right track, but just quit too early each time.  The trick is just to keep the food processor running and don't give up too soon.  I shall walk you through it.

Put 4 oz (100g) raw almonds and 4 oz (100g) raw hazelnuts in the oven at 160C for 13-15 minutes, stirring once mid-way.  (Yes, you can use all almond, but I didn't have enough and lurve me hazelnuts very much).

When they are roasted, put them in a clean dishtowel and rub the skins off the hazelnuts.  You can skip this step if you're using all almonds or another nut.

Then cool for about 5 minutes and place in the food processor.

Now, start processing the nuts on medium-high, stopping every minute or two to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  It will take about 10-15 minutes of processing but trust that it WILL happen.  At first it will look grainy and you will want to throw your machine at me, but keep going.  Suddenly you will notice it has become creamy and then emulsified and finally smooth.

I wish there was smell-o-vision at this point!

Insaenly Divine Smelling!!!

So it looks like I will survive without Trader Joe's after all.  It also seems like the weather is cooling down a bit now.  Everything is going to be alright.

What Does Valentine's Day Have to Do with Weight Loss?

by Dinneen
a Holistic Health Counselor and owner of http://www.eatwithoutguilt.com/. 

 "For Valentine’s Day, instead of looking for love from others, this year do something different – decide to love yourself and give something wonderful to YOU. Don’t wait for someone else. Love you and all that you are, AS IS.   Don’t wait until you are 100, 50, 25 or even 5 pounds lighter. Realize that who you are inside is what counts, not the number on the scale. That number is not a reflection of who you are, but rather of how you treat yourself.


It’s great to want to eat better, get exercise, and lose some weight to be healthier and FEEL better so you can live a full life. But you can’t do that until you love yourself. You see, when you love yourself you treat yourself better. And when you treat yourself better, you’re much more inclined -and motivated - to do those things that make you happier, healthier, and yes thinner.


So take a step back and realize just how wonderful you are. Sit, take a moment and even write down things that you love about yourself. Glow in it, and see that you ARE a special person, a person that deserves love from you. Don’t wait until you get to “some point” in life or on the scale. Don’t wait to live and love yourself fully.  By loving yourself first, and then treating yourself better – only then can you start the journey to lose weight.


You see, I was in your shoes. For years I kept waiting until the day I would be thinner, have a flatter stomach, ate more “good” foods, look thinner in my clothes, and be the right size. I kept waiting for those outside things to make me feel better.  But then one day I realized, “Hey, I AM a great person! I have lots to give to the world, and why am I waiting to start fully living and enjoying life?” A light-bulb literally went off in my head.


So I started to love myself more and treat myself better. And you know what happened? I started to eat better, get more exercise, and look at food as my friend instead of the enemy. I realized that eating better foods and taking better care of myself was an expression of loving myself.


Then, and only then, was I on the road to a happier and more fulfilling life. And you know what? I started to lose weight. And have more energy, and have more vitality for LIFE.  I was eating better and being nicer to my body. I read information on what were really healthy foods, how to integrate them more into my life, and how to cook them to be tastier and more satisfying.


As a result, I started to enjoy food and look forward to meals instead of dreading them like before (for fear of eating the wrong foods, eating too much, or eating for the wrong reasons). I learned that mealtimes were a chance for me to say “I love you and I want to take care of you the best that I can.”  Then I learned how to have some chocolate and not let it overtake me. I ate a little and was completely satisfied. I didn’t need more to feel good, I actually needed – and ate – LESS!


This started my journey to a life where I can now eat what I want when I want, and know how to make the best choices in food that feed ME, and not my soul.  So this Valentine’s Day decide to love YOU for who you are right now. Don’t wait until you’re thinner, sexier, or fit better into your jeans. Love yourself now, I mean really love yourself. Your soul, your mind, and your jeans will start to love you back!"

Bravo Dinneen! I couldn't have said it better myself. Just the part about learning to eat chocolate in moderation, well, that might not be true for all of us. Personally, I don't negotiate with sugar and find my life is much sweeter in return. But the rest, about loving yourself NOW, as you are, I completely agree. You can't make lifestyle change from a place of self-hatred or self-loathing. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
love,

emily

Day 89 Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

Ugh, I'm gassy today.  Yeah, yeah that's gross and nobody cares.  I basically had chickpeas in some way shape or form at every single meal today.  That's all I'm gonna say about that.

I haven't cooked anything interesting aside from 100 ways with chickpeas, so instead I give you this website with a cool video for an uber simple chocolate-raspberry vegan mousse and lots of other great stuff:

PCRM Health Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes Food for Life TV: Interactive Wecasts for Anyone Who Wants a Healthier Diet

But before you eat dessert, try this awesomely wonderful Vegan Green Bean Casserole from FatFreeVegan.  It's so so good:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/11/best-vegan-green-bean-casserole.html

Polka-dotted me.  Not gassy.

Day 73 In Defense of the Casserole

Today was boring foodwise, sorry.  I had a banana-orange-strawberry-flax smoothie for brekkie.  For lunch I had the leftovers of yesterday's Kibbeh Casserole and I have to say "Casserole, I was wrong about you baby."  With a little tomato sauce added, it was really really really good.  I am now glad there are leftovers after all.

Dinner will be a veg soup I made but it is so butt-ugly I cannot bring myself to photograph it.  I'm not sure what happened?  It started with normal ingredients: onion, carrot, garlic, cabbage and potato.  But then I went and added red wine and the whole thing turned purple.  I freaked out and threw in some tvp.  That made it look like barf.  Ick.  It tastes good though, so I'm going to close my eyes and eat it.

Because I feel guilty for having no recipes or pictures today, I am instead offering some links to awesome websites with great vegan recipes.  Here ya go.  Enjoy!
http://www.nutritionmd.org/
http://www.fatfreevegan.com/
http://www.goveg.com/
http://www.peta.org/
http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/
http://comfortfoodvegan.blogspot.com/
http://jennshaggy.blogspot.com/  (Veganize It, Don't Criticize It)
http://havecakewilltravel.com/
http://www.ppk.com/  (The post punk kitchen)
http://www.veganyumyum.com/

Then of course two of my regular and favorite reads, although not totally vegan, or even vegetarian:
http://www.fitnessista.com/
http://www.katheats.com/

That should keep you busy for awhile.  Happy Surfing!

Day 71 Too Much Wiggle Room

Uh-oh.
Here I am 3/4's of the way through this 100-Day Vegan Challenge and I find myself slipping and sliding all over the place. 

I think it started with that Japanese dinner the other night.  We ate at the same restaurant my husband and I ate at on New Year's Eve.  I requested that my friend meet me there because I knew they had that one vegan dish: Stir-fried Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables.  When I went there with my husband, the hostess must have heard me speaking and automatically handed me the English menu.  There was no description of the dish except that title.  When I went with my girlfriend the other night I got the Hebrew menu and there, clear as the nose on my face, it said "egg noodles" and had a symbol indicating the sauce contained fish sauce.  "Oh well"  I thought.  "I've already eaten it unknowingly once and I didn't turn into a pumpkin or anything.  What's one more time?"

Well, that would have been fine.  But as often happens on the Slippery Slope, that two-time oops translated into a taste of this and a bite of that and I find myself not quite as vegan as I'd like to be.

It would have been easier and a lot less personally embarassing, to keep this bit of info to myself.  But because I'm using this blog as a chance to allow people to get to know me and to understand my health counseling work, I felt this was an important thing to walk through in public.

You see, I work with people making behavior changes around their diets and their personal habits.  Often this pattern will occur where the excitement of the new beginning carries a client through for a month or two.  Then they have a test or a slip and they can find themselves beginning to slip more and more often.  This is the point where I am in danger of losing them and they are in danger of losing everything they have worked for to that point.  For those that don't run away from their programs, I walk them through the following strategy:

1.  Re-visit your goals.  Why are you doing this in the first place?  Do those goals still speak to you or do they need to be updated?

2.  Go back and review your early results.  This is why I am adamant that my clients keep journals and/or food logs.  Otherwise it is too easy to forget what you were doing when things were good and how much better you were feeling.

3.  Take a look at the path you have currently stepped onto and take it out a few more miles in your mind.  Will your current path take you to where you want to go, or do you need to make a course correction?

4.  Were you trying to be too perfect before?  Sometimes when we aim for 100% pure perfection, one little mistake sends us to "Nevermind-what's-the-point-anyway Land".  The goal should be just to do the best you can.  Are you doing the best you can?

5.  My approach is to focus on what you CAN DO, not what you can't.  What can you do today to get yourself back on track?

That's it really.  It's not difficult, but it IS really important to do before the little course deviations become giant, difficult direction changes.

So, back to ME:

I looked back to the earlier days of this blog and I see a lot more interesting variation and food experimentation.  Perhaps I was getting into boring food ruts lately and that led to stepping off my path.  So, my plan for tonight is to curl up with some vegan cookbooks and plan out some dishes I'd really love to try. 

Tomorrow I'm listening to some of the free Compassionate Cooks podcasts on itunes.  Colleen Patrick-Goudreau could probably convince a tiger to go veg.  Her website is:  http://www.compassionatecooks.com/  and her excellent, inspirational podcasts which can be found for free on itunes, are called "Vegetarian Food For Thought".

Day 61 Dr. Fuhrman needs to learn how to simplify in the kitch

First off, I just want to say that my heart goes out to the victims and families of the earthquake in Haiti.  It's totally ridiculous to be chuckling over my dietary adventures when such a staggering tragedy has occurred.  I completely understand this fact and I have no good defense for myself.  May the suffering soon come to an end and the world be united in support for the survivors as they work to put their shattered lives back together.

                      *                                 *                                       *

As promised, I tackled Dr. Fuhrman's famous Anti-Cancer Soup yesterday.  It took about an hour all told and managed to dirty several major appliances.  I'm thinking that probably Dr Fuhrman doesn't have to wash his own dishes.  The soup was good, but it wasn't THAT good.

The actual recipe can be found here.  Here it is in pictures:

Into a pot you put green split peas, whole onions, whole zucchini, whole leeks and a little water.  You start that cooking while you juice this:

That's a big mess o'carrots and celery and it makes this:

You add the carrot-celery juice to the veggies and peas in the pot.  Wash your juicer and chop a bunch of mushrooms.  By then, the veggies in the pot are soft and you can take them out and puree them in your blender:

Then you add raw cashews to the blender. 

The cashews are there to make the soup creamy and smoky-tasting.  Also, the soup has not had any oil or fat yet, so here the cashews will be taking that role in a very healthy way.

Finally you add in the mushrooms and some tvp plus whatever sort of seasoning you're using (I used salt, pepper and Hawaij for soup, because I have decided that everything is better with Hawaij on it).

Let it cook for another 20 minutes or so while you clean the disaster that is now your kitchen and finally...

Soup.  Everybody ate it.

(although I am willing to consider the possibility that they were afraid of what would happen if they didn't...)

Lastly, because man cannot live on soup alone, I give you  Dog + Shoe:

Day 24 and I pass judgement on Mollie Katzen

Enjoyed a terrific group weight loss class today with some lovely and inspiring ladies.  I served them the following:

Millet-Stuffed Peppers

Unfortunately for you, dear reader, the recipe is not available anywhere online, so I really can't post it.  It is from Get It Ripe by Jae Steele, which is a really wonderful little vegan cookbook with many innovative and delicious recipes such as this one.  I can say that in addition to the millet, the filling contains ground sunflower seeds and tahini for a fabulous amount of protein!  So, buy the coobook, or borrow it from me, or best of all, come to one of my classes and taste for yourself!

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

Now, THIS recipe is from The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen but is also widely available online so I have no problem printing it here too.  And truthfully, I'm a wee bit aggravated by Ms. Katzen, who has apparently decided to include meat recipes in her latest cookbook.  As the Mother of Modern North American Vegetarian Cookbooks, I think she should have remained a truer role model.  But really I have no idea what I'm talking about and shouldn't judge.  Bad girl.  Good soup.  Thanks for that Molls!

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

2 cups dry black beans

3 1/2 cups water or stock

Group A:
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large chopped carrot
1 stalk chopped celery
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp oil, approximately

Group B:
2 oranges or tangerines, peeled, sectioned, seeded (Emily used one)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp dry sherry (Emily did not use “who has sherry?”)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
(Emily also added 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro to the final product)

1. Rinse the beans. Cover them with water and soak for several hours or overnight. Pour off the excess water and put the beans in a large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups of water or stock and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer 1 1/2 hours over very low heat. (Emily says: add a strip of kombu seaweed to the cooking water for more digestible beans).

2. Sauté Group A, beginning with the onions and garlic. If necessary, add a little water to the vegetables to steam them. When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add the sauté to the beans. Let the soup continue to simmer over lowest possible heat.

3. Add Group B to the soup. Stir, cover, and let simmer for 10 more minutes. At this point I usually pronounce the soup finished, but you could thin it out with water or thicken it by pureeing some and returning it to the pot.  (Emily sauteed half the soup for a creamier finish.)

I leave you tonight with this picture:

Thing 1.  First-born child.  Apple of my Eye.

He complained that his little pip-squeak brother made the blog and he didn't.  So in the name of fair and square, here he is.  He's, er, fishing, in this picture, which is not a very vegan thing to do, but they didn't catch anything so yay the fish won anyway!

On Day 19 my son played with matches

So yeah, I'm not going to talk about the fact that my house almost burned down today taking my little boy with it.  Sigh.  I'm very grateful and that's enough said about that.

Soba Noodles tossed with Tofu Sour Cream and Chopped Cilantro (Cusbara) and Basil

Same dish.

This is me feeling low about my lack of photography skills and trying to get art-y.

Sweet Potato-Squash Soup topped with some Corn & leftover Black Bean Chili

And last, but absolutely not least...

WooooHoooo!  This is me, in Israel, holding a bottle of Kombucha Tea!

Backstory:  For those who don't know what it is, Kombucha is a fermented tea that is absolutely phenomenal for your health.  I used to buy it by the case at Whole Foods in NY and I swear, I would not have made it through the stressful move across the globe without my daily bottle of kombucha!  Not only does it give me a sense of calm and clarity when I drink it, it settles the most stubborn gassy belly, has live probiotic cultures, and provides me with energy and vitality.

And until TODAY, I have not been able to find it in Israel.  (There is one guy who sells it on tap in Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem, but I do not care for his brew as it is VERY sour and vinegary).  This brew, (here I tasted Ginger flavor) - was light and refreshing and just delicately carbonated - everything you want your kombucha to be.  I am beyond happy and look forward to trying his other flavors, which include my fave: Pomegranate! 

Happy, happy, happy dance!

Ta-Da 2 weeks vegan!

So it's been two weeks as a vegan and to tell you the truth, I feel no different yet.  The upside is that I certainly don't feel any worse for lack of eggs and dairy.  I do crave cheese a lot when I make grilled cheese for the kids, but it's not so bad.  It's too soon for me to make any determination about what my food future holds...

Here are some of the things I've eaten recently:

These are smoothies with frozen blackberries, bananas, ground flaxseeds, water, and the green stuff, which is Purslane in English, Regilat in Hebrew.  High in those Omega-3's! 

(The kids did drink these but said to tell the blog readers that "we've had better").

This is The Breakfast Cookie from http://www.fitnessista.com/

I had to modify the recipe a bit based on ingredients available to us here in Israel.  The original recipe can be found on her blog as linked above.

1/3 cup oats
1 T tahina or peanut butter
1/8 cup non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
cinnamon
cardamom
raisins

You just mix it all together at night.  Then spread it into a plate and refridgerate overnight.  In the morning it's a solid-ish cookie and perfect pre or post workout.  (I had it before a Friday morning jog).

And then there's this...

This... is a cupcake.

But it's a vegan cupcake!

Vegans have to go to birthday parties too.  It was my nephew's big boy 2nd birthday tonight so I brought the vegan cupcakes!

I can't put the recipe for these babies here because it's not mine, but rather from this cookbook:

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Here's a hint though: That luscious chocolate buttercream? It's made with tofu and it's sooooo delicious!