Easy, sweet-ish granola

In a bowl combine:

1/4 cup each: raw pecans, raw almonds, raw pumpkin seeds, cranberries, pineapple, dates
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup maple syrup
salt to taste

Dice fruit very small.

Mix everything but salt in a bowl. Stir until everything is covered. Then lay out on your dehydrator sheets in small mounds so they'll stick together. Sprinkle with salt.

Dehydrate 12 hours at 110 degrees.

WOW!

Best raw corn chips I've ever made

These are so simple! (Sorry for the low picture quality. I can't find my camera battery so had to use my phone.)

These measurements are approximate. That's really the only way to have great food. You have to add spices that YOU prefer.

Approximate Ingredients:
4 cups corn, frozen or fresh
about 1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons of garlic
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
almost 2/3 teaspoon cayenne (Remember, I like spicy!)

Sprinkle on top of chips:
ground red chili peppers, fresh if possible
1 lime

I put the first six ingredients into my food processor. Then I blended until it stopped. At this point I had to add water to get it to continue mixing. I didn't want a watery consistency but I did want it all to be smooth.

So, blend blend blend. You could actually do this in a blender if you want really smooth chips. (And my blender broke many months ago and we only just bought a new one yesterday so I haven't even begun using it yet.)

Once these are smooth and wet enough to be spread on your keflex sheet, do it. I used two sheets but they weren't completely covered with the dough. I spread it out, trying to reach 1/8 inch thickness. The centers were thicker and that was fine.

Now, score into triangles or whatever shape you prefer.

THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT: Right after you've scored your chips, don't forget to squeeze lime alllllllllll over the chips. Then, I sprinkled with ground red peppers for an extra kick. This was a great idea - and the chips are soooo yummy! This is a 1000% improvement on my original corn chip.



Can you see the red chili peppers? They make the chip! I think next time I'll even add MORE lime, maybe into the batter, too. Go wild.

Enough rambling. Try these!

Veg*anism 101

Here's a snippet: (see website at the bottom)

"When it comes to vegetarianism, the number one question on most meat-eaters' minds is, "What do you eat?" The answer: Anything we want!

Vegetarian-friendly menus are sprouting up everywhere—even Burger King offers veggie burgers—and more and more eateries are focusing exclusively on vegetarian and vegan foods.

FOR YOU - AND YOUR FAMILY:

Some of the leading killers in America today, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, and strokes, are directly linked to meat-based diets. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America today, and it can often be caused by the build-up of cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products in our arteries.

The only two doctors in human history who have successfully reversed heart disease have included an exclusively vegetarian diet as a part of their programs. The average vegan cholesterol level is 133 (compared to 210 for meat-eaters); there are no documented cases of heart attacks in individuals with cholesterol under 150. Other health problems tied to clogged arteries, like poor circulation and atherosclerotic strokes, can be virtually eliminated with a vegan diet.

FOR THE ANIMALS:

Animals on factory farms are treated like meat, milk, and egg machines. Chickens have their sensitive beaks seared off with a hot blade, and male cattle and pigs are castrated without any painkillers. Farmed chickens, turkeys, and pigs spend their brief lives in dark and crowded warehouses, many of them so cramped that they can't even turn around or spread a single wing. They are mired in their own waste, and the stench of ammonia fills the air.

Many die during transport, and others are too sick or weak to walk off the truck after they reach the slaughterhouse. The animals who survive this hellish ordeal are hung upside-down and their throats are slit, often while they're completely conscious."

Read more here:

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/vegetarian-101.aspx

And don't forget to order your free vegetarian starter kit today!

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/free-vegetarian-starter-kit.aspx

Calling all sexy vegetarians over 50!

Want to be hot when you're over 50? Go vegan!

The following article originally appeared on PETA Prime.

QUOTE:

"For any of you who are still on the fence about entering PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50 Contest, I have three words: Just do it! A little more than a year ago, I was in your shoes—wondering whether it was crazy for a 70-year-old grandmother to enter a sexiest vegetarian contest. But I did it anyway, and much to my delight, I won!"

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/calling-all-sexy-vegetarians-over-50.aspx

Transition to veg*anism the easy way

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/making-the-transition-vegetarian.aspx

Going vegetarian is easy. Grocery stores are always stocked with colorful vegetables and plenty of other vegan foods. Almost all grocery stores now carry delicious faux meat products, too—from veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs to vegetarian chicken nuggets, ribs, steak strips, and more. With all these great products available, it's easier than ever to whip up delicious meat-free meals at home.

Click on the link above for the top six tips for making your transition to a vegetarian diet, the easy and delicious way! You'll also find "everyday eating" ideas for each meal (and snack!) of the day. If you want more help making the transition, take the "Pledge To Be Vegan for 30 Days."

Free Vegetarian Starter Kit! Get yours today!

Did you know that you could save 100 animals per year just by adopting a meat-free diet? That's right—going vegetarian saves lives! And if that's not appealing enough, it's easy too!



Get yours today!

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/free-vegetarian-starter-kit.aspx

Pledge to go vegan for 30 days

Some people go vegan after looking an animal in the eye and realizing that there's a "who," not a "what," looking back. Others avoid meat, eggs, and dairy foods to ditch unwanted pounds or because they want to help the environment. Whatever the reason, there's never been a better time to cut the meat and other animal-derived products out of your diet.

Sign the pledge to follow a vegan diet, and they'll send you an e-mail with their top tips on the best places to eat out, favorite recipes, the tastiest animal-friendly snacks, and the most delicious prepackaged vegan meals.

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2055

Accidentally Vegan

Don't have time to make all of my foods right now? That's okay.. There are many premade versions you can keep in your fridge and freezer so they're always available to you.

And you can let PETA do all the work for you! They've compiled a list of things that are accidentally vegan. I bet you didn't know!

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/accidentally-vegan.aspx

eing vegan doesn't mean you have to eat wheatgrass and alfalfa sprouts. Most grocery stores carry an array of great-tasting vegan options. Many products, including fantastic faux franks, veggie burgers, chicken-free chicken patties, flavored soy milks, nondairy ice creams, and other sensational soy-based snacks, are marketed to vegetarians and vegans. There's also an abundance of chips, dips, cookies, candies, frozen pies, soups, and other mouth-watering items by mainstream food manufacturers that are also vegan.

Take a stroll through your local grocery store, check some ingredients, and you'll see what we mean. You may even be surprised to find that a few of your favorite indulgences happen to be vegan!

Read more at the link above...

You'll be surprised!

Meaty, spicy, veggie soup

Soooooo simple! I had veggies in the fridge and didn't know what to make for dinner.. so I threw this together.



Ingredients:
TVP of any texture
Celery, sliced
Carrots, sliced
Fresh tomatoes, diced
Broth (premade or dried)

Cook your TVP as per directions: (Usually, one part TVP to two parts water. Cook until soft and all water is absorbed. You can add spices or soy sauce at this point but it's not required for this recipe.)

You can stir-fry it in some oil to add some fat. Don't be afraid to do this -- especially if you're feeding meat-eaters. TVP doesn't have fat in it so if you want it, you have to add it. So, why not add a healthy fat like olive oil?

Get a pot big enough to make however much soup you need. Add the right amount of broth. This is easy if you buy veggie bullion from veganessentials. It's our favorite! Add water, mix your dried broth. Easy peasy.

Stir in sliced veggies, cooked TVP and any extra spices. I always add cayenne because I love my food with a kick. Mix 23ll. Let the spices sink into your veggies and TVP. Then serve! It's a big hit.

Easy, tasty, healthy and low-fat!

Easy mashed potatoes and green bean casserole

Who says you can't have comfort food if you're vegan? I grew up in southeast Texas, so I grew up on artery-clogging, animal-fat-laden foods.. and I can honestly say that my vegan versions of these foods are SO much better. You can actually taste your food! Have you noticed that when you're eating one of those traditional American dishes all you can really taste is fat?

Well, not anymore! Try one of my comfort foods and you'll never go back.

Easy mashed potatoes:
Washed and diced new potatoes (leave skin on)
A dash of soy or almond milk
Lots of garlic
1 T margarine
Salt and pepper

Dice and boil your potatoes. Leave the skin on for nutrition - and taste. This can be done with russet but I prefer new/red.

When super soft, simply drain and put back in your pot. Now, squish the potatoes! This is the fun part. And it's easy with new potatoes. Only add a dash of milk if you need it. Then add margarine and spices.

Yummy green bean casserole:
Fresh green beans, washed and cut
Chreese cheddar mix
Soy or almond milk
Optional: stir-fried mushrooms
Optional: fried onions for topping

Boil your green beans to al-dente texture. Meanwhile, in your cast iron skillet (the size will depend on how big of a casserole you are making.) Before adding your green beans to the skillet, fill halfway with milk and add chreese until medium-thick. Remember, don't heat too much! While stirring, add any extra spices that you might want. Then, add green beans and make sure sauce covers the green beans.

If it doesn't - don't fret. This is the great thing about vegan foods... just add a little more milk and chreese until it's covered! See.. easy.

If you like mushrooms like me, you'll love them in this casserole. I've even added carrots before. Just stir fry or steam them so they're al-dente before adding.

Top with fried onions and bake at 400 until brown. This won't take too long.



Serve with salad - it's great together. This is one of my absolute favorite comfort food meals!

Zucchini-black bean burgers

You will LOVE these burgers. I've made many homemade burgers but these top the list. Sorry my recipes aren't exact.. cooking really isn't an exact science. You should learn to touch your food and feel the texture and taste it to add more spices as needed.

It's easy - it just takes practice. (And it's a yummy thing to practice!) :)

Ingredients:
black beans
zucchini
spices
flax seeds
bread crumbs
optional: slice of vegan cheese or chreese sauce

Cook your black beans. You won't regret it! I cooked about 1 cup dry. They are so easy to mash when they're freshly cooked. Not to mention they are sooooo much better than canned. (And YOU get to control the amount of salt in your food this way, too.)



Dice your zucchini and throw into a food processor until small pieces.



Now mix in your black bean pot:
Beans
Zucchini
lots of flax seeds
some bread crumbs
lots of spices: garlic, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin
Optional: cooked rice or quinoa

Let your mixture sit for a while to thicken. Flax is great at that. So, give the flax time to make your burgers hold together. Add more bread crumbs if your burgers are still too wet. It'll mix right in.



I cooked them in a skillet until well done on both sides. This made a lot so we kept them in the freezer for easy use! Make big batches of your favorite burgers and you'll have an easy meal waiting for you.

We used rice vegan cheese on top of ours, too:




Serve in between lettuce or bread:

Oatmeal date breakfast bake

Recipe to follow..

TVP and bean burrito

Never used TVP before? Don't be scared. It's easy.

Basically, you'll mix 1 part TVP to 2 parts water. Boil until soft and water is mostly absorbed. Just like cooking anything else, try them as you go. TVP should be totally moistened when done.

Now, add your beans and some more water to 1/2 or almost cover.

Add spices:
cayenne
lots of chili powder
garlic
onion
cumin

Stir until done! See how easy?



I prefer toasting my burrito before eating. I like them crunchy! But it's not required. Fill with tomatoes, spinach, avocado, corn, whatever you're craving.

Spicy, chreesy, beany wrap

When we're in a hurry, this is one of our main staples. Easy, delicious and warm. Yum.



Ingredients:
Black beans
Chreese powder
Optional additional spices: cayenne, garlic, paprika
Tomato, diced
Avocado, sliced

We cook black beans from scratch, and trust me you should.. they're delicious. But if you don't hate time, just open a can of black beans and drain. Now put the beans in a cast-iron skillet and add a little water/milk until it almost covers the beans. Now, add chreese powder and continually stir until it thickens. Add your extra spices, if any.

Layer with tomato, avocado - anything else you enjoy like spinach, lettuce.

Wrap and enjoy! Quick. Yummy. Healthy. Low-fat.

Tofu salad

I love tofu. I just do. I love Rumbi's fried silken tofu (which I didn't think I would like!), I love Asian-style pressed tofu (which you can purchase at almost any Asian market) or order from Pei Wei and I especially love firm tofu. We fry it, stir-fry and bake it. It's sooooo good.

We used to get a wonderful balsamic vinegar tofu sandwich in Salt Lake City and we now use balsamic vinegar on a lot of our tofu dishes.

First, drain and slice your tofu. Now you can marinate it in a container with balsamic vinegar and a little oil. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours or a few days. Just turn it over so all pieces can marinate evenly.



Bake in a cast-iron skillet between 350-400 degrees. Flip periodically. Cook just a little or until medium or well done! It's your choice.



Balsamic tofu is great with goddess dressing.. or just add a little more balsamic and oil to your salad. We eat this ALL the time.

Banana Breakfast Cobbler

This one may be even better than the apple one!



Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour 1/2 c
Oats 1/2 c
Raw sugar up to 1/4 c (use as little as you can)
Margarine or oil up to 1/2 c (use as little as you can)
Fruit (This recipe calls for 2 bananas)
Optional: seeds to put on top, pumpkin or sunflower

This one is similar to the apple cobbler. Pulse your topping ingredients in a food processor: flour, oats, sugar, margarine. Spices are optional and I didn't really want anything with my banana.

Slice bananas into glass containers (I still used 3 of the small) and cover with dough mixture.

I did cover my banana cobbler with pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Cook at 350 until bananas are bubbly. You will LOVE this one!

YUM!

Apple Breakfast cobbler

My husband can't eat breakfast as soon as he wakes, so I have to make foods that he can take to work and eat an hour or two later. So, here is one of my fruity breakfast cobblers. He loves them!

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour 1/2 c
Oats 1/2 c
Raw sugar up to 1/4 c
Margarine or oil 1/2 c
Lots of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Fruit (This recipe calls for 2 apples)

In a food processor, I mixed 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c oats, a few spoons of sugar plus up to 1/2 c margarine or oil. Pulse until chunky and all pieces are wet.



You can see I used this much dough for three small glass containers. I split the 2 apples between all containers and covered with dough mixture.

Baked at 350 degrees until fruit is bubbly! Check every 10 minutes. But could take up to 30 minutes.

(NOTE: This was actually too much breakfast for Tyler so I will probably put this much recipe into 4 containers next time so his breakfast isn't so big.) I guess it depends on how much you want to eat in the morning.

Enjoy!

Shells and chreese (my favorite!)

Chreese makes this dish soooooo simple and fast.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat shells
Chreese cheddar mix
Soy or almond or rice milk
Optional: additional garlic, paprika, cayenne
Optional: steamed veggies like broccoli

In your cast-iron skillet, fill halfway with your milk. Use a small skillet! Now, begin by adding chreese and stirring continuously. If you need more sauce, add more milk and then add more chreese. Chreese thickens easily with heat - so don't heat too fast or too much!

Add spices if you want. I usually add the three listed above, because I like garlic and spicy foods.

Add to your cooked whole wheat shells and stir:



To make it a meal, add steamed veggies! One of the bowls even has fried onions on top for an extra crunch. Yum!

Better-than-a-BLT

YUM!

Ingredients:
Your favorite wrapper (wheat, corn, bread, whatever)
Ripe avocado
Fresh spinach
Tomato
Baked tofu

How to bake your tofu:

It's very simple, actually. Open your tofu package and drain the water. Wrap in a cloth and put your skillet on top to press out the water. Leave it here for 15 minutes or up to a few hours if you want.

Now, slice and put in a container with your marinade: a little vegan worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and herbs like garlic, onion and whatever you like!



Put some olive oil in the skillet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Check. If starting to toast, flip over. Repeat this process until it's as crispy or soft as you like. (The more you cook it, the more water you're removing from the tofu which makes it crispier. If you cook it long enough you'll have some tofu-jerky!) :)



Now place your ingredients in your wrap. I like small whole wheat wraps like this one. Just 150 calories for the pair, plus your toppings.

SOOOOOO good! We enjoyed with a side of shells and chreese (see next post.)

Vegan velveeta chreese dip! (or sauce)

This may look weird when you're cooking it.. but trust me, it's YUMMY! And good for you. Imagine that.

If you aren't using Chreese products, you're missing out. They sell powdered chreese mix for several different style cheeses and also a pre-made chreese dip. (But Tyler likes my homemade chreese dip better.) But they're both really good.

Fill your cast-iron skillet halfway with soy or almond milk. Then add some Chreese. Stir. If runny, add a little more Chreese. Now, add your rotel - or tomatoes and hot chilis. Runny again? Keep cooking - it thickens fast! And add a little more chreese until it's the right consistency.



Voila!



Goes great on chips or as a dip with veggies or chips or even for a spicy pasta or veggie sauce. (Add some steamed veggies to the pasta and it's great!) Spice up a traditional favorite of steamed broccoli and chreese - or use your imagination!

Fast #2

So.. one 6-day fast didn't completely heal me. But let me tell you.. it nearly did!

That's why I decided to do one more fast to give my intestines the final break they need to complete their healing process.

Four days down, 2 to go!

I'm going to post some of our recipes from the past few months (where I've been too sick or just too darn lazy) to post the photos and info. Then, look for more raw foods starting next week!

Fasting

I'm on day 6 of my 6-day fast!

That means I'll have more recipes coming soon. Im dreaming about our newest homemade black bean burger, burrito with avocado and chreese sauce, pizza, salad with tempeh and homemade hummus! ... And more. Tyler is such a good cook that I've been smelling his dinners and pretending I'm eating them, too :)

Though I plan to take advantage of my shrunken stomach (from fasting this week) and control the portions.

Resd more about fasting and how it can help you either regain health or maintain it.. Search for Dr. Fuhrman online.

Get this or any of Dr. Fuhrman's books here: http://www.amazon.com/Fasting-Eating-Health-Medical-Conquering/dp/031218719X

Just-sweet-enough Cupcakes

These are GREAT! We like sweets - but not traditional sweets you buy at the grocery store. Those pre-packaged things are full of bad ingredients, not to mention WAYYYY too much sugar.

We use natural sugars and less than is usually called for.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1 t apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c almond mylk (pre-made or make your own with handful of almonds and water blended)
1 t vanilla
1/3-1/2 c raw sugar
Dash salt
Handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Icing:
Dates
Water
Splash of vanilla

First, put dates into blender. Squish down. Add just enough water to cover and let sit.

Mix mylk + apple cider vinegar. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put dry ingredients into bowl. Mix. Add mylk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until blended. Add chocolate chips.

You can see that I don't have the equipment for cupcakes, but I don't let that stop me! I just used my cast iron skillet and lined with cupcake papers.



Fill with cupcake batter.. if you don't eat it all first! This stuff is seriously yummy.

Bake at 350 for up to 20 minutes, or until cupcakes fluff back up when you push down lightly with your finger.

Let cool.

Blend icing and smear onto cupcakes. (We left some without icing - and they're great, too!)



Enjoy!

Hot, hot, hot, hot soup

I accidentally made this soup so hot that.. we almost couldn't eat it. Really! So, beware of accidentally adding too much cayenne or jalapeno spice. Other than that.. let me just say - YUM!



You'll want to cook some of it in a cast iron skillet and some in a pot full of water.

INGREDIENTS

In the cast iron skillet:
TVP (your choice of size and texture)
Olive oil
Water
Garlic, salt, pepper, paprika

In the stainless steel pot:
1/3 c brown rice
1/3 c lentils (your choice color)
1/4 c pasta (your choice)
Freshly sliced veggies: tomatoes, carrots, new potato, celery, broccoli
Cayenne, garlic, bouillon cube

Fill your pot with water, add the rice and bring to boil. Lower to medium. Cook about 15 minutes. Then add the lentils and died potatoes only. Cook another 10 minutes. (Add water as necessary to keep it full.)

While the pot is cooking. put your TVP into the small cast iron skillet.



Fill with water to cover TVP. Add a few spoons of oil. Cook until water is absorbed/evaporated. Grill TVP for a while until as crispy as you like.

Your pot should be ready to add the veggies.



Now, replenish water into the pot as necessary - and throw in the rest of your veggies and pasta.

Basically, we're cooking the harder ingredients longest. Add the other ingredients that require less time, as you go along.

Add spices at the end. Stir to mix. Voila! Don't be stingy with the cayenne or jalapeno. Spicy soup is great!

Quick chocolate mylk

So easy!



Throw into a blender:
ice cubes
water
hand full of almonds
raw cacao powder + raw sugar (or, if you're like us and trying to get rid of the nesquick, just add a few spoons of that)



Blend!



Just spoon off the floating chunks of almond bits that don't sink. Or, eat them!

Easy. Quick. Tasty. This really hits the spot.

Cherry-pineapple crunch

So easy! So good!



INGREDIENTS
Fresh cherries, pitted and diced small
Pineapple, diced small
Chocolate chips (optional)
Vegan wrappers
Agave (optional)

Purchase these at an Asian market. These are low-cal, yummy and you can fry or bake them into desserts, egg rolls, whatever you want.



I used the big wrappers for these desserts. That means you can fill them with a LOT of fruit!



So, have your fruit sliced and ready. Remove one wrapper. Lay flat. Have a tiny bowl of water (that you'll dip your fingers into and use to seal each wrapper.)

Fill with fruit and a few chocolate chips:



Add more chocolate for a richer dessert. Leave out the chocolate completely for a yummy, fruity treat!

Roll. Seal with water. Spray with your oil sprayer and bake at about 300 degrees until browned. Flip and do it again. Takes only a few minutes on each side.



This won't take long.. keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

YUM! Add a little agave for an extra bit of sweetness and presentation.



They're low-calorie and healthy.. so eat your heart out!

Cheesy, spicy, avo-sandwich wrap

I had a few veggies lying around that I wanted to use. And they went together perfectly!

SERVES 2

WRAP:
2 tortillas (look for a tortilleria in your town!)
1 new potato
Handful of sliced cabbage
Head of broccoli, sliced small
Half block of tempeh
1/4 c black beans
Veg worcestershire
Soy Sauce
Water
1 avocado to share

SAUCE:
Chreese mix
Water
Cayenne spices
Hot sauce (optional, to sprinkle on top)

First, slice your potatoes small and cook in cast iron skillet. Add water to help steam. Cook until done.

While that's cooking, break apart the tempeh with your hands. It falls into nice sized pieces. Cook in another cast iron skillet with a little olive oil, soy sauce and worcestershire sauce to taste.

Mix your finished potatoes and tempeh together.

Use one of your skillets to water stir-fry the broccoli and cabbage for a few minutes. Then, add all of your ingredients together.



Mix chreese sauce according to directions. Just make about 1/2-3/4 c of sauce for the two of you. Add a little less water than called for to make a thicker sauce. Or thin it out. It's really up to you. BUT DO NOT FORGET the cayenne spice. It makes the sauce SO much better.



Put your wrap ingredients into the tortillas. Grill on a low-medium setting until brown on all sides.



Serve with spicy, chreese sauce and freshly sliced avocado and hot sauce on top.

Chreese + avocado + hot sauce = YUMMMMMMMMM