Knitting & Food

Well I have been trying to get a lot done lately. Trying to quit procrastinating. Which I am so bad about. I have tried a few new recipes which I am going to write about and I have been working on knitting some stuff and getting supplies for the stuff I am going to make for Etsy. There have been so many creative things running through my head it has been hard for me to concentrate on one thing at a time. Which is where my problems come in. Like today I spent 3 hours at JoAnn Fabrics trying to pick out fabric and notions. I had such a head ache from trying to get all of the items that I finally gave up and went home. At least I got my grocery shopping done first. Which I really enjoyed. I love grocery shopping.... I love to find new products to try and just stuff that I have looked for in the past and then someone finally gets it in. I will say after the fabric store (which I normally enjoy) I was so stressed out that I didn't go to the 2nd grocery store that I wanted to hit. O well. But on to the food.

So I have been trying some new recipes. I love trying new recipes and I am going to do more of that this year. As well as cooking in bulk to freeze stuff like pasta sauce, soups, pies, pastries, breakfast food, breads, etc. I will post those recipes or links on this website or my other Vegannatura.blogspot.com. So keep a heads up. This summer I will also be posting bulk recipes for garden veggies. Anyways....

General Taos Tofu turned out great.... I have not really cooked Asian food in the past and I would love to try some more recipes. I have always had a hard time cooking tofu and this turned out really good. I can't wait to make sweet and sour tofu!!!!!! I will post pictures of that soon. :)

I also tried the Chili recipe off of Vegandad.blogspot.com. It turned out pretty good. I am not much for chocolate and cinnamon in my chili though. But it was a good Change. With this recipe I made some cool Chili corn dog muffins with the vegan smart dogs. They turned out really good. John loved them. I used the corn bread recipe from PPK. It was good as well. For more info Check out Vegannatura.blogspot.com.

This week I have been trying to hit food items I have had trouble with in the past .. Like the tofu. The next Item I tried was another Vegan Mac & Cheese recipe from Veg web called Delightful mac & cheese. Well I will just say I wasn't a big fan and neither was John. I hate wasting food but everytime I try a new Vegan mac & cheese recipe it ends up in the garbage... This version had a kinda "chickeny" taste to it. Which like I said on Vegan Natura .. It has been many years since I have had any meat so maybe I am a little off on this but... I just could not stomach it.... But It does have a ton of good reviews at veg web.. So try it. You may like it... But by the end Copper kitty had to come check it out.... lol ....

But Check out more details of my cooking experiments, the recipes & substitututions and other food ideas and more about just food. On my food only blog Vegannatura.blogspot.com

The Blue Zones

This is something I seen on Oprah originally but have looked into it a little further since then. The Blue zones are zones around the world where large numbers of people live to be centenarians. Centenarians are people who live to be 100 years and over.

So the 4 hot spots are:
1. Nicoya Peninsula, Coasta Rica
2. Sardinia, Italy
3. Loma Linda, CA- The home of the 7th day Adventist church
4. Okinawa, Japan
There are also other blue zones as well. This is the most recently updated list.

These places all have alot in common.

• Plant based diets...... Some do take in small abouts of meats and cheese but only as a side and very infrequently. Most of them also grow their own fruits & veggies. Which means no pesticides, herbicides, & insecticides. Legumes & beans are of huge benefit! And nuts are as well. Also make sure you eat a variety of color. Different colors mean different vitamins and minerals. Remember unsaturated fatty acids lower your LDLs..... Plus a glass of wine or two a day is good for you.... The alcohol & antioxidants help your arteries. But don't over do it.
  
• Also they all exercise.... not what you and I call exercise on a piece of equipment but they walk long distances daily, they tend there gardens daily, they live like we did 50 years ago. They do almost everything from scratch... So moderate intensity exercise through all ages.
  
• Being Spiritual- They have found their happiness. Their reason for living. They also find time to relax and find time for themselves.
• Family. They all have tight family and friend bonds. Family is more important then anything and they put it above all other.
  
• Being socially involved through all ages.
  
• Not putting extra chemicals into their bodies.. like smoking..

For more information on THE BLUE ZONES click this link. Or check out the book The Blue Zones. There are other informational pages as well.

The Oprah BLUE ZONE LINK

Cleaning , sewing, and hibernation plus dinner

Well I have been working on cleaning up the house some. It always seems to stay a huge mess and I get so tired of it. So hopefully I will get closer to it being cleaner. I think we just need a bigger house... and its getting about that time. But until then I have been organizing everything into those 3 shelf store containers. 2 stacks of them around my house now. Just seems to be the easiest way to organize everything and not have to worry about it any more. But every time I got o buy one of those drawer the price goes up. I must be the only person supporting their company.... They started at $15 a year ago and they have been at a steady rise till they hit $20.... who knows what they will be next time I want one... anyways moving on....

I have been working on things to start my etsy store. But I need to go to the store to get some notions I forgot.... and that won't happen till probably Thursday... Thats a long drive just for Velcro, elastic, and fusible interfacing... So I haven't brought myself to do it yet... Have I mentioned my sewing projects have taken over my kitchen table. So I haven't done a ton of cooking lately but I have done some.

Moving on to hibernation. Well when I am doing something like cleaning or sewing the cats & dogs can't seem to stay away. They must have invisible strings attached to me. So that every time I move they know and come to get right in the middle. But when I decide to sit down for a while or when they get tired of walking around what I'm doing.. They fall over and decide its time to hibernate. and they won't move.... and if I move them .. when I turn around they come back to the same spot. Even if I want to put a large box there...
So here are some pictures of my babies when they finally decided to lay down. After I was done cleaning for the day I finally went and cooked dinner. We had Rice with Ginger broccoli. It turned out pretty good although I should have let the sauce cook down a little more. This Rice & Broccoli RECIPE is super easy and pretty quick. I also made a Faux Tuna Sammie for Johns lunch. He loved it!!!! Click on the links and it will take you to the recipes. Located on my other blog.

Peace out everyone!!!!

New Years Again ... Resolutions

Yes... it is that time of the year again. And I am here once more to post my Resolutions....

1. To go totally VEGAN.. Yes! , I am so excited......
2. To get my Etsy sales up and running
3. To exercise regularly probably about 4 times a week.... I mean lets be honest if I'm going to hit it. Lets make it a realistic number. lol...
4. To be a better blogger... Blog more often and have ons of pictures.
5. Cook as often as possible- 4 times a week.
6. Keep the house cleaner....
7. Work on lower our debt to credit ratio. :)

I know some sound broad but I know what they mean... So let me know some of your....

I also have a new blog. I am going to keep this one to post a little about everything. The other blog Vegannatura.blogspot.com is exclusively food. So please check it out. and give me a good month or so to get it up and running gracefully before you leave me any mean "I hate your blog comments".. lol

O yeah I did cook today. Yes I had a green. But I also had other food too. I posted the recipes on Vegannatura.blogspot.com but here are some pictures.

Dumplings which the recipe is on this blog somewhere aswell.

No- Roles Cabbage dish for dinner....

But I am also doing something kind of cool with Vegannatura.blogspot.com. I am doing Duplex Dining... Which is meal that have some of the same main ingredients. So say you use half a cabbage you can use the other half that week with a recipe on the very same site. Plus I am going to futher do menus that will do the same thing as well. But again it will be awhile before everything goes up online. Although I did list a Duplex dining post today.


So what did you do on the last day of 2008.. I tried to work on some loose ends that I was procrastinating about. Like making some very cute ferret hammocks. Making some Male Dog " dribble" dippers.. lol for my moms dog, some cat toys, and worked with some clay. So I did get a little bit done. That evening I did have some time with my husband and we brought in the new year with a kiss at midnight watching the ball drop..... Actually we watched the channel but I really don't remember the overly expensive ball. I can't believe our country is in a ton of debt but yet we pay like 5 million or more for a glowing ball... For one night. Plus upkeep all year.. anyways. Sorry just a rant.... anyways...

Here are Abu & Spanx enjoying one of the new hammocks.. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!

Veggie Podcasts #3

One more Vegan & Vegetarian Podcast reviews

Vegan- Vegetarian solutions for a sustainable environment- This podcast is very informative on how the meat industry is ruining our environment and how being vegan helps. It is a slow moving podcast. I listen for the history of not only the vegan lifestyle but to see what has happened in the meat industry in the past and present. The casts are pretty short most under 20 minutes. They are kind of like taking a class. Tons of info if your interested in environmentalism. And even if your not it might give you a new answer to some weird question a "meat" eater throws your way. Or just a new topic in general to become aware of. So Check this one out.... Give it a chance.. I know it is slow moving... :)

Stay tuned for more podcast reviews

1st Grade Christmas Party

The party went pretty well. I wish I would have started it earlier so we could have done more games. But the kids had a good time.

Food (Not Vegan :( )
Kabobs
Cookies
Cupcakes
PB&J Sammies & role ups
Chips
Cheese
Apples
Teddy Ghrams

Games:
Made ornaments
Grinch masks
Decorated ginger bread cookies- PPK recipe... I use this recipe every year
Present wrap relay
Read Merry Christmas Gus
and then ran out of time.



I did have other games planned that we didn't get to.

Here is a list:
The Unwrap relay .. Each kid runs up and unwraps a box. The box contains a letter. After every kid opens a box they bring their letters together to spell out a word. The first team done wins.
Ornament bounce or ping pong gift relay: I had a cheap 1 dollar pack of 12 plastic ornaments. 3 teams of kids. The game was a relay again. Each kid would have 4 chances to get 3 ornaments through a wreath but the ornament would have to bounce first. First team done wins.
Snow man toss: we had candy that looks like cool. A snow many cut out. Then the kids had to pick a button hole and try to throw the candy through. If they did they would get candy.
Steal can toss
Present stack relay
and I could go on...... But I hope this helps any one looking for ideas...

Remember when making food to make it colorful and interesting but at the same time something kids will eat.

~All Veggie" Meats" are not created equally~

Becoming a vegan is opening my eyes to more and more food Items that are not vegan. Even the Veggie "meats" that are suitable for vegetarians are not always so for vegans. I am sure this is no surprise for most and really wasn't a surprise for me. But I thought I would make this post and others in the future so that people who are new to the Vegan lifestyle and who still like to eat the Veggie "meats" would have a reference to which are vegan and which are not. <~~~~ Can you say run on sentence??? lol, any ways... I am going to put up the wel known brands first and then work my way down through the brands I know. This will not include Trader Joes, Whole foods, and other grocery store brands.... So Here goes NV= Not Vegan V= Vegan All information came from ingredients lists online on the specific Brands websites. Boca- www.Bocaburger.com
(Processed in a facility that uses milk & eggs)
Ground Crumbles Burger- V
Ground Crumbles all Natural- V
Original Vegan - V
Boca Original- V
Vegan w/ Organic soy- V
Chili- V
Chik'n Patties original- V
Chik'n Nuggets original- contains egg
Spicy Chik'n Patties- V

Flame Grilled- NV- Contains Milk & Egg
Grilled Vegetable- Contains- NV-Milk
Cheese Burger- NV-Milk
All American- NV- Contains Milk & Egg
Organic Garden Vegetable- NV-Contains Egg
Roasted Garlic- NV- Contains Egg
Roasted Onion- NV- Contains Egg
Bruschetta- NV- Contains Milk
Savory Mushroom Mozzarella- NV-Milk
Italian Sausage - NV- Contains Egg
Italian Sausage all natural- NV- Contains egg
Bratwurst- NV-Contains Egg
Bratwurst all natural- NV- Contains Egg
Sausage Links- NV- Contains Milk
Sausage Patties- NV- Contains Milk
Sausage Links organic- NV- Contains Egg
Sausage Patties organic- NV- Contains Egg
Boca in a bun- Chik'n & Swis- NV- Contains Milk
lasagna- NV- Contains Milk & Egg
Chik'n Patties original all natural- NV- Contains Egg
Chik'n Nuggets original all natural- NV- Contains Egg
Chik'n Patties Spicy all natural- NV- Contains Egg


Morningstar (Processed in a facility that uses milk & eggs)
Grillers Vegan- V
Meal Starters Chik'n Strips- V
Meal Starters Crumbles- V
Meal Starters Sausage- V
Meal Starters Veggie Steak Strips- V
Meal Starters Chik'n strips Natural- V
Meal Starters Steak Strips Natural- V

Asian veggie patties-NV- Contains egg & milk
Garden Veggie- NV- Contains egg & milk
Griller's Original- NV- Contains egg & milk
Griller's Prime- NV-Contains egg & milk
Mushroom Lovers- NV- Contains egg & milk
Spicy black bean veggie- NV-Contains egg & milk
Tomato & Pizza- NV- Contains egg & milk
Buffalo wings- NV- Contains Milk & Eggs
Chik'n Nuggets- NV- Contains egg & milk
Chik'n Patties Original- NV- Contains milk & egg
Italian herb chik'n patties- NV- Contains milk & egg
Original Chik'n Tenders- NV- Contains milk & egg
Roasted herb chik'n organic- NV- Contains milk & egg
Veggie Dogs- NV- Contains milk & egg
Mini Corn Dogs- NV- Contains milk & egg
Corn Dogs- NV- Contains milk & egg
Veggie Bites Broccoli & Cheddar-NV- Contains milk & egg
Veggie Bites Mushroom mozzarella -NV-Contains milk & egg
Veggie Bites Spanish artichoke-NV- Contains milk & egg
Ginger Teriyaki veggie cakes- NV- Contains milk & egg
South western style veggie cakes- NV- Contains milk & egg

Worthington & Loma Linda www.kelloggs.com
(Processed in a facility that uses milk & eggs)
Chik-ketts-V
Canned Chili- V
Canned Choplets- V
Canned Big Franks-V
Canned Dinner Cut-V
Canned Linketts-V
Canned little links-V
Canned low fat meatless soy franks- V
Canned Ready Burgers-V
Canned tender bits- V
Canned vege burger patties-V
Canned low fat vegetable steaks- V
Canned multi-grain cutlets-V
Canned vegetable scallops- V
Canned Vegetable crumbles-V

Dinner roast- NV- Contains milk & egg
Fripats- NV- Contains milk& egg
Leanies-NV- Contains milk & egg
Fried Chik'n-NV- Contains milk & egg
Swiss steak with gravy- NV- Contains milk & egg
Chik'n style role-NV-Contains milk & egg
Chik'n Slices- NV- Contains milk & eggs
Smoked turkey role-NV- Contains milk & egg
Prosage links- NV- Contains milk & egg
Stakelets- NV- Contains milk & egg
Stripples- NV- Contains Milk & egg
Canned Diced Chik- NV- Contains milk & egg
Canned Frichik- NV- Contains milk & egg
Canned Tender Rounds- NV- Contains milk & egg
Canned Veja Links- NV- Contains milk & egg
Canned prime steaks-NV- Contains milk & egg
Canned saucettes-NV-Contains milk & egg
Canned super links- NV- Contains milk & egg
Canned Veja links- NV- Contains milk & egg

YVES www.yvesveggie.com
(All vegan items are made in a facility that uses eggs. Thats noted on labels)

Hearts desire meatless beef- V
Hearts desire meatless Chicken-V
Hot dogs- V
Good Dogs- V
Tofu dogs- V
Jumbo Hot dogs-V
Veggie Brat Classics-V
Veggie Brats zesty Italian- V
Deli style slices "Bologna" - V
Deli style slices "Ham"- V
Deli style slices "Turkey"-V
Deli style slices "Salami"- V
Deli style slices "Peperoni"-V
Deli style slices " Roast w/o the beef- V
Deli style slices Smoked " Chicken"- V
"Chicken" Burgers- V
"Beef" Burgers-V
"Canadian Bacon" - V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Breakfast Patties- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Meatless Chili- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Veggie lasagna- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Veggie Penne- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Santa Fe "Beef"- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Thai lemon grass "Chicken"- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Meatless Ground- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Taco Stuffers- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Ground "Turkey"- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)
Asian ground round lettuce wrappers- V (Manufactured in a facility that uses egg & milk)

Mac N soy cheese- NV- Contains Casein
BBQ Rice and bean burgers- NV- Contains egg (Manufactured in a facility which uses milk)
Lentil & Veggie Burger- NV- Contains egg (Manufactured in a facility which uses milk)
Barbecue "beef" skewers- NV- Contains egg
Lemon herb "chicken" skewers- NV- Contains egg

LightLife www.lightlife.com
Smart Dogs veggie protein links-V
Smart Dogs Jumbo- V
Tofu pups-V
Smart Deli pepperoni style- V- My Favorite!
Smart Deli Turkey style- V
Smart Deli Ham style- V
Smart Deli Bologna Style-V
All Tempeh styles are- V
Gimme lean sausage style- V
Gimme lean beef style-V
Smart Ground original- V
Smart ground taco/ burrito- V
Smart Strips chik'n style- V
Smart Strips Steak style strips- V
Light burgers- V
Smart BBQ- V
Smart Tex Mex- V
Smart Chili- V
Smart menu orange sesame chick'n - V
Smart menu garlic teriyaki chick'n-V
Smart m'tballs- V
Smart links breakfast- V
Smart Bacon- V
Smart tortilla wrap Ranchero- V


Smart tortilla wrap Mexican beef style- NV- Contains Milk
Smart tortilla wrap Breakfast- NV- Contains Milk & egg
Smart Breakfast patties- NV- Contains egg
Smart Nuggets- NV- Contains egg
Smart menu veggie bolognese- NV- Contains Egg
Veggie Burgers- NV- Contain Egg
Mushroom Burgers- NV- Contain egg
Smart Patties burger style -NV-Contain egg
Smart Cutlets Chik'n fillets- NV- Contains egg
Veggie Wheat organic dogs- NV- Contains Egg
Smart pretzel dog- NV- Contains Egg
Smart Tenders savory Chick'n- NV- Contains Egg
Smart Tender Lemon pepper- NV- Contains Egg
Smart Sausages Italian style- NV- Contains Egg
Smart Sausages Chorizo style- NV- Contains Egg
Smart Stuffers Turk't w/ cranberry- NV- Contains Egg & milk
Smart Stuffers Chik'n Cordon melt- NV- Contains Egg & milk
Smart Stuffers Chik'n broccoli melt - NV- Contains Egg & milk
Smart patties Chik'n Style- NV- Contains egg
Smart Patties mushroom Burgers- NV- Contains egg

Quorn - No vegan items as far as I know

Naked Chik'n cutlets- NV- Contains milk & egg
Chik'n tenders- NV- Contains egg
South western chik'n wings- Contains egg & milk
Cranberry and goat cheese cutlets- NV- Contains milk & egg
Chik'n patties-NV- Contains egg & milk
Gruyere Chik'n cutlets- NV- Contains egg & milk
Garlic & Herb Chik'n- NV- Contains egg & milk
Turk'y roast- NV- Contains egg & milk
Meatless meatballs-NV Contains egg & milk
Meatless ground round- NV- Contains egg & milk

I will leave more later in another post. But hopefully this helps anyone who has questions.

Vegan & Veg Podcast reviews #2

I said I would leave some more reviews so heres a couple more. I went to Morgantown shopping today and listened to podcasts the hour trip there and back plus the whole time I was shopping. So shopping and podcasts.. and I stopped at a book store... So many guilty pleasures built into one day..lol


Raw Vegan Radio with Steve Prussacke- I have listened to a few episodes of this show now. It is full of information. Take the time to listen and take some notes... You will definitely want notes. I am going to listen to the episodes again so I can take notes. Steve does a lot of interviews with authors, founders, traditionalists, nutritionalists .... His shows run about an hour long, I think. But in that hour there is a ton of info, seriously. If you are interested in raw food or your Vegan or Veg or even if your not check out this show to learn more on nutrition and how you get all the nutrients you need. And all the different ways you can get these nutrients. They go over everything. What gluten does to the body. What vitamins work for you and which one works against you. Salt, what is table salt compared to seas salt. Why they are pretty much the same thing. And since they are both not good for you what you should use in its place to get the sodium your body needs. Weird cravings and why you get them... what you could be missing that you would never guess. I could go on and on... Like I said check this podcast out!!! Awesome podcast! Rawveganradio.com

The Animal Farm Radio Show- This is not a veg podcast. I don't know why it came up under my search as one. Maybe because of the name. It is a current events news show that runs about one and a half hours long. It runs on F.U. Radio. It is a very politically "independent" show. With a lot of information about current political issues as well as some other news issues from around the world. A lot of good stuff. Sometimes they are a little "rude" or um..... I don't know. But check out this show. Its worth a listen. It might turn you on to a new perspective. Who knows...? :) Animalfarmshow.com


Still to come.

The Vegan Radio
The V Word with Meat free Media
Go Vegan Radio with Bob Linden - Goveganradio.com
Vegan- Vegetarian solutions for a sustainable environment
Alternative Vegan- dsarma
PETAs Podcast
The Vegan cooking school
Conscious animal radio
Vegtalk



Does any of you watch The Drs. in the morning. Well I do. Did you know that the more diverse your genes are from your mates the more attracted you should be to them and the more compatible. Because the more diverse the genes the healthier your kids will be. Your child will be protected against many more illnesses.....

Loss of A Family Member

Today we lost another member of our family. Mickie, one of my parents dogs which we have had for around 10 years. She was 12 or 13 years old. She was a cute little Chihuahua- pug mix and she was full of life. She was always bouncy and happy to see you. She had a little yip for a bark but she thought she was the biggest dog around. Mickie would throw her little bit of weight around at any one who stepped up to the gate and even decided to nip me a couple of times. She put up with my dog Chloe but my 45 pd dog Sophie she chased around the yard and would nip at her chin. Even though she only weighted 12lbs, if that. But she was a sweet heart and she will be truly missed. We love you Mick!!!!!

I will load a picture a little later

Pod Cast- Compassionate Cooks

I was recently listening to an issue of Compassionate cooks podcast and Colleen read a Story by Shad Clark called "Little Boy Pig". It is a very interesting short story. I thought I would write and ask people to listen to it or read it. It is about A genetically altered pig who was born in a lab for human organ transplants. But the story takes a dramatic turn when there is something just a little different about this baby pig. Shad Clark's stories are well written & very descriptive. Please check out his website out at ShadClark.com and if you are looking for this story click on the pig picture then on the pigs snot. If you would like to listen to it go to compassionatecooks.com and download colleens podcast called "Little Boy pig: a genetically modified Tale".