A Quick Dinner

What a beautiful presentation! Have you ever created a meal for 2 & compared the two plates? Which one looked better? Clearly many of us need to remember to treat ourselves as well as we treat others & I'll admit, I am speaking from experience. :)

So our left-overs (or food available in the cupboard) included organic cans of 3-blend beans, garbanzo beans, fire-roasted tomatoes & tomato paste (we didn't use the paste), 2 sweet onions (we used 1), & a half box of baby portobella mushrooms. 

In addition I had brought over 2 soy rolls (vegetarian hot dogs) & health-food creme soda. Caroll had never tried either, so I was excited to share. I also brought over an Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla & hummus. I figured my friend could whip up a quick soup, since she's an amazing impromptu cook & we could chat.  

I thought I had remembered everything, but alas, I forgot the vegetable broth. As a substitute she added a low-sodium can of V8 juice. Can you imagine why they would put 600 grams (milligrams?) of sodium in each can? Also, she added the juice of 1 whole lime & even threw in the skins. I had never heard of adding lime to bean stew before, as I usually add a sprinkle of fructose to balance the acidity, but I truly enjoyed the splash of island flavor. 

Always & I mean always rinse your beans well, whether they're from cans or beans you've soaked & cooked yourself. You will save on tummy aches! 

Now when Caroll brought out this pan, red lights went on! I thought for sure it was aluminum, but she assured me it was old, but steel. She said this pot melts down chocolate perfectly. I do not like using aluminium for 2 reasons:

1. The pores in the metal open up & expand during heat & contract during cooling actually capturing bacteria within its walls.

2. I read & heard enough times that cooking with aluminum adds to your chances of Alzheimers.   

We didn't even shed a tear...

She sauteed the onions in a spray of olive oil she had. 

Mushrooms, salt, pepper & Italian seasoning were added. 

& here comes the lime!

This cooked down to a very tasty winter meal - I hope you try it some cold winter night. By the way, I think adding cubed zuchinni would have added additional flavor too. 

My Vegetarian Story is catching on. 

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, I'd love to read your conversion story. The most interesting ones will be posted at MyVegetarianStory.blogspot.com.

Please limit your personal stories to 1-3 pages. 

Also, a copyrighted book is in the works of the same name. If your story is chosen for the book & the book sales fly, then yes, you will receive a portion of the pie.

Please understand I am a natural editor, so your work may be edited, mostly grammar or spelling - & only if necessary.

I will accept only G-rated stories - as this will be a site for youth too. 

Please email me at myvegetarianstory@gmail.com.  

Odds & Ends

Fun Alternative to Cheez-Its (or cheese crackers)

So sometimes, I have no idea where Eden finds these unique foods, but she does. This eco.planet (hmm, just misspelled the word planet & without the 'e', what does it spell?)  Anyway, this cracker is so fun. For the pic, I placed one of each type of cracker on its respective symbol on the box. 

Sometimes when you give up certain foods, you still may crave them (or something similar) - that's where the value of transitional food comes in.  I don't remember eating cheese crackers for at least a decade, but when Eden brought these home (actually they arrived through the mail), I was so excited to try them.

At first bite, they seemed a bit strange, as the memories of your taste buds kind of rev-up to expect a certain familiar taste. Then your imagination kicks in. At second & third taste, I began to love them. Now, I don't  include this in my daily diet, but once in a while when you might 'crave' cheddar cheese, why not reach for a healthier alternative?  

These crackers can  be a teaching tool for your children too. The four shapes represent: solar energy, being earth-friendly, wind energy & green cars with an explanation printed on the back.

   

Below are Annie Chun's All Natural Asian Cuisine - Maifun. These are brown rice noodles that cook up in a few minutes (at the most). 

And this is a heart-filled serving for tomorrow's lunch (plus veggies, of course!)

 (sorry for the blur - just a cut & paste job)

So much to share - so little time...

Until next time,

Peace to you & yours,

Marcy Hope Williams

La Nay Ferme & Organic Fresh Food

Daniel, a graphic designer & business marketing guru, (also someone I consider to be my friend) introduced me to the work of his brother, Clinton Felsted. La Nay Ferme is Clinton's creation. La Nay Ferme is an organic farm in Provo Utah with a goal of providing local organic produce to the surrounding communities as well as teaching those interested in organic farming.   

 http://www.lanayferme.com/home.html

Here's one of the images from their sites.

To be uplifted & thoroughly inspired, check out the 2 following links to learn about their farms & produce in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB_Gkf5LS0c

&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_d_BlilHcM

Below are a couple of dinner meals created in our kitchen. 

These are very simple to create. The yams were placed in the microwave for 10 minutes in a 1/2 - an inch of water. The veggie burger patty took 1 minute & 30 seconds in the microwave - so even when you're exhausted & still feeling you'd like to eat, you can enjoy a well-balanced meal within about 10 minutes time. 

Most of the products eaten in our home are the freshest that we can get & organic as much as possible. 

Cheers!
Marcy Hope Williams

PS You can read more about my writing at story-express.com. 

PIZZA - anyone?

And the Power of Selenium

For convenience sake, we purchased this dough from a local establishment - Jack's Wood-Fired Pizza. Jack uses an organic blend of wheat & pumpernickel flour from our local mills. For $1.00, we can make a 12" pizza, serving at least 2 adults. 

Pat the dough down & then use a rolling pin if you like to smooth out the consistency. 

We enjoy a variety of bell peppers - I would have purchased green too, but I couldn't find one at the market that looked great. Remember, it's all of those individual ingredients that create the end product that you are looking for. 

We used Baby Bella mushrooms, Muir Glen's Organic Portabello Mushroom pasta sauce & Santa Barbara Olive Co. California large pitted ripe olives (no chemical preservatives). 

If you have the time -  yes, make your own tomato/pasta sauce. There's nothing quite like the aroma of fresh tomatoes & Italian herbs simmering on your stove for half of a day! (Personal memory from my childhood - one of my best friends was Italian & oh, how her grandma could cook!)

Mushrooms are rich & plentiful in fiber & a good source for your B Vitamins including Vitamin B-5, commonly known as Pantothenic Acid. Pantothenic Acid, I was told by a pharmacist, doctor & others, acts like cortisone, helping to relieve joint pain associated from repetitive motion. Mushrooms are also a source of potassium, copper & selenium. 

*A special note on Selenium - Selenium is an important trace mineral that added to protein in our bodies helps to produce antioxidant enzymes.  

Eating a diet plentiful in vegetables and grains will provide an ample supply of this nutrient. However, if the soil is depleted of this trace mineral, then the food that is produced there will also be lacking. 

Most breads are usually supplemented with selenium, so most folks need not be concerned about meeting this daily requirement. 

In my case though, I had omitted bread from my diet. After a month's time, I began to have a very tinny/metal taste in my mouth. 

I met with a physician and told him my symptoms - he could find nothing wrong. 

This tinny taste in my mouth persisted, so my second thought was that I had perhaps lost part of a filling, so I met with my dentist - he found my teeth to be in good shape. 

My third avenue was to speak to a pharmacist. He led me to a nutritional book, which spoke of this symptom. 

I purchased some over-the-counter selenium from the health-food store, used as directed, & in no time, this tinny taste disappeared. And, by the way, I returned to eating bread!

Within this last year, I received a phone call from the receptionist at my dentist office - she had remembered my story. Evidently another patient had complained about the same symptom, so I was able to share with her the 'secret' of selenium!

I started slicing up cucumbers for the salad.

Topped unbaked crust with sauce. 

Ok - personally, next time, I will choose to pre-bake my crust - I just think it's tastier that way. 

Basil, bell-peppers & olives added (Eden had some green bell-peppers). 

Shredded Follow Your Heart Mozzarella (soy) cheese - yes it melts. :)

Pine nuts & slivers of onion

How about quartered hearts of artichokes? 

Slices of zucchini & topped with more shredded cheese. Bake in hot oven - 450 to 500 for less than 10 minutes. 

I tried baking on this stone & on a pizza pan that has hundreds of holes in it. Everyone actually preferred the pizza which was baked on the pizza pan. The holes allow for more aeration allowing for a crispier crust. 

Add a tossed salad with soaked sun-dried tomatoes & you've got dinner!

From Eden's Kitchen

Blueberry Muffins - yummy!

Here's a pic of the muffins Eden made on her shelf - before she went shopping (I'll show you a pic after she's done shopping later - she does have the gift of finding food items I never knew existed!).

I asked if I could share the recipe with you, so here it is:

She tweaked this "really simple" Cranberry Muffin recipe found in Cooking with the Right Side of the Brain: Creative Vegetarian Cooking by author Vicki Rae Chelf to create a very tasty & moist vegan  muffin.  

1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour

3 t baking powder

1/2 cup real maple syrup

2 T oil (we use safflower)

Energ Egg Replacer for 2 eggs (3 t replacer + 4 T water) (I've been using this brand for decades.)

1/4 c Whole Soy & Co Lemon Yogurt (We were out of almond milk so she got creative.)

1 t real vanilla

1 1/2 t cinnamon (Eden added this ingredient.) 

1 c frozen organic blueberries (She told me she didn't even let it thaw.)

Yield: 9 nice-sized muffins

Time: 25 minutes

1. Sift together flour, baking powder & cinnamon.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil, egg replacer mixture, yogurt (or milk) & vanilla.

3. Stir dry ingredients into liquid ingredients. Beat enough to blend well, but don't over-beat. 

4. Fold in blueberries.

5. Spoon mixture into well-oiled muffin tins.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

7 Enjoy!

*Special note - Eden is an amazing cook & raw-food preparer - she has blended her love of organic whole foods with her artistic flair to create some of the best-tasting & best-looking treats & meals we've created in our home.