Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans & an Impromptu Family Visit

(We are in the month of April in 2024. I am back dating this for 2020, because the first time I cooked this was on April 7, 2020.)

I had just gotten an Instant Pot secondhand. My son helped me find one. Yes, I am slow to the party. I wanted to make sure it was worth me buying another kitchen small appliance. I told myself I need to try cooking with it in the first week, or I might never use it. It could have been another item sitting on a shelf. This was going to be different. So try, I did.

I knew I wanted to cook up dried beans, without soaking, just because. Although I still recommend soaking beans, draining and then cooking with fresh water, which is better for digestion, I find I just put it off and use canned beans many times. 

Enter the Instant Pot. From the get go, I have been impressed. Never before had I ever learned to cook with a manual pressure cooker. The Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker (slow cooker, etc), takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. I have no memory of my mother ever using a pressure cooker when I was growing up. 

I made sure to get some cookbooks from the library so I could learn from others. One particular book, written by Britt Brandon, called "The 'I Love My Instant Pot' Vegan Recipe Book" is chock full of such great recipes, that I suggest you go out and buy it! 

The recipe in her book is titled, "Boston-Style Baked Beans". The first time I tried it, I thought it would add a little flavor, more than the usual plain water cooked beans I make. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to taste a familiar flavor from my childhood. 

My mother used to make beans along with cornbread. Her variation I had growing up used ham/salt pork, but no tomatoes. The canned, dark, overly-sweet baked beans in the store, are not what I remember at all growing up, other than a camping menu item. This recipe uses liquid smoke that I have found helpful to get those comfort flavors again after going meat free years ago.

The following is my take on Britt Brandon's recipe. I always get compliments on these. Keep in mind, I almost always double/big batch things like this. I use primarily an 8 quart Instant Pot as I find it the most versatile and useful for larger recipes. I happen to have the Ultra IP version. Read the notes below the recipe for my ingredient notes. Enjoy! 

Tomato-Free Boston Baked Beans - Big Batch 

(Want less than a big batch? You can cut this in half. But why? Cold leftovers make a great raw veggie dip!)

In your Instant Pot metal inner pot, combine the following 6 ingredients: 

2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) white beans (such as navy, cannellini, or great northern)

9 cups water 

1 whole bay leaf

1 Tablespoon refined coconut oil (optional) 

2 teaspoons salt 

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (Wright's brand preferred) (OR smoked paprika if you don't have liquid smoke)

Set to "pressure cook" for 40 minutes on high. Let release naturally, but if you need to, you can quick release after 10 minutes, once cook time has completed. 

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When the IP pressure has come down and you can open it again, set the IP to "sauté" and "less" or low. Then add the following ingredients and simmer without the lid for another 10 minutes or more to get the consistency you like. We like ours a little soupy, nice and soft. Stir often.*

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard (OR 2 teaspoons dry mustard)

2 Tablespoons evaporated cane juice/turbinado sugar (or maple syrup)

2 teaspoons molasses

*Another method is to simply add everything in all at once and pressure cook for the first 40 minutes amount. Then only to thicken it, would you add any sauté time, making sure to stir often. 

Notes about a few of the ingredients:

Oil: You do not need to add any oil, and for a while, I didn't. Now I find a little makes it feel more like I remember. You can use what you like for oil if you decide to include it. 

Salt: The is one time that I don't use my own Seasoned Salt. It would introduce too many other flavor notes, already taken care of by the other ingredients. I wanted to have it fairly predictable with the familiar flavor I was looking for. I used Himalayan salt, but whatever salt you like is fine.

Liquid Smoke: I prefer Wright's brand as I find the ingredients to be natural with nothing added for color, or salt. I just want the smoke flavor and in a glass bottle, the way I prefer. I used hickory liquid smoke, but Wright's also makes a mesquite and applewood flavor. The Wright's hickory and mesquite are non-gmo. They are all gluten free, without added salt or soy or vinegar. 

Onion: I like a good red onion, but any would suffice. The original recipe called for a specific measuring cup amount. I find that I will use a whole onion, no matter what. If I need less at a time, I will use a smaller onion. Do what works for you. Red, yellow, or white onion are good (green/spring onion not so much). 

Mustard: Use whatever you have on hand. The last time I made these, I happened to have a prepared stone ground dijon mustard. 

Sweetener: Use what you have. I would steer away from honey as it would change the flavor too much. I usually use a dry sweetener as listed. Maple syrup works, but adds another flavor too, not as much as honey would though. 

Molasses: And this is why these are called Boston Baked Beans. The history of this recipe will tell you more about why it needs to have molasses. Check it out sometime. I use a run-of-the-mill, locally sourced molasses from my local bulk food store bottled in a pint jar. You may ask about Blackstrap, but this is not the time to use it, in my opinion. 

A memory for this recipe (I am publishing this in 2024, so the rest of this memory will make sense... 

Monday, April 8, 2024. Many of you will know that this date (4/8/2024) was the solar eclipse and many in our area had watch parties because we were in the area of totality across our state. The night before, my aunt and uncle from out of state, called to ask if my dad was willing to host them for one night so they could enjoy the eclipse from his property. The duration of the eclipse would start about 2 pm and end about 4:30pm, with the totality (darkness) from about 3:14-3:17 pm. They drove early in the morning to get here. They arrived about five minutes after 2 that Monday afternoon, because of the eclipse traffic (in this area, most schools called off for the day). We enjoyed the afternoon and evening chats with them as my dad is also our next door neighbor. We were glad to have a great day weather wise, to take it in together with them. We snapped photos of the eclipse and family selfie photos to remember our day by. 

I realized that although we had just gotten back from a trip that Sunday, we would need to make a supper plan. I really hadn't gotten much in the way of groceries just yet, but my son was here to help. He's a cook in his own right and he offered to help. He saw we had volunteer collard greens growing in my (not yet cleaned up) garden the previous year. He also suggested we pick a few dandelions for the meal. I was up for it. We pulled out the grill on our Breeo fire pit (we love this thing!). I had a Victoria cast iron wok that he pulled out and prepared. He cooked the collards with some onions, and seasoned them nicely. Then the (cleaned and washed) dandelions went in, simply made and gave a taste for everyone to try. We supplemented with some kale and spinach mix sautéed up. Red skinned potatoes were oiled, salted (Herbamare herbed salt) and wrapped in foil (one of the rare times I use foil) to be baked on the grill next to the cast iron wok. We brought out some extra seasonings if anyone wanted any. 

We had a feast! Earlier in the day, I put on this recipe of beans in the house, knowing we needed some for the coming week anyway - next time I would try cooking them over the fire! Let me tell you it was the best way to eat these beans and the day was perfect. We sat, talked and ate until sunset around 8 pm or later. 

An impromptu visit for my dad, his sister and brother-in-law, my aunt and uncle (a couple I always love to talk to and visit) .... turned out to be a great day. My daughter was home, my son pulled in right before they arrived and my husband came after his work day just in time to get our fire started and join us to make our supper outside. What a wonderful fireside meal to end the day of the solar eclipse... and lovely memories to remember. We even had two sunsets, both of which we spent outside in the nice 70℉ day. 

Reflections: Where we are in the journey...

Hello everyone! Can you believe it will be 10 years ago that I started this blog - next month, in fact!

I thought it would be good to write about where we are in our journey today. So many things swirling about in my mind as of late. I realize that I am not where I want to be in some things, and yet so much further along than I thought I would be in other things, at the same time. As in life, our choices greatly depend on what's available, our experiences, and more. Many things involve others along the way. I have always believed that if progress is made in a positive direction, it's better off than before. If you can make good big changes quickly, good for you, especially if it involves moving away from something destructive. I will speak up for the baby step idea though, it can't be overlooked as a more permanent option for most.

It might get a little long, so hang on!

While my family and I continue our vegan diet (as originally summarized in my "food philosophy" blog posts, we have changed things here and there. We have gone from using wheat (and other gluten grains) to gluten/wheat free for a few years, and now back again with an emphasis on organic whole grains and doing more of our own baking if we can. As you know, I really love making our own food from scratch. I still favor organic if I can. Local and sustainable food sources are important to me.

While at one time, we used to have daily green smoothies (I still love them!), it's not quite as often anymore. We now also balance our breakfast choices with some organic rolled oats (soaked or cooked) with nuts, seeds, and dried/fresh fruit, or even a breakfast of whole grain toast with some yummy avocados or even coconut butter. Leftovers should not be overlooked either, and we are known for checking out what's in the fridge to eat in the mornings.

We tend to eat out less than we did before, mostly for financial reasons (as of this month, we are debt free!). When we do go out, we try to choose a reasonably healthier version of cuisine to enjoy. Lately, we have been doing added oil free at our house, so eating out can be a challenge, but we also allow ourselves to have the vegan options at restaurants without a lot of requests for no added oil (we try to choose the best options we can without customizing our orders).

Regarding eating foods without added oils: I have found that we are adjusting quite well, in fact. My son, who will be turning twenty soon, embraced it from the get-go. He routinely now makes his stir-frys and sautés with water or broth, and we all still eat just fine. We don't have the greasy feeling in our mouths when having "fried" rice and such. Added oils contribute a lot of calories and not much else. We do routinely still use foods like nuts and nut butters, shredded coconut (what I make our coconut butter from), seeds, avocados, etc.

We prefer eating foods in their whole form, more or less. We have now adapted our diet to be what most people call a whole food, plant based diet.  I have always believed that eating real food, as close to it's original form, is best for everyone! The term vegan has almost become synonymous with no animal products, but vegan processed/junk food is welcome. That is not my philosophy here at Vegan Footprints! You can continue to find wholesome foods and recipes here!

We continue to adopt habits that help us not only save money, but are better for the environment. That means to us, using cloth napkins at mealtimes, cloth handkerchiefs (preferred by my family anyway!), reusable water bottles (stainless steel is our preference - I can't remember the last time I drank or even bought a one-time-use bottle of water),  recycling what we can (which is expanding all the time!), and buying things with less packaging (or none at all). Having said that, recycling isn't everything, and we are trying little by little to do low/zero waste instead. Our trash is considerably less, amounting to about 2-3 small kitchen size trash bags per month. We compost our food waste and recycle what we can otherwise.

When we do buy things, whether it be clothing, school/office supplies, furniture, kitchen misc., etc., we try to find it second hand first. There are so many things that are still useful out there. I look for yard/garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, antique places, flea markets, etc. Friends sometimes will offer things they don't need anymore. I tell them if I can't use it, I can donate it for them.

There are so many benefits to not buying disposable products! This goes for just about anything bought that is meant for one single use only. I will add here that we still buy toilet paper, so for those of you wondering, you can breathe a sigh of relief! Ha, ha! Seriously though, just think about bottled water (I have survived without), paper tissues/napkins/towels/plates (you can eliminate), plastic wrap/foil/plastic bags/utensils (I have not bought these for years), and the list goes on. I even have lined up a still-good-to-use antique safety razor. Just today, I realized that along with writing this blog for ten years, I have also used a reusable menstrual cup for even longer!

Cleaning products in my house now consist of an all purpose liquid soap (which we use for hands, body, hair and household cleaning purposes), vinegar, and baking soda, along with all kinds of brushes and rags. Along with a second hand acquired Rainbow vacuum (for a total of only $40, which includes a power head!), a few essential oils, and a feather duster, we can cover just about anything. We can't forget our small brush that cleans out our reusable stainless steel straws! Love those straws for our green smoothies!

For storage containers in our kitchen, we generally use glass or stainless steel. It might be canning jars, in all sorts of sizes, to glass storage which I can bake, freeze or use in my cupboards. I bake mostly using an assortment of stainless steel pans. Using silicone mats for easy cleaning and no added oil baking and roasting. To go shopping, I try to have reusable cloth bags for carrying groceries. Keeping them in the car helps tremendously!

My husband and I will celebrate 25 years married this year. So glad he is the one who has been by my side in our journey together. My children have grown to be taller than me - not a great feat since I am only 5' tall! My daughter is just now reaching that milestone, having passed my shoe size awhile ago! My son has graduated from our homeschool a couple of years ago now and will be moving out soon. My daughter is still in middle school, so we will continue for a good few years yet. I am happy to have found a good homeschool rhythm for us that's been working well for us this year! And it involves much less paper and textbooks than before, so I am happy about that for sure!

I understand the fewer possessions I have, the easier it is to clean, move and generally take care of what we call "our stuff".  My house is less cluttered. And less clutters my mind when I have things in order. And the fewer things I have to put in order, the better. Currently we live in a nice rental, so if and when we do own a home, I know we will have to have a few more things. Currently though, because we do not need to mow a yard, we enjoy the space we gain from not having any kind of mowing equipment whatsoever! With only one garage, which we do use for our car, it can get tight in there! We actually sold our oil changing equipment, in favor of getting our oil changed in our town, where it's done quickly and with a car wash as well!

Recently, my husband and I repainted our antique secretary desk. I held off for so long, because I really love wood, but I am so glad we did it. It really brightens things up and doesn't look nearly as worn. I polished up the metal pulls and realized how nice they really are! This is one of only two pieces of furniture we have owned from even before we were married when someone gifted it to my husband just shortly before we were engaged.

I have found that decluttering as found in Marie Kondo's books, has been a game changer for me. The way she categorizes things in a home has made my life easier and more organized than ever, without all the unnecessary things in the way. I continue to remember things from reading her books that still aid my efforts. And I tell others about it too. I really like helping others to come to a place of satisfaction in their own homes using Kondo's methods.

In the last three years, I have enjoyed being part of the stage again. I haven't acted on stage since my high school and college days, so it is challenging me! About five years ago, my son wanted to be part of the community theater in town, so that's how it started. It wasn't until I saw an advertisement in the local paper for auditions for a favorite musical of mine, that I realized it was something I thought I wanted to do. I didn't want to regret not doing it. So I auditioned, along with my daughter. I got a nice part to come back to the stage! And because of my love for singing, being part of The Sound of Music musical was really an honor (role of Sister Margaretta). Both my son and daughter also were in that production as well. Since then we have participated together in two other plays, Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden (Mrs. Sowerby). Last year, it was an honor to be part of Cheaper by the Dozen, my biggest part yet (Mrs. Gilbreth)!

I am still a music lover and a couple years ago, we chose to acquire a bigger piano. We found it second hand from the first owner (now in her eighties), who has owned it new since she was my daughter's age. I love my antique baby grand! My children also play and we all enjoy the sound. And yes, it does bring me joy. I play to relax and could use even more time on it. Along with some piano books people gifted us, some hymnbooks we have, and a good metronome, we are all set to play for years to come. Our musical collection also includes a recorder, ukulele, a couple of Djembe drums, and guitar in this house. You can never have enough music in the house! As homeschoolers, I feel it has been well worth our time to learn music. For anyone really, it adds so much to life!

The Lord has been good all along the way. He remains faithful. May God bless you and yours today! Shalom!
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20 Years and Counting...

 

 I just wanted to acknowledge an important milestone for my journey as a vegetarian. Twenty years does seem like a long time, however, we all know that time can go by so quickly. It was in late November and early December of 1996 that I began my vegetarian journey.

     So far, I have no plans to go back. I rather enjoy all that I have learned in these years in regards to plant based foods. I enjoy learning about other ethnic cuisines and foods that I can experiment with in different ways.

     I am still learning so much in regards to food. I suppose that one never stops learning in life really.  I hope that my writing can encourage others on their journey.

     Blessings, everyone!

Some Thoughts: Blessings and Whole Foods Provision

When my family's diet comes into conversation with a stranger, I start thinking about my blessings. One such encounter happened recently while I was with my children and we were doing some shopping for my parents.

On this day we were in a discount grocery store and I was doing the usual checking labels and prices. I was talking with the children as usual and we were about ready to check out when someone commented to us that they were glad to see we were considering the prices and ingredients in our food before we bought our groceries.

They initiated a conversation about healthy foods. This person mentioned gmo foods and other raw food topics, along with some documentaries that I might find interesting. I told them about our vegan diet and this blog. They seemed happy to hear it. I was glad to have connected with a like-minded person.

I write because it's one way to share my recipes as well as to remind me of where I've come. I may forget the blessings otherwise. I write to show the many possibilities that a vegan diet can and does hold for those seeking to find healthy ways to prepare food. I hope that I've helped others find the "road" to a healthier life.

I realize the term "vegan" conjures up different ideas for many people. Really, we eat a whole foods, plant based diet. Since we are what we eat, I prefer to eat in a way that I know will produce health for me and my family. I am also blessed to have a husband and children that have been so easy to please.

I really like to use the whole food approach because there are so many things that work together in foods, still being discovered, that help to heal. You can go and find vitamin this and vitamin that, a specific amino acid here, and isolated mineral this and that there. In whole foods, you get all the synergistic nutrients working together to balance each other the way God intended they should do. He is the Creator after all. He knew what our bodies would need. He is Jehovah Jireh, "the Lord Who provides" and we can trust that is what He will do for us.

I am also reminded of the passage in I Peter 3, from verses 15 and 16: "...in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,  keeping a clear conscience..." I know this is speaking of our life in Christ, but I can't help seeing it with new eyes when I consider my conversation with this stranger in the store. People are always ready to listen to someone who is gentle and respectful. This person was just that. I hope that my words were a testimony to this person as well.

Split Pea Soup

 I remember when I first "went" vegetarian back in 1996. I didn't know what to do with recipes like split pea soup. Why? What was I going to do for the ham or bacon flavor? It seems almost laughable now, but it was a real challenge for me at the time. I love split pea soup. Over the years, I've tried other things like "bac'uns" (soy tvp based vegetarian "bacon" bits) - which we loved, and I couldn't see how we'd live without, to liquid hickory smoke. But I've come across something that redefines good split pea soup...Yes, in my opinion.

Two words: chipotle pepper or smoked paprika. Ok, maybe four, but who's counting? If you like a little spicy on the side, use a whole chipotle pepper as a "floater" in the soup, like you would use a whole bay leaf. The only people that are going to get a spicy bite are those actually eating the pepper. My daughter had her bowl minus the chipotle pepper and didn't think it was spicy at all. But my husband, son and I all enjoyed a little spice from breaking up the chipotle pepper in our bowls. So good. Next time, I'm going to put at least two peppers in the soup. If you want it smokey without the spice, try adding smoked paprika powder instead. Now you're talking!

Feel free to puree the soup, but I like to skip this step, leaving it stand just the way it is. My son likes to have it chunky this way. Hey, with fewer dishes, I won't complain. =)

Split Pea Soup

 

 

1 pound split peas, sorted and rinsed

3 quarts water (more for thinner soup)

5 carrots, chopped

3 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 - 2 dried whole chipotle peppers (a smoked jalapeno pepper)

1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed

1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 Tablespoon fresh basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

a little freshly ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon maybe?), to taste

 

optional:

1 potato, diced

1/2 cup other veggies on hand, as desired

1 bay leaf

 

Start by getting your water and split peas going to a boil on the stove in a good sized kettle (I used my 5 quart "dutch oven" pot). When it has reached a boil, turn down to medium heat. Meanwhile, chop up the carrots, onions, garlic and celery and add to the soup pot as you go. "Float" the dried chipotle pepper in the soup like you would a bay leaf (which would be added here too, if you want to use a bay leaf). Make sure to leave the chipotle pepper whole, unless you want the entire soup pot to be spicy!

 

Cook at least 30 minutes, test to check if split peas are soft and add more time if needed. If you like pureed split pea soup, here's the place to do it, before adding the herbs. Turn down to a simmer, add the seasonings, salt and ground pepper. Cook another 5 minutes, then turn heat off. Remove and reserve the chipotle pepper (discard the bay leaf, if using). Move off the hot burner and serve. Add bits of the chipotle pepper to the bowls of those that request their soup a bit spicy.

 

This can easily be done in a crock pot on low for 4-6 hours. Add seasonings in the last 30 minutes.

 

We enjoyed this with homegrown cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado on the side. Afterward, we rinsed our bowls out for some homemade vegan ice cream for dessert! Oooo...Aaaah! Recipe coming soon.



My Pantry List

This is in response to a long overdue post I had promised my cousin (I didn't forget!). In thinking about what I stock in my pantry, I realize that it changes with the seasons and various discounts I find. I include what I usually have on hand in fresh produce as well. We try to eat a lot of raw foods, so you'll see that reflected here.

Greens are listed separately because they are so important. I rotate the greens for breakfast smoothies, but I always try to keep salad lettuces on hand for other meals. I don't usually have all these greens at the same time. Right now we are still using kale (Lacinto and Red Curly) and Swiss Chard from our garden.

Following is a general list that you should feel free to adapt to your situation. These are what I thought of today (I will try to update as I think of others). I rarely have all these things at the same time. I buy as I can and try to watch what is in season and on sale. Please see additional notes at the bottom of the post.

Seeds and Nuts

• Almonds (for homemade almond butter)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds & Tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hemp
• Chia
• Flax (dark and light)
• Cashews
• Coconut, shredded (unsweetened)
• Seeds for Sprouting (alfalfa, mung bean, etc.)

Grains

• Brown Rice
• Wheat/Rye/Spelt Berries (to grind fresh into flour)
• Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned)
• Popcorn (kernels for popping)
• Quinoa
• Whole Organic Corn (for grinding into cornmeal)
• Millet

Legumes, Dried (organic preferred when sprouting legumes)

• Split Peas
• Lentils
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Onions (and Green Onions)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Garlic
• Tomatoes (fresh and sun-dried organic)
• Bell Peppers 
• Hot Peppers (fresh and dried)
• Ginger Root
• Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Pumpkin)
• Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Corn (frozen)
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini

Greens

• Romaine
• Leafy Lettuces
• Spinach (fresh and frozen)
• Mixed greens
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Dried Teas: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chamomile
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, etc.

Fruits

• Lemons
• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries (frozen)
• Raisins, organic
• Dates (Pitted and also Medjool)
• Avocados

Sea Vegetables (Seaweed)

• Nori (for "sushi" wraps)
• Kombu (makes beans more digestible)
• Wakame (for miso soup)
• Kelp, powdered (in my Spices list)

Sweeteners

• Honey (local)
• Maple Syrup (local)
• Green Stevia, powdered (in my Spices list)

Oils and other condiments:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) or Coconut Aminos
• Olive Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Coconut Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Mustard
• Salt (we like "Real Salt")
• Vegetarian Formula Nutritional Yeast
• Miso
• Carob Powder
• Homemade Vanilla Extract (recipe coming soon)
• Dried Herbs and Spices

Occasionally:

• Pasta
• Tofu/Tempeh
• Tomato paste
• Yeast (for baking bread)
• Arrowroot (for thickening)
• Figs
• Home canned tomatoes
• Mushrooms (fresh and dried)
• White Potatoes
• Pineapple
• Young Coconuts
• Other fruits in season
• Other vegetables in season

I go to discount stores and find other foods that we can enjoy periodically. Sometimes I'm able to find things that I normally use at a much better price, but selection may be very spotty. I find that if I check in now and then at places I'm going by anyway, I can sometimes get a very good deal. My standard is buying ripe bananas (with brown spots - I use them for smoothies) at a deep discount for only 19 cents per pound at a local grocery store I frequent. Sometimes there are even organic bananas marked down for the same price. Keep an eye out for deals and marked down produce. We buy a lot of it and it pays to check.

Note about wheat/gluten and soy: We have been eating wheat free for about one year now. I don't stock any wheat, rye, spelt, wheat based pastas, or yeast (not wheat, but I wouldn't use it anyway) because of this. I include it here to show what you may need if you use wheat/gluten based products. We also eat very little soy, but do include it occasionally (I never use TVP or soy oil). Because of these two reasons, I never buy pre-made meat analogs, as it seems that 99% of these products contain one or both, wheat and soy.

I try to include recipes on this blog that give you alternatives to pre-packaged (read: marketed to vegetarians) "alternatives" out there. Vegetarian offerings in stores have come a long way in the last 20 years. There is still so much to be desired if you consider the sensitivities and allergies that people have these days. Making things yourself tastes better when it's homemade and it's usually cheaper, but not always. At least you know what's in your food this way!

I hope this list gives you an idea of how I do things at our house. Your list may look very different than mine. Make it yours.

"Forks Over Knives" Documentary Film

With all these documentary reviews I written lately, it feels like I've switched my focus on the blog. It isn't so. The films I've been watching lately just seem to get better. I think it's because my realization of what they are saying is hitting home.

Much of the time, watching this, I found myself just nodding to myself...not because I know this already, but I'm really glad to see the whole foods, plant-based diet being promoted in a big way. They present it in a "just see this to believe it" sort of way. Following some people who changed their eating habits on the path to better health, doctor monitored and all, you find out their results.

Featured are Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at Cleveland Clinic. Two men of near the same age and both raised on farms, finally meet after decades of work in their respective fields of research. They put their knowledge to use to help those "least likely to succeed" in their personal health journey. They practice what they preach and still maintain active lives using a whole foods, plant-based approach.

You see everyday people, changing what they eat, with wonderful results. I want to emphasize whole foods here. Being vegetarian and now vegan for a number of years, I can honestly say that my journey has not always been whole foods.

Of course, pre-veggie days, it might have been slightly better that most standard American diets out there, but not "whole" in any sense. Just the processing alone of the foods we Americans eat is just plain crazy. Some foods don't even resemble their plant based "roots". Did you know that some children don't know what many vegetables are, let alone know that they grow out of the ground?

Seriously, we are so far from our farmer "forefathers" that we just buy it in a package, take it home, freeze it, then "nuke" it in the microwave, in its own bag, nonetheless. Then we eat it on disposable plates with paper napkins on the side. And throw the whole disposable mess away when we are done. It's like fast food, only "homemade" instead.

Did you know there are actual cooking shows on television that you can watch that feature someone putting cans of this and boxes of that, a little artificial this and, throw in some decor for your next party, and "your done" kind of stuff? 

Granted some people actually do this. It's a modern trend happening because people don't know how to cook and prepare food that tastes homemade. What people know is pre-made food, mass produced for the grocery shelves, that is warmed up at home.

And yes, you can gain weight and not be in the best health as a vegetarian, even  vegan....ask me how I know. I would also venture to say though, that most people everywhere eating whatever they eat, also gain weight and are not in the best health. That being said, we all could use some pep talk now and again to make us aware that we all must plan to thrive by doing better and not just do it "good enough."

"Good enough" just isn't...You must make it a goal to eat well and avoid the "knife" that the title of this documentary alludes to. We must take back our health and show our children the way to pass it on to the next generation.

I believe the film claims correctly that a whole foods, plant based diet is the way to go.

Soapbox is put away now...Just want to make sure you know that this is a must see.

Thoughts about Money and Food

   I am still on a journey. A journey to get to where I'm going. Some people may read this blog and other blogs and think that we have it all together. Fact is, we are really on the road just like you are. We've just written about our experience so far. That's it...it is our experience, epiphanies, memories, aha! moments, and advice we might have for others coming along behind us.

I know that the following post is long, but I didn't want to break it up into more posts. I hope you'll read it through and comment.

   Recently a friendly neighbor asked where we shop for food. Knowing our "special" diet, I think she wondered about the healthy food we try to eat and where to obtain the like. My answer was a long one, as it isn't one specific place. Rather it's a few places, depending on where I may be or what I need. To say that, seems logical, however we do not shop at only "health food" type places or only farmer's markets.

   As I've stated on the blog before, we do consider the cost and live on less than we make. Eating on a budget seems to be all the buzz lately as people claim the economy has changed their financial outlook.

   I've written about some specific people who have had impact for me in this particular area. These things have really shaped how we go about our journey. One thing that I have realized is that there is not one single solution for everyone. No magic bullet.

   I have come up with what works for me at this time. It may change, and, by the way, it has many times over and over....I think they call it growing, progressing, and generally moving towards a goal.

   Years ago, I thought that if I just cut out certain things that I would be finally eating right. For example: no bleached white flour, no white rice, no white sugar, no white hydrogenated shortening, no white table salt. I substituted those with unbleached flour, brown rice, turbinado ("raw") sugar, butter (in my non-vegan days), and sea salt. And in my pre-vegetarian days: no pork products, no non-fish seafood, no lard, or not use lots of red meat or dairy. Instead I would eat more chicken and fish, and cut down on red meat and use "better" forms of dairy.

   All these are a good step forward I may agree, however it may seem to some people that if it stops there, they are set for life. There is so much more to life than what we eat. To say that may make you think that what we eat is not important. That couldn't be further from the truth. What we eat makes our body into what it is.
  
   If you eat "nutritionally poor" food, you will have a body that has to figure out how to come up with the building blocks for your muscles, bones, blood, organs, glands, arteries, veins, and so on. If you eat "nutritionally dense" foods (have a high percentage of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and other nutrients), then your body will have what it needs to renew your body's building blocks like it should.

   To eat what you want with no regard for nutrition and then take a few supplements to cover your bases isn't what I mean either. That approach does nothing to help you or your pocketbook. Our "SAD" ("Standard American Diet") food is not helping.

   Have you noticed prominent fast food restaurants have been introducing more and more "healthy" foods to their menus lately. In an effort to save their reputation for inadequate nutrition (and maybe more so to cater to those that simply choose not to eat their food, so they still make money) they have changed things. I am always glad for more choices. Glad that I can still choose to eat at home, thank you.

   I enjoy good food. I don't know anyone that doesn't. It is true that you need food to live, but one must not live to eat. There's a saying that if something tastes so good, you say "it is to die for". In health food circles, they may say instead, "it is to live for". The difference being, of course, that the food can taste good and be good for you.
  
   To go back to my list of foods (above) I should do without, I now think about many things when I consider what to buy. I may choose whole (sometimes sprouted) grains, fresh & dried fruits and raw honey to sweeten, use avocados, nuts and seeds to get my fats, and use herbs and spices to flavor my food. In the animal products department, we have decided to go "whole hog"  =) and cut it out altogether. And you know what? I don't miss it. I find that we eat many more vegetables than we used to and more whole fruits and I've introduced more nuts and seeds than we ate before. And I can't go further without mentioning that raw foods have become really prominent in our diet. When we do have cooked foods, I try to make sure that they are still full of nutrition and things I and my family need to build good healthy bodies.

   My taste buds have changed. My "pinch your pennies" attitude about things doesn't always apply to food anymore. I can still buy dried beans from a discount store and know it's helping to save money and buy nutrition at the same time. I may look for organic whole grain pasta and organic dried fruit. It's amazing when you look, what you find in any store that can help you save money and still get the nutrients you need. But remember that apple may seem expensive compared to the candy bar, but we all know which one is the better buy nutritionally.

   I just made a raw birthday cake for my husband that I know he'll love and I had a lovely little four year old help me. This was also the cake she requested for her fourth birthday last year. And we call it raw cake. Imagine that.

   There are so many things you can do "one better" than you did before. Keep moving on the journey and you'll never get tired of the many ways to eat better and enjoy it. I have learned so much about food, but I haven't "arrived" by any stretch of the imagination. What I've learned has worked for me. I'm glad to share it with you.

   When it comes to saving money on food expenses, please don't shortchange your family's health. Save in other areas so that you can afford the apple instead of the candy bar. Start a garden, or like we are planning, garden where you can (thanks, Katie!). You may find more "gold" than you planned when you dig into that dirt.

   I write mostly to give you food for thought so that you never stop learning. Learn something new everyday. You won't be disappointed.

Real food...refocus

Hello to all of you again, my friends. I want to explain my absence from blogging recently.

To say again, that my busy life has gotten in the way of regular posting, would be true... somewhat. My real reason has more to do with a different direction our food has taken. What I mean is that we have been trying to refocus on more natural and healthful eating. The one thing that stands out is that we have been eating more raw live foods. That is to say that we are not cooking, but eating more unheated foods. So recipes that are heated I am looking for similar ways to enjoy them without cooking or baking.

As you may have noticed, the recipes in the last 2 or 3 months have focused on this. I do not eat 100% raw, so that is why you still see the occasional cooked recipe. I find a balance is nice for us right now. There are still days that things get out of kilter and I find myself eating mostly cooked foods...what is interesting is that those days I don't feel as good as when I am eating mostly raw.

There is something about raw foods that give me energy. Maybe because raw foods retain their enzymes and heated foods (heated above about 105 degrees) do not. Actually, foods start to lose their enzymes when heated above 105 degrees. They are lost entirely when a food is heated above 120 degrees. That is not to say, there is no worth in cooked foods. They retain some, though not all, their vitamins and minerals, when cooked. You will find that the most healthful way to eat is through eating mostly (at least 80% or better) raw foods.

There are those that do eat a diet that is raw and still eat animal based ingredients. I still maintain that the vegan diet helps me to feel my best and eating raw helps me feel alive! I love eating this way.

It does take some preparation in the kitchen...not unlike most cooking, but when preparing raw foods, more time is helpful. Doing simple tasks that really help to set the stage for a great meal. For example, soaking seeds and nuts will help them to be more digestible. And sprouting takes time to produce some added greens for salads and such. Some recipes call for a dehydrator that uses low heat with a fan to "slow cook" a food and that takes longer than cooking or baking would.

Overall, it is fun to be in the kitchen and find recipes that are raw (or almost nearly) and enjoy them. My family is enjoying it with me. Yes, I still cook some. But, we love to find recipes, especially easy ones to replace the old cooked standbys we were using out of habit.

What are you eating out of habit? Is there an even better way to enjoy it that gives you a more alive feeling? Please comment.

Be Mindful of What You Eat

You know you're a health nut when...your grocery cart looks different than everybody else's. You buy this ____instead of that ___...

organic popcorn kernels to pop at home
...instead of pre-made & pre-flavored popcorn

rolled oats (old fashioned) to cook, bake or make into granola
...instead of oatmeal packets and a myriad of other boxed cereals

bananas
...instead of yogurt or milk for smoothies and to make ice cream

raw nuts and seeds
...instead of roasted and salted or pre-sweetened

dried beans
...instead of canned and pre-made baked beans, etc.

whole grain products
...instead of white flour products that have been bleached, devoid of nutrition

fresh and frozen whole fruits (nothing added)
...instead of juices and other sweets like: sugar, sodas, candy bars, etc.

fresh and frozen vegetables (nothing added)
...instead of tiny pieces of vegetables in soups, tv dinners, etc. with preservatives

bulk yeast
...to make fresh whole grain breads and pizza crusts at home

honey, maple syrup and stevia for homemade sweets
...instead of sugar, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, splenda

water filters and purifiers for tap water at home
...instead of other drinks: sodas, bottled water, coffee

leafy greens to put in smoothies and salads
...instead of eating dairy or iceburg lettuce

nori seaweed and brown rice to make veggie sushi at home
...instead of going out for it

raw almonds to soak and make almond milk
...instead of buying soy or rice milk


This is just a small list, but you get the idea. Sometimes it feels funny to check out with others in line that are eating the standard American diet (S.A.D.). But I secretly think that many of them are wishing they bought the same things. Either that or they think I'm on a diet! =)

I will continue to buy food that will help me gain health and will help my family. If you haven't had major illnesses like diabetes or cancer hit your family in some way, then consider yourself blessed. But you are in the minority these days.

Please watch the "Food, Inc." documentary if you haven't already. It will change your mind about mindless eating. It will make you think twice about the mindless consuming of foods we have no idea where they come or how they are made.

Vegan Diet in a Nutshell

A reader asked this great question in a comment recently:

Q: You know, it occurs to me that I do not know all the ins and outs of what a vegan will eat. Can you tell us?

A: Yes, certainly. There are a few types of vegetarians. When people say vegetarian, often they are talking about someone who does not eat meat. Sometimes you will meet someone who considers themselves to be a vegetarian even though they eat fish or chicken on occasion. Here are some definitions you might find useful:

1. Lacto-vegetarian: eats plant based foods and dairy
2. Ovo-vegetarian: eats plant based foods and eggs
3. Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: eats plant based foods plus both eggs and dairy (most common vegetarian)
4. Vegan (pronounced "vee-guhn") vegetarian: eats only plant based products, abstains from all animal products including: eggs, dairy, gelatin, and sometimes bee "products" like honey

(Some people cannot eat eggs or dairy because of allergies or sensitivities to these foods. So although some people are lactose intolerant (cannot digest the sugars that are naturally occurring in milk), for example, they can use vegan recipes for dairy based products because vegans do not eat dairy either. Vegan Footprints recipes can still be useful for them for this reason.)

I consider myself to be a vegan. But considering lately what our diet has been like, right now it is lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Since we are not yet moved into our own place, we have diverted for a time because we are sharing a table with and cooking for non-vegetarians. So although we are still not eating meat, we are allowing ourselves some eggs and dairy on occasion. Since the eggs are from my brother's small farm and the dairy is not every day, we allow it on a temporary basis (if you'd like to read more about our philosophy on this, read this previous entry).

So when we move into our own place (we anticipate a few more weeks), we will return to preparing only vegan foods at our house again. Since I will be cooking for non-vegetarians some during the week (in their kitchen), that can be a challenge, but they have told me that they don't mind eating what we do when I make the meals, so that's nice.

In fact, we have been finding that they did not realize what was actually in the foods they have in their cupboards. They would rather not eat lard (animal fat) found in their canned refried beans, for example. Again, it comes down to learning about what is in your foods and reading labels before you buy (or at least before you eat).

There are many foods that can be vegan very easily. Some people call making vegan substitutions "vegan-izing." This is a good description for what I've been doing for years. Eating foods close to the way God intended. The way they occur in nature is best. I call it eating real food.

Good question...my thoughts

I love questions...both getting them and asking them. In fact, I ask so many that my husband thinks I would make a good investigator. I tend to thrive on information. I guess it's another hobby I have. =)

Back to the topic for this post... a Vegan Footprints reader asked this very good question:

"What do you suggest someone who wants to eat vegetarian but has a family who does not do? Myself and my daughter love to eat vegetarian however my son and husband insist on eating meat. If I do not cook they do not eat so I have to cook for them. I have gotten them down to only two or three meat meals a week (they formerly thought you had to eat meat at every meal or it was not a real meal.) Even though I do not eat the meat I hate buying and cooking it. How would you handle this?"

Very good question. I'm glad she gave more info after the first initial question, because this is a woman who has actually gotten her family to eat "only two or three meat meals a week" - Wow! Considering many people would have 2 or 3 meat meals in a day, I think she has done marvelously already!

But in reality, she still has a dilemma. She would rather not buy or cook meat for anyone in her house. She and her daughter "love to eat vegetarian," but her "son and husband insist on eating meat." I assume she is either considering a budget or food sensitivities because she states "if I do not cook they do not eat so I have to cook for them."

Ok, I'll tackle this how I see it. Keep in mind that everyone else on the planet may think differently. (I'll invite comments on what others think, only after they have read this entire post.) So to the reader, please remember these are my thoughts and my thoughts only. You can take what you like and toss the rest. Let's still be friends, ok?

I love my husband. We have a marriage 15 years long and counting. I have been vegetarian longer than my husband. If he would never have stopped eating meat, I would still love him and cook the foods he likes. I am not saying that you don't love your husband, but us ladies can resent our men pretty fast for things like this so I'm just saying it up front.

I would find out if he does eventually want to go meat free. Maybe he does, eventually...maybe he likes how it is right now, for the time being. Let him take his time, because he bases his decisions in a totally different way than you do. Men also like food. For them to change things so much from when they grew up, for most, would be like taking the lightning from Flash Gordon...maybe I'm showing my age too much here...humm....or like taking the roar from a lion - maybe that's better. What I'm saying is that you will show him more honor if you are pleasant and kind than to fuss about his few meals with meat. Your son is probably taking his cues from dad. You don't say how old he is, but the younger he is, the more impressionable he is regarding wanting to be made in dad's "likeness."

If you both as parents want the best for both of your children, then you will love each other. Meat is trivial next to this, really! If I were in your shoes, I would make meals that are easy to serve the meat as a side. Take for example, burgers - you and your daughter can have veggie burgers, your husband and son will have meat burgers. You can have everything else the same. From the burger buns, toppings and condiments to the side salads, etc... Or tacos - same thing, just put out refried beans for you, seasoned meat for them, again toppings the same. If they want steaks on the grill, try having grilled portabellas for you and your daughter.

If it's just certain meats they like, maybe you could try to come up with a vegetarian version of it to have when you are making that meal. Maybe they'll be curious and want to try it sometime. They will see that you really want them to enjoy the meals they love.

What I have found is that most people will try the food at least once. But it must taste good for them to try it again. Some will try it again after not liking it the first time, but only after they know you've made changes since that last time. It comes down to taste for most of us. Even I won't eat something if I have given it a few tries and my taste buds don't at least give it a star or two on a scale of 5 stars. For me, the way food looks doesn't matter nearly as much as the way it tastes.

You could make a deal with your husband...you get to make meals the way you like if he likes how they taste and it satisfies his cravings for meat (insert fish, poultry, beef, lamb, etc. here). If he still would like to eat meat, then buy it according to your budget and cook according to your ability. I would never suggest that you try to sneak vegetarian things in for the meat, unless you have warned him ahead of time that you'd like to try things and he doesn't mind. You could ask him about it after the meal. He would need to cooperate for this to work well though. It sounds like you have a good sport about this already though.

Why do you "hate buying and cooking" meat? Is it because you think it's yucky when it's raw? Is it because it generally costs more to prepare? Is it because you believe that they can't be healthy eating meat? I know some pretty yucky looking stuff in my kitchen that ends up tasting pretty good. And some fancy vegetarian dishes aren't so cheap either. I know alot of people that would say that eating meat didn't stop them from being healthy. I'm not arguing for a meat diet. Not at all. What I am saying is that there are two sides to every issue and considering the other person's (your husband's) viewpoint will help you to see why they do what they do. And he will love you for it.

It sounds like your daughter is taking cues from you. That's great, but please don't make this a guys-against-the-girls thing at your house. There will be much more harmony if you at least agree to disagree on this. Remember the circumstances may not change as you hope, but the way you communicate this to your family will speak volumes as to your character. Be gentle and kind. Many couples have had vast differences (remember opposites attract) and still live long happy lives together. Their children (and grandchildren) will remember much about their relationship, good or bad, long after they are gone.

Now I'd like to invite others to give some input into this very good question. Please comment in a constructive way so we can help each other. Thanks.

Poll #2 - Results and My Comments

For the results of poll #1 and my "commentary" after the original blog entry, see this post.


Edit to post:

Results for poll #2 taken June 1 - 15th, 2008:

45 people voted

In your opinion, why do people primarily eat a vegetarian diet? (pick one answer)

love animals - 13 votes (28%)
for better health - 23 votes (51%)
less expensive
save world resources - 3 votes (6%)
lose weight - 1 vote (2%)
popular to do so - 3 votes (6%)
doctor's orders
religious reasons - 2 votes (4%)

The most chosen, "for better health," seems to be the consensus of the voters on this poll. That's good because it is true. And it's why I chose it in the first place, almost 12 years ago. While everyone is trying to get their "five a day" to eat more fruits and vegetables, healthy vegetarians should have no trouble.

"Love animals" came in second, but I think a reason why young children or youth may request to eat less/no meat. Of course, if you are an adult, like me, you may be finding out that there are many things about the meat industry that they don't want you to know about. There are some unscrupulous people in the farming/butchering/meat industry business. As a meat eater (or otherwise), you should be informed of how your food is handled before it finds its way to your plate. Just like there are some very unethical practices in food crop agriculture, there are equally some in the meat industry. Be informed.

Three votes each for "saves world resources" and "popular to do so." Eating a vegetarian diet does save world resources. Eating a vegan diet, even more so. It does take much less water and other nutrients to grow food crops than to raise meat of any type. As to the popularity of a vegetarian diet, it all depends on where you live, your age, your family, your friends, etc... It really does depend on many things. In my experience, being a vegetarian has been easier than I thought and most people think its great. But they always say something to the tune of "but I couldn't eat that way." Or "I would miss meat," etc....and to think, I use to love meat. Really.

Two votes for "religious reasons." There are some religions that prohibit meat eating. As far as I'm aware, there are none in Christian based denominations.

One vote for "lose weight." I suppose some people may eat this way to lose weight. But the reason will probably not hold very long once weight has been lost for that individual. I see it as a side benefit to a healthy diet, but not the main factor in staying vegetarian. In fact, some people may even gain weight eating vegetarian at first, especially if they are ovo-lacto vegetarians (still eat eggs and dairy). Take it from me, eating lots of cheese and eggs after going meat free will not help you. And there are still many junk food items considered vegetarian or even vegan that should not be eaten in light of genuine health gains.

All that being said, there are many good reasons to eat a vegetarian diet. And going cold "turkey" to a strict vegan diet, I will never advise. Any big changes is diet are best done in steps and with someone who's been there. My purpose on this blog is to give my friendly say about my experience and to gain insight and exchange good ideas with others...whether they are vegetarians or not.

I have never tried to convince people to become vegetarian. It would be a welcome relief if no one tried to convince me to eat meat/animal products either. I have given support to those who wanted to change their diet for the better, because I can relate to that. I have also wanted support as well. May I be able to help someone out there who desires the same.

What a normal day's meals might be like for us

We actually eat a lot of local foods here and the tropical fruit here is good and cheap (at least compared to prices in the states from what I hear). So it would not be easy, but I will try to give you an idea for our weekdays:

Breakfast:

fruit such as:
pineapple, papaya (called paw paw here), bananas, and now mangoes (back in season - yeah!)
oatmeal with honey, or just fruit mixed in (see above list) or maybe raisins if I have some
or maybe homemade granola
local foods maybe: "koko" (a very thick millet drink with ginger we sweeten with honey)
bread with "kosi" (fried bean and onion patties - see photo below)

Lunch:

(usually leftovers from breakfast or supper the night before for me, daughter just turned 2 is still nursing and eats some foods that I eat)
My husband & son eat on the road at the local "chop" stands (places to eat prepared food - like having a take out on the street - sometimes they even have benches to sit at to eat right away. They might have:
rice and roasted or boiled groundnuts (peanuts)
or grilled plantain (cooking bananas, see photo below of woman selling raw plantains in the market)

or "red red" (a white bean - like black eyed peas - with ripe plantains and red palm oil and a cassava root product called gari)
or "banku" (a cooked and stirred cornmeal dish) with a hot chili and onion sauce
or "wakye" (a bean and rice dish)
or "kenkey" (a cornmeal dish that is firmer than banku packed in banana leaves or corn husks)- hubby likes this if he can get a vegetarian stew like "okro" (okra) or "garden egg" (eggplant) stew
or sometimes fried yam (a very large white flesh root that is like a very dry white potato) with hot chili and onion sauce

Supper:

it may be some food as listed for Lunch or:
boiled yam (makes a wonderfully easy vegan mashed "potato" with a stew or vegan gravy)
or boiled plantain with a stew or stir fried vegetables
or "soya" kebabs (tofu cubes with very spicy coating and onions between, see photo below)

or other more "American" food that I can buy at certain stores (can get pasta, make pizza, etc...)
or rice with lots of veggies and some raw food like: a salad - often made with cabbage, carrots, onion -slaw or cucumbers, avocado (called pear here), tomatoes

Snacks:

homemade popcorn, homemade cookies, fruit (& the occasional apple - but those are imported and are getting expensive here - versus a pineapple we can buy for about 50-70 US Cents!), maybe some plantain chips sold on the street (see photo below - The darker ones are not burnt, they are made with ripe plantain and are actually naturally sweeter than the more popular light colored ones in the foreground that are usually salted.)

or occasionally "kelewele" (fried ripe plantains with ginger and chile pepper seasoning, see photo below)

Drinks:

water, water, and more water (up to a gallon each day for each of us),
the occasional fresh pineapple juice,
maybe a fresh young coconut off the street (see photo below - yes, that's a machete he's using to cut while you wait-you might even get a straw so you don't get it all over you...and then you can scrape off the coconut meat after they crack it open for you).

I hope this gives you an idea. In Africa, there is hardly a typical day. Just because I list those things we might eat doesn't mean that they are ideal for nutrition. Just like other families trying to do better health wise and in their diet, we are no exception. I am trying to get more smoothies in our diet and greens too. So that is what I hope to accomplish. I love being able to eat local produce here that is good for you. We actually have a mango tree in our "yard" that has small mangoes they use here to drink the juice (very stringy) and they are good. We also have a palm nut tree (where red palm oil comes from and the more refined palm kernel oil comes from - see photo below to see harvested palm nuts that have been boiled to make red palm oil) next to the mango tree. And papaya trees next door. =)

My Food "Philosophy" - Part 4...Whole Foods And Living "Lightly"

On the whole foods thing… I am a lover of all things vegan, whole, and raw. For example, apples, not applesauce or apple juice. Whole grains freshly milled, not processed white flour or other flours bought off the shelf. I like to use fresh raw veggies and fruit as opposed to cooked, baked or otherwise, because I like the taste and it gives me energy. Cook everything in sight and you’ll be going to bed early everyday. No thanks. So eat mostly raw, but relax and have some cooked things when your health is good.

I have recently been asked for my grilled mushroom marinade recipe for someone who was actually told by her doctor to try a vegetarian diet for her diabetes…! After I get the doctor’s name, number and address, I will let you know this veggie friendly doctor!!! =) I couldn’t believe it either. Anyway, as a way to thank that doctor, I posted this recipe as the first one on my blog.

On the “footprints”…I try to maintain a light “footprint” ecologically. With my blog, I intend to pass on ways to do just that. Also, how to live simply and usually that means spending less, but not always. You can use this blog as a resource. But use other sources as well. I do. Where do you think I learned all of this through the years? Use your local library (Please! Or they will go extinct!)…check on the internet… learn from your friends…and then pass it on to help others.

You'll hear more throughout my posts about my food "philosophy" - so stay tuned...

Shalom,
Loretta

My Food "Philosophy" - Part 3...A Little On What We Eat And What We Don't

Back to “going” vegetarian…We initially cut out all flesh meats, including fish, and gelatin, meat broths. We did eat dairy and eggs. We ate lots of cheese then. And omelets…LOL! Yes, we tried tofu and other things “only the veggies eat” like soybeans and stuff. We learned a lot about foods we never tried before. And you know what? We loved it. And we changed things along the way.

One thing we changed was that we began to see that especially dairy was not helping us. We eventually cut that out as well. Eggs? We don’t need them to survive either. So began our journey in the vegan world, at least diet wise.

Just a slight change of thought for a minute…a “tangent” if you will… on being strict vegans…we are not…we are still vegetarians…we still eat no flesh meats or fish or any animal product that required the animal to be killed. However, we have felt that being very strict everyday in our world is not likely. In our own kitchen, it is entirely vegan. When we are away, we eat what we like, sometimes that includes having a little egg in the fried rice, or a little shredded cheese on the salad made for us, or even “cheesefood” sauce for our haystacks (the recipe coming for the haystacks soon…no, not the cheese sauce!) =) We don’t fuss and we enjoy it, guilt free. It works for us.

We happen to live in Ghana, West Africa at the present time. We have found it easy to eat a vegetarian diet here (and tropical fruits, yummy!). We also know that in some cases, it is better to eat what is served to you than to say anything. We have found everyone to be very helpful when they learn we eat no meat. From restaurants to other people’s homes, we have been happy with the food served. We do not mind other people eating meat when we are with them. It is something that not all vegetarians (or vegans, for that matter) would do.

We feel that the relationship with others is much more important. We hold that when it’s our home, we can eat and serve to others what we normally would eat, making something they would enjoy when we have guests. And we are very grateful when others do the same when we are at their house. I have yet to be somewhere lately, where I didn’t get more than enough to eat and then some. Really. And as far as restaurants, I ask questions, but I don’t require them to bring me the ingredient lists of all the foods on the menu or buffet (in Ghana or in the states).

Just so you know, I intend to post only vegan recipes on this blog. As most people know how to change out ingredients to “veganize” they can go the other way just as easily. I just happen to like searching for vegan recipes, since that is how I cook at home.

With that said, there are a couple of notes that I wish to add so you are “in the know”… I do use honey. Not all vegans do…I do…I use bee “products” like bee pollen, bee propolis, royal jelly, and honey. I don’t think the other bee products will come up in my recipes (if at all), however honey will. People can replace it with another liquid sweetener or replace with a dry sweetener. More in another post sometime. I do use stevia occasionally and other sweeteners depending on availability, time and place. I do believe people should buy honey from a reputable bee keeper or nearby crop farmer (preferably who grows things the organic way) who bottles their own if they do decide to use it. It is better business and much better for you. If you can get “raw” honey, go for it. As each person’s tastes change and seasons change, so will what’s in my cupboard. I happen to have honey (from the states) here to use (Thanks, mom!). I have not tried the local Ghana honey. I have enough to last until we move back this summer. Yeah! =)

I plan to include more raw things into our diet and so you will see recipes that reflect that too. I don’t think that I’ll ever be all raw anytime soon. So there will be plenty of “cooking” recipes on here eventually.

My Food "Philosophy" - Part 2...Newlyweds "Going" Vegetarian

My husband’s experience before we married was more so on the processed stuff. His mother also cooked, but has always worked. They didn’t have animals or a large garden, so his diet was even more typical “standard American diet” (SAD) than mine was. He was just very grateful I knew how to cook. It did come pretty natural to me and I am by nature a “foody”, I guess. My mother did (although not directly) somehow impart to me a sense of the kitchen and how to cook most things or at least figure it out ok, with no total disasters to destroy the kitchen!

When we married 15 years ago (Ok, not till next month technically, but I love saying “15”!), I resolved to not have these “whites” in my kitchen: white flour, white rice, white sugar, and white shortening. So I didn’t…And that I would never own a microwave – and I never have. Neither my husband nor I were vegetarians at the time we got married, so I continued doing what I had then become accustomed to…cooking with some convenience foods, but trying to stay away from the above mentioned items.

I do not relate to those women who had no clue how to cook when they got back from their honeymoons. No. Not me. I was having a ball. My very own kitchen! Stocked with everything I needed and wanted (as long as we had the money- he he). I remember our first Thanksgiving. I wanted to make some rolls that my grandma used to make for us whenever we’d visit (out of state). So I wrote her and asked her for the recipe. I still have her letter that she sent in my recipe notebook. That was the first time that I can remember making bread. They were just as I remembered. Ah...I love those memories.

Fast forward to November 1996…I had gotten used to getting stomach aches after I ate. We (husband and I) talked about “going” vegetarian for a couple of years before this. One day I decided I was going to try not eating meat for a week. Hey…feeling better…one week passed…two weeks passed… my husband joined me about 3 months later. We have never looked back. Two children later, we (and they) are all vegetarian.

I think our only small appliance for years was a toaster. Actually we had two of them, both wedding gifts. I think we still own one of them. Oh, no, wait…we had a hand held mixer too (a hand me down from a friend at church). But that was it. If I needed more than a stove, oven, fridge or tiny apartment size freezer (inside the fridge door, tiny metal door…”freezing-is-optional” type) and my trusty toaster and hand mixer, I had to figure it out. I didn’t own a blender for years. Since then I have had a blender, stand mixer, bread machine, chest freezer, and dehydrator. Of these, only my blender remains as the others were not mine personally, except the stand mixer which I sold later.

I have cooked for large groups (with help) at camps that I worked at, so I really like making food. I am the type that likes to read cookbooks…for ideas….and then go do it my way. Who says there’s only one way, right? =)

My Food "Philosophy" - Part 1 ...Growing Up

I enjoy good food. I don’t think you’ll meet many that wouldn’t agree. However, ask anyone about their version of “good food” and the answer will be much different. I will attempt to share with you my own view of food from a few angles. A little background is probably in order…Vegan Footprints…I didn’t start out life as a vegan (pronounced “vee – guhn). But then again I don’t know many that have. Growing up, my mother cooked and we ate out at least once a week. Now that I think about it, it was probably more than that. If we were away at a mealtime, we’d pick up something somewhere fast food style. Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s meant for me that most of the time that included eating packaged food. Part of my young life, my mother worked nightshift as a nurse, so she used the convenience of packaged food. If we had homemade pizza, it was probably because “Chef Boy R D” helped out. If we were having breakfast, usually it included boxed cereals at our table with plenty of milk to slurp from the bowl afterwards. Birthdays almost always included a professionally decorated cake from our favorite grocery store’s bakery. Thanksgiving time meant there would be cranberry gel from a can that was sliced to serve as the cranberry sauce. Since my father was a “meat-and-potatoes-kind-of-guy-&-don’t-mix-anything-up-together”, we rarely had any kind of casserole. So the meals were generally main dish meat, side vegetable, bread, maybe potatoes, with likely, something to serve as salad on the side. Dessert was not usual, nor was candy, but my dad loved his ice cream, so that was usually in the house and we would have some a couple times a week. My mother did bake some. I remember when she had time she would make pies (with white shortening) and the occasional homemade birthday cake. Cakes were made with boxed mixes. She never baked bread that I can recall. Rice was rare at our house unless it was in some sort of canned soup or packaged side dish mix. We always had eggs, meat, and dairy around like most other families we knew. And we had a microwave. We even raised animals for butchering. Through the years I can tell you that at one time or another, we had the following on our small farm: Sheep, rabbits, goats (for milk too), a bull calf (my brother raised), chickens…both layers (for eggs) and broilers (for meat), geese, even a couple of ducks (the last one was mostly for pets). There was even a farmer that rented part of our barn and pasture out to raise heifers (young cows that had not yet had a calf). We did always have a garden. A very LARGE garden. So our vegetable intake was pretty decent I think. I don’t remember not liking any vegetable. Even now the only ones I don’t prefer are ones I can’t recall us growing at home. And we actually had a small “orchard” around the farm here and there of the following trees: apple, plum, cherry. Also the berry bushes: black raspberry, red raspberry, blueberry. Back at the woods, we had wild blackberry bushes too. It just makes me hungry talking about this part. Yummy. My dad is a farmer. These days his farm work includes growing soy beans and grains like: wheat, rye, corn. He used to be certified organic in fact. He has also tapped the many maple trees on the place to boil down for maple syrup for years. He’d sell it too. It really was and is (hey, my folks still live there, minus a few of the above these days) a wonderful place they have, complete with woods and creek on the “back 40” (OK, it wasn’t that big, but you get the idea). I am very grateful to them for the many things they taught me about doing it yourself. As they say, “necessity is the mother of invention” and sometimes they had to do with what they had. Money was not in abundance especially in the young married years. My folks moved to that property when my mother was pregnant with me and my older brother was only 1 year old. It’s the only home place I’ve ever known. So as far as “homesteading”, my folks did well I think, for busy people. Over the years, my mother had many health problems. She was sick much of her own growing up years. She was a nurse by trade. She had to stop working when she was too sick most of the time. Fast forward a few years. My mother was able to find help and relief for her ailments through natural therapies and using herbs and whole foods. Whole grains, brown rice, even sprouts made it to our table. We used real butter and honey. We still had the occasional “treat,” but we saw healthier substitutions of the overly processed stuff more of the time. Fast forward a little more. She started her own “health food” store which included bulk foods and herbs & other supplements. Eventually she also carried packaged items, alternative cleaning supplies, water filters, and juicers too. She also learned about helping others and did consulting to teach others about how to help their bodies get better and live healthier. She is a great lady. These days she deals with what Parkinson ’s disease sends her way the best she can. She closed her store more than 2 years ago now (I know, we all miss it), after she had double knee replacement surgery. So as you can see, there are many things in my background that helped to shape my view of food…Everyone responds to food through their own “filter” – this is mine, up to about when I got married.