post 15 The Foodie Goes Greener (While grilling) Project

It’s summer and to me that means friends, family and grilling over an open fire. For many of us, grilling reaches us at our most primal level, both consciously and unconsciously.

It’s also a fabulous reason to gather the family, host a dinner party, or simply light some candles for a romantic al fresco dinner.

There is something magical and alchemical about gathering around the grill and enjoying our natural environment while smelling food as it cooks. And most of us agree that everything tastes better cooked over a grill and enjoyed under the stars.

Turns out there are some ways to grill that are more green than others, so we can keep enjoying those starry nights for generations to come.

Our families’ “open fire” is…. a gas grill. Surprisingly, this turns out to be one of the greenest ways to grill.

Commercial charcoal briquettes are steeped with potentially cancer-causing chemicals, and burn at temperatures high enough to promote carcinogenic charring on food. If you are a die- hard “cooking over the coals” fan, it’s best to stick with natural hardwood lump charcoal that burns at a lower rate.

One of my favorite grilled meals that honors the omnivore, vegetarian and vegan at your picnic table is shish kabobs. Go green by buying your fresh veggies and local sustainable meat or seafood at a local farmers’ market or stand.

Here is a delicious, all-inclusive green menu that is common in our backyard for extended gatherings and is simplified for family meals:

Build your own Shish Kabobs

Marinate your favorite veggies for at least 2 hours or all day in bottled house Italian dressing (It has a more robust flavor compared to homemade vinaigrette):
mushrooms
tomatoes
peppers
sweet onions

Use the same dressing to marinate your choice of cubed, local, organic, sustainable meat…I used a fresh local pork (the other white meat:)

Have guests skewer and grill their own...(keep meat and veggies on separate skewers for health reasons and appropriate cooking times). I find it just as easy to have everything grilled and ready to go for guests choosing at the buffet table.

*Serve with Crosse & Blackwell Mint Sauce made with Egyptian mint leaves. It is the perfect accompaniment for grilled meat, a combination of vinegary tart and sweetness. You have to try it to believe it.

Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Parsley Butter

1/3 cup vegan, regular or specialty butter
6 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp dried re chile flakes (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 tbl fresh parsley minced, plus extra for sprinkling
2 pounds large white tiger shrimp
kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Fresh lemon wedges

Preheat grill to hot and brush with olive oil
In a bowl place butter, garlic, parsely, lemon juice, zest and chile flakes. Microwave for 20 to 40 seconds until butter melts, mix well, set aside. Rinse the shrimp and cut in half lengthwise leaving shell intact. Brush with butter mixture. Grill 4 minutes until plump and turn over briefly. Remove and serve on a platter with lemon wedges and remaining butter sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley. Delizioso!

Wild rice pilaf (great for lunch the next day, mixed with grilled veggies for a satisfying salad)
I like using Uncle Bens wild rice mix for a simple family dinner with shish kabobs. I make extra for left overs the next day.

Grilled red Potato and Olive Salad

2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
½ cup olive oil divided
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh celery with leaves, diced
1 cup mixed olives, pitted
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/3 cup capers, drained
¼ cup red wine vinegar
few Tbl honey Dijon (optional)

Prepare and oil a hot grill. In a large bowl add potatoes, half the oil, slat and pepper and parsley, mix well. Grill the potatoes turning often until done. Return to bowl and add remaining ingredients, tossing to coat well.
This salad can be made several hours ahead of time and served at room temperature.

Green Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes and walnuts

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
3 ounces julienne sundried tomatoes, drained
½ cup toasted walnuts
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola or feta
Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Add beans to a large pot of boiling water. Cook five minutes drain and submerge in ice water. Leave until cool, drain and pat dry. In a serving bowl add remaining ingredients and serve. Can be made several hours ahead and served at room temperature.

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Gelato
Grill spears of pineapple and serve with store bought gelato or ice cream

To create greener ambiance to honor your summer soiree, use cloth napkins and plastic or ceramic plates instead of paper and pick flowers from the garden placed in jars for the table.

If you would rather not cut your flowers, a platter of fresh lemons and limes will make a nice workable centerpiece for cocktails and seafood, or simply extra healthy seasoning. I also like to use potted herbs that I have in the window sill.

Lighten up in a greener fashion by foregoing the electric lights and tiki torches. Instead, try using solar lights or bug-deterring soy wax candles. Less CO2 output now means more celebrations under the big dipper for generations to come.

Personally, I like candles, candles everywhere: in the loo, on the banister, on the picnic table, and floating in the creek or pool. A little alchemy goes a long way to creating magic and moving mountains in the world, don’t you think?

Think about it. The right lighting, a little breeze, someone (or a handful of those) you love, delicious food before you, and perhaps a toast and intention or two under the stars…

Life is delicious! Especially when we go a little greener while setting good intentions in our lives and for our world.

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post 14 The Foodie Goes Greener (With Tastes of Italia) Project

Just like Julie and Julia caused the French cooking monster to erupt within me, now Letters To Juliet has awakened my inner Italian cooking monster, and on an even grander scale!

It’s true that the Italian sirens (the good ones that summon you to your destiny) have been calling to me for some time now, but this film has now cemented some inspiring travel plans and perhaps even a new lifestyle goal.

In short, I am more than answering the siren’s call.

Juliet is not only a siren summoning many to Verona, but she is staffed with secretaries to help her do so. These secretaries, volunteers from Verona, collect the notes and the letters that arrive in the mail by the thousands, and then they write back to every single letter writer who includes an address.

Juliet’s former house, at 23 Via Capello, where all gather with love requests, indeed has a balcony. She also has a tomb.

Is it the Juliet who inspired Shakespeare? Whether she is or not, the cobblestone streets guide people who come to visit the house and balcony, then trek across town to the tomb, leaving notes to Juliet on nearby walls.

Surely this film will create a need for more secretaries as many more seekers are drawn to Verona. I mentioned to Stephen that writing those letters would be my dream job. But of course, along with support and love advice, I would include heart healing, Italian aphrodisiac recipes to restore the lovelorn.

A romantic Italian backyard picnic (to hold you over until you get to Verona, Cortona or wherever the sirens beckon) is a guilty pleasure that’s lighter on the guilt and heavier on the pleasure, just like Letters to Juliet.

Vino:

Start with a crisp, elegant chilled bottle of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. This light, dry wine with a clean finish is perfect for a romantic Italian picnic. It also enhances any meal with white meat or a seafood based Pasta or risotto.

Bruschetta:

Start with some excellent bread. Choose a rustic loaf with a stretchy interior with lots of holes and a crisp crust. If it’s a round loaf, cut it into slices about 3/4 inch thick, and then cut those slices in half on an angle.

Fry the bread in olive oil until crunchy on the outside and soft in the center.

Rub the bread with a whole garlic clove. The garlic will disintegrate into the bread.

Purchase the most delicious heirloom tomatoes you can find in all colors; red, green, orange and yellow. Dice tomatoes and drizzle with high quality Italian extra virgin olive oil. Add chopped basil (and drizzle with a little lemon or lime juice. optional) Let marinate for a while.

Season with Salt and pepper a little while prior to serving. (Salt makes tomatoes release their juices.)

Top bread with tomato mixture. If the bread is too crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.

*Food stylist Susan Spungen developed this bruschetta recipe for a scene in the movie Julie and Julia. ** I also made Julia Child’s beef bourguignon immediately after seeing the film and we ate for days!

Serve brushetta with slices of hard Italian cheese such as Fiore Sardo, a pure sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia, and thin slices of apple of pear.

For a heartier romantic Italian feast, add either grilled shrimp or grilled buttermilk soaked rosemary chicken alongside grilled tangerines as a delicious garnish.

Buttermilk Soaked & Grilled Chicken:

1 to 2 whole chickens cut up.

Clean, pat dry, and salt and pepper. Place in two large bowls if marinating 2 chickens. Add four or more smashed garlic cloves to each bowl, plus a few rosemary sprigs and cover with buttermilk to marinate over night or at least 4 hours.

Remove chicken and pat almost dry. Grill. Sprinkle with tangerine juice. Serve with fresh rosemary sprigs and grilled tangerines.

For dessert, add fresh, seasonal berries to any of your favorite Italian desserts such as the following Italian Almond Berry Cake.

Italian Almond Berry Cake:

Start to finish: 2 hours (1 hour active)

Servings: 8

Butter, for coating the pan

All-purpose flour, for dusting the pan

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups fruit (chopped if large)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the cake:

3 1/2 ounces almond paste

2/3 cup granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

2/3 cup corn flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Heat the oven to 375 F. Coat a 5-by-8-inch springform pan with butter and flour. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, then butter that as well.

In a medium bowl, toss the fruit with the sugar, then set aside.

In a food processor, combine the almond paste and sugar. Pulse until evenly combined. Add the butter and pulse until well combined. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla and almond extracts, and the sour cream. Blend until smooth.

In a medium bowl, mix the corn flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the dry ingredient to the processor and pulse 3 times. Add the second half and pulse 3 times again. Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is well combined, then give it 3 or 4 more pulses.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Pile the fruit over the top. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned and springy when pressed with a fingertip, about 1 hour or slightly longer.

Let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool to room temperature before slicing. Top with more fresh berries and serve with coconut gelato or whipped cream. I love it simply with fresh berries.

(Original Recipe Right Side Up Cake from Deborah Madison’s “Seasonal Fruit Desserts,” Broadway Books, 2010 as printed in the Sun Sentinel and The Oregonian.)

Save that blanket from your picnic! You will be so satisfied from your afternoon Italian feast (and nap;) that snacking on almond cake under the big dipper, with a little prosecco, will be all you will desire.

La vita è deliziosa! Life is Delicious! If you have any favorite Italian stories or recipes I would love to hear from you!

Check out a review of Letters from my favorite film critic (and fabulous sister-in-law) Susan Granger: http://susangranger.com/?p=4945

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Post 13 The Foodie Goes Greener (And Reflects on Self Esteem) Project

Self-esteem is a term used in psychology to reflect a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth.

In the stresses of every day life, it is common to slip into moments where we forget our worth. Old issues and feelings from past experiences seep into our thought processes and wreak havoc before we catch them, take aim, and knock them down.

Self-esteem issues could also be a result of comparing ourselves to others or worse of all, to the images that we see in fashion magazines, billboards and on television and the big screen.

If we are aging (like every being on this planet), we may have the mindset to fight aging instead of embracing it.

Basically, those responses are normal.

The trick is to pluck these threads the moment they begin to spindle, so there is no need to create a tapestry of being with dark, dreadful colors and pictures.

No one needs that, least of all you.

Recently, I was in a self esteem funk and thought about an original story that I heard (although I have taken the liberty to add the Hollywood element) from the ultimate master storyteller, Dr. Clarrissa Pinkola Estes.

Dr. Estes is an internationally recognized scholar, author, poet, and generational Cantadora (keeper of the old stories) in the Latina tradition. She grew up in a family of Cantadoras who effortlessly weave tales through their inter-dimensional loom, passing down stories from generation to generation. She speaks hypnotically, like the brilliant Maya Angelou, and you find yourself lost in the worlds of which she speaks.

Cantadoras are the reason I fell in love with story telling, and the power of transformation and inspiration it brings.

The power of story is a non-threatening initiation into self-awareness. One does not need to be consciously aware of why a story resonates or makes one feel better or more aware.
It just does.

The power of story enables us to appreciate our dark threads as victoriously as our light ones. Through the magic of story, we gain an understanding of ourselves and of others, and through acceptance and commonality, we have the opportunity to increase our self esteem.

The Crone

At the end of a village lived a wise old crone.

Instead of being feared, she held the deep and reverent respect of the villagers.

At the other end of the village, there was a young woman who had no sense of herself. 

She feared she would be lonely.  She would constantly watch music videos and read magazines. In them, she saw young Hollywood starlets who were given fashionable clothing to wear. Each had a team of beauty experts making them look gorgeous every day.

She compared herself to them and knew she was homely, plain, poor, and boring. The more she watched and read, the more she lost sight of her own beauty.

One day, out of sheer desperation, she walked down the dusty street to the end of the village.  She nervously walked up the path to the wise old crone’s door and had just started to knock when the door opened. 

“Ahhhhhh. I wondered when you were going to come,” the wise old crone said.

“I am so lonely,” the young woman began. “No one wants to be near me because I am so ugly and poor and I have nothing to offer.  Is there anything I can possibly do? Can you help me?”

The old woman said, “Yes, of course, my dear. Please, please come in.  I can do many things for you. This is simple, but you have to do exactly what I say. Do you understand?”

The homely woman said, “I will do anything because I truly am so very lonely and I am so disgusted with myself.  I can’t do anything right, I don’t even want to be with me. I’ll do anything you say.  Please,” she begged, “Please, help me.”

The old woman said, “OK, let’s get started. I want you to run, not walk, to the very end of the beach and go to the cove.  You will see the hillside where blackberries grow wild.  Luscious, juicy, rich, blackberries.  Here is a basket. I want you to bring them back.”

So, the girl took off her shoes, grabbed the basket, and ran down the beach for a long, long time.

She came back with a basket full of plump, ripe, luscious blackberries from the height of the season.

The old crone said, “That’s pretty good. Very well done. The next thing I want you to do is go to the end of the apple orchard on the other end of town. I want you to climb into the trees and pick bushels of apples and bring them here.”

So, the young woman left.

It took her several days to climb all the ladders and fill all of the baskets with ripe, juicy apples.

Every time she had a doubting thought enter her mind, she dismissed it and held her faith in the old crone. She steadily trudged up the ladder, climbed into the trees, and picked the juicy apples.  Exhausted, she carried the wicker baskets one by one back to the home of the old crone.

“That’s really quite lovely.  Nice job,” the old crone said.  “The next thing I need you to do is to knead some dough and make some bread.  Use lots of this butter. Here is the vat.”

The vat was as big as an enormous cauldron, and it took the young woman several days to knead all of the dough, roll it out, and form it into loaves.

The old woman came and looked and said, “Not too bad. OK, now carry these loaves to the oven and bake them with this moist wood, so the bread does not dry out. Then take them out with these gloves and cool them on these plates.”

Again, It took the young woman much longer than she anticipated. She baked all of the bread until it was moist and brown with gorgeous, golden crusts. She then laid them one by one on tin plates that lined the tables and counters.

The old crone surveyed the job and smiled, looking satisfied. “Now, I need you to go downstairs, then go outside and run around my house three times backwards.”

The young woman, who believed she was ugly and without worth, took off her apron and laid it on the counter exasperated.  “OK! Enough! I understood everything so far, the blackberries, the apples, the kneading of the bread with the butter in it, the baking of the bread…. but, I don’t understand running backward around your house three times.”

The old crone asked, “Do you want to return to your lonely, sad life?  Or do you want to change it?  Sometimes, if we are to follow the clearest of guidance, we have to do things that absolutely make no sense at all. In fact, that is when I know I must do something. When it makes no sense at all.”

So the young woman went downstairs, then outside, and ran as fast as she could backwards three times around the house, without tripping and falling over. She then collapsed breathless on the stoop.

The old woman came out of the house, looked to the end of the street, and said, “Ah, look, they are coming.  I have invited the village to the feast that you have made.”

The young girl said, “Oh, no. They’re coming?  Why?”.

The old wise crone answered, “To eat the blackberries that you picked, to feast on the apples that you gathered, and to dip the fresh, warm bread that you made into the deliciously sweet and creamy honey butter.”

The young woman wanted to run and hide.

For days she had forgotten about her opinions of herself. She had been too busy, but now she placed her attention back on herself because the villagers were coming.

“Look, I am too homely and too ugly. They won’t accept me.”

The old crone smiled.  She said, “Go and look into the well.”

The young woman went over to the well, leaned over, and for the first time, saw her true reflection.

Down in the well was a beautiful, radiant, young girl looking back at her.

She noticed her rosy cheeks that came from running to the end of the cove, and climbing up and down the ladder, and running around the house three times backwards.

She saw curls of hair around her face from the steam of the ovens, and from running in the ocean air. 

She felt her hands that felt so soft from kneading all of the bread with butter.

Her feet were smooth from running in the sand.

She took a deep breath and ran over to the old crone and hugged her from the depths of her being.  She no longer felt empty, ugly, and homely.  She felt exhilarated and elated. She felt like herself, the self she had always longed for.

The young woman had more suitors at the end of the feast than she could have ever imagined.

The first time I heard Dr. Estes tell the story of the old wise crone I related to it as an adult abuse survivor.

Survivors of abuse often feel worthless, different, useless, and alone. Initially, we lack self-esteem (just like the lonely young woman in the story) and we must overcome the need to be Hollywood perfect in order to be loved and not harmed.

On that recent evening when my self-esteem was low, I set out to spread an organic, simple, local and sustainable feast from fresh available ingredients for those I love. Our picnic table was spread with fresh picked flowers, grilled wild salmon from the Pacific North West, fresh blackberries and raspberries, grilled asparagus and homemade dinner rolls made with local honey. 

The feast provided an unexpected message to my subconscious.

My mood shifted and I was grateful for the process of being.

It rained a little outside, but sometimes in life it’s just going to rain.

When it does, you just gotta throw your head back, hold out your arms, and welcome the cleansing it brings.

Life is delicious! 

Remember:  when in a funk, try listening to an inspiring story or watching an uplifting movie. Simply by opening to a story, one can connect to and appreciate the struggles, the accomplishments, the beauty, the possibilities, and the intricately woven tapestry, that is you.

Honey Dinner Rolls:



4 1/4-4 3/4 cups all purpose flour (your choice)
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups milk (can substitute almond milk)
1/3 cup local honey
1/4 cup butter or vegan Earth Balance
1 tsp salt
2 eggs or egg substitute equivalent

Combine 2 cups flour and yeast in a large mixer bowl. Heat milk, honey, margarine and salt just until warm (115 to 120°F) and margarine is almost melted, stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture; add eggs.
Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl constantly. Beat for 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in as much remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 mins). Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, then turn it once. Cover dough and let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour). Punch dough down; divide in half. Cover again; let rest 10 minutes.
Cut each dough half into 18 equal pieces. Roll into balls, and place in greased 2 1/2-inch muffin pans. Let rise until doubled (about 30 mins).
Bake in a 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

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Post 12 The Foodie Goes Greener (And is Inspired by The ‘Hood’) Project

With just a few ingredients you can sometimes magically make several meals all at once.

Whole plum tomatoes, wild capers, fresh rosemary, a large sweet onion, and as many green or oil cured black olives as you wish, not only make the delicious *Puttanesca sauce that I used over fresh halibut in my last blog post, but also Angel Hair With Tuna and Tomatoes as a satisfying lunch or dinner the following day.

* “Named after the Italian ladies of the night, this sauce goes well with any type of spaghetti.”

I first had this dish when I was getting my hair done at the award winning Tribe salon next door to my go-to favorite Justa Pasta in North West Portland in the Pearl District. Everything they have is delicious, from their salads to various kinds of handmade pastas and oh, my, did I mention the sauces?

Justa Pasta Co. was founded initially to provide local restaurants with fresh pastas and ravioli. Now the pasta is sold almost exclusively via the restaurant. I love not only the fact that they make their pasta fresh daily and use family recipes, but also that they utilize local, sustainable bounty from the Pacific Northwest. Whenever possible, they also use organic, locally grown produce, and all their poultry, lamb, and beef products come from local farms that do not use hormones or antibiotics.

Can I just say again how much I love Portland?

Justa Pasta also carries a fabulous selection of reasonably priced wine and everyone who works there makes you feel as you have stepped into their home to grab a bite, like tourists often do in Europe.

What is even more enticing is that after you lunch, you can pick up a bottle of wine, fresh pasta to boil, and homemade sauce to heat up at home. What could be better than that? I’ll tell you what…. making one of Chef/Owner Roland Carfagnos’ recipes in your own home.

Recently in my favorite section of The Oregonian, Food Day, Sara Perry listed Roland’s tuna pasta recipe (above) that he makes after a long run, bike ride, or at the end of a long day.

In case you missed it, here it is.

(Notice if you just double the Puttanesca recipe from Post 11, that is basically the same sauce. Just add a few more capers, as many more olives as you wish, and a quality can of tuna such as Ortiz, a Spanish premium white tuna.)

‘Justa’ Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes:

Saute a couple of finely chopped garlic cloves in extra-virgin olive oil. Then add a 14 ounce can of tomatoes with their juice (he likes, and so do I, Muir Glenn) and simmer 10 minutes. Finish the dish by stirring in as many capers and green and black olives as you wish, and serve over your favorite spaghetti, linguini or angel hair.

Now that you’re satisfied gastronomically, if you need a change in your appearance, a new fresh healthy hair style, or a more contemporary vibe, you have to step into Tribe next door. Not only did they win best design in the whole country (!) for a hair studio, many of their designers are award winning, all fabulous and apparently incredibly photogenic!

Check out a photo of the entire gang and a description of all stylists and team members by clicking on the link here (or copying and pasting) http://tribehairstudio.com/pages/stylists.html and see who you are guided toward.

Life is Delicious! Especially when you’re thrilled with your make over and your stomach (and family) is beyond satisfied!

Justa Pasta, 1336 N.W. 19th Ave;503-229-0646; www.justapasta.com

Tribe Hair Studio 1346 N.W. 19th Ave;503-224-2556; www.tribehairstudio.com
(Check out my stylist Heather--she’s one of the best. She’s also my step-daughter!)

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Post 11 The Foodie Goes Greener (And is Inspired by Old Hollywood) Project

I am in search of doing anything organic that helps me be my best while honoring my environment and those around me. I want to be a giver, not a taker.

I am also realizing that getting older is simply an invitation to do better and feel better, because we know better.

Another luxury of getting older is being able to set boundaries and declare who you want around you. When you surround yourself with organic, inspired friends and family, you empower each other to be your best and the energy of the planet vibrates at a higher frequency.

Yeah. I said it.

When you surround yourself with like minded souls, those who want to inspire and be inspired in their lives, transformation happens. Big things get done.

My biggest source of inspiration is my husband and best friend, a man who has gone through the labor pains, and continues to go through the labor pains, of getting films out there that make us feel better about being human.

Watching Somewhere in Time, What Dreams May Come or films from The Spiritual Cinema Circle, is like sitting down to a feast of your favorite comfort foods with your most beloved family and friends…..but without the calories. You leave the table comforted, inspired, and feeling better about our humanity.

Stephen is the man you experience in the Spiritual Cinema Circle discussions. He is charming, generous, well spoken, intelligent, uplifting, caring, sensitive and funny. He is also way too talkative and upbeat at 5 AM (even without his first cup of coffee), tells absurd “jokes” that aren’t even in the same zip code with funny, dances like a clown, can’t carry a tune, and often behaves like a younger brother to our son Carter. But no one is perfect and I adore him.

Stephen’s stories about growing up in Old Hollywood are “sitting on the edge of your chair” fun. Stephen Simon is a special soul who was planted into an incredible family and place in the industry, so he could bring some of that Old Hollywood energy back to those of us who starve for simple, organic, inspirational fare during complicated times.

Stephen actually is “Old Hollywood.” He loves the finer things in life but delights in the real and the organic. Being married to my best friend Stephen is nutrient-dense and heart-healthy. This Saturday, we will be having a luncheon with many like minded friends who live in Oregon, belong to The Spiritual Cinema Circle, and enjoy receiving four unique films each month on a DVD that is theirs to keep.

In honor of them, and my dear husband, here’s an inspired heart-healthy dinner of fresh halibut picked up at Whole Foods. Walking Whole Foods, Market of Choice, or any farmers market, is an incredible way to get inspired to create a meal with a story. Food always tells a story. The goal is to leave someone better for “experiencing” it.

Halibut’s firm white meat and delicate sweet flavor make it a perfect pairing for a robust tomato puttanesca sauce that you can make with ingredients from your pantry.

Old Hollywood Inspired Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce feels like a dish that might be served in an intimate, family owned Italian joint formerly frequented by my husband’s unofficial godfather, Frank Sinatra. (Stephen’s new book about Old Hollywood will be out in November.)

Old Hollywood Inspired Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce

1 can quality plum tomatoes such as organic Muir Glenn (28 ounces) or 2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup oil-cured black olives, halved and pitted
or green olives if you prefer
2 tablespoons capers
3 tsp anchovy paste
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 halibut steaks (about 6 to 8 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Seed and coarsely chop tomatoes. If using diced tomatoes, use entire can, no chopping and seeding required. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and cook until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, and cook, until transparent, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium high; add tomatoes, reserved liquid, olives, capers, anchovies, and rosemary, and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Heat remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of halibut steaks with salt and pepper. Cook steaks until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Reheat sauce until it simmers. Stir in parsley. Serve halibut with a little sauce on each steak. Top with fresh basil (optional). Serve with a nice bottle of wine, fresh warm baguette to dip in the puttanesca sauce and your favorite Frank Sinatra tunes.

*Adapted from and inspired by a traditional Martha Stewart Recipe

When I shared with Stephen what I would be making for dinner he said, “What? You’re cooking fish just for the Hal-i-but?” Like I mentioned before, no one is perfect.

La vita è deliziosa! Life is delicious! Especially when surrounded by family, friends and rich traditions!

Check out The Spiritual Cinema Circle at www.spiritualcinemacircle.com

Photo above of Stephen and his sister (movie critic) Susan Grangers’ mother Harriet Deutsch, dancing with Frank Sinatra.

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Post 10 The Foodie Goes Greener (While Learning How To Receive) Project

Happy Mother’s Day weekend!

As we know, mothers come in all shapes, sizes, sexes, and definitions.

Some of us have mothers, that how should I say, “Shouldn’t have been?” The beauty of that experience is that some of us grow stronger because of it and evolve into wonderful, loving, present parents ourselves.

Nature abhors a vacuum, so when a parent is absent or abusive, whether physically or emotionally, someone or something comes in to fill that space and nurture our souls.

Some souls need hugs; that is, they need to be held, in a gentle, genuine, non-taking way. These hugs may not necessarily come at home, but they will come.

For me? I never knew that vacuum would be filled by so many women (and one man) whom I adore, delight in, and look up to.

My best friend Peggy is 78, and has the dimples, jewelry (and unmentionables) to siren in the most seasoned of admirers. I delight in her travel adventures, life stories, gifts (she is a world class psychic) and her freedom. Miss Cantankerous Peggy cares not for what others think of her and I love her to pieces.

She is also an incredible mother and nurturer. She once showed up unannounced at my home a few years ago. I tend to retreat when in pain but she marched in like Auntie Mame, grabbed me, and then held me until some of the pain came out. There is true strength and beauty in learning how to receive.

Recently, another woman of strength and admiration waltzed into my life in the form of Stephen’s older sister Susie. She carries the same traditional elegance, grace and class as my grandmother did and that Peggy continues to. She also carries an indomitable spirit of adventure and an energy today that I never even had as a young woman, but greatly admire.

Every day, I feel blessed with an abundance of love in my life. I never imagined the love I would feel being a mother myself. It is too big to put into words. In honor of Mother’s Day, my family will gather around, break bread, enjoy something delicious, and probably share some laughter, a tear and maybe even a game of football.

With all of those ads for Mother’s Day floating across the Internet, the most delicious looking Blueberry and Lemon Zest Whole Wheat Pancakes came dancing across my computer screen. I knew that I had to make them for dinner and I don’t even like pancakes!

The boys loved them with fried eggs and fresh fruit.

*I changed the recipe up a bit and made buckwheat pancakes since buckwheat is a great source of protein. This recipe can easily go vegan/vegetarian.

Blueberry and Lemon Zest Buckwheat Pancakes

1 cup buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/4 cups chilled buttermilk, milk or almond milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten or equivalent vegan substitute
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan and serving *I used vegan Earth Balance to up the health quotient.
Finely grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons
2 1/2-3 cups blueberries
Pure maple syrup, heated to warm, for serving
*confectioner’s sugar for decoration
Directions:

In a large bowl, combine buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add milk, eggs, melted butter and zest; stir together until just combined (a little lumpy is OK; do not over mix).

Heat griddle over medium heat; brush with butter. In batches, drop batter in 1/3 cupfuls onto skillet; arrange blueberries on pancakes (about 25 per pancake), pressing berries gently into pancakes. Cook pancakes until underside is deep golden, about 3 minutes, then flip, reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes more. Serve warm, sprinkled with sugar, fresh blueberries and maple syrup.

~Original recipe from Gale Simmons

Another option for a delicious brunch idea is the thinner, less bready version of a pancake……the crepe from France. While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is nowadays widespread and considered a national dish.

My daughter Brenna loves hers spread with Nutella, the hazelnut spread with skim milk and cocoa, rolled up and sprinkled with powder sugar and drizzled with maple syrup. Carter is a simple syrup and sugar man while everyone else loves a variation of fresh fruit rolled up with maple syrup and confectioner’s sugar.

Family Favorite French Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat, oat etc.)
1 tbl sugar
3 eggs (or egg substitute)
1 cup milk (or almond or rice milk)
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted (vegan earth balance if desired)
dash of pure vanilla (optional)

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
Gradually add in the milk and water, eggs and butter….and vanilla.
Heat a heavy 7 inch nonstick skillet until quite hot.

Pour1/4 cup of batter into pan turning so batter will spread into crepe. Cook until slightly brown about 30 to 40 seconds. Flip and cook for half that time. Serve with warm maple syrup, confectioner’s syrup, fresh seasonal fruit and Nutella.

*the original recipe came from my Silver Palate cookbook that is long gone, but this recipe remains.

If doing a full buffet, add a fruit platter, simple salad and poached salmon. A champagne cocktail or mimosa with fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice is a festive touch. Scones or muffins are nice alternatives for munchies later on or for those who choose to forego crepes.

Life is delicious!
Give wine. Give bread.
Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life.
~ Derek Walcott (via Noreen Barron)

There is still time to vote for my blog in the web awards. Copy and paste (or click on if live) http://cot.ag/bht4ep and vote under #8 Health and Healthy Living just click Spirit of Living Well and place your vote every 24 hours, 1 per IPL address until May 15th. Thank-you so much!

Posted by Cari   3 Comments on This Article

post 9 The Foodie Goes Greener (In a Jimmy Buffet Margarita Kind of a Way) Project

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is a Mexican holiday that is of great importance for Mexican and Chicano communities. On that day in 1862, the Battle of Pueblo was won by Mexican peasants over French soldiers. 

Cinco De Mayo is an invitation to have a party and drink margaritas, yes, but it is also an opportunity to take the time to educate our children about the beauty of other cultures.

Recently, my exercise buddy Sally Ramirez was the parent in charge of her daughter’s Girl Scout gathering on May 1st. She shared all of the creative, fun, educational hands on learning tasks, songs, and games that she provided for the Cinco De Mayo theme.

They even took the opportunity to learn something unique about each Girl Scout present and made enchiladas to take home to mom while saying “feliz Día de la Madre”.  And yes, there was a piñata.

Everything paled in comparison if you could hear Sally talk about her enchiladas and the homemade tortillas she uses with a special white sauce. I was craving those babies for days until I couldn’t stand it any longer and whipped up my own Fiesta that was met with great applause!

My white sauce? Cream cheese! I’ll share recipes in a minute. First, something more personal.

Even though Cinco De Mayo used to just be a day to cook yummy Mexican dishes and serve neighbors margaritas, it now means more.  My husband Stephen adopted (from the heart) a daughter, Tabitha Cruz. Tabitha has a daughter named Brianna who is five years of heaven, so yes, I am a blessed grandmother. Brianna calls me “Nonna” (the name resonated so much in my family that most of the kids now call me Nonna more than Mom).

Tabitha And Brianna live in San Antonio, so time with them is very precious indeed.  I don’t speak Spanish, because in high school and college I preferred to learn French. Spanish would have suited me much more since it is used widely here in the States. Today, I could navigate myself in Paris, but at home with my own family I am at a loss.

Tabitha’s mother, beautiful Blanca, was Heather and Cari’s nanny. She tries to teach me Spanish when we are together.  Is it working? Not so much.

When Brianna visits, we regularly have a cooking show by whipping up all kinds of goodies while talking to an imaginary camera. Brianna says “Nonna, yeah. So, I love doing this cooking show with you, but let me do the talking. Kay Nonna?”

So, as she stands on her stool with her chef hat on, I listen to my cues and hand her whatever ingredient or cooking tool she desires. Sometimes I can’t resist, and start addressing the audience quickly before she yells “CUT.” I guess she has a little of me AND some of her film maker Poppy somewhere in that adorable little being of hers.

Bossy but delicious. That too runs in the family. People and pets!

A delicious fiesta dinner for any day:

Enchiladas, grilled fiesta chicken quesadillas, simple salad, delicious condiments with homemade salsa and guacamole….and of course chips, margaritas and coconut gelato!



Nonna’s Gringo Enchiladas (that easily go vegan and vegetarian)

Fiesta Chicken (recipe below)
Fine shredded sharp Tillamook cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
Toffuti or regular cream cheese (I used Toffuti with herbs for a healthier version)
Ortega mild chilies
Large Jar of Salsa (I use Safeway brand mild) Or enchilada sauce (canned tends to be runny so I love using salsa instead)
Bag of mini tortillas

Fiesta chicken:

Place four to five rinsed chicken breasts in a pan with some salsa on the bottom. Cover with the rest of the salsa. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour until chicken can shred easily with two forks. Set aside (try not to eat-- it is delicious)!

Roll tortillas in a little salsa or enchilada sauce and place a dollop of cream cheese, some chicken, chillis and a little cheese in each one, roll up, secure with toothpicks if needed and place in pan. Once all enchiladas are in the pan, cover with salsa or enchilada sauce and more finely shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degree oven for 30 minutes finish with a quick broil.

Serve with shredded lettuce, homemade fresh salsa, sour cream (vegan, fat free or light) Pica de gallo, diced avocado or whatever inspires you.

Usually you will have left over fiesta chicken for some grilled quesadillas for the same evening or the following day.

**For vegetarian or vegan enchiladas add an alternative “chicken” or use beans or a veggie pepper mix.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Quesadilla’s

Store bought or homemade sun dried tomato pesto
Fiesta chicken
Cheese
Mini tortillas

Spread one tortilla with pesto, sprinkle with chicken and cheese (add chilies, olives whatever else you like) and top with tortilla. Grill over medium heat until cheese melts and tortilla chars slightly.

Serve with condiments: homemade fresh salsa, sour cream (vegan, fat free or light) Pica de gallo, guacamole or whatever inspires you.


Fresh Garden Salsa



4 large ripe tomatoes
chopped scallions (green onions) to taste
chopped cilantro to taste (I like lots)
minced garlic to taste (I use 2 cloves)
1 tbl oregano
1 small can Ortega mild chilies
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
S&P to taste
Dash of garlic powder (optional)

Dice seeded tomatoes. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and let sit at room temperature for flavors to blend. Serve and enjoy or place in refrigerator.

*Add a few tablespoons to mashed avocados with a little lime juice for instant guacamole.


Serve all with a simple salad of lettuce, tomato, olives and parmesan.


Jimmy Buffet Margaritas

1 oz Gold Tequila
.5 oz Silver Tequila
.5 oz Triple Sec
.5 oz Orange Curacao
.5 oz Lime juice
2 Lime Wedges

Rim margarita glass with salt. Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Squeeze limes and add to tin. Shake vigorously and pour into a margarita glass. Garnish with lime.

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

2 cups crushed ice
- 1 lb. of Fresh trimmed Strawberries sliced in half
- 1/2 cup of Orange Juice
- 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime Juice
- 2 Tablespoons of Sugar or Agave nectar

Rim margarita glass with sugar. Fill blender half full with ice. Add the juice and nectar and then fill with as many strawberries as you can. Blend until slushy. Pout into glasses and garnish.

*Option… add triple sec and tequila for an alcoholic beverage

Top the celebration off with homemade or store bought coconut ice cream or gelato for dessert

Before we depart, I am so excited to announce that my Blog has been nominated for a web award at intent.com! Please go to http://cot.ag/bht4ep to vote under #8 Health and Healthy Living under Spirit of Living Well. You can vote daily, each 24 hours, until May 15th. Thank-you so much!

I also need your comments, don’t be shy! They are helping me get my cookbook published with fabulous pictures, strategies and recipes that adapt to the omnivore, vegan and vegetarian in your home. Some readers favorite tested recipes will be published, as well as, tips and suggestions to live simply and fabulously all in the spirit of living well.

Life is Delicious! Especially when we learn from other cultures and celebrate their flavors, history and beauty into our daily lives.

Posted by Cari   No comments yet

Post 8 The Foodie Goes Greener (By Googling) Project

I woke up this morning and realized that we needed eggs. Not wanting to drive to a family farm that sells eggs about ten miles away, I found a happy alternative at my local market. Wilcox Organic brown eggs are cage free and have access to the outdoors. Sold. Delicious.

I have also found numerous alternatives for buying local and sustainable products by simply doing a Google search. If you type in your area about buying local and sustainable, a wealth of information pops up, such as neighborhood buying clubs.

In a typical buying club, farmers consolidate orders from a number of customers and deliver them to a central location, typically a customer’s home.  Some farms (such as Zenger Farms) even offer education and experience for children and anyone interested.

Zenger is a working, urban, family farm that models, promotes and educates about sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, community development, and easier access to good food for all. http://www.zengerfarm.org/youth-education

I was really pleased to hear from some of my stepdaughter Heather’s twenty-something friends, who are watching their pennies, that they buy cage free, free range eggs, even though they cost more. I am going to make a “welcome home” breakfast casserole for them, as they are moving into a charming new apartment and are very excited about it.

You too can make a delicious, vegetarian, morning breakfast casserole by adding sauteed onion, peppers, artichoke hearts, mild diced fire roasted Ortega chiles, mushrooms, spinach…whatever inspires your fancy.

The traditional version uses sausage. Just Google Breakfast Morning Casserole and make it your own by going vegan, vegetarian or more traditional.  It’s a family requested favorite when our older girls come home.

Heather also introduced me to my new favorite local and sustainable honey, Angstrom’s Honey.

I have been eating heaps of it both because it is delicious and also because I hope that it will help me with my seasonal allergies in a more natural, organic way. This honey tastes like organic brown rice syrup and can be used as a substitute in many recipes.

I have been making a delicious, hippie granola recipe since I googled it in 2007. Stephen loved it so much and ate so much of it that he asked me to stop making it! The blog was: A Granola Recipe From My Mom’s Hippie Youth, by Marisa McClellan

Melinda’s Homemade Granola Recipe

2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup peanuts or toasted almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup coconut (I always use unsweetened, but you can go for the sweetened kind if you’d like)
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ (I often omit this ingredient, as I tend to forget to buy it)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried fruit (dried apricots, craisins and dried apple are all delicious choices)
scant 1/4 cup cooking oil (not olive)
1/2 cup honey

Mix the oat, nuts and grains in a large bowl.
Measure oil into the measuring cup and swirl it around before pouring into bowl.
Then measure out the honey in the same, unwashed cup. The oil will help the honey exit the cup.
Toss everything together until evenly coated and then pour out into a baking pan. I use a large roasting pan, as it keeps everything contained. A cookie sheet with a lip also works, but you have to stir it slightly more carefully if you use that.
Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, turning it with a spatula every ten minutes or so. You want everything to be an even golden brown.
When it is finished cooking, returned the baked granola to the mixing bowl, add the raisins and fruit and stir to combine. Stir gently several times as it cooks, so that it doesn’t clump together too much.

This much-coveted recipe is easy to adapt with your own flair and tastes. It is delicious when eaten with yogurt and fresh fruit, as cereal, or right out of the jar or bag in which you are storing it.

I have taken this creation (and the one that follows below) to my local gym and they have happily been gobbled up.


Healthy Delicious Scotcharoo Treats

1 10 oz box organic crispy brown rice cereal (Erewhon)
1 jar 1lb 5 oz Sweet Dreams organic brown Rice syrup
or 2 cups Local Honey
1 jar 1 lb Marantha organic (or Adams) Peanut Butter
1/2 bag dark chocolate chips (I like mini)
1/2 bag butterscotch chips (optional)

Melt peanut butter and syrup, stir with cereal, and stir in butterscotch chips to melt slightly. When cooled more, stir in dark chocolate chips and press into pan to cool.
Sprinkle with a few more chips for decoration and press into pan.

*This recipe was adapted from Alicia Silverstone’ s The Kind Diet, Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips.

*If you want to know more about where you can get Angstrom’s Honey from Silverton, Oregon…website is coming soon.

Life is delicious! Have any local, sustainable thoughts, suggestions, tips or recipes….I’d love to hear!

Posted by Cari   No comments yet

Post 7 The Foodie Goes Greener Project

One of our family’s frequent haunts is a local neighborhood favorite on Kearney in Northwest Portland called Serratto.

Serratto’s Mediterranean cuisine is inspired by the bounty of the Northwest.  They have a strong commitment to using only the freshest ingredients, including natural meats, fresh seafood, and locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Once you step into Serratto, your senses will be drawn to the counter where whatever produce the local farmers just dropped off announces its bursting glory. Organic yellow, orange, red, and green heirloom tomatoes often form a dazzling display. Then your nose will fly over the counter to the brick fire oven that is cooking the most exquisite pizza del giorno you have ever had.

When ordering recently, I inquired where their chicken came from. Sure enough, our adorable, wonderful waiter Jarred said it came from a local organic farm where the chickens run free. He also pointed to the snail painted on the window panes, a signal of Serratto’s’ commitment to the Slow Food Movement.

Can I just say how much I love Portland?

Serratto buys their produce, meat, and seafood from local growers such as Delta Farms on Sauvie Island, Wells Orchards in Hood River, Amstad Produce in Sherwood OR, and J Cerebian & Sons in Milwaukie OR, among others.  Uncle Paul from Uncle Paul’s produce helps them source the best, seasonally available ingredients. I believe I even saw Uncle Paul pull up his old truck one afternoon for a fresh delivery.

I am excited to do some sleuthing at the local farms and suppliers where Serratto buys its meat and seafood, such as Painted Hills Beef, Carlton Farms, Anderson Ranches and Newmans’, to see if they sell their products to individual families.  Maybe some neighbor friends would like to go in on a purchase?

When I eat, cook, and serve meat to my family, I want it to have been the result of a respectable, honoring purchase from farm to table. Thanks to the documentary Food Inc., I am no longer buying from Foster Farms or other companies like it.  Foster Farms should rename their company to Foster Factory, where maltreated chickens spend their miserable, short, and painful lives.

I just love that many Portland restaurants respect the farm to table principle. The head chef at Serratto, a man who is heavily influenced by the flavors of the Pacific northwest, is Tony Meyers. Tony’s Sicilian grandmother showed him around the kitchen at a young age and you can taste her wisdom in every dish. He also learned hands on respect for the farm to table principle by helping his father raise livestock.

Serratto is deep in my heart and a part of our family for many reasons. It isn’t just the food, the incredible people that work there, or the fabulous ambiance that always bring me back. It’s the memories. When Carter was 9, he dressed up one afternoon in a jacket and tie and announced he was taking me to lunch… if I would be so kind to drive “to our family restaurant.” We sat at a table for two that faced Kearney and had one of the most special lunches I remember.

When I returned from the restroom, Carter had proudly paid the bill and asked for some help with the tip. He was beaming, my eyes were wet, and my heart full.

Serratto was also the place where Stephen “ruined” our dear friendship by getting down on one knee and proposing to me during lunch while on a layover between flights. He was living in Ashland at the time and traveling for work.

I eventually discovered that you could marry your best friend and be blissfully happy. Imagine that.

Since then, we have enjoyed a birthday dinner for Stephen in Serratto’s private room and many afternoon lunches with Heather and Cari who have both enjoyed living in the neighborhood.

Dinner in our hood, West Linn, was just as delicious.

I whipped up some turkey meat loaf with organic ground turkey (use dark meat if you want it really moist and delicious), finely shredded Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese, minced onion, beaten Wilcox organic brown eggs, bread crumbs, and S & P.

I served it with green beans and roasted red potatoes with onion, garlic and herbs. I decided to keep my own meal vegetarian with Quorn Chicken Patties drizzled with Piccata sauce of, you guessed it, wine, earth balance vegan butter, fresh lemon juice and capers. It was so delicious that even Stephen had one!

I love cooking and creating from my own kitchen and enjoying the pleasures of eating out in a family friendly, delicious, environment honoring restaurant such as Serratto. One thing my place has over Serratto? My wine pour is much more generous:)

Life is delicious! I would love to hear about your favorite neighborhood family restaurant and what makes it so.

*pictures of Serratto by Catherine Lewis

Posted by Cari   6 Comments on This Article

post 6 The Foodie Goes Greener (And Sweeter) Project

I recently wrote an article about spring being in the air. I wrote how I loved the sounds of the birds singing in the morning and how the brilliant palette of colors sprouting up all over the neighborhood lifted my mood and brought a sense of magic into the air.

Well, Spring also brings pollen into the air, and lots of it.

My allergies came roaring in like a tsunami. My eyes itched, my nose ran, my head ached, and I sneezed my way through conversations. I also dreamed that I was suffocating every evening......because I was.

For relief, I took Zyrtec once a day for three days. I was filled with anxiety, weighed down with exhaustion, and I was so famished that I couldn’t get enough to eat. I didn’t want to scratch my eyes out but when my son would ask me questions I wanted to snap. I mentioned to my husband that I thought it was the allergy medication I was taking and he said “STOP TAKING IT.”

I thought it was nuts, having taken allergy meds most of my life, so I researched on line. There it was right in front of me. Thousands had claimed weight gain, increased appetite, irritability, depression, anxiety, flatulence, sleepiness and/or sleeplessness. Uh, think I will stick with my itchy eyes and runny nose.

This whole thing made me angry. Having just seen a glowing, allergy-free, golfing mom with her happy son on a Zyrtec commercial, I am feeling even more upset. Nowhere during the commercial did they mention the horrid side affects. How can they get away with that when the Erectile Dysfunction commercials have to warn users about four hour side effects during family viewing hours?

There’s a scene in Sideways when Jack is talking about his voice-over work for medical commercials: “Consult your doctor before using this product. Side effects may include oily discharge, hives, loss of appetite, low blood pressure. If you have diabetes or a history of kidney trouble…..you’re dead, a__hole!”.

Yeah. None of that.

I have even given this medication, with the advice from their pediatrician, to my children. If I am going greener, I am going to stop putting chemicals into my body and theirs.

Over lunch with my stepdaughter Heather and her friend Jewell, we discussed this very thing. Heather mentioned trying local honey, which Stephen and I had recently read about and forgotten. In fact, honey for allergies is one of those old wives tales that have been around forever and is making a comeback.

Brilliant, ladies!

I am inspired and eager to try. It makes sense. Eating a little of what irritates your system helps build immunity, just like receiving an immunization. Since I am allergic to pollen, eating locally produced honey as an inexpensive and possibly effective way to stop or lessen the uncomfortable symptoms of seasonal hay fever, makes sense.

Although the benefits of honey have not been verified by the medical community, one of Heather’s hair dressing clients has a husband who is a bee keeper and I am giving it a go.  I am buying a jar Friday and I will keep you posted.

After researching many articles written by Tom Ogren for The Consumer Health Report, I am proceeding with caution as he later (post pro articles) encountered a number of people who had allergic reactions, occasionally severe, while they were trying to treat themselves with local honey. That being said, I am hopeful that adding a few tablespoons of honey to my diet (previously I only used maple syrup and agave nectar) can be a natural fit with my greener lifestyle.

I have also read about trying dried nettles, butterbur, echinacea extract and am taking vitamin c as alternate allergy therapies.

Adding honey to recipes is easy, fun and creative. A fun thing to remember is that to our ancient ancestors, honey was a source of health, a sign of purity, and a symbol of strength and virility.  Keep in mind when adding it to recipes that honey is about 25% sweeter than table sugar because of its higher fructose content.

In the spirit of my new venture, I am beginning with a honeyed fresh Spring dinner on the Grill.  I am choosing Salmon since my body is naturally leaning towards a pescatarian life style (vegetarian who eats fish) 90% of the time.

Honeyed Dijon Salmon

11/2 pounds wild salmon fillet
*Stephen likes to buy the tail--hardly any bones.
1/4 tbsp mustard
1/2 tbsp honey
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1-2 tbs corn flake crumbs
1 tsp earth balance vegan butter, softened
1 tbsp each of fresh parsley and fresh dill, chopped


Instructions

First and foremost, find and secure the best grill chef in the house….

In a small bowl, stir together Dijon, honey and garlic. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together corn flakes crumbs, butter, parsley and dill.

Spread mustard mixture over salmon fillet; top with crumb mixture. Grill or bake (in 400 degree oven) until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with lemon wedges, grilled or steamed asparagus and cauliflower puree.

Lavender Lemonade

For a little touch of spring and summer elegance any time, whip up a batch of this fragrant, delicious allergy reducing cocktail adapted from O Magazine!

Servings: Makes about 16 servings

Ingredients:

Lavender Lemonade
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
7 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish*
2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 5 limes)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add honey and 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.
*Optional add a few fresh seasonal berries

From the August 2002 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

**Another simple delicious way to add honey is to your favorite balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of mustard.

Enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts on any green remedies you might have.

Life is Delicious when honey is all the buzz!

Posted by Cari   5 Comments on This Article

post 5 The Foodie Goes Greener (And Is Inspired By Earth Day) Project

One of the reasons I love to travel to foreign lands is the connection to the earth that locals revel in. Three of my top desired destinations; a safari in Africa, The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and diving into the heart of Italy by living the life and just learning from the locals.

What I realized recently was that I don’t have to travel to exotic locations to enjoy the connection of earth to family to table. I can do it right here at home.

Today, as I am preparing ribs that have been in the freezer for Carter (because hey, they are there and he loves them), I wondered how much meat the average American consumes a year. (Turns out that Carter wasn’t thrilled about the ribs after all the veggie entrees and fresh local ingredients we have been using to prepare meals. Doubt we will be making them again and I’m glad they are gone.)

I found out via the Internet that the average American typically consumes 250 pounds of meat a year. Wow!

One of my blogging friends who is doing the vegan thing has her omnivore family happily eating vegetarian meals one night a week to lessen their carbon footprint. Not to mention improving their health.

This got me thinking…..(a dangerous undertaking)…

I think the boys would be totally up for a vegetarian night one evening a week. The girls, including Miss “no meat on the bone” Brenna, naturally tend to lean that way anyway. I am finding it really easy and fun to create meals that can easily honor the vegan, vegetarian and omnivore in your life.

Last week, Stephen and Carter ravished the Vegan Lima Bean Lasagna (inspired by The Oregonian’s best section of the week, Food Day) I made. Carter even had two helpings the next morning for breakfast. I was shocked. It was completely gone the next day.

I am researching and realizing that making a small change in your diet, such as going vegan or vegetarian one night a week, can have a dramatic effect on a variety of social and economic issues that we face today.

I’ll share with you some incredible statistics that I never knew but first I want to share the Lima Bean Lasagna recipe that was printed in Food Day and the changes that I made to make it better. The fun thing about trying a new recipe that you might never have thought of before, is that you come up with all of these ideas about how you want to adapt it and make it your own.

This one was so good on its own that I didn’t change much.

Food Day’s Lima Bean Lasagna (From my new friend Grant Butler’s article on Loving Lasagna in three very different ways)

Lima Bean Lasagna

MAKES 8 SERVINGS


Ingredients
3 cups cooked and mashed lima beans
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups store-bought marinara sauce (we used Trader Joe’s brand)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
9 whole-grain lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1/4 cup Sesame “Parmesan” (optional, recipe follows)

Instructions

In a bowl, combine mashed beans and salt.
In a saucepan, combine pasta sauce, onions, mushrooms, garlic powder, basil and oregano.
Simmer, covered, 15 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions are tender.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread thin layer of pasta sauce mixture on bottom of oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Without overlap, layer 3 uncooked noodles over pasta sauce. Evenly spread one-third of mashed lima bean mixture over noodles.
As before, make another layer of pasta sauce, noodles and mashed lima beans. Repeat with another layer of sauce, noodles and beans.
Sprinkle Sesame “Parmesan” evenly over top layer.
Cover and bake 60 minutes. Let lasagna stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

To make Sesame “Parmesan”: Place 1/2 cup raw sesame seeds in a dry, nonstick skillet.
Roast over medium heat, stirring constantly, until seeds become light brown and emit a fragrant aroma. Remove seeds immediately from skillet (to avoid burning) and allow to cool completely. (Another way: Spread raw sesame seeds evenly on baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after 15 minutes.)
Place cool seeds in a blender with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Red Star brand), 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until coarsely ground, stopping to stir mixture as necessary. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Spinach variation: Add one or more layers of steamed or raw spinach to make spinach lasagna.

** From “David’s Pure Vegetarian Kitchen” by David Gabbe

Even Better Lima Bean Lasagna with ‘Beefy’ Mushrooms, Spinach and Home Made Marinara:

First of all, Home Made Marinara is just as easy as opening up a can of marinara and heating it up with mushrooms and onions (as above). And, it tastes much better and leaves you with leftovers for pasta the next night, so why not?

*When Tomatoes aren’t in Season I open two 28 oz cans of quality crushed organic tomatoes and add them to diced sauteed onion and garlic in olive oil. Simmer with some oregano, basil, thyme, sea salt and pepper. Delish!

*I opted to sauté some beefy slices of crimini mushrooms (use your favorite mushroom or what looks freshest) separately without adding it to the sauce so I could use them for adding more texture and another layer to the dish.

*I also steamed some spinach to layer as the recipe suggested.

~I was worried about the noodles cooking and getting soft since I have never tried using whole grain uncooked noodles, but they were perfect.

*I made an entire bag of lima beans and used them all. I did not soak them overnight so I brought them to a boil for ten minutes or so, then covered them, and let them sit for two hours without heat. When I was ready to begin dinner I simmered them for 1 hour longer. They were perfect to mash and season to taste.

*Instead of Sesame ‘Parmesan,’ I used soy parmesan and soy mozzarella on my section and layered the boys with nonvegan parmesan and mozzarella.

*This dish could easily be adapted to the omnivores in your life by adding some cooked healthy ground turkey in between layers.

I am now tagging it a family favorite for our new weekly vegetarian night. Here are some new things I found out about going vegetarian one night a week:

On the great informative site wannaveg.com, I learned that it takes seven pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. That amount of grain can feed our starving brothers or sisters in a developing nation for six months or more. A full 1/3 of the world’s grain is used to feed livestock.

By eating vegetarian one a night a week, a family could save over 100,000 gallons of water in one year. It takes 2,400 gallons of water to make one pound of beef. Animals and agriculture consume a lot of water. They also erode a great deal of top soil and have taken over millions of acres of land (many of which were once rain forest).

The amount of land saved by going vegetarian one day a week is equivalent to four good sized homes. Not to mention the emissions from animal agriculture that contribute to more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks on the planet combined.

By going vegetarian one night a week, not only will you lessen your carbon footprint and your impact on global warming, but you will greatly reduce the amount of animals who are cruelly slaughtered. Those animals have no laws to protect them from the abuse and cruelty they endure.

*Still we can ask our local butchers questions and only buy organic and free range meat while visiting local farms and vendors to develop good relationships and a clear understanding of where our staples are coming from. Developing a good relationship with the farmers and retailers who provide us our food will make us feel good about the meals we set at our tables.

I know if it is this easy to adapt recipes to feed the vegan, vegetarian and omnivore in your family, it will provide choices and opportunities to try recipes and fresh foods we might not ever have tried.

I never would have imagined that my son Carter and husband Stephen would have loved The Lima Bean Lasagna so much that one had leftovers for breakfast and the other lunch. I recently asked them if they were up for having a vegetarian meal like that, one evening a week. They are on board!

I haven’t yet shared with them that eating a vegetarian diet, even one day a week will help reduce their risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer and diabetes.

Now planning for this week’s vegetarian meal. One thing for sure: it will be fun sharing with them all the benefits that eating this way will bring their bodies and our environment.

*Prior to my posting this blog Stephen read it and was so excited to see what eating vegetarian one night a week can do to lessen his carbon footprint and improve his health! He said it was simple, painless and if I keep making things as delicious as the Lima Bean Lasagna he might be in for two nights!

Life is delicious!

When we focus on the local fresh bounty available and our connection to the earth….. health, happiness and longevity become a footprint we all can live with!

Posted by Cari   No comments yet

Post 4 The Foodie Goes Greener (And Is Inspired By A Goddess) Project

I love spring. I love birds chirping in the morning and I love how the colorful array of flowering plants and trees brings hope and a sense of magic. I love the surprise afternoon sun break (I live in Oregon) when I can take a spontaneous walk with Lola and Stephen and feel the sun on my face.

The wild animals, flowers, and sun all signal that many seasonal local farmers markets will be opening soon!

These local, vibrant markets provide both a fabric of community and also a medium for fresh, organic, brilliant foods to be woven into our everyday lives. For me, they evoke the essence of small Italian countryside markets or Parisian farmer’s street fairs. Life is good, simple and in abundance, as it should be.

I love meeting farmers, the alchemists who care about food and the land, and the way it connects you to a table of friends and loved ones. One of my long-held dreams is to rent a villa in Tuscany and have loved ones (friends and family) come and go as they wish. Me? I would cook my way through the Italian countryside.

I imagine a long picnic table in the garden where we gather for each evening’s meal (for whomever did not jaunt of to Rome) of whatever inspired fancy at any of the local farmer’s markets. Heaven.

This image evokes a way of life that I hope we are going back to. It also reminds me that I can live that image here in beautiful West Linn, Oregon if I continue to make small adjustments to the way I market and cook.

Once again, if we look to our past, we will realize that great grandma knew best when it came to our health. She made meals with the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients. To do so today, we buy locally and support those who shepherd the land as we did in the old days.

I know that this can all seem daunting at first. After all, we are a ‘fast’ ‘baby boom’ generation and we get so used to running up the hill to Safeway to grab what is quick and convenient. (Although, I have noticed that Safeway has been selling organic local heirloom tomatoes in season, for which I am grateful.)

Organic local producers provide a bounty of fresh in-season products from their earth to your table. It may take a little effort to find them, but once you do, it will become an enjoyable habit.

Whole Foods does a nice job of incorporating local farmer’s goods as does New Seasons and Market of Choice.

My new initiative is to understand the consequences of my decisions as a woman who loves to cook and feed her family….on the run. Aren’t we all? I desire to support the people who take care of our land. Not only do I want to take care of my family, I want to honor the people who are producing fresh organic food. For now, theirs remains an uphill battle.

Still, we have made incredible strides, thanks to one Goddess who is a respected legend, Alice Waters. She is a pioneer of the Slow Food movement, a culinary philosophy that maintains that cooking should be based on the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally.

As a young student on a sojourn to Paris in the 1960’s, Ms. Waters was influenced by modest establishments whose chefs visited the markets each day and invented the meal on the spot. La cuisine du marché, is much what I do in every day life. This is simply ‘market cooking’. Travel to the market, choose what looks fresh, vibrant, and enticing, use your intuition, and experiment. Keeping it simple and fresh is obviously a big aspect of the technique.

After Ms. Waters returned to Berkeley, she cooked for friends with newly learned French cooking techniques and with ingredients grown nearby and in season, rather than imported or frozen ingredients.

She co-founded the famous restaurant Chez Panisse (when she was twenty) in 1971 with Paul Aratow. These days, The Goddess has taken on the cause of childhood obesity by planting fresh vegetable gardens from Berkeley, California all the way to the White House.

Over the course of almost forty years, Ms. Alice Waters and her restaurant Chez Panisse have helped create “a community of scores of local farmers and ranchers whose dedication to sustainable agriculture assures the restaurant a steady supply of fresh and pure ingredients.”

One of her many accomplishments is The Edible Schoolyard at Berkeley’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Middle School. It is a one-acre garden which actively involves a thousand students in all aspects of the food cycle.

A few months ago, Stephen and I watched a 60 Minutes segment that featured The Goddess herself as she visited this very school. In one portion of the segment, many children were listening attentively during a cooking demonstration. For many of the students, this was obviously the first time they had tried organic food. When asked if they ate something they didn’t think they would like, one student said “I thought I would hate the toast with mushrooms and spinach but I really liked it.”

The success of The Edible Schoolyard led to the School Lunch Initiative, whose national agenda integrates a nutritious daily lunch and gardening experience into the academic curriculum of all public schools in the United States.

It sounds rather ambitious, and I love The Goddess for breaking new ground and creating a road for us to travel. To hear her speak is like listening to a master storyteller talk about how a child plucks a fresh strawberry from the garden. To see this powerhouse of a woman is like watching a gentle goddess glide about, changing the planet one garden at a time.

Make no mistake. Alice Water has sparked a revolution (Jamie Oliver anyone?) against unfathomable odds.

Her critics call her self-righteous and elitist, but I personally don’t get that at all. Sometimes we feel threatened when we are overwhelmed. She isn’t saying do this all FRESH, ORGANIC, LOCAL all at once and have a gourmet meal on the table every night. She is all about educating, inspiring and encouraging the small steps and keeping it simple.

If you’d like to check out my new Goddess Alice Waters, she is the author of numerous books, her most recent In The Green Kitchen. Her most praised is The Art of Simple Food.

This evening, a Goddess Inspired Meal: simple, organic and delicious.
(perfect for a combination household: vegan, vegetarian and meat eaters)

Nonna’s Inspired Spaghetti and Meatballs with Fresh Marinara:

Turkey Meatballs:

(I like to prepare them ahead of time, double the recipe, and then freeze some)

1 pound free range organic ground turkey (use dark meat)
*call ahead to your butcher (Whole Foods always this has on hand)

1 cup finely diced sweet onion

bread crumbs for binding

1 egg

1/4 cup Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

mix well and form into balls. Fry in olive oil in batches to brown and finish in 350 degree oven while making marinara and cooking pasta.

Vegetarian meatballs:

I used Trader Joes meatless meatballs (delish) because I didn’t have time to try a vegan recipe.

**I will plan to do this some day and freeze them to have on hand. I searched for recipes and discovered many that included lentils and rice. I found one on www.VegWeb.com posted by Snifferooski with glowing reviews, using TVP textured, vegetable protein. (Has anyone used tempeh for meatballs?)


Mouthwatering Vegan Meatball’s (by Snifferooski)


1 cup dehydrated TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs
basil
parsley
rosemary
garlic powder
oregano
salt
oil for cooking

Directions:

1) Cook rice according to directions. While rice is cooking, re-hydrate TVP with water or (we used) vegetable broth according to directions on package.

2) Cook garlic and onions in oil until browned.

3) Once rice is finished, and onions/garlic are cooked, dump rice, TVP, bread crumbs, and onions in a big bowl. Add all spices to your preferred taste and add different spices if you’d like. Get crazy with it!!!

4) Wash your hands and dig in but BE CAREFUL. It will be hot!! Mash all of the ingredients together with your hands just like momma used to do! You may need to add more breadcrumbs, but it will be ready when it sticks together easily without crumbling. Grab a decent amount (a meatball sized amount!!) and start rolling your meatballs. We got about 15 good sized meatballs out of it.

5) Fry up in a bit of oil until browned on all sides. ENJOY!!


Makes: 15 meatballs, Preparation time: 20 to 30 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes


For the marinara:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion chopped
4-8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (when tomatoes are not in season)
1 teaspoon fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or equivalent fresh
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme “””””””””
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) sea salt
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tomatoes are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes; stir occasionally. Let simmer.
You can drink this marinara and easily make into tomato soup. This was adopted from Veganomicon. (It was much simpler and just as delicious as mine)

Spaghetti: I cooked Spinach Spaghetti from Trader Joes. There is also a nice one from Market of Choice that is thinner. I love using quinoa pasta or multigrain as well, so I can eat my pasta without guilt and with a little added nutrition. Don’t get me wrong. I still love regular pasta, all shapes. Hello, rigatoni! I could eat it like popcorn.

For Vegan Goddess Inspired Spaghetti and Meatballs:

Spoon plenty of pasta in a warm dish (or layer creatively), top with Trader Joes (they are vegan) or home made vegan meatballs, marinara and soy parmesan if desired.

For vegetarian Goddess Inspired Spaghetti and Meatballs:
Add lots of parmesan on top if desired.

For Goddess Inspired Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs:

Add the works.

I would love to hear about your favorite vegetarian meatball recipe.

Life is delicious. Especially when it is simple, organic, fresh and surrounded with loved ones!

Posted by Cari   No comments yet

Post 3 The Foodie Goes Greener (And Gets Mad Like The Incredible Hulk) Project

My last post made my husband feel shamed and we got into it a little bit.

I called it a fight, He called it a creative discussion.

OK, let’s call it a very loud creative discussion!

He cringed when he saw the picture of the beautiful lamb. Then he suggested that I take out the part that said “dead animal flesh carries no life force.” What upset him even more was my statement that animals who are raised with disrespect (no sunlight, cramped quarters, injections of hormones that make them grow too quickly ) and suffer while they are killed, carry pain in their bodies that you might not want to ingest into your own.

He didn’t argue about the truth of that statement. He was upset because he had never thought of that connection, realizing it was true upset him, and he felt that I didn’t need to be so graphic in order to make my point.

I had no desire to upset either him or anyone else who eats meat. My reason for writing what I wrote in the way that I wrote it was simple:

There are ways to eat meat that honors the animal’s life, your life, and our world. In the not so distant past, at my grandparents’ in Pendleton, lamb came from some very caring farmers down the street who raised and killed humanely.

I am becoming passionate about a food economy that is good, clean, and fair. I think that our society is a caring one, even though we are just now beginning to make the distinction of where our food comes from.

I’ll admit that, for where I am in my life right now, even writing that we kill animals is personally hard for me. Having been a meat eater most of my life, however, I do respect that lifestyle choice, and I don’t judge anyone else for making that choice.

I think that is why I became upset when Stephen felt bad. I am passionate about personal choices. I believe we are all guided individually to what is best for our bodies and our environment. I just want to share what I becoming aware of.

If you have never made the connection about ingesting pain into your own body because the meat you just ate came from cruelly slaughtered animals, perhaps you might now. You might also wonder if the animal suffered needlessly. After I personally made that connection, and realized that we can have an impact on factory farming and our environment, I now make different choices and ask questions when I market or eat out.

Many customers are really enjoying the wholesome eating journey that many chefs across the globe are taking them on. Many chefs grow their own produce and raise their own sheep, cows, goats and pigs. I remember seeing an episode of Kitchen Nightmares with Chef Gordon Ramsey that revealed the sheep that he was raising in his own back yard. He loved those animals and had the respect to handle their demise professionally and quickly.

I still find it tough to eat meat, but have great respect for chefs that operate with such integrity. Just last week, in The Sunday New York Times, there was a picture of chef and owner Sean Moran of Sean’s Panorama, feeding his Wiltshire sheep grain out of his hat on his farm west of Sydney in Australia.

All of this reminds me of a scene in Avatar:

Jake Sully: “Hey, wait a second! Where are you going? Wait up! Just, hey, slow down! I just wanted to say thanks for killing those things.”
[Neytiri hits him with her bow]
Jake : “ AH! Damn!”
Neytiri: “Don’t thank. You don’t thank for this! This is sad. Very sad only.”
Jake : “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”
Neytiri: “All this is your fault. They did not need to die.”
Jake : “My fault? They attacked me! How am I the bad guy?”
Neytiri: “Your fault! Your fault.”
Jake : “Easy. Easy.”
Neytiri: “You are like a baby. Making noise, don’t know what to do.”
Jake : “Fine. If you loved your little forest friends… why not let them kill me? What’s the thinking?”
Neytiri: “Why save you?”
Jake : “Yeah, why save me?”
Neytiri: “You have a strong heart. No fear. But stupid! Ignorant like a child!”

Later, after Jake has learned respect for Pandora, its people and creatures, he kills an animal swiftly with honor. Neytiri congratulates him and says he is ready for his next phase of training.

What I was trying to share in my last post is this:

If we are going to eat meat, let’s make the connection to where it comes from. Let’s make choices that honor our bodies, our planet and the creatures who inhabit it.

My husband is an animal-loving, spiritual man who frankly wanted to avoid some of the truth because it was painful. I shared with him that I thought that was irresponsible of him.  As a caring, proactive man in the world, he should take the time to be more socially and economically responsible.

My post obviously triggered something deep within both of us. In the end, we both saw each other’s point of view.

Mine: the last thing I want to do is shame someone or pass judgment while sharing my awareness.

His: As a caring man, he agrees that he needs to be more aware of where the meat that he is ingesting comes from.

Because our day was a little complicated, dinner was simple, delicious and restorative.

I put out all of the makings for Lahvosh Pizzas that are perfect for any combination (vegan, vegetarian & meat eaters) household.

Lahvosh is a thin, crisp bread native to Armenia. When fresh, lahvosh is like a very thin flatbread, it is soft and flexible. As the bread ages, it becomes more crisp and cracker like, and that is the delicious version I use to make pizzas with.

In markets, lahvosh can also be seen labeled as Armenian cracker bread or lawosh. This food is very common at Middle Eastern markets, and some stores with a selection of gourmet foods may carry it as well. I used to buy the large round 16” pieces that come in a red, white and blue wrapping paper.

While attending Arizona State, my friends and I often went to a Greek restaurant with outdoor seating, Greek statues, a fountain, and white lights everywhere. All that was served was made to order lahvosh style pizzas and salads. Ever since then, I have been making my own and it has always been a family favorite.

Since moving to Oregon, I have found a delicious cracker bread from Market of Choice as a perfect substitute. It is perfect for individual servings and for family members to make their own unique creation.

I like to begin by spreading a very thin layer of pesto (this evening we used sun dried tomato pesto), sprinkle with fontina cheese, mozzarella cheese, or soy cheese for any vegan family members or friends. Then chop up ‘the works’ and spread out in bowls across the counter; roasted peppers, peppers, mushrooms, scallions, tomatoes, olives, marinated artichoke hearts, basil, feta, chicken, gardein ‘chicken’, cucumbers, shrimp…whatever you desire and have on hand.

Place in a 350 degree oven until melted (you can finish with a quick broil) and serve with a salad. This is a delicious, low calorie, healthy meal that honors all combinations of eaters. Every time I make this, Stephen always tells me that it is his favorite pizza in the world!

I would love to hear what you think about all this.  If you are a meat eater and I offended you with my prior post, I sincerely apologize. That was absolutely not my intention. I send blessings, love and gratitude your way.

Life is delicious! Especially when we discover something new about ourselves!

Posted by Cari   2 Comments on This Article

Post 2 The Foodie Goes Greener (And Gains A Sweet Tooth) Project

More recipes, strategies, foibles and tales coming your way, but first I begin with a tale.

Spending a good amount of my summers as a young girl in Pendleton Oregon, with my Grandma and Grandpa, and playing at my best friend’s family farm, life was good. There were horses to ride, herds of lamb and sheep to pet and play with, and plenty of rolling hills to run on.

Dinner and sleepovers were at Grandma’s because it was too much fun! There was a huge haunted attic where the household help used to sleep, a fun laundry shoot to dive down, a casino-type basement with player pianos, a pool table and bar, and a large pool to swim in outside.

Dinners were delicious and proper. On the evenings we had lamb, my best friend would break into tears. I just figured she was a picky eater. It wasn’t until I got older that I knew why those tears flowed and where our lamb came from.

Even though I played on her family farm, I never connected that those lambs that we played with to what I was eating. Somehow, I thought that the lamb that we cooked and ate wasn’t really “lamb” lamb.

And I was not alone.

As an animal eating society, we have become incredibly desensitized but I am glad to see that this is changing.

One of my children’s favorite teachers, for both their fourth and fifth grade years, was Daniel Sloan. Daniel told the children a story each year about being aware of where your food comes from. Daniel loved chicken so much that his parents made him kill his own chicken so he would understand the impact, not only on the animal, but also on himself and on society.

I understand that all this may be a little intense and difficult to hear; however, many of our philosophers and spiritual leaders practice vegetarianism because they view animal slaughter as cruel.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.”

Today, with our factory-raised animal farming, nothing could be further from the truth.

Making the effort to find local, organic, and greener family farms is the key. I believe that we are guided individually to what is right for our own souls and bodies.

I like to think about the life force in foods and try to eat those foods that carry the life force that will enhance my own. Dead animal flesh carries no life force. Organic fruits and vegetables have an abundance of it and much more life force than foods grown with pesticides.

This always makes me think of one of my favorite films Notting Hill. A character in the film says that she is a fruitarian. When asked what that means, she replies, “We believe that fruits and vegetables have feelings so we think cooking is cruel. We only eat things that have actually fallen off a tree or bush - that are, in fact, dead already.”

Love it! Little extreme, but hilarious.

Our bodies not only carry life force, they also carry pain. After healing from a tragedy, I am conscious about how much effort it takes to rid our cells of that pain. Animals who are treated badly and suffer, die with that pain in their bodies. Not only do most humans not want animals to be treated cruelly, I also believe no one wants to ingest that suffering and pain. We have enough work ridding our bodies of our own pain. **There are ways to eat meat and fish (raised with respect and killed without pain) and nourish your body without ingesting pain.

I am looking forward to visiting some local farms, dairies and markets to educate myself even more. There is so much to learn and I so look forward to sharing that with our community! I do know that all this doesn’t have to be depressing. For those who choose to eat meat, there are kinder, more healthful and greener ways to do so.

Since I haven’t been to any farms lately, I’d like to share a little bit of where I am at. Today, it’s all about the sweet tooth people! I don’t know what has happened, but I woke up wanting baked goods today. I usually never crave sweets except a timely monthly nibbling on a Free Exchange Dark Chocolate Almond Bar!

Just because we are getting healthy with substitutions doesn’t mean that recipes can’t remain simple and still feel indulgent. I recently ate a delicious, glazed, lemon poppyseed coffee cake and wanted to vegan-ize a common recipe.

A vegan egg substitute is essential when making baked goods. Here we are faced with a few ingredients to replace, basically eggs and butter. I hit the Internet and found out a few keys to doing so.

*There are many sneaky advantages to turning your baked goods vegan, not the least of which are creating less fat and cholesterol for your family members. (Stephen and Carter haven’t even noticed that their Toll House Cookies have gone vegan.)

Check out Isa Moskowitz’s Post Punk Kitchen site http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html.  Vegan Baking 101 provides a long list of substitutions for eggs, depending upon what you are making. Tofu, yogurt, flax seed and water mixture and Ener-G Egg Replacer are just a few options.

The site also has many vegan recipes for Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, but I wanted to be inspired by an original recipe and try to vegan-ize it myself. I rarely follow recipes exactly. I use them as a blueprint to invite in my own intuition.

One of my favorite sites to be inspired by is Epicurious.com. Here I found a perfect Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cake to vegan-ize.

Vegan-ized Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

11/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used oat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (I added more)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) Earth Balance butter, softened (you can also use canola oil but check out the Post Punk Kitchen site for ratio)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
*2 egg substitutes I used 1/4 cup soy yogurt to equal 2 eggs
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sliced lightly toasted almonds


Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter and granulated sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and poppy seeds and mix until just combined.
Transfer batter to cake pan, smoothing top, and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then invert onto rack.
Whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over warm cake, spreading it with a spatula to drizzle over edge. Tope with toasted almonds.  Let stand until glaze is set, about 15 minutes.


* a few other egg substitutes you can also try
1/4 cup or 2 inch square tofu blended= 1 egg
1/4¨ cup egg substitutes= 1 egg
1/2 mashed bananas= 1 egg
1/3 cup applesauce or canned pumpkin= 1 egg


* A more rich cream-cheesy glaze could be whipped up by using a mixture of 1/2 pound tofu blended in a blender with 1/4 cup earth balance and some maple syrup for sweetening, vanilla and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.

This cake is delicious for a breakfast treat and is a scrumptious afternoon tea cake as well!

After lunch, I whipped up an original Toll House Cookie Recipe for the guys and used Earth Balance Butter and Ener-G Egg Replacer to equal 4 eggs. I usually double the recipe to make extra dough and freeze it or go ahead and bake all of the cookies and freeze some. They are great to have on hand for unexpected visits or when someone is having a tough day.

I also increase the ratio of brown sugar to white sugar and decrease the overall sugar slightly. (This afternoon I actually decreased the sugar too much. They could be a little sweeter, but they were still gobbled up).

Sneaky Toll House Cookies

4 1/2 cups all-purpose oat flour (or flour of choice)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoon salt
2 cup (4 sticks) earth balance butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (a little shy of 1 cup)
2 cups packed brown sugar (a little shy of 2 cups)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Substitute for 4 large eggs
2 cups mini dark chocolate chips (this is the only ingredient I don’t double when doubling the recipe)
· Optional 1-2 cups chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

More than anything you can make, cakes, cookies and confections spell “I love you.”

There is also a magical alchemy that takes place when you are whipping up baked goods for yourself and your loved ones with secret, healthy, hidden ingredients.

If you’re like me, and have an inner trickster living inside, it will make you feel like you got away with a little something. And for me that always feels really good!

I would love to hear what alchemic ingredients you are using to whip up your creations!

Life is delicious!

Posted by Cari   No comments yet

Post 1 The Foodie Goes Greener Project

We are all constantly being sent signs from the universe about what path to take.

After I finished blogging about my thirty days during The Foodie Goes Vegan Project, I became depressed and lost the natural sense of wellness that the project had provided me. Even though I am not staying strictly vegan now, I have adopted and welcomed in a much greener and primarily vegetarian lifestyle.

Thankfully, I have much more discover and learn!

I have decided to take note of my feelings and allow them to navigate my path towards more health, happiness and a greener way of living.

I am excited!

I get to continue to connect with you, be inspired by you and share my recipes, learned strategies, mishaps and tales with you along the way. My main mission for this project is to provide recipes and strategies for “mixed” families to make everyday a little easier and to assist us in being our physical and spiritual best. When I say “mixed”, I mean families with some meat eaters, and some vegans and/or vegetarians.

As we age and grow spiritually, nutrition and exercise is more vital than ever. As a woman who is nearing menopause (gulp), I am finding it more challenging to drop weight. I am working out harder but I’m also finding that weight is leaving my mid section at a much slower rate.

I mentioned this to my doctor, who is probably in her mid fifties, and she just gave me a “get used to it” look.

Thanks, Doc but I don’t wanna!

I have decided that this new adventure is an invitation to amp things up a bit and become healthier than I have ever been.  I am going to cut back on wine (double gulp) during the week and add jogging for one or two days back into my weekly workouts. Currently, I have a weight class followed by Yoga 3 times weekly, Pilates one day a week, walking Lola twice a week, one day being Sunday which is a 7.5 mile walk around Lake Oswego.

Tonight, we are eating Bucatini (long strands of Durum pasta with a thin hollow core) or Angel Hair with homemade tomato, mushroom and sweet onion sauce with some local organic ground turkey added in. This meal easily translates to a mixed meal by dividing the sauce in half. To one half, add ground turkey. For a vegan meal, sprinkle the other half with soy parmesan or use regular parmesan instead for a vegetarian meal.

I will try having a little turkey this evening, since it is highly beneficial for my AB negative blood type (as is Tuna), but this journey continues to be an evolving one, so I have no idea if I will stick with that once a week if at all.

I am really looking forward to visiting some local farms and dairies to pick the kindest operating facilities nearby.

Life is delicious! Especially when you eat inexpensively, local and organic! What are you discovering? I’d love to hear.

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Day 30 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

This evening, dinner was a celebration. For me, each and every meal is a celebration, but tonight was particularly special because my daughter Brenna is home for Spring Break and my thirty days of being vegan and blogging about it each day are over.

To be honest, I have been avoiding this last blog because, for some reason, it makes me sad. I have loved every moment of this process of change. I have learned that change is not limiting and it is never a punishment. It is a sign that something fabulous is around the corner.

So why the sadness?

I guess my days of being a hardcore vegan might be about to change (more about that to follow). Eating vegan for 30 days brought so many beautiful gifts my way: improved energy, self awareness, global awareness, and wonderful friends. I also had a heightened sense that something wonderful was happening.

We celebrated our evening with a menu inspired by a requested family favorite: Chicken with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction. I decided to mirror that meal exactly to honor a vegan dish. Over the past few weeks, I have even toyed with the idea of a new exciting project to follow up The Foodie Goes Vegan Project with, and I will keep you posted.

I am finding that unhealthy habits, like bad girlfriends or boyfriends, can easily be replaced. So are food items that we have come to be dependent on that don’t serve our bodies or our planet well. But goat cheese? How do you replace delicious, scrumptious, goat cheese? We couldn’t believe how much my made up version tasted like real Goat Cheese!

Inspired ‘Chicken’ with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Vegan Goat Cheese

8 roasted Garlic cloves
1 huge bunch of fresh basil
1 carton of Tofutti cream cheese with herbs
1/4¨block of firm tofu, crumbled
1/8 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Smash all ingredients together and refrigerate to set

Chicken

4 Gardein Chicken Fillets pressed thin and sauteed slightly in olive oil and minced garlic. Transfer to glass baking dish and top with a mound of goat cheese. Place in warm 200 degree oven.

Balsamic Reduction

1 bottle of quality balsamic vinegar

Boil on stovetop (watching carefully) and reduce when syrup begins to thicken. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons earth balance butter (optional) and/or sweetener such as sugar or agave nectar.

Serve with Garlic and Onion Smashed Potatoes (So yummy veganized no one will know) and Roasted Broccoli with Shallots.

I also made a delicious Bibb Lettuce, Shaved fennel, and Grapefruit Salad with Pickled Onion from The Conscious Cook.

*To make my family traditional Chicken with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction:

1 11oz log of goat cheese
1 head or 8-10 roasted garlic cloves
1 huge bunch of fresh basil leaves

Smash cloves and mix 3 ingredients together with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Another option is to cook and soften the garlic in oil instead of the oven.

Pound 4 chicken breasts and saute in garlic and olive oil, removing while still slightly pink inside. Cover with herbed goat cheese and place in warm oven to make your balsamic reduction. Serve with Garlic and Onion Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli with Shallots.


Garlic and Onion Smashed Potatoes

2 -4 pounds red potatoes scrubbed
1-2 heads garlic roasted (or cook with onion)
1-2 large onions
1 carton Tofutti Sour Cream
1 stick Earth Balance butter
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Place potatoes in large pot covered with water and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.

Drain and cool slightly

Sauté onions and garlic until translucent

Smash potatoes and mix all ingredients together in a bowl or use a mix master or food processor. Delicious!

Hey, if you can make mashed potatoes without butter and cream and instead add some healthy alternatives, why not?

Yes, my friends, this foodie has awakened her inner vegan.

We finished our feast with Hummingbird Cake from, my now favorite Back to Eden Bakery. It was all a delicious and perfect way to celebrate a great adventure and some new changes in our lives.

So, my 30 days are over. Now what?

I have decided to incorporate some organic dairy and eggs slowly back into my diet to see how my body responds. I will, however, be doing research locally to find farms and dairies that treat their animals with respect. I will be visiting Alpenrose, a local Portland dairy that makes organic milk and the most delicious cottage cheese. If their cows never see daylight and die early from milking all day, you can bet I will easily give up my beloved cottage cheese for life.

I think we have all know that not everyone should eat the same thing or do the same exercise. Some people are born to run. Other bodies are constructed so differently that the running could actually be harmful. I believe that the foods we absorb well, and how our bodies handle stress, varies greatly by body and blood type.

I am the rarest of blood types, AB negative. Some foods such as turkey, cottage cheese, feta cheese, and tuna are highly beneficial for me. And I must say that I have missed some of them (along with my beloved cottage cheese)! Some highly vegan foods such as corn muffins, barley flour, artichokes, and bananas are foods I should avoid.

Thanks to my newfound awareness after my thirty day adventure, I will be researching where the foods that honor my body chemistry come from. When appropriate, I will be adding them back into my diet to see how my body responds.

I think it is OK when dining out to ask “Do these eggs come from happy chickens?” I don’t care how ridiculous that question may sound because I care deeply about the answer.  The more restaurant owners realize that their customers want fresh, organic local foods as much as possible and animal products that come from ecological friendly farming, the more our dining options will expand.

I believe that we can have our cake and eat it to. I have decided not to stop blogging about recipes and where I am at because I have loved doing this; moreover; I have felt so connected to all of you. Your support has been an incredible inspiration. You are indeed a beautiful community of like minded souls.

I would like to thank my husband, Stephen, from the bottom of my heart for having supported me so intently after a very hesitant start. My family was also incredible. My friends, Intent.com, Grant Butler, and Alicia Silverstone were the final nudges who pushed me into this very personal project. I love, respect and value you all.

No matter how you slice it, change in life is delicious! Change allows us to stumble into our genius. When we make changes to feed our souls, and to honor our bodies, each other, and our planet, we all win.

My friends, that kind of change can last lifetimes.

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Day 29 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

I love waking up early in the morning and lying in bed as I prepare my energy for the day. Every day brings a fresh, clear, new slate. Each morning we wake up, we have the opportunity to release behaviors that no longer serve us into the past where they belong.

Sometimes I think about what I want to leave with yesterday and at other times I think about what makes me happy and what I want to attract today. This morning, shortly after Stephen and Lola left the bedroom for their morning ritual (breakfast for Lola, coffee and newspapers for Stephen), my energy ritual was cut short because my stomach growled. All I was focused on creating was breakfast!

It is amusing how thoughts can lead us on a wild trail. As I got out of bed to go wash my face and brush my teeth, I thought of how I used to awaken to the smell of bacon when I stayed at my Grandma’s house. My Grandmother was an elegant woman and her home reminded me of how beautiful, rich and warm life could be.

Just the other day, I was sharing memories of swimming at her pool. She would always bring out finger sandwiches, lemonade and cookies to place in the pool’s refrigerator. Grandma’s indoor stainless refrigerator was the heart of the house, everything was centered around it.

I remember many kinds of pickles in that large fancy refrigerator and that lunch was rarely served without them. There was one grilled sandwich that I still crave. Bread toasted and then grilled in the oven with cheddar cheese and a big slice of tomato. (Back then, before my taste buds developed I left out the tomato. What a sin!)

If we weren’t swimming and eating lunch by the pool, we all sat down and ate lunch at the kitchen table. Dinner was in the formal dining room (with finger bowls) with the exception of a few nights a week when we ate dinner off of TV trays in the study while watching “What’s My Line.”

I cringe remembering how I would spit things I didn’t like into my napkin and then hide them under Grandma Bobbie’s expensive chair cushions. Sorry Grandma! I did love her sweet petite peas with that delicious Crosse & Blackwell Mint Sauce, a delightful combination of vinegary sweetness.

Guess what? I just ran to my refrigerator and checked…Crosse & Blackwell mint sauce is vegan, people! I feel a seitan steak with mint sauce recipe coming on. That’s where my thoughts landed me at 6 am in my kitchen this morning, thinking about seitan steak with Crosse & Blackwell Mint Sauce.

So, I decided I would whip up a few paninis for breakfast.

Grandma Bobbies inspired panini:

Grilled sourdough
Tomato slices
Vegan mozzarella cheese
Homemade pesto
Earth balance vegan butter

I brushed the outside of the bread with Earth Balance and the insides with fresh pesto and layered with tomato slices and cheese. I opted to use my George Forman Grill as I don’t own a panini grill.

For Stephen’s panini, I added fresh organic fried eggs. (Don’t tell Stephen’s doctor!)

The options are endless and varied. A variety of grilled vegetables with pesto would be delicious on a panini for lunch or dinner. Red pepper, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, YUM! So much to eat! So little time!

While I was doing the dishes, I remembered making pies with my Grandma. One afternoon, she was making apple pie. She gave me some dough and a small individual size pie dish to play with. She said I could have anything she was using so I grabbed some sliced apples with lemon juice and added cinnamon and a little flour crumble mixture before pinching more dough to cover the top.

It was so much fun pretending to bake that afternoon that I forgot I was going swimming with friends. I didn’t want to leave. I returned just in time for a lamb (from my best friend’s family farm) dinner with peas and potatoes.

My Grandma’s freshly baked apple pie was cooling on the counter next to my mini one. I thought it was cute that Grandma baked mine too. Only Grandpa had room for pie and to my horror Grandma sat my small pie, baked and golden, in front of my Grandpa with ice cream on top.

For some reason this upset me, and I freaked. My grandma apologized and asked me if I wanted to eat it. “NO!” I urged, “No one is supposed to eat it Bobbie! I was just pretending. I didn’t make it for real!”

My Grandpa Elmer’s eyes sparkled as he took a big bite. He said it was the best pie he had ever eaten! To this day, I don’t know why that upset me initially so much. To me, it was just play time with Grandma. It wasn’t about making anything real that would be witnessed in the world.

It is amazing how powerful your creations become when you let go of your attachment to the outcome. I think that is exactly when we do our best work. Synchronicities abound when we create something for ourselves or do something quietly to help someone else without the need of being witnessed or ‘seen.’

There is also great power in pretending and acting ‘as if.’ I pretended I was a great chef creating a delicious pie and apparently, per my Grandpa’s endorsement, I did indeed.

For the past 29 days I have been trying on a vegan way of living by eating, cooking, adapting and creating new vegan recipes. I have learned a lot about myself and grown in some surprising ways. I have had some difficult moments but, most surprisingly, the pleasures have outweighed any growing pains.

I have had the most unbelievable support and understanding of my family, friends and new vegan/vegetarian community friends. I feel like the most blessed woman on the planet.

While writing this I felt Grandma Bobbies angelic energy around me. I hear that if you take a picture in the mirror and ask them permission to snap a picture, you just might catch a spirit orb or two.

Critics say that it is a reflection from the lens. I snapped several pictures while holding the camera steady. An orb appears by my right elbow and moves around while growing and changing shape. Another large purple orb showed up in a few of the photos right above the teal and lavender one.

Anyway you slice it, life is delicious and these are golden magical moments.

Tomorrow, the climactic Day 30.

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Day 28 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

I have signs hanging in both my office and in our master bathroom that say “Live with Passion.” Lately, because of my past and the state of our world, I have felt a strong desire to “Live safely.” I don’t want my life to go away. I now realize that this desire to live safely is fear-induced and is urging me to live small.

I believe that our lives are journeys that we have created so that we can become better. In essence, I believe that we write, direct and star in our own movies, which are, in essence, our lives. When we play it safe, we play it small and fear becomes the film’s director.

I realized something today that was incredibly liberating. I could lose my home and all of my material possessions and it wouldn’t change the fact that I have deep love in my life. My husband has taught me the concept of unconditional love and acceptance and it has been one of the most unique experiences of my life.

I am slowly learning to accept myself as unconditionally as he has. I believe self-acceptance is the key to opening the door to new worlds and ways of being. Once you realize that it’s what you have spiritually and internally that counts, not what you have materially, a new combination of peace and personal power envelops you.

I want to embrace this feeling and never be caught up again with what I should do. Stephen always tells me to “stop should-ing” on myself. It is day 28 and I am loving the way my body feels without meat and dairy products. Eating vegan is something I want to do right now because I feel so good being this way!

Trying to eat vegan for thirty days is not a should. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time but I didn’t want to burden my family or frankly myself. I love to cook and create and I thought that would all stop. Nothing could be further from the truth, although there have been some obvious challenges.

I desire to eat delicious meals fit for a foodie, because that is a huge part of who I am. I don’t want to feel limited, I want to live with passion and gobble up the life that I am so blessed to be living. I also want to enjoy cooking for my loved ones while honoring all of their states of conscious eating.

Tonight Stephen was craving Spaghetti with Clam Sauce, so I whipped some up inspired by a recipe I saw in The Oregonian’s Food Day section.

Angel Hair with Clam Sauce:

2 6 1/4-ounce cans chopped clams in juice
1/4 to 1 pound angel hair pasta
Salt
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
dash of dried basil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
dash of white wine or sherry for flavor and thinning of sauce gets to thick
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Over a small bowl or measuring cup, drain clams; reserve juice and clams separately.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt lightly (about 1 tablespoon of salt for 6 quarts of water). Add the angel hair and cook according to package directions or until just tender. Drain and keep hot.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes and basil and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and reserved clam juice and bring to a simmer; cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add wine if desired. When the angel hair is tender add it to the skillet along with the reserved clams and half of the parsley. Garnish with parsley and more lemon zest if desired.

For a vegan option, I use one can of chick peas instead of clams and chop them in a food processor. I double the lemon juice and add 1/4-1 cup vegetable stock and more wine to replace of the clam juice. Delish!

Tonight, however, I was craving ravioli, having recently picked up 2 different kinds of vegan stuffed ravioli from a local pasta company One was stuffed with asparagus and one with chantarell mushrooms. I made a scrumptious Asparagus and Pea Cream that could be the base for many recipes.

Asparagus and Pea Cream:

1 bunch of Asparagus
1 bag baby spinach
2 cups frozen or fresh petite peas
1/4 to 1 package of soft tofu depending on desired creaminess
sea salt
pepper
Tofutti cream cheese or sour cream (optional)

Cut Asparagus into 1 inch lengths. Place in a sauce pan and cover with water or stock. Slowly bring to a simmer and let sit for a few minutes. Add spinach, peas and tofu and continue to simmer for 3 more minutes. Puree and season to taste. Add Tofutti for a creamier version. (I did not as I was out of Tofutti but will try it next time.)

I served it two ways. Over ravioli with additional peas and over angel hair with some pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes.

*For soup add more stock or almond milk and simmer longer for flavors to meld.

It was so delicious I had more. I guess that is my personality recently.
I want it all and I want more. And that’s OK. It is better than playing it small.

Life is delicious! So don’t play your role small. Play your part to its full potential and let us all enjoy your masterpiece!

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Day 27 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

I believe that our soul whispers to us throughout our lives. Our soul knows who we are. It is we who get lost and need to find our way back home.

Most of us know who we are when we are toddlers. We are young, loud, demanding, and full of joy and curiosity. My daughter Brenna knew who she was at a very young age.
At three years old, I sent her to her room for a time-out. She marched with decisive steps, stopped inside the threshold to her room with her back to me, drew a very large breath, and turned around to stare me dead in the eyes. Then she announced in a serious strong voice, “YOU”LL NEVER MAKE ME HAPPY.” Then she slammed her door.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. At least, I thought, we understood each other. A year later, I was pregnant with her brother and, with doctor approval, was painting the entire house, inside and out. Brenna helped me the entire time with colored water and sponge brushes.

She took her job very seriously and often showed me when I missed a spot. One day, her father came home and was furious to see me on a ladder. He was yelling from the garage (which was pretty far away and not attached) so a few neighbors looked our way. I was almost finished and not about to get down.

He continued shouting and Brenna had enough. She threw down her paint brush, marched down the sidewalk toward her Father, and stopped a few feet in front of him. She then stomped her foot with her hands on her hips and proclaimed with exasperation, “We are the paintin’ girls and if we want to paint, WE are GOING to paint.”

She also began refusing to eat meat with a bone still in it. “Does it have a bone?” “Is it chicken on the bone?” It use to drive me nuts. What I get now is the bone made it a clear distinction to her that she was eating an animal and we love animals.

I have always been a healthy eater but believe that I, like many, are raised without making the connection that eating meat is eating a beloved animal, as crazy as that sounds. I used to love lamb, but I never used to think that what was on my plate was a baby sheep. Same with steak. “Would you like a slice of slaughtered cow?” Uh, no thanks. “How about some squealing pig with baked beans?” Not so much, no.

Pigs are smart and that makes me sad. They know. Carter wanted to picket a local market for years because we couldn’t walk by a large tank of lobsters with their claws taped up, all crammed on top of each other in murky, dirty water. When we researched and learned that lobsters mate for life, it broke our hearts and we wanted to do something.

But being foodies, and being away from the reality of farm-raised food in a fancy restaurant, we would order lobster and go about our lives. Still the whispers came. I am conflicted. I am embarrassed to remain a foodie if an animal must be hurt to feed me. I care deeply.

Just a few blogs ago, I was nonpolitical and breezy. Now, if I go back to eating meat, I’m going to have the guts to find out where it came from, how it was handled, and if the animal suffered. Knowledge is power and there is a mega amount of readily available information at our disposal. I recently ordered Food Inc. and fighting through much resistance from my family, we are going to watch it together.

Mealtime, in vegan and non-vegan households, can be, let’s say, interesting? I am eating vegan but my husband will probably always eat poultry and fish. My son Carter is a growing thirteen year old. He eats dinner and then two more meals before bed! He also drinks almost a gallon of milk a day. I’m committed to finding a way to make mealtime a communal and shared time, not a stressful time filled with battle.

Lately, Stephen and I have been running errands together preparing for a huge community gathering luncheon for members of The Spiritual Cinema Circle here in Oregon. We have had lunch at PF. Changs, Sinju, and Serrato, three family favorite food haunts. I have found delicious, vegan-friendly meals at each place. My real goal is to find Menu pairings for meals at home for a combined Vegan and Non Vegan household.

Stephen has been craving Spaghetti with Clam Sauce so tonight I will be making pasta 2 ways, which I have often done in the past. I will be making stuffed pasta shells with fresh marinara for Carter and myself, inspired by a picture on the Kind Life site. www.kindlife.com

The Tofu Ricotta that is stuffed into the shells is almost the exact recipe of Tofu Ricotta that I use from Veganomicon.

Tofu Ricotta:

1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped finely
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

In a large bowl, mush the tofu with your hands until crumbly. Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and basil. Mush with hands again. Add the olive oil, stir with a fork. Add the nutritional yeast and mix all together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Last minute I stirred in some grated soy parmesan into the mixture.

It is so delicious and cheesy! I am also going to steam some spinach and chop it finely, and mix it with some sautéed finely chopped onion and garlic to add to the ricotta mixture. Cook and stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture and place them on a thin layer of Marinara and then top with more Marinara. Bake in a 350 degree oven until warm.

It is my goal to help nourish the souls and bodies of households that are both vegan and non-vegan. I will use recipes and ideas to make cohabiting simple and honoring for all. I am looking forward to cooking for my soon to be 18 year old Brenna, who is returning home for a week this Saturday, and I promise there will be no “meat on the bone”!

Brenna’s energy in life reminds me to be who you are no matter where you are at. Her example reminds me to stay strong and be true to my essence no matter how others are reacting around me.

Hey, Brenna! We ARE the paintin’ girls and life IS our canvas!

And so it is yours.

Life is delicious! Especially in vegan and non-vegan combination households where the variety can be inspiring, not limiting!

*If you share any recipes, please express if I am free to publish them with your name. XO! L

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Day 26 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

In the midst of a crazy few days, I decided to join my husband Stephen, and stepdaughter Heather, for their lunch date. Having a desire to check out Vita Café, I nudged Stephen out of his comfort zone and a few miles further to NE Portland in the Alberta Arts District.

The Vita Café serves primarily vegetarian and vegan fare as well as free range, all natural, hormone -free meats and eggs. The menu is extensive and looked incredible.

I was famished after an intense cardio and weight work out and ordered the Vegan Club Sandwich with organic tempeh “fakin”, homemade faux turkey, vegan mayo, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato between 3 layers of toasted sourdough.

I also ordered the white bean soup with vegetables and ate most of Stephen’s French fries. I was in heaven! If I could move the Vita Café into my home, I have no doub thatt I would absolutely be a superhero vegan for life.

Heather ordered a veggie burger with guacamole and a salad and was in heaven as well. Stephen had a scramble and fries, and let’s just say that he at least loved the fries. I know that next time I am getting the Reuben Sandwich: organic tempeh or homemade faux turkey, sauerkraut, vegan swiss cheese, and vegan 1,000 Island dressing.

After lunch, we had to pop down the street to Back to Eden Bakery Boutique. Thank-you Grant Butler! Grant had the Bakery’s most moist and delicious Carrot Cake at his dinner party. I craved more and had to check it out. What I didn’t realize is that I would feel as if I walked onto a Nancy Meyers film set when I stepped into Back to Eden Bakery Boutique.

My pictures don’t do it justice and I can’t even describe how delicious the charming, adorable, blue-eyed owner was! If my brown eyes could sparkle like that, just by being vegan, I once again vow to be vegan for life.

We ordered Carrot Cake to go and the most surprising and scrumptious Hummingbird Cake I have ever had. I have never had Hummingbird cake before, but this indeed must be the best ever.

The boutique carries an array of treats, free of all animal ingredients. There is an ever-changing menu of cakes, cookies and muffins, scones, pies, tarts and sweet breads using all organic ingredients when possible.

I also grabbed a scoop of chocolate and vanilla twist Chicago Soy Dairy Temptation without various toppings and we all
loved it!

Life is not only delicious but magical when you stumble (with a little help from a friend) into a few delectable, honoring and local businesses, just like we did today.

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Day 25 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

It has been a busy few days and soon it will be time to put on the brakes and slow down.  But for now, the track meet continues. Stephen and I begin our days early at the gym or by walking Lola, so I often leave a freshly cooked pot of steel cut oats (porridge) on the stove ready to go for my hungry familia.

For busy times like these, I also like to have a few delicious soups to have on hand. I made a hearty Mushroom Barley Soup, which couldn’t have been easier.  I sautéed a few chopped onions and minced garlic in olive oil and added probably a pound and a half to two pounds of chopped mushrooms.

I grabbed crimini, shitake and a few portobello mushrooms since I had them on hand. I always add a little sherry right before they are done for flavor. In another heavy stock pan, I had one cup of Barley cooking in vegetable and mushroom broth.

· * I like to buy some dried mushrooms, such as Shitake, and make my own broth by saving the water I soak them in.

When the barley was almost done, I combined the mushroom and onion mixture and adjusted the amount of broth needed. Sea salt and pepper to taste, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and voila!

I serve it with fresh garlic bread and shaved parmesan on the side for those who aren’t vegan. In the past, I have also stirred in some Tofutti Sour Cream for a creamier version.

Garlic bread: Put roasted garlic spread over a thin layer of Earth Balance on a loaf of sourdough French bread. Wrap in foil and heat in the oven until the outside is a little crusty, and the middle is soft and gooey.

I also cleared out the refrigerator and made Garbage Vegetable Soup that is delicious for snacks. I sautéed onion, garlic, ginger, celery, carrot, and then added cabbage, previously cooked green beans, and some left over roasted potatoes with broth. I then seasoned it to taste with salt and pepper and added fresh Italian parsley.

There was plenty left over to store in both the refrigerator and the freezer. Miniature pasta, canned tomatoes, and beans are other options to add. I am finding that most basic recipes are all the same. Once you get a few of them down, our creativity can go wild, and that is when it gets really fun.

Dinner was really quick, delicious fast food with items already on hand: Mushroom, onion and pesto tostados with doctored pinto beans. I wrote about this recipe in a previous post inspired by The Kind Diet’s Thin Mushroom Pizzas

Life can be delicious even when you are on the run!

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Day 23 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

The vegan dinner party at Grant’s house was incredible! He served Potato-Asparagus Soup, Organic Green Salad with Apples and Walnuts, and Spicy Chick Peas with Red Jasmine Rice for the main course..... and dessert was a killer Carrot Cake.

The wine was just as delicious as the conversation so, needless to say, I was operating a little slower the following day. So, breakfast the next morning was Airborne and lots of sparkling water with lemon. Capiche?

For lunch and dinner, I experimented with some light Spaghetti Squash that was inspired by a Brigitte Mars video blog on www.intent.com . I was craving pasta with marinara or Pesto but wanted to keep it lighter so I used squash as a substitute for pasta.

I had recently run into a store called Sur La Table in Lake Oswego for a Spirooli and came home with this plastic $54.00 contraption. I tried using it, but with no English directions my efforts were to no avail, so back it is going.  I ran back to my computer and watched Brigitte make long strands of Spaghetti in seconds.

She recommends a few Spirooli’s so I went to www.rawguru.com and ordered one that looked similar to what she was using for much less. I was determined to have my Spaghetti Squash with marinara so I first took a large Spaghetti Squash, punched holes in it and put it in a 400 degree oven for an hour.

While that was cooking, I took a bunch of yellow crook neck squash (to compare the taste, texture, ease of preparation with actual Spaghetti Squash) and sliced it into long thin strands. (See picture above) While the
water was boiling, I began the marinara:

Chop 1 large sweet onion

Sauté until translucent with 4 minced garlic cloves.

Add one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (If not summer for fresh) and..

1/4 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme and..

same amount for Oregano and..

Sea Salt to taste....add a few pinches of black pepper to the pot to boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

**I have been making my own marinara for years and this version is much simpler from Veganomicon with the exception of my adding an onion which I require in marinara.

**This by far is the best I have ever tasted. Isa provides many variations in her book such as Roasted Garlic Marinara: decrease garlic to 2 teaspoons and add a whole roasted bulb of garlic halfway through cooking.

** I always double or triple to have extra on hand.

For the Yellow Squash “Spaghetti” with marinara or pesto:

Boil for 15 minutes, drain and toss with Earth Balance vegan butter and soy parmesan, or marinara or Pesto or whatever you are craving. You can really be creative when you plan ahead.

For the Spaghetti Squash:

After 1 hour in a 400 degree oven,

Take out and let cool slightly

Slice in half and scrape seeds out

Simply scrape out squash and it will form angel hair like pasta strands.

Add sauce.

I have to say the hands down winner is the yellow crookneck or green zucchini squash sliced into strands of spaghetti (which surprisingly wasn’t that hard). I found the Spaghetti Squash (angel hair like naturally) too sweet for what I was in the mood for. It also did not have the texture that the other two squashes had. They were much more like hearty pasta.

I am looking forward to receiving my new Spirooli in the mail and am already planning ahead to create some yummy light but satisfying spaghetti pasta!

Life is delicious! Thanks Brigitte!

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Day 24 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

A few nights ago, I sat down with Isa Chandra Moskowitz at Grant’s vegan dinner party. OK, I stalked her, just a little bit. At the end of the evening, I kinda remember that she was running away from the building as we left it together, but maybe the time was up on her meter?

If you have tried eating vegan or vegetarian, you know about Isa. Her books were the first books that my local vegan community recommended to me. Being a little overwhelmed initially, I just ordered Veganomicon and put the other books she authored on my wish list. I already had The Kind Diet, The Vegan Table, The Conscious Cook and Great Chefs Cook Vegan (which might remain a beautiful coffee table book).

By far, The Kind Diet (because it is so simple and not intimidating) was the best book for me to begin with. Isa’s books have now become my working staples. The other night at dinner, she asked me what I have made so far. The pressure! I couldn’t remember, but I knew what was on my list for the following evening: Mushroom Spinach Lasagna.

She mentioned that the key to that recipe was making a few things in advance. Check. I had marinara made. It turned out to be really simple and one of the most delicious dinners I have had so far. It was so good that I woke up in the middle of the night wanting seconds but I waited until breakfast.

Mushroom Spinach Lasagna:

PREHEAT the oven to 375 degrees. Have ready a 9x13 deep lasagna pan. Have prepared marinara ready (from Blog post Day 23) and *Tofu Ricotta prepared.

Here is what you will need:

Double recipe (or more) Marinara *see Day 23 for recipe

Double Tofu Ricotta recipe *See below (I added a bulked up single because I only had I block of Tofu.  I added some Tofutti sour cream and cream cheese- 1/4 cup each- and it was perfect!)

1 pound lasagna noodles cooked according to package directions (or follow special directions in Isa’s book for not cooked) or buy another option of precooked noodles such as De Boles Gluten Free Rice Lasagna (no boiling, oven ready).

2 pounds spinach
2 TBL olive oil

1 pound crimini (or white button) and I added a few portobello to make it meatier…I think I would even go with more next time

soy parmesan or 1 recipe Almesan (in cookbook)

Wash the spinach and steam until wilted. Let cool slightly until you can squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Toss with olive oil season with S & P.

Sautee thinly sliced mushrooms in 2 more TBL olive oil until all water is evaporated and mushrooms are brown and tender. (I always like to add a few TBL sherry to this process for flavor).

Ladle about 1/4 cup marinara into bottom of pan and layer with 5 to 6 cooked or pre cooked noodles. Add half the tofu ricotta then the Spinach and mushrooms and about 1/3 of the sauce. Add another layer…then top with more noodles, sauce and Soy Parmesan.

Tightly crimp tow layers of foil over pan and bake for 30 minutes and uncover baking until browned another 20 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serve with additional marinara.

*Tofu Ricotta:

1 pound firm or extra firm tofu
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped finely, 10 leaves or so
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

In a large bowl, mush the tofu with your hands, until it’s crumbly.
Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Mush with hands again. Add the olive oil, stir with a fork. Add the nutritional yeast and mix all together well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

This was incredibly easy. So easy that I whipped up potatoes and onions, green beans and turkey meat loaf for the boys in between.

Veganomicon, bills itself as the “ultimate vegan cookbook.” I have to agree. In 2009, two more books have been added to Isa’s repertoire, Vegan Brunch and Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. She also won two more VegNews “Veggie” awards, for Personality Of The Year and as the readers’ choice for Favorite Cookbook Author. Herbivore magazine named her one of the New Faces of Veganism in the Winter 2005 issue, and featured her on the cover. In April 2008, she relocated to Portland, Oregon from New York.

Lucky me. Lucky us.

Life is Delicious!

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Day 22 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

So, I found my first vegan, fashion-friendly item.  I love my Hunter wellies! Granted, I live in Portland and decided long ago to make rain fun. Now, eating a planet friendly diet and stumbling upon some vegan style is becoming fun. I’ve been running around in my wellies (boots) all day, receiving numerous compliments, and might even wear them to a casual, hip, fun, vegan dinner party tonight in Portland.

Dinner party host Grant Butler is a writer for The Oregonian and a recent vegan convert. His blog about trying vegan for the month of February was the last push, after Alicia Silverstone and The Kind Diet, to nudge me into action. Isn’t it funny how guidance has to simmer until it almost begins to boil over and we are like “OK I hear YOU! I’m in. I’m going for it!”

Interesting how life works when you are doing what you are supposed to. Things flow. I am not saying that there aren’t hurdles to jump, but, in general, support comes like rain in Portland. When it rains, it RAINS!

My vegan support community has guided me to many books. One is Veganomiicon, (which I have and love) and another is Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. Well, guess who is coming to dinner? Yep, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, one of the authors of both books.

Also sitting around the table will be Oregonian film critic Shawn Levy and wine critic Katherine Cole. Shawn has reviewed a couple of Stephen’s films with… how should I say?….a lack of enthusiasm. The only exception was a nice reference to What Dreams May Come while reviewing Lovely Bones. On the other hand, Stephen is not a fan of film critics in general (even though his sister Susan Granger is one of the best) and Shawn’s reviews in particular, so it’s probably best that my husband is staying home with Carter! I have a feeling that this evening, we will have a little wine, some Oscar talk, and some delicious vegan dishes.

Always learning and growing. Speaking of growing, Portland will host the first Vegan Iron Chef this summer! Well, my vegan skills aren’t ready for that yet, but you would never know by the dinner I whipped up last night.

I marinated some Portobello mushrooms and then grilled them over the stove. I broiled some huge tomato slices with Italian seasoning and sea salt.

I put them all together on a multi grain bun with some Veganaise that I blended in the food processor with some sun dried tomatoes in oil and fresh cilantro. YUM! I could eat this Aioli with a spoon. I think I might just aioli-ize every jar of Vegenaise that I buy.

For lunch, I mixed it with some leftover, cooked, chopped tofu, diced baby dills, diced celery, cucumber and scallions and had an egg salad wrap inspired by The Kind Diet.

It would be heaven on some Dave’s Killer Bread or in a wrap like I did here with a spelt tortilla.

Speaking of stepping out of your comfort zone, the boys are on their own and, uncharacteristically, I am headed downtown by myself to have that vegan dinner with Grant Butler and his friends. I’m now going to go have a sea salt bath and reflect on my 3 week venture so far, hose off my wellies, and head back out into the Portland rain.

Life is delicious! Especially when it rains!

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Day 21 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

I just had a conversation in which I said “Rock on,” “freakin” and “cool” in the same sentence. Are all the grains, vegetables, and soy products going to my head?

I tend to dress a little bohemian but I’m not a hippie or a fan of drugs. Newsflash to self: being a vegetarian or vegan does not make you a liberal hippie. Second newsflash to self: you just labeled all hippies as liberals who do drugs.

Deep breath.

Are we a society of labels, generalizations, and prejudice? I couldn’t believe all of the vegan and vegetarian haters plastered all over the Internet. Most vegetarians and vegans aren’t pushing their beliefs or habits onto anyone else. As with any other group, however, there are exceptions to that rule and they make it a little more challenging for the rest of us.

Personally, for the record, let me just say that I love hippies. They make me smile and loosen me up. I admire a more relaxed and open attitude for life. Besides, how can you not LOVE “lovers”? By their example, they help me with my OCD and perfectionism issues.

A dear friend, Brian Hilliard, just popped into my head. The man just spreads classy love all over the planet. He is married to my “soul sister” Arielle Ford, who wrote all of the Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul (Lover, Teenager) books. Most recently they were both on the Today Show for The Soulmate Secret. Just sharing the love so you can have it too.

Speaking of being open to people and their chosen lifestyles: Matthew Scully is a vegan and an author of Dominion: Power of Man, The Suffering of Animals, and The Call to Mercy (2002). He is also a powerful Republican speech writer. In the past, for George W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney and Bob Dole. Most recently, he was the primary consultant and writer for Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech at the 2008 Republican convention. My point? Not all vegans are liberal hippies, no matter how much our society loves stereotyping people.

Every so often, my husband has been asking me “So, are you going to stick with this vegan thing”? I get it. My man married a foodie who loves to cook and eat. Bolognese was a favorite at home and while dining out. So was lamb.

The fact is, I am still a foodie, I am on an experiment but I still love to cook and eat. For myself, for now, the ingredients have changed, but by no means do I think yours should.

I think about eating vegan as I do about religion. I honor what you believe because doing so opens me up to new ways of understanding and being. I believe, and always have, that there are many paths to the same Supreme Being. I also believe that there are many varied paths to supreme health. What is right and honoring for me may not be right for you.

I happen to love the book Eat Right For Your Type( blood type that is). It subscribes to the theory that not every being should eat the same thing or do the same exercise. Some bodies thrive more on meat and veggies, some thrive more on a vegetarian diet.

So, I don’t know if I will stick with this “thing” of eating no meat and dairy. I do feel amazing and I love the new variety in my diet. It would be nice to have an egg or piece of cheese…and I do miss cottage cheese. My main focus is my health, to see how I best thrive. It’s all a process and a fun project that I feel both as a participant and observer.

As an observer: breakfast was after weight class and yoga. I won’t do that again. I was famished so it was heated up stir fry leftovers and brown rice. It should have been prior since I am out of bed at 6:00 a.m., at the latest, and class doesn’t begin until 8:30 a.m. Tomorrow it is steel cut oatmeal.

Snack/lunch was vegan fast food: Annie’s make your own sushi, to which I added avocado and shredded carrots. Next time, I will make it myself. The seaweed strips (Nori) were strong tasting and a little crumbly.

Dinner was marinated and grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli inspired by The Idiots Guide to Vegan Living. (Pictures and recipes posted tomorrow).

On the side was a Super “B” Super Food Salad with wheat berries, edamame, quinoa, dried blueberries, dried goji berries, flax seed, almonds and pomegranate juice.

I mixed it with a Summer Cilantro Salad that had corn, black beans and cherry tomatoes from Market of Choice that Stephen had picked up for me while marketing. It was all freakin delicious!

Stephen picked up ribs for Carter and Salmon for himself and made them both baked potatoes. To each his own man.

I would love to do without labeling everything. Do you think that is possible? I just want it to be easy and right for whomever is doing it. No labels needed. “No cheese or meat for me today, Dude.” Rock on brother. That my friends, would be cool.

Life is delicious!

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Day 20 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

Going Vegan for 30 days has rocketed me out of my comfort zone. My family and friends have been affected as well. Some were inspired to take their healthy habits up a notch; others have evidenced a sense of trepidation and concern for their own comfort levels.

For the past few years, Stephen and I have been living in our cocoons of comfort, having purposely created a nest for our new blended family. It helped nourish us and make us feel secure and safe from the happenings in the world.

It is human nature to surround ourselves in pleasing surroundings, whether it be in our work environments, social circles, family interactions, and most importantly within our own homes. When you test your comfort level and push its envelope for your own good, simply jumping over that hurdle is one of the best ways to feel on top of the world.

Just yesterday, on the spur of the moment, I drove into downtown Portland, picked up my stepdaughter Heather, and drove to Por Que No for lunch. This quaint, charming hole in the wall taqueria was sensational. The experience is something I would not normally go for, but because it was recommended by another 30-day vegan friend (who just became official), I wanted to try it out.

We started with some hibiscus tea, chips, and guacamole.

Heather had a Verduras taco: seasonal veggies, beans, salsa fresca, and cilantro. She also chose the Pescado taco:  Grilled Snapper and mango with onion, cilantro, and salsa verde.

I had the Porque plate: seasonal veggies on a plate with beans, rice, guacamole, cilantro, and a smidgeon of simple salad.

Heather also ordered a small, simple salad: organic greens topped with avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, pica de gallo, and some fantastic vinaigrette that I felt could actually even drink!

(I hope this inspires you, as eating out does for me, to create something similar at home.)

This week, I am also going out to a dinner party on a weeknight that begins at 7pm in downtown Portland! If you were my children or husband, you would understand that this is a huge thing for me to do. My comfort zone at that time of the day is being home, relaxing, winding down, and enjoying being with my family.

I love having something that pushes you to try new things and nudges you out of your comfort zone. For me, I have my Foodie Goes Vegan Project to thank. It has brought some moments of anxiety but, more surprisingly, it has also created many moments of joy, inspiration, and unexpected pleasures. All because I am stepping out and discovering that it’s not so uncomfortable to do so.  It also may be that I am simply expanding my cocoon.

Tonight, I am going to have a now familiar and comforting dish: Stir fry tofu and vegetables while making the boys stir fry chicken and vegetables. I find I am falling in love with tofu, grains and lentils...and I can’t wait to try some new recipes my online friends are sending me.

Life is delicious! Especially when you step out of that comfort zone and try something new!

*The picture of the heart above was created by the shadows of Carter and I standing next to each other.

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Day 19 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

Cari’s birthday weekend home was a blast!

Sunday began with a brisk 7.5-mile walk around beautiful Lake Oswego with Lola leading the way!

We came home famished and quickly whipped up a Traditional English Breakfast from The Kind Diet. I had used all of my crimini mushrooms for a delicious mushroom walnut pate (The Vegan Table) the day before, so we spread that on our rustic toast.

For the broiled tomatoes I spread a thin layer of pesto and added a little sprinkle of vegan Parmesan before broiling. I steamed the (red) Kale and then tossed it with onions and garlic that I had sautéed.

We enjoyed our delicious feast on some family heirloom fine china that was sent our way recently, with a cup of hot tea and some relaxing conversation.

Snacks were always available over the weekend. Most popular were crostini with various condiments: pesto, mushroom pate, artichoke spread (From Alicias Leek and Mushroom crostini), vinaigrette, tofu dip and veggies.

Since Cari has always loved my healthy Leek and Butternut Squash Soup, I “veganized” it by leaving out the cream and adding Soymilk. I think everyone does basically the same recipe but here is what I do.

Leek and Butternut Squash Soup:

2 large leeks sliced thin
1 sweet onion diced
Few slices of ginger
Garlic to taste (I am ridiculously generous)
1 Large Butternut Squash peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 medium yellow potatoes cubed (optional). I saw this in The Vegan Table and tried adding potato for the first time and liked it for a creamier version.
Vegetable broth or stock
Soymilk
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, sauté onion, leeks, garlic and ginger in olive oil until translucent. Add cubed squash and potatoes and enough broth to cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Add to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return to pan and season to taste, add soymilk to desired creaminess and grate some fresh nutmeg to taste. Serve and enjoy or cool and store.

Since Cari was leaving just as the red carpet for the Oscars began, and would be arriving after her dinner hour, I made some fresh marinara. I grabbed a package of precooked polenta and grilled it. I was always a homemade polenta snob (it is so easy), but had one on hand for a quick vegan fix and I found it delicious! Especially in a pinch!

We were all sad to see Cari go…. and tired. So, after all those munchies and veggies, we just had some of the fresh marinara I made for Cari with a little Spinach pasta
and retired to the couch early to enjoy the Oscars. I am still shocked that Avatar didn’t win best picture.

Ah well, Life remains delicious! Loving hearing and learning from you!

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Day 18 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

Stephen and I are foodies. Anyone can be a foodie. A foodie is someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food. We eat a lot, we dine in fine restaurants, and I love to cook. Let’s just say we have done and continue to do our homework.

Right off the bat let me also say that I have a great deal of respect for chefs. So much so that I never special order anything, trusting in the chef’s specials rather than trying to create my own. When I decided to eat vegan for my health for 30 days, I also made myself a promise that I would never apologize for my diet.

I had no idea that my promise would open up a plethora of opportunities to test those commitments.

The thought of eating out intimidated me at first. Our Saturday date night came into question and concerned both Stephen and I since fine dining is a shared pleasure of ours and one we planned to continue to enjoy.

We began by trying some local vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Portland, Oregon, where we live, has huge vegetarian and vegan communities, so finding support, information and vegan or vegetarian restaurants is a snap.

While we feel so blessed, we still want to frequent our favorite spots. Cari came home this weekend for her thirtieth birthday and we chose to eat close to home in Lake Oswego at Tucci. A perfect opportunity to test the waters. The entire family has dined many times at the restaurant and have been very satisfied. I felt it was a safe bet, even though they listed a non-vegetarian menu.

I called ahead to see if I could get a vegan meal. The manager was very welcoming and said they absolutely could and would accommodate me. I inquired about the risotto and asked if the chef could make it without dairy.

The manager said he didn’t think it would be a problem.

We arrived, were seated by the manager, and met our server who was very gracious. He was unaware whether or not my vegan request could be accommodated without speaking to the chef. He charmingly pointed to the chef and said he would go talk to the “big guy” and see what they could do.

I assumed the “big guy” was executive chef, Roberto Alarcon. Whomever he was, he did not look happy and appeared frustrated. Our server returned to say that the chef could make a pasta dish with some veggies. Evidently, they usually made the risotto with mushroom stock, but had used chicken stock that night. I was
disappointed, having eaten a lot of pasta recently. Looking at my side options of broccolini and/ or fries did not sound satisfying.

I decided not to order dinner at all, hoping to survive the evening on bread, olive oil, and Italian red wine. “It’s OK,” I told myself and my family, mentioning that my vegan adventure was an interesting process that I am simply observing.

My stomach begged to differ with my choice to abstain from dinner. Its growl told me I was also knee-deep in participating in the process and that included my empty stomach!

**The kind and helpful waiter came back and said that, after a talk with the manager, the chef would absolutely make vegan risotto for me. I still wasn’t comfortable after witnessing the chef’s reaction, frankly not wanting that energy transmuted into my food. I declined again.
The manager himself then came by and lovingly insisted that they whip me up some risotto. I agreed and Cari tried the pasta vegan option. We weren’t so impressed with the vegan dishes, but Stephen’s branzino, Carter’s strip steak, and Heather’s scallops were all delicious.

I was incredibly impressed with and touched by the professionalism and graciousness of both our manager and our server. They even went so far as comping the risotto because of the mix-up.

We had a really nice evening. Will I go back? Sure, if Stephen wants to, but I would really appreciate them being prepared with a vegetarian option or, better yet, they should put it on the menu. I believe that a fine dining establishment should stay on top of the latest trends so it can stay at the top of its game. Eating vegetarian and vegan is becoming the “in” thing in the Portland community, with celebrities and non-celebrities alike.

In fact, a dear friend of ours is a power restaurateur who is now looking to open a fine seafood restaurant here in Portland. We will be mentioning to him the importance of placing at least one or two vegan/vegetarian options on the menu to support and honor the community, and also expand his business.

That being said, I would like to extend a version of my delicious risotto recipe to Tucci to put on their menu. From my heart to theirs:

Nonna’s Vegan Friendly Risotto:

3 tablespoons earth balance 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

2 shallots, chopped or local sweet onions or two large Leeks 

1 pound (or more) assorted wild mushrooms (I use fresh crimini and dried Shitake from the pantry that I soak. (I Save the mushroom broth from soaking the dried mushrooms to add 3/4 cup at a time) 

1 cup arborio rice or short-grain brown rice 

1/2 cup dry Sherry 

1/2 bag of frozen peas 

3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 


Bring vegetable broth and mushroom broth (4 to 6 cups) to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep broth hot. *You can also use hot water that has been boiled.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, leeks or shallots. Saute・1 minute. Add wild mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in frozen peas. Stir in chopped fresh thyme. Season with sea salt and pepper. Provide shredded parmesan for those who desire it and or/ stir in mascarpone cheese. Serve warm.

**Note to Tucci, this way you could have a vegan/vegetarian and non vegetarian option....with the ease of keeping some vegetable or mushroom stock on hand.

We ended our fun evening out with Cari making a wish for her new life in Los Angeles, vegan cupcakes (her request) from Whole Foods and a taped episode of Survivor.

Life is Delicious! Love to hear about your eating out tips and adventures!

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Day 17 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

Today, I am bustling around preparing for Cari’s 30th birthday weekend at home! We are planning to eat out as a special treat for both nights. We’re going to two non-Vegan restaurants (I will be blogging about that) so I am just preparing to have munchies and snacks and yummy lunch salads and soups made and available.

My girls all slant toward a more vegetarian lifestyle naturally, so they are excited to taste mostly Vegan recipes while they are home. Brenna, my 17 year old, will do the same when she returns home from her year abroad (OK, Minnesota, but it felt like the other side of the world to me and I exaggerate), for Spring Break and for good this summer.

So my thoughts turn to snacking as a Vegan. Most people need to munch on something in between meals. It makes sense to eat smaller meals and supplement them with snacks so your body is receiving a steady supply of nutrients throughout the day.

Once you change your way of eating, however, this can lead to disorientation and confusion. Once again, throw out the rules and just snack wisely. Leftovers are fantabulous! A piece of fresh organic fruit, or dried fruit, a handful of nuts, or a glass of light chocolate soy milk are always available in a pinch.

I also enjoy protein bars and a piece of dark Vegan chocolate or smoothies now and then for a sweet tooth. I love Toby’s lite tofu dip and spread for a savory dip with veggies or some organic flax tortilla chips to satisfy a savory craving.

Today, after I made Pesto (basil, pine nuts, olive oil, a little lemon juice and ume vinegar from The Kind Diet) for the girls coming home, I was getting hungry and whipped up Guacamole Pesto with Flax Tortilla Chips:

I left a few Tbsps of pesto in the food processor, added an avocado, lemon juice (I didn’t have lime), chopped cilantro, a Tbsp of Vegenaise and a little fresh salsa and blended.YUM!You could also add a little sun-dried tomato.

Another favorite snack is any kind of tuna or egg salad Vegan creations in half a wrap. I always like to have tuna and egg salad on hand and pre-made if possible.I grabbed The Kind Diet and followed the Tuna Salad Sandwich (Kinda), substituting ground chickpeas from a food processor.They came out flaky just like Tuna!Then I chopped up everything listed that I had: carrots, dill pickles, celery, red onionmarinated in umeboshi vinegar, cucumber, and peas.Stir with a littlevegenaise, Dijon, capers, lemon juice and you are good to go for a few days! Thank-you Alicia!

Homemade Microwave Popcorn is always good in the evenings:

1/4cup of organic popcorn
brown paper lunch bag

Cook on usual Popcorn setting on microwave (21/2min)

Melt some Earth Balance

Toss and season with Sea Salt, Dash or favorite herbs and spices.

Snacking Vegan is a process of trial and error until we reach another level of knowing and comfort. You can go crazy with labeling things Vegan, so I say let’s try and do without labels Otherwise, Carter, my 13 year old son, would be living on: Airheads Taffy, Jolly Ranchers, Now and Later’s, Ring Pop Lollipops, Sour Patch Kids, Starburst, Pez and Sweet Tarts and still call himself Vegan! Indeed he would be, although a very sickly, unhealthy one.

Since I was making snacks all day and snacking on lots of raw veggies and protein, I craved something simple and soothing for dinner. I made my own Gnocchi and just added some of the fresh pesto I had made earlier. The boys added Stephen’s grilled turkey burgers. Next time, I will buy the Gnocchi from Whole Foods. I wasn’t crazy about the texture of mine and all the time it took to prepare. With everything available nowadays, with a little more experience and education, snacking and simple meals should be a snap while eating Vegan.

Life is delicious! What are you snacking on? 

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Day 16 The Foodie Gone Vegan Project

I want to tell you something right now, because I need to tell it to myself. It is ok to invest some time and energy into yourself and your own growth even if you have loved ones, friends and co-workers who rely on you.

Even though there is an abundance of information out there, as well as community support (thank-you internet and my local Portland friends, neighbors, vegans), I find it takes time to find my way, and for everyone around me to adjust to my new eating ways.

Just last night, I felt as if I was eating with Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Stephen and Carter had enough of my adding a chicken breast here and there to the new vegan concoctions I was trying and they decided to cook for themselves.

They had thick large grilled pork chops and the largest baked potatoes and artichokes I have ever laid eyes on! I couldn’t even see their faces behind those artichokes, potatoes and pork chops!

We all had a good laugh as they tried to make a dent in their meals, but they were happy boys from Bedrock! That made me happy! Now, I am on a quest to discover how to honor healthy vegan and healthy non-vegan dishes under one roof.

I guess we will bumble around and figure it out. I did enjoy one of the baked potatoes last night with sautéed veggies and tofu from the prior evening, YUM! I was too full for the artichoke but we had plenty of leftovers to save for the next day!

I have discovered the main trick to eating vegan is to plan ahead, have staples cooked and ready to go in the refrigerator with plenty organic vegetables and herbs and, most importantly, that leftovers are your best friend for a snack or quick meal.

Who cares if it is 6am! Heat up those leftover sautéed veggies with tofu and enjoy a cup of miso broth! There are no rules! Throw em’ out and honor your body and fuel it! I can promise you that your digestive system and your garbage disposal (no Brontasorous beneath the sink needed) will be humming along smoothly.

Love to hear your tips for vegan and non-vegan households! 

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Day 15 The Foodie Goes Vegan Project

Today in Pilates, we were talking about our first kiss. Mine happened in the seventh grade behind the math building with Darren Yeautsey.  I’ll never forget it!  He set the bar for the men who would follow in my life. I know you’re thinking, wait. That was a little early and she was a little young, yes?

I have another first today, which I feel I am a little old for, Tofu. Not my first time eating it.  I have. I’ve had it before just because I thought it was healthy, but I have never cooked with it or enjoyed it like I did the other evening in Pra Ram take out.

I thought cooking with it would kind of gross me out, but I thought the same thing about kissing with tongues and man was I wrong!  So, I decided to whip up my first Tofu Stir Fry.

I took a deep breath and opened a 1 pound package of firm tofu. I drained it, sandwiched it in between paper towels on a plate, and placed the ceramic insert of my crockpot on top of it for 30 minutes to squeeze out all of the liquid.

Then, I sliced it in half so it looks like I have two large blocks of regular size Tofu…but thinner. I then sliced thin pieces and cut them into threes. I don’t like large chunks of tofu because I like them to meld in more with the veggies that I sauté.

I then transferred the tofu to a shallow dish. In a bowl, I whisked together a few tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ume vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon water. I then poured it all over the tofu to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

While the Tofu was marinating, I ran to the market to see what looked fresh. I ended up with Crimini mushrooms, local sweet onions, snow peas, and broccoli! Yummy! So delicious that I am inspired to make a list of “Firsts” I still need to do!

Delicious as A First Kiss Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry:

1 pound firm tofu
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or ume vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 small onions, cut into wedges
8-12 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 pound or so of broccoli cut into florets
2 large sweet onions
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
5 paper-thin slices fresh ginger or good squeeze of ginger paste
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water
Lime wedges, for serving (I used an organic sweet lime....it looks like a lemon)

*Few tablespoons light olive oil for cooking

Directions
Drain and put weight on tofu to squeeze out liquid for 20-30 minutes. Slice and marinate for at least 20 minutes. (Reserve as marinade for later)
Heat a few tablespoons of light olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Cook tofu until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Set tofu aside.
Stirring constantly, cook onions in skillet over high heat until browned, 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook 3-5 minutes. Add mushrooms, peas and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add remaining marinade, cornstarch and tofu. Cook until heated through. Season with soy sauce as desired. Serve with limes.

Life is delicious! If you add any “firsts” onto your list I would love to hear!

Posted by Cari   6 Comments on This Article

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