Yep, you heard right. I am on a journey of sorts, and I will explain why I came to this conclusion.
I had been a vegetarian years ago(During my daughters pregnancy) and then fell off the wagon of sorts. I have missed being a vegetarian and longed to get back to the way I felt oh so long ago. My daughter decided, on her own, to become a vegetarian, about 6 years ago, all on her own. I supported her 100% and I had the knowledge to give her as well. So off she went and she began blazing a trail, and she has never looked back. She has had to defend her choices on more occasions that I care to count and she tries not to be rude when replying to these people, but they don't have the same respect towards her. They do not think of her feelings when they jump down her throat about why she is a vegetarin.
So, when I came home from recent spinal surgery, I had a bout of my stomach not doing well by me upon my return. This was put into motion by two events. 1) They prescribed me iron when I got home , and if you are not familiar with what iron does do your body, it plugs up your bowels terribly. This was not a supplement, but straight iron. So needless to say, things were not running smoothly. 2)Staying at my sisters and the way she eats just sent my stomach into more turmoil, and even when I got home and began eating better, it did not help. The damage had already been done.
I knew if I eliminated meat from my diet that things would run smoother. But again, the damage had been done, but I knew as I was trying to right my gut, that I definitely wanted to either cut out or severely cut down my meat consumption, and truth be told, I have not missed meat and I have not consumed any in four days. Now that may not sound like a lot to most folks but for us carnivores, it is a lifetime.
I feel rejuvenated, and happy about my endeavour and hope that I can succeed. If my 8&1/2 year daughter could do it way back when, then I can do it at 46.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Favorite Ethnic Foods
While I was in the hospital, one of their representatives came in to see if all was well with me. Hellllloooo, I am in the hospital. Anyhow, this kid and I began tlaking about how bad the hosptial food was, and beleive you me it stunk!!
He then told me had just converted to vegetarianism. I had a ton of information for him. I also told him my daughter had decided when she was 8&1/2 that she wanted to be a vegetarian. I supported her from point one.
What we did talk about was what ethnic food we liked best. He was Latin(I think he was Cuban decent) and I told him without missing a beat, that if someone told me I could eat only one style of food, that I would eat Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food...hands down.
I like how they do not make meat their main dish. It is just as small or big as what we know as side dishes. Lots of grains and beans, so that is right up my alley.
I was wondering what you people would eat if you could eat only one style of food. Let's hear it folks!
He then told me had just converted to vegetarianism. I had a ton of information for him. I also told him my daughter had decided when she was 8&1/2 that she wanted to be a vegetarian. I supported her from point one.
What we did talk about was what ethnic food we liked best. He was Latin(I think he was Cuban decent) and I told him without missing a beat, that if someone told me I could eat only one style of food, that I would eat Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food...hands down.
I like how they do not make meat their main dish. It is just as small or big as what we know as side dishes. Lots of grains and beans, so that is right up my alley.
I was wondering what you people would eat if you could eat only one style of food. Let's hear it folks!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sweet Potatoes and Applesauce
This one is great around the holidays, but good anytime.
2&1/2 cups cooked sweet potatoes(I have used canned in a pinch)
1/2 t salt
1 cup applesauce(I have made my own on occasion)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/2 t cinnamon
2T melted butter(Vegans do your thing)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in a baking dish. Put applesauce on sweet potatoes. In a bowl on the side, mix brown sugar, rolled oats and cinnamon. Stir in butter. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
2&1/2 cups cooked sweet potatoes(I have used canned in a pinch)
1/2 t salt
1 cup applesauce(I have made my own on occasion)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/2 t cinnamon
2T melted butter(Vegans do your thing)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in a baking dish. Put applesauce on sweet potatoes. In a bowl on the side, mix brown sugar, rolled oats and cinnamon. Stir in butter. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Black Bean Soup
Just make this and eat it...trust me on this one!
10 cups of water
1&1/2 cups dry black beans
3T oil
1 carrot grated
1 onion chopped
1 potato grated
1 bay leaf
1t oregano
1/4 t savory(Do not omit this spice)
2t salt
1/2 t pepper
Juice of 2 lemons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wash beans and pick out debris. Beans need to be cooked(Duh) I have used a pressure cooker if speed is of the essence, but I prefer my slowcooker. Once beans are cooked add 1T of oil.
Chop and grate onion, carrot and potato. Heat remaining oil in medium to large frying pan. Add onion first until soft, then add carrot and potato. Stir until heated through. Add vegetables to soup. Add seasonings. let simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour in lemon juice, stir and enjoy.
10 cups of water
1&1/2 cups dry black beans
3T oil
1 carrot grated
1 onion chopped
1 potato grated
1 bay leaf
1t oregano
1/4 t savory(Do not omit this spice)
2t salt
1/2 t pepper
Juice of 2 lemons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wash beans and pick out debris. Beans need to be cooked(Duh) I have used a pressure cooker if speed is of the essence, but I prefer my slowcooker. Once beans are cooked add 1T of oil.
Chop and grate onion, carrot and potato. Heat remaining oil in medium to large frying pan. Add onion first until soft, then add carrot and potato. Stir until heated through. Add vegetables to soup. Add seasonings. let simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour in lemon juice, stir and enjoy.
Brown Gravy
Who does not like a mound of mashed potatoes with a big scoop of gravy, if you said, "I don't." then you are unamerican. All that aside, I serve this at Thanksgiving, and no one knows it is a vegetarian gravy. Carnivores can be so easily fooled!
2&1/2 T butter(Vegans use your stuff)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2T tamari(Soy Sauce)
1/4t pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley(Optional, and I have used dried, but only 1/8 cup)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together for about 30 seconds, then add broth slowly while whisking. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add tamari and pepper to gravy. Whisk until gravy reaches desired consistency.
2&1/2 T butter(Vegans use your stuff)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2T tamari(Soy Sauce)
1/4t pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley(Optional, and I have used dried, but only 1/8 cup)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together for about 30 seconds, then add broth slowly while whisking. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add tamari and pepper to gravy. Whisk until gravy reaches desired consistency.
Potato Kale Soup
This recipe I was given when I had first become a vegetarian from a friend I met in Michigan. We are still friends, and I think of him and his family every time I make this soup! Enjoy!
1 lg Spanish onion(May use yellow as a substitute)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A pinch of pepper flakes
1/3 cup of oil(Do not skimp on this)
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 qt of water
2-3T tamari(Soy Sauce)
1 bunch of kale,(Stems removed) cut into long slivers
Dash of hot sauce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saute first 5 ingredients in oil. then add potatoes and water. Bring to a boil until potatoes are soft. Take a potato masher and mash potatoes until they are all broken up. Add chopped kale, tamari and hot sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
1 lg Spanish onion(May use yellow as a substitute)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A pinch of pepper flakes
1/3 cup of oil(Do not skimp on this)
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 qt of water
2-3T tamari(Soy Sauce)
1 bunch of kale,(Stems removed) cut into long slivers
Dash of hot sauce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saute first 5 ingredients in oil. then add potatoes and water. Bring to a boil until potatoes are soft. Take a potato masher and mash potatoes until they are all broken up. Add chopped kale, tamari and hot sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Veggie Hot Dog Mush
This recipe has a connection to me...but then again, shouldn't all food? Anyhow this recipe is a variation of something my mother threw together one year when we were kids and stranded in a hotel room waiting for our van to be repaired.
All she had was an electric skillet to cook with and whatever had been left in the cooler we used when camping on vacation. I loved it then and I love it now. We have just veggie-ized it. Hope you like it. And for all you carnivores, by all means add sausage or meat dogs, but trust me when I say the veggie dogs are AOK in our book.
This recipe feeds 4-6 of normal servings.
1 cup of raw rice(cooked)
3-5 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 veggie dogs per person, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can whole tomatoes(28 ounces)
Salt and pepper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cook rice. In a large pot, heat oil. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add veggie dogs and pan fry until they have a browned sides. Take canned tomatoes and break up(either by cutting up or by squishing in your hand), and add to dogs and onions.
When rice is finished, take one cup of cooked rice and add to mixture. You will have left over cooked rice. Use it for a future recipe, or if you like a thicker dish, you may add all of the rice. Heat through and serve hot.
All she had was an electric skillet to cook with and whatever had been left in the cooler we used when camping on vacation. I loved it then and I love it now. We have just veggie-ized it. Hope you like it. And for all you carnivores, by all means add sausage or meat dogs, but trust me when I say the veggie dogs are AOK in our book.
This recipe feeds 4-6 of normal servings.
1 cup of raw rice(cooked)
3-5 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 veggie dogs per person, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can whole tomatoes(28 ounces)
Salt and pepper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cook rice. In a large pot, heat oil. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add veggie dogs and pan fry until they have a browned sides. Take canned tomatoes and break up(either by cutting up or by squishing in your hand), and add to dogs and onions.
When rice is finished, take one cup of cooked rice and add to mixture. You will have left over cooked rice. Use it for a future recipe, or if you like a thicker dish, you may add all of the rice. Heat through and serve hot.
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