New Year's Eve

So the New Year is upon us. People all over the country and the world are busy making resolutions for 2008 as well as starting the celebrations. "I will lose x amount of pounds." "I will quit smoking." "I will get a better job." "I will do volunteer work." Sometimes, I think resolutions are just too easy to break. I want everyday to be a chance to live better and try to be better than I was before. It's nice to think of the New Year as a new chance, but everyday should be a chance to be better and to live better. For everyone out there determined that this is the year they will go vegetarian or vegan my hopes are with you and your success.

In the Words of Leonardo da Vinci; "Truely man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men."

A Night In

Tonight was a little "Guitar Hero," a little air hockey, a few beers, a couple rounds of "Apples to Apples," and the company of a few good friends. We put out some chips, cheese and crackers, and popped some pizza bites in the oven (they make meatless ones). Yet, everyone's minds seems to be on what to do tomorrow night. (I am still hearing crap for chasing those deer away Christmas Eve that my brothers wanted to shoot in the backyard. I couldn't bare to watch them kill something or attempt to kill something right before my eyes out the kitchen window. I feel like an oddity among these hunters.) I am loving that I have leftovers in the freezer to live off when I don't feel like cooking. Hope ya'all are celebrating the dawn of the New Year in your own fabulous way.

Here's a super easy recipe for Homemade Potato Skins (especially if you are looking for some New Year's Eve recipes).

Easy Potato Skins (easy to make vegan using olive oil or soy margarine and soy cheese)
Cooking potatoes
Butter, margarine, or seasoned olive oil
Cheese (or soy cheese)
Other optional toppings such bacon or sausage-like crumbles (ex- Morningstar or Boca), chili, sliced green onion, steamed broccoli, sautéed vegetables, etc.
* Slit or poke washed potatoes with fork or knife. Microwave (or bake) potatoes until soft (10-15 min approx depending on size, amount, etc). Quarter with knife. Scoop out excess leaving a shell and skin (approx ¼ in) and place skin-side down on baking sheet. Spoon or brush potato skin shells with melted butter or olive oil. Top with cheese and any other optional toppings. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Paul Harvey: "Ever occur to you why some of us can be this concerned with animals suffering? Because government is not. Why not? Animals don't vote."

Life is We Know It

Last night was my family's monthly game night. We get together (those of use who can) on a Friday night to play games, eat, and generally enjoy each other's company. I try to make things that I will eat as well as others in my meat-loving family. My brother made buffalo wings and my aunt fried up some cheese sticks and onion rings, but let's face it, this girl needs more than some fried vegetables. I made a quick, easy, and yummy cold veggie pizza with some
pre-packaged croissants, dill vegetable dip, and fresh vegetables. It was a nice switch from the heavy foods that surround the holiday season and the leftovers were appreciated by a shut-in friend of the family. It also made a nice leftover lunch today. (I often get more than one meal out of things I make, especially since my brother's are so picky.)

This evening for dinner I sauteed a nice big portabella mushroom with some diced onion and garlic in butter, than let it cook down with a touch of water and some balsamic vinegar (yum). I served it beside homemade mashed potatoes topped with some shredded cheese.


Easy Cold Veggie Pizza
Pre-packaged croissant dough (makes 6-8 croissants) (or other preferred dough)
Veggie dip (pre-made or other favorite), I prefer a dill dip here
Various vegetables diced, shredded, sliced, etc. (Such as shredded carrots, diced red onion, sliced mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, diced green onion, etc.)
Shredded cheese (4-8 oz depending on preferences)
* Roll out croissant dough to make one whole crust. Bake at temp indicated in package. Then let cool.
* Spoon layer of vegetable dip onto baked and cooled crust. Sprinkle and layer vegetables and cheese. Cut. Enjoy.

In the Words of Alice Walker: "Animals can communicate quite well. And they do. And generally speaking, they are ignored."

2007 Reflections

2007 is winding down and 2008 is fast approaching. It’s almost a new year, full of new possibilities and new potential. It also is the time when many reflect on the year that has past and what has been. It’s been a fairly decent year in which I have met some new people, said good bye to some others, and have attempted to reach out into the world with my veggie homepage <http://talkingvegetables.tripod.com//index.html> and blog. I hope that I’m able to make a positive influence on the world around me, but sometimes it is hard to tell living in a meat-loving family, that maintains that vegetarianism is weird and unnatural. I keep gathering my favorite recipes and trying to write down some of my favorites that have evolved in my everyday cooking. I’ve also been trying new twists on typically meat-laden foods (stuffed mushrooms, homemade potato skins, soups, chowders, casseroles, etc).

I’ve been gathering quotes, cartoons, links, and other ideas for new blog entries. I hope you have enjoyed the glimpses into my life and look forward to hearing from you. If there is something you feel that is missing, please let me know. I always enjoy healthy conversation and hope that the New Year Rocks for everyone out there. Cheers!

In the Words of Bradley Millar: "Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar."

Do You Know The Vegetarian Dragon?

It's the day after Christmas and all through the house all the creatures are still living off leftovers from the days before. The stockings are empty, but the tree is still lit. There isn't a ton of leftovers, but there are enough that we seem to keep grazing on the food and sweets that are still left. (Cookies and candy and sweets, oh my.) Lucy, my rabbit, seemed to appreciate the fresh carrots that were left.

In honor of the day, I am sharing one of my favorite kids books, "Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon." I ordered the book quite a while ago from Barefoot Books after reading some stuff online about it. Love the pictures, love the peaceful message, and love the idea. It has message of tolerance and learning to live together, both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, that I really liked.

http://www.dragonherb.com/book.htm

Hope the holidays were awesome for everyone and the New Year is looking grand.

In the Words of William Ralph Inge; "Deliberate cruelty to our defenceless and beautiful little cousins is surely one of the meanest and most detestable vices of which a human being can be guilty."

In the Words of Isaac Bashevis Singer: "There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is."

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas! Yes, the big day has arrived and the family has all been gathered around the tree and the table. For years, my family, has had a surf and turf Christmas dinner tradition (steak and seafood)... however, the last five years have included some adjustment for my needs. Generally, I grill a portabella mushroom or merely eat the thigns that have been served along side of my family's own traditions. This year along side the lima beans, corn, salad, homemade fries, dinner rolls, and wine I had a vegan BBQ riblet. It made me happy and was non-threatening to family seated around the dinner table who often seem rather concerned with what is on my plate or going to be on my plate. Last night we had an entertaining Christmas Eve with family, friends, lots of food, and karaoke. (My cousin has absolutely no sense of pitch or musical ability, but he sure isn't afraid to go for his all.)

Christmas traditions in my house are fairly simple... Christmas Eve includes my grandparents, random other family, friends, and whoever else we come across that will be spending the eve alone with finger food and sweets. It has slowly evolved over the years from pizza bites and bagel bites to more. Christmas morning we wake, not as early as it was when my brothers were younger, to swap presents and empty stockings. (My mother still wraps each one of us kids presents in seperate wrapping paper that matches the stuff she wrapped individually in our stockings. It comes from the years when we were little and seperate wrapping paper was so Santa's hansdwriting wasn't used.) We usually eat a late lunch (not uncommon for various people to take naps in between here depending on lateness of the Eve and earliness of the morn) with many of us still in pajama type clothing. It is a comfortable, relaxed sort of day for family. My sister even brought her dog the share the morning and mid-day with my pomeranian and my brother's boxer mix. (They all got new dog beds for Christmas.)

Hoep everyone had the merriest of holidays and got to spend enjoyable time with family, friends, and loved ones.

In the Words of Abraham Lincoln: "I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."

Just For Fun

In the Words of Thomas A. Edison: "Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."

Continuing Christmas Traditions Vegetarian Style

The holidays are fast approaching as food preparation continues. It just wouldn't be impending Christmas without the smell of fresh party mix coming from the oven, however, traditional recipes include worchester sauce, butter or margarine, and spices. This doesn't sound like a problem unless you know and care that traditionally worcester sauce has anchovies in it. I found Wizard's Organic Vegan Worchester sauce at a local grocery store, but it is also available through multiple online resources. Now, I still get my party mix tradition at Christmas time without having to sacrifice my vegetarian ideals. Plus, I can more confidantly give out extra to friends and family knowing that even my vegetarian friends (even if there seem to be so few around here) can eat this without the worries or guilt.

The last couple years have been full of finding new ways and making adaptions in order to preserve traditions that have evolved. in my lifetime and through my family. Party mix is just one of them in a long list of things I don't have to go without. (And nothing says Christmas like eating it warm and fresh from the oven in all of it's savory goodness.)

I am including some links of where I found this brand online.

http://www.veganstore.com/vegan-food-items/sauces,-gravies-and-more/vegan-worcestershire-sauce/Page_1/422.html (this is an online store that i have ordered other items from)

http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WVWS&Category_Code=NP&Product_Count=14

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

In the Words of George Bernard Shaw: "While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?"

What are your Holiday Plans?

Eating out with my family is often an eventful experience. There is usually a debate over where to eat, especially since my options are limited to salad in some places, but this afternoon while I was out trying to take care of some things we were able to agree on a place (without argument) where I could eat without problems and my brother could still satisfy his supposed meat cravings. We began the shopping for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It is very hard to say at his point how many people will be here. I took it as a mini victory that while sitting at lunch discussing the menu my mother made a reference to needing more non-meat items. Yay!

From Berke Breathed, 'Bloom County Babylon': "Dear Lord, I've been asked, nay commanded, to thank Thee for the Christmas turkey before us... a turkey which was no doubt a lively, intelligent bird... a social being... capable of actual affection... nuzzling its young with almost human-like compassion. Anyway, it's dead and we're gonna eat it. Please give our respects to its family."

I have Not fallen Off the of the Planet

I know it seems i got lost and maybe I kind of did. The show took a lot out of me (it's over now and went very well) and now I seem to be fighting some sort of allergic reatcion to something in my everyday environment. (With my luck it will be something in our water.) I've been working on a menus right now for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for family and friends. We always have friends and family over Christmas Eve with a kind of open house with a variety of appetizers and finger foods. Christmas day they have steak and seafood... I usually experiment with mushroom options to go with the festive spread.

I've been craving black beans and rice (a favorite of mine), but kept forgeting to pick up black beans when out shopping. Finally, tonight I had everything I needed (the recipe as evolved over time and continues to do so). I love to serve it with corn chips, crsip back olives, and a sprinkling of cheese. (It is usually spicey enough to not need any extra hot sauce.) It's all part of the love to eat, love to eat, and love a little spice in life.

Black Beans and Rice (Vegan, depending on whatever served with)

onion (prefer a good red), about 1/2, finely sliced (or however prefer)

garlic (1-2 cloves), diced

oil (to saute)

cooked brown rice (instant 1 c. uncooked to 1 c. boiling water)

frozen corn (or fresh), about 1-2 c.

1 can black beans (sometimes I use spiced ones, depending on what I have on hand)

1 can tomato sauce (and variety)

salt and pepper to taste

favorite spices (typcially: hot pepper flakes, parley, chili spice, smokey tobasco hot sauce as well as optional cumin, cilantro, or whatever else on hand)

* In seperate pan or microwave prepare rice. (You could use a plain white rice or whatever you have on hand, but I almost always use brown rice in my recipes.) In skillet add oil and saute onion slices & garlic (sometimes I had sliced mushrooms too if I have them on hand). I add a touch of water here as the oil cooks to help cut oil use withut cutting cooking liquid. I add the frozen corn right in after the onion and garlic have cooked down and started to carmelize as well as pepper flakes and touches of any other seasoning here as I like to layer the spaices in as I add ingredients. (I either use store-bought frozen corn or the kind we freeze during the summer when fresh corn is everywhere.) Let the corn start to cook through and mix with the cooking liquids (add a touch of water here if needed), then add black beans, cooking everything through. Season to taste. Add rice, mix throughly, then tomato sauce. Season as needed and let everything cook together and thicken. Serve warm with corn chips or tortillas and any prefered toppings. (Ideas for topping or sides include: black olives, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, jalepeno slices, or whatever you love.)

* I make a big pan and freeze whatever I don't eat. It is great leftover for lunches, snack, or to share. (When I have taken it work for lunch it makes people sit up, asking what is I have and what smells so good.) I love mine spicey with a nice kick, but spices can be adjusted per preferance. Yummy!!!

*

In the Words of Jimmy Stewart: "Animals give me more pleasure through the viewfinder of a camera than they ever did in the crosshairs of a gunsight. And after I've finished "shooting," my unharmed victims are still around for others to enjoy. I have developed a deep respect for animals. I consider them fellow living creatures with certain rights that should not be violated any more than those of humans."

Love Those Limas

Here it is another day in my life and my world. Let’s talk about one of my favorite foods… lima beans. It is one of the vegetables that a lot of kids seem to hate or hide from… I was not one of them. Even as a kid I was fascinated by the lima bean… velvety inside with a protective skin on the outside. I used to drive my parents nuts at the dinner table by using my teeth to peel off the outside layer before eating the whole thing. As an adult I often serve lima beans with meals (like tonight I paired them beside my angel hair pasta) or put them into things (like soups). Instead of being something that I struggle to eat they are a comfort food from childhood that I have grown up with. Unfortunately, my picky brothers do not appreciate the lima bean in the same way that I do and don’t eat them when fixed (the story of many of vegetable fixed in this family). So cook them up plain, add some seasoning (garlic and pepper was tonight’s seasoning of choice), or add them to your favorite soup or stew. No matter how you like them, celebrate the lima bean and all the food love they harbor in that little package.

Check out these lima links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_bean

http://www.foodreference.com/html/flimabeans.html

From the mind and mouth of George Bernard Shaw: "A mind of the calibre of mine cannot derive its nutriment from cows."

Love in Non-Vegetarian World

I didn’t really get the inspiration to actually cook today. (Leftovers and frozen pizza.) I was in writing mode and stuff in the creative mode working hard on a manuscript. I’ve been contemplating a few things regarding being single and vegetarian in a non-vegetarian world. I haven’t really met anyone to even think about serious, however the idea does bring up some thoughts regarding this lifestyle that I have chosen and in many ways has chosen me. I’ve had the discussion multiple times with my family where they have asked things about potential children I might one day have. I plan on raising any children I may one day have vegetarian and I have never hidden that fact, but I also don’t want to discriminate against a potential love of my life just because they eat meat. Let’s be honest if I only dated vegetarians I would lead a very lonely life. How does love and relationships factor into finding common ground? I know in my heart and spirit that living without consuming flesh is the best way for me and for a lot of people, but not everyone believes that way. I know so few vegetarians and vegans around me it makes me wonder how others deal with things like dating, love, relationships, and meat.

In the Words of Robert Louis Stevenson: "Nothing more strongly arouses our disgust than cannibalism, yet we make the same impression on Buddhists and vegetarians, for we feed on babies, though not our own."

Recipe Evolution

I was standing at the stove having just mixed previously frozen spinach into my pan when I got to thinking about the dishes I often prepare. My mom loves my tortellini with the basil mushroom sauce (I use olive oil sometimes mixed with butter to create the base). It’s a nice change from the usual heavy tomato or cream sauces that often adorn pasta. I usually lightly sauté mushrooms and garlic with a touch of oil and water and basil to brighten everything. (It is very common for me to use partial water to sauté to help cut down the fats and oils.) The recipe has seemed to evolve again and constant slight alterations depending on whatever I have on hand. I often keep a bag of frozen spinach on hand and use what I need. As the garlic and red onion slivers sautéed in the oil mix on the stove I warmed about 2 Tbs. of frozen spinach (for one serving) in the microwave about a minute with a touch of water. I then added mushrooms to skillet and chopped the spinach into smaller pieces before also adding it with a pinch each of basil and parsley. As the mixture warmed through I add a spoonful of diced sun dried tomatoes that I had in the refrigerator. The cooked tortellini was added straight to the skillet mixing all the flavors and letting the little pieces of spinach and herb make their way into the crevices. I served it in a nice bowl with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan and welcome to food love. Clearly this was a step up from frozen pizza and other similar foods of last week.

It is clearly no surprise to anyone that I love to eat as well as cook. I have no intention to go without great taste or foods that comfort body and soul as well as nourish. I love experimenting with new flavors and mixing old favorites into something new. I love trying new things and may even be up soon for trying tofu that hasn’t been pre-marinated. (Once upon a time all tofu was very foreign and very scary to a girl raised in Ohio farm country on meat and potatoes.) Hope ya’all have found those ‘food love’ moments that just make you smile.

In the Words of Leo Tolstoy: '"Thou shalt not kill" does not apply to murder of one's own kind only, but to all living beings; and this Commandment was inscribed in the human breast long before it was proclaimed from Sinai.'

Non-Forbidden Fruit

The opening weekend of my most recent show is now behind me (along with the hectic schedule of tech week that leads into a show). This show has led to a few things coming up regarding my lack of meat consumption. It surprises people and even seems to confuse others. I guess partially because I don’t come across as militant and I don’t lecture or rave about it. I live my vegetarian existence simply and in a rather matter-of-fact manner. Now I can get back to cooking (my leftover supply in the freezer has run rather low) for the time being. One of the cast members did sent a lovely fruit basket to the cast and I was very happy to see the kids in the show attack it with great excitement over bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries and such. (Candy seems so over-rated when eyes meet the gaze of bright colors of a basket full of yummy fruit.) I tried a new fruit this week that I had never had before… a pomegranate. Someone had brought one the other day to the theater and offered me some. A fun, tasty little fruit that she said her kids loved because of the fun factor of the little bits inside. It’s nice to find new little things to try, especially things that are supposed to be rather good for you too. Yum.

k.d. lang : 'We all love animals. Why do we call some "pets" and others "dinner?" '