Another day, another meal

So, I'm fighting a bit of a cold. One of my brothers started with it and everyone in the house has had it to some point or another. I'm dealing with it and with the fact that I really do not feel like cooking. Tonight I raided the leftovers I had in the refridgerator. I cooked some noodles and heated up a container of bulgar chili I had in the freezer, topped with some peices of swiss cheese from the refridgerator. Hearty and simple. Depending on the pasta I usually add and toppings (cheese in this case) the chili itself is vegan; full of onion, garlic, a mixture of different kinds of beans, spices, and bulgar. Mine tends to be on the spicy side.

"Heaven is by favor; if it were by merit your dog would go in and you would stay out. Of all the creatures ever made [man] is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he is the only one... that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain." ~Mark Twain

Pasta Salad and Thanksgiving Humor for the Vegetarian

So, I'm still not feeling great and what I really want to to just feel better or for someone to baby me a little. That's not going to happen. I made some seasoned crackers (the kind where you use veggie oil and seasoning at crackers than bake for 15-20 minutes) and homemade pasta salad. I don't have a recipe for pasta salad. I have certain things I like in it and often use, but in the end it comes down to whatever I find in the cupboards and refrigerator. Today's combination is sun-dried tomatoes (sliced into smaller pieces), black olives, some sliced mushrooms (left from last night's pasta), almond slivers, some cheese bits (you could use none or use soy cheese crumbled, shredded, chunked, whatever), a blasamic vinegrette that I like, and a touch of prepared pesto (I've gotten in the habit of using just a bit to add a little bit of something else to the mix) all mixed with the pasta. You can really use just about anything you have on hand and that you enjoy together. My mom usually uses colorful peppers (I'm not a big fan of them raw) and diced tomato (I prefer the taste and texture of the sun-dried or semi-dried). Currently, it is sitting in the refrigerator letting everything kind of crisp and marinate together.

For Thanksgiving this year, as with most years, my family is planning a big shin-dig with everyone getting together. We have certain traditions that seem to appear every year from pretty much the same people. Especially after going vegetarian it became important for me to make sure there were foods that I would and could eat without giving up some of my holiday favorites. I always make homemade mushroom stuffing, vegetarian gravy of some type, some type of vegetable that has not been corrupted, and often some appetizer type thing (my stuffed mushrooms are always a big hit with vegetarians and meat-eaters alike). Hope all your plans for the season are fabulous.

Here's a little something to make you smile and maybe think too.

From Albert Einstein, physicist: "Nothing will increase chances of survival for life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

No Chicken Soup, Please

Here it is another day and half the people I know are sick, getting sick, or slowly getting over being sick. Not surprising, I came home from rehearsal last night fighting the onset of a sore throat. I woke with the same sore throat and struggled past it when making phone calls earlier. The germy, damp, chilly season of fall is defiantly upon us. No chicken soup for me, please. I am determined to get over this the same way a lot of other people do. Warm liquids (such as herbal tea and vegetable broths), herbs and vitamin c, steamy bath/showers, and rest. I don’t like being sick anymore than anyone else, but it does make a few kinks in my baking plans. For now I am off to steep a little tea, perhaps ginger something or a soothing chamomile. Stay warm and well.

http://www.familyresource.com/blog/category/health/cold-and-flu-remedies/