Things don't always go as planned. Instead of mixing the pizza dough last night, Rob helped mix it this morning before getting on the bus. Fortunately, he's a early riser with endless energy and didn't mind one bit. The dough is rising in the bread bucket and pizza night is on!
I'll be making a batch of Spicy Vegetarian Sausages to go on top. I'm also planning to try a bean pizza topping recipe from The Greatest Little Bean Cookbook. I'm thinking about skipping faux cheese entirely on this batch. We'll see what the gentlemen think when they get home from school.
Also on today's agenda is planning food for our weekend at the swim meet. Aside from the food choiced being attrocious, even though its an ahtletic event, I can't bear the cost. Admission alone is going to run $6 per person, per day and then there's gas for the almost 2 hour ride. We can't bring food in but we can go out to the car to eat. Since there is plenty of down time at a swim meet, that's what we'll do.
Look for a rundown of our pizza and our swim meet food Monday. Now, I've got to get my knitting bag ready for the weekend. They'll be time to knit on the car ride down, during the meet and on the car ride back. Woohoo!
Happy Weekend to All!
Showing posts with label vegetarian living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian living. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
My Thanksgiving Promises
I just discovered 100 Mile Diet website. The goal of Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon, creators of this diet, was to eat foods and beverages produced within a 100 mile radius of their home. Their website has lots of great resources, especially if you're just starting out. I liked their 13 reasons for eating local. I find it exciting that the concept of eating locally keeps popping up in various media. The more voices that talk about living a more earth friendly life, the more likely we are to be heard!!
In non-envrionmentally friendly news, I find it somewhat torturous to listen to radio and tv this time of year. Just reading a newspaper peeves me. Everything this time of year is about consumption. It starts with the inherent gluttony associated with Thanksgiving smattered across sales fliers, pushing everyone into a grocery store frenzy. I defy you to find an empty parking space or a free shopping cart in a grocery store today.
If we stop to breathe and think long enough, we might remember that Thanksgiving is about being thankful. It should be a time for families and friends to gather together and enjoy each other's company, not a time to empty the shelves of the local grocery store.
Tomorrow morning we will be assaulted with advertisements that have become the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Don't misunderstand me, I really enjoy the parade itself. I even like the silly, at times obviously scripted, banter between the hosts. I just can't stand the number of commercials that one must endure during the parade. I can't stand the obnoxious way kids make demands in commercials. I can't stand the fact that we are expected to spend, spend, spend. If you're short on cash, not to worry, those nice folks at visa, mastercard, disover and american express will help you out. Grrr!!!
The other day at school my daughter's teacher announced that it was impossible to be an Amercian and not be in debt. My daughter took exception to that comment and informed the teacher that her parents were not in debt. She told her teacher we didn't have car loans or credit card debt. Her teacher refused to believe her. Leen got indignant and told the teacher all we have is our mortgages. The teacher was gleeful, essentially saying I told you so. Leen was so pissed off.
"So if you were renting you wouldn't be in debt??" she asked me. I told her technically not, but you'll alway need to pay for the place you live in and we're less than 9 years away from owning both houses outright. That doesn't sound like traditional debt to me. She shook her head and said something like, my teacher doesn't believe people like you exist.
The entire holiday season caters to people who don't believe you can be frugal and happy. No wonder Leen's teacher couldn't fathom our lifestyle choices. So.......
I will not go to a grocery store today.
I will not be taken in by the slick commercials that bombard me tomorrow morning.
I will not become inpatient with my children, especially the younger ones, when they begin to get the screaming-I-wants after viewing the parade.
I will not be made to feel guilty about not participating in the "let's get up at 3 am to wait in the parking lot, coupons in hand, until the big box store opens so I can get a great price on ____."
I will make my Thanksgiving meal using foods already in my home, many of which were locally grown.
I will enjoy the company of my family and friends.
I will encourage my family to take holiday buying down a notch.
I will enjoy creating handmade holiday gifts for the people closest to me and I will encourage and help my children to do the same.
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Coat Coup!
Today I hit the thrift store jackpot. First, I was able to find dress shoes and dress pants for my 7 year old to wear for his chorus concert. (The teacher who thought up the no sneakers, no jeans rule for concerts obviously hates parents. Who has dress shoes for a 7 yr old boy??)
At a second thrift store I was able to get a toaster oven to replace our broken one. Yeah!! Nothing makes my family happier than toast, especially Jim. Since thrift stores often sell appliances as is, I asked to plug in the toaster oven before I bought it. I always find the staff is very willing to let me do that, no matter what thrift store I'm at. In fact I often find thrift store staff much friendlier than retail store staff.
My final find was a winter coat for me. I almost didn't try it on because it was missing a button. It turns out the missing button was in the pocket! Can you see me doing my happy dance? I always get a kick out of the fact that I wind up wearing much higher end clothing by shopping at thrift stores than I ever did buying retail. I mean I'd never by myself a Jones of New York coat off the rack at Macy's and yet I just bought one that looks brand new for $4.99 today!
The catch is, the coat is wool. For me, this is the great conundrum of being vegan and frugal. It is where two sets of ideals smack head first into each other. While I would never buy a wool coat new, I have less trouble buying it used. This is reinforced by the cost of some animal friendly options like Pangea's non wool pea coat . I'd love to buy it but I can't justify spending $169.95.
Then too there's the green aspect to consider. The energy has already been expended to produce the coat I bought at the thrift store. Since its a local purchase requiring no shipping (i.e. gas) it becomes a significantly greener choice in my book.
There's so much to consider when making a purchase but I'm pretty pleased with this one. Does that make me a bad vegan?
At a second thrift store I was able to get a toaster oven to replace our broken one. Yeah!! Nothing makes my family happier than toast, especially Jim. Since thrift stores often sell appliances as is, I asked to plug in the toaster oven before I bought it. I always find the staff is very willing to let me do that, no matter what thrift store I'm at. In fact I often find thrift store staff much friendlier than retail store staff.
My final find was a winter coat for me. I almost didn't try it on because it was missing a button. It turns out the missing button was in the pocket! Can you see me doing my happy dance? I always get a kick out of the fact that I wind up wearing much higher end clothing by shopping at thrift stores than I ever did buying retail. I mean I'd never by myself a Jones of New York coat off the rack at Macy's and yet I just bought one that looks brand new for $4.99 today!
The catch is, the coat is wool. For me, this is the great conundrum of being vegan and frugal. It is where two sets of ideals smack head first into each other. While I would never buy a wool coat new, I have less trouble buying it used. This is reinforced by the cost of some animal friendly options like Pangea's non wool pea coat . I'd love to buy it but I can't justify spending $169.95.
Then too there's the green aspect to consider. The energy has already been expended to produce the coat I bought at the thrift store. Since its a local purchase requiring no shipping (i.e. gas) it becomes a significantly greener choice in my book.
There's so much to consider when making a purchase but I'm pretty pleased with this one. Does that make me a bad vegan?
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Isa Chandra Moskowitz NY Times Article
I just found out about this article from one of the vegetarian lists I belong to. Its definitely worth a read.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Vegetarian Article & Fleece Project Update
The link to a very intriguing article about kids, IQ and vegetarianism has been making the rounds on many of the lists I belong to. It turned up yesterday in our local paper as well. Jim clipped it out and hung it on the fridge. Just in case you missed it, here's the link to it.
I've heard others mention fatfreevegan.com but I never realized there was a crockpot section at this site. Its definitely worth checking out. I'm especially happy about it because I'll be working some pretty long hours this week and this will make dinner time a breeze.
I've had some great success in my fleece projects. So far I've made hats for each of the boys and I'm working on my first pair of gloves for them. The source of fleece for these first projects has been a pair of fleece pants that Leen outgrew. The beauty of this is the sides of the hats were already sewn (the legs of the pants) I just had to pin and stitch the tops! I simplified the pattern to make the hats for the boys by rounding the top of the fabric rather than doing elaborate folding. This seems to eliminate some of the lumpiness the folding caused. They must be coming out ok because when Leen saw them, she asked me to make her one as well.
I've heard others mention fatfreevegan.com but I never realized there was a crockpot section at this site. Its definitely worth checking out. I'm especially happy about it because I'll be working some pretty long hours this week and this will make dinner time a breeze.
I've had some great success in my fleece projects. So far I've made hats for each of the boys and I'm working on my first pair of gloves for them. The source of fleece for these first projects has been a pair of fleece pants that Leen outgrew. The beauty of this is the sides of the hats were already sewn (the legs of the pants) I just had to pin and stitch the tops! I simplified the pattern to make the hats for the boys by rounding the top of the fabric rather than doing elaborate folding. This seems to eliminate some of the lumpiness the folding caused. They must be coming out ok because when Leen saw them, she asked me to make her one as well.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
CSA Decisions for 2007
There are so many decisions to make this time of year! Its time for us to sign up for next years shares at our CSA already. This year, we're thinking about joining a CSA in the Adirondacks for the summer and then joining our usual CSA for the fall. It won't necessarily save us money but it will save Jim some time, effort and aggravation next summer. In the long run it may save a bit of gas as well.
We've also discovered an interesting option to join a CSA for winter shares, which sounds very intriguing. Unfortunately, decisions on all of these things need to be made very soon or we will lose out on all of them. For those of you new to the CSA concept check out Local Harvest to learn more and to find a CSA near you.
We've participated in our local CSA for the past 5 years and I would highly recommend it to all my readers. For those of you who think you won't know what to do with all those unfamiliar veggies, there's no place like a CSA and no one better than a CSA member at share pick up time to help you figure that out. For those of you with kids, there is no greater way to motivate tentative taste buds than to let your kids be a part of harvesting at your local CSA.
My kids will eat it all from brussel sprouts to celeriac and everything you can imagine in between. I attribute this largely to our participation in the CSA and the weekly influx of all types of veggies.
We've also discovered an interesting option to join a CSA for winter shares, which sounds very intriguing. Unfortunately, decisions on all of these things need to be made very soon or we will lose out on all of them. For those of you new to the CSA concept check out Local Harvest to learn more and to find a CSA near you.
We've participated in our local CSA for the past 5 years and I would highly recommend it to all my readers. For those of you who think you won't know what to do with all those unfamiliar veggies, there's no place like a CSA and no one better than a CSA member at share pick up time to help you figure that out. For those of you with kids, there is no greater way to motivate tentative taste buds than to let your kids be a part of harvesting at your local CSA.
My kids will eat it all from brussel sprouts to celeriac and everything you can imagine in between. I attribute this largely to our participation in the CSA and the weekly influx of all types of veggies.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Apple Butter Pancakes
All those apples we picked last weekend inpsired me to make some Overnight Crock Pot Apple Butter. I doubled the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg that I used last time and the results were delicious. I also pureed the cooked apples before turning the crock pot up to high since everyone prefers a smoother apple butter.
This morning I used some of that apple butter to make Apple Butter Pancakes. I was making a quick, before work breakfast for Jim so its a very small recipe but I don't see why you couldn't double, triple or even quadruple it.
Katie's Apple Butter Pancakes
Combine:
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp brown sugar
Add:
1 cup apple butter
enough plain soymilk to make it the right consistency
Cook on a hot griddle. If you went a little heavy on the soymilk, you might want to cover the pancakes while cooking to help avoid gooey middles.
We rarely use syrup on our pancakes. Instead we'll either eat them as is or top with apple butter or other fruit. In most cases, it doesn't even occur to my kids that they should ask for syrup with pancakes. I think this is one of the best things about a largely unprocessed, vegetarian diet. Your taste buds are more open to the nuances of the flavors of foods rather than the things we add to them, like syrup.
With obesity on the rise, the last thing we need to give our kids is more sugary (calorie laden) foods. To those of you new to a veg lifestyle or unprocessed foods, never fear, taste buds do change over time.
BTW, I've begun archiving my older posts by topic so keep an eye on the topic list on the left side of my blog. I've started at the oldest posts and will work my way forward but with 448 posts, this could take some time! Along the way I'm also adding in some links that were missing from the original posts. I was a little slow at learning how to add links. I hope this makes my blog more user friendly for everyone.
This morning I used some of that apple butter to make Apple Butter Pancakes. I was making a quick, before work breakfast for Jim so its a very small recipe but I don't see why you couldn't double, triple or even quadruple it.
Katie's Apple Butter Pancakes
Combine:
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp brown sugar
Add:
1 cup apple butter
enough plain soymilk to make it the right consistency
Cook on a hot griddle. If you went a little heavy on the soymilk, you might want to cover the pancakes while cooking to help avoid gooey middles.
We rarely use syrup on our pancakes. Instead we'll either eat them as is or top with apple butter or other fruit. In most cases, it doesn't even occur to my kids that they should ask for syrup with pancakes. I think this is one of the best things about a largely unprocessed, vegetarian diet. Your taste buds are more open to the nuances of the flavors of foods rather than the things we add to them, like syrup.
With obesity on the rise, the last thing we need to give our kids is more sugary (calorie laden) foods. To those of you new to a veg lifestyle or unprocessed foods, never fear, taste buds do change over time.
BTW, I've begun archiving my older posts by topic so keep an eye on the topic list on the left side of my blog. I've started at the oldest posts and will work my way forward but with 448 posts, this could take some time! Along the way I'm also adding in some links that were missing from the original posts. I was a little slow at learning how to add links. I hope this makes my blog more user friendly for everyone.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Snowy Day Veg Snacking
It snowed almost all day Saturday and the wind blew like crazy all day Sunday. We have the only hill in the neighborhood so as you may imagine, a lot of kids were here yesterday. Kids get hungry and that means I'm providing snacks. Talk about stress.
The thing I've noticed recently is no one seems to miss the milk in my hot cocoa or the butter in my popcorn. I use the cocoa recipe from the first PETA cookbook, its easy and delicious. My popcorn is "buttered" with olive oil spray and a toss of salt. To keep costs down I use a pump sprayer for the olive oil that can be refilled. The cocoa is made with soymilk.
No one left early or seemed deprived. I think confidence in your own cooking or concocting ability is half the battle when entertaining non-veg friends.
The thing I've noticed recently is no one seems to miss the milk in my hot cocoa or the butter in my popcorn. I use the cocoa recipe from the first PETA cookbook, its easy and delicious. My popcorn is "buttered" with olive oil spray and a toss of salt. To keep costs down I use a pump sprayer for the olive oil that can be refilled. The cocoa is made with soymilk.
No one left early or seemed deprived. I think confidence in your own cooking or concocting ability is half the battle when entertaining non-veg friends.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Surviving the Flu
Well its snowing like crazy over here. School's been cancelled for the kids and I'm hoping for a phone call saying that my gym won't be opening either. For the first time since Monday I don't feel like poop. I've done the achy, can't breathe, dizzy, just let me lie here in a pile thing for the last two days. Interestingly, I've also taught all my aerobics classes the last two days as well (go ahead, call me a nut job, I deserve it.) Of course after teaching, I went home and put myself to bed for several hours and I know the wierd tingly sensation that I had yesterday while teaching wasn't normal sweating. I should have called in sick.
Here's my theory on the whole experience because I know the flu should hit you harder than it hit me. First of all, I got it from my 80 something year old neighbor who also kept moving throughout his bought with it. He may be the spriest little old man you could ever meet. He was 82 when I first met him and standing on someone's roof clearing snow. We could all learn a lesson from him.
I really think the main reason that I'm not still in bed is based largely on my lifestyle. I'm a fitness instructor (no I don't love to exercise but at least I get paid to be in shape!) and I teach at least four days of the week, sometimes five. Ironically, the only time I felt fairly good was when I was teaching class. I could breathe better and I didn't feel achy. I think my diet makes a huge difference, no dairy to increase mucous production (believe me I had plenty without), no processed foods, garlic and other spices to clear stuffiness, and drinking lots of plain old water.
There's a soup recipe that was in Vegetarian Times, I shudder to think how many years ago, but its loaded with garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to help clear you up. I make it every time one of us starts getting really congested.
The main flaw with my lifestyle when I get sick like this, is food preparation. Since I make most everything from scratch, I still had to drag myself out of bed to cook. Its not that my hubby wouldn't help, he just is lost when it comes to cooking from scratch, besides he doesn't mind doing dishes which I despise!I'm planning to cook some emergency food and stash it in the freezer for times like this. If I'd have had some soups, stews or casseroles in the freezer, I could have put them in the crock pot and not had to think about it.
I'm just glad to feel better.
Here's my theory on the whole experience because I know the flu should hit you harder than it hit me. First of all, I got it from my 80 something year old neighbor who also kept moving throughout his bought with it. He may be the spriest little old man you could ever meet. He was 82 when I first met him and standing on someone's roof clearing snow. We could all learn a lesson from him.
I really think the main reason that I'm not still in bed is based largely on my lifestyle. I'm a fitness instructor (no I don't love to exercise but at least I get paid to be in shape!) and I teach at least four days of the week, sometimes five. Ironically, the only time I felt fairly good was when I was teaching class. I could breathe better and I didn't feel achy. I think my diet makes a huge difference, no dairy to increase mucous production (believe me I had plenty without), no processed foods, garlic and other spices to clear stuffiness, and drinking lots of plain old water.
There's a soup recipe that was in Vegetarian Times, I shudder to think how many years ago, but its loaded with garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to help clear you up. I make it every time one of us starts getting really congested.
The main flaw with my lifestyle when I get sick like this, is food preparation. Since I make most everything from scratch, I still had to drag myself out of bed to cook. Its not that my hubby wouldn't help, he just is lost when it comes to cooking from scratch, besides he doesn't mind doing dishes which I despise!I'm planning to cook some emergency food and stash it in the freezer for times like this. If I'd have had some soups, stews or casseroles in the freezer, I could have put them in the crock pot and not had to think about it.
I'm just glad to feel better.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Happy New Year
The days after Christmas are so strange around here. For weeks before I live by a chart that shows me what presents I've (or we've, my kids are a huge help) finished and what still needs to be done. The last two years, I've been stitching the final stitches on Christmas morning (although I had more time to spare after completing the last stitches this year, so that's positive progress.) December 26th, its all over.
Now there are projects that I've been wanting to complete, like making the curtains for the living room or trying to make a rag rug from old jeans. This past weekend I put the finishing touches on a DVD bookshelf that was rescued from the trash heap. The back needed to be reattached but structurally it was fine. There were some ugly spots where the finish had come off. A little strategically placed wall paper border (left over, of course) and it looks great! I was also pretty proud of my crayon trick for the spot the border didn't cover. A little brown crayon followed by a little black crayon and the white spot now blends in perfectly!
2004 centered around frugality, finding our excesses and cutting them whenever possible. We cut down to basic cable and never missed it. We began really making use of the movies and books at the library. We discovered freecycling which helped us give and recieve so many useful things. We became thrift store regulars, seeking out treasures amid the racks. We discovered canning.
2004 also focused on honesty in our dealings with others. It was the year that my five year old announced to a neighbor that he did not eat lots of turkey on Thanksgiving, he ate lots of Tofurky. When she asked why, he told her we didn't eat animals. It was the year that my four year old asked for only stuffing and vegetables at his preschool Thanksgiving feast even though I gave him the option to try turkey. It was the year my daughters made pizza with friends at their birthday parties and all their friends agreed to try and prefered the soy cheese to the dairy cheese. It was the year my kids taught me to be up front and unapologetic about my beliefs.
So what's in store for 2005? I'm hoping to get more earth friendly and decrease my global footprint even more. Solar ovens, compost tumblers, and rain barrels are all things I'll be exploring. Planning our retirement home and life is also on my mind even though I'm only 34 and my hubby is only 39. The choices we make now will forever impact how and when we are able to live our work free years. I'll also be reading and trying out new recipes, especially ones written about lean times. One of the most creative cookbooks I came across was Grandma's Wartime Kitchen. It certainly wasn't veg but there were some great veg recipes in there.
Happy New Year
Now there are projects that I've been wanting to complete, like making the curtains for the living room or trying to make a rag rug from old jeans. This past weekend I put the finishing touches on a DVD bookshelf that was rescued from the trash heap. The back needed to be reattached but structurally it was fine. There were some ugly spots where the finish had come off. A little strategically placed wall paper border (left over, of course) and it looks great! I was also pretty proud of my crayon trick for the spot the border didn't cover. A little brown crayon followed by a little black crayon and the white spot now blends in perfectly!
2004 centered around frugality, finding our excesses and cutting them whenever possible. We cut down to basic cable and never missed it. We began really making use of the movies and books at the library. We discovered freecycling which helped us give and recieve so many useful things. We became thrift store regulars, seeking out treasures amid the racks. We discovered canning.
2004 also focused on honesty in our dealings with others. It was the year that my five year old announced to a neighbor that he did not eat lots of turkey on Thanksgiving, he ate lots of Tofurky. When she asked why, he told her we didn't eat animals. It was the year that my four year old asked for only stuffing and vegetables at his preschool Thanksgiving feast even though I gave him the option to try turkey. It was the year my daughters made pizza with friends at their birthday parties and all their friends agreed to try and prefered the soy cheese to the dairy cheese. It was the year my kids taught me to be up front and unapologetic about my beliefs.
So what's in store for 2005? I'm hoping to get more earth friendly and decrease my global footprint even more. Solar ovens, compost tumblers, and rain barrels are all things I'll be exploring. Planning our retirement home and life is also on my mind even though I'm only 34 and my hubby is only 39. The choices we make now will forever impact how and when we are able to live our work free years. I'll also be reading and trying out new recipes, especially ones written about lean times. One of the most creative cookbooks I came across was Grandma's Wartime Kitchen. It certainly wasn't veg but there were some great veg recipes in there.
Happy New Year
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