Heaven and Hell - My 3 Day Dance with High Raw Vegan & a Cool App/Web Tool

As I approach the four-year mark on my whole foods, plant-based food program, I've reached a level of comfort in my understanding of why I eat the way I do and also a level of confidence around the kitchen.  I now have enough of an assortment of satisfying recipes, good cookbooks and alternatives for 'veganizing' most recipes I come across.  I also have been through the calendar year a few times now, so can deal with the various holidays and food-centered celebrations and the people that love me (and those that don't but find themselves in my proximity) have grown used to these big, big changes.

Although, I enjoy pretty good health, have maintained my initial weight loss (more or less, currently up about 7 pounds, but holding at that number), and do not actually even remember the last time I was sick, I still have been feeling that something is missing and that I can, and should, tweak my diet again, delving deeper into my understanding of what constitutes the recipe for optimal human nutrition.

And so, I looked into raw vegan diets, again.

I had looked at the 80/10/10 and 60/20/20 programs early into my switch to vegan eating but felt I was facing a big enough challenge going vegan at that time and passed it by.  {The numbers represent percentages of the macro-nutrients carbs/protein/fat, with the 80/10/10 being associated with Douglas Graham and classified as 'high raw vegan'....no cooked foods, carbs obtained from predominantly fruits, some veggies and fats from nuts and seeds in very small amounts}.

After reading up on the rationale behind Graham's program and agreeing with most of the logic behind it, I thought this would be a perfect 'spring cleanse' for me and a way to see if this program would be beneficial.

Day One:

Although I quickly realized that it was going to be a BIG challenge to ingest enough food in order to get the calories (2500) needed, I was optimistic and feeling very energized by the fruit meals.  I eat probably about 60-80% raw anyway, so I figured this would not be that difficult.

By afternoon, I was hungry, despite eating more food (in bulk, but not calorically) than I usually do in a whole day, but felt mentally clear and very energetic.

By evening, I was STILL hungry, hungry most of the day, despite eating a LOT and often, and I realized I needed a way to track what I was consuming.  A friend had told me about www.myfitnesspal.com and I found an app for it on my Android phone, downloaded and started inputting.  I realized that despite eating a massive quantity of fruits and veggies, I was over 1,000 calories low.  I consumed a huge salad and added a dollop of left-over rice casserole to help with the hunger and calorie load.

Day Two:

I started the day with a liter of water, as is recommended by some of the successful raw foodists, and had been generally keeping water consumption way up.  I felt VERY rested and supercharged for the day, great energy and wonderful mood, almost euphoric.  Hopeful, I jumped into my day planning out the food and tracking it on myfitnesspal.  I also thought I would add smoothies in to help with the physical aspect of consuming that much food and to boost calories.

This day went pretty well and I stayed very 'up' all day, dropped my tea consumption, realizing I didn't even need my tea....so much energy.  This is great.

Day Three:

I woke up starving....I mean, like STARVING, like a month on a deserted island starving.  Never have I been so hungry in my life.  I stayed in this state all.day.long, no matter what I ate.

By lunch, I was about in a panic.  Despite my continued input of food into my mouth and numbers into my app, I couldn't even approach the numbers I needed.  I downed 6 Medjool dates to get my energy going and ease my increasing anxiety.  I started getting a headache.  I became dizzy.

I made a HUGE salad, like feed 10 people salad and started tearing into it waiting for a moment of satiety where I could take a breath and relax a bit.  It never came.  I just remained hungry, hungry, hungry.  I added some avocado, thinking that would help a bit and it did a tiny bit, but...still, I was miserable.

Then I went to the bathroom to get ready to go somewhere for the evening and I looked in the mirror and about freaked.  I was bloated, with a swollen abdomen that I have not seen since I was 8 months pregnant.  It was scary.  It's when I realized, that although the logic of this type of eating makes some sense, there is one teensie-weentsie little thing that seems to not be addressed....it's called PHYSICS!  There is a maximum mass that can be put into another physically massed object.  Even allowing for the wonderful tolerance of the human body and the stretch of the stomach, still, there is a limit. Oh, I was miserable.

It is now 24 hours later....I followed my 'regular' vegan diet for most of today, but still spent most of the day hungry. It was like my body was just stuck in this fear of starvation and was telling me, hey, stupid, you aren't giving me what I need!  I had a nice sweet potato with black beans, corn and brown rice with some salsa and avocado for lunch and that finally did the trick for me.  I'm finally not dizzy, feeling more 'normal' and settled.  (Also, now only 4 pounds off my original weight loss numbers....having lost three pounds the first two days).

I did learn a lot from this foray into high raw vegan, and I do think that the fat levels in my diet have been too high...too many raw cashews slipping in, too much coconut milk.  I'm continuing to use the myfitnesspal app to track my nutrients....it can be customized for any program being followed and has been useful to see some other nutrients I've been concerned about.  I wish it had even greater detail, but there are some nice features on it, including the ability to just scan the UPC code of an item and to pull up the nutritional info from that.

I actually think the 80/10/10 numbers may be about right (or maybe 70/15/15 or thereabouts), but HOW that 80 is gotten is vital, for me, anyway.  I can't get that all in raw fruit/veggies, but could split that 80 about 50/50 probably between simple and complex carbs.  I'm going to play with it a bit and find the right ratios for me and see how my energy and general wellness goes.

More power to anyone who wants to follow this program and who is able to and there APPEAR to be great successes out there.  I think, with any program, we do need to listen to our bodies as we go along and be willing to change and tweak as feels right to us.  I think too, that yes, maybe we, as a people, did eat raw 10,000 years ago prior to modern agriculture, fire and so forth and maybe genetically we haven't changed that much in that time, but there is a food efficiency to a complex carb and there is a place for cooking our food.  While much remains the same, we are NOT the same humans we were 10 centuries ago, either, in many ways.

There is a practical side of this program too; I simply cannot (or am not willing to) spend about 4 hours or more a day in the physical act of eating, (and, a resultant vastly increased time in the bathroom!), and just getting this amount of food down is quite the challenge.  I would say the jump from vegan to high raw vegan is as far, or farther, than the jump from the standard western diet is to whole foods plant based (vegan).  It is very difficult, or at least I found it to be.

Sue, getting back to basics, in Ohio

Stuffed Mushrooms

I had some mushrooms threatening to become science experiments in the frig (one of the side-effects of shopping at Costco and buying in larger volumes; I've been running into 'extras' more and more and have been challenging myself to find different uses for the excess).

My husband loves, loves, loves mushrooms, whereas I can barely choke them down and do so only because (1) Dr. Joel Fuhrman says they are good for me (and helpful in the prevention of breast cancer) and (2) Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn has a great mushroom gravy recipe in his book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease".  {If you don't own Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live and Dr. Esselstyn's book, I highly recommend both}.

It's been a stressful winter season and I thought it would be nice to see if I could make something yummy for darling husband, who does so very much for me.


Stuffed Mushrooms:

12-15 mushrooms (I like Bellas)
1 large clove of garlic (minced)
1-2 cups of fresh spinach
1/2-1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 C ground raw cashews
dash of tamari (optional)
additional seasonings as desired

I pulled out the stems of the mushrooms and trimmed the dry bottoms off of those, setting the caps aside.  I rough-chopped the stems and put them in a frying pan with a little bit of water (I'll probably add a dash of tamari to this when I repeat).  I minced a large clove of garlic (I buy good garlic from our farm market and still had one good head left of a purple stripe long hard neck garlic....yummy), so tossed that in with the stems lightly sauteeing.  The aroma was wonderful.  After the garlic was just getting soft, I added chopped spinach, about 1 -2 cups and quickly wilted that, stirring continually.  I transferred this mixture to a bowl and added WAY too much red pepper flakes; husband likes hot food, so more is better, right?  Hmmm, maybe not, although he did say the left-overs 'calmed-down' after being in the frig overnight.  I'll do about 1/2 teaspoon next time.  Add ground up raw cashews and stir well.  Scoop into mushroom caps.
I placed in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  I think it would do better to have them in a hotter oven, and you could even finish off under the broiler if you wanted to crisp them up.

After my husband ate one, he said they were 'ok'.  (That's like 4 stars at a 5-star restaurant around here....the only higher rating here is 'good' or 'it's a keeper').  The REAL rating that I watch for though is to see if he goes back for seconds, which he did and then the next day made his own little meal out of the rest with some left-over pasta.  Score.

Maybe next time I make them, I'll be brave enough to try them....but, I'm only doing 'cause Joel says to ;).

I apologize for the horrible pictures and will change these out when I make this again, as I certainly will, and soon (just did a Costco run).

Sue, eating to live, in Ohio

Kale Krackers

It's been a cold, cold winter here in Ohio; the coldest and snowiest on record in a long time.  Just surviving the barn chores made more difficult by sub-zero temps has been a challenge and my definition of the specific temperature that actually qualifies as "cold" has been drastically altered.... 10 degrees Farenheit?  Nah...that's not cold; yes, Professor Einstein, everything most definitely is relative.

Vital for our survival this winter has been a trio of soups that I just love:

  Jonathan's chili soup  http://sunnyhawklane.blogspot.com/2013/02/losing-plot-of-ones-life-and-jonathans.html
 
Sweet potato-spinach soup http://plantbaseddietitian.com/tag/robin-robertson/ (scroll down it is the very last one....absolutely yummy)

 and Corn Bisque (aka "Gruel" by my dear husband).  http://sunnyhawklane.blogspot.com/search/label/corn%20bisque

I think they have been key in helping us make it through the winter without any illness (I credit the ginger in the sweet potato soup especially for this good health).

One thing I always miss with soups though, is a good cracker and since it has been awhile since I've made an attempt at a home-made, healthy version of one, I thought I'd give it a shot this weekend, knowing that a huge pot of chili soup was in the works.

I didn't actually measure the ingredients and was making this up as I went along so the amounts are just estimated here.  I am doing a liver cleanse (I hope to carve out a piece of time to do a blog post on that soon) and otherwise keeping my diet very clean, so I was going for something very hearty and more than just a cracker.  I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Kale Krackers

3 T ground flax seed
1/2 C ground raw sunflower seeds
1/2 C ground oatmeal
1/2 C ground raw almonds (or almond meal)
1/4 C cornmeal
1/2 pound raw kale (I used a combo of red russian and lacinato)
water
Celtic salt
other seasonings as desired

Soak flax seed for a few minutes in small amount of water.  Add nuts, meal and seeds and combine.  Process kale in high speed blender with enough water to make it pourable.  (I used about 1/2 cup - 1 cup).  Add kale to dry ingredients.  This is where I played with the recipe and added a bit more dry ingredients (I ground up more sunflower seeds) to get a batter-like consistency.  I went for something not as soft as a cake batter but not as stiff as bread dough.

Spread on pizza stone.  Top with salt and/or other seasonings.  I started with a low temp and thought I would go for a long, slow bake which you could do if you are doing a raw diet, but then realized it would take too long for my impatient purposes, so I settled on a 350 degree oven and baked for about 20 minutes waiting for browning at the edges.

I used a pizza cutter wheel and criss-cross cut them while still warm.

They are seriously green!  

This cracker is almost earthy in taste...not your store bought version.  I will try it again with different seasonings (the base here would lend itself nicely to some red pepper flakes or other hot spice) and I also think that pumpkin seeds would be a nice addition.  For a sweeter cracker, a few Medjool dates could be added in with the kale in the blender.  I'm thinking of adding a red sweet pepper in the blender too, maybe some carrots and beets...the possibilities are endless.  This cracker really had the consistency of a cookie almost; I think if I spread the batter out thinner and increased the oven temp., it could make a nice thin hard cracker.



In the meantime, I'll gaze out the window and enjoy the snow and find the beauty of winter over a nice bowl of chili soup.

Sue, -1.1 degrees in Ohio, which is relatively cold.  ;)

Vegan Johnny.....

Marzetti!

I am so excited about this recipe. 

I used to make this casserole, Johnny Marzetti, all the time for my family, when the kids were little....it was such a snap.  Brown ground beef, add in cream of mushroom soup, pasta and pasta sauce and it was a done deal.  Of course, since going vegan, this, and my other claim to fast food fame, tuna slop (tuna, cream of celery, rice and cheese), have been permanently archived.

This weekend, for some reason, I was thinking about ole Johnny and thought, wait a minute....I can figure this out.

I started with my favorite lentils, Trader Joe's cooked lentils.  I don't know how they cook them, but they are so good.

Then I made up some cream of mushroom soup.  After searching the web a bit, I settled upon two vegan versions and basically did a combo of the two.

Virtually Vegan Mama has a recipe here: http://virtuallyveganmama.com/2013/11/vegan-cream-of-mushroom-soup.html

and Healthful Pursuit has one here:  http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6005805

In my version, I sauted about a half of an onion and one clove of garlic in some water.  I used one small box of baby bella mushrooms (chopped), and added those to the onion/garlic.  I soaked about 1/2 C of raw cashews for several hours, and processed those in the food processor with some coconut milk (I had leftover in the frig needing to be used).  As a thickener, I used a couple of tablespoons of flour and blended with some of the coconut milk along with some pepper, celtic salt (my new favorite seasoning) and a dash of onion powder.

Here is the blending of the soaked (and drained) cashews with the coconut milk going into the onion/garlic/mushroom mix that is sauteeing.

I added a bit more liquid after adding in the flour mixture.

Let heat for a few minutes to thicken up.

I lightly seasoned with some white pepper.

At this point, you could puree the mixture again and that would break up the mushroom chunks some, but I omitted that step.  I'm thinking I could boost the nutritional value of this dish and the mouth feel of the bottom layer by adding in some cannellini beans.  I'll play with that a bit.  More veggies could be added as well.

From here it is an easy conversion.

Mushroom mix blended into the lentils.  Pasta on top of the lentil/mushroom mix.  Whole-wheat penne in this case, but spaghetti would be nice too.

And pasta sauce on top of the pasta.

I like lots of oregano in mine.

Top with some ground raw cashews and a quick heat up and it is good to go.

 Both my husband and my (fairly finnicky) son pronounced this as GOOD! 

Fun stuff......already kicking around some ideas for resurrecting tuna slop.... :)

Sue, loving Johnny, in Ohio

Holiday Wishes, On Cultivating Joy and Fudge, of course!

We are nearing the winter solstice and the holidays and it is always this time of year that I find myself taking stock on a deeper level; what is working in my life, what requires a major over-haul and what do I want to accomplish in the time that remains.

These are heady contemplations and are best pondered with chocolate!  I used to make fudge and many other decadent treats this time of year for my loved ones, but since embarking on a plant-based and mostly non-processed diet, have dropped most of that tradition.  I found a fudge recipe recently that I thought would be, while not perfectly healthy, a good choice.  More on that in a few paragraphs. (Scroll down for recipe if you wish to skip my musings).

I've spent a lot of this year working on my emotional fitness, having reached the point where I feel that my diet is pretty good and now solid enough to free me up for some of the tougher work.  I can tell I've made some definite progress; while shopping this year, not only have I managed to avoid getting sucked into the rat race of commercialism that bombards us spurring us on to buy more, more, more, I've also avoided that twinge of nostalgia, the ache and yearning in my heart that would sometimes come upon me while in a store often triggered when a particularly sentimental holiday song would play.  It's that sweet and sour combination of missing the days gone by, relatives who've passed on and the sense that one's own days are numbered.  It used to leave me positively crippled somewhere between housewares and tinker toys.  This year, I feel the beginnings of 'the twinge' and quickly replace it with thoughts of gratefulness for the HERE and the NOW and all that I have in my life.  PROGRESS!

I've learned that life isn't about PREVENTING the negative or painful from seeping in (although certainly we can do some work in this area) as much as it is about having a good arsenal at the ready to meet it when it does.  The strategies to just 'quit that' or 'don't let it bother you', I have found to be woefully inadequate.  One needs TOOLS to utilize, not the challenge of meeting a negative goal. 

Freed up from intense depression, I can now look around at the faces in the stores and see the strain and stress and worry and hurry and I wonder, where is the joy in the season?

Recently while in a Target store, I remarked to the cashier about how terribly crowded it was in there, was there a big sale on or something going on that I was unaware of?  She explained to me that we DO have fewer shopping days before Christmas this year. 

What???

It was all I could do to keep a straight face.

I had no idea that in 2013 the calendar had been shortened!!!  Where did they take the days out?  April?  August?  November?  I thought the year went by fast!!!

(Now of course I figured out what she meant - Thanksgiving fell later this year and apparently, "most people" don't do their Xmas shopping until after Thanksgiving, but still...the absurdity of the statement really struck me.  Really....it's a panic, people!!!  Come on, you have FEWER days! Get out there and buy!)

No wonder we feel rushed, tugged and constantly under the crunch with these artificial shortages created to put more pressure on and impossible standards to reach finding 'the perfect gift' and so on.

It can be a challenge to remain joyful and in-the-moment.

But it is as simple as a decision to do so and to chart a different course.  Then, like a good sailor, make the corrections as the seas change....do less sooner, to avoid doing more later.  Take a pause, take a breath, look for and find the joy in your own life.  (Hint:  it's not in Housewares or Electronics).

As happy as I am with my progress, I'll continue my emotional fitness work into the new year and recently was referred to a neuro-psychologist's work by a friend on a similar path.  You can get a taste of Dr. Rick Hanson's work here if you have 13 minutes to spare. He has a few books out that I'll be working with and hope to blog about in the future. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpuDyGgIeh0


Now on to the chocolate.

I wanted to bake a few treats this year, send off some and also have some for the gift baskets I make.  Virtually Vegan Mama had an interesting fudge recipe using pistachios and pomegranate arils.  I decided to give it a try.   Here is the link to the recipe and VVM's beautiful photography.

Virtually Vegan Mama's Pomegranate Pistachio Fudge

http://virtuallyveganmama.com/2013/12/pomegranate-pistachio-chocolate-fudge.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+VirtuallyVeganMama+%28Virtually+Vegan+Mama%29

The recipe goes together quickly.  I did a quick half-recipe making a few substitutions, not having coconut butter, and subbing coconut oil instead (which makes for a sloppier concoction best kept in the fridge) and also using walnuts in place of pistachios.  I plan to make the exact recipe after I have a chance to run to the store and find coconut butter and stock up on pistachios, which are impossible to keep around here  (darling husband's favorite snack).  I think that combo will be wonderful.

I did have pomegranate arils, frozen, and used some thawed and drained and they are wonderful in the fudge. 

I'm also thinking that the fudge part, the chocolate without the additions, would lend itself well to a  recipe for Buckeyes, so I may play with that and will post any successes later.


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My holiday wish for you and yours is to connect with all that gives you joy, in whatever form it takes (even if it is electronic, :), and to have some time for peace in all the hecticness of the season.

Happy Holidays!

Sue, joyful, in Ohio

The Zen of Rock-Watering/ "2013 Cake"/Giveaway Winner

Did you know that it is important to water your rocks? 

You know, the rocks you may have around your flower bed......or possibly just a random rock you may find on the ground?

No?

I didn't either.

But recently, I had a lesson in rock watering.....from one of my favorite teachers.

I've been studying the Zen of Life from her for almost three years now. 

Here she is:

Seem a little young to be a Zen Master?

I assure you, she is not. 

What I have learned from her in the last three years could fill a 1,000-page book.

Like the need to water your rocks.

We were watering the flowers last weekend when I noticed that she was watering the rocks.  She said "I watering". 

I started to say, 'oh, but the flowers need the water' and stopped myself short.  Maybe the rocks do need the water.  How do I know?

I watched.

I saw the sheer joy in her as she lovingly watered the rocks.  Not just tossing water everywhere either.  Systematically covering every square centimeter on the surface of these huge rocks.  Rocks I found on our land and struggled to move into place to hold my flower bed......rocks I was so excited to have found.....rocks that once held purpose for me.....rocks that I have never once watered....rocks that I never even really look at anymore....completely forgetting the joy and excitement they once held for me.


My Professor of Zen caught me watching her and paused to flash me the broadest of grins, punctuated with a little giggle that simply would not be contained in her small body.

I answered with my own grin.....and giggle.

Yes, 'we watering'.

Maybe it isn't about the rocks or the water but is about just being....in....joy.....in....the moment.

Part of living more mindfully is being FULLY PRESENT and seeing the possibilities all around us.....in NOT just going down the same trodden path, but in looking beyond the things we do and unplugging from all that we do on 'automatic'.  Not just stopping to smell the flowers, but maybe stopping to ponder a rock, or to water one. 

Simple.  But not easy.

To find joy in the simple, is to find the key to a happy life.

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Today is my husband's birthday.  Happy Birthday, honey.  I don't know why I am wishing you happy birthday on here (my husband doesn't read my blog---in his view: 'why should I....you tell me all that stuff anyway'.  True that!).

He's getting his big yummy vegan german chocolate cake this weekend when we have a little get-together, but I thought he needed something today as well.

I wanted a lighter cake and some way to use up the gazillion pears I have from our pear trees who have been over-achievers this year.

So I came up with a hodgepodge of a recipe.  This is something I actually did just 'make up myself' although really I am pulling from memories of all the cakes I have made in my life and applying a few vegan baking concepts.  I had no idea how this was going to turn out.  Sorta like how I felt in January of this year....here's what I'm going for, no idea how this year is going to turn out kinda thing.  So, I'm calling this "2013 Cake".

Thought I'd go really out-there and add a baked sweet potato.  I peeled the skin off (feed to the nearest dog....they love them!), and mashed up by hand.

Terrible picture, but ground flax seed soaked in water for a few minutes.  Gets very gelatinous and is a great substitute for eggs in baked goods.

Adding in sweetener (maple syrup).

Alcohol-free vanilla.

Dry meets wet.

Getting ready to put in the oven.

"Icing".  Really is just melted chocolate chips mixed with some coconut milk.

2013 Cake

It came out very moist (this actually could have been baked a bit longer) and very tasty!  The birthday boy really liked it.  Success!

2013 Cake

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

1/4 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

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1 baked sweet potato, peeled

1/2 C maple syrup

1 t vanilla

2T ground flax seed (soaked in 3 T water)

3/4 C pears, peeled (I lightly poached mine)

1/4 - 1/2 C coconut milk

vegan dark chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients.  Mash potato.  Blend in syrup, vanilla, flax mixture.  Add in pears.  Slowly add in coconut milk and stir.  Adjust to get consistency of cake batter.  Fold in approx. 1/2 chocolate chips.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Check with toothpick and remove from oven when toothpick comes out clean.

Melt 1/2 c chocolate chips and stir in approx 1/4 c coconut milk.  Spread on cake (melts a bit into cake if you spread while cake is warm, or let cake cool first if you prefer).



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Winner of my 2013 Giveaway (copy of Happy Herbivore and a Veji-Bag) is Glorianne.  Thank you for entering, Glorianne.  You are the only one that did!  (I have to remind myself that I did not start this blog to amass a huge following or to 'monetize' it and have ads all over the place {nothing against people that do that, it's just not my thing}, but merely as something to help keep me accountable and to chronicle my efforts to become healthier.  A nice side-effect has been that a few people seem to have benefitted from the blog, and that is very satisfying.  To pay it forward I only need one person, so you are it, Glorianne!  Please e-mail me at:  sunnyhawklane@gmail.com and I'll get shipping info from you.)  Thanks to my overseas readers who didn't enter due to prohibitive shipping costs.  Gotta find a way to include you next year!

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Sue, off to water my rocks, in Ohio

Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss, Tipping Points.... and more on Vitamin D

Michael Moss's Salt, Sugar and Fat....is an infuriating book.  But oh, so necessary.

I would go so far as to say it should be required reading in order to live on Planet Earth, or in the mainstream U.S. anyway.

I have often said that sometimes I feel like I'm in the middle of a bad Mel Gibson movie, but, I have always often said that just because you are paranoid doesn't mean that someone isn't really out to get you.

It is hard to read Moss' well-written and well-documented work without feeling like finally, the 'paranoia' has been justified. 

Four to five years ago when I really began heavily researching nutrition, the failure of the modern medical system and the subversive nature of the insurance and pharmaceutical conglomerates, I could hardly believe the connection of the dots I was making.  How could evil exist at this extreme, in this time and place?

It seems clear:  money and profits, at all costs, even that of our health, is what is truly valued by the proverbial powers-that-be.  I don't know why someone hasn't extrapolated and figured out that if we die too early, they can't milk us for more money.  Oh wait, we also have to feed the greed of the funeral industry, but that, as they say, is another talk show.

Modern medicine and the pharmaceutical giants fill in the gaps and hold out their cold, greedy hands too.  They can (and do) conspire to keep us alive longer.  We just will not be healthy enough to actually enjoy being alive (and in some cases, even KNOW we are alive), and there will always be another pill that we 'need' in order to be 'healthy', and another to counter-act the side-effects of pill number one.

(I am not 100% jaded and do believe that many many students start on the course of medicine in a true effort to help their fellow humans, but somewhere along the way, things get very muddled indeed.  I also am over-simplifying somewhat as I do know some doctors will even suggest that patients exercise and eat more fruits and veggies; I am sure they are tremendously frustrated when the patient says: can't you just give me a pill?  Still, I have my own experience to pull on....for example, my own doc rolling her eyes at me when I told her I am on a vegan diet, and saying, that's just too hard.  And there is my own recent Vit D deficiency with ZERO follow up from my doc and yet I've received 3 notices that I need to get a mammogram.  ---I'm not getting any more mammo's....more on that in a future post----.  Things are just so completely inverse from what they should be.  It defies all logic.  But I seriously digress....)

Read Michael's work.  I know it isn't standard on-the-beach-Fabio-on-the-cover reading, but he illustrates clearly the linear progression of the rise of the modern food giants, and who is behind it, and traces it forward to the current state of health disaster that the U.S. finds itself in.  And, of course, like a true epidemic, this debacle knows no boundaries and is now a global problem.  Recently Mexico has over-taken the U.S. in the race to become the fattest nation in the world (excellent work, Mickey D's).  Very, very sad.

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I've just finished reading another book by Malcolm Gladwell who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors.  His book Blink was extremely interesting and The Outliers literally changed my life.  Tipping Point,   was also intriguing.  Like his others, TP often bogs down in the detail, still, it is worth pushing through all of those pertinent tiny pieces as Gladwell makes his case for whatever social/psychological observation he is exploring.  Tipping Point is fascinating to me on a personal level as I believe this is what will happen with our modern food system and our paradigms for medical treatment.  (more on Gladwell and his work here:  www.gladwell.com).


The public is not healthy.  The public is not happy.  There are not sufficient healthy food options to meet the changing perceptions regarding food.  It is still far, far easier (and cheaper) to get unhealthy food than to find fresh, organic alternatives.  But people are beginning to vote with their dollar.  The dollar is the language the powers understand.  Those dollar votes plus an uprising and united front on demands for change will in fact initiate change.

One whispering voice joined by 10,000 others becomes too loud to ignore.  At some point, the tipping point, things will landslide in the other direction and instead of finding fat, laden with sugar, topped with salt and more salt on every corner, we will find fresh organic produce in an ever increasing variety and the reward will be living in a world of healthier, happier people.

I know, you probably think I believe in fairy godmothers too..... :).

I do.
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As a follow up to the brief mention I gave the important topic of Vitamin D in an earlier post, I wanted to reference a great article by Paul Stamets about increasing the bio-availability of Vitamin D by exposing mushrooms to UVB.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-stamets/mushrooms-vitamin-d_b_1635941.html  Now is the time in northern hemispheres to take on such a project if you are interested.  I know I will re-visit the Vitamin D issue again.  It is so vital to our good health.

Giveaway on next post!

Sue, working for the tipping point, in Ohio

The "Palette" of our Lives, and My Anniversary Giveaway

I had tea with a friend yesterday.  He's a long-time vegetarian, not vegan (yet ;), but very much on a similar path as mine.  You may recognize that path too.  The one filled with giant boulders and invisible pits of quick sand and ruts so deep that once in them you think you'll never see the light of day again.

That path.

The one of self-discovery and continuous self-improvement.

"Good, better, best.  Never let it rest.  Get your good better and your better best", George Burns said.

This path is not for the faint of heart (many pairs of big-girl/boy panties required).  The temptations to take the 'easier' side roads are everywhere.

But along the way, you find those who can help you; some directly and some whose sole purpose seems to be to show you where you don't want to end up.

My friend has come up with a much better metaphor than the many I have dreamed up to describe the culling process I have gone through in surrounding myself with those that will help me on my way and in learning to keep those that will not at a bit of a distance.

He calls it my palette.  If my palette is earth tones and I am painting the canvas of my life, well then I do not want a big blob of shocking pink or chartreuse splashed in the mix. 

He's an artist and thinks like that.  Cool.

  This is what he fixed me for a snack:

I had to take a picture of it before messing it up!

I'm getting better at identifying the clashing 'colors' that do not mesh with my basic nature and the path I work so hard to stay on.  There are distinct 'hues' and types of energies I need to help me on my way.   But, occasionally, I am blind-sided.

(My brilliant son said to me the other day, after a particularly challenging event in my personal life, that I needed to remember the story of the frog and the scorpion.  I said, well, I think it had something to do with a river.  He said, yes, the scorpion wants the frog to carry him on his back across the river but the frog is afraid he will sting him.  The scorpion promises not to and the frog then agrees to help.  Half-way across the river, the scorpion stings the frog.  The frog asks: 'why did you do that?  Now we both will die'.  The scorpion says:  'because I am a scorpion'.   My son gave me a moment to take that in and then said:  Mom, these people are scorpions.  You are a frog.  You can't keep trying to carry them across the river.  Brilliant.)

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My giveaway.

I am a bit over 3 years now on this wonderful path of whole-food, vegan eating.  It has brought me so much more than I ever could have anticipated.  I like to celebrate by 'paying it forward' in a small way.

So here is my give-away for this year:

Lindsay S. Nixon's The Happy Herbivore

and a Vejibag

Lindsay's book is one that I use so regularly that it is one of the very few that I will not loan out to anyone.  I love her Everyday Happy Herbivore book as well, but Happy Herbivore has just become a trusted friend in my kitchen. Check out Happy Herbivore here:  http://tinyurl.com/l6s72pf

Vejibag recently had a sale on seconds....I picked up a couple and honestly can't find anything wrong with them.  I thought I'd include one with the book.  More on vejibags:   http://vejibag.com/  and in a previous blog post:  http://www.sunnyhawklane.blogspot.com/2013/06/two-reviews-veji-bag-and-film-may-i-be.html

Enter to win by:
Leaving a comment.  No 'theme' to this.  Don't have to tell me your favorite anything.  Just a comment.  I'll have my genius son pick a name out of a veji bag in a week or so.

Good luck in the drawing and, more importantly, in your life and whatever path you choose. 

Watch out for scorpions.

Sue, enjoying the journey, in Ohio

Mac 'n Cheez --- Dr. Michael Holick, The Vitamin D Solution ---- Happy 3 years

Who doesn't want a mac 'n cheez recipe and it is one of the hardest to get 'right' on a vegan/plant-based diet.  Mac Not Cheese was one of the first vegan recipes I tried, Rip Esselstyn's recipe from Engine 2 Diet.  That is still on my 'go-to' list as is Christy Morgan's version from Blissful Bites.  Both of these have become well trodden recipes, but I was shopping with a friend recently who happened to show me a dry mix version at our local Whole Foods, and I may have happened to possibly note the ingredients (shhh!) on said version with the intent of creating something similar at home.


Anyway, I came up with something I think is an acceptable version.  It still needs some tweaking, but my husband said he likes this better than either of the two recipes I normally use, and having something to eat that he enjoys is very high on my list of priorities.

My first try went like this:

Dry Mix: 
Whole Wheat flour**:  2 T (1 1/2T)
Nutritional Yeast:         3 T
Potato Starch*:             2 T
Salt:                              1 t
Garlic Powder:             1/2 t (1/4 t)
Mustard Powder:         1/2 t (1/4 t)
Onion Powder:            1/2 t
(cayenne powder:        1/8 t)

(*I used potato starch as the ingredient I was replacing was a root vegetable starch so I reasoned this would be a better substitute than corn starch--corn being a non-root vegetable.  I actually think it wouldn't matter.  I happened to also have a ton of potato starch that I got at our Asian supermarket super cheap.
**I have made this using Garbanzo Bean flour instead of wheat flour and it was just as good).

In parentheses are the changes I am going to make next time I make this.  I believe I will continue to tweak it over time and will post anything earth-shattering here.  My husband likes things a little spicy, so I thought I would add in the cayenne, just a bit.  He did say that he thought this was a bit heavy on the garlic.  It would be very easy to double, triple, whatever the recipe and store in the frig to throw together very quickly.  I'll be putting it to the true test this weekend with my grand-daughter!

Here are the dry ingredients mixed together.

I heated up coconut milk and also tried a version with homemade almond milk.  The coconut milk was far superior, but it would be interesting to try purchased almond milk as my homemade version tends to have flecks of almond in it since I don't strain it and I think that affected the texture of the sauce.

Adding the dry mix to the milk.

Mine got very thick and I ended up adding a bit more milk to get the right consistency before adding on top of pasta.

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I've been reading Dr. Holick's book, the Vitamin D Solution.  For some time I have suspected that I have low vitamin D levels and when I got my blood work done in May, it was confirmed that I have a Vit. D deficiency.  Up here in Ohio, we are lucky to see the sun even in the summer it seems this year, and I've learned a lot from Dr. Holick about just how our bodies make vitamin D and how vital it is to every cell in the body.  Dr. Holick believes we are suffering a pandemic of vitamin D deficiencies, and I find his logic to be very solid.  (Dr. H. knows a thing or two about Vit D having been the first person to identify the active form of vitamin D in the blood.  You can read an interview with him at this link and get a quick overview of the basics about Vitamin D, sun exposure, supplements, toxicity, etc. http://www.alternative-therapies.com/at/web_pdfs/0508_interview.pdf)

We are very limited to what we can get from our diet in the way of vitamin D, and even meat-eaters getting their D by consuming foods are doing so because D has been added, which may or may not be adequate or even accurate as reported on the food labels, per Holick. 

I am also supplementing with Vit. D2 at least until I get my levels up to an acceptable range. I  prefer not to use supplementation, but living this far north may not give me another option.

To make things more complicated, we need calcium to properly utilize and absorb D, and this too can be problematic to get in our diet.  I've been solving the calcium problem by making a concerted effort to get my greens at every meal (here I am back to Dr. Fuhrman's advice to eat a pound or more of greens per day), and I am also aware of other foods that provide calcium and strive to get those foods in.

Sun exposure is important, especially during key times of the day, when UVB rays are at the right angle so that we can absorb what we need and contrary to the fright that has been put into us about avoiding the sun, we need this exposure to ensure good health.

I highly recommend reading Dr. Holick's book for an eye-opening education on the vital role of vitamin D.  http://drholick.com/

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July has come and gone and that is my anniversary month.....I celebrated 3 years on this fantastic journey and way of eating in 2013.  I am so very proud and feel as committed as ever to this lifestyle.  I'll do a celebratory give-away next week.  Happy Anniversary to me!

Til then....

Sue, getting all the sun I can and eating my greens, in Ohio

Mexicali Yum Casserole

It's 5:00, (probably more like 6-6:30!) and you haven't started dinner yet and want something good and also need to cover your nutrient bases, what do you do? 

Start opening cans, baby.

This casserole is based on my dear friend, Renae's, Mexican Rice dish.  Renae has become a wizz at throwing things together, a skill no-doubt born out of necessity from her busy schedule.  I've changed it slightly from the original she sent me and you could do the same....as it is very easily adaptable.

I put on a large pot of brown rice (short-grain is my favorite).  I don't fuss about my rice cooking.  Water in pot, throw in rice, bring to a boil, turn down heat for a few minutes and cover and turn heat off.  I'll check to see if it needs more water and add as needed.

I chop a large onion or two and put them in a large skillet with just a little bit of water.  Stir occasionally and let the pan go mostly dry, then stir, stir, stir, to carmelize.

just starting to brown

getting there....

For this version, I lightly sauteed some leeks and shallots that I had fresh from my garden.  It was a nice treat.

While the rice and onion are cooking I start opening cans/packages.  My newest thing is cooked lentils from Trader Joe's.  Normally I am a bit of a snob about buying things pre-cooked, but I tried these and now am hooked.  YUM!  I layer these in the bottom of a large casserole dish.

When the rice is done, it will go on top of the lentils, but there are no rules to Mexicali!  Layer/dump as you see fit.

I open various cans of beans, my favorites for this dish being black beans and pinto beans.  Usually I will open about 3 or 4 cans, and pull the frozen corn out of the freezer.

Open canned tomatoes, usually one or two cans (omit if using fresh from the garden), and a can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies.

Open a bottle of salsa; I love Trader Joe's black bean and corn salsa.

but this is good too...

Start dumping everything into the casserole dish.  I usually go rice and lentils on bottom, then onion, then beans and corn;  I add tomatoes (fresh from the garden if you have) and salsa last.  Everything is cooked at this point so no reason to put it in the oven, but you can heat if you want.  We usually just warm up a portion, but I also like this cold with avocado slices on the top and Lindsay Nixon's sour cream recipe (from Happy Herbivore) as a topping.  My husband likes to spoon it into small corn tortillas and eat it soft taco style.  I've added Lindsay's queso with this too and that is also quite good.  This casserole is great as a topping on baked sweet potatoes and I've even spooned it on top of greens for a quick salad.

Definite yum!

(Note:  I've been having a side of greens, usually kale/collards with a sprinkling of raw sunflower seeds with most meals, even breakfast, for about a month now.  I've noticed an increase in energy and think it is providing some added calcium and vit A (per Dr. Michael Klaper we need a bit of healthy fat with the greens to help utilize vitamin A in our bodies). 

Sue, comer bien, in Ohio