How It All Vegan!

This month marks Jordan's and my FIVE YEAR VEGAN-versary!  FIVE delicious, compassionate years!!!  I can hardly believe it?!  In celebration of this momentous occasion, I wish to expound more upon what has helped me along this wonderful journey...

I was already close to being a vegetarian when I officially chose the vegan path in April 2006, spurred forward entirely by the powerful read, Diet For a New America, by John Robbins.  But by no means was I well educated in day-to-day vegan cooking and whatnot!  I yearned to be vegan with all my heart, but my head had to play catch-up!  All I knew was that certain foods were not going to be purchased or eaten anymore--a boycott, plain and simple.  But beyond that, it was all just a journey into a vegan wilderness.  But it was a journey I was excited to embark upon!  I'd just have to do without those familiar, yet cruel, foods.  And do without them my husband and I did!  No butter, cheese, milk, eggs, meats!  I didn't even enjoy the compassionate alternatives or faux varieties of such items!  The fact of the matter was that I didn't realize they existed!

So you can imagine the joy I felt when we discovered vegan mayo... OH MY GOSH!  Follow Your Heart Vegenaise?  Pure Elation!  It had been so long...  And Earth Balance vegan "butter"?!  WOW!  I'd been using peanut butter to make cinnamon toast, and mashed bananas to make frosting!!!  It never was quite what I wanted.  But now, all was well--my vegan journey was comfortable and complete!

It seems silly today, but my Jordan and I were very lonely vegans for well over a year. Outside of ourselves, we didn't know a single vegan!  We didn't think to visit a health-food store to look for alternative foods... we thought they only stocked vitamins.  We also didn't understand the magnitude of blogging and networking or we certainly would have tuned in sooner... it would have been so easy to tap into the culture and be in-the-know about all things vegan.  Oh well.  We eventually stumbled on a few old time acquaintances who happened to have chosen the vegan path as we had.  Through them, we became connected to even more vegans in the Salt Lake Valley!  What joy!  We were no longer alone!

But before all that...  The very first thing we did as "green" vegans was go to the library and look at the vegetarian cookbooks.  One particular selection caught our eye: How It All Vegan! By Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer.  Being timid chefs, we scoured the pages, looking to see if these recipes were within our ability to create.  We saw promise, and immediately checked the book out and took it home.  We utilized that cookbook, to the best of our ability, for weeks on end.  We'd return it to the library on day 30, then turn around and check it right back out again.  We did this for at least 6 months straight!  We finally broke down and bought our own copy so that some one else could get some benefit out of the poor book! :)

 I always swear to people, (well, not swear, but you know what I mean...) that How It All Vegan! saved Jordan's and my vegan butt!  Even though it was a year later that we discovered a local health food store carrying a plethora of additional and "unknown" ingredients we could use to make the remainder of recipes with, still, we wouldn't haven't known what to do or how to proceed with the very real everyday food questions and concerns we had as brand new vegans without this book.  It was a timely find, and a blessing to be sure!

We have now whipped up everything from chili to chocholate cake from Sarah's and Tanya's cookbook and verdict is always the same: FABULOUS!!!  I have already shared a few of the recipes from this cookbook here in my blog, as well as Jordan's and my variations on them.  That was before I realized the power of networking that blogs can accomplish.  I want to honor the authors--not tarnish their source of income by putting their work all over the web.  So I will not be typing out their recipes word-for-word on my blog anymore.  But I just may type up a review and add a photo of their tasty creativity here for you to browse!  Then maybe you'll want to check out How It All Vegan! at the library for six months straight too!  :)  Or perhaps you'll behave like a normal person and just go buy it!  Who knows!  :)

But whatever you do, I just want you to know that I have a very soft spot in my heart for How It All Vegan!  By Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer.  I sincerely thank these two ladies for educating me with practical vegan know-how!  They are inspirational women who are not ashamed to live their values in the kitchen, everyday!  I am very grateful to have fallen upon such good fortune as to have their sassy cookbook resting on my countertop.  It was the perfect follow-up to Diet For A New America.  I don't know how I would have survived in the vegan wilderness without it, much less FIVE YEARS!   

Happy Vegan-versary!!!

The Rambutan

Guess what?  

I tried a new variety of fruit the other day!  I saw it at the grocery store and thought,  

"What is THAT???  I should try it!"  

So I did!  It's called a rambutan, which basically means "hairy" in Malay, and this makes perfect sense upon glimpsing the rind of this unusual little fruit.  After reading a little bit about them on the internet, I learned that they are grown far, far away from my native Utah, typically on the Southeast Asian side of the world.  Here in the U.S., they may be an exotic sight.  But in many cultures, they are as ubiquitous a food as an apple is to us. 

They sure are beautiful, fresh, on the tree! 

(By the way, this garden photo doesn't belong to me, but the other two pics are mine.)

To reveal the edible inside, I began by using a sharp knife and cutting around the soft-spined outer shell.  Here is what I discovered: a milky-white, pearl-like, fruit-flesh.  I took a nibble...  It had a chewy consistency.  And the flavor... Mild, quite mild.  It reminded me slightly of the taste of raw coconut.  Probably the easiest way of putting it is this: eating rambutan is kind of like eating a large grape, but without the extreme sweetness and juiciness of a grape. 

And do you know what else?  There really wasn't much flesh to eat, what with the big ol' gray pit I found in the center!  I ate around it.  And it looks like that was a good thing to do because from what I read about the rambutan, the pit is bitter and potentially poisonous.   So...  don't eat the pit!  

Rambutan also appear to have some useful nutrition factoids.  I read that they are a quality source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus. 

It was a strange experience, the rambutan.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. The taste was so indistinct and the texture so... somewhat gummy, I don't know quite what to make of it.  In all fairness I may have selected a past-its-prime piece, in which case that may explain the so-little-flavor and lack of moisture.   The web says to choose a rambutan that is bright red, its little spines devoid of any black color.  My rambutan was nearly all black before I even purchased it!  Just look at my photos!  Oh dear... 


As of this moment, I don't feel a pull to consume any more of these exotic fruit.  But I ought try rambutan again because maybe I still don't know what I'm truly missing--maybe I just didn't select a good juicy one. 

So when I decide to give rambutan a second chance, I'll be certain to write a follow-up. Stay tuned!  :)

This amazing piece of literature started it all...

Diet For a New America 
How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth 

by John Robbins, 1987, 1998

It stood out.  Only one title, among hundreds, on those heavily crowded campus library shelves. Still, it caught my eye.  So in late 2002, on one such library visit, I acquired it. I'd been interested in the topic of healthy living for many years, so picking up a book like this was fairly routine.  But the content of this selection was far from routine. In fact, I couldn't put it down! It was beautiful and horrific, all at the same time. I wish I could say that upon reading nearly half the book in one sitting, I immediately took action. But for whatever reason, I didn't feel prepared to make the vegan commitment. I think it all seemed too overwhelming at the time, living away from home, attending Dixie State College. Nevertheless, the book resonated within me to such a degree that I bought my own copy.

Years later, in 2006, I revisited "Diet For a New America" a second time. Again, I quickly devoured it, cover to cover. Yet before I ever finished, in my heart, I was eager to change--there was simply no way I could ignore the ugly truth any longer. I was finally ready! I immediately turned back to page one and read the book through a third time.  But during this round, I read aloud to my consenting husband, Jordan. He, too, was shocked and disturbed and felt compelled to change. He told me that what made his decision clear was discovering the true story about fuzzy little boy-baby chicks, tied up in sacks and wantonly thrown away, alive...

It has now been four years since that definitive April 2006 and we have never regretted our choice to live vegan--not for a moment! And unlike I had previously worried, it isn't a hard lifestyle to live after all! There's support and open arms for animal-concerned individuals at every turn. What a relief!  Except that it makes me sad that I didn't choose compassion all those years earlier.

I know I've gone on a tangent, but "Diet For a New America" is an amazing piece of literature--a wonderful book with the power to change the course of a life.  It certainly played a pivotal role in mine!  Author, John Robbins' concern for the welfare of farm animals, human health, and environmental responsibility is absolutely contagious! This title will always have a special place in my heart for setting me, and my husband, onto a path of greater peace, kindness, wholeness, and enlightenment. I feel so thankful...

"Happy Vegan Anniversary!  Four Great Years and Still Going Strong!"

Brandi's Italian Stuffed Shells

I'd been wanting to try out my best bloggie friend, Vivacious Vegan's "Italian Stuffed Shells" recipe.  And I did!  It was fun to make!  And easy!  Which surprised me because I've never fixed stuffed shells before.  The nice thing about this recipe is how you simply open up some of your favorite pantry standbys and layer everything together.  And disguising the tofu as ricotta is pure genius!  Why did I never prepare this before?!  I should do it again!  It was yummy!  I am excited to try out variations on the theme!  The possibilities are endless!  But I need a few vegan pointers.  So...  

How do you like to spice up a stuffed shells meal?  I want to hear your ideas!  

Thank you, Brandi, for the inspiration! 

My New Favorite Snack!

While perusing the shelves at Good Earth Natural Foods, they caught my eye...   I know that vegan athlete, Brendan Brazier, touts them for their superior nutrition...   I've even noticed that many vegan bloggers toss them into their smoothies and over top green salads...  What am I referring to?  

Raw Organic Hempseeds!  

Oh Boy, are they good!  What soft, chewy, earthy, tiny morsels of deliciousness!  Their flavor reminds me a little bit of sunflower seeds, but they're nowhere near the same size.  Measured in tablespoons, these seeds are minute, yet jam-packed with natural goodness: protein, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron, and omega-3's!  They are also super convenient--they are already shelled, ready to eat straight out of the bag, which is what I like to do!

I'm going to be sad when these babies are all gone.  They were a bit expensive, but the cost was totally worth it!  Besides, they are too yummy not to buy again!  

Raw organic hempseeds are my new favorite snack!  If you haven't already, you should give them a try!  I'm sure you'll like them as much as I do!

I love this book!

Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food

by Gene Baur, 2008  

While at my local library one sunny afternoon, by chance I happened upon this title, propped up on a book display.  The jacket was very appealing and I was immediately interested in it's content.  And it did not disappoint!  

Farm Sanctuary is one of the most gently written vegan books I've ever read.  I have yet to encounter a piece of literature which introduced me so personally to farm animals, not as some sort of collective, but for the individual souls that they are.  I especially appreciated how the author describes the plight of farmed animals, not only from an empathetic perspective, but from a legal point of view as well. 

Your heart will swell as you discover for yourself Gene's selfless story and that of his rescued animal friends-- their courage, their forgiveness, and their peaceful persistence.  In short, I love this book!  I can't wait to read it again!