HAPPY NEW YEAR!! January 4, 2014

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!  I know I did, but I am also glad for it to be behind us.  I celebrated by hanging out with my neighbors.  It was so kind of them to welcome me into their home.  Thank you Alexandra and Evan!!  Not only did I entertain family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I celebrated 10 years in business at Salon Incognito.  AMAZING.  There are so many blessings in my life.  Feeling very loved and humbled.  So, now that all of the chaos of November and December is over, I am feeling a bit blase’.  As I type this I am looking outside.  It is cold, dreary, and bleak.  I am longing for the sunshiny days of summer.  That has inspired me to start researching raised bed gardening, starting organic non gmo plants from seeds, and greenhouses gardening.  This is going to be my year to grow my own food.  I have always done containers on my deck with herbs and peppers.  Hopefully, as I research the best ways to garden I will be living off the land during the growing season.  

I have many New Years Resolutions for 2014.  I hope to do yoga more often.  Continue to eat healthy.  Drink less alcohol.  Set an intention for the day.  Little baby steps everyday.  What are your resolutions?  What ever they may be I wish you the best of luck!!

Happy 2014!!  

Vegfueg

 

 

Tomatoes!! September 3, 2013

Ok, so call me crazy!  I think I am the only person on this planet that hates raw tomatoes.  They come on EVERYTHING!!!   No tomatoes please, could be my indian name.  So, here is the irony in today’s post…I am sitting here eating a delicious bowl of tomato soup.  Yep that’s right folks, a bowl of tomatoes.  I have had so many sweet people give me veggies from their gardens this year and I haven’t let one thing go to waste.  Thank you Brenda White!!  Thank you Kate Gabriel (actually, thank your mom!)  And thank you Oliver Onion!! Everything has been so fresh and tastey.  What have I done with all of this yumminess?  Let me tell you!!!  Tomato Soup!  Here is the recipe…

24 small to medium tomatoes

1 sweet potato

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups veggie broth

one medium  yellow onions

a few tablespoons of olive oil 

cut tomatoes in half and place them in a glass baking dish cut side up.  coat with olive oil and place in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes.  while they are cooking rough cut the sweet potato and onions and mince the garlic.  sautee the onions, sweet potatoes, and garlic in a bit of olive oil on the stove.  once the onion mixture is softened reomove from heat.  cool the tomatoes as well after the 50 minutes.  once everything has cooled place in a food processor until desired texture is achieved.  serve immediately.  I garnished the soup with fresh basil.  

The super good news is is that it was a huge hit with the kids and they had no idea they were eating sweet potatoes!!  Double bonus.  My food critics were Oliver Onion-I think he may have added red pepper flakes for some kick, Crazy Carrot and Tater Tallie used theirs as a dip for a panini, Jumpin Jalapeno scooped it right up.  The only person is my ever so picky Cheri Cherry that still hasn’t grown to love the flavor of tomatoes.  Maybe one day right?  4 out of 5 kids approved!!  I hope you try the recipe.  There are a lot of ways to add to this base and make it your own.  Enjoy!!

I am BACK!!!! Summer of 2013 July 10, 2013

Hello friends,

I am sitting on my deck enjoying the beautiful day.  I can’t believe we are inthe second week of July already.  Summer took a while to get here, but it is in full swing!  Baseball, farmers markets, and lots of pool time, what more could you ask for?  I know what we could do without, GNATS!!!  They have been ridiculous this season.  The best way to beat them that I have found is with BUG SOOTHER.  This miracle in a bottle is made locally.  Woot Woot.  It is DEET free, safe for kids and pets.  Check out their website at http://www.simplysoothing.net.  

 

I have planted a little deck garden this summer thanks to Brenda White.  She gave me some pepper plants.  Thanks girl.  I also planted basil that I got from the farmers market.  There were so many varieties to choose from.  Lemon, cinnamon, thai, traditional, and purple.  Yummy!

 

So let’s talk about wine!  Vegan/organic versus conventional.  Who knew that animal by-products are used in traditional wine making?  I enjoy a nice glass of Pinot Grigio as much as the next person.  It now looks like I’ll be reading labels on that too.  Here is what I discovered….

• Vegan wines- a vegan wine has more to do with a process than a type of wine.  First understand that conventional and organic wine makers use ‘animal products’ during production to clear or ‘fine’ the wine, to keep it from turning cloudy or to remove off tastes.  The fining agent acts as a magnet and collects the unwanted matter in the wines which sinks to the bottom of the tank.  Then the clear wine is racked or decanted off the sediment into a clean tank.  Since the wine is finally filtered at the time of bottling, no traces of the fining agents are left in the finished product.  Fining agents of animal origin commonly used are egg, egg whites, egg albumin, casein (milk protien), gelatin (derived from animal bones), andisinglass (derived from fish).  In order to make the wine vegan acceptable other fining agents are used that do not contain any animal product, one example would be bentonite clay.  

Does anyone have a favorite brand that is vegan?  Please share!

 

 

 

Long Time No Blog!! August 10, 2011

It is such a beautiful day today.  We survived the heat of the last several weeks.  Amen!

I have had the opportunity to travel lots this summer.  That is the good part, but it is always such a struggle to find clean and healthy food to eat on the run.  Last weekend, that was not the case.  I went to Chicago’s Lollapalooza with my home girls and was so impressed with the food selection!!  If you ever have the chance to check out this crazy 3 day music festival, I highly recommend doing so.  Not only were there music options for all ages, there was food choices for all tastes!!   L<3ved it!!  I was so impressed with my ever picky Tattoo Tangerine.  She discovered a farmer’s market that was there all weekend offering fresh locally grown treats.  Tattoo Tangerine even snacked on a gorgeous Granny Smith apple.  Good girl Tat!  I didn’t do as well, but my favorite choice was a bean and rice burrito that kept me satisfied all afternoon.  Thank you Lolla for having such a wide array of talent and yummy food offerings.  And THANK YOU to my super awesome friends for letting me be a part of such a wild weekend.  See you there next year!!

Also a special thanto Chloe Clementine’s dad for sending me yummy sweet corn, purple and green cabbage, and tomatoes!!  You have been a help in keeping me and my family fed this summer.  Muwaaaa!  

Summer time! June 22, 2011

I am having such a good time having the kids out of school!! It does add a bit of chaos to my schedule and it does add a bit more on to my grocery list.  If I could count on my fingers and toes how many times they both say, “Mom, I’m so hungry!” “Mom, can I have a snack?”.  We don’t keep traditional “junk” food in the house, so their options aren’t ever terrible, but they aren’t always optimal.  I try to get them to eat a fruit, then a veggie, and if they are still hungry a frozen fruit bar.  They get the feeling of having a sweet treat without giving into Betty Crocker or Little Debbie.  So, my sweet little Cheri Cherry is a tough cookie to crack.  She will eat frozen grapes this year, only the red ones, duh!  We did find something new at the farmers market that has made her so happy.  I love when I find something that she will really dig into.  There is an awesome booth of gourmet pastas.  And yes, they do have healthy selections.  Cheri Cherry and my Crazy Carrot picked out a garlic and cracked pepper shells that was so flavorful, we only dressed it with olive oil and Earth Balance spread.  Also, a snip of Mammoth basil that we also purchased at the farmers market.  I served a plate of mixed greens and homemade dressing topped with roasted pumpkin seeds.  Amazing!!  It has been so fun to go out to the deck and cut off a bit of basil, chives, oregano, cilantro or rosemary to add to any dish.  What an economical way to add flavor.  Have you ever purchased basil in the supermarket?  So expensive.  I love summer!!

So if you get to the farmers market this Saturday in downtown Davenport, check out JC’s Pasta booth.  It is delicious.  So many varities… http://www.pappardellespasta.com/content/locations.php#iowa

Farmers Markets are here!! June 10, 2011

I had the best day with my bestie Prissy Persimmon at the farmers market.  All of the colors and smells, the people, the sunshine, it was a touch of heaven.  This is the awesome part of deciding to be a vegan.  It is so easy to chose to eat plant based.  I purchased protein and carbs, planned beautiful meals with no animal product involved.  Meeting the people that are excited to tell me that my fruits and veggies have never been sprayed was fun too.  My Prissy thought I was so funny because I don’t know how many times I said, “This is so fun, so cool, I am so excited!!”  Even one of the girls working a booth said that she was so glad that I was so excited.  After that I tried to chill out.  

The most fun that I had was getting to pick out mixed salad.  There was a booth that had so many different types of lettuce that I had never heard of.  It all came from Geneseo, Illinois. Who knew?  You go through and pick out whatever floats your boat.  A small bowl is $5.00 and a large bowl is $8.00.  A small bowl lasted me all week.  I got a lemon lettuce ( I know, sounds weird, but it was zingy and crispy!) I also got beet greens, kale, and a mustard lettuce.  He threw in a little dill as well.  I can’t wait to go back next week, because they say they have different kinds that grow all through the season.  I made some different home-made dressings to go with it.  Perfect meal for the hot weather we had!  

I also got some beautiful herbs.  There are so many aromatic kinds of basil!  Who knew.  I got a lime, thai, and a mammoth basil.  I planted them in a container for my deck.  It has been fun for the kids to go out and take a bit and put them right on the food we have prepared.  We also got cilantro and thyme.  Yum!

Moral of the story-head out to your local farmers market.  Support our local growers.  Learn something new about the food that you are eating or have never eaten before.  We are so fortunate to live in an area where food is so abundant.  Eat up friends.  

If I had a dollar…. June 3, 2011

If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked me-“how do you get protein”, when I tell them I am a vegan, well I would be a billionaire.  This doesn’t upset me, it just makes me want to do a bit more research and share my findings.  So, pay attention!  I am about to tell you how I get protein and stay strong and healthy.

First of all, how much protein is enough?  How much is too much?  There will be arguments about this I’m sure.  (I am just reading info and reporting.)

The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommends that the protein intake should be calculated according to your weight and age.  (0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight).  1 kilo equals 2.20 pounds.  Meaning average woman requires 50 grams of protein per day and an average man 56 grams per day.  To put it another way, 15 to 20% of your calories should be protein.  This is easily done on a plant based diet.  People on the standard American diet eat nearly twice the recommended amount of protein. This can be unhealthy, especially on an animal based diet.  Because of the saturated fats that come with all the meats, even lean meats.  The American Dietetic Association holds that vegan diets provide more than enough protein. Amen….Brought to you by an excerpt from a book called “The Veganist”, the author is Kathy Freston.  It’s a great read.  Highly encourage you to read it if you would like more info on adapting to the world of veganism.

I do eat a lot of nuts and beans.  But there is protein in other plants as well.  Here is a great example that surprises people all the time.  Sesame seeds have a ton of protein.  1 cup of dried sesame seeds has 20.33 grams of protein. Yes, a cup of sesame seeds sounds like a lot!  But, consider sprinkling some on a salad or in a soup.  You are half way to your protein needs with seeds.  Who would of thought…Ok, so here is a new favorite of mine.  It is a cold summer soup.  Which, quite frankly, I thought was going to be super gross.  Hey, I’m honest, what can I say?  It is an avocado, lime, cilantro soup.  I don’t have a picture to attach, if you have ever seen avocado puree, I am sure you get the jist of the color and texture.  Still, it is an amazing soup.

Avacodo Lime Soup

2 large ripe avocados

1/4 c red onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 lime fresh squeezed

Cilantro to taste.  Cilantro is a strong flavor, everyone has there own feelings about it.  I for one can’t get enough.

2 chipotle chilis in adobe.

Vegetable broth to thin the soup

Blend all of the ingredients minus the broth.  At this point, it makes a nice dip.  Have a few pita chips and that’s a great appetizer!  Add cold broth to thin into a soup to your liking.  Crush some artisan whole wheat tortilla chips on top and you have a great hot weather meal!

And while we are talking about protein, to add a bit more nutrition add a variety of rinsed canned beans to the soup once it is chilled.  Adding more of that much asked about protein!  As for the reviews on this new soup at work, Cleo Clementine thought it was the bomb.  Miss Tattoo Tangerine would have no part of my new concoction.  Too bad for her.  My Miss Picky Pants (no green food touching my lips) Lola Lemon was out of town.  I’ll have to make another batch to get her input.  Broccolini Benny really wants to be at the very least a vegetarian.  He just needs a little scootch in the right direction!

Happy living-

Vegan Fuegen

Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot… May 23, 2011

Today was an amazing day!  I got to enjoy a Hot workout with my very bestie, Prissy Persimmon.  We went to Iowa City this morning to enjoy an awesome workout at Zenergi Hot Yoga Studio.  Lisa is the owner and instructor.  She made a beautiful place to practice in.  Lisa made sure that she used paint that was environmentally safe, cork floors, and energy efficient heating and cooling. My favorite part of the class is when Lisa tells us to set an intention for the day.  It makes me think about goals that I want to achieve for the week.  Prissy Persimmon and I have such hectic and crazy lives, it is so nice to spend 60-90 minutes just concentrating on breathing and our bodies movements.  These are precious minutes for us to not worry about being perfect.  Putting yourself out there to move your body in a new position and having a patient instructor guide us to grow in our practice is worth the 40 minute drive.  If you have never checked out yoga, I strongly encourage you to do so.  If you have tried out yoga, I really think you need to give hot yoga a go!!  What could be better than spending an hour in a room heated to 100 degrees with 70% humidity?  http://www.zenergihotyoga.com

Does Ice-burg lettuce have nutritional value May 6, 2011

Ok, I have been traveling a lot in the last 2 weeks.  It has been a huge challenge to find nutritious vegan meals.  The airports, the hotels, the restaurants, are so full of processed yucky meals!!  I tried to eat as well as I could.  In doing so, I ate a LOT of salads.  They were yummy with the assorted toppings I added to my ice-burg lettuce, but I missed having something warm “creamy” to enjoy.  It also got me thinking, I eat this way to be the healthiest I can be and I’m eating lettuce salads that have “no nutritional value”.  So, this has prompted a little research.  Is ice-burg lettuce less nutritious than spinach salad?

This is what I have found:

In ice-burg lettuce there is vitamin A, calcium, vitamin C, and iron.  There is a small amount of protein.  Many of the calories come from sugar.

I compared ice-burg to spinach salad.  Spinach has the same vitamins, but way more of the good stuff.  Both have vitamin A, spinach has 188% and ice-burg has 10%.  Spinach has 47% vitamin C where ice-burg has 47%.  The other interesting part is that they are both anti-inflammatory.  Once again, spinach is the clear winner.  It has a rating of 258 and the other has a rating of 10.  They both rate the same in “fulllness factor”.  They both keep you feeling full because of the fiber content.  So, does ice-burg have any  nutritional value or is it just water?  I am not a trained professional, but I so believe that though not all lettuces are equals, there is a value to all lettuce.  As I looked around the table I shared with my compadres, I feel that ice-burg is always a better selection over lots of other things I could have chosen.  I have heard many arguments trying to determine if some food is better than no food.  There has to be a happy medium.  If you only have a doughnut, is it better to eat it opposed to eating nothing?  Once again, I am no professional, but I am guessing that unless you are stranded in a Crispy Creme store, there is always a better option.  And maybe if you have the kind of luck that you are actually stranded in a doughnut shop, I am sure you other things to worry about.  Get the heck out of there FAST!! Find great whole food before the pastries start calling your name.  

I just made a very exciting purchase.  I have received my very first pair of Tom’s.  These are shoes that do so much more than adorn my feet.  They are vegan, cute, and comfy.  But still, they are so much more than that!  Every pair that is purchased, another pair is donated to a child in need of shoes.  

http://www.toms.com

Vegan Spicy Black Bean Soup April 28, 2011

Good evening!!  I had a someone recommend a delicious and spicy soup.  It is still cold here in Iowa, so a nutritious warm meal was a great way to fill my belly.  

Here is the recipe.  (easy)

Black Bean Soup

 1 tsp. Organic better that boullon vegetable base

8oz. boiling water

1 can chopped green chilies

1 can mexi-corn drained

1 can rotel tomatoes

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can spicy fat free refried beans

1 can hominy drained

This is so easy, because it is a dump soup.  In a crock pot, start with thevegetable base and hot water.  Dissolve the base.  Next, add the refried beans and stir until mixed well.  Then, simply dump the rest of ingredients in.  Cook on high until warm.  You could add some crushed crispy corn tortillas to the top with a dollop of “better that sour cream”.  A few slices of avocado is yummy as well.  Lots of possibilities to change this soup.  

When I made this for the first time, I brought everything to work and made it in the office.  My awesome fellow staffers are always ready to try a new dish.  They are always so surprised that there is no meat and they are full and satisfied. ( I have changed the names of my team mates to protect their identity.)  Tattoo Tangerine is usually the hardest to get to try new things.  I love when I make her happy, especially when it is Mexican food.  Hard to compete with her grannie.  My little Lola Lemon has the palate of a toddler.  As long as it isn’t green she is good to go.  So, even if you have a meat eating maniac or a sweet tooth Sally, this is sure to please.  

It is so helpful to have people around to support you if you are changing your way of eating.  I know lots of us spend more time with people we work with than people we live with.  Not that I am trying to put my decisions on others, but ya, I am.  HAhahaha.  I rather call it inform.  If you don’t know, you don’t know.  So, thank you to all of my dear “lil’ fruits” that I work with for supporting me and letting me try my new recipes on you.  

A favorite find!! Check it out…

Bella lucce’ Lip balm.

Itis a madagascar vanilla nilotica lip care. Unfortunately, it is not vegan.  The chap stick does have organic beeswax as an ingredient.  I have had a hard time finding a chap stick that doesn’t have beeswax.  The company is cruelty free and earth friendly.  Blended in the U.S.A. by hand.  

Check out http://www.bellelucce.com to find a salon near you to experience a earth friendly body care company.