Sunday, October 31, 2010

Spicy Lentil Soup

This recipe is easy, delish and perfect on our now cool, crisp fall days. I was bored one afternoon and had lentils to use up and just tossed a bunch of stuff into my crock pot and let it cook away for 4 hours. What came out was a rich and subtly spicy soup. I blend it up to make it thicker but if you like your soup thinner just blend 1/2 and mix it back in with the rest, simmering over low heat until its warm.

Super yum with a hearty slice of my favourite bread: Silverhills Bakery Squirrelly Bread

E's Spicy Lentil Soup

6 cups Water
2 cups Vegetable stock
1 cup Red Lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 cup Green Lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 Celery hearts, diced
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp each Red Pepper flakes & Cumin
3 Bay leaves
1 tbsp Canola oil
1 Onion, peeled and diced
Salt & pepper to taste

In crock pot combine water, vegetable stock, lentils, carrots, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin and bay leave.

Over medium heat sauté onion in canola oil until translucent.

Add onion to crock pot and stir all ingredients to combine.

Cook for 4 hours

Let soup cool slightly before blending (its usually too hot to put straight into the blender from the crockpot)

Skim off any foam and ENJOY!

This soup freezes wonderfully and this recipe makes about 8 servings.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Friday

This kills me every time .... ENJOY!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Real or Fake?

When I was a new vegan I took to the fake meats like a fish takes to to water (teehee - like my animal reference? Dang I am funny). It made the transition easier and like this article notes, it was nice to have comfort foods around and to be able to indulge in things that were familiar.

However, now a year into my veganism I feel that I can stand here and say: FAKE MEATS ARE BAD FOR YOU (and they taste gross too) with a clear conscious and the knowledge and education to back it up.

Why do I say this? Well, BECAUSE THEY ARE FAKE (and duh) are highly processed and full of preservatives. Mmmm, fake dead cows made of high fructose corn syrup, grain powders, artificial flavourings and color. Dosent that sound delish? ICK!

So keep on walking, move away from the fake chicken nuggets, “beef” strips and deli slices. Go onwards and find that veggie isle and dry goods bulk bin - Dive in head first to legumes, lentils, beans and whole grains. I promise, you will not be sad you did.

Sure, fake meats serve a purpose when you are at the start of your vegan conversion and help to bridge gaps that may be hard to cross at the beginning. But they should only play that bridging role and be something that you move away from as you become more confident in the kitchen and find better and FAR TASTIER ways to replace meats and dairy products in your diet.

There are endless website and books devoted to yummy, easy vegan cooking. Even here on my blog you will find tons of recipes that are tasty and simple (trust me, I ain't no Martha, but I do know my way around my kitchen).

So ditch the fake stuff and go for the good stuff, the REAL stuff: FOOD!!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

GO VEGAN WEEK

The 5th Annual GO VEGAN WEEK is taking place between October 24 - 31.

If you are not currently living a vegan lifestyle, take the plunge and try it - Even if just for the week.

Sign up and take the Vegan Pledge and go vegan for 7 days.

Take action, for the animals and the planet. A plant based diet not only improves your health, it significantly reduces your carbon footprint and helps to preserve our natural resources for all our future generations.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Biggest Loser goes VEGAN!

My heart is singing!

Bob + Vegan = Biggest Loser is even better than before!!!


Note: The losing 40 lbs in a week thing is still scary and strange.

Urban Decay Cosmetics - Vegan Friendly

How is it that I JUST found out about this?!

I am in Vegan Make Up Heaven!!!!

What Vegans are NOT

This following paragraph is probably the best summation I have ever read of how I feel about myself and my other vegan sisters and brothers:

Earth Balance: Another one Bites the Dust

Slappin’ the faces of those that eat you

As the title of this article reads, that just what it is when you find out that a company and product that you love are only using you.

So long Earth Balance, it was nice while it lasted

Where Do You Stand?

I loved this short and sweet article on the mindset of vegans and how they are most always taken as being extreme and angry ... and why maybe some of them are.

I'm don't consider myself extreme or angry. I consider myself passionate and compassionate.

Just don't piss me off with stupid and ignorant comments ;)

Think about it. | Your Daily Vegan - The Daily Vegan Spin - Unapologetic Veganism

Monday, October 18, 2010

She's BACK!

Wow. What a crazy, fun, adventurous and exciting last few months it has been.

My travels were more than I had dreamed they would be and I have come back to Canada with a new perspective, appreciation and understanding of not only the world, but myself.

I had no troubles keeping to my vegan lifestyle while lugged my pack from bus to boat, from country to country and never once went hungry, managing to to eat like a champ everywhere I went.

Sure, I had to learn a few phrases in the local language of wherever  I was at any given time, but that made it all the more fun and challenging.

I have loads of places to review, recipes to post and stories to tell.

All will be coming very soon. I promise.

As if eating chicken wasn't gross enough

Now we get to see this: mechanically separated pink chicken goo which is the "main ingredient in hot dogs, bologna, chicken nuggets, salami and other processed meat products"