Inspiration

Yesterday was the International Day of Peace as designated by the United Nations. While this day centers around ending war and human atrocities, I'd like to remind everyone of the following wise words:

The most violent weapon on earth is the table fork. —Mahatma Gandhi

Vegan Recipes -- Change the World Challenge

Yesterday I passed along this week's Change the World Challenge -- to eat vegetarian or vegan for one whole day (or longer) and spread the word as much as possible.

If every person ate meat just a couple of times a week versus almost every meal, we could end world hunger. END IT! Eating vegan is healthier, cheaper, much better for the environment and, oh yeah, nothing needs to die. I'm not saying a vegan diet is for everyone, but even replacing one meat meal a week, makes a measurable difference. If you could repeat this challenge once a week, it would be great -- I'm convinced if you try it, you'll see it's not so hard.

To aid you in meeting the challenge, below are two of my favorite vegan recipes -- dessert first (yum!) and a delicious, easy, creamy risotto!

Vegan Brownies

Boil 1 cup water. When it’s boiling, take it off the burner and add 1/2 cup flour a little at a time, stirring constantly, until it’s thick and smooth. Cool well.

In a separate bowl, mix:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola, etc.)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup nuts, chopped — walnuts or peacans
1 cup chocolate chips (vegan, non-dairy)
Add water/flour mixture to above ingredients and beat well.
Then stir in 1 1/2 cups more flour and beat until smooth.
Put in 9×13 greased and floured pan and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees/until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the brownies.

Vegetable Risotto

Classic risotto is made with an Italian short grain rice — arborio rice – simmered and constantly stirred, so it slowly absorbs the cooking liquid, resulting in a creamy, delicious dish.
2 c sliced fresh mushrooms (button, portabella, crimini — your choice)
½ c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice
3 c vegetable broth (1 c reserved)
3/4 c broccoli pieces
3/4 c fresh tomato, remove seeds and dice
1/4 c shredded carrot
3 Tbs basil
2 Tbs parsley
Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms until tender, but not brown. Bring fresh veggies to a boil in 2 cups veggie broth. Add rice and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly, add 1 cup broth and stir another 15 minutes. Stir in carrots and tomato. Cook until rice is creamy and just tender; stir in basil and parsley and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Change the World

Here's the Change the World Challenge of the week. As a vegan, this one is near and dear to my heart. I've posted many articles about veganism and numerous recipes. BUT, I will address this further tomorrow.

If you eat animal products, then for one full day eat only meatless meals ... go vegetarian. Dairy products & eggs are permissible ... but no other animal products.

Or, if you are vegetarian full time ... then, for one full day, eat only vegan meals. No animal products whatsoever.

And finally, if you are vegan, full time, write an article about why meatless meals are good for the planet and perhaps include your favorite recipe.

So what do you think? Are you up for this one? If you need a little help, there are a few vegan recipes posted on Reduce Footprints ... just use the search engine at the top left of the page and insert the words "vegan recipe". And, I'll be posting another one on Friday.

Remember ... part of the challenge is to spread the word and get as many people as possible involved. For more information on how to do that ... and a little motivation, stop by and see our friend, Thomas ... he's written a wonderful article entitled "How to green the world by running your mouth". He's got some great words of advice.

Thanks, everyone!

We're changing the world ... one challenge at a time!

We All Need a Little Inspiration!

Below are some of my favorite quotes to inspire you!

Gandhi, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”

According to the Dalai Lama, all the teachings of Buddhism can be distilled into two sentences, "If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them."

"If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." St. Francis of Assisi

Vegan Recipes for Passover (Gluten Free)

This is my first installment of Passover recipes that are vegan/vegetarian and gluten free.

Passover meals traditionally begin with soup. Soup begins with "chicken", "beef", onion, or mushroom broth that is Kosher for Passover. We love Osem brand consomme at Passover and all year around. You can find it in the kosher section of many Wal-marts, Winn-Dixie, Publix, and online. The following soup recipe works with any of the above broths, or vegetable broth. This recipe makes a huge amount: approximately 22 quarts. We eat it as the first course of our seder meal and then throughout the week -- it rounds out our meals and saves time. It can be frozen as well; just cool it in the refrigerator overnight before transferring the containers to the freezer.

Passover Soup

1 1/2 lb baby carrots, sliced

3 medium-large onions diced

8 large celerey stalks, sliced

6 medium zuccini, sliced

1 lb cauliflower

1 lb broccoli

2 large heads of cabbage, chopped fine

2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes with juice

9 quarts water

1 1/2 c dry, loose broth (Osem brand, any flavor)

2 boxes frozen spinach

4 Tbs minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Brown onions, garlic, celery and zuccini until veggies are soft. Add to large stock pot with water, broth, and rest of veggies. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Vegan Passover Recipes

Passover starts at sundown on Wednesday, April 8, 2009. Passover is when we eliminte leavening from our food and focus on eleminiating sin from our lives. Leavening is yeast, but Jews and Messianic Jews (and some Christians rediscovering their Jewish roots) avoid all "chametz" which is anything made from the five major grains: wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after coming into contact with water. This is the time of year when we eat "matzah", unleavened bread. Many Jews also eliminte "kitniyot" during Passover. Kitniyot are ingredients commonly used to make bread -- eliminating them avoid any confusion of what is acceptable and what isn't. Kitniyot include rice, corn, peanuts, and beans, among other things. Some people eliminate soy and soybeans, as well, although some vegans allow soy during Passover.

A couple of years ago, my mom and I got through all of Passover without eating anything in the strictest kitniyot lists. It wasn't impossible, but it was awfully hard. We were hungry (and cranky) all the time. We researched, talked and my husband agreed we could eat soy, so we do, but in smaller amounts than usual.

Needless to say, being a vegan is a challenge during Passover. We live on chametz and kitniyot! I have scoured the internet over the last several years for Kosher for Passover Vegan recipes. Slowly, but surely, I'm building our collection. I thought I would share them with you. Applicable to Jews and Messianic Jews, most of these recipes also are great for gluten-free diets. Over the next several days, I'll share some of our tried and true recipes for Passover. If you have wheat allergies, these recipes will be great for you!

To read more about Passover, these links should help:

http://www.jewfaq.org/holidaya.htm

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/holidays.html

Vegan Comfort Food

I grew up with a "feeder Mom". By that I mean any problem you had could be solved -- or at least alleviated -- with food. Food was comfort. Food was love. When I told my mom and dad my first husband announced without warning he was leaving me, the first words out of Mom's words were:

Let me get my coffee. Do you want a cookie?

These are troubling times we're living in. No doubt. So whip up a batch of these soft, chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, grab a glass of soy milk, and feel comforted!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
(use vegan ingredients)
4 ½ c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 c Earth Balance margarine
1 ½ c sugar
1 ½ c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 Tbs flaxseed flour (ground flaxseed) + 12 Tbs water – let sit 2 minutes (= 4 eggs)
4 cups chocolate chips
2 cups chopped nuts (we like pecans)

Mix the above and roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place 12 to a cookie sheet (do not grease cookie sheet). Bake at 350 degrees (preheat oven) for 10-12 minutes. Yield: 48 cookies

Reminder: I have two copies of The Echo Within by Robert Benson to give away. To enter the random drawing, please send an e-mail to seewhykinsman@gmail.com. Winners will be drawn on Friday, February 27, 2009. Good luck!

Eating the Scum off the Fish Tank

As you will recall from my posts around the end of December and first part of January, I was suffering a fierce depression. While it's true there are circumstances in my life which would make Mary Poppins cry in her beer, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was simply not right.

Then I read an article about DHA, an Omega-3 essential fatty acid most commonly found in fish oil. The article discussed the importance of eating the proper ration of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids (4 parts of Omega-3 to 1 part of Omega-6). Essentially, most Americans' diets are way out of whack in this regard; many Americans eat 20 times more Omega-6 to Omega-3. Vegans' diets are generally even more off kilter. The result is depression as well as a whole host of other ailments (high cholesterol, joint pain, cardiovascular problems, etc.)

Other than a multi-vitimin, I'm not a supplement kind of gal. However, I was at my wit's end with the level of depression I had been experiencing. Desperate times call for desperate measures so I was receptive to the suggestion of taking a supplement! Vegan supplements are available and encouraged due to the toxicity of most fish. The supplements are derived from algae, which is where fish get their high levels of Omega-3. It makes sense to me to go to the source.

I am amazed! Although my outward circumstances have not improved, the black cloud of unbearable depression has lifted. I can't believe the change I feel inside and it's readily apparent on the outside as well. Family and friends have noticed I "seem to be in a really good place right now" and I "have a glow" about me. If anyone would have told me a dietary supplement would have helped so dramatically, I probably should have kicked them in the shins and then cried in bed the rest of the day!

Of course, I'm not a doctor, nor the daughter of a doctor (!), so please, please make an appointment with your medical professional before changing or adding any medications or supplements to your health care regimen.

Here are a couple of articles so you can discussed the matter intelligently with your physician:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/good-fat-bad-fat-facts-about-omega-3

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/archive_of_editorial/233

And here is a link to www.thriftyvegan.com which is where I bought my supplements:

http://www.thriftyvegan.com/vegan_DHA.html

Valentine's Day -- What's Love Got to Do With It?

Next week is Valentine’s Day. I’m not a fan.

What matters to me is how my husband treats me 365 days a year.

I would rather have a husband who vaccuums without complaint, not one who brings home a dozen roses.

I would rather have a husband who scratches my back anytime I want and for as long as I need it, not one who brings me chocolates.

I would rather have a husband who invites me for lunch on a random Tuesday just because he misses me, not one who “must” spring for a fancy dinner “because it’s Valentine’s Day.”

Come to think of it, I would rather have a husband who will go out for Mexican again even though he wants steak, “because I want you to be able to find something to eat so you can enjoy your meal, too.” (Mexican can be very vegan friendly versus the paltry offerings at most steak houses!)

I look at young couples who are “so much in love” when they get married. Then they hit their first rocky patch or have their first major fight, and they’re so shocked. They figure they must have made a mistake and start looking for a way out of the marriage. Ha! We didn't have any unrealistic attitudes about marriage. No "romantic" thoughts of it at all. In fact, one of the things I told my husband on our first date is, “You seem like someone I can fight with.” And we do fight sometimes. But I never have to worry that we’re skidding on the rocks. I don’t have to worry that he’ll leave because it’s difficult . . . because I’M difficult. I don’t have to worry he doesn’t love me, just because he may not like me right then. Because one of the first things my husband told me when we were dating is, “Marriage is hard. It’s not perfect. You take the bad with the good – and a lot of times there’s more bad than good. Marriage is a lot of work. Anything worthwhile is hard work.” And the best part is, even when we’re in the middle of a fight, if he speaks to a family member or friend, he’ll tell them I’m “wonderful” because he doesn’t want them thinking badly of me. One time he said to me, “I’m so happy we’re married, even when I’m angry enough to kill you.” A sense of humor makes all the difference in the world!

The grand gestures a couple of times a year don’t really matter. What matters are the small, every day gestures. Last night is a perfect case in point. My husband works very, very hard and he’s TIRED. He sleeps soundly at night and is almost “stumbling drunk” when awakened in the middle of the night. Last night I happened to be awake when he woke up to go to the bathroom about 3:00 a.m. As he crossed the bedroom, he encountered one of our Persians. I heard him say, “Hi Anna” and he bent down to pet her before continuing on to the bathroom. If you want to know the heart of a man, spy on him in the middle of the night when he’s tired and doesn’t know you’re watching!

So you can keep Valentine’s Day. We’ll just treat it like any other day.

BUT, in honor of Valentine’s Day, next week I will have a number of books to review and give away concerning relationships. So make sure you check in to read about them and enter to win!

Also, remember to head over to reducefootprints.blogspot.com today where I am the “guest chef”. Check the reduce footrpints blog often for helpful, entertaining, informative tips about how to walk softly on this fragile earth and leave only light footprints behind!

Shopping In Your Own Home

I know everyone is trying to make ends meet in this tough economy. I would like to suggest you go shopping . . . in your own home.

This weekend we cleaned out our storage room. I mean, we opened every box and rearranged every shelf. We also defrosted and re-organized the freezers and refrigerators (we have a couple of each so we can take advantage of sales).

Even though we're hyper anal and organized, we were amazed at the things we had taking up space that could be donated or sold. Often times we can't bear to part with something, so we pack it away. When enough time passes, we can finally get rid of it. I think of it as a type of reverse layaway. There were a number of "useless" items we packed away months ago that now we had a use for. There were also several items we forgot we had, or knew we had, but weren't quite certain where we had them. There were even a few items we had purchased the day before.

So, we went shopping in our home. With all our new found treasures, we added them to our stock so we won't have to buy them again so soon. We made money on the sale of a number of items and gained a tax benefit for donations (as well as benefitted some of our favorite organizations). We now remember where everything is and, best of all, have extra space. Even if you don't throw away a single thing, reorganizing always gives you extra room because you find a better way to put it all back.

Go clothes shopping in your closet. Go grocery shopping in your cupboards, pantry and freezer. Go shopping in your garage, basement, or storage area. Such shopping won't stimulate the economy, but it WILL stimulate your life!

COMING UP: Tomorrow one of my favorite recipes will be featured on reducefootprints.blogspot.com. This has become one of my favorite blogs with lots of interesting articles on green living.

Make sure you check in the next couple of weeks. I have a ton of books to review and giveaway. The focus next week are a number of great books on relationships in honor of Valentine's Day.

A Great Way to Reduce Waste and Save Money

Yesterday, I mentioned recycling as a great way to reduce household waste. Obviously, an even better method is to find ways not to generate waste, recyclable or not, in the first place. A wonderful product I want to tell you about is the Wrap-N-Mat. It's a reusable sandwich wrap and placemat all in one. Not only will you reduce your household waste (and save the planet), you'll save money on sandwich bags, plastic wrap and/or aluminium foil. I have to admit I was a little skeptical they would really keep a sandwich fresh, but I bought several wrap-n-mats after confirming the 30 day return policy. We frequently make sandwiches a day or two (or three!) in advance and, true to promise, the sandwiches stay fresh. This is a great product which will save you money in the long run, especially if you're not picky about the pattern and buy the ones on sale! You can check out the wrap-n-mat website below.

http://www.wrap-n-mat.com/

How Low Can You Go?

I try to encourage people to make just one green choice at a time. For instance, if you can't commit to a vegan diet, try vegetarian. Can't do vegetarian? Try replacing just one meat meal a week to make a difference. Maybe one meal a week will become two. If so, that's great. If not, it's still better than none! But one you get hooked on a green lifestyle, you'll find yourself doing more and more.

When we moved to Alabama, we recycled the items our neighborhood collection site accepted: cardboard, plastic and aluminum. We were disappointed that glass and steel weren't recycled here as they had been in Wisconsin, but, we threw them away. Then we noticed our co-op in Florida accepts steel and glass, so we started hauling those items over there when we shop. Then, our Messianic synagogue started a recycling program to benefit the youth department. They accepted paper, too, so now we were recycling cardboard, plastic, aluminum, steel, glass and paper. Then I read a tip that you can take your packing peanuts, bubbles and air pillows to UPS and similar shipping stores and they will reuse your packing supplies. So now when I receive items in the mail, if I can't reuse the materials myself, I give them to our Pack & Mail store. I recycle at the office and home. In fact, when we go on vacation or out of town, we bring bags with us and, if necessary, bring our recycling to our home bins. Now I wouldn't think of throwing away a 1" x 2" post-it note; it goes into recycling!

Guess what? My office now disposes of one 13 gallon kitchen bag of garbage a MONTH. The rest of our waste is recycled. Our home disposes of approximately one bag a week.

How low can you go?

Words Matter

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Remember that little ditty from your childhood? Of course, by now you've learned it's not true. Words can be very hurtful. Hence, the politically correct movement which sought to find non-offensive terms and make them standard in common speech. Lately, there's been a counter-pc movement; it seems cool to make fun of the effort to be a "kinder, gentler" people. Personally, I support the politically correct movement because I know what a difference words can make.

Lately, I've been noticing a change in "environmental terminology" that I like very much. The word I've been seeing pop up everywhere: Repurpose. When I first came to the green movement, the 3 Rs were the theme song: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. First, you should make every effort to reduce your consumption of resources; buy less, use less. If you absolutely had to have something, rather than buying new, you were to reuse: make repairs to broken items instead of replacing them, use something you already own to serve the purpose instead of buying something new. Finally, if you had an item you really, truly couldn't use -- and no one else could either -- then you recycled it. Only after you had exhausted the 3 Rs did you buy something or throw something away in the landfill.

Nowadays, the word "reuse" has been replaced by "repurpose". How can I repurpose an item? For instance, I can use margarine containers as desk organizers so (1) I don't have to recycle the containers just yet, and (2) I don't have to buy a desk organizer which used costly resources to make. Voila! I have repurposed margarine containers.

Repurpose sounds better, doesn't it? It sounds more deliberate. It's sounds like a choice. It sounds like something I want to do versus something I have to do. It sounds good to me!

Wonder!

This weekend I read my latest copy of National Wildlife, the magazine published by National Wildlife Federation. There was an article inside entitled, The Maiming of the Shrew by Alexander Badlaev, which discussed the world's smallest mammals, different varieties of shrews and the effect of global warming on them. Not only is the shrew adorable, but it is fascinating as well. Here is a quote:

They have the fastest hearbeat (1,200 per minute) and one of the shortest life spans (11 to 13 months) of any mammal. They don't sleep fore more than a few minutes at a time, and they never go into torpor or hibernate. . . . [T]heir brief life is spend in nonstop foraging.

They have to eat every 15 to 30 minutes day and night to stay alive; a full hour without food means death. They can survive temperatures of -37 degrees F because they build tunnels under the snow, but they cannot survive temperatures higher than 77 degrees F. They live in moist, boggy areas which are being devastated by global warming, as well as habitat destruction.

This was one of the most interesting articles I've read about animals in a long time. Please take 10 mintues and check out the article for yourself online. Pay special attention to the picture of the pygmy shrew (eating the yellow spider). Pictures are extremely rare and, in fact, I couldn't find any others on the internet to share. The pygmy shrew is the smallest mammal in the world. It weighs barely 0.07 ounces and fits comfortably on a thumbnail. Its babies weigh in at 0.009 ounces (that's nine one thousandths of an ounce!) Below is the link for the article.

http://www.nwf.org/NationalWildlife/article.cfm?issueID=127&articleID=1684

Three Percent?!

Only three percent of people recycle their cell phones. This statistic amazes me since it's EASY and FREE to recycle your cell phone and accessories. There are drop boxes at places like Lowes and Home Depot. You can type "recycle cell phone free postage" into your internet browser and find dozens of places which will send you postage paid envelopes so you can pop your cell phones and accessories in the mail. You can also check online or with your favorite charity to see if they can benefit from recycling your cell phone (as well as printer cartridges). recyclemycellphone.org and gooddeedfoundation.org are two options. Please collect all your old cell phones, chargers and other accessories and recycle them today!

Mark Your Calendars for March 28th to Make a Global Difference

Do you want to make a difference for our environment? Turn Out. Take Action.

Join millions of people worldwide who are turning off their lights for one hour, Earth Hour, on March 28th at 8:30 p.m.

With just a flip of your light switch, you can demonstrate concern for our living planet and send a strong message to our leaders that you support action on climage change. Turbo charge your support by visiting earthhour.org for samples of letters you can send to members of Congress and other ways you can take action.

Earth Hour is aiming to reach one billion people, more than 1000 cities, all joining together in a global effort to show that it's possible to take action on global warming.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour. Only a year later and this event had become a global sustainability movement with up to 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

Earth Hour 2009 is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to take responsibility and to get involved in working towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to The Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world will turn off their lights and join together in creating the vital conversation about the future of our precious planet.

Over 64 countries and territories are participating in Earth Hour 2009. This number grows every day as people realise how such a simple act, can have such a profound result in affecting change.

Earth Hour is a message of hope and a message of action. Everyone can make a difference.

Visit the Earth Hour website to declare your intention to participate.

In Favor of High Gas Prices

When I was in college many moons ago, I took an Environmental Studies course. One thing my professor told us was if the price of gasoline actually reflected the true cost, including environmental costs, we would be paying about $8.00 a gallon (and remember, that was "many moons ago" dollars). The price really wasn't that outrageous considering gas prices in Europe and elsewhere, but Americans would never stand for it.

It drives me crazy that the Energy Crisis of the 1970s became a forgotten PSA about turning down your thermostats in the winter as soon as the greed of the 1980s rolled around. It drives me crazy that as soon as gasoline prices recently dropped below $2.00, people stopped caring about "green" transportation. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Read the below article by someone far more intelligent than I.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/opinion/28friedman.html

GIVEAWAY: I have one copy of the Never Say Diet book by Chantel Hobbs and her Personal Fitness Trainer journal to give away. Please e-mail your name and mailing address to seewhykinsman@gmail.com to be entered in the random drawing this Friday, January 16th. Good luck!

How Selfish Can We Be?

I just read a really scary statistic:

If everyone in the world lived like an American, we'd need five Earths to support our highly consumptive habits.

Yikes!

GIVEAWAY: I have one copy of the Never Say Diet book and Personal Fitness Trainer journal to give away. Please e-mail your name and mailing address to seewhykinsman@gmail.com to be entered in the random drawing this Friday, January 16th. Good luck!