“My body will not be a tomb for other creatures.” Leonardo Da Vinci
Tag Archives: vegetarian
Autumn Apples
It is a chilly autumn day in Connecticut. I went for a brisk walk in the park with my lovely God Daughter. We noticed how magnificent the fall foliage is. Every corner and every tree is bursting with color. A transformation at its finest, as each leaf blossoms entirely and then whistle downs at our feet, shedding its light and love with each one of us. We are one. I acknowledged and am grateful for that change. Grateful for those in and out my life. I am grateful for the sun rising and the cycle of life it brings. Change in incredible! The only thing missing from this perfect October day was Apple Pie. Luckily I went apple picking yesterday! I headed straight to the kitchen later in the afternoon to experiment!
I found this recipe on my favorite food blog. The recipes provided are typical one bowl recipes using minimal ingredients and minimal equipment. It is the best! Each dish is clean and light! I love that in a meal. You can check out the recipe here via Minimalist Baker.
My Beautiful Labrador Retriever, Aston, in the right hand corner! He likes apple pie too!
Yummy!
Festival of Living Vegan
This past weekend my fiancé Chase and I attended Catskill Animal Sanctuarys annual Festival of Living Vegan in the small country side town of Saugerties, New York. I know I can speak for the both of us when I say we were so enthusiastic for this trip as we are both ethical vegans living in a community that is predominately made up of carnivores, so the anticipation of being surrounded by like minded individuals who share our same beliefs and goals was purely indescribable. Up until this weekend, we have been feeling rather lonely in our community, yet we are so thankful for this past experience and all the ones to follow. It was such a relief to meet others similar to us. We made so many connections from both our human and animal friends! I am incredibly thankful for this experience and shed gratitude as I reflect on the memories. I would like to give a special thank you to Kathy Stevens, a good friend of ours and founder of Catskill Animal Farm for inviting us and showing us such compassion.
We parked about 10 minutes away in a corporate parking lot, and toke a shuttle bus to the farm. It was packed with people all ages, from young to old. Upon arrival we stopped by Kathy’s house for a warm welcome. Her house is quaint and cozy with a beautiful flower garden surrounding the outside. Inside it was filled with animal paintings and books.
Next, we checked ourselves in at the welcome booth, and headed to the cooking demo performed by vegan Chief Linda at the sanctuary. Check out her blog, called Compassion Cuisine, which is an extension of the animal sanctuary. There are a ton of great vegan recipes! Linda demonstrated to a crowd how to make vegan mac and cheese, something Chase and I haven’t experimented with yet. The recipe can be viewed on her webpage via this link. We were fond of her technique, using nutritional yeast, cauliflower, and butternut squash as the main ingredients in the recipe! A great way for vegans to get their B12. She was kind and patient at answering our many questions. We got great insight on vegan cheese. We are particularly interested in trying Treeline vegan cheese thanks to her advice and sampling!
Another great idea we got from her demonstration was how to make your own vegan “bacon”. She cut a bunch of shiitake mushrooms, sprinkled salt and drizzled a little oil, baked them at a high temperature until *almost* burnt (very very crispy), then letting them dry out for 20 minutes, and well-ah! Vegan “bacon”. The recipe can be viewed via this link.
Universal Laws
“Animals can kill other living animals, and there is no question of sin on their part, but if man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws if nature” Bhagavad-Gita
What’s lurking in your food?
The FDA has allowed food preservatives to be used in our food for centuries. Yet it has only been within the last few years, a mass awareness has been spread nationally on the truth behind these added ingredients.
I have created a list of the top 10 food preservatives that should be avoided:
Monosodium Glutamate or MSG information can be found by clicking on this link MSG Truth
- Artificial sweeteners including but not limited to Aspartame.
- Titanium dioxide can be found in milk, salad dressing, frosting, and coffee creamer to name a few. Titanium dioxide is also found in sunscreen as it can absorb UV rays.
- Butylated hydroxytoluene or BHT can be found in cosmetics, jet fuel, rubber, and embalming fluid. More so, it can be found in your shortening, cereals, and other foods containing fats and oils. It is used to preserve food odor, color, and flavor. Many packaging materials incorporate BHT.
- Butylated hydroxyanisole or BHA can be found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, and beer. You can click this link to learn more on studies done with both BHT and BHA at Truth about BHA and BHT
- Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are commonly used to preserve meat products. It prevents bacteria growth and helps meat retain its red color.
- Sodium benzoate is a preservative used in acidic liquids such as vinegar, juices or soft drinks. It is also found in food products such as margarine and fast food hamburgers. Sodium benzoate is also used in fireworks and makes a great rocket fuel.
- Potassium bromate is most often found in bread as it improves the quality of flour. A small amount is very harmful and has even been banned in Canada, Europe and China.
- Castoreum is a natural flavor enhancer that is often used in fruit-flavored products to make them taste extra fruity. Believe it or not but this comes from a beaver.
According to the FDA, preservative and additives are perfectly safe. Yet, if you are anything like myself, you don’t believe everything you’re told without doing your own research. Scientist have performed studies that lead to the belief preservatives and additives pose a major health risk. It can give us small allergic reactions such as migraines. It can alter moods, growth, and learning. It can cause deadly diseases like cancer. Regardless that the majority of these preservatives are banned in other countries, our country still supports the use of them in our food products. Our labels do not contain this information, so be mindful, for our own sake and those of our future generations, as they will be the ones to spark the revolution.
Listed below are more articles to begin your independent research:
- CNN In-Depth article with more information on preservatives and additives: Preservatives
- This website is an easy reader with a check list of safe, cut back, and avoidable preservatives and ingredients with as an easy reader with a check list: Preservatives Checklist
On a lighter note, this past week had me occupied. I am still seeking balance and clarity in my busy days. I am proud of myself endlessly and remind myself daily that my hard work will pay off. I was able to hit the studio two times this week for my regular hot yoga classes as well have a few home practices, one in which I was able to snap a few pictures!
