Veggie Patch on the Southern Exposure

Vegetable Garden Day 1: May 29, 2014

Today we planted seedlings: San Marzano, Heirloom Black Krim, sweet cherry and Juliet grape tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, and basil. I'm excited about growing my own food! (Special thanks to my friend, LN for the help, knowledge and secret ingredient pixie dust).

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. 

To nurture a garden is to feed, not just the body, but the soul" 

~ Alfred Austin

June 11: Day 13

First sign of progress -- baby summer squash 'embryos'! 

"All you need is faith, trust… and a little pixie dust!"

~ Peter Pan

June 14: Day 16 

The first grape tomato bambino appears. 

Zucchini & summer squash-lettes are multiplying and flowering.

"And the day came 

when the risk to remain tight in a bud 

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." 

~ Anais Nin

June 19: Day 21

After the rainstorm, everything shot up and out. 

"Into each life, some rain must fall" 

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

June 20: Day 22

Someone ate my little yellow squash blossoms. The 4' fence is great for keeping the deer out but apparently rabbits can limbo under fences. I was not prepared for that. So, I looked into some products, settled on Critter Ridder by Havahart, &  sprinkled some around the perimeter of the garden. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

"Man plans and God laughs" ~ Yiddish proverb

Product info:

How It Works:

Critter Ridder® animal repellent uses a powerful combination of 3 different types of pepper: oil of black pepper, piperine and capsaicin. But it is more effective than any old pepper repellent; this patented and proven formula works by immediately irritating nuisance animals after they smell, taste or touch areas treated with Critter Ridder® animal repellent. Animals experience a burning sensation that is much like biting into a red-hot jalapeno pepper. However, Critter Ridder® does not leave a scent that is offensive to humans.

The Perfect Natural Animal Repellent for Organic Gardeners

Critter Ridder® granules is an OMRI® Listed product that is approved for use in organic gardening. Many organic gardeners prefer Critter Ridder® as an alternative to chemical pesticides.

June 27: Day 29

June 29: Day 31

July 4: Day 35

July 9: Day 40:

July 20

While away vacationing in Mexico for the week, Dylan was home, in charge of watering the garden. I came home to exploding tomato plants, many new cucumber shoots, 2 ripe grape tomatoes and one ginormous zucchini. I loved having the cucumber in my salad and I must say, those little grape tomatoes were the best I've ever tasted.  :)

July 25

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment  just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. 

A.A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh

I call it, A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N!!!

July 26: Day 58

August 2

My San Marzanos look like they went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

I looked it up. Seems this is common:

(Found this info at bonnie plants.com)

CONQUER BLOSSOM END ROT

If you see a dark, rotting spot on the bottom of your tomatoes, it’s blossom-end rot. 

This problem, caused by a calcium deficiency, can be solved a few ways.

When tomatoes, peppers, melons, and eggplant develop a sunken, rotten spot on the end of the fruit, 

the cause came long before you found the problem. It’s called blossom end rot, 

and here is why it happens.

Vegetables need calcium for healthy development. When tomatoes, peppers, melons, and eggplant can’t 

get enough from the soil, the tissues on the blossom end of the fruit break down. The calcium shortage 

may be because the soil lacks calcium, or calcium is present but is tied up in the soil chemistry because 

the pH is too low. Also, drought stress or moisture fluctuations can reduce its uptake into the plant. 

Another reason is that too much fertilizer causes the plant to grow so fast that the calcium can’t move

 into the plant quickly enough.

August 13

Today's harvest

August 18

Fresh basil added depth and flavor to this morning's spinach egg white omelet. 

I'm fascinated by how the vine wraps, clings and climbs and also manages to hold the heaviness of such a large cucumber. Nature never ceases to amaze me - especially little things like this. Don't even get me started about my intrigue with spiders and their webs.

"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"

~ E.B. White

September 3

Bootin' the Gluten

For quite awhile now, I've been following what I've learned about eating for IBS and lactose intolerance.  Following 'what not to eat' works for sure and coupled with the concept of eating smaller portions, more often throughout the day versus a few large meals, is the key to my feeling much better...but not 100%.  All that said, I find myself with stomach issues when I eat carbs/grains.  More specifically, depending on how much of it I eat, I could pass for being in my 8th month of pregnancy. Bloat on steroids. I kid you not. I have been tested for Celiac Disease, an immune disease associated with gluten sensitivity. Test was negative. However, I've been reading up on gluten sensitivity/ intolerance to find that you can have an intolerance or digestive inability without testing positive for CD. With all of these pieces of the puzzle finally fitting together, I can't begin to tell you how great I feel inside! So much great information is here at GlutenFreeSociety.org.

According to Dr. Peter Osborne at GlutenFreeSociety.org:
Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in all grains. It is composed of two primary subfractions - prolamines and glutelins. The prolamine gliadin (the prolamine found in wheat) is the most studied piece of gluten in the medical literature as it relates to Celiac Disease. However, there are several types of prolamines found in grains which can also cause sensitivity. Every grain contains gluten, some more than others.

Here are the guidelines for avoiding gluten - the true gluten-free diet:
This is a comprehensive (but not complete) list of foods that do contain gluten or that may contain it.  This list can be used as a guideline for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

TRUE Gluten Free Diet Guidelines – Avoid All of These…

• Wheat            (prolamine is Gliadin, % gluten of total protein is 69%)
• Barley (malt)  (prolamine is Hordein, % gluten of total protein is 46-52%)
• Rye                (prolamine is Secalinin, % gluten of total protein is 30-50%)
• Oats              (prolamine is Avenin, % gluten of total protein is 16%)
• Sorghum*      (prolamine is Karirin, % gluten of total protein is 52%)
• Millet*           (prolamine is Paniein, % gluten of total protein is 40%)
• Teff*
• Triticale
• Spelt
• Durum (semolina)
• Einkorn
• Emmer
• Corn (maize)*          (prolamine Zien, gluten 55%)
• Rice (does not include wild rice varieties but does include brown rice)* (prolamine Orzenin, gluten5%)
• Groat
• Graham
• Amaranth***
• Buckwheat***
• Quinoa***

Notes:

*These grains are classically considered gluten free, but are not recommended on a TRUE gluten free diet.  If you would like to learn more about why these other grains should be avoided, watch the following video <<<
*** These items are technically not grains, but are at high risk for cross contamination and not recommended on a TRUE gluten free diet unless verification can be obtained.  These pseudo cereals are also very high in glutamic acid and should be discouraged as substitutes for patients with neurological symptoms.

Misc. Food Additives or Processed Foods That Can Contain Gluten

• MSG
• Modified food starch
• Textured vegetable protein
• Hydrolyzed plant protein
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
• Hydroxypropylated Starch
• Pregelatinized starch
• Vegetable gum
• Vegetable protein
• Extenders and binders
• Maltodextrin (wheat or corn based)
• Dextrin
• Maltose
• Non Dairy Creamer
• Seasonings (check labels)
• Natural Flavors
• Smoke flavors
• Artificial Flavors
• Natural Colors
• Artificial Colors
• Caramel color and flavoring
• Soy Sauce
• Miso
• Bouillon cubes or stock cubes
• Candy may be dusted with wheat flour; ask.
• Canned soups – Most are not acceptable.
• Cheese spreads & other processed cheese foods.
• Chocolate – may contain malt flavoring.
• Cold cuts, Wieners, Sausages – may have gluten due to cereal fillers.
• Dip mixes
• Dry sauce mixes
• Honey Hams – can be based with wheat starch in coating.
• Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt – check all dairy.  Cows are fed grains and many react to dairy for this reason.  Grass fed dairy recommended (or avoid dairy altogether).
• Instant Teas & Coffees – cereal products may be included in the formulation.
• Mayonnaise – check thickener and grain based vinegar ingredients
• Mustard – Mustard powder may contain gluten
• Oil, frying – Check for cross contamination or corn based oils.
• Poultry and meats – Check out the flavorings and basting and inquire about meat glue
• Sour cream – May contain modified food starch of indeterminate source.
• Dry roasted nuts & honey roasted nuts
• French fries in restaurants – Same oil may be used for wheat-containing items.
• Gravies – check out thickening agent and liquid base.
• Vitamin supplements (different brands contain grain based ingredients – check the labels carefully)
• Baking powder (commonly contains grain – wheat or corn)

Source: GlutenFreeSociety.org blog and videos.

Inspiration Larabar

Have you tried a Larabar yet? If not, you should. They seem to be one of the healthiest snack/energy bars out there. And big bonus; they are dairy, soy and gluten free, vegan and kosher too. They're not baked or cooked and use very simple whole organic ingredients. What's in them? Pretty much just fruit & nuts with some spice variations in each flavor. My favorites? I love the Cashew Cookie bars. They're the perfect size to fit in my bag for when hunger strikes and I feel good that sugar's an unlisted ingredient... with the exception of the bars that contain any chocolate. Most organic snack bars are expensive so with the Larabar concept in mind, I whipped up my own version.

Cadi Balls & Bars

What you Need
11 oz dates
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup roasted & salted cashews
1/4 cup Enjoy Life dairy free mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

The Process
Take the pits out of the dates and grind them into a paste in a food processor.
(If you can find dates in the store, pre-pitted and ground, use that & soften the package in the microwave).
Put the date paste in a bowl.
Pulse all the cashews in the food processor until they're in very small pieces. Don't let them turn into powder.
Add the cashews to the dates. Add vanilla & salt and chocolate chips (optional).
Mix it all together very, very well - it's messy, but use your hands. It's the best way.
When it's all mixed and mushed together into a large glob, break pieces off and roll into balls in the palms of your hands.
Or - form them into bars on a plate.
Place on a plate in the fridge for a few hours.
When they've hardened up, wrap them individually in plastic wrap. They keep in the fridge for a while.
The perfect little 2-bite sized snack.

Sunrise Smoothie Shotz

These little morning glories are a great little addition to your brunch menu.

I don't measure anything but here's what I did:

Into the blender they go...
1 ripe banana
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored & sliced
small handful of frozen mango chunks
small handful of frozen peach slices
about a tbs honey

then add a bit less than 1/2 cup of each of the following liquids:
pear nectar
peach nectar
mango nectar
unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Blend. Blend. Blend. Fill shot glasses with smoothie mixture.
Skewer up some strawberries with toothpicks and balance the garnish on top of the shot glass.
This yielded about a dozen tall shot glasses.

Le Pain Perdu Cuit Cremeux

That's fancy Français for Creamy Baked French Toast. I created this recipe in reaction to the abundance of recipes out there for baked French Toast that include milk, butter, cream and sugar. So, this is a lower calorie & dairy-free alternative, but trust me, you won't even notice. All of my Sunday morning breakfast guests agreed - this was très delicieux!I loved this with pure maple syrup drizzled over the top - pure heaven!

FYI - I let this refrigerate over night before baking but you could probably let it soak for a couple of hours.

What You Need
1  16 oz loaf of cinnamon bread (I used Wegmans cinnamon swirl loaf)
6 eggs
1/2 cup liquid pure egg whites
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Almond Breeze)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (use more cinnamon if you use plain bread)
3 tsp Truvia (zero calorie sugar sub)
sprinkle of salt
2 tbsp Ideal Brown (zero calorie brown sugar sub)
6 tbs melted Earth Balance natural spread

The Process
Coat a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray (Pam)
Rip each slice of bread into several pieces and arrange them haphazardly in the pan. Use the whole loaf of bread.
Whisk all the ingredients except the Earth Balance in a large bowl.
Pour this mixture over the bread pieces.
Melt Earth Balance and pour it over the bread pieces.
Use a spoon and push the bread down into the liquid to coat all of it. All the bread should be soaked.

Cover the pan and refrigerate over night.
Take it out of the fridge an hour before baking.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes.
Serve with maple syrup and/or sliced banana or berry preserves

This is Carole's original recipe. Enjoy!

The Worst Foods You Can Eat

Read the original article at this link from Reader's Digest:
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/the-worst-foods-you-can-eat/
Here, I've reprinted portions of the original article and added my 2 cents.

#1 Worst Food: Processed Meats
According to Webmd.com, the American Institute for Cancer Research says meats preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, or that contain chemical preservatives, are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. These products also tend to have lots of salt, fat, and cholesterol, and very few nutrients, like fiber.

My two cents: If you eat meat, stick to organic, preferably less fatty turkey & chicken instead of red meat. Or skip the meat altogether, eating veggie burgers, meaty mushroom burgers, and seitan (wheat gluten with a meaty texture) which can be subbed in any meat dish.  I  pretty much live on organic veggie burgers,  fruit & green smoothies, eggwhites & raw veg spring rolls these days, but I find it difficult to get my kids to eat this way so the only processed meats I'll buy for them are all beef hot dogs (not great, I know) and Plainville Farms brand turkey breast from the deli counter (minimally processed, no artificial ingredients, antibiotic-free). I've found that this brand tastes and looks most like actual turkey.  Also try: Al Fresco All-Natural Chicken Sausage instead of hot dogs.

#2 Worst Food: Frozen Meals
They may look tiny, but frozen dinners can be loaded with calories. Livestrong.com found one popular national brand of chicken pot pie contains 64 grams of fat and 1,020 calories per serving. And while the diet versions of these frozen foods may be low in fat, they are heavily processed and are often high in sodium.

My two cents: Amy's ALL ORGANIC frozen meals & veggie burgers.  If I had to pick, I'd say Amy's Bistro Burgers are my favorite.  I top them with smashed cauliflower or sliced avocado or mashed sweet potatoes... so delicious! I also keep on hand, Amy's Breakfast Burritos, which unlike most frozen breakfast foods contain no cheese/dairy.

#3 Worst Food: Doughnuts
 Maybe America should run from Dunkin’, and any other outlet selling these nutrition bombs. Store-bought doughnuts contain the unholy trinity of unhealthy ingredients, reports livestrong.com: trans fat, sugar, and refined flour. Many contain a whopping 10 to 20 grams of fat each and between 250 to 300 empty calories.

My two cents: There is absolutely NO reason to eat donuts!  I can't remember the last time I had one, but I remember the feeling in my stomach was as if I had eaten a brick.  (If I cheat, it's with a donut hole only but even with that I quickly regret it). My latest favorite sweet tooth saviors are Savoy Truffles, (recipe from RAWvolution). Just a few ingredients make a little individual craving quenching donut hole-esque snack, that has no refined flour or sugar.

#4 Worst Food: Potato Chips

You already know that these fat-filled “bad carbs” are no good for your waistline. What you may not know is potato chips (along with French fries) contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen that is formed when foods are baked or fried at high temperatures. "I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans,” Clark University research professor Dale Hattis is quoted as saying at sixwise.com.

My two cents:  If it's FRIED, FORGET IT!  I love Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips and Mediterranean Snack Food Company Baked Lentil Chips and Humbles Baked Hummus Chips.

#5 Worst Food: Tricky "Low-Fat" Labeled Foods
Don’t be fooled by the “Low-Fat” label. Makers of cookies, salad dressings, yogurt, and other foods labeled low-fat often substitute sugar, salt, and unhealthy fillers to add flavor and texture to otherwise bland processed products. Author and TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz advises you to always choose real foods over processed, low-fat options.

My two cents:  READ READ READ LABELS!!!  And don't be fooled by labels in the organic aisle.  Sugar, refined or organic... it's still sugar!  Here's my recipe for low -fat, non-dairy chocolate chip cookies without butter, sugar or white flour. 

#6 Worst Food:  Margarine

Though it’s billed as a cholesterol-free, healthy alternative to butter, margarine is the ultimate source of trans fats, which actually elevate cholesterol and damage blood vessel walls, reports The Natural Health Hub website. So skip the fake stuff and go with olive oil or other monounsaturated fats.

My two cents:  Instead of margarine and butter, use Earth Balance natural spread.

#7 Worst Food: Soda

Chugging soda is one of the easiest ways to pack on the pounds (the average can contains 10 teaspoons of sugar). But drinking as few as two soft drinks a week can nearly double a person’s risk of getting pancreatic cancer, too. That’s the finding of a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, according to a report on e-how.com. Want more bad news? Consuming more than 2.5 sugary sodas per day significantly increases your risk of death from cardiovascular disease as well as your risk of developing diabetes.

My two cents:  Just drink basic filtered water... all day... every day. I drink water with lemon (hot or cold) all day.  No caffeine, no sugar & no guilt.  I was also inspired to drink cucumber infused water at the glorious Mirbeau Spa. Just slice up some cukes, add them to a pitcher of filtered water & refrigerate. Note: Many of the fruit flavored bottled waters on store shelves contain added sugar - FYI.

Read my Fab Food Finds page here.


I didn't photograph the images in this post - they are from google.

A RAWlly Good Sweet Tooth Satisfier

On a recent trip down to Maryland to visit my oldest friend, (oldest, as in we've known each other for 42 years, since we were 8), I discovered that she's immersed herself into the organic world in an effort to heal a bunch of sypmtoms that have plagued her for a couple of decades. She fed me 'mock chopped liver' made from lentils and green smoothies with spinach, pea shoots & chlorophyll. The lentil liver was actually not bad on crackers but the green smoothie was a little too extreme on the green for my taste and my delicate digestive system.  I gave the thumbs up, though, to a little sweet snack her teenage daughter had made and they are my latest favorite sweet tooth savior.

Savoy Truffles, (recipe from RAWvolution).
They are healthy, organic & so easy & quick to prepare.  (image coming soon)


Combine these ingredients in a mixing bowl:
2 cups finely ground raw almonds
1/2 cup carob powder
optional - 1/3 tsp sea salt
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbs olive oil. 
Mix it all together until smooth.  Then take small amounts and roll into small ping-pong balls in the palms of your hands. The recipe says to serve as is but what I like to do is stick them in a plastic bag in the freezer for a little sweet tooth craving quencher at the ready. Defrost for a minute and they are perfect.

Option: I've also made them with ground raw cashews instead of almonds.


(Thank you Michele & Lori Koenick for introducing me to these yummy little babies!)

You Say Frittayta I Say Frittata

Or, let's just call it quiche. Crustless quiche. This is a great brunch dish that's light & healthy.

Sauté fresh baby spinach, baby bella mushrooms & sliced tomatoes in a pan coated with canola spray. Add a little garlic & herbs.

In a pie pan (canola-sprayed if you like), add the sauteed vegetables. 

Pour in liquid pure eggwhites almost up to the top of the pan & mix it all together so veggies are spread around evenly.

Sprinkle Daiya dairy-free cheese shreds (pictured are the mozzarella style) over the top.

Bake at 375 for about 25-35 minutes, 'til golden brown on top.

I try and make some variation of this frittata a couple of times a week because it keeps really well in the fridge.  I get hungry very quickly and very often so if it's there, I just heat up a slice instead of going for junk food.  I'll often make it without the Daiya; with spinach & mushrooms or sauteed turnips.  Use whatever vegetables you want but cook them first.

The bottom line:  This is so much healthier & lower in fat & cholesterol than a typical quiche loaded with ham and cheese.  Eggwhites can always be substituted for whole eggs - they are pure protein.  The Daiya vegan cheese doesn't disappoint like soy cheeses do.  You'll still feel satisfied with it's gooiness & stretchiness and you don't feel cheated out of a real quiche. The lack of a crust keeps it carb-free.

Cheeseless Version
Tomato, spinach & eggwhites - that's it! Add some basil, salt & pepper.

Turnip the Flavor

It seems that the most easily digestible vegetables are the roots from the underground. No, not from Australia, but actually from down under - under your feet & inside the good earth. They include taproots & tubers including carrots, radishes, rutabagas, turnips, beets, white potatoes, & sweet potatoes.  I had never even seen a turnip until I began exploring my IBS challenges and options and I had never actually eaten a parsnip. (I thought parsnips were only good for one thing - to sweeten up chicken soup and then be tossed out along with the mushy celery). I have yet to experience a rutabaga. 

I made this warm, delicious casserole one night after buying a bunch of turnips that I had no idea what to do with and served it as a side dish with dinner.  It's a creamy, earthy comfort food you'll love to warm up to in winter.

Turnips Gratin
3-4 large turnips (peeled, boiled 'til tender & medium sliced)
Herbs & seasonings: tarragon, thyme, nutmeg, salt & pepper
1 cup cashews to make cashew cream  
Earth Balance buttery spread (3-4 tbs melted)
Italian bread crumbs* (I use Edward & Sons Italian Herb organic bread crumbs - they're dairy free)

First, make the Cashew Cream: read more about cashew cream
Either soak 1 cup of cashews in cold water overnight in the fridge, or soak them in boiling water until soft; 15-30 minutes.
Put softened cashews in a blender and cover them with water to the top of the cashews.  (The less water used, the thicker the cream).
Blend until smooth & creamy.  Set aside.

Layer the bottom of a casserole dish (I used a 7" square x 3" deep dish) with turnip slices.
Season with tarragon, thyme, nutmeg, salt & pepper.
Spread cashew cream over this layer.
Add another layer of turnip slices, then herbs & seasonings, & more cashew cream.
Continue with the layers.
Top the last layer with melted Earth Balance and sprinkle a layer of bread crumbs* on the top.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bread crumbs are a bit golden.

Notes:
*Check labels - lots of bread crumbs contain lactose; cheese, milk, whey or buttermilk and HFCS!
Edward & Sons organic, Jason breadcrumbs & Osem brand do not contain lactose.  You can also use Panko breadcrumbs (also lactose free) & mix the crumbs with seasonings like onion & garlic powder, salt, pepper & paprika & your favorite Italian herbs & spices like oregano, basil & thyme.

Recipe was inspired by Amy Pennington's Rutabaga Gratin recipe, Whole Living Magazine, November 2010.

First Annual National Vegan Pizza Day, Saturday Jan. 29th

Daiya is a new vegan cheese that melts and stretches like dairy cheese.

I am so happy that non-dairy pizza is making it to the main stream!  Read on...

Posted on Thu, Jan. 27, 2011

Excellent vegan pizza is no longer pie in the sky

By VANCE LEHMKUHL
Philadelphia Daily News

"VEGAN PIZZA? Isn't that an oxymoron?"

That's the most common response that the phrase "vegan pizza" generated just a few years ago, and now that we're approaching the first annual Vegan Pizza Day (Jan. 29), that's still the thinking of many.After all, what's pizza without cheese? And if there's one thing we know about vegans, it's that they don't eat cheese.
Actually, authentic Italian pizza doesn't require cheese. But, more importantly, here in the U.S., times are a-changing, and with them, plant-based cheeses.

In the 20 years since processed vegetarian foods started showing up in mainstream grocery stores, nondairy cheese has come a long way. The first attempts were, let's face it, pretty sad. It seemed that the particular chemistry that formed dairy cheese could never be credibly replicated in a plant-based product.
A halfway solution - still out there - was to make cheese from soy but to cheat on the texture (so that it would melt) by adding casein, a protein from cow milk.This was fine for people who only wanted to avoid lactose, but a nonstarter for vegans. Tofutti made some strides with dairy-free sliced "American" cheese, and Vegan Gourmet came pretty close to melting, and tasting, like "real" cheese.

In the past year two new cheeses, Teese (soy-based) and Daiya (tapioca and arrowroot flour), have become widely available and have raised the bar significantly.In fact, Daiya - a rich-tasting, gooey-stretchy faux cheese - played a decisive role in the opening of Blackbird Pizzeria, Philly's first all-vegan pizza joint, located at 6th and Lombard streets, where Gianna's Grille used to be.

"I wanted to do a vegan pizza place," explained former Horizons line cook (and former NYC chef) Mark Mebus, "because I love vegan pizza. But I didn't think it would be viable with soy cheese. The texture is still off the mark for a lot of people. But Daiya is something marketable to the general public - that made the idea more possible." Mebus and partner Ryan Moylan opened Blackbird last fall, grabbing some of Gianna's old clientele and attracting new folks from far and wide. In just a few months they've garnered a lot of buzz, partially because of the unique hook and partially because their pizza is really good (they also do a kick-ass vegan cheesesteak).

Earlier this month, Blackbird expanded its hours to seven days a week. It will launch a self-serve counter in time for the big day Saturday."It's great to see so many people come in," said Mebus. "Mostly young, sure, but really all different kinds of people. We get families coming in from the neighborhood, especially now that we're certified kosher." Blackbird may also have lit a fire under other area pizza ovens, or it just may be at the tip of a major trend, but in the past few months vegan pizza has been popping up in old-school pizza joints all over Philly.

It's not as if Blackbird was the first place in town to do vegan pizza (Ed's added it a year ago, as the Daily News reported last summer). And the mainstreaming of vegan eating has been heralded in several recent major articles. For me, the tipping point was when I got another menu in my door from a local cafe that blared on the front, "Now Offering Vegan Soy Cheese!" Nowadays, regular eateries are adding options to attract vegans, and regular folks are starting to give plant-based products a try, even something as counterintuitive as vegan pizza. That's music to the ears of Dan Reed, whose company, Chicago Soydairy, along with a food blog called quarrygirl.com, created Vegan Pizza Day as the last Saturday in January.
"We're trying to celebrate the phenomenon," said Reed, "and believe me, it's great to see it moving more into the mainstream."

As one of the guys behind Teese, Reed allowed that "as a businessperson, it's great" to have a day focusing on your product, but he stressed that it's not about moving units of his own brand.
"This is a celebration of all things vegan pizza, including all vegan cheese brands and even the cheeseless pizza. We're hoping to open people's eyes to the multitude of ways to do pizza."In fact, it's not just about pizza. "Food is a great way to introduce people to veganism," Reed said, adding that his own lifestyle change was spurred by learning about what goes on in dairy production. "It's just not fair, and the more you learn, the harder it is to turn a blind eye." Blackbird's Mark Mebus concurred. "Hopefully, some people will be motivated to look into veganism in general" as a result of Vegan Pizza Day. "I think people are seeing it now as a plausible thing. It's more normal than, say, that one punk-rock kid in high school."

The official website (veganpizzaday.com) is tracking venues and celebrations nationwide, with parties, promotions and meetups already booked from Indianapolis to Portland to Los Angeles. All the fun, centered on the tasty tradition of pizza, will likely help to normalize veganism further. How much further remains to be seen. "If we can convince 150 people to eat a vegan pizza on January 29," said Reed, "that's a start."
While it looks like that number's already been met, there's always room for more in getting this party started.
Grab a slice - you might find veganism's as easy as pie.

reprinted from the Philadelphia Daily News at philly.com

The World's Comfort Food

It seems wherever you travel noodles are there for you. Soft, warm, filling ~ comforting as the billowy pillowed, worn out corner of your favorite couch. Nothing says, "home" like a warm mountain of doughy, rolled up spaghetti or a steaming bowl of Mama's chicken noodle soup. From the simplest ingredients; grains, water & sometimes eggs, comes an endless bounty of satisfying deliciousness. Pasta! Macaroni, spaetzle, trahanas, harusame, lokshen, ramen, spaghetti, udon, ragi, soba, lasagne - any way you say it - NOODLES - it's all good! But is it all good for you?

Pastas are not all created equal. Some versions are healthier than others.
Here's the deal:
The "whole" story...Firstly, white pasta, the most common in this country, is made from refined white flour. During the refining process the wheat does a striptease of its outer & middle layers (the bran and germ which contain most of the nutrients), leaving just the not-so-sexy naked starchy inner layer. So, having unrefined, fully-clothed 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat pasta is nutritionally healthier. Truthfully, though, they are not going to taste the same, (read, not always as good) as the white pasta. If you love your white pasta the taste & texture takes a little getting used to. This is also a tricky area for sensitive insides. We want to be healthier but sometimes the fiber in the whole grain is harder to digest. So, what's a girl to do... I usually eat brown rice pasta by Tinkyada. It tastes really good, it goes down easy, has a soft texture and comes in several shapes. I also like Eden Organics kamut pasta (kuh-MOOT), a whole grain pasta that, to me, tastes better than whole wheat pasta. Other whole grain pastas to try are soba noodles (made from buckwheat), spelt pasta and quinoa pasta. Read labels. It's only 100% whole grain if it says "100%" followed by the type of grain or flour. (fyi, brown rice is automatically a whole grain).
If you're not ready to completely switch to 100% whole grain pasta, there are a lot of pasta blends out there, made from a combo of whole grain & refined flours. They are a good compromise for taste and are nutritionally healthier than the strictly white pasta. (a couple of these brands are Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Blend or Barilla's whole grain blend).



Fusilli Fofredo
Brown rice fusilli pasta
mixed with Earth Balance
and cashew cream.(my new favorite comfort food)
Click for cashew cream recipe.



There's more to the story...
The Glycemic Index thickens the plot.

Here's the not-so-scientific skinny:The refined white pasta contains a high quantity of high GI (glycemic index) carbohydrates. Digesting high GI foods sets a domino effect into motion. They release sugar into your bloodstream very quickly which then dramatically spikes your blood sugar level. Initially, you feel an increase in energy & you're feeling in a spunky good mood. This then forces the pancreas to raise insulin production to counteract the steep rise in blood sugar level (the more sugar in the blood, the more insulin is produced). Insulin lowers blood sugar by converting the sugar into stored fat. (High levels of insulin signal the body to store fat). Round-the-middle-goin'-nowhere-spare tire-muffin-top-waistline-fat! Essentially, insulin is like a cheerleader for Team Fat. Gimme an F-A-T! GOOOO FAT! (Insulin blocks the hormone that's responsible for burning fat; glucagon). So, what happens next? The insulin surge makes your blood sugar come waaaay down quickly. Metabolism slows down. (Yawwwwn. It makes me so sleepy tired - I lovingly and lethargically call it Carb Crash). Are you still with me? Wake up! The peak-&-valley insulin roller-coaster can ruin a perfectly good day at the park. When your blood sugar goes way down you get tired & your body craves energy so you get very hungry... which makes you eat more... more sugar... more insulin... more tired... more fat... lions & tigers & bears, oh my! ... and it goes on...and on... from the roller-coaster to the merry-go-round. This ride is exhausting!

Low glycemic index carbohydrates (the whole grain pastas) release sugar into your bloodstream more slowly, eliminating the body's need to produce extra insulin. Your blood sugar level stays nice and even. Digestion is quiet. When you eat lower GI foods or less carbs, the insulin cheerleaders are benched with duct tape tight over their puckery-pink lipsticked mouths. When insulin levels decrease glucagon levels increase and guess what? Glucagon is what burns the fat! Your metabolism & digestion rates improve. So, what does this mean for you? If your metabolism increases, more of what you eat is digested so you store less fat. When you decrease "Insulin the Fat Storer" you increase "Glucagon the Fat Burner". Team Fat loses and laments in the locker room. No sugar highs & lows. No Carb Crash. Ahhh. Serenity now!

In addition to the 100% whole grain pastas, Dreamfields Pasta, a white pasta, has 65% less digested carbs than other traditional white pastas. While the total number of carbs is the same as other white pastas, it's got a patented formula that protects all but 5 grams of carbs from being digested, lessening a rise in blood sugar. So, you could call this a low carb pasta. It looks and tastes like your old-fashioned, best friend white pasta and is a good solution if you have trouble digesting the whole grains or you just can't get used to the taste of whole grain pastas.

The Bottom line: Use your noodle! Replace refined white flour pasta with more nutritious and lower glycemic index carb pasta. Eating lower GI foods will keep your blood sugar level even, avoiding the highs and lows of Carb Crash and lessening weight gain.

Cauliflower Gets Smashed

Having IBS is sort of like being either an infant or a 93-year-old resident at the Home at Boca del Vista.  Mashed up veggies are the only way to go.  The only difference is that I can actually feed myself. Cauliflower is on the IBS list of tread-lightly-indigestible-insoluable fiber. (See my IBS page). I happen to love cauliflower and I've found that if I mash it up real well it's much easier on me. Several years ago, when my kids were little, I tried to hoodwink them into thinking this was a 'new kind of mashed potatoes' after reading all those books for moms about sneaking vegetables into your picky eater kid's food. (I've seen it in cookbooks labeled "mock mashed potatoes", made with milk & butter and then pureed). I bombed miserably.  I couldn't fool those smarty pants kids for one second.  I, on the other hand loved it, which they still think puts me on the Crazy list.

Smashed Cauliflower
1 whole bag (16 oz) frozen (or a head of fresh) cauliflower florets (I use Wegmans frozen because when I buy fresh vegetables they tend to rot in my fridge).
Cook 'til tender, about 10 minutes.
Add Earth Balance natural buttery spread (several tbs depending on how creamy you want it) and mash away with a potato masher or chopper.
I add some Red Star Nutritional Yeast Flakes for a more savory flavor.  I don't know quite how to describe the taste of nutritional yeast, aka "nooch", but I've started adding it to foods like pasta & vegetables for enhanced flavor, protein & vitamins. It's neither sweet nor salty nor spicy... it's an umami flavor unlike anything I've ever had before.  It was popping up in so many vegan recipes that I finally had to give it a try and I'm so glad I did.

This is good all by itself as a side dish or to play it safe have it with some soluable fiber like on top of a baked sweet potato, mixed with mashed parsnips or turnips or over a low carb pasta.  I've even topped my veggie burgers with smashed cauliflower.

Note: Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast made from sugar cane and beet molasses. It comes in flake or powder form.  (It is not the same as the active yeasts used in bread making). Easily digested & packed with B vitamins and all the essential amino acids, it has a nutty, cheese-like flavor and is often used to emulate cheese in vegan dishes however, you don't have to be a vegan to enjoy it. Nutritional yeast can be sprinkled on pasta, salads, baked potatoes, soups, or anything, really, to enhance flavor. One of the most popular ways to eat nutritional yeast, it seems, is sprinkled on popcorn.

Holy Chocomole!

Banana Avocado Chocolate Pudding is pudding in the raw at its finest. This concoction is so crazy... yet so clever! There's no dairy whatsoever yet it's a very rich & creamy dessert. I tried a few different recipes using avocado that all came out way too strong for my taste but I found that adding banana, deleting vanilla and making a couple of other changes to tone it down, makes a more inviting, easier-on-the-taste-buds batch.

What you need:

1 avocado cut into chunks

1 large banana cut into chunks

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

a little less than 1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tbs agave

Process: Dump all the ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy. This recipe makes 2 full cups. Let it get cold in the fridge & when you're ready to eat, mix it up. I like it best warmed up in the microwave.

Notes: I use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze vanilla unsweetened almond milk and Wholesome Sweeteners organic raw blue agave.

Lasagna to Daiya For

(I think it may actually be pronounced DAY-a, not DIE-a but then my cute pun doesn't work). I have to say, this was surprisingly tasty & satisfying, all things considered. I made this lasagna with 1 box of Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles, browned up & seasoned ground chicken, Daiya dairy-free mozzarella style shreds & store bought marinara sauce. I always use the lowest sodium tomato sauce I can find, which happens to be my local supermarket brand, Wegmans Red, Ripe & Ready, and I doctor it up with herbs. (Next time I'll make it vegetarian with spinach & mushrooms, sans chicken, but I knew my kids wouldn't touch it made that way). It's the first time I made brown rice lasagna noodles and they cooked up beautifully. I couldn't tell the difference at all in the lasagna. The Daiya mozzarella is melty & stretchy and I'm becoming addicted to this stuff. As I've said before, it's truly the crack of vegan cheese. It's nothing like any of the other 'cheese wannabees'. Now, of course it's not actual mozzarella, and I'm not trying to put one over on anybody, but it does the trick without forcing me to eat soy cheese (yuck). It does contain safflower & coconut oils and I'm very IBS sensitive to all fats, but it doesn't bother me as much as cheese with lactose. It will get to me, though, if I have more than one piece. But, hey, one piece of lasagna is more than I've been able to eat in eons.

Note: I have read dozens and dozens of reviews about Daiya dairy-free cheese-like shreds from lactose intolerants as well as iron-stomached people and 99.9% of them are wildly, cheesegasmically positive. Restaurants in LA & NYC are now serving pizza & other vegan 'cheesy' dishes with Daiya so it's only a matter of time before that happens here in upstate NY. (A couple of vegan food brands are also using it - Amy's mac 'n cheese & Tofurkey pizza). I am also crazy about the stuff, but I'm in the apparently infinitely small percentile who in addition to the lactose intol. has IBS sensitivities too. I keep telling myself that it's a good thing because it keeps me from eating too much... of anything!

Easiest Homemade Ice Cream

No dairy. No sugar. No additives. No nothing!
Just one singular ingredient makes sweet &
creamy soft-serve ice cream... bananas!

It couldn't be easier or healthier:

1) When bananas start to get some sweet brown spots, unpeel them, break them into pieces and put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Freeze over night.

2) Put frozen banana chunks in either a food processor or high speed blender (I use a HealthMaster) and blend until lumps are gone and bananas become a creamy consistency.

This was the first time I tried it and it was so good with just this basic recipe - if you can even call it a recipe. The bananas are the base for the creaminess and then you can build on it. Other options I'll try in the future: adding another fruit like strawberries, peaches or mangoes or a little cocoa powder to make chocolate. Some people also add a little honey or agave or vanilla. Try it! (Pictured on top of the ice cream are mini dairy-free organic chocolate chips by Enjoy Life).

Thank you to the kitchn for giving me this idea!