Voluntary Simplicity

We are the most successful people the world has ever
known.
It's a great time to be riding this wave. Our
enormously productive economy affords us luxuries
beyond the wildest dreams of previous generations and
far beyond the reach of most of the almost 7 billion
Homo sapiens inhabiting & modifying this tiny planet.
A planet on which over 1/3 do not have electricity,
many starving, 99% without computers and
enviro-degradation everywhere. It's an exciting, fun
time for most of us in America. I call it the final
glow of the "Golden Age of Man".

Many today long for a simpler society, a simpler life,
a life- style more in tune with the natural world - a
sustainable way of life. We comprise only 5% of the
world's people we consume over 35% of the world's
resources. People of third world countries watch TV
and aspire to our consumerism. We are the lucky ones;
at least for a little while longer.

Voluntary Simplicity is a movement reducing
consumption and spending, creating less debt, using
less resources, recycling more, living WITH the
natural world. Many in the VS movement take delight in
exercising imagination and creativity consuming less
and recycling more.

On Thanksgiving Day I picked up the morning paper. It
was over 90% advertizing. How many times a day are we
told to buy "stuff"? A local example of VS is Eric
Greening who hasn't owned a car for decades but gets
around by bus, walking and hitching rides; he is
always at the SLO Board of Supervisors educating the
rest of us - a role model for all to emulate.

Defining simplicity is a very individual matter that
covers a wide potential range. A few things for me:

1. reducing trash from 2 barrels per week to one
barrel per month - 3 decades ago,
2. planting acorns of native oaks everywhere I think
they might grow
3. bicycling more - I bike 1K--2K miles each year - 3
decades
4. connected the shower, laundry and sink so that
waste water flows to plants outside - 3 decades
5. hanging laundry on a line in the sun - always
6. deciding to get a vasectomy to prevent "accidents"
- 3 decades ago
7. having a garden - 4 decades

Voluntary Simplicity is a unique trend but one whose
time has come as our resources become depleted. Some
suggestions on things
you might do:

1. AVOID YOUR CAR: Walk, ride your bike,carpool, take
the bus but don't drive your polluter. Walk on the
beach rather than drive as at Oceano & listen to the
waves.
2. AVOID SHOPPING: Why do we get over 1000
messages/day to buy more?
The average credit card debt is over $9,200. Before
you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need the
item.
3. GET RID OF YOUR LAWN: Make a bio-intensive garden
as I have done - great food. Grow native bushes and
increase biodiversity - birds & butterflies love it.
We use over 202 million pounds of pesticides/yr. for
lawns in the US plus all that polluting
lawn-machinery.
4. TURN OFF THE TV: Corporations spend over $7 Billion
each year telling us to consume. It is OK to watch
"Democracy Now" by Amy Goodman as there are no
commercials & my main source of the news.
5. STOP ACCIDENTS: Sixty percent of all pregnancies in
the US are unintended (accidents). I urge vasectomies
for males, emergency contraception for gals and condom
vending machines in all restrooms.
6. HANG YOUR LAUNDRY: We have the wonderful warm sun
so much on the Central Coast.
7. READ (then recycle it) HOPEDANCE: This free
publication is dedicated to voluntary simplicity - the
hope for a future.

Bill Denneen

The Supreme Machine

How much value would you put on a machine that is so special that there are no others like it, no spare parts and yet it must run continuously without stopping for up to 100 years?

The machine, of course, is your body. The value assigned to it is up to you. But before you decide how much your body is worth, you should appreciate a few things about it. You ask it to do some phenomenal things, including process huge amounts of information, both input and output, on a daily basis; interface with others on many different levels; produce another human machine for continuity of the species; and under certain circumstances, perform feats of strength and courage.

Those things your body does because you tell it to; but what about all those things your body does every day, day after day, year after year, with little or no thought or decision on your part? Consider this for a moment - if you are an adult of about average weight, here's what you do in 24 hours:

Your heart beats 103,689 times.
Your hair grows .01714 inches.
You breathe 23,040 times.
You eat 3 pounds of food.
You perspire 1.43 pints of liquid.
You speak 4,800 words.
You turn 25 to 35 times in your sleep.
You lose 7.8 pounds of waste weight.
Your blood travels 168,000 miles.
Your nails grow .000046 inches.
You inhale 438 cubic feet of air.
You drink 2.9 pounds of liquid.
You move 750 major muscles.

It pays to take care of this fantastic, one-of-a-kind machine, since there are no spare parts!

Now that you have some idea of what this superb creation does, do you properly take care of it? It relentlessly performs its daily functions and asks only periodic attention, proper fuel, some rest, exercise, and an occasional checkup. Now that you know a little bit about what your body does and its minimum requirements, what is it worth? Of course, it is priceless, so be sure to maintain it with the basic requirements of proper nutrition, sleep and daily exercise.

--- Source: Vitality Labs Newsletter

Great Quotes to open your mind :)

Genesis 1:29 "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food."
-God

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
–Albert Einstein

“To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana.”
-Buddha

"If man wants freedom why keep birds and animals in cages? Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds them. We live by the death of others. We are burial places! I have since an early age abjured the use of meat."
-Leonardo Da Vinci

"As we talked of freedom and justice one day for all, we sat down to steaks. I am eating misery, I thought, as I took the first bite. And spit it out."
-Alice Walker

"The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining an understanding of compassion."
-Socrates

"I am conscious that meat eating is not in accordance with the finer feelings, and I abstain from it whenever I can."
-Dr. Albert Schweitzer -1952 Nobel Peace Prize recipient

“If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. It’s staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty.”
-Sir Paul McCartney

"There will never be any peace in the world as long as we eat animals."
-Isaac Bashevis Singer

“Many things made me become a vegetarian, among them, the higher food yield as a solution to world hunger.”
-John Denver

“I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals…”
-Henry David Thoreau

“Now I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you anymore.”
-Franz Kafka while looking at a fish.

“The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, rather, can they suffer?
-Jeremy Bentham

"I have been a vegetarian for a few years. Fred Dryer of the Rams has been one for ten years. It shows you don't need meat to play football."
-Joe Namath, Legendary NFL Quarterback

“To consider yourself an environmentalist and still eat meat is like saying you're a philanthropist who doesn't give to charity”
-Howard Lyman, Ex-cattle rancher, and author of Mad Cowboy

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."
-Pythagoras

"If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals."
-Albert Einstein

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian. We feel better about ourselves and better about the animals, knowing we're not contributing to their pain."
-Paul and Linda McCartney

"If you visit the killing floor of a slaughterhouse, it will brand your soul for life."
-Howard Lyman, Ex-cattle rancher, feedlot operator, author of Mad Cowboy

"It has just stopped me cold from eating another hamburger."
-Oprah Winfrey, interviewing Howard Lyman

"I know, in my soul, that to eat a creature who is raised to be eaten, and who never has a chance to be a real being, is unhealthy. It's like...you're just eating misery. You're eating a bitter life."
-Alice Walker

"It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."
-Albert Einstein

The Evolution of Medicine

Complaint: "Doctor, I have an earache..."

Response:
2000 BC Here, eat this root.
100 AD That root is heathen; say this prayer.
1850 AD That Prayer is superstition; drink this potion.
1940 AD That potion is snake oil; swallow this pill.
1980 AD That pill is ineffective; take this antibiotic.
2000 AD That antibiotic is artificial; Here, eat this root and say this prayer!

Great link

http://naturalparadigms.com/billmaher.html

Black Bean and Vegetable Stew

from A Taste of Vitality

Stew

1 1/2 t olive oil

2 large onions, diced
5 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T cumin powder
2 t dried oregano
1/4 t cayenne (or more to taste)
3/4 t ground fennel seeds
2 T dried basil
2 C black beans, cooked (include liquid)
1 C corn, frozen
14-oz tomatoes, low sodium
8 oz prepared seitan, cubed (optional)
1 1/2 C water
1/4 t sea salt
1 T tamari soy sauce

Garnish

3 T cilantro, finely chopped
3/4 C green onions, finely chopped (6 stalks)

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic, sealing one at a time (about 30 min. total).

Add the cumin powder, oregano, cayenne, fennel seeds, and basil, and cook another 2 min.

Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, seitan (including the liquid), water, and salt, and simmer for 10+ min.

Before serving, stir in tamari. Garnish each bowl with cilantro and green onions.

Variations: Use less black beans and / or seitan if less protein is desired; substitute tempeh for seitan to eliminate gluten from dish; use a fresh, low-salt vegetable broth in place of water for fuller flavor; add chopped collard greens near end of cooking; use chili powder in place of the cumin, oregano, and cayenne.

Sunlight cuts risk of many cancers

By Roger Dobson
Published: 21 October 2007

Sunbathing, considered risky by skin cancer experts, may actually reduce the risk of breast and other cancers, new research has found.

Some women who had higher sun exposure had their risk of advanced breast cancer reduced by almost half, according to the scientific study.

The researchers from Stanford University , who report their findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology this week, said: "This study supports the idea that sunlight exposure reduces risk of advanced breast cancer among women with light skin pigmentation. ''

The Stanford cancer specialists measured 4,000 women aged 35 to 79, half of them diagnosed with breast cancer, for the effects of long-term sun exposure.

Sun exposure may also protect against a number of other cancers, according to a second research team who studied more than four million people in 11 countries, including 416,000 who had been diagnosed with skin cancer.

These results, reported in the European Journal of Cancer, show that the risk of internal cancers after skin cancers was lower among people living in sunny countries.

The researchers said: "Vitamin D production in the skin seems to decrease the risk of several solid cancers, especially stomach, colo-rectal, liver and gall- bladder, pancreas, lung, female breast, prostate, bladder and kidney cancers."

Sunlight plays a vital role in the production of beneficial vitamin D in the body. Although food provides some vitamin D, up to 90 per cent comes from exposure to sunlight.

EGGLESS BANANA PANCAKES

EGGLESS BANANA PANCAKES
(Serves 2)

1/2 cup rolled oats (120 ml)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour (120 ml)
1/2 cup cornmeal (white or yellow) (120 ml)
1 Tablespoon baking powder (15 ml)
1-1/2 cups water (360 ml)
2 large ripe bananas, peeled then mashed
2 teaspoons oil (10 ml)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Use about 1/4 cup
of batter per pancake, poured into lightly oiled preheated
frying pan. Fry over low heat on one side until light brown, then flip over and fry on the other side until done.

Variations: Add chopped apples, raisins, or blueberries to the
batter before frying.

Total Calories per Serving: 482
Fat: 8 grams
Protein: 12 grams
Iron: 4 mg
Carbohydrates: 97 grams
Calcium: 306 mg
Dietary Fiber: 9 grams

Recipe is from Meatless Meals for Working People. If you
don't have a lot of time to cook, you may be interested in
this book. See http://www.vrg.org/catalog/meatless.htm

Check this out

www.krafty.org/flash

Interesting & Lifesaving Studies

Number of lives lost to colon cancer
each year in the U.S.:
55,000

Risk of colon cancer for women who eat red meat daily
compared to those who eat it less than once a month:
250% greater

Risk of colon cancer for people who eat red meat once a week
compared to those who abstain:
38% greater

Risk of colon cancer for people who eat poultry once a week
compared to those who abstain:
55% greater

Risk of colon cancer for people who eat poultry four times a week
compared to those who abstain:
200–300% greater

Risk of colon cancer for people who eat
beans, peas or lentils at least twice a week
compared to people who avoid these foods:
50% lower

JOHN ROBBINS
American author,
Pulitzer Prize Nominee for Diet for a New America,
(excerpt from The Food Revolution, Conari Press 2000)

"A six-year study of 88,000 nurses
by Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital
found that those who ate meat every day
were more than twice as likely to get colon cancer
as those who avoided meat."

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
13 December 1990

Spiced Popcorn Balls

8 cups popped corn
1 cup roasted almonds, chopped coarsely (optional)
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon orange extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 11x13 pan, mix together the popcorn and almonds. Set aside. Melt butter in a small pot. Add the honey or maple syrup, orange extract and spices. Boil gently over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Drizzle over the popcorn mixture and stir well.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven With gloved hands, shape the hot mixture into 12 balls. Cool thoroughly.
Wrap in plastic wrap until serving time.

World Vegetarian Day

Today, October 1st, is World Vegetarian Day.

Try making a meatless meal today. You won't even miss it. :)

Creamy Banana Pudding

1 cup soft tofu
2 bananas, chopped
3 tbsp dates, chopped (optional)
2 1/2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup organic sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
dash of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a blender or food processor, blend together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Chill well before serving. Makes 2-4 servings.

Short segment on vaccines

There are many great sites you can view to educate yourself on the pros and cons of vaccinating children. There is a great site connected to this blog and one on evescupboard.blogspot.com Scroll down and click on the children's photos to read their stories. There are thousands of stories like this on the web but it seems to be very hard to find any stories about unvaccinated children dying.
The subject has come up recently by a few different people so I thought I would just do a short rant and make sure everyone can locate these sites.

Here goes...
Each generation is subjected to more vaccinations and, as a result, is experiencing more immune dysfunction diseases. Many children have as many as twenty-two vaccinations before they go to the first grade, and as more vaccines become available, the number keeps increasing.
Vaccines are toxic mixtures loaded with various substances that never should be injected into the human body -including foreign proteins and dangerous viruses from chickens, guinea pigs, calves and monkeys. Some researchers believe these viruses put a permanent burden on our immune system and do continuous damage both to the immune and nervous systems.
Vaccines also contain toxic chemicals, like mercury (a neurotoxin), ethylene glycol (anti-freeze), formaldehyde (a carcinogen), aluminum (a carcinogen and also associated with Alzheimer's), plus antibiotics like Streptomycin (Which can cause allergic reactions). Even the FDA has called for cessation of mercury in vaccines.
Decisions about whether to vaccinate your children, should be based on accurate information. Unfortunately, the public has had little access to research questioning the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
To avoid an infectious disease, you don't need to have vaccinations; you need to keep your immunity strong. From the beginning, breastfeeding protects against many infections. Avoid allergenic foods like milk and wheat. Refined sugars are well known to depress immunity. Regular exercise, a good diet, and avoidance of allergens and toxins help to maintain a healthy immune system.
Finding any studies that prove vaccines' effectiveness is difficult. Recent worldwide outbreaks of virulent forms of TB have demonstrated that alleged "protection" by TB vaccine has little to do with whether or not anyone contracts the disease.
-excerpts from Never Be Sick Again
Health Is a Choice Learn How to Choose It.
Raymond Francis


Not meant to be used as medical advice, you must choose what is right for your child.
This is strictly my opinion.

Okay...so maybe it's time to try something different

Death Rates Per 100,000 Population
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Maryland
Living Nutrition Magazine

1960-1988      1988-2002

Heart diseases               296.0-486.0     696.0-947.0

Cancer                          162.8-196.6     271.0-557.0
Diabetes                         15.7-18.9     72.0-249.0

Ginger Snaps

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the maple syrup, molasses, oil, and ginger. Stir together gently until "just mixed."
Scoop spoon-sized portions onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes 6
large or 12 small cookies.
-How it all Vegan

Vegan Guacamole

2 cups ripe avocados, mashed
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
Chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup veganaise

Mix together and enjoy on toasted bread

Pepper Tofu Jerky

Another great recipe from How It All Vegan

1 lb extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup braggs or soy sauce
3/4 tbsp liquid smoke
1/8 cup water
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp pepper
1 tsp organic sugar

Cut the drained tofu into long narrow strips (about 1/4 inch thickness). They may look big, but they will shrink during baking. In a small bowl, whisk together th Braggs, liquid smoke, water, onion powder, garlic, pepper, and sugar. Place the tofu strips in a shallow baking pan or on a cookie sheet and pour the marinade over them. Let them marinat for several hours or overnight for best results.

Cook the tofu in a food dehydrator (follow directions) or bake in the oven for about 4-6 hours at 200F. Turn the tofu over once every hour so it bakes evenly. Continue until the texture is very chewy, but not crispy. Tofu jerky will keep indefinitely. Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Zesty Tomato Pesto

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4/5 tsp fresh basil, chopped
salt (to taste)

In a blender or food processor, blend together the tomatoes, spinach, onions, oil, garlic, and basil until you've reached the desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Heat and serve over pasta or rice or use in place of tomato sauce on pizza. Makes 2-4 servings.

Tofudgesicles

1 cup soft or silken tofu
1/2 cup soy milk
1/3 cup sweetener
1/4 cup carob or cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
popsicle moulds

In a blender or food processor blend all ingredients until very smooth and creamy. Pour into moulds and freeze. Remove from freezer 5 minutes before serving. Makes 8-12 depending on moulds.

Rabbit Shake

1/2 cup soft or silken tofu
1-2 cup orange or apple juice
1 banana (frozen works best)
1 carrot, finely grated

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high speed until very smooth. Makes 1-2 servings.

Thousands of people every year pay thousands of dollars for state-of-the-art testing to learn their risk for heart disease. However, experts say that fresh vegetables and fruits and a health club membership may be better buys than any lab test. People who ate a diet low in fat and cholesterol and rich in healthy plant foods, who don't smoke, who exercise regularly, and keep their weight and blood pressure in the normal range are less likely to have a heart attack than those who don't, despite any predisposition or genetic tendency toward heart disease. - Harvard Health Letter

Raspberry Cornmeal Muffins

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
dash of salt
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup orange or apple juice
1 tsp vinegar
1 cup raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Add the oil, soymilk, juice, vinegar and berries. Mix together gently until "just mixed." Spoon into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 35-45 minutes. Test with a knife to see if done. Makes 6 muffins.

Fabulous Fried "No Chicken"

2 14 oz. packages extra-firm tofu
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp poultry seasoning (sage, thyme & marjoram)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs

Unwrap tofu & shake off excess moisture. Place tofu in a freezer wrap and freeze for 24 hours.

Thaw tofu and gently squeeze out excess moisture. Cut the firm, pressed tofu into 1 inch thick slices.

In a bowl, add soymilk and all seasonings. Whisk well.
Place flour in 2nd bowl and the breadcrumbs in a 3rd.
Dip each slice of tofu first into flour then into seasoned soymilk. Coat both sides next with the breadcrumbs.

Fry the "No Chicken" in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Eggless Egg Salad

1 pkg. firm tofu
3 tbsp. veganaise
1/4 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
2 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 tbsp. minced scallions
2 tbsp. minced celery

Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Crumble tofu into medium bowl. In another small bowl, mix vegan mayo, honey, salt, turmeric, and mustard; add tofu. Mix in remaining ingredients.
Put in fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Vegan Mayonnaise

1 12-oz package silken or soft tofu
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp organic sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

In a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients. Makes approx. 1 1/2 cups.

Baked Stuffed Eggplant

1 medium eggplant, halved lengthwise, flesh scooped out, and chopped (reserve shells)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
4-6 mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp vegan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large saucepan on medium heat, saute the eggplant, onions, pepper, and mushrooms in oil until the onions are translucent. Add the rice, oregano, basil, salt, and tomato paste and let simmer for 5 minutes. Place the eggplant shells in a lasagna pan or baking sheet, and stuff with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle top with soy cheese. Cover with foil or lid and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered for last ten minutes. Makes 2-4 servings.

These recipes can be doubled or triples for leftovers. This one freezes well.

-The Garden of Vegan

Zucchini & Broccoli Toss

dry pasta (enough for people)
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 cup broccoli, florets only
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2-3 tspBraggs or Nama Shoyu
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 cup almonds

In a large pot of water, boil the pasta. While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan on medium heat,
saute the zucchini, broccoli, garlic, ginger, and Braggs in oil until zucchini is tender. Drain pasta and toss with vegetables. Top with almonds. Serve hot or cold. Makes 2 servings.

-The Garden of Vegan

Spicy Sunflower Seeds

2 cups raw sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours
1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
Pinch of cayeene pepper

Dry the seeds with a towel to remove excess moisture. Place in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Arrange on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 18-24 hours or until the desired dryness is achieved. Store in glass jars.

Note: It is important that all the moisture is removed from the seeds in the dehydrator before they are stored; otherwise they may mold.

Living in The Raw Gourmet

Awesome Chocolate Pudding

All you need is a blender

1 12-oz. package of soft or silken tofu
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

Blend tofu until smooth. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Blend until well mixed.
Serve chilled. Makes approx. 1 1/2 cups.

My son Kyle loves this stuff!!!

Banana Walnut Bars

Very easy with lots of taste!!!

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup organic sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 banana, mashed well
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup with cinnamon and sugar mixed together for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Add the soy milk, oil, vanilla, lemon juice, banana, and walnuts. Stir gently until just mixed Pour into a lightly oiled 8X8 cake pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake for 30-35 minutes. While still warm, cut into bars and remove from pan. Makes about 8 large bars.
-The Garden of Vegan

Another Reason To Not Feed Your Kids Hot Dogs

There are many reasons not to eat hot dogs (or any meat) aside from how they are made and what they are made out of and the fact that they contritbute to diabetes and heart disease, here is a reason to never let your children eat them.

University of Southern California epidemiologists have reported in Cancer Cause and Control that children who eat more than 12 hot dogs a month have nine times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia. Other reports in the same journal suggested children born to mothers who eat at least one hot dog a week during pregnancy have double the risk of developing brain tumors, as do children whose fathers ate hot dogs before conception. The trigger for the cancers is thought to be the nitrates used in the process to preserve hot dogs and other meats including sandwich meats.

Egg Substitutes

Baking without eggs can be tricky but it can be done. Eggs provide liquid in the recipe, so if you leave eggs out you need to replace them with something else.

Powdered egg replacer: This stuff is great. This is what I use most of the time. It is available at health food stores but even grocery stores carry it now. It may seem pricey at 4-5.00 a box, but one box last for months.

Banana: Use 1/2 a banana, mashed to replace one egg in sweet baked goods.

Applesauce: Add about 1/4 cup applesauce in place of an egg in sweet baked goods. It's a great binder but you may need to add a little extra baking powder (about 1/2 tsp) to help with the rising.

Tofu: Use about 1/4 cup mashed silken tofu for one egg. Also add 1/4-1/2 tsp extra baking powder.

Soy flour: Use 1 heaping tbsp of soy flour or cornstarch plus 2 tbsp water to repace each egg in a recipe.

-The Garden of Vegan

Blueberry Muffins

This is from The Garden of Vegan

Very hearty vegan muffins!!!

1 cup soy milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
egg replacer, equal to 1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy milk and the oats. Set aside for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the egg relacer, oil, sugar and oat mixture. Gently stir in the blueberries and spoon into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Note- I always double this recipe when I make it.

Welcome

My family and I have been vegan for quite a few years now. Here we will share our favorite recipes, health benefits of being vegan, answers to questions we are asked on a daily basis, etc.
I will start with a great breakfast recipe and in the days and weeks ahead post each family members personal story and benefits they have achieved by eating a plant-based diet.