Ideas For Planning Your Thanksgiving Day

Need some yummy healthy recipes for thanksgiving? Well here ya go, there is more than enough ideas in these links to make your day delicious!

From my blog I will be making my favorite "cheese" sauce with some broccoli mixed in, cranberry fluff, and I won't be forgetting my favorite pumpkin pie with this oatmeal cookie crust or this crust.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

For more recipe's and ideas-

-Mary Mcdougall Recipes and Prep

-Happy Herbivore Recipes

-Fun Treats and Platters

-Pinterest list of recipes etc.

Spaghetti Squash With Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Well winter is just around the corner and here comes squash season! This was my first attempt at making spaghetti squash, (shocking I know, lol) and it was actually quite fun, something about how it magically becomes spaghetti like when you scrape it with a fork, it was amazing ;) I know a lot of people make spaghetti squash with a red sauce, or they like they're squash with butter and brown sugar for a sweeter dish, but I wasn't quite in the mood for that, so I just whipped up this easy to make creamy sauce to go with it and it was delicious, hope you like it!

1 medium sized spaghetti squash:

-This can be roasted whole for easier cutting: Set your oven to 375 degrees and while it's preheating wash your squash ;) and dry it. Poke it a few times with a fork or knife, place it on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, let it cool for handling, then cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, and the fun part is just using a fork to rake out the squash and it will automatically make it's own noodles like magic.

-To cut before cooking: Set your oven to 375 degrees and while it's preheating wash your squash ;) and dry it. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and roast it in a roasting pan or glass dish with the cut sides down and add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan, cover with foil or lid and bake for 45 mins- 1 hr.

*Spaghetti squash will still have a slight crunchy texture when done.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce:
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other unsweetened milk alt)
1 1/2 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
S&P to taste
*optional- any additional seasonings of your liking, or add some vegan cream cheese/sour cream.

-In a small sauce pan whisk your flour into the soy milk, add the rest of the seasonings then heat on med/high until it thickens. The sauce will also thicken more as it cools.

-Top your spaghetti squash or regular pasta with the sauce and devour. Peas, broccoli, or mushrooms are also a good addition, yummy!

Some squash cooking info came from forealslife.com

100% Whole Wheat Pita Bread

This recipe is from Forealslife.com, this is the easiest pita bread recipe I have ever come across, and tastes great!

1 Tablespoon instant dry yeast (or you can use 1 package of instant dry yeast - it is a bit less but that's okay!)

3 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)

1 teaspoon sugar

1.5 cups warm water (not hot!)

1 teaspoon salt

• First you are going to proof your yeast. Mix together the water, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl. First the yeast will dissolve and then it will turn all foamy/bubbly. Congratulations! Your yeast is alive and it's time to move ahead. (If this doesn't happen at all it's time to start with new yeast.)
  
  
• Now mix the remaining ingredients together. You may need to add additional water (at times I have had to add up to 1/3 cup additional warm water) depending on the humidity and your flour. You want the dough to be soft and supple but not super sticky.
  
  
• Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (5 minutes or so by hand or be clever and do it in a stand mixer or food processor with a dough blade.)
  
  
• Now place your dough into a large clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. It will rise a bit quicker if it is kept in a warmer place (like next to a bubbling crockpot!)
  
  
• Now take the dough and push out the air. Separate into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Keep the dough balls separate and cover. Rise again for another 30-40 minutes.
  
  
• Meanwhile heat your oven to 475 degrees. You want it to be HOT! If you have a pizza stone you can put that in your oven to heat up or you can instead use a large baking sheet. Either way put them into the oven cold and let them preheat.
  
  
• Once your dough has risen again take one out at a time and roll them into a flat disc shape. You want them to be 7-8" in diameter ( around 1/4" thick.) Roll 2-3 out at a time and then open your oven and put them in. Be careful!!
  
  
• Set your timer for 3 minutes and have fun watching them balloon up!
  Some may not balloon up but that's okay. Take them out after the 3 minutes and put them on a plate. Cover them with a towel to help soften them up.
  
  
• Repeat with your remaining dough.
  I find it works best to let the oven heat for a couple of minutes between each batch since you've opened it up twice for the batch before.

Processed People

Another great video to watch about what Americans are doing wrong with their diet and why you should change your lifestyle. Educate yourself so you can lower your chances for diseases, and have so much more energy, and feel amazing, can't hurt to try :) :

Click here to watch

Check out some other documentaries, or my websites page for more info, and learn how to get started.

Quinoa With Mushrooms

This has to be my favorite quinoa dish so far. The mushrooms really make it what it is. You can add anything you want but just make sure to include those mushrooms! :) If your not familiar with quinoa Click here for some info.

Serves 4:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups of water, or broth*
1 8 oz package of mushrooms, stems removed and sliced. (my favorite are baby bellas)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cob of corn, kernels removed, or 1/2-1 cup corn
3/4 tsp garlic powder or favorite seasoning mix like Mrs. Dash
S&P to taste before eating


-Easiest recipe ever! Just add everything to a rice cooker and give it a stir. You could also simmer everything in a pot on the stove until the water has been soaked up.

-Keep an eye on it towards the end in the rice cooker, sometimes mine sticks a tiny bit but comes up when stirred with a wooden spoon. (I just have a basic cooker and turn it on to "cook") I would assume you would otherwise put it on the rice setting.

* The mushrooms create moisture but if you think you need more water towards the end then add a splash or 2.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Sorry this isn't the best picture, I'll get a better one up soon I promise!

The taste however is delicious, I just made it one day and added what I could remember from some other recipes I had seen, and then whatever else sounded good at the time :) I don't really get picky on measuring so you can adjust the ingredients as you like.

Makes about 4 cups:

1 can of black beans

1 cup corn

1 bell pepper, chopped small (I like to use red and yellow)

2 Tbs chopped onion

1 large chopped tomato, or handful of cherry tomatoes cut in desired size pieces

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fresh

1/2 avocado, diced*

1/4 tsp ground cumin

Juice from 1 lemon

10 dashes or more of green tabasco sauce*

S & P to taste

-Mix everything together and let all the flavors mingle for a while in the fridge if you want, serve on your favorite tortilla,  pita bread, or dip into it with some corn chips or sliced jicama.

*It's best to add the avocado right before serving so that it doesn't discolor, although the lemon juice does help. If you are storing the other half of the avocado it's best to keep the seed with it, this will help keep the color as well :)

*Green tabasco sauce is not as hot as regular tabasco, and gives a mild heat and is more "warm" than hot, if  that makes sense.



Coconut Oil And It's Many Uses

   Many things can be done with coconut oil, however I don't support the consumption of it Click Here to read why.

   My favorite thing to do with coconut oil is to use it as a moisturizer, it has antibacterial properties, helps with acne, and soothes irritated skin without clogging pores. I also make homemade deodorant, it's easy, cheap, and works awesome, Click Here for the recipe.

For more ways to use coconut oil check out these links:

• http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/814761/kitchen-beautician-one-ingredient-12-beauty-products-1
• http://www.crunchybetty.com/a-millionish-uncommon-and-not-so-uncommon-uses-for-coconut-oil
• http://www.cookingwithsugar.com/coconut-oil-beauty-and-health-secrets-50-ways-to-use-organic-virgin-coconut-oil-shower-scrub-video/
• http://www.naturalnutritionadvisor.com/blog/?p=981

Everyday Is Earth Day

Hi everyone! Earth day is coming up but you don't have to wait to get started on treating the planet better. I know last year I said I would start my compost bin but I didn't get to it unfortunately, so this year it is my main goal and I would have had it started already but winter doesn't seem to want to end here in MN so I will have to wait a bit longer. I have also noticed store bought compost bins have gotten a bit cheaper, I've seen them as low as 50$, they are also super easy to make and keep up, all you have to do is a google search. Check with your city guidelines and buy or make one today, it reduces so much waste you won't believe it. There are other ways you can help out the environment as well, it doesn't take much and it's easier than you think, treat every day like it's earth day and be the change you want to see in the world.
*Check out my Help The World page for more ways to treat the earth with respect.

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. ~Author Unknown

Easter Is Coming...

And it's coming up pretty quick, you know what that means...a gazillion eggs will be bought to eat and color. Well if your looking for an alternative I came across this site with some great ideas. I really like the felt ones, however I would use a non-animal material :) Also remember kids like other things besides a bunch of candy in their baskets, try making some homemade sidewalk chalk, or add things like bubbles, coloring books and crayons. Healthier treats would be good too like fruit leather, or freeze dried fruits, nuts, or even homemade goodies that don't contain artificial ingredients, or food coloring.

Although they are not a health food, here are some recipe's I would like to try:

Homemade Rolo Knock-offs

Homemade Twix Bars

Peanut Butter & Peppermint Cups

By not buying eggs you show that you do not support the egg laying industry which causes hens to suffer and have a shorter lifespan, yes even "cage free" hens still suffer, please Click Here to learn more. When I learned about the horrible way animals are treated and realized they don't need to die I stopped consuming them. They are no different then a pet dog or other loved animal in your life. It just breaks my heart to see what they go through and knowing this isn't necessary.


*Eggs are also very high in cholesterol, and other things that are not healthy, for more information on why it's a good idea to eliminate them from your diet Click Here and Here

*Click Here for ways to substitute eggs in baking.

What Pesticides Are On Your Foods

Hi all, I just found this great website that lists the pesticides on certain foods, and what harm they cause, quite interesting. Also remember washing your food doesn't eliminate all pesticides, it is also in the soil and grows into the food and cannot be removed. Even if you buy organic you should still wash your food well, I spray everything with white distilled vinegar no matter what I buy, also even if you don't eat the outside you should still wash it because when you cut the food it could easily contaminate the inside.

Check it out- Whats On My Food

Dr. John McDougall on Vitamin Supplements

Hey guys, here is another video that I recommend watching to learn why taking vitamin supplements aren't best, all you have to do is eat a healthy diet and you will have most of your basis covered, even taking supplements for "insurance" or "back up" is not going to be the same thing or beneficial, also keep in mind that fortified foods like cereals and milks are the same thing as taking a supplement, yes they are usually the same lab created ingredients and not from the true food source, the only supplement that is recommend for everyone is B12, and Omega 3 DHA and EPA if you need it.

 Click Here for his short video on supplementing. And Click Here to read his newsletter that goes into more detail on what he talks about.

*Click Here to learn about B12. What I take.
* Click Here to learn about Omega 3.What I take.
*Click Here for my other post on why I don't take a multivitamin

*Also check out my other Eat Food Not A Pill posts for more info, and which foods contain what vitamin.

*To look up a food and find out what nutrients are in it you can check this site for the list of foods and information taken from the US nutritional data base- Click Here

Top 5 Ways to Save on Organic Food, by Alexandra Jamieson

My dry bulk items :) I love using different jars.

For some awesome shopping tips on how to save money especially when it comes to organic Click Here.

   I can't wait to do my shopping today with these things in mind. Does anyone else get excited when it's shopping day and your surrounded by wonderful produce, and get to breathe in all the fragrant spices when you walk in the door of a co-op? Hmmm.. maybe I'm just weird, but hey we already knew that, like it or lump it! That's what my dad would say.

   On that note I cannot agree with buying in bulk more, it saves a lot of money and reduces waste greatly, if I can buy something in bulk I will, otherwise I will go without for a day or two until I can get to the co-op to get it, unless it's an emergency. As you all know I hate plastic so this is an awesome way to reduce it, and you get to take only what you need, this is good especially for spices. Just make sure to bring your own containers with you! Oh and please wash your hands first before digging into those bins ;)

*If you want to know how to cook dried beans, or how to cook rice to perfection and reduce any arsenic check out my Recipe Tips and Alternatives page for more info.

*Also for a super easy and delicious recipe with dried pinto beans try this one- Refried Beans in a Crockpot , it's one of my favorites!

DIY Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener

Hey all! I wanted to let you know I added some links on how to make your own laundry detergent and fabric softener in my Make Your Own page. It's super easy, chemical free, and a lot cheaper, check it out! :)

-Info on chemicals found in some commercial laundry detergents.

-List of chemicals found in fabric softeners.



Oil Substitution & Italian Dressing Recipe

I'm so excited I found a recipe for an oil substitution for dressings, YAY!  I made a little bit more than the original recipe so that I could use it in this Italian dressing recipe I found. It totally works, I know it's basically gravy but what a great idea. I can't believe I never thought of this before, I can't wait to make it for other dressings! Just make as much as you need in order to replace oil.

1 cup vegetable broth (you can use just cold water but I used broth)
2 tsp corn starch, or arrowroot powder

-Whisk the powder into your liquid of choice
-Cook on high, stirring constantly until it thickens, only took me a few mins.

It's that easy! Just add to the rest of your dressing mixture in place of oil.

I found this recipe on Fatfreevegan.com

Zesty Italian Dressing Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup of the vinegar (any type is fine, whether ACV, wine vinegar, rice vinegar, etc...)
1 1/3 cup of olive oil or other oil (I usually do half olive oil, half cheaper oil)
2 tablespoons of water
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon honey, white sugar, or sucanat
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoons salt

Instructions
1. Pour ingredients into a glass jar or bottle with a cover. You may need to use a funnel, in which case pour the dry things in first before the liquids.
2. Cover and shake well.
3. Use, or refrigerate for months and months.
4. Enjoy!

Dressing Recipe, from pennilessparenting.com

Caffeine, Good or Bad?

I have decided for an abundance of reasons that I need to quit caffeine for my health, I am otherwise a coffee addict. It bothered me that I could stop other things that are not good for me but not caffeine, so I'm going to do it, if I'm going to help other people try to be as healthy as they can be I have to first help myself.
Today is day 1 of operation goodbye caffeine, so far it's only been 45 mins, lol but hey in the morning is when you drink coffee for sure right? I decided I will have an herbal coffee called teeccino, it is all good for you with out the caffeine, it's non acidic, helps restore alkaline balance, has potassium and soluble fiber, also inulin from the chicory root which supports beneficial microflora that improves digestion, and intestinal health. I have also tried a more neutral plain herbal coffee called Pero which is also delicious click here to see my post and more info on that.
The ingredients in my hazelnut flavor: Organic carob, organic barley, organic chicory, dates, almonds, organic dates, natural hazelnut flavor, organic figs. It tastes great to me with a tiny bit of honey, sugar, or maple syrup. It comes in tea bags or a larger bag of loose grounds that you brew like coffee.

If you are interested in why I'm no longer consuming caffeine/coffee, are interested in cutting back yourself, or are just curious about what it does to our bodies then check this out-

http://www.vega-licious.com/health-nutrition/to-caffeine-or-not-to-caffeine-why-caffeine-is-not-a-great-idea/

Just a snip-it of what you will read from her blog post:

There are many reasons why we should avoid caffeine, but I will give you a couple. If you read my free report you know the negative impact of acidic foods and substances on your body. Acidic foods (think animal foods and byproducts, junk and processed foods as well as alcohol, coffee and caffeine products) bring our body’s PH levels down. The body, however, has to maintain alkalinity to survive. To fight the acidic impact of these foods, the body uses its mineral storage, primarily calcium, to buffer the acidity. Calcium is extracted from our bones, it buffers acidity, bringing the body back into its alkaline state, however, at the end of the process the used calcium cannot be reabsorbed back into our bones, so the body dumps this precious mineral with urine… leaving our bones deficient, making us prone to all bone related diseases, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. , not to mention that acidic conditions are a prime requirement for diseases such as cancers to thrive in.

That alone was enough to tell myself it stops now! I have a hard time knowingly doing something that is this harmful to my body. People still tell me " you'll die of something eventually anyway" and I just say well if I can help it why do something that hurts me? I want to be as comfortable as I can in my old age, hopefully I make it that far, I know anything can happen at anytime, but if there is a chance I could live to be an old lady I want to feel as good as I can when I get to that point with the least amount of suffering, that means starting now. I do it for myself, my future children, and family so that I can be in their lives as long as I can, and they don't have to suffer a loss that may have been postponed.

**Update: Well I can't remember when I posted this the first time, but I haven't touched coffee since this post! Woot! Go me! Other than eating some chocolate I have not consumed any caffeine and I'm going strong, I guess it can be done! :)

M.L.T. Sandwich (mushroom, lettuce, and tomato)

I was inspired to make this after I saw a picture of something similar, it looked good so I made my own version, it wasn't called an MLT though ;) However this was something that just hit the spot, I was craving a sandwich and this combination called to me even though I never used to like mushrooms I'm starting to think it's not the foods we don't like, sometimes it just the way it's prepared. I'm finding since going plant based I like mushrooms and maybe it's the way I'm making it, just the way I like it. Anyway this is super easy to make, filling, and it is definitely hard to eat as a whole sandwich, I had to make it an open face but you can just adjust the ingredients to your liking, I was just really hungry :)

Serves 1:

2 pieces sprouted grain bread, or bread of choice, a wrap would work too
1/2 avocado
1 tsp lemon juice
2 slices tomato
1-2 oz romaine or other leafy green
About half of 1 large portabella mushroom, more if you like, sliced in thin strips
1/4 of a medium onion, cut in strips, or desired pieces
couple dashes of lemon pepper, or other favorite seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
S&P to taste


-Saute your sliced mushroom, garlic, and onion with small splashes of water as needed, add a few dashes of your favorite seasonings, I like lemon pepper on mine.

-Mash up your avocado, add lemon juice and S&P to taste

- Toast your bread, spread avocado mixture on each slice, add tomatoes and lettuce.

-When the mushrooms and onion become soft and limp, about 5-10 mins, then add to the rest of your sandwich and devour!

Notes:
*I'm sure other mushrooms would be delicious as well :)
*My husband really liked this as an open face on beer bread, which is also really good.
*You could also add the closed sandwich back to your pan and flatten to make it more like a panini or similar.

What the heck is a Jicama (hecama)?

 

It's amazing ever since I started eating plant based it's like a whole new world opened up to me, I'm eating foods I never even knew existed and I'm loving it. There is so much variety in just fruits and vegetables out there I decided to take on a new one every month, and now I will start to blog about them so you can be aware of their existence too, although you might have already heard of some of these you can rejoice in my personal experience of discovery ;) I may blog about some normal every day ones as well and just promote the benefits of them for your learning pleasure! Isn't it great how these little things make me happy?.. Hey I'm not complaining.

 

 

Jicama, pronounced "heck-ama" is a root vegetable that I recently discovered and now it's one of my favorites. I just found out about it after watching the show How To Live To 100 with Jason Wrobel and he had used it as a vessel for dipping into a bean bell pepper salad he made. When I went to the grocery store I saw one and I thought for 1.29 a lb sure I'll try one, so this became my featured food of the month and let me tell you I am glad I tried it, jicama has a very almost unnoticeable mild rutabaga/turnip flavor, and is very similar in texture to a water chestnut, it's crisp, watery, and most refreshing. Jicama is also a good source of vitamin C, and dietary fiber. So far I like to peel it and slice it into thin chips and dip it into hummus, add it to my salads, or you can put it in stir fry like you would water chestnuts, yummy! So go out and check your store and try one today, if you can't find one well expand your horizons and see if there is anything else in the store you seem to always overlook and never thought to try, you won't be sorry!

 

Click here for more nutritional information on Jicama

 

Click here to check out some videos with Jason Wrobel for recipes, tips, and info, he does use oil in some of his recipes but you can skip the oil or try to replace it with something else.

Potato Soup

On a cold winter day like today in MN this soup was perfect, it was creamy and delicious. We gobbled this down with Happy Herbivore's Beer Bread and used Guinness Extra Stout. This soup would probably be good with all regular potatoes but the red potatoes make it a little bit creamier and buttery like, hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Makes about 8 cups:
4 large red potatoes, (or 6 small), peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
2 tsp garlic powder, or 2 garlic cloves minced
1 medium onion diced
1 Tbs parsley
1 Tbs chives
4 cups water
4 med/large russet/white potatoes, peeled and cut in bite sized pieces
2 carrots, peeled and sliced in bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups soy milk (I haven't tried anything else so I'm not sure how it would change the taste)
S&P to taste
*Optional additional ingredients: corn, peas, green beans, celery or celery salt.

-In a large soup pot saute onion with minced garlic until onions are translucent, add the red potatoes, spices, and water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender (about 15-20 mins).

-When the potatoes are tender mash them with a potato masher to a creamy consistancy. If you use a blender add the potato mixture and some of the liquid and puree until smooth (still keeping the rest of the liquid for the soup), or use a hand held immersion blender. It really doesn't have to be perfect, if you have small chunks they will mostly break up while you continue to cook the soup.

-Add blended mixture back to the pot if you took it out and add the white potatoes, carrots, and soy milk, bring back to a simmer uncovered, stirring frequently until potatoes and carrots are tender. S&P to taste and eat it up, yum!

*Depending on the size of your potatoes if your soup seems too thick add a little more water or soy milk, if it seems too runny mix 2 Tbs flour with 1/4 cup water and stir into the soup for a few mins. It will also thicken as it cools.

Happy Herbivore Butter Bean Cookies

 

Just made these cookies from Happy Herbivore, they are delicious, a little fluffy and almost cake like, I ate 3 of them :) lol  Click here for her recipe.

Pero Instant Natural Beverage

 

Well I know it's been a few months at least since I stopped drinking coffee or any caffeine and so far so good. I have tried a few different drinks to take the place of my coffee including Teeccino and that was pretty good, however I recently tried Pero which is similar but not flavored and it's not brewed like coffee, it's just a powder that you add to your cup. This works well if you have a 1 cup brewer like the K cup machines, or just boil some water, no biggy. It is very delicious and I have to say I really like the smell of it, kind of a roasted smell, I really enjoy it and you get 3x as many servings as you would in 1 bag of Teeccino, so if your trying to kick the caffeine I would definitely give this a try, I add just a little sweetener and I'm good to go :) I picked it up at my local health food store, if you can't find it you can purchase it on Amazon.

Click here for more information on Pero

Chickpea Noodle Soup

This soup is flavorful, comforting and has just the right amount of everything. This is the first time I tried a homemade vegetable broth powder, I used the recipe from SimpleHealthyTasty.com which contains something called nutritional yeast, this is not like regular yeast for making bread. I didn't like nutritional yeast the first time I used it, this however was a lot better and I think I must have a better brand or its more fresh because it even smells better than before, you can find it in the bulk section at most natural food stores Click here for more information on nutritional yeast. Since this broth powder resembles the flavor of chicken broth I cannot say how this soup would taste with regular vegetable broth liquid from the store, however I'm sure it would be just as delicious with extra seasonings, but still different :) You could also try Better than bouillon no chicken base which I have not tried either but have seen at the natural foods stores. Anyhoosle I hope you like it no matter what broth you choose to use.

                                                                    

Makes About 8 cups:
1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans (I used eden organic) or 1 1/2 cups after soaking and cooking.
2 carrots cut in bite sized pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 large onion, diced
2 oz. whole wheat spiral pasta, or favorite pasta
2 1/2 Tbs. Homemade Vegetable Broth Powder, or 8 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. garlic powder, or 1 clove of garlic minced
1 Tbs. dried parsley
8 cups water or vegetable broth
S&P to taste (I usually do this at the table)

-Saute onion in a large soup pot until translucent, wet with splashes of water as needed, add garlic if using as well.
- Add water/vegetable broth, all the seasonings, and carrot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10-15 mins
- Add pasta, beans, and peas and simmer another 10 mins or so or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness.

* If you would like to thicken up your soup a little you can add 1Tbs of flour to 1/4 cup water and mix well and stir into the soup.

*Feel free to add chopped celery as well, we are not big fans in my house so the flavor in the broth was enough for us :)

Baby Carrots Contain Chlorine

Hey guys I just found this out check it out- http://www.juliedaniluk.com/food-facts/throwing-out-the-baby-with-the-chlorine-bath-water.html , I will definitely be sticking to my "real" organic carrots, I think they just taste better like right out of the garden :)  Make sure your washing those baby carrots!

Vegan Cooking Show On Tonight

Hey everyone! If you haven't heard there is a new vegan cooking show starting tonight with a guy named Jason Wrobel on the cooking channel, I checked out some of his recipes and they do have some oil in them but you could always try to use something else like the liquid from your can of beans etc. otherwise the recipes looked delicious :) I'm interested in working around the oil for sure. Maybe if we all watch the show it will boost the ratings and help show the world how high the demand is for more vegan options out there.

Click here to read more about it.

Click here to find out what channel it is for you

*Update: So I watched the show and it was pretty good, he was really dorky lol however I didn't like how he seemed to promote "healthy" oils so if you can get passed the oils part it was alright, I will watch it again. He seems to be trying to get people to make better choices but not the optimal choice.

Stop Comparing Your Life. Start Living It.- by Joshua Becker

Automatically some of us see another person and just compare whatever it is you happen to notice, hairstyle, car, shoes, body size and/or shape, we really need to stop this and just be ourselves whatever that may be. My online friend showed me this blog post and I thought it was inspiring. We should all try a little harder to love ourselves for who we are and not be afraid to show it!

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/stop-comparing-your-life-start-living-it/

Hmmm No pictures?

Well I don't know whats going on but my blog creator won't let me upload any pictures right now, I'm seriously considering changing my blog source, there seems to always be something wrong that delays my posts, this bothers me. Until then I won't have any pics for you, sorry about that :(