25 Days of Blogging- Day 22: Oh Bring Me Some Figgey Pudding!!

Hi Friends!!

I have another recipe for you today, and guess what?  It holds a special place in my heart as well!  Bet you couldn't have guessed that...!

Depending on how long you have been reading this blog, you may or may not know that I have a love for history (Medieval/Rennaisance/18th/19th century eras to be exact).  I love these eras so much, I hope to one day make vegan recipe books for each!

Speaking of, I have already begun this journey!  I actually wrote and published a medieval cookbook called, Medieval Feats and Marvelous Treats.  The recipe I am about to share with you is found in this book alongside a short story about a young girl's adventured with her brother.  There are many authentic medieval recipes, each with their own story that I wrote myself.

I am very proud of this book, although I am sure I will do things differently for my next book.

What kind of vegan recipe book would you like to see?

25 Days of Blogging- Day 15: Holiday Weight Gain

Hi Friends!  We have officially gotten through 14 days of festivities that occur around the globe!  In case you missed one (or want to read through them again), this link will take you back to Day 2, for the first festival!  Let me know if you try any of the recipes shared thus far as well!!

Now, onto today’s topic:  Holiday Weight Gain.   

It is old news, really.  Many people go through the holidays eating loads of “special occasion” foods that tend to be not-so-good for our health or waistline.  Years ago, I followed this same path.  I would splurge on all of the desserts that I loved (I could honestly make a meal out of sweets if I thought it were healthy).  I would also feel uncomfortable that evening and a few days thereafter as my body worked in overdrive to clear out my blood and absorb the miniscule amount of nutrients it could find.  Now-a-days, it is a much different story...

 I have learned how to enjoy myself, feel good, and eat until I am satisfied!  Sounds too good to be true right?  Well, from my experience it is not.  But, you do have to love foods that love you back, and that can take some time if your taste buds are used to over-salted or over-sweetened, over-processed foods.  

 My number one tip to avoiding holiday weight gain: eat the whole plant foods in abundance first.  Then, if you are still craving some not-so-healthy treats (after your stomach is full of all the fiber and water from the healthy foods), go for it.  After eating like this for a few days or weeks, you may notice that you naturally begin to reach for those fresh whole foods instead of the other foods. 

 Now, since it is the holidays, be sure to enjoy yourself and don’t let a little thing like food get in the way of spending precious time with your family and friends.  The holidays can be stressful or blissful; it is all about how you view it and how you change your perception to see the bright side in all situations.

25 Days of Bloggging- Day 13: Omisoka

Hi friends!

Today's festival is a very important holiday in Japan because it marks the end of an old year and the eve of the new. 

At 11pm on this evening, family and friends gather to have a bowl of toshikoshi-soba (年越しそば) or toshikoshi-udon (年越しうどん).  This tradition relates to the association in which long noodles representing a crossing over from one year to the next. 

Before we get on to the recipe, I just want to let you all know that tomorrow is the last festival post as I am having a hard time finding more.  If you know of a winter holiday/festival that I have not yet covered, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to include it in the 25 Days of Blogging series!!

Now, onto the recipe!:

Ingredients:
Noodle soup
1.5l dashi stock (the base used for miso soup- can contain fish, so although not traditional, you can substitute vegetable stock)
200ml soy sauce
100ml mirin
1tbsp sugar
300ml tsuyu (optional)

Noodles
200g soba buckwheat noodles
100g spring onions
20g tempura flakes

Recipe and Picture Link

Directions:

1. In a large pan, make your dashi stock. Next, add the mirin and simmer gently for a few minutes. Now add the sugar and let it dissolve before adding the soy sauce. This makes the soup for your soba noodles.
2. In separate pan bring 1l of water to the boil. Add the soba, stir them slightly to make sure they’re all spread out around the pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for around 8 minutes. Cooking times may vary depending on your noodles, so check the instructions on the packet.
   
3. Drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water, gently rubbing the noodles to remove any excess starch on the surface. Next, thinly slice the spring onions and any other garnishes.
4. Gently re-heat the stock and pour into bowls, then add the noodles and garnish with your spring onions and tempura flakes.

25 Days of Blogging- Day 11: Kwanzaa

Hi friends!

Today's celebration is Kwanzaa.  It is a week long celebration from December 26th through January 1st and honors African heritage in African-American culture.  The unique aspect of this festival is that it has seven core principles that celebrants abide by and each of the seven days is dedicated to one of these principles:

1. Unity (Umoja)
2. Self-determination (Kujichagulia)
3. Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima)
4. Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa)
5. Purpose (Nia)
6. Creativity (Kuumba)
7. Faith (Imani)

During this week, there are many decorations, bright colors, music, and of course a feast!  Traditional foods include traditional African dishes as well as dishes that include ingredients brought to the US from Africa; such as sesame seeds, peanuts, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and spices.

One very traditional African recipe is Peanut Soup.  Like many traditional foods, each home makes their own version.  This version is from Congo Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 cups broth
• one small onion, minced
• one small green pepper, minced
• one clove garlic, minced
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
• one hot chile pepper, minced (optional)
• one carrot, minced, or one sweet potato (boiled and mashed)
• one or two tomatoes, minced
• one cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or crush your own peanuts)

Directions:

• If using homemade peanut paste, simmer it with the broth for fifteen minutes, then add all other ingredients and simmer over low heat until everything is thoroughly cooked. Stir often. Soup should be thick and smooth.
• If using peanut butter: Combine all ingredients except the peanut butter and simmer over medium heat until everything is tender. Reduce heat, add the peanut butter and simmer for a few minutes more. Stir often. Soup should be thick and smooth.

This recipe is a very comforting and delicious meal!!  Let me know what you think!

Veggie Fest Recap!...And my overdose of sun...

Hi friends!

Can I just say that I am so proud of myself for actually having something to say every Wednesday morning for you?!  I hope you are enjoying reading my thoughts as much as I love writing them!

Ok on to the good stuff that is Veggie Fest!  It was a beautifully hot day, the sun was beaming down (I got some raccoon eyes...), and it was a perfect day to walk around and be outside!



                                   

This year's Veggie Fest was held in Lisle, and I got the joy of sharing it with a dear friend, Gabriella.
We had tons of samples from some amazing vendors, but also had just enough room for some good eats as well.  On the left side above, I (the one with the bracelet) had vegan sushi with tofu pockets and Gabriella had veggie fried rice with Meatless Chicken strips.  Both were outstanding, but we had to have some dessert...On the right, I had raw vegan mango cheesecake and she had vegan lemon cake.  Again, both outstanding!

In the spirit of my favorite time of year (and Holiday), I had to share this picture with you all!

Above is just one of the many vendors that had great samples for us to try.  Here, we tried several varieties of spiced nuts and granola; all raw and vegan (and much more, according to the sign).

It was a really great day, so great, we ended it with a shot!

Yes, mine is green juice and hers is turmeric ginger...it's the way we do it :)

I had so much fun wandering the grounds, sharing stories, catching up, and enjoying good food.  Have any of you been to a festival like this?  If so (or even if you'd like to go), let me know in the comments where you went and what you enjoyed most about it!