Mary Killmon

annnnnnnd now i'm eating meat!

2011-04-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, here's how this goes: I was a faithful veggie for almost 7 years then I got preggers and "the baby" wanted a cheese burger. Actually baby wanted a few cheese burgers then she wanted some roasted chicken and then some steak.
So, baby is 3 months old now and I'm still eating animals. Now what, I just go ahead and scarf down a bologna sandwich! Eeeeeeeeeee! I'm a full blown hypocrite! How did I come off the rails like this? I eat meat about 3 times a week now. I just had some nasty, and I mean NARSTY orange chicken from the local Lucky Panda for dinner tonight. Who knows if it was actually chicken, cat, or coatimundi. I can guarantee there was some animal cruelty involved though and I just ate it like a JERK! It didn't even taste good. I think I tasted a fur. YUK! So, what now? I'll admit it I'm enjoying some carnivorous culinary adventuring. I got a slow cooker for Christmas and I've made Beef Stew and Moroccan Chicken that kicked tofu's extra firm ass. I don't know what to do now. I think I'm gonna try to ditch the meat habit all together again when I'm not so ravenous from breast feeding. Or I may go the good-meat-eater route and only buy organic free range meats which is what I try to do now anyway. I feel a little better chomping into grass fed free roaming buffalo burgers. I'll report back in time. I don't ever want to not be conscious of where the food I eat comes from especially if it was once a living creature. I wish I'd never craved that dang fast food last summer and then I wouldn't be writing this but here I am. It's not too late right? Aren't the other veggies who have fallen off the wagon and gotten back on again for good?

wishing broccoli tasted like a t-bone,

Mary

HOT MILK CAKE ... with Bourbon!

2011-01-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hot Milk Cake REVISED with BOURBON!

I've been eating Hot Milk Cake all my life. All the women on my mom's side of the family make it and they make it well. The recipe they all use is the one I have based this version on. It comes from my great grandmother Mary Estelle Daisy Carpenter better known as Mah Maw. I assume she learned the recipe from her mother but it could have come from anyone on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where our family is from. Hot Milk Cake is very popular there, or was years a go, and is either made plain, with orange, or with lemon. I decided to swap the citrus for booze! Hot Milk Cake can be iced with a simple cake drizzle if you like. I do! Here's my Hot Milk and Bourbon Cake Recipe.

4 beaten eggs
2 sticks melted butter
1/4 cup hot milk (I use half and half)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup bourbon (original recipe calls for juice of 1 large orange)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
dash of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Simply dump all the ingredients in your mixing bowl and mix on low then pour the batter into a well greased tube pan.
Bake on 375 for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes

Optional: Drizzle cake with simple icing made from powdered sugar mixed with milk, bourbon, or orange juice

YUM!

BAD VEGETARIAN!

2010-06-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

WELL,

I never thought I be writing this:
I have been craving and eating fast food! BAD STUFF! Like Cheese Burgers and total crap food like McDonalds or Wendy's Cheese Biscuits! WHY BABY WHY are you doing this to your mother.
I haven't wanted or cared about eating meat in a very long time. In fact meat has never been my favorite of the food groups even before I knew what a vegetarian was. Since about month 2 of this pregnancy though, I have wanted to eat strange things like plain cheese burgers! I caved too! I wanted a cheese burger so bad for so many days in a row that I went and ordered one... then a week later I ordered another one. I loved every bite of it too. Thankfully I think I'm cured now after the second one. I haven't wanted or thought about cheese burgers or meat since. I don't want to eat meat. Especially not nasty ol' fast food meat. I know where it comes from. It goes against everything I believe in to support that industry. I became weak and gave in to my cravings and I feel like a jerk. I really had intentions of only eating free range organic meats if I had a craving now I've blown it!
Back to the start again. It's hard to clean up your life and live and eat healthy. I don't smoke, never have, that is easy. I miss having a mixed drink or a cold beer every now and then now that I'm preggo, but I never thought I'd have a new vice to all of a sudden battle! MEAT! NO WAY! Stay outta my psyche.

I'm gonna try extra hard from here on out to not give in to immediate hunger like that again. Errrrr, I'm still mad at myself!

OH BABY!!!

2010-04-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm PREGNANT!!!!! WOW! I still can't believe it!
I can't say we were exactly trying to get pregnant right now. Dave and I just opened a coffee shop 2 months ago and I've been working 15/16 hour days. I guess you could say that we weren't exactly not trying either. I think if left up to our own planning skills we would surely have waited another year... or longer...BUT, it seems this tiny life had a plan of it's own. CHRISTMAS!!!! Seriously! C'mon Kid! You're gonna have to share your birthday with the biggest Birthday spotlight stealer of all time! Jesus! Conceived on Easter and born on Christmas. I might have a mini disciple on my hands! Uh-OH! ;>
THAT BEING SAID...
WE ARE SO HAPPY! SO EXCITED! I don't care what day of the year my water breaks! "Mom, could you pass the Yule Log... and a roll of Brawny! My water just broke!!! EEEEK! Just the thought of things like water gushing from my nether regions and things I've heard about like "mucus plugs" makes me squirm. It hasn't really sank in yet that I will be feeding something from my boobs. I'm really more accustomed to plate art and garnishing when I feed others. This whole thing is going to be the ultimate challenge of my entire life. I wasn't thinking about babies or getting pregnant at all. I've just been too crazy with running a business. I love children and have always thought I would have them someday, but with every year that passed I just thought I could wait a while longer... now I'm 35. I'm considered high risk! I don't feel high risk. I feel alive! I felt instantly protective of this mini being growing inside me from the second I found out. I want to eat healthy and A LOT!!!! I've been a vegetarian for many years now and I haven't craved meat at all other than an occasional pang for crispy bacon. I admit I used to LOVE bacon. Thank SOY for Facon! I love that stuff! I am concerned with everything I eat now. I just want everything I ingest to have a nutritional benefit. Should I eat meat while I'm pregnant? I have been asking myself that. Am I truly missing out on some B vitamins and proteins that I can't easily get from other vegetarian sources??? My good friend Amanda, a long time vegetarian, just had a son recently. She gave me this advice: if you are craving meat you should eat it. If it disgusts you then you shouldn't. I think she's right. I eat a lot of nuts and beans and other things that can fulfill my protein needs. I'm not so worried. I ate some of my boyfriend's Italian sub tonight at dinner. It was ok. it didn't make me wretch or anything but I certainly have no desire to try that again. EVER! I'm going to read up on vegetarian pregnancy and ask my other good friend Shaun what she has to say on the matter. She has been a vegetarian for over half her life and didn't eat any meat during either of her pregnancies. Her children are super healthy and super smart. I think if I do have a hankering for meat, I'll buy some free range organic turkey and go that route rather than just trying to chow into a nasty Italian sub from the local pizzeria. THAT was a mistake!!! I'd love to hear your opinions on a vegetarian pregnancy and also raising a vegetarian child.

I have a lot to learn, a lot to accept, a lot to teach and a ton to love. I can honestly say I've never fallen so hard and so fast in love before which is crazy since he/she is just a miniature weird looking sesame seed with arm "buds" right now.
It's a pretty amazing feeling to know that I am now two.

Oh BABY,

Mary and Mary Junior (Due Christmas 2010)

HB 281 and HB 285

2010-01-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

I spent this morning working with the Humane Society in Richmond at the General Assembly Building lobbying for increased animal cruelty penalties. We arrived at 10:00 for a quick overview. I was under the assumption we were going to be helping promote a bill written to protect abused hunting dogs. Sadly, we were told that that bill has been pushed back but it will hopefully be ready for next session. Apparently, since hunting is such a controversial topic, especially in Virginia, there needs to be further rewrites and further work done to secure a bill that will pass with out being killed by the first committee.
Today we went office to office talking to our representatives about HB 281 and HB 285.

HB 281: Violations of minimal animal care standards would be increased from a Class 4 to Class 2 misdemeanor.
The penalty for abandoning an animal would be increased from a Class 3 to a Class 2 misdemeanor.

HB 285: Allows courts to issue a protective order prohibiting harm to a companion animal when a child or family is being threatened.

Both bills were edited and amended substantially just before this morning to keep them from seeming too extreme.

It baffles me that animal cruelty is only punishable by a slight slap on the hand fine, and that animal well fare advocates have to fight so hard for the slightest changes to be made to protect animals. I do realize positive things have happened regarding animals in recent years but there are still so many areas that need to be brought to light.

I spoke to Lashrecse Jones, assistant to Delegate Dance who represents Petersburg, at length about what I have been witness to as a property manager, and in the area. I often call animal control to report chained dogs with no water, food, or shelter left out in harsh weather. Ms. Jones was very interested and seemed to be in favor of HB 281 and HB 185.
I also spoke to Jessica Bowman, assistant to Delegate Lewis who represents the Eastern Shore of Virginia where I grew up. She said she knew of the bill but did not say how she felt about the issues.

I feel like my presence at the Assembly Building today was such a small effort but that the importance of speaking out is great.
The most important thing we can do as animal defenders is keep our eyes and our mouths open. Please, always report animal abuse. We must be the voice for our furry friends. They can't call for help, or show up to Lobby.

I'm looking forward to lobbying next session on behalf of hound dogs! If you are interested in helping out or if you have any questions please let me know.

Thanks so much for all the work you fellow animal lovers do!
Here's a little video in memory of Bonesy Jonesy the beloved hound dog I took in last year. When I found him he was nearly starved but soon fattened up and was crazy for attention and love.

Fun Vegan Fall Frocks

2009-10-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Don't forget all the little animals when you're shopping for Fall and Winter! There are oodles of cruelty free stylish faux fur and faux leather alternatives available!
:>

Check out these finds:
All Vegan...

Life's Water

2009-09-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

I'm fascinated by spirits, cocktails, and mixology; and not just because I like to drink. The stories and histories of alcohol are just as intoxicating as a night out on the town with my girlz. I can just imagine standing in an old barn, cellar, stone hearth kitchen, back woods clearing, or even a cave, staring at a pile of corn, potatoes, grapes, herbs, whatever, trying to figure out how to transform produce into a magical elixir. Elixirs meant to soothe ailing bones, rotting teeth, or a burdened mind! The whole process seems a bit crazy, fermenting and straining, aging and flavoring to refinement. All over the world spirits were being born without written recipes, immaculate stills, bottling machines, or even printed labels. How did anyone know what the hell they were drinking? How did they know it wouldn't kill them? Our beverage crazed forefathers were imbibing mad scientists! But truly, the heros of alcohol are the mixologists. The art of taking those raw spirits and blending them with fruit muddles, syrups, herbs, or other spirits to indulge us all, is what keeps this liquor love affair alive. I'm pretty sure most folks use ambosol or just see the dentist if they have a tooth ache these days. We drink for enjoyment, most of us anyway.

My best friend Kate recently brought me a bottle of Linie brand Aquavit from a trip she took to Sweden. Aquavit is a slightly licorice flavored spirit made in Scandinavia. Linie, which means equator, sends it's batches voyaging on ships to cross the equator twice in sherry casks, enduring changing temperatures and humidity, and the jostling of waves, all to tint Aquavit its' signature amber color. Now that's creative dedication! Sending your booze on a cruise half way around the world to perfect it has to be the real definition of a booze cruise.

Stories abound. The next time you're at a bar or in the ABC store try something you've never heard of, read it's label, google it. You're most likely to learn a little something! Not everything about alcohol will kill your brain cells.

Failed Veganism

2009-09-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

I have not been able to kick the dairy for more than 2 weeks straight at a time. I start the week out on a good vegan diet and inevitably someone wants to order pizza and I always eat a slice. That opens the door for cheese and crackers at get-togethers and caprese salads etc. I've done really well baking without dairy all summer long. I have even managed to give up my former favorite food, REAL BUTTER, on everything, for Earth Balance Spread. I just can't seem to turn down the dairy in social settings.
I'm about 90% dairy free now which is better than before, but I still just wanted to do it, the whole vegan diet, for good you know. I'm not giving up. I say that thinking "what am I not giving up on" dairy, or becoming a vegan? We'll see which one wins. I'll report back in a few months. My cellophane cheese wrappers go off to all you hardcore vegans! You have some major taste bud will power!

Tiramisu Cupcakes from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"

2009-07-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I want to share my favorite vegan desert recipe with you. You have to try these extra delectable Tiramisu Cupcakes from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"
I really love "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"! One of the reasons I love this cookbook so much is that I can tell that Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero really experimented with the recipes. They make special problem solving notes through out. For example: I made a very similar vegan cream cheese icing for a cake recently; the icing came out runny with little chunks in it. Moskowitz and Romero surely must have had this problem before too! They note that you should always let your icing ingredients warm to room temperature before mixing them. I did that and the (no)cream cheese icing turned out perfectly and delicious.

Here's the recipe. Experiment and have fun. I had to leave the cocoa powder out because of my allergy and they were still the bomb-diggity! I highly recommend just buying the cookbook for more great cupcake recipes.

Vegan Tiramisu Cupcakes:

1/4 cup nonhydrogogenated margarine (softened)
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (softened)
2 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Second! Prepare the cupcake batter. You will need:

1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar mix vinegar and soy milk together and let sit to curdle for about 10 minutes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour mix your dry ingredients together with a fork and set aside
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil mix wet ingredients in a mixer for a few minutes and then add dry ingredients a bit at the time
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Third: Prepare your soaking liquid
1/3 cup espresso or strong coffee
1/3 cup Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur

Save for last to sprinkle over cupcakes and garnish:
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
12 chocolate covered coffee beans or chocolate chips

Mix your icing and put it in the frig.
Mix your batter and bake it for 22 minutes at 350 in cupcake papers
Let your cupcakes cool
Cut a little cone shape of the top of the cupcake and save it
Pour about 2 tablespoons of Kahlua in to the divot you cut in your cupcake top and let it soak in
Fill the divot with icing and then swirl some up on top
Dip the little cone shaped piece of cup cake you cut out in to the Kahlua mixture then place it on top of the icing
Put another little dollop of icing on top of that, then dust with cocoa, cinnamon, and add coffee beans and chocolate chips.

Serve right away! You might want to make a double batch once you've mastered this one. They go fast!

Food, Inc.

2009-07-12T08:11:00.001-07:00

I just saw Food, Inc. the very informative movie about where our food really comes from. Food, Inc. does an excellent job of unveiling the facts about the so called farms that bring meat, dairy, corn, and soy products to our dinner table. The majority of these so called "farms" are actually mass production factories. Little or no concern is given to the well being of animals being raised at these giant agribusinesses. Even if you are not an animal activist you will be shocked by the inhumane treatment. The use of ammonia and antibiotics, and pesticides, and genetically modified organisms in commercial foods will send you straight to your local organic farmers market or whole foods store. I learned a lot from Food, Inc. I didn't realize that 90% of soybeans grown in this country are genetically modified and protected by a patten put in place by the huge chemical company Monsanto! It's appalling what has happened to farmers across America because of this. You've gotta see this movie! If you eat, you should know the facts!
I saw it at the new Bowtie Cinema in Richmond, VA. It's a great theater. The tickets were expensive, $9.50!! I looked around the sold out show to see 225 people who definitely appeared to already be folks who knew a lot about the subject and who were already probably doing their parts to make changes by either choosing vegetarianism, veganism, or being whole foods advocates. This struck me as a classic "the church preaching to the choir" scenario. I think this film and others like it, Fresh, Fast Food Nation, all need to reach the masses, especially those who can't afford to pay $9.50 to get in. I asked a woman who was on the panel of experts invited to answer questions after the screening if she knew if the film would be shown at a discount anywhere. She did mention that her organization wanted to show it for free after it ran it's course in the theaters. That's good. I checked online and found out that Chipoltle's across the country are also showing Food, Inc. for free! This is great! Below I've posted some links with more info.
Food, Inc. is an excellent resource. Plus the film features one of America's best organic and free range farmers, Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

I could write an essay on this subject but instead I'll just leave you with these links. See the movie, do your own research, and be a part of the solution to the problems by demanding better products by making conscientious purchases and sharing your discoveries with others! :> All of us can help make this world a better place for ourselves, others, the animals, and environment by just refusing to be kept in the dark!

Thanks,

Mary

Food, Inc. Official Website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

Polyface Farm

Free screenings of Food, Inc

Bowtie Cinema Richmond, VA

One Little Jar of Strawberry Preserves

2009-06-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

I went home to the Eastern Shore of Virginia this past weekend to visit my Dad and family for Father's Day. I was also home to deliver some household items and clothes to my cousin Kelly who's house recently burned down. Kelly is my cousin on my Dad's side of the family. Kelly's great grandmother and my great grandmother were sisters. Kelly's great grandmother died in child birth and her 3 children were divided up and raised by her 3 sisters. My great grandmother, Nanoo, being one of the sisters raised little Josie. Nanoo's sister, Lee, raised little Nancy. Nancy is Kelly's grandmother. Long story short... My great grandmother, Nanoo, and Aunt Lee, AND Kelly's grandmother Nancy were all neighbors when Kelly and I were growing up. Kelly and I used to have so much fun baking mud cakes in oyster shells, rolling down the big hill that went up to her grandmothers house, eating amazing Sunday suppers with the whole family, and just playing games.
So on this past Sunday when we took the donations for Kelly to her grandmother Nancy's house it felt like going back in time. I hadn't been there in 15 years! My Nanoo died when I was in high school and I just hadn't been over there much after that. Walking in to Nancy's house up on the hill after so long was special. We just popped in and Nancy and Fred A. (Kelly's grandfather) were sitting at the little table in the bay window nook eating a southern meal complete with Lemon Meringue Pie and a jar of homemade strawberry preserves. I saw the preserves on the table and asked Nancy if they were homemade. She said of course and went to the cupboard and gave me the last jar. I didn't want to take her last jar but she wanted me to have them which made me so happy. It's weird how just a jar of jam can send you back to your childhood. When I opened the preserves the next night back at home, I nearly cried they were so delicious. All those women who took such good care of me when I was a little girl, showing me how they baked pies, and singing me hymns, and just letting me ask so many questions about every little thing they did, they're almost all gone now. I miss them dearly.
Those strawberry preserves from Aunt Nancy remind me of my Nanoo, Gaggie, Aunt Lee, Aunt Tabby, and just being a a kid.
Good Memories.

Peter Singer

2009-05-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Most people think of non-human animals as lesser beings based solely on their level of intelligence. A lot of people feel differently. I am one of them. I believe all living beings should enjoy life and that that that is our purpose for being here. Life is the pursuit of happiness. Finding one's inner peace should be a universal right. We are not designed for pain and suffering, and neither are other animals. It is beyond my rational logic that anyone finds it acceptable to mistreat another being, of any kind, especially based on the thought that that being is not smart enough to know any better. If pain and anxiety are felt then that is what is understood. Unhappiness is known. The reasoning behind such suffering may eternally remain a mystery to the sufferer. That sufferer won't understand that it is being denied it's birth given rights to happiness because it tastes good on a bun. Any form of purposeful mistreatment toward another living creature is a sin. If you must kill to eat, do it quickly and in the least painful manor possible. Do not raise another life for the sole purpose of killing it unless you are going to give it the freedom to live out it's life time happily. These are my beliefs. It took me much longer than I would have liked to realize that by eating factory farmed meat and dairy products I was condoning these sins.

My good friend Terry Brown sent me a link to a Charlie Rose interview. The subject of her email simply said "Listen". So, I did. I listened to Charlie Rose talk with Australian Philosopher and Princeton Bioethics Professor Peter Singer. He's fascinating. Singer is very well known, and very controversial, for his views on abortion, speciesism, and euthanasia. Peter Singer became a megaphone for the animal liberation movement with his 1975 book Animal Liberation. As I listened to Peter Singer speak about ones given rights being based on ones ability to feel pain rather than on ones intellect I became excited! Hearing my own true beliefs described so eloquently was fulfilling for me. I love deep thinking and extremely compassionate people. Peter Singer is both. He went on about his ideas of religion and compassionate suicide. He makes some valid and caring points. His own mother is on her death bed. He has said that if it were up to him alone she would not be alive now, but instead at peace. He has a sister who doesn't share his view points so his mother is still alive and suffering, and Peter Singer is helping pay the bill. He has admitted to not living up to all of his own standards especially when it comes to charitable giving. He donates 25% of all his earnings to UNICEF but says he could and should give more. He states that not giving what you have beyond your needs to others living below their needs is like helping contribute to their decline. I have mixed opinions on this subject. Although I believe in charity and helping anyone in need to get themselves back on track, I do not believe in continuous handouts. I feel such systems create laziness and a level of expected donation.

The point is is that Peter Singer is a living Philosopher tackling issues of our time. He spends his life studying us and the way we live. We can learn a lot from his theories or at least bring some excellent questions upon ourselves which usually leads to growing as a person. Peter Singer is definitely someone to add to your informative source list. I need to delve deeper into his philosophies on assisted suicide, abortion, and charitable giving before stating that I totally agree with everything he says, but from what I've gathered through the below listed links I'm very interested to hear and read more especially on his animal rights ideas. I know why Terry sent me the link now. She knows how I feel about animals, and life in general. Thanks Terry B. :>

Info Links:

Interview with Charlie Rose
Interview with Ronald Bailey
Article by Paul Shapiro
Article by Donald Demarco
Utilitarian

It ain't easy going VEGAN!

2009-05-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months since I started trying to eliminate all dairy and eggs from my vegetarian diet. I'm having some trouble! It's not that eating vegan foods is difficult, I've been turned on to some really great dishes and products. The problem is turning down food that others prepare for me. I don't want to be a pain in the rear. I feel like my eating habits are already annoying to other people. I have several food allergies and I always get phone calls when I'm invited to functions that go something like this "now what is it you're allergic to? ... Oh, raw garlic, sesame, white grapes, barley, mangos, AND CHOCOLATE, etc. etc. etc... Oh... AND you're a vegetarian?!" I hate making other people go out of their way to accomodate me. Some people are so nice about it but I can tell some others just don't get it. It's okay though. I live and eat the way I do for a good purpose. I love it when someone realizes how easy it is to actually be a vegetarian. I'd like to say that about Veganism too.
I've found I have to think about what is in everything like the bread, and pie crust even if it's a fruit pie. I gave myself this rule that I would eat vegan and shop vegan when doing so for myself, but when I ate what others had prepared I would go ahead and eat milk and eggs. The problem is I wanted to make this big meaningful change in my life and I feel guilty or like I'm cheating when I eat the dairy and egg products. It's a tough line. I think I'm still headed in the right direction. Someone told me it takes a transitional period to go totally vegan. I just wanted to do it Cold Faux Turkey, ya know.
I'll report back on this in a month or so and see how I'm doing then.

I'm off to make myself something I don't feel bad about right now.

:> Mary

5-H

2009-05-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is just one of the uber cool shirts you can buy from Animal Place Store as a donation to the cause!
Animal Place is an animal sanctuary in California that takes in abused farm animals. Horses, pigs, goats, cows, and other mistreated critters get a second chance to live the life they were born to live if they are lucky enough to end up at Animal Place. The rescue mission of Animal Place is wonderful in itself but that's not all the good they are doing! They also run a campaign called 5-H which encourages kids in the 4-H program to add a 5th H for Humane Choices.
"The 5-H program offers kids involved in 4-H a unique opportunity to truly reach their full potential as caring human beings, which is essentially the goal of 4-H. The difference is that the kids will have an opportunity to extend this level of care to include the farmed animals they are raising. Those animals whom they have cared for since birth and grown to love will not have to be subjected to the ultimate betrayal of trust by being sold for slaughter. The kids will not have to continue the process of desensitization which makes the betrayal easier each year. They can continue to develop loyalty, trust, compassion, empathy—the very traits that are so critical to a child’s (and an adult’s) character and which are integral to the programs offered by 4-H that do not involve the raising and killing of animals. "

I think it's very important to teach children about where their food comes from at a young age so they will grow up to make smarter and more humane choices. I doubt many kids understand how a chicken ends up as a nugget on their lunch tray! I know I didn't have a clue. I explain my vegetarian lifestyle to my nephews. They are all 9 and younger. They still have to eat what their parents put on their plates and I respect that, but I also answer their questions honestly. I am interested to see what choices they will make for themselves later on down the road. I can see compassion in their futures based on their curiosity and love for animals. I hope my crystal ball is right!

My friend Shaun is a vegetarian and has been for a very long time. Her whole family is. I wish mine was. She has a 1 year old and a 10 year old that she is raising to be kind to the earth and all it's creatures. He daughter Carrington has held several bake sales at First Friday's Art Walk in Richmond to raise hundreds of dollars to donate towards humane animal causes. I think that's great! :> This world needs more Mom's like Shaun Aigner Lee! She's amazing.

Sunbear Squad

2009-04-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

I used to work at Richmond Camera Photo Lab. Richmond Animal Control would bring their evidence photos in to be developed. I would often see these photos in the lab before being packaged and I was so shocked by a lot of the images that I started to think of the Animal Control Officers as heros. They are great protectors. I saw images of dog skeletons still attached to chains in backyards. I saw walls and floors in basements splattered with blood from dog fights. I saw an emaciated mother dog who could barely hold her head up in a tiny dirty cage. It was just awful and the list goes on, so when I heard this story about Sunbear I knew there had to be more I could do. I already call Animal Control anytime I see pet problems but that's just me. What about everything that I don't happen to see? This is why I want to start a Sunbear Squad in my town.

Sundbear Squad is a neighborhood program to help prevent the inhumane treatment of pets. You can start your own Sunbear Squad in your town too! It doesn't take a lot of effort, just open eyes, a few phone numbers, and the courage to speak up for the animals that can't speak up for themselves.

Sunbear Squad is named after a dog named Sunbear. She was a pet that was left behind after her family fell on hard times and had to move out of their rental. Sunbear was locked in a laundry room for 6 WEEKS with no food or water before she was rescued. Sadly, the damage was done and Sunbear didn't make it. She passed away a few days later. Her story prompted Anna Nirva to start a community alert group which grew into the Sunbear Squad which is a group of people committed to keeping their ears and eyes open to local pets. Sunbear Squad folks check up on yards and alley ways keeping animal control numbers handy to report any instances of abuse such as dogs on chains with no food, water, or shelter. Sunbear could have survived if a neighbor would have reported her constant whining instead of just wishing it would stop. If you think something is suspicious just have your local animal control check the situation out. It can't hurt.

I'm going to get some friends involved and start a Sunbear Squad in my neighborhood. I hope some of you will do the same. Please check out this link for all the great info you'll need to officially get started.
Sunbear Squad

The critters will thank you! :>

A little Something From Wayne Pacelle...

2009-04-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

I was just reading Wayne Pacelle's blog, he's the CEO of The Humane Society, and I totally agree with him on this:

The animal protection movement should never confine itself to the Left or the Right in American politics. Opposition to cruelty and the embrace of the human-animal bond are universal values, and people of every background and point of view should find common purpose with the work and programs of The Humane Society of the United States and its affiliates.

To read more from this blog check out his site: http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/

There's always great info and it's always delivered in a smart and peaceful way!
Kudos to Wayne Pacelle and The Humane Society!

It's Growing Time!

2009-04-08T12:57:00.001-07:00

PHOTO: My great grandmother on my mom's side, Mary Estelle Daisy Carpenter (aka Memaw), and my great grandfather Peter Nottingham Carpenter (aka Possum).
It's garden startin' time! I can't think of a better way to fuel a passion for eating vegan than growing your own organic fruits and vegetables. My great grandfather, Possum, was a farmer. He was a tall and lanky bean pole of a man. He chewed tobacco and smoked a pipe, and always smelled like freshly dug potatoes. He used to bring us all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables. He lived just across the rail road tracks from us and he'd leave brown paper bags full of beans and strawberries, watermelons, and greens. I attribute my love of fruits and veggies to Possums gardening.

The only garden I ever grew was about 8 years ago when I was living in Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The soil on the Shore is known for it's magical growing powers. It's naturally fertile. I just dug up a plot in my backyard with a shovel and a hoe, threw some seeds down, and "presto magic" everything grew. I didn't have to fertilize, weed, or even kill bugs. I did plant the recommended marigold and basil to keep my tomatoes safe. I was working the breakfast shift at a restaurant that spring and summer and I had to be up very early so I was able to keep my garden watered nicely each day before the hot sun started beating down. I absolutely loved that garden. There wasn't even that much in it, just some melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers and flowers, but it was so satisfying to walk out in the back yard and pick something to eat. Since that year, I haven't had a garden. I've planted some herbs and tomatoes in containers each summer but that's it. This year I'm doing it though! I'm growing a garden again! Woo Hoo! It's gonna have to be mostly a container garden because I don't have much of a yard, but that's okay! I'm doing it!

I ordered some self watering containers I read about in the book "Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers". I've seeded arugula, mixed greens, and carrots in those. I will also be planting cucumbers and some little tomatoes in these big 4 gallon water reservoir pots. I ordered some upside-down tomato bags for the heirloom tomatoes. I've never tried them before. I'll post the results later this summer. I have herbs sprouting in the window sill, peppers already in a pot, and I'm going to try my strawberries in a grow bag too. I'm so excited. I hope to turn my deck into a jungle of fruits and veggies by July!

I do have one small spot of yard and I'm gonna cover it with cosmos, poppies, and personal sized watermelon plants!

I hope Possums' green thumb runs in the family! My dad's mom, Gaygie, had a super green thumb too. Her house was covered in plants. She loved begonias. Maybe they'll shoot some love and sunshine down on my potted plants this summer!

Here are some links that I found very helpful in getting started this spring:

Starting From Seeds

Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers

Self Watering Containers and Upside Down Grown:

Letter to your Senator

2009-04-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

You can send this letter to your Senator to help stop Canadian seal hunting! It really only takes a few minutes. All you have to do is enter your own info and hit send! Only a few minutes to make a huge difference! Send your letter and forward this on, easy peazy.

Here's the link: http://mail.google.com/mail/?zx=1u2adskv6athl&shva=1#inbox/1206c9d257281d02 Just look for the cute seal and click on CONTACT YOUR SENATOR!
I posted the letter below so you can check it out.
Thanks everybody!

Seals today, Chickens on the way! I'm cooking up an art project to benefit our friends the chickens. My best friend Kate Bredimus will be involved with this one! Stay tuned!

XOXO, MARY

Senator Jim Webb
U.S. Senate
144 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001

Senator Mark Warner
U.S. Senate
B40C Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001

Dear Senator Warner ,

I urge you to do all that you can to enact S. Res. 84, including
co-sponsoring it if you aren't already a co-sponsor. This
resolution calls upon the Canadian government to end the cruel
commercial seal hunt.

This massive commercial slaughter of harp seals for fur is
shameful and cruel. I am appalled that sealers continue to skin
pups who are still alive. The rest of the world is turning away
from commercial seal hunting, and Canada should as well.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
mary Killmon
230 east bank
petersburg, VA 23803-3322

Who Want's to Go?

2009-03-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Check it out! Taking Action for Animals Expo 2009 is right around the corner, July 24th-July 27th in Arlington, VA. Four days of cool seminars, activities, and vegan food. I want to go to this really, really bad. It would be great to to get a group, or groups together to split hotel costs. The more the merrier. Holler at me if you or anyone you know wants to go. I can coordinate the travel plans if need be. I just would rather go with friends than fly solo.
Check out this link for more details: Taking Action for Animals 2009

Baby Seals

2009-03-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Please check out the following links or do some research on your own. Sign a petition, donate some money, spread the word. Seal
hunting is horrendous. There's no justifying such cruelty. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but this is sooooo senseless. I know it can be ended if sane and kind people just speak up! SAVE THE SEALS FOR REALS Y'ALL!
XOXO,
Mary

Links:
Humane Society http://www.hsus.org/
Wayne Pacelle http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/
Iron Chef Cat Cora's Say No To Canadian Seafood Challenge: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/protectseals_cat_cora/explanation
Canada Seeks UN Aproval: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gCVkkFfBKvZyO8I89fEHbs6UxBqQ

If you've just got to have a steak.....

2009-03-20T10:59:00.001-07:00

So, I know it is really, really, really difficult for some folks to just give up eating meat and dairy. Personally, I couldn't care less if I never ate meat again. I just haven't ever really liked it all that much anyway. I did used to like bacon a lot but I've forgotten about that now. The first time I'm home for one of my mom's Sunday dinners I will probably be craving butter on my biscuits too but I'll survive without it. For the folks out there who do love their meat and dairy but still really care about their own health and the well being of animals, there are options! You can still enjoy all your normal eating habits and feel better about doing so if you just do a little research. One way to know for sure that you are buying smart and compassionately is to only buy products that carry this label: CERTIFIED HUMANE RAISED AND HANDLED The Certified Humane Raised and Handled program is the only farm animal welfare and food labeling program in the U.S. dedicated to improving the welfare of farm animals from birth through slaughter for the 10 billion farm animals raised for food each year. For more info visit the Certified Humane website or just watch this video.

Everyone can help stop animal cruelty. You don't have to become a vegan or even a vegetarian to take action. Making compassionate choices is so much better than not doing anything! It's good for you inside and out, and good for the world. :)

Animal Friendly Pet Food

2009-03-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's not really all that hard to make smart, healthy, and animal friendly choices when deciding on what to feed myself, but when it comes to my pets, I'm having some trouble! I've been reading on the internet about raising pets as vegans. I love the idea of it but I haven't been informed enough on the the health facts of vegan diets for cats and dogs yet to make that decision for them. They love meat! I mean go crazy for it! I hate giving it to them. I have been reading up on animal friendly pet food manufacturers. My sister, Toot, has worked at an Animal Hospital for 17 years. She has four dogs of her own. She is extremely picky about what she feeds them. I called her for advice and she recommended Eagle Pack Holistic Select. I read about their company and they seem to check out. They are listed on the Companion Animal Food Guide on the Caring Consumer website: http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_foodguide.asp as being a company that does not perform animal testing. They claim to be hormone free and to have no added antibiotics.
Here's a link to Eagle Pack if you want to read more: http://www.eaglepack.com/index.html

This dog and cat food is not cheap folks so I hope it's totally worth it! Reviews I read say it is. I had a hard time finding a local place that carries Eagle Pack. I ended up ordering in bulk on line because it saved me money even with the shipping. The best deal I found was Hearty Pet Pet http://www.heartypet.com/ which beat everyone else's prices by 20 bucks for my order of 2 33 lb bags of dog food, 2 cases of canned, and 1 16lb bag of catfood. I think it's because they're having a sale on Eagle Pack.

I read about many other companies. Paul Newman's Organics seems to be a good choice too. You can get that brand at Ellwood Thompson's and some other local pet stores.

I would love any feedback on this issue. This is all new to me. I have 5 pets which equals a lot of food. I'd like to feed them the best and most cruelty free products I can afford. Please respond if you have links, suggestions, etc.
Thanks so much,

Mary, Doctor Stevens, Nurse Hazel, Bonesy Jonesy, Wanda Lewis, and Peter J. Cat :>

Pics from Recent Vegan Recipes

2009-03-16T18:42:00.001-07:00

The vegan cooking is going very well. I'm having a blast making new dishes and sharing them with friends. Here are a few pics:Portobello Stoganoff
Home Made Seitan
Sweet Potato Fries (baked)
Kale and Beans

Vegan Cup Cakes

2009-03-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made "Fauxtess" (like Hostess) cupcakes from the Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook. The recipe was for chocolate of course, and that's what my taste testers wanted, but I can't eat the chocolate because of my allergies so I made half without cocoa powder so I could eat some too. I chose "Fluffy White" from the icing recipes. Very creamy and sweet. I don't think anyone would have know these cupcakes were vegan if I hadn't told them. They totally satisfied our sweet teeth tonight!

Cool Vegan Shoes and Bags

2009-03-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post links to some great vegan shopping sites I discovered in my search to not only eat with a conscience but to dress with one too. I ordered this cute ladybug bag. http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/Bungalow360-Barbie-Ladybug-Canvas-Vegan-Satchel-Bag.aspx
I know you can find animal friendly products in stores all over the place but after shoe shopping today I realized how hard it is to know if the leather is really leather or pleather or who knows what. I decided to hop on line and order from vegan sites that made it easy to know for sure. I ordered that bag, and new pair of crocs. Most Crocs are vegan. There are a few styles that have leather straps. I also ordered these sweet purple kicks from Keep. Keep was mentioned on the Today show recently for their comfortable vegan shoes! Check out their site too: Keep Company

Vegan so far......

2009-03-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a little over a week since I purchased the Vegan with a Vengeance cook book to kick start myself towards living a more vegan lifestyle. My first step was to read the cookbook and make a list of main ingredients that I would need on hand. I made a trip to my favorite local health food store Ellwood Thompsons: http://www.ellwoodthompsons.com
I love that Elwoods soooo much! I wish I could afford to do all of my shopping there but I can't so I just load up on stuff I can't get at the regular grocery store. I am now stocked with TVP, Nutritional Yeast, Braggs Amino Liquid, Vital Wheat Gluten (for making seitan), coriander seeds, cardamom pods, turmeric, raw walnuts, carob chips (I am very allergic to chocolate), and a few more staples.

Here are my first three trial recipes from Vegan with a Vengeance:

Potato Edamame Samosas with Coconut Mint Chutney:

I had never made samosas before. They are fun and super easy to make... once you get the samosa pocket technique down that is! Here's a link to a video I watched for some help with that: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-make-samosa-115649/
3 cups flour
3/4 cups soy milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon tumeric
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon or more of salt

You can pretty much make the stuffing out of whatever you want. I baked mine in the oven and they were totally delicious. You just have to make sure you brush them with vegetable oil and that your cookie pan is coated. You should flip them about half way through baking them too. They take about 20 mins to cook. You could make a ton and freeze them. I made two batches, one with a potato stuffing, and the other with a green pea and mushroom stuffing. Both awesome.

Tofu Scramble: I like to call this dish SCRAM. It's more fun. I loved this meal. It is supposed to be kind of like spicy scrambled eggs and mushrooms but thankfully it tastes nothing like scrambled eggs. Eggs are my least favorite food on earth no matter what way you fix 'em. I've tried them again and again over the years just to see if my tastes may have changed but I just can't do it. The smell is too much like a fart for me to put it in my mouth, and the texture of the whites... YICK! I could go on and on about my hatred of eggs. I'm sure there are many of you reading this that could go on and on even longer about your love affair with them. Anywho, so this dish does not taste or smell like eggs and I love it. It's quick and easy to make. I served it over a bed of fresh uncooked spinach leaves and coconut jasmine rice. I topped it with a swirl of pineapple chili sauce and diced cilantro leaves.
I can't wait to make it again!

Seitan Portobello Stroganoff:
This dish is for cold days when you want some hearty comfort food. I liked it a lot. I wouldn't make this weekly because it's so filling and heavy but I can see myself craving it's big burgundy flavor and wide noodles during a snow storm or on a cold fall night. I made my own seitan instead of store bought which was a good lesson since I'll be using seitan in tons of vegan recipes. I'd eaten seitan (say-tahn) before but didn't know what the heck it was. It's just a dough made from vital wheat gluten. You can flavor it however you want. It's great for adding girth and texture. Here's a link to the video I watched before making it. I didn't follow all these instructions. I didn't use a food processor for the dough I just worked it by hand. I also added extra flavorings to the stock I boiled it in but this is still a good video to show you how easy it is to make: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=40673776
You can freeze any left over seitan you have for your next dish.

That's all for this week. It's been an easy and adventurous start. I like researching ingredients and putting it all together in the kitchen. I hope you will too.

Starting Line: Vegan Waffles

2009-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

I have decided to lean the way of the Vegan. This is something I've wanted to do for quite a while. I just wasn't ready to let go of cheese and dairy... oh my God and butter! I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. But, now I feel ready, the time is right. The more I read about the inhumane treatment to animals even on dairy farms and farms that are supposed to be more animal friendly, the more I feel it's the least I can do in my own daily life to help make the world a little bit better. I really want to do this. I bought a new cook book yesterday and read almost all of it last night. It is a great cook book. If you're interested, check out this link:

http://www.theppk.com/veganwithavengeance.html

The recipes look super delicious. I can't wait to try them out! My plan is to veganize any food that I prepare for myself, and to order vegan when I eat out. If someone else is preparing food for me, if I am a guest, then I will try to remain on the vegan diet but will resort to just eating vegetarian if it's not convenient for my host. I think this is a great way to start.
This is day one, March 1st. I am having waffles and black coffee for breakfast. My parents gave me a waffle maker for Christmas. I have used it at least twice a week every week since January. It's amazing. The waffles called for eggs and milk. I substituted ground flaxseed for the eggs, and just used an equal amount of soy milk instead of cows milk. I always doctor up my waffles with fruit and nuts, this morning I'm having them with blueberries and almonds. Here's the recipe:

2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart pancake/waffle mix
3 tablespoons (or more if you'd like) ground flaxseed
1 cup chopped raw almonds
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 cup soy milk
2 table spoons vegetable oil

stir together and pour onto piping hot waffle iron! Deliciousness will be yours in just a few short minutes... GUILT FREE! Enjoy!

New Years Fusion Black Eyed Peas

2009-01-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

I grew up eating black eyed peas on New Years Day for good luck. I never really liked them but I ate at least a spoon full to take part in the family tradition. My family prepared them the local way: canned black eyed peas simmered with a piece of fat meat, onions, salt and pepper. We always ate them with a swirl of yellow mustard on top. They were always mushy and just YUK.
This year I decided to do things differently. To start with I used dried black eyed peas instead of canned. This changed everything. I didn't want them to be mushy so I decided to roast them. I also wanted more flavor. I mixed sweet, salty, and spicy to go with the savoriness of the beans. This recipe turned out to be so delicious that I will make it anytime not just on New Years.

Ingredients:

2 bags of dry black eyed peas

5 scallions sliced

1 large orange pepper diced

1 large banana pepper diced

1/2 cup crushed sugar coated almonds

1/2 cup diced dried Asian pears (you can use dried apricots or apples if you can't find the pears)

1 1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup yellow mustard

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon cardamom

1 tablespoon brown sugar

cayenne pepper to taste

crushed red chili pepper flakes to taste

sea salt to taste

First soak two bags of dried black eyed peas overnight
Drain them and rinse them well
Put them back in a large pot and boil them for about 20 to 30 minutes or until tender... NOT MUSHY... be very careful not to over boil them. Keep testing them while they are boiling. Remember they are going to be roasted too.
Meanwhile slice scallions into thin rounds and dice your peppers
Put scallions and peppers in a large bowl
Mix in all other ingredients (except for your beans) and stir
When your beans are done strain and rinse them. Rinse out the pot you boiled them in and put the beans back in it
Pour your pepper and scallion marinade over the beans.
Stir until completely mixed
Pour into two 9 x 13 glass baking dishes
Place in oven on 350 for half an hour

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some chips or however you want.

Good and good for you.

TOFURKY ROAST

2008-12-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

You gotta try this! It's so good. It doesn't even taste like turkey! That's what's so good about it. Well, maybe it tastes a little like turkey but not too much. Just go to the grocery store and pick up a box of "The Original Tofurky". Bring it home and put it in a baking dish with olive oil and baby carrots. Cover it with foil and then bake it at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Pop it out of the oven; slice it and serve it with veggie gravy and cranberry sauce! It's Awesome.

Aunt Weezie's Pepper Relish

2008-10-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Glopping a heap of my Aunt Louise's tangy sweet pepper relish on a helping of steaming hot turnip greens pretty much is thanksgiving dinner for me!~ My Great Aunt Louise, also known as Aunt Weezie or Trick, used to make pepper relish with her sisters, Aunt Anne, who goes by Annie Dumplin, Nannie, or just Dumplin, Aunt Deanie, Aunt Bettty, a.k.a Dog, and their mother Mary Estelle Daisy Carpenter, who was my Great Grandmother known to everyone as MemMaw.
They would sit outside at a picnic table down on the farm cutting, grinding, and talking. The peppers they used were local and fresh and probably sometimes came straight from my Great Grandfather's farm. His name was Pete but everyone knew him as Possum. He was very tall and extremely thin with a head full of snow white hair. He wore long johns even when it was hot out. He talked really soft and low. It was hard to tell what he was saying at times. Possum would always bring us fresh food from his fields. He liked to play a little joke on us called "let me milk your mouse". I don't know how this all started but he would say "give me your finger, let me milk your mouse" and he would bend our ring finger down at the top bend and pinch it just a little til it almost hurt. That was "milking your mouse" ???
I apologize for the trip down memory lane but it's important to know that making pepper relish is special to me because it reminds me of all those loved ones now that most of them have passed away.

So.... Pepper Jelly. Aunt Louise was the one who made this most often with and with out the rest of the crew so that is why we call it Aunt Weezie's Pepper Relish. I called her for these instructions.

Here's the recipe:
12 large red peppers = 3 1/2 lbs
12 green peppers = 3 1/2 lbs
12 med onions = 3 lbs
1 TB spn celery seed
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups sugar
12 mason jars and lids (1/2 pint)
1 old fashioned meat grinder/vegetable chopper (I purchased mine at Sur La Table for $30.00)
Do not use a food processor. It will turn your relish to mush!
1 pair of safety goggles
1 bandanna

This recipe is very messy and is best done with help from a friend or sibling. I know now why they made it outside!~
Screw your grinder to the edge of a table or counter. Make sure you have it set up with the coarse blade. Place a large pot under the hand crank to catch all the pepper and onion juice.
Wash and prepare your peppers by removing the guts and cutting them in to med sized strips.
Put on your safety goggles and tie the bandanna around your face above your nose. Peel the onions. Cut in to med sized strips.
Now you're ready to grind. This is when it comes in especially handy to have a helper.Be sure to wear your goggles and bandanna while grinding the onions.

When you're done grinding leave pepper and onion mixture in a large pot over night with a cup of salt mixed in it.

The next day rinse the mixture really, really well and let it sit draining in a giant colander for a few hours.

Now you're finally ready to make your relish. Bring pepper and onion mix to a boil with 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 TB spoon celery seed, and 4 cups of sugar. Stir and boil on a med heat for about a half an hour. Keep an eye on this it may not take that long. You just want to simmer the liquid down. Taste periodically and add more sugar or vinegar until it's to your liking. If you want to you can add some Cayenne pepper to the mix.

While your relish is simmering bring another large pot of water to a boil and one more smaller pot of water to boil. You will use these to sterilize your jars. Put the glass jars in the big pot. Use tongs to maneuver them on to their sides and around. Place the lids in the other pot. Cut those back to a simmer and when your relish is done start scooping it in to the hot jars up to about 2 inches from the top. Set the filled jars on a tea towel and place the lid with the sealer ring on the jar. Place the screw lid over it but don't screw it down all the way. The jars need to seal themselves which can take up to 24 hours. You should hear them make a sucking or popping sound when they seal. Then you can screw the lid down the rest of the way.
Label and deliver to your friends and family.

I hope you like this recipe.
I had a lot of fun making it.

TWO SUMMER DRINK RECIPES USING PEAR JUICE! LIGHT AND EASY:

2008-07-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

I love mixing up a cocktail anytime of year but most especially in the summer when fresh fruit is available. Before I jot down these two drink recipes I've concocted I'd like to mention Imbibe magazine which has been an inspiration to me. I signed up for a subscription after reading an issue from cover to cover over at my friend Liz's house. I tore out the insert and sent it off right away. I love this magazine for it's in depth information on beverages of all sorts; coffee, tea, and spirits being the main focus. The photography is nice too. Here's a link to Imbibes website: http://www.imbibemagazine.com/default.htm
CHECK IT OUT!

Also, being on the topic of quality cocktails I'd like to tell you about "PDT" or "Please Don't Tell", a speak easy in New York City that everyone seems to be telling everyone else about! They even have a website (http://www.pdtnyc.com/) so I'm assuming the marketing idea of please don't tell, which really means please tell everyone you know, has been a good one. If you want to go you must make a reservation! The last time I went up to NYC to visit my best friend Kate, I had been reading a book titled the same as the magazine, Imbibe, by David Wondrich, about the history of American mixology and "Professor" Jerry Thomas one of the most famous bartenders ever. He was more than just a bar tender, he was more like a bar scientist. There are about 100 antique cocktail recipes in this book. I was dying to try one. You can't find some of the old ingredients anymore and some are just hard to get which makes them a rare, rare, find in a bar. BUT.... so I've been told, there are a few swanky places in New York that can transport you back to the 19th century with an intoxicating punch, sour, toddie, or flip. You just have to be willing to plan ahead by making reservations! I learned that the hard way. Kate had scouted out a great place that was supposed to have real absinthe and a full bar stocked with rose water and lavender water, and such but when we got there for happy hour at 7:00 pm they were closed for a private party! The door guard was nice enough to direct us to another bar around the corner. It was a sweet little nook with dim light and lots of red accents. We took a pass at the menu only to discover there were no liqueur drinks available. The bartendress informed us that we were in a beer and wine cocktail bar. Bad news for me since I had just found out that I was allergic to everything under the sun the week before, including grapes, malt, and barley! So.... no wine or beer for me! Booo hooooo. I'm plagued! The peach of a bartender was also kind enough to tell us about another place, a secret spot around another corner. She leaned in and said "Why don't you try PDT? You go down around the corner and look for a hot dog stand. Go in the restaurant behind the stand, (which also sells hot dogs) look to your left and you'll see a phone booth. Go in the phone booth and pick up the phone." That's all she said! We tipped her and hit the pavement. Happy hour was nearing an end and we were yet to have a sip! Sure enough we found the phone booth just beyond the hot dogs. Kate and I were like Penny and Brain from Inspector Gadget at this point. I think for a moment we really believed we had stumbled upon something no one else knew about. WRONG! We picked up the phone.... a lady answered... she only said "okay" then hung up and a door inside the phone booth opened up! "Sorry, we're all full tonight. You have to make reservations." Nooooooooo! I only caught a glimpse of the interior but it was enough to see a stuffed beaver like thing hanging on the wall. I could hear all the chatter of the "planners" inside! DOH! Oh well, next time, next time! We slumped on down the avenue to the next open bar we could find and I just ordered the usual. Bourbon on the rocks. WOMP.

So... here are the pear juice recipes:

"Blueberry Pear"

can of pears in light syrup
fresh blueberries
rosewater
vodka
lemonade
ice

smash about 8 blueberries in the bottom of a glsass and then fill it with ice.
pour in 6 to 8 oz of juice from the pears, 4 oz vodka, and 2 oz lemonade
stir in just a few drops of the rose water tasting after each drop to your llikeness ( a little goes a long way )
garnish with a few more blueberries and lemon wedge

"Clementine My Darlin" my new favorite

can of pears in light syrup
clementines
Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin
limeade
lemon

smash about 6 clementine segments in the bottom of a glass and then cover with ice
pour in 6 to 8 oz of juice from the pears, 4oz Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin, and 6 oz limeade
sqeeze in a good bit of fresh lemon juice and garnish with a lemon wedge and a clementine segment

I hope you love these drink recipes. If anyone out there trys them, let me know what you think.

Blackberry~Strawberry~Peach Cobbler!

2008-07-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

My good friend Shaun has been making amazing fruit cobblers for the last few years, and is always saying that they are sooooo easy to make. I couldn't believe something so grandma good was truly easy to make, but now I believe it!

I recently discovered a gigantic blackberry bush just popping with incredible fruit. I've been picking berries by the (WaWa large iced-tea) cup full! My hands and wrists are all scratched up from the thorns! It doesn't matter; these berries are worth it! I picked a ton the other day and thought it might be a good idea to bake something instead of just eating them raw since my lips were already stained and my tongue was starting to feel a little funny. I thought about muffins but the last batch I made was just embarrasing. I need to work on those. Then I remembered the cobbler! I looked up a ton of recipes on line. I compiled a few to come up with this one I'm going to pass on to you. It's really easy. I'm baking my second cobbler in a week while I'm writing this. The smell is so homey it's killing me.

Set your oven to 350, put a whole stick of butter in an 11 by 13 glass baking dish and put it in the oven until it's melted

Fruit:
1 large (or at least a medium) iced tea cup full of blackberries
1 hand full sliced strawberries
2 peaches sliced and pitted
if you don't have strawberries you can substitute sliced canned pears. I tried the first time and it was great.

Meanwhile:
Mix all the fruit together in a giant bowl and cover it with about 2 cups of sugar. Most recipes I read online called for more sugar but I thought 2 cups was plenty especially since there is also a cup of sugar in the flour mix!

Now, in another giant bowl stir together:

1 1/2 cups self rising biscuit flour
1 cup whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2 (I used the later)
1 cup sugar

When your butter is melted take the dish out and set it down. Pour your cobbler batter out as evenly as possible over the melted butter. Don't worry about stirring it.
Then dump your mixed berries over that and just spread them around a little. Don't stir the whole thing up. The batter will rise up through the berries while it's baking.

Pop it in the oven and set the timer for 50 min. You'll want to check it then and see if you want to leave it in for an extra 10 minutes. I do because I like the edges to get crispy.

One word of advice... you should put a cookie sheet under your dish while it's baking. I didn't do that on the first go round and now I have some sticky drippings to clean up! WOMP WOMP

Hope you like this totally unhealthy, delicious, indulgence! I think you will. :>

jalapeno mint cream cheese

2008-06-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

This may not sound like two flavors you'd want to combine but you should try it anyway! It's really good! Just chop a nice crispy green jalapeno pepper and shred some mint, mix it in to cream cheese and spread it on melba toast! Very refreshing!

WARNING!! MANGO = SUMAC!!!!

2008-03-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

I am allergic to Mangoes! It's awful! I love them but they do not love me! I think someone out there may have made a Mango Mary Voodoo doll and pricked it to pieces with a very sharp fork! Just look at my face!! That's what even touching a Mango can do to me. This has been a tricky discovery to make. I had broken out a few times (on my lips only) after eating fresh Mango. My lips would just swell up and I would look like Angelina Jolie for a couple of days and that was it. It was hard to figure out that it was the Mango because the swelling wouldn't start until about 2 days later!!!!! Also, sometimes I would drink Mango juice and nothing would happen at all.
Then.... at the end of this past December I turned into a monster for a week! One afternoon I started itching and my eyes started swelling and feeling heavy. I took a Benadryl and when I woke up the next morning I was covered in a horrible itchy rash on my face, neck, and arms. I couldn't even open my eyes! I thought that I must have gotten poison sumac from sleeping with the dogs a couple of nights before! They must have ran through a patch at the river! I had to go to the doctor. He gave me 3 prescriptions. I told him I thought it must be Poison Sumac. He said it looked like it was. I also told him I'd had a few sips of a Mango Smoothie 2 days before this all happened. He said he didn't think it was that. I didn't either.
Flash forward! Four days ago I made a fresh Mango salad. Two days ago I woke up looking like a hideous monster again with the same exact rash!!!

I went back to the doctor. He sent me away with the same three prescriptions and a referral to an allergist that I'm going to see in a few weeks.

I went home and jumped on line! I was shocked by what I read:
Mangoes are in the Sumac family!!!!!

The oil in mango sap can cause an itchy skin condition called allergic contact dermatitis.

File these under things that may give you a severe rash:

Poison ivy, poison oak and ... hold up ... mango?

Blame it on a chemical called urushiol, which is found in the oil of mango sap.

"That chemical is also found in poison oak and poison ivy, so people who have a history of reaction to poison oak and poison ivy would also react to this," said Dr. James Sweet of the Asthma, Allergy and Sinus Center of Hawaii. "They should be cautious about handling mango."

SO......... If you are allergic to poison ivy, oak, or sumac PLEASE be careful with Mangoes!! They are dangerous!!!! Get someone else to peel them for you and only eat what you know has not touched the skin at all!!!!

I'M NOT ON A DIET........

2008-03-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

.......I'M JUST ON A HEALTHY EATING LIFE CHANGE PLAN.........

Over the last 4 years I have steadily gained 2 1/2 a year. I went up one pants size and just recently I had to go up another!!!! Not a good feeling! I haven't seen my butt a lot over the last 10 months because I haven't had much access to a full length mirror, but I saw it trying on jeans a few weeks ago and I was upset by what I saw! I decided I was going to take action! I would start walking more, and stop drinking cokes, and stop eating desert.
Well, a few days later I had 4 slices of pizza!!! 4!!!! And a coke, of course, and then split an ice cream Sunday for desert!!! I'm glad I did it though! I made me so miserable that it's what finally put me over the edge. The very next day I threw away all the crap in my frig and cupboards; I'm talking a half gallon of ice cream, a coconut cake, good crusty bread, chips, cookies! I Scattered some out for the birds and then smashed to rest of it into the trash! It felt really good.
I went to the store and bought tons of almonds, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruits out the wazoo, fresh veggies, flourless sprout bread, plain soy yogurt, and some rice. I'm restraining myself from pasta and bread (except for the sprout bread) for a while. I'm not drinking the cokes! Well, I wasn't; I finally broke last night and drank almost half a can for my desert. Cokes are my weakness! But other than that coke I have been successful in staying on the plan of eating only whole foods. When I get a sweet tooth I have been eating little pieces of super dark organic chocolate (75% Cacao)! Also, I made a mock ice cream that satisfies very well. I'll add the complete recipe later, but pretty much, it's just frozen banana, skim milk, and coconut shreds mixed with a little yogurt and dark chocolate flakes. It's amazing!
I've been making some really great tasting, nutritious soups, salads, and fish. I feel like I am going to be able to stick to this for a really long time! I'll be posting as often as possible. I am working a lot now so it might be in chunks but I really want to share these ideas so I'll do my best. Thanks!

It's been only 10 days and I have lost 4 pounds! I haven't gone hungry at all. I can eat whatever and whenever I want as long as the only foods I have around me are mostly fruits, veggies, and nuts! I need to go outside an blast those 3 cans of Coke I have left in the trunk of my car with a bazooka!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner in an Airstream!

2007-12-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

I currently live in a 200 square foot Airstream travel trailer. It's nice; flat screen tube, surround sound, wireless Internet,so don't let the small size deter anyone from minimizing and going this route, at least temporarily. I don't plan on living in this pod forever, but while I do, I'm living large! I was not about to skip having a Christmas tree this year, and I didn't skip out on a big 'ol Thanksgiving dinner either. I even went against my own tastes and made an organic free range turkey for the meat eaters. It was a nasty job, but I managed my way through cleaning the carcase... ewwwwww, the neck bone, I totally gagged. I'm glad I'll probably only have to do that about once a year.
My counter space is about 1 foot wide. There are 3 burners on the stove, and the oven is a baby. Somehow it was still fun, and not too hard to pull off making a turkey, sweet potato casserole, homemade stuffing, rolls, and an apple salad. I won't bore you with the recipes, I know everyone has their own special family dishes, I just wanted to include some pics. :>

Cilantro Tortilla Soup with White Beans

2007-11-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

This soup takes less than 7 minutes to make. It's has lots of texture and is very flavorful with it's tangy twist! It's good for you too.

What you'll need:
1/2 a bunch of cilantro (stems included)
1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1 can drained and rinsed white beans
1/2 tbl spoon brown sugar
1 lemon cut into wedges
sour cream
cayenne pepper
whole grain tortilla chips

First, throw your cilantro, tomato, brown sugar, and vegetable stock in the blender and puree. The color of this soup is a little strange but it tastes amazing so just go with it; the garnishes will dress it up.

Pour your puree into a pot and add the beans and the juice of 2 lime wedges. Bring it to a boil.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a pinch of cayenne, a twisted wedge of lemon, and a sprig of cilantro. Add some whole grain tortilla chips for a lightly salted crunch. That's it, you're done! Someone might think your having a Bloody Mary for lunch!
Delicious, healthy, and easy to make! Enjoy.
--
Mary Killmon

Good Grief Green Sauce

2007-11-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

This sauce rocks! It's a variation on a Mexican recipe that uses avocados, but since avocados are rarely ripe these days, and they are expensive; I decided to use green peas in their place. It works well. I glop this sauce on salads, burritos, fresh veggies sticks, bread, crackers, chili, whatever; it's that good! Last week I had to make 2 batches.

Here's what you'll need

1 large, or 2 small tomatillos
1/4 cup frozen green peas
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper
1/4 bunch of cilantro (giant hand full stems and all)
1/2 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Peal any of the green papery stuff off of the tomatillo and core it, then drop it in boiling water for about 7 minutes.

While the tomatillo is boiling put everything else in a blender.

When the tomatillo is done run it under cool water for a few minutes and then cut it up into chunks and throw it in the blender too.

Pulverize all ingredients into a nice green sauce.

Eat on everything!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Tomato Basil Soup

2007-11-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

This soup is quick and easy! It's really good and so much better tasting, and better for you than anything out of a can so next time you're craving a grilled cheese with tomato soup, try this recipe! Hope you'll love it. I do. :>

1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 red pepper diced
1 tbs basil
1/4 tbs chili powder
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs spoon butter
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer at a medium boil for about 10 minutes.
Puree in the blender.
Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
Serve with grilled cheese!

"Got No Pancake Mix Pancakes" or they could be called "Healthy Whole Wheat French Toast Cakes"

2007-11-03T09:19:00.001-07:00

I really wanted pancakes for breakfast this morning but I was way too cozy, and way too  unpresentable to go out in public. Wearing my Saturday Morning Sweat Suit with my hair on top my head like pile of rejected yellow cotton candy, I decided I should probably stay in and make the pancakes myself. There was only one problem... no pancake mix! Oh, and no flour either. WOMP! Well, I did see some eggs hiding in the back of the frig and a loaf of whole wheat bread, so maybe I could make some french toast. And there was about an 8th of a bottle of syrup left from last winter (syrup is like honey right, never goes bad), so the comfort breakfast I was craving was looking possible after all. But I don't really like French Toast very much. I can usually taste the egginess on the bread. I hate eggs. I will eat them cooked in recipes but that's it. Eggs are sorta my kryptonite. My best friend Kate knows this. Once when we were way too old to be playing that blind taste test game, you know the one, someone gets to sit blind folded and wait while one of their so called good friends runs off to the kitchen (hopefully) to concoct something heinous. They bring the mystery slop back in a giant spoon and laugh their asses off while they airplane it into your mouth! Kate was nice enough to mix my least favorite food in the world, a raw egg, with dog food and then had the nerve to say "open wide"! I retched, and any tolerance I'd built up for the taste of eggs was completely lost! That's how even French Toast became too much! So, French Toast was out... what now, I want some dang pancakes!!!
Improvising, sometimes it works... sometimes it's a disaster, luckily this morning improvising was a success. I made pancakes out of the ingredients for French Toast and it worked! The eggs were disguised well within the cakes, no metallic, sulfuric, weirdness, just satisfaction!  Healthier than regular pancakes too! Hope you'll try these.

for the batter:
5 pieces of 100%  whole wheat bread (use up your end pieces) cut into cubes about 2 inch square
3 medium eggs
1/4 cup milk to start. add more slowly to the batter to get your desired pancake batter consistency
1/4 cup kefir if you have it, or buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt will work. if you don't have any of those just use less milk

for topping:
flax seeds
butter
syrup

Put all of your batter ingredients into a blender and pulverize, adding more milk if needed to get the right thickness for your batter. I like my batter to be a little bit runny but not too much, kind of like melted ice cream.

Pour out your cakes in a wide pan set to med/low heat, sprinkle on your flax seeds, and flip 'em when the middle starts to bubble up nicely

Plate them, butter them, drizzle them with syrup! Now you have pancakes, healthy pancakes, and you didn't have to run to the store for mix; or go out in public and run into someone you know looking like a walking hang-over! Hooray!

--
Mary Killmon

Shake Your Bootie Cherry Smoothie

2007-10-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

This smoothie will get you going! It's really awesome for breakfast, or if your about to head out for a night on the town, this drink will wake you up and recharge your energy!

1 cup frozen black cherries
1 big hand full of fresh spinach leaves
1 cup limeade (Simply Natural is my favorite brand)
juice of 1 orange
1/2 bananna
6 or 7 ice cubes

That's it! Just throw it all in your blender and blend it up! Now GO!

So Delicious!

Broccoli Stump Soup!

2007-10-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

I don't like to waste food. There can be two cans of beans in the cupboard and some left-over salad in the fridge and I'll make a meal out of it.... ummmm, unless it has mold on it.... then I'll feed it to my dogs.... noooooo! So, this is about Broccoli stumps; that's what I call them; you know, the stems after you cut the tree tops off. Well, there's a lot you can do with them besides throwing them away. They're still good for you and they can add a lot of flavor to a bland dish. Sometimes I like to chop them up into dime sized bits and throw them in chili for an extra crunch, but today I decided to puree them into a creamy soup. It's been raining here for 3 days non stop :> so soup is in order!

Broccoli Stump Soup:

2 cups chopped broccoli stalks
2 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup organic half and half
1 tbl spoon diced roasted red peppers
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom (this is where you get the zing)
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar (that's all you need)

Put everything in a pot (EXCEPT FOR THE half and half) save that for the last couple of minutes....
Bring it all to a boil and put a lid on it for 15 minutes on med/high heat
Add your half and half at the last minute
Remove from heat
Pour into a blender and puree

Dish into bowls and garnish with a couple of broccoli tops and some diced scallions, a dollop of sour cream and some hot sauce

YUM!

Easy Oven S'mores

2007-10-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

My lady friends and I like to throw ourselves a girls night about once a month. We take turns hosting, but usually either Shaun or Ginny ends up being the hostess with the mostest! We always bring a dish and something to drink. Last months girls night was held at Ginny's. When I arrived there was already a nice spread of snacks and treats on the table. I started nibbling and realized I'd just eaten a cold marshmallow, a graham cracker, and a chunk of a Hershey's bar! "Hey, I pretty much just ate an uncooked S'mores!" Not quite the same cold.... so I grabbed a cookie sheet from Ginny's cupboard, sprayed it with Pam, layered the crackers, mallows, and chocolate, and popped them into the oven for about 5 minutes on 350. They turned out really awesome. The marshmallows puffed up and browned just a bit; and the chocolate melted nicely! I think kids would really like this recipe.

I've include a few pics of some of the girls and thier dishes! I don't have those recipes but if you see something you like let me know and I will ask... :>

Cheddar~Pumpkin Bisque

2007-10-08T18:08:00.001-07:00

The first time I ever tried Pumpkin Soup was in Interlocken, Switzerland on a back packing trip with my best friend Kate. Interlocken is a beautiful town in the Alps. We spent our first day there wandering around tiny side roads along pastures full of cows, sheep, and goats all wearing bells around their necks. The mountains that surrounded the valley were covered in snow! It was amazing. Anyway, after a long chilly day of walking we needed major comfort food. We found it in a local cafe. We had Pumpkin soup that was so delicious I had to go back the next day for more. It was served in big round brown crocks with little lids. I crave this soup a few times a year but mostly in the fall. I have definitely not perfected this one, especially since I have no idea what was in it, but here's my version.... it's getting closer. It's really good. It's super, super, easy to make. Let me know if you try it and have any suggestions on variations! :>

1 large 29oz can 100% pure pumpkin
3 cups (low sodium) organic vegetable stock
1 cup cream, or 1/2 and 1/2
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese (make a little extra for garnish)
2 tbl spoon butte
1 tbl spoon brown sugar
black pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
good pinch of Cinnamon
2 dashes of allspice or nutmeg
chopped scallions for garnish

Put all ingredients in a large pot, bring it to a boil for a few minutes, stir constantly, bring to a simmer and let bubble for about 10 minutes.
Serve with chopped scallions and a left over grated cheddar cheese

That's it! enjoy!

Quick and Easy Broiled Oyster Appetizer

2007-09-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

I bought a can of Oysters at the grocery store one day, I didn't really have a plan for them then, but they seemed like an interesting thing to try. I finally used them tonight as an appetizer. I didn't know what to expect from oysters in a can but they were actually plump, juicy, not too filling before a meal, and surprisingly great!

1 can of Oysters in their own juice

1 hand full of fresh chopped cilantro

1/2 cup canned no salt added diced tomatoes (leave a little bit of the tomato juice in)

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup diced pear (diced very, very small) this is the surprise flavor in the dish, it adds a nice sweet note

That's it! line a baking dish with your drained oysters.
Scatter the other ingredients on and around your oysters.
Broil for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with crackers or bruchetta.

Spinach and Salmon Cowder

2007-09-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

This is a comfort dish, not as healthy as it could be, but still not really all that bad for you either; it does have salmon and spinach after all, two super foods!

This should make enough for 4 people:

2 wild caught boneless skinless salmon filets ( I usually keep some in the freezer, frozen filets are perfect for this recipe)

1 1/4 cup organic vegetable stock (low sodium)

1 cup half and half

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 cup diced onions

1/4 to 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers

cayenne pepper

Throw everything except for the half and half in a pot.
Bring it to a boil and then let it roll for about 5 minutes.
Give it a stir every now and then.
Cut heat down to low, add the half and half and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Salt and Pepper to taste! Serve with crackers. Delicious!

Strawberry-Limeade Vodka Drink!!!!!!!!

2007-09-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

I love mixing drinks! I used to bar tend a bit in my restaurant days and my favorite part of the job, besides the cash, was creating new drink recipes! I'm always concocting something fruity and icy in the summer.
I made this Strawberry-Limeade Vodka drink for a birthday party last night. It was such a hit that it was all gone by 10 pm!
I cant wait to  make some more. I hope you'll try this one for your next celebration.

1 liter of vodka (if you want to keep the cost down, buy an inexpensive brand and run it through your water purifier pitcher a couple of times first)

1 large package sliced strawberries already frozen in sugar (if you can find them, just make sure sugar is the ONLY other ingredient) if you can't find those, just sugar the strawberries yourself and leave them to soak up the sweetness over night.

1 quart simply Limeade

3  6oz  cans of 100% pineapple juice (not from concentrate)

Mix all together!  This drink is so pretty with all the strawberries swirling around, you'll want to showcase it in clear glass pitchers or bottles. I used an empty and clean scotch  bottle with a cork top for one of my batches.

Pour over crushed ice and garnish with a lime wheel. Be careful, they go down easy!

Stop Light Stuffed Peppers!!!

2007-09-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

This dish smells so good you could get full just standing around sniffing it waiting for it to finish baking! It takes about a half an hour to cook. I don't usually make dishes that require that much patience but this one was worth it! Very tasty, very filling.

What you'll need

Peppers: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green ("stop light")
1 can of organic crushed tomatoes
1 can of no salt added tomato sauce
1 small can of mushroom pieces
1/4 cup roasted red peppers diced small. Cento makes a small jar that's good and not too expensive; good to have on hand anyway.
1/2 Vadalia onion diced small
1 cup morning star grille recipe crumbles
1 bag 10 minute (boil in the bag) brown rice
3 table spoons Italian seasoning
1 table spoon brown sugar
1 tea spoon garlic powder, be careful not to use garlic salt!!
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheese. I used Cracker Barrel Natural Vermont Sharp-White!

Go ahead and boil your rice and just set it aside.

Dump your crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and mushrooms in a pot.
Stir in your Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
Let this simmer for a few minutes then remove it from the burner. Pour all but a third of the sauce into the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with the olive oil, throw in your diced onions, diced roasted peppers, and the morning star veggie crumbles.
Saute for about 2 minutes until nice and brown. Remove from heat and mix into the rest of your waiting pot of tomato sauce. Go ahead and mix your rice in now too.

Wash and cut your peppers. If you cut them in half from top to bottom, instead of cutting off the tops and using the whole pepper, they'll cook a little faster and you'll get more servings, my mama taught me that trick. Thanks Jacque!

Now your ready. Set your peppers down in the sauce in your baking dish, then heap the tomato-rice mixture into the peppers. Cover with grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Excellent!

Honey Baked Salmon

2007-09-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

I needed a protein fix today so I took some wild salmon out to thaw this morning. Here's what I ended up with. Honey Baked Salmon! Healthy, easy, and goooood!

What you'll need:
boneless,skinless salmon filets. fresh or frozen (caught wild is best)
goat cheese
mixed baby greens
lemon (or two)
red pepper
yellow onion
tomato
honey
sea salt
olive oil
white balsamic vinegar (or whatever else you have)
sugar
and a big loaf of good crusty bread

preheat oven to 450
coat a glass baking dish with butter, leave a few little chunks all willy nilly in the bottom of the pan
toss in very thin slices of red peppers and onions, the thinner the better!
nestle your salmon down in the mix
top with a few pats of butter and thinly sliced lemon wheels
drizzle whole dish with honey and sprinkle with sea salt
place in oven until done. check at about 6 minutes that should be close.

don't forget to throw your crusty bread in the oven too!

in a mixing bowl:
pour about a 1/4 cup (and then a tad more) olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
table spoon of sugar
2 table spoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup goat cheese
whip it all up with a fork
toss in your mixed greens and tomato slices

plate your salad
pull your salmon and bread out of the oven
slap your salmon filet right down in the middle of your salad
place all the hot and tender onions and peppers around it, they'll wilt your salad nicely.
butter your bread and you're done!

delicious with a fizzy cold coke! or some wine if you want to get fancy!

September Soup

2007-09-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's the middle of September and fall is sending in an R.S.V.P. to a party I did not invite it to! The last couple of days have been chilly/hot ones, the kind that send me out wearing wacky outfits; shorts and flip flops with long sleeved hoodie sweatshirts. If I had a personal fashionista I'm sure she would have at least told me to switch the floppers out for a pair of cute and trendy flats. Whatever!
When I left work today I noticed that the sun was sitting much lower in the sky than it had been just a week before. I'm already dreading those dark by 5:30 days that are soon to come. All of this weather worry started me craving a nice, hot bowl of soup. I went home, pulled out a big red pot, opened up the cupboards, and started opening cans! I ended up with this. It was really good, hit the spot! It only took about 10 minutes and I'll definitely make it again. Hope you might try it too!

September Soup:
1 can of beans ( I only had red Kidney, I bet white would have been better)
1 can of mushroom pieces (no salt added if you have em)
1 pkg of frozen spinach
1 Vadalia onion diced
3 scallion stalks diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 vegetarian bullion cube
cayenne pepper, black pepper, dried basil, and whatever else you think goes; I added some coriander
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Dump your oil, water, JUICE ONLY~from the can of mushrooms (save the mushrooms for later), spices, bullion, all of your diced onions and scallions into a large pot. Bring it to a boil and let it roll for a couple of minutes. Then pour it all into a blender and pulverize it! Pour it back into the pot and add everything else EXCEPT for the grated cheese. Bring it all back to a nice boil. Ladle into bowls and cover completely with grated cheese. It will melt but if you want it to be really awesome run it under the broiler for a hot minute! Enjoy!