The Fruity Trinity 3,2,1 Smoothie

Today's Smoothie!

















3 very ripe bananas
2 granny smith apples, chopped
1 orange (juice and pulp only)
1 head of celery
1 clove garlic
2 tbs flaxseed
2 tbs Renewme!
2 cups or more of water

Put it all in the blender and blend well.

This is a very creamy smoothie that utilizes the fruity trinity of banana, apple, orange. On the sweet side with just a hint of garlic.

I'm eating more raw garlic these days to try and help boost my immunity. The man had the flu or some kind of stomach bug but I will remain healthy.

So mote, it be.
:)

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili Recipe!

I was inspired by A Life Less Sweet to make this chili.



















Sweet Potato Chili

You will need

1 med onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, diced
1 medium carrot, chopped small
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
1.5 cup water or vege broth

Spices:
1tsp coriander
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
.5-1 tsp red chili flakes (or more, adjust to your taste)
.5 tsp salt
1 tbs ACV


What you will do:

Brown the onion in .5 tbs (as little as you can get away with) of vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance) or oil.

Add chopped veges and water and let simmer until veges start to get soft.
Add spices and stir. Add a little more water if necessary
Cover and let cook, the longer the better, keep an eye and don't let it burn.

Serve with a green salad, rice, quinoa, beans, tortillas and chopped fresh tomato and onion.

This recipe freezes well so don't be afraid to double or triple it and save yourself some time in the future!

Jucie Feast Late Afternoon Snack! Hot Stuff, Baby!

2 head celery, chopped
a big hunk of ginger, peeled
12 drops tulsi tea
1 tbs lemon juice















It's clearing out my sinuses, yeah!

Raw Green Smoothies and Juices for Health Every Day!

Good Morning!

Today's Green Smoothie of Life















2 handfuls red leaf lettuce
1 banana
1 kiwi
1 tbs each E3AFA and RenewMe!
Juice and pulp of one orange.
1 tbs peanut butter
20 oz water
mmmmm.
I split that with the man. He likes the peanut butter.
After the guys left I had a big glass of carrot and beet juice.















That wasn't enough so I made one of my favorite juice recipes. This is a savory juice or a raw soup if you float some chopped up celery in it and serve it in a bowl.
Celery Cocktail or Raw Celery Soup















About 15 ribs of celery (two heads, minus the hearts. i use the hearts in soup later today!)
1 lrg clove of garlic
juice of one lemon.

Drink in the tangy, green goodness.

I love garlic. I try to eat or drink a clove every day if I can. I'm going to be juicing and juice feasting all day today so tune in for some more tasty, healthy liquid treats!


There was a June bug in the house this morning. He was moving really fast, this was the clearest shot I could get of him. He was released in the backyard shortly after this photo was taken and was probably eaten by a hungry bird with a bunch of chicks to feed but I don't know.















Have you heard the legend of the headless third grader?















Neither have I, but I have been seeing this guy on shores of Klamath lake, on the side of the road on sunny weekday mornings.

A haunting? I don't know.

Well, that was my morning.
Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to finish my celery cocktail and then go get on the mat. :)

Savory Celery Carrot Juice Soup Raw Vegan Lunch

You will need a juicer for this recipe.

1 head of celery
1 carrot
1 thumb of ginger
1 green zucchini
1 tbs ACV

Juice the veggies and stir in the vinegar.


A quick raw vegan lunch, great for a juice feast, or a starter for a brunch or summer dinner.

The zucchini adds a creaminess to it, gives it more body.

Woke up this morning, late

Feeling a little hungover. yucky mouth, eyes glued shut, headachey, dehydrated. Maybe it was the raw-ish chocolate cake I had before bed. I really don't know

So, I had a quart of water at 6:30. Then, about a half hour later, I had another glass of water with a shot of ACV, the breakfast of champions. I feel much better, now.
8 am I did about 15 minute on the mat, 4 or five sun salutations and then I juiced 3 carrots, 5 or 6 ribs celery and a wee bit of onion.















Here is the carrot pulp, I will make something to eat out of it later.















I've started taking each different vege pulp out individually to be used in recipes.




Yay for Friday!

Food and the plants they come from...

Dinner last night

Clockwise: vege bread, butter lettuce, salad made from grape tomatoes, broccoli, avocado and I can't remember what else, leftover carrot curry salad, and a meatloaf that I made.
















The meatloaf was a franken-sort of thing. I made a seitan sausage that came out all wrong. I forgot the salt and the foil split while the thing was cooking so it puffed up instead of staying all dense the way the sausage should. Boo.
So I took a huge hunk of it and ground it up fine in the FP. Then I added and onion, some vege pulp, pecans, and some barbecue sauce, a wee bit of olive oil. I can't remember what other seasonings. I baked it in my silicone loaf pan for about 2 hours at 350F, covered, then let it cool to room temp. I baked it for another half hour at 400, uncovered. Yum.

Here it is in a butter lettuce leaf ready to be eaten by me.















Both of these salads were REALLY GOOD

















****************
PLANTS!!

I got a tomato plant from the Eco Store which is on east main. I couldn't find a online listing for it but I didn't look really hard. I don't think I have the name right.














Anyway, I bought a tomato plant and some swiss chard today, cheap.
I put the tomato in the Topsy Turvy that I bought months ago.


Swiss Chard
















My lily is blooming.































The new starts.
















A carrot top, rooting.

















My celery, rooting. It's growing a lot of leaves!

















Tonight for dinner is cabbage soup and something. Baked potatoes, maybe.

Cheers!

Juicing Without A Juicer :: Juice 101 for Beginners, It's not as hard as you may think!

It can all be so intimidating. Juicers can cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I bought a second hand juicer for $50 but it's big and a pain to clean, etc, blah, blah. It also still needs some spare parts, so for now I am juicing with my blender.*

















It's not perfect, it's not ideal, but it's a way to get juice into your body. No excuses!

Today I had celery, collard greens, and a roma tomato.
Chop all and put in blender**
















Put them in the carafe, lid on, and whirl!
















I usually let it go for about 3 minutes. The longer it blends, the smaller the pieces of veg will be and the more will fall into your juice. If the pieces are too small you will have a smoothie and not juice, which is fine if you want a smoothie but not fine if you want juice. Experiment until you get it the way you like it.

A fine colander on a bowl is what I use to strain the juice from the pulp.
















Pour it right in there and let the juice fall in the bowl. Stir the pulp to make sure you have all the juice in the bowl.
















Pour the juice in a glass and save the pulp for recipes!

















Have a RAW DAY!


















Footnotes:

*I have a second hand Hamilton Beach 14 speed blender. It's pretty powerful for a regular household blender and I keep it running from sun up until sundown sometimes, so I'm happy that I can pick them up at goodwill or on ebay for about 7 bucks each, but we can talk about my blender drama some other day! :)
** celery and collard have long fibers that can twist around your blender blade and cause the motor to burn out lickety-split! cut them into one inch pieces to avoid this situation

Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a staple for dinners around here. I like to serve it with grilled seed cheese sandwiches and a salad.

Serves 3

8 roma tomatoes, halved
1 stalk celery, chopped
Blend with 1-2 cups water until liquid. Strain and put in sauce pan with:
1 quart water
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs vegan butter

Heat on med heat, stirring constantly and don't let it boil.
Make a roux from
2 tbs tomato mixture
1 tbs flour
Whisk until roux is smooth and then whisk roux into tomato mixture.

Reduce by 1/3 and serve hot with fresh basil leaves, if desired.

Easy VEGAN Garlic Mash Potato Recipe w Cauliflower and Celery

MMM... mashed potatoes, all veganatized
















A tasty, cooked vegan side dish that's easy to mash up, heh.

Serves 4.

1 med potato per person
About a third of a head of cauliflower
1 rib of celery.
2-3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
3/4 cup liquid (broth, water, steaming water, nut milk, your choice)
Steam all ingredients until they are tender, about 30 minutes.














Put all in the FP with some dried herbs of your choice
Smash.
This dish is ready to serve with but I always make them early in the day and let them rest in my glass baking pan until almost dinner time. Then mix in another quarter cup of liquid (broth or water) and bake at 350F for 30 minutes, covered.

I don't use any salt or oil. I figure people will put gravy or some other dressing on them, and in my opinion, with the cauli, celery and garlic they can stand alone, flavorwise.
I like them kinda rough, with the peels and some lumps. You may want to peel your potatoes and processes them until they are smoother.

Vegan Dinner: Baked Breaded Tempeh Cutlets

I made dinner!














I took an 8 oz package of regular old tempeh and cut it in half then sliced each half to make four cutlets.


My new Favorite Marinade Recipe! I am so glad I wrote down the measurements.














1/4 cup ACV
1/2 cup vege broth
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp herbs de Provence
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt

Mix it well and pour it over cutlets in a shallow pan. Place thinly sliced onions on top (optional).
Let these marinate at least 4 hours








Remove them from the pan and put the marinade in a bowl to use later.





I used the crumbs from about 4 slices of bread. Two slices crumbled on the bottom of the ungreased 9x13" baking pan.
Place the tempeh cutlets back in the pan on top of the crumbs.

Two cups of finely chopped celery goes on top of the cutlets, then the other two slices of bread crumbled on top.
Mix the left over marinade with 1 cup of oat milk and gently pour the liquid over the whole thing. Cover and bake at 350F until it starts to get brown, about two hours














Serves four.

Extreme Close up!!














The money shot

Served with mashed roots, salad is red lettuce, collard greens and raw sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, and a healthy dollop of seed cheese.















This is comfort food with a twist. The breading on the tempeh tastes like a "traditional" stuffing because of all the celery and the tempeh is tender but holds together well.
Absolute Success

I <3 Green Juice and Tulsi Tea

Celery, zucchini, ginger and 5 drops of Tulsi Tea














Reprinted without permissions from www.learn-about-tea.com

Benefits of Tulsi Tea
(Holy Basil Tea)

Tulsi tea, which originated in India thousands of years ago, is known for its rich antioxidant and adaptogenic properties that are known to promote wellness by building the body’s immune system, reducing stress and promoting mental clarity.

It is recognized as one of India's most sacred herbs because of its health benefits and healing properties.

Tulsi Tea's antioxidants protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals that facilitate the cause and progression of various types of diseases.

Also referred to as holy basil tea, this herbal brew’s adaptogens serve as powerful anti-stress agents that protect your body from a wide range of health concerns.

The adaptogens guard against and deal with physical, chemical, environmental, and emotional factors that produce high levels of stress that compromise physical and mental health.

Potential Health Benefits

Strengthens the immune system, promotes longevity and enhances well-being.

Promotes heart health by lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Reduces the negative physical and psychological effects of stress.

Increases the body’s efficiency in using oxygen, which improves stamina, strength and endurance.

Promotes respiratory health.

Helps with digestion and gastrointestinal problems.

Neutralizes dangerous biochemicals that contribute to cancer, degenerative diseases and premature aging.

Facilitates healthy liver function.

Reduces cell and tissue damage from sun rays, radiation therapy and other radiation sources.

Relieves inflammation from arthritis and other diseases.

Helps fight infections.

It is important to note that, while there is scientific evidence that supports many of these health claims, additional research is needed to further substantiate medicinal impact and safety -- as with any herbal therapy. Always consult with your doctor before using herbal treatments to address and support your healthcare needs.

Sunday Morning

I can't find my camera. It's in the house. Somewhere.

Today The boy is at a friends house and we will be doing some cleaning and I will be juicing.

So far, celery, cucumber, ginger, lemon and savoy cabbage. Twice. I'm going to go do some more.

Wish me find my camera, will ya?

It snowed this morning just a dusting. The Klamath webcam shows it.

JUICE!

This morning's juice is cranberries, celery, and that thing that looks like bok choy but it's bigger, with fresh out of the dehydrator dried basil sprinkled on top.


I'm still too upset to talk about the seitan debacle. I should stick to raw foods... I seem to be good at making them...

But I haven't given up. My guys aren't raw (or vegan. Or even vegetarian) and I want to make tasty vegan foodies for them. The boy still loves the bread. He had two slices for breakfast and said "I know someone who is REALLY IRISH and makes this bread and your bread is better!"
To which I responded, "Vegan is always best!"
Before dinner last night he said "I don't want to eat dairy." I said, "I don't want you to eat dairy, but what are you going to eat? I made a dairy-free dinner of mac n cheez* and bread and salad for dinner, would you like to eat that?" He had leftover cheese pizza.















*It was tasty and surprizingly "cheesy". Basically broth with nutritional yeast and lemon juice, reduced on the stovetop, then baked with cooked pasta and bread crumbs. I'm working on it.

Seitan Roast ::AND:: Recipe for RAW Vegetable Broth

It's amazing how many things I did today while procrastinating!

I baked a loaf of bread.















I dried some previously soaked walnuts.
















I put some tomatoes in to dry.
















I made a blurry, green salad.


















I made RAW Vegetable Broth*
















I put up a sauerkraut experiment with the pulp from the broth!
















I did the dishes.


















I did some laundry.

















I took the trash out.

















Then I made the seitan. I made a loaf, I figured I could slice it for sandwiches or cube it for some other dish. I am sort of sandwich-oriented right now, forgive me.

Then I got busy.

Seitan Roast, I will call it!

Dry ingredients:
2 cups vital wheat gluten. I used Bob's Red Mill
2 Tbs each garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and whatever other spice I found in the cupboard.
1 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk these together well and set aside.

Wet ingredients:
1 cup RAW VEGE BROTH*
1 cup olive oil
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs ACV
Mix together well.
I added a bit more gluten to make it stick together better.

Mix well.















Put a large piece of cheesecloth down on a flat surface. Form the mixture into a rough rectangle and put it in the center of the cheesecloth. wrap the cloth loosely around the roast and tie the ends.

They used string but i just tied the cloth in a knot.
















They simmered it in water, but I simmered it in broth for an hour and 15 minutes. Like this guy who basically taught me everything I know about seitan which isn't much.















Now I just have to figure out what to put it on....














TRAGIC UPDATE!!!

Oh, crap. The whole thing fell apart. Looking at the recipe I think I put too much oil. Dammit.
Here it is in the strainer. No body at all. Sort of like ground meat texture. Not a loaf :(
















I pressed it in my trusty loaf pan and I will let it cool and see if it becomes something sliceable. If not I may try simmering it in a cheese cloth again tomorrow.
















Dang it.




* Cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, celery and water, blended and strained.