Good-Bye Preschool Lunch

Well the time has finally come…my little one has graduated from preschool! Although this in itself is a joyous occasion and is reason to celebrate, I am also celebrating for another reason—that she will no longer be subjected to the preschool lunch that I have had to let her eat for the past two years. You see her preschool does not allow the children to bring their own food, unless for some medical reason.

I am so excited that I have already gone out and purchased her new lunch box for kindergarten, as well as a new Disney Princess hot food thermos. And I am already making up lunch ideas that I think she will love. I’m thinking of main dish things like black beans and rice (her favorite), veggie nuggets, spinach nuggets, vegan mac & cheese, whole wheat spaghetti. For snack or sides I want to put things like veggie sticks, sweet potato chips, or kale chips instead of regular potato chips, and of course Fruitables for her drink.

I am so excited to finally be in control of her entire diet (well, except for when she’s at grandma’s house, but that’s another blog post) and to expose her to new and exciting things each day for lunch. I work as a substitute teacher and I see the kinds of things parents send for their kids to eat and it just amazes me how little effort is often put into their lunch. Good nutrition is one of the most important things you can do for your child and it is crucial to start from the beginning. I am eager to get started! I will also be home with her for the summer, so this is a good test run to see what things she will eat, so it doesn’t end up in the school trash. I will start posting about her lunches when the school year begins to share with others what things work and what things went wrong. 

Why I Will Not "Like" a Post for Cancer

Lately I have seen many FB posts saying to like the post if you want to cure cancer or put a post as your status for the day to help stop cancer. I will never do this and I would like to explain why. I don't want anyone to think that I just do not care, because I do. You see cancer has touched my family and had a very strong effect on me. In my lifetime, I have seen six family members suffer from cancer and have lost four of them. Two of them, I had to watch die before me, an experience that stays will you always. So why am I not willing to promote and spread the hate for cancer on facebook? Because the way to end cancer is not by sharing that you want to stop it and definitely not by raising money to find a cure. The way to end cancer is to start with yourself!

Cancer is too often a result of what we have done to ourselves throughout our lifetime, mostly without even knowing it. Yes there are those that are born with cancer or get it in childhood. But so much of it is a result of our decisions and lifestyle.  You end cancer not by writing a check for research or by waiting for a cure. You end it with personal responsibility...yes I said personal! The problem is in fact the "by stander effect" That everyone is waiting for someone else to take the responsibility, but the responsibility must start with you. You fight cancer with everything you eat, with everything you put on your body, with everything you put in your environment. I heard the other day that they are expecting cancer rates to increase by 75%! Why, as a result of countries adopting a western diet.  That alone should tell us that we are doing something wrong.

We have been raising money for breast cancer for many years, and are still no closer to finding a cure. Why are we so quick to spend the effort to raise money, and then go home and eat something that will contribute to our own cancer?? This must be a personal mission for all of us, to say to ourselves that we are not going to be a victim. It pains me to see places like KFC with pink buckets of chicken in October help cure breast cancer. If they really wanted to help, they would just tell you to not eat their chicken! But they dont' care, it is only a marketing tool to make you feel better for buying your family that bucket of chicken.

What we all need is information and education, that's the best tool for fighting this. I am turning 40 this year and I wish I knew at 5 what I know now. We need to teach our young how cancer grows and what things contribute (like dairy) to the growth of cancer cells so they may make a lifetime of good decisions to ensure a healthy life. You see it is not death that I fear, it is life...a life filled with pain and suffering and living with cancer. I watched this happen to my dear aunt and for 8 weeks I watched her go from being the wonderful loving person she had always been to someone I didn't know and I had to watch her die a little everyday. I became her caregiver and had to take over her life, because she could not live it anymore. Only two years before, I watched her husband die in the ER, after battling with his cancer.

So I may not have cancer, but I do live with it. I will take all the knowledge I have gained and give to my children so they can make good choices. And I now think about cancer with every healthy meal I make and I know why I choose the life I live. Not mostly for me, but for those that would have to live my life for me if I can't. So remember, cancer is not just about you, but for all those that will be forced to suffer with you that you will leave behind. So the next time you get a post asking you to "like" it to stop cancer, think about the things you are doing for yourself, the food you eat, the toxins you spray, the products you put on your body and ask yourself, are you really going to hope they find a cure?

PB & Banana Smoothie

This morning, while out doing my morning run, I suddenly had the craving for peanut butter and banana.  I often like to have a breakfast of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and bananas and sprinkled with ground flax seed and with a glass of soy milk.  But today, I craved something different. I don't know where it came from, but I thought "what if I put them in the blender and make a smoothie?"  Maybe it was because it was hot and a cold smoothie seemed refreshing, but as soon as I got home, I went to work making my smoothie.

So went I got home, I put in the blender:

1/2 banana
1 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp ground flax seed
8 oz of soy milk
1/2 cup crushed ice

I wasn't sure how this was going to taste, but my mind had this set that this is what I wanted.  All I can say is wow! This was so good.  I need to listen to my mind more often.  This was yummy and I'm sure that anyone who likes PB & B, will like this.  This also seems like a great smoothie for kids, I am going to try with mine.  My little one does not like to eat peanut butter, but maybe she'll drink it!  I can also see this a a great after meal dessert for kids instead of a not so healthy (or vegan) milk shake. 

I didn't make a big glass (as you can see above).  I  did not want to pack on all the calories I had just worked so hard to use.  But, I needed a little something to replenish energy and this just hit the spot.  Now I'm sure that I did not invent something new, but it is new to me! So the next time your mind suggests something, go with it, you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Christmas Shopping: My Challenge to Stay Cruelty-Free

This year's Christmas shopping brought new challenges—challenges that were never an issue for all the years before.  This year's shopping would be much different. For this year, I did my Christmas shopping for the first time as a vegan.  I really didn't think much about it as I headed out, but I soon was faced with decisions that would define who I am...now. 

I started my shopping a few months ago.  This year I decided that we would try layaway.  So we picked a store and went out to get it all done in one day. My husband and I decided to split the list and we each went our way throughout the store looking for gifts.  I already had an idea of the kinds of gifts I wanted for the people I was looking for. 

I was looking for handbags for the women on my list.  Every time I found one I liked, I read the label.  I think I read the label on just about every bag in the store.  It is sad that most of them have leather on some part, if not all of the bag.  What's even harder is that not all items label what they are made of.  So in that case, I would smell the bags to see if they smelled like leather. I must have looked like a crazy lady to the other shoppers. 

Needless to say, after sniffing most of the store, we finished our shopping and took them to the layaway department to leave them until they were ready for pick up eight weeks later.  Then yesterday, against my better judgment, I went out again (two days before Christmas) to see if I could find a few extra things for my husband and my daughter. 

I went to this one particular store that I thought I would be able to find what I needed without having to go anywhere else.  As I went in the store, I discovered the perfect handbag...for me! Of course I always find the perfect gifts for myself when I'm shopping for others.  It was way over budget, but I knew that I just had to have it.  So I carried it around with me as a looked for gifts. 

I found some great things for my husband and I wanted to get one more thing...a hat.  My husband loves to wear hats and I love the way he looks in them.  So I looked for one that he doesn't already have.  Then I found it! It was soft, black, sexy and I knew he would love it.  Then I read the label and it was cashmere.  I knew cashmere was made from animals but I didn't know the specifics.  So I grabbed my phone and did a search on cashmere and discovered that it has many of the same cruel practices involved with wool products. 

So I stood there for a few minutes looking at the hat, imagining my husband's face after opening the gift and how it would look of him.  For a second I thought to myself, would it be horrible if I bought this? After all, I don't eat animals and I don't buy any other animal products.  But then I saw the images of the goats and imagined what they might have endured to make this hat and I hung it back on the wall and walked away.

Then I made the really long line in the store, still carrying the handbag that I really couldn't afford.  As I stood in line, making my way to the front, little by little, I began to look more closely at this bag.  I could tell that most of it was made out of a synthetic material.  But then I noticed the strap and there it was...leather.  Or at least what I suspected to be leather.  Once again, the label did not specify the materials so I began to do what I did before, yes smell the bag.  It smelled like leather to me, but because I wanted so desperately for it to not be leather, I kept smelling it hoping that I would change my mind.  I could only imagine what the people around me were thinking. 

I came to the conclusion that it probably was leather and there again I had that conversation with myself in my mind, trying to justify why I could buy it.  But my conscience always wins and when I finally made it to the register, I gave it to the cashier and told her that I didn't want it anymore.  As I left the store, I felt a bit disappointed that I put those items back, but I also felt proud.  I was proud of myself for sticking to a commitment that I made months ago to live a life free of cruelty and suffering.  It's not always an easy way to live, but I could not have it any other way!

Three Easy Tofu Meals...Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 Since giving up meat, tofu has become a regular part of our meals.  Years ago I never would have believed that my husband and I would become such fans of something that looks like a sponge! But as we are evolving, we are learning to love and appreciate all kinds of new foods.  We now use tofu in so many dishes, from our favorite tofu scramble to our veggie soup.  Learning to cook with tofu was challenging at first, but with much research and practice, it has become second nature.  So I would like to share three of my favorite easy tofu dishes, one for each meal of the day. If you have a fear of tofu or just don't know what to do with it, here are a few easy ways to start... 

 Breakfast: Tofu Scramble

Tofu Scramble has become a regular Sunday breakfast in my home (well, at least for my husband and I).  After giving up our traditional Sunday  breakfast of scrambled eggs, we were in search for our new Sunday tradition.  Then one day I came across a recipe for Tofu Scramble, and we have been making this on Sundays ever since.  I never imagined tofu could be such a great breakfast item, but it works and taste great!  

For this dish I use 1 pack of firm tofu, 1/2 diced onion, 1/2 diced green pepper, 1/4 cup diced mushrooms, 1 diced clove of garlic, 1 tbsp of vegan butter, 1tbsp of oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast, and salt & pepper.

To start, squeeze the excess water from the tofu—I use paper towels. Then saute the veggies in a little oil until tender. Add the garlic, stir and let cook for another minute or two. Take the tofu and break it up into small pieces and let fall into the pan. Stir, be careful not to mash up the tofu, and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the vegan butter, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, salt & pepper and stir together.  Let cook for 3-4 minutes and then remove from heat.

                            

Lunch: Tofu and Veggie Rice Bowl

This has become my quick go to lunch when I am at home during the day. I always prefer a hot cooked lunch over a sandwich or salad, so when I am home for lunch, this is what I will have.

This dish uses mostly the same ingredients from the tofu scramble. I usually make this with tofu, onions, green peppers, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and raisins, but you can use any veggies that you like.

There is really no specific recipe or amount of ingredients for this, I just use whatever amount I feel like having or what I have left over from before.  About 1/4 of a cube of firm tofu is enough for one person to two people. I like to cook the tofu separate and then combine when done.  I cut the tofu into cubes and cook in a saute pan with a drizzle of oil.  Make sure to turn pieces over so it cooks on both sides. Set aside when done. 

 

In another pan, saute sliced or diced veggies for a few minutes until almost tender.  Then add one diced garlic clove, diced tomatoes, raisins, a tsp of oregano, salt & pepper and let cook for 2-3 minutes more.  Toss in cooked tofu and serve over brown rice.

Dinner: Tofu Stir-Fry

I love making stir-fry meals. They are fast and easy to make. Even better, there are no rules...you can use just about any combination of veggies that you want. I have found a much easier and quicker way to prepare this is to use a combination of fresh and frozen veggies.

For the fresh, I use onions, carrots and mushrooms. For the frozen, you can use a pack of frozen stir-fry veggies, but I like to use one of those stir-fry meal packs, like Green Giant's Teriyaki Stir-Fry Create a Meal (it includes the sauce). This saves me from having to buy more veggies like asparagus, broccoli, snow peas and water chestnuts and sauce. If I bought all these fresh for one meal, it would cost much more and they would go bad if I didn't use them quickly.

Like the previous meal, I prepare the tofu separately and combine later.  I slice 1/2 cube of firm tofu into cubed pieces.  Then saute in a small pan with a drizzle of oil, then set aside.

In separate large pan or wok, I saute sliced onions, carrots and mushrooms in a little bit of oil in a for 2-3 minutes. Then I stir in the frozen veggies, cover and let them cook for about 5 minutes or until veggies are cooked through, stirring frequently to avoid sticking or burning. Then I remove the cover, add the sauce and tofu, stir and cover for 1-2 more minutes, then remove from heat.

Serve over brown rice and with veggie spring roll, and enjoy!