Instead of possibly boring everyone with my own vegan journey, I thought I’d celebrate the day by sharing images!
A short preach: I became vegan in 1970, first of all because my high school surfer boyfriend decided to go vegan, and I continued to follow the meat-free path even after we broke up. I don’t miss eating meat. Chicken IS meat, so I don’t eat that either, in case you were wondering. in the past I would eat seafood once in a while, but I cut that out, too. The hardest thing to give up was cheese until I saw the video of the living hell endured by dairy animals. So there you have it. Oh, and my Chanels…so I still have miles to go before I’m perfectly cruelty-free.
Instead of possibly boring everyone with my own vegan journey, I thought I’d celebrate the day by sharing images!
A short preach: I became vegan in 1970, first of all because my high school surfer boyfriend decided to go vegan, and I continued to follow the meat-free path even after we broke up. I don’t miss eating meat. Chicken IS meat, so I don’t eat that either, in case you were wondering. in the past I would eat seafood once in a while, but I cut that out, too. The hardest thing to give up was cheese until I saw the video of the living hell endured by dairy animals. So there you have it. Oh, and my Chanels…so I still have miles to go before I’m perfectly cruelty-free.
I don’t spend ALL of my time shopping. Seriously, is that what you thought?
It’s true that I devote a great deal of my waking hours in a search for treasures old and new, but once in a while, I aspire to a higher calling.
On Sunday and Monday, I hung out with an amazing and dedicated group who were protesting Ramos Brothers Circus in San Marcos, California.
Shame on San Marcos for supporting the mistreatment of animals.
What’s my story? I’ve never been to a circus because my mom felt strongly that animals should not do tricks and that there is something so very wrong in forcing animals to become entertainment for human profit.
If you were wondering where all my animal activist genes came from, I’d have to thank my mom. (Also thanks to her for the fashionista gene.)
I stopped eating meat in 1970 when I was a senior in high school. My boyfriend at the time wanted to try to eat healthier so I went along with his experiment. We eventually broke up but I never did eat meat again.
Thank you to everyone who drove by, honked, and gave a thumbs up in support of our efforts.
I have a request to make of you…the next time you see a group of people protesting animal abuse, STOP. Get out of your car. JOIN US. Take an hour out of your busy day just like we did to MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Bring your children. Show them that you don’t just talk about caring for animals…you are agents of change.
Then, hopefully, we CAN make the world a better place.
No matter what you think about PETA, they’re right about this:
“Animals aren’t actors, spectacles to imprison and gawk at, or circus clowns. Yet thousands of these animals are forced to perform silly, confusing tricks under the threat of physical punishment; are carted across the country in cramped and stuffy boxcars or semi-truck trailers; are kept chained or caged in barren, boring, and filthy enclosures; and are separated from their families and friends—all for the sake of human “entertainment.” Many of these animals even pay with their lives.”
Animals have RIGHTS.
Did you grow up eating meat, wearing leather, going to circuses, zoos, and the bathtub that is SeaWorld?
Do you wear wool and silk?
Are you now considering the impact of your actions on the animals?
If you haven’t, maybe you SHOULD.
Animals are NOT a requirement for a circus-type entertainment to be prosperous.
The overwhelming success of Cirque du Soleil is proof that you don’t need to have animals of any kind to have a circus.
Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA, said people have turned against animal acts as they learn more about the animals and how they are treated. “These are complex, intelligent animals, and this is a lousy, lousy, dirty, cruel business, and people see that,” she said. “This was purely a business decision.”
Isn’t it wrong that these animals don’t get to see this glorious sky, bask in the breeze, and feel rain on their fur? Their lives are dismal, traveling from one city to another in dark, smelly, cramped trailers.
I’m not going to share the sad, tragic, horrific, heartbreaking pictures and videos of abused animals. If you need proof, you are more than welcome to Google and compile your own documentation.
I KNOW all I need to know.
A couple years ago, I spoke (along with PETA) against elephant rides at the San Diego County Fair and almost got into an altercation with one of the few supporters of this barbaric form of entertainment. I don’t understand how seemingly intelligent and civilized humans could allow this kind of abuse in 2015 when we’ve seen the videos, when we know what hell an animal endures to become “entertainment”.
Aren’t we better than this?
Haven’t we evolved at all in the last one hundred years?
Do you really need all that bacon-wrapped crap when you know what hellish existence pigs endure in factory farms?
Really?
Compassion
Let’s teach our children, the next generation, that not only do animals have feelings, animals have the right not to be exploited, mistreated, abused, and enslaved.
For more information, visit circusprotest.com
I hope to see you in San Diego at the next protest!
As we walked our way over to the sidewalk with our signs, look what we had to step over.
Gross, huh?
However, in some way, it’s a perfect albeit disgusting metaphor for the way too many people think about animals; that their lives have as much value as a discarded condom. Or something like that.
How about a little inspiration from Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young?
We have a bounty of zucchini here at the Casa de Enchanted Seashell garden, and the dilemma becomes what the heck does one do with all of this summer squash?
I made a few loaves of zucchini bread because they freeze well.
I’ll pickle a few jars like I’ve done with cucumbers and then I got the brilliant idea to add shredded zucchini to my favorite chocolate cake to boost the nutritional value and keep it super moist, not that it lasts more than a day or two, ‘cos it’s the best chocolate cake EVER, vegan or not.
Best of all, the zucchini magically disappears during baking, so if you have children who are recalcitrant and don’t like veggies (how is that even possible?) this is a great way to TRICK them, although I don’t really approve of deceit as a parenting technique.
Son and DIL are coming down for a brief visit so that’s the perfect excuse reason to experiment PLUS they’re bringing a friend that Angel Boy was in graduate school with at Yale (bad sentence structure, I know), so it’s just like the “old days” when the house was filled with kids for me to stuff with food.
I old-school shredded the zucchini…
All dry ingredients go into the mixing bowl.
Add the liquids…
And the zucchini. So simple, now beat for a couple of minutes to incorporate all the goodness.
When it’s out of the oven and still hot, place about 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips on top. When they melt… Take an offset spatula and spread to make a delicious and easy topping.
See how shiny?
It’s always nice to garnish with garden blooms. I plucked a nasturtium, mint, and lemon verbena.
It’s as yummy as it is GORGEOUS!
Dark Chocolate and Zucchini Vegan Cake
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1 cup shredded zucchini (squeeze out any excess liquid)
1 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose, I use King Arthur, not because they pay me, but because it’s U.S. grown and an employee-owned company)
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (or Amaretto or Grand Marnier)
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup cold coffee or water (coffee is better with chocolate) or you could always use soy/almond/cashew/coconut milk.
Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 1. Mix the first five dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Make three shallow depressions in the dry ingredients.
3. Pour vinegar in one, vanilla/amaretto in the other, vegetable oil and zucchini in the third.
4. Pour coffee/water over all.
5. Mix well until smooth.
Grease a nine-inch pan. Bake on middle rack of oven for approximately twenty-five to thirty-five minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Don’t over bake or it’ll dry out. Cool and frost.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen a huge increase in the numbers of vegan blogs and vegan recipes (YAY!) but it seems that they’re getting more and more elaborate, as if it’s a sort of competition to create the most difficult-to-prepare meals.
I’m sending a more simple back-to-basics message.
If we agree that one of the reasons for not eating meat advocates for a cruelty-free life to protect animals from a hellish existence on earth, we need to also communicate that it doesn’t always have to be a herculean task to do the right thing.
I’ve been a veg since 1970 and in those 40+ years have seen a lot of people make a similar decision to go meat-free and then, for one reason or another, fall off the wagon.
One of the reasons I’ve heard time and time again is that it’s “too hard”.
I disagree.
Some of my most enjoyable and satisfying meals are the most simple.
Here’s an example of a basic, easy-to-prepare dinner.
Start with my can’t fail One Dish Brown Rice recipe.
It’s PERFECT every time.
1. Add one cup brown rice to a 9×9 glass baking dish.
2. Pour over the rice not quite two cups water plus one teaspoon olive oil.
3. Lay gently on top of the rice one-inch chunks of tofu.
4. Sprinkle pepper, chopped fresh herbs, freshly ground salt (if you must).
5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.
6. While the rice is baking, I picked a bunch of kale from the garden, cut into bite-size pieces, and steamed it.
7. To serve, sprinkle rice with low-sodium soy sauce, slice an organic tomato and garnish with cilantro or parsley (we grow cilantro year-round in the Casa de Enchanted Seashells garden.
A chilled chardonnay will dance a tango on your palate and complement the earthy rice, tofu, and kale combo.
Without a doubt, THIS is the absolute BEST 100% whole wheat bread I’ve ever made.
I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but you can use a hand mixer with the bread hook attachment. And if you don’t have that, you can go totally old school with a big bowl, a wooden spoon, and get a great upper body work out. Sometimes I still make bread that way just to prove to myself that I can.
Easy + Spectacular Whole Wheat Bread
One cup warm water (not too hot)
1/4 cup orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)
One packet yeast
1/4 cup agave syrup (honey or molasses works, too)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour, approximately.
One teaspoon sea salt
Mix water and orange juice plus agave in large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top; stir.
Cover with a cloth for a few minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
All at once, add, oil, THREE cups of flour, and salt.
With paddle attachment, mix for about three or four minutes. Switch over to the bread hook attachment and knead approximately 8-10 minutes, adding the last 1/2 (or so) cup flour a little at a time.
When the dough begins to form a ball and pull away from the sides, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand until it’s soft and pliable, not sticky.
Oil a bowl for rising, add dough, cover with plastic, and then cover with dishcloth. Let rise until it doubles in size. I like to find a non-drafty location like the oven or on top of a dryer.
When it’s doubled (about two hours), punch down gently and let sit on floured cutting board for a few minutes. Here’s my quick technique for shaping bread for a loaf pan.
Pat the dough into a rectangle — you don’t need to measure or be all OCD about it…
Fold in half. Starting at the folded side, roll into a cigar shape, pinch the edges closed, and pop into a loaf pan.
Try not to use too much extra flour ‘cos that will make it tough and dry.
Let it rise again for about thirty minutes or until the bread rises above the rim of the pan. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bake about thirty-forty minutes, checking to make sure it doesn’t become too brown. You can always cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil the last five minutes or so of baking.
When it’s done, let it cool for five minutes in the pan, then turn the bread onto a rack to finish cooling. Tap the bottom of the loaf with your fingers to see if it gives off a hollow sound. Then you know for sure it’s done.
Does this sound very tedious and time consuming? Just do it a couple of times, and it’ll be come second nature to you.
Homemade bread is SO much superior to store bought, chemical and preservative-laden bread. The texture of this bread is finely grained and tender; almost cake-like.
Veggie Hummus Pinwheels are the perfect choice for a summer party or barbecue.
Hummus is so easy to prepare from scratch that it’s a staple here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells. (Recipe below.)
It’s mostly all prep work. Organizing your ingredients makes it easy. I don’t like onions, but the addition of a thinly sliced red onion would be a wonderful crunchy flavor enhancer.
I used a handheld mandolin to thinly slice the veggies. Carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, cucumber, microgreens, and freshly steamed, chopped spinach. Make sure you squeeze out all of the cooking juice and save for soup stock later in the week.
I had some leftover guacamole and used that too. Organic pea shoots and cilantro (coriander to you all from across the pond) rounded out the healthy deliciousness.
**For a really low calorie option, use a large lettuce leaf instead of a carb-filled tortilla.Simply spread, layer, roll, and cut.
Spread with hummus, guacamole, spinach (this one doesn’t have spinach, but I used a slice of veggie cheddar cheese. The important part is to layer all the veggies on the side of the wrap or tortilla closest to you. Sometimes I heat the tortilla to make it a little more pliable.
Start rolling, keeping it tight. That’s the secret to a successful roll up. If you’ve ever made sushi, it’s the same principle, without using a bamboo mat. Tah dah! A fat little cigar shaped roll of yumminess.Cut in half with a sharp knife.
Keep cutting…eating the ends as you go. Well, at least that’s what I did. Turn them up so they’re smiling pinwheels, choose a special serving platter, and add a little garnish: here I used cilantro, pea shoots, and thinly sliced LIME.
Beautiful, festive, healthy!
BASIC HUMMUS:
One 15 oz. can unsalted garbanzo beans (or your own from scratch)
Four garlic cloves
Six tablespoons lemon juice
One-third cup tahini
Salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce
Drain beans, but save juice. Toss it all into a food processor and blend until desired consistency. Add a little juice from the beans as needed. Season to taste.
That’s it! Couldn’t be any easier, right?
Options: Add chopped, drained spinach, jalapeños, roasted red peppers, etc. Use your imagination and experiment. It’s all tasty. Especially if you add a squeeze of lime…
Yes, this year everything is a bit different, but there’s always something to be grateful for. I’ll just have to wait a bit to cook all of my most requested recipes for everyone, but that’s OK as long as we’re safe and healthy.
Let me introduce you to one of our family traditions:
It’s KUGEL, another carb-filled recipe for holiday entertaining to go along with stuffing. The original Angel Boy and DIL request it every year for Thanksgiving and Hannukah.
It’s not a vegan recipe, but it will be if you simply eliminate the eggs.
What is Kugel?
Of German/Jewish origin, Kugel is a savory or sweet pudding of potatoes or noodles usually served as a side dish.
Our family’s traditional Kugel is the sweet noodle kind and my mom’s version is to die for.
Really. It’s spectacular hot or cold or reheated.
It’s one of those recipes you can make a day in advance and it keeps getting better and better.
If you have any leftovers– which we never do — it freezes pretty good.
I limit myself to making it only a couple times a year and I eat as much as I want and just work out a bit harder and a bit longer to burn off the calories, so there’s really no guilt.
Angel Boy’s Grandma’s Kugel
Ingredients: One large package wide egg noodles
One large can fruit cocktail in juice One small can pineapple pieces in juice One large can canned peaches and pears in heavy syrup, yes, you read that right At least 3 Granny Smith apples, sliced with about 1/3 cup sugar and 1-2 TBS cinnamon 3 eggs (or not) 2 tsp vanilla One lemon, juiced and zested
Directions: This is a good dish to make in advance especially if you’re also planning to make apple pie (which I am) ‘cos you can just prep all the apples for both dishes. The secret to this dish is a LOT of cinnamon. If you think you have enough, add a little bit more!
1. Cook a whole package of wide egg noodles and drain.
2. Add 3 beaten eggs with vanilla; it will be super slippery.
3. Add the lemon juice and zest to the apple slices.
4. Drain all the canned fruit but keep the juices; you will need them.
5. Mix together all the canned fruits.
6, Butter one large and one medium deep baking dish.
7. Add a layer of noodles, then a layer of canned fruit, a layer of apples, then another layer of noodles, a layer of the canned fruit, sliced apples, more noodles, more canned fruit and apples, ending with a final layer of noodles.
8. Pour over any remaining egg mixture, and a cup or so of the fruit juices. Be very liberal with the juice. It will all get soaked up as the kugel bakes.
9. Jason’s grandma would dot the whole thing with a bunch of Crisco, like ¼ cup, which sounds gross, but I still follow her recipe. Some people use butter, but we don’t. Other recipes add cottage cheese and raisins, but I’ve only made it my mom’s way, although I’m sure it would be delicious.
10. Bake covered at 300 degrees for about an hour or so depending on the pan size. Take cover off for final 15 minutes. Excellent reheated and/or cold.
Bon apetit and Happy Cruelty-free Vegan Thanksgiving!
When Food for Life sent me a box of assorted breads to sample and review, I couldn’t wait to begin to experiment with recipes for Thanksgiving.
We are thankful to enjoy a meat-free, cruelty-free Thanksgiving dinner.
We LOVE bread and as tasty as these breads are on their own — stand alone goodness — I wanted to craft a few recipes and share them with anyone looking to eat healthier and of course, vegan.
These breads are gluten free, vegan, and USDA certified organic.
My family especially enjoys the bread toasted, which brings out all of the unique flavors. They are amazing simply with hummus or in veggie sandwiches.
For holiday baking ideas, here’s one dessert bread pudding, one savory bread pudding, and my version of a vegan stuffing.
1. Vegan Bread Pudding (Sweet)
*****This is a MUST for you to make. It’s so unbelievably good, I ate the biggest bowl as soon as it came out of the oven. OK, to be honest, I ate TWO bowls. (That’s like half a loaf of bread haha). It was even better than I had anticipated.
The blueberries and apples are key to the whole moist yumminess and the slight toasty crunch of coconut is amazing. Next time I’ll add a tablespoon of orange zest to brighten the fruity flavors.
Ingredients:
One loaf Food for Life Sprouted For Life Bread Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin with sprouted chia, quinoa, and millet. (The Almond version would be awesome, too.)
2-3 cups plain or vanilla almond milk, really SOAK the bread
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried blueberries
One apple, peeled, diced
Ground cinnamon Toasted coconut for topping
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Grease a nine-inch baking dish or casserole dish.
Tear the bread into rough cubes.
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cinnamon, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the bread, let sit about 10-20 minutes, or until bread is soft and has absorbed most of the milk. Add the raisins gently mix. Don’t over mix.
Scoop into prepared pan.
Lightly sprinkle top with a little more cinnamon and the coconut.
Bake 30-45 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and it’s a puffy golden brown.
YUM! Just TRY to stop eating it.
I think it’d also be awesome with your favorite sauce
or a scoop of vegan ice cream.
I don’t have pics of the next two because I didn’t want to prepare them too far in advance, but I wanted to share the recipes so you’ll all have enough time to shop for the ingredients.
2. Vegan Bread Pudding (Savory)
Ingredients:
One loaf Food for Life Sprouted For Life Bread Gluten Free (Flax Seed is the one I’ll be using.)
1 bunch Swiss chard, kale, or spinach (about 1 lb.)
1 cup almond or soy or rice milk 1 cup vegetable broth (low sodium) 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups cubed bread
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sliced tomatoes
Option: Add tofu cubes
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove and discard ribs from Swiss chard or kale. Rinse with cold water; drain and coarsely chop. If using spinach, wash and chop.
2. Whisk together milk, broth, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Stir in bread.
3. Sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic, red pepper in hot oil until tender and soft. Stir in chard, kale, or spinach, and sauté 2 minutes. Fold vegetable mixture into liquid/bread mixture.
4. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes.If you have a vegan cheese that you like, crumble a few slices on top of tomatoes.
5. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes.
Vegan Stuffing (Dressing)
Yummy to stuff green or red peppers or baked butternut squash, halved. I serve with my homemade cranberry sauce. No one misses the meat and if they do, they know better than to mention it! This recipe makes enough to feed our family and have leftovers the next day.
2 medium onions, diced
6 stalks celery with leaves, diced
4 carrots, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
Two loaves of Original Three Seed Sprouted for Life Food for Life 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups hot Homemade Vegetable Stock or a good quality low sodium purchased veg stock
Directions:
1. Saute onion, carrots, and celery, stirring occasionally until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing.)
2. Transfer to large bowl and add stuffing cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1 1/4 cups hot stock.
3. If stuffing peppers or other vegetables, stuff lightly and bake for about 30-40 minutes.
4. If baking entire recipe as side dish: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 3-quart casserole or 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with 1/2 cup hot stock. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Of course you can add or detract any vegetables your family doesn’t like (our DIL doesn’t like mushrooms so I’ll make a small batch for her without them) and add more herbs and spices depending upon your own personal tastes. We like it rather peppery with bold flavors since it’s more than just a side dish.
Bon appétit!
I received product for sample and review, no other compensation. My opinions are my own. http://www.foodforlife.com/
Turn them up so they’re smiling pinwheels, choose a special serving platter, and add a little garnish: here I used cilantro, pea shoots, and thinly sliced LIME. 
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 