Vegetarian Thanksgiving

If you're looking for vegetarian alternatives to the turkey dinner this Thanksgiving, check out my foodcast with ideas for meat-free meals and even alternatives to the usual sit down dinner.

Also--if you want some great vegan recipes for the holidays, check out the e-cookbook A Bountiful Vegan Thanksgiving. For just $8.95 you can get the e-book delivered right to your inbox and the profits go to a great cause. There are recipes from Nava Atlas as well as many other respected authors and bloggers (including yours truly!). 

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream -- dairy-free

The weather's been so wonderfully warm here on the central coast of California -- perfect ice cream weather. Here's a delicious flavor from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love that's perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

Makes 1 generous quart

You can cook a fresh pumpkin for this recipe if you like, but canned works just fine. You can also substitute puréed sweet potato or squash for the pumpkin. Try this ice cream topped with Whipped Orange-Cashew Cream (recipe follows).

 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup puréed cooked pumpkin

1/2 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Whipped Cashew Cream

Makes 2 cups

Cashews are amazingly creamy and make a wonderful, thick topping similar to whipped cream.

1 1/2 cups raw cashews

1/2 cup rice milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the cashews in a blender and grind them into a powder. Add the rice milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and process until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until cold and firm.

Whipped Orange-Cashew Cream: Add 1/8 teaspoon of orange extract along with the vanilla extract.

rBST Milk

Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, is criticizing a report claiming that milk from cows injected with the genetically engineered rBST is safe for the cows and the consumer. The report was written by paid consultants from rBST companies, including Monsanto. 

According to Epstein, rBST has about 20 toxic effects on cows including mastitis, and the pus from the mastitis infection along with the antibiotics used to treat it end up in our milk. He also says that some of the hormone ends up in the milk and is absorbed by the human body. He claims that rBST milk is chemically and nutritionally different than natural milk. Click here for more details on the report and Epstein's comments. 

If you consume dairy products, buy organic or at least rBST free. Boycott companies still allowing the use of genefically modified bovine growth hormone such as: Dreyer's, Breyer's, Edy's, Nestle, Haagen-Dazs, Klondike, and Good Humor. Better yet look for dairy-free options made from coconut milk, rice, almonds, or organic (GE-free) soy.

Book Review: Vegan Lunch Box Around the World

For even more lunch box ideas, check out my book review of Vegan Lunch Box Around the World.

The HOT Lunch Box

Check out The HOT Lunch Box in the November issue of VegFamily Magazine. I had such a good response to my post about using thermoses that I expanded into a full article -- recipes included too.

Halloween and Candy

We're gearing up for Halloween here -- we live in a rural area so I don't need to worry about having candy in the house for trick or treaters . . . . but we do go into town on Halloween eve so my daughters can trick or treat with their friends. As you might imagine, the bags of candy--loaded with high fructose corn syrup (made from GE corn), artificial dyes and chemicals makes me cringe . . . but luckily, we have a Halloween Fairy! 

My daughters choose a few pieces of candy to keep but the rest is left by the door for the fairy who takes the candy and in return leaves a gift for the girls. The more candy they leave, the better the present they'll get. The presents have been everything from stuffed animals to books (my kids are reading fanatics so that's not as boring as it sounds), however, the fairy always includes a brand new toothbrush!

Heathy Breakfast Ideas

Listen to this foodcast for some healthy breakfast ideas. And here are a few recipes from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook.

Crunchy Buckwheat Cereal

Here’s a cold breakfast cereal you can feel good about. It is easy to make in advance and will keep in your refrigerator for days. It’s delicious sprinkled over fruit, too. This is gluten-free.

2 cups raw whole buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or honey (optional)

1/4 cup nut or seed butter (almond butter, tahini, etc.)

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Spread buckwheat on large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir buckwheat around a bit. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes more until golden. Immediately mix hot buckwheat with sweetener and nut or seed butter until buckwheat is coated. Cool. Store in covered jar in refrigerator. To serve, place 1/2 cup of cereal in bowl, cover with milk. Add fresh or dried fruit if desired.

Makes 4 servings

High-Protein Porridge

This cereal is a good source of minerals and B vitamins, as well as protein--plus it's gluten-free.

1/3 cup quinoa

1/3 cup millet

1/3 cup amaranth

5 cups water

Pinch sea salt

1/4 cup flax or sesame seeds, ground

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom (optional)

Rinse quinoa. Place grains, water, and sea salt in heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent cereal from sticking to bottom of pan. Stir in ground seeds and spices.

Makes 4 servings

Instant Oatmeal

Store-bought instant oatmeal is usually loaded with sugar. This version is just as convenient but much healthier.

Mix together 4 cups quick-cooking oats, 1 cup dried fruit (e.g., raisins), 3/4 cup chopped nuts or seeds (e.g., almonds). Store in covered container.

To serve: Pour about 1/2 cup of mixture into bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let sit one minute. Top with milk or yogurt if desired.

Makes 5 1/2 cups

Note: For extra chewy cereal, use regular rolled oats.

Try the following combinations:

 -       Chopped dried apple, cinnamon, and walnuts

-       Raisins, coconut, and sunflower seeds

-       Dried bananas and almonds

-       Dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds