Wednesday, January 21, 2015

History of Vegetarianism

Many people become vegetarian for religious, moral or ethical reasons.  I chose to become vegetarian for the moral and ethical reasons regarding the treatment of animals.  When first deciding to transform my lifestyle, learning how long vegetarianism has been around blew my mind.  Vegetarianism began long before recorded history and has withstood the test of time. 



I think it is important to understand the lifestyle from the various points through history and see how it has benefited human kind.

Going way back to cave men, many anthropologist believe that most early humans ate mainly plant foods and were more gatherers than hunters.  This concept makes the most sense to me.  Knowing how to gather and grow sustainable food is a more reliable source of nutrition than hunting.

Vegetarian ideology is said to have been practiced among religious groups in Egypt around 3,200BCE.  The karmic beliefs of reincarnation were a main factor in vegetarianism for these people. 

In many eastern religions a meat-free diet is fundamental in religious philosophies.  Many religions have doctrines of non-violence and respect for all life forms, including animals.  Vegetarianism has always been one of the main aspects of Buddhism.  The religion focuses on compassion to all living creatures and the respect for all.




Looking at the research, it is clear to me that many of the early vegetarians, besides early humans, practice this lifestyle because of religious and philosophical reasons.  I find this very interesting because those religions are not as common in the United States. 

Vegetarianism was not very common in the US until 1971.  Author, Frances Moore Lappe, wrote a bestseller book titled Diet for a Small Planet that was published in 1971 encouraging people to practice a meatless diet.  His book described that it takes 14 times as much grain to feed an animal than what you get out in meat.  He recognized this as an enormous waste of resources and supported a vegetarian lifestyle to stop wasting the world’s food.





In the 1990’s the American Dietetic Association officially endorsed vegetarianism after overwhelming medical evidence supporting the superiority of vegetarian diets.  Many of my vegetarian friends became vegetarian in the 90’s because of the research and the support of a healthy lifestyle. 

I believe that the vegetarian community has grown rapidly in the past couple years because of the shocking truth behind the meat industry.  There is no denying that our county allows the mistreatment of animals to produce meat quicker at more quantities.  Recent documentaries and research has brought this industry in the limelight.



Vegetarianism has been around since before recorded history and has withstood the test of time.   It has been recorded through many decades in cultures all over the world.  A plant-based diet has sustained humanity for thousands of years, why not join in on this healthy lifestyle?

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Delicious Vegetarian Breakfasts

I believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  It fuels the body for the day and kick starts your metabolism.  I make sure that I have a hearty breakfast to sustain my body throughout the morning until lunch.  My good friend recently asked for my Citrus Granola recipe so instead of just sharing it with her, I decided to share that recipe and a few more of my favorite vegetarian breakfast recipes.

Hope you enjoy them!

Citrus Granola Parfait

Ingredients-
1 lemon, peal shredded for zest
1 lime, peal shredded for zest
1 orange, peal shredded for zest
3 tbsp. grape seed oil
4 tbsp. orange juice
4 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cup rolled oats
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup almonds, chopped
¼ cup dried coconut
1/8 cup flax seed
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup dried cranberries
Vanilla Yogurt

Directions-
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine all the ingredients except the yogurt into a large bowl and stir until combined
Spread the mixture on a pan or cookie sheet, bake for 15 minutes, stir, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow the granola to cool to room temperature and serve with yogurt.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Oatmeal Waffles

Ingredients-
1 Cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1 cup quick oats
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups frozen blueberries

Directions-
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, allspice, and oats in a large mixing bowl.
Add applesauce, milk, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla into mixing bowl, stir until combined and let rest for 5 minutes.
Fold in the blueberries and cook in waffle iron for directed iron time. Enjoy!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients-
1/3 cup regular oats
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 ¼ cups Almond Milk
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp. chopped walnuts for sprinkling on top
Directions-
In a medium pot on medium heat, add the oats, apple, chia seeds, applesauce, almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and whisk well and heat for about 8 minutes stirring frequently.
When the mixture has thickened and the liquid is absorbed stir in vanilla extract and pour into dish and sprinkle with walnuts, cinnamon and maple syrup is desired.  Enjoy!

For those days when you are running late and need something quick:

Easy Apple Yogurt Salad

Ingredients-
4 green apples, cored and chopped
¼ cup toasted almonds
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped dried cherries
1 8 ounce container of vanilla yogurt
Directions-
In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated with yogurt.  Enjoy!


Easy Warm Cinnamon Apple and Banana 

Ingredients-
1 Banana- sliced into small pieces
1 Apple- sliced into small pieces
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Directions-
Place banana, apple, and cinnamon into medium bowl or pot, mix until cinnamon is dispersed on banana and apple.
Warm mixture in microwave or stove top until banana and apple are warm and soft.  Let cool, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: It tastes so much better than it looks! :)

With these yummy recipes, you shouldn’t be hungry in the mornings anymore.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…at least it is to me! :)

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

Thursday, January 08, 2015

My favorite Vegetarian and Vegan Bloggers

When looking for new recipes or more information on a topic I often turn to fellow bloggers.  By reading a blog about a product or a recipe I know that it is a personal opinion and am able to connect with it on a deeper level.  There are so many blogs out there with great content for vegetarians.  Here are my twelve favorite vegetarian and vegan blogs.

1. Naturally Ella is my go to blog for seasonal recipes.  She has some of the most delicious recipes I have made.

2. My New Roots is written by a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian chef Sarah Britton.  There are wonderful recipes with ample information on nutrition.


3. Oh My Veggies is a blog from Kiersten who has been a vegetarian since she was twelve.  She has good recipes as well and reviews recipes she tries from other blogs.


4. Cookie and Kate has quite the archive of fresh vegetarian recipes and treats like margaritas, cakes, and popsicles.  She also talks about her canine companion, Cookie, who catches her crumbs.


5. Vegan Yum Yum shares vegan recipes that appeal to vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike.  She uses beautiful photography and has a great section called “how to” with great articles like “How to cut a pepper” and “How to peel mushrooms.”


6. 101 Cookbooks has every recipe you could possibly be looking for.  It is very useful because the recipes are categorized by season, recipe type, or ingredients.


7. The Veg Space has great recipes as well as a great writer, Kate Ford, who has been vegetarian for over 20 years.  She also reviews books and other products.


8. Green Kitchen Stories updates their blog very frequently with “must try” recipes.  They focus on cooking healthy, simple food with natural ingredients, whole grains, good fats, fruits and vegetables.


9. Happyolks is a great blog for recipe inspiration and for a good read.  Besides recipes and good writing this couple writes about finding a place in the world to feel truly like yourself.  It is a good inspirational blog.

10. VegKitchen is primarily a recipe site but it also features articles about what is good to eat and how to prepare and eat it.


11. VegNews is a great blog with product reviews, news, inspiration, and everything that has to do with living a vegetarian lifestyle.

12. Soul Veggie has a ton of information why having a vegetarian lifestyle is the healthiest option.  They also showcase news, recipes, and much more.

I hope you find these blogs as interesting as I do.  If you have other blogs that you love, I would love to check them out!  I have learned that blogging is such a great way to spread information and share feelings.  Go bloggers!

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie































Monday, December 29, 2014

Post-Christmas relaxation

Everyone knows how the holidays can wear you out and leave you exhausted.

This year was no exception for me and my family.  From traveling hours to spend time with my family and my husband’s, being referee to the kids on the car rides, and making so much food….it was really delicious, the whole family is exhausted.

Today while my kids are on their playdates and my husband is working at the office, I am dedicating today to myself and relaxing and distressing.



My husband got me a new book for Christmas so I plan on reading it all morning, sipping my tea, and indulging myself in a hot bath.  This afternoon I even scheduled a massage.  I haven’t had one in ages, I can’t even remember when the last time I had one was.

Even though Christmas was exhausting it was so worth it.  We had an incredible couple of days.  We went to the annual Christmas parade with a few of our family friends.  The kids had so much fun catching candy and seeing all the floats.  And we got to catch up with a few old friends while sipping hot chocolate.

On Christmas Eve we went to my husband’s family’s house for dinner.  It was great seeing everyone and watching the kids play with all of their cousins.  On Christmas day we went to my parents’ house for dinner.  I was so proud of my mom, she made an almost entirely vegetarian dinner.  It makes me so happy seeing my family embrace my lifestyle and incorporate it into their lives as well.  It was delicious, she even used some of my recipes.

Santa Claus came to our house on Christmas Eve and the kids had so much fun opening all their gifts on Christmas morning.  Hannah got EVERYTHING she wanted….her exact words. :)  Liam was so excited he got a new bike.  He wanted to ride it in the house when he first opened it…Santa wasn’t feeling that generous though.  He ended up spending all afternoon riding it up and down our street.



It was a great Christmas full of fun with our families and friends, so today is a much deserved day of relaxation for me.  Between the kid’s schedules, running around and spending as much time with them as I could, working at the restaurant, and keeping my house in order, I definitely deserve this.

Hope you had a great Christmas and take some time to relax.

Go Green and Stay Keen,


Julie

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Christmas break for the Kids

My two kids have just began winter break from school and I am so excited to spend some time with them and do some Christmas activities.  I was able to get quite a few days off from the restaurant so I can spend lots of time with them while they have a break from school.  Hannah and Liam have been looking forward to sleeping in and having fun with Mommy and Daddy.

We have a few fun things planned as a family to do with the kids off from school.  We are going to go ice skating, make our annual ornaments, making and building ginger bread houses, and going to the local Christmas parade.  It is going to be a fun filled couple weeks.

This morning I am surprised the kids with snowman pancakes to decorate.  They are really simple, I just shape the pancakes like a snowman and the kids add chocolate chips, raisins, powder sugar, and whipped cream.  It was a great way to start off the day in a fun delicious way.



We are going to go shopping for the supplies to make the Christmas ornaments this afternoon and starting to make them.  I found a bunch of good ideas on Pinterest, we will see if Liam or Hannah need some inspiration…probably not though, they always have a bunch of silly ideas to make their ornaments special. :)

It is going to be a good couple weeks full of Christmas fun and activities.  Here are some pictures of our crafts from last year.  The Popsicle stick snowmen were really easy and fun! Hannah’s ornament masterpiece was the clear bulb filled with beads, and Liam’s melted snowman was his; they were so cute.  The glitter reindeer was really easy too, just very messy.



Happy Holidays!

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie




Sunday, December 14, 2014

Cringe Worthy hidden animal products

Do you really know what is in your foods?  When I was first learning about vegetarianism I was naïve to what was actually in my food.  I just assumed that if it wasn't the actually meat it was vegetarian.  When I am researching, I always make sure I have a tough stomach because some of the things I have come across make my stomach turn.  It is shocking what ingredients are actually in the foods we eat all the time without thinking.

Even though I’m not vegan, I still like to be conscious about the ingredients in foods I eat and prefer my foods be free of animal byproducts.  I made a list of cringe worthy products that have animal byproducts that might make you think twice about what you are eating.


DISCLAIMER- if you have a weak stomach or just ate lunch, you might was to wait to read this until your stomach is strong enough to hear all the ingredients might be in your favorite foods.

When first beginning to research products that we not vegetarian gelatin was the first product I learned about.  Gelatin is mainly made from collagen, a protein often collected from animal skins.  Gelatin can be found in frosted cereals, yogurt, candy, some types of sour cream, and deserts.  The gelatin in deserts often comes from pig skin.

Beef fat is an ingredient many Hostess Products.  It is gross thinking a favorite sweet childhood snack contains beef fat.  The ingredient is included in the list of other oils that may or may not be used.

This is a more widely known animal product, crushed bugs are used as red food coloring.  Dried insects are boiled to produce a liquid solution that is turned into dye.  It is often called carmine or carminic acid.  YUCK

Beaver anal glands, castoreum, are common in perfumes and colognes.  I don’t want to use anal glands to smell sweet, that’s for sure.  Another use, they are used to enhance the flavor of raspberry candies and sweets.

It is more common people know Caesar salad dressing is made with anchovies, but they are in Worcestershire sauce too.  I was unaware of this until I did some research and now I avoid both sauces.

Like jelly beans or candy corn?  The shiny hard coating is make from the secretions of the female Kerria Lacca, an insect native to Thailand.  I personally don’t like any bug secretions in my candy.



These are just a few of the cringe worth products that use animal products to be more appealing and satisfying to the consumer.  After months of researching and growth I learned that animal products are in so many unexpected places and products.  I find it very interesting to learn about all the products that use weird animal parts and secretions.  Peta.org has an extensive list of animal ingredients that are in food that might shock you.

Know of any more cringe worthy products with animal products? I would love to learn more, comment to share your knowledge!

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Cheers: Vegetarian Beers

With so many holiday parties and nights out with old friends that are back to town it’s easy to forget what you are drinking.  About a year after becoming a vegetarian, I was on the internet looking for recipes and stumbled upon a website about vegetarian beer.  It never dawned on me that what I was drinking could have animal products in it.  I was shocked at what I read!



I am not a big drinker so it never dawned on me to look at the ingredients.  What I read made me cringe; some beers are processed with isinglass, the swim bladders of fish.  I am no beer expert so I had no idea, fish bladders? I was so grossed out!  Some beers are also processed using gelatin, made from boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones from cows or pigs.  After this I made sure to know where everything I was consuming was coming from.

The holiday season prompts many parties and dinners, I made a list of common beers that are vegetarian safe.  For a full list from PETA, click here.

Amstel & Amstel Light
Bud Light & Budweiser
Busch & Bush Light
Coors
Corona
Dogfish Head Brewing
Heineken
Michelob
Mike’s Hard Lemonade
Miller Brewing Co.
Natural Light
Rolling Rock
Samuel Adams Brewing Co.
Thirsty Dog Beer

Hopefully this list helps new vegetarians going out with old friends during the holiday season know what to order! If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to ask, I love sharing my knowledge! :)

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie





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