Leaping Bunny

I didn't know until recently that if a product doesn't contain the leaping bunny logo there is no confirmation that it's cruelty free.  Products that merely state that they aren't tested on animals or are cruelty free or have any logo other than the leaping bunny may contain ingredients which were tested on animals.  There are plenty of fantastic products that contain the leaping bunny logo including:  Paul Mitchell, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Aubrey Organics, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Method Products (household cleaning), and Seventh Generation (household cleaning).  I am thrilled that I can continue to color my hair with Paul Mitchell products!  Most of the products that I listed can be found at local grocery stores, Vitamin Cottage, Target, etc.  Check out the leaping bunny website for more information and to find out if your favorite product is leaping bunny approved:  http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/consumer

Breakfast of Champions

*This breakfast contains no refined sugar.  

Combine: 

• 2/3 cup soy yogurt (plain) http://www.nancysyogurt.com/index.php/products/soy
• 1 big spoonful of all natural peanut butter or almond butter (make sure it's sugar free - I use Vitamin Cottage brand)
• 1 big spoonful of ground flaxseeds
• 1 big spoonful of rice protein (I use Nutribiotic - http://www.nutribiotic.com/organic-rice-protein-vanilla-21oz.html
• 2/3 cup of rice puffs 

This recipe can be modified to make new delicious flavors - replace the peanut/almond butter with raisins/cranberries and walnuts or sunflower seeds

No sugar, no problem

Since January, thanks to a challenge I took with some girlfriends, I have reduced my intake of processed sugar substantially.  I have lost weight and feel better overall.  Check out this awesome video from Physicians for Responsible Medicine:  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3214100593069532942

I am not a sweet tooth so I was surprised to find out how much sugar I was consuming just from sauces, breads, dressing, etc.  Initially, it was tough to find products I wanted that were made without sugar and difficult to give up favorite products - but it has been well worth it.  I've been using recipes that don't have sugar, finding ways to eliminate processed sugar in recipes, and coming up with my own recipes.

The other night I made a delicious curry dish with green lentils.

Green Lentil Curry
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of lentils that have been soaked in water for a few hours, rinsed and drained
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of water
Lots of green cabbage (I use half a head)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons of curry powder/or to taste (I enjoy a lot of it)
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon or so of olive oil
2 cups of rice (whatever sounds good to you)
salt and pepper to taste
Cheyenne to taste

Prepare:
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until garlic is slightly brown and onion is translucent.  Add all other ingredients except for the rice and stir.  Curry dishes taste better the more time they have to cook - as soon as you see the mixture start to boil reduce the head to low and let sit.  Cook rice according to directions.  Once the curry mixture has cooked for approximately 20 minutes and the rice is cooked - vegetables and lentils should be tender - serve mixture over rice.

Don't forget about the black eyed peas

I remember my mom fixing black eyed peas the first of every new year.  I didn't eat them the rest of the year.  Now I eat them on a regular basis on salads and in bean soups.  Make a balanced salad by combining:

• your favorite greens
• a few sliced tangerines
• red onion
• raisins 
• black eyed peas
• your favorite dressing or just some olive oil, salt and pepper 

Enjoy!

Vegan Shoes

I found the best boots!  Not online, not in Denver, but right here in GJ at Brown's Shoes.  I got fed up with ordering shoes online and not having them fit right or not look as nice as they did in pictures and then having to mess with shipping them back.  I went into Brown's and told them what I was looking for and they dug through catalogs to find several options for me.  Brown's is fantastic!  I should have known to try and shop local first.  These brown boots are made by Hush Puppies - they are super comfy.  The tan shoes are made by Patagonia - they are like wearing slippers - however, they seem to be best for warm, dry days.  Brown's also ordered these boots from Patagonia for me:  http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/womens-fiona-quilted-high-boot?p=79432-0-194# - I have gotten more compliments on these boots - they keep my feet warm on the coldest days.  Brown's has kept an eye out for vegan shoes for me and found out that Sanita has a vegan line of clogs - they ordered some in brown for me.  If you're looking for vegan shoes in any style Brown's Shoes is the place to go.  It's rare to have a great customer experience these days - but  I've had that every time I've been into Brown's.   

     

No time to cook

Work, exercise, return phone calls (I try), etc., etc. . . it's all of the sudden 7 p.m. and I haven't made anything for dinner.  It's tough eating healthy with variety (no matter what kind of diet you have) when there isn't a lot of time to cook.  

The past few days I've kept a container of field greens in the fridge and ready to go as well as some soup (Pacific Natural Foods Organic Soup is delicious - many vegan varieties and recently on sale at City Market and Vitamin Cottage).  

It's just about crock pot season which will make having a healthy, hearty dinner easier - more recipes to come when it cools off a little more.  Until then, don't sacrifice your last days of after work sunshine over the stove.  Cook a large pot of quinoa or brown rice (my rice cooker was well worth the money) and add some steamed veggies, canned beans and your favorite vegan salad dressing - Drew's is my favorite brand.  

Black Bean Quinoa Wrap

Quinoa is the super grain.  This delicious wrap is full of what your body needs and it won't leave you feeling sluggish.

Ingredients

• 2 whole wheat tortillas 
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 tablespoons of vegannaise 
• 1 teaspoon of lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of hot sauce (or as much as you want)
• 1 sprinkle or so of garlic salt

Cook quinoa according to directions (similar to cooking rice, quinoa to water ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups of water).  Warm the beans and tortillas.  Tip:  tortillas taste best when cooked on the stove in a pan with a little bit of olive oil.  Mix together the vegannaise, lime juice, hot sauce and garlic salt.  Add the quinoa, black beans and special sauce to your tortilla and enjoy.