Corn Syrup - keeps popping up in my diet

I gave up sodas years ago and dropping diet coke was a challenge. I dropped everything that was an obvious high fructose corn syrup item. I now find that it is in my favorite treats.

I don't eat chocolate since going vegan - yeah, that's a challenge. But I love "Good & Plenty" licorice. But upon reading the label, I find that corn syrup is the #2 ingredient. Dang!

I love icee drinks in the summer - Slushes from Sonic, Freezoni from Quick Trip. No doubt you have something like this at your convenience mart. Corn Syrup is how they make it so sweet. Duh. I also learned that a Freezoni has 110 calories in 8 oz. Have you ever even seen an 8oz cup at the convenience mart? I like the 32oz size myself - 440 calories and 112 grams of carbs - yep, that's your corn syrup. Uh, no wonder my fitness is stymied.

I guess we see what we want to see and ignore the rest. I am bummed. But I would be more bummed if I dropped with a heart attack because I couldn't give up corn syrup.  It's good to remind yourself now and again to pay even closer attention to what you eat. I'll find substitutes without corn syrup and enjoy them. But there really is no obvious substitute for the 79 cent Freezoni. Insidious isn't it?

Need a Reason to Go Organic? Watch this!

A simple science project provides illumination for why we should go organic. Straightforward, not complicated, it just is.

Vegan Macaroni Salad

I looked up recipes for vegan salad dressing or mac salad. Some included "vegan-aise" which I assume is a fake a mayo, some included seitan, miso, and other ingredients not in my pantry. Then I stumbled upon a vegan pesto and it struck me...I use pinenuts for "gravy" with mushrooms and pasta, why not a pine-nut based salad dressing??  I think it turned out well. Here's the recipe for about a cup's worth or more. Adjust to your own size needs. I made it for a large batch of mac salad to feed my group of vegan/veggie volunteers :)

Pine Nut Dressing
I don't cook with oil, so none in the recipe - pine nuts and walnuts give off oil themselves

1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup walnut pieces
juice from 1 small lime
veggie broth
3 small cloves garlic (depending on how garlic-y you like it)
 about a 1/4 cup fresh thai basil or regular basil (again, amount depends on your taste)
salt/pepper to taste


I use a mini food processor - the kind that holds about 2 cups of food and has 2 settings. Mine has chop and grind.

Grind the pine nuts and walnuts. Add a teaspoon or so of veggie broth to keep it moving. It will get to a paste like consistency.

Add garlic, seasonings, basil and grind.

Add lime juice and grind.

Now you have to add veggie broth as needed, scant amounts at a time, to get a nice mayonaise style consistency.

That's it! Enjoy :D

Dishing up a week of vegan meals

I continue my efforts to be a big weight loser...but real life is not like the TV show, now is it? That's why the people on the show stay away from their lives. But I go to the gym, am getting stronger, doing better, and still eating well. I think this will work, though take longer than I expected. I'm only a few pounds down from the original start weight, but with the exception of my 10 days of moving that got me off track, I continue to move in the down direction. I would need to work out daily (still an option) to even approach my weekly goal.

Meanwhile, I have volunteered to cook this week for vegan/vegetarian camp counselors. An annual youth leadership camp is underway here in KC. I have a number of friends who participate as volunteer staff and counselors. It centers on dealing with all types of diversity in human relationships and is an amazing, transformative week for the delegate/campers.

The food is provided by the host campus cafeteria and it is not vegan friendly and only modestly vegetarian friendly. I volunteered to support those staff by bringing in 3 meals a day for them that are healthy and vegan. There are only 5 people to cook for, but it is a challenge!

I served up a hot breakfast this morning of potatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, and onion. I don't use oil, so I cooked in the fry pan as usual but used mushroom broth for the cooking. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a dash of Provence spice blend, the dish turned out great! Included a side of blueberries and cherries.

Lunch today is a cilantro summer salad - corn, edamame, black beans, red onion, jalapeno, fresh garden garlic, seasoned rice vinegar, veggie broth, salt/pepper, lime juice, and lots of fresh chopped cilantro. I'll add some lettuce leaves so they can serve it up easily.

Yesterday for lunch I made veggie burrito wraps. I used green and red tortilla wraps, spread spicy hummus on them, laid in a leaf of swiss chard, topped with quinoa, sliced tomato, and lightly steamed zucchini, yellow squash, and purple bell peppers (which are a wonderful find at the farmer's market!). I rolled them up and then wrapped them in aluminum foil a la Chipotle :)

I'm tracking protein, carbs, fruit/sugar to get a good balance.  I don't know how to cook tofu very well, so I'm getting protein from quinoa, beans, rice, edamame, almond milk, and soy powder.

Meanwhile, I get to eat well too as I manage to slice off a sample for the cook!