Wake up the right way!
Sorry I’ve been MIA for the last month, but the blog persists! Just an fyi, I will be gone for 6 weeks from June 24th to August 5th in Belize. I am going on a hiking expedition. Maybe I will gain insight on their culture, which will help me expand and enrich my own ideas about food, nutrition, and the like. I can share my experience with you!
Anyways, I made myself a simple and nutritious breakfast that I thought I would share with those who haven’t given up on the blog! I call it super oatmeal!
What you’ll need:
1/4 to 1/3 cup of Oatmeal or Steel-Cut Oats (which I’ve heard are better for you!)
2 tbs Ground Flax Meal (I just bought mine, so no need to grind your own, unless you want to of course)
Original or Sweetened Almond Milk
A pinch of sugar in the raw
A pinch of cinnamon
A little vanilla
Any fruit/s you want! (I had bananas today)
How I make my oatmeal:
To cook oatmeal, it’s a 1 to 2 ratio. So, whatever amount of oatmeal you decide to cook, you want to double the amount of water or almond mik. I like to cook mine with water, and then add the almond milk afterwards because I like my oatmeal not so thick. Then just add all of the other ingredients.
Why Flax:
Flax is so great for you, and it is relatively flavorless. It has kind of a nutty flavor. I could taste it a little in the oatmeal, but I liked the flavor/texture it added. Flax contains fiber, lignans, and omega-3 fats (a great alternative to fish oils). I chose Bob’s Red Mill Organic 100% Whole Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal!
Flax isn’t just good in oatmeal, you can also sprinkle it on your cereal, salads, blend it in your juice or smoothies, mix into casseroles or any dinner entree you might be making.
Right from the bag:
Fiber from flaxseed meal drops harmful LDL cholesterol while good HDL cholesterol stays put. Plus, you gotta stay regular!
Lignans are natural antioxidants. They bind with circulating substances that might promote unchecked cell growth. Flaxseed had at least 75 times more lignans than any plant foods.
Alpha-Linolenic Acid is an omega-3 that most people are missing from their diets. One serving of flaxseed meal contains 2400 mg of omega-3, which is great for the heart and possibly inflammation.
Plus, if nothing else, it’s a delicious way to start your morning and helps you to stay energized, full, and ready for whatever crazy things may happen throughout your day!
Enjoy!
Stop the latest attack on our wildlife and wild places
Urge your U.S. Representative to oppose HR 4089, a bill that would undermine vital protections for federally designated Wilderness Areas and other public lands.
All you have to do is sign the petition.
What do you support unknowingly?
Even if you are vegetarian or vegan, you still support the exploitation and abuse of animals
Wanna know more? Check out where I found this image
A new spin on salad
I thought I would share with you a really delicious salad I concocted! Whenever I make it, I add different measurements. Use your best judgement when making this salad, as I am not a chef and don’t usually follow directions well! Also, I like making a lot, so it will last me all week.
For those of you who are stick vegans and do not eat honey, a balsamic vinaigrette or a simple lemon vinaigrette without the honey would be equally delicious!
Salad Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup lentils
1 can chick peas (drained and washed)
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
Arugula/spinach (whatever salad green you prefer)
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
3-4 tbs. lemon juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. honey
1/4 -1/2 cup olive oil
Bright Lemon Vinaigrette for those Strict Vegans: (Found in Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook by Carole Raymond)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
5 tbs olive oil
Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa and lentils as directed.
2. While those cook, dice the onion and drain the chickpeas
3. In a cup or small bowl, combine everything but the oil. Next, pour the oil in slowly while whisking it with a fork. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator.
4. When the quinoa and lentils are cooked and cooled, I usually layer the ingredients in a big Tupperware container. Usually the quinoa, then lentils, then chickpeas, and finally the onion on top. When I am ready to eat, I spoon out the concoction and put it on top of the arugula. Then I drizzle a small amount of the vinaigrette on top!
5. I usually make the dressing while I am cooking the quinoa and lentils but after a couple days the dressing is either used up or gets kind of hard in the fridge, so you will have to make more!
Enjoy!
Veggie Gyro/Pizza
Ingredients:
1/4 to 1/2 cup of yellow onion
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 lemon
olive oil or vegetable oil
hummus or pesto
pita bread
arugula (optional)
-I got my ingredients from People’s Food Coop
1. Cut onion and pepper Julienne style (stick shaped) and slice the zucchini and squash. These should all be cut pretty slender, as they will cook faster this way.
2. Heat about 3 tbs of oil on medium to medium-high heat in large skillet.
3. Once the oil has heated, put both the onion and pepper into the pan, as this takes a longer time to saute than the zucchini and squash. Once the onion and pepper become softer, put the rest of the veggies in the pan. While the veggies are sautéing, squeeze the lemon juice into the pan (I used a whole lemon). Stir often. When the veggies are done, they will look more translucent.
4. Spread the hummus on top of the pita and then put the arugula on top!
5. Once the veggies are done, put as many veggies on the pita as you want!
6. Instead of hummus, pesto would also be good.
This is a really simple and cheap recipe! This should make around 4 to 6 servings. At first, after I cut up all of the veggies, I thought I was going to have made wayyy too much! But after I sautéed the veggies, I think it’s a nice amount to have left overs for a couple of days! Also, with most of the concoctions I make, I usually have no idea what I am doing, and it turns out pretty good, so don’t worry about being perfect and experiment with this recipe!
As a side note, I am not a fan of any of the veggies in this recipe, especially raw, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the end result! The lemon and the hummus really made the veggies taste a lot better. I found it to be quite delicious and filling!
For those of you studying for exams, good luck and don’t forget to eat well! Take a break and give your brain a rest by making this recipe! After all, if you are gonna do well, you need some yummy brain food!
Who knew you could learn and be an advocate while watching Ellen?
Watch Ellen on April 13 from 3-6 pm!
She will be having special guest Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, on her show. He will be talking about animal rights and his new book, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them.
Even if you don’t care about animal rights, you gotta love Ellen… she’s so funny. Plus, what could be easier? This event is located in the comforts of your home on your couch. You don’t even have to shower to attend this!
Behind the Scenes: Egg farming.
Nicholas Kristof wrote a wonderful article in the Nytimes highlighting the finding of the National Humane Society when they ventured inside of Kreider Farms. This is a factory farm that produces roughly 4.5 million eggs daily to distribute to nationwide supermarkets. Their findings were horrific and nonetheless not that shocking.
“It’s physically hard to breathe because of the ammonia” rising from manure pits below older barns, said the investigator.” The investigator describes the 2 ft by 2 ft cages in which 11 hens are crammed.
Nicholas raises the multibillion dollar question as he questions the ethical implications of factory farming and minimum standards. He says: “For those who are wavering, think for a moment about the arc of empathy. Centuries ago, we humans amused ourselves by seeing other people executed or tortured. Until modern times, we considered it sport to see animals die horrible deaths. Now our sensibilities have evolved so that there is an outcry when animals are abused — unless it happens out of sight on farms.”
It is far too frightening to envision the future of humanity if this is our ethical standard. This type of treatment towards animals simply cannot continue, it is entirely unjust and unethical.
So what can we do instead? Substitute eggs and/or buy local. Check out the Ann Arbor farmer’s market for local farm fresh eggs. If you choose to stop eating eggs entirely, there are many awesome egg substitutions! Banana and tofu can be substituted into many baked goods and act as an egg replacement. I personally like to make chia and and flax eggs to put into my food. I combine 1 tbsp of chia seeds with 3 tbsp of water and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Happy egg hunting.
You know what I don’t get?
I don’t understand how people can claim to respect life so much, yet allow 10 billion animals to be slaughtered annually without much thought. Take, for example, the new bill that Arizona is trying to pass.
“A new bill up for vote in the state of Arizona would ban abortions for some expectant mothers, but that’s only the start of what lawmakers have in store. If the legislation passes, the state will consider a child to exist even before conception.”
“The start of the unborn child’s life to be the first day of its mother’s last menstrual period.”
Get this, Arizona wants to mandate that the life of a child begins before the life of a child begins, so therefore a child cannot be aborted after a certain period.
Now don’t get it twisted… I am not making an argument for or against abortion. I am simply trying to understand why our views are so contradictory. And yes, you may say a human life is more important than an animal life. I may disagree but respect your beliefs nonetheless. However, what I don’t understand is how certain people are so adamant about the right to life, yet 10 minutes later those same people will consume a patty made from cow flesh, and let’s not take for granted that the cow was actually alive when it was killed. Why do we fight for particular lives so much, while accepting and demanding the mass murder of others?
I just think it’s a little, or a lot, hypocritical…
Just some food for thought.
-Becki
Must Love Dogs.
This weekend I volunteered at FIDO dog rescue of Ann Arbor. This organization rescues dogs from high-kill shelters and shelters that sell dogs for research purposes. They also take in dogs that have been surrendered by their owners. They work to find these dogs a perfect home with responsible, loving families. The dogs are spayed/neutered prior to adoption. The organization is a no-kill rescue.
FIDO needs as many volunteers, foster parents, and dog owners as possible!
Who doesn’t want to spend some free time snuggling with puppies? Or perhaps you are a college student looking for a part time puppy? Contact FIDO and all of your dreams can come true.
This is Sammie, a 10 week airdale terrier mix that I played with for a few hours. He is super adorable and needs a home.
Email FIDO for more information at FIDOdogrescue@gmail.com or visit their website!
Banana Pistachio Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Dates, almonds, pistachios, frozen bananas, agave syrup, chocolate chips
Bottom Layer:
1/4 cup dates
1 handful semi-sweet chocolate chips (can substitute cacao nibs for a healthier option)
1/4 cup almonds
Filling:
4 Frozen Bananas
1/4 cup pistachios
Sprinkles:
2 tbsp. almonds
2 tbsp. chocolate chips.
Directions:
These “cupcakes” are super easy to make. Start out by making the sprinkles and base, then you can make the pistachio banana soft serve. This way you won’t have to clean the food processor in between layers.
To make the sprinkles I food process the almonds and chocolate chips until they are ground up into sprinkle size pieces. The base layer involves a bit more blending, wait roughly 3-4 minutes until the texture becomes sticky. Now you can mold the base to the bottom of the cupcake holders!
After the base is in place, begin to food process the frozen bananas and pistachios. Let these food process until the banana turns into a whipped creamy consistency. Spoon this delicious concoction on top of the base and drizzle the sprinkles on top. You might also swirl some agave syrup on top as a final touch. Finally place the cupcakes into the freezer for 20 minutes, then they are ready to eat!
I bought my ingredients at Trader Joe’s on East Stadium Blvd in Ann Arbor.
Kiss My Grass 
