I LOVE SALADS!

I can remember the time, when I was a child, that my mother gave me a blue lucite bowl filled with salad to eat for my meal.  I must have been around 6 years old.  I told my mom "I'm done".  She said, where is the bowl?  Red faced, I then had to take her to the closet where I was foolish enough to think I could get away with hiding my bowl underneath a stack of blankets. I never had a clue my mother would discover my dirty deed! I can remember that I had to then finish eating my salad before I would be allowed to go out and play!!

Too many mothers give their power away by asking the child what they want to eat.  How does a child know the difference between what's healthy and what's unhealthy?  I believe that parents have the responsibility to teach good health to their children so that they grow up with a strong, healthy foundation.  First the parents have to learn about good health themselves.

I don't know quite remember when my love and appreciation for salads began, but I believe that it is because I was trained as a child to eat what was healthy for me, or I had to come back to the table (to eat the same food) when I was REALLY hungry.  Salads are one of my very favorite meals! I generally eat a variety of two salads a day with whatever else I fix. 

I love making up varieties of salads.  Watercress salad, Cabbage Salad, Escarole Salad, Dandelion Salad, Seaweed Salads, and so on.

Below is a picture of today's lunch: Dandelion-Cilantro Salad, Sliced Tomatoes, olives and Daiya Cheese (non-dairy) with Thousand Island Dressing and crackers.  For the dressing I just mixed together  Vegenaise, ketchup and lemon juice.

Happiness or unhappiness - Your choice!

Being happy is a reflection of our food choices. Some people feel that being happy is determined by their taste buds, therefore they are resistant to change.  Don’t they realize how super delicious vegan dishes are?  Do you think that anyone can possibly be happy if their sub-conscious minds know that they are contributing to the suffering and slaughter of animals for their food?  Especially, when there is a choice to get a higher, healthier quality of food and also avoid contributing to the animal’s pain by making a transition to a plant-based diet?

All proteins, vitamins and minerals necessary for human health, have their roots in plants (pun intended) and can be easily sourced.

All of us are searching for happiness so therefore we have to build on those things that not only make us happy, but also ito consider the happiness of other living beings.  No cow can be contended or happy that doesn’t bond with their offspring.  It is the natural maternal instinct in all of us.  Can you imagine their anguish to have their newborns violently taken away from them at birth, without bonding and nursing their young? Then confining them to misery for the rest of their lives?  The better brand name description for dairy is “Anxiety and Anguish”.

No one has ever been able to build happiness on other’s un-happiness and this includes happiness for the animals.

Dairy’s menu is made up of insecticides, pesticides, GMO’s, Bovine Growth Hormones, manure, protein supplements made up from “other animals”, including euthanized pets and road kill.  Remember that grass is nature’s way of feeding a cow, not GMO corn and soy and the above menu!  Surely there is no sacrifice in giving these animal and dairy products up!!!

How can dairy taste good after knowing this, without shutting off improved health, sensitivity and compassion? There are so many awesome dairy alternatives on the market today.  So many non-dairy milks, cheeses, yogurts and ice creams are reasonably priced.  The experienced chef can make up many of these non-dairy treats in their own kitchens. The in-experienced chef can easily learn how to make up these tasty alternatives.

Check out http://www.notmilk.com/

"The best part of being a vegan is the purity and peace of mind one experiences and the strong connection felt to the animal kingdom."

-Uri Geller

Recipe and product tips

I've been buying some awesome raw olives from Good Faith Farm
OMG!  Introducing a producer of olives with healthy, super-delicious ingredients, flavors and integrity I trust.  They also produce the best, delicious olive oil.  You'll have to contact them to find out about where you can purchase their products.

http://www.goodfaithfarm.com/

I particularly like the way this company is processing their olives, using no lye or ripening agents, which is something that is unique and healthy. They are raw, certified organic, slow cured natural  and very flavorsome olives.

There are various types of olives and flavors to choose from, such as Cheviano olives that have different marinades like garlic and oregano or un-seasoned, using only sea salt and also a flavored marinade of brown rice vinegar and thyme and also Moroccan Spice. The types of olive varieties are Sevillano, Kalamata and a French style, called Lucques.  Below is a pic of Kalamata olives.

I finished a half-gallon jar of the Moroccan Spice olives this morning and the juice marinating the olives was so tasty and delicious I decided to use the marinade as the base of a salad dressing.

I used the liquid of the marinade from the Moroccan Spice, added fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice and added raw cashews and put everything in the blender. I also added a small amount of pure water for consistency. After blending the mixture, I folded in some finely cut fresh basil.  The salad dressing came out awesome tasting!!  When I'm in the kitchen playing with recipes, I just use my intuition, so I don't have a documented recipe to share with you.  I encourage you to try different ideas of preparing your recipes.
                                                       
                                                         Cashew Olive-Basil Dressing