Mash And More...

 Rediscovering old favourites and faithfuls.

There are days when it takes a while for the menu plan to drop down the old brain and there are days when it positively jumps to the forefront even before breakfast. Cooking every night is fun but finding tempting combinations isn't a given.

I like to surprise Bob with new and tasty morsels but also make sure to cook is favourites. Luckily for me these are almost fast food. Pasta and pesto, can't get any easier! Tonight though, I want to try a new version of burgers. 

Bob loves his burgers in a roll, but I needed to use up some old rolls and decided to make bread crumbs from them ( rather than to throw them away ) and combine them with chickpeas to make burger patties. Recipes are a waste of time for me as it always depends on what is in the fridge because burger patties for me are a nice way to use up leftovers, and of course to smuggle in an extra vegetable or three!

The other day I got a 5 kg bag of organic potatoes for 3,95 euros and boiled a whole lot of them at lunch time. Some for me, with butter and salt for lunch and the rest is awaiting being squashed for a big pot of mashed potatoes. Yes, I forgot about mashed potatoes until I contemplated how I could prepare these cooked potatoes alongside my burger patties.

Even now I can't wait to taste it. Hopefully I can get it creamy, fluffy and plain yummy. Again I am amazed at what one can do with little. Potatoes are very cheap, the chickpeas even more so and together they provide a good and healthy meal. Enough protein, possibly more than if we had real meat, and the comforting knowledge that chickpeas at the cutting edge of health and more than able to kick any cholesterol, sugar or baddies out of our system.

As for the chickpeas; we shopped at Tesco's in Hungary last Saturday and managed to get 500 g of dried chickpeas for under a euro. This packet, once cooked, has so far provided us with four lunches and now tonight's dinner....

Biggi

Veganism Has Arrived.

It has moved from a niche market to a mainstream one.

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. There at a local supermarket stood a display of chocolate Easter bunnies and half of them had a big fat vegan printed on them. Yes, vegan chocolate Easter bunnies from Lindt, which goes to show that we are in the mix as they wouldn't manufacture just for a few thousand people.

Veganuary this year had over 600 000 participants which is great. Every year more and more people are joining this movement either for health, climate or animal welfare reasons. Like a tiny snowball rolling down the slope, this movement will take on energy all of its own and overshadow the old way of eating pretty soon. 

For climate reasons it is perfectly timed although for some reason the word vegan automatically means an extra surcharge in price. Why I wonder? Perhaps because we are prepared to pay it...

Finally I espied the new Cremissima Vanilla Vegan ice cream at the shop. Oh my, does it look enticing! But, reason prevailed as it is almost two euros more expensive than the ordinary kind plus our freezer wouldn't have had space for it. Can't very well eat it before Bob gets home from work...or perhaps I could if I hid the empty container?

Even a local discounter has a new vegan range, all packaged in a uniform blue which makes it easier to spot in the shop. Often it takes half an hour longer to peruse the shelves as they tend to put the vegan stuff among the non vegan ones. 

This is such great news because each and every vegan meal eaten makes a huge difference to our quest to save our climate. Here's to hoping that at least twenty percent of the world will be vegan withing a year or two...

Biggi

The Price Of Wheat & Grain.

 Time to go vegan.

The war in Ukraine is horrible enough but now the news segments are starting to be inundated with reports about food shortage. Ukraine being the region that grows grains for a lot of us. Yes, scary but then when one takes it a level deeper, one discovers that a lot of the wheat and grain from Ukraine is being used for feedlots.

Feeding cows, chickens and pigs that end up as some form of fast food or steak on your plate. Being vegan cuts out the middle man. When you go vegan, and even if it is only until this food and war crisis has passed, you ensure that everyone will get enough to eat.

From an environmental standpoint it is the only solution to ensure food availability for most of the world. Going vegan. Not feeding endless quantities of wheat, grain, soy, and maize to animals would make such a huge positive impact on our environment. Saving water, saving rain forests, saving lives. Stopping climate change.

    In 2007 42% of the Ukrainian wheat production was used for feedlot in the EU

So many tell me, once they find out I am vegan, that they only eat meat occasionally. They are missing the point. It isn't about the occasional piece of steak but more about the leather shoes, leather car seats, eggs, fried chicken and the most awful of all, the dairy products. All of those use up unbelievable amounts of resources, which are not necessary because we can survive and thrive much better without them. We being the almost 8 billion people of the world.

We are so lucky to not have to go through the torrid, horrid and evil time being thrust upon Ukrainians, so I think it isn't be too much to ask that we try and live a vegan lifestyle for as long as this crisis continues. Every bit  helps and if we mostly eat a vegan diet then the prices wouldn't skyrocket, which in turn would prevent other refugee crises due to hunger and food shortage from happening.

Biggi

Vegetarian Isn't Vegan.

Eating out...

What does a vegetarian eat? Well, basically it means that everything expect meat is eaten. Often only the red meat, thus vegetarians still eat fish and some even chicken. Yes, not much of a sacrifice especially when one is going out to eat.

Restaurants are adapting at this new dietary status quo yet some are still not aware what it means to be a vegan. A vegan eats nothing made of or from animals. Pure and simple, not so difficult. Eating out for vegans isn't much fun unless the restaurant gets it. By the way, study after study have proved that once a restaurant puts more  vegan dishes on the menu, their business grows, often exponentially. 

Being a vegan is a choice and eating out too. If it means nibbling on bread, potatoes and the proverbial carrot, so be it. It is only one meal after all, but I find it so shortsighted when restaurants only cater for vegetarians. By the by, vegetarians can eat most items on a menu even vegan ones but vegans can't eat vegetarian items.

A moment ago I saw a local restaurant proudly announcing the inclusion of a vegetarian item on their menu and I have to shake my head at this. Firstly, vegan food doesn't spoil as quickly as vegetarian, secondly, vegan food is easier to make and thirdly, a hoard of vegans won't be tempted to go and eat there. Come on, make the effort and cater for those of us who try and save the world, animals and our health. If not for us, do it for your profit.

All moaning aside, I suppose I should be happy to see the word vegetarian even appear on their menu as they are mostly a bastion for meat based dishes of all sorts. Hope springs eternal...

Biggi 

Veganuary Bigger And Better.

An avalanche of vegan offerings.

We had to go to town today in order to fetch Bob's new glasses. Finally a pair that he was thrilled about and as we were driving away from the optometrist he commented;

                    " Oh my god, I can't believe how sharp and clear everything suddenly is.

                        Amazing how detailed everything is. "

                " Whatever you do, don't look at me!!!! "

Doesn't help being married to a young buck!

Anyway, we partook in a sampling of supermarkets mainly because certain vegan staples can only be had here there and not everywhere. I have developed a system of shopping selectively in order to get the best bargains. It also helps that mum gave me her loyalty card ( one that can be used in most shops ) and with it the discounts had from various shops.

Well, I walked around three different supermarkets  ( discounters actually ) and each one had a prolific choice of vegan offerings. From pastas to sweets via fresh bread and cereals. That big yellow V is now on so many products. Not all healthy of course but still, the vegan wave is not only surfed by tree huggers, nutters or aged hippies. No, we are mainstream.

The prolific choices available makes me hope and wish that the exaggerated prices of anything vegan will calm down soon. It doesn't seem fair that plant based milks are almost a euro more expensive and only because oat farmers don't get subsidized as the dairy farmers are. Despite the difference in greenhouse gases produced.

                       The production of oat milk leads to 80% less greenhouse gas emissions

                        and 60% less energy compared to cow milk.

Makes one think, doesn't it?

Biggi

Veganuary In Full Swing.

 An abundance of vegan offerings.

January is used by many as a month of  being or becoming vegan. A chance to try this lifestyle without the pressure of permanence. Of course after a month of vegan life many switch permanently, seeing how easy it is to adopt and how great they feel.

This idea of Veganuary started in Britain but has taken ahold in many parts of the world, Austria included. Today I saw adverts from Lidl & Hofer praising this month of vegan try-out and making sure that a lot of vegan products are on their shelves. Brilliant.

Bob and I were headed into town this morning and did the usual suspects in the line of groceries. Lidl was stacked full with vegan foods, ranging from cheeses, joghurts, schnitzels, chocolates, muffins and fresh ravioli.

Thank goodness I had Bob at my side because I would have bought everything. I couldn't believe it when Bob told me that all of it was processed and not that healthy.( Normally I am the one who tends to veto many shopping trolley residents ) I had a packet of chocolate muffins in one hand and oreo  cookies in the other. Deep down I knew how bad they are but it still would have been nice to try. But still, nicely done Bob. Keep us healthy!

The fact that there is such a variety and abundance of vegan foods ( albeit the processed kind ) stems me happy as it means that more and more people are changing the way they eat and thus helping stop climate change, cruelty to animals and improve their health.

January is also the month where gazillions of people go on a diet, again! If only they realized that eating a vegan diet ( not so much the processed stuff but the fresh and homemade meals ) is the best diet there is, and a permanent one. Weight comes off and stays off. Veganuary would kill two birds with one stone...

Biggi

The End Of The Year Is Near.

 I bet we are all looking forward to the next one!

Usually the odd years are luckier than the even ones, but with this darn pandemic everything tends to be upside down. Although all things considered, the year before wasn't much fun either.

Who would have thought that we are on the cusp of 2022? A lucky number if there ever was one and perhaps it portends the final morphing of corona into flu. Let's hope so. One good thing about this pandemic is that a lot of countries are banning the use of fireworks. And about time too. Does nobody consider the plight of all the animals who don't know why there is such a lot of noise for hours on end? I suppose if they would they wouldn't eat animals either.

From Saturday hordes of people are going to enter their yearly diet phase and falter at the first sighting of cake, crisps or chocolates. All the best laid plans and so forth....One would think that by now, eons of time later, somebody had discovered a sure fire way to keep the pounds off. Or rather, make the annual dietary straight-jacket a thing of the past.   

Most of the shops are selling good luck charms to ring in the new year and perhaps that might not be such a bad idea. We could all do with a bit or lot of luck. Marzipan piglets and chimney sweeps are most favoured. Now I know why our chimney sweep chose to only come back the second week of January. A lot less of being touched for luck in his case.

In Great Britain they have a lovely tradition. Well, a newish one that has more people embracing it year after year. Yes, VEGANUARY which means that each person makes a pledge to go vegan for the month of January in order to help the environment and save the animals. Thirty days isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things and easily doable. Let's hope that many more will embrace this New Year's resolution and keep a few of the new habits learned. Every bit helps.

So, two more days until we head into 2022 and hopefully a luckier year for all of us.

Biggi

Is There Anything More Annoying Than Knowing You've Got Biscuits At Home?

 Finding new hiding spots.

I know it is my own fault as I was the one who bought it. A packet of Manner Schnitten which happen to be vegan. Vegan but not healthy. In fact once upon a time there were three packets of it and I wonder where the other two disappeared to!!! Obviously Manner knows how to hook us. Why buy one packet when you can get three?

Even now as I sit here in the kitchen a little voice keeps calling me from behind. ' Eat me! I taste so good! ' yeah yeah, heard that siren call before and I shall try and ignore it.

You know, some days I eat a whole lot of other stuff in order to avoid picking up these biscuits. How dilly is that!!! 

More and more vegan treats are coming onto the market and just because it says vegan does not make it healthy. Too much processed stuff is not good be it vegan or not. Lately I have been following a group on Facebook that only posts photos of vegan food they found in shops. 

Daily I get nudges for ice creams, pralines, chips, sausages or cheeses and I have to say that I am thankful that we don't live in a city as I would be hot-footing it to the nearest supermarket. Might be time to un-follow this group....

Now and again I get overly enthusiastic and bake a batch of biscuits but even though they are of a healthy kind it doesn't help if Bob and I wolf them down before they have even a chance to cool off. Is there anything more tempting than a batch of freshly baked biscuits? Well, freshly baked bread comes in as a close second.

Coming back to my Manner temptation; time to either eat them or ditch them but, as I have just realized, the next hurdle is near. Christmas time means that we get lots of chocolates and stuff and a tantalizing bar of Lindt is vying for my attention...

Biggi

Saving Our Planet One Meal At A Time.

 Salmon & shrimp of the vegan kind.

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. There I was perusing the aisles of Spar, especially the frozen section as I was looking to see whether I could find Bob's favourite vegan pizza. There is a method employed by me which ensures I notice any new product offerings. I go from one end of the standing freezers to the other, looking up and down in each one. 

For some reason they tend to hide vegan products at the bottom, also know as no-man's land in the parlance of sales reps. What are they trying to do to us vegans? Honestly, as if that would stop us...

So, third freezer along, almost at the bottom of it I espy  vegan salmon and  vegan deep-fried prawns! Goodness me, I nearly fell over. I have read about them in the overseas vegan magazines but never in a million years did I expect to find them in a supermarket in Rechnitz, the hinterland of Austria ( by the by, Austrians themselves tend to view Burgenland as such ). Veganism is real and has arrived.

Naturally I won't buy these imitation fish products because firstly they are still processed and secondly they are exorbitantly expensive. For some reason they make a habit out of over-pricing vegan processed products and I suspect because they assume that vegans have more and are prepared to spend more money on food. Some we can't do without-Sunday grilled cheese, vegan bratwurst and the occasional ( ! ) vegan ice cream- but until they are more affordable, I won't get them....I think.

Most people make the mistake of assuming that we only eat these substitutes of animal products, but realistically they only feature occasionally. Our taste buds have changed and making most meals from scratch ourselves ( including burgers ) is so much more tasty. These substitutes are good when one first starts out on the road to veganism or as a day off from eating meat. On top of it they do leave a much smaller carbon footprint as animal products do, thus they are a good alternative.

Anyway, I am very happy  about the prolific expansion of vegan products in such a short space of time. Saving our planet one meal at a time.

Biggi

Discovering That Lidl Has A Bread-Cutting Machine.

 Another aha moment.

Lately I have been favouring Lidl more than others mainly due to their increasing vegan offerings and vegan labeling. At my age reading the fine print of ingredients isn't fun and jolly difficult. Much better to see the cool vegan label.

Bread, I love it. Bread rolls and bretzen even more. My downfall and guilty pleasure after a shop. Lidl has made the effort and labeled all their freshly baked bread assortments with vegan icons. Well those that are vegan plus they also use real sourdough starters for some of their bread, which makes the little gut bacteria happy and healthier.

The only problem was buying the whole loaf and then having to slice it by hand at home. Very artistically sliced creations for sure! So there I am hovering at the bread counter when I hear a young mother tell her kids to choose a loaf for the bread slicing machine. 

Like a nosy parker I followed her ( of course first telling her that I wanted to see how its done ) and she was happy to explain it to me. Very easy. Once she trollied off with her brood I got a loaf of bread and started the slicing machine. So easy, so addictive. Honestly, I even contemplated buying another loaf of something in order to use that machine. The only thing stopping me was the fact that our freezer is full already. Too much bread to eat, considering that I had already chosen a fair selection of bread rolls and bretzen. Never mind, there is always another day...

The vegan offerings are increasing almost weekly and one needs a whole lot of self control not to buy everything on sight. Would defeat the point, wouldn't it? Although someone put a block of vintage vegan cheddar, vegan Leberkäse and vegan sausage spread into my trolley! 

How dare they.....!

Viva veganism and the fun, health and environmental benefits it brings.

Biggi

It's Time To Prepare Bob's Vegan Lunch & Dinner Boxes Again.

 The harvest, thankfully again.

Not that it constitutes a lot of work compared to Bob doing harvesting, but somehow getting the balance and details of his daily meals right isn't as easy as one thinks. Still have to make sure that Bob's diabetes stays dormant and that he has all the essential energy foods he needs.

Lunches are easy and I have been preparing them the vegan way for over three years now. The next few weeks of dinners are posing a slight hurdle. The rest of the team are meat lovers and the boss's wife has it easy making their dinners. Yes, during harvest the crew gets dinner at work due to the fact that they work 14-16 hour days. 

From the beginning of our vegan journey I have cooked a double supper in order to box it up for Bob the following day. Usually he puts the Tupperware into the staff room fridge in the morning and when it gets close to dinner time, the boss's wife heats up whatever I sent along. 

Of course I like to make a vegan impression because I know that everyone is taking a keen interest at what Bob eats. It always amuses me when Bob tells me little tidbits. First off, most of Bob's work mates are vehemently anti-vegan. God forbid that they don't have an animal on their plate three times a day...

But here is the funny bit. For example the other day I made Bob sandwiches with a vegan type of goat cheese. Delicious and if one didn't know, one wouldn't guess it was vegan. One of his mates tasted a bit of the cheese ( ah, they must have looked closely at his sandwich because the cheese was mingling with a hefty dose of blueberry jam ) and loved it, only to worry if it was made of soy. Yes, the falsely based fear of soy continues unfettered and unchecked. Easy to look up studies on the benefits of soy consumption.

Making broccoli for his dinner isn't that great either because we all know what aroma wafts out when the lid of the Tupperware is lifted! Usually I resort to lentil curries or vegetable pastas. Easy to heat up, and hearty to replenish lost energy. Of course everyone at Bob's work thinks that all I can cook is a pot of curry and a dish of pasta. Pretty sure they are pitying him while secretly being envious of how well he looks and feels since eating vegan. I dream of the day when all his workmates eat vegan for the duration of the harvest, and state the inevitable:

        " Jeez, I feel so good that I wish I had done this sooner. "

Biggi

Crazy About Oat Milk.

 Developing vegan tastes...

Coffee, we love it and we drink it. For the last few years we only added an organic soy milk from Hofer to it and would rather drink our coffee black than with any other plant milk. Yes, we were in love with it until...

There is no end to my love of lingering about in supermarkets in order to see what's new. A sort of vegan snoop and you know, here in our little Burgenland, it seems as if almost every visit to the supermarket coincides with a new vegan product on the shelf. Yes, veganism has been embraced by most of the supermarket chains, which of course means that more and more people are demanding it.

Anyway, a new oat milk was suddenly on the shelf everywhere. It has such a striking packaging that my eyes were drawn to it and when I noticed two versions of it- one low fat and one full fat - I had to try it. Full fat means full flavour and that is what a good cup of coffee needs.

It is a bit more pricey than our soy milk, but my reasoning is that it is only for cups of coffee and thus should last longer...Now Bob likes his soy milk and so I merely mentioned that I was trying out a new brand for fun. Oh, and after the first taste I couldn't help but enthuse loudly over it. At four in the morning, which had Bob roll his eyes and shake his head.

The next morning, I put out both cartons of milk, I noticed that Bob tried the new oat version and before he even sat down, he too enthused loudly! You guessed it, the two of us are now oat milk enthusiasts and can't wait for our first cup of coffee every morning. 

Now that we have discovered oat milk, it seems to be everywhere. Different suppliers, different versions, but one thing that is universal is the fact  that oats are extremely sustainable to grow and thus every cup of coffee helps a little bit at lessening our carbon footprint.

Quite a catchy packaging...

Nice to see it explained like this. Plant-based movement, oats grown in European countries and again, that each carton purchased makes a difference to climate change.

Biggi

Feeling Hopeful About Hofer.

 The shop, not the politician!

And just like that the parameters changed. Hofer, the discounter from Germany where it goes by the name of Aldi, has with one post changed the playing field for vegans here in Austria.

They asked a question online. 

        What vegan foods would you like us to stock?

and the people answered. Over a thousand replies so far and still going. As it stands, Hofer has been very proactive on the vegan front and we buy our milk from them. The best vegan one on the market...according to us. In the past few years they have added more and more purely vegan foods and I love that. 

It isn't as though I buy all of what they have because it is rather processed. Vegan or not, processed isn't good. Only now and again. But the fact that the Hofer chain is asking what other vegan foods to stock tells me that veganism is here to stay. Imagine, Austria the land of Schnitzel & co. developing a love for  Tofu & co. too.

Apart from my love of the vegan lifestyle, I am thrilled for each and every one that joins us because it means that the climate can get a breather. If only people knew how much the environment is helped each time one chooses a vegan option over the carnivore one, they might stop being so anti-vegan.

The last few months we have all come to realize and feel what climate change actually looks like. From abstract paper headlines to reality. It isn't pleasant, is it? What if all of us choose to eat vegan one, two or three days a week? That alone would make such a huge difference. Less rain forest burnt, less animals raised in factories more ground water available and hopefully a chance at stopping those awful temperature increases.

Hofer has realized the potential of catering for vegans and I hope that the other major supermarket chains will follow suit. A good day for our earth...

Biggi

Loosing Time In A Sea Of Dog Paraphernalia.

 Pet shops, the new fun place.

Bob is adamant that little Maxi has developed a dog odour which I cannot refute because of my olfactory glands still ticking along the corona clock. The only thing I do notice about little Maxi is that his white fur is starting to look a bit dull and dirty. Why wouldn't it when he loves nothing better than to roll on his back in dirt! Bob has plans to bath the little man and thus instructed me to buy dog shampoo.

Dog shampoo? Surely the shampoo I use for my tresses is going to suffice? No, Bob wanted one that won't hurt his eyes should a dollop of suds get into it. One fact I have picked up from the hairdressing world is that if a shampoo says it won't burn your eyes, than it won't be nice for the hair. To do with the  ph-factor. In any case, mute point as they didn't have dog shampoo that was gentle on the eyes. They had plenty of dog shampoo ( at least 20 different ones ) and most of it aimed at the owners. Honestly, light and fluffy / moisturizing / pearl white ( a bit of a blue rinse affair ) and itchy scalp makes us feel better but I don't think the dogs really care!

No, didn't get shampoo-will use mine. The various dog treats, dog harnesses, dog leashes, dog boxes ( no, none big enough for a husband to fit into ) and dog foods had me agog. Honestly, an hour dashed past and I still hadn't seen everything. People do love their pets.

I needed to get some dry food for Maxi. The one that I took over was calibrated for the younger dog and often he won't touch it. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a nice bag of dry dog food, which  is made in Germany ( nothing from the far shores of China ) and is vegan. Yes, vegan! I had read about vegan pet foot but never seen it. As this wasn't any dearer than the normal dry food, I bought a packet.

After I got home from town, I opened this packet in the back room. Sounds mysterious but anytime we open any packet Miss Mausi thinks it is a treat for her. So, as I portioned out a cup full of this food, one pellet dropped on the floor and was hoovered up by her! Unheard of because often when her cat food pellets drop on the floor she sniffs around them but walks away disenchanted. Well, if he wouldn't eat vegan dry food at least they won't go to waste...when I dropped them into his bowl, he went up to it and started to eat. Gosh he ate them all, which is also a first in this house! Love it. Let's see how it affects his movements as there are lentils in it!!!! Don't worry, I will still feed him the normal wet dog food...

Nice, isn't it?

Biggi

A Growing Repertoire Of Vegan Offerings At The Supermarket.

A growing market, a growing awareness.

We were in Oberwart this morning and went to a Spar supermarket, mainly because we had four 25% off stickers. Yes, isn't it crazy what one does for a few savings? I think it is more the thrill of it. Twice a month the Sunday paper includes these discount stickers ( 8 times 25% off a grocery product ) and I have to say, it is quite groovy to scour for those special items which we don't normally buy or else decide on the most expensive one in the basket in order to plant those stickers on top. Brilliant marketing and it must be successful as other supermarket chains are doing the same.

Anyway, there I was stocking up on vegan butters, cheeses and tofu oh, and two frozen vegan pizzas ( Bob loves them ) and I couldn't help but notice how many new vegan items they had on the shelves. Items that I often read about in the English and American vegan magazines, which means that we, here in our small Oberwart are at the forefront of avant-garde vegan stuff. Love it.

When I went through at the till and saw that there was nobody behind me, I told the cashier how nice it is that they have such a prolific array of vegan stuff. Amazingly she told me that she too had noticed how many more people have vegan items in their shopping baskets. Yeah for us!

The more these items are bought, the more they will order and perhaps even more variety. But what I think is great that this means that Oberwart and the surrounding area has many vegans living in it. Fabulous! Can't wait what the next few years will bring in the way of vegan food trends that are taken up here in our neck of the woods...

Biggi

Sunday, Where Have You Disappeared To?

 Speedy weekends seem to be the norm.

Oh yes, Sunday is almost over. Well the part of it where we are awake! The cats outside have been served their supper, the birds are diving onto our restaurant platform as we speak ( a miracle it doesn't break considering the amount they eat each and every day ) and Miss Mausi is slumbering in anticipation of running wild during the night.

There is a nice structure to each Sunday and I kind of like that. Just now as I was feeding the lot outside I went to our front gate and slung the chain across it. Not that it would keep out an intruder, but at least we hear when someone moves this chain. Loud enough to wake us from slumber. 

So, as I was standing at our gate looking across the road to our neighbours' new vegetable garden I couldn't help but wonder how brave they are to plant one so close to us, known vegans. This garden is accessible to all and sundry...cats, foxes, birds, people and vegans! Even this morning when I motored past I couldn't help but notice how delicious some of their vegetables look. And almost fully grown! 

Perhaps I should  send Bob out for a dawn raid of carrots, cabbage and cauliflower! In any case, our neighbours aren't that enthusiastic about adding vegetables to their meals which makes both of us wonder why they have such a nice and abundant vegetable patch. Could there be secret vegans in our midst? Only the other day we went to a discounter in Grosspetersdorf and lo and behold, they carried a range of vegan cheeses. Just like the two other supermarkets across the road from it. Honestly, there have to be a lot of vegans in our midst because the steady increase of special vegan products in the local supermarkets wouldn't otherwise be on offer....Yeah for the animals, yeah for the planet.

Biggi

How To Sneak In A Round Of Broccoli.

 Now you see it, now you don't!

Broccoli seems to be one of those vegetables which one either loves or hates. Kids especially seem to have bought into the hate camp and I am willing to opine that they have either never really tasted broccoli or it hasn't been cooked the way it should. Nothing worse than a pale sickly green overcooked stew of broccoli...

Yesterday happened to be burger night in our house. Not because it was Wednesday but because I drew a blank on what to make for supper and thus settled on hamburgers. As you know there are always beans ready to be used in our house. Either canned or pre-cooked in the fridge. Everything else that constitutes our hamburgers depends on what's in the crisper and fridge.

Yes, a great way to use leftovers ( cooked rice / pasta / sweet potato ) and a fantastic way to make use of vegetables. There was a head of broccoli that needed to be cooked and I used that. Raw, finely chopped  ( almost sheared off so finely that it looks like broccoli pearls ), as well as three finely grated carrots and of course the usual suspects of onions, garlic and spices. Oh and raw oats or wholewheat flour to bind it. 

In fact the way that anything that is finely chopped or grated can't be classified by name after cooking, made me think of all those kids who could happily eat the burgers and its healthy secret ingredients. Honestly, one can't see it once the burgers are cooked and often not taste it overly so if spiced spicily. Win-win situation for any parent fretting over their kids not getting enough vegetables and I suppose that the same might apply for many a husband who out of habit decry the use of broccoli.

Well, I had a leftover burger patty for lunch and it was delicious. I love the fact that a ' treat ' actually is filled with healthy goodness. Did I mention that half the mass is always made up of ground up beans? Either cooked chickpeas, lentils or black beans chopped in a blender. Healthy food needn't be boring nor bland...and kids needn't be deprived of the vital part of their diet...vegetables.

Biggi

Three Years Vegan...

Our third anniversary of being vegan.

According to the vegan calculator I have saved the following:

          Liters of water saved:                                            4,559,471

          Square meters of forest saved:                                   3,066

          Kg of grain saved:                                                      19,820

          Kg of CO2 saved:                                                        9,965

          Animal Lives saved:                                                   1,095

Very proud to have made an environmental impact, not to mention the animals saved. Bob's score will be the same, so as a household we have made rather a big difference not to mention feeling so much better...

Biggi

Some Veganism Quotes.

Changing the world one meal at a time.

" Veganism is not about giving up or losing anything; it is about gaining the peace within yourself that comes from embracing nonviolence and refusing to participate in the exploitation of the vulnerable. "

Gary L. Francione

" Becoming vegan is the most important and direct change we can immediately make to save the planet and its species. "

Chris Hedges

" The sixteen hundred dairies in California's Central Valley alone produce more waste than a city of twenty-one million people; that's more than the populations of London, New York and Chicago combined. "

Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary

" There is something about veganism that is not easy, but the difficulty is not inherent in veganism, but in our culture. "

Will Tuttle, The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony

" I am not a vegan and have no intention of ever becoming one, but I still feel like it's something that should be encouraged. I read that if mankind doesn't stop eating meat, there will be mass starvation by 2050. With respect, I am nearing eighty, and so it won't be my problem, but I do hope they sort it out. "

Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

" Diet- a choice we make every day, several times a day- determines the size of our environmental footprint "

Lisa Kemmerer, Eating Earth: Environment Ethics and Dietary Choice

Biggi

For The Love Of Plant-Based Nutrition.

A whole new world out there...

Since changing to a vegan lifestyle I have been devouring the portals of online and offline in order to learn more and more about a healthy plant based diet. There is a wealth of information out there and each more fascinating and interesting. Once my mind was made aware of how healing and healthy plant food is, there was no going back.

With each new book that I've ordered, my darling husband has been the recipient of new nutrition tidbits gleaned ( he often has to listen to me reading him something aloud ) and of course also the person to test it out. He knows that each time I add another nutritional book on the bookshelf, an adjustment to our diet ensues. At times not to his liking but most of the time he loves the new additions.

Secretly he must be pleased with eating in this healthy way because he often makes me aware of a new book being launched. Of course since I love my husband, he wouldn't stand a chance to eat the old way especially now that I know how detrimental it is to his diabetes and health.

Most of the time people try and find fault with our diet and nothing makes me madder than those who tend to say: 

             "  Moderation is the key. A balance of meat and vegetables is fine. "

Funny how the moderation'ers are often the ones taking oodles of tablets and are far from healthy.

There is this expectation that it is normal for our bodies to age badly as we get older. Aches and pains are expected and accepted and sadly never queried. If only people knew how a few weeks on a healthy whole food plant based diet could heal many an ailment and more importantly, make them feel so much better.

Oh well, I have learnt that most people don't want to make the initial effort to change their eating habits and would rather live on pharmaceuticals and eat the standard diet of factory raised animals etc. One day when this information about the healing power of plant based food gets more mainstream, many will kick themselves for having been so unwilling to try it.  

But enough of my mumblings...I went to a local supermarket today and was pleased to see that a lot of fruit and vegetables were marked down in price. Enough to entice many to buy. One way to strengthen our collective immune system. Subsidize the healing & healthy foods...

Biggi