we interrupt your daily program...

for 9 and a half minutes of deprogramming.

snow in the city

after downing a fresh juice, i bundled up and took a walk to the delaware river.

it was nice to get out... peaceful to hear the birds, wind and water... sweet to see children playing in the snow.

note to self: take more walks

healing

hello there... long time no post!=)

until today, i hadn't been feeling like myself. it's like i'm fighting something. i've been super sleepy and COLD (guess it's just that time of year). on top of that, i've been experiencing uncomfortable heartburn. i battle the best way i know how - with lots of rest and healing foods (and also letting the house go to sh*t.=)

below are some things i've been feeding myself. i've also been taking echinacea, elderberry, raw vitamin d, goldenseal, and drinking warm miso/ginger soup. 

green smoothie

(that's oscar, bubbie and evie's cute cat)

salad with mushrooms, chopped date, almond slivers, balsamic vinegar and oil

coconut chia pudding with raspberries

(blended coconut meat, coconut water, chia seeds, irish moss gel and nut milk)

 raw pizza crust with a black bean spread

(cooked black beans, raw tahini, nutritional yeast, cayenne, cumin and lemon juice)

 vegan split pea soup

so i'm happy to say today i had lots more energy and tackled almost all of the chores. my heartburn symptoms have let up, plus another snowstorm is on its way, which means i get to sleep in tomorrow. hey, it's the little things!=)

my spirits were lifted when i received this lovely postcard from lela in estonia! great timing, i'd say. lela has a pretty blog called touching the sky is easier for birds, where she shares her thoughts, vegan food and postcrossing postcards. lela's photos have inspired me to take a trek in the snow tomorrow with camera in hand.

what's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

simple soup, salad and smoothie

our eats at home have been on the simple side lately... lots of fruit, salads, cooked soups and grains, smoothies and juices... while last year saw me a raw gourmet chef in the kitchen, soaking and dehydrating my tail off! (don't fret my raw foodie friends, i foresee more romps with raw cuisine in my future...=)

below are some stand-outs... a particularly scrummy soup, salad and smoothie recipe to guide you in creating your own animal-friendly deliciousness.

feel free to tweak these recipes (or any for that matter) to create a dish suited to your stock of ingredients and taste. don't have/care for turnips? add more potatoes/use parsnips instead! want to swap apple cider for balsamic vinegar? do it! cook intuitively - you may be pleasantly surprised with what you create!

potato-carrot-turnip soup

adapted from this recipe

(serves 4-6)

4 potatoes

3 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 turnip

1 clove garlic

5 1/4 C water

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp oregano

pinch nutmeg

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

splash of vinegar (optional)

dice veggies. in a large pot, saute first 6 ingredients with olive oil and allow to cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. add water and remaining ingredients. bring to boil, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. carefully pour hot soup into blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  

maple-balsamic-dijon vinaigrette

over a bed of mixed greens with green apple and pecans

2 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

2 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp dijon mustard 

1 or more garlic clove, minced

mix well and enjoy the yummiest dressing ever.=)

carrot-ginger super smoothie

serves 2

2 bananas

1 apple

1 large carrot

1 celery stalk

1 T chia seeds 

1/4 of one cucumber

small handful goji berries

fresh ginger root, to taste

blend all with filtered water until smooth.

happy 1/1/11!

♥