Foods For The Season

Cannot believe it is December already!  2012 has been a very exciting and eventful year. We set off with the purpose to inspire vegetarians, border line vegetarians and carnivores to eat dishes without meat products and to learn and teach that meat-free cooking can be delicious, full of flavour and most importantly, not miss the meat one bit!  And looking back over the year we feel we have accomplished just that.

You may be a vegetarian or you may not be a full-time vegetarian, but there is definitely something to be said for cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients that give dishes full, bright and exciting flavors and the best part… that are nutritious!

I know majority of ua know what some of the season’s veggies and fruits are best enjoyed at certain points of the year, but sometimes our palet just knows and we don’t pay much attention to it. We just start to crave guacamole as soon as the season starts to turn warm, we love cherries and crave salads in the summer and lastly start to crave the root vegetables as soon as the temperature starts to change to be a little cooler.

I thought a good topic to focus on would be the winter seasonal veggies and fruit and mention a few from the other seasons as well.

You will notice that when something isn’t “in season” in the grocery store, it will normally be priced higher than it normally would at the time of the year that it is ripe and in demand at that particular season.

So what are the seasonal ingredients for winter?

Vegetables: Sweet potato, fennel, carrot, pineapple, olives, okra, kale, broccoli, celery root, leek, onion, turnip, pumpkin, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

Fruits: Kiwifruit, pears, apple, navel oranges, lemon, mandarins

There are many more that fall under the winter season, but how about the other seasons?  

I've just focused on a few from each category:

Spring: cherries, sugar snap peas, avocado, papaya, cucumber, beans, asparagus, lettuce, corn & bananas

Summer: eggplant, squash, peaches, radish, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, melons & mangoes

Fall: Figs, plums, bell peppers, cabbage, swiss chard, spinach, mushrooms, parsnip, sweet potato, apples, bananas & limes

Sometimes we lose site of that when we are buying ingredients in the grocery store, when we are inspired to make a certain dish with particular ingredients, it's good to be mindful of what ingredients are appropriate for each season, that way you will get the optimal flavour in your dish and also save a little in your wallet too.

Check out our recipe listed below for a root vegetable dish with crumbled goats cheese!

Happy Cookin!

Lyndsay & Laurie

Avoid The Nasty Cold & Flu's This Season

Oh boy that nasty cold and flu season is here and in full swing! I personally haven't taken a true sick day from work in a years. I tend to use 1/2 days if I am feeling something coming on, I come into the office to clear my desk and switch around any meetings and then I head back home. Some people may be offended by my actions, as I could be potentially harming others, however in the high volume stressful corporate world, taking a full day from the office is just not possible and because of the responsibilities jobs carry today we feel so guilty actually taking a full day away.

But this year I wasn't so lucky, I travelled this past week and sitting in the airplane all around me were sniffling, coughing adults and runny nose children walking up and down the isles to keep them busy and from crying. All I could think about was please do not let me get sick. I travelled both flights with my mouth covered by my overly large sweater that I always wear when I travel to keep from breathing in germs but this time it wasn't enough.

As the years pass, the germs get stronger and stronger and the colds and flu’s are much more dangerous and stay longer. This one lasted about 5 full days and went through many stages. So needless to say why I chose this topic for the news letter.

So some situations we are put it, we cannot avoid being subjected to germs, so how can we avoid getting a nasty cold or flu? Below are a few things that have been imbedded in my head year over year, and have worked pretty consistently for me:

1. Eat healthy foods and a well balanced diet, you want to eat foods that help boost your immune systems, so things like garlic and crushed cloves, and cheese believe it or not has a component of dairy fat that boosts your immune system, however once you have a cold you will want to avoid dairy all together because it increases mucus. Yogurt is another good food to add to our diet as a breakfast or a snack, as it has probiotics that keep our bodies full of healthy bacteria.
   
2. Eat lots of washed fruits and vegetables, beans and liquids, vegetable and tomato broths are great for our bodies. And try not to indulge in too much fast food, not only because the food is hard for our bodies to digest and break down but also because of all the germs floating around in a high volume fast food restaurant!
   
3. Wash your hands! Cannot stress this enough; literally wash your hands as much as you think of it, and keep a hand sanitizer in your car, purse if you’re a woman, at your work station, in your kitchen etc.
4. Keep antiseptic wipes close by. You wouldn't believe the germs that sit in things like your keyboard, mouse and telephone. Constantly wipe down your work station and kitchen to get rid of germs. Phone is a big one because we breathe while we speak and you’re breathing in germs from that last hand shake or use of a door handle.
   
5. In the bathroom, grab a paper towel before you use the tap, use it to turn on the tap and off, and also use it to open the bathroom door, most bathrooms have garbage’s our side of them or near by, just throw it out after you have left the washroom.
   
6. Take vitamins to aid your immune systems such as vitamin C and Zinc, there are many others that help. Also acidophilus is a probiotic that will help you year round and especially during this cold and flu season. Zinc can be found in peanut butter, so it’s really not something that you have to go out of your way to add into your diet.
   
7. Lastly, the obvious ones that we are told that generally keep us healthy are: exercise at least 30 minutes daily, get lots of rest - 8 hours at night, try and avoid stress (your B vitamins will help you with dealing with this) and lastly, try and avoid over consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.
   

I hope that you all stay healthy this winter season and if you do get hit with a nasty bug, rest & liquids are your best friends!

Have a fantastic month of December!! And try to remember some of these steps when you are at the busy malls while holiday shopping!

oh and one last thing... if you are out of your home and are eating a sandwich, either keep it in it’s wrapping while you are eating it, or cover it with a napkin, this way you avoid the germs from your hands directly being in contact in your food while you will ingest.

Take care all!

Lyndsay & Laurie

Ever Think About Going Vegan?

Ever Think About Going Vegan?

It may be easier than you think. Sure, lots of us love our cheese, but Daiya makes an incredible vegan cheddar, mozzarella, havarti that melts like cheese. When going Vegan in the past, it had the reputation that you were saying so long to anything good and saying hello to raw vegetables... and basically that was it! but times have changed, being a vegan today means that you can still have anything a vegetarian can have, just with substitutes.

I got the following material from the Peta site and thought it was perfect material to share with you:

Grocery stores carry an array of great-tasting vegan options, including some items that you might not know are vegan. Many products, including fantastic faux franks; veggie burgers; chicken-free chicken patties; flavored soy, almond, and rice milks; nondairy ice creams; and other sensational snacks, are marketed to vegetarians and vegans. There's also an abundance of chips, dips, cookies, candies, frozen pies, soups, and other mouth-watering items by mainstream food manufacturers that are also vegan.* 

Take a stroll through your local grocery store, check some ingredients, and you'll see what we mean. You may even be surprised to find that a few of your favorite indulgences happen to be vegan! For example, did you know that Pepperidge Farm Turnovers, Murray Butter Cookies, and Cracker Jacks are all vegan? 

Please note that this list is just for U.S.-based products, as ingredients can vary by region. Companies frequently change their formulations, so read labels prior to purchasing. 

We are constantly updating this list, so if you know of a vegan product that isn't currently listed or if you find a product here that isn't vegan, please contact PETA. 

Below are just a couple catagories of items listed on the Peta site, this is the most amazing resource, as we all do not have hours to spend in the grocery store reading labels, this is just an easy reference that you can bring up on your smart phone while at the shop or prior to.

Did you know that the below items were vegan? Check out so many more at http://www.peta.org 

Baking: 

• Aunt Jemima Coffee Cake Mix 
• Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix 
• Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares 
• Betty Crocker Bisquick 
• Betty Crocker Bisquick Reduced Fat 
• Blue Bonnet Light Margarine 
• Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening 
• Crisco Original Cooking Spray 
• Crisco Zero Grams Trans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening 
• Duncan Hines California Walnut Brownie Mix 
• Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Chocolate) 
• Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (Classic Vanilla) 
• Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting (French Vanilla) 
• Hodgson Mill Bran Muffin Mix 
• Hodgson Mill Caraway Rye Bread Mix 
• Hodgson Mill White Bread Mix 
• Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Gingerbread Mix 
• Jell-O Instant Pudding (Pistachio) 
• Jello-O Instant Pudding (Banana Creme) 
• Jello-O Instant Pudding (Lemon) 
• Jello-O Instant Pudding (Vanilla) 
• Keebler Ready Crust Pie Crusts (Graham Cracker) 
• Miracle Muffins 
• Pillsbury Treat Toppers Chocolate 
• Pillsbury Treat Toppers Vanilla 
• Reduced Fat Bisquick 
• Royal Pudding & Pie Filling 
• Tropical Source Dark Chocolate Chips 

Condiments: 

• Arnold Premium Seasoned Stuffing 
• Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits 
• Brianna's French Dressing 
• Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing 
• Brianna's Santa Fe Blend Dressing 
• Campbell's Franco-American Mushroom Gravy 
• Classico Pasta Sauces (Roasted Garlic and Spicy Red Pepper) 
• Dona Maria Mole 
• El Paso Enchilada Sauce 
• El Paso Enchilada Sauce 
• French's Beef Stew Mix 
• Girard's Champagne Dressing 
• Girard's Italian Dressing 
• Girard's Original French Dressing 
• Girard's Raspberry Dressing 
• Goya Ham-Flavored Concentrate (Sabor A Jamon De Cocinar) 
• Gravy Master Seasoning & Brown Sauce 
• Heinz Ketchup 
• Hershey's Shell Topping 
• Hershey's Syrup 
• Hunt's Manwich Sauce 
• Kame Marinades (Red Chili) 
• Kame Marinades (Sweet Teriyaki) 
• Kame Marinades (Thai Coconut) 
• Kame Marinades (Wasabi with Ginger) 
• Kellogg's Corn Flakes Crumbs 
• Knorr Red Bell Pepper Pesto Sauce Mix 
• Kraft Balsamic Dressing 
• Kraft Catalina Dressing 
• Kraft Classic Italian Vinaigrette Dressing 
• Kraft Creamy Italian Dressing 
• Kraft Fat Free Italian Dressing 
• Kraft French Dressing 
• Kraft French Fries Seasoning 
• Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce 
• Kraft Shake 'N Bake Seasoned Coating Mix Crispy Chicken Nuggets 
• McCormick Bag'n Season Chicken 
• McCormick Bag'n Season Italian Herb Chicken 
• McCormick Bag'n Season Oriental Chicken 
• McCormick Bag'n Season Pot Roast 
• McCormick Bag'n Season Southwest Style Chicken 
• McCormick Bag'n Season Swiss Steak 
• McCormick French Onion Dip Mix 
• McCormick Hunter Sauce Blend 
• McCormick Mesquite Chicken Seasoning 
• McCormick Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning 
• McCormick Skillet Paste Sweet & Sour Chicken 
• McCormick Skillet Paste Thick & Spicy BBQ Pork 
• McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Mix 
• McCormick Spring Onion Dip Mix 
• McCormick Stir Fry Chicken Seasoning Blend 
• McCormick Vegetable Dip Mix 
• Melissa's White Chocolate Dessert Topping 
• Newman's Light Balsamic Dressing 
• Newman's Light Italian Dressing 
• Newman's Light Raspberry and Walnut Dressing 
• Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing 
• Newman's Red Wine Vinaigrette and Olive Oil Dressing 
• Newman's Regular Balsamic Dressing 
• NOH Chinese Lemon Chicken Sauce Mix 
• Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix 
• Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful 
• Ragu Pizza Sauce 
• Smucker's Marshmallow Icecream Topping 
• Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing 

Happy Cooking, 

Laurie and Lyndsay 

Heart Healthy Recipes

Heart Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Weekend

By Heart & Stroke Foundation

Just click on the recipe name below and a browser will open up with the page:

1. Mexican Bean Burrito Casserole    

2. Maple Roasted Vegetables

3. Wild Rice & Mushroom Pilaf

4. Sweet Potato & Chickpea Risotto

Heart Healthy

Firstly, Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends!

This week something occurred that shook our family up a wee bit. It is not the first time as a family we have dealt with health issues at the parent level. Our very healthy, active, fit father was admitted to ICU with a racing heart rate. He has worked construction his entire adult life and unfortunately has chosen rarely to wear masks when dealing with dusty environments. The damage this has caused to his lungs creates an annual fall cold/cough/flu like condition. Dad has coughing fits, achy limbs and cannot sleep thru the nights. He tends to sleep in the lazy boy, partially upright with the fireplace blazing for many of the nights during this time period. 

This year, a little different!

The damage to his lungs has caught up to him and now the body is saying, no more! The coughing is causing spasm in the lungs; his body is not circulating the oxygen that it should, thus putting stress on the heart. On the insistence of my eldest sister Lisa, a trip to the emergency unit in the local hospital on Monday resulted in a doctor who sent him home without checking his heart. She informed him that the x-rays  show that his lungs are clear,  but may be damaged from the dust exposure long term. On the insistence of my mother, to their family physician he went and one listen to his heart, off to the intensive care unit he was sent. 

The very reason he is in the hospital is partially due to the invincible attitude my father and so many others have. This is a 69 year old man who gets up early every day and still goes to work. He paces himself and rests as he needs throughout the day. He also keeps a daily intake of seeds and nuts, raw fruits and vegetables, eating well and snacking throughout the day. My dad keeps a very healthy lifestyle and yet he is experiencing heart issues. Classically, if it can happen to our father it can happen to anyone.

It was not so long ago, after dealing with my mother’s second angioplasty, did I opt for a referral to St. Michael Toronto Heart Centre for a full heart work up just to ensure that mine was in good shape. I wore a monitor for a week. at the end of that week, it was great to get a clean bill of health. February Heart Month may be a few months away, but I urge you to take whatever steps you can toward keeping your heart healthy. Preventative medicine is definitely the way to go!!!

Here are a few sites that may give you what you need to get started:

http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483949/k.967D/Healthy_Living.htm 

http://heartdisease.about.com/od/reducingcardiacrisk/a/How-To-Keep-Your-Heart-Healthy.htm 

And of course one of my favourite sites (just ignore ‘the eat fish’ part! Lol!!!):

http://www.livestrong.com/article/26489-keep-heart/ 

This newsletter is a short and sweet one, but mentally and emotionally, so am I. 

Those celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, we wish you a wonderful weekend full of family, friends, love and laughter!  We included some heart healthy recipes below from the Heart & Stroke Foundation website that you can include in your weekend dinners.

Happy Cooking!

Laurie & Lyndsay

By the way, Lawrence is resting well and I am sure his body is doing a happy dance for the rest and relaxation, he has been forced into. Out on Friday and says he will be up finishing my sister’s roof! 

Feeding The Body, Mind & Soul

Taking a proactive approach to staying healthy can involve many things. Keeping our minds, our bodies and our spirits healthy is a challenge that most of us face every day. I know that at any given time, I am out of whack on one of these elements. Knowing this made me think that I must not be alone. 

As you know from reading our weekly newsletters that Lyndsay and I keep pretty hectic schedules. Busy schedules often affect health. Keeping balance in life is probably key to protect ourselves from illness. As vegetarians, most of you are taking care of the food aspect to feeding the body, but are you feeding your mind and your soul? 

It is recommended that each and every day, we take time to nourish the soul. This means different things to different people. Essentially the commonality with this exercise is taking time each day for you and you alone. For some it is time spent meditating, for others it is time spent in prayer with their GOD. It can be time spent doing something you enjoy or doing something for others that makes you feel good. 

Once again, Google proves to be an excellent source of information and guidance on this exact topic. 

www.care2.com offers 15 different suggestions of which the following 5 I felt are ones I would use:

• Brew a pot of herbal tea, sit down with a book or magazine and just take a break from the world.
• Smile. Even if you don’t want to.  Smiling tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy. (See the 7 Benefits of Laughter.)
• Give someone you love a big hug and tell him or her how much you love them.
• Sing…just for the joy of it.  Even if you think you can’t sing, do it anyway.  Freeing your voice is a good way to help heal your soul.
• Look for the positive in your daily experiences.  Many people seem to look for things to complain about on the articles they read.  Stop looking for the negative.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/15-ways-to-nourish-your-soul.html#ixzz2BfwfKkp9

Feeding the mind, although for many of us, is very much connected to the soul, can be a very different process. With my schedule, feeding my mind is probably the weakest area for me. I spend more than 2.5 hours a day driving back and forth to work, 9-10 hours at my desk and meeting with clients. Before moving to the country, I spent time every day reading the paper and always had a stack of books that I was working my way thru. Of late, I listen to CBC; spend time each day doing research on the net and weekends working on recipe development. Clearly my mind is screaming for more than what I am giving it.

I came across this short poem that I thought was quite poignant:

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny” — Unknown

Here are a few suggestions that I have come up with all by myself!

• Take the time to have a conversation with someone who has lived longer and lived a bigger life than you think you can. 
• Write down your thoughts. No commitment to keeping a journal, just keep a notebook by your bed or next to your favourite chair. You might surprise yourself.
• Play word mole on your smart phone rather than watch a mindless television program.
• Take a walk in a nearby park, or if you live in the country like I do, put on your hiking shoes or rubber boots and trek thru the bush, taking time to notice your surroundings, study the birds and the trees.

I often write about things that are on my mind, am facing or have been presented with. I know that most of all, I need to nourish my soul, In working thru this newsletter, I also know that although I have made many changes in my life for the better, there are things that I used to do, that I just don’t give myself the time to do. Taking myself to the movies, sitting in a cafe with the paper or a good book with a steaming cup of green tea, eating a nice meal in tiny local bistro with a glass of prosecco, just to feel special. Guess I need to make some time for myself!

A little piece of advice, take some time to nourish the part of you that needs some love and attention!

Happy Cooking!

Laurie & Lyndsay

Interesting Thought from Lyndsay

Ever hear of brain dumping? I hadn't either but I came to realize that it is a process that is an effective way to process information and keep your mind healthy!

so what is Brain Dumping?

If your a person who writes everything down, you likely do not need to do this method, but someone like myself who is on the go all the time, on a cell phone, in and out of my car, I don't always have a pen handy and keep storing things in my memory. I was relying on my memory as my calender and notebook and I didn't realize it at the time but I was absolutely exhausted, all information was mixed, couldn't remember numbers and was just plain seeing my memory go!

I happen to mention this to a sales manager that I used to work with and he asked me if I brain dumped?  and that one question has bettered my life in so many ways.

Basically you write things down as you go - yes, but also at the end of the day I write down everything I need to do, need to remember, need to buy, anything I learned that day etc.  I couldn't believe what calmness this simple act brought to my life.  My tasks for a day or week are very clear, I don't panic or constantly feel like I am forgetting something.

If you have in the past or do presently feel the way I did before learning about Brain Dumping... give it a try!

Food Industry be Held Accountable?

Is the Conventional Food Industry Getting Healthy!

It has been a long time coming that the  for contributing to the state of our population’s health.  We live in a society of reactionary medicine instead of preventative. Food is what keeps the body healthy and can also cause the body to be unhealthy. As Lyndsay and I promote natural and healthy foods, we think it is important that labelling of foods be informative so we, the consumer can make the choice between what might appear to be less than a healthy choice. 

As a lifetime food industry professional, I am not a stranger to great food, healthy food, not so healthy food and of course food that is ‘darn right bad for me!’ I have my vices...Lay’s low salt potato chips (the blue bag, my favourite); avocado oil potato chips when I can find them; Barkleys Natural Confectionary ‘s new Cupcake Truffle Bar, which has replaced my old favourite, the Mint Truffle Bar; Sweets From The Earth’s Cashew Cookies, they are the best, although Lyndsay would argue that her favourite, the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bar is better. I obsess about food and what I am putting into my body, both the good food and the bad. When I choose the bad, I don’t necessarily need to read the nutritional label to know what I am eating is not good for me, but I make that choice consciously. The average consumer does not have my food knowledge and therefore without clear labeling, healthy words used on labels can be misleading. 

Reading and understanding nutritional tables is not necessarily an easy process, so I googled to find a few sites that might enlighten you, the consumer:

http://www.livestrong.com/food-labels/

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/index-eng.php

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/NFLPM/ucm274593.htm

I believe the progress the food industry is making, is lead by the natural food advocates and the natural health practitioners. I am not sure how such small numbers are affecting the big ones, but it is happening. The Fast Food Industry has had no choice, but to make changes and now include fresh foods to their format. Wendy’s is advertising ‘nutritious options’; McDonald's has made their nutritionals available online and Burger King’s hype is ‘cage free pork’.  For many of our subscribers and readers, there are very few items on any of these menus that they would order; however I do believe that it is good to see these kinds of changes. Now if we can just get everyone on board with a truly healthy veg-vegan option in fast food restaurants, we might just have an option when on road trips!

We have a long way to go to where the consumer’s health is given top priority on labeling  however the food industry is making noticeable development toward change at a fairly quick pace. I believe we can attribute this to the Natural Food and Health Advocates who are peppered throughout Canada and the US.  I truly do not believe the healthy options the fast food chains are offering are truly healthy options, however ‘healthier’ is better than nothing at all.  What are your thoughts on this topic?

Happy Cooking, 

Laurie and Lyndsay

Cheesy Quinoa & Broccoli Casserole

The Best Dish Ever!

Prep Time:  15 Minutes     Cook Time: 60 Minutes     Serves: 4

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 cups cooked broccoli florettes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
• 1 tablespoon dill weed
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 few shakes of parmesan
• Heavy dose of fresh cracked pepper
• Salt for flavor

Instructions: 

1. Turn oven to 350° F
2. Prepare quinoa, approximately 20 minutes, once cooked add to a large bowl
3. Prepare broccoli, approximately 8-10 minutes, once cooked, add to the large bowl
4. In a small sauce pan, bring vegetable broth to a boil, add flour and whisk until flour has dissolved and continue to whisk until mixture starts to thicken, remove from heat and immediately add to the large bowl
5. At any step, add to the large bowl the milk, dill, sour cream, cheddar, mayonnaise, salt & pepper
6. Stir ingredients together until well combined
7. Transfer mixture to an 8 x 8 baking dish, even out the top so the mixture is evenly spread across the dish
8. Top with breadcrumbs & parmesan
9. Cook for 35-40 minutes

Cleaning Your Home Naturally

Similar to how I think about GMO foods, I ask, why do we insist on putting products that make the body ill into our environment? Why do we buy products that are labelled with a skull and cross bones, put them in our pantries, our cupboards and in our laundry rooms and think that this is safe?  Do we not realize that packaging emits toxins?  If not, then your sinuses would not be irritated when you walk down the cleaner aisles at your local grocery. So what is it that cleaners do to us when we are using them directly and not wearing a gas mask to help prevent breathing in the fumes?

We know that everything we allow down the drains in our homes affects the environment. Scientists have also made the public aware that the increase in allergies and asthma in children and adults is in part caused by the toxins in our environments and in the very products we believe are best for cleaning our homes. I have to be honest in that I cringe when I am visiting someone and use their washroom, only to see bright blue water. I cannot believe that this type of product is even manufactured. Not only is this product toxic, but the blue dye is so not necessary (dye is another topic).  If you did not know what I have just written, it is time to start Googling!

There was a time and it was not so long ago, that if you wanted to clean your home ‘cleanly’, you pretty much had to make your own cleansers. This is probably still the best option all around as you are contributing less to your carbon footprint with less packaging waste. For the busy families, this is not the most convenient of options and there has been a blossoming of natural cleanser product development hitting in the market; so much so the bigger mainstream players are on board, needing an even bigger slice of the pie. We have options and with options, it is trial and error to find the one that works best for your needs.

For years, I have been using non toxin laundry soaps and dish detergent.  I have flip flopped between making my own household cleansers and buying not toxic bottled product and I am still not certain which way to go when it comes to scrubbing the toilet. I don’t use bleach and I don’t use ammonia and yes, I do wear lots of white clothing. There are other products and ways to keep whites white! 

I spent the evening reading different websites in order to gather information and these are a few sites I thought you might find interesting:

http://green.wikia.com/wiki/Toxins_in_Household_Cleaning_Products

http://www.momscape.com/articles/natural-cleaning-products.htm

http://www.ourlittleplace.com/nontoxic.html

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/nontoxic-cleaning-materials-2913.html

We can all do our part in using less toxic products and be healthier for it. If you have ideas that will benefit others or if you have stumbled across a great product, share it, we would love to hear from you. 

Happy Cooking, 

Laurie and Lyndsay

Vegan Quinoa Patties

Prep: 20 Minutes     Cook: 10 Minutes     Serves: 5 large or 8 small

Ingredients:

1 19 fl oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed (using 1 cup mashed)

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons chick pea flour

1/4 red bell pepper diced finely

1/2 medium onion diced finely

1/2 zucchini diced finely

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Puree chick peas with water and transfer 1 cup to a medium sized bowl

2. Prepare quinoa as per directions on packaging

3. In a small sauce pan, on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, once heated, add in onions, let cook for 2 minutes, add in garlic, red pepper, zucchini, spices, salt and pepper—let cook for 7-8 minutes

4. Remove from heat & add to the chick peas, mix together, add additional salt and pepper if required

5. Add in 1 cup of quinoa to the chick pea mixture, mix thoroughly & make into 5 large patties or 8 small, so each serving can be two small patties

6. Heat remaining oil on medium heat in a large frying pan, add in patties, flip after 5 minutes and cook additional 5 minutes on each side, watch carefully to ensure that medium is not too high for your stove top and the patties don’t burn

Beautiful as your protein along side a vegetables or as a burger with lots of yummy garnishes!  

More About Those Nasty GMO's!

It is pretty difficult today to be unaware of the term NON GMO. This is no longer a topic just covered in natural food publications; it is written about in mainstream newspapers and magazines and featured on mainstream television programs including one of my favourites, Dr. Oz, http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/gmo-foods-are-they-dangerous-your-health . This topic is on the mind of a growing population of consumers who want to make informed choices.

We have discussed the topic of NON GMO in other newsletters, but I thought that this week, I might focus on this in more detail. If you are not already familiar, there is a non profit organization called the NON GMO PROJECT  which “is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices”.  I first discovered this project at a past Canadian Health and Food (CHFA) show in Toronto and it happened to be one of the busiest booths at the trade show.  In what realistically is a short time; this organization has laid tremendous groundwork for what is to come.  This website http://www.nongmoproject.org is full of information, so please do yourself a favour and read thru their WebPages to arm yourself with valuable information. 

Foods have been genetically modified naturally and by man for centuries, but is this the same as the bio engineered foods today? What I call the ‘modern genetically modified bio engineered food industry’ is relatively young; it has affected the US food chain and third world countries on a very large scale.  Due to the short life of Modern GMO food industry, it is impossible for us to have the results of long term studies to determine how damaging they are to human DNA which makes the human population the guinea pigs for products many of the generally population is not even aware of.  What is even more sad is that genetically modified foods are far more cost effective, therefore, the mid to lower income consumer is almost forced to feed their families on this level of the food chain. Don’t misunderstand me in that there are lab tests underway and they are proving tumor growth and cancer development in rats. My question is ‘is it so necessary to introduce foods that we need to test on rats to determine if safe for humans?’ Am I naive in my way of thinking?

As many of the Vegmenufortheweek subscribers know, I work in the Food Industry and my focus is on natural foods but I work in food manufacturing that does include conventional products (as opposed to just organics and NON GMO). I see the costing on conventional products that may be and may not be GMO, but how am I to know which ones are without labelling? This is where the NON GMO Project will have tremendous impact if they are able to affect government for the demand of food labelling. This project is “the only third party verification and labeling for non-GMO food and products”*

One of the projects I am working on is associated with www.justfood.ca called Healthy Food for All. We are developing a pilot project that offers affordable options for the school and social programs in the city of Ottawa. What an eye opener this has been with the largest observation, that our governments have no idea what healthy foods cost. This observation is based solely on what budgets are given to these programs by government agencies.

In a past newsletter, I had written that I understood wheat to be one of the most genetically modified grains and I stand corrected. I have done further research and commercially growing GMO grains has been repeatedly rejected in the US and in Canada, the Wheat Board has rejected the possibilities so far.

Crops that popped up on the net as GMO include canola, corn, soy, papaya and sugar beets, lentils, potatoes, rice, squash and tomatoes. There are a couple of concerns for me in that our labels of foods that use these crops are still lacking the information consumers need to make informed decisions.  Will we see GMO labels on foods that are? We know that the ethical producers who know that NON GMO labels are a key selling feature on the market will definitely take advantage of this label to attract customers. We can also choose organic foods whenever possible, but until this industry is more the norm than the exception, organic does not fit the budget for the masses. 

Other informative sites to check out:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/228433-the-toxic-dangers-of-gmo-foods/

http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Food-technology/Biotechnology/Novel-foods/Understanding-Genetically-Modified-Foods.aspx

http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Genetically-Modified-Foods 

Please let us know how you feel about this topic, we would love to hear from you!

Happy Cooking,

Laurie & Lyndsay

Vegan Mac'n Cheese

**Please note, this is not a healthy vegan recipe**

This recipe is a heaping serving for 1 individual 

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles (I use brown rice noodles)

2 tablespoons Daiya Mozzarella or Cheddar wedge

1 tablespoon vegan margarine (Vegan Becel, Earth Balance, or Earth Balance Coconut)

1 few shakes of vegan Parmesan (Galaxy Natural Foods - Rice Parmesan)

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta al dente, strain, rinse, set aside
2. In a medium pot, on medium heat, add margarine and once the margarine starts to melt, add in the wedge mozzarella or cheddar, continue to cook until the cheeze is melted, add in the vegan Parmesan, salt & pepper, give a stir
3. Add in the cooked pasta, stir until all the noodles are coated
4. Dish is ready to eat

If serving for a group, you can just multiple the ingredients above for the amount of people you are cooking for, but cook the noodles 3-4 minutes less than needed, add extra cheeze, transfer to a glass baking dish, cover with parve bread crumbs, spray with extra virgin olive oil, cook in 380 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, put on broil for last 2-3 minutes until bread crumbs have browned.

Bon Appetit!!