Happy St. Patrick's Day ! Oh, It's magically Delicious !

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all !

Let's start here I'm not advocating you drink but, if you are going to .... please, make sure your drink is vegan . Check here to see if the liquor is http://www.barnivore.com/

Dancing is great exercise and good for the spirit, emotions and mind ! So, I will advocate the river dance ! lol 

Cabbage Lentil Soup ! 

A Fav of Mine !

1. boil 3 cups of water in a large pot 2. add 2 c. black lentils 3. reduce to simmer and cover 4. Cut up carrots (I used 7 ) into desired size 5. Add carrots to pot and recover
6. Cut 2 onions to desired size  Add to pot and recover 7. Add one container vegan vegetable broth ( I like Trader Joe's brand )  and stir and recover 8. Turn heat up to medium low and cook until carrots are slightly tender ( depends on size of carrots ) about 20 minutes stir every once and awhile while cooking.9. Chop desired amount of cabbage into desired size 10. Add more water to pot or a second container of vegetable broth if needed ( sorry no measurements here use your judgement . 16. Reduce to simmer 17. Add cabbage  and cook about 5 minutes (or until it tastes right to you ). 

Potatoes and Greens !

Also, Deliciously Nutritious !

1.) Cut up desired amount of potatoes into home fry size chunks (I used 5 large russets total ) 2.) lightly oil a casserole pan 3.) place potato chunks in dish 4.) bake at 375 degrees until about 15 minutes from done (until fork goes through but there's a little resistance ) approx 25 minutes

5.) Add greens . ( I bought a 16 oz bag mixture of baby chard, baby spinach and baby kale and dumped the whole bag on ) You could of course use different amounts and or fresh

6.) Bake for the remaining 15 minutes or so , until a fork slides easily through potatoes . 7.) add apple cider vinegar and sea salt .

I used 3/4 tsp. of apple Cider Vinegar and a pinch of sea salt per shallow bowls worth 

Homemade Scrambled Tofu

Homemade Scrambled Tofu 

Notes: This can be modified a lot to suit your tastes . Use any veggies or mushrooms you desire and change herbs and spices to suit you .

Ingredients :
Extra firm Organic tofu 2 pkg.
pepper( I used 1 orange bell pepper )
Scallions ( or onions)
Daiya shreds ( I use cheddar but, there's also pepper jack available )
hemp seeds- 3 Tbs. ( optional)
Turmeric - 1 1/4 TBS.
Onion powder - 1 1/3 tsp.
garlic powder 1/3 tsp
cayenne pepper - 3 dashes
oregano - 1/4 tsp.
basil - 1/2 tsp.
cumin 3 dashes
coriander - 1/3 tsp.
ground pepper - to taste
Sea Salt - to taste
nutritional yeast - 1/3 C.
Coconut oil ( NOT EXTRA VIRGIN ! ) - To fry in

Directions:
1. Drain and cube tofu then put in a large bowl 2. chop veggies and fry them if desired 3. Add hemp seeds and herbs and spices including nutritional yeast to bowl with tofu . 4. Mix well and further break up tofu to get scrambled texture . 5. Remove veggies and fry tofu until browned on medium- high  6. Add Daiya and reduce heat once tofu is done and mix around . It should only take a minute or two to melt .

Creating Vibrational Truths- Affirmations

Creating Vibrational Truths- Affirmations 

 This blog post is a creation to elaborate and further dive into the in-between process I mentioned in my video on Affirmations http://youtu.be/MCKiyVIYELE

This has to do with authenticity rather than faking it until you make it .

Exampleville

So, if one decides they want to be a confident person but, feels very insecure and has extreme self confidence issues . Jumping in with an affirmation that " I am a confident person " may not be the best way or  the  quickest way to benefit from affirmations. Weather it would benefit you some or actually be detrimental I think is circumstantial .

 It may not feel good to do that , it may feel like lying to yourself, it may exasperate the gap between your current experience and the future one you've decide to embrace by altering your confidence level .

So, comes the middle road. The bulk of the blog - Creating vibrational truths. 

If you can find an affirmation ( and affirm- a - tion by the way means to affirm re-enforce something is true ) that is an improvement to your current vibrational belief or thought and feeling and you believe it  to be true  you have stepped on this path .

There are a number of ways to get in touch with yourself and find out if you believe the statements or not but, it really always boils down to getting in touch with your inner-self and listening to yourself.

Nonetheless, I'm going to give you one possible formula/ exercise you could use.

Write down the negative thought, belief, or feeling you want to change 

Examples: 
I am not successful
I feel like a loser
Now beside It write down what you want to feel , think, believe / What the affirmation might be if you weren't choosing the middle road
Examples:
 I am successful,
I am a great success
I am a winner
Now, ask yourself what  you felt and what you thought when you wrote that .

 If it felt true , a relief and an uplifting sensation maybe that's the affirmation to use after all .

If it didn't, try to move up the scale from the original statement (of
:Ex.  I am not successful , I feel a loser )

Examples:
I have a record of successes and failures
My successes may actually out number my failures I wasn't keeping a written record
At times I am very successful
I am successful at _________

 Choose what resonates with you most and you see as true and use that

You could also look online and elsewhere for affirmations that ring true and apply to your situation / resonate with you . 

You are now exiting Exampleville :

Just some Additional personal thoughts on this topic 
 It doesn't feel good for most of us when we realize we are being lied to and so, if we perceive ourselves to be being lied to by ourselves that probably feels like crap to a part of us !

If our perceived reality differs from our affirmation ( probably truer the wider the gap) We create  a split within to allow for distrust of the self. The self distrusting the self- see there's got to be a split .

 This is not healthy or useful obviously . 

2014 - Year Of Tool Of The Month see all twelve and Why I picked each (Learn 12 great tools )

January's Tool of the month - Personalized organizer

January's tool of the month is : Personalized organizer .
 This is a DYI ( do it yourself ) tool . You make this tool yourself .
 and break them down into steps with check offs and much more.

 I've found it really helpful and stress reducing to have all this together in one place and organized as well as encouraging for the undertaking of more.  It's efficient and exciting ! More information at my blog link.
Look for the post titled
"In the Year of the Wood Horse ( this year ) it's extra important to reduce Clutter and be Organized !"

February's Tool of The Month -Guided meditation cds

February's tool of the month -Guided meditation cds
 If you find ones that resonate with you and that you enjoy using ,these tools are a great way to relax, de-stress, exercise your imagination and mind, and discover things about yourself .
 It's fun ( my opinion of course) .
more hours of night than day, these inner journeys are an indoor activity that can help boost your immune system and give you a changed and exercised internal world to operate from. This time of year "the current "seems to flow in the direction of introspection . Using these tools are pro-active ways of embracing and going with this current but, they are great to use anytime of the year .

 My personal favorites are most of the volumes Of -"Magical Inner Journeys -guided meditations with Anne Marie Bennett "

March 2014's Tool of the month - Resistance Cables

comfortable way as well as the safest often times and it is certainly comfortable using the cables I have . You may hardly feel like you are working out but, rather just enjoying yourself. I thoroughly enjoy using them and training people with them . For those reasons this is the tool of the month ! 

I love to hula hoop and find it a really fun form of exercise though ,I realize it's not everyone's fancy , I've made it the tool of the month mainly because, it's a favorite of mine.

But, check out these articles on hula hoops. You may not have known just how many muscles you can exercise with these things!  

http://www.livestrong.com/article/338856-muscles-hula-hooping-work/

http://spectrumhealthblogs.org/you-me-and-pt/2013/08/2eal

April's Tool of the Month - Hula Hoop

I love to hula hoop and find it a really fun form of exercise though ,I realize it's not everyone's fancy , I've made it the tool of the month mainly because, it's a favorite of mine.

But, check out these articles on hula hoops. You may not have known just how many muscles you can exercise with these things!  

May tool of the Month - Japanese Teapot , tea balls or other tea tool that allows you to make your own blends !

May tool of the Month - Japanese Teapot , teaballs or other tea tool that allows you to make your own blends !

The title tells my reason for making this the tool of the month in part .

I find Japanese tea pots to work  brilliantly and better than the tea balls I've tried .
They are easy to use you simply boil water in a kettle ( not the pot ) put your loose leaf tea in the mesh area and pour boiling water over it . Then put the lid back on and allow to seep a bit before pouring . The tea pot allows the tea to keep hot longer and provides you with more cups then one .  However, other tools such as the tea balls may work ideally for some people .

Making your own blends is so beneficial for reasons listed ..
1. loose leaf tea is often fresher
2. It's more environmentally friendly
3. You have more control ! and creative control In fact !
4. You can whip up blends to your taste
5. You can whip up medicinal blends to treat yourself (ailments )
6. You can take advantage of gardening possibilities and responsible wildcrafting opportunities .

June Tool of the month! 

 I have picked a timer and also, a stopwatch for ths months tool(s) of the month. If you have a cell phone you may already have one or both of these features in your phone . 

 I have picked them because, they are great and important tools for several tasks . 

 A stop watch can be used to track your time when you are exercising such as your running time . 

 A timer is essential for regular meditation . that is when you meditate a certain amount of minutes on a regular basis such as daily . 

A timer is also essential for certain self help exercises and can extend to further uses including your cooking ! 

July's Tool Of the Month is a Dehydrator

July's Tool Of the Month is a Dehydrator . In most places the Summer months produce an abundant variety oof delicious fresh produce. If you have a dehydrator you can dehydrate some of these and provide yourself with quality  local, organic nourishment throughout the winter .

 :

 carrots, kale, plantains, peaches
There are lots of ways you can use your dehydrated food here are just a few examples :
 snacks
In trail mix
 In granolas
 in healthy bars, muffins, cookies , breads , and other baked goods
veggie chips

August Tool of the Month - Glass canning Jars

Glass canning jars such as mason jars are the tool of the month , especially in several sizes.
Glass canning jars are extremely useful and can save you money !
You can ..

- buy from bulk areas and store in glass jars for a longer shelf life . You will also easily be able to see what is in them
- make pickled veggies ,and store them
- Store just about any food you make in them
- Make and carry salads and other foods easily . To do salads in a jar put the dressing in the bottom , then any hearty veggies such as cucumbers  broccoli and so forth then the lettuce and other greens on top ( To keep them from wilting ) . when you go to eat it simply shake and or open and mix with a fork first
- make and store your own healthy jams, jellies , sauces and dips in them
- store dehydrated goods in them ,
and,
- Make and give recipe gifts by placing all the dry ingredients in a jar and attatching a recipe to it . You can do this with many recipes and then the receiver just adds the rest . With some recipes this might mean just adding water ! A healthy helpful gift for many provided the recipe is healthy !

September's Tool of the month - Gratitude journal

 The tool I pick this month is a gratitude journal . This can be a notebook or any type of journal . In a gratitude journal you list things you a grateful for this works best if you do it daily and at least regularly ( so, every week for example if not every day ) . You can also after listing as many as you can think of or a set number you use such as 5 , write a few sentences or a paragraph about why you are grateful for that . 

 Generating a sense of gratitude is very important to success, well being, sense of peace, contentment , appreciation, and happiness.

October tool of the month -Ceramic knife

Ceramic knives are the tool of the month . I don't know why but, they are so much better to cut with then anything else
I have ever tried. They make cutting easy , effortless and make preparing my vegan meals a joy .That is why have picked them as tool of the month for October. I bought my last one at Wal-mart for $15 . I haven't looked on Amazon.... They can be affordable. I'm sending a link of the first thing that poped up in a google search so, that I could show you an image of this tool of the month .http://www.cutleryandmore.com/kyocera-revolution/white-blade-ceramic-mini-santoku-knife-p120580?gclid=CjwKEAjwkrmhBRD49Mbm_MvruWsSJAAEDt136F4v-XW13dknqwy3WIB9VQtSVuimS8kyqW_9DDdGnBoCu2Pw_wcB

November's Tool of the month - An art Journal

An art journal can be an old book with pages glued together, a sketchbook, a homemade book whatever works though, I recommend something that will support both wet and dry media . There aren't any rules in art journaling . It is a combination of right and left brain energies. You can paint,draw,scribble, collage,journal,write poems , do self help exercises ,put together lists etc.and please do combine ! 

I have chosen this as November's tool of the month for a few reasons

1. It's a super tool and it needed a month . lol 
2. It's geting colder and this is less portable journaling than a regular journal so, why not - It's getting colder people are less likely to want to journal under trees outside now at least where I live. 
3. It's the start of a busy season for many people and with art journaling you are in control , you can quickly document occurrences , moods, your days if you need to or choose to and often have the page gain more than if you were not working in mixed media. The combination is key . 
4. We need our own space and privacy somewhere to work through things and assimulate and an art journal provides that .

December's Tool Of The Month - A Big Soup Pot!

Because, Who doesn't love a delicious soup in the Winter ? Here are a few recipes for delicious vegan soups .
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.481896331864201&type=1 - Corn Chowder


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.389298731123962&type=1 - Cabbage lentil


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.396939280359907&type=1 - Vibrant veggie

 If these links fail Join the group and find these and a bunch more recipes ! click here or copy and paste this link
https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthyveganrecipesplusproductreviews/
Be
Well ! 

Albany Vegfest 2014

My experience at Vegfest - Albany N.Y. 2014 

( I'm promoting Vegfests everywhere in this blog . I hope none of them let me down ! )

  On Nov. 15th , 2014 I went to Vegfest in Albany , Ny . It was wonderful and I had the added great joy of being accompanied by my boyfriend and my mom . She became vegan April 1st 2014 and this was her first Vegfest !:)
  One of the first things I noticed when we got there , to my delighted surprise was that the Vegan Zombie's had a booth - They were there!
  I'm going to back up slightly before I get into that though.Although we thought we were going to be late we were not. We waited outside in line briefly and then were let in and greeted with a gift bag and raffle tickets. There were some great raffle prizes up there including, among other things a huge bag of vegan dog food, the vegan zombie's cookbook , and a World Peace Diet pack . I know none of us won the first or second drawings but, whether we won the third and final or not I will likely never know as we lingered after a speaker and didn't get around to checking until after the last which was a cooking demo by the Vegan Black Metal Chef - That guy sure seems to  love seiten ! Anyways..The vendors and raffle table had packed up .

This is a photo of me with my mom soon after we first entered the vendor room and I saw Jon and Chris .... of the vegan zombies .


By the way, these guys were so down to Earth and cool .. You'd think that they don't know they are youtube celebrities . Seriously, it was like meeting a couple people while sitting at the same coffee shop . Some really attractive ones ! Let's see them again ; p ptthhh..

Alright enough about my crushes .

The Speakers were great ! I was glad to see that they were all scheduled in such a way as to allow us to listen to them all rather than overlapping . Okay, So, they did have other speakers / demos in the vendor room about yoga and such, which is cool and interesting but, It's Vegfest and I was there for the speakers talking vegan topics - Animals,environment, Agag bs, human physiology and health .
So, we recieved great lectures on all of that . On animals - blank of Farm Sanctuary spoke . Environment I got a repeat lecture from ..blank who I heard speak t North Hampton's Vegfest last March . aggag was - blank - Dr. blank did the human physiology/ health talk which was fascinating ! I learned some cool stuff ! Did you know humans.....
And, I'm glad Jon , Chris, Sara(h) and the rest of the vendors had some tasty mind food to entertain them during our chosen lectures too !
 The vendors had a lot to offer as well as the speakers . There was a WHOLE lot of food! Clothing , (we got a vegan winter hat - It says vegan on it .) See - Photo .

. vendor name .

and there were tables of great causes to check out and get involved in at many a level - leaflets to pass around check . a poem written by a cop about horse abuse in horse racing check . Smiles and waves and greetings from familiar faces from other Vegfests - Mercy for Animals lady ..plus a couple others.Check . And The black metal chef was there. So, I said hi and we made small talk. Then he tried to drag me away ! Lol

Thanks for a blast all warm hearts who were there. It's so special to be able to gather into that high vibrational scene . I hope to see you next year! If you've never been to one and just read this I hope you will treat yourself to that wonderful celebratory experience of life, love, unity, abundance , and awareness !
Be Well !

Answers to Forks Over Knives Quiz

Answers to Forks Over Knives Quiz 

1.) Consumed dietary cholesterol ( from animal products) that collects , builds up in the arteries and forms a plaque.

2.) 18

3.) 1973

4.) High fructose corn syrup

5.) Unnaturally dense foods

6.) 367

7.) 1990

8.) 94,000

9.) " The most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease."

10.) The absolute life jackets of our blood vessels

11.) 25%

12.) Hip fractures

13.) Hip fractures

14.) metabolic acidosis

15.) United States Department of Agriculture

16.) A farmer's advocacy organization

17.) 14 years

18.) Yes

19.) Smaller Newer

20.) 52%

21.) Marker of inflammation in the heart and blood vessels

Forks Over Knives Quiz ( Feel free to print - Great to use with movie )

Forks Over Knives Quiz 

1.) What's the major cause of coronary artery disease?

2.) In 1958, In the entire country of Japan how many autopsy proven deaths were there from cancer of the prostate?

3.) What year was a farm subsidy bill that encouraged a massive increase in corn production passed by congress?

4.) What was a major by-product of this ?

5.) According to Douglas Lisle the consumption of what is the main cause for the epidemic of obesity in America?

6.) How many diet and health related variables did the China Study project consider?
7.) What year was the China Study published?

8.) The China Study identified no less than _________connections between diet and disease?

9.) What does the New York Times call the China Study ?

10.) What does Dr. Estylsten call endothelial cells?

11.) In what % of cases is sudden death the 1st and only symptom of coronary artery disease?

12.)Nations with the highest levels of calcium intake tend to also have the highest levels of what ?

13.) What is a key indicator for osteoporosis?

14.) Animal protein creates an acid-like condition in the body . What's it called?

15.) What is the key agency that sets nutritional guidelines for Americans?

16.) What does Dr. Pam Popper say the United States Department of Agriculture is?

17.) How many years was Ruth Heidrich a marathon runner before she was diagnosed with cancer?

18.) Do the food choices we make have profound global effects?

19.) Are most heart attacks caused by large old plaque build ups in the arteries or smaller newer blockages?

20.) What % of firefighter deaths were from heart disease a year before the movie was made?

21.) What is CRP?