21-Day Vegan Re-start Day 3 - A hit!

Day 3 of our 21-Day Vegan Re-start:

Breakfast:  Old-Fashioned oats, organic unsweetened West Soy soymilk, cubed raw mango pieces, a little organic evaporated cane juice for extra sweetness.  Oats are my day-to-day standby breakfast of choice because you can add so many different things to it to make it taste different.  

Lunch:  Baked potato at a restaurant with sautéed mushrooms.  Unfortunately, I cheated today and had butter, sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese on the potato as well.  That's ok, I'll jump right back onto my vegan eating plan and forgive myself for eating some animal-derived products.  I believe there are degrees of success.  For me, eating food products that come FROM an animal that you don't have to actually kill the poor animal to obtain fits better with the yogic philosophy of Ahimsa (to cause no harm, nonviolence towards all living beings including animals), than to eat actual meat.

Dinner:  I took pity upon Fred, and made something for dinner that I knew he would love!   I added some Wholly Guacamole single serve (1/2 tub for each of us) on top.

Blue Corn Chip Salad - 21day Vegan Kickstart

Serves 2

4 cups baked blue corn chips (other colored corn chips can be substituted)

1 small head red-leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

16 ounces cooked black beans, rinsed

1 cup salsa

3 roasted red peppers, sliced into strips about 2" long by 1/2" thick

1 Roma tomato, diced

Options: 1/4 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

Place the corn chips on the plates first, followed by the lettuce, then the beans, then the tomatoes, then the salsa, and top it off with the sliced roasted red peppers.

Options: If you add pepitas, make them the final ingredients you place on the salad.

Per serving:

• Calories: 380
• Fat: 5.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Calories from Fat: 12.1
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 11.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 75.7 g
• Sugar: 18 g
• Fiber: 11.4 g
• Sodium: 1182 mg
• Calcium: 111 mg
• Iron: 6.2 mg
• Vitamin C: 304 mg
• Beta Carotene: 9900 mcg
• Vitamin E: 5.9 mg

Source:21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jason Wyrick of the Vegan Culinary Experience.

Namaste'
Carrie

21-Day Vegan Re-Kickstart - Day 2

Day 2 of our Vegan Re-Kickstart:

Breakfast was super easy!  Mesa Sunrise Cereal by Nature's Path with a sliced banana and a tablespoon of hemp seeds.  I love the taste of this cereal plus it's organic and gluten-free!  Hemp seeds are soooo good for you.   Seeds of the plant cannabis sativa, hemp seed, contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect a ratio to meet human nutritional needs.  Plus, they taste good!  They have a mild nutty taste even though they are seeds.

Lunch was also an easy task - leftover Amy's Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup and a cup of leftover Couscous Confetti Salad.

Dinner today was Hoppin' John Salad and Kwick Kale.  

HOPPIN’ JOHN SALAD - (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Makes about 10 1/2-cup servings or 5 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, or 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup finely sliced green onions

1 tomato, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Directions:

Combine black-eyed peas, rice, green onions, tomato, and parsley in a mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, oil, salt, and garlic and pour over the salad.  Toss gently.  Chill 1 to 2 hours if time permits.

Nutrition:

Per 1/2-cup serving

• Calories: 91
• Fat: 1.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 18.5%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 3.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
• Sugar: 1.3 g
• Fiber: 3.6 g
• Sodium: 68 mg
• Calcium: 20 mg
• Iron: 1.2 mg
• Vitamin C: 5.4 mg
• Beta Carotene: 137 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.4 mg

Source: Turn Off the Fat Genes by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond M.S., R.D.

HaHa!  This picture kind of looks like a quirky smiley face!  Fred was not smiling too much when I served him this for dinner.  I could have sworn that he liked this the last time I made it.  Not so much this time - in fact he said he had to force himself to eat it.  I on the other hand, loved the lemony, vinegary taste of the bean salad.  So, I guess I will have to retire this recipe unless I want to eat it all myself.  

Namaste'
Carrie

21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program - Day 1

Happy 2014!!  I hope that this New Year will bring wonderful things to everyone!

Have you made any New Years' Resolutions?  I no longer make "official" resolutions.  I do like to think about what is really important to me at this point in time and recommit to making time for those things.  One of those important things is healthy eating.  So, just like we did in 2011 when we first adopted a vegan lifestyle, we are jumpstarting or kickstarting our eating plan again using PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan.  Over the past year in particular, we have not been as diligent in eating a totally vegan menu.  It is very difficult when eating out or visiting family to completely avoid ALL animal products (i.e. milk, butter, eggs, cheese).  So rather than making a big fuss about it, and trying to avoid making others uncomfortable with our choices, we have eaten in more of a vegetarian style than vegan.  I will still not knowingly eat any meat, poultry, or fish.

Today is the first day of the program, and I am actually picking and choosing recipes from former and current programs.  For lunch today, we had Couscous Confetti Salad and seasoned Black-eyed Peas (in honor of New Years' Day traditions!)  

Couscous Confetti Salad

Makes about 8 1-cup servings

Couscous is pasta from northern Africa that cooks almost instantly and makes a beautiful and flavorful salad. Whole-wheat couscous is sold in natural food stores and some supermarkets.

1 ¹/₂ cups dry whole-wheat couscous
2 cups boiling water
3 - 4 green onions, finely chopped, including tops (I left out)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 - 2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
¹/₂ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I used about 1 T. dried parsley)
¹/₂ cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots (I left this out)
1 juice of 1 lemon
¹/₄ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons salt 

In a large bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover and let stand until all the water has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Add green onions, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, parsley, and raisins or apricots.

In a small bowl mix lemon juice, vinegar, oil, curry powder, and salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Per 1-cup serving

• Calories: 194
• Fat: 2.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 9.8%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 5.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 40.2 g
• Sugar: 10 g
• Fiber: 4.2 g
• Sodium: 283 mg
• Calcium: 33 mg
• Iron: 1.1 mg
• Vitamin C: 40.9 mg
• Beta Carotene: 1157 mcg
• Vitamin E: 0.7 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Tonight we will have one of our favorite's - Southern Beans and Greens, which I have written about here:  Southern Beans and Greens.

Namaste'
Carrie

Hello all my Yogi and Yogini friends!  Remember to take time out for your Yoga practice - there's nothing like some Yoga to help center yourself during all the madness of shopping and travel during the holidays.

Remember there will be no Yoga class at Metfield in Bella Vista on Dec 24, 26 or 31.  Also, no SilverSneakers YogaStretch on Dec. 23 or 28th.  There WILL be YogaStretch at Branchwood on Dec. 30th, thanks to Peg Corcoran, who will be subbing for me.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Yoga Opportunities in Bella Vista

I love teaching Yoga!  There are many opportunities to take a variety of Yoga classes in Bella Vista, Arkansas.  Check out this link:  Bella Vista Yoga.

News >From Recreation Manager Clem Morgan Thursday, October 17, 2013 -

Yoga class, anyone? Bella Vista Village's Recreation Division offers yoga in the morning, afternoon and evening! SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch, also referred to as chair yoga, is offered at the Branchwood Recreation Center at 9 a.m. each Monday and Saturday. The class is taught by Carrie Ridgeway. The cost is $3.50 per class or $30 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. The class is free to SilverSneakers Members. The Branchwood daily facility fee or a monthly or annual fitness pass is also required. SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch is offered at Riordan Hall at 8:30 a.m. each Monday and Wednesday. Instructors are Nancy Keesling and Carolan Weaver. The class is free to SilverSneakers members. The cost for non-SilverSneakers members is $2.50 per class. Additionally, non-SilverSneakers members are required to have a current photo identification card issued by the Property Owners Association or pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25. SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch will move your whole body through a complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of seated and standing postures designed to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement. Restorative breathing exercises and final relaxation will promote stress reduction and mental clarity. Yoga for Active Adults is offered at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Metfield Clubhouse. Instructor Carrie Ridgeway leads the class. The cost is $3 per class or $25 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. Participants without a current POA-issued photo identification card will be required to pay the Metfield facility fee of $2.25 per class. Yoga for Active Adults is also being offered at the Branchwood Recreation Center at 4 p.m. each Wednesday through Nov. 13. The class is led by Carrie Ridgeway. Robin Smith will offer Yoga for Active Adults at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, beginning Nov. 19. The cost is $3.50 per class or $30 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. The Branchwood daily facility fee or a monthly or annual fitness pass is also required. Yoga for Active Adults classes offer a flowing style of Hatha Yoga that helps create core strength and increase flexibility and balance. Poses flow one into the other linked with the breath. The class is suitable for students of all experience levels. Students should bring a yoga mat. Other optional accessories include a yoga strap, yoga block and a blanket or cushion. Evening Yoga, led by Maureen Neagle, is available at 6 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday at Riordan Hall. The cost is $3.50 for one class or $36 for a punch card, which is valid for 12 classes. Participants without a current POA-issued photo identification card will be required to pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25 per class. Yoga classes are also offered at 9 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at Riordan Hall. Instructors Maureen Neagle or Carolan Weaver lead the class. Bring your own yoga mat! The classes are free with a current POA-issued photo identification card. Those without a photo identification card will be required to pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25. So grab your friends, visit one of our three recreation facilities and enjoy an hour of stress-relieving yoga exercises.

Gong Relaxation Anyone?

Last Saturday, I attended my second "Gong Relaxation" at It'z OK Yoga Studio.  If you want to experience a deeply relaxing, meditative state, attend one or more of these sessions with Pat Talbot.

So what is gong relaxation?  The gong (example below): 

is an ancient instrument.  The healing vibrations it produces have been used around the world. Listeners can benefit in many ways, including stilling the mind and strengthening the nervous system to effectively deal with daily, stressful situations.  All participants need to do is relax comfortably on their mats and breath deeply to experience sound healing.   Here's a link to a really informative website about gong therapy:  Gong Sound Healing.

The sessions at It'z OK Yoga studio usually last for an hour and a half.  The first few minutes are spent in focusing on our breathing and some gentle stretching that helps the nervous system to prepare for the sound vibration.  Then participants relax stretched out on our mats in Shivasana (final relaxation pose) with eye pillows (often scented with lavendar) and absorb the sound of the gong for the next 45 minutes.  I had no idea what the gong would sound like - actually I thought it would be very quiet.  In reality, it can be quiet and then build to a fairly loud sound.  Each sound vibration merges into the next.  It's a really cool sound!  At first, there is the tendency to fidget on your mat, and for the mind to flit from one thought to the next, but then things settle down and that's when the relaxation starts.   At the end, we spend a few minutes enjoying our feelings of relaxation and well-being while sipping on some delicious Yogi Tea, homemade by Pat, while talking amongst ourselves.

Each time you experience a gonging session, you may have a different experience.  The first time I went, I had no trouble at all letting go of the thoughts jumping here and there, and truly relaxing.  Towards the end, I had a sensation of a warm blanket gently covering my body - but there was no blanket there.  This last time, I felt a lot of involuntary muscle twitching and jerking going on.  Some say this is a sign of your body letting go of some concern or worry.  I have to agree, that this was exactly what was happening as I had gone through two medical tests in the two weeks before, which had turned out to be fine.  My intention that I had set at the beginning of the gong session was gratitude for health, so, now I feel like I've totally let go of the worry and LIFE IS GOOD!!  

If you are interested in going with me to a gong relaxation, let me know.  The next one is Saturday, October 19th at 3 pm.  (I probably won't make it to this one as it is Craft Fair Weekend).  Then another on Sunday, October 27th at 3 pm.

Chickpea Crockpot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Just made a new vegan recipe today in the crockpot.  It turned out very nicely, although my prep time took a good bit longer than the 10 minutes noted in the recipe!!  New recipes always take longer to make, as I keep re-reading the ingredients and directions to make sure I'm not missing anything.  Still, that doesn't stop me from making some often-times disastrous mistakes!

If you are interested, here is the link to the recipe:  Chickpea Crockpot Pie with Biscuit Topping.  I changed a few things, as usual - no celery (Fred is not a fan), and subbed frozen corn for the green peas.  Probably could have added frozen green beans, but I didn't have any.  Oh, well.

Banned Book Week September 22-28

September 22-28 is the American Library Association's Annual Banned Book week.  Join me and others in challenging our immensely important right to intellectual freedom to read what we choose to read.

To quote the ALA website:   "The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them."

So, what are some titles that have been banned or challenged at one time or another?  How about:

Here are some lists to help you choose your next "banned" book to read:

100 Most Frequently Challenged Books 1990-1999

100 Most Frequently Challenged Books 2000-2009

According to my reading records, I have read 30 books from the Banned Book Lists.  I would have to say there was only one title I could not finish - "Naked Lunch".   Also, of these books, there were only seven that I rated below a "4" on a scale of 1-5, with a rating of  "5" meaning "It was amazing!".  

Happy Reading!!

Recent New Recipes

This past week I tried several new recipes.  Some were keepers, some were not so hot, or were not worth the long preparation time.

The non-keeper of the week was for Red Quinoa and Sweet Potato Croquettes.  I had made another flop of a recipe with red quinoa previously, and had frozen the leftover quinoa, so I thought this would be a great way to use the leftovers.  Well, these little "burgers" were lacking in flavor, and took WAY too long to prepare, even though my quinoa was already cooked.

The first keeper recipe was Polenta and Beans from FitSugar.

This was very tasty, even though my polenta rounds didn't get as crispy as these in the author's picture. I really liked that this recipe came together very quickly.

The second keeper recipe was a conglomeration of several recipes for Spanakoritzo - Greek Spinach with Rice.  My recipe was closest to the one on this website:  White Hot Oven.  The changes I made were that I used white basmati rice instead of long grain white rice; added a green onion, chopped, added 1/2 tsp dried dill weed, and used a 5.6 oz package of organic baby spinach; did not use any lemon juice. This was delicious!  If you wanted to lower the carb content, you could use half as much rice as called for.  

The last new recipe was for Key Lime Ice "Cream" from this website:  Laura's Gluten Free Pantry.  As usual, I made a few changes - for one of the cans of coconut milk, I used Lite Coconut Milk.  Since I couldn't find Key Limes, I used 2 large regular limes.  Now, Fred didn't like this as much as I did - only because he's not a fan of tart things.  I thought it was fabulous!

September is National Yoga Month

The month of September is National Yoga Month!  Yah!!!  If you've never tried yoga, maybe this is the month for you.

Yoga has become very popular in Northwest Arkansas, and I'm happy to be a part of this movement.  It has now been about a year since I first tried yoga, and was hooked immediately.  So much so, that I started taking classes towards my Yoga Alliance 200-Hr RYT designation.  After becoming "certified" in Yoga and Indoor Cycling through Fitour, I chose YogaFit as my training source for continued yoga study.  YogaFit allows me to spread my training out over time, which allows me to practice what I learn at each training, building proficiency, and not forcing my body to do things that, at age 53, may be more challenging than to a 20-something body.  Another benefit of taking longer to achieve the 200-Hr designation is I can spread out the cost of training.  Since starting with YogaFit in January 2013, I have now completed four of the eleven classes required for the 200-Hr RYT designation.

If you are looking to try yoga, the Bella Vista POA offers classes at Branchwood, Riordan Hall, and Metfield (beginning Sept 10!).  You can go to the Bella Vista POA website under "Recreation", then click on the clubhouse you are interested in to find classes and times.   There are also a number of studios and gyms in Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville where you can practice yoga.

One can always practice at home too!  The beauty of home practice is you choose the time.  There a tons of free yoga classes on the Internet and on YouTube in particular.  One of my favorites on YouTube is  Dr. Melissa West.  She has beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes and all kinds in between.  A neat iPhone app I found is Yogify.  This app has several free classes, and you can choose to buy more at a reasonable cost.

Bottom line, the key to maintaining a regular practice is finding a time, a location, a price, and a style that you enjoy.

Peace and Namaste'
Carrie