Picture of Success

Photo

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:38:45 -0400

destinedtobe-me: Banana Nut French Toast

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:32:34 -0400

destinedtobe-me:

Banana Nut French Toast

not-a-robbery: a little note

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:32:20 -0400

not-a-robbery:

a little note

Photo

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:31:52 -0400

living-it-and-changing-it: reclusivesouls: omg wow this is...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:28:05 -0400

living-it-and-changing-it:

reclusivesouls:

omg wow

this is truly amazing.

These are #healthy. And #easy. And #delicious.

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:03:04 -0400

These are #healthy. And #easy. And #delicious.

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:35:50 -0400

These are #healthy. And #easy. And #delicious.

Okay, okay! I’ll start shredding again…

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:56:10 -0400

Okay, okay! I’ll start shredding again…

Summer Avocado Toast (VEGAN)

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:00:00 -0400

Quick! Make this before it’s too late!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups tomatoes
1 avocado, diced
1/4 large purple onion, diced
2/3 cup fresh corn, sliced off the cob
1/4 cup basil, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar reduction (buy it in the store or make your own, it’s so easy!)
4 pieces of good, hearty, whole-grain bread, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, gently stir together the tomatoes, avocado, purple onions, corn, and basil. Add just enough salt to flavor the concoction well. Spoon generously over pieces of toast. Top with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. ENJOY!

Homemade gluten-free #strawberry rhubarb crisp. (Taken with...

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:05:06 -0400

Homemade gluten-free #strawberry rhubarb crisp. (Taken with Instagram)

"A study in the Internal Medicine found that people who eat five servings of chocolate a week were up..."

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:13:30 -0400

“A study in the Internal Medicine found that people who eat five servings of chocolate a week were up to 7 pounds slimmer than abstainers.”

- Self Magazine

#vegan #BLT with #avocado and #sprouts. Surprisingly,...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:13:10 -0400

#vegan #BLT with #avocado and #sprouts. Surprisingly, #veganbacon isn’t half bad! (Taken with Instagram)

Made my first #originalrecipe today inspired by a special we had...

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:15:00 -0400

Made my first #originalrecipe today inspired by a special we had at the brew. Picture doesn’t do it justice. (Taken with Instagram)

Coconut-Curry Chickpea Quinoa Pineapple Burgers (VEGAN)

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:46:00 -0400

I could rant and rave about this recipe from Cheeky Kitchen until the cows come home, but all I’m going to say is out of the numerous vegan recipes I have tried this year, this one is hands down my favorite. Try it, you’ll know what I mean.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (recipe just says curry, I don’t know if it’s the same thing, but the powder worked fine for me.)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (I could not locate this in the grocery store and just threw in some extra spices and it was fine, but if you have it, it might be better!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Goya Adobo Seasoning (or onion salt)
1/4 cup fresh chives or scallions, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 slices fresh pineapple
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
1/4 cup Vegenaise
lime zest
pepper
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
4 teaspoons Earth Balance butter
lettuce

DIRECTIONS:

Place the chickpeas, coconut milk, curry, garam masala, adobo seasoning, and garlic powder in a Vitamix or food processor. Pulse until pureed.
In a large bowl combine the mixture with the chives, Quinoa, and panko crumbs. Form into 4 patties.
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and a bit of sesame oil. Pan fry patties until golden brown on each side. Then set aside the patties and grill the pineapple until golden brown grill lines appear on each side of the fruit.
Butter the inside halves of the hamburger buns with Earth Balance butter. Bake, buttered sides up, in an oven preheated to 400 degrees until the butter is melted and the buns are toasty.
In a small bowl, stir together the lime zest, pepper, and Vegenaise.
Serve the Chickpea burgers topped with grilled pineapple, your flavored Vegenaise, and a bit of lettuce on top of of your burger buns.

IDA BLOG: Good News for Vegetarians, Vegans, and Animal Lovers Alike!

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 09:26:59 -0400

Think being vegan is just a symbolic gesture, and that someone else will be eating the meat you are not? Think again. The last ten years has seen a steady decline in the consumption of meat and eggs in the U.S., according to a study using data compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Center for Health Statistics, the United Nations and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Beef consumption has been in a downward spiral for 20 years – the national beef cattle herd is now smaller than it has been in any year since 1962. Chicken and pork production has also slumped in the last five to ten years, and the USDA predicts another dip in meat and poultry consumption for 2012.

U.S. meat consumption reached its highest point in 2004, when we ate an average 184 pounds of meat per person. That fell to 171 pounds in 2011. With the USDA’s estimated further reduction to 166 pounds in 2012, that will be a 10% dip over an eight-year period. This is a significant drop. And there’s more good news for animals – people don’t seem to be replacing meat with eggs. Egg consumption decreased by about a dozen eggs per person, per year, since 2006.

So how does this translate into lives saved? In just one year, between 2010 and 2011, there were 1 million fewer cows slaughtered, 5 million fewer pigs slaughtered, and 240 million fewer chickens slaughtered. Between 2005 and 2011, there were 725 million fewer animals killed for their flesh.

The number of animals slaughtered is in decline and that is thanks to the vegans, vegetarians and flexiterians reducing and eliminating animal products from their diets. These lifestyle shifts are preventing lives of misery on factory farms and in slaughterhouses across the country.

The agricultural industry wants us to believe the decline is due to economic factors, which could play a part, but the dramatic reduction coincides with a mainstreaming of veganism, including undercover investigations in major media exposing the horrors of factory farms, key farm animal legislative initiatives gaining widespread attention, and celebrities, athletes and politicians adopting vegan diets.

Heatwaves call for minimal clothes and good books.

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:33:47 -0400

Heatwaves call for minimal clothes and good books.

Creamy Corn Chowder (VEGAN)

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:59:22 -0400

I made this hearty chowder during the winter months and never got around to posting it. I was going to just forget about it or wait until next fall/winter because I thought it was out of season for this time of year. The other day I was out at some restaurant and saw corn chowder on the menu, and realized that chowders can be great for summer too! I’ve never had un-vegan corn chowder so I can’t say how this compares, but I can tell you that it is absolutely delicious. It is however, one of the more difficult and time-consuming recipes I have tried, but if you’ve got the time and a hankerin’ for some healthy, vegan-friendly, hot soup, look no further!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Croutons -

1 loaf super crusty sourdough bread, cubed
nonstick olive oil cooking spray
GOYA Adobo seasoning (or salt & pepper)

For the Chowder -

1 tablespoon Earth Balance or olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
8 small red potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
5 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base
8 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight in water, if possible)
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 cups fresh or frozen white & yellow corn
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the croutons ahead of time by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the cubed bread generously with olive oil spray, then sprinkle with GOYA seasoning (Or salt and pepper). Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Use a spatula to flip halfway through the baking time for evenly golden browned croutons.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
Toss the diced onion into the pot and cook until softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, potatoes, and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Toss in the Better Than Bouillon and 6 cups of the vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are softened, about 8-12 minutes then turn the heat to low.
Meanwhile, toss the cashews and 1 cup of broth into your Vitamix, food processor, or blender and puree completely until creamy. Pour into your pot and stir to combine.
Whisk the remaining cup of broth with cornstarch. Stir quickly into your soup, add the corn, then bring the heat back up just until the soup is thickened.
Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with your homemade croutons.

Fresh Mozerella, Tomato, and Basil Sandwich

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:04:00 -0400

This sandwich is my new addiction. I couldn’t even wait to post this recipe until next time I have it so I can take a better picture. You’ll just have to trust me on this one. Obviously I like all the recipes I post, but you can tell I’m not lying about this because it’s not even that healthy! There’s just something about the simplicity and freshness of the ingredients that keeps me coming back for more. And more, and more (Seriously, I eat this at least once a week, I can’t help it!)

INGREDIENTS:

One loaf fresh French Batard
One large ripe tomato
One large ball fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh Basil
1-2 tbsp. Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice your bread into sandwich sections. Depending on the shape and size of your bread, you may get 3-4 sections. Do this however it is easiest for you, some fresh bread is crispier than others and harder to cut. This is always the hardest part for me.
Drizzle olive oil over both sides of bread.
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella so you have two slices of each per sandwich.
Place a layer of fresh basil on the bottom half of the bread, top with the two pieces of mozzarella. Place the two pieces of tomato on the top half of the bread.
Place both halves of bread on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until the cheese is slightly melted. I advise you just watch the sandwiches and see when they are to your liking, but don’t leave them in longer than 10 or so minutes or they will get soggy and impossible to eat.

ABC NEWS: Panera Cares, Other Eateries Tackle Hunger With 'Pay-What-You-Can' Plan

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:50:35 -0400

For years, Robert Dimmitt was a product designer for Ford. Three years ago, the 57-year-old Michigan man was laid off. He’s still looking for work.

This Thanksgiving, he volunteered at a Panera Cares cafe in exchange for a meal. He’s been donating his time there since March and he says he’s met many others just like him.

“Some of them even come to the management in tears and they are so hungry and the management helps them,” he said.

There are three Panera Cares Community cafes — one in Missouri, one in Michigan and another in Portland, Ore. They are the brainchild of Ron Shaich, the co-founder and executive chairman of Panera Bread and the president of the Panera Bread Foundation.

Each site serves 3,500 people every week. On a case-by-case basis, the cafe suggests to each patron how much they can afford.

“It’s just amazing to us. Many people questioned whether this would work,” Shaich told ABC News today. “We said that this was the right thing to do. It’s a pay-it-forward kind of thing.”

Jenny Bradley, who lives near Dearborn, Mich., said she found out about Panera Cares from a niece. Sometimes she can pay and other times she can’t.

“I come three to four times a week,” she said. “When I have a lot of money, I put extra money in, and when I can’t I’ll ask to see if it’s O.K. if I can pay later.”

Shaich said it was a “test of humanity.”

“Twenty percent of customers pay more than the suggested donation,” he said. “Sixty percent leave the suggested donation and 20 percent leave less, typically significantly less.”

He said it was Panera Bread’s way of giving back directly. “We have the skills to operate these cafes,” Shaich said today. “We operate 1,600 cafes around the United States. We have the capabilities to do this.”

At the Portland cafe, Jennifer Karsonengum paid full price for her meal and a little extra for the next person.

“Everybody can walk in the door and be served a meal and eat,” she said. “That’s becoming a luxury in this country.”

According to Feeding America, nearly 49 million men, women and children nationwide are considered “food insecure” — as many as 17 million of them are children.

Panera Bread’s mission is similar to that of One World Everybody Eats Foundation. Denise Cerreta says she opened the first pay-as-you-can restaurant eight years ago in Salt Lake City. Cerreta says her restaurant has served more than 215,000 meals.

And there are others: Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, N.J.; Cafe 180 in Englewood, Calif., which served 150 people in two hours on Thanksgiving; and Table Grace in Omaha, Neb., which serves 40 people every day.

MAD RECIPES COMING YOUR WAY, TUMBLR!

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:39:32 -0400