evalazza

Last week I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (it's on Netflix streaming btw.)

The movie was made by a 30-something Australian guy named Joe, who goes on a 60-day juice cleanse because he has a rare autoimmune disorder that causes painful skin outbreaks. Joe chronicles his own transformation, and along the way he takes a road trip across America to talk to people about their eating.

The film goes along about how you'd expect--greens good, Americans fat, blah blah blah. Until Joe met an overweight guy named Phil in a truck stop parking lot. They got to talking and it turned out that Phil also had this same very rare disease.

They talked for a while, struck by the coincidence, and Joe offered to help Phil out if he ever decided to eat healthier.

Two months later, Phil called.

They played the message that Phil left for Joe. It was such a raw plea for help. There was no ego, no attachment, just a request.

That has stuck with me.

What makes any of us get to the point where we are willing to make changes?

And who can help us with the changes we want to make?

Connection
For me, if a gregarious Australian had stopped me in a parking lot to talk to me about why I'm fat, I would have wanted to punch him in the face. I certainly wouldn't have agreed to talk on camera. That's just not me. So the means of connection has to be right.

Empathy
Phil could see himself in Joe, because they had the same disorder. If Joe could do this why couldn't Phil? No reason at all. Someone like Alicia Silverstone could never have had the same impact--as much as I love her, and I do, it's less inspiring to hear about how a skinny beautiful actress was able to go vegan and eat super-healthy expensive food. (Maybe that's just me.)

Verdict: Somewhat heavy-handed but overall an inspiring netflix watch.

System! Aha, maybe you didnt think there could be a system to movie watching! Oh but there is. This is definitely a system-behind-the-system kind of thing.

So, here's the thing about movies like this--I enjoy a great transformational story, I love feeling inspired. But also? I know that inspiration doesn't have to mean make-crazy-radical-changes-all-at-once. I'm learning to work with flashes of inspiration. I can use it to fuel systems that support me, know that it won't last forever, and that's okay.

I am seriously tired of the oppressive morality surrounding food and desire.

You know what? Every so often I like to eat giant cookies for breakfast. You know the ones I'm talking about, at the coffeeshop, roughly the size of your head?

This does not make me weak or evil, I'm not "being bad" and I am so freaking sick of that language around food choices.

So hey, how about this radical idea? How about instead of trying to make myself become someone who doesn't like to occasionally eat giant cookies for breakfast (and failing that again and again because I LIKE COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST SOMETIMES, I REALLY REALLY DO)...

How about I embrace the hell out of my cookie-eating, and make sure my giant cookies aren't filled with crap? How about I love myself enough to eat the highest quality, healthiest ginormous cookies I can?

Say it with me--Fuck Yeah, cookies for breakfast!

Okay, onto practicalities...

There are lots of bakeries in our neighborhood that offer vegan pastries, but they all seem to make up for the lack of eggs and butter by loading up on the sugar.

The best option we have found is a "vegan seed cookie" which does give the feeling of a big weekend treat without too much sugar, but a) is not all that tasty and b) is $3.50. $3.50! (I swear you add the word vegan to your average baked good and it doubles in price. I am onto you coffeeshop owners!)

Then there is the option of making cookies at home. This would be cheaper and more tasty, but honestly if I make a batch of cookies, then between the two of us we will eat the entire batch within 24 hours. Regardless of my feelings about restriction, that just Doesn't Feel Very Good.

Enter: Magical Giant Frozen Ginger Cookies!*

I got inspired to find a ginger cookie recipe after we had an amaaazing vegan ginger cookie at Cafe Yumm in Eugene, Oregon. (btw I would like for a Cafe Yumm franchise to open in my kitchen, please. More Yumm-inspired posts coming soon!)

System! The system here is that I keep the batter frozen in individual patties, so I don't eat them all at once, but they are ready to go in 10 minutes if we want a treat.

I wouldn't say these count as health food, but I consider them wayyy more loving choice than anything with refined sugar or animal products.

Also: I should tell you that they are not all that sweet. In my opinion the sweetness-level works perfectly with the lovely ginger spiciness, but my sweet-toothy husband says they are on the borderline of not being sweet enough. So if you want more sweetness, add some brown sugar, or another substitute sweetener. (PS it's really okay if you want more sweetness.)

Magical Giant (Vegan) Frozen Ginger Cookies
2 1/4 cups ww pastry flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt) and set aside.

Beat wet ingredients (brown rice syrup, oil, molasses, fresh ginger) together in a large bowl.

Slowly stir the dry mixture into the wet.

Form into cookie patties about 3.5" in diameter. This recipe makes about 7-8 cookies. (Yep, they're giiiiant, did I mention that? and they get even bigger when you cook 'em. You can make them smaller, just cook for less time.)

To serve: grab a cookie from the freezer, bake at 325 for 10 minutes on a greased cookie sheet (or use a silipat) and allow to cool before eating.

Enjoy with a big cup of coffee (or more healthy beverage of your choice) and a relaxing Saturday morning.

Investment payoff: 3-4 weeks worth of Saturday-cookies-for-breakfast for two, for one time making batter. Yeehaw! Take that, overpriced yuppie coffeeshops!

System-behind-the-System! Is there anything you treat yourself with that you feel bad about? Is there a way you could acknowledge that desire as legitimate? And once you feel okay with it, could you tweak it in any way so that it nourishes you better?

(download)

Click here to download:

what-s-for-dinner-vegan-burritos-eJxfczsEaGhIIptkibgh.zip (721 KB)

More investment cooking pays off! Last night we had: Black bean burritos, and a salad with homemade lemon tahini dressing.

System: I make a bunch and freeze most of them, this recipe makes about 24 burritos. We loooove these simple flavors, and they are super-satisfying!

Endless Vegan Burritos

Ingredients:

• 6 15-oz cans of beans (I use 5 black, 1 kidney, you could also use the equivalent amount of dried beans soaked overnight but I have to admit I don't yet grok the whole dry beans thing, mine always turn out crunchy!)
• 3 cups tomato purée (crushed tomatoes)
• 1 large onion
• 10 garlic cloves
• 6 tbsp olive oil (or more if needed)
• 6 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 24 8-inch vegan flour tortillas (whole foods makes a great red pepper tortilla with wholesome ingredients)

For garnish:
Salsa (someday I'm going to start making this from scratch but for now it's just store-bought fresh) and avocado slices

Directions:
Chop onion finely. Mince garlic. Sautee onion and garlic in the oil rge;">in a very large pot (like a dutch oven or similar) until soft. Add beans. Add tomato purée. Add cumin, salt, and pepper.

Assemble the burritos by spooning about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into each tortilla.

Freezing:
Freeze individually by laying them on a cookie sheet with wax paper. You can make a second layer with wax paper right on top of the first if you don't have oodles of freezer space (as I do not!) Cover with wax paper. Take them out the next day and wrap them in freezer bags according to how many you will use at a time. I put 4 in each packet (1 for my dinner, 2 for my husband's and 1 more to pack for his lunch the next day.)

Eating:
Defrost one packet by moving it to the fridge the night before dinner.

When it's time for dinner: Arrange the burritos in a baking pan, pour some salsa on top, and bake at 350. Serve with avocado slices and more salsa on top, with a salad (I'll talk salad! systems! in a future post).

Investment payoff: 6-10 really delicious and filling vegan meals, from one time cooking and assembling burritos. Systems baby!

I've been a fan of Bill Maher for years, though sometimes he is a bit much for me. I like him best when he is being wickedly clever, rather than outright mean.

And Dr. T. Colin Campbell is one of my heroes these days. (Have you read The China Study? You should. I am not normally bossy about such things but this is a book that Must Be Read.)

Anyway, Dr. Campbell on Bill Maher? I thought, this has got to be great. But alas it was awful. I don't know if it's because Bill Maher is making a joke out of the whole thing, or if Dr. Campbell just doesn't quite believe Bill is asking such basic questions. It is a define cringe fest.

But! I still can't wait to see Forks Over Knives! There was a showing in Seattle in the spring that's on their website but I don't see anywhere it's playing now. I might have to wait for the DVD. Bah!

(download)

Click here to download:

chai-oatmeal-bombs-InIjGDIoBAdccbzDfAki.zip (2.17 MB)

One of the things that drives me bonkers about cooking is the fact that it never! ends! Seriously, you make a meal, eat it, maybe have enough for some leftovers, and bam you have to do it all over again.

I try to keep my frustration to a minimum by doing what I call "investment cooking"--like investment banking but more delicious and healthy.

(Check out the Food Advocate who got me started with my system.)

Here's something I like to investment cook: the "chai oatmeal with soy milk" and berries that I had at Seattle's Portage Bay Cafe and decided I had to re-create at home.

Chai Oatmeal Bombs
(instructions for busy people who can't stand at the stove stirring for 30 minutes)

1. Boil 4 cups of water
2. Turn heat down to low
3. Throw in some chai tea bags (I like Tazo organic chai, or you might be super-awesome and have your own chai spice mix)
4. Add in 1 cup steel-cut oatmeal
5. Let everything brew for two minutes and remove the teabags.
6. Stir for a few minutes until oatmeal thickens (maybe 5-10 minutes) 
7. Then turn the heat off, you can leave the oatmeal on the stove for a few hours as it absorbs the water. Come back when you remember.

To assemble the bombs:
Spoon a serving of oatmeal and some frozen berries (I like a raspberry and blueberry mix) into a container (glass pint mason jars work well and are super cute in your fridge too.)

Makes about six oatmeal bombs. They will do just fine in the fridge for a few days, so this works well cooking for two (you can obvs also make more or less as needed.)

To serve: grab one out of the fridge, dump in a bowl and microwave. Add non-dairy milk of your choice or a banana or both or neither. It's all good.

Et voila! Six piping hot yummy oatmeal breakfasts for one time cooking oatmeal.

Investment cooking!

It turns out there's a space in my online life. In between the deeper long posts to my blog, and the 140 characters on twitter.

Let's see if i have something to say here. I like the lightweight, immediate feel of this space. I think I will use it to explore my current obsession: all things vegan, green and sustainable. Plus cute baby pictures of course :)