Vegan/Vegetarian Thread (discussion, recipes, laughs)

[Dominique]

Jennifer, (hello)

I happened to have had a pretty powerful blender. I never bought a *juicer* I've been tempted, but always say, Why? my blender works just fine.

I started doing this just with good yogurt, the banannas that I prepeel and freeze (whey) but you don't have to as Linus explained. One day, I was out of whey, so I dumped cottage cheese in. Loved it. Next time I made that, I tossed in flax seeds. Tasted no different (but I knew flax seed was good) One day I became brave, and used the bananna, yogurt, some ice cubes, and flax seeds and bagged baby spinach. (i tore the stems off, but that's just me) It was great!

Celery, as I was trying to explain...can be stringy, so I try to pull the strings when I break a piece then dice up celery I am going to use so the blender will puliverize it and there won't be strings. This was how it all began for me. It's basically smoothies with some greens.

I am very lucky, In my shopping district, there is an oriental market. I get some things there. I also have picked up goodies at some of the super sized GNC's and then there is old faithful, the internet. If you have a whole paycheck store (whole foods) you can ask around in there, half of the staff at my local whole paycheck are raw dieters or juicers. They'll make some suggestions to you. I didn't stock the house in one shopping trip. I've been on my *raw* and juicing journey for years. So I have goodies to add. My refridgerator and freezer are stocked with some strange items. Just do what works for you. Live food makes you feel pretty darn good, but I still crave cookies

Now, Some veggies don't all break down....beets, carrotts, thats why I suggested the paint strainer bags at home depot. I personally don't like chunky juice. So I dump it into a paint strainer bag and squeeze the juice out. It's just one more step....but worth it...(but thats down the road, first get used to a simple green juice) It's worth repeating this part. If you find you are choking (gagging) these drinks, juicing may not be for you. Eating raw has the same benifits. Juicing is alot faster, and your body will metabolize it much quicker. Do not ever eat bread while juicing or eating raw.......your stomache will ache.

Feel very free to ask us any questions, thats what this thread is for. I'm sure we all go about it a little differently.

[Greco]

This am before heading out had green juicy juice:

dandelion
cilantro
kale
celery lots of celery
and a newbie
leeks

and about one half H2O to dilute
believe me you want to dilute these
green drinks or you'll fly off like a
rocket!

the leek was new and its powerful
next time will use a half of a half

so my run was exciting being fueled by
such potent Natue

I froze half and drank the other half
before heading out

green smoothie on return:

2 bananas
soy milk
H2O
green veggie powder
berry powder
flax oil great for hair
and skin too
Vit C 5,000mg
milk thistle
Vit D3

and I have to say it is delicious
feels comforting and soothing
after my long run this morning

thinking about many things
syncronicities, watching elders
walking fast, some jogging
still loving themselves enough
to enjoy moving their bodies
with activities they obviously
love it was 6 am on a Sunday
morning

I feel so delighted when I see
people that are living fully
vitally you can see the peace
in their eyes perhaps they
can see mine too

Yes it was a great run

Have a great Sunday, Greco

[nycfem]

morning, greco! your post was like a poem, wonderful to read!

what is the vitamin D3 for? and when you mention vitamins, are these in powder form?

[Greco]

Yes the Vit C is in powder form organic, strawberry flavored
I often have it just in H2O

D3 is the vit our bodies make naturally with the Sun but its
been so gray lately that I wanted to ensure I was still
getting it. With 15-30 mins in Sunlight in our face and arms
we make it naturally course I would recommend that in the
morning or after the Sun passes Noon where you live

enjoy your Sunday, Greco

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

morning, greco! your post was like a poem, wonderful to read!

what is the vitamin D3 for? and when you mention vitamins, are these in powder form?

[Dominique]

If I may jump in here. A good multi vitamin should be all you need, unless you know you are in need of a little more help. You pee vitamins out. The best way to get vitamins is through food.

I know I am a high enery endorphine junkie. Endorphines can be positive or negative. (positive for me, because I'm so vain) so the B family is essential. (supplemental)

D-3 is a nice helper in areas that do not get sunshine frequently and especially in the winter (i/e seasonal depression). People who use total sun block may want to consider taking a d-3 supplement, similar to how plants need water and sunshine for osmosis, so does the human body.

I take GNC's womens ultra mega, and have since the beginning of time. But I recently read an article that rated centrum and Targets' Up and Up brand very high. Huge difference in the price too. I'm considering changing.

Redundant, try to get your vitamins from food. One orange is a third of your vitamin c requirement. In fact, mandarin oranges (the smaller ones)
one of those is half. Please do not drink store bought juice. Loaded with sugar. Eat the fruit instead.

[Dominique]

I was thinking about this while I was the baseball game, why didn't I say this.....

Because you pee out your vitamins....I take mine at night. I don't usually get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so the few vitamins that I may take, get a chance to be absorbed longer......

ok, thats all for now.

[DapperButch]

Ok, so I haven't read through this thread at all, so if there is another recipe posted, I don't know about it.

tf made this this weekend and it is freakin' fantastic. The best greek yogurt I have tasted. I added a teaspoon of Smuckers Red Raspberry Jam and it is perfect (but, if you like plain yogurt, it was great, as is!). She used cow's milk.

It is from kitchendaily.com

Homemade yogurt requires surprisingly little prep and keeps in the fridge for a month.

Ingredients:
1 quart(s) whole goat's, sheep's or cow's milk
2 tablespoon(s) plain full-fat yogurt, with live active cultures

Serves: 8

Directions:
1. Spoon 2 tablespoons of milk into a bowl and stir in the yogurt.

2. In a saucepan, bring the remaining milk to a boil. Let stand off the heat without stirring, until it registers 100° on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes; a skin will form on the surface.

3. Using a table knife, make a small opening in the skin and carefully pour the yogurt mixture into the milk in the saucepan. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel and transfer to an oven. Turn the light on and close the oven door. Let stand for 16 hours.

4. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, lift off the skin and discard it. Carefully ladle the yogurt into a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth and refrigerate until much of the whey is drained and the yogurt is thick, at least 4 hours. Transfer the yogurt to a bowl and serve.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

morning, greco! your post was like a poem, wonderful to read!

what is the vitamin D3 for? and when you mention vitamins, are these in powder form?

Besides what greco and Yellow band said about Vit D, it also helps your body absorb calcium. That is why many calcium tablets come with D now.

Originally Posted by Yellow band

If I may jump in here. A good multi vitamin should be all you need, unless you know you are in need of a little more help. You pee vitamins out. The best way to get vitamins is through food.

I know I am a high enery endorphine junkie. Endorphines can be positive or negative. (positive for me, because I'm so vain) so the B family is essential. (supplemental)

D-3 is a nice helper in areas that do not get sunshine frequently and especially in the winter (i/e seasonal depression). People who use total sun block may want to consider taking a d-3 supplement, similar to how plants need water and sunshine for osmosis, so does the human body.

I take GNC's womens ultra mega, and have since the beginning of time. But I recently read an article that rated centrum and Targets' Up and Up brand very high. Huge difference in the price too. I'm considering changing.

Redundant, try to get your vitamins from food. One orange is a third of your vitamin c requirement. In fact, mandarin oranges (the smaller ones)
one of those is half. Please do not drink store bought juice. Loaded with sugar. Eat the fruit instead.

When I was on chemo this winter I took B complex to help with my immune system. As some of you might not know, chemo really knocks down the immune system. I did not have one single sniffle this winter even with being in a small office 9 hours a day and with the door shut with people who had colds and other illnesses, at any given time.

The brand that I used was through Shaklee. I chose this brand due to reading about the B vitamins that are supposedly best for the immune system per this book I was reading on cancer). Shaklee was the first comany that I found that had all of the B Vitamins suggested in one pill. The good thing about B Vitamins is that they are excreted through urine, so you don't need to worry about taking too much of any one B Vitamin.

Hope it is ok I am jumping in on this discussion.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Hope it is ok I am jumping in on this discussion.

Absolutely! We learn from one another. Thanks for *jumping in*.

I'm going to try the yogurt suggestion! Essentially, it's growing your own....live cultures are the key.