Welcome!

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Welcome to my blog about being vegan. If you're new to the vegan lifestyle, are still considering the transition, or just curious, take a look at the vegan lifestyle books.

The Blog Archive list has some links to our pages of recipes. The Vegan Resources list takes you to pages of recommended vegan cookbooks, magazines, and kitchen gadgets you may find useful.

You may also like the page of vegan and vegetarian personal checks, including PETA, organic market, and other vegan and planet friendly themes.

Thanks for visiting!

P.S. Here are some products I personally own and highly recommend: I use my Vitamix for making my breakfast smoothies. I also use it for making raw soups and super smooth hummus, though I must say I have to be a bit careful not to overheat the motor when I make hummus in it. I do make double batches; smaller ones would be easier on the machine. I have the VitaMix 5000. This is a similar current model: Another item I use a lot is my Presto hot air popcorn popper. This is the old model Presto popper I have. I'm not recommending you buy a used one, I'd get a new one if buying. Just showing you what I have. In my popcorn maker I use Tender Pop ™ Hulless Popcorn Kernels from JustPoppin.com. It's not organic but it is non-GMO. (They do sell organic, but not hulless organic.) I order three 5# bags at a time because it is the shipping rate per pound. (The popcorn link is not an affiliate link.)


I have the food processor below in white. There are, of course, newer models available. Mine is several years old. This is the current model of the 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator I've had for many years.

Vegan Protein

One of the biggest questions about a vegan diet is "what are the best sources of vegan protein?" And to me "best sources" means high quality. Some sources are high quality but low quantity, which is fine, as long as you get enough protein to maintain health.

For me, the bigger problem lately is getting more protein than I've been getting from seeds and nuts, my two main sources. I had tried and given up on pure brown rice protein powder. It sometimes made my digestive system a bit wonky - nothing horrible, just enough to keep me from using it on a regular basis.

So I hesitated when I considered a protein product I hadn't used before, in which one of the major ingredients was brown rice protein powder. I gave it a whirl... in my morning smoothies. I went through a whole container with nary a problem, and confidently ordered another.

Vega Sport Performance Protein is:

• 26 grams of complete plant-based multisource protein (per serving)
• Vegan with no dairy, gluten, soy, or added sugar

You can order it at Amazon, All Star Health (vanilla, chocolate) I order most of my vitamins and other supplements from All Star Health - they have a good selection and great prices. (I get a commission from all three of these sources if you purchase through my links to them - you won't pay any less going to them directly. I use the product myself, at least the vanilla version, and all three of these online shops at various times.)

So, what were my other reasons for ordering this particular product? For me, it was a process of elimination. Most other vegan protein powders either had soy, or sugar (the Vega protein powder is sweetened with stevia), vitamins I did not want (I easily show symptoms of too much vitamin A or D, and cannot tolerate ascorbic acid or other acidic flavorings or additives.)

It came down to this or hemp seed powder, and in the end I opted for this, though I have since also purchased some hemp seed powder and will start using it sometimes, too. (Note to self: put it where you will remember to use it!)

To see the full list of ingredients, click any of the links above, or google the product and find your own favorite source.

Vegan Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes

You were so stuffed with yummy vegan food you thought you'd never eat again. And here it is, just one day later, and you're hungry already!! The good smells of yesterday still hang in the air, and the fridge is packed with the delightful remains. Wondering how to make them into something special? Here are some ideas.

Let's start the day with some lovely Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes:




Ready for lunch already? How about something light, like this vegan quiche?




Okay, now that we've whetted your appetite for leftovers, here are some additional vegan Thanksgiving leftover recipies you may find useful, depending on what you have.

Got sweet potatoes? You may like some vegan Sweet Potato Hash!




I like the looks of this vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing with Maple Roasted Acorn Squash):




And here's an invitation to play with your food... The Leaning Tower of Thanksgiving:




Oooh, these vegan Thanksgiving Leftovers Puffs look delicious:




Ready for dessert? Make a vegan sweet potato pie. (To keep it vegan, do not use honey, use one of the other suggested sweeteners!)




And by now you're probably really thirsty! Sip on this!




Top it all off with some of these Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes:




I hope you got some great ideas for using your vegan Thanksgiving leftovers! Now I'm off to my kitchen....

Fall in Love with Vegan Soup!

It's autumn, and as the days (and nights!) grow cooler, we think warm thoughts. Imagine holding a warm bowl of soup in your hands and smelling its fragrant aroma. Feast your eyes on images of these vegan soups shared on Pinterest. Click your favorite to go to the pin for that recipe.

Butternut squash soup is a fall favorite, with its delicious flavor and golden orange color. This recipe features sage and roasted butternut squash - what an awesome combination!




Or how about some lovely sweet potato soup? Sweet potatoes are a good source of beta carotene to give your immune system a bit of a boost.




And who doesn't love vegetable soup, fresh, homemade, and waaaarm! This one has quinoa, a protein-rich ancient grain to help it stick to your ribs and keep you strong and healthy in the cooler months.




Take it up a notch with this spiced lentil, tomato and kale soup. This one-pot recipe has lots of spices, including cayenne, all of which you can adjust to suit your personal taste. Lentils are a satiftying protein source and add body to the soup while cayenne adds extra heat to warm you up.




If you love potato leek soup, take a look at this traditional Swedish soup that combines potatoes and leeks, carrots and parsley, and also rutabaga!




Hope these vegan soup ideas have whetted your appetite. You'll find lots more vegan soup recipes at Pinterest. Or see our page of Vegan Soup Cookbooks. Bon Appetit!

Vegan Jambalaya

Source: gazingin.com via FairyLynne on Pinterest

I saw this vegan Jambalaya recipe on Pinterest, re-pinned it right away, went right into the kitchen and made it, and soon thereafter I ate it!

I didn't have celery, diced tomatoes, paprika or beans, or vegetable broth, and skipped the cayenne since I was using spicy vegan sausage (Tofurky Italian) which is quite spicy enough for me.

So mine was a very basic version, but yummy nonetheless!

And here comes a true confession...out of all my thousand plus pins/repins, this is only the second recipe I've made!

So what was the other one? It was this: a simple recipe for no-cook chocolate candy.

Vegan Chocolate Candy

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie.com via FairyLynne on Pinterest

The image above goes to a recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie (via Pinterest.)

Here is my simple recipe for no-cook chocolate candy using coconut oil, cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, and a single serving amount of stevia. (I use powdered Stevia by Kal.) The original recipe I saw had waaaaaaay to much stevia which gives things that unique stevia overly sweet-ness that's somehow bitter at the same time.

I don't really measure the coconut oil and cocoa powder for this; I put maybe 4 tablespoons coconut oil in a small container, add cocoa powder in perhaps an equal amount. The mixture should still be quite liquid. Add the salt and stevia, stir well. Taste to see if it's to your liking. If not, add more of whatever you think it needs, then cover and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. When hardened, take it out and break it into bite-size pieces. Eat immediately or put into fridge for later. (I use small leftover dishes for making/storing.)

Option: add a handful of raw chopped walnuts, or whatever is your favorite.

These chocolate bites will melt in your mouth and in your hands - but that's fine with me since it's "finger-lickin' good"!

How many it serves depends entirely on your appetite for chocolate! For me, I usually eat a quarter or half, and save the rest for another day. Usually the next day. :-)

Personally, I don't heat coconut oil to melt it. I live in Florida, and most of the year it is liquid already. In colder weather I just put it in the mixing dish, and it's soft enough to mix in the cocoa powder. If yours is really solid, heat it very gently! You can just place the amount you will use in the mixing container and place it in a shallow container of hot water. It liquifies at "room temperature" so it doesn't take much heat or time.

Final note: if at all possible, use fair trade chocolate! After all, we are wanting goodness for ourselves, and enjoying our treats, however we do not want them at the expense of child slavery in the cocoa-producing regions, do we? Thanks! (Hershey's cocoa, seen in the photo at the top of this post, is NOT fair trade.) Yes, fair-trade cocoa and chocolate cost more, but in this case there's a good reason for that. A very good reason.

My Vegan Pin Board at Pinterest

I've been having lots of fun building up my vegan recipe board at Pinterest. Some, like this Malabar Spinach & White Bean Curry are repins of vegan recipes found by other Pinterest users.

Source: lovefoodeat.com via FairyLynne on Pinterest

Others are recipes I've found on the internet and posted myself. Take this vegan BBQ for example. Doesn't it look delish? I can't wait to try this one out!

Source: onegreenplanet.org via FairyLynne on Pinterest

Likewise, this vegan Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie.) I could sink my teeth into it right now!

Source: onegreenplanet.org via FairyLynne on Pinterest

A few are my own recipes, seen right here on this blog (see Blog Archive, top left) or at Pinterest. This is my Vegan Veggie Stew:

Source: veganfairylynne.blogspot.com via FairyLynne on Pinterest

And for dessert, I'd have my chocolate fix with this oh so rich and chocolaty vegan pie:

Source: well.blogs.nytimes.com via FairyLynne on Pinterest

or a stack of these chocolate coated vegan donuts... mmmmmm...

Source: onegreenplanet.org via FairyLynne on Pinterest

Are you with me? Are you hungry? Are you inviting me over for dinner? ;-)

Vegan Veggie Stew

I used to call this Parade Stew when I lived in the 'burbs of New Orleans. My kids and I would go to the annual Irish-Italian parade a couple blocks from our house and come home with a large grocery sack of onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, and potatoes.

Many of them went into stews such as this, sometimes made with water, sometimes half water and half V8. I'd add a can of green beans and a can of Green Giant Niblets corn (with the trace of water it's packed in) to the pot at the end, just enough to get warm. [Update: now I only use GreenWise frozen organic corn from Publix.]

Since I don't consume cooked tomatoes much anymore, I later took to adding sweet potatoes to the mix, as you see here. And I am more likely to use fresh green beans these days.

If you don't happen to have a parade that provides the veggies, hop on over to the grocery store and pick up your favorites. Or see what's ready in your garden (or fridge!)



Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (or Grapeseed Oil - better for high temperatures)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
8 cups water
3 large potatoes, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
2 large sweet potato, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 large head of cabbage, chopped
1/4 to 1/2# fresh green beans (whole or cut)
1 can Green Giant Niblets corn (or fresh corn, removed from cob) [Update: now I only use GreenWise frozen organic corn from Publix. I avoid GMO foods whenever possible.]

Directions:
Add oil to stock pot and add chopped onions and garlic. Sautee over low to medium heat till softened a bit. Add 8 cups water to pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add chopped potatoes and carrots. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add sweet potatoes, green beans, celery and cabbage. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then add corn [yes, even frozen corn will heat up quickly.] Heat another minute or two, then serve.

Options:
Use V8 in place of half the water
Add cayenne to spice it up
Add some chopped green pepper near the end, or summer squash (or both!)
Add some fresh or dried herbs about half way through the cooking time. Marjoram adds a sweeter flavor, rosemary a lovely aromatic flavor.

Tossed Salad Humor

All good things must come to an end. Sadly, I did not notice this container of organic salad was expiring on the day I purchased it. It was fine for a couple days, then, well, tossed salad....



Note to self: pay attention when shopping! (Useful tip: eat before you go so you won't be in such a hurry to get home!)

Raw Veggie Soup with Walnuts

I made this raw veggie soup in my Vitamix, but you can make it in a regular blender. Just add the chopped raw veggies and the walnuts, water and miso, and blend. Done! Yum!





Ingredients:
1 zucchini squash, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 medium cucumber, chopped (remove peel if waxed)
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 Tablespoon miso (or more, to taste)
1/2 - 1 cup water - add more if needed (depends on water content of veggies and how thick you want it)

Directions: Add all ingredients to Vitamix or blender. Blend until smooth. Eat chilled or lightly warmed so you don't kill the enzymes. A nice cool soup for summer!

Options:
Add a fresh tomato, a few sprigs of fresh parsley, half an avocado, a touch of salt...whatever you have on hand and strikes your fancy!

Baked Potatoes with Steamed Veggies

This yummy vegan recipe is quick, cheap, and delicious, the trifecta of perfect food in my kitchen. It's not that I'm lazy - an old back injury makes standing for more than a few minutes painful. Likewise, sitting on a stool and reaching forward to do things is literally a pain in the neck for me.

So my culinary ventures are mostly less than ideal, but far better, IMHO, than traditional American cooking. I've come to rely on the controversial microwave a lot, though my recipes can usually be performed with stovetop or oven. (Ta da!)

Enough about me...you're here for the recipe!


Baked Potatoes with Steamed Veggies



Ingredients:
1 medium to large potato
1/2 cup steamed vegetables
1/2 to 1 oz. Vegan Rella Mozzarella (or other vegan cheez)
1 tablespoon cooking water from steamed veggies
Vegesal to taste

Directions:
Cook the potato in microwave or oven until done. Meanwhile, steam your choice of veggies on the stove top. (I used frozen veggies, steamed about 8 minutes. You can use fresh or leftover veggies.) Slice in half and place the veggies on top, add a bit of Vegesal, the cooking water, the vegan cheez, and a bit more Vegesal. Microwave or bake until the cheese melts. (Micro about 1 minute, depending on power of your machine.) Eat!

Using cooking water cuts down on the fat content. The only fat is whatever is in the vegan cheez you use.

Options:
Top with nutritional yeast, sesame seeds, cayenne, a spoonful or two of your favorite salsa.

Yes, I'm Vegan

I've been vegan since 2001, and vegetarian since 1985. Why? For health reasons. Yes, I care about animals, however for me personally they were not the primary consideration. I had cancer.

Some consider a high protein diet to be a major factor in the development of cancer. I hadn't liked eating meat, eggs, or milk since childhood, so giving them up was not hard for me (though I started as a lacto-ovo vegetarian - I found it hard to give up cheese and baked goods.)

Besides the possible cancer-promoting aspect, I learned about the bacteria content of non-vegan foods from Rainbow Green Live Foods Cuisine by Gabriel Cousens, M.D.. Even properly cooked animal foods contain a mind-blowing quantity of bacteria, compared to miniscule amounts in properly prepared vegan foods.
Now here comes the startling news...although my diet is and has been strictly vegan for many years, the vitamins and medicines I take are not strictly vegan. Ideally, they would be. Sometimes cost is a factor. Sometimes availability. Bottom line is it doesn't bother me personally that much. If it bothers you, you can call me what you like...but I still call myself vegan. Yes, even though I still have an old pair of leather boots in my closet.

I'm vegan in my own way, for my own purposes. If you are (or become) vegan, I hope you do it in a way that's right for you - for your health, and for your conscience.

-FairyLynne (a.k.a. Randi Kuhne)