Favorite Recipes!

Welcome to the most popular spot on our web site!
Here are our most requested recipes:

 Hummus      Sushi      Besto Pesto     Quiche      Tom Yum Thai Soup
Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing      Strawberry Spinach Salad       Potato Salad       Broccoli Slaw
     
 Brussels Sprouts with Dill Tahini Sauce    Curry Stew    Easy White Chili
Super Yummy Garbonzo Bake
   Amazingly Delicious Yams & Limas    Jamaican Grilled Tofu
     Art Walk Food:
   Brownies    Fruit Crisp    Ginger Snaps      Earl Grey Tea Cookies     Pumpkin Spice Cake


FAQs

Links

Many of our recipes were clipped from newspapers, or hastily written on a scrap of paper
while watching PBS, so I don't know who to credit ...
But here are our favorite cookbooks!


Veganomicon is the Joy of Cooking for vegans. Tons of information, and the food is amazing.
   
These ones are pure fun and yum!
  
Colleen's Books will change the world. Great recipes and wonderful essays.
 
Vegan Brunch can teach you how to make Cherry Sage Sausage and GingerBread Waffles!
Looky here for even more GREAT Cookbooks!

Now, for beginners, here are the kitchen tools that we most often...

Garlic Press-
you can use it for ginger too!

Hail to Thee, Food Processor!

Steamer

Juicer

These are the bouillon cubes we like:

This is an immersion blender, and it SO great for making blended soups! Lentil soup takes 30 seconds, really!
No more exploding blenders!

Hummus

2 cups (or 2 15 oz cans) garbanzo beans
1/3 cup olive oil
The juice from 1 lemon (or 1/4 cup)
3 Tbsp tahini
(Tahini is ground sesame seeds -
at the grocery store you can find
it next to the peanut butter)
2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
Optional: pinch of paprika or cumin or fresh dill,
or anything you like!

Drain and rinse the garbanzos.
Put all ingredients in your food processor and blend on low for 3 - 5 minutes until it is nice and creamy!

We eat this with Pita bread, or toast, or spread on a whole grain tortilla topped with fresh spinach and rolled up.

Sushi

1 cucumber
2 carrots
1 avocado
1 bunch of scallions
1 red bell pepper

1 Package of seaweed sheets
Lundberg Organic Sushi Rice
salt
sugar
rice vinegar
S&B Wasabi
soy sauce
pickled ginger

Optional:
Mr. Yoshida's Sweet Teriyaki Sauce

"Sushi" means vinegar rice. (Not raw fish!)

Cook the sushi rice according to the directions on the package.

While the rice is cooking, wash your veggies and slice them in long skinny slices.
The green onions can be cut in 8 inch pieces.

In a small pan, saute the carrots in Yoshida sauce or soy sauce until they are bendy.

Rather than try to explain how to roll sushi, look at this great video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7-FWOGyqP8

I use a bread knife sprayed with cooking spray to cut the sushi roll into little slices - then serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and the wasabi!

Quiche
(this recipe can be made with 3 - 4 cups of any veggies)

1 lb firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Basil
2 Tbsp Oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 veggie bouillon cube
2 frozen whole wheat pie shells
a little more oil for sauteing veggies

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat a little oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the bouillon cube and the rest of the veggies and cook until they begin to soften.

Remove the veggies from heat.

In a food processor, combine the tofu, the olive oil, and the seasonings until well blended.

Add the tofu paste to the veggies. When well mixed, scoop the mixture into the pie shells and bake for 20 - 30 minutes. Tofu will puff up and turn golden. If you want it more browned, broil for a couple of minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve!

Tom Yum Thai Soup

1 14oz can coconut milk
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
3 cups water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 fresh chilies, chopped and deseeded
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
2.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 8oz package firm tofu, cut into strips
2 stalks fresh lemon grass,
peeled and smushed
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
(or 1 tsp dry)
1 14 oz can tomatoes
Cooked jasmine rice

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook the rice.

Place the tofu slices on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, then saute the onion, garlic, lemon grass, bouillon cubes, and chilies - until onion is cooked.

Add the water, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. When the tofu is cooked (looking dry and browned) add it to the soup. Fish out the lemon grass stalks.

Add the cilantro, green onions, and lime juice, and serve with jasmine rice!

Curry Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 Tbsp curry powder
1.5 tsp cinnamon
2 bouillon cubes
6 carrots, halved and cut into 1-inch lengths
3 russet potatoes, diced
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and chopped
4 cups of water
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup raisins
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pot, over low heat.

Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, bouillon cubes, curry, cinnamon, and a splash of water and cook 3 minutes more.

Add the carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the veggies are tender.

Add the garbanzos and raisins and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the tomatoes and cilantro.

Yams & Limas

2 large yams, diced
1 lb frozen lima beans
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried whole chili
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt

 

Boil the sweet potatoes for 25 minutes, until tender.

In another pot, put enough water in to just cover the lima beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are tender
(15 - 20 minutes.)

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop and crackle, add the cumin seeds, red chili, onion, garlic, and ginger.

When the onion is golden brown, add the lima beans and the yams. Mix ingredients well, and add salt to taste.

Add the lime juice and cilantro, and serve!

Brussels Sprouts with Dill Tahini Sauce

1 lb of Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh dill

I learned how to make Dill Tahini Sauce from Veganomicon,so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to put it on my web site.
Just do yourself a favor and buy Veganomicon!!

It is a beautiful hard backed book that makes a a great birthday gift or wedding gift, even for omnis!

Wash the sprouts, trim off the ends, and slice each one in half. Place them in a steamer set in a large pot that has 1/2 inch of water in it. Bring the water to a boil, and steam for 10 -12 minutes.

While the Sprouts are cooking, put all of the other ingredients except the dill into a food processor. Mix until smooth.

Add the dill to the food processor, and pulse a few times, to make green flecks in the sauce.

When the Brussels Sprouts are cooked, drizzle them with some of the sauce.

The Dill Tahini Sauce is delicious on any steamed veggie - but try Brussels Sprouts, because you haven't had them in years, right?

Ridiculously Easy White Chili

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
3 bouillon cubes
1 cup of water
1 can of butterbeans, drained and rinsed
1 can of garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1 can of great northern beans
1 can of Mexicorn
1 can of white shoe peg corn
2 small cans of diced green chilies

 

Heat the oil in a large pot.

Saute the onion, garlic, cumin and bouillon cubes in the oil.

When the onions are tender, add the water and the chilies. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add everything else, stir well, and serve when hot!

It's weird, how good this tastes.

 

Brownies

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups beet sugar, or raw sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup soy milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup dried cherries

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.

Put all of the dry ingredients in the food processor. Mix well.

Add the soy milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. You'll have to stir with a spatula a few times.

Add the dried fruit, and pulse in well.

Transfer everything to the baking pan, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

So good, they don't need frosting!

Ginger Snaps

4 Tbsp coarse (turbinado) sugar in a saucer
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raw sugar, or beet sugar

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put all the dry ingredients, except the 4 Tbsp of turbinado sugar, in a food processor. Mix well.
Add all of the wet ingredients and mix until well blended.
You will have to scrape the sides with a spatula a few times.

The dough will be super-sticky. Divide in two, and place each half on a long piece of plastic wrap. (like 2 feet long)

Wrap the dough in the wrap, and carefully roll it into a big snake, about 2 inches in diameter. Put the wrapped cookie - snakes in the fridge for 30 minutes. (When the dough is cool, it cuts better.)

Cut the dough into 1/3 inch thick slices. Dab one side of each slice in the turbinado sugar, and put them on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup raw unprocessed sugar
6 Earl Grey tea bags
1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
3/4 cup Earth Promise margarine

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut open the tea bags, and put the tea in the food processor with all of the other dry ingredients. Pulse together until the tea leaves are pulverized.

Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until dough is formed.

Divide the dough in two, and place each half on a long piece of plastic wrap. (like 2 feet long)

Wrap the dough in the wrap, and carefully roll it into a big snake, about 2 inches in diameter. Put the wrapped cookie snakes in the fridge for 30 minutes.
(When the dough is cool, it cuts better.)

Cut dough into 1/3 inch thick slices.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

One 18 1/4oz pkg Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Cake Mix

One 15oz can pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and use an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Batter will be VERY thick.

Put batter in the pan and bake for 22 - 24 minutes. It's so good you don't even need frosting!

Super Yummy Garbonzo Bake

4 cups cooked garbonzo beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups vital wheat gluten
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup hot water with 1 bouillon cube melted in
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp dried leaf thyme
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp rubbed sage

How to Cook Garbonzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Fill a big old stock pot with a lot of water and add 4 - 6 cups of dry garbonzos. Soak overnight, or for 8 hours.

Rinse the beans and put fresh water in the pot. Bring the beans to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add 1 tsp of salt, and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the garbonzos are tender.

Preheat oven to 400.

Put the chickpeas in your food processor and just pulse a few times, until there are no whole beans left--but don’t make them a paste.

Put the ground chickpeas and all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl and knead until well mixed. The gluten will get stringy. Weird!

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan, then push the mixture in the the bottom of the pan. Once the mixture is evenly flattened in the pan, brush more olive oil over the top of the mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, until it smells delicious and is sizzling. If desired, you can broil it for a couple of minutes to really brown the top.

This dish is delicious with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans! It tastes like Thanksgiving!

The Best Pesto You EVER Tasted!

1 large bunch of basil (about 3 cups, loosely packed)
2-4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
(or a combination of the two!)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 chopped orange or red bell pepper

Fear not the nutritional yeast. I used to avoid it because it just SOUNDS icky. Turns out, it is super yummy!

In a small frying pan, heat the pine nuts or walnuts over medium heat, stirring often until they brown a little bit.  You don’t have to add oil or anything, they just toast all by themselves!

Put all the ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

Serve with pasta, steamed veggies, or use as a spread with bread or crackers.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Salad:
1.5 lbs fresh spinach
2 Tbsp fresh Dill
4 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
1 pint fresh Strawberries, quartered.

Dressing:
3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.

Toss with all other ingredients.  Yum!

Jamaican Grilled Tofu-

Like they have at the
Bozeman Community Food Coop Deli!
They generously gave us the list of ingredients:

5-6 pkgs (14 - 16 oz) of extra firm tofu:
frozen, thawed, drained, and pressed
(Our favorite brand for this recipe is West Soy)

For the marinade:

3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup tamari soy sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 Tbsp ketchup
the juice from 2 lemons (at least 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup fresh minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried oregano
3/4 cup fresh minced ginger

How to mince ginger:
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/ming-east-west/3468-ginger-101-video.htm

To prepare the tofu: First, you must freeze the tofu. It must freeze and then be thawed to get that chewy texture.
Thaw the tofu. Rinse the tofu, and squeeze it like a sponge to get the water out.
Put a towel on a large cookie sheet. Now put a tea towel on top of that. Place the tofu blocks on top, then cover with another tea towel and another regular towel. Put another cookie sheet on top, and then heavy stuff on the cookie sheet - and put this in the fridge for at least an hour.
You want to squish out as much of the tofu water as possible.Once drained and pressed, slice the tofu blocks into pieces that are about 1/2 inch thick. With the West Soy brand, we get 3 slices per block.

To make the marinade: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse. Be careful, because this is a lot to put in the processor at one time!

Pour 1/2 of the marinade into your cookie sheets, then lay the tofu on there, and top with the remaining marinade.
Let it soak in at least an hour. It can soak all day, if you want!

Once marinated, grill the heck out of that tofu. We use an electric indoor grill, any grill will work...
Oh my Lord, it is so good you won't believe it.

 

Potato Salad

10 red potatoes, evenly diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 carrot, small dice
What else do you want to throw in there.  Grapes?

Dressing:
Fresh dill, as much as you want
1 ½ cup Vegenaise
1 bulb fresh garlic, roasted
1 tsp of: smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, thyme, sage, turmeric, and salt
2 tsp of: mustard powder
1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

Roast the garlic – I use a tiny little cute casserole dish and put the peeled cloves in there and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, use a toaster oven if you want.

Boil the potatoes, and keep checking on them, you don’t want them to get too smushy.

In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry spices together.  When the garlic is done, use a potato masher to squish it into the spices.  Then add the Vegenaise and fresh dill, and stir until evenly mixed.

In a large bowl, toss all the veggies together.  Once they are all mixed up, add the dressing.  Refrigerate until cool, if you can wait that long.  That’s ok, it’s good warm, too!

Broccoli Slaw

1 pkg broccoli slaw
4 cups fresh broccoli, chopped and blanched
1 red onion, slivered
1 cup raisins or crasins
1 cup sliced almonds (or walnuts, or sunflower seeds, or mix it up!)
1 cup McCormick Salad Toppins, garden vegetable
optional:  add grapes!

Dressing:
1 cup Vegenaise
½ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp white vinegar

 

Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss all the slaw ingredients in a large bowl, then mix the dressing in.

Sprinkle extra Salad Toppins on top, to make it pretty!

Fruit Crisp

Fruit :
8-10 cups any fruit mixture of your choice –
mix apples, pears, any berries, rhubarb…
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp flour
The juice of one lemon (or a couple of limes)
Optional: ½ cup raisins or craisins

Topping :
¼ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
3 cups rolled oats
4 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine, melted
Optional:  ½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375.

Chop up the fruits and mix well with the sugar, cinnamon, flour, and lemon juice.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray, and put in the fruit mixture.

Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly on top of the fruit.

Bake for 50 minutes, (or until apples are soft).

Vegan "Blue Cheese" Dressing:
1 block firm or extra firm tofu
4 - 8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
the Juice of 2 lemons (1/2 cup)
2 cups Veganaise (full 16 oz small jar)
1/2 cup tahini
1 1 TBSP plus tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh chives
1/2 cup fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper, to taste

I like to put all the ingredients in a tall jar, and mix with an immersion blender – you can also use a food processor….
If you leave it a bit lumpy it really is like Blue Cheese Dressing!

Vegan FAQs
"The pain and suffering inflicted on children by the American diet is so brutal that if it were administered
with a stick, parents would be put in jail"      - John McDougall, MD

What is a vegan?


I'll let Steven the Vegan answer that one!

Why are you vegan?
Some people are vegan because it is the healthiest diet possible.
Some people are vegan because it is the single most effective way for one person to help the environment.
I like the planet A LOT, and I want to be healthier, but the reason I'm vegan is I love creatures.
Vegans don't just SAY they love animals!

Are animals sentient beings who feel love and pain?

Why not just be vegetarian?
What an idiot I was to think I was helping animals by not eating meat - but still drinking milk and eating eggs.
After all, California has Happy Cows, right?
Sorry, they don't - and "Organic" does NOT mean the cows and chickens were free range, or treated well.

I will always regret that I didn't LEARN SOONER how EASY it is to live without cheese! I do not miss it at all!!
The horrible truth is that Dairy = Veal, and chickens are some of the most abused animals on the planet.

Marketing terms like 'free range', 'humane', and 'organic' are very popular right now. Don't fall for it.
"The movement toward 'humanely raised food animals' assuages our guilt
more than it actually reduces animal suffering.
When we tell ourselves we’re eating meat from “humanely raised animals,”
 we’re leaving out a huge part of the equation.
 The slaughtering of an animal is a bloody and violent act:
 Death does not come easy for those who want to live."

- Colleen Patrick Goudreau


Birds have so much personality!

The truth about "Free Range" Farms

California's "Happy Cows"

"Free Range, Grass Fed, Organic Cows" still end up here.

From a health perspective, the proteins in milk are even more dangerous than those from meat! Cows' milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for young calves -- but far too much for humans. Eggs are higher in cholesterol than any other food, making them a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease.
Dear Loved Ones, listen to the China Study!!


Cut out the Crap!

But where do you get your protein?

EVERYTHING you learned in school about nutrition was bought and paid for by "agricultural" lobbyists.
The truth is, ALL WESTERN DISEASES (cancer, heart disease, diabetes just to name a few), ARE CAUSED BY EXCESS ANIMAL PROTEIN.
Vegetables have PLENTY of protein that is healthier, and will keep your body strong!

What do you eat when you want some vitamin C. An orange? Why didn't you say broccoli, or red bell pepper?
Both have LOTS more vitamin C than an orange.
This is the power of marketing.

EVERYTHING you learned about nutrition in grade school, in high school, and in college was sponsored by
agricultural lobbyists and corporations that sell animal products.

People who do not get enough protein look like these poor kids:

To get Kwashiorkor, you have to be starving.

What about B12?
Vitamin B12 comes from bacteria. Animal corpses have lots of bacteria, and so does dirt.
If they didn't wash vegetables, vegans would get enough B12 in their diets.
Since I wash my veggies, I take a B12 supplement!

What about calcium?
You can get all the calcium you need by eating leafy green vegetables.
Guess what causes osteoporosis?
Dairy foods!: After examining all the available nutritional studies and evidence, Dr. John McDougall concludes: "The primary cause of osteoporosis is the high-protein diet most Americans consume today. As one leading researcher in this area said, 'eating a high-protein diet is like pouring acid rain on your bones.'"

Remarkably enough, both clinical and population studies show that milk-drinkers tend to have more bone breaks than people who consume milk infrequently or not at all. For the dairy industry to lull unsuspecting women and children into complacency by telling them to be sure to drink more milk so that their bones will be strong may make good business sense, but it does the consumer a grave disservice.

Don't you miss cheese?
Nope. There are plenty of creamy, delicious vegan foods, and even soy products that taste amazing! ....
I can honestly say that I never crave or miss cheese, and I used to be addicted to it!

            Cheese and Milk actually seem like pus to me now. Really gross!

What about cow's milk?
Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Cashew Milk, Hemp Milk. Nope, don't miss cow's secretions at all!
                                        And I LOVE soy creamer in my coffee!!
               Yummy!!

Well, what about butter? Don't you miss butter?
Sorry, that's covered, too:
Earth Balance is the best!!! My omni friends think it is real cow's butter.
   and so is Mayo - that won't send you to a Mayo Clinic!   

Is a vegan diet healthy?
The vegan diet is the healthiest possible diet !

- IF you aren't living on Junk Food -
If you know an ex-vegan who "didn't feel well", chances are they were living on this Crap.....


You have to remember to eat your fruits and veggies everyday, and avoid this processed stuff!

Do you know about Super Foods?
Here are some power foods that can improve your health and should be eaten everyday!
1. Beans
2. Blueberries
3. Broccoli
4. Oats
5. Oranges
6. Pumpkin
7. Soy
8. Spinach
9. Tomatoes
10. WALNUTS! please eat some walnuts every day -
they are packed with Omega 3 fatty acids!
And wash it all down with some nice organic Tea!

Parke and I struggle with the junk food.
He can NOT resist baked goods, and there are times when I can not NOT eat Tings!
Damn thee, Tings! Healthy junk food isn't healthy when you eat the whole bag!

What do you eat for breakfast? (Seriously, this is a FAQ! Sad, huh?)
Usually we just have rolled oats (uncooked):
You can buy organic rolled oats in the bulk food section of your grocery store!
Sprinkle with dried fruit, or frozen berries, or a chopped apple, AND walnuts, and top with soy or almond milk!
Sometimes I have an English muffin. These kind are super - good:

What's for lunch?
Parke almost always has a veggie burger. I make the black bean burgers from Veganomicon. My fave lunch is hummus and fresh spinach rolled on a whole wheat tortilla! My other favorite is the Lib-a-Richie veggie sandwich at Pinky's, next door!

Snacks?
We always have oranges, bananas, and apples in the studio. Stay back, Tings!!!
Hot tea with 4 drops of Stevia is a wonderful thing!
Look, it's a healthy sweetener! Bippity Boppity!

What do you eat when you don't wanna cook?
We keep this bread at the studio...
Toast isn't cooking, right?

You know how some veggie burgers are icky? These ones aren't!

When I don't feel like cooking at night, we have Mexican food for dinner....
This taco filling only requires boiling water! Open a can of vegetarian refried beans, chop up a tomato and some spinach, and open a bag of whole wheat tortillas - and you have a great dinner in 10 minutes! Serve with picante sauce and Tofutti's Better than Sour Cream!

Another super-easy dinner that isn't really cooking:
Sloppy Joe, Slop Sloppy Joe! Oh, me and Sloppy Joe got married! Just add onions and celery and serve with steamed greens on the side, yum! Another 10 minute dinner.

Another super great easy dinner is Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza...
Truly a gourmet treat, in no time at all!

I don't ever desire meat or require fake meat, but Man!
Field Roast Grain Meat products are so great ! Everyone loves them, vegan or not!
The Smoked Apple Sage is truly amazing !

Aren't vegans torturing plants?
Of course, anyone who asks this question is just being an asshole, but let's say they really do care about plants.
Unlike animals, plants don't have a central nervous system. If someone is worried that plants feel pain, they could always become fruitarian, because the plant doesn't die when the fruit is eaten.

If someone is truly concerned about the amount of plants being killed, then the most important thing they should do is stop eating meat, because it kills more plants to eat animals than it does to just eat plants.

Are your cats vegan?
No.
Unlike humans, cats are actually carnivores.

Is your dog vegan?
No, but she loves her vegetarian kibble!

Links:
Vegan Freak    
Great Vegan Shoes
( just google Vegan Shoes!!)


Go get you some great vegan boots like mine!
Fab Vegan Wallets   super cute!
Alternative Outfitters  fun shopping

Books:
Diet for a New America
The China Study give this book to people you care about!
Becoming Vegan
Mad Cowboy
Skinny Bitch

Cook Books:
There are TONS of great vegan cookbooks today -
Looky here!
If you are looking for a specific recipe, you can also just google it.
Type in Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies and see what happens!

Podcasts:
Vegan Freak
Animal Voices
Go Vegan Radio
Those with an open heart, prepare to have your life changed!
Click here to experience the free Food for Thought PodCast.


Artwork by Sue Coe

How I finally woke up.
When I was 18 (in 1982!), I decided to become a vegetarian. And I'm embarrassed to say I considered myself vegetarian even though I still ate chickens, fishes, and the secretions of animals (chicken's eggs and cow's milk).

I didn't know any other vegetarians, and at the time is was a big change for me - after all, I grew up like most people in America, eating bacon and eggs for breakfast and meat and potatoes for dinner and ice cream for dessert!

A few years later, I discovered the amazing book Diet for a New America. After reading this book, I realized my food choices didn't just reflect my feelings for animals - my choices also had a huge effect on the environment!

I knew then that I wanted to go vegan, but I didn't know how. I knew I could live without eggs most of the time, but didn't you need them for baking? And how could anyone avoid eating cow's milk or cheese? ? ?
I was a stupid little Woolworth's waitress at the time. There weren't all these great vegan cookbooks out there!
I remember how excited I was to find a Health Food Store for the first time (please keep in mind, this was long before the internet, and I didn't know any other vegetarians!)
So I went to the Health Food Store, and bought one of those little juice-box containers of room temperature soy milk, and I got in my Edsel and opened it with the little stabby- straw thing - I just couldn't wait - and I took a drink.... and almost threw up before I spit it out. Why am I telling you this?
Two reasons:
1. The great news is - vegan foods available on the market today are infinitely better than those 20 years ago!
2. Try new foods in the way they are meant to be eaten. I'm sure if I took a big drink of warm cow's milk out of a can, that would have grossed me out, too. If only I would have tried that soy milk ice cold on my cereal, I know I would have liked it!

So, I'm very ashamed to say... the soy milk incident kept me from going vegan for a few more years, even though I knew it was the lifestyle I most admired. I just didn't have the confidence to think I was capable of it!
I thought it would be too hard and that I wasn't strong enough. I was so wrong! Becoming vegan is NOT hard or scary, you just have to learn a different way to cook! And today, there are so many food products and cook books out there that it is EASY!

Finally, one January 1st, (don't remember what year it was....) I decided for my New Year's Resolution to see how long I could go vegan, just to see if I could do it. The first couple of days were hard. (I didn't have my great library of cook books at the time.) Then a week went by, and it was getting easier. After 3 weeks I realized I could do it, and before I knew it, a year flew by! And then another year!

That is not to say there weren't pitfalls for me. I fell off the wagon when we were working on our house. What can I say? When you don't have a kitchen, and when you literally don't have a roof on your house, it's really hard to spend any time at all on food. I was still quite uninformed at the time, and had not discovered many of the recipes and products listed here.

I also made the big mistake of not listening to a doctor when I should have (yes, I needed a hysterectomy!), and then listening to one when I should NOT have! (No, I didn't need to eat meat!) Click here if you wanna know my stupid liver tumor story. Anyway, when a Doc says you need to eat meat, go find yourself a vegan nutritionist instead. Doctors are not trained in nutrition! MAN, I wish I knew about vegan nutritionists 3 years ago!!
So while I was forced to eat meat, I was amazed. It tasted exactly like it did in third grade. It was like smelling Play-Doh, it sent me back in time. And it was AWFUL!! I was shocked at how awful it was! I was amazed at how horrible it tasted, and how awful the texture was, compared to the beautiful food I had become used to. It made my teeth feel sick. Every night as I cooked someone's body to put on top of my salad, I felt sorry for all the people in the world who didn't know how much better their food would taste without the meat.

Then, in September of 2008, thank God, oh thank thank God - my very best friend in the world, Tracy came to town. We were going to the Weird Al concert in Bozeman! And we were talking about how Al is vegan, and then Tracy told me something that absolutely shocked me : she had gone vegan!! (Even more shocking - she had already told me a year ago, but I was so messed up from the anesthesia and the drugs, that I had absolutely NO recollection of that conversation!) After the concert, Tracy and I stayed up all night long talking about veganism. Tracy is the one who introduced me to everything you see on this web page - the books, the pod casts. Thank goodness for Tracy, my best buddy since 1977, I am vegan now for good, and with the help of all these valuable resources, I will not falter again.

When I finally stopped eating meat "for my health" I immediately felt better. So many people noticed the difference. I had so much energy, color in my face for the first time in years, and was working like crazy and being silly again. And I'm SO much happier - now that I am not consuming the misery and horror that I am sure is locked in the flesh of the victims of the meat industry.

I can't tell you how joyful and empowering it is to live by your values. To know every day, that you are doing all you can to cause no harm to innocent animals and to the planet. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE preparing dinner every single night - every time I cut a squash or chop an onion or bell pepper, I think - this is truly a miracle! It comes from the ground, and it is beautiful and we eat it, and nothing is more delicious. Fruits and vegetables are such a miraculous gift! Every dinner is a beautiful, colorful treat. It makes me happy every single time I wash and prepare our food! I know, I'm easily amused.

I am ashamed that it took me so long to get where I am today. I am always interested in learning how others became vegan, and that is why I am sharing my story. I hope the resources and recipes on this page will help others who are getting ready to wake up.

The last thing I want to say is that the most valuable vegan resource I can recommend is Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's beautiful pod cast. She is the most articulate teacher, cheer leader, and inspiration!
PLEASE visit her web site: Click here to experience the free Food for Thought PodCast.
It will change your life.

 

 
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