Who Says That? Vegetables

Roasted Broccoli, Source: Dana Treat

This woman I work with said, "I don't like vegetables. My kids don't like vegetables." Who says that? Even if you really feel that way, that is not something you should really say aloud as a grown ass adult. Really? Grow the f@#% up.

But the reality is…what she said is probably not even true. If I was a person who bets, I would bet money that this woman eats mashed potatoes, potato salad, corn on the cob, probably collard greens, sweet potato pie, zucchini bread, spaghetti sauce, french fries and probably a ton of other vegetables prepared in traditional soul food and American fashion. 

Someone might respond by saying, "Well, that's probably not what she meant." Well, that's what she said and I think you should say what the hell you mean and mean what you say. Words are too powerful to use them any old way. Choose your words carefully. They reflect your thoughts and beliefs and guide your actions. 

My other problem with this is she's a mother. If she has this attitude toward the only food group beside fruit that provides antioxidants and critical vitamins and minerals…how in the hell is she going to raise healthy kids? That's a problem…to me. And it's really mostly an attitude problem. 

When someone thinks this way, they aren't going to experiment in the kitchen and search for different ways to prepare vegetables. They don't even consider the possibility that preparation makes a world of difference in the final outcome. If you boil broccoli and feed it to your kids, you shouldn't blame them for not liking it. It's not them, it's you. Roast it and sprinkle it with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Put some marinara sauce on the side so they can dip it in something that's not fat laden. Feed it to them raw. You might be surprised.  

You have to experiment with food, particularly vegetables, because it's highly likely that your parents didn't and therefore you didn't learn how to cook/prepare vegetables. Don't do the same disservice to your kids and yourself. Don't do it. It's not right and it's not fair to the children. Be an adult and make responsible decisions and pay attention to the words you say. Be a positive role model. It's important.

*Rant Over*

Someone is going to slap me one of these days

And it's going to happen because I can not keep my mouth shut when someone talks about weight loss. You see, I'm not technically overweight. Well, I guess I'm not overweight at all, but I am very close to the high end of my normal BMI, my pants are so tight they leave creases in my stomach and there are a few that I can't even wear. In all honesty, I refuse to get on the scale and could actually be on the low end of overweight for my BMI. All because of my issue with potato chips and recently vanilla oreos at work.

So, I keep jumping in with my 2 cents about how I need to lose about 10/13 pounds while someone is looking at me who clearly needs to lose significantly more. I'm going to stop before I get smacked.

But you know, I feel so compelled...see I told you I have a problem...can't stop talking about this. Because this is the point, which I've never said to anyone who's looking at me cross-eyed. Anyone who is honest with themselves knows that you don't gain 20, 30, 50 pounds overnight. It starts with 5 or 10. It always starts with 5 or 10. 10 turns to 20, then 30...So my point is that I have to stop at this 10/15 because if I don't it will turn into 20, 30... It absolutely will. It's true. I've done this before. I know.

And just because I'm relatively small does not mean I don't have fat on my body. I see myself naked people. And what would they say makes up these extra 10-15 pounds? It's sure as hell not muscle. Extra weight is fat. There's no way around it. And that's all I'm going to say. And I'm going to stop chiming in during these conversations with other people.

Lots on My Mind

That picture right there is the exact opposite of where I've been mentally over the last few weeks. My mind has been racing. I've been fighting negative thoughts and energy about my house--which I'm still planning to put on the market just as soon as I cross off about 4 things from my repair/touch up list. I've been fighting negative thoughts about my level of personal responsibility. Instead of sharing and seeking comfort or reassurance, I decided to sit with and live with all that's been going on in my mind alone without interference, without external noise or assistance. I did contemplate hiring a coach last week, but settled on a membership to GTD Connect, which I'll probably cancel in a few months once I get on track.

I expect a lot from myself and lately I have not been delivering at a level I'm comfortable with. I have several projects that I'm juggling at work and an influx of good ideas for more projects. I've also been trying to harness my creative ideas and develop a plan and some focus. I feel like I've spent more time encouraging others and sharing ideas with them than I have spent nurturing my own ideas and creative pursuits. I give a lot away and maybe in some ways it's left me empty. I've enjoyed my self-imposed solitude, more than I expected. I've been consuming a lot of information that reminded me of some things that I already knew and helped me focus a little.

I had planned to write a post about hatred toward 9-5 jobs, but I probably won't. I suppose the bottom line is that it bothers me that the overriding message is quit your job and do something you love. I happen to really enjoy my job and have enjoyed the 6-10 that I've had before this one. I don't love getting up every day and having to go, but I love the experiences that I've had and skills that I've developed while being employed by other people. Without my 9-5 jobs over the years, there is so much I would not have learned and so many skills and competencies that I would have not developed. You can't engineer that type of learning. I always create opportunities for myself in each position. I create opportunities to develop something that I can leave behind as a legacy. I create opportunities to learn something new and apply it to the organization. That's what I do and I love it. I also know that I need some level of accountability to perform and I need a stable income. I took 2 weeks off during the winter holidays and my brain turned to mush. That was a sign for me. It took me forever to get back into the swing of things and get on top of my work.

That being said, I know that I need to use my skills, abilities and knowledge to make extra money for myself and contribute to the world. I feel a personal responsibility to do so. And today, I feel like I've had a breakthrough. All of the information I've consumed during the past few weeks has come together and I believe I have a vision and a plan. I'm extremely excited and am looking forward to doing the work to make it happen. I will be taking my time and planning extensively to do what I think is necessary for me to do this right. You'll be the first to know when I really get going.

If you've read this rambling post all the way to the end. Thank you :)

YouTube - Learn Anything

That might be a slight stretch, but really...you can learn so much on YouTube.

I was talking to a colleague this morning about some of my "business ideas" and she said, "You know what I want to learn?" She proceeded to tell me that she wanted to learn how to get her photos from her camera onto her computer, how to make them black and white and how to create calendars with them. I told her, "You should search on YouTube." She said, "Really?" Yes, really. Now the truth is Google would help her just as much, but I suggested YouTube because she gave me a spiel about how she need to touch and see...and all that...to learn.

A colleague and I gave a brown bag lunch talk a few months ago about how you can learn for free online by reading blogs, newsletters, participating in webinars, searching YouTube, etc. As we were preparing, we tried to order the topics from the most familiar to the least familiar. My colleague told me that she'd never searched for anything educational on YouTube and my boss told me the same thing.

These moments make me feel crazy and remind me how "abnormal" I am. I honestly think a part of me thinks other people are crazy when they say, "I want to learn..." or "I need to take training to..." I know, it's insensitive of me to think that and probably a little rude. But, the thing is...the moment an idea pops into my head about something I'm interested in learning...I go to Google. [sidebar: You know we have a special relationship :) I love Google and Google loves me.] I mean...anything you want to know is at your fingertips. And over the years, Google makes sure that any videos that are available on the topic you search show in your results. It's crazy, exciting and awesome!

The only trick is you have to know what you want to learn. You have to type the right question. Usually, after searching enough about something I don't know much about, I can figure out the right terms/key words/industry language to use in my question. I told my dad yesterday that I believe that people who say those things don't really want to learn. They aren't committed to it. They aren't serious about it. Otherwise, they would Google it and find out. I have never been the type of person to wait for someone to teach me something or give me the tools I need to do something. I learn what I need to learn to do what I want or need to do and I buy what I need to do it. I think my mother made me this way. Let's blame her.

I say all of this to say, if there's something you want to learn how to do, search for it on YouTube. You might just find a great tutorial. Oh and when you do, tell someone about it so they can learn more too!

Staying on Track

I am a very inconsistent blogger and in 2012 I have not resolved to do better in this area...Real talk (as they say). I'm sure I'll have times when I write more, but keep your expectations low :)

I do want to update anyone who read my previous decluttering/minimizing posts. I am still on track to put my 3 bedroom (1300 sq ft) cape cod on the market in March. I hoped to be done with all of my projects by the end of 2011, but I didn't maintain enough momentum to do that.

I've sold, freecycled and donated quite a bit and used the money that I made to make some minor improvements. I'm dipping into my emergency account to make the last few improvements, which include replacing my kitchen countertop, installing a closet door, repairing my porch ceiling and repairing my fence. I have a few small projects that I can complete as well. My goal is to complete everything by the middle of February. I will post pictures when I'm done, hopefully with someone's wide angle lens since my rooms are small.

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner

This is the third year that I've prepared a vegan Thanksgiving dinner for my mother's side of the family. They have been so accepting of this change and always rave about how good everything is. I sure hope they aren't just saying that :) As a side note, I choose to cook everything so I can eat everything, not because I am that generous.

There are only 4 of us and I always prepare too much food but it's nice to have leftovers. This year, I delegated 2 dishes since I was bringing everything to my grandmother's.

Pardon the quality of the photos. I used my camera phone and it doesn't do well with low light.

This year, we ate:

• BBQ Tofu
• Marinated Portobello Mushrooms
• Cranberry Sauce
• Marinated Vegetables
• Collards
• Mac and Cheeze
• Sweet Potato Soufflé
• Rolls
• Pound Cake

BBQ Tofu
I used the press, dry fry, marinate and bake method that never fails me and bottled BBQ sauce. No one ate seconds of the tofu, but everyone tried it. I don't think it's their favorite item on the menu, but I like having it. My only problem was that I purchased firm and extra firm tofu and I could definitely tell the difference between the 2 textures. From now on, if one store doesn't have extra firm, I'll keep shopping until I find it. I'm not a fan of soft tofu. I prefer a chewy texture.

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms
These were so flavorful and I really enjoy the meaty texture of the mushrooms. I used Colleen Patrick Goudreau's Marinated Portobello Mushroom Steaks recipe from The 30 Day Vegan Challenge book.

Marinade Ingredients:
1/2 cup each - balsamic vinegar, tamari soy sauce, water
1 teaspoon each - dried rosemary, thyme, marjoram/oregano
Black pepper

I purchased sliced portobello mushrooms instead of whole mushrooms to decrease my prep time since I had a lot to cook. I bought 2 packages and could have easily bought 3-4. I loved them.

Cranberry Sauce
I delegated this dish to my aunt. We used Vegan Yum Yum's Jellied Cranberry Sauce recipe.

Marinated Vegetables
This is a dish that my mother used to prepare for family gatherings. For the longest time, I wouldn't even taste it even though everyone loved it. I used to be a pretty picky eater. Once I finally tasted it, I realized what all the noise was about. It's one of my favorite dishes now. It requires a bit of chopping but it's worth it.

I delegated it to my grandmother this year. I am not sure of the origin of this recipe; however, I am pretty sure that my mother didn't create it.

1/2 cup cooking oil (I used 1/4 the last time I made it)
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 can tiny green peas (le Sueur Very Young Small Early Peas)
1 can tiny/midget butter beans (Baby Lima Beans, Food Lion)
1 can white shoepeg corn
1 can french style green beans
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup diced celery

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients

2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 minutes

3. Allow to cool

4. Drain vegetables and pour cooled mixture over

5. Refrigerate overnight

Notes: Use 15/16 ounce cans of vegetables and tweak the vinegar and sugar to taste in the morning.

Collard Greens
These greens are courtesy of my uncle's garden. Crazy! Right? I know!

My grandmother did the prep (removing the stems, washing and chopping) for me...bless her heart! Here's my collard green cooking method. I can't really call it a recipe.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

2. Add the greens and boil for 7 minutes.

3. Drain the greens.

4. Add a bit of oil to a pan and add the greens.

5. Saute and season with seasoned salt, cayenne pepper and a bit of liquid smoke to taste. If the greens are bitter, I add a touch of agave nectar.

My grandmother asked me how long I cooked them and I honestly can't say but it's not long. I just keep sauteeing and seasoning until they taste the way I like them. It probably isn't more than 15 minutes.

I am not a fan of overcooked, mushy vegetables as is the tradition in most black families.

Mac and Cheeze
My grandmother really likes this recipe so I always make it. It's the Vegan Macaroni and Cheese recipe from VegWeb. I love the flavor, although it tastes nothing like cheese :)

Sweet Potato Souffle
This was a first. I didn't even test it prior to Thanksgiving so I was really lucky that it turned out okay. It's actually so sweet that it should really be a sweet potato pie. I got this recipe from Food.com. The reviews were good so I thought it should work and it did!

Rolls
I am new to bread-making and let me just say-I have a lot to learn. I received my culinary education from the Food Network and I learned nothing about making bread. I attempted sweet rolls twice in the past few weeks: the first batch using Vegan Dad's Pumpkin Pull-Apart Rolls, the second batch using a Sweet Vegan Dinner Rolls recipe from VegWeb. I ended up taking Vegan Dad's rolls with me on Thanksgiving because they were less of a disaster than the VegWeb recipe.

Lessons Learned:
Measure the dern yeast. Vegan Dad's recipe called for 1 tablespoon of yeast. Did I measure? No. Why? I haven't the slightest clue. I used the envelopes/packets and maybe my brain froze and refused to do the calculations to convert ounces to tablespoons, so I used one envelope. Google has since informed me that One package = 2 1/4 teaspoons = 1/4 ounce. Since there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon, I would have needed to open 2 envelopes/packets/packages and measure properly and probably waste whatever was leftover.

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately like I normally do when baking. My dough was pretty lumpy. I should have blended the milk and pumpkin well first.

Make balls a lot smaller. This was the main problem with the sweet dinner rolls disaster. Although I didn't think these rolls were sweet enough either.

Watch some YouTube videos on roll-making to learn technique and unwritten rules.

Needless to say, I still have a lot to learn about making dinner rolls but I'm not completely disappointed. I will try again. I haven't eaten rolls since I became vegan 2 years ago and I miss them.

Here's a photo of my Vegan Dad recipe before going into the oven.

Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
This is delicious! I have taken it to work and fed it to several ominvores in the past and it's always a hit. I used Betsy DiJulio's adaptation of Tracy's pound cake recipe. I made the glaze using the recipe from the Vegetarian Times. Note: The Vegetarian Times pound cake recipe is not as good as the Betsy/Tracy version. I took Soy Delicious Creamy vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert. I take every opportunity to expose people to vegan food!

It was a lot of work but it was definitely a labor of love. My family probably won't eat vegan dishes like this any time of the year so I really enjoy giving them this treat and squashing their preconceived notions about vegan food.

I'm already thinking about next year. I am planning to...

• Experiment with a few more mac and cheese recipes
• Test vegan corn casserole recipes (my mother used to make this one, but it will need to be veganized; Vegansaurus's adapation might work)
• Perfect a sweet roll recipe
• Test a few flavorful tempeh/grain combination recipes - I think stuffed bell peppers would be amazing

Follow Friday: Meg from The Snarky Chickpea

The Snarky Chickpea's Chickpea Ballz Pasta

I haven't been following Meg, like I've followed my other Follow Friday Vegan Rockstars but let me tell you...she has just been added to my Google Reader. Another blogger participating in VeganMoFo made Meg's Chickpea Ballz and I followed the link. I absolutely loved reading her recipe! I love that she called these "Ballz" - Yes, I'm a bit immature and that cracks me up :) She also said things like...

• I'm full of awesomeness!
  
• I mashed mined down in the bowl. I don't know why, I'm just giving the facts!
  
• See!!! It is so easy a child could do it. Well, not really that easy, but you get the picture.
  

I love love love down to earth people and The Snarky Chickpea fits the bill. I can't wait to try her recipes and enjoy more of her "snarky" talk :)