sarah's sustainable life

i rarely use this site as a place to air my personal opinions, but i am particularly peeved after reading an internet article about natalie portman “breaking her vegan diet”, and just had to vent. natalie has decided to do lacto-ovo vegetarianism while she is pregnant. i did the same thing! not because i wanted to be able to eat pizza and cookies, but because it was my first pregnancy, i was totally stressed out, and i didn’t want to be scrutinizing labels day and night making sure i had enough of every dietary element necessary to grow a child properly. it didn’t take me long after finishing breast feeding to go back to being a vegan – i missed it more than i EVER missed any particular food! but going back to natalie, ease up, people. she’s not biting the head off of a live chicken, she’s being a normal pregnant woman wanting the freedom to eat cookies. as for those who may have concern, as this article chidingly expressed, that veganism may lose one of it’s only celebrity “poster children”, get over yourself. veganism is not a fad diet, and unlike those (listening weight watchers & jenny craig?) does NOT need celebrity endorsement to sustain itself. a vegan lifestyle is a healthy choice all the way around, and will continue to grow as a movement with or without the smiling face of natalie portman.

it is NOT halloween without popcorn balls, i don’t care who you are. this is actually my grandma’s recipe. i hope you take time to make these with your family – they’re fun!! today’s recipe: popcorn balls!

5quarts popped corn, kept warm in a 300 degree oven
for the syrup:
2cups evaporated cane sugar
1 1/2cups water
1/2tsp salt
1/2cup corn syrup
1tsp each white vinegar & vanilla extract

grease a large saucepan well, then combine and cook all syrup ingredients (except vanilla) to about 250degrees. remove from heat and stir in vanilla. pour over hot popped corn on a well greased cookie sheet, stirring lightly to distribute the syrup evenly. butter up your hands very well and shape into balls. allow to cool before serving.

everyone should be very proud that i made my first batch of homemade seiten (wheat meat) this week. i’ve had seiten many times, and have had several recipes at my finger tips for years, but was afraid to try making it. i have to tell you, it was about the easiest dish i’ve ever made, and it is low calorie, delicious, vegan, and full of protein. this is my mish-mash version pieced together from many different recipes. if you are looking for an inexpensive, easy, and tasty meat replacer to add to your cooking repertoire, consider trying sarah’s seiten!

for the seiten:
2cups vital wheat gluten flour
1tsp garlic powder
1/4cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/4cups veg broth
2T each: soy sauce & vegan worcestershire sauce
2tsp olive oil
for the broth:
4cups water
2T each: soy sauce & vegan worcestershire sauce
1tsp vegan bouillon granules
few slices onion, pulled into rings

for the seiten: mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then knead together. allow to rest a few minutes while combining broth ingredients in a large cooking pot. press seiten out with your hands into a rectangle, then use a pizza cutter to slice it into 6-8slices; drop the slices into the cold broth. bring pot to a boil (partially covered), then turn the heat down and allow seiten to simmer for one hour. turn off heat and cool completely in broth. (hey, i said it was easy, not quick!) use immediately or store in a container in the fridge covered with broth for up to five days.

*seiten is high in protein, low in calories and fat.

a week without blog or explanation is inexcusable, so today i am going to tell you about the last two weeks of my life, and why a certain christian economist keeps beating me over the head (figuratively speaking, of course).
it all began two thursdays ago when my husband and son picked me up from work. it was about 11:30 at night and we drove home down a not-country road pretty casually. suddenly, and without warning, an elephant sized deer jumped out in front of our car. none of us was hurt, my son didn’t even wake up, and the deer managed to walk away fairly unscathed. who did suffer? the volvo!! the damage didn’t look that bad, and the car was still running; so we called the insurance company and tried to take care of it all that night. what followed the next week and a half was a series of frustrating, and at times ridiculous events. the car was actually totaled. we were completely without a vehicle.
here’s where mr ramsey came knocking. we have both sat through the dave ramsey “stand up” routine whose moral is that you should never owe anybody money, and anything you can’t buy with cash, you just can’t afford. following this advice, we have never had credit cards, but cars seemed a different category. it was richard’s suggestion first, “why don’t we just find a car we can buy right out?” great! why didn’t we do this with our last car? anywho, to keep the story as short and sweet as possible, we spent a week looking around at cars we could afford, most of them not promising, until we came upon a 2000 ford taurus wagon. it is not perfect, but is runs well and it is OURS!!
so here is what i learned during my short hiatus: never buy anything you can’t pay cash for, insurance is never really looking out for you, and beware the deer of unusual size, even when you are driving down a city street.

there is, in the vegetarian world, the ongoing debate of what makes a great veggie burger. some people prefer a patty made of chunky veg and grains, while some prefer the soy-based, faux meat forms. personally, veggie burgers represent my enjoyment of easy and fast food that kids will eat without a fight. i like both types of burger, but this nutritionally beefed up (haha) faux meat burger uses convenient ingredients for a quick and delicious sandwich. today’s recipe: best ever veg burgers!

1log Gimme Lean ground beef style
1/3cup walnut pieces
1T flax seed
2tsp lite soy sauce
2Tvegan Worcestershire sauce
5-6whole grain buns, toasted
all your favorite fixings!
unwrap “meat” and place in a mixing bowl. in a small food processor, grind the walnuts and flax seeds into a meal. combine walnut mixture with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and gimme lean. work with your hands to mix well, then shape into 5-6 patties. fry in hot canola oil for about 3-4minutes on each side, until nice and brown. serve hot on toasted buns with all your favorite fixings (my favorite is veganaise, sweet relish, and sliced onion).
*gimme lean has plenty of solid protein, some fiber, and very little of anything else, which makes it a winner in my book!
*walnuts have iron, calcium, protein, and fiber not to mention a good balance of omega-3 & omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids.
*flax seed is so amazing, you must research it to find out all the possibilities, but i will say that it has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart attack, brings down cholesterol levels, and contains plenty of fiber.

this one came on the spur of the moment trying to use up some fresh veg i had in the fridge. my husband couldn’t believe how well seasoned and delicious they turned out, and neither could i! today’s recipe: miso roasted veg dinner!

*any veg you have laying around (i used red onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and mushrooms)
*1 bottle of So Good Miso Mayo, original
*sea salt
*several cups of hot, cooked brown basmati rice

preheat the oven to 400degrees. line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil. cut all the veg into similar size/shape pieces (so that they roast evenly). in a mixing bowl, squirt miso mayo over all veg and toss to coat. season with a little salt and toss again. spread evenly on prepared pan and roast until veg are golden brown (with the soft veg i chose, it only took about 25minutes). serve over the basmati rice.

miso is fermented soybean paste that is used as a seasoning in many Asian foods (you have probably already had it). it is a complete protein, good source of vitamin B12, and full of live/active cultures similar to yogurt.

one ten inch pony tail sent to locks of love from me on friday, september 2nd, 2010.

this yummy treat uses up all those last-of-summer berries in a fun and healthy way that everyone will enjoy. blueberries are my favorite! today’s recipe: applesauce pops!

for four pops:
2cups unsweetened applesauce
1cup berries (any one or a variety), washed*
1/2tsp de-bittered stevia OR 1tsp agave nectar (optional)
4 plastic tumblers (kid’s sized drinking cups)

in a blender or food processor, combine applesauce and berries with sweetener of choice (if using), and pulse to combine. place tumblers on a cooky sheet, then fill each 2/3full of applesauce mixture. cover loosely with plastic wrap, then carefully set sheet into freezer. allow several hours or overnight to freeze. when ready, the pops will have an “Italian Ice” kind of texture.
*if using strawberries, hull and slice.

berries are high in antioxidants and vitamins, some (like blackberries) are even high in calcium!
applesauce (unsweetened) has plenty of dietary fiber and vitamin C.

the more time josiah spends around other children, the more often he seems to come home sick. what can i do? i don’t want him to live in a plastic bubble, but i HATE feeding him medication. while searching the shelves of the drug store for homeopathic solutions, i have come to realize that most of them are nothing but bottled home remedies that our families have been using for years. today i am going to share with you some of my most trusted home remedies that are safe for children! maybe your family has used these, too…

for a cough: boil a cup of water. add a few spoonfuls of honey* and a good squeeze of fresh lemon. honey coats the throat, relieving coughs, while the lemon cuts through with a good dose of vitamin C (which helps reduce histamines).
for constipation: cut leaves from organic strawberries. wash them well, then boil them in some good, clean water. strain out leaves and drink liquid. you may need to add a little sugar to get your child to drink this; it’s a very effective, natural laxative, but it does not taste great.
for a sty: any piece of real gold jewelry should be sterilized, then rubbed on the sty. there is a chemical reaction that will kill the sty very quickly.
for bug bites: make a paste of baking soda and water and smear a small patch on the bug bite. this dries out, keeps the itch away, and pulls out any poison.
for indigestion, heartburn, or nausea: grate 1tsp fresh ginger into one cup boiling water. allow to steep for 10 minutes, then strain out the ginger and drink the “tea”. though research for thousands of years has proven ginger as an effective treatment for these ailments, scientists still aren’t sure quite why.

does your family have some “folk” remedies? feel free to share them with all of us – we’d love to know!!
*a regular dose of raw, local honey has proven effective to treat pollen allergies, but be cautious giving your children raw animal products!

ah, christmas gifts. we fret, we panic, we overspend, and we regret. avoid the traditional christmas gift grief cycle by buying sustainable this year! sustainable gifts can be thrifty, thoughtful, and creative, so don’t think you’ll be stuck buying everyone on your list a backyard compost bin (although some people might enjoy that, too!).

give the gift of quality time and use your christmas dollars to support local, sustainable cuisine. most cities have at least one restaurant that focuses on using local organic ingredients. give a gift certificate for one of these restaurants to any couple you know for a nice holiday treat of quality time. for an extra wow factor (with no extra money involved), volunteer to babysit the night the certificate is used!

give the gift of compassion and make a charitable donation in someone’s name. i actually did this as a “secret santa” when i was in college. i was a little nervous about it at first, seeing as how most people got some pretty cool stuff. when it came time for me to reveal the gift, everyone loved the idea, especially the person whose name was on the donation slip! you’d be surprised how many people are happy to forgo the usual plastic junk to know that they helped someone in need.

give the gift of happy memories and find a new way to share your family’s trusted and loved recipes. it’s easy to find a store that will bind your favorite recipes (once you type them up), or try a recipe box made from upcycled materials. what could be a more appropriate holiday gift than gramma’s recipe for pecan pie?

if none of these seem to fit your family’s wish list, consider the following options:
1) Sony’s Daily Reader or an Amazon Kindle, both download books to read electronically at your fingertips without the paper, ink, and shipping of traditional books.

2) a reusable lunch kit, for anyone who has to eat away from home (and who doesn’t occasionally?). these are great for kids and adults, and the link leads you to a site where the lunch kits can be customized to fit any personality and are made from repurposed antique materials.

3) a new shower head that delivers great pressure and uses less water. i don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a really great, hot shower. this would truly be the gift that keeps giving (and saving) all year round!