<![CDATA[Helpless vegetarian - helpless no more - Blog]]>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:16:12 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Happy Valentines Day]]>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:37:43 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2011/02/happy-valentines-day.htmlHappy Valentines Day and keep your heart in the kitchen when you are preparing your food.  If you do that you will not be able to miss.  Everything you prepare will be made with love from the heart and the food will always come out delicious.  Love the process.  

However you spend your Valentines Day give love through what you do.  Give a try to the chocolate covered strawberries - they are easee and will come out fantastic.  Use the easee choice selection and make a lasagna as well.  Surprise your family and friends.  Surprise yourself.

Good new to all those who plan their meals at the grocery store...HelplessVegetarian.com is now mobile optimized.  If you visit the website from a mobile device you will automatically receive the mobile version.

With Love 
Donna





]]><![CDATA[Happy New Year 2011, New Vegetarian recipes 2011]]>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:35:51 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2011/01/happy-new-year-2011-new-vegetarian-recipes-2011.htmlHappy and Healthy New Year to all of you.  Let this be a year to be everything you should be.  Do not delay - Do it now.  Say farewell to the old year and begin the new year free from waste.  Dance in your mind with positive thoughts free from obstacles and be happy.  Take that happiness and create a world of peace for yourself and your family.    Keep that vibration in the foods you prepare and  eat and you will be able to sustain it. 
I've added many new recipes to the recipe section and if you have any questions you can contact me.  I would love to hear from you all.
Peace and Happiness in the year to come,
Donna
]]><![CDATA[Vegetarian Thanksgiving]]>Sat, 13 Nov 2010 13:54:06 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/11/vegetarian-thanksgiving.htmlHappy Thanksgiving! 
On the toolbar of the website are vegetarian Thanksgiving alternatives.  Have a look.  They are tried and tested.  Give them a try.

I finally figured out what to do with broccoli stems.  For years I've been cutting off the florets and using that for dinner then I would put the stems in a bag awaiting a soup process.  Now there is such a thing as broccoli slaw. 
(Cousin to cole slaw).  You grate the broccoli stems on a grater, 2 carrots and red cabbage.  Then you add 4 tablespoons of vegennaise, squeeze a half of lemon and about 1/8 teaspoon of honey, maple syrup or agave. (Your choice, everyone is different).  The lemon will make the Vegennaise liquidy.  Then you take that and mix it into the broccoli slaw.  It's a wonderful way to make a different kind of salad.  By the way, no need to cook. 

Donna


]]><![CDATA[National Vegetarian Awareness Month - October]]>Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:58:44 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/10/national-vegetarian-awareness-month-october.htmlOctober 1, begins National Vegetarian Awareness Month  What do you say we come up with one day of this month, say, Oct 15 and all the friends of this blog do not eat meat, fish or chicken for the entire day.  That will be our contribution to National Vegetarian Awareness month.  Oct 15 is our day.  That is our donation.  Anyone can do it for a day.  You might even like it.
Look at President Bill Clinton.  With a little help from Chelsea he is living a plant based vegan diet.  No doubt it's healthy for you.  Here were his reasons:
“I’m trying to be one of those experimenters. Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, have seen their bodies start to heal themselves — break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them."  If you are thinking about making the vegan change Please read the The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. 
First try vegetarian then gradually move over to vegan if you choose. 
Ask your grocery store if they are participating in National Vegetarian Awareness Day?  If not, ask them to.
By contacting this address they can get all the information they want: 
http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/youcando/
They will send you signs, materials, etc.
If you are already vegetarian or vegan create an awareness where you live of this month.  For Oct. 15 I will list in the Easee Choice section, breakfast, lunch and dinner options if you choose to participate. 
Thanks
Donna]]><![CDATA[Chefs get together at Peace-Village NY for IVOH]]>Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:28:02 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/09/chefs-get-together-at-peace-village-ny-for-ivoh.html
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Sushila, Me, Devi and Nadira(guest services)

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Myself and Champa
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Sheetal
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Ed
As the Images & Voices of Hope Summit 2010    (http://www.ivoh.org) converged onto Peace Village in Haines Falls NY last weekend,  the kitchen was prepping and getting ready.  We had meetings before the event to plan out the menu.  We had Indian fusion cuisine, italian, american.and some healthy alternatives.  Although we were all  different types of chefs we combined our talents to create a wonderful dining experience for the guests.  Along with the food, we kept a peaceful vibration in the kitchen.  I've talked about this before.  Keep the atmosphere clean and clear while you prepare your food.  Every few hours a song would begin playing for 3 - 5 minutes.  It was called "traffic control." You actually  stop the traffic of thoughts for that time to clear your mind and keep steady and peaceful.  .  We would stop what we were doing for the entire song then go back to our kitchen tasks once the song had finished.  It gave us renewed energy and a subtle refreshing boost of serenity.   . Some of the kitchen staff worked from 4:00am to 10:00pm.  They did it because they wanted to not because they had to.  That makes all the difference.
The creativity building in the kitchen had reached new levels and the willingness to assist one another was visible.    Loving what you do helps to create a very special outcome.  With love like that the finished product could never fail.  We each had that love for the task.     It was a great experience and one I will never forget.  Four chefs with different backgrounds working together to create one smashing weekend.  There was never any problems only solutions.
A task well done.  Special thanks to Kymberly for the photos.
In Peace
Donna
]]><![CDATA[Snacking Is Good for you by Ginny Erwin MS,RD,LDN, CPT]]>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:36:53 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/09/snacking-is-good-for-you-by-ginny-erwin-msrdldn-cpt.html
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It is with great pleasure I give to you Ginny Erwin a friend and dietician with some great tips on snacking.  Enjoy!  Donna

Food Wise
Snacking is Good for You!
By Ginny Erwin MS,RD,LDN,CPT
9/8/2010

“To snack or not to snack to snack”: that is the question I get a lot from clients and friends. Is it better to eat three square meals a day, or 5 or 6 mini-meals?  Recent studies show that for better blood sugar control, and to help prevent binge eating, snacking can be healthful thing to do. Eating healthful snacks, such as a piece of fruit, string cheese, a glass low fat chocolate milk, or a cup of yogurt can enhance your overall diet, because healthy snacking helps you manage hunger by balancing blood sugars.

Studies confirm that when adults or children skip breakfast, they tend to perform poorly both physically and mentally. Skipping breakfast usually leads to eating higher calorie foods and making poor food decisions, due to fact that the body needs fuel right away. Unfortunately in America, skipping breakfast is very common, and skipping lunch may also follow that trend. It is always better for your body and your waist line to “front load” your food intake when your body needs it most. A good rule of thumb is to eat ~ 50-60% of your daily food intake before 2 PM. This is where planning your snacks throughout the morning and afternoon can be beneficial to your overall health. By making healthy snack choices, you can provide your body with the extra nutrients and energy that it needs. This can also help prevent binge eating episodes.

What is the perfect snack? The perfect snack depends on your own individual tastes and preferences. There are no right or wrong food choices- it should be based on what you like, not what your friend is eating on her current fad diet. There are no special formulas or magical foods to make your snack better then what you could get at your corner grocery store. One way that can help you make a better choice is to think of the components that make up a good snack.  A little protein, a little carbohydrate, and a little good fat will provide you with a nutrient dense snack.  For instance, apple slices with a tablespoon of nut butter. A half of hummus sandwich on multigrain bread with some lettuce, cucumber, and red bell pepper slices. Notice how these choices are specific and portioned out. A snack is not a meal.  A snack is an “energy bridge” that will get you through to your next meal.  It helps prevent you from bingeing on whatever is front you when you get home from a hard day’s work. Lastly, if you do happen to snack in front of your computer or television- make sure you portion out the snack. Do not sit down with a bag or box of anything. Measure it in a small bowl (remember) it’s a snack. For more nutrition and fitness tips go to www.ginetics.org

]]><![CDATA[Farro the ancient grain]]>Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:06:07 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/09/farro-the-ancient-grain.html
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Farro The ancient grain
All the traveling is done for now and it's time to start new.  Thanks to everyone for your cooperation and understanding.  We are running late this month but back to basics. 

The other day I went shopping at Costco.  I found organic farro an italian spelt based grain.  It is nutty in taste and chewy in texture.  It is naturally high in fiber and has more protein than spelt with a higher content of B complex vitamins.  If you are  gluten sensitive you might be able to handle spelt based grains.  Along with these wonderful qualities, unlike other grains spelt husks protects it from pollutants and insects and usually allows growers to avoid using pesticides.
Give it a try.  So many great things about it and it's delicious.
I've put a recipe in the salad section for a Farro salad I've created.  Let me know how you make out with it.
]]><![CDATA[Anubhuti retreat center here we come...]]>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:06:26 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/07/anabhuti-retreat-center-here-we-come.html
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Greetings from the land of heat and humidity - sunny hot Miami.
I'm getting ready for another breather away from the heat.  I'm not sure if there really is a thing called air in Miami at this time of the year.   Brad & myself will be doing another Cooking for Peace Retreat at the Anubhuti Meditation and Retreat Center in San Francisco.  The dates are Aug 13-15.  It's a beautiful retreat center run by the Brahma Kumaris and was voted by the San Francisco Cronicle as being the #1 retreat center in the Bay area.  I am really looking forward to this one.
We will be using the same recipes as Peace Village.  If anyone is interested you can contact them at:  www.anubhutiretreatcenter.org

Thanks to everyone for all your kind emails.  By the way if anyone is interested in the spiralizer veggie slicer you can contact Sandi at:  sandiann1@yahoo.com.

Keep Cooking in Peace.
I will try to take pictures at Anubhuti and if you can make it we would love to see you.  I take the camera but never get to take the pictures.

In peace,
Donna
]]><![CDATA[Cooking for Peace]]>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:19:48 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/07/cooking-for-peace.html70 soon to be master vegetarian chefs attended the Cooking for Peace Retreat at Peace Village Learning and Retreat Center.
Brad and myself did the cooking demos,  and Sr. Dorothy did the classes to tie in the consciousness of cooking.  It was a wonderful weekend.  Those helping in the kitchen were so helpful.  Thanks to all of you.  Special thanks to Sandi,Nadira and Devi.  When the consciousness is there everything else flows.  After all, every good cook knows spirituality is the main ingredient to help keep your food free from negativity.  In these changing times we need all the assistance we can get to keep centered.  Peace Village is a beautiful retreat center in the Catskill mountains. If you haven't been there yet check it out.  I love walking the grounds in the morning and actually hearing the quiet.  The mountains are magic. 
]]><![CDATA[Cooking for Peace - Peace Village]]>Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:59:16 -0800http://www.helplessvegetarian.com/1/post/2010/07/cooking-for-peace-peace-village.htmlIt's about that time again, the "Cooking for Peace" retreat at the Peace Village Learning and Retreat Center, Haines Falls, NY.  The dates are July 9 - 11.  Check it out on the Peace-Village website.  www.peace-village.org. 
Would love to see you all there.  Brad Arkin and myself will be doing the cooking demos with easy vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Dorothy Steinfeld will be doing the classes and meditation breaks.  It opens on Friday night for dinner and closes Sunday at 1:00pm.   For more information go to the website.
If you can't make this one we will be doing another one in San Francisco, "Cooking for Peace" August 13-15 at the Anabhuti Retreat Center.  You can register and get more information at http://www.anubhutiretreatcenter.org
Things have been busy but I hope we can meet at one of these retreats.   I will be posting the recipes from the retreats on the website so keep an eye out.
All for now, 
Donna ]]>