Organic Lonica Lee

Monday, July 28, 2014

One of our families favorite dishes each summer is Caprese. Traditionally made with layers of fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, and tomatoes atop bread ~ we had been searching for a way to make this Vegan.

It ended up being very simple! All we had to do was take a block of organic, silken firm tofu, and slice it into thin slices. We sprinkled salt (and our favorite all-purpose seasoning - Spike) onto both sides, then carefully placed it atop the bread that already had a fine drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We cut up fresh garden basil and sprinkled a generous amount on, before topping with the tomato slices and another drizzle of the EVO and balsamic. We finished everything with another generous sprinkling of chopped basil and.... YUMMY! (I am so happy that all four of my kids loved it too!)

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

So... Blueberries are on sale... and as much as I hate to admit it... I have never made a pie with FRESH Blueberries... (I know, it's crazy, right?) I kept thinking, "Oh it can't be that much better with fresh blueberries." I was very, very wrong. It is FANTASTICALLY BETTER with FRESH Blueberries!*

(As long as you are serving WARM.)

I didn't use a recipe, but I put together my own which I will share with you now.

Recipe:
Mix the following by hand in a large bowl with a rubber spatula/scraper:
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/3 cup Organic Sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons Organic Cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon or more of FRESHLY grated Nutmeg (yes, once again, it does make a difference)

Fold in:

6 cups FRESH Organic Blueberries (more or less)

Place into either a store-bought Graham Cracker Pie Crust Shell (or make your own using these ingredients):

Sprinkle crumble topping over the berries.
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down oven to 350 degrees bake for approx. 20 minutes (or until topping is turning just barely golden in a few places. Remove from the oven, and cool for just a few minutes. Serve WARM.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

I enjoy almond milk a lot (both the super-sweet-almost-melted-vanilla-ice-cream kind, and especially the chocolate kind), but when I saw this infographic, I was astounded at the "water footprint" that one glass of conventionally produced almond milk takes. So I make my own more often now, and it is far more efficient.

In
less than 3 minutes I had made my own almond milk (1 cup of raw almonds
in the vitamix blender with a couple of cups of water, then squeezed
through a "nut bag" and stirred with a pinch of salt and a bit of coconut sugar (feel free to use the sweetener of your choice, or no sweetener at all).

If you want to read the article that contained this info, click the link:

When I read things like this passage below, (discussing different proteins found in cow's milk from different breeds of cows), it just makes it much MORE clear that humans aren't needing to drink another species milk at all.

"When digested, A1 beta-casein (but not the A2 variety) releases
beta-casomorphin7 (BCM7), an opioid with a structure similar to that of
morphine. Studies increasingly point to BCM7 as a troublemaker.
Numerous recent tests, for example, have shown that blood from people
with autism and schizophrenia contains higher-than-average amounts of
BCM7. In a recent study, Richard Deth, a professor of pharmacology at
Northeastern University in Boston, and his postdoctoral fellow, Malav
Trivedi, showed in cell cultures that the presence of similarly high
amounts of BCM7 in gut cells causes a chain reaction that creates a
shortage of antioxidants in neural cells, a condition that other
research has tied to autism. The study, underwritten in part by A2
Corp., is now undergoing peer review in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. "

1 Clove of garlic is optional (I choose NOT to use it because I often am using oil-packed, flavored artichoke hearts anyway, and I do not care for garlic.)

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Cayenne Pepper to taste

1 T. Lemon Juice or to taste

1 Cup Raw Cashews

2-3 Cups filtered water

Directions:

In advance, soak the raw cashews (or cashew pieces) in a bowl with enough water to cover them for about 2-8 hours. After soaking time, drain and rinse cashews. (If you are in a hurry, simply boil some water, pour over the cashews, and soak for 15 minutes before draining.)

Next add them to a blender with 1 cup fresh water. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Defrost spinach and squeeze out excess water. Heat the olive oil and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic if you are using it, and stir for an additional minute.

Friday, January 17, 2014

My dear friend Sara introduced me to this recipe, and our family LOVES it so much, that I had to alter it just a bit - I started making it with part whole wheat flour so I could justify serving it all the time!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup warm water

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups white flour (add extra as needed)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

Mix the 2
tablespoons sugar with the warm water in a very large bowl. Add the
yeast without stirring and let it sit until creamy, about 5 minutes.

Pour into the breadmaker. Add the flour on top of the liquid, and then add the olive oil and salt. Set the cycle for "Dough" and walk away!

Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees. Roll each half into a large rectangle. For more tight
rolls in the bread, roll the dough thinner. For thicker softer rolls in
the bread, roll thicker. It’s up to you and it tastes great either way.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over each loaf.
Be generous. Roll up the loaves tightly and let rest for a few minutes
before putting in the oven.

Bake on a cookie
sheet or baking stone for 30 minutes, or until it sounds hollow. When in
doubt, overbake this one. It might look brown on the outside, but
that’s okay because the inside really needs to bake all the way to get
the layers filled out. And it’s really really helpful to let the bread
cool before cutting into it, otherwise it has a tendency to sink down
where you cut it.

OUR FAVORITE WAY TO EAT this is toasting it in the toaster, and putting a bit of vegan butter on it. This recipe also freezes well - meaning you can cut a few slices and put in the freezer for another day when you need a quick bite of cinnamon sweetness!

If you don't have a breadmaker, you can still easily make this bread... this recipe was adapted from:
http://pinchofyum.com/homemade-cinnamon-swirl-bread

I have a breadmaker by Rosewill, which I primarily use only for the dough setting, and then prefer to bake all bread in a real oven.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Recently the Midwest went through an intense cold snap. You know, the kind that makes you run to the store for ingredients to stock your fridge and cupboards, and then makes you bake and eat nuts and carbs incessantly... or is that just me? But before all the trips to the store- we have to wake up and get moving, right? Even when the temperature is dropping fast... everyone was posting all over Facebook about how they were preparing, and a friend of mine mentioned that she might have to leave the house to get strong coffee.

Someone suggested to her: "homemade almond milk with date, black or cayenne pepper to get the blood flowing -- no jitters with this and it is so yummy...."

First I should say I LOVE everything almond... almond wedding cookies, chocolate covered almonds, almonds in savory rice dishes, in rice pudding, in the crowning glory recipe for almonds - marzipan, and even in my favorite almond body cream and almond hand cream! I keep a big glass jar of almonds on my counter and my four children are always snacking on them. So her comment sent me right to my kitchen!

In less than 3 minutes I had made my own almond milk (1 cup of raw almonds in the vitamix blender with a couple of cups of water, then squeezed through a "nut bag" and stirred with a pinch of salt and a bit of coconut sugar. I
tasted it and I really liked it. I hadn't made my own almond milk since
summer and I realized how much I missed it.

So for the hot drink, I simply heated up a cup of it on my stove - I made it with cayenne
first - since I am in love with cayenne. Tasty and intense heat, yet creamy! Then I tried another cup, this time with black
pepper. I cannot say that it woke me up like coffee, but it was yummy! And it was so filling and truly nourishing too! Later that afternoon I also
made a cup of it with chai spices in it and loved that too!

Friday, November 22, 2013

I was raised as a Vegetarian from birth by my parents (who actually started the first health food store in Des Moines, Iowa, back in the early 1970's - but that is another story). Through my 39 years of being a Vegetarian, I have encountered a lot of challenges living in the Midwest, but I am fortunate to live in a tiny town of 9,000 people, that actually has more restaurants per capita than San Fransciso. (So in my town there is no shortage of good vegetarian and vegan food.) But traveling in a three state vicinity is tricky.

My entire family is also from the Midwest. Let's just sum it up by saying that means everyone is super nice and it also means that the traditional Midwestern food options at all family events are not congruent with a Vegetarian lifestyle- in fact, the idea of a vegetarian diet was confusing. I remember being asked repeatedly, "Do you eat peanut butter?" by several relatives.

On one such event, I traveled with my mom, my four children, and my sister and her son to a family reunion and we mostly subsisted on Subway sandwiches (NOT fresh, I don't care what they say...) and Taco Johns burritos. By the time of the actual event we were craving real, fresh food so badly. And there were at least fruit plates... Afterwards, we headed back to our relatives house, and somehow stumbled upon a giant bowl of something dark green. It had been left abandoned in the extra fridge in the garage (along with random bottles of beer and bottled water). We peered closer at it, and were THRILLED to find that it was KALE!* We stared at it for a millisecond and started devouring it. We ate almost an entire 16" bowl of it in one sitting. It was so unexpectedly delicious with walnuts and raisins in it! The next morning, we had to come clean about the fact that whomever had prepared that salad had better not be expecting it to still be in the fridge. We said we ate it like fugitives. Fortunately they didn't mind. We did find out which relative made it but never figured out why it wasn't at the family meal table... except that most people did not know what it was. Anyway, there was a normal size portion left over and we took it on the road trip the next day... and it saved us from another day of fast food! (Which was great because it just so happened that was the day I was taking my oldest daughter to a Justin Bieber concert and I needed the energy to go through with that...)

It's Almost Christmas Kale Walnut Salad

Recipe:

Thinly chop at least one bunch of Organic Kale

Add a handful of Organic Walnuts,

A handful of Organic Raisins,

The juice of one small Organic Lemon,

And then Sprinkle with Salt.

This salad gets BETTER if you let it sit in the fridge for a while.... trust me.

* Disclaimer: Kale is sort of like coffee. It is an acquired taste. The difference is that eating kale can probably prolong your life, and certainly improves your vitality. Even as a life-long vegetarian, I have only been introduced to it in the past few years. And Kale has definitely grown on me, because of the nutrition and energy it gives- I literally feel healthier after eating it. I am finding many ways to use it, like adding it to my favorite morning juice... and ways to get my kids to eat it for the fantastic vitamins and minerals... usually easiest in a Blueberry Kale Smoothie / Ice Cream! I use 1/3 of my garden space to grow several varieties of Organic Kale! I am happy to announce that I make this salad when I serve pizza and the kids willingly eat it, and enjoy it! (Tonight was Pizza night - so I had to post this!)

Friday, November 15, 2013

Here is a quick and nutritious lunch I made today that even my husband -who is Not a vegan- LOVED! I took an organic kale leaf from my garden, and filled it with some avocado, grape tomatoes, and cooked some Tofurky brand Smoky Maple Meatless Bacon Tempeh to give it a hearty flavor and lots of protein! Then I ate it folded like a taco (with a bit of Veganaise on it)! Yum!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

I can never get enough fruit. (Or Chocolate, but that is a different story.) So having even my makeup made of REAL FRUIT is exactly my kind of thing.... The colors are amazing and they smell delicious too! You can click the link to see some of my favorites!

Here is a great link to lots of reasons to eat more Fruits & Veggies too!

Friday, October 11, 2013

3 small prints from the Origins series by Ninjabot.
The Origins series is showing the moment that each superhero was
made... I chose these three... from left, Superman, Spiderman, The Green
Lantern. It was fun to support a Kickstarter for Ninjabot
and get something unique. When they came they were almost
like postcards, so I framed them myself and now we have this cool piece
of unique art hanging above the computer!

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS

2 cupssoy milk, rice milk or other vegan milk

2 teaspoonsapple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cupsgranulated sugar

2/3 cupcanola oil

2 teaspoonsvanilla extract

1 teaspoonalmond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract

2 cupsall-purpose flour

2/3 cupcocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular

1 1/2 teaspoonsbaking soda

1 teaspoonbaking powder

1/2 teaspoonsalt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease pan, and/or line with baking paper.

Whisk
together the vegan milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a
few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other
extract, if using, to the vegan milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a
separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda,
baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat
until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).

Pour
into pans, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a
toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a
cooling rack and let cool completely

VEGAN
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS (enough to frost in between layers and
a bit on top (double if you want to frost the entire cake sides, etc.)

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy

1 1/2 teaspoonsvanilla extract

1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.

Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.

CHERRY TOPPING

Thaw a 10oz bag of frozen cherries and mix with 2 Tablespoons sugar, cooking for a few minutes

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Here's a link to my natural living website www.theorganiccompany.comI've offered organic fiber clothing, bedding and other earth friendly products to my loyal customers since the spring of 1995 when I first became involved with the organic fiber market. I organized an eco-fashion show/fund raiser for a local college environmental group and caused so much excitement that I borrowed money on my used Toyota to open a store. From a humble booth of some thirty organic cotton items, my retail store was born, and within a year of the grand opening we doubled the floor space, and received an award for Business Improvement from the local Chamber of Commerce. Over the last fifteen years, my company has grown into one of the largest, most complete selections of organic fiber goods in the country, we have created our own line of organic bedding, locally produced exclusively for our worldwide customers. The Organic Company also offers organic bodycare products and organic makeup, sustainable housewares, eco-furniture, natural toys, and earth friendly gifts.As a parent of four young children, I love to help people to raise organic kids, from explaining the easiest way to use organic cloth diapers to choosing an affordable, long lasting organic bed for the whole family. I have helped countless parents find precisely what they need for their babies and kids, and love to find just the right fit for each child.