Things That Make You Go Mmmmmmm...

Hey hey hey, Gnawers!  It is hump day!  Woot woot!  Half way through the work week!  I hope you have all had fantastic days.  Well, Hell if I Gnaw hit 100,000 hits today!  I hate to keep mentioning the number of hits, but it is so unexpected and exciting!  Hopefully, it will also make you realize that you are NOT alone in this.  There's a whole army of us fighting for our health, and together, we can do anything.  Pretty comforting thought, right?

That being said, we each have to take responsibility for our own paths and destinies.  I say this with love and care.  It is a lesson that is T.O.U.G.H. to learn.  I know this from personal experience.  It is human nature to hope and wish for someone to pull us up out of the pits we are in.  In the end, it does not really matter how we got into those pits.  Some of us may have slipped slowly.  Some of us may have tumbled in.  Others may have been shoved.  And some of us dove in head first all on our own.  Regardless of how we got in there, the responsibility to get out is ours and ours alone.  This does not mean that we should not have help.  On the contrary, it means that we must seek out our own help and support ... do whatever it takes to pull ourselves out.  It means we have to find our own way no matter how difficult that might be.  I waited for several years for someone to rescue me and pull me out of the pit I found myself in.  Many tried.  They reached in and yelled from the top, but they could not reach me until I lifted my head and reached out my hand ... until I began to climb out myself.

I remind myself of this all of the time now because it totally applies to where I am with regaining control over my health, my life, and my future.  I am the only one who can truly get me where I want to go in my life.  It is on me.  While this can be daunting and a little intimidating, it is also extremely freeing.  I am at the helm of this ship.  I call the shots.  I get to take myself to wherever it is I think I need to go.  I get to fulfill my own dreams.   Guess what?  You can too.  :)

On to the food!  It was another green smoothie for breakfast this morning ... a damn good one too.  I think I will call this one "Peach Paradise".  I am loving the addition of prunes to my smoothies.  They add a great sweetness, a little thickness, and lots of yumminess!  Trust me ... you won't even know there are prunes in there!

Peach Paradise Green Smoothie


Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain light soy milk
• 2 cups frozen peaches
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 5 prunes
• 2-3 cups kale
• 1-2 tablespoons flaxseeds

Preparation Instructions:

• Blend well until there is a vortex in the center of your blender (VitaMix!).
• Serve and enjoy!!!

I would also like to share an EASY healthy snack that is low in calories, high in nutrients, and SO satisfying.  If you are new to the blog, you may have missed a previous post about nutritional yeast.   Horrible name.  Amazing Stuff.  This is a staple in vegan kitchens because it is packed with B-12 ... a nutrient that is more difficult to come by if you have eliminated meat and dairy.  I personally think it should be in ALL kitchens because it is so delicious.  It is like the vegan world's little secret!  Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy taste, making it useful in tons of different recipes.  Today, we are using it with popcorn.  This stuff tastes kind of like the white cheddar SmartFood popcorn... only better.  I can't keep my hands off of it!  As for the popcorn, you can definitely pop your own.  I, however, have found a great new brand with the simplest of ingredients (popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt) that I love made by Vic's.  GREAT stuff.

Cheezy Vegan Popcorn


Ingredients:

• Popcorn
• Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Preparation Instructions:

• Sprinkle popcorn with nutritional yeast to taste.
• Eat, enjoy, and try not to shove handfuls into your mouth like an animal.  

And now for the main event ... dinner!  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a fabulous creamy cauliflower soup that is to die for.  I had no idea that it would turn out so yummy!  It is inspired by a recipe from the Vegan Coach website.  This soup is super rich and creamy like a bisque.  It's smoothness is complemented by the cayenne pepper I added at the end for a kick.  It is so thick and delicious that I found myself full and satisfied after a small amount.  I paired it with a tomato sandwich and relished in my success.  This may be the best soup I have ever made.  Seriously. 

Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Bisque 

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, pressed through garlic press or finely minced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower, washed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper OR nutmeg

Preparation Instructions:

1.  Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Do not let the garlic turn brown or burn or it will become bitter.

2.  Add vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil.

3.  Add cauliflower to the pot.

4.  Lower heat, Cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.  

5.  Add walnuts and cashews to blender (VitaMix!).  Remove cauliflower from pot with a slotted spoon and add to blender.  Also add about 2 cups of the broth from the pot to the blender.  Process until completely smooth.  I let mine run for 4-5 minutes.

6.  Pour blended ingredients back into the pot and stir well (or whisk if you prefer).  Stir in salt.

7.  Serve topped with a touch of cayenne pepper if you are a lover of spicy things, OR with nutmeg if you like a little bit of a sweet taste.  Both are GREAT.

8.  Enjoy!!!

All good things tonight!  You gnawers are inspiring me more than you know.  I get so excited to post these new recipes each day.  Thank you for being here once again.  Stay strong as we finish out this week and remember that you are not alone ... just responsible.  :)  Until next time, dear gnawers ... take good care of you!!!