We Can't Reform Health Care without Reforming Food

As a fitness professional in & out of the health industry for 30 years or more, this issue has been, and is, at the top of my soapbox. If Americans aren’t educated on how to eat healthy, given the resources that enables them to eat healthy, and given access to afforable organic food.... then all the health care reform in the world, will be worthless.


Americans will continue to get sick from all the diseases (cancer, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, & auto-immune disease,) caused by eating “crap.” (i.e. fast food, fried foods, processed foods, artifical sweeteners, etc.)


I might also add in the 3rd facet of this dilemena, that of regular routine exercise. Eating healthy and access to an afforable, well thought out health care plan, will not build quality bone growth, will not strengthen muscles, will not keep your heart healthy, and will not improve your balance, coordination and flexibility.


We deserve to be healthy, to be fit and to live long, disease free lives! Americans should not only demand access to afforable health care; but also, we should demand access to afforable organic foods, and demand incentives from our work places, from our insurance companies and from the medical industry to work out, get healthy and stay healthy.


Charlie Lindahl brought this to my attention from the Huffington Post. Thanks Charlie.
Here is an exerpt from the Huffington Post article. To read the entire, entriguing story click here.



If and when health care reform finally passes, we will have successfully ameliorated only half of the crisis. The treatment half. The next step has to be focused upon doing something about the poisoned filth we've collectively nicknamed "food." Without any real changes in how our food is produced, the health care system will continue to bloat and fall apart. Not unlike the insides of an average American body.


The consequence for you and me, of course, is that the food is becoming increasingly toxic, both in terms of what goes into our bodies, and in terms of how deregulation and deception is hurting the economy. What good is health care reform if we're still being fed poison? What good is an economic recovery if big business is still gaming the system?






Bless the Beasts, Bless our children, and Bless this Earth

Halloween Morning Goodies

Halloween morning can be a fun time to make a special breakfast for the family. This time of year, it's all about the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown... (and yes, I did watch that program for the billionth time. Even at my age, I still love that Charlie Brown!)

A good bud of mine, John Borden (head of Edible Aggieland & speaker at our next meeting on the 3rd of November) was talking it up about pumpkin muffins the other day. Got me in the mood to make up some Halloween goodies for breakfast!

Here's a few yummy-licious ideas for your Halloween morning. What makes it so great this year, is Halloween is on Saturday, so you have some time to spend with the family.... hopefully...before the chaos starts! LOL!!

Ok, so we have steamy hot pumpkin pancakes with a heated applesauce-raisin-cinnamon "syrup." Then how about a delicious Apple Pineapple Raisin Breakfast Cobbler! YUM-O! And to go with all this goodness.... a steamy cup of Hot chocolate! YIKES.. mouth is watering now!!

And I must admit, a couple of the pics are not mine as my camera battery pooped out, so I had to borrow. But they look just like the real thing.

This is one breakfast that everyone will enjoy!

Let's get this party started!!!

As always, I DO Organic as much as possible

PERFECT VEGAN PUMPKIN PANCAKES

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup canned Unsweetened pumpkin or pumpkin puree (This is a great way to make puree & very easy, I've done it for years!)

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add pumpkin, nectar and milk. Stir just until combined and few lumps remain.

Over medium-high heat, preheat heavy skillet. Baste with coconut oil if skillet is non stick. Using a 1/3 cup measure, make three pancakes (or a 1/4 cup measure to make 4 pancakes), pancakes are about 1/2-inch thick. Cook 2-3 minutes on the first side, gently flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the reverse. You will know when to flip when the bottom is a nice light golden brown. If they brown too quickly, lower the heat. (Note: Bubbles will not appear in this batter)

Keep pancakes in warming oven until all batter is made.

APPLESAUCE-RAISIN CINNAMON TOPPING

2 cups unsweetened apple sauce or homemade applesauce (core and peel 3 to 4 apples, chop and place in food processor and blend till apple sauce consistency.... that’s easy, huh?)
¼ cup Agave Nectar
1 T organic Mexican cinnamon

Place all ingredients in heavy pot and heat on low to medium till bubbly. THIS WILL BURN!

Top pancakes with heated applesauce-raisin-cinnamon topping and sprinkle chopped raw walnuts

APPLE PINEAPPLE RAISIN BREAKFAST COBBLER

In a large bowl, mix together:
4 to 6 apples, cored, pealed & sliced (use delicious and fuji apples)
Raisins ( your preference as to how many, I use a lot)
1 small can pineapple chunks..canned in their own juice (save the juice) OR Fresh pineapple
1 T. Organic Mexican Cinnamon
Pour 1/2 cup of black strap molasses, mixed with the pineapple juice or mixed with 1/2c Unsweet apple cider
Mix together.
Pour into large baking dish and spread evenly

In a separate bowl, mix together:
1 to 2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of grape nuts
1 cup of roasted pecans and walnuts (place these in a cookie sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes.)
1 T. Organic Mexican Cinnamon

Spoon this mixture evenly over the top of the apple mixture. 1 cup UNsweet apple cider over the top. Add more if needed. This should be moderately juicy

Bake at 350 to 400 degree oven for around 45 minutes. It should be bubbly hot.

Spoon up in compote dishes and pour ¼ cup of heated Unsweet almond milk over each serving.

VEGAN HOT COCOA

In a heavy pan, add:
1 cup of UNsweet Almond Milk (you can make your own by adding raw almonds to food processor with filtered water. Mix till texture is very smooth. Pour thru cheese cloth.)
1 to 2 T of UNsweet cocoa powder, sifted (this may be too much chocolate for most folks...)
1 to 2 T of Agave Nectar

Stir constantly, heat on low heat till bubbly. (this can scorch!)

Serve hot with a cinnamon stick



Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children and Bless this Earth

1World 1 Vision

Cheryl Anne Chandler is a quiet young teen with knowledge and acute awareness beyond her 15 years. She is the most hard core of the Vegan lifestyles, known as a raw-foodie. And she is the daughter of Tonya Chandler.

I first met Cheryl Anne via email when she contacted me about our first VISION VOICE VEG*N’z for the Brazos Valley meet up. I could tell just by the email what a delightful and spunky young teen she was. She is very clever and entertaining in her writing and I am thrilled to have “C.C” and her mom as part of our group.

I want to share this video project with all of you that C.C. wrote, produced, & directed, along with her friend Jojo Kingston titled 1World 1Vision.

Four years ago the BISD started a unique contest called 1Vision showcase. It is a community project put together by the Bryan schools. This allows the middle schools an opportunity to work with technology AND to create an educational podcast or digital video. These projects have the opportunity to become PSA’s. The requirement for these projects is they must educate the audience about “something.”

250 to 300 projects were entered this year. The showcase and expo was held at Davilla Middle School; open to the public to view all the projects and the winner was announced and awarded.

Cheryl Anne and Jojo won the Grand Prize for this event. And once you watch and listen to this brilliantly made video, you will understand why.

BIG CONGRATS Cheryl Anne! Well done!

Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children and Bless this Earth

Dr. Theron G. Randolph

Here's a post request sent from Charlie Lindahl on one of the most knowledgeable and brilliant minds in medicine. Dr. Theron G. Randolph is one of the first doctors that realized the undeniable connection between inflammation caused from foods (allergies) and the health of our immune systems.


Check it out...... (thanks Charlie!)


Theron G. Randolph, (1906-1995), was an early allergy specialist and one of the founders of the Clinical Ecology movement.


Randolph graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1933, where he remained, first as a Resident and then as an Instructor in internal medicine, until 1937. From 1937-1939 Randolph worked with Dr. Francis Minot Rackemann as a Research Fellow in Allergy at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. After his fellowship he returned to the Midwest, founding and then running the Allergy Clinic at Milwaukee Children's Hospital for three years, before returning to the University of Michigan Medical School as Chief of the Allergy Clinic (1942-1944)


In 1944 Randolph moved to Chicago to establish his private practice, and became an Instructor in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University Medical School, and a staff member at Wesley Memorial Hospital. Randolph became sub-certified in Allergy in 1945. While at Northwestern, Randolph's medical focus continued to emphasize individual allergic response and diverged from the mass-applicable allergic diagnostics by means of IgE response that became mainstream allergy. His research interest was in food allergy, especially targeting allergies to common foods such as corn which were not widely thought to be allergenic.

Randolph's research in food allergies led him to be regarded as a specialist in this area. In 1949 he testified before the FDA advocating detailed ingredients listings for prepared foods (the "Bread Hearings"). In 1950 Randolph's appointment at Northwestern was not renewed. He went on to publish Food Allergy, co-written with Herbert J. Rinkel and Michael Zeller in 1951. By the early 1950s Randolph had become interested in chemical susceptibility, but his findings were not well received, particularly within the Chicago medical community. One of the primary areas of disagreement centered on the definition of allergy as immunologically mediated, whereas chemical susceptibility is not. No longer a part of the medical research community at Northwestern, Randolph was cut off from research funds. The Rockwell M. Kempton Medical Fund (renamed the Human Ecology Research Foundation in 1960) was established to help provide funds for Randolph's research.

In 1954 Randolph married for a second time, to Janet Mitchell (Tudy), who had been one of his early chemically susceptible patients. (Editorial: The founder of the field of allergy,Pirquet, defined the term as "a changed or altered response from the Greek, "allos"meaning other, and ergon, meaning work. The link to the immune system was, just that, a "belief." So?) In 1956 Randolph set up the first Comprehensive Environmental Control Unit (CECU) at the St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, IL, though it would move several times before finally closing in 1984 due to increasing difficulties with insurance coverage. In 1962 the synthesis of Randolph's work to date was published in book form, as Human Ecology and Susceptibility to the Chemical Environment.

The remainder of Randolph's career was spent applying the ideas it contained clinically, and publicizing them through professional organizations and teaching at various CME courses. He retired from practice in 1993 and died in 1995.


You can read more about his research in Randolph, Theron G. Papers, 1929-1998: Finding Aid.

To learn more about this incredible physician, click here.






Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children and Bless this Earth

Locavore Lunch at The Village Café on October 24th to Raise Awareness for Climate Action

Hey! Looking for something really great to do this Saturday? Want some really delicious food to eat? Want to be involved with a fantastic group of folks and raise awareness regarding the poor quality of our air and climate and what we can do to improve it?

Well.. then.... THE VILLAGE CAFE is the place to be, this Saturday, October the 24th from noon to 3pm. They are serving up some special items just for this event. If you have questions or want to know more about this endeavor, just contact THE VILLAGE CAFE! (979) 703-8514.

Thanks Kellie for the info!!

And now here’s the rest of the scoop:

Locavore Lunch at The Village Café on October 24th to Raise Awareness for Climate Action

On October 24th, the Village Café is joining over 2,000 communities and venues across the world in an event to raise awareness for Climate Action. A special lunch menu will be served from 12:00 to 3:00 which will consist entirely of food grown in the Brazos Valley. Limiting the miles that food travels from farm to table is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time supporting local farmers and consuming fresher and healthier food. Additionally, most of the dishes served will be vegetarian or vegan, which is another good way to reduce the environmental impacts of the food we consume.

This global event is sponsored by a group called 350.org, which was founded by author and environmentalist Bill McKibben. 350.org is the first large-scale grassroots global campaign against climate change. Its supporters include leading scientists, the governments of 92 countries, and a huge variety of environmental, health, development and religious NGOs. All agree that current atmospheric levels of CO2—390 parts per million—are causing damage to the planet and to its most vulnerable people, and that government action at the Copenhagen climate conference is required to bring the earth’s carbon level swiftly down to 350 ppm.

As part of this event, there will be a photo booth set up at the Village Café so that people can have pictures taken of themselves to put on a collage that we’ll be making to represent all the members of our community to support action on climate change. Even if you don’t want to eat lunch, just come by and have your picture taken or sign your name to the collage. You can be a part of sending a strong message to our representatives that residents in the Brazos Valley do care about climate change and want strong action taken now!

The Village Café is located in Downtown Bryan on 26th Street, across from Mr. G’s Pizza.

We hope to see you there!

Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children and Bless this Earth

Here's a couple of events I am involved in..... check 'em out!

http://www.humblevegan.blogspot.com/

Wise Beyond Years

A member of Vision Voice Veg*n'z for the Brazos Valley, Cheryl Anne Chandler is one of the most amazing young teens that I think I have had the pleasure of knowing. She is years beyond her age in wisdom, awareness, respect, & knowledge when we talk the state of the environment and our Earth; when we talk the conditions of the world and the health of its populations; and when we talk nutrition and the devastating effects that our standard American diet (SAD) has not only on our bodies; but also, on this planet. I am proud to post this blog she emailed to me in response to What Does Bike Safety have to do with "Being Vegan?"I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you, C.C., once again for contributing to our blogsite!!! And now in her own words:

I'm sure you've already noticed this, but i really like to write. Especially when it comes to things i'm passionate about. For me, as i told Kelin, being vegan and a raw foodist is a package deal. It IS a lifestyle. There's a spiritual aspect, an emotional aspect, an environmental aspect, and a health aspect. They are all very important to me.

What TuXeDo wrote in response to your blog was beautiful. I mean, what can I say after that? It came straight from his soul. He's really living a 'natural', vegan lifestyle compared to most of the people (even most of the vegans) in this country. Which is amazing. He chooses not to drive a car, even though if he did, things would probably be a lot easier for him. He sets a great example for me.

I'll be 16 in a year. My mom wants me to drive. My peers are expecting me to drive. Everyone is expecting me to drive a car. I don't want to. For one thing, it kinda scares me. But mostly, i don't want to drive a car because i know that it would be better for my health and the health of my earth, my future and the future of my earth, if i didn't. It's gonna be really hard for me to stand up, put my foot down, and make that decision when the time comes. It's gonna be really hard for me to deal with the reprecussions of that decision long after i make it.

So why would i do it? Because i know that i can't be held back from standing up for what i believe in, and doing something that i know in my heart is right, just because it's hard. "The road less traveled is not always the easiest one." In fact, it's probably never gonna be.

But you know... i must be the luckiest girl in the world to have the loving support of my mom, TuXeDo, and this wonderful group. Thank you all for believing in me. Peace and LOVE. ~MC

Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children and Bless this Earth

Logo for VOICE VISION VEGAN'z for the Brazos Valley

HOWDY!!!

Cheryl Anne Chandler designed this logo for our group!

Notice the "peace symbol" with the hand, the paw and the hoof. Also take a look at the Earth (mountains,) the Air (sky,) the Water (ocean,) and the Fire that dances around on the outside of the circle. These elements all representing the energy, enthusiasm, power and strength of our group!

Let's post comments to let Cheryl Anne know how much her time, energy, idea and commitment to this project is appreciated!!!

BIG THANKS, C.C!!!

Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children and Bless this Earth

Madam CherryLane's Creamy CashooLicious Pie-Cake

YAH HOO!!!! We have the SECOND recipe submitted!!! I tell a... it ain't difficult at all.... just send me your recipes (hopefully with pictures) and I will post them for ya :-)

Man O Man!!! Who says us Veganz don't eat good... Mmm Mmm GOOD!!!

This is a recipe designed by one of our members. It is organic, raw and DEEE-licious!

Thanks C.C.!!

Madam CherryLane's
Creamy CashooLicious Pie-Cake
(w/ fruit topping)

submitted by Cheryl Anne Chandler

this was possibly my first successful attempt at any kind of raw conglomeration.

not necessarily necessities:
lotsa dates
lotsa cashews
Live Chocolate Granola from GoRaw*
raw cacao powder (or carob powder if you prefer)
organic cinnamon
lemon
coconut oil
raw agave nectar
all your favorite fruits*

*Village Foods has a large selection of GoRaw products that are great. The granola is the main ingredient for the crust, so if you don't have raw granola (and are going for an all-raw recipe), then you can throw together some flax seeds, sesame seeds, a few nuts if you want, some cacao powder, and agave nectar, and you'll get pretty much the same result.
*Mango, kiwi, and banana are awesome fruit choices for this recipe. Watermelon and organic strawberries are also good ones. And i like to throw in some pineapple because it's my very favorite.

This recipe is very flexible~~~
like a yoga master~~~

Before you begin:
My advice to you is, "Any nuts you use, soak em." In their natural state, they're perfect for squirrels but can be hard on the human digestive system. Soaking them for just a few hours or overnight (depending on the type of nut) softens them up and helps to remove enzyme inhibitors. Cashews are good after about three or four hours. Other nuts, such as almonds, take much longer.
Dates and dried fruits can also be soaked. Again, it makes them easier to digest and just easier to work with.
To make things simple, i usually soak any nuts and dried fruit i'm using overnight and rinse them afterward. "Wash your hands!" (My mom wanted me to add this step.) 'Cooking' with raw foods is a hands-on activity.
Remove the pits from the dates.

Crust:
Alright, so don't build your house on the sand; have a good foundation.
Blend the granola with some of the dates (about six or seven should do it) until it binds together kinda like dough. Take the 'dough' out of the blender and use your hands or a utensil to press it into your pie pan. Press it down hard so that it fully covers the bottom and the edges of the pan in a thin layer. You don't want the crust to be too thick. Put the pan into your refrigerator.

Filling:
Take the cashews (about 2 cups or so) and blend them in a blender. Add a few tablespoons of agave nectar and a few tablespoons of coconut oil, squeeze in some lemon juice, put in some of your fruit if you'd like, and keep blending until the mixture is smooth but not too liquidy. Then spice it up with some cinnamon and cacao. Take the pan out of the refrigerator and pour the filling into the crust. Again, put the pan into your refrigerator while you move on to the next step. It's good to wait until the filling is somewhat firm before you spread the topping over it. (This shouldn't take long.)

Topping:
This is the easiest part and, in my opinion, the most fun too. You can blend up some fruit to make a spread if you like or just 'decorate' around the crust and over the filling with whole pieces.

Ta-da! Your raw vegan pie-cake is all done. Now eat it whenever you like, however you like, with whomever you like, and be sure to have as much fun eating it as you did making it.

Bless the Beasts, Bless the Children and Bless this Earth

Our Younger Generation Can Save this Earth

This is something I received from one of our younger members. It is in response to my blog What Does Bike Safety have to do with "Being Vegan."

Our younger generation "gets it!" They are the driving force that can make a real difference. This is where the change begins, with our children, with our young people, with all generations.

Tuxedo specifically points out that making the change is a day by day awareness. It is a gradual one that we make in our own time frame until we become completely commited to protecting our local environment, all living creatures and our wonderful Earth.

Thank you Tuxedo for sharing your thoughts!

I think what you said was great, and everything you're doing is wonderful. I've only been living this different way of life for less than 4 years, and like you said it doesn't usually come overnight.

I read that book "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About", thats when the transition began. I didn't do anything immediately, but spread the word, but as I ate these foods that I loved before, they didn't taste the same to me anymore. I could taste the chemicals and the unaturalness of it all. So thats when I stopped eating fast food, and other junk food, and started shopping at the natural food store.

I still bought meat(mainly chicken was my favorite), but I had to limit myself, because it was so expensive, so I would try using a limited ammount of meat in my meals and more vegetables. Then I realized that all the flavor was coming from the vegetables, and that was the part of the meal I was enjoying the most. I found myself picking through my plate for veggies rather than the other way around. So I put less and less meat in my meals and I eventually realized I didn't need it anymore. It was initially a decision based on common sense and trying to save money, but as time went by it became more to me. I wasn't just refraining from meat, because it was the most logical thing to do, I was also doing it because I didn't believe it was right to kill a creature that feels pain and suffering, so that I can achieve satisfaction, and the more and more I became aware of this truth their was no way I'd ever return to eating animals. just that alone has probably significantly reduced my negative impact on the environment.

I've also never owned a car or a cell phone and never will, almost all my groceries are raw and organic/local, I try to recycle, but I'm not very good at that, and I throw all my veggie/fruit leftovers in the woods or somewhere the lawn doesn't get mowed, with HOPE's that it might replenish the soil and something might grow.

Now I'm far from perfect and I've got along way to go, but I think that through baby steps, and coming together in this change we can make a profound difference, and maybe just maybe, save the earth, while us humans still inhabit it.

I want to give thanks and all my appreciation to every one in this group for coming together, and being who you are. I LOVE every one of you and I HOPE and believe that together we can make a difference in this community, and spread that change like seeds in the wind.

Tuxedo Mask

Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children, & Bless this Earth

What Does Bike Safety have to do with "Being Vegan?"

This is what my Hubby Bear asked me a couple of weeks ago as I made the Bike Safety flyers for the Green First Friday event. Actually, that was a really great question. It got me to thinking about the best answer.

Usually when I tell someone that I am Vegan, they immediately ask, "Is that like being Vegetarian?" People tend to associate these 2 distinct lifestyles with food or nutrition. "You don't eat meat." or "All you eat are vegetables." I can only speak as a Vegan and not as a Vegetarian. And I can only speak what "being Vegan" is to me personally.

Yes, as a Vegan, I do follow a very strict plant-based nutritional plan designed by Dr. Alan Goldhamer, Founder and Director of the True North Health Center in Santa Rosa California. I eat this Vegan nutritional plan, and participate in water-only fasting, because it keeps my Systemic Lupus in remission and keeps me medication free. But, as I recently realized on my last 22 day of water-only fasting, that there is much more to "being Vegan" then eating a plant-based nutrition plan.

There is truly a "lifestyle" that is associated with "being Vegan." Eating as a Vegan is only part of this. For over 5 years, I've eaten as a Vegan. Only over the past 4 months, am I learning to practice this Vegan lifestyle on a daily basis.

Practicing the Vegan lifestyle includes stepping back and looking at a larger picture. It is a much bigger venue then what exists in my little world of Hubby Bear, pups Jack n Jill, personal training, Vegan cooking classes, blogging, promoting the VOICE VISION VEG*N'z for the Brazos Valley and whatever else I am up to. For me, living the Vegan lifestyle means living a life of acute awareness. A life that honors, respects, and protects all living creatures, our local environment and our Earth. A life that recognizes the importance of health, wellness and safety for each one of us and for all living creatures. The Vegan lifestyle, to me, is trying to live in harmony with everything around me.

Adapting to this new awareness does not occur overnight for me. It is a step by step process. I did not immediately sell our leather couch and chair. I did not toss out all of my make up, or hair and beauty products. Nor did I sell my little PT Cruiser and get a bicycle. I did not insist that Hubby Bear sell his THREE trucks and buy a Prius.

I admit that my strength & expertise regarding this newly discovered lifestyle is in the nutritional, health, fitness and wellness facets. I promote a plant-based nutrition plan, a daily exercise & meditation routine, a safety awareness of all daily activities, family time, community volunteering, and a hefty dose of daily laughter..... All because from much research, I realize the unbelievable benefits that we derive from these endeavors.

Shamefully I am lacking in awareness when it comes to the environment. For in the past, I have not been the one to recycle, to think about the affects on the environment that a type of vehicle I might purchase will have, & to acknowledge that 90% of the large fish in our oceans are gone. I knew not that 80% of agricultural land in the U.S. is used to raise cows, pigs, goats, lambs and chickens and 70% of the grains we grow, go to feeding this livestock. I failed to understand that 500 million tons of animal waste annually is polluting our air, our water supply and our oceans; and poisoning our agricultural produce with bacteria. I did not give one thought about the plastic bag that I tossed into the trash and the fact it might end up in the ocean somewhere suffocating a fish, a sea turtle, a dolphin, or contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch off the coast of California that is the size of Texas.

Awareness is the first of many steps for me. So, I don't eat the flesh or the skin of animals. I don't wear their fur, their skin or feathers. I eat organic plant-based food as much as possible. I recycle everything I can and I’ve started using the canvas bags to bring home groceries. I don’t take needless trips in my car and try to consolidate my errands into one trip. I’m volunteering in the community, I watch out for the safety of my family, my friends, the deer, the birds, the squirrels, the dogs, and the cats that share space in our country neighborhood.

There is much progress to be made, but “being Vegan” is a lifestyle that makes me want to be a better person. It makes me want to try harder to protect our children, all living creatures in which we share this Earth, as well as our local environment, our bodies and our Earth. I am truly humbled by the impact it has made upon me and the lifestyle attitude changes that I see in myself.

So, in a very long answer...... that’s what “being Vegan has to do with bike safety.”

How 'bout you....... are you thinking more about the lifestyle you live and the impact it creates?



Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children, & Bless this Earth

Bless the Beasts & the Children

UPDATED 10-9-09 8:30AM

It's time to think (actually way past time) about the Holiday Season and what VISION VOICE VEG*N'z for the Brazos Valley can do to promote "good tidings to all." This is the time of year for giving, donating and taking care of those that are less fortunate then we. (although, I don't know why we don't have this spirit all year long...)

With this in mind, our group has a mission..... a vision, a focus...... an event to zero in on. I’m talking about the Bless the Beasts and the Children Holiday Drive Thru! You know, the song from the 1970’s Carpenter’s hit...... http://www.rhapsody.com/the-carpenters/gold-35th-anniversary-edition/bless-the-beasts-and-children/lyrics.html

Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice

They have no choice

Bless the beasts and the children

For the world can never be

The world they see

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them

And give them love

let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children

Give them shelter from the storm

Keep them safe, keep them warm

VISION VOICE VEG*N’z for the Brazos Valley is striving to host an annual donation drive to benefit the local rescue societies and Scotty’s House. Village Foods is the location for this drive thru. The target date is Saturday, the 12th of December from 8am till 5pm.

This event sets itself apart from KORA Radio MASH Toys for Tots and the Brazos Food Bank drive, in that we want items specifically for the local rescue societies and Scotty’s House. Some things might include:

Societies: food, dishes, bedding, crates,
Scotty’s House: clothes, toys, food, bedding

I am so very excited to have our first sponsor!! Village Foods is allowing us to use their parking lot for this event! AND have agreed to post some flyers in their store AND to put a flyer in one bag of each person that checks out! YAY!! I will provide all the posters and flyers. This is where we need printing services donated......

I am on a search for more sponsors.

*Maybe a possible radio remote at the site that day
*promotion-marketing-advertising
*a tent for us to stash the goods while loading in the trucks
*transportation... hopefully there will be lots of volunteers with trucks and or SUV’s

*printing for flyers etc

And of course, this will not be possible without YOUR help..... VOLUNTEERS!!! Please spread the word and gather friends, family and peers to volunteer for this cause-worthy event!

In addition to volunteers and sponsors, I am seeking your ideas, thoughts, and info to share and pursue. So, please...... let me hear from you :-)




Bless the Beasts Bless our Children and Bless this Earth

Tofu Curry Stir Fry

Here's our very first submitted recipe!!! See.. it can be done.... it doesn't hurt... it doesn't take much effort... really! LOL!!!

This delicious, award winning.....curry dish is from Aditya Shrivastava, one of our newest members. He did not give it a title... so I gave it this title. Thanks Aditya!!

TOFU CURRY STIR FRY

(all in his own words)



so there's not a strict recipe for what I had cooked, only thing to be mindful is: cook tofu till edges start turning brown. everything else is can be played around with!

- heat oil in a pan, medium-high temperature
- add hard tofu, diced into cubes.
- keep stirring till edges start turning brown
- add 2 diced tomatoes / or any pasta sauce
- add spices: 1 tble spoon each of turmeric, ground cumin, curry powder
- stir to mix them in
- add 2 diced bell peppers
- 1 spoon salt
- keep stirring, it's done when bell peppers become slightly tender.



Bless the Beasts Bless our Children and Bless this Earth

Green First Friday Downtown Bryan

WOW!!! What an amazing night we had this past Friday!!! The night was absolutely gorgeous, comfortably coolish, with a slight breeze that kept our green balloons "alive." The 2nd annual Green First Friday in downtown Bryan was rockin' with music & laughter.
Vendors lined the east side of Main Street with everything from recycling to solar paneling to community farming to Vegan/Vegetarians promoting why this lifestyle would help clean up and protect the environment. Carnegie Library had a book sale. Wood carver, spinning wheels, pottery makers attracted a lot of attention. Live music from Valley Junction Blue grass band entertained passer-byers.

Outside, in front of Village Cafe, folks were jammin' to live music and across the street, you could buy a bear from Brazos Valley Bears; and produce and jelly from Farmers Market. Tons of people were walking the streets, giving hand shakes and fist bumps, greeting folks they knew and making new friends and chattin' it up with the vendors.

Our table, VISION VOICE VEG*N'z for the Brazos Valley, handed out flyers about our group meetings and what our group represents. We had "riding bikes saves the environment" flyers, we had "bake safety" flyers, & we had "why going Vegan or Vegetarian is healthy for the environment and for the body." We gave out flyers on "what it means to be Vegan."

We handed out Vegan goodies to people. Everyone was pleasantly surprised that they were so good.... especially after we told them there was no dairy, no sugar, no oil, no sodium, no eggs, no butter, no white flour and no artificial sweeteners! Laura Thomas made the banana chocolate chip muffins..... these were amazing! I made oatmeal-raisin-walnut-coconut cookies. CC and Tonya Chandler brought granola, grapes, pineapple and trail mix. I saved back the trail mix for us volunteers to munch on.... Yum...OH!! THANKS to you guys for the munchies!

Our hosts for our table were Aditya Shrivastava, CC Chandler, Frances DeGelia, Laura Thomas, Tuxedo Mask, and yours truly. We all had a terrific time. This event gave us the opportunity to introduce our group and our purpose to the community; and to let the community know there are Veg*n'z living here and we don't have 2 heads!
All in all... it was a very successful and fun-filled event! I give out HUGE kudos to all the hosts that took time from their very busy schedules to make room to be a very important part of this grand event! We could not have done this without each one of you!

And we give BIG thanks to Mary Strauss, who headed up this fantastic celebration of protecting this Earth and our local environment. What a really great job she did!

We'll be there next year, for sure!

Bless the Beasts Bless our Children and Bless this Earth

October Meetup Review

BIG.. HUGE.. thanks to those of you that attended last night!!! There were 12 of us, with two newbies!! Kelin Ward and Aditya Shrivastava. WELCOME!!!! I so appreciate your interests, your support and your contributions to our new group!!! WOO HOO for all of you!!!!

For those of you that missed the 2nd VISION VOICE VEGN'z for the Brazos Valley meetup last night.... all I can say.... you missed out on a LOT!!!

We met at Heather Dushcher's garden and learned how to grow your own food. She discussed soil prep to nurturing your crops to picking your goodies to keeping them fresh thru the winter. She is growing sweet potatoes, lettuce, green bells, snow peas, green onions, sage, basil and much more.

Heather helped us to understand about composting our own trash and how easy it is. And I was surprised to find out that you don't need that much space to compost. In addition to composting food trash, you can compost flour bags, coffee, and grass trimmings.

We had a great line of up FOOD!!! WOW! We have got some fabulous chefs among us! Vegan curry dish (which I missed out on!,) Black bean corn pico, Vegan tofu salsa, Raw strawberry pie and Raw Kiwi pie, and fruit and dates and wheat rolls...we ate well!

I was too busy eatin', listening to Heather's presentation and chatin it up that I took NO pics!! So, I stole the only one to post from Heather. (Thanks Heather!) That's why I need my photographer, the Hubby Bear at these meetings!
The announcements I made were:

*Green First Friday tonight. Our table will be around the Carnegie Library from 5:30pm to 8:30pm

*I will be posting announcements etc on our new blog. I encourage you guys to share "stuff." This is our blog. Send me what you would like to post and I will handle it for you! Recipes, recommended books, DVD's, movies. Ideas, thoughts, inspirations, blogs you want us to follow, events you want us involved in..... this is your opportunity!!

*BV Solid Waste Mgmt hosting Bi-annual Household Hazard Waste Collection, Saturday Nov 14th at the Old University Services Bldg. I'd like us to volunteer as a group for this!! What are your thoughts?

*Tax Breaks for taking care of your pet!!! YES!! up to 3500.00 annually. Sign up to get this Bill passed. (This I did not mention at the meeting)

*NOVEMBER meetup is Tuesday the 3rd of November at 6:30pm Village Cafe. Laura Thomas, one of our members, will be guest speaker. She will discuss Pre and Probiotics. Hope you can make it. If you want to order food, please RSVP HumbleVegan just to give them an idea of how many will be eating. You do NOT have to order.

Charlie Lindahl shared the 350.org event in The Woodlands at his church, Northwoods Unitarian Universalist, on October 24th (Saturday) is having International Day of Climate Action. If any of you wish to attend, Let Charlie know!!!

Here are some links of interest for those of you that missed out on last nights fun and for those of you that attended and want more info!
*Brazos County Planting Chart
*Square Foot Gardening
*Brazos Locavores

Well... thatsa wrap.. till next time!
Have a great weekend... hope to see you out at Green FF tonight!!!

Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children, & Bless this Earth

GREEN First Friday.. Downtown Bryan!

WOO HOO!!! It's Friday night!!! Time for First Friday in downtown Bryan. Oct 2nd 5:30pm to 8:30pm. This is the 2nd annual GREEN First Friday!

Stop on by our table, Vision Voice Veg*n'z for the Brazos Valley to meet us, for some Veg*nz goodies and to learn how you can make BCS a safer ride for cyclists & how biking can help "clean up" our environment!

CU @ GREEN FIRST FRIDAY!!

Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children, & Bless this Earth

Bi-Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection

I received email below today. Let's think about volunteering as a group! What do you think?

"It is getting close to that time of year for the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency to host their bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection and we need your help!
This event is not possible without the help of our volunteers!

Date:
November 14, 2009, Saturday is the correct date.

Location:
Old University Services Building
(map attached)
You will enter through the exit located on University Dr. the name of the road is Old TI Rd. and there is a small brown side on the right side of the rd. so if you are driving East on University (toward Physician Center) you will turn right on Old TI Rd.

Shifts are:
6:30 - 9:00 - Breakfast and Refreshments Included!
8:30 - 11:00 - Breakfast, Refreshments, and Lunch Included!
10:30 - 1:00 - Lunch and Refreshments Included!
12:30 - 3:00 - Lunch and Refreshments Included!

All Shifts are 2 1/2 hour shifts, you are welcome to work as many shifts as you would like but we ask that you please fill the time requested."

This is another fantastic opportunity for us to show a unified presence in the community as the new VISION VOICE VEG*N'z for the Brazos Valley! A great way to show our support for cleaning up the environment.

Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children, & Bless this Earth

2nd MEET UP TONIGHT!

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!

Look forward to seeing everyone, 6pm at tonight's 2nd Meetup of the Vision Voice Veg*n'z for the Brazos Valley!

Tonight's focus is learning to grow your own food and compost your own trash. Hopefully we'll be outside around Heather Duchscher's garden & compost field if it doesn't rain. Just in time to plant in October. And no matter if you live in an apartment, on a boat, in a trailer house or have acres of land.... you can grow your own food.

Don't forget to bring some munchies for the group (if you can,) a chair (if you want to sit) and a drink (if you want something other then water.) ! This will be a really awesome, informative meetup!

November's meetup is posted for the 1st Tuesday night, November 3rd at the Village Cafe, 6:30pm. So, make note on your calendars and I'll announce the guest speaker at tonight's gathering.



Bless the Beasts, Bless our Children, and Bless this Earth