Tasty Tuesday!

"Real Winner" Vegan Super Bowl Chili

     I have very few traditions in my life. I don't really celebrate the holidays, I don't go on family summer vacations to a house by the lake, and I never like discussing the topic of my arranged marriage with my closest confidant, Semmi, during our morning workout. Is that joke too inside? It's from the movie "Coming to America" if you didn't get it.

     Anyway, I have only but one real tradition, an annual Super Bowl Chili Cook Off. It's a tradition that I have kept alive for 5 or 6 years now and it's a great excuse to stuff your face while watching the Super Bowl, which I have never found that interesting.

     Unfortunately, I have yet to win a single chili cook off! I've been snubbed each year by voters with discriminating tastes. I felt that this was going to be my year. This was a new chili recipe and arguably my best. But, alas, that wasn't enough to sway voter opinion and I lost yet again. It's all politics I guess. The system is corrupt! I call Shenanigans! Sure, my chili didn't win the title of Best in Show this year but I'm pretty confident that I had the better chili. People like winners. AND THAT'S WHAT I AM, MAN. A WINNER!

     The recipe is as follows. Make it yourself. Let me know what you think. It's easy and super fast. You don't need to let the chili simmer all day nor do you need a slow cooker to make it. I hope you like it.

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 28 ounce cans of beans, drained. I used pinto, pink, and black beans.
• 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, including the liquid
• 1 16 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 7 ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped. (or substitute 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced)
• 1 tablespoon of Mexican style chili power (but any chili powder will do)
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, then cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat. Stir occasionally.
2. Adjust the seasonings to your preference.

This recipe was adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas

Take care of yourself and each other...

I Ate Pavement....and I Liked It!

New Year's Resolution #1: Take up a new hobby.

     I decided that this new hobby would be longboarding. Longboarding is a perfectly reasonable thing for a 28 year old to take up, right? I got really tired of seeing people fly by me on really cool looking skateboards and seemingly having the times of their lives. Longboarding looked so cool! I had to buy one!

     About 3 weeks ago, I did just that. I have to admit, longboarding was a lot easier than I imagined. True, I wasn't doing any sweet tricks but I was immediately balancing myself and moving at a reasonable speed. I felt great! Longboarding was as much fun as I imagined. I even used my longboard as an effective means of getting around the hallways of my University (see below). So, day to day, I would skate around the neighborhood, sticking to side streets, stumbling occasionally but never going fast enough to actually fall. Until two days ago.....

     I was exploring a new area of my neighborhood. The roads were relatively flat and were in much better condition than the streets closer to my home. One side street was a moderate slope that didn't seem too bad and I was feeling brave. "I'm doing this", I said to myself. So off I went, picking up speed, faster, faster. "This is no problem", I said. "This is GREA........."

     Next thing I know, the board is way in front of me, I'm running but can't keep my balance, my arms are above my head, about 1 second before I lost my balance I notice a dime in the street. "Oh, there's a dime", BAM! SMACK!


     I was on the pavement face down and my longboard was still hauling ass towards a neighborhood intersection. In a split second I was up and running after my board. I eventually I caught up to it, picked it up, and started walking back up the hill. That's when I looked down at my right hand and noticed an area of skin that was missing. I looked over at my left elbow and I had a bad scrape. My left leg was a little sore and I had a small hole in my jeans. I hurt a little but not too bad. I began the slow walk back home but after walking back to the top of the hill, I decided to skate back instead. I wasn't being brave, I just didn't want to be seen carrying a skateboard. It looks weird. And, I never did find that stupid dime.

      As I was going back home I started to wonder. When was the last time I scraped my elbow? It's probably been more than a decade. Maybe 15 years. I had to of been in my early teens. I began to laugh. I was actually doing something that could result in a scraped elbow. I felt that I was actually living. I felt that I was finally doing something moderately reckless and I haven't felt that way in a really long time. I felt really good. 


     Still, the "responsible" adult side of me kicked in when I got home and put antibiotic ointment and bandages on my wounds. I had a good story and very rarely are my days "story worthy". So, New Year's Resolution #2: Do something story worthy every day. 


     After I cleaned my scrapes I went back outside and rode my longboard some more. For the time being I'm staying away from that hill but after a little more practice I'll be back.

Have you taken up any new hobbies? Got anything story worthy you would like to share. Let's hear it.


Take care of yourself and each other...

My Lifelong Battle with Sleep (UPDATE)

     Over the past few weeks I've had quite a few successes and just a handful of failures when it came to getting my sleep schedule on track. I did quite a bit of research and found a myriad of suggestions regarding healthy sleep habits, sleeping more soundly, and getting out of bed at a reasonable time in the morning. Most of those suggestions were quite helpful but some were just bizarre such as placing a coffee maker next to your bed so you can reach over first thing in the morning and grab a steaming cup of Joe. I'm sure that scenario would actually work but with my luck and incredibly dexterity I would just end up with severe burns on my face and terrible coffee stains on my sheets. Plus, how would I explain the weirdness of having a coffee maker next to the bed?

     My biggest problem with sleeping has been "turning off my brain" at night. It is hard to go to sleep with a million things running through your head. Usually, I will lay in bed, relaxed, trying to get some sleep, when my brain will suddenly say:
                          "Hey, let's contemplate all the vastness and inner workings of the Universe!"
This is common for a lot of people but points to a much larger problem. I find that I thrive on simplicity. I find that I thrive when I have less "stuff". I find that when I de-clutter my life so follows my mind and thus, I sleep better.  

     After doing a little research and some experimentation I have found what works for me and I will list those below. All of these suggestions may not work for you but I'm sure some of them will.

• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. - Have a set bed time every night and conversely have a set time you wake up every morning. Starting a routine is key to long term success in pretty much everything you do.
• Wake up and stretch. - When your alarm clock goes off in the morning instead of quickly hitting the snooze and getting back under the covers (which is so tempting) take a moment to stretch, do a few side twists, and start the day. You are not a bear....don't continue to hibernate. 
• Turn off ALL electronic devices 1 hour before your bed time.  - The television, and in my case my laptop, is the single biggest reason people are getting less and less sleep these days. Turn them all off and read a book. Or, use the time to get rid of clutter in your house. Studies show that having a less cluttered home is a good way to clear your mind at night.  
• Lay off the caffeine throughout the day. -But that goes without saying.
• Drink plenty of water. - Staying hydrated throughout the day, with water not soft drinks, is great for all around health in general but you are at your most dehydrated state as soon as you wake up in the morning. You have just gone 8 hours without drinking any liquid and you are respiring the whole night. Keep a Nalgene of water next to your bed and drink a cup or two when you wake up.
• Let technology help you. - I found a lot of computer software and phone apps that are designed to help you with sleep. I didn't try many of these because they just seemed to be more trouble than they are worth but I can recommend one. I had read about a computer program that is designed to change the color and hues of your computer screen throughout the day to reduce eye strain. It is called F.lux software and I can honestly say that it has worked for me. It's FREE and a very quick download. Check it out and read more here.
• Melatonin  - I've done a lot of reading on the hormone Melatonin. It is found naturally in all mammals and plays a role in regulating circadian rhythm. I am always wary of any substance that is used to regulate sleep (i.e. sleeping pills) but after my own research and listening to others who use it, I knew I had to try it myself. I can easily say that it works for me. I don't take a Melatonin tablet every night but I do take them on nights that I know I will have trouble sleeping or I will have trouble calming my mind. Talk to your doctor (if you're lucky enough to have one) if you have any questions. I found that you can find Melatonin pretty much anywhere that sells vitamins but Trader Joe's has the most reasonably priced bottle I could find. 

   
That's really about it. Simplicity! Just the way I like it. I'll be exploring sleep a lot more in the future so I may add to the list and more posts are sure to come. Do you have any suggestions? Let me know.

Take care of yourself and each other...

Tasty Tuesday!

Egg White Frittata with Fresh Broccoli and Mixed Greens

     My favorite meal of the day BY FAR is breakfast. At heart I know everyone else agrees with me. Breakfast is so great that it is very common for people to have "Breakfast for Dinner". Honestly it's just an excuse to eat pancakes at night but this practice is proof that breakfast foods are the most preferred type of food. You don't often hear people having "Dinner for Breakfast". No one wants to have "Late Night Dinner that You Made With Leftover Obscure Condiments You had in the Refrigerator Because You Didn't Have Time to Go To the Grocery Store Earlier That Day for Breakfast". But, we've all been there and nothing reeks more of failure.

     But, my typical breakfast usually consists of a bowl of oatmeal. I don't have much time to eat breakfast in the morning due to certain work schedules and I find that is true for most people. That's why on weekends I try to make it a point to spend the entire morning making a nice breakfast for myself, usually consisting of coffee, eggs, toast, jam, and whatever blogs, books, or news stories I've been meaning to catch up on. 

     I haven't featured many breakfast recipes here in the past (check out: Blueberry Scones and Vegan Breakfast Burritos) but I'll try to make it a point to due so in the future. Also, all the photos I took in this post used natural light from my kitchen window. It was a bit of an experiment but I'm pleased with the outcome. Hope you like the recipe. 

Tasty Tuesday!

Vegan Braised Chinese Mushrooms and Bok Choy

     First post of the new year!!! Happy 2012 everybody. So after all the holiday eating I thought I would post a simple and light recipe from the NY Times for everyone to enjoy. This recipe calls for Chinese dried mushrooms but you can substitute fresh mushrooms if you like but this may be a good opportunity for you to go exploring that Asian market you've been meaning to check out. You would be surprised how cheap and plentiful dried mushrooms are. 

     I've talked a lot about how inexpensive ethnic grocery stores can be in previous "Tasty Tuesday" posts (see: Baba ghanoush, Thai Red Curry Eggplant and Mustard Greens, Hummus) and after exploring yet another local store recently, that statement still holds true. Also, they're usually family owned so you can feel good about spending your money there. Anyway, enjoy this easy recipe and I know all of you will have great accomplishments this year!