How to Comment and Follow

Apparently, there are a few people out there who enjoy reading (thank you!) but are having issues commenting and following this blog.  I have received many questions, queries, concerns, etc. asking me how to rectify the situation.  Being somewhat technologically "challenged" myself, I enlisted the help of Annemarie Catalano.  Annemarie and I were friends in middle/high school before we went our separate ways.  Happily, we have reconnected, she has become a devoted follower and commenter and has been so kind as to write up a "how to" regarding this matter.  Here it is:

Blogs are a fantastic example of social media, and we learn so much from intelligent exchange, sharing thoughts and insights on what we've read that others have posted, on topics new and familiar, from all walks of life; commenting on Blogger specifically, though, can be a bit complex, especially if you aren't sure how to do it. What follows is a detailed description of how to comment on a blog on the blogger site, and then a more abridged version as a recap! Enjoy, and then comment until the (non-meat non-dairy) cows come home!

At the end of every blog post in any blog on Blogger, you will see the number of comments made by users on that particular post.  These are a great continuation of the information contained in the blog; whether contradictory responses, shared insights for the blog writer, or simply words of encouragement or enjoyment, you should always make sure to read comments on any blog post that you've enjoyed, and certainly add to the exchange!

To make a comment on the post make sure you've scrolled all the way to the bottom of the post and simply click where it say "# comments" (the number indicates how many people have commented).  When you click this link, it will take you into the comments reader and editor, and you will see a box where you can enter your comment. 

Keep in mind that in order to comment on any blog in Blogger, you must have an account profile at one of the following: Google, Live Journal, Word Press, Typepad, AIM, or OpenID.  Once you enter your comment, you need to choose a profile that you want to comment with.  Select the profile that you want, and then click "Post comment", following the directions (they are different depending on which profile you choose...if you don't have a profile in any of these domains, keep reading...).  Personally, I find the Google profile the easiest, and all you need is a Gmail account - even if you don't have or want Gmail, you can create an account and simply not use it!  If you already have an account through one of these mediums, all you have to do is enter your account name! 


Once you enter your comment, choose your profile, and click "Post comment".  There is one more step before your comment will be visible: If you don't already have one, you will need to create a Blogger profile.


Once you follow the directions to create the Blogger account, it will take you immediately back to your comment, which will be ready to finally post!  Just click "Post comment", and your comment should appear! 

See below for simple numbered steps:

1. Read post

2. Click on "# comments"

3. Type witty, well-thought-out and meaningful comment

4. Choose profile to use while commenting

4a. If you don't have a profile, create one quickly, and easily

4b. Follow all directions and it will take less than a minute!

4c. Google accounts (Gmail) are the easiest to use

5. Click "Post comment"

6. Voila...you have commented!

 


As an addendum, I would just like to add that as soon as you have created an account and commented, simply click on "Follow" in the upper left corner of the blog page and follow the directions.  It's that simple!


Thank you so much, Annemarie, for your time, help, and insight.  I hope this helps all those who have had issues and, if there are any more questions or issues, please ask and we will work it out.  I want everyone to have the capability to Follow and Comment on this blog.  That's how it will continue to thrive and expand!  Also, please don't forget to find and follow me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore).  Thank you all for reading!   

Jonathan Safran Foer on "Ellen"

When I began this journey, it was simply to improve my health and wellness.  As I continue to do more research into the practices of creating and distributing food in this country, I start to get tired.  Tired of being lied to and manipulated.  Tired of being led to believe that farms are happy places where the animals live nice lives and are milked and cared for by an old, good-hearted James Cromwell-esque man.  Tired of being told that "cage-free" living is really so much better than chickens being caged.  But I'll leave the ranting for a later date and share this enlightening interview given by Jonathan Safran Foer (Everything is Illuminated) on the "Ellen Show".  His is also the author of Eating Animals which I am currently reading.  I will be sharing my thoughts on the book when I finish but his research, insight, and knowledge is staggering and moving.  He is just a regular guy who wonders why things in the food industry must be the way they are.  Truly a fascinating man.

Enjoy watching!  Please become a follower, share your thoughts, follow me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore), and tell your friends and family to do the same.  Thank you for your support!

Treat of the Week: Pasta with Marinara Sauce

We have a good friend in town.  And what do you do when a good friend comes in from out of town?  You catch up over a great meal.  This kind of thing happens everyday.  But why was last night different from all other nights?  Because I decided to be cautiously adventurous.  Cautious because I decided that we'd have pasta with marinara sauce for dinner.  Good, ol' fashioned pasta - that's what vegetarians eat, right?  Adventurous because, for the first time, I was going to prepare and cook this entire meal myself.  Absolutely unprecedented!

So, I whipped out my trusty Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook in search of the perfect recipe.  What I found was a marinara sauce that is soy-free, gluten-free, low-fat, and prepared in less than an hour with ingredients that can be found at any grocery store.  Perfection!  But, putting the cart before the horse, I wanted to jazz it up a little.  I took two of their suggested variations of the basic recipe, combined them with each other and the original, and made a Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Meatless Chorizo.  Here's how to do it:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
• One link meatless chorizo (I recommend Yves Veggie Chorizo)
• Pasta of your choice (we used one whole box of DeBoles Gluten-Free Angel Hair Pasta)
• As much nutritional yeast as you want (a cheesy substitute for parmesan)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the extra virgin olive oil.
3. Sweat 1 cup of finely chopped white or yellow onion for about 15 minutes (to sweat, keep the heat low and cover, stirring every few minutes - the onions SHOULD NOT brown).
4. Uncover and cook for 15 more minutes at higher heat, until browned and caramelized.
5. Sauté 1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms.
6. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant (DO NOT let the garlic burn)
7. Add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, cayenne, black pepper), cover, and raise the heat a bit to bring to a simmer.
8. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. While the sauce is simmering, boil a large pot of water, add a pinch of salt, and add the pasta, and cook to al dente (firm but not hard - there should be some resistance in the center).
10. Slice chorizo into thin rounds and and add to sauce with about 5 minutes left to simmer (the Yves Chorizo is already cooked so it only needs some heating up).
11. Strain pasta and add it to saucepan.
12. Mix well until the pasta is completely covered.
13. Sprinkle some Nutritional Yeast on top for your Parmesan cheese substitute (optional).
14. EAT UP!

That's it!  The recipe takes about 45 minutes of your life to prepare and leaves you happy all night.  It may look like a few more steps than you are accustomed but believe me, if I can do it, you can do it.  The pasta is light, but filling.  The sauce is perfectly spiced with a little bit of a kick from the garlic, cayenne, and chorizo.  It is slightly sweet from the caramelized onions but not nearly as sweet as the store-bought brands that are filled with sugar.  If you crave pasta from time to time (I can totally empathize), then this meal is a delicious, healthy way to satisfy your craving.  As with all recipes, feel free to improvise.  Add some broccoli or spinach to give yourself some greens or get rid of the mushrooms if you aren't into them.  It's all good!

Give it a try.  Let us all know what you think.  Become a follower.  Find me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore).  Tell your friends and family - they deserve to be healthy and happy too.  And, as always, thanks for reading!

  

The Mysterious A.J. Reb Materi

I am a quote junkie.  Sure, I have original thoughts in my head but, "someone else has already said it best.  So, if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong." (from the movie, American History X)  See?  I can't help myself!  Today, I encountered this very situation.  In preparing this post, I tried to create an original quote about health and wellness that would be mind-boggling, yet thought provoking.  Turning to the internet for inspiration, I found a quote that boggled my mind and made me think.  So, I decided to steal that one instead.

"So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health."
                                      - A.J. Reb Materi

I don't know what it is, but there is something so simple, poetic, truthful, and sad about this quote.  It sums things up in a very succinct way.  There are too many people who work themselves to the bone; sacrificing sleep, eating unhealthy food from wherever they can get it (whenever their schedule allows them a few minutes to scarf), not exercising nearly enough, and putting themselves through all kinds of mental anguish for the sake of their careers - only to spend their hard earned money to remedy the maladies they created while making their money in the first place.  Fascinating.

What's almost as fascinating is this: the quote's eloquent speaker, A.J. Reb Materi, doesn't seem to exist!  I have searched and searched and have found NOTHING about this person aside from this singular quote.  Such foreboding words from such a mysterious source.  Here is your homework assignment:

There are many different ways to interpret someone else's words and these are only my personal feelings.  Please take a few minutes, digest the words, and tell us what the quote means to you.  If you agree with it, tell us why.  If you think it's ridiculous and near-sighted, tell us why.  What is your interpretation?  And, most importantly, does anyone actually know who A.J. Reb Materi is?!

Please become a follower, share your thoughts, follow me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore), and tell your friends and family to do the same!  I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend and thank you for reading!
           

Pasta and Salad: Not the Only Staples of a Vegan Diet

I am officially "outing" myself as a Food Network nerd.  My DVR, which once used to house many stupid, unoriginal sitcoms, now is filled with cooking shows and competitions.  I still don't know how to make them but I can now have an intelligent conversation about risotto, amuse bouche, balsamic reductions, and other fun tricks and dishes.

Why do I bring this up?  I'm glad you asked.  I was watching an episode of "The Next Food Network Star" when a team of competitors was asked to prepare a vegetarian meal.  Liza has always said that people love to feed vegetarians pasta and salad - I am beginning to notice this more and more in my healthy eating experience.  Sure enough, the two partners on the team decided to make a pasta dish and a salad.  It's as if these foods are the only ones that everyone, regardless of eating habits, can enjoy.

This brings me to my next point that was raised on the exact same episode.  A cook decided to create a tofu dish and the guest judge (Paula "Butter/Sugar/Chocolate" Dean) immediately told him he'd "be in for a rough day".  I can understand this sentiment because for many years, tofu was a completely taboo concept to me.  I didn't want to taste it, I didn't want to try it, I didn't want to have anything to do with it. And, sure enough, he made a dish that everyone (including Paula) loved.

My point being: although I am grateful for ANY meal that is graciously made for me, vegetarians (and vegans) eat good food and there is more than pasta and salad.

There's roasted veggies, grilled/BBQ'd veggies, all kinds of stir-fries, quinoa (an amazing superfood that is more like rice than pasta - stay tuned for further posts about it), soups, wraps, fake meats (we made Sloppy Joe's from fake ground meat and just kept saucing and seasoning until I truly couldn't tell the difference!), sandwiches, just to name a few.  Or, if you want to go with something that everyone likes - pizza!  There are COUNTLESS vegan and/or gluten-free pizza recipes and pre-made, frozen pizzas.  My favorite is Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza.





I was eating this pizza long before I became vegan and I am still addicted.  I know many would say that pizza is not pizza without cheese.  Believe me, I felt the same way.  But this sauce is amazing and I don't miss the cheese one bit.  It's still not totally fresh and shouldn't be eaten every day (note also that it is not gluten-free) but it's just another example of a familiar food that can be served to vegetarians and vegans.

So, I would like to open to floor.  Why is there this stigma that vegetarians and vegans are so hard to feed?  This is something that I've been wondering so I'd love to hear what everyone has to say.  Please do not be shy!

As always, thanks for reading, become a Follower, find me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore), and tell your friends!

Treat of the Week, Part 2: Carrot Cake Soft Serve

As you may recall, this past Monday was dedicated to The Baron Ginsburg Smoothie - the perfect way to start the day.  And as you may also recall, I promised to share with you the perfect end to the day...  


We all work hard.  We all like to treat ourselves at the end of a long day.  But we also know that eating ice cream at 10pm is not the smartest idea.  To that end, I give you:


CARROT CAKE SOFT SERVE


Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• Almond milk (less milk is creamier, more milk is a little softer)
• A dash of nutmeg
• Cinnamon to taste
• 1 tablespoon all natural nut butter
• Chopped baby carrots to taste (they do not overpower the taste so add as many or as few as you'd like)
• Raisins (optional)

Directions

1. Blend to desired consistency and enjoy!  Again, it couldn't be easier!
2. Add raisins, if desired.

As you can see, it doesn't get any simpler than this.  All natural, easily digestible, filled with vitamins - an amazing late night snack after eight (or more) stressful hours on the job!  If you don't like carrots - leave them out!  It's a free country!  You'll still have a delicious banana soft serve!  Again, a tremendously versatile recipe for all to enjoy.  There you have it.  The perfect way to start a day (see Monday's post: The Smoothie) and the perfect way to end the day.  Try these recipes at least a few times each week and you will wake up and go to sleep happy each time.  What could be better???

Thank you for reading, PLEASE become a follower, PLEASE answer the poll at the bottom of the page, PLEASE find me and follow me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore), and PLEASE tell your friends! 

Treat of the Week, Part 1: The Smoothie

I thought I would give everyone's brains a rest this week.  So, for a change, I will not impart tremendously useful knowledge to you today.  This week I would love to focus on the best ways to start and end the day.

I don't know about everyone else, but when I wake up in the morning I don't always feel like eating; it's as if my body isn't ready to accept food just yet.  I know how important it is to get the metabolism going as soon as possible (we'll delve into that in another post) so we have devised a way to get food in our systems while keeping it light and refreshing and not overwhelming at the same time.  I give you...

THE BARON GINSBURG SMOOTHIE


Ingredients

• 1/2 frozen banana 
• 3/4 cup frozen fruit of your choice (berries are a great option but we've also had success with peaches and mangoes - ANY supermarket will have bags of frozen fruit, just make sure that it is 100% fruit with no additives)
• 1 cup Almond Milk (we've tried many brands but are happiest with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened - most stores carry this now, as well)
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (go with Bob's Red Mill if you can - the flaxseed is SO high in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids)
• 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (we use Navitas - you can skip this step if you'd like but we love having a little hint of chocolate in our smoothies)

Directions

1. Blend to desired consistency and drink up!  That's it!  That's all there is to it!  

We drink these smoothies every morning, right when we wake up, and they are just what the doctor ordered.  They only take about 5 minutes to make and they are the perfect blend of simplicity, healthy ingredients, and great taste.  The best part is - this is just our version.  You can add whatever you want to this basic template.  Wanna add some all natural peanut butter for thickness and protein?  Do it!  How bout a few drops of Agave for your active sweet tooth?  Go for it!  Or even a handful of spinach to get your dose of leafy greens?  Have at you!  Note: we've tried the spinach trick and, trust me, you can't even tell that it's there.  If leafy greens aren't your thing, THIS is how to eat them.  They won't affect the flavor and they give you ridiculous amounts of vitamins.  Drink your greens!  I encourage you to give this recipe a try, jazz it up to your liking, and start your day off by letting your metabolism get to work on easily digestible foods instead of the 1790 calorie (970 calories of fat) Big Country Breakfast at IHOP.

Thank you for reading, PLEASE become a follower, PLEASE find me and follow me on Twitter (@Recon_Carnivore), and PLEASE tell your friends!  Tune in on Friday for the perfect late night snack to end a hectic day!