ami's place blog

Veggie Month - Easy

 
Homemade Brown Rice Pudding with Raisins

Jon and I have been vegetarian for over twenty years and organic for over five of those years. We are fortunate to live in an area where we are close to ourlocal Coop, PCC, and Whole Foods andTrader Joe's. We are also very much into quick and easy cooking. I have found it easiest when buying and cooking for just two of us to vary our diets by region each week. We will have a Mediterranean week and then a Mexican week and an Oriental week and then an American week. This is the way we have been able to take advantage of larger sizes in some of the items that we buy.

 In a Mexican week we will get flour tortilla's, mexican cheeses, green onions, green peppers, greek sour cream, and one store specific item, the organic 3-bean dip and salsa (From Costco). That week we will have burritos and quesadillas and nachos etc.

Then on the Italian week we will have lasagna made with the no-boil noodles (from Trader Joe's)  and steamed fresh spinach or chard with a quick dash of vinegar, and quick pasta or risotto for another day. I have found that adding a tablespoon of dark chili powder to an organic marinara sauce gives it an intense and wonderful flavor. Many of the days we use left-overs from these meals and always we have lots of fresh veggies in or with most of our dishes and/or in a salad.

On the oriental week I will make a big pot of brown rice and we will have it with roasted veggies and in rice pudding and in Inari Sushi or with spinach and peanut sauce. All of these are made the quick and easy way. We seldom spend more than 30 minutes in the kitchen other than oven or rice cooker time.

When we have an American week we have garden burgers with oven roasted potatoes, and sometimes breakfast for dinner, omelets or quiche. We will have a sloppy joe night made with ground tvp, and or the occasional soup and toast evening.

It has taken a while but we have found a way to maintain a healthy vegetarian/organic diet with very little fuss. We love buying at our local farmer's markets in the summer months and will follow along with what is in season.

I would love to know how others have maintained there vegetarian diets in a quick and simple manner.

Y & T - another weeks layout

 

Another story recorded. This is such a love story. My valentine to my wonderful husband. I have been very blessed in my life and this twenty-five year adventure with Jon is one of the very bestof those blessings. I am having a marvelous time getting these stories told. Sometimes finding the pictures to go along with them is not easy but I have managed to find some hidden treasures also.

Y & T -another layout

 

This was a story that I really wanted to get on paper. It's strange. I am finding that so many of the stories of my life I have repeated on numerous occasions and yet have never written down. Now in this class with Ali, I am beginning to find the style and the words to begin to record them.

Sketch book pages

 

These are just a few of my attempts to start sketching again. I am loving the class with Alisa Burke. Her lessons thus far have just been about the materials. It is very refreshing to be drawing again, and draw is my word for this year. I've also been drawing on my ability to get things done and almost staying up to date with my Y&T class with Ali. Life is good. I must cut this short. Jon just got home and we try to walk each evening and catch up on our days.

Y&T - Things You Should Know - layout

 

This is a bit of my radical  history.  This class with Ali Edwards is bringing back so many wonderful memories. Many of these I haven't thought about in years. It was an amazing time in my life when I believed that a single person could make a difference. I still do believe this.