"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food" -Hippocrates

This quote is so amazing and I whole heartedly believe in it.  Food is not something that we should mindlessly consume to satiate our hunger, it is so much more!  Food is an experience. It has the power to heal, love, create and gratify. Food is fun! Putting whole healthy food into my body is very important to me so I try to stay away from processed junk and stick to the good stuff:)  I love to learn about new foods and new techniques that make cooking even more interesting and enjoyable.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes it is so hard, and sometimes I curse. But it is worth it. The feeling after eating a healthy, homemade meal is so satisfying to the mind, body and soul:)

A few weeks ago my husband Graham surprised me with some new vegan recipe books. I was so giddy with excitement! We dove into these recipes making orange glazed beets, sauteed green beans with mushrooms, carrot bisque, bbq tofu, chickpea-quinoa pilaf...the list goes on. Have I mentioned how much I love quinoa? For those of you who don't know what this is let me just tell you how it rocks my world.

Quinoa: Pronounced "keen-wah," is a complete protein first cultivated by the Incas for hundreds of years, but have no fear because you can easily purchase it at your local grocery store. I like to buy it in the bulk at Costco. Quinoa comes in red and brown varieties and has a slightly bitter, nutty taste. I like to use it as my base and add things to it because it absorbs flavors great. Try it you will love it!

My favorite recipe so far has been Seitan and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms I found from the recipe book Vegan Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. This recipe is seriously delightful I decided to share!

makes 30 large mushrooms
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 c. walnuts or pecans
• 30 large (about 2 inches in diameter) white mushrooms (about 1 1/2 lbs) wiped clean
• 1/2 c. seitan, diced as small as possible
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh black pepper
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Toast the nuts:  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Place the nuts in the pan and toast for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Chop coarsely and set aside.
3. Remove stems from the mushrooms and set stems aside.
4. Place mushroom caps in a lightly greased baking pan, stem side down.  Bake for 10 min.
5. When cool enough, drain the liquid  released from the mushrooms.  KEEP the LIQUID.
6. Finely chop the mushroom stems.
7. Saute the stems and seitan in olive oil in a large skillet for about 5 minutes.
8. Add the onion, garlic, dried spices, salt and pepper.  Saute additional 5 minutes.
9. Add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and mix well.  Cook for 3 more minutes.
10. In a large bowl, combind the vegetable mixture, bread crumbs and nuts.  Use hands.
11. If mixture is too dry, add the reserved mushroom cooking liquid by the tablespoonful until the mixture holds together when pinched. 
12. Mound the filling into the mushroom caps, gently pressing it in.  
13. Bake, filling side up, for about 20 minutes
14. Enjoy!!

Embracing Unemployment

So I have officially been unemployed for 4 1/2 months now. These months I have gone through phases that  have made me grow in ways I never imagined.

I have always had a job. Well, since I was 15 I have always had a job. I am the type of person that enjoys being busy, crazy busy. So when I left my old job last May to move to California, I assumed I would jump back into working asap. I guess I over estimated how awesome I am? Maybe. I just never struggled with finding a job in Utah...but California is a whole new ball park. Listening to NPR over and over again talk about the unemployment rates made me sad for the people who fell into that category. I am now contributing to that unemployment rate.

After weeks of sending out resumes and not getting any replies, I decided to hit the pavement and deliver my resumes old school. I have one word.

 Rejection. 


I ended up with a few interviews and I was not the "right fit." I can't speak any spanish, I won't work sundays, I only have my Associates Degree, did I mention I can't speak spanish? Yeah I am a loser, I know. So for weeks, months of rejection, I started to get really down with myself. Here my husband is, working 80 hour weeks, and I can't even find a part time job? I really started to believe that in order for me to feel happy, I needed to work!! Going to the pool, hanging out, was not doing it for me. It was funny because everyone was telling me that I have the life, when all I wanted was another life. A working life. I was being ungrateful.

Then something changed.

I have no idea what changed, but this changed me. Instead of going on walks to make the time go by by, I started going on walks and falling in love with the trees, the sky, the mountains that I can sometimes see. (LA Smog) When I walk around the park I search the ground for the perfect pine cone. Sometimes I find it, then I take it home. Maybe I will take up pine cone collecting. Instead of walking around the grocery store feeling alone in a crowded room, I walk around the grocery store smiling to people, talking to strangers and smelling fruit. Yes I smell produce before I buy it. It works. Another new thing I love? Laundry. I know I am a freak. I love sitting on the floor,  wrapping myself in dryer warm towels and I love folding. Graham makes fun of my folding skills, apparently they suck. Oh well. I have learned to love cleaning, laundry, pine cones, checking the mail, pinterest, blogs, crafting, ... the list goes on. My favorite new passion is cooking. 

I learned the last 4 months that I love to cook.

I love new recipes.

I love to learn how to cook new things.

Graham bought me some new vegan recipe books that rock my socks off!!

Cooking gives me satisfaction and happiness for so many reasons. Cooking calms me down while at the same time giving me an adrenalin rush. Trying to multitask, cutting, measuring, stirring, mixing, tasting and not burning and ruining the entire dish is such a task! It is amazing how many things can go wrong, and yet I still love it. I love cooking for my husband, it brings me joy to see him enjoy something that I worked so hard on. Also, eating something that is so pure and whole makes me just feel better about the world in general. Yae! I am so grateful for my life, my family, my friends. I am so happy. I have an amazing husband who just bought me just dance three and dances all night with me. Plus he is really hot. I am lucky. I am still looking for work, but I have learned that work does not define who you are. Whether or not I find a job will not define my happiness. I am Happy.


PS Did I mention for fun I now go to Johannes the craft store, browse and talk to old ladies? I love my life.