Mere shadows of dairy puppets.. or something

At an appetizer get together, I chose to make an artichoke and spinach dip.  I remember well the deliciousness of these warm dips and really wanted to have some.  It does break a rule of mine though.  As a vegan I try to stay away from meat and dairy mimicking products.  I feel that if I'm choosing to not eat something, it's for a reason and it seems silly to use things that just pretend to be what you want to avoid.  But, I really wanted to make this.  So I'm sharing it with everyone in hopes that if you do feel the urge to go out and buy a big pile of pretend dairy products, this is what you'll make.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

    1 pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed
    1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
    1 pkg vegan cream cheese
    1/4 cup soy milk
    4 tablespoons Veganaise
    1/3 cup nutritional yeast
    1/4 cup vegan soy parmesan
    1 cup chopped green onion
    1/4 cup chopped chives
    1 red bell pepper, chopped
    4 tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 block vegan cheddar (I use Follow your heart)
    1 tomato, chopped
    5 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in skillet, add peppers and garlic, saute 4 min over medium heat, add soy milk, heat for 1 min. Add chopped artichoke, heat 2 mins. Add cream cheese, green onions and chives, heat through till melted. Add soy parmesan, nutritional yeast, 1/2 vegan cheddar and Veganaise.  Let heat until completely melted and add spinach. Stir and let heat for 3 min. Add pepper to taste.  Pour into oven safe dish, top with the rest of the vegan cheese and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with chopped tomato.

Serve hot with tortilla chips or crostini.

Too much information

A current survey suggests that Atheists or Agnostics tend to know more about various religions than those who actually are part of the religion.  This doesn't surprise me one bit.  As someone who struggles to reconcile my faith with the reality of what religion really is (something to maintain order and explain natural disasters, diseases, etc) I certainly have done a lot of research and reading.  The more information I find, the more questions I end up with.  It's a difficult, and oftentimes painful process.


The biggest link seems to be with those who grew up with some sort of religious background, so were already aware of what the religious claims were.  The article states that "American atheists and agnostics tend to be people who grew up in a religious tradition and consciously gave it up, often after a great deal of reflection and study, said Alan Cooperman, associate director for research at the Pew Forum.  'These are people who thought a lot about religion,' he said. 'They're not indifferent. They care about it.'  Many people seem to view someone who is unsure about their religious stance as ill informed and "lost."  Lost may be better described as overwhelmed and ill informed is likely not the case.  In fact, they are probably over informed.


As a Christian I think it needs to be acknowledged that when it comes right down to it there is a simple "accept what you're told without question" attitude.  We like to pretend that isn't the case, but if we are honest with ourselves we know this is more often the case.   And this survey is why.  It seems as though in the back of everyone's mind we realize that there are severe contradictions and unfulfilled promises that we can choose to overlook because it causes so much disruption.  It most certainly is easier to take the "ignorance is bliss" attitude.  There are many days when I wish I could just slip right back into my childlike faith.


But here is the deal.  Somehow we have to take that information and figure out if we can accept it, move past it and realize that many of the issues stemming from all these questions are man-made.  We have to look beyond these mistakes and imperfections and choose to either continue to find God in the world around us, in nature and the people we see everyday or not.  


It's your choice.

Bad moods

People stress me out.  Not people in general, just those who are uptight and stressed about everything themselves.  Those who are constantly moving fast, making sudden moves and speaking in an almost desperate tone to get all the words out as quick as possible.  I just want to grab hold of them, give them a good shake, sit them down in a corner with a cup of tea and make them stay there doing nothing for half an hour.  For some reason, I feel they would figure out how to do something.


The problem I encounter is "catching" their stress.  The second that person walks into the room, there is a feeling or energy that consists of nothing but anxiety.  When others feel that, they can become as stressed out as the other person.  It's just too much for me to handle.  Crying is how I deal with overwhelming feelings and I sure cannot be doing that in so many inappropriate places.

Once I began to realize the effect of others' feelings and moods on me, it has caused me to wonder if I ever caused that much stress in other people.  I am fairly certain I wasn't so laid back in the past and had excessive feelings of all kind that probably spilled over onto others.  This makes me realize that while we may be having "one of those days," it's important to realize that what we're feeling can often be felt by others.  If we aren't careful to monitor our behavior, we could end up passing our negative "energy" onto  hundreds of people in one day, especially if you work in a service job.

How much are we to be held responsible for this?  If someone has a sudden outburst of road rage due to coming in contact with our bad attitude, is this the fault of the person having the outburst or the originator of the stressful, angry feelings?  While people may never be prosecuted for causing negative feelings, it sure does make you think twice about taking your stressed self outside the house.  When we are aware that how we feel effects everyone, not just ourselves, we can effectively monitor the behavior and attempt to keep things under wraps.

So as you go out today, regardless of your attitude, try to remember that most of the time everyone already knows how you're feeling.  Maybe you should just stay home.

Veganism as a religion?

Lately I've been tired of my choice to be a vegan.  I get exhausted from trying to figure out special things for dinner, how to get the right nutrients, and trying to find something to eat when going out.  People are always bugging you about it as to "why?" or "what can you possibly eat" or even "I should just sneak some cheese in there and see what happens!"  It gets a little annoying and sometimes I just want to throw it out the window, say "to hell with it" and just eat the cheese.  Laziness is usually what I chalk it up to.

I think we can tend feel the same way about our religious beliefs.  Whether you're a Christian, Buddhist or Jew, the religion you practice has certain "rules" and ways of living that become a lifestyle choice, a part of who we are.  But there are times when you get tired or bogged down by that lifestyle choice.  It feels stagnant and like nothing but going through the motions.  Not to mention all the people "persecuting" you, making fun of your beliefs or just always asking the "why?" questions.  Throwing it out the window can seem a very welcoming choice, especially when you realize that the answers you have to those questions don't really sound very convincing.

These are the times when we must remind ourselves that we did make these decisions based on very passionate and (hopefully) informed grounds.  There is something that I have made a dedication to, and it isn't so easily cast aside by simply feeling weak in my beliefs for a few days.  I take this time to reevaluate why it is that I choose to walk the path I do, am reminded of the reasons why... And plow on through.

Favorite Fall Recipes

Fall+Soup+Rolls+Tea=One happy Alexis.

I absolutely adore Autumn.  Sweaters happen to be my favorite article of clothing and when it isn't bitter cold, I don't have to wear a coat with them.  The beautiful colors, the crisp air, the smells, harvest parties.. Ahhh.  It's so wonderful.  One of my most loved parts of Fall is making soup and rolls again.  Not that soup isn't "allowed" in the Summer, but in Idaho it tends to be a smoldering 90 degrees or more.  Adding a hot bowl of veggies and broth sure isn't going to help stabilize temperatures.  Rolls of course can be eaten any time of the year, but there isn't anything quite like a warm homemade roll to go with your soup.   

Tea is another "must have" during the chilly months.  Not only is it comforting, but it can often help keep the colds away if you purchase the right ones.  Chai tea is a spicy, milky tea that tastes somewhat like Christmas in a mug (or jar, or cup, or glass).  It's perfect thing to warm you up and give a dash of caffeine for studying.  I suggest purchasing Oregon Chai concentrate and mixing it with chocolate milk of some sort.  This ends up being my dessert more often than not.

In the spirit of the changing seasons, I am sharing a few of my favorite recipes.  Enjoy!

Potato Soup

Ingredients:
    5 Potatoes, peeled and cube
    1 White onion, chopped
    1 tablespoon Olive oil
    Celery salt to taste (I use around a tablespoon)
    Nutmeg to taste 

    1 1/2 tsp Black pepper
    1 1/2 tsp Paprika (optional)
    1 heaping tbsp Corn starch
    1/4 cup Nutritional yeast
    3 cups Plain dairy-free milk
  
Directions:
Put the cubed potatoes in a large pot and add water to where the water level sits about a half an inch above the potatoes. Set them on high and turn your attention to the onions.

Cook the chopped onions in a medium pan with a tablespoon of olive oil until they are limp, but not burned.

At this point the potatoes should be boiling heavily. Add the cooked onions to the pot. Then add the celery salt, nutmeg, pepper and paprika. Let the mixture cook another 8 to 12 minutes, depending on how  you like your soup. (The longer you cook it, the smaller your potato cubes become and the thicker your soup gets).  Drop the heat down to medium.

Put a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch and the nutritional yeast in a bowl, add 1/2 cup of water and whisk the mixture until it is smooth. Add this to the soup pot and mix well.  Add the 3 cups of soy milk fast and mix it up quickly. Let it sit on medium for around five minutes, but you don't want the soy milk to scald or it starts to separate. Drop the heat to simmer and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

    2 1/2 cup flour (I use unbleached white wheat)
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 1/4 teaspoon yeast (or one small package)
    3/4 cup warm water
    egg substitute to equal 1 egg
    2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
Mix 1 cup flour with the sugar, yeast and salt.  Stir in warm water, egg substitute and oil.  Beat until smooth (this will be very liquidy).  Cover with a hand towel and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Stir in remaining flour and knead for about three minutes on a floured surface.  Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Divide dough into ~12 rolls and arrange in a greased baking pan or muffin tin.  Cover and let rise another 15-20 min.  Bake at 425 F for 8-10 min or until slightly brown.

Using a baking pan will make rolls with soft sides vs. the muffin tin which will make crusty sides.

Serves: 12
Preparation time: 45 min