We know that many of you prefer to eat produce that’s in season so that you can shop locally and reduce your carbon footprint.  An added benefit is that your food will most likely be of a higher quality.  Travel can tire out even the heartiest produce. Beets are in season and they have a wide variety of benefits and can be prepared many different ways in soups, salads and side dishes. Studies have shown that beets guard against cancer, especially colon cancer, and that  including beets in your diet helps protect a body against heart disease. Beets contain folic acid which is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells.  They also  contain sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosperous.  They are considered a fiber food and contain vitamins A and C as well as niacin.

Most people are creatures of habit when they go to the grocery store.  One of the best things you can do for yourself in the store is to change things up.  Especially in the produce department.   Take the challenge.  Try something you’ve never eaten before.  Ask the produce manager the best way to prepare and eat an item that is new to you, then have some fun serving it to friends and family this weekend.

So you overbought on the eggnog !   Not to worry.   Here’s a delicious recipe from the folks at Vegetarian Times and FatFreeVegan.  It’s totally vegan but you don’t need to tell that to everyone.  Just stand back and watch how much people who thought they could “never give up cheese” will enjoy this dessert.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/12/vegan-eggnog-cheesecake.html

This is a recipe that Marilu made recently and wanted to share with all of you.  It’s easy to make and delicious !  This is from “The Vegetarian Table: America”

Marilu frequently shares all of her favorites, from cookbooks to exercises, restaurants, beauty products and everything in between.  Take advantage of our special year end pricing and join us in 2013  You’ll receive  Marilu’s  new Total Memory Makeover calendar as a thank you gift, and have access to more recipes, great new classes,  and real time chats with Marilu.    Click here to join: http://www.marilu.com/join-today/

For many of you a vegan lifestyle is about more than what’s on your plate.  We’d like to share this article from VegNews.  http://vegnews.com/web/uploads/asset/4642/file/VegNewsHolidayGiftGuide.2012.pdf

There are plenty of ideas for vegan gifts and treats.  Marilu is NOT a spokesperson for any of these products.  We can’t say that we officially endorse any of these as we can’t personally test each and every one.  But we endorse the idea of our members learning all they can, trying new things and letting us know about your experiences.  We think that you’ll find a lot of these items, cute, tasty and fun !!

Happy Shopping !!

It’s been awhile since we’ve included a recipe here.  We’re adding this one today for two reasons.  It’s fast and it’s economical.  For those of you with children we suggest making this before you head out for trick or treat.  It’s a good chance to get something warm and hearty into them.

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 bunch asparagus

1 can lentils

1 can tomatoes with basil

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/8 cup Bragg’s

1/8 cup white wine

1/4 cup basil

1 pound pasta

In a large pan, saute garlic and pepper in olive oil.  Add asparagus.  Saute for two minutes, add lentils, tomatoes, Italian seasonings and Bragg’s.  Let simmer, drain.  If it gets dry add white wine.  Add basil. let simmer 5 to 10 minutes.  Pour over cooked pasta of your choice.

For many of our members in the United States this weekend brings storm warnings.  If you don’t live on the east coast of the U.S. you’re spared the hurricane warnings this time but we all know that, wherever you live, from time to time you need to be prepared for a few days without conveniences.

We’ve got a few tips for stocking your cupboard that you can use, either now or in the future.

Be sure that you don’t use loss of electricity as an excuse for eating poorly.  Chances are, without refrigeration, you’ll be eating more concentrated food than usual but you can still get wet foods into your diet if you give it a little thought.

~ Choose fruits that will hold up without refrigeration.  Apples and oranges and bananas are good choices and an uncut pineapple will last on the counter for some time.

~ Have bread, crackers and nut butters on hand.  Buy raw nuts rather than salted nuts and splurge on some dried fruits for snacking.

~  Healthy cereals and boxed almond, soy or rice milk are great to have on hand and granola can be a snack by itself or used as a cereal.

~ Under normal circumstances we’re all about getting the most value and reducing packaging but in a storm situation have single serve packages at the ready, salad dressings, fruit cups, tuna.

~ If you have a stove top or a grill you can make a hearty soup out of canned tomato sauce and cans of beans and vegetables.  Add your favorite dried herbs and you’ve got a meal.

~ Create your own single serve meals and place them in the front of your fridge or the top of your cooler so that you can grab them fast.  Salads can be made in advance and placed in resealable plastic bags.  Make stackable salads in jars putting dressing on the bottom, heartier veggies next (carrots, peppers, onions, then the greens in ascending order so that the greens are not soaking in the dressing.  Grab the salad and turn it over on a plate.

~ Tomatoes are still in season in some areas and they keep well without refrigeration.  A sliced tomato will taste great by itself or drizzled with some olive oil as a salad.

~ Don’t forget about your pets.  When you’re stocking up on the human food make sure you’ve got a reserve supply for the furbabies.  If the power is out and the stores are closed you’ll be glad you have an extra bag of kibble.

These are just a few ideas for inclement weather and power outages but they also work for other instances.  It’s good to have these items on hand for days when life throws you a curve and you just can’t get out to shop.

Of course if there’s a reason to expect power outages or danger of any kind we urge you to follow the news and weather carefully and to make preparations as suggested by your local office of emergency management.

At this time of year you’ll see pumpkins everywhere you look; all shapes and sizes.   They work in soups, stews, pies, smoothies and of course jack-o-lanterns.  But most people will throw away the seeds.  Instead of doing that think about roasting them for a nutritious snack.  You can buy them already roasted and that’s fine but why not roast up a big batch yourself without spending any extra money?

One quarter cup of pumpkin seeds provides 46 percent of the daily recommended value for magnesium, 29 percent of iron, 52 percent of manganese and 24 percent of copper. Pumpkin seeds also are a good source of zinc, with 17 percent of the daily recommended value.

One quarter cup of roasted pumpkin seeds contains 169 calories and 4.34 g of carbohydrates. They serve as a good, vegetarian source of protein with 8.8 g, or about 16 percent of a day’s worth. Fiber in pumpkin seeds comes in at almost 2 g per 1/4-cup serving.

To roast simply rinse in cool water pulling off the pulp and string.  Lay in a single layer on a non stick baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast at 325 for 20- 30 minutes checking and stirring the seeds at 10 minute intervals.  Some people like to coat the seeds with oil.  If you choose to do this use it very sparingly so as not to make the seeds too greasy.

Sprinkle the seeds on soup, over stews or vegetable side dishes, or eat them straight up as a snack.  Store in an airtight container.

Thanks once more to PCRM for alerting us to this video.  A healthy diet does NOT need to break the bank !

It’s not only good for your health but a plant based diet is good for your budget.  A bowl of oatmeal makes a wonderful breakfast all year at a cost of a few cents per serving. 

There’s no need to buy processed cereal or to purchase the packets of instant oatmeal.  In it’s natural form oatmeal takes only minutes to cook anyway.  Why pay extra money for something that’s ALREADY a convenience food? 

You can cook it on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the slow cooker.  Add summer fruits when they’re in season or get in the spirit of fall and add apples and cinnamon or even stir some pumpkin into your cereal.  You can add walnuts to make a healthy food even healthier and stir in peanut butter for added protein.  Top with maple syrup or date sugar and breakfast will feel like a real treat. 

If you’ve got leftover you can add some sauteed onions and leftover rice and bake it or fry it as a side dish for lunch or dinner.

You can make muffins or pancakes  or add it as a topping to streusel. 

If you want to “cut carbs” we suggest eliminating the spongy square slices that come wrapped in cellophane, or the boxed dinners with neon colored cheese.

Save money.  Save your health.