Take Note: The" King Amendment" to the Farm Bill WILL Endanger Animal Welfare (at a minimum, it's ludicrous and cruel)

I navigate this terrain on tenterhooks. It's a very personal choice to be an animal activist or not. I don't wave a flag in front of my friends' faces proclaiming my lifestyle over theirs is better. I simply wish for a kinder approach to our existence as it relates to food production and consumption. Sure I'd love it if the world went vegan. But I am not naive. It's for this reason a piece in this morning's paper gave me pause. I thought I'd share some thoughts with you all as this holiday season ratchets up full speed and eating takes center stage.

Vegan Cheeseburger Soup with "The Works" (Dr. Neal Barnard Would Love This!)

I am a recovering cheeseburger addict. I know. It's horrible to have to lay all my confessional stuff into my food posts like this. But that's the plain truth. I was weaned on the burger from a young age. After all, back in the Dark Ages, whose mother didn't make a weekly trek to the burger palace for a "dinner" fix? We certainly paid homage. Plenty of times.

Michael Rostang's Double Chocolate Mousse Cake: French Fridays With Dorie

If there is one thing I know, it's chocolate. (See "My Profile" on right). If there's another thing I know, it's how to bake. No, I'm not "professionally" trained nor do I have the money to do so, but I've been baking since I could hold a spatula. Once I'd even considered opening a small bakery doing cookies, cakes and books. I take baking seriously. Then yesterday happened and I'll reserve the comments that flew from my lips in trying to re-create this Frenchie chocolate specialty in vegan form for "offline".  I'll also not be posting any pictures of my kitchen in the aftermath, as I found myself wiping counters down one last time ten thirty last night (third failed attempt going into the trash).

Fried Artichoke and Mushroom Panini with Garlic Caper Mayo (Bill Clinton:Vegan. . . Are pigs flying?)

We had "panini night" three nights in a row last week. Not the SAME panini every night--I at least changed it up a bit. This one smothered in artichokes was the fave. I added some roasted red pepper, fresh spinach leaves and vegan cheese, with a few thinly sliced red onions, swiped on both sides with this amazing garlic caper mayo, then put them on the stove top grill with my 10" cast iron skillet on top to press--to get the grill marks you see (no, I do not own a panini press--you don't need one to make a panini, okay?!).

Unfortunately, I've reached somewhat of a burnout on all things "kitchen". I'm not saying I don't love cooking still, but you have to realize, we do not eat out. . . like EVER. (Near death experience with food borne illness, vegan, picky, hate crowds, not real fond of people touching my food. . . I could go on.) So this leaves 365 days of meal planning a year for me. I could accumulate every single cookbook ever written--all I'd do is stare blankly at them in a haze when this ailment strikes. I could have the best kitchen, all the latest gadgets and geeked-out foodie appliances, but when the, I'm so sick of cooking I could (you fill in the blank) arrives, there is a hopelessness that accompanies my withdrawl. I am in a despair over it, I really am.

Comfort Queen: Vegan Match Meats Chicken with Wild Rice And Mushrooms Casserole (And Other Pithy Comments)

It's always "casserole" weather in this house. Could be a hundred outside. If I have a hankering for a one-pot baked pile of yum, then that's what I'm making. I don't shy away from the foods of the "soul". This dish is a basic that is so down home, you'll be looking for a funeral to take it to. When I was putting this together and realized that the amount I had just poured into my neat little 9 x 13 casserole dish was enough to feed a family of eight comfortably (plus allow for an upper arm workout from the lifting of the dish from the oven)--well, I could only think of one thing--how many nights would we be eating this and how many different ways might I be able to sneak this into a salad or wrap. I was so wrong on the family of eight thing. Mr.Thyme and I chowed at least half of this in our first night. We gladly ate it again for dinner the next night, then another day for lunch using it in, what else: wraps. Yum.

Last night, after we all went to bed, we got a downpour so heavy that it rained like an inch in twenty minutes. Not really a Nashville situation here yet, but let me say, it is really lush and deep green outside now. I was kept awake from three a.m. until five a.m. by some very worried canines who were crawling over my head and arms attempting to hide from all the lightening and thunder. Real fun. Then the power went out. We're in for more rain, and more storms today and tonight. Such is life in the Midwest in Spring.

As vegan foods go, my goal has always been to pretty much feed myself the way I've always liked to eat: heartily and robustly. I've always had an appetite and it runs on the not-so-much bean and sprout variety. I tracked a lot of vegan food blogs prior to beginning my own. Spent many a dollar on vegan cookbooks--and must say, many of those cookbooks barely get touched--sometimes, but not a lot. I also really and truly tried to love tofu. I do not love tofu. Nor do I love beans and sprouts. Eating cruelty free for me made sense--that's not up for debate, but my vegan food also had to be good food defined by "my good". 

Vegan Thai Green Curry Tribute Dish for Jamie Oliver (Get off The Sofa!)

This Thai Green Curry dish with asparagus and sugar snap peas is topped off with a homemade lime curry sauce that Jamie offers in his cookbook, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. This incredible curry and veggie combo is then sauteed in lowfat coconut milk. I let my dish share the spotlight with Match Meats crab-ettes (just small Match crab cakes). In Jamie's version, he used shrimp. I added my own "seafood" jolt by crumbling nori seaweed into the Match mix--giving this a fishy flavor. In Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution cookbook, an entire chapter is dedicated to curry recipes. I love it! Making the green curry from scratch for this dish was the best part! 

I have a tribute post today in honor of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution show airing this evening at eight central time on ABC. I have a little idea about what to expect--town folk with resentment and resistance and hopefully capitulation. It is entertainment. But I have a deep respect for what Jamie is setting out to do in Huntington, West Virginia--a town ranked one of the unhealthiest in the nation. Now the question is, as it is with all "healthy" cooking shows--if you build it, will people come or will they "buy" it? I hope they buy it. I really do.

Why Vegan Blogs Matter (My Note to A Journalist Covering Slaughterhouse Practices)

I pause today to bring an issue to my blog that I rarely "go there" with: eating meat in our society. It goes without saying really, I suppose. I am about vegan food and eating "cruelty free" after all. I have in my "blogs I follow" section a link to Chews Wise. An intelligent, well-researched blog if ever there was one. I respect the approach he takes in covering organic food issues. After all, I worked nearly a year for an agriculture organization that is a giant in the realm of lobby powers in bringing a certain grain to your table in more and more ways than you could imagine--organic or not. I don't divulge much on my experience with the ag industry only to say that I have had a front row seat to what many others only read about in short columns in local papers or hear about when an urgent ag matter needs addressing. I still keep up on ag news and follow the "farmer" plight. If you are a vegan and you've not read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer--you may want to do so. Not only are the statistics for how our country's meat industry is slowly eroding our ethical boundaries in what is and is not acceptable practices in animal husbandry, it is staggering to read the means by which we are falling further and further behind in our methods of bringing food to the table--we are, in essence, being more barbaric.

When Life Happens: The Addiction Monster (Thank You for Waiting: My Vegan Brownie Breakthrough)

I am on my second pan of eating through my "vegan brownie breakthrough"--just to be sure. Had I made these under too much stress? Was my recipe share-worthy? Just what the heck did I use? So, in case you've been through the great "vegan brownie" hunt as I have, go ahead and give these a try. I'm not saying everyone will love them, but I do, and truthfully, that's all that matters at this point. 

This theraputic knit-for-a-cause handbag went so fast, I really don't remember how I made it! I just began knitting and grabbing whatever yarn I had. It went to the highest bidder on Sunday's silent auction. I loved it--hated to part with it. But someone else can love it now.

Mr.Thyme is the best photographer ever. Is that shot of the Botanical Garden lake not the best?

Even with the garden dormant, it was so worth walking through and enjoying the sparseness of it.

Uh, I am going to put this out there just because I feel I need to: Don't even think about copying my stuff off my site without my permission. It's all copyrighted to me--and I know people in high places. So ask first.

I've added this tidbit in my profile, too.

Again, the orchid show was spectacular and great therapy in the dead of winter.

Just a bunch of oohs and ahhs taking place here.

More oohs and ahhs. . .

Pretty in pink and yellow.

I can't stand to see a water fountain off--it makes me sad and sort of feels like armageddon. So I jumped in and Mr. Thyme grabbed a picture of me in the fish fountain. It was a good moment.

I haven't left yet. Thank you for sticking with me. If you've left, I totally understand. I have been, what can I say? Recovering. Little did I know that my setback in the hospital would have this lingering effect. Little did I know that within a week of my returning to somewhat normal activity--hives lifting, appetite returning, that I would have to face the emotional trauma of someone very dear to me (okay, let me be frank--my only living relative I have left on the planet) facing a long hospital stay. (The kind of stay that is sort of forced upon you when you've gone "too far" with really bad social habits--habits, in the plural here.) I am talking addiction. I could talk about the utter destruction addiction has on both the families it emotionally destroys, or about the cost of addiction to our society. Either way--dealing with the breaking down of someone I love dearly is what has kept me from my blog, from my cooking and from my life these past few weeks--that and my own post-traumatic recovery from "the incident" have all built up to a "hard stop".

Vegan Cream Cheese Enchiladas: How A Vegan Is Born (And Knitting Olympics)

My old school cream cheese enchiladas came creeping back with an even better tasting vegan twist. I didn't think it was possible. I think I first got this menu idea from a Pace Picante cookbook. The flavor and creamy taste of the filling was not lost one bit on my vegan substitutions! We loved them! 

This is what your filling will look like after you've mixed all the cheeses and salsa into the tempeh and veggie mix. I like a really full enchilada, mine looks a bit full--it still rolled up nicely!

My Knitting Olympics cardigan. (Even though I started my Olympics project in December.) It has taken me forevah' to finish one sleeve on this little precious. I fondly refer to this as my "Longest Mile" Diminishing Rib Cardigan because each darn section of ribbing feels like I've just knitted a mile. My goal: To finish this before the Olympics are over! Then, begin my next project because I do not like having UFOs lying around (unfinished objects).

Oh Happy Day--my new Spring Interweave Knits mag arrived yesterday. I am using iron will to not peek inside yet because it may cause me to abandon The Longest Mile and I would hate myself for doing so--I have enough stress in my life for now!

Last night I had a flashback to BV (before vegan). I used to make these killer cream cheese enchiladas--we'd have this dish at least once a month, sometimes twice. I have no idea where they've been for the past two years. I was ready for them again is all I can say. (Minus the fowl used in them prior).

When I was in the hospital, the days were broken out into six hour increments. . . for seven days. Within those increments were scheduled events like: nurses popping in for vitals, nurses popping in with pain meds (I only took Tylenol--except for that incident where my face was cut open again while I was wide awake--that, my friends, required a pinch of morphine--(and it made me sick all over again plus provided me with a vivid dream that involved Wynona and a concert and my getting to meet her--seriously), plus doctors making observations, phone calls from friends. . . and meal ordering time.

Chicken-less Scallopini with Saffron Gravy (Dessert: Chocolate Bars!)

A beautiful saffron gravy-smothered Match Meats Chicken patty with a side of oven roasted rosemary potatoes and some green beans. Good vegan grub for hungry winter appetites. Mr. Thyme said, "A meal I'd pay for in a restaurant." A compliment of the highest order in our house!

This is what the Match Chicken looks like after it's been breaded and fried. For those who say, I cannot give up the chicken--Oh yes you CAN! Look at that--it's so pretty, and it's all plants!

You can see the saffron threads in the gravy. I love saffron! It can be pricey, but it is worth it! The gravy comes together nicely, but be sure to keep an eye on it and taste it as you as you cook.

Mmmm. Vegan Chocolate Bars. These were to die for--seriously. And just to be sure, I ate some more of them this morning for my after breakfast snack! Yep, still good.

I like to check in with the New York Times for my online news. My favorite part being "The Most Emailed Stories" list. Well that is, second in line after I read David Brooks. Love David. I have deep curiosities about human nature: What drives us, what inspires us, what generates buzz. Last week the top story that remained #1 most emailed was the one about the Three Things You Should Do Now on Your Facebook Account--or something like that. (Even though I am no Facebook Fanatic, I went ahead and did them.) The story remained on top for several days. I didn't imagine twenty somethings keeping vigil over this as much as I did my own generation--more prone to being skeptics and more leary of the world at large--reading this in despair as we are not as "virtual friendly and open" as our younger counterparts.

Happy Holidays from Mr. And Mrs. Vegan Thyme! (Join The 21 Day Vegan Kickstart)

Happy Holidays from the Vegan Thyme Family! *Some of our family were camera shy this morning.

Mr. Vegan Thyme loves, loves this vegan chewy molasses ginger cookie!

Mmmmm. . . home made potato dollar rolls. Mmmmm.

If I can make these, so can you!

This looks like a little, but it is a vegan plate of amazing yum: vegan onion rings and a vegan slider with a slice of avacado, tomato and vegan cheddah cheese!

What a great, fast and so-over-with holiday that was! I am happy to report that we survived another year of holiday hoo-haa and am now beginning my sugar de-tox program. I made even more cookies than I had posted here. I did a super bake off on the days leading up to Christmas Eve that included chewy molasses ginger spice cookies and a new vegan chocolate chipper that I am planning to post some time soon. After looking back at my recent posts, I thought it best to hold off on any more of the cookie-like posts--for fear the American Diabetes Association would come calling. Like many of you, I have a resolution or two to deal with. One is that I will no longer think of sugar as a vegetable.

We turned to soup for Christmas. An inside out taco soup--it was delicious and just what the doctor ordered--and light! On Christmas Eve we indulged in eating Match Meat sliders (just take Match Beef, and mix with your fave burger fixins, only make them the size of dollar rolls--so yummy!) served with a side of Emeril's buttermilk onion rings (recipe from foodnetwork.com)--to make vegan buttermilk--use the same amount of soymilk for subbing the buttermilk and add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar per cup--allow to sit at room temp for about 30 minutes and viola, you will have vegan buttermilk. We served our Match Meats sliders on homemade potato dollar rolls--made with real potato. The home made potato dollar rolls are to die for. Again, a recipe from my most favorite of bread baking books: The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger--the best part is that they were made in my bread machine on "dough" cycle! So yummy! I am hoping I inspire some of you to get Beth's bread book.

I am heavy into my knitting season and basket weaving. Yes, I do some of that, too. Maybe will have a post dealing with baskets at some point. I received my first subscription to Bon Apetit in lieu of my canceled Gourmet the other day. I had to sigh heavily and think about the void being left behind without my Gourmet. I am still in mourning. Bon Apetit. Which reminds me, we rented Julie and Julia--a bit of a disappointment and so far from the book that I will request Nora to please hold off writing any more screenplays for a while--but that Meryl Streep can still act even if it requires her to be a box in a corner.

I received the Baking with Julia DVD (the first one to be released) and the companion cookbook. I will enjoy this tremendously I am sure, though I do not think I am quite ready for some of the more advanced recipes, like the 900 folds for creating a puff pastry from scratch (which only requires 6 folds) but I am not a mathmatician, so I will leave that alone for now. Overall, very inspiring to look at and think about. And determine how to best make the recipes vegan--I am sure some vegan-Julia is to come!

Finally, the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program is just around the corner! Even if you are a vegan, this program looks to be a fun and information-filled three weeks of Just Do It-ness. I cannot think of a better way to begin a new year--become vegan! And get up and move--I know I will be doing a bit more running and a lot less cookie grazing--(it got crazy around here, seriously). I am over cookies for now, thank god. But don't expect me to quit baking any time soon--vegan treats are a must!

January: New Year--Go Vegan And Feel Better! (A 21-Day Kickstart Plan)

Say you don't know where to begin. . . Food for thought.

A Vegan Thyme post that is a bit preachy, a bit sassy, and yes, a bit about food--browse away if you are not in the mood for this. If so, read on--and learn about the Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program!

Yesterday the January magazines began to arrive--guess what their covers show? You got it--Eat Less, Feel Better. . . NOW! More folks at the gyms--great! More folks out walking, (or better yet, running)--great! More folks turning to diets and excercise, period. Great! But are these folks considering a vegan diet as well? Less likely, but my hope is that this is about to change. Those slick magazine covers of peeled carrots and soup will also be accomapnied by commercials for "lap bands" (seriously, a rubber band implanted around your stomach? Okay, Ew.) and other weight loss vodoo hype. I suppose that is better than the ten pounder burger and buckets of lard commercials. H-e-l-l-o. . . Eat a vegan diet and not only will you feel better, but you will have a multitude of other healthy side benefits, one being--you may just see a slimmer YOU! But don't go vegan and sit on the couch all day eating tons of vegan food--no diet plan will be effective if you are not active (and still have a propensity to overindulge--there are meeting groups for that). Just. Get. Up. And. Move.

As a woman in her middle of life, I am lucky in that I've been a runner since I was 14. I started in track, then moved on to cross country. Out of all the activities I've begun in my life--this one has never left, never let me down, and has always given me joy. I am so lucky I can run. Fitting in any type of excercise will, I believe, make you a better person. And, I'm luckier still that I'm vegan. I've been blogging about being a vegan now for about six months. Remember, I was vegetarian for 13 years, then converted to veganism over a year ago. When I set out to begin this blog--my first intention was to begin to document the wonderful vegan meals we were enjoying in this house. I was like, wow, this is so easy, it's great food, I don't feel deprived, and OH, nothing was killed to have to feed me--even better! I wanted my main focus to be "vegan dinners" especially. Out of all the cooking I do, I sometimes found planning the perfect vegan dinner the most challenging. Vegan baking and vegan lunch--not so much. I know by now you have probably figured out I am vegan for moral reasons as well.

After reading Eating Animals by Jonathon Safran Foer, I will never place another living thing in my mouth again. I highly recommend this book. Don't live an ignorant life and sit at the buffet table grabbing parts of an animal and justify it because really naming what your are eating would turn more stomachs than it would encourage eating them. And no, eating chicken is NOT vegetarian, okay! And.. . . the horrors this animal suffers all in the name of "food" is probably the greatest and saddest of them all (next to turkeys). The book brought me to tears several times, it is a hard book to digest in one sitting. It took me a few weeks and lots of post-it notes to get through it. If you think our factory farming is the best answer to our food supply, you have another thing or two coming. And now with developing countries seeing a demand for animal protein, the problem of animal abuse and inhumane killing practices for food will, unfortunately, also see a rise.

Here is a suggestion for those of you maybe reading vegan blogs and "thinking" about becoming a vegan, or better yet, at least being a bit more curious about your eating choices. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is launching a 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program. Your diet change ideas could begin here. Or maybe you've begun your diet changes and are reading this blog to get inspired--that's cool, too. (Oh, and thanks!) I just want to offer you reputable resources for seeking out plant-based eating options--and reasons for doing so.

Okay, I think that is all I want to say on the matter for today. But be warned, between now and whenever, you might see a post or two like this--in between my mahvelous, yummy vegan dishes for you to try!