Useful Website: Whole Foods' Blog

I like Whole Foods. A LOT. And as much as I love to visit their store, it's a little far from home, so it's an every-once-in-a-while place to visit.

So when I'm needing my Whole Foods fix, I read their blog "Whole Story."

Link here!

I think blogs are the best way to get a little dose of information on a daily basis. That is a large reason why I keep these veganmama posts brief. I know we're all pressed for time, but also hungry for knowledge.

So check out "Whole Story," Whole Foods' informative (and fun) blog for stories and excellent recipes!

Summer fruit soup

We all make lots of soups in the fall and winter, but what about the summer?

Until last year, I had never thought to make a chilled summer soup. However, after attending a "summer soups" class at my local Whole Foods, I was hooked!

Whole Foods' Strawberry Melon Gazpacho

Serves 8

2 cups (1-inch cubes) cantaloupe
2 cups (1-inch cubes) seedless watermelon
1 cuke, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 lb. organic strawberries, hulled and divided
1 T fresh (!) lime juice

Place cantaloupe, watermelon, cuke, half the strawberries and the lime juice in a food processor and blend until pureed. Chop remaining strawberries and stir into the soup. Refrigerate until chilled.

 

What the Bulk?

Funky things I've had to drink lately!

Every once in a while I like to try something that looks incredibly wacky, just to see if it's good. Here is a perfect example:  a drink I saw in a small fridge at the checkout of my local Whole Foods...white cashew water vanilla cinnamon agave. Say WHAT?

Did I mention it was $12 a bottle? And it's not a big bottle, peeps! Thing is, it's good. It's a little strange to drink straight up, but I would like a little poured over oatmeal or something like that. I am happy I tried it, but probably won't ever need to get some again. Here are some details:

The company is blueprintjuice.com

Think of me if you buy a bottle and try it!

The Whole Foods Wellness Club

I wish so badly I lived closer to the Dedham, MA Whole Foods, where they have a beautiful wellness club/education center smack in the middle of the store.

Many of us have been to the store in Dedham, but have any of you attended a class or a film screening? A store tour?

My Dessert Presentation at Whole Foods

What a pleasure it was to teach a class at my local Whole Foods on the benefits of making our desserts a little bit healthier. I started off by telling the group that the best desserts are fruit, however, I fully understand and appreciate the desire (and a big desire it is in some of us!) to whip up something that is sweet. It's also a nice way to introduce children to new tastes and new ideas about what dessert should to be.

Me with Terri, the store's Healthy Eating Specialist!

During the class, I had a ton of good ingredients spread on the table to show attendees the types of things they might want to stock in their pantry, including: old fashioned oats, maple syrup, raisins, dates, carob chips, unsweetened coconut, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, almond butter, peanut butter, etc.

With the help of a very fancy Vitamixer (!) we whipped up 3 kinds of raw balls. The reason I chose to feature raw balls is because they are EASY, fun, you can eat them raw, and most people love them.

We started with a chocolate ball from The Kind Diet book.

Next it was my personal favorite:

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No Bake Energy Bits

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes (I like unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
•  

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Lastly, a new recipe, a carrot cake ball.

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Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Balls

http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites
1/ 2 c dry old-fashioned oats + 2 tbsp reserved
1/4 c carrots
1/4 c pitted medjool dates (I used 4 large, moist dates)
1/4 c raisins (I used a raisin medley blend) + 1/4 c reserved
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:
Blend the oats and carrots in a Vita or food processor for about 10 seconds.  Then add everything else (except the reserved ingredients) and blend for another 20 seconds or until incorporated.  Don’t overblend.
Remove the dough and by hand, stir in the reserved:
2 Tbsp dry oats
1/4 c raisins
Form into bite-sized balls or cookie shapes.  If needed, refrigerate or freeze the dough for 15 minutes to make it less sticky and easier to work with.
Yields: 1 dozen bites the size of a quarter gumball.  Store in freezer or refrigerator.

Wasn't my assistant a cutie pie?

I love teaching and think there's nothing more exciting than watching someone try something new and fall in love with a new taste, or new approach to eating. Sometimes it's the smallest new habits we fall into that end up helping us live better!

Thank you to the attendees. I hope you left feeling good, satisfied and excited to make some raw balls for your friends and family! I can't tell you how much I appreciated your time! And remember, with these raw desserts, licking the bowl is ENCOURAGED! :)

p.s. Proud to say the proceeds from the class were donated to the American Heart Association, a cause near and dear to my own heart!

My Favorite Salad Dressings

I like the idea of being someone who simply whips up her own salad dressings, and some of the time I do (some of the time :) When I don't have the time, I love these dressings from Whole Foods. I haven't tried them all, but those I've tried have not disappointed. The best part? There's nothing creepy in the ingredients!  The sesame singer dressing is perfect over greens. I haven't tried this yet, but I could see the pomegranate or tangerine vinaigrettes being used to sweeten cous cous or another whole grain-based salad. The point is to replace your "healthy" salad dressings that are filled with strange ingredients and replace them with something sweetened by fruits, or given substance by healthy fats.

Who has tried them? What is your opinion?

P.S. They are a little pricey (about $3.99 each), but as is the case with a lot of high-quality foods, a little goes a long way and you get what you pay for!

Tangy Bean Salad

Here is a yummy, quick and easy recipe for a tangy bean salad from Whole Foods. I love the way he uses it as a topping for a salad. No dressing necessary when you have something this good topping your salad! This is exactly the kind of thing to make on a Sunday afternoon to have for lunch throughout your week! Why not make some and keep individual portions on hand?

Meeting firefighter Rip of "Engine 2 Diet" fame!

If you've been following me here on veganmama for some time you know I'm a fan of Rip Esselstyn, the ex-firefighter, triathlete who wrote "The Engine 2 Diet." I first learned about Rip when I had just finished reading his father's book, "Prevent and Reserve Heart Disease." (note: you actually CAN do both by following a strict plant-based diet! I was skeptical, but after reading the book know it's possible) I saw Rip's book at my local Whole Foods and recognized his last name. I now couldn't imagine a morning without eating his cereal concoction, "Rip's Big Bowl!"

Rip's Big Bowl

oats (raw, old-fashioned) - 2 ounces grape nuts (or Ezekiel brand equivalent) - 2 ounces shredded wheat (bite-size) - 2 ounces uncle sam's - 2 ounces flaxseed meal (ground) - 1 ounces raisins - 1 ounces walnuts - 2 ounces grapefruit - 1 whole (veganmama uses red grapes cut in half instead) milk substitute (of choice) - 6 ounces banana - 8 ounces kiwi - 4 ounces

DIRECTIONS

Toss all ingredients except the grapefruit and milk substitute into a bowl. After cutting the grapefruit in half, use a small, sharp knife to remove the segments. Add the segments to the top of the bowl and squeeze in the juice. Top the bowl with milk substitute.

Rip recently came to Providence to give a talk about his lifestyle (our lifestyle :) and my father and I were lucky enough to attend.

Rip spoke to a full room, some of whom had taken his "28-day" challenge from his book, which spells out exactly how to jump into a plant-strong way of life. One of my favorite parts of the night was when people walked to the front of the room to share their proud stories. Stories not only weight loss, but of a new approach to food. THAT is really what it's all about, right? Feeling good about yourself and good about your choices. That goodness is contagious and exciting to see. And that's exactly what I try to do here at veganmama.



Go Veganmama go? I love this guy.



Rip stuck around for a book signing and shared some of his chocolate chip cookies with the group, baked by one of the women from the local Whole Foods. What an informative and inspiring night. Thank you, Rip!