9/4 Because We Can
When we first set out on this vegan journey I felt intimidated in many ways. I was nervous about leaving old favorites behind and scared about the unwritten rules of veganism. At first I felt like there was a handbook of veganism that isn’t published (not eco-friendly) and that I couldn’t decode.
Never drink soda, replace all of the salt in your house with liquid amino acids, kelp and nama shoyu, stay away from honey, casein and whey, always choose raw, eat tofu but not too much soy, never consume anything that contains any sugar of any kind other than agave, brown rice syrup or any of the other vegan approved sweeteners. If we find out that you have consumed Splenda, you’re out. Your veganism license will be revoked and we will confiscate your smoothie maker and pleather shoes.
Where do you learn all of these things if not through trial and error? There is no decoder ring in the bottom of a box of Kashi because I have looked.
I want to be a part of a movement of cans…not cants. Try this because it tastes amazing and it will make your body wake up and sing. Try this because it will make your heart open with compassion in a way that you could have never expected. Taste this because it is a super-sized portion of love with a dish of compassion and an extra helping of great health.
The positive aspects of change are motivating. Tell me how amazing my life could be and I am listening. Start from a place of why what I am currently doing is wrong or bad and I will shut down or reject what you are saying. How will my life and the lives of those around me be positively affected by this change? This is what motivates me. Heck, if we were motivated by the cants or the don’ts, than none of us would smoke, be living with obesity or battling addiction.
Lets focus on the benefits of making a change and see if that is a more appealing and sustainable way to approach it.
Trying a positive change.
In our raw foods class we enjoyed hand crafted crackers that were made in a food dehydrator. You may also cook them on the lowest setting of your oven. The idea is to dry them…not cook them. They were SO good. We had them with the Creamy Corn Chowder and hummus. They are absolutely craveable. To me, this is a good enough reason to try and make them once. If it ends up being too challenging or time consuming then don’t do it again. But, you may find that you love making your own crackers because they are elegant, delicious and cheaper than store bought. The fact that they are SO much better for you can be our secret. That doesn’t need to be the motivating factor to change. Let’s continue to try new things because they sound fun and delicious. We are making the best choices we can every day for every meal. We can continue to make it easy on ourselves, take our successes as they come and allow ourselves to change and grow gently.
Sun-dried-Tomato/Flax Crackers
By: A. Newsom
2 C. Golden or brown Flax seeds, 1 ¼ c ground, ¾ c whole
1 C. Red Bell pepper, finely chopped
1 C. Sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
½ C. Pumpkin seeds
¼ C. Fresh parsley, cilantro or basil leaves
1-2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. Olive oil
1 Tsp sea salt
Make It Happen
~Grind 1 ¼ c. flax seed in a small *coffee or spice grinder. Reserve the remaining ¾ c whole flax to add at the end for texture.
~Add all of the ingredients except the ¾ whole flax in a food processor and blend with 1 cup of water until smooth. You want the batter to be wet but not too runny.
~Add the whole flax seeds and pulse to combine
~Spread out on Teflex lined or parchment lined dehydrator trays.
~Lightly score the crackers with a knife.
Dehydrate at 110-115 degrees for 8 hours or overnight. If the tops are dry, flip over and peel off of sheet and dehydrate for another 2-4 hours until crisp.
Makes 15 dozen crackers. You may store them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
*You will want to have a dedicated grinder that you do not also grind your coffee in. I have been looking at garage sales and the Salvation Army for one.
Have a Delicious holiday weekend.
Tags: compassionate eating, dairy free, flax crackers, going veg, homemade crackers, sun dried tomato/flax seed crackers, trying vegan, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan experience, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe, vegetarian recipe
