Start your life style with Veggie life style

In order to make the move towards a vegetarian/vegan diet, certain foods must be eliminated from the diet and other foods must be found to replace them. Luckily, this is easier than ever. Our Natural food stores have a huge array of meatless meats to replace hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, fish, and even steaks! Most restaurants now offer vegetarian selections, and even if they do not have a special section, chances are there are some vegetable-based entrees on their menu.

Eating vegetarian does not mean you have to sacrifice good taste or even learn all new recipes. Vegetarian ingredients can be substituted for meat in nearly all your favorite meat recipes. Here are some helpful tips on how to make the switch:

• Think of your favorite dishes and substitute the meat for vegetarian products.

Spaghetti and meatballs - Meatless meatballs can be made from tofu instead of ground beef Hamburger - Substitute the hamburger patty for a veggie burger Pizza - Use extra veggies and you won’t even miss the meat!

• Convenience foods are a great way to cut cooking time. Down to Earth stores stock a huge variety of instant soups and main-dish convenience items.
• Find vegetarian cookbooks at your local library or any of our natural living departments and experiment with new foods and recipes.
• Try our recipe and visit our recipe archive at http://vegylifestyle.blogspot.com/search/label/recipes for great time-tested vegetarian recipes.
• Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is fat-free, has a texture like ground beef, and is wonderful in tacos, chili, and sloppy joes. Look for it in our grocery and bulk department.
• Try imitation meat products. Down to Earth carries a wide variety of imitation meat products. (IE: veggie burgers, hot dogs, ham, bacon, etc.) Many taste surprisingly like the real thing!
• Read labels to make sure you are buying products that are healthy and humane. Crackers may contain lard, rice mixes may contain chicken fat, and other products include animal ingredients you will want to avoid, like gelatin (from animal skin, hooves, and bones). You will soon learn which brands are “safe,” and checking labels will become second nature.
• When dining at a restaurant with no vegetarian options, ask them if they can prepare a vegetarian entree. Most places will be happy to accommodate you.
• While attending a catered event, discreetly catch the server before your food has arrived and ask him or her to remove the meat from your plate and add an extra vegetable to it.
• When eating at a friend’s house, let them know in advance that you are vegetarian. Offer to bring a vegetarian dish.
• When traveling let the airline know ahead of time that you are vegetarian and they will supply you with a special meal.

There was no slaughter house in the Garden of Eden

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The main reason for becoming vegetarian is self preservation. The consumption of animal products causes the pH of the body to become acidic, leading to cellular degeneration and the onslaught of disease. This has been confirmed in hundreds of scientific studies. An acidic pH in the body is the primary precurser to all disease. When you choose a vegetarian lifestyle, you not only help yourself, but you help the planet as well.

"As we sow, so shall we reap." "Thou shalt not kill." "For every action there is a reaction." "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." "Whatever we do to the creatures of the earth, we do to ourselves." In many ways and in many cultures, the same message has been delivered. We must gently live with others if we want gentle reactions. Inflicting pain and death brings the reaction of premature pain and death. Witness our healthcare system.

No Human is a Carnivore

If you've ever watched a carnivore eat. You know instantly that humans are not carnivores. Carnivores stalk their prey. They attack, usually biting through the neck and ripping the throat to shreds. After killing, they rip open the belly with their sharp teeth and devour the entrails. They lap up the blood. Finally, they chew the bones, crushing them in their powerful jaws. No human could eat like a carnivore eats, except perhaps, the totally insane. We are not carnivores.

The only way humans can eat animals is to disguise what they are really doing... get someone else to kill the animal, then drain and dispose of its blood, slice the muscles into pieces that are unrecognizable, grind the internal organs to make "sausages", cook it, smother it with sauces and seasonings... all in an effort to keep from experiencing the reality of what a carnivore does and is. We are not carnivores.

If you have ever had a pet, you know that animals have feelings, that they are intuitive, sensitive creatures. The production of animals for the consumption of their muscle and organ tissues is less than human. If we are going to create a Heaven on Earth, these atrocities must end.

Is it realy animals are smarter than human ?

The only species on the planet who actually go out of their way to feed their children crap. All other animals instinctly seek out the best nutrition they can find. Birds find grubs, worms and insects to feed their young, honeybees painstakingly collect pollen and create a nutrient-rich superfood that gives rise to a living queen bee, and even dogs, cats and cows try to find the most nutrient-rich foods to offer their offspring.

But humans? Most of them "reward" their children with junk food, sugary sodas, candy laced with petrochemical coloring additives and refined sugars that promote obesity and diabetes. Most parents don't even make any real effort to follow nutritional discipline at home -- they simply buy whatever their children saw advertised on television, caving in to the all-powerful "nag factor" that junk food companies fully exploit when marketing to children.

As a result, human children are the least healthy youngsters of any species on the planet. Baby dolphins are healthier than baby humans, for example, and they are born with healthier nervous systems, fewer toxins and a lot more common sense.

Speaking of common sense, nearly all mammals have the common sense to feed their children their own mother's milk. A kitten, for example, will drink cat's milk from its mother. A puppy will drink dog's milk from its mother. A baby horse will drink horse's milk from its mother. But humans? We're sorta stupid. We mostly drink cow's milk. (And the dairy industry insisted for decades it was better for infants than human milk!)

Of all the mammals on planet Earth, only humans are dumb enough to seek out the mammary gland juice of another species while shunning the breast milk of their own species. And did we choose the milk of a species SMARTER than us that might have more brain-boosting nutrients? Nope. We get our milk from a low-IQ species well suited to pulling a plow. Cow's milk ain't exactly brain nutrition, folks. Some people have a hard time understanding that because they've been drinking too much of the stuff and those mushy neurons crammed into their thick skulls are firing a bit on the slow side. (A lack of DHA does wonders for boosting stupidity scores).

this article was taken from www.newstarget.com

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Submitted by : Jen



"These pancakes taste really good with blueberry jam or warmed maple syrup."



Original recipe yield:12 - 4 inch pancakes


PREP TIME : 10 Min
COOK TIME : 15 Min
READY IN : 25 Min



INGREDIENTS


1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons vegetable oil


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
   


2. In a small bowl combine the soy milk and water.
   


3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the soy milk mixture just until combined. Fold in the blueberries and let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
   


4. Lightly oil a skillet or griddle and heat over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle and cook until pancakes are bubbly on top and edges are slightly dry looking. Turn and cook until pancakes are browned. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batter. Serve warm with syrup or jam.
   

Jalapeno Salsa Mexican Style

"This all purpose salsa is great on tortilla chips, tacos and other Mexican-style favorites. Roasted jalapeno chile peppers give the salsa an excellent flavor."



Original recipe yield:1.5 quarts
PREP TIME : 20 Min
COOK TIME : 15 Min
READY IN : 35 Min

Submitted by: Kaylene Dow

INGREDIENTS

4 jalapeno chile peppers
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoe

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
   


2. Place jalapeno chile peppers on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until roasted. Remove from heat and chop off stems.
   


3. Place jalapeno chile peppers, garlic, onion, white sugar, salt, ground cumin and diced tomatoes with green chile peppers in a blender or food processor. Chop using the pulse setting for a few seconds. Mix in whole peeled tomatoes. Chop using the pulse setting to attain desired consistency. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Marinated Mushroom

Submitted by Stella

"These mushrooms will really grow on you, especially when served as a Christmas appetizer।"

Original recipe yield:8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1 cup red wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the wine, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, bell pepper, red pepper flakes and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, cover and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, stir in the green onions, oregano, salt and pepper. Serve chilled or room temperature.