Polly Peachum Peach Pie

Finally! I have been longing to bake and blog for the longest time and now that the school year has started (strangely) I have some of time to do so!

So here I am, sitting in Starbucks, high on caffeine super pumped to be writing!!!
First of all I would like tpo start with a little Preface as to why I am naming this pie by this name.

Last week was the first week back to school and everybody who is a partof UB's THD department knows that the first week is a huge week for auditions and crazy departmental nonsense and lack of sleep.
For auditions I sang "La Vie en Rose" by Edith Piaf. Here's a little clip to brighten your day.
After that I got a callback, which was a process in itself-- Callbacks for "The ThreePenny Opera" went until quarter to midnight and by that point I was thoroughly exhausted.
But it was well worth it-- Hello World, meet your new Polly Peachum!
That's right-- I will be gracing UB's Drama Theater stage as Polly Peachum in "The Threepenny Opera" directed by Vincent O'Neill from November 14-18th. Buy your tickets here.
 :)
Peach season is also on its last legs and every day I go into Wegmans I pass that lovely produce section with those ripe peaches just begging me to bite in. So I was inspired. And I bought 10 dollars worth of peaches. And ate most of them. And with the remaining eight peaches, I made the most delicious heart-singing pie I've ever tasted.
Just thinking about it is making me want to run home and have another piece right now.
Not to mention all this Starbucks energy is making me restless enough to run 7 miles...

So this being a health blog, and ...you know... pie not necessarily sounding like a health food... here's some nutritional fun facts about peaches!
Peaches are best for you raw--as most fruits and veggies are-- but they aren't bad when baked, too!

Health benefits of Peaches

(http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/peaches.html)

• Wonderfully delicious peaches are low in calories (100 g just provide 39 calories) and contain no saturated fats. Nonetheless, they are packed with numerous health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins.
  
• The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g peach fruit is 1814 TE (Trolex equivalents).
  
• Fresh peaches are a very good source of antioxidant vitamin C. Vitamin-C has anti-oxidant effects and is required for connective tissue synthesis in the body. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and help scavenge harmful free radicals.
  
• Fresh peaches are also moderate source of vitamin A and ß-carotene. ß-carotene is a pro-vitamin, which converts into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for vision. It is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to offer protection from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• They are rich in many vital minerals such as potassium, fluoride and iron. Iron is required for red blood cell formation. Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth and is important for prevention of dental caries. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
  
• Peaches contain many health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.
  

And the moment we have all been waiting for...here it is!!!

If you are a peach lover, or a pie lover... or if you want to make a pie that will make anything living fall in love with you... MAKE THIS PIE! It's also Vegan :)
To.Die.For.
Sorry. Crazy.

Polly Peachum's Perfect Peach Pie

Crust:
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills Organic Pastry Flour
1 cup Earth Balance (Butter alternative, Vegan!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
A Few Tbsp ice water

Filling (THE GOOD STUFF):
3/4 cup Woodstock Organic Pure Cane Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Arrowhead Mills Organic Pastry Flour
A few Hearty Dashes Ground Cinnamon
One Hearty Dash Allspice
8 medium RIPE peaches
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Start with the Crust:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.  Use a whisk to get out any chunks and mix until it looks fluffy. In Tablespoonfuls, begin to mash in the Earth Balance (or Butter/alternative). the mix hould begin to look not so fluffy and more like little gravel pieces. when pinched, it should stick together a little bit but with little effort fall apart again.
Tablespoonfuls at a time, begin to add water. I only ended up using two and that was enough. Especially if the air is moist. mash in the water to the mixture and begin kneading the dough. As soon as it sticks together, stop adding water. If you add too much, the dough gets playdough'y and won't roll or taste right.
Roll dough into a ball and cut in half. You may refrigerate them for an hour (a lot of websites recommend this but I never find it necessary).
Prepare a large flat surface by sanitizing. Then sprinkle a little flour on the surface to prevent stickage for the next step. Also put a little flour on your hands and rolling pin.
Take the first ball and roll it with the floured rolling pin into a large circle (like a pancake) on the flat, floured surface.
Gently lift and place into a pie plate. Use your fingers to press the dough into the creases in the plate. Add little pieces of dough from the other ball if necessary to fill in any holes or to cover the sides of the plate that didn't quite make it.
Set aside. (At this point is when I put the pie plate in the fridge.)

For the filling:
Begin with the peaches. Rinse and gently scrub each peach under water with your fingers. a little pressure helps remove the skins.
It is important to use ripe peaches for a few reasons. Firstly, they are the sweetest when they are ripe. And secondly, if you do it right, you won't even need a knife to peel the skins.
Cut the peach around the center, starting at the top where the stem is, following it's natural crease to the bottom, and arriving back at the top. Hold the peach on each hemisphere you have just created and simply twist around the pit. The peach should easily fall into two halves. Remove the pit.
Next, peel away the skin, starting at the top where the stem was and firmly but gently peel away the skin. If you are lucky it will all come off at once.
Do this to each peach.
Once that is finished, you should have 16 hemispheres. Slice the peaches into about 1/4 in slivers and put into a mixing bowl. Add Lemon Juice. Set aside.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Fold in the peaches and get ready for delicious...

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour peach filling medley into the pie plate with dough that was set aside earlier. Spread the peaches around and totally fill the plate.

Remember that second ball of dough?
Roll into an oval slightly longer that the diameter of your pie plate.
Cut strips about an inch wide (Or however thick you want) for a lattice covering.
Lay a few strips down over the pie. Weave strips in, perpendicular to the other strips, over under.
Press the corners of each strip into the sides of the crust already in the plate.
Take a picture because you just worked really hard.

Place the pie plate onto a baking tray-- once it goes in the oven there are no guarantees that it won't overflow! It's much easier to clean a baking tray than the bottom an oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes until crust begins to gold around the edges.
LET COOL AND NOM!

:)

I have been so busy, So I apologize for not writing in a while.

I have a few things that I would like to write about-- I am going to make a list and hopefully get to them in the next week.

I have been exploring a lot of new kinds of natural treatments and remedies.

As an actress and model, having acne is a really embarrassing thing, so I have recently been researching natural remedies for that and for warts... which sounds really weird, but I have super clammy hands and feet and I am prone to warts. And treating them is really annoying, so I am doing a few self experiments with warts and acne.

The first being homeopathic remedies.

The second being probiotics.

So thats one blog.

I miss you guys. I'm coming back soon! 

Twenty Something

Here's a list of things that I have going for me. Just because I can.

-I'm a part of a beautifully artistic and fulfilling piece of theater with fantastic people who all love each other. 

(Come see Hair between July 5th and August 11th at Musical Fare INFO!)

-My job doesn't suck.

-I am going to be an orange belt by December.

-I have amazing friends

-I am loved unconditionally. 

-I have a future.

-I am talented.

-I will get out of this city.

-I will have a degree in less than a year.

-I have youth!

-I can do all of the following: make friendship bracelets, cooking, baking, singing, acting, dancing, painting, drawing, ride a bike, first aid, CPR, fill prescriptions, read, write, journal, take care of people, drive, handstands, cartwheels, front walkovers, love, communicate well, discuss politics, tell you the basics of macro physics, sew, tend to plants and garden, shoot a gun, shoot a bow and arrow, french braid, ballroom dance, 20 or more pushups at any given time, fishing, do laundry, babysit, ring out your groceries, and beat you up.

-I'm pretty fearless.

-I'm free to do whatever I want.

The world is my playground.

And here's a song:
Twenty Something
"Tales From the Bad Years"

My whole life is right in front me.

I can go anywhere.
Two whole decades can’t prepare you for the moment,
When the page is blank before you,
And you’re barely even twenty-something.
Nothing’s standing in my way.
No one’s holding me back.
College ended and there’s no one here to tell me
Not to hit the bars and rent some cars.
I’ll fuck around
But then I’m gonna change the world.
It’s the generation twenty-something ascending.
We might be young. We might be poor.
But we know we deserve much more than what our parents have.
Who knows what that’ll be?
But we’re ready to discover
If there is life after the Wii.
‘Cause as long as we’re still young and fresh
And twenty-something, we’re free.
This is it. This is what’s hot.
It’s your moment. It’s your decade.
But you’re only twenty-something til you’re not.
Hurry up. Do it now.
If you don’t, if you blink,
Then it’s over.
Show me something I can get behind.
And I’m already there.
I have more free time than I know what to do with.
I’m in twenty different places
But I guess it’s ’cause I’m twenty-something.
Single with a bach’lor pad.
Now I just need a job.
I’ve got time to kill until my life becomes more real.
The time is now for wearing heels,
For roommates, drugs,
For chance encounters.
Raise a glass to the generation twenty-something ascending.
We might be young. we might be poor.
But we know we deserve much more than what our parents have.
Who knows what that’ll be?
We’re the target demographic.
We’re the reason for tv.
We’re obsessively and definitely twenty-something and free.
Don’t think about tomorrow,
There’s enough to do today.
I’m young, smart, on my way.
This is my day.
You blinked.
You’re not twenty-something.
It’s your moment. It’s your decade.
But you’re only twenty-something til you’re not.
Hurry up. Do it now.
If you don’t, if you blink,
Then it’s over.
Don’t think about tomorrow,
There’s enough to do today.
I’m young, smart, on my way.
This is my day.
You blinked.
You’re not twenty-something.
We might be young. we might be poor.
But we know we deserve much more than what our parents have.
Who knows what that’ll be?
When you’re twenty you’re just starting…
When you’re twenty-four…
You’re twenty-five…
You’ll never feel more perfect when life starts at twenty-three.
Because we’re ready and we’re waiting
And we’re twenty-something and free.

Sweet Sunshine

Wow. What an awesome day.
It started with an early morning. I woke up extra early to prepare myself for work, had myself a cup of iced coffee with soy creamer and just sat with my thoughts and Pandora radio.
I went into work with a smile on my face and a little extra jolt from the caffeine and just enjoyed working with awesome co-workers.
I love working Saturdays.
I had a short shift and went to Feel-Rite for some reverse osmosis water and then was home by 2:30.
I was greeted at Sunshine with a hug from Maria and the invitation to go run some errands around town.
Before we left, I begged Maria and Chris to take a photo because we all had matching color palettes on...

Then the three of us left.
I brought a bunch of clothes to Plato's Closet and made 35 dollars!
We went to the new giant Premier wine store and I bought some cheap champagne to enjoy later with my fresh new 21 ID! (Happy Belated Birthday to me)
Then we decided to go out to lunch on Elm Street at Acropolis. Mmmm.
We walked around and enjoyed the sunshine and the positive atmosphere of the glorious day.
And we stopped by a little dessert place called "Dolci".

Now, Let me tell you...
They not only had vegan dessert options, but they also had Organic coffee and Espresso.
Soooo... I got two desserts because I couldn't make up my mind.
Mmmm! They were SO DELICIOUS!
The first was called a Chocolate Treasure.

It had a powdered sugar coating over a crunchy chocolate cookie with some kind of nut inside. Absolutely delicious.
The second was called a Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcake.

It had a vegan cream cheese frosting and real strawberries in a yellow cake base.
It was so sweet and fluffy.
I HAVE to find this recipe.
It was to die for.
I highly suggest a visit to this lovely little shop.
Thanks everyone who contributed to making this day so lovely.
I am truly honored to have awesome friends with positive energy and the willingness to just enjoy the little things in life with me.

Easiest Roast and Fried Potatoes

On a bright sunshine-y hot day, the last thing you want to do is turn your oven on to 400 degrees to cook dinner...
However, 250 isn't awful and doesn't heat up the house nearly as bad as cookies... etc.
And another thing about heat is the lack of energy and motivation to create an intricate meal.
So... 
Here is the easiest roast ever:
I used Venison, but the recipe will definitely work for beef, also.


The EASIEST Roast

Ingredients:
2 pounds Venison Roast
1/2 Container Organic Mango Peach Salsa


Preparation:
1. Lay the roast on a baking sheet over a piece of tinfoil.
2. Slather the top of the roast with the salsa.
3. Cover the roast and salsa with tinfoil and tightly seal.
4. Put in oven at 250 degrees F and let cook for 4-5 hours.
5. Add a little sea salt to taste if desired. Presto. Delicious. 


Also... 
This heats up the room a little because it is a stovetop deal... but mmm
Let me just say- Potatoes are my favorite. I love Potatoes.
So, to go with the roast, I fried potatoes.


Just a little blurb from "How Stuff Works":
The benefits of potatoes!

"Potatoes are nutrient-dense, meaning you receive many nutrients for the amount of calories they have. The fiber is half soluble, half insoluble, so it helps to keep you regular and helps to lower cholesterol. And slowing down digestion helps to keep you full longer. Phytochemicals in potatoes include flavanoids and a recently identified compound called kukoamine that appears to help lower blood pressure.

With the exception of vitamin A, white potatoes have just about every nutrient. Did you know potatoes are full of vitamin C? However, since we do not eat potatoes raw, most of the vitamin C is lost due to the heat of cooking. In addition, one baked potato offers about 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin B6, which is good news for your heart. They are also very high in potassium, beating other potassium-rich foods. They are a good source of iron and copper, too. In fact, a potato a day is good for your heart, promoting normal blood-pressure levels."

Yeah!! They are good for your heart!

And I love them...

Fried Potatoes

 

Ingredients:
Potatoes
Scallions
Red Pepper
Garlic
Sea Salt


1. Wedge/ dice potatoes and pepper.
2. Press Garlic.
3. Chop Scallions.
4. Melt Margarine in a frying pan and add ingredients. 
5. Flip until potatoes start to brown and crisp around the edges.
6. Voila. Side dish.


So easy. So delicious. And it promote healthy hearts :)
It tastes like summerrrr....

The Front End

This guy comes through my line at Wegmans today, and obviously I'm just running my mouth because I am as happy as a clam to be cashing for the first time in weeks... 
So I'm telling him my life story, telling him about how I work in the Pharmacy now and he's like 
"but you're not a pharmacist"
I'm like "No, I'm a technician" 
He's like "Don't technicians work on tv's and stuff?"
I'm like... "No. I'm like... an assistant to the pharmicist... just called a technician" 
"Oh"  
So then I proceed to tell him about how I'm a Musical Theater major and I'm also starting Krav Maga classes and 
He's like "What ae you going to do with that?" 
I'm like "I want to work for Disney, or Broadway, or both... or national tour... or just love life doing whatever I want."
He's like "You're crazy and naive... are you a Freshman?" 
Me "No... I'm going to be a Senior....."
"Me, too"
Silence.
Me "So... you go to UB? What do you study"
"Yeah, Physics"
"Well what are you gonna do with THAT?!"
"Discover things about the world"
Me "Well, that's funny... I have a minor interest in macro physics. I read college textbooks and watch documentaries about it for fun. I like learning about the world, too."
Him "You're adorable. Can I have your number?"
Me  (Instinctively covers name tag) "*Scoff* NO! But you are more than welcome to come through my line again sometime! THANK YOU! Have a Great Day!"


He scurried away really fast...


SERIOUSLY?!
Don't call me Naive. Crazy. Or Adorable. 
And if you do... don't think about asking me for my number.

Chester

From where I left off:

Every day is a new day and I am ready for the adventure.

In my quest to reinstate myself and become the real, true me to my fullest potential...

I found Chester.

Chester is a dieffenbachia plant, or a dumb cane plant, named for the fact that if you or any animal eats this plant your throat will swell up and you will become "dumb," unable to speak.

And I am absolutely in love with him.

He is gorgeous, with speckled leaves in a vibrant green. 

Not only are his leaves a gorgeous color, but they are large which let off a lot of oxygen and take in toxins from the air...

That larger he gets, the healthier and purer the air in my room will be!

So, why am I posting about the new love of my life?

Because not only is it HEALTHY, but I also decided that there are no rules to this blog... 

I don't just have to post about cooking and baking and healthy and blahblahblah...

Annnnnndddddd I have other talents, too! 

Like Painting!

And Chester was in a tiny, ugly, plastic, shipping pot.

So I painted him a new home... and I wanted to share that with you... whoever you are.

I bought the pot at AC Moore and used acrylics.

I used a white primer for the first coat, since the pot was originally terra cotta colored. 

I measured around the pot at different heights and then taped lines down for the stripes... I messed up a lot, but he needed to be replanted in a timely fashion, so I didn't mind much.

I used the cap of an old pain bottle and dipped it in pink paint for the polka dots on the bottom and then filled them in with three coats to cover the green.

I cut makeup sponges into triangles for the yellow triangles,

and I used little dandelion leaves that were growing in my backyard for the purple leaves on top.

I free-handed his name and sprayed the whole thing with a matte finish, moisture resistant spray.

Then I replanted him...

Tucked him in with soil, 

Watered him thoroughly, 

Sprayed his leaves and gave him plant food.

And Voila!

Chester has a new home.

And I have a new friend!

...I'm so lame...

Thoughts

The more I think I know the less I understand.

I'm baffled by right and wrong and what people think those two things are.

Why can't people just be satisfied with happiness?

Why think so hard about it?

I know what makes me happy. I know what makes me feel good.

And I love those moments that I literally cherish them with every cell of my being.

Sometimes I am confused, and need guidance... but I am still so young. 

I am still learning.

I accept that I am not perfect and that I am growing.

I embrace other people's imperfections, but I can't accept how those imperfections negetively effect me.

Honesty is more than admitting something.

Honesty usually comes with a series of events in story form and truth comes with facts.

Everything happens for a reason. Chance and fate are one in the same.

But you determine your destiny. 

And you have the choice to accept or deny any offer that is given to you.

You can't choose to love. That happens for you.

You can choose who you involve yourself with, but feelings just simply happen.

Love. Simply. Happens.

It's chemical.

It's scientific.

It's fact.

Like the fact that we are living, breathing, feeling, cerebral beings.

We learn.

We create.

Life is beautiful.

"Life flows within and without you."

Thanks Beatles.

Tomorrow is a new day.

I'm ready for the adventure.

 

Amy's Place

If you live in Buffalo or are visiting, you have to visit Amy's Place.

Visit their website!

Amy's Place

It's this amazing hole in the wall Dive with vegetarian and vegan options.

The last time I was there I got the Falafel Sandwich and an order of Vegan "Wet Shoes" which is basically loaded fries but instead of cheese and bacon it's smothered in Spicy lentils, grilled onions, peppers and tomatoes.

This time I took a picture of my delicious meal. I got the Chicken Souvlaki, but I substituted the chicken for Seitan, which I have never had before... but it was DELICIOUS.

I cleaned my plate. It was so good.

So then, I wondered exactly what I ate... haha... since I have never had Seitan before... so here it is:

Seitan (say-TAHN) is made from gluten. Gluten is the name of the insoluble protein in wheat, probably most familiar as the stuff that makes bread dough elastic. Known as "Seitan" in Japan, as "kofu" in China, and as "wheat meat" and "gluten" here in the U.S., seitan is a low fat, high protein, firm-textured meat substitute. It has been eaten in China, Japan, Korea, Russia and the Middle East for thousands of years. Gluten is often referred to in Chinese restaurants as "Buddha food", because of the claim that it was developed by pacifist, vegetarian Buddhist monks as a meat substitute. It is a food rich in tradition as well as nutrition.

As a protein source, seitan contains about 31 grams of protein per 4 ounce serving (which means it has more plant protein per serving than tofu), provides a modest amount of B vitamins and iron and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. A 3 1/2 ounce (100 gram) serving contains 118 calories, 18% protein and less than 1% unsaturated fat. The same amount of beef has 207 calories and 32.2% protein and is high in saturated fats. As recent studies have shown, our need for protein is much lower than previously believed and any opportunity to remove saturated fats from our diet would be an excellent improvement.

I think it tastes way better than tofu, but that's just me. Mmm. It was so good.

Amy's Place! Go there!

Organic Chicken Soup

Hello Everyone!


Alright. So... There are people in my life who aren't feeling well, especially with the change in the seasons and, hey... who couldn't use a health boost any day?
And me, wanting to save the world and help everyone, and make sure that everyone is healthy and happy decided that soup was the best way to show someone that I care. And want them to feel better.
But I hate canned soup. So I decided to make it. Duh.

Not only that, But when I went shopping the other day, there was a whole organic chicken reduced for quick sale at Wegmans, and I had a coupon for any organic chicken... and then I impulsively bought it and didn't know what to do with it...

And then I researched Chicken soup! And it turns out that it's awesome!

The Science of Chicken Soup


Chicken soup possesses anti-inflammatory and inhibitory properties that dampen inflammation and reduce mucus. That's part of the reason why it is used to help those with the common cold and sinus problems.
Not only that but the warmth of the soup soothes the throat, and depending on what else is in it (pepper for instance) it opens up the sinuses. 
Chicken soup contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medications.
An amino acid released from chicken during cooking chemically resembles the drug "Acetylcysteine", prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory problems.
Since chicken soup is water based, it replenishes fluids needed for healthy living back into your body.


This is an original recipe, but really, most chicken soup recipes are the same.
The most important part is to make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked.


Healing Organic Chicken Noodle Soup.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Organic Chicken
Non-Fluoridated Spring Water
4 Large Organic Carrots
4 Organic Celery Stalks
1 Organic Red Onion
1 Vidalia Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
A handful of Brussels Sprouts
1 1/2 Cups Mushrooms
Pepper
An Array of Spices- Parsley, Thyme, Basil...etc.
1 32oz box Pacific Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth
Extra Wide Egg Noodles


Preparation:
1. Remove any packaging and the insides of the whole chicken and discard. Rinse chicken under cold water.
2. Fill a large pot with spring water so that it covers the chicken completely.
3. Let the chicken boil for 2 hours. Halfway through flip the chicken over in the water to ensure both sides are being equally boiled. 
4. While the chicken is boiling, chop up the vegetables into nice, hearty pieces. Set aside in a smaller pot and boil for about a twenty minutes, give or take, depending on how firm you'd like your vegetables to be. 
Note: Instead of discarding the vegetable waste (The leafy part of the celery, the top layer of the onions but not the skin), dump it into the water with the chicken. Add Spices, pepper and a garlic clove for a better tasting broth.
5. After the chicken is done boiling, strain out the vegetable waste, but save the water in a large bowl. That water is the broth.
6. Let the chicken cool enough to touch. Pull away bones and skin and any chicken waste and discard. Cut up the edible chicken into hearty pieces and add to cooked vegetables.
7. Add broth (I also added the Pacific Broth because I didn't have enough) to veggies and chicken.
At this point, the soup is ready to eat (if you don't want noodles). I heated everything up again together for about 20 more minutes, just to ensure the mix of all the flavors.
8. Prepare egg noodles according to the package (usually about 7 minutes) but don't add to soup until ready to eat. They get mushy really fast.
Voila!


Freezing the leftovers is an awesome idea for future quick meals, especially if it's frozen in individual servings. That way all that needs to be done is to pop it in the microwave and boil up some egg noodles and you have a meal in under ten minutes!

Also: 
This is really fascinating:
Healing Chicken Noodle Soup

• Chicken
 -Contains an amino acid called cysteine, a substance released when you make the soup. This amino acid is similar to the drug acetylcysteine, which is prescribed by doctors to patients with bronchitis. It thins the mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough out.

• Onions
-A regular in chicken soup- contains quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant that is also a natural anti-histamine, and anti-inflammatory. Onion are a strong antibacterial agent. 

• Garlic
-Has phytochemicals that are helpful in reducing cancer risk and boosting the immune system. The herb (yes it is considered a herb or veggie) is beneficial to the bodys overall maitenance.  It is rich in protein; vitamins A, B-1 and C; essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and selenium.  Plus it contains 17 different amino acids. Increases energy and endurance.  Garlic gives chicken soup a great flavor as well.

• Cayenne Pepper
 -Sprinkled in food, broth or tea also promotes sweating to break a fever. Cayenne acts as a catalyst, carrying all other herbs and supplements quickly to the place in the body where they are needed and increasing their effectiveness. It is also high in vitamin C and useful in the treatment of colds, sinus problems and respiratory ailments.

• A greater variety of vegetables means a greater mix of nutrients and phytochemicals.

• Carrots
-One of the routine vegetable ingredients found in chicken soup, are the best natural source of beta-carotene. The body takes that beta-carotene and converts it to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps prevent and fight off infections by enhancing the actions of white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.

• Parsley
- Packed with nutrients, parsley (Petroselinum sativum) is a great source of dietary calcium, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A, as well as beta-carotene, and folic acids.  Parsley has proved itself a potent medicinal herb. It has cancer-fighting volatile oil components including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. Parsley is also rich in flavonoids with powerful anti-oxidant properties including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin.  It is known to both detoxify and soothe the kidneys.  Parsley leaves can be a gentle treatment for kidney problems, bladder infections, and to reduce mucus in the first stages of a cold and influenza.  A good chicken soup recipe will usually have 1 "bunch" of parsley as an ingredient.

• Celery seed
-Celery seed helps ease urinary tract infections, as it's an excellent antiseptic. It's also anti-inflammatory, relieving arthritis and gout. An excellent diuretic, it aids digestion and even alleviates gas.   The Celery stalk itself is high in minerals and is a significant source for magnesium.

• Thyme
-Thyme heals all colds. It's an effective expectorant, as well as an antiseptic. It can help clear congestion, viral infections, or a dry, hacking cough.

Organic Vegan Gluten-Free Twinkies

As Promised.
Can I just say that it was near impossible to find all of the ingredients for this stuff.
So, They aren't completely organic, but a majority of the products that I used are organic.
They are 100% vegan and gluten-free though.


Goodness Gracious. What an experiment.


Let's just say that when I got the cake batter together... and it smelled awful, and didn't taste very good... I was not feeling confident.
I was sure that these little cakes would taste terrible after they baked.
It took me hours and I made three different icings for the center before deciding to take the simplest, most delicious route... and made a Vegan Buttercream frosting.


Wow. Am I surprised at the outcome.
These Twinkies are not only Vegan, Gluten Free and mostly Organic, but they also taste pretty darn good.
They are Sweet and fluffy and even have a Twinkie texture.
They were actually a little too moist when they came out of the oven and they stick to everything.
but overall... I am very pleased and proud to present......
I got the recipe from Scoochmaroo on instructables.com... but I varied her recipe greatly
and ended up using my own filling...

Organic Vegan Gluten-Free Twinkies

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour
1/4 tsp Arrowroot
6 Tablespoons Florida Crystals Pure Cane Organic Sugar
1 teaspoon Aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
 ½ teaspoon Wegmans Fresh Ground Sea Salt
1/3 cup 100% Natural Wesson Vegetable Oil
 ¾ cup Wegmans Grade A, dark amber Maple Syrup
2 T Organic Agave syrup ¾ cup Wegmans Organic Rice Milk
1 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Flavorganics Organic Coconut Extract
2 1/2 teaspoons Wegmans Apple Cider Vinegar



Filling:
3 Cups Woodstock Farms Organic Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup Organic Earth Balance Whipped 
2 Tablespoons Wegmans Organic Rice Milk
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract




Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. For Twinkies: Fold sheets of aluminum foil in half and cut to create 3x5in sheets. Roll them around mini spice containers and fold in at the ends to create little Twinkie shaped boats. Line the boats into a cake pan and spray the insides with vegetable oil. (For little cupcakes, spray mini muffin pan). Set aside.
3. Sift together flours, arrowroot, sugar, powder, soda and sea salt, stir until well mixed together.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together oil, syrup, Agave, Rice Milk, Vanilla, coconut, and Vinegar. Let sit in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Whisk again.
5. Beat dry and wet ingredients together until smooth.
6. Fill Twinkie boats a little more than half full, they rise a lot.
7. Bake about 20-25 minutes until they look spongy and toothpick test is clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes in foil. Remove the foil and let them cool on a rack or parchment papered plate the rest of the way.
9. Use a thick straw to puncture a hole most of the way if not all the way through the Twinkie.
10. Put in refrigerator while making Filling.
11. Filling: Mix together Sugar, Vanilla and Earth Balance. Slowly add in Rice milk until desired thickness is achieved. 
12. Use a piping tool or cut a hole in the corner of a ziplock baggie with the filling to fill the Twinkies.
Voila.  Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Busy Week!

Hello!
I haven't abandoned you! I promise! UBGrease opened last week! Wooooo!

Oh Eugene...

And Danny!

Summer Nights :)

Well, So far so good! The audiences seem to love it!
My favorite fans came on Saturday, It was nice to see my Mother, Aunt, Cousin and Grandmother!
They are so supportive, I absolutely love them.

Anyways-- I have started collecting the ingredients for My Organic-Vegan-Gluten-free Twinkies.
I have received coupons in the mail from some very generous companies to support my healthy baking endeavors and I am super excited to see what happens in the oven!

I'm hoping to kick start the recipe this week after my Mime presentation (Which I am hoping to video and potentially post).

This is a busy week and my BIRTHDAY is so soon!
Maybe a dairy-free birthday recipe to come?

Thanks for sticking with me. Much more to come soon!

Say Yes

Some organic food for thought...
Someone recently said to me "If it sounds spontaneous... go for it."
It has been going pretty well for me.
Try and say yes to everything. If it's not harmful, obviously...

Liza Minnelli is so Inspirational. Watching her perform is absolutely amazing.
Love this woman.

Venison Chili

Venison. 
Being the daughter of a devout hunter, I grew up on wild game.
From Deer Meat to Fresh Fish to Duck and Wild Turkey...
Hunters are the best solutions to the overpopulation of deer. The other options include birth control, poisons, relocating populations, harvesting and nothing.
All of the above options are very unnatural and actually harmful to the environment.
Hunters provide a natural (the way humans as animals should be getting our food) way to control them.
It's part of the circle of life in nature.

That being said. Venison is one of the best red meats that you can eat.
-Because it's wild, it is naturally grass fed and has no chemicals, additives, antibiotics, added hormones... etc.
-Venison has a very low fat content. Just lean meat.
-It contains a lot of iron, great for women. Iron is a necessary component that transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells and is also part of key enzyme system for energy production and metabolism.
(Source)
-Its high riboflavin content helps reduce migranes and headaches.
-Venison has a very low amount of cholesterol, even less than chicken, so it's a great choice for those who are vulnerable to heart disease.
-When it is fresh it has a rich, woody flavor and after it is frozen it is safer for you to eat, guarenteeing that parasites that may be present will have died in the freezer. Either way, it's a win/win situation.
-It is rich in protein, iron, vitamin B12, B6, riboflavin and niacin.

Venison can be a substitute for beef in most cases. Although, because it is so lean, it often needs additives (in burgers for instance) to stay moist while being cooked.
In chili, however, this is not the case since it is in a globby mixture anyways.
The cool thing too about chili is that there is really no wrong answer. As long as you have the meat, the beans and tomato sauce, everything else just makes it your own! My chili is rarely the same twice.
Here's my basic recipe, based on Kevin Blewett's Famous Venison Chili.

Dad's Famous Chili















(Sorry this isn't the most appetizing photo... I need to work on my food photography)

Ingredients:

1 Package Venison burger (about a pound)
1 Package Chili-O seasoning

1 28oz can Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes

2 cups Wegmans Organic Pasta Sauce

1 can Dark Red Kidney beans (organic)

1 can Chili beans (organic)
1/2 Red Onion (organic)
1/2 White onion (organic)
2 Peppers, One red, One green (organic)
1 Jalapeño pepper, small
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup (or less to taste) Brown Sugar
A few squirts of Franks Red Hot sauce
Sea Salt

Organic Yams
Potatoes

Preparation:
1. Brown Venison on the stove, following the instructions on the Chili-O packaging.
2. Dump Venison into crock pot with crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce and beans.
3. Dice the onions and peppers and mince the garlic. Stir into crockpot.
4. Cover and set Crock pot to low heat. Let sit at least 6 hours.
5. Add Sugar, hot sauce and sea salt to taste.
6. Right before eating, Wash yams and potatoes, cut into inch sized pieces and boil until tender (aprox. 15 minutes). Drain.
7. Serve Chili over the potatoes, or enjoy with crackers or bread instead.

Mmm. This is a great winter food.
Also, if you are a college student or a full time worker, get a crock pot if you don't have one.
You can't ruin anything in a crock pot and everything tastes good.
It takes 5 minutes to prepare and it's ready when you get home in the late afternoon/ evening.
Perfection.