I'm kinda bored and want to post on here, but I couldn't think of something profound... so, instead, I'm making a list of the top 10 new foods in my life that I love deeply. Some of them I picked up from my cleanse, others I've picked up along the way from eating vegan. All of them are simply amazing. Check 'em out:
1) Sunflower Butter- I love this more than peanut butter!
2) Hazelnut Milk- I love this more than milk! (duh)
3) Agave Nectar on pancakes- tastes just like maple syrup, but better for you!
4) Vegan Indian food- I've been buying a lot of pre-made home-style cans of chickpeas and potatoes in sauce, as well as a sauce for cooking tofu in- all are delicious and not too spicy!
5) Avocados- these I've obviously eaten before, but had no idea how much I could fall back in love with them during my week-long cleanse.
6) Gluten-free and buckwheat pancake mixes- I enjoy these better than the wheat version. I usually substitute the egg with a well-mashed banana and then throw some fruit in. Delicious with agave nectar on top.
7) Tempeh bacon- the first time I tried this, I ate almost the entire package. Now, that's a clear sign that I've found a food worth falling in love with.
8) Fingerling potatoes- Steve and I made mashed fingerling potatoes for a party, and they turned out tan colored, which I thought was kind of awesome. Plus, they have an earthy and delicious taste, and a wonderfully thick texture when mashed.
8) Stuffed Grape leaves- Oh. My. Stuffed Grape leaves. I can't say enough about this food. Pure bliss.
9) Coconut Milk Ice Cream- when I'm in the mood for something creamy and cold and sweet, Pure Decadance Coconut Milk Ice Cream calls out to me from the frozen foods section. Mmmm....
and the 10th food on my list that has changed my life for the better:
10) Yogi brand teas (decaffeinated). I'm in love. It's been months since my last straight week of coffee, and I have never been happier to wake up with a hot cup of decaf tea. I especially love their Ginkgo-IQ and Breathe Deeply tea. If I am in need a small caffeine fix though, I love their Black Chai. Amazing.
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are inspired to try something new this weekend. I certainly am!
A Vegan Italian Honeymoon- Ambitious? Yes. Limiting? I don't think so.
Just as a quick follow up to the last post- the cleanse was great. I lasted the entire time and really feel quite rejuvenated. I highly recommend this cleanse to anyone whose body is in need of some deep TLC.
And on to the current post:
Last night my best friend and I were discussing all the lovely details of my wedding in November. We gushed about the wedding location, my color ideas for dresses, and tons of other stuff. We then got to the point of the conversation which became quite intriguing for me- the talk about our honeymoon. Steve and I are wanting to honeymoon in Italy sometime early next year. When I told my best friend (who has traveled through much of Italy) this fact, she said, "But wait... are you going to eat vegan in Italy?" To which I laughed and said, "Of course- I don't just stop every now and then." My best friend's heart sank as she said, "But what about the desserts, the pizza, the cheeses? My heart is breaking just thinking about it!" I love my best friend deeply, and I did not want to disappoint, but in this moment, I did not have a concrete answer to her concern.
And thus begins my new challenge: to prove that honeymooning in Italy as a vegan is not a limiting task. Is there a bit more effort involved? Of course- but there is always effort involved in living vegan. That's what I love about it- with a little extra effort, I have found new ways to celebrate food and have discovered food cultures I would have never even considered prior to this change. So, what should make a honeymoon in Italy any different?
I began my search this morning, and I've already found plenty of places to begin. All you have to do is google "Eating Vegan in Italy" or "Vegan Food in Italy", and do some research. My favorite link is http://www.compassionatecooks.com/blog/2007/05/vegan-in-italy-mostly-florence-and.html, which is an article by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, a food writer and self-taught vegan cook. She really lays out for you a clear path to dining in Italy as a vegan. It got me so excited! I also include a quote of hers I used in a previous post:
"I've heard people say that eating vegan is "limiting" and "restrictive," and I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I find that it's quite the opposite. Your awareness is expanded. You try foods and cuisines you never even noticed before. The compassion you knew as a child is restored- and fully manifested. But even more than that, I find that living in such a way that we cut ourselves off from the truth, from our truth, is what's truly limiting."
So, for now- I am pumped and ready to explore and research my new challenge, and to celebrate the fact that eating vegan (in any country) can be a quite liberating experience.
And on to the current post:
Last night my best friend and I were discussing all the lovely details of my wedding in November. We gushed about the wedding location, my color ideas for dresses, and tons of other stuff. We then got to the point of the conversation which became quite intriguing for me- the talk about our honeymoon. Steve and I are wanting to honeymoon in Italy sometime early next year. When I told my best friend (who has traveled through much of Italy) this fact, she said, "But wait... are you going to eat vegan in Italy?" To which I laughed and said, "Of course- I don't just stop every now and then." My best friend's heart sank as she said, "But what about the desserts, the pizza, the cheeses? My heart is breaking just thinking about it!" I love my best friend deeply, and I did not want to disappoint, but in this moment, I did not have a concrete answer to her concern.
And thus begins my new challenge: to prove that honeymooning in Italy as a vegan is not a limiting task. Is there a bit more effort involved? Of course- but there is always effort involved in living vegan. That's what I love about it- with a little extra effort, I have found new ways to celebrate food and have discovered food cultures I would have never even considered prior to this change. So, what should make a honeymoon in Italy any different?
I began my search this morning, and I've already found plenty of places to begin. All you have to do is google "Eating Vegan in Italy" or "Vegan Food in Italy", and do some research. My favorite link is http://www.compassionatecooks.com/blog/2007/05/vegan-in-italy-mostly-florence-and.html, which is an article by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, a food writer and self-taught vegan cook. She really lays out for you a clear path to dining in Italy as a vegan. It got me so excited! I also include a quote of hers I used in a previous post:
"I've heard people say that eating vegan is "limiting" and "restrictive," and I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I find that it's quite the opposite. Your awareness is expanded. You try foods and cuisines you never even noticed before. The compassion you knew as a child is restored- and fully manifested. But even more than that, I find that living in such a way that we cut ourselves off from the truth, from our truth, is what's truly limiting."
So, for now- I am pumped and ready to explore and research my new challenge, and to celebrate the fact that eating vegan (in any country) can be a quite liberating experience.
A New Year Indeed
We are finally into the start of what I think will be a glorious year. I'm excited too, because on Christmas, I turned 25 years old, which is kind of monumental and wonderful. I'm also getting married this year, which is also quite a big deal apparently. :) I had more fun at Christmastime with my family than I can even explain, and I am in serious Christmas withdrawal. How did my first vegan Christmas go? Well, it was quite interesting. Highlights include making my mom vegan dinners a few nights before Christmas, where even if something was new or strange to her, you would never know, because she just gushed about everything we ate (and laughed at her new digestive experiences from trying those new things!). I also tried to make chickpea cutlets on Christmas Day (from an awesome recipe out of Veganomicon), which turned out pretty great actually. The best part was my vegan french onion dip, which unfortunately was placed right next to the non-vegan dip (I say unfortunately because it was gone so fast I didn't get to enjoy it! My family honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two- a huge success for the vegan in the room). Mostly, I laughed a lot and just had a great time with family.
I'm super lucky, because even though my family has been through a lot- challenges, change, times where we didn't know what would happen next for us- we have come out on top and are healing. We're growing and becoming our own people, and most importantly, we are learning to embrace each other unconditionally. Which leads to one of my favorite Christmas/birthday gifts (besides my sister getting me WALL-E, one of the best movies of last year!): a tote bag from PETA that had an adorable little chick on it and read: I AM NOT A NUGGET. My brother gave this to me- and that was pretty amazing coming from him. See- my brother has always been one to challenge me at the dinner table about being vegan (always in good fun). Getting that tote bag meant that he was embracing me, even if he doesn't always agree with my choices. And that really meant a lot.
So, the title of this post is about the new year. So, let's talk about it. I have a lot of resolutions in mind, and one of them is to begin making better eating choices. Just because I've chosen veganism doesn't mean I always eat salads. I'm more apt to choose french fries over carrots, if given the choice! So, I've decided to try something really enlightening- a cleanse. Kathy Freston, the best-selling author of Quantum Wellness, appeared on Oprah a while back and convinced her to try a 21-day Vegan Cleanse. Oprah tried it, with great results. So, I thought, if Oprah could handle it, I'd give it a whirl. But the cleanse is not just about removing all animal products from your diet. You also have to remove caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and gluten. That's a lot of stuff to remove, no arguing about that. I decided to start small- only a 1-week Cleanse to get me started.
I'm already on Day 5, and I've gotta say- this has been much easier than I thought it would be.
Gluten and sugar have been the hardest for me, mostly because I already don't eat animal products or caffeine (I have a limited amount in my tea some days, but after reading Skinny Bitch, I tried my hand at giving up coffee, and I've been mostly coffee-free for over 2 months now). Gluten is in everything it seems, as is sugar in different forms. Alcohol hasn't been bad at all, because I only drink every once in a while anyway now. But yeah, gluten and sugar. Man, I didn't realize how much I was eating! Bread, pasta, sweets, pancakes, pizza, crackers, even my vanilla soy milk!
So, what have I eaten so far? Here's a list: olives, stuffed grape leaves, flax crackers, rice cakes with sunflower butter on top, lots of salads with avocado and cherry tomatoes, gluten-free pasta (who knew?), brown and wild rice, kale (I cooked it for the first time in my life!), broccoli, lots of blueberries and strawberries, tofu, potatoes, roasted yams, oatmeal with some agave nectar drizzled on top (agave nectar is like vegan honey- it's amazing), popcorn (my daily obsession), and nuts- lots of nuts! I'm even going to try a gluten-free, dairy-free pizza today. With the exception of accidentally forgetting there was caffeine in my green tea one morning, I have been really diligent. And it has paid off- I have more energy, and I can feel my body becoming more peaceful as it heals itself a little. I've also learned about a ton of new foods that I would have never tried otherwise. All in all, it's been pretty awesome.
If you wanna learn more about Quantum Wellness, Oprah includes an excerpt on her website: http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080520_tows_quantumwellness. Also, if you do some searching on there, you can find Oprah's blog about her Cleanse experience.
I've got two more days to go. We'll see where that leads!
Happy New Year to everyone. I hope your holidays were filled with love and laughter, and that you have a lot to be thankful for this year.
The Power of Knowing
So, I recently had a cookie party for the holidays, where I experimented with four different kinds of cookies- sugar cookies, chocolate clothespin cookies, chocolate krinkles (which had a similar consistency to a fluffy dunkin donut munchkin), and ginger cookies. This proved to be a super fun and quite educational experience, because 1) the cookies were messy and fun to make, and 2) I'm beginning to realize how badly I want a food processor! Mixing cookie dough with your hands for hours is tough work! :)
One of the cookbooks I used recipes from was Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking. What was so wonderfully surprising was not only the adorable and easy cookie recipes, but a passage she had written at the front of the book called "The Power of Knowing". In it, she writes:
I've heard people say that eating vegan is "limiting" and "restrictive," and I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I find that it's quite the opposite. Your awareness is expanded. You try foods and cuisines you never even noticed before. The compassion you knew as a child is restored- and fully manifested. But even more than that, I find that living in such a way that we cut ourselves off from the truth, from our truth, is what's truly limiting. People tend to avoid knowing about how the animals suffer not just because it's too painful for them but also because they know deep down inside that once they find out this information, they're going to want to make a change, and it's change they're afraid of: afraid of not knowing what it will look like and how it will change their lives. So instead, we choose fear. We create boundaries to our compassion. We choose ignorance over knowledge. We choose complacency over empowerment. To my mind, that's restrictive, that's limiting.
I've heard people say that eating vegan is "limiting" and "restrictive," and I couldn't disagree more. In fact, I find that it's quite the opposite. Your awareness is expanded. You try foods and cuisines you never even noticed before. The compassion you knew as a child is restored- and fully manifested. But even more than that, I find that living in such a way that we cut ourselves off from the truth, from our truth, is what's truly limiting. People tend to avoid knowing about how the animals suffer not just because it's too painful for them but also because they know deep down inside that once they find out this information, they're going to want to make a change, and it's change they're afraid of: afraid of not knowing what it will look like and how it will change their lives. So instead, we choose fear. We create boundaries to our compassion. We choose ignorance over knowledge. We choose complacency over empowerment. To my mind, that's restrictive, that's limiting.
Every time we say "I don't want to know", we limit our potential for growth, change, and making possible everything we want to be and everything we want this world to be. What could be more limiting than cutting ourselves off from our own compassion, our own values? Quite the contrary, being vegan is about knowing, exploring, evolving, participating, and taking responsibility. Being vegan is about removing barriers and embracing what it means to be human- experiencing sorrow as well as joy. To my mind, that's expansive. That's abundance.
See, for Colleen, her choice to become vegan stemmed from having so much compassion as a little girl and the deep desire she held within to continue that compassion on throughout adulthood. The journey has been difficult for her- and I can totally relate to that. We really do put up borders to our compassion, and this is what is truly limiting. Colleen is simply trying to live a life without those borders, and I couldn't agree with her more.
I was out to dinner with some friends yesterday, and as usual, when I begin to ask the waiter about whether my dinner choice has dairy or eggs in it, I feel it. That sense of dread. Uh oh, I'm making things a bit uncomfortable. It's something I am trying to embrace with my newfound desire to eat vegan- there will be many times (maybe even every single time I sit down to eat in public) where I will feel I'm either inconveniencing people and even myself. Sometimes I have doubts- is it worth all this effort? Is it worth the uncomfortable conversations, the challenging moments? And I may not have found a concrete answer yet. And that's okay. Because Colleen has, and I can use her's for now.
A Modern Day Gospel
So, I co-teach a 7th and 8th grade worship group on Sundays at my Unitarian Church with a good friend named Lindsey (and since we share the same name, it always proves to be a fun time). Usually Lindsey and I allow each other to take turns presenting different life topics to the kids, and then we open it for a group discussion, which always allows for some wonderful conversation.
Well, I was unexpectedly delighted and inspired by Lindsey's most recent topic, so much so that I want to share it here. She spoke about the difficulties of our young generation to absorb all of the world's hardships, and how it proves even more difficult to support charities, when most are asking for monetary donations. How can a 13 or 14 year old help make this world a better place in the midst of so much negative campaigning and no clear cut ways to actively help?
Lindsey posed a solution for this conundrum: create a Gospel. Now, this is not the same kind of gospel from religious history, but rather one interpreted directly from its original definition/translation, which is all about spreading "good news". Lindsey challenged the kids to create Gospels of their own- to find areas of life and the world that they want to improve, and in doing so, proactively find positive ways to help. She even used my practice of animal activism as an example, which got me thinking: how can I use this blog to spread my own Gospel of sorts?
Well, here is what I've come up with:
I love animals, and I want to find every way I can to protect their well-being, whether it's through promoting veganism, sharing information with loved ones about animal issues, or directly supporting animal rights organizations.
Could this be the beginning of my own Modern Day Gospel? Hmmm..... :)
So, I've decided to devote this blog post to sharing ways in which each and every one of us can help this holiday season to support companies who tireless work for animals, and it's so easy, because it can all be done at your computer.
So, here are the places I've already been to, and I highly recommend them to you as a way of not only giving a nice gift to family and friends, but also helping animals at the same time:
1) Check out the Defenders of Wildlife Organization, and adopt a wild animal who desperately needs your help. You can adopt them in honor of a member of your family, and if you do, you even get a cute stuffed animal and information delivered to your door before Christmas.
https://secure.defenders.org/site/Ecommerce?store_id=6621&VIEW_HOMEPAGE=true&FOLDER=0&TYPE=&NAME=&s_src=WKY09WDADOPT&s_subsrc=WKY09WDADOPT_banner&JServSessionIdr006=k0j13xy041.app23a
2) Shop at the Farm Sanctuary's Website, and you will be supporting one of my favorite animal rights organizations! Farm Sanctuary rescues farm animals who were either abandoned on the road to slaughter or escaped from a factory farm. The animals get to live out their lives peacefully and with tremendous amounts of love.
At the Farm Sanctuary's shop, you can purchase cute tee-shirts, books, and other fun stuff :
https://secure2.vegsource.com/farmsanc/cat_list.htm
3) Support a vegan company! Alternative Outfitters is home to tons of awesome stuff for both the boys and girls in your family. Stylish clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, and lots of other great gift options are available at this store, and by purchasing online from this shop, you are supporting more humane product making methods. And according to their website: "Besides offering vegan clothes, adhering to an animal friendly ethic, Alternative Outfitters also makes sure that none of the clothing manufacturers we carry employ the use of sweatshop labor. We also make sure that fair trade practices are held true."
http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/index.aspx
Now, if these ideas leave you wanting more ways to shop and support this cause at the same time, here is a list of other awesome websites you can visit who have online shops:
http://www.peta.org/
http://www.hsus.org/
http://www.ragazzivegan.com/ (Vegan shoe store)
http://www.caringconsumer.com/ (This is an online resource that helps you find Cruelty-Free companies)
So, I hope these lists will at least get you started. Happy Holidays!
Well, I was unexpectedly delighted and inspired by Lindsey's most recent topic, so much so that I want to share it here. She spoke about the difficulties of our young generation to absorb all of the world's hardships, and how it proves even more difficult to support charities, when most are asking for monetary donations. How can a 13 or 14 year old help make this world a better place in the midst of so much negative campaigning and no clear cut ways to actively help?
Lindsey posed a solution for this conundrum: create a Gospel. Now, this is not the same kind of gospel from religious history, but rather one interpreted directly from its original definition/translation, which is all about spreading "good news". Lindsey challenged the kids to create Gospels of their own- to find areas of life and the world that they want to improve, and in doing so, proactively find positive ways to help. She even used my practice of animal activism as an example, which got me thinking: how can I use this blog to spread my own Gospel of sorts?
Well, here is what I've come up with:
I love animals, and I want to find every way I can to protect their well-being, whether it's through promoting veganism, sharing information with loved ones about animal issues, or directly supporting animal rights organizations.
Could this be the beginning of my own Modern Day Gospel? Hmmm..... :)
So, I've decided to devote this blog post to sharing ways in which each and every one of us can help this holiday season to support companies who tireless work for animals, and it's so easy, because it can all be done at your computer.
So, here are the places I've already been to, and I highly recommend them to you as a way of not only giving a nice gift to family and friends, but also helping animals at the same time:
1) Check out the Defenders of Wildlife Organization, and adopt a wild animal who desperately needs your help. You can adopt them in honor of a member of your family, and if you do, you even get a cute stuffed animal and information delivered to your door before Christmas.
https://secure.defenders.org/site/Ecommerce?store_id=6621&VIEW_HOMEPAGE=true&FOLDER=0&TYPE=&NAME=&s_src=WKY09WDADOPT&s_subsrc=WKY09WDADOPT_banner&JServSessionIdr006=k0j13xy041.app23a
2) Shop at the Farm Sanctuary's Website, and you will be supporting one of my favorite animal rights organizations! Farm Sanctuary rescues farm animals who were either abandoned on the road to slaughter or escaped from a factory farm. The animals get to live out their lives peacefully and with tremendous amounts of love.
At the Farm Sanctuary's shop, you can purchase cute tee-shirts, books, and other fun stuff :
https://secure2.vegsource.com/farmsanc/cat_list.htm
3) Support a vegan company! Alternative Outfitters is home to tons of awesome stuff for both the boys and girls in your family. Stylish clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, and lots of other great gift options are available at this store, and by purchasing online from this shop, you are supporting more humane product making methods. And according to their website: "Besides offering vegan clothes, adhering to an animal friendly ethic, Alternative Outfitters also makes sure that none of the clothing manufacturers we carry employ the use of sweatshop labor. We also make sure that fair trade practices are held true."
http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/index.aspx
Now, if these ideas leave you wanting more ways to shop and support this cause at the same time, here is a list of other awesome websites you can visit who have online shops:
http://www.peta.org/
http://www.hsus.org/
http://www.ragazzivegan.com/ (Vegan shoe store)
http://www.caringconsumer.com/ (This is an online resource that helps you find Cruelty-Free companies)
So, I hope these lists will at least get you started. Happy Holidays!
I'll have more of the "Chicken Cordon Bleu" and lots and lots of holiday cookies.
So, Thanksgiving was definitely a special one- my first vegan holiday. What a fun, new experience (and quite an expensive one, as I got appropriately carried away at my New Jersey Whole Foods and spent over $100 on food!), and I am so lucky, because my mom was equally excited for me. See, my mom always loves learning about everything I have researched about veganism- she loves anything I feel like sharing with her, and it has been such a blessing for me. So, Thanksgiving rolled around, and of course I decided to go wild- I pulled out all the stops. I ordered vegan holiday roasts, pumpkin and cherry pie, roasted autumn vegetables, and I bought ingredients to make mashed sweet potatoes, mashed red bliss potatoes, stuffing, and banana chocolate chip bread pudding. It was a vegan feast to remember, and one my mom's boyfriend Keith enjoyed as well. He enjoyed it so much that he asked my mom for more "Chicken Cordon Bleu", and my mom smiled and said, "No Keith- that's Lindsay's tofurky roasts."
I will always remember Thanksgiving, because it taught me that you can always add new elements to your old family traditions. I also learned that Thanksgiving is so much more than just eating a ton of food- it's about sharing an experience with those you love. I am super lucky to have a small family that I love dearly, and I can't wait to do it all over again on Christmas.
And now... for the cookies.
Yesterday, in addition to decorating Steve and my apartment a flamboyant shade of Christmas, I began my holiday cookie making journey, which has basically been my process of veganizing old holiday recipes. Down below, you'll find recipes to my latest two recipes- Pecan Crisps and Sparkled Ginger Cookies (my all time favorite). I wish so badly I had a digital camera, but alas, my lovely old one is broken. So, for now, you will have to imagine the yummy-ness of these two delectable treats. Enjoy!
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, molasses, soy milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine well. Roll into 1-inch balls, flatten into a 1 1/2-inch diameter disk, press the cookie tops into the turbinado sugar and place 1 inch apart sugar side up on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, let cool on cookie sheets for 3-5 minutes, transfer to cooling rack.
Makes 36 cookies
I will always remember Thanksgiving, because it taught me that you can always add new elements to your old family traditions. I also learned that Thanksgiving is so much more than just eating a ton of food- it's about sharing an experience with those you love. I am super lucky to have a small family that I love dearly, and I can't wait to do it all over again on Christmas.
And now... for the cookies.
Yesterday, in addition to decorating Steve and my apartment a flamboyant shade of Christmas, I began my holiday cookie making journey, which has basically been my process of veganizing old holiday recipes. Down below, you'll find recipes to my latest two recipes- Pecan Crisps and Sparkled Ginger Cookies (my all time favorite). I wish so badly I had a digital camera, but alas, my lovely old one is broken. So, for now, you will have to imagine the yummy-ness of these two delectable treats. Enjoy!
****************************************************************
Sparkled Ginger Cookies
Recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
(from her cookbook Vegan with a Vengeance)
Recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
(from her cookbook Vegan with a Vengeance)
Makes 2 dozen cookies
4 tablespoons turbinado or demerrara sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*I found that the cookie mixture was quite sticky, so I added flour to the bowl as I went- that may work for you too*
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, molasses, soy milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine well. Roll into 1-inch balls, flatten into a 1 1/2-inch diameter disk, press the cookie tops into the turbinado sugar and place 1 inch apart sugar side up on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, let cool on cookie sheets for 3-5 minutes, transfer to cooling rack.
****************************************************************
Pecan Crisps
from a recipe I found in the newsletter of VEGNEWS Magazine
from a recipe I found in the newsletter of VEGNEWS Magazine
Makes 36 cookies
2 sticks non-hydrogenated margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups raw pecans, finely chopped
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a nonstick baking sheet. With an electric hand mixer or by hand, cream the non-hydrogenated margarine, granulated sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour, mixing until thoroughly combined. Add the pecans, mixing until well blended, about 30 seconds. Measure out generously rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and form into balls. Place about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake until they just begin to turn golden, about 30 minutes. To test for doneness, remove one cookie from the sheet and cut in half. There should be no doughy strip in the center. Roll cookies in powdered sugar while they are still hot. Cool on baking sheets before serving.
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