Happy Halloween!

{The Sweetest Occasion}

{Coco+Kelley}

{Pinterest}

{Camille Styles}

{Pinterest}

Myth Busting: What is the Deal with B12 and Iron?

Vitamin B12 is needed for cell division and blood formation. You may hear people say that we “need” to eat animals in order to get vitamin B12. Well, the truth is, neither plants nor animals make vitamin B12. Rather, bacteria are responsible for producing it. Animals get their B12 from eating foods contaminated with B12, and then the animal's flesh becomes a source of B12. Plant foods do not contain vitamin B12 except when they have vitamin B12 added to them or when the dirt on the plant is not removed. Thus, vegans need to look to fortified foods or supplements to get vitamin B12 in their diet.

There are a several types of foods fortified with B12, such as cereal, soy milk and nutritional yeast. Vegans who choose to use a vitamin B12 supplement should use them regularly. In order to meet your needs, you should take a daily vitamin B12 supplement of 5-10 micrograms or a weekly vitamin B12 supplement of 2000 micrograms.

What about Iron? Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency in the US… but that is true for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Amounts of Iron in vegan diets tend to be higher or at least equal to non-veg diets… why? Because we eat lots of healthy veggies and grains! Dried beans and dark leafy greens are especially good sources of Iron... better on a per calorie basis than meat. Iron can also be found in mushrooms, broccoli, soy beans lentils, quinoa, tofu, dried apricots, and blackstrap molasses.

Dairy is a poor source of Iron and the presence of dairy in the body has been proven to decrease absorption by 50%. Iron absorption is increased noticeably by eating foods containing vitamin C along with foods containing Iron.

There you have it... that's all I've got for today.

Just Plain Cute

Derek Goodwin has an amazing gift. He captures the pure innocence and emotion of animals on film. I first saw his work on The Farm Sanctuary's website and I fell in love with his photography. More on his website...

Monday Munchies: Sweet Potato and Spinach Burrito

Time for a delicious meatless monday burrito! Fall-inspired, filled with healthy spinach and black beans and wrapped in whole wheat tortillas.

Ingredients

• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• 1-1 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
• 1/2-1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large handful of spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Instructions

1. Make sweet potato puree and mix in chipotle powder. Taste and adjust the chipotle seasoning.
2. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions and peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes or until onions become translucent. Stir in black beans and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Finally, add in spinach, cilantro, and lime juice cooking until spinach becomes slightly wilted.
3. To finish the burrito a use a panini press pan or weighted pan. Place 1/2 the sweet potato mixture in the center of the tortilla and add a few spoonfuls of the spinach/black mixture on top. Roll and place the seem side down on the heated-up press. Heat for 1-2 minutes, flip, and heat until both sides have slightly browned.

Myth Busting: Meat-Based Diets Can Be Just as Healthy as Plant-Based Diets

There are endless benefits associated with a whole foods, plant-based diet. Health is an important aspect of life, and making healthy eating choices is often top of mind. Sure, we all indulge once in a while, which is fine. We seek comfort in food, but know that a diet of fries, burgers and soda won’t get us a gold star for nutrition.

When it comes to a comparison of meat vs. plant-based diets, here is how it breaks down:

• Vegetarians have a 24% reduced risk of dying of heart disease. For vegans it's even higher.
• The Adventist Health Study found that non-vegetarians had a 54% increased risk for prostate cancer and an 88% increased risk for colorectal cancer.
• Several studies have suggested a connection between osteoporosis and diets that are rich in animal protein. Calcium can actually be leached out of the bones by animal protein and ultimately excreted from the body in the urine.
• According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have a lower body mass index, lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure and lower rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• According to the USDA, vegetarians consume a lower proportion of calories from fat (particularly saturated fat); fewer overall calories; and more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C than do non-vegetarians.

Other than disease prevention, there are lots of other health benefits of going vegan, some include:

• Increased consumption of antioxidants (berries), vitamin C (fruit), vitamin E (grains, nuts and leafy greens), photochemicals (plant-based foods) and magnesium (seeds, nuts and greens).
• Lower cholesterol (eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health).
• Healthy skin, hair and nails (Nuts, and vitamins A and E from vegetables play a big role in healthy skin, hair and nails)
• Less allergies (Reduction in dairy, meat, and eggs is often tied to alleviation of allergy symptoms. Many vegans report much fewer runny noses and congestion problems).

Keep in mind that we all have to be aware of vitamins and minerals that we are getting from our diet. Here are some great health tips for everyone!

Photos/Recipes:

Rustic Citrus Pasta

Blueberry Lemonade

Summer Thyme Hummus

Blueberries

Monday Munchies: Pumpkin Breakfast Sandwich

Another great recipe from the lovely Kathy over at Healthy. Happy. Life. This one is very seasonal, with ingredients like pureed pumpkin, maple syrup and vegan sausage.

*makes 1 sandwich with leftover pumpkin butter

Part One: Pumpkin Maple Butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp olive oil
pinch of sea salt
Optional: dash of pumpkin pie spice

To Make: Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir well.

Part Two: Sandwich Ingredients
1 patty vegan sausage
-> brush patty with olive oil and fine black pepper

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
-> brush with olive oil, salt and pepper

1 thick slice vegan Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh arugula

1 English muffin, whole wheat

2-3 Tbsp pumpkin butter

To Make:
1. Toast/grill muffin.
2. Grill/press vegan sausage patty. Grill mushrooms.
3. I add the cheese to the cooked patty - then top with the mushrooms and press down my panini press. This prevents the cheese from sticking to the press, but allows it to melt between the shrooms and patty.
4. Assemble: Slather each side of muffin wit your warmed pumpkin butter. Add patty, mushrooms and arugula. Close top. Slice and serve warm.

Autumn Delights

Some things you might need to make those fall days more crisp and lovely.

1- Hurraw Lip Balm
2- Anthropologie Serpentine Scarf
3- Paper Source Wooden Leaves
4- Terrain Oval Baker
5- Mighty Leaf Tea
6- Matt & Nat Recycled Bottle Bag

Myth Busting: Factory Farming and the Environment

This isn't exactly a myth, but more of an interesting topic that most people don't think much about. The vast majority of the meat Americans eat is coming from factory farms. Putting aside the animals for a minute, let's take a look at what that means for the planet. According to the EPA, “A single dairy cow produces about 120 pounds of manure per day, which is equivalent to the waste produced by 20–40 people. That means California’s 1.4 million dairy cows produce as much waste as 28–56 million people.” The reason there are so many dairy cows is simple, demand and subsidies.

Becoming vegetarian is one of the most effective actions we can take to ease the strain on Earth's limited resources, protect the planet from pollution, and help prevent global warming. Did you know that over 70% of grain harvested in the U.S. is fed to farm animals? This wasteful and inefficient practice has forced agribusiness to exploit vast stretches of land. Forests, wetlands, and other natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats have been decimated and turned into grazing land. Agricultural runoff has killed millions of fish, and is the main reason why 60% of America's rivers and streams are "impaired."

Agriculture is responsible for an estimated 14 percent of the world's greenhouse gases. A significant portion of these emissions come from methane, which, in terms of its contribution to global warming, is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. The world's 1.5 billion cows and billions of other grazing animals emit dozens of polluting gases, including lots of methane. (Cows fart a lot!)

According to a 2006 study done by researchers at the University of Chicago, most Americans can reduce more greenhouse gas emissions by becoming vegan than they can by switching to a hybrid electric car. The United Nations said "The livestock section emerges as one of the top 2 or 3 most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global."

Monday Munchies: Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Sorry this is late... but it is delicious! I am still on an olive oil kick from Italy. So, here is a cake that uses lemon and olive oil to make mouthwatering magic.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon extract
• 2 nectarines, thinly sliced
• Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, water, lemon juice and zest, and lemon extract. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.

Fill the prepared Bundt pan evenly with batter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Be sure to rotate halfway through the baking time. Cool the cake completely before unmolding.

Myth Busting: How Can One Person Make a Difference?

The average vegetarian spares the lives of 95 animals each year. That adds up to thousands during a lifetime. Thousands! Every time we eat, we are making a powerful choice that has profound consequences on the lives of animals and the health of our bodies.

Keep in mind that modern agriculture is purposely keeping things from consumers. To them, the less we know about what’s happening before the meat hits the plate, the better. By not buying meat or dairy we help shift the demand from the cruelty of factory farms to the production of vegetarian foods. Our choices are powerful.

We all want to contribute something positive to this world and to make a difference. In order to do that, we have to do something different. It’s easy to go along with the status quo, but it’s more important to do what we feel is right in our hearts. You don’t have to be an animal activist to help animals; you just have to stop eating them.

Check out these valuable resources for information on how to go veg:

Choose Veg

Veg For Life

VegNews Starter Guide (downloadable PDF)

Try Veg
Meatless Mondays

{Photography by Derek Goodwin}

Scenes From The Weekend

Fall drive near Guanella Pass

Revisiting the spot where we got engaged

 Corn stalks at the Botanical Gardens in Denver

Fall leaves on the river rock path at the Gardens

Some new favorite flowers

Ready for Fall

I don't know about you, but I am ready for Autumn... bring on the crisp leaves, apple cider, jack-o-lanterns and cozy sweaters. Every year at this time I start to get giddy and feel like a kid again. When the trees start to turn colors and the nights get cool I am reminded of how much I enjoy experiencing the changing of the seasons.

Some of my favorite Fall things:
jeans and sweaters . warm apple crisp . cinnamon scented candles . pumpkin spice lattes . piles of leaves . football sundays . mountain drives . pumpkin muffins . scarves and boots . halloween . cozy cabin in the woods . gooey cinnamon rolls . trick-or-treaters . pancake mornings . grape stomps . plaid shirts . roasted butternut squash .

Girl and Pumpkin- The Sweetest Occasion
Cinnamon Pullapart Bread- But Can She Bake
Golden Leaf- Poppytalk
Acorn Squash Alfredo Pasta- Healthy Happy Life
Pumpkins- Pinterest
Heart Latte- The Sweetest Occasion

Monday Munchies: Crumb Cake

Let's start the week with something sweet! Just trying to make Mondays a little better. This is great for dessert or breakfast. Lots of warm flavors to make you happy inside.

Ingredients:

Crumb Topping
8 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine, melted
1/3 Cup Granulate Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 Pinch Salt
1 3/4 Flour

Cake
1 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Canola Oil, or 6 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine, softened
1/3 Cup Soymilk + 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 Tbs Cornstarch mixed with 1/4 Cup Water
1-2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Whisk the still-warm melted earth balance with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the flour with a spoon, until a thick dough forms, similar to the texture of cookie dough. Let sit to cool for about 10 minutes.

Line an 8×8 pan with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil.  Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, soymilk mixture, cornstarch mixture and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, but do not overmix.

Add the batter to the lined pan. Begin to break apart the crumb mixture into smaller, pea sized pieces. Cover the batter evenly with all the crumb mixture. It will seem like a lot! Use it all, as the cake will expand and the crumb mixture is tasty.

Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350º, or until the crumbs are slightly browned and a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Grab the aluminum foil and gently lift the cake out to cool for 20-30 minutes on a cooling rack. Give it a nice dusting of powdered sugar, slice and serve.

{Recipe and photos from VeganYumYum.