This non-toxic, natural air freshener is easy to prepare using four simple ingredients—vodka, fresh rosemary, lemon and essential oil of vanilla. Freshen up yoga mats, gym shoes and your home without dangerous chemicals, and save some money, too. Read more…
I went dandelion (a.k.a. lion’s tooth) foraging yesterday with my sweetie. See, I bought a few books last year that feature some of the best Appalachian recipes, and dandelions are featured quite a bit in wines and jellies. It was torture learning about these exciting traditions last August, knowing that I had to wait months and months before I could try them out. My test of patience is over now though, the dandelions are out and about! I woke in the morning with my first thought being “no computer just yet, go pick dandies instead.”
It’s kinda funny not funny, but only in America would a weed so full of medicinal and nutritious properties be considered a “pesky intruder”—the bane of manicured lawns all over the country. Think too of our superfood friend chia, and how it’s sold as a hairy clay animal to set on the shelf. Le sigh. The only way to change perspectives though is to introduce people to new ideas, or “recycled” ideas, right? So go out and forage for these vitamin-rich yellow beauties because we are going to make fun recipes with them real soon. Read more…
Shown above with Popped Amaranth Muffins
When I was preparing over 3000 samples of food for the YumUniverse Launch Party years ago, I came up with this nifty liner for muffins and cupcakes—out of necessity. See, I like to use unbleached parchment a lot. It is one of my must-have kitchen supplies because it is a non-stick surface that you can not only bake with, but use in unconventional ways, with unconventional baking methods, like rolling out gluten-free doughs with ease and individually wrapping energy bars.
Instead of spending extra money on unbleached parchment muffin liners, or when I want to make some baked treats and I don’t have any, I just cut some parchment from the roll and make some rustic liners in about 5 minutes with this method. Using unbleached parchment liners not only protects your healthy treats from metals while baking, it keeps chlorine and strange dyes (from decorated muffin liners) out of your food, too. Don’t worry, you can still use adorable, colorful liners for parties, etc. Just bake in parchment first, see how easily the treats separate from the paper, and set the baked treats in the colorful liners. Or better yet, nest the rustic liner into the colorful one for a layered effect. You may never go back to baking treats without unbleached parchment again. Read more…
This How To’day tip is a simple favorite. We all know how sad it is to buy some nice, plump berries and when you finally get around to eating them a few days later, they are half-covered in mold. Boo. All you have to do to extend their life is soak them in vinegar and water, then rinse. True. Check it out after the jump. Read more…
I’m sure by now that everyone knows about quinoa around here. You can make everything from cereal to tacos with it, but are you familiar with another ancient powerhouse grain called Amaranth? Well, like quinoa, it’s also a fantastic source of complete plant-based protein but it is also high in lysine which is known to help promote collagen growth, burn fat as energy and it keeps cold sores at bay. These tiny powerhouse seeds are a great source of fiber and they are just as versatile for cookin’ as our friend quinoa. And you can pop it like popcorn. That’s right, teeny tiny popcorn. I’ve made a How To’sday video to show you how it’s done, so watch it after the jump. Read more…
I have a few posts on the site that walk you through the benefits and steps involved for soaking and sprouting, but I have a feeling many of you are still intimidated by it, so I made a little video (after the jump) to show you how ridiculously easy it is. 2012 is the year you will take on sprouting! I know YU can do it. Read more…
Brenda Asks YU: Thank you so much for the vast amount of information that you have on your site and that you tweet on a daily basis. I am struggling with the transformation to a plant-based diet. I have gathered lots of information, clipped recipes and bought a juicer BUT for some reason I am sooo stuck in my habits—I feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. I’ve been like this for a year now and am frustrated that I have remained stagnant despite all of the information that I’ve gathered. My question to YU is how do I actually start? How do I ‘do’ this?! I have a family that are meat-eaters and I would be cooking for them also, but I am hoping that I will influence them into some healthier decisions. But this is for me for now… Any advice? Read more…
This week kicks off a new start for millions of people, and a healthier lifestyle is usually one of the resolutions at the top of the list. Sadly though, most resolutions fail because they are too extreme—there are a set of rules to follow with no information given about the “why” or “how.” Transitioning into, and maintaining a plant-based, nutrient-rich diet is one that takes time. It usually cannot be done overnight. There are lifelong food addictions to kick, detox symptoms to experience and new foods and cooking methods to try. There’s so much to learn, new habits to form, and old ones that need to be told “goodbye.”
Despite their best efforts, many folks will derail around mid-February, and abandon what they wanted so badly in January, while others are making realistic changes that will inevitably last a lifetime. The key is truly looking at a plant-based diet as an exciting lifestyle change. It is very much like learning a new language. Everything seems so foreign at first, but with each success, excitement grows and a hunger to continue learning follows—it feels good to understand this new language. And it feels great to experience the freedom it can offer you.
YumUniverse eGuides like the YU Test Drive, Dairy Freedom and this site can, and will, help you see that it’s the open heart surgery that’s extreme—not learning about the infinite benefits and flavors of a plant-based diet. Read more…
I was chatting on the phone with a fellow plant-eater today, catching up about Thanksgiving, and we both agreed that it is a challenging time on many levels. When you eat the way we do, not just vegan or vegetarian, but clean, unprocessed and plant-based, what may seem super normal to you on a daily basis all of a sudden becomes the glaring minority during a holiday gathering. Read more…
