Vegan Mofo - The China Study

Next up for review is The China Study Cookbook.

I have previously reviewed The China Study book itself here. 
For those who haven't read it, I definitely recommend it. As far as I'm concerned it's a MUST read for everyone! 
I am yet to get myself a copy of the follow up called Whole, but I hear that it is equally impressive. 



Today I'm here to show you some recipes from The China Study cookbook.

When I heard this cookbook was coming out I was so excited to get it. 
A lot of the recipes are quite basic, which I like & dislike at the same time.
Whilst it's great for people who want basic recipes and are in the transition stage, or who aren't confident cooks, for me personally I felt that the recipes were nothing flash that I would not of thought to cook myself. 
I love the pictures throughout & I must admit that I enjoyed seeing pictures that were clearly not professionally taken as it made me feel a bit better about my own picture-taking ability, or lack thereof! 
The introduction section filled with information is fantastic. 
I reallllllllllly like the way the appendix is set out as well. It might sound silly, but when a cookbook just lists the 'name' of the recipe, I find it a little frustrating. This book has the ingredients listed too, which means if you are looking for a particular ingredient you have, then it makes it super easy to find something suitable to cook.
I found the tips on the bottom of the recipes really handy. 
There are several recipes that call for nuts/avocados/coconut, and so we find that a little challenging as we are largely fat-free in our home, however most of the recipes I've tried so far, work equally as well when omitted. 

Below I show you "Hearty Stew" (however I did cook it in the slow cooker instead of the stove top as the recipe says). It was really delicious. Definitely hearty!

Other favourites in our home that I haven't photographed are the "Zesty Bulgar Stew" and "Lentil Soup" - I can't explain what it is about the lentil soup from this cookbook that I love so much but it is honestly the most delicious lentil soup I've ever had! 

Here is the "Fresh Strawberry Pie". With strawberries being so inexpensive lately I had to try this while it wouldn't cost a fortune to make!
I used my own healthy pastry crust instead of the one given. 
This filling was delicious. I would definitely serve this to dinner guests. It can look quite fancy too, if you topped it with a dollop of cream or other fruits to decorate.

 

My daughter is LOVING looking through cookbooks with me and deciding what to make! When she saw the slice on the cover of this book she knew it HAD to go on her own to-try list!
So below you see "No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars". OH MY!!!!!!!! They smelt amazing as I was helping her put this together. Apparently they are the BEST vegan food she's ever eaten. I skipped test-tasting due to being nut-free at the moment!
I was surprised at how well the chocolate coating worked & will definitely be using this for my kitchen experiments more regularly. It was much more soft and 'gentle' than just melting chocolate and allowing it to set. 

There is also The China Study - All Star Collection, which has recipes from several well-known Chefs in the plant-based world.


I must admit that this cookbook is one that I just LOVE to sit and read & flick through. There is something so comforting about knowing that it really is easy to be vegan & eat healthy. This book shows you how.
I LOVE the pages that have information snippets speckled throughout the recipes. And I love the shiny pages (as opposed to paper ones) that means if you accidently spill a bit of dinner on them, then it will wipe off easily!!!!! ;-)

If you'd like to see some of the great yet easy recipes in this book I believe you can view some sample recipes at this link.


If you'd like to hear T. Colin Campbell give a talk about "The China Study" and it's findings then click here.

Have you read the China Study, or Whole?
Do you own both cookbooks? Am I missing out by not owning the All-Star Collections?

After Christmas come down...... 2012 - A Year in Review!

I LOVE this poem! It always gives me a little chuckle when I read it!
 
     ‘Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
     Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
     The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste
     All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
     When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
     When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).

     I’d remember the marvelous meals I’d prepared;
     The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
     The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
     And the way I’d never said, “No thank you, please.”
     As I dressed myself in my husband’s old shirt
     And prepared once again to do battle with dirt–
     I said to myself, as I only can
     “You can’t spend a winter disguised as a man!”

     So, away with the last of the sour cream dip,
     Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
     Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
     ‘Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
     I won’t have a cookie, not even a lick.
     I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

     I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
     I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
     I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore—
     But isn’t that what January is for?
     Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
     Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

If you've been following my blog but aren't vegan - maybe you'd like to consider making a vegan resolution!
The PCRM - Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, have set up this new website to help people make the transition. It has many helpful tools including recipes, started kits, health information, programs to follow, even inspiration from others who have made a resolution! 
Check it out here -  http://veganresolution.org/

And of course if you want any help along the way - feel free to ask me anything you want :-)

I usually don't make an official resolution - but I do often take the time to reflect on the year that's been & decided if there is anything that I want to change for the coming year.
For next year I have decided to try & not let life get me down so much. I do think that I am the kind of person who views things in a way that seems to have such a negative twist on ~everything~ and its really hard for me to stop my mind from over-thinking things. This coming year I am going to aim to be a more positive person. A more positive wife & a more positive mother in particular!

I guess that leads me to the question.....

Is it possible to re-train our way of thinking???

I'll give you an example from my kitty!!! Not really....but I just love these pictures ;-)

So if you're like me.... let's try and aim to see the positive in situations in the coming year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE 

xxx Sandy

2012 - A Year in Review -->
Here's my 12 favourite recipes from 2012:
 

Lentil loaf - I think I've lost count of the amount of times I've made this recipe now! 

 


Pina-colada doughnuts - these have become a favourite in our household (and in our neighbours too!).
 
 
Tofu bacon  - this is now one of my favourite fall backs. It has so many uses - a great salad topper, sandwich filler or heck - just eat it by itself cause its so tasty ;-)

 

Winter curry and couscous - I think I can still smell the amazing aroma that this dish fills the house with!!!



Asian lunch salad - because we all to have a favourite salad! 
 


Strawberry mousse - I didn't think I could ever love a dessert as much as this life-is-good dessert until I came up with this mousse!


 


Tex-mex pizza  - we all need a favourtie pizza topping!
  

        Spiced lentil burgers - I love a good veggie                          burger, this one is so easy & so delicious.

 
Fruity yum cookies  - these were sooooo tasty I couldn't not include them. 




Cheezey brown rice with green beans - something a bit different yet amazingly tasty.

 

Mashed sweet potato with mexican spiced black beans  - all the amazing flavours of a mexican restaurant in your own home.
 


 Cranberry apple joy - can't forget a drink in this collection. This one is so satisfying!
 

Holiday Reading - Book Reviews

The Starch Solution - Dr John McDougall

The amazing Dr. John McDougall has done it again! Another fantastic book that leads us in the right direction regarding health & wellness. He has a great sense of humour and you see that come through in the book - yet in a totally honest way that makes us THINK. He is obviously highly educated in this area & that shows too.

One of my favourite quotes of his:
"Starch! You can't eat starch! Starch makes you fat! I mean everybody knows that if you eat rice it turns to sugar, and it'll make you obese, and that's why there are 1.73 billion obese Asians living on starch based diets!"

He does quite a bit of 'myth-busting' in this book, showing us our real need of protein & calcium and other nutrients that are often put in the spotlight when talking about a plant-based diet. 

Fantastic sections of the book include a marvellous chapter on protein, where he explores the difference between animal & plant protein and also the huge problem that excess protein is causing our society.

Another great part is the chapter on calcium. Of course the dairy industry wants us to believe that the only way we can get proper calcium is from cow's milk. Yet more and more research is showing just how bad dairy is for humans. He explains the best way of getting calcium & making sure that it is absorbed adequately.

I particularly love the section of the book in which he explains that because the ill-effects of bad food choices are not immediate, people often mistake that for meaning those foods are safe. He goes on to explain how these foods affect our body in the long term.
 
There is a recipe section in the back of the book (courtesy of his wife Mary McDougall) and also a "7-day sure-start plan" to get you on the right track. The recipes look easy to prepare and delicious. Also some great recipes for turning old favourites into new healthy favourites! I have tried a few of these recipes already & they have been delicious & definitely ones that I will add to my regular collection of cooking.

This book makes vegan eating sound so easy & delicious & nutritious! What more could we wish for?!?!?
Check out Dr McDougall's website here.

My verdict: IT'S A MUST READ! One of the best books I've ever read. Honestly, I would buy a copy of this book for EVERYONE I knew if money grew on trees ;-) 

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

This book is written using such easy language that it can be picked up and read quickly in no time! But I can't say it was my favourite book ever! I think it would appeal to those who are looking into a plant-based diet but not people who are already committed.

Throughout the book there are quotes that relate to health & plant-based diets. I really enjoyed reading them. Here's one: "He that takes medicine and neglects diet, waste the skill of the physician." - Chinese Proverb. 

The book has a few quick reasons listed as to why choosing plant-based is beneficial for ourselves, the planet & animals. It then goes on to list a few 'nasty foods', followed by a few 'kind foods'. The book details how you can change your diet in steps starting with 'Flirting' then continuing by 'Going vegan' and finally 'Becoming a Superhero'. She emphasises the need of regularly including vegetables and whole grains (not just grain based products) in our diet which is awesome. Personally I think that the superhero plan isn't all that great though as it still allows using oil in cooking, deep fried foods, & pastry - not foods that I would consider to be healthy. I also don't agree with the view that if you are craving fish (for example) that it's ok to not order it yourself but eat some from a friends meal! hmmmmmm......  I guess that leads me back to my point that this book is more aimed for those who haven't yet made a complete commitment to a vegan diet & lifestyle.

The book is half-filled with recipes. I was really looking forward to getting to the recipes but then as I browsed through I was quite disappointed. There were a few recipes that looked nice but nothing really grabbed my attention making me want to start cooking straight away!

All that said, I'm still glad I read it - I would definitely recommend this book to those who are 'interested ' in a vegan lifestyle but haven't yet made a definite decision. I think it would suit teenage girls much more than any other group of readers.

Alicia has a website that she often refers to in the book too - The Kind Life - and it is AMAZING! I enjoy being part of the website much more than I enjoyed the book! So why not sign up & get linked into some of the great information that is on the site.

Dear Fatty - Dawn French

I haven't laughed so much whilst reading a book in years! The comment on the front cover is actually true!!!!! lol
Dawn French is hiliarous! This is her autobiography. If you've ever watched her shows & enjoyed them then I recommend picking up this book for a laugh. But yet it is also very serious in parts as she describes some very painful times in her life. I felt wow-ed that she was so open about sharing these events.
I found it a little long, but easy to keep picking up and follow even if I'd put it down for a few weeks.
Wonderful pictures throughout - adding more to showing just what a character she is!
Fantastic read!





Other reads that I've really enjoyed recently are:

 

Oink - My Life with Mini Pigs - Matt Whyman

I've always wanted to get a mini pig & this book filled my void for a little while (yes I still want one!). Very funny book & very well written! I found it so hard to put this down! Very light-hearted reading.

 

The Amazing Life of Cats - Candida Baker

Any cat lover will enjoy this book. Its a collection of stories and if you're a cat owner then you're bound to sit there nodding at all the cat mannerisms! Still reading this book and thoroughly enjoying it.

Review: Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook

I recently picked up a copy of the relatively new Forks Over Knives Cookbook.

Yes I am one of those ~crazy~ people who actually reads cookbooks!!!

I have quite a collection of cookbooks but I can honestly say that this is a book that I really want to try EVERY SINGLE recipe. They all sound so amazingly delicious!

The book starts out with a little section before the recipes that provides the reader with some basic kitchen hints and tips & also a pantry staples list and handy kitchen tools to have. 
There isn't pictures for all the recipes but a nice collection of wonderfully photographer food in a few sections throughout the book. Even without pictures though, I think the recipes are easy enough to follow and know how your food should turn out!

The recipes include a wonderful collection of basics that I'm sure will become favourties in my household! 
There is a big collection of breakfasts that include smoothies, hot & cold cereals and more substantial warm breakfasts too. 
The salad section is sure to please everyone as it includes both grain and bean salads and each and every one of them sound like they will satisfy even those who don't consider themselves salad eaters!!!
You can't go past the soup and stew part without listing a few recipes that you'll want to try! How about Pinto Bean Stew with Hominy and Spicy Cilantro Pesto?? Or Navy Bean Soup with Lemon and Rosemary??
For those who want sandwiches and wraps your fillings are about to get so much more tasty!
Being a pasta and noodles lover I know where I want to start cooking from! Noodles with Curried Red Lentil Sauce screams "cook me" when I'm reading!
The list goes on...
Stir-fry's, casseroles, grilled, stuffed or baked veggies. Great bean and grain recipes, including millet, polenta, rice, and quinoa.
And last, but definitely not least, of course there is desserts! Of which I'll be personally taste-testing every one!



I am a MASSIVE fan of the Forks Over Knives film and believe that EVERYONE should watch it!
This documentary has taken the US by storm and many people have switched to a plant-based diet to see the amazing results it can offer them! 

I also have a copy of the book and can't recommend it enough!
Its information is vital and put in a way that is easy and enjoyable to read.

Click here to view the official Forks Over Knives website.

And happy cooking..... I'm off to make some banana bread (Page291) :-)

Question of the day:
Do you read cookbooks?
If so, all the recipes or just the ones you like the sound of?

Recipe Review: Chocolate Orange Cake

I'm a big choc-orange fan!

When I stumbled across this Chocolate Orange cake recipe on the fatfreevegan blog the other day I knew I just HAD to try it! Especially after my daughters school holiday request was to bake a chocolate cake!

I reduced the sugar by half and it was still quite tasty, and with the icing on top it was still sweet enough to be an enjoyable cake. 
I also substituted apple cider vinegar for the balsamic.
It is more of a dense type cake and not so light and fluffy, but it really suited the flavour of the cake - it was between a regular cake and a mud cake. 
And the taste was ~DeLiCiOuS~.......

The 2 flavours of icing was AMAZING! It worked so well & just gave the cake a fantastic look!
I don't have a proper Bundt cake tin so I did the best with what I had! 

When I had cut the cake I used the orange slices to cover the cut parts to keep it moist. It worked really well as it added extra flavour to the next slice and kept the cake moist.

My recommendation: TRY IT! You won't be disappointed.

The China Study

Book Review: The China Study

I was continually blown away whilst reading this book.

I can't hep but wonder why our school system is getting children and teenagers to read books like "The Hobbit" & "Ballroom Dancing" when books like this could educate the next generation to make healthy choices that will affect their life in such a positive way!

Its amazing to see how the author had traveled to underdeveloped countries with the intention of providing better health with "high quality animal products" believeing that nutrition problems were due to lack of protein. Yet when all the research was done the evidence shows that the real dangers to do with nutrition lie within animal protein.
And yet 1st world countries are still pushing Atkins-type diets of huge protein intake??? WHY????

Also its amazing the number of diseases that are often blamed on 'genes' but yet these studies have proved that perhaps what is being passed on is not 'bad genes' but 'bad lifestyle'.
Quote from page 190: "Genes do not act in isolation; they need a trigger for their effects to be produced."
Of course the book goes into much detail as to why this is the case.

Quote from The China Study website:
The findings? "People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease ... People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored," said Dr. Campbell.


Everything in this book is so researched & proven to be factual. The details of how the 'study' has been done are all given at the back of the book, so there is no secrets or misleading and sneaky ways of trying to distort the evidence, as is so often done when it comes to so-called 'scientific research' that surrounds nutrition.

Its quite scary to think of how much $$money$$ is being thrown into advertising and misleading information regarding our health & to promote products that are actually causing people more harm than good.
Not only are certain food industries responsible but also the medicine industry.
Our doctors are simply not being educated about what really improves health, but rather, how to mask problems with a pill.

Quote from page 321: "So why doesn't that medical system take nutrition seriously?
Four words: money, ego, power and control. While it is unfair to generalize about individual doctors, it is safe to say that the system they work in, the system that currently takes responsibility for promoting the health of Americans, is failing us. No one knows this better tan the tiny minority of doctors who treat their patients from a nutritional perspective."

The reader is provided with 8 principles to follow for eating right.
These are:

             #1 - Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

            #2 - Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.

            #3 - There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants.

            #4 - Genes do not determine disease on their own. Genes function only by being activated, or expressed, and nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good or bad, are expressed.

           #5 - Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.

           #6 - The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages (before diagnosis) can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages (after diagnosis).

           #7 - Nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board.

          #8 - Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book and reading it thoroughly!
Every person deserves to know the TRUTH about health and what we have been taught and made to believe about food. It is their choice how they respond to that information, but surely we have the right to be properly informed!

You can get the book here at fishpond. They offer free shipping - gotta love that ;-)

Click here for the official website

RATING: 5/5  Its a MUST READ for EVERYONE!

Food Inc.

Documentary Review: Food Inc.

I watched the documentary, "Food, Inc." on the weekend.
It shows in considerable depth, the way that food is produced.
I was totally BLOWN AWAY to say the least!

I know this is an American produced movie, but something tells me that nothing is any better in Australia when it comes to food!
I had NO IDEA that the large majority of food was controlled by so few, yet hugely powerful companies. Scary really.

I found it encouraging that it promoted that each individual consumer has some power. I guess we often think, "well what does my little bit count" and this movie just shows THAT IT DOES!

I was also encouraged that for those who choose to consume animal products, there is a somewhat more humane way of doing it. Not that I personally agree with it, but there is a way that produces much less pain & suffering for animals both during their life & during the slaughter process.

We all know that genetically modified foods are quite a threat to our health & our environment but I think the extent that 'regular' foods are being over-processed is now equally as scary! Have you ever stopped to think about what is considered "basic products" and exactly how much processing they have gone through?
Bread, pasta, milk............

I kinda feel also that people tend to think that buying from a local supermarket isn't really that bad. I guess this documentary has definitely changed the way I feel about that!
I personally plan to make more of an effort now to get to our local farmers market & show my support for fruit & veggies that are grown locally & in a way that is less harmful to the environment.


Here is the official website for the documentary.
And here is the Movie Database link.

Recommended viewing score 5/5
I think this is a must see. Not just for people who choose to consume plant-based foods, but everyone.
We can all make a difference to our environment. A little bit each, adds up to a heck of a lot in total!