In this edition, I highlight how slight hunger and ingredients around the house, can make way for a simple, yet affordable meal.
Jasmine Rice & Pigeon Peas
servings = 1-2, time = 15-20 minutes, difficulty = easy
A light, savory and simple Asian inspired dish, perfect for lunch or supper.
Meatless feature: Pigeon Peas
By User:C.L. Ramjohn (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.htm)
Ingredients:
1 Can of Pigeon Peas 1 cup of Jasmine Rice or the microwaveable version 1 tbs of chopped green onions (scallions) less than 1 tsp of minced hot pepper or a similar powdered variant less than 1 tsp. Minced ginger 1 tbs of vegetable oil
Choose your rice:
If you are cooking from scratch, you must boil the water first THEN add the rice. The more water, the softer the rice and vice versa. Add any butter or salt for additional taste! Follow the bag’s cooking instructions, but most rice generally cooks between 15 to 25 minutes.
Add everything together:
1. Heat a pan with your vegetable oil 2. Add the minced veggies and spices 3. Add your rice and let it warm up for a minute or two 4. Add your peas (a balanced ratio between rice and peas) 5. Stir the ingredients together
Additional tips: Add a teaspoon of sesame oil and soy sauce during the final mixing for a more authentic taste!
For this recipe, I was hungry, moody and desperate. Not an ideal combination when it comes to daily food intake, but with some searching around the kitchen, here is today’s how-to for stretching those noodles. With those forgotten sardines!
It’s been a few months since I’ve graduated, but growing one with sleep hasn’t deterred me from keeping up with my tried and true habits! Let’s face it, without any set location to reach or set places to go each day (compared to the college life), post-grad life can get pretty boring.
But that doesn’t mean you have to forgo all your efforts! Those in my boat and those on their own islands…Let’s start with apple cider vinegar, or ACV!
By Phongnguyen1410 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsAs I stated before in a previous post, ACV is highly beneficial, but there are other things it can be used for.
Four ways ACV can change your body
Hair – I can’t recall the exact source of this tip, but after experiencing some scalp changes since returning to a more natural hair regimen (pH balance most likely), ACV was a life-saver! The itching after using a deep conditioner, or the dull and lifeless look my curls had, vanished! How to? Just take a cap-ful, and drop it into any regular ol’ cup and dilute with cool water. I found that my scalp calmed down if I used it after shampooing, or even during a deep condition. Try to use it in-between rinsing any of the soap out. ACV does NOT smell like rosemary!
Face – You can dilute a bit with water and use it as a nightly toner (watch those hands!), or drink a sweetened/unsweetened diluted mixture first thing in the morning. Simple and easy.
Nails – Simply take a diluted cap-ful, and a small cotton ball or Q-tip, and rub on your nails or pour the mixture into a bowl and let them soak for around five to ten minutes. With all the good bacteria (see probiotics,) the ACV may do your nails some good cleaning, as well as make for a nice healthy shine! Be sure to moisturize after!
Body – Don’t forget your skin is the largest organ and deserves some TLC from time to time. Your pH levels can also reflect on the surface of your skin, and anything that off-sets it, can be reset if it’s a surface issue only. If you are a diligent exerciser, come into contact with a lot of surfaces or just plain sweat tons, try taking a vinegar bath.
The higher salt content in your sweat, the more irritable your skin may be. Clean it inside and out!
Dilute some ACV and rinse it over your body, or fill up a clean bathtub and let your skin feel it! I also find it good for a salad dressing base, just don’t over do it...erosion and all that…
ACV is a new and easy start for anyone new not just to the PescLife but to a healthy one! Just make sure it looks ‘gross’ (it’s the mother dear! ) and drink plenty of water along the way! Your body will begin to glow and your cups of morning coffee may begin to lessen.
When I first made the choice to go meatless, there was an intent that I wouldn’t do it forever. I do very much want a nice hot dog and grilled burger. Let’s be honest, the alternatives can only do so much if your heart’s not in it…no veggie burgers allowed!
I want to be able to trust the meat suppliers in this country but I simply can’t bring myself to. I applaud those who are able to name Shadow and put him down for their Thanksgiving dinner later in the year.
Whatever you do, don’t get attached. Don’t even stare at this picture too long.
I miss lamb and rice, curry goat…I miss all the good stuff! But until I get to a point where certain health issues or the environment (or spinach, e. coli paranoia) proves too difficult to keep it up – I guess I’ll have that hamburger.
But for now, I have enough faith that my experiences these last few years have given me enough confidence that I can manage it. I do hope to live in an area where meat is available to those like me; wanting to relive the days of old and fry up something good. It is then, I’ll tell the stories of my attempts and experiences of living in an meatless world shrouded by meat-eaters and those without regard for us.
As the sun sets, maybe one my taste for meat will arise? By http://www.goodfreephotos.com
Have faith in your choices and happy nomming! This blog will be here and a personal document space for any future habits during my journey as a ‘meatless.’
From time to time, I have a few folks ask for recommendations on what to eat or prepare for their dinners or lunch. I give my opinion even if it’s a meat item I’m familiar with. However new things such as capicola ham…
I never had the luxury of this in a sandwich….By Iceman0407 on Wikipedia
I can’t help anyone with. That’s usually when the discussion about why Ichose to gave up meathappens. When I think back on it, and I can see them selecting their meal choices, may it be at an amusement park, a movie theater, a carnival…
I can’t help but feel my mouth water. The desire to eat meat isn’t as strong is it was when I first became meatless, however it’s still a hidden want. To have that warm hot dog with relish and the sun beating down on my skin. A nice rib and corn on the cob.
What I’m telling you, is that it’s okay to be honest of your desires. The more honest you are with your reasoning for quitting meat, and still wanting it, can reveal a multitude of reasons and issues going forward. Perhaps you’re not getting something out of your new diet so your body is telling you the easiest way to help it.
Don’t you dare eat my brother. By wattpublishing on Flickr. www.WATTAgNet.com.
Overall, if you’re honest with your choices to still desire meat, you may be able to work something out if the “totally meatless” diet isn’t for you in the end. Perhaps meat twice a week?
Since I became a meatless eater, there are a few other items I chose to take out of my diet due to reasons I thought would enhance my overall health.
Sugar – White granulated specifically. I decided to get rid of this when I noticed how the taste of my morning teas were beginning to be too much, as was the later energy crash after consuming it. It wasn’t helping my skin issues either. After cutting down my sugar packets from three to two, and ultimately none, I felt better and my teas tasted more authentic. Replacement sweeteners are honey, brown sugar, and blue agave nectar.
This stuff is really sweet, which means less in your cup. By Mike Mozart on Flickr
Dairy – I mentioned my struggle with hormonal/adult acne in aprevious post. With motherly advice, the dermatologist and reading various sources, lessening the amount of dairy I ate or drank was important if I wanted some kind of relief from my break outs…and upset tummy. Yes! I do believe the older I’ve gotten, I’ve gotten a slight lactose intolerance. Since there are other options such as lactose-free milk like Lactaid or even dairy-free yogurt (no personal judgement on its taste yet…), I’ve still been able to enjoy my morning or evening bowls of cereal. Other alternatives such as rice, and almond milk (no additives!) are tasty. Almond milk is also a good and accessible options if you have a lot of almonds and are bored.
Gelatin – I cut this out because I felt that I’d be cheating if I said I didn’t eat meat, but still turned around and ate S’mores or cornbread…Yes cornbread! Imagine my shock when I saw this:
It made me stop in the middle of the aisle in shock…What WAS in cornbread anyway? Gross!
Overall, this is a personal choice and certainly not indicative of everyone that may choose to go meatless but there are now plenty of options for your taste-buds. Vegan marshmallows, gelatin-free Skittles. Vegetable broth…No word on gelatin-free Starbursts.
When I was a first year, I was really excited about getting to be so close to a gym and actually using it. Then I started using it. I quit my fitness perspective about four weeks after being on campus due to worrying about germs and eyes during my workout. During my sophomore year, my roommate and I experimented with evening jogging. This was okay so long as the weather wasn’t too cold.
Who wants to jog in this? Not I. By Victorgrigas on English Wikipedia
By junior and senior year I made no effort to work out as much as I used to. So many excuses among us both; we were too cold, too tired or the gym was too crowded. Overall, being active shouldn’t be because you want to look great for the summer thus attracting a fling of some sort, but because you want to live longer and feel great on the inside! My roommate and subsequent added figured out a plan – we’d carry on activities that didn’t make it seem like we were doing too much strenuous activity. One of them was holding a Zumbasession two times out of the week for at least thirty minutes. It was an activity that worked into our schedules and actually made it feel like we weren’t doing anything too intense. I also love dancing so with a great beat and enthusiastic participants this was a great start for us.
As the weather grew warmer, we grew interested in using the newly installed track field, as well as walking around our campus after dinner. Our appetites caused dinner to be around 3:30pm, leaving enough sunlight to walk around in peace.
In my room, I’d stretch after getting dressed walking up and down the stairs for at least twenty minutes even though we chose the first floor to avoid this.
Overall, the access one has to college workout equipment and spacious lawns is something to take advantage of amidst busy schedules. Although I find it easier to use trails and a sturdy bike to get my solitary fix of fitness when I’m off-campus.
If you continue to go meatless, you’ll start to notice that you’re becoming more aware of the things you eat and use.
Candy isn’t just candy, and body spray isn’t just that. And that tea mix you love? Nope check again.
Labels lie…or have a special way of lying that the average consumer isn’t properly interpreting, because they believe the fancy splash graphics on the front. Or because it’s the latest ‘trend.’
For instance, a brand name smoothie I used to drink constantly, recently got into a lawsuit due to the labeling that was deemed a false claim.Anything that is labeled ‘all-natural’ or ‘100% juice,’ you need to learn to take a second look. In terms of bottled smoothies, there are different ways to process the ingredients and certain brands are ‘better’ due to less pesticides and more nutrients present.
From a very beneficial post from The Food Babe.com that helped me nix my favorites and experiment with the good stuff (it was very hard as I love the sweet stuff), she touts the smoothie or juice brands that are better and other ways companies attempt to ‘legally lie.’
From The Food Babe.com
Bottled juice wasn’t the only thing I learned to be more aware of. The teas I make from store-bought tea bags were also re-examined after reading the above blog and others. Anything with ‘soy lecithin’ or ‘natural flavoring’ I learned to stay away from. Again, pesticides and sometimes bugs…Gross!
Learning what certain ingredients really mean is also important. If I didn’t understand what it meant, I did a trip to the search engine. If I felt icky after reading up, then I ditched it. Numerous body sprays with BHT I’ve stopped using. Water and ingredients I can get myself are important to me.And they smell much nicer too!
Let’s face it: acne sucks. That wasn’t just an attempt at a cliche, but my honest feelings.
Ever since I was a teenager, I was a sufferer of acne. Still am. Adult acne is very real and unless you have the insurance of a goddess, sometimes it’s not always easy to keep it at bay.
Overall, adult acne is usually due to an influx of hormones that can be inflamed by stress, chemical make-up or simply your diet. There are a variety of sources that tout different ways to ‘cure’ it or manage it.
Personally, I’ve seen quite a few dermatologists (which you’ll need to do during your meatless journey, trust me and to determine your remedies) and used nearly every acne system on the market…It was frustrating and expensive.
If I ever thought my skin was finally clearing up, that one HORRIBLE breakout ruined my esteem or any progress I felt I had made. In my opinion, why was I paying to have everything ‘clear it out’ and then start over until I ran out of said supply? I still had to go out in public after all.
Out of the things that were prescribed to me,Retin-Aand Acanya gelwere a nice combo. However I was still dealing with breakouts from time to time.
I’ll list a few of the methods that helped during the Rx and after it ran out that seemed to keep my breakouts to a minimum.
Witch Hazel – I always used this in high school, but I started back using it less than a year ago and ‘adding’ it with my current toner. Anything alcohol-free is vitally important as inadvertently causing more oil or sebum to produce could produce more break outs. I use it as soon as I get out the shower in my problem areas on my body or face and let it dry.
Black Soap – Another product I was experimenting with when I got financial freedom. This is touted as the ‘end all be all’ to any sort of skin issue, but personally it depends on what and whom you’re buying it from. Be careful ordering batches of these, as you want something that can’t be misidentified as a small child or bits of glass due to a lack of proper processing/filtering. Made from palm ash, tamarind extract, tar and plantain peel and other natural sources that give it a dark brown or light brown color. The ‘dirtier’ and less uniform it looks, the more authentic the soap. I used this at night and washed it off with cold water. Don’t get this in your eyes, I repeat: DON’T GET THIS IN YOUR EYES!
Water – How many times can this be repeated? The times where my skin looked the most flawless was when I “kept drinking like a fish,” as my college roommate called it.
Apple Cider Vinegar & Green Tea – I always loved tea, and green or black tea was how I chose to wake up in the mornings. After mixing the ACV with hot water and honey and not tasting very good, I decided to just throw a tablespoon into my green tea. Best idea ever. I get the nutrients of both and the health benefits cited from the ACV. Apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ is said to be the homeopathic ‘thing’ that can help with anything.Again, that’s all hearsay unless medically proven, but it does help with my energy, and the more that I’ve consumed, the more of a glow my skin seems to have. I can’t explain it quite simply but it’s doing something and I like it. Just don’t drink this by itself – tooth erosion is real.
Colorful foods – as mentioned inmy previous post, the more color in your diet, the better your diet. The better your diet?
Hopefully these are some things (other than sleep when you finally graduate) that can help ease your journey when making a drastic change that will affect your internal and external appearance.
Ever since I decided to go meatless, I really got into the various snack items that can be found in any co-op or store on a hill. Here are a list of things you can chose to add to your diet and make people feel bad about their own simultaneously and I really really like.
Toasted Coconut Chips
These are light and buttery. Strips in a spaceship bag made of heaven.
Dried Mangoes
They’re pretty sweet due to the added sugar…But who cares. Have five strips and be awake for anything!
Dried Seaweed – You can usually find this in the ethnic food aisles in any store or those stores on the hills…but be careful with this! Eating too much made me feel a bit light-headed. But the added salt in some brands can make you think they’re just chips. Newsflash; they’re not. One or two sheets are good or you can use them for some home-made sushi rolls instead…
Trail Mix – No picture needed as it’s an age-old snack. You can either pay to buy a wholesale bag to last you through the months or you can make your own. Try to stay away from too much of those chocolate pieces!
Smoothies – You don’t need an expensive piece of equipment. Get a blender or mixer from any store and call it a day. During my mornings or afternoons in between classes, I added strawberries, blueberries and mangoes with any kind of nectar juiceand a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Fruit Bars – Any thing “apple,” is a go-to of mine, but feel free to experiment! However always be aware of the ingredients!
![By User:C.L. Ramjohn (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Pigeon_peas.jpg)
![By Phongnguyen1410 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/raginalashley.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Apple_cider_vinegar-1.jpg?resize=300%2C223&ssl=1)
