VegBlogger - a vegan / vegetarian blog

Quinoa Cooked in No-Chicken Broth, Served with Gardein Beefless Tips

Up until last summer I had only had always cooked my quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) in water, as per
 the package instructions. But last summer my veg outreach collaborator brought some quinoa cooked in no-chicken broth to one of our monthly events.

Yum! I loved the flavor that it had. It was so much better than cooking it in water. So I decided to make it like that at home, finding the Imagine No-Chicken Broth right at my local grocery store. I served it up with some gardein beefless tips, broccoli and a side of fruit (I always serve a side of fresh fruit with dinner). Great dinner that even the kids like! This has become a staple in our house now.

Not only is quinoa super easy to make, very tasty cooked in the no-chicken broth, but it is also really good for you! Quinoa contains all essential amino acids and is a whole grain. You simply can't go wrong with it!  You can use it in stuffed peppers, as a side dish, in stir fry to replace rice, etc. Use your imagination and create some great dishes with it!

Quinoa can be purchased right at most grocery stores, either in the healthy food section, or near the
dry rice and beans. Many grocery stores also carry the Imagine No-Chicken Broth. Health food stores also carry both. Gardein beefless tips can typically be found in most grocery store freezer departments, as well as in health food stores.

A sad day for "The Senator" tree in Seminole County, Florida and Update

Back in May 2010 I blogged about a 3,500 year old tree that is not far from where I live here in Florida.
 The tree is called "The Senator" and is located in Longwood, which is in Seminole County. You can read about my posts here and here.

I'm a treehugger, so maybe I'm a bit bias when I say that the tree was absolutely amazing. It was huge, beautiful, and filled with more history than any of us have ever seen. It stood through slavery, depressions, occupations, wars, and more. It was the oldest tree in the state, the oldest Cypress in America, and the 5th oldest tree in the world.

As of the this morning, "The Senator" is no more.

Breaking news came out this morning that the tree burned down and has been destroyed. You can read about it here. Seems to be the only tree in the forest over there that burned down in this tragic fire. They do not know how it was started yet, but my guess would be arson. We didn't have any storms or lightening last night, so it seems like it can't really be natural forces that sparked it.

I am really interested in hearing the reason that is announced for what burned this old strong tree down and will watch for the news on that. If it is our fellow man, which I fear it may be, I feel even more saddened. The thought that there are people out there so apathetic and callous that they would burn down a 3,500 year old tree is astonishing and sad.

One thing is for certain, I'm greatful I got a chance to see it in all its glory. And it will be missed...

"Even trees do not die without a groan." -- Henry David Thoreau

Update: Here's the latest from the news: "And state investigators believe the fire was set intentionally."

Update on February 29, 2012 - Someone was arrested today for allegedly burning down the tree. See the news report here.

The Vegan Monster High Doll - Draculaura

My 7-year-old daughter likes the Monster High themed dolls. I probably would have at her age as well!
 Anyway, she had a couple of the dolls and wanted more. I personally don't know the difference in any of them, but I decided to get her one for Christmas.

The one I picked out is called Draculaura. I chose her because she is pink and that is my daughter's favorite color. She opened up the gift and loved it! Score!

Fast forward to this week and she asked me to log onto the Monster High site to see what Draculaura's favorite food is (the site gives personality details about each of the dolls). So we looked up her bio and were surprised to see that Draculaura is the only vegan Monster High doll! Wow, score again! I managed to pick out the only vegan Monster High doll for my vegetarian child.

We were both thrilled to see that, and she keeps talking about it for the last couple of days. If you have a vegetarian or vegan child, or you plan to buy a Monster High doll for one, you may want to consider the Draculaura, who is a vegan!

While it's a bummer that the Draculaura bio says she eats lots of iron supplements with her fruits and veggies, it also says biggest pet peeve is the lack of vegan selections in the cafeteria (hey, we can educate her on ways to get iron-rich vegan foods, after all).

Two thumbs up for Monster High including a vegan student in their collection!