I am on twitter

I am on twitter and thought I would post the link here . Hope everyone is gearing up for the snow storm.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back soon.

Gnewvegan

https://twitter.com/Gnewvegan

It is Ok If you Slip......

I wanted to write about the occasional slip up in the life of a vegan. I remember one time I had went out with a group of people. There was a person there talking about how she had some kind of fish and she was vegan . Fish is not part of a vegan diet. You could sense that she was trying to rationalize this and her sense of guilt. I could hear the hesitancy in her speaking voice. We are all human and we can slip. I do not feel we should have to rationalize or excuse our behavior to anyone if we do slip. Yes, we will feel guilty but that is human nature. Think about how you are vegan or vegetarian most of the time and that is what counts. That you are actually making a difference, even with your occasional slip, compared to the person not doing anything at all. For example, sugar is in practically everything and occasionally there may be a product you want that has sugar in it that you are unsure where it came from. It is a personal choice if you have it and do not come down on yourself if you do. The same thing goes with honey. You may slip when you are under stress, at a special occasion or just because. I remember a friend said to me once if you have to have that “one thing” once a year to get through the other days of the year, that’s ok. You are still doing so much more then the person who does not do anything at all. So, if you slip do not come down on yourself so hard. You are human and veganism goes on.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Please come back soon.

Gnewvegan

Vegetable and Tomato Stew

It has been some time since my last post. I am very sad to say that the reason why is because my nan, whom I loved so dearly and forever will, passed away on Dec. 21, 2009. I decided to post a recipe that I made for her when I was trying to find things that she would still enjoy. She was ill and it was not always easy to find the right thing for her. Either because her taste buds had changed or she just was not up to eating what she normally would. I would make variations of soups and this was one of them. I hope you enjoy it.

Vegetable and Tomato Stew

Serves 4 at 1 ¼ cup per person

(Makes 5 cups)

(4 oz) 1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 14.5 oz can vegetable broth (or bouillon mix)
1 cup water
½ teaspoon dry parsley
½ teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
Pinch of black pepper
1 16 oz bag frozen stew vegetables or soup, (carrots, celery, onions, potatoes)
½ cup elbows
Vegan parmesan cheese, as desired

-Heat up a 3 qt pot for one minute and then the oil about one minute.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pot, brown lightly, stirring occasional.
-Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth and water. Cover and bring to a boil.
-Add the vegetables and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil.
-Uncover and simmer on a low to medium flame, stirring occasional.
-After 10 minutes add the elbows, and continue to simmer, stirring occasional for 8 to 10 minutes more
until vegetables are tender.
-Serve and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Note- After a while if this is not served right away you will have to add a bit more water just to keep a stew consistency and then adjust seasonings if desired. If you reheat the next day you can add some water at that time or do not add water and heat and serve like a pasta dish.

Thank you for coming to my blog.

Gnewvegan