November 2013 - The election, my vegetarian anniversary, and living GMO-free

As a Washingtonian, I am disappoint. This election, the whole country was watching and rooting for us to pass I-522, which would have made labeling of GM foods mandatory in our state. We would have been the first, and could have set an example -- but as of right now, it looks like the initiative has been defeated by a margin of about 10%, with only about 25% voter turnout. Monsanto and all their biotech friends spent millions to bombard us with TV commercials (seriously, I saw at least one No on 522 ad during every commercial break on the major networks) and mailers full of lies and scare tactics to convince us to vote no. As if that weren't enough, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) illegally laundered donations from various big food companies for the No campaign, bringing about a lawsuit from the state Attorney General -- and still these slimeballs won. I am normally proud to live in such a progressive state, which is why I am flabbergasted and, quite honestly, disgusted that we let this happen. While I know the fight for labeling is still far from over, this is a very disheartening setback.

As of this month, I've been eating vegetarian for five years and GMO-free for almost 10 months. Along the way, I have inspired a few people to try following in my footsteps, but most of them have found it too difficult to maintain such a diet and returned to "conventional" foods. I'm not gonna lie; it's been really difficult for me too at times. There have been days I've craved a bag of Cheetos and a Coke -- but when I remember all the reasons why I've chosen this path, I find that I can overcome those cravings. And now, having been so long since I've tasted either of those things, I don't really miss them much at all. Besides, there are organic and GMO-free products to help fill the void that giving up junk food left in my life -- things like Blue Sky organic sodas, Annie's Homegrown organic snack crackers and cookies, Newman's Organic peanut butter cups (better than Reese's if you ask me), and Garden of Eatin' organic snack chips. I don't eat these things all the time because they're more expensive than conventional snacks and they're still not exactly "health food" -- but everyone needs some comfort food once in a while.

My 4th Vegetarian Thanksgiving!

I'm very excited to be celebrating my fourth Thanksgiving as a vegetarian this week!

I don't have any new dishes planned, just my popular meatless Loaf, and some roasted veggies that went over well last year. I like how, more and more the past few years, everyone in my family brings something to the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Instead of the same stuff every year, there's always something new to try along with our favorites.

I'm really bummed that I haven't been able to locate Gardein's seasonal "Savory Stuffed Turk'y". I've become a HUGE fan of Gardein, and a Gardein turk'y sounds amazing... but according to their Facebook page, it is only available at Whole Foods and "smaller independent health food stores". If anyone out there tries Gardein turk'y for Thanksgiving, please let us know where you found it and how it was!

Gardein Chick'n Scallopini: My new favorite "chick'n"!

As you may already know, when I'm in any grocery store for any reason, I can't help peeking at their vegetarian frozen food section to see if there's anything new and interesting. A couple weeks ago I was doing just that, and stumbled upon a brand that was completely new to me: Gardein (= garden + protein). They only had 3 products on the shelf -- buffalo wings, beefless tips, and chick'n scallopini. I don't really know what "scallopini" is, but the picture on the package appealed to me the most at the time, and I was not about to leave the store without any Gardein to try!




















I followed the preparation recommendation on the package -- just saute in olive oil over med/med high heat until lightly browned (2-3 minutes each side). I don't remember what I ate along with it -- perhaps Annie's Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese (very yummy, by the way)? But I do remember my first impressions of the Chick'n Scallopini -- Mmmmm! :D So tender, so juicy! Two things that most other chick'n products lack. And the flavor? Delicious! It is a tiny bit wheaty, but that's something I've grown to like quite a bit.

There are four cutlets per resealable plastic package, and I just ate the third one for dinner. The second one was with a veggie and noodle stir fry, and it went perfectly with the Chinese-style flavors. The other I ate with cheese ravioli and tomato sauce, and it was great with that too! Definitely a very versatile product, and I can't wait to find other dishes to use it in. I think it would be amazing in Chick'n Alfredo! I also can't wait to try the other varieties I found. :)

Protein source: Soy, wheat gluten
Allergens: Soy, wheat, gluten, amaranth, quinoa, millet, Kamut, pea, yeast, beetroot, carrot
Vegan