Look To Beauty

Mr. Happy Man

2012-02-15T16:59:00.000-05:00

This video brought great joy to my heart. It features 88-year-old Bermudian, Johnny Barnes who devotes six hours every day to greeting people with "Hello. Have a wonderful day. I love you."

These 3 sentences have had a powerful affect on the locals there. Watch and feel your heart warm :)

Mr. Happy Man from Matt Morris Films on Vimeo.

12 Reasons to Date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

2012-02-14T13:44:00.001-05:00

Whenever I think back on the 26 months I spent living in Tanzania, I smile. Although that piece of my heart I left in Tukuyu aches. Luckily a bigger piece of my heart, my husband (a fellow Peace Corps volunteer I met and fell in love with while I was serving) is always nearby :)

Still looking for that special someone or just want to read a Peace Corps related piece? Then check out this post "12 Reasons to Date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer"

My husband and I often whisper sweet nothings to each other in Swahili, appreciate hot water, live low maintenance and refer to our 2nd/3rd "mama"....Need someone to demonstrate safe sex condom techniques? We can help, we even know how to carve a phallus out of sugar cane :)

Condom race to help students overcome angst

A student demonstrating condom application on the sugar cane phallus

Tuscan Vegetable Tart & Black Bean Sunburgers

2012-02-10T12:13:00.001-05:00

Cooked up some more tasty meals from Quick Fix Vegan cookbook.

Tuscan Vegetable Tart

Whole wheat pie crust filled with a layer of crushed cannellini beans then sauteed cherry tomatoes, zucchini, garlic and spices. All topped off with crushed pine nuts.

Black Bean Sunburger

A vegan black bean burger that uses blended sunflowers seeds instead of eggs.

The Color Run

2012-02-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

My friend posted a link to The Color Run and it looks like lots of fun. It reminds me of the Hindu festival, Holi. Runners wear white shirts and end the race looking like modern art. The race is 5k. At each kilometer color zone runners/walkers are blitzed by volunteers/staff with color dust. Each kilometer of the event is associated with a designated color: 1k is yellow, 2k is blue, 3k is green, 4k is pink, and the 5k finish is a “Color Extravaganza.”

It will be my first non-timed race. But I think I could use some silliness amidst my marathon training.

The Color Run will be held in 20 locations, click here to see a list of locations/dates (NYC - August 25).

Butternut Squash Ravioli

2012-01-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

On a whim I decided to try out Butternut Squash Ravioli. Whole Food's version wasn't vegan so I picked Rising Moon's. Paired with my favorite tomato sauce by Rao's, it was love at first bite. My lunches at work just got that much better :)

Exercise and benefits of autophagy (self-eating)

2012-01-25T10:04:00.000-05:00

Since I am addicted torunning and post-work out endorphins, I don’t need additional reasons toexercise. However, I do love collecting info to try to convert others to mycause. This week’sEconomist features an interesting study: Exercise and Longevity

Key points:

Exercise promotes autophagy(Greek for self-eating)
“Autophagy is mechanism wheresurplus, worn-out or malformed proteins and other components are broken up forscrap and recycle”
A study on mice showed that autophagyhelps prevent diabetes, slow down ageing, fight bacterial infections, slow theonset of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's and Huntington’s diseases.

Previously, whenever I mentionedslowing the ageing process to my fellow Economist/NPR nerds, the topic ofnear-starvation diets arises. This would never work for me because I love foodand need calories to fuel my runs. Next time this comes up I can mentionvigorous exercise as a better solution :)

Also check out the article, A history of dieting: Binge and purge...really interesting facts on the history of dieting.

Thank Loving

2012-01-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

Thank you Mrs. & Mr. Loving

If I was born 45 years earlier I, an African America woman, would not have been allowed to marry my husband (who is a white man) in many US states. Thank God for people like the Lovings who refuse to accept unjust laws.

The International Photography Center (1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street) has an exhibit on The Lovings now until May 6. And it's free on Fridays :)

"Forty-five years ago, sixteen states still prohibited interracial marriage. Then, in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the case of Richard Perry Loving, a white man, and his wife, Mildred Loving, a woman of African American and Native American descent, who had been arrested for miscegenation nine years earlier in Virginia. The Lovings were not active in the Civil Rights movement but their tenacious legal battle to justify their marriage changed history when the Supreme Court unanimously declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation law—and all race-based marriage bans—unconstitutional. LIFE magazine photographer Grey Villet's intimate images were uncovered by director Nancy Buirski during the making of The Loving Story, a documentary debuting on February 14, 2012 on HBO. The exhibition, organized by Assistant Curator of Collections Erin Barnett, includes some 20 vintage prints loaned by the estate of Grey Villet and by the Loving family."

Tastey Vegan Mac & Cheese

2012-01-12T09:58:00.002-05:00

I was previously relying on Amys Kitchen's frozen vegan mac and cheese whenever I wanted to indulge. However, juzi (Swahili for the day before yesterday) I tried making it myself......this made all the difference.....the combo of bread crumbs and baked Daiya make for a delicious meal.

I used the recipe found on Daiya's website. Note: I did not use nutritional yeast.

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 30 mins

8 ounces gluten-free or regular pasta, any shape
3 cups Daiya cheddar
3 tablespoons vegan butter
2 cups unsweetened (soy / rice) milk product
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (I omitted this)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon paprika

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly when done. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare the cheese sauce while oven is warming. In a small pot melt the butter. When melted, add the pepper and nutritional yeast.

Stir in the milk or crème product. Add the cheddar, and cook over low/medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Stir in the macaroni and mix together. Transfer to an 8x8 casserole dish. Top with the bread crumbs and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbling and top is starting to brown.

Searching for a summer marathon

2012-01-09T16:58:00.000-05:00

This weekend I spent way too many hours trying to find a marathon thathappens before the beginning of September. I'm looking for one with great views,milder summer weather and a semi-flat course. I don’t care for things like hugecrowds/spectators or fancy expos.

Currently deciding between these 4…..Please comment if you’verun them or heard info on them…..

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon

Portland, Oregon (on Sauvie Island) on July 4
Pros: beautiful course - rolling farmland, some snow-capped peaks and variouslivestock (ostriches!).....mainly flat
Cons: out and back course means merging with walkers/slow runners at one point

Run Wild Missoula

Missoula, Montana on July 8
Pros: Flat course, cool temps

Cons: Expensive flight

North Olympic Discovery Marathon
Port Angeles, Washington on June 3

Pros: Beautiful course - Olympic Discovery Trail with views of the Olympic Mountains and a five mile finishing stretch along the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Cons: 9 am starting time tends to mean hotter weather, somerunning on rocks, more hills

Kauai Marathon

Kauai, Hawaii on Sept 2

Pros:Best course rating on Marathon Guide - beaches, rugged volcanic peaks, and greentropical rain forests. A friend of ours lives on Kauai so we could visit him.

Cons: Tough hills, expensive flight, entry fee is 2x the others

Update (Feb 5, 2012) - I've decided save money on travel and stick to fall marathons in NY/East Coast Area. Fingers crossed I get into the NYC marathon. If not, then Marine Corps Marathon in DC.

Energy Bites: vegan snacks full of goodness

2012-01-06T20:03:00.001-05:00

Another winner from Quick-Fix Vegan cookbook... these energy bites are the perfect midday snack and have just the right amount of sweetness. Also great for a small dose of protein/carbs before a run.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 pitted dates
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cocoa, shredded coconut or finely ground nuts for coating (optional)

Combine cashews and sunflower seeds in a food processor until finely ground. Add dates, tahini, cranberries, maple syrup and vanilla and process until well combined. Spoon out a small amount of the mixture roll into a 1-inch ball and arrange on cookie sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used. If desired roll balls in cocoa, coconut or nuts. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up then serve.

Sloppy Portobellos

2012-01-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

My husband and I prepared this Sloppy Portobello recipe for our New Year's Eve dinner. So far I'm really liking my new cookbook Quick-Fix Vegan.

It was my first time using Liquid Smoke and I am very impressed by much taste 0.5 teaspoon provides. Great fast and simple recipe! We are already planning ways to convert it into an appetizer using baguette slices :)

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz portobello mushrooms, shredded or finely chopped
1 (4-oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 tbs soy sauce
2/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 toasted burger rolls

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, 4 mins. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 secs. Stir in the mushrooms, chilies, and soy sauce and cook until lightly browned, 2 -3 mins.

Stir in ketchup, mustard, chili powder, Liquid Smoke, salt and pepper. Mix well, adding a little water if mixture is too dry. Simmer to blend flavours, 5 mins.

Spoon onto rolls and serve hot.

2012 will be a luminous year

2011-12-31T16:14:00.001-05:00

Abdu'l-Baha visited the Fourth Unitarian Church (Flatbush, Brooklyn)

“This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous.” ~ 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Today, New Year's Eve, I've been reflecting on how excited I am for 2012....and thankful for the blessings of 2011.

2011 was a great year.....ran my first marathon at 3:40, my husband and I celebrated our 1st anniversary, I revisted Tanzania after 4 years and I also had the opportunity to travel to Chile and Dominican Republic.

2012 will be even better. It's the 100 year anniversary of `Abdu'l-Bahá's (the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Baha'i faith) visit to America plus in June we will travel to Haifa, Israel for Baha'i pilgrimage.

'Abdu'l-Bahá traveled across America in 1912 giving talks on the need of unity among the races, equality between women and men, a balance of material and spiritual progress and international peace. While much of the discussion of the day involved the political requisites to peace, 'Abdu'l-Bahá focused on social and spiritual issues, linking universal peace with such topics as women's suffrage, a world tribunal, collective security, the necessity of religious unity and the need for justice.

Check out this article in the Huffington Post, 2012: A Special Year for American Baha'is
also this movie trailer for Luminous Journey: `Abdu'l-Bahá in America, 1912.

Interesting fact I just learned....American Baha'is had provided money for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to sail on the Titanic. However, He asked instead that the funds be given to the poor and chose to travel on a more modest ship to New York in April 1912. THANK GOODNESS He was not on that tragic ship.

Note on the picture: 'Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to many places in Brooklyn including the Fourth Unitarian Church which was within walking distance from where I live :)

Vegan Nog

2011-12-24T11:33:00.004-05:00

Tried out two vegan "egg" nogs this week.....

So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog- My favorite: thick, deliciously blended, coconutty with a hint of nutmeg.
Earth Balance Soy Nog - A reasonable Nog alternative, however the sweetness tasted oddly artificial.

Since we liked the Coconut Nog better we used that one for drinking and made vegan french toast with the Soy Nog. Earth Balance's recipe was absolutely delicious.

Vegan French Toast
Ingredients: Serves 6
2 very ripe bananas
2 cups Earth Balance® Organic Soy Nog
1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. vegan butter or oil, divided
12 slices day-old multigrain bread

Directions:
Blend first four ingredients in a blender. Pour into a shallow bowl.
Melt 2 Tbs. Buttery Spread in pan over medium heat.
Dip bread into mixture, so both sides are covered.
Cook both sides until golden brown. Repeat until the bread is gone.

The Long Run - a book on recovery and the power of the human spirit

2011-12-18T10:58:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I read Matt Long's The Long Run and I teared up dozens of times. The book is about Matt Long's recovery after a 20-ton bus hit him, sucking him under it. "In the 18 months before the accident, he had competed in more than 20 events including several triathlons and marathons and had qualified for running’s most prestigious race, the Boston Marathon. After the accident, his doctor told him he’d be lucky if he could even walk without a cane. The Long Run is an emotional and incredibly honest story about Matt’s determination to fight through fear, despair, loneliness, and intense physical and psychological pain to regain the life he once had. The book chronicles Matt’s road to recovery as he teaches himself to walk again and, a mere three years later, to run in the 2008 New York City Marathon."

My scar

I've been reflecting on why this book had such an impact on me. I think it's because it hit WAY too close to home, though a much smaller scale than Matt's trauma. In 2009 my appendix burst but a negligent doctor sent me home with a UTI diagnosis. Days of me living with a ruptured appendix without knowing it resulted in doctors having to take out not only my appendix but parts of my small & large intestine as well. I couldn't eat anything for several days. They couldn't close me up because the infection was so severe (hence the scar). And I was in the hospital for 11 days. When I was discharged I could barely walk without assistance. It took me months until I could run again.

I remember those dark days where I thought I would never be able to run at a "fast" pace again. I remember the depression I felt at just being in the hospital for 11 days. So while reading this book I was taking the emotions from my ordeal and then magnifying it by 20x to begin to understand what Matt overcame to run a marathon 3 years after he almost died......amazing what the human body and spirit is capable of!

All runners and anyone who has ever had to overcome a physical challenge should definitely read this book. And while you're at it check out Matt Long's I Will foundation.

Mission: The I WILL FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization established to help people, with the will to work hard, overcome adversity and challenges caused by life altering illness or traumatic injury. Our primary goal is to provide motivational and inspirational support through hands on training, coaching, and financial support when necessary. We believe the will to survive and accomplish all tasks, great and small, is present in all of us whether we recognize it or not. If you have the desire to live your life to the fullest, we can help you.

Rock out!

2011-12-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

I break out into spontaneous dance and/or song at random points everyday (as my husband can attest). Sometimes this includes free-styling a song about whatever I am doing/thinking at the time....other times it's lyrics to a song in my head or dancing to music playing in the background.

Anis Mojgani

Anis Mojgani's poem "Direct Order" is the essence of my "rocking out" tendencies. I discovered this spoken word poet 6 years ago and feel in love with his raw creative words and content. He's awarding winning (1st place at the National Individual Poetry Slam in 2005 and 2006, 1st at 2007 World Cup Poetry Slam).

You have been given a direct order to rock the f*** out….Rock out like you get paid to disturb the peace…Rock out like the plane is going down, there are 120 people on board, and 121 parachutes…. Rock out like the mangos are in season….Rock out like this was the last weekend, like these were the last words, like you don’t ever want to forget how. ~ Anis Mojgani

Your instructions for the day:
Step #1 Watch this video for "Direct Order"
Step #2 Put on a song and rock out (or even better rock out to the music in your mind/spirit)

Yoga flipped is running

2011-12-08T16:44:00.001-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with advertising (mostly Idislike it)…..but every once and awhile I come across an ad I love because itreally speaks to me, is unique/creative or has a great message.

I saw this Lululemon Athletica ad in Running World’s January2012 issue and couldn’t stop starring at it….there’s a woman doing a yoga headstandbut flipped it looks like she’s running! Brilliant! Last year I practicedVinyasa yoga regularly (and plan to restart this winter). It was a greatcounterbalance to my weekly running mileage…..the yin and yang…the flip-side ;)

the tiny words read as “I was running into a strong wind duringthe tail end of the Toronto marathon. Struggling with the pain, I tapped intomy yoga practice to focus on the energy of the crowd and cleared my mind with amantra. I placed 8^th female overall.” ~ Ambassador Katherine Moore

running prayer of gratitude

2011-11-28T16:10:00.001-05:00

"Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I attempt to make mention of Thee, I am hindered by the sublimity of Thy station and the overpowering greatness of Thy might.....Supply us, then, with Thy wondrous gifts that are hid from the eyes of men. Thou art, verily, the Fashioner of all creation. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most High. ~ Bahá'u'lláh (entire prayer can be found here.)"

There's something prayerful/meditative to me about bodies of water. For as long as I can remember whenever I see a beautiful pond/lake/river/sea I send up a prayer/thanks to God. Living in Brooklyn means lots of morning runs in Prospect Park....there is one special section right after a downhill break that levels out into Prospect Park Lake....it's a sudden switch from park/road/trees to a beautiful opening of water....and every run, for the 2 years I have been living in Brooklyn, my heart smiles and I thank God when I see that body of water.

This morning I was so moved by the beauty of the sun rising over Prospect Park Lake that I had to stop running, thank God and take a picture.

Davis, joy and hope

2011-11-27T07:14:00.001-05:00

Just returned from my 9 day trip to Tanzania......the place I lived from Sept 2006-Nov 2008, the place where I met my husband, the place that will always have a piece of my heart, the place where nature's beauty moves me, the place where at one moment I can witness something so heartbreaking that I don't know what to do and the next moment witness something so inspiring that I then figure it out.

Above is a picture of Davis (the one on the back of the bike). When Davis was first taken into the Olive Branch for Children's care he was almost 2 years old but could not walk, crawl or speak. Davis was extremely malnourished and near death. My friend Deb, who runs the Olive Branch for Children, took him in and months later he was walking/talking. Later we realized he had a learning disability. In Tanzania there are not many options for people living with a disability....and few schools able to help. Visiting doctors from the West think he's autistic.

3 years later Davis is developing well. The whole time I was there I never saw him not smiling. He would follow me around bringing a smile to my face each time. He is no longer shy and can carry on simple conversation....he still has his moments (like toilet accidents and walking around with no underwear)....but he's making great progress and bringing joy to everyone he meets.

Mumbai classroom

2011-11-15T07:20:00.001-05:00

Classroom in Mumbai

I love visiting classrooms. I am fortunate enough that my job not only involves visiting classrooms in the US but around the world as well. A work conference this past week took me to Mumbai, India. It never ceases to amaze me how similar the qualities of good teaching are regardless of cultural/country context.

Gesture means: I am raising my hand without talking

There's something so powerful about education.....about the process of learning. Just sitting in the classroom watching the students learn English grammar concepts (Who, Where, What, Why and When) I found myself completely engaged and full of pure joy. Even though these were 3rd graders they reminded me of my high school students in Tanzania.

After their classes I went around the room talking to the students. Their English was limited but our hearts connected. I learned of their dreams to be a pilot or teacher. I learned of their favorite subjects. After teaching more pictures they asked for my autograph (I have no idea why). I ended up signing my name in 25+ notebooks....my heart overflowing and maternal instincts kicking ;)

Core Values for a Mumbai classroom

Re-Case: Miniwiz's iPhone case 100% made from recycled trash

2011-11-09T11:09:00.001-05:00

I had been delaying buying a case for my new iPhone. Then I read about Miniwiz's Re-Case cover made from 100% recycled agricultural waste and post-consumer plastic on TreeHugger and was instantly sold.

The case fits snug providing reliable protection. I really like the look of the material. The light cross-hatch pattern and ridges on the sides provide an excellent grip. The only negative is it is really hard to get off once it's on.

To read the product details see Miniwiz's site here or order it on Amazon.

Madecasse - beyond fair trade chocolate

2011-11-04T13:10:00.002-04:00

"70% of the world’s cocoa comes from Africa but less than 1% of chocolate is made there. Instead, farmers sell whole cocoa pods to the first of many middlemen who eventually export the cocoa beans to chocolate makers in Belgium or France. Tim McCollum and Brett Beach--introduced to Madagascar and each other while in the Peace Corps--founded Madécasse in 2008 to keep more economic benefit within the island nation. The company partners with 45 cocoa farmers in the Ezaka cooperative and a factory in Antananarivo to move from bean to bar in one month and then onto shelves in Whole Foods and boutiques internationally." (Fast Company's 50 most innovative companies article)

Hosting the entire process in Madagascar generates 4x more income than fair trade cocoa alone.

I am actually eating the 'Sea Salt & Nibs' bar as I type this....perfect blend of 63% cocoa and salt...mmm. Madecasse reminds of the event I went to this summer featuring Ali Hassan Mwinyi, former President of Tanzania. When asked what he thinks Tanzania and African countries need the most, Mr. Mwinyi said they needed to do more production in country. Less of just exporting raw materials to other countries for a tiny percentage of the overall profits. He mentioned bananas, mangoes and Tanzanite as possible ideas. I 100% agree. It is really disappointing that even though Tanzanite can only be found around Tanzania it is often processed in Asian countries. At least Madecasse is challenging the current cocoa production trends.

Rich get richer

2011-10-27T13:08:00.001-04:00

Income for the wealthiest Americans has sharply increased inthe last 30 years - 275% for the top 1%. Meanwhile, the bottom 20% saw incomerise by just 18%. Middle class saw their income rise by about 40% ~ Congressional Budget Office (NPR article or CNN)

Meanwhile Republicans in Congress weeks ago were willing to have the United States default rather than repeal a portion of the Bush tax cuts and raise taxes for the rich by 3.5%.

In a lovely letter from A Voice From the 1% - "Here is a secretabout rich people: we wouldn't have noticed a 3.5% tax increase. That is not only because there isn't a material difference between having$1 million and $965,000, which is obvious, but also because most of us don'tactually know how much money we are going to make in a given year. Mostincome at that level is the result of profits rather than salary, whether itcomes in the form of bonuses, stock options, partnership distributions,dividends or capital gains."

Many are saying if we "punish" the "job creators" they won't be able to help the unemployment rate. A Voice From the 1% says “I was not amazed but disgusted when John Boehner and hiscrew tried to justify the extremity of their position by rebranding the wealthyas "job creators." While true in a very basic sense, itobscures the fact that jobs are a cost that is voluntarily incurred only as aresult of demand. Hiring has nocorrelation at all to profits or to income - none.”

Over at Occupy Oakland...

Tuesday evening police used tear gas and baton rounds toforce protesters to leave their camp. Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old former US Marine who has servedtwo tours in Iraq, was struck in the head with a heavy object. He remains in the hospital in critical condition with a fracturedskull. “The irony is not lost on anyone here that this is someone who survivedtwo tours in Iraq and is now seriously injured by the Oakland police force” (BBC article)

Today I'm meditating on the following quotes from the Bahá’í, Muslim and Christian background....and shaking my head at the state of my country.

"Some being enormously rich and others lamentably poor....It is important to limit riches, as it is also of importance to limit poverty. Either extreme is not good. To be seated in the mean is most desirable. If it be right for a capitalist to possess a large fortune, it is equally just that his workman should have a sufficient means of existence." `Abdu'l-Bahá's Paris Talks

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) who fights for Allah's Cause, or like him who performs prayers all the night and fasts all the day." Bukhari Volume 7, Book 64, Number 265

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25:41-45

Think you can't run a marathon? Inspiration from a 100 year old runner

2011-10-18T18:33:00.003-04:00

Fauja Singh, who is 100-years-old and the world's oldest marathon runner.

He ran the 2011 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8 hours : 25 mins.

"The blessings of the beneficiaries of charities (I am raising money for) give me the strength to continue"

He started running when he was 89 years old.

Watch his interview here

Brooklyn in the fall

2011-10-16T11:56:00.005-04:00

Prospect Park morning run

Sunflowers on the subway

A marathon full of gratitude

2011-10-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

"All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source of all glory and majesty, of greatness and honor, of sovereignty and dominion, of loftiness and grace, of awe and power." ~Bahá’u’lláh

I finished my first marathon 20 minutes faster than my goal time of 4 hours (3:40:37 = 8:25 pace). The whole time I was running and even post-race I couldn't stop thinking how many people I want to thank and how grateful I am. So here's my marathon list of thanks:

Thank you.....
1.) God, for giving me the health and endurance to run 26.2 miles. Also for getting me through some of the tougher points.....I must of said "Alláh-u-Abhá" at least a hundred times today.
2.)My loving husband for his constant support. Like waking up at 5:30 am today convinced that I would have an excellent race.
3.) All my friends, family and co-workers. Not only have they sent encouraging emails and facebook message but they've donated money to The Olive Branch for the Children to support my fundraising marathon. With your help I raised $1000!
4.) All the friendly and enthusiastic race volunteers and local Steamtowners. I really appreciated the cheering and oranges/bananas/water.
5.) Steamtown race directors. The course was beautiful. My favorite part being the 3 miles of trail by the stream surrounded by the fall foliage.
6.) St. Joseph's Children Center. I almost was overcome with emotion/tears towards mile 21 where tons of children from the center where cheering me on. I'm happy that most of my marathon fee will go to this center.
7.) Girl who tapped me on the shoulder. At mile 25 I was in a lot of pain, there was a slight hill so I figured, 'I'm pacing 20 minutes ahead of my goal, I'll just walk the last mile.' I only had time to walk for 5 seconds before a fellow racer tapped me on the shoulder as she ran by and said "Only 1 mile left. I know you can do this." She sounded so sure of me that I forced myself to run through my sore knee, aching left foot and throbbing left hamstring.

So I'm sending out these many thanks into the cyberspace. It's been a great day.

PS I just realized I qualified for Boston Marathon 2012......I won't be running it because #1 it's sold out #2 Not sure I want to run another marathon #3 It happens in April right after my 19-day fast.....But still bragging rights for qualifying :)

3 days until Steamtown Marathon, ~$900 raised

2011-10-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

In this picture: Montessori teacher, Eliza and Children at the Gomoshelo Montessori Kindergarten

My first marathon is this Sunday. I've dedicated my run to all the lovely children and people I met during my 2.25 years living in Tanzania. So I'm raising money for The Olive Branch for the Children. I have raised ~$900 so far and I am attempting a last minute dash to reach $1000.

The Olive Branch for Children was started by one of my best friends Deborah McCracken-Nangereke in 2005. Because of her amazing work she received the Rolex Awards for Enterprise’s Young Laureates Program and various PEPFAR grants (US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief). She lives in Mbeya with her husband Putiyei Kimala Nangereke and her 9 adopted Tanzanian children (one of whom is Davis, my Godson :)

The Olive Branch for Children:

Provides home-based care for more than 500 people living with HIV/AIDS.
Runs kindergartens in 22 communities
Manages Agricultural Projects for the community: providing the residents with small business grants, irrigation setup and basic supplies for farming including simple shovels and pails.
Provides education scholarships for children to pursue University/College education via The Olive Branch’s Education Fund
Operates a permanent medical clinic and hosts monthly medical clinics in remote villages

SPONSOR MY RUN:

If you chose to donate, please post a comment and I'll email you the details.

PS. On October 26 I received a post-marathon donation enabling me to reach my $1,000 goal :)

Education Under Fire - If I lived in Iran...

2011-09-29T16:33:00.001-04:00

If I lived in Iran .....
I would not be allowed to attend university. And if I tried to start/teach in an independent university I would be jailed.
I could not be a teacher, lawyer, dentist or many other professions
I would have to practice my religion (the Baha'i Faith) in fear and secret
I could be charged and jailed for "spreading corruption on earth"
I could be executed for teaching children's classes
I could be tortured for believing in Bahá'u'lláh

Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President (of East Timor) José Ramos-Horta, have written an open letter about these abuses addressed to the International Academic Community. To read and endorse this letter go to http://www.educationunderfire.com/nobel-laureates-letter.php#endorse

President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta Defends the BIHE and the Baha’is in Iran from Education Under Fire on Vimeo.

running meditations

2011-09-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

I realized something while running New York Road Runner's 18 mile race Sunday.....

Running on Playa Rincon

The first 6 miles of a long run are really just a warm up. Your legs stretch out. If you're like me you are going 30+ sec faster than your goal pace, trying to create a net gain in time. Sure I'm passing people but I don't really care.
Miles 6-12 are when the race actually begins. This is when I start to use the people in front of me to motivate me to keep going, to speed up, to pass them. I start to get tired and I need to re-fuel (ie gels and water).
Miles 12-17 are where the magic happens. My mind takes over and I zone out/zen in. The hundreds of people around me seem to disappear. It's just about me and how far my legs can take me. I thank God for the ability to still be running 12+ miles in. Mantras go through my head. I re-ask myself why I'm doing this. I stop myself from giving into that fearful/tired voice telling me to take a walking break.
Mile 18 is pure/delicious insanity. I start to speed up again. I stop caring about the pain in my legs. I'm high on endorphins. Feeling accomplished and excited to finish strong. I feel pure joy. I find myself cheering "Come on! You can do it!" to the people who have started walking. As soon as I can see the finish line I sprint, forgetting how insane sprinting is after running 18 miles.

I finished Sunday's race faster than my goal.... 2hr 36min, pacing 8:41 min/mile. I placed 770/ 3828 (top 20%).

2 weeks until Steamtown Marathon. Time to start tapering

18 days until Steamtown Marathon - $521 raised

2011-09-20T15:42:00.007-04:00

~ I've reached my fundraising goal ($500) for The Olive Branch for the Children. $521 and counting....
~ This Sunday I'm running New York Road Runner's 18-mile race.
~ 18 days until Steamtown Marathon
~ The Olive Branch runs kindergartens in 22 communities in rural Mbeya, Tanzania. In this picture is a student learning how to count. I love the use of local resources ie soda caps.

arrested while being Black

2011-09-14T15:10:00.004-04:00

September 5 - Labor Day....City Councilman Jumaane Williams was, as the saying goes, “arrested while being Black”. This story, which was featured on the NY Times’ front page online along with tons of others, is even more personal because Jumaane is my cousin.

The son of a doctor from Grenada, Jumaane Williams, 35, was elected to the City Council from Central Brooklyn in 2009. He is well-educated, articulate and a rising star among black politicians.

Why was he arrested? Jumaane was walking through a police “frozen zone” after the West Indian Day Parade to get to an event at the Brooklyn Museum. He had permission from police supervisors to go through this area. However, when he came to the third checkpoint the police refused to let the Councilman pass. While trying to confirm his credentials the cops surrounded him and put him in handcuffs.

As Jumaane states in his official statement: “This was an incident involving a select number of police officers that quickly and unnecessary escalated itself. We believe that had Mr. Foy or I been white, this would not have happened. Plain and simple. It is a reflection of a culture which includes stop and frisk protocol that I hope after this incident will finally end, based on how unfairly it targets innocent black and Latino young men.”

I wanted to wait a week or two before writing about this….to calm my anger etc. When I first heard about this I was overwhelmed with the sense of injustice too many people have to live through every day. It reminds me of something a family member once said….”Never forget that you are Black. Don’t get too comfortable, finding yourself in a place of wealth or power. The moment you forget someone will be there to painfully remind you.”… I am still waiting and working towards the day when the color of one’s skin or where they live does not determine their life/how people view them. Sadly though, the US is very far from this.

35 days to Steamtown Marathon!

2011-09-03T11:48:00.005-04:00

35 days until the Steamtown Marathon. My first marathon.

I did a 20 mile run today in ~3 hours :)

The last 5 miles hurt.... went from 8+ min/mile pace to 9+ min/mile. The last mile I had to yell at myself (in my head).... "Finish This!"......"Push!".... "Think of your marathon goal"....."Remember who you are running for" (I've dedicated my run to kids in Tanzania. I'm also raising money for The Olive Branch for Children).

Remembering my favorite running heroes Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie also got me through it.

Amazingly though, 60 minutes after my run I feel awesome. High on endorphins and ready to start the rest of my Saturday :)

Housing Works: donating books

2011-08-31T09:06:00.000-04:00

As a frequent user of NYC libraries, (I read 2-5 books a week so I'm there a lot) they were the first place I thought of when deciding to donate 10 books I had. The books had only been read once so were in excellent condition. However, when I went to the library books in hand I was turned away. Supposedly it is often cheaper for the library to buy new books then to process them....

"Donated books and other materials incur costs and additional time to process. Before they can be shelved with the larger collection, their condition must be evaluated, followed by cataloging, processing and transporting. These materials ultimately have a shorter shelf life. It is more cost-efficient to purchase new books and media, which are delivered "shelf-ready."

Luckily Brooklyn's library website has some recommended places that take book donations. And even luckier one of Housing Works' locations is a block away from the library I visit weekly. The thrift store is really cool, lots of stuff I could see myself buying... like a rocking chair I keep day dreaming of. Plus it's all for a good cause....."Housing Works is committed to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness. We believe that all people have the right to a rich and empowering life. Since 1990, we have provided the highest quality services for homeless men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS in New York City and beyond."

Happy donating!

Washington, DC running tour

2011-08-27T09:22:00.006-04:00

I had a 3-day meeting in Washington, DC this week. So during one of my morning runs I decided to take my cellphone with me to take a few pictures.....I called it my personal running tour. It turned out to be a brilliant idea. Most monuments in DC are around the national mall. So a 6-mile run allowed me to see the main sites.

I found myself stopping to reflect and give God thanks at many of the sites. I was surprised by my intense emotional reaction standing and looking out where Martin Luther King, Jr gave his speech. Or the sense of accomplishment after running up the stairs to the Lincoln memorial and looking at the view.

ING New York City Marathon Long Training Run #2

2011-08-22T09:29:00.003-04:00

I'm not running the NYC marathon but the timing for the Steamtown Marathon, which I am doing, corresponds nicely for NY Road Runner's training program.

The ING New York City Marathon Long Training Run #2 is a unscored/noncompetitive run. All racers select which group they want to run with based on pace time dividing into groups by half-minute intervals from 7:00 through 11:00+ minutes per mile. The run is broken down into 4 loops: 6 miles, 5 miles, 5 miles then 4 miles. You can decide how much you wish to run.

I joined the 9 minute mile group and ran 18 miles. It was a good experience. Sort of like pretending I was part of a running club for a day. The power of running in a pack was a great motivator as we ran up all of Central Park's hills. Plus it forced me to even out my pacing, I have the tendency to go anywhere from 7:30 min pace to 9:45 min depending on hills/mood/song on my ipod. Towards mile 16 I started feeling intense pain in my feet/arches. Plus going through the misting stations had left my socks wet, causing blisters. So I gave in at 18 miles :(

48 days left!

Skunks and dogs don't mix

2011-08-19T16:39:00.004-04:00

My husband and I took our dog to the suburbs to enjoy some Westchester fresh air and nature. The rain this week put a slight damper on our trip but Tuesday night's surprise was worse... Just as my husband was about to leash Busu for a night time walk she ran down the stairs and crossed paths with a skunk.

The first thing my husband thought of was tomato juice. So he poured canned tomatoes on her. Then I looked up some solutions on Google and found this recipe for de-skunking:

1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. liquid soap

It worked for the night....enabling us to bring her into the house and sleep somewhat well. However she still has a lingering smell 3+ days and numerous washes later. It's only noticeable if she has been running, is wet or sitting next to/on you....but it's annoying. Unfortunately the skunk got her in the face and most de-skunking remedies are not eye friendly.

We've going to try Skunk-off Shampoo...fingers crossed it works.

Dekalb Market (a perk of living in Brooklyn)

2011-08-06T16:02:00.011-04:00

I first heard about Dekalb Market from Wada-Africa, my favorite NY based African print dress supplier's website....then when I ran by it on this morning's 16-mile run I considered it fate. So my husband, dog and I decided to visit the market this afternoon.

They had two DJs spinning music that spoke to my heart....Fela Kuti, jazz, rap, R&B and reggae :) Lots of the vendors are stationed in salvaged shipping containers. The outdoor food court has free WiFi and is dog friendly. I ate two delicious vegan Caribbean patties from Nile Valley. The ackee patty was my favorite, but the callaloo patty was a close second.

And Wada-Africa, my favorite NY based African print dress supplier was there, so a purchased another dress.

How to Save the World?

2011-08-04T16:11:00.002-04:00

No, seriously….how do you save the world? When I was a Peace Corps volunteer living in Tanzania people back home in America would say “She’s off saving the world”. When I decided not to join the corporate world and do non-profit work they’d remark “Good for you, saving the world.” However, every week I read The Economist, watch The Daily Show and read Foreign Policy’s daily morning brief…..it’s quite clear the world is not doing much better.

There are so many ills going on in the world. The US continues to disappoint me as the rich become richer and the poor poorer. The government denies 9/11 first responders covered cancer treatment. So many countries are experiencing wars/fighting. The current famine going on in Somali continues to stay on my mind. I read things like “29,000 Somali children under 5 dead in famine” and I want to do something to help.

How do people who want to help make sure they are actually helping? I almost wish I could go back to my pre-Road to Hell ignorance. The time where I thought just donating some money every month would help fix things.

I stay firm that education is the way out. If everyone gets quality education they can help themselves and their country. Corrupt governments will have a harder time bulldozing their citizens. Although I cried through most of the book Half the Sky, the common theme for happy endings involved education.

How do you help?

Turkish Coffee

2011-07-27T09:23:00.002-04:00

It all started 2 months ago when my husband and I went to a hookah bar downtown. The bar had a 1 drink minimum in addition to the hookah and I don't drink alcohol. So we ordered Turkish coffee and Persian tea. I actually don't like coffee but I was curious so I gave it a try.......instant obsession. The texture of the Turkish coffee was more like hot chocolate and it was full of rich flavor...mmm.

For the next few weeks, I kept craving Turkish Coffee and talking about it to everyone and anyone who would listen. So to feed my new obsession, I purchased an Ibrik (copper pot), glasses and Maatouk's Brazilian Arabica coffee with cardamom. Yay!

Sahadi (for coffee)
187 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11201-5696

The Oriental (for Ibrik and glasses)
170 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY

Baha'i Temple

2011-07-22T12:00:00.003-04:00

I've been extremely busy between work, travel and marathon training. However last week's conference was in Chicago so I was able to visit the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, IL over the weekend. It's been 5 years since I last saw it in person.

I felt blessed to be able to read during the devotional service on Sunday. Both my husband and I enjoyed gazing at the temple and reflecting on its beauty and spiritual energy.

Then I proceeded to the bookstore where I got lost in the intellectual and spiritual wonders available for 30+ minutes. In the end I settled on a few keys books :)

If you are ever in the Chicago/Wilmette area.....
The Baha'i House of Worship
100 Linden Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-853-2300

Extremes of Poverty and Wealth in the US

2011-07-11T11:06:00.007-04:00

"But if conditions are such that some are happy and comfortable and some in misery; some are accumulating exorbitant wealth and others are in dire want -- under such a system it is impossible for man to be happy and impossible for him to win the good pleasure of God. (Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 41)"

It seems every week I come across an article outlining how the gaps between rich and poor keep widening in the US. The richest 20% in America own 85% of the wealth. It truly is sad and unjust.

Reading this article Blacks' economic gains wiped out in downturn, the extreme difference among racial lines is also clear. "By 2009, the median net worth for white households had fallen 24 percent to $97,860; the median black net worth had fallen 83 percent to $2,170.....for every dollar of wealth the average white household had, black households only had two cents."

I am glad I belong to a religion with central tenets against extremes of poverty and wealth. I urge everyone to “Be the change you want to see in the world.” (Mahatma Gandhi)

Tempeh Maple Bacon sandwiches, my new favorite quick lunch

2011-07-08T21:19:00.002-04:00

In general I don't like tempeh. I've tried it numerous times and the only time I liked it was when I tried a sandwich with tempeh bacon. So I decided to try Tofurky's Smoky Maple Bacon Marinated Tempeh. You just saute the slices in oil for 2-4 minutes for deliciousness. Add some vegenaise on toasted bread and it's done (or add some tomato and lettuce for added measure).

I like it so much I made it for lunch 3 times this week. Then I quickly went to whole foods to buy another package. Mmmm.

Shindagin hiking/camping weekend

2011-07-04T19:34:00.004-04:00

My husband, Busu (our dog) and I traveled up north to Ithaca, NY. We went hiking then camped in Shindagin national forest. I was a little nervous about carrying a pack for a long period of time but luckily it was not too bad. The hike was beautiful. Busu, our Italian Greyhound/Whippet/Jack Russell dog loved every minute of it. Shindagin allows dogs to be off the leash so she was running up all the hills looking back encouraging us to keep up.

We had cold burritos for lunch. Then heated up some Smart Dogs for dinner over the fire my husband brilliantly made.

It was a cool experience to go to bed and wake up with the sun. Getting up at 5:30 am to all the lovely bird singing and the spring water in the background.

Happy Fourth of July!

dogs bring joy

2011-06-25T17:44:00.006-04:00

My husband and I met up with a friend at Prospect Park this weekend. We brought Busu, our Whippet/Italian Greyhound/Jack Russel Terrier dog with us.

Busu is like a child magnet.....I think kids can sense that Busu loves everyone who crosses her path and wants to play with/lick everyone. Numerous times babies/kids walked right up to her and starting petting her etc. The two kids in the picture wanted to play and run with her. So we let them. They played with Busu for 30 minutes while we watched. It was a very adorable moment.

Nuun: Electrolyte Hydration Tablets

2011-06-25T11:28:00.006-04:00

Loving Nuun's hydration tablets.... it's cheaper and more environmental friendly then buying bottles of "sports drinks" plus the flavor is more subtle and taste purer.

It's hot in NYC now....and was even hotter this past week in Atlanta. Run safe (click to read NY Road Runner's summer safety tips)

"Nuun’s special formulation of electrolytes helps increase the amount of water that’s absorbed into the blood stream. That means more of the water you drink is actually used to hydrate you instead of being eliminated because the electrolyte balance wasn’t right"

Tabs quickly dissolve in your own water bottle
Easy to take with you
Absorbs quickly
Zero sugar
Important electrolytes
Under 8 calories

Honey Stinger: Natural Engery Chews and others

2011-06-18T10:11:00.003-04:00

As I increase my mileage for marathon training it gets harder to just wake up and go running without consuming something. So I've been testing out some energy chews and jelly beans.

In order of best to worst......

1.) Honey Stinger Energy Chews. I've tried the pink lemonade and pomegranate passion fruit flavors and both taste great. More importantly they chew/dissolve well and leave me feeling ready to go. And they use all natural ingredients :)

2.) GU Chomps. Tried the Cranberry Apple flavor which was so-so. However, these chews don't go down so well. They are really sticky and my stomach needs an extra 30 minutes to adjust before I can go running.

3.) Honey Stinger Energy Gels. The flavor of the strawberry honey one was good. However, I am not a big fan of consuming tons of honey. It took me awhile to eat the syrupy mix.

4.) Sport Beans = never again. Maybe I am just not a true fan of jelly beans but it felt and tasted like I was consuming candy right before a run. I threw out the package after eating only 4 beans.

Mango Crumble (vegan)

2011-06-15T08:17:00.001-04:00

Randomly wanted something sweet that was fast to cook. Then I realized I had the ingredients for mango crumble. 10 minutes later the dessert is in the oven cooking into delicious goodness.

Mango crumble (vegan)
serves 6

5 cup of peeled and sliced fruit (I used thawed frozen mango)
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance buttery sticks)
1/4 cup water (if using fresh fruit)

Pre-heat oven to 400*F. Grease a pot and spread the fruit on the bottom. Sprinkle the water on top (if needed). Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter to the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles crumbs. Spread the crumbles over the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is brown.

NYRR's Mini 10K

2011-06-11T11:49:00.004-04:00

My second year running NYRR's women only Mini 10K race and it's quickly becoming my favorite race. Something about running in a sea of 5,000 fellow female runners in Central Park.... I can feel the power of the female spirit.

I did pretty well this year placed 394/4750 with 47:53 minutes (7:43 min/mile). I had set 48 minutes as my goal :)

This year's race was special for 2 reasons....1.) It's the 40th anniversary of the race. It was the first of its kind in America, a race for women. Interesting fact, the "mini" in the title is after the mini skirt.

2.) This year's race was dedicated to Grete Waitz, a five-time Mini 10K winner, who died April 19, 2011 at age 57 after a six-year battle with cancer.

Soul Cycle = overpriced fad that's not for me

2011-06-08T21:30:00.007-04:00

After months of hearing my co-workers talk about the wonders of Soul Cycle I decided to try it out on Monday. I coughed up $20 for a 45-minute class doubtful that the cycling class would have the same effect on me since I run 4x a week. I was right, the class was not worth the money or time.

I've taken cycling classes as part of past NYSC or ClubFit gym memberships. I tend to enjoy them if the music is good. The bike provides a good workout and a break from running.

Soul Cycle is different mainly because they incorporate a "full body workout". At times during the class you lift weights, do crunches and modified push-ups all while still riding the bike. A cool idea.

However the whole experience from the minute I walked in the building was way too posh/fad driven. I can see why Soul Cycle has become so popular among celebs and the upper class. The instructor even ended class with some yoga inspired "Namaste" and breathing exercises. After sweating insanely due to the inadequate air conditioning I was greeted with a freezing cold shower and free organic lotions.

As I walked out of their union square location, $20 poorer, the first thought that came to my mind was "I can't wait for my 5-mile run in the morning".

June 1 - National Running Day!

2011-06-01T11:08:00.001-04:00

June 1 is national running day. If you're not already a runner use this "holiday" as an excuse to start running now.

Running is awesome. If you need some motivation check out Running Day's website.

I run to .....

stay in shape
de-stress
honor the power of my legs
free my spirit
clear my head
enjoy the endorphin high afterwards

Black love, human love

2011-05-29T11:00:00.013-04:00

There's been a lot of media attention this past year about "black beauty".....

--> The movie Good Hair about the obsession and million dollar industry around black women's hair (or more accurately, the dislike of our natural hair hence all the chemicals and Indian hair purchased)
--> Dark Girls: A documentary exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color - particularly dark skinned women, outside of and within the Black American culture.
--> Writers crazily saying black women are not attractive re: Kanazawa's article in Psychology Today.

I must say, I felt like someone slapped me in the face when I read Kanazawa's article. Using "science" to explain why beautiful black women like myself, my mother and countless others are less beautiful. I might just use my "surplus" testosterone (the supposed reason black woman are less attractive) to kick his behind.

And I can't tell you the amount of times some guy has said to me "You're the prettiest dark skin woman I've ever met". Or before I put my hair in dreadlocks, how many people warned me I'd look less attractive for embracing my natural hair.

I am fortunate that my parents raised me in a house full of appreciation for black beauty, that my life is full of love, that my husband tells me I'm beautiful daily and whenever I might give pause to whether or not I'm beautiful some random guy on the street screams a reminder at me. I'm worried about people who don't have these things in their lives.....

In the Baha'i faith we view all humans as varying flowers in one garden. The diversity adds to the beauty of the garden:

"If the flowers of a garden were all of one color, the effect would be monotonous to the eye; but if the colors are variegated, it is most pleasing and wonderful. The difference in adornment of color and capacity of reflection among the flowers gives the garden its beauty and charm. Therefore, although we are of different individualities, different in ideas and of various fragrances, let us strive like flowers of the same divine garden to live together in harmony. Even though each soul has its own individual perfume and color, all are reflecting the same light, all contributing fragrance to the same breeze which blows through the garden, all continuing to grow in complete harmony and accord. Become as waves of one sea, trees of one forest, growing in the utmost love, agreement and unity." (‘Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 24)

Please be kind with your words:

"The tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century." Baha'u'llah

Peanutty Pumpkin Stew

2011-05-26T21:26:00.002-04:00

Thanks again Vegan on the Cheap cookbook. I love stews/soups because 1 batch can last me 3-4 lunches. I really like the use of peanut butter in this recipe

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 potato, 2 garlic cloves, 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 2 tbs soy sauce, 2 tsp hot/mild curry powder, 2 cups vegetable stock, 1.5 cups cooked or 15.5 oz kidney beans drained and rinsed, 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, 1 cup thawed peas (I didn't include the peas), 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions (4 to 6 servings):
1. Saute onions, garlic, carrots and potato in a large pot. Cover and cook until softened.
2. Stir in tomatoes, pumpkin, peanut butter, soy sauce, curry powder and stock, stirring after each addition. Add beans and chilies stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
3. Shortly before serving stir in peas. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Vegan pizza

2011-05-16T13:20:00.007-04:00

I made vegan pizza, with whole grain rice dough last week. Healthy and delicious, husband approved.

Recipe: sauteed zucchini, onions, garlic, mushrooms and yellow/orange bell peppers. Put tomato sauce on the whole grain rice dough, topped with sauteed veggies and daiya mozzarella cheese

Changing shoes/running form will not reduce all injuries but might help with a certain type

2011-05-13T13:20:00.000-04:00

Read a breakdown of the study via Shut Up ad Run!'s blog post.
Or read the entire article on Runner's World.

To sum up the study in 4 sentences...... The results show that whether you use a forefoot/heel/midfoot strike or if you wear regular of minimalist shoes you still risk injury while running. However, certain types of injury might correlate to running style. “It looks like barefoot running and minimalist shoes increase risk of some foot injuries by while rear foot striking and traditional shoes increase knee injuries.”

Since my main injury issue has been my knees, this study just confirms what I discovered last year. Forefoot/minimalist shoes = less knee pain. Sure I have more calf pain the next day but that sort of pain is more of muscle building (positive) and not ligament/cartilage tearing&wearing (negative).

Speaking of calf pain....I'm almost back to last summer's peak. I ran 5 miles yesterday in the Vibrams and have only a slight calf discomfort today. Much better than last month :)

Updated race calendar

2011-05-07T12:53:00.008-04:00

~ June 11 – Women’s 10K – Central Park
~ August 21 – ING New York City Marathon Long Training Run #2 (6,11, 16 or 20 miles, runners choice) – Central Park
~ September 25 – ING New York City Marathon Tune-Up– Central Park
~ October 9 – Steamtown Marathon – Steamtown, PA

It's May and I feel like I've had a nice start in terms of my marathon training. Although I have not been consistently running 4x....I have been able to get in one long run 8-9 miles a week and a few shorter runs of 5 miles. I even got in some mini vibram runs.

I signed up for 2 more NY Road Runner races.... I am a little nervous/wary that the Sept 25 race is only 2 weeks before my marathon. And the Aug 21 is right after my summer vacation (it's so hard to kept up training during vacay). But I figure the best way to up my pace is to race.

I'm really excited for the Women's 10K next month. Last year I ran it 48:54 minutes (avg 7:52/mile). I've been running faster than that for my weekly runs this year. So I'm aiming for 46 minutes or less.

getting off 'the road to hell'

2011-05-05T21:33:00.004-04:00

This week I read The Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity by Michael Maren. From the first few pages where Maren paints a negative picture of Peace Corps volunteers (I'm a returned Peace Corps volunteer, Tanzania 06-08) I was torn between wanting to throw the book out the window and being really captivated. I'm glad I read it because it forced me to really think critically about foreign aid. Moving forward I will only donate to an organization if I have detailed knowledge of their projects/operation.

Most of the book features Somalia aid work by Save the Children and CARE. To give a really brief summary..... the book claims the aid work is making things worst, keeping evil governments in power and making slaves of those in refugee camps. Maren basically says aid workers/orgs care most about attracting funding. They don't care if their projects fail or if most of the "free food" goes to rebel army groups etc. Plus they often lie about where money is going.

After reading the book, I was left feeling cheated by all the ads I have viewed throughout my lifetime calling for my donation. I started to wonder if my past donations to UNHCR, CARE and the Red Cross etc. were wasted. So I enlisted Facebook for help. I posted "To anyone who has read 'The Road to Hell'. The book was written in 1997, are NGO/charities still this bad?" and the universe answered.

I forgot I have a lot of friends in international development. Watch this video about the importance of learning from failures and read some of their thoughts below.

Not all aid orgs are evil, some believe in accountability, openness and innovating: Engineers Without Borders publishes failure reports annually
EWB also created Admitting Failure inviting others to admit their failure so everyone can benefit and not repeat mistakes.
One friend works for CARE now and says they are much different now. Plus the picture Maren painted of its employees is not accurate.
When faced with the problem: give food to people who need it but some rebels will get some of it OR give no food whatsoever and chance people starving to death...what would you do?
We do need more oversight/regulation of the whole field. Also more follow through and maintenance (Pumps and pipes fail within months of installation, but the installing NGO or GO never goes back to make sure things are still running smoothly.)
A lot of people out there make their livings off of criticizing aid/development (Bill Easterly, Dambisa Moyo and Mahmood Mamdani) while seldom offering solutions for fixing what's wrong.
NGOs are dependent on donors for funding, and donors often give money for specific purposes. Everyone wants to give money to help build schools and all of the other high-profile projects. But where's the money to increase protection for aid workers in conflict situations, for example? There are so many areas that are underfunded by donors because they aren't attention-grabbing, but they may be equally important as other stuff. NGOs often push for unrestricted donations, but ultimately that's the donor's choice.
There's still too much focus on providing basic necessities (food/water/shelter/medicine) in refugee camps and not enough on psychosocial support and livelihood support. "We're so concerned with how people are dying, but not with how they are living".
Aid absolves African govs of accountability to its citizens and cuts the african entrepreneur out of the decision making process. Why should the govt sit with its people to find ways of increasing revenue yet they can do that with the IMF? Africans don’t want handouts, we want opportunities to trade, just like everybody else. There's more poverty in India and China than continental Africa combined in terms of absolute numbers, and yet you don’t see images of their children requesting aid. Instead, their govs astutely figured out that wealth is a function of income-generating jobs, not donations. The entire framework of aid must change from POVERTY ERADICATION to WEALTH CREATION: there's a big difference. Instead of handing out mosquito nets, give small loans to African entrepreneurs who want to set up a mosquito net manufacturing store. Check out kiva.org, its brilliant.
Overall, I think the development "industry" is headed in the right direction. There is also now actual science being done and submitted in refereed journals looking at and comparing different aid techniques. I think the next decade will be a good one for development.

Picture: This picture is from Engineers Without Borders. It summarizes how it might not be as "sexy" to sponsor spreadsheets/maintenance/a teacher's salary as it is to help build a new school or water well, but we need less "hardware" (building/installing) and more "software"(people with skills)

Lupe Fiasco, thought provoking rap

2011-04-29T14:18:00.006-04:00

Lupe Fiasco!

If you're looking for some thought provoking, positive, "I'm so happy someone is finally rapping about this" music check him out. He even has a manifesto, watch it here.

"Lupe Fiasco earned his reputation as a rap philosopher, a sharp, dynamic lyricist, and an MC who could shock you, make you think, make you dance, and make you laugh, all without resorting to vulgarity or tired hip-hop alliterations. "

Most of the world might only know his most popular songs like Superstar or Kick,Push but these are not his best.

Favorite Lupe Fiasco songs:
~ Words I never said
~ Dumb it Down
~ Muhammad Walks
~ Never lies
~ All black everything
~ Close your mind
~ Conflict Diamonds

Whole Foods - vegan asparagus and caramelized onions pizza

2011-04-25T19:20:00.003-04:00

Dear Whole Foods,

Thank you for introducing the vegan asparagus and caramelized onions pizza in your ready to eat food section. This pizza tastes absolutely great. Yes, it's slightly over priced as $4 a slice but it's NYC and daiya cheese is expensive.

Love,
Look 2 Beauty

PS Congrats on making the "100 best companies to work for" list again this year.

Baha'i Elections - Ridvan

2011-04-20T11:40:00.003-04:00

Ridván starts tonight at sunset. So that means it is time for me to vote for 9 people to be elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly. There are no clergy in the Baha'i community, so we elect administrative leaders on a regular basis.

I have always been in awe at how absolutely no campaigning is used for Baha'i elections. It is basically up to the individual to spend the year getting to know everyone in the community to choose who you think is best suited for the role. Through prayer and deep thought you select 9 people and write their names on the ballot. It's so simple I had trouble believing it could work when I first became a Baha'i. However, now I love this concept and feel fortunate to be able to participate.

I found this article, Election Time By Mead Simon, that explains the election process pretty well.

Any Baha'i, in good standing, and over the age of 21, is not only both eligible to vote but also eligible to be elected. In the Baha'i community we are encouraged to vote for those people who exhibit criteria such as a "well-trained mind" (which is not the same as having a university diploma), "selfless devotion", "recognized ability" and "mature experience" (which is not necessarily the same as being elderly).

Picture explanation: This is a picture of the garden of Ridván which means paradise. It is located outside Baghdad where Bahá'u'lláh stayed for twelve days after the Ottoman Empire exiled Him from Baghdad and before commencing His journey to Constantinople.

forefoot strike can be a pain in the calf but it's a knee savior

2011-04-11T18:29:00.002-04:00

Last year I discovered that if I ran more miles with a “forefoot strike” my knees hurt less. Sounds so simple….obviously I would choose to run all the time this way, right? Wrong. I purchased Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) and ran in them about once a week when it was warm/dry outside. I tried to push myself to run forefoot style when in my regular running shoes but often lost my drive. My running times tended to slow when I ran forefoot and required more work on my part. Also it took 3 months for me to be able to run more than 3 miles without significant calf pain the next day. Once the winter came I put my VFF away and ran only in my regular sneakers and forgot my forefoot discovery.

Saturday I dusted off my VFF and went for short run (1 mile to the dog park, then walking around the farmer’s market, then 1.5 mile run back). Come Sunday my calves hurt so much I spent all day reading on the couch.

Turns out if you go 5 months without practicing the forefoot strike you are basically back to the drawing board. I need to revamp my forefoot running training even when wearing sneakers. I get so focused on trying to run 5-10 miles at a fast pace that I allow myself to forego my running technique. Since I value my knees and want to be that 80-year old runner you see in the park jogging along, April will be dedicated to forefoot running.

My husband is a true VFF/forefoot runner. He doesn’t use his sneakers at all now when running. Last year he even ran a 10 mile race in the Vibrams.

Race calendar

2011-04-11T18:21:00.001-04:00

~ June 11 – Women’s 10K – Central Park
~ August 21 (not yet confirmed) – Battle of Brooklyn 10 miler – Brooklyn Prospect Park
~ September 25 (not yet confirmed) – 18 miler – Central Park
~ October 9 – Steamtown Marathon – Steamtown, PA

new route=new running joy, but why the segregation?

2011-04-08T12:38:00.016-04:00

I tend to run the same route all year round. In Harlem my route was along Riverside Drive Park....now in Brooklyn my route is Prospect Park. When I needed to increase my 4-5 miles I would just do another loop around the 3.3 mile park. Trying to avoid crossing streets and dealing with cars, I never changed up my route.....until today!

I must thank BrooklynRun s for the inspiration. I tried one of his routes combining Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery. The result was a glorious 9-mile run without redoing any loops. At first I thought it would be creepy running along a cemetery for five miles but it was quite pleasant and interesting. Along one part you get a straight look of the Statue of Liberty! Plus since I ran along the border of the cemetery I didn't have to keep crossing the street (limited car interaction). Although I do wish someone would clean up the trash along the cemetery.

This mini running tour of Brooklyn was also an anthropology demo ....The route by my apartment in Lefferts Gardens begins in an African American/West Indian community, the park is racially diverse, then you run a few streets by Park Slope and it's suddenly all white, then you run through Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park and realize you've entered "Brooklyn's Latin America". None of this is surprising, I have always known how segregated New York is. Sigh. I'd prefer all neighbors to be mixed.....like I'd prefer a garden with more than one type of flower.

"Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when diverse shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children of men." ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Steamtown Marathon - Oct 9

2011-04-03T10:51:00.005-04:00

$80.44 later it's official. I have signed up for my first marathon. Four days after my 27th birthday I will be running 26.2 miles in Steamtown, Pennsylvania!!!

Now that the Baha'i fast is over and the weather is friendlier the "training" can begin. I'm aiming for under 4 hours (~9 min/mile).

Why Steamtown? The NYC marathon is overcrowded and hard to get into. Steamtown, caps at 2,620 people. Plus the route includes great scenery and foliage. Runner's world magazine voted it as the best for "small and quiet" marathons. All the proceeds go to St. Joseph’s Center. And last but definitely not least (actually the reason it's become so popular among runners) is the flat and downhill route, see elevation chart on the left. To read marathonguide.com's review click here.

To celebrate my registration I ran 8 miles this morning. Let the fun begin :)

Dark Chocolate Vegan Cookies = a great destresser

2011-03-23T20:55:00.005-04:00

Accidentally/serendipitously made way too many dark chocolate vegan cookies on Sunday. It was the last day of the 19-day fast and I think I forgot what an normal batch of cookies should be. However, this has turned into a huge blessing because taking 2 of these cookies with 80% dark chocolate to work everyday has helped me get through this intensely stressful work week.

My friend Kit posted this recipe on her blog and I'm glad I tried them out. She also has this cool blog called The Hungry Honeymoon which will chronicle her and her husband's hike through the Pacific Crest Trail.

Dark Chocolate Vegan Cookies:
1 cup vegan margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses (I used maple syrup)
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose baking flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I diced up 2 bars of 80% dark chocolate)
3 tsp egg substitute
4 Tbs warm water
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
combine egg replacer, warm water, sugar +molasses, vanilla, and margarine (at room temp) and mix into a creamy paste. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Pour wet into dry and add chocolate chips and nuts. The dough will feel a bit crumbly, but use your hands to work it into small balls and put on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 10-16 min. The cookies won't spread out, and may be hard to tell that they're done, but if you stick a fork into a chocolate chip and its melted, they're fairly well done.

Happy Naw-Ruz! Happy Spring! Happy New Year!

2011-03-21T11:00:00.008-04:00

Happy Naw-Ruz! After 19 days of fasting and a intense winter I am more than happy to welcome Spring.

I've started a tradition of growing wheat grass during the fast to focus on the upcoming green and spiritual grow that comes with Naw-Ruz. For instructions on how to grow wheat grass see my blog post from last year. .

"On March 21 Baha'is celebrate the beginning of a new year. Called Naw-Ruz, which means "new day" in Persian, it is one of nine Baha'i holy days on which Baha'is suspend work and school.

Baha'is follow the Badi ("wonderful") calendar, which consists of 19 months of 19 days each (361 days), with the addition of "Intercalary Days" (four in ordinary and five in leap years) between the 18th and 19th months to adjust the calendar to the solar year.

Naw-Ruz begins at sunset on the last day of the Baha'i Fast and is observed with celebration and prayer"

Awesome Lasagna (that happens to be vegan)

2011-03-18T08:47:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I made my best lasagna yet (vegan or non-vegan). Seriously, I was so proud of my cooking accomplish. At first I was afraid the tofu/spinach/vegan cream cheese combo in place of ricotta cheese would taste off....but once baked it was the perfect texture and taste contribution. I'll be making this recipe for a long time.

Ingredients
* 2 tsp. olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 5-oz. bag fresh baby spinach
* 12-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
* 4-oz. vegan cream cheese (used Tofutti)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (cheated and used pasta sauce with basil in it)

LASAGNA
* 4 1/2 cups pasta sauce
* 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
* 6 oz. vegan Italian sausage links, cut into thin rounds, or soy
sausage crumbles, broken apart (used Gimme Lean Sausage)
* 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella (Daiya is the best)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute Gimme Lean sausage, crumbling as it cooks. Set aside. Take another pan and sauté onions and garlic in oil 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Add spinach, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer spinach mixture to bowl of food processor. Add tofu, cream cheese, basil, and purée until mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Spread one-quarter of Pasta Sauce recipe on bottom of baking dish. Cover with one-third of noodles (4 or 5 noodles), then half of Filling, and ladle on another one-quarter of sauce. Repeat layer of noodles and remaining Filling. Spread sausage evenly over top, and top with one-quarter of sauce. Finish with final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

3. Cover lasagna with foil, and bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Uncover, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until noodles are tender and topping is melted. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Rumi poetry - Baha'i Fast: Day 14

2011-03-15T11:56:00.000-04:00

There's hidden sweetness in the stomach's emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less. If the soundbox is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and belly are burning clean with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.
When you're full of food and drink, Satan sits where your spirit should, an ugly metal statue in place of the Kaaba.
When you fast, good habits gather like friends who want to help.

Fasting is Solomon's ring. Don't give it to some illusion and lose your power, but even if you have, if you've lost all will and control, they come back when you fast, like soldiers appearing out of the ground, pennants flying above them.
A table descends to your tents, Jesus' table.
Expect to see it, when you fast, this table spread with other food, better than the broth of cabbages.

~ Rumi

Vegan sugar cookies

2011-03-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

I normally make all my desserts from scratch but I discovered Cherrybrook Kitchen's sugar cookie mix (vegan) and have fallen in love (click here for the vegan recipe I used to use). Another Whole Foods win. I still make the icing myself as I prefer homemade icing. I have made these cookies for our Ayyam-i-Ha party and for a fast breaking potluck....both times people gave rave reviews.

Vegan icing:
1/4 cup melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 cup melted non hydrogenated shortening
1.5-2 cups of confections sugar (sifted)
0.75 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup soy milk

Beat together butter and shortening until completely blended. Sift in sugar. Beat for 2 minutes. Add milk and vanilla. Beat again. If you want thicker icing add more sugar.

Sacred Chow - a vegan fast breaking date

2011-03-12T11:20:00.009-05:00

My husband took me out for a dinner and movie date yesterday. The Baha'i fast is still going on so we arrived at 5:45 pm so our food would appear at sunset. These pictures don't do the food justice (the lighting was so dim). Sacred Chow is now on my top 3 vegan restaurants in NYC. They never disappoint (brunch write up).

My excellent meal: pumpkin bisque, vegan sausage with sauerkraut and apple berry crisp with vegan ice-cream.

My husband's great meal: Vegan Sausage with sauerkraut, Indonesian Roasted Tempeh and Baby Root Vegetable Latkes w/Indonesian
Date Butter.

Sacred Chow
227 Sullivan Street, NYC 10012 (b/w W3 & Bleecker)

vegan Guava Cheese Turnovers

2011-03-07T10:31:00.006-05:00

These vegan guava cheese turnovers are extremely delicious and quite addictive. I will definitely be using this recipe again :) I got the recipe from a blog called "your vegan mom".

Guava Cheese Turnovers
* 1 17.3-ounce package puff pastry sheets (I used Pepperidge Farms)
* about half a tin of Guava Paste, cut into thin small slices
* 2/3 cup raw cashews
* scant 2/3 cup plain soy yogurt or one 6-ounce container (I used WholeSoy)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* pinch salt

If your puff pastry is frozen, get it out of the freezer. Open it up
and let it thaw on the counter.

Cheese = Grind the cashews in a food processor to a a pretty fine meal. Add the yogurt, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.Process again until smooth and creamy.

Arrange a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.

When the pastry is pliable, unfold it on a floured counter or board,
and cut each sheet into four smaller squares.

Place a generous tablespoon of cheese onto the middle of each square.

Arrange a slice or two of guava paste on top of each dollop of cheese.

Fold over to make a triangle. Seal edges with the tines of a fork.
Cut a few little slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Baha'i Fast - Day 3

2011-03-05T06:54:00.006-05:00

I took this picture while walking my dog at 7:30 am in Prospect Park. I kept staring at the sun rising above the tunnel/bridge so I had to capture it.

Friday morning I was meditating on this quote by Baha'u'llah:

"These energies with which the Day Star of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.
And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven"

I broke the fast with lentil chili and vegan cornbread.

Vegan Cornbread (by IsaChandra)

Makes 12 to 16 squares

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups soymilk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350, line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, wisk together the soymilk and the vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt).
Add the oil and maple syrup to the soymilk mixture. Wisk with a wire wisk or a fork until it is foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm or store in an airtight container.

Baha'i Fast - Day 1

2011-03-02T18:40:00.009-05:00

'Ala the Baha'i month of fasting has started. For 19 days, March 2-20th I will be fasting i.e. no food or drink whenever the sun is out. The fast is "essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character." (Shoghi Effendi)

Even though fasting has its difficulties and sacrifice, I appreciate the many spiritual benefits. The focus and purification I gain from waking up pre-dawn....eating/drinking, praying and meditating in silence is priceless.

Morning meal:
Field Roast Grain Meat Co's Smoked Apple Sage vegan sausage, bread with jam, water,
Egyptian licorice tea (this book called "Butterfly Mosque" had a similar drink made in Egypt that locals claim helps with dehydration effects during fasting)

Meditating on: The view of the sun rise through a living room window, the spiritual goals of fasting and the Yogi tea quote "Truth is everlasting"

Happy fasting!

Happy Ayyam-i-Ha

2011-02-28T11:55:00.007-05:00

My husband and I hosted an Ayyam-i-Ha potluck dinner last night. Ayyam-i-Ha is a 4 day celebration (5 days during leap year) in preparation for the 19-day fast that begins March 2 (click here for more details).

It was the first party/dinner we've had in our new and bigger Brooklyn apartment. Lots of good food and conversations....
Food: Peanut thai noodles, sweet potatoes and quinoa, boxtie pasta, salad, squash, 9-sided star vegan sugar cookies and banana bread. A mix of backgrounds: 2 med school students, 4 people who work in education, 1 law school student, 1 public relations person, 4 RPCV (returned peace corp volunteers), 6 Baha'is, 3 Christians, 2 Muslims and 1 Buddhist.

My husband had the idea to have everyone paint what happiness is to them. The painting came out much better than I expected. And it's a nice summary of the spirit of Ayyam-i-Ha.

It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name. ~ Baha'u'llah

Pray the Devil Back to Hell

2011-02-19T09:13:00.005-05:00

Juzi (the day before yesterday in Swahili) I watched Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Going into it I was expecting your average African movie that leaves me depressed with teary red eyes and angry at the injustices in the world. However, I got much more than that.....I got inspired. I was left feeling the amazing power of women and peaceful protest. Sure, I still had the teary red eyes and sadness/anger around the violence/murder/rape during the Liberian civil war....But instead of the empty void of "these problems are too big" I was motivated to immediately do some web browsing to see how I could help too.

Reading through partner org Women for Women led me to Run For Congo Women. I've heard about Run For Congo Women before but never really considered doing it myself. Not anymore, I've decided to raise money for a undecided cause while training for my first marathon this year. To redefine what I'm running for..... Now I just have to decide if I will be raising money for a war torn country, a Tanzania ngo or US one. Once I decide I will set it up using active.com's fund raising platform.

Synopsis:

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions were a critical element in bringing about a agreement during the stalled peace talks.

Their demonstrations culminated in the exile of Charles Taylor and the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female head of state, and marked the vanguard of a new wave of women taking control of their political destiny around the world."

A baby saves the day

2011-02-05T11:40:00.008-05:00

My loving, gentle and sweet Grandma has been in a hospital or rehab center for the past 6 weeks. She has cancer of the liver. She will start chemo on Tuesday. I went to visit her at the new hospital she was moved to yesterday. It was quite depressing in the beginning. Her roommate is expected to die at any moment; Forcing the doctors to talk with the roommate's son about DNR orders. And then down the hall a woman is screaming constantly. I asked the nurses why and they just said she's sick and has a disorder where she can't talk......so all she does is scream to communicate her pain. As you can image this creates quite a somber and depressing mood.

Then this adorable smiling baby walks in with his father trailing behind. The baby had just learned to walk and is so proud of himself. I think my mom or me reminded him of someone he knows because he was instantly attached to us. He kept smiling and showing off his walking skills. Then he started to dance to the silent music in a baby's heart. And everyone is the room is happy, you can feel the shift in spirits. My grandma is smiling along. (To the right is a picture of my Godson who lives in Tanzania)

Before I left, we held hands and I said the short healing prayer. My mom and grandma aren't Baha'is but they are extremely religious/spiritual. Afterwords, my mom commented on how nice the healing prayer was.

I wish I got a picture of that moment. The baby was the cutest thing ever and I have him to thank for making my grandma happy. It reminds me of the 2.25 years I spent in Tanzania. The children there always gave me so much joy. Without fail whenever I was having a bad day I would play with the neighbor's kids and all with ok. To the left is a picture of the neighbor's niece that they were raising as their own. In the picture she's in my backyard with a sunflower I had planted. That girl made her way into my heart and has never left.

Quinoa for breakfast

2011-02-03T12:52:00.004-05:00

I discovered Quinoa 3 years ago but my appreciation for this protein packed grain has increased after trying to follow more of a vegan diet. Normally I use quinoa as a replace for rice or starch to go along with my lunch/dinner items. But now I've extended it to breakfast use as well ;)

Quinoa porridge
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
fresh or dried fruit to add in (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons turbinado (natural brown) sugar

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low
Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat
Let stand covered 5 minutes.
Stir in fruit, sugar and cinnamon.

Serves 1-2

Brunch at The V-spot!

2011-01-29T20:51:00.007-05:00

My husband and I met with 3 non-vegetarian friends for a great Saturday brunch at V-spot earlier this month. I've had great dinners there before and now a lovely brunch....V-spot is officially on my top 5 vegan places in NYC.

One of my friends and I both ordered the fruit empanadas that came with veggie sausages. You could tell the fruit jam/spread was homemade and deliciously fresh.

My husband got the protein pancakes (also with veggie sausages). They tasted awesome as well. And it's no easy thing making delicious hearty/healthy pancakes.

Another friend ordered the tempeh bacon burger. And she gave good reviews as well.

Okara and Courage burgers

2011-01-14T12:45:00.005-05:00

Discovered a lovely vegan burger this week...with an even better name...Courage Burger!

A very tasty meat alternative by the company SoyBoy. "Rated the number one meat-replacement product in Eating Well Magazine’s Veggie Burger Challenge"

The burger has this ingredient I've never heard of called "okara". (Okara or soy pulp is a white or yellowish pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean which remain in the filter sack when pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China) I give it * * * * *.

Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Perfomance in Sports and Life

2011-01-08T16:14:00.003-05:00

2011 will be the year of my first marathon (Insha'Allah). I'm going to hold off on serious training until after the Baha'i fast this March. One can't seriously train when abstaining from food and water sun up to sun down. In the mean time I've been researching what it's like to train for 26.2 miles as a vegan.

Most vegan athletes have heard of Brendan Brazier. He's a vegan Ironman triathlete and runner. Brazier won two Canadian 50 km Ultramarathon Championships (2003, 2006) and was regarded as one of Canada’s top endurance athletes and among the world’s best ultramarathoners.

I decided to read one of Brazier's books this week "Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Perfomance in Sports and Life" to get tips on how to tweak my diet so I have the energy to run 20+ miles.

Thrive is a well researched book. Brazier includes numerous ideas for things to add to my diet and the general concept of being an active vegan. It's a great read for any runner/athlete. The book has tons of recipes and in-depth info. Added plus if you like a raw vegan diet. Some summary notes from the book:

Acidic foods can lead to numerous health problems. Try to eat more highly alkaline forming food. The goal is for your body to have a pH of 7.35. Most non-vegan items are highly acidic (cow's milk, meat etc.)
"One-step nutrition", eating foods already in a form usable by the body is the key. Complex carbs have to be converted to simple; fat converted to fatty acids; protein converted to amino. It's more efficient to eat things already in the converted form -> less energy used breaking the food down etc.
Good amino acids sources: hemp, leafy greens, sprouts. Fatty acids: seeds like flax, hemp pumpkin, walnuts and oil.
How to fuel your body before exercise depends on the degree of intensity. High intensity but shorter duration: 3% protein, 7% fat, 90% carbs (A mix of dates and coconut oil is recommended). Moderate intensity: 5% protein, 35% fat, 60% carbs. Low intensity but long duration (ie marathon running): protein 10%, fat 70%, carbs 20%
For workouts longer than 3 hours you must train your body to burn fat efficiently and preserve glycogen stores. Otherwise you will tire easily and need to take more breaks to refuel. Easy long exercises like bike riding for 5 hrs at leisure pace will train the body to burn fat.
Eat a lite carb within 45 min of a workout so muscles can absorb it and aid recovery (no fiber and less than 20% protein)
Eat an easily digestible meal an hour after the workout with protein. (If the meal is hard for the body to digest blood flow increases to the stomach instead of working to clear out lactic acid and aid muscle strain
Power foods: Dinosaur kale, sea vegetables (10x the calcium of cow's milk), yellow peas, flaxseeds (high omega 3 and 6), sprouts and quinoa/amaranth

Happy reading and eating :)

Eating Animals

2011-01-04T19:13:00.000-05:00

I finished reading Eating Animals last week in effort to strengthen my resolve against eating fish (the only thing I miss after being vegan). Also it was highly recommended (for example by a favorite veg celeb, Nathalie Portman).

It didn't help with the fish thing. I feel like most of these books spend 20 pages helping me feel outraged against killing pigs/cows etc but only 2 pages on fish. The main thing I got was that over fishing is hurting the environment and many other species are being killed in tuna nets etc.

There were other helpful tidbits.... I didn't realize how far we have gotten away from "normal" chickens and turkeys to the point where most can't even procreate naturally, fly or move. Another thing that stayed in my mind is the amount of chemicals and "fluids" injected in slaughtered animals to try to beef up the priced weight and help them survive their unnatural life. Especially when compared to the amount of antibiotics illegal in Europe but allowed in the US = gross.

If you have time why not read this book....if you only have time for 1 pro-animal/pro-food health book I still think Skinny Bitch is a better read.

Seventh Generation

2011-01-03T16:36:00.003-05:00

We already use their paper and cleaning products. However I still smiled reading this article that tree hugger wrote on them, click here.

Seventh Generation uses packaging with 96 percent post-consumer recycled content.

Plus, I had no idea some detergents don't make your clothes brighter by cleaning better but by leaving chemicals in your clothes......"the chemicals permeate fabrics, causing them to selectively absorb and fluoresce light to appear more white or vibrant."

The Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen

2011-01-03T10:54:00.006-05:00

My husband and I tried out The Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen this past weekend. It's a cute little place in the East Village, run sort of like a Mom and Pop shop and all the employees make you feel at home.

My husband ordered the vegan chili. It was good and spicy. The shop owner walked by, saw us eating it and said "you should try that with the flax seed crackers". Next thing we know, the waiter gave us flax seeds crackers for free :)

I ordered the vegan eggplant parmigiana. It was pretty good. Whole Earth Kitchen is the first place I've eaten this where they didn't try to replace the cheese with a vegan variety. They just left it out and included tofu slabs in the middle.

For dessert, my husband shocked me and actually ordered more than I did (I tend to have the sweet tooth in the relationship). He ordered a vegan brownie and a chocolate covered brown rice crispy. I liked the crispy but didn't care for the vegan brownie.

The Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen
130 Saint Marks Pl # 2
New York, NY 10009-5843
(212) 677-7597
http://www.wholeearthbakery.com/

UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet

2010-12-19T14:19:00.002-05:00

An interesting article I randomly found......"A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change, a UN report said today." click here.

Alo Awaken and Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

2010-12-17T11:20:00.008-05:00

Two (vegan) products that I've happily discovered.

Alo Awaken: A mix of water, aloe vera juice and pulp, wheat grass and NATURAL sugar....Ever since I discovered aloe juices I've been a huge fan of the taste and aloe vera pulp. However, most products have too many artificial ingredients and unnatural versions of sugar sources (inverted sugar, high fructose corn syrup etc). I love wheatgrass shots but often am too cheap to order them at shops or buy a juicer. The two together equal my new favorite non-tea drink. And yay for a real sugar ingredient i.e. cane sugar. So far I've only seen this brand at Whole Foods, $5 for 51 oz. (* * * * *)

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, is a vegan and less sugary version of Nutella. Having not purchased Nutella since college I didn't realize there is milk in it. However, Justin's version is mostly organic with ingredients like real sugar :) cocoa and palm fruit oil. One serving of Nutella has 21g of sugar while Justin's has 7g. And if you're wondering, Justin's variety IS still just as good (* * * * *). It's semi-expensive $10 for 16 oz although I purchased a jar on sale for $8 at whole foods yesterday.

2011 Marathon??

2010-12-04T11:18:00.004-05:00

I have secretly wanted to complete a marathon ever since I knew what they were. However in the last 6+ years I've been afraid my bad knees would suffer and training for one would do permanent damage. So I settled for running half marathons (13.1 miles of sane fun) and 10-mile races.

Then I read "Born to Run" and discovered the art of forefoot running (read about my findings here). And I've noticed that my knee pain is almost non-existent. I still can't run for longer than 3-4 miles in my vibrams but it's helped me none the less. So now I'm inspired!

I want to do a less sane race, I want to run until I feel I can't run any longer and then run some more. I want to test myself....I want to run a marathon.

2011? My preference would be to run the NYC marathon since I live there. But it's so hard to get into. I've applied for the lottery and will find out in the spring. I was thinking about doing NYRR's 9+1 program but that would mean delaying the marathon until 2012. Now I'm looking into doing the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon in Albany, NY. Anyone ever run this one? ~~Update: I am going to run the Steamtown Marathon in PA~~

Requests:

Any good training programs, inspiring running books/quotes?
Recommendations for a NYC marathon substitution? I would prefer the cheapest option (i.e. I won't be paying for a flight + hotel to do the Las Vegas marathon for example)

Labels and other ramblings

2010-12-01T13:28:00.005-05:00

Last week a friend compared vegans to Hezbollah. His joke was about how militant and extreme vegans are. I defended vegans at the time. Though the joking comparison is still too harsh, recent comments instantly reminded me of it.....let me explain...

When I first started this blog (in Feb 2010) it was to talk about my journey as a vegan. The more and more information I read, the more I was motivated to cut remaining animals products from my life. I would say over the past 9 months I’ve been 99% vegan. Mainly a trip to the UK where I had to eat catered food at a business trip caused me to eat non-vegan items.

It was surprising to me that the blog entry that received the most feedback is one where I discussed eating fish last month. Even more surprising is the overwhelming feedback that I can no longer call myself a vegan because of one month out of 9. I guess this is a demonstration of the extreme militant characteristics my friend was talking about. It made me think of all other words/identity/label that people all over the world wouldn’t be able to use if the same thing applied…..What about someone from a certain religion who generally believes but has one month of doubt? Who decides if that person can or cannot call themselves Christian/Buddhist/Muslim/Jew/Baha'i etc?....I'm a Baha'i. Baha'i law says not to drink alcohol. However, if I ever found out a Baha'i friend was drinking I would never tell that person they can't call themselves a Baha'i.

I understand that vegans/vegetarians do not eat fish. I understand the arguments against the eating/killing of fish. What I do not understand is the intense response about me and my struggle as a vegan. If you do not want me to call myself vegan because 1 out of 9 months I ate fish, don’t call me a vegan. However, I can call myself whatever I choose. If you disagree, don’t read my blog. If you do want to read my thoughts on vegan foods, running and trying to lead a pure life then by all means continue to read.

Moroccan-Inspired Lentil Soup (in slow cooker)

2010-11-30T20:46:00.005-05:00

Another good recipe from Vegan on the Cheap. I was looking for something new and different....this Moroccan-Inspired Lentil Soup with interesting ingredients like dried fruits and apple juice did the trick. Chalk full of spices....cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric it sure it tasty.

It took me 45 min to prepare for the slow cooker. Then I woke up the next morning to a great lunch item for work.

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 med carrots, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1.5 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp coriander
0.5 tsp cinnamon
0.25 cayenne
0.25 turmeric
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup brown lentils
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup apple juice
0.5 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped (I used mango and apricots)
salt and black pepper
2 tbs minced fresh parsley
1 tbs fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Pour oil in 4-quart slow cooker
2. Add onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and ginger. Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and turmeric, then stir in tomatoes and their juice and lentils.
3. Pour in veggie stick and apple juice, add dried fruit. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place lid on slow cooker and turn heat to low. Cook until lentils and veggies are tender, about 8 hours. When ready to serve, stir in parsley and lemon juice.

Fish eating vegan nonsense (and oven-roasted chestnuts)

2010-11-30T19:32:00.009-05:00

I've been a terrible vegan this November. A week in London for a trip business led to eating lots of diary and seafood products. It's like the Brits have not fully embraced tofu. At least their animals are treated slightly better and they have higher food standards. My vegan self could not handle the porridge made whole milk. It made me realize how much I actually prefer the taste of soy milk. I was so happy to discover Pod Food.

Now back stateside I've become more of a pesce-vegan. I think I opened a flood gate with all the fish eating in the UK. Hmmm. Fish was always a tough thing for me to give up. I've been a vegetarian for 14 years now. During that time I've alternated between eating fish and abstaining. I think part of the problem is I don't feel bad about killing fish. I've been fishing before and gutted my own catch. However, I'd never want to kill a goat, sheep, cow etc. Plus there are some health benefits to fish (Omega fatty acids and all that jazz). Hmmmm.

While I ponder what to do with my fish eating vegan self. You can roast some chestnuts in the oven. Chestnuts are awesome and so appropriate this winter season. They can be quite filling.... "Chestnuts have twice as much starch as the potato. They are the only "nuts" that contain vitamin C, with about 40 mg per 100 g of raw product, which is about 65% of the U.S. recommended daily intake. The amount of vitamin C decreases by about 40% after heating."

How to Roast Chestnuts in the Oven:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Clean off chestnuts.
Use a sharp paring knife to cut an X into one side of each chestnut, or prick chestnuts with a fork to allow steam to escape. (Or you might have some exploding chestnuts)
Arrange chestnuts on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan, with the cut or pricked sides up.
Roast in oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until chestnuts are tender and easy to peel.
Peel the nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and enjoy

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To read my thoughts on all the comments below click here.
Everyone smile and have a great day.

Kale Spinach Mango smoothie

2010-11-12T18:41:00.005-05:00

I've often come across recipes for smoothies with kale/spinach but I assumed they'd taste terrible. However, after reading Nima's blog entry I felt compelled to try it....Nima, a 20 something with leukemia (A.L.L) wrote "Its my birthday and the best gift you can give me is to dedicate one day a week to doing something healthy for yourself....like having my smoothie ;)" So really, it was the best time ever to try it out. Plus I love kale.

Turns out it tastes pretty good, basically a purer version of Odwalla's Superfood. Next time I'm going to try it with juice (instead of water)

Ingredients
1 whole mango (I used frozen mango)
2 bunches of spinach
3 leaves of kale
4 ice cubes
1 cup water/juice
honey to taste

blend and drink....mmmm kale :)

Road ID - wearing my ID while I run

2010-11-09T19:41:00.005-05:00

In April, I switched from an after work runner to a pre-work runner. This means I’m often running while the sun is rising and it’s still relatively dark (see the picture I took before last week's run). Whenever I mention running under the morning stars to people their first concern is safety. Luckily Prospect Park is always full of avid runners regardless of the rain or dark. So I feel somewhat safe in numbers. However, I never carry ID with me. And I should in case there is an accident etc. So when I saw Road ID’s advertisement in Runner’s World magazine I went to their website and ordered one. (This is really rare for me. I previously worked in advertisement for a quick and painful 6 months so I tend to avoid ads.)

I ordered the classic wrist ID for $19.99 plus shipping. You can customize 6 lines of text to engrave on the surgical stainless steel ID tag. I included

my name
my city/state
(Husband’s name), phone number, Husband
(Mom’s name), phone number, Mom
(Father’s name), phone number, Father
Mungu ni Adhimu (A shortened Baha’i prayer “God is Sufficient/Significant" in Swahili)

I’m listing Road ID’s top ten reasons why their product is useful to summarize………
1. If you can’t speak for yourself, Road ID will speak for you.
2. Road ID enables First Responders to immediately contact family members and friends.
3. Road ID enables family members to provide additional details about your health or give consent for potentially life saving procedures.
4. Road ID enables hospital staff to locate vital medical records.
5. Road ID can communicate medical conditions or allergy information to medical staff.
6. Road ID can prevent serious delays in treatment by saving crucial time during the “golden hour” of medical treatment.
7. It’s far better to have Road ID and not need it than to need Road ID and not have it. It’s not just a piece of gear, it’s peace of mind.
8. Accidents happen far more than you think they do. Each year approximately 450,000 of us are taken to hospitals unconscious and without identification.
9. Road ID looks good on and makes a statement about your athletic lifestyle – not to mention that studies would probably prove that people that wear Road ID are considerably smarter than those that don’t.
10. Road ID can save your Life. Period.

Linguine with Lentils and Roasted Butternut Squash

2010-11-05T13:24:00.005-04:00

I tried out another recipe from Vegan on the Cheap, Linguine with Lentils and Roasted Butternut Squash. It tastes pretty good not sure both the lentils and squash are necessary and might only do one to reduce this time intensive recipe. But try it yourself and decide :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown or green lentils
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, halved and seeded
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, not drained
1 cup vegetable stock
12 ounces linguine

Directions:
1. Boil lentils in salted water, reduce heat to low and simmer until tender (45 mins). Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400*F. Put diced squash with olive oil drizzled over and salt/pepper to taste. Roast until tender (30 mins). Set aside.

3. Saute onion in a skillet for 5 min, add garlic cook 30 seconds. Stir in sage, tomatoes and cooked lentils. Stir in stock and season with salt/pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 mins. (For a creamier sauce use an immersion blender to blend a portion of lentil mixture). Stir in roasted squash. Then set mixture aside.
4. Boil pasta in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and add to lentil-squash mixture.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Vegan Cupcakes

2010-10-29T17:07:00.009-04:00

Another winner from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I was doubtful at first that pumpkin cupcakes would taste like cupcakes and not a muffin. Then the chocolate pumpkin mix made me wary. I should just assume VCTOW knows what they are doing, they normally do.

The cupcakes came out great! Moist and sweet. In fact I think I'll eat most of mine without much icing (although the cinnamon icing is a nice touch). Plus pumpkin cupcakes are so perfect for this fall season. I even made a non-chocolate version for my dog (don't worry just a small piece, I won't over sugar my best friend)

If you love cupcakes seriously think about checking out VCTOW cookbook.....Trick or Treat :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing
INGREDIENTS
1 cup canned pumpkin
1⁄3 cup oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cinnamon Icing (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, soy milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. Stir together with a fork— don’t use a handheld mixer, as it will make the batter gummy. Once well combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Fill liners two-thirds full. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let fully cool before icing.
TO ASSEMBLE:
1. Take a small plastic sandwich bag and cut out a tiny hole in one edge or fit a pastry bag with a small holed decorating tip. Fill the bag with icing and pipe it out Jackson Pollack-style onto the cupcakes. You may also opt to pipe it in zigzags, lines, or swirls. Let the icing set at room temperature or refrigerated.
Cinnamon Icing
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 tablespoon soy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the margarine, soy milk, and vanilla and stir with a fork until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use. The mixture should look opaque and honey brown. If it’s glistening a lot or looks too liquid, add a little extra confectioners’ sugar.
Makes 12 cupcakes

Busu, our whippet/jack russell terrier beauty

2010-10-17T11:17:00.008-04:00

My husband and I have been looking for a dog for about 2 weeks. I would search the websites of all the nearby shelters for a suitable pick and take notes. Last week I found an adorable whippet mix at the Brooklyn Animal Care & Control. After trekking on the train to a remote area of Brooklyn we found out someone had already claimed the dog. I then got it in my head to search for any whippet mix in NYC area. 3 days later I found a whippet mix at Sean Casey Animal Rescue in Brooklyn. We walked 50 minutes to the shelter sort of thinking it wouldn't work out. We get there and ask to see the Whippet/Jack Russell terrier mix. The man brings her out and it's love at first sight.

She's the sweetest dog ever, she immediately runs up to us and starts kissing us and jumping to get our attention. We take her for a walk to test run her and it's like she's known us for months. One mother and child stop us to comment on how beautiful she is. She then starts playing and showing affection with the woman's kid. So cute. The shelter thinks she's about 1 year old. She already knows the command sit and is housebroken....we're convinced...we fill out the paperwork. We decide to name her Busu, which means kiss in Swahili. The owner calls 3 of our references and 45 minutes later Busu is ours :)

If anyone in the NYC area is looking for a dog I highly recommend Sean Casey Animal Rescue. The staff know all the dogs by name and can explain their personalities in detail. Plus they have a "behavior specialist" on staff to help with any animal behavior stuff. The adoption fee covers 1 vet visit and pet insurance for the first 30 days, plus they neuter the dog and put a microchip in them.

(Pictures: Busu's first bath, drying post bath, eating food)

AppleSauce

2010-10-17T10:58:00.004-04:00

Since I still have tons of apples from apple picking last week and I already made an apple pie, I decided to make applesauce this time.

8 apples
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown/turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cut apples into pieces. Bring water and apple to boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and boil for 1 to 3 minutes.

Vegan Apple Pie! A delicious way to use all those apples I got while apple picking

2010-10-14T19:55:00.006-04:00

My apple pies are famous among close friends. I would make them anywhere I went from Tanzania to NY. So after I went apple picking last weekend I searched the web for a decent vegan apple pie recipe. Most recipes sucked, either they were trying to be too healthy (agave this, limited sugar that) or they were missing key ingredients like flour to make the sauce thick. So I just made up my own adapting 2 vegan recipes and 1 non-vegan one......and tada excellent apple pie! I give myself 5 stars ;)

Vegan apple pie
frozen vegan crust (2: top and bottom)
4-5 apples
2/3 cup turbinado/brown sugar
1.5 teaspoon of cinnamon
0.5 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/3 cup of vegan butter
1/4 cup of flour

Directions: Pre-heat the oven to 425*F, peel and cut the apples, add sugar, spices and melted/soft vegan butter. Stir. Add flour. Stir. Put in pie crust. Use other pie crust to cover the apples. Pinch the edges together using a fork. Cover the pie with aluminum foil and cook for 25 mins. Then uncover and cook for another 25 mins.

It's offically Fall let the Acorn Squash fest begin

2010-10-11T21:36:00.003-04:00

My lovely husband introduced this recipe to me last fall and I fell in love. So easy to make, you just need patience while it cooks in the oven for 45-60 minutes. The maple syrup/vegan butter mix adds just the right amount of sweetness.

One good thing about colder weather is more baking :)

Baked Acorn Squash Recipe
1 Acorn Squash
2 tsp vegan butter
4 tsp maple syrup

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 375*F. Slice acorn squash in half, scoop out seeds and stringy bits (save seeds for toasting). Put 1 tsp vegan butter and 2 tsp maple syrup in each half. Put in an oven safe dish and cook for 45-60 mins or until soft/tender.

For roasted seeds: wash seeds, dry, add salt and spread on foil. Put the seeds in the oven and cook until desired texture.

A vegan birthday: Waffles and Candle Cafe

2010-10-07T19:50:00.021-04:00

My birthday was this week. And I celebrated in a truly vegan fashion :)

Starting with vegan waffles for breakfast that my husband made me (recipe here).

Then dinner at the famous Candle Cafe (same
owners as Candle 79 - more expensive version) with my mommie dearest and husband.

I had the vegan lasagna, which I didn't like as much as I loved the V-spot's. I think it's because V-spot used a better substitute for the meat and less "cheese" for the ricotta part. At Candle cafe they used tofu and lots of "ricotta cheese"

My mom got their famous Paradise Casserole, consisting of layers of sweet potato, black beans and millet over steamed greens with country gravy. She loved it (and she's not vegan).

My husband ordered spinach linguine with cashew cream sauce. He said it was a little bland but good.

I had such expectations for their dessert since I am in love with the vegan cheesecake they sell to whole foods. However, for some reason they make their restaurant version completely different and it tastes bad. Well bad meaning to me it wasn't worth the calories so I had my husband finish it. The version they sell at whole foods is fluffy almost pudding like with no crust. The restaurant version is tougher/firmer and the crust tastes weird. Alas.

Candle Cafe
1307 3rd Ave (at East 75th st)
New York, NY 10021-3301
(212) 472-0970
http://www.candlecafe.com/

The V-spot = excellent vegan lasagna

2010-10-03T11:36:00.007-04:00

After Unit Convention a friend and I met my husband at The V-spot, a 100% vegan restaurant in Brooklyn. I didn't take any pictures because I was starving and dove right into my food. Plus, once I tasted their awesome vegan lasagna I wasn't about to pause and take a pic :) Guess all that consultation and voting from the unit convention worked up my appetite.

My friend, who isn't a vegan also got the vegan lasagna and loved it. I always think the best seal of approval for vegan food is when a non-vegan likes it. My husband got the Hawaiian burger, a combo of veggie burger with tempeh bacon, sauteed green peppers and pineapple. He liked his burger but confessed our vegan lasagna tasted better.

Dessert was a 50/50 experience. Their red velvet cupcake sucked hardcore, I didn't even finish eating it. However, their dead by chocolate cake was excellent. All three of us ending up focusing our forks on the cake :)

The V-spot
156 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
http://www.spreadvegan.com/

Sunday Supper Frittata - delicious vegan frittata

2010-09-25T15:32:00.013-04:00

After eating a vegan frittata at Sacred Chow last week I was inspired to try to cook my own. The process it quite time consuming but the result is well worth it. All the ingridients contribute to the awesome-ness ....the sauted mushrooms and spinach to the turmeric and tofu mix. Mmmm.

My second favorite cookbook is officially Vegan on the Cheap. They are 3 for 3 in turns of great recipes.

Sunday Supper Frittata
1 tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 large potato, peeled, cooked and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 pound tofu, well drained
1 tbs soy milk
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs cornstarch
0.5 tsp onion powder
0.5 tsp dried basil
0.5 tsp ground fennel seed (optional)
0.25 tsp turmeric (I doubled this since I love turmeric)

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Saute onion for 10 minutes, then add mushrooms and spinach and cook for ~ 3 min, then add the potato and cook for another 3 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Spread cooked vegetables into bottom of greased pan or if using a cast iron skillet you can just put that in the oven.

4. In a blender, combine tofu, soy milk, yeast, cornstarch, onion powder, basil, turmeric and fennel (if using). Add 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper and blend until smooth.
5. Spread the tofu over the vegetables. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove foil and cook for 10 min longer. Cut into wedges and serve

Gold Bar Cookies

2010-09-25T15:07:00.005-04:00

If it's in the "Sweet delights" section of the cookbook but has oats and looks healthy can I eat it for breakfast? Yes, was the answer I gave myself yesterday. Especially after running 8.5 miles Friday morning.

I really like these cookies/bars. I will definitely be adding these to my list of future baking. Another winner from Vegan on the Cheap.

Gold Bar cookies
1.75 cup quick-cooking oats
1 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
0.5 cup vegan margarine, softened
0.25 cup creamy peanut butter (I used almond butter instead of peanut butter because that's all I had)
1 (8-ounce) jar peach or apricot preserves (I used strawberry)
0.5 cup golden raisins (I hate raisins in desserts, so I omitted)
0.5 cup ground unsalted roasted peanuts (Didn't include either)

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan
2. In a food processor combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to mix well. Add the margarine and peanut butter and pulse until crumbly.
2. Place about 3 cups of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and press it evenly with your hands to form the cookie base. Reserve the remaining mixture.
4. Place the preserves in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spread over the top of the cookie base to within 1/4 inch of the edge.
5. Add the raisins (if you like raisins in your desserts) and peanuts to the remaining crumb mixture and sprinkle it over the top, pressing it into the fruit.
6. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

Variations: different fruit spreads, omitting all nuts products, adding vegan chocolate or shredded coconut to the topping mixture

Eat Well to Be Well

2010-09-24T17:32:00.006-04:00

I am a strong believer in not only 'you are what you eat' but also 'your health = your diet'. So it made me happy to read this article about a doctor who agrees and is working towards providing his patients with a better diet etc. --> NY Times article Doctor's Orders

"The kitchen must become as crucial as the clinic. Food is at the center of health and illness and so doctors must make all aspects of it — growing, buying, cooking, eating — a mainstay of their medical educations, their personal lives and their practices."
~ Dr. Maring

Highlights:

Dr. Maring started a weekly farmers’ market in 2003 just outside the front door at the Kaiser Permanente medical center.
Dr. Maring has worked to obtain fresh local food for hospital trays and in cafeterias.
Dr. Maring’s son, Ben, 30, a fourth-year medical student at New York University School of Medicine, is working to improve the food doctors and med school students eat. Ben has developed a series of cooking classes that incorporate aspects of nutrition and clinical medicine. He named his scheme CHEF — for Cook Healthy, Eat Fresh.