Two weeks ago I was excited to learn that Laura had turned to (organic) veganism around the same time that I had. This meant that I could look forward to our play dates even more.
Do you know how challenging it is to have play dates with mothers who feed their children poorly?
You find yourself cringing slightly as they pass their little one Ho Hos, white bread sandwiches, and pesticide-laden fruit.
Now that I know Laura and I have the same eating habits, we have been trading recipes, educational websites, and other informational emails regarding our new way of life. This has not only, in my humble opinion, made our friendship stronger, but is really helping me find more creative ways to make meals.
On Sunday we joined forces at a bounce place in Carmel so the kids could release their “sillies” and we could have some chit chat time. Imagine my surprise when she gives me the amazing book “Radiant Health, Inner Wealth” http://www.radianthealth-innerwealth.com/newbook.html. The book is loaded with advice, recipes, and solutions for vegan challenges. It has been in my possession for less than 24 hours and I have already read through the entire book, made one of the recipes, and planned a menu for the upcoming week.
A trip to your local Whole Foods-type store will probably be necessary for many of the recipes, but items like “cilantro lime rice” can be made easily without a lot of fanfare. The book also acknowledges the many challenges with gluten and soy and has a variation for almost every recipe to make it soy-free or gluten-free. Some of the most commonly endorsed ingredients in the book include: almond milk (or any dairy-free milk you use), quinoa, millet, whole wheat flours (I use almond flour or other gluten free flours), milled flax seed as an egg substitute, rolled oats, all organic vegetables, and tons of herbs and spices for the recipes.
Her theme is easy to follow. Whole grains, loads of veggies, and anything that is sweet should use real maple syrup, REAL sugar, fruits, and spices. She also has an organic whole food recipe for chocolate chip cookies and one could certainly replace the chips with carob ones if they were so inclined. One of her recipes is “Apple Pie Acorn Squash” and I can’t wait to give it a dry run before Thanksgiving! In fact, my whole Thanksgiving meal may come from this book.
Her recipe for mashed potatoes looks DIVINE.
And the best part of the book for parents? A kids section!
Trying to raise a vegan child? OR even just trying to get your little person to eat veggies? She gives you ideas on where to begin and what to try. Her recipes for kids are great! Sydney and I already made the eggplant chips and she loved them! We dipped them in hummus and had a great late day snack together.
I am so thankful to Laura for giving me a copy of this book. The recipes are simple and book is easy to understand. This book is a win for the GOOD team.
Signing off,
Erin 003