The Hippy Dippy Vegan....

The Hippy Dippy Vegan

by Carol Schwartz

Kitty woke up in the early morning anxious to get her day started.  The sun was out, and the day seemed promising.  She had a million things to do, would pick one, and get started.  Never one for making lists and plans, Kitty knew that everything somehow would be done.  Daisy her best friend would be coming soon catch up.  Daisy had a blind date the previous night and as always, they loved to talk about it.  Kitty was not so lucky in the dating field although she kept trying.  Ah well, in the meantime she had her babies who depended on her.  Moreover, what else would Kitty have for fur babies, yup cats:  Sammy, Tommy, Timmy, Ozzie, and Rusty.  These were the guys in her life and right now they were demanding attention – it was breakfast time.  Kitty went downstairs and got her makings for the Chai tea.  She always purchased Fair Trade organic tea and although it was not considered raw, it was vegan.  Once the tea was started, she tried not to trip over the kitties who were circling in and out of her legs.  She got the bamboo bowls for them, and gave each their share of the cat food and added treats to all.  As they were eating she thought about what type of breakfast she would serve her and Daisy.  Although Daisy was not vegan she did love Kitty’s creations.  So as Kitty sipped her tea, she thought about the ingredients she had just purchased from the farmers market.  She would choose one or two of the recipes she found online.  She had dehydrated some buckwheat groats just the day before and decided to use them.to make a granola.  So much better than buying the prepackaged type she always saw in the store.  She had made her Almond Milk last night, then she would add some fresh fruit, and they would have a great breakfast.  Then they could sit down and talk about the important things, like Daisy’s blind date.  Kitty wandered around her kitchen and got all her ingredients together.  She loved her large kitchen that was bright and cheerful.  In fact her small two-bedroom cottage was just what she always dreamed of and was just a step away from the ocean.  As she looked outside she could see the beautiful sailboats go by.  She saw Biff’s sailboat as it passed and he waved to her, as he knew she would be in the kitchen by now.  As Daisy was finishing the last touches on the granola and the fruit, Daisy came running in.  “Oh Kitty,” she said, “last night was a disaster.  Tony, my blind date took me to a steak house and although I had told him I do not eat meat, he insisted on ordering steak for me.”

 “Oh no” Kitty said, “What did you do?”

“I ate the salad and let him eat my steak.  There was no way I was going to eat that.  It went downhill after that so the date was a bust.”

“Oh Daisy, I am sorry,” Kitty said.  “Come sit down by the window and I will get our breakfast and we can watch the sailboats go by.  It is a beautiful day, and I just saw Biff.”

Daisy sniffed and sat down at the table and sipped the tea that Kitty had prepared.  Kitty brought out the fresh almond milk to go with the granola and soon both of them were making their way through breakfast.

“Kitty,” Daisy said, “have you thought about opening your own little restaurant?  This breakfast is wonderful and I love your almond milk.  I think you would do well.  There are some many vegans and vegetarians in this area.”

“I thought about it,” said Kitty.  “I am just not sure that I am ready.  There is so much work involved with it and once I get started I may not enjoy preparing like this.  It may no longer be fun and I would miss that.”

“I think you should,” said Daisy, “you would be great at it.”

Daisy and Kitty continued into the late morning chatting and eating.  Then Daisy left and it was time for Kitty to continue the many projects she had to do.  She was not quite sure which she would do first but the outside was calling her.  She decided on doing a little gardening.  She had just purchased some pansies and wanted to plant them while it was still beautiful outside.  She looked for her fur babies and saw they were all curled up and asleep in a ray of sunlight.  Kitty smiled as she know that with their tummies full they would sleep for hours.

Kitty spent the next few hours puttering outside with her flowers and decided she would make some Honey Lavender Lemonade and work on a few recipes.  Meanwhile she would rethink about the idea of opening her own place and see if it was even possible.  Did she have enough money?  Could she actually make a go of it?  Would there be enough people wanting to eat there?  So much to think out and yet the possibility was getting more interesting to her.  The money issue made her head spin.  She never even figured out how to balance a checkbook.  She just rather guessed as she went along.  As long as she had enough money for her herbs, fresh veggies, and kitty supplies, she was fine.  The clothes when she needed them were purchased at a second hand store, and she did not own a car, she just bicycled where she needed to go.  The cottage had been in the family for years so she did not have to make any payments on it.  With the cool breeze from the ocean she did not need to turn on her air-conditioning.  Besides she preferred the fresh air and the smell of the salty ocean.  She walked around her cottage admiring all of her handiwork and looked at all the fresh ingredients she had.  Yes, she would prepare something yummy today and post it on her blog Vegan for a Healthy Life.  She would see the type of feedback she would get, and then make some decisions.  Maybe start with a Raw Vegan Cookbook and see how that went.  These days you can publish on demand with Amazon.  So much to think about, so much more to do, and the kitties were now awake demanding her attention. 

(More to follow...)

The Hippy Dippy Vegan Recipes

Honey Lavender Lemonade

This recipe is technically not for Raw Vegans, but as I am not 100% raw, and many reading (and hopefully enjoying) this blog would love this.

·  1 cup locally produced, raw organic honey

·  2.5 cups water

·  1 Tablespoon dried Culinary Lavender

·  1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

·  Additional water, about 2 cups

·  Ice cubes or crushed ice

Combine honey and 2.5 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the honey.  When the mixture reaches a boil, stir in the lavender and remove from heat.  Let the mixture steep for 20 minutes, off the heat.

Strain the lavender from the liquid, then add the fresh lemon juice and an additional 2 cups of water.  Use sparkling water if you wish.  Pour into glasses full of ice and serve garnished with a sprig of lavender or mint.

This recipe is from "The Beekeeper's Ball," by Susan Wiggs

Raw, Vegan Buckwheat Apple Cinnamon Granola or Cereal (raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free)

Makes about 4-5 heaping cups of granola

3 cups dehydrated buckwheat crispies
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsps.  cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder
Dash salt
1 cup date paste (make this batch on the thinner side; alternately, you can also substitute 3/4 cup maple syrup or agave)
1 apple, chopped
1 tbsp. cashew or almond butter (optional)

1) Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

2) Blend the date paste, apple, and almond butter (if using) in a blender.  Pour wet ingredients over dry, and mix well to combine.

3) Place mixture onto a Teflex-lined dehydrator sheet and dehydrate overnight, or 8-10 hours.  Stir once or twice.  You may also bake at 250 degrees for about 1 hour.

 

This recipe is from Choosing Raw