Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

Those pre-flavored rice mixes are not the healthiest option, but they sure are convenient and inexpensive. I like to augment them for better end result. It's minimal effort for a pretty nice payoff. But today something really unexpected happened. What I thought would just be pretty good rice, turned out to be awesome! Hit me over the head to stop me from eating it awesome. It all started with one box of rice-a-roni broccoli au gratin. It's pretty decent straight up. Cheese has that power. Let me just say, I rarely follow the package direction on rice-a-roni. It's a hassle and only mildly improves the flavor. I usually just cook as I would any plain rice. Add water, little butter, rice and spices to the pot. Cover. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. What the rice-a-roni and carolina brands have over the knorr brand is that they take longer to cook. This may seem like a pitfall, but it's an asset when you want to add lent...

So I learned something new and interesting recently. Apparently a vitamin D deficiency can cause dandruff. I got a bad case of dandruff last year and had no clue why. I tried different shampoos and conditioners. Vinegar helped, but only a little. Extra brushing also had some mildly positive effects. Side note: I totally endorse vinegar as the best hair conditioner. No more frizz and no more oily build up. Just happy, shiny hair. Anyway, was totally lost as to the cause of the flakeage. I never did figure it out. I just resigned myself to the circumstances. Then quite by accident I found the cure. I started having cereal with almond milk again. Just cause I was craving the sweet crunch. Almost immediately my dandruff was gone. Since vitamin D is so hard to come by, I'm guessing that was the culprit. And thinking back now, to other outbreaks I can see the connection between lack of vitamin D and flake attacks. In short, the cure for dandruff is almond milk or soy milk...

Would like to share some helpful tips about keeping fresh produce that I've learned over the years. Eating as much fresh veggies as I do daily, one quickly learns how to keep it preserved and in optimum condition for as long as is possible. These are just some interesting tidbits of knowledge I've gleaned along the way. Romaine. Romaine is pretty hearty for a lettuce. I generally buy 3 heads a week. The trick is not to prep them all. Take off the twist tie if there is one and return it to the plastic baggy and store in the fridge. Be careful not to store any lettuce at the very bottom or very back of your fridge. If lettuce freezes it kinda disintegrates. Only pull off and wash as many leaves as you estimate you'll use in about 3-4 days time. Store those washed leaves in a stainless steel bowl with a loose fitting lid or loosely covered with plastic wrap. For some reason romaine seems to do much better stored in metal as opposed to plastic. After I wash the 3 days worth...