Author Archives: Kiki

“I am Gratitude” Veggie Summer Rolls

These are one of the greatest imaginable crowd pleasers at parties and events, making a show-stopping presentation, and of course, they are ultra delicious and healthy too. Once you make them once, you will have the groove and it gets easier. The key is prepping all you need so it is all within reach when you start assembling these, which the French refer to as mise en place. Check out Asian markets for these and other fun, interesting ingredients, like enoki mushrooms that can stick out dramatically. Along with tofu, hemp seeds are a great add as well, incorporating additional complete protein, so these can be a main course allow with miso soup and a plate of edamame, green soybeans steamed in their pods.

Spring roll ingredients:

20, 9 inch rice paper wrappers
8 ounces maifun rice noodles, soaked in hot water and drained
1 package seasoned or braised tofu, thinly sliced (optional)
Several cups of mixed organic baby greens
2 ripe, perfect avocados, sliced
2 cups organic orange, red and yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 organic hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
1 package seasoned or braised tofu, thinly sliced (optional)
2 cups organic broccoli slaw
2 cups organic carrots, shredded
2 cups organic purple cabbage, shredded
2 cups mung bean sprouts
One bunch each organic basil, cilantro and mint, washed and chopped, leaves only

Creamy Peanut-Ginger Dipping Sauce ingredients:

1 cup organic peanut butter
1/4 cup apple cider or unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup shoyu or coconut aminos
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
Warm Water to thin

Directions:

To make sauce, blend all items together with a small wire whisk, thinning to desired consistency.

For rolls, place various filling items in bowls around your work space. Working with one rice paper at a time, submerge in a large, shallow bowl of water for a few seconds. Remove rice paper from water and place on your work surface. Layer even amounts of each of your filling ingredients on lower third of the paper, leaving room on each side so you can tuck edges in before completing the roll up, ideally ending up with a sealed package. This gets easier with practice. Serve with sauce and enjoy!

Golden Vegan Cornbread (Gluten-Free)

Freshly-baked corn bread − a quintessential favorite of young and old alike − is a wonderful addition to many meals, including soups, salads, stews, and hearty, bean-based entrées like chili. You will be liberated from processed commercial mixes once you try this reliable version, which bakes up golden and fragrant in under half an hour.… Continue Reading

Women & Alcohol: A Faustian Bargain

If you’ve ever gleefully declared, “Well, it’s happy hour somewhere in the world,” you’re certainly not alone. In fact, according to Gallup News in July 2022, 67% percent of Americans regularly consume alcohol, up from 60% of us in 2021. Interestingly, our all-time American high was during the 1970s, with 71% of us hoisting our… Continue Reading

10 Existential Essentials

Human and gender inequality are false social constructs. We are all inherently worthy of dignity and respect, regardless of race, gender, age, creed, identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, or social/economic status. 2) We correctly view the natural world as a community, not a commodity. All human actions must honor and reflect this reality for a… Continue Reading

How Does Cannabis Benefit MS Patients?

If you or someone you know is living with multiple sclerosis (MS), you may be familiar with the many, varied symptoms of this painful and often debilitating health issue. As MS has no proven cure, symptom management is typically the focal point for patients, as well as slowing down the progression of the disease, as… Continue Reading

Vegan Beauty – What You Need to Know

The term vegan beauty might be new to those who are just starting to learn about a healthy vegan diet, since food is the logical starting place for most people who are intrigued by this lifestyle, which excludes all animals, animals products, and their derivatives in foods, beverages, and other consumer products. Once the vegan… Continue Reading

The Truth About Cannabis – Part II

In Part I, we discussed the misclassification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug, an error that should be corrected for truth, accuracy, and social justice, as well as to ensure availability for those in need of the health, medical, and other therapeutic benefits cannabis offers. The more we objectively study this unique plant, the… Continue Reading

The Truth About Cannabis – Part I

According to the Pew Research Center, an overwhelming share of U.S. adults─91%─say that cannabis should be legal nationwide for medical and/or recreational use. Fewer than 8% oppose legal cannabis for adults. Yet, there is still considerable misunderstanding about this unique plant, which evolved about 28 million years ago on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. An objective look at… Continue Reading

Why Those with Less Often Give More

“The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another’s pain as one’s own, and to act to take that pain away. There is nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness.” ~ John Connolly If you have $100 and I have only $5, which of us is more likely to share our… Continue Reading

Rawsome Nut/Seed Milk

Why buy commercial almond milk when you can make your own? DIY is great on every level, giving you a more fresh, wholesome product that’s also very cost-effective. This way you fully control the ingredients you use, thus avoiding the additives required to make commercial non-dairy milks shelf stable. It’s also far more eco-friendly to… Continue Reading