Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Sandwhich

I made this tasty buffalo chicken sandwhich for lunch twice in the past month and wanted to share the recipe. It’s quick and easy and a big hit with the family. Note that it is vegetarian, not vegan and does include dairy. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

1 bun or 2 slices of bread

1 or 2 MorningStar Farms® Chik Patties® Original (they come in little packs of 2 and I found 2 is just the right amount to fill me up)

1/4 cup of buffalo wing marinade or sauce (I used the Safeway brand marinade that I found in the salad dressing aisle)

1/8 cup of low-fat blue cheese dressing

How to slap it together:

I recommend using the toaster oven to heat your patties if you have one available. If not the microwave works just fine in a pinch, just don’t overcook them. (I cooked both patties, wrapped in paper towels in my microwave at work for 2 minutes and they turned out perfect.) Smear a little buffalo wing sauce on the bottom and top buns. Stack 1 patty and slather a layer of the blue cheese dressing. Stack the second patty and top with the bun. I kept the reaminder of the sauce and put it in a dipping bowl and dipped as I ate. This combination kept the patties moist and flavorful with a little kick. It took less than 5 minutes to make my lunch and it tasted as good as any buffalo chicken sandwhich I’ve ever had in pub, but it was delicious and relatively healthy. Enjoy!

Of ACV and POD

Where to begin, well…first, this is not an article about that band from the 90′s, it’s about Perioral Dermatitis (POD) and the homemade remedy that finally worked, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Next, you may find yourself asking, “What is Perioral Dermatits“? Well, to summarize, dermatologists don’t know exactly what causes it, although they do have a few theories. They do know that it occurs mostly in adult women, looks like acne, but acts more like eczema, and is linked to steroids. (no, I haven’t been juicing, they mean corticosteroids, ie. prednisone and other prescription medications). Where it gets tricky, it that many Dermatologists indicate that it isn’t serious, its akin to acne and it’s just us women being oversensitive and vain. I can tell you however, that it hurts! It burns, it itches, it stings, it hurts. I found it to be so disruptive to my personal and work life that I started to look for my own cure. It’s notoriously difficult to treat, but hat’s just because Dermatologists can’t agree on what it is, or how to treat it. I’ve heard everything from stop using fluoride toothpaste, to take oral antibiotics for a few months. They did all agree that I must immediately stop using any creams, lotions, face wash or makeup.  That’s right, just at the time when my face was covered all around my nose, mouth and chin, with painful, inflamed red bumps that were itchy, flaky shiny and generally awful looking, my Dermatologist basically said, just stop acting like a girl and being so sensitive. In my day job, I actually have to go out into public and talk to people. Most of my friends sympathized, but strangers stared at my face with mild disgust and concern. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, but it affected by ability to be effective at my job because people were freaked out.  I did find out that during an abdominal surgery that I had in October of 2009, I had an allergic reaction to the paper tape that they used to cover my eyes. (Yes, I know that it’s completely ridiculous that I’m allergic to paper tape, but none of my friends were really all surprised. They just sort of rolled their eyes and said, of course you are….). Anyway, my eyes swelled so large while I was under anesthesia that they gave me prednisone, yep they gave me steroids. Apparently, this was enough to get the perioral dermatitis ball rolling unfortunately. What started with a few small red bumps on my chin, that looked like any other pimple, began to ooze, itch and spread. Egads! Within a month or two my face was raw, red, angry and I was miserable. I used hydrocortizone cream, which made it temporarily better and helped to quell the itching, but then it came back x3! I kept covering it with lotion and cream to try to keep the flaking, itching and dry skin from looking so creepy, but it didn’t improve. Finally, after talking with a dermatologist and realizing that they have not a lot of information, but recommend tossing you on oral antibiotics for a few months anyway, (oh and by the way, it could come back at any time once you stop the antibiotics) I started doing some research… it’s very similar to seborrhoeic dermatitis, which I have in two small patches on my scalp. I learned that it is suspected that it is caused by a yeast that normally grows on your skin, but in some people can get out of control and the toxins that it releases cause irritation. Sounds reasonable, right? Especially in someone like me who is over the top allergic to everything and has incredibly sensitive skin. I thought, what could help re-balance my skin and kill yeast and increase the healthy bacteria that are supposed to be taking care of this stuff? Well, I came up with probiotics and apple cider vinegar. I already eat probiotics (greek yogurt, kombucha, good belly, etc) so I just bumped up my intake a notch to help get things in order. I then, started thinking about how I could kill off the yeast and get rid of the awful dermatitis. I decided to reduce my face washing and stick to only the most mild natural products to stop any further irritation. I used an astringent made with chamomile and cucumber to cool and help relieve the itch. (I never stopped wearing my make-up, btw…that will never happen). I did cut down on my make-up products to include just mineral powder foundation and blush and mascara. I stopped wearing lipstick, gloss and chapstick. Finally, I mixed up a batch of apple cider vinegar, diluted with a bit of water. I started using the ACV as an astringent 2x a day. I noticed immediately that it burned anywhere that the dermatitis was on my face, but caused no discomfort on the normal skin. I did try to skip wearing make up on the weekends and started swiping my face with the ACV 3x a day. After about a week I noted immediate improvement. In two weeks it was barely noticeable. After a month my skin was clear again. As my face healed the ACV burned less and less. (the weeping did increase for the first week, but improved as my skin cleared). I stopped the ACV and it did come back, so I continued using the ACV once a day. After two months my skin remained clear and I began to taper down the ACV to every other day. After 3 months I decreased it to 2x a week. I now wipe my face using the ACV once a week or so, but the POD hasn’t returned and my skin is great. I still get an occasional pimple once in a blue moon, but no clogged pores, and no POD. ACV astringent is inexpensive and all natural and make a great astringent. My only complaint, is that when used in the strength that I have been using it your face does often smell like boardwalk fries, which can be occasionally unpleasant. I notice it most often if I’ve been sweating, usually during and after a workout. However, it absolutely cleared by POD and cost only pennies and had no ill effects on my body or skin, which I can’t say the same about using oral antibiotics (I’ve had some pretty nasty experiences mixing antibiotics and my delicate digestive system). So, for me, ACV worked better than anything my Dermatologist prescribed and I didn’t have to suppress my vanity, risk cavities or gastrointestinal distress. In my humble opinion, apple cider vinegar is the best treatment for perioral dermatitis that money can buy. However, it still took months of discomfort before I looked and felt like myself again, so if your Doctor recommends steroids, consider the possibility that you could develop POD and ask your Dr. about it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that option because I was unconscious when it was administered, so if that happens to you, just remember to start using the ACV before things have a chance to get out of control; it won’t hurt anything to proactively wash with vinegar. Hey, if nothing else you can reuse the olive oil that I recommend as an eye makeup remover and the apple cider vinegar that I recommend as an astringent and make yourself a nice salad

Extend Your Dinner with a Quick, One-Pot Miso Soup

I was whipping up a quick dinner, baked tofu with soba noodles and bok choy, when we had an unexpected guest for dinner. My noodle dish is only really big enough for the three of us, despite the fact that it says serves four. So, I whipped up a quick post of miso soup to help stretch the meal. Everyone was full, and I even had one serving of noodles and soup left for today’s lunch…yum.  Here’s how to do it:

Ingredients:

Scallions – 3 thinly sliced (white parts only)

Shallots – 2 large, thinly sliced

Napa Cabbage – 1 head  or other asian greens (I used only 4 leaves from this head of cabbage for another recipe, so this was just some leftovers in my fridge)

Vegetable Broth – 4 cups

Miso Paste – 1-2 Tbsps (more or less depending on how salty you like it. you can use any kind of miso paste red, yellow or white. I used yellow)

Tamari/Soy Sauce – 1 Tbsp

Olive oil – 1 Tbsp

Tempeh or Tofu  – optional (I used Lightlife Ginger Teriyaki flavored Tempehtations because I had some on hand that needed to be cooked)

How to do it:

In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and sautee until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cabbage and sautee until softened, another 1-2 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, then add miso and tamari/soy sauce and the tofu or tempeh if using, then cover. Simmer for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Tell everyone how you just threw together some leftovers in the fridge and soak in the compliments.

Easy Refashion: Dress + Tshirt = Fold-over Waistband Skirt

This tutorial is short, sweet and perfect for a beginner. I’ve made variations of this skirt at least five times already this year and I never grow tired of the supremely comfortable, soft and stretchy fold-over waistband skirt. I am petite which means that dresses rarely ever fit me right. My proportions just aren’t the industry standard. I do however, frequently fall in love with the pretty fabric of dresses at my local thrift store and this is the solution to my former dilemma. For this refashion I used a thrifted dress with a cute floral pattern that was ill-fitting and had a few stains on the bodice. I also used a tshirt that had bleach stains and underarm stains, but would still had enough usable fabric to form a waistband.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Cutting tools (pinking shears, fabric shears and a rotary cutter). If you don’t have all of these, you can get along just fine with a simple pair of shears or scissors.
• 1 Dress that will fit comfortably over your thighs. Take a dress that you want to work with and hold it up to see how it will look as a skirt. If it looks good, move on.
• 1 tshirt that fits comfortably around your waist and over your hips.
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Ruler or Cutting mat (or both)
• Tailors Chalk

How-To DIY:

1. Hold the dress up to your body and determine the length by folding it where you want it to hit on your waist. I chose to make my new skirt knee length. I folded in half and then marked with chalk. Cut the dress through all layers just above the line.

2. Measure 5″ from the bottom of your tshirt. This will create a fold-over waistband that is approximately 2″ wide. Mark with chalk, then cut through all layers to form a tube.

3. Slip the skirt into the tshirt tube and align the seams. The bottom hem of the shirt should be facing down toward the hem of the skirt. The right side of the dress (pretty side) should face the wrong side of the tshirt tube (inside).

4. Gather and pin the skirt to the tshirt tube waistband. Start by pinning the skirt seams to the tshirt seams. Next pin the center and then gather and pin at 1-2″ intervals until the skirt is secured to the waistband. You may need to gather and form a few small pleats if the skirt is wider than the waistband. You can do this at random around the waistband by spacing them evenly. You don’t have to be precise. Ensure that the top of the skirt meets the top of the tube.

5. Sew the waist band to the skirt using a zig-zag (or other stretch knit stitch). The zig-zag stitch allows the waist band and skirt to be stretched without breaking the thread. If sewing by hand, use the whip stitch.

That’s it! You’re done! See how easy that was? Now, just slip on your skirt and fold over the waistband so that it hides the top layer of stitches. Do a little dance, twirl around and show your friends and family how cool you are. You just made your first fold-over waistband skirt from a dress and a tshirt; how exciting! If you are lucky, you may even get a warm compliment like the one I received from my daughter, “Wow mom, it doesn’t even look like you made it!”

Cinco de Mayo! A DIY Low-Cal Vegan Margarita, ole!

I love, love, love (did I mention love?) margaritas! Unfortunately, I stopped drinking them for a few years because I couldn’t justify the calories (a few hundred in each = no bueno). Luckily I had the opportunity to drink a real margarita made with just a few simple ingredients: good tequila, real lime juice, agave nectar, water and a little salt. The store bought margarita mixes have 0% juice. So you may be wondering, “What’s in it then?” Exactly! It’s really just sugar and nothing good for you. So..an added bonus is that this recipe actually allows you to get a little nutrition (click the links above for info) with your booze; how awesome is that?! Now, on to the good stuff. Get your glass ready and salt the rim ‘cuz here we go!

My Favorite Margarita Recipe

1.5 oz of Good Tequila (and I’m not kidding, nothing in a plastic bottle please).

The juice of one lime.

3/4 oz of agave nectar

3/4 oz of water

Shake it up, pour it over ice and it’s party time!

I’m off to responsibly enjoy one of these tasty treats with my husband’s signature guacamole and my famous fish tacos. Buenos Noches!

Threadbanger How-To: Spring Skirt from Old Dress Shirt Sleeves

That’s right, you read that title right. Take some old cotton dress shirts from your friend, father, or significant other, cut off the sleeves and make a really cool spring skirt with cute button embellishments. I’m planning on whipping myself up one shortly. I’m thinking I could also grab some corduroy or flannel shirts for some fall/winter wear skirts layered over tights; oh the possibilities.  Thanks to Threadbanger and Brooksie of Haute Stew for this awesome refashion tutorial! I’ll post pictures of mine once I have it finished; if you make one comment and let me know how it turns out.

New MorningStar Farms Sweet & Sour Chik’n

Most of the time I bring leftovers to work for lunch (ok, well I try anyway). If I don’t bring my lunch I have a variety of tempting and not so healthy options to choose from. In order to combat these days when I just don’t have any leftovers to bring, or when I simply don’t feel like eating them, I’ve picked up a few frozen, vegetarian meals. I noticed that Morningstar Farms had two new frozen entrees available: Sweet & Sour Chik’n and Lasagna with Sausage-Style Crumbles. (Apparently the lasagna was good, because my daughter has already devoured both of the boxes that I purchased).

Today I’m trying out the Sweet & Sour Chik’n. While I sit waiting for the microwave I noted that on the back of the box it says, “Made with Gardein, The All-Vegetable Protein”. Intrigued, I decided to head over to the Gardein website.  Here I learn that Gardein is actually used in a lot of entrees, not just my fake chicken lunch. In fact, it appears that they have their own line of foods, so I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for those, but I’m fairly certain that they aren’t yet offered at my local Safeway. Their website is filled with the usual materials about how eating a plant-based diet is good for you and the environment, and of course, I couldn’t agree more. Interstingly though, they also have information on community gardens and how to start one up yourself.  The press kit also has a Q&A section with answers to some of the things that I wanted to know such as:

1. What is gardein™? gardein™ is a  line of tasty, plant-based foods with a meaty texture. Our products are made from a blend of soy, wheat and pea proteins, vegetables and grains. gardein™ is good for you; it is high in protein and easy to digest; the majority of our products provide you with a good source of fiber too. gardein™ is free of cholesterol, trans fats and saturated fat; the majority of gardein™ products are low fat too. gardein™ products are also vegan-friendly, meaning they are free of animal and dairy ingredients.
2. How do you make gardein™? Think of how bread or pasta is made. gardein™ is made using a similar approach. We mix water, veggies, grains, flavors and spices together to create the ‘dough,’ form it and bake it in special ovens to give gardein™ a fibrous look and its meaty mouth-feel.
3. Where do the ingredients come from that are used in gardein™?
   The majority of gardein™ ingredients come from North America.  We use all non-GMO ingredients and some organic ingredients. We like to diversify our proteins by using wheat, soy and pea proteins. We are also the first company of our kind to add ancient grains—quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut—to our foods. Some of our spices come from India and some of our grains from South America.

The nutritional value of this meal is ok, but not great. It has 340 calories, but no cholesterol and only 6g of fat (of which .5g is saturated and there are no trans fats). The sodium is high at 550mg and the carbs are high due to 12g of sugar (and it’s tastes like it!). It does have 14 grams of protein and 4g of dietary fiber as it’s redeeming qualities however.

Finally, the taste test. Yes, it’s pretty good. The faux meat is actually really delicious, although the tempura batter coating doesn’t hold up well to microwaving, making the outside a bit mushy. The flavor of the meat is dead on for chicken and the texture is not as chewy as seitan, but more substantially meaty than tofu or tempura. It reminds me a bit of Quorn, actually. Personally, I find the dish to be overly sweet and I wish that they’d cut down on a bit of that unnecessary sugar, but it’s a good meal in a pinch and I feel full and happy.

Forbidden Rice or Why I Have Blackish-Purple Teeth Today

While my family hasn’t gone fully vegan or even vegetarian yet, we do eat that way most of the time. As a result, we have begun to incorporate new and interesting ingredients to keep things fun, new and flavorful. I’ll be blogging about ingredients that are new to my cooking repertoire, the nutritional information and examples of how I’ve used them just in case inquiring minds want to know. 

First up….Forbidden Rice!

I stumbled upon Forbidden Rice at my local whole foods and picked up a bag because, hey who doesn’t to try black rice?!? It’s actually a very dark purple color, not black and if you make it in a rice cooker it will spew dark puple steam all over your countertop (yikes!). The good news is that it wipes up easily and doesn’t leave any permanent stains. The manufacturer’s website says:

Legend tells us that this ancient grain was once eaten exclusively by the Emperors. Today, this medium-size Chinese black rice can be enjoyed everyday and is prized for its delicious nutty taste, soft texture, and beautiful rich deep purple color. High in nutritional and medicinal value, Forbidden Rice® is rich in iron and considered a blood tonifier. Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough and cooks in only 30 minutes to produce a superior flavor, texture, and color.

The website also lists nutritional information and links to recipes. I have used the rice as an alternative base to my vegetable stir fry. It has a different texture and flavor than plain, white rice, but I think that’s a good thing. It definately adds visual appeal to your dish, but remember it will add a purple hue to your entire mouth as well. It looks a bit as if I’ve just had a grape nehi or a puple gobstopper for lunch.

As far as nutritional value goes, it is on a scale of goodness better than glutinous white rice, but not as good as medium-grain brown rice and should be considered moderately inflammatory. If you have GI issues, you may consider limiting the amount of rice you eat. However, for everyone else, rice has no saturated fat, cholesterol and is low sodium and is a good source of manganese.

Enjoy!

Refashioned T-Shirt Gauchos Tutorial

In Megan Nicolay’s newest book titled Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt she shows you how to make gauchos out of a tshirt on page 69. This is a photo tutorial to review this project. You can make these eco-friendly refashioned gauchos with just three t-shirts and a bit of your spare time. The length of time needed to complete these will be determined by your skill level and whether or not you choose to sew by hand or machine.

Here’s how DIY:

1. gather 3 tshirts (l or xl), chalk marker, ruler, scissors, pins, needle thread and Megan’s book.

2. Turn your shirts inside out and cut two of the shirts into 15″ wide rectangles that extend through the bottom seam.

3. lay all four pieces together and cut off the bottom seams.

4. separate into two pairs of rectangles and pin along one side of each to create the legs of the gauchos.

5. Lay the pinned legs together and draw a gentle arc on each side to form the crotch of the gauchos about a 1/4″ from the edge and extending about 2″ long. Cut along the chalk line to finish shaping legs.

6. Open the panels and place them design side together, matching the curved edges and lining up the seams. Pin and sew with at least a 1/4″ seam allowance.

7. Use the third shirt to cut 2″ wide tubes of fabric from the bottom, just above the seam to create the waistband ties.

8. pin to the tops of the pants with an even amount of fabric hanging off both sides of the pants and sew on.

9. Turn your pants inside right and rock out! To wear, start in the front or back and tie the first panel around your waist like an apron. Pull the other panel up and tie to overlap. Now go show everyone how awesome your new pants are.

If you don’t want to make these pants yourself, pick up a pair in my Etsy shop. If you don’t see the ones you want, just convo me with your measurements and color preferences I’ll make them to order.

Recessionista Beauty Secrets

For those of you who have read my blog before you have likely read that I have issues with my complexion; it’s combination and acne-prone (ie, expensive to take care of). Over the last two years I have been working to reduce the number of products I use and looking for inexpensive, natural options to replace the plethora of expensive chemicals that I have been slathering on my face. I tried olive oil to replace my face wash with mixed results. It was definately inexpensive and natural, but it was also messy and dulled my complexion. It did turn out to be the best eye make-up remover that I’ve ever tried, and outshined even the most expensive products that I relied on to remove my hard working MAC eye-liner for pennies on the dollar in comparison. I would definately recommend rubbing on a bit of olive oil to remove eye-makeup and then wiping dry with a cotton cloth, because it moisturizes while it cleans and leaves my eyes looking fresh and wrinkle-free. As for the rest of my face, I now use differin acne medication by prescription, which has allowed me to eliminate a number of beauty products that I relied on previously. I now use Aveno face wash because it is gentle and non-drying and an astringent. I had been purchasing Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion for years, but it did nothing to control the oil production in my T-zone, which left me patting down my face several times a day and it doesn’t fall into the inexpensive category to be sure. Buying it in its largest 32 oz size brought the $/oz down to about $1.50 per oz. I began researching astringent/toner alternatives and decided to try Witch Hazel.

Also known as winterbloom, snapping hazel and spotted alder, Witch Hazel is indigenous to the woodland areas of the Northeastern United States. This unique plant bears delicate golden flowers and seed capsules in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen. The seed capsules mature one year later, at which time they burst open and scatter the seeds away from the mother plant to ensure propagation of the next generation. The twigs and bark contain the therapeutic and aromatic constituents that when distilled create the clear, fragrant, natural astringent Dickinson’s is famous for today.

Native Americans recognized Witch Hazel’s value, and would apply it topically to treat minor wounds, abrasions and skin irritations. Nineteenth century missionaries learned of the plant’s therapeutic qualities and produced the first commercial Witch Hazel Extracts as basic ingredients for a wide array of personal care products.

Today, the applications of Witch Hazel go beyond facial care where a mild but effective astringent is desired; other applications include cleansers, body washes, hair care, eye gels and personal hygiene products. Consumers and medical professionals alike recognize Witch Hazel as a naturally soothing and cost effective botanical extract.

Witch Hazel is recommended for:

• Excellent for sensitive skin
• Removes excess oil and sebum
• Controls oil production
• Reduces skin blemishes
• Cleanses and conditions skin
• Tones and tightens pores
• Soothes redness
• Refreshes and cools skin
• Does not over dry
• Hypoallergenic
• Dermatologist tested

I checked this information with “The Derm Doc” and he confirmed that it would be safe and effective as a toner for my face and I started using it nearly 3 weeks ago. I purchased the Up and Up brand from Target and have used it twice a day (morning and night) each day over the last three weeks. The oil production has greatly reduced down to normal levels, leaving my skin looking taught, dewy and fresh. I haven’t had any breakouts or irritation as a result of using it and I would recommend this product without hesitation as an inexpensive, natural toner/astringent. I do not exfoliate my skin because I am currently using the prescription acne treatment, but I’m certain that there are plenty of inexpensive, natural options out there.

What inexpensive, natural beauty secrets have you discovered?