In my earlier years when I was on the board of directors for a popular local children's theater, I was spending a lot of time with other parents of young children, participating actively in raising my kids and spending time with other moms at family cooperatives and various children's group activities. It was during this time period that I discovered that several friends of my inner circle were battling cancer while raising their young children. This struck me hard and the strenth and courage of these women was a main motivator for my commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
One of my friends gave me a book called "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II. It was a long read about diets around the world and focused on their implications on heart disease and cancer, two of the main scourges of the western diet. The book is dense with statistical research, but it is a good read and made a lot of sense to me.
After reading this book, I took to clearning up all my recipes, and now make a vegan version of all my traditional north country family recipes. Even my soap recipes are plant based except for those that use beeswax, which I think of as being like plants through a bee.
I have always loved vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts, so it wasn't too much of a strech for me to transition to vegan, but I'm so happy I made the switch. I've now been living vegan for 17 years and it has improved my health a lot, making me feel great and giving me much more energy. Below is one of my favorite recipes for you to try. Let me know what you think!
Ingredients
2 cups red lentils
1 cup brown lentils
1 vegan bouillon cube
2 cups tomato sauce
4 cups water
Garlic powder & onion powder to taste
Directions
Rinse lentils thoroughly
In a large pot, heat water and bouillon cube until completely dissolved
Add lentils & tomato sauce
Simmer on low for 1-2 hours, stirring throughout
Add garlic powder and onion powder to taste
Add more water for thinner soup
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