My senior project is officially complete. I turned in my paper, had an oral interview with both of my readers, and got everything signed and squared away. Reflecting back upon the last school year, I have changed dramatically, largely due to my senior project.
After spending three months eating entirely local and organic foods, I began to conduct my research, around the holidays. In many ways my discoveries made me happy and proud to have committed myself to this chosen diet, and in other instances, I realized issues that I hadn't previously considered, like animal slaughtering, and the morality and health effects of consuming animals and their products. Since the new year I have been enjoying a vegan diet, which has continued to evolve as well. I learned more about the nature of food, and the ways in which cooking affects nutrients. I have since adopted an almost entirely raw vegan diet. I don't want to commit myself to 100% raw foods because it can be socially isolating (as I experienced during my project...), but I nevertheless prepare the vast majority of my food from organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. I have not limited myself to local ingredients, however, for northwestern Pennsylvania cannot adequately support the diet I have chosen, especially during this time of year. As the weather continues to warm, I intend to obtain most of my produce locally, and grow some myself this summer.
My raw vegan diet has increased my love and "infatuation" with food, nutrition, and sustainability. I feel connected to the earth, and morally satisfied to have removed animals and their products from my diet. This has allowed me to feel spiritually rejuvenated, and my diet and lifestyle inspire within me vitality, satisfaction, pleasure, peacefulness, and energy. I intend to continue to explore these feelings resulting from all that my diet entails - on an updated blog. I have grown so much since I first created this blog as a means of documenting my senior project, and I need to adapt my site accordingly. When my new blog is up and running I'll post it on here, in case anyone is interested in hearing more about my culinary adventures and emotional responses.
In the meantime, the following link is my final paper: My Senior Project
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Updates
I haven't been posting much, because other than being super busy, I haven't had much to say! I've gotten into a wonderful schedule of cooking on the weekends and eating leftovers throughout the week. I'm still working on my yummy vegetable soup and crazy banana-nut-blueberry bread, and am planning my weekend cooking for either Saturday or Sunday. I've been careful to consider the nutritional elements of a vegan diet. I got a book I ordered today called Recipes for a Small Planet. It talks extensively about complementary proteins, and NPU's or Net Protein Utilization, which has helped me to understand our human needs so much better. The book contains hundreds of pages of recipes with complementary protein information provided for each. Though it relies heavily on dairy products and soy, and is a little outdated (copyright from 1973, and I have a feeling this was before science had come to discover soy's negative effect on estrogen levels), it provides a solid framework from which I can extract recipes and obtain an optimally healthy vegan diet.
In all the books I've read concerning nutrition, raw fruits and vegetables are key elements. I've been extremely satisfied making these staples of my diet, having fruit for breakfast like a banana, apple, or berries, and a salad for lunch, which usually contains the following: spinch or spring mix lettuce, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes, and topped with dried cranberries and almonds. I've enjoyed nuts, nut butters, dried fruits, and my homemade bread as yummy snacks. Almond milk has also proved to be the perfect milk-substitute, great for smoothies, baking, or drinking alone. Overall, I've been pleased and satisfied with my diet, and my body is adjusting accordingly. I'm still careful to buy organic food, though local is virtually impossible now with the few feet of snow we have on the ground. It feels good to be promoting sustainable industries, and fueling my body with high quality, optimally nourishing real foods.
In all the books I've read concerning nutrition, raw fruits and vegetables are key elements. I've been extremely satisfied making these staples of my diet, having fruit for breakfast like a banana, apple, or berries, and a salad for lunch, which usually contains the following: spinch or spring mix lettuce, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes, and topped with dried cranberries and almonds. I've enjoyed nuts, nut butters, dried fruits, and my homemade bread as yummy snacks. Almond milk has also proved to be the perfect milk-substitute, great for smoothies, baking, or drinking alone. Overall, I've been pleased and satisfied with my diet, and my body is adjusting accordingly. I'm still careful to buy organic food, though local is virtually impossible now with the few feet of snow we have on the ground. It feels good to be promoting sustainable industries, and fueling my body with high quality, optimally nourishing real foods.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Some new recipes
On Sunday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon in the kitchen (and the evening watching the Steelers!). I've gotten much more confident experimenting with recipes and I LOVE the results.
First, I made vegetable soup. This was nothing new for me, but I've been very nutrient-conscious especially after adopting a vegan lifestyle. So, for my soup, I used the following organic ingredients: vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, green and red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, onion, collard greens, and garlic. This isn't much different from what I've made in the past, with the exception of adding collard greens. I'm really pleased with this decision - I need to be eating leafy greens in order to get iron, and collard greens are hardier than spinach and hold up nicely in the soup.
I was a little more nervous about my experimental baking. Baked goods tend to require a specific recipe, as things like flour or baking soda are usually needed in exact amounts. I went a little crazy and decided to make what I guess you could call a banana nut bread. I used the following ingredients, mostly organic: 2 ripe bananas, a cup of applesauce, a handful of blueberries, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, a small handful of brown sugar, a bit of vegetable oil (and used this to grease the pan), peanuts, sunflower seeds, baking powder, baking soda, about 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour, about a half cup of flaxseed meal, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. I wasn't particularly careful in any of my measurements, and I baked the bread for about an hour at 350 without any high expectations. It turned out delicious! I'm pleased with this recipe for several reasons. First, peanuts and sunflower seeds are complementary proteins, and taste great. Likewise, flaxseed meal contains all the essential GOOD fats, and not the bad ones! Finally, I used small amounts of sugar and oil to keep it healthy, and the fruits and spices make it moist and delicious. I'm so thrilled this worked out so well and I can't wait to keep experimenting!
First, I made vegetable soup. This was nothing new for me, but I've been very nutrient-conscious especially after adopting a vegan lifestyle. So, for my soup, I used the following organic ingredients: vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, green and red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, onion, collard greens, and garlic. This isn't much different from what I've made in the past, with the exception of adding collard greens. I'm really pleased with this decision - I need to be eating leafy greens in order to get iron, and collard greens are hardier than spinach and hold up nicely in the soup.
I was a little more nervous about my experimental baking. Baked goods tend to require a specific recipe, as things like flour or baking soda are usually needed in exact amounts. I went a little crazy and decided to make what I guess you could call a banana nut bread. I used the following ingredients, mostly organic: 2 ripe bananas, a cup of applesauce, a handful of blueberries, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, a small handful of brown sugar, a bit of vegetable oil (and used this to grease the pan), peanuts, sunflower seeds, baking powder, baking soda, about 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour, about a half cup of flaxseed meal, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. I wasn't particularly careful in any of my measurements, and I baked the bread for about an hour at 350 without any high expectations. It turned out delicious! I'm pleased with this recipe for several reasons. First, peanuts and sunflower seeds are complementary proteins, and taste great. Likewise, flaxseed meal contains all the essential GOOD fats, and not the bad ones! Finally, I used small amounts of sugar and oil to keep it healthy, and the fruits and spices make it moist and delicious. I'm so thrilled this worked out so well and I can't wait to keep experimenting!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
New Year
Now that the holidays are over, my computer troubles are finally solved (somewhat), and I'm getting back into my school routine, I'm happy to be posting to my blog again. The last month has been truly fantastic; I had an amazing time at home with my family, and I had lots of time to experiment cooking and baking. For the Christmas holidays, I made a ton of delicious baked goods from scratch, like gingerbread, coffee cake, and different muffin, cookie, and bread varieties. Once the holidays had passed, I began reading books that I had been meaning to read for ages, and my lifestyle has been greatly impacted as a result.
The first book I read was Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the environmental impacts of meat production as well as the moral and ethical issues surrounding its consumption. It illuminated elements of meat-eating that I hadn't considered during my three months of strict local eating. For example, during my project I was certain that the animals I consumed were free-range, organic, and never treated with antibiotics or hormones. In some cases, like my buffalo, I knew that the animals had happy lives with their farmers. What I had not considered, however, was the slaughter process. Though they are government regulated, the vast majority are dirty and inhumane (Foer goes into much greater detail in his work). Further, I began to think about the fact that meat is actually an animal that has been killed...and the more I thought about it, the more I became averted to it. I've learned that meat is not essential nutritionally, and I feel morally "cleansed" having removed it from my diet.
I continued my pursuit of a greater understanding of food, nutrition, and health, reading books like Mindful Eating, Skinny Bitch, Diet for a Small Planet, and some of the works of Adelle Davis (that began in the 1950's) and the more contemporary writings of Michael Pollan. I learned that many of the things that consumers wish to avoid in meat are also present in dairy products (like antibiotics and hormones), and further that animals raised for dairy products are still treated poorly (to say the least). Likewise, humans through evolution were not intended to digest dairy products - they are difficult for our bodies to handle, and contribute to things like mucus build-up. As someone who has chronic sinus problems, my doctor long ago advised me to stop eating dairy, and I'm finally taking his advice. I've adopted a vegan diet, and although my reasons for doing this are not entirely logical (as I could get milk and eggs from local farms that I know meet the highest standard of quality), it feels right and I'm enjoying this process of discovery. I've been making new dishes and creatively exploring means of obtaining proper nutrition with the absence of animal products. It is truly exciting!
My life has evolved dramatically, and I owe it in great part to my senior project. It has shaped the way I see the world in many ways and has allowed me to obtain a healthier and happier relationship to food. I am eager to share some of my recipes and dishes and will continue to observe the impact my diet has on my health. In fact, I will soon be getting blood work to help gain a greater understanding of my current nutritional needs, and the results will also be useful as I write my comp. Most importantly, I feel fantastic, enthusiastic, and passionate about life and am eager to continue to explore my interests - especially at Chatham University, where I will be attending graduate school for a Masters in Food Studies degree!
The first book I read was Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the environmental impacts of meat production as well as the moral and ethical issues surrounding its consumption. It illuminated elements of meat-eating that I hadn't considered during my three months of strict local eating. For example, during my project I was certain that the animals I consumed were free-range, organic, and never treated with antibiotics or hormones. In some cases, like my buffalo, I knew that the animals had happy lives with their farmers. What I had not considered, however, was the slaughter process. Though they are government regulated, the vast majority are dirty and inhumane (Foer goes into much greater detail in his work). Further, I began to think about the fact that meat is actually an animal that has been killed...and the more I thought about it, the more I became averted to it. I've learned that meat is not essential nutritionally, and I feel morally "cleansed" having removed it from my diet.
I continued my pursuit of a greater understanding of food, nutrition, and health, reading books like Mindful Eating, Skinny Bitch, Diet for a Small Planet, and some of the works of Adelle Davis (that began in the 1950's) and the more contemporary writings of Michael Pollan. I learned that many of the things that consumers wish to avoid in meat are also present in dairy products (like antibiotics and hormones), and further that animals raised for dairy products are still treated poorly (to say the least). Likewise, humans through evolution were not intended to digest dairy products - they are difficult for our bodies to handle, and contribute to things like mucus build-up. As someone who has chronic sinus problems, my doctor long ago advised me to stop eating dairy, and I'm finally taking his advice. I've adopted a vegan diet, and although my reasons for doing this are not entirely logical (as I could get milk and eggs from local farms that I know meet the highest standard of quality), it feels right and I'm enjoying this process of discovery. I've been making new dishes and creatively exploring means of obtaining proper nutrition with the absence of animal products. It is truly exciting!
My life has evolved dramatically, and I owe it in great part to my senior project. It has shaped the way I see the world in many ways and has allowed me to obtain a healthier and happier relationship to food. I am eager to share some of my recipes and dishes and will continue to observe the impact my diet has on my health. In fact, I will soon be getting blood work to help gain a greater understanding of my current nutritional needs, and the results will also be useful as I write my comp. Most importantly, I feel fantastic, enthusiastic, and passionate about life and am eager to continue to explore my interests - especially at Chatham University, where I will be attending graduate school for a Masters in Food Studies degree!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Holiday fun
Now that finals are out of the way, I'm thoroughly enjoying being home with my family and getting ready for the holidays. I've been eating out a lot with friends and family: my first night home, I went out to my favorite sushi restaurant with my girlfriends, and last night, I had dinner at a small Italian restaurant that has been a meeting place with my extended family for as long as I can remember. I haven't been doing as much cooking as I'd like, but I'm going grocery shopping today so hopefully that will change.
I've also been enjoying holiday favorites, and really appreciating the culture and tradition associated with the holiday season (with the exception of meat). My dad had a holiday office party at his house with tons of holiday food, like a huge ham (which I didn't take part in) and that jello-pretzel dessert (I can't think of what it's actually called!). At the Householder's, where I consider myself a part of the family, Laurie has been preparing all of her usual holiday favorites like pecan tassies and thumbprints, and we're going to have a pie-baking day later this week.
I'm still waiting to get my laptop fixed, which will make posting much easier, and I will be able to continue by daily log. Things are just too busy and hectic around the holidays!
I've also been enjoying holiday favorites, and really appreciating the culture and tradition associated with the holiday season (with the exception of meat). My dad had a holiday office party at his house with tons of holiday food, like a huge ham (which I didn't take part in) and that jello-pretzel dessert (I can't think of what it's actually called!). At the Householder's, where I consider myself a part of the family, Laurie has been preparing all of her usual holiday favorites like pecan tassies and thumbprints, and we're going to have a pie-baking day later this week.
I'm still waiting to get my laptop fixed, which will make posting much easier, and I will be able to continue by daily log. Things are just too busy and hectic around the holidays!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Food Logs
Recently I've had some delicious meals, both out at restaurants and at home. Unfortunately, the state of my laptop has prevented by daily blog entries, and I'm at the mercy of borrowing my friends' computers at their convenience. Nevertheless, I can recall some great meals over the last few days.
This weekend, I enjoyed a lot of the Meadville cuisine that I had missed for the last few months. I went on some fabulous dates with Nick - we spent several hours at the Artist Cup, sipping coffee and eating soup and sandwiches, and we also went out to Julian's with some of our friends. We went to the Steelers game on Sunday and shared some french fries, and tonight we finally went to Aoyama in Erie for sushi that we had been ultimately craving for ages. I've been having a blast sharing meals with my friends, and I've been careful to avoid any meats that are not free-range and organic (basically, I haven't been eating meat unless I prepare it myself).
I've also been preparing lots of local and organic meals. I've been loving my plain, local, organic yogurt with my frozen berries and organic granola. It makes a perfect breakfast or snack. I've also been enjoying my flatbread with my pb&j, or pb&honey, they are both sooo delicious, and both of these meals are quick and easy to make. Finally, nothing is more cozy or delicious than my fairtrade organic hot cocoa made with my raw milk - it's been the perfect drink for these terribly cold winter days.
Last night, I made chicken soup for Nick and me. I stewed 2 organic free-range chicken legs from a local farm, and added potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, spelt, and corn. It came out thick and delicious, and my only non-local non-organic ingredients were the carrots and celery (and some sea salt). I also bought sourdough bread from the store (which was not organic or local) and baked it with organic butter until it was crispy and delicious. For dessert, I made a blueberry-blackberry pie with flatbread crust and drizzled it with local honey. We drank grape juice in fancy glasses to substitute for alcohol. Our dinner was fun to prepare and just as delicious as any meal at a restaurant. More importantly, however, it was made from primarily local and organic ingredients, and we have enough leftovers to last us until we go home to Pittsburgh for Christmas break!
This weekend, I enjoyed a lot of the Meadville cuisine that I had missed for the last few months. I went on some fabulous dates with Nick - we spent several hours at the Artist Cup, sipping coffee and eating soup and sandwiches, and we also went out to Julian's with some of our friends. We went to the Steelers game on Sunday and shared some french fries, and tonight we finally went to Aoyama in Erie for sushi that we had been ultimately craving for ages. I've been having a blast sharing meals with my friends, and I've been careful to avoid any meats that are not free-range and organic (basically, I haven't been eating meat unless I prepare it myself).
I've also been preparing lots of local and organic meals. I've been loving my plain, local, organic yogurt with my frozen berries and organic granola. It makes a perfect breakfast or snack. I've also been enjoying my flatbread with my pb&j, or pb&honey, they are both sooo delicious, and both of these meals are quick and easy to make. Finally, nothing is more cozy or delicious than my fairtrade organic hot cocoa made with my raw milk - it's been the perfect drink for these terribly cold winter days.
Last night, I made chicken soup for Nick and me. I stewed 2 organic free-range chicken legs from a local farm, and added potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, spelt, and corn. It came out thick and delicious, and my only non-local non-organic ingredients were the carrots and celery (and some sea salt). I also bought sourdough bread from the store (which was not organic or local) and baked it with organic butter until it was crispy and delicious. For dessert, I made a blueberry-blackberry pie with flatbread crust and drizzled it with local honey. We drank grape juice in fancy glasses to substitute for alcohol. Our dinner was fun to prepare and just as delicious as any meal at a restaurant. More importantly, however, it was made from primarily local and organic ingredients, and we have enough leftovers to last us until we go home to Pittsburgh for Christmas break!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Internet troubles and busy finals
Since my laptop is no longer able to connect to the internet, it's been difficult to keep up with my blog entries - especially during busy finals. I can't remember everything I ate for the last 3 days, but I've had some wonderful meals with my friends. Wednesday night I had eggplant parmesan at Stacini's - it was so delicious and I can't wait to go back there. This dinner was a celebration of the semester's successes at the Fresh from the Vines Bakery. Thursday night, my housemates cooked dinner together in honor of Amelia's birthday. These are the evenings and meals I missed most during my project, and it was so much fun to celebrate together. We had delicious garlic bread with herb dipping oil, and penne pasta with garlic, veggies, and cheese.
Yesterday, Nick and I went to the artist cup for lunch, where I got swiss tomato mushroom soup and roasted pepper grilled cheese with olive tapenade, and a cinnamon latte. It's so nice to go out on dates again! We also went to dinner at Julian's with some of our friends.
It's very convenient to be able to eat out again since I've been spending so much time the last few days studying and writing papers. It's also nice to share meals with people I care about. I plan on doing lots of cooking when things slow down though, and I'm hoping to make a trip to the co-op today or tomorrow to get some more supplies. I'm especially excited to make some local and organic holiday meals.
Yesterday, Nick and I went to the artist cup for lunch, where I got swiss tomato mushroom soup and roasted pepper grilled cheese with olive tapenade, and a cinnamon latte. It's so nice to go out on dates again! We also went to dinner at Julian's with some of our friends.
It's very convenient to be able to eat out again since I've been spending so much time the last few days studying and writing papers. It's also nice to share meals with people I care about. I plan on doing lots of cooking when things slow down though, and I'm hoping to make a trip to the co-op today or tomorrow to get some more supplies. I'm especially excited to make some local and organic holiday meals.
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