Vegan Treats and Delicious Non-Dairy Ice Creams

One of the things I love about summer is how things slow down and are more relaxed.  I enjoy day trips to quaint towns, strolls in the cool of the evening after a scorching hot day, wearing flip flops and cheating on my diet with some ice cream twirls.  Yes, I do cheat!  When I first started on my journey towards vegan foods, I would cheat with real ice cream.  I think if I were to cheat with dairy ice cream today, it would probably hit my gut like a ton of bricks.  I can't cheat with dairy anymore.  The cleaner your body gets, the more it reacts to foods that aren't healthful.  So now I cheat with non-dairy ice cream.  To those of you who think that non-dairy ice cream has got to be gross, I must beg to differ!  You probably have not tried the good stuff yet!  There is a great vegan dessert shop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, called Vegan Treats.  If you ever head to Bethlehem for Musikfest or what have you, you must stop by and pay this little shop a visit!  They have wonderful ice cream as well as a slew of other kinds of desserts.  Pure vegan decadence!  (Sugar is never healthful, but hey, I believe in a little room for treats every now and then.)

 

 

Their wall of fame

Me and my kids

I recently attended a dinner and the cook was so gracious in preparing dishes I could eat.  The gluten free, vegan combination can be a bear to deal with when I go out.  It can get a little depressing for me when everyone else is eating all this great food that I cannot indulge in. (It's the gluten foods I miss.  I had to choose between arthritis or gluten free diet.  I chose a gluten free diet.) The cook, understanding my plight, prepared foods just for me.  One of the things he set out was vegan ice cream.  I absolutely raved about it and all the people at our table had to try my ice cream.  I should have kept my mouth shut!  They ate their dairy ice cream and then they cleaned up on all the non-dairy ice cream.  Smart move, Missy!  Anyhow the company that makes it is called Wayfare.  It's so creamy and delicious!  I'll be driving out to Hagerstown, MD.  which is a good fifty minutes from where I live, to pick up mine.  (I noticed MOM's organic market in Frederick and Rockville carry some of their products, but not their ice cream)  This company is fairly new and not available in many places.  I'm going to ask my health food store to carry it.  Check here for their store locator.

Vermont Maple is incredibly delicious!

Other brands that I like are Trader Joe's Soy Creamy "Cherry Chocolate Chip."  I also like Tofutti brand ice creams.

Kimberly Snyder recently posted on great non-dairy easy to make sorbets.  I printed out the recipes and my daughter made a couple of them.  Really good, easy to-prepare healthful alternatives!

Here is a blog post on 29 non dairy ice cream recipes.

Lastly, a friend of mine, Nancy Meissner, made some vegan ice cream for me and my family.  So delicious and creamy.  Here's the recipe:

3 cups cooked brown jasmine rice

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt (I use pink Himalayan)

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3  to 1/2 cup honey

2 cans coconut milk

1/2 cup silk soy milk

5 cups blueberries or fruit of choice

* All ingredients should be at room temperature before preparing.

* Nancy said she reduced rice content to 2 1/2 cups and liked it. 

Blend rice to soy milk in a high powered blender.  Add honey, maple syrup, coconut milk and salt.  Fold in berries or fruit.  Place in ice cream maker and follow machine directives.  She used an electric White Mountain ice cream maker.  Gotta get me one of those!

Here's a carob or chocolate variation on the same recipe:

3 cups cooked jasmine rice (completely cooled to room temp.)

1/2  to 2/3 cup carob or chocolate chips, melted

1 Tbsp raw carob or cacao-cocoa powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 Tbsp almond butter

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 - 1/2 cup honey

2 cans coconut milk 

1/2 - 3/4 Tbsp Roma (coffee alternative, grain beverage)

1/2 cup silk milk blend

Blend and add to ice cream maker.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!

Have a great day!

Modern Medicine- The Multi-Billion Dollar Hustle

True healing is easy and inexpensive.  Yes, you read that right.  It's easy.  Healing comes about when we seek to instruct ourselves in the unwritten laws that come from the natural world.  They are the laws that do not come from illustrious medical institutions or the venerable pharmaceutical laboratories.  True healing can be found in the humble foods, plants and methods that are usable and attainable by everyone.  These methods are not difficult to learn; it only takes time and willingness to read and research. You might read the title of this post and think that I have anger or resentment towards professionals in the medical field.  Please don't misunderstand me,   I believe that there is a place and necessity for modern medicine.  I do wish, however, that the governing institutions which decide what gets taught in medical school or what information is shared publicly - such as the A.M.A. and F.D.A. - would be forthright with the information they disseminate.  I believe that truth is suppressed in order to promote more financially lucrative treatment methods.  How many countless lives could have been spared such pain if truth were allowed to flourish?  I will say one more thing: Benefiting at the expense of others who suffer needlessly and often die prematurely is nothing short of evil. I say this because so many submit to conventional medical "wisdom" while trusting the prescribed remedy and those who have promoted such treatment. Now if it is known that such "remedies" are not only inferior to alternative natural healing methods, but often times completely ineffective - or worse, harmful to the patient - and yet, for the sake of profit, they are still promoted and prescribed as the patient's best source of hope, THAT is nothing short of evil.  It is comparable to a thug on the street killing for money, except these A.M.A. and F.D.A.thugs have gleaming white coats and impressive letters behind their names.

The must-see articles and videos

I have been coming across several articles in regard to this topic that I would like to share with you (check links for articles).  Those in power know that if Doctors were to instruct their patients how to live to create health, they will no longer be able to make money.  Things may be changing in California.  A bill was introduced to mandate doctors to receive training in nutrition, but the California Medical Association is already fighting to stop the bill (Really?  Who will it harm for doctors to know the effect of eating an orange on the human body?)  Watch it here.  To add insult to injury, the Supreme Court has granted immunity to pharmaceutical companies from litigation because of side effects by drugs.  Despite efforts to suppress the truth and protect big pharma, there are doctors who are stumbling upon information and forced to make a decision.  The arrogant ones will always scoff, but there are physicians with a conscience who cannot turn their back on the information they learn.  What they incorporate into their way of living changes not only their lives, but also the lives and health of patients who come to them for healing.  Read this testimonial of a physician, Dr. James Loomis, who is now informed and transforming the way he practices medicine.

Healing begins in turning to nature

Nutrition is the first step in healing.  a high raw plant based diet will correct about 80% of conditions.  Turning to herbs, hydrotherapy, charcoal, massage and chiropractic can help in many others.  My upcoming natural remedy posts will cover charcoal, green clay, and massage.

Have a great day!

Mango Green Smoothie and Greens/Fruit Salad With Maple Cider Vinaigrette

When I come home from grocery shopping, there is a sight I see weekly that I want to share with you.  My fruit basket overflows.  I am very grateful for this considering so many in this world go without.  What is amazing to me is that in this country, many go without by choice!  Several times I've seen people at the grocery store struggling with failing health.   A quick peak into their carts reveals why they struggle.  Their carts are filled to the brim with dead, processed, chemically laden foods.  Don't they see the correlation?  I wish I could overhaul their diets, get their bodies moving outside in the sun and fresh air.  It's as simple as returning to the foods that grow from the earth. I love the color, textures, aromas and flavors of fresh food, REAL FOOD!  Food that can be found shopping the perimeter of the supermarket.  Food that doesn't come out of box.  (Forgive the spackling on the wall in photo, my kitchen is a work in progress)

Here are the veggies

I was not raised a vegan or vegetarian for that matter.  But my mother always cooked from scratch.  She gave us plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  She also paid extra for better quality meat and dairy.  Today my parents are vegetarian and go without dairy products.  My mom and dad eat lots of excellent fresh food.  My parents' peers always discuss what medications they are on, what ailments they suffer from and so on.  My parents just cannot fit into the conversation very well because they are in excellent health. 

You may wonder what I do with so much produce.  I juice a lot, make green smoothies and salads.  I like for my kids to snack on fruit so I keep plenty of it around for them.  Here are a couple of my recipes I think you might enjoy.  I made this mango green smoothie this morning.  It is so delicious!  Hope you like it.

Mango Green Smoothie

2 cups water

2 generous fistsful of spinach

2 red chard leaves

2 leaves of dandelion greens

2 apples

2 oranges pealed and quartered

1 lemon pealed and quartered

1 bag of frozen mango equivalent to 3 cups cubed (or more if desired)

2 to 3 tbsp hemp seeds

Blend in high powered blender

Adjust ingredients to suit your liking.  Add dates, stevia or coconut palm sugar if not sweet enough.

Greens and Fruit Salad With Maple Cider Vinaigrette

2 cups spinach torn

1 head of romaine lettuce cut

1 orange cut in wedges

2 kiwi peeled and cubed

5 strawberries hulled and chopped

1/4 cup walnuts chopped

shredded coconut

Other options:  I like sliced red onions, raisins or dried cranberries in this salad.  

 Maple Cider Vinaigrette recipe courtesy of my friend Carol Ryan

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Three more natural remedies posts coming up soon!

An Herbal Reference Book, Consequences of Abusing Chemicals and Happy Fourth!

Sorry for the weak image!

An herbal reference book

I wasn't planning to continue on with another post on herbs.  But certain things have happened since my last post and I thought I would pass on the info to you.  I have a friend in California who, in response to my last post, gave me a great tip.  She attends Danny Vierra's Health and Healing Crusades in Lodi, California.  She shared with me the herbal reference book Danny uses at Bella Vita,  the house where his guests go for cleansing and healing.  Thank you, Jolene!  Bella Vita means “beautiful life” in Italian.  The name “Bella Vita”  is also the inspiration for the name of my blog, Live Beautifully.  Paying attention to our lifestyle choices and living in harmony with, and turning to, nature for healing solutions is to live beautifully.  I can get carried away and wax rhapsodic about this topic, but I will spare you my over- the- top enthusiasm for this way of living!  I have mentioned before that Danny has incredible success in guiding people to healing.  Because of this you can understand why his reference book of herbs is so valuable – a must have to add to your natural healing library.

The consequences of abusing chemicals

I am very concerned at the ignorance that seems to pervade society in regard to the use and abuse of chemicals.  Some people are vigilant and mindful in this regard, but the masses don't really seem to care.  If they don't hear about it on the tube, then it isn't a problem, right?  Wrong!  Whatever is harmful to the environment is going to be harmful to the human body.  We may go on years or decades without suffering consequences, but eventually dues need to be paid and the outcome is never fun.  Chemicals,  pesticides and other man-made influences are destroying honeybees as well as other pollinators.  California has had an abysmal almond crop this last year.  There just weren't enough pollinators to do the job.  Legislators are avoiding addressing this problem and probably pocketing some change from chem manufacturers to sidestep the issue.  The mainstream media also isn't sounding the alarm loud enough to inform the public. If this avoidance trend continues, we will see crop failure on a much larger scale. 

Another area where I think people have gone overboard is on the use of antibiotics.  The masses turn to big pharma to solve their problems, not knowing that the abuse of antibiotics is creating superbugs that are becoming stronger and more resistant to the treatment most people turn to.   (Sometimes antibiotics are necessary, but I think they should be a last resort.)  How much better to use the plants that grow so readily from the soil.  The solutions are out there in nature, we just need to educate ourselves in regards to the proper use of them. 

Solutions can be found in nature

My family and I were recently at a church sponsored camp.  My son had  cut himself on the foot.  He should have come to us sooner so that we could treat it, but he chose to run around with his buddies.  He was tromping through creeks and mud wearing flip flops and by the time he got back to our room, his foot was well on its way to being infected.  I brought some essential oils with me for that very reason.   After his foot was washed and just before bedtime, I applied lavender oil to it.  By morning, there was no sign of infection and his cut healed very quickly.

There was plenty of junk food at this camp and my kids are like all other normal children and love to indulge in the junk.  My daughter began to show signs of sickness.  I pulled out my oil of oregano and put some on the bottom of her feet and back of her neck.  She did not stay sick for very long.  The difference between antibiotics and herbs is that while antibiotics cannot penetrate the cell membrane of a virus, the essential oils of medicinal herbs can. 

I got a call from a friend of mine who was beside herself because her children had become infested with lice.  (Just the conversation about lice sends shivers down my spine.  Aye, aye, aye!!! Disgusting parasites!)  She told me that she was spending hours upon hours using the conventional chemical approach to dealing with the problem.  She just couldn't seem to get rid of them.  By the way, lice are becoming resistant to the the usual products that are used to kill them.  I got online and searched for natural treatments.  I found out that melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) obliterates them to shreds, quite literally.  She treated her children and herself with tea tree oil and called me a few times with absolute amazement in her voice.  The treatment not only took care of the lice problem but it also took care of her lifelong problem with dandruff.  I love it when there are unexpected and welcomed side effects from natural treatments!

 So what are the deaths using natural methods attributed to?

What about the small percentage of deaths that happen using natural treatments?  I recently attended a lecture by Dr. Pamela Compart, M.D. and Dana Laake, R.D. H., M.S., L.D.H. in regard to the best diet and supplements for ADHD and Autism.  According to this physician, these fatal incidents occur when a toddler finds a bottle of his mother's iron supplements or something similar to this type of incident.  I believe that care should be taken to use herbs in an educated way.  Can the herb be used internally or just topically?  Are there any contraindications?  This is why I suggest collecting good reference books by trustworthy professionals.  I would be afraid to harvest wild herbs; I wouldn't want to accidentally harvest hemlock!  Yeah, that would be quite the fatal problem!  Growing herbs from seed is the best way to know we are using the right herb.

I find the use of herbs to be a lot safer and much more satisfying than using chemicals that have a long list of side effects, creating more problems than what one first started out with.  Having good side effects with the use of herbs can be an unexpected bonus!

Happy Independence Day!
I love the Fourth of July!  I love the picnic food, fireflies and warm summer nights with fire works.  I also love the freedoms we enjoy in this great nation!


Hope yours is a good one!