Go To HighRawHappiness.com
I started a new website called HighRawHappiness.com. It is not likely that I will be adding any new content to this blog. Please change your RSS reader over if you like.
Thanks!
Steve Swann
Extra Special Traditional American Tuna Salad
- 1 big can albacore tuna (or two little cans)
- 1 large stalk of celery diced into tiny 1/8" cubes
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 2 hard boiled eggs, diced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 6 dill pickles diced
- Salt and pepper
- 3 heaping tbsp light Hellman's mayo
* If you're shocked to find a meat recipe on my mainly vegan blog, remember I have to cook for an omnivorous family and like to keep them as low on the food chain as possible.
Try to eat more on the bottom of the list than from the top:
- Man
- Other Mammals
- Birds
- Fish
- Vegetables
- Fruit
Chocolate Banana Nut Shake
This raw, vegan shake is a variation on Kristen's famous "Cherry Chocolate Bomb Shake" but made with slightly more mainstream ingredients in case you don't have a Whole Foods Market near by.
Ingredients (add to blender in any order)
1 sliced frozen banana*
1 cup frozen cherries
1/3 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup raw cashews
3 rounded tbsp raw cacao or cocoa depending on if you can spend $20 vs. $2
Dash cayenne pepper (flavor enhancer!)
1 cup cold water
2 ice cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
(And of course sneak in your favorite supplements. You will never know.)
Blend it until it's smooth and creamy like a milkshake! This can take a while in a normal blender. Don't be afraid to take a taste with a spoon while it's going to see if it's done. You don't want any crunchy bits in a shake!
* To make frozen bananas just peel and wrap in cling film. You can't peel a frozen banana with the peel on I discovered.
http://kristensraw.com/recipe_list_transition.php
Keeping Vegan at Steak-n-Shake
My children are the products of a mixed marriage. To make it work, I have to respect my wife's alien culture, with all of it's disturbing practices and rituals. Tonight that meant piling into the family minivan for a pilgrimage to “Steak-n-Shake.”
Franklin Tennessee is an affluent bedroom community of Nashville, 30 miles north of us. It is over populated and growing. The Franklin Steak-n-Shake is swamped at peak meal times and we got there at 6:15 PM Saturday. We pressed our way in and I caught the attention of the Maitre D'. Moments later we were seated in a fine booth and met Trevor, our server, an awkward, pimply faced, braces wearing, mumbling but eager teenager. Trevor was styling it with a Justin Beiber do.
My wife had a chocolate shake, a cheeseburger and cheesy fries. I had the apple and walnut chicken salad (but please, this is critical, leave off the chicken and feta cheese). My son had a chocolate shake, chicken sandwich and cheesy fries. See how the hybridization works? Omnivore + vegan = child doesn't eat mammals.
I sipped my unsweet iced tea (had to return the sweet tea Trevor brought by mistake) as they turned their faces inside out trying to suck the shakes through plastic straws. Our food came. When no one was looking, I dumped the baggie full of raw almonds and cashews I had smuggled in on my $6.99 bowl of wilted, chopped Romaine hearts and Craisins.
In the booth behind us a young couple ordered. She was very particular about her burger. It must have ketchup but no pickles, lettuce or tomato. Cheesy fries with that and a Diet Coke. I don't understand how after you've already made the leap to eating a fried glob of ground factory cow carcass that it really matters what else it has on it.
We finished it all and Trevor brought the check. $24.52 (not including tip). “How was that salad?”, he asked in a moment of inspiration and courage, making optional conversation with the customer.
“It was wonderful”, I smiled up at him.
“Good. Good. I'll have to try one some time”, nodding and backing away.
It's really not so hard being vegan in Tennessee.
Gena ChoosingRaw.com Butternut Squash and Split Pea Soup
http://www.choosingraw.com/butternut-squash-and-split-pea-soup/
"Butternut Squash and Split Pea Soup (Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free)
Serves 3-4
1 lb butternut squash, chopped into small chunks or cubes
1 cup green or yellow split peas
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 1/2 cups water with 1/2 vegan bouillan cube, or 5 1/2 cups vegetable broth <-- I use this (Steve).
2+ tsps curry powder (adjust this to taste)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Salt to taste (I used one tsp (Steve))
Black pepper to taste (use cayenne instead (Steve))
1 tsp minced garlic (from those little glass jars) <-- I added this to the recipe (Steve).
Simply bring the ingredients to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook until squash and lentils are tender (45 min or so)."
I (Steve) bet it would be good if you sauted the onions and garlic in some olive oil before adding the rest of the ingredients, a la Gypsy Chili recipe.
OMG Awesome!
At lunch yesterday my friend was telling us of a frightening medical situation he'd had with his young son. It was horrendous and twice I said "Oh my God!"
Later I remembered that he's a really devout Christian and might have been offended by my taking God's name in vain like that.
Once my nephew, fresh off the Army transport from Iraq, came to visit. He kept saying "Jesus!" to everything. Like "Jesus you're dog is big!" And "Jesus that's a nice Christmas tree!" even made the likes of me a little uncomfortable! That might be how my friend feels about "Oh my God."
But is it really wrong? What if you're standing on the beach as a tsunami hits? I don't think there's a preacher on Earth that would fault you for saying "Oh my God!" at that point. So it's really a matter of where you draw the line. In a life threatening situation it's probably OK to say whatever comes to mind. Likewise, when a friend relays a story about a life threatening situation, maybe it's OK then too, depending on the company. But just because your dog is fat, no.
Which brings me to "awesome." I think awesome has been devalued to the point where it's simply a synonym of "cool." The Grand Canyon is awesome. The Pyramids, Niagara Falls, Space. These things are awesome. New tires for your bicycle? Not awesome, just cool.
Pomegranate Sangria
This alcohol beverage probably won't kill you instantly. I like it for parties.
Remember: Alcohol borrows joy from future you and pays you back in suffering. Don't borrow more joy than you are able to repay.
Ingredients
1 lemon thin sliced crosswise, peeled, deseeded
1 lime thin sliced crosswise, peeled, deseeded
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1 apple cubed
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 orange peeled cubed
1.5 cups pomegranate juice
3/4 cup cognac
2 750 ml bottles Australian red wine
Instructions
Stir ingredients in a 1 gallon pitcher, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Serve over ice
Dilute with sparkling water or natural Sprite-like beverage if desired. Sprite can not be used because it contains the inedible, non-food ingredient high-fructose corn syrup.
Total Health Plan Score for Yesterday: 73%
If you follow the Total Health Plan to the best of your ability you will feel better each day, ultimately vanishing in a beam of light.
Begin each day with a perfect score of 100. Going above and beyond might earn you positive points. Failures such as eating a doughnut, being lazy or thinking ill of someone result in deductions.
Summary:
-
Up at 4:45 AM green tea (no deductions, but no plus because that's just normal)
-
Fruit and vegetable smoothie with spinach and cabbage (+1 for the spinach and cabbage!)
-
Mid morning green tea (no plus even though could have been coffee!)
-
Dammit forgot to drink liters of water at desk! (-5 Ooh! Severe!)
-
Had impure thoughts about a coworker I barely know, but then thought about what a sweet person she probably is and how she brings so much sunshine into our dreary office (no deductions)
-
Lunch home made vegetable salad but maybe too much of a good thing plus too much olive oil and vinegar (-1)
-
Banana on bus ride home (no deductions)
-
Meditated! (+2)
-
But it was while driving and sort of failed (-2)
-
Dinner out with the fam. Didn't have appetizer rolls though very tempted (+1).
-
Had tea instead of wine (+1).
-
Kept salad bar items totally raw and vegan (+1)
-
Too much food! (-5)
-
Used own dressing and Bragg Liquid Aminos. The fam was not embarrassed, use to it. (+1)
-
Baked potato (-2 pointless cooked food)
-
Got zero exercise (-10)
-
9 PM ½ cup dark chocolate covered almonds and raisins (-5)
-
9:30 PM ½ cup soy ice cream (-1) with small drizzle of Hershey's chocolate syrup (-5) idiot!
-
Elixir of Life before bed (+2)
Total deductions: -36 (I knew it was a bad day but man!)
Total additions: +9 (lame!)
THP score for the day: 73, or beam of light slipping away! Today is another day. Thank God.
Purple Green Fruit Smoothie (not for beginners)
Pack into the blender in this order:
4 large beet leaves washed and sliced
1.5 cups purple cabbage diced
1 raw beet cut up into chunks your blender can handle
1 pink grapefruit (red + white = pink)
1 orange (red + yellow = orange)
5 strawberries
.5 cup blueberries (more purple than blue, IMHO)
2 cups pomegranate juice
Blend working up from chop to liquefy and letting it rip on max for at least a minute, depending on the power of your blender. It doesn't need to be reduced to water, just drinkable.
Isn't that beautiful?! I drank the whole thing for dinner. Tasted a bit like beets and dirt, but not bad really. Packed with purple goodness!
Hiking and the Happiness Survey
|
Place an “x” by each activity that brings you great happiness. | |||
|
□ Eating fine food |
□ Eating rubbish |
□ Euphoric chemicals |
□ Writing |
|
□ Driving |
□ Bicycling |
□ Reading |
□ Watching movies |
|
□ Watching TV |
□ Talking |
□ Praying |
□ Meditating |
|
□ Hiking |
□ Camping |
□ Swimming |
□ Pain |
|
□ Photography |
□ Skydiving |
□ Golf |
□ Playing team sports |
|
□ Walking my dog |
□ Playing with my cat |
□ Woodworking |
□ Crochet |
|
□ Watching team sports |
□ Art |
□ Making music |
□ Listening to music |
|
□ Dancing |
□ Yoga |
□ Giving money away |
□ Earning money |
|
□ Power boating |
□ Sailing |
□ Paddling |
□ Climbing |
|
□ Working out |
□ Gardening |
□ Gaming (computer) |
□ Bowling |
|
□ Volunteer work |
□ Skating |
□ Oppressing others |
□ Fixing things |
|
□ Drinking |
□ Cooking |
□ Physical intimacy |
□ Twitter/Facebook |
|
□ Fasting |
□ Solving problems |
□ Teaching |
□ Playing with my kids |
|
□ Other (specify) | |||
If you're like me you'd circle “Hiking” and draw arrows and smileys around it. Most healthy people enjoy hiking through the woods to a destination with a sweeping view or a powerful waterfall. Such hikes are the whole point of Swann family mountain vacations (as opposed the the beach or theme parks, which we also do).
But the overhead of hiking with even a small group can be oppressive. Everyone has to agree on the destination. Transportation and lodging have to be arranged. Depending on the length and difficulty of the hike, special gear has to be got, and food and drinks packed. You might burn days of vacation before you ever set foot on a trail. Even on the day of the hike possible scarcity of parking and difficulty just finding the trail head can delay the onset of happiness. But through all this you are buoyed by the anticipation of the hike itself. Getting out of town and the change of scenery.
Eventually you will be on the trail hiking. Is that when the happiness starts? First step? A hundred yards in? Maybe it comes and goes with the incline, temperature and bugs. You start to wonder when if ever, you will finally get there. Then you will be happy. Once at the falls, say, the happiness surely begins. You can sit and relax. But then boredom rapidly sets in. Thank God for the snacks. Even before your butt's cold from the rock you're sitting on, thoughts of going back begin to nag and then gain traction. You just want to get back to the cabin and have some real food, and relax. Then you'll be happy.
The problem is a goal oriented mind that never pauses between activities long enough to settle into a relaxed state. You believe the addition or subtraction of just one thing or person would change everything and then you'd be happy.
It's like eating peanuts in the shell. Even as you are crunching down one mouthful of peanuts your hand lunges back into the bag for the next one. You can't crack them open and pop them into your mouth fast enough. One more, one more handful, and then you'll be happy, or maybe a Coke, no a beer. That would be perfect!
There is no point in trying to satisfy a goal oriented mind. No earthly scenario you can arrange will finally, ultimately, repeatably bring you true, total happiness. Except one. This one. Where you are right now. At any given moment all the conditions for happiness are in place, because it is inside you always. As the Tibetan saying goes “Looking for happiness outside you is like looking for sunshine in a cave facing north.”
Getting back to the survey, if anyone had used the “Other (specify)” area to write “Participating in happiness focus groups, filling out forms”, then they could move to the head of the class!