Pumpkin & Pomegranate

Exhibit A:

So I’m having a little chocolate with my breakfast. What’s the big deal? That happens to be a big warm bowl of buckwheat mixed with cocoa powder, coconut milk, a banana, some stevia, a little vanilla, and a big dollop of Sunbutter. Thanks to Heather for mentioning this variety that is JUST sunflower seeds :-). It doesn’t taste exactly like peanut butter, but it is really good. I don’t have a peanut allergy, but for those who do this is a really good alternative. In stores it is a bit pricey. My jar was $6.59! Not sure this will be a habit. I might have to check with friends to see if they want to go in on a bulk order next time. Carbzilla? By the way, if anyone is interested, I have been using this brand of stevia.

My only reason is because it is just stevia and grapefruit seed extract. No other additives. is it perfect? No. But it’s okay, and I am not a big fan of maltodextrin. I may get a stash of the packets to take on the go though, as carrying around my big bottle can be a tad cumbersome.

I am also sipping a cup of caramel. Well, Fromboise Caramel tea at least. I am almost out so I am going to have to go buy another bag this weekend. I might go with a new flavor, but this one is SO good. I have decided to shun most tea bags. They really do not compare to loose leaf tea my friends!

My friend Jenny from high school sent me a message on Facebook the other day. She has been following my blog and has made many of the recipes (big fan of the raw fudge). She sent me a photo of the Moroccan Winter Squash Stew and of course I have to share it!I have seriously been craving dishes with a lot of spices and flavors, so this makes me drool! Tonight I plan on making a recipe from the blog that got me started, The Homesick Texan. Lisa makes me homesick for Texas, which is pretty hard to do ;-)

Admission time. I have been listening to Christmas music on my computer at work for the past 2 days. I can’t be helped.

Food Porn time, I made a Maple Pear pie at Healeo two weeks ago (raw except for the maple syrup) and David was sweet enough to snap a photoI didn’t get a slice but David said it was delicious.

I have been thinking a lot about giving lately, and wanted to take a moment to speak about it. I think that often people may think that because of hard economic times, or just general lack of funds that we cannot do anything to help others who are even less fortunate. I know that I don’t make a whole lot of money at my job, and that I live paycheck to paycheck most months, but I also know that there are others (even in our country) who have it a whole lot worse than I do. I may not have a lot to give, but I am going to be doing what I can. Last week there was a robbery at a local food bank and that got me thinking. If we all just donated 1 non-perishable food item to a food bank what a difference that would make! If you are in the Seattle area, here is a list of donation sites for Northwest Harvest. If you can donate more than food, Feeding America is a great charity that helps with domestic hunger in the USA. Of course we should be helping all year round, but this season always brings up feelings of charity and I am hoping I can stir that up just a little. I ask all of you to donate at least one item to your food bank, and to ask those you know to do the same. I don’t tell people this that often, but when my mother and I first moved to Seattle there was a month where we did not have any money. I didn’t have a job yet and we had gone through my savings. Luckily our local food bank is amazing, and we were able to get 2 weeks worth of food which held us over until I got my job. It was a very difficult time for me as I had never taken charity, I had always been in a position to give and it was extremely humbling. Since then I was able to do a work day at a local organic farm on a day when they give their entire harvest for a day to a food bank. I felt like I had been able to give back for what was so generously given to me.

I hope you are all able to relax a little coming into the Thanksgiving Holiday. Personally I am not going to be doing a big dinner on Thursday. Matt if going to be visiting his parents, and I think my mother and I may just go out to eat. If the weather is nice we might take a drive to Leavenworth, but I think it is supposed to be rainy. We might just get some take out and hunker down with a fire in the fire place and my favorite Thanksgiving movie on the TV. It’s a tradition :-)

Matt and I are going to do our Thanksgiving on Sunday night. I have a few things planned, included a full of Gluten Field Roast Celebration Roast (which I do maybe twice a year). It’s vegan, but in no way grain or gluten free. Since I don’t have issues with gluten I am able to do this.I really feel for those of you who are vegan and cannot do gluten. I am curious as to what is your main dish on holidays like this. I’d love suggestions! Last year I made a vegan loaf using the Magical Loaf Studio. It made a very tasty creation, but since I made a grain free version (quinoa) it did not hold a loaf shape when I sliced it. It was much more like stuffing than a “loaf” but it was still really good. I might make it again as a side dish. Matt has requested a vegan meat substitute, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Those are his staples for his leftover sammiches. I am adding some veggies to that, plus 2 kinds of pumpkin pie (one will be crust-less for me), and perhaps some sweet potato fries. Maybe quinoa stuffing as well. I’d love to make a huge feast, but it is just the two of us, and I don’t have enough freezer space for the amount of leftovers that would create. Here is a little photo of my plate from last yearI hope you have cozy plans for Thanksgiving.