myhealthyplace-deactivated20120 asked: Hey I'm new to being a raw vegan and was hoping you can give me tips on what are the best dehydrators, food processors, and blenders, along with any other essential kitchen appliances I may need! I would appreciate it if you can get back to me soon! I want to get shopping :) PS your blog is amazing i just love it!!!

I’m super glad that you love my blog! That means a lot. As far as appliances go, I can tell you about what I have and what I’ve heard or experienced as being a good product. I don’t know everything on this topic so it is best to do research before you go out and buy everything up. :)

Before I bought a dehydrator I researched quite a bit into what would be the best investment over time, that also performed very well. I ended up buying an Excalibur Dehydrator (4-tray) although I wish that I had bought the 9-try, because it would be well worth it.

I have talked before about the food processor I use, it’s just an old cuisinart that is in fantastic shape. As long as you buy one that’s a decent size and of good quality, you’re good to go.

As far as blenders go, in my house, we have a Blendtec which is amazing and high powered and does pretty much anything I need it to. Another blender that’s popular amongst raw foodists and the like, is the Vitamix, which I’ve heard good things about. But, both of these blenders are very expensive, and are also terrific investments; so, if you don’t want to shell out that kind of dough, try using a basic high-speed blender.

The only other tool that you really need for raw food, is a very sharp, high-quality knife to chop up your produce! Good luck to you on your journey into Raw Veganism!

miffmeister asked: Hey, im converting to become a vegan, do you have any tips for me? Do you have any recipes for a easy made lunch since im at school quite often i need something easy to make in the morning! last question, but on some food labels it says it may contain milk, i take it I cant eat it? Thanks, love the blog!

It’s great to hear that you’re becoming vegan!

Here’s a post that has a lot of helpful links in it, plus some of my commentary. http://yackattack.tumblr.com/post/8780462471/learn-more-about-why-to-go-vegan

And as for good, easy to prep lunches, here’s a link to a few of mine: http://yackattack.tumblr.com/tagged/lunch

But, they’re mostly salads and sandwiches which are perfect for bringing with you and super easy to make because you can just throw whatever you want in them. :)

And lastly, products that say that they may contain milk are made in establishments that also produce milk/dairy products so the amount of dairy in whatever you may buy is trivial if at all there. The decision of whether or not to buy them is a personal one for most people, but if you choose not to buy/eat them there will probably be a significant number of packaged food items that you will cut from your diet (which may be a good thing!).

I hope that helps you out a bit and good luck with your journey toward being vegan! :)

misfit47 asked: Is there an easier way to dehydrate things, other than having a dehydrator? If theres a simplier way to do this without having to go out and buy another kitchen appliance I won't really use, I'd appreciate knowing about it! Thanks.

You can use your oven or toaster oven on it’s lowest temp setting in place of a dehydrator, but the food will not be considered raw because the lowest they usually go is about 150F if that. So, if that’s not something that you’re concerned about, go ahead and use your oven! :)

sustainable-sam said: You can also build solar food dryer for outside :)

^^^ There is always this option, I just wouldn’t recommend it for the cold fall and wintery months.. doesn’t work so well. ;) But, in spring and summer, go for it!

Coming Out as a Vegan and Dealing with Parents

I know that this article will be more than helpful for my younger audience, because I see that questions involving this topic come up a lot. Go read it over at One Green Planet, and gain helpful knowledge on how to tell your parents what’s up!

cosiest-deactivated20120410 asked: anything else i can substitute Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup for? they're so expensive :{

You could probably get away with sweetening with a little stevia, or organic sugar instead of using agave nectar or maple syrup. Hope that helps! :)

Great advice from vganjr: (Just a little extra note) : You can also soak some dates in hot water for half an hour, then blend them in fresh water to make a syrup/paste. 1/4 cup dates + 1/4 cup water should equal somewhere around 1/4 cup agave. It isn’t as sweet though.

-My note: Depending on the kind of dates you get, they can add up as well (money-wise).

More suggestions!:

ohladycakes said: You can also caramelize sucanat until it’s deep brown and thick. I store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight jar for up to 2 weeks.

kittyclementine said: Rice Malt! It’s cheap, it’s made purely from brown rice and it doesn’t taste malty. It changed my life!

detailfreak said: or try brown rice syrup (or another grain based syrup).

How to Survive as a Vegan in a Non-Vegan Household

Here is a great article from One Green Planet that will be helpful to so many young people that are struggling with being vegan at home, or that are interested in becoming vegan but are not confident in defending their choice. Read it!

No, Thank YOU for reading! ;)

I know that these lists have been done before, but this will be mostly from my personal experience. People claim that eating/living as a vegan is expensive, but if you do it the right way it won’t be!

Usually costly items are fake meats, cheeses, processed foods, and ready made meals. If you want to live more cheaply stay away from these foods (they usually have weird chemicals and ingredients in them anyway, sans organic foods).

What I recommend as far as staples in the kitchen:

• You’ll always want to have plenty of fresh greens/vegetables, this should make up the majority of your diet.
• Fresh fruit- which ever ones you prefer, although it is best to keep a good variety so that you don’t get burned out on them.
• Grains & Legumes- These are usually low-fat, high-protein, high-fiber items that are good to have in meals; doesn’t have to be EVERY meal, but you should definitely incorporate them into your diet. I buy them dry, not canned, so that there are no added chemicals or preservatives and no BPA from the lining of the cans in my food.
• Nuts & Seeds- These are much like the grains and legumes because of the nutritional benefits that they offer. When I buy these I get them roasted or raw and never salted.

You can get these items at many grocery stores, but for the produce I recommend going to your local farmer’s market. This way you support local farms/economy, get seasonal produce, and are able to find out new things about your food straight from the source! Here is a serious pro-tip for those that go to farmer’s markets: Go towards the end of the hours that it’s open and strike deals with the farmers to get your produce for less. They don’t want to take excess quantities back with them if they can help it, so most of them are willing to bargain with you!

For nuts, grains, seeds and legumes, I go to my local grocer (Sprouts or Whole Foods) and buy them from the bulk bins. They will cost less than packaged foods, and there is a wider selection versus buying canned foods.

As far as my “best ingredients” go? I try to keep my inventory pretty diverse, but some great things to have in your kitchen on the regular are garlic, onions, and a good selection of spices. Spices can get expensive, so a good way to go about accumulating them is to maybe by a new one once or twice a week/month depending on your budget. I hope this helps you and others out! :)

rawchubster asked: Hey there! What's the brand of the food processor you use? It's yet another appliance I am itching to buy.

I have an old Cuisinart Food processor that works wonderfully. It looks the exact same as the one below:

I recommend getting a Cuisinart if possible, because they are basically the go-to brand for food processors and seem to be of really good quality. (Mine’s around 15-20 years old and works really well if that tells you anything!) :)

Portable Oatmeal Breakfast!

I went out of town for a couple days this past weekend and need to pack some food so that I wouldn’t run into problems while away. A perfect way to guarantee a yummy, healthy breakfast for yourself is to mix together some dry ingredients for oatmeal and keep in a container/jar! Like the picture below:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

1/2 Cup Golden Raisins

1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips

1/3 Cup Almonds

2 Tbsp. Ground Flaxseed

1 tsp. Cinnamon

And to bring separately, 3 tbsp. of Maple Syrup or Agave nectar (1 tbsp. for each serving)

Directions:

I made it into three servings for me so that I could shake it to mix it up and just pour out about a third of the mix each morning, mix with water and microwave for about 1 min. 30 sec. then drizzle your chosen sweetener over the top and stir. 

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

For a sweet treat after my yoga class last night, I juiced some of the many oranges my boyfriend’s grandma gave me. So simple, so delicious.

next »