Before and After Frankenstorm

The storm is over, and we are safe and feel very lucky.

We weathered through the long high wind storm without any major problems. Miraculously, my neighborhood has power despite power failures in almost all neighborhoods for miles around. Traffic lights are out  and most stores are closed in all of the neighboring towns!. Most of our friends do not have power, the schools and most people's place of employment still  lack power as of Thursday!

The Sprint Towers are out , so we do not have cell phone power.

Other than that, we only lost a tree, which is minor compared to what happened to some  of our neighbors.

A part of our tree split and broke off and will require some major clean up, but many of our neighbor's trees ripped out of the roots and dug up the entire area of their yard. Scary!!

                          
                               

My neighbor's tree!!Scary, missed the house

Our tree split down the middle and fell

another scary one..

Just for the fun of it, I took a picture of my neighbor's tree before the storm , then I took a picture this morning after the storm. It is still in one piece, but most of the leaves are gone overnight!

My neighbor's Tree Before Frankenstorm

Same  Tree After Frankenstorm

I know that many people have not been as lucky. Many are without power, some are flooded, many in deep snow..

Our thoughts are with you, and we pray for your safety and that all will be well soon.!

                                    Please let us know how your are...

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Shaved Carrot Ribbons and Cranberry Salad

Two simple vegetables, the carrot and the cranberry ( a berry) create a fabulous fall salad!

Low calories, yet in high fiber and nutrition, carrots have a rich orange color that is especially appealing in the fall and add a subtle sweetness to so many recipes.

For lunch today ( trying to make healthy choices), I decided to shave a few carrots ( I used a regular vegetable peeler)  into carrot ribbons ( shavings)  and create a salad around it. My creation was absolutely delicious, simple, raw and vegan. I made the salad for "one" and ate it as my lunch,  You can double or triple it for a side dish with dinner.

 I bought a container of organic cranberries last week, so all of my salads this week have boasted a splash of cranberries. Not only do these seasonal berries add color to the salad , they add a welcome tartness. I also love the contrast of the orange carrot with the cranberries.

Since, cranberries are also great for your health. I try  to take advantage of the short season when fresh organic cranberries are available in the supermarket.

I dressed my salad with my sweet cranberry dressing from last week's post and really enjoyed  the combination.

When it comes to cranberries, a little goes a long way!

Health Benefits of Cranberries: ( Quoted from a website called Meals Matter )

" Cranberries contain a powerful cocktail of protective phytonutrients, plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) that act as antioxidants in the body.

Cranberry extracts have been shown to inhibit the growth of oral, colon, and prostate cancer cells, in addition to inducing cell death of breast cancer cells. Phytonutrients in cranberries may also be involved in inhibiting the spread of cancer cells throughout the body.

In addition to its anti-cancer properties, cranberries may also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol, inhibiting LDL oxidation (one of the first steps in the progression of coronary artery disease), lowering blood pressure, and inhibiting the formation of blood clots."   end of quote from Meals Matter

Shaved Carrot Ribbon Salad Ingredients: 
1 large fat organic carrot ( large wide carrots are easier to shave with your
vegetable peelers 5 white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 tomato, diced
5 fresh organic cranberries
1/4 cup of plump organic raisins ( optional)
10 raw cashews

Directions: Using your vegetable peeler, shave the carrot into ribbons ( peelings) and place on a plate. Add sliced mushrooms, diced tomato, and fresh cranberries and raw cashews. Add dressing and enjoy.

Use any vegetable peeler to shave down the carrot 

                           
Variation: If you do not want your salad completely raw, saute the shaved carrot peeling in a little bit of oil spray for a minute or two until the carrots become a little soft and start to wilt. This will make the orange color even more vibrant, the taste a little sweeter, and it will feel like you are eating a vegetable spaghetti texture.

sauteed in a little olive oil spray for 2 minutes

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The calm before the storm ( Frankenstorm??)

We are buckling down ( literally)  in anticipation of the storm.

My husband tied down all of our chairs, we put the rest of the outside furniture in the garage, and moved lots of small herb planters inside.

We received a telephone recording from our township telling us that tomorrow on Monday, no cars are allowed on the road. That means we are in a state of emergency and of course no one can go to work.

We have lost power many times in previous storms, so we bought some bottled water and some items that can be eaten without refrigeration or cooking.

I went to the supermarket and was surprised to notice that all the avocados ( usually they have a large display) were wiped out. A woman next to me commented that she thought that it was a bizarre item to be wiped out. As we started talking, we both said, you know green avocados will last a few days before ripening and are actually healthy and filling. In another area we noticed a four bag avocado item and both of us rushed over to buy it. It was the last thing I thought I would be buying. ( Power of suggestion).

In an effort to buy things that don't need refrigeration, I also bought some gluten free pretzels,some pistachio nuts, some bananas, and we already have a few cans of beans.

We are set with candles, a first aid kit, flash lights and hope we won't have to use any of them.

I took some pictures of the before the storm. I'll take a picture of this same tree after the storm.

Before the Storm!

The farm at my corner before the storm.


Let's hope and pray that everyone will be safe and make it through the storm safe and sound.

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3 Course Gluten Free Dinner ( vegan)

Being a gluten free vegan, I can't tell you how many times people ask me, "what do you actually make for dinner?"Although it changes with the season, this is a typical dinner.

( Those who know me are probably thinking, "Vegan???" .. it's true!  I have always been a vegetarian, but I took the plunge over the summer and for mostly health reasons, I am now eating vegan. It's easier than I thought, and actually when I looked through my last two year's recipe posts on this blog, they were 80 % vegan.

This dinner was delicious and filling ( maybe too filling). It might have been better for a weekend lunch..
I made soup ,which is perfect dinner choice for fall, a salad full of fall greens ( kale, dandelion) ,  some roasted Brussels Sprouts and cauliflower and steamed rich orange sweet yams over black beans.

Soup:
Red Lentil Soup with red potatoes and carrots ( very easy, fast and delicious, very filling, and high in protein)

Salad: Sweet and Bitter 
Bitter Fall Greens ( really good for you; helps cleans and detoxify your system), raisins, cashews, and a homemade sweet cranberry dressing..

Vegetables and Yams over Black Beans
I chose fall veggies . According to many ancient traditions ( Ayurveda (Indian) , Chinese  medicine, etc., it is always healthiest to eat what grows locally.It makes sense, it supplies the vitamins and minerals that you need for that season.
 I love my veggies roasted; there is nothing better than roasted Brussels sprouts( recipe)- in fact it's the only way I like them..( You couldn't get me to eat a boiled one!!)

Fresh Brussels Sprouts on the stalk 

Crunchy and creamy on the inside roasted  Brussels sprouts

                             
We didn't actually end up eating the black beans. The lentil soup was very filling and a good source of protein, so we saved the black beans for the next day.


Soup Ingredients: 
1 package of red lentils ( available in the supermarket; " Goya" or in the health food isle, the health food store, or an ethnic store- middle eastern, Indian, Spanish)
2 small red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 organic carrots, washed and sliced
Water to cover everything
Hilmaylian salt and pepper to taste
Trader Joe's salt-less 21 Salute seasoning ( or Mrs. Dash or add your own spices)

Instructions: 
Wash lentils well, add to pot , add potatoes, carrots, and sufficient water to cover all. Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring very frequently ( will stick and burn if you don't) and skim off any foam ( this is like a split pea soup) allow to cook until everything is soft and well blended ( about 1 hour)



Salad Ingredients: 

Organic romaine lettuce, 2 cups chopped
organic kale , 1 hand sized bunch or 1 cup ( remove veins and rip into bite size pieces)
dandelion greens ( 1/4 cup) very bitter, chopped ( optional)
1/4 of organic cranberries ( raw) chopped
1/2 cup of organic raisins
1/4 cup or raw organic cashews
1 cup of red cabbage, chopped
1 red apple, cored and diced
2 organic radishes, sliced


Dressing: 
1/4 cup of raw organic cranberries
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice ( optional)
1/4 cup of Grade B organic  maple syrup ( Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup of water
Blend in blender until well blended

Yams: 

I bought 2 varieties; a bright orange and a light orange..
I steam them in their skin until tender ( about 20 minutes) watch that your water doesn't evaporate and burn the pot ( like I did ) The skin will come right off after steamed.

Slice and arrange on top of plain black beans..

Roasted Veggie ( recipe)-

That's our meal- gluten free, vegan, healthy, delicious, filling!! ( the soup, salad, and dressing are fat free)

shared on the following carnival  links: