Many people have their own special writing rituals. Some have unique pens while others wear special hats. Some play music while others light specific candles. I personally like to fire up Pomeroy (my happy little Mac) and sit down with some yummy food to get my creative juices moving. And since becoming a vegan 8 months ago, so many new foods have been opened up to me and made prep time for writing all that more exciting, never mind the fact I’m healthier than I ever have been and I’m making a difference in the lives of animals all at the same time!
Being a vegan means I avoid the use of all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. This not only benefits the animals, but also other people and the environment. Luckily for me and my writing, being vegan doesn’t mean I have to avoid tasty snacks. True, I might occasionally nosh on carrots or raw almonds, but more often than not, I’ll bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies or have a bowl of Soy Dream soy ice cream (butter pecan is tops!), and this weekend I’m going to make the dreamiest of berry muffins and am including the recipe for you below.
Today also just so happens to be World Vegan Day. Do you want to open up new doors to your food (and quite possibly your writing!)? Then I challenge you to be vegan for a day. What have you got to lose? If anything, I’d love to have you write about it.
Vegan Banana Berry Muffins
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)
½ cup maple syrup
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup water
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, or cranberries
1. Heat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except berries. Pour this into flour mixture and stir until just combined. (Do not stir any longer, or muffins might be tough).
3. Add berries and stir to distribute them throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins to 2/3 full. (You can line the muffin tin with paper or foil liners instead of greasing).
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until muffin are risen, firm and slightly golden on top.
For more sinfully delicious (and fat free) vegan eats and treats, visit http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
Debbie
9 comments:
WOW! Sue, that recipe sounds (borrowing a word from Rachael Ray) YUMM-O! I'll have to try it out!
My favorite "deadline" food in college when I was up until the wee hours trying to finish a paper: a box of chilled, Hostess mini chocolate donuts and a liter of Dr. Pepper. I sugared and caffined my way through many nights like that.
Oh, how I wish I still had that metabolism...
Yumcha! I'm going to have to try that out Debbie ;-)
Thanks for sharing and letting us know it's World Vegan Day! With posts like this it'll make my transition back into veganism a LOT easier.
Do you have a Henry's Market by you? (I think they're owned by Whole Foods) It's one of my favorite places to grocery shop. In fact, I'm planning on hitting the market tonight and getting some tasty goods. I'm going to try your recipe! It sounds absolutely scrumptious.
Thanks for the tip!
What a mouth-watering post! Thanks. My 11-year-old daughter turned to lacto-ovo-vegetarianism last May. So, we're not true vegans, but I'm teaming up with her, and I'm always on the lookout for new websites, sources, and recipes. This is well-timed. As my house turns into an icebox in the fall, I love to bake.
I'm looking forward to trying this out. ;-)
I'm a vegetarian and a freelance writer and a fan of WOW and I keep a vegg blog at www.dietdetective.com if you're interested :)
Debbie, sorry about the mis-credit on the blog post! It was funny...my first thought was: vegan??? Sue, when did you become a vegan? I thought you just started flirting with becoming a vegetarian... So, my gut caught it but my brain didn't put it together until I saw the other posts.
I'm a lacto-ovo pescatarian (and no, I don't think it's contagious or curable). ;-)
I grew up as a "meat & potatoes" girl, but then there was this unfortunate accident with some ground turkey left sitting on the rack in the oven thawing out for...um...like 5 days.
Think biology/chemistry experiment in a plastic wrapper that then progressed to a physics lesson in decomposed meat projection. Add one oven *without* a self-cleaning function, gloves, sponges, and two cans of Easy-Off. All of it equals one woman who hasn't been able to put meat in her mouth in 17 years.
Allena, thanks for the additional website to check out!
Annette, Pescatarian? I had to look that one up, even with your definition...just because you'd piqued my curiosity! Impressive (or scary) vocabulary, you have!
;-)
LOL - for some reason whenever Annette says that I always think it's a religion -- Lacto-ovo Presbyterian. (You'd have to hear it!) Well, I guess she's pretty religious about it! 17 years... Woo-hoo!
Sue, I think scary is more appropriate. I was mercilessly teased in my early teens for "always using big words no one else knows"--at least, that's what the girl's locker room bully said right before she punched me. =/
And I was constantly getting reprimanded for attempting to correct the grammar of my parent's adult friends when they were talking. LOL I guess, even back then, I was editing!
So, here's a question for our WOW! readers: Were you ever teased about your passion for reading or writing when you were young?
LOL on the Presbyterian connection, Angela!
If Debbie only knew what comments would have grown from a vegan blog post with a yummy recipe! Too funny!
To answer your question, Annette, I didn't write or read much as a kid...I was climbing trees, roof tops, biking, and exploring acres of land for quartz crystals...a total "tomboy" back then; so, my vocabulary wasn't the subject of envy or teasing. LOL. I was more of a monkey, but at least I have opposable thumbs and a mind that evolved, eventually. ;-P
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