Tag Archives: First

Your First Vegetarian Holiday Season – Some Great Cooking Tips

Posted on by
Reply

If you have just gone vegetarian and are coming up to you first vegetarian holiday season, or if you find yourself cooking for a vegetarian this holiday season this is the article for you. A vegetarian holiday season need not be a gloomy series of substitutes for meat. Vegetarian fare can be festive in its own right.

A good nut roast is one of the delights of the vegetarian table. It takes some time to make so it is not something that vegetarians eat every day. But it takes much less time than a turkey.

You will need a selction of nuts and this is season of nuts. You will also need a food processor to grind them to a paste. The kind of nuts you use influences the flavour and colour of the finished roast. Almonds, walnuts, cashews and some hazel nuts make an excellent vegetarian roast but be guided by your own tastes.

Grind the nuts and season them with salt, pepper and spices. Nutmeg is an ideal spice to use. Add some liquid such as vegetable stock and put the mixture into a tin. It should be baked in the oven for about an hour depending on size.

To accompany your vegetarian roast you will need sauces. Cranberry sauce is fine for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. An onion gravy made with vegetable stock will be eaten by all your guests.

Stuffing can be cooked in a separate dish. A combination of brown rice, dried fruit, chopped apples and spices will make a delicious accompaniment to the vegetarian roast. Just avoid adding meat fat. Rely on vegetable fat such as vegetarian suet.

For the visual aspect of a festive vegetarian meal you need to think about vegetables. Decorate your table with a variety of vegetable dishes. Baked squashes make a spectacular centre piece. Stuffed vegetables will show that you have taken that little bit of extra care about the meal.

If your meal is to be entirely vegetarian give the vegetables centre stage on your table. Their colours will delight the eyes of your diners. If you are entertaining vegetarians and non-vegetarians then the turkey will have to take pride of place. But all your guests will be able to tuck into the vegetarian dishes. Your meal may open their eyes to the world of vegetarian cuisine.

Remember that your vegetarian guests may be vegan. If you cannot ascertain this in advance then it will be as well to avoid the use of eggs and milk in your vegetarian dishes. A nust roast is often bound together with eggs but this is not essential. Cream sauces for dessert can be made from ground nuts. Cashews are always popular for this. Soya cream is also available.

When creating a cheese board take care to ensure that at least one cheese is made without rennet. Rennet comes from the lining of a cow’s stomach and many vegetarians will not eat it. You might also like to have a few soy based cheeses. The soft soy based cheeses are an excellent option for guests who are watching their cholesterol levels as well as vegetarians and vegans.

The whole point of a holiday season is to share with friends and family. So if you are a non-vegetarian cooking for vegetarians or you are a vegetarian cooking for non-vegetarians make your festive table welcoming to all.

Abhishek has got some great tips on becoming a Vegetarian Download his FREE 108 Pages Ebook, “The Advantages Of Being A Vegetarian!” from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/81/index.htm Only limited Free Copies available.

Fostering Courage, Strength and Compassion in Adolescent Girls: The First Step

Posted on by
Reply

Copyright (c) 2010 AIMHI Educational Programs

As a parent and educator, I continually search for ways to reach, nurture and empower girls so that they may value their caring nature and keep the strength of their child spirit. The task is challenging because adolescent girls not only face the age old issues of coming of age, they must also deal with attitudes, problems and pressures that were once reserved for adults. Parents and teachers must overcome tremendous obstacles to accomplish the task of fostering courage, strength and compassion in our girls.

A recent Nike Ad featuring a female runner being pursued by a chainsaw wielding attacker brought the issues young women face to the fore for me once again. Horrified, I got on my activist soapbox and encouraged all who I knew to protest. Why? Because if our voices are not heard as a unified plea to help our children, the media’s assault to our senses and sensibilities will continue. When we speak out against actions that diminish our girls, we present ourselves as strong, caring and courageous role models.

Advertisers and scriptwriters continually present women in violent, degrading scenes and we, as parents and educators, must deal with the fall-out. Rather than become discouraged, we need to stand up and be noticed. We have a powerful voice! Our girls hear us rise up to speak and learn from our words and actions. The first step in the process of raising strong girls is to be a positive role model.

Positive role models are critical to a child’s development. Girls need adults in their lives who model assertiveness, strength, caring and responsiveness. They need to see the women in their lives value and foster positive relationships. We need to empower them to make decisions and solve problems within the safety net of our love and guidance. Girls need to see us working to continually improve our ability to communicate our needs, hopes, and concerns so that we nurture others but don’t lose ourselves. In a world defined by clothing labels, media hype, and gender stereotypes, girls need role models who base their identity and self-worth on who they are as people, rather than how pretty or fashionable they are.

Given the power of the media and the negative messages it sends about women, we must educate our girls to recognize and reject this conditioning. First, we must work to understand how the media and our culture impact our thinking, and with that understanding learn to revive our true selves. Only, then we can help our young women understand this conditioning and make conscious choices about who they are and what they want rather than subconsciously conform to society’s expectations.

Each one of us is a powerful role model for the adolescent girls we reach. We cannot be too assertive in sharing our views or providing a good example. They need us desperately at this point in their lives. Let your voice be heard!

This article originally appeared in an issue of Caring Campaigns on the CaringTeacher.com website in 2000.

Susan Fitzell is a dynamic nationally recognized speaker and author of many educational resource books. Her experience spans two decades with differentiated instruction, teaching youth with special needs, students with behavioral and anger management issues, and bullying. Susan shares her vast knowledge with educators K-12.
AIMHI Educational Programs focuses on building caring school communities. http://aimhieducational.com

How To Become A Vegetarian For The First Time

Posted on by
Reply

If you have made a choice and taken the decision of being a vegetarian, it’s important you learn how to be one. This article will help you find the answer to the question “How to become a vegetarian for the first time?”

Each person has their own reason to become a vegetarian.  You need to first figure your own motive ?? below are some reasons people decide to become a vegetarian;

A. Some people are animal lovers, who are against animal cruelty that are slaughtered in meat production and slaughtering houses.

B. Some people are environmentalists, who understand that raising animals for meat requires land for grazing and that the meat production work in different slaughter houses leads to animal waste accumulation and waste run off, apart from emission of lethal gases like methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

C .Some people want to become a vegetarian to follow a religion or a philosophy that they have adopted.

D.One of the main reasons why most people are becoming vegetarian these days is because of the various health benefits that come with becoming a vegetarian. People feel more energetic and vigorous following a vegetarian diet.

Becoming a vegetarian is a learning curve. You should realize and understand that human being’s taste buds adopt themselves according to the food that we usually eat. If you’ll try something different or something for the first time, the taste might certainly be rejected which is normal.

Step 1. So, the first step towards becoming a Vegetarian is to have enough patience to travel the path from being a non vegetarian to a complete vegetarian. Once you have committed to your goal of being a vegetarian, the following tips will help you achieve it:

Step 2. Become a gradual vegetarian and slowly reduce junk food out of your daily . Do it in steps so that you get time to adopt yourself to the style. Divide the non vegetarian food items into different groups and start by removing each group at a time out of your diet.

Step 3. Learn to say no. This will be difficult in the beginning when you still remember the taste and smell of your favorite non vegetarian food but with time you will develop the resistance. A good idea will be telling all your friends and family about your newly adopted eating habit, so that they don’t force you to eat meat.

Step 4. Try a new vegetarian food item every time you go to a shop or restaurant . This is important because you are leaving your favorite diet and you will need something good to replace it. If you don’t like a vegetarian product the first time you try it, don’t lose patience. Try the same product but of a different brand. Tastes vary and so are your choices.

Step 5. Read about vegetarianism. Watch videos. Meet people who are vegetarians and talk to them, listen to their ideas. You should have something that should constantly motivate you to achieve your goal of being a vegetarian.

Vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice that has many benefits. It is time to improve your health,  “Your Health Is Your Real Wealth”.

To get more  information on how to become a vegetarian or to start the vegetarian lifestyle to go http://www.vegetariannewbie.com and claim your special free report “10 Essential Facts For The Vegetarian Newbie” Today !