Monday, November 27, 2006

The Veggie Queen DVD - well, almost

My DVD is going on sale. When it was produced in conjunction with John McDougall, MD almost 2 years ago, we went round and round about the title. So, while I wish that I could say that it's called Cooking with The Veggie Queen, Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, it is really called Creative Low-Fat Vegan Cuisine, Simply Healthful Meals. My sister who eats much the way that I do said that she wouldn't even be likely to watch a DVD with the curent title (but of course she did). Dr. McDougall and I went round and round and eventually I just gave in and let him name it whatever he wanted. But my next DVD on pressure cooking (it's in the planning stages now) will have the title that I choose. Maybe I'll have a contest to see who can make up the best title for it.

Anyway, the DVD will be on sale for a short time for $17.95 plus shipping. There are a limited number of copies available. And that's it. If you are interested in getting a copy please email me at jill@theveggiequeen.com or go to The Veggie Queen website at http://www.theveggeiqueen.com.

Happy Holidays. The DVD sale is only on until December 15th, 2006 for holiday shipping.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Veggies or Vegetables Three Times Daily

I don't know about you but I could really eat vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And heck, when you're supposed to eat 9 to 11 servings each day, this is a great way to do it. I've written before about my new, unusual breakfast but I just keep remembering how good it makes me feel to eat tofu and mixed veggies early in the day. This morning I switched to a new breakfast and I might need to stick with it for a while and see how I feel.

I had a smoothie with Nutiva hempseed protein powder (this is kind of like a vegetable, isn't it?), grated ginger, half a banana, a little soy milk and a smaller amount of juice. It was only 8 ounces and it was a great beginning, along with some Earthseed Essene bread with a bit of nut butter. And that lasted a few hours until I was ready for my early lunch of yummy leftovers -- all veggie based plus some leftover tofu. It was a large bowl of veggies+, and as I savored it I realized that if I eat veggies often, I can eat more. And that's really why I eat so many vegetables. I can eat a lot. Don't you like that?

A book called Volumetrics by Barbara Rolls, Ph. D. goes along with this theory about eating what we call "nutrient dense" foods that provide a lot of nutrition along with foods that don't contain a lot of calories such as vegetables, fruit and soups. Did you ever think about how soups fill you up, especially if they are brothy?

Sorry to say that I prefer thicker soups such as my Roasted Squash and Pear or Shane's Fabulous Lentil but since this is a great time of year for soup, any will do. In fact, the other evening I cooked some onion and garlic and threw in a half cup of leftover cooked black beans with a can of Amy's Southwestern Vegetable Soup. My husband really liked it.

Using processed foods occasionally is OK, especially if you are adding more veggies to them to make them taste fresher and help decrease the overall sodium content by increasing the volume. Once again, many food issues often relate to volume.

And with that, it's time to put together my farmer's market shopping list for my Wednesday night class and then for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Mushrooms and Election Day

I like Election Day. It's one day that I know that I can accomplish something before 8 a.m. that I feel good about doing, other than walking the dog. But I'm not going to get into politics here. Let's just say that I encourage you to vote -- and do what you think is right for you.

It's like eating and making food choices, there's lots of information out there and a lot of it is confusing. You do the best that you can. You won't hear me say, "Just listen to me, I'll tell you exactly what to do." Nope, you've got to decide for yourself.

But when it comes to mushrooms, I have a lot to say. I'll start with, "Eat them." They taste good and they're likely very good for you. Hunt them for recreation but don't eat them unless you are with a professional who is sure of which kind you have picked. We've had our first rain and I noticed the mushrooms peeking out of the duff while I'm out walking the dog.

As for my walks, I have to say that although they are mostly a sniff-and-pee fest for my dog Bear, that my morning walks have kept me in good shape since we've had him. I don't do much other exercise. So, that's my vote for walking -- DAILY - rain, shine, heat or cold. We don't have snow but if we did I'd head somewhere indoors for my exercise or take up cross-country skiiing or something aerobic.

Remember that we need air, water and food plus love to have a fulfilling life. OH, but back to mushrooms. Eat them as often as you an, especially shiitakes in the winter for an immune system boost.