Taking a Break.

Hi,

This is Mr. Veggie. Veggie is having some health issues and won't be blogging for a while. She wishes all of her readers well and hopes to be back on her feet (and the web) soon.

All the best and keep checking back.

Coffee substitute

Lately, I've been trying to cut back a bit on coffee, so I bought this substitute to try out.

Bambu® Filter coffee substitute

It is brewed in a coffee maker and tastes the most like coffee of any coffee substitute I've ever tried. It has a smooth taste similar to coffee.

If you are looking for a way to cut back on your caffeine intake then give this one a try.

After trying this one I'd love to try some of their other products like the Bambu Frappé and Bambu Vanilla.

INGREDIENTS
Chicory, wheat, malted barley, figs and acorns.

A couple other kinds I've tried throught the years.

Teeccino herbal coffee

It is also brewed like coffee but all the flavours I tried seemed to have this strange mint flavour in the background that I don't find appealing.

Inka

It is prepared like instant coffee, it's quite strong but takes quite suprisingly like a regular instant coffee.

Lentils Tarka

I found this yummy recipe in World Vegetarian by Sarah Brown, that I borrowed from the library, it has several other recipes in it I'd like to try as well.

Banrock Station Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent light drinking wine that pairs with this meal.

Salmonella Contamination Recall List

Just in case some of you are not aware of this major peanut recall.

Apparently this company has been involved in recalls in the past. It's pretty scary when a food company knowingly sends out unsafe food.

Company allegedly shipped its peanut butter knowing it could be contaminated

"The company at the heart of the nationwide salmonella outbreak -- Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) -- shipped peanut butter it knew was contaminated 12 times in the past two years, federal officials say."

Salmonella Investigation and Recall - 2009 (for the US and Canada)

Complete list of products

This list is still being updated almost daily.

Click here to see them listed by date.

Peanut Corp. has long history of problems, FDA reports.
January 29, 2009

"The company linked to the nationwide salmonella outbreak -- Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) -- has expanded its massive recall to include all peanuts and peanut products made at its Georgia facility since January 1, 2007."

PCA Shuts Second Peanut Plant In Salmonella Scare
Texas plant closed after tests find possible contamination
February 11, 2009

"PCA's latest recall now includes all peanuts (dry and oil roasted), granulated peanuts, peanut meal, peanut butter, and peanut paste -- along with a warning to pet owners."

As a result of the expansion of Peanut Corporation of America’s recall to include all peanut ingredients produced in their Blakely, Georgia facility since Jan. 1, 2007, Kellogg Company has issued a voluntary nationwide recall for the following products.

· Keebler® Soft Batch Homestyle Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, 2.5-ounce size only, with a “Best If Used Before” date prior to June 30, 2009 (06 30 9), with the following UPC codes: 3010032708, 3010037899.

· Special K Protein™ Meal Bar Honey Almond variety only, 6-count and 8-count packages, with a “Best If Used Before” date prior to February 1, 2010 (FEB 01 2010), with the following UPC codes: 3800039778, 3800039935, 3800039931.

No other Special K® products are part of this recall. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection to the above products.

Although these products do not contain any peanut ingredients from Peanut Corporation of America, they were produced at another company’s facility on the same line as products that were made for other companies using potentially contaminated PCA ingredients. For that reason, this voluntary recall is being issued out of an abundance of caution."

Oasis’s 100% Juice Blend

Oasis 100% Juice Blend (Blueberry-Concord Grape)

I purchased this juice because it was on sale and I'd quickly picked it up not even thinking that I should check regular JUICE to see if it contained fish oils and fish gelatin.

When something says 100% Juice Blend on the package should I actually need to check any further to ensure that it actually is?

When I contacted the company to inform them that I was quite upset that I had bought this and ask them why they couldn't just use flax oil instead.

They sent me an email outlining why they use fish oil over say flax, but I really had wanted to know to WHY in the world they would put fish in a plant food.

I certainly expected that for sure they would at the very least understand me and send me some coupons so I could buy one of their other juices that did not contain fish oil. I had to throw out the rest of the bottle.

It has a very strong flavour, and it's way to sweet, I guess to cover up the hidden FISH OILS.

Ingredient List
Fruit juices from concentrate (water, concentrated grape, apple and/or pear, blueberry and lemon), juice made from fresh apples, natural flavour, vitamin C, omega-3 from marine source [refined fish oil (anchovy, sardine), fish gelatin, sodium ascorbate, tocopherols (soy), tranglutaminase].

Here's a link to an interesting review of this juice that I found on the net.

The Tassajara Recipe Book

I got this cookbook for Christmas this year, so far I've tried the Sesame Soybeans; it's similar to hummus but made with soybeans instead of chickpeas. The Pungent Cucumbers salad was excellent paired with a bowl of steamed sicky rice. I hope to try out the Tassajara Granola recipe soon too, as well as many others from this book.



I also got these great stainless steel wine goblets, these will be great for drinks out on the deck in the summer months. I could only get two, so I hope to find a few more for a set.

Vegetarian Chili

I did also find out that PC meatless chicken breasts are excellent cooked & sliced on top of a salad.

Saute them in a frying pan with olive oil, a generous sprinkling of lemon juice, a pinch of oregano and garlic. Cover the pan while cooking to keep them moist.

I made this Chili tonight for dinner, the recipe is mostly made up but it turned out wonderfully. A great meal for a cold winter's night, the flour will thicken the chili as it cooks.


Chili

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp oregano
2-3 tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 can black beans
1 can romano beans
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup granulated TVP & 1 cup water
1 veg. beef boullion cube
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup water mixed with 1 cup flour
Add extra water as needed

Saute onions, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook 1/2 an hour or longer. Stir often and keep on a low simmer.

Add extra spices to taste.

Serve with Tofutti sour cream and chopped green onions over each serving.