tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43584817503267645522024-03-12T23:28:20.477-07:00Coastal VeganExploring the challenges of living a vegan life on the wild Pacific Edge. It's about good vegan food, resources, people, and the ocean environment in which I live.R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-51325584063705561742013-10-26T17:12:00.000-07:002013-10-26T17:12:35.247-07:00Of Bread and Tomatoes<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, you can grow tomatoes on the Northern Oregon coast! </span></span>I just harvested my last and largest one. I took it in a little on the under ripe side because the plant is all but dead. The days are shorter and colder as well so I didn't think it would finish ripening on the vine. Here it is next to my keys to give an idea of scale:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7oYuQoRtuMl0C0ut6QXbkngBr3RZHokxJpt-FzYAyDyK0abojsOIYt4HHW9yoNH-315qU4c3yYjz-f4IuftTwMOHkjAK2Ve1XLIuD-onXRlRbLpcwJ_RzdOrQFsCZZeHNax1qYijX2A/s1600/tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7oYuQoRtuMl0C0ut6QXbkngBr3RZHokxJpt-FzYAyDyK0abojsOIYt4HHW9yoNH-315qU4c3yYjz-f4IuftTwMOHkjAK2Ve1XLIuD-onXRlRbLpcwJ_RzdOrQFsCZZeHNax1qYijX2A/s640/tomato.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Container grown, organic tomato. Grown on the Northern Oregon coast! </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to confess, I gobbled all the cashew cheese I made in the previous post without taking pictures of the finished product. </span></span>I will try to do better next time. The cheese was delicious!<br />
I believe I have mentioned that I am gluten free too. I will have been gluten free for 2 years next month. I admit, going gluten free has not been easy for me. I didn't slip, but I did twice deliberately try to reintroduce gluten to see if I could eat bread again. Both times I had negative reactions not long after consuming the gluten product. I seem to be getting even more sensitive than before.<br />
After failing the last gluten tolerance test, I resigned myself to the idea that I will have to get used to being gluten free. Fortunately, I have found a wonderful <a href="http://lauriesadowski.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> by Laurie Sadowski with a lot of yummy sounding recipes that are not only gluten free but vegan too! I have been so impressed with her recipes and blog that I have purchased her two books, The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread, and The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes and Cookies. I don't make or eat a lot of desserts but, the holidays are coming and I wanted to expand my gluten-free horizons. So far, I have tried three recipes from the AFC Bakes Bread book. I haven't tried the recipes in the other book yet but will soon.<br />
The first recipe I tried was the Wholesome Flax Bread. It is delicious! Now, I am not going to lie, it doesn't taste exactly like homemade wheat bread but, like the cashew cheese, it satisfies all the same points that wheat bread and cheese from cows does. I sliced the bread up and put it in the freezer. I pull out what I need and pop it into the toaster oven. OK, I also acknowledge that I am not the best food photographer, I will have to work on that. I didn't use a flash on this and the light was low. I ran it through Photoshop to get the color looking like it should.The low-light picture is a bit blurry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxlkW2ehX8e0wiaj2gR0CVDpReBtL9Y9Kd24jRCnWv4Re6u_sX2m3LybjZnsexZiwbMfNFlZw97Kr0jViDH357oj1SPpkvF7sIDSK0oSz1KoSCIPebWwWzGCbXCqOBgTR6hJklXamsPE/s1600/bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxlkW2ehX8e0wiaj2gR0CVDpReBtL9Y9Kd24jRCnWv4Re6u_sX2m3LybjZnsexZiwbMfNFlZw97Kr0jViDH357oj1SPpkvF7sIDSK0oSz1KoSCIPebWwWzGCbXCqOBgTR6hJklXamsPE/s640/bread.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wholesome Flax Bread</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">One wheat item I really and truly miss is flour tortillas.</span></span> I always made my own. I was pleased to find a tortilla recipe using buckwheat, which in case you didn't know, is not a wheat and doesn't have gluten. They had just the right feel and taste! Yesterday I made chickpea bannock to accompany a veggie and GF noodle soup and salad. I made spicy maple baked tofu as well. The tofu recipe is my own riff on many such recipes. The Allergy-Free Cook recipes also use minimally processed sweeteners such as maple syrup, molasses, and dates.<br />
To sum it all up, yum! I am going to enjoy these cookbooks. I am putting the links to her <a href="http://lauriesadowski.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> and <a href="http://theallergyfreecook.com/" target="_blank">website</a> in and will state that I am in no way affiliated with The Allergy-Free Cook brand. I am just a new fan!<br />
I am slowly finding my footing on the Northern Oregon Coast here as a gluten-free vegan. <span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think I will feel I have truly arrived when I am able to have my own garden to grow my own food. I am looking forward to that one day.</span></span><br />
I will do my best to get pictures of the next batch of vegan cheese I make!<br />
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Do you have a favorite gluten-free, vegan bread recipe?<br />
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Happy eating,<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-51933590274783670682013-09-14T21:16:00.000-07:002013-09-14T21:16:01.231-07:00Three Vegan Cheeses<div style="color: #38761d;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Are you a..um...healthy vegan?" </span></div>
I was recently asked this question by my surgeon during my initial appointment with her.<br />
It is a good question. Fortunately, I could answer "Yes! I am a whole foods vegan." However, I know that just because one is vegan doesn't mean one eats healthily. I mean, Oreo cookies are vegan ( and no, I don't eat them)! It did get me to thinking though so hang on tight, here we go... <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Slowly, ever so slowly, I am climbing back into blogging. It has been a challenging past few months. I have posted some of the details on my <a href="http://www.rldelightfineart.com/" target="_blank">art blog</a> so will not go into them here. I will just say that I am here and I am on the road to healing body and heart. </span></div>
I have a bit of downtime on my healing journey and am re-evaluating several aspects of my life. One of those aspects is my eating. I do pretty well in the food department but, there is always room for improvement. I have decided to get a bit radical and cut out nearly all, if not all, processed or packaged food. Funny how that is a radical act these days, not so in the past when a household produced and made nearly all of their food.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">So, what does cutting out package/process foods look like? </span>It sounds so simple, just don't buy it! I suspect it will be more difficult than it sounds. I have to admit, I don't really have too far to go so it will not be a huge leap for me but, that last little bit might be challenging. The only processed food I currently eat is a handful of condiments, store bought tofu, organic brown rice cakes and rice noodles, and the occasional bit of chocolate.<br />
I keep organic canned beans on hand for emergency/disaster preparedness. They are occasionally cycled into food prep to keep them up to date. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">We live in a rugged area on the Northern Oregon Coast and our town is big on being prepared for the inevitability of being cut off. </span><br />
I don't have my own garden yet. We currently rent and the yard is landscaped. I do have a few containers of herbs and veggies. I would like to find a way to grow more.<br />
Living in a somewhat isolated area, much of my food is purchased in bulk at a food co-op about an hours drive away or by mail-order. A few things are purchased from our town's natural food store and veggies are purchased in the summer from a farmer's market and CSA. <br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">So, I am going to be blogging about this journey. I am really not sure what it will look like yet but I am sure there will be surprises along the way. </span>The first step will be to take an honest survey on what I currently use and have on hand and what I will need to make myself. That will be in my next post.<br />
In the meantime, I have three vegan nut cheeses in the process of being made. I am using the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Vegan-Cheese-Miyoko-Schinner/dp/1570672830/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379217555&sr=1-1&keywords=artisan+vegan+cheese" target="_blank">Artisan Vegan Cheese</a> cookbook as my guide. I have made some of these before and really loved them. I don't really like the packaged vegan cheeses available in the stores, they don't seem to agree with my digestion. I made a quinoa rejuvelac as a culturing agent. Here are the fermenting cheeses:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBguH4ub0zupmzBiODS_Q3XJen01s4cOefnqtOELPqOu_qWRmmth-wgs_XP-XnjkEUuEBJJ0EYfLiX1DUTYOLoBx1_lCoEH0GafMhueDlhRaTz4kNb1Pk38b9pD5cNgl7qJEFxHKYN2Zw/s1600/threecheeses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBguH4ub0zupmzBiODS_Q3XJen01s4cOefnqtOELPqOu_qWRmmth-wgs_XP-XnjkEUuEBJJ0EYfLiX1DUTYOLoBx1_lCoEH0GafMhueDlhRaTz4kNb1Pk38b9pD5cNgl7qJEFxHKYN2Zw/s640/threecheeses.jpg" width="518" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top cheese, sharp cheddar, bottom right, gruyere, bottom left, cashew chevre.</td></tr>
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There still are a few steps to make to complete the cheeses once they have fermented but they won't take long. I have made the cheddar and chevre before. This is my first try with the gruyere. All are made with a cashew nut base. I will show the finished cheeses when they are done. <br />
I have a shopping trip planned for Monday so I will need to get that pantry survey done tomorrow. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I would be interested in hearing from any of you who have taken steps, no matter how tiny, toward reducing your processed and packaged food intake. </span><br />
To your health!<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-9621428714711854482013-04-28T21:38:00.000-07:002013-04-28T21:40:03.805-07:00Preparing for the Big One<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">It is no secret that living on the Northern Oregon coast has potential hazards.</span> Japan's earthquake and tsunami highlighted one possibility rather starkly. Recently, new information has been released to the public on the potential catastrophes that can hit our little corner of the world one of which is a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami. Unfortunately for any area along the Pacific Rim, it is really a matter of when, not if. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">In addition to the possible 9.0 earthquake and following tsunami, our area has the possibility of being cut off for weeks, months, and even a year! </span><br />
I have mentioned the wonderful community we are fortunate to live in several times. Another of the strong points in this community is the active, and dare I say activist, participation of many of its members in emergency preparedness. Our little town is not only being used as a model for emergency preparedness but our community leaders in the field are actively reaching out and training others how to get their own towns ready. It is most impressive!<br />
I recently attended the annual Nehalem Bay Emergency Volunteer Corps meeting. Now, I am not a huge fan of meetings but my mate is involved in C.E.R.T. (community emergency response team) and I appreciate what all these hard working people do and want to do my part in being prepared. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">When we arrived at the local community center where the meeting was held, every seat had a MRE (unfortunately too many of us know what these are but for those who don't: Meal:Ready-to-Eat) and a bottle of water</span>. Mine was beef enchilada. Hmmm, are there vegan MRE's? Not at the meeting but I decided that I needed to look that up. Here is what they look like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq4Ex-BjCh-6YpNHGhO7NnXylYE48NvmLoz27kqgztVa22_n_t0LN3itr-qBLpqHH_sJHxx_XDmWdoTRfNcUYa3OES6v8kcGDgXo-d8AhH8U-iwGjqMMXBP1YjdQLgosxUGNCn7I4Dh0/s1600/MRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq4Ex-BjCh-6YpNHGhO7NnXylYE48NvmLoz27kqgztVa22_n_t0LN3itr-qBLpqHH_sJHxx_XDmWdoTRfNcUYa3OES6v8kcGDgXo-d8AhH8U-iwGjqMMXBP1YjdQLgosxUGNCn7I4Dh0/s640/MRE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdPU5eZB-G5-5n3MmPRcIcmoSvdg-dzr_iJnyXzc6jOKCHqg0-zzuKCC9mTnFTUZ-XHSnJTlUSF1i_Vhp_SPPkPIITvKP5JstrD1YNqtyQQsdiF0SQhenCfbuF749tr3FpniIv8kqakw/s1600/MREclose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdPU5eZB-G5-5n3MmPRcIcmoSvdg-dzr_iJnyXzc6jOKCHqg0-zzuKCC9mTnFTUZ-XHSnJTlUSF1i_Vhp_SPPkPIITvKP5JstrD1YNqtyQQsdiF0SQhenCfbuF749tr3FpniIv8kqakw/s640/MREclose.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Penne with Vegetable Sausage is vegetarian but not vegan. Quite honestly these would make me physically ill to eat them. There was a person or two who told me that if I was hungry enough I would eat them. I had to respond that I would only eat them if I was on the point of death. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Why would I take a healthy body and deliberately eat something that would make me ill in a critical emergency survival situation? That could actually kill me faster than starving to death! </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Well, the point of this post is not to criticize the lack of vegan MRE's in the world.</span> I did do a little research, they make 12 vegetarian MRE's four of those are vegan and not all the components, such as the desserts, are vegan. As you can see from the ingredients list, they contain a lot of chemicals too.<br />
This did make me think. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Having ready to eat meals vs. meals one has to cook is a good thing to have in the emergency kit.</span> It would be difficult to have enough instant meals for a year but we should have enough to see us through a week or two while we slowly get the basics of life together as we recover.<br />
I have pretty much pared down any packaged foods in our daily diet to just a few cans of beans for quick meals and canned or jarred tomatoes. I buy tofu in bulk for the most part in addition to nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I need to figure out what we could store for emergencies that can actually be rotated into our daily diet. Not an easy task.</span> So far, I have decided on aceptic packs of organic tofu (even though I wince at the waste), and instant dried soups, beans, and other meals that one can add water to. Not quite ready to eat I know but close. I will have some canned beans, tomatoes, and a few bottled condiments too.<br />
I have a food dehydrator. I need to get it going on instant meals. I should also note that at this time, we do have enough emergency food to cook and eat for about a week but it isn't instant. <br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">This will take a while but if I work steadily away, I should have a nice supply in over the next couple of months</span>. Our house is barely outside of the tsunami inundation zone. If we are fortunate in an emergency, we will be able to shelter in place. There are ways to get water and our emergency preparedness people have put together some rather wonderful solutions utilizing "third world" technology. Both my mate and I have experience in living in conditions with no electricity, running water or sewage.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">We do need to be prepared and, as a gluten-free vegan, it is up to me to make sure my vegan needs are taken care of.</span> I could go on about the wonderful solutions the folks of the EVC have put together to help our community get through the worst. I will place their link in "community resources". You can also look at the website <a href="http://emergency.nehalembay.org/" target="_blank">here</a>. They are in the process of updating it soon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what did I do about the MREs? Well, I took them home and put them with our emergency things. There will be people in need and they can either be given or traded if needed during a disaster. </span></div>
I will post updates as I work my way through this necessity.<br />
Do you have emergency supplies? Plans? I know it can be a pain and no one really likes to think about the possibility of actually having to rely on them. I am fortunate to live in a community that has a dedicated and enthusiastic emergency preparedness group. <br />
Take a look at their website and definitely click on the blog link scroll down and read the post on Living Through Sandy too. <br />
-Renee<br />
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<br />R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-53664651426231337612013-04-19T22:28:00.000-07:002013-04-19T22:28:34.020-07:00The Quest for Cherry Pie<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqp97ud9N5da64pccT5TpW3TI8B9YGQFqm0y4QHVCb6M6LZu7OW7b8uyRtjs55Ykmt5jQsDIk8fPyfm4exE5Vn7pP1Pq4RCTbSs-yHD1gZTtUzYAo9MrQyLZ4OFkIqECAujZ1TZUAzmE/s1600/slice-of-cherry-pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqp97ud9N5da64pccT5TpW3TI8B9YGQFqm0y4QHVCb6M6LZu7OW7b8uyRtjs55Ykmt5jQsDIk8fPyfm4exE5Vn7pP1Pq4RCTbSs-yHD1gZTtUzYAo9MrQyLZ4OFkIqECAujZ1TZUAzmE/s640/slice-of-cherry-pie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from http://veggiebelly.com</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Tomorrow is my birthday. I will officially be over 50. I decided I didn't want cake. I decided I want cherry pie to celebrate with instead.</span> In fact, from the moment I thought about cherry pie for my birthday, I suddenly had an intense craving for cherry pie. Thinking back, I don't remember the last time I had a lovely piece of cherry pie! It has been a few years.<br />
Today we set out up the coast to shop and do errands. We went all the way to Astoria and to the Astoria Food Co-op.<br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Alas, the cherry pie is not to be!</span> I could not find organic frozen cherries, let alone canned anywhere between here and Astoria. We stopped at every grocery store. No cherries. As to finding a ready-made, gluten free, vegan, organic cherry pie...Well, that would be expecting a lot!<br />
I knew that it isn't cherry season and therefore was not expecting fresh organic cherries but I had hoped to find frozen ones.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It looks like the cherry pie will have to wait. At the moment, I don't even want a birthday treat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the moment, I don't feel over 50 , I feel like a rather disappointed 5 year old!</span></div>
Now, I know I will have an enjoyable day tomorrow. I have no worries there. When asked what I wanted for my birthday gift I chose a rather extravagant one for me. I will take a painting trip down the coast to enjoy and capture the natural beauty of this incredible area later this summer in honor of tomorrow. I will save up for it and I know a few special places I can stop and enjoy a meal.<br />
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I will eventually enjoy a piece of cherry pie and will savor it all the more when that splendid day arrives. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Finally, given the sad news in the world and in my country at this time, being deprived of cherry pie on my date of birth is a small trifle. My heart hurts for the families who have recently lost loved ones. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I have to say though, cherry pie definitely makes the world a better place!</span></div>
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-Renee <br />
<br />R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-41303859144612015012013-04-12T21:02:00.000-07:002013-04-12T21:02:35.858-07:00Our Natural Food Store<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRlzVdtXPyOkxXkkeJmtB9hBIrq33-uYzKHa0_Q1ktXlM3zOkXmLSXcuZYFptBV-cLsUifLta-jyIJMIWegXVLtqXbjV7fy-z_s7owgwASkxnLT_ipV4DIN8cHFGeJe0dxH0L2ZoE4rM/s1600/mothernature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRlzVdtXPyOkxXkkeJmtB9hBIrq33-uYzKHa0_Q1ktXlM3zOkXmLSXcuZYFptBV-cLsUifLta-jyIJMIWegXVLtqXbjV7fy-z_s7owgwASkxnLT_ipV4DIN8cHFGeJe0dxH0L2ZoE4rM/s640/mothernature.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natural Foods in Manzanita</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Until I moved to the coast with my mate, I never realized how spoiled I was with easy access to a plentiful variety of vegan and organic food ingredients.</span> Our little town is fortunate to have Mother Nature's Natural Foods.<br />
I need to explain a bit. To get to another natural food store or a store that carries enough organic and natural food I have to drive anywhere from 22 to 40 miles north up a winding coast highway that occasionally closes due to floods and slides. I haven't found anything to the south closer than that. It is 22 miles to Seaside which has a tiny health food store with some bulk items and no produce. There is a Safeway that carries some organic produce and a very limited selection of so called natural convenience foods. To get to a place with a greater selection of the foods I need, I drive the 40 miles to Astoria and shop at the Astoria Food Coop. There I get my organic bulk supplies, including tofu in bulk, spices, etc.. I usually pick up some produce too but fresh produce needs to be replenished frequently. I don't make the trip to Astoria more than once a month. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">During the off seasons of the Farmer's Market, I rely on Mother Nature's for my produce and a few additional items. </span><br />
To be fair, there are two other little grocery stores in town. The one across the street from Mother Nature's is the only other one we have shopped at. My mate is the one who shops there for the odd item for himself as much of the merchandise is for the seasonal visitors, but they do have a few bits of organic produce too. I have only been in the other one (the third store) once and do not shop there for several reasons which I will not go into here. <br />
There is a Costco up the coast but we choose not to have a membership there as they do not carry much of anything we need and we like to shop local as much as possible. <br />
Finally, we also use online shopping for items that are harder to find such as cacao nibs and vegan vitamin supplements. <br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">As I have mentioned in other, these limitations actually have been a blessing. They have forced us to simplify and streamline our eating habits which have resulted in even healthier eating. </span>Vegan convenience and junk food is plentiful in more populated areas. I have found we could do just fine without all that. <br />
To be honest, sometimes when time is tight and I am tired, I wouldn't mind being able to pop in someplace for something fast and convenient! Thankfully, with a little bit of organization, I can be prepared for those times. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, if you ever find yourself in our little town looking for natural foods and a few vegan and gluten-free supplies, Mother Nature's Natural Food Store is the way to go. </span></div>
One of the wonderful things about living in a small town is that you get to know your people. Here are a few from Mother Nature's:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e0syiPb_t-OO_97KtBcHSH1NMUpdXTcYuICy5-tZ2KAUinKNDCMBMQLosxdXvDuje0sUnUodaqhtuqig-la8lG7pQO_rsj8TBoVxnf2jWErgmdabhAnBvDpCZa1SBfFUysPGgHHMlUI/s1600/storepeeps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e0syiPb_t-OO_97KtBcHSH1NMUpdXTcYuICy5-tZ2KAUinKNDCMBMQLosxdXvDuje0sUnUodaqhtuqig-la8lG7pQO_rsj8TBoVxnf2jWErgmdabhAnBvDpCZa1SBfFUysPGgHHMlUI/s640/storepeeps.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Jan (owner), Thomas, and Syd.</td></tr>
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Not the best picture as the batteries were going out in my camera. Here is a view down our main street with the store in the shingled building on the left:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxPKizpfnB9uP6bOqcGMdMBxAk7jff64PSFM8TBHnHVQgQr-u_XVAy89WrNrw8QflxVMUaLUL4qcMjpBuDYERN2NGDlOz7cfrL0I01_T8DRgjVyR17E2MQU0WSa23HUnrmJebzjnsxvs/s1600/mainstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxPKizpfnB9uP6bOqcGMdMBxAk7jff64PSFM8TBHnHVQgQr-u_XVAy89WrNrw8QflxVMUaLUL4qcMjpBuDYERN2NGDlOz7cfrL0I01_T8DRgjVyR17E2MQU0WSa23HUnrmJebzjnsxvs/s640/mainstreet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main street in Manzanita The ocean waves look like a white bar at the very end</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ultimately I would like to be able to grow the bulk of our food needs myself. Given that our area is at the mercy of Mother Nature (the entity, not the food store!) being self sufficient is really the best solution. </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">That is a whole 'nother post.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Well, the rain has moved in and is pounding the windows. The ocean is roaring above the sound of the rain and dark has fallen. Time to wrap up this post and get a good night's sleep. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">-Renee </span><br />
<br />R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-53163178991027606952013-04-04T10:04:00.000-07:002013-04-04T10:04:13.335-07:00Herbal Skills Share<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAN9RWKPpI5ENsivMiXQOwszn3hOWUqPPObE0ScQdrNeu1UjiDIo-ldcfZkzhXFoUxVhCUT2vDjfVqSD4i5fwNy2E6vcpiSOPC8WEuqKRL-uofYY2yMGt9l9gowIB_MvhaNp3vlR7_OJ0/s1600/herb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAN9RWKPpI5ENsivMiXQOwszn3hOWUqPPObE0ScQdrNeu1UjiDIo-ldcfZkzhXFoUxVhCUT2vDjfVqSD4i5fwNy2E6vcpiSOPC8WEuqKRL-uofYY2yMGt9l9gowIB_MvhaNp3vlR7_OJ0/s640/herb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our local Herbal Skills share group thinning Arnica</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I am so happy to have found a local Herbal Skills Share group.</span> Tuesday afternoon we all converged on one of Vivi's (our local herbalist of <a href="http://www.tallwomantonics.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tallwoman Tonics</a>) herb plots to thin her Arnica plants. I have only lived on the Northern Oregon Coast for just over two years so I am still learning what grows here and what is available in our local growing region.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">We were all a bit surprised at how interwoven the Arnica roots were. They made a thick mat in the soil and thinning was no easy task.</span> We all tackled it as you can see in the above photo and it got done. We all took home Arnica plants for our gardens. My personal garden is all in pots as the house we rent has its own lovely landscaping. I will take some a picture of the plants and report on how well they are doing.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Vivi started us out with a talk on the properties and uses of Arnica. She always has several cross-references on hand in addition to her own knowledge so we get a good bit of information. Everyone chips in any additional knowledge as well.</span> She did mention which variety she is growing which I neglected to write down but I found it on her blog! It is <strong>Arnica chamissonis. <span style="font-weight: normal;">At the moment she has a picture of the plant and flower on her current <a href="http://tallwomantonics.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/spring-2013-flower-dreams/" target="_blank">post</a>.</span></strong> <br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> personally have used Arnica as a topical lotion or oil to heal bumps and bruises and blunt trauma injuries. Being an outdoorswoman I usually collect my fair share of these type of injuries, mostly minor. <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Arnica speeds healing and reduces inflammation and pain.</span></span><br />
I have also taken it homeopathically for trauma injuries. My dearest friend is a Naturopathic doctor and I learned about using the simple homeopathic remedies from her. Please use professional guidance before treating yourself with anything you are not familiar with internally. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am hoping I will be able to grow enough of the Arnica to make my own oil and tinctures for injury. This is a great one to have in your basic herbal first aid kit. </span></div>
Vivi also let us take some Dyers Camomile plants that were straying out of bounds in her garden. I am thrilled with this one too as I plan to do some natural dyeing this summer over on the <a href="http://theartfulstitch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Artful Stitch blog. </a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">It is very important to me to learn these skills. I have an underlying sense of urgency to learn to be as self/community sufficient as possible. </span>This may just be my own response to the turmoil in our country and world these days or perhaps something else. I really don't know. I have a decent set of skills at the moment but need to add a lot more. <br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">On the food front</span>, I still haven't started the rejuvelac but will do that now. I am sending the payment for our Spring CSA today so well have a steady supply of great spring veggies starting next month until the Farmers Market opens. The pantry and refrigerator got stocked up yesterday as we have a few spring storms on their way today. Off to paint in the studio now!<br />
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-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-56206551041351764602013-03-23T21:47:00.000-07:002013-03-23T21:51:28.377-07:00Spring?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuwuaamwYk0fy3nqz1lNjq_nZ7XWfwvVVLpkNgHsvmN4Db4PCxf85YbP4rsDvHpDYpuwLcyQHH0eTKFSPsMYnP4746oJ_xdI673usgzcSp32tHWbZSfGXM4Nehzq2hyZvapzSQndNNEU/s1600/vedge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuwuaamwYk0fy3nqz1lNjq_nZ7XWfwvVVLpkNgHsvmN4Db4PCxf85YbP4rsDvHpDYpuwLcyQHH0eTKFSPsMYnP4746oJ_xdI673usgzcSp32tHWbZSfGXM4Nehzq2hyZvapzSQndNNEU/s640/vedge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©2013 R.L. Delight, Neahkahnie Mist</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As much as I would love to share a picture of the meal I am about to discuss, my food photography skills are not that great.</span></span> Other's do a far better job so I won't attempt it but will post this one of where I live instead. I took this one while painting on the beach a few weeks ago.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">t has been a bit of a stressful winter for me and my mate. These times come to all of us. While most of the time we eat very healthfully, occasionally a dose of comfort food is called for.</span> Today was one of these occasions. I have been meaning to try out a new recipe I found for gluten free and vegan <a href="http://thevedge.org/2013/02/tofu-popcorn-chickn-vegan-gluten-free/" target="_blank">Tofu Popcorn Chick'n</a>. The recipe is from a wonderful site I found called <a href="http://www.thevedge.org/" target="_blank">The Vedge</a>. Shea's picture of her recipe is far nicer than one I could produce.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">This was really easy to make.</span> I pressed the tofu in my tofu press and broke it into chunks. I had to freeze it as I wasn't sure when I would be able to make the recipe. Since I already had the tofu prepared (after thawing) it was a simple step to whisk up the rest of the ingredients and cook them up. I used Cajun spice seasoning to spice them up a bit and have to say, these were absolutely delicious. I made a batch of oven roasted garlic potato fries and a huge green salad served with a homemade lemon tahini dressing (recipe from the book Becoming Raw). Yum! A welcome break from beans.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">The spring weather here on the coast has been cold and a bit stormy with sun breaks in between.</span> We are starting to get spring break vacationers in our little town and there is Japan tsunami debris starting to wash ashore up and down the coast. I am waiting for the weather to settle just a tad before heading out to paint again. While I don't mind getting caught in occasional squalls and hail storms, deliberately heading out into the teeth of a series of hail storms is another thing altogether. <br />
Walking the dog has become interesting too. We have had to run a few times to get undercover.<br />
Go check out <a href="http://thevedge.org/" target="_blank">The Vedge</a>. Shae has put together a wonderful site complete with great recipes and information for us gluten free vegans!<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-17347243509106711622013-03-16T17:55:00.000-07:002013-03-16T17:55:57.601-07:00Spring Greens!!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTH0uWczTrhLO_OA5bvxmaK9A5ayLSXpDGy0iXNy5xbE4BQreoXScEleToDGRPrj1OI-bErfHpjRAclz9fupuwKPsIgGwAE_j0_JWnz0M_bifG7iv3ddgsoBM9SVi4LHWDJWXcdDrA6U/s1600/tallwoman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTH0uWczTrhLO_OA5bvxmaK9A5ayLSXpDGy0iXNy5xbE4BQreoXScEleToDGRPrj1OI-bErfHpjRAclz9fupuwKPsIgGwAE_j0_JWnz0M_bifG7iv3ddgsoBM9SVi4LHWDJWXcdDrA6U/s640/tallwoman2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The root contribution in our CSA box. Fire Cider Vinegar and Sea Sprinkles from Tallwoman Tonics.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hello again! I am excited because today I was able to pick up a special CSA box of spring greens. There will be a feast tonight!</span></div>
There are a lot of hidden and not-so-hidden gems on this part of the coast. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">My mate and I have enjoyed the community and the variety of skills that people bring to this area. I believe this is the key to surviving and thriving on the coast.</span><br />
I had the pleasure recently of attending a local Herbal Skills Share group. I have long had an interest in herbs, wildcrafting, and natural dyeing. I had a strong feeling that I needed to get back to that practice and immediately found the Herbal Skills Share group. We spent the meeting talking about coltsfoot and enjoyed a cup of nettle tea and a sampling of coltsfoot tea. I have a new plant to add to my knowledge-base now, and a couple of new people.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting with Vivi of Tallwoman Tonics. Our local herbalist.</span> We discussed the wonderful internet potential of sharing herbal lore and I was treated to a cup of homegrown Tulsi tea while sitting in front of a large window overlooking one of the beautifully stunning views our area has to offer.<br />
I am putting a link to <a href="http://www.tallwomantonics.wordpress.com/">Vivi's blog</a> on the local resources list on my side-bar. She is excited about the blogging potential. I am looking forward to seeing what she adds to it.<br />
Tonight we will be having left over homemade pizza, vegan and gluten free, a huge salad of fresh spring greens, and a quick saute of kale and beet greens with red onion and seasoned with Tallwoman Tonics Fire Cider Vinegar. Yum!!!<br />
Yours in veggies, -ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-53711328006618102502013-03-08T14:49:00.000-08:002013-03-08T14:49:35.616-08:00Starving for Veggies<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">Let's try this again.</span> As anyone reading this blog can tell, I have had a challenging time finding a good focus for this blog. There are so very many excellent vegan blogs out there to read and I have neither the time nor interest to compete with them so I will stay focused on my little niche of being vegan on the Northern Oregon Coast.<br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">To add to the challenge of being vegan, I have also gone gluten free for over a year now.</span> Going vegan was easy for me, going gluten free has been...painful and unfortunately necessary. I love my bread and I have had to kiss good bye any of the quick and easy vegan meat substitutes. I didn't eat many of them but it was nice having a quick and tasty meal available for those days when cooking time was short.<br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">I have given up on the restaurants around here.</span> They are not plentiful to begin with and the only two that had vegan and gluten free options made me ill. Food poisoning. My guess is the lack of demand for vegan and gluten free menu items may have led to less than fresh ingredients and cross contamination with animal products.<br />
So, having accepted that, I have embarked on making my own in spite of a very, very busy life. Thankfully this book came out and I purchased it as soon as it did:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImCNaH3WK0N093a5Tq02SMhaPp7faPBJGvaHJiBFvphSnU0H2SsDAKkjV7Tq4CPIamVkSMqrYbJpfMNll2pGd5s-me1kJqussVx_VLmxxygd8-Wd9j14ORtxXtjOe8jDIkFEjC5QP27Q/s1600/cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImCNaH3WK0N093a5Tq02SMhaPp7faPBJGvaHJiBFvphSnU0H2SsDAKkjV7Tq4CPIamVkSMqrYbJpfMNll2pGd5s-me1kJqussVx_VLmxxygd8-Wd9j14ORtxXtjOe8jDIkFEjC5QP27Q/s320/cheese.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
I made my own rejuvelac from quinoa and made my first cheese, a chevre from cashews. It was a success! I made another batch of rejuvelac to make another cheese but I let it ferment too long so I will have to start over. I would like to try one from millet.<br />
The only drawback to making my own is the time. You have to sprout the grains, ferment them, and then ferment the cheese. It doesn't take a lot of effort, just time. I will start another batch and report.<br />
I also have this book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOhGYDcelNcHRw2WAhasLiHfsRoDCDLVvQPED0AAowfXlWyf0b1ktgHFNQS0rAj-q0JhnMSjhoVBWU7yrwNBtnCND2Q92C1-IpnzUT8c8lAg5bhb0VcXIHE0OE9pZ8GTFw0e6iXUJfLE/s1600/baking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOhGYDcelNcHRw2WAhasLiHfsRoDCDLVvQPED0AAowfXlWyf0b1ktgHFNQS0rAj-q0JhnMSjhoVBWU7yrwNBtnCND2Q92C1-IpnzUT8c8lAg5bhb0VcXIHE0OE9pZ8GTFw0e6iXUJfLE/s320/baking.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
Sourdough bread has always been my favorite, a nice rich whole grain organic sourdough bread. I miss it the most. I made one loaf that was heavenly a while ago. I used kefir (water kefir) as specified in the book. However, I don't like kefir, it is too sweet for me and my grains languished because I didn't use it up fast enough. I thought I would try the rejuvelac instead of kefir. I don't need to purchase special grains for rejuvelac. This will be another report.<br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">So, here we are in winter, soon to be spring. Those of you who live in more populated areas have no idea how hard it can be to find good winter veggies in small isolated communities.</span> I am hoping one day to have enough space and land to grow all my own veggies. In the mean time, my greens and veggie eating gets cut back further than I would like. I will have to try sprouts but a salad made solely of sprouts is not appealing to me. <br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">Here is what we eat at the moment:</span> A lot of beans and grains, some tofu, root vegetables (mostly potatoes), basic fruit, and whatever greens I can get ahold of. I would like to triple the amount we get at the moment. I also make flat bread from chickpea flour and spices. It is OK for now.<br />
I will sign up for the spring CSA session. Last year we signed up for all four seasons. I found there was too much waste on my part. There seemed to be an over abundance of veggies I really don't like (very few, but still) and not enough of those I do like. I still have squash sitting around. I like squash in moderation but not out the wazoo. <br />
That is my progress report from now. I will be posting about the cheese and bread making as well as other vegan, gluten free, plastic free, environmental things as they come up. Promise!<br />
-Renee<br />
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<br />R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-59559303694682765742012-05-17T15:34:00.000-07:002012-05-17T15:36:33.877-07:00CSA is Back!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSy01cVbhNGPq6Z48omU7m7WpjQ_s1GRj6HkbL3HoqZh_Kq_R2ywfFFqCVyn_KYXbAREu6OkkPMC5IhH_2Z5hynUfC5flsDsKwdrJy3wzuxDK5wNJBrSC4vu17Lmr7cnI9-S354QG1qY/s1600/the-beginning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSy01cVbhNGPq6Z48omU7m7WpjQ_s1GRj6HkbL3HoqZh_Kq_R2ywfFFqCVyn_KYXbAREu6OkkPMC5IhH_2Z5hynUfC5flsDsKwdrJy3wzuxDK5wNJBrSC4vu17Lmr7cnI9-S354QG1qY/s400/the-beginning.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">©2012, R.L. Delight, The Beginning, 6"x6" oil on panel. <a href="http://www.rldelight.com/">http://www.rldelight.com</a>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">It has been a long winter and I am hungry for greens.</span> Thankfully our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) will be starting up again on Saturday! This wild coastal area continues to shape the way I eat. During the winter abundant vegetables are hard to come by and expensive. A lot of vegan goodies that are available in the cities are not available here. In fact, we find ourselves ordering hard to find food and sundries online. <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Eventually, I hope to be able to grow much of my own vegetables.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Overall, I feel the process has been a good one for me. My diet has been simplified to very basic and nutritious food. As for eating out at restaurants, I have yet to find anything that is equal or better to what I can make at home. Finding vegan, and now gluten free, continues to be a challenge. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Time to cook can also be a challenge!</span> In addition to vegan and gluten free, I strive to eat a high raw diet. I live in a very cold and damp climate and find it challenging to stay warm on a 100% raw diet. I find it easier to eat mostly raw. I am a busy artist and find the extra planning and organizing to eat nutritiously a challenge. With that in mind I decided to set aside some time to organize a series of menus and shopping lists. I am planning to publish some of that here on this blog which has not been very active to this point. Hopefully others will find the information useful. It will be an interesting adventure to develop the menus and will help me out time-wise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">If anyone has any thoughts on that topic, please do leave a comment</span>. I would love to hear ideas and requests at this point. <br />More to come soon! -Renee</span>R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-9729346067509071572011-12-04T13:56:00.000-08:002011-12-04T13:56:55.499-08:00Beginning Anew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2atRilLdypMZ9kGkjc261SwRE-rHAQYleU1szeUDTmf5e_f0BaDR_4WOFVK7u6g7CBd9QPuUQyGNv_W2RBcxFZHLoop1weBRfGB3w_Okc0Obt1R1108jRll67XFPcOsEqeQRWdoHtUl4/s1600/bounty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2atRilLdypMZ9kGkjc261SwRE-rHAQYleU1szeUDTmf5e_f0BaDR_4WOFVK7u6g7CBd9QPuUQyGNv_W2RBcxFZHLoop1weBRfGB3w_Okc0Obt1R1108jRll67XFPcOsEqeQRWdoHtUl4/s400/bounty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Hello, it has been quite a while. I had to do a bit of re-thinking on where I wanted this blog to go. There are so many wonderful Vegan blogs out there dealing with delicious food and many of the issues as well. I knew I would not have the time and interest to compete with all the great information they provide. I want this blog to be more about a vegan lifestyle on the Northern Oregon Coast.<br />
There is not a lot of resources here for a vegan, nor a lot of vegans here. After living here for over a year, I am just now starting to meet a vegan or two. We are planning to get together for mutual support and community.<br />
My quest to find vegan and vegan friendly restaurants has not been exactly successful. The establishments that do serve vegan options offer up the usual fare of bean burritos, veggie burger (if you are lucky to find a vegan one), and hummus platters, are few and far between. Perhaps we can change that eventually.<br />
Fortunately, during the growing season, I have access to plenty of beautiful, fresh, and locally grown food. We joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and received weekly boxes of veggies and a bit of fruit, all grown here on the Oregon coast. The picture above is of the final box of the season. We ate well this summer. Alas, the local growing season has ended and now I am hard pressed to find a variety of good vegetables. Eventually I plan to grow my own but, until then, I need to find a good source. <br />
It has been a good year. We have plugged into this small beach community and have grown to love it. The natural beauty and wild weather complete the picture. We have decided to settle here in spite of the challenges and are now doing our best to find a way to make a living. I am working on my art career and will have more to post about that later. <br />
I have more to post on life here and have a lot more to look forward to writing about. I will let this blog grow organically so patience may be needed. I will post again in a week, give or take a day or so. Until then, -ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-39814112678198678652011-02-27T20:43:00.000-08:002011-02-27T20:43:06.467-08:00Snow at the Beach!It has been busy around here! I have some news but this biggest event here on the coast has been the snow. Earlier this week we had 2" of snow fall overnight followed by record breaking cold. On the morning of the snow fall, I grabbed the camera and headed down to the beach before breakfast. I took a lot of pictures and will share these two:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pnOHae43fFqAuXiE4aRl01FZMD1Z3UQDoOAKGeaNSrcze5G34FkJ6GcQful6XhuhNtYVx9UPHYCntJmBhthFxJpNDZZCB7mVN3Vl2JmGKW6FPhqFNno37oIsre-_qNKAylJA7fb3q3M/s1600/snow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pnOHae43fFqAuXiE4aRl01FZMD1Z3UQDoOAKGeaNSrcze5G34FkJ6GcQful6XhuhNtYVx9UPHYCntJmBhthFxJpNDZZCB7mVN3Vl2JmGKW6FPhqFNno37oIsre-_qNKAylJA7fb3q3M/s400/snow3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxtnyQhweg_k7MwlKK0_xHqcg9XcjOb8DAyv-L_YnZ3yfEe2rv6eB8YbV8HxxUiSCQyi5CpWR2fkZeKICM_kFxVfCW3QUSXVVv82Qx2kCACZzxe-JQTg_5EPxBetz0Vrzc8mBTIj4s5E/s1600/snow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxtnyQhweg_k7MwlKK0_xHqcg9XcjOb8DAyv-L_YnZ3yfEe2rv6eB8YbV8HxxUiSCQyi5CpWR2fkZeKICM_kFxVfCW3QUSXVVv82Qx2kCACZzxe-JQTg_5EPxBetz0Vrzc8mBTIj4s5E/s400/snow2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>As winter settles in, I am finding it even more challenging to find some of the basics I need to make a variety of delicious, healthy vegan meals. Oh, one can always find beans and rice but if my timing is not right at the stores, fresh greens and items like tempeh and tofu are sometimes not available. I did one of my stocking up trips up to Astoria (about 45 miles north along a windy coastal road) and didn't come back with a whole lot. The co-op was out of tofu, and my favorite jasmine tea. I decided I need to take a few things into my own hands. I started researching making my own tempeh, tofu, and water kefir. I found a wonderful website that has information, videos, and supplies to order called <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/">Cultures for Health</a>. They are not a completely vegan site but do have the cultures needed to make these vegan staples. I would also like to try making my own Kombucha. I ordered cultures for tempeh, two kinds to see which I prefer, water kefir grains, and tofu making supplies. I got the soybeans to start a batch of tempeh tomorrow and will have reports on my progress for all three as I go. I have never made any of these things before but wanted to give it a try. It would be nice to be somewhat independent from the stores. I am looking into what I can do for veggies. We have joined a CSA but that does not start up until May! Seems a long way away from here. I, like so many others, am ready for spring.<br />
I will post the results of my first attempt at making tempeh soon!<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-59511948193420234072011-02-12T14:53:00.000-08:002011-02-12T15:06:06.010-08:00Convenience Food Independence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CoGiW5ZVKOZakXNZGTPAq417zRG7okERX6jaJtrY3ajwNWLGos2W5hzAhVZM-PBLIOG3PiRHZmt92lkT2zPoX0NUBpmFPvPSIFHDt_HAfXP3rXRxDuyw_9ri6axf1cdcGLof9AOo6ls/s1600/beachblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CoGiW5ZVKOZakXNZGTPAq417zRG7okERX6jaJtrY3ajwNWLGos2W5hzAhVZM-PBLIOG3PiRHZmt92lkT2zPoX0NUBpmFPvPSIFHDt_HAfXP3rXRxDuyw_9ri6axf1cdcGLof9AOo6ls/s400/beachblog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
When we first moved to the coast I was really spoiled. I lived in two places with the best food co-ops I have ever shopped at. I could get just about any type of vegan convenience food to be found. I have always eaten mostly whole foods and cook from scratch but, there were a few convenience items that crept in. I really didn't notice until we moved to the coast where it is really hard to find much of the convenience foods that I enjoyed. I can only find the very basic in tofu and tempeh. I still haven't found a decent source for mochi which I enjoyed occasionally. I would keep a package or two of Gardein in the freezer for those nights when I needed something quick to make. I also really like the Field Sausage smoked apple sage flavor of vegan sausage.<br />
Some of this I can find between here and the food co-op 45 miles up the road but not all. I cannot find a source for fresh daikon radish either and boy do I miss it. I will have to grow my own. If I was really really desperate, I could mail order many of these items but there have been two things that have refined the way I eat here on the coast in addition to the scarcity of resources.<br />
I recently went on a 21 day cleanse diet. The only things I had to take out (from a long list of foods) was gluten and sugar. It was hard at first but I started looking into more raw foods for sweet treats without sugar and gluten. This has been a wonderful revelation for me. I don't think I would like to be 100% raw due to the fact I live in a cold gray climate and get too chilled without warm food but I do want to be "rawish". I am nearly finished with the cleanse, just three more days. I feel better physically. It isn't as dramatic for me as taking out dairy was. When I removed dairy from my diet over three years ago (and thus becoming vegan) I felt dramatically better health-wise. It turned out that I was down right allergic to dairy and the allergy was getting worse. Removing gluten and sugar has given a more subtle result. I feel lighter and cleaner. I love where it has taken me food-wise as well so I think for now, I will remain gluten and sugar free. My sweet tooth is more than satisfied with the treats that use dates or occasionally, agave for sweetening.<br />
The second event that has changed the way I am eating and thinking about food is the plastic pollution I see on the beach. I walk the beach every day and always see bits of plastic in the high tide line, not to mention all kinds of objects. I started looking into the plastic pollution and have found several sites which I will be putting in my links list. One sight is called <a href="http://www.myplasticfreelife.com/">My Plastic Free Life</a> and has a challenge to document your plastic usage. I took the challenge and have just finished week four. I thought I did pretty good but when I started documenting it, I was surprised to see how much I use in spite of cooking from scratch and buying in bulk. All those convenience foods listed above? Guess what! They all come wrapped in plastic. I started looking for alternatives. I found tofu in bulk at my local food co-op. One problem though, they run out and I am not close enough to go back anytime soon. I don't really eat a lot of tofu but it is good to have. The other thing I found was a way to make my own tempeh. I could make tofu too. I want to try it as I have never found tempeh in anything other than plastic bags.<br />
I have also invested in a food dehydrator. Something I have wanted to do for years. Here it is:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IWEUXfss2L4o5krZiKvBfeEjvDE3iYyi1EZ8bHvfZRJXyWrUDSHK7PsIcMcobwljc695bQVeJOxsy2OLFEQpc6YbSGJH2DEHQdK20r-qWWuvLJENkymRKRKKEL4NiYeUHRVZCRlSnI8/s1600/dehydrator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IWEUXfss2L4o5krZiKvBfeEjvDE3iYyi1EZ8bHvfZRJXyWrUDSHK7PsIcMcobwljc695bQVeJOxsy2OLFEQpc6YbSGJH2DEHQdK20r-qWWuvLJENkymRKRKKEL4NiYeUHRVZCRlSnI8/s400/dehydrator.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I have been going crazy making all kinds of raw flatbreads, crackers, and<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdPdBN1OoPJQDrjnimViTknOxfD1zHUq0MDSaYE9qlXUDlGKDEsbOcfiWJce6ZT2Tzg9jbNDNJc7kAWZaJ6yht19xln6ZzWp3exKcvHqLYrczIi4iz4Uui0o1Azt-9cAJdUq3VzscYQ8/s1600/kale-chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdPdBN1OoPJQDrjnimViTknOxfD1zHUq0MDSaYE9qlXUDlGKDEsbOcfiWJce6ZT2Tzg9jbNDNJc7kAWZaJ6yht19xln6ZzWp3exKcvHqLYrczIi4iz4Uui0o1Azt-9cAJdUq3VzscYQ8/s400/kale-chips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Kale chips! These are "cheddar cheese" flavored. Oh my, they are highly addictive too. Once the farmer's markets start back up I will be getting produce to process for the winter using the dehydrator, canning, and stocking the freezer. I am finding all kinds of recipes for making my own convenience type foods using healthier whole foods as well.<br />
The bottom line? I am eating even better than before and finding all kinds of new food paths to explore. Life is good!<br />
Next post I want to highlight some of the wonderful vegan and plastic pollution blogs I read. It has been a busy month but I will be getting to that in a few days.<br />
Here is to good, healthy, delicious, vegan food.<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-64229741178528606852011-02-01T21:30:00.000-08:002011-02-01T21:30:41.321-08:00Up the CoastWe are so fortunate to live in a little town that is sandwiched between two beautiful state parks. The other day the weather and tides were right for a little jaunt to one of our favorite spots, Hug Point. When the tides are low the beach and cliffs are quite dramatic. Here is a small taste:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGVKOxq0AgoJbJ_-MR0OvqFeAo-rZWxHKUlJHeZ7Gqte9dLXrUcvzPYVZZcX-CsrQXIGmKvmgiYiqooXlY3RSi0ufirfYM8LpFk59DBOl5__Z1AqJbJJfSTqCo57e2Qsqgty8NU0qCzg/s1600/coast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGVKOxq0AgoJbJ_-MR0OvqFeAo-rZWxHKUlJHeZ7Gqte9dLXrUcvzPYVZZcX-CsrQXIGmKvmgiYiqooXlY3RSi0ufirfYM8LpFk59DBOl5__Z1AqJbJJfSTqCo57e2Qsqgty8NU0qCzg/s400/coast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA-IHmsXDtkton8jkkW_P6R7nSih53fGKNBY83LE6U2EHgg-LPztq4u_Ld9GGBt59wDEQD3685FUH_B8dfUoBjhxUrpprDSIIFKtn25LZmSCxLSa4H47wZQPptqpNtca39FporCDnMyc/s1600/coast2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA-IHmsXDtkton8jkkW_P6R7nSih53fGKNBY83LE6U2EHgg-LPztq4u_Ld9GGBt59wDEQD3685FUH_B8dfUoBjhxUrpprDSIIFKtn25LZmSCxLSa4H47wZQPptqpNtca39FporCDnMyc/s400/coast2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Last week, I stopped in Seaside to get a haircut and then headed up to Astoria to shop at the food co-op. I found at least one possible vegan friendly restaurant in Seaside but will need to check it out further. I was happy to get to the co-op and stock up.<br />
I recently purchased Kris Carr's <b>Crazy Sexy Diet</b> and read it with great interest. It is not just a diet but a lifestyle, the best kind. She also had a 21 day cleanse at the back of the book. I decided to do the cleanse and incorporate some of the other aspects of the lifestyle. Meditation is one of those aspects. I used to meditate but fell out of the habit when my life became chaotic. It has been a bit more of a challenge to bring it back. I am working on it. The only dietary things I needed to eliminate in the 21 day cleanse was gluten and sugar. I have been wanting to abstain from gluten to see if that is a factor in my health and this is a good opportunity. <br />
It has been a week so far. The only thing that I really haven't been able to do is the juicing. My body and bloodsugar just can't take such a hit. I have decided to do green smoothies instead of green juice. I also cannot do an all day juice fast as suggested. I am not totally concerned about that. I will be happy just taking out the gluten and sugar. I am eating more veggies than ever and have been adding more raw vegan dishes to my diet. At this point I don't want to go completely raw but I am happy to add more delicious and healthy raw meals to my diet.<br />
I recently purchase <b>Raw for Dessert</b> by Jennifer Cornbleet. I love using dates as a sweetener. The desserts are rich and a little goes a long way. I also checked out from our local library <b>Ani's Raw Food Kitchen</b> by Ani Phyo. I love the pates and cheezes. Again, I eat these things sparingly and include lots of fresh raw veggies and pure water. I also drink jasmine green tea and have for the past 30 years.<br />
Additional changes I would like to make would be to add more sea vegetables. I am not a big fan at this time but have managed to gradually expand my palate so I am thinking to push it a bit with the sea veggies.<br />
I will continue in my quest to find vegan friendly restaurants on the coast. I have used <a href="http://www.happycow.net/">Happy Cow</a> in the past to find places and would like to contribute to the list. By the way, Happy Cow is a wonderful resource to use!<br />
I have a trip planned to go south on the coast. We shall see what I can find. I'll be back soon!<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-51801128250667972842011-01-22T21:47:00.000-08:002011-01-22T21:47:18.678-08:00Welcome to the Northern Oregon Coast!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlL_jQsLZIxkdfJtVaHaYd9IJU1sGcfnApHaxtouA5Z8id-dy7ey1vQpCGimAsY-wr9YvDaBVOWBAomN1JzLpk1KJ-CTh5k13I1_79fX6Estu7dLpU6rNRLf9SKRQn7bN4EhYtxmA9Dc/s1600/welcome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlL_jQsLZIxkdfJtVaHaYd9IJU1sGcfnApHaxtouA5Z8id-dy7ey1vQpCGimAsY-wr9YvDaBVOWBAomN1JzLpk1KJ-CTh5k13I1_79fX6Estu7dLpU6rNRLf9SKRQn7bN4EhYtxmA9Dc/s320/welcome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, it is taking me a bit longer to get this blog up and running than I thought. I will keep plugging away at it. I am not new to blogging and I know that it takes a bit of time, sometimes, to get the blog rolling. So, as I mentioned before I live in a small village on the Oregon Coast. We have one short main street that ends at the ocean.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrMi9vp6tNwVvOyiG6f_bQiFRFAEbfakeMR9CSgetjtQCdZvi1VT-wf7a0JnIRM44i2YdmuYUKlFri7SXRDQq_0GQuUACSurU8WAFVBx6nnQEmwm2F96yC_BIKsNDoYxoXYRafcRZ9QY/s1600/mainstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrMi9vp6tNwVvOyiG6f_bQiFRFAEbfakeMR9CSgetjtQCdZvi1VT-wf7a0JnIRM44i2YdmuYUKlFri7SXRDQq_0GQuUACSurU8WAFVBx6nnQEmwm2F96yC_BIKsNDoYxoXYRafcRZ9QY/s320/mainstreet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We have a natural food store, Mother Nature's Natural Foods, that has a decent selection of foods fit for a vegan and a cute little organic produce selection that has saved my dinner a few times.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bijFoVJ5MWp_bwe6YjrpN-wye0l0UztLEnIW7k8LWMVsBoFh0f7xChqMqypuT_2-ZtMhVwY_vO3kMbxJUhCyumLISvam3T3xXXZQKKUTr_txkcMLw9-ZV_v9L7jhAh-8eu1_Y-lDTHM/s1600/foodstore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bijFoVJ5MWp_bwe6YjrpN-wye0l0UztLEnIW7k8LWMVsBoFh0f7xChqMqypuT_2-ZtMhVwY_vO3kMbxJUhCyumLISvam3T3xXXZQKKUTr_txkcMLw9-ZV_v9L7jhAh-8eu1_Y-lDTHM/s320/foodstore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This little store carries Daiya Cheese! It isn't very big and they service not only the local population but a much larger tourist population so their vegan selection is pretty basic but it is enough in a pinch! They also have a small selection of vegan baked goods and treats as well as gluten free items. <br />
There is a local pizza place, Marzano's, where you can order a pizza with veggies and without cheese. Honestly, I make a fantastic vegan pizza so there is no contest. In addition next door to the natural food store is the Left Coast Siesta (<a href="http://www.leftcoastsiesta.com/">www.leftcoastsiesta.com</a>) which is vegan friendly. I haven't really found any other restaurants in town as vegan friendly as the two mentioned above. <br />
So basically the options for eating out are very minimal. We aren't in Portland are we!<br />
So why would a vegan wash up on the beach here? Well, this is one of the most beautiful spots on the coast. It feels like home to me. This wonderful little town is full to bursting with talented, creative, hard working people. There is also a constant stream of people who have homes here but live most of the time elsewhere, such as Portland. They bring in new perspectives and experiences to add to the mix.<br />
I am not, nor have I ever been, a city girl. So I am at home here where I can enjoy the beauty of the ocean and forest, the people, and the occasionally fierce and wild weather.<br />
Eating vegan however, is a challenge but not uncomfortably so. I belong to the Astoria Food Co-op. Astoria, of Goonies fame, is about 45 miles north up Highway 101. Sometimes 101 closes down when the weather gets rough. There are floods and occasional mudslides that can and do occur. Fortunately we usually have warning when a storm is coming so we have time to stock up. The co-op is small but they carry a larger vegan selection at slightly better prices (oh yeah, cost of living a bit more expensive here) than in town.<br />
Astoria also has my favorite bakery, The Blue Scorcher Bakery (<a href="http://www.bluescorcher.com/">www.bluescorcher.com</a>). Not only do they sell a wonderful organic whole wheat (and vegan) bread, they have a nice little eatery where they make whole food meals from scratch. I occasionally stop there for lunch when shopping at the co-op.<br />
There is a Costco now just south of Astoria but I find that Costco just doesn't carry enough of what I eat to make the membership worthwhile and I would much rather support local businesses when I can.<br />
I still need to explore the towns between here and Astoria as well as to the south. We spent a summer in Cannon Beach just north so I know there is even less available there or close to the same. Seaside has a little health food store. I still need to explore that city too.<br />
So you can see, I have my work cut out for me. I am not a huge fan of dinning out but it is a nice treat once in a while. I will make an effort to explore a bit more.<br />
This post has gone on for long enough! I will be putting some of my favorite vegan links on a side-bar. This coming week I have a trip up north planned to replenish the food supplies. I will be going on a 21 day cleanse found in Kris Carr's new Crazy Sexy Life Diet book. I would like to include more raw foods in my diet. I don't think I want to be a completely raw vegan but adding more raw meals would be a good thing. I haven't even begun to talk about the beach and ocean. More coming soon!<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-50405571017007124622011-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:002011-01-10T13:17:49.160-08:00Hello, My Name Is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2erYGnrA7RLlkiEaWLkMAnReFk6JObFGmTfGAH8BN7ETzBxqNX4ZSHTKW8QgDsplUET4I1BAOqExUDeUOnGFfWtehqVl9RX4voO6gSKIASOQuXEbIbkGev8Oj7993FpAEIzkzGo340NA/s1600/coastalview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2erYGnrA7RLlkiEaWLkMAnReFk6JObFGmTfGAH8BN7ETzBxqNX4ZSHTKW8QgDsplUET4I1BAOqExUDeUOnGFfWtehqVl9RX4voO6gSKIASOQuXEbIbkGev8Oj7993FpAEIzkzGo340NA/s400/coastalview.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Well now, I suppose I should start this off at the beginning. Hello, my name is Renee. I live in a tiny little village on the northern Oregon Coast. I am an artist and I am vegan. I was vegetarian for 12 years before going vegan. I have been vegan for three years now. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I tried to go vegan when I first became vegetarian. At the time I was living in another small town far away from resources. At that time as well, the internet was not as easily accessible as it is now. To this day the place where we lived only has dial-up service! Oh yes, we. I will get to the we in a moment...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was not successful at becoming vegan with that first attempt. Looking back I would say I just did not have enough information to be a healthy vegan. Like many vegetarians, I relied fairly heavily on dairy products in my diet. So how did I become vegan and why? I would love to be able to say that I had learned about the horrific circumstances the animals that provided my dairy products endured and that made me change but at that time I was still uninformed. The simple reason why I became vegan was that dairy made me ill. It turns out that not only was I lactose intolerant, but down right allergic to dairy. The allergy was getting worse as I got older. This time when I went vegan there was an incredible amount of resources available. I also began to learn about the way we treat animals in the food, clothing, and entertainment industries. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has not been hard for me to eat a strict plant-based diet. I did not miss the dairy, since it made me sick. There was no way I wanted to go back to feeling that ill. Since I started three years ago I have done a lot of reading. I have read cook books, nutrition books, animal rights books, and books on the politics of food. In addition to books, I dove into the wealth of information available online. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At this time, I don't think I will be putting up a lot of recipes. Never fear! There will be plenty of talk about delicious vegan food! There are so many incredible vegan cooking blogs and websites out there already, so I will be referring to them as interesting things pop up. I will be putting up a list of my favorite blogs that I follow and any resources I use. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, about that “we”. I live here with my husband and dog...who are not vegan. We have been married for 26 plus years. I was not vegan or even vegetarian when we were first married. That said, my husband eats a mosty vegan diet. That is, since I do most of the cooking he gets vegan meals. He also makes his own soy milk! He does occasionally consume animal products. My dog alas, did not thrive on a vegan diet so does not consume one now. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tomorrow I will introduce you all to my little town and the incredibly beautiful area in which we live. I will be explaining a bit more of the why it is a challenge to be a vegan in this area. Those challenges have made it necessary for me to tweak the way I eat, in a good way. I will be talking about a healthy whole foods diet, what you need, how much it costs, and where one can find good food in this area. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One cannot live in this incredible environment and not include it in ones lifestyle. The environment where I live is strong, and a relatively rugged and isolated area, It is also stunningly beautiful and I absolutely love it. Living on the wild Pacific edge of the North American continent has its challenges, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else at this time. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Renee</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>R. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358481750326764552.post-676217114554588792011-01-08T11:10:00.001-08:002011-01-08T11:42:45.906-08:00Welcome!Welcome! This blog will be built over the next couple of days. Just to give a hint as to what it is about; I am a vegan living on the wild northern Oregon coast. It is a beautiful, rugged area. Finding local vegan resources is a challenge. I am accepting that challenge and will be posting the resources I find and the people I meet here. My goal is to blog a minimum of 5 times a week.<br />
One cannot live on the coast and not mention the ocean environment. There will be a lot of that too!<br />
Stay tuned!<br />
-ReneeR. Delighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02635194775114327666noreply@blogger.com0