While walking downtown, I stopped by Compass Rose to buy new chopsticks...for popcorn. I call it popchopping and it keeps any toppings off my fingers as well as makes eating popcorn so much fun! Give it a try.

From The Vegan Chef:

Cajun Popcorn

1 cup raw popcorn kernels
2 T. safflower oil
1 T. water
1 T. nutritional yeast flakes
1 T. Creole Seasoning
1/4 t. salt (optional)

Using a hot air popper or other popcorn popper, pop the popcorn and place it in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients, and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to blend the flavors. Drizzle the oil mixture over the popcorn and toss well to evenly coat the popcorn with the mixture. Serve warm.

Serves 6-8

Creole Seasoning

3 T. paprika
2 T. garlic powder
2 T. onion powder
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. cayenne pepper
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. white pepper
1 1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. dry mustard

In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

The Vegan Chef site has some wonderful ideas for recipes and you can search for recipes with an ingredient keyword...don't miss it!

I'm so sad that Whirligig closed. That was one of the most environmentally sound concepts for a store I've ever seen. And I'd just discovered the store!! Lovely gifts, too. I bought several hand-made plantable paper cards with flower seeds in them and now have no idea how to get more of the cards, which made wonderfully mailable gifts. Any ideas?

Most of the ingredients called for in The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook can be found at the Olympia Food Coop and maybe your back yard!

Sunny Tree Market has marked its vegetarian cookbook collection down to 50% original price. I bought 20 Minutes to Dinner by Bryanna Clark Grogan. Sunny Tree Market is at 131 Decatur Street, NW. Recipe follows:

2 cups sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or butternut squash, mashed
1 cup soymilk or almond milk
1/2 cup agave syrup
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses

Nutrition Tips from Body Builders

Plant Based Protein Sources

From Google News

"The team studied the relationship between genistein concentration and breast cancer risk by comparing blood samples taken from a 144 women who had developed breast cancer and 288 who did not.

The risk of cancer for those with the highest level of genistein was one-third of that for the group with the lowest concentration, the study said.

Women who had the highest concentration of genistein in their blood consumed 100 grammes (3.5 ounces) of tofu or 50 grammes (1.75 ounces) of "natto" per day, it said.

However, the study warned that excessive consumption of genistein and other isoflavone compounds -- especially in the form of supplements -- may actually raise the risks of breast cancer.

"These results were limited to daily consumption of isoflavone at meal times. So if the consumption occurs within meals, there should be no problem," said Motoki Iwasaki, a team member at the Epidemiology and Prevention Division."

Simple Vegan Recipes

Where are your favorite places in Olympia to get produce, spices, and other healthy veggie ingredients?

Passing along this link for those who might be interested in learning more about vegetarian food options as well as how a plant based diet relates to health:

Have a great day!

According to Vesanto Melina, MS, RD and Brenda Davis, RD, in Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet, the daily recommendation for protein, fat and carbohydrate are:

Protein = 10-20%
Fat = 15-35%
Carbohydrate = 50-75%

:)