I’ve taken a lot of criticism for proclaiming more than one dessert ‘the best dessert in the world’ but you know what, I don’t care – this vegan buttermilk pie is the best dessert in the world! What can I say, I get really excited about my food and whatever tasty [...]]]>

I’ve taken a lot of criticism for proclaiming more than one dessert ‘the best dessert in the world’ but you know what, I don’t care – this vegan buttermilk pie is the best dessert in the world! What can I say, I get really excited about my food and whatever tasty treat I’m feasting on at the moment usually sends me over the moon.

Buttermilk Pie is a Southern classic, and a real Texas specialty, traditionally made with cow’s buttermilk, vinegar, eggs, and sugar. To give you an idea how delicious it is you should know that even thought I’ve only ever tasted it once before, nearly a decade ago, the memory has stuck with me tenaciously through the years.  The fact that I ate the entire pie all by myself all those many years ago has probably helped to cement my glowing memory.

Once I went vegan I mistakenly thought I would never again enjoy the rich, luscious, tangy sweetness of buttermilk pie, but, just like all my baby vegan misconceptions, I was so, so wrong.

This recipe was like a gift from the kitchen gods; it came to me fully formed and absolutely perfect. I literally had the idea, jotted it down, stood up to go to my kitchen and bake, and a few hours later I was rewarded with vegan buttermilk pie perfection.

And here’s the thing….this IS buttermilk pie. There’s no similarity, no replication…it completely and totally IS buttermilk pie. It’s got it all: the creamy custard-like texture, the dreamy sweetness and the tangy bite at the end. I do believe it would even please the Queen of Southern Cuisine Paula Deen herself. Perfection. And you know what else? This recipe is ridiculously simple and cruelty free. Veganism really does taste better.

This pie is tangy and sweet with a crumbly, buttery crust. It has a texture that is thick and rich, like a whipped custard, and it melts in your mouth and will always put a smile on your lips.

Ingredients
300 grams HobNobs or Graham Crackers or Oat Biscuits
2 pinches of salt
1/2 cup of melted room temperature vegan butter
1 box of Mori Nu Silken Extra Firm Tofu (12.3 oz)
1/4 cup of room temperature vegan butter
3/4 cup coconut milk
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of vanilla essence
5 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cup white sugar

- In a food processor or blender (or using your hands) completely crush the hobnobs and then combine completely with the 1/2 cup of melted vegan butter and pinch of salt. Spread into a greased pie pan and press firmly along the bottom and up the sides to form the pie crust. Put in the freezer for one hour.

- Once the pie crust has been in the freezer for an hour place the coconut milk into a bowl and add the vinegar. Do not stir. Allow to curdle while preparing the rest of the pie.

- In a food processor combine the tofu, 1/4 cup of butter, and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth with no lumps and no grittiness.

- Add to the food processor the curdled coconut milk and the flour and blend together completely until smooth.

- Then add the sugar and a pinch of salt and blend completely together. It might be a bit gritty from the sugar but that is fine.

- Pour into the pie crust and bake for 1 hour at 325F. Check the pie after 45 minutes to make sure it isn’t getting to brown on top. You want a bit of caramelization but not too much.

- When you remove the pie from the oven it will be VERY wobbly in the center, that is okay. Let it come to room temperature and then store it in the fridge for several hours, preferably overnight, before cutting into it. Enjoy!

That gorgeous meal up there is the tasty and filling Matar Tofu Paneer Dahl from the brilliant and always inspiring Bittersweet blog. I was lucky enough to win a nifty TofuXpress from Hannah last year, and this is one of the first dishes I made with it, just as [...]]]>

That gorgeous meal up there is the tasty and filling Matar Tofu Paneer Dahl from the brilliant and always inspiring Bittersweet blog. I was lucky enough to win a nifty TofuXpress from Hannah last year, and this is one of the first dishes I made with it, just as she suggested. Scrumptious!

Let’s hear 3 cheers for tofu!

I love the stuff. It is so versatile, so incredibly healthy for you, and so much fun to cook with – and eat! I use it to make ice cream, stir-frys, fish ‘n’ chips, pies, cakes, pudding, or I prepare it simply in a marinade and bake it in the oven. No matter how it is prepared it is always tasty, and a great addition to any diet.

But…oh yes, there is a but….tofu can be a bit tricky to work with, especially when you want to get it nice and firm for frying, baking, or stir-frys. It is so soft it can fall apart on you. And when it is fresh from the packaging it retains so much of it’s own liquid that it can be hard to impart it with flavor from a marinade or from the cooking process.

Well, luckily for us the good folks over at TofuXpress have found a solution. No more stacking weighted plates onto wobbly slices of tofu and cursing the resulting mess and mush, now there is an easy gadget that gets the job done quickly and efficiently – every time.

After a few hours of pressing in the TofuXpress the brick of tofu is firm and chewy and just ready to suck up all the tasty marinade you can create. The TofuXpress is a product that I use regularly and I really do love.

TofuXpress!

Before pressing...

After 2 hours of pressing.

After The Voracious Vegan was named one of the Top 10 Vegan Blogs by VegNews Magazine I was overcome with an urge to say a big, huge THANK YOU to all of my amazing readers. Without all of you – this blog wouldn’t be here! And I always think a good way to say thank you is with FREE STUFF – so this is part of my latest series of giveaways. I hope you enjoy it!

So, if you want to win your very own TofuXpress, enter this giveaway and good luck! Thank you to the generous people at TofuXpress for this giveaway!

***This giveaway is only open to readers living in the USA***

Each lucky reader  can have up to 3 entries in this giveaway.

1. Make a comment on this post telling me why you want to win a TofuXpress and what you want to make with it.

2. Tweet about it using the link to this post so more people can enter this amazing giveaway. Then come back here and make a second comment letting me know you’ve tweeted.

3. If you have a blog link to this giveaway on there and then come back here and make a 3rd comment telling me about your post!

I will randomly select the lucky winner 1 week from today so check back to see if you got lucky!

Actually, where in the world are you? It might be fun to find out how scattered across the globe we all are – leave a comment saying what country you are in, and what country [...]]]> Hello all of you lovely people! I hope you are having a great day, wherever in the world you are.

Actually, where in the world are you? It might be fun to find out how scattered across the globe we all are – leave a comment saying what country you are in, and what country you are from!

Things here in the Land of Sand are peachy keen, except for this heat. It is much hotter, much sooner, than it was last year. We are already up to 118F with a hefty helping of humidity. This weather means I’m trapped inside all day long, only venturing outside to walk the dogs, hike, or ride my horse in the early morning or late evening. And it is only June which means there is 4 more months of this to go!

Even though we are trapped inside, our Insanity workouts are still going strong! You know what’s even crazier? I’m just adding them on to my regular workout schedule! Let’s see if I can take it. All this Insanity means I need lots of yummy food to power me through the day. Here is what I’ve been noshing -

Breakfast – I have a green smoothie almost every day. It is hearty enough to get me through my workout that follows my morning meal, but light enough not to weigh me down. I blend up chard with bananas, frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries, with enough soy or rice milk to smooth it out. Always yummy!

While sipping on breakfast I start my day by reading and answering all my emails and getting my work plan started for the day. Lately I have been getting so many hateful and ugly comments on my blog I just can’t believe it.

Of course, I instantly delete them and I have trained myself never to take the bait and respond, no matter how badly I want to. I used to think I should reply to every message and maybe be a good advocate for veganism, or feminism, but I have finally come to realize that if people start out the exchange by spewing hateful idiocy, then they will never be reached by anything I say.

Why people waste the time to leave half coherent poorly thought out criticisms of the way I look, my feminist ethics, or my vegan food, I will never know. Folks, if you don’t like what you see here, move along – click away!

After sifting through my mail and slurping away on my green smoothie I skedaddled to the gym and spent 20 minutes on the treadmill loosening up – Insanity has my muscles so tight – before moving onto 20 minutes on the elliptical (my favorite!) and 20 minutes on the summit climber. It was one of those great days where I could really push myself to my absolute limit and still feel strong and energetic. Love those!

Lunch – Remember that yummy cilantro and lime tofu I made the other day? Well, I piled the leftovers on toast with lots of vegan mayo and spicy mustard and I was in sandwich heaven. For some reason, bread and mustard and mayo makes everything even better! I really loved this simple meal!

In the afternoon I picked back up my writing work and got a few articles polished and finished up. While starting a piece is difficult, sometimes finishing them is even harder! I am always so reluctant to send them off to be published because I keep thinking I can make them just a little bit better. I passed the time while agonizing for ages over tiny differences in grammar or word choice by munching on a snack plate that looked a little something like this -

After enjoying my snack of spicy cashews, sundried tomato pesto, bell peppers, zucchini and orange slices I was feeling much more relaxed and mellow. I called it quits on my writing for the day and waited eagerly for Cody to get home so we could continue our Insanity workouts.

Insanity is CRAZY! All the hopping and bouncing and jumping and leaping gets my heart pounding and turns my legs into pure jell-o. I love love love this workout series; it is motivating and a lot of fun. You also don’t need any weights or special equipment, just some room to groove. Have you tried the Insanity workouts yet? How much do you love them?

After we wrapped up our workout and caught our breath we took our unruly dingo herd for our usual 45+ minute walk. This time we stuck close to our neighborhood, after all the excercise we weren’t sure we could make it too far! Polly and Lobi (our little dogs) love our daily walks, but Jack (our young, big dog) needs them for his sanity. He is almost 4 years old now but is still in puppy mode mentally, and if he didn’t get his daily constitutional he might pop!

Dinner – was a pot of pinto beans that I had been simmering away for about 4 hours with lots of onions and garlic. I love beans. They are so cheap and easy to make, super healthy, and always delicious. I like mine with a lot of broth, that is my favorite part! I also had some roasted broccoli (broccoli is magical when roasted) and some of my dad’s fresh baked rosemary garlic bread. Ohhhh soooo gooood!

Dessert – Peanut Butter Bombshell Ice Cream from Bittersweet’s e-book A la Mode.

There are no words. None. Not even one that could possibly describe the immense perfection of this ice cream. It is a scientifically proven fact that the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is the best thing on earth and this ice cream marries the two perfectly. The taste is amazing – salty and super sweet, a rich peanut butter caramel flavor spiked with lots of dark chocolate chunks.

But the texture, oh the texture. I omitted the peanuts that the recipe calls for because I knew I wanted it as luscious as possible – jackpot! This ice cream is my favorite EVER because of the soft, rich texture, more like a very firm frozen yogurt than an ice cream. I never like ice cream that has ice crystals or is too hard, so this soft and rich, almost chewy consistency was PERFECT for me.

I have to go have another bowl right now…..

Yesterday morning started like any other, with a refreshing and invigorating green juice and two pieces of toast. The juice had lots of chard, 2 apples, a big carrot, [...]]]> Thursday and Friday are the weekend here in Saudi Arabia and Cody and I decided we were going to spend this one doing something a little different.

Yesterday morning started like any other, with a refreshing and invigorating green juice and two pieces of toast. The juice had lots of chard, 2 apples, a big carrot, a couple celery stalks, a hunk of ginger, and a cucumber. Looks like a normal way to start the day, right?

Well, after breakfast is when things got a little….insane.

Yesterday Cody and I started the Insanity workouts – and they are everything I hoped they would be. After hearing a lot of buzz around the blogosphere I was so excited to give these a try. This workout series is supposed to be tough, brutal, and excruciating, something no workout dvd I’ve ever done has managed to be.

Insanity is a 60 day program of 10 different workouts that you follow according to the given schedule. According to the website:

“The secret to these mind-blowing results: MAX Interval Training.  Shaun T took traditional interval training and flipped it on its head—you perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest. Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your MAX. The results: burn up to 1,000 calories an hour and get the most insane body in only 60 days.”

You all know I love to workout. I spend an hour a day at the gym, 6 days a week, on top of all the bike riding, dog walking, and horse riding I do. But falling into a routine can be a real drag and it makes me feel less than motivated. I have also known that I was plateauing – I had reached a pretty comfortable limit and I wanted to bust out of that rut. Enter Insanity…I had heard that professional athletes were having trouble coping with the workouts, that it was the hardest thing ever put on dvd. I knew I had to try it!

Yesterday we did the fit test, a quick 30 minute workout designed to let you gauge your fitness level. You retake the fit test every 2 weeks so you can see yourself improving. Well, this fit test was a pretty tough workout all on its own.

The thing about Insanity is that it is largely based on plyometric movements; fast, explosive, jumping movements that crank up your heart rate and use all the muscles in your body. Doing just a few minutes of the routine got my heart pounding like an entire hour on the treadmill never does.

After that rigorous workout, which was technically only a fit test, we needed fuel fast! And what better than complex carbs and some tasty protein?

Rice, Bean and Veggie Burritos with a big fresh salad to the rescue! I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture, but I assure you it was identical to this meal:

After an afternoon spend reading and writing and an evening spent at the stables with my sweet boy Ender, I came home and settled down to movie night and a pile of tasty sushi and edamame.

We watched Blade Runner – stunning visuals, gorgeous music, but the story line was a little bland and it lacked the depth that I really wanted. I’m a sci-fi junkie and I expected more. But the sushi was just as delicious as always!

***

Day 2 of our Insanity madness began with a green smoothie, filled with bananas, chard, frozen strawberries, and rice milk. Always my favorite breakfast!

After letting our food digest it was on to our second day of Insanity with 45 minutes of plyometric circuit training.

Whoa.

WHOA.

I can’t even tell you how ridiculously hard this workout was – I loved it! Sure, I had to stop and gasp for air a few times (having excercise induced asthma is a pain), and I chugged more than a little water, and some foul language might have escaped from my lips, but it was GREAT!

Wow, what a workout. There is little that can compare to the cardio workout we received today, plus it was coupled with strength building moves that left me feeling weak and shaky and totally wrung out. This was exactly what I was looking for. (And no, I am not in any way recieving anything for my review of Insanity, they don’t even know I exist! I bought this on my own and am gushing about it because I really do love it.)

And the host and creator of the program, Shaun T, is an absolute doll. A lot of times workout dvds get on my nerves because the host is obnoxious. Well, not with Shaun T. He is so high energy, and encouraging, and funny, and really inspiring – love him. I want to bake him some vegan cupcakes.

Also, as we were working out, our cat Twilah plopped down right in front of us and watched us in horror and concern for the entire 45 minutes. Cats just don’t get working out.

As you can imagine, after a workout like that I was desperate for, what else – burritos! With a side of roasted broccoli. Oh yum.

We spent the afternoon recuperating, reading, dingo cuddling, and relaxing, before heading out to the stables in the evening.

So, these pictures have nothing to do with vegan food, or Insanity workouts, but I love my boy Ender SO much I just had to share his cuteness with you. Hope you don’t mind!

He looks so calm in these photos, but believe me, he is not. Imagine hanging out with and riding a volcano, or a lightning bolt on speed! But he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, he always means well, and he is super friendly and very outgoing. He also has the biggest heart and the silliest personality – I adore this horse.

(If you want to read more about Ender and about how and why I am a horse riding vegan, please check out this post.)

Ender lives for his food, it is the center of his world, and he especially loves all the tasty treats I give him. His favorites are apples, carrots, and watermelon. He would follow you to the ends of the earth for some watermelon!

Has there ever in the history of time been a softer, more velvet-like quilt of a nose? I don’t think so. Oh his sweet snuffly carrot scented kisses really do make my heart skip a beat. How can he be so perfect? I’m giddy just thinking about him.

Riding Ender after a morning of Insanity was over the top craziness, my legs were screaming when we came home from the stables. I needed sustenance and I needed it NOW!

Inspired by Heathen Vegan’s latest post of cilantro and lime tofu, I blended up some cilantro, garlic, fresh ginger, lime zest and lime juice, olive oil and salt, marinated the tofu in it for an hour and then baked it till it was chewy. Then I piled it on top of a quick and tasty brown rice and veggie stir-fry.

It was just the thing I needed. The flavor combination of lime and cilantro is so fresh and summery, I’m thinking of making it into a salad dressing. How great would that be?

Alright, guys and gals, I’m outta here. These sore and aching muscles need some rest and I’ve got some dingos who need cuddling.

And of course, lots of dark chocolate that needs to be devoured….didn’t you know it’s the perfect workout recovery food???

This series is also being posted at The Conducive Chronicle. Head over there to check it out!

***

For the past five days I have been mimicking the diet of the world’s hungry to raise awareness about poverty and chronic hunger. I have been eating around 1,000 calories, once a day [...]]]>

This series is also being posted at The Conducive Chronicle. Head over there to check it out!

***

For the past five days I have been mimicking the diet of the world’s hungry to raise awareness about poverty and chronic hunger. I have been eating around 1,000 calories, once a day in my evening meal, and focusing on the staple foods of the regions of the world hardest hit by food insecurity. The food has been delicious, but the portions are so small I’m hungry again by the time I go to sleep at night. Even though I have only been doing this for a few days, and I know it will be over soon, I feel sad and listless. I try to cheer myself up with the thought of the delicious meals I can eat as soon as this is over, but it is hard to focus on anything that isn’t immediate. Two days might as well be two years for how close it seems. My ability to focus on the task at hand faltered more often than not today, as I attempted to explore the role of violent conflict in creating chronic hunger and its effect in the nation of Cambodia.

Some people have scoffed at this world hunger journey, telling me that the amount of food isn’t really that minuscule, that I shouldn’t be feeling weak or hungry at all. But this amount of food is too small and I am feeling weak and hungry. All the time. As a food blogger I’m used to thinking about food constantly, planning my meals, writing recipes and joyfully relishing my most recent creation. But now my constant thoughts about food have turned bleak. It is a series of no, no, no, all day long, as I deny my hunger and try not to give in to near overwhelming temptation. And then, for a few far too short minutes every evening, all the synapses in my brain fire at once and every bit of the one simple meal I get to eat tastes like heaven. And then it is gone. It seems like I could count the number of bites taken on two hands. My spoon scrapes down the side of the bowl; I lick it again and again, as if waiting for more food to appear. Last night I was even dragging my fingers across the plate, trying to get every last bit of food I could. Inevitably the meal ends with me feeling frustrated. My body knows this is wrong and is sick of being ignored.

I am also sick of feeling weak and tired, too pale and empty to even climb the stairs without black stars appearing before my eyes. I am barely coping with this diet and I live a cushy, pampered existence. How people survive on these meager portions while doing back breaking labor from dawn to dusk, I do not know. That people live like this while knowing that their families, their children, their loved ones, are experiencing it too breaks my heart. 1 out of 6 people in our world are going hungry. Imagine that fact in your own life, with your own family and loved ones. Look around at six members of your family and imagine one of them starving to death while the rest of you enjoy your dinner. Look around at six of your friends and imagine one of them dying from hunger while you cook breakfast. If one of our family members was starving to death we wouldn’t stand for it, the situation would be remedied instantly with an outpouring of assistance and help. But because we in the global north live in a world where these 1.2 billion people are for the most part kept voiceless and hidden from sight, we do nothing.

For the past few days I have been sharing my experience and my research on the causes and potential solutions to the problem of world hunger, but I find I’m still struggling to cope with its magnitude. Logically I understand that 1.2 billion people are chronically undernourished, but actually coming to terms with the fact that 1 out of every 6 of my fellow human beings goes hungry every day has been difficult. And when I remind myself of the fact that there is more than enough food to feed everyone, it just doesn’t seem possible that a world could exist with so much blinding inequality. In an effort to see this crisis on a smaller scale, I have decided to spend my day devoted to examining hunger in Asia focused on one country in particular: Cambodia.

Asia and the Pacific are home to over half of the world’s population and nearly 2/3 of the world’s hungry people. There are 642 million people in Asia and the Pacific struggling with chronic hunger. Cambodia’s malnutrition rates are among the highest in South East Asia.  This has earned it an Alarming rating by the Global Hunger Index, which ranks countries on the basis of a figure combining three factors: level of child malnutrition, rates of child mortality, and the proportion of people who are calorie deficient. After decades of civil conflict and a brutal genocide, the Cambodian people are still struggling. 26 percent of the total population is undernourished, 35 percent of the population is living below the poverty line, with 15 – 20 percent living in extreme poverty. The population has been fractured by violence, generations of people are missing, multi-national corporations have swooped in to exploit the vulnerable poor, and the countryside is still filled with land mines, resulting in one of the highest percentages of disabled people in the world. Cambodia is a nation that has been through the worst and is now struggling to find its footing and thrive.

Just as chronic hunger can create conflict as people compete for resources, conflict and war can create chronic hunger. This happens as food is used as a weapon and a means to control the population, farmland and crops are destroyed either deliberately or accidentally, and farmers are displaced through violence or coercion. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, armed conflict is the world’s leading cause of hunger.

“Since 1992, the proportion of short and long-term food crises that can be attributed to human causes has more than doubled, rising from 15 percent to more than 35 percent. All too often, these emergencies are triggered by conflicts.” World Food Program

This fact is evidenced in the tumultuous and bloody history of Cambodia and the resulting epidemic of hunger it now struggles with. After nearly a century of French colonization, Cambodia gained its independence in 1953. A little more than a decade later Cambodia found itself mired in the Vietnam War, and was bombed and invaded by Republic of Vietnam and U.S. forces. More than 2 million Cambodians were forced to flee their homes to avoid the violence and became war refugees. The extensive bombing killed thousands of people, and up to 75 percent of the country’s livestock, making it nearly impossible for the people to plant their annual rice crop. Famine took hold of the country, tens of thousands of people died, and it was in this context that the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975. The Khmer Rouge emptied the cities and sent the people to work in the fields, determined to cast aside all modern progress and Western influence, and create an agrarian utopia emulating the 11^th century.

Over a million Cambodians, 1 out of every 8 people, died under the Khmer Rouge through executions, overwork, starvation, or disease. The landmines that were used throughout the decades of conflict by all the various factions, have maimed and disabled more than 40,000 Cambodians. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) estimates that there are still up to six million mines and unexploded ordinances in Cambodia. In 1991 a comprehensive peace settlement was reached and the United Nations was given power to enforce a ceasefire. However, this violence fractured Cambodian society, killed entire generations of people, and set the nation’s progress back decades.

The International Food Policy Research Institute has named Cambodia one of the world’s 12 hunger hotspots to highlight the massive rate of food insecurity the country faces. The average life expectancy in Cambodia is only 56 years, with people dying from easily preventable and treatable diseases that have been virtually wiped out in much of the rest of the world. To this day people are being killed and maimed by the landmines that still litter the country, and at the current rate it may take another 100 years before all the mines are cleared from the Cambodian countryside. The Cambodian government estimates that only 29 percent of their citizens have access to safe drinking water. Only 57 percent of Cambodian women can read and write, and more than half of all children under the age of 14 are not attending school in order to work. This kind of poverty is difficult to overcome. It creates a legacy of hunger and impoverishment, passed down from generation to generation like an unwanted inheritance. I offer a quote from “World Hunger Notes”.

“After wars have destroyed natural and social resource bases, people must reform and rebuild communities, regain land titles, reconstruct waterworks, replant trees, and recruit seeds, animals, and tools to restore livelihoods. They must also reconcile hostilities and distrust that in some cases predate active fighting. None of these are quick turnarounds, and all contribute to continuing underproduction, poverty, malnutrition, and risk of renewed violence.” World Hunger.org

Once started, the cycle of poverty can be hard to stop. With little or no resources it can be extremely difficult for a family to overcome the interlocking obstacles that stand in their way. Too many of us assume that simply fixing one part of the problem will cause the other challenges to dissolve and the road to a clear and prosperous future will be easy. For example, when faced with the previously mentioned statistic that more than half of Cambodian children under the age of 14 do not attend school but work instead, a common initial reaction is indignation that this is allowed to happen and a belief that the government should force the children to go to school for their own good. After all, investments in education pay off in the form of increased earnings later in life and a higher likelihood of education for any future children. However, a more nuanced examination will reveal that if those children stop earning a wage and are forced to go to school, it might mean disaster for their family. The money that the child was bringing in could have been the difference between life and death for a family struggling to find the means to survive. However, lack of education as a child is a key factor in determining whether or not someone will face poverty as an adult. Solving one part of the equation can make the situation even worse, but doing nothing nearly always guarantees that the future will repeat the past. Ending the cycle of poverty, therefore, requires a unique approach that recognizes the need for multilevel strategies with an emphasis on sustainability and empowerment.

As a woman from the wealthy global north, I know that at first glance it might seem like armed conflict in far flung corners of the globe has little do with me. But it most definitely does. Quite often these conflicts are supported by the governments of developed nations to further their own goals, or in other cases the violence is completely ignored by countries powerful enough to put a stop to it. We as citizens of these wealthy countries can demand action be taken to stop conflict. We can write to our governmental representatives, run for political office ourselves, create awareness groups, lobby for change, or stage protest demonstrations.

Other times, the products we buy in our day to day life, like our cell phones and laptop computers, fund these violent conflicts and create incentives for more violence to take place. They raw materials that make these products are collected in mines. There is a direct connection between what we buy and the brutal deaths of millions of people. In Congo, where violent conflict has been raging for years, do you know what the number one tool of choice to control the population is? Rape. And when we allow companies to use conflict minerals in the computers and cell phones we buy, we are subsidizing and supporting rape and widespread catastrophic violence.

This is a fantastic video exploring the link between what is in your home and devastating violence and rape epidemic taking place in Congo. Please watch this video and demand that these companies seek peaceful alternatives to the minerals they are using. Visit the website Raise Hope for Congo.org to make your voice heard and to protect and empower the women of Congo!

***

It’s the end of day five, and at the moment I don’t feel too bad, which is quite a contrast to the sadness and exhaustion I felt early this morning. Of course, I just finished eating dinner so I’m sure my full belly is contributing to my change in attitude. I’ve learned so much over the past five days, but what I’ve really learned is how much more there is to know. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post: I could devote an entire World Hunger post to studying poverty and hunger in just one country. The problem is vast and complex, but the most important lesson I’m taking away from this journey is that we can make a difference. I can make a difference. You can make a difference. Those of us who are wealthy enough to have food to eat and a roof over our head have the ability to take a stand, raise our voice, shake our fist, and change the world. 1 out of 6 human beings does not need to be starving, while we have far more than our share. There is more than enough for everyone.

Perhaps another reason I’m feeling alright this evening has to do with how delicious my dinner was. Sticking to staple foods from Asia, and more specifically Cambodia, I cooked up some veggies and rice, with a bit of tofu on top. I’m happy to say that this meal is quite filling, it is now several hours after dinner and I’m still pleasantly stuffed. Only two more days…I can do this.

Total Calories: 1,102
Total Fat: 43.0
Total Carbohydrates: 138.2
Total Protein: 49.1

To Follow Natasha’s World Hunger Journey

7 Days for World Hunger: Day 1

7 Days for World Hunger: Day 2

7 Days for World Hunger: Day 3

7 Days for World Hunger: Day 4

To donate to organizations devoted to clearing landmines in Cambodia, and throughout the world, please check out these links:

Freedom Fields, USA

Mag International

The Halo Trust

Sustainable giving programs dedicated to providing solutions that help eliminate poverty and world hunger.

• Food For Life
• Trees for Life
• Community Action Fund for Women in Africa
• Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
• Women’s Bean Project
• Sustainable Harvest International
  

If you would like to help in the fight against world hunger please spread the word about this Souljourn, we are trying to build a movement! If you would like to join in, let us know!

You can also donate to Food for Life and International Fund for Africa, they are both 100% vegan organizations dedicated to ending poverty and chronic hunger while spreading the benefits of a cruelty free vegan diet.

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“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” ~ Samuel Johnson

To me there is no city in the world that can compare to London. I feel like it is the city of my soul, it is home in a way that no other place has ever [...]]]>

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”
~ Samuel Johnson

To me there is no city in the world that can compare to London. I feel like it is the city of my soul, it is home in a way that no other place has ever been. (Except here in Aramco of course, but this isn’t exactly the ‘real world’.)

Growing up, my family and I spent a few weeks every summer in London or elsewhere in the UK and I always felt ‘right’ when I was there. I fit in like I did no place else and to this day London is my favorite place in the world. I even spent my first year of University there. (Here’s another post I did about my love for the UK.)

London really has everything you could ever want (except sunshine), from a fast paced city feel to the tradition and quirky elegance I always associate with England. The architecture, the history, the endlessly charming people, the brilliant shopping, the diverse and eclectic culture, the beautiful parks and markets, are all stamped on my heart forever. I just can’t get enough of that place, which is why I’ve been thinking about spending a week there this summer for my birthday.

Ever since that idea popped into my head I’ve been in constant daydreaming mode, remembering all of my favorite places in London and making mental checklists of things I’ve got to do and people I have to see. But, as you would imagine from a food blogger, I’ve been mainly dreaming about the amazing food. And what is more quintessentially London than a big pile of greasy fish and chips?

My nostalgia must have inspired my culinary creativity because this recipe is truly out of this world authentic. The trick to making the tofu taste really fishy is the addition of 2 sheets of finely ground up nori rolls in the wet batter. It gave the tofu the perfect amount of ocean fresh taste that I had been missing. The right texture of the wet batter is essential to making this recipe really genuine. You have to make sure to get the oil super hot before adding the battered tofu so the batter will seal up instantly and be light and crisp. YUM!

Vegan Fish
1 lb extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed gently to remove excess water, then sliced into 4 pieces. You don’t want them too small!
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup dark beer + 2 Tbsp (we used non-alcoholic because here in Saudi Arabia alcohol is illegal)
2 inches deep of very hot vegetable oil in a large pot
2 nori seaweed rolls
1/3 cup all purpose flour for dredging
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper

- Place the pieces of tofu in a large dish and splash them with malt vinegar and let them marinate for 3 hours. They don’t need to soak in the vinegar, just give them a good splashing and turn them once.

- Grind up the nori rolls in a food processor till they are a powder

- Combine the 1 cup flour with the beer, paprika, salt, pepper, and nori powder

- Get the oil really, really, really hot.

- Remove the tofu from the marinade, dredge each piece in the 1/3 cup flour, then dip them in the wet batter and quickly place in the very, very, very hot oil

- Watch them closely, the oil is super hot so the batter will brown quickly. Remove when golden. Serve with a side of tartar sauce (vegan mayo and chopped pickles) and covered with lots of sea salt and malt vinegar.

The chips couldn’t be easier. Chop 2 potatoes into fry sized pieces, not too small, you want hefty fries! Toss them with a generous amount of olive oil, lots of salt, and then put them in a 400F oven. Don’t even think about touching them for 30 minutes. If you try to stir them before then they will break apart. Leave them alone for at least 30 minutes and only try to stir them and turn them over if you can do it without them breaking. In total they should bake for about 45 minutes or till they reach the crispiness you like. Serve them with lots of salt and malt vinegar!

I was pretty pitiful over the past few days. Cody had to go to Riyadh on a business trip which meant we had to spend a night apart. We have been together for more than 5 [...]]]> Hi everybody! I hope you are having a great day wherever in the world you are!

I was pretty pitiful over the past few days. Cody had to go to Riyadh on a business trip which meant we had to spend a night apart. We have been together for more than 5 years but still act like newlyweds, we are pretty ridiculous. I was mopey and pathetic the whole time, and he was no better! We talked on the phone almost nonstop, even though he was only gone for 2 days! But now he’s back and life has returned to normal!

We slept in yesterday which felt glorious. When I woke up I decided to combine breakfast with lunch and have brunch! I had a green smoothie, tofu omelets from Vegan Brunch (best omelets of all time!), toast, and a veggie burger. I need A LOT of fuel for the hard work I was in for!

Ender has grown up so much lately.  Yes, he still acts like a baby, but not a crazy baby, and believe me, that makes a huge difference to my peace of mind. Look at this glorious canter! He has come such a long way since I first got him and he was totally green and inexperienced. It has taken a lot of hard work, tons of love, and lots of patience but to see him this happy and mellow makes it all worth it. And the silly jumps at the end crack me up! He loves to kick up his heels and run and didn’t want to stop!

And for all of you who thinks this looks easy – think again! Riding horses is the hardest workout you can imagine; it burns more calories per hour than spinning, swimming, or jogging! Just trying to stay balanced activates all of your muscles, posting rips your legs up like nothing else, and trying to convince him not to be a racehorse uses all the upper body strength I’ve got. My heart is thumping like mad the whole time, and once I get off my muscles are shaking, but you just can’t beat the magic of it all.

And if you want to read more about me and Ender’s story, or find out how I feel about being a horse riding vegan please check out this post.

When we came home we admired some antique Kuwaiti chests my dad bought. The larger one is from the 1920′s and the smaller one is from the 1970′s. Aren’t they beautiful? Most expats here have houses filled with this kind of stuff, and ours is no different. It looks like a museum of Arabian home decor!

After walking the dogs, getting some writing done, and enjoying the rest of our day I was craving a quirky dinner.

What you see here is lots of carrots and bell peppers, my beloved Tuscan Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, a few extra greasy potato sambusa, and a handful of potato chips. YUM!

I wish you could tell how GIGANTIC this cupcake is. I don’t bake my cupcakes in cupcake tins anymore, I double the batch and bake them up in muffin tins! It makes them more moist, twice the size, and that means twice the frosting. I didn’t think cupcakes could taste any better…but these do!

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