Day 41 and recipe 36 & 37

Two more wonderful recipes cooked tonight: Orange Jicama Salad and Pea Soup East African Style (both on page 46 of Bill Irwin's cookbook). You may be wondering what Jicama (Hee-Ka-Ma) is? It is one of nature's nearly perfect foods with a very high vitamin C content, lots of fiber and no fat. It is a root vegetable grown in Mexico. It is a root vegetable with vines growing in excess of 20 feet! The tuber is globe shaped with skin like a potato and I found it at Wal-Mart!

The salad is crunchy and very sweet and tasty. The soup was refreshingly different with a great texture and flavor. Both recipes get a check +.

I am thoroughly enjoying Judith Jones' (Julia Child's publisher and long time friend) book, The Tenth Muse, My Life in Food. She tells of her post college days living in Paris and discovering with delight, the joy of French cooking and the joy of using garlic for the first time in her life, much to the horror of her aristocratic, New England mother. If you enjoyed Julie and Julia, you will love this book. As Oprah says, "The Tenth Muse lets you pull up a chair at the table where American Gastronomic History took place." Enjoy...................

Day 40

Here is the recipe that I promised you



We started off the day with Bill's pancakes (pg 166) which were like heavenly crepes. I served them with the blueberry compote. I never thought you could make such a delicious, crepe- like pancakes without eggs. I have tried so many vegan recipes for them without any real success.



The other recipe I made tonight is the Classic waldorf salad (pg 24). It is quick, easy and very good. It calls for Veganaise which is the vegan version of mayonaise, which is available in the health food section of most grocery stores. It tastes better than Mayo and it has no fat

Day 39 Thinking Outside the Bowl

That is all Vegan cooking requires, "thinking outside the bowl". When you tell people about the diet and that you do not eat any animal products most people think that there is nothing left to eat. That is why getting a good Vegan Cookbook is so essential, it helps you think outside the box or "bowl".

I began the vegan diet 4 years ago. I was just planning to do it for a thirty day trial. At the end of thirty days, I felt so great that I decided that there was no reason to return to my former "All American" diet. Over the next six months, I found that my cholesterol had dropped radically, I no longer had headaches (I used to carry aspirin with me constantly), I was never sick, not even a cold, my digestive system worked perfectly and I was relieved of occasional pain in my hip joints after a long day of gardening or physical work. Now four years later, I can still give the same report: not a single headache, never sick etc. So, I encourage you to give it a thirty day trial and see how great you feel.

Tonight, I made the Basil Salad Dressing (pg188) and the Raw Salsa (pg197). Both are great recipes but the Raw Salsa is a "must try". It is that good. I'll send you the recipe tomorrow to convince you to buy the book and cook along with Ruth. How about it???????

Day 38

This was a no cook day with a women's conference all day and a fundraiser supper tonight, but I did want to mention two things. First, the corn chowder was awesome when I went back and blended 1/2 of it as the recipe directed. I added a little more Braggs and it was scrumptious. Last night, I told you about the Seven Whole Grain Bread that I baked but I forgot to tell you that there is a typo in the list of ingredients. The recipe calls for 1/4 C of water and it should be 1 and 1/4 C.

Tomorrow, we will have a feast because we are having special company. Till then...................

Day 37

Josh found the recipe but my blog of 3/23 was lost. I will try to remember what I wrote, but please be sure to try this recipe. You will love it. Tonight's meal was Fettuccine with Swiss Chard (pg92) and Seven Whole Grain Bread
(pg 168). Both were wonderful.

While in Ct. attending Lewella's funeral, our whole family stayed at her cozy summer cottage on Highland Lake. I brought along all the ingredients for Bill's Roasted Vegetable Stew (pg 135) and cooked it up for our family dinner after the funeral. It was the perfect choice as it warmed our stomachs, as well as, our spirits and received a high rating from all.

We had a wonderful time reminiscing about all the great times we had with Grandma in the cottage that she so dearly loved. She would always go for a swim early in the morning before any boats we on the lake. I can still see her heading toward the lake in her pink and black striped bathing suit, her white, rubber bathing cap, and the Ked sneakers that she always wore swimming. Her last Swim was at age 97 in the company of her two , grandsons. She wrote this poem which we included in her obituary:

Last Swim

Not the last time
Not yet. How can I leave
This golden sunlight, frosting waters blue---
These drifting, cream-whipped clouds against the sky
and maple rubies floating here and there?
Even the misty mornings of July
were not as calm, untroubled, glory touched
as this late autumn pool--
Bathed in the silent joy of loneliness.
How many times, again will I become
A rippled marking on your shining face--
or looking past your far-off, distant shore
to greening hills, find mother's milk again.

We will miss her but precious memories linger on.

Day 36 and recipes 28 & 29 (Day 35 is lost in cyberspace)

Sorry, I did post day 35 last night with the recipe that I promised you, but it got lost somewhere. I'll have Josh find it tomorrow and republish it.

Tonight, I cooked Bill's Corn Chowder (pg 27). Unfortunatley, I was talking to Josh and cooking at the same time and I completely skipped a very important part of the recipe which said to puree 2 cups of the chowder and add back to the pot to give it a creamy consistency instead of the watery one that I achieved. So, I will give a report on this recipe after I remedy it tomorrow.

For dessert, I made Almond Banana Delight (pg 171). I added a few pecans on top and put in a little extra maple syrup. As my mother would say, I gilded the lily! May has always been very practical and thrifty, so any slight excess is "gilding the lily!"

Now, Lewella, always believed in gilding the lily. In fact, she believed lilies were made to be gilded. She always lavished everything with cream and butter. If a vegetable could be creamed she creamed it. If it could be buttered she buttered it (often to May's horror). But she lived to be a 101 so who is to say.......................

Days 29-34, Recipe 26

It is good to be back home. The funeral was happy and sad: happy because Lewella lived such a full life and slipped into God's hand so peacefully and sad, because we will miss her. I smiled and cried through it all.

My Mom was so glad to see us come home, as we've been gone almost a week and she misses her friend, Lewella. May, 98, and Lewella, 101, had been constant companions ever since Mom came to live with us all, a year and a half ago. Mom, affectionately, refers to me now as her mother because I am her caretaker. It is a roll reversal that feels okay.

I will have to send you the recipe I promised you Pasta with Broccoli and Pine Nuts tomorrow as I can't quite figure out my scanner ( I had help from 16yr old, Josh on the last scanned recipes and unfortunately he has already gone to bed as it is almost 11:30).

While in Ct our whole family stayed at Lewella's summer cottage and I was able to cook them Bill's Roasted Vegetable Stew pg 135. It was greatly enjoyed by all. I increased the recipe by 1/2 and it fed eight. It was the perfect meal for this occasion as it made us all feel warm, cozy and well fed. I rated it check++.

Last night, Sam and I treated ourselves to some R & R at the Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, Ma. Tomorrow, I will tell you about the incredible, vegan meal they served us. Have you ever been there??????

Day 28 and Recipe 25

Tonight, I had very little time to fix dinner and luckily I found a quick recipe; Pasta with Broccoli and Pine nuts pg121 (Have you all bought Bill's Cookbook by now? ). This can be prepped and on the table in 15 min. I used WW Angel hair pasta to speed things up which made it a heavenly meal (no pun intended). You will notice that most of Bill's recipes call for Braggs Liquid Aminos.
This is a natural salt substitute made from soy which seems to enhance the flavor of everything you put it on. It tastes far better than salt and it is good for you. You can find it in the health section of most grocery stores.

When we get back from my mother-in-law's funeral on Tuesday, I will send you tonight's recipe. It gets a check++.

Day 26 & 27

Nothing cooked either day. Yesterday, my mother-in-law, age 101, passed away. She had been living with us for almost 3 years and although at times she was very diffficult, I have to say, I miss her terribly. She was a Rennaisance woman. She loved so many things and was either accomplished at them or a great appreciator of them. Not the least of which, was cooking. She could make a Thanksgiving dinner that would even make Julia Child take notice;

homemade cranberry sauce, butternut squash, mashed turnip and potatoes, creamed onions, roast turkey, specially ordered from her favorite market, with sausage and chestnut stuffing (the chestnuts were picked from her tree, the squash and turnip from her garden). Giblet gravy was her favorite thing and she used it profusely. Then, there was the watermelon pickle made from last summer's watermelon and a mouthwatering array of homemade pies; apple, made with her own cortland apples, pumpkin (you guessed it, made with her home grown pumpkins), mince, this one was made with None Such Mincemeat, the only store bought filling. These were all served with big slices of cheddar cheese. Her table could not even be captured by Norman Rockwell himself. She did this all while working fulltime in her field of social work, playing the organ at church each Sunday, directing the choir, running the lady's sewing group, writing letters to friends an family everyday. I don't know how she did it.She was a truly amazing woman!

Day 25 and recipe 24

I am discovering that I really love cooking and I have missed it (I don't count my heating up Bertolli frozen, bag dinners as cooking). Taking on the challenge of cooking all the recipes in Bill Irwin's vegan cookbook has brought cooking up to a new priority level and I am enjoying it rather than dreading it. I think the movie Julie and Julia has renewed an interest in the culinary arts for many women.



Tonight, we watched another fine dining movie, "No Reservations". In the beginning, they were talking about the proper way to cook quail. I wish I had known that 27 years ago when we were "living off the land". I vividly remember being down to our last 2 nickles and wondering what I was going to serve for dinner, when a pheasant crashed into our window and fell, dead, on our deck. Well, there is my answer, I thought, but now, what do I do with it?



Sam agreed to remove the head and the feet but the rest was up to me. As luck would have it, my friend Emily drove in, right on time. She had goats and chickens and knew how to clean a bird or two. She whipped out her jackknife and had that thing plucked and gutted in no time. I was beginning to lose my appetite, but forged on. Now, this bird without the innards and the feathers was getting smaller and smaller. When I finally pulled it out of the oven, it was about the size of a man's fist. I can still see the little drumstick (the size of my thumb) as I placed it on my two year old's highchair tray! You know, vegan cooking is not so bad after all!



Sam loved the soup I cooked tonight, Ginger Carrot Soup (pg 37). It made a great meal with salad and Bill's drop biscuits on the side. So have some fun in the kitchen. Cook it up!

Day 24

Tonight, I probably spent more time looking for a fast recipe in Bill's Cookbook than it would have taken to cook a slow one. But, when you are pressed for time (like tonight when we have to turn the clocks ahead) try Mushroom Ragout (pg 116). It is simple and quite delicious. I served it over Arborio Rice.

I never knew there were so many kinds of rice; Arborio, Basmati, Jasmine, long grain, short grain, white rice, brown rice, wild rice, "tame" rice (it just lies there in the pot) and I just found another bag in my closet called Forbidden Rice! Can't wait to try that one.

Well, if I put my clock ahead now it will be midnight. Time for bed....................

Here is the recipe that I promised you. It is heavenly. Try it and let me know what you think.

If you are looking for a meal that is quick to prepare and delicious, try Cauliflower Curry with Rice (pg 78). I served it with jasmine rice and a big salad. It was a nice change of pace. Hope you enjoy it.

Spring is in the air and I am starting to think about my garden. We are planning to do a big vegetable garden this year. It will be so nice to just go to the garden for greens instead of Whole Foods. March is the month to plant spinach and peas.

I used to have an enormous garden and raise all our own food. Since we, virtually, had no topsoil on our land (just rocks and clay) we hauled in tons of seaweed and filled raised beds with it in the early fall. By April, it turned into rich soil and we had wonderful gardens. Think spring................

Day 22, Recipes 20 & 21

Tonight, was a double header: Tabouleh pg 56 and BBQ Portobello Sandwich pg 72. Sam's dad was Lebanese and he taught me how to make tabouleh when Sam and I first got married, so I knew this recipe would be a real test and I am happy to report it is every bit as good as the family recipe. I will give it a check + rating.

Now lets talk about the BBQ Portobello Sandwich. Its a check++ ! Off the chart delicious. Its so good that I am going to send you the recipe tomorrow. I am so glad I decided to cook all of Bill's recipes. If it hadn't been for the inspiration of "Julie and Julia" I would be missing out on all this great food and the fun of preparing it. Till tomorrow........................

Day 21

Judith Jones, Senior editor and vice president of Knopf Here is the photo I promised you. Judith looks great for 85+ years and was one of the best speakers that I have heard in a long while. Her command of the English language was enviable, each word carefully chosen to precisely express each thought. She never rambled or lost her train of thought.

I'll let you in on another secret she shared about the movie, Julie and Julia.
Do you remember when Judith was supposed to be going to Julie's apt for dinner and had to cancel due to bad weather? Well, that was partly true, but the real reason that she cancelled was that Julia Child had read the blog and had found several four letter words in it. She reported this to Judith saying that Julie can't be taken seriously. In essence, don't waste your time. So Judith cancelled politely using the weather as an excuse.

Well, one more recipe down the hatch. Tonight's dish, Linguine with Artichokes and Lemon (pg112) was very tastey. We had neighbors over for dinner and they asked for seconds even though they are both carnivors. Now that is the mark of a good recipe.

I generally leave out the crushed red pepper that many of Bill's recipes call for because my mother can't handle the hot stuff. So I just put the bottle on the table and everyone can suit themselves. Some like it hot and others do not!

We have company coming this weekend so I think I will plan a big feast. We always seem to have company and I love it. Even when we first moved to our peninsula in 1973 and lived in a tent we had company. Granted there wasn't much room to entertain, but people stopped by never the less. I remember one of our new neighbors dropping by for a visit and to give us "city folk" a rifle because of the reported bears in the area. I don't think I slept all that night. I am not sure whether I was more worried about the bears or about Sam using a rifle for the first time in his life. Well, fortunately, we never did have to use that rifle, but you can imagine I was happy to move out of that tent and into our new house. As far as cooking goes, I moved up from a two burner Coleman stove to a four burner Kerosene stove......wow, we've come a long way baby.

Day 21

I had the most delightful evening. Debra Irwin and I went to hear Judith Jones, Julia Child's longtime editor from Knopf, speak in Portland. She was a wonderful speaker and shared many colorful stories of her experiences with Julia. She told of the Christmas she spent in France at Paul and Julia's home where she watched Julia remove the tendons from the Christmas goose by putting it on the floor, breaking its ankles (I hope the goose was already dead), wrapping the tendons around her index fingers, pinning the goose legs down with a broom under her feet and pulling. When they popped out Julia remarked "Just like uncorking a bottle of champagne"!

I purchased Judith's new book, The Tenth Muse, My Life in food. She autographed it for me and posed for a photo. She looks great at 85+. I will send her photo tomorrow.

No cooking tonight. The Olive Garden was a nice break.

Day20

I never thought there could be a vegan eggplant parmigiana recipe (pg86) that would come close to the real thing but Bill's recipe really does. Follow the recipe to a "T" and don't skimp on the non-dairy cheeses as they are both essential to make this a great dish. Also, use plenty of basil, chiffonade. Do you know what chiffonade is? I didn't either so I asked Bill's wife, Debra and she said it would mean the basil was cut in thin strips. Chiffonade...what a lovely word. I will have to use it tomorrow night when I meet Julia Child's editor. I am sure she will be impressed.

I served this dish to our company tonight and there was just enough for 6. It is a most impressive dish to bring to the table as the rounds of eggplant are stacked separately like little double layer cakes filled and topped with cheese, sauce and basil. Yummy!

As I served it tonight, I could not help thinking of my first experience as a waitress. I was serving eggplant parmigiana to a customer and as I went to put the plate in front of her, she leaned forward to pull in her chair. Need I say more? Hit her square on the forehead. Fortunately, it was not terribly hot and only a little sauce drizzled down on her glasses! No tip that night!

Day 19

Have you seen the March issue Downeast Magazine? Julia Child is on the cover. She and her husband spent summers on Mt Desert Island. It was their home away from home. It is a lovely article with some marvelous, old photos. It also told of an event that I will be attending on Tuesday evening. Judith Jones, Julia's long time editor, has written a book about her relationship with Julia. She will be having a book signing at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland at 6:00pm. Maybe Julie will be there! Anyway, it should be fun.

Tonight, we had nine at the dinner table and I served all kids of pizza including Bill's Vegan Pizza
which was very good. I did not have the large crust that the recipe called for so I just piled all the ingredients on top of the medium size crust which was a little too much. Next time, I would use two smaller crusts or find a large one.

My sister-in-law, Sue is here visiting. She is one of the most dramatic examples of using the vegan diet to cure Arthritis. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis over 6 years ago. She was told by her doctor that she would be in a wheelchair in just a few months. Sue began the diet in earnest and in four months was arthritis free. Now, 6 years later, she is still symptom free.

Day 18 and recipe 16

I had high hopes that this would have been a "3 Recipe Day"but alas, my first
catastrophe! I am calling it "The Great Bread Machine Disaster" It was not
just one loaf but TWO. Any guess where the bread machine is now residing?
Yes, you are right! I marched the smoking mess swiftly to the nearest trash
can in the garage, while shouting, "Man does not live by bread alone."

I am not exactly sure what caused the first loaf to go wrong. I was trying to bake Seven Whole Grain Bread (pg168), but after 2 1/2 hours I peaked at the
bread only to find a pile of browned flour. I decided that there must be a typo in the recipe which only called for 1/4 c water (I will check with Bill on that one). Anyway, since it was still only 3:00pm I decided to try again with the recipe for Whole Wheat Maple Bread that I baked on Day 5. However, I could not get my machine to reset the timer to zero. Twenty five minutes still remained from the previous loaf. I thought at that point it would probably just be cooling so I would let it run the course and then start the baking cycle. I was wrong! It baked without ever stirring! So there you have it!

However, I did have one big success and that was with the recipe for Sweet Potato Soup (pg 55). Unimaginably delicious! I left out the rice milk because I like my soup thick. It raised my hopes again. However, I couldn't help thinking about Julie and her disaster with the Beef Bourguignonne!

I have included the Veggie Burger recipe that I promised you. Please try it and let me know what you think. I think they are the best Veggie Burgers ever!

Day 17

FETTUCCINE WITH SUMMER GARDEN MEDLEY Thought you might like to see the photo of the recipe I gave you on Day 11.
It tasted even better that it looks!

Today, we went to Little Lad's Bakery and (Vegan) Cafe in Portland for lunch. The meal we had there could not hold a candle to any of the recipes in Bill's book. We are totally spoiled now.

I have never come across a vegetarian cookbook that had more than a few great recipes. Usually, I am thrilled if I find three good recipes out of ten. I know I sound like a broken record but so far every recipe has been outstanding. Tonight's meal was no exception.

We had veggie burgers again but with the addition of "Liquid Smoke"!! ( you can find it next to Tabasco sauce in most grocery stores)
They were sensational. Sam, who has never really cared for veggie burgers,
said they were by far the best he ever tasted. On the side, I served Stuffed Potatoes (pg 148) along with fresh, sliced tomatoes and avocado. The potatoes were a real treat and easy to prepare. The tomato and avocado slices piled on the burger with a gob of Veganaise made every bite a mouthwatering
morsel.

Speaking of avocados, I remember when we were back in the homesteading days, that I fed one of my little toddlers copious amounts of mashed avocado because I had read that avocado was very rich in iron. Years later, I found out that it was just a typo and that avocados have almost no iron at all. However, I also found out, that they are very good for brain development. Well, he is now at Harvard working on his doctorate so I guess some parenting errors work out after all.

Thankfully, Sam's report today was good. No cancer has spread to the bones. That was a huge relief as you can imagine. We are still studying all the options but he is definitely committed to keep on with the diet.

Tomorrow, I'll send you the recipe for Veggie Burgers. You have to try them..................

Day 16 (14 recipes cooked and 336 to go)

I never thought I would be excited to find a product called "Liquid Smoke". But there I was, in my local grocery store, bubbling over with excitement as I snatched it off the shelf. Tomorrow night our vegie burgers will be smoking!!! (See yesterday's blog)

Tonight's dinner was a real change of pace. I have to confess that my preconceived notion was that being on a vegan diet would be boring, tasteless, and far from gourmet. Thankfully, it is not so and the recipe for Cannelini Bean and Tomato Cristini pg 77 will prove it. You absolutely have to try this one. It is quick and easy. Everyone loved it even my 98 yr old Mom!

Tomorrow, Sam and I meet with the Doctor to go over the results of the bone scan and talk about options. Hopefully, it will be a good report. Afterwards, we are going to treat ourselves to
to lunch at Little Lad's Restaurant on Congress St in Portland. We have heard great reviews about their all vegan menu. I will let you know......

Day 14 & 15

Last night, we had another church supper, so no recipes were cooked. We just packed the usual tote bag: carrot juice, Barley Max and greens. The turkey dinner smelled heavenly!!!

Tonight, I made Veggie Burgers pg 155. I doubled the recipe so we could freeze some. I did not have the liquid smoke that it called for so I substituted Bragg's Aminos and also added some sauteed mushrooms. I cooked them in a frying pan with Grapeseed oil. They browned beautifully and they tasted great. I served them in whole wheat rolls with a slice of avocado and Veganaise on top. Yummy! Hopefully, I can fined liquid smoke tomorrow an add it to the rest of the batch. Josh, 17, rated the burgers "check ++".

In regard to diet, I feel like we have come almost full circle back to our days of living off the land. The main difference being that I now buy the organic vegetables instead of growing them. It really was a tremendous amount of work and the crops didn't always come through even though you put the work in. I remember one year I tried to grow Fava beans. I had great hopes of supplying all my family's need for protein with this crop. The beans came up and flourished and by July huge beans dangled from every stalk. Surely, they would mature by fall so I could dry and preserve them for winter, or so I thought! However, my four year old decided to help Mom by picking every single bean long before anything had grown inside the pod. My entire crop was gone. He didn't miss a single bean!

Day 13

Hurrah! We've got power! Finally, after 5 days without electricity, we
have been reconnected. I certainly have a new appreciation for my
dishwasher, washer/dryer, hotwater and all those things I take for granted.

We had a marvelous time while Bill and Debra were here. Bill helped me dish up some incredible salads using some of his homemade dressings.
I don't think I can ever go back to store bought dressings after this.
My favorite, which is just made right on the salad itself, is a concoction of olive oil to lightly coat greens, a splash of Balsamic Vinegar, and then Braggs Amino acid to taste. You may not have heard of Braggs Amino Acid but it is available in the health food section of most grocery stores. It is a natural salt substitute with a great flavor.

I highly recommend Bill's other book, Blind Courage, that tells the breathtaking story of his Appalacian trail hike. Just imagine what it would be like to be blind, hiking with only your seeing eye dog and hearing and smelling some large animal in front of you as your dog freezes at your side in fright. You will have to read the book to find out what happens.....
It is availble on his website http://www.billirwin.com/

Tomorrow, Sam goes for his bone scan to see if the cancer is contained in the prostate. We are hopeful that it is. We will hear the results on friday. Till tomorrow...........