Heavenly Bodies November post

Happy November. Looking forward to the end of the month and my one-year anniversary of being a VNO. Vegan-no-oil.  What a healthy adventure this has been.  November is the month for giving thanks and I have a hearty list of people to thank for helping on this journey.  First to my husband and head chef at Chez Michael, who bought Dr. Esselstyn's book, How To Prevent And Reverse Heart Disease, fixed the recipies and made them beautifule on the plate. We are learning together.
To Dr. Esselstyn and his wife, Anne who were so gracious when the visited here. After our meeting, Anne sent us a card with all the family on the front. I keep it on the bathroom mirror to remind me of a whole, large family who eat well, raise their kids as vegetarians, are athletes and look great.
To family and friends who continue to give me that boost. To all the chefs and food providers in Turkey, France, Ireland, and at home who have gone out of their way to fix beautiful meals which helps me to feel comfortable traveling and going to restaurants. To those who have invited me to their homes for dinner and adjusted the food for me. To all the bloggers and writers who embrace the idea that this food plan can be really, really good eats. To the Heavenly Bodies group who give me so much support to learn how to write a blog and to keep it up. Whew..... Lots of thanks......

Chili for the chilly weather.
We ate it before I could get a photo but we put together a fast and great chili dish. Totally comfort food.
Cold Weather Chili 
1 sweet onion
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 carrot diced
1stalk celery
1can of low salt kidney or chili beans  (or a combo of beans you like)
1cup of mushrooms cut into pieces
1 cup Gimmie Lean broken into small pieces
1 can of crushed tomatoes (we used fire roasted which added flavor)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 beer. (I used dark beer.  You can also use veggie stock)
Minced garlic to taste
Season with cumin and chili powder or your go to spices.

Sauté onion with small amounts of beer to keep it from burning.
Add carrot and pepper and continue to sauté.   Add celery.
(all veggies above cut very small)
Dry sauté mushrooms with a scant pinch of salt.
Heat Gimmie Lean using beer to keep it from sticking
Drain beans well

Combine all of the above and cook together for 1/2 hour, giving all those ingredients time to socialize. It's even better the next night.

Variations.  Serve over squash, noodles or rice.

Thanksgiving the old fashioned way...... Really old fashioned .... Native American style. 

 No turkeys were on the menu. This Thanksgiving, people, will be a challenge for me because of forging new ways to celebrate being alive and healthy.

I enjoyed and appreciated this article from the Washington Post. I will try out some ideas and change a few recipes that have dairy but it is a good start to sweetening the day.
 It is called, Vegetarian Thanksgiving Can Be Every Bit As Traditional and Comforting as One With Turkey.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/vegetarian-thanksgiving-can-be-every-bit-as-traditional-_-and-comforting-_-as-one-with-turkey/2012/11/01/707301d6-2450-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html

Recently I started taking photos of some of the food. I copied the photos and hopefully it worked so you can see them. The first photo is of the latest squash test. BP- before photo, I couldn't remember what squash was delicious and which one, and only one so Faroe, way yucky. Photo# 2 with the gray ring at the top of the photo, we form some of those mixtures into a beautiful feed the eyes dish. Photo #3, fruit butterflies for the B&B. Photo4, stuffed mini peppers with a veggie mix and Israeli cous-cous.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving month
Elin