The Lazy Vegetarian

As a proofreader here at Swanson Health Products, I'm learning about a lot of products that I never would have known about otherwise, and I'm enjoying seeing the vast array of alternative health and natural beauty items that are out there in the marketplace.

Of particular interest to me are compassionate products: those made completely without animal ingredients or animal testing. I'm also expanding the scope of my vegetarian menu choices: we’ve got a lot of food items that I wasn’t familiar with before. Now I’m learning what their benefits are and what I can make with them … or rather, what I can have someone make for me, since I hate to cook.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé (and aforementioned personal chef), gardening, biking, and watching generous amounts of sports.
 

A while back I needed something to do with a ridiculous over-abundance of pumpkin. (We belong to a CSA and went a little overboard at the end-of-season open pick.) One of the uses I found for it was dog treats. My boxer-bully-lab-mutt, Buddy, loved these crunchy treats. He's got some fairly horrendous dog breath, so after the pumpkin biscuit success, I thought I'd try my hand at some breath-freshening natural dog treats. I found the below recipe, which aims to replicate the famous Greenies® brand...

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Growing up in North Dakota, January and February always felt like the worst months of a seemingly interminable winter. That … hasn’t changed, unfortunately. However as an adult and a homeowner, I’m happy to have a hobby that keeps me busy thinking of warmer months: my garden. This year, I can get a whole bunch of the seeds I need right here at work! Did you know Swanson sells organic vegetable seeds?

High Mowing Organic Seeds are cultivated on a network of certified organic seed farms in Vermont,...

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I know Valentine’s Day is coming up, but don’t anybody get me chocolates. I do not have a sweet tooth. Lemons, on the other hand, I can’t get enough of. I should really divide all the recipes on my Pinterest boards into “Lemon” and “Everything Else.” So when we got a new protein powder in I found a lemon-centered recipe and whipped up some smoothies.

This vanilla-flavored Vegan Protein with Probiotics is new to the virtual shelves at Swanson. Part of the Swanson GreenFoods Formulas line of...

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Have you been to our New Products page recently? We've got all kinds of new items to start your 2013 off right—supplements for weight management and seasonal immunity, and some exciting additions to our Organic Foods line: Shelled Hemp Seed and Hemp Protein Powder.

I had a chance to sample the hemp seeds and they are tasty! Nutty and slightly sweet, like pine nuts or a mellow cashew. Hemp is a natural vegetarian source of complete protein (including all essential amino acids), fiber and essential...

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Ready to multitask? Here’s a way to create something better than store-bought, cut calories, save money, and make something tasty to eat! On his show recently, Dr. Oz mentioned that an easy way to steadily drop some pounds was to scale back your serving size at breakfast. He recommended less than 100 calories of un-sugared instant oatmeal, jazzed up with various toppings. Rather than shelling out for the over-processed, run-of-the-mill options at the grocery store, make it better by doing it...

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As a follow-up to my last better-than-store-bought adventure... I finally got around to making a nut butter! I meant to make almond butter, but after a mental lapse at the grocery store I found myself with a pound of cashews. Ah, well. I grabbed some Swanson Macadamia Nut Oil and the food processor and got to work. I'll skip the details and let you read Ashley's instructions for nut butters in her blog post. (Plus she takes better pictures than I do!) This homemade cashew butter turned out...

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Recipe email time again! This time we have a hearty and healthful Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans. The store I went to didn't have chard or spinach—puzzling, but I chalked it up to being January in North Dakota—so I used kale instead. **Bonus points for the kale chips I get to make from the leftovers.** As much as I love kale, I have to admit chard has a very impressive resume: packed with vitamins and minerals, it also contains at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants. Plus, if...Read More »

Is there a food you absolutely hated as a kid? Most children are picky eaters, but we generally grow out of it as we get older and more adventurous … or just exposed to different (better) preparations. When I was little, I would rather sit at the table until bedtime than have anything to do with things like beans, cooked peas, squash or carrots. Most of that I’ve gotten over.

That being said, I was excited about the dish I was assigned for a recent Swanson recipe email: Pumpkin Chickpea Curry....

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Ever wanted to know what vitamins, supplements and healthy foods the employees at Swanson Health Products use? Here’s your chance to peek inside an employee order and find out (and win it all)!

Here’s my shopping list!

Yogi Aztec Sweet Chili Tea – With a list of ingredients that includes cocoa shells and organic cayenne pepper, this tea has a definite kick to it! I’ve never been one to put milk in my tea, but this blend certainly lends itself to that. Some soy or almond milk and a little bit of...

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If you're not signed up to receive the Healthy Recipe emails from us here at Swanson Health Products, you're missing out on a super easy and delicious dish this weekend. I was the lucky team member whose turn it was to make latest selection: Asian Tahini Noodles. One of the fun parts of these emails is that we get to choose our own recipe if we want. I picked this recipe because not only did it sound tasty, it featured several new additions to our lineup – Maranatha Peanut Butter and Once Again...

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