Vegan Organic, Healthy, Sustainable Meals on Sundays!

Come out on Sunday to the new Haleiwa Farmer's Market and check out my booth, Macrobiotic Hawaii, by Leslie Ashburn for information about how macrobiotics provides a comprehensive and effective approach towards establishing and maintaining improved physical, mental, and spiritual health. Eat delicious, happy-to-be-alive vegan macrobiotic bentos that help you live your "great life".

If you want to "be green", macrobiotics is a great way to go!

Here are some reasons (from the Organic Consumer's Association) to eat more plant based food:

• Food accounts for 13% of all Greenhouse Gas emissions.
• Red meat and dairy are responsible for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions from food for an average U.S. household.
• Replacing red meat and dairy with chicken, fish, or eggs in your diet for one day per week reduces emissions equal to 760 miles per year of driving. (Imagine how eating more whole grains, beans, and vegetables would improve this number!!)
• Switching to vegetables one day per week cuts the equivalent of driving 1160 miles per year.

Support local farmers and small businesses:

I'm using Ma'o Organic Farm produce like salad greens, kale, parsley, and basil as well as Mrs. Cheng's nigari tofu. Yum!

Leslie's website

Check out www.macrobiotichawaii.com for all the information about Leslie's service and events.

Ingredients

DSC_6578
Originally uploaded by macro808

Here are a few of the ingredients that I keep on hand in my kitchen, including azuki beans, almonds, dried chestnuts, quinoa, and pine nuts....

Tonight's dinner menu for a client

DSC_6530
Originally uploaded by macro808

Brown Rice

Marinated Hijiki and Lentils with Rosemary

Watercress, Fig, Artichoke, Fennel Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Glazed Beets and Walnuts

Baked Onions Stuffed with Natto and Vegetables
topped with a Miso Tahini Sauce

Tofu Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping

Marinated Beet Salad from tonight's dinner

DSC_6513
Originally uploaded by macro808

Beets, Walnuts, & Dressing over Ma'o Organic Farm's Baby Red Russian Kale

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Originally uploaded by macro808

Recipes for the class were:

Light and Luscious Lemon Pudding
Marinated Barley Pilaf
Greens with Mustard Shoyu Dressing
Garbanzo Bean Soup with Sweet Vegetables

MA'O Organic Farms Carrots

MA'O Organic Farms Carrots
Originally uploaded by macro808

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Originally uploaded by macro808

MA'O curly kale

Eat More Kale

Eat More Kale
Originally uploaded by macro808

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Originally uploaded by macro808

Making Lemon Pudding

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Originally uploaded by macro808

Lemon zest for the lemon pudding

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Originally uploaded by macro808

Chopping onions for the soup

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget
Originally uploaded by macro808

Putting the marinated red onions into the Barley Pilaf

Marinated Barley Pilaf

Marinated Barley Pilaf
Originally uploaded by macro808

Romanesque Cauliflower

Organic Cauliflower
Originally uploaded by Rob215

In cooking class the other night (Eating Healthy on a Budget) we were talking about heirloom vegetables that MA'O Organic Farms is growing in a test bed. They didn't know if the organic seeds would produce out in Waianae. As it turned out, the caterpillars really liked them, so they ended up with fewer heads than they expected. I got to see this type in the photo which I just enjoyed for breakfast, as well as a purple one, and a yellow one. So beautiful!!

Albert Einstein

I've been talking to someone I know about the differences between scientific veganism and macrobiotics. Macrobiotics is often criticized for being non-scientific, objective, unmeasurable, etc.

Here's a quick quote I found today that I think helps describe the ineffable aspects of macrobiotics:

"It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure." Albert Einstein

Sustainability quote for the day

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" Cicero

Funny quote for the day

"Currently, more money is being spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer's research. So in the very near future there should be a large elderly population with impressive breasts and magnificent erections, but no recollection of what to do with them. " Sally Feldman

Spring into Green

Spring into green
Originally uploaded by macro808

Since I do monthly cooking demos at Whole Foods, they invited me to join them for their first Spring into Green Festival to showcase their community partners who share a similar approach to living. I enjoyed sharing information about macrobiotics not only with the community passing by into the store, but also with the other fantastic vendors represented there.

Cooking Class: Eating Healthy on a Budget

March 19th, 2009

“Eating Healthy on a Budget”

Probably the most common perceived obstacle for changing one’s dietary habits is “It’s too expensive.” In this class, you will learn how to create quick and easy dishes that are extremely affordable, and of course, tasty too. You’ll also learn about the hidden costs of purchasing and eating food common in the Standard American Diet.Always included in cooking classes is detailed information about the ingredients including:

• why they are good for us
• how to view their benefits in terms of Oriental Medicine
• where to purchase them

You take home the recipes and handouts, and taste the food.

Find out how whole foods prevent and reverse today’s lifestyle related illnesses.

How much is a lifetime of good health worth to you?

Leslie will teach recipes geared toward the spring season:

Sweet Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Soup
Marinated Barley Pilaf
Greens with Mustard Shoyu Dressing
Light and Luscious Lemon Pudding

6:00 to 8:30 pm, Pan American MOA Foundation, 3510 Nuuanu Pali Drive, $38

Space still available!

Register for the class