H.A. Larson's Blog, page 75

Vegan Cheese Sauce

Mmmm, cheese sauce ready for consumption.

Cheese sauce on a mighty fine black bean burger.

Cheese has always been one of my favorite things ever, in fact, one of my life's mottos was, "Just put some cheese on it." Besides eggs, cheese was one of the reasons I stayed vegetarian for so long. I was able to finally go vegan because I discovered chickpea 'eggs', and that a few vegan cheeses that made my switch easier. One of those cheeses was a miracle cheese made out of potatoes and carrots. Say what?! Potatoes and carrots? Yep, truth. Once you try it, you'll be hooked. As a side note, I've seen lots of recipes for this cheese sauce out there, and they're all quite similar, this one just happens to be my twist. 

Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
2 c. peeled & diced potatoes (yellow works best, but any kind is fine)1 c. peeled & diced carrots3/4 c. water1/3 c. oil (olive and canola work best)1/2 c. nutritional yeast1/4 t. turmeric2 t. sea salt (or 1 tsp regular salt)1 t. each black pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and smoked paprika1 T. steak seasoning1 t. miso paste (or mustard if you don't have miso)
Instructions:
1. Bring potatoes and carrots to a boil in a pot of water. Cook until fork tender. Drain, give them a quick rinse to get off the excess starch, and let cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Put all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, and mix, scraping down the sides a few times, until well-blended. 
3. Put in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge.
Notes:
 This should last at least a week in the fridge, although it gets eaten up so quick in my house that it never gets to that point. I made everything from mac n cheese to nachos to enchiladas and everything in between. This stuff is almost good enough to drink! 

Good Memories and Bad Times

I'm going to admit it: last week was a terrible week. Between hormones, life problems, and a very sore back, I had a hard time getting anything done and was left with a serious case of the doldrums. My daughter's birthday was Saturday, and we started the festivities on Friday night. Overall, it helped to brighten my mood. Last night, reflecting on the past week, I realized how up and down our lives can feel sometimes, and that how we deal with them can make all the difference. 
So, I made peace with my crappy week, and resolved to bring myself back to inner calm, hopefulness, and motivation. I reminded myself to stay focused on the future, and not to worry so much about the present. I can sometimes get mired down with feeling that I'm on a bike with broken wheels, which I'm sure many of you can relate to. I gave myself some me time, and then this morning I relaxed with a wonderful breakfast, some good tea, and caught up on some little things. 
I had been meaning to go through my Pictures folder on my computer, and as I was lazily looking through it, I came across my folder of pictures from Denver. I spent two weeks there a couple of years ago for a former job, and while I was there, got to spend a glorious weekend having fun. On a Saturday we explored the city, and then on Sunday we packed a picnic and made for the Rocky Mountains. It was an awe-inspiring day, and I had never seen anything so magnificent in my life (until a few years later when I got to see the Cliffs of Moher on the coast of Ireland). 
It was so wonderful to relive that most happy of days, and it really helped to shut the lid on my doldrums of last week for good. I decided to share some of my favorites, so enjoy!







This last photo is of the legendary Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, which sits at the base of the Rockies. I am a huge Stephen King fan, and stopping by here was a great capstone to a perfect day. I hope you have a good week, and remember, there's a light at the end of every dark tunnel.  -H.A.

Change

I can remember when I first moved out of my parent's house and lived on my own, I was scared at first. The change was daunting, and it took me a few years to warm up to the idea. Once I did though, I never looked back. Over the next twenty years I've gone through many changes, some bad, and many good. Whether good or bad, I wasn't afraid of them. In fact, I looked forward to change...I embraced it. I used to brag that I never lived anywhere longer than five years. But then, I got older.

Once I hit my mid-30s, change once again became a daunting thing, and I've resisted change as much as possible. The devil-may-care feelings of my youth gave way to a desire for security and stability. After all, I'm a mom now, and my kids need stability. Or is it me that needs the stability?

I tend to think it's a bit of the former, but largely the latter. The last few years have seen many changes in my life, and big ones to boot, but they didn't require any sort of uprooting. I felt pretty secure with my feet firmly on the ground. Now, I sit here and contemplate my future...the best future I can imagine for my changing life. Adaptation is a necessity.

I can't put it off any longer, and I know that something has to give, but I am so comfortable that it's a scary proposition. I'm just going to face it though, the best way I know how: with confidence and with the hope that I can conjure up a bit of that excitement I felt when I was young and unafraid of the unknown.

Happy Father's Day!

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day! I wanted to dedicate a special post to my own father, Bill, for being the best dad a gal could ask for. 
My parents got divorced when I was young, and my mom left, leaving my dad in charge of taking care of me. To that end, he was pretty awesome. He worked really hard to provide for us. He always spent time with me, spoiled me, and let me know how much I was loved.
 He was there to help me with buying my first bra, and wasn't afraid to go get me feminine supplies, because, and I'm quoting him here, "Everyone knows they're not for me."  
He taught me how to hike, fish, camp, what poison sumac was, how to shoot a gun, how to canoe, and how to float if the boat tipped over. He played games with me, instilled a love of nature in me, and gave me an appreciation for music that burns like a fire within me to this day.
So thanks daddy for being my daddy.  I sure do love you, and I hope everyday is a good day to be a father!  <3<3<3

Shakespeare on the Green

Hey everybody! Sorry I've been absent the past week. First, I had a big old garage sale this weekend and that kept me solidly busy for three days. I put my back out during this time and had to take it easy for a few days, which just gave me time to finish the monthly editorial I write for a local publication. So, at any rate, I'm a bit behind!
Every year since 1987, people have gathered on a large green space at the campus of University of Nebraska-Omaha to watch one of two Shakespeare plays. This year the troupe is performing "As You Like It" and "Othello". Last Thursday, I went with my best friend and my son to see "As You Like It" set in the Roaring 20s. It was definitely a blast, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although my son had a hard time understanding old-time English.
This is such a great event that brings culture to the city for free! Although there are plenty of concessions for purchase, they also provide a hand-washing station as well as kid-friendly activities before the play starts. You can bring in any food and drink you desire, and we usually come armed with chairs, blankets, picnic food, water, and wine. 
If you ever get a chance to go to one of these, I would highly recommend it! Get your culture on!  

Vegan Chocolate Cookies

The other day, I was really craving something chocolately-sweet. Since I don't keep junk food around, and I have plenty of things to bake with, I decided to whip up some cookies.  These came out so good!  Try them when you get a chance.
Ingredients
2/3 c. coconut oil1/2 c. sugar1/4 c. brown sugar2 T. ground flax1/3 c. flax milk (any vegan milk will work here)1 t. vanilla1 t. baking soda2 c. flour

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix the ground flax with the flax milk in a small bowl and set aside.3. Using a hand mixer, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until incorporated.4. Sift together the flour and the baking soda in a separate bowl.5. Add the flax mixture to the wet ingredients and mix again.6. Add the flour and baking soda mixture to the wet mixture in two parts, using the mixer to mix well.7. Drop the mixture by the teaspoon (or tablespoon if you like bigger) onto cookie sheets.8. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, transfer off the pans to cool.

Notes
This is a simple, delightful chocolate cookie that is crispy on the edges, and chewy in the center. I've seen plenty of other recipes, but I've really tried to cut the sugar and oil down as much as possible with my recipe. There's always room for additions: think vegan chocolate chips, nuts, or a berry glaze on top. Enjoy!

The Final Verdict!

Ok, here it is! Ta da! This is a completed look using only the drug store products I bought the other day. I love the potted gel liner, but I had to play around with the artist's brushes until I found the right one. 
I feel that the eyeliner could be a bit more moist for easier application, but that might improve with a different brand ( Love My Eyes is the cheap brand). 
I used the browns trio of the Maybelline Blushed NUDES for a more nighttime look, and I like the way they looked. 
I followed that up with my darker Wet 'n Wild brow liner that I reserve for night looks. I don't care for it as well, because you really have to blend it in to look right, but it does work with some TLC.
For my lips I used a Milani lip liner on my whole lips, and then added the new Wet 'n Wild natural blend lip stain/chapstick combo on top. Looks pretty good, and stayed well.
For my face, I used my new Maybelline FITme! foundation mixed with L'oreal 's Infallible Pro-Matte foundation. I used a foundation brush to dab the foundation on, and then used a damp, foam beauty blender to blend it in to my skin. I finished it with the matching FITme! powder.
I have the right amount of waves from the TreSEMME Make Waves. It works well! Just run some through freshly washed hair and scrunch. After it dries run a wide-toothed comb through it!
Additionally, I used a  Pür  mascara that I'm not fond of. I need a good anti-clumping mascara...anyone have any good suggestions?  Comment below!

Drugstore Makeup Haul!

I haven't been shopping for any beauty supplies lately, and it was bumming me out!  I had to go to the store to pick up some staples, which I dutifully picked up first, and then I made my way to the makeup aisles where I got lost for awhile.  Hey, no kids today!  ;)


I've seen Maybelline 's NUDES pallette around for awhile, but I had not seen their Blushed NUDES one!  I loved the colors, all of them, and for just under $10, how can I lose?  I will try these out later today and take a photo with these...I can't wait!  They look like the perfect colors for summer.


I am a fan of Maybelline's FITme! foundation. I'm nearly out of my old bottle, and decided that I would grab a new one. My old one was 120: Classic Ivory, but this time I chose 115: Ivory because it seemed closer to my natural skin tone. I decided to get the matching FITme! face powder as well. For years I was a Covergirl powder gal, and I used it with any foundation I had. Now I like to have different foundations for different times of the year, and for different coverage, as well as having the matching powder for the foundation. They're designed to go together! Anyway, the 115: Ivory powder was considerably lighter than the foundation, so I went with the 120: Classic Ivory as the color matched better.


I've been wanting the potted gel eye liner for quite some time. MAC is a little off my price radar right now, but I had been eyeing a Rimmel one I've seen around. I found a Love My Eyes version for $3 so I grabbed it. I want to see if I like it. I like the liquid eyeliners over the pens, but the liquid is finicky and easy to smear, so I'm hoping this will be the answer to my problem. I didn't like the brush they included as it's too wide and fat for eyeliner application, in my opinion. I didn't see a good brush in the makeup brush section, so I went over to the artist brush section and found a package of detailed brushes for $3!  Heck yeah.


Here's a better view of the potted gel eyeliner. I can't wait to try this along with the BlushedNUDES eyeshadow later today!


I saw this Wet 'n Wild natural blend lip color which is almost a chapstick as well. This color (hard to see sorry!) is a burgundy color even though it says Cocoa.  Weird.  Anyway, it looks like it will be a good color to wear with the BlushedNUDES. Another to wear later!


Finally, I am at the stage where I just want to wash, lightly scrunch, and then let my flat, limp hair air-dry into some subtle waves. This was the only product I saw that looks like would fit my needs, TRESemme Make Waves cream, so I'm going to try it out and see how I like it.

I'll remember to take a selfie after I have all my goodies on later so you can see how it all looks!

My Journey Towards a Healthy Life

As I’m sure most of you have noticed, I like to post pictures and recipes of delicious food. I’m also quite sure that you’ve noticed the food is vegan. Yes, I am vegan. Have I always been vegan? No, I haven’t, and, in fact, it’s only been recently that I went full vegan. Here’s why.
In early January of 2014, I drug myself into a local health clinic because I had a mystery ailment (of three months) that turned out to be a horrible case of hives. At the clinic they weighed me, took my blood pressure, and none of it was encouraging.
The fact of the matter was that I was on a road to certain death. I had just turned 42 years old, and I was in the worst shape of my life. I was grossly overweight; I drank heavily at least three times per week; I smoked like a chimney; I ate unhealthy food too much too often; I was sedentary; my knees hurt all the time and I felt like they were ready to break at any moment; my pallor was red; I coughed all the time and rattled as I slept (the tell-tale signs of chronic bronchitis); I had these horrible hives that made me want to itch my skin off; and, on top of all that, my blood pressure was sky high! 
I went home feeling completely dejected, but I set about making a change. So, on January 12, 2014, I smoked the last cigarette of my life. It was tough, but I was motivated. I also added supplements to my daily routine that were good for heart issues: turmeric, fish oil, and potassium. After a few months, I could breathe better, and the supplements kept my BP under control. Things were better, but I hadn’t changed anything else and I was still miserable.
When January of 2015 rolled around, I braved the scale and was promptly mortified. I was even heavier than I was when I went to the doctor the year before! Sure, I had quit smoking and kept my BP under control (as long as I took my supplements), but I was no picture of health.
Right then and there, I decided that I needed a lifestyle change. I didn’t need a diet, I didn’t need a pill, but rather an honest-to-goodness lifestyle change. Over the next few months, I struggled to make the necessary changes, but I reminded myself that if I could quit smoking, I could do anything! After a few months, I cut my alcohol consumption down to once a month, I started moving around more (even if it was just housework, I made myself get off my butt), I did more walking & hiking, and I went full vegan.
Recently, I braved the scale again and was elated to see that I had lost 25 lbs! My high BP (that I monitored often) was gone and I didn’t need supplements anymore. My knees quit hurting, I slept better, and my skin took on a normal pallor. My mind was clearer, which made me more productive, and I had more energy.
Seeing my own personal results has steeled my resolve to stay plant-strong and avoid crap as I continue on my journey. I have a lot of life to live yet and I’ll do whatever I need to, to live a long and healthy one. Besides, I feel better than I have in many years, both mentally and physically, and how can you beat that?

I write monthly health editorials for a magazine, and every time I read up on a health issue, doctors ALWAYS advise eating better foods, getting more exercise, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption...for EVERY HEALTH ISSUE! As we reach our mid 40s, all of the things we do, that are harmful for our bodies, catch up with us and cause health issues. 
Do you plan on dying young, or living a poor-health existence in a hospital bed somewhere? Or would you rather be able to get around easily and enjoy life until you pass from this world? I know what my choice is. Now, I’m not saying you should all go vegan, but it’s worth considering, especially if you have health concerns like I did. 
Whatever you feel or think about your own life, I wish you good health.
-H.A.

The Station Teaser

Ok folks!  Time for a teaser from my forthcoming 3rd book "The Station".  Let me know what you think!  Enjoy!


“As winter approached, she started talking to herself a lot, and barely acknowledged my existence on my daily visits.  I thought maybe she was just depressed, that dad’s death had finally hit home.  Then, one day, she suddenly became quiet.  I looked at her and said, ‘Mom?’  She looked at me and answered, ‘They keep talking to me.  You have to find them and save them.’”            “After a few more questions, I figured out she was talking about the radio.  She was sure that voices were coming from the radio, even when it was turned off, and they were telling her things.”            “What kind of things?” Eric inquired.            Butch shrugged, “From what I could gather, the ‘voices’ were girls that needed help, needed saving.  I went home that evening with a heavy heart and cried on your mom’s shoulder.  It was so hard to see my own mother-the woman who gave me life, protected me, loved me, whose strength carried me through the tough times, and was a shining example of womanhood-become as vulnerable as a child.  Your mom and I talked for hours that night, and she was a rock to me as I made the tough decision to put your grandmother in a nursing home.  I knew it was only going to go downhill from there, and she would eventually need specialized care.”            Eric could see the sadness in his dad’s face as he spoke.  “I went over to her house the next day, like usual, and I found her sleeping in her chair on the porch.  Only she wasn’t sleeping…she was dead.  As I checked her pulse, I noticed that the radio was no longer on the end table.”“Something willed me to turn around, and when I did I saw the radio lying on the floor, face down.  It was as if your grandmother had thrown it, but because she was so weak, it hadn’t done any damage.  I went over to pick it up and, right before I reached it, it turned on all by itself.  It wasn’t tuned to any station because it was pure static, and the volume was all the way up.  The sound was loud and grating and I grabbed it quickly, setting it down on the large table.  I turned the volume button counter-clockwise to turn it off, but it was already turned all the way down.”“I took a step back, and panicked as I realized it wasn’t plugged in.  My panic turned to fright and I grabbed it, lifting it above my head.  My intention was to fling it to the ground, shattering it and making that god-awful noise stop, but as suddenly as it began, it ended, and the radio was quiet once more.”


(This is a work of fiction written by H.A. Larson, and is the sole property thereof.  Copyright 2015 - H.A. Larson)