Let me apologize for our long absence from this site.  It was never my intention to be away from our readers for so long.  I’m sure you all are just as busy and can understand how real life can sometimes keep you sidetracked.  With that said, please know that we will not be gone again for so long.

What’s Christmas without a fruit cake? Fruit cakes of olden days were often a joke. But this vegan version is moist and yummy and will make a great addition to your holiday traditions.

Vegan Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Candied pineapple
• 1/2 lb Citron
• 1/4 lb Candied citron
• 1/4 lb Candied orange & lemon peel
• 1/4 lb Candied cherries
• 1 1/2 lb Raisins
• 1/2 lb Currants
• 1/2 cup Grapefruit juice
• 1/4 lb Whole mixed nuts without peanuts
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Shortening
• 1 cup White sugar
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 5 tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Almond extract
• 6 tablespoons Grapefruit juice

Directions:

1. Combine pineapple, citrons, peels, cherries, raisins & currants in a large bowl.
2. Add 1/2 cup grapefruit juice, mix very well.
3. Cover & let stand overnight.
4. The next day, add the nuts & 1/2 cup of the flour to the fruit mixture & mix well.
5. Combine the rest of the flour with the baking soda, salt & cinnamon in a separate bowl, & mix well.
6. In a third bowl, beat the shortening for 30 seconds.
7. Gradually add the sugars, creaming well as you add them.
8. Stir in the cornstarch.
9. Add the beaten shortening & sugars to the fruit.
10. Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
11. Add the almond extract & the rest of the grapefruit juice, stirring well until the mixture is well combined.
12. Preheat oven to 275F.
13. Grease a 10″ square cake
14. Line with parchment paper & grease the paper.
15. Transfer the cake mixture to the cake tin and press down gently.
16. Bake for 3 hours, but check after two hours. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with some waxed paper.
17. After it is cooked, remove from the oven & place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
18. Gently remove cake from the tin & peel away the paper.
19. Let cool on wire racks till completely cooled. Wrap in waxed paper & keep in a cool place.
20. If icing the cake, layer with marzipan & then decorate as desired.

[Recipe courtesy of Recipe-search.co.uk]

Eating out is a favorite past time of America. Eating out as a Vegan can be tricky. But with Happycow.net dining out has just gotten easier.

Happycow.net offers a guide to finding vegan restaurants not only in all 50 states in the US, but in a variety of countries around the world. You can find a restaurant near you, even when you are traveling.

In addition to a listing of restaurants, Happycow.net also offers listings for vegan friendly health food stores. Finding a vegan friendly health food store is important in maintaining a vegan lifestyle. You can then ensure your food, vitamins, supplements and products are truly vegan.

The site asks readers to add to the list and share vegan restaurants and vegan friendly health food stores they have found. Happycow.net also offers a variety of other tools and resources for anyone on a vegan diet.

Visit Happycow.net, find a vegan restaurant near you and enjoy.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. More than 99% of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it functions to support their structure. The remaining 1% is found throughout the body in blood, muscle, and the fluid between cells. Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system. A constant level of calcium is maintained in body fluid and tissues so that these vital body processes function efficiently.

The average male and female between the ages of 19 and 50 should intake 1000 milligrams per day of calcium: 1200 for men and women over the age of 51. You should talk with your doctor to verify how much calcium you need.

When calcium intake is low or calcium is poorly absorbed, bone breakdown occurs because the body must use the calcium stored in bones to maintain normal biological functions such as nerve and muscle function.

The most common disease associated with a lack of calcium is osteoporosis, which is a disorder that results in fragile, porous bones. This disease tends to affect more women than men.

Most modern sources of calcium are found in non-vegan foods: milk and other dairy products. However, vegans can still ensure they get an adequate supply of calcium each day by proper planning and supplementing. While most beans and vegetables contain calcium, you will need to plan ahead and measure to get the proper amount of calcium you need. For example, you would need to eat 1 1/4 cups of Navy Beans to get 300 mg of calcium. Many juices and soy milks today are fortified with calcium. You will want to make sure you check the labels for how many milligrams are in each serving. You will also want to check with your doctor and local health food store for a calcium supplement to help you meet your daily recommended amount of calcium.

It is extremely important for your health that you take the time to educate yourself on how much calcium you need and make sure you meet that level on a daily basis. Getting the calcium you need while following a vegan diet is not difficult, rather it just takes knowledge and planning.

Please note: This post is for informational purposes only and should in no way shape, or form take the place of medical advice from a qualified professional. If you have questions or concerns regarding this topic, please contact the appropriate medical professional.

New research indicates that eating a diet containing animal proteins increase the risk of heart disease, cholesterol, cancer, and obesity and researchers are encouraging people to eat vegetarian protein sources instead of animal protein sources. Although the high-protein diets like the Atkins diet have been fading away to obscurity, most popular diets include meat an other animal by-products as an essential part of the diet. It seems that for years we’ve been told the trick to loosing weight is to cut down on carbs and increase our animal proteins. If these diets are no longer healthy, how are we going to lose weight? A vegan diet is the answer.

Unlike diets, veganism is a lifestyle change. You don’t just change the way you eat for a few months; you change the way you live. By making a lifestyle change the weight will come off easier and it will stay off.

When you are on a vegan diet you will skip the refined foods. The vegan diet includes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to any healthy diet. They are low in calories and fat and high in nutrition. The government recommends you eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Eat a vegan diet and you’ll reach that number in no time.

The vegan diet also includes whole grains, beans and legumes which are also essential for a healthy, well-balanced diet. These foods make the diet high in fiber, which means that you will feel fuller for longer. Feeling fuller longer will help tremendously when trying to avoid snacking.

Following a vegan diet not only offers many health benefits, it can aide you in your quest to lose and maintain a healthy weight. If you’re ready to try a vegan diet, check out Starting a Vegan Diet for tips.