Chocolate Chip Sesame Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup soy milk
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour (or soy flour) (I used barley flour...can't remember now why I bought barley flour...but it worked OK in this recipe)
1 Tsp. baking powder
1/4 Tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, almonds, maple syrup, soy milk, sesame seeds, oil and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the two flours, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat into the sugar mixture until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. With a tablespoon, drop heaping spoonfuls of batter onto baking sheet (lightly greased). Bake for 15 minutes or until cookies brown on bottom. Allow cookies to cool before serving.

Source: CalciYum! by David & Rachelle Bronfman

Marie's Sweet Marinade for Grilled Tofu

Marinate 1 lb block of firm tofu (quartered and cut into rectangular slices) in the following ingredients for 1 (or more) hour. Broil in oven or on grill for about 10 minutes.

3 Tbsp. melted butter (I used Canola oil instead)
3 Tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Tamari

Thanks to Sarah from the Horn of Plenty in Dundas who shared this and other recipes.

Safe, simple, effective cleaning products

Creamy Soft Scrub:

2 cups (500ml) baking soda
1/2 cup (125ml) liquid castile soap (made from vegetable oil not animal fat)
4 tsp (20ml) vegetable glycerin
5 drops antibacterial essential oil (lavender, tea tree, rosemary or any preferred)

Mix all ingredients; store in clean tub container (I used an empty margarine container).

All-Purpose Cleaner:

2 cups (500ml) white distilled vinegar
2 cups (500ml) water
20 to 30 drops or more of essential oil

Store in spray container.

I have tried both recipes now and can vouch for their effectiveness. As the picture indicates, I used Dr. Bronner's Lavender scented castile soap for the creamy scrub. In the all-purpose cleaner which works well as a glass cleaner too, I used eucalyptus essential oil.

Cleaning with wonderfully scented products in my opinion just makes the job all that more enjoyable!

Recipes from Women's Voices for the Earth website.

Non-Violence as Daily Practice

Is Meat-Eating Violence?
By partaking in eating meat, especially in the old days before prepackaged, supermarket foods, and fast food, one had to think of where to find the animal, how to kill it, how to prepare it for consumption, and then how to cook, eat and preserve it. Hence, the whole process of eating animals was ‘himsa,’ because one had to think of all this, possibly speak of it (planning the killing, etc.) and act on it by killing, preparing and eating the animal. In Indian history, we have the seminal example King Ashoka (circa 273-232 BC), who - from being a ruthless warrior - not only became a Buddhist, but also promoted ahisma and vegetarianism in his later life.

When we eat the flesh of a dead animal, we not only partake in ‘himsa’ in our own spirit, but we can also become affected by the spirit of the dead animal. In order to have been eaten the animal had to die. In dying, it felt pain, it struggled, cried, tried to continue living as long as possible. Since it was slaughtered, it died in fright, pain, mental and emotional anguish and struggle. Then it has to be skinned, gutted, processed and packaged to end up on a plate, decorated and consumed in human pleasure. In human pleasure, one does not think of the pain of the once living animals on the plate. Hence partaking in eating meat, one is not just ingesting and digesting protein and nutrients, but the feelings of violence which erupted in the animal from its unnatural death.

Author: Jennifer Polan for About.com:Hindiuism

Empowering Women - Care Canada