I find it very interesting that my most viewed post was written in 2016. I had begun my research and experimentation with heart healthy recipes. I was trying gluten-free flours to make familiar food items. This is when Teff flour entered my life. I had never heard of it before. I had made soup and I wanted some cornbread. I decided to use teff flour in making it. I shared the outcome and it has been my most viewed post. I don’t know why. Is the interest the Teff flour or the cornbread? I wonder.
Black Soil Living
S.O.B. Burgers
Yes that is the name of the burgers. Anne Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn have the recipe in their cookbook, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. It is the Smokey, Oat, Bean Burger. Because I had to make some substitutes I renamed it. My version is the Smokey, Flax and Pea Burger.
I discovered that I was out of oats and I didn’t have any cannellini beans. I substituted ground flax seeds for oats and black-eyed peas for beans. The seasonings were the same.
It was so good. I served it with romaine lettuce leaves as the bun and tomatoes with brown mustard and hot sauce. I will try the recipe again with oats and beans. 
Looking Back to Find Gems
Sometimes looking back over old posts remind you of the reasons you’re doing certain things now. My husband nor I are gluten intolerant so why do I have a gluten-free vegan cookbook? When did no oil cooking become important and why?
I wasn’t looking for these answers but I stumbled over the post that gave them. It was simple. His cardiologist instructed us to do that. I also unearthed The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook that is plant-based and oil free. I purchased this at the beginning of our journey 3 years ago after watching an Engine 2 video.
I read through it and now I am adding the recipes to my re-energized food preparation experiences.
Hemp Seed Milk
I made hemp seed milk for the first time. I had being seeing it in some recipes and I always told myself I would make some. Today was the day.
It was easy. Three fourths cup of seeds and 4 cups of filtered water. Creamy to the mouth but it had a raw plant taste. Definitely an acquired taste. I’ve checked my raw vegan/ vegan books and the hemp seed milk seed to taste better with cashew milk. I plan to try it in combination with other milks. I am going to soak the seeds next time. Maybe that will help the taste.
Raw Vegan Tacos
I tried something new today. I made vegan tacos without tempeh or TVP. I used mushrooms to give the meat texture but I marinated the chopped mushrooms in Mexican spice seasonings first. I discovered I had run out of dry oregano so I used Young Living Oregano Vitality. I made spicy salsa and used “cheese” that I had made for another meal. Romaine lettuce leaves were the shells. Oh yeah, also used the pinto beans I made the other day. Now their gone.
Sorry there are no pictures. We ate them before I realized I hadn’t taken a picture. I guess we were hungry.😀
Starting All Over
In 2017 my husband and I began a raw vegan lifestyle for his heart health. I joined him because I don’t like to cook and making two meals was out of the question. I also thought it could improve my health; make what was good, better.
In 2018 cooked vegan was introduced into our plan. That was good but by now I was exhausted. The Dr. told me that I didn’t have to make everything from scratch. Well, O happy day. I thought this was a blessing. I began a new journey into the vegan processed food world. Label reading became more of a necessity. As with most products in our stores the packaging can be misleading or barely truthful. Some brands are vegetarian but intimate that they are okay for vegans. Some meat substitutes taste decent and others don’t. One thing they all have in common is too much sodium and they are PROCESSED. In 2019 I gained weight eating processed food.
Here I am in 2020 beginning our raw journey again. This time it is for me. This time it is harder. I don’t know if I know too much or not enough. One thing I do know is the processed meat substitutes will be eliminated and if ever returned it will be sparingly.
As a singer once put it
Starting All Over Again is going to be tough but we’re, I’m going to make it.
Leftover Sausage Mixture
Yesterday I decided to try frying the leftover sausage mixture that I made a few days ago. To my surprise when I removed “meat” from the refrigerator the texture was more meatlike than when first made.
Baking didn’t yield a product with sausage-like texture. It looked more like a “not so done” puffy biscuit. I decided to try frying this time. Frying was not successful. It seared the outside but did not cook the inside. I put it in the oven to bake it through. 
That worked. I also tried it in the waffle iron just for giggles. I was making banana nut waffles.
To Recap
Making Vegan Sausage Patties
(I made these sausages on the 21st)
A year ago at least I searched the web for a vegan breakfast sausage pattie recipe. I found several but this one appealed to me. I don’t remember why it has taken me so long to try it. Maybe it’s because of the TVP and the Vital Wheat Gluten. I wanted to eat clean back then. I don’t know the source of this recipe so I can’t give the appropriate credit. I gave it a try.
Breakfast Sausage
1 c black beans*
1 c veggie broth
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Tamari
2 TBSP Maple syrup*
1 TBSP sage
1/2 tsp thyme*
1/2 tsp rosemary *
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds*
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1/4 c TVP
1 1/4 c vital wheat gluten
Red pepper or cayenne to taste
*My substitutions
White beans
Rosemary Vitality Essential oil
Thyme Vitality Essential Oil
1TBSP ground fennel seeds
1/2 tsp raw blue agave
Soak the TVP for about an hour in the veggie broth. Combine all ingredients. Bake in a 350° oven.
The flavor is good but the texture was not comparable to store bought vegan or vegetarian sausages. On that I was disappointed.
Sausages
Oh how I remember the aroma of homemade sausage, homemade biscuits, grits and eggs for breakfast at my great-grandparents home. I also remember the first night I was exposed to the smell of the pig slaughtering. My great-grandfather and his neighbors got together and slaughtered the animals at the same time. It was horrific. They made their own sausages and other meat cuts. As bad as it was it was forgotten that breakfast morn.
Now I am not a meat eater and sausages along with hot links are just fond memories. I have found some meat substitute sausages to be satisfying but they are expensive and fattening. So how do I deal with this dilemma? Make my own of course. I discovered a book while searching for something else on Amazon. It is call The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausage by Stanley and Adam Marianski. The majority of the book explains the science of sausage making. This appeals to my chemistry lab mind. I am reading now to get an understanding of the ingredients. Then I can make educated substitutes for things like egg whites.
Stay tuned.
Just for Me
This last week I have begun preparations for my church family’s annual Daniel Fast. I already lead a plant-based dietary lifestyle. So, what to do? I decided to go back to raw vegan meals, especially a week of smoothies.
Along with thoughts about food, I looked at my life this year. What would I change? What would I add? My assessment continually asked “But what have you done just for you?” I heard all my children’s voices asking, Mom what did you do for you?
I realize I have a difficult time to do for me. So I’ve decided to do more just for me in 2020. I now have to figure out what that looks like.
Any thoughts?
"Black Soil" Living 