Apart from the first few recipes of this blog(choc chip cookies,cheesey quiches, more cookies),I,m actually(don,t like that word)a quite healthy person.
I have something to admit...
I,ve changed from Vegan back to Vegetarian.
To any vegans out there this is a strange concept...maybe it seems like a sell out,cop out...or that I don,t care.But using these pages I,d like to explain...maybe to myself and certainly to all vegans out there.
I grew up in a farm in Ireland and at the age of 12 or 13 I decided to go vegetarian.I remember seeing a dog on the telly and for some reason I burst out crying ,ran down to my room and told my mum that I couldn,t eat meat anymore.
Cows for me were like the dogs or cats we had.They were my childhood friends each with different names and personalities.And when one disapeared,and I,d ask what happened they,ed say it died.So I,d look for the grave on our small 80 acre farm ,wouldn,t find it but instead find the freezer full...the penny drops.
In secoundry school few (if any?)were vegetarians and trying to explain to people why I was,was hard.Afterwards in college I went thru my punk phase...the idealistic hippyside of punk...I became interested in what the large multi nationals were doing(many destroying)to this beautiful planet.I read about the horrors of factory farming and animal testing.My idealistic bubble that I was in was now completely burst.
I tried to change the world...my art work in college was all about teaching the world...protesting against fox hunting...and hare coursing...
At the same time a good deal of my friends were veggie and vegan.I learned of making cakes without eggs,icecreams with soya milk,vegan pancakes...really I learned how to cook.and because of being vegan and wanting to change peoples eating habits I tried not to just make cakes or food the same as orginal recipes but better.
Eating beliefs maybe are like a type of religion,until you begin to question it.I almost became fruitarian at one stage after reading that trees give out shock waves of warnings to other trees when someone is cutting it down.The argument of feelings ,of feeling pain is just...it doesn,t justify eating without considering this...but I can,t judge anyone, nor do I have the right to,nor do I want to.Judging is to me ugly and unfair.
Anyway back to why I changed again...I,ve been living here in catalunia for 7 years ..in Barcelona there is an abundance of food...but compared to Ireland or England few vegan options in cafes or restaurants.Then with my move to this small village even less options...i.e. pan con tomate,pan con tomate or pan con tomate(bread with crushed tomato and olive oil).Don,t get me wrong I like pan con tomate but not everyday everywhere.And now for some reason almost everyone I now know eats meat and in spanish it gets tiring trying to justify ones beliefs.
I think with the birth of baby Anouk all has changed in my world.I want to teach her to enjoy food,be conscious of where it comes from,whats good for her.I maybe selflessly want my bones to be okay.I was okay during pregnancy ,vegan and healthy .I had cravings for tofu and seaweeds.I believe in listening to your body for good and bad cravings.But recently I got continuous cravings for cheese ..more and more.I,d take a curious nibble shocked that I,d even consider the idea.And then one day I declared I wanted to change and did.I still don,t quite get it,understand why but I like it.I now eat cheese but organic and from small farms and free range local eggs...I enjoy it and feel like I,m discovering food all over again...theres so much I haven,t tried.
Now two months later I,m eating probably 90% vegan but still happy with my decision...sorry for my rant ...I think I might have to continue this on a later date ...if anyone has been in a similiar situation I,d like to hear.
But for now I,ll frivolously give you this banana cake recipe and hope someone enjoys it.
Banana cake...
300g white organic flour
25g soya flour
40g polenta(better to use maize or semolina flour-I ran out)
20g baking powder
1 teaspoon vanillla sugar
50g brown cane sugar
400g banana
100ml sunflower oil
50ml olive oil
150ml soya milk
200ml water
Mix all the dry ingredients together .
Blend half of the bananas with the oil and water.
Chop the other half of the bananas into small cubes.
Mix liquids and dry ingredients together ,then fold in cubed banana.
Pour into 2 small loaf tins..or two 8 inch sandwich cake tins....bake until well risen...browned on top and do the skewer trick...
Place skewer into cake if it comes out clean its done.
I made this cake for a mamas and babies meeting thats new in the village.
I tried to put as little sugar as possible and it was still sweet enough with the bananas.
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