Why we have this new blog...

Our Mindful Cooking project began as an email exchange. I started the idea of sharing recipes, and friends emailed recipes to me which I then forwarded to everyone. It all got easier when my son created a website for us in 2009. I continued to send an email to our growing group but now I could give a link to new recipes instead of typing them out. Along with notices about new recipes, I wrote about other food-related matters and passed on whatever ideas came to me from members of our email circle.

I'm still doing a weekly email to our circle, which has grown to include 105 people in 7 countries. I still enjoy it, especially the camaraderie that has developed as we venture into the world of plant-based cooking together. But...having me in the middle does slow down the conversation. So...now I will be posting portions of my weekly letter here, where all 105 of us can join in and say things to each other day to day and moment to moment....and new people can register and join in too. If you want to ask Susan about the details of making Buttah, or talk with Betsy about tempeh, or ask Christel about being vegan in the land of bratwurst and sauerbraten----this is the place! I'm sure the rest of us will enjoy listening in.

Here's a portion of last week's email to get us started:
I have a special recipe for you this week. Those of us at the Summer Potluck in Portland exclaimed over Suzanne's Raw Vegan Cream Pie. Now I expect there will be exclamations of delight in 7 countries:
Raw Vegan Cream Pie

I heard from a few of you this week. Anita in Massachusetts told me of an interview with President Bill Clinton on the AARP website. I found it quite interesting and was reminded that he is doing so much to advocate for a healthy diet in our country. I also noted that when he went vegan, Clinton, like many people, found it hard to give up cheese. This reminded of Cindy's comment at one of our potlucks that dairy cheese is actually addictive. It contains casomorphin, a naturally occurring opiate.

Here is the Clinton interview:
http://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-08-2013/bill-clinton-vega...

And here is the best account I could find about casomorphin:
http://blog.healthkismet.com/casomorphins-cheese-addiction-diet-health

Happy cooking, everyone!
Eve