Things I Put In Jars...Part 1

Good Morning.


I just got home from a painful 5 mile run.  I took a week off of running.  Something hasn't been feeling right.  I have been tired and really run down and I have been having intestinal issues.  I have IBS-that is why I eat the way that I do, it makes me feel better.  But this run was a bit of a wake up call because I only have 4 months until the marathon.  I need to get myself into gear.  Rain or shine I need to be running, but sometimes when you can hear the pouring rain from the comfort of your warm bed you just want to turn your alarm clock off.


Since moving to Eugene and living on my own I have become more aware of what I buy and how I store my food.  I have gotten rid of nearly all of my plastic products.  I only have two small tupperware containers.  I keep everything in glass mason jars or in my lovely stainless steel containers.  http://kidskonserve.com/

I love these containers.  I put my apples, sandwiches, hummus, carrot sticks, salad dressing, everything in them.  I highly recommend them.

So, I have decided to share with you some of my favorite things I put into my  mason jars and other glass containers.

1. Beans

I love my beans, they make me happy.  They are so colorful and rich in flavor.  I still have quite a bit of bean to get through-I bought 24 pounds of fresh dried, heirloom beans this winter.

Some of my favorites

2. Liquid Gold Dressing

I found this recipe in the book, "Becoming Vegan."  It has become my go-to dressing and is packed full of flavor and health benefits.  Two tablespoons supplies you with your daily supply of omega-3 and 40% of your B12 for the day as well.  And as a vegan both of these are really important to my health.

1/2 Cup flaxseed oil

1/2 Cup water

1/3 Cup lemon juice

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 Cup braag liquid aminos or tamari

1/4-1/2 Cup nutritional yeast

2 Teaspoons dijon mustard

1 Teaspoon ground cumin

Blend or whisk together until smooth.  Keeps in fridge for two weeks.

Dressing before shaking

I love this dressing with mixed greens, avocado and hemp seeds

3. Vegan Panna Cotta 

This recipe came from the girls over at http://sketch-freeveganeating.blogspot.com/.  They always have easy and delicious ideas.  Lately my craving for chocolate has decreased but I still want something sweet at night.  When I saw their pictures of the panna cotta and read the ingredients I knew I had to try it.

1 Can full fat coconut milk

2 Teaspoons agar flakes**

20-25 drops vanilla stevia (I don't like the taste of stevia so I would use maple syrup or agave to taste)

3/4 Teaspoon cinnamon

1 Ginger tea bag (Or one 1/2 inch piece of ginger peeled and smashed)

Mix all ingredients together in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until the agar has dissolved.  Pour into small mason jars or dessert cups.  Chill until set.

**The last two times that I have used agar the agar has never totally dissolved.  I had this cooking for over 20 minutes and they just never went away.  After it set there were small pieces of agar in the panna cotta, but it didn't effect the flavor.

I could barely wait for it to chill!