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Jess Parsons

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Blog Entries by Jess Parsons

The 99% don't need models

Jess Parsons | January 12, 12 at 02:52 PM | Lifestyle

Read More: BMI, body image, eating disorders, healthy eating big picture, weight-loss

  This controversial story about model sizes is the news of the day on my social networks - opinions range from "I still prefer skinny women" to "it shouldn't matter what size you are as long as you're healthy" and...

5 Productive New Year's Workouts

Jess Parsons | January 1, 12 at 02:44 PM | Health

Read More: fitness, frugal, garden, healthy body healthy mind, kids, New Year's resolution

Resolved to have a fitter New Year?  Here are some holiday workouts that leave you with more than just an endorphine rush. Caution:  Don't try all of these workouts in one day without medical advice. Try on all the...

Christmas wrapup - frugal and ecofriendly

Jess Parsons | December 17, 11 at 03:32 PM | Green

Read More: environment, frugal, holiday, kids, money, waste

My three (almost four) year old daughter loves to paint.  She brings her paintings home for me and tells me all about them. You get the picture.  She can draw people and things, but she's still a creative abstract...

Make your own vegan holiday chocolates

Jess Parsons | December 14, 11 at 01:01 AM | Food

Read More: chocolate, frugal, home cooking, sugar, vegan, vegan Christmas

Vegan specialty chocolates are expensive!  Making your own chocolates from molds is so easy I'm not sure I should share the secret.  Especially because we're trying to eat less sugar. In less than 1/2 hour you can have a...

Real Food Part 2: Eating Less Sugar 5 Ways

Jess Parsons | December 7, 11 at 04:51 PM | Food

Read More: addictions, American Heart Association, coffee, dr mcdougall, Dr. Michael Klaper, health, juicing, money, snacks, sorbitol, stevia, sugar, tea, vegan, whole grains, xylitol

The Real Food series helps you eat more real food in the real world.  In Part 1, we ate more whole grains.  Now let's learn how to do what we know we should - eat less sugar. What's so...

Use it up! Stevia - naturally sweet

Jess Parsons | November 28, 11 at 04:46 PM | Health

Read More: glycemic response, health, home gardening, homegrown, stevia, sweetener

I'm still working on the last Use It Up challenge, (gluten free baking mix).  I missed a golden opportunity to use some of this baking mix when I baked 40 plus mini chocolate chocolate chip vegan cupcakes for the...

Your Thanksgiving Turkey - now in living color

Jess Parsons | November 23, 11 at 08:32 PM | Animals

Read More: animal cruelty, animal feed, animal suffering, education, factory farms, holiday, turkey, vegan

I grew up with turkeys on my dinner plate or as cartoon figures drawn around five little fingers.Like any animal, there's always so much more to learn!Like the Native Americans (Indians), turkeys are another victim of colonial naming confusion...

Happy Vegan Thanksgiving - Frugal Vegan Stuffing

Jess Parsons | November 21, 11 at 01:55 PM | Food

Read More: Christmas, family, frugal, garden, holiday, home cooking, Thanksgiving, vegan recipes

Just in time for Thanksgiving and early enough to plan for Christmas - my other easy "use it up" bread crusts recipe:  Yummy Vegan Stuffing.Not for the birds!  This is the dish to take to your family Thanksgiving so...

Real Food Part 1: Hate Whole Grains? Here's help!

Jess Parsons | November 15, 11 at 12:05 PM | Food

Read More: dr mcdougall, family, fat, fiber, kids, nutrition, refined food, sugar, whole grains

First, watch Dr John McDougall: Lowfat foods vs whole foods Whether you're seeking a healthy weight or just plain good health, you need to find your way to whole foods.Whole Grain HealthFats Your body needs some fat.  Not lots...

Eat More Fruit and Whole Grains - Frugal Vegan Fruit Pudding

Jess Parsons | November 8, 11 at 08:40 PM | Food

Read More: frugal, fruits, garden, home cooking, vegan recipes, whole grains

I like to cook with what I have.  And this healthy fruit pudding can be made with practically anything.  Of course, I used my garden-fresh organic rhubarb.  With this recipe, I also transformed the bread end collection from our...

Planting for Summer - the toilet rolls rocked!

Jess Parsons | November 6, 11 at 02:21 PM | Green

Read More: frugal, fruits, garden, organic, vegetables

The summer squash seeds love their free biodegradable planters and showed their appreciation with big green leaves.And the beans we planted at Small Poppies were going bonsai for lack of soil depth in that cute little decorated pink tub...unlike...

More Vegan Waffling - Sticking to it

Jess Parsons | October 30, 11 at 02:01 AM | Food

Read More: breakfast, free, frugal, home cooking, vegan, vegan recipes

Our waffle maker had made its last wholewheat vegan waffle, but I got lucky with Freecycle with another waffle maker in great condition.  Guess who was pleased with herself?Try... But then I tried to use it.  This waffle maker was...

Free Eco-friendly Seed Planters - from the trash!

Jess Parsons | October 27, 11 at 11:47 PM | Green

Read More: environment, free lunch, frugal, garbage, garden, green, kale, parsley, recycling, reusing, sprouts

My winter parsley and kale are rapidly going to seed as the sunshine hits the garden.  I cleared the kale and made a whole crock pot of soup.  If I want juicy tomatoes, tender squash, lettuces, a cucumber or...

Welcome Summer! Easy Frugal Fatfree Vegan Banana Ice Cream

Jess Parsons | October 17, 11 at 12:52 PM | Food

Read More: fatfree, frugal, fruit, home cooking, New Zealand, simple, vegan dessert

I couldn't resist the bargain - $3 for 8kgs of overripe bananas!  A sign as clear as a robin that warm weather is here in New Zealand.Time to make some freezer space for banana ice cream makings.  Whoops, no...

15 years vegan - Food++

Jess Parsons | October 15, 11 at 03:51 PM | Lifestyle

Read More: dr mcdougall, food shortages, plant based diet, vegan

Going vegan means avoiding animal foods and other animal products.  But it doesn't stop there.  This change changes you.I went on a vegan diet for my health (translated: "to lose weight") - these days that's called a plant-based diet. ...

Our little secret - as Rena's oil spills in New Zealand

Jess Parsons | October 12, 11 at 11:39 AM | International

Read More: factory farms, New Zealand, water pollution

Painting by Danielle Eubank It's a day and it's a drainAnd all the streets are all the sameIn every city of every nameThe planet overIt's the way a drop of rainSeeking leaf and root in vainMust wash away a...

Go Vegan in a day...using everyday household items

Jess Parsons | October 11, 11 at 11:51 PM | Food

Read More: meals, recipe, simple, vegan diet, vegan health

Think "I could never go vegan"? This is for you.  I promise, there are no weird foods in this vegan day.Breakfast Choose from two satisfying hot breakfastsToast and Jam Have as much as you like - most supermarket breads...

What I learned by growing my own

Jess Parsons | October 10, 11 at 01:07 AM | Food

Read More: fruits, garden, Soup, sprouts

In a previous episode I showed off my winter window tomato garden. The small tomatoes have continued to ripen and deliver a sweet treat every once in a while. Like this morning! The larger ones have sadly not advanced...

Children are our Future - Teaching Plant Food and Health

Jess Parsons | September 24, 11 at 07:05 PM | Health

Read More: animal foods, b12, breastfeeding, calorie density, diseases of affluence, dr antonia demas, dr t colin campbell, education, genes, healthy food, milk, New Zealand, omnivores, parenting, plant based diet, processed food, protein

My son's school requested "parent experts" to help their 12 year old students in various topics - including nutrition and health, and sports nutrition!  With my recently acquired Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition with Dr T Colin Campbell, I felt...

Secondhand smarts - this reunion is cookin'!

Jess Parsons | September 20, 11 at 10:15 PM | Food

Read More: baking, frugal, money, vegan baking

My latest victory in rejecting retail purchases and discovering...Secondhand Smarts.  Last time, we met cast iron.  Today, we return to the kitchen. See the sad and lonely Pyrex lid. Its mate, my most favourite and often used Corningware 2.5L...