Gettin' My Martha Stewart on veg style

Hey ya'll,

So I've been slacking off on posting some of my fav vegan recipes.  The recipes I post are approved by vegans and non-vegan (my parents).  And 9 times out of 10 the recipes get rave reviews (my parents don't care what I marinate it in...they will never like tofu).

This one is one of my all time favorites.  Its Sicilian Greens.  Its a great recipe for me because left to my own devices I would only eat bean and grain dishes...thankfully this allows me to get in dark leafy greens.  As anyone knows dark leafy greens are an important part of any nutrition plan because they are packed with vitamins.  Also the taste of this dish is out of this world.  The raisins and the collard greens have such opposite flavors that it works perfectly.  And the pine nuts make the dish feel hardier than it is.  I've never been a fan of collard greens but this dish made me a convert.  I've been known to sit down and eat just this for a meal (I rarely have left overs).

So here it is...

(A picture of the Sicilian Greens made by your truly)

Sicilian Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

1 bunch of collard greens (I shop at Whole Foods a lot and they have a great pre-washed greens container, sometimes I'll cook 1-2 of those containers at once...I'm a single girl I don't want to slave away in my kitchen haha)

2 Tablespoons of pine nuts (I toast mine)

3 cloves of garlic (I'm a garlic fiend so I've been known to use 6 cloves)

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

3 Tablespoons of raisins

2 Tablespoons of Organic Shoyu (you can find shoyu in the asian food section, or if you want a sweeter dish use balsamic vinegar)

Directions
Use a sharp knife to cut out the central rib and stem from each collard leaf. Rinse the leaves in a sink of cool water, lifting them into a colander to drain a bit (you want some water to remain on the leaves).


Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes or until golden. Shake the pan often to keep the pine nuts from burning. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.


Place the garlic and oil in a large skillet, and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the damp collards and stir, then cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the raisins and pine nuts, and stir. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, cover, and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.


Note
The stems of the collard greens are full of minerals, so if you want to use them, chop them into 1" pieces and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the collard greens.


Its meals like this that make me love being vegan.  There are so many nutrients packed in this one delicious dish.  And the recipe yields 2-3 servings...but I really don't feel guilty chowing down on collard greens.  Its a great dish when you're in that noshing mood.

Hope you all enjoy making and eating this as much as I do.
XOXO,
MacKenzie Green

You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round

Yet another article about my pole dancing workouts...I will eventually post my comment about the workouts, but for now I'll let you guys enjoy the latest (haha).

XOXO,
MacKenzie

Miss D.C.'s New Talent: Pole-Dancing

Miss D.C. Tweeting About her Pole-Dancing Classes

By TENEILLE GIBSON

Updated 9:31 AM EDT, Wed, Jun 9, 2010

BUZZ UP!

retweet

If it’s starting to get too hot in the District, blame it on Miss D.C. 2010, otherwise known as MacKenzie Green.

The Washington Examiner reports that the D.C. native is taking up pole- and lap-dancing classes. And it's no secret -- Green has apparently beentweeting about her lessons:

I was interviewed en route to class lat night about my new pole dancing workouts lol... ppl peally do fear a confident and smart woman smh.

Oh, we’re not scared! But Yeas & Nays does point out how Miss USA 2010Rima Fakih received heat for her pole pictures that were released last month.

Green explained to the column that since she's a grown woman, pole lessons should not hurt her role model status. "I have promoted... respecting body," Green told Yeas & Nays. "I would rather be dancing in a room on a pole to myself than feeling desperate to have to do it for some man to get attention."

'Pole-ing' is not easy. Green joked in her tweet, "3 hours on deck @PoleFitnessMiam... someone have the icy/hot ready at the other end of class lol."
 

First Published: Jun 9, 2010 7:31 AM ED

Meet My Meat Free Mondays Open Letter

I know the post title wasn't one of my best but it will have to do (haha).

Early in my reign I was able to write an open letter in support of Meat Free Mondays in the District.  The DC City Council passed the initiative.  So I wanted to post the letter I submitted (that was presented by Amber McDonald).

Its great to see so much change happening in my city...particularly healthy changes.  Hopefully what we do here in DC has a ripple affect that can make for a healthier nation.  And with it being 4th of July the best way to honor America's birthday is to make sure we're at our healthiest and most vibrant...so we can enjoy many more :-)

XOXO,
MacKenzie

In the process of preparing for Miss DC USA I did a lot of exercise and tried to diet like a madman.

I saw fast results at first eating tiny morsels of food, but that didn't work out well for me. With a hypoactive thyroid and insulin resistance my body rebelled against my drastic measures.  In a mass revolt, unlike any seen since the America rose up against the British.

So there I was a month and a half out from the pageant, killing myself in the gym and in tears because I was hungry, irritable, and not seeing results. It was at a time when I hit a low point in fighting my body that I know I had to make a change...a lifestyle change.

I had toyed with the idea of becoming a vegan for quite some time. But I was convinced there was no way I could do it, and that I wouldn't have anything to eat. Thankfully like an answer from above, on a trip to the bookstore perusing the aisles I came across Alicia Silverstone's new book The Kind Diet

So I dove head first in to the vegan pool, intending to flirt with a truly healthy lifestyle...and that's saying a lot from a woman who loves cheese, bison steaks, and salmon. But honestly I'm glad I became a vegan, because now I‘m in love with my healthy life.

Even in the month out from the pageant I found myself feeling much better, not painfully bloated after I ate, not ready to rip off the head of the nearest person (my parents like that one), and I just felt all around better. Even though when I hit the Miss DC USA stage I wasn't where I wanted to be for the first time in a long time I felt comfortable and beautiful in my own skin.

I also made the change largely due to my uncle's cancer diagnosis. I have a grandmother in the early stages of dementia, my grandfather lost both legs to diabetes and eventually died of heart complications, and health issues run through my family. So with my decision to go vegan, aside from losing weight, I wanted to end the health issues with preventive issues now in the choices I make. I also felt that if I did become Miss DC USA I didn't want to be a hypocritical role model. I knew I couldn't stand in front of kids, talking to them about making healthy choices, and I myself was making destructive eating decisions that was throwing my already damaged metabolism out of whack. I would have felt awful telling them right from wrong when I could barely take care of myself.

I'm not a perfect vegan...but I'm still doing better than I thought and I'm loving every day as a vegan thus far.

I’m an advocate of Meat Free Mondays in the District because the personal journey I took.  In only a few meals of mindful eating, and truly feeding my body I got more in tune with myself and more thoughtful about what goes on my plate.

I think if others had the opportunity to spend a day making informed eating decisions, paying attention to the food choices they make, and eating nourishing almost guiltless meals.  The impact on the person and the planet in just one meat free day would be exponential.

I would be proud to see such an initiative happen in my hometown.  Washington DC is the city that the rest of the nation looks to as a catalyst for change and action.  To have such a health initiative happen in the city that I love the most would mean so much to me…it would further solidify why I’m a proud Washingtonian.

I spur others to support Meat Free Mondays, and I am a proud supporter of the initiative.

Love and Loyally,

MacKenzie Green

Miss District of Columbia USA 2010