Sorry, I can’t find my camera, these were taken from my phone:

I used to make this with chicken: Roasted red pepper marinated tempeh, with mango salsa and salad. It got two thumbs up approval from everyone tonight–even the non-vegans. Yay!

You really have to try it. It tastes much better than this crappy phone camera portrays. So, to make your own, do this:

1. Marinate 1.5 blocks of 5 grain tempeh in Annie’s Roasted Red Pepper dressing ( 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) and 1/2 tbsp siracchi for 3 or more hours.

2. Chop 2 mangos into small cubes. Then juice 1/2 lemon, 1/2 orange and pour over the mangos. Chop 4 small orange and yellow peppers into small cubes and mix in. Add 1 slice of red onion, finely diced. Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, crushed red pepper to taste, and siracchi to taste. This is seriously yummy. If you need a little sweet to cut the heat, add a little agave to taste. But seriously. This is so effing tasty.

3. Make a salad with the random ingredients you have around. I used spring mix, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes. yellow bell pepper, and avocado. Each layer should be sprinkled with a small amount of Simply Organic garlic salt.

4. Put corn on the cob–still in husks–on the grill. 5 minutes per  quarter turn for 20 minutes total.

5. Add tempeh for the last 12 minutes–6 on each side.

6. To serve: scoop the mango salsa onto your grilled tempeh. Shuck corn, serve salad, and enjoy!

Also, let me know how much you love it if you try it! And:

Smile- You are beautiful! Happy Monday! -Keri

Ha ha! So funny, and sadly true. I know this has nothing to do with kindness. So, here was today’s act:

Thursday nights  I usually run with a group. Tonight, there were three new people. My first night (in November), I got lost in the dark in Belmar park and I turned into a terribly poet. Just kidding–about the poet part, not getting lost. So tonight, when I noticed the trio on the wrong path, I ran back and helped them find their way. This meant stopping to walk, chatting, and not acquiesing to my inner perfectionist and running hard enough to keep up with the front pack! I know this seems like nothing really, but shutting off the voice that I needed to go faster was more difficult than it might seem. Thus, even though it didn’t cost money, it cost pride, and so it was a worthy gift. I need to get rid of the pride and running complex anyway, and it was worth it to connect and encourage new runners–like I once was.

In other kindness news, look for a post next week where I’ll be featuring the beauty and kindness of a friend of mine. She has inspired me with her own acts of kindness over the last few months, and I can’t wait to share with you her Acts.

Feel free to email me your acts of kindness! I’d love to blog them or be inspired by them!

I’b sick. Terribly sick. Thursday, I had a slight sore throat, which I thought was a result of allergy drainage. Not so, not so. Since Friday, I’ve mostly been sleeping. And reading some. I highly recommend Bad Dirt by Annie Proulx and Tracks by Louise Erdrich.

And in the midst of my sickness, I’ve been thinking. I don’t blog near enough. Not as much as I’d like. I’m not consistent. And the reason is that. Well, one, who will read? And two, I don’t have a pretty camera by which I can take pretty pictures. And three, I procrastinate and waste time.

But I’ve been thinking. What if, I posted instead of one planned act of kindness a week, one nice thing a day. One small act of kindness that everyone could do. They might be something I witness, something I hear about from you, or something I create. I think I will. Because if I’m forced to blog everyday, there will be no excuses. It will be difficult because April is insanely busy in the environmental education world. Also, we are traveling next weekend. But I will try.

So, for today, since I didn’t get out much. I will blog about kindness to myself. Which I hope that could be kindness to you in case you haven’t hear of any of the following methods to get better. So, if you find yourself a whirling vat of mucous, slight fever, headache, sore throat and chills, I recommend the following:

1. Sleep. As much as possible. Ignore any guilt you might feel for doing so.

2. Bathe in Epsom salts and eucalyptus. Follow by water, and then Breathe Easy tea.

3. Do Neti. Twice or more a day, especially after bathing. Do NOT use tap water.

4. Take Elderberry Zinc Lozenges, Quercetin, EmergenC, Oregano Oil, Juice Plus (extra doses of gummies),

5. Get a strep culture, but if you can, don’t get antiobiotics.

6. Take probiotics. I recently discovered that I love Kevita maybe even more than GT’s Trilogy Kombucha?

7. Drink Water.

8. Do Restorative Yoga

9. Sleep some more.

10. Amy’s No Chicken Noodle soup is great when you don’t have the energy to cook. So is Whole Foods Salad Bar

I’m starting to feel better. And I’m sure tomorrow I can run again. Take care

Happy Spring Everyone! Yes, one day early. Even happier? Starting tomorrow, A. is going plant-based for the next 28 days after getting inspired by two things. First, is that with and because of our wonderful friends P. & D. we are going to Myrtle Beach for Memorial Day. Second, is that I discovered and strongly encouraged A. to check out the Engine 2 Diet media clips.

So, to prove that the next few weeks will be just as tasty without animal products (and more kind), I whipped up a Shepherd’s Pie inspired by this recipe. And since I can never manage to follow a recipe or measure things out exactly, here is how to make one seriously tasty dinner. This meal got this response from A.: “I don’t even really see why I need to eat hamburger ever again! This is really good.” So, here’s how to make your own:

1. In a large skillet, pour about a tablespoon of EVOO and about 2 tbsp water. Mince 3 cloves garlic and 1/4 small yellow onion. Saute until slightly brown. Don’t all great recipes start this way?

2. Add in 1/2 a diced green pepper (we had leftovers that needed to be used, and A. won’t eat green beans or peas–yet.)

3. Add in Boca meat (not the red package) and about 1/2 cup water. Let simmer a bit and then add about 3 tbsp Bragg’s and some hefty shakes of dried Rosemary (I’m on a Grad School Budget, and I haven’t planted Spring kitchen herbs yet). I also sprinkled a tiny bit (1/2 tsp) of Italian herbs into the mix.

4. Lightly grease a pie pan (or baking dish or whatever you like) with a little more olive oil. Press in the Boca Mix.

5. Then, you could either steam potatoes or  (sadly) fix up some leftover Alexia Hashed Browns by: Add in about 2 tsp of olive oil to a skillet + 1/4 cup water (I used the same skillet one to save time and water). Add all the leftover hashed browns…About 1.5 -2 cups?

6. Next, I also had some Red Chard I needed to use up, so I chopped it up. Very fine. And added to the Hash Brown mix. Sprinkled Garlic Salt (it has to be the Simply Organic brand). And freshly ground pepper–until you think it’s enough.

7. When the Hashies are slightly brown and chard is cooked lightly, add into the pie pan.

8. Cover with a light layer of cheddar Daiya.

9. Cover the pie pan with tin foil. Bake @ 365 for half an hour. And then bake longer when your love comes home and says, I need to go get wine to celebrate Peyton Manning’s coming to the Broncos. At this point, uncover the pie and recycle the tin foil. Leave the oven open and set to 325. Let heat until your love gets home with wine. While your love is out getting wine, whip up a salad to accompany the meal. You can never have enough greens, you know?

10. Enjoy the aroma.

11. Feel like you’re in heaven while eating. Take one bite too many. Forgive yourself for doing so.

12. Pack both you and your love damn good (and kind) lunches for tomorrow.

Let me know if you try this Or if you plan on making it soon. Or if you are super excited for Peyton Manning coming to the Broncos.

PS. Sorry about my yucky food pics. One day I will get a much nicer camera. But today all I have is a point and shoot.