Christmas Time...Is Here...

"No more lives torn apart / And wars would never start / And time would heal all hearts / And everyone would have a friend / And right would always win / And love would never end / This is my grown-up Christmas list." - Amy Grant

As winter draws near, snow pours down, and the sun disappears, I have a secret weapon to fighting off winter blues: Christmas CDs! Is there anything more heart-warming and cheerful than Christmas music? I have a whole slew of favorites that I dust off this time of year and I've already found a few new classics from 2010! Here's what I'm loving this year:

1. The Christmas Collection by Amy Grant
2. Merry Christmas II You by Mariah Carey
3. Joy to the World by Pink Martini
4. Christmas Through Your Eyes by Gloria Estefan

Hot beverages are another way that I usually chase the winter blues away. It can be hard to find vegan treats at the coffee shop, but I have a few standards:

Hot chai with soymilk + shot of peppermint syrup (this is FULL of sugar, so should only be consumed on "special" occasions)

 Decaf coffee with soymilk + sugar-free hazelnut syrup and 2 Truvia packets (I keep these in my bag)

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I remember one year ago Christmas time (in my first round of veganism), trying nutritional yeast and almost gagging. Nutritional yeast is similar to brewer's yeast and is, basically, a deactivated yeast that vegans use to make "cheezy" sauces. It is bright yellow and has a somewhat bitter taste. Vegans love it because it is a complete protein and is full of vitamin B12, which can be difficult for vegans to get into their diet. Well, anyway, I just got my copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's new cookbook, Appetite for Reduction, and decided to try out her "cheezy" sauce with nutritional yeast. I figured, "Why not? Maybe I'll have acquired a taste for it now!" And - believe it or not - it was delicious! I knew if any cookbook author could make me love nutritional yeast, it was Isa. She's awesome! Below is a slight variation of her recipe. It is best when eaten hot!

"Eazy Breezy Cheezy Sauce"
Isa serves this sauce on a "Tempeh Helper" (her version of Hamburger Helper) or with pasta. I ate it with a mixture of cooked pasta, steamed broccoli, and steamed cauliflower. This is - by far - the best vegan "cheeze" sauce that I've made. Yum!

Sauce:
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch ground turmeric powder
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder base
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Serve with:
- 1 cup cooked pasta
- 1 cup steamed vegetables (broccoli and/or cauliflower)

Combine all sauce ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until completely uniform. Transfer to a medium skillet and, stirring continuously, cook over high heat until the sauce bubbles. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for about five minutes - until thick and creamy. Toss the sauce with the pasta and vegetables. serves 2
 
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Sadly, I have not discovered how to chase away the winter blues with exercise. I am terrified of running in the snow (haven't done so yet) and I can't fathom running around in this weather! I think I will wait until I have some friends come along to try snowbound exercise. Until then, I will search out a treadmill or indoor track to keep up my running. And, of course, this is the perfect time of year for yoga DVDs from the comfort and warmth of my own home! I've been doing about 30-45 minutes of mix and match yoga videos in the morning and they have kept me centered and happy throughout the day.

Soon, I'll have a complimentary membership to RecSports through IU - - since I got a job teaching there!! Yay! I can't wait to have the membership because I'll be able to run for free on their tracks and on their treadmills. This perk almost seems as good as getting monetary compensation!

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That's all for today! I hope you are enjoying the snow :)