It's easy being green-ish. :)

While I'm not the "greenest" person in the world, I do try. Really hard. I think there are EASY ways to contribute (or not take away, at least) to this earth. I'm an admittedly a recycle nut. If it can be recycled at this house, it will be! It's just LAZY to not. Same with using real shopping bags. I'm a bit of a real shopping bag whore. And when I can avoid buying products with extra chemicals, or any chemicals at all, I do. Whatever goes down the drain or sinks into your skin affects YOU. Don't be fooled. In the summer, yes, I hang my clothes outside. It's harder work, but probably saves $30 on your electric bill. And when money is slow comin' in - why not!? Consider it a mini-workout for your day. In addition, I started using the "light/short cycle" for washing clothes when it's not a heavy duty load. Saves water, too!

While I'm on a health kick, you may be wondering how to keep your sweet animals healthy, too. While this can vary with each animal's needs, I've found INNOVA to be the best brand I can afford to buy in Austin. In HEB, they even carry an all organic brand, Organix, which I use on occasion. Main thing to look for is that they don't use by-products, corn, or anything artificial. Also, dogs don't need salt & sugar - think about it. Plus, brown rice is always better than white. These quality brands can be found in most 'local' pet stores. For a while, my dad's girlfriend, Donna, was making her own. I'll get that recipe and post it later, too. When they had LOTS of animals to feed, she found this more affordable, and nutritious. I think most people want to take the BEST care of their animals, but there's so much misinformation to sift through, that it can be intimidating, to say the least. I happen to find it fun to learn, so I'll share. :)

I recently had a friend ask me what organic meant - I'm serious. I assumed that most people know, but that's not the case. Busy people, or skeptical people might think it's a money making scam, and rightfully so. There are plenty of those out there. So I'd like to refer you to a book - Eat This, Not That. Here, you'll be able to see which products/food to buy organic, and why it matters.

Part of me being vegetarian, I think, also contributes to this earth as a whole. I think a real misconstrued thing about vegetarians is that they must not eat, or eat good. I have smart friends that inquire all the time - "what do you eat?" and it's a fair question for meat eaters to ponder. Meat becomes such an easy, accessible food for us, that when it's taken away, people can't fathom what else to consume! I'm sure I thought the same thing once.

So, I'd like to post at least ONE EASY VEGETARIAN recipe a week. Or do my best. :) Growing up, it was all about the pot. Whatever mom could cook inside one big one is what we ate. Always enough for friends coming over. And because she was busy, working inside the home cutting hair, and raising three kids solo for a while, it was the only way. We never had sit-down dinners, and that was OK. Plus, my mom's from Louisiana, so all our meals were super spicy with a Cajun flare. Yippee on the taste buds!

Think Rachel Ray's 30-min (or less!) meals meets Semi-homemade, with vegetarian, family-friendly size portions - and that's what I'll give you - straight up LA/TX style. :)

I'll also take my dad's delicious (that's an understatement) SOUP recipes, alter then to make sure they're vegetarian, and post them here.

FIRST RECIPE - 4-Bean Spicy Soup with Brown Rice (got your fiber & protein right here!)

Double for larger families.

4 cans of your favorite beans

I use navy, black eyed, pinto, and black bean

1 can of spicy rotel

Steam once cup of brown rice (or preferred type). Remember, if you boil your veggies & rice

you lose the nutritional value. Isn't that the point to even eating them? So steam! :)

Cook a couple links of veggie sausage (or preferred type) on the side.

Dump all your beans in a big pot with some veggie broth (or preferred broth) and

rotel. Add sea salt & spice to taste.

Once sausage is cooked, cut it up, and add to beans. Serve hot, over rice.

If you have a little more time, cut up some onions and saute in EVOO prior for more flavor.

If you're really thrifty and a good cook, try making your beans yourself. That eliminates

extra sodium & saves $ (fyi- I've only burnt the beans when trying to make mine, ha!). In fact, if you just rinse your canned beans, you can eliminate about 40-50% of the sodium, too. :)

Serves around 4 (can you say left-overs?!) or just double the recipe for larger families.

Also, most every soup or soupy dinner can be frozen, if you can't consume it all in a few days. So, try freezing some up, and enjoying it next week for lunch. I do that with the organic pancakes I make now, too, instead of throwing them away. Had an aha-moment. No preservatives, and you can warm it up for about 45 sec. in the microwave for your breakfast!

Enjoy!