Vegetarian & Vegan Food and Lifestyle

Kat0121

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Are pumpkin seeds usually bitter? I've been wanting to get a bag of them. But I tried a sample of pumpkin seed butter and it was so bitter! It was a green color. If I do try pumpkin seeds, I will make sure to only get a small bag!
88 Acres Pumpkin Seed Butter Pouch - 1.16oz
No. None that I have had were bitter. Have you tried Sunbutter? It is so good. Made from sunflower seeds. This is the one I like.
No Sugar Added SunButter | Our Products | SunButter LLC

I don't buy bagged pumpkin seeds because they are never roasted the way I like. I always roast my own when I get pumpkins at Halloween. Super easy to do and they are yummy.
 

maggiedemi

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Have you tried Sunbutter? It is so good. Made from sunflower seeds.
No, but I did get a sample of sunflower seed butter. I haven't tried it yet, but it's the same brand 88 Acres. I hope it's better than the pumpkin seed one!
 

maggiedemi

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Both the Pumpkin Seed Butter and the Sunflower Seed Butter from 88 Acres brand were disgusting. So bitter. Maybe I'll try a different brand, but this really turns me off. Yuck.
 

Kat0121

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maggiedemi

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Does this look vegetarian? Would you eat it?
Stroganoff Pasta

Ingredients
Enriched Macaroni Product [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid], Sour Cream* (Cream, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Lactic Acid), Salt, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Mushrooms*, Onion*, Parsley*, Caramel Color, Garlic Powder, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Natural Flavors, Autolyzed Yeast Extract. *Dried. Made In A Facility That Processes Milk, Egg, Soy, Wheat, Sesame, And Sulfites.
 

maggiedemi

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I understand that lots of things could be in "natural flavors", including meat ingredients.
Awww heck. I've been eating these packets all week and they all say natural flavors! I wish companies would be more careful with their labeling.
 

muffy

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i was wondering if those packets you were using were vegetarian. natural flavors could mean anything. when i went vegqn i had to get in touch with all the companies i used and ask if their products were vegetarian.
 

maggiedemi

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Do you guys have any tips on how to make oatmeal correctly? I don't eat it because it always tastes like mush to me. I would want to add stuff to it like fruit, nuts, seeds. Do I cook that in it or add later? I think a warm breakfast like oatmeal would feel really good this winter. Plus I am spending way too much on granola, I go through a bag every week!
 

Willowy

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How do you normally cook oatmeal? You might enjoy steel-cut oats because they don't get as mushy.

I usually cook nuts in the oatmeal and add fruit afterward or the fruit will get super mushy.
 

Willowy

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What kind of oats---instant, quick, regular? The faster it's meant to cook, the mushier it'll be. If you've only used the little packets, those are definitely mushy. Regular rolled or steel-cut, cooked on the stove, will be less mushy. Although oatMEAL, by definition, is always going to be somewhat mealy/mushy, lol.
 

neely

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Google brought up this explanation: Also referred to as quick oats, instant oats are the most processed of the three oat varieties. They are pre-cooked, dried, and then rolled and pressed slightly thinner than rolled oats. They cook more quickly than steel-cut or rolled oats, but retain less of their texture, and often cook up mushy.

I would want to add stuff to it like fruit, nuts, seeds. Do I cook that in it or add later?
I love oatmeal, it has been a childhood staple for me. I remember my mom making it for us and continued her tradition with my own children. While working full-time I made the quick oats because it was faster by adding boiling water to the quick oats but on weekends I made rolled oats. I like to add flaxseed, fresh fruit and a little bit of almond milk after cooking my oatmeal but everyone is different. It's a personal choice whether to add it before or after. :)
 

Willowy

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Hmm, I thought there was a difference between "instant" and "quick". Instant being chopped up and quick just being rolled thinner. Ok, here, right from the source: The Difference Between Our Oats | Quaker Oats

So yeah, everybody has different tastes, so you have to experiment a little. But I personally think oatmeal tastes better when made on the stovetop rather than in the microwave, no matter what kind it is.
 

LTS3

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Overnight oatmeal is popular :) There are tons of recipes online. Basically you let the oatmeal (old fashioned rolled kind) soak in liquid of your choice overnight with some sturdy toppers like nuts and in the morning, add in softer toppings like dried or fresh fruit, and just eat. Microwave until warm if preferred.
 

muffy

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living in assised living i get oatmeal every morning. i also like cream of wheat, wheatena and grits but they never have them. when i made them at home i used soy milk, butter, sugar and salt. when cooking them at home i used the instant kind because i could not stand long enough to use the stove.
 

maggiedemi

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Thanks everybody for the ideas. I will try using the stove, adding less water, and adding salt. Never thought to add salt before, that's interesting. Never added butter before either. So lots of things to try. :thumbsup:
 

Kat0121

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i was wondering if those packets you were using were vegetarian. natural flavors could mean anything. when i went vegqn i had to get in touch with all the companies i used and ask if their products were vegetarian.
I was wondering that too for the same reason. Having to reach out to companies and hope they get back to you so you can buy their product is annoying. Labels should clearly state if a product is vegetarian or vegan. I don't think that's too much to ask for. It's getting better but still needs a lot of improvement. A lot of wines are not vegetarian/vegan but you'd never know from the labels. Is Wine Vegetarian, Vegan or Neither? | Wine Enthusiast
 

muffy

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I was wondering that too for the same reason. Having to reach out to companies and hope they get back to you so you can buy their product is annoying. Labels should clearly state if a product is vegetarian or vegan. I don't think that's too much to ask for. It's getting better but still needs a lot of improvement. A lot of wines are not vegetarian/vegan but you'd never know from the labels. Is Wine Vegetarian, Vegan or Neither? | Wine Enthusiast
there should be a law that all companies list all ingredients or if a product is vegan or vegetarian. when i emailed campbell's soup and uncle bens they never replied. when i called hershey the woman that answered the phone was very nasty. i don't like wine but i drink heineken beer once in awhile which is vegen.
 
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