h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

just thought i would write seeing that you are fellow vegan, i also have turned forty this year and i used to do tai chi apart from that we have very little in common only joking !!! wanted to wish you all the best for your trip and you dont need anyone saying how hard it is so all i will say is that i have every coinfidence in you

donone 1

Thanks for your wishes and confidence in me. I need all the help I can get! Although, after climbing Snowdon at the weekend and getting less out of breath than the youngsters in our party, I am feeling a little more confident in my ability to do this thing. Do you speak from experience when you say I don't need anyone to tell me how hard it is - have you done the Inca Trail yourself?

No i havent done the inca trail as yet but would love to, like you i have been to Snowden. I am currently doing a walking course which should give me some more experience, it involves map reading amongst other things. Hope you enjoy your experience it should be brilliant.

DONONE 1

Map reading (navigation in general) is fascinating. We were lucky enough to have a qualified mountain leader on our Snowdon trip this w/e and he was so knowledgeable - it gives you a whole other feel for the landscape. Make the most of your course - it is such a good skill to have.
Maybe see you on Snowdon some day!
xx

By the way - the charity I'm doing the trek for will probably do another next year. Check out www.acorns.org.uk . It's a great way to get to do the trek - everybody wins!
xx

Thanks for the web site i shall defintely check it out

The course i am doing leads to a bronze NNAS which will be done in the clwydian range so i have a couple of walks their to look forward to. We have to negotiate as to which dates we go but it is looking like november. As the course is mainly practical we are looking at getting outdoors and cutting down on the classroom side of it. The map work starts tomorrow evening and we had to buy a ordnance survey explorer guide for clwyd so it should be fun.
I think the tutor is getting a bit ahead of himself he is already talking of the gold award though ten out of ten for enthusiasm.
Sorry for babbling on i must admit i am really jealous of you and your fellow travellers to the inca trail hopefully this message hasnt gone green in transit.

DONONE 1

only a pale shade of green! I was really excited about the prospect of going but I'm beginning to get a bit nervous now. I just can't believe I'm going to be there in just over 2 weeks. When we were coming down Snowdon I had a bit of a problem with my knee (must be getting old - bits of me are starting to give up) - so I'm just hoping it is going to be OK on the trek. I feel generally fit enough now but it could be a problem if my knee doesn't hold out on the downhill sections. Oh well - I've always wanted a ride in a helicopter!

Been onto the acorn site and looked at the small print and its in black and white that youre not allowed to be nervous.
Hope that the knee gets better, sure it will, low impact training from now on you hear!!!
Back to the site i like the look of the icelandic trip and the chinese trip also, big decision ahead methinks
The course meeting went well feels a bit like were just passing time till we get outdoors, we even negotiated three trips for wales(two full days) and a half day training in liverpool late october and early november.
Changing the subject how are you going with your veganism, i must admit that its the best decision i have made bit put off by people tutting and saying how difficult it is, whilst it isnt easy i had become lazy as a veggie (loads of cheese) now i actually enjoy cooking again and even shopping isnt such a chore, less visits to crowded supermarkets

thats enough waffling for now

Donone 1

xx

I must check that small-print
I've been vegan since January (2am on the 8th - to be precise) - so things are more or less second nature now. I've had a few problems with eating out - but I just try not to make too much fuss and make sure I have enough to eat before going out! (Don't want to get labelled as "that awkward vegan person") If there's something I can have then I have it - if not, I just have a drink and enjoy the company - it's really not that important. If it's a pre-booked meal at a posh place I ask to have a word with the chef and kind of set it to him/her as a challenge - they usually rise to the occassion and I get something much nicer than everyone else! I enjoy cooking vegan stuff but I still have to do the vegetarian range for my kids. They think I'm a bit weird giving up all their favourite things! But I'm happy and feel healthier than ever - loads of energy. I do take a supplement (or two) - a vegetarian vitamin complex, iron (a herbal one though - more accessible apparently) and extra b12. I also take evening primrose oil because I don't eat that much fat any more and I heard your joints start to seize up if you don't have some oil to lubricate them (which wouldn't be good seeing as I want to train as a yoga teacher ) Anyway - good luck with your veganism. If you want any tips or recipes I'd be happy to help.
xx

Thanks for the offer of advice and tips, i will definitely take you up on that. I have a cookbook but there is nothing like first hand recipes, glad to hear that you are bringing up the kids in the proper way, i wish i would have had an early experience like that. I have been taking some b12 complex tablets but was taking them every couple of days but wasnt feeling too good and have felt much better since not taking them. I felt a little let down by holland and barrett since i expected that the majority of their food was vegan, was shocked to find that most wasnt still it keeps the brain working to find alternatives, so far have been buying from veganstore on the net and was pleasantly surprised by sainsburys and their freefrom range. Top marks for your stand in restaurants so far i have just taken the veggie alternative, i will be more demanding in future!!!
Hope that you get your wish to be a yoga teacher, i really should be doing something like yoga since i have stopped doing tai chi a number of years ago i need to replace it. Mt best experience whilst doing tai chi was performing at chinese new year celebrations in the city centre, nerve wracking but very satisfying, the nerve wracking part was because we had to perform on cobble stones with swords, there could have been a nasty accident luckily we all survived in one piece!!

Speak to you soon

donone 1 xx

I didn't think that taking b12 could make you feel bad. It is supposed to maintain a healthy nervous system and help in the release of energy from food. So it should make you feel great! I've had loads more energy since becoming vegan - I don't know whether the diet just suits me better or whether I'm taking a better combination of supplements than I used to.
Why did you give up Tai Chi? I started a class at about the same time I turned vegan and I love it. We do a lot of Chi (Qi?) Gong (not sure on the spelling) and only a little bit of the form in each class but I think it's great.
I've been to an introductory day for a yoga teacher training course today. It seems like one I could work with so I'm going to carry on to the interview stage next weekend. I won't know until the first week in November whether I have a place on the course or not - that's the week I get back from Peru anyway. I seem to be making a lot of changes in my life this year - perhaps it's something to do with turning 40!
My favourite homemade meal at the moment is a pasta dish with broccoli - very simple. Would you like the recipe?

First of all would love the recipe
Secondly i hope that the yoga teaching course goes well sounds really good i know what you mean about turning forty i havent consciously tried to change things but i feel that things are changing ( if that makes sense)
I gave up tai chi mainly because of bad feeling within the group, some of the group who had been doing martial arts wanted to go off training groups themselves but were not allowed by the teacher. I also felt that i was near to the end of what i wanted to learn, i was about to get into more of the martial art side of things which doesnt really appeal. I am not really competitive so the throwing and being thrown side of things was a bit of turn off, glad to hear that you are really into it, when you start it is really relaxing and challenging, in fact i still do use the breathing exercises now.
Finally am not quite sure what happened with the vitamins still have them so might start introducing them slowly, overall becoming vegan is still one of my better decisions, finished off all quorn products now so its onwards and upwards
DONONE 1

I'm not very sure on quantities with recipes these days as I just tend to use 'some' of something. But here goes. This is how much I use for 2 of us - but we like quite large portions! (It's good!)
You'll need:-
1 large-ish onion
1 small-ish green pepper
some mushrooms - I tend to use I guess about 8oz or so of button ones - but use whatever type you like
broccoli - lots
pasta - white spirally type works well (enough for 2 people)
a carton of Soya Dream
salt (I don't tend to use loads but it can end up tasting a bit sweet if you don't use some)
freshly ground black pepper
oil for frying - I use a light olive oil

Chop the onion, pepper and mushrooms fairly chunky. It works best if you fry the onion and pepper first and then add the mushrooms as they tend to produce 'juice' that stops the frying process. While they are cooking, put the pasta on to cook and the broccoli to steam. When the onions etc. seem nice and soft add about 3/4 of the carton of Soya Dream (a whole carton seems a bit too much!) but don't let it boil - just heat it through gently or it will separate. Now is a good time to add the seasoning - it works well with tons of pepper and I suppose you could add fresh herbs if you like. When the pasta is ready, stir it into the veggies and sauce. Add the broccoli last and just stir it gently or it will break up. It is delicious and goes very well with a well chilled glass of chardonnay!

I'm getting hungry now! Hope you enjoy it!
xx

Thanks for the recipe i will definitely try that this week some time, today i am trying a tempeh chilli, hopefully i should survive!!

I suppose one good recipe deserves another so i will give you one that i have tried its perfect for this time of your its a balkan stew.
ingredients:
loads of brown rice
loads of potatoes
ideally these should be cooked in advance to make the recipe quicker
a gigantic onion
two cloves of garlic
lots of tomatoes
a few green and red peppers
some tofu though other meat substitutes are fine specially tvp
frozen peas if you have plenty of time shelled peas could be used
half a gallon of vegetable stock
a little oil for frying
freshly ground black pepper
a sprinkle of parsley
NB: MEASUREMENTS MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY ON THE GENEROUS SIDE
Cooking
If you have cooked the potatoes and rice
sautee the onion and garlic in a massive saucepan for three to four minutes then add the peppers and tomato then chop the potato and dice the tofu or dice the potato and chop the tofu if you are that way inclined when they are mixed add the stock cook for a couple of minutes stirring twice if you stir three times you must throw mixture away(only joking) Stir in the rice peas and black pepper cook for further couple of minutes then serve immediately.
If you try this recipe you are a lot braver than me!!

just off to prepare my chilli hope it goes well and there are no tempeh tantrums (apologies for appalling joke)

will message again hopefully
Donone 1 xx

That sounds good - I'll give it a try Although I don't like tofu or tvp much Do you think it would work with biggish beans like kidney or........can't think of any other big ones except butter beans and I don't like those (fussy aren't I? )
I like your quantities - how many do you cook for - an army?
Hey - this could be fun. We could try out each other's recipes - report back and then suggest a new one for the following week. What do you think?
xx

Yes definitely sounds like a great idea

It will definitely be good to swop recipes cannot beat other peoples ideas
Back to my recipe i would imagine kidney beans would be fine, with rice and potatoes in it, it will be quite substatial, the quantities were my idea at humour i tend to throw what i feel like into recipes, generally it works, anyway i like to be relaxed about my cooking
Just had chilli and no side effects so far
DONONE 1

I realised you were being funny with the amounts. I like your sense of humour - so important in cooking. (In anything really.) It should be fun.
Where does your nickname come from? (Why the 1 at the end?)

The short answer would be why not?

The long answer is more to do with my nickname at school which was don
what do you mean i have a good memory, so it all stemmed from there, messing around came up with donone, as i am the first born it is quite apt and has no pretensions towards the legendary spanish gentleman. I wanted to make it more amusing by adding more numerals though where do you stop and could have sounded like somebody checking the microphones at a gig, so decided on one digit.
Sorry it is not more exciting but if you put our nicknames together it does sound a football result which goes to show you learn something every day
Swiftly changing the subject will probably try your recipe tomorrow so will have paramedics on standby ha ha

speak to you soon xx

DONONE ?

I was just curious. I hadn't thought about the football results bit - very clever!
Good luck with the cooking - hope you've got some good wine to go with it.
xx

Curious is good we like curious here, must remember to get wine on way home from work tomorrow, pay day so good reason to celebrate, if one is needed of course.
Will keep opinions to myself till you sample my recipe, just to see if you survive!!
Just getting ready to go round to parents, they have a hedgehog staying in their garden, apparently being a vegan makes you a wildlife expert, they want me to weigh said creature to make sure it is heavy enough to hibernate. Apparently they should be over 50 grams, just thought i would tell you to save a sleepless night for you

david atte sorry donone 1