Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with soy

Where can I find another color-changing soy candle?

pitseleh — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:50:33 -0800

Where can I find a color-changing soy candle similar to one that used to be available at Target? Several months ago I purchased a soy candle from Target that changed colors when it burned. (It was not advertised as such; it was a surprise the first time it happened.) It went from a light green solid to a bright purple liquid as the wax heated up, and then it would go back to a light green solid when it cooled down again.

The scent was "Fresh Cut Grass," and the label says it was made in Canada and distributed by Target. It's in a simple, round glass container about 5 inches in diameter and 3 inches high. It has 3 wicks and is 15 oz.

I would love to buy more of these but can't find them anywhere by googling, and they're not in Target or on the Target website as far as I can tell.

Alternatively, I would love suggestions for other candles that have a similar color-changing property.

Any ideas?

Proper culture for soy yoghourt

monocultured — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:35:18 -0800

Trying to make my own vegan soy yoghourt from scratch, I ended up with an uncultured mess. Please advise on proper microbial use, or improvements upon whatever else it was that I mucked up. I have a 1 litre yoghourt machine which plays a tinny "Macarena" when the 5-11 hour timer runs out, although I'm not certain of how exact the timer is. It does seem to keep the temperature constant at above room temperature though.

I made 2 litres soy milk — this I've done before since I occasionally make my own tofu — and let it cool. Mixed one litre into the machine with one sachet of the stuff in this picture and let it sit. After ten hours there was a 1cm gelatinous strata on top of the stuff, but below it was mostly curdled, like what you might expect if you mix soy milk with hot drinks.

The images below are after 24 hours. There's a slight tangy taste to the liquid, but it's nowhere near yoghourt levels of awesome, nor is there any texture except the grain you see. Looks like seperation, not a healthy process.

Texture 1 & 2
Separation 1 & 2

Possible stuff that has gone wrong:

1) Wrong kind of bacteria (intended for dairy?)
2) Contamination in the bucket (didn't wash it with boiling water)
3) Soy milk too watery or too thick

I'm in Sweden, so there's scant competition among the makers of soy products and I haven't found any starter kits to buy. The Alpro soy yoghourts are excellent, but I've read that they don't contain "live culture" so won't work as starters. Their yoghourt is what I ideally would end up with, so have that in mind, not the more gelatinous products out there.

What to use and where to get it would be appreciated — European stuff preferably — as well as any primers on the noble art of ennobleling the bean of soy by means of bacterium.

Oh boy, soy!

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:51:24 -0800

My vegetarian diet is making me sick. Help! I'm a 27-year-old female who has been a vegetarian for nearly 14 years. I was overweight when I started the diet and dropped about 40 pounds in 6 months. I've managed to maintain my weight and remain relatively healthy- until recently.

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with anemia and the doctor found that my thyroid was sluggish. I began taking iron pills daily which provided some relief, but with very unwelcome digestive side effects. A year later, my iron levels improved and my thyroid was no longer sluggish, but the doctor wanted me to continue taking iron during my period.

However, during the past 6 months, I began to gain weight. I exercise daily, take vitamins, and consume between 1000-1500 calories daily, so I had no clue why I packed on 15 pounds. After talking with a friend, who was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I began to suspect that my thyroid was failing me again. I was depressed, tired, and bloated-basically I felt as if I had PMS 24/7. But then my friend asked me how much soy was in my diet.

Though I do eat fruits, veggies, and whole grains, the majority of my diet consists of soy products. My friend mentioned that all of this soy consumption could lead to estrogen dominance, which inhibits thyroid functioning. After reviewing all of the symptoms, I realized that I had every single one of them.

Like everyone else, money is incredibly tight at the moment, and I can't afford to pay for lab tests on my hormones and thyroid functioning. I'm obviously going to cut the soy out of my diet, and will probably give up my vegetarian lifestyle, but what else can I do to get my body back in shape? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Where can I get soy pepperoni?

HappyEngineer — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:27:36 -0800

Where can I get soy pepperoni? Neither Whole Foods nor Trader Joe's seems to have it. Can I buy it online somewhere? Alternatively, if anyone knows of any other type of pepperoni which has no cholesterol then I'd be interested in that. I enjoy eating my cholesterol free sausage pizzas, but I miss pepperoni.

Food to Dip in Soy Sause and Wasabi?

chrisalbon — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:37:41 -0800

I like Soy Sauce with Wasabi, but sushi is expensive. What quick and simply meals can I have that I can eat with Soy+Wasabi? I have really been enjoying the spicy/salty taste of soy sauce with Wasabi. However, buying sushi everyday is way, way beyond my budget.

What dirt simple/cheap meals can I make and enjoy with soy sauce and wasabi?

Is my almost-vegetarian diet making me fatter?

Unicorn on the cob — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:03:23 -0800

My boyfriend is an avowed vegetarian, almost vegan. Out of respect for him (and the desire to live healthier), I have switched to an almost completely vegetarian diet. Now I've gained weight... why? I'm thinking that it's the switch from eating meat to eating lots and lots of soy products, which I know can affect estrogen levels in women. I also had a wicked sweet tooth before (imagine eating half a pound of candy in one sitting... that's me!) and have just recently cut back significantly on sugar in an effort to drop the unwanted weight (the past 60 days I have only consumed sugar for about 6 days total, and you can guess when). A few more tidbits:

1. I am a 35-year-old female.

2. I work out at least 4-5 times a week, with a minimum of an hour cardio, preferably 90 minutes of cardio with 15 minutes of weight training, should I actually make it to the gym. At the gym I use the elliptical, stair climber, recumbent bike and treadmill, and vary my times/workouts each time I go to avoid stagnation in my workouts. Otherwise, I use my elliptical at home and hand weights.

3. In the year we've been dating, I have cut back to eating meat maybe 3-4 times per week (usually in a sandwich or soup form), and our typical meals consist of such things as: tofu and veggie stir-fry, veggie burgers, Quorn fajitas with beans, falafel on pita with baba ghanoush, fake-lunchmeat sandwiches and low-fat cheez-its (I know, I know... sodium!).

4. I only drink alcohol once a week and drink coffee maybe 3-4 times per week, one cup or less. I drink regular sodas at the movies maybe twice per month and mostly drink spring water or sparkling, and avoid fruit juice and sweetened tea.

5. I am on birth control pills.

6. Over the course of the year, I tapered down on eating meat until I now no longer eat meat at all in his presence, nor do I keep it in the house, unless it's in a can of soup. At the same time, I worked out LESS at the beginning of our relationship due to the honeymoon factor, and now work out probably twice as much as I did six months ago.

7. The majority of the weight gain has been in 3 pound increments, very suddenly, over the course of, say, a two-week period when I notice it and then can't get it to budge.

8. I still drink regular, 1% milk and eat regular 2% cheese, but have subbed out Quorn or soy-based products for virtually every dinner meal where I would normally have eaten meat instead.

Now, a co-worker of mine recently gave up meat and dairy in an effort to curb her food allergies and she ALSO gained 10 pounds in 6 weeks. She is a woman in her mid-40's. She and I were commiserating over this fact on Friday, and we both thought... hmmm, is it all the soy? Could the extra estrogen be making me gain the weight? I'm trying like hell to lose the weight and I just... can't.

I have reduced the number of calories I eat, I'm pretty sure, because I no longer eat sweets or snacks (except things like birthday cake if it's a special occasion). I realize that over time, cutting out the sweets will probably help me lose the weight, but for right now, I'm beyond frustrated. The most I can get my weight down is like maybe 3 pounds, and I want to fit in my clothes again! I know this is a time in my life when my metabolism slows down, but this seems really sudden to me and not gradual at all. I searched previous questions and didn't see this exact issue addressed. Hope me, hive mind!

Cheap milk replacement for cereal? In a bulk dry mix?

loquacious — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 07:53:41 -0800

Wanted: Extremely cheap non-milk replacement for cereal eating. Part A: I'm tired of milk. It's gross, it's expensive, it's not portable.

I would like to know if there are any milk replacements suitable for hot and cold cereal eating that cost less than cheap generic milk.

I like soy, rice and almond "milk", but I find it too expensive for the sheer bulk quantities of grains that I eat in the form of hot and cold cereal. I prefer rice and almond milks over soy milks.

I have eaten plenty of oats and cold cereal with what amounts to plain water, or water with a dollop of yogurt, but that usually was just because I was out of milk and too lazy to go get some or I was broke, not because it was tasty.

Part B: Why can't I buy bulk dry "mix" for soy, rice or almond milks like I can buy powdered milk? Is there any way to get a tolerable milk-replacement mix? This would be incredibly awesome for things like travelling, camping, and living good and cheap.

I list all of this to indicate exactly how far away from "milk" I'm willing to go. It doesn't have to taste like cow-milk. It should just taste much better than water and be cheaper than milk, hopefully with equitable nutritional values, with huge bonus points if I can buy powdered mix in bulk.

Tags: Milk Soy Almond Rice SoyMilk AlmondMilk RiceMilk Breakfast Cereal Vegan Vegetarian BachelorChow

Fresh Edamame?

seawallrunner — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 19:57:29 -0800

Fresh Edamame?? Anywhere? We love edamame - steamed with a bit of salt, or tossed hot with some red peppers, maybe some garlic... mmm, mmm, mmm snacking heaven.

However, the only edamame we have been able to find (even in Asian markets here in Vancouver) is frozen edamame.

Is it ever sold fresh? What should I look for? And, what is the season for fresh soy beans? I can find string beans, peas no problem, but no fresh soy beans (in the shell or out) in Vancouver or its suburbs.

If you do have access to fresh off-the-farm soy, where do you live?

hazelnut soy latte

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:11:55 -0800

How can I make something that tastes like a hazelnut soy latte with the supplies at hand? I have a French Press, a normal coffee maker, a coffee grinder, and can buy ingredients but would rather not purchase an espresso machine.

Is there any way to create this delicious drink or am I doomed to expensive coffeeshop life?

Do people in Asia drink soy milk?

davar — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 06:24:21 -0800

Did/do people in Asia drink soy milk? Soy consumption in the west has been under attack (for example here). One of the arguments the anti-soy people often mention is that in Asia, soy is only used as a condiment. three pieces of tofu in soup, that kind of thing. The soy they do eat, is always highly fermented, they say.

My question: is that true? Do people in Asia (I realize that the answer will differ depending on which country we're talking) not drink soy milk at all? How about 50 years ago? Do they throw away the whey when making tofu? Do they throw away the okara?

I am interested in neutral sources or personal experiences. A webpage that simply states "People in Asia do X" is not very useful because there is lots of contradictory information on this subject.

No Thyroid, Synthroid and Soy?

Shane — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:36:50 -0800

No Thyroid, Synthroid and Soy? My Mom is hypothyroid, actually "NO-thyroid," taking Synthroid due to her lack of any remaining thyroid gland. Hypothyroid patients are often told soy may exacerbate hypothyroidism, but if one already has no thyroid left and is completely dependant on a replacement drug, is there any reason to avoid soy?

Soy milk makers

TimeFactor — Sun, 29 May 2005 18:52:45 -0800

Any experience with home soy milk makers? Packaged soy milk is so expensive, yet soybeans are pretty cheap, so I'm considering getting a home soy milk making machine. I did try making soy milk myself, manually, many years ago and was underwhelmed by the result, which tasted more like bean soup than milk, and it took a lot of time and effort and, apparently, skill. But these machines make it seem so easy even a child could do it and so cheap that I couldn't afford not to get one.

Will the biodiesel revolution kill people with peanut/soybean allergies?

Alt F4 — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 03:24:54 -0800

I've been interested in the growing chatter about biodiesel. Some friends raised an interesting question, though: peanut allergies are increasingly common and are increasingly lethal. Soybean allergies, although less common, still exist. Will biodiesel emissions from peanut or soybean oil cause negative reactions (like, well, death) in people with severe allergies? If so, what type of regulation on biodiesel is likely?

How do I make tofu at home?

scrim — Thu, 06 Jan 2005 19:47:01 -0800

Inspired by this article (NYT, blah blah), I've decided that I'd like to learn to make tofu at home. I've done this very successfully with paneer (which at least looks like tofu), so I feel like this shouldn't be a problem. Anyone know anything about making tofu?

Living without dairy is udderly ridiculous...

padraigin — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 17:28:54 -0800

I have to cut dairy from my diet, and I need guidance and suggestions. MOOOOOre inside. My newborn has some breathing issues and we need to rule out a sensitivity to dairy. She's breastfed, so that means that I need to completely cut out all dairy intake.

I have never gone a day in my life without dairy. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a husband and a toddler for whom cheese is a major food group unto itself.

I would welcome any suggestions for tasty substitutes.