Vegan for the un-vegan

For the past several years my eyes have been opened to the world of veganism. Much to my family's dismay, my cooking has slowly evolved from Pioneer Woman (Hello chicken fried steak!) to Oh She Glows (Hello Buddah Bowls!). Meat and dairy take up little space in my fridge (read: Josh) and my veggie and fruit drawers are packed full.

People are curious but skeptical of my strange diet, constantly asking, "So what do you even eat." My response, "Everything!" Seriously, you can make any dish meatless and dairy free. It can take a bit more effort but the end result is always fabulous (unless you just botch the recipe, like I often do). With the internet at your finger tips and wise vegan friends, there are limitless options and recipes.

I wanted to share some of my favorite vegan recipes that are true crowd pleasers. So, if you are looking to dip your tongues into some meat/dairy-less options, give these a try. I promise they will be yummy in your tummy!

No Bake Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

Hummus (Garbanzo Bean) Soup

General Tso Tofu Stir fry

Sun-dried tomato, Mushroom, Spinach Tofu Quiche 

Go a head a give it a whirl. Vegan food is much more than salad and fruit. Since focusing on plant-based foods I eat things with more favors and variety than ever before! Plus, any lifestyle that includes french fries is a winner in my book. 

Peach Mango Slushie

There are many ways to know summer is coming to an end:

School starts

Day light is getting shorter

A faint crisp of cool in the morning

And the local slushy booths start shutting down

As a kid, my dad and I loved getting slushies on Saturday afternoons. And as creatures of habit, we would both always get the same flavor: Grape! To this day, if I can convince my husband to splurge $1.50 on the sugary, brain-freezing concoction,  I will always get grape. Why fix what is broken? (Plus, the flavors "tiger's blood" and "cinnamon" do not sound appealing)

But alas, you don't have to wait until Summer 2012 to get your slush fix again! This Peach Mango Slushie is refreshing and satisfying, but the flavors are a little more mature for your taste buds and easier on your waistline. 

I suppose a 25 year old needs to eat like a grown-up sometimes.

And who says you need a 1/2 pound of sugar to enjoy a sweet summer drink?

Recipe: Peach Mango Slush

Ingredients:

1 peach- pitted and sliced

1 cup frozen chopped frozen mangos

1.5 cups coconut water (the magic ingredient!)

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and puree.

2. Pour contents into a 9x13 pan and place in the freezer.

3. Every hour, take out the plan and run a fork over the frozen top layer. Do this gently and try not to stir/mix too much.
4. After about 3 hours you should be in slushy heaven!

Summer in a glass!!

Summer Snapshots {Week 6}

As I sit back and think about this week's events, it becomes obvious to me that I am a grandma. I am an OCD, schedule-loving grandma who loves Judge Judy, BlueBell Fruit Bars, and naps. 

Hi. My name is Alex and I am boring.

Curious that such a boring person has a blog to document all of her boring antics. And I am by no means implying that you must be super boring if you read a blog about a person as boring as I. I would never suggest such a thing...

But I digress.

My day typically looks like this:

6:15-Wake up to take out Ajax and Sully

6:30-Get ready for work

8-4:30-Work

5:00-Gym with the Mister

6:30- Make dinner

7:30- TV/Hubby time

9:30-Bedtime

Hi. My name is Alex and I am boring times 234817739. 

At least I made some really yummy and healthy dinners this week.

And I really spiced it up by painting my nails. Oh La La. 

And I played with Ajax and Sully (Yea, I know, I'm an amazing parent). They'll do anything for a treat. They are addicted- it's like crack I tell ya!

Yes, I know. Sully is getting SO BIG! She is now 9 weeks old and it makes me want to cry.

Highlight of my week: I went to the eye doctor, who proceeded to dilate my eyes. But he gave me these cool glasses to wear since lights were too bright.

Yep. That is a shade under my actual eyeglasses. Live Long and Prosper.

And, of course, I'm continuing in my training. Apparently "thumbs up" has become a new thing of mine. Too bad my thumb is small and misshaped- please divert your eyes.

 

How was your week? Please tell me it was more eventful than mine!

Healthy-Eating Recipes

When I embarked on my week as a vegan adventure, I was a little nervous about not only finding recipes that I would enjoy but also providing my hubby with satisfying meals as well. Seeing as how this was my choice to change my eating habits, I wasn't going to force the Husband to give up his meat or dairy intake.

The first resource I utilized was Shelley at Mile High Healthy, a friend who switched to a vegan diet seven months ago and hasn't looked back. Shelley gave me wonderful words of encouragement and the confidence I needed. Now, 2 1/2 weeks later I continue to eat a mostly vegan diet (with a few greasy indulgences of course).

But with 25 years of cheesy casseroles, burgers and chicken recipes under my belt, I was presented with quite a dilemma. What am I to eat? Thankfully, I have a plethora of healthy-eating bloggers at my fingertips who have mountains of wonderful, delicious, and versatile recipes.

I compiled a few of my favorite finds in hopes that you might get a little crazy this week and add a healthy dish to your cooking repertoire.

Healthy-Eating Recipes

One of my first vegan meals was a Tomato Basil Cream Pasta from Angela at Oh She Glows. This was yummy-deliciousness and the Husband had no idea the 'cream' was non-existence. Granted, I didn't go out of my way to fill him in...

I also utilized Pealightful Plans at Peas and Thank You. Mama Pea put together a full week's menu of vegan meals complete with a grocery list!! The only way healthy-eating could be any easier is if someone shopped and cooked for you. If I only have the money to hire a personal chef....

Veggie Burgers with avocado. Josh grilled himself some good 'ole beef burgers that left him happy and smiling- any dinner that lets that man grill is a-ok in his book.

Sweet Potato Pinto Stew. This was a little too 'fallish' for a summer dinner, but it was delicious nonetheless. 

Lentil Spaghetti. This may look like a pile of 'blah', but the lentils gave the spaghetti some extra texture and extra protein. Yum yum in my tum!

Stuffed Sweet Potato. The hubby just added grilled chicken to fill him up.

However, I didn't take one picture of my some of favorite meals via Mama Pea: Vegan Taco Salad and Veggie StirFry. Holy Yum! I was too busy scarfing these down to pick up my camera. Josh even devoured them without question, broccoli and all. *Gasp*

And of course I partook in some refreshing summer snacks in between meals...

My favorite smoothie combo includes spinach, strawberries, mango, unsweetened almond milk, and protein powder- nutrient packed and fully satisfying! 

As you can see, with a little planning healthy eating can be easy! If I can do it, you can do it!  So strap on your big girl (or boy) panties because you can do this. You can change your eating habits for the better. All it takes is one healthy choice at a time. Eat an apple instead of that bag of chips. Choose a salad instead of fries. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. All of your choices add up- it is all up to you and I know you can do it. And best part about it, you'll never regret choosing healthy.

Side note: You do NOT have to eat a vegan/vegetarian diet to be healthy! This was my personal decision to limit meat and dairy from my diet because it made my body feel better. All bodies and beliefs are different and your diet should reflect that; to assume otherwise is naive. Bloggers such as Tina at Carrots N Cake and Courtney at Sweet Tooth Sweet Life have been one of my long-time resources for amazing crowd-pleasing dishes. Plus, these girls know the importance of dessert :)

The Unexpected Hangover

This past Wednesday Josh and I drove to Fayetteville to eat with friends at the Mellow Mushroom and test our useless trivia knowledge. 

As far as trivia goes, I felt that we did pretty well as a team. We had a well-rounded group full of movie-lovers, sports enthusiasts, art aficionados, and then me.

I didn't contribute too much, except for some biblical knowledge and random dog knowledge; although I did answer a question correctly that my team decided against: 

What is the drink that the British called Arabian wine??

More questions from that night (answers at the bottom):

What is the capital of Montana? (I'm embarrassed to say no one on our team knew this!)

What creepy crawling insect did the ancient chinese believe was the cause of earthquakes? 

But we weren't there just to play trivia; this fine establishment boasted some amazing looking specialty pizzas on their menu. However, since the previous week and half I had not eaten meat or dairy, I was a little reluctant to give in. But once everyone was taking their turn to order, I quickly choose the Red Skin Potato Pie. Here is the menu's description: 

Olive oil and garlic based pizza loaded with red potato, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions. cheddar and mozzarella cheese, sprinkled with chives and drizzled with sour cream and spicy ranch dressing.

Holy yum! After my 'vegan week' ended, I said that I would start eating meat and dairy again if I craved it. Well boy let me tell you, there was no way I was gonna resist this temptation. I dove right into it, but two slices later I was stuffed. 

Since I had only had two slices + a gallon of water, I actually felt pretty good going to bed that night. However, when I woke up the next morning I had a pounding headache and was light headed, weak, and nauseous but starving. I felt horrible and I couldn't understand why. I didn't drink the night before...what had I done differently? 

Then it hit me. Apparently, when you spend 10+ days eating nothing but veggies, fruit, and whole grains your body is super happy. But THEN you dump a big 'ole greasy, cheesy pizza in your stomach and your body will rebel. 

So with the support of the kitchen counter, I slowly assembled my Hangover Smoothie. 

And since I've had quite a few emails and requests for my smoothie recipes, here is a loose description of how I made it:

one handful of spinach

5 frozen strawberries

1/4 cup of frozen blueberries

2 slices of watermelon

1/2 cup of almond milk

1/2 serving of protein powder

By the time I was finished getting ready in the morning, I felt SO much better. This smoothie was packed with the nutrients and hydration that my body was desperate for. Next time, I won't be so drastic in going from one extreme (wonderful healthy eats) to the other (a delicious greasy mess). Obviously, my body knows what it wants!

Answers to the trivia questions:

What is the drink that the British called Arabian wine? Coffee

What is the capital of Montana? Helena

What creepy crawling insect did the ancient chinese believe was the cause of earthquakes? Spiders

Did you get all the questions right? Are you a trivia master?

Summer Snapshots {Week 4}

I say this every week, but I can't believe we are at {week 4} of summer! Where do the days go?! This week was crazy and stressful. Josh and I have some big changes on the horizon and daily pictures were the last thing on my mind this week.

This past week was "Vegan Week", an self-imposed experiment to overhaul my diet for 7 days. I didn't take any photos of my evening meals, but I did take a few of my snacks. After workouts I made sure to have a protein packed smoothie consisting of spinach, blueberries, mangos, strawberries, protein powder and almond milk.

Don't let the color scare you; you can't taste the spinach and it is delicious! Seriously, you must try this- a perfect cure for these hot summer days.

And for dessert most nights I snacked on peaches or watermelon. Nothing says summer more than a fresh slice of watermelon!


And breaking news! I forgot to water my plants on Sunday; shocking, I know. My once resilient flowers are now looking quite depressing. They were literally scorched in the sun-Poor flowers. I am trying to slowly revive them.

Our new addition turned 7 weeks old on Tuesday! She currently enjoys barking in her crate at night, playing with big-sister Ajax, and digging in her water bowl.


Here's to hoping things slow down this coming week and that daily photos take more of a priority!

Vegan For A Week

As a fun experiment (and yes, you can argue my definition of "fun") I decided to go meat- and dairy-free for a week. I didn't do this for ethical reason, however I did recently watch Food, Inc. and since have been much more strict about where I get my meat. And I didn't do it for weight loss or health reason; I feel that I have a pretty balanced diet (with the occasional indulgence, of course) and I'm pretty happy with my weight. I did it merely to see if I could- to see if I had the ability to limit my intake to vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (which is basically a bean).

And to my surprise? It was quite easy! I don't eat much red meat, so staying away from beef, chicken, and fish wasn't too difficult. However, I'm a girl who loves her dairy and eggs!  But instead of craving milk, I found myself craving grilled asparagus. And instead of wanting chocolate for dessert, I found myself instantly reaching for watermelon.

The best part was that I ate all the time! Keeping up my caloric intake was very important to me because I'm still weight lifting and increasing my mileage; I have to provide my body with enough nutrients and fuel so it can heal itself and perform stronger the next day. Since the things I was eating were dense in nutrients but low in calories, I was able to eat all day long- quite awesome!

My typical day looked like this:
Breakfast: Overnight oats with almond milk; Iced coffee
Snack: Apple with peanut butter
Lunch: Salad with black bean burger; peach for dessert
Snack: Protein fruit smoothie, with extra spinach
Dinner: Bean and salsa wrap with grilled veggies.
Snack: Watermelon

I was literally eating every 2-3 hours and keeping myself constantly hydrated. I found myself having more energy throughout the day, pushing harder during my workouts, and getting a much deeper sleep. I loved that I could stuff my face yet not have the heavy-full feeling. I was full, but it was a clean-full; hard to describe, but I never felt "gross" -a feeling I often get when I eat a meal heavy with meat, diary, or loads of fat.

I don't want to belittle the decision that others have made in becoming vegan/vegetarian by saying it is 'easy' to choose this life-style. I suppose knowing that I was only doing it for 7 days gave me a finish line to cross. Those that choose this lifestyle due to ethical and/or health reasons are truly going against the American culture, something that I got a small glance at. Even though my husband and family were very supportive of my 'experiment', at times I felt others were being accusatory of my decisions and that I was constantly having to defend my choices. Why do people question your choices for eating healthy when no one questions choices for eating unhealthy?

So where does this leave me now? I still have not eaten meat or dairy because I haven't wanted meat or dairy. The next time I crave it, I'll eat it, but until then I'm happy eating only veggies, fruits, and whole grains. So am I a vegan? Definitely not, but I'd like to believe I'm a healthy eater!

Are you interested in looking a little deeper at your eating habits? I received inspiration and motivation by Shelley at Mile High Healthy and Angela at Oh She Glows.  They share yummy recipes, great fitness tips, and show how easy healthy eating can be!

And I also checked out Veganomicon from the library (the title makes me laugh so hard!). This gigantic cookbook is 298 pages of amazing vegan recipes that even Josh liked! And it also shows you how to cook every fruit, vegetable, grain, and legume known to man kind! (Okay, maybe not every type of food known to man kind, but it sure has a lot!)

Have you ever felt the need to defend your food choices?