Cleansing.

Just one year ago on December 26, 2010 Micah and I made a commitment to begin a vegetarian lifestyle. Fast forward one year and not only did we meet that goal, but we have surpassed it and moved forward into veganism. I am so proud of not only myself, but my partner as well. He has been so supportive, passionate, and willing to learn with me this past year that I can not thank him enough.

It's that time of year again; time to reflect on the past year(reflect, not dwell), think of what may lie ahead, and put your positive energy on blast. Micah and I have a lot of goals we want to achieve this year, but we wanted to began the new year with a clear mind, strong body, and ethereal spirit. So we decided to start the year with a 21 day raw vegan cleanse. I think our eating habits have improved dramatically since that December 26 day, but I know that a good detox can't hurt anything. 

We'll begin on January 9,( in order to allow some celebrations to take place for Micah's graduation ceremony on the 7th!) and end on January 31. We will abstain from any and all alcohol, refined sugars and grains, any vegan meats and cheeses, and try to consume all raw food as much as possible. I think the only non-raw foods we may have to compromise on is nuts, I struggle to find raw nuts without having to pay an arm and a leg for the cost of the nut and to ship. I'll sub unsalted and roasted nuts for the raw nuts if I have to. I'm sure there maybe some other things that aren't neccesarily raw but our goal is about 95% raw vegan nourishment. 

I'm actually really excited to do this. I've been getting my meal plans ready(yes I'm one of those people who plan out every meal of every day, but me wallet loves it!) and I am feeling like we will be keeping a lot of the recipes even after the cleanse is over. We won't be taking any pills to cleanse our bodies, maybe some herb capsules and teas to aid in the detoxifying of our body, but no pills that will make us shit ourselves. Essentially what we are doing is filling our bodies with all the minerals it needs in order to cleanse and detox itself. Along with the minerals, we will be loading up on water and superfoods that help cleanse and replenish the body. Our ninja will be busily producing green smoothies and fruit smoothies several times a day I'm sure, which none of us will be complaining about! 

Annabella will be eating most of the foods we are consuming except most of her raw veggies will have to be steamed. She has her two bottom teeth and her first top one poked through two days ago, HOORAY, but it's still difficult for her to take on hard foods. Luckily, I've found a lot of spreads and snacks that she will be able to chow on too. She will be eating hers with rice, beans, couscous and other whole grains while Micah and I abstain for the period. We plan on purchasing some raw vegan dressings, hulled hemp seeds, and maybe some maca powder from FoodsAlive to aid us on our quest to cleanse! I'll try to blog during that period and share some of our feelings and foods as well. 

I've read a lot about cleansing within the past few months and I've been ready to try it. While our raw vegan cleanse isn't the most detoxifying of all cleanses I feel it's a great starting place for us. I would eventually love to do just a juice cleanse and even a water fast, but not right now.

David Wolfe is pretty popular in the holistic health and nutrition field and he has a lot of great information to offer. I read one of his books The Sunfood Diet and he talked extensively about this great feeling of clarity he experiences during and after detoxing. He's not the only one, there are hundreds of nutritional health books out there that explain the benefits of cleansing.

I know it won't be the easiest thing I've ever done, but I look forward to this goal. What are YOU hoping to accomplish in your new year? 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups...AKA Vegan Reeses!

This recipe is from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew I was destined to make it. Her book was probably about the tenth book I've read on veganism, so a lot of the information I had learned before, but I did pick up some more useful tidbits.She runs a website called The Kind Life as well that is loaded with information about the vegan lifestyle as a whole. The book contains a large chapter containing lots of great recipes, this being one of them. It is so super simple and ultra delicious! Whether you are full blown carnivore or dedicated vegan you will surely enjoy this recipe as much as the "regular" Reese Cup! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 cup(s) of Earth Balance butter

3/4 cup(s) of crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)

3/4 cup(s) of graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares

1/4 cup(s) of maple sugar or other granulated sweetener

1 cup(s) of grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips ( I use a brand called Enjoy Your Life)

1/4 cup(s) of soy, rice, or nut milk (I used coconut)

1/4 cup(s) of chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts ( I purchased honey roasted peanuts, YUM!)

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well.

Graham Crackers.

Kind of looks like barf....delicious barf :) 

Remove the mixture from the heat.

Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan.

Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.

Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture.

Top with chopped nuts.

Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Why my kid is a "dumpster" and I love it!

I'm going to omit any names here because I didn't ask permission to use them. I know you read this and I think you'll know who you are anonymous clever mama.

A wise mother I know once told me "(insert child name) is a dumpster and eats whatever I put in front of him." I read that comment and laughed, then realized my daughter is a dumpster too. After that realization I reveled in the fact that my daughter loves to eat and eats anything.

Annabella, Micah, and I all have very healthy appetites. We enjoy 3 meals a day and plenty of snacks in between. And dessert!!! Who could ever forget dessert?!?! I love the fact that I can put a piece of polenta in front of her, topped with black beans, tomatoes, and spinach and it disappears in no time. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am just very fortunate to have gained so much knowledge about nutrition while myself, my husband and my daughter are still young. I feel good knowing I am putting the best nutrients into her body and that I am caring for myself in the same way; ensuring a long, healthy life for both of us(well all three of us actually!).

Knowing that our children look to us for advice and guidance means as a culture we parents really need to drop the whole "do as I say not as I do" bullshit and be true role models for our children. We learn by watching and when a child watches their mother scarf down a candy bar yet hand them a plate of veggies the little minds know something just isn't right. No wonder so many parents whine, "my kid will not eat vegetables." Well have you tried eating them? And also who does the grocery shopping? I'm pretty sure you can come up with some ways to show your kids vegetables aren't completely disgusting.

So what I'm getting at is not only feed your children right, but yourself. One must love themselves above all others; this is not selfishness, simply self preservation. Making sure you (and your children) are in great health is the best thing you can do for your family, ensuring you'll be around for the long run because a parents love outweighs any materialistic wishes.

So eat your greens and kiss the wee ones when they eat theirs too!

Banda's Breakfast Burritos

Now I won’t lie, when I was a partying youngster I loved to stop at McDonald’s around 3 a.m. to get a few breakfast burritos and hash browns to help me drift off into my alcohol/food induced coma. But, after I wolfed down my first burrito I’d immediately get that sick feeling, blame it on the alcohol(despite the fact that before the food I felt “great” in my drunken state. Can you say “denial”?!) and continue to gobble down another one and a hash brown to boot!

Well it’s some many years later and while my lifestyle has changed, my need for burritos as breakfast and hash browns hasn’t. I still love to eat these things, just minus the grease, cholesterol and saturated fat. Oh and I’m the one to make them now. Oh and I’m not drunk either. I guess that changes a lot of things from my previous encounters with the beloved breakfast burrito.

I use tofu as an egg replacement and it works out great. Tofu makes a great scrambled “egg”, and adding fresh veggies with mock meat makes it that much better. You can add whatever your heart desires; whether it be zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers. Don’t let my recipe be your strict guideline, most combinations work very well with this recipe. These burritos are full of protein and deliciousness!

 And if you’re wondering why they’re called “Banda’s”, it’s a crazy name my crazy husband calls me. It always makes me laugh and I thought it was fitting for these breakfast burrito, because they too always bring a smile to my face.

                                              Banda’s Breakfast Burrito

1 tube GimmeLean Sausage

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 14 or 16 oz firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

8 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 tomato, chopped ( I usually squeeze out all the juice with my hands, to prevent watery-ness in the scramble)

Olive oil (or oil of your choice)

Salt & Pepper

Whole wheat tortillas

First you want to cut open and peel the package off your GimmeLean. I then just take a large pinch and roll it into a ball, then squish and make a patty. I like to make patties because if you have any leftovers that you don’t want in the scramble you can eat or save the extras for breakfast and/or a snack.

Lightly oil a large skillet, heat over medium-high heat. Arrange the patties in the skillet and cook until brown and crisp on each side. Set aside on a cloth, break however much you desire into small chunks.

Next heat about a tablespoon of oil in your pan and sauté the onion for about 3-5 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional minute or so.

Toss in your diced peppers and mushrooms and continue to cook until tender.

Now grab your pressed tofu and break off about 1/3 of it. Hold it over the pan and squeeze it through your fingers in order to break it up into small bits. Do this with all the tofu and break up any large chunks that fell into the skillet. Add your squeezed tomatoes and sausage and mix very well. Season with salt and pepper or whatever you desire.

Cook the mixture for about 5-8 minutes, until everything is heated through.

You can warm your tortillas in the oven or on stove top, or eat them right out of the package, whatever you prefer. Add some of your scramble, top it with some nutritional yeast or Daiya cheddar, and munch, munch, munch! 

Yeast..Wait, Whaaaat??

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you hear yeast? If you imagine an infected private body part then shame on you, dirty pervert! Hahaha, just kidding! Most people think of that, yeast being something that is dirty and gross. Some people who have made bread products know you need active yeast to make a nice and fresh bread. And a lot of people just can’t imagine eating a heaping tablespoon of yeast, but I sure can. At least with nutritional yeast I can, and I do.

Most sources recommend that vegans and most vegetarians supplement their diet with some sort of B12 supplement or eat a lot of nutritional yeast daily. I’ve read some conflicting reports on the subject. Some are very adamant that such people take a supplement every 3 days, while some others expand on the subject of how our body synthesizes it’s own B12 and that it really isn’t necessary to add any to your diet unless you have something called pernicious anemia. This anemia isn’t caused by a lack of B12 in the diet, scientist say, but the absence of a substance called the intrinsic factor. At this point in the game I have been supplementing (when I can remember) with a vegan liquid form of B12 and I also eat quite a bit of nutritional yeast, because it is delicious.

I’m not worried about the whole B12 issue. I know I eat a lot of nutrient dense food, I supplement here and there, and my family eats enough nutritional yeast that we have no reason to worry. We are all healthy, energetic, and happy, as most vegans are! I have never come in contact with any people who follow a vegan lifestyle who are lacking B12 or are strung out to get as much of it as they can.

So what is nutritional yeast? It’s an inactive yeast, yellow in color, flaky (imagine the thinness and flakiness of a goldfish flake), and nutty/cheesy in flavor. I got my first bag of yeast from a company called Foods Alive, and I was very impressed not only with the yeast but the company as well. We met Michael and Ellen Moor             at the Universal Light Expo in October and they were so extremely nice and knowledgeable. They were excited about our newly begun vegan lifestyle, the fact we’d been married for three years, and by our beautiful baby girl! It was nice to have support and encouragement from a complete stranger, yet someone that we made an instant connection with. They make everything themselves and are very invested in the quality of their products. FoodsAlive.com is their website and I strongly encourage you to check out their products. The flax dressings are delicious, especially the Mike’s Special Blend. Oh my goodness that stuff is out of this world delicious! I love supporting companies that are truly looking out for my best interest and who take pride in their products.

My little yellow flaky friend! 

You can put nutritional yeast in or on whatever you please. I love to sprinkle it on burritos, tacos, casseroles, pastas, rice and beans. You can add it to any gravies or sauces, Micah makes our vegan mac ‘n’ cheese with it and every time I eat it I have to search for my socks because those suckers get blown right off! So don't be afraid, swipe you a bag and dig in!!!! 

She let go.

I really love reading and for most of my adolescense I loved writing. When I got a bit older I seemed to forget that and lost my way. Recently I've found my passion again and when the moment strikes a poem will just pour out of me. This is one that I wrote not long ago. I hope you enjoy it.

She let go

She finally let go; released her grip and fell freely.

The wind whipped around her airborne body

Eradicating the negativity that for so long consumed her.

No longer did she feel the heavy burden of guilt and grief.

Her heart fluttered as she drifted in and out of clouds, touching each one tenderly.

The beautiful strands of her long flowing hair floated all around her

Encasing her exquisite mind from the corrupt world below.

She knew nothing of the sorrow that existed before.

All she needed now was her happiness, the clouds, and air.

Appreciating Life at Sunrise Sanctuary.

 It was a rainy day; the sky was grey and overcast with clouds. These minor details didn't stop my family and I from venturing out to Marysville in order to visit Sunrise Sanctuary.

Sunrise is a large property in which neglected, abused, and unwanted animals are free to live their lives in the way all living beings should; in happiness and harmony. Mindy is the founder of the sanctuary and is such a kind person. She greeted us very warmly and just hung out socializing with all of us visitors. I am so appreciative of the amazing things she does and I will continue to support her work in all the ways I'm able.

As soon as we walked up there were several geese and ducks waddling about greeting us with quacks and honks. We immediately made our way to a nearby table where we laid our bread, apples, and grapes that we brought to feed to the animals. The turkeys were around the table along with lots of ducks, geese, and chickens. One turkey in particular, Hilda I believe, was so sweet and friendly! Annabella and I hunched down to pet her, she lowered herself in delight as we stroked her for several minutes. I'd never been so close to a live turkey let alone caressed one.

Micah had a lot of fun tossing bread to the turkeys and other birds while Belly, Maggie and I marveled at the sight of so many gorgeous animals living in peace with one another.

Turkey Love.

She really loved the attention! And we loved giving it! 

Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of shimmering black and crisp white. Behold Wesley. A humongous, gorgeous, gentle cow who loves apple cider. We walked upon the large group gathered around him; everyone in amazement at his size and the fact that he was guzzling apple cider! I mean this guy is big. Really big. His back stood higher than most everyone there and I can't even begin to guess his weight. Wesley was rescued at two months of age. Rescued from a life that would have resulted in torture and death. He was destined for the veal crate. Luckily Mindy convinced the farmer to sell Wesley to her and now he will live happy, free, and loved!

Wesley. Beautiful. Gentle. Giant. 

He was so warm, she enjoyed giving him some love!

He loved the cider. I mean who doesn't love apple cider?!?!

We ventured to meet the sweet pig, he loved getting attention and some apples and grapes from Micah! Annabella made friends with a goat. She fed him grapes and even after the grapes were gone he stuck around to hang out with our precious girl!!

We made our way to another barn where the horses, sheep, and llamas were. We walked in to find Dan the Draft horse munching a delicious pumpkin pie. The sheep and llamas were a little hesitant to receive attention, but I did have one black sheep run up to me about 3 times, sniff the apple in my hand, give me a funny little head turn, and run off again! We had the pleasure of meeting Roscoe as well. Now I'm not too sure what he is really, a mule or a donkey, but I know that he IS a sweetheart. He gently nibbled the apple I offered him and stood by to receive a lot of ear scratches and rubs!

It was such an incredible day. Despite the less the perfect weather, everyone there had such positive attitudes and great energy. I felt so connected with all the visitors. We had all come together to give thanks and appreciation to the animals and to those who care for them. Just years ago I would have eaten animals just like these guys, but now how could I ever eat a cheeseburger after meeting Wesley?!?! For me it's just not a possibility.

I went to the Sunrise Sanctuary a vegan and I left a vegan. But upon leaving something inside of me just burns much more fervently. I feel much more thankful for own life. Thankful for the lives of the animals. Thankful for people like Mindy and all of those working for Sunrise. Thankful that I could share the experience with my family. These animals are just a fraction of the others who will end up in factory farms and slaughterhouses. But, educating and experiencing are the keys to change. I can not wait to go back again, or to donate whatever I am able.

                   Thank you Sunrise Sanctuary for helping me appreciate life that much more.

My first time: Raw vegan. Recipe alert!!!

Sure I've ate my fair share of raw veggies and fruits and I love them. But recently I took a completely different turn with the raw ideas that I had before.

Since switching my diet so drastically I've learned a lot of new things and the power of raw never ceases to amaze me. The fact that nature can provide such terrific and extremely nutritious food bountiful enough to sustain our bodies is truly a magnificent gift from Mother Earth herself.

I'm no raw expert by any means, actually I'm quite the novice. What I do know is that by eating certain things raw it is really the best way to get all that you can from that certain food. I'm diving deeper into this raw concept and I can't wait to learn more about it.

I've come across the following recipe in my quest for raw vegan meals and snacks. What better way to start than with dessert?!?! I found this in the Vegetarian Times Everything Vegan Cookbook. I got a lot terrific recipes as well, including a cornbread recipe that I used to make my vegan jalapeño cornbread, sunset sweet potato drop biscuits and of course the cheesecake!
I made all of these dishes for Micah's graduation feast and they went over very well, so I'm posting all three! Enjoy my friends!!


Raw Cashew Cheesecake

2 cups unsalted macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups unsalted raw cashews
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup dried coconut
6 tablespoons coconut oil, gently warmed(I put the oil in a glass bowl and set the bowl in another bowl full I hot water. Coconut oil melts at just 77 degrees.)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 vanilla bean
3 cups mixed berries(it's hard to find nice ripe berries in Ohio this time of year so I bought frozen organic berries and let them thaw in the fridge and then strained them very well.)

First you need to soak the nuts. Place the macadamia and cashews in separate bowls, and cover both with cold water. Soak for 4 hours, then rinse, drain, and set them aside.

Pulse the macadamia nuts and dates in the food processor until you have a sticky crumb-like texture. To test it I took a pinch and made it into a ball, if it sticks well then it's good to go. Sprinkle the coconut into the bottom of your pie pan and press the macadamia mixture onto coconut to make the crust. I tried using a spoon at first but quickly decided fingers are a much better tools for crust making, so make sure your little phalanges are clean at this step!

Pulse. 

Sprinkle the coconut. 

Use those little fingas baby:) 

Next place the cashews, coconut oil, lime juice, agave, and 6 tablespoons of water into food processor. Slice your vanilla bean down the middle and scrape the seeds into the processor, and purée until smooth. Pour your mixture into the crust.

Next wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze 1 to 2 hours until it is firm. You'll want to slice it frozen and transfer to a serving platter. Defrost it in the fridge for an hour or on the counter for 30 minutes. Top it with berries and enjoy!!!!!

Now for the biscuits. I forgot to take pictures of this process but I think you can manage without them for today.

Sunset Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes(2 small baked sweet potatoes)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Combine the potatoes, oil, maple syrup, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Sift in dry ingredients.

Cut dry ingredients into sweet potato mixture with a fork until mixture comes together. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, or as much as it takes to get the dough to hold together.

Drop golf ball-size rounds of dough onto the sheet. Bake 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and firm to the touch.

This next recipe is a collaborative recipe, the original jalapeño cornbread recipe is from my mother-in-law. I wanted to make it for Micah's graduation celebration and I needed a new vegan cornbread recipe to make it happen. So i found the double corn bread recipe from the Vegetarian Times vegan book. Then I just altered Micah's moms recipe; using Boca meatless crumbles instead of ground beef, and vegan cheese. This is a spicy, delicious dish!!!



Vegan Jalapeño Double Cornbread

I doubled the recipe to make a large dish, small one sans jalapeños for Belly and an extra loaf of just the cornbread. I'll use the original 8 servings measurements for the cornbread recipe, and if you follow that just use a smaller pan and only one maybe one and a half bags of crumbles. Unless you really want more crumbles, then by all means use as many bags as you want.

Double Cornbread

1 cup unsweetened plain almond or soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup cream corn
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheddar( I use about a whole cup of cheese, but reserving the other half for the Boca mixture. Daiya is my favorite brand!)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of maple sugar or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


Combine soymilk and vinegar. Let it stand for 5 minutes until it turns into a buttermilk like-consistency. Whisk in corn, cheddar, oil, and onions; set aside.

"Buttermilk" mixture

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle. Pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until mixed. Pour this batter on top of the following Boca Mixture.



Boca Jalapeno Mixture

Bag(s) of Boca Crumbles
Jalapenos- this is completely your discretion as to how much you want to add. Just roughly chop the peppers and mix in with the Boca Crumbles.
1/2 cup vegan cheddar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 inch baking dish with oil. Add your Boca Crumble/ Jalapeno mixture to the bottom of the pan, spread evenly. Sprinkle with your 1/2 cup of vegan cheddar.

Slip your pan into the oven and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean! Then eat, eat, eat!!!

Yum! 

Proud.

Today is a great day. A magnificent day. A day for celebration. Why? Today is my amazing, wonderful, handsome husbands last day of school. For the past year Micah has been in a rigorous massage therapy program at The Institute of Alternative Medicine. This isn't some lame masseuse crap, more like heal your life.

Daddy loves Daughter. Daughter loves Daddy.

I've watched my Meeka study all day and night, not getting any sleep, but still carrying on. He's spent the past year learning so much, every single muscle in every part of the body; things that most medical doctors didn't learn in their training. I've reaped the benefits of his talent and it's incredible. I've fallen asleep many a nights from his massages; and been woken up by him asking me to stop drooling on the floor(true story). He's overcome so many obstacles that I've mainly just stood back in awe with my mouth gaping in amazement.

This hasn't been easy for him or me either. I've had to try and accept the fact that a lot of his attention had to be paid to books and studying, instead of being in bed next to me. But my struggles pale in comparison to what he has overcome.

My hunk....hunk of love<3

So today I write this post with the biggest smile on my face and joy overflowing from my heart. I am so very proud of you Micah. You are so strong, determined, intelligent and incredibly sexy!! I am so honored and fortunate to share life with you and I can't wait to see where it takes us next. I love you more than any written words could ever express!! Now get your ass in bed and give me that attention I've been missing!!

I love you Micah. You make me so proud. 

This is the way my life was meant to be.

Since choosing to become a vegan and change my whole lifestyle I can honestly say I have felt some truly incredible things. I have never felt so healthy. I am full of zest and have such a different outlook on life than ever before. I am feeling like the "true" me is really able to come through. I no longer feel as though I need to hold myself back from anything that I want. It may sound like some b.s. you heard on a late night infomercial about a wacky hair restoration gimmick, but it's really been a life changing experience. We've been totally vegan now for just about 3 months and I've loved every minute of it. I'm going to sum up some changes I've endured these past few months.

We had not been drinking cow's milk at all for about three months before I decided (after much reading and researching) it was time to stop with ALL dairy and animal products, i.e. eggs! I didn't buy anymore animal products. I checked the labels of the remaining stuff in my fridge and cabinets and made sure there was nothing left. It was as simple as that. We just cut it out. Got rid of it. I thought I would be a lot more sad to see my "beloved" cheese go away, but honestly it was liberating. I no longer felt a victim to the god damn orange block of fat! I chose right there in that moment to break my awful addiction to cheese. Some people think food addictions are a load of shit, but think about that person you know who says they can't function without their morning coffee. Well ladies and gents, that there is an addiction. Sure it's not as bad as crack, but it's definitely not doing any wonders for your mind or body. Feeling like we need anything to carry on a normal day in our lives, whether it be meth or cheese, is our body and mind telling us that we NEED to CHANGE something in our lives.

I revised my recipe book and threw out the things that I wouldn't make again, but kept most all of my recipes, because you see, if you put your mind to it you can make anything vegan. And then I got down to business, searching books and the web for great vegan/whole food recipes. And the rest is history my friends! I now just continue to research on my lifestyle and keep my eye out for new vegan recipes!  

Immediately after quitting the animal products I noticed my bloating vanish. After I'd eat a nice veggie plate loaded with butter and cheese I'd say hello to my new little food baby that seem to grow instantly! Not anymore!! I have not had one, not a single, stomach ache/illness since changing my diet. My menstrual cramps are almost nothing these days which is so nice as any woman who has suffered would tell you! Sure I still get bloated sometimes, especially after I eat three huge helpings of Micah's vegan mac 'n' cheese, but it's not painful anymore.

One of my favorite perks is the weight loss I've experienced. Within the first 3 weeks I lost about 4 lbs effortlessly, that is incredible to me! Once I started working out regularly I dropped a pound or two here and there. I have to be honest, I've fallen off my workout wagon ever since I got my wisdom teeth out and the cold front moved in, but I've got 10 yoga sessions waiting on me and my wii active is calling my name! I will get toned damn it! But seriously, I don't restrict myself from what I want. I don't practice portion control or calorie counting. I eat. I eat A LOT. When you eat a whole food plant based diet you just loose the unneccessary weight that you carry. When you eat processed foods with addictives and animal products the calories add up very fast, along with saturated fats and cholesterol. Plant foods don't have cholesterol!!!! They are low in fat, high in protein and vital nutrients that help our bodies thrive!

I have more energy than ever! I was actually jogging when the weather permitted. That never ever happened unless it was gym class or cheer camp(yea yea "you were a cheerleader?!" It was middle school people, I'm trying to prove a point!). I can keep up with Annabella. I don't feel like a zombie in the morning. I sleep great, especially without bloating and stomach aches keeping me up all night. Ever wonder why they call it "Taco Hell"?!?!

I feel good about myself. I am much more confident. I feel like a kind and compassionate person for caring enough about the welfare of others. Not just animals, but people. I write this stuff because I would love to have others share in my wonderful experience, to have all these great feelings right along with me. I'm not here to preach, just to simply share, educate, and enlighten! I've wanted to start a blog for about a year now, and once I got comfortable in my veganism I found that courage and will!

My hair is really shiny. Seriously though. It's not like greasy shiny, it's healthy shiny! I remember when I used to have to use a shine spray to add that life and gloss to my hair, but now I don't have to. It just sparkles! My skin is so soft and smooth. And my body hair grows slower, which equals less shaving, which makes Amanda very happy! I attribute that to not having some crazy growth hormones surging through my body anymore from dairy!

Every day I feel the benefits of my lifestyle. And when I say lifestyle, I don't just mean the way I eat. My family and I choose to not use any animal products anymore. We don't buy fur or leather(our car has leather seats, but we bought that pre-vegan. I'm realistic, I can't go dumping my car, but I would love to have fabric seats!) We don't go to the circus, or buy products that have been tested on animals. It's a lifestyle change. A way of life. I love it. I never thought I could "commit" to it, but I did and now I KNOW there's just no other way for me! This is the way my life was meant to be!

A happy healthy vegan Mommy!!! 

So what DO you eat?!?!

Many people assume that when you make the transition to vegan you leave behind all the tasty and delicious food that you once loved. I'm here to tell you folks that it is quite the contrary! Not only do I enjoy all of the foods I did before, my meals are now even better tasting and much MUCH healthier as well. I had someone ask me if I was going to eat ants now since it seems I couldn't eat anything else. Well you know smart-ass Amanda had to reply, "No because ants aren't vegan, DUH!" The trick of the trade is just learning to substitute. You have to be willing to take some risks and not everything is going to come out perfect(unless you follow a recipe, but even some struggle with that!), but that's the glory of it. You get some balls, you experiment, you try new things.

Let me just first explain how my family eats in general. I call myself a vegan, but at the same time I like to think that I not only follow a vegan diet, but a whole food plant based diet. What does that mean? Well, it means that we like to eat natural(usually organic) foods that haven't been processed or heavily refined. We consume fresh vegetables and fruits everyday, whether it be alone or in a smoothie. Plant foods are composed of complex carbohydrates that sustain energy and provide fiber, which no animal product can do. They contain zero cholesterol and are very filling. We try to eat as much raw produce as possible, but it's hard for Miss Annabella to gnaw through certain hard fruits and veggies with only her 2 bottom teeth. We always have fresh organic bananas on hand and whatever organic fruit we can get from our grocers.

Cutest two teeth I've ever seen!!! 

We don't eat anything with high fructose corn syrup in it or any artificial sweeteners. We don't use white sugar, especially because it isn't vegan. It may come to you as a surprise that something so small and simple as sugar isn't vegan but it's true. And nasty. Sugar companies buy a foul product called Bone Char and use it as a decolorizing filter in order to make white sugar white. So not only is white sugar processed in a nasty way but really it is just stripped of everything. Instead we use Sucanat, which stands for SUgar CAne NATural, which is sugar that has retained it's molasses and is not granulized like most white and even brown sugars. It is sweeter, lower on the glycemic index, and a healthier option. We also use Agave nectar, and GASP honey!!! I know know, some may say blasphemy but my beekeeper is organic, gentle, groovy and she happens to be my baby's GG and my MaggieMom(hi Maggie!). She doesn't abuse her bees, and doesn't steal their honey. We love to go over in the summer and watch the bees just zoom around the property.

This is Sucanat! 

We eat a lot of whole grains in our house as well. We do love our breads, pitas, and tortillas but I try to limit the refined grains and stick with the healthier options such as brown rice, whole wheat couscous, rolled oats, you get the picture. I'm getting a bread machine soon thanks to my lovely mother-in-law, which will be amazing because as much as I do love hand making bread(sometimes) it will make things much faster and cheaper to make bread when we do actually need it. I do use pasta sometimes, always the whole wheat. I mean c'mon how could I live without my vegan mac 'n' cheese?!?!

I use some meat substitutes in meals, such as GimmeLean sausage, Tofurky Italian Sausages and hot dogs, and some Morningstar patties. In all reality I usually make meals with these ingredients maybe once or twice a month, for two reasons. One, these products are a bit more expensive than substituting the meat with say beans or mushrooms and two they are definitely a processed food. I love love love making breakfast burritos with the GimmeLean Sausage, and the vegan hot dogs with vegan baked beans are amazing too!

What I do use a lot of is BEANS! BEANS! And again BEANS! I love those little suckers. I use a lot of black beans(hello black bean burgers....MUST.STOP.DROOLING.ON.KEYBOARD.) kidney beans, and assorted white beans. They are an excellent source of protein and have lots of fiber. I do buy canned, but I'll admit I would love to start making them at home. The soaking process "scares" me a bit, because truthfully I can be lazy sometimes. But I promise I will do it someday. I usually buy canned organic beans, at least if the non-organic can says they use an additive to retain color. Great bean dishes include red beans and rice, bean burgers, chilis, tacos, and just a simple bean filling in a lettuce wrap!

I said on my, But where do you get your protein?! post that I use tofu as well. It is such a versatile product and I use it weekly. My tofu scramble breakfast burritos, smoothies, chocolate mousse, stir-fry, and much more all feature tofu. I encourage everyone to just collect differing recipes that include tofu and try away. We also love TVP, textured vegetable protein, as a meat substitute. It is basically just a dried vegetable protein that you re-hydrate with water or vegetable broth. It is excellent for chilis and sloppy joes!

Our favorite brand of TVP!!! 

I've covered pretty much everything.....NOT!!! How could you even begin to believe that. If there is one thing you should know about me and food, it's that I love my sweets. Sure I try to be a good little girl and get my sugar fix from fruit, but I'm only human. I want  NEED my chocolate. Most grocery stores now carry chocolate chips that omit all the dairy that usually consumes the chocolate. There is also carob chips, which is a powder kind of like cacao but without the caffeine. I do enjoy soy ice cream and coconut ice cream as well. I adore chocolate almond milk, especially in my home-made version of Planet Smoothie's Chocolate Elvis!

Now I do think I covered most everything for now. I love to eat, I don't deprive myself, I eat a shit load of food and I'm still loosing weight. The way I feel is just so hard to put into words. I'll do a post sometime about all the amazing ways that I have benefited from this lifestyle, but it's ta-ta for now this mama's got some ice cream calling!