[Amber Week 3/4]

Weeks three and four of this experiment were a mixed bag for me. I already knew that the struggle was VERY real thanks to week two, but I was still optimistic. I tried out some new recipes, a lot of them were tasty and filling. My downsides during these weeks came when I planned a girls night with my college friends and my sister-in-laws baby shower. At least for my sister-in-laws baby shower, I could bring my own food. It was hard to resist the yummy temptations my sister and mother made for the shower, but I did it. And I didn't go hungry. The problem was that everyone noticed what I was eating. And asked me questions. Or made comments on how "i'm so healthy". The description just didn't fit with me. I don't feel like a healthy person. I can demolish candy like its my job and eat more chips and junk than I care to admit. So when people point out how I'm singling myself out with my "healthier" choices, it makes me uncomfortable. Kind of like when someone says they like my shirt and I say how cheaply I bought it for. I deflect. I guess that was one of the things I was learning this month. I felt uncomfortable. Like I was segregating myself. It was weird for me. Although, oddly enough, everyone was very supportive the challenge and said that my food photos made them want to try out vegan. So I guess that was a win for me this month.

Then when my dinner date with the girls came around during the last month, I was met with the same frustration I felt when I had to pick a date night location. I didn't want to be difficult. I didn't want to make it harder for the girls to find a place to eat. But I also didn't want to eat a salad without dressing. Luckily my friends are super accommodating and found somewhere for me, but really, my options on the menu were limited. And thats not to say I didn't have a delicious meal. Its just hard to go somewhere and know you pretty much only have one options. And then drool over your friends meals that you probably would have ordered had you not been vegan.

I guess the biggest thing is with going vegan is your mentality. I love to eat. I love to eat eeeevveerrryything. So when your diet becomes as restrictive as mine did this month, you feel like your taste buds are missing out. Even though you know you've made tasty things. That vegan food isn't boring or tasteless. In my brain, I always think about what I CAN'T have instead of what I CAN have. And thats probably my biggest struggle with this. But alas, I made it the full month without giving up and I can honestly say I'm super fucking proud of myself.

Stay tuned for my honest review of our vegan month!

Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cookies : These things were super easy to make and super delicious. I ate three every morning and the stash lasted me a solid week. I'm a sucker for anythihng tart and the burst of blackberry in these certainly fits the bill. These were my favorite breakfast during hte month, hands down. 

Smashed Chickpea & Avacado Salad Sandwich : At first this sandwich kind of tastes like egg salad...and then it does not. Its kind of got an interesting taste. I can't say I loved it but I didn't dislike it. I did add chips to the sandwich to give it a little something. 

Black Bean Quinoa Bowl w/ Cilantro Lime Dressing: Classic flavor staples for me. I made this for my sister-in-laws baby shower so I'd have something to eat. It was tasty but nothing overly special for me. 

Spicy BBQ Tofu Flatbread w/ Lemon-Dill Sauce: This shit was banging! The flatbread recipe did not work at all for this however, which was frustrating. I had to make another flatbread recipe I found in a cookbook after I wasted over a half hour trying to make the recipes flatbread, meaning my attempting this on a week night was an utter fail and I didn't eat until closer to 10 that night but man, it was good.

Kung Poa Chickpeas: I love spicy! These chickpeas were easy to make. You do have to marinate the chickpeas for a half hour but this recipe makes a decent amount of food. I think I got a few lunches out of the leftovers once you add the rice. I would highly recommend this recipe, vegan or not. 

5 Minute Oatmeal Power Bowl: This was eh. It makes a lot of food but  I think I needed to add something sweet to it. Maybe brown sugar? I'd like to try it again and see if I can spruce it up a big more. It does make a TON of oatmeal so thats nice. I'd recommend it since you can add whatever toppings you like and make it your own. 

Mediterranean CousCous Salad (J.J. McNallys): Such a yummy salad! I love this restaurant and found it a vegan friendly go to this month. Thank goodness for that! 

Banh Mi-less Banh Mi Bowl: This was maybe my favorite dinner meal I made. It takes forever to prep and make but it had a lot of flavors and is very filling. I already got the ingredients to make this post-vegan!

Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad w/ Teriyaki Dressing: This was good. Nothing special but made a lot of food, which was nice for lunches for the week. 

The Worlds Easiest Cinnamon Rolls: NOT the worlds easiest cinnamon rolls. This recipe was a tragedy of errors. I couldn't get the yeast to activate (maybe because I used dry active instead of instant yeast) so I gave up, set the bowl aside and made the pancakes. Then it did activate so I continued with the recipe but think I added too much flour. Then it wasn't rising so I gave up again. Came back and it did WAS rise, just muuuuch slower than the recipe stated. So I let it go, then rolled them out. Didn't look anything like the picture. Thought I'd let them try to rise again. They did, but again, veeeery slowly. When they had almost doubled in size I baked them. They did not rise anymore in the oven and they were dry and lacking in flavor. What a dud! They took me almost all day to make and such a bust. I'll leave it to Pillsbury next time. 

Vegan Blueberry Muffin Pancakes: The best fucking pancakes of my life, vegan or not! So flavorful, very simple to make and fresh, tart blueberries made all the difference. I made these Saturday and Sunday morning. And will continue to make until I die. So good!!!

Reflect- Vegan Month. {Angela}

Now that "Vegan Month" has been completed I'd like to share with ya'll some things I have learned; how this process had changed me. What I think I may continue to implement into my life moving forward...
I'll start by saying, if you want to do try being vegan I would do some research beforehand and set 'ground' rules for yourself, so-to-speak. I'd make a pinterest board and stock up on some commonly used ingredients.

What I used most:

- almond milk

- cashews

-nutritional yeast

- cauliflower

Prior to this process I did not even know what nutritional yeast was.  I also wasn't familiar with liquid smoke or liquid aminos. All of which I used numerous times.

What I enjoyed most:

- Cooking.  Cooking is one of my favorite things to do, however time poverty and laziness usually inhibits me from partaking in this activity.  I truly enjoyed that this process FORCED me to cook. My aprons have never felt so loved.

- Trying new food.  I truly branched out of my comfort zone and learned a bunch of new things.
-Regular bowel movements...sorry it's true.  I'd be lying if I didn't put this one in there.  #sorrynotsorry

What I struggled with:

- An inability to conform to social norms

-Going out to eat

-Saying "no" to food

- When plans changed (surrounding food) having to adapt quickly
- The need to be truly prepared each and every day

Surprisingly, I did not feel unsatisfied at all during this process.  I learned the importance of food preparation. I learned how much JUNK I put into my body without realizing it. When donuts and other sweets were shoved in my face I'd normally openly accept the food as I savored every bite (ha you know that's not true.  I'd totally just devour it). BUT I couldn't do this and had to say "no" to these goodies.  This led me to the realization of how often I eat unnecessary additional food.

I did not notice any increased energy and my skin did not start to glow even though I read numerous places that this was a benefit of eating a vegan diet. Although I did not want to try vegan to lose weight, I found that it did have that added benefit.  I lost two pounds. I took measurements prior to this and I DID lose around my core.

And trust me, peeps, this was NOT due to working out.
Was it the food I ate?  Not sure...it may be more of the food I DIDN'T eat (like all those donuts I had to resist.)

I also HIGHLY recommend buying the book "But I could never go Vegan". The recipes I got from this book were overall fantastic.  I also learned a WHOLE bunch of new cooking techniques.

I think I will continue to cook vegan sporadically.  I now have a slightly different outlook on food. I know that I appreciate the ease of using animal products, but I have learned it is NOT necessary.

I really enjoyed this process and I hope you've enjoyed hearing about my journey!

I'm going to go and listen to some positive music that reflects how much ass I have kicked during the past month. Woot Woot!!!

Angela

The Lazy Vegan {Week 3 and 4- Angela}

                                   The fear of hunger struck me hard during the third week. 

               After bridesmaid dress shopping with one my besties, plans for lunch got switched.

 I immediately panicked.

"What do I eat?!" was the first thing that ran through my head.

 I quickly googled "vegan fast food" knowing that I had to move quickly. 

Quickly before hanger* arrived; Before confusion took over.

Options came up and my head immediately started spinning.

I kept rotating options in my head as I drove around an area that was unfamiliar to me. 

When I saw as Subway I quickly pulled in knowing it may be my only option.  

I ran in like a savage and realized no one else knew my struggle.

People were straight judging. 

Anyway...I ate.  Don't worry, peeps.  I may look like I don't have things under control at times, but I do. 

I do.

These past two weeks consisted of many sandwiches for lunch as I had talked about in this post.

And my favorite Roasted Broccoli & Apple Salad talked about here.

Here are some other gems that I had the pleasure of making and/or eating during Vegan Month.  

You'll see I went out to eat quite a few times...

 

Vegans can eat out too...

 

Homemade:

 1. BBQ Jackfruit Tacos with Guacamole- Trust me when I say I went on a HUNT for Jackfruit.  I looked high and low for this stuff.  The local health food stores did not have it.  I called around and finally found it at an Asian market.  This was interesting to cook with.  I was not the BIGGEST fan, but it was good.

2. Steel Cut Oats- I added coconut, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, agave, banana and craisins to this bad boy.  It was so good. So good. I felt like a champion starting the day with this! 

3. Buffalo Cauliflower Calzones with Ranch Dressing- Oh my goodie goodie gumdrops.  This recipe.  I mean...I felt like I should open a pizzeria after making this.  That's how good this was.  And lets talk for a second about how I made some awesome dough.  Just saying...
4. Apple Sausage with Zucchini Pasta- This was a "lets clean out the fridge meal." You know those?  When stuff is going to go bad and you need to make it work so you don't throw out a bunch of food...that was this.  It was actually really yummy!
5. BBQ Cauliflower Salad with Zesty Ranch Dressing- So disappointing.  I made homemade vegan onion rings, which were pretty good, but the recipe overall was just 'eh.'  And it took SO MUCH WORK.
6. Tempeh Bacon Mac 'N' Cheese with Pecan Parmesan- Yes, please.  I mean mac and cheese with bacon for a vegan?  I say yes.  Every time you ask me.  This also went a far way and made its way into my lunch box a few times!
7. Veggie Sub- Hubby made me this.  The bread was on point.  The sub had a little bit of everything in it, I believe.  Broccoli, vegan cheese, onion, avocado, banana peppers, carrots, hummus and mustard.  It sounds strange...but I swear it was so good!
8. Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Chickpea Croutons- The link provided inspired this soup.  I used butternut squash soup and this recipe came out fantastic.  I also couldn't find Za'atar in my grocery store so I just used a bunch of other spices.  I love me some soup.  Especially butternut squash soup.  This was a total win.  And chickpea croutons?  Count.me.in.

Eatin' Out:
1. Kaya's Kitchen- This is an adorable Vegetarian/ Vegan restaurant located in Belmar, NJ.  Their food is on point.  I got "chicken" nuggets and pizza with soy cheese and onions.  Oh.my.gosh.  Everything was fantastic.  Like my dad wouldn't even know there was no meat or dairy involved in this lunch.
2. The Loving Hut- This is a Vegan chain restaurant located in Matawan, NJ.  I swear you would NEVER know the fish and chips was not actual fish. It was kind of eerie actually.  Maybe joke was on me ;)  Also the Philly Cheese steak was great.  I ate so many fries. Oh man.  I felt sick after this food.  Fried and filling.  A little too much and I went HAM.
3. Earth Pizza- This is a little pizza place in Red Bank, NJ that offers both soy and Daiya cheese.  You could definitely tell the cheese was not dairy, but I enjoyed being able to go out to eat and not feel like the odd man out having to order a dry salad without cheese.

After 4 weeks of Vegan I can officially say: I DID IT!
It is with much enthusiasm and excitement I say this.
I'm alive. I'm not emaciated. I'm not deprived.
I had doubt, y'all.  A lot of doubt. 

I am going to go pat myself on the back now and reflect on what I've learned... stay tuned.

Angela

*hanger- anger resulting from hunger

Vegan:1, Amber: 0 [Amber Week Two]

Week two was hella rough for me. 

I had my first breakdown the day I tried to find somewhere to go for date night. I live in Scranton, a "city", but a "city" that closes after business hours. There is one vegan restaurant downtown, but they close at 6 on Thursday nights. And since I don't actually live downtown, it can take you half an hour down main street to get from your house to the other side of town. I was advised to give chinese a shot but when I call the chinese spot near my house asking for their tofu options, I was given "tofu with veggies", "tofu with bean curd", and "chicken with bean curd" as my options. Obviously they were a safe vegan establishment (**insert side eye here**). So after googling "vegan chain options" and reading about salsa with tortillas, rice and dry salad, I was less than amused to spend $15 on something I could have at home on my couch. 

That left me with the newly opened Chipotle and Red Robin as my choices. Super (full on sarcasm with those options). I love Chipotle. Everyone who knows me knows I live for Chipotle. But when you've made DIY Chipotle bowls at home for the past few weeks, americanized mexican takeout bowls quickly makes its way to the bottom of your cravings list. So Red Robin it was! It wasn't a bad dinner date as I really enjoy veggie burgers (and could suck back those strawberry lemonades till kingdom come) but the anxiety of finding a place completely ruined what should be an easy and relaxing night. 

And then came the weekend. I helped my friend Jess move to Brooklyn Saturday and as soon as her parents mentioned "deli" as a lunch option, the panic set in. Jess was up to speed on my vegan challenge so she was completely supportive of me asking the guy in the deli shop if the eggplant was "breaded in egg"; obviously everyone in that situation knew the answer before it left my mouth but whatever. Luckily they had grilled eggplant (and my new favorite potato chips thanks to Jess's recommendation) so I actually had a pretty satisfying lunch I'd actually like to attempt at home, but its the anxiety. Of not knowing if somewhere is going to have an option. Or to sound like "that person" with the crazy food specifications. I just don't like to be trouble when eating out. Chalk it up to a fear of spit in my food.

So week two, you won. I don't mind being vegan when I can control the food that I'm eating. But when its time to actually socialize with people outside of my living room or the lunchroom at work, its just not enjoyable. I'm hoping the overall effects I feel from being vegan will outweigh the anxiety. 

 1. Vegan Banana Apple Chunk Bread : This bread was super easy to make and lasted me the better part of the week for breakfast. I couldn't find the bread pan I swear I own so it took forever to bake but still turned out in the end. 

2. Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta : I would recommend this, but its not as creamy as i was hoping it would be. Also, don't let this be the time you try and make your meal more healthful by using whole wheat pasta. Just don't do it. 

2. Stuffed Mushrooms with Farro, Sweet Potato & Kale : They were colorful but lacked a cohesive flavor. And the mushrooms didn't cook well enough or meld enough with the filling. A disappointment in my book.

4. Sage and Apple "Sausage" with Mashed Sweet Potatoes : Got the recipe from Angie's husband. The sweet potatoes were mashed with brown sugar, cinnamon and Earth Balance butter. Super good and filling!

5. Veggie Sandwich: Hummus, dijon mustard and lemon pepper with sprouts, spinach, tomato, cucumber and red onion. I used to make this sandwich when I worked at a coffee shop back in college. Its my go-to sandwich, vegan or not and I'd highly recommend. 

I kind of failed {Week 2- Angela}

I didn't know. 

It wasn't easy to see.

I was misinformed.

I missed it.

Does it still count?

Ok, let me back up... 

I was minding my own business; enjoying a delicious bowl of cereal. 

I started reading the nutritional label, which I had done before, and saw it. 

Hidden within the ingredients and written in smaller print than everything else(or so I interpreted it) was HONEY. 

 I felt an instant sense of failure as I vocalized my disappointment saying "Nooooo" outloud to myself. 

I squirmed and I thought "but I didn't see it the first time I checked the label..."

does that count? 

Yes. 

Did I continue to eat the bowl of cereal I poured?

Yes.

Hey now. It is what it is.  I can't turn back time. 

It was an honest mistake, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed. 

I have worked so hard to be completely vegan during this process.

I considered pretending I didn't see it and keeping this dirty little secret to myself, but then what would that prove? 

I sucked up my pride and admitted my defeat. My downfall. My demise.  

Ok, ok. Dramatic, I know. 

I won't do it again, but if I do you will all be the first to know.

Let's not focus on the negative ---I did do some things right this week: 

     

1. Edamame Salad- This recipe was inspired by laziness and an attempt to clean out my fridge.  I threw together edamame, carrots, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, poppy seeds and raisins onto of a bed lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette.  It was yummy and an easy salad to make.
2. Hummus Sandwich- This is my staple.  This is my vegetarian staple and with some modifications it is my vegan samples as well.  This sandwich consists of vegan cheese, Dijon mustard, hummus, cucumbers, tomato, spinach, bean sprouts and lemon pepper.  It is everything.
3. Roasted Broccoli & Apple Salad with Lemon- Tahini Dressing-  This salad is one of the best things I've ever tasted.  I've made it TWICE during this month thus far.  It also has vegan bacon on it.  I literally cannot get enough.  This recipe will be added to my recipe book so I can enjoy it from years to come. You will not be disappointed.
4. Pecan Parmesan- Crusted Avocado & Kale Florentine with Hollandaise Sauce- This recipe helped to fill my hearty egg-filled breakfast void. There's something about avocado crusted in pecans. There's something about being in love.  This breakfast did that for me. Please and thank you.

Overall, this week was a total success minus my little slip-up I noted in the beginning. Don't be fooled.  I'm still a vegan machine.  Yes,  a vegan machine.  Until next week, friends!

-Angela

Week 1 [Amber]

Week one.......nailed it! (<-- insert fist pump emoji here)

I can safely say I was neither starving nor diving head first into a vat of melted cheese. In fact, I feel pretty good. Don't get me wrong, this is in no way the easiest feat i've ever attempted. ohhh, no no no. The lunch room at work might function solely to torture me on a semi-regular basis, what with the danishes, chocolate and carmel corn that always seems to appear. 

But alas, I'm succeeding and it feels good. Am I ready to start preaching the wonders that is a vegan diet? Not quite. But I am starting to feel like the next three weeks won't end with me crying into a pint of Ben & Jerry's sobbing that I'm a vegan failure. 

The main thing I've learned thus far is how crucial planning and meal prep is to a successful diet. For more than a month before this challenge commenced I was scouring pinterest, blogs, and research articles daily for recipes and nutritional guidance. I HATE being hungry. I mean, if we're being honest with ourselves, who actually enjoys being hungry? But i don't just get hungry. If you looked up "hangry" in the dictionary, my resting bitch face would be inked right next to the words aggressive, hostile, and likely to rip peoples faces off. 

So you can see how important satisfying and filling food is to me. And as if "going vegan" wasn't enough of a challenge, I went into this month with the notion that I was going to try to limit my processed food intake and challenge myself to cook more. I've always really enjoyed cooking, but the idea of cooking without dairy and eggs was very daunting. And as you'll see below, through photographic evidence, i'm doing pretty okay in the kitchen. No, scratch that, i'm crushing it. 

The only downside to this week was when I went to Philly for a Flyers game. Not only did I panic that we wouldn't have enough time to stop at one of the vegan restaurants I'd researched for dinner, leaving me starving with no options at the arena, but also, its Philly! No cheesesteaks?! No Chickie's & Pete's crab fries with cheese sauce at the arena?! Are you trying to kill me!?! Who goes to Philly and doesn't get a cheesesteak? 

Not this girl. Not...this....girl.

Spoiler alert: I didn't get one. And of course we didn't have enough time to stop for dinner -- thank you Philly traffic, you're always such a treat. So of course, I had to scramble to find something to eat that wasn't focused around animal carcass. Luckly I'd perused the interwebs before we left for suggestions so I wasn't completely screwed; again my fear of hungry saved the day. Well, that and a bag full of pre-prepared vegan snacks for the car ride.

And now that I've rambled on for far too long, how about some food reviews?

1. Coconut Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa. Lacked sugar. and salt. and the creamy consistency I'd hoped for.

2. Quinoa Salad with Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Dried Cranberries, Pepitas and Pistachios. A modified recipe that turned out really well. Filling, fairly quick and flavorful.

3. BBQ Cauliflower Salad. Not good. I don't know if I used the wrong type of silken tofu for the ranch but this was no substitute for Hidden Valley. Don't waste your time unless you've got a solid vegan ranch recipe in your repertoire. 

4. Dragon Noodles with Tofu. I've made this recipe for months now. Quick, cheap and delicious. Just remember to omit the egg and double the sauce so theres enough to cover the added tofu. 

5. Chipotle Bowl. Straight bangin! And makes a TON of food. Great for lunches for the week. Plus, its filling and cheap to make. I love me some Chipotle, but it can get $$$. 

Amber

It all became real {week one- Angela}

...and then it happened.  

I had fear.  I had a lot of fear. 

A continuous thought kept running through my mind...
"what if I get hungry?!"

If there is anything you need to know about me it is that hunger and I do not mix well. 

Oil and water status.

snippy;angry;irritable;sad;annoyed;unfocused.

Those are some adjectives that could be used to describe me during those moments.
And we all know I can't grab a snickers.

So I knew that I had to have a lot of food. Peeps I don't play.
Research and meal planning has been my savior with this process.
If not I would solely eat chips, salads and oreos.
Something I've considered, but not the intention of this process.

Anyway, I really got my chef on with this first week of veganism. Chef Ang status for real.
My recipe inspirations came from endless hours of pinning in addition to a
cookbook I now refer to as a dear friend of mine.
 It's called "But I Could Never Go Vegan." The title really spoke to me.   This book will be referenced quite a bit in my vegan posts. No diggity, no doubt.
Thus far I have had limited difficulties with eating vegan.
  It is actually much easier than I anticipated. Say whatttt?!
To give my chef self a break, I went out to eat at a Vegan restaurant in Asbury Park
called Twisted Tree Cafe. Aprons need breaks too, you know?

So, the moment you've all been waiting for: here are some highlights from my first week:

1. Roasted Red Pepper Pasta . This recipe revealed my love for Nutritional Yeast. Wowza.  #vegancheeseflavor

2. Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats. Creamy peanut buttery goodness. Very rich. Very filling.  Overall I thought this was good, but not spectacular. 

3. Lunch at Twisted Tree Cafe. Featured here is both a Soy Chicken Salad Sandwich and a Focaccia Melt. Both were off the hook. Off the chain.  Like how is there no meat or animal products in this yummy yummy goodness? THEN there was carrot cake. Holy moly.  Thank you vegan heavens because I visited you today. It's a beautiful place.  I recommend anyone taking a trip there to check it outttt! 

4. Falafel Tacos with Sriracha- Tahini Sauce.  This was from my beautiful cookbook that I referenced above. This recipe allowed me to stay in my comfort zone and eat familiar food.  Falafels for the win. 

5. Banana Split Rolls. Something went wrong... very wrong with this recipe.  I never thought a recipe could go wrong with chocolate, but trust me people it can.  This was just nasty.  Not good. The dough was similar to chalk.  Yes, chalk. If that's your thing then try this and do exactly what I did to make this happen. 

6. Roasted Corn & Tofu Chevre Quesedillas with Avocado Crema. This was one of the best things I've ever eaten.  I have learned so many cooking techniques from this cookbook. I made tofu chevre cheese...what?  Like fireworks flew after this entered my mouth. Like the fourth of July in my mouth.   And avocado Crema.  Just stop. Stop it right now. 

Not pictured: Apple Almond Energy Balls. Delish. Make these. Thank me later. 

After a week I'm still alive, well nourished and ready to see what the rest of the month holds! 

Thanks for loving me even though I can't eat fondue or ice cream with you. 

Angela