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.