Vegan Challenge

The Challenge: So I've been vegetarian for almost 2 years. It's been great. I've always held the vegan title on a high pedestal, surrounded by glimmering clouds and angels singing. Not sure if I'd ever make it to that glorious place. So for Lent, even though I'm not currently a practicing Catholic, I challenge myself to go Vegan for 40 days and 40 nights minus Sundays.

Currently: I've been easing in vegan products and reducing my dairy/egg intake. I've been practicing with flaxseed and cornstarch instead of eggs. I've been experimenting with cooking vegan dinners. I made a beautiful round of vegan cinnamon rolls with vegan icing. I found this link (yes, I know crazy old Peta) to actually be quite helpful in exchanges for baking: Vegan Exchanges

-Things I'm finding:
*Earth Balance is fantastic ( I actually ate a spoonful of buttery spread-by itself!).
*Vegan Tofutti is better than cream cheese and faintly sweet.
*I made a vegan carrot cake with vegan icing and the omnivores crushed that haus in less than 2 days.
*Eating vegan-ish things =ability to eat more food. I am a chow-hound.
*Alfredo cashew cream might save my life. I need to find the creator of it and shake their hand.

My goal: Go vegan for roughly 1 month and see how well I do.
* I hope to successfully make tofu cultured yogurt
* Make more cashew cream
* Incorporate more vegetables
* Challenge myself
* Eat more cauliflower, possibly try to eat kale

6ish Month Mark: Ovo/Lacto/Veg'n

So here we are, at the 6.5 month check in on Vegetarianism as we know it. Doing better each day, really being conscious about my food intake. I thought I'd include some easy foods for those who are thinking about transitioning over or just cutting down on the animal intake.

Some Foods I Love and Their Replacements

Chicken Ramen Noodles--> Top Ramen Oriental Ramen
Hot dogs --> Yves Good Dogs or Morningstar Hot Dogs
Chicken Patties--> Boca Chick'n Patties
Chicken Nuggets-->  Fried Tofu Nuggets
Chili--> Chili recipe with TVP
Tacos--> TVP Tacos or even Quinoa Tacos
Chicken Sandwich-->Here it is-Tasty Bean Burger
Shepherd's Pie--> (recipe to ensue) Meatless Shepherd's Pie
Beef/Chicken Broth-->Vegetable or Not Chicken/Beef Boullion
Chocolate Mousse Pie-->Chocolate Fudge Pie
Hamburgers--> Boca burgers or Bean Burgers


I'm finding its really easy to be vegetarian. If a recipe calls for meat, I just use lentils or tvp or even just more vegetables. It doesn't have to be hard or elaborate. Your favorite family recipes are just too easy to tweak. Vegan Dad, despite the blogging has ended on there, has some great Seitan recipes for steak or meat alternatives.

I eat a big 4 cups of salad for lunch, cottage cheese or yogurt (homemade, of course). Later a snack bar or banana. Its important to have fresh produce on hand: bag of apples, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, box of organic salad, cukes, tomatoes, potatoes, acorn/ butternut squash and onions. Fresh produce is quite inexpensive. Especially in comparison to 1 steak at $12 vs. 1 bag of organic apples ($4) 2 quarts organic yogurt ($4), bag of blue corn chips ($3). That's a lot more food at a cheaper price. Have these items replace the usual junk: chips, cookies, crackers, box lunches and the like.

 Then when you want something unhealthy, you have to make it. If I want brownies or that awesome fudge pie, I have to take the time to make it from scratch. Result: Laziness usually prevails and I eat an apple or I make an amazing dessert that has quality ingredients and is worth it.

The freezer should be your dear chum. I like to make many things up in advance such as bean burgers, sandwich rolls, fried spring rolls, cookie dough, soups and freeze them. So when I'm home from work and am on lazy lane, the food is in the freezer ready to go. Its cheaper, produces more product and is far healthier to make things in bulk and freeze, can, or preserve them.

Bouncing Along the Bumpy Trail

So I've been doing a little maintenance on my dreadlocks and wow! A little bit of sewing can make a huge difference. I have a jumbo needle I used to use for plastic canvas. The eye is large enough to fit quite a few hairs through it. I thread it with the loose hair and sew it into the proper dread. Amazing. I finished it off with some diluted lemon and salt water juice. I blunted some of the ends too. I only have 4 wispy ends. Now if those loops would just go away....

Yeah my dinner last night consisted of curly fries. Totally not healthy at all. But what would I have eatten with them? pasta? rice? masted potatoes? So that was that.

Mr. B went to bed very early last night. I got up very grumpy and dried out this morning. I never sleep with air blown heat on. It does a real number on me- dries out me lips, sore throat, dry nose, toss and turn all night. Ever since I was a kid I just closed the vent at night. That is why I was grumpy.

Looks like tomorrow I'll be feasting with my friend at the Brewery downtown. YAY! We were trying to go ziplining but it doesn't fit in with our schedules. Maybe later....

Last night I sewed this awesome/hilarious looking sleeping hat. Its made of blue satin and could easily be mistaken for a chef or baker's hat. I made it because I was so tired of lint in my hair. This way the satin is light, lintless, and smooth. My loopy locks can slide all over each other! I also sewed a pretty scrunchy for my hair too.

Mr. b told me he'd make dinner. I wonder what is in store. We desperately need to go food shopping. Literally have no fruits or vegetables.

Well that is all.