Moderation is the Key

So last Thursday was the fifth and last day of the Kevita clean eating plan for me. The plan was for one to seven days, and so I chose five days. Eating wise it was super easy, it's very similar to how I try to eat, but I did have to forgo tofu and potatoes. I also gave up salt, for the most part which was super hard! I did use things like olives, and I did break down and use some coconut aminos, but overall, I feel I did pretty well. The other challenging thing was no caffeine. I was actually really surprised how hard that was for me. I gave up drinking coffee on the regular years ago, and replaced it with green tea, white tea, or Yerba Mate. I didn't get caffeine headaches, and I wasn't irritable, but man was I fuzzy. I was so foggy, and just felt like I was borderline comatose! I truly felt like I could not function as a human being! I have decided to really reduce my caffeine consumption. Coffe, then tea has been a part of my morning routine for so long, I'm not about to give that up, so from now on I will alternate green or Yerba Mate with an herbal tea so I still have both the experience, and a little caffeine boost, but I'm not over doing it.
Overall I learned that I want to cut down on both salt and caffeine intake, but not live a life completely without either one of these things. I like doing little cleanses, or clean eating spells, detoxes, reboots whatever you want to call it, I like to do these every once in awhile to kind of see what I can improve on. I like to take tips and suggestions from other vegans, and then see what works for me and my body. I have both deprived myself of, and overindulged in many things in my life, and so finding balance without restriction is very important to me. The clean eating challenge also reminded me that I love to start my day with a huge green salad! I had forgotten that over the brutal winter. It also reminded me how much better I feel when I amp up my fruit and vegetable intake.
 Moderation and balance are tricky things, but worth striving for.
I also am realizing that I may never have the perfect bod, because I am going to have a vegan treat every now and again, and that's okay. What is the perfect bod anyway. To me the perfect bod is a healthy, happy vibrant body. I feel pretty healthy this morning. So, I will continue eating a fruit and vegetable heavy diet, with room of course for Chao slices, and other vegan treats.
Do you believe in extremes, or moderation?

We all Scream for Vegan Ice Cream!

The weather is warming up, so that means we are getting into vegan ice cream season!! I had picked up a box of So Delicious Mini Coconut Almond Bars on sale awhile ago, and even though Thursday was the last day of my clean eating challenge, after the hemp tofu disaster, I needed something tasty. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and I tried one of these treats. Wow is really all I can say. These taste like a vegan ice cream version of almond joy! I loved almond joys, so these are right up my sweet alley. The chocolate coating is perfect, neither too thin, or too thick. The ice cream has a definite coconut flavor, and it is like all So Delicious ice creams, very creamy and rich. I am in love, and these will be a regular treat in the warmer months. The bars are the perfect size, as they are very rich so a mini bar totally satisfies. I have yet to be disappointed with a So Delicious product. I'm never nervous to spend my money and try a new product from them. These are something I would for sure serve to any dubious non-vegan and watch their mind totally change about vegan food!
Speaking of delicious vegan ice cream, have you heard that the makers of Ben&Jerry's ice cream are working on developing a vegan flavor? I for one signed the petition awhile back, and I am keeping my fingers crossed it really happens. In my pregan days, I love, love, loved Phish Food.
I just love that it seems like everyday more vegan choices are hitting the market. If there is a time when I have delicious vegan cheese that can be eaten cold in my fridge, and vegan Ben&Jerry's in my freezer, I might actually cry tears of joy! And of course eat my greens to atone!!

I'm Not Tempted by this Tofu!

Co-op goodies!!

I found the olive Food should Taste Good chips on sale for $1.99 a bag! They will go great with the roasted garlic hummus in the tub above the Chao slices. Since I was still on my clean eating challenge yesterday, and I was craving tofu which is on the no no list, I decided to finally try the Tempt hemp tofu. I have been curious about this product, but I always wimp out on trying it, because the color of the plain flavor is kind of a turn off for me. In this particular instance, I truly wish I would not have been brave. I don't want to rip on vegan products too much, but I also have to be honest, and this stuff needs some work. The color is way off, it is way more dense than soy tofu, and the texture, oh my the texture. Wait, before I get to the texture, I need to say also that the smell is a bit "off". Between the color, and the smell, this stuff had me worried. As I was slicing it, I noticed that it was full of whole hemp seeds. I read one review that seemed to applaud the seeds, as it was clear this tofu wasn't "over-processed". I disagree with that opinion. I don't like to hear a crunch when I slice tofu. I cooked the tofu in the oven, on a baking sheet with a little coconut oil for about fifteen minutes a side. This is my favorite way of cooking soy tofu. While the tofu was cooking, I started some Basmati rice cooking, and chopped some vegetables for a Bibimbap bowl. The hemp tofu did not get a nice exterior from the oven like regular tofu. It just kind of deepened the grey color, and it just stayed a big grey dense slab. I could only force myself to eat two slices. I find nothing to be pleasurable about this product. I wanted to like it, but I can't. I'm very happy that I don't have a soy intolerance. If I did, I would just live without tofu. Maybe they should have compared it to tempeh, since tempeh is a totally different texture than tofu. I don't know what the answer is, but my suggestion is to skip over this particular product. I have seen some reviews of tofu scrambles made with this, which might work better with the texture. I won't be finding out, because this stuff is almost double the cost of organic soy tofu, so I will just keep using the traditional tofu. This hemp tofu is not something to feed a dubious non-vegan.
I just realized I didn't mention the taste too much. Much like soy tofu, this tofu doesn't have much taste. But the texture is so off-putting to me, that it almost gives it a flavor.
Have you tried hemp tofu?

Victor/Victoria Vegan!!

Have you heard of  Victoria Vegan pasta sauces? I assumed that would be a brand I would have to special order, or wait until I'm back in Seattle. I was shocked when I saw a few varieties of this sauce at Wegman's! They had the original Alfredo, along with roasted red pepper Alfredo. Maybe I'm alone, but I got so excited to see not only one, but TWO vegan Alfredo sauces on a regular grocery store shelf! And a grocery store in a meat loving town like this! Even though it's a little pricey(almost seven dollars a jar) and I make a pretty mean cashew Alfredo myself, I had to show support, so I chose the roasted red pepper Alfredo. I bought a pack of organic Polenta in a tube, two beautiful heirloom tomatoes, and made some stacks. I just layered some sauce in the bottom of a shallow glass baking dish and layered slices of polenta with slices of tomato, and small pieces of original creamy Chao. I spooned a little more sauce over the stacks, baked for about twenty five minutes at 350 and what a gourmet little meal I had. I should have taken a too bright picture for sure! It was the perfect meal to have before starting a cleanse! But back to the sauce. It is a thick, creamy Alfredo, and it's the beautiful blush type of color from the red peppers. You can definitely taste the red peppers, and garlic. What I love is that they did not skimp on the thick and creamy factor. The sauce has no funky ingredients which I also love. On Monday night, I made my favorite Pizza crust, and used the rest of the sauce, Brussels sprouts, kale, garlic, and onion and had a rich, and delicious pizza. Although the sauce doesn't have any weird chemicals in it, I don't think it would be considered a "cleanse" food, but I am not entitled enough to waste food because of a cleanse. I added extra kale to atone for my sin. Ha. Anyway, it was a great sauce for such a hearty crust. If you haven't tried this crust, I highly recommend it. Oat flour is soooooo easy to make, it changed my life. I can't say I would buy this sauce all the time, because of the cost, but I would like to have a jar in my pantry for Alfredo emergencies. Although Isa tells us to ABS (always be soaking), I don't always listen. I have tried to make Alfredo with under-soaked cashews, and it's never as good. I want to try the original Alfredo next, and see how that measures up. Today is the last day of my cleanse, so maybe this weekend!
I don't know how much anyone cares about the ongoing saga of an elite group of vegans VS. Cassey of Blogilates, but I've been rally liking Swayze's take on the matter, so here is part two of her response to the attacks.

Beans and Rice with a Dash of Nice

Cheap&Cheerful Vegan Meal

This clean eating challenge I've been doing is really helping me remember how delicious simple food can be. It seems like it can be so easy to forget sometimes! This was last night's dinner. A plate with rice, beans with nutritional yeast, Romaine lettuce, and an avocado mashed with some garlic, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. And of course a liberal dousing of hot sauce. I cooked the rice with some sauteed onion and garlic, a little turmeric, cumin, and smoked paprika. Yum. The meal was probably under two dollars, and because of my beloved bulk section, everything was also organic! In addition to this meal being cheap and healthy, it was also super tasty, and colorful. I promise as soon as I am back in Seattle, I will figure out how to adjust, well everything so my pictures aren't so bright. I plan on participating in Vegan Mofo, and I definitely want to post some beautiful pictures to help show how amazing vegan food is!!
I'm always shocked when people ask me what on earth I eat as a vegan. It cracks me up because there are sooo many fruits and vegetables out there! Fruits and veg that I've never even tasted! I feel like a food world opened up for me when I became vegan. I relied on cheese A LOT, and I definitely ate a lot more convenience/processed foods. My love of cooking has really blossomed since making the switch, and that is always a good thing.
I was very happy to find this video on YouTube. Once again, Swayze nails it. I'm glad she also agrees that of course fat shaming is wrong, it's more ridiculous in this instance because Cassey is not fat, or even anywhere near fat. As someone who had a long battle with an eating disorder and hating everything about my body, and the way I looked, I really hope we can shift this mean body judging mentality. It certainly does not help veganism, does absolutely not one thing to help animals, and it just sends toxic energy out in the universe.
I found this quote on one of my many Post-it notes, and it seems fitting. "Listen carefully to how a person speaks about other people to you, this is how they will speak about you to other people."
Hopefully one day in my lifetime we will all be kind. Just kind.

I Put a Spell on You

I really liked this video, and I feel like Swayze was very brave to put herself out there like this on YouTube. I like that she marches to the beat of her own drum, makes her decisions based on science, logic, and of course what works for her, and her body. The timing of this video was funny, because late last week I watched quite a few vegan YouTube videos talking about Cassey Ho, of Blogilates and why she has gained weight. Quite a few of the videos justified their mean spirited words by saying that she makes her money off promoting "hot bods" and such. They feel since that is how she earns a living, she deserves to be criticized for what they consider to be a not so perfect bod. She is not as thin as she was at some point. Here's the thing, I have mentioned several times that I do various workouts via YouTube, and Blogilates is one of the first channels I subscribed to! Her workouts are no joke, and her bod is no joke either. If she is not as thin now as she was at some point, who cares? She is still very thin, in great shape, and beautiful. I've seen a few vegans attack her in the past for not being vegan, which is bad enough, but this is too much. I cringe at the thought of being in a room with any of these vegans who are so obsessed with being lean, to the point where they spend time and energy producing a video to attack. One of the days that I watched an attack Cassey video, I was feeling a little frustrated with my own bod, wondering why I wasn't thinner, so to see someone mocking Cassey's figure, well I felt like if they're calling her chunky, I'm bringing up the obese rear. It's mean. and I don't like it. I also fear that it turns people off from veganism. Cassey has flirted with veganism, and I have watched a few of her recipe videos, and she is very vegan and vegetarian friendly, and always offers up options. I wonder how much she would consider veganism at this point? Doesn't seem like a very friendly community, does it? I read comments a lot of times, and I have read quite a few comments from people saying they are vegan, but they don't say it openly, either out of fear of body shaming, and/or they just don't want to be associated with such a mean group of people. We don't need people cowering in the corner, we need people standing loud and proud. Veganism is about animals, not who can be the leanest.Cassey is beautiful, and she puts amazing workouts on YouTube for free! I can't afford to take Pilates, yet I can do Pilates every day if I want! Cassey's workouts have been a part of my life for over four years, and I really appreciate all that she does, and I hope she knows that there are plenty of vegans who think she looks amazing, and think she is great.
I've been reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, and the first agreement is Be Impeccable with your word. I have read and re-read this chapter so many times! He talks of how our words can cast spells on people, and people can be under that spell for the rest of their life. I know this is a long post, but I want to close out with two paragraphs from this amazing book.
    Being impeccable with your word is not using the word against yourself.If I see you on the street and I call you stupid, it appears that I'm using the word against you. But really I'm using my word against myself, because your going to hate me for this, and your hating me is not good for me. Therefore, if I get angry and with my word send all that emotional poison to you, I'm using the word against myself.
     If I love myself I will express that love in my interactions with you, and then I am being impeccable with the word, because that action will produce a like reaction. If I love you, then you will love me.If I insult you, you will insult me. If I have gratitude for you, you will have gratitude for me. If I'm selfish with you, you will be selfish with me. If I use the word to put a spell on you, you are going to put a spell on me.
I say kindness should a word we all get more familiar with.

300!!

This post is my 300th post! Time sure flies when you're having fun. I'm proud of myself for sticking with it, especially all the times I have felt so dorky, and lacking any technical knowledge. For someone like me who can be flaky, and definitely can be a commitment-phobe, this has been great. I enjoy the outlet, and will definitely continue on! Here's to another 300!
I made the most delicious "tuna" salad yesterday, using sunflower seeds. I got the recipe from Eco-Vegan Gal's YouTube channel. She's been doing a whole should you buy or DIY, series that pulls at my DIY heartstrings. Anyway, the most exciting part of this recipe is the cashew mayo. I have never made my own mayo, and this stuff really satisfies. It's creamy, and garlicky, and lemony. Yum. Anyway, it's wild how much this salad looks like tuna salad! It's so creamy, and also crunchy. It was great in some lettuce cups, and also amazing on top of a huge green salad. I have been making a tuna-less salad with garbanzo beans for years, and I think I prefer sunflower seeds! It's not so dense. I would feed the sunflower seed salad to any tuna salad lover I know proudly. This will be a staple in my fridge this summer for sure. For some reason when I was making this yesterday, I imagined this salad stuffed into a big, juicy summertime tomato for a very ladies who lunch type of meal. If you can find sunflower seeds, and cashews in bulk this is soooooo cheap to make, and it is just so flavorful!
Today is day to of my cleanse, and I really feel clean to be honest. It sounds so Chao-y to say, but it's true. I had noticed for the last few weeks my stomach kind of bothered me every few days or so, and today my stomach feels great. I feel abuzz with vitamins and minerals. This is the first cleanse I've done that only allows herbal tea, not even green tea, so I am a little water logged in the brain, but what can you do. I have no caffeine headache or anything like that, so being a little fuzzy is okay.
Thank you to anyone who reads this little blog that is constantly under construction! I look forward to 300 more, and then another 300, and so on and so forth. It's spring, I'm moving back to the west coast soon, life is only going to get better, and more interesing, and so will my pictures, I promise! Ha!

Ms. Clean

This is a huge salad I ate this morning for breakfast. It had Romain lettuce, Lacinato kale, red, orange and yellow mini sweet peppers, celery, spicy sprouts, and some sliced green olives. If you look closely to the right that is the top of Dylan's head. He was wanting my kale. He loves kale, and also carrot tops! Anyway, for the next five days I pan on following Kevita's  1 to 7 day clean eating plan. It's not too far off from how I already eat, I just won't be eating pasta, bread, or really anything processed. Five days without my true love Chao is going to be so tough, but I'm a trooper. I also won't be adding salt to my meals, which is going to be a challenge, as I do love salty flavors. I guess I cheated already with the olives, but I am easing myself into no salt. The other big thing for me is no caffeine. Although I gave up coffee years ago, I do still drink green tea which still has caffeine. I feel a little fuzzy this morning from no stimulation, but no headache so woot! It's spring, I feel like I need to get rid of the old, and welcome in the new. After all the heavy winter food, it feels refreshing to lighten up.
I recently discovered a new YouTube channel, Banana TV, and they conducted a salt experiment which really made me see salt in a different light. The effect salt had on Caley's face and body was pretty scary. Here is the finale of the experiment, where she kind of sums everything up. If you have the time, it's worth it to watch the whole series. I found it very motivating, and educational. My plan is to go salt free for the next five days, and then see how I feel after that. I want to at least get to the point where I am using salt very, very sparingly.
I'm excited to see how I feel after these five days. I feel like I have been unhappy for so long, I'm eager to get back to myself, and feel and look my best so I am ready to say Hello Seattle!!!

V is for Venting!

I just had to give a quick little rant. The other day at work, I was discussing the pro and cons of a salt free diet, and such with the "chef" at my job, and he made the comment that vegan food must be so bland, how could you not use salt. Sigh. It is so frustrating to me, food can be bland. Not just vegan food. How many people who are dieting and living on boiled chicken breast talk of missing flavor. It is so maddening, as I see him tossing all kinds of salt, and seasoning salt on whatever flesh he's cooking up for people. I get burned every time I attempt to have a conversation about anything other than the typical toxic workplace conversations. It's also funny how people know so much about vegan food, when they have never even attempted to live on a vegan diet. People! I feel much better now. Sometimes I want to cry and have a tantrum, but instead I will vent every now and then, and just keep eating flavorful, vibrant vegan food!

When Za'atar and Burgers Meet, We All Win!!

Yesterday I was running late for work, and I needed to eat something quick, and I remembered my Sweet Earth Za'atar Burgers in my freezer. I had found these babies on clearance for $1.98 a package at Target! Woot woot! I  baked my burger on a baking sheet in the oven at about 375 Fahrenheit for about ten minutes on side one, five minutes for side two. The directions say to cook in a pan on the stove top, or use a grill pan or grill. I felt they were fine in the oven, but certainly cook in the oven at your own risk. My kitchen smelled so wonderful, like the best pizza I've ever smelled! Za'atar is one of my favorite spice blends. I believe it's the sumac that really makes it pop for me. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that has sesame seeds, sumac, dried oregano, sea salt, and sometimes cumin. I first had Za'atar on a toasted pita, and I was in love right away. It's herby, and earthy and the sumac gives it a slight tang, and it just really works. Okay, I got sidetracked on the Za'atar, let's get back to the burgers!
The ingredient list is full of interesting flavors. Along with seitan, they have Garbanzo beans, farro, flax seed meal, Quinoa, lentils, Tahini, spinich, carrots, plus more! But not one funky weird thing.
The burgers have less of a meaty texture than other seitan based burgers. The texture reminded me of an old school Gardenburger. I don't know about anyone else, but that was one of my faves back in my vegetarian days. I had my burger on my favorite bread ever, Veganic (sesame sunflower all the thumbs up) with a smear of Just Mayo, and some Romaine lettuce. The Za'atar flavor was there, but not overpowering, and the burger was nice and big. I think it would be great with a slice of Chao creamy original, but alas mine had all been eaten cold. When I make the second burger, it's going in a pita with lettuce, tomato, and some Tahini garlic sauce! I don't know about their other flavors, but the Za'atar burger is not trying to emulate meat in any way. It stands tall in it's grainy, beany, veggie self.
I am really liking Sweet Earth. They have been around for a long time, are a vegetarian company with a strong vegan product line, and these burgers are the third Sweet Earth product I've tried. I have also had their amazing hickory and sage smoked seitan bacon, and their Curry Tiger burrito. I would feel confident at this point trying any of their vegan offerings. That bacon is going to be amazing for some vegan B.L.T's this summer when the tomatoes are at their best!
Have you tried any of Sweet Earth's amazing treats?