The Veggie Gal

Nature is wonderfully intelligent!  It made fruits and vegetables striking to the human eye so that we could not resist biting into any one of the beautifully rainbow colored foods.  I made a trip this weekend to Whole Foods Market to buy some things I can’t get any where else and was taken by all the beautiful produce.  We all know that eating more colors is better for our health and that each fruit and vegetable has a different beneficial chemical make up.  We all know that eating more fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of most cancers and the high antioxidants they contain help to prevent most disease but do you ever just look at their beauty?  I wanted to share these with you.

I then could not resist getting lunch while I was at Whole Foods.  I am always so excited that I have many choices and can actually go the sandwich bar and get wonderful bread with good sauces like the one on the sandwich I ordered.  I was able to get a vegan pesto sauce and vegenaise on my sandwich (I can’t get that at Subway!).  I also was able to get a vegan pizza which was super good too.  I did not take a picture of the sushi we got too but my daughter and I split that along with the pizza and the sandwich.  YUM!

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Tags: anti-cancer food, Beauty, Easy Vegan, Fruit, Health, Vegan, Vegan sandwich, Vegetables, Whole Foods

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer and Autumn Wheat cereal

Lunch:

Left overs from Pei Wei and a Fruity Smoothie

Dinner:

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Daily Reflections:

Today is the last post of my 30 daily food diary.  I have been more naughty on these 30 days than I normally would because of my husband’s 21 days of  vegan.  I prepared lots of sugary treats for him and could not resist them so you all got to see what kinds of junk food I (and vegans in general) can eat if they chose to.  For those who do not know much about eating as a vegan I hope that my 30 day diary can show you that you are not deprived in any way.  That you can eat very healthy and satisfying and at the same time you can still eat lots of “junk” food while never eating an animal product. I hope that if you join the vegan lifestyle that you learn to eat the most healthy way you can and avoid the vegan junk food as we all should although a little treat here and there won’t hurt anyone!

I am in my transition stage of being a vegan and going from the first stage of figuring it out to the second stage of trying to eat even more healthy.  I am learning more about cleansing my body properly (I have been studying this for about 10 years now) as well as learning more and more about power and benefits of raw foods (new journey for me).  I hope you all can journey along with me in my quest to become more healthy and learn to take care of my body the best I can.  I look forward to hearing your tips and tricks that you may have learned along your journey.

Thanks for following along so far and I’m not done yet!

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Tags: Breakfast, Daily Food Diary, Dinner, Lunch, raw food, Vegan

This sauce is rich, creamy and tastes sinful (no heavy cream here) even though it is not!  Classic primavera is made with spring vegetable but as usual I just use what I have in the house at the time.  You can use some of the traditional things like peas, asparagus or snap peas or you can mix it up with some color and flavor by adding roasted red bell  peppers  and broccoli like I did but you decide.  The cream sauce can really absorb into the pasta so make double if you really like it covered!  You can make this a gluten free meal by using a pasta noodle made of brown rice or quinoa (I love these).

Did You Know!?

• Quinoa is a high-iron food that raises the hematocrit, delivers more oxygen to the brain, and can help to fight senility.
  
• Bell Peppers contain beta-cryptoxanthin which converts to Vitamin A in the body and this lowers your risk for developing lung cancer.
• Onions should be stored at room temperature, away from bright light, and in a manner where they are well ventilated.
• Click here to read more food facts

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Serves 4

1 8 oz box pasta of your choice (I used quinoa noodles-pictured below)
1 head of broccoli
1/2 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 zucchini,
2 carrots
1/2 cup green beans
handful of spinach sliced thinly
1/4 cup of vegetable broth or cooking wine

Sauce:

1 tub of soft tofu, drained
2 cups of soy milk (full fat makes it creamier but light works well too)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
a dash or two of pepper (or more if you like)
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 Tablespoons water

Chop all the vegetables into nice bite size pieces and steam with the vegetable broth or cooking wine until cooked through.

While your noodles cook blend all the sauce ingredients together except the cornstarch and water (a hand mixer blends it completely smooth but a food processor or blender would work well too). Cook over a medium low heat until the vegetables and noodles are done.

Once everything is ready mix together the corn starch and water and pour into the sauce to thicken. Stir it often so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan until it is creamy.

Drain the noodles and lay on a plate, drain all extra water from the vegetables and top the noddles with desired amount.  Spread your sauce over the top of your noddles and top with thinly sliced spinach and ENJOY!

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Tags: Creamy Pasta Primavera, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Pasta, Quick and easy, Vegan

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer and  Hearty Oatmeal with Fruit

Lunch:

Garden Burger

Snack:

Pretzels, pear and 1/3 of a Fruity Smoothie

Dinner:

Pei Wei

Daily Reflections:

Today was a pretty stable meal day.  I ate a good amount of what I’m supposed to and always enjoy going out with friends to eat.  I still off from how I have been eating lately so I am researching my cleanse to which type I am going to do this time.  I will be posting my choice soon.

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Tags: Breakfast, Daily Food Diary, Dinner, Lunch, Vegan

Breakfast:
1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer and Autumn Wheat cereal

Lunch:

Left over Potato Soup and Peanut Butter Cups

Snack:

MORE Peanut Butter Cups UGH!

Dinner:

Quick Spaghetti and fresh green beans with sea salt

Daily Reflections:

Today I was super super super tired because my toddler kept me up half the night.  I think that is why I ate so many of the peanut butter cups.  I was tired and when we are tired our blood sugar levels are off and I reached for the easy and tasty thing instead of making a smoothie or eating a banana.  I think the sugar filled 21 days with my husband and the lack of sleep I have had lately has messed up the flora in my gut and is causing candida to grow too much thus the sugar cravings.  I will talk about this more in a week or so if you are unfamiliar with candida since I am going to do a cleanse to reset my gut, body and taste buds.  Stay tuned for that.

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Tags: Breakfast, Daily Food Diary, Dinner, Lunch, Vegan

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer and  Hearty Oatmeal with Fruit

Lunch:

Amy’s Frozen Enchiladas

Dinner:

Potato Soup and homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Daily Reflections:

I ate really well today and decided I wanted a treat and oh boy I ate 3 of those guys!  There are super good and as long as you keep the chocolate thing they taste even better than the kind at the store.

I did not have vegan cheese or avocados to put on the frozen entree and it is not as good with out it and much spicier too.

Not enough fruit for the day today for sure!

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Tags: Breakfast, Daily Food Diary, Dinner, Lunch, Vegan

OMFG these are GOOD!  These are just as tasty as the store bought peanut butter cups but don’t have the same preservatives and colors that those do.  They are probably just as fattening and hip widening and of course not super healthy but if you use organic peanut butter and sugar at least you feel a little better about it.

Peanut Butter Cups

makes 12

1 package of vegan semi sweet chocolate chips
approximately 1/2 cup peanut butter
approximately 1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 paper muffin cups

Pour the chips into a bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes.

While the chips are cooking mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar, kneading it to really mix it and make it very thick and almost dry.

When the chips are done stir until it is smooth, cooking more if needed.

Spoon a very thin layer of melted chocolate in the bottom of the muffin cup, making sure to push it into the sides to get inside the folds.

Rip of piece of the peanut butter off from the ball and roll it in your hands and then flatten it out and lay it on top of the chocolate in the muffin cup.  The size ball of peanut butter you use is up to you anywhere between a large grape and a small lime size.

Layer more chocolate on top of the peanut butter disk making sure to get it into the folds.

Place into the fridge or freezer for faster setting.  It should take about 30 minutes in the fridge or 10-15 in the freezer to set.  I keep mine in the fridge after they are done to keep them from getting to soft to handle but you can take them out about 15 minutes before eating to soften.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dessert, Easy Vegan, Peanut butter cup

He MADE IT! 21 days of vegan eating, no meat, no cheese, and no eggs. I wondered if he would really do it and sometimes I wondered if I could make it through him doing it but here we are 21 days later and still intact. It was not a horrible ride for either of us but it was not easy either. He definitely had his cranky days and while he was losing weight I was gaining it. I was feeding him what he asked for in the way of sugary treats to keep him happy and in-turn eating them myself. I KNOW he would have lost even more had he not eaten those foods but I knew he probably would not have made it otherwise and I chose my battles.

He has never been one who is in touch with his body or his feelings so when I asked him if he feels better he easily and without thinking about it said no. I know he looks better, has a smaller belly and has lost inches all over his body. I can also say he had less back acne, better breath from less indigestion and definitely had more bowel movements (I know tmi). He joked when I said his belly looked smaller by saying “its because I am birthing 7 and 9 inch babies” (I know REALLY TMI-sorry). I had him go and get his labs drawn and I’m hopeful they will show a good change too.

So now where do we go from here? Does he keep eating a vegan diet or does he just go right back to where he was before? At this point he is anxious to go get some of the “good” stuff which is pizza and subs with lots of meat, cheese and mayo. He will have to decide on his own over the next few weeks what changes he is going to make as he sees the differences from going back to his old ways. Will he gain the weight back quickly? When he stops having easy bowel movements, gets more back acne, and get indigestion again will that make him think about a more permanent change? I honestly don’t think so. He is going to stay a meat eater but maybe a more conscientious one I hope.

Through this 21 day journey I don’t think my husband could say what he learned from it other than he knows he loves what he calls “the good stuff” and he poops more than he used to (sorry have to be honest here). Was I thinking he would become a vegan for life? No. Was I thinking he would become a vegetarian? No, but I was hoping he would notice a difference and make a more positive turn toward healthier foods and learn to appreciate them more. To learn to eat meat, cheese and eggs even more sparingly than he had been and broaden his tastes. Did that happen? I don’t know time will tell.

I can say that one thing I learned from this is that to really see a noticeable difference even for him would have been to be more drastic. For him to really notice a major difference in how he feels and how he looks he should have followed it to the letter which would have included no caffeine, no sugar, no alcohol, no white flours and you could even go further and do no gluten as well. To really cleanse your body of the toxins it has accumulated and tastes you have acquired you need to strip all the processed or “fake” foods out of your life and go clean, whole and pure.  Even though I don’t practice this I know it is true because I have done it before through a cleanse that I do occasionally.  Again though, I knew I had to chose my battles and that would not have worked with him so I did what worked and am happy we did it.  What is going to happen from here on out I don’t know.  I am going to continue to lead by example and clean up my diet even more, probably through a cleanse and a fresh start.  I will continue to cook my meals as healthy as I can and to try and limit the sweet stuff even more and he can make his lunch choices on his own.  I’m proud of him for doing this and I know he did it for me more than he did for himself and I love him even more for it.

Final weight in and measurements:

Day 1 weight: 199.2                         Day 21 weight: 193.6 =  5.6 lbs lost

Day 1 neck: 16                                    Day 21 neck: 15 1/2 = 1/2  inch lost

Day 1 waist: 38 1/4                          Day 21 waist: 37  =  1 1/4 inches lost

Day 1 chest: 42                                  Day 21 chest: 41 1/2 = 1/2 inch lost

Day 1 arms: 12 1/2                           Day 21 arms: 11 3/4 =  3/4 inch lost

Day 1 stomach: 40                          Day 21 stomach: 39  = 1 inch lost

Tags: 21 day vegan kickstart

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer and Autumn Wheat cereal

Lunch:

Roasted Potatoes & a packaged imitation chicken cutlet (GROSS) then a half of a Super Sourdough Sandwich

Dinner:

Broccoli Almond Sweet and Sour Tofu

Daily Reflections:

Today I tried a vegan imitation chicken cutlet by Gardein and YUCK.  It had a slimy top, the texture was weird and my husband and kids hated it but the bigger thing is I hated it and I love a lot of things and am not picky.  I then went to the good old Super Sourdough Sandwich which is always tasty.  It got me through the afternoon easily and it was only a half with the potatoes on the side.

The Broccoli Almond Sweet and Sour Tofu I made for dinner was a new recipe that I got from the book Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday by Lauren Ulm .  It was as tasty as it is pretty.  As usual her stuff it beautiful and delectable!  I plan on adding more of her stuff to this website.  Everyone liked this dish wish is freakin amazing in this picky house.  The tofu was fried which I normally don’t liked to do because of the oil but I think I can make it with a little non fat spray to keep the oil low and calories down and it still would taste great.  I was super satisfied after this dinner and did not need a later snack.

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Tags: Breakfast, Chinese food, Daily Food Diary, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Vegan

This is a new recipe  from  Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday by Lauren Ulm.  Her stuff is amazing!  As usual though I do try and lower the fat where I can.  I only filled the 1/4 of oil up half way and it worked well.  Another time I tried just a quick spray of cooking spray to greatly reduce the oil used but it was not at good as the oil but if you are on a low fat diet you would never know.

My entire family loved this dish and that is so rare since they are so darn picky.  My teen daughter wanted seconds and then was disappointed there was not enough for 3rds.  I would change one thing about it and not fry the tofu in oil but in non fat spray to lower the fat and calories but other than that is is amazing.  I doubled the recipe for my family of 4 and it was enough but I did cook a serving size of 6 for the rice and 3 heads of broccoli.  Adjust per your family size or leftover needs.

I did find it a very messy meal to make because the corn starch balls up on the tofu and comes out in clumps.  I tried it without the corn starch and it is definitely not as good so it is worth the hard work.  Everything else is very easy though.  FYI Tamari is a soy sauce made without using wheat but is you do not have a gluten sensitivity feel free to use regular soy sauce it will not change the taste.

Did You Know!?

• Tofu is also very low in sodium, making it a perfect food for people on sodium-restricted diets.
• The magnesium in Brown Rice has been shown to for reducing the severity of asthma, help to lower high blood pressure, reduce the frequency of migraine headaches, and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Click here to read more food facts

Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu
Serves Two

1 Tub Extra Firm Tofu, pressed
2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tsp water, mixed
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Peanut or Canola Oil (I used half that amount-another time I used just a little cooking spray but oil works best)
Sesame Seeds for garnish

Sauce
3 1/2 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar (you can eyeball the 1/2 Tbs)
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs + 2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Tamari
1 Tbs Ketchup
1 tsp Molasses
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tbs Cornstarch + 2 Tbs water

Brown rice cooked
Steamed broccoli

Slice the tofu into triangles or small cubes. Smaller = better for this recipe, since smaller pieces won’t have a tendency to break when you toss them, and they have a bigger surface area to volume ratio (read: they’ll be crispier).

Toss tofu with the egg replacer/water mixture until coated. Then toss in cornstarch until each piece is coated and dry, adding more cornstarch if needed.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok.

While oil is heating, mix sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water into a small sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens. If you leave the sauce unattended now it will thicken and burn, so keep an eye on it. When thick, turn off heat and set aside.

Place tofu in the hot oil, being careful not to burn yourself. You don’t want the tofu to be crowded or the pieces will stick to each other, so fry it in batches if needed. Fry for 3-5 minutes until golden on the bottom, then gently turn and brown the other side.

Drain tofu from oil (in the sink like you’d drain pasta, being very careful), and place tofu in a large bowl. Pour sauce on top and gently toss to completely coat. Sauce should be thick and sticky – it shouldn’t pool at the bottom of the bowl.

Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.  Serve over a bed of brown rice and steamed broccoli.

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Tags: Chinese food, Dinner, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegan Yum Yum