Today was a fairytale

Spreading SAD (Standard American Diet) diseases around the globe: regional McDonalds menu options.

<--My haul from the Bookmobile. Such a nerd. Jeez.  And, speaking of nerd, check out my new accessory, which I received from an acquired Googler.

Day 54 Food Journal:
-kiwi, little blueberry smoothie
-oatmeal
-salad, 1/2 sandwich (wheat bread, hummus, dijon, avocado, sprouts, grilled zucchini and eggplant, lettuce, tomato)
-samples of a million different vegan foods.***
-1/2 sandwich, dark chocolate almonds

***Today was the Halloween "Trick or Treat" of health food at Google.  You are going to hate me when I say this, but in Google offices, it is a company guideline that every Googler be within 150 feet of food.  That means each floor has a "micro kitchen" filled with snacks and drinks.  Apparently the micro kitchen team (yes, there is a team) decided to hold a vendor fair where current and potential food manufacturers have a booth and let Googlers sample their products.  Then Googlers rate the foods and choose which foods they want in the micro kitchens.  Democracy = Googlers & vendors win!  Best part?  Most of the foods were vegan and produced locally!!  They gave us lots of free samples...not gonna lie...I made quite the haul...

A lot of these can be purchased at Whole Foods.  My favorite brands are: Tcho Chocolates (San Francisco, CA), Mary's Gone Crackers (Gridley, CA), SunRidge Farms (Santa Cruz, CA), Food Should Taste Good (MA), Olympic Granola (MN), 18 Rabbits (San Francisco, CA), Earnest Eats (Solana Beach, CA), Somersault Snack Co (Sausalito, CA), Odwalla (Half Moon Bay, CA), Annie's Homegrown (Napa, CA), Wai Lana (Carmichael, CA), Ghirardelli (San Leandro, CA)

You really won't believe it's not chicken.

The "chicken marina" by Gardein is the best thing I've ever had.  Stop what you're doing.  Don't walk. Don't run.  Don't bike your eco-conscious self to the grocery store, but GET IN YOUR CAR AND SPEED MADLY .  You will be amazed at how this veggie product tastes, dare I say, BETTER THAN CHICKEN?

Slice of heaven

<--View from my desk. Tomato plant says HI.

Today I chatted with a former teammate over lunch at Google's vegan-friendly cafe Slice. She's been vegan for 4 years and loves her lifestyle.  There was a period recently where she went vegetarian because she felt she was inconveniencing her friends.  Although I don't feel like I've been a major inconvenience to anyone (please speak up if you've been impacted negatively by my lifestyle!), I think there has to be a compromise.  Fact: America is not vegan-friendly.  Vegan-tolerant? We're getting there.  But most people in America are not vegan or even close to being vegetarian.  If I'm going to keep any friends and still eat food, I may need to learn to make compromises.  While I may be forced to get froyo or pizza with friends, I can still do my best to uphold my values on my own and eat vegan the majority of the time.  Like I've said before, progress is still progress.

Day 53 Food Journal:
-kiwi
-oatmeal
-gorgeous vegan plate** of lentil cake, salad, cauliflower, and black rice
-vegan chili with hunk of bread; peanut butter; carrot (don't question my combinations, ok?)
-beer at Rose & Crowne's Pub "Trivia Night" in Palo Alto

**
ENTREE
**Thai Red Lentil Cakes with Cilantro Sambal 
Red Lentils, Chic Peas, Coconut, Carrots, Celery, Shallots, Thai Basil, Mint, Cilantro, Galangal,garlic, Ginger, Lemongrass, Fresno Chilis, Serrano Chilis,kaffir Lime, Oats

SIDE
**Springfeild Farms Roasted Cauliflower 
Capay Farm Cauliflower, Olive Oil
**Black Forbidden Rice with Toasted Coconut 
Black Forbidden Rice, Unsweetened Coconut, Carrots, Coconut Oil,

SALAD
**Faurot Ranch Greens with Dried Cherries 
Faurot Ranch Greens, Dried Cherries, Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil, Orange Juice, Shallots, Garlic, Cardamom

Too many shrooms?

If you've been reading my food journal during this experiment, you'd notice a trend: I like mushrooms. I put them in nearly everything I eat and cook:  sauteed at breakfast, tossed in EVERY salad, stir-fried and stewed in every dinner creation.  However, mushrooms don't get much press these days.  Are they nutritionally deficient? Nope!  Check out these stats and these and then tell me to lay off the shrooms.  They also have high levels of antioxidants that deter cancer!  Hooray!

Day 52 Food Journal:
-kiwi
-oatmeal
-salad, grilled asparagus with mushrooms (tried my first morel! Texture of steak, so Meat-lovers - you should give it a whirl!)
-apple
-leftover rice and roasted veggies, couple bites of pesto pasta
-orange, dough babies

Day of Rest

I did not cook today.  The most work I had to do to ingest something was boil a pot for tea.  Exhausting.  Oh, I also peeled an orange, but I wouldn't consider that cooking.  Basically, today was a stress-free, work-free, restful day.  I even got some Vitamin D while reading a book in a nearby park!

Ya know what else I did today?  I saved the lives of .27 animals.  Ok, I'm not sure how PETA gets this stat, but a vegetarian can save 100 animal lives each year!  By the end of this 2 month experiment, I will have saved at least 16 adorable animals!  I could even start a farm with 16 animals.  I'd like to order 4 horses, 2 cows, 2 pigs, 2 chickens, 2 sheep, 2 alpacas, and 2 barn cats.  I can do without the goats - they're bullies.


Day 51 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal with banana, flax, rice milk
-cookie dough babies, chocolate peanut butter
-french bread with dipping oil
-leftover roasted veggies with rice
-orange, babies (see: A Modest Proposal) - get in my belly!

Earth Hour TODAY!

This afternoon my 4 pals and I hiked at Castle Rock State Park and then came over to make a scrumptious vegan feast!  It was teamwork at its finest!  Our menu was:
-warm french bread loaf with olive oil/red pepper flakes or olive oil/balsamic vinegar/pepper/minced garlic
-red or white Frey wine
-pesto (4 bunches of basil, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, salt) mixed with whole durum wheat farfalle, and strips of warmed sliced seitan
-mixed field greens with tomatoes, craisins, homemade candied walnuts, raspberry vinaigrette

Tonight we turned off our lights from 8:30-9:30pm to honor "Earth Hour" and watched a movie by candlelight.  And set off the smoke alarm.  Twice.
Thank you, beautiful Earth!


Day 50 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal with rice milk (not a fan of the rice milk - too sweet and not enough protein or fiber)
-stir fried rice with mushrooms, seitan, broccoli, cauliflower, jalapeño
-bread with dipping oil, 2 glasses wine, pesto pasta, salad
-cookie dough babies...duh

We are all connected

Mono-crops like corn and soy beans planted in the same soil year after year are bad for consumer and the environment.  The soil becomes depleted of those nutrients that the one crop needs, so the farmer has to pump the fields with fertilizers and pesticides because the plants aren't strong enough to fight pests on their own due to poor nutrition.   Then we eat pesticide-laden crops (which lack real flavor, in my opinion) and the chemicals seep into the ground water and rivers, polluting the water humans and animals drink.

So how can we get abundant crops that are healthy for us and the environment?  One option is to get back to the type of farming our great grandfathers used!  Although they didn't have a specific name for it back then, now they call it "biodynamic farming."  Here's a little sneak peak into the type of farming that uses various relationships between plants, soils, and animals as a self-sustaining system without external assistance.  Last summer I visited the Ubuntu restaurant in Napa that serves food grown on their biodynamic farm.  It was incredibly delicious and satisfying to know it came straight from an organic garden!  Yum yum!

Day 49 Food Journal:
-dark chocolate peanut butter - great way to start the morning, right? agreed.
-oatmeal, fuji apple Fruit Crisps (39 cal)
-wheat tortilla, grilled veggies, black and white beans, seitan, guacamole, salsa, chips
-coconut chocolate Bliss bar
-chocolate peanut butter, apple
-almond Thin-Crisps, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato (seriously - these roasted veggies taste like candy.  They're super addictive!)

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudel

These are a few of my favorite things!  I never grow tired of eating them....
-peanut butter
-cooked mushrooms (most legal kinds) and onions
-"cookie dough babies"
-guacamole
-oranges
-Kashi Heart-to-Heart warm cinnamon cereal
-oatmeal
-all kinds of ice cream
-garlic

Day 48 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-freeze dried Fruit Crisps (35 cal)
-salad, sauteed rainbow chard, guacamole with chips
-leftover curried udon noodles, dark chocolate peanut butter

What is food?

Today has been a long time coming.  I've been so excited to see Food Inc since it came out in theaters and no one would go watch it with me.  Well, thanks to the Mountain View Library, I watched it on my couch after dinner.  Then I vomited in my mouth.  Just a lil bit.
Do you know what you're eating?  Where it came from?  How it made it to your fork?  What are the ingredients and nutrients?  Does it taste yummy? Do you feel good after you eat it?
WATCH THE TRAILER and then borrow it from my mom or your local library.

The next movie I want to see is "Food Fight":


Day 47 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-wheat tortilla with grilled veggies, black beans, guacamole, salsa, chips
-dark chocolate peanut butter
-leftover curry udon noodles, couple bites of Angela's guacamole
-orange

Food Revolution

Food Revolution: a new show on ABC that follows the journey of changing eating habits and improving the lives of those in the Unhealthiest City in America. Fascinating, disgusting, disheartening yet hopeful. Check out this preview!


Day 46 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-lentils, chickpeas, brown rice pilaf, grilled asparagus, roasted cauliflower, salad
-curried udon noodle stir fry courtesy of Veganomicon, dough babies
-orange

Broken record - Meatless Monday

MEATLESS MONDAY!  Have you joined the movement yet?



Also, today is World Water Day.  Being vegetarian saves water.  For example, a 16oz steak uses the amount of water needed for 6 months of showers!  Click here for more water saving tips.

Day 45 Food Journal:
-strawberries, oatmeal
-salad (mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, roasted root veggies, tomatoes with balsamic dressing); curried lentils
-leftover veggie kebab with rice; couple bites of pita with hummus; cookie dough babies
-strawberries, orange

New best friend: food processor

Now that I know how to work the Cuisinart Food Processor that has been collecting dust and scarily looming in the corner of the counter, it shall now become my best friend! I made hummus, peanut butter, and cookie dough babies all today!  so easy and glorious!

Day 44 Food Journal:
-kashi cereal with rice milk
-caracara orange (see pic)
-wheat bread with sprouts, tomato, avocado, homemade hummus; bites of fruit and salad, handful of fries
-strawberries
-peanut chocolate cookie dough babies (dates, peanuts, salt, drop of olive oil, cacao nibs, carob chips all finely chopped) yummy yummy yummy!!!

Happy Nowruz!

To begin my Persian New Year/Spring Equinox, Angela and I bought 2 goldfish (upper right corner of picture).  They are wonderfully calm and well behaved.  Setareh will love her new friends when they get settled on her desk.  It was the least we could do for her introducing us to Persian food!  So exotic for us Midwesterners!

Day 43 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal with flax, banana, rice milk
-Nut Thins
-leftover pizza with sauteed onions and mushrooms
-Persian feast! tadig with fesenjoon, shirazi salad, vegetarian gheimeh bademjoon, vegetable kebab with saffron basmati rice all courtesy of Arya Restaurant

Vegans and Honey - What do you think?

So there is a debate in the vegan world surrounding the issue of honey and whether or not it should be consumed. Some feel that bees are exploited while others feel that it's not an issue to broach quite yet given that we first need to ween people off of an animal flesh diet.

I'm not quite sure where I stand right now as I can see both sides of the issue. See this article.


What do you think?

If you choose to chime in on this conversation I don't believe that simply saying "it's a bee!" is sufficient as bees have a central nervous system and can experience pain and stress like other animals. What other arguments can you come up with for or against consuming honey?

Let's hear it people!

Free food!!

Fresh organic food for free?  Unheard of!  Until now....
Now presenting "DUMPSTER DIVING!"
Brought to my attention by my roomie Angela, who is the "coupon queen" and has taught me several ways to save money when shopping.  Check out this video to see how wasteful Americans are.
Would YOU ever dumpster dive?  I'll do it if Angela goes with me, and we get to wear all black outfits.

Side note #1: An underrated benefit of biking to work is smelling the fragrant tree blossoms as I whiz by.  Delightful way to start and end my work day.

Side note #2: Don't eat at McDonalds: Happy Meal celebrates 1st birthday.

Side note #3: Tomorrow is The Great American Meatout!  Grill veggies instead of steaks. Try a new grain. Make massive burritos using beans, veggies, hot sauce, and ALL the fixings.  YUM. More info.

Day 42 Food Journal:
-oatmeal, mushrooms/spinach/broccoli, .5 kiwi
-apple
-wheat tortilla with black beans, grilled veggies, guacamole, salsa
-wine, leftover Patxi's pizza with soy cheese, onions, mushrooms, wheat crust
-1/2 dark chocolate bar, popcorn, orange

Do I dare?

Still no sweets and not craving any.  When I know that I cannot even have a bite, I don't get my hopes up when I see ice cream and cookies and cupcakes in front of my face.  However, when I see easy vegan treat recipes without processed sugar, I get a little excited.  Should I make fudge this weekend??

Day 41 Food Journal:
-oatmeal, banana
-salad with roasted cauliflower
-popcorn
-beer, veggie pad thai from Pho Wagon
-mixed fruit

Luck of the Irish? Not so much...

England is not vegan-friendly...when it comes to beer.  Ireland actually isn't so great either.  But, heck, it's St. Patty's, and I'm drinking beer.  Deal with it.  Article about British beers.

Want to know which beers are vegan (booze and wine too)? http://www.barnivore.com/beer

By the way, I'd really like to roast vegetables this weekend. YUM.

Day 40 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-sandwich (wheat bread, dijon, hummus, avocado, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, grilled eggplant, grilled mushroom), side salad
-apple
-3 beers, peanut butter, Mrs. May's Trio bar

Live cheaply - live longer

By reducing caloric intake and eating healthy whole foods, you will live longer.  Additionally, if you buy the good foods now and take care of your health, you will reduce your health care expenses now and later in life.  Plus, this article points out ways that you can buy healthy food without breaking the bank.

Day 39 Food Journal:
-oatmeal with cinnamon, dried blueberries, raisins, flaxseed
-Juice Squeeze - "Wild Berry"
-grilled asparagus, brown rice, salad
-apple
-kelp noodles leftovers with peanut butter, red wine

Even baby steps = progress

Welcome again to Meatless Monday!  Here is an article to remind you that progress is progress.  Even if it's one day a week!  Feel free to sign up for weekly reminders with meat-free recipes every Monday: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/join-the-movement/

Day 38 Food Journal:
-oatmeal, banana
-roasted veggies, Israeli couscous, portobello/spinach/marinara on focaccia
-Googley blueberry smoothie with orange and banana
-kelp noodles with broccoli, peppers, onion, mushrooms, chili sauce, peanut butter

When in Rome...

Yeah yeah, I know I said no sugar.  Well, today I caved.  But I don't feel guilty.  It was a small amount made of quality vegan ingredients and it was delicious!  When in the Castro/Mission, you visit Bi-rite Creamery. No question.  Even if the line is out the door and around the corner.  You do it.  Ask Kathleen.

On a spiritual note, at church today I was reminded how taking care of God's earth and all His creatures is our duty as Christians.  He gave us dominion over His creation, and we must protect it.  By being a vegan, I am supporting animal welfare and reducing pollution and global warming.  If you choose to eat animal products, might I suggest that you buy from local farmers who treat their animals kindly.  Remember - all God's creatures got a place in the choir...hehe

This article discusses the new term "femivore" and confirms our role as guardians of the earth.

Day 37 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal with almond milk and flax
-handful of fries*, mimosa, quinoa/veggies courtesy of Olea
-chocolate coconut vegan ice cream (kids size)
-peanut butter (straight up - talk about YUM)
-orange

*My body retaliated against the fries and the oil in the quinoa mixture. Bad news bears.

Sugar-free sweetness

It's been a week without sugar. I am happy! Sometimes I think about caving and buying some Purely Decadent ice cream, but I know that I've gone a week sans processed sugar and don't want to break my streak.  Let's see how long I can keep it up!  oh, I know how long - Day 61 - when I eat my 4 Girl Scout cookies that are hiding in the freezer.
Day 36 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal with flax, banana, almond milk
-chips with guacamole and salsa
-carrots, popcorn, red wine, asian pear

It can be done

Dad was in town.  What does he want to eat while on the west coast?  Seafood.  Well, alright then.  Let's do it.  I found Pesce on Yelp and decided that even if they had one vegan entree, I'd be happy.  Not only did they have one vegan entree, but the waitress was kind enough to point out other menu options that could be turned vegan.  ie. "You can have the candied walnut and apple salad with the Gorgonzola dressing on the side.  I'll bring you a side of champagne vinaigrette dressing."  Not only did we make it work for both of us, we had a fantastic time, shared items, and found everything to be delicious!  Ask and ye shall receive.


Day 35 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-orange
-chili, salad
-kiwi
-beer, bread, lettuce/apple/candied walnuts, roasted radicchio, penne with spicy tomato sauce & basil, pinto noir

Vegan-friendly Dining 101

Tonight I am going out to eat. I am excited for a change from my cooking.  Fortunately, my friends know that I pick good restaurants due to my love of Yelp.com, so they usually let me pick the spot.  So now when I know I'm dining out, I do the following:
1) Check with my friends for any special requests/cravings/locations.
2) Search Yelp.com for restaurants that fit the requests. If my friends are super adventurous, then I type "vegan" into the search field.  :-)
3) Scan through the reviews and search for "vegan" keywords (ie. "This is NOT recommended for vegans!" "I asked the waitress, and she was very helpful in pointing out vegan-friendly menu options.")
4) Visit the restaurant's website and search their menu for vegan options or entrees that could be converted to vegan (ie. "Pasta primavera - no cheese please!)
5) Eat and enjoy.

You can also just wing it, but you may end up hungry.  Last night I went to a Cirque du Soleil show and ended up buying a $5 smoothie that tasted WAY to sugary to be actually natural.  I couldn't finish it - gross.  Thankfully, I brought almonds along!

Day 34 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-orange
-chili, salad
-popcorn
-whole wheat penne with tomato sauce and mushrooms, bread with EVOO/balsamic/garlic, 2 glasses red wine

No soy joy

In an effort to improve my skin, I am going to forgo soy products, in addition to sugar.  I don't eat them much, so it won't be a huge loss for me. We'll see if it works!  Since soy contains phytoestrogens, a high level of that in your body can cause a hormonal imbalance and force the androgens and testosterone to go into overdrive to keep up and balance the estrogens.  Or so I've heard....

Day 33 Food Journal:
-kiwi*, oatmeal
-vegan chili, sauteed kale & cippolini onions, salad
-apple, popcorn
-kashi cereal, almonds, smoothie

*Katherine, Angela and I picked kiwis in December just north of Santa Cruz along the coast.  Of the ~7 pounds we picked, I still have at least 15 kiwis remaining in the fridge.  They take a long time to ripen and then stay fresh and ready to eat.

Guest Blogger: Beth Ewig

"So for Lent I got this genius idea to try being vegan.  I thought it was going to be super hard, but I wanted to try and see if I could do it and change my eating habits.  It is about 3 weeks into my vegan experiment, and I am actually loving the new foods I am eating and the way my body feels.  I feel like I have so much more energy, and, in general, I just feel better about myself.
I think my guilty little confession is that trying vegan for Lent was my way of putting myself on a diet....and it is working.  Not only am I discovering new recipes and different types of food that I like, I am shedding the pounds that I wanted to.
My friends keep asking me if I am going to continue with my vegan-tendencies after Lent, and I responded saying that I do not know if I will follow as strictly (because my cheese cravings get kind of crazy), but I definitely enjoy the new foods that I have opened myself up to and the way that my body feels on my new 'diet.'  I don't think I will consider this change as a diet for much longer, rather a lifestyle change.
I have found that I love soy milk (especially Chi Tea lattes with soy milk....yum!), tofu, black bean chipotle burgers, and trying tons of new recipes from websites that are completely vegan!
Although this change has been a little more costly, I love having fresh veggies and food for my meals and love trying new things! This coming Monday, I cooking our 'family dinner' for some friends and will be making vegan lasagna (recipe from KG)...we shall see how everyone else enjoys my new change in food preference!"

Update from Katherine

I love eating.  If I had it my way, I'd be eating at most times of the day.  This is why it's kinda fun to be a vegan, because you can essentially do just that.  I am always snacking on healthy things to make sure that I don't get drastically hungry.  And by avoiding dumping crap into my body, this constant eating has only kept me feeling great.  Losing a couple pounds has been a great side effect as well.

Another tip to keep hunger at bay in the morning, sipping on a soy latte.  Maybe it's mental, but I feel like the soy holds me over better than milk used to, and it's so rich and creamy.  Mmmmmm.

Taking off my training wheels

Halfway through this experiment, I'm starting to get the hang of this vegan thing!  It's just how I live now, and I don't have to think too hard or plan too much about what I'll eat next.  I have only eaten out a couple times, so I haven't been tested too much.  After these two months are over, I plan on sticking to the vegan diet as much as possible.  I will be practiced and educated enough to confidently continue this healthy lifestyle.

I'm also practicing for something else at the end of this experiment.  On April 24, Shannon and I will run an 8k for Crazylegs Global, a UW Madison-based run.  So far I've run/hiked over 88 miles this year and hope to be fully trained by then.

Day 32 Food Journal:
-apple, oatmeal, green tea*
-salad, roasted veggies
-popcorn
-Kashi cereal with almond milk; mashed sweet potato
-orange
*NOTE: after drinking my tea too fast, I went into caffeine shaky overload and wanted to curl up in a ball on the floor and wait for the shakes to pass. I didn't realize that the tea was so caffeinated.

Hiatus from blog not from veganism

Alright, so I've sucked at life the last couple of weeks and have not done any blogging. The one thing that I know I've been good at is continuing my vegan diet. I'm feeling good and the weight is starting to melt off me all of the sudden.

Like Laura, I'm cleaning the scum out of my life. Being vegan has given me some clarity of thought (in general - I still think stupid thoughts at times) in multiple areas of my life. It feels good...

I've stopped eating sugar for the most part (still drinking wine) and I don't crave it at all. In fact, I stay away from it and don't want to eat it as I know it won't feel good. My palate has changed and I really enjoy healthy foods and don't want any of the junk.

Some of my favorite things:

whole wheat pita and hummus
veganaise (vegan mayo.... soooooo good!)
toasted nuts
dark, leafy greens
tofu

That's all I have for now....

Sweetie pie

Confession: I have a sweet tooth.  Oh, you're not surprised?  After all, I am my mother's daughter.
This weekend I successfully avoided sugar.  Instead, I sweetened my life with real maple syrup and fruit, and it was enough for me.  Although, I'll admit that when Angela asked if I wanted to get froyo, there was a part of me that deliberated.  I eventually said NO.

For me, I have trouble with moderation.  It's either all or nothing.  That's why you'll rarely find any sweets in my house (they don't last longer than 48 hours). And frankly, I'm surprised the leftover pizza from Patxi's has lasted me this long (I hide my favorite foods in the freezer).  And so I vow to avoid processed sugar for the rest of this experiment.  If I'm going to do this right, I'm going to be hard core. I will need your support though!

Speaking of ridding my body of nasty foods like sugar, I'm also ridding my life of other toxins.  While cleaning out my car yesterday, I discovered my ex's business card.  Ah, I love throwing out scum.

Happy International Women's Day!

Day 31 Food Journal:
-.5 kiwi, oatmeal
-mint green tea
-salad with quinoa, beets, mushrooms, tofu, carrots, edamame, roasted veggies, broccoli
-ginger tea
-apple and almonds
-kelp noodles with Thai chili sauce, broccoli, bok choy, onions, mushrooms, peppers, garlic
-mashed sweet potato

My Sunday Funday

My ideal "Sunday Funday" is sleeping in til 8a, eating a yummy breakfast with a cup of tea, chatting with family, biking to the farmers market, playing guitar, tending to my potted plants, hiking in the mountains, cooking dinner, and watching a movie with friends.  Have I mentioned that I might actually be 60 years old?  oh, and single?  yeahhhhh....
Well, this is what I did today - except we watched the Oscars instead of a movie - and I loved it. I know you're jealous.

Day 30 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal, flaxseed, almond milk
-glazed walnuts
-1/2 Gardein bbq pulled shreds on wheat water crackers, carrot
-leftover veggie/tofu soup, red wine
-butternut squash with cinnamon and maple syrup, roasted squash seeds

Little did I know that butternut squash is Meatless Monday's fruit/veggie of the week! Score!

Just gimme that milk

"Don't gimme no pop - no pop. Don't gimme no tea - no tea. Just gimme that Milk - moo moo moo moo - Wisconsin milk - moo moo moo moo."  What?  You don't remember the "milk song"?  Ok, perhaps you didn't grow up in the dairy state.  :-)

Since vegans don't eat dairy, we fortunately don't have to search hard for alternatives: rice, oat, soy, almond, and hemp milk.  Nutritional comparisons here and here.
While there are some benefits to dairy (and the dairy industry won't shut up about it), the cows do not benefit - at all.  In addition to constantly popping out calves that go to veal production, the cows' teats become irritated by the mechanical milkers and develop mastitis.  This infection and blood from torn flesh gets into the milk and then the farmer needs to pump the cow full of antibiotics to stop the infection.  Want more details?
If you choose to drink cow milk, it's best to get fresh, local, organic, and hormone-free.

Day 29 Food Journal:
-Kashi Heart-to-Heart cinnamon cereal, almond milk, banana
-peanut butter, kukicha tea
-1/2 pack of Gardein bbq pulled shreds
-Kashi cereal
-chili (pumpkin, tomatoes, onion, peppers, Smart Ground, mushrooms, kidney beans), Yellow and Blue red wine

Update from Katherine

Since my first appearance on this blog, I've made a few adjustments and found a solution to my constant hunger: animal crackers.  So I can't eat animal products, I'll just eat lil delights that look like animals.  This first started as a good thing, but the Jumbo -sized bag at my desk has seen significant activity since it first appeared last week.  To be quite honest, on Friday I ate at least 40-60 animal crackers.  Which leads me to my next topic...

Drinking.  I've been known to handle my alcohol.  Well dabbling in the vegan ways makes drinking very, very hard on the body.  Two glasses of wine made me so hungover that I needed constant animal crackers to keep me alive, and that was in conjunction with 4-5 nalgenes of water and 4+ cups of detox tea.  That, a fun Friday does not make.

But when I'm not feeling hungover, I feel very healthy.  The chefs at work know I'm a vegan and always help point me towards the items I should try.  It's lucky that I love seitan, tempeh, beancurd, tofu, etc., because the chefs make a dish with one of those items every day.  If I don't have that option of the day, there are always an overabundance of salad fixings or a delectable vegetable dish.

Additionally, the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market always has lots of great options for me.  Today I purchased cranberry/walnut grainy bread and smothered it in DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER- ummm..omg.  Also, there is a gluten-free bakery that also typically sells vegan Peanut Butter Granola Squares that taste like candy.  So amazing.

TGIF

Goal for the weekend: no sugar. You are holding me accountable.  So there.

Day 28 Food Journal:
-oatmeal
-salad, sweet and sour tofu
-dark chocolate
-veggie soup, leftover Patxi's pizza slice, cashew ice cream (ya know, just polishing it off)
-pumpkin muffincake

Eat all the junk food you want...

Day 27 Food Journal:
-oatmeal; mushrooms & spinach
-apple
-salad with barley & tofu, chickpea soup
-dark chocolate
-veggie soup, peanut butter
-cashew ice cream

I think it's time that I listen to more of Michael Pollen's advice and follow his Food Rule #39: Eat all the junk food you want -- as long as you cook it yourself.  As you can tell from my food journals, I like ice cream and related products.  Maybe I'll try to make one of these and then savor and appreciate the treat even more!
Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Fudgesicle Ice Cream
Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream
Tofu Chocolate Mousse
or plain ol' butternut squash and cinnamon (hot or cold)

Reaching new heights

As I blog from 35,000+ feet flying back from NYC, I'd like to reflect on how far I've come since the start of this experiment.  As I've mentioned in other blog posts, I'm cooking with foods I've never purchased before (or heard of), I feel cleaner and detoxified, I'm saving animal lives, and I'm reducing my carbon footprint.  Additionally, I've learned a ton about nutrition and have inspired others to explore healthier lifestyles.

By the way, did you know that Whole Foods accepts coupons?

Day 26 Food Journal:
-trail mix, fruit leather
-apple
-pumpkin chili, dark chocolate (felt ill afterward, bleh)
-kiwi, 5 wheat water crackers, handful of Kashi Heart-to-Heart cinnamon cereal

Too much of a good thing is...

..not great.  I've been so excited about easily finding vegan options that I've been eating too much.  This is something I will try to reign in, as I learn to listen more intently to my body's needs.

Recently posted on Alicia's The Kind Life site: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/restaurants-bars/81136/best-vegetarian-and-vegan-restaurants-in-new-york-city

Day 25 Food Journal:
-Kashi cereal with soy milk, banana
-chipotle seitan enchilada, guacamole, quinoa black bean, curry cashews/almonds
-apple, Orange Mango HonesTea
-Emeril's rustic tomato soup(made lovingly by Kathleen), apple cider, a LOT of Purely Decadent "ice cream"

Vegan Mecca

I am experiencing no difficulty finding vegan foods here in the city.  I'll admit that the vegan-friendly neighborhoods like the Lower East Side and the Village near NYU are brimming with unique, laid-back, earthy, creative types - ahem - hippies.  I was kinda nervous but kinda loved it.  Is it warm enough to wear my Birkenstock sandals yet??

Day 24 Food Journal:
-Kashi Heart-to-Heart cereal with soy milk, apple/blueberry leather
-banana
-black beans, rice, mushroom, artichokes, wheat berries, squash, zucchini (the vegan assortment in the cafe today was phenomenal!)
-Blossom Vegan Restaurant: black-eyed pea cake with chipotle aioli, porccini rigatoni, lentils and root vegetables baked in a phyllo crust, served over a carrot-cream sauce. Caramelized onions and swiss chard complement. (Although scared and reluctant, Kathleen agreed to sample the vegan cuisine and enjoyed most of it!)
-apple

Have I mentioned that I love NYC?