Vegan Diaries – Hitting Home

Originally posted on http://shrinkingjeans.net

Yep. It happened. Twice. I went to a restaurant where all I could possibly have on their menu was the hummus appetizer, a salad (modified), or the edamame appetizer. Oh, I supposed I could’ve also had the olive plate, too. I feel stuffed just reading all that…. Then again I failed to research the menu before I went there, thinking that there would most certainly be something that I could eat…besides just a salad. I thought wrong. I even asked my server if there was anything they could do; I was that person. Being a server myself, I was very polite; I didn’t want to push it or come off annoying. Even with all my efforts, my answer came in the form of a strong ‘no.’

But, I learned my lesson and now know to research menus online or call beforehand.

I’ve never before had to think about that, because I’ve never had any sort of ‘dietary restrictions’ (minus going gluten free for a few months). It’s a new perspective to see how difficult it can be to go out for a meal, depending on how accomodating the menu, staff, and chef are. Then again, I have ‘cut’ quite a few things out of an American diet. It amazes me how many things have meat or dairy and cannot be altered because that’s mainly the meal.

It’s funny how another perspective has been changing for me, too. I don’t find more that I’ve ‘cut’ things out of my diet, but that other people just add more to theirs. It may not make sense to many people, but it’s a different way of looking at it. We’ve come so far out of touch with meals that are fresh and natural, free from GMOs and preservatives and pesticides and corn. Does such a thing exist anymore? That being said, I’m becoming more familiar with my grocery store environment (I hate the grocery store), and am learning which brands I trust, which I don’t, and getting very good at reading labels and ingredients. I also am learning my way better and better around the kitchen. At 25, I don’t really cook. It’s not, nor has ever been my thing. Chopping, slicing, dicing, mixing all seem time-consuming and require a lot of patience. But, I’m getting better and coming to terms with it. Baby steps. I have managed to stumble my way through some recipes, and even (kind of) come up with my own.

Eat Of The Week

Kitchen Sink Tacos

These have pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in them (yay awkward American expressions!). I literally took out almost every vegetable in my refrigerator for the taco/fajita filling. I started by sauteeing onion, garlic, and asparagus in some olive oil. After those became soft I added red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, serrano peppers for some spice, shredded zucchini, crimini mushrooms, black beans, corn, cilantro, and a whole mess of spices (use your favorite taco or fajita blend). While I let that all marinade, I chopped up roma tomaotes, avocado, and lettuce for toppings. Additionally I made a creamy sauce with vegan mayonaise, cilantro, lime juice, crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt, and probably something else I don’t remember (I got the idea from one of my recipe books). They may look a little grey and bland, but these guys are packed with flavor! Use you favorite veggies, or whatever you have in your fridge — they went over extremely well with friends. No meat and all.

Now, I actually have 2 Eats Of The Week. The 2nd one being:

Delicious Vegan Chili

A Colorado March winter day, with 6 new inches of snow calls for a big bowl of chili. I found this recipe and was sold. This was also modified, of course, by adding a ton more veggies, extra beans, and an extra can of diced tomatoes. That means it needed extra seasonings. Taste test to your liking.

All the veggies chopped up and ready to go

The final result

Craving Of The Week

I don’t really drink milk in the first place. I’ve been using almond milk for a very long time. For my boyfriend, who’s doing this challenge with me, that has been the most difficult thing to give up. As a frequent milk drinker, he’s finding that other forms of milk don’t really compare; they don’t taste the same. I happen to LOVE almond milk, but he has a little more difficulty adjusting to different foods. When it comes to milk, there are a few things that really stick out to me: we are the only species on the planet that drinks another species’ milk. I find that a little odd. Don’t get me wrong, I was raised on it and don’t have a problem drinking a glass now and then, it’s just not something in my every day diet. While there may be health benefits to a glass of milk a day, there are also cons, including a high carbon footprint, how you actually get your milk, what’s done to it, and what’s done to the cows. I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Eye Opener Of The Week

Food, Inc.

Wow. What a crazy world we live in. This film will not tell you what to eat. This film will tell you what you’re already eating. And that’s even worse. It’s not made to push vegetarianism or criticize someone for eating veal, it’s made to tell you about the food monopoly that we’re encouraging on a daily basis. It’s an industry that compromises food and the best interests of the people by making nutritionally void, chemical filled, artificial flavored meals more affordable than a head of lettuce. And it’s doing it one conglomerate at a time, putting the local, independent farmers, who can actually produce fresh, natural, good-for-you food, out of business.

Facts that really stuck out to me:

• The average supermarket has over 47,000 items on the shelves. Over 70% of those have corn in them.
• A chicken can be born, raised in a pitch black environment, loaded with meds and antibiotics, and butchered and ready to eat in 49 days. That’s a month and a half, folks. Their breasts grow so large that they cannot physically walk during their 49-day lifespan.
• A fast-food hamburger can contain meat from up to 100 different cows. Bettie, Bessie, Barney…..
• Cows are not meant to eat corn. They are meant to eat grass. Because corn is cheaper and more easily disposable, that’s what they are raised on. In doing so, their stomachs cannot digest the corn, and their stomachs become breeding grounds for E.coli bacteria. The solution? Washing beef in ammonia and chlorine to destroy these bacteria before they are sold to grocery stores. The kicker: it would take only 5 days of feeding grass in place of corn to kill nearly all the E.coli bacteria.
• We are training fish to eat corn. WHAT?!
• The USDA is allowed to regulate what constitutes organic food and when your milk is past due, but it does not have the authority to shut down a meat plant if they are selling tainted meat.
• Food, Inc. took 6 years to produce. In that timeframe, Robert Kenner attempted to interview 50 of the largest food producers in America. Not a single one agreed. These include Tyson, Smithfield Farms, and Monsanto.

I have a newly found appreciation for local farming and intend to do my best to get my hands on independent farmer produce. Quality over quantity and local community support. I’m all for it.

This vegan adventure definitely hit home for me this past week between learning where I can and cannot go out to eat (and knowing I have to do my research), to understanding the importance of local farming and where your food is truly coming from. We don’t live in a perfect world, but we can do our best to make adjustments toward a healthier one.

Lip Dressing

Most people know that Colorado is the epitome of a dry climate. Sure, it’s pretty, has a lot to offer, and is mostly the best place ever -I may be slightly biased-, but it also feels like there are tiny minions all over your body, sticking microscopic straws into your pores and sucking out whatever moisture that you may have previously had feebly clinging for life, leaving you skin to rival that of a cracked, dry desert floor. Pretty, huh. We-or at least I- go through copious amounts of lotion here to counter the moisture-sucking minion attacks.

You think that’s bad, not only do the minions drain the water from your skin, but your lips take a beating as well. Not only to they attack with their moisture-depriving straws, they then run over them with mini sandpapers for that added sexy chapped effect. Hail all chap sticks! I’m never caught without mine and usually have at least 2 on my person: pockets, purse, car. I might be slightly addicted. I am in love with a particular peppermint beeswax one that is extremely popular…but it can also be expensive, especially with the frequency that I tend to lose mine -I’m convinced the minions ban together for ‘mission impossibles’ to steal and destroy them-. I’m fairly certain I keep them in business just by myself. So, being the creative person that I’m-not-really-but-pretend-really-hard-to-be-and-am-trying-to-convince-others, I decided to make my own.

The recipe I used was inspired by this blog, but I plan to change mine up a little in the future.

The materials: chap stick tubes (or you can use containers), shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, lanolin, and whatever oils you’d like to ‘flavor’ it. For my first batch, I used peppermint and rosemary. I also have lavender, almond, orange, and tea tree oil for future chap stick endeavors. The recipe I went off of said it makes about 40 tubes of chap stick. Mine only made about 30. That should last me for at least 2 months or so… I found all my materials on Amazon.

Melt 2oz of beeswax in a pot on the stove on low heat.

Measure out 3oz of coconut oil, 3/4oz shea butter, and 1/4oz lanolin. Some people don’t like lanolin, which I suppose is ok, so just make sure to use additional everything else to make up for it if you opt to leave it out. You want about 4oz of liquid total. You want to have twice as much oil as you do beeswax, so feel free to experiment away!

Add everything else in to the melted beeswax to melt down as well.

Add in essential oils. I did about twice the amount of peppermint oil as rosemary oil. I did about 30ish drops peppermint oil and 15ish drops of rosemary oil. I’m excited to experiment with my other oils soon!

After it’s all melted, and the flavor is right for you, pour into chap stick tubes or containers. If you use tubes, pour carefully (it comes out fast); you’ll probably have a few casualties — it doesn’t take much for them to tip over. The melty chap stick mixture is super fun to clean up off of counter tops and stoves.

Let it cool and solidify.

If you want to be extra pretend crafty, like me, you can create labels to put on your chap stick tubes. I decided on the name “Lip Dressing” for my chap sticks -note creative flair- because it’s fun, and, well, I was eating a salad at the time so the idea just kind of came to me.

And thus, Peppermint Lip Dressing was born! TA-DA!

Don’t act like you’re not impressed…

Vegan Diaries – Removing The Rose-Colored Glasses

Originally posted on http://shrinkingjeans.net

There are 3 kinds of people I’ve discovered in the past week: those who do NOT like their views to be challenged and will most certainly let you know, including what and how they eat; those who will entertain the idea of a change – they will listen, smile and nod, and maybe in some back corner of their brain store that information for a rainy day; and those who are all about learning something new and attempting to incorporate it into their lives, if even just for a day. I have encountered and handled each of these in the past week.

Apparently, going vegan puts me in a different category than, oh I don’t know, everyone else. I am no longer simply a human. I am a vegan human. I feel like I’m on a display for people to marvel at, ridicule, and everything in between. I have been told I am not thinking this through, that I’m being ridiculous, that it’s just plain unnecessary. I have also been told that people love that I am doing this, that I am an inspiration, and that they support me in this alternative lifestyle. I’m not here to dissuade or persuade anyone of anything. I’m simply eating differently. That is all. I welcome the reactions, positive or not; it proves that it’s getting people thinking and talking. Plus, I have thick skin, so bring it on.

I’m surprised at the reactions I’m getting, but also very interested as to why. I think many of the reactions stem from an absence of information. I’m shocked we’re not more educated on our food, food sources, and what we put in our bodies each and every day. It’s appalling, really. I love answering questions–and actually knowing the answers–when people ask me about veganism, nutrition, and food. I’ve been continually educating myself via documentaries, articles, books, and trial and error.

The transition hasn’t been too much of a stretch so far. I’ve made a few mistakes here and there, but have done very well. My energy levels are good and aren’t interfering with my daily workouts, my job (I’m a server, so I’m on my feet a lot), or my day-to-day activities. In fact, I feel great! My body has become, shall we say, much more efficient, due to the amount of vegetables, grains, fruits, and unprocessed foods I’m eating, but I view that as a good thing.

Even though it has only been one week, I have discovered and rediscovered: my rekindled love affair with avocados, I’m not impressed by vegan cheese, it’s hard to cook for one person, boxed and flavored quinoa and brown rice meals are not my favorite, homemade flavored quinoa and brown rice meals are delicious, you can’t trust bread (so I make my own), read the ingredients in EVERYTHING, Thai restaurants are an easy place to be vegan, spices are fun things to play with, my family was surprisingly willing to try a complete homemade vegan dinner, I have many people standing behind me and supporting me, there is always another way to expand my knoweldge.

Eat Of The Week

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup

This soup was the first vegan recipe I made, and it was a hit! It had just the right blend of spices, texture, and flavor. I changed a few things and added a few things – but isn’t that what everyone does with recipes?! Instead of orange sweet potatoes (yams), I used white sweet potatoes. I’m not the biggest sweet potato fan, so I opted for the less-potent ones. It also calls for garam masala, which I didn’t have (nor did I have a clue as to what in the heck it was – it’s a blend of Asian spices), so I made my own. I blended cinnamon, nutmeg, curry, cumin, turmeric, pepper, red pepper flakes, salt, and probably something else that I don’t remember. I added more of this to the soup itself for a stronger flavor. I also added kale for that extra nutritional punch.

Mistake Of The Week

Not all beverages are created equal, even if they are delicious. As mentioned in last week’s post, vegans can drink alcohol, but not all alcohol is vegan. Say what? Some alcoholic beverages can be processed with animal by-products, mostly used for the filtering process. This process voids that particular beverage of all vegan properties. These adult beverages are tricky, though, as they are not required to place anything on their labels acknowledging their veganness, and I fell victim to their ambiguity. After 2 sips of my milk stout beer, the imaginary light bulb over my head went off. The word ‘milk’ triggered it –I know there’s no milk in the beer, people– and I checked Barnivore, a website that informs whether or not a beer, wine, or liquor is vegan. Sadly, my milk stout was not. I sighed deeply, made peace, pushed it aside, and grabbed a New Belgium Fat Tire instead. Not a bad trade off if I do say so myself.

Craving Of The Week

Chocolate. Enough said. This strikes me as funny, because I’m not usually a big sweets person. I think part of it had to do with the fact that every chocolate anything I ran across had some sort of dairy in it. Stupid subconscious making me want something I can’t have. Yesterday, I emphatically shut up my subconscious and put it back in its place with Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles. SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I had trouble finding the will to stop eating them. I had 3! Ok, ok, I had 5. Oops. They were so worth it.

What’s better than ooey, gooey, sugary, chocolatey, vegan goodness? Ooey, gooey, sugary, chocolatey, vegan goodness with Homemade Baileys Irish Cream. Also vegan, of course. Although it didn’t turn out quite as thick as I hoped, it was absolutely delicious. I’ll probably let it condense on the stove a little longer next time. Additionally, I added some almond extract for extra dimension. I’m not Irish, but I am Ginger, so this was my unconventional St. Patrick’s Day celebratory meal. I can call this a meal, right?

At least the plate is green…

Eye Opener Of The Week

EARTHLINGS

This award-winning documentary, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, is “about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed ‘the Vegan maker’ for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs.”

This film opened my eyes to a reality that the majority of people don’t think about, or choose to ignore. It’s a harsh, uncensored, and shell-shocking angle, but it’s what happens behind closed doors, so to speak. The treatment of animals originally was not one of the reasons for my vegan challenge, but this film reveals actions, situations, and circumstances that I can’t now unknow. It’s a hard film to watch, but I’m glad that I did. I watched it once, and that’s all I’ll ever need. It definitely evokes antagonizing thoughts and second guessing on whether or not a potential future prime rib indulgence is really worth it. Though difficult, I would encourage you to watch it as well. Knowledge is power.

Read Of The Week

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan addresses the question “What should we have for dinner?” in this eye-opening publication. He follows food from it’s source to the table through 3 different food chains: industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves. Through personal experience, research, and reflection, Pollan addresses not only what we eat, but how the food we eat today is produced. I am in the beginning stages of this book and am already amazed at the information provided. This book has been recommended to me over and over again, and I’m so excited to finally have the opportunity to read it. I will be doing a book review on it later this month, potentially coupled with a book giveaway on the shrinkingjeans site (fingers crossed!).

Wow. All of that and it has only been one week. My realities have been challenged, altering my outlook and perspective in several food-related areas. Moments of enlightenment, frustration, accomplishment, shock, camaraderie, confrontation, acceptance, and more have all occurred. I can’t imagine what I’m going to come across, struggle with, succeed at, and discover in the coming weeks. This experience is going to put me through the paces, but I plan on enjoying the ride.

One down, 4 to go.

Vegan Diaries – Best Laid Plan(t)s

Originally published on shrinkingjeans.net

Hello, my name is Melissa and I’m a vegan.

Friends, family, strangers: “You’re crazy!” “Are you out of your mind?” “Why would you EVER want to do something like that?!”

Me: No argument. Possibly. Why not?

I sincerely believe that you can’t knock something until you’ve tried it (within reason). I’m stubborn, dogged, and determined. I’ll be the first to admit it. When I decide to do something, I jump in with both feet, guns blazing, and ‘Eye of the Tiger’ theme music on repeat in the background (in my head). The 5 week vegan challenge that I decided to do starts today. I have taken the past week to research, soul search, food search, and prepare in the best ways I could. This has included: vegan blog reading, cookbook buying (3 in fact!), recipe finding, documentary watching, article researching, advice seeking, tête-à-tête conversating, pro and con evaluating, decision defending, habit adjusting, grocery shopping, label scrutinizing, ingredient dissecting, and life habituating, among other things. I’m just happy I’m not doing this alone; my boyfriend, Aaron, is going vegan, too.

In an effort to truly understand how a vegan diet can affect our bodies, we have taken the liberty to do a few ‘before and after’s: blood work, weight, and photos. We are not using this as a gimmick to lose weight, we’re not doing it as a detox method, we’re not going to throw red food coloring on the next person we see with leather boots or a fur coat, and we’re not tossing out everything in our lives that have something to do with animal by-products. This is simply a health challenge that we decided to take on as a way to see food consumption, diet, and a lifestyle decision from another perspective. These ‘befores’ will have to wait as they have not come in yet, unfortunately.

Seaweed chips

Vegans do eat, contrary to popular belief. In order to eat like they -I mean we- do, I had to take a grocery shopping trip. Although it ended up being a little pricey, I bought a TON of stuff and feel very prepared for this journey…or at least the start of it. My grocery cart was packed with more produce than I think I’ve ever bought at one time. It actually felt good. I felt almost smug walking around the store, thinking ‘My cart looks WAY better than your cart.’ There were a few things that I struggled to find easily, though. The item I struggled the most with surprised me: crackers. No joke. I was hard-pressed to find crackers that didn’t have sugar, milk, or some other hidden item in the ingredient list that made me put the box back on the shelf. (Why does sugar matter? Keep reading to find out.) I finally did find some, though. Many products were also labeled ‘vegetarian,’ which I felt was a safe bet on putting them in my shopping cart. At one point, I asked an attendant her thoughts, and she told me that if it did not exclusively say ‘vegan’ on the packaging, there were no guarantees. So I took those out of my cart and put them back. This shopping trip definitely took more time and effort than any previous trips. But, I survived. The items I bought that I’m most interested in trying are seaweed chips (by the recommendation of a friend), vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, and tempeh (which looks insanely unappetizing).

I did not buy tofu.

Not only is this a health challenge, it has also been quite a learning challenge so far. According to the Vegetarian Times, there are 7.3 million U.S. adults who follow a vegetarian diet, and 1 million of those who are vegan. I’ve been doing my fair share of research on a vegan lifestyle, and then some. Now, it’s my turn to be the enlighten-er. Here’s some insight on what I’ve learned (educational, interesting, shocking, weird, and otherwise) in the past week.

You can’t eat, like, anything can you?

Uh, actually, you can. You can have anything that is not an animal by-product. That does mean no meat, dairy, fish, eggs, or honey. Anything and everything else is fair game! The last time I checked, that’s quite a variety of food.

What do you mean you can’t have honey? What about sugar?

Sugar & honey replacement

Well, it depends on the vegan. Honey is made by bees. Bees are an animal. Therefore, it’s an animal by-product. For all intents and purposes of this vegan challenge, Aaron and I discussed honey, beeswax chap stick, etc., and we decided that we would not cut out products from bees, but simply try to limit them. As for refined sugar, no it does not come from animals, but can be processed with animal bone char to remove color, impurities, and minerals, according to Vegan Action. I love agave nectar, so I’ll probably use that as my honey/sugar substitute.

How are you going to get enough protein?

The American culture is obsessed with protein consumption. From protein shakes to 12oz steaks to protein-enhanced foods, there is an overabundance of protein in our diets, which can actually be harmful to the body and stress out our internal systems. Based on a 1,800 calorie diet, only about 270 of those should come from protein. Don’t get me wrong, protein is an important component of a diet and should be consumed daily. There are, however, many different ways to get adequate amounts of protein without eating meat. Shocking? Not so much. Nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, tempeh, tofu, grains, and lentils are a few examples of foods that contain protein….not from an animal. An additional fun fact is that quinoa and hemp seeds are complete protein foods, which means they boast all of the essential amino acids.

Protein!!!

Is a vegan diet even healthy?!?!?!!

The truth is, a vegan diet can be devastating to your health if you don’t keep a balance and variety of foods to sustain the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly and efficiently. I suppose this is true with the ‘regular’ American diet as well. As a vegan, you can have carbs (hallelujah!); however, if refined carbs turn to be the primary source of your daily caloric intake, you are essentially starving your body of all the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function. Carbohydrates are not the enemy. In fact, they are in fruits and vegetables! If you choose to eat them in other forms, opt for the unrefined carbohydrates. Unrefined carbs are in their most natural state, without unnecessary processing that removes water, fiber, and nutrients. This unnecessary processing is called refining. Refined carbs have a longer shelf life and a more concentrated taste. This is the process that most ‘white foods’ have endured, including white sugar, white bread, cereals, white rice, many pastas, bakery items, etc.

What cookbooks did you buy?

These are the 3 that stood out to me the most:

• The Sexy Vegan by Brian L. Patton (his youtube videos are hilarious, too!)
• Chloe’s Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli
• Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats by Allyson Kramer

And last, but most certainly not least:

You can still drink alcohol, right?

The simple answer is yes, of course. How else would I get through this?! Just kidding. The more in-depth answer goes back again to what type of vegan you are. Alcohol is not an animal by-product, however, many companies use animal by-products in some way to produce their beverages, mostly for filtering purposes. One way to check if your favorite beverage is vegan is through a site called Barnivore.

For more vegan FAQs (if you haven’t had enough already), check out:

• Vegan Action – Frequently Asked Questions
• The Daily Green – 10 Foods Vegans Won’t Eat
• The Vegetarian Resource Group – Veganism in a Nutshell

Like I said, I’ve done my research. Maybe I went a little overboard, but I like to be prepared. There are a multitude of resources out there for those interested in learning more; I never ran in to a problem trying to find information. I’m excited for this journey and trying something new. It has already altered the way I look at food, particularly the ingredients in food. I’ve challenged myself, and am challenging you, to look at the ingredient list on a few of your food products at home. It can be quite surprising what is in there, and sometimes what isn’t.

Well, here I go: 5 weeks of changing my habits, changing my lifestyle, and changing my tune to ‘Eye of the (Vegan) Tiger’.

Vegan cheese?! Hmmmm

Breaking (ginger)bread: Cherry Delight Bread

If a ginger makes bread, does that make it gingerbread?

Aw, geez, I crack myself up sometimes.

No, but for real. I made bread. And it’s good! -well, in my opinion anyway-

I even -wait for it- tweaked the recipe and made it my own. And it still tastes good! I’m just as surprised as you are. But, there you have it. I really should buy myself a chef hat at this point. And an apron. I think I’ve earned them. Or gifts are always welcome. I might even give you some bread if you show up with one or the other. And definitely will if you show up with both!

Onward to the carb-fabulous bread loaf that I created with my own mind -the recipe- and conjured with my own tiny hands and stubby fingers.

Cherry Delight Bread Ingredients

My Recipe: Whole-wheat-flax-hemp-seed-cherry-delight Bread OR Cherry Delight Bread

1cup warm water

2¼ tsp dry active yeast (or one of those little yeast packets)

1tsp salt

1 ½ tbls applesauce

2½ tbls agave nectar

2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tbls hemp seeds

2 tbls milled flaxseed

1/3 to 1/2 cup dried cherries

 
Combine warm water, yeast, salt, applesauce, agave nectar, flaxseed, hemp seeds, dried cherries, and half the flour. Mix thoroughly. Let rise until it doubles in size.

The beginning stages

Gradually add the rest of the flour, kneading until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise again until doubled in size.

Cherry Delight dough ball

Punch down the dough and let rest for a few minutes -also great to release any additional stress. just don’t get too carried away- Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Let rise again until doubled in size. I covered mine with a damp cloth during this step as well.

Ready for the oven!

Bake at 350°F for 35 to 50 minutes.

Hooray! You successfully made Cherry Delight Bread! Eat a piece while it’s still warm. Trust me. It’s, well, delightful! -and I’m just cheesy-

 

Cherry Delight Bread!!

 
 
The original recipe called for vegetable oil instead of applesauce,  3 tbls sugar instead of agave nectar, and white instead of wheat flour. It also didn’t have the flaxseed, hemp seeds, or dried cherries. I brilliantly added those. Essentially, you can put anything in the beginning stages of the dough depending on what type of bread you want. I put in flaxseed and hemp seeds for nutritional value (see my kickass article on seeds if you’re interested), and dried cherries for fun and flavor. You could add any sort of seed, fruit, nut, or whatever sparks your inner baker’s interest.

This bread is vegan friendly, but not gluten free. You could adjust the flour for the bread to make it so (I’m not sure if this would alter the amount of flour, baking time, etc.).

To be quite honest, I really had no idea what I was doing in the first place. I’ve never made bread before. I have zero idea how long the dough takes to ‘rise’ and ‘double in size’ during each step. I guesstimated. Next time, I think I’ll give it some more time. Probably 1-3 hours in between each ‘rising.’ I didn’t do that this time and it turned out a little thick (I think that’s the word I’m looking for). Dense. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very tasty. I just can’t be perfect all the time. Rarely do I falter, though.

I’m sure I’d do much better with my chef hat. And/or apron. *hint hint*

Cherry Delight Bread

Vegan Diaries – Get Vegucated

Originally posted on shrinkingjeans.net

“WHAT?!” I exclaimed. I’d been thinking it would be fun to do, but never said anything aloud. Never in a million years did I think he’d want to do it, too. My boyfriend, Aaron, and I were watching a documentary about 3 random people in New York who were challenged to become vegans for 6 weeks. A vegan is someone who does not consume (or use) animal or dairy products; they abide strictly by a plant-based diet. The documentary, Vegucated (well worth a look, and it’s on Netflix!), follows these people on their journey to the grocery store, to the kitchen, and to their understanding of veganism based on the education they receive. It’s funny, enlightening, and informative.

About halfway through the documentary, he suggested it would be something fun to do together. Uhhhhhhh, let me give you a little insight. This truly Southern Louisianan wanna-be Coloradoan lives on a diet of bread, potatoes, pasta, ice cream, pizza, hamburgers…you get the picture. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great cook. Here’s the kicker: he hates vegetables! And not just a little bit. Hence, my reaction: “WHAT?!”

I do my best to be mindful of what I eat for the most part, but have a wicked weakness for ice cream/frozen yogurt, seafood, and cheese….not together.

But, there you have it. Based on his suggestion (notice how I’m taking zero credit), from March 11 to April 11 we will be completely vegan. No meat, no eggs, no dairy (which means no cheese, which is a horrible, horrible thing). No animal products of any kind. Thank Mother Nature I can still have coffee! During the next week we will do a weigh in, do ‘before’ pics, get our blood drawn to check cholesterol levels (and maybe a few other things), go grocery shopping, find recipes, and mentally prepare. I’ll go ahead and add the disclaimer that we’re not doing this to lose weight. We’re doing this as an adjustment to our lifestyle and eating habits. It’s going to be quite the challenge, especially since we’ll be in different states for part of the time, making it harder to keep each other in check and resist a bacon cheeseburger or some frozen yogurt supreme goodness. I was also banking on Aaron doing the majority of the cooking, I’m not exactly kitchen savvy – usually anything that could go wrong, will. I did take the liberty to order a vegan cookbook, though, mostly because I liked the name of it. Whether or not I actually attempt to make one of the recipes is a different matter.

I’ve never thought about going vegan before. Ever. But things change, and I do love a good challenge. If you’ve thought about it, or even if it’s the most ludacris idea and furthest of your food desires, I encourage you to watch the documentary or do some reasearch on veganism. Afterward, if something has peaked your interest and you’re so inclined (I might be pushing it), join us on this challenge and journey. Even if it’s just for a week. Or even a day. We’d love to hear about your experiences!

My goals for this personal challenge:

• Become more familiar with the vegan/vegetarian community
• Gain an appreciation for a strict plant-based diet
• Actually cook a few recipes from the cookbook
• DON’T CHEAT!
• Be an inspiration (hopefully) for those interested in trying it
• Learn – I feel like this will be happening a lot
• Have fun!

If any of you have already taken the plunge to veganism and have any advice, suggestions, and favorite recipes, please help us! We will most certainly need it.

Becoming a Southern Belle?

I’ve been to South America and South Asia (Indonesia), but before last August (2012), I had never been to the South in North America. That changed when I started dating a Southerner from Louisiana. Born and raised in Colorado, I’m not a huge fan of humidity, and neither is my curly hair, which becomes ridiculously unruly and unmanageable the closer to sea level I get. I’d never had any reason to go until then. It rains more than any place I’ve seen. Colorado is lucky to get a few thunderstorms a year – this is an almost daily occurrence down there. Yep, it’s definitely different.

A Southern Belle is something I’ll never be, but I’ve definitely learned my share of skills and had some crazy experiences down there. A few things I’ve learned and learned how to do:

*A new language. That’s right, the South has it’s own language. They are efficient people – they take one big breath and say everything they have to say in one sentence very long word without breaking in between. Often, they will shorten words so as not to use up energy with those extra syllables. Then, they will stare at you until you respond, whether or not you understood anything that came out of their mouth. Nod. A lot.

*Crawfish season is revered, and you best get your order in asap or watch out for rowdy people throwin ‘bows for the last pound. There is a crawfish hierarchy that is established among restaurants as to whose is the best – this is dictated through a drawn-out conversation by crawfish consumers between juciy bites discussing the seasoning of these ones to so-and-so’s down the street. Yet, they all get eaten all the same. Oh, and size does matter.

*Coke is soda is water. Any sort of bubbly soda is stored and stocked in houses and establishments like they’re preparing for a world-wide shortage. The only thing they’re missing is for it to come out of their faucets. Everything is called Coke – it’s just a matter of what kind of Coke you’d like.

*Some places are dark and dirty, while others resemble an extraordinary oasis. I’ve been on one plantation there, Houmas House, and it is one of the prettiest places I’ve seen. Also, some of the houses we’ve driven by are incredible. Quite a contrast between those and the poverty of New Orleans. They all have one thing in common, though, the culture of the people. The culture is tangible and hard not to get caught up in. It’s a mixture of feelings: old and new, music and art, cajun, french, american, wealth and poverty, history and the present.

 

Houmas

House

Plantation

*The food is phenomenal, plentiful, and very filling.

 

And yet we eat, and eat, and eat some more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other things I learned in Louisiana:

How to shoot a gun

 

 

 

 

How squirrell tastes (I didn’t think I’d actually hit the little guy)

How to wedge, throw, and trim my very first pot

 

How to make apple butter

I’ve also been deep-sea fishing, hurricane drinking, regular fishing, insect identifying, frog leg eating, orange picking, running from slugs (irrational fear), walking down Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, sipping cafe au lait and eating beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Although it’s very different from home and almost like another world, it’s a fun place to visit and I’m excited to see what the next trip has in store for me.

I’ll just be a Colorado girl in a Southern Belle world.