Tabouli tabouleh taboli

 Here is a photo twosome of hummus and tabouleh salad I made the other night. Thanks to this recipe, I am no currently obsessed with bulgur wheat! Tabouleh is a traditional Arabic dish. I first tried it at my farmers market. There is a vendor there that sells tabouleh salad in little tubs- 3 for $10. Super great deal. I've always loved it but never thought of making it at home until I got a bad craving for some. To accompany this craving, I made some hummus as well.

Greenery scenery

Warm kale salad ♥

 

ingredients;

organic quinoa

organic kidney beans

organic kale

non-gmo nutritional yeast

basil oil

salt and pepper

Breakfast!

Today's breakfast was brought to you by; Trader Joe's Organic oats with organic raspberries, dates, and a little flax meal all in a creamy bath of vanilla almond milk  :)

 

Vegan pumpkin chili

 Fall is upon us and I couldn't help but break out the pumpkin goodies and start cooking! Although, I must admit, my original plan was to use a can of pureed sweet potato I already had but the expiration date was too far gone to even work with (Mar. 2013, yikes!). Luckily I had just went to the store and picked up a can of organic pureed pumpkin that I knew I would soon need, and lo and behold, I did! I was in the mood for chili but not for a bowl of stewed tomatoes as traditionally used so I thought it would be an excellent idea to use a pumpkin base instead and it was fee-NOM!! I experimented with vegan cornbread but I wasn't very happy. I went by the directions on the box and still un-impressed. Just didn't have much flavor. It wasn't hard to "veganize" it. All I did was omit one egg for flax meal instead (1tbsp flax meal to 3 tbsp. of water will replace one egg). It was, however, just yummy if you top your cornbread with the chili..mmmm. For my fall-pumpkin chili I used the following;

 

3 ears fresh roasted corn on the cobb

1 can organic black beans

1/2 purple onion

3 cloves garlic

1 can organic (BPA free) pumpkin puree

1 organic green bell pepper

2 organic tomatoes

3-4 cups cooked quinoa

2-3 cups organic veggie broth

     *season to taste*

add cilantro if you have it! 

 

I even added red pepper flakes and sriracha for some heat!

This was such a yummy, filling, hearty dish. Major comfort food, here. Perfect for a fall evening and no yucky animal fat swimming in the sauce. This had a very "meaty" texture to it, which my friend LOVED (he's a meat-eater!). I bet some vegan cheese will go great on top! Maybe next time ;)

 

 

 

Purple Haze

 Don't you just love the color purple?! Look at these beautiful organic purple carrots I found at the market! I have never seen them before but I was inclined to by them anyway! I love carrots and looove beets, and these were like the perfect hybrid! Earthy and nutty like beets and sweet and crunchy like regular carrots. I did some research on them and I found that purple carrots have all, if not more, of the yummy benefits of their orange cousins! Vitamin A, beta carotene, rich in anthocyanins (have no idea how to pronounce that!), the same antioxidants that give blueberries their pretty blue color, along with super food benefits! Studies show that those blue and purple hues can improve memory, enhance vision, protect against heart attacks, act as anti-inflammatory, and help with weight loss.

 

This is why it is sooo important to shop for color variety in your produce! The colors aren't just there to make your grocery cart look pretty, but there are a multitude of health benefits in the color of your food!

 

So, all I did was chop them up, pretty thin so they'd cook faster---sautéed them in about half a tbsp. of organic coconut oil, salt (Himalayan) and pepper and done! super yummy and tasty. I hope I see these more often! :)

 

Vegan Chili

 Boy, do I love me some chili, and boy, OH BOY do I now love-me-even-more some vegan chili!! So simple an delish! I never even considered this idea until I saw a box of vegan chili mix on sale yesterday (yes, I cheated! but I'm still a little new at this so I think it's allowed :-P)

 

Anyway, I saw this box of chili mix and all it said was to add water and chopped, stewed tomatoes. So simple and it was on sale for .99 cents! Why not try it? So my mental check-list began and right off I remembered I had some red quinoa in the fridge already made from the night before so I thought it would pair well with the chili. I did not have a can of stewed tomatoes on hand, but I had half of a tomato. So that would have to do. I went home and with my handy-dandy processor, I chopped some celery, carrots and a whole white onion to add to the mix. While that was sautéing on its own, I added the tomato (diced) along with some roughly chopped cilantro and a can of organic black beans. Finally, I added the vegan chili mix and about a cup or so of water until I got the consistency I wanted. The mix had a "meaty" texture to it. I noticed on the box it had soy in it, so that is what gives it that meaty-ness. I then topped it with more diced purple onion and some avocado. Perfect! A little Sriracha for some heat and we were off and running, literally! What a beautiful dish this made. Very easy and all I did was add whatever I had on hand. The only thing I think I'll do next time is add some fresh roasted corn! And once again, my meat-eating sister loved it!! Being vegan is extremely easy, there is no excuse in the world to torture an animal for your own personal pleasure. Go Vegan and nobody gets hurt!

 

#myfooddoesntscream

 

 

Strawberry fields

This is a superb dinner idea when it's hot and you're tired! I made up the dressing based on what I had on hand, which was;

strawberries
limes
dates
olive oil

The berries were needing to be eaten and I don't really like snacking on them plain so I thought I would make a light strawberry vinaigrette! Toss everything in your processor (or blender) and season to taste. If it's too sweet, add a little more lime. To the contrary, if it's too tangy, add either another date or drizzle in some agave which is what I did. With a big bowl of fresh, organic ,washed and trimmed Kale, I poured in my dressing and added some thinly sliced purple onion for a little more bite and spice. Let it sit for an hour (if you can wait) to let the lime break down the kale a bit, plus it tastes better a little chilled. Instead of turning on the TV, I took a leisure stroll to the lake and relaxed by the water while the sun set as I waited for my salad to chill. It is so dreamy outside at that time....about 7-ish. So take advantage of the great out-of-doors when ever you can :)

1-2-3-TOSS!

Presto Pesto!

Here is the run-down on last nights feastivities! Some pita bread, parsley and garlic go a long way in the kitchen. I have been craving a good pesto for a while but never really got around to making it, partly because I hadn't had all the ingredients for it. But that is crazy thinking! It was a night of improvising! I just so happened to have two big fresh green bouquets of parsley, relaxing nicely in the crisper :) I had garlic and some good basil oil. So I thought, you know what? I can do this! No nuts? No problem! I used the same ingredients/ratios as you normally would for a classic pesto and was very happy with the results! I got a beautiful, vibrant pesto with just parsley, garlic, basil oil, and some nutritional yeast (for a cheesy, nutty flavor)! and was able to make pesto pizza! After adding tomato, onion and some Daiya (non-dairy cheese), these were the results! Even for being the die-hard, meat-eating, pepperoni-queen that she is, my sister loved it! Yes, she loved my vegan pizza! Warm, crispy, cheesy, garlicky goodness! Paired with a big, bright, crunchy green salad and tossed with the remaining pesto, presto!

 

A sweet-tooth crept in soon after and, again, the improvising resumed... I had a box of Duncan Hines chocolate chip cookie mix which can be easily "veganized"  if you don't add the animal junk. And they aren't the healthiest either--lots of questionable processed ingredients and chemicals but if you're transitioning and are looking for options to help keep you sane, go for it! and the box was just $1 at the dollar tree! The directions say to add THREE tbsp.'s butter, 2 eggs and some water. Butter and eggs? NO THANKS. I knew the butter was for fat & grease so in lieu of that, I used just a spoon-full of earth balance coconut/peanut butter and to replace the eggs and water, I just used about a half a cup of vanilla almond milk! I even added some ground flax into the batter to add fiber ;) 

And boom! chocolate chip/peanut butter/coconut cookie dough was born! This stuff tasted mmmmmazing!!! Again, my sister loved my vegan cookie dough! I see a trend happening here ;) Sadly, the dough never even made it to the oven as a cookie because we nibbled at the batter until it was gone! Thanks to no raw eggs, we didn't risk the chance of getting sick, only satisfied :)

 

 

No eggs? No butter? No worries! 

Taco twos-day :)

 This would be a photo of my lunch! Tofu tacos from Oasis! I just love this place more and more! This isn't my actual photo because I didn't have my camera with me while I was eating it but this is close enough! Two flavorful corn tortilla's filled with seasoned tofu, pico de gallo, and tofu cream and with a side of brown rice and black beans, to boot! Wow! a little too much food to eat all at once but it was a nice surprise :)

 

 

 

Mini me's

When you get home as late from the gym as I do, whipping up a substantial dinner is not really an option- A. because you're too tired. and B. well, simply because eating late is a sin! lol, but going to bed hungry should be just as frowned upon, right? I hope so. Henceforth, I buckled and decided I had to have something. So I got creative-and a little crazy-and turned my oven on to nearly 400 degrees! It was late enough in the evening, with cool breezes coming in through my kitchen window so it felt quite nice, despite the oven being on :)

 

I only had a few things to work with as I was a little short-handed on "pizza" ingredients, or so I thought! I wondered, "what could I use as my crust without using crust?" Bingo! Finally a light went on and I forgot about something I saw on pinterest recently. Amen! I just happened to have some eggplant on hand and some tomatoes that were in desperate need of something to do aka-they was goin' bad! lol

 

With just a couple of eggplant rounds, brushed with some basil infused oil,  spread on some crushed garlic, layer your toms and for a little crunch, add some thinly sliced white onion. A little sea salt and pepper to taste, a few dashes of hot pepper flakes and then I added some trader joes' non-dairy mozzarella. These are simply things that I had on hand. The beautiful thing is that you can add whatever you want! So, after about 15 minutes or so in the oven, my world was about to change! These came out so yummy and perfect, I can't believe I have not been doing this all along! I also had some pre-made polenta in the fridge. Just two baby slices, topped with garlic and fried in some non-fat/non-stick coconut oil spray. Boom! No carb veggie pizza meal in no time!

 

 

Forbidden fare

I saw this rice once on a another blog that I follow. It's called forbidden rice or "black rice". It's native to Asia and is considered an heirloom grain. It is packed full of nutritional value, about as much fiber as her brown rice cousin but she advances ahead because she carries 18, yes, 18 amino acids-the building blocks of a complete protein! Also iron, manganese, carotene and more! Cooks just like brown rice, with about the same texture and actually smells like black beans while it's cooking in the rice cooker but turns to an earthy deep purple once 'aldente' ;)

 

 

It's a wrap!

 Here is a snap-shot of my yummy lunch! Simply dubbed the "plant-wrap" filled with grilled portabella, hummus, pico de gallo, spinach, and sesame seeds all cozied up in a wheat tortilla!

 

Success! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sale away :)

So I came across these interesting vegan items on sale at my local natural food store. The lady assured me that they weren't on sale because they were going bad, but rather, that they were discontinuing them. So, I went for 'em! Some items I've never tried before, so I was sort of excited. Of course I went for the sweet stuff first, you know me! lol. I already had some non-gmo/organic tofu at home so I was ready for the pudding and it was so good! I could not believe it! It says to only add about 2-3 tbsp. of water but I think I must have used about half a cup of almond milk and it came out perfect! I hope I can find this stuff again because it was amazing. I added the pudding pic below! :) the veggie krunch was o-kay. I think it was a little stale but who knows. Not sure if I really liked it. I munched on it by itself to try first then thought it would go great in my salad. But it didn't have much of a "wow" factor for me. Maybe it was just the flavor? Have not tried the tofu scramble yet but may try it in the morning tomorrow, so stay tuned!! Xo 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the dark image but it was delish!!! ***VEGAN VANILLA PUDDING*** 

Lunch!

Love me some Oasis Café!! They have the best food! This was my veggie burrito. I think it had elephantitus! lol stuffed to the brim with black beans, avocado, brown rice, lettuce, tomato salsa and vegan cream, oooh yeah!!! I even took my "meat-eater" friend here the other day and she loved it!!! Of course she did! They also have the best vegan tiramisu!!

 

 

Dessert first!

I found this to be a great pre-run treat! Nothing wrong with a little dessert first if you ask me! Just a banana, chopped dates, cashew cream and granola. Full of potassium from the banana and protein from the cashew cream including those fiber-rich dates! Plus added goodness from the granola-iron, fiber and more protein! It's the perfect pick-me-up fuel before a Run. Mmm!

 

Thai dine :)

Once again, too hot to heat the house up for dinner.  So instant thai Rice noodle soup to my rescue! Not as bad as a pack of top ramen so this is a decent alternative. The sodium is still high but not as bad so don't eat these too often :) And of course I had to dress it up a little more by adding some fresh kale, tofu, red pepper flakes, scallions and just a light drizzle of some basil oil...so good!

 

Aloha!

Say hello to my super-yummy, crunchy-sexy-cool veggie sandwich on rye... courtesy of Aloha Grill! Not a vegan restaurant (by any stretch of the word) but they do offer this fresh alternative :) this place is known for their fish tacos and mahi mahi dishes... but, that's all in the past now, for me, at least! lol Oh, and raspberry sorbet for dessert! 

 

Mi Tortilla!

Lunch is served and it was so nice to eat at home today thanks to my four day weekend! Avocado will be on the menu pretty much every day for the next couple days because I bought too many big ones by mistake. I know it sounds crazy but it's a long story! Lol But on the upside, I've got all these ripe avocados I get to eat which is always a good thing! So today was perfect for an avocado wrap. A chia seed tortilla, filed with my Santa fe mix (organic fresh roasted corn, organic black beans & onions), vegan cheese, a little bit of Trader Joe's sweet pepper jelly, a dollop of tofu cream and garnished with cilantro! I'm full! And now I'm off to Dockweiler beach to celebrate the birth of our great nation aka my favorite holiday! Happy birthday, America! ♡

 

Tonight

Tonight's dinner was brought to you by.... nothing but the best! Just a baked potato, topped with fresh roasted corn from the cob, black beans, onions, and half an avocado! and I even sexied it up a bit more with some of Trader Joe's sweet pepper jelly. ..NOMS!! Then just a small side of sauteed kale and I'm all (vegan) gouda! :)

Beets by me

I've been in such a beet mood that I just couldn't resist turning the oven on...even in this heat! Luckily it wasn't real bad. But the results were nothing short of amazing! Beets are so magical and delicious...I Just feel so bad for people who don't like them! They've really got a bad rap but they are what I call nature's ruby's. Rich and hearty and rustic and sweet. If you treat them right, they'll return the favor---ten-fold. Just give 'em a good wash, wrap in foil and bake for about 45 minutes at around 400 degrees (give or take) and bam! You can season them in the foil or not. It's up to you. Just make them how you like them- so you'll eat them! :)

 

Happy hemp day!

It's Wednesday! And we all know what the middle of the week means! Hemp day! No, I'm not talking about blunts and joints lol..... I'm speaking more on the lines of hemp hearts.... turned into hemp milk! The only thing smoking in my kitchen was the blender lol! Hemp hearts have a very distinctive flavor as well as....*cough* aroma ;) so it can be a little tricky getting the taste right.  But it was a cinch. Half a cup of hemp hearts with two cups filtered water....some vanilla, and a sweetener. You could use brown rice syrup or maple syrup or agave and dates. Whatev! Just make it yummy! It will be a great addition to my smoothies and oatmeal or, straight from the jug! Hey, don't jug me, lol :)

 

Happy Friday!

It's my Friday! and it's also my lunch hour that's why there's no alcohol in my photo! LOL
Anyway, I guess I enjoyed my "lunch" at Starbucks (if you wanna call it that!). I liked my green tea frapp* and plain, PLAIN bagel (which I had to drizzle with a little agave to give it a little life). They were out of multi grain bagels and all they had was butter or sour cream. NO jam, NO jelly or anything! C'mon Starbucks, C'mon!!!!! Plus, No whip makes for a boring looking drink but that's not a "vegan" thing, its a Starbucks is lame thing! But it was actually really good so it's nice to know that if you're itching for their drinks, you can get something. So, only $5.00 later and that completes my overrated trip to Starbucks!

Oh yeah....here is a list of things I have missed since going vegan aka eating a PLANT BASED DIET;


1. Nothing
2. Can't remember
3. Don't care either way
4. It was bad for me, anyhow
5. That wasn't food, that was filth!
6. It gave me gas
7. uuhhhhh.....
................................................................get the picture? LOL! I haven't really missed anything because I've been sooooo freaken satisfied with what I'm eating lately that I can't even remember what I used to eat! and it's also because I'm not deprived in anyway. To the contrary, if I were to compile a list of things I've enjoyed since cutting out meat and dairy, that'd be a whole nother post! I'll post it later, heehee :)


*Starbucks' green tea frapp's are vegan only if you specify all soy, no whip.

Date me, please!

This was my breakfast as I was driving into work today! No, I did not have two of them (although, don't put it past me! lol)! I just like the look of two yummy smoothies in one photo! Just my standard, go-to mix (frozen strawberries, frozen pineapple, vanilla almond milk, flax meal) but this time I switched it up and used pitted dates! VERY PLEASED!!!!! I found that I was getting a little too liberal with the sweeteners; agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup. All of which I always keep on hand but it's too much for every day use. Not to mention the cup of coffee and/or tea I usually have, too! Ugh! I just can't have it all...waaaaahhh!!!!

So, dates to the rescue! They're naturally very sweet and full of fiber and not processed, of course. I just soaked a handful of pitted dates (about half a cup or so) in filtered water for a couple of hours or the night before. I noticed that after just a couple of hours in the water, they were getting soggy rather quickly, so overnight is not always needed. Then I drained them and put them in a container in the fridge until morning. The soaking helps to soften the dates and makes it easier on your blender. Nice n chewy on their own, yes, but just not too blender-blade friendly, either. They worked beautifully. They add a nice "meatiness" to the smoothie, nice n thick, not too runny....just right. And puurrfectly sweetened. A container of pitted dates at Sprouts costs about $3.44 compared to, say, Grade B Maple Syrup at $6.99, and that's for their smallest jar!!!!

UPDATE** I now keep dates in my fridge, in water, ready for my use. They last beautifully and stay super sweet and begin to create their own syrup in the water over time so don't throw that water out! :)

Goddess plate :)

Here's a snapshot of my dinner last night---aka, my "Goddess Plate"! Well, doesn't it look a little ridiculous? LOL, it looks like something out of the garden of Eden! Usually when I go to a restaurant and order a big salad, my friends always make fun of my plate by calling it "bush gardens" lololol. Jerks! But laugh all you want, this baby is for serious folks only! It really looks like a lot but it's really not. Just half a plate of salad (romaine, cilantro, red bell pepper, black beans, corn salsa, chives, cucumber, carrots, red onion and a little vegan cheese) drizzled with my house-made vinaigrette (balsamic, spicy brown mustard, EVOO*, & agave) accompanied by two small baked potatoes topped with half of a small avocado. I drizzled a little balsamic vin on that, too! A little salt n pepper to taste and that's all she wrote! It was very satisfying but it wasn't too filling as I was still able to go for my run right after! Its just a simple salad with a potato! Virtually no fat, unless you count the fat from the avocado and dressing (but it's good fat!). But that's all.  No butter, no sour cream, no bacon bits. None of that junk. Really, all you have to do is just throw together whatever you have in the fridge. Ever heard of "dump cake"? Well, it's the same concept. Just dump in it whatever you got on hand! But try to refrain from calling it dump salad cus then no one's gonna want to try it! hehe ;)


*EVOO= extra virgin olive oil
 

Happy Oasis

Burger King who?!?! Whomever says that a non-dairy, meat-less, plant-based diet is nutritionally insufficient is outta their ever-lovin', meat-headed mind!!! This vegan "burger" on sprouted whole grain bun, with avocado, tofu cream, and veggies is packed full of goodness (good fat, protein, grains, calcium, iron, to name a few!). Know what it's not packed full of? Cholesterol laden, saturated fat filled, hormone infested animal flesh! Not to mention the big kicker, cruelty-free! This sandwich was so big I couldn't get my mouth open wide enough to take the first bite, but of course, that didn't last long lol! ;) It was pretty big but surprisingly I feel like I haven't eaten a thing and it's been nearly an hour already. How is that possible? I feel like I could go for a run! and I actually will later! Ever heard anyone say that after eating a quarter-pounder with cheese from Carl's Jr? Allow me to answer that for you....no you haven't! On top of this delicious burger, I washed it down with an icy cold tall can of coconut water and vegan salt n pepper bean chips....soo good!! Next adventure...dinner! XoXo Basil Breath

Frooty-licious :)

Another great way to keep cool during this horrid heat wave is to fill up on organic apricots and plums! Why? Because they're in season! And when things are in season, they kinda tend to be more at their nutritionally-beneficially-potentially best----jam packed with all their vitamins, enzymes, minerals and the like!-- unlike out-of-season, non-organic produce. An they taste even better! Not to mention juicy strawberries and blackberries! If you're someone like me who doesn't go through fruit that fast but loves to keep it on hand, just freeze everything and throw them in your breakfast smoothies, or while they're frozen drop them in your tea, lemonade, wine or water! They add great flavor plus frozen fruit won't water your drinks down like ice does while keeping it nice and cool! So stock up! I sure did! :)

Hot hot hot!

Today was such a hot day. ..almost impossible to cool down no matter what you do! Iced tea, a breezy stroll to the lake, a cold shower, nope! Still want to die from this heat! At my absolute lowest point, I even considered turning the oven on to make dinner! lol! Good thing I came to my senses and settled for a yummy alternative that didn't involve turning my house into a hot box! So....Kale and lentils to the rescue! Sauteed with garlic and purple onion over a bed of hearty lentils. Simple yet delicious! Although there's no meat on my plate, it was still packed full of protein, nearly 18 grams from the lentils and lots of calcium and iron from the kale. And let's not forget the fresh garlic which does wonders for your blood pressure! A great meal that's not too hot on a day like this :)

 

Supper :)

So, last night I experimented with stuffed bell peppers....a meat-less version, of course!

Stuffed with organic black beans & red quinoa, sautéed cilantro, chives, fresh chopped parsley, left over diced peppers and a little flax meal for added fiber and works great as a binder instead of bread crumbs!

Then I steamed some cauliflower for my version of "mock-potatoes" mixed with garlic, sea salt and pepper then added some eggplant hummus for a little creaminess in lieu of butter. Then Just added some on top with a little non-dairy mozzarella and some of Wolfgang Puck's Spicy marinara sauce. DE-lish!! 

 

Three's a crowd...

...but not when it comes to eureka! Three different flavors (and textures) for your fancy. Grainiac, Seeds The Day, and Saaa-Wheat!  Talk about a trifecta! But it doesn't stop there...not only in just the flavors but in the integrity of the bread as well; Organic. Vegan. Gluten-free. What more could you ask for? :)

 

Saaa-Wheat!

 

FYI

When you gotta have coffee at work... BYOS (bring your own sweetener)!! ;-)

 

 

Pit stop!

Dropped in at my local Mother's Market and treated myself to a spicy little blend of carrots, kale, beets, ginger, and a menagerie of other yummies. And you just can't leave without a "lemon poppy-seed" cookie from Alternative Baking Company! (you can pretend you don't see my big steering wheel in the photo! lol)

 

Start me up!

Sweet blend of frozen pineapple, berries, fresh organic kale, flax meal, chia seeds and maple syrup! Mmm... down the hatch!

 

 

Reflection

It's amazing what a little inspiration can do to ones psyche. Being on this new-found journey, I suddenly find myself much more eager and excited to go straight home and cook! Either I'm starving and can't wait to get home and fill up on healthy goods, or there was a new recipe that I came across at some point in the day and I'm racing out of the office to get home and try it! I've never been this way before. All of a sudden I want to slow down and enjoy the sun before it goes down. Usually, I do all I can to keep busy after work like spending two hours at the gym or book store. Now, I just want to whip up a batch of chia pudding, go for a walk and come back and read a book or watch a movie. Even grocery shopping has completely changed for me. Now, I look forward to my next trip because I know there's something exotic at the store that's waiting to come home with me! All of a sudden, breakfast is exciting! It's an adventure! Before, it was a chore. Sure, I'm hungry (usually) but the time and effort it takes to make something  just never appeals to me. Now, I jump out of bed because I can't wait to use my blender! Kale, frozen pineapple and strawberries, vanilla almond milk, and maple syrup, all have become, like, my new starter kit! LOL It is proof that good, wholesome food motivates the soul and stimulates the brain, in ways the gym never has. I, of course, still go to the gym but now it's not the first thing on my agenda... eating is! But I'm not gaining any weight! Hmm, I wonder why? Maybe it's because I don't have refined white sugar, butter, fried eggs, and other gunk in my system!

~Eat to live, not live to eat :)

Hey, look at the little hotdog man. .. ain't he cute? ;)

Morning fast-break :)

Breakfast to go and no McDonald's required! Frozen Pineapple, strawberries, vanilla almond milk, a little flax meal, and some organic maple syrup made for a delicious and filling morning treat :)

*See the reflection of the diva lights? This was taken in my bathroom while I was getting ready! LOL

 

Monday Oasis!

Today I visited a local vegan restaurant that I had no idea even existed! (oh, the gems you find when you stop going to El Pollo Loco!) A little place called Oasis *vegetarian* Cafe. It's a really small establishment attached to a natural foods store (awesome, btw!!) but the folks there are big at heart! Today was the perfect day for a carnitas taco and a slice of vegan cheesecake...to-die! It was magic. I'm not yet sure what kind of "meat" they used but I will find out...maybe tempeh or Jack fruit? Don't really know cus I've never had either! The texture was good...sometimes that can be a problem with faux meats. Alas, I look forward to many visits to this humble little eatery :)
 

Destiny Dessert!

I'm having fun trying out all these new (and improved!) recipes....since I have such a major sweet tooth (pathetic, really), vegan desserts is where I began to experiment first. I figured I'd better get my sugar cravings under control and what better way to do that than with vegan/ all natural/ non-dairy/ non-refined white sugar treats! Now I don't feel so guilty if I got a hankering for something sweet because the ingredients are kind on the intestines and my body loves me!

So, I started my journey with chocolate...(because, duh! I already had some cocoa on hand!) and so chocolate/avocado pudding was soon under wraps in my kitchen! The texture was incredible- silky, smooth, creamy, decadent and velvety. I know what you're thinking...avo-"what?!". But don't worry, if you make it right, the avocado disappears on the tongue and you're left with an incredible treat. The avocado simply gives it that "oomph" that we love so much about pudding. Although this turned out more like a mousse, which, trust me, I ain't complainin' about! I think next time I'll use a little more vanilla, the main ingredient to help disguise the green stuff! Usually vanilla extract is to be used sparingly, but with this stuff you can go crazy! My sister hated it, of course, but I really do have fun using her as my tester! lol! Maybe one day she'll have fun, too ;)

V-day 6

Well, day six is almost complete and was a total breeze. This morning I played around with some pancakes and boy was that the best idea ever! Not only were they a cinch to make but they were incredibly good!  Who knew some wheat flour, hemp hearts, flax meal, and brown rice syrup could create one of the most indulgent treats on earth?! And you know I've got the pic to prove it!  ;) What a blessing it is to be able to stay healthy and enjoy it along the way! I don't understand why most folks can't embrace it.
 

Anymeow, then it was off to my local farmers market for some OG (organic grown) goodness! I just love these folks. The more I get to know them, and the more they know me by sight, the better the experience is! They treat ya real good when they see their folks comin back for more. It's like when your bartender knows you by sight and always hooks you up! It's a beautiful thing. I made out with loads of delectable veggies and fruit for just $12!  I feel like a thief for making off with such a killing but that is really the beauty in locally grown produce. Anyway, with all the yumminess I got, I, again, played around and created the most amazing homemade pizza! From thief to chief, I tell ya! lol! Easy, peezy, lemon-squeezy. xo

V-day 5

Just closed out another great day! Breakfast was sweet! Trader Joe's vegan crumpets topped with, of course, crunchy vegan almond butter and some hearty  black current preserves! I even sprinkled a little flax meal on the butter for a little added fiber. .... amazing! I'm predicting that the more days go by, the less I'll post... cus honestly, nobody cares how my day went and it is a bit of a nuisance..but! I will still continue to post photos and other useful info as I learn it.  Such as products and secrets I've discovered along the way.

V-day 4

Well I can say today was a good day! I'm pretty sure everything that went into my mouth was vegan friendly. I had the most amazing breakfast of my life this morning! Organic Vegan oatmeal with granola, almond milk, hemp hearts, and some blueberries! It was magic! So stoked to keep this going! A major upgrade from the dippy eggs and butter I'm accustomed to. Lunch was simple but then came home and made dinner and experimented with coconut milk whipped cream! I finally got it right and it is to die for!

 I have been taking pictures of my vegan dishes so I can share them later. Today I learned some interesting facts about bees and beekeepers and the mass enslavement they go through just so Americans can over dose on honey. So ridiculous, this is! I am really starting to just hate humans! Such wretched creatures, we are...but, onto a lighter note, I picked up Alicia's Kind Diet today! Going to enjoy it now with a modest glass of, you guessed.. vegan red! Good night!

V-day 3

 

Not a bad day! Finally made it to my Trader Joes and got some much needed vegan goodies! So excited to use them! I imagine being a vegan does get easier the more you educate yourself and get familiar with all the confusing labels and terminology. It takes me forever to read everything and ponder, only to give up and ask the dreaded question..."excuse me, is this vegan?" Sheesh...I'm so ready for my veteran status!

 Going to an event this evening....I already know what I'm going to have! Veggie tacos! Got my battle gear on! So for now, I'm only a true vegan at heart, because I know how I feel about my decision... it's just taking a while for my eyes and stomach to catch up :)

 

 

P.S. I scored an awesome deal today! Two big jugs of Almond milk for only five dollars! Those of you unfamiliar, these babies are usually close to $4 each! So this find was a blessing, for sure!

V-day 2

So far so vegan! It's kind of a challenge today because I'm low on stuff to eat, and I cannot wait to get back to the market for more goodies and ideas! Got a few road blocks up ahead of me today, but I'm ready to put up my fists and punch 'em down! Even though I'm not entirely prepared for a full-on v-day, I'm at least mentally prepared for what to expect when the storm hits.

 

UPDATE:

So, I had some dairy and I had some poultry. I was out of my element and I fell off the wagon. Secretly, I kinda knew I would, but...these things happen. It's all part of the journey! Stumble forward :) The one good thing that I hope to come out of this is to be more passionate, more consistent, more honest, and set an example. And so I move on :)

V-day 1

 

This day marks my official dive into the vegan abyss. Nothing I have consumed today (to the best of my newbie knowledge) contained any animal products - not even my vegan cupcake (score!). You could almost say it feels like new years day! I guess I'm startin' early! Well, not only did I survive my first day of Veganism, I also managed to survive an entire day dedicated to the Riverside County jury system! So, complete with a nice, Vitamin D-soacked trek through the Mission Inn district, a little vintage inspiration, and a trip to the bookstore, my Monday was full of successes.

 

Vegan juror #11