30-Day Vegan Challenge- Day 30

Yep, day 30-the longest I have been vegan ever! Hubby says, "you don't have to stop after 30 days, you know". I wasn't planning on it. I appreciate his support more than he will ever know. He also mentioned a new vegan restaurant in the area and said that we should go.  Very cool.

Yesterday I shared my cheese, purchased from Miyoko's Kitchen, with my coworkers. We are all a bunch of foodies so most of them are pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new things. I sent out an e-mail explaining that I was doing the vegan challenge- most of them knew anyway- and set the Herbs de Provence lavendar encrusted cheese out for people to try. One guy didn't like it, but everyone else was very positive and enjoyed the new experience. A few people asked for a link to the website and purchased Miyoko's cheese. (I need a commission. ;) ) Next time, I promised to bring in the Garlic Herb cheese which is a little more mainstream. Vegan cashew cheese rocks!

Off to enjoy my Baked Oatmeal breakfast. 30 Day Vegan Challenge- COMPLETE. I will continue to blog about my new vegan lifestyle- even if nobody follows!

30-Day Vegan Challenge- Day 23

First off...spaghetti squash with marinara sauce:

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  Every day gets a little easier with this challenge. Every day I share what I am doing with more people. I get various reactions. Most people, knowing that I have been vegetarian for years, are supportive of my decision. I do have to plan more, I do have to politely refuse to eat food that I love(d), like a box of Dunkin' Donuts that was brought in for a morning meeting at work.

  I try to keep meals simple which will be important with school starting up again- I'm studying to receive a M.S. degree in Food Science from Kansas State University. And by simple, I mean this:

  I have been trying to cook on weekends to alleviate the "what to have for dinner" stress during the week.

  Anyway, all is going smoothly, learning more every day. 7 Days to go- whoo hoo!

30-Day Vegan Challenge- Day 17

  Three words: APPLE BREAKFAST CAKE! My latest foray into the world of baking. The recipe came from the 30-Day Vegan Challenge book (of course). I may have added a little too much cardamom, but it still tasted really good. I love the breakfast recipes in this book- perfect for a weekend or if you are good at preparing meals ahead of time, these could be a weekday breakfast as well.
Pic of my Apple cake:

   Shopping has been challenging- planning has been challenging- however, I have made it through 16 full days of being vegan and am pretty proud of myself. Hubby is eating more vegan food as well. I have to give him credit for being so open about trying new foods/recipes. I currently have enough ingredients for kale chips, carrot/apple/ginger juice and another round of Baked Oatmeal with blueberries. Mike is out getting a vegan pizza right now.
  I have to say, I am definitely a fan girl of the vegans out there who are peddling the healthy/compassionate/sustainable foods messages- Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Kristina Carillo-Bucaram, and Jenny Brown are my favorites. I wish that I could make a direct difference in peoples' lives like they do. When I win the lottery, I will be donating heavily to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Colleen's work, and Beagle Freedom project- all worthy causes! Enough random rambling...
  Goal for next week: to join the gym again and work out 3 days- whether it be yoga or cardio/weights at the gym...a huge motivational challenge for me- wish me luck!

30-Day Vegan Challenge 4-6

  Sitting here on New Years Day eating my fruit bowl and feeling pretty good. I wish I lived in a warmer place with seasonal fruits available year round- oh well.

  An unexpected day working from home (roads were too icy to go to work) allowed me to make a delicious waldorf salad for lunch. The recipe came from "The 30-Day Vegan Challenge' and was easy to make and very yummy. My hubby enjoyed it as well. I replaced the seitan with a Tofurky sausage and added kelp flakes- so good!

  It has been an exhausting work week, so when hubby (Mike) suggested we go out for dinner on Tuesday night (Day 5), I was fine with it. We ate at Grazers, a new place that uses local produce and meat (sustainably raised, blah, blah, blah). Anyway, Mike told the waitress that I was vegan and asked what she recommended. The waitress was excited because her sister was vegan so she knew quite a bit about vegan dishes.She directed me toward a squash bean burger with a side of greens and a citrus (vegan) dressing and yummy rosemary sage fries, it was awesome! It was so great that the waitress was so accomodating. 

  Wednesday night (Day 6) was New Years' eve and I was headed to my sister's house for a gathering with a few other couples. I knew that it was very important to plan ahead, so I had ordered some vegan cheese from Miyoko's Creamery in CA- they make aged nut cheeses. I found out about this company from Colleen Patrick- Goudreau (author of the vegan challenge book). I HIGHLY recommend www.miyokoskitchen.com  - I ordered a package of 4 different cheeses and they are delicious- I ate some on crackers on NYE and was so happy that I spent the money on these little slices of heaven, I wish I had known about them sooner! Everyone who tried the cheese enjoyed it- FTW. I also ate some chili that my sister had made - yum! A successful and happy evening.

  Today is Day 7 of my vegan challenge- a whole week already, it really wasn't that bad. I have made a couple mistakes, but I guess it's part of the learning process. As I told my niece when she ate some meat unintentionally and was really upset about it- it's all about intention. I will keep moving forward with my new lessons...