Anna's Adventures in Health

…Shrimp cocktail that is…(non-vegan alert!)

Yesterday I had the honor of celebrating my cousin’s graduation… She earned her paralegal degree and I couldn’t be more proud of her!  I wish I could show you great pictures of the ceremony, my family, and all the food I ate…but my camera battery died yesterday on the road so I have nothing to show…booo…

It’s family celebrations like these that make meal planning and dietary restrictions hard.  My Mom and I met the rest of the family for a late lunch.  I knew there wouldn’t be gluten-free/vegan options available so I picked up some co-op salad bar with tofu.

Thankfully I did as the menu consisted of hot dogs on potato buns, coleslaw, and some fruit.  With my pre-planning, I was able to stay gluten-free/vegan through lunch…but then the dessert came out…  A little peer pressure and I ended up eating a piece of the oatmeal cookies with a delicious chocolate filling my aunt made.  Not gluten-free but life goes on…!

After the ceremony we headed back to my cousin’s house for a bigger party with family and friends.  My aunt prepared a beautiful spread of fruit and veggie trays, sandwiches, chips and dip, a great big celebration cake, cupcakes and ice cream…shew…lots of food! But the gluten-free and vegan options were clearly limited.  Womp Womp.

What’s a girl to do?

Well pat-on-my-back…I avoided gluten foods (I think) and stuck to fruits and veggies and some shrimp.  I couldn’t resist…it is one of my favorites! I did by-pass the desserts though!

I wouldn’t call the day a raging “adventures in diets” success but it was one of those days that is not about the food but rather family and celebration!  That’s how life goes.

Today I did some grocery shopping to stock up on gluten-free foods and salad stuff.  I’ll be honest, gluten-free products can be very expensive and I am not as ‘thrilled’ with this week as I was last week eating vegan.  However, this continues to be a great learning experience for me in what those with actual gluten-intolerance have to go through.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some gluten-free goodies I’ve found!

Whats your favorite appetizer?  Mine’s definitely shrimp cocktail!

Favorite cocktail?!  I’m not a big liquor person … I’d rather have beer or wine!

What a big “spa day” my mom and I had yesterday as her belated mother’s day gift. Where to begin…?

Ah the morning.

The day started with a quick walk of the dogs (dog duties don’t end on spa day) and we got home so I could make waffles.  Not just any waffles…vegan gluten-free waffles.  Don’t they sound yummy?  No?  You are right.  But thankfully they WERE yummy.

I found some recipes online and came up with this…

Vegan Gluten-Free Blueberry Waffles

Ingredients:

1 flax egg (1 T milled flax-seed and 3 T water)

1.5 cups gluten-free flour

1/2 cup almond meal

1 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond breeze

3 T unsweetened applesauce

1/2 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

dash of salt

1 cup blueberries

Directions:

1. Prepare the f lax-egg by combining 1 T milled flax-seed and 3 T water in a small bowl.  Let sit for about 5 minutes to gel.

2. In the meantime, mix the flour, almond meal, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3.  Mix in the almond breeze and applesauce.  Add the flax-egg after the mixture has gelled.  Stir in the blueberries.

4.  Make the waffles in a heated/greased waffle iron until browned.

The waffles tasted really good!  They weren’t too heavy but they were filling.  Thankfully my mom liked them too. I’ve had some unsuccessful ‘healthy’ attempts in the kitchen and I always get a little bit nervous with new recipes.

Blueberry goodness.

We let our breakfast digest by indulging in a homemade face mask. Yep…that is what the mystery mix was yesterday…

Oatmeal Banana Honey Face Mask – for 2

1. Combine in a bowl:

-1 small mashed banana

-1/2 cup quick cook raw oats

-2 T honey

-liquid from 2 capsules Vitamin E (optional)

2. Pat on face and leave on for 15-20 minutes

g-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s…flying first class…fergie anyone?

3. Watch out for small dogs enjoying your face mask too.

Chloe!  Silly girlie.

As I eluded to earlier, this ‘recipe’ is not gluten-free OR vegan, but it would be perfectly suitable for eating!  My mom and I joked that if it didn’t work out as a face mask, we would simple throw in some baking soda and call it cookie dough.  It did leave our skin nice and soft and we both agree we look 10 years younger.  obviously.

Once our waffles were digested, we hit up the gym.  Nothing like a good sweat to relax you.

For lunch, we made simple salads.

Strawberry Chickpea Quinoa Salad

-Salad mix

-Quinoa

-Cucumber

-Strawberries

-Chickpeas

-Chopped pecans

-Splashes of red wine vinegar

-Splashes of balsamic vinegar

-Sprinkle of poppy seeds

With a side of carrots and hummus.

The relaxing did not end there though and we treated ourselves to pedicures.

Some errands, some leftovers for a snack (I ate the rest of the tempeh black bean filling) and mom and I were on our way again.  I thought spa day was supposed to be relaxing?! 

For dinner, we met our friends Lynn and Becky at local Hollywood’s Cafe.  Knowing my current dietary limitations, I looked at their menu ahead of time to know my options for dinner.

I came up with their black beans and rice (sans cheese) with a side salad. I forgot to take a picture and let’s be honest a big pile of black beans is not always that pretty looking.  At first the beans seemed a little bland but I asked for a side of their homemade salsa and that did the trick…perfect kick!  The meal was filling though and I was just thankful to have a gf/vegan meal.

The night ended with some brown bag popcorn and an episode of Ellen.  Perfect.  Okay, perfect might have been the soft serve ice cream cone I was craving after dinner but this was a close second.

All-in-all…I would call ‘spa day 2012′ a huge success.  Nothing like a good trip home!

Do you all get nervous making new recipes for family or friends?  Do you put more pressure on yourself if you are making them something new and “healthy”?!

So gluten-free week is here and I quickly realized things are getting a bit tricky here.  Diet restrictions are tough!  (For those of you with celiac’s diease or other food intolerances you are probably laughing to yourself thinking, yes Anna, duh)

Anyway, I was bummed to realize yesterday that my beloved Ezekiel bread is NOT gluten-free (I didn’t know if it was, I was just hoping) and the new vegan granola bar I got last week was not gluten-free.  Hmm.  What to eat?

Let’s start with breakfast yesterday.   I had leftover ground buckwheat flour (GF!) so I found Ashley’s recipe for Ba-nilla Breakfast Buckwheat Bake and sang praises for a GF/vegan recipe I had the ingredients for.

As with most of my recipes, I mostly followed her directions (did I mention I can’t find the measuring spoons in my new apartment? ha, nothing like winging it!).

I didn’t have any raw buckwheat groats left so I just added a bit more ground buckwheat, omitted the maple syrup and almond extract but added some shredded coconut to the ‘batter’.

“Baked” in the microwave for about 2 minutes.

Beautiful.

Lunch was leftovers…more Broccoli and Tempeh Curry with Curry Coconut Brown Rice.

Snacks of the day included: brown rice cakes with almond butter.  Carrots and hummus.  An apple.  Handful(s) of nuts. Oh and lots of water.  And coffee.  Coffee with unsweetened vanilla almond breeze.

I put myself in charge of making dinner for my Dad and I.  Hmm…something vegan, gluten-free, and guy friendly?

Mexican! I modified Ashley’s Tempeh Taco Filing and sang praises again for her blog, The Edible Perspective and all her GF/V recipes.

Tempeh Fajita Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

-1 small red onion, sliced

-1 green pepper, sliced (could use a variety of peppers for fun!)

-1 package (8 ounces) tempeh

-1 can black beans, rinsed/drained

-1 can diced tomatoes

-1 T chili powder

-1 t garlic powder

-1 t cumin

-sprinkle of salt/pepper

Directions

1. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan, add onion and green pepper and cook about 5-10 minutes until it begins to soften.

2. Crumble package of tempeh into the pan and cook another 5 minutes.

3. Add black beans, tomatoes, and spices.  Heat through another couple of minutes.

4.  That’s it.  So easy.  Enjoy.

My Dad and I ate ours with corn tortillas, some fresh corn on the cob, and some chili sweet potato fries.

For the sweet potato fries, I just peeled the skins off two large sweet potatoes, cut them into strips, tossed in olive oil, cumin, chili powder, and baked at 425F for about 25 minutes.

Winner, winner, gluten-free/vegan dinner!

He loved it and so did I.

My Mom and I are enjoying a belated-Mother’s Day “Spa Day” featuring numerous gluten-free/vegan eats.  I better get back to making lunch but I”ll be back tonight or tomorrow with a recap.

Here is a little preview though….

Can you guess what it is?  Hint: its NOT gluten-free OR vegan!!

I am starting my gluten-free week here on my dieting adventures but I wanted to throw in one last recap of some of my vegan eats.

I was missing the deliciousness of all my protein shakes, so I splurged on a packet of Vega Energizing Smoothie.  Vega is a great vegan company with a lot of products for athletes.  This mix contains:

• Two servings of veggies
• 10 g of complete, plant-based protein
• 5 g of fiber
• 1 g of Omega-3

Sign me up.

I mixed it in my rocket blender with some unsweetened vanilla almond breeze and half a frozen banana.

OHMYGOSH. It was so good.  The price for a tub is a little out of my student-budget but man it would be worth the splurge!

As I tweeted last night, I finally got around to trying tempeh!

What is tempeh you ask?

Tempeh is fermented soy beans formed into patties or blocks.  It has a nutty flavor and many products contain added flavors and ingredients.  It is high in protein and calcium but low in fat.

I made Ashley’s Broccoli Tempeh Curry with Creamy Coconut Brown Rice.

I followed her recipe almost exactly.  I don’t have an immersion blender though and was feeling lazy about breaking out a real blender so I just skipped this part and left the sauce a bit chunkier.  I also think I added too much broccoli and it didn’t seem to be cooking down so I ended up using the whole can of diced tomatoes and adding a bit more water and coconut milk.

How was it?

YUM.

I love the nutty flavor of the tempeh and the creamy coconut brown rice was so dreamy.

By the way, some tempeh and flavored tofu can contain gluten but thankfully I checked their website and Light Life Organic Vegan Flax Tempeh does not…and brown rice is gluten-free too…I’m so glad because the leftovers will probably be better than last night.

I’m headed home for a few days and have some recipes to try with my parents…happy Monday!

What is one food item you splurge on?!

Whoops, I was a little confused about the days I had posted to be doing each of my ‘diets’ and said I would go gluten-free starting May 21st…tomorrow!

Guess I better figure this whole ‘gluten free’ thing out asap…

What is Gluten you ask?!

Gluten is actually a protein found in wheat.

Should I avoid gluten?  Will it make me lose weight?  What’s with this ‘gluten-free buzz’?

For most people, gluten does not need to be avoided and is part of a healthy diet (a good protein!)  However, some people do have problems digesting gluten.  The most extreme kind, known as celiac’s Disease, is an autoimmune disease preventing digestion in the small intestine.  Others may not have full-blown celiac’s disease but rather just a wheat allergy, so they may choose to avoid eating gluten.  Foods that are ‘gluten-free’ have a low level of gluten that shouldn’t affect those with an intolerance.

Some people claim that giving up gluten helps their digestive system but it should not be used as a diet to lose weight (hello, have you seen all the gluten-free brownies, cookies, and cakes?!)

What foods contain gluten?

-Wheat

-Rye

-Barley

-Triticale (cross between wheat and rye)

-Cous cous

-Food additives like dextrin as a thickener or stabilizing agent *this seems to be the tricky thing to avoid gluten

What foods can you eat on a gluten-free diet?

-Rice

-Corn

-Potatoes

-Quinoa

-Millet

-Soy and nut flours (garbanzo bean flour, almond meal)

-Buckwheat

What others foods should you avoid on a gluten-free diet?

-Oats (unless certified gluten-free because many are cross contaminated … bummer.)

-Beer made with wheat barley

-Soy sauce

-Condiments like bbq sauce, mustard, ketchup, mayo

-Processed meat

-Non-stick spray

*For a more comprehensive list you can go to: Gluten-Free Goddess

What are some good products for gluten-free diets?

-Bob’s Red Mill makes a ton of gluten-free flours and baking ingredients

-Glutino

-Udi’s

Any good websites?

-Shopping: http://www.glutenfree.com/

-Magazines: http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/

-Restaurants: http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com/

-Blogs I already read: The Edible Perspective, Tasty Yummies, Healthful Pursuit, Fork and Beans

It should be noted that there are many beauty products and medications that also contain gluten and those with celiac’s disease must always be aware of ingredients to avoid these products.  Due to money and time, I won’t be eliminating/avoiding all of these products unless I can!

I also know that I am not an expert into gluten-free eating, nor will I be by the end of this week!  I am sure gluten will slip in my diet somewhere but I’ll try my hardest not to let it.

The biggest changes in my diet will be removing oats, pasta, whole wheat flour and watching what I eat when I am out to eat and with others!  As I mentioned earlier, I am liking vegan eating so I’ll try to stick to that this week as much as possible.

I am going home tomorrow for a few days and I know my parents are thrilled with all my current dietary restrictions   Ha, actually they don’t care all that much but I know a lot of the menu planning will be up to me!

Do you follow a gluten-free diet?  If so, any advice for me?!

It’s not all quinoa salads and tofu with veggies over here this week.  I’ve tried 3 NEW recipes this week from 3 different blogs the past few days.  I think that is a new record for me!

I meant to post these yesterday…or the day before?…but life got busy…in a good way!  I’ve had work but also some fun.  I’ve still been following my month-long adventures in dietary choices and am L-O-V-I-N-G being vegan this past week!

Energy High – Cravings Low – Food Delicious – Anna Happy.

Let’s begin with a breakfast recipe…Chocolate Covered Katies Blueberry Pie Pancakes.

Typically in the morning, I intend to try new recipes but I am hungry and lazy and just end up making oatmeal.  But on Saturday I knew I needed to make some pancakes! I followed her recipe exactly minus actually measuring most of the ingredients

I combined:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tish rolled oats

1/2 cup+ defrosted frozen blueberries

1/3 cup+ unsweetened vanilla almond breeze (I had to get more to get a runnier consistency)

Heavy dashes cinnamon

Bit of baking powder

Small splash of vanilla extract

Light dash of salt

Threw on a heated pan, flipped when brown, and cooked to deliciousness.

I think the toppings put these pancakes over-and-above, in a good way.

I threw some banana slices onto my frying pan and heated them quickly on each side so they caramelize a bit.  Then I made a peanut butter sauce with a heaping tablespoon PB2 powder and some splashes of almond milk.

All together, I call it my PB&Banana Blueberry Pancake Sandwich.

Moving onto a perfect snack recipe or addition to salads…the other day I roasted chickpeas using Mama Pea’s recipe for Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chickpeas.

I tossed a rinsed/drained can of chickpeas with some olive oil, rosemary, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  On a baking sheet they went, and in the oven at 375F for about 25 minutes.

Then, of course, I did top them on a big salad for lunch.

They are hiding there somewhere.

I think these would be perfect with roasted broccoli, quinoa, and mushrooms with more rosemary, lemon juice, and a splash of red wine vinegar.  I’ll work on that.

And for those of you who think you can’t enjoy a nice bowl of creamy delicious yogurt if you’re vegan, I introduce Happy Herbivore’s Homemade Vegan Tofu Yogurt.

Trust me I was skeptical too.

None the less, life is an adventure and you never know until you try.

So into a blender went:

- ounces soft tofu

-1 T lemon juice

-2 T unsweetened vanilla almond breeze

-1/2 frozen banana

-1/3 cup frozen raspberries

Blend blend blend. Scrap scrap scrap.  (the sides of the blender that is…the stuff splatters everywhere)

Ta-da!

Oh, it looks good.

But does it taste good?

Oh yeaaaaaahhh.  I didn’t add any sweeteners but the raspberries made it sweet enough for me.  You could always add agave or honey if you like things sweeter.  t didn’t taste like ‘tofu’ but yet there was a heartiness about it that filled me up more than typical yogurt.

I’m sold.  Where do I sign up to be a ‘vegan’?

I’ll be continuing on my vegan ways until Tuesday when I go gluten-free.  I think I’ll try to stick to eating vegan though while doing gluten-free!  get crazy.

Tonight, tempeh is finally on the menu!

When was the last time you tried something new and ended up loving it? 

Well a last-minute change of plans yesterday had me trekking to Richmond for the night.

ROAD TRIP.

Yesterday started with some ‘Mock Cereal’

In a bowl went:

1/4 cup raspberries

1/4 cup blueberries

1/3 cup raw oats

2 T milled flax-seed

Sprinkle of sliced almonds

dash of cinnamon

And it was topped with some unsweetened vanilla almond breeze.

Delicious and refreshing.  A perfect alternative to processed/sugary cereal.

I also had a banana and peanut butter for good measure.

In the morning I got some work done and snacked on some carrots and hummus.

All gone.

No, I did not eat the whole bag of carrots or whole thing of hummus…I swear….

I hit up the gym for some chest/triceps and a 1100m  swim.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. 

I almost forgot was lunch was…probably because it was a REPEAT.  Clearly you’ve noticed I appreciate the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  So I had a junk salad pretty much exactly identical to the day before.

Then I was on the road!  But not without some preparation.

Snackage: sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon, green beans, hummus, tofu (random),a granola bar, and apple.

And food for breakfast this morning: Ezekiel bread and a banana.

Of course, a water bottle.

Okay, ready to go!

…the sweet potato, tofu, green beans, and hummus were consumed and a fabulously trashy novel was listened to on the drive…

I learned first hand that night how difficult it can be to eat out to eat last night.

My friends and I went to a place called the Tavern and thankfully they had some veggie burgers on the menu but nothing specifically “vegan.”   I ended up ordering a spicy black bean burger with a side salad.

I had to ask for the burger without the cheese or the highly recommended special sauce.  I asked the waitress about it and she did think it had mayonnaise and sour cream in it.  No can do!  She was pretty helpful about the ordeal.

When I got my side salad though it was topped with…Parmesan cheese!  Fail.  Had to ask for another.

Then I had a feeling the hamburger bun was coated in butter before being toasted.  Ugh.  I just removed the bun and enjoyed my ‘burger’ and salad.  Kinda weak but thankfully the burger was good.

It’s hard to tell what exactly was in the black bean burger, but hopefully it was vegan!

More than anything, I also just felt like a huge pain (especially when I am not truly vegan).  My friends Amanda and Ryan did not care at all and the waitress was pretty accommodating.  It was a good learning experience and seemed like a bit of a 180 from eating in the vegan friendly Little Grill the other day for lunch.  If I were to stick with a vegan diet, I would definitely rely on seeking out vegan friendly restaurants!

This morning I got up early, toasted up my Ezekiel and added peanut butter and banana and was on my way.  I stopped at Starbucks and got an Americano (espresso with hot water) and asked them to add some soy milk.  perfect.

Planning and knowledge = key.

I snacked on an apple and got back just in time this morning to meet the crew for another trail run.

Epic again.

I have the scars to prove it.

We went out for lunch after at this Caribbean restaurant downtown.  Scoping out the menu ahead of time, I was able to order this delicious wrap with rice, black beans, avocado, and fried plantain.  I left off the cheese and egg and I had to pass on the special side sauces which all looked like they had mayonnaise/sour cream.

Adventures in vegan eating continues…overall so far so good!  I feel great, have good energy, and enjoy not feeling bloated or weighted down.  However, I realize it does take some planning and can be hard to stick with when you’re around others.

Have you ever felt like a pain when you had to be specific with ordering when you go out to eat?  Do you think its rude?!

…No, not like that…

A new hobby love.

Trail running.

(see above picture to see what trail running looks like)

Oh yes.  A spur of the moment text and the next thing I knew I was up in the Blue Ridge Mountains running trails and it was a blast.

My friend Erin took us on a trail she’d been on once before.  It was only a little over 2 miles to the top but we climbed over 1500 ft.  Talk about a workout.  It was such a great experience to be out in nature that the time flew by.  Plus with the climb, it was a kick-butt cardio workout.   The awesome views from the overlook did not hurt the experience to say the least.  PLUS the company was phenomenal (thanks Melissa, Cully, and Erin!)

We all had such a good time that we set a date to go again on Thursday!  Expect more trail running adventures in the future…

Good times didn’t end off the trail and we all grabbed lunch at the Little Grill Collective.   If you are ever in a 100 mile radius of Harrisonburg you MUST hit up the Little Grill.  They have the best breakfast around, a slamming lunch/dinner menu (including an all-you-can eat Mexican night) AND a ton of vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free options.

I had the “Go Ask Alyce” vegan wrap…”Crisp homemade felafel with sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers, and garden veggies wrapped with homemade lemon tahini dressing and hummus in a flour tortilla. Served with a small side salad with lemon tahini dressing.”

Yes, it was as good as it sounds and better than it looks.

And Vegan!

My other vegan eats for the day included a kick-butt tofu scramble and oatmeal this morning.

Sauteed onion, peppers, mushrooms, frozen spinach, firm tofu with garlic, tumeric, curry powder, and cayenne pepper.

Get in my belly.

Also the standard oatmeal with flax seed.

I snacked on some rice cakes with peanut butter before our run.

And before heading out tonight I threw together another junk salad, basically the same as yesterday’s lunch.

Quinoa, black beans, avocado, and all the vegetables I can fit on one plate.

Where was I heading out you may ask?

Steal a pint night at Jack Browns!

I got my pint of beer!…and water too…gotta be safe and hydrated!

The ‘book club’ was there in full force with a few extra friends.

<3 these ladies.

I headed home from a full day of fun and and snacked on some Twin Oaks Tofu and squash…pretty similar to last night…

(recycled picture alert)

I was too busy chatting with my new roomie Kristen to snap a picture but you get the idea.

Shew, what a full and spontaneous day…the best I’ve had in awhile by far.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

When was the last time you tried something new that you fell in love with?!

It’s not all about the food here at Anna’s Adventures, don’t worry.  Yesterday I hit up the gym for a leg workout.  It’s vegan approved. (okay enough with the vegan references…)

Go do it now.

I started my workout with a warm-up on the elliptical.

Legs and Abs Circuit

Repeat each set of moves for a total of 3 times before moving onto the next set.

1a. Weighted squats using barbell or smith machine x12

1b. Jump squats x12

2a. Weighted lunges using barbell or smith machine x10/leg

2b. Jumping lunges x30

3a. Dumbbell step-ups using bench x10/leg

3b. Reverse crunch on bench

4a. Machine leg extensions x12

4b. Bicycle crunches x30

5a. Machine calf press x20 (10 regular stance, 10 with feet turned out)

5b. Low plank hold with toe taps x15 taps/side

I finished this up with some stair stepper action and stretching.

One of my favorite workouts lately is just this, leg strength training followed up with some stair step.  It is the one machine I use where I actually do one of the ‘programs’ the machine provides.  Most of the time these don’t leave me working hard enough but for some reason the stair machine gets it done.  I just set it to ‘fat burner’ or ‘aerobic training’, set to level 15, grab a magazine, and go.

Do you ever use the programs on workout machines or do you do your own thing?

Here I am, being a vegan.

Do I look different to you?

…joking…its a joke.   by the way, my hand looks scary in that picture.

Confession #1 – Last night I went to the local to-die-for Kline’s Dairy Bar to get their flavor of the week: chocolate peanut butter.  Clearly it is not vegan and clearly I needed to have this flavor.  It was so good and definitely made me question my vegan adventures…

None the less, vegan eating began this morning!

I started the day with oatmeal.  Quite adventuresome.

After the indulgent ice cream sundae I had last night (did I mention I topped my ice cream with hot fudge and whipped cream? no? well I did.)  I kept breakfast simple with oats in the microwave topped with flax seed.

I also munched on some almonds while I cooked my oats and sipped on some coffee with unsweetened vanilla almond breeze after (thank the Lord that is vegan!).

For lunch I made a huge JUNK salad…the usual…no major vegan changes there.  Although lately I probably would have topped it with canned tuna/salmon or some chicken and feta.  Instead I topped it with quinoa, black beans, avocado, tomato, cucumber, broccoli slaw, and spicy mustard/balsamic vinegar for dressing.

love.

I ate my next meal at work…it was an unpictctured vegan burger I got at the grocery store on ezekiel bread with avocado and an apple on the side.

I also brought my next meal to work, but got off early-ish (hoorah) so got to enjoy it at home.

Confession #2 – I was near Kline’s last night because I was stopping in the local co-op to get some vegan goodies.  I got local herb tofu, Vega chocolate protein powder, and tempeh…I’ve never had tempeh before and am stoked to try it.

The tofu is herbed Italian extra firm tofu made locally by Twin Oaks.

I love the flavor and just diced it up with some steamed squash, more Italian seasoning, and a splash of red wine vinegar.

All-in-all a great day of eating. 

Some things I didn’t think about that aren’t vegan-diet friendly:

-parmesan cheese.  (or any cheese for that matter)

-butter.  I don’t cook with it a lot but if I wanted to this week, I can’t.  Obviously its used in a lot of baked goods and foods you’d get out to eat too.  womp womp.

-some protein/granola bars.  Whey protein = from milk.

Learning?  check.  Feeling good?  check.  Deprivation?  not yet!

Bring on Vegan Day 2!