Vegan Week: Day 3

Day 3 of vegan week was an active day. We were outside much of the day and the warm air made us have less of an appetite. Either that or we were just too busy to worry much about food. We probably would have been happy to snack on fruit and salad all day. However, we did manage to eat a full three meals in spite of our on-the-go day.

Breakfast

For breakfast we had cereal with soy milk, a banana and toast with jam. Of course I had a glorious glass of orange juice to wash it all down.

For lunch we went out with my parents and I forgot to bring along the camera. I had a big delicious salad, some french fries and a glass of lemonade. It was a perfect lunch for a very warm spring day.

Dinner

We were busy bees all afternoon and ended up having a late dinner. I made brown rice with a simple stir fry of onion, peppers, baby corn, beans, peas, carrots, water chestnut, tofu and mushrooms. I garnished the stir fry with some sesame seeds. Simple and tasty.

Again if you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comment box and I will do my best to answer them tomorrow.

Vegan Week: Day 2

Today is day 2 of vegan week. I thought I would start off by showing you our meals. At the bottom of the post you will find the answers to all of the questions you asked me. Please feel free to ask any more questions as they occur to you.

Also, I would like to make a little disclaimer. We don't normally eat this much soy, but I am using this as an opportunity to show you some of the products which are now available on the market. They do make it easier for lazy vegans and vegans who are just getting their feet wet.

Breakfast

For breakfast we had scrambled tofu, toast and banana. My scrambled tofu varies from day to day and it depends which veggies I have lurking in my fridge. This particular version had tofu, turmeric, garlic, nutritional yeast, salsa, olives, potato and mushrooms. I take less than 15 minutes to prepare my scrambled tofu. Even though there are a lot of ingredients it really is not labor intensive.

Leftovers for lunch

For lunch we had leftover cabbage burgers, a small salad and fresh orange slices. I am a big believer in using up leftovers. I really don't like to throw out perfectly good food. As a result I will often serve leftovers throughout the week or freeze and serve at a later date.

Dinner

Dinner was a whole grain pasta in an herbed tomato sauce with sauteed onion, garlic, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, olives and a bit of the veggie sausage that I found on sale at the store. I garnished with a little vegan Parmesan cheese.

Evening Snack

Last night I decided I need a little something more substantial for my evening snack, so I made peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches for the two of us. Yum! Sometimes I completely forget that the PB&J was ever invented and then I get to rediscover the simple joy anew.

Now for your questions:
First off, Court said that she needs her Taco Bell. Well, vegans can actually eat at Taco Bell. The beans do not have lard (although regular checkups are a good idea, you never know when something will change). The key is to order things without meat, cheese or sour cream. Here is a link to some vegan fast food options. While I wouldn't suggest that these are healthy choices they do work in a pinch.

Carmen, you asked about what casein free soy cheeses there are. Thankfully the world of vegan cheese has made some dramatic improvements in the flavor, quality and meltability of their soy cheeses. My favorite brands are Sheese (which is kind of pricey so we use it as a rare treat) and Vegan Gourmet (I can find this at any health food store and many local groceries as well). Those are my two favorites, but there are many vegan brands available now! Your next question was about soy milk. Currently I am drinking Silk which is fortified with Omega 3's, but I tend to switch it up. I am not a brand loyalist when it comes to soy milk.

Yes Robin, I'd love to cook for you. Come on over!

Melissa asked about baking without eggs. There are several options like using apple sauce or soft tofu as a binding agent, but I like Ener G Egg Replacer. I find that it has worked perfectly for me. I can use it in place of eggs in any baking dish. It is widely available and inexpensive.

Melissa also asked why am I vegan. The simple answer is that I want to limit my participation in the suffering of others. Eating a vegan diet is compassionate, good for my health and good for the environment. I did my research and felt morally obligated to make this decision. Thankfully Eric felt the same way and we easily made the transition.

Finally, Emerald asked how I get my vitamin B-12. Well, it's really quite easy. I eat fortified foods (cereals, soy milks, soy meats) and toss nutritional yeast into anything I feel like. Normally Eric and I do not need to take a multi-vitmain as our needs are met with a varied diet. However, since I am pregnant I am taking a doctor approved vegan prenatal vitamin.

Vegan Week: Day 1

A lot of you know that Eric and I are vegans and have been so for nearly a decade. Being vegan means that we do not eat, use or wear any products that come from or were tested on animals. I get a lot of questions about my diet and just how I meet all of my nutritional needs. I thought I would give you a week of examples of just what we eat. Also, if you have any specific questions (for example:what do we use instead of eggs while baking? how do we get our protein/calcium/etc.) just ask them in the comment box or send me an email and I will try and answer it the following day.

I should also mention that I am eating slightly more than normal as I am obviously trying to gain some pregnancy weight and my nutritional demands are a bit higher.

Breakfast

I am a big fan of breakfast. I never skip it, even when I am in a big rush. Honestly I would rather go out without a shower than breakfast; thankfully advance planning keeps this from turning into a problem. This particular breakfast consists of cereal (there are tons of vegan cereals) with soy milk, a muffin made by my Mom, some mixed berries and a glass of orange juice. Eric had coffee, but I am skipping all caffeine while pregnant.

Lunch

For lunch I made a sandwich with baked tofu, avocado, olives, pickles and some other veggies I am forgetting. I also had some fresh cantaloupe and multi-grain chips. Washing it all down with a tall glass of lemon water.

Afternoon treat

I absolutely love pink lemonade. I think it is my official summer drink of choice. After getting a little too hot with all of my weeding in the garden I decided to cool down with a glass of my pink nectar of life.

Dough for dinner

Late afternoon I made some dough for dinner. I love having a little extra time to make my own dough. The bread machine is great, but I really enjoy making it myself too.

Dinner

Dinner was cabbage burgers. I make a whole grain roll and inside I bake cabbage, onion, ground meatless and season it with some freshly ground black pepper. I paired it with a fresh green salad. Delicious and filling.

Evening Snack

Our evening snack was Sheese and crackers and some strawberry. Sheese is a vegan soy cheese that is so good. Just a little nibble to get us to the next morning.

Weeds, I am Sorry

I have a busy day, but I absolutely must weed the garden today. We had some rain and now all of the weeds are rejoicing. I feel guilty when I pull weeds, does anybody else? I think it might just be my incredibly overdeveloped sense of compassion. Recently I pulled up a really well established weed and I actually apologized to it...yikes.

I tend to imagine my garden as a little society the lettuce are the hippie art teachers, the corn is retired military, carrots are introverts and shut-ins, squash are the weird folk that say things inappropriately and drink too much at parties, flowers are the type who like to look at themselves in the mirror, I could go on and on. Seriously, I give my garden an entire personality.

Anyway, the poor weeds don't fit in anywhere. I just rip them out and unceremoniously toss them on the sidewalk to dry out and die. Oh, the cruelty of it all. OK, you're right I am being a tad bit dramatic, but I really do feel guilty about weed pulling. I have even considered a separate weed garden, where weeds could be free to be all that they can be...but I guess I don't feel that bad about the whole situation because I really will not make a separate weed garden. Can't we all just get along? Yes, it's perfectly OK if you roll your eyes at this post, I don't mind.

Also, the photo was taken by my handsome and talented hubby. He is working on a new series about our new life here in WY. You can read about it here.

On Clumsiness and My Cool Dishes (I swear there is a link)

I am a complete klutz. Seriously, you have no idea how bad it is. I often fall and just get back up without even really realizing that I've fallen once again. I always have random bruises, scratches, and skinned knees from running into something or other. I rarely even recall the cause of my injuries. Currently I have a huge ugly bruise on my right knee and I have no idea where it came from.

One great example of my clumsiness came while Eric and I were at target. We had stopped off there to grab something on our way to a dinner party. We were dressed very well. I had high heels, a dress and just looked like someone who would definitely not end up splayed across the aisles in the most awkward fall of all time. We were walking (possibly even strutting, we were really well dressed) toward the checkout, feeling too cool for Target. All of a sudden my body decided to give up on the business of walking. My right leg crossed in front of my left and my left extended backwards...kind of like I was trying to invent a new way of doing the splits. My hands flailed upward, throwing the basket and it's contents in all directions. Eric had no opportunity to even attempt to stop the momentum (so he just laughed). People stopped and watched in horror, many people.

I sighed and pulled myself up. Eric helped me gather the contents of the basket. A few kind well-wishers asked if I was OK. I could only laugh. Then, once I was put back together I continued my power walk to the checkout. Clumsiness is just a part of who I am. I must embrace it.

What does this have to do with my cool dishes you might be wondering? Well, we got some nice everyday use dishes when we got married and within a few years they were all broken, chipped or cracked. I don't even touch our fancy dishes without supervision.

I knew I had to replace the dish set, but why spend money on a set that I would surely destroy within a few years? My solution was to buy mismatched dishes from thrift stores. Their unifying theme would be black and white.


I started spotting cool black and white prints on dishes everywhere. Soon I had a full "set" of dishes and if I break one of them it doesn't matter at all. I can just go and find something at a thrift store.


The strange thing is that since I started working on the black and white sets I haven't broken a single dish. Not one. It's been a couple of years now. I am certain that it's a new record for me.

The Kindness Bandit: Sweet Peanut Butter

I have been trying to find a good way (or good ways) to extend the Kindness Bandit into my community. The local homeless shelter here serves many individuals each night. I have volunteered with them in the past, but I feel a bit conflicted as a vegan. Clearly they do not have an exclusively vegan meal plan. Anyway, I heard that they have need for peanut butter.


Peanut butter is something I can get on board with. I have decided that the best way to support this shelter is to donate vegan items that they will use (probably they don't have a need for tofu). So, I am going to drop off some peanut butter for their use. Well, let's hope the peanut butter makes it there as I have been greedily eating peanut butter lately (it's a pregnancy thing). I don't have the car today, so it will have to get done later this week, but that is what is on the agenda for the Kindness Bandit in the coming days.

Also, I wanted to update you on my volunteering with the local shelter. I have been in contact with them and they are currently trying to find the best way to put me to use! I can't wait to start.

Photo from here.

Thankful

Eric took this photo on Saturday afternoon. You can see so far in Wyoming.

Last night as I fell asleep I heard the distant rumblings of an approaching storm. The rain was lightly hitting our windows. When I got up this morning it was wonderfully overcast. I had to step out into my garden and take a moment to enjoy and just be thankful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Right now everything feels exactly as it should.
What are you thankful for today?

A Gift From My Mom in the Past and Present

Yesterday was a really fun day baby-wise. My Mom recently mentioned that she had some of my old baby clothes and she wondered if I was ready for them. I asked her to wait until we knew for sure that we were having a little girl. Well, we're sure now. I went over this morning and we went through a ton of my old baby clothes! What a gift for her to have saved them so many years ago to give them to my baby now!


Some of the dresses she made, the first two from the left in the photo above. Others were just leftover from my days as a wee one. Aren't they SO cool?! I mean these are just super vintage finds, but more than that, they were mine.


The dresses above are Eric's favorites (Yes, I am really really lucky to have a hubby who was eager to look through these with me). I think he likes them because they have the cutest little matching bloomers.


She also showed me the little sweater you see above. It's obviously for an older kid. I actually remember wearing and loving it and just look, it has a little basset hound on the back. Bumblebee approves.


Anyway, these are just a few of the many adorable outfits that were saved from my days as a baby. I am so excited and thankful. My Mom even saved the outfit that I came home from the hospital in (you'll get to see that in a few months).

By the River

Yesterday was a day off for my husband. So we decided to check out some of the river walk and trails that follow the river all through town. We went to a less busy part of the river trail system and had ourselves a lovely walk.

Bridge...I guess that's obvious though.

Bumblebee and I were a bit unnerved by the bridge as it doesn't feel entirely stable. It added a bit of drama to our leisurely stroll, especially when a guy rode across on a bike and terrified Bumblebee with the loud noise of the boards shifting to support his weight.

Eric on a rock in the river.

We walked along, not really knowing where we were headed, but eventually we found our way down to the river.

Eric tossing Bumblebee into the river.

Bumblebee loves to wade, not swim, but sometimes we have to toss her in to get her started. Once she has gotten her feet wet she happily waded along the rivers edge.

Me, by the river.

I was there too, wearing a maternity dress I might add.

Bumblebee leading the way home.

Don't let the above caption fool you, Bumblebee had no idea where she was going. She just likes to lead and sometimes we let her.

Was it nice where you live? What did you do yesterday?

Bumblebee Picks The Winner

You may recall that I invited my readers to guess the gender of our little one. I asked you to leave your guess in the comment box on this post. From those of you who correctly guessed that we are having a little girl I promised to have Bumblebee choose the winner who will receive a prize. I know many of you did not believe that Bumblebee could be trusted with such an important choice, but she's a special dog and she was able to accomplish the task this very morning.



First I put all of the names onto separate pieces of paper. Next I put one piece of her vegan dog chow onto each and every name. I pulled her back and made her wait and watch at a safe distance. She patiently waited while salivating for the unexpected mid-morning treat.

Then I released her to run at the line of names.

She hesitated for a moment, carefully weighing her decision.

She chose Melissa (The Dwellers) from Dwelling in the Details.

After that she went down the line and ate every nibble of her food, then she rested from the exertion.

It's Official, We Know What We're Having!

I awoke at 4 o'clock this morning. It was light out, but obviously not time to get up and get going. I was so excited for my doctor's appointment, the day where we get to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I was kind of reminded of the excitement I felt for Christmas or birthdays when I was little. I couldn't really get back to sleep. I knew today was the day. The big day. Finally it was time to get up. I woke Eric, who was sleeping like a baby. He was able to sleep in spite of his excitement. Why do the say sleeping like a baby anyway? I am under the impression that a baby sleeps more like I do...but I digress.

We had some breakfast, I had scrambled tofu and a vegan doughnut (from Pangea) hoping that the extra sugar would get our little one to wiggle around a bit. Then we took Bumblebee for a quick walk and headed over to the doctor's office. My Mom pulled up right as I was calling to see where she was. We went into the office and I went through the glorious rigors of the regular checkup (getting weighed and giving a urine sample). I have gained a few pounds, finally something.

The nurse warned that sometimes you can't find out the gender because the little baby is shy. I assured hers that ours would be an exhibitionist at least for today.

Then Mom, Eric and I were ushered into the ultrasound room where we waited for a small eternity. Eric started telling weird jokes and I began to threaten to give myself an ultrasound when my Dad arrived. Soon after the doctor was there too. I was more than ready to get the show on the road.



The doctor looked around our little one's face, hands, brain, feet and well frankly he got a little personal as he got a perfect shot of our baby's business. Yep, we know the gender. Our suspicions were confirmed. Everyone was thrilled, although we would have been over the moon either way (I think we're supposed to say that right?). Now, you may notice that I am really trying to build up the suspense. First let me narrow it down to either a boy or a girl.

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow Bumblebee will choose the winner from those of you who guessed girl.

Little Things From Yesterday

Today I thought I'd just focus on a few of the little beauties I noticed throughout the day yesterday.


This is the chipped paint on my garage. I love chipped paint, it makes me feel comfortable.


The long grasses hid under the bushes and escaped the mowing that Eric did last weekend. Bumblebee likes to shove her nose into them and sniff, not sure why.


Here is some of the beautiful lilac that is perfuming my yard. I don't mean to brag (much) but it is just heavenly.


Yesterday was a puffy cloud day. A nice breeze (not to be confused with the normal gale force winds of Wyoming) made the heat nice and comfortable. I can't believe that we got snow less than a month ago.



I love this flower, that little ring of red separating the yellow and white is just amazing. I am always fascinated by the way plants have adapted to attract attention to themselves.

Kindness Bandit: Volunteering

I decided that I need to get something a bit more significant going here in my new town. I love doing the weekly Kindness Bandit activities, but I would like to also get involved with something long term. I want to really get invested in this community. What better way than to start volunteering?

I have more time on my hands now and I feel like I should be dedicating some of it to more than just my own little bubble. Now I am obviously inclined to volunteer my time to helping animals. My passion in life is certainly animal rescue, advocacy, education (of people, not animals) and rehabilitation. Now I just need to choose my rescue group.

I have been doing a little research, trying to find the right fit for me. I found several rescues in the area and have contacted one that I think will be just right. I am hoping that they will be able to find a use for me. If not I will offer my services to some animal rescue group in town. I am still waiting to hear back, but I will update you as I hear more.

Do you volunteer? If so, where?

Little Bits of Information...Random Blog Beware!

This Blog Post Contains the Following: Gardening, Lilacs, Photo Shoot, Pomegranate Juice, and Weird Baby Dreams

Gardening
Yesterday was another delightfully productive day. Today I woke up so sore from busting my hump, but in a good way. I spent all of my Sunday afternoon working in the garden. I am about halfway done with all of my planting. So far I have lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, Swiss chard, carrots, squash, peas, cabbage and pumpkins.

Lilacs
Then last night Eric, Bumblebee and I ventured into the backyard while I attempted to identify the various types of bushes and trees that live back there. Most thrillingly I found that we have at least 4 (yes 4!) lilac bushes. Eric even humored me by sniffing the blossoms at my request.

Photo Shoot
I was so thankful that he was willing to join me on my botanical odyssey that I humored him by posing for his impromptu photo shoot. Unfortunately I was feeling dorky and my sweet hubby had visions of his pregnant wife wandering through the lilacs at sunset. He's so sweet, but this ended up being the prize photo.


Pomegranate Juice
Also I was recently sent some Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice. Have you had this stuff? It's really good. I was also sent a little form telling me all about the health benefits so I felt extra healthy as drank away. I discovered that they sell different flavors as well, including blueberry and I have had a serious hankering for blueberry lately.

Weird Baby Dream
Finally, I wanted to tell you about just one of the many bizarre baby related dreams I have been having. Many of you know that we will soon find out the gender of our little baby (on Thursday) and I guess the excitement has carried over into my dreams. I had a dream that we went in for the ultrasound and the tech informed us that the baby was still a mermaid (???) and we would be unable to identify it's gender until it's legs separated. I was trying to swish my belly around in order to flip the baby and see if it was hiding something that would clue us in on the gender.

Yikes! Anyway, I think the excitement of finally confirming the gender (though we already have an idea) was coupled with the fact that this little one feels like a fish swimming around in there. It was either that or it was just a crazy dream that I should not have shared on the Internet...

Also, Hannah asked what type of bike I'm riding...it's a 1971 Schwinn Suburban!

What's new with you?

A Very Full Day= Good Night's Sleep

Yesterday was a very busy day. I started strong first thing in the morning when my Mom came to pick me up to go garden shopping.


We went to the garden show and then a few nursery's around town. We ended up with a ton of stuff. I am so excited to get busy planting it all. After the outing I came home and plotted out my garden on a piece of paper. Now I will know what I'm doing and not just willy nilly planting at random.


Meanwhile Eric had begun the arduous task of mowing the lawn. I don't think it's had much attention in at least a couple of years. Just so you know our yard is freakishly large. When the lawnmower ran out of gas we decided to break from the yard work which had been going on all morning.


Miss Bumblebee had been so well behaved that we decided to head to the park and take her for a nice long walk through new terrain. While on our walk we unwittingly entered into a staring contest with this antelope (above). It grew uncomfortable quickly. He stared and stared while we took the picture. Then we began to wonder when he would look away, but he never did. So, we decided to just give him the staring contest victory and we continued our walk.


Wyoming is green right now. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the chirping sounds made by the prairie dogs. We completely exhausted Bumblebee by the time we made it back to the car. We drove home with the windows down. The weather was perfect.


After our walk we ran a few errands and then headed over to my parent's house in order to grab my bike (above) which has been patiently waiting in their garage for a couple of years. There was really no place for me to ride bike near our apartment in Denver. Now we have been reunited and I plan to take a little bike ride this afternoon.

Once the bike had been chauffeured to it's new garage we finished the yard work. Eric gassed up the lawnmower and finished the mowing job. I raked up all of the cut grass and soon our yard was looking gloriously manicured. We had some dinner and headed off to a local show.

The show was at a high school. Technically it was our first local event since moving to our new town. We loved the fact that everybody seemed to know each other. The performers interacted with the crowd and played songs about our area.

We really enjoyed ourselves, but by the time we made it home we were bushed. I slept so well last night.

What did you do yesterday?