day #15: counting calories... :/

It's one thing we all hate doing, and one thing that I'm not good at. However, being Vegan makes you feel great, but in order to look as great as you feel, it takes not overdoing it...even on the healthy stuff. Pasta is amazing, nuts are soo yummy and mochi is delicious...but they can call add on the calories super fast unless you watch the serving size.

This week, my goal is to eat these appropriately and in moderation...and really time my meals, so that I only eat when I am hungry. Jillian Michaels (biggest loser) LOVE HER!, recommends having 3 meals a day...4 hours inbetween each meal. She is not a big snacker, and at 5'2'' looking like that, I'll believe whatever she tells me about nutrition! The nice thing is, even if I want a snack...that's what my seaweed is for :)

I'm going to stick to these three meals using this idea:

-- breakfast: oatmeal, 1/4 cup walnuts, & palmful dried fruits or my own smoothie.

-- lunch: salad, veggies or soup

--dinner: one of alicia's recipes, including grains to keep me satisfied!!

I'm also going to try to keep my dinners around or before 7pm...sometimes my boyfriend I get really busy with some stuff going on (as do we all!!), but I am working on planning ahead so I don't get stuck eating dinner at 9pm. Alicia recommends eating your final meal 3 hours before you go to bed. This way, you're slightly hungry when you sleep and your body can really go into its cleansing stage and be out of it's digesting stage!!

Seems like a lot...but I love a challenge. At least i can make my own rules :) We'll see how it goes!!

day #14: eating vegan on the go

Well, the boyfriend surprised me for a short stay in big bear...so once again I didn't have my kitchen :)

However, it's easy to eat vegan on the go! Have someone help you out and know your goals...although I didn't know where we were going, he knew that I loved toasted sea-weed so he brought along some of that for me. And then also stopped at Subway on the way so we both had healthy options for lunch. Finally, at dinner you do the best you can! Try and choose a soup and salad that meet your needs, but don't be too hard on yourself! You're always guaranteed bread to get some good grains in there. I did an amazing fruit salad without the cheese and some tomato/basil soup. Great choice!

My addiction right now: "Sea's Gift" sweet seaweed snack. also available in salty.

day #12 & 13: seriously LOVE udon noodles

A new favorite of mine! And the super-hero recipes let me eat noodles!! YES :) does it get much better? This is a great and easy dish...again perfect to add any veggies too...and makes for fantastic leftovers! I did some light veggies and hummus for lunch, so this was a great dinner that was filling & nutritious. I also made it for leftovers the next day by warming it up and adding it to 1 cup of miso soup...fantastic combination :)

This recipe of Alicia's is Fried Udon Noodles: pg. 229

- boil large pot of water, add udon noodles until al dente...mine were about 5 minutes

- meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in skillet on medium

- add to skillet: 1 cup sliced onion, 2 tsp chopped garlic, salt, pepper & sweet paprika and cook until onions are translucent. Add a little water if the veggies start to stick.

- drain the noodles and add the veggies...sprinkle with parsley and serve hot!!

It's so easy and takes very little time, so make a lot of this dish and use as leftovers!!

day #11: sweet tooth

found my great vegan cure for my sweet tooth -- even super hero: mochi!!

I had my regular oatmeal for breakfast, left over tuna salad (kinda!) for lunch, but tried 2 new creations today...pan-fried mochi and alicia's magical healing soup! both incredible :)

I did the mochi as a mid-afternoon snack because i was getting pretty hungry and also had a really bad sweet tooth that i didn't want to give into. so instead of going out and getting something that's not going to help me, i decided to grab the mochi from the refrigerator. At whole foods they had original and cinnamon-raisin, so I went for both. It took me a couple of trial and error runs, but i think i finally figure it out!

Pan-Friend Mochi: pg. 237

- cut a few blocks out of the mochi no bigger than 2"x 1"

- place in a pan with 2 tsp of olive oil on medium

- when it gets hot, put heat on low and place the mochi squares on there...don't let them touch!

- cover and cook for 4 minutes

- flip them over and add 2 drops of Shoyu on each one

- cover and cook for 4 more minutes! sometimes they make funny shapes...mine didn't ;)

- pour a few tbsp of rice syrup or maple syrup on top!

Alicia's Magical Healing Soup: pg. 251

i LOVE this one because it is so light and you can throw in any veggies just sitting in your fridge!

- boil 3 cups of water in large pot. add 1/2 carrot & daikon and reduce to simmer.

- add 1/4 red onion chunks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes

- then add 2 celery stalks, some broccoli florets, some sliced mushrooms and 1/2 leek.

- add Shoyu and squeezed ginger juice for some taste

- cook all those for about 5 minutes, so the veggies are cooked but still firm

- add some scallions (if you prefer) and turn off the heat

finally, ladle it into a bowl and I chose to top with some nori seaweed pieces!!

day #10: think i'm starting to notice a difference?

I feel really energized today! Not overly (like caffeine), but just great. No headaches or groggy-ness and I think i am starting to see a difference in my body! I think that if i'm feeling great and doing the right things, then something's going to be changing, right?? :)

Great day today:

breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal, dried apricots and 1/4 cup walnuts

lunch: miso soup, raw veggies and some dried "Sea's Gift" seaweed snack. its the BEST!

(i had a half of granola bar in the afternoon, which i don't feel great about. because it was processed and had some sugar. didn't do much for me.)

dinner: Tuna Salad Sandwich (kinda!) pg 246

- break an 8-ounce package of tempeh in half and put on a steamer basket for 20 minutes.

- boil a small saucepan of water. add a minced red onion for 15 seconds and then place in 1/4 cup umeboshi vinegar to marinate for 20 minutes. keep the boiling water out.

- blanch 1/2 chopped carrot, 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1/2 cup thawed peas each for 10 seconds in the boiling water and then put in a mixing bowl to cool.

- strain the onions and rinse them with cold water. add them to the veggie bowl.

- cut the tempeh into small cubes. add them to the veggie bowl.

- finally, add 1/4 cup dill pickles, 1 tbsp vegen-aise, 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp fresh dill and 1 tbsp of fresh capers on top!

My pictures ends up looking like a mess, but i was very proud of it! She said you can make it a sandwich, but I kept mine open-faced to cut down on the bread. I put a date on the side for a little fruit :) in my boyfriend's an my opinion...it tastes better than the real thing!

day #9: shopping and yummy fried croquettes!

Today was a rainy day in LA, which mean i was required to be indoors anyway--so I did my MAJOR grocery shopping. Let me give a little should out first to whole foods:THEY ROCK! So, I took my entire list that I made on Monday over to the local farmers market, which was cool, but I barely found anything! This farmers market was not like I thought and it was mostly stands with food and cooked lunches and burritos with a small fresh veggie section. So, instead, i just went back to whole foods (which i didn't do in the first place because i thought there would be more variety at a farmers market!). Well, after 2 hours and some serious patience, I found almost everything on my list!! (no burdock, no lotus root. anyone know where to find these?) I was so excited that I had my groceries for the entire week and I knew exactly what I was going to cook!!

Tonight's dish: Hijiki-Tofu Croquettes

I personally love seaweed, but this is a GREAT and super yummy way to get it into your diet.

Alicia's recipe: pg 244 :)

- mash 8 ounces of extra-firm tofu in a bowl into a coarse paste.

- Let a 1/4 cup of dried hijiki sit in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to soak and expand.

- Rinse it and chop into pieces. Place in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Season with a little soy and mirin and bring to a boil.

-Add a diced carrot (and burdock) to the pan, put on low heat and cook about 30-35 minutes. All the water will be absorbed!

- When it is done cooking. Add the 1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds and pinch of salt to create a stiff dough.

- Use your hands (yay, fun!) to shape the dough into football-shaped croquettes. 1" diameter.

- Finally heat 3 inches of safflower or sunflower oil in a deep pot on medium. When the oil is hot, increase the heat and drop 3 or 4 croquettes in the oil. They will sizzle! Cook for about 3 minutes and then use a slotted spoon to take them out and place them on wax paper.

- Keep cooking them until your batter is gone!

I served them on top of romaine leaves and with a side of fruity french lentils!! They were amazing and one of the best vegan dishes! Any non-vegan would love them too :)

It's easy to make a quick sauce to lightly pour on top before eating: 1 tablespoon ginger juice, large pinch of red-pepper flakes, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice!

day #8: driving & planning

today was not a productive day for me because i was driving and unorganized all day :( my meals were pretty scattered and mostly leftovers, and i am super excited about tomorrow because it feels great to be in my own kitchen again.

however, i did have an amazing time with my grandad, and some great meals too!

as soon as i got home tonight i went in 'organization mode' - which gets pretty intense for me - and mapped out my whole week of meals and a grocery list for tomorrow! i am attempting full-blown Superhero Vegan for the rest of the week and can't wait to get started...yet another challenge.

so, my pictures for today include my meal plan and grocery list :)

day #7: superhero this week!

I'm heading home to los angeles tomorrow, and although i love being on vacation with my grandad, it is much easier to stick to eating exactly how i want when i'm in my own kitchen :)

my goal for this up coming week it be a complete "superhero vegan!" Alicia describes this:

- commit to centering your diet on whole grains, veggies & clean proteins

- chew everything really well

- make friends with sea veggies and magic foods

- stay clear of processed foods (MY GOAL!!)

- listen to your body

- save the world :)

I absolutely love these goals, and I am especially going to stay focused on the no-processed-foods. I think this will make the largest change in my body. Alicia gives a Superhero meal plan in her book, and I am going to try and follow that exactly. The few differences I may make are having a little bit less for breakfast than she does, and replacing veggie soup for some of the larger meals. This was a recommendation from a fellow "kind lifer" in order to reach your perfect & healthy body.

I am excited, because last week's goal of being Vegan was achieved and I'm feeling great! This week I want to get the complete benefits and start making it a life-style. :)

p.s. today was fun because i made a fantastic vegan meal for my grandad and didn't even mention that it was vegan...i just told him i was going to make him lunch: zucchini noodles & sauteed spinach! it's fun sharing great recipes with family members. it makes it a lot easier too!

day #6: traveling and eating out

Today i experienced some of the difficulties of being a vegan: not having your own kitchen all of the time. Haha. For the last 5 days, I've had my kitchen available all the time, and have had a whole refrigerator of ingredients to sift through and combine to make mine or one of alicia's vegan recipes, but today took some planning.

- breakfast: I had a work meeting from 9am-2pm, so i bought steel-cut jamba juice oatmeal for breakfast. super healthy and extremely filling as long as you avoid the brown sugar ;) bananas are the best.

- lunch: my work meeting served lunch, but, of course, it was white bread with a deli-meat-tray, cheese and potato chips. Not to mention candy bars for desert. Sure, the bread and chips and starbursts were "no animal products", but were going for the Superhero Vegan here!! Not processed sugar and simple carbs. It's easy to give-in when its free and infront of you, but it's much more rewarding if you can hold off and make the right choices. I did my own lunch afterwards, and although it wasn't anything special, a mixture of veggies, nuts and water felt so much more satisfying.

- dinner: spent from 2-7pm on the roading driving north, and as soon as i arrived, i knew i would be dining out with my grandad. I read up on the section about eating out in "the kind diet" and i felt good about tackling a restaurant menu. We ate at a beautiful restaurant on the ocean in Carmel, CA, but it certainly wasn't vegan friendly. Almost every menu item had meat, and those that didn't had cheese. It took some working around, but I finally ordered a house salad with extras veggies on top & no cheese ;) Then i ordered a spinach and potato dish. Alicia's great advice is that you can always mix/match appetizers and sides to create a substantial and vegan-friendly dish! Be proud to be vegan and don't be embarrassed about having to change around the menu and asking for special items. It's either that or cheese-mashed potatoes on top of steak with a side of butter :) So go for the healthy body and order what you want...it's worth it!

Well, nothing food-wise was worthing taking a picture of today...the oatmeal was probably my favorite though ;) Also, while I'm working on my health-habits, I've been trying to improve other aspects of my life as well--patience, for one. We had an hour wait at the restaurant, and sat patiently the entire time. It paid off because they took us early & gave us the best seat in the house!! So here's the view from the restaurant in Carmel: Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch.

day #5: bike ride & french lentils

TGIF because I had a few hours of downtime :) I was feeling great about my day and that I had accomplished most of what I needed to and I was thinking about how alicia talks about "spending time to connect with the world around you" and that eating vegan does this. Well, i figured another way I could do so was by going on more walks outside...or taking a bike ride! I didn't have a destination in mind, so I just rode mindlessly for an hour...(for those of you LAers)...around San Vicente, Brentwood and Westwood. It was not only great exercise, but it made me feel so relaxed because I wasn't stressed about traffic! I wasn't trying to get anywhere on time, I didn't have people honking at me and I was moving faster than most of the cars! It was so liberating and was a really incredible bike ride :)

For dinner though, a new fave: Fruity French Lentils!

A great thing about Alicia's recipes are that, in order to save time, you can always buy precooked items such as rice, lentils, beans, etc. In this case, I bought precooked lentils from Trader Joe's so that they could be a quick fix that evening.

- Unpackage a cup of the cold lentils into a large mixing bowl.

- Add in 1/2 cup of fave fresh fruit (i did blackberries!), 1/8 cup fresh basil, 1/8 cup fresh parsley, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Mix together!

- In a small glass mix 1/2 cup fresh OJ and 1 tsp of strawberry jam.

- Once mixed, pour it into the bowl of everything else and let chill. It won't take long to chill if your pre-cooked lentils are already cold.

It's an incredibly hearty dish with such a light flavor from the fresh fruit and juice! Serves 2, but you can double the recipe with the portion of lentils that usually come in a TJ's bag ;)

day #4: didn't give in!

Well, I was very tempted today to give into my sweet tooth--thinking yogurt...frozen yogurt, but i didnt give in! I realized I could blend together some frozen fruit & almond milk and have a much healthier and more satisfying snack instead. In "The Kind Diet" Alicia mentions that it only takes 3-10 days to kick a sugar habit (as opposed to months for meat and dairy) and after that your body won't crave it anymore. She made me realize how many things have processed, simple-sugars in them besides the obvious baked goods. Everything from some soy milks to cereals and granola bars. I've really been looking at those because I can't get rid of an addiction if i'm still unknowingly consuming those sugars.

Another great recipe today - butternut squash soup!

Alicia's recipe called for Kabocha Squash (but unfortunately Trader Joe's doesn't carry it!). This is extremely simple and soo yummy :)

- 4 cups of squash cut into cubes & 3.5 cups of water in a pot. Add a little salt and bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes, covered.

- Uncover, mash the squash in the water, add a little more salt and then cover and simmer for 8-10 more minutes.

- Stir, pour while hot, and add a little herb (i used parsley) and pepper on top.

Outcome: a perfect, filling, nutritious, & sweet soup :) Perfect for leftovers too...unless your boyfriend enjoys it for his midnight snack.

day #3: pasta-lovers substitute!

big accomplishment #1: not needing/actually drinking caffeine when i woke up at 630am to go teach my elementary schoolers! nor did i drink it during my 20 minute break. I felt fine & that I had the energy and it turns out i did! what a great feeling :)

Zucchini Noodles! (fantastic substitute for thick, yummy noodles)

- potato peel 2-4 zucchini

- sauté in 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil for about 3 minutes

- for the last minute add in chopped up veggies! i use the inner zucchini core, carrots and mushrooms! the more color the better :) cook for 1 minute

- finally i throw in a little bit of tomato sauce for the last 30 seconds

VOILA! an incredible dish that has the texture and (i think) and even better flavor than pasta! super healthy, so fill up on as much as you want!

p.s. thanks to my mom for this recipe! :D

Day #2: risotto and a million bucks!

Well, day 2 feels great! I obviously don't see a difference in my body yet, but I feel like a million bucks! It's amazing how quickly changing your diet will help you feel better and different. I had energy all day never felt that I needed a 'pick me up' or any caffeine or sugar to get me through the day. I even went on a run and made it through without my normal stretch/cramp breaks halfway through :)

I believe that it's not only about eating the right things, but also the correct combination and enough food. Throughout the day I felt satisfied after every meal, but not stuffed, and I felt that the grains and fiber kept me energized and full enough until my next meal. That's what helps the most in the process of being a vegan and eating the right things--I'm not tempted to eat things that I shouldn't when I stay full between meals!

- Breakfast: smoothie again! Frozen strawberries, whole banana, almond milk & plant protein powder.

- Lunch: left overs! Great recommendation from Alicia...make more than you will eat and then you will always have left overs. I made another Nori Burrito from last night and it was the perfect lunch!

- Dinner: Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms, Leeks, and Peas & Baby Bok Choy with Vinaigrette

(see pg 228 alicia's book)

*Tablespoon of oil in a skillet, add 1cup oyster or button mushrooms and stir until soft. Then add 1/2 cup sliced leeks and a pinch of salt until those soften. Finally add 1/2 cup of thawed peas and mix until all are sauteed and warm. Set aside.

*2 Tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 cup chopped onion and a little salt. Saute for 2 minutes. Add in 1 cup Arborio rice and toast for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of white wine until it evaporates.

* Last step! Finally, reduce the heat to medium-low and add hot water by the cupful, stirring it into the risotto. Only add the next cup when all of the water has been absorbed into the rice. Do this for about 25-30 minutes. I added garlic salt and pepper at the end. It should be creamy, but the rice should still be a little firm.

Add the veggies and stir together - YUM!

If you want to do the bok choy as well, take 2 small bok choys, steam them for 2 minutes (barely wilted) and pour a mixture of olive oil/vinegar on top. I sprinkled it lightly with pepper since I couldn't find alicia's special spice recipe :)

My boyfriends respond: "i feel privileged to be eating this -- like i'm in a restaurant!" yessss :) Here's to another day of feeling great!

wine

p.s. i am still going to drink wine. it's made out of grapes! ;) everything in moderation.

great day #1: toasted nori burritos

Although the novelty still has a lot to do with it, Day 1 was a great success! I had a

-- simple smoothie for breakfast (almond milk, frozen berries, banana and plant protein)

-- granola with almond milk for lunch (i hadn't gone to whole foods at this point!)

-- finally for dinner i used one of alicia's "kind" recipes: Toasted Nori Burritos

I mainly used her exact recipe, since I don't trust myself to my own creations yet and they turned out great! They were tasty & filling...what more could you ask for?!

Recipe:

- lay out a sheet of Toasted Nori (dried seaweed)

- spread out a spoonful of brown-rice on the nori

- place a piece of romaine, sliced avocado, sliced apple, torn up dates, basil leaves and sprouts on top of rice

- roll up into a burrito! she recommends a cone shape...i couldn't perfect that ;)

- ENJOY!

I made three for dinner (1 for me, 2 for my boyfriend) and his reaction was "this is incredible!" The combination of crunchy and soft, sweet and tart, and warm and cold makes it perfect! I will definitely be doing this more often :)

I think I'm going to like this Vegan-ness!

first day vegan!

yesterday, i bought alicia silverstone's book "the kind diet" and felt incredibly inspired. i am already a vegetarian so i figured that i could take on the challenge of veganism and see what i can do! it will mean getting rid of a few things i really love -- fish, cheese and those horribly great sweets ;)

my goal is to start out with 4 weeks. i will blog my success (or failure) along with the recipes i've enjoyed and how i feel.

goal today: grocery shopping :)