Day 26-31

My final post regarding THE VEGAN EXPERIMENT!

Let me preface this by saying that even by my extremely lax definition of veganism, I totally failed my commitment in these last few days! Opps:( But, none the less, I have learned a lot and have created some new habits during this month.

Day 26: Potato & Garlic Soup

This recipe came from The Complete Vegan Cookbook and I will try to get a picture of it later to include because it was really good and extremely simple. I basically boiled potatoes, garlic, and seasonings in veggie broth and then pureed it. It was a little thick and turned out closer in consistency to mashed potatoes, but it was still really yummy and creamy (without any dairy) and had lots of flavor. I probably just didn't use enough broth (I didn't measure). The key is definitely to use a really full flavored broth or stock. I am in love with Trader's Joe's low sodium veggie broth, it is so much richer and flavorful than other varieties I've tried.

Day 27: Scott Hib's Whiskey Baby Back Ribs and Veggie Skewers

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/scott-hibbs-amazing-whisky-grilled-baby-back-ribs/Detail.aspx

Um yea, so thus begins my utter failure at any attempt of vegan eating... Sam had been talking about wanting ribs so I ate a vegan salad for lunch and ate vegan the rest of the day so we could have ribs for dinner. We had attempting ribs before and they never came out quite right but this recipe definitely hits the mark! The ribs were falling off the bones and the sauce was spicy with great flavor. Totally worth the rather ill feeling I experienced after eating so much meat when I hadn't had much at all over the past month...

In an attempt to still get our veggies in we grilled up some yummy veggie kabobs! Just sliced some mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and red onion and skewered them and grilled them! Deeeelicious! No seasoning or anything... perfect!

Day 28: Kalua Pork w/ Jasmine Rice and Veggie Skewers

I guess due to my failure on day 27 I figured it didn't matter anymore so I might as well just go all out... haha! Again, due to Sam's request, we made our favorite Hawaiian dish. Easiest and most delicious recipe ever! Take a pork butt and coat it in hawaiian sea salt and liquid smoke and put it in your crock pot on low in the morning. In the afternoon, drain and reserve the fat/juices and shred the pork (discarding any fat) and return to the crock pot with the juice (pour off the fat before returning juices to the pot) and let it warm until you're ready to serve. Tastes JUST like kalua pork from an imu, only without the gritty pieces of sand:)

We liked the veggie skewers from the night before so much that we made them again!

Day 29: Camille's Veggie Enchiladas

It was girl's night for the ladies in our small group and my girlfriend Camille made some awesome veggie enchilada's with spinach, mushrooms, beans, corn, and a yummy tomatillo sauce! She promised to share the recipe so when I get it, I'll pass it along:)

Day 30: Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx

We had some fellow submariner friends over for a fun memorial day cookout and I made these burgers for me and my vegetarian friend. (More accurately, Sam made these burgers upon my my request while I made him apple pie!) They are really yummy! I didn't miss eating beef burgers at all. The comments on the website offer some good suggestions like freezing the burgers before grilling to help them hold together better. We doubled the recipe and did everything in the food processor. I still have half the burgers in the freezer for a quick, easy lunch or dinner when I don't feel like having to cook.

Day 31: Falafel Sandwich from the farmer's market

Yum yum, I love me some falafel! And no body does falafel like "Mr. Falafel and Hummus" at the Monterey farmer's market! I brought at sandwich home for Sam too and he loved it as well:) I've looked up falafel recipes so I can make it at home, but it's honestly just so cheap and so good at the farmer's market, I think it would probably cost more to buy all the ingredients and not likely taste as good!

And that concludes my Not-So-Vegan Experiment:)

Now, as for what I will take away from this...

I plan to continue eating pretty much as I have been throughout this experiment (i.e.- not exactly vegan, but a little stricter than vegetarian) because I feel fuller and healthier than before I began this. I thought I would really miss meat and cheese, but I don't. I now sometimes want a taste of meat, but a whole meal of meat is not appealing anymore. My new "plan" is to eat meat at most at one meal a day and the same for cheese. This way I can still enjoy our favorite recipes and foods, but still benefit from the vegan lifestyle as well.

I also plan to continue sharing good, healthy recipes via this blog because I know at least a few people have been trying some of these and enjoying them! I doubt I will post every, single meal I eat... but I promise to share some of the good ones:) And as always... please pass your good recipes on to me too!

Thanks to those who have been reading and offering encouragement and accountability along the way, especially my hubby who has been enduring my new cooking habits without any complaint:)

Day 23-25

Day 23: White Bean, Kabocha, and Kale Soup

www.veganchef.com

It's official, I love veganchef.com! So far, the recipes I've found there have been consistently good. This dish was good and had a good amount of flavor which is sometimes something I find lacking in vegan food. I'd never had Kabocha squash before but it was really good, very sweet. Sam even liked this dish despite the lima beans (I couldn't find butter beans so I used limas, which Sam hates).

*Apple, Oatmeal, Raisin, and Walnut "Cookies"

www.veganchef.com

I wasn't really intending on making cookies but when Quinn is cranky he likes to sit in him bumbo and watch mommy cook, so we baked cookies to cheer him up:) I say "cookies" because these aren't really like cookies to me. They are more like little chewy granola bites. A nice completely healthy snack. And if you love any excuse to "play" with your food processor like I do, try these out.

Day 24: Veggie Pie from the farmer's market

*Honey Wheat & Oat Bread

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/honey-wheat-bread-ii/Detail.aspx

Again, this is not technically vegan because it has honey in it and no self-respecting vegan would condone the slaughter of innocent little bees to steel their honey... As I was contemplating this my hubby was running around the house with the fly swatter stalking the foolish flies that decided to swoop in during one of the countless time we open the back door to let Bella and Winston in and out (because they never seem to be happy about being stuck on whatever side of the door they are on...) and I was wondering if vegans are okay with killing flies? Because in my opinion flies are less evil than bees, I mean, bees sting! Anyway, needless to say, I am allowing myself ANOTHER exception with regards to honey. (You may be asking yourself, why does she even pretend to be eating vegan with all her "exceptions"? And you're right, I'm a total cheater!)

Anyway, this bread may be a little TOO good... just one day later and we are getting close to finishing off loaf #1 and unlike last week when I gave one of my two loaves away, you'd be lucky if I even offer you a slice if you come to my house! (JK, I'd totally let you try it!... maybe...) I doubled the honey as per the suggestions in the reviews. I also substituted 1 cup rolled oats for 1 cup white flour which I added to the wet ingredients first, before the whole wheat flour. So easy, so delicious, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Day 25: Indian Samosa Casserole

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11149

This recipe was a suggestion from a friend and it probably would have been better if I'd been more diligent about following directions :-/ After going to 2 stores, I couldn't find mustard seeds, so I just used ground mustard (but not as much). And I forgot to put the agave/sugar in:( Sooo, it turned out okay but kind of bland. I think if I'd followed the recipe properly it would have been better. One plus though, I put in a bunch on fresh peas from the farmers market and as much as I abhor peas (only put them in cos Sam likes them) I honestly kinda liked them in this (gasp!). Grateful for the recommendation, just wish I had not been such an airhead when cooking today!

Day 15-22

Opps, it's been awhile and now I've got so many days to catch up on! This week has been a little crazy because we finally decided to try "cry it out" after Quinn has been waking more and more progressively over the past couple weeks. His night time routine is getting better now but I was a little stressed and sleep deprived this week so a couple of days meals didn't exactly go as planned.

Day 15: Homemade Sauceless Pizza with Vegan Dough and Eggplant Spread

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5701.0

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-eggplant-spread-recipe/index.html

Deeeelicious! The vegan pizza dough recipe couldn't have been simpler and it made a delicious thin, slightly crispy, slightly chewy, pizza crust. Instead of sauce, I brushed the half-cooked dough with olive oil, and sprinkled with garlic powder, and topped with fresh sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and a tiny bit of mozzarella (yea yea... not exactly vegan...). It turned out great and I love the idea of eating a quick, easy, yummy pizza in which I control the ingredients so I know they are fresh, local, and organic, as opposed to my old lazy stand-by of frozen pizza.

As of the eggplant spread... let me start by saying, I hate eggplant and I don't care of red pepper either, the two main ingredients in this spread. At least I thought I did! A friend introduced me to this recipe at a dinner party she threw recently and I fell in love. It is the simplest thing to make too. Chop a few things up and roast them in the oven then toss everything in the food processor for a quick chop and wa-laa, a scrumptious spread! If you are not an eggplant lover, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try for a quick and delicious appetizer served with some pita chips:)

Day 16: Leftover Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash (from Day 14)

*Green Smoothie:

I tried making a green smoothie for breakfast for the first time on Day 16 and yum yum yum! I've made several since and think it is such a wonderful, delicious way of getting those greens! I blended 2 cups baby spinach, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, frozen banana chunks, dash of ginger, and enough OJ to get it all moving. I couldn't taste the spinach or avocado at all:)

*Vegan 100% Whole Wheat Bread:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=12628.0

I am not a fan of store bought bread and I have been meaning to start baking my own for awhile but thought it would be difficult/time consuming. Furthermore, I didn't know you could make bread without eggs so I didn't know I had a vegan option. But I found this recipe and it was so easy and made really great bread! The kitchenaid mixer did all the work. I don't think I'll be buying bread for a long time now that I've discovered how easy and delicious homemade is!

Day 17: Veggie Pie from the Farmer's Market

Considering I buy and enjoy these pies every single week... I absolutely must learn to make them. Maybe I'll give it a shot this coming week, I think I've got all the ingredients down...

Day 18: Baja Black Bean Cakes with Sweet Potato Sauce

http://www.veganchef.com/

This is our favorite vegan recipe yet!!! So much flavor. All I can say about this is... yum! Vegan or not, this is a must-try! Would be excellent with fish:)

Day 19: Frozen Pizza :(

This was the day after the first night of "cry it out" when we got maybe 3 hours of sleep total... I had no energy to do anything and this was all I had in the freezer for an easy meal. Guess this is a lesson to have a back up vegan meal in the freezer... I am trying not to eat processed foods, vegan or not, so I haven't really explored vegan junk food because that would kind of defeat the purpose for me. But it would be simple to keep some of the black bean cakes I made on Day 18 in the freezer to cook on nights like this one.

Day 20: Mom's Favorite Salad

This is an old favorite, and is great with grilled chicken for you omnivore's out there:)

Romaine, sugar snap peas, sliced strawberries, mandarin orange slices, toasted walnuts, and red wine vinaigrette. I am one of those people who thinks lettuce is boring so I really load up on all the yummy toppings on this to make it a fruity, sweet, delicious salad! Also good with raspberry vinaigrette.

Day 21: Dinner with friends- Vegetarian Lasagna

Sam and I almost died from cheese overload Saturday! We went to lunch with friends at one of our favorite places in Carmel, The Forge in the Forest. On top of great food and a fabulous atmosphere, it is dog friendly, so it is the perfect spot for a delicious, sophisticated lunch after a doggie play date on Carmel beach (which is leash-free). And they have a swiss fondue bread bowl appetizer that is to die for! THEN, friends of ours made a delicious vegetarian lasagna for dinner also laden with yummy cheese. However, after eating very little cheese for the past 20 days, both our tummies were not too happy with us after a full day of delectable cheese dishes! As delicious as everything was, I was happy to get back to vegan cooking on day 22:)

Day 22: Roman Style Artichoke and Asparagus Bake served over Brown Jasmine Rice

http://www.veganchef.com/

For artichoke and asparagus lovers like us, this dish was a home-run! Very fast and easy too. Sam made the comment that it would be an excellent side for grilled food too, and I agree.

New Habits:

This experiment has been about more than just vegan cooking for me. As a result of reading the Omnivore's Dilemma, among other articles, I've been making a much greater effort to shop for local, sustainable, and organic food. A friend recommended the iphone app, "grocery IQ," which has been really helpful in that pursuit. The app lets me store multiple grocery lists, broken down by store, which is such a simple thing, but has really helped me organize my shopping to make the most of my time and money. I now make Tuesday my grocery day because that is the day of our local farmer's market. First I go to the farmer's market for all my produce and anything else I can buy there. For things I can't find there, I then go to Trader Joe's where I can get cheap, fresh, and delicious, natural and organic products. Then, I stop by Whole Foods and the commissary for the few items I can't get at one of the other two places. This process is much more time consuming that just going to the commissary right down the street from us but I feel much better about what the money we spend on groceries supports now. And I feel much better knowing what I am feeding myself and my family is (mostly) free of harmful pesticides, food additives and preservatives. I'm worried I'm getting a little spoiled living here with all these grocery options!

Day 12-14

Day 12: Wild Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Sandwich

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-Mushroom-and-Roasted-Garlic-Sandwich-358375

I modified this a tad to make it vegan. Namely, used oil instead of butter. I used roasted garlic that I'd gotten at the farmer's market to save myself some time roasting it myself. It was pretty good. I could have done without the parsley, but Sam liked the parsley. And of course, it would be better with cheese... (but isn't EVERYTHING better with cheese?!?)

Treat: Citrus Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes

http://www.thegluttonousvegan.com/2009/11/lemon-rosemary-and-olive-oil-cake.html

A few weeks ago our good friends De and John were visiting us from Maryland and one day I took them for a drive down the coastal scenic Route 1 to Big Sur south of Monterey. We stopped at Big Sur Bakery for a snack before our drive home. The bakery is known for being very "granola" and creating delicious dishes from seasonal ingredients. This particular morning I settled on a Citrus Olive Oil cake that was so delicious I went back in and bought another for Sam who couldn't go with us. Ever since that delicious taste of heaven I have been scouring the internet for a comparable recipe and came across this recipe and was impressed to see it on a vegan blog.

Thursday morning Quinn was in no mood to play on this tummy while I worked on grad school but as usual was perfectly content to sit in his Bumbo and "help" me cook. So I finally decided to test out this recipe and it did not disappoint! I don't know what was better, the intoxicating smell of rosemary and citrus filling my house or the first warm bite of these delicious little cakes! I made cupcakes instead of one large cake and used orange zest instead of lemon because it is what I had. Vegan or not, this recipe is a must try!

*Special bonus- since there is no egg in the batter you can lick the bowl guilt free ;)

Day 13: Eating "out"

Technically we did not actually eat out... It had been a very very long night and day of complete teething misery and I had zero energy to cook but there was no way we were taking Q out to a restaurant in all his teething glory so Sam went out and picked up dinner from Island's and brought back some Coldstone as well. What a great hubby! Just the treat I needed. Except since I haven't been eating sugar at all in the evenings and haven't been eating much at all, it gave me a ridiculous sugar high and I couldn't get to sleep for a long time! Worth it though...

Day 14: Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash over Brown Jasmine Rice

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-Chili-with-Butternut-Squash-363715

Hearty. Flavorful. Satisfying. Delicious. A few words that come to mind after eating this for dinner tonight. Takes awhile to cook so not exactly a quick weeknight dinner. But it wasn't difficult, other than trying to figure out the best technique for chopping up butternut squash :-P I didn't bother with any of the garnishes toppings and honestly the dish had a depth of flavor such that it didn't need it. I definitely didn't miss the typical meat in chili. I will be making this again for sure, vegan or not.

Motivation? I am starting to forget my reasons for starting this experiment and just thinking of what I am learning and how I want it to impact me eating habit post-experiment. So for the remainder of the month I think I will stop reflecting I why I started this and start figuring out how it is affecting me. Starting next time...

Day 9-11

Day 9: Celebration Lentil Loaf

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2808

This recipe had lots of ingredients and though it wasn't difficult to make, it took a long time and made a lot of dishes. By the time we sat down to eat at 8pm after a long, busy day and after I'd finally gotten Quinn to bed, I was exhausted and starving. I wasn't expecting this recipe to be amazing or anything, but it was really underwhelming. So bland and boring that after two bites I just couldn't eat anymore. I threw the entire loaf away but was too tired at this point to make anything else so I ended up eating half of an undercooked biscuit which I rationalized was "okay" because I had actual eaten vegan all day long unintentionally. Needless to say, I went to bed unsatisfied and hungry and when I woke up the next morning I was so starved I couldn't go for my scheduled run. Soooo, this was a major fail!

Day 10: Greek Salad with Falafel

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/classic-greek-salad-topped-with-grilled-calamari-skewers-recipe/index.html

After the disappointment on Day 9 I turned to a familiar favorite. We've been making this greek salad recipe from Tyler Florence for years and it is one of our go-to favorites. I obviously left the calamari out this time but was a bad girl and still allowed myself the feta cheese, cos what is greek salad without a little feta? All the veggies for the salad and the falafel came from our local farmers market that day so they were incredibly fresh and delicious.

Day 11: Vegetable Pie from the farmer's market

Today I get my weekly treat for dinner! A delectable veggie pie from the farmers market:) We volunteer with the student ministry at our church and have youth group on Wednesday nights so it is the perfect night not to have to cook... just pop my pie in the oven to warm up a bit and enjoy! This is especially nice considering Quinn had little interest in sleeping last night so it has been a struggle to even get my tired butt off the couch today, so not having to cook is a relief.

Motivation #5 (I think I'm on #5...):

After having a baby I was thrilled with how quickly I got back into my clothes. After being huge with child for awhile, I felt so thin after giving birth, despite the fact, that I was no where near my pre-pregnancy physique. Things improved for a couple of months and then I hit a plateau. Probably because as a breastfeeding mom I am hungry ALL the time. (side note: did you know you have to eat more calories when you are breastfeeding than when you are in your 3rd trimester of pregnancy?! I didn't...) So the challenge is, how do I eat enough healthy food to satisfy my hunger in order to feed Quinn, but still make progress on getting my body back? The vegan diet includes lots of high fiber foods and complex carbs to fill me up (hopefully) without filling me out:-P

Day 8: A Vegan Mother's Day Treat!

Day 8: Southwest Corn, Chard, and Potato Soup

What a treat! First of all... hubby surprised me by cooking vegan for me tonight in honor of Mother's Day! Second of all... this recipe is deeeelicious! He did a couple modifications...

Used 5 small-medium red potatoes

Used a 14 oz can diced tomatoes

Used only 6 cups veggie broth

Vegan or Omnivore, this recipe is a keeper!

Motivation #4: In honor of mother's day... one of the reasons I wanted to do this experiment which involves eating more veggies and less processed food is because as a breastfed baby, Quinn eats what I eat and of course I only want the very best nutrition for my little guy! I also want him to grow up with healthy eating habits and that starts with what I cook. So learning to cook healthy and delicious food will hopefully go a long way to teach him to love those veggies. Bon Appetite little guy:)

The Privilege of Motherhood

Today is my first official Mother's Day. Last year I was pregnant, which I think totally counts since there is nothing like the responsibility of growing a baby inside you! But to be technically correct, this is my first real mother's day and while everyone is celebrating mom's everywhere it has me feeling reflective about the privilege of motherhood.

Becoming a mother is something that we can't really control. We can prevent it, but we can't make it happen. God is the only author of life and despite our best efforts and careful planning, only He decides when life begins. I cannot make myself a mother, my husband cannot make me a mother, only God can make me a mother. And all praise be to Him, He DID! My child can only be described as a miracle and every time I think of his little life I cannot help but thank God for the privilege of being his mom.

Becoming a mom was a humbling experience for me. When Sam and I first decided we were ready to have a baby and the timing was right it was right before Sam was supposed to leave for a six month deployment. We had a two month window in which to get pregnant so that the baby would not be due while he was still gone. Talk about PRESSURE! And as much as I tried to tell myself that I was okay with it if we didn't get pregnant before deployment, it was really disappointing when my monthly "visitor" arrived the first month in our window. I am a bit of a control freak and I am use to getting what I want if I work for it. Against all odds though, the second month we were pregnant with Quinn. (by "against all odds," I mean... "in despite of a busy pre-deployment boat schedule in which Sam was gone all but a couple weekends of month #2")

Pregnancy was extremely humbling as well. I am an active person and pregnancy totally zapped my energy such that I was exhausted and unable to do some of the activities that I loved and that I felt like partially "defined" me. One of those things was running, which I had to give up during pregnancy because something about pregnancy made my heart rate soar after even 1/2 a mile at a leisurely pace and I would almost black out.

Then Quinn arrived, a little unexpectedly before we were ready (still living in a hotel with none of our house hold goods...) as if I needed a reminder of how out of control we were of the situation. Then he was in the NICU for 12 excruciating days. There is NOTHING worse than being a new mommy and not being able to do a thing to help your child. Then he came home, praise God, and we had to learn over and over again that we will never "figure him out." Try as we might to get him on a schedule and detect what the problem could possibly be when he cries, he kept throwing us curve balls every time we thought we'd figured it out.

Despite the humility, and how often times it is exhausting taking care of an infant's every need 24/7, it is the most amazing experience in the world to be a mommy. There is nothing like seeing your baby look at you with recognition in their eyes and give you a big 'ole smile just because you are their mommy! My heart literally melts every time my little guy gives me a grin.

So today as people talk about thanking mother's for their sacrificial love, all I can think of is thanks be to a gracious God who chose to give a totally undeserving me the ultimate privilege of raising one of His precious children. And my heart goes out to all those women aching with a desire to be called 'mommy' and I pray for God's grace and blessing in their lives. My heart is yearning with a couple of my dear friends today that God would give them the same privilege He has given me.

Quinn, it is a privilege and honor to be your mommy. I love you today and always. ~Mommy

Vegan Bread?

Think I'm gonna try this recipe for making vegan bread so I can make veggie sandwiches:)

100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread

I've just recently experimented with baking bread and I just love love love fresh baked bread! I didn't know there was a vegan alternative because all previous bread recipes I've encountered have eggs. Now the goal is to not become addicted to this... because eating a bunch of bread to fill me up as opposed to veggies kind of misses the entire point of eating vegan for a month!

Day 5-7

Day 5: Ancient Grains Stuffed Peppers

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2880

This dish was beautiful! BUT the flavor was pretty bland. Of course I couldn't find the arame seaweed it calls for so I left it out which probably left out a bunch of the flavor. I was reading over the reviews afterwards and some of the reviews had some good suggestions for adding flavor, so next time I think I'll try adding some soy sauce and maybe some mushrooms.

Day 6: SUSHI!

Okay, so that isn't vegan... but part of my "deal" with myself was that I didn't have to eat vegan if we went out. And last night we went out to Crystal Fish in Pacific Grove and had some delicious sushi! Almost as good as our favorite sushi place in Hawaii, Sansei. And I may or may not have had a little Coldstone afterwards... :-P

Day 7: Lentil Soup with Ancient Grains from TJ's

Since it is the weekend, today I had my vegan meal for lunch so that I can enjoy some grilled lamb and parmesan risotto for dinner with friends tonight:) I picked up this delicious vegan lentil soup from Trader Joe's this week and it did not disappoint! Soooo yummy! But then again, you can never go wrong with Trader Joe's. I must learn to cook this stuff!!!

Motivation #3:

I read this book, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, about a year ago (I can already see my husband's eye's rolling as I mention this book AGAIN). I apologize to those of you who have ever gotten on the topic of food with me and have been subjected to my raving about this book! BUT, it is a must read! I truly believe it should be required reading for any American. Pollan basically follows our food from the farm to the table and it was so enlightening to learn about the American food system and the ethical/moral/nutritional dilemma's that are raised regarding how we eat. Pollan doesn't suggest how we should respond to the knowledge he presents about our food system but I have already made some changes to my diet as a result of the things I learned in that book such as only drinking organic milk and buying "natural" chicken, etc. The book does not advocate a vegan diet by any means, but my response to what I've read is that I should be aiming to eat more whole, organic, local, and sustainable foods and the vegan lifestyle lends itself naturally to that. It has been a slow process, but now that we live in an area where whole, organic, local, sustainable foods are readily available, I am able to move closer to that goal.

I am currently reading Pollan's next book, In Defense of Food, which is a follow-up to The Omnivore's Dilemma, and so far it is fascinating. The theme of the book is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."

Day 2-4

Okay, so clearly I am not good at this blogging thing... but I have been keeping up with my little commitment:)

Day 2: Pineapple-Ginger Rice with Edamame

This was quite delicious and extremely easy, especially when you use a rice cooker:) Although, I wish I did not know what miso actually is... aged, fermented soy beans doesn't sound appealing, but gave this dish a nice subtle flavor. Sam (who is NOT doing this little vegan experiment) sauteed some Mahi in ginger and ginger flavored vinegar that I was little jealous of... will be trying that when I'm not a dinner vegan anymore!

Day 3: Falafel and Potato & Spinach Lebanese Pies from the Monterey farmers market

One of my FAVORITE things about Monterey is the AMAZING Tuesday evening farmer's market downtown. I think I could probably grocery shop exclusively there if I was a better planner (as in, I didn't wait till the last minute to decide what to cook so that I end up needing to run to the store multiple times a week...). Currently it is strawberry season here so the air throughout the market smelled sweet and delicious like fresh picked strawberries! And you can buy anything from local produce and flowers, to local grass-fed beef, to locally caught fish and seafood, to gourmet cupcakes, and a whole variety of ethnic foods. After stocking up on veggies and herbs, we stopped at Maha's for some lebanese food which was delicious!

Day 4: Vegetable pie from the farmers market

Every time I go to the farmer's market I buy one of these little treats to take home and reheat. I could eat one of these everyday I am convinced... I've never loved veggies so much! Basically it is a pie shell stuffed with cooked veggies like spinach, carrots, squash, leeks and tomatoes with a little ricotta and fresh herbs. Soooo, technically it isn't vegan due to the cheese (but it's only a tiny bit of cheese...) and I'm not really sure about the crust, that probably disqualifies it too. But so what, I cheated a little... it was worth it:)

Motivation #2: I eat way too much cheese! I have a seriously unhealthy love of dairy products in general and need to have a little self control in that regard. This is my main motivation for choosing vegan as opposed to vegetarian because vegetarians can eat cheese. I'm hoping keeping cheese out of my evening diet for a month will help to break the habit a little. I am also trying to limit my cheese consumption during the rest of the day too. Now, of course... I've already cheated with the cheese on Day 4... but oh well... not trying to be legalistic here!

Gotta go... my stuffed pepper for Day 5 are coming out of the oven now! I'll let you know how they are next time:)

Exploring Vegan Cooking

I've been interested in exploring vegetarianism for awhile but am shamelessly addicted to meat which has prevented me thus far. However, for a variety of reasons, I've decided to take this month to do a little experiment. And why stop with vegetarianism? Why not try vegan?

So for the month of May I will be cooking and eating vegan dinner (on the nights we eat at home- if we go out or are at a friends house, I will eat "normal"). I'm not dedicated enough to go completely vegan... so I will still enjoy my eggs for breakfast and deli sandwiches for lunch, but from dinner until the following morning, I'm going vegan. *except I still get to drink my organic skim milk with dinner... I love it too much... I'm not giving that up!*

I plan to blog through this experiment if only as a journal for myself. My plan is to share the recipe I cooked with my comments on it as well as one of the my many motivations for trying this in the first place.

Day 1: Greens and Beans with Rosemary and Thyme

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2888

I used a southern greens mix from Trader Joe's that included kale, mustard greens, collard greens, and spinach. I have never had mustard or collard greens, so that was a new experience. Let's say, it wasn't terrible... it just takes some getting use to the bitter taste. And mustard greens DO actually taste a little bit like mustard!

I was a little worried due to the low calorie count indicated on the recipe that I would still be hungry after dinner despite all the fiber, but it has been awhile since dinner and I actually still feel quite full and satisfied! We'll see if it carries me through my morning run tomorrow...

I did have a little "palate cleanser" of a small scoop of raspberry sorbet after dinner to get rid of the lingering bitter taste, which worked great:)

Motivation: It's hard to say what the greatest motivating factor for me to try this little experiment was because there are so many... but the most general is probably just that I KNOW I need to eat more vegetables (don't we all?) and I am bored with the vegetable preparations I have used in the past. I want to branch out and learn how to cook vegetables I haven't had much (or any) experience with as well as learn new ways to cook the old familiar veggies I've eaten all my life. I have NO intentions of actually becoming a vegan after this experiment is over, but hopefully I will have made some new healthy habits and learned some new healthy recipes I can keep using once I return to my carnivorous ways!

If anyone actually reads this and has some good vegan recipes, please pass them on!