An Amazing Site With Yummy Recipes

I made these yummy potatoes au gratin last night without the bell peppers and I added a little bit of mustard to the "cheese" sauce. I thought it tasted just like regular potatoes au gratin minus the icky feeling I would get afterwards.  My husband suggested us adding more salt and pepper next time, but overall it's a really yummy recipe.  It's strange to think that this is dairy free and tastes so creamy.  It looks weird the next day after getting it out of the fridge, but when microwaved it still tastes delicious. 

The recipe calls for using a microwave, but I used the oven for 50 minutes at 400 degrees covered with aluminum foil.  I then cooked it another 10 minutes without the foil to brown the top. 

I suggest everyone to check out My Vegan Cookbook's blog  for some more amazing recipes!

Yummy Onion Rings

Alrighty........yes......I forgot to put more of the greens on my plate for dinner, but I did have a huge green salad for lunch.  I made some seitan and mixed it with some sloppy joe mix.  I'm still perfecting the seitan for this meal.  It was just okay tasting.

At least the onion rings were a success.  I'm so bad with measuring out ingredients so this is just a guess with amounts.

Onion Rings
Ingredients:
1 cup garbanzo bean flour  (wheat or white flour works too)
1 cup Planko bread crumbs
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
sprinkle of salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
a sprinkle of oregano
1 cup almond milk (you can use any non-dairy milk you'd like)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional.....I used it to make the milk like a buttermilk)
4-8 drops of tabasco (optional)
1-2 onions  (cut into 1/4 inch slices)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
3. Slice onions and pull them apart so they become rings.
4. Put the flour into one bowl.  Put the planko bread crumbs and seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, and oregano) and mix together in a second bowl.  In a third bowl mix the milk, apple cider vinegar (optional), and the drops of Tabasco sauce (optional).
5. Dip each onion ring first in the milk mixture, then the flour, then back into the milk mixture, and then lastly in the planko bread crumb mixture and set onto the baking sheet.  Do this with each onion ring until all of them are coated. 
6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.

The dipping process is a bit messy so you may need to make another batch of the flour and the planko bread crumb mixture.  Let the excess milk drip off the onion before dipping into the dry mixtures.  Onion rings don't taste the same the next day so eat them up when they're fresh.  You can fry the onion rings in oil instead, but you get way more calories and might feel icky after.  I'd rather eat more for less calories.

The Best Vegan Ranch Dressing

I wanted to make some homemade onion rings and my favorite dip for onion rings is ranch dressing.  I saw some of the ones in the store, but they looked watered down and not creamy.  I searched and found this amazing recipe.  My husband said it needed some more salt, but I thought it tasted perfect.  You can make it more thick by adding more of the vegenaise.

The Best Vegan Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup vegan mayonnaise  (vegenaise tastes the best) 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons parsley, chopped  (I used dried parsley) 

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk  (I used almond milk) 

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together and chill before serving. Add a little more soy milk if you need to thin dressing.

There are ratings and reviews by other people on the site you can read saying what they think of the recipe. 

Enjoy!

Swine Flu Originated from Factory Pig Farm in North Carolina

I watched a clip from Larry King Live of an interview with Jonathan Safran Foer who was promoting his book, "Eating Animals."   It was an interesting discussion because at a certain point Jonathan Safran Foer mentioned that many people didn't know this, but the swine flu originated from a factory pig farm in North Carolina.

Wait a min.....what?  I thought it was originally from Mexico.  Ok.....time for some research.

This is what I found.........

In May 1999, a story titled "Disease detectives untangle mystery of mutant flu virus" reported that the 1998 bug -- a pig virus "wrapped in a shell of human proteins"  -- was isolated by a state government veterinary lab.  The virus was discovered in August 1998 at a 2,400-sow breeding farm owned by Newton Grove, N.C.-based Hog Slat Inc., a leading builder of factory-style hog farms. The virus spread among pregnant sows causing them to abort their litters. The virus then spread to pigs in Texas, Iowa and Minnesota -- putting epidemiologists on alert about the new viral strain and the potential for a human outbreak.

Hog Slat Inc. is also one of Sampson County's largest employers -- as is Smithfield Foods, the Virginia-based corporation that owns numerous hog farms near the Mexican community where the earliest case of the swine flu was identified. 

Hmmm.......now I realize how easy it is for news reports to blame Mexico even though it really originated in pig factory farms in North Carolina.  If you plan on eating a pig in the future make sure it's from a family run farm where you can see the pigs living conditions.  This is just another reason that makes it easier for me to stay away from meat.


For more information: 
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/05/swine-flu-genes-traced-to-north-carolina-hog-farm.html
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/05/swineflufarm/#
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/28/swine-flu-intensive-farming-caroline-lucas
http://www.riverlaw.us/swineflu.html
http://www.indyweek.com/triangulator/archives/2009/04/27/smithfield-foods-farms-in-mexican-state-where-swine-flu-outbreak-began

Waffles

I recently got a waffle iron as a gift and couldn't wait to make some homemade waffles.  I found the recipe in, "The Joy of Vegan Baking," by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau which is available to purchase on amazon.com.  Her recipes have been great so far!  If you want to find some other waffle recipe ideas then be sure to check out some more on vegweb.com.  These were the perfect start for the weekend along with a homemade almond milk caramel latte. 

Easy to Make Blueberry Muffins

I am amazed how easy it was to make these yummy muffins!  It took about 30 minutes for freshly baked muffins to have for breakfast.  Not to mention the clean up was super easy because I only used one mixing bowl.  I got this recipe from vegweb.com.  It's amazingly yummy when it's fresh from the oven with some Earth Balance Butter on top. 

Very Simple Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour  (I used wheat all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup sugar     (I mixed 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4cup white sugar)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder    (Find one that's aluminum-free...it's better for you)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup nondairy milk    (I used almond milk)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil     (I used a little less than 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries          
• This isn't part of original recipe, but I sprinkled in some ground flaxseed to add more nutrients in the muffin

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  (recipe said 400 degrees, but I thought that was too high).  Place baking cups in a muffin pan.  (I used a cupcake pan)

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in nondairy milk and oil.

3. Fold in blueberries. Pour into baking cups and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  (I left them in the oven for 25 minutes)

Makes: about 8 muffins, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes

It's Been 3 Months

When I first started eating like a vegan it was just for fun and as an experiment.  I love meat too much to give it up completely.....or so I thought.  My first week I went cold turkey and gave up everything meat and dairy related.  I thought I was going to die because I always thought you need meat and dairy to be healthy.  I even dreamed about my fridge being full of red meat.  After I did some research I knew I would be healthier without those things and I was able to find replacements for the foods.  This made it even easier on me being able to avoid meat and dairy.  If you're first starting out trying to eat like a vegan then I recommend you trying it little by little.  You can switch out and replace different foods slowly over time. 

I decided to do some research on the food I was eating and what I used to eat while trying to eat like a vegan.  This was just out of curiosity and for fun.  What I found was shocking and made me feel sick to my stomach for even wanting the food I used to eat.  I didn't realize I was making myself sick and making my asthma worse.  I think giving up dairy was the easiest part for me because of my asthma.   

After trying eating like a vegan for a month now I realized that I'm not dead and that I could keep doing this.  The main incentive was the fact that I was losing so much weight without trying and I felt better.  Why wouldn't I stick with this??? 

My husband joined me in eating like a vegan on weekdays and he noticed such great results that he's going to stick with it too.  He still has trouble getting in the veggies because it's hard for him with his job.  His work caters all the food, so he tries his best.

We still have our weakness of sushi, but I'm really cutting back on that due to the mercury levels in fish.  I know I want to have kids someday and that wouldn't be good to have in my system.

It's been 3 months of eating like a vegan and even though it was just an experiment at first I feel as though this is more of a life change for me.  I am also very happy about many family members and friends joining me after seeing my results.....even if it's them giving up one thing like cheese or milk I know that they will be more healthy from it.  I want all my loved ones to be healthy and live long lives. 

Meat Treated With Carbon Monoxide to Keep Meat Looking Fresh

The more research I do the less appealing meat is becoming to me.  I can't believe what our government allows to be in the meat we're eating. 

The Agriculture Department in 2004 gave the green light to using carbon monoxide gas to keep older cuts of meat looking red and fresh, even though scientists at the two companies promoting the technology had questioned the validity of their own safety tests.

FDA officials stand by their decision to categorize the gas as "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, for use on red meat, chicken and tuna -- a category that allows companies to bypass a public regulatory review.

Here are some news reports to check out:

CBS news report on meat treated with carbon monoxide...scroll to 3 min and 30 seconds to see

CNN report on meat treated with carbon monoxide


Here are some articles to read:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2007-10-30-kalsec-meat-carbon-monoxide_N.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111302016.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide

Susan's Ribz with a Z

I want to just say.....WOW! I made these lovely ribz last night and they were so yummy. I don't think I will ever buy the frozen store bought ones ever again. These were so tasty and so cheap to make.  Here's a clip of Julie Hasson to show you how to make them at home. The recipe is available at everydaydish.tv....just look up Ribz in the search engine on top. I love the site everydaydish.tv because they show the recipes as well as videos on making yummy healthy dishes. There's even recipes for ice cream I want to try out soon......with coconut milk of course.

Here are the ribz I made.....of course I had to sneak a taste.  Mmmmmm!

My Love For Avocado

I had such a love for avocados when I was a little girl.  My grandpa would give me slices of avocado with a sprinkle of salt on top as a snack.  Years passed and I forgot my love for avocados and would rarely eat one.  After switching over to eating like a vegan I have renewed my love for avocados.  I didn't realize all the different uses for them and all the nutritional benefits. 

Interesting facts: 

• Avocados have 60% more potassium than bananas.
• Avocado intake has been shown to have a beneficial effect on blood serum cholesterol levels. 
• Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Here's a chart comparison between using an avocado vs. other spreads........

Reference:  USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005) and FDA Food Labeling Guidelines for Voluntary Nutrition Labeling of Raw Fruits, Vegetable and Fish (Vol. 71, No. 159); Appendix C to Part 101 – Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits and Vegetables (2006).

^{How to Select and Store:
Ripe Avocados should be slightly soft when pressed gently.  Avoid overripe avocados with brown meat.  These are the ones that are overly mushy as well.  If you have a firm avocado, then you can put it into a paper bag to ripen faster (thanks for teaching me this Celine).  Be sure not to refrigerate your avocado until they are ripe.  If you want to prolong the shelf life of your prepared avocado you should store with the pit touching the mashed avocado. 
Some ideas for using avocado for an inexpensive spa treatment........}

1. Hair Conditioner Recipe:  Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10 -15 minutes, rinse out. 
2. Face Mask Recipe (for dry skin):  Combine 1 Avocado with 2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil. Apply to face avoiding area around eyes.  Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off with cool water.  

^{Some recipe ideas:
Avocado Buttercream Frosting
Avocado Sorbet
Avocado Toast
Guacamole}

^{Avocado Sandwiches}

^{Avocado and Asparagus rolls (perfect at a sushi place)}

^{Avocado Cilantro Dressing (great for salads as well as pastas)}

^{There are tons of recipes online to get ideas.  Go check it out!}

^{More information on avocados:}

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

http://www.avocado.org/nutrition/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

A Yummy Lunch- BBQ Meatball Sandwich

My husband surprised me and made a BBQ meatball sandwich using Nate's Zesty Italian Meatballs for my lunch.  It was really yummy!  We had some left over for when we had our neighbors over and used the Nate's meatballs as one of the appetizers.  I want to remind everyone to include a side of veggies with your sandwich.  And no.....a side of potato chips doesn't count as a veggie! 
 

Avoiding the Plague at Work

Wow......it has almost been 3 months of eating like a vegan for me.  I have had a bit of fish every now and then, but for the majority of time I'm eating no meat and non dairy foods.  I've been eating a variety of many vegetables in my dishes also.   

I just realized there have been two waves of sick people at work.  If there's ever a sick person around me I wouldn't be able to avoid getting sick myself which would last a good month or longer.  I think it's because of my asthma for my sickness lasting longer than normal.  I would take medicine and the Emergen-C powder packets and it would help a little bit. 

I am happy to report that I was able to avoid getting sick both times.  This is a first!  I am so happy that I'm feeling so great and that I didn't get sick.  The other lady at my work who is also eating like a vegan noticed the same for herself as well. 

Happy to be the healthiest I've ever been!    

PH-abulous Vlog by Kris Carr

I'd like for everyone to meet Kris Carr. She had stage 4 cancer with a 100% death rate and ended up healing herself. She talks about PH with the body and describes what she eats and books she recommends.

I love how she breaks down the PH scale to show you what really can heal your body and prevent you from getting sick as much. She explains why it's not just eating animal free and dairy free........ you should be loving your veggies because those are the foods that heal. I could be eating animal free and dairy free foods and still be considered unhealthy if I'm not eating the right foods. Please take the time to check out her vlog. She has a lot more available on YouTube with helpful tips.

http://www.crazysexycancer.com/

Natural Food Coloring

After reading about artificial food coloring I have decided from now on that I either buy natural ones or make my own at home.  I found these ideas for making your own food coloring.  Check it out!

Natural food coloring you can make at home for frosting:
With 1 cup of frosting mix in the below ingredients......
1. Beet juice. It can be added to frosting for a rosy, pink hue.
2. Blueberries. Smash 14 of them, then drain the juice for a deep blue shade.
3. Both of the above: combine the two to create shades of purple.
4. Saffron. crush a tiny amount of saffron and let it brew in about two tablespoons of hot water.  You'll have a bright yellow, almost orange food coloring. 
4. Avocado. Smash half a small avocado, then combine with the frosting using a fork.  Be sure to add a few drops of lemon to preserve the color.
5. Chocolate. can be added to make a nice brown color.

Other ways of making food coloring:

• To make purple food coloring, all you need is one half of a big red-cabbage head. First, chop cabbage into big chunks and put them into a pot of boiling water. The amount of water should be just enough to cover the cabbage. After about an hour, the cabbage should lose its color while the water should turn dark purple. Remove from heat and let cool. Once it is completely cool, discard the cabbage (You can save the leftovers to put in soup or stew).
• Use dried hibiscus flowers. The process is very similar to what you do with the red cabbage. First, boil 1/2 cup of dried hibiscus with about 10 cups of water. Let it boil for about an hour. Remove from heat, strain and let cool. Creates a lovely red color. 
• To get a nice green......you probably have seen green tea cakes or ice cream before. Using green tea in desserts is a great way to enhance the look and fragrance. I've heard that some people sprinkle green tea powder over their salads as well. Green-tea potato salad, in particular, has become a kind of "fad food" among health-concerned foodies. You may also make green-tea pasta by boiling your pasta in a pot of brewed green tea.

Also check out this lovely site.......http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/03/colorful-baking-with-homemade-natural.html#  It's full of ideas on making your own food coloring. 

You can buy the store bought natural food dyes, but a lot of them are pretty pricey.  

Have fun creating!


http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Natural_Food_Coloring
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/food-and-cooking/4-natural-food-coloring-ingredients-083649
http://hubpages.com/hub/make-food-coloring
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/03/colorful-baking-with-homemade-natural.html

Artificial Food Coloring

In the USA, the following seven artificial colorings are permitted in food (the most common in bold) as of 2007:

• FD&C Blue No. 1 – Brilliant Blue FCF, E133 (blue shade) -  It has the capacity for inducing an allergic reaction in individuals with pre-existing moderate asthma.
• FD&C Blue No. 2 – Indigotine, E132 (Indigo shade) -Indigo carmine is harmful to the respiratory tract if swallowed. It is also an irritant to the skin and eyes.
• FD&C Green No. 3 – Fast Green FCF, E143 (turquoise shade)-  is poorly absorbed by the intestines. Its use as a food dye is prohibited in European Union and some other countries.  This substance has been found to have tumorigenic effects in experimental animals, as well as mutagenic effects in both experimental animals and humans. It furthermore risks irritation of eyes, skin, digestive tract, and respiratory tract in its undiluted form.
• FD&C Red No. 40 – Allura Red AC, E129 (red shade)- was originally manufactured from coal tar but is now mostly made from petroleum.  Related dyes include Sunset Yellow FCF, Scarlet GN, tartrazine, and Orange B.  Some reports suggest that consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and sodium benzoate preservative are associated with increases in hyperactive behaviour and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and lower IQs were observed in children.  It can also trigger cancer in the body. 
• FD&C Yellow No. 5 – Tartrazine, E102 (yellow shade)- People who have aspirin sensitivity may not tolerate it and it may be especially a bad choice for people who have frequent asthma. Tartrazine is derived from coal tar, which has led to concerns for all people who consume it. 
• FD&C Yellow No. 6 – Sunset Yellow FCF, E110 (orange shade)- is a possible carcinogen, which is frequently present in it as an impurity. Sunset Yellow itself may be responsible for causing an allergic reaction in people with an aspirin intolerance, resulting in various symptoms including gastric upset, diarrhea, vomiting, nettle rash (urticaria) and swelling of the skin (angioedema).  The colouring has also been linked to hyperactivity in young children.
• FD & C Red No. 3- Contains erythrosine, another coal tar based compound. There is suspicion that this colorant may be carcinogenic. Rat studies showed development of thyroid tumors when high doses of erythrosine were administered. In 1990 the U.S. FDA had instituted a partial ban on erythrosine, citing research that high doses have been found to cause cancer in rats.  Also could be a significant risk factor in human breast carcinogenesis.

The above are known as "primary colors"; when they are mixed to produce other colors, those colors are then known as "secondary colors".  These artificial colors are in a lot of the foods we consume, so please read the ingredients labels.  It's hard to avoid all artificial colors, but try your best and use natural food dyes when cooking and baking at home.  You can find a lot of them at Whole Foods.  I used the natural red food coloring made from beets, but I didn't realize that when adding heat the color would change.  My red velvet cake turned out to be purple velvet cake.  It still was still really yummy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_coloring
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2004/02/25/fd_c_dyes_sickness.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-food-coloring-made-of.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/022870.html

What I Eat

I've been getting emails from people asking me what I eat on a daily basis.  Well, I try to eat many different fruits and vegetables throughout the week as much as possible.  I'm starting to get even more creative with my cooking to get in my veggies.  I notice the best results with my body by eating small meals every two hours.  This took me a good 6 months to get my body used to my new eating style.    

For breakfast I usually have oatmeal with some truvia or agave (natural sweetners) or a bowl of healthy granola cereal (I look for the one with the least amount of sugar) with almond milk on weekdays because of not having much time.  On weekends I can make french toast, cinnamon rolls, tofu scramble, cinnamon toast with earth balance butter, etc.  I got an idea from Kris Carr who stars in the documentary, "Crazy Sexy Cancer."  She healed herself from stage 4 cancer.....the cancer that has a 100% death rate.  She does juicing for her morning meal consisting of cucumber, spinach, collard greens, and adding a different fruit for sweetness.  I want to start doing this hopefully next week.  We'll see.   

For snacks I keep it simple with some brown rice, a vegetable (broccoli, brussel sprouts, anything dark green), beans, and different sauces on top.  I sometimes make it taste Mexican by adding salsa and guacamole instead of a sauce.  I sometimes have chili with my rice and veggies too.  The best is when you make a teriyaki sauce at home and use it throughout the week.  I've also seen some YouTube videos of people on the raw diet making awesome healthy sauces to add to dishes.  Look on YouTube under "raw sauces" and a bunch will pop up.  It's best not to add sugar to your sauces.

For lunches and dinner I try to have half of my meal be full of vegetables.  There are tons of recipes online to try out.  My favorite are the cheesy enchiladas, but there are so many dishes I still want to try out.  I love using seitan, gardein, etc. in my dishes.  You can find some at Whole Foods or some Ralph's Fresh Fare locations.   

I also love to eat out.  It depends where we eat for what I end up ordering.  For Chinese I like to order the vegetarian soup, garlic sauteed mixed veggies, and a side of brown rice...sometimes I get the tofu dishes.  For Mexican I can order pretty much anything and ask for no meat, no cheese, and no sour cream.  For Japanese I get the asparagus avocado roll with brown rice, some miso soup, and sometimes there's other ordering options I try out.  For pizza I love to get mine thin crust with olives, garlic, and pineapple with no cheese.  You get tons more toppings by ordering it with no cheese.  For Italian I like marinara with spaghetti and you can sometimes get a side of veggies you can mix in.  There are many choices out there and sometimes I just have to be creative with ordering.  I can even find vegan foods at a steakhouse!

As you can see......I have plenty of food to select from and I'm never starving myself.  I still eat my dessert everyday and not worry about gaining weight.  Even fruit is tasting so amazing as a dessert since my taste buds are finally awake now.  I love it!     
 

Hydrogenated Oils = Poison

Hydrogenated oils are artificially processed oils that never appear in nature.  They are created by food producers for the convenience of food producers- primarily to add shelf life and consistency to foods so that those foods not only taste great, but can sit on the shelf for months at a time without going bad.

Food manufacturers are getting around the trans fat labeling by mixing small amounts of fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturated oils and calling it "interesterified oil."  Since there is less trans fat, they can sell this product to food manufacturers for use in commercial dressings, baked goods, candies and anything else that used to have partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list.  This is the manufacturers solution to the trans fat problem and labeling requirements.  Also beware of mono-diglycerides, they are nothing more than hydrogenated oils.

Research studies show conclusively these deadly oils cause non-insulin dependent type II diabetes, or hyperinsulinemia. This is a disease which can eventually burn out the pancreas and cause insulin dependent diabetes. These changed molecular oils dramatically increase the risk of coronary heart disease, birth defects, breast cancer, and other types of cancers and auto immune diseases.  There are studies that show there is a 40% increase in breast cancer in women eating hydrogenated oils. 

Over 100 research studies show how harmful these oils are to the human body. However, these findings have been largely ignored by the mass media and the FDA.

Read your Food Labels!

More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogenation
http://www.dldewey.com/hydroil.htm

http://www.truthpublishing.com/poisonfood_p/yprint-cat21284.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/002686.html

Cooking Your Way Towards a Healthy Body

Cooking is the best way to get more nutritious foods for your body.  I have been doing way more cooking than I have ever done in my entire life.  I feel as though this is the main key to being healthy.  To think.....you know what's in your food because you were the one that put it all together.  I've been collecting vegan cookbooks to help me and I watch a lot of YouTube videos of people cooking plant-based foods. 

I know cooking your food takes time and planning, but it's so worth it if it makes you feel so much better.  A helpful tip is that you can cut up the food and prepare your food the night before.  You can put your food in a slow cooker all day and come home to a nice meal.  Make a chart for your week of meals and write the ingredients you need so when you go to the store then you know what to pick up.
 

Just a Helpful Tip to Resist the Bad Foods:
What keeps me away from getting fast-food, junk food, etc. is doing research on their ingredients.  It's pretty freaky what the FDA allows in our food that other countries won't allow.  I have a dish full of fun-sized candies that sits in front of me all day at work.  I used to eat at least 3 candies from it everyday......5 days a week.  Now that I know what's in it I can easily pass it up.  Just thinking about the toxins used in the candy freaks me out. Knowing what's in food will help you to resist the bad foods.
  

Can't Wait to See This Documentary

This documentary shows what eating a whole foods plant-based diet can do to your body. I'm starting to realize that I need to start eating less of the processed foods I've been eating. Even vegan foods can be highly processed. I've been using these processed foods as a step toward giving up my meats and dairy. I'm officially not addicted to those types of foods anymore. I'm thinking that once I'm done with the processed foods in my freezer that I should stop buying them completely. I want to start going towards eating more of the whole foods that are talked about in this documentary.

Remember you should always do your research before starting a new eating plan.

My Vegan Christmas

Getting together with the family is always a fun time, but when you start changing your eating it becomes tricky.  Usually there's not much for vegans to eat at family affairs and you try to either eat before or eat after or try picking at the non-animal foods.  I didn't have to worry about food this Christmas season thanks to my cousins.  They told my aunt and uncle how I've been eating differently and they were so accommodating.  They made potato salad, but they left some on the side for my husband and me that didn't have egg or mayo.  They also had some amazingly yummy baked beans with chunks of onion.  I was so amazed at the support I got from them and felt so loved.  Turns out one of my cousins is thinking about trying to eat like a vegan too!  That's just amazing to me!  It's just a wonderful feeling when family is so supportive.  If you have family members that aren't so supportive, then you should try eating before going to visit or bring your own dish to contribute.....just make sure it's yummy to show your family that vegan foods can have lots of flavor. 

Happy Holidays!!!!!!