Welcome!

Why hello there! I've started this blog to catalogue my journey into the vegan lifestyle, which began with the new year. Why vegan, you may ask. Well, I can think of 3 reasons off the top of my head:

1) Health benefits. Although I've been vegetarian on and off for several years and fairly strictly in the last year, I'm still feeling sluggish, gaining weight, getting migraines, and colds. Although I tend to love dairy products (ice cream and cheese are my vices), they leave me feeling bloated and sick. The vegan diet, which cuts out all dairy/animal products, has been known to improve health. As I continue blogging, I'll fill you in on more of these benefits!

2) Environmental benefits. Studies have shown that the vegan lifestyle is not only healthy but is also a diet that benefits the environment! More details to come :)

3) Cost benefits. Animal products are pretty pricey these days. There seems to be a misnomer that vegan products are as well, and yes, they can be, but if you're savy, you'll end up saving money!

So let's get to the good part. The last three days of vegan eating have been superb. My boyfriend bought me a lovely cookbook for Christmas called "Vegan on the Cheap" by Robin Robertson and we've tried 2 recipes so far. I'd like to share a day's menu with you. Enjoy and please tell me your thoughts...I'd love to know if you try these recipes out!

Breakfast: Super Delish Fruity Shake- Serves 2
2 Frozen bananas or fresh (whenever we have bananas or other fruit that's ready to go bad, we stick it in the freezer to use for shakes so that it doesn't get wasted!)
Almond Milk about 2 cups
365 Everyday Value Vanilla Protein Powder with Spirulina- 2 heaping scoops
1 Kiwi
1 Apple
1 cup of frozen mixed berries

Just blend it all up and drink! Delicious and really filling breakfast that provides the protien, fiber and nutrients you need to get your day started.

Lunch: Cucumber-Avacado Rolls- Serves 1
Cucumber, sliced thin
Avacado, sliced thin
White or Brown Rice, cold
1 sheet of Nori
Sea Salt
Soy Sauce

Lay down a piece of nori, rough side down. Put a handful of rice in the middle and spread it out with a spoon into a thin layer. Lay cucumber and avacado in a thin layer towards the middle. Roll! Wet one end of the nori to seal the roll shut. Put it in the fridge for several minutes so that the roll dries. Run the blade of a sharp, unserrated knife under water, and gently slice through the roll, creating 4-5 sushi rolls.

In addition to these rolls, I packed celery with peanut butter :o)

Dinner: Tofu Fried Rice, Serves 4 (From Vegan on the Cheap, with modifications by me in red!)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I'd use less- maybe half this amount)
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp rice vinegar (We didnt have this, so we used white vinegar)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola or some other neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced (I'm Italian and love garlic, but this was WAY too much- try using 1-2 instead!)
4 oz white mushrooms, chopped (splurge a little and use crimini mushrooms...they're only a few more cents per pound and have a lot more flavor)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
8 oz extra-firm tofu, drained, dried, and crumbled
3 cups cold cooked rice (we used hot brown rice and it was fine- try white or brown!)
1 cup thawed frozen peas
Salt & pepper and Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup diced pineapple

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, & sesame oil & set aside.
In a large skillet, heat canola oil over med. heat. Add onion & carrots, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and stir in garlic, mushrooms, & ginger. Add the tofu and cook, stirring for 4-5 mins. Add soy sauce mixture, stirring to coat.
Add the rice and peas. Stir-fry until well mixed and heated through. Mix in pineapple. Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.

Dessert: Fruit Salad- Serves 4
1 Apple
1 Kiwi
1 Orange
1 Apricot
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup of frozen mixed berries, microwaved for 1 minute

Chop up everything and mix it all together; add the berries last after they've cooled off a bit. Don't drain off the juice from the berries- mix them in!