I feel so lame for not blogging in so long - it's been over 3 weeks! Shameful. Needless to say, we've been mega busy in RL and writing a blog entry after the long days we've had recently just wasn't appealing - sleep definitely took precedence.
Last time I posted, we were at the beginning of week 4. We finished our 30 days with flying colors. We mostly kept things simple that last week - veggie burgers, pizza, soy nuggets, pita pockets, all with salad on the side, usually that vegan caesar salad from day one of our adventure. One night, we made a vegan quiche that used navy beans as the main ingredient - I wish I could remember which cookbook it was from because it was NOT good! I don't want anyone else to make it! It was so mushy, we ended up eating the innards of the quiche with tortilla chips!! I will try more vegan quiches, but next time I'm going for one that uses tofu as the main ingredient!!
Before concluding our last week, we'd thought about doing raw food for a few days and then doing a three-day fast, followed by more raw food before returning to "business as usual", but with all that was going on, we decided to leave that for another time. To be vegetarian, and especially vegan, you have to be super organized - with all of the fresh fruit and vegetables you consume, you have to know what you're going to do with what you buy at the grocery store before hand else it goes to waste. We couldn't imagine layering a raw food regime and fasting into our already hectic schedules. We'll try it ... later.
We enjoyed being vegan so much, that we have decided that we'll primarily practice veganism at home, and when we're out practice vege/pescatarianism - i.e. when at restaurants and other people's homes, cheese, butter, eggs etc. and maybe the occasional fish are on the OK list.
We also decided to reintroduce alcohol after our 30 days (the one thing we missed!), but not coffee. We both feel better without it, so why drink it just because? That being said, we may opt for the odd cuppa on the weekend, just for the sake of relaxing ritual. This'll probably be most appealing once it's cold out.
So, on day one of being not-necessarily-vegan, I met up with some girlfriends. And yes, I had some wine and even a little piece of brie. Having not had alcohol for 30 days, I felt those first few sips of wine right through my body! I mean, in my knees! It was a bizarre feeling. I drank about a glass and a half in total and while it didn't go to my head, I didn't feel so good in the morning - I felt cloudy and dull all day. The cheese tasted good, the texture was nice and the flavor rich, but I didn't have much because I didn't fancy it. Ordinarily, I'm quite the cheese-monger (meaning whore, not professional cheese person!), so this was different for me. Brownies were passed around the table too, and I turned them down, not craving them at all! That's super surprising for me!
The next day, I had a roasted veggie panini and opted to have a slice of provolone on it. Why? I don't know. I wish I hadn't. It was unnecessary and didn't make me feel good. I had the worst case of heartburn and my stomach just turned and cramped. After eating this sandwich, I decided that the cheese-and-butter-as-a-treat rule needed to be more strictly enforced.
By the way, David kept vegan for several days after the 30-day mark. He's had dairy now, and even some fish, and he's glad for our vegan-at-home arrangement. The fish didn't make him feel bad, but the cheese he's had sure has.
So, what recipes to recommend since I last posted? I have to again endorse the tofu benny recipe - it's SOOOO good, we've made it every weekend since the first time. We tried some scratch-made whole wheat biscuits, homemade tempeh sausage and herb gravy - it was all good, but was nothing on the tofu benny. Last weekend we made vegan banana flapjacks - YUM - this is a recipe I must pass along. They're super quick and supremely delish:
BANANA FLAPJACKS
From Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Last time I posted, we were at the beginning of week 4. We finished our 30 days with flying colors. We mostly kept things simple that last week - veggie burgers, pizza, soy nuggets, pita pockets, all with salad on the side, usually that vegan caesar salad from day one of our adventure. One night, we made a vegan quiche that used navy beans as the main ingredient - I wish I could remember which cookbook it was from because it was NOT good! I don't want anyone else to make it! It was so mushy, we ended up eating the innards of the quiche with tortilla chips!! I will try more vegan quiches, but next time I'm going for one that uses tofu as the main ingredient!!
Before concluding our last week, we'd thought about doing raw food for a few days and then doing a three-day fast, followed by more raw food before returning to "business as usual", but with all that was going on, we decided to leave that for another time. To be vegetarian, and especially vegan, you have to be super organized - with all of the fresh fruit and vegetables you consume, you have to know what you're going to do with what you buy at the grocery store before hand else it goes to waste. We couldn't imagine layering a raw food regime and fasting into our already hectic schedules. We'll try it ... later.
We enjoyed being vegan so much, that we have decided that we'll primarily practice veganism at home, and when we're out practice vege/pescatarianism - i.e. when at restaurants and other people's homes, cheese, butter, eggs etc. and maybe the occasional fish are on the OK list.
We also decided to reintroduce alcohol after our 30 days (the one thing we missed!), but not coffee. We both feel better without it, so why drink it just because? That being said, we may opt for the odd cuppa on the weekend, just for the sake of relaxing ritual. This'll probably be most appealing once it's cold out.
So, on day one of being not-necessarily-vegan, I met up with some girlfriends. And yes, I had some wine and even a little piece of brie. Having not had alcohol for 30 days, I felt those first few sips of wine right through my body! I mean, in my knees! It was a bizarre feeling. I drank about a glass and a half in total and while it didn't go to my head, I didn't feel so good in the morning - I felt cloudy and dull all day. The cheese tasted good, the texture was nice and the flavor rich, but I didn't have much because I didn't fancy it. Ordinarily, I'm quite the cheese-monger (meaning whore, not professional cheese person!), so this was different for me. Brownies were passed around the table too, and I turned them down, not craving them at all! That's super surprising for me!
The next day, I had a roasted veggie panini and opted to have a slice of provolone on it. Why? I don't know. I wish I hadn't. It was unnecessary and didn't make me feel good. I had the worst case of heartburn and my stomach just turned and cramped. After eating this sandwich, I decided that the cheese-and-butter-as-a-treat rule needed to be more strictly enforced.
By the way, David kept vegan for several days after the 30-day mark. He's had dairy now, and even some fish, and he's glad for our vegan-at-home arrangement. The fish didn't make him feel bad, but the cheese he's had sure has.
So, what recipes to recommend since I last posted? I have to again endorse the tofu benny recipe - it's SOOOO good, we've made it every weekend since the first time. We tried some scratch-made whole wheat biscuits, homemade tempeh sausage and herb gravy - it was all good, but was nothing on the tofu benny. Last weekend we made vegan banana flapjacks - YUM - this is a recipe I must pass along. They're super quick and supremely delish:
BANANA FLAPJACKS
From Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
(sorry the photo's not good - we couldn't let them get cold!!)INGREDIENTS
2 very ripe bananas
2 tbs canola oil (we used olive oil)
1/2 c almond milk (or other nondairy milk)
1/2 c water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbs pure maple syrup
1 c all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch allspice (optional)
METHOD
Use fork to mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Add the oil, milk, water, vinegar, and maple syrup, and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Mix until there are very few clumps left - be careful not to overmix.
Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat for at least 3 minutes - get it nice and hot.
Spray a light coating of cooking spray or add a little oil.
Pour pancakes one at a time in 1/3 to 1/2 cup measurements and cook until top looks somewhat dry. Frip over and cook a minute more.
Promise to be better about posting now - have a great quinoa and orange-baked tofu wrap recipe to share. Last time we made it, we ate it all before I could take photos!! Stay tuned ...
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