Sweet Potato fries

I absolutely love these fries! I think it is the coconut oil that makes them especially yummy. My 2 year old eats them up. Who knew something so simple could be soooo good?

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 22 min
Oven temp: 400 degrees
Tools: Cutting board, good knife, vegetable peeler, medium bowl or large ziploc bag, parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients:
1 small to medium sweet potato
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions: Peel sweet potato and cut into thin strips (~1/2 in). Add sweet potato to bowl or bag and then add the coconut oil. Mix or shake until sweet potato is thoroughly covered by coconut oil. Place fries in a single layer on baking sheet covered in parchment paper (optional). Bake for 15 minutes and then turn sweet potato fries over. Bake another 7 minutes or so.

Enjoy!

Lemon and Ginger Infused Water

Other than my iced kukicha tea, this is my go to drink. This is a nice refreshing beverage that also helps to curb cravings.

Prep time: 5 min
Infuse time: 4 hours
Tools: Large mason jar (quart or larger), good knife, vegetable peeler and a cutting board.

Ingredients:
1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp of ginger
water

Directions: Slice lemon and remove peel* over your mason jar, this way you don't waste any of its juice. Put the lemon in your mason jar. Next cut a piece of ginger off your root, you will need about a 1-2in slice depending on its thickness. Use a vegetable peeler to remove its skin. Slice ginger thinly. Add ginger to your mason jar. Fill mason jar with water. Put the lid on the mason jar and give it a good shake before placing it into the refrigerator. Let it infuse for 4 hours before drinking. I usually let mine do its magic overnight. Once you are half way through drinking your infused water you can fill your mason jar with more water. I do this process twice, any more than that and your water will have little flavor. Your water will last 4 days in the refrigerator.

*You can use the peel of the lemon in the infusing process but you need to remove it after 4 hours or your water will have a bitter taste.

Ratatouille

I am currently following the Eat to Live way of life and this is a go to meal for me.  It makes about 6 servings and is very versatile. I will talk more about its versatility later. Enjoy!

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Tools: Large pot with lid, wooden spoon, cutting board, good knife

Added peas and lentils to my individual serving

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant
2 yellow squash
2 zucchinis
1 red, yellow or green pepper
2- 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes 
1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp oil of your choosing*
1 tsp thyme
black pepper to taste

Directions: Cut eggplant, squash, zucchinis, pepper and onion into 1/2 inch or 1 inch squares (depending on your preference). Mince the garlic. In large pot add a Tbsp of oil and set stove to medium high. Add your onions and garlic into the pot and let cook for 4 minutes. Stir regularly so they do not burn. No you can add your peppers. Let the peppers cook for about 3 minutes. Now stir in the thyme, black pepper and only one can of diced tomatoes. Stir together until blended. Now add your eggplant, squash and zucchini. Stir everything until blended (I usually use the folding method here, as to not make a mess and have vegetables flying out of the pot). Once everything is blended then blend in your second can of diced tomatoes. Turn stove top down to medium. Add a lid to your pot and let cook for about 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through. Stir occasionally.

*I usually use olive oil but on occasion I will use coconut oil if I want a sweeter effect.

Now about its versatility...

If you follow Eat to Live, like me, you can add 1/2 cup of beans and a tbsp of flax to this meal. I prefer lentils or garbanzo beans. Mostly I use lentils though. I love their flavor!
(I always cook my beans separate. That way I can make sure I am getting the 1/2 cup needed in each serving.)

      If your cooking your lentils separate and want a heartier option, you can cook the lentils
      with a chopped up sweet potato or russet potato and mix that into your ratatouille (if you
      do this, add an additional 1/2 cup water to the lentils when cooking)

You can serve this on a cooked bed of broccoli so that you get more green vegetables into your diet.

After you have cooked the Ratatouille you can turn your serving into a soup by simply adding water. I add peas and broccoli to my Ratatouille when I do this. It makes for a really good soup.

You can add leftover ratatouille into a wrap with hummus and lettuce.

My husband eats his with fried eggs and hot sauce - not so vegan- but he likes it and it saves me from having to cook separate meals.

Easy Vegan Apple Pie

Here is a recipe that I have been using for quite some time now. It is the best apple pie and is always a hit at any event I take it too, especially if there is another vegan in the bunch. It is so easy to make that you might make it a little too much ; )

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Oven Temp: 350
Tools: Medium mixing bowl, a good knife, a spatula, measuring cups and spoons, a pie plate

Ingredients:
2-3 medium apples
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c sugar
1 c flour
3/4 c vegan butter, melted
1/4 c applesauce

Directions: Cut apples into quarters, this makes them easier to core and peel them. Once they are cored and peeled then cut them into 1/4" slices (doesn't have to be that exact, just don't make them too thin). Place apples into bowl or pie plate and add 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Toss/mix the apples so the sugar and cinnamon get evenly distributed over all the apples. Spread out fairly evenly over bottom of pie plate. Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl, mix together all other ingredients. Once mixed, divide mixture into four sections and place each section onto a different area of the apples (dividing mixture makes it easier to spread out over apples). Use a spatula or the back of mixing spoon to evenly spread mixture over the apples.
You can add a few apple slices to the top of the pie for decoration or you can just go ahead and place it in the oven.
Bake for approx. 45 min or until top is starting to brown. Let cool for 10 min before serving. Enjoy!

Note: I use a fuji or honeycrisp apple when I make this. Choose apples with a good mixture of red and green (Braeburn apples are a little too soft to use in this recipe). I chose to use these apples in order to reduce the amount of sugar needed. these apples already have a natural sweetness to them and are not tart. When choosing an applesauce I use a natural, no sugar added option. For butter, I use Earth Balance soy free buttery spread, which most Walmarts and Kroger's carry.

The Sentient Bean

The Sentient Bean

Over Labor Day weekend I went to Savannah with my boyfriend Jack. Savannah is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. We took our bikes and rode around all weekend. It is so much more relaxing on a bike than in a car. We hung out in the park, took a tour of the historic district and went on a late night ghost tour to name a few things.

Inside the Sentient Bean

Prior to the trip I planned out meal plans. We brought most of our meals with us so we could picnic wherever we went each day. Of course, the fun of going on a trip is finding places that have vegan menu items. I looked for a place that didn't offer items that I could just go to the grocery store and make at home. The last time I was in Savannah we went to The Distillery and got vegan black bean burgers. They were good but I can make that at home. This time, after reading a ton of reviews, I came across a restaurant called The Sentient Bean. Online it looked like they were a cafe that offered baked goods, which is better than nothing.  Jack and I planned on going there the first day we got there for breakfast.  By the time we got ready and put our bikes on the car it was 10:30. Make some room for getting lost (I was stubborn and didn't use the GPS) and we got there at 11.

Our table number

The place was very cool on the outside. There were benches outside where people and their dogs were hanging out. Large landscapes of beautiful flowers were lining the sidewalk out front. The inside was just as cool. Lots of bright colored walls that were covered with artwork from local artists.
We stood in line planning on ordering a coffee and some king of baked banana loaf or pumpkin loaf. It was Jack who noticed that on the wall to our left were a whole bunch of papers that listed the menu items for the day.  Low and behold there were vegan items on the menu.


 They had a vegan parm and a BBQ tofu wrap. Jack got the parm and I got the BBQ tofu wrap. They gave us a number which was very cool all on its own. We ordered some iced tea out of their large selection of teas and found a table.

The place had free Wi-fi, it seemed all of Savannah had free Wi-fi, so Jack and I planned out where we were going to go for the day. It took about 10-15 minutes to get our meals and let me tell you, they were both fantastic. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who goes to Savannah. Also, while I was there I found out that there is a health food store next door that offers vegan meals as well. They were closed so I can't really tell you anything other than that.  

Pacifica products

These products are vegan and they smell fantastic. They offer candles, perfumes, soaps, lotions, and more.

They have a scent for everyone. They categorize their scents into 4 categories -florals, fruits, herbs and spices, and woods and resins.
My favorite is Hawaiian Ruby Guava. Its fun and tropical.

You can find these products at Whole Foods, some natural food stores, on their website pacificaperfume.com, on amazon.com and sometimes you can even find the products at TJMaxx (at discounted prices, which is nice).

Vegan Banana Almond Milk Ice Cream

I am back. I have been vegan one year and one month and I wont lie, I had a few hiccups in the road.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't stray from being vegan, I just went for the easy way out too many times (vegan processed foods). I am back on course however and want to share some recipes that I have been back piling. Since I haven't posted in awhile I will honor you all with a very easy dessert first. 

Prep time: 1 day

Cook time: 5 minutes

Tools: Ziploc bag, small blender, spoon

Ingredients: 

2 yellow bananas (some brown spots are okay)

~1/4 c almond milk (you can use soy or coconut milk as well)

Directions: One day in advance, peel bananas and place them into a ziploc bag. Then put them into the freezer.  After a day, take the bananas out of the freezer, slice them into quarters -try not to hold them for too long in your hand as they will thaw more quickly- place them into a blender. Add about half the milk. Turn on blender. Continue to add milk -depending on the size of the bananas you may need to add more milk than just 1/4 cup - until the mixture is just thin enough to blend thoroughly in the blender. You want it too be blended well but still the thickness of ice cream.

Notes: I use a Magic Bullet to make this as I find it to be just the right size to blend this to perfection.

It's just that easy! And oh so good!

Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes

Since the first weekend I became vegan I have been trying to come up with a recipe for buckwheat pancakes. 8 months later I finally made a buckwheat pancake that wasn't flat, hard as a brick or grainy. I tested them out on my boyfriend, as he hates just about everything, and he likes these so they passed the test and now I am posting them.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Tools: Plate, fry pan, spatula, mixing spoon, medium mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons.

Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c buckwheat
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 c almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
4 tsp vegetable oil

Directions: Set oven to lowest temp. Mix together all dry ingredients, add in the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Heat frying pan on medium heat. Add vegan butter or oil to pan. Cook each pancake approximately 2 minutes on each side. Add oil or butter as needed between each pancake. Place each pancake on a plate in the oven to keep them warm as you cook the batch.

Note: I use Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour when I bake, as I try and stay away from all bleached flours. Due to the use of this flour, these pancakes are gluten free. Now all you have to do is heat up a side of Organic Maple Syrup to finish the meal off (although, they taste good without it too).  Enjoy.

'Not So Crabby' Crab Cakes

    Last month I went to Orlando, FL for vacation. While planning my trip I looked up all the Whole Foods in the vicinity of my hotel, to my surprise there was one right down the street. Whole Foods makes being vegan and being on vacation so easy. The items at their buffet are marked vegan on the label if they are vegan and there are so many choices. It is fantastic! I ate a lot of interesting things, most of which I am now trying to recreate.

Whole Foods in Orlando, FL

    On the way back from Orlando my boyfriend and I stopped in the Charleston Whole Foods to stock up, as it is only an hour and a half from home. I was trying to decide what to make for dinner when I came across vegan crab cakes in their deli case. They looked so good that I didn't even have to think about it.  They really were amazing. It was a flavor that I didn't even know I missed. So, I wrote down all the ingredients that were written on the package and went to work on recreating it. The only difficult part was the crabby part. Whole foods just chops up their chicken nuggets in order to get a crab like texture. I try and keep it as natural as possible so I wanted to come up with a way to not use box bought faux chicken nuggets. Here is what I came up with. I hope you like it.

Prep time: 24 hours and 20 minutes
Cook time: 16 minutes
Tools: Quart size freezer bag, cheese cloth, large mixing bowl, measuring spoons and cups, sharp knife and  greased baking sheet
Oven Setting: Broil

Ingredients:
1 package extra firm, organic tofu
1 1/8c vegan breadcrumbs
1/4c onion
1 stalk celery
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/3 c vegan mayonnaise

Directions: Drain tofu and place into freezer bag. Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove tofu from bag and place in microwave until thawed, check every 2 minutes to make sure that it does not cook. Total time to thaw is about 4 minutes. Place tofu in cheese cloth and squeeze until as much of the moisture from the tofu is gone. Finely chop celery and onion. Place into mixing bowl. Crumble the tofu and add to mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Mold mixture into 6 cakes. Place cakes onto greased baking sheet. Place into oven. Cook on both sides for approximately 8 minutes.

Note: Goes great with a side of Asparagus.

Listening in

In anything that we do we should always listen to our body. It tell us when we are tired, when we are thirsty, when we are weak and what foods we should eat and not eat. Listen carefully. It is telling you this for a reason.

An example: if you crave a banana, maybe your body is telling you that it needs potassium or some other nutrient that a banana can provide.  I am finding that the more I listen to this inner voice the better I feel. Now, that doesn't mean when my body craves a Dairy Free Newman O that I run to the store for a bag of Newman O's. I know that there is really no nutritional value in a Newman O, I am just having a sugar craving.  So, I eat a banana or an apple to cause that urge to subside. If it doesn't, then I will have a square of Enjoy Life chocolate and leave it at that.

Lately my body has been telling me that all it wants to eat is lima beans, brown rice and asparagus. I decided to listen to it. Although that combo might seem bland to probably everyone, every time I eat it I find it to be absolutely delicious. I feel refreshed and today I dropped down to a weight I have been trying to reach for quite awhile now. So, if you are not already doing so, listen to your body and see what happens.

Directions:

• For the lima beans, bring 2 cups water and 1 cup lima beans to a boil. Add a dash of salt while cooking. Cook for 20 minutes.
• For the asparagus, toss with olive oil and garlic powder and cook on 375F for ~17 minutes.
• For the rice, bring 2 cups water, 1 cup rice and a 2x2 inch piece of Kombu (seaweed) to a boil, then  reduce it to low temp and cook until the rice has soaked up the water in the bottom of the pan (approx. 25 minutes on simmer). 

Note: I add shoyu to the rice to give it some more flavor and I eat the seaweed for pure delight.

Kukicha Iced Tea

I love tea. Love tea! On the 16th of January (2011) I will be one year soda free. I replaced my soda cravings with tea and have found that I don't miss the sugar filled water they call soda one bit.

.

In the north you would order tea and it would be unsweetened and come with a side of sugar packets. In the south you ask for tea and they put a syrup flavored drink in front of you that only has an aftertaste of tea.  In my unhealthy days I had no problem drinking sweet tea. It wasn't until I started making sweet tea at home that I realized how much sugar actually goes into 1 pitcher of tea. Its pretty scary. So one day I decided I would not add sugar to my tea and try to drink it plain. It took all of a day to get used to it without sugar and now I wouldn't drink it any other way.
The following recipe is for the tea that I drink on a regular basis. It is a healthy alternative to soft drinks and/or sugary drinks and, well, it is absolutely delicious and refreshing.

Tools:  gallon pitcher, large pot, tea infuser or metal coffee filter (used specifically for tea)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Steep time: minimum 1 hours

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp loose leaf organic Kukicha


Directions:
Bring a full pot of water to a boil. Just when you start to see large bubbles forming, turn off the stovetop and place the tea in the water. Let tea sit in the pot for at least 1 hour. Fill pitcher halfway with water or ice. Place tea diffuser or a metal coffee filter over pitcher and pour tea through filter to remove twigs. Add additional water to the pitcher, to fill, if needed.

Note: If you can't find loose leaf tea you can buy organic kukicha in tea bags at some natural food stores. Eden brand makes a good Kukicha box tea.

Pasta Semplicistico

This is my favorite pasta recipe. I am not a huge fan of spaghetti sauce or the calories that come with spaghetti sauce so I came up with this recipe to alleviate that.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Tools: Cutting board, sharp knife, frying pan, mixing bowl, medium sized pot, fork, tongs

Ingredients:
1/4 block tofu (firm or extra-firm)
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 c mushrooms
1/2 box whole wheat pasta
1/4 c onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp italian seasoning

Directions:
Make pasta noodles, per directions on the box. While noodles are cooking, finely chop the mushroom, garlic, onion and sun-dried tomato. In a frying pan, add oil and turn stove onto medium-high. Add the chopped vegetables. Stir regularly. Cook until onion is soft, approx. 5 minutes. In mixing bowl, add tofu. Use fork on tofu to make it into crumb size pieces. Add vegetables to tofu. Mix. Add spices/herbs. Mix. Strain pasta. Turn off burner. Put pasta back into pot and place on burner. Add the tofu, vegetable mixture to pasta and mix together.  Use tongs to remove pasta from pot and place onto plate. Enjoy!

Note:  I find that using tofu with pasta gives the pasta a ricotta cheese texture and is in no way overpowering to the meal. When cooking vegetables I always keep a small glass of water next to the stove in case the oil in the pan burns off before the onion is fully cooked. That way the vegetables don't burn to the pan and you don't increase the amount of fat in your meal by adding more oil. I buy my spaghetti noodles at Walmart in their gluten free section (usually in the baking aisle). Tofu you can get almost everywhere these days. In Walmart you can find it in the produce section.

Quinoa with Vegetables

I am going to be honest, quinoa is not one of my favorite grains.  I know how good it is for you, so I experiment a lot with this grain in order to try and make it more appealing to my tastes. This recipe is good as both a side or a quick snack. I serve it warm or cold.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Tools: Sauce pan, large frying pan, wooden spoon, cutting board and sharp knife

Ingredients:
1 c Quinoa
3/4 c Corn
1/2 c Carrot
1/2 c Onion
1 Garlic clove
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1/4 c Cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon (optional)
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Chili Powder, to taste (optional)
Pepper

Directions: Place 1 c Quinoa and 2 c water in sauce pan. Bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce temp and simmer for 10-15 minutes. While cooking quinoa chop carrot, onion and garlic clove. Add oil to frying pan and turn stovetop onto medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, garlic and corn. Mix occasionally for 5 minutes. Turn stovetop down to medium-low heat. Add rice vinegar, cider vinegar, dijon, chili powder and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Lastly, add quinoa to frying pan. Mix thoroughly and then enjoy.

Guacamole

This is one of my favorite things to make. I think of it as a universal condiment. It is great on its own, with tortilla chips, on sandwiches, in burritos, and so much more.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Tools: Mixing bowl, Potato masher or fork, sharp knife, spoon
Ingredients:
3 avocados
1/4 chopped onion
2 cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions: Core the avocados (cut around avocado - cut on the longest circumference - pull apart. With the knifes blade hit the nut quickly and with some strength - knife should be stuck in the nut- twist, this should loosen the nut from the avocado. Dispose of nut). With spoon, dig out meat of the avocado and place in mixing bowl. Add onion, tomatoes, pepper and salt. With potato masher or fork, mash ingredients together until you reach your desired consistency.

Note: Choose avocados that give a little bit when you put pressure on the outside of the skin.

One use for Guacamole:
I love mexican food and one of the easiest, fulfilling meals are burritos.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
(all are optional)
Salsa
Guacamole
Refried beans
Lettuce
Jalapeno
Tortilla

Directions: Layer ingredients down the center of tortilla (the amount of each ingredient used is based on your tastes). Enjoy!

Fantastic cookbook!

Clean Food by Terry Walters is a fantastic cookbook. It is a great resource for those just starting the vegan lifestyle and includes some fantastic recipes. Many of the cookbooks that I have bought were hit and miss. This one is definitely a hit.

The first 35 pages of the book tell you how to eat a clean, balanced meal, gives you how-to's on cooking grains and legumes and defines, as well as, offers you the benefit of most ingredients that you will run into as a vegan. In the recipe portion of the cookbook, Terry Walter's, separates her recipes into their ideal seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and some recipes for just anytime.

The best part about the cookbook for me, and the reason that I recommend it to you, is that it gives you an understanding for what goes best with what. For example, aduki beans go best with winter squash and millet goes particularly well with corn (a bean and a grain that I had never heard of before I became vegan). When cooking with ingredients that you know nothing about, cooking can be very difficult.  This was what I struggled with the most when cooking. I have found this book to be a good resource to have.

Vegan 'Pseudo' Chicken Parmesan

This is an easy, inexpensive way to make chicken parmesan. It is also the reason that I love Boca chicken patties. Cook for two.

Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Tools: baking pan, saucepan

Ingredients:
2 Boca Chicken Patties
1/2 package of whole wheat or rice spaghetti noodles
Jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions: Follow the cooking instructions on the pasta and Boca chicken patty box. When pasta is done, rinse pasta and the pan it was in. Place pasta back into pan. Turn stove onto medium and add sauce to the pasta.  I use just enough sauce to coat pasta. Separate pasta onto plates. In saucepan, heat more spaghetti sauce. When Boca chicken patties are done slice the patties. Top pasta with Boca chicken patty. Place sauce onto top of Boca chicken patty, amount used is to your liking.

Note: You can get "Boca" Chicken Patties in the health food freezer section of most grocery stores (I get mine at Kroger and/or Food Lion. I recommend "Newman's Own" Sockarooni spaghetti sauce, as I find it to not be as sweet as other sauces. You can use vegan cheese on this but I try to keep processed food to a minimum in my cooking. Bread and/or a salad are a good compliment to this meal.

Vegan Chili

This is the easiest and yummiest vegan chili!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Tools: Large Pot (I use a cast iron dutch oven), measuring spoons, a mixing spoon, a glass, and  a colander.

Ingredients:
15 oz can organic black beans
15 oz can organic red kidney beans
24 oz jar of chunky salsa (I use Pace's, medium hotness, chunky salsa)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
water
Organic whole wheat or rice pasta (optional)

Directions: Thoroughly clean the beans in a colander (rule of thumb: they are clean once all the foamy bubbles are gone), place beans in pot. Add Salsa, cumin and cayenne pepper. Turn stove on to medium-high. Add enough water to keep moist (approximately 1 cup). Stir every 5 minutes checking to see if you need to add water (I usually keep a glass of water next to the stove just in case). After 10 minutes turn stove down to medium-low. Cook for 25 minutes.

Note: If too dry chili will burn to bottom of pan.
Serve atop pasta (optional, but good)

Zucchini-Banana Muffins

I love muffins so I am going to share my favorite muffin with you. You can substitute carrots for zucchini if you prefer.

Preheat Oven to: 350 degrees fahrenheit
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Tools: Muffin pan, small bowl, large bowl, mixing spoon, 1/4c measuring cup and unbleached muffin cup liners.

Ingredients:

1/3 c Earth Balance buttery spread
1/2 c organic sugar
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 tsp arrowroot powder
1/2 c unsweetened, all natural applesauce
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c mashed banana
1 1/2 c grated zucchini
2 c all purpose flour

Directions:
Mix melted butter and sugar together in small bowl. Add applesauce, mix and then set aside.  In large bowl mix all dry ingredients.  Mix the butter & sugar mixture into the dry ingredients thoroughly. Add the banana & zucchini.  Mix. Using a 1/4c measuring cup pour muffin mixture into muffin liners. Will make 12 muffins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. Done when inserted toothpick comes out dry.

In the beginning...

I guess my first post should be about how I began this journey.

The Kind Diet
Six months ago my inner self was telling me that I needed to make a change.  I wasn't sure what that change was but I new it must be a change that would better my health.  I am not sure exactly how it happened but I bought Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. I started reading it and couldn't put it down.  It took me all of a day to read it and decide that this was the change that I was looking for.  I think that it was so easy for me to start this way of living because I was open to the change and excited about it.  I have never been the most healthy of a person.  I ate what I wanted to and had the usual health problems that come with that.  Since this was going to be such a large change for me I decided to go full out and not only give up animal products but also give up refined sugars, flours and most all processed foods.

The first three weeks were awful!
I went through an awful detox.  I broke out all over my face and scalp, I was constipated like crazy and sometimes my skin would give off this horrible odor.  I fought through it though because I knew that I was just cleaning out years of horrible toxins from my system.

I was right!
The fourth week everything stopped.  I began to show signs of weight loss, my face cleared up, I was no longer constipated and I smelled normal.  From  that moment on I have felt great. My family and friends can hear a change in my voice when I talk to them, no more doom and gloom.  My cats hang out with me more than they ever have.  I am just happy overall.  My body is telling me that what I am eating is right for me, FINALLY.


6 Months
Tomorrow is my 6 month mark, Dec 22, 2010. To celebrate this, I have created this blog.  I want to share what I know with you.  Becoming a vegan was in no way easy for me. In giving up most all processed foods (all but Earth Balance butter, Vegenaise, Blue Diamond Almond milk, Boca Chicken Patties and some other dressings) this process was very difficult. Most recipes I came across wanted to make vegan food taste like some kind of meat or dairy and included fake cheese or fake meat in every recipe. As I am not one who can just eat brown rice, a veggie and beans for dinner every night, I had to come up with my own recipes. So, as I come up with recipes or find new brands I will share them with you.