New Cookbook!!!

So- I know it has been many, many moons since my last post. I just started a new job this fall and it has been whoopin on me! I have been kind to my diet (intended) although my running has taken a back-burner. I just finished reading "Skinny B%#*&" and love, love, love it! I also bought the new cookbook ("Skinny B*%$#: Ulimate Everyday Cookbook") so we are going to try a few recipes from that book today. My fiance (did I mention I also got engaged this summer?) is looking for some as I type.
Since my last post my sister has also decided to cut meat, dairy, eggs, and fish out of her diet. She lost ten pounds but has now dicovered the world of vegan "fun" foods and is dicouraged at gaining a lil of that back. It makes me so inspired when my choices can instigate change in others.
Again- sorry for the delay in posts...I am hoping that today's entry will inspire more frequent musings from your truly!
Enjoy the day!

Have I Mentioned...

...how busy I have been?
Jeez! I thought summer vacation was going to bring me so much time to cook so many more recipes from The Kind Diet...was I wrong? Granted I have been able to savor some tasty vegan dishes but have not had time to pick up the book in the last month.
Reasons why:
1) Marathon- finished (although heat demanded the course to close)
2) 1 st Triathlon- finished with a time of 1:39:11!!!!!!!
3) Recovery, recovery, recovery...repeat.
4) Training for a half mary with my friend (a first timer)!
5) Teaching some workout classes.
6) DOVE into hothouse yoga for a week. Really- almost every day.
7) Trips to see family and friends, meet-ups, etc.
8) Organized the home office. If you would have seen it- you would totally understand the time factor here.

So- with that said I am going to share a few of my experiences over the last month with eating outside the cookbook (which I will be back to this week...by the way).
I have eaten out at a few local places this month and have been pleasantly surprised at the accommodations people will make for a vegan. Not only do they tend to go out of their way to find out what is in certain dishes but will substitute as needed. PLUS- then I get a healthier dish and know what I am putting in my body.
Example- The night before the triathlon I met up wit a large group of people I had trained with, at a local pasta place. The group leader had called and arranged a family style meal of spaghetti (with meat sauce), lasagna (also with meat) and meatballs, garlic bread baskets and salads also accompanied the main course. I asked the waitress if she had any vegan dishes. She not only gave me a gluten -free menu, she had the manager come speak with me, got me my own bread basket (sans dairy) and asked me to design my own pasta dish with their spinach noodles. It was delicious, healthy, and provided me with the carbs I needed for the race the next day.
This has been the case most places I go...granted it takes me more time to order, more trips for the waiter to ask questions of the kitchen, and an occasional visit from a manager but it provides me with a healthy meal minus the animal.
I have also been lucky enough to find a restaurant, here in town, that has a vegan menu! Yum!!! Jaimen was discovered one day while myself and my significant other were out running errands, got hungry, and decided to try something new. Will definitely be going back! Sweet potato fries, pasta and veggies, clean atmosphere, and knowledgeable staff. A+
One of the last things I will leave you with today, as I contemplate my next recipe, is a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine. We were out for a girl's night at a local winery when everyone ordered appetizers. This a was a rare case when nothing on the menu was vegan, except some pita chips that came with a dip. When I said something to my friend she asked me why I don't just be a vegetarian..."Wouldn't it be easier to just cut out meat? The dairy and egg would be hard for me."
My response: I am not vegan to make my life more difficult. At this point it is because I know too much about the things that are provided to us to eat. I have read too much, seen too much, and have learned too much to even have a desire to eat anything that is derived from an animal. I don't crave meat. I don't drive past an ice cream shop and yearn to order a treat. I don't think, even if the craving did someday present itself, that I could eat (or drink) something I know came from an animal. I just couldn't do it.
That was that. No more questions. I don't preach to people. I answer questions when people ask but never want to be pushy...just informative.
I would be interested to hear some of your experiences with this....questions/statements from family or friends and how you respond.

Also- If you would be so kind as to go to http://www.wherewillyoursmoothietakeyou.com/vote
and vote for my photo...I would really appreciate it! I am the bookworm under "Ahhh..Vega Summer!" Thanks!

I am now going to go find the next recipe! Back at it!!

Chorizo Tacos!

Just a few, very simple ingredients (very easy to find...and cheap) and this recipe was enjoyed by all! All 2 of us that is!
Found some "Soyrizo" sausage (yum!), bought some delicious organic, local tomatoes, had the onions, bought the local spinach leaves and the soft organic tortillas as the co-op tonight and in just a matter of minutes we were delving into our tacos!
The "Soyrizo" was actually cheaper than the meat version found by my live-in meat eater...so he was more than happy to eat vegan tonight.
Nothing more to say here! Easy, cheap, and delicious.
Enjoy the pictures of the stages of our meal!

Pecan-Crusted Seitan...The Finale!

This recipe proved to be the something needed on a rainy, chilly evening such as it was last night.
I finished the recipe and had myself a nice heaping bowl, then discovered that maybe one of the reasons Alicia suggests replacing the "big dead bird" with this dish is due to the fact that it has the same after-effects...full and sleepy!

When I took the seitan (in marinade) out of the fridge it had set up so that the pieces of seitan were not so easy to find. I thought I needed to "dredge" the pieces one by one. Not so.
It would have been easier if I had taken scoops and covered them that way. I ended up doing just that after the first pan batch were finished cooking. I also needed to add more oil to complete the saute-ing process.
Note: I cooked up a batch of pasta with this as well (since it was pictured that way in the book).

My finished product was not quite as pretty as Alicia's, but it was delicious (hence the stuffed, tired version of me on the couch after eating).
The man of the house was delighted as well and made the comment that I had been cooking up some really good dishes lately. He asked if I wrote the ingredients down so I wouldn't forget them! With only moments to debate my response to this flattery, I went the 'good-karma' direction of letting him know the wise one Alicia had beat me to it.

Tonight I made another batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups with the mad plan of taking them for "treat" day at work...all in the efforts to show my world of colleagues that vegan can be delicious!

Next Up: Chorizo Tacos!

Pecan Crusted Seitan...Day One

Lesson Learned- Read the recipe before planning to make.
As I prepped the ingredients for the Seitan recipe I realized I needed to marinate the seitan for three hours (or in my case- overnight).
I made the sauce and as I mixed all these ingredients together (orange juice and shoyu???) I was a bit skeptical of how it would taste.
I used all the ingredients the recipe called for except the umeboshi vinegar (used apple cider) and minced garlic (used garlic powder).

Now- I should know by now, with all the recipes that have proved my initial thoughts to be wrong, that this recipe would be delicious but I was still not sure. So I tried a taste and, of course, it was yummy! I added the seitan to the sauce and it now sits in the fridge until tomorrow night when I finish it up and serve it with noodles.

In the meantime we are going to enjoy a dairy free Amy's pizza!

To be continued...

Update...

Poor Seitan recipe...sitting by the wayside as time passes by.
But NOT without daily vegan-ness!
After reading Alicia's post a while back, I decided to make it kind of a mission to find more vegan friendly beauty products. I am now the proud owner of Pureology shampoo and conditioner and could not be happier! What a difference! My hair is super soft and all flowy in the wind. Yay!
I am also back to Bare Essentuals. I looked for other products but they get to be pretty pricey and BE is something I used before so I was not only familiar with how the product would look but know it lasts a long time for the price. Happy me!

On the food front- been eating a lot of salads, fruit, nuts, and bought some amazing tomatoes from the co-op so I am getting very excited for fresh, local produce from the Farmer's Markets.
Took mom, aunt, and sister out for lunch yesterday. Mom chose and she is always really great at picking places she thinks I will be able to eat too! Love her! I had one choice; fruit salad with spinach and mango vinaigrette (I also got two pieces of cranberry walnut bread). Tasty!

So- my plan is to cook up the crusty seitan tomorrow for dinner! Stay Tuned!

Panini Party!

I had my doubts about the Waffle, Sausage, and Cheese Panini. Apricot jam and Vegenaise? Ummm...okay.
I found Tofurky sausages at the Co-op and ended up getting the whole grain Belgium waffles. Skipped on the sun-dried tomatoes when the only jars on the shelf were $8 and the jar was so small! Nope- I figured I would make do and I did!
Cooked up the sausage (smelled real good) and mixed up the sauce. I was so curious as to how the jam and Vegenaise would taste I just had to take a finger dip. Who knew? So good!
Put the sandwich together, per recipe directions, subbing the sun-dried for salsa (drained via spoon on the side of the jar), then got out the trusty George Foreman(see pic) and grilled me up one of the finest vegan sandwiches with a side of sweet potato chips! Mmmm, mmmm!
Concerns pre-recipe:
Waffle sandwich? Never heard of such a thing!
Jam and Vegenaise? How can that be good?
At-Easeness post recipe:
Waffle sandwiches--bring on the experimenting!
The man of the house not only loved the jam and Vegenaise sauce, he went back for the leftovers and smothered it on his sandwiches (yep- he ate more than one!).
Messy, messy, messy but the recipe says that is as it should be!

Anyone else attempted this recipe? I would love to hear about it!
Up Next: Pecan-Crusted Seitan!