DONE!

2. Do 1 month COMPLETELY vegan

Vegan Month - Reflection

I only have a few hours left in my vegan month. It seems like the perfect time to reflect a little about what I have learned these past 31 days about my diet, relationship with food, and veganism. To start, a few lighter points:

• adding lots of Earth Balance margarine to anything will make it more delicious. When in doubt, add this/more of it. 
• Vegan month quickly became "eat as many cakes/desserts/treats as you want because, hey, it's vegan! It's gotta be good for you!" I have no regrets. 
• Vegan baking really isn't hard. No eggs - no problem. Egg replacer works great or you can just find recipes that don't have eggs in them at all. 
• The vegan substitutes like mayo, cheese, milk, etc. do take getting used to, but they aren't bad! I really wasn't into the Daiya cheese when I first tried it, but by the end I was putting it in a lot of stuff. Even on the pizza it started to grow on me. So give them a chance, meaning try them over and over again to let yourself adjust before deciding if you like them or not. 
• Peanut Butter Nanaimo bars. *drool*

Overall, the month was great. It really wasn't something that I had to "get through" and really was something that legitimately enjoyed. Of course it was hard sometimes. Mostly when I was out and hungry and had to go that extra step to find something that I could eat, but in the end that was probably for the best. It made me PLAN my meals so that in the end I was eating FAR healthier than I was before. I really liked that this month got me back into the kitchen even more and trying things outside of my comfort zone. 

I was really impressed with all the options I had. most restaurants could put something together for me (within reason - I was selective to begin with though). There were lots of GREAT substitutes too - from coconut or soy milk "yogurt" and ice "cream" to the cheese products. My landlords even gave me a spice to simulate egg flavour in tofu scramble (which I haven't tried to make yet, but I tried the spice and it was CRAZY how similar it was). 

I think what struck me the most was how I really didn't feel deprived of anything. There were lots of things I could eat. If anything, having to read ingredients and think out meals was a really positive thing, not at all something that frustrated me. I care about what is in my food and I liked taking that extra step to find out what was in it. 

Was there any cheating? Nope! I think there may have been one or two ACCIDENTAL incidents (one where a sales person told me something was vegan, I ate it, and then when I went to get it another day a different sales person said it wasn't vegan. The other was me mindlessly licking yogurt off my finger at work - oops). 

Will I stick with it? 100% every day? I don't think so. But I definitely will choose to eat vegan whenever possible. Most dairy-free subtitutes are here to stay: nutritional yeast instead of cheap-ass cheese in foods (lasagna, burritos, etc), coconut or soy milk "yogurt" and ice "cream", almond milk, etc. 

Cheese - yes, they will be introduced back into my diet, but as something that is featured, not thrown in. If I am going to eat cheese I am going to eat GOOD cheese and I am going to ENJOY it. Blue cheese, goat's mil cheese, artisan cheeses that are all rennet-free: these are what I want. Cracker Barrel - peace out. 

Eggs - yes, but again in moderation and as a featured food, not an ingredient. I know now that baking is easy without eggs so why waste them in baked goods? I would much rather have them scrambled, poached, or prepared in a way that I actually get to taste and enjoy them. And yes - I will be going back to my egg lady :)

That's it! Tomorrow I get to cross off my first, FULLY COMPLETED goal! 

Post Giller Light Vegan Noms

The recap of last night is on my other blog, so check it out here! Short version - had a blasty blast.

I wanted to show you guys what my (totally gross) snack was. Not because it was totally gross but because it was vegan.

I am a lover of mayonnaise. On sandwiches - duh. But also on fries (yup), for veggie chicken nuggets (you bet) and pretty much anywhere I can get away with adding it. What is even more strange - I like to mix it with ketchup, creating this delicious pink sauce.

I know what you're thinking, but screw you! I think it is yummy (and totally gross, I admit).

So with vegan month I had to give that up - vegan mayo on a sandwich is one thing, but to dip my fries in?! No thanks.

And tonight, I made the plunge. Behold, veggie chicken and vegan mayo/ketchup mix.

It was less gross that you are imagining and less different than I expected. Will I repeat this one - nooooooo. I needs the real deal.

(PS - that new format I promised before? Totally forgot about that. Oops. Coming Soon?)

Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow!!!

I am too excited to form coherent sentences. Point form, tally ho!

• The Giller Prize is awarded tomorrow!!! 
• So of course I'm going to the Giller Light party
• There will be door prizes and costumes and dancing!
• Oh yeah - AND A CRAP LOAD OF BOOK NERDS TO HANG OUT WITH!!!! Book Nerds are the BEST!
• I have no idea who will win but I can't wait to make the most of the night and have a blast! 
• AND THEN I get to come home and prepare for the last day of Vegtober - I am mere days away from completing my first WHOLE goal! And it is a biggie. 
• Friday I should have a post ready reflecting the vegan month and if I will carry on with veganism. 
• Halloween party for the kids at work tomorrow! WOOHOO!
• AHHHH GILLER NIGHT IS TOMORROW!!!!!!

I had so. much. fun. last year!

I need to go to bed before I throw up from all this excitement. 

Also: I am going to try a new blog format for my next post. Hopefully it works. If not...sorry! 

New Goal!

As my regular readers know, I have been trying to think of something to replace the "get a dog" goal on my 30x30 list. I've come up with a few ideas and had some suggested to me, but nothing has really stood out.

Then, during a moment of inspiration, I thought of it! It keeps with the theme of "things that I've always wanted to do but for some reason have put off." It isn't anything big or hard or super challenging, but something that I feel strongly enough about to want to do by the time I'm 30.

I'm going to donate my hair!

I've had some very important people in my life touched by cancer and while hair donation isn't money donation which would help work towards a cure, it is something simple that I can do that will make a positive impact in a sick child's life. I'm working out the details on how long it has to be etc. etc. but I imagine I have some growing to do so that I can get 10 inches of hair that is all about the same length. So maybe this spring you will see pictures of me in the barber's chair getting a new hair do :)

See ya later, ponytail!

Mac and Not-so-Cheese

Hey...Nutritional Yeast. C'mere and sit next to me a sec.

I gotta say, I wasn't really digging your "look" before. The yellow flakey thing you were doing, it wasn't really working for me. Sure, I'd heard good things about you, but I had something else in my life. Something I didn't think you would ever be able to replace. Cheese and I had a good thing going and I didn't want mess that up by mucking around with something new.

Then, well, this whole month got a little crazy I guess and Cheese was just out of the picture. Boom. Gone. I thought I'd be fine on my own, but pretty soon I started missing all those great dinners Cheese and I had shared. And it got me thinking...maybe...well, maybe you could help pull me through. Nah, I didn't NEED you, I didn't even WANT you. I just thought...why not give you a try? Why not look past those strange yellow flakes and have an open mind.

And Nutritional Yeast, baby, you Rocked. My. World.

That lasagna last night had me going back for THIRDS. Cheese never did that.

And the sweet sweet Mac and "cheese" we made tonight left me speechless. I licked the spoon. And the bowl. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I liked doing it. It was delicious.

You may not ever fill that special place in my heart that Cheese has, but I'm makin' room for you too. Because this - this thing we have going - it is no fling. This is the real deal.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Mac and "Cheese" with organic edamame. 

xxoo

Carrie

Nutritional Yeast canz be Cheeze?

Just a quick little update for you kiddos.

Dinner Wednesday night was vegan lasagna. I missed class so I could stay home and do homework (yeah...makes sense, right?) and I decided since I was home I wanted something hearty, baked, and nom-tastic. Especially considering that last night all I had for dinner was a vegan PB Nanaimo Bar.

So I surveyed my kitchen and decided on Lasagna. I have been curious about the nutritional yeast I got in my vegan swap package so I decided to make a cheese sauce to mix in to the lasagna. The recipe I used ended up going something like this:

1. Put a spoonful of Earth Balance margarine in a pot and melt it. 
2. Mix in 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk and a spoonful of flour to thicken. Whisk. 
3. Dump in 1/2 cup+ of nutritional yeast. 
4. Pinch of basil, oregano, thyme. Stir. 
5. Layer cooked noodles, thawed chopped spinach from a forgotten time that you found in the freezer, frozen veggies (I used a stir fry mix) and tomato sauce in pan. 
6. Pour cheese sauce over it. 
7. Sprinkle daiya cheese on top
8. Bake at 350 until it is all hot. 
9. Eat. 
10. Get seconds and eat again

Yeah - it was DELISH. The Nutritional yeast was shockingly cheese-like. I am still amazed. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely use NY in future recipes!

Before

About to be nom'd