Celebrating Motherhood and Veganism

Thirteen pounds down in one month and I have never felt better.  I am finding new meaning in veganism that is so much larger than losing weight.  My skin looks better.  My mind is clearer.  My sleep is more restful and I don't wake up feeling tired.  Even my house is cleaner because I'm not finding daily tasks like sweeping, dishes and laundry to be quite as daunting as they seemed before.  It's funny because I read about some of these things that other folks had mentioned when they made the switch and here I am living it.  The manifestations of a plant based diet are more real than I ever imagined.

I am not blogging so that the world turns vegan.  But, the choices I am making are definitely having a major impact on my family for the better.  Our fruit and vegetable drawers have never been fuller.  My 2 and 3 year old boys are scarfing down quinoa pasta coated in nutritional yeast.  Neither my husband nor my children are going vegan but they are eating more of real food because I'm doing my best to not buy the processed crap that used to occupy my pantry.  It is tough though.  I wish there were more organic or at least less processed options for everyday staples.

Luckily, I am in a food mecca capital of the world so my options are wide.  I just wish every corner store would start stocking my faves.  A girl can dream.  This summer is going to be a big challenge with vacations on the horizon.  I'm not so much concerned about temptation as I am just options while I am traveling in places like airports and roadside stops.  Anyone have any good suggestions outside of bring your own food and seek out undressed salads?

Creating new recipes has continued to be a fantastic way for me to keep my momentum going.  Not to mention all the lovely non-ill side-effects.  I look forward to providing you with a colorful new recipe for you to try at home on my next post.  For now, have a lovely day and I will talk to you all soon.

P.S.  I need a T-shirt that reads "Got Vegan?" [Any vendors out there?]

Vegan Live-It, Day One

This week, I decided to become a vegan.  But let's get real, I can't stand labels of any kind (unless I'm reading a package of food) so instead of calling me a vegan, let's call me "Chumbutt".  I promise to reveal the recipe for Chumbutt very soon.  It's a glorious veggie stew you won't be able to live without.  It's something I remember my Mother making for me, especially on cold nights, and it was always served with delicious crusty bread slathered in butter.

Today is the first day I have consumed zero animal products.  I started to transition a few days ago but was still having half n half in my coffee.  Finally I made a trip down to the market and picked up some soy creamer so today is officially day one.  I have been eating meat and animal products for most of my 35 years on planet Earth.  I did have a vegetarian phase in my teenage years but it didn't stick.  My reasons for becoming a vegan are numerous and not really important at this point because I am not trying to preach veganism to anyone.  If you are curious I can say that the primary reason is my health.  I want to be healthier and this is one way I intend to achieve this.  Another key reason for my vegan endeavor is because I absolutely adore food and cooking.  Frankly food is what I think about all the time.  I'm excited to explore vegan cooking and teach myself some new ways to enjoy foods I already love.

Growing up in Humboldt County, eating fresh fruits and vegetables from the local Co-Op and Farmer's Markets were tantamount to my existence.  I had a Mother who was gracious enough to slather them in butter, cheese, mayonaise, or all three, so putting away the veggies was really a non-issue.  And while I may be looking at ways to mimic such flavors on my new pathway in vegan food for myself, I'm a huge proponent of the use of fat in cooking.  I also have three children and a husband who are not going vegan so I will still be purchasing and cooking animal products for them.  Animal products don't gross me out.  I just don't want to eat them anymore, for now.

On this blog you will find entries on all of my vegan cooking endeavors but for the meat eaters and cheese lovers (I'll always be one of those no matter what I'm eating) I will share some of my favorite recipes too.  See, I don't believe there is any ONE right way of eating.  I do believe, though, that we are all ONE.  So regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you like to eat, I believe we are connected somehow.  Albeit perhaps only because we all need to eat something at some point to survive.  And if you are anything like me, you spend some part of your life reading other people's banter and recipes on-line so consider me officially google-able.  It is the internet that will bring us to together, for better or for worse, and our lives will never be the same.  Enjoy!!