Trick or Treat! Nope, just treat!

Hi, friends!

Halloween has come early for me and this month I decided to focus on how to treat myself, the vegan way, of course! I decided to focus on breakfast items and how I could feel more satisfied and how to make some of my favorite items without the animal products... So treats all around for all my readers! No tricks here...

Below, you can see me dressed up as Daisy from The Great Gatsby for Halloween and all the yummy recipes I made myself (all my recipes have been taken from my favorite recipes and then adapted using ideas from vegan recipes I find in books or on the internet). Enjoy!!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Never going blond again... But it was fun for the night!

                         

Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached cake flour
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions:
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Now add in the wet ingredients, whisking everything together well until the mixture is smooth and thick. Then cook on a pan stovetop, one pancake at a time.

Brunch Sunday - Roasted Veggie Hash & Seasoned Potato Crisps

Ingredients for hash:
1/4 of a green pepper chopped
3 green onions chopped
5 cremini mushroom chopped
2 vegan breakfast patties chopped
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for seasoned potato crisps:
4 yukon gold potatoesskinned and thinly sliced
salt & pepper to taste

Hearty Brunch Scramble

Ingredients:
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup of corn (fresh is better, but use what you have)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 onion
1/2 package of firm tofu (organic is best) - drained and mashed (I usually drain, pad down with paper towels and then use a fork to "mash")
Fresh parsley, cilantro
Sprinkle of paprika
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Prepare the black beans and tofu - keep them off to the side til you are ready for them. Chop up your onion, peppers and add them to a large skillet with some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) already warmed up. Let them cook and then add in the beans and corn. Give this about 5 minutes and then add in the tofu. Now season to taste with paprika, salt and pepper. After about ten minutes, add in the parsley and cilantro. Mix well. Let it cook for another 5-10.

I forgot to take pics of the frosting recipe below but tried to make this frosting for fun - and BOY was it amazing!! Try it out on your favorite vegan cake or regular cake - maybe even the pancake recipe above for a special occasion!

Amazing Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients for frosting:
2 cups organic powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of vegan margarine softened
1/4 cup unsweetened, plain soy or almond milk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions for frosting:
Cream sugar, margarine and milk. Then add the vanilla and finally the powder until creamy and until there are no lumps in the mixture.

Bumps, Strides & a New Format

It has been a while, friends! The last month has been incredibly eventful and I'm happy to say that I am still enjoying my vegan lifestyle! At times it has been a challenge to stay the course. Sometimes I have found myself saying, "but wouldn't it be easier to just not eat this way?" The times I have deviated from the course, I have regretted it and actually seen my immune system and its defenses drop as a result. Eating healthy, great food makes a huge difference and I am committed to continuing on this course to heaven...

In other news, as I am going to be finishing my 90 days soon, I wanted to change the format of this blog a bit. I love that I feel accountable to my wonderful family and friends who take the time to read this (thank you!) and I want to continue that as it is super fun to think about what I'm going to highlight in the blog moving forward. Due to my schedule and demands on me in life overall, I'm going to change this blog to be a monthly blog. Each month I will feature at least one new recipe, some activity I've done or something I've learned to keep me healthy, and of course any meaningful research or personal reflections I have along the way!

Success!

The Vacation Challenge
When we are on vacation, it is the easiest time to get away from your diet and routine. Earlier this month, my husband and I went to California to reunite with great friends and spend some time on the beach and drinking wine. For a couple of reasons, this was a big challenge for me. The first part of our trip was staying in two big beach houses with mostly folks who are not vegan or vegetarian. Seriously, our friends were AWESOME about it! They thought about my needs in group dinners and one morning for breakfast, I came up with a great recipe of my own which has now become a breakfast/brunch staple!

Enjoying a good book on the Santa Cruz beach...

One Pan Breakfast Heaven

This is the perfect breakfast/brunch dish that is sure to please everyone in your household!

Ingredients:

Bag of small multi-colored potatoes

Package of vegan breakfast patties

Green pepper

Red pepper

Green onions

Parsley

Paprika

Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

To prepare: Chop up three strands of green onions, half a green pepper, half a red pepper, fresh parsley, half all your mini-potatoes, and cut up the breakfast patties into small chunks.

To cook: Lightly drizzle EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a large saucepan and let it heat up on medium-high heat. Once warmed up, add the onions and peppers to the pan. Let them heat up and move around for approximately 5 minutes. Add in the potatoes and chunks of patties next. Salt and pepper to taste and add in around two tsps of parsley, paprika, and rosemary (but it is to taste, based on your preference). Stir frequently. You may need to add more EVOO, but taste the potatoes along the way to gauge when it is done. You want the potatoes to be soft enough to chew through and they should be lightly browned.

Vegan Chocolate Low-Fat Bundt Cake

I altered an already great recipe to meet my own needs and baking preferences. I could not believe that this was vegan when I ate it, and neither could my co-workers who enjoyed a taste at a recent conference.

Ingredients:

2 shots freshly brewed espresso

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat unbleached cake flour

1 cup plain almond milk

2 teaspoons baking soda

confectioners' sugar for topping

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini-bundt pan (I recommend having two for this recipe, but you can do it with one).

Brew two shots of espresso, put them and the almond milk in a small pot and simmer over medium heat. Turn down the heat a bit and whisk in the cocoa powder until it disolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, mix the granulated sugar, canola oil, applesauce, and cornstarch for about two minutes. Mix in the vanilla, then add in the chocolate, milk, espresso mixture. Sift in the flour and baking soda. Beat until it is all evenly mixed and smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared mini-bundt pan(s). Bake for about 12-15 minutes per each pan (only put one mini-bundt pan in the oven at a time). Check with a toothpick.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and put them on a serving plate. Sift or sprinkle the confectioners' sugar over the top and serve!

NEXT MONTH... Get excited to hear about my new running routine, including the tools I use to keep track of my progress and my new indoor cycling bike workout - guaranteed to burn at least 500 calories in 35 minutes!

Confessions & Resolutions

I have a confession... I am addicted... to Extreme Makeover - Weight Loss Edition the tv show! One of my colleagues was talking about it one day and now I am hooked. I have watched all season 1, am caught up on season 3 (going on now) and already bought season 2 via Amazon and watch at least an episode a day. Not only do I find the episodes just so inspiring, but it is also a great reminder to me of why I started my quest for vegan heaven to begin with! In each episode, Chris Powell takes on a client that is significantly overweight and one most episodes folks at least lose over 150 pounds in a year. I figure, if they can do that in a year, I can certainly hit my 40 pounds in 90 days. I am, by the way, almost 10 pounds down.

Last week I started to hit a snag in my focus and weight loss. I had family come to visit and then this week I found myself drinking soda, ordering out more than I should and this all caused my body to actually shut down. I thought at first that I had food poisoning, but as day two of the chills, a low-grade fever and stomach issues comes to a close, I am convinced that this is either a bug or some combination of my poor choices. The thing is that my body has started to become addicted to healthy food, daily exercise and stimulation and all of those things get thrown off when I choose to eat something I shouldn't. "Why would you do that?" you ask. Quite simply, while my body loves healthy food, I still sometimes crave things like soda or sweets, not because my body asks for it, but because my brain still has an association with those foods and relaxing or feeling better.

Today as I sat down to write the blog once I finally felt like I had enough energy to do, I started tearing up realizing that the part of me that still associates food with comfort, also has held me back from so much in my life. I have several times told myself I couldn't do something or cancelled plans because I felt ashamed of what my body looked like. It has taken me months of therapy now, both with a therapist and soul searching on my own, to come to terms with the fact that I have used my weight to hold myself back. I have been afraid of failing in life for so long that I never actually went after what I wanted to do with my life. Since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a creative person that wrote books and possibly owned her own company and thought outside of the box. Somewhere along the way, I decided to play it safe, to not go after my dreams, and since everything in my being felt deprived due to this decision, I ate badly and did not exercise so that I would have an excuse. I know that this sounds crazy and it kinda is. I have been hiding behind my weight for eight years. I have been telling myself that while I had this weight to focus on and unsuccessfully solve, I could not work on the other things that I wanted for myself and push myself to be the person I really want to be.

So I decided that I had two choices, I could either move forward doing things half way, like I always have with dieting, and expect a partial result or I could do what I have never forced myself to do before, I could stop hiding. I have been spending the last couple of months gearing up for this moment, taking on multiple projects and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, like I used to when I was young, and it was starting to feel really good. The moment I allowed myself to start to doubt it, I also allowed myself to slip up and my body forced me to pause and realize what I had done. So how am I going to cut out the crap and keep myself accountable?

1) Wake up a half hour earlier than usual everyday and, on the weekdays, read a little bit of my nutrition book (I am currently reading Immunity Foods) and, on weekends, either watch an episode of Extreme Weight Loss or read my nutrition book.

2) Along with #1, I will say my affirmations to myself every morning as I make my breakfast juice.
I have the power to do anything and be anyone.
I love myself more everyday for my renewed commitment to my health and happiness.
I am in control of my destiny and I will achieve my goals.
In short, I am awesome.
(That last one had some Barney Stinson inspiration and it's there to make me laugh and end off the affirmations on a fun note.)

3) Make it impossible for myself to not work out everyday. I luckily have a dog so Lily keeps me busy walking her three times a day, however, that is not going to be enough for the type of changes I want to see by the end of October. Today I rearranged part of my apartment so that I could fit my indoor cycling bike in my bedroom. Now I cannot wake up or even walk into my bedroom without seeing the bike and my workout ball. I have also made a deal with myself that when I watch any crappy television programs, I either have to be on the bike or working on my core on the ball.

(My view of the bike from my side of the bed.)

4) Take the time everyday to just pause and enjoy the process. Sometimes you can stress yourself out when you are working towards a challenging goal. My dog, Lily, reminded me of this today. Thanks to her and the amazing position of our apartment in NYC, I get to stop and "smell the roses" everyday.

(My beautiful doggy daughter, Lily, enjoying her off-leash time in Central Park.)

("Smelling the roses")

5) Finally I want to push myself to do something I would usually not do... I'm going to sign up to run a 5k (and then want to move onto a half marathon). I am going to sign up for the Color Run in Brooklyn in September which means I will need to start training immediately! I'm excited for my first ever athletic event during my adulthood.

So clearly this entry was not about eating out vegan-style or cooking/baking vegan, but I promise you will get that entry next week! Thank you for your support, as always, and I look forward to updating you on my progress next week!

COUNTDOWN TIMER WIDGET

A Milestone, Cheating & the Internal Glow

Last week and this week have been biggies! Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself... Over a year ago, I tried to do this, I tried to turn my life around and start juicing and eating strictly vegan. The results were that I completely broke down and gave up in three weeks. However, the truth (that I didn't even admit to myself at the time) was that I secretly wasn't completely sold that I could DO this. Could I really put my principles of eating before my love of cheese and eggs? So, as I had done so many times before, I deprioritized my health and gave it up. And, as with any personally meaningful goal, it came back to bite me in the butt... A year later, I had gained all my pre-wedding weight back (I had spent six months slimming down for my nuptials and then packed it all back on in the four months after my wedding - oh, yes, classic!) and I again was feeling ill constantly which again prompted me to start reading up again on health and a vegan diet.

So why do the last two weeks matter? I have officially been vegan for a month! I have also, to date, lost 7.8 lbs and counting... Woo hoo! Another awesome thing I discovered is how to bake vegan - I have been fighting with myself over what I'd do when I bake. I am a huge baker - it is one of my hobbies but is also a stress reliever, a creative venture and something that I could go onto explain is also part of my life philosophy (I know, but I won't get all weird baker-deep on you). Last Sunday I busted out my Veganomicon cookbook (seriously buy this if you don't have it - a novice vegan's best friend!). I decided to alter a couple of their recipes and make them my own and landed on two of them. OMG amazing!

(Left: Caramel apple mini-cupcakes with a caramel ganache frosting and a peanut in the center, Right: Chocolate bundt cake with powdered sugar on top; All organic, as unprocessed as I could find)

So now that we've celebrated a little bit, it is time for truth... Last night I took a bite of my husband's pizza... with cheese... In the moment I thought, just one bite is no biggie... I immediately regretted it, but it was also an extremely important lesson. While (if I'm super real) it was delicious pizza, it didn't have the usual effect... I didn't sit there saying "omg, this is amazing!" instead I couldn't enjoy that bite and an hour later, I could just feel the dairy in my system creating havoc. I had been starting to enjoy, what I like to call, an "internal glow" after I ate and kind of in general. My body has felt completely clean, like a well oiled machine. I've had more energy, my allergies have almost completely gone away, and, overall, I just had a more positive outlook and a bigger desire to get up and go out there! I can honestly say that next time my husband gets pizza, I will not even be tempted to take a bite because I'm chasing the glow...

Next week I will discuss being vegan while out-of-town (which includes my eating out guidelines) and my adventures around NYC with my sister and nephew!

Moving Past the Past

For as long as I can remember, I have felt that my self worth was equated with how thin I was. I don't state this because I think it is a very unique experience or because I think it is an earth shattering thing to say, but because I think that there are still many people who think this way. The women in my mother's side of the family, in particular, are perfectionists and notice every detail, every flaw. I grew up  with a sister and two cousins who were all similar in age and the competition began. It wasn't until I was in middle school that I really felt it was a competition and at that point I started to see the world and my family around me for what it really was. I was constantly being judged by people based on how thin I was, how pretty I was and how smart I was. Every moment counted and anxiety set in.

I remember first noticing my weight and being truly embarrassed by it in this picture taken circa 1996 in Rota, Spain. My family spent four years in Spain and I remember this day well. It was one of my best friends' birthdays and we were having a beach sleepover at a nice hotel. It was a seriously fabulous birthday celebration! However, I remember feeling so body conscious, being surrounded by other people who I saw as much thinner than I was and who were less developed as well. I remember seeing this picture for the first time and wanting to tear it up because my arm looked huge in it. (I, of course, now just see a happy and healthy pre-teen. Btw, isn't the spiral perm just awesome on me, haha!)

I actually do not think that I have ever totally gotten over these body issues and they have thwarted my ability to truly grow. Last year, my health took a major turn when I found out that I was anemic. Being overweight and anemic seemed counter-intuitive to me, but the reality was that I was malnourished. I knew so little about how to keep me healthy that my body didn't have the right nutrients to function properly so I was getting sick constantly. It was during this time that I started to really research what I didn't know. In the last year I have had varying degrees of success, but finally am at a point where I'm making decisions not to be skinny or fit someone else's mold of beauty, but to be healthy, feel better inside and out and know that I am truly taking care of myself. While I can't change my past and it has had an effect on a lot of the body problems I have now, I am an adult and have the responsibility for what I do moving forward. As my Titi Carmen always says "you must think in the positive" (imagine an adorable, short hispanic woman with a thick accent).

So that's exactly what I've done this week!
1) I finished my 5 day cleanse and celebrated by opening a bottle of bubbly and taking a bubble bath - two of my favorite things!

Bubbles & more bubbles!

2) I got a visual for my end goal. A dress for my 30 lb lighter self! I haven't worn a strapless or sleeveless anything in YEARS...

I have the dress hanging in my bedroom across the bed so that I see it when I wake up in the morning and reminds me to work out ASAP!

3) Went to my first all vegan/vegetarian restaurant in NYC after a comedy show. Laughing and making plans to enjoy life is part of my vegan heaven, afterall. The restaurant was delicious and we had a hard time not eating EVERYTHING we ate! (For those of you who live here or come visit, it is called Soy & Sake.)

It's THAT good - even my carnivorous husband couldn't get enough!

4) While my cleanse was successful, I didn't see a huge difference on the scale. To keep better track of calories burned and help myself meet my weekly and monthly weight loss goals, my husband bought me a watch that also keeps track of my calories burned so that I can better estimate how much I need to work out to achieve my goals! In addition, I made myself a deal that for every week that I loose at least 3 pounds, I get to buy myself a new piece of workout clothes from lulu (this could get expensive, haha)!

So jazzed to try this out tomorrow! Btw, the nail polish does not match on purpose...

So, all in all, while there are things that I could have done better, I'm learning and have not cheated. Today I started working out twice a day to up the ante and hope to continue pushing myself. Next week I will be sharing new vegan dishes that I am trying, new juicing recipes and how I'm getting fit without a gym membership!

90 Days til Vegan Heaven...

      Hi, my name is Denise and I am a sweetaholic. It is true, since I can remember I have been addicted to sugar. And until recently I would have thought that saying "addicted" was too much. However, I now know that the effect that sugar has on my brain is similar to some narcotics. (If this is a surprise to you, I know!! Take a moment to let that one sink in...) Over a year ago I started to really consider what healthy was. I was getting ready to face the big 3-0 birthday and I really wasn't happy with my body, how I felt and I just didn't know why. I knew what I had learned as a kid, I knew what commercials, TV and the majority of the propaganda out there told me, but I had a feeling that there was something missing. As I started watching documentaries and reading studies and books, I began to realize that I actually had NO clue about nutrition or what it meant to be healthy.
      After some time and many hours of research, I have decided to go 100% vegan during the next 90 days (3 months) as well as work on my overall health and fitness. First step in this process is starting a juicing fast for 5 days. The second step is exercising 6 days a week with the lightest exercise being taking a walk for an hour (or two walks for 30 minutes each). Finally my third step is keeping this blog to not only document my progress, good and bad, but also to share recipes I find that I love and encourage other folks to give it a try too!

COUNTDOWN TIMER WIDGET

      If you think that sounds crazy, I would have agreed with you a year ago. I tried it to go vegan for my health and for my own personal philosophy around animal cruelty. However, I failed miserably. This year I decided to give juicing another chance - with the right juicer, right recipes and self-control, juicing has proven to be a wonderful experience for me! There's tons of research on the subject out there that proves how and why this is an effective way to cleanse your body. Lots of health gurus on the subject also suggest starting off a new health routine with a juicing cleanse. Having successfully juiced for 7 days last month, I am excited to do it again (yes, I actually grew to LOVE juicing) and kick-start the new vegan me.
       Still have one more question? What is this whole "veganing out" title I have? It used to be my favorite thing to veg out in front of the TV. I decided that as long as I'm veganing out instead, I can keep vegging out on healthy food instead of eating empty calories that were slowing my body down and pushing me in the unhealthy direction. The idea of Veganing Out Heaven is a state that I will reach at the end of my 90 days. In three months, I will be down 30 pounds, have become an experienced juicer and vegan cook, and feel heavenly healthy!
      So why should you follow along? Whether you are or are not vegan, I'm excited to really explore this new lifestyle with you all. We all want to live long lives and have a great time in the process so let's do it together! Each week I will tackle a topic around healthy eating and share my progress (good or bad). While I will not be sharing my actual weight with you, I will be sharing how much weight I have lost towards my goal and recipes I think are awesome!
      Let's do this! I'm so ready to veg out, vegan style!

Here's what I've been up to thus far... JUICING!

I bought myself a new juicer after seeing amazing reviews for it on Amazon and saw it used in a documentary too.

I set it up and got SUPER excited! See the bag on the left side? This helps with clean-ups (like whoa).

I used one of my favorite recipes to make my strawberry green juice (1 cucumber, 3 pieces of celery, 2 green apples, 5 strawberries, 1/2 a lime, 2 basil leaves and 8 spinach leaves). This made two full glasses so I was able to make both breakfast and snack in one juicing!

I then met up with a friend to hang out and grabbed another juice, but this one from Juice Generation. If you live in NYC, you have probably seen these popping up everywhere. I tried one of their green juices and it was tasty!

Finally, I had two more juices before the day with through. I decided to make my super green juice recipe (8 kale leaves, 8 spinach leaves, 1/2 cucumber, 2 green apples, 2 pieces of celery, 1/2 lime, touch of ginger, touch of mint).

     I seriously feel awesome today and since this is the 2nd day in my juice cleanse, I already feel the awesome effects - more energy (walked 3 miles, ran 3 miles), inflammation down and regular trips to the bathroom! Yay!

Want more info on juicing recipes? Want to know how to get started juicing? Take a look below! 

Please note: I have added or amended other recipes and advise I have seen online or in books. I am NOT a licensed nutritionist, but can say that all of this advice has worked wonders for me!

HOW TO SET YOURSELF UP TO JUICE

So I'm not going to lie - this is going to be a BIG change. Especially when people around you are not doing it, the first couple of days are super hard. Here's the key: PREPARATION! If you know what you need and you have everything already ready to go, it is actually so much easier to juice some veggies and fruit and keep going than make a whole meal for yourself.

Starting grocery list (this should last you 7 days): I recommend just getting ingredients for 3-4 days so that you have the freshest tasting juice!

• 12-15 Granny Smith Apples x 2
• 16 – 20  Cucumbers
• 1 Bag of Carrots
• 1 Bag of Oranges
• 6-12 Tomatoes
• 7 Beets
• 1 Garlic
• 1 Bag of Basil Large
• 4 Cups of Blueberries
• A Bag of Grapes
• 3 Bags of Celery
• 5 Big Bags of Spinach or 8-12 Bundles of Kale
• A Ginger Root
• 7 Lemons
• 2 Limes
• Fresh mint (helps to cleanse - clean out your bowles)
• Fresh parsley (helps to cleanse - clean out your bowles)
• Fresh cilantro (helps to cleanse - clean out your bowles)

Recipes I love & where to find more:

MEAN GREEN

• 2 Granny Smith Apple
• 1 Cucumber
• 4 Stalks of Celery
• 4-6 Kale Leaves
• 1/4 Lemon Peeled
• 1″ Ginger or use Mint or Cilantro for an extra kick

MORNING GLORY

• 2 Apples
• 1 Cucumber
• 1 cup Blueberries
• 2 cups of Grapes
• 2 Kale Leaves
• 1″ Ginger or use Mint/Cilantro/Parlsey

GREEN MACHINE

• 4 Kale Leaves
• 2 Apples
• 2 Cups Spinach
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 2 Celery Stalks
• 1 Med Carrot
• 1″ Ginger

STRAWBERRY GREEN

6 strawberries
1 apple
6 – 8 leaves kale
2 celery stalks

1 cucumber

1/4 lemon

*As you go, experiment a little bit! I never knew how much I loved beets or that cucumber juice was so delicious! So I use these ALOT. I now have made up some of my own recipes that are versions of some recipes that I have found online.

*Rule of thumb is that you should have 2-3 veggies for each fruit you add.

*For every juice you drink, you need to drink an entire glass of water (8 oz.). I usually start off my day with a glass of water with fresh lemon in it. At night I would have green tea - no sweeteners at all, not even honey.

OTHER SITES TO GET GOOD RECIPES:

*Again, keep in mind that you might need to add more veggies to some recipes you find online to fit the rule above. Sometimes you may need to add a 1/4 of a lemon to cut the flavor of the veggies - this is easy just taste it before you finish juicing and add in some lemon if you feel like you can taste too much green. As you go, you will need to add less and less lemon. =)

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/juicing/

http://juicerecipes.com/health/benefits/juicing-for-weight-loss/

http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/30-days-of-juicing/

WHAT JUICER TO BUY

Juicers can be EXPENSIVE! I originally bought one from Target called Juiceman, but it take a while to clean and doesn't always extract the most juice. The brands that get the best rankings at a good price (under $200) are Breville. The others that they recommend: Champion Juicer, Hurom Slow juicer, Green star juice extractor, and Samson ultra juicer. But these are over $200 so I say stick to Breville and make sure that you choose a model that throws all the pulp in a separate area where you can then put a small trash bag to make clean up super fast.