Food

Oh the joy of food...

I enjoy cooking and baking lots of vegan recipes.  I have a stack of cookbooks that are my guide and have taught me so much.  I stick to a plant-based diet because it makes me feel my best.  It's what works for me.  That being said, occasionally dairy slips in.  However, I gave up meat in January of 2013 (for the second time) and haven't looked back.  Embracing a vegan diet has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of whole foods!  I eat way more variety now than I did five years ago.  I'm so thankful for finding the book, The Kind Diet, because it inspired me in so many ways.

My diet is also inspired by Macrobiotics.  I've taken a few courses and I intend to become a Macrobiotic Counselor all in good time.  Macrobiotics further opened my eyes to the power of whole, natural foods and how healing they are for the body and mind.



And of course I love to grocery shop because it means all this fantastic food is then in my home.  That's a wonderful thing.

Need a grocery list?

Check out a few of mine...


Yum!



Chipotle is one of my favorite places to eat because the food is fresh, delicious, and the portions are hugely awesome.  Pretty much sums up what I love about food.



Whether you're vegan or not doesn't matter because I think you'll find a recipe you dig here:




Happy eating!

4 comments:

  1. I just found your blog and LOVE it!!!! I am not vegan but have been thinking about it and reading more and more (as much as I can) about it. Your posts are great. Your grocery shopping posts are my absolute fave- so nice to actually SEE what you get. And I shop at Wegmans as well so it is extremely helpful. My "difficulties" lie in the fact that I have an extremely meat loving husband, and 4 kids. My oldest is a girl who does not like meat other than an occasional piece of chicken- its more of a texture thing for her. But she is also VERY picky- not a fan of too many vegies, beans, rice, etc.... She "stumps" me on a daily basis (shes 16). I also have 2 boys (ages 14 &13) who love meat as well but will eat almost anything I make. And finally, I have a 7 year old son who likes the "typical" kid foods and is pretty picky. I really want to switch myself over to a plant based diet but am at a crossroads with how to accomodate everyone without A) spending even more of a fortune than I already spend at Wegmans weekly- lets face it, my family keeps Danny [Wegman] living the hi-life. I spend about $400/wk including toiletries and cleaning products and B) spending even more time in kitchen as a short order cook with different requests. My 3 boys all play hockey as well as my husband who also owns a hockey training company so their appetites are quite large as well as our "family dinner times" being sporadic. Everyone eats at different times. I also have to pack all 4 kids lunches daily as well as my breakfast and lunch on days I work (3days/wk)- I am a nurse.
    I do love to cook and bake and make alot of stuff from scratch already- baking, granola, etc... even have made my own yogurt in past. I do try to buy as much organic as i can. I love and purchase a lot of same things you have pictured in your pics as well.
    Looking for any tips, recommendations/and or encouragement, or ideas. I apologize for being such a windbag and appreciate you reading my comment. Thanks!!!!!

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  2. Hello! Sorry it took me a bit to get back to you and thank you so much for your comment!

    I laughed when you talked about the fortune you spend at Wegmans. My family too. But healthy food is just so important that I remind myself the favor I'm doing for my family and I. But wow it's expensive at times. However, I definitely don't think a plant-based diet is more expensive than a non plant-based one.

    A few of my recommendations would be to start by taking regular meals and making them plant-based. Quesadillas are a big hit in my house. Wegmans wraps are vegan, daiya (amazing cheese substitute that melts amazingly), black beans (or not if someone doesn't like them), rice, and any fun toppings like salsa and avocado. Wegmans also sells great fake chicken breasts that we make "chicken" parm out of. Whole wheat spaghetti with sauce and a side of the fake chicken breast with more sauce, and a side salad, and you've got a simple & nutritious meal! I would also highly recommend crockpot meals. There are lots of great vegetarian slow cooker books (or all over the internet) and that way you could make a lot of food at once.

    I also wanted to provide you with two of my favorite blogs that are a wealth of information on a plant-based lifestyle. The first is Bonzai Aphrodite (www.bonzaiaphrodite.com). She has tons of posts on what she feeds here little boy who is now 5 but shes been blogging for years. Her "What I Ate Wednesday" posts give me tons of ideas for how to feed myself and my family.

    Also, Oh She Glows (www.ohsheglows.com) has incredible recipes. I bought her cookbook 6 months ago and just love it. The smoothie recipes on her site (and in her book) would be great for kids because they are nutritious and delicious. Her website is packed with recipes that I bet you'd love.

    As a full-time working mama, I struggle to cook each night. Therefore, I cook up a lot on the weekends typically and use leftovers to get us through. I buy Amy's pizzas from Nature's Market at Wegmans and eat that with a side salad.

    My other favorite cookbook is Isa Does It. The recipes are incredible. From a vegan broccoli cheddar soup (tastes better than the real thing and so good for you!) to pancakes, all the recipes rock and I bet you could win your kids over with them.

    Let me know if I can provide any other help and good luck! =)

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  3. Do you worry about using the processed foods? All of the blogs that i have read really discourage the use of "processed" vegan foods.... ie: daya, earth balance etc... Just curious about your take on it..... I just went to Wegmans yesterday and bought the substitute "beef" crumbles. I am going to make chili and not tell my boys until after, I want to see if they notice a difference.... Lol

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    Replies
    1. Hi! I agree that processed foods are not the best. If you're going to eat processed foods, better to go organic and non-gmo. We make a point to eat whole foods in my family, but we are definitely not perfect. I use daiya and earth balance like you mentioned, I don't have it everyday, but a few times a week. I just try to do the best I can :)

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