Week 8

This must be an off-week.  At least that's what I keep telling myself.  I've succumbed to pizza and Doritos over the weekend, and lots of rum.  I blame it on our friends coming up to visit and their bad influences.  Or I could just man-up and say I'm having an off-week.

Work has been busy and stressful, and there's been plenty of fall-turning-into-winter illnesses in the family over the past couple of days.  Not to mention all the Halloween candy lying around taunting me (and this is even with us limiting trick or treating for only one hour).  I've depended on go-to meals like Tuscan Vegetable Soup and my new favorite, Soy Chorizo and Potato Tacos, especially when I get home grumpy and tired.

Then, a question at work completely set me off today.  WTF am I going to do for the holidays?  I'm pretty sure I can't live without turkey.  Someone is going to be turning into a gremlin again.

Week 7

Week 7 begins with a nice hot cup of coffee and soy chorizo roasted potato breakfast tacos. Can't complain.  It was in the mid-70s today but I stayed inside and transformed into Suzy Homemaker.  Part of that included soaking white beans overnight and making a rustic bean and mushroom casserole topped with tasty homemade sage breadcrumbs and served with tomato basil quinoa.  Simultaneously, I was roasting anaheim chiles to make potato and kale enchiladas (which incidentally are even more orgasmic with the addition of soy chorizo).  Finally, I made not one but TWO batches of vegan cupcakes - pumpkin chocolate chip with cinnamon glaze and vanilla almond with dark chocolate ganache.

I am noticing a trend with my cooking habits.  I become very inspired over the weekend after browsing through my borrowed vegan cookbooks, this weekend especially "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World", then want to cook until I literally need to sit down.  I believe I was in the kitchen for four hours straight this morning and it was joyous.  Jason took the kids to the library for the afternoon, so after cooking I finished the laundry and cleaned the house.  Then, I celebrated by watching an episode of The Walking Dead, which is really not cool after you've been cooking all day to see mashed up zombies on T.V.

I will take the two full meals cooked today and celebrate over the abundant leftovers so that I don't have to cook more than a couple of more times this week for the family.  Jason put the kabosh on my cupcake baking mania by throwing my favorite mixing bowls in the dishwasher.  Done and done.

Week 6

My body revolted today against all the dairy I had been glutting during the weekend.  It started innocently enough last Friday with a craving for a burger and milkshake, so I had a black bean veggie burger and pumpkin milkshake at Drake Diner with the family.  Then on Saturday, I indulged in coffee creamer in my early morning cup o' joe and a bit of cheese on my lunch sandwich.  Then, Saturday night, Jason and I went to Centro on a surprise post-anniversary dinner.  I had the Pizza Blanco, a concoction of riccotta, roasted garlic, and fresh tomato.  Saturday was a dairy free-for-all.  But I didn't stop there.

On Sunday Jason made a rockin' batch of veggie chili and I ruined it by topping it off with cheese.  Then today, Monday, I stayed home with Malea (who is currently suffering through ANOTHER ear infection) and we had cheese pizza.  That's when my tummy said, "Enough!"  Not sure if you have ever experienced your stomach actually turning on you, but it is not pleasant.  After the fourth trip to the bathroom, I promptly ran outside and threw the rest of the pizza away.

I had done so well last week.  I even made a pound of tofu and cup of cashews serve as a substitute for ricotta cheese.  To clarify, tofu is one of my four dreaded things I do NOT eat.  In repentance, I made an amazing dairy-free, fall veggie bounty dinner (that is acorn squash with vegan "butter" and brown sugar, roasted garlicky green beans, and caramelized onion and mushroom quinoa).  And I am swearing off cheese for the rest of the week.  I'm hoping that will be enough for the old tummy to forgive me.

Week 5 (ok, really only 4.5 since it's only Monday)

I have been a cooking fool for the past couple of days.  As the haze of dairy left my head, I perused "Veganomicon" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero and found some amazing recipes to try out.  First up were the Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce.  Holy shit, these took forever to make, but were completely worth the two hours of cook time.  Maybe it's because I'm only a novice in the kitchen but I made these on a Sunday night and went to bed exhausted.  However, I had two enchiladas for lunch today and nearly orgasmed.  If you want to have a similar experience (which really, who can resist a meal that brings you close to climax?) here's the recipe: http://epicureanvegan.com/2011/04/28/potato-and-kale-enchiladas/

Then, tonight I attempted another Veganomicon recipe requiring me to make fresh pesto.  Basil cilantro pesto as a matter of fact, with roasted mushrooms, artichokes and linguine.  Score again!  And it was not 2 hours in the kitchen.  The recipe is here, but I added the roasted mushrooms: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/SPINACH-LINGUINE-WITH-BASIL-CILANTRO-PESTO-AND-ARTICHOKES-50035577.  I added a side salad of fresh mixed greens and sorrel.  The best part about these two past meals was that I used many of the fresh ingredients we picked up at the Homestead Farm, our local CSA, on Saturday.  The potatoes, herbs, kale, onions, peppers, greens, and sorrel were all from the farm, many we picked from the field on Saturday.  To top it off, I found soy ice cream that is delectable.  You can't imagine how happy this makes me.

It's gonna be a good foodie week, I can feel it.

Week 4

This week I became up close and personal with dairy not once, not twice, but THREE times.  The first time was purposeful. I wanted a celebratory cheese pizza.  I rationalized it by thinking it will help sway my maniacal cheese pizza cravings I've not been able to shake for the last three weeks, so we went to Felix and Oscars and had the thin crust cheese.  With a side of ranch.  I'm pretty sure they put crack in their ranch dressing because it was even better than the pizza.  Now I will have maniacal ranch dressing dreams.

The second time was equally as purposeful.  The cheese pizza and ranch did not sway the cravings, in fact it only made them worse.  So I chalked this week up to a "Let's see how the old body reacts to the re-introduction of dairy."  Bad idea.  I had J.Benjamin's famous artichoke dip - the whole freaking dish all to myself.  I got about half-way through it and wanted to barf.

The third time was today during lunch and just plain stupid.  Not funny ha-ha stupid, but "Rhea WTF is wrong with you" stupid.  I was in Iowa City presenting at a conference, and lunch consisted of a delicious pasta and salad buffet.  Still stupidly calling this my off-week I opted for the vodka penne.  I had problems all afternoon.  Maybe it was the vodka sauce, or the cream in the coffee, or the butter I put on my roll.  Or the two cupcakes.  Shit. I have no willpower during my week off, so this obviously needs to change.

At least I'm noticing a trend here.  Eating out = bad idea.  I am safe in my kitchen and turn into a drooling dairy-craving zombie everywhere else.  Rationalizing that it's okay to have a cheat week.  Okay maybe not such a bad idea.  I am of course trying to make this a manageable lifestyle change after all, so a little dairy here and there is not too bad.  I did NOT succumb to eating any delicious-looking prime rib slices that were on the buffet this afternoon.  But seriously, two cupcakes Rhea?

So to atone for my dairy sins, what do I do? Headed over to Fair Grounds Coffeehouse before my trip back home and picked up a half-dozen vegan cupcakes. And nine vegan cookies at New Pioneer Co-Op.  Don't judge.  At least they don't have dairy in them and I'm sharing with the fam.

Days 20 & 21

I did it! Three weeks of conscious meat-product-free (or as close as I could get it) eating.  Before the weekend hit, I had consigned myself to a celebration of cheese pizza and artichoke dip at J. Benjamin's in Windsor Heights.  Then, on Friday, I came up with a crazy idea to congratulate myself instead by taking an impromptu trip to Iowa City with the family and eating well at their vegan restaurants there.  It seemed like a better trade-off: cheese pizza and gaining weight versus hotel/new restaurants/fun outdoorsy stuff with the family.

We had an amazing weekend tromping around at a fossil gorge in Coralville Lake, eating sumptuous vegan food at The Red Avocado and Fair Grounds Coffeehouse, and strolling the beautiful paths of Wilson's Apple Orchard.  In retrospect, I really am proud of myself of these past three weeks.  A person might think, "What the hell? It's only three weeks."  But try comparing giving up meat, dairy, and eggs to giving up smoking cigarettes cold turkey. Or a crack addict giving up crack completely.  Cheesy pepperoni pizza is my crack.  I don't deny the difficulty of trying to do this long-term, and by far the best advice I can give to any newbie going down this path is to make sure you are entering this journey with a partner or friend who is as committed (if not more committed) to making this major lifestyle change.  I don't know how Jason did it with me still scarfing down all that cheese and meat in front of him.  Definitely helps that he was a long-term vegetarian already.  And that he accepts all my crazy completely and fully.

I'll keep you updated on a weekly basis to let you know how it's going.  Next week, I plan to add an exercise program, so you know the next time you hear from me I'll be dead sexy.  Kidding...

Day 20 Menu:

• Breakfast - Orange juice and whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter
• Lunch - Basil fried rice, double veggies/no egg (if I had to choose a last meal this would for sure be it)
• Dinner - Roasted mushroom tacos, guacamole and chips

Day 21 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate banana protein shake, toasted whole wheat pita w/ peanut butter
• Lunch - Whole wheat pita sandwich w/ hummus, spinach, red onion, mushrooms, and red pepper
• Dinner - Red Avocado's pasta primavera (garlic infused olive oil, roasted seasonal veggies, and capers)
• Late night snack - Vegan chocolate chip cookies from New Pioneer Co-Op (Iowa City) and soy milk

Day 22 Menu (just for shits and giggles):

• Breakfast - Fair Grounds Coffeehouse vegan mocha, vegan Bananas Foster french toast w/ maple syrup and soy butter (the breakfast here was UNREAL)
• Lunch - Subway veggie delight w/ honey mustard, chips, diet Coke

Day 19

I have recovered from my brief lapse of madness and am now in a better place.  It helped that I had lunch with my friend and ex-boss, Jordan, and that the lunch included french fries. We dined at Alba, which if you happen to live in Des Moines I would definitely recommend during their lunch service.  I ate the hummus vegan burger and reveled in the marvelousness that is their french fries.  The only downer about lunch was when I asked if they had vegan mayo, they brought out soy mayo made out of eggs.  Dammit eggs - you are my bane of existence.  That and cheese, which obviously drives me to the brink of insanity.  Luckily I had french fries to regulate the brain chemistry.

I think I have to eat dinner before 6:30 pm in order to 1.) Not feel like I'm starving; and 2.) Not become a maniac.  Like a werewolf and the full moon almost.  Or a mogwai.  Yes, that is a much better analogy.  Tonight was good.  Jason made dinner, I washed dishes, Malea did homework, and Isaac turned around in circles trying to get dizzy while eating a banana.  Just another typical night in the Van Brocklin household.

Day 19 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate banana protein shake (so sad the chocolate almond milk ran out but we'll probably not purchase the Silk brand that has too much sugar) and english muffin w/ peanut butter
• Lunch - Alba's hummus vegan curry burger with spinach and pickled beets; DIVINE french fries
• Dinner - Grilled peppers, black beans, brown rice topped with salsa, cilantro, and green onion

Day 18

I was a raving bitch tonight.  I came home from work around 7:30 pm grumpy and starving, to my poor husband who had waited to make me a fresh hummus pizza but instead I just growled at him and ate leftover soup.  All that was on my mind was REAL pizza covered with sausage and pepperoni.  It was the most bizarre thing.

We were watching "Modern Family" and part of the episode was about Cameron and Mitchell going on a juice fast.  Mitchell was describing the six stages and the slow descent into madness that he has observed Cameron go through as he is starving himself.  Can't lie, a few of those stages completely resonated with me.  Especially the "Despair" and "Anger" stages.  Especially right now.

Okay, I am being overly dramatic, I know.  But I seriously considered sticking my entire face into an enormous bowl of vanilla pudding with Oreos during lunch today and was ready to give this diet the big "F-you".  That was the anger-rebellion stage.  Then, coming home all I could do was groan about how I am depriving myself of all the joys of eating.  That was the despair stage.  Finally, completely bored with my drama, Jason asked me why I started this diet the first place and I seriously wanted to rip off his head.  That was the anger.  Again.

Thankfully, I went to bed and woke up realizing just how crazy I was last night.  Is this the "Acceptance" stage?

Day 18 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate peanut butter protein shake and whole wheat pita with peanut butter
• Lunch - Tuscan vegetable soup, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, vegan apple-chesnut stuffing
• Snack - Wasabi peas
• Dinner - Tuscan vegetable soup, pita chips, roasted garlic hummus

Day 17

I'm hankering for a cheese pizza today, Chuck's style.  I've made a deal with Jason that after the 21st day we get to eat cheese pizza, ya know, just to see how I feel afterward.  Of course I will feel like shit.  Bloated and fat and shitty.  But I really miss pizza.  It's funny how in the past I used to rationalize my cravings and cheating by actually researching why it was fine, and actually beneficial, for me to splurge on crappy food.  I would argue about leptin levels needing to come up so I wouldn't plateau and all of that.  At least now I am rightfully admitting I just want pizza.  No rationalization or research involved.

Jason said he'll pass.  I shot him a dirty look and said, "Oh really??? We'll see about that."  Bad wife.  But that's still 4 days away, so hopefully I will change my mind or at least not feel like an asshole for wanting cheese pizza.  At least I didn't say pepperoni pizza (which is what the heart REALLY wants).

Day 17 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate banana protein shake, english muffin (found one at Trader Joe's that was vegan) with peanut butter
• Lunch - Veggie lentils, chips w/guacamole
• Dinner - Udon noodle stirfry with broccoli, carrots, kale
• Snack - Veggie and flaxseed chips with salsa fresca

Day 16

I am like the Energizer Bunny today.  After a rough start in the morning at work where I passive-aggressively emailed all of the people who did not come to the Roast or Toast party I threw yesterday to feel guilty and donate to The Project, I got over it and forged ahead like a Mack truck.  I edited grants and reports, reviewed financials, and 90% completed revisions to the 2011-2012 Board manual.  Then, I came home, cooked dinners for two evenings, made fresh guacamole, washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen.  Who the hell am I???

I am now sitting on the couch ruminating over two weeks ago when all I wanted to do was take a nap when I came home from work.  When I fed the kids pizza and chicken nuggets, no veggies, and minimal fruits.  When Jason suffered through meals with little options and I didn't care.  Okay, that last one was a little rough and only 75% true.  It feels good to be productive and awake.  Let's see what this last week brings as I round out my 21-day vegan experience.  I have a feeling I'm not gonna want to go back...well, at least all the way.

Day 16 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate banana protein shake w/ almondmilk; toasted pita with peanut butter
• Lunch - Soy chorizo and grilled veggies tacos; salsa fresca with chips
• Dinner - Veggie lentils (broccoli, carrots, celery, onion, tomato) and sauteed lemony kale

Day 15

I woke up exhausted this morning.  In retrospect, I was already looking forward for the day to be over, partly since I was co-hosting a party for my ex-boss and partly because there was so much work to be done.  Jordan, my ex-boss, has a sister, Heidi, who is the most amazing cook.  I was her bitch in the kitchen yesterday, preparing mise en place, chopping veggies, opening cans.  What I loved most about Heidi's cooking is how harmonious everything was.  All the ingredients were interesting, natural (not much oil used at all), and very well-seasoned.  Heidi grows a garden with some cool herbs.  I had never heard of summer savory, but it made her salsa sing.

Being in Heidi's kitchen inspired me to make guacamole today on-site at the party.  There was no oil used, fresh avocados, tomato, cilantro, onion, freshly squeezed limes, and a pinch of cayenne.  It was the SHIT.  The event itself was awesome, although not well-attended but so much fun.  We co-hosts and our support systems worked together harmoniously (just like Heidi's cooking) to set up and clean afterwards.

And I found amazing soy chorizo that is my new obsession.

Day 15 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate peanut butter protein shake and toast w/ peanut butter
• Lunch - Soy chorizo and grilled veggies taco; guacamole; three salsas with chips (salsa fresca, roasted tomatillo and apple, mango); mexican cinammon cookies
• Dinner - Soy chorizo and grilled veggies taco; guacamole and salsa fresca w/ chips

Day 14

Today marked the end of my second week of the new plant-based diet.  Total pounds lost: 10.  Changes in energy level: about 50% more energy. I'm not feeling sleepy when I get home from work.  I'm cooking again.  And we've spent a lot less on restaurants this month. Win win win win.

Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine (pcrm.org), says that you should not use the word "vegan" as a noun.  Instead, use it as an adjective to describe your dietary choices rather than define who you are as a person.  I'm liking these changes I've made.  Are they easy changes? Hell no. But they aren't the hardest changes I've ever had to make either.

Day 14 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate banana protein shake w/ almondmilk; toast with peanut butter
• Lunch - Pita pizza w/ hummus and sauteed veggies
• Dinner - Basil fried rice w/ double veggies and no egg

Days 12 & 13

Last night and today I was in Cedar Rapids attending the African American Women's Leadership Conference. We got in last night in time to attend a gala that celebrates Black women history-makers, including Iowa's first Black woman judge. At lunch we listened to Dr. Terry Wahls, who overcame severe symptoms of multiple sclerosis, including confinement in a wheelchair for 4 years, through a change in her diet.

Needless to say I was incredibly excited to listen to Dr. Wahls. Right up my alley. I like that she puts a  disclaimer out there that the FDA is not endorsing her speech but rather she is looking to share her story with others. I get it, but have to tell you I also get why not a lot of people are successful. I think people can easily be separated into those who are okay asking for stuff and those who are not.  If you know me, you know that I am not the kind of person who is afraid to ask about options.  But last night and tonight proved to be a challenge as I tried to explain my dietary restrictions to very nice, well-intentioned people.

Dinner last night was okay.  I'm pretty sure there was butter in the mashed potatoes and can't swear there wasn't any butter in the mushroom gravy covering my mixed veggies.  Lunch however was a buffet and I was left with salad and heavily buttered broccoli and carrots.  The chef made a side dish of rice pilaf, which I'm thinking was cooked in chicken broth.  I didn't want to be hungry all day, which I knew would happen if all I ate was salad, so I downed the buttered veggies.  So that was my bad word of the past two days - BUTTER.

Like I said, I have no problems whatsoever asking to see if they had vegan options during my trip, but it was certainly uncomfortable.  I felt like I was a burden.  I texted Jason on my way home from Cedar Rapids and demanded nicely we go somewhere I know I can eat a hearty meal without feeling guilty.  Probably best to pack a cooler and request a refrigerator next time I travel.  

Day 12 Menu:

• Breakfast - Nature's Path Blueberry Cinnamon cereal w/ fresh blueberries and almondmilk
• Lunch - Black bean and corn salad w/ mango lime cilantro rice
• Snack - Carrots, pita chips and roasted garlic hummus
• Dinner - Salad, ciabbatta bread, green beans almondine, mashed potatoes, veggies w/ mushroom gravy (isn't the tablecloth fabulous?)

Day 13 Menu:

• Breakfast - English muffin w/ peanut butter, bowl of fresh fruit (pineapple, melon, strawberry)
• Lunch - Salad, sauteed broccoli and carrot, rice pilaf
• Snack - Trail mix w/ raw almonds, dried cranberries, banana chips
• Dinner - On the Border veggie fajitas w/ zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, portabello mushrooms; lime cilantro rice and black beans; guacamole, salsa and chips

Day 11

Today was a great day for vegan options.  Tried the basil fried rice again at Cafe Fuzion, this time sans egg, and it was equally as delicious minus the guilt.  Tonight was The Project's Annual Board Meeting at Luna Bistro + Catering and I had packed my cooler with black bean and corn salad just in case there was nothing there for me to eat.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had multiple things to try there - from homemade heirloom tomato hummus to salsa fresca to some very lovely bruschetta.  And they had amazing naturally flavored water (strawberry basil).

It's very encouraging to find places to eat out safely.  Going to restaurants, eating delicious food, and being waited on is one of the best joys in life. At least for lazy housewives like me.  But hey, I'm cooking on a pretty regular basis, so that's...different.

Day 11 Menu:

• Breakfast - Chocolate peanut butter banana shake w/ almondmilk, chocolate whey protein, peanut butter, and banana
• Lunch - Basil fried rice with double veggies
• Dinner - Heirloom tomato hummus w/ pita chips, salsa fresca w/ blue corn tortilla chips, bruschetta

Day 10

My hormones are making me a grouch and I miss ice cream.  That's all I have today, sorry.

Day 10 Menu:

• Breakfast - Nature's Path Blueberry Cinnamon cereal with almondmilk and fresh blueberries
• Snack - Roasted garlic hummus and pita chips
• Lunch - Udon noodle salad
• Dinner - Black bean, corn, and mango cilantro burritos

Day 9

Holy crap my kids actually like my cooking!  I thought I would be struggling with them to eat what I put on their plates (see Day 5 blog), but tonight I made something they really liked.  It helped that I made meals for two nights, so if one didn't work we had options.  Thank you Top Chef for introducing the idea of mise en place.  And I also figured this out about the kiddos - Malea hates sauces and Isaac wants to be fed like a baby.  Probably not the most encouraging information, but for the next couple of weeks we're going to go at this from a strengths-based perspective and take off sauces for Malea and feed Isaac airplane-style.

As I was packing Malea's lunchbox for school tomorrow it dawned on me that I am proud to be giving her this food.  There is nothing in that lunchbox nutritionally unsound, and when she looked at it she was actually excited to show her friends what Mom made.  Thank goodness Isaac's Nana Tori, our daycare provider for eons, already gives him great, organic homemade meals, but I worry a lot about what Malea gets at school.  It doesn't help that I've watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and seen the school bus load of sugar, pink slime, and other crap that makes its way on our children's lunch trays.  So, I'm doing my part by packing her lunch like this:

This isn't about vegan ethics or the vegetarian collective mind (as I like to think of Jason as he used to stifle a gag when I ate steak).  I just like to think I'm being a good parent by giving my kid healthier options. Damn, I got her to eat udon for crying out loud.  So what if she said she liked them because they look like worms? At least she ate them.

Day 9 Menu:

• Breakfast - Nature's Path Organic Optimum Blueberry Cinnamon cereal with almondmilk
• Snack - Salsa fresca with veggie flaxseed tortilla chips
• Lunch - Leftover veggie chili
• Snack - Almond cranberry trailmix
• Dinner - Udon noodle salad (udon, broccoli, red pepper, carrot, cabbage, green onion, and a rice vinegar/soy/ginger/garlic dressing); orange slices.  BTW, I'm digging raw cooking, which apart from the udon noodles everything else was raw.

Day 8

Snack was the word of the day.  Or maybe chili.  Or French Toast.  I suppose French Toast actually accounts for two words.  Either way, today was filled with deliciousness and no cravings whatsoever.  I did eat like a pregnant person though.  And by that I mean I ate everything in sight.

Jason rocked my world this morning by cooking a vegan vanilla French Toast topped with fresh raspberries and grilled bananas.  Seriously, who can ask for a better husband?  Then, all afternoon the house smelled up with vegetarian chili goodness.  It was a perfect day for chili - cold, rainy, blah outside.  The kind of day where you lay on the couch in your pajamas, looking at old baby pictures of the kiddos and watching movies all day long.  Perfect.

Nutritionally, I could have done better.  Like I said, there were snacks all day long, but I'll just blame this on my animal instinct of pre-hibernation before the cold winter settles in.

Day 8 Menu:

• Breakfast - The hubby's fabulous vegan vanilla french toast w/ fresh raspberries, grilled banana, and warm maple syrup (The kids went nuts over this recipe)
• Lunch - Whole wheat spaghetti w/ kale and zucchini
• Snack - Air-popped popcorn tossed w/ melted vegan Earth Balance spread and salt
• Snack - Salsa fresca and veggie flaxseed tortilla chips (SO delicious!)
• Dinner - Veggie chili (celery, corn, onions, peppers, chopped tomatoes), Fritos corn chips, Tofutti's vegan Better than Sour Cream

Day 7

Wouldn't you know it, as week one closes out the cravings begin.  I had a lovely afternoon nap and dreamt of fried chicken. Seriously. Flaky, crispy fried chicken drumsticks to be exact.  You would think I'd be celebrating the 5.5 pounds lost this week and increased energy, but noooo....instead I am dreaming of fried chicken.  I asked Jason if this was normal and he assured me it was.  But I am 99% convinced he never had fried chicken dreams during his first week of going vegan.  I satisfied my craving with pita chips and hummus instead. Bleh.

I will try to have positive thoughts as I end the day.  Perhaps I'll look through the recipe book to see if there's any interesting ones to try out next week.  And there's always tomorrow.  A trip to Trader Joe's makes things much better.

Day 7 Menu:

• Breakfast - Kashi Island Vanilla Shredded Wheat with blueberries and almondmilk
• Snack - Banana
• Lunch - Salad (mixed greens, mushrooms, red peppers, sprouts, red onion, sunflower seeds, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette) and cup of tomato basil soup
• Snack - Pita chips and hummus
• Dinner - Quinoa, sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms, roasted butternut squash

Day 6

I'm watching Sanjay Gupta's CNN report "The Last Heart Attack" about plant-based diets and am more convinced now that I've made the right decision.  Did you know in the U.S. we spend $50 BILLION annually on open heart surgeries?  And in the next 5 years, 33 MILLION Americans will have heart disease? That is insane to me.  The report mentions that after one year on a vegan, plant-based diet arteries actually showed a reversal of blockages that lead to heart attacks.

For the last two days, the kids have had minimal animal products (Isaac only gets a little at his daycare and Malea has had none at all).  Jason and I have taken the time to make their lunches and talk to them about what's on their dinner plates.  They may not like it at first, but they eat it.  I'm pretty sure in the past week they've eaten more variety of veggies and fruits than they ever have before.

As much as I may complain or covet food that has dairy or meat products in it, I really have to stop myself and ask if it's worth potentially $112,000 for open heart surgery and a shorter lifespan or if I would rather live longer with more energy.  Really it's a no-brainer isn't it?  But I know changing behavior is hard, so I'll take it one day at a time.  So far, so good.

Day 6 Menu:

• Breakfast - Kashi Island Vanilla Shredded Wheat with raspberries and almondmilk
• Snack - Salsa fresca and veggie flax tortilla chips
• Lunch - Black bean and corn salad with mango lime cilantro brown rice
• Snack - Cashew, almond, and cranberry trail mix
• Dinner - Whole wheat spaghetti with sauteed kale, spinach, zucchini and onion in marinara sauce

Day 5

Back on track and completely meat-product free today.  I have to say I feel pretty good.  I was definitely much more mindful of the food I was eating, and cooking dinner with Jason was a great collaborative experience.  Dinner proved to be more of a challenge when we actually sat down to eat. Malea threw a fit about eating "sour" things on her plate, and I became my mother by loudly telling her, "Be lucky you have food to eat!"  Brought me back to memories of my dad trying to feed me chicken livers and me freaking out for hours.  Sorry Malea...well, kind of.  You are a bit of a drama queen.

Isaac, on the other hand, was much easier to deal with.  I only had to bribe him with the Wii to get him to eat all his vegetables.  If life were that easy all the time.

Day 5 Menu:

• Breakfast - Kashi honey oats cereal with fresh raspberries and almondmilk
• Snack - Pita chips, celery, and hummus
• Lunch - Salad and cup of fresh fruit
• Snack - Black grapes
• Dinner - Black bean and corn salad, mango lime cilantro brown rice, salsa fresca, veggie flaxseed tortilla chips

Day 4

Today I felt like giving this diet the big middle finger. Maybe it was because I was tired of spending the day with both my parents and two kids.  Or maybe it was Malea singing the entire Taylor Swift album in the car while I was driving home after an unsuccessful search for winter coats at Jordan Creek Mall.  Or maybe it was Jason's good-natured attempt to bring home vegan buttery spread (Yes, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter has buttermilk and cannot be considered vegan) and him not-so-gently reminding me that I need to read the labels for bread to make sure it doesn't have dairy or eggs.  The whole day just chapped my ass.

The only hopeful thing that happened today was my attempt at making homemade veggie soup for my father, who has proclaimed he's coming down with a cold.  When we drove home from the mall, he asked me in the car, "Do you have any Campbell's soup at home?"  I scoffed and told him I could do WAY better than Campbell's soup.  And after he ate, he agreed.  Right answer, Dad.

Day 4 Menu:

• Breakfast - Vegan zucchini bread, mangoes, peanut butter banana smoothie
• Lunch - Basil fried rice 
• Dinner - Tuscan vegetable soup, ciabbatta bread, Earth Balance spread (vegan)

Day 3

Dammit. Three days and a meat product finds its way into my mouth. Granted, it was by accident. I went out to eat for lunch with my parents and my son, Isaac, at Dos Rios today and rightfully ordered a salad and mushroom tacos. Delicious. Then, Malea had soccer practice tonight and didn't finish until near 7 pm, so we again went out to eat at Cafe Fuzion.  I ordered my favorite Basil Fried Rice and opted for double veggies instead of chicken.  But they still snuck in the damn egg that my previous meat-eater mind never remembered was there in the first place.  I could have sent it back but I have to admit a tiny (well, not so tiny) part of me didn't really mind. Until I felt Jason's judging eyes on me.  Okay, maybe he wasn't really judging me and that was the guilt playing stories in my head.  I still felt judged.  When I asked, "Would you have sent it back?" he replied, "Hmmmmmmm. I don't know what I would have done" judgmentally.  I know Jason will read this blog and deny everything.  Probably rightfully so since it is just the guilt talking smack in my head.

Damn eggs. Moral of the story: Don't eat out two times in one day. You're bound to eat egg that you didn't think would be there.  Optional moral of the story: Read the menu, moron.

Day 3 Menu:

• Breakfast - Vegan zucchini bread and mangoes
• Snack - Hummus, carrots, and sea salt pita chips
• Lunch - Dos Rios: mushroom tacos (no crema or cheese) and side salad, guacamole with chips
• Dinner - Cafe Fuzion: basil fried rice with double veggies and (dammit) egg

Day 2

I gotta admit I was really hungry when I went to bed last night.  Not that it helped staying up until midnight to watch a bad movie ("Wolverine" if you must know), but the tummy was rumbling a bit. Today was better as I learned how to balance snacking throughout the day while not gorging on huge meals.

I got my chef on for dinner tonight.  The parents drove all the way from Cali to visit, well-prepared of the dietary changes and took the dinner I created in stride.  And, to top it off, I made homemade bread.  If you know me at all you know that I do NOT make homemade bread.

Only snaffoo of the evening came when I was preparing salmon for my parents and the kiddos (they each got a little piece), and I unthinkingly stuck the fork I was using to cut their cooked fish into my mouth.  It's a mom thing and it's as second nature as licking your hand and wiping goo off your kid's chin.  Or picking their bat in the cave.  When the fork entered my mouth it was somewhat of an out-of-body experience, like I was looking at myself accidentally eating salmon juice and shrieking like I was about to swallow glass.  Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but it did make me curious and slightly amused about this new-found awareness of things I put in my mouth. Insert dirty joke here.

Day 2 Menu:

• Breakfast - Blueberry Cinnamon Wheat Puff Cereal w/ Almondmilk
• Snack - Wasabi peas
• Lunch - Grilled veggies, lime cilantro rice, black beans
• Snack - Carrots, roasted garlic hummus, sea salt pita chips
• Dinner - Sauteed kale w/ garlic and red pepper; veggie lentils w/ broccoli, carrots, celery, and tomatoes; watermelon
• Snack - Half a slice of homemade vegan zucchini cranberry walnut bread

Day 1

It's official! Today was the first day of my first round at vegan eating.  I woke up excited and a little nervous about saying no to animal products, especially after I had a dream about last night's grilled peaches and fantastic vanilla ice cream (seriously). Jason and I rounded out last night by cleaning out the house of all the food crap in our fridge and cupboards.  It left me with a couple of grocery bags full of beef jerky, mac and cheese, and canned tuna to donate to the AIDS Project of Central Iowa where I work.  Jason was particularly ecstatic about doing this, citing that cleaning out the house and having me eat vegan was better than the Macbook Pro I got him for his birthday and made him open two weeks ago. WTF?!?  I should have saved my money.  But his sex appeal does seem to increase exponentially when I see him poking around on his new Macbook, so backlit and all.

Anyway, I was particularly productive this morning, cleaning out the house to prepare for my parents visiting from San Diego this week.  All that productivity left me tired by noon, though, and we didn't have groceries in the house to make lunch.  We decided to go out to eat, which made me a little nervous since 1) I LOVE to eat out. More so than cooking. 2) I've never tried to order vegetarian, let alone vegan, at a restaurant. I've witnessed Jason having to do it, and it did not seem like a pleasant experience.  After foregoing a trip to Jason's Deli (I just did not want to tempt myself with free frozen yogurt), we settled on going to On the Border.  And I gotta admit, it was a really tasty lunch.  We had the Build-Your-Own Fajitas with grilled mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper, and onions.  The waiter recognized I was ordering a vegetarian dish and even suggested I opt for black beans instead of the refried and lime cilantro rice instead of the mexican rice.  How kind!  I wish more waiters were thoughtful like that.

Later this afternoon, after a very long and wonderful nap, the family and I held a taste-test contest to decide our plant-based milks of choice.  The adults chose unsweetened vanilla almondmilk and the kiddos preferred coconut milk and vanilla soy milk.  Thank goodness for Trader Joe's.  Day 1 ended up being pretty pleasant.  It's 8 pm and I feel great. No headaches and lots of energy today.  Only one slight craving when I saw our daughter Malea's cheesy bean nachos, but I got over it.

Day 1 Menu:

• Breakfast - Kashi Heart Healthy Honey Nut Oats w/ Almondmilk
• Lunch - On The Border Build-Your-Own Fajitas "El Diablo" style w/ a buttload of jalapenos, chips and salsa, lime cilantro rice and black beans
• Dinner - Salad greens with grapes, tomatoes, green onion and balsamic vinaigrette; roasted garlic hummus and sea salt pita chips

• 
  

Day -1

Today is my husband Jason's birthday. He's 35 and can proudly say he's in the best shape of his life. I think all the fat he's lost on his vegan journey since January has gone to my ass.  But I am incredibly proud of him.  As he reviewed pics on his laptop of the times he started p90x and marveled at how much weight he has lost, I got a little excited (get your mind out of the gutter) to think that could be me in a few months.

Two weeks ago, the day before I was diagnosed with pneumonia (in the summer nonetheless), I was on my laptop watching bootleg episodes of True Blood while Jason was on the couch perusing Netflix to watch a documentary about plant based diets.  He ended up watching "Forks Over Knives". To be honest, I had no intention of looking up from my guilty pleasure of vampires having sex, but I kept getting drawn to the documentary.  There was a woman with type2 diabetes who reversed her condition with a plant-based diet.  There was a fireman who, in 3 weeks, had his cholesterol drop from 344 to 200 just by foregoing all meat products, dairy, and processed foods. There was a guy who was on 10 different meds, who after sticking to a vegan diet for 8 months, stopped taking all his medication and became the healthiest he's ever been.  I stopped watching vampire sex and paid attention.

Now, I should disclose, I love meat.  I mean, seriously love it.  Jason never in a million years would have thought me to go batty and adopt his dietary lifestyle.  I never in a million years would have thought I'd go batty enough to adopt his dietary lifestyle.  But here I am, ready to give it a try.

I made dinner for Jason's birthday tonight.  It was all plant-based, except for my last scoop of vanilla ice cream for the next three weeks.  And damn, it was tasty.  I start my journey officially tomorrow with the help of http://pcrm.org/kickstarthome/. Wish me luck, or even better, join me on this journey!

Day -1 Dinner Menu:

• Vegetable Stack - portobella mushroom, eightball zucchini, summer squash, beefsteak tomato, red onion
• Grilled Asparagus
• Ear of Corn
• Grilled Peaches and Bananas w/ Balsamic Glaze
• 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream (Can't lie, I'll totally miss you ice cream)