Update

It has been exactly a month since I last blogged here. I haven't forgotten about you all!  Life has gotten in the way unfortunately but I have been taking pictures and saving tons of information, so hopefully we can get this site active again!  I want to thank everyone for so much support in running this blog and getting people excited about vegan lifestyle options. I couldn't have done it without you !

So, here is a picture of what was for lunch! A salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and a Boca chickn patty :)  
 

Question - Becoming a Vegan

"I've been thinking a lot about trying to go vegan (even if it's only for a week), but I get overwhelmed because if animals aren't IN something that I want to eat or use, they were harmed to make it. I'd really love to hear about your transition to veganism. I'd also be interested in a post about your favorite vegan-approved products (health & beauty AND foods!)"

This is a really great topic to discuss. I get asked a lot how to transition from your old lifestyle into the life of being a vegan without feeling overwhelming guilt for not knowing everything. Even if you don't stay a vegan, you still have the option to pick products that are animal friendly. Being educated is key!

Its very important to decide why you want to make the change and to draw guidelines for yourself.  For some people, easing into the change will be easier, while others will want to jump in 100%. You'll need to decide which products you want to cut out first if you are going to ease into the change. When I first became a vegan, I started with food products first, then transitioned to other lifestyle products (clothing, material, beauty products, etc.). The most immediate change you can make is to your diet. My transition was quick due to my milk allergy but you can go at any pace that is comfortable for you.

• Learn to read labels. The main things you want to avoid are any kind of meat (lard, by-products, chicken/turkey stock), dairy products (milk, cheese, whey, buttermilk, butter, lactose, lactic acid, casein), eggs, and anything made from animal bones (gelatin) . Most companies will bold products for allergy reasons, but at least glance over the entire list for anything that could possibly sound like it might be related to an animal. They only have to list things that will cause an allergic reaction. You will also have to decide for yourself if you will consider honey to be vegan or not vegan. If a product is labeled to be a 'cheese alternative' or 'meat alternative', check to make sure it is vegan. Many cheese alternatives have milk or casein in them, as well as many meat alternatives. When it comes to food, home made is best. Eating out will be tricky but always ask questions. Some companies, like Amy's and Whole Foods, are proud to put 'vegan' on their products. Learning vegan recipes or how to use vegan foods will also help your transition. I started this blog to teach people how to make simple meals that won't cost a lot and don't involve crazy ingredients that you have never heard of before.

Here is a great site that shows some hidden animal products http://www.cyberparent.com/nutrition/hiddenanimalsfoodproducts.htm

• Reading labels can also be applied to clothing and beauty products. My biggest secret - Trust most store brand products and avoid almost every major brand.. 'Knock off' products are made to be cheaper, and usually contain different materials. Avoid suede, fur, and leather when buying shoes, belts, couches, cars, etc. Most store brand clothing will use a fake suede, fur, or leather. Always read the labels of cosmetics and beauty products. Almost every big cosmetic company does test on animals. If a company does not test on animals, they will be proud to say so. Question any product that does not state that no animals were used in testing. Google search a list to print out and keep with you when you go to the store. There definitely are some gray areas, where companies will test the ingredients on animals but not the final product. It is incredibly hard to know whether or not they did use animals but you can always call or write to the company and ask questions.

• Reward yourself! Being a vegan is a huge lifestyle change that shouldn't be taken lightly. Whether you go vegan for a week, a year, or a lifetime - YOU can make a difference in the life of animals. We, as consumers, have the ability to control what is in demand. We can successfully lower the prices of healthy foods and animal friendly foods. Remember - if you mess up or accidentally consume something not vegan - it's okay! Accidents will happen. I didn't become a vegan years ago and get where I am today without making mistakes! I've accidentally eaten products that had eggs or dairy in them. We learn from our mistakes and move on. Education is so important and google is your friend in this. Google and ask every question you have. If you are having doubts about why you are doing this or ready to give up because it is too hard, google some images or videos of what happens to these animals. It is truly heartbreaking and enough to make anyone want to be cruelty free.

Some of my favorite food brands 

• Boca
• Earth Balance
• Amy's
• Wegmans
• Whole Foods
• Dominex
• Silk
• Tofurky
• Annies
• Yogi
• Purely Decadent
• Van's
• Vegan Gourmet
• Daiya

My favorite non-food companies that don't test on animals

• Wet N Wild
• Almay
• MAC Cosmetics
• Mary Kay
• Nature's Miracle 
• Physician's Formula
• Revlon
• Seventh Generation
• Tressa
• Urban Decay

Here is a nice list of animal friendly companies  http://punkrockbarbiedoll.tumblr.com/donottest

My biggest tip - If you are going to try veganism, please give it a month of serious commitment. If after a month you find it just isn't for you and that you can't make it work, then at least you gave it a good shot. If you give up before then, you really haven't had enough time to get used to it. It really is a lifestyle change and you can't change your whole life in a month.

Good luck to everyone and I always welcome questions! 

Dinner for Three in Under Fifteen

Yesterday was one of those days where cooking really didn't have a spot on my list anywhere. I had roughly twenty minutes until my hungry boyfriend would be walking through the door and about five minutes before my one year old exploded from 'I'm hungry right now FEED ME' syndrome. While she had a little pre-dinner snack, I quickly whipped up a delicious dinner. It was done and on the table within fifteen minutes and even my meat-eater boyfriend loved it.

You'll need

Boca Chicken Nuggets

Mashed Potato Flakes

Vegan Stuffing mix

Vegetable broth or water

Earth Balance Butter

Salt

Vegetables of your choice

Basically, there is no instructions with this one. All of it was heated up according to the directions on the boxes. The boca nuggets were cooked last in the microwave along with the mashed potatoes. The stuffing was cooked first and made with vegetable broth. I made real chicken (more like heated it up without touching it at all) for my boyfriend. We used broccoli and green beans for our vegetables. It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it! 

This stuffing was the only vegan one I have found. It is really delicious, although a little dry. I added a lot of the butter substitute to it to moisten it up. We don't really use gravy although I may invest in finding a good recipe for a vegan gravy to use. This whole bag was more than enough for 3 people and we have a whole container left over!

 I am a huge believer in using mashed potato flakes! It takes way too long to make real mashed potatoes, although I do cook them sometimes. In our produce section, they sell little packets of seasoning for mashed potatoes, so I always grab a pack of the garlic and herb seasoning. Its delicious!

I need to have my boca chicken! I should buy stock in this stuff.

I try to have every meal contain some kind of fruit or vegetable. I am a huge vegetable eater and it seems that I've passed that trait onto my daughter!

The finished product of my daughter's dinner. We were too busy eating to take any pictures of ours :) 

Dinner for Two!

Some of my favorite meals are ones where I can add in a lot of vegetables. Around our house, its very easy to fit fruit into our day. Even the non-vegans in our household fit in a healthy amount of fruit, but sometimes vegetables go unnoticed. 

Luckily I have been blessed with a daughter who will eat anything, and I mean ANYTHING. She loves her vegetables so I have no problem fitting them in everywhere.

One of our favorite meals is vegetable pasta with tofu meat sauce. My daughter goes crazy over this! We are on a very tight budget which makes this meal great for us. If you buy frozen vegetables, which will last you longer, you can make this meal for under $10, which will last you at least a week. You probably will have left over supplies to make another batch for a later time. If you have a Costco near you, you can get a huge box of Boca Burgers (16 burgers) for $10 ! They normally go for $5 for 4 in the stores.

This recipe has been baby approved!

What you will need

Any kind of pasta you want

(Use your favorite vegetables - These are just the ones we use)

Broccoli

Peas

Lima Beans

Green Beans

1 Boca Burger

Marinara sauce

Italian Seasoning

Salt

Vegetable broth (optional)

How to make it

Boil however much water you will need for the pasta. While that is boiling, put all of your vegetables into another pot. I like to boil them in vegetable broth to get more of a flavor, but you can use water if you want! While the pasta and vegetables are boiling, start on your sauce.


Cook the Boca burger thoroughly (this can be done on the microwave, in a pan, or on the grill - I use microwave). I prefer Boca Vegan Burgers for their rich taste, but you can substitute with any kind you like. I put a generous amount of sauce into a pan and put it on low. I add a little bit of salt and some italian seasoning. When the Boca burger is done, crumble it with a fork and toss it into the sauce. 


When everything is done, combine the vegetables and the pasta together and serve with your delicious fake meat sauce on top! 

Its not the most appetizing meal to look at, but it sure is delicious!