First Vegan Meal - and shopping fun!

Okay folks, I know you may hear this from veggie friends and such, and rarely believe them, but I think I am currently eating one of the yummiest meals that I have ever made.

I didn't use any recipes, I just turned down the suck and gave'r. Here is what I ended up with:

BLACK BEANS WITH LEEKS

-1 can black beans

-1 whole leek, chopped up with my shiny new 'slap chop' (which rocks BTW)

-italian seasoning to taste

-1 Tbsp olive oil

Threw it all in a pot and stirred and heated and simmered while I did other things

BOK CHOY WITH MANDARIN ORANGES

-2 large bok choy leaves, chopped into manageable pieces

-2 manadarin oranges

-1 Tbsp olive oil

Threw it all in a cast iron frying pan and stirred and heated and simmered while I did other things

BROWN RICE

-made to specs on the bag, but with no salt and Earth Balance buttery spread. Added more earth balance when I served it. (Cooked the rice while I did other things... you seeing a trend?)

Threw it all on a plate and accompanied it with some green tea (more Christmas presents!)

Mike just looked at me, then the stove, then nuked some leftover pizza ;)

One of the 'other things' I was doing was slicing up sweet potatoes for the random spices+oliveoil+sweetpotatoes concoction that I am going to bring to the cabin at Silverstar tonight so I have some awesome munchies that are still reasonably good for me.

I also am making a spread sheet of prices for things I think I will be getting often... surprises/general life awesomeness I experienced today are as follows:

1- Bok choy is cheap. Like, SUPER cheap. New staple - check!

2- There are a billion different types of soy/rice milk. I am guessing I will have to do some taste testing before I find my fave.

3- there is vegan chocolate that is amazing! who'd a thunk it!! (I got Terra Nostra, dark truffle centre ricemilk choco. YUM)

4 - Leeks are cheap too. Use 'em like you would an onion, but with more nutrition! EPIC!

5 - Chick peas must be soaked overnight, then cooked for about an hour the next day. NOTE TO SELF - get the canned type if you need them ASAP, but watch the fricking ridiculous salt content of canned beans.

6 - I need a rice cooker.

So there we have it. First action day. I hope you learned something, even if it is just that Mike likes pizza.

PEACE OUT!

Birthday Resolutions...

I am lucky/ unlucky that my birthday resolutions parallel new years so easily...

LUCKY
-everyone else is doing it, so we can all talk about our goals together
-deals on 'better you' products
-lots of articles on 'new you' fitness and nutrition in my fave magazines

UNLUCKY
-the gym is freaking ridiculous
-most people get to do it twice a year, if I combo, I only get once per year

AS YOU CAN SEE... lucky wins.
Because I am lucky. SUPER lucky.

And super lucky Brittany has decided to start a journey. As Albert Einstein said,
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,"
and so I am trying something totally new. Totally exciting, totally... CRAZY.
I am going to work my way into a vegan lifestyle again. I say AGAIN because I did it for about 4 months in high school. It was great. I felt like a million dollars. I lost excess weight. I LOST THE BATTLE WITH CHEESE.

But here I am, with new resolve, and like anything else, this resolve is partnered with resolve to document this craziness.

So here we go...

This week I bought and completely read Alicia Silverstones "The Kind Diet." Very well written. She is funny and down to earth and wants to change the planet like most of us passionate people do. She puts forth some great points, she did her research, and I am now excited to take the plunge into being one of those people who choses to make my life better by editing what I put into my machine a little better than I have in the past.

Today I walked right past a huge bowl of cookies in the staff room. This may seem small, but I have a huge sweet tooth, and a normal "I shouldn't" would not have stopped me. What did stop me was a "think of all the milk and eggs and butter in there..."

And so I have taken step one by telling the world.

Something else I plan on telling the world, which is easier for me than most women because I am a pilot and tell people all the time, is my weight. I am now, at 5'8", 168 pounds according to the scale here at work. I hope to see that number, which has been the same for about 6 years now, drop. I plan on keeping my exercise world about the same... swim, bike, run, weights, each a couple times a week. This may change as the triathlon season starts to ramp up, but my tri coach (aka my boyfriend) will be my guide on that. My body will be my guide on my nutrition.

So bit by bit I will be adding vegan amazingness and subtracting meat and dairy...

Wish me luck... my sweet tooth may need it!!