I will say this about eating well... if you aren't willing to cook or can't afford a personal chef, it's not going to work. I spent a large part of this weekend shopping, prepping, cooking, and sorting food. Overall, I like being in the kitchen, but it was a lot of work.
With my son around, who is approaching three, it's hard to spend that much time doing anything that isn't directly related to him. For several reasons, he is GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) and has been for a little over a year. I've decided to keep him on that diet for now and allow him to continue eating meat. I'll adopt most of his GFCF ways, and the boyfriend will, with the utmost support for the both of us, continue to strive to eat healthy, but will not be giving up the meat or dairy (this is okay by me). So I spend some time in the kitchen now, and more time in the grocery store than I used to, just making sure I'm getting him things that he can have. I've complicated our household grocery list even more.
So today I jump right into veganism. I spent the weekend filling up on my favorite things in preparation for this change. I know that sounds ridiculous, right? But I don't know the next time I'll have a pepperoni pizza or ice cream, or if I'm ever going to want these things again. Anyone who tells you making a change in your diet isn't coupled with a mourning period is lying. There is a sense of loss, which sounds so bizarre. But it's there, nonetheless.
Food. It has such a hold on us. As an American, I have little to worry about. There is always food. In fact, we have too MUCH food, most of us anyway. I am fortunate that, while I have never been wealthy, I've never gone without food. The crazy thing is that, as a majority, we are killing ourselves with this food! And most people are aware of it and do it anyway. I've always been one of those people. Now, I guess I'm not.
So I'd like to share what I'm eating today. I'll warn you, I'm not big into measuring. It typically seems like a lot of trouble when I can easily make an educated guess. I just don't have time for all that. So when I post a recipe, it's going to be an estimation.
One of the things I wanted to do was find something simple for breakfast. I don't typically like breakfast much, but I know it's really important to have it. I went through a phase where I would just have a protein smoothie, but I would be really hungry by mid-morning, and then I end up eating a bag of Cheetos at 10 a.m. That's not going to work here.
I am a pretty big fan of oatmeal, but I like the instant maple sugary kind. I don't want to make time in the morning to get out a pot, measure out oatmeal, cook oatmeal without burning it while getting ready for work, packing up hot oatmeal, etc. Not going to happen in my world. BUT, I found several ideas online that lead me to this:
No Stove Night Before Oatmeal!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oatmeal (I used the old-fashion kind bought in bulk at the Whole Foods)
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
a healthy dash of cinnamon
a handful of dried cranberries
Directions:
Mix in a container of your choosing (I used a small, plastic one), throw in the fridge, remember to take it to work the next day.
That's right. That's it. I tossed it in the microwave at work for 1 minute, added a handful of chopped walnuts, and it was the best oatmeal I've had since I was a kid. It actually tasted like my grandmother. I mean, not that I ever ate my grandmother, but it was exactly like the oatmeal I remember having as a kid. I told several of my co-workers how much it reminded me of being a little girl and how happy it was making me. I think they're worried I've lost my mind with this vegan thing. And maybe I have, but I'm really happy with breakfast!
I have soup, hummus and pita chips, and a variety of fruit to get me through the day. Hey, I'll post the "recipe" for my soup, which my son tried and couldn't get enough (my son likes every fruit and veggie except for cucumbers - every one, even the "weird ones" normal kids won't touch - mangos and avocados are two of his favorite things).
CCS Soup
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen spinach
2 cups frozen cauliflower
1 can chickpeas
1 big spoonful veggie base (I use Better Than Boullion)
a dash of olive oil
a few cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
water (4-6 cups?)
Directions:
Saute the garlic and onions in a little bit of olive oil. Add all other ingredients, stir occassionally, let it cook down for about 30 min or so, and that's it. Makes 2-3 servings.
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