This week I went on a work retreat for Americorps. I will not name the place that we went but I will say that is a very distinguished tennis ranch that runs about at least 300 dollars per person for a day. It is not cheap.
I am not the only Veg that is in my group, the only vegan yes but there is another vegetarian in the group and one of the facilitators is a vegetarian was well. My program manager called them ahead of time and told them that she had us in the party and about our food restrictions (Plus we had been there in December as well).
Now this is the problem that I have. We live in a connected world and when you are advertised in all of the premiere tennis and health magazines and we pay out the nose I expect you to be able to google what a vegan is. It is not hard to sautee some veggies in olive oil or steam some rice.
No, the first lunch we were told that they were going to get the ingreiants. Salad it was. Dinner we were served fish. Salad again. Breakfast the next morning....there was nothing I could eat. Not even a bowl of granola and soy milk. Luckily I had brought green juice. Lunch...pulled pork sandwiches so I had a salad again. There was pesto but that has cheese and my lactose intolerance will not be happy with me if that happens. Dinner I was brought out two plain potatoes which were rock hard and was told that there was cheese and sour cream in the buffet...Salad.
Now, I do not like making a big deal about my food when I travel but two days of salad and green juice was starting to make me feel...woosy. My other Americorp members told me that I could not be so demanding. I, however, feel like if your stay is being paid for and you inform them of your food sensitivities they should be able to accommodate, most of all when there was a grocery store right down the street that I know for a fact has an abundant of vegan burgers.
Three days and I ate nothing but salad and green juice. I still feel sick.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Cabbage Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
Dressing: 
- 1/2 cup of grated cabbage
- 2 Tbsp of freshly chopped ginger
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 white miso paste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp grape seed or canola oil
- 1 tsp agave syrup
Salad:
- 4 cups of thinly sliced cabbage
- 1 medium radicchio thinly sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds (optional)
To make dressing: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
To make salad: Toss together all of the dry ingredients. Pour in the dressing and toss gently. If you are using the hemp seeds sprinkle over the top of the salad and serve.
- 1/2 cup of grated cabbage
- 2 Tbsp of freshly chopped ginger
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 white miso paste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp grape seed or canola oil
- 1 tsp agave syrup
Salad:
- 4 cups of thinly sliced cabbage
- 1 medium radicchio thinly sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds (optional)
To make dressing: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
To make salad: Toss together all of the dry ingredients. Pour in the dressing and toss gently. If you are using the hemp seeds sprinkle over the top of the salad and serve.
Watermelon Sorbet
This is such an easy way to make your own desert. Say bye bye to ice cream, cause this will rock your world! It is perfect for a hot summer day. 
7 cups of chopped seedless watermelon/ juice.
1/2 cup of raw sugar or agave
Juice from 1 lemon
Combine all ingredients into blender and blend well. Pour into several or one large Tupperware container. Freeze.
After frozen you can spoon out. This recipe will make 8 large servings.
7 cups of chopped seedless watermelon/ juice.
1/2 cup of raw sugar or agave
Juice from 1 lemon
Combine all ingredients into blender and blend well. Pour into several or one large Tupperware container. Freeze.
After frozen you can spoon out. This recipe will make 8 large servings.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Power of the Internet.
So I am deciding to take on a more challenging task and that is to blog about vegan things that are not just my favorite mouth watering recipes. So here it goes.
Today what I really want to talk about is the power of the internet in subcultures, specifically the vegan subculture. Technology is a wonderful thing and embracing it gives us such an amazing power. The power is to Connect. There is of course the ability to find information and recipes but that connection is just as valuable.
I think that sometimes we forget how much has been given to us with this amazing gift. I live in an isolated area when it comes to veganism. Texas does not have a lot of vegans and most of them are in Austin which is about an hour drive from where Will and I live.
It wasn't exactly easy becoming a vegan or even a vegetarian in San Antonio Texas. There are many judgement about people who are vegans here. As a friend said at dinner tonight. "You tell people you're a vegan and suddenly everyone is a nutritionist." I could not agree more with this statement. Even at my job, which is in the sport and health industry, there are jokes made about me drinking green juice.
Because of this I have found a lot of support in the web community. Twitter, Facebook and even meetup.com have huge veg communities where support is constantly glowing from people. I find this to be the most helpful thing in any life style change. There are web communities like The Crazy Sexy Life and The Kind Life that have message boards where support and ideas are constantly offered, free of judgement.
Search out support on these websites, even if you are a hard set vegan. You can support new veg-curious people. These communities make us powerful. Education is power!
Today what I really want to talk about is the power of the internet in subcultures, specifically the vegan subculture. Technology is a wonderful thing and embracing it gives us such an amazing power. The power is to Connect. There is of course the ability to find information and recipes but that connection is just as valuable.
I think that sometimes we forget how much has been given to us with this amazing gift. I live in an isolated area when it comes to veganism. Texas does not have a lot of vegans and most of them are in Austin which is about an hour drive from where Will and I live.
It wasn't exactly easy becoming a vegan or even a vegetarian in San Antonio Texas. There are many judgement about people who are vegans here. As a friend said at dinner tonight. "You tell people you're a vegan and suddenly everyone is a nutritionist." I could not agree more with this statement. Even at my job, which is in the sport and health industry, there are jokes made about me drinking green juice.
Because of this I have found a lot of support in the web community. Twitter, Facebook and even meetup.com have huge veg communities where support is constantly glowing from people. I find this to be the most helpful thing in any life style change. There are web communities like The Crazy Sexy Life and The Kind Life that have message boards where support and ideas are constantly offered, free of judgement.
Search out support on these websites, even if you are a hard set vegan. You can support new veg-curious people. These communities make us powerful. Education is power!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Amazing Raw Lunch
So I tend to eat more raw food in the summer and it does my body good work. I get less bloated, feel lighter and the people who have to look at me in a swim suit while tubing thank my veggies!
Here is my amazing raw lunch for today.
Summer
Salad:
-one avocado, chopped
-1 red chili, diced
-2 roma tomato's, chopped
-1 1/2 cup of corn
-handful of cilantro
-1/2 cup of red pepper, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients into bowl and mix well. Place on two leaves of butter lettuce. You can either roll these into the leave as rolls or just eat as a salad. This will go a long way. Refrigerate rest.
Tomato Cucumber "Caprese"
-1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
-1/3 cucumber, thinly sliced
-1 teaspoon lemon juice
-pepper to taste
Take thin slices and arrange alternating. Squeeze lemon juice over and then sprinkle pepper.
Here is my amazing raw lunch for today.
Summer
Salad:
-one avocado, chopped
-1 red chili, diced
-2 roma tomato's, chopped
-1 1/2 cup of corn
-handful of cilantro
-1/2 cup of red pepper, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients into bowl and mix well. Place on two leaves of butter lettuce. You can either roll these into the leave as rolls or just eat as a salad. This will go a long way. Refrigerate rest.
Tomato Cucumber "Caprese"
-1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
-1/3 cucumber, thinly sliced
-1 teaspoon lemon juice
-pepper to taste
Take thin slices and arrange alternating. Squeeze lemon juice over and then sprinkle pepper.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Peach Mango Smoothie
Sometimes when my family gets gift cards for air line or credit card points, they send them to their poor, broke, civil servant daughter, aka Me. This time it was for JCpenny. Now, when most girls get a gift card its about the cloths. Now not this little vegan. I go straight to the kitchen wear section, where, this time I happened upon a Magic Bullet like machine by Cooks.
Perfect for a hot summer in south Texas (May and we have already passed 100 degrees once or twice.)
Smoothie ingredients:
-4 small peaches (Skinned and chopped)
-1 mango (Skinned and chopped)
-1/2 cup of ice
Blend well. See? Who needs a fancy when you have a blender and a stock of fresh fruit.
Perfect for a hot summer in south Texas (May and we have already passed 100 degrees once or twice.)
Smoothie ingredients:
-4 small peaches (Skinned and chopped)
-1 mango (Skinned and chopped)
-1/2 cup of ice
Blend well. See? Who needs a fancy when you have a blender and a stock of fresh fruit.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Starting a Veggie Lifestyle
I got one of the worlds greatest pleasures today. A childhood friend contacted me today and asked me for help in going veg! I love this and jumped at the chance to help another person move towards a plant based diet. Like so many of us though she has no idea where to start. She asked me to help compile a list for here and a few tips that would help her start. I have decided to share it on here for everyone! Please feel free to add any additional tips for her to start out with!
I have made a list of books with the things I like about them. Also there are tips to start out at the bottom.
Books:
- "Crazy Sexy Diet" By Kris Carr.
This book is the one I am reading right now and I am loving it! She really gets to you and gets you thinking about your body. I love her approach to making "healthy vegans." However I would not be as include to recommend it for a starter. Going Veg is hard enough. Going from a Mc Donald's chomping westerner to a Raw Foodist? Harder. However, I would recommend the 21 day cleanse in the back as a detox plan. Note: Has a web community
- "Vegetarian Beginners Guide"- Vegetarian Times
This is one of the first books I bought when going veg all those years ago. It teaches you how to stock a pantry which is one of the hardest things to do in my opinion. It also has list of ways to get all of the nutrients and proteins you need, including veggies with high sources of protein and iron. It addresses common myths. The things I am not so fond of? I don't really like the recipes that they used in this book. Their Magazines are full of yummy recipes but the book...not so much.
- "The Kind Diet"- Alicia Silverstone
You will recognize this women from you childhood which makes the book more convincing. And this happens to be one of my Fav books of all time. Alicia is understanding, compassionate and sweet in the way that she writes. This has some of the best recipes I have ever made, veg or omnivore. She gives you the reasons why you should be a veg for your body, for animals an for the planet without making you feel like you have lives the past how-many-years of your life in sin. One of the things I love the most is that she teaches you how to "Build a Meal" without meat. This is something most of us forget how to do without meat. Note: Has a web community.
-"The Kitchen Shrink" Natalie Savona
This is not a veg book, thats what I dislike. But I recommend it for everyone. It teaches you how to deal with mental issues like depression or any other physical sickness using your kitchen as a pharmacy. It teaches you which foods promote which feelings and what problems can be solved with what.
-"Eat, Drink & Be Vegan" Dreena Burton
This is a pure cookbook. 100%. If you are going to be a veg then you need to learn how to enjoy your food. That is why I looooooove pure vegan cookbooks. This one in particular has a great deal of breakfast and sweet recipes.
-"Vegan Lunch Box Around the World" Jennifer McCann
Variety is the spice of life and I love international food. This teaches you to make many kinds of international food. It also all happens to be able to be packed up in a lunch box and taken to work, school, or just out with you. I dont know about you but I have to work! Note: Author has a web community.
Other Books On My Shelf:
-The Urban Vegan
-The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend
-Beans and Rice by Williams Sonoma
-Raw Food by Ani Phyo
-Vegetarian Kids Cookbook by Roz Denny
-Vegetarian Cooking by Nicola Graimes
-Eating Animals by Johnathan Saffron-Foyer
-In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen
-Food Rules by Michael Pollen
Tips:
- Beware of soy: Most of all if you are becoming a veg for health reasons or to loose weight. Soy is highly processed and as fatty as some meats. While it digests a bit easier I would not use it as its labeled "As a meat substitute".
-Immerse: Veg is just like any other subculture. The more you immerse yourself with the community the stronger your commitment to your new healthy life style becomes. Twitter has a huge veg community and there are many boards that go along with books to go to for advise (Along with my blog of coarse.) Seek out like minded people.
-Support: Having a supporting roommate or spouse is essential. Its hard to stay out of trouble when someone across from you is eating a burger in front of you. Cook together, try new things together. Its nice bonding, cheap dates and fun!
-Shopping: There are so many tips that you can use for shopping and many of the books above have them. I have this one piece of advice that I believe more then anything. Stick to the outer portions of the super market. That and the bulk. Stay away from the sugary crap on the inner parts of the market. Most supermarkets are mostly designed the same way; fruit and veggies on the outside. Thats where you should be shopping.
-Farmers Markets: They are tons of fun and full of good people and good food!
-Eating Out: My first instinct is to say dont. But it is a social obligation and a corner stone of our culture. Look up the menu first online and find out if they have any veg dishes or think about how to turn them into veg.
-Dairy: You will read a lot about this in every single book that I recommended but I feel the need to state it now because my friend is very into weight loss. When I dropped Dairy I also dropped 15 pounds. Enough said. Each persons body is different but dairy is nasty. We are the only creature that drinks milk from another animal. Over 70% of the population is born lactose intolerant but we are weened onto it and fast. Give it up and you'll taste things better and digest like no ones business!
-Google is your friend: Or bing or any other search engine. There are many new things to be learned along the road to a plant based diet. New words will stump you. Alien ingredients will taunt you. Luckily we live in the information age and googling can be done in the blink of an eye. Dont be afraid of the information highway.
-Detoxing: Its not just for coke addicts. Do it and you will find the bad things easier to resist. I recommend the 21 day cleanse from the Crazy, Sexy Diet.
There we are! Please comment with the things that have helped you along the way. Sometimes I think that we forget how hard it is to start out a new life.
I love you Lauren!!!!
I have made a list of books with the things I like about them. Also there are tips to start out at the bottom.
Books:
- "Crazy Sexy Diet" By Kris Carr.
This book is the one I am reading right now and I am loving it! She really gets to you and gets you thinking about your body. I love her approach to making "healthy vegans." However I would not be as include to recommend it for a starter. Going Veg is hard enough. Going from a Mc Donald's chomping westerner to a Raw Foodist? Harder. However, I would recommend the 21 day cleanse in the back as a detox plan. Note: Has a web community
- "Vegetarian Beginners Guide"- Vegetarian Times
This is one of the first books I bought when going veg all those years ago. It teaches you how to stock a pantry which is one of the hardest things to do in my opinion. It also has list of ways to get all of the nutrients and proteins you need, including veggies with high sources of protein and iron. It addresses common myths. The things I am not so fond of? I don't really like the recipes that they used in this book. Their Magazines are full of yummy recipes but the book...not so much.
- "The Kind Diet"- Alicia Silverstone
You will recognize this women from you childhood which makes the book more convincing. And this happens to be one of my Fav books of all time. Alicia is understanding, compassionate and sweet in the way that she writes. This has some of the best recipes I have ever made, veg or omnivore. She gives you the reasons why you should be a veg for your body, for animals an for the planet without making you feel like you have lives the past how-many-years of your life in sin. One of the things I love the most is that she teaches you how to "Build a Meal" without meat. This is something most of us forget how to do without meat. Note: Has a web community.
-"The Kitchen Shrink" Natalie Savona
This is not a veg book, thats what I dislike. But I recommend it for everyone. It teaches you how to deal with mental issues like depression or any other physical sickness using your kitchen as a pharmacy. It teaches you which foods promote which feelings and what problems can be solved with what.
-"Eat, Drink & Be Vegan" Dreena Burton
This is a pure cookbook. 100%. If you are going to be a veg then you need to learn how to enjoy your food. That is why I looooooove pure vegan cookbooks. This one in particular has a great deal of breakfast and sweet recipes.
-"Vegan Lunch Box Around the World" Jennifer McCann
Variety is the spice of life and I love international food. This teaches you to make many kinds of international food. It also all happens to be able to be packed up in a lunch box and taken to work, school, or just out with you. I dont know about you but I have to work! Note: Author has a web community.
Other Books On My Shelf:
-The Urban Vegan
-The Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend
-Beans and Rice by Williams Sonoma
-Raw Food by Ani Phyo
-Vegetarian Kids Cookbook by Roz Denny
-Vegetarian Cooking by Nicola Graimes
-Eating Animals by Johnathan Saffron-Foyer
-In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen
-Food Rules by Michael Pollen
Tips:
- Beware of soy: Most of all if you are becoming a veg for health reasons or to loose weight. Soy is highly processed and as fatty as some meats. While it digests a bit easier I would not use it as its labeled "As a meat substitute".
-Immerse: Veg is just like any other subculture. The more you immerse yourself with the community the stronger your commitment to your new healthy life style becomes. Twitter has a huge veg community and there are many boards that go along with books to go to for advise (Along with my blog of coarse.) Seek out like minded people.
-Support: Having a supporting roommate or spouse is essential. Its hard to stay out of trouble when someone across from you is eating a burger in front of you. Cook together, try new things together. Its nice bonding, cheap dates and fun!
-Shopping: There are so many tips that you can use for shopping and many of the books above have them. I have this one piece of advice that I believe more then anything. Stick to the outer portions of the super market. That and the bulk. Stay away from the sugary crap on the inner parts of the market. Most supermarkets are mostly designed the same way; fruit and veggies on the outside. Thats where you should be shopping.
-Farmers Markets: They are tons of fun and full of good people and good food!
-Eating Out: My first instinct is to say dont. But it is a social obligation and a corner stone of our culture. Look up the menu first online and find out if they have any veg dishes or think about how to turn them into veg.
-Dairy: You will read a lot about this in every single book that I recommended but I feel the need to state it now because my friend is very into weight loss. When I dropped Dairy I also dropped 15 pounds. Enough said. Each persons body is different but dairy is nasty. We are the only creature that drinks milk from another animal. Over 70% of the population is born lactose intolerant but we are weened onto it and fast. Give it up and you'll taste things better and digest like no ones business!
-Google is your friend: Or bing or any other search engine. There are many new things to be learned along the road to a plant based diet. New words will stump you. Alien ingredients will taunt you. Luckily we live in the information age and googling can be done in the blink of an eye. Dont be afraid of the information highway.
-Detoxing: Its not just for coke addicts. Do it and you will find the bad things easier to resist. I recommend the 21 day cleanse from the Crazy, Sexy Diet.
There we are! Please comment with the things that have helped you along the way. Sometimes I think that we forget how hard it is to start out a new life.
I love you Lauren!!!!
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