week five as a vegan

9:51 pm ByFiled Underkat facts, life

Just when I think the worst is behind me I have to travel. What on earth does one eat when traveling by car across the country? Ok, not entirely across the country but it was an all day drive.  I thought about packing all my food like Hubby had done when he went on a fishing trip with his buddies but the lack of probable refrigerator space AND the fact we would be eating out a lot, put a damper on my packing idea. I did pack snackables which made the car ride tolerable but when we stopped for lunch I was at the mercy of the rest stop and the rest stop was unforgiving.

I opted for a turkey sandwich since it was loaded with lettuce and a tomato and was on a tomato basil bagel. Ironically, it did not taste that good (aka – it tasted like carp) and I threw most of it away. Dinner in our home town was a yummy spinach, mushroom, olives and peppers stuffed open calzone. Side that bad boy up with a few Blue Moons and this lassie’s tummy was singing the praises of her Italian hometown.

Things got easier as we only ate out the rest of the weekend. My options are slim, read: salads, but I was really shocked at my lack of choices when driving along the glorious highways and interstates. While I tried to be optimistic  in what I might find along the way, I definitely know that the next time I take a road trip I need to pack a cooler if I want anything good and of substance to eat. On a completely random side note – I treated myself to sushi last week and have been dreaming about it every since. Mmmmmmm, sushi.

On a good note, and also in the TMI category, my monthly cravings are non-existent this month. That is not saying I am the most joyful person to be around cause I am a wee bit crabby today, but I am not ransacking the pantry like a teenage boy in a growth spurt.

So now I seek your advice of vegan masters – what do you eat while traveling? Are you a food packer or food scrambler? Your insight will be greatly appreciated.

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week four as a vegan

7:40 pm ByFiled Underkat facts

Ok, whoever created the idea of being vegan did not take ‘stress eating‘ into consideration. What is a lassie supposed to eat when she is stressed? Cauliflower? Hummus?? I know, dangerous right. The problem with being four weeks in is that nothing tastes good to me anymore. I tried chomping on some chips and ended up spitting them out in the garbage can. So I resorted to the next best thing – Bloody Marys! They are chalked full of vegetables and yumminess. Aaahh, the stress relief of the gods.

Vegan meatless tacos

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…. I was cooking up these yummy creations. Yes, you read the title right, vegan meatless tacos and the were YUMMY! Hubby even made homemade guacamole which was to die for. Actually he almost did when he tried to finish it off on the sly while I was putting the boys to bed. Don’t come between a girl and her guacamole! I spared his life when he offered to make another batch. Hmmm, I wonder if there is anymore in the fridge. My tummy is a grumblin’.

But in all seriousness we have completed the 28 days required by the Engine 2 Diet. While Hubby is still not feeling the whole vegan thing (he does like his chicken), he is willing to commit to a better lifestyle (with a side of chicken every now and then). I on the other hand am willing to make this a permanent way of life though don’t think I can walk away from seafood. I really like how my body feels off of dairy and dislike the lethargy my body feels when I cheat for a meal (aka stuff my face with chips and salsa on the 4th of July).  I will continue to log my journey as I continue down this unpaved road. Oh, and any suggestion for healthy stress foods would be greatly appreciated!

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week three as a vegan

2:12 am ByFiled Underlife

Oh greasy cheese pizza…. why do you taunt me so. Why do I succumb to your smooth and gooey texture? Why does a cool side of beer make you taste even yummier?  In the words of Hank the Tank : It’s SO good! Once it hits your lips, it’s so good! So there you have it, my confession of the week. On to bigger and better things.

meatless steak soft tacos

In the quest to find bigger and yummier vegan recipes, Hubby and I stumbled across this tasty delight – Steak soft tacos. Yes, I realize I said steak. But it is actually meatless steak courtesy of Trader Joes. Now, I know what you are thinking, meatless steak, gross. I thought the same thing when I picked up the package but thought I would give it a try. Hubby was also a little hesitant when he read the package. “Seriously Kat??” “Just try it!” So we did and I am happy to say that they were really good! We also added meatless meatballs to our Vegan Delight pizza which was a yummy edition.

For the most part, I am beyond all of my ‘bad food‘ cravings, though Hubby and I were both fiending a bowl of cereal this past weekend. And of course, I am still in love with pizza. But I am also having new cravings. My friend introduced me to kohlrabi this past weekend. It was amazing! She had cooked it like sliced potatoes in a skillet – I could NOT stop eating it. Definitely will be picking up some more of that at the store. I also found a nice and salty Hunters Mixed Nuts made of various nut and seeds. We pick out the cheddar crunchies cause we are good like that though I swear I have seen Hubby sneak a few in. One more week to go in our initial 28 days. I can’t wait to see what Hubby decides to do since my mind is already made up!

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week two as a vegan

6:42 pm ByFiled Underkat facts

Two weeks down and I think I am over the hump. Though I am in full PMS mode so there may have been a little cheating this weekend. No seriously, that s’mores brownie WANTED me to eat it…. and it’s friend. I didn’t want the poor guy to be lonely in a belly of fruits and veggies! Don’t look at me with those judging eyes. You couldn’t have walked past it either!

I all seriousness, I am loving the way I am feeling and my tummy problems of the past are all gone. Hubby and I have been finding some great recipes online. Our favorite that we made was a vegan pizza. It was SO delicious. I actually like it better than the ones from the store we typically eat. I also found a soy mozzarella cheese that melts like cheese and tastes like cheese but without the nasty dairy aftermath in my stomach. It tastes yummy on veggie burgers too! I was also lucky enough to find crunchy peanut butter with flax seeds. Dipping celery into that jar of heaven is to die for.

Hubby on the other hand is still being a trooper. He flat out refused the veggie burger and opted for a turkey burger instead. He also gets a cheat day every week where he partakes in chicken – though I am not sure BBQ wings count but who am I to judge. Guess we will have to wait and see what week three brings!

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