"30 Days" Episode

What happens when a Hunter goes to stay with an Animal Rights activist for 30 days? Watch this episode to find out:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/24012/30-days-animal-rights

OMGuacamole!

Every time I eat Guacamole I think "This is the best guacamole ever!" But seriously THIS batch is the Best Guacamole ever!!

Here's my directions:

Smush up 1 big Squishy Avocado with a fork, Spray with Lime Juice, Add 1/4 of a chopped up Purple onion, Add 1/2 of a chopped white onion, 1 hand pressed garlic clove, Pour in some Salsa, & season with grated Sea Salt and fresh Ground Pepper.

The Lime and the purple (or is it red?) onion give it the most flavor. The Salsa really makes it creamy. I never really measure things so try tasting it and add things to adjust the flavor to your liking. 

A Weekend of Affirmation- Dallas to Saginaw to Wylie to Highland Village & back

This weekend was a wonderful affirmation of what I am doing and why. 

Friday- I went on a lovely double date to the famed Vegetarian restaurant in Dallas named Cosmic Cafe. We started with an Indian sampler appetizer with Nan bread and Hummus and Samosas. Yummy, yummy, yummy. I then ordered the Trinity Tacos, which were amazing and was way too much to eat. Matt ordered a pizza that had Black Bean burger crumbles and has told me several times how much he liked it. Yeah. 

Saturday- We woke up early and were off to visit Matt's parents and to introduce our doggies. This is Spencer intently studying the Texas landscape and loving the wind in his hair. The dogs met and didn't kill each other so I guess that could be a success. The good surprise for the day-- Matt's mom had planned an amazing vegan meal for me. She went to the store and got my favorite Tofutti American cheese and found some Black bean tamales and refried beans. I had an enormous plate complete with guacamole. It didn't stop there either. She had a special desert just for me- a vegan brownie with Rice Dreams Ice cream. Oh ya and cantaloupe. I was truly astonished. I haven't expected anyone to accommodate me but she did without me even asking. Thanks 2nd mom! I'm soooooo lucky. 

I'm realizing now that for the most part everyone is very accepting and does not try to convince me to eat differently. I think it helps that I do not try to change what others eat. Mutual respect is key. If someone asks then I will be happy to share what I have learned. The blog will remain my vegan outlet- the one place I can share with everybody and nobody all at the same time. Alot like leaving your diary in the lunchroom as a kid--it never happened to me, but I am very familiar now with that uneasy feeling. 

Sunday- was supposed to be my official Leesha Crocker day. I was going to clean the whole house, do all the laundry, grocery shop, and cook meals for the whole week. Instead, Spencer and I rode off to Wylie, Tx to visit with my parents and grandparents. We drove in my grandpa's antique WWII jeep to the marina and then Spencer got to go on his 1st ever Boat Ride! He was really enjoying it and spent the whole time with his head over the edge looking at the water. 

Spencer is my biggest affirmation of why I am doing this. I can tell when he is sad, lonely, excited or bored. He eagerly greets us in the morning and when we come home after work, with exuberant tail wags and hugs. He also yelps when he is in pain and barks when he is scared. I believe that animals are more like us humans then we want to believe. No they don't talk or think deeply about their finances; but they have emotions and the ability to feel pain both physically and emotionally. I often look at Spencer and wonder how a pig or cow or chicken could be that much different. They also cry out when in pain and express emotion in their actions. They too are SENTIENT- living, conscious, & aware. 

My grandma also told me that when she was growing up on the farm they hardly ever ate meat because they couldn't afford it. She said they had beans and vegetables at almsot every meal and then said "Maybe that's why we were so healthy" In her days obesity, cancer, and heart disease were rare. I told her that I am pretty much eating how she grew up eating- Fruits + Veggies + breads + nuts + water. They all have the vital nutrients we need to survive. 

Monday- A quick snippet-- At my early morning photo shoot- took a step backwards while looking through the camera to get the perfect shot--AND walked right off of someone's driveway and fell into this concrete ditch, camera gear and all. Everyone rushed to help me and were deeply concerned.. they were even having me bend my arms and make sure I didn't break anything. It was truly embarrassing, but so typical of me. I ended up with a scratch on my elbow, a cut on my pinky toe, a headache & wet, muddy clothes. Thats it!

I got home and started thinking about how many people break their ankles or wrists during normal falls. I consider this a reaffirmation that I am healthy & strong. With my girliest cheerleader cheer !Go vegan! 

A Lion King baby hat

I have yet to successfully photograph any of my knitting, so I'm doing a pre-emptive post as a promise to show you this one when it is finished. 

I just started a baby hat that looks like a lion. It's so cute with 2 ears on top and a furry mane. I can't wait to show you. Right now it's just a ball of golden yarn and a 12" circular needle. Cast on 48 stitches and knit to 4-1/2"Ready-Set-Go! No crazy pattern required. (Just decrease for 12 rounds, add mane, ears, eyes, and nose)

I had 2 skeins of $7 yarn in my hand and thought I better check out the back of the store where the clearance was at and there were 2 skeins of almost the exact color (different brand) for just 99¢ each! Yeah, what luck!

I'm also going to make some matching booties with mane-like yarn sticking out at the top. 

I'm so giddy thinking about how cute this is going to be..

You know on Arrested Development when Lucille's private detective (Gene Parmesan) surprises her and she very giddily squeals "Gene!" Well, 2 things have done that for me lately-- finding the perfect baby knitting project/yarn AND finding vegan chocolate. (You will find me literally squealing in the aisle!)

2 Diets live as 1

These are true "Leesha Crocker" meals. I know now that it is the vegan versions of "normal" food that I love best. The meat analogs and weirder foods just don't work out as well, but I'm sure it is just something I have to get used to.

This was that amazing double date Pizza Feast I mentioned previously. Mine is the one in the back that's cheeseless. I added Broccolini + grilled eggplant + onions + mushrooms + black olives + Pineapple. We also made some Capellini Pomodoro pasta from scratch. Check out Olive Garden's website for the recipe. YUMMY!

My Veggie Burger plate includes: Open-faced veggie burger with Tofutti American Cheese, romaine lettuce, onions, avocado slices, pickles, mustard and tomato. Oven Fries and vegetarian baked beans on the side. With some strawberries for dessert. I felt so NORMAL eating this meal. It's nice to be normal every now and then. I could only eat 1 of these burgers, and I had originally intended to make it a double stack burger.

Matt and I customized our own Thai dinners during our THAI NIGHT. I boiled some Thai noodles and added onions, mushrooms, chives, and sesame seed to mine. Matt added shrimp and sun dried tomatoes with sesame seeds to his. We tried Sea weed for the first time and it was very tasty, but then I noticed it had HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) in it! I don't understand why they would do that to such a nutritious food. Note: The Sunkist is not mine.

I love white bowls and plates

so clean, so crisp

the food readily awaits.

A New age of Thrift

In honor of my friend's fabulous blog ( http://thedebtfreelife.blogspot.com/  ) I am posting some ideas I just thought of for how to SAVE.. and believe me switching to a vegan diet is a little pricy at first. Eventually I will be all stocked up with the pantry essentials to be able to live healthily within a reasonable grocery budget. But in the meantime I am still searching the aisles for things like Arrowroot, Buckwheat, millet, and seitan. New produce I used to never buy includes eggplant, tamarind, fresh tomatoes, celery, red onion, tofu, zucchini, cantaloupe, & fresh herbs.

I figure the price increase is a viable trade off for the increased health benefits. 

OK, some ways to SAVE:

1. Never Buy Media again- Seriously, so much gets wasted on this pursuit. 

• Listen to music for free on pandora.com

• Listen to & Watch Free podcasts on iTunes.

• Share music/movies/books with friends (the good old fashioned, legal way)

• Go to the Library! Its fun when you take home 12 books and 2 movies for free!

• Shop Amazon- Why buy a book for full price when you can pay $3 or so?

• Watch TV on hulu.com or similar site-- Never pay for cable again. We seriously don't have a tv plugged in at our house and don't have a cable bill.

2. Check Craigslist! So far I have bought a great used car, found an independent caterer for my wedding, hired a stylists for my wedding updo, sold furniture, notified the public of a garage sale, & found contract design jobs for my husband and I on Craigslist. Not to mention some laughs at reading the rants and raves.

3. DIY or don't.. DIY projects are all the hype right now but when we painted our entire house we spent almost half of the quote in buying all the materials and tools we didn't have, not to mention the entire week we took off of work. If I could go back I would find some experienced, independent contractors (yes craigslist) to "help us" and pay them an hourly rate..

4. Watch the hobbies- This is the advice I'm giving to myself and have yet to follow..Stick to 1 project at a time! Look for coupons from Michaels and sign up for emails at your favorite craft store. 

5. The Art of Re-gifting & stock-piling- Thats right, this is quite taboo but alot of Americans are already doing this and saving alot of $$. We currently have a big box of "gifts" ready to go at any moment. Some of these are gifts we are given directly and don't know what to do with, but mostly are stockpiled from things given to us from work or items we buy when we catch great deals on clearance. I recently found something I was given years ago that I never used and can't wait to give it to someone I have in mind who will love it.  

6. Do the Un-Popular- I've been a mad woman searching for all the vegan specialties at the grocery store and recently went to my nearby run-down Kroger. Turns out in this poorer area it is not popular to be vegan! Great for me because almost everything is being put to Clearance and still has several weeks left of shelf life. Yippee! Look for ways to apply this logic in your life too. 

7. The near Free Date- It seems like I can never get enough alone time with my husband.. and when we do have time, we don't have money to go "out." So these are some of our free dates we have done in the past:

• Walk (or run) in the Park

• Go Swimming- find a friend or nearby apartment to sneak into ;-) (Helps if you run to the apartment complex, then it doesn't look fishy when you get out of your car)

• Play a new game together

• Go to Barnes & Noble and look at magazines

• Look for Free festivals, concerts, & events

• Go to the Farmers Market

• Cook an adventurous meal together

• Do a double date! (We recently did this and each made our own custom pizza. Tons of Fun!)

  • Spontaneous Road Trip- We once drove 3 hours in search of Water Falls, we ended up finding several waterfalls, a lake to swim in, & some crazy kite flyers. 

8. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle- I've started to look for ways to re-use some common everyday things. GLASS JARS can become vases, food storage, pantry containers, candle holders, future gift holders. BOXES can be "wrapped" to be used for office supplies like those expensive Container Store boxes. I currently save all my gift bags and tissue paper I am given. Gift Cards can be reused by cutting the cover off and gluing it to construction paper.. add your own creativity to it.  Clothes can be swapped with some friends. Sweater arms can become leg warmers. I wasn't sure what to do with Aluminum cans, but here is a link: http://www.aluminouspublishing.com/index.php

Any more ideas for re-using things?

9. Don't wear makeup when your home alone- I do this just because I'm lazy, but think of all the money I'm saving!

The Perfect Wife

Ha, this is what YearbookYourself.com did to me! This pic made me think about my previous post about having a Good Cook Personality that comes and goes. I thought this is what she would look like. Leesha Crocker!

I'm really struggling lately to be "the perfect wife". Laundry and dishes are taking over and my desk is stacked 1ft high. My whole life has turned upside down. Food is the core of life and when you make a change to what and how you eat, you really have to reprogram your life. I have recipes everywhere, cookbooks, and notes.. I'm constantly listening to podcasts and soaking up articles and videos. With this new constant learning I am really falling behind on all the things I normally do around the house. 

My husband currently works full time and goes to school full time. In the few hours he is at home I know he would love to have a yummy meal ready for him. And I- eagerly hoping to make something he might like, offer oven-friend Polenta Fries and roasted Eggplant. Yuck for him! It is getting very hard to balance what a strict vegetarian eats with what an omnivore expects to eat. I know that his "love language" is Acts of Service, especially food.. and I feel I am failing. 

On that note, I am reminded of the nearly impossible advice printed in Home-Ec textbooks in 1954, called "How to be a Good Wife". (I'm just wondering what manual the men were given with advice on How to be a good husband.. )

Ok, ladies, here's what the textbooks say: 

"Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

 

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

 

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

 

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

 

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

 

Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

 

Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

 

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

 

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit."

 

Interestingly, I KNOW he would love these to happen.. my high-tech, open-minded, free-thinking, inventor and artist husband still wants a prepared meal, from a happy, pretty wife with no worries. Looks like much hasn't changed in the last 25 years of American society, and maybe there is a place for such advice.. with a grain of salt. (In my most sarcastic tone possible, "I think I'll try putting a ribbon in my hair")

Don't cry for me Queso-dilla

Cheese-freak out!

I would say cheese has always been my greatest addiction. Even as a young child I remember sneaking Velveeta slices out of the fridge, even eating cheese off the floor! Yuck! As an adult I used to add cheese to everything! That is even how I trained myself to like broccoli, artichokes, and many other vegetables. 

I've done so good the last 9 weeks and I am just now starting to feel frantic for cheese. Cheese is comforting. It's creamy gooyiness tells me the world is going to be all right. BUT, I still won't do it. So I'm stuck in this limbo land of wanting it and disgusted by it all at the same time. 

I've had some major breakthroughs though. One night I had an amazing GRILL CHEESE SANDWICH!!! (Tofutti Soy American cheese + Earth Balance Butter) Here is the pic. It was really good and totally hit the spot! (Note I added 1 Spinach leaf so I wouldn't feel like a total pig. ;-)

But tonight, I am having Mac & Cheese (soy) and it is just NOT the same. I feel like crying. I won't even take a picture of it. It's horrible!

By the way, half the time I am an awful cook, so I am not sure if it is the brand or if it is me not following the directions accurately. It's like I have 2 split-kitchen personalities... I should start posting my successful food creations and my epic fails so you can see the stark difference. I'm just too embarrassed to show off the fails. 

Milk- Doesn't do a body any good

I'd like to preface this post by saying that my personal choice to not consume dairy products in no way effects my judgements and personal feelings for my friends, family members, or any one else who may stumble upon this blog. It has taken me several years of hearing, reading and even seeing the same information before I could mentally make this decision. 

As promised, the Dairy Facts! (Sorry for all the quote copying)

1. Dairy products contain Cow's blood & Pus along with Pesticides, Hormones, & Antibiotics which pose a real health hazard. 

To be profitable farmers treat dairy cows like milk making machines forcing them to produce 10x the natural amount they would normally produce. The cow's metabolism and health suffers. They are hooked up to automated milking machines constantly and their sensitive udders frequently become infected and lead to mastitis, causing bleeding and pus to seep into the milk supply. GROSS! 

Cows are not freely and happily roaming the pasture.. they are quartered in solitary concrete stalls inside barns of 200- 20,000 dairy cows. The dairy industry is BIG BUSINESS focused on Profitability.. not the welfare or comfortability of the animals (VEAL is proof of that), and definitely not on your health. 

Sickness, disease, "downed cows" are common and expected. Which is why there are numerous businesses that distribute antibiotics, insecticides, and pesticides just for cows. 

Hormones: "About 30% of dairy cows in the United States are injected with Bovine somatotropin, also called recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), or artificial growth hormone. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that rBST is harmless to people, although critics point out increased levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in milk produced using this hormone. The use of rBST is banned in Canada, parts of the European Union, Australia and New Zealand." ~Wikipedia

If you are consuming dairy make sure to use rRGH free dairy products to avoid this cancer-causing chemical, see list:

http://www.sustainabletable.org/getinvolved/statepdfs/TX.pdf

Pesticides:

"A survey of the primary dairy producing areas in the US indicated that 13 percent of lactating animals were treated with insecticides permethrin, pyrethrin, coumaphos, and dichlorvos primarily by daily or every-other-day coat sprays.  [8]" ~Wikipedia

"Concentrated Animal Feed Operations are usually vegetation-less concrete facilities, holding at least 200 dairy cattle for medium scale operation, and at least 700 for large scale operation23. The largest operations hold over 20,000 dairy cattle24. Tails are "docked" (cut off), a procedure that claims to keep udders clean by preventing fecal bacteria infections on the udders, though no supporting evidence to back this claim is found25. Under this intense strain and close quarters, cows develop and spread disease with ease and in turn are given low daily doses of antibiotics, creating increasing problems with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In these factory farms, a cow's life expectancy is 3-4 years, exhausted from intense milking and frequent disease. Under normal pasture conditions, a cow can expect to live upwards of 20 years26."

#2 Dairy products are linked to allergies, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, autism, leukemia and other diseases.

http://www.nutritionmd.org/nutrition_tips/nutrition_tips_understand_foods/dairy.html

#3 There is more suffering in the dairy industry.

"She is constantly hooked up to a milking machine, in a solitary pen, with only enough room to stand and lie down. She can not walk or move. Milking machines are automated, and other machines feed the cows. Even the light in the factory is artificially automated, to get the most milk from the cow. They are milked several times a day, causing their teats to become swollen, sore, and sometimes infected. When a dairy cow has stopped producing milk, she goes to slaughter."

On top of that baby calfs are taken away from their mothers and deprived of the nutrition they need so that there is no "waste" of the mom cow's milk. The mother cows cry for days at this unnatural separation. The baby calfs are fated to become Veal and kept in small crates and intentionally kept malnourished, crying and starving for its entire short life. 

#4 Drinking Milk actually causes osteoporosis. 

"It seems that the countries with the highest intake of dairy products are invariably the countries with the most osteoporosis."

"Numerous studies have shown that the level of calcium ingestion and especially calcium supplementation has no effect whatever on the development of osteoporosis. The most important such article appeared recently in the British Journal of Medicine where the long arm of our dairy industry can't reach. Another study in the United States actually showed a worsening in calcium balance in post-menopausal women given three 8-ounce glasses of cows' milk per day."

#5 Human adults are not meant to consume Milk. Mothers of all species stop lactating after a specific period for a reason. Each species milk is naturally formulated to meet the needs of that species' offspring. Cows milk is for baby calfs, human milk is for baby humans, dog's milk is for puppies, etc. NO other species drinks the milk of another species, it is not natural. 

#6 The US struggles to export cow's drinking milk due to its higher levels of SCCs and Toxins.  If other countries won't drink it, why should we?

(Overall in 2008, the US exported only 10% of its total milk supply, and it was in the solid form of whey, lactose, milk powder and cheese. As you see below other countries have much higher standards for the health and safety of their drinking milk)

"An indicator of the quality of milk is the somatic cell count (SCC). Somatic cells are body cells, including leucocytes (white blood cells). The number of somatic cells increases in response to pus producing bacterium like Staphylococcus aureus, a cause of the painful disease mastitis.  The SCC is quantified as cells per ml.  General agreement rests on the values of less than 100,000 cells/ml for uninfected cows and greater than 300,000 for cows infected with significant pathogens.  The average SCC during 2000 for the U.S. was 316 000.  The U.S. has the highest upper limit for SCC (750 000 cells/ml) of the entire major developed dairy producing countries of the world. The E.U., New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Norway all accept 400 000 SCC as the upper limit and New Zealand may consider adopting 300 000 cells/ml in the future."

#7 You can get Calcium from much healthier sources (PLANTS- naturally low in fat and sugar). I love this quote:

"Well, where do you get your calcium?" The answer is: "From exactly the same place the cow gets the calcium, from green things that grow in the ground," mainly from leafy vegetables. After all, elephants and rhinos develop their huge bones (after being weaned) by 

eating green leafy plants, so do horses. 

Alternative sources of calcium:

Broccoli, Peas, Soy yogurt, soy, almonds, sesame seeds, kale, bok choy, baked beans, white beans, okra, turnip greens, spinach, collard greens, rhubarb, tofu, & the numberous calcium-fortified cereals, breads and drinks. 

#8 Dairy and the meat industry do more Environmental damage than all the cars in the world. 

"A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined.^2"

"As if the chemicals and particulate matter from animal waste weren’t bad enough, the meat and dairy industries often knowingly add to the air-quality crisis. When the cesspools holding tons of urine and feces get full, factory farms will frequently get around water pollution limits by spraying liquid manure into the air, creating mists that are carried away by the wind"

#9 Milk contains Casein: the mucous producing, addictive antigen.

"Eighty percent of milk protein is casein, the mucous producer. Casein from cow's milk is a foreign protein. When you eat this antigen, your body's immune system manufactures an antibody. The antibody is a histamine. As a result of histamine production, many people open their medicine cabinets or rush to their pharmacies in search of antihistamines."

#10 The Dairy industry supports the VEAL and beef industry:

"Approximately 17 percent of the US beef supply comes from spent dairy cows: cows who are no longer economically viable for milk production. These animals may be sold due to common diseases of milk cows including mastitis, a bacterial udder infection, foot rot, from standing long periods of time in manure, an inability to stand due calcium depletion from years of intensive milking, and Johne's disease. Johne’s disease may be transmissible to humans as Chron’s disease." ~Wikipedia

#11 Why do you think the huge dairy industry has to market so heavily? I never see campaigns for eggplant..

http://www.vegansociety.com/animals/exploitation/cows/dairy_cow.php

http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/dairy/
http://www.goveg.com/environment-pollution.asp

http://www.justeatveggies.com/animals.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dairy_cattle

http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html

http://www.milksucks.com/dairyleaflet.pdf

http://www.milksucks.com/index2.asp

http://www.rense.com/general38/pus.htm

http://www.antiaginglifeextension.com/health_matters_minutes/articles/milk.asp?a=1563&c=&p=

VEGetarian Genius!

Wow! Look at how many famous and well respected geniuses and philosophers were vegetarian. I am so inspired by this list because these historical figures were always individuals that I admired for their brilliance and understanding of life.

"Nothing will benefit human health 
and increase chances for survival of life on earth 
as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879-1955)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"The highest realms of thought
are impossible to reach 
without first attaining
an understanding of compassion."

SOCRATES (469-399 B.C.)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"If a man earnestly seeks a righteous life, 
his first act of abstinence is from animal food..."

COUNT LEO TOLSTOY (1828-1910)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"The time will come when men such as I 
will look upon the murder of animals 
as they now look upon the murder of men."

LEONARDO DA VINCI (1425-1519)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"It is very significant
that some of the most
thoughtful and cultured men
are partisans of a pure vegetable diet."

MAHATMA GANDHI (1869-1948)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"But for the sake of some little mouthful of meat, 
we deprive a soul of the sun and light, 
and of that proportion of life and time it had been 
born into the world to enjoy."

SENECA (C.5 - C.E.65)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"Every man who has ever been earnest to preserve 
his higher or poetic faculties in the best condition, 
has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food."

HENRY DAVID THOREAU (1817-1862)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"The animals share with us
the privilege of having a soul."

PYTHAGORAS (circa 582-507 B.C.)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"People often say that humans have always eaten animals, 
as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. 
According to this logic, we should not try
to prevent people from murdering other people,
 since this has also been done since the earliest of times."

ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER (1904-1991)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"The eating of meat extinguishes
the seed of great compassion."

The BUDDHA (circa 563-483 B.C.)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"The average age (longevity) of a meat-eater is 63.
I am on the verge of 85 and still at work as hard as ever. 
I have lived quite long enough and am trying to die,
but I simply cannot do it.  A single beef-steak would finish
me, but I cannot bring myself to swallow it. 
I am oppressed with a dread of living forever. 
That is the only disadvantage of vegetarianism."

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856-1950)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

"My refusing to eat meat occasioned an inconveniency, 
and I have been frequently chided for my singularity. 
But my light repast allows for greater progress, 
for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension."

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790)

Quotes from:

http://www.gentleworld.org/philosophers.html

Conquering Self Doubt + Vegan Food Pyramid

The last couple of days I was starting to struggle with self doubt. Probably because I gained a pound. ;-) Well today I lost a pound so I feel good and Im back on track! 2 months in and down 11 pounds overall!

I was starting to question eating grains due to some of my research into the Paleo diet, which is the opposite spectrum of Veganism. Very interesting how so many experts can have such opposing views. Interestingly, the Paleo diet cuts out the bottom half of the American food pyramid and a Vegan diet cuts off most of the top half of the food pyramid. Well I did more research and feel good about eating grains in moderation. I think it is important to keep in mind how much a serving size is.

The picture above is the Vegan Food Pyramid, to make it easy I am memorizing it as the 123456 Diet with 3 being the # of times to exercise per week. ;-) AND I took oils down to 1.

So 1 FAT, 2 FRUITS, 3 EXERCISEs, 4 VEGETABLES, 5 PROTEINS, 6 GRAINS

A friend asked me how I was going to eat enough Iron and I had no answers because Iron has not been a focus as much as Protein, Calcium, Vitamin B12 etc. Went home and Wiki'd Iron and found- 

"Good sources of dietary iron include red meat, fish, poultry, lentils, beans, leaf vegetables, tofu, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, fortified bread, and fortified breakfast cereals. Iron in low amounts is found in molasses, teff and farina. Iron in meat (haem iron) is more easily absorbed than iron in vegetables,^[26] but heme/hemoglobin from red meat has effects which may increase the likelihood of colorectal cancer.^[27][28]

So I am a little concerned with my Iron intake (even though my vitamins give me 333% of my daily value). I will continue with my diet + vitamins + added focus on eating foods with Iron. I may decide to allow Salmon 1-2x month if I notice problems.

All the questions I am asked have also given me self-doubt. Do I have the ability to watch what I eat and make sure I am eating nutritiously?  Is this something I can maintain forever? Won't I miss eating scrambled eggs and cheese enchiladas? And it is hard.

I sooo wish Matt was doing this with me. He is better at being an outsider. And I do feel like I cut myself out of every circle. I do need to focus on the positive and realize that almost everyone has been extremely supportive, understanding, and accepting.. so for that I am amazingly lucky!

Oh and Matt announced to his drawing class that he is cutting dairy out. Sooo proud of him, because I feel that DAIRY is the 1st thing should be cut out of the SAD diet (Standard American Diet) even Paleo agrees with that! Somebody please ask me why Dairy is so bad... Actually nevermind that will be my next post, dedicated to my past favorite food group!

What does a Vegan eat?

So my mind is completely blank on what to cook tonight. For awhile I was doing so good cooking all sorts of new meals from scratch and following recipes. Well I guess the excitement is wearing off and I just need some easier new ideas that can become staples.

The first 3 are the staple meals we always eat:

Spaghetti w/ spaghetti sauce + faux meatballs

Tacos/Burritos- w/ fajita pepper, black beans, rice, guacamole

Stir Fry w/ frozen veggies + faux chicken

That is seriously all that comes to mind and Im bored with it bc we've had these meals alot lately.

Ok, so now for the new meals to try:

Vegan "Meat" Loaf-

http://www.veganchef.com/abcnutloaf.htm

Pesto Pasta & Veggies

http://www.veganchef.com/prontopesto.htm

Lasagna- with tofu "ricotta" + spinach + mushrooms + spaghetti sauce

http://www.veganwolf.com/recipes/italian_pasta/lasagne.htm

Homemade Cheeseless Pizza- with mushrooms + olives + spaghetti sauce + Side Salad

Portobella Burgers + Baked Potatoes

Rice & Beans

Veggie Chili

Faux Hot dogs

Faux Hamburgers + sweet potato fries

Taco Soup with faux meat

Minestrone Soup

Vegetable Soup

Broccoli + corn on the cob + Baked Beans

Beanie Weenies (faux weenies)

Pad Thai

Veggie Ramen- not the normal brand

Vegan Cornbread + Red Beans

Sautéed Veggies

Steamed Veggies

Grilled Veggies

Why do I not know more vegetable recipes? I really need to do some more research on how to incorporate more vegetables. What kind of Vegetarian doesn't know how to cook vegetables!