To celebrate my one year of veganism (which is actually closer to thirteen months now, since I started March 1, 2012) I decided to write a post about Me+Veganism and a little bit more about my story. I’ve come a long way, learned a lot and made some really amazing friends along the way and am thrilled that I get to share all of this with you. :)

(Click image for vegan pad thai recipe!)

Ladies and gentlemen: I am an semi-athletic, calorie counting, photographing, blogging, plant eating atheist and more importantly for this post is the recognition that I have never met another person that fits all of these qualities like I do. So what does that mean? It means not all vegans are the anorxeic-thin, overly pushy and downright crazy people you may have been led to believe.

But why, you ask, am I sharing this. Well, I’ve learned a lot about myself in the year since I’ve gone vegan, and I’ve learned a lot about the people that are in this community. I have also come across a lot of prejudices, hateful interactions and otherwise distasteful events surrounding this life style change. These aren’t just with people that aren’t vegan. To be honest, I’ve struggled more with some of the people within the community that I have outside of it.

It’s human to be a little put off by things that are different than what you’ve grown accustomed to and it’s against some of the most base level natural responses we have to make huge, life altering changes. It stems from this place of ignorance, and in many cases this is a willing ignorance.

Let me take a few steps back and take this step by step.

Veganism as a…

Step 1. Diet tool

I started my vegetarian (and ultimately vegan) journey as a diet tool. As I have mentioned before, I lost a whopping 110 pounds a few years back. I work hard to keep that weight off. I have a Mesomorphic body type.

Mesomorph Advantage

It is a great advantage to have mesomorphic qualities, as one has great foundations on which to build. Mesomorphs don’t have to worry too much about what they eat and they can gain muscle mass and lose weight fairly quickly with relatively ease. This combination allows the mesomorph to achieve fantastic definitely of the body.

Mesomorph Disadvantage

However, as easily as you lose fat, you gain fat also.

I have hated this about my body since the day I realized that “skinny” is in. I spent years fighting against my body, trying to force it to do what I wanted. I ate a lot, but I worked out a lot and for the most part we found a harmony. Until I stopped the exercise. College, work, boys- life took over and going to the gym or running five miles went out the window. I gained massive amounts of weight. To the point where my friends and family no longer recognized me. I was horrified.

So fatty meat, full fat cheese, fatty bar foods, lots of oil, milk, etc. went right out the window. Right next to breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. I cut back to a mostly low fat cheese, lean meats and green vegetable diet (the South Beach to be exact). I lost weight. All of it. In less than a year I shed the 110 pounds. Like it was nothing. My body type speaks for itself. To maintain I realized I could eat lots of vegetables without counting calories as rigidly. I am not super skinny, as so many people believe about all vegans, but I’m finally healthy.

That is how I made it to vegetarianism. I was still uneducated, ignorant for lack of a better word, about the bigger picture that was about to come into view. That said, there are vegetarians and vegans that hold it against me. As if I am subpar. That choosing veganism for anything other than fighting against animal cruelty isn’t as good of a reason. Or that saving the Earth is “the real reason to choose veganism”. I was being beaten down by the community from step one! Don’t even bring up the ridicule from friends and family. It’s disheartening and reminds me of how I felt when I tried to learn to program. Either way, I made it through that stage and do my best not to put other new vegetarians or vegans in the same tough spot.

Step 2. Means to fight animal cruelty

The anti-meat road is one that you travel down pretty quickly, I’ve found. There is a lot of information out there about animal rights, the meat/dairy industries and how the technological revolution has changed the ways we consume our food. We now have the ability to easily over consume absolutely anything we set our eyes on. I have found hundreds of websites, no shortage of documentaries and organizations that are dedicated to the welfare of animals. A few of my “favorites” (and I use the term loosely in that these are not something to watch for pleasure or any sort of feel good idea) are:

1. Earthlings
2. Vegucated
3. Food, Inc.
4. Meet Your Meat
5. A Cow at my Table

There are so many more than these five, but it’s a good start. I cried from the moment Earthlings started until far after it had ended. I changed after that film ended. Something inside me changed radically. I had taken step two in my vegan journey. Something that had once meant I could be relatively healthy now took on a bigger meaning. When people asked, “Why are you vegan?” I could tell them, “Well, for my health…but more than that do you have any idea how those animals are treated?”

It started new conversations with my friends and family. Opened me up to a whole new part of the vegan community and, mostly importantly, taught me about myself. How callous and ignorant I had been! I found a new level of compassion and it has since filtered into the rest of my life. I treat people differently knowing how important each individual is, but also how important each species is. It’s revolutionary. Facing the system I’ve been contributing to for so many years. I am glad to have broken out of it and love sharing my knowledge and research with my friends and family, but I don’t feel like I’m a better vegan now. I’m still vegan, my conviction just comes for a deeper place now. I don’t think people that choose to eat plant based diet only because they want to be healthy are better or worse than me. Same end game, different path.

Ultimately it’s also brought me to a new step in my journey.

Step 3. Way to save the planet

My third and current step. Again, there are a lot of great documentaries and organizations working to educated the people of the world (many of the documentaries above go into some of this), but this video right here is one of the best I’ve seen. It’s cute, well put together and informative. I find it’s easy to send to people so they can take a few minutes to learn a little bit. The statistics are mind boggling.

From PETA:

Of all the agricultural land in the U.S., 80 percent is used to raise animals for food and grow grain to feed them—that’s almost half the total land mass of the lower 48 states. In the “finishing” phase alone, in which pigs grow from 100 pounds to 240 pounds, each hog consumes more than 500 pounds of grain, corn, and soybeans; this means that across the U.S., pigs eat tens of millions of tons of feed every year.

Chickens, pigs, cattle, and other animals raised for food are the primary consumers of water in the U.S.: a single pig consumes 21 gallons of drinking water per day, while a cow on a dairy farm drinks as much as 50 gallons daily. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of cow flesh, whereas it takes about 180 gallons of water to make 1 pound of whole wheat flour.

From that alone we can see that a meat eating diet is killing the planet and that a vegetarian (and even more so, vegan) diet is the only sustainable way for such a huge population (over 7.1 billion these days!).

I am still working on getting a lot of this research on this. I am currently working my way through this step. There is a lot of research to do. There is so much information to read, review and process. I know that the more I learn the more passionately I defend my new lifestyle and I am working toward taking on as much as I can. I feel good about what I have chose and know with complete certainty this is a choice for life. No one can talk me out of it, ridicule me enough to make me change my mind or disprove the beliefs I have now. Perhaps that sounds bull headed or silly, but I know what I know and my health, the animals involved and the planet I call home.

None of us are perfect. None of make all the right choices. None of us are better than any other. We are all in this together. Vegan, vegetarian and omnivores. Christians, atheists, Buddhists, etc. Runners, bikers, swimmers, etc. Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, etc. There is no difference that is significant enough to make you better or worse, guys. We’re all just people. Making choices every day. As long as you strive to choose to make better choices than you did yesterday then you’re on the right path, regardless of how far down it you’ve come or how far anyone around you has made it.

* Hey, everyone. Sorry for the lag between entries. I have been working on a new project which is doubling as a more personal look into my life (the blog will be a little more journal-esque) and a portfolio. Go have a look and let me know what you think!

Willow & Thyme

“Just a girl and her cameras.”

Okay ya’ll. I have a problem. You see, when I go to the grocery store I go with the intention of getting a modest amount of food that will carry Jason and I through the week. Being vegan that should mean produce, some nuts and seeds, maybe dried/dehydrated/frozen fruits and veggies. Perhaps a few oddities- I do like my snacks- but other than that it should be a simple shopping trip. I buy what I think I need, want or will use. Somewhere in my head I am convinced that will use it all- I have recipes dancing in my head, thinking about what I’ll cook, photograph, eat and blog. I get so excited!

…well, what I end up doing is buying half the produce in the store, a bunch of canned and dried goods and even a few frozen products. When I get home I realize things like: I already had three cans of chickpeas, or a bag of eggplants that I haven’t used yet and now I have more everything and this leaves no room for all the new food I have. Not to mention there’s only two of us to eat through the army sized round of groceries.

I end up throwing away way too much food. According to the National Resources Defense Council’s food and agriculture department Americans throw away $165 billion annually. That is mind blowing. I find myself throwing out half a cucumber here or there, a jalapeno that’s gone off, or the last two bell peppers in the bottom of my crisper drawer when I bring the new groceries in. I justify this in my head thinking it’s only a few cents here or there. It adds up, and fast.

I decided at the beginning of this year I wasn’t going to let that keep happening. So, taking some of the tools I used from other planning services, research and my own years worth of calorie counting I started applying my skills. Quickly I learned a few things that are really, really, really helpful that I would love to share with you guys. Please read on and let me know what you think or if you have any questions!

Tools I find helpful:

1. Wunderlist – grocery shopping lists (see photo above)
2. Google Drive – spreadsheet for planning and inventory
3. My Fitness Pal – calorie counting and nutritional information
4. Healthy. Happy. Life. – recipes
5. Oh Ladycakes – recipes
6. Vegan Yack Attack – recipes
7. Seasoned Advice – cooking resource; Q and A format

The 10 Tips and Tricks (that work for me)

1. Plan every meal- including snacks

I used to just plan my “main meals” (that’s breakfast/lunch/dinner for me). I figured I’d just “grab something” whenever I got hungry in between. Then I started tracking what I ate. Consistently the snacks I was choosing were terrible, horrible, no good and very bad for me. It was gas station food or things out of a vending machine at work. Even at my best choices I was still eating really awful things to tide me over between the times I would get a good, nutritional meal. I add my snacks to meal plan now. I have it set at six intervals. Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and evening snack (also known as dessert). Snacks are carrot sticks, half an avocado, grapes, an apple, handful of raw walnuts or almonds, etc. The important part is they are all planned.

2. Weigh all of your foods

One of the best pieces of kitchen equipment I have ever received was a ($12) food scale. Not necessarily to restrict myself or to make myself feel badly, but instead to learn what proper portions are. A twelve or fifteen ounce New York strip is not a healthy portion. Nor is a two and a half cup serving of ice cream for dessert. When you look at a nutritional label and see “15g” of a sauce is the serving size or “1oz” for a serving nuts but you don’t know what that means it won’t help you when you eat half the jar. I have learned to eyeball most of my food items but it takes a while and I highly suggest familiarizing yourself with your favorite foods and the proper amount of them you should be having.

3. Pack lunches the night before

Possibly the most important item on this list (in conjunction with #4). The more convenient a meal is for you to grab and go the more likely you will be to eat it. If you have to spend an hour in the morning getting your food ready you probably won’t. That cafe around the corner is so much easier- even if it’s more expensive and less healthy. Lunch is a very important meal. It’s the point in the day where you’re up, you’ve been moving around for a couple of hours and now you need energy. Unlike with breakfast, where you roll out of a motionless night, lunch is the pinnacle of your day, and I’ve found, should be the biggest.

**When I lived overseas we did not use dinner as this gigantic nom-fest. Dinners were lighter, easier to digest and were prepping you for the long night ahead. Heavy, late and large evening meals (at least for me) make me sleep far worse than I would have if I’d lightened it up a bit.

4. Prep as much of dinner as you can

As with #3 convenience is key and coming home to the idea of forty-five minutes (or in many cases longer) worth of prep and cooking is not the most exciting for a lot of us. To negate that lack of motivation this weekly meal planning is essential. Knowing what you’re eating the following days means you can get a head start (either on the weekend or nights before a meal) to knock out at least some of the prep work. For example: if you’re making a stir fry on Thursday night but you’re also cutting vegetables for a salad on Tuesday night just cut them all and store the prep for your later meals in air tight containers so they’re ready to go when you get in on Thursday. It’s that simple!

5. Add to your grocery list as you run out- and only shop once a week

I use Wunderlist to keep track of the groceries I need. As I run out of items I add them immediately and go to the grocery store once a week. It used to be that I’d end up stopping every single night on the way home from work. I didn’t know what was in my fridge or pantry, I’d buy things I already had and then never use it all. More waste. Totally unnecessary. If you know your grocery list is up to date and you know what you’re making for the week you know that you shouldn’t need to stop other than your one stop grocery day (I do my shopping on Sunday).

6. Go grocery shopping with cash

I don’t do this anymore, but it was hugely helpful for me in the beginning. I would write my list, estimate the cost add about $10-15 to make sure I had enough and then take that money in cash to store. I couldn’t buy extra things, I couldn’t talk myself into needing that one other thing I thought I wanted. My debit card was at home and I was limited to what I had with me. I got what I needed and then I got the heck out. I saved time, money and calories. Simple, clean and efficient.

7. Allow at least 1-2 hours a week to plan

Menu planning, grocery shopping, prep and cooking all take time. You cannot expect to sit down for five minutes, decide what to eat and write the list that goes with it. That is simply unreasonable. I make a habit of setting 60-120 minutes of my life aside a week (you know, the time I could have been vegging out in front of the television?) to make healthy decisions that save me loads of money. I have learned to shorten this time if I need as I get better and better at it, but definitely in the first month or two you need to make sure to allow yourself enough time to do a good job or you’ll just fall off the wagon.

8. Bookmark your favorite blogs, recipes, sites and cookbooks

It is going to be easiest to start this process if you are basing your meal plan on existing recipes that include the amounts of the ingredients you need. If you pick 3-5 recipes you want in a recipe then you know you need three green peppers for all the recipes rather than going into with a list that says “Green peppers” and guessing that you need five when you only need three. Save those two green peppers and save yourself the $1.50.

9. Try to “re-use” ingredients or make large portions

Piggy backing off the previous point I suggest trying to use ingredients over and over. If you have stir fry cauliflower on Monday think about including some mashed cauliflower or cauliflower puree soup on Wednesday or Thursday. Buying a larger amount of the same produce (especially when it’s in season or on sale) can save you time an money. You can prep all the veg at the start of the week and have it ready to go as soon as you get home to make dinner. It’ll take an hour or so at the beginning of the week but save you upward to one to three hours of prep work throughout the rest of the week.

10. Inventory your pantry, spice rack, fridge and freezer(s)

I keep wanting to start every item with, “This is the most important item!” But what it really comes down to is they all work together. Creating an on going inventory of your kitchen is beyond helpful. I have realized that I no longer buy things I already have. I don’t have three shelves full of canned black beans. I don’t have three large containers of garlic powder when what I really needed was onion powder. It takes a little while, but it’s so worth it- especially if you make sure to keep up with it.

You learn as you go, you find shortcuts that work for you and eventually you get the hang of it (I promise). As with all things those skills that are worth having take time and dedication to develop. Please feel free to reach out to me if you any comments, questions or concerns- I would more than happy to help anyone. :)

Simple breakfasts and snacks. That’s what keeps me going throughout the day. And beer at night, but that’s a completely different story. Anyhow! Lately I’ve been eating the Two Mom’s in the Raw nut bars from Starbucks but they’re so expensive. I can’t keep a habit like this for long so I decided to find an alternative. The above is my solution. Presenting: Cranberry Lemon Bliss Bites. Four ingredients, they’re cheap even when it’s all organic, and they keep me plenty full for the long haul. I was so excited to share this one and hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :)

Cranberry Lemon Bliss Bites

• 3/4 cup pitted dates
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• the juice of half one lemon (more if you’re like me**)

1. Blend fruit and nuts in a blender
2. When crumbley add lemon juice and blend a touch more if needed
3. Form into balls or bars and place on parchment paper
4. Freeze or refrigerate for at least one hour

** I used the juice of one whole lemon. Some of the people that tried them liked it, some said they wished there was a little less. I leave the choice to you.

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* Alright. I’m going to start by saying that locking myself into five posts a week with specific topics just won’t work. I have a busy, active life and the moment this project becomes too much of a job I disappear for weeks at a time. I’d rather post 2-3 times a week with solid material than show you photos, events or recipes I don’t care about.

So in the spirit of being as true to myself as possible here is how I spent the weekend before Valentine’s Day with Jason. We went to Whole Foods for a Chocolate, Wine and Beer Extravaganza. They had many tables set up with tons of tastings. In the spirit of being accommodating and wonderful store they are they were sure to pull out a box of vegan chocolates for me to have with the pairings- it really was a lot of fun. We made sure to sign up for an upcoming beer class too.

I am still getting used to having my new camera. I absolutely love it but there is a large adjustment period from the XTi I used to have and the 5D Mark II. Bear with me while I get back on my feet. :)