Natural Cold Remedy – Honey and Cinnamon

Note to Self:  Don’t book a spa day when you have a cold.  No matter how relaxing the massage and facials are, you won’t get past the fact that you are so congested that you’re gasping for air through your deep cleansing mask.  Actually, better yet:

 

Second Note to Self:  Don’t let your spa groupon deal come within a week of expiring so there is no other openings available than going to the spa when you’re sick.

 

There.  Lesson learned.

 

It is such a bummer that it has been only a couple weeks since I had a category 4, hurricane of a cold, and now I am dealing with a category 1/2 cold yet again.  You would think with all this healthy eating my body would gain some super human strength to fend off these measly germs or something.  Isn’t that the purpose of trying to find a healthy diet plan to stick with – Impeccable health?

 

Since I am not thrilled by the idea of drugging myself up, I usually try to go the natural cold remedy route.  Here is one that I just started trying, and with this kind of congestion, I’ll try just about anything at this point.

 

I add a little bit of warm water to this mixture to help it go down easier.  It actually tastes pretty good!  Hope this helps you through this tough cold and flu season.

Do you know of any natural cold remedies?

 

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40 Day Challenge, AKA Lent

So lent started a couple weeks ago, and this is the first time I will actually participate .  I’m not technically of the appropriate religion, so I will refer to it as the 40 Day Challenge.  These days I just call myself spiritual, since the religion I was baptized as a child, I chose to be defiant of my parents.  My mother is Catholic.  My father is Episcopal.  Me – I chose my church when I was in elementary school because my best friend went there. 

 

My boyfriend is Catholic, and has always participated in lent since I’ve known him, so this year I wanted to get in on the action.  He let me know he was giving up chips and soda, which didn’t phase me.  It wasn’t until he added in that he was giving up tv as well that I realized this was no joke.  What the heck were we supposed  to do after dinner now?  Who will I discuss the inner workings of Rick’s psychological demise on the Walking Dead with?  How are we to fantasize about buying a fixer upper and turning it into our dream home without watching Property Brothers together?  After a much needed debate was given on my behalf about the bonding we do by the bright light of the good ole’ picture box, he gave into one movie a week we can bond over.

 

Since my boyfriend is determined to make this happen, I have thought up my own 40 day challenge.  For the next 40 days I will:

 

1)  Send or say a nice message or compliment to someone in my life each day.

2)  Drink more water while drinking alcohol.

3.  Get off a stop earlier so I have to walk more (weather permitting)

 

Are you you doing anything for Lent?  What are you giving up, or incorporating more of, for your 40 Day Challenge?

 

Comments are always welcome!

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Goodbye Vegan, Hello Paleo (Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe Included)

Diet 2 Completed!  I was Vegan for over a month, minus a couple slip ups and cheat days.  My thoughts- it had its ups and downs.  Here is an overview of my experience:

 

The Good

-I tried a variety of new legumes, and learned that you can pretty much add spinach to any dish.

-Once I learned some substitutions, I was able to come up with some really enjoyable recipes.  If I were dedicated enough to continue on, I am sure I would have found a good cheese substitute to punch up some of the dishes.

-My digestive tract was good (easy, healthy visits to the old el bano).

-I slept relatively well while on it.

-I lost some weight.  I lost 5 pounds, then put on 2 pounds when I was sick and lazy.  End weight: 160.

-A new understanding for the Vegan lifestyle.

 

The Bad

-I didn’t get as much energy as I’d hoped.  I’m not sure why, but it didn’t really rejuvenate me.

-I missed meat!  Of course I hate that animals are mistreated so humans can enjoy a meal, wear tested makeup, and wear couture fashion, and  I can understand how it could be better for the environment if everybody ate plants.  The problem is I know myself, and I don’t have the passion to make this my permanent lifestyle.  There really has to be a fire within that drives you, and though I may be more apt to significantly cut down the amount of meat and seafood I consume in the future, for now, I’m not entirely ready for the commitment.  Also, as the diet guinea pig, I still have a bunch more diet/lifestyles to try on for size.

 

On that note, I actually asked my boyfriend’s opinion on what diet he would like to partake in next, and he was pretty gungho about giving Paleo a try.  Yes, I realize it seems quite contradictory, but since I do miss having meat on the menu, and he is trying to work out more (and sees a protein rich diet as the way to go while doing so), Paleo it is.  Before I get all carnivorous on you, here’s another Vegan recipe for you to enjoy.

 

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

4 red bell peppers, halved length-wise
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

½ c. pine nuts

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 c. brown rice, cooked
1 c. mushrooms, chopped
2 c. spinach, roughly chopped

1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp basil

1 15oz can tomato sauce, halved

 

Instructions

 

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Meanwhile, Preheat oven at 375.  Cut peppers in half lengthwise.   Scoop out seeds and place cut side up in a shallow baking dish. Bake about 15 minutes, or until they’re soft, but they still retain their shape.

 

In a large saucepan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium.  Add the garlic and onion, and sauté gently for several minutes.  Add tomatoes and pine nuts to skillet and saute about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add the spinach and mushrooms and cook a few minutes more, just long enough to wilt the spinach. Stir in the now finished rice, parsley, basil, cumin, and half the can of tomato sauce.  Mix together, and cook 5 minutes.

 

Spoon mixture into the peppers.  Pour the remaining tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.  Place stuffed peppers into the dish and bake, covered, for about 15 minutes.

 

This dish is chocked full of great ingredients, and oh so filling.  I was stuffed after eating just one.  If you wanted to, you could jazz it up with a little vegan cheese on top, but honestly, you won’t miss it if you don’t have it.  Enjoy!

 

Interested in more Vegan recipes, check out the ones that I liked HERE!

 

 

Best Educational Toys for a 3 Year Old

Wanna know something about me?  I’m a list maker and a researcher, both to an almost borderline obsessive degree.  When you mix that with the perfectionist trait (thanks dad), it can sometimes cross the line into ridiculous.  Just ask my bf – he once witnessed me re-write an entire shopping list because I had scribbled out my onion count, and now it looked sloppy. Lord help me!  Though this can be a good thing (you better believe that everything I do or buy is well thought out, and the best possible option out there), it can be extremely time consuming.  By website 6 or 7, I want to pull my hair out, but then my mind always asks, “what if the next one I check out has some new, valuable information I haven’t come across yet,” and in the blink of an eye, there goes another hour.

Anyways, enough about me.  Here’s my first list for this blog.  My daughter turned 3 a few months ago, so I tried to knock out her birthday and Christmas list to be sent to family, at once.  I researched for a couple days the most educational toys for a 3 year old, so below are all of the toys that serve an educational purpose, which include toys for both genders.

Best Educational Toys for 3 Year Olds

LeapFrog Scribble and Write– This is perfect for early writers.  They can learn to write the alphabet by tracing over letters that light up on the screen with a stylus.  When we first got this (for Christmas), my daughter liked using it a lot.  Now that she knows how to write her letters (I can say this toy helped in that), now she doesn’t as much.

Crayola Washable Fingerpaints – Helps to develop their gross motor skills, as well as learn their colors.

Melissa & Doug Giant Fire Truck Floor Puzzle –  This is great for developing problem solving skills, as well as motor skills.  It has large cardboard pieces, so it is very durable, and great for little hands.
Melissa & Doug Doctor Role Play Costume Set – Using their imagination is big and important at this age, so this is perfect for any girl or boy during dress up time.  My daughter loves to play doctor all the time, and guess who gets to relax on the couch playing patient.. yep, mommy!
Kidoozie My First Purse – A wonderful purse for your lil’ princess to play pretend with.  Great for toddlers and preschoolers.  Brooke loves to carry her purse around, but watch out when bringing this to a playdate.  All the other little girls wanted to steal it from her.
Candy Land Board Game – Known as the classic “child’s first game,” this game is just right for your preschooler.  No reading is required.  It’s a great way to learn and practice your colors, as well as taking turns while playing.  I played this game with my daughter just today.  She loves playing it with mommy and daddy, or she’ll even play all the gingerbread men by herself.
Alex Ready, Set, School Activity Box – Your lovely preschooler will learn skills such as cutting with scissors, tying shoes, and writing their alphabet with this great set.  So much fun!
Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Pets – This colorful and fun activity promotes hand/eye coordination, fine motor, cognitive and perceptive skills.  The more Brooke does these, the better she gets at it.  She enjoys the different animals that come in the pack.
Learning Resources Pretend and Play Calculator Cash Register – This award winning toy, which runs on solar power, is great for pretend play, as well as building counting and math skills.  My daughter loves “buying things” from around the house with this fun toy.

Melissa & Doug See & Spell – This colorful toy is great for learning to recognize your letters, as well for learning spelling for the older kiddos.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock – This clock has so many great teaching tools about it.  Your lil’ one can learn their colors, shapes, and numbers, and for the older set, how to tell time.
Plasma Car – This toy has won many awards, with good reason.  It is great indoors as well as outdoors, and requires no batteries, gears, or pedals.  It is great exercise, and so much fun.  My daughter absolutely loves this toy that she calls her “race car”!

The ones that I have not received yet as gifts, I still intend on buying for her for all their educational purposes.   Hope this helps anyone shopping for their or someone’s 3 year old!

Reblogged from SimplyBubbly.com

Organic Avenue – A Raw/Vegan Diet Wonderland

Organic Avenue in the West Village

A few months ago I was wandering around a book store, and I stumbled across a book entitled, Odd Jobs: How to Have Fun and Make Money in a Bad Economy.  It basically was a tally of a bunch of odds and ends jobs that you can earn extra income from, or in some cases, a living.  Did you know that a bed tester is a job?  Yep.  He travels the US staying in different hotels each night, testing out their beds.  Kind of awesome right, unless of course you get lonely easily, or you have a crippling fear of bedbugs.

 

As I flipped through a bit more, one of the jobs mentioned was secret shopper.  This had always intrigued me, so I memorized the web address, and signed up when I got home.  Since then I have completed 2 shops.  The first one was for a brunch, and it was horrendous.  It was very clear why the management wanted to find out what was going wrong.   This last one I did was exceptional.  It opened up the door to this fabulous place called Organic Avenue.

Organic Avenue is a chain, Raw/Vegan shop, that has a lovely assortment, ranging from vegan snacks, juices, yogurts, raw wraps, treats, and a variety of products for cleansing.  I decided to ask some questions on digestion, since I was new

Dragon’s Breath Booster Shot

to this whole vegan thing, and the gentleman that was there was very informative and helpful.  He recommended a few booster shots, such as ginger (calms upset stomachs, relieves bloating and gas, and enhances assimilation of food and nutrients  ), aloe (good for calming, soothing the entire digestive tract.), and others, describing how each one tastes.  I decided on the Dragon’s Breath booster shot, which is good during the cold season, packing a potent punch of ginger, lemon and cayenne, as well as a vegan yogurt.  I had always been curious how the non-dairy yogurt would taste, and it tasted really delicious (I actually enjoyed it more than regular yogurt).  As for the Dragon’s Breath- Whoa, it’s spicy, and boy did I love the heat.  If I was made of money, I would be at this little store regularly (and when I say little store, I mean master suite bathroom sized).  The yogurt was $7 (yes, for yogurt!), and the shot was $4.  A bit steep, but when it is on someone else’s dime, who cares.  If you are on a RAW or Vegan diet, and like good quality products, then Organic Avenue is a place you should definitely check out.

For more information on Organic Avenue, you can check out there website here:  http://www.organicavenue.com/ They have many locations around the city, and they deliver.  Enjoy!

Lemon Orzo Soup, with a Side of Inspiration

Now that my sickness is diminishing, so is my willpower.  When I went from the Smoothie Diet to Vegan, it was easy because I was just so freakin’ happy to put a piece of food in my mouth, and could care less that it was from the Kale variety.  Now that I was sick, and Bret (my bf) cooked dinners last week containing meat, and I made some delicious apple cinnamon mini cupcakes to thank him, it is proving quite tough to go back to strictly vegan.  A couple days ago I was looking through the fridge, and all I wanted to make was something with cheese and meat (followed by some chocolate, mmm…), but I didn’t.  You know why?  I weighed myself, that’s why.  Just from sitting on my ass for a week, and eating my cravings, I gained 2 of the 4 pounds back that I had lost.  I was so proud to break into the 150’s, and I could almost taste the victory of hitting 155, and going shopping to celebrate.  Now, I sit back at 160. ugh.

 

Now is when all those inspirational quotes need to come into play, so here are a couple:

 

Thank you Spark People for the reminder

Here, here to that!

Today I made it to the gym.  Go me!  So while I have the strength to pull through this vegan week again, here is another delicious Vegan recipe for you:

Lemon Orzo Soup

Inspired by Sprinkled with Flour Recipe

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Lemon Pepper
• 2 cups Fresh Spinach Leaves, Packed
• 2 cups Fresh Asparagus, cut into 2″ pieces
• 1-1/2 cup Uncooked Orzo Pasta
• 8 cups Vegetable Or Chicken Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

 

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium high. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the lemon zest, red pepper flakes, basil, and lemon pepper, and cook another 3 minutes until the onions are tender and translucent. Turn the heat to medium and add the spinach, asparagus, and orzo. Cook for 1 minute and then add the broth and lemon juice.

 

Bring to a light simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until the orzo is barely tender. Whisk the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. With the soup at a light boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and stir rapidly. Allow the soup to thicken, about 3 minutes, or until your desired thickness.

 

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this soup (he even asked if there was more so he could take it to work).  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

This picture was actually taken the day after, so the orzo has absorbed most of the broth. Still super delicious the day after though!

Being Sick = Falling Off the Vegan Bandwagon (Vegan Recipes Included)

From the title, it is pretty clear what happened this week.  This woman right here joined the hoards of others in the sniffling, sneezing, coughing, fever, achy body crowd.  If being sick isn’t enough, just to throw a little salt into the wound, my daughter had a bad double ear infection.  Oh lordy.  Calling it a challenging week would be an understatement.  Luckily, I have a wonderful boyfriend who let’s me act like a baby every now and then.  Guess who got to sleep in to 11am on a weekday.  Oh yeah, this girl did.  Apparently my sick face looked so bad that he called in sick to help me take care of Brooke, and to take her to her follow up doctor’s appointment (he’s never done that before ever!).  He also cooked dinner each night this week, which I am so grateful for, but also was the demise of my vegan diet (One can’t say no to chicken noodle soup when they are sick, can they?).  My intentions were to make this past week my last week as a vegan, then switching over to another diet/lifestyle to guinea pig the heck out of.  Since I still have a fridge full of vegan worthy foods, I shall make this upcoming week my last week as a Vegan.

 

In the spirit of Veganism, here’s another couple Vegan recipes for  you:

 

Coconut Chickpeas and Spinach

 

Adopted from The kitchn

 

2 teaspoons oil or ghee
3 Shallots
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
4 handfuls baby spinach
4 1/2 tablespoons coconut cream
1/2 C almond milk
1 C water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

 

Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the shallot and garlic mixture.

 

Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in each handful and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut cream, milk, water, garlic salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through.

 

As my boyfriend put it, this dish has a lovely (ok, maybe he didn’t use the word lovely, more like good) sweet and spicy flavor to it.  It is nice and hearty, and wonderful for a chilly night.  I served this over brown rice, and it was incredibly filling.  Its consistency is rather thick, so it would work well over pasta, veggies, quinoa,  or any other grain.

 

Here are two delicious Vegan recipes from the delightful blog, Tasty Yummies.  I had no idea that you could make a Vegan version of the Sloppy Joe, but here you go.  And if you’re worried about how it tastes, both my boyfriend and daughter had two Sloppy Joes each.  I accompanied it with her Grilled Potatoes with Arugula.  Enjoy!

 

Tasty Yummies Sloppy Joes and Grilled Potatoes with Arugula

Chugging Along on the Vegan Train (Vegan Recipes Included)

I’m still chugging along on this Vegan kick, and you know what, it’s not that bad.  It is only once or twice a week that I randomly call out longingly for a piece of beef or cheese (I actually once startled my bf with my “I Want Beef” outburst).  My first week I made Lentil Soup, which I ate for lunch for a few days, and supplemented by eating corn and black beans with a natural salsa on it.  For my second week, variety definitely became the spice of life.  Here are a couple of Vegan recipes that I added to my repertoire.

 

Vegan Veggie Burritos

 

1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Red peppers, chopped

2 Onions, chopped

2 Zucchinis, chopped

2 Tbs Garlic, minced

1 Jalapeno, finely chopped

1 C Organic Corn

1 C Organic Black Beans – rinsed and drained

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

4 (10″) Tortillas

 

Additions to Burrito:

 

-Brown Rice

-Guacamole (My Recipe Below)

-Cilantro

-Salsa

 

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add all of the vegetables (peppers, onions, zucchini jalapeno, corn) and black beans, and cook until softened, about 10-12 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper, and stir until mixed in.

 

Microwave your tortillas for 30-60 seconds to make them pliable.  Add your veggie mixture, any sides you’d like, wrap it up, and you have yourself a yummy Vegan Burrito!

 

Guacamole

 

3 avocados – peeled, pitted, and mashed

1/2 lime, juiced

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 C diced onion

3 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1 jalapeno, without seeds, diced (optional)

 

 

In a bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and garlic salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cumin.  Add cayenne pepper or jalapeno if you’d like more spice.  Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

For more delicious Vegan Recipes, Check me out on Pinterest!

Enjoy!

A True Vegan Treat – Chocolate Banana Smoothie

These past couple days the cravings have gotten a bit crazy.  Not so much for meat or anything really off limits, but for something sweet.  Something containing chocolate.  Since I am still in my honeymoon phase with smoothies, and not in the mood to bake, making something truly rich and decadent in a cup sounded appealing.  Thus, the Chocolate Banana Smoothie was created.

 

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

 

3/4 C Almond Milk (or other milk substitute)

3 Bananas (cut into pieces)

3 Tbs. Unsweetened Cacao powder

1 tsp. Almond extract

 

Topping:  I used walnuts, but you can also use almonds.  You could even add them in, and blend them if you’d like, for a nutty chocolate flavor.

 

This is such a treat, and so filling because of the bananas.  I’m kind of obsessed at the moment (I’ve had one every day since I concocted it).  It makes a full size smoothie, but whenever my daughter sees this coming out of the kitchen, I usually only get to drink a third of it. 

 

Love Smoothies?  We’ve got more HERE!

 

Enjoy!

 

Venturing into Vegan Diet Territory

As I was finishing up my smoothie cleanse, I started researching which diet/lifestyle I should tackle next.  Initially I looked at the RAW diet, which basically entails you eating everything raw, or cooking it at a temperature no higher than 118 degrees F in a dehydrator (simulating sun drying).  Once I read that, I took a hard look at myself and knew there wasn’t a chance in hell I was in the mood for that.  You’d think that since I survived on only smoothies for four days that this wouldn’t be so far off in difficulty, but the this is, I’m Hungry!  I want to eat.  I’m salivating just thinking about eating, and it is not getting the blood flowing thinking about raw veggies.  Salads are ok, but not for every meal.  Yes, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but after drinking my fruits and veggies, I just want to cook something for goodness sake.  Thus, the Vegan Diet was selected.  After having my lovely cheat day, with delicious sangria and tapas (look for the review of this wonderful little place in the West Village soon), I was ready to become a vegan – at least for a period of time.

 

 

 

Once I researched Veganism, I discovered that it was not so much about the diet, but about the lifestyle.  There is a true purpose behind it.   They want their lifestyle to be completely kind to the environment and animals, meaning no eating animals, any bi-product of animals, using anything made of animals, or anything that used animals in the production of it.  Of course, nobody wants to intentionally hurt animals (and if they do, then they have a lot bigger problems than their eating habits), but growing up eating meat, having eggs for breakfast, and washing it down with a glass of milk, to many it is never really thought about deep enough to categorize it as doing harm to animals.  Just as in all things, knowledge is power, so I do find it important to have an idea of where our food really does come from.  For some, that may take more effort than they really want to put forth, and even if the effort is made, they may just ponder it long enough until their cheeseburger arrives.

 

I’m not here to judge.  I’m not steadfast in any beliefs when it comes to food, which is probably how I ended up the Diet Guinea Pig.  For as long as I can remember I’ve always been a meat and potatoes kind of girl (probably in much to the dismay of all my boyfriends wishing I’d order the salad when out dining).  This actually reminds me of a time that this was blatantly clear.  I was in high school, and a senior asked me (a freshman) to his prom (go me! ha).  We went with three other couples, and at dinner, when the server was taking orders from around the table, this is how it went: 1st girl – salad please; 2nd girl – Chicken Caesar Salad please; 3rd girl –  I’m not that hungry, I’m fine with the bread; me – Steak please!  Yep, that’s how I have always been.  Being that I’ve always devoured meat (minus a month here or there after reading Skinny Bitch, and then again after The Omnivore’s Dilemma), I figured cutting it out would be an interesting challenge.  Upon research, I realized that there were many things that are off limits that I never expected.  Here’s a cumulative list of what you can’t eat:

 

• Meat – Any Type (chicken, turkey, beef, pork)
• Fish/Shellfish (salmon, shrimp, cod)
• Dairy Products (milk, cheese, sour cream)
• Eggs (or anything with eggs, such as mayo, and most cake or brownies)
• Honey
• White Sugar (some white sugar is processed with bone char of animals)
• Most Beers (there are vegan beers, but many are filtered using egg whites, sea shells, or gelatin derived from fish bladder)
• Some Breads (it’s ok if made with the basic flour, yeast, water, and salt.  Anything else is probably made with some whey or milk product)
• Marshmallows (or any gummy candies, frosted mini wheats – they contain gelatin, which is a protein made by boiling skin, bones, and other animal parts)
• Salad Dressing (if it has lecithin or egg yolk, it’s a no go)

 

Since it is not only about the food, they also don’t wear/purchase fur, leather, wool, silk, or any cosmetics, household cleaners, and medicine/drugs that have been tested on, or contain any bi-product of animals in them.

 

Since it took me a few days to get this post typed out, I have been vegan for a few days now.  So far, it hasn’t be incredibly difficult.  If you stock the house with only fruits and veggies, then it limits your options of what you can actually grab.  There still is cheese, meat and regular milk in the house (my daughter drinks regular milk, and my bf will eat my vegan dinners, and cook his own side of meat himself).  As suspected, out of the 4 pounds I lost from the smoothie cleanse, I gained 2 of those back, but no biggie.  Since I have been vegan, I have lost those two pounds again, and they should be off for good now.  Energy-wise, I wouldn’t say that I am blown away by this enormous amount of energy that I never had, but as a whole, I feel good in general.  My digestive tract has been good, and no one can complain when everything flows nicely.

 

If you are Vegan, or thinking about giving it a try, here is a yummy soup for you.  It has been absolutely freezing here in NYC (damn you windchill factor), and this worked perfect to warm me up.  Enjoy!

 

Tasty Yummies Lentil Soup (Click for Recipe)