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Vegan in a nutshell

Hello Lovelies!

This is just a short post for you newbies to veganism:

What does vegan even mean?

veg·an

ˈvēgən,ˈvejən/

noun

noun: vegan; plural noun: vegans

1. 1.

   a person who does not eat or use animal products.

   "I'm a strict vegan"

Being vegan means you do not consume or purchase any products that come from animals. It's big step further than vegetarian. No meat, dairy, eggs, or products that are tested on animals.

It also means eating a whole, plant based diet with colorful plates and tasty flavors. Your plates should look like rainbows! :)

Interested in going vegan? Here's a link to great site to help you get started: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-952/PlantBased-Diet-for-Beginners-How-to-Get-Started.html

My suggestion is that you just try swapping out one meal a day for a vegan one and slowly transition to adding another meal each week or each month. Go at your own pace; don't guilt yourself into it- 'cause then it's not fun!

I've also listed out a starter grocery list for the vegan newbies out there that you can utilize here: Becoming Vegan: Your Starter Grocery List. 

This article on reading food labels is particularly helpful when at the store purchasing food products:

http://wellvegan.com/resources/reading-food-labels-to-avoid-milk-and-eggs

To avoid products that are tested on animals, look for these labels on your health/beauty products:

For myself, being vegan means I'm living a life that does not cause any harm to the animals on this planet. I can live a life surrounded by love and hope, cruelty-free. It's opened my eyes up to some sad ways of the world, given me a new view of nutrition, and my taste buds have come to love quite a few new foods. 

For more updates and information on veganism, follow our blog, tumblr twitter, instagram, pinterest, like us on Facebook- however you prefer, we're available everywhere. :)

Happy Vegan Days Lovelies!

Becoming Vegan: Your starter grocery list

Hello Lovelies!

Hubby and I were recently talking about the road to veganism and how intimidating it can be at first. With that in mind, I decided to write this post. I hope you enjoy!

For those that are interested in becoming vegan, the grocery store can suddenly become a scary place if you aren't prepared. It can also become very expensive if you go straight for all of the vegan substitutes out there. If you keep your lists and your diet simple, you don't have to burn a whole in your pocket to become vegan.

Below is a list of basic items I think every vegan should always have on hand. When you're at the store, check the label for everything. Click here for a fantastic article on what to avoid when reading label.

• Almond, soy, rice, or coconut milk (I prefer Almond milk; my hubby prefers Very Vanilla Soy Milk by Silk)
• Vegan butter- Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light w/Flaxseed Oil (cheaper option)
• Bananas- great to add to Oatmeal, baked items, frozen and blended as an ice cream, or just for a snack!
• Apples- make apple sauce, use as an egg replacement when baking sweets, or snack time!
• Oranges- I love to make homemade orange juice. Check out some juicing recipes here. 
• Carrots- Enjoy in juices, salads, stir fry dinners, or just as a quick snack
• Spinach- Wonderful green addition to smoothies!
• Onions- Ummm, perfect for anything?! Right? :)
• Potatoes: russett and yams- Especially around the holidays
• Veganaise- optional*
• Tofurkey Deli style meat- optional*
• Daiya Cheese- optional*
• Nut Butters- Peanut, Almond, Tahini
• Bread
• Brown Rice
• Beans- Try them all! Black, Garbanzo, Pinto, the list goes on and on....
• Lots of Fruits and Veggies- I highly suggest trying a new fruit or vegetable once a week until you are familiar with all your grocer or local farmers market has to offer
• Quick Oats
• Vitamin B-12- Plant based products do not produce B-12, therefore it is highly important that vegans supplement this vitamin. Please view the link!
• Soy sauce
• Whole grain cereals- Make sure to check the ingredients!
• Granola- Breakfast or on the go snack
• Whole wheat flour
• Vegetable Broth

*These items are substitutes for items we would normally buy on the typical American diet. These types of items are what will rack up your grocery bill in a heartbeat. As a new vegan, you may enjoy these products during your transition phase, but I encourage you to lean more towards whole, unprocessed, natural foods as you journey further into veganism. 

Where to shop: Whole Foods, Central Market, Sprouts, any natural grocer, farmers market, or local grocery store (though natural/health food stores are preferred). 

How vegan do you want to be? The stores listed above also have vegan beauty and health products that are cruelty free. These items can also be a bit more expensive, but if you have the funds to do so, you're doing a great justice for the animals in the world. Keep a look out for these symbols on the bottle:

Becoming a vegan doesn't have to be crazy expensive or an over dramatized experience. It can be a fun, experimental process. If you find yourself craving a non-vegan dish, start googling. It's very easy to find vegan versions of dishes all over the web. You may find vegan versions you like quite a bit more than the standard version!. 

If you are already a vegan and have a constant item you get at the grocery store, please share and let me know what all you use it for! I'd love to hear your experience!

-Cali 

Just in time for Thanksgiving: Vegan Apple and Pumpkin Pie Recipes!

Happy Thanksgiving Lovelies!

Fall/Winter has always been my favorite time of the year, partially because my birthday is this month, but more so because I looooove to cook! 

Some of my non-negotiable recipes for Thanksgiving are: 

Sweet potato casserole, Green bean casserole, Mac N Cheeze, Vegan Fluffy Rolls, and some sort of dessert. This year I'm going to be trying a new green bean casserole recipe along with an additional recipe- this tasty Pumpkin Lasagna with a Creamy Basil sauce!

If you follow me on Instagram (@lovelyveganladies),

 you probably saw my delicious pies I posted last night. ;)

 

I've never made a pie before this year so I was very excited to try my hand at it. I cheated a little bit with the apple pie, because I just bought a pie filling at the grocery store. The crust is homemade though so I'll be happy to share that portion. I'm proud to say that the pumpkin pie is completely from scratch! So, without further adieu, RECIPES.  :)

Apple Pie Recipe

**Crust: 

2 cups all purpose or pastry flour

tsp salt

1 1/2 cup vegan margarine (I used Smart Balance: Light w/Flaxseed Oil)

1/2 cup Almond milk (other milk substitutes can be used as well)

In a food processor, mix the flour and salt together. Add the margarine and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add almond milk and blend until well combined and dough forms. Remove dough, roll into a two dough balls and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour before using. 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Take out the dough and with rolling pin, roll one of the balls out into a 10-11 inch circle. Gently lay the dough into a 9 inch baking pan (it will droop over the edges). Roll out the second ball into more of a rectangular shape. You'll want to cut out 14 strips of dough about 10 inches long and about an inch thick. Pour your apple pie filling (I used Lucky Leaf Premium Apple Pie Filling) and spread it evenly. Begin laying your strips over the filling. I started in the middle and wove on strip over and under another to get the look pictured above. Bake the pie for 35-40 minutes. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

**Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This recipe is quicker to make than the apple pie, simply because you do not have to refrigerate the dough. 

Crust: 

1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp ice water

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the oil, vinegar, and water and stir until well blended. Press into your 9 inch baking pan. 

Filling:

1 14-oz can unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinammon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, blend together all of the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie crust. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar evenly over top and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve at room temperature. 

**Recipes are adapted from La Dolce Vegan!

I truly hope you enjoy these recipes, this time of year, and your Thanksgiving! 

Send me your pictures or let me know how your versions turned out!

-Cali 

Raising A Vegan Child: Topic #5- How to Have Fun with Vegan Kiddos

Wow! This post is incredibly late! Sorry lovelies...

You know what I was up to though? Having fun with my vegan kiddo!

My little baby, Audrey, is all of 8 months old and is just starting to crawl. So I have been incredibly busy baby proofing, helping her learn to crawl, and getting used to this new stage in life!

As she grows older, I already have so many ideas of things I would like to do with her. I've compiled a list below of a few vegan things you can do with your kids that will educate them, improve their ever adapting life-styles, and of course...will be FUN!

So let's get started having this fun today!

• Get cookin'!
• Especially since becoming vegan, my love for cooking has grown immensely. I intend to share this love with our little girl. Cooking truly helps to understand what you are putting in your body and connect with nutrition. From PB&Js to three course meals, our little girl will be a culinary expert by the time she is five if I have anything to do with it! :) There are many cookbooks to choose from, but here are a few that are in my own personal collection:
  
• Head to a local Animal Sanctuary (Not to be confused with the Zoo)
• Animal Sanctuaries may be hard to find and also more of an effort to get into than a zoo. Sanctuaries, however, provide a natural environment for animals to roam instead of being held in capitivity, in the walls of an artificial environment. Zoos are in the money business and tend to care less about the animals inside than the people coming in. (This is my ethical side speaking, but it is also a good part truth if you research the topic.) I have been to zoos before and have found them to be fun in my youth. Smaller, local zoos seem to be more accommodating to the animals if that is the only choice available. 

• Search for Vegan or Vegetarian Festivals in your area
• You'll see for yourself the wide variety of vegan/vegetarian types and personalities at a Veg Festival! You can check out sites like The Vegan Voice or It's Easy Being Vegan to see if there's anything going on around your area. One thing I love about these events is that you can pretty much eat worry and guilt free!

• Step Outside
• While it's not necessarily vegan, I'm a big advocate for a healthy lifestyle (obviously LOL). So strap up those tennis, dress for the weather, and head into the great outdoors. Take your kiddos on nature hikes/walks and let them explore. Teach them to have a greater admiration and love for the world they live in. Teach them respect for the earth around them and all it provides! (Like our food!) A beautiful quote...
  
• Take a look in a book!
• In my last post, I touched briefly on how I thought it might be difficult teaching Audrey to maintain the vegan lifestyle as she entered her grade school years and began spending more time away from home. I found this collection of books on veganism that serve this purpose specifically. I'm a huge advocate for reading and educating our children. They are our future leaders! 

• When all else fails- straight up google
• Google never fails! You can just google "Fun vegan things to do" and see what comes up! Pinterest has a lot of vegan kid boards that could give you great ideas as well. (Check us out on Pinterest-here)There's plenty out there if you take the time to look and plan ahead!

Being a vegan and Raising A Vegan Child does not have to be a difficult thing to do. 

What it can be is healthy, educational, and fun! 

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section or you can email us directly at lovely.vegan.ladies@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. I hope you enjoyed this Raising A Vegan Child series!

With love,

~Cali via LVL

BALANCE

 

As I said in my intro post (LINK), the most common thing people say to me when I tell them I am trying to become vegan or trying to live a vegan lifestyle I should say, is that “balance is what is best.”

As I said in my intro post, I would be completely okay with that if the American diet was really balanced. 

I think balance is something we all struggle with, myself includes. 

The problem is that our culture has very little balance and we are HOOKED on dangerous foods, loaded with chemicals. We have been eating things that look like food, but aren’t real food at all. 

“…the average American consumes 24 lbs. of artificial sweeteners, 29 lbs. of French fries, and over 600 pounds of dairy per year.”(Source 1)

If you look around, most people are overweight or headed in that direction. Even people who are in decent shape struggle with high cholesterol and blood pressure issues. When do we take a serious look at our failing health and obesity problem and realize we are doing something wrong?  {I am not saying that terrible diet is the only cause for obesity. I know that a lot of people have medical issues that cause them to be overweight, but that is not the majority.} The CDC reported that 1/3 of Americans are obese. That is ALARMING. 1 out of every 3 people is overweight. (Source 2)

“An alarming new study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis reveals that Americans are getting nearly 1/3 of their calories from junk foods.” (Source 3) The same source goes on to say that, “we are a nation of people who are simultaneously overfed and malnourished.”

Foods that we commonly eat that have high caloric values with NO nutritional value whatsoever include: "cakes, cookies, pastries, donuts, sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit juices, cheese, pizza, ice cream, sausage, hot dogs, ribs, and bacon." (Source 4)

Not only are the foods we typically eat deficient in vitamins but they can be detrimental to our health. 

Let's take a moment to talk about artificial sweeteners.

“One study found that 67% of female rats exposed to aspartame developed tumors roughly the size of golf balls or larger.” “Saccharin, best known as Sweet ‘N Low has been shown to have carcinogenic links. During the 1960’s, studies on rats indicated saccharin was related to bladder cancer, but the FDA has allowed saccharin to remain as a good additive.”

Artificial sweeteners have been linked to cancer, depression/mood disorders (including bipolar), weight gain (even though people think it will help them lose weight), birth defects, cell damage,  and the list could go on and on. (Source 5)

Splenda is also one of those not so sweet, artificial sweeteners. The name is so pleasant and appealing, but in all actuality, it is very dangerous as well. Read this article on the dangers of Splenda for yourself!

Are you kidding me? WHY are we still eating this stuff? I suffered with migraines for years and I was addicted to diet coke and drank at least 3 cups of coffee per day with 2-3 packets of Sweet ‘N Low per cup. I would go to the doctor and no one ever asked me if I drank diet coke or used artificial sweeteners in my coffee. I spent countless hours and dollars getting test after test for my migraines and seeing neurologist, who just told me it was what it was and that I would suffer with migraines my whole life.  Why did no one ever think it was linked to my consumption of artificial sweeteners and poisonous aspartame? Thankfully I was able to overcome my addiction and let go of these toxic products all together. I no longer have chronic migraines. And now if I have even a trace of something with aspartame or artificial sweeteners, I will almost immediately get a headache.

We have to take a step back and pause and look at the way we are eating, and ask ourselves, “is this truly what is best for my body?"

Weight loss products are the worst. We want the immediate and quick without the work. We want to eat boxed food because it is convenient and easy and for the sake of having a slimmer waste line, but don’t want to take time to prepare thoughtful meals packed with good proteins and vitamins. 

Back to the topic at hand, the American diet is FAR from balanced:

“The average American eats twice as much protein as necessary for a healthy diet and much of that is from red meat.” Getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier…”

The benefits of getting protein from grains include a reduce risk of heart disease, weight management, reduced cholesterol; prevention of type 2 diabetes…etc. Grains are packed with vitamins like B, iron, and magnesium. (Source 6)

“The human body is not designed to digest cow milk and cow milk dairy products, yet the idea of milk being healthy is being pushed through advertising. As many as 75% of people in the WORLD may be lactose intolerant and many people suffer from undiagnosed milk allergies. By eliminating cow’s milk from your diet, you are improving your overall health.”(Source 7)

The above two things are the most common things that people are SHOCKED that you give up when you start to live a vegan lifestyle.I hear all the time "I need meat" or "I need protein!" 

The Mayo Clinic released a study on the benefits of eating less meat. They studied 500,000 people for a 10 year period. They found that those who ate 4 ounces of red meat or more daily were 30 times more likely to die of any cause than those who did not. Certain types of meat like sausage, lunch meat, and other processed meats actually increased their risk of death. (Source 8) 

I hope that the few statistics I have shared with you today have helped you! The more strides we take to really consider what we are putting into our mouths the better our lives will be. The better future we are providing for those that come after us! Let’s not just do something because it has been done that way for years before us. Please read the source links I have provided and research on your on! 

If you don’t want to be vegan, that is okay, but we should all want to be more knowledgeable about health and at least try to better our health for ourselves and our families! The more that we stick to whole, natural foods, the better for us and our families! I am not 100% vegan yet all of the time, but i try to eat as much "real" food as possible and so should you! 

Amy 

Sources: 

Source 1:  http://naturalsociety.com/average-american-diet-infographic/

Source 2:  http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

Source 3:  http://www.naturalnews.com/001109.htmlhttp://www.naturalnews.com/001109.html

Source 4:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/475404-definition-of-empty-calories/#ixzz2bP9vVTv0

Source 5:  http://www.nutralegacy.com/blog/general-healthcare/top-10-dangers-of-artificial-sweeteners/

Source 6:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-why.html 

Source 7:  http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/

Source 8: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meatless-meals/MY00752/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Adventures in Vegan Cooking

Hi Lovelies,

Amy here! I hope you all have been enjoying Cali's Series on Raising a Vegan Child! I know that even if you choose not to be vegan, the health benefits of feeding your child whole, non-processed foods is unmatched!

Check out the series here:

Raising A Vegan Child- Topic #1: The First Six Months- Breastfeeding vs. Formula

Raising A Vegan Child: Topic #2- Supplementing Vitamin B12 is a MUST

Raising A Vegan Child: Topic #3/4- A Well Balanced Diet is Key/Timeline for Introducing New Foods

Part 5 is still to come!

I am finally back from my travels and trying to get back into the normal swing of things! This week, we did a lot of cooking at home. There is something about traveling that makes me want home cooked food.

I didn't do super great on eating vegan while on vacation, but i did have one incredible vegan meal that i plan on posting about in more detail! Literally, i can not stop thinking about this amazing meal, and am still plotting on how to re-create it!

This week I made some of the most delicious recipes ever. I just had to share one of them with you! They can all be found on my Pinterest board, but i thought i would quickly include the recipe here!

Image Source

This recipe is from Vegan Chicks Rock! It is a Lentil Chili and it was amazing! I did a couple of things differently, which i will put in {}. 

Lentil Chili with Cumin and Green Onions

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves 
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (add more to make it hotter) {I used a LOT of cayenne and it was amazing!}
4 cups (or more) water
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed {I actually used organic canned lentils, but plan on using dry lentils next time. I just didnt have time to go out to the store and was trying to utilize what i had}
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped green onions {I did NOT put in the green onions}

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano leaves, and cayenne pepper; stir for 30 seconds. Add the 4 cups of water, lentils, and tomato puree. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam from the surface {I didnt have to do this because . Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls as needed if dry, about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup green onions. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper.

I plan on making this again this week! It literally was SO amazing. I cant wait to have it again. It was VERY filling as well! 

This would be the perfect cool weather, stay at home and chill kind of dish! This would even be a great party dish to serve! 

XOXO

LVL - Amy