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Day 16 - Cravings are back

Around 6 pm my cravings were so strong. I wanted to cave so bad. Somehow I have self control. If I can make it this whole month, I will celebrate by eating some sweets on Labor Day weekend. Is that kind of missing the point? Oh well... 

Breakfast 

The usual except I used coconut milk and topped it with some Concord Grape Sorbet. It added a nice sweetness. I also had two pieces of toast with butter.

Lunch 

I improvised this meal. A can of black beans, one ear of corn, two tomatoes, one cucumber, some onion and garlic, mixed with Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew, & Basil Pesto. I served it on rice and topped it with avocado and freshly squeezed lime juice. Delicious! 

Snack

A peach and three dates with peanut butter/cocoa powder.

Dinner

Same meal that I had for lunch with two pieces of toast. 

Dessert

Dark chocolate and coconut chips. 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 15 - Concord Grapes

Breakfast

- Oatmeal with turmeric, cinnamon, cardamon, chia seeds, flaxseeds, cacao nibs, pumpkin seeds, and almond milk.  - A peach - Rishi West Cape Chai with almond milk. This is my absolute favorite chai!  Lunch

These burritos are one of my favorite quick and convenient meals! 

Snack

Apple with peanut butter 

Dinner

Kale salad with fresh cucumber and tomato from my garden topped with onion, sunflower seeds, and avocado. We also had some more sweet corn. 

Chocolate banana ice cream with avocado mousse and cacao nibs. Dessert I picked a bunch of concord grapes fresh off of the vine. I ate one and it set my sugar cravings off in a frenzy. I started Googling recipes and settled on a sorbet. The recipe called for 6 tbsp of sugar. I decided to just freeze the grapes without any additives to see what it tastes like. It smelled just like Welch’s Grape Juice when I was cooking them. It was amazing! 

Concord Grape Sorbet Remove grapes from the stem and place them in a pot with 1/3 cup water. Heat until the juices are deep purple. Remove from heat and squeeze grapes through a mesh strainer. Freeze and enjoy! 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 10-14

Hello again!

I haven’t forgotten to write but life has been happening, you know? I went to a music festival where I packed delicious vegan food and became friends with people who cooked us avocado/tomato toast. I sort of slipped up and had two vegan brownies but they didn’t taste like there was any processed sugar in them. My cravings had totally subsided expect for when I smelled the freshly made waffle cone wafting my way. 

I’ve started to notice that my skin is super clear. My forehead used to be kind of oily but now it is normal. I feel so much more energy and my focus has improved. It is a similar feeling to when I stopped eating meat. Even when my cravings are highest, I don’t want to eat sugary foods because I know how bad it will make me feel. 

On days 13 & 14, I ate mostly leftovers. I also had Indian food and some more cauliflower wings with fries. Keeping up with this blog has made me realize that my diet is varied but with mostly the same foods. Since I don’t eat sweets, I eat a 98% vegan diet. I’ve noticed that I only consume dairy when it’s the occasional butter on toast or in some sort of dipping sauce. 

The delicious foods we brought to the festival

I can’t get over how much this mousse looks like shit. It tastes delicious though and was even better after a few days. 

The kind people also made peanut butter/banana toast. They even used the PB with no added sugar for me! 

On day 13, a sesame bagel with peanut butter.

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 9 - Feelin’ Fine

I spent the day in my garden and went to a farmer’s field to pick some sweet corn. I tried the most amazing delicious vegan dessert recipes that helped tide my sugar cravings. It was my first time having chocolate in over a week and I couldn’t stop eating it. Maybe I’m actually a chocolate addict?  Breakfast A cup of tea

Lunch Vegan Sloppy Joe with a freshly picked tomato. Dinner

Freshly picked Iowa sweet corn with a kale salad from my garden. I topped the salad with tomato, cucumber, onion, sunflower seeds, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. So delicious!  Dessert  I’ve always wanted to try to make banana ice cream and I had some avocado that I needed to use up. These recipes were super easy to make, delicious, and satisfying. 

Tastes good but kind of looks like a pile of shit 

Avocado Chocolate Mousse 4 oz chopped dark chocolate chips (at least 60% dark), about 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp 2 large, ripe avocados (about 8 ounces each) 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/8 tsp salt 2 tsp maple syrup  1. Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each and watching carefully so that the chocolate does not burn. When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove it from the microwave and stir until smooth. Set aside and let cool until just barely warm. 2. Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop them into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, almond milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until very smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Taste and add a few teaspoons of maple syrup if additional sweetness is desired.  Chocolate Banana Ice Cream  2 Ripe Bananas, sliced and frozen 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1. Add bananas to the food processor and blend. 2. Occasionally scrape down the sides and continue to blend until smooth, approximately 3-5 minutes. 3. Scoop into a bowl and enjoy immediately as a soft serve! For firmer ice cream, place in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 1 hour.

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 8 - Temptation

Breakfast 

I had a chai tea latte with almond milk and some whole wheat toast with butter. 

Lunch

Funky Monkey Smoothie  Nut Milk, Banana, Chocolate Protein Powder, Almond Butter, Cacao Nibs, Honey, Cacao Sauce

Later in the afternoon I ate a peanut butter banana sandwich with two mandarins and some carrots with hummus. 

Dinner

My friend and I went to a salsa making class. We made fresh tomato salsa, peach harvest salsa, and fruit salsa with cinnamon chips. I wanted to try a cinnamon chip with fruit salsa even though the chips were sprinkled with sugar. Bad idea. My cravings weren’t bad that day but as soon as I had a bite, I felt the sugar rush go straight to my head. It put me in some sort of a frenzy and I just wanted to eat the cinnamon chips nonstop. I only ate four of them but I could tell how badly I wanted to keep going. The fruit salsa helped tide my cravings. 

Later in the evening I ate two bao buns. 

Fresh Tomato Salsa 5-6 Roma tomatoes  1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely chopped 1/2 of a jalapeño, finely diced  1/4 cup white onion, finely diced  5 drops hot sauce 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp cumin, ground 1. Wash and dice the tomatoes into small cubes. Remove cilantro leaves from the stems and chop them roughly. Finely dice the jalapeño and the onion and add everything to a medium bowl.  2. Add the hot sauce, lemon juice, and all the spices, and stir throughly to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Store chilled

Peach Harvest Salsa 3 medium peaches, diced medium 1/4 cup red onion, diced small 1 clove garlic, minced 1 jalapeño, minced (seeds and stems removed) 1/4 cup mint, loosely chopped zest and juice of 1 lime 1/4 tsp salt 1. Wash the peaches and remove the flesh from the pit. Dice the peaches and the red onion. Finely mince the garlic and jalapeño. Remove the mint leaves from the stems and roughly chop.  2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Zest the lime over the bowl and then cut it in half and juice it over the bowl, as well. Add the salt and stir throughly to combine. Store chilled. Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips 1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries 1 medium navel orange, peeled and finely chopped 3 medium kiwifruit, peeled and finely chopped 1 8 oz can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp sugar 10 flour tortillas (8 inches) 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon  1. In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving.  2. Brush tortillas with melted butter; cut each into eight wedges. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over tortillas. Place on lined baking sheets. 3. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes or just until crisp. Serve with fruit salsa. 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 7 - It’s getting easier

I feel so much more energetic today which has resulted in much more productivity! My cravings are less intense. My day was filled with boring leftovers for each meal. No exciting new recipes. Although I discovered an awesome new snack! 

Dates with peanut butter and cocoa powder! I highly recommend. 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 5 & 6

For the past two days, my cravings have gotten less intense. My appetite just feels off. I often don’t feel hungry but I know that I should eat. It probably has something to do with not living sugar crash to sugar crash. To clarify, I am still eating fruit and natural sugars. I am not eating foods with processed sugars or added sugars. 

DAY 5  Breakfast

Overnight Oats

1/2 cup oats 1/2 cup almond milk 1 dash cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, cocoa powder 1/2 tbsp. milled flaxseed 1. Mix ingredients in a mason jar and put in refrigerator overnight. 2. In the morning top with pumpkin seeds Lunch I just ate a handful of TJ’s Legendary Nut & Berry Mix because I didn’t feel hungry.  Dinner

TJ’s Tofu Spring Rolls  Mixed fruit (Watermelon, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Blueberries) Dates  TJ’s Cashew Apricot Date & Nut Bites Glass of red wine  Pretzels Lay’s Baked Potato Chips 

DAY 6 Breakfast A cup of green tea Lunch

Pad Thai with Tofu Snack Pretzels with hummus  Dinner French Fries TJ’s Cashew Apricot Date & Nut Bites 

Leftover Green Black Bean Quinoa Bowl 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 4 - Cravings Galore

I want to eat chocolate so badly. There have been so many times today that I thought about driving to the grocery store to buy a pint of ice cream, chocolate, cookies, and cupcakes. I just want all of the sweet things. I told myself that I have to make it at least a week. 

Breakfast

A cup of white tea 

Lunch

Spanish Beans over Potato 

1 potato 1 cup black beans  1 clove garlic, chopped  1 dash salt  1/2 tsp. oregano  1 tsp. cumin  1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar  dash black pepper  1. Place the beans in a pot with garlic, oregano, balsamic vinegar, and cumin. Simmer on low while the potato bakes.  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 3. Wash potato and dry.  4. Poke a few holes in the potato and bake for 50 minutes.  5. After the potato cools, slice it in half. 6. Top with black beans and garnish with tomato. Salt and pepper to taste.

Dinner 

Veggie pizza with no cheese 

Midnight Snack Banana 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 3 - Much more energy

I woke up feeling much more energetic. Normally I wake up and feel kind of tired and lethargic. There’s often a dark, sugar induced cloud lingering over my body. Probably because I normally eat cookies or ice cream as a midnight snack.

Breakfast 

Strawberry Banana Mandarin Smoothie  1 banana  4 strawberries 1 mandarin 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 tbsp milled flaxseed 

Blend it together and you have a tasty smoothie! 

Then I had a cup of black tea with almond milk 

Lunch

Green Black Bean Quinoa Bowl 

Quinoa Black Beans Green Beans Broccoli  Kale  Peas Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto

I improvised this recipe and topped it with some nutritional yeast. 

Snack

A mandarin and a fresh tomato from my garden

Dinner

Vegan Sloppy Joe with pita and hummus 

Starting at 4 pm my sugar cravings started up again. They lasted until I made a cup of tea after dinner. I want chocolate so badly. My friend told me to think of sugar in terms of sugar cubes. 4g of sugar is a cube. When you look at it that way, it’s ridiculous how much added sugar is in products. I can tell that my body feels better but I still want to eat sweets. I want to give up so badly and it’s only day three. Willpower! 

Midnight Snack

1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Legendary Nut & Berry Mix

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 2

Today was an unusual eating day. I am using this blog to hold myself accountable and to be honest. Here it goes. 

Breakfast

A cup of black tea with almond milk 

Lunch

Leftover Indian food with Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan. I ate a banana for dessert. 

Snack

Mandarin 

Dinner 

An apple with peanut butter 

My cravings for sugar didn’t seem super strong today. I’m curious how I’ll feel tomorrow. 

Midnight Snack

1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Legendary Nut & Berry Mix Trader Joe’s Mochi Rice Nuggets  

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 1 - Let’s Do This

I woke up to discover that I have a cavity. The irony is real. 

Breakfast 

I finished off the chia pudding with strawberries and a cup of chocolate chai tea with almond milk. 

Lunch

I bought all of the ingredients to make vegan sloppy joes during my last grocery shopping trip. This is normally something that I wouldn’t make but I was feeling nostalgic. I’m past the point of wanting to eat fake meat. Most of the time it freaks me out. The Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef’s texture isn’t super spot on so it didn’t freak me out too much. However, it looks so much like meat in the pan. 

I used tomatoes from my garden. I only put 1/2 tsp of salt in the tomato sauce. I don’t have allspice so none of that was added. I subbed TJ’s Beef-less Ground Beef for the TVP. 

Before adding the tomato sauce

I let it simmer for 25 minutes

I put it on some bread with vegan butter

Snack

My cravings for sugar seem to pick up around 4 pm. I ate a mandarin and an apple. It’s just not the same as processed sugar. I went to a city and walked around. I realized that one of my routines when I go to a new place is to find a dessert shop or a coffee shop and get a sweet treat. Walking around, I felt like I wanted to cry because I just wanted sugar so badly. My addiction is real.

Dinner 

Chana Masala with rice and some Baingan Bhartha with naan. 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Day 0

I started a day early because I’m so excited to treat my body well. 

Breakfast

Chia Pudding (2 servings)

½ cup chia seeds 2 cups almond milk 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. maple syrup   1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend. 2. Refrigerate overnight 

I ate mine with some strawberries and vanilla black tea! 

Lunch

This was my first time cooking black beans. I soaked them overnight and then boiled them for about 40 minutes in some fresh water. It was super simple and it’s much cheaper to buy them dry instead of canned. 

I added a cup of black beans to this salad. The kale and tomato are from my garden! 

Kale and Black Bean Salad 

1 stalk kale 1 medium tomato, chopped 5 baby carrots, chopped  1 cup black beans, cooked Fresh onion 1 tbsp parsley flakes 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice  Salt and pepper to taste Mix it together and voila! A delicious, nutritious salad. I improvised off of a recipe in the 22 Day Revolution.  Snack

After lunch, my sugar cravings were highest. I ate three mandarins and had a cup of chocolate chai tea with almond milk. This is going to be so difficult. I just want to eat cookies so badly.  Dinner

I went to free yoga at Big Grove Brewery. My cravings for sugar were so strong. Since it technically isn’t August 1st, my friend and I split a chocolate chip cookie. We also shared french fries and sesame ginger cauliflower with kombucha to drink. As soon as I ate a french fry, I could feel how lethargic it made my body. I did not feel well but I kept eating it anyway. Tomorrow is a new day and I will begin my month long journey of no sugar! 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

3 Years with No Meat!

Greetings! I kind of forgot this blog existed. 

In August 2015, I decided to go hardcore vegan for three weeks to see if I could do it. I wanted to change my life. That summer I had been eating tons of fried, processed foods that were provided at each gig I played and I felt awful. My body felt so bloated and lethargic. I told myself that after the three weeks, I would see how I felt and decide if I wanted to bring meat back into my diet. Well, it’s been three years and I think it’s safe to say that I’m never going back! 

Happy vegetarian in natural habitat! I planted a garden for the first time this summer. 

After my three weeks of hardcore veganism, I started to bring dairy back into my diet in the form of ice cream and desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth and little self control when it comes to sugar. Slowly, I started making exceptions at the grocery store. When I cook and bake, I only make vegan meals. However, I often stock my cart with candy bars and cookies that are vegetarian. These items do not benefit my health in anyway. I am a sugar addict, always needing my next fix. This past month, I’ve gotten out of control. I’ve started to feel bloated again. 

All of these sweets are vegan. I ate the ice cream sandwich and 1 1/2 pints of ice cream the evening I purchased all of this... 

For the past three years I’ve eaten a mostly vegan diet. It has not been that difficult, even with all of the traveling I do. Wherever I go, I pack food and snacks in case of a food emergency. I have always disliked eggs and cheese so I rarely eat those things. Occasionally I’ll have pizza because it’s convenient or eggs when I’m out on tour if someone kindly cooks them for me. I haven’t had any cravings since I stopped eating meat. I just had blood work done for the first time since going meat free. My levels are normal in everything, including B12 which I was curious about since I often forget to take my supplement. 

KALE YEAH

Tonight I went through my 22 Day Revolution book looking at all of the recipes to get some inspiration. It was so fun to see how far I’ve come. When I first read that book, I hadn’t heard of most of the ingredients listed. Now I have all of them on hand and will only need to purchase a handful of items to complete each recipe. Most of the produce will come from my garden! Going plant-based has truly changed my life for the better.  

A salad I made with everything from my garden! 

My tomato plants are plentiful

So for the month of August 2018, I am going to practice my willpower again. I want to get control of my sugar addiction. Therefore, I will only purchase vegan foods and no sweets when I grocery shop. When I go out to eat, I will choose vegan and not make exceptions for dairy unless there is no other option. I am going to make the conscious decision to be totally plant-based. This blog is going to hold me accountable.

Stay tuned! 

This is a great video I watched today on Veganism and I agree with this viewpoint 100%. I highly recommend checking it out!

https://youtu.be/EHLzMyXBGvw

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Soul Vegetarian No. 2

If you’re ever traveling through Atlanta, be sure to stop for some vegan soul food. I got the Super Kalebone Roast sandwich with mac and cheese on the side. My friend got the rice and gravy and I must say, the gravy is some of the best I’ve ever had! I poured it on my sandwich and dipped the mac and cheese in it. I had never really eaten soul food before but I’ll be going back!  http://www.soulvegetarian2.com/menu/

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RIP Khan’s Desserts

The saddest thing happened. My favorite vegan restaurant in Nashville closed due to increasing rent. Damn, gentrification. Anyways, this post is an ode to my favorite cupcake shop in Nashville. They also had the most delicious chicken wrap.

Almond: Almond cake with chocolate or vanilla almond frosting Vanilla Chocolate Chip: Vanilla cake baked with chocolate chips, vanilla frosting decorated with chocolate   chips

The last night I was able to go, I finally tried their vegan soft serve. It was incredible!

Vanilla, Chocolate Pecan, White chocolate, Dark Chocolate?

Chicken Club Wrap: Crispy baked “chicken”, organic tempeh bacon, cheddar cheez, tomato, lettuce, veganaise, whole wheat wrap.

Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin spice cake with cream cheez frosting

RIP Khan’s Desserts http://khansdesserts.com/

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Quick Vegan Breakfast

I often feel that when you tell someone you’re vegan, they don’t understand. They conjure up a mental picture of you slaving over the oven, chopping vegetables. However, that is not the case at all. Although I often do those things, I have mastered the art of cooking up a quick and easy breakfast! It takes approximately three minutes to prepare.  1. Put a fistful of oats in a bowl. Sometimes I put more or less, just depends on how hungry I am.  2. Cover the oats with some almond milk and a little bit of water. Make sure they’re just slightly covered with liquid. 3. Microwave for one minute or one minute and thirty seconds, depending on how you like your oatmeal. 4. Garnish it with whatever you want. I often put chia seeds, flaxseed, brown sugar, maple syrup, almonds, fruit. Whatever you want!  5. Enjoy a healthy, filling start to your day! 

[minejourneyjournal-blog]

Carrot and Potato Soup

I improvised this recipe based on one in “The Vegan Table” cookbook. It was quite delicious and created about three or four servings.  Ingredients: 2 tbsp. water, for sautéing 1 large onion, chopped 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic 7 or 8 carrots, peeled and cut into circles 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed 2 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 4 to 5 cups water 1. Heat 2 tbsp. water in large saucepan over medium-high heat. 2. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions become translucent. Add a small amount of water if pan gets too dry.  3. Add carrots, potato, ginger, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover all of the vegetables.  4. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until carrots and potatoes are tender. 5. Serve with some crackers or bread.