Chapter Eight: How I sea food.

Wow, shame on me for falling into my old ways! *slaps self on the wrist* Don't get me wrong, I love to write, but sometimes, I just lose track of time and don't prioritize writing into my day - which is horrible for someone who identifies herself as a writer. Lame. However, instead of rambling on about random crap that wouldn't interest you, I do have some material that may somewhat intrigue you. As always, these adventures involve food, because we all know that's why you're here.


In my absence from the blogger universe, I have been able to test out some new and fantastic food items that have given my taste buds reason to celebrate. No, I haven't have a chance to bust out the Isa Does It cookbook/food bible yet and create something fun from scratch, but I have had time to heat up, suit up and go on with the rest of my day without feeling guilty for indulging in a quick fix. Animal- and cruelty-free items are always prioritized in this busy lady's day, even when the time to write isn't. Thankfully, this always gives me something new to deliver to the table for all of you curious as to what I eat now that I have ditched the meat.

Chick'n, hemp waffles and mushroom sushi. Different kind of high included.

Next, my roomie and I purchased Gardein's Chick'n Sliders per the suggestion of our vegan mentor Christina, who usually enjoys those babies on Mondays. We dined on those bad boys this past Friday and - OH MY, why do they only come four to a package?? I am assuming it's because Gardein wants to discourage gluttony, even though it's a healthier kind of gluttony, but let's maintain the honesty ... if I could, I probably would have made sure Denise and I had our own boxes because these sliders are just that amazing. I added some kale and spinach leaves, as well as some veganaise and chipotle BBQ sauce and I just about died of a foodgasm. I definitely recommend these as they make a delicious little meal and you can customize the toppings to the whims of your tastebuds - so good!

Lastly, I have been craving some sushi and while I didn't have a chance this week to hit up local sushi spots in search of the perfect vegan roll options to sate my cravings, during our grocery trip I grabbed a pack of Trader Joe's brand teriyaki mushroom rolls, made with rice and quinoa. I am really enjoying my introduction to quinoa, as well as the addition of mushrooms into my diet. Their texture and odd, almost tasteless taste used to really creep me out, but they were perfect in this particular roll as they have a very eel-like texture. Yes, when I would eat meat I loved eel rolls; they were my go-to whenever we would go out for sushi. I am really happy that I have found something very similar without the eel. 

On that note, I must say that while I have yet to have any cravings for burgers or chicken, from time to time I do recall my love of seafood. I won't lie about that. I had not even considered vegan options for seafood when Denise came through the door last Thursday smiling and eager to show me breaded vegan shrimp from Sophie's Kitchen. It was a delightful surprise that instantly reminded me that going through with this transition is anything but limiting; the possibilities of creating and discovering new and delectable foods are endless, without the danger of monotony - unless it's by choice. So far, there are quite a few foods I intend to eat over and over again because they are anything but boring. Tonight's dinner was one of those soon-to-be instant replay dishes:

The ingredients for gluttonous success!

On our 100% vegan (yay!) shopping trip this afternoon, we decided to embark on a shrimpless shrimp journey where I fried up those yummy "shrimp" in Trader Joe's brand Island Soyaki, tossing that over quinoa infused with vegetable broth and green beans, cauliflower and broccoli. The end result was beyond bliss.

My shark is beyond happy that he was not a part of this deliciousness.

How I even have leftovers from this meal is beyond me, but at least I know that tomorrow's lunch is going to kick ass. Seriously. But the best part of this meal is not the taste; that's just a perk. The best part is that I get to indulge in a dish that is both animal- and cruelty-free - what could be better than that? That little known fact alone makes eating all the more fun and exciting, and it really inspires me to continue on this journey. Back when I used to eat meat, I always associated someone who identified as vegetarian as someone who only ate salads, and vegans - well, I didn't know what the hell vegan really was, but now that I am learning about these lifestyles and appreciating the small yet significant impact this change in me has made, I am beyond proud to say that I have made this choice. Hey, I get to learn how to cook, experiment with different ingredients and know that I am making this earth a better place for our animal brethren and the environment. It doesn't get much better than that!

Now, if only I could get my lazy butt outside for a jog ...    

Happy cooking adventures! Cheers!

Chapter Four: Monday, Monday.

Hello, Monday. I never thought we could be so cordial, but it is pleasant to know that even we can be respectful to each other, even when you suck.

Okay, so my Monday did not actually suck. Yay! I hope yours didn't either. The older I get the more I dread Mondays, and often that dread seeps into Sunday nights which sucks as well. Again, I am trying to be more positive and thankful for my job, but hey, baby steps right? I wasn't necessarily dreading Monday, however, I wasn't thrilled that my Monday at work was going to start at ... *breath* ... 6:30am (unfortunately by my own accord). I still ended my day at my normal time and while I was slightly afraid that I might drop my face onto the desk from utter exhaustion, I survived the longer than usual day as though it were any other. I definitely applaud my change in diet as well as the super yummy smoothies I have been happily consuming as the source of my endurance. The work day seems to fly by and my wings have not been tired at all. It is fascinating. 

As I stated in Chapter Three, today was the day that I started adding exercising to my diet change. I am thankful to live in a complex where we have access to a decent size gym that has a few good options in terms of weight machines, an elliptical, two treadmills and 5,000 spin bikes. Now, back in my more fit days, I would spend a good hour in this little gym bouncing from machine to machine. Today, I decided not to push the envelope too heavily. Now that my lifestyle has changed, I want to take every step not necessarily gingerly but with some consideration for the changes happening in my body. Denise joined me and we did some cardio on the treadmills, testing the incline function and speed until we broke a sweat. I also played with the dumbbells because who wants a pair of Arnold thighs with flabby arms? I can't help but have nightmares about my underarms melting down to the floor like some kind of Dahli painting - yowza! The visuals! 

I didn't do anything core-specific this time around because I want to re-introduce my body into moving at a pace faster and more efficient than the slobbish zombie-sprint I generally do en route to the couch. My body didn't put up too much of a resistance today, but as it is only day one, we shall see what tomorrow holds. I am just excited that when I came home from work my attitude didn't turn into "meeeehhhhhh, do I really want to change and not take this God-forsaken bra off, and then walk in the cold to the gym, and then make myself move faster than normal to force myself to sweat" as it usually does. 

I won't lie, though; my mind was focused on the prize the entire time. That's right - food, glorious dinner. Denise made some rice and corn with ground "meat," mixed into some tomato sauce, tomatoes, onions and green beans. 

How I managed to only chow down on one bowl-full is beyond me.

Denise and I love bowl meals. Throwing a bunch of random stuff into a bowl is easy and yummy and leaves so much room for creativity. As I stated above, I did only have one serving of this hot mess. Even better than the surprise of my odd self-control, for dessert I only consumed three squares of this decadent beauty:

If the Golden Ticket tastes anything like the bar itself, I'm swallowing it.

I LOVE DARK CHOCOLATE. I also LOVE truffle. Put them together and I die. Simple as that. Don't get me roses, manfriend; get me a thick hunk of dark chocolate and truffle! This was my first time trying the Trader Joe's brand of chocolate and it was anything but a disappointment. It's the little things that really make the day :)

Anywho, tomorrow brings a new day and a new smoothie. Denise has prepared for us the Purple Power smoothie, comprised of two cups kale, a crap-ton of blueberries, two bananas and she added two tablespoons of flaxseed. I know I generally show off the post-warfare of the Ninja, but tonight I will give you the creation prior to it getting the karate chop.

Pre-massacre. Kind of.

Alas, I am sure you are done reading my ramblings for tonight. At 9pm, I am happy to say that I am ready for bed feeling content with all I have accomplished today. I am looking forward to my Purple Power smoothie for breakfast. Here's to a powerful Tuesday! 

Cheers!