Breakfast for Days

People always asks what I typically eat for a meal.  It's a tough question to answer for a few reasons.  First of all, I don't always eat a "meal," as I'm a huge snacker and am constantly picking on foods throughout the day.  Secondly, I'm one to get stuck in a rut with my meals and can eat the same thing every day for a month.  These past two months it's been banana smoothies for breakfast.  However, I do have a few go-to's in my breakfast arsenal.  So without further adieu, here are three of my favorite breakfasts:

Banana Smoothie 

2 frozen bananas (out of the peel)
1.5 cups almond milk
1 Tbs cocoa powder OR 1 Tbs Pb2 OR 1 tsp cinnamon

Blend until smooth!

Tofu Scramble

1/2 block extra firm tofu
1 handful of fresh spinach
1/2 red pepper- chopped
1/4 red onion- chopped
turmeric
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
1/8 cup Daiya chedder vegan cheese (optional)

Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat.  Crumble tofu into the skillet using your hands.  Add spices, red pepper, and spinach.  Keep ingredients moving just until the spinach is wilted.  Sprinkle the Daiya vegan cheese on top of the scrambled tofu mixture and cover skillet until the cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes. 

Plate and serve!  I usually eat these with gluten-free toast spread with avocado. 

Golden Spice Pancakes (recipe here)

These have been a staple for years with me and my family.    They're also a huge hit with non-vegans, as they don't necessarily "taste" vegan, whatever that means (that's what I've been told when I've served to others).  Eat these with real maple syrup or topped with some agave nectar.  I also put some sliced bananas on top sometimes.  I use regular raisins instead of the golden raisins that the recipe calls for and they come out great.

Review: Benefit's "They're Real" Mascara

Benefit's "They're Real" mascara has been the buzzword all over YouTube, makeup blogs, and magazines for a while now.  Having been wanting to pick it up for a while now, I never have because of the $23 price tag.  Ouch.  I couldn't justify spending that much on a high-end mascara when there were good enough ones for under $10 at the drugstore.  Recently, though, I received a 20% off coupon from Ulta and originally went in there for some bright new lip colors and a BB cream for my Caribbean cruise.  Didn't find a BB cream that sounded like it would be good for my oily skin but that's beside the point.  I did pick up a tube of the mascara, though, and was so excited to try it and see if it lives up to the hype.  

The brush is pretty standard and is used like a normal mascara wand but has a spiky ball on the tip, used vertically to help separate the lashes and reach the small ones in the inner and outer corners.  

Before

Before 

The formula itself seems somewhat watery upon just opening (but really any mascara does in my opinion) and then thickens up later.  I didn't curl my lashes beforehand, as I wanted to see how the mascara would do in that department on it's own and it passed the test!  After a day of running around with the mascara on, my lashes held their curl.  However, I do have to say that my lashes are pretty curled naturally.  In addition, the mascara doesn't flake or smudge either, which is a big deal as almost every mascara I try ends up flaking on me after a long day. 

After

After

You can layer this while still wet but don't try to layer once the first coat is dry, I tried that.  After a day of wear, I attempted to add a few more coats when going out at night, which resulted in clumps.  I do have to say that the formula is tough to get off at the end of the day.  Water-based eye makeup remover is normally sufficient for me but this one definitely needs an oil-based one, which I found strange because this mascara is not marketed as being waterproof.

Overall, this mascara is a huge hit for me, but the price tag is just too high for regular repurchasing.  I can see myself buying "They're Real" periodically but not as my everyday go-to mascara.  Only taking two coats to achieve my desired lash intensity is a plus and I'm glad I've found something that doesn't flake.  It will be interesting to see how it holds up as my bottle dries out a little more.  Let me know if you guys want a second review on Benefit's "They're Real" mascara.  Also, what mascaras work well for you for adding both volume and length?

Domino's Releases a Vegan Pizza

Who else wishes they could move to Israel?  Ok, maybe I don’t want to MOVE there but a trip would be nice.  The culture and history are out of this world with museums, religious sites and beaches.  Traveling there can be pricey and dangerous, though (but what country doesn't have some dangerous areas?), so for now I'm just going to have to hold off on that trip.  Besides culture and history, Israel could also lure vegan tourists in with a new vegan pizza they're offering up, compliments of Domino's!  After vegan Israeli lobbyists pushed for a dairy-free pizza, Domino's finally caved and has a new addition to their menu with soy chesse and vegetable toppings.  

I'm so jealous!!! Apparently, the pizza chain has no plans to bring this new recipe to the U.S. anytime soon.  If I do ever travel to Israel, I'm for sure going to order this pizza in one night.  Looking up restaurants with options I can't get from my go-to restaurants is a highlight of any trip I take.  Does anyone else plan their vegan meals out when they travel? 

Cruisin' in Paradise

After a week of being away in paradise, I'm back at home sweet home.  

This cruise had been on my mind for months!  Working out to look good in my bikini and researching shore excursions were towards the top of my priority list.  One thing that I was slightly worried about, though, was the food on the ship.  Here's the thing: when I travel I often count on being able to run to a grocery store to grab something simple to eat.  Fruit, smoothies, a salad from a salad bar, or even some frozen veggies patties to pop in a hotel microwave are always pretty accessible no matter where I am.  However, I knew that a cruise would be different.  Besides the beautiful views, fun in the sun, cruise entertainment, and gorgeous ports, I had also heard about the rich food offered and corresponding 10 pound weight gain.  Rich food usually means not vegan... Womp Womp.  

Upon boarding the ship at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I was worried.  Dinner wouldn't be served until 5:30 and lunch had already passed, so we grabbed something to eat in the promenade.  The restaurant offered a variety of pre-made sandwiches (with meat), pizza, pastries and cookies, and fruit cups, so I ordered five fruit cups... Yes, five.  "Worried" would be an understatement with regards to how I viewed my diet for the next 7 days.  Would I be eating only fruit for my stint on this boat?  Don't get me wrong, I truly respect the fruitarian lifestyle and have even tried it myself and lasted a few days.  I just wasn't planning on starting on my vacation! 

Luckily, I was happily surprised on the first night of dinner.  The menu boasted countless fancy-schmancy meat dishes, BUT I had hope!  There was one lone dish, Grilled Vegetable Tacos with Soy Chili, that I could have.  

It was exactly what it sounded like... Flour tortillas with a variety of grilled veggies including zucchini, peppers, carrots, and onions all atop some chili made of soy crumbles and beans.  Of course, I would have loved to have some sort of sprouted grain, corn, or at least whole wheat tortillas but beggars can't be choosey.  I was just happy to have something other than fruit and lettuce.  However, the best part was having a the wait staff supervisor (shout out to Gianni!) approach me at the end of the meal (and every ensuing dinner) to ask what I would like to eat the following day!  Now that's some GREAT service!!!  

More cruise meals to follow!  How do y'all stay vegan/ healthy while traveling? 

Pizza FTW

When I first came to the vegan lifestyle, after I had made it through about a month or two of the probationary period of getting my taste buds accustomed to not having meat or dairy (did you know that you get a new set of tastebuds every 10 to 14 days?), I always said that the one food that I really missed was pizza.  Something about the mixture of flavors and textures with the gooeyness of the cheese, carby-ness of the crust, and savoriness of the sauce and toppings just makes pizza complete perfection.  However, I went a good few years without any pizza as I try to stay away from enriched wheat flour and lately have been eating mostly gluten-free.  While perusing the aisles of my local Sprouts, I ran across these babies.

Rustic Crust Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

The ingredients are pretty simple, including white rice flour, tapioca flour, water, soy flour, guar gum, soy oil, salt, spices, and raw cane sugar.  Excited to try these out I bought them and have since repurchased to make several pizza varieties.  The most recent I topped with organic pasta sauce, Daiya vegan cheese (mozzarella variety), spinach and mushrooms.  I've also used Victoria Vegan Alfredo sauce as a base and added olives.  You can really use whatever toppings you'd like and treat it like any other pizza! 

I have to say that when buying these you do need to look and try to buy a package in which the crusts aren't cracked or broken in two.  Because of the lack of gluten or other non-vegan binders in these crusts they do seem to crumble more easily.  Once cooked and crisped up a bit, though, I didn't find that the crust fell apart or needed to be eaten with a fork.  These will definitely become a staple in my quick vegan dinner rotation!

A Vegan Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is sometimes an ordeal, not because I want it to be but because my family is concerned that I will have nothing to eat amongst a table of carnivores.  It's a valid concern.  I get it.  However, I kind of look at Thanksgiving as a day to bond with loved ones and spend quality time.  Food is important but I don't enjoy overeating to oblivion anyway (or the extra pounds that come with it).  If it were completely up to me, I would just bring a plate of my own "everyday" food to pop in the microwave and call it a day while everyone else pigged out.  Sharing is another important part of the holiday, though, and I chose to take the opportunity to share my goodies with everyone involved and show them that I don't have to eat salad, fruit, and smoothies 24/7 (and that my "bird food" doesn't taste like dirt).  

This year I made what I would consider a full vegan feast, enjoying creamed spinach, a Veggie-Lentil Loaf with Avocado-Tahini dressing, rolls with Earth Balance Buttery Spread, latkes (potato pancakes), and roasted vegetables.   

Top Center: Creamed Spinach, Right: roll and Veggie-Lentil loaf with Avocado-Tahini Dressing, Bottom Center: Latkes, Left: Roasted vegetables, Top right corner: Moscato and Hummus, Top left corner: Earth Balance Original

My mom actually made the roasted vegetables, which included squash, broccoli, onions, and potatoes.  I put the hummus on the latkes, along with ketchup.  The latkes, unfortunately, were the only fail, as I premixed the fresh ingredients two days ahead of time and by Thanksgiving day the mixture was, well, not so fresh.  The potatoes had turned grey for some reason and, when cooked, tasted a little funky.  They would be tasty if made fresh on the day-of, though, I'm assuming.  The Veggie-Lentil loaf was a HUGE hit and I would make that in the future for an everyday dinner, as well as the creamed spinach.  You would never guess, in my humble opinion, that the creamed spinach was even vegan!  

While everyone else enjoyed their pie and what-not, I ended the meal with some So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream, a yummy treat for me!  Let me know if y'all want recipes to any of the dishes I made.  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well!