it has been so long since i've been this passionate about cooking. i've always LOVED cooking, and i've always looked for new recipes..but this is somehow different. i'm starting to think i have far MORE options as a vegan than as a meat eater. how is this possible? well...of course i have a theory! i'm more open minded now than ever.

each day that passes , tofu becomes less scary (in the sense that i can use soft tofu in many things...haven't conquered eating it on it's own yet.) things like seitan and tempeh arouse my curiosity. ooh..fyi...

i made the  homemade seitan found on theppk.com the other day. it was good! i had no idea what to do with it (lack of recipes and seitan knowledge) so i opted to fry it and smother it in gravy. fantastic! my hubby loved it! so now...i'm on a recipe book/magazine collecting frenzy. i need to cook more! i need more seitan (i'm going to try a suggestion using liquid smoke...this excites me! lol) i want to try tempeh. i want to bake vegan goodies again (i'm still working off a pound or two from my pre-christams baking spree.) i want, i want, i want.

i also think this new cooking-crazed version of me has something to do with most people around me assuming my family eats so very little, and we're completely deprived. i made a cheesecake yesterday ...no deprivation here. it was heaven...absolute heaven. i will have to exercise some discipline when it comes to my new found vegan dessert (so far...so many more to try!) or i'll have to buy some bigger clothing. HAHAHA.

i bought a cast iron frying pan last night. you have no idea just how excited i am! i've spent today "seasoning" it so i'll be able to make tortilla's in it tonight.

speakin of tortillas..tonight's dinner menu..

mashed potatoes (rough mashed..nothing too fancy. a little earth balance, nutrtional yeast, and a wee bit of soy milk. mash a bit...good enough) corn, black beans, and salsa served in a homemade tortilla (courtesy of my fantastic new cast iron pan.)

sounds tasty to me!

~Joyce

i'm feeling blah today. i think i've overcome the "boss's dinner dilema". i've decided there's not a whole lot i can do about her, or her opinion of me, or her lack of knowledge surrounding anything vegan. i did, however, pick out a shirt that i would like to wear to dinner...

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/vegan/-/pv_design_prod/p_storeid.55776341/pNo_55776341/id_12236156/opt_/pg_/c_/fpt_

hubby said no. he's just no fun.

i've become a member at theppk.com forum. i haven't accomplished much in the last couple of days, but i've been highly entertained. i know of only two other vegans, and i converted both of them (i should be getting a toaster soon! haha) so it's great to read the opinion's of other vegans, and get ideas for new foods to try. i can see many a moments spent in there in the future. wonder who will do the laundry now?

i've done my research, and have decided the first vegan cookbook i will buy is "vegan with a vengence". i will also get the vegan cupcake one as well....most excited. payday is soon, and i plan to order both from amazon. my culinary skills are in for a treat i'm sure!

but alas, for tonight...a simple ground round tomato sauce with pasta for dinner. each girl has a friend over, and that's the quickest easiet thing i can think of.

oh one more thought... my oldest daughter has a friend who recently went vegetarian. i'm happy for her, and even more excited that now my daughter has a friend who actually WANTS to come over for dinner. we're makin progress! lol

my holidays were great! the biggest hurdle this season was, of course, the food..vegan lasagne for christmas dinner (i even made vegan stuffing so we wouldn't feel too left out!) and vegan chili on new years eve. it was fantastic!

now that the holidays are over i'm anxious to try more recipes. i love all the Yves foods, but would like to branch out a little further and gain some more variety in my diet. not too sure where to start...

there is the ongoing issue with "other people's" opinions...and it wears me down. the current issue is my hubby's boss....they would like to have us and a few others over for dinner. i tried to offer suggestions, but they were shot down. my feeling is they assume everything we eat is shit, and wouldn't dare cook anything vegan for themselves or their friends. i felt like a total burden. at the time of typing this...i'm furious, and will not be attending any such dinner. most people i know serve what they want, and we would bring a dish of our choice. but that is not an option, she HAS to cook for everyone, but does NOT want to cook what we can eat. combine that with her opinion of my tattoos, and job .. well i was exhausted by the time we left.

even today i'm still burning...i think the biggest problem is because i can't say anything to her. it will directly affect my husband's work experience for a few days, and i'm not willing to let him take the fall. i guess we'll see where this goes...for now...

-Joyce

www.crazyvegans.com

i am headed to the in laws for christmas dinner, and a giant turkey with all the fixings will be served. my girls, hubby, and myself are bouncing around some ideas of what we can bring.

turns out, hubby hasn't had any cheese or dairy in the last week, and feels comfy taking the last step to veganism. WOW! holy shit WOW! i'm beyond impressed!

anyway...he has suggested that i bring lasagne for dinner. it's an untraditional christmas dinner, but i think i'm going to go ahead with his suggestion. it's one of my favourite meals, so why not!

i was going to order a tofurkey for the holiday season, but i think i will wait for easter. it's better to serve something i know we all love to eat.

so lasagne for christmas dinner! i love it!

www.crazyvegans.com

-Joyce

so here's the deal..i've been obsessed about a comment made a couple of days ago. vegans/vegetarians have poorer immune systems, and only vegans/vegetarians/followers believe it's healthy. so i started searching for non-vegan opinions and this is what i've found....

from the physicians committee for responsible medicine

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_foods.html

Vegetarian diets—naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals—help to prevent cancer.

Vegetarian diets also help prevent heart disease

They also discovered that vegetarian diets could, within two weeks, significantly reduce a person’s blood pressure.

Non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset) diabetes can be better controlled and sometimes even eliminated through a low-fat, vegetarian diet along with regular exercise.

from the mayo clinic

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596

No matter what your age or situation, a well-planned vegetarian diet can meet your nutritional needs. Even children and teenagers can do well on a plant-based diet, as can older people, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. 

from the american heart association

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777

They’re also usually lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer. 

and the list goes on! check out the connection between a vegan diet and diabetes!

i did find an article claiming a vegan diet is unethical, and can harm children's development. i also noted the person conducting the research in the article is from the US AGRICULTURAL research service. HAHAHAHAHA...it's only the meat and dairy people who claim vegan/vegetarians are unhealthy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4282257.stm

my advice...see WHERE the information is coming. as long as we know what we need nutritionally and take the steps to ensure we get what we need...we'll do just fine!

www.crazyvegans.com

-Joyce

i was told today, that vegans have poorer immune systems than meat eaters. huh? how does this make sense? apparently it was on a medical show, and the argument that veganism is healthier, is a point made by a vegan and the rest of us are "followers". theres no proof that veganism is healthier.

huh?

i read all the nutritional labels of everything i eat, and the only difference i see is fewer calories, less saturated fats, and no cholesterol. how am i UNhealthier?

i pointed out that i was told by my doctor to give up dairy and eggs. and no..pork isn't anyone's friend. i guess if i kept chicken and fish these people wouldn't suggest my health was at risk. but since i use the title "vegan"...well...now there's a problem.

what about the heart attack my mom had a 46? what about the heart disease that runs in my family? what about the fact that my DNA runs through my children? shouldn't I be doing what i can to ensure i teach them to take care of themselves? wouldn't it be irresponsible to carry on with poor eating habits? at some point in life most people HAVE to change how they eat. ..is it only acceptable when you're knockin on death's door?

because i choose a diet low in saturated fats, and choose to eat whole grains and fruits and vegetables, i have to defend myself? this is a bad thing?

-Joyce

www.crazyvegans.com

i'm feelin a little under the weather today. drained. sore throat. and more drained. could be worse, i could still be smoking or loading my insides with animal products and be feeling like death. but i dont. i'm just a wee bit out of sorts. unfortunately in december a wee bit  out of sorts  is more than enough. i tried to hit a grocery store to pick up something for dinner, and the traffic is insane. the roads are much better today, but there are still lots of accidents. i'm too foggy to shop, to foggy to drive, so i decided come back home empty handed instead.

not sure what we're having for dinner tonight. take out isn't nearly as convenient anymore, seeing as we can't eat most of it. think i'll nap, and try again when hubby gets home to escort me to the store.

-Joyce

www.crazyvegans.com

This weather is NOT letting up! More warnings from the weather network. They keep saying the rain and warmer temperatures are coming, but all i see and feel is this snow!

I did get out of the house today, during this brief break in between storms. I made it to the gym and put in a fair amount of cardio (have to work off the baked goods I ate during lock down this week. HAHA)

Speakin of baked goods...I am absolutely lovin "veganizing" all my old recipes! my hips on the other hand...well, that's what my gym membership is for. Yesterday I made some chocolate cookies, a small batch, and they turned out awesome! So today I'm thinking of chocolate chip cookies! Now that I know how well the egg replacer works, I want to bake all my faves again!

Alrighty...I have to start dinner......

-Joyce

www.crazyvegans.com

it's snow day number 2! no new snow..but ice everywhere, and the coldest weather i have felt in a long time. -25 celcius with the wind chill, i'm being told. i'm quite content to be indoors today. yep yep.

i googled "crazy vegans" today, and our site is number 1 on the list! weeee! lol. i didn't realize how excited i would be to make a "google list" ... but here i am, freakin excited!

the downfall to being stuck inside, is that all the stores are outside. i'm in the mood to bake cookies today, and in need of a few things. i haven't found a cookie recipe i really love yet .. none of them have been soft and chewy and melt in your mouth kind of cookie. if anyone has a recipe for me to tryout, let me know! i do have an old cookie recipe that i'm thinking of trying...substitute after substitute...i wonder if it would be any good.

all this cookie talk isn't helping my craving though. and i'm not going out there for anything today. so... i'm going to talk about the stirfry i plan on making for dinner. mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, broccoli, water chestnuts, and rice noodles. soy sauce, maybe some ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, and whatever else i feel like throwing in when the time comes.

i think feebs and i should make t-shirts! c'mon feebs...lol

www.crazyvegans.com

-Joyce

In the face of some very stressfull and emotional days, I think it is even more important to try to find peace and balance through whatever path one chooses.

I tried to meditate again tonight, on the flame of a candle. I didn't really do very well. I ended up sobbing over something over which I have no control. Can I consider it meditating? I don't know but I do know that study after study has proven that toxins are released from the body in emotional tears (as opposed to the tears one cries while chopping an onion). Releasing toxins cannot be a bad thing and I am not really a crier so I am going to count this as meditative crying and call it good.

blessings,

-feebs

http://crazyvegans.com/