Eating Pizza....NOT the Vegan Kind

A few weeks ago I ate a slice of cheese pizza from a local spot.
 
After feeling awful about myself…. I ate another slice. And another. And one more.
 
You know how some people reach for wine when they have a bad day or when life isn’t going so well? My drug of choice is food.

Sometimes this is my crappy reality.

I’m not proud of it, but I made a vow to myself that I will be more open with you about my journey…the good, the bad and definitely the ugly.
 
These days, I’m working on embracing my progress and trying not to beat myself up for not being perfect. I’m a work in progress.
 
Is this your life, too?
 
I wanted to give you this audio I recorded a little while ago (about 15 minutes long) with tips on how to deal with a vegan slump.
 
>>> What to do if you fall off a vegan journey audio <<<
 

Points I made in the audio:

*Make a decision to go vegan, then come up with a plan-Research, use cookbooks, etc

*Connect with other vegans on and offline

*Be open to experimenting with new recipes

*Baby step your way to more vegan meals

*DON'T beat yourself up

Sometimes we have setbacks, but in my experience the journey tends to be like that!

Dust yourself off and try again!

Thanks for reading. Please share your own experiences in the comments.

Black Folks, Camping and Vegan Food.....Oh My

We had our first camping trip of the season a couple of weeks ago, and let's just say I can't wait to do more with the fam!

I didn't grow up camping and actually didn't go on my first camping trip until I met Eric in my early twenties.

If anyone invited me to go camping back in the day, I would look at them like this....

Sleeping outside in the heat, with bugs, possible rain and not having access to a shower?

Nah, I'm good on that.

I only went on that first trip with Eric because I was trying to impress him while we were dating. lol

I had to make my boo think I was outdoorsy and adventurous. We went with a group of some of his friends and spent the weekend white water rafting, eating cheeseburgers, and taking shots of Bacardi (well I did) to fall asleep. Every little sound made me wake up back then. lol The good ole days.

These days I love taking the kids camping because it forces us to unplug, relax and live in the moment. Nothing better!

Anywho, about the latest camping trip....

This was the first time we participated in Great American Campout - a night of camping with about 50 other families hosted by our county. There were lots of planned activities.... swimming, archery, canoeing, field games (similar to the ones in elementary school), a bonfire & they even provided dinner and breakfast the next day. All for $10 a person.

We made sure to bring plenty of snacks....I was the only one who didn't like the Earth Balance puffs....they're dry and kind of bland.

This is so lazy but I didn't make food in advance for dinner. Vegan fail!  I figured we would just go up the road if there weren't any vegan options on the menu (I didn't expect there to be much). 

Check this out! There was veggie burgers, vegetarian baked beans, watermelon and potato chips on the menu. I was shocked! Sure there was pasta salad with cheese, hotdogs and other non-vegan food, but the fact that they considered everybody had me dancing like this...

I can't tell you how much I appreciated this! The world is changing, y'all!

Always good times camping with the fam!

Check out our camping trip from last summer (I recorded a video for it, too)

 

Does your family camp? If not, are the bugs and heat stopping you from doing it?

I Don’t Feel Like Cooking. Is This Your Struggle Too?

My confession.... I really enjoy cooking but don’t usually feel like cooking.
 
Can you relate to this?
 
Sometimes I miss the mindless days of throwing fish sticks in the oven and boxed macaroni and cheese on the stove…without considering factory farming and how crappy food affects our bodies.
 
 I miss the days of not knowing or caring. The life of ignorance.
 
I know you can relate to this.
 
The thing is, you have to cook (even if just a little bit) to make it work in this lifestyle for the long haul.
 
This is why I think most of us (notice I said US) don’t feel like we can do this long-term. It feels like too much damn work.
 
As overwhelming as it may feel, if you want to start or continue a vegan journey, you must have some sort-of meal plan.
 
If you’re not in the mood to cook 7 vegan dinners for the week, aim for 3 and double the hell out of those recipes…. especially soup.

Soup recipe here. Here’s another one.
 
Stir-fry is quick and easy, too.
 
Make one with Field Roast sausage, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, seasoning and serve with rice.
 
Make another one with broccoli, mushrooms, scallions, ginger, soy sauce and more rice.
 
Double (and triple) recipe portions to keep you on track and to save time and money.
 
Sometimes it gets hard in these vegan streets!
 
Don’t give up! (I’m speaking to myself just as much as I’m talking to you-believe that!)

BABY STEP Your Way to A Vegan Lifestyle (VIDEO)

Sometimes it can be difficult to embrace a vegan lifestyle…especially when taking your family along with you.

No worries! It doesn’t have to be all or nothing to get started.

In the latest video, I share some tips to baby step your way into a vegan lifestyle with your family.

Tips from the video:

*Be a vegetarian first by replacing meat with vegan meat alternatives-Replace your chicken with Gardein products, sausage with Field Roast & ground beef with protein crumbles.
*Start replacing dairy with plant-based milk (almond, soy and flax are great alternatives), use Daiya or Follow Your Heart vegan cheese instead of dairy, and Earth Balance vegan margarine
*Read books and watch documentaries-Skinny Bitch, Sistah Vegan, EARTHLINGS, and Forks Over Knives are a few I recommend
*Start with vegan breakfast & snacks-You can replace your conventional pancakes with  vegan ones (the milk is the only difference), enjoy tofu scramble instead of regular eggs, and drink smoothies with (plant-based milk) and oatmeal with Earth Balance margarine instead of dairy
*Commit to ONE vegan meal a week-You can do it! Use Pinterest and my recipe page to get ideas

Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get more vlogs and vegan recipes.

You're Already Eating Vegan

Someone left this comment on my YouTube channel last week….
 
“OMG! I had no idea that vegan food is in fact, FOOD! Hahaha. I’m on board! What’s next?”
 
I've been there! Before we started this journey, I remember thinking there's no way in hell vegan meals can be every day food. I also thought vegan meals were tasteless and boring.

Now I know better!
The beauty of this lifestyle is that you’re already eating a lot of these foods Every. Single. Day.
 
The thing is, now you and your family will eat even more of the foods that will make you feel and look good (more fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds, etc).
 
The simplest way to get started on a vegan journey is by replacing your meat, eggs, and dairy with plant-based alternatives.
 
Check out these examples with breakfast, lunch and dinner:
 
Breakfast: Pancakes (replace your cow's milk with a plant-based one like almond or soy-here’s our favorite pancake recipe), vegan breakfast sausage (brands like Lightlife and Field Roast are awesome) and fresh fruit

Pic from this blog post

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwiches (Daiya vegan cheese, vegan margarine and sourdough bread-check out this quick video demo) and a side salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber & onion) with balsamic vinaigrette

Recipe for burger here

Dinner: Hamburger, fries and broccoli…Instead of a beef patty you can enjoy a firm and delicious veggie burger (here’s the recipe for our fave-it's amazing on the grill!).
 
See how you're already eating this stuff?!
 
With a few adjustments, you can start replacing your favorite meals with healthier alternatives right now!

It’s all about replacing it, baby!

The next time you go to the grocery store, what will you replace?
It can be as simple as swapping your cow’s milk out with almond or soy milk or buying Earth Balance vegan margarine instead of conventional butter. 

Make it happen!