It’s National Gymnastics Day! I love coaching our Pre-Team, even when I’m at my most exhausted. They make me laugh and inspire me to work hard at honing in on skills that need development. We celebrated yesterday by playing around on our new Tumbl Trak!
I have not been feeling well in the slightest. For some odd reason, my stomach has been angrily retaliating and I’ve been feeling achy and bloated for the past few days. My entire life, I have experienced stomach pains due to surgery at a young age but every once in awhile, I’ll go through a time where it is unbearable. I just read today that there were many water bottles contaminated with E. Coli, two of the brands being water that I have consumed recently! I’m going to have to keep an eye on my stomach problems and make sure it isn’t anything that bad.
I made my Dad a huge (non-Vegan) breakfast for Father’ Day! I’m trying to sway my parents toward a more plant-based diet but it’s sort of falling flat. I decided that for my birthday, all I want is for everyone to come over and let me cook a huge vegan buffet. We’ll see! I made Dad some bacon and then cooked the eggs in the bacon fat.
I also made some good ol’ NOLA Beignets! I haven’t mastered the square shape yet but who gives a hoot if they taste delicious, am I right? They pretty much taste like zeppoles but seasoned the way only I can.
Dad threw some of my Aunt’s homemade Raspberry jam on top and went in! I think he ate a total of 3 or 4, which is crazy considering how large these guys are. It makes me happy to feed people! There is definitely a part of me that wants to be a chef and just live in the kitchen for the rest of my life, making people happy and stuffed.
21 Day Fix came in the mail the other day. I’ve been messing around with it a little bit, but have yet to make the full commitment. Her workouts are pretty cool though and leave me super duper sweaty.
My first 21 Day Fix dinner was some spinach, avocado and spicy Tofu. It was pretty slammin’.
Yesterday, we headed into New York City to celebrate my younger sister’s 21st birthday. It’s been awhile since I headed into the city, which is strange for me because I spent so much time there as a teen and young adult. Being there caused me to get bit by the bug again, with all the fresh produce markets and tall buildings. I find so much comfort there, which is sort of funny considering my social anxiety. For some reason, it doesn’t feel overwhelming and I feel overcome with bliss in Manhattan.
Because our plans were to go out to dinner, M and I headed in early so we’d be around. After getting to the East Village, we found a restaurant with vegan options called the Atlas Cafe, on 2nd Avenue between East 4th & 5th Street. It was a tiny hole in the wall with adorable seating and the friendliest staff! There must be some kind of word that I’m not thinking of to describe the feeling of seeing the word “vegan” on a menu so many times.
After staring at the menu for quite some time and wanting to try everything, I decided on the Vegan Cubano. At first glance, it bothered me that there were Cheez Doodles on the plate. Obviously, no one had complained about this prior so I wasn’t about to be the first. I was grateful either way to have a huge vegan sandwich in front of me.The sandwich housed vegan chik’n patties with roasted red peppers, avocado and tofu cream cheese. Usually, I’m not too fond of cream cheese but it really worked well on this sandwich.
I devoured the entire sandwich in about 3 minutes, which is insane for me since I can’t eat a lot in one sitting typically. It was warm and the atmosphere was friendly. This is why being in the city is infinitely more fun and enjoyable than being in jersey. All we did was google “vegan” and our location once we arrived at the East Village, and BAM- there was a place a short walk away. Around here, it’s quite a drive to any place that may serve vegan food and even then, it’s a gamble if it’s actually vegan or not.
After dinner, Matty treated me to a soymilk fruit shake with mango and banana. It was absolutely beyond yummy and I finished it before we arrived back at the location of the restaurant we had reservations for. I don’t like being the person that eats before we go out to dinner, but my family is so understanding. I’m lucky to have people in my life that really care about me and my happiness before questioning my choices. It makes it much easier to be vegan and enjoy life at the same time.
My younger sister (in glasses) had such a great time! Dinner was fun and the restaurant was cozy with quirky vintage decorations that we had extensive conversation about. In the bathroom, there were peep holes were you could watch raunchy videos and the photograph above our table featured a nipple. My family is so much fun and when we can all get together, it’s always a great time.
Today, I put together water bottle gifts to thank my staff for their hardwork. They are all so amazing in many ways and I’m glad I have the support system I do. They deserve so much more than a water bottle, but I do what I can.
I got 20,000 steps in yesterday just from walking around the city!
The 21 Day Fix arrived today… Anxiously waiting to go open the package and check it out.
I’ve been playing around with different new foods and flavors since going back to Vegan. Knowing that this will probably be the last time I actually switch over, I decided to really give it my all and discover which foods I like the most.
Dinner the other night came in the form of Tempeh- which I really do not know how to cook! I read a ton of tips and instructions online but I think I still didn’t cook it properly. It had a weird taste, despite being doused in delicious Peanut Sauce and sauteed. I’m probably just not used to it, but I had so much leftovers that I ate this meal for lunch for three days!
I created my own “bento” using steamed veggies, brown rice, pad thai noodles, tempeh and avocado. Overall, the flavors work well together but without the avocado, the tempeh flavor would have been way too powerful.
For dessert, I made my personal favorite smoothie- Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Chocolate Protein Powder, Banana, Almond Milk, Peanut Butter and Banana. My own spin on the Chocolate Elvis!
One thing that I’ve become obsessed with…
Fresh Spring Rolls! I purchased the wrappers from our local grocery and taught myself how to wrap them! I love cramming all kinds of random things in these guys…
The setup is quite extensive… a bowl of water to dip the wraps in, the package of wraps, sliced zucchini, fresh avocado, a mound of raw spinach, and a bag of Organic Broccoli Slaw! Some days, I add mango, cucumber, etc.
I couldn’t resist what I found in WholeFoods the other day and HAD to buy one! It was every bit as delicious as I hoped and the chocolate melted in my mouth. The only complaint I would have is that it was huge and the pretzels were sort of hard to eat and scratched my mouth.
Otherwise, it was a gooey, chocolaty delicious mess of awesome.
Aaaand here’s a sneak peak at my latest project…
I moved out on March 28th. As I packed up my entire apartment and the life that I had made for myself, I felt hopeless. My family was worried that I’d backslide into my mood swings and depression, remaining alert with every move I made.
I remember halfway through packing, I just sat down on a box and started sobbing. The fear was not that I would miss B or our relationship, but rather that I would no longer have the strong independence and will to live as before. When you make something your own and put time and effort into it, it stings throughout your veins if its taken away from you. The paintings I purchased for the walls, our table, our couch, our setup- all useless.
But with every cloud comes- you guessed it- a silver lining. Lame and cliche, but ever true. It wasn’t long before I found myself engaging in a new conversation, a better one. The glass began to shatter, so to speak, and I started to see B as I hadn’t before. Perhaps in the throws of our relationship I was blinded, but it was blatantly obvious to me now- he was not good to me.
M is good to me. He protects me, he takes care of me, he makes me laugh and talks me off the ledge without being condescending. Last night, I found myself sprawled out on the bed as his fingers flew fast across his guitar. Listening to him play the guitar is the most comforting thing in the world. When I hear it, a blanket comes over me and calms me down instantly, his fingers gently scratching the strings. Through my depression and hard times, I felt so alone, but now I don’t have to. I found the person who makes me strive to be a better human and not give up on life. I know I’m going to be okay because he is in my life.
That’s all anyone could ask for, right?
Nope! Just bought a Fitbit ChargeHR and it looks like a homing device! It’s cool though, I like that it tracks my heartrate and calories and whatnot more accurately. I’m pretty good with balancing my intake and exercising but it’s super specific. It’s weird to realize you’ve been a little off in your calculations.
Yesterday, I spent the day playing on the playground! The park where I hold my youth theatre rehearsals has this awesome rock wall that I had the urge to climb. Chantel and I played on the swings, climbed around and went across the monkey bars! A successful, sweaty, tiring day in my opinion. I love to play, regardless of how old I get!
I had this amazing Super Spinach Salad from Trader Joe’s the other day. It was so yummy and filling. I love quinoa, so anything that houses it is bank, in my opinion. I don’t ever use dressing so no judgement on that, but ginger miso sounds pretty good. I really liked the fact that the cranberries added this different kind of tarty sweetness.
Almost every single day, I eat lunch at Whole Foods. It is so expensive but SOOO worth it. The thing with me is that I’ll get hooked on something that I think is delicious and eat it every single day for weeks without fail. I love their Avocado Cucumber Tropical Rolls, which come with this Peanut Sauce. Since I bought Spring Roll wrappers to attempt to make my own at home and save myself like $8, I had to get the sauce to go with it or it wouldn’t be the same. I can’t wait!
My mom keeps asking me what I can and can’t eat as a vegan. I love this because she really cares, but even though we have restrictions, there is so much that we DO eat! I came across these mouth watering cupcakes and even though I’m trying to be good, I snapped a picture for mom. My birthday is in September, so I put the PSA out there that vegan cupcakes that look like THIS do exist and should she decide to celebrate my birthday, these will be accepted gratefully.
Now, I’m off to the gym and then to aquatics training with my camp staff. I love getting in the pool, so I’m looking forward to it! It’s a long day though, so I can’t wait to eventually relax.
PS: I purchased the 21 Day Fix from BeachBody. That’ll be the next experiment I try.
Hello, world!
I am so sorry I’ve been gone for so long. While I was trucking along and sticking to an exercise regiment while eating my healthiest, my boyfriend decided to break up with me.
KABOOM!
My entire world fell apart. Flash-forward to now, where I have finally moved on and started to unpack my belongings at home with my parents!
And I dyed my hair! I wanted to go back to blonde but when we tried to take the black dye out of my hair, it turned red! I’m liking this color though, so I’ll probably keep it for awhile.
After a brief stint of trying to go back to “regular” eating, I’m staying vegan. It makes me feel like a million bucks and who can argue that? I love eating plants so I have no problem sticking with it. Here are a few of my more recent meals…
Homemade Lettuce Wraps with Avocado, Broccoli Slaw, Cucumber and Peanut Butter
Spaghetti Squash with Steamed Green Peas and Tomato, topped with Soy Sauce and a Spice Blend
One of my favorite WholeFoods meals: Vegetable Dragon Rolls with Midnight Black Rice
Trader Joe’s comes through with their delicious Tofu Spring Rolls
Yet another delicious WholeFoods meal: Avocado Cucumber Tropical Rolls
Sometimes, I get super bland. This is literally a bowl of peas.
After a long rough day of work at our annual Memorial Day Rubber Duck Race, I crushed an entire container of juicy raspberries and probably could have destroyed six more.
My first Bento experience! Tofu with Udon noodles, brown rice and veggies! I’ve already had it three more times because it’s so delicious!
I’ve gotten really into wrapping random things in lettuce. This is a Mango, Cucumber and Avocado Lettuce Wrap.
Nature’s Path makes these amazing gluten free Pumpkin Spice waffles that hit the spot when I’m hungry at work.
The nice thing about being home with my parents is that they really support my Veganism. My mom made potato salad the other day and left a container of it undressed for me so I could enjoy it, too. I mixed it up with some mashed avocado and it was awesome! I’m lucky to have such amazing people to live with.
I learned how to make my own sushi! For those of you that have been reading my blog, you know that I LOVE sushi. I spend so much money on it and it’s delicious, but I wanted to be able to make my own and fill it with whatever I want. The ones above are Avocado with Cinnamon NutButter, and the ones below are simple avocado. I can’t wait to continue experimenting and creating fun rolls!
In addition to my new recipes, I made vegan donuts for National Donut Day! My grandma gave me this great coffee spice for Christmas, which I haven’t been able to use yet. I threw it in these donuts and they were so yummy!
Not only do I have a new chapter in my life because I’m living at home, but I have a new chapter in my love life. My new dude is so amazing and actually puts up with hanging out with me in the kitchen while I cook and bake! I taught him how to make muffins the other day. We made Thug Kitchen’s Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins and I whipped up my own batch of vegan Cinnamon Bun Muffins.
I promise to keep you all updated now that I’m back!
Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. I have something major going on and once it blows over, I’ll come back, I promise.
Went to Costco yesterday and got a pack of 100 calorie organic guacamole cups (Wholly Guacamole brand). I love guac/avocados but they are definitely high in fat and to be moderated. These cups help me enjoy it pre-portioned! And they’re seasoned awesomely.
I also got a 10 pound bag of carrots for the babies! Of course they eat organic, too.
It was nice out today but so windy. I hopped into a 3 mile run and my ears were stinging. At least I got it done! Another day on track for the half marathon.
Little darlin’, I feel that ice is slowly melting.
After cleaning 8 inches of snow off the car, we got to the gym!! Praying this is the last storm to hit us.
Smashed 3 miles on the treadmill. Eminem really pumps me up and helps me run. I definitely go faster when his music is on.
We had sushi for lunch. Of course I get Avocado Cucumber rolls which are so good.
For dinner, I made Baked Cajun Fries!
They were easy! Preheat oven to 450, cut Russet Potatoes into strips, toss in olive oil, sprinkle Cajun seasoning and salt and bake for 25 minutes!
I dipped them in some mustard and organic ketchup.
Goodnight!!
Gailmarie 