Not Your Ordinary Soup!

Hello lovelies! It's that chilly time of year when I reminisce about and crave soup. 

Sorry, not the canned type variety, but the hearty, Caribbean deliciousness that I grew up with. I was missing home #1 (NY) and home #2 (Trinidad) last weekend, so I decided to make a huge pot of comfort that would take me back to the happy parts of my childhood. Both my birth parents are Trinidadian, and I lived in there for 2 years while I was a toddler. My stepmother is from Jamaica, so this type of food is pretty much a part of my soul!  Many requested the recipe after I posted pics. Ask and ye shall receive.

Before you attempt this soup (if it's your first experience with West Indian cooking), please know that we don't like bland food. Spicy, flavorful, colorful celebrations is what we do with our nosh. Feel free to pull back, or omit some of the peppers that this recipe calls for, according to your taste. 

Also note that you can pretty much add whatever veggies you like to this soup. I added a few of mine to the "traditional" recipe out of either lack of having it on hand, or personal preference (my stepmother's yummy recipe calls for dumplings, chicken and/or beef added...but we be vegan round here!). Do what you like!

Nikki's Trini Lentil & Veggie Soup 💋

You'll need:

1 cup dried lentils (I used a combo of red and green)

4-5 cups of water to boil the lentils

2 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can soften in the microwave for a few minutes, or bake for 15 minutes)

2 large organic carrots, peeled and sliced at an angle

2 large potatoes, peeled (eddoes are traditionally used, but I didn't have any. They are kind of like white potatoes, but a bit sweeter tasting. FYI)

1 large sweet onion, diced or sliced

3 pimiento peppers, chopped

1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped (WASH HANDS WITH SOAP AFTER HANDLING!)

1 leek stalk, chopped and washed thoroughly

2 cups baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1.5 cups kale leaves, chopped (I used this in combo with cilantro in place of traditional chadon beni leaves, which I didn't have on hand. Chadon (or shado) beni is a strong herb used Trini cooking. Another name is culantro, not to be confused with cilantro or coriander. They do smell very similar, though!)

2 large celery stalks, chopped

2 plantains or green bananas, sliced

1 Tbsp thyme, stemmed

2 Tbsp "green seasoning", or to taste (see below)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2-3 Tbsp unsalted vegan butter

Sea salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

6 cups water

Green seasoning~>used in the Caribbean to marinate and flavor dishes.  Again, chadon beni and Spanish thyme are the two main ingredients. There are many variations, but this is mine using cilantro and regular thyme, and it came out terrific! 

You'll need:

1-2 cups cilantro (or chadon beni, if you have)

1 celery stalk including leaves

1 whole head of garlic, skinned

1/2 bunch fresh basil

1/2 bunch fresh chives

1/2 bunch fresh thyme 

1/2 bunch Spanish thyme (if you have)

2 Tbsp pimiento peppers

1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, or milder pepper if desired

1/2 large white onion

Place in blender/food processor (I use my NutriBullet®)

Add just enough water to blend ingredients 

Place in glass jar in fridge (lasts up to a month), or freeze in ice cube trays until ready to use.

My Trini green seasoning 👍

Make your soup!

1. Cook lentils in water for about 30 minutes until soft

2. Chop veggies while lentils are cooking

*Here's where I stray off the beaten path. You can now add all the following veggies to pot and skip to step 3, or:

*add 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a large pan and brown onions and leeks for 5 minutes over medium heat, with dash of salt and pepper. Set aside in large bowl. Add sweet potatoes to pan, along with carrots and plantains. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes until browned. Add to bowl. Sauté mushrooms for 2-3 minutes; add to bowl. Place all browned veggies in pot with lentils and add 6 cups more water. Add remaining ingredients as instructed below.

✔️This extra step gives the soup a more robust flavor, in my opinion!

3. Add kale, white potatoes, 1/2 chopped scotch bonnet pepper, pimiento, celery, thyme, tomato paste, green seasoning, vegan butter, salt and pepper to pot. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover.

4. Continue to cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until soup thickens.

Enjoy!

Lentils are a great vegan source of protein, and are pretty inexpensive. I use them in some of my "meat"loaf recipes and rice dishes. Love them.

My 15 year old had never had soup before (long story; he has a thing with hot liquids), but I made him some dinner rolls with this soup and he loved it! 

Put some music on and get in the kitchen! Tell me what you think if you try this recipe from my island.

Until next time.

Love & Happiness,

❤️ Nikki

Nikki Thomas, RN, CPN, CHHC, AADP is a lover of life, health, and truth. I strive to help you find your balance and sanity in this occasionally insane world. I am a registered nurse, a board certified holistic health practitioner, life and health coach. Let's talk about health & wellness, fashion, beauty, and food! 

Find me at www.getthisglow.com

www.facebook.com/getthisglow

Instagram: @veganfashionista

I'm About That (Sweet & Healthy) Life!

Lovelies! I hope all is well with you in your part of the world.

Thanksgiving just passed us by in the U.S. & I have yet to taste any of the desserts I made! Blasphemy.

Not sure why, because I'm usually all over the sweet potato pie situation. I guess my sweet tooth was not functioning this year.

I still want to share some healthy, delicious (almost unbelievable to some) vegan holiday desserts from some of my fave fellow bloggers. Let's go!

Apple Crumble Pie 

This comes from Nava Atlas' site VegKitchen, which features both vegan and vegetarian recipes. She's written many books on vegan and vegetarian cooking, as well as written tons of articles on healthy cooking which have been featured in VegNews & Vegetarian Times among others. I personally love apple crumbles and crisps because I'm not a fan of the flaky crust situation. If you are, I'll get you next time around =)

http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/apple-crumble-pie/

Bread and Butter Pudding

This kinda reminds me of a vegan UK version of the bread pudding I grew up on. Put custard in/on anything and I'm sold =\

Seriously, I became more aware of Jamie Oliver and his passion for healthy eating and healthy food awareness while I was in nutrition school at IIN. He's one of the good guys, it seems! You can find out more about his foundation here:

http://www.jamieoliverfoodfoundation.org.uk

Oh yeah, here's the recipe!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/vegan-bread-butter-pudding/

Cheesecake!

This dessert choice is pretty self-explanatory. Although, I have found people either love cheesecake or hate it. Hopefully, you're on my side of the fence and enjoy this recipe.

Minimalist Baker is a husband & wife team based in Portland, Oregon, who developed their site in 2012. Their recipes "require just 10 ingredients or less (sometimes 7), one bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare". They feature many gluten free and vegan recipes. What's not to love about that?

http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-pumpkin-swirl-cheesecake/

My Sweet Potato Pie!

So I might be a bit biased, but here's my favorite vegan sweet potato pie recipe. I pretty much grew up on this stuff for Thanksgiving, and tweaked it a bit after I transitioned from vegetarian to vegan over 3 years ago. No one knows the difference. I guess until now? Haha. I've featured this on my blog somewhere before I'm sure, but here it is again. I'm really bad with measurements, because I pretty much bake these freestyle, but I tried my best to keep track of amounts and such. Play around with the spices until you get it to your taste. Enjoy!

Ingredients for two pies:
2 graham cracker crusts (ready to bake), or your choice of crust
4-5 moderate to large sweet potatoes/yams, baked for about an hour, then peeled when cooled
cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom  (to taste...I never measure-sorry)
1/4 cup organic white sugar, 

3/4 cup  dark brown sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup or so of vanilla almond milk

3-4 tablespoons flour

raisins (optional)

Blend all non-crust ingredients in blender until smooth. Spoon into crusts. Mix in raisins, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean 

Now I want some dessert. What are your favorite holiday desserts? Share with us!

Remember, the key is not to stress over the holidays. Enjoy your treats, but also keep in mind that the important thing is the time you spend with your loved ones. Continue to stick to your healthy lifestyle and don't use the holidays as an excuse to run wild! Overindulgence and stress will only lead to frustration and derailment of your goals!

Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Nikki Thomas, RN, CPN, CHHC, AADP is a lover of life, health, and truth. I strive to help you find your balance and sanity in this occasionally insane world. I am a registered nurse, a board certified holistic health practitioner, life and health coach. Let's talk about health & wellness, fashion, beauty, and food! 

Find me at www.getthisglow.com

www.facebook.com/getthisglow

Instagram: @veganfashionista

Been There, Stop That!

Hello my lovelies! How many of you have been on the grapefruit diet? Cabbage soup diet? How about the "drink this for 48 hours and lose 10 pounds diet"? No? Not you? Well, surely you've tried water fasting for 7 days, only to give up after a day and have a burger and fries?

Hmmm.

I thought so. What's going on here? Why do we do this to ourselves? I mean, I know it's obvious that the ultimate goal is weight loss. However, by what means? What are the deeper reasons...and more importantly, the deeper consequences?

I saw this post today, and laughed at the author's candid reactions to certain foods that she vowed never to try again (some healthy, and some not so much). After the humor, I applauded her for deciding not to subject herself over and over to things that don't work for her!

When it comes to "dieting", why can't we do the same? Let's go...

1. We forget. Truly. We go on all of these crazy, short term, sometimes non-nutritive diets, and forget how irritable, anxious, bitchy, and HUNGRY we were while on them. But! Our high school reunion is coming up, and we have just got to show that one person we were secretly jealous of how much thinner than her we are now! Right? You gained the weight back the next week. Sigh.

2. We think one size fits all. In diets, and clothes sizes, we tend to believe the hype and think everything is for everybody. Come on, really? We all have unique fingerprints! The same perfume that I wear can smell completely different on you. Why wouldn't that qualify us to have some bioindividuality in what makes each of us function at our best? When I was in nutrition school, I learned that there are over 100 dietary theories out there. Whoa! Atkins, Paleo, The Blood Type Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, The South Beach Diet, Low Carb, High Carb...arrrrgh! If you're new healthy living, it can be very confusing. What to do? Marketing gurus convince us that this diet is better than that diet. Look! She lost 100 pounds in 2 weeks while doing this, you can too! Ok, a bit of a stretch, but you get my point.

3. We're lost. There is a part of us that is neglecting the essence of who we are and what we truly need to be happy. When you continually put yourself through discomfort and mental trauma (intentional or not) for temporary external results, what does this tell your subconscious? One: that short term quick fixes are the only solution to issues in your life. Two: that you're not really worthy of finding out the deeper truths and lasting answers to whatever it is you're needing. 

Issue arises~>binge on something nice and fattening~>feel guilty~>go on a quick diet~>lose some weight~>feel deprived during the process~>binge afterwards~>repeat. 

Bummer.

So, you want to get off this ride, huh? I did too. I decided to let go of all the madness, lies I'd been told (and told myself), embrace and love my body and self at that moment, and not wait until I lost x pounds. I asked my body what it wanted and needed to function optimally. I went to a biofeedback session here in Atlanta to find out what I needed to further remove from my diet and environment for an even healthier lifestyle. Even though I was already vegan, I would still feel sluggish and bloated. I found out I had allergies to gluten, malt, citrus (boo! I love lemons and grapefruit), so I reduced those items or cut them out completely.  

Bottom line...find out what works for you. Stop dieting! If you eat something and it makes you feel bad (bloated, headaches, itchy, rash, moody), cut it out. If you are constantly craving a certain food or foods, you may be deficient in specific nutrients. It does not mean you just get to eat that whole tub of ice cream! Check out this post from my newsletter on the cravings issue. 

What's The Alternative?

Remember to incorporate lots of  fresh, whole foods in your diet (organic when possible)...yet still watch for sensitivities. Adjust as necessary until you find a way of eating that leaves you feeling energetic and makes you glow!

Treat yourself occasionally. No deprivation. Get exercise of some sort daily. Do something good for yourself and others. Smile. Surround yourself with love, and lovely people. Have some cabbage soup if you want to...you just won't need it 3 times a day for 10 days ever again!

Until next time,

Love & Happiness!

Nikki

Nikki Thomas, RN, CPN, CHHC, AADP is a lover of life, health, and truth. I strive to help you find your balance and sanity in this occasionally insane world. I am a registered nurse, a board certified holistic health practitioner, life and health coach. Let's talk about health & wellness, fashion, beauty, and food! 

Find me at www.getthisglow.com

www.facebook.com/getthisglow

Instagram: @veganfashionista

Spicy Pineapple Coconut Curry Tofu! Whew!

Hello again, my lovelies! Hope you're all doing well and ready for your summer. The title of this post is definitely a mouthful. It was a delicious mouthful, though...I promise. I made it last night for dinner and thought I'd share with you.

Normally, I wouldn't make such a hot dish in 80+ degree weather, but you already know how it goes when I have a curry craving! It's the daggone Trini in me!  

So...a little backstory. This dish was inspired by a lunch date that I had with the hubbs about a month ago. We went to a vegan restaurant in Atlanta called Loving Hut, and he had some kind of veggie-coconutty-curry sauce dish thingy that he was having some kind of love affair with. It smelled amazing, and I made a mental note to make something similar at home. I gathered what I thought might make a similar dish and went into the lab! 

If you're new to tofu, it's made from soybeans. It has no taste/flavor, and basically takes on the flavors of whatever you season it with. You can scramble it, bake it, fry it, grill it, put it in smoothies and desserts...do whatcha like! I don't eat soy frequently anymore because of its high estrogen content, and the fact that most soy in this country is a GMO (genetically modified organism). However, when I do, I make sure it's non-GMO and organic. Got it? Cool. 

Everything was going perfectly...until I broke my own cardinal rule. More on that later. Here's how to make it.

Nikki's Pineapple Coconut Curry Tofu

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

14 oz firm or extra firm organic tofu, drained 

2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup organic coconut cream or milk (not the carton stuff!) I use Native Forest brand

1/4 cup water

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 Tbsp curry powder (or to taste)

1 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp tamari sauce, divided in half

1 habanero pepper, chopped (or milder pepper if preferred)

4 Tbsp pineapple juice

4 Tbsp crushed pineapple

3 stalks green onion, chopped (including white part)

Himalayan or sea salt to taste

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

How to make it

*Heat oils in frying pan

*Press tofu between paper towels to remove extra moisture

*Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes

*Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper into frying pan, and sauté garlic until lightly browned.

*Remove garlic and place in bowl

*Place tofu in large frying pan and brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes each side over medium heat

*While tofu is cooking, combine coconut milk, water, curry powder, cumin, pineapple and juice, habanero pepper, and 1 Tbsp tamari sauce in bowl. Whisk together.

*Transfer cooked tofu to bowl with garlic. Add chopped green onions and remaining tamari sauce. Combine well.

*Return tofu to pan and add sauce. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes to combine flavors. 

Serve with cooked brown rice, quinoa, couscous, potatoes...or in this case, I made rice noodles for the teenager. He was quite happy.

I have to admit...it came out pretty freaking good. I was feeling myself. Literally...I felt an eyelash or something go into my eye, and went to remove it. The burn that ensued was indescribable. I was pretty sure I had washed my hands after chopping the habanero pepper. After all, this wasn't my first hot pepper rodeo. I always tell my clients and my friends to wash their hands with soap after handling hot peppers. Thoroughly. None of that mattered at that moment because my right eye was on fire.  A quick spray of water later from my retractable kitchen faucet, and all was well again. The joys of being a chef =)

Until next time,

Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Allow Me To Introduce You Two

Hello again, my lovelies! I hope all is well in your world.

You guys already know that I'm on a mission to keep myself and you all on top of the best of health, beauty, fashion, and wellness. When I feel like something got past me, I get highly annoyed. What am I rambling about, you ask? Ok, ok. Allow me to introduce some of you to a sly little bugger who's been hiding in the shadows of my almond milk and coconut creamer. Now, I have to take some of the blame since I hadn't been making my own almond milk at home like I used to. Sometimes convenience is not worth it.

Carrageenan 

As I got into the habit of reading the labels of everything, I became confident at my ability to spot non-vegan and also unhealthy ingredients. Then I found out what 'natural flavors and colors' meant (that's a post for another day), and I was on extra alert. Soon, I noticed the ingredient "carrageenan" in my favorite old brand of store bought almond milk and also coconut creamer. Alarms went off and I decided to do some investigating. Now, I'm not an alarmist or extremist. I know I can't protect myself from every potential harmful exposure to food or environment. Yet, I want the ability to be made aware of what's being put into my food. 

After doing extensive research from many different sources, this is some of what I found:

"All told, I recommend avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan. This is especially important advice for persons with inflammatory bowel disease." Andrew Weil, M.D. (Source)

"...are a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweed. They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. Their main application is in dairy and meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins. Carrageenan is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications, although it cannot replace gelatin in confectionery like jelly babies.While some indicate that carrageenan safely passes through rat GI tracts without adverse effect when it is a dietary ingredient,^[2] other animal dietary studies have observed colitis-like disease and tumor promotion. (source: Wikipedia) 

"Research links the controversial food ingredient carrageenan to gastrointestinal inflammation, including higher rates of colon cancer, in laboratory animals." (Source: Cornucopia)

"Research from Joanne Tobacman, MD, professor at University of Iowa College of Medicine, scientist and carrageenan expert, discusses valid concerns that digestive enzymes and bacterial action convert high weight carrageenans to dangerous low molecular weight carrageenans and poligeenans in the human gut—linked to human cancers and digestive disorders. Tobacman’s evidence and conclusions are based upon human tissue samples, not animal studies." (Source)

So this is important not just for vegans like myself, but for anyone who consumes dairy products and may have digestive concerns...or want to prevent any! Yeah, that covers a lot of us.

Here's a shopping guide for you so that you can have alternative options. Go a step further. If you see your brand on this list that uses carrageenan, be vocal about it! Some companies have removed the ingredient because of increased consumer awareness and demand. I've switched from Blue Diamond to Silk Pure Almond, but I will be going back to making my own almond milk now. It's so easy and tastes so much better. I'll blog about it in the near future.

Well, the moral of the story is to research anything you don't recognize on labels or in recipes that you are putting into your body. Don't be Chicken Little and worry that the sky is falling, but just be aware! You and your family deserve the best.

Until next time.

Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Coconut Milk to the Rescue!

Hello my lovelies! What a summer! It is flying by. The kids are already back in school (that's how they roll in the south...no waiting for after Labor Day down here!), and I can feel the days starting to get shorter. Forget that! I decided to ignore all the signs that autumn is right around the corner by walking around the house in my bathing suit, making fruit juice cooler spritzers, sitting in my backyard under the umbrella beside my pretend pool, and of course...making pizza! When my sister and I were kids in Brooklyn, we'd have pizza pretty much every Saturday during the summer after going to our Girl Scouts meetings. Nothing on earth like NY pizza-hands down.
Just because I'm now vegan doesn't mean that I was going to give up my love of pizza...nope. I usually just make a tomato based one (see my last post), but this time I wanted some "cheesy" goodness.
I love coconut milk, and always have a can or three on hand (not the watered down refrigerated carton stuff, but the really creamy canned type. Just make sure your can is BPA free). There's usually fresh coconuts in the house as well. Native Forest is a canned brand that is both organic and BPA free.
I knew I could make a white sauce that would satisfy my "cheesy" desire using coconut milk, garlic, and other spices. I went on a hunt and...yes! I was finally inspired by the sauce in this recipe by Sweet Beet & Green Bean. Plus, it looked deeelicious!
Here you go.

Nikki's Spinach &Tomato White Sauce Pizza

White Sauce
2 garlic heads
1/2 cup organic canned coconut milk (see my note above)
Salt & pepper to taste

Crust
1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup oat flour (or you can just use 2 cups total unbleached all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano and rosemary
14 tsp allspice

Toppings
3 cups baby spinach
1 large onion,  chopped or sliced
1 cup kale, roughly chopped, stems removed
1 large vine ripened tomato, sliced
3 thyme sprigs

Sauté all in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Ok, Now What?

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut off tops of garlic heads. Brush with a bit of olive oil. Place on foil or baking sheet in oven for 45 min to an hour.
3. Make dough for crust. Mix yeast, sugar, allspice, oregano and rosemary in small bowl. Add warm water (not hot or you could kill the yeast...eek!). Within 5-10 minutes, it will proof, or foam.
4. Add olive oil and salt to yeast mixture. I used a mechanical sifter to add the flour to ensure adding slowly and evenly, but you can just make sure you add slowly. Add a bit of flour to counter, table, or cutting board and place dough onto it. Knead gently for about 30 seconds to 1 minute and form into a ball. Place in bowl, cover with towel and set in warm area to rise (this took an hour or so for me).
5. Sauté above veggies, except for sliced tomatoes. Lay tomato slices in pan after and gently heat each side for about a minute. Set veggies aside.
6. Take garlic out of oven after an hour, they should easily pop out of casings once cooled. Pour coconut milk into blender, add garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Blend until even.
7. Once dough is ready and about doubled in size, preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly flour your hands. Place dough in baking pan (I used my pizza stone), and shape into a crust, shaping edge. Or you can be a fool like me and try to spin in the air as if you have that gift and dare it not to fall on the floor!! Ha ha. Thankfully, it didn't...and it was fun. 
8. Brush the pizza crust with about a tablespoon of olive oil and place in oven for about 10 minutes to lightly brown.
9. Remove crust from oven, pour coconut garlic sauce over crust and add all veggies except tomatoes. Layer tomatoes on top. Remove thyme leaves from sprigs by grasping with thumb and forefinger and using other hand to pull leaves off in opposite direction. Sprinkle over tomatoes.
10. Bake at 450-475 for another 10-15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!!!

So? It was totally worth it! You could not taste the coconut milk at all...it just gave the sauce a creamy, cheesy texture and the garlic flavor was amazing. The crust was to die for. So easy and delicious. Soft and chewy and the edges slightly crisp...just how I like it. Great pizza...will add it to my arsenal. True to pizza form, it's even better the next day! If you try it, let me know.

That's it for now my lovelies! My first "Vegan Mommies" interview was completed and will post next. Enjoy the rest of your summer while you can. Until next time,

Love and Happiness, 

Nikki 

Emotionally Raw...20 Days

Back again, my lovelies to update you on this raw journey of mine. Are you all well? Good! I've got lots to share so let's get to it. Days 16-20 were a roller coaster, but I held on!

Days 16-20

Day 16 was like a gift from the perfect life fairy. I kid you not. Tuesday is usually a good day for me. Don't know why. I don't question it, I just ride the wave. Ha! I woke up feeling so clear headed and light inside. Very energetic. Still congested and "sneezy" since my arch enemy pollen was lingering around like an unwelcome house guest. I had resumed my intense workouts in the past few days and was about to do a kickboxing class, when my fiance said he wanted to "go shopping". Screeech! This from the king of frugal?! I quickly ate 2 bananas for breakfast, along with 2 cups of water. I also take water with me wherever I go. After shopping (he bought me 2 GORGEOUS summer dresses!), we went to lunch at Macaroni Grill in Marietta. I had a really great HUGE house salad and water with lemon. I was hungry by dinner time, so I had lots of fruit and raw nuts-I find that helps with any cravings. Grapes, blueberries, bananas, raw cashews & peanuts, and pineapple. I also had a cup of herbal tea before bed. Still sleeping well with vivid dreams, 6-7 hours/night.

My lunch salad at Macaroni Grill

Day 17 found me with a ton of energy, but not much of an appetite. Boooo!
I only had a small breakfast of 6-8 Medjool dates (I swear they taste like candy) and that was it. About 2 or so hours later, I had a banana and herbal tea for a snack. Lunch was a smoothie made with oranges, pineapples, and bananas. Dinner was a big veggie salad made with red leaf kale, carrots, avocado, onions, raisins, and spinach. Going to the bathroom is now my most frequent past time =\
I'm also noticing that I am always burping or gassy (not stinky tho! That's another plus to this whole raw thing). Morning breath is also waaay less offensive! Almost non-existent. I said almost. Skin is soft and clear. Wish my allergies would disappear.

Day 18 was quite interesting. I woke up feeling pretty good. Worked out first thing (kickboxing and some yoga), and had a deeelicious Berry Banana Smoothie for breakfast. Snack was a handful of raw pumpkin seeds and 2 Medjool dates. Drank lots of water this morning, about 4 cups already. The day was uneventful until about 1 or 2 pm. I began feeling very anxious and wasn't sure why. I used to suffer from panic attacks, and it almost felt like the beginning of a panic attack which was very concerning. I also started to feel very tired physically and mentally. I don't know if I was having an emotional detox ( I talk about this in my first "raw" video), but it was not fun. I went on to eat a couple of oranges and bananas at work and drank about 4-5 more cups of water for the day, not including 2 cups of herbal tea. I didn't eat my salad for dinner.

Berry Banana Smoothie:

1 med-large frozen banana

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup pineapple chunks w/juice

3/4 cup frozen peaches

Blend!

Day 19 had me feeling a little better, but still emotionally flat.Wth? I wanted something crunchy with my breakfast so I had raw cashews and a fruit salad. I have to say my taste buds appreciate food in its natural state now. I can actually taste the flavors of each food I eat without having to season it or drown it in sauces or dressings. I was off from work that Friday, and slept most of the early part of the day. Maybe I just needed some rest because I woke up and had a smoothie my fiance made for me and went back to sleep for the night!

Day 20 Hallelujah. Woke up feeling like my fabulous self again! Lol. My energy was back. I jumped out of bed, but not before reminiscing on the dream I had about being married to Lil Wayne and...well, never mind. I've lost about 8-10 pounds so far for those who are asking. I didn't really weigh in on the first day, so yeah. I had a green smoothie for breakfast (spinach, kale, 1 banana, and pineapple). So good. I caught up with my best friend on the phone, talked with another girlfriend, went to the nail salon, and then shopping for the 80's Throwback party my fiance and I were invited to that night. Somewhere in there I fit in a mango and 2 bananas for lunch, 4 cups of water, and 2 nori rolls with lettuce and avocado for dinner. The party had an open bar, and this was the first time in recent memory that I partied while drinking only water all night...and had a blast!!! Go figure. Btw, I was Jody Watley and he was a B-boy =)

Nikki "Watley" wearing the fiance's B-boy glasses

MC Roc in the house!

There you have it...my crazy emotional detox days. I'm thankful for them, though because it means I've let go of whatever was buried deep down unbeknownst to me. I'm currently on day 24 and am almost sad this is coming to a close. I do miss rice and beans, and hummus, to be quite honest. Other than that, I feel amazing. We'll see what happens! Thanks for hanging with me again. Be well.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki

 

Food!

I know. It's been a long time...um, nearly six months? Sorry. BUT I do have good reasons...I moved back to Atl from an unexpected detour to Baltimore this summer. I worked at Johns Hopkins' new children's hospital. Loved it...great experience.

Soooo..when I got back to Atl in October, I then went to NY (following me still?) because my honey was officiating his cousin's wedding on the 14th. He then proceeded to PROPOSE to me during the reception...with his cousin Vernon and his wife's prior permission, of course (unbeknownst to me!) Thank GOD I looked decent! Ha ha.

I say all that to tell you guys that I'm engaged! So my life has been a tiny bit hectic, on top of the usual frantic. Yet, I still find time to cook and shop...yep! I'm excited to share some of the details of the planning and fun stuff for our 2013 wedding, but for now here are some good vegan eats for you.

Happy Holidays, lovelies!


1. Hearty veggie burger sandwiches with home fries AND sweet potato sticks****

I made these using two types of bread for variety. The one on the left is on a Telera roll (so good) and the other is a rosemary potato bread that I sliced and baked in the oven for about 5 minutes. I found both at Kroger.
Other ingredients for the sandwich:
Boca burger vegan patty sauteed in olive oil
sliced avocado
sliced onion, pickles, tomato, Dijon mustard, baby spinach leaves
mayo (for my honey as he is not vegan, but vegetarian)
ground sea salt, pepper to taste
potato wedges and sweet potato sticks, baked in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt for about an hour in 350 degree oven
One of my BEST sandwiches ever!!!

2. Sweet potato pie****

I made 2 of these for Thanksgiving...one with raisins and one without. Really, it's the only pie I eat. I also made 2 different types of apple/fruit pies for the rest of the fam. This pie received great kudos, even from the kids =)

Ingredients for two pies:
2 graham cracker crusts (ready to bake), or your choice of crust
4-5 moderate to large sweet potatoes/yams, baked for about an hour, then peeled when cooled
cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg (to taste...I never measure-sorry)
1/4 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup  dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice, grated rind of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup or so of vanilla almond milk
                                 3-4 tablespoons flour, raisins (optional)
                                 bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean

3. Vegan Asian stir fry****

If you don't try ANYTHING else, please try this stir fry! Absolutely delicious. I was inspired by my love of Chinese food growing up in Brooklyn. This is my vegan version.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of sesame oil, heated...stir fry 1 chopped onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic, and about 1/2 tsp grated ginger
-add about 1 cup of broccoli heads, chopped along with salt and pepper to taste
-add about 2 cups frozen vegetable mix (peas, corn,carrots, etc), and about 1/2 cup zucchini or other squash (optional)
-add Chinese 5 spice powder and red pepper flakes to taste. I also add genuine pepper sauce from Trinidad to make it EXTRA hot...but that's just me =)
-now add about 3-4 cups cooked hot white rice, tamari sauce, and one package of veggie crumbles. Stir together and enjoy!!!


   

4. Black Bean Salsa and Guacamole***

 This was a joint effort between the fiance and myself. We were craving Mexican food this past Monday night, and we came up with something delicious!

He made the black bean salsa:

1 can of black beans, drained, chopped onion, garlic, celery, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, more pepper sauce (see above), and a dash of Old Bay seasoning. Mix together and heat through.

I made the guacamole:

2 avocadoes, juice of 1 lemon, ground sea salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of salsa sauce (hot)  or 1 small tomato, cilantro, and 1 clove of garlic. Mix in food processor until you reach desired consistency. Done!

We added a dollop of salsa, chips for dipping, and of course a glass of red wine...Fab!!!

Hope you enjoyed some or all of these. Until next time, lovelies!

Love & Happiness!

Nikki