Bitter Sweet

Hello again, lovelies!

I'm willing to bet that you ate something with sugar today. Even if it was an apple, it contained natural sugars (fructose). The fact is, our bodies need sugar to function. It breaks down the foods we eat into glucose for energy.

The problem arises when we consume unhealthy, refined sugars (sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, refined fructose). This leads to a whole list of problems such as a weakened immune system, obesity, diabetes, and allergies among other health issues. Sugar feeds bacteria, yeast, fungus, and parasites. It depletes the body of needed minerals and affects our brain function (brain fog, anyone?). In this excerpt from the book Sugar Blues by William Dufty, Dr. William Coda Martin classified sugar as a poison since  when ingested, it causes or may cause disease.

While the healthiest foods are whole foods, you can still opt for alternatives to refined sugar in your diet. Note that even some of them on this list may not be a good fit for you if you already have certain food allergies or sensitivities, or yeast overgrowth. Do your research, check with your health advisor, and then use in moderation if applicable. I didn't include the very popular agave nectar in this list because of the light shed on the amount of fructose it contains-higher than high fructose corn syrup! It's lower on the glycemic index, and extracted from the blue agave plant causing its widely promoted healthy status. Check out this article by Dr. Andrew Weil. Again, do your own investigating and make informed decisions!

Stevia Extract

Stevia comes from the leaf of the stevia plant native to South America, and is not actually a sugar. It is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. It has an aftertaste similar to licorice, and some find it bitter. It has a glycemic index of less than 1, so it doesn't adversely affect your blood sugar level. It also doesn't feed yeast. Be sure to buy pure stevia extract, and not some of the artificial stuff like Truvia or Stevia in the Raw. Instead, try SweetLeaf or Now brands, which contain pure stevia extract.

Blackstrap Molasses

Ironically, molasses is the by product from processing sugar cane or beet into table sugar, so you have all the nutrition left behind. Blackstrap molasses is obtained from the 3rd boiling. Be sure to use an organic, unsulphured brand. Molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body. It is dark and thick, and has a very distinctive flavor you may have to get used to, but before processed white sugar came along, it was commonly used as a sweetener. If used in baking instead of white or brown sugar, you'll need to make the correct adjustment to account for the liquid.

Coconut Sugar

Coconut (or coconut palm sugar) was originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm. It’s also made from the sap of coconut palms. The sap is placed under heat until the liquid has evaporated. Reportedly, it retains iron, zinc, calcium and potassium during this process, but it also is high in calories. Use it sparingly. It has a relatively low glycemic index, because of the level of the fiber inulin. Note that some coconut palm sugar is mixed with cane sugar...please avoid those!

Raw Honey

Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurized or processed. Pasteurized, liquid honey is easily found on grocery store shelves. You would have to obtain raw honey from a local source. Raw honey is alkaline-forming and contains natural vitamins (vitamin C and most of the B vitamins), enzymes, powerful antioxidants and other nutrients. These nutrients would be destroyed during the heating and pasteurization process. Raw honey has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Be aware of its high sugar content if this would pose a problem for you.

The bottom line is to avoid as much added sugar in your diet as you can for your optimal health. I continually preach to be aware and informed of what you put into your body. I know there's a lot of information out there and new research coming out seemingly everyday, but make it your priority to stay on top of your nutrition and health. I'll do my best to help you with that!

Until next time,

Love & Happiness,

Nikki

Leather Is Coming Out Of The Closet!

Hello again, my lovelies!

So have you noticed that leather has-albeit reluctantly-come out of the closet? What? Oh, literally...the closet! There was a time when so many of us didn't think twice about rocking a bag that cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars...and was proud to respond yes when asked if it was leather. Other than owning a couture gown, that kept us up there in the fashion echelon, right?

Good thing our consciousness has expanded. According to a poll done by the Vegetarian Resource Group in 2011, 2.5% of the US population identified themselves as vegan. That was like 7.5 million people! With these numbers come the increasing call for fashion designers to acknowledge this growing market. Quite a few did, thankfully. As a former leather toting fashionista (hey, I was vegetarian, not yet vegan), I have embraced and absolutely love my vegan bags. The quality of some brands are amazing, and the designs are worthy of my critical eye. They get just as much attention and compliments as those other ones. In addition to being cruelty free, some of them are budget friendly. Bonus. I've blogged about vegan handbag brands before, and here is another list of designers who have embraced the Faux Leather trend.

Urban Expressions

I personally love this brand! In my opinion, their bags are gorgeous. On their website, they state that they use polyurethane (PU) versus polyvinyl chloride (PVC) because the former is biodegradable and doesn't require solvents to soften the materials during processing. Their bags are certified vegan. To shop their bags, you can search the site for local stores that carry them, or shop online at baghaus and ebags.

 Here's one of my faves that I own:

Isn't she beautiful? I apologize in advance for not being able to find her name inside. I bought this turquoise bag at Marshall's last summer for $39.99. I can't find it online either, but there are similar styles available.

"certified vegan" label inside

Big Buddha

I love the colors these bags offer. The website might need a bit of updating, since their last collection is dated 2011. They also state that since "every handbag in store priced less than $95, there is certain to be a style to please customers of all ages." yet there were bags listed for $105. Hmm. No worries; I'm sure they're working on it =)

Le Petit Crossbody in mustard

 (available in other colors), $45.97

Fiesta in pink, $90
Take a look at the rest of their collection here.

BCBGeneration

BCBGeneration black or lilac faux leather studded strap clutch, $14
Bluefly.com

Wyatt

Wyatt cherry vegan leather pyramid studded tote bag, $38

Bluefly.com

As you can see, I found both of these brands on Bluefly's site. You can search for other brands there also.
Have fun shopping, veganistas! Tell me about other fab vegan handbags that you love in the comments!

Until next time,


Love & Happiness!

Nikki

What The Heck Is Kombucha?

Hello again, lovelies! Hope you're staying safe and warm in this insane weather we're having across the U.S.

I wanted to confess share a love I've had for the past year or so. Kombucha. Just writing it has my taste buds jumping. For those of you who are in the know, you understand. The rest of you may thank me after this. I only say may because I know everything is not for everyone. Let's get on with it.

Kombucha is a raw, fermented tea that is naturally carbonated and loaded with probiotics (good for the gut) and B vitamins, liver detoxifying properties, antioxidants (destroys cancer causing free radicals), energy boosting properties, blood pressure reducing properties, metabolism revving properties, and more. Go here for more info. It's believed to have originated in a China, but sometimes Germany gets props also. Either way...thanks! I was hooked on first taste. This is where it may get tricky for some. It does have a kind of tangy, almost diluted vinegar-y taste, but in a good way.

  

 

GT's Kombucha Tea, 16 oz bottle $3.99-$4.99, depending on store

Which brings me to how it's made. Basically, you ferment the tea (black, green, any kind) with sugar and yeast. No worries though, the sugar is used to feed the yeast and the end product has only trace amounts of sugar in it. The yeast is provided by way of a SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. The mixture ferments from 7-31 days or so, which causes a small amount of alcohol production, usually between .5 and 3% depending on length of fermentation...so parents please take note. It costs about $4-5 for a 16 oz bottle, which prompted me to ask myself how hard can this be to make on my own? I did some research...not hard at all. It just requires some patience during the fermentation time. So I went and purchased my own SCOBY and will be making my first batch. I'll let you know how it goes!

In the end, Kombucha is not a cure-all, but it does give your body what it needs to help heal itself. I say try it. You may like it or leave it. Either way, now you know about it!


Love & Happiness,


Nikki

No More Lies!

Happy New Year, my lovelies! We had an amazing Christmas and New Year, and hope you did also. I've got a feeling that 2014 is going to whip by even faster than 2013 did. I'll try my best to be prepared and make use of every single moment that I'm blessed with. I'm amped!

If you saw my latest YouTube vid, I talked a bit about my holistic health coaching business. I launched Get This Glow! Health & Wellness and I couldn't be more in love with what I'm doing. Living a happy and healthy life is everything to me. There is nothing like seeing a positive change in a client's physical, emotional, and spiritual state. Yet, so many people choose to live in an unhealthy way. Why? Because...

It's Easier

Let's face it. Change is hard. Yet so is being depressed, overweight, anxious, and resentful! At some point, we have to use our adult decision making capabilities and get out of the unhealthy rut. I found an article about the following study on about.com:

A study performed in 2005 by an epidemiologist at Michigan State University found that most Americans don't do everything they can to lead healthy lifestyles.
The study published in journal Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at four basic characteristics that are part of a healthy lifestyle:

• Being a non-smoker.
• Exercising 30 minutes or more five days per week.
• Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Maintaining a healthy weight with a BMI under 25.

The lead researcher was quite surprised with his findings: of 153,000 adults, only three percent followed all four steps for a healthy lifestyle.

Come on, America! Thankfully, we can change these findings by incorporating small edits to our routine daily. Drink more water. Go for a walk. Add one more fruit or veggie to your meals each day. Socialize, or get together with friends or family to help elevate your mood! Try cutting out fast food, processed foods, and excess sugar for 30 days and see how much better you feel.

 

Szechuan tofu w/broccoli and rice noodles. Cook it at home so you control the ingredients. Healthier and more delicious than any fast food meal out there!

I Can't Afford It

Yes you can! If you're spending $5-7 per day on lunch at a not-so-healthy restaurant, you've got up to $35 per week that you could be spending on healthier choices. Buy fruits and veggies that are in season so that they are less expensive. Check out your local farmer's market. You support your local economy and get fresher produce in the process. Or, start your own garden. You just need a small area in your backyard, or a medium sized planter to get started. Nothing beats eating food that you grew yourself!
Cut out soda and sugary drinks. Install a simple water filter on your kitchen faucet to save on bottled water and plastic waste, or invest like we do in a water dispenser unit. We refill our 5 gallon jugs at our local grocery store for $1.86 each. You read that right.
Cook more of your meals at home and take leftovers to work with you. If cooking is not your thing, then take a fun cooking class or invest in yourself by purchasing (or borrowing from the library) a few simple cookbooks. Start a healthy potluck day at work and swap recipes. Make sure you use brown rice and other good grains such as quinoa and wild rice, as well as pasta, potatoes, beans, and lentils in your cooking rotation. Not only are they good for you, but reasonably priced as well.
See? You can afford to eat healthy...and enjoy it!

source:yummly.com  recipe: Martha Stewart

For the quick and easy roast veggie and arugula with pasta recipe shown above, go here.


I hope this post shed some insight on any blocks someone might have had to kick starting a healthy lifestyle. I feel a part two of this post coming on possibly in my near future =) In the meantime, check out my new site Get This Glow! Health & Wellness and tell me what you think!
Be well, lovelies.


Until next time,

Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Vegan Mommies!

Hello my lovelies! As a tribute to my 2 year vegan anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks, I've decided to showcase the vegan lifestyle beyond my four walls. In my Health Coaching classes, we are learning about bio-individuality, and the fact that not one type of diet benefits everyone. Agreed! What works for my life, ethics, and beliefs is a vegan lifestyle however, and I love sharing it with anyone who is considering or already living this way.
Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Olivia "Livvie" Caldwell as my first "Vegan Mommy". Now, not to get anyone to thinking about my age, but Livvie happens to be the daughter of an ex-coworker and nurse friend of mine. She is also the same age as my older son; in fact, they went to middle school together. Stop it! I see you doing the math.

Without further ado, here's a peek into some of the fun we had...

Vegan Fashionista: First off, I want to thank you for participating in this! I see from your Facebook page that you are an avid vegan like myself. I don't personally know a lot of vegans, but I'm part of a big vegan community...you know how that goes...
Olivia Caldwell: (laughs) Yeah...

VF: How old are your children? You have two, right? A boy and a girl?
OC:  Yep! Gabe will be 4 in November, so he's 3 and Cameron just turned 2.
VF: Wow! They are so cute!  Especially little Cameron with her poses and expressions. 
OC: (laughter)

VF: So, I wanted to do this series to drive away the idea for some that veganism is just a fad. I have had people ask me "are you still doing the vegan thing?". Not to say you can't change your ideals and way of living, but I want people to understand that there are entire families living this way, and it's sustainable. 
OC: That makes sense.

 Alicia Silverstone

Tia Mowry
Why mom Tia Mowry went vegan

VF: How long have you been a vegan, and how did you decide this was for you?
OC: When I was a freshman in high school, I cut out red meat and mom would just NOT let me cut out any other meat. She worried because I was a runner...she didn't think it was (safe). Once I graduated and went to college, I decided to do it. I haven't had meat for 7 years, and we've been vegan for about a year and a half. I kept reading about Forks Over Knives, have you seen it?
VF: Of course, yeah!
OC: And all these celebrities were going vegan...I mean, even Ozzy Osbourne watched it. I really liked cheese, and I didn't want to watch it, but I did, and halfway through I was like, I'm done eating all this junk! So I made Kevin (her husband) watch it and told him we were going vegan. He asked me if I was crazy. After he watched it, he decided to finish out whatever food we had in the house and said let's do it.

www.forksoverknives.com

VF: Wow! That was easy...especially for a guy!
OC: Oh, well he was vegetarian since he was a kid...
VF: Oh! I was gonna say!

VF: Okay, so what were your other family and friends' initial reaction? Did you get the 'where are you gonna get your protein?' etc. type questions?
OC: Yeah. I mean, you're always gonna get that. My mom said she just didn't know what to make for me anymore (laughs), and my mother-in-law at first was freaking out about the kids being vegan.

VF: Have they been vegan since birth?
OC: So they're not completely vegan..they've been vegetarian since they were born, but Gabe is such a picky eater. I've gotten him to drink green smoothies! Cameron is much easier...she'll eat what we eat. I kinda wish we hadn't listened (to other family members) and tried to (have them eat) completely vegan when they were younger. It would have been a lot easier. But I also think that later down the road, they can make that decision. I think they will. (The in-laws) are much more supportive now and tries to cook for us now all the time, but yeah..we still get those comments.

VF: So your children are mostly vegetarian, semi-vegan, is that right? Or do they eat meat?
OC: No, they don't eat meat. I try to incorporate new vegan ideas that they'll like, and it's hit or miss sometimes. They like a butternut squash mac and cheese, made with cashews, fruits, and some veggies. I got Cameron to eat broccoli, but I can't get Gabe to do that at all! It's a process.

VF: What about concerns from the medical community, and other parents that vegan/vegetarian children may not get all the nutrients that are important to their development like vitamin D, B 12, protein, etc. How did you research to make the decision that this lifestyle would be ok for them?
OC: Well, of course we looked into it and tried to see what would be the best way to do it. Their pediatrician checks their blood once a year for iron levels and everything, and they're always good there. They also take a pretty clean multivitamin every day. But I also think that through the week they get what they need because we mix things up. People will try to say things but I try to take it with a grain of salt. Obviously they're fine...they're really active..they're not starving or anything!

Article: Is Veganism Safe for Kids?

VF: Not at all! They look so healthy and happy. You posted pics of some yummy desserts for Cameron's birthday. Did you make those?
OC: Yes! I made vegan cupcakes for her birthday. If I hadn't told anybody, they wouldn't have known, but of course when you mention (they're vegan), some were like 'oh, then I don't want them'. (laughter)
VF: Of course! Automatically, they become gross and no one wants anything to do with them! So funny.
OC: I'm always bringing over food to mom's house that I 'veganize'. (My brother) Hayden likes a burrito bake that I make with adobe chipotle pepper. My mom was like 'is this vegan?' and I said yeah and you just ate the whole thing!

VF: You mentioned earlier that you felt like your children may gravitate to a higher percentage vegan diet as they get older. What if they ask you can they try a different diet and eat meat, cheese, etc? Would you let them? How would you feel about that?
OC: It wouldn't hurt my feelings. My cousin's family changed their diet to vegetarian, and he would sneak hamburgers, so (laughs) if that's what they want to do, then fine. Honestly, I don't think Gabe will want to do that. Cameron doesn't really know about meat. We'll be driving down the road and pass a BBQ place and Gabe will ask 'why do people eat pigs?'
VF: Wow! To live in the south and ask that question...
OC: I know! So we try to explain it like it's normal for a lot of people we know eat cows and pigs without telling him that it's 'bad' or anything. We'd never do that. He's such a gentle soul.
VF: Aw! That's really sweet. I think that's great to say some people eat that way, and some eat like us, without being judgmental.
OC: Right...

VF: What's some of their favorite vegan snacks or meals?
OC: They love the butternut squash mac &cheese, green smoothies, carrots and hummus...I can pretty much veganize anything.

Vegan Mac & Cheese
photo copyright www.cupcakesandcoffeebreaks.com

VF: Is it hard when you travel, or do you just bring your food everywhere like I do?
OC: We actually went to a wedding this past Saturday, and we knew they wouldn't have food there for us, so we went to a local produce store and got lunch there, and we also packed food in the cooler. Gabe is allergic to agave and we had some raw vegan bars. I was reading the ingredients and when he heard agave, he spit it out like 'no! agave!' It's more like a sensitivity, but he knows that he broke out before and it lasted a week...
VF: Poor thing!
OC: Yeah, it's hard sometimes because a lot of people sweeten things with agave. But it's alright. We know how to make vegan sweets!
VF: Thankfully, there are other natural sweeteners out there that you can use!

VF: Well, this has been great, and I'm not going to take up anymore of your time. Is there a message or something specific you would like people to know about your lifestyle?
OC: I've thought about doing a blog because so many people ask Kevin and I what we eat. I think people are really interested in it. When we first started...Kevin refers to that time period as 'the time we ate like rabbits'...it wasn't that serious! He was being dramatic (laughs). Some people just don't know where to start, so I thought about a blog, but I just don't know time-wise how to fit that in. But there are so many resources out there. You can pretty much take any recipe and veganize it!
VF: I agree! We went from Gardenburgers back in the day to now there are whole sections in grocery stores dedicated to health food, or entire health food stores period. There's no reason to think this lifestyle is boring or bland. I appreciate parents like you guys who are aware of not only their health, but the health of their children. I know you're a busy mom, so thank you so much for your time! Is there anything you wanted to add?
OC: I don't think so...they're fighting over a helmet right now, so...(laughs) 

VF: Oh no! Ok, thanks Livvie! This was really exciting and fun.
OC: You're welcome! It was great talking to you.


Well! How about that? She's such a amazing young woman, and a great mommy! I must say I've learned the word "veganize" from this interview! Love it. Maybe she'll share that butternut squash mac & cheese recipe with me and I'll feature it sometime. For now, here's a vegan mac & cheese dish that looks yummy from Erica Wodzak's Cupcakes + Coffee Breaks blog (pic above). Thanks for hanging with me again, lovelies!

Until next time,

Love and 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 

Summertime Antics

Hello my lovelies!!!

Are you enjoying this crazy summer? Anywhere from excessive rain to excessive heat is on deck depending on where in the U.S. you live. Oh well, what are you gonna do? I'm just making the best of it. If you're reading from outside the U.S. how is the weather where you are? What have you been doing with your summer?

Since my raw journey, I've only kept it about 50% raw versus the 75% I was hoping for. However, it's a journey, not a destination for me. Some days, I only feel like eating raw and others I find myself wanting steamed veggies, rice, beans, almond milk, nuts, etc. I just listen to my body and try not to be so hard on myself. I must be doing something right since I feel great and people continue to trip out when they find out how old I am. I'll leave that discussion for another time.

I've been so busy this summer that it is flying by and I haven't even had a vacay. Poor me, right?
Well, I have been able to have family come visit me here in ATL. It's been a revolving door: my sister and her kids, the bestie, my fiancé's mom and all his friends for his 40th birthday celebration...whew! Lots of fun, and I did get to share some of my vegan recipes and lifestyle with them. Some of them were even receptive!

That, along with my 30 day raw vegan challenge encouraged me to finally make a huge decision in my life. I'm officially (as of yesterday) back in school to be a Health Coach!!! I'm beyond excited to be able to eventually start my own business with my own clients who are interested in a healthy lifestyle that not only includes nutrition, but also physical and spiritual health. It's an amazing program through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), and I finally feel like I'm no longer a "misfit" in my environment! Joshua Rosenthal and the educators/coaches are amazing! I'll be sporadically posting about my journey since being back in school (in addition to work, family, social obligations) will take even more of my time. Can she blog any more sporadically than she is now? someone is asking. I see you, and I appreciate your sarcasm! And, yes...yes I can. It will all be for a great purpose, though. You'll see.

So here's a peek at some of my summertime antics so far:

1. Started a Veggie Garden!

I've planted Roma and Beefsteak tomatoes, green beans, 2 varieties of cucumbers, herbs such as cilantro, oregano, and thyme as a starter. Each packet was $1.29 or less, and the "wooden" raised bed planter I found on amazon.com, $70.64:

 "Raised garden bed with dimensions of 42-Inch by 84-Inch by 8-Inch high. Product has a patented corner system. Made from recycled plastic and wood. Product does not require any tools to assemble, assembles in minutes."

2. Homemade Pizza

When my youngest son wanted pizza for dinner one weekend, he didn't know I would get inspired! The top pic was a completely vegan pizza made with a whole wheat pizza crust from WalMart, around $3 for 2, pizza sauce, vine ripened tomatoes, kale, onions, spinach, cilantro, oregano, sea salt, and pepper. The veggies were sautéed in EVOO and then placed on top of the sauce and crust. Baked for about 15-20 minutes. OMG!

The bottom pic is a cheese pizza that is obviously not vegan, but prepared the same way, topped with a Italian cheese blend and baked with a Boboli cheese pizza crust for the kids. They loved it.

I have only made a frozen pizza one time since making homemade. Try it! Easy and so much more tasty.

 

3. Out and About

I rarely get any "me time", so one day in the beginning of summer I stole away for an hour or so to Oriental Café in Austell, GA for lunch solo. I had spicy schezuan tofu with noodles & veggies,  and seaweed salad. Lunch came with soup and I had hot and sour. Delish! All for about $12 with tip. Peace and quiet...you know what I'm about to say...Priceless!

Out with my bestie in Buckhead club hopping. The Rose Bar treated us very nicely ; ) Then we went to the Havana Club. No further info on our night will be provided. Ha ha.

I pulled out the same black strapless lace dress from my "Date Night" post last year. I accessorized with huge square hoop earrings that I've had forever, a faux croc Nine West clutch, $19.99 (?) at Marshall's, and a purple and gold beaded cuff bracelet from Charming Charlie's in Douglasville's Arbor Place Mall, $10 

Tried Hookah for the first time that night at the Rose Bar...Skittle Flavored. This is the face that resulted. Hey, it's all natural herbs right?? It was fun, but I doubt I'll be a repeat customer. Not really into smoking of any kind. Fun, though-and only twenty bucks.

4. New love

One ridiculously hot day in June, I stopped at a store  for a drink while on the road and discovered Vita Coco pure coconut water with pineapple. Can I say I was hooked? Soooo good. This is the only flavor I have tried so I can't speak for other Vita Coco flavors. I can generally take or leave coconut water, so I was surprised at how much I loved this one. They tout "all natural, super-hydrating, fat-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-packed, potassium-stacked..." on their website. They also state they are vegan and kosher. Although doing some research, I found that the company settled a $10 million class action lawsuit back in 2011 for supposedly having less nutrients in its water than they claimed. Yet, they have a ridiculous following and were recently featured in Health Magazine's "Must Eat List". Check it out here.

I bought mine for about $1.69

Oh, that nail color? I get that question all the time and I still don't know. It's gel polish...and when I sit down at the Nails & Toes salon, I ask for color #8. Glad to help!

So that's a tiny bit of my summer so far! Tell me what you've been up to. I wanted to also say RIP to one of my favorite uncles...Uncle Joe, who passed away last month. Miss you and love you.

While on that topic...please RIP Trayvon Martin. You have no idea the movement that will be started because of this travesty. I truly believe your death will not be in vain <3>

Next month I will be interviewing "Vegan Mommies" for this blog. I would love to know how you got started in veganism and how easy or difficult it has been to raise your children vegan. Leave me a note, or email me at misshova2012@gmail.com

Can't wait!!!!

Until next time,

Love &Happiness,

 

 

 

Nikki