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



Mission accomplished! 30 days RAW!

Hello once again,  my lovelies! It is a beautiful day here in the "A": 72 degrees and sunny. I likey. April definitely brought the rain which is great and all, but I'm ready for some consistent sun in May. I've got cute ensembles to rock =)

So, what's been going on with my 30 day raw journey you ask? Well freshen up your (healthy) drink, sit back and follow me. We left off on day 20 when I was finally out of my seemingly emotional slump due to what I believe were detox symptoms. Days 21-30 were pretty much a breeze, and I didn't want it to end, except when I started having dreams of cooked food--namely hummus and flaxseed chips-on day 28. Whatever, chile. Who knows what that was about?

Let's go...

Days 21-30

Day 21 was a rainy Sunday. I woke up feeling pretty refreshed, which was surprising seeing that we stayed out late at our 80's Throwback party the night before. I made a big brunch for the fam (which they had no shame in devouring it in front of me!), while I enjoyed 1/2 an avocado with sea salt and pepper and jasmine tea with a dash of coconut sugar. I pretty much drank tea and water for the rest of the day. I had an orange and 2 bananas for lunch and my usual salad for dinner. Meals are starting to get a bit repetitive, so I'm constantly searching for new recipes, otherwise I just end up not eating enough or grazing on fruit.

Days 22 & 23 felt like I was in a groove. It was if I had been eating this way all my life and didn't feel like a "challenge" at all. My emotions were in check...I was just plain happy. At work, people were side eyeing me when I didn't participate in ordering out. I side eyed them right back. Cooked food just wasn't appealing to me at that time, especially "junk" foods.
On both days breakfasts were smoothies (I made an especially delicious one that I called "Tuesday Sunshine Smoothie" that made me rub my tummy and dance as I drank. Ha! Judge not lest ye be judged!
Lunch was a variety of fruit such as bananas, grapes, bananas, mangoes, figs, dried apricots, dates, strawberries, and blackberries. Dinner on both days was a very large (think huge silver mixing bowl!) mixed greens salad with veggies, avocado, and seaweed. On day 22 I did a great kickboxing routine, and Tuesday was a boot camp style workout. Good times!

Mixed greens, veggie & seaweed salad

 Sunshine Smoothie

1 & 1/2 bananas

1 yellow mango, peeled & diced

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1 medium orange, peeled, sectioned & seeded

1/2 cup pineapple & juice

1/4 cup frozen red raspberries

add purified water to desired consistency

blend & enjoy!

Day 24 was an all fruit day. All fruit...all the day long. Don't know why, but it sho was yummy. You know bananas was up in there (4), oranges (had about 3!), 1 yellow mango, grapes, and pineapple. Also drank tons of water, about 7 cups, and 3 cups of herbal tea. I don't need to go into my bathroom situation that day, do I?

Days 25 & 26 were like BOOM! POW! I mean, I felt like a damn superhero. This raw ish can get you in trouble; got you thinking you can climb trees barefoot and jump off of buildings and ish. Man! Anyway, since I didn't eat any veggies on day 24, day 25 started off with a deelovely green smoothie that was packed with veggie power. I also added 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe's "Very Green" dietary supplement powder for insurance. It has tons magical goodness in the form of alfalfa leaf, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, etc. I'll post the label below. Breakfast on day 26 was a simple fruit salad.
Lunch was a raw avocado soup on both days (2 avocados, juice of 1/2 lime, 1/2 cucumber (peeled), 1/2 red pepper, cilantro leaves to taste, cumin to taste, dash sea salt, red pepper flakes, 3/4 cup of water, all blended. Um, hello..yum!) Dinner was nori veggie wraps on day 25 and mixed veggie salad with curry dressing on day 26. I drank 10 cups of water on day 25 and 12 on day 26. Go me.
Skin clear, allergies are much improved with very little mucous in the mornings (sorry), and my clothes are looser. Down 12ish pounds.

Green Super Powers Smoothie

handful baby spinach

smaller handful kale

3 leaves green leaf lettuce

1 banana

1/2 cup pineapple & juice

1/2 cup strawberries

mint leaves to taste

1 tablespoon Trader Joe's "Very Green" powder

1 cup purified water

blend & bottoms up!

Trader Joe's (Darwin's) Very Green Supplement, $19.99 (35 servings per container, so it lasts quite a while)

Alfalfa leaf extract, barley grass juice powder, pea fiber, spirulina powder, green tea leaf extract to name of few of the powerhouse ingredients. Good stuff.

 

Days 27-30 had me feeling very apprehensive that this challenge was coming to an end! I felt like I wanted to stay raw a bit longer...then reminded myself that, duh, I could if I wanted to. No one was forcing me to go back to cooked food! Smh. Then, as if right on confused girl cue, I wanted to take a bite out of the black bean burgers I was preparing for my fam on day 28. Smh again. I didn't, but it did show me that I was putting too much pressure on myself to choose raw vegan vs cooked vegan. I decided to stay high raw (75-80% raw), and cooked healthy vegan whenever I feel like it. Done. Sheesh. Fruits and salads pretty much ruled these last 4 days. I had a fruit smoothie that my love made for me on day 29, but other than that, it was just fresh fruits. I made a new raspberry vinaigrette dressing on day 29 that came out of nowhere. I tossed it in a fruit, kale, and spinach salad that lasted 2 days. Day 30 was a raw guacamole dip and mixed salad that was pretty good. Ended on a really tasty note. Proud of me.

Fruit, kale, and spinach salad

Kale, spinach leaves (as much as you want)

strawberries

orange sections

pineapple chunks

1 banana

1/2 cucumber

red pepper

sea salt, black pepper to taste

raw pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top

Raspberry vinaigrette dressing:

1/2 cup raspberries

1/4 cup pineapple juice

red pepper salsa puree left over from my black bean burger recipe

(3 garlic cloves, 1/2 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1 Turkish hot pepper)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tbsp spicy mustard

1 tsp raw coconut sugar (or your choice)

dash salt & pepper

mix well in blender/food processor

Raw Guacamole w/salad



Well, that's IT, lovelies. I did it!!! Did anyone join me? Is anyone planning on testing the raw waters?If so, let me know. There's no experience like this one. Truly. Mental clarity, physical and emotional healing, and just increased overall appreciation for all things is what I toook away from this challenge.
Like I said above, I will be continuing my raw journey; it doesn't stop here. It's now a part of my life. I'll also be experimenting with more recipes, including desserts and will continue to blog about the experience.
Thank you again for ALL the support, emails, texts, encouragement, and shout outs! Love you guys.
To your health,


Love and happiness,


Nikki

Baking Bread...My New Obsession!

Ok lovelies, this post is completely off topic of what I've been talking about lately. Hell, it's not even vegan-related. However, in my quest to find the perfect tasting gluten free bread for my youngest son (aka the manchild), I've given up on the store-bought stuff and went back to baking my own.

Some may know that he is on the autism spectrum and gluten is not an ingredient I want in his food for various reasons. Gluten is a protein that exists in many grains such as wheat, barley, rye, etc. Some people cannot digest the protein (as in celiac disease for example), but for my son and others like him with autism, there has been a link between autism and the inability to break down gluten in their gastrointestinal tracts. This prompts the release of opiates. Yep! He basically gets high off his own supply. Poor guy! There is debate about this of course, but let's just say it has been medically proven in my son.

Since his gluten "addiction" has seemed to worsen over the past few months, I'm slowly removing it from his foods. The main source for him being bread, why not start there? I baked breads from scratch before, but with the use of a bread maker. I was nervous about how my "real bread" would turn out. I started out with a gluten free flour pre-packaged mix that I found at Kroger (about $4.99).

 

 

It turned out pretty good!He and the fiance LOVED it. Still, I wanted to use my own flours and other ingredients, so I searched the web.

 

 

I found this site, which has an amazing variety of not only gluten free breads but also paleo, yeast free, dairy free, refined sugar free...it goes on. Man! My head was spinning, but I did spot a multigrain recipe that looked good. I based the bread I baked on this recipe, but tweaked some ingredients. I went back to the Dekalb Farmer's Market here in Atlanta and did some shopping.

 

I subbed organic oat flour for the almond flour (although I will try it in the future), and since I couldn't find sorghum flour in the store, I subbed coconut flour. Megan stated coconut flour "would not work" with this recipe, but it turned out just fine for me. It just calls for a bit more liquid to be added to get the right consistency. I use almond milk in my breads because I find it adds a bit of lightness to the bread. Total liquid I used was about 1 1/2 cups. 1 cup water, 1/2 cup almond milk. I also used agave syrup instead of honey. I later found sorghum flour online at Amazon.com, and it should be arriving any day.

 

Fresh out the oven. Smell it?!!

Sliced easily. Think I'll slice smaller next time. He had ginormous sandwiches at school =)

 

 

That's it. It was simple to make, and smelled deeelicious! Of course, I'm doing raw now, so I couldn't taste it. Still was another hit with the fellas, so I'm excited to see what else I can come up with. I'm thinking raisin bread, or something vegan friendly. I have also started using organic coconut sugar, which is so much better for you than agave (in my opinion), and you can also bake with it so I will be trying it out in my baked goods soon.

Thanks to everyone who has been asking for the recipe. I'll keep posting more as I make them.

 

 

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

 

Two Cent Tuesdays! Restaurant Edition

Hello again my lovelies! I trust you are all having a fabulous Tuesday.

I thought I would switch it up a bit this time and give my two cents on some of the vegan/vegetarian restaurants I have visited over the past few months. If you live in the Atlanta area and are vegan/vegetarian, feel free to suggest or comment on some of your favorite eateries. Let's go!

Cafe Sunflower

2140 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA 30309
404-352-8859
Menu

My honey and I went to Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead back in January after some shopping at nearby Lenox Mall. This location is in the Brookwood Square Plaza.There is also another location in Sandy Springs.
Parking is easy and adequate.The decor is cozy and colorful, my favorite touch being the Chinese lantern type light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. Our waitress was really friendly without being overbearing. Their menu includes both vegetarian and vegan dishes with a touch of international variety. I was finally able to order a vegan  artichoke & spinach dip (that was actually very good!), so that's what we had as an appetizer. The fiance ordered a tall glass of herbal iced tea and I had a glass of vegan friendly cabernet sauvignon. Both of our beverages hit the spot, and our waitress was kind enough to tell us where we could purchase a bottle of our wine at a less expensive cost than at the establishment. See? I can be as frugal as the next chick.
Right at about the time our chips and dip ran out (and my buzz started knocking), our entrees arrived. Mine was a truly delicious sesame crispy soy "chicken" stir fry with snow peas, broccoli, and other veggies in a sweet & spicy sauce and brown rice. Lawd! He chose the orzo eggplant lasagna which was comprised of layers of portabella mushroom, eggplant, tofu ricotta and other veggies, laced in their marinara sauce. It also came with a side of salad greens with artichokes & olives in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This is bomb...he said (or something similar).
We were adequately satisfied for a surprisingly reasonable cost of just over $40 for a "specialty" lunch that tasted very good. I had to fight off our waitress's dessert Jedi mind tricks. I won. This time. The vegan dessert tray looked mesmerizing.

 Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip, $9  Herbal Iced Tea, $3



 Orzo Eggplant Lasagna, $12

 

Sesame "Chicken", $12

 

Bottom line: Recommended

The lunch menu had a great variety, and although you may have to hand over a few more dollars than you're used to for lunch, it's worth it. The food is delicious, the service is great, and they state they support local farms and use organic "whenever possible". Note: menus differ at each location.

Healthful Essence

875 York Ave. Atlanta, GA 30310
404-806-0830
 Menu

If you are Carribean (like me) and have adopted a non-meat eating lifestyle (again...moi), there are times that you can become nostalgic for the foods you grew up loving. Healthful Essence solves this problem without question! The fiance and I were in a throwback mood and decided to hit up this spot and give it a try. It's not easy substituting West Indian dishes, so we were not sure what to expect.
We made our way across I-20 to the West End of Atlanta. We nearly missed the restaurant due to it being a lot smaller than we anticipated. It's located in a strip plaza (kind of) behind a Krispy Kreme. Hmmm...I was skeptical. Ample parking was available on the lot, so I kept my judgement at bay.
When you walk in, there's the  cash register and the counter with the food to your left, a few tables and chairs to the right, a menu on the wall above, and that's about it. Double hmmm.
We were greeted by a very loud and cheerful character, who happened to also be from Guyana like the fiance. He explained our options for ordering "hot" and "cold" items and gave us a sample of anyting we wanted. One taste of the food and any concerns I had were GONE!
One section had raw, or cold dishes and my absolute favorite of those options was the seaweed salad. Let me repeat: THE SEAWEED SALAD IS BEYOND! I have yet to find another in Atlanta that is as good. They also had broccoli and cauliflower salads, cole slaw, kale salad, and other live salads which were all pretty good.
On to the cooked foods. Yessir! They call their vegan/vegetarian versions of meat dishes the "Un" dish. For instance, we sampled the curry UnGoat and the stewed UnSalmon. We ordered 2 cold and 2 hot sides each, along with our choice of "meat" all for $7.50 each. Pretty good, huh?
I copped the seaweed salad, live salad casserole, curried veggies, steamed greens, and curried UnGoat. Whew! My little belly was screaming for me to stop, but instead I gave it some ginger beer to muzzle it.
The fiance had the marinated kale salad, veggie wrap salad, jerk UnChicken, sauteed cabbage, and stewed veggies. His drink of choice was mauby. We sampled off each other's plate for the full experience, of course! We could barely move when done.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended
I love the fact that they have a raw foods selection that tastes amazing, and I can get vegan food reminiscent of my childhood that actually comes close in flavor. They are true to their name, and the price for dinner for 2 was about $25! What? I gladly traded a fancy decor for this amazing food. They also serve smoothies, roti, veggie burgers, patties, and nori rolls. We will definitely be returning customers as long as they are around and the food is this divine.


Why I did this review while on a raw vegan challenge is beyond me. Thank goodness I'm feeling strong. However, I know on day 31 where we will be headed to eat!! Thanks for spending time with me again today, lovelies. Until next time.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki