Gramanns Go Vegan

Identity Crisis - Who am I?

2011-04-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I'm living a lie.
At dinner the other night, a new work friend was asking what pizza I wanted to order. I panicked. Do I tell her I'm a vegan? Do I cave and eat cheese? Do I tell her that I'm having this internal dialogue about my struggles as a vegan? "Since I'm vegetarian during this business trip, I am happy with a veggie pizza." She seemed relieved, "Oh good. At least you're not one of those 'fegans' who brag about being vegan and then turn around and stuff their face with KitKats." "'Fegans?'" "Fake vegans." Crap.
I want to define myself as a vegan and pride myself on being disciplined and determined to help animals, the earth, and my health. Unfortunately, trying to label myself as one thing has actually left me feeling guilty, isolated, and cornered. I have boxed myself into the strict confines of a diet that are unyielding, unconventional, and disciplinary.
GUILT: I feel guilty saying one thing and acting another way. One moment I'm declaring the benefits of being vegan - the next moment I'm eating ice cream. Apparently I feel guiltier about lying to people than I do about eating animal products. But you know what? I'm not completely reckless with my eating decisions. I consciously choose high quality ingredients that are often organic, local, and humane.
ISOLATION: How many vegans do you know? I can think of 1 friend and 1 colleague who consider themselves vegan. Research shows that you're more successful in completing your goal if you have a support group or accountability partner (ie. my cousin Shannon who did the experiment with me). I don't have a vegan friend group. In fact, most of my friends encourage me to eat whatever I want and quit "that vegan nonsense."
CORNERED: When going out to eat, I usually have 2 options that I can order as vegan. My dinner companions sometimes spend extra time researching restaurants to make sure I can eat there. I feel like such an inconvenience and annoyance. While I have vegan tendencies and refuse to cook my own meat, I cannot describe myself as a vegan any longer. By doing so I feel like I'm lying to people and missing out on some pleasures in life.

Vegans do not eat animal products. I occasionally eat animal products. Therefore, I am not vegan.

In rare situations I eat meat. Therefore, I am not even vegetarian.

This I can safely say: I eat a plant-based diet. Therefore, I am flexitarian. (There I go defining myself again!)

While I don't want to completely abandon my healthy eating habits and dive into vats of ice cream, cookie dough batter, and goat cheese, I will make a reasonable effort to eat kindly...

Kind to the environment: local, organic, mostly plants

Kind to animals: free-range, organic, grass-fed, small farms, antibiotic/hormone-free

Kind to my body: organic, antibiotic/hormone-free, mostly plants, minimal intake, less sugar

This "kind eater" is going to learn about balance, pleasure, health, moderation, acceptance, and self-love. Wish me luck!

You win some - you lose some

2011-04-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the blog Love Veggies & Yoga and felt inspired this morning to try her "banana oat cake" for breakfast. All it contains is a ripe banana, 1/2 c oats, vanilla, chia seeds, cinnamon, and peanut butter spread on top after microwaving for 2.5 minutes. WIN!

Then while I was at my favorite hangout, Target, I felt inspired to mesh one of her other recipes for cake truffles with my go-to pumpkin muffincake recipe. I made the muffincake recipe (Devil's Food Cake mix + can of pumpkin), plopped lil balls of the gooey batter on a plate, let them "harden" in the freezer, and then dipped them in melted chocolate chips. The whole process was much messier and difficult than I had imagined...I only made 11. Plus, I'm not even sure they're that tasty...I'll await the roomie's verdict. FAIL!

What did I do with the leftover batter? Reverted to my comfort zone. MMMM. Pumpkin muffincakes with chocolate chips. WIN!

Very grateful

2011-04-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've had the pleasure to enjoy the Bay Area chain restaurant Cafe Gratitude a couple times. It's an incredible feeling to read the menu and know that I can eat ANYTHING on it! They specialize in organic gourmet vegan foods with plenty of raw food options.

Steph displaying her yummy lunch at Google's "Long Life Cafe"

My WI friend Steph visited me in CA and indicated that she has recently adopted the vegan lifestyle for health reasons! She even eats 70% raw and LOVES it. Not only did she appreciate all the vegan options at the Google cafeterias, she was excited to try the Cafe Gratitude in the Cupertino Whole Foods for dinner. We ordered the "I am Cheerful" and "I am Elated," which translates to "pumpkin seed and walnut burger" and "raw mushroom and chipotle enchilada." We also indulged in the chocolate hazelnut mousse pie.

"I am Cheerful" and "I am Elated"

Being the fun, adventurous ladies we are, we asked for our order "to-go" and drove to the beach in Santa Cruz for a raw picnic at sunset. It was an incredibly enjoyable dining experience, and the food was quite tasty!

Natural Bridges State Park

Veggies + Flavor = Dinner

2011-03-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

Have some extra veggies lounging around the house - poised and waiting for action? Just add flavor, and you've got yourself a scrumptious meal! For me, I recently had onion, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and spinach begging for the spotlight. After a little sauteeing action with garlic, I mixed in the rest of an open jar of Newman's Own fire roasted tomato and garlic sauce. The result was delicious! You could add to pasta or bread, but I love it alone.

Pizza cravings

2011-03-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

On vacation my mom asked me what 2 foods I would eat if I were stranded on an island forever. What does this vegan say? My knee-jerk childhood answer: "Pizza & ice cream!" Fortunately, those can both be made vegan. I make my pizza with whole wheat flatbread, slathered in flavorful tomato sauce, sauteed veggies, and red pepper flakes.

Where is the crust?? Thanks for the homemade red pepper flakes, Mom!

As for my ice cream fix, I blend frozen bananas and mix in chia seeds, cinnamon, peanut butter, and dark chocolate chips. Haven't tried it yet? You have to! It's AMAZING. mmmm!

Virgin Island eats

2011-03-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

What does a vegan eat in St. Thomas? Veggie Roti (chickpea curry burrito pictured above) and funghi (cornmeal & okra)! This vegan also concocted other dishes for her family...

Whole wheat couscous with black beans, sauteed mushrooms & onions, avocados, and salsa.

daily fruit salad

Know what else is vegan? BOOZE.

However, I morally cannot allow myself to post this without mentioning a few missteps: fresh seared black tuna, coconut shrimp, pulled BBQ pork sandwich...and...Jason's Atomic Hot Dog. I was only a human on vacation! Forgive me!

Day 7 - SPP Cleanse

2011-02-06T22:53:00.000-08:00

GO PACKERS!!!

I have reached a realization. This SPP Cleanse is annoying and ineffective. I am normally a healthy eater with a fully functioning body that cleanses itself. My sugar intake has been reasonable, I haven't been drinking much alcohol, there are no animal products clogging my digestive system, I have no food allergies, so I'm already relatively clean!

Compromise:
Since I already have the supplemental powders and can appreciate the occasional cleanse, I will do a 7-day cleanse every other month or so. I have to admit, my energy levels have been dipping this week and I feel slightly fragile...like I'm not running on all cylinders. I want to feel like my normal healthy strong vegan self! :-) This was my 7th day of this cleanse, so I will proceed with my clean slate to continue eating yummy vegan foods in moderation and enjoying life with my friends!

Eating Journal:
-smoothie (apple, banana, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, spinach, carrot, flaxseed oil)
-fruit samples at farmers markets
-curried vegetables with brown rice
-a lot of guacamole & salsa with celery and rice crackers
-dragonfruit and yuzu

Day 6 - SPP Cleanse

2011-02-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

My delicious breakfast!

Dragonfruit from SF Chinatown (Thanks Azeem!)

Eating Journal:
-smoothie (apple, banana, kiwi, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, spinach, carrot)
-leftover brown rice, green beans, onions
-dragonfruit
-4 baked lentil crisps with salsa
-same smoothie
-curried vegetable soup (eggplant, sweet potato, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, curry, cinnamon)

Day 5 - SPP Cleanse

2011-02-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

My favorite grain is unfortunately not approved for this SPP Cleanse. The horror! Quinoa is barely a grain, however! It is a "pseudocereal" and is actually closely related to the spinach family! (Thanks for the tip, sister!) It's really nutritious, has a slightly nutty flavor, and is easy to cook. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

Cleanse Update:
I am feeling good! Yes, I splurged on that lil cupcake yesterday, but I didn't have any adverse physical reactions, thankfully. That has been the only time I've veered off course. Overall, I feel healthy, in control, and happy! I've lost a couple pounds and feel comfortable and confident in my skin. yay!

Eating Journal:
-smoothie (banana, apple, blueberries, strawberries, carrot, spinach, flaxseed oil)
-brown rice, sauteed kale/onions, salad with guacamole and salsa
-sauteed cabbage & roasted cauliflower
-same smoothie
-3 rice crackers with hot salsa
-apple

Day 4 - SPP Cleanse

2011-02-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

Do you think you have what it takes to be a vegan? Vegetarian? Flexitarian?
Vegan: no animal products
Vegetarian: no meat
Flexitarian: mostly plants with the occasional animal product

I dare you to try being Flexitarian! Cutting back on your meat intake is good for your health and the health of the environment. Remember Meatless Mondays? Oprah supports it - check out her Vegan Starter Kit! ;-)

Eating Journal:
-smoothie (apple, banana, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, carrot)
-French lentils, salad with salsa/guacamole
-roasted cauliflower
-3/4 Coldstone birthday cupcake - SO WORTH IT.
-same smoothie
-apple

Day 3 - SPP Cleanse

2011-02-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

Angela asked me a great question: What is the best way to prepare vegetables to retain the highest nutrient value? Raw, steamed, sauteed, or roasted?
Answer: Usually, eating raw fruits and vegetables is the best method. ie. smoothies!!
Steaming, sauteés, and microwaving are also great options. Some nutrients like lycopene in tomatoes are more readily absorbed if heated.
Source: Fruit & Veggie Guru
Fun fact: Artichokes retain their nutrient value in all methods of preparation! (source)

Eating Journal:
-smoothie (banana, apple, spinach, carrot, blueberries, strawberries, flaxseed oil)
-nori snack

Lunch #1 - I was starving!

-roasted veggies (cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, yams, onions) with guacamole and salsa
-brown rice (didn't eat all the rice), black rice, green beans, broccoli, mushroom sushi rolls with wasabi, pickled radishes in sriracha hot sauce

Lunch #2

-brown rice and sauteed veggies at Bangkok Bay for Sabrina's bday (I did not eat the tofu pieces.)

Day 2 - SPP Cleanse

2011-02-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

So far so good! I feel healthy and in control. However, I can already see my social calendar dissipating, but I'm trying to appreciate the quiet times. I'm just not as fun during the cleanse.
You want me to meet you for drinks? Sure, I'll have water with lemon.
You want me to join your group for brunch? Sure, I'll have a bowl of fruit.
You're having a Valentine's Day party? Sure, I'll come and bring - guacamole with veggies for dipping.
Let's meet up for dinner after work? Sure, but does the place have brown rice? Were the veggies sauteed in butter? Actually, I really shouldn't since I'm supposed to be drinking a fruit/veggie smoothie for dinner...

See? I'm a hoot! (I hope it's worth it!)

Eating Journal:
-smoothie (apple, carrot, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, spinach, kiwi, flaxseed oil)
-sauteed Brussels sprouts, salad
-braised kale and shallots
-nori snack
-same smoothie
-brown rice with nori strips and wasabi (My energy started crashing around 4p, and my eyelids felt so heavy that I had to make brown rice for some protein.)

Spring Cleaning: Part 2

2011-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Spring? Fresh start, new season, brighter days, 65 degree weather? Out with the old - in with the new? All signs point to Spring! (in California, anyway...)
Part 2? Well, Part 1 happened in May 2010 when I had first chatted with my nutritionist and he suggested the Standard Process Purification Program. Now, it's time for me to "clean house" for a squeaky clean 2011. For the next 21 days, I will be eating much of what I already do (veggies, fruit, brown rice, and lentils), plus supplemental powders to add to my twice-a-day smoothies.

Food Journal:
-smoothie (strawberries, apple, carrot, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, spinach, flaxseed)
-(I grazed on this all afternoon) brown rice, sauteed cabbage, salad with guacamole & salsa, red lentil spinach soup
-same smoothie, leftover roasted veggies
-apple

Not cooking tonight?

2011-01-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

When I go out to eat with friends, I have learned how to easily land at a restaurant with vegan options. Go ethnic. My safe bets are:
-Middle Eastern
-Asian
-Indian
-Mediterranean

Spicy veggies with brown rice at Bangkok Cuisine

Sweet and Sour Mango and "chicken" at Layang Layang Malaysian Restaurant

Bon appetit!

Gimme the green

2011-01-28T14:45:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday I was reunited with an old pal : the Mountain View Farmers Market. I bought mushrooms, an onion, cauliflower, broccoli, serrano peppers, and kale for $4.75. Amazing.
During the week after a long work day, I decided that some simple roasted veggies were in order. Plus, I had been inspired to make kale chips from a Google chef. They're so easy to make! It's just largely chopped pieces of kale, EVOO and salt. Then, to give one of the batches a cheesy flavor, I sprinkled nutritional yeast on top. Cooked at 400 for 20 minutes was too long. Do it for much less. (I still ate the crispy burnt pieces though!) The veggies in the other cookie sheet are just EVOO, salt & pepper. mmmm! They've provided me 3 meals for under $5. score!

The support continues!

2011-01-24T23:11:00.000-08:00

Replica of Azeem's truffles,
since they disappeared quickly.

Not only do my friends and family tolerate my vegan lifestyle, they send me homemade vegan dark chocolate coconut truffles! (Thanks Azeem!!)

Lunch at Wat Mongkolratanaram in Berkeley

They also make sure that the restaurants we go to have vegan options for me! (Thanks Cailin, Ryan, Steph, Angela & Melissa!)

Your encouragement is greatly appreciated, everyone! Including my manager who bought me a vegan birthday cake from Whole Foods. (Thanks Keith & team!)

Oh, hey there!

2011-01-12T23:03:00.000-08:00

Howdy! Remember me? It's Laura!
Did you think I had given up on veganism? on blogging? nah, I just took a lil hiatus. It's approaching my 1 year "veganversary" and time to reflect on my journey thus far. (...and reviving this blog is one of my resolutions.)

With all this free time not blogging, I've been cooking! and traveling. Mostly to Wisconsin for the holidays where I had hungry and appreciative guinea pigs to sample my recipes.

Let's start with Thanksgiving. Due to planning, testing, and perseverance, Shannon and I brought plenty of vegan options to the table: Maple syrup-roasted brussel sprouts, mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, wild rice stuffing, cranberry/orange relish, and chocolate chip pumpkin bread pudding.

Testing Round One: roasted brussel sprouts, harvest-stuffed portobello mushrooms, and barley casserole.
Pumpkin bread pudding not pictured. Recipes.

My Thanksgiving plate. nom nom.

While home for Christmas, I loved every minute of my online recipe searching, grocery shopping, and meal preparations. Thanks to all my patient testers!

Cafe Manna in Brookfield. "Peace Bowl" and "Tu-no Melt" were flavorful and fantastic. Visit them!

Curried quinoa with cauliflower. Packed some heat. Recipe.

Whole wheat pizza with sauteed veggies and basil tomato sauce.
Rainbow Super Slaw that I ate nearly every day for 3 weeks. Huge crowd pleaser. Recipe.

Sadly disappointing "jerk tempeh" on the right. No need to include recipe.
Sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, and rice on left.

Dark chocolate covered pretzel nuggets with Christmas sprinkles! Fairly low in calories too!

Sweet potato curry cauliflower soup. Couldn't get enough of this! I made it extra spicy. Recipe.

Spicy hummus roll-ups for Christmas parties. Thanks for your help making these, sister!
(wheat or sun-dried tomato or spinach tortillas, spicy hummus, avocado, zucchini, scallions, sprouts)

Take-out from Taste of India in Brookfield. Garlic naan, mushroom masala, and eggplant bhartha. Ask for it spicy!
Visit them!

This past year has been an incredible learning experience for me that has challenged most of my opinions on the food industry, nutrition, and wellness. Although it can often be a struggle to be a vegan who hangs out solely with non-vegans, I have found this lifestyle very rewarding and don't plan on returning to my pre-vegan ways. Yes, there is the occasional mishap where my tongue lands in some froyo or a coworker's birthday cupcake appears in my hand, but I stay the course - MOST OF THE TIME. As I've mentioned numerous times before, progress is progress, and steps in the right direction are still feet taking action. I've felt the support from family and friends and seen their eating habits turn greener. I LOVE IT! Thanks, y'all! I'm back!

Happy World Vegan Day!

2010-11-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get closer to 90% vegan, since I've been slipping recently. (Too many yummy treats floating around!) So today, I re-dedicate myself to the vegan lifestyle in celebration of World Vegan Day!

Just around the corner is Thanksgiving! Vegan cousin Shannon and I are plotting our yummy vegan additions to the family dinner menu and have found several inspiring links...

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/Celebrate-a-Vegan-Holiday.aspx
http://www.vegan.com/recipes/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes-2009-a-feast-by-robin-robertson/
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/chef-tal-ronnens-vegan-thanksgiving-menu/
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/menus/2008/11/vegetarian-thanksigiving-menus

My go-to dessert recipes

2010-09-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Want to impress with simple vegan dessert recipes? Me too! My favorite two are peanut butter chocolate chip blondies and fresh apple crisp.

Feel free to undercook these babies for pure gooey heaven. (Recipe)

I used oats instead of bran cereal. Apples courtesy of 93-yr-old neighbor Clara. (Recipe found by Lisa.)

Cooking with eggplant: Part 2

2010-09-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured out by now, let me fill you in: I'm from Wisconsin. Most of my family still lives in WI - and they get to have REAL gardens!! So when my beloved cousin Lisa came to visit, she brought along one of my favorite vegetables: an eggplant from her garden. After searching online we found a delightfully simple recipe that included farmers market heirloom tomatoes. We made a variation of these roasted eggplant/tomato stacks with a side of fresh corn on the cob, and sauteed corn and Anaheim pepper. Again, i find that fresh basil sprinkled on top is the best.

Cooking with eggplant: Part 1

2010-09-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

While perusing some cookbooks from the library, I got inspired to make my own concoction of ingredients floating around my kitchen. Here was my "kitchen sink" meal centered around roasted eggplant...

From my garden: basil, rosemary, pepper, tomatoes.
From the farmers market: eggplant, garlic, torpedo onion, cipolini onions.

I sliced the eggplant, soaked and cleaned the cipolinis, and concocted a dressing of EVOO, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, rosemary leaves. Roast in oven around 400 degrees for ~30 min. (If you just want to roast the cipolini onions, check out this easy recipe.)
In a frying pan, I sauteed the thinly sliced torpedo onion and the chopped Anaheim pepper. This is what happened after I sprinkled fresh basil on the stack:

YUM. Yeah, I totally ate several stacks.

Google's bday present to me

2010-09-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

Every year on my birthday, Google gives me a free hour-long massage. Nice, right? Well, this year it got even better. Not only did I get a massage credit, they turned all the micro kitchens in my building into EXTREME HEALTHY Micro Kitchens! For the month of September, they've swapped out the overly processed and sugary foods for fresh fruits, hummus, house-made energy nuggets, and sparkling waters.
Added bonus? They've decided to try Meatless Mondays for September at our 2 busiest cafes. I'm very excited about "my gifts!!" 26 will be a fantastic year!

Young at heart

2010-09-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

I just turned 26. It has been a bitter pill to swallow. I'm practically 40 years old. Am I really who I want to be by now?
However, my actual birthday was great! I felt the love from friends and family. My coworkers even got me a vegan chocolate cake from Whole Foods. Everyone who sampled it loved it! It was very rich, moist and chocolatey. My manager prides himself on being closed minded, so he refused to try it and claimed it smelled like rubbing alcohol. Purely a mental reaction/aversion, since no one else agreed. Today I miraculously convinced him to try it, and he didn't vomit or shudder. His face was not pleasant, but he said it wasn't horrible - just weird tasting. I told him how proud I was of him for trying it! Progress, people. Progress.
Have you heard of the term "real age?" If you take the test at www.realage.com, they'll ask you a billion questions about your life. My results tell me that my real age is 19.5 years old. Nice! I think some of their rationale is bogus, but apparently I need to improve my flexibility and get a dog. Maybe I need to do more yoga instead of DDR. At least I feel young at heart! Let me raise a glass to always improving my health - no matter what my age.

Favorite Farmers Market

2010-08-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

All of this produce for $8.70. I'm telling you - it is best to go right before the market closes for the awesome deals (or free bok choy shoved in your bag). I love the Mountain View Farmers Market! Have you voted for your favorite market?

Then I whipped up a stir fry with my fresh tomatoes, leftover tofu, some garlic, balsamic vinegar, ground black pepper, and cayenne. I definitely took a gamble with that sauce combination, but I think it highlighted the natural veggie flavors quite well!

Experimenting

2010-08-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

I love weekends where I have the time to experiment with new recipes. This weekend I tried 2 new ones and re-vamped an old one. I revisited the black bean/corn/quinoa salad we made for the barn party, except this time we added mango and avocado - a tremendous improvement. Best eaten with salty tortilla chips. Yesterday I made the vegan apple muffins in my previous post, which turned out great and are now in my freezer for future enjoyment.
The other new recipe that my friend Steph and I tried was a vegan chocolate chai cheesecake. DECADENT (and easy to make)!! My pictures aren't as great as the VeganPandamonium site, so check out how pretty it can look.

Vegan Chocolate Chai Cheesecake
-2 containers of 8oz Tofutti cream cheese
-1/4 block of extra firm tofu
-2/3 c agave syrup (could've used 1/2 c next time)
-2 tsp vanilla
-1/4 c + 1Tbs Chai tea concentrate
-2 Tbs of corn starch
-1 9" store bought pie crust
-vegan chocolate chips

Oven 350 degrees. Put cream cheese, tofu, agave, vanilla, chai in blender. Then mix in corn starch. Line bottom of pie crust with thin layer of choco chips. Pour filling into crust. We dotted the top with more choco chips. Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden. Let it set for at least an hour in fridge. (We, of course, could not wait that long = goopey slices.) Drizzle with choco syrup, if desired.