You Had Me At Tofu!

I'm a terrible MoFo'er - but Happy Vegan Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

I ran out of time and didn't get to do even half of the posts I'd wanted to for the Vegan MoFo. I blame the Algebra class I took this month. I really, really, REALLY hate Algebra. But it's over now! And I passed!

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all of the wonderful blogs participating this year - and plan to be much better prepared for it next year! I absolutely loved it!

Now we move on to World Vegan Day - which is, coincidentally - today.

Happy World Vegan Day!

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So - I suck at this... What I Ate Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:01:00 +0000

I meant to take pictures of everything I ate today to share with you on this lovely What I Ate Wednesday.

But I only remembered to photograph my food twice.

And they aren't even very good pictures... But oh well...

So here we go!

Breaky:

Water - lots of it!

Coffee with soy milk and 2 packets of stevia in the raw

A banana

Mid-morning snack:

A cup of mango juice with Macro Greens & more water.

(not pictured - obviously)

Vegan, Gluten Free banana nut bread.

(That I forgot to photograph until the last 2 bites. HA!)

I'm an awesome food blogger...

And that was the end of my food pictures. I'll try to do better next Wednesday - I promise!

Lunch: leftover Hippy Loaf, green beans and mashed potatoes.

Dinner: Vegan, GF mac & cheeze with mixed veggies stirred in.

The Senior Citizen made me a Hippy Loaf!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:09:00 +0000

Mondays are always tough for me. I have to be at work before 4am everyday. Sunday nights suck because I can never sleep on in fear of not being able to wake up on time for work in the morning. So I am always exhausted all day Monday.

When I get home on Monday afternoons, I typically crash for the remainder of the day. That leaves little time for cooking and eating like I want to. But last night - in awesome Dad fashion - my father ventured onto the world of vegan cooking and made me a Hippy Loaf.

{Image & Recipe via The Happy Herbivore}

Now - let me give you some history on the Senior Citizen so you'll understand why this is a monumental thing...

My father is a meat eater. A big time meat eater. When I informed him that I would be adapting a vegan diet he got rather upset and said: "Well... I'm NOT!"

Alrightly...

My father lives with me and prior to retirement, was a chef and the director of school food nutrition in our home town for many, many years. Remember how I said we lived and breathed by the food pyramid? Well - you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I've been trying... But he actually got online last night and googled recipes - found The Happy Herbivore (a personal fav blog and cookbook of mine!) and made me vegan "meat" loaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. It was so sweet of him... and the Hippy Loaf was SO GOOD!!!

So - I just thought I'd stop by and share that with you. It was a rather proud moment for me. And no - he wouldn't even taste it. He turned up his nose, even after I raved about how delicious it was.

But it was a baby step - and I'll take it. This weekend I fully intend to drag him to a local vegetarian restaurant so he will be forced to try something new and veggy.

Wish me luck. Don't worry - I will blog the whole adventure! :)

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Georgia Peach Cobbler - Veganified!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:52:00 +0000

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I had a good friend ask me for a family recipe for peach cobbler over the weekend - since I'm a Georgia peach and all... :) My family has many peach cobbler, peach crumble and peach pie recipes. But this one is a personal favorite - and I have veganified it!

I figured since I'd already written down for my friend, I'd share it for Vegan MoFo too! I didn't make the cobbler this weekend - so the picture below is of Paula Deen's Southern Peach Cobbler. But mine looks pretty much identical.

You can easily half this recipe if you aren't feeding an entire gang of folks... like we always did at my childhood home. Or you can also freeze it. It freezes beautifully!

Georgia Peach Cobbler (Vegan)

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Ingredients:

8 cups peeled and sliced peaches
4 cups sugar (divided in half)
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (very important - gives it an amazing flavor)
3/4 cup water
1 cup vegan butter
3 cups self rising flour (also very important - regular flour will NOT produce a proper crust for this recipe!)
3 cups milk substitute of your choice (I like So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk - the vanilla enhances the flavors in the cobbler beautifully)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - or to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Put the butter in a 6-8 quart casserole dish, then put the baking dish in the oven to melt while your doing the next step...
Combine the peaches, lemon juice, water and half the sugar in a sauce pan and let it come to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Mix together remaining sugar, flour and milk and pour in the baking dish over the melted butter. Don't stir it...
Pour your peach mixture over that. Spread evenly - but try not to stir it around too much.
Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and a tablespoon of brown sugar..
Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. The batter will rise to the top while it bakes. It's ready when you can stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out with no uncooked batter on it. Watch it very closely at the end - the cooking time is key.

Serve hot with So Delicious vanilla ice cream - or your favorite ice cream substitute. Yum!

What I Ate Wednesday...

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:11:00 +0000

I had leftover grits casserole for breaky - then around lunch time I felt like cooking...

And so I cooked. I cooked a LOT.

I needed to use up the spaghetti squash in the frig - so I de-seeded it...

and put it in the oven to roast...

While that was roasting - I threw together a "clean out the fridge veggie stew" and let it simmer all afternoon.

It consisted of veg broth, lentils, tomatoes, wax beans, kale, garbanzo beans, navy beans, onions, potatoes and my favorite spices.

YUM!

Then it was time to rake out the spaghetti...

And don't forget the kale chips - they hit the dehydrator today...

I tried out a new recipe for vegan Alfredo Sauce courtesy of the Happy Herbivore blog.

I threw in some broccoli and served it over spaghetti squash.

Pure. Heaven.

After my dinner of soup, I had to indulge in a bit of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter.

This stuff is my newest obsession...

I've only had this jar for a week - and yes, I eat it directly out of the jar.

It's THAT good.

What did you eat today?

Grits Casserole: A Vegan Twist on a Southern Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Mornin' MoFo's!

The changing seasons (that the rest of you are experiencing - we don't have "fall" in Phoenix, AZ per se...) has inspired me to eat some heartier breakfasts these days. Throughout the summer I stuck pretty closely to green smoothies for breakfast. And they are wonderful - but I wanted something hot today - and hearty.

One of my childhood favorite meals was: GRITS.

I was born and raised in south Georgia - so naturally I love grits. If you cringe at the thought of eating them - give this recipe a try! It's hearty, delicious and flavorful - a childhood favorite of mine I have managed to successfully recreate as vegan. YESSS

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Grits 101:

I ONLY eat corn grits (pictured above) these days. Why? The difference is in the processing. White hominy grits - which are the ones that you typically find in grocery stores - are soaked in lye for days. Corn grits are typically made from white corn kernels that are quick steamed briefly to loosen their shells. The kernels are then ground and sifted - the grits processed minimally. Processed further they become corn meal - even further they turn into bran. Even if you cook your grits with salt (and you don't really want to omit that...), a one cup serving will typically be around 145 calories, 31 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein, zero cholesterol and zero fat!

Recipe:

There are two ways one could make this. Growing up we would typically cook all the ingredients (which then included things like bacon, eggs, potatoes and onions) and throw them into the pot with the grits, add some cheese and chow down. It is also a favorite of mine for holiday mornings - or when I needed a make ahead breakfast. I just cook everything up the night before, throw it in a glass baking dish, sprinkle with cheeze and cover with tin foil. The next morning, put it in the oven (tin foil and all) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake until the cheeze is melty and slightly brown and the casserole has heated throughout.

Ingredients (serves 2+):
1 cup corn grits (I use Sprouts brand)
2 cups water
2 cups non dairy milk
6 strips vegan bacon
2 medium russet potatoes
1 yellow onion
1 bell pepper (optional - I omit because I don't like peppers)
1 tablespoon vegan butter - or to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste (a teaspoon of each is a good place to start)
Daiya cheeze to taste

Directions:
-To cook the grits: boil the water and milk, when it gets to a rolling boil - add the grits and simmer for 30 minutes.

-Chop the onions and saute the onion in olive oil over low heat until translucent, add the bell peppers and cook until desired consistency.

-Chop the potatoes and add to the onions, cover and cook on medium low heat until potatoes are cooked.

-When grits are done and potatoes are done, add the potato, onion and pepper mixture to the pot of grits. Saute the vegan bacon until it is warm and crispy. Chop into bite size pieces and add to grits. Serve, garnish with Daiya and salt and pepper.

-OR put it all in a glass baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, cover with tin foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 350 until cheeze melts and casserole is heated throughout.

Enjoy!

what up mofo's?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:56:00 +0000

I am pleased to announce my participation in the Vegan Month of Food this year! It's my first year participating and I look forward to sharing some great recipes and information with you! I also look forward to reading all the other MoFo blogs every day.

This is my birthday month - so what a great month for the Vegan MoFo! Having just started my vegan journey - my posts will focus on the foods I've been incorporating into my diet, my experience going vegan and my favorite vegan meals so far.

And the part I'm most excited about? I will be traveling to all the local Phoenix, AZ area vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants this month (and dragging the Carnivorous Senior Citizen there with me - for comic relief of course...) to bring you the Valley Veg at it's Best (and worst)!

Not a vegan? Well - we can all use a little more veg in our lives. I challenge you to try at least one vegan meal this month - or try a vegan meal at one of the restaurants I will be profiling this month - and let me know how you like it. Not too hard, right?

why vegan?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:24:00 +0000

I began my journey to veganism on August 1st 2011. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and have tried every diet known to man. When I really sat down and started doing my research on weight loss and overall health - I discovered that a raw vegan diet could quite possibly be the optimal diet for me.

But vegan AND raw? No cooked food, no meat, no cheese... This was a bit much to take on at once. It also lead to much introspection... Clearly what I had "known" about nutrition and diet were wrong. I was living proof. I was unhealthy, fat and miserable. In fact - I was mostly dead.

I've never really been a huge fan of meat. I hate to cook it and I especially hate the sight and smell of raw meat. So knocking that one out of my diet was fairly easy. Dairy has been quite a bit more difficult - mainly because I am a fan of cheese. That's what everyone says, right? "I could never be vegan, I love cheese!" I was one of those people. It's hard to find a substitute for cheese and even harder to say good-bye permanently to a dear old friend.

I spent this past spring and summer evaluating my diet and experimenting to see what reactions my body had to the food that I ate. I came to the realization that I don't have to eat meat. I always knew this of course, but found it difficult to stick to because I had always eaten meat. But when I really thought about it - I don't like to cook it, I don't like it unless it's covered in gravy or some other sauce - why on earth was I still eating it?

Well the answer was simple - I didn't know any other way of eating.

My father worked for the school system in my hometown and his job was to plan the meals for all of the schools in our county.Thus - his idea of nutrition was what the USDA said it was. We lived and breathed by the food pyramid. I didn't know any other way of cooking. Veganism would mean that I would have to:

1) Cook. (I am lazy...)
2) Not only cook - but learn an entirely different way of cooking and preparing my food.
3) Experiment with new recipes and flavors.
4) Step outside of my comfort zone.
5) Break the news to my Food Pyramid loving family that I wouldn't be eating their favorite food group anymore: MEAT!

All of those things were scary at first. The initial reactions from my family weren't favorable. My father called me a hippy. My mother said "Well what on earth are we going to feed you when you come to visit?" I think my sister is still in denial... My friends were supportive but skeptical. But I was determined.

To be continued.....

Healthy Eating Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:49:00 +0000

The Harvard School of Public Health has come out with a new Healthy Eating Plate that looks like this:

This new "Plate" is based on what Harvard refers to as the newest scientific evidence on what a healthy diet should consist of. It came out in response to the USDA's MyPlate that was released earlier this year. MyPlate was an improvement on the traditional "Food Pyramid" Americans have used as a guide to what was thought to be healthy eating in the past. Neither of those guidelines however, were based on the newest research - according to Harvard.

So let's take a look at what this new scientific research is telling us...

Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate Guidelines:

Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits: The more color and variety, the better. Potatoes and French fries don't count as vegetables on the Healthy Eating Plate, because they are high in fast-digested starch (carbohydrate), which has the same roller-coaster effect on blood sugar and insulin as white bread and sweets. These surges, in the short term, can lead to hunger and overeating, and in the long term, can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

I'm not sure where potatoes are placed in this new healthy eating plate - perhaps we shouldn't be eating them? I'm certainly not willing to give up my breakfast potatoes yet, Harvard... we need to discuss this!

Fill a quarter of your plate with whole grains: The Healthy Eating Plate says to choose whole grains, the less processed, the better, and to limit refined grains. What are refined grains? Pretty much anything white and/or prepackaged and convenient - white bread has been over-processed and the nutrients have been stripped and returned - or "enriched" as they like to call it. But nothing can replace the original. It might taste good - but essentially you are getting no nutritional value from that Wonderbread. Sorry folks... Here's the whole grains you can eat, in their complete and unprocessed forms: amaranth, barley, brown rice, bulgur (cracked wheat), whole-wheat pasta or couscous, flaxseed, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, spelt, wheat berries, wild rice.

Put a healthy source of protein on one quarter of your plate: fish, chicken, beans or nuts. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats like bacon, cold cuts, hot dogs, etc. Why? Over time, regularly eating even small amounts of these foods raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. 'Nuff said.

Use Healthy Oils: like canola, coconut oil, grapesed and olive for cooking and at the table - butter should be limited. Trans fat should be avoided entirely.

What to Drink: drink plenty of water - you can also drink tea and coffee with limited amounts of sugar. Limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, since high intakes are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Limit juice to a small glass per day as juice is high in sugar. Skip the sugary drinks such as sodas; they provide lots of calories and virtually no other nutrients. Over time, routinely drinking sugary drinks can lead to weight gain, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, and possibly increase the risk of heart disease.

Stay active: no matter what we eat - we've got to keep moving! This seems to be one area that all the "experts" can still agree on. Move dammit!

What's all this scientific evidence mean for vegans?

That we were right all along... You can live without meat and dairy products and in fact, are better off without them.

What do you think of this new Healthy Eating Plate? Do you agree with the ratios?

Coming soon....

noreply@blogger.com (Heather McWhorter) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:07:00 +0000

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A blog documenting my journey to veganism from it's inception into my life on August 1st 2011. I will share with you recipes, failures, struggles and why I am vegan.... Stay tuned!

In the meantime - if you'd like to learn a little bit about me - you can visit my home page at HeatherMcWhorter.com. There you will find links to my other blogs and projects!

You can also follow me on Twitter.