Changes I've Noticed Since Becoming Vegan

Sassy Alert! I woke up on the sassy part of the bed today (it happens sometimes) and my ardent animal activist is out in full force today. I am usually quite a mellow little vegan, but not today! You've been warned.

Getting back in the swing of things after my unfortunate week off has been tough. I had a spectacular cookie recipe all lined up, but I forgot to edit and upload the photos! So, it'll have to be saved for tomorrow instead I suppose. But that's okay because I have a different sort of post for today. 

Photo by the exceptionally talented Todd.

It's been a little over one year since I became vegan and it's honestly been one of the happiest decisions of my life. It's brought Todd and me so much joy and peace with regards to our health and mental wellness. I thought I'd share some changes in my life since going plant-based.

Changes I've noticed since becoming vegan.

Some occurred instantaneously and some took some time to notice.   

- There's been some concern with relation to my excessive consumption of nutritional yeast. I've been encouraged to research if one can consume too much of the stuff (conclusion...no). NOOCH BELONGS ON EVERYTHING! No joke. It's cheesy, a complete protein, packed with B-12, and I'm fairly certain they put crack in it. Todd told me I should just contact the distributor so I can get it in super bulk quantities.

- I now find animal meat completely repulsive. Physically it grosses me out. Having grown up in Alaska, I wasn't sure that would ever happen to me, but it has. The connection has been made... it's really been made. Seriously, I imagine that a particular chicken once stood, afraid, and cramped in shockingly horrendous conditions before being slaughtered every time I see a cooked chicken leg.

- I used to cough in the mornings. Every morning. For years and years. Since I've been vegan that's gone away. I now know the culprit was dairy. So, bye-bye apocalypse size bottle of Zyrtec. Unfortunately, my allergies to Bobbledore haven't gone away....I still have my eye drops for that!

- My friends and family eat more vegan products and less animal products (at least when I'm around), woot woot! Eating more fruits and vegetables? Words patients have been ignoring from their doctors and/or nutritionists for a long time now. Now you should be able to say, "Yes!"

- If a friend or family member mentions a recipe or dish that they made or enjoyed that contains animal products, I don't fake it any longer and go "Ooo, that sounds so good!" Because it doesn't. I'm not cool with having an animal die simply because I want beef tacos (lentil tacos are way better anyways, fo real). There's nothing good about milk and if you people don't believe me then they should march down to the commercial dairy farm where that milk they bought was produced. Seriously...this isn't the 1950's anymore. We know there's really nothing good about cow's milk, in fact quite the opposite. Be an informed consumer and see the research here at NutritionFacts.org

-  I seriously haven't had to see my primary care doctor since I've been vegan. I was a frequent flyer before. I was always sick. Colds, flus, bronchitis, strep, pneumonia....straight up. You should know that my place of employment is a hospital. I am constantly around plaque monkeys. Last week a little girl coughed in my face at point blank range. Yep. Still not sick though! I'm invincible!! Okay, maybe not...there was a visit to the Urgent Care, but that was non-food related as you may know if you follow me on social media. Don't worry, I know I'll get sick eventually...but I'll be damned if I've not had a single cough for over a year now.

- My hair isn't straw-like anymore. For real. It wasn't pretty. Plus, it seems to have been growing faster too. I attribute this to lots of avocado, nuts, and seeds. 

- I don't count calories anymore. I just eat healthily (most of the time). Calories, fat, and carbs no longer linger on my brain. Plus, I've lost a cool 10-15 lbs. and ain't nothing wrong with that.

- Our pantry is full of all kinds of things I would have never tried if I hadn't become vegan. Nutritional yeast, millet, adzuki beans, kombu, etc. Playing with new food sure can be fun, and hey, variety is the spice of life! Red quinoa, TVP, and millet...oh my!

- I experiment with fermenting and sprouting, something I might not have done before becoming vegan. Almond milk kefir, lacto-fermented veggies, water kefir, mung bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts..some have been more successful than others. I can't wait to try my hand at plant-based yogurt and cheese!

- I feel inclusive and welcomed into a community of like minded people who share the same values and ethics. There's not a lot that feels better than being accepted. Even for an awkward, antisocial little monster like myself.

- I care more. I'm more compassionate and my decisions are more thought-out. Instead of thinking how something will impact only me, I think about how it will impact animals, people, and the planet. It's important to think beyond yourself. We are all connected to this earth and everything on it. We all need to work on being less egocentric. 

- I'm an animal advocate. People are curious about me being vegan and they want to know more. This provides a great opportunity to speak up for animals and boast the joys and gratification not contributing to animal abuse! 

The sad truth of it.

- My mind is clear and my conscious is free from the guilt of contributing to the harm of animals and of our planet as well. You vote for the kind of world you want every time you lift a fork. I want to be happier, healthier, and for no animals to be harmed and I'm voting for that everyday!

- I'm happier, healthier, and more at peace. It's as plain and simple as that. Try it!

Sweet Potato & Chickpea Burgers

Hallelujah, we are back! Transferring domains was rough stuff. Who knew it took 5-7 days by law. Whatever, it's in the past and I am so, so glad it's all behind me now (fingers crossed). I love my new home here at Squarespace! Let me know how you guys like the setup. Do you like the photo slider or no? I'd love to hear feedback! 

And now, it's time for a bean recipe! As you know, it's my life's mission to incorporate more beans into my life...and what a way to do it. With a burger! A veggie burger that is. Oh yes, my friends. 

I've been on a real burger kick lately. It's funny because I was never really into burgers before becoming vegan. I have a sneaking suspicion why though...methinks 'twas the decaying animal flesh. Hey, don't kill the messenger...that is what it is...

Anyway, you have nothing to fear my animal-loving compadres. My burgers are 100% vegan! These sweet potato, chickpea, and white bean veggie burgers brown up perfectly on the stove and are ready in a pinch! Filled with nutritious (and delicious) veggies, oats, herbs, and spices...what's to shy away from? Take a break from the bun-animal-bun combo and go with bun-veggie-bun instead! Also, freeze any leftovers for use later as a quick and nutritious meal! I love having them on hand. 

Sweet Potato & Chickpea Burgers

Makes about 12 burgers

• Flax Eggs:
• 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup cold water
• Veggies:
• 1 large sweet potato, sliced and steamed
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• Aromatics:
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
• Conclusion:
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats, dry
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 12 hamburger buns

Notes: If you have a large food processor (10 cup or larger), you might be able to fit all the ingredients into the bowl at once to process. I had to do mine in batches of different ingredients. I cooked up 12 patties and froze the leftovers in saran-wrap separately, then in a large plastic ziplock bag for later! These burgers probably do best on the stovetop as opposed to grilling. Adapted from Peas And Crayons.

Start by whisking the ground flax seed and the water together in a small bowl. Place in the fridge until ready for use. 

Steam the sliced sweet potato for about 10 minutes, until fork tender. Remove and set aside. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and white beans and set aside. 

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the aromatic ingredients and saute until fragrant and the bell pepper is browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a food processor pulse the dry oats until they are a bit finer in consistency. They don't need to be ground to a flour though. Transfer to a very large bowl. 

Now, pulse the chickpeas and white beans until they are mashed, scraping down the sides as necessary. They don't need to be perfectly processed.

When the aromatics are done sauteing, add them to the processor along with the sweet potatoes and pulse as well. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the oats. 

Add the flax egg and the fresh parsley to the bowl and mix very well, with exceptionally clean hands. It's really the only way to do it. Place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. 

After the mixture has rested, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in the large frying pan over medium. Form a veggie patty with your hands that's about the size of your palm. These won't shrink at all when cooked so form them exactly as you'd like them to be on your burger. Cook about 3 minutes on each side and repeat with remaining patties. 

Serve hot on a hamburger bun with BBQ sauce or ketchup and arugula or spinach.

Cook as many as you'd like to fit in one pan. My pan held four at a time. I cooked the leftover patties and then froze them to use later!

"Mom! Dad! I will do ANYTHING for one of those burgers!!"

German Word of The Day

Concert --> Konzert (pronounced: con-zairt) - Go figure! Germans spell things to neatly. 

Good Deed of The Day:

I know this is kind of a different action to have today, but my hope is that it brings awareness of the living conditions to meat-eaters. The fact that most animals need to be pumped full of antibiotics to even live and make it your a plate I hope be a little more noticeable when it's stamped on the goddamn package. Who knows. Maybe we'll all choose to not eat meat at all! We certainly don't need it! Sign this petition to have the USDA label animal flesh that has been treated with antibiotics. 

Italian Potato Salad

Sweet baby jesus you guys. I finally, finally got DISQUS (the comment platform) to work on my new site. I seriously teared up with joy when I saw it was finally working. This has been a giant source of frustration over the last week and I am so, so, so incredibly elated it's finally working. Now I can share posts! Gah! Why did I switch hosts again?? 

Now to the good stuff. If there's one thing that sings "Summer!" for me, it might just have to be...potato salad. Is that weird? My dad had the rare ability to make the most rockin' potato salad around (for some reason I only recall it's existence around warmer temperatures) and I feel like I might have (fingers crossed) inherited said gift from him.

Some people might be all like, "It's potato salad, big whoop. Anyone can whip up a potato salad!" I beg to differ. And in a few short words, I'll tell you why. Most potato salad is either soaking in way too much liquid or is as dry as a bone. Sometimes it's completely lacking in flavor. More often than not, it's mostly just a whole lotta mayonnaise with some mushy potatoes and a little veggies thrown in just so you know you're not just consuming a potato and mayonnaise smoothie...yep, in my experience most potato salad straight-up sucks. 

I won't even discuss store-bought potato salad. I just won't. 

Stop eating potato and mayonnaise smoothies. I've come to save you from the potato salads that haunt your dreams. I'd like to start off by noting that  this salad is completely mayo-free. Instead, it's dressed in a beautiful herbed olive oil and fresh lemon juice dressing. Tender baby red potatoes, crunchy celery, tart capers, salty Kalamata olives, and juicy cherry tomatoes mingle with fresh basil and parsley to make the truly simplest and most lovely potato salad you've ever had. 

Italian Potato Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• Salad:
• 3 lbs. baby red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered or halved
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 Tbsp. capers, drained
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 16 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chiffonade
• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions:

Start by bringing a very large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile wash and scrub the potatoes of any dirt. If the potatoes are on the larger side, cut or quarter them. Once the water reaches a rapid boil, add the potatoes. Boil for about 20 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Strain and set aside.

While the potatoes boil, prep the remaining salad ingredients. Add them all to a very large serving bowl and combine.

To make the dressing, simply combine all the ingredients in small bowl or measuring cup and whisk well. 

Add the boiled potatoes to the large serving bowl and combine with the tomato/celery/olive mixture. Pour the dressing over it all and mix again, until well coated. 

Serve warm or cold!

It seems I've been caught picking out of the bowl!

Someone was all ready for the big cabin trip last week!

We saw MGMT in concert yesterday. Can you believe they came all the way up to Alaska?! I'll share a video on Instagram! I am not a concert person and never, ever will be. It's just not my bag. I like my personal space...and not being smoked on. Someone threw up right next to me and if I want to go to a bathroom so disgusting I have to hover-pee, I'll go to the state fair. *shudder* I just chanted, "Go to your happy place...go to your happy place..." all night. Why am I such an old, grumpy lady?!

German Word of The Day:

Potato --> Kartoffel (pronounced: car-toffel) I know I've shared this one before but for some strange reason, it's one of my favorite German words!

Good Deed of The Day:

Simply wish everyone you come in contact to happiness (in your head, don't want people thinking you're crazy). Smile, and be happy!