Vegan Month: Day One

So, day one went pretty well. Breakfast for me this month is going to be a bit of a challenge because normally I have eggs and toast, and if I don't have that I have cereal with yogurt and fruit and if I don't have that, I have cereal with milk and fruit. I can now only have one of those things and I can't use real milk. I hate soy milk, so when I was ate Whole Foods yesterday, I picked up some almond milk and some coconut milk (the drinkable kind, not the stuff in the can) in case I didn't like one.

So this morning, it was Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Shredded Wheat with almond milk and a banana. The shredded wheat wasn't bad; I thought it could use a little more cinnamon, but I like my spices on the heavy side so that might just be me. And the almond milk was actually quite tasty; just a little different than regular milk, with less fat, less sugar, and a gram of fiber, which is very cool. :D Unfortunately it also costs four dollars for a half-gallon, which is not cool. D:

I also came to the realization today that I don't eat bananas because I like them, I eat them because they're there, and in the morning, they're the most convenient fruit to eat because they require no prep (unlike strawberries) and it's easy to eat them fast (unlike apples). Now, that isn't to say that there aren't really good bananas out there, and sometimes, when you get a banana at just the perfect ripeness it tastes amazing, but otherwise... I could live without them.

Then I had work at two, so I had lunch and dinner together, which was an apple, some grapes and Celery Root, Apple and Walnut salad from the Whole Foods deli. It wasn't bad; the salad is made up of the three aforementioned ingredients, wheat berries, quinoa, green onion, and raisins with a dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar dressing. It was a little dry, so I had to add some olive oil, and there wasn't much flavor to it besides the sweetness of the apple and the raisins, but the crunch of the walnuts was nice, and it made for a passable meal if you didn't have time to make one yourself. I wouldn't actively seek it out again, though.

On a side note, I love wheat berries. Why don't I have them more often?

That's all for now. Until next time, my duckies!

DAY ONE

So, breakfast was fried eggs on toast with hot sauce. The fact that I will be eating eggs on this journey official classifies me as Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian. Some people may disagree with me and say that eggs count as meat, but I say no. Eggs as we eat them are unfertilized, ergo there is no life in them, ergo they are not meat. And on the off chance that there is life inside them, you're not going to eat it anyway. And if you do, then there's something wrong with you. Just saying.

Then I had to work, and since it was such a lovely day out I decided to bike there, which was a good idea, but getting there was a pain in the ass because of all the wind resistance. I think I was peddling twice as hard as normal on my route and my poor heart was screaming "OH GOD STOP. IT BURNS. IT BUUUUUUUUURNS" and my lungs were all "STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT JESUS CHRIST" but my stomach was like "STFU GUYS, THIS IS GOOD FOR US. GROW A BACKBONE ALREADY YOU BIG BABIES." Yes, that's right, my organs talk to each other. Because I'm just that awesome.

Lunch was a mango and a slice of banana bread, which was not such a good idea because I was starving by the time I got off, but luckily the bike ride home is all down hill, so it was much easier. By the way guys, if you're ever at Gloria Jean's and want to watch your calories, don't ever order any of our chillers. It's kind of appalling how much sugar they have. Even the so-called "low calorie" chillers aren't that great.

Dinner was leftover tomato soup with some bread. I love the tomato soup my family makes because it's delicious and creamy without being too fatty and ridiculously easy, so for tonight, that's the recipe.

Tomato Soup

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. blended italian herbs (I use dried basil, thyme, and oregano)

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. milk (2% or higher, otherwise the taste gets thrown off)

10 oz. beef or chicken broth

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper/chili flakes (optional)

2 tbsp. freshly chopped basil (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the dried herbs and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, and stir quickly to create a kind of paste, also known as a roux. Add tomato paste and brown sugar, and stir until pasty once again. Add the broth; using a whisk, vigorously whisk the paste until it breaks up. Add milk in a slow, steady stream; otherwise it will curdle. Add crushed tomatoes and stir until throughly blended. If using cayenne and/or basil, add and stir. Simmer on low heat for twelve minutes. Serve warm and with garlic bread.

Garlic Bread

1 loaf crusty bread

4 tbsp. butter or olive oil (they both have their benefits. I leave the decision up to you.)

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

(Melt the butter if using.) Add the crushed garlic to butter/olive oil and stir to integrate. Brush onto both sides of the bread. Grill bread in a pan or on a griddle on medium-low heat until browned on both sides; this will take various amounts of time depending on how much oil/butter is on your bread, heat or your pan/griddle, and how thick or warped your bread is. Serve warm.

I'd post pictures, but I don't have any. Maybe next time.