The #1 Vegan Question "What do you eat?"

The number one question I get about going vegan is, "What do you eat?" Glad you asked! But before I go on, I'll let you know that my son and I are 85-10-5ers. I came up with that one...maybe I should coin the term before someone else takes it...but anyway, that means that 85% of the year we're vegan (roughly 292 days), 10% vegetarian (able to eat eggs and dairy-56 days), and 5% omnivore (able to eat meat--saved for special occasions and traveling--19 days). Let me say that I have NO DESIRE for turkey for Thanksgiving but mac and cheese will be a must (maybe because Daiya's Mac & Cheese if LIFE). We are 3 months in and a lifetime to go!

Ok, what do we eat (just a few because there are so many more)...
Vegetable stir fry  (eggplant, yellow, orange, and red bell peppers, onions, broccoli, mini corn, carrots, spring peas) with brown rice -- My lunch today :)
Pasta and Sauces...sometimes with vegan meatballs other times with vegan sausage and sometimes with veggies
Salad w/ Japanese Ginger Dressing
Tacos and Burritos - Beefy crumbles, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa
Curried potatoes and chickpeas
Falafel and quinoa with hummus and veggies
Black bean  burger w/cheese (vegan)
Daiya or Annie's Mac and cheese (vegan)
Mushroom stroganoff
Gardein Chikn strips
Pancakes w/maple and veggie sausage
Daiya Supreme or Amy's Cheese Pizza (vegan)
Tofu nuggets
Twice baked baked potatoes
Mashed potatoes (made with Smart Balance buttery spread and Almond milk)
Lentil Soup w/Harissa sauce
Quinoa salad  with salsa verde, corn and black beans (got that on Facebook)
Chili (w/Beefy crumbles made of pea protein or no meat at all just lots of different types of  beans)
Cereal w/almond milk
Oatmeal
Hash browns
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon rolls
Ben & Jerry's non-dairy ice cream
Tofurky Deli Slices Sandwich w/Chips
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Fruits
Smoothies
And much much more...

"But do you eat out?" Yes!
CAVA (absolute fave)
Chipotle (always a fave)
Genghis Grill
Panera
Carrabas
Whole Foods
Anywhere!

Don't just "go vegan" read a book and/or do research (or ask me) because you'll have to take a B12 supplement and you'll want to make sure you're getting enough of what your body needs with this new lifestyle. You'll be full all the time because you have to eat so much ;)  Seriously!

Recipes coming soon...

On the Road to a New Decade: Day 1

For the next 28 days on my rode to a new decade, I will take at least 20 minutes to do exactly what I want to do. This morning, I picked up one of my favorite breakfasts: Panera Bread Asiago Cheese Bagel. Tomorrow, I have no idea what I'm going to do, but whatever I decide to do, it's going to be exactly what I want to do...for at least 20 minutes.  Stay tuned...

Friday Night Menu

Am I only one who's in love with budget-restrained, straight-to-DVD theatrical gems that you find on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix? I can't be! Though the editing is terrible at times, there's too much music during dialogue, the sound quality is shoddy, and some of the acting is lackluster, I must say that the story lines are amazing. And, if given the right amount of training and the proper financial backing, some of these stories would be ones that people would be talking about for many years to come.

I found myself enjoying stories about relationships gone bad, relationships going well, and everything in between. They delve into personal struggle topics like health and mental wellness. Convoluted relationships are stretched beyond anything we could imagine. There are fairy tale endings, tragic endings, and endings that leave you wanting more--by design or by accident. There are actors you can tell have NEVER acted before as well as familiar faces. There are story lines that have little holes in them but you give them a pass because at the very least they are trying to create art that they feel passionate about.

Like I said, if given the correct backing and creative honing, some of these movies would be GREAT. Below is a list of some great stories that I think you would enjoy. You have to get past the fact that sometimes you won't be able to hear what they are saying one moment  because the soundtrack is drowning out the dialogue. Then, there may be sound effects that are blasting loudly the next moment. You'll have to work through listening through the hum of the microphone in addition to awkward camera angles. But, if you can just cut through the aesthetic blunders and the imprint of a novice or low budget production--yet, there are some that have quality up to par to movies in theaters--and get to the story line and plot which at some times might be confusion--but deliciously so--you would really be able to enjoy what I love about these low-budget, highly passionate movies.

With that said, if you have nothing else to do on a Friday night (or any time) and you want to be immersed into a story line that you may not have thought of before with a varying perspective, take a look at a few of the movies below. Some of them are shorter than others so you can get in and out real fast. And some are a little bit longer. Some have familiar faces in them; some of them don't.  There are quite a few beautiful and handsome faces with equally appealing bodies to match so you will find yourself hunting on Google to find out where else you can catch these actors in action. Some of the movies have way too much music during dialogue and for me that got on my nerves. I kept asking myself, "why are they playing music right now? I'm trying to listen to what the people are saying!" Some of them, the music is wonderfully placed.  So, give them a whirl and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Netflix
November Rule (2015) 94 min *perfect...to me
My Favorite Five (2015) 92 min *funny
The Last Fall (2012) 95 min  *snacks
Sister Code (2015) 94 min *unexpected twists

Amazon Prime Video
Truth Unspoken (2012) 76 min *deliciously convoluted
Hopelessly in June (2011) *too much music but very cute story
Jump In (2014) 80 min *focus on the story line because everything else is a distraction
Miss Dial (2013) 88 min *once you're hooked in, you'll want to know what happens