Jesse and I with friends Mike and Katerina wine tasting in Walla Walla. One of Jesse and my many food related adventures!
This holiday season I ate. I ate a lot. I felt bad about it. I also didn’t go to the gym as much as I would have liked. In this way, I am like most Americans. However, low and behold, when I returned to Sacramento I discovered that I had not gained any weight. I also felt a lot healthier going into the new year than I had ever felt before. How did I possibly do this? Simple. You can stop your holiday weight gain with vegan paleo desserts. How did I discover this?
#1, I am now vegan. Nothing stops you from stuffing your face with free Christmas and Hanukkah cookies like not being able to eat them. Furthermore, eating out with the family usually involved me picking out some vegetable stir fry, salad, soup, etc. Vegan options tend to be healthy options. End of story.
#2, The desserts I did eat were vegan paleo desserts. Why paleo? Well Jesse is paleo, thus I wanted to make desserts we could both eat together. The result was vegan paleo gingerbread cashew ice cream sandwiches, and cashew cheesecake. The gingerbread was mainly almond flour, tapioca flour, and maple syrup. The cashew ice cream consists of cashews, sugar, and a few other ingredients (that part wasn’t homemade). So, at the end of the day I was splurging on nuts and maple sugar. These ingredients are filling, and also not that bad for you. To top it off, I didn’t feel like shit the next day when I woke up; no stomach cramping and face breaking out from all the white flour, sugar, and dairy fat. It was absolutely amazing.
Did I mention that everything was mad delicious as well as moderately healthy? My grandma (so not a vegan) swore the chocolate cheesecake was the best she had ever eaten. My family gobbled up the gingerbread so fast, two batches were gone in just a couple of days. My family is sugar sensitive as well, and guess what? No reactions to my desserts, despite the maple sugar. Maybe it is all that nut protein counteracting the blood sugar spike!
This was my first vegan holiday season, and it was an amazing one. The farther I progress on my health and sustainable journey, the more I realize that I can have everything that I want (like desserts) without sacrificing the morals or the fitness that I value. Next holiday season, why not try it yourself? Stop holiday weight gain with vegan paleo desserts!
Oh yes, and warning on the gingerbread. My oven fried the first batch. Cook them for like 2-5 minutes if you are not using parchment paper. Easy does it.
Jesse and I with our Chocolate Vegan Paleo Cheesecake!
Yes, not as pretty here, but I wasn’t concerned with pretty at that point. I wanted to eat everything!
http://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-chocolate-cheesecakes/
http://detoxinista.com/2015/12/vegan-paleo-gingerbread-cookies/
This Week in Updates: Cool Flying
I missed my fridge, my co-op, my bed, and yes… even my plane.
Yes, those are my feet!
The Recipe: Vegan Quinoa Lentil Loaf
So I have made a lentil loaf before, but this time it is vegan! No eggs in this bad girl, just healthy things like quinoa, onions, carrots, garlic, and (of course), lentils!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown lentils
- 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp fennel
- 1/2 cup your favorite ketchup + more for topping
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup oats
- 6 tbs ground flax seed
- cayenne to taste
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Boil the water. Add the lentils and cook covered for 20 minutes. Add the quinoa and cook for about 10 minutes covered, until most of the liquid is gone and the lentils are mushy.
- While the lentils and the quinoa are cooking, fry up the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.
- Mix the onions and garlic with the shredded carrots and all spices, oats, and vinegar.
- When the lentils and quinoa are done, mix them with the remaining ingredients.
- Grease a round cake pan, or two bread loaf pans, and put the lentil loaf into them.
- Cook for 40 minutes at 350. If using two bread pans, check at 30 minutes. Loaf is complete when edges are browned and a fork inserted comes out clean.
- Cover with extra ketchup if desired.
- Enjoy!
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