Hello everyone. My name is Jean, and I have successfully been vegan for an entire year! It’s funny, out of everything I have done this year, I feel like this is what I am most proud of. It’s not just the statistics over what I have saved in terms of energy, water, and lives, (though if you are curious, one year of veganism on average saves 405,000 gallons of water and 365 animal lives), but a feeling of….. alignment. I’ve always been a compassionate individual, but for some reason I had some sort of cognitive dissonance when it came to food. Going vegetarian was easy, but vegan? I was too scared that I would have to sacrifice my athletic lifestyle, and in doing so, ignored what I knew at heart; milk and eggs lead to just as much death and abuse as the meat industry.
Me getting some pampering done and celebrating one full year of being vegan!
When I am practicing a vegan lifestyle, and cooking and baking my own vegan organic food, I feel powerful. Put good in, and get good out, and that’s not just from a nutritional standpoint. I am beginning to believe in food karma. Everything I put in my body I want to come from good energy. The soil is well cared for, the workers have been paid a fair wage, the co-op brings the community together, and I myself do the food preparation, not anyone else. My act of eating should enrich everyone along the chain, from the tiny beings of the earth to the grocery clerk who helps bag my purchase. It’s a feeling of wholeness, and community, compassion, and action far greater than something that just tastes good. My very act of personal nourishment is a prayer: Let this food bring me health, and from my choices, joy to the world.
After this experience, I am much more doubtful that eating small amounts of meat can be healthy for more than just a few people. How can putting all that suffering and negativity into your system result in any sort of long term health? I can’t say that I have had any instantaneous crazy health benefits from being vegan, though I have noticed that I get sick a lot less frequently. However, I have noticed an incredible improvement in my mental state of being. There is something that just feels so right, and true, about living in truth and living your values. I absolutely love being vegan, and I love vegan food. My vegan grilled cheeses are bomb, yo! I completely recommend it, and trust me…. If you do this right, you’ll never want to go back.
Veganize the world!
This Week in Updates: Jameson to a new home
Jesse flew in for a completely spontaneous dinner date, and got to meet the one and only fur ball cute humping helion Jameson. Don’t I have just the most amazing boyfriend? After that, both Jesse left and Jameson got sent off to his new home. I was super nervous about how he was going to do, but in short order, Jameson had won over his new parents. The first few days without him were hard in many ways, as I was used to having him around. They were also easier, because my current lifestyle here is NOT dog friendly. Jameson being adopted also means a lot less budgetary stress going into the holidays. I am so close to my money goals! Hopefully my next post will be about $36,000 in three years.
For today anyway, I am doing a dog sitting favor for a friend, and watching Leo the mastiff and Wiley the…. erm, not sure. They gave me a super cute gift basket full of vegan goodies! I am trying not to eat any of them currently though, aside from the avocado, because I am trying to kick my recent sugar addiction. Too many parties in too short of a time means that carrots and kale are no longer as delicious as usual. It comes in waves, but Sunday was the hardest. Today is another party where I am trying out my latest vegan apple pie recipe! Wish me luck in just having a modest slice, haha.
The below video is one Jameson’s new parents sent me. Doesn’t he look happy? That makes me so happy!
The Recipe: Pineapple Fried Rice
I had this at a restaurant and just couldn't help making it myself! The improvements I wanted to make were the inclusion of more pineapple and pineapple juice, getting that wonderful flavor throughout. The tofu was $5, the rice was $2, pineapple $2, vegetables $2, soy sauce $1, olive oil $1, and all the rest of the spices for $1. That is $14 for 10 hearty servings. This stuff is filling and delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice, uncooked
- 24 oz tofu
- Red pepper flakes
- juice of 1 lime
- 8 tbs soy sauce
- 3 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 can crushed pineapple
- 3 carrots, grated
- 3 spring onions
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook the rice.
- While the rice is cooking, chop the tofu into cubes.
- Toss the tofu in olive oil and cook for 10-15 minutes on each side, until the outsides are brown and crispy.
- In the oil, fry up the garlic and onion until soft.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the lime juice, soy sauce, red pepper flakes (how ever spicy you want it! I like 1 tbs), brown sugar, curry, five spice, and fresh ginger.
- Put mixed sauce and the whole can of pineapple with the juice into the pan with the onions and garlic. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Put all remaining ingredients in the pan except the tofu, including the carrots and spring onions. Stir until the rice is warm and coated in the sauce.
- Place into a bowl and top with the roasted tofu.
- Enjoy!
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