I bought all these veggies, now what?

Okay, so I bought all these veggies- now what?

I'm not the only person out there who is trying to transition to a vegan, so I'm turning to those who've paved a path for newbies like me. 

My challenge: I have to feed my 1 year old son and very accommodating-to-vegan-menu husband- thank god! My mother also joins us on occasion for dinner. Coordinating a menu to please everyone becomes a challenge for me, but I suppose this is going to be only one of the hurdles. (We won't discuss next week's challenge yet...vacation). 

Over the weekend, I attempted a green squash casserole-not vegan, but meatless. This turned out OK, but not great. I've also hit somewhat of a smoothie wall-and need some fresh inspiration to mix it up a bit. Here is are some recipes I plan to test this week and report back about. Stay tuned! I guess this is a start!

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie from Brownvegan.com
I love sweet potatoes in all forms- so now I'm excited and inspired.

Sweet Potato Pancakes from Delicioustv
need some crunch in this menu. Delicious TV is one of my favorite resources. I 

subscribe to the podcast and their recipes are very accessible. 

Black Bean Burgers With Avocado Mango Salsa from Brownvegan.com
sounds yummy to me (one of my criteria)

Vegan color wheel

The other morning my mother said to me that my smoothie was a "funny green color" for a breakfast, reminding her of peas. I guess that's one way of looking at it. I look at it as a invigorating way to start the day! 

According to color-wheel-pro.com, the color green has many great characteristics. Being an interior designer made me aware of how colors evoke certain feelings. Here's what they say about green:

"Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.

Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic."

So what does this have to do with becoming a vegan? Nicole has taught me through health coaching that you should view food as medicine. Ask yourself "What effect will this food have on my body if I eat it?" Well why not entice your stomach visually. 

For several months now I've been eating a bright green breakfast smoothie. I use kale and spinach (green) chop bananas (yellow), peaches (orange) apples (red) and or berries (red, blue) to add to my smoothie. Whip it all up with my vanilla zrii meal replacement shake and I'm good to go. The process of buying bright color fruits and veggies-laying them out in the morning -chopping and preparing them for my smoothie-in itself is therapeutic. I see it, smell it, touch it then eat it. Each step stimulates a sense, all beginning with color. I found this changes my thought process and motivates me to create beautiful color combinations with produce as I did in interior design and graphic design. I will use the vegan color wheel as a resource in more of my meals. 

Welcome to my leap!

I decided to take a leap. A leap to become a vegan. I might think I'm leaping, but I anticipate starting with a slow crawl! I have been a part-time vegetarian now for many years. I gave up dairy for a while because I was lactose intolerant, so I know I have it in me. There are things I love- like cheese- which are going to be a huge challenge. Seafood, another biggie. But I'm willing to try. Maybe I'll end up being a vegetarian with a focus on healthy, local and fresh eating? Or a pescatarian! I'm not sure just yet. My goal is to slowly change my lifestyle with the support of my family and friends. 

This blog will serve as my support, and hopefully keep me in check. I have my right hand Simplicities sister, Nicole to help me with her mad health coaching skills! She's already been collecting vegan recipes for me. She knows I'll actually cook, so that's a no brainer! Anything I encounter along the way, I know she'll help. It's time for me to make the change. I want to have long term health for myself and my family. I am motivated to do what I can to sustain a healthy body and a healthy brain.

I already went to the doctor's to get a baseline wellness exam, so I know where I stand. In fact, she is the one reccommending a low cholesterol and anti-inflammatory diet-given my stats and my family history. I am hoping to share my resources and recipes with you along the way. I may not be perfect, it may take some time, but it's worth it to me. If I can inspire someone else to be a little more healthy it will be worth the journey. Stay tuned, and keep me in check!