Happy 1st Birthday!!

Yesterday my adorable son turned 1 so, of course, we threw him a birthday party. We had family and friends over for a barbecue, which would mean meat by their standards. So I had to get creative and managed to have everything at the party Vegan with the exceptions of the burgers and cake. No one was aware that they only had Vegan options and everyone enjoyed all the delicious things available to eat.

We had bruchetta, chips and hummus, and salsa for appetizers. For dinner we had burgers, vegan brats, fresh fruit, edamame succotash, chips, and pasta salad. And for dessert we had the classic birthday cake, but as a treat to my family we got vegan cupcakes!!!!

I threw a great party and successfully fed and satisfied my guests!! And I managed to be true to my new lifestyle without making excuses or exceptions.

Bow Tie Pasta with Pesto

This is a quick and easy meal. Yummy but a bit bland so I added some red pepper flakes.

3 cloves of garlic
1 cup walnuts
2 cups fresh basil, packed
1/2 cup soy milk or water
16 oz whole grain bow tie pasta, cooked

Blend the garlic and nuts briefly in a food processor. Add the basil and liquid, and process to a thick consistency. Toss well with the pasta.

I served this with zucchini and squash.

An Amazing Week

I just got home from Florida and I am so proud of myself. I took my first vacation as a Vegan. I thought it would be challenging and difficult and I found it easy with some great surprises!! Before we left for our trip I spend some time online looking for dining out suggestions. The top spot on my list was Sublime (http://www.sublimerestaurant.com/home.html), it was sensational!!! Everything on the menu was vegan, what a great opportunity to try some new and exciting things.

We started with the Frito Misto, which is crispy cauliflower with sweet chili sauce and sesame seeds.

For dinner I had gardein cutlets (looks and tastes like chicken), with grilled asparagus over pasta with a lemon caper sauce.

And the pictures of the desserts speak for themselves....phenomenal!!!! It was ALL vegan and all amazing!

This experience has made me realize that their are many options out there and that if you decide to do this there is a whole world out there to support you!! And hopefully, you my reader, realize I am here to support you.

My Apologies

To my faithful followers...haha

I am in Florida on vacation right now and do not have access to the internet. We have been eating wonderful food and I plan on updating you when I get home. Look forward to new posts Tues 25th!!!

Seriously....THIS is Vegan??!!

A throwback to one of David's favorite meals.

Vegan Meatloaf (made by Whole Foods)

with garlic green beans and a baked potato. Quick, easy, and delicious!!

There are so many options out there, you just have to open your eyes and look around.

Graduation Party

David's brother, Daniel, graduated from Law school on Thursday night (Congrats Dan-we are so proud of you) so his dad took us all out for dinner. We went to Scape in the Central West End and because I knew where we were going I called a few days ahead to find out what options they had for a Vegan. I talked to someone who couldn't have been more helpful. She told me they have a vegetarian menu and would bring out the chef to talk about what options they could make to suit our diet.

That night I had one of they best meals I have had since I have been Vegan (going on 2 months now, yay). We started with the Cucumber Spring Rolls and a Spring Asparagus Salad.

These were incredible on their own, but my entree is what amazed me!! I had a Vegan Lasagna. It was wrapped in the thinnest layer of cucumber and it had everything in it from corn, mushroom, spinach, tomato marinara. But the best part was it had pureed cashews which were the "cheese". It was GREAT!! I recommend it to all, Vegan or not. And at the end of the night I was completely satisfied and did not feel stuffed. What a nice change.

Tennessee Corn Pone Muffins

Last night I made a Vegan version of Tennessee Corn Pone Muffins. It is a corn muffin with seasoned beans on top. I served it with some fried zucchini and a great side salad. It was quick and easy to make and tasted delicious!!