D is for Dairy (or Lack Thereof)

Dear diary dairy,

It's been 7 months since we last encountered one another, and I can't say  that I miss you. Sure, we had some good times together with pizza, tacos, baked goods and smoothies but even without you in my life I am free to enjoy those things. And I do.

While it does require a bit more Nancy-Drew-like stealth on my part, I am able to avoid you in all of your forms like whey, lactose and casein. Why do you feel the need to be a part of so many things? Is the whey powder really doing anything for the flavour of the potato chips that Joey snacks on? Is your presence in powder form really adding anything to gluten free english muffins?! But I digress. I am happy to enjoy so many foods that are free of you and your pesky friends.

And please don't hold the calcium business above my head. I understand that you have calcium and although you would like me to believe that you are the best and only source of it, I can get it elsewhere. Broccoli, kale, bok choy, almonds, tofu and sesame seeds provide me with calcium every time I eat them, and they don't upset my tummy the way you used to. Almond milk now provides me with a rich, creamy addition to my cereal or tea and banana soft serve has replaced you as a delightful dessert. Life is good.

Look how much fun I’m having without you!

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Breakfasts, lunches and dinners without a single drop or shred of you, dairy.

I’m glad we can be on speaking terms, but I’m also happy to say that it’s over.

Yours truly,

Ashley

Byron Katie and The Work

At 5:59 on Friday night, I didn’t really know much about Byron Katie. I knew she had a program called The Work and had read an interview with her, but that was the extent of my knowledge. 72 hours later and I can say that this woman’s teachings have already changed my life in an incredibly positive way.

Byron Katie discovered The Work after spending a good part of her life in a deep depression, ready to end her life entirely engrossed in her thoughts. In February 1986 she “experienced a life changing realization” and The Work was born. What is The Work? The work is a process of inquiry focused around 4 questions and a series of '”turnarounds”. The 4 questions are:

Is it true?
Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
Who would you be without the thought?

Simple, right?

Over the course of the weekend we explored these simple questions and came up with some pretty profound thoughts and discoveries. We also got to witness Katie do the work onstage with other participants in the workshop. Through the “Judge your Neighbour” exercise and the 4 questions and turnarounds, I had some pretty astounding breakthroughs about myself on Friday and Saturday. I came to say some things out loud and on paper that I already knew to be true, but had never acknowledged. I saw that I project so many of my thoughts and perceptions onto other people which causes me a lot of unneeded stress in my life. I have a lot of negative thoughts and I think that The Work is going to give me an amazing vehicle to challenge those thoughts and ground myself in reality. I also got to witness some incredible work being done by the brave participants of the workshop who shared their Work and went through the 4 questions with Katie. She is an amazing speaker and has a beautiful view of life and her reality of the world.

On Sunday morning Katie asked us to fill in the sentence: "The thing that I am most ashamed of is _____. The answer was hard for me but it’s something I’ve thought about many time in the last 12 years. The thing that I am most ashamed of is that I didn’t tell my mom that I loved her on the night before she died.

Katie then asked us to explore what that statement meant by writing a list entitled “and that means”. As a result of my statement I wrote down things like I’m a terrible daughter, she felt unloved and I deserted her. Powerful statements that brought up a lot of thoughts and emotions. We sat with these thoughts for awhile to let them drop in. We were then told to turn to our neighbour so that we could explore one of the concepts that we discovered in our “and that means” statements. I didn’t have anyone sitting right next to me, but found a woman further down the row to be my partner. We had circled some of our key concepts and I had chosen “I deserted my mom” for this exercise.

Katie said many times in the workshop that “there are no new stressful thoughts, only recycled ones” and while I believed this to be true, but when my partner shared her worksheet with me it really hit it home: she felt she had abandoned her daughter. I couldn’t believe the coincidence but realized that of course we would be partners and that there was no better person in the room to be sharing my Work with.

Even though it’s been almost 12 years since my mom’s death, answering the 4 questions was incredibly emotional for me. While my answer to is it true was yes, after letting it sink in, my answer to the second question was no. The amazing thing about The Work, is that there are no right or wrong answers, because it’s all in you. I admitted that when I believe the thought I deserted my mom I feel like a terrible daughter and that I let her down. I went on to discover that without the thought I feel more at peace and free to go on living my life.

In the turnarounds, you explore the opposite of the concept you’re working with. For each turnaround you give 3 examples of how that new statement is true. The turnaround that was hardest for me was “my mom deserted me”. The turnarounds are “are revelations, showing you previously unseen aspects of yourself reflected back through others”. And while “I didn’t desert my mom” and “I desert myself” were absolutely as true or truer than the original statement, I don’t think I had allowed myself to really my mom deserted me ever before. It was so powerful to think about examples for all of the turnarounds and a tool that will definitely be integral for me going forward.

The turnarounds are not about denial and they are not about blame, but they are discoveries and that’s exactly what I found. My partner was so brave in answering the questions and doing the turnarounds and it was so moving to listen to her and be present with her in that moment. There were a lot of tears but I was so grateful for the experience, a wonderful person to share it with and a new way to approach my life.

I’ve picked up Katie’s book A Thousand Names for Joy and I look forward to reading it as well as continuing with The Work on my own. It has already had a great impact on my life and I look forward to everything else I am going to discover. You can find more about information about Katie and The School for The Work on her website (which also includes all the resources you need in order to do The Work on your own) I have to say a big thank you to Meghan and Inspirational Works for giving me such the opportunity to do The Work with the amazing, Byron Katie.

Isn’t it wonderful
to be where you are,
when you imagine where you’ve come from?

-Bryon Katie

C is for Cookbooks, Favourites & Finds

Thank you to everyone who has been visiting my blog and commenting as a result of Vegan Mofo! I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying the theme (and I appreciate the suggestions for the more obscure letters of the alphabet – keep ‘em coming!)

My first vegan cookbook was How it All Vegan. I bought it on a whim, more than two years before I became vegan. I saw it at a used book store and thought “what the heck”. There were some yummy soup and side dish recipes that I enjoyed right away and had fun trying out something new.

Once I went gluten and dairy free I began to turn to vegan cookbooks because:
a) I didn’t have to worry about any dairy in the recipes and
b) Vegan cookbook authors seemed to be more cognizant of gluten free options
By the time I had actually gone vegan I had acquired quite a few, so I was all good to go!  I thought it would be fun to share some of the vegan cookbooks lining my shelves along with some of my favourite recipes from each.

• Eat, Drink and Be Vegan – Still a favourite in our house with yummy goodies like cashew ginger tofu, broccoli-pepper stir fry and chickpea-zucchini-tomato stew
  

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• Veganomican – I can’t believe I haven’t done a proper review on Vcon. In all seriousness, it’s amazing. So much goodness to come out of that book including lentil-cauliflower curry, spaghetti squash mexicana, snobby joes, mexican millet – I could go on and on! I trust Isa and Terry so much and just run with their recipes and in return I’m rewarded with fabulous food.
  

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• La Dolce Vegan – After having such great luck with How it All Vegan, I had to pick up La Dolce Vegan when I saw it at the used bookstore awhile back. I’ve had no regrets!! I made one of my favourites for Lindsay last weekend
  

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Lentil black bean salad (with Martha Stewart’s Portobello zucchini tacos) It’s such a simple, filling, delicious salad that I’ve made for a variety of folks who have all enjoyed it equally. Love, love LOVE this book!

• Cooking Class recipes – Although not a cookbook (yet), I still make a ton of recipes from Meghan’s classes. We’re still in love with the lemon-lentil soup, lentil patties and veggie wraps and I don’t foresee that changing any time in the near future!

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• Jae Steele’s upcoming cookbook, Ripe Around Here – I’ve had the pleasure of being a recipe tester for this book and there has been a lot of awesomeness in my kitchen as a result. Recipes like pad thai, curried split pea soup, raw almond-date bars, and roasted ratatouille are going to make it worth your while to be lining up at your local bookstore when that cookbook comes out!

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In honour of Vegan MoFo I picked up a couple of new cookbooks to try from the library

The Gluten Free Vegan and a well-loved copy of Vegan with a Vengeance. I was reading them on the streetcar the past two days like some people would read the latest from Oprah’s book club. Feeling inspired I made the Mexican quinoa salad from The Gluten Free Vegan.

I used red quinoa for a little something different and enjoyed it alongside a honey crisp apple and some mini lemon poppyseed muffins that I made from the Babycakes cookbook (finally!) It was such a satisfying lunch and definitely helped me to get through a BUSY Friday afternoon. I’m so excited to try more recipes out of all three books in the coming weeks and share the results with all of you!

There are more vegan cookbooks on my shelves and plenty more on my Amazon wishlist, but for the moment I’m really having fun working through the ones I have. Seeing that it’s fall, I’m looking forward to making more delicious soups, stews, curries and casseroles to keep me warm until spring!

What’s your all-time favourite vegan cookbook? Do you have any suggestions of things I should make from the cookbooks I already own?

B is for Breakfast, gluten free vegan style

Hooray for Vegan MoFo day 2! I loved reading everyone’s posts yesterday and was super excited to be included in the day 1 round up last night (I too am wondering what in the dickens I’m going to do about the letter x but am incredibly excited to read about 31 days of vegan cupcakes) Today we’re talkin’ Breakfast!

Can you believe that prior to joining Weight Watchers, I almost never ate breakfast? (Unless it was a gigantic pastry or muffin from Starbucks or maybe a Holt Renfrew croissant or two) Even when I was a kid I refused to eat in the morning! I remember one time my mom even let me have cherry pie for breakfast because I she wanted me to have something before school. Nowadays, breakfast is such an important part of my day and I really consider it the fuel that keeps me going.

Being gluten free and vegan means that I can’t rely of some traditional breakfast foods that many people grab on the go (like wheat-laden toast, bagels with cream cheese, eggs or yogurt) but that is perfectly fine with me. I’m generally a lot happier when I make meals at home and I love keeping things interesting and healthy in the morning.

Hot cereal is an amazing option, especially now that the weather is getting colder. I love rolled quinoa, amaranth or gluten free oats.

As many bloggers will attest, with hot cereal it’s all about the toppings! I usually add some sort of fruit (bananas, pear or apples usually), something sweet (agave and/or dates), some sort of protein (either some nuts or some nut butter), liquid (usually almond milk, but using tea can also be nice) and lots of cinnamon! While it might seem easier to grab a packet of instant oats, making your own and adding toppings takes only a extra couple of minutes and is so much more satisfying. If you’re on the go, you can put your oats and dry toppings in a little bag and bring the liquid toppings with you and mix them once you get to work. And if you’re in need of a new texture, blending your oats (a la Chocolate Covered Katie) can make them smooth and creamy.When I’ve got a bit of time I love to make pancakes. They remind me of being a kid (back then, chocolate chip pancakes were my absolute favourite!) After trying a couple of different recipes, I adapted one from La Dolce Vegan and came up with these guys:

3/4 c. Bob’s gluten free flour blend
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c. almond milk
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/8 c. agave nectar
Coconut or grapeseed oil for pan

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the almond milk, coconut milk and agave and stir until just mixed.

Warm a bit of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Spoon/pour pancake batter onto pan and cover (I usually use my 2 tbsp scoop from Pampered Chef for cute little pancakes). Let them hang out on medium heat. When the pancakes have bubbles in the center, flip them over and cook until golden brown. Once golden on both sides, take them off the heat and repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Makes 4-8 pancakes depending on how big you make them. They are light, fluffy and absolutely delightful! Enjoy them on their own, with some fruit or jam or with a drizzle of maple syrup or agave.

I also enjoy scrambled tofu once in awhile – very yummy!Nice way to get some veggies in first thing in the morning!

If I’m in a rush I’ll grab a piece of fruit and a muffin from my freezer or some cold cereal (Whole-O’s or Corn flakes are my favs) with almond milk or I’ll make myself a smoothie and take it to go (banana-almond milk-date-agave-almond butter is one of my favourite combinations!) There’s also no rule that says you have to eat “breakfast foods” for breakfast. Maybe cherry pie isn’t the best choice, but you could also enjoy leftovers from the previous evening, or something more savoury if that’s what you like!

Whatever you eat, it’s important to set yourself up for success by eating something in the morning. Figure out what it is that you like, make it accessible and easy for you to pull together and make it happen! By doing so you’ll have more energy, be more alert and be better equipped to go through your day.

VeganMofo asked yesterday on Twitter: do you eat the same thing every morning? Or do you like to switch things up? Are you breakfast-challenged? Do you have a favourite breakfast recipe?

A is for Apples – Vegan MoFo Day 1

Welcome to my first “official” post of Vegan MoFo! I am just thrilled to be taking part in this event with more than 315 other bloggers! I’m looking forward to reading lots of delicious posts on vegan food this month!

I decided to go with a bit of a theme for my Vegan MoFo posts to help keep me on track. I’m calling it the ABC’s of Vegan Goodness. (Thanks to Joey for the cute little logo!) I’m aspiring to write 26 post this month from A-Z each focusing on a vegan friendly food option or topic. I will be posting food pictures, facts, recipes, reviews and links relating to my “letter of the day” (How very Sesame Street of me!) All posts will be vegan friendly with an emphasis on whole foods from the earth (and therefore a whole lot of Filling Foods for my Weight Watchers out there!) I’m so excited to share this with all of you!

Today’s post is brought to you by the letter A, for none other than the trusty apple.

(A is also for Annie, for which tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow!)

Apples are in abundance at the grocery store right now and I was so excited to find gigantic, juicy, honeycrisp apples on Monday. They are my absolute favourite!

We are so lucky in Ontario to have such a wide variety of local apples in the fall.

While they might not be considered a “superfood”, eating apples can provide you with an incredible number of health benefits:

• the fiber in apples can provide assistance in the washroom
• specific flavanoids in apples may protect against lung cancer and potentially reduce the risk of having a stroke
• potential to help boost your immune system, decrease risk of diabetes, and have healthier teeth

An apple a day, could really help to keep the doctor away!

So not only are they good for you, they are also delicious and can be used in a variety of ways. Apples assist in amazing desserts and baked goods like muffins or crumble and also make an amazing addition to side dishes like sweet potato kugel.

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Applesauce also adds moisture (and fiber) to vegan baked goods, even when it’s not the star, like in these banana chocolate chip cuppins

And apples give salads nice sweetness and crunch!

Apples are such little superstars and I love having them in a variety of ways! (If you need a giggle, check out your “applescope” apparently I’m a Spartan because they “epitomize the Aries spirit”)

Do you have a favourite kind of apple or favourite apple recipe? 

(And in an act of shameless self promotion unrelated to apples unless you love cinnamon apple spice tea, be sure to check out my tea-riffic giveaway!)