Juicy - My Attempt at a 3-Day Juice Cleanse

My diet over the last month has been... less than ideal. Needless to say, the number on the scale is not what I hoped it'd be by this time, and I'm feeling a big slow, sluggish and bloated (and don't even get me started on my conscious). Who's to blame? Well, I am, of course! An endless number of holiday parties, plus my sister's visit to NYC for her birthday (hello, Babbo!), and a nasty week-long cold that left me unable to go to the gym and unwilling to cook my own food, have reminded me of a fact I absolutely know to be true - when you eat crap, you want crap. And it's really tough to break the cycle.

Fast forward to now: I'm in a wedding next weekend for which I hoped to be about 5 lbs lighter. Also? I have lost that lovely vegan glow, both inside and out, and miss it desperately. Now, I have no illusions that I'll be able to follow a perfect vegan diet while I'm in New Orleans (for, by the way, what is guaranteed to be the wedding of the century). But nonetheless, in an effort to revive my pasty, lumpy bod, I've decided to embark on a 3-day juice cleanse a la Blueprint, an NYC favorite.

I've never done a juice cleanse. Heck, I've never even fasted (I once attempted a 24-hour fast and gave up about 3 hours in). But I've heard wonderful things about them (and I've also heard not-so-wonderful things about them), and I'm willing and ready to give it a shot.

Blueprint offers three levels of cleanses: Renovation, Foundation and Excavation. I chose the Foundation level since I wanted a little more variety than the Excavation, but I also wanted at least half my day to be green juice goodness. Here's what my daily menu looks like:

1 - Green juice (a mix of greens + apple + lemon)
2 - Gold juice (pineapple + mint)
3 - Green juice (repeat)
4 - Yellow juice (a spicy lemonade)
5 - Green juice (one more time!)
6 - White juice (cashew milk + vanilla + cinnamon)

Basically I'm just supposed to drink a juice, in the order shown above, every 2 hours. The last juice is actually a milk, a heavenly thick and delicious cashew milk that tastes like a really healthy and good-for-you milkshake. I'm really excited about ending my day with one of those babies.

I've read several reviews, and everyone says the same thing. Day 1 is kinda cool. Day 2 blows. You're never hungry, but you desperately miss chewing. And by Day 3, you will be thinner, glowier and have a sugar ton of energy. Now, I know me, and I know what I'll miss is the savory. These juices are all sweet, and I have always preferred savory over sweet. The smell of baking bread, a sizzling hot pizza, a steaming bowl of chili... those smells will be tough to ignore. Also? It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Who wants to drink nothing but juice on a cold, snowy day?? Le sigh. The things I do...

Anyway, I plan to blog about the cleanse because well, I'm sure I'll have a lot to say (or scream). Feel free to juice cleanse with me! ;)

 

Life Lately (In Pictures)

*homemade cranberry sauce*sweet potato casserole a la Oh She Glows*

*wild mushroom stuffing*roasted brussels sprouts*

 *my go-to breakfast in Cali*

*admittedly, I did have some fries, but they were tres mediocre*

*merci, Nordstrom in San Jose*

*taking this pic to my hair appt on Sunday*

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pancakes

Forgive me in advance - if you are one who likes recipes for their specificity, then you probably won't like this one. But I urge you to try making these pancakes with a lax attitude, as that is the best way to start a lazy Sunday.

I'm not a big pancakes person.  Eating them?  Sure!  But making them?  Augh.  Just as I detest baking, I detest making pancakes for the same reasons - messy flour, multiple ingredients and measuring cups.  But when this time of year comes around, I can't resist the siren song of pureed pumpkin.  And so, this year I was determined to find an easy way to whip up 5-minute pumpkin pancakes whenever the urge hit, and I can confidently say (after several batches), that this is one of the easiest pancake recipes (if you can even call it a recipe) on the planet, and it's pretty healthy to boot!  (And duh, it's vegan.)

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pancakes

- pancake mix of your choice (I use Highland Sugarworks' Organic Multigrain Pancake Mix because it's vegan and includes simple ingredients - whole wheat flour, corn flour, rye flour and sea salt)

- almond milk of your choice (I prefer Silk or Almond Breeze - both the plain, unsweetened variety)

- pumpkin pie spice

- pure maple syrup (get the good stuff here - I brought mine back all the way from Vancouver!)

- Earth Balance (or butter)

- pureed pumpkin (yes, from a can)

So you've got all your ingredients.  Now you just combine until you get the desired consistency (which can vary depending on what you like - I like mine a bit thick).  I usually start by adding the pancake mix, pureed pumpkin (use about 1/3 of the amt of pancake mix you use) and some almond milk until I find a decent consistency.  Then I add a generous sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and a drizzle of maple syrup (which I swear makes the pancakes ever-so-subtly sweet from the inside without using sugar, which is a big plus for me). 

Then just heat a skillet over medium heat (you can use a griddle if you are fancy like that and have one), coat it with nonstick spray and Earth Balance (this is KEY to making your pancakes goldeny brown and delightfully crispy around the edge) and use a 1/4 cup measuring spoon to make each pancake.  Easy peasy!

Note that you can store any leftover batter in the fridge and use it the next day or maybe even the day after that.  I usually just put plastic wrap over the mix and the bowl (as in directly on the batter so a weird film doesn't develop) and keep it in the fridge.  When I'm ready for another pancake, I just let it sit out of the fridge for about 5 minutes and then fry that sucker up.

Serve with warm maple syrup (and Earth Balance, if you so desire, but I don't find it necessary since you're cooking them in it).  Enjoy!

The National Conference to End Factory Farming: Day 2

 {photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary}

Read my recap of Day 1 here.

Day 2 of the conference began at 8:00 a.m. at, yes, the Starbucks on Dupont Circle. The day was frigid, rainy and pretty miserable. Despite my 7 hours of sleep the night before, I felt my energy levels nosedive during the drive to Arlington. Luckily we got to the conference in time for a hearty breakfast spread - surprisingly delicious tofu scramble, crispy breakfast potatoes, and bagels. I filled my plate high and got ready for a pretty stellar Day 2 opening.  The focus today, the final day of the conference, was on building solutions.

First up was David Wolfson, a partner at the NYC office of Milbank Tweed and an adjunct professor at NYU.  {Note: All photos in this post are courtesy of Farm Sanctuary's FB page.}

 I was more than surprised to see his name on the program the day before. A partner? Of a big law firm?? Very interesting. Well, Mr. Wolfson did not disappoint. He is an adorable, British lawyer who is passionate about animal rights and has been doing legal work in the field since the mid-80's. He teaches Factory Farming and the Law at NYU School of Law (I wish UT had a class like that when I was there!)  Oh and his wife is the mastermind behind Get Vegucated - how cool is that?

Some key points from David's presentation:

• There are no federal laws that deal with how farm animals are treated.  As such, the only laws that exist re: the treatment of animals are state laws.  The problem with state laws are that they are: (1) written in a way so that farm animals are excluded and/or (2) rewritten by those in the agricultural industry (as they are often also the people with the power to make those laws - conflict of interest much?).

• The Humane Slaughter Act is lacking - athough more than 168 million chickens (excluding broilers) and around 9 billion broiler chickens are killed for food in the United States yearly, the Humane Slaughter Act specifically mentions only cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep and swine.

• In November 2002, over 2 ½ million Floridians voted to prohibit the cruel confinement of pregnant pigs in factory farms. It was the first time that a farming practice had been banned because of its inherent cruelty in the United States. After a six year phase-out period, this initiative took effect on November 5, 2008.  The vote sent a powerful message to the pork industry, and motivated animal welfare advocates across the country. Since 2002, six states have followed Florida in banning gestation crates. The intensive confinement of pregnant pigs was banned in 2006 in Arizona after a ballot initiative effort. In 2007, the governor of Oregon signed a measure prohibiting gestation crates. In 2008, Colorado's governor signed into state law a ban on gestation crates and Californians overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative. In 2009, new laws were enacted in Maine and Michigan which will prohibit gestation crates.  (from the ARFF website)

I later attended a breakout panel with Mr. Wolfson and introduced myself to him afterwards.  I told him I would've never expected there to be a partner at an event like this, and that it was incredibly inspiring as a young lawyer to see that.

Next up to the plate - the one and only John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. 

John was a bit awkward at first, but he quickly found his rhythm and was awarded afterwards with a standing ovation.  Some key points from his presentation:

• Diseases of affluence (heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc.) are killing Americans.

• More Americans will die of cancer in the next 24 months than died in all the wars in America's history.

• We're spending less and less money on food and more and more in health care.  Coincidence?

• He thinks olive oil sucks and that we shouldn't be eating it - I found this to be interesting and need to get more info.  Thoughts?

• If you want to promote a vegan diet, then you need to be a healthy example!  Don't live on pasta, bread, french fries, sugar and processed food - eat green leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes and fresh fruit.

And last, but not least, Dr. Joel Fuhrman - one of my newest favorite people.  I've seen Dr. Fuhrman on a number of documentaries (Forks Over Knives, Sick, Fat and Nearly Dead, etc.), and I'm a big fan of his and his message of how eating the right foods can prevent and even reverse the diseases most Americans face.  Some key points from his presentation:

• Processed grains are continuously linked to breast cancer "so thank you to the conference organizers for providing those white bagels!"  - I just about died when he said that.

• Eat a HUGE raw salad every day.

• Women who ate mushrooms every day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 64%.

• Add green tea and leafy greens to the mix, and that percentage goes up.

• Green veggies have an extremely high percentage of protein per calorie - more than poultry, meat and eggs.

• Eat GOMBBS every day - Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Beans, Berries and Seeds.

I rarely pay full price for books these days, but when I saw that Dr. Fuhrman was signing books, I picked up a copy of his latest, SUPER IMMUNITY, and had him dedicate it to my Uncle Mel, who is fighting colon cancer.   (I'm also reading/highlighting The China Study for him and plan to send both books to him at the end of the month.)

Next I attended a breakout panel on Consumer Awareness and Activism.  Along with Mr. Wolfson, the panel included a presentation by Dena Jones, the farm animal program manager at Animal Welfare Institute who discussed food labels and marketing claims.  Key points from her presentation:

• "Humanely raised" is the hot claim right now.  Unfortunately, it's the "humane myth" - 
• There is no regulated definition, and label approval decisions are made inconsistently and on a case-by-case basis.
• The terms are misleading.
• Enforcement of what it means to be "humane" is inconsistent.
• There is NO ON-SITE VERIFICATION (same is true for "free range" claims)

• Companies essentially submit an affidavit claiming to be humane, and that's about it.

• "Natural" means no artificial ingredients and minimally processed.  It says nothing about how the animal was raised.

• "Organic" -> there are no standards for animal welfare; up to each certifier.

• "Free range" = access to outdoors.  Problem is there are no specific requirements tied to that definition, and again, there's NO ON-SITE VERIFICATION.  (In other words?  It doesn't mean a thing.)

After breakout panels and a break, the conference ended with a session on building coalitions for change.  Paul Shapiro, senior director of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States spoke, and he was fantastic.  Full of energy, very engaging, funny and obviously very passionate about what he's doing.

"Animals can't wage and win these campaigns for themselves, the planet can't wage and win these campaigns, it's up to all of us to do it for them" 

I'm going to end this very long blog post with the following (oh so helpfully put together by greenmuze.com) Top Five Ways to End Factory Farming, Five Things You May Not Know About Factory Farms, and Top Five Problems with Factory Farms.

TOP FIVE WAYS TO END FACTORY FARMING

Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur: “The best way to end factory farming is to make the system transparent and accountable, and to align agribusiness practices with our citizens’ values and interests. The cruelty of industrial animal agriculture is an affront to basic human decency. It is inefficient, unhealthy and unsustainable, and costs our nation hundreds of billions of dollars every year.”

Whole Foods Market Co-CEO John Mackey: “The best way to end factory farming is to first create more humane alternatives to it in the marketplace.  The great majority of people are very unlikely to become vegans for the foreseeable future.  It is therefore essential to create more humane alternatives that help raise peoples’ consciousness about what factory farming really does to animals by providing strong contrasts to compare against.  Until there are widespread humane alternatives to choose from most people will prefer to remain wilfully ignorant and very little is likely to change.”

Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter: “Factory farming is a threat to public health, the environment, and the rural communities upon which our food system desperately depend. The next farm bill must urgently reverse the policies that have given all of the advantages to intensive farming operations while pushing out the small and mid-sized farms that are the backbone of a system that provides us safe, healthy and sustainable food."
 
Sierra Club Water Sentinel Lynn Henning: “The best way to end factory farming is to eliminate government subsidies, incentives, and tax breaks for CAFOs [Confined Animal Feeding Operations]. CAFOs are NOT sustainable. We must rethink agriculture to teach the next generation to farm. Family farms have fed this country for generations.”

Farm Sanctuary National Shelter Director Susie Coston: “The best way to end factory farming is to show people that farm animals are intelligent, emotional beings who possess just as much desire to enjoy life as the dogs and cats who we know a bit better.”

FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT FACTORY FARMING

John Ikerd, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri, Columbia: “Factory farms are not necessarily more economically efficient than smaller-scale independent family farms. Factory farm operators use their political influence and their ability to manipulate market prices to drive more efficient family farmers out of business. Food prices are no lower with factory farms than with independent family farms.”

Jim Motavalli, contributor to the New York Times, Audubon Magazine, Mother Nature Network and NPR's Car Talk, and author of the forthcoming book High Voltage: “Since the popular image of farms is of old-time barnyards populated by happy pigs and chickens, most people don't even know that factory farming exists. They'd be horrified if they knew how their food is produced, but the industry does an excellent job of keeping them from that reality.”

International Fund for Africa President and Co-Founder Dr. Anteneh Roba: “The one thing most people don't know about factory farming in Africa is that it even exists. The one thing most people don't know about factory farming in the USA is how extremely cruel it is.”

Greenpeace Senior Legislative Representative Kyle Ash: “Public health and animal welfare are inseparable. Forever, industry has tried to divide communities over factory farming, with false claims that industrial food production reduces the need to destroy our air, water and lands. The truth is that factory farming makes every public health problem worse. Shutting down factory farms is a common solution to some of our greatest animal and environmental abuses and we should work together to shut them down.”

Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur: “Most people don’t know how terribly animals are treated on today’s factory farms, and that they are legally excluded from basic humane protections.”

TOP FIVE PROBLEMS WITH FACTORY FARMING

John Ikerd, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri, Columbia: The biggest single problem with factory farming is that it shows no respect for the sanctity of life — either the life of farm animals or human life. Factory farming treats feedlots as biological assembly lines, where the animals are simply machines that produce meat, milk, or eggs for nameless, faceless consumers, with no respect for the people who work in them or live in the communities where they operate. This lack of respect for life undermines the ethical and moral fabric of society.

International Fund for Africa President and Co-Founder Dr. Anteneh Roba: “It causes environmental disaster.”

Jim Motavalli, contributor to the New York Times, Audubon Magazine, Mother Nature Network and NPR's Car Talk, and author of the forthcoming book High Voltage: From an environmental point of view, the worst thing about intensive animal agriculture is it's huge inefficiency. It takes five pounds of grain to produce a pound of meat, and a 10-acre farm that could feed 60 growing soybeans would support only two people raising cattle. Reducing American meat consumption by just 10 percent would free up enough grain to feed 60 million people.

Greenpeace Senior Legislative Representative Kyle Ash: “The unnecessary torture and abuse of other animals is one of the worst human atrocities of our time. Humanity's self-aggrandizing misconception that humans rule the world with no moral responsibilities to those with whom we share this planet is reinforced by how we treat other animals, and this ironic view is facilitating destruction of the planet even for ourselves.”

Michael Greger, M.D.: "When we overcrowd thousands of animals into cramped filthy football-field sized sheds to lie beak-to-beak, or snout-to-snout atop their own waste it can present a breeding ground for disease, a perfect storm environment for the emergence of new strains of influenza and other animal-to-human diseases. These so-called factory farms are a public health menace."

And last, but not least, my top five takeaways...

CAROLYN'S TOP FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM 

THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO END FACTORY FARMING

1. It's worth being a little uncomfortable to live my life in a way that aligns with my values.  In other words?  Veg For Life, baby. 
2. If I ever thought it'd be impossible to find a hot veggie boy, I was WRONG.  There were some seriously fine, intelligent, and compassionate vegan men at this conference!
3. Change is happening.  The movement has begun.  We are beginning to make some noise.  The road ahead is long and daunting, but make no mistake, we are making progress.
4. Vegan mushroom ravioli is delicious - I must get the recipe and recreate.
5. For my 29th (ACK!) birthday, I want to take a trip to Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York with my friends, stay overnight in one of their awesome cabins and spend some one-on-one time with those gorgeous animals.

The National Conference to End Factory Farming: Day 1

I have to agree with Kimberly - this past weekend changed my life.  My life has been changed before in this exact way, but I let life, laziness and my fear of never being able to brunch with my friends again get in the way.  I'm going to work really hard not to let that happen.

The first (I can say that now b/c I'm 99% sure they will do another one) National Conference to End Factory Farming was, in my humble opinion, a huge success.  I am so, so, SO grateful and thankful to have been a part of it - the whole experience was, and I don't say this lightly, unforgettable.  Here's my story...

I arrived in D.C. late Thursday night and made my way to Dupont Circle.  Luckily my BFF Judd has an apartment mere minutes away from Kimberly's so meeting up was super easy.  After a very late night and approximately 3.5 hours of sleep, I woke up bright and early Friday morning and met Kimberly at Starbucks at 7:30 a.m. sharp.  One grande soy misto w/ a shot of pumpkin spice and one grande lotus tea w/ 2 sugars in the raw later, we were in a cab on our way to the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, VA where the conference was being held. 

Kimberly set up our table the night before, and we added some beautiful finishing touches.  Kimberly is a ROCKSTAR at setting up beautiful tables - ours was definitely the cutest!  Bamboo in a glass vase, yummy yogi tea a la Tranquil Space, a damask tablecloth, and of course - sugar!  {Photos all courtesy of Kimberly}

We were representing all kinds of goodness - Tranquil Space, TranquiliT and the lovely Pigs Animal Sanctuary (Kimberly sits on the Board - holla!).  In honor of the conference, Kimberly had these ADORABLE tees made up - are they not the cutest things you've ever seen??  They were a HUGE hit!

After putting the finishing touches on our table, we headed into the ballroom and thus began one of the best days of my life.

Day 1 began with an opening by the conference emcee - Victoria Moran!  I wasn't familiar with Victoria before this, but I am a HUGE fan now.  She is an absolute delight and made a perfect emcee.  Soon Gene Bauer, president co-founder of Farm Sanctuary (who organized the conference) came up to speak and, well, I kind of fell in love.  *SWOON*

Day 1 went from 8 a.m. until about 9 p.m.  Despite my severe lack of sleep, I felt more energized, more awake and more engaged after each speaker, each presentation, each breakout panel.  This day focused on the problem with an emphasis on the environment, food safety and animal rights - all things near and dear to my heart.  Here are some sobering stats and facts:

• Nearly 30% of the Earth's accessible surface is devoted to livestock production.  8% is devoted to crops directly consumed by humans.

• Agricultural runoff = the single largest source of water pollution in the Earth's rivers and streams.

• Sentience is the bedrock of ethics.  Farm animals are sentient beings - they have the capacity to feel pleasure and pain.

• The European Union is banning the use of battery cages from 2012 after a 10-year phaseout period.  What is America doing?  

• 6 of the 150 pathogens found in animal manure are responsible for 90% of human food and water borne diseases.

• The average meat eater is responsible for killing approximately 2,400 animals in a lifetime.

• Up to 60% of chicken sold in supermarkets are infected with salmonella.  (EW.)

• 80% of 2 million farmers make no money.  15% make about $26,000/year.  5% make over $300,000 a year.

• Most factory farms are exempt from reporting releases of toxic chemicals, including ammonia.

• About 20 companies control/own the food system.

There were several excellent speakers on Day 1, but the ones who stood out in my mind are:

- Gene Bauer, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary

- Jonathan Balcombe, Ph.D., bestselling author and animal behavior expert (He was HILARIOUS.)

- Holly Cheever, D.V.M., award-winning veterinarian (who spoke at length about how animals are sentient beings)

- Nathan Runkle, founder and executive director of Mercy For Animals (He began this nonprofit when he was FIFTEEN, y'all.  I totally fell head over heels in love with him (he's REALLY cute), but later learned that he's gay.  Go figure...)

- Bruce Friedrich, senior director of strategic initiatives at Farm Sanctuary (also hilarious)

- James McWilliams, Ph.D., author of "Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly" (He's also a professor at Texas State University and a complete and total, unapologetic, vegan ROCKSTAR.  Loved him.)

- Susie Coston, national shelter director at Farm Sanctuary (who shared an extremely touching story about a pig named Rose - if anyone tells you that a pig will eat her babies, just tell them to "shut up" and move on b/c it's NOT true)

- Elizabeth Kucinich, director of government affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (and wife of U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich - who was there!!)

To read some of the most poignant quotes from the amazing conference speakers, check out Farm Sanctuary's twitter feed and Facebook page.

I want to leave you with this video that was shown at 8:45 a.m. on this first day.  Yes, it's a little graphic, but I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO NOT TURN AWAY.  It's only 5 minutes, it's powerful, and it's the truth - it doesn't have to be this way.




Recap of Day 2 coming soon!

P.S. Saturday night we stayed for the Banquet Dinner.  Admittedly the entree was meh, but the dessert?  Well, just look for yourself...

Catch Up: What I've Been Eating, Thinking and Doing

Bonsoir, mes amies! Yesterday I realized that I completely dropped the ball on blogging, and for that, I apologize. I'm especially sorry because there are SO many things that I've wanted to discuss! First things first: let's chat briefly about what I've been eating.

Despite a few hiccups in the road (I'm looking at your apple pie a la mode at work!), I've been doing pretty well with the vegan eating.  And, unsurprisingly (and yet it always still manages to surprise me a little), I'm starting to get that inner and outer vegan glow.  I'm feeling good, y'all, and the fact that I've dropped a few pounds is the icing on the already moist and delicious cake!

Peacefood Cafe
Friday night I had a dinner date avec a dear friend from work, and she took me to Peacefood Cafe where I had a FANTASTIC meal.  We got the dumplings to start, and holy crap, they were some of the best dumplings I've ever had.  And let me tell you something - my mother makes some pretty killer (and pork-filled) dumplings.  And these?  These vegan dumplings?  They were just as good.  I'm kind of obsessed with them and can't WAIT to go back for more.  We also split the caesar salad (who knew tempeh bacon could be so good??) and the mushroom panini (ummm heavenly).

To be honest, the part of the meal I was looking forward to the most was dessert, as I'd heard so much about their delectable offerings.  Unfortunately, we didn't have as good of an experience there.  We got the peanut butter cheesecake (the peeps on Yelp love that stuff) and the raw key lime pie.  I'll give the key lime pie (pictured below) a solid B.  It had great flavor and an excellent balance of sweet and tart, but I couldn't get past the texture.  It had the texture of butter which, depending on who you are, could be a good thing.  But it just wasn't doing it for me (my friend loved it though).

Now, the peanut butter cheesecake was straight up NOT good.  There was some flavor going on in there that I couldn't get past (maybe the silken tofu??).  I decided to give the desserts one last try and snagged the last slice of ginger spice bread to-go and was barely 3 steps into my apartment before busting it out.  It was INSANE GOOD, y'all.  Peacefood Cafe definitely redeemed its dessert reputation there.  I need that recipe!!

Taim
Definitely some of the best falafel I've had.  Tucked away on a quiet street in the West Village, this place is a gem.  It's a bit pricey, but 99.9% of their menu is vegan and absurdly delicious so I'm okay with it.  Get the date, lime & banana smoothie!!

Baking Treats
On Sunday, I was feeling particular Fall-esque and wanted to bake some Fall treats to celebrate.  First things first, my roomie and I roasted the pumpkin seeds we gathered from a pumpkin carving party the day prior.  I'd never roasted pumpkin seeds before - they took forever, but were well worth the wait.  They filled our apartment with a warm, Autumn and comforting aroma and are tres tasty.

I also made Alicia Silverstone's chocolate peanut butter cups (a HUGE hit at the office today) and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (I'm not sharing the recipe for that one b/c I'm not a huge fan).  I heart baking!

Colleen, Gabby and Kimberly
I went to Colleen Patrick Goudreau's presentation of Animal and the Arts at the Alexander Gray gallery last week, and it was one of the best nights I've had since moving to NYC.  I plan to devote an entire blog post to this, but suffice it to say that Colleen is warm, endearing and inspirational, and I kind of love her.

I had my last group coaching session with Gabby Bernstein tonight.  I've definitely learned some valuable tools from her, but overall I'd have to say I'm a little disappointed.  More on this later as well.

Thursday night I take the train to D.C. for the National Conference to End Factory Farming where I'll be selling TranquiliT with Kimberly - I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

Have a BEAUTIFUL week, friends.  Gros bisous!

Day 4: Bagels

One of the best things about living in New York is most definitely the bagel scene. I've never particularly liked or disliked bagels, but after moving here, I have become a bagel fanatic.  I happen to live in extreme proximity to two bagel joints: Murray's and Brooklyn Bagel.  I think Murray's is the more popular option, but quite frankly, I just don't get Murray's. 

#1 - They don't toast their bagels.  Like, they don't even offer the option to toast bagels.  That is messed up.  #2 - Their bagels are small and sad and not nearly as delicious as... BROOKLYN BAGEL, y'all.  Yes, my ultimate fave.  Their whole wheat everything bagels are to-die-for good.  For the past year, my order has always been - "whole wheat everything toasted with low-fat scallion, please!" 

Unfortunately, "low-fat scallion" isn't really an option for me right now.  I'd always noticed their tofu cream cheese offerings, but was never in the right state of mind to try it (in other words: I was afraid it would be gross, and I didn't want to ruin my beloved Sunday morning breakfast).  But tonight, after a particularly grueling day at work and very, very sad lunch, I needed carbs, and I needed them fast.  After ensuring that the bagels themselves are dairy and egg-free (hey, ya never know!), I proceeded to order one whole wheat everything toasted with veggie tofu. 

It looks like cream cheese.  It spreads like cream cheese!  But friends?  It is not cream cheese.  Now, don't get me wrong, it tastes fine.  But, well, it's not the same thing, and does that make me sad?  Yes, a little bit.  The good news is I only ate half my bagel and will fill the rest of my tummy with roasted brussels sprouts.  (Normally I'd eat the entire oversized bagel and then proceed to pick up the random sesame seeds and seasonings that fell off with a finger of cream cheese.  Gross, I know.)

Onwards and upwards, y'all!  I came really close to ordering cream cheese, but then I asked myself if it would be worth it, and the answer was a definitive no.  Let's get real - I shouldn't be eating bagels for din anyway.

Coming soon - why I'm doing this 21-Day Cleanse (it ain't just about the animals this time). 

Day 3: Eating My Feelings

As far as I'm concerned, there's no such think as non-emotional eating. As someone who loves food, entertaining, cooking, and sharing meals with loved ones, eating is pure joy for me.  Unfortunately, over the last 6 months, I've been doing more of the negative emotional eating.  Ya know... eating my feelings?  Yeah, it happens a lot.  Stressful days mean all night bitchfests with my roomie and almost always involve greasy takeout and bottles of wine.  Unsurprisingly, it's been a tough habit to break.

Today was crazy.  Busy and frustrating on its own , but naturally, it was also that time of the month so I was uber crampy and cranky.  I couldn't get to the gym at lunch, and I was way too tired/hungry to go after work, so I came straight home and to the fridge.  Normally I would run downstairs and order myself some delicious brick oven margherita pizza after having walked down the block to get a bottle of our favorite Malbec (the conveniences I enjoy living in NYC are delightful, but dangerous), but since I'm currently vegan and avoiding alcohol, such a scenario was not an option.  So I made one of my favorite snacks instead, and I'm pleasantly satisfied - avocado toast!  It's nothing new, and everyone has their own version.  Some prefer to add hot sauce or olive oil and cracked pepper, but I prefer the simplicity of just butter and salt.

Carolyn's Vegan Avocado Toast

- 2 slices of sprouted whole grain bread (I get Sprouted Bakehouse's 7 Grain from WF, and it's delish!)
- 1 ripe avocado
- sea salt
- Earth Balance

Toast the bread.  Mash the avocado.  Spread Earth Balance on toasted bread (this is KEY and enhances the taste factor tenfold - if you don't have Earth Balance, use salted butter) and cover with lots of mashed avocado.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Enjoy!  It's absurdly simple and delectable.

Bonjour, October

{photo from here}

J'adore October - it's finally starting to feel like Fall, which is by far my favorite time of year.  One of the things I love most about living in the northeast is that Fall actually exists.  I'm dreaming of hot, milky teas, cozy hoodies, leggings and boots, blazers and loads of knits.  October is a big month for me - I'm participating in Gabby Bernstein's October coaching in addition to Oprah's Life Class.  I'm going to D.C. for the National Conference to End Factory Farming (working the TranquiliT table avec Kimberly!).  I'm doing Kris Carr's 21-Day Cleanse (Day 1 is October 2  - blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol).  I'm pretty much declaring it Carolyn's Wellness Month, with a renewed focus on yours truly.  Below are some goals I jotted down this weekend.  What's on your list?

OCTOBER GOALS

1. Do the work - Gabby's coaching, Oprah's Life Class, and Kris' 21-Day Cleanse
2. Eat as vegan as possible (also avoiding coffee and alcohol)
3. Go to bed by 11-11:30 a.m.  Wake up at 7-7:30 a.m.
4. Gym - 5x/week
5. Lose 5 lbs
   

Fit for Fall

Hello, ladies!!! I'm back to blogging from my very petite pink palace in NYC, and surprisingly, I'm not terribly unhappy to be. You see, before I left for California, I was convinced that returning to the city would be torture. After a week of sunny days, mountain views, lovely Lola, nicer people and Ma Soeur's insanely gorgeous home, I feared that the thoughts of sharing a bathroom, a tiny and consistently dirty kitchen, uneven stairs, miserable people and humidity would make me very unwilling to return. While I was definitely sad to leave, I had a wonderful vacation and felt ready to get back to my real life. California is wonderful, and it is likely in my future, but not now. Right now, I'm a New York City gal.

Now, with that being said, another reason I was excited to return to the city is because before I left for Cali, I decided I would embark on a 7-day detox when my vacay was over. You see, my body has not been functioning at its prime, and I know exactly why. My eating habits have been... disastrous. After months of vegan eating, I went on a completely dairy-fueled nonvegan BINGE after moving here. Grilled cheese dominated my life, which is no surprise that not only did I regain the weight I lost when vegan, but my body also rebelled. I'm just not feeling so hot. Weird sleep schedules, total lack of energy, and difficulty working out... yuck. I miss how I used to feel. That's not to say that I'm going to be 100% vegan for ever - I just don't think that's sustainable for me in a city where none of my friends are vegan (let alone vegetarian). However, I do intend to find a balance between vegan and non-vegan, and this detox is just a jumpstart.

For the next 7 days, I will be eating a 100% vegan diet. In addition to that, I will be abstaining from all alcohol (not easy when my weekends have typically been filled with boozey late dancey nights), all caffeine (bye bye, coffee) and most refined sugars. To be honest, I think the sugar part is going to be the hardest. No more dark chocolate after dinner? Le sad. But I think I need it. In addition to my diet, I plan to do lots of moving! Running, yoga, spinning, Fluidity, and pilates are all in my near future. After this 7-day detox, I'm not sure what's going to happen. We'll see how this week goes. To find inspiration as to what the heck I'm going to eat, I'm returning to my fave vegan blogs (like the Voracious Vegan) and to my vegan blog, Vegan Tomato. (Right now, I'm sipping a shake made with chocolate hemp powder, soy milk, and ice and eating a bean & rice burrito.)

I know several of you fab gals mentioned on Twitter that you too wanted to get back to healthy eating. I urge you to join me on this detox or to create some version of your own. Whatever you do, I think we should join together, blog about how we're doing, what we're doing, how we're getting more movement into our lives, and how we're feeling. I'm calling this group effort Fit for Fall. Please comment on this post if you want to join me! My biggest incentive besides feeling good? I want to be able to wear my fave fall clothes and not feel uncomfortable and wonder if I "look fat" every 5 seconds. What're your incentives to get Fit for Fall?

I'm going to end this post with a pic from my time in Cali. This was taken on Thursday night where I indulged in the worst of the worst: Chili's. Chili's is all kinds of unhealthy and tres un-gourmet. But I've always had a soft spot for their chips & salsa & ranch (AND for their french fries). That being said, I want what I ate that night to be the exact opposite of what I intend to eat in my future. LET'S GO!

Vegan Tomato

{my grocery basket from the other night: organic strawberries, organic avocados, organic kale, frozen mango, almond milk, amy's frozen nondairy bean & rice burritos}

I've been putting off writing this post for quite some time. Partly because I'm afraid of what you will think, partly because it's a subject that's difficult for me to think about, partly because I'm not even sure what I want to say. But it needs to be put out there because I need some help! So here it is...

Since moving to New York, I have fallen off the vegan bandwagon big time. At first it was because I was going to all sorts of dinners and brunches with new people, and I did not want to limit our choices to vegan eateries nor did I want to be difficult. Now, I know what many vegans will say - just because you want to eat vegan doesn't mean you're being difficult. That may be true, but it is inconvenient for the majority of people (esp. the people that I seem to know), and I didn't want to be causing any of that either. The other reason? I like nonvegan food. I like cheese and eggs and butter... I do. Also? It's really hard to even find a vegetarian option on many NYC menus, so yes, I've eaten shrimp and calamari. (But no, I have not, however, eaten chicken, beef, pork, lamb, etc.)

I am not proud of this. I feel like a complete and total failure of a vegan, and yet every time I say, "OK! This is it! Tomorrow I'm being vegan again!" it's never the last time. Scarily, that's the same thing I used to say when I tried fad diet after fad diet... that's not a good thing.

Do I still strongly believe all the things I believed before? Oui. Am I a hypocrite? Weak? A failure? LAME? Oui. I'll own up to all of that. I will be the first to say that I let my desire for goat cheese get in the way of how I feel about animal treatment. I let my overwhelming lust for margherita pizza cloud my absolute knowledge that dairy cows are treated like absolute shit. Like I said, I'm not proud of this.

That being said (you know that was coming, didn't ya?), I know that in the near future, there will be situations where it will be near impossible for me to eat vegan. Or, let's be honest, I'll be at a fab restaurant with friends, and I don't WANT to ask the chef to prepare me something on the side or I don't want to be resigned to eating a garden salad. I want to enjoy life! And it's not that I couldn't when I was strictly vegan, but dining out became a completely different experience. If I could have all vegan friends, I would, but to be honest, I don't have a single real-life vegetarian, let alone vegan, friend in my life.

So, I don't know... I don't know what I'm going to do. I know it doesn't have to be one extreme or another, but I am a very all-or-nothing type of person so this weird wishy washy medium is difficult for moi. Also, I have no doubt whatsoever that I will lose some blog readers and twitter followers who began to read/follow when I was doing the vegan thing, and that's fine, I understand that. I also know that many of you (including those who follow a vegan diet) will be supportive and tell me not to beat myself up. I am genuinely curious as to what you think, whether you have or are experiencing the same conflicting emotions, and what is to be done about it. I feel... like a fraud.

Day 4... Bonjour, Brooklyn!

I had a FABULOUS day! My sleeping schedule is way off so my day began rather late (okay... close to noon if I'm going to be honest), and I quickly got up, got ready and headed out to meet my new friend Noel at brunch.


The Organic Grill is a darling (read: tiny) joint in the East Village, and I just adored it. I ordered the "Indecisive Sampler" or something along those lines which included blueberry pancakes, tofu scramble, and your choice of tempeh bacon or soy sausage. I opted for yukon gold home fries instead of the bacon or sausage option, but I'm eager to try them in the future. The pancakes were yummy, and the tofu scramble was PHENOM! I don't know how they season and cook their tofu, but it's fantastic! Not soggy or tofu-y or anything. Really great flavor with super fresh veggies. I was tres impressed. And Noel? Well, she's just fabulous. We hit it off immediately, and I'm so grateful to my friend Lindsay for setting us up (THANK YOU, LINDS!!!).

After brunch, we took the L train over to Williamsburg and walked to McCarren Park where the Renegade Craft Fair was happening. What fun! TONS of booths and lots of hip people (and pregnant women for some reason). We perused booth after booth. Naturally, all the letterpress/paperproducts were my faves, and yes, I may have purchased a couple things but not nearly as many as I wanted. I also got an amazing pair of earrings which I'll photograph next time I wear them. They're... interesting. ;)


After hours of walking, we headed back to Bedford Avenue and met up with one of Noel's friends from HS. He has a sweet (and huge) loft, and he treated us to lemonade/vodka cocktails upon arrival. It was so hot and sticky outside, so the drink was ideal. After finishing our beverages, we headed back to Manhatten, and Noel and I parted ways with promises of lots of future dates (including the Brooklyn Flea - can't wait for that!).

Later tonight I met my friend Steph and her two gal pals for dinner at Bobo. The restaurant was nice, but we were seated outside so we spent the entire meal sweating. Nonetheless conversation was good and the food was tasty, but not fantastic. After dinner, we frequented a couple bars in the Village, and I remembered all too well how much I can't stand overcrowded bars full of singles trying to pick each other up. My friend Steph said I need an attitude adjustment, and she's absolutely right. But I just do not see myself meeting anyone worth meeting at a bar... is that wrong of me? I mean, who knows who you can meet? It's NYC, right? Hmm, I don't know. It really got me thinking... when will I be ready and willing to "meet" people again? (And by people, I obviously mean men.) Je ne said pas. More on that later...

All in all, I had a beautiful Saturday. And despite my multiple showers today, I still love love love walking around this incredible city. But now? It's time for sleep. Bon nuit.

Vegan Eats in NYC

Even though I fully admit to falling off the wagon during my visit to NYC, I also indulged in some seriously awesome vegan eats (that city is like veg heaven!). Sadly I didn't take any pics of my food (my camera sux), but I'm still happy to dish on the yummy treats I tasted.

Candle 79 - An upscale all vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side, Candle 79 is truly a treat. My friends and I dined here on the first night, and even they were impressed! The appetizers were phenomenal (the mushroom ravioli? OMG) as were the desserts (I had the strawberry rhubarb crumble a la mode). The entrees were just OK. The service was impeccable and the wine washed everything down quite nicely.

154 East 79th St. @ Lexington - Candle 79

Babycakes - The famous all-vegan bakery!!! I was stoked to try Babycakes but by the time I got there, I was exhausted from a day of walking around the entire city. A cupcake sounded a bit much for me, so I got donuts instead - one cinnamon sugar (my FAVE) and one toasted coconut. The cinnamon sugar? Oh I could eat about 10 of them... Luckily Babycakes is situated in the lower east side, which is a little bit out of way, thank goodness. Still, I anticipate making weekly trips to satisfy my sweet tooth. :)

248 Broome St. between Orchard and Ludlow - Babycakes NYC

Cafe Blossom East - Sister to Blossom Restaurant in Chelsea, Cafe Blossom East is even more inconvenient than Babycakes! It's waaayyyy up on the upper east side, but I begged my sister to take me there after our Monday morning visit to the MoMa. I'm so glad we did!!! I got the Tofu BLT (southern fried tofu, tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato and basil mayo) with a side of some of the best fries I've ever had, and it was incredible. My sister got a grilled tofu salad with seaweed, which was good, but nowhere near as good as mine. :) I can't wait to try the one in Chelsea (my future 'hood!).

1522 1st Avenue between 79th and 80th - Cafe Blossom

Eating Animals: A New Blog

So, I decided to start a new blog to chronicle my "vegan adventure." Why? Because I know a lot of you don't care and/or don't want to hear about it, and I completely understand. I have and will have a LOT to say about this whole vegan thang, and I don't want to overrun Hang On Little Tomato with all of that. SO, if you're interested in reading about what I'm eating, and especially if you have awesome answers and feedback to the MANY questions I will inevitably pose to my dear readers, please head on over to vegan tomato. :)

Eating Animals: Part 2 - The Foodie Debate

What is a foodie? Wikipedia says it's “an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink.” Merriam-Webster defines "foodie" as “a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads.” I didn't use the term "foodie" to describe myself until late in college, when I first discovered cooking (in other words, when I first discovered the Food Network). Junior and senior year, I had three girlfriends (S, A and J) who also considered themselves foodies, and we regularly got together to throw potlucks, try new restaurants, or simply just discuss our love for food. The funny thing is, S is a vegetarian and A doesn’t eat pork (J and I, however, ate just about anything). S and A's dietary restrictions never really got in the way, but J and I often wondered how they could live without experiencing the sweet and succulent joy that is pork. (For the record, I LOVE pork. It's the meat I miss the most.) I mean, I used to make fun of S all the time for being a vegetarian! (She KNEW I was kidding, and because she's got such a great attitude and sense of humor, she often played along. This is why I love you, S.)

Here's the thing: I never thought you could truly be a foodie if you didn't eat meat. I believe the same to be true for people who don't enjoy vegetables, dark chocolate, stinky cheese and red wine. That's pretty stupid and snotty of me, yes, but I'm just being honest here (and hypocritical b/c there are definitely some things I refuse to eat – helloooo, tripe). So when I made the decision to cut out meat, the first thought that popped into my head was, “But how can I call myself a foodie if I don’t eat meat?!” If that’s not bad enough, if I throw out eggs, cheese, and seafood, then WHAT does that make me? Can one be a vegan and still be a foodie? I don’t know. I do know, however, that many of you will say yes. And that’s why I’m writing this.

My identity as a foodie is at stake. My ability to throw successful dinner parties for my friends in Austin (who, for the record, are nowhere near vegetarian or vegan) is in danger. What will people think? Will they still invite me to dinner? And WHAT about Ina? Yes, I’m talkin bout THE Barefoot Contessa! She’s, like, my foodie idol! I love her recipes because they are simple, fresh, decadent and DELICIOUS. Can I betray her like that? What about all the food blogs I follow? What about Gourmet and Bon Appetit and even Cooking Light? Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain? I mean, I am all about Clueless, but Alicia, we have no food history (YET).

Last night I couldn’t stop thinking about food. YAY guacamole is vegan! Darn, queso is definitely not. Tex-Mex is going to be tough. Asian, however, is a good option for a vegan diet. Italian? Fuhgettaboutit! Tuna melts? OUT. Lobster bisque? OUT. What the hell can I eat??

Finally, right before I drifted off to sleep, I decided to shutup and RELAX. I can still be a foodie, damn it! A foodie is anyone who loves and appreciates good food, whatever that food may (or may not) contain. I will, however, need to re-teach myself how to cook. Lasagna, bolognese and cornbread casserole can no longer be my go-to’s (probably a good thing seeing as how those are all heart attacks waiting to happen). I’m going to have to do my research, be creative, and keep an open mind. It’s not that vegan recipes don’t sound good to me; they just don’t sound satisfying. But what do I know? I haven’t tried enough to make that call.

So instead of being thoroughly depressed, I’ve decided to get really REALLY excited. And thanks to you all, I’m getting oodles of great ideas, recipes, tips and tricks. This weekend I plan to spend a LONG time studying the aisles of Whole Foods. The Kind Diet is on its way. Even my MOM is being supportive (this woman was less than thrilled to learn about my new vegetarian diet when I returned from Londy)! Together we brainstormed about which of my fave Korean dishes we could veganize. Bibimbap without the meat and egg? Definitely not the same, but STILL delicious (as long as it's SPICY)!

My sister thinks I’m nuts, but I know she’ll happily oblige to my dietary needs when I visit. My real-life friends? Well, I don’t know. Matty and I will most definitely have to re-think Nachos Thursday. Tomorrow night I’m dining with foodie friends in town for a wedding, and we’re doing tex-mex. Huh. And what about my potential trip to NY this Spring? No Lombardi’s pizza for moi.

It’s not going to be easy. Not everyone will be thrilled. But I’m doing this for me, and despite all my questions and concerns and panic attacks, I’m tres happy about it. And if my social life has to suffer because of it, SO BE IT!

Terribly sorry for the rambling. Um… thoughts??

Eating Animals: Part One

First, a DISCLAIMER: This is going to be one in a series of many blog posts in which I will discuss my thoughts and opinions on all things vegetarian and vegan. I am not, in any way, attacking your choices, decisions, and/or lifestyle. I happily ate all kinds of pig, cow, shrimp, lobster, etc. for 20+ years, and so I completely respect your decision to eat, or not to eat, animals. Please do not take offense to anything I write. If you know me, then you know that offending you is my very last intention. As far as this topic goes, I am navigating uncharted waters. It's difficult and emotional and think-y (yes, that's a word in my world) and I'm just trying to sort this all out, albeit publicly. Please respect that.

PHEW, that being said, let's get on with it, shall we? I have not finished Eating Animals, but I'm pretty darn close. After bringing this book on a few solo lunch dates, I quickly realized that it's the kind of book best read home alone in close proximity to a box of tissues and a trash receptacle. I am equal parts horrified (read: nauseous) and saddened (read: hysterical sobs) by the information Foer presents, which is remarkable considering I already knew 80% of it. It's good to be reminded.

Many months ago, I decided to stop eating meat. I gave in over the Holidays to my Mom's scrumptious pork and beef - inspired Korean dishes, but it left me feeling heavy and gross. So again, I gave up meat. But I never gave up seafood. Or eggs. Or dairy. And certainly not leather or honey. I always believed that factory farming was the devil, but eating the meat provided by Farmer Joe with his green pastures and happy cows was okay. I used to think fish and lobster could not feel pain. I used to think I could live without cheese (this is still debatable). All this is changing.

Beginning March 1, I am jumping on on the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart bandwagon. My reasons are two-fold:

1. Conscience - Knowing what happens, not only in factory farms, but in slaughterhouses (yes even the ones used by humane farmers, mostly b/c they have very little selection and therefore very little choice) kills me. I can't bear the thought of another animal experiencing that much pain for my unnecessary benefit. That being said, I can't imagine a life without migas for breakfast, cream in my coffee, and cheese in/on/under just about everything. But I'll never know if I don't try, right?

2. Health - I've heard many of the health benefits from a vegan diet (and yes, I've also heard of the many dangers of a vegan diet so don't worry, I know), one of which is increased energy. And I'm tired of being so TIRED all the time (and yes, I know that exercise and a variety of other things can and will help me with this). Also? I'm tired of mucus, which I'm sad to say, is dairy's close friend. I want to see if a vegan diet will do all the things I've heard it can do. For me.

March 1 is still 13 days away, but as a way to ease myself in, I'm trying to make more vegan choices now. Last night, I cooked the only vegan meal I currently know how to cook and actually enjoy. This morning, I used soy creamer in my coffee, which admittedly was better than I expected, but was NOT in ANY WAY FORM OR FASHION the same as cream. It's just not. For lunch, I sadly requested "no tzatziki" from the greek joint next door. But... I did eat a slice of King Cake today (I'm Cajun, I had to!).

OOH - that reminds me. Sugar. Apparently a lotta vegans don't eat sugar. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Thoughts?

Also, what's the deal with honey? Bad because it exploits the bees? I'm not sure how I feel about that either.

AHHH soo many questions! So many arguments on both sides, good and bad, reasonable and ridiculous. This is HARD.

Can you tell that I'm struggling? Because I am.

Anyway, I digress. The point of this post is to let you know that: (1) On March 1, I will be attempting a vegan diet for 21-days; and (2) I'm scared.

That's all. Thoughts???

Oh and one more thing - Foer talks about eating meat, but what about dairy and cheese and leather and all that stuff? Can any of you recommend an Eating Animals/FOOD, Inc. - esque book or article about all that?

{image from here}