Weight Loss Update!

As of today I lost another 2lbs! Making a total of 12lbs since my new Vegan Lifestyle! This has been a challenge but a really fun one! I really enjoy cooking and creating new things so this is right up my alley! I hope that who ever is keeping up with my posts finds inspiration! My weight has been the biggest barrier in my life! I know that when I beat this my life will flourish! This has been holding my back for so long! It's my time to shine!! A big THANKS goes out to everyone supporting me through this journey!

Pizza Time!

I'm a Pizza freak!! I love Pizza with all of my heart! So I wanted to try to create a Vegan Pizza that would make this Pizza gal's heart smile! First I needed a sauce! So in my blender I combined Sun dried Tomato's, Olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Fresh Basil, Almonds and some fresh Lime Juice! I will say that I wish I had a Food Processor, doing this in the blender took forever!!  

 The crust I made was Red Hill's Gluten free Pizza Crust mix.  It calls for Eggs... I just replaced the eggs with more Olive Oil and added Baking Powder.. I also added some Italian Seasoning! Bake the crust according to the instructions on the package!

 After the crust baked for about 9 minutes, I put a layer of my Pesto Sauce on very thin!! Basil is very strong! I then added a layer of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus! 

 I then fried an Onion, Red Bell Pepper and 1 clove of Garlic in Olive Oil until the Veggies were tender! I placed them on top of the Hummus layer! Then added a layer of Sliced Beets and Spinach! Popped it back in the oven for about 7 minutes, took it out and cut myself a slice!

I think next time I will try a Tomato Sauce or just the Hummus... I really did enjoy it though!! I think I will also put more Veggies on it! For my first Vegan Pizza it was a pretty good one!!

Vegan Pita Pockets!

 

So I saw this stuff at the store and was intrigued.. I don't typically like to intake processed foods.. but I thought that if maybe I had a crazy craving I could try this! The first thing I thought about was Chicken Caesar Pitas! 

 I fried the Veggie Chicken in Olive Oil until it was golden brown! While that was cooking, I tried to think of a way to make a Vegan Caesar Dressing.. I looked around the kitchen for some inspiration and then I spotted it... AVOCADO! I used 1/2 an Avocado, about a cup of Almond Milk, 1 small clove of Garlic, about 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar, Pinch of Oregano, Cayenne Pepper, Parsley and Rosemary, and 2 wedges of fresh Lemon Juice! I put all of the ingredients in the blender and blended it to a smooth consistency! It turned out GREAT!!

After my Veggie Chicken and Dressing were complete I put them in a bowl with a handful of Spinach, Carrots, and Tomato's! I only used a small portion of the dressing and I have alot left over for another day!! When everything is all mixed together, throw that fantastic stuff in an All Natural Pita Pocket and CHOW DOWN!! I was on cloud 9!! Like I said before though, I don't intend on eating this Faux Chicken often, just on occasion! I will say I enjoyed it! I was definitely nervous to try it but it was a pleasant experience! 

Almond Butter Banana Rice Cakes!

Snack time!!! After a long day at work I enjoy having a yummy snack that is healthy and delicious! Grab some Rice Cakes, All Natural Maple Almond Butter and a Banana and you are set!! The Almond Butter is FABULOUS!! Seriously, you will fall so deeply in love that your heart will be smiling from ventricle to ventricle!!!

Lentil Soup!!

Hey there friends! Tonight I made some yummy Lentil Soup that I think you all should know about! It's pretty fabulous! First I sauteed 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper, 3 garlic cloves and 1 onion in 2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil! Cook the Veggies until they are nice and tender! Then I added one 32 oz container of 100% fat free natural Vegetable Broth and 1/2 cup of Vanilla Almond milk to the veggie mixture! Add 1 1/2 cups of lentils to the soup! I seasoned this magical soup with Cumin, Italian seasoning, Rosemary, Sea Salt, Red Pepper Flakes, and Cayenne Pepper! The soup has to cook for like 30 minutes or more to cook the Lentils! It's pretty amazing!

RAW Vegan Chocolate Decadence!

So I like everyone out there, have a major sweet tooth from time to time!! I was worried by living a Vegan lifestyle that I would have to give up my love for Chocolate! (teeheeet! not the case!) I found an amazing Recipe for RAW Vegan Chocolate Silk Decadence! You will need:

• 3 Avocados 
• 1 Cup of Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• Up to 1 1/2 Cups of Water to thin.

 I placed all of the ingredients in the blender, except for all of the water! I only ended up using a little under a Cup! Blend on high speed until you reach a pudding texture!! This stuff is amazing! Seriously! I plan on putting some sliced Strawberries in it as well! You can also freeze your Chocolate Wonderfulness to make a Gelato!!

Remember to use Portion Control!! This fabulous Heaven like treat is healthier but is still packed with fats! (but they are good fats!!)

Veggie Taco Time!

Yumm!! Dinner time!! I made Veggie Tacos!! First I fried some brown rice in about 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and boiled it until it was tender! While the Rice was cooking I sauteed Onions, Green Peppers, Garlic, Mushrooms and Black beans in Olive Oil until the Veggies were tender! To give it a Spanish flavor I added Cumin, Coriander Seed, Red Pepper flakes, Garlic, Chili powder and Italian Seasonings! Mix together the rice and veggies and put that fabulous stuff on a Lettuce Leaf!! Holy biscuits its amazing!!  I finished off  my plate with some All Natural Peanuts and a Banana!!

Start off your day right!!

I start my day with an all natural fruit smoothy every morning!! The great thing about these smoothies is that you can put whatever you want in them! This one for example, has an Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Strawberries, 1/2 of a Cucumber, All natural Cashew Butter, and 100% Fruit Juice! I know you probably raised an eyebrow at the cucumber part! Cucumbers add a really fresh flavor to your smoothy! Now if you don't have all of these ingredients, be creative!! I also really like to add Spinach or Carrots to my smoothies!! Another thing I add is Coconut Oil (organic and unrefined!) about 2 Tablespoons! Coconut Oil is good for many things! (I've even put the stuff in my hair when it feels dry!) I try to mix up the fruit so I don't get bored! Thursdays smoothy had a Blood Orange, Bananas, Frozen Mixed Berries and All Natural Peanut Butter! Its best to make them the night before! I have to be up super early every morning and I'm usually miss crabby face.... Miss Crabby Face morning Cindy does NOT want to blend together a smoothy at 5am! That and your smoothy will be nice and cold by morning so it's extra yummy!! Tonight my smoothy will consist of: an Apple, Spinach, Lemon Juice (from a fresh lemon!), Frozen Peaches, Carrots, Bananas,  All Natural Maple Almond Butter, and Coconut Oil!!

Introduction!

Hello friends! This is my first ever Blog! My friends Kelsey and Kelley suggested that I start this blog about my new lifestyle change and weight loss goals! I've struggled with my weight my whole life.  It's been a never ending battle for me, a goal that just always seemed so far out of reach! I've tried crazy diets, Weight Watchers, and vigorous exercises.. but nothing seemed to work for me.  I would always find myself going backwards! I finally reached a point in my life where enough was enough! I had a person very close to me say, "Look at you! How big are you going to let yourself get!" and those words stuck with me.. I was disgusted with myself.. I guess you could say, that was me hitting rock bottom and that was the statement I needed to get myself back into a healthy lifestyle! I started really trying to loss the weight when I turned 21 in May 2010.  I started to jog with my best friend Kelley Kasprzyk! She was a big help! My brother also got me into bike riding! since then I've been able to keep 60lbs off! But I'm not stopping there! Recently I have been slacking off with workouts and healthier food choices and started to gain some of my weight back! (EEEKK!! Not Good!) So I'm trying something new!! On Wednesday, February 22, I started an all Vegan lifestyle! Today is the 26th, I've lost 10lbs!! So for all of you out there that have the same struggles as I do, (or anyone really!!) this blog is for inspiration! I will be posting my diet plan with pictures of my meals and workouts that I enjoy! As hard as this is for me to post... I currently weigh 210lbs! With encouragement and support from others I WILL win this battle! It's time for progress!