Bucket List #3

Eat Vegan for a week. As trivial as it seems, I wanted to do this. I knew I was going to do it this very week- the week before my impending time away on a ship. I wanted to be frugal with food, lose some extra weight, and honestly look hot in a bikini. So, as vain as that sounds- I started on Monday.

I have come to just realize a lot just in 2.5 days. Our dependency on animals is much more than it needs to be. I thought I would struggle greatly with not having dairy- but thanks to Almond Milk- I'm fine. If you know me, you know I am not much of a meat eater anyway. I don't mind cooking it or eating it, but I get so bored with it and sometimes just want nothing to do with it. So I knew that part would be easy.

Here has been my menu up until now:
M-b:mixed fruit; snack: nuts; l:chickpeas, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and a green apple; d: leftover whole wheat penne w/ tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, spinach; snack: chocolate almond milk
T-b: Puffins pnut butter cereal (vegan cereal that is awesome) w almond milk (vanilla); l: kidsize oatmeal raisin bar, 2 scoops of pnut butter; snack: corn tortilla chips; d: 7-grain meatless "chicken" strips, mixed vegetables sauted in italian dressing, and baked fries; snack: Berry Rounds (like a fruit popsicle, but no stick)

Tuesdays dinner was so good. I think I will buy this product again for sure! You should try it: Gardein makes it and it is in the frozen foods aisle at Kroger.

If you want to try eating Vegan, I highly encourage it. I read a book this summer called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- I strongly encourage you to read it as well. It will change the way you view food. I didn't eat a banana from August until last week (only because I had no other options at my parents) because of reading this book. Read it.

Here is the recipe for the Berry Rounds (trust me, you will love it!)

1 can of pineapples w/juice (mine was the rings, so it had 4 in it, soaked in its own juice)
4 strawberries (large)
7-8 blackberries
1/2 box Coconut Vita water (comes in a small juice sized-box in multiple flavors, I used coconut with pineapple)
A splash of Almond Milk- vanilla

Puree all of the ingredients together but the Almond Milk. My blender has a smoothie setting, so that is what I used. After I blended all of this, then I put the almond milk in, just enough to make the liquid contents rise up an inch- so 1/4 of a cup I guesstimate.

I poured the liquid into a 6-muffin pan. (Spray the pan before, because I didn't, but the eventually come out when you run the bottom of the pan under warm water). Stick in the freezer. I froze mine for 3+ hours and then removed then from the pan and put the individual servings in a tupperware container in the freezer.

I took one and semi mashed it up in a cup- not so much like a slushy because it wasn't liquid, but like Italian Ice. It was awesome!

Next time I make them, I am going to add a few teaspoons of protein powder. This would be a great recovery snack from a workout!

Hope you enjoy- tell me how you like it!