10 Random Things About Me

I'm really working on making my YouTube channel more than just recipes.  I made a Welcome video several weeks ago showing some of the topics that I plan to cover. 

I want my channel to be more of a lifestyle one...showing what we do when it comes to food as a family, eating out, vlogs about my experiences, tips, reviews, etc. Of course the recipe videos are here to stay.  :-)

My fellow YouTuber Mel (AKA blaxirican) tagged me to do the 10 random things about me video so I filmed it over the weekend.

Here it is....

1. I've been a vegan for 3 years this month-Woohoo!!

2.  I'm a homebody.

3. My husband is my first interracial relationship.

4. I'm the most comfortable in yoga pants and sneakers.

5. I love ratchet music.

6.  I can't dance. 

7. I'm afraid of heights.

8. I drink a lot of tea.

9. The King of Queens is my favorite show & Coming to America is my favorite movie.

10. I didn't start cooking from scratch until I became a vegan.

What are your random tidbits? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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Family Meal Planning Tips

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5 tips I use to make meal planning easier:

1) To save money and time, keep breakfast as simple as possible. Mornings are already crazy enough, so use this time to make delicious and healthy meals that take less than 10 minutes. You can serve oatmeal, grits, tempeh bacon with fresh fruit, smoothies, and much more.

2) Take a main food and plan a few meals around that ingredient- Google the ingredient with the tag “vegan recipes” and many options will be available to plan your meal around that item. Black beans are a great example of a main food to plan meals around.  One night you can make black bean burritos, and the next spicy black beans and rice. Save money by picking up dried beans opposed to the canned option. You can make your beans on the weekends and serve later in the week.

3) Put a spin on favorites and make enough for leftovers-Spaghetti is one of those meals that is very easy to change up.  You can literally serve spaghetti every week with a new spin.  One week try adding in sautéed mushrooms and the next lentil balls.

 

Day#3 Feeling Better #juicefeast

I'm sitting at my desk drinking cilantro, pear,  red bell pepper and mustard greens and watching Marie Forleo talk to Mastin Kipp about living and finding your purpose.

I feel pretty good right now, but last night I ate a little food. Not a meal or anything, but I did feel better afterwards.  I just wanted to chew something.

I woke up this morning determined to finish this feast.  As much as I want to eat, I want to detox even more.  I refuse to give up.

I've decided that when this feast is over, I will eat mostly raw vegan for the rest of the month. Lots of HUGE fresh salads, smoothies, fresh juice, raw nuts and seeds.  I figure if I can survive on liquids for 5 days, eating unlimited fruits and vegetables should be a lot less difficult.

We're heading out in a bit to replenish our veggie stash. We're getting lots of kale, celery, cilantro, lemon and cucumbers. Eric is still going strong with fresh juice and water!

I hope you're having a great day.

Are Yankee Candles Vegan?

I love scented candles and usually have about 3 burning at the same time. :-)

The other day, while getting toiletries at Target, I came across a clearance endcap with 22 oz. Yankee candles for $10 each.  I rarely buy Yankee because of their outrageous $25 (or more) price tag, so I was happy to get such a great deal.

yankeecandlesdec2012.jpg

Veganism extends further than food, and these days I'm working on being more conscious in supporting companies that offer vegan-friendly products. I'm not perfect by any means (and don't strive for that) but I do make an effort.

Anyhoo, I googled to see if Yankee uses wax derived from any animal sources.

Back in April, Happy Hippie Vegan Freak contacted Yankee and here's what they told her:

"Our candles are not animal tested.  And do not contain any animal or insect ingredients.  They are made with a food grade paraffin wax.  I hope this information is helpful."

Great news! So yes, Yankee candles are vegan. :-)

By the way, I snagged some seasonal soy candles for $5 each (on clearance) that same day.  

soycandlesdec2012.jpg

Peta has a list of other companies that offer vegan candles.

What's your favorite vegan brand of candles?

Check Me Out On Frugivore Magazine

 

Several months ago, Frugivore Magazine contacted me to be featured in their Black Vegan/Vegetarian series.

Yes!

Check out my interview...where I discuss why I became a vegan, plant-based eating for kids, and how minimalism and veganism are connected. 

 

Frugivore is an awesome source of recipes, weight loss information, and other lifestyle posts.