Simple Breakfast & Football

As much as I love summer, it's been nice to have cooler weather for the last few days. 

Since blueberry and strawberry season is ending, I'm eating as many of them as possible. I even topped my So Delicious ice cream & vegan chocolate syrup and strawberries the other day. Don't judge me. :-)

For breakfast yesterday we enjoyed a simple meal of banana, berries, vanilla Almond Dream yogurt and plain granola. Doesn't it look so yummy?! It was. :-) I got the idea from FitMenCook on Instragram. His version has Greek yogurt but it very easy to sub that with a vegan one.

I'm trying to keep meals a little more simple since football season started. Shout out to all my football moms!

Elijah played his first game yesterday and we've been busy taking him to practice 3 times a week and getting him settled.

I'm looking forward to sharing more simple meals and having some football fun.

What's your favorite simple breakfast?

Should Vegan Kids Go to the Zoo?

Jason (now 11) was about 5 yrs old in this picture

I came across some pictures of a petting zoo field trip I took with Jason back in 2007. I want to take the boys to the zoo before it gets too cold.

Going to the circus or rodeo with my family is a no-brainer (hell no!), but I go back and forth about the zoo. I love the zoo and want to share this experience with all three of my kids (my youngest son has never been with me).

For me, veganism is way more than food. I became a vegan for ethical reasons. This is why I feel so conflicted.  

It bothers me that those animals are caged in, but at the same time, they're usually well taken care of like the ones at an animal sanctuary.

I don't know....Maybe I'm still too "young" in this lifestyle to completely grasp why it's so wrong to partake in zoo visits. Is it even wrong or have I convinced myself that it's wrong?  

Anyway, I say all that to say that we're visiting the National Zoo later this month.

I'm really working on being more open about my decisions and feeling okay that I don't fit perfectly in this self-imposed vegan box. It's a process and a journey that I will continue to blog about here.

Thanks for reading! 

What are your thoughts? Should vegans go to the zoo?

"I Hated Vegetables" Food Talk with Elijah

Heeey!

I had a great time recording this video with my son, Elijah. We talked about some of his favorite foods, how he feels about this vegan lifestyle now (3 years later), and he also offered tips for families interested in eating more vegan meals.

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Elijah's tips:
*Don't tell your family the food is vegan
*Don't bring the kids to the grocery store... for a while
*No lecturing or forcing kids to eat the food
*Find a compromise that works for the family-our compromise is vegan meals at home and you can eat whatever you want elsewhere

Check out these posts from the archives on how we're navigating this vegan life as a family.

"Are Your Kids Vegan, Too?"
"My Struggle with Transitioning My Kids to Vegan Eating"
"Letting it Go...For Now"

What's for Dinner? | Vegan Camping Meal

With all the money we saved last month, Eric and I took the boys on their first camping trip.  I was a little nervous about the food (since we usually stay in cabins), so I kept dinner as simple as possible.

What we ate...

Portobello mushroom burgers using a store-bought marinade

Bush's vegetarian baked beans and grilled red bell peppers seasoned with garlic powder & salt (not pictured).

Watermelon & pistachios

Dessert was s'mores with bananas  (it was too dark for a pic but you can see it in the video). Instead of using vegan marshmallows (regular marshmallows aren't vegan because they contain animal bone collagen), I picked up a few bananas from Wal-Mart once we got to the campgrounds. Dessert was a fail! The bananas didn't melt the dark chocolate, so it didn't remind me of s'mores at all. Maybe I should've roasted the bananas longer and used riper ones? Next time I will be sure to pick up vegan marshmallows from Wegmans before we leave.

I made a quick video (below) of all the food and a full camping vlog on my second YouTube channel.

We're heading to Virginia Beach for another camping trip later this month!

Are you going camping this summer?

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Eating Vegan at Cookouts

It's that time of year again! Fourth of July officially kicks off the season of sticky weather, beaches, coolers and firing up the grill.  I don't know about other vegans, but after 3 years, I still feel awkward at cookouts. I've accepted that I will probably never be 100% comfortable being vegan in social settings.

Picture from non-vegan cookout I went to last year

With that said, it does get a little easier to navigate. Here are a few tips to help you at the next cookout... 

*Eat before you go-This is a must if you're just starting out in a vegan lifestyle.  Your aunt's macaroni and cheese & grandmother's potato salad will be too tempting on an empty stomach.

*Eat after you leave-I'm the queen of hitting up Chipotle on the way home from any social event. You can also stash nuts, fruit, and seeds in your car to hold you over until you get home.

*Attack the fruit & vegetable tray-The potato salad, collard greens, pasta salad (usually has meat & cheese) and all the desserts at the cookout are likely not vegan. Fortunately, every cookout I've ever been to has a fruit and/or vegetable tray. I don't consider this a meal but it will likely hold you over until you leave...especially if you ate before getting there. Also, snacking on fruit and vegetables helps with the uncomfortable feeling of not eating while everyone is.

*Bring a side dish or two -I've done this a few times and it usually goes pretty well. It's also a great conversation starter.  Bring a vegetable dish or make a fruit platter. You can also bring vegan hotdogs or hamburgers and ask the host to toss them on the grill for you. Don't forget to bring a few to share because some may be curious about how they taste.  Check back in tomorrow for a post with some summer vegan side dish ideas.

*Don't be shy-If you bring a dish, use this as an opportunity to educate your family on why you made the shift to a vegan diet.  Don't preach! Just chat with those who want to know more (and people will) in the most loving way possible. Try not to get defensive when someone has a sly comment. It happens! *Sigh* Smile and enjoy your day.

*Try to see social events as an opportunity to connect...NOT eat-This is one that I'm working on right now.  For most of us, cookouts are just as much about the food than spending time with family and friends.  Try to see these occasions as being more about connecting with family and friends and less about the food.  I know this is easier said than done but with practice is should become a little better.

I had a vegan cookout with one of my friends last year. Check out the post and video here.