Staying Active and Getting Out More
I started out my week great, making a weight watcher spanakopita recipe for breakfast.
It was super easy to make and super delicious. They freeze very well, and I stored some in my freezer for later.
Vegan Spanakopita
Ingredients:
1 bunch parsley
3 cups spinach
1 red onion diced
1 can chick peas with aqua faba
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Indian black salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
vegan feta or firm tofu cut into small cubes
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper
1 package wonton wrappers
Instructions:
Chop parsley and spinach and onion and add to food processor. process until in small pieces.
Add to a bowl with crumbled feta.
Make chick pea eggs by blending 1 can of chick peas with aqua faba in food processor with cornstarch, turmeric, nutritional yeast, baking soda and black salt.
Mix egg chick mixture with spinach and feta. Add nutmeg and black pepper to taste.
Line muffin pans with 2 wonton wrappers. Spoon in veggie chick pea mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes
yield: 2 dozen mini tarts
Later that evening I made a Vegan Picadillo with Parmesan Banana Squash and brown rice with quinoa for my meal prep, and it was super delicious! I substituted veggie smart grounds for ground turkey, and I used my home-made vegan parmesan in the roasted squash.
Before making the dinner, I had to make another batch of vegan Worcestershire sauce. now that I know how to make my own Worcestershire sauce, I am never buying it again.
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tamarind pod fruit pulp
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a bottle and shake.
let set overnight in the fridge for full flavor.
Keep refrigerated.
Yield: about 8 oz.
I made this weight watchers Turkey Picadillo recipe but I substituted LightLife Smart Grounds veggie grounds with 2 tbsp veggie powder seasoning and 1 tsp poultry seasoning. You could probably also use TVP.
Then I also made this Weight Watchers Butternut Squash recipe but I used a small banana squash and vegan parmesan.
I also made a box of rice and quinoa in the microwave, and I found it super easy and convenient.
I am noticing some big changes in my figure. My legs and belly are looking trimmed and toned and my booty is looking more rounded.
Later that evening I used up the last of the beans from last week making a baked russet potato with vegan butter, salt and pepper, beans, Worcestershire sauce, and sour cream. It was pretty hardy and delicious and perfect for a post work out meal.
Wednesday I got my Shop Miss A order in the mail, and I was super excited. It has been several years since I have ordered from them, and it is a great place to order vegan and cruelty free beauty products and inexpensive jewelry and fashion accessories for only $1 each.
Later that evening I made a vegan version of the Weight Watchers broiled pineapple recipe using the left-over pineapple rings from the upside-down cake.
I substituted vegan sour cream for yogurt and fermented ginger for candied ginger and I added a couple tsp vanilla extract. I also added some pomegranate to the pineapples while they were broiling. It made a very tasty low point dessert.
I took my weekly measurements and had lost quite a few inches this week as well as a few lbs. So I felt pretty proud of myself.
Thursday, I got my weekly grocery delivery, and I got a lot of great groceries and passed on the extras to my neighbors.
Wednesday evening, before bed, I had an intense craving and a vision for a savory and buttery mushroom roll made out of soft fluffy buttery bread and savory sauteed mushrooms and onions.
It was a long process and took about 4 hrs but was totally worth it. It hit the spot and was super flavorful.
It was very similar to making a cinnamon roll and pretty easy to make, just very time consuming so have patience.
Butter Mushroom Rolls
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp vegan sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup vegan mushroom gravy base (see here)
1/2 cup sauteed mushroom and onions
Field Roast Mushroom Deli Slices diced
1 can of mushrooms drained
3 tbsp Mushroom Seasoning
2 tbsp and 1/4 cup vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp vegan butter or beef tallow (see here)
1 cup oat milk
1 tsp salt
6-8 cups flour
1 cup butter Crisco or vegan butter
Instructions:
Mix yeast and sugar in warm water until dissolved and set aside for 15 minutes until it begins to foam.
Add 2 tbsp vegan butter to a Sautee pan and melt. then add mushroom gravy base, onion and mushrooms, canned mushrooms, mushroom deli slices, mushroom seasoning, and 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Sauté on medium.
Once yeast is ready add oat milk, salt and flour 1 cup at a time. Once dough ball forms turn out onto a floured surface and begin to knead dough.
Make a well in dough and add 1/4 cup butter Crisco and knead in the Crisco adding flour as needed. Repeat this step 1 more time being sure to knead the dough a lot to ensure a soft buttery flakey dough.
Roll dough into a ball and cover with a damp towel. Allow to raise fully for 60-90 minutes.
Reserve a cup of mushroom filling and add the rest to a food processor until smooth but chunky like a salsa. Add it back to skillet and mix with reserved mushroom filling.
Once dough has risen, punch down dough and sprinkle the top with flour. Flour your rolling pin and roll out dough until it resembles a flat rectangle shape about 2 cm thick.
Spoon on mushroom filling on the dough smoothing and spreading out leaving an inch of clean border to seal up the roll.
Grab one of the shorter ends of the dough and roll up like a cinnamon roll log sealing the ends. Slice rolls and add to a buttered casserole pan. Spritz the top with 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce. Cover with a warm damp towel and allow to raise for 60-90 minutes.
Top rolls with 1/4 cup butter before baking. (Optional dust tops of rolls with white pepper) Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes.
When rolls are done baking spread with more butter if desired.
Yield: about 1 dozen rolls
Friday was my pay day and I decided to order some vegan food from Panda Express. It was super delicious and definitely a treat to get delivery.
I had major anxiety on Friday though because I was stressing about cooking everything for First Friday art night, plus it was my pay day. Having too much money at once can give me major anxiety and I can be prone to impulsive spending. It's just such a huge responsibility and it can stress me out plus with the added responsibility of first Friday.
I decided to buy some stuff to serve at First Friday to relieve the add pressure and I also spontaneously made a vegan bean dip that everyone loved at the drum circle.
There was some extremely beautiful and amazing art there, at True Juice, this First Friday, and I am so glad I didn't miss it.
They also brought some unique instruments, including guitars and a didgeridoo. I might bring my instruments too next drum circle.
I found this cool print out with vegan quotes on it, and I think I am going to turn these into stickers.
Ingredients:
1 6-8 oz. jar pineapple pepper jelly
1 can white beans drained
6-8 oz. vegan cream cheese
1 cup vegan sour cream
1/2 shot rum
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp bacon bits
2 tbsp liquid smoke
3 tbsp tarragon
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp zanthum gum
drizzle olive oil
drizzle molasses
Instructions:
Add cream cheese, sour cream, beans and jelly to bowl.
Add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar ad rum, 1/4 cup bacon bits, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, 2 tbsp tarragon, and zanthum gum, mix until combined.
top with a drizzle of olive oil and molasses and sprinkle with more tarragon and bacon bits.
Serve dip with vegan crackers, chips, or cut veggies.
Yields:3 cups
Saturday, I got a nice surprise in the mail from my mother of Indian Gooseberries, also known as amla. They were super delicious and are supposed to have amazing health benefits, so I was super excited to try them.
Saturday morning was national Ice cream for breakfast day, so I tried a delicious new vegan ice cream flavor.
Sunday, I spent most of the day relaxing working on my blog and vlog. I also started making it a point to start eating more of the meal prep boxes in the freezer now that winter is almost over.
Monday I only ate 48 points of food, so I had a total of 8 points remaining.
Wednesday I ate 47 points and had a total remainder of 9 points.
Saturday, I ate 66 points worth of food with a remainder of 3 points.
Sunday, I ate 54 points of food leaving me with a final remainder of 3 points for the next week.
I have come so far now in my fitness journey there is no way I will stop any time soon. Becoming vegan by far is one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am positive it has saved my life in the long run as well as the lives of thousands of animals. I will be coming up on my Veganniversary in May and I can't wait! I will have to plan a celebration. Y'all got any ideas?
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