Going vegan for the new year - Page 2

[Vegan Princess]

I was on the Daiya website yesterday and noticed they do have it at a whole foods in SC but I didn't notice which one. I was surprised. So maybe you can get some. You can also order online from Vegan Essentials but I don't know how much the shipping is - probably a lot. I was pondering ordering the cheddar from them but I think they are back ordered right now.

I LOVE my vitamix. I've had it for like 7 yrs and use it every day and it still works perfectly. It makes fantastic green smoothies. I've accidentally thrown in peach pits and it grinds them up! Not that I wanted to drink it. Thanks for reminding me about smoothies. I need to include them so I can get more greens in me!! Maybe I can trick my baby into drinking some again. She liked it once but not the next few times I offered.

I think I lost a lb yesterday. And I feel less gross. I know this is going to be great for me! I lose weight easily while nursing but I was holding steady or gaining a couple lbs bc had been eating so much non vegan junk. Now I can't eat junk unless it's dark chocolate or specially procured or home made! That removes a lot of temptation!!!

Cindy

[catnip]

What's wrong with grits? lol. Polenta is one of my favorite foods.

One thing to get little ones to drink green smoothies - try freezing them into popsicles! More useful in summer than winter, but a good trick to know.

[JamSamMom]

I guess the way grits are made in the south gross me out. I am from Chicago and my husband is in the air force so we move alot. Polenta sounds good, I have never heard of it before so I had to google it. Do you have a favorite recipe you could share? I need recipes to start me out because I am not a great cook without a great recipe. I grew up in the Cheese and Sausage capital and love cheese and sausage which I am sure would gross most people here out! I will have to try the green smoothie popsicles. The vitamix I am getting comes with a package which includes a popsicle mold!

[JamSamMom]

Cindy thank you for the Daiya info. I will look for it a whole foods or try ordering online. Congratulations on losing a lb.!

[catnip]

I make it in my crockpot - 4 cups water, one cup polenta, 1/2 tsp salt, cooked all day on low, and served with navy beans (2 cups beans, 6 cups water, cooked all day on low in my other crockpot, then add the juice of one lemon, a teaspoon of salt, dish out my kid's portion, then add a whole bunch of garlic and some sage) I eat both drizzled with a bit of good olive oil, and some sort of green veggie. Pesto is good on it.

In the summer, I make polenta on the stovetop in the morning, and then pour it into a pan to chill. At dinner time, I slice it up and we reheat it on our barbecue grill, along with whatever veggies we are having.

Oh, and tofurkey sausages are awesome, as are Julie Hasson's homemade ones: http://everydaydishtv.blogspot.com/2.../sausages.html.

[JamSamMom]

Thank you catnip! That sounds so good and easy! I think my kids would really like it and I love the idea of using a crockpot. There are not too many crockpot vegan recipes i have come across so far.

[catnip]

I'm currently waiting on a replacement for a broken stove, so I'm rocking the crockpot meals this week. I've done red lentil-cauliflower-spinach curry with coconut milk and raisins over quinoa, right now, I've got Maple Baked Lentils (my version of the ubiquitous honey version that pops up here all the time) with brown rice in right now, and I did a vegan french onion soup entirely in the crockpot on monday. Oh, and vegan fondue for New Years. There's a fabulous book called The Sunny Side of Cooking that is all vegan recipes for solar ovens, which I use as intended in the summer, and as crockpot recipes in the winter.

[lactivistmama]

Originally Posted by catnip

I'm in Sacramento. We don't have it anywhere here yet, but there are a couple of places that are planning on carrying it. Talk about resetting the bar on fake cheese.

Thats basically where I am!! If you find it can you pm me?? Or pm me and let me know the places that plan on carrying it?? Please

[JamSamMom]

So far so good for my vegan resolution, I did little cooking today but used rice milk to make my daughters cream of wheat for breakfast and it was watery and not real creamy, however she ate all of it!!! She is a picky eater to! Over the last month we tested out Soy, Almond and Rice Milk. My kids hate the taste of soy and almond milk and love rice milk. They do not mind me cooking with the almond milk. I guess my question which is healthier to drink or are they all the same and which one is best to cook with? I use Rice Dream and it is not "Organic" is that an issue?

Thanks,

Michelle

[Raene]

Do you mean, which brand of rick milk is healthiest, or which between soy, almond, and rice?

We drink some cheaper brands of Rice Milk...not sure what they are or if they're organic, but they say that they're not GMOd and that's what really matters to me.

I wish I liked polenta since it's so easy, but I've never had it in a way that I like (don't like grits, either, lol).

I recently found out I have Celiac and I'm still on the search for a delicious, sugar-free wheat-free cereal. Anyone have ideas?

[JamSamMom]

Originally Posted by Raene

Do you mean, which brand of rick milk is healthiest, or which between soy, almond, and rice?

We drink some cheaper brands of Rice Milk...not sure what they are or if they're organic, but they say that they're not GMOd and that's what really matters to me.

Oh I mean which type of milk is healthiest between soy, almond or rice.
they appear to me to all be enriched the same. I was also wondering if it is necessary to buy rice milk in organic which I have not found. I was wondering if rice is heavily sprayed with pesticides and chemicals like soybeans can be.
I have been drinking organic skim milk for 5 years now so this is all new to me. I do really like the rice and almond milk. Rice is not a food I have heard about as being important to buy organic version, like apples or soy products.
I have a 3 and a 6 yo girls and they prefer rice milk over soy and almond. I am just afraid like anything else that there is some information out there I am missing that states Rice milk is bad for you and we should have been drinking almond or organic soy.

Thanks,

Michelle

[Raene]

I'm sure everyone will have a different opinion on that. Coming from my background in raw foods, even non-raw almond milk is the best choice of the 3. My family steers clear of soy, as we feel it's not a healthy option at all and I've read many articles about it causing girls to get their periods prematurely...because of the extra estrogens. Again, everyone has different opinions here, so you have to go with what feels right to you. But soy is a very processed food, unless you're eating straight up edamame or the soy bean itself. Whole foods are always a better option.

That said with the almond milk being healthiest, my family drinks rice milk b/c we buy the unsweetened, and the unsweetened almond milk doesn't taste good to us.

[JamSamMom]

Thanks Raene, I am going to stick with drinking the rice milk too because it is the only one my kids like. I just wanted another opinion from a vegan mama. It is not like I can ask my doctor. LOL!

[Raene]

Originally Posted by JamSamMom

It is not like I can ask my doctor. LOL!

Isn't that the truth!!

[catnip]

I prefer soy. It's the highest in protien, and the most economical. I don't find the claims that soymilk is unheathful to be credible, but I don't knock those who believe otherwise.

In Sacramento, the Natural Foods Co-Op and the Gluten Free Specialty Store are planning to carry Daiya. The owner of Pieces pizza is also looking into the possibility of offering it on their pizzas (they currently have a cheeseless pizza that is excellent, and usually have several vegan desserts). I don't know about Elliots. I haven't talked to the folks at Whole Foods, but I bet they'll get it eventually.

[wytchywoman]

Have you tried hemp milk? I really like it a lot, although it is pricier than anything else out there. My kids are opposite of yours, lol. They love the almond milk and detest the rice. I think in the end you have to go to what people are willing to eat.

[Vegan Princess]

Ugh I came down with a stomach bug so eating vegan has been no problem. I've barely been able to eat anything!

I'm so torn on the milk issue with DD. I nurse but have to supplement and am taking meds to make the milk I do. I plan to stop the meds soon so will have to supp more. We have donor milk left for a couple months and then I plan to use up the formula we have in the cubbard...but then I am so torn...continue formula, use cows milk or use soy or something else? I hate the idea of giving her cows milk but I think my mind will also feel like she is getting all the nutrients that way too. I can't help feeling like the other milks might be missing something vital to a little one that doesn't eat all that much.

Cindy

[JamSamMom]

Originally Posted by wytchywoman

Have you tried hemp milk? I really like it a lot, although it is pricier than anything else out there. My kids are opposite of yours, lol. They love the almond milk and detest the rice. I think in the end you have to go to what people are willing to eat.

I have not tried hemp milk. I have never seen it before in the supermarket. I will look for it at whole foods to try. I went to whole foods last month and spent like $350 trying out all the milks, soy, almond, rice, unsweetened and vanilla. I bought fake lunchmeat (yuck) fake ground beef (yuck) lots of tofu, tempeh, seitan. I have not cooked the seitan and tempeh yet, but the tofu is good with basic stir frys. We have been eating soup for the last week due to all of us are sick. After more research I have decided I dont want to over due the fake meats but am going to have to do some to please the family. I cannot wait to get my vita mix and make the hurry up alfredo sauce in the vegan Yum Yum blog. I guess the sause is so good you can put it over veggies for picky kids. I can't wait to try it! Oh and green smoothies. My vita mix should arrive by the end of the week!

[catnip]

Originally Posted by Vegan Princess

Ugh I came down with a stomach bug so eating vegan has been no problem. I've barely been able to eat anything!

I'm so torn on the milk issue with DD. I nurse but have to supplement and am taking meds to make the milk I do. I plan to stop the meds soon so will have to supp more. We have donor milk left for a couple months and then I plan to use up the formula we have in the cubbard...but then I am so torn...continue formula, use cows milk or use soy or something else? I hate the idea of giving her cows milk but I think my mind will also feel like she is getting all the nutrients that way too. I can't help feeling like the other milks might be missing something vital to a little one that doesn't eat all that much.

Cindy

Don't beat yourself up. Babies need milk. Since donor milk is hard to get, we do the best we can. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

And going off the meds MIGHT NOT impact your supply. It didn't for me-once the supply increased, the demand kept it up, even once I stopped the Domperidone and all the herbs.

[Vegan Princess]

Thanks catnip! I'm not too optimistic about stopping the dom since my supply did drop when I only dropped 2 pills! But I plan to add in shatavari instead and take that until we are ready to try for another baby. You don't have to wean off the shat and hopefully it will offset some of the decrease from the dom.

Cindy