​I am guessing if you are on any social media platforms, then you have heard about the trending Ten Year Challenge. People are posting pictures of themselves to see how they have aged over the past ten years. I am not sure why it became popular in 2019 and not 2020
(I mean, wouldn’t it make more sense to go from 10 to 20? Or is that just my OCD kicking in?). I didn’t partake in the challenge except to post a picture of George as a kitten and then him as an adult laying the same position. It may have broken the internet with its cuteness! 

However, the challenge did get me thinking about the past ten years of my life and what has changed. Damn, a lot has changed! Even more so, my thinking and mindset is completely different.  I took to my list making (trigger OCD again 🙂), and this is what I found has changed over the past ten years:

• I married Steve, and will celebrate our ten year anniversary this May
• We said goodbye to Steve’s mom, Kathy
• We said goodbye to my grandmother, Billie
• I moved from Maryland to Massachusetts to Texas to Oregon to Washington
• I have lived in 6 different homes - four apartments and two houses
• We owned six cars
• I filed for bankruptcy (something that I have never publicly announced) and learned full financial responsibility from it
• We have welcomed and then said goodbye to Raven(hamster), Sam(hamster), Oreo (hamster), and Sterling (mouse)
• We welcomed Cesar - our fostered turned adopted guinea pig, and also fostered 15 other guinea pigs
• We welcome our newest kitty, Bella, into our home
• We said goodbye to our longtime kitty companion, Sunshine
• I’ve been with my current company for ten years this year (this August)
• We became vegetarians
• We then became vegans
• We started and finished a master’s degree program in Humane Education, me earning a Master of Arts in Humane Education and Steve earning a Master of Education in HUED
• I blogged a book for my thesis
• I realized that my desire for writing is my future path
• We became more aware of our values and started living with those values always at the center of our actions
• I took back my health (learning about emotional eating, movement, and mental health)
• I learned about Health at Every Size
• I learned that I have generalized anxiety disorder
• I suffered a major panic attack after flying (more so from the fear of flying) from Texas to New York City that landed me in the ER, because I didn’t understand what was happening
• I completed a fear of flying course (I highly recommend the program - SOAR)
• I learned the importance of mindfulness and meditation 
• I became a certified vegan lifestyle coach
• I earned a certificate after completing the Professional Plant-based Culinary course and the Essential Vegan Dessert course through Rouxbe Online Culinary School
• I honed my cooking skills
• I now teach cooking classes
• I became a more avid photographer, a birder, and a nature enthusiast
• I started this blog
• I started my business, VegfulLife
• And many, many more events that will come to me as I continue to think about this post in the coming weeks...

It is interesting to look back at all of the events now, and see that they were each a stepping stone and a building block. I didn't realize that as they events were happening. Of course, there were a few direct, intentional changes I made to myself and my life over the years - becoming a vegetarian, becoming a vegan, and moving as many times as we did. I can look back and see very distinct changes in me as a person right before and right after each move. Most of the changes on the list happened organically. One thing changed, which lead to other change, and then another. It is neat to be able to recognize when things changed and later became a habit, which freed up space for more changes. However, all of these experiences lead to the most significant difference - my mindset and the way I view the world. I now look at products as raw materials and the process they go through to become what we use, I see food as the living, sentient being it once was or try to understand who grew the food and if they were treated fairly, I try to look at humans with all of their past experiences combined to get a better understanding of them as a person, and I see my place in the world differently.
​I now understand the way I think, the way I spend money, the food I eat, the work that I do, and messages I tell others impacts all beings and the planet. In one way it makes me feel very empowered, and is encouraging to know that I have the opportunity to make a difference, and in the same breath it makes me feel very small and overwhelmed. I do know that all of the events, big and small, over the past ten years have set me up to be able to handle the events and challenges that await me in the ten years to come.

And in case you were wondering, here is how I have changed physically over the past ten years. I think I have handled ten years of experiences and aging pretty well!

I blogged a book about conscious living a few months ago, and this is one of the most popular posts from the book! The book is no longer online, but I am hoping the book will be published soon. In the meantime, I still want to share some of the ideas from book with you! 

Food has always been a defining part of my life.
I grew up in a big family, and we frequently had large gatherings, which of course centered around food. There was always a feast whether it was for a holiday, birthday, or impromptu BBQ. My mother made the best BBQ brisket and potato salad in North Texas! As an early teen, my brother and I had a competition each Christmas to see who could make the best looking and tasting dessert. I went to pastry school after graduating high school and even had my own baking business for a while.  Not unexpectedly, it came as a shock to my family when I told them I was giving up meat in 2012. I am a born and raised Texan with burgers, brisket, and steak running through my veins. I had concerns about giving up meat. I was never concerned about where I would find protein or vitamins, but more about the feelings I associated with food. I mean, how did I expect to go to a Major League Baseball game and not eat a hot dog? How would I celebrate with family at our gatherings now? These were real concerns for me.  

In the end, I found my concerns couldn't withstand the awareness of who and what I was eating. I always considered myself an animal lover, but in reality, I only loved the animals I wasn’t eating. Even then, I had an affection for cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. I always had companion animals while growing up, mainly dogs. I now live with three senior cats and a feisty little guinea pig. When I was about 18 years old, my parents purchased a female cow and then took her to a nearby farm for some  “romancing.” In other words, they took her to the nearest bull to impregnate her. Around nine months later, because cows have a similar gestation period as humans, she gave birth to a little boy that we named Nike. I watched his birth and his first wobbly steps in awe. Over the next six months or so, I visited him in the pasture to watch him play, run around, and fed him little veggie treats. His mom was pretty protective over him and didn't let me get too close to him. Then one day I came home from class and found a note on our freezer that said, “Nikeville, USA.” I remember being so sad and confused. I couldn’t believe they took him to the butcher! I knew the day was coming, but I just assumed they would change their minds because I felt like he became part of our family.  His mother cried for him for a few weeks and paced back and forth in the pasture with nervous energy. 

Being that I still lived at home, I didn’t feel as though I had a choice or say in what I ate. So I ate my friend. I felt guilty each time I opened the freezer door or cooked a meal using him. Guilt is a funny thing though. I found ways and excuses to justify what I was doing and who I was eating. I did that for many years later. In a way, I think that moment and that memory is what made me start thinking about my food not as it, but as who. I don’t call my cats now or the dogs that I grew up with an “it,” so I started to question why I called every other animal an “it” or labeled them as poultry or beef. When we label a being as an “it,” we give ourselves permission to disconnect their souls and turn them into a product for our use.  As a little girl, I honestly didn’t know where my food came from. It was a shock to learn my chicken nuggets were from a feathery little bird and my bacon was a from a pig. By the time I saw Nike cut up and packaged in our freezer, I was old enough to know who I was eating. But I thought that was normal, and animals were meant for us to eat. That is what I grew up learning, and that is what I believed. 

I don’t think I met a vegetarian until I started attending a Unitarian Universalist church in Hagerstown, Maryland in 2008. We participated in a potluck hosted by a few members of the church, and so many of the dishes that people brought were vegetarian. I kept thinking to myself that I am not going to like any of this. It was just weird. Then I saw a flyer for a vegan potluck group that met at the church. My first thought, what the hell is a vegan and how do these people survive? These questions continued to percolate once we moved away from Maryland and were living in Boston, Massachusetts. It wouldn’t be until 2012 that I became a vegetarian, mainly because of previously stated concerns and realization of who I was eating. During those years I started hearing tidbits about why people stopped eating animals, and I began seeking out information about animal farming. Then the dam burst and I couldn’t unlearn or unsee the facts. I couldn’t stop the nagging feeling in my gut that I wasn’t living the life that aligned with my new values. My values, morals, and opinions did change over those first years, and honestly, they still change every day.

​I have mentioned batch cooking and meal prep many times, but it is something I forget to do in my kitchen. So I decided to give it a go again last week! I made large batches of brown rice, tri-colored quinoa, cheesy tempeh, and un-refried beans. I also prepared kale, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped Brussels sprouts, chopped broccoli, and cut delicata squash. I made a lemon tahini dressing that I used on salads and bowls. Mid-week I made a large batch of cheesy tofu, and marinara sauce for spaghetti squash. I also used items in the pantry to save me money at the grocery store! 

For the very basic lemon tahini - I used roasted tahini (I found I do not like raw tahini), lemon juice, garlic powder, water, and salt. I used about 3 tablespoons of roasted tahini, the juice of one lemon, about a 1/2 tsp of garlic, a few pinches of salt, and about 2-3 tablespoons of water. The amount of water depends on what I will be using it for and how desired consistency. I will also add dijon mustard for a kick for certain recipes. I used to do a hard pass on tahini, but then I realized how much I love roasted tahini! 

Taco with the homemade un-refried beans, steak style soy curls, onion, sauce, Violife shredded vegan cheddar, and avocado. I also added a little bit of shredded lettuce and vegan sour cream to mine. ​​​

What should I batch cook this week! Especially since we will be busy almost the entire week! 

You probably have heard me use the terms solutionary, vegan, and/or plant-based, but what do they mean and what are the differences?  Veganism and plant-based terms are somewhat interchangeable, but they do hold completely separate values. A person who follows a plant-based diet may or may not subscribe to living animal-free in their entire life as a vegan would. It could be that a person following a plant-based diet is doing so for personal or health reason. The Vegan Society defines veganism as, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose." I came to learn about the term solutionary through the Institute for Humane Education (IHE). As I mentioned in a previous post, they  define a  solutionary as, “A person who identifies problems, and their underlying systems, and then develops solutions that are just, humane, and sustainable for people, animals, and the environment, and who strives to make personal choices and to support systems that do the most good and least harm for all."

I became a vegetarian based on animal rights and the ethical concerns of eating animals. I was a vegetarian for 2 1/2 years before transitioning to a vegan. I thought I was doing enough and doing my part to alleviate the suffering animals endured. Then I learned about the dairy industry and realized I could do even more to help end the suffering. Consuming dairy cheese was my last hurdle, but I switched to vegan cheese instead of dairy. I had already stopped drinking dairy milk, or cow nectar as my husband calls it.  After starting my studies with IHE just a few months after becoming a vegan, I learned how our food system affects more than just animals. So, just because something (food, clothing, etc.) is vegan, it doesn't mean it is entirely ethical.  For example, there are many vegan chocolates available, but not all are ethically sourced. Some are sourced using slave labor.  I also started to learn how all of my daily actions are tied to so much more than I realized.  Even though I do not eat, wear, or use products with animals in them (or support companies that test their products on animals), I also base my daily decisions on how the individuals that make the food/products that I buy and use are treated. As well as trying to ensure that the materials and chemicals used in producing said products did little or no harm to the environment, waterways, and local communities.  

I also use a solutionary lens when finding things to do and looking up local entertainment. I want to support people and businesses that have the similar values. Unfortunately and fortunately, money is power. But that also means I have the choice of whom and what I support financially.  I know we cannot live a euphoric world and there are times when everything I mentioned cannot be avoided. That is where making decisions based on the most good and least harm comes in.  Being a solutionary means considering all of the facts and acting upon what benefits everyone involved. It also means recognizing broken systems (political, financial, education, etc.) and doing what we can to change or fix them. It is a constant learning experience. It is not always easy, but as I said about expanding your comfort zone, it is worth it.  With any of these, they are daily choices, and I find it best to take each day as it comes, but hold the future in mind. 

​Are we innately selfish, or do we usually have the best intentions at heart when thinking of others? I’ve been thinking a lot about selfishness and compassion lately.  I grew up being taught, and trying to live by the saying - treat others the way you want to be treated. On the surface, it is a noble thought. No one wants to be treated poorly. Do you want to be cut off in traffic, or be pushed aside by someone at the grocery store, be discriminated against, be abused, be yelled at..you get my point. Of course not! 

But think about it, going by that belief we are only treating others fairly because it is the way we would want to be treated. We, I, become the driving force of that thought and action. Does that mean we only treat others well because we believe it will come back to us? Then what happens when we are cut off in traffic or treated poorly? Does that mean we have the right to retaliate or to pass that hatred on to others? 

My husband and I were discussing something similar to this, and what he said has stuck with me for a while. He said, “Why not treat others as they would want to be treated.” That statement stopped me in tracks. Of course! That put others as the center focus of our intentions and actions. Is that where true compassion lives? I often wonder if we all are just following unwritten rules to be kind, and how many of us truly believe and feel being kind is a way of life. Do we have enough compassion inside us to want to be kind to others? 

I hope you are having a peaceful start to the New Year! 

2018 was a complete whirlwind! There were so many great personal moments to look back on, and so many fateful events that happened worldwide. As I think about the year that just ended, and the year that is to come, it fills me with both hope and hesitation. 

I have many goals for me and VegfulLife. I want to continue coaching, both solutionary lifestyle sessions and vegan cooking classes. I want to find more avenues for publishing my work and work toward becoming my boss. 

I also want to work at being present in the moment. I spend a lot of time thinking about the future and what ifs, and reliving the past, but I don’t spend enough time just being in the present. This year it will be about turning off the TV and smart devices and spending time with my family instead of just being in a room with them. I was telling my husband the other day that I remember June and the summer weather, but then it feels as though I woke up and winter is in full force. What happened to fall? What did I miss? 

I don’t tie my goals to the start of a new year though. I like to work towards and create new goals year round. So for today, this is what I will be working towards in the coming months - 

• More involvement in the community
• More volunteering
• More days in nature
• More time spent writing
• More connections through letters or phone calls
• More dinners around the table and not sitting on the couch
• More ways to express my creativity
• More recipe creations 

What are you looking forward to this year? Do you have any goals, dreams, or desires you want to fulfill? 

​I can’t believe another Vegan Month of Food has come and gone! It was a heck of a month full of great daily and weekly themes, delicious food from all of the MoFo participants, and new cooking challenges for me. I enjoy using the daily idea prompts to plan my month, and also to see if I can create new recipes for my family and ones to share! I think my running theme became refried beans though! I found a way to post them with several prompts, but it shows just how much I love them :) Here is a rundown of my daily posts on Instagram. The blogging part kind of got away from me this month...but Instagram food pictures are fun to look at too! 

1st - Introduction to me!
2nd - Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos
3rd - Mini lemon meringue tart
4th - Sushi Stack
5th - Fall inspired bowl
6th - Beyond Meat burger
7th - Tropical overnight oats
8th - Low sodium Chinese brown sauce over veggies, tofu, and glass noodles
9th - Cauliflower mushroom country gravy and homemade biscuits
10th - Pina colada cookie sandwich
11th - Mini key lime cheesecake
12th - Peanut sauce over rice/salad bowl
13th - Homemade hummus for a package free snack
14th - Homemade refried beans (they made several appearances this month!)
15th - Save the day tofu scramble
16th - Chocolate ganache torte
17th - Magic chocolate mousse
18th - Another use for the cauliflower mushroom country gravy
19th - Leftover veggies turned into a skillet meal
20th - Chili
21st - Blueberry smoothie
22nd - Butternut squash mac and cheese with a homemade black-eyed pea burger
23rd - Goulash
24th - Cheesy cauliflower and peas
25th - Birthday tacos
26th - Steak-style soy curl tacos
27th - Low-stress skillet meal
28th - All of the picnics 
29th - No huevos rancheros
30th - My laboratory, I mean, my kitchen

​Here are some highlights! 

You can check out all of the post on Instagram!

What was your favorite Vegan MoFo moment? ​

​I am a little late posting day 14. One of my cats had to have emergency surgery and I spent most of the end of last week worrying about him or following him around the house after he came home. Hopefully, he will be better in a few days! ​

This week's theme is Free-from - meaning free from nuts, gluten, or any food that should be avoided in your meal planning. My husband, Steve, has a sensitive to gluten, so I am starting to learn the ways of gluten-free baking. I made this cookie especially for him! He loves nuts in cookies and LOVES white chocolate chips, so I thought this would be a winning combo! 

Click here for the recipes! 

The first week of Vegan MoFo is almost gone, but not before we talk about the "Anti-Vegan." Today's theme is all about the "where do you get your protein" or "I could never give up cheese" comments. My first thought, well that is easy....I can just pop a Beyond Meat burger on the grill and melt some Follow Your Heart American cheese over it. 

But then I started to think, why do I instantly just go to finding an animal meat substitute?
I didn't give animal meat because I stopped like the taste. I did it because there are more compassionate ways of eating and living. I am writing a guide to more conscious living, and I even talk about changing the food mindset. Yet, I instantly went directly to a meat substitute because it is so ingrained in our culture that you have to have meat for every meal. 

Not eating certain foods can be a challenge if you limit your mindset with thinking about what you are “giving up.” In reality if you transition to a vegan diet, you only stop eating four things - animal meat, eggs, dairy, and honey. When changing your diet, you can start by replacing your favorite meals with a vegan alternative. But there are so many more ways in which you can get all of the protein and nutrients you need. I usually use some type of vegetable, nut, tofu, or tempeh to highlight the hardiness I am craving. Beans and lentils can become burgers, tofu and tempeh can create bacon, chickpeas can be turned in a tuna-less salad, and cashews and cauliflower can make a creamy cheese sauce. There are so many creative ways in which you can highlight the flavor of vegetables and make them the star of the dish! 

Even I have to be mindful about stepping outside of my comfort zone and not just going with the normal flow of thinking.