MY 1ST VEGAN MEETUP

Happy Friday, Lovelies!


A couple of weeks ago, I attended a great meetup. I love meetup groups. They're a great way to meet people and learn something new about whatever it is your interested in. You can gain experience, a new bff, a business connection, conquer a fear, get educated on a topic, meet the love of your life, etc etc. This particular meetup, Atl Vegan Drinks, is a vegan group, that's open to vegans, vegetarians, transitioners, or the "just curious".

"ATL Vegan Drinks is a new monthly meetup in Atlanta. By bringing together a diverse group of people, we hope to expand and support the local vegan community. It's also a chance to have fun and make new friends."

The first meetup was held at Sauced restaurant. And did they have a great menu for all the participants.

I honestly was expecting side dishes but they obviously blew those thoughts out of the water. The restarant was contacted prior to the event to see if they would provide vegan dishes for the meetup. And boy, did they.




BBQ Seitan Slider

 This was a very delicious. The seitan was great and the sauce had a nice heat to it.




Cheez plate
I got a little caught up and began eating this dish before I remembered to take a picture. Lol.

This plate was sooooo good. It included cashew goat "cheez", spiced pecan "pimento", red onion jam, sliced gala apples, & house made sesame crackers. I wasn't big on the cashew goat, but everything else on here was delicious. The red onion jam's taste totally surprised me. It was definitely a sweet treat. The spiced pecan "pimento" was AWESOME.  
 



Krog Tunnel Revenge cocktail

I love a great cocktail. So I was quite eager to try this one.  Especially when I saw that it had some chai tea in it. My favorite! So I just knew I was gonna love it. It's ingredients were aquavit, cabbagetown chai tea, pineau des charentes, edgewood gardens mint, gees brothers orange bitters. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling this one. It had a slight licorice taste to it. Me no likey. I'm a fan of the sweet & strong cocktail. =)  
I really had a great time at the meetup. I was even more impressed when I saw that you can call a restaurant and ask (very nicely) if they can offer any vegan dishes for your visit there.
 
So if you live in the Atlanta area and you're a vegetarian, vegan, or just curious & open to it, click on the link here. This will take you to the Atl Vegan facebook page where you can sign up for the next meetup which will be held at Cafe Sunflower - Buckhead.
 
Are you a member of any meetup groups? I'd love to know which ones and why you joined?
In the meantime, wishing you an awesome weekend.

Post Title → MY 1ST VEGAN MEETUP

Breakfast Quinoa. Yuuummmmmm......



Topped w/bananas and a little agave nectar drizzle.

 I really have been meaning to post this for the past couple of weeks.


Since my quest to eat more like a vegan/raw-vegan, I’ve been searching for recipes to try. Although this search has been a bit daunting here and there, I have managed to try a few. At least, outside of me just winging it in the kitchen. Why am I dragging my feet. I'm a bit intimidated. There. I said it. I'm the type of person who likes every little piece in its appropriate pla is a little bit of a control freak. If I don't feel like I have a handle on it then I'm more apt to drag my feet about it. I pretty much thought I squelched that self-dynamic but I'll admit I need to work on it somemore. Mk, that's another post. Think I need to take some courses on different spices and their taste.

Anyhoo, on to my post:

I got the inspiration for trying this particular dish from Folake’s (StylePantry.com) hubby who has a food blog at TastePantry.com.  Of course, I added my own little spin to it.

Breakfast Quinoa
Ingredients:
2 C of non-sweetened milk sub (hemp, almond, vanilla almond, rice, etc.)
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
1 C of quinoa, rinsed
about 3 T of sweetener (or to taste)
toasted nuts and fresh or dried food for topping

 Place the milk and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over moderate heat and bring to a boil—be careful as milk can bubble up quickly and easily scorches. Stir in the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the quinoa and milk simmer about 15 minutes. Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt and continue to simmer until all the milk is absorbed, another 8 to 10 minutes.


Strawberries...yum!



Btw, I love this dish.  Whenever a recipe calls for a sugar, I use a sweetener like agave nectar, honey, stevia or lucuma powder. In this case (and for the most part), I used the sweetener raw agave nectar.

 
Peace out, Lovelies.

Post Title → Breakfast Quinoa. Yuuummmmmm......

VEGAN--ISH IS MORE LIKE IT



source

 Hi Gorgeous Ones!

The pic above is funny. A few of my friends say that I may sprout any day now. Lol.

Anyhoo, I feel sooooo much better today. Not quite back at 100, but well on my way. I was delighted to watch Oprah's show yesterday. It was about how she and 300 some odd members of her staff took on a "vegan for a week" challenge. I thought it was so cool and at times, funny to watch.

Vegan - a strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products at

I absolutely loved that so many people actually took on this challenge, and at least tried. Now, don't get me wrong. Personally, I'm not against eating meat, fish or eggs but at this point in my life I've decided to eat a mostly vegan diet. So although I hate labels, for clarification purposes, vegan-ish is more like what I'm doing. For me, meat, fish and eggs will be eaten in small amounts and not too often. And most importantly, they have to be raised/farmed with the highest ethics involved. Yes, it is more expensive but so is healthcare and big pharm. On top of which, the previous two can really eff you up on so many levels.

That being said, on to the point of this post. Just wanted to share a couple of dishes that I've experimented come up with on my own.

Awesome Dinner (or Lunch) Salad

Ingredients:  Green Lettuce, Romaine, beets, carrots, red onion, raw sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, avocado and vegetable tempeh. All are organic and quite tasty together.
Dressing: 1 part evoo to 2 parts raw apple cider vinegar. I then added some oregano, parsley & basil herbs to it.
Tempeh : Lightly browned in evoo
Seasoning: Pristine Sun Fire Salt
 

Tempeh is cake of soya beans that is made by removing the hull of cooked, soya beans, mixing with a rhizopus culture, and incubating for a day or two. The culture helps hold the soya beans together in a cake form. It is common to find tempeh made with added ingredients such as vegetables or grains. Eaten in Indonesia and Ceylon as a staple food. And it's packed with protein.

 
Sundried Tomatoes Quinoa w/Veggies
 

Now, I'll be the first to admit that this doesn't look all that appealing but the flavor is awesome. I love the lift that the sundried tomatoes gave it. Only next time, I'll be sure to cut them up into smaller pieces.
I prepared the quinoa per package instructions which is similiar to preparing rice on the stovetop. I put the onion and garlic in with the quinoa. Then I added the veggies.

Ingredients: Quinoa (keen-wah), red onions, spinach, broccoli.
Seasonings: Pristine Sun Fire salt and garlic

Quinoa: Though not technically a grain, quinoa can substitute for nearly any grain in cooking. Actually the seed of a leafy plant, quinoa’s relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. Due to its delicate taste and rich amounts of protein, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals, it is quite popular. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and is easily digested.

Quinoa is an ancient crop that grows in poor soil, dry climates and even mountain altitudes. It is native to the Andes, but is also grown in South America and the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

references:
http://www.soya.be/soy-glossary.php
http://www.goodhealthinfo.net/mdr/glossary.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-quinoa.htm
 
Check back on tomorrow to read about my final thoughts/experience on Carolyn Akens Body Rejuvenation Detox program.
 
Talk to you all tomorrow!

Post Title → VEGAN--ISH IS MORE LIKE IT