Veeg-Log Day 24

Weight: 266

Not much to report today. Turns out my vegetarian sandwich on the Grounds' menu is awesomely delicious! Kell had it for lunch today and I helped her mange it. It's a veggie quesadilla. The fillins are garlic, onion, red pepper, poblano pepper, jalepeno, black beans, seasoned rice, corn, and cilantro. It also has pepperjack cheese, but obviously we left that out. NOM NOM NOM.

I'm gonna make me a cucumber sandwich soon - that might be all I have to say for today, or it may not. you'll just have to hold your breath until I get back! (IF... I get back!)

Veeg-D, out!

Veeg-Log Day 23

Weight: 268

SO.... I've got some explaining to do! Last week, my laptop broke. All on it's own. It just up and kicked it. I didn't fall asleep listening to music and wake up with my laptop underneath me, the earbuds sandwiched between the keyboard and screen; the screen shattered to an inky blackness with neon spiderwebs or anything! So don't ask me what happened!!

At any rate.. I'm still alive and kickin'! Still rockin' the veeg-life and still bein' all around awesome. It's getting easier and easier to keep up with the new diet - as well as ignore meaty-cheesey snacks. It helps A LOT that people are starting to notice and comment that I look different! As you can see, I weighed in at 268 this morning - that's a whole 17+ pounds down from my initial weigh-in! : ) My goal is still 260 by the 14th, so wish me luck!!

So much has gone down since my last post, I don't even really know where to begin. The long and short of it, though, is that it's really become quite easy to be a vegan in the last couple of weeks. Yesterday was the first day of a new menu at The Coffee Grounds - it was kind of a pain to write/cook a menu blind, not being able to taste the food I was making for the first time. But I had plenty of guinea pigs running around to sample for me!

Sunday, Kell and I had the whole day off together. It was a gorgeous day, and we celebrated it by walking to the grocery store and grilling out! We had an amazing feast of pasta salad, potato salad, grilled asparagus & portobello mushrooms (with pesto!), and veggie burgers with avacado and sprouts. (We're hungry vegans - don't judge us!!) it was UH-MAY-ZING!!

Yeah.. be jealous.

So as I'm heading towards the end of this experiment, I'm trying to decide what to do next. I don't think that I want to stay vegan - at least not completely. I need to figure out the best way to go about eating, shopping, exercising, etc.

Aaaaaand now after uploading those pictures, i'm a hungry hungry hippo! (What.. hippos eat veggies.) So I'm gonna go make me some toast! Lata Hata's!!

Veeg-D, Out!

Veeg-Log Day 15

Weight: 278

Holy moly, am I ever behind!! Let’s see… the last time I checked in with you cats it was Thursday -  I was bitching about my new scale and getting psyched for  a livery veggie burger (which was TOTALLY worth the hype, b.t.dubs).. so that puts us at Friday!

So y’know how I was joking (except I wasn’t) about a pursuit for vegan super powers? Well guess what, all you nay-sayers.. Friday I discovered that my first veeg-mutation has begun to manifest itself! As I was driving down Hastings, I noticed something. An aroma. A wonderful, delicious, delight to the nostrils.  Turns out, I now have a super-human sense of smell. That’s right. I woke up that fateful morn with the ability to smell cooking meat from miles away. Which leads me to my second (and slightly less hygienic) power – the ability to drool in hyper-massive quantities.

(Sidebar: I like the sound of trains. Like… really REALLY like it.)

Today at work was hard. I made A LOT of delicious looking food. Marinated Hawaiian pork sandwiches, Teriyaki stir-fried chicken and vegetables, a calamari-scallop soup, a Mandarin Orange salad, and all the regular goodies – but could not try ANY of it. Stupid meat, STUPID cheese!! Everybody assures me that the food was good, but it’s just not the same. OKAY, enough whining! It’s my choice, right??

Last night Kelly made us vegan veggie afredo. This might honestly be one of my favorite things that she makes! Seriously, it’s SO FRIGGIN AMAZING!! “Alfredo?” you’re thinking, “without milk, cream, butter or anything?!”

YES!!

And it’s to die for. She adds mushrooms, asparagus, and broccoli – then just a little bit of tomato. It’s suuriously amazing.

Aaaaand, that was the third time tonight I’ve fallen asleep at the keyboard. I know I owe you all a longer post, but that might have to wait until tomorrow.

Night all!

Veeg-D, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

P.S.- I got Kelly and I a couple of fish yesterday! Betas. (We’re starting off small and safe). Her’s is named Carina and mine is Puppis. (Long story) Anyway, they’re cool and safe from being turned into fishsticks! (suuuure.. you may THINK that there are no betas in fishsticks, but do you really KNOW?? I like to think of fishsticks as ‘hotdugs of the sea’. So who’s to say for sure?! Did you know that fish food is NOT veeg-friendly?? It’s not, I checked. (by habit and curiosity.) it’s mostly made out of other fish, actually! (They may be aggressive little cannibalistic freaks, but they’re CUTE aggressive little cannibalistic freaks!!)

Veeg-Log Day 11

Weight: 280.2

Entry One – 6:45pm

I got a new scale. It sucks. It says that I’m fat again. Boo. Actually, I figure that if my old scale was a few pounds low yesterday, it’s safe to assume that it was a few pounds low for my initial weigh-in, so one can safely assume that the poundage lost is the same – even though it’s disappointing as hell that I’m not actually under the 280 mark like I thought. Ah well… hopefully tomorrow!

I’m currently sitting on my front porch finishing my taxes (woo.) and sipping on a Crispin Extra Dry Hard Cider (WOO!). Manly, I know – but cider is delicious! I was supposed to be sipping on a Crispin Honeycrisp Hard Cider, until I realized that instead of honeycrisp apples, the cider is composed of actual honey. (and... crisp?) This leads me to a “ask the audience” question. Is it legit for a vegan to consume honey? Word on the street is that it’s kind of a controversial point amongst the veeg-crowd; as it’s generally safe and natural for the bees to produce it. A bee-keeping friend of mine (HI KYLE! Unless you don’t read my blog, in which case: YOU SUCK, KYLE!) tells me that the bees are treated very humanely (many times BETTER than) and they will continue to produce honey naturally whether it’s harvested or not. In light of this, some vegans feel it’s okay to eat it, especially if it’s procured from a trusted, local source. Other vegans adhere to the code “no food that came from a face”. Bees have faces – honey’s off the table. (Literally.) Thoughts? (Okay, all you voiceless vegans out there, it’s time to weigh in – I’m legititmately interested in your opinions!) Kelly is a non honey nommer, though, so I too shall remain bee-poopless for the next twenty-one days.

Okay, time to head down to Kell’s. We’re going to walk over to The Livery (Our local cow-town saloon) and enjoy the best damn veeg-burger in the Chippewa Valley. Seriously, it’s BOMB. I ordered it even before my little challenge! Be jealous. Lata playas! 

Veeg-D, outski!


Entry Two - 10:55pm

Told ya.

Veeg-Log Day 10

Weight: 278.6

HOWDY!! Veeg-D here, checking in on Veeg day 10. THAT’S right folks - we just entered DOUBLE DIGITS, BABY!!! Still rockin’ the greens and still feelin’ groovy. Actually, I’m feeling better than ever! (No lie!) Kell and I aren’t sure if I’m any more energetic than I was before (I’ve always been a weeee bit... excitable) but I feel like I’m up for doing more and am generally in a better mood. So… good job, veganism!

Kelly lent me some reading materials today! The first is a booklet entitled “A Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating” – which seems odd, as I’ve never eaten cruelty in my life. The second is “An Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Living”. This one seems more appropriate. As I is an idiut liveeng a veegun lyfe. (Kind of.) (About living a vegan life – not about being an idiot. I do plenty of idiotic things.) (Ask Kelly.) (Or anybody else who knows me, for that matter.) So I’ll probably dive into those babies tomorrow. Fuuuuuuunnnn…. *

Hey, did y’all know that at one point (a while before this experiment, but after I started dating Kelly) I weighed in at 298 lbs?! YES it’s true! I was rockin BK** like three times a week, and putting down entire boxes of fish sticks (not the small ones. The BIG dogs. The 44 counters.) in one evening… y’know, pretty much just being SUPER awesome (not gross at all) and eating anything that came within arm’s reach. For New Years, I gave up fast food, and that got me down to the 285 where I started this “cleanse”.  All said and done, that terrible day is now pert near twenty pounds away – and that feels pretty damn good. It’s almost hard to believe that that stuff can be THAT bad for you. I lost almost 15 pounds in a couple months just by ditching the fast food bags!

I feel like there was more I wanted to say, but I can’t remember now so you’re just gonna have to wait. Gee, only 22 more entries to remember! (OY…)

Veeg-D, out!

* I kid, of course – I’m sure I will learn a lot and get some good ideas from my suggested [assigned] readings

** Burger King

Veeg-Log Day 9

Weight: 280.4

Quiet day. Vegetables were consumed. Kelly and I opted for DOMINATING at beer pong instead of going for a walk. Woops! S’okay, our next walk will just be twice as long!

Finished the menu today  - it’s awesome. Gonna sell lots o’ sandwiches come April! (As we SHOULD, it’s my birthday month! It’s an entire month dedicated to celebration and making merry!)

Aaaaand… that’s all I’ve got. I’m beat – night all!

Veeg-D, out!

P.S. - I think I need a new scale. Sometimes mine goes all wonky, and that's not helpful at all to a weight loss experiment!!

Veeg-Log Day 8

Weight: 282.2

Entry One – 6:07pm

Huh. I seem to be GAINING weight! That’s not the purpose of this experiment at all! It was that damn shot of Irish cream on Saturday, I know it! Grrr…..

Not much to report today.. Accidentally skipped breakfast (I know, I know.. most important meal of the day, blah blah..) but tonight Kelly and I are gonna grill up some Portobello mushroom caps and mange those burger-style along with some of the butt-ton of left over potato salad from last night. I’m stoked for the grilled mushrooms! They’ll be much better than the vegan burgers, as they don’t even pretend to be burgers. They’re just mushrooms; chalk full of grown-on- a-poopy-log-in-a-dark-warehouse goodness. Mmmm… Fungalicious!!

Oh yeah, we’re going on a walk, too – just as soon as she’s done with work. Hopefully it’s not storming by then. (It’s supposed to be.) But even if it is, what’s not awesome about going for a walk in a thunderstorm?!

Okay, back to my menu writing! (I’m figuring out the April menu for The Coffee Grounds tonight.) Stay tuned for such tantalizing delights as “The Spring Chicken”, “The Big Kahuna Tuna”, and “South of the Birder”!! OH YEAH! And I made a KILLAH Spring Carrot soup with Ginger and Almonds at work today. It’s mighty fine, and toats vegan!

Veeg-D, out!

Veeg-Log Day 7

Yesterday’s weight: 281.5

Today’s weight: 281.1

Entry One – 11:06pm

Oh wow, it looks like I have a lot of catching up to do! So gather ‘round - sit and listen [read] as I tell you a tale. A fantastic tale of love and heartache; of heroes and villains; of dedication and disappointment.  Read on to see how I was hoodwinked  by the Irish, and how pigs really do fly. Now come with me, friends, and let me take you on a word-journey all the way back… to Friday.

Friday began quite swimmingly. The weather was perfect and everybody (customers and employees alike) was in a good mood. I was back in my kitchen, having just returned from my daily am food delivery to our other store, and I’m feeling quite productive as it’s only 9:30am. After a quick breakfast of a ProBar, an apple, and a cup of coffee, it’s back to work. Alas, it’s slicing day! (I slice all the meat and cheese that I use at the store, so every couple of days I have to set up shop and pray to all things holy that I don’t accidently lose a digit or two to the undersized, busted-ass, worn out death trap I use as a deli slicer.) But nothing can get me down on a day like this! Not even a fate-tempting bout with a homicidal kitchen gadget! I assemble the finger eater and flip it on, only to be assaulted by a horrible ear piercing grinding-grating sound!! Silly me… I forgot to masking tape the guide in place! All taped up, I’m ready to commence the cutting! First up: cheeses. Cheddar, provolone, pepper-jack: all sliced, stacked and wrapped without incident. That was easy! A little too easy, perhaps….. time for meat. Now, this is the hardest time to stay vegan at work. With all that fresh meat coming right off the slicer.. nom nom nom. But no! Not anymore, not for me! As I unwrap the ham and set to slicing it, I inform the slicer (But not the ham – what kind of crazy person talks to a ham?!) that I will not be partaking in any of his little fleshy offerings today. (WOW that sounds gross) and no sooner had I said that, then a slice of ham got caught on the back of the blade, whipped around in the machine a few times, and was slung back out at warp speed – slapping me right in the face. I kid you not. You can’t make this stuff up. It was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever witnessed (let alone been a part of).  So after a moment of stunned silence, I laughed my ass off and carried on slicing the goods. Touché Death Slicer, touché.

Deli ham: 1, Veeg-D: 0.

The rest of my Friday went alright. I worked at the bar where Linda (boss-lady) and I decided that the fries are not, in fact, the only veeg friendly thing on our menu! I may select from  a wide array of creole fries, steamed vegetables, or brown rice. (And here I thought vegans weren’t spoiled for choice!!) After work I went out with Kelly, and we didn’t get home until late. (Hence the lame-o post. My apologies.) Before we came home, though, we hit up Burrachos and got a couple of spectacularly oversized veggie burritos! SERRIOUS NOM. (Burritos are our drunk food of choice. SO happy that they can easily be prepared animal-less!)

Saturday Kell and I had the morning off together, so we slept in, made a pot of coffee, and then walked down to where we had left my car the night before. (Who says we’re not responsible adults?!) We stopped by Infinitea (the local tea house) and each got an iced horchata. Horchata is this biznitchin’ beverage made out of watered down ground up rice and almonds I think. It sounds nasty, but it’s SUPER delicious AND veegtastic! Saturday night, however, was not.

Saturday night, obviously, was St Patrick’s Day. After work, I stopped down at The Falls to partake in some tasty beverages to celebrate the holiday that has absolutely nothing to do with me. (“The Falls” is the nickname we gave to our friends Rachel and Sam’s place. It’s a long story. Funny.. but long.) After having a few drinks we moved on down to the bars to continue our libation celebration. Clad in green, our first stop, of course, had to be Dooley’s Pub! (The only Irish joint on Water St.) A round of Irish car bombs was ordered, and as I’m slugging mine back I think to myself “how can anybody not like these? They’re delicious! They taste just like ice cre….” GAH! OH NO! Car bombs are made with Bailey’s and Bailey’s is made with…. CREAM! NO! ACK! BARF!!! (except yummm) FOILED! Those nasty little leprechauns RUINED my 6 day veeg-streak! Now I have to start all over building up my vegan powers*!

So the day was fine, and almost veganrific. ALMOST. So close… but as Gramps always says “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” And he’s right. Sorry blog fans – I’ll be more careful from here on out.

And that brings us to today. (FINALLY) This morning was my first veegsperience in a restaurant without Kelly! She had to work this morning, so I went out to breakfast with my friends. While everybody enjoyed their omelets and chicken melts or whatever, I ordered myself a double order of hashbrowns and toast. No butter. “Is that all you want??” the waitress asked, CLEARLY eying up my substantial mass. “Yes. Thank you. grumblegrumblegrumble”. So she brings the food and what’s on my toast? A big ol’ glob of deliciously melty veeg-hating buttah! So I asked for some without. I know I ordered it right, and she didn’t have a problem bringing me new toast, but I still felt like a dick.

For dinner Kelly and I made up those new veeg-burgers that Bill gave me, as well as some homemade potato salad. The burgers were okay. Well.. there’s just something wholly unsatisfying about a hamburger made out of soy bean paste. But while it was not at all the same.. It was tasty enough in it’s own right. The potato salad was AWESOME though. I’d ask Kelly for the recipe to post, but as far as I could tell, she was just reaching into cupboards and tossing in the first thing she touched. DAMN it was good stuff, though!!

Okay, this entry has gone on WAAAAY long enough. It’s time now to sleep. Tomorrow is a big/early day at the store and I needz my beauty sleep! Sorry again for the psycho-long post!

Veeg-D, out.

*Scot Pilgrim Vs The World...? Anybody?? Nobody?!

Veeg-Log Day 5

Weight: 280 Worked all day. Went out with kell. Still vegan, still alive. More tomorrow. Veeg-D, out.

Veeg-Log Day 4

Weight: 281.1

Entry One - 10:03pm

Today was a good vegan day. I’m catching a lot of flack at work, but I know that it’s all in good fun. They’re just jealous that they get to eat whatever they want and I can only eat vegetables. Wait… I think I screwed that up..

I’m getting better at not automatically reaching for “snacks” at the shop, though! Today there was a veritable smorgasbord* of veeg-hating delights available free for the taking, and I was only tempted to sneak a treat like ten thousand times. (Which is FAR less than the usual eleventy billion – so be impressed!)

It looks like I’ve dropped a few pounds, so I was excited about that... Until I was told that that’s probably just “water weight” so it doesn’t count. I’m not sure what “water weight” is, but I think it’s bologna**, cause I’m still drinking water! So I’m gonna go ahead and call it “doritos weight” and count it anyway. So YAY ME!!

Today’s [late] breakfast was a spinach wrap with roasted sweet potatoes, wild rice, dried cranberries, and almonds. (Uh schyeah. Be jealous.) Lunch was half a “Greenie Zucchini” wrap from TCG and some chips w/ guacamole. For dinner, Kelly and I took a nice long walk from her house to the Mediterranean Deli downtown! She got the falafel wrap and I got the hummus – then we switched halfway through! (But then.. we both decided hers was better… so we had to switch back. Psh - Girls.) On our walk, we decided to try that new dang-fangled fad called… jogging? I believe that’s it, yes.. jogging. So we jogged across the bridge. We did not like it. I think I’ll stick to walking; it’s easier on my… everything.

Here’s the recipe for the pesto in the Greenie Zucchini wrap. I made this up for Kelly and it’s WONDERFUL! (If I do say so myself.) We like it because the three different greens give it plenty of ‘body’ without any one flavor becoming too overpowering.  The almonds are a cheap and tasty alternative to pine nuts (which are just STOOPID expensive) and skipping the traditional parmesan cheese keeps ‘er vegan!

Veeg-D’s 3G Pesto:

1 Cup Fresh Basil (Packed

1 Cup Fresh Cilantro (Packed)

1 Cup Fresh Spinach (Packed)

1 Cup Toasted Almonds

6 Cloves  Garlic

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Save yourself the hassle and throw the whole garlic cloves into the food processor with the lemon juice and a splash of olive oil first, then give it a few pulses. Mincing garlic sucks. It takes forever and makes your hands stink. This way you’re done in no time and your hands can stay clean and hand-smelling . Then add everything else (except the olive oil) and give ‘er a whirl. Once all the goods have a nice chop on them, flip that baby on and start drizzling in the oil. You won’t necessarily need to use the whole cup. If you’re using it as a spread, you’ll want it thick, so use less. If you’re tossing it on pasta, you’ll want it thinner. Et Voila! Presto Pesto, Baby!!

I think that’s all I have for you cats tonight.. tomorrow’s gonna be a tough day, as I work both jobs with no break in between! If I thought it was hard keepin’ it green through a shift at The Grounds, the bar is gonna be really interesting! (I’m pretty sure the one and only veeg-friendly thing we have there are the French fries. If those.) wish me luck!

Veeg-D, out.

* Heh.. what a funny word...

** Another one!

Veeg-Log - Day 3

Weight: 284.7

Entry One - 3:35pm

I saw something interesting (disturbing?) on my drive to work today. While cruising down Clairemont; my windows down and my music blaring, I was amazed to find that the vehicle  making such horrendous noise as it passed was not, in fact, a jumbo jet – rather a rusted out, jacked up, mufflerless pick-up truck. The aurally offensive vehicle was being piloted by a fairly… rotund young man in a dirty sleeveless flannel shirt and worn out trucker’s hat. Riding shotgun was a jabba-esque fellow dressed much the same. Between them on the bench seat, a chocolate lab was being fed a cheeseburger from an over-sized McDonald’s bag flapping in the wind on the dashboard. My thoughts on this scene were many. First, of course, I laughed. Then I thought to myself how grateful I am that I chose to do this little experiment now, at a measly 285lbs – as opposed to allowing myself to attain anywhere near the girth boasted by these two (undoubtedly fine) gentlemen. Then I swore off fast food forever, while pondering the likely fee of a vehicular noise violation citation. Lastly (and I’m not proud of this) I was jealous of the dog. (Don’t you judge me!)

Later, I found myself thinking back to “The Clairemont Experience”. Looking around, it’s painfully obvious that the McHicks are not alone. More than that, they’re not even the minority! There are so very many overweight people (and I count myself among them) in this area, it’s no wonder that Americans are as unhealthy as we are. The biggest part of the problem (in my opinion) is that it’s so incredibly EASY to make poor eating choices. Why go home for lunch when you can swing through the drive-through? Why spend an hour or more cooking dinner when you can toss a frozen something-or-other in the oven and feed the fam in 20 minutes? Chicken nuggets are a helluva lot easier than chicken breasts. Fresh veggies out, processed frozen veggies in.  We’re basically poisoning ourselves in the name of time efficiency – and the worst part?? They make it CHEAP!! I’ve spent the last 11 years of my life buying just enough food for a meal or two at a time, and filling my cart with cheap, easy, foodstuffs; not concerned in the slightest about what I was actually putting into my body. Well no more. I owe it to myself to, at the very least, start paying attention to what I’m doing to myself. [And you do too!] We can blame the food industry all we want for our obesity, our health problems – but ultimately WE’RE the ones deciding what to put in our mouth.

Keep in mind – I’m not berating anybody for their eating habits. I count myself among the lazy, the careless, the busy, and the hefty. I’m not saying that veganism is the answer, either. The answer to the “food epidemic” running rampant through this country is simple. The answer is responsibility. Take responsibility for what you’ve done to yourself so far, and make responsible choices from here on out. It doesn’t have to be difficult, but it could very well change your life. I hope this month changes mine.

Veeg-D, out.

Entry Two – 8:59pm

So the third day of veeg eating is drawing to an end. So far I haven’t had any major break downs, serious cravings, meatless maladies, or the like. Kelly likens this experiment to a cleanse. She’s kind of a body wellness nut (said in all manner of love and respect, of course!) so she’s done all the fasts and cleanses and yogas and whatnot. She tells me that in any type of cleanse, the body goes through a period where it begins to expel all the built up toxins and mcnasties that are trapped in your body. (Apparently turkey sandwiches are toxins which must be eliminated! I like to think that there are a bunch of tiny pot roasts floating around in me that will now be flushed out.) ANYWAY, she warns that soon I will more than likely start to feel super crappy as my body does what it takes to get used to this new diet. So, y’know, I’m looking forward to that...

Today’s menu consisted of the following:

Breakfast – ProBar and an Apple

Lunch 1 – 2 slices of left-over veegza

Lunch 2 – A bowl of cereal with soy milk and peanut butter toast

Dinner – Noodles with olive oil, garlic, dill and garlic toast

And now I’m heading out for a walk. I’m not a runner - in any sense of the word – but I figure I can handle walking around the neighborhood; especially on a night as beautiful as tonight! And walking has got to be better than sitting, right? (Then again, I am so VERY good at sitting…) Night, all!!

Veeg-D, out!

P.S.- Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Today, one of my food reps stopped in the store to show off some new product samples. Among the goodies (most of which I can't eat anymore.. grumble grumble..) was a new vegetarian burger patty. As Bill put it, "Finally, they made one of those fake burger-things that's actually worth eating!" So I turn the package over, check the ingredients (as is my habit already after dating a vegan for almost a year) and low and behold - these new patties are veeg-tastic! [insert shocked gasp followed by thunderous applause here] So I'm excited to throw these babies on the bbq and see what the fuss is about! Perhaps, if they're as awesome as Bill claims, I will order a case of them to keep in the freezer here at the house for this summer's impromptu grilling sessions! (I love summer!!)

Veeg-Log Day 2

Weight: 283.7

Entry One - 1:35pm

Hello, blog fans! It’s day two here at veeg central, and so far it’s shaping up to be a GLORIOUS day! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping - and the cows, chickens, and pigs of this planet can rest easy and enjoy this beautiful spring day without worrying that I will put them on my bbq and eat them. (You’re welcome, farm-critters!) Today started off fine and dandy, as I only had to work for a few hours. Breakfast consisted of some dried apple rings, a little peanut butter, a ProBar*, and a soy latte.

*ProBars are delicious. They are these ‘meal replacement’ bars made with whole, organic ingredients. I THINK that all of them are vegan, and I KNOW that all the ones I’ve tried so far are fantastically nom-worthy. They’re a little expensive, but 4.00 for breakfast isn’t really so bad. Better than McDonalds at any rate, yes? (YES.)  If you ever come across one, try it!! [Warning: Shameless Plug Ahead] We sell them at The Coffee Grounds (both locations!) and they come a lot of different flavors so you can mix it up any way you like! http://theprobar.com/

I stopped by the local food coop after work [Just Local Foods] and they’ve got oh so many fun and exciting veeg-worthy goodies that I can play with this month! I ran into an old friend there (Hi, Noel!) and gave her the low-down on my experiment. She was all kinds of supportive and promises to become a follower of this here journal of epic veggies. So… yay! http://justlocalfood.blogspot.com/

Tonight Kell and I are watching her little nephew Ira. We are going to have a bonfire, make s’mores,  and order pizza!

1.)    Did you know that marshmallows are vegan? They are – I checked! They contain no animal by-products! Of course.. I’m fairly certain that they contain no by-products of nature whatsoever, but hey, no meat no problem, right??

2.)    “PIZZA?!” you exclaim, “THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! A PIZZA WITHOUT CHEESE IS A SACRILEGE!” Well, being raised in a pizza shop up north, I’d be inclined to agree with you 100%. But Kelly assures me that her meat-less, cheese-less circular atrocity is in fact quite tasty, so tonight we shall put her claim to the test!

That’s all for now – today’s lunch is a 3 bean salad from the local deli and some veggie chips. I’ll report later with my review on veeg-za! To tide you over until then, here is a link to that Moroccan Soup recipe that I told you about yesterday! Veeg-D, out!

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Lynne-Kasper-Moroccan-Harira-Red-Lentil-Soup

(I used regular lentils instead of the suggested red ones, and added Cayenne, Clove, Cumin, and a little Cardamom to the spice list. As I made a pot to feed 40, I didn't bother with all the accoutrements listed at the end for presentation - other than a quick squeeze of lemon before serving. Try it - it's tasty!)

Entry Two - 10:30pm:

So I learned several things today:

1.)    Kids are friggin TIRING!!

2.)    S’mores lose much of their appeal when you take out the ‘mallow. Although dark chocolate on graham crackers is a tasty snack indeed, there is no real reason to eat it around a bonfire. (Other than the fact that bonfires are friggin’ awesome.)

3.)    Vegan pizza is delightful! Kelly’s half had every vegetable known to man, while mine boasted an impressive double mushrooms, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. It was awesome. Honestly, the only reason I missed the cheese at all was that, without it, the toppings went EVERYWHERE. I shall now begin research and development on an adhesive tomato sauce to remedy this conundrum for vegans and lactards around the world. (You’re welcome in advance.)

I’m beat… Day two went swimmingly – count this one as a win! G’night all. Veeg-D, out!

Veeg Log - Day One (3/12/12)

Weight: 285.4

Entry One - 11:00am

So far so good. Though I've been bombarded by temptation (broken cookies, peanut m&Ms, Turkey salad) I have thus far been able to maintain adherence to my new veeg-code. I've been green for 11 hours now, and the tummy's a-rumblin. Soon, I will be forced to seek out sustenance. Back to work.. Veeg-D out.

Entry Two - 9:21pm

Well, I made it through the first day! It was a little tougher than I thought.. i swear, working in that kitchen is gonna be the DEATH of veeg-d! Every sandwich I made, everything I sliced, I kept going to pop something in my mouth! A slice of Turkey, a piece of cheese. Without even thinking, I'd be reaching for a little "snack"! But I caught myself. I made no carnivorous mistakes today. Whew! (No animals were harmed in the making of this day) Also, i made my first veeg purchase today. An industrial sized tub-o-VEGANAISE!! that's right folks.. no egg, no dairy; just pure unaldulterated GRAPESEED.. (oil?) NOM. Im gonna keep it at woik sos that kell and I can make sandwiches at our demand and leisure. Today I made some spinach wraps. And some lentil soup. [Vegan] Spicy Moroccan Lentil Stew (Spicy!) To be exact. Its tasty. I'll post the recipe soon. K bye now. Veeg-D out.

Veeg-D: An Introduction

My name is Dustin Walz. I’m 29 years old, and I like meat. A lot. My girlfriend Kelly has been a vegan for the last four years, and a vegetarian for three years before that. For the time that we have been together, she has shown me what it is to be vegan; the attitude, the diet, the lifestyle. While I don’t necessarily share the views that led her to live la vida vegan, I can’t argue with her decision! She has never harassed me for my omnivorous ways – quite the opposite. She’s more than happy to cook two meals for dinner, and even encourages me to eat non-vegan things that she misses! (mostly candy) I have, however, tried to do my part as the supportive boyfriend by voluntarily partaking in many vegan foods and snacks, and I must say… we have had some truly magnificent meals together!

We both love to cook. More than that, we love to EAT! Kelly has shown me that ‘vegan’ is not a dirty word, and together we have shared some crazy-awesome food related experiences! We have been all over the Chippewa Valley and beyond (worldly travelers, I know) seeking out and trying out  all things  gastronomically plant-based. From Minneapolis’ “Ecopolitan” (a raw, whole foods restaurant/shop) to “The Cheese Factory” of the Wisconsin Dells (a deceptively titled vegan-friendly  restaurant/bakery) , and back to our very own kitchen; I have been wowed time and again at the staggering array of delicious delights available sans-critters.

I’m a big guy. I’m 6’5” tall and have been hovering just under the 300lb mark for the last few years. While I carry my weight fairly well, (at the risk of sounding like a high school girl) I have been dissatisfied with my body for quite some time. Unfortunately, I’m a pretty lazy guy. Why on earth would I go for a run when I could sit on the porch and have a smoke instead? What would ever posses me to order a salad when the cheeseburger section is right there next to it on the menu?! 

I'll tell you. I'm getting old. Next month, I turn 30. Now, I’ve always been a pretty energetic guy. I love to throw myself out into the world and see what I run into. The joy of life is living, and I try to live every single day. Lately though, I’ve found that I’m just too damn tired. I’ll sleep like a log all night, but still have a hard time making it through the next day. I just don’t feel as good as I used to, and that’s no bueno! Combine that with my expanding waistline and it’s time for a change! SO. Time to lose some weight. Cool. (Sort of) But HOW?? There’s like a gazillion diets out there, each claiming to be the next best thing to having your stomach vacuumed out or moving to Ethiopia.. but which ones work and which ones are the result of a delusional anorexic with a website? As much as I’d like to spend the next 30 days eating nothing but vinegar/seaweed/buckwheat/ketchup smoothies in search of that super-model physique, I think I’d rather go with something a little more familiar. That’s right folks, for the next 32 days, with the beautiful Kelly as my 'Veeg-Guide', the ravenous meat-eating ‘Big D’ will be… VEGAN. [dun dun DUNNNNN]

The Plan: To eat vegan for 32 straight days, drink more water, less coffee, and (possibly, but not probably) quit smoking.

The Goal: To drop some pounds and increase energy by 'cleansing' my body of all it's stored up buffalo wings.

Assets: Kelly, Moderate skill in the kitchen, Willingness to try new things, General stubbornness

Set-Backs: I work in a kitchen (it's my JOB to taste all my food before serving), Burger King is 3 blocks from my house, Spring (grilling season!)

In this blog, I will be chronicling my month of meatlessness; writing of my trials and tribulations, venting my thoughts on veganism as well as the rest of the food world, and sharing recipes that my lady and I have found/created to help me along my journey! If you plan to follow along, I can only assume you have very precious little in your life to entertain you, so I will do my best to help fill that void as well. Feel free to share any thoughts, ideas, limericks, recipes, websites, blond jokes, or other such feedback. I hope you all enjoy… and wish me luck!!

Sincerely

Veeg-D