On my way to the airport I received a call from a potential customer asking for 100 cupcakes for her husband's birthday. Since I was about to go on vacation, I couldn't take the order. You see, I've had a cupcake business for the past five years. I have been baking cupcakes for weddings, birthdays, showers, funerals, book launchings, store launchings and everyday events. My life has been filled with sugar, flour, butter and chocolate forever. I love food and I love to eat. I subscribe to food magazines, eating magazines, follow food blogs. My dream is to work in a professional restaurant kitchen and work with the best. I guess I could say food is my passion. I love food.
When I plan a trip, the first thing I do after booking the flights is plan where we eat. I do all kinds of research to find the best, newest, hippest places to eat and scour the blogs to find the best chefs. I know chefs the way guys know football stats. I have been lucky enough to meet quite a few and have enjoyed the cuisine of many celebrated chefs and delicious food from chefs that aren't celebrated but should be. I've dragged my kids all over countless cities to find the best food that city has to offer; it started with cupcakes, doughnuts, pancakes, artisan chocolate, and artesian ice cream. I flew to Paris and took a course on how to make gourmet macaroons.
We eat, enjoy and indulge in the yummiest food. But this hobby has not been to kind on our waste bands.
So, today marks Day 6 on my journey to eat a plant based diet. I watched Forks over Knives. I bought The Engine 2 Diet. I made a grocery list and spent two hours in Whole Foods reading labels. The next day I went back to Whole Foods, and the next day too. I have cut out all meats, chicken, eggs and fish. I have cut out coffee (the most difficult one) and most dairy. I am unknowingly a dairy Queen. I put milk in my coffee, eat yogurt and cheese sticks like its nobody's business and I have a secret addiction to frozen yogurt. So, cutting out the dairy has been difficult but I am weaning myself off each day.
I decided to start this blog to help me (and hopefully others) to make the transition from eating the typical Western diet to a healthful plant-based diet.
The hardest thing is to figure out exactly what to eat.
Take a long hard look at what you have in your kitchen.
For breakfast I have been eating oatmeal sprinkled with ground walnuts, unsweetened coconut and some blueberries.
Lunch is usually a salad or a wrap with homemade hummus, loaded with roasted or fresh veggies.
I made the Raise the Rood Sweet Potato Lasagna from the Engine 2 Diet Cookbook and that was tasty. I've made some soups and salads but nothing too interesting yet.
My goal is to post weekly menus to help me get organized and get you organized. Stay tuned!
