Make Shift Veggie Soup

This soup doesn't look the greatest in the picture. However it was amazing. All I did was add 3/4 box of vegetable broth (I used some for the quinoa and squash). 1/2 a bag of frozen cauliflower, 3/4 bag of baby carrots sliced. 1 cap pinto beans and 3 or. 4 small golden potatoes. I seasoned with a little parsley and garlic powder. This was a quick make shift soup using left over things I had around the house. I'm going to make another batch sometime soon. 

Hope this is inspiring to make your own soup.

Quinoa and Squash

South Carolina has gotten some very strange weather the last few days. So I've taken to making some interesting and delicious dishes.

Quinoa and Squash

I made a single serving so adjust accordingly 

Ingredients

1/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup water or vegetable broth

1 small yellow squash

1 tablespoon olive olive 

Parsley

Garlic powder

Quinoa 

1/4 cup dried quinoa toast for about. 1 minute add 1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes. 

Squash 

I shaved my squash pretty thin using this hardy pampered chef garlic slicer I have. You could also use a vegetable pealer. 

Heat frying pan add olive oil. Add shaved squash. Season with a little garlic powder and parsley. Sauté until tender. 

Feeling great

Today is Day 41 of eating healthy and my lifestyle change, day 30 of eating vegetarian or vegan every day, and day 7 of working out. 

If you haven't been following along you may not know this but I began my journey January 2nd. I have become sick again and again since I moved to South Carolina in August. I had been sick at least 7 times. I was done being sick. So I began researching healthy eating habits and the different options that were out there. I can across so many diet and "eating habits" I could follow. However none seemed to be a change in lifestyle. I wanted whatever I decided to do to be for life, but wanted to be able to work myself into whatever it is and not jump right in. I'm cooking for 1 and I also cannot afford to do a pantry overhaul so they're are things with dairy or egg product a that I still have. I'm going to use these things up and not buy more of them. My goal is to be vegan by the end of the end of the year. 

Since I started lifestyle change at the beginning of January I have lost 4.4lbs. That's in. 41 days of eating healthy and. Only. 30 days of eating vegetarian/vegan.

 This is the beginning work out I am doing. I am also going for walks on the days where it is warm. 

I'm here to answer any questions anyone might have. 

Taco Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Chilli Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

1/8 to 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Add all ingredients in a jar or container for storing. Shake to combine all spices. 

Raaw Juice

I had the privilege of trying this wonderful juice a week ago. It contains 1 whole cucumber, and 3/4 of a pineapple. This isn't the cheapest of products they are $2.99 a piece. However this is a good price to pay for health and a wonderful alternative to soda and other sugary beverages. On a scale of 1 to 5 I give it a 4. I would give it a 5 if it were more affordable. 

Food Allergies

Food Allergies are so very common. You hear about them so often now. Some of the most common food allergies are:

• Peanut
• Tree nuts
• Milk 
• Egg 
• Wheat 
• Soy
• Fish
• Shellfish

These are just the common ones. Their are many more food allergies that someone could have. Some of the more uncommon ones are:

• Corn 
• Gelatin
•  Meat (beef, chicken, mutton, and pork)
• Seeds (sesame, sunflower, and poppy being the most common)
• Spices (caraway, coriander, garlic, mustard, etc.)
• Fruits
• Vegetables 

Syptoms of allergies can very so greatly.

Mild symptoms may include one or more of the following:

• Hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)
• Eczema (a persistent dry, itchy rash)
• Redness of the skin or around the eyes
• Itchy mouth or ear canal
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Nasal congestion or a runny nose
• Sneezing
• Slight, dry cough
• Odd taste in mouth
• Uterine contractions

Severe symptoms may include one or more of the following:

• Obstructive swelling of the lips, tongue, and/or throat
• Trouble swallowing
• Shortness of breath or wheezing
• Turning blue
• Drop in blood pressure (feeling faint, confused, weak, passing out)
• Loss of consciousness
• Chest pain
• A weak or “thread” pulse
• Sense of “impending doom”

For me I am allergic to Milk, Eggs, Raspberries, Blackberries, and possibly meat. I have felt better since I haven't consumed any. Maybe I have been. We will never know if this is the case though, because of moral reasons I am no longer going to eat meat.  I have had many of these symptoms after eating meat, dairy, or egg products that I never thought to contributed to a food allergy including; Redness around my eyes, eczema, Nasal congestion, runny noise, and sneezing. I contributed all of these to seasonal allergies and didn't think that they could be caused by food. Well I was wrong. I haven't had any of these symptoms since I changed my diet other than a little eczema. Which i believe is a cause of just dry skin and some season allergies, or maybe the body products I am using. I haven't evaluated them yet.

If you are interested in learning more about food allergies check out www.foodallergy.org

Aldi's Shopping Trip

This evening I made a trip to the local Aldis store. I hadn't been to one since I moved to South Carolina about 6 months ago. I forgot how cheap it was to go there over any other grocery store. Now their are some things that I buy that I will still have to go to Whole Foods to find, but over all I feel great about shopping for Vegan foods at Aldis. If anything the price should get you. Now of course I managed to loose the receipt between the store and writing this blog. I'm going to try my best to sum it up anyways. It was to good of a deal not to.

What I Bought
Bananas $0.44lb
Cantaloupe $1.29
Pineapple $0.99
Yellow Squash (3 pack for) $1.89
Oriental Vegetable Stir-fry $2.89
Instant Brown Rice
Tortillas
Fat-Free Re-friend Beans (One food that you can buy that is fat free and doesn't have more sugar, it means it wasn't processes in lard or any other source of fat.)
Fruit Leather
Veggie Straws (chips)
Garlic Hummus $1.99
Frozen Corn $0.99
Super Greens Smoothie Drink
Pasta
Hash Browns
Vegetable Broth
Baking Soda $0.49

Unfortunately I cannot remember the prices of everything. However I do know I paid around $27 for all of this and would have paid closer to $60 (if not more) for all of this at a different grocery store. I can tell you what a few things normally run at other store compared to what I pain.

Average Prices At Other Stores
Bananas $0.99lb
Vegetable Stir-fries $5+
Hummus $4+

These are just a few, but you get the point try taking your next shopping try to Aldis, see what a difference you can make.

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR OWN BAGS!