Vegan Beef Wellington

Jon & I have really been into the show “Master Chef Junior”. The talent of those young kids is ridiculous! Along with being amazed at their skill, some of the challenges have also been inspiring. In one of the early episodes, the contestants had to take on Gordon Ramsey’s specialty, the Beef Wellington. They fared pretty well – their dish looked amazing – and I got to thinking it’d be a fun dish to create at home.

Now, usually there are recipes for Vegan _____ all over the internet. I was pretty surprised when the few recipes I could find just involved sticking a Field Roast into a puff pastry. A Beef Wellington has so many more layers of flavor than that! So I decided to come up with a recipe on my own eek!

I've never had actual Beef Wellington, but the omnivore in the household seems to like my creation. I thought the Wild Mushroom quarter loaf from Field Roast would play well with the rest of the flavors in the dish. I also made mushroom gravy to top off everything, but you could do a simple turkey-style gravy as well. I can’t say that this tastes exactly like Beef Wellington, but I can tell you the leftovers don’t last long at our house!

Ingredients
1 Wild Mushroom Field Roast Quarter Loaf
1 Sheet Aussie Bakery Puff Pastry
4 slices Peppered Tofurkey Slices
1 recipe Mushroom Duxelle (recipe below)
Mustard (for brushing)
Non-dairy milk (for brushing – I used almond)

This is a time-intensive recipe, but there are a few things you can do to cut down on the time, like making the mushroom duxelle ahead of time and leaving the puff pastry out to thaw while you catch up on your episodes of Scandal :)

Pre-heat your oven to 375 & make sure your puff pastry is thawed or is thawing. Pan-sear the quarter loaf in a thin layer of oil. While warm, brush with a layer of mustard and set aside.

Prepare the mushroom duxelle: Sauté 1/2c onions in oil until translucent. Add 1 tsp of minced garlic and 8oz of mushrooms. I prefer a mix of cremini and portabella. After the mushrooms have released their juices (about 5 minutes) add 1/4c red cooking wine. Continue to simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until the mixture becomes smooth. You should now have what looks like a mushroom paste. Transfer the past back to your sauté pan and cook the paste for 5-7 minutes until it has reduced. This may seem like a silly step, but it will cook off the extra moisture and prevent your Wellington from getting soggy during baking! Set the duxelle aside to cool.

Roll out the puff pastry into a thin layer. I usually use about 2/3 of the sheet (and make mini cinnamon rolls with the remaining sheet for dessert!). Layer first with the Tofurkey Slices and then the Mushroom Duxelle. Place the quarter loaf in the center and roll up tightly. Use non-dairy milk or water to seal the edges.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown. While the Wellington is baking is a great time to make your gravy.

Slice and serve with your choice of side – we’ve done mash potatoes, cheesy potatoes, as well as a hearty side of greens!

I did my best to explain my method, but I referenced this site a lot while I was making this for the first time. Great explanation of the technique!

LM Combat: Day 6 Update

The past few days have been a bit busy for me between work & school, but I have been keeping up with my LM workouts! I can't stress enough how important it is to schedule your workouts at least a day in advanced. Otherwise, you'll keep pushing them back in the day until you're at a point you just want to sleep! I'm totally guilty of doing this in the past! For me what works best is dragging my butt out of bed earlier than normal and getting my workout done in the AM. Otherwise I just end up making too many excuses during the day & they don't get done!

Ok, I'm done with my speech. You came here to read how LM Combat is going, not to be lectured :)

On Thursday (day 4) a friend of mine came over and we busted our butt through HIIT: Plyo & Inner Warrior together. It's always more fun to workout with friends! I'm hoping a few more join us next time. Friday (day 5) was Combat 45, which was 45 minutes of punches & kicks. Pretty straight forward & simple to pick up on. Today (day 6) was Lower Body Lean Out. 30 minutes of lower body focus & my legs felt like jelly after! It's been awhile since I can remember doing so many lunges & squats in a week as I have this week! I am positive that all this leg work will be helpful for running & for sculpting some sexy legs! Wohoo!

I will admit that I have felt quite hungry during this 1st week. Of course, I'm only consuming around ~1200 calories as opposed to ~1800 that I will be eating the rest of the 60 days. The guidebook says you shouldn't feel uncomfortable hunger or cravings in the first week, but that you might feel a little "off". Well, I will admit that I've had to add in an extra snack these past few days because I have been starving! And I get cranky when I'm hungry, just ask my hubby :)

That being said, I'm definitely looking forward to bumping up my eating plan to 1800 calories. I'm taking time tomorrow while Jon is at work to plan out my meals for the next week. This program focuses on whole foods, eliminating sugary beverages, trans fats & refined carbs. I've got some great cookbooks I'm going to leaf through tomorrow (Karma Chow, Raw Food Real World, & Thrive) in order to build up my meal plan. Also, I hope I've kickstarted my metabolism enough to see some results on the scale this week! I'm normally not one to fixate on a number, but my 'number' has been stuck for over a year! My goal is positive change in my body composition, and to do that I need to lose some body fat.

Something that I've taken away from the workouts this week is that pain is temporary. These workouts aren't easy, but they ARE doable. It's funny what you can accomplish when you push yourself past your comfort zone. There are sometimes I want to quit. But I remind my self this is just 30, 45 or 60 minutes of my day and then I can have a break. The results are worth it!

Picture Source

Tomorrow is a rest day for LM Combat. I'll check back in with an update on my meal plan for week 2!

♥L

LM Combat: Day 2

I woke up today and my arms & shoulders are sore! A great sign that change is already happening :)

Day 2's workout(s) consisted of HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior. HIIT stands for "High Interval Intensity Training" and alternates between strength training and plyometrics to get your heart rate soaring! This workout reminded me a bit of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workouts that I did with some friends a few months ago. If you like JM's workouts, you would like this!

This sweat is no joke.

The HIIT: Power workout also clued me in to how much I stink at doing burpees! Confession! I despise burpees. I usually avoid them if I'm doing an at-home DVD and use that time for a water break. But I want to change my mindset. I want to get better. So I'm adding something to my 60 day goals:


1. Lose 10-12 lbs (this is a combination of losing fat & putting on some muscle!)
2. Do 15 'real' push-ups in a row (I have zero upper body strength!)

3. Do 2 sets of 8 Burpees in a row! No cheats!

Inner Warrior is described in the fitness guide as a "Martial Arts-based strength and flexibility training to enhance your balance, coordination, and strength". I was thinking yoga. Les Mills was thinking "I'm going to make your legs shake until you want to cry".The last 6-7 minutes of the program was pure stretching however and that felt great!

I've ordered a heart rate monitor to get a true read on how many calories I am burning during these sessions. It should arrive later this week & is supposed to hook up with my Nike Sportswatch. I also have a friend coming over Thursday to workout with me. Working out is always more fun with a buddy. So grab someone - your mom, your brother, your spouse, or your neighbor - and get out!

♥L

Know your Numbers! My Wake-Up Call.

A few weeks ago we had a health fair a few local gyms came to work as part of our on-site health fair. One of the gyms that came offered free body composition testing & I decided to check it out. Turns out this simple test that takes about 5 minutes was my big wake-up call! Body composition testing is simple & painless. You stand on what looks to be a scale with hand-grips coming off the side and the scale runs some numbers. One of the reps from the gym sat down with me to explain my results after they printed off. The print-out tells you how much of your weight is comprised of water, muscle, and fat. My BMI is in the normal range, but my percentage of body fat or PBF is 37%. The normal range for me would be in the 18%-28% range.

EEK.

I immediately thought "Dang, I haven't been doing good." but I want to stress that it is important to turn that negative thought into a positive one. "I know my numbers, now what am I going to do to change them?"

Ever since I had success with The Ultimate Reset last year, the scale has been stagnant, and now I think I understand why! Training for 2 long-distance running races definitely helped keep up my cardio level, but I have been slacking on strength training. In fact, my laziness in this aspect of physical conditioning is probably what led to some of my knee/soreness issues during training. The gym rep commended my training, but pointed out that running does zero for muscle building.

Ok. So I get it, I need to put on some muscle. What's a girl to do? Enter Les Mills Combat. It's one of the newer programs offered by Beachbody and appeals to me for a few reasons. 1 - It keeps up my cardio conditioning with HIIT workouts 2 - It combines aspects of several types of martial arts for a kickboxing-esque workout and 3 - The "Ultimate Warrior" package offers additional strength training specific workouts (upper and lower body). Perfect!

The timing of this revelation is great. I decided after my 25K that I was going to take a break from long distance running because it really has been taking a toll on my body. So I have been searching for a new workout to start now that my races are complete.

Here are my goals over the next 60 days:
1. Lose 10-12 lbs (this is a combination of losing fat & putting on some muscle!)
2. Do 15 'real' push-ups in a row (I have zero upper body strength!)

I'll be blogging along the way. One specific challenge I face is adapting my vegan diet to this workout program. A nutrition guide comes with the program and  aims for 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat for my daily mix, but doesn't outline many vegan options. I will just need to get creative! At the end of 60 days I'll report back my results.

My take-away for you is that if you find the scale is stuck, or you're getting bored with you same ole' workout routine, switch it up! Also, it is important to know your numbers! The body composition test I did was free because of the health fair, but normally costs about $15. That's pretty cheap to get some great insight into what's going on in your body! If you need an idea for a new workout program or want some more information on body composition testing, please feel free to message me - LauraLou.Fink@gmail.com

French Toast Attack!

One of my favorite restaurants in GR has always been Electric Cheetah. Since going vegan however, I've found a lot of their dishes I have to pass on since they contain cheese & other dairy. I haven't been to EC in a while, but my in-laws were in town this weekend and wanted to hit up EC for brunch.

Auggie in the Cheetah Chair

I was reminded how much I love their "Donkey Kong Toast"...and their Ze Fronch Toast...basically,  french toast in general. And we all know traditional french toast is not vegan friendly. Hey, that sounds like a challenge to me!

I did a little googling and miraculously had all ingredients on hand (including over-ripe bananas!) to recreate the Donkey Kong Toast. It is french toast using banana nut bread. Brilliant! I topped it off with sliced strawberries (I used up all the bananas) and chopped walnuts. Yummy!

Banana Bread
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2c brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
~ 4 ripe bananas (I only had 2.5 and this still worked out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a small bowl, combine milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside for a few minutes
2. In a larger bowl, mix flower, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt & cinammon
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the vanilla and the bananas. Mix until combined, but do not overwork the batter
4. Pour into a greased loaf pan and cook for 45-60 minutes (check every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning)

Allow banana bread to cool completely (I used the refrigerator, I was impatient). Slice into 8 pieces


French Toast Batter
3/4c almond milk
1/4 c flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp cornstarch

Cooking up the french toast!

1. Combine all ingredients in a shallow container.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of earth balance (non-dairy butter) in a large pan on medium heat
3. Dunk a slice of bread in the batter, making sure to cover all sides and let the milk soak in a bit. This will prevent your french toast from being dry
4. Put slice of bread in the pan and let cook about 1 minute each side (4 sides total). Repeat if you want your french toast a bit more done.

Note - because this is banana bread, it will look a little darker than normal. It still tastes great!

Great Any-day Brunch!

♥L

February Food Challenge!

Confession - I have been stuck on the scale and it is frustrating! I don't think I have lost any weight since before Christmas. I guess on the flipside, I haven't gained any either, but I still think its time to switch some things up!

I was really inspired by my online fitfam taking on all sorts of challenges in February. They are committed to keeping the momentum going from their fresh starts in January! Some are doing a 'clean-eating' month, others are taking weeks off of sugar, and there is a whole #hastag movement for #yogaeverydamnday!

So my commitment to myself (and to you!) is to take charge/responsibility for what I am eating. I know the little snacks here and there are adding up in calories, and I especially struggle at work with mindless snacking! As the old saying goes, if you bite it, write it! I don't do well with food journals, so I'm going to go with if you eat it, tweet it! Or something like that...basically, I'm going to commit to a photo log of what I eat every day. I hope it keeps me accountable. Maybe it will inspire someone to try a new dish. And along the way, I'll be sharing my recipes! Yay!

Here is Day 1, which happens to be February 5th, so I may carry this challenge into March :)

Pre-Workout Snack: 1/2 banana & 1 tbsp Almond Butter
Breakfast: Cheerios, the other 1/2 banana, & almond milk
Morning Snack: Chai Tea & a Spiced Pumpkin Pie Cliff Bar
Lunch: Stir-fry Veggies, 1/2c black beans, 1/4c brown rice
Afternoon Snack: Carrots & homemade Hummus, Clementine (I didn't realize how orange this meal was until I took the photo ha!)
Dinner: Butternut Squash Enchiladas (they had kidney beans in them, and I added some Daiya to one!)
Late Night Snack (I promise this won't be a regular thing): Itsy Bitsy Soy Mocha from Biggby. I have a sweet tooth, I admit it. I'm trying to break that habit!

So, tell me, how are YOU going to CHALLENGE yourself this month?

♥L

Recovery Smoothie

The potassium from the banana and all the antioxidant goodness from the blueberries make this an excellent post-workout smoothie. Simple to make, I usually drink this after my long runs!

Just 5 ingredients!

Here is what you will need:

- a good blender (of course!)
- 1 scoop Vanilla protein powder of your choice (I use Vega Sport)
- 1 c Non-dairy milk (I use Almond Breeze Unsweetened)
- 1 banana
- 1 c blueberries
- 1 container non-dairy Greek style yogurt

The yogurt may be the toughest thing to find. If you are not vegan, plain greek yogurt will work just as well!

Blend all ingredients together, adding ice if you want the smoothie thicker or more milk if you want it thinner. This will make 2 servings. You can freeze the additional serving for later, setting out the frozen smoothie to thaw ~a half hour before you want it!

♥ L

Nut Butter Waffles

I'm normally a smoothie-for-breakfast kind of girl, but sometimes (especially in the winter) I just want something a little warmer, hearter even. Not that smoothies don't keep me full, but sometimes I guess I just want to chew my food!

I take part in a vegan freezer exchange with a small group women. I was planning on making my black bean burgers this month, but someone else mentioned they were making black bean falafel, so I decided to make waffles instead!

I'm all about quick breakfasts in the morning - probably why I rely on smoothies so much. These waffles are easy enough to make in a big batch, you can freeze them, and then either toast them or microwave them in the morning while you are rushing out the door!

I used almond butter (crunchy) this time around, but I have also had luck with peanut butter (crunchy). This recipe comes from Isa's "Vegan Brunch" and as she mentions, the batter is pretty forgiving! It is also THICK so don't try to thin it out - you may end up with waffle breakage!

These are great topped with some Earth Balance & Maple syrup, or with bananas & chocolate chips! I didn't have any chocolate chips on hand, so I made a quick chocolate drizzle sauce using some left over Christmas chocolate :)

PB Waffles

3/4c chunky nut butter
3 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp canola oil
2c non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c AP flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix nut butter, syrup and oil together well.

Mix milk & cornstarch in a separate bowl, until cornstarch is well dissolved. Add, along with vanilla, to nut butter mixture

Add remaining ingredients and mix until batter is smooth. Be careful not to overmix.

This yielded 6 square waffles for me! Enjoy!

L ♥

Burger Crisis Adverted!

This weekend I decided to make a couple batches of burgers so I could freeze them and have them over the next few weeks (convenience people!). I made cooked a pound of beans, which was perfect for making 2 batches of Black Bean Burgers with some beans to spare (still trying to figure out what to do with those).

I also tried out a recipe for a more 'garden burger' veggie burger. So instead of beans being the base, veggies & rice were the base of this recipe, called the Karma Burger, from my latest obsession, The Karma Chow cookbook.

Missy's recipes are SO simple and require minimal ingredients. Also, no exotic way-out there ingredients. Just whole-food, plant based fun!

Karma Burgers
1/2 red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 med onion, cut into chunks
2c baby spinach leaves
3/4c cooked brown rice
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
1 tsp chile powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5-2c plain bread crumbs
EVOO

Puree the red pepper, onion, and spinach in a food processor until liquid. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Ready to blend!

 Mix the chickpeas and brown rice in a food processor until they form a paste (you don't have to clean the food processor in between - its all going to mix together anyways!)

Add paste to the bowl containing the veggie mix. Add the chili powder, tomato paste and salt. Stir together to mix well - use your hands! Mix in the bread crumbs until the mixture sticks together. Form into patties (makes about 8) and cook on a skillet with EVOO until brown on both sides.

Now, a few Laura notes. First off, I miss read the instructions and only add 1/2c of bread crumbs to start and couldn't figure out why my mixture was so wet! I started adding flour, realized I misread the instructions, but I still feel like I had to add a lot of extra bread crumbs/flour to get these to not stick to my hands trying to make patties.

Also, the texture reminded me more of falafel than burger. I'm not saying that is a bad thing. Considering how wet this mixture was, I'm not too surprised. I was really worried that these were just not going to cook through or end up burnt. I think the extra flour helped me from having to throw away the whole mix. Softer texture than I was originally planning on, but still yummy/ If you are looking for a 'meaty' burger though I suggest you go with the Black Bean Burger recipe. Otherwise, serve up the Karma Burger over some greens and top with a dab of chiptole mayo!

Chiptole Mayo - 1/4c nondairy mayo, 1/4tsp chile powder, 1/2tsp agave nectar (and mix!)

Karma (Falafel) Burger!

Another recipe I wanted to share from the Karma Chow cookbook is the Chiptole Cashew Cheeze Sauce. What is it with me and Chiptole lately? :)

2c cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
1/4c nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp chiptole chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Water

Drain the water from the cashews and put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Add just enough water to cover and blend until smooth (may take a few minutes).

This sauce is really versatile! I used it at our Mexican-themed Vegan Thanksgiving a few weeks back in a casserole dish and had the left overs in some nachos I whipped up. This time I used it as a sauce on some noodles to make some yummy Mac n Cheeze!

Mac n Cheeze & Greens

Some days, you just crave comfort foods. Yesterday was that day for me! I used some of the cheeze sauce on left over noodles I had, and made a serving of Coconut Greens for a quick meal. Super yummy and filling.

Now you are equipped with some great burger recipes! And a few sauces too! Go out and try the recipes & tell me what you think!

Stay Positive,
L ♥

Experimenting in the Kitchen

I took some vacation time this week from work since I had a few more days to use before the end of the year. With my extra free time I've been able to sleep in, go to the gym with Jon (a nice change from going by myself) and do something I love - experiment in the kitchen!

Being a vegetarian since early college, and more recently a vegan, I can't tell you how many times I've heard "so where do you get your protein?" Depending on my mood you'll get a sarcastic or informative answer! Truth is, I have no issues getting enough protein from my diet, because I eat a variety of whole foods. Yes, protein makes up a lower % of my calories as opposed to protein or carb percentages, but I promise I am in no danger of a protein deficiency!

When I am working out and trying to build muscle, I will include a protein smoothie into my eating plan. Sometimes though I would love to EAT my protein and not DRINK it...especially in the cooler, winter months. Enter the protein waffle. I first heard of these through Jon, who gets a powder mix for waffles from an bodybuilding store, adds water, and boom - protein waffle. I've also seen other people on Instagram make protein waffles/pancakes, but had never tried myself.

If you know me, you know I bake from scratch. The same applies to waffles/pancakes - I haven't used an Aunt Jemima mix in years. So I just had to figure out how to tweak my own recipe in order to get the right consistency of the batter with the inclusion of my vegan protein powder. My final inspiration came from the blog The Guiltless Life.

Ta-Da!

This was a chocolate chip protein waffle with a peanut butter sauce & bananas. Yum! I found the waffle to be a little sweet (I think from the Stevia) and I had to use a lot more almond milk than what TGL calls for. Next time I think I will omit the Stevia and this should be perfect! I used Vega Sport Vanilla protein powder as my protein of choice - vanilla goes with anything!

Jon and I rented some movies to watch over the long weekend so I thought I would make a snack for us to enjoy while we watched. Remember this post? I love the mix of sweet - salty - crunchy but the marshmallows were a little overwhelming to me. Smaller marshmallows or bigger chunks of chocolate may balance the mix better, but I thought I would try a rice krispie treat concept this time around.

Mega RK Treat!

I think my balance of marshmallow to other ingredients was still unbalanced, but it was a step in the right direction. The cinnamon flavor from the cinnamon toast crunch really pops in this mix! A great evening/movie snack. I ended up rolling the mix into a log and cutting into individual pieces for grab-and-go convenience.

Today my plans include taking advantage of the mild weather we are having here and going for my long run OUTSIDE!! I can't believe it's December 1st and we are getting into the 50s today. Also, I have some black beans left over from Thanksgiving cooking so I'm going to try to make some homemade burgers from those to eat tonight & also freeze for later. I will post on how that experiment goes later!

Stay Positive,
L♥

Things I Love Thursday: Teeccino!

If you are looking to cut back on caffeine (maybe because you are starting BB's Ultimate Reset!) there is a great caffeine-free alternative on the market. Teeccino is an herbal tea blend that is roasted and ground just like coffee. You can even brew it like coffee, or use the convienent individual-serving tea bags!

There are 18 flavors divided into two flavor lines - Mediterraenan and Maya. There are also 3 roasts - light, medium, and dark. My personal favs is the Maya Chocolate, because I don't like my coffee too sweet! With all the options avaialble, I am sure you can find one you love too!

Iced Chocolate Mint Coffee
1 c Maya Chocolate Teeccino, chilled over ice
1/2c chocolate almond milk
1 tsp mint extract

Have you tried Teccino? What is your favorite flavor?

Things I love Thursday! Amy's Mac n Cheese

Sometimes, you just crave comfort food. Remember those splurge calories I talked about? This is a great time to use them!

I am a big fan of Amy's products. I have been eating her dinners & wraps well before I went vegan because I love the company's commitment to using organic ingredients and producing products that are great tasting and good for you!

When I discovered Amy's had a Vegan Mac n Cheese, I jumped for joy! I have a few of my own vegan mac n cheese recipes I fall back on, but the convience of this is great. It is also soy-free, gluten-free, tree-nut free, and kosher! I think just about anyone could eat this!

Proudct Page Link

Beachbody Ultimate Reset - Day 22: Life After the Reset

Day 22! I graduated! First of all I want to give a shout out to my support team, Hazel, Katie, and Sean - without y'all I would have thrown the towel in early on! Thanks for being rockstars :)

I am meeting with my personal trainer later this week and after that I will be able to post all of my final results. I like to have her measure me since so that the measurements are consistent. I can't wait to share my final results & before/after pics! Ok, maybe I'm not super thrilled about the 'before' pictures but hopefully sharing my story will inspire others to take on a health challenge of their own. That's what its all about - sharing the information I have gained & hopefully inspiring others to do the same!

To be honest, I was a little nervous about going into this week. The UR guide gives general ideas of what to do in weeks 1, 2, etc after the reset but I was so worried about undoing all the hard-work I have done the past 21 days! I am also gearing up for starting a TurboFire/Chalean Extreme hybrid program, and want to make sure I am incorporating the optimum combination of fat/protein/carbs. Anyways, here is what I ate today!

Started off the day with some steel cut oats with 1/2 a banana, agave nectar, and cinnamon. This was my first try of steel cut oats and I give them a thumbs up! I made enough for my parents and I since I was home for the holiday weekend. They are looking to shake up their eating habits so it was great to be able to share this meal with them! They also got to see me prepare some of the UR meals this weekend - and liked the idea of eating less foods that are processed! How cool!

Hearty Breakfast

My fiance and I were going to go out to lunch today to celebrate the end of the Reset. In the plan they say if you have to eat out, find a vegan/vegetarian restaurant because these types of places will be most likely to accommodate your dietary needs. That works for me - I have lots of favorite vegan restaurants in and around Detroit (where I was visiting this weekend). Unfortunately they were ALL closed for the holiday - all 3 of my favorites! Instead, I decided just to make my favorite meal from one of the restaurants - Enchiladas Calabaza. These enchiladas are squash or pumpkin filled and seriously are so yummy! I have made this dish before, but never when I was vegan. I was able to find Daiya (the best vegan cheese!) to make this dish completely vegan friendly!

Enchiladas Calabaza

Lastly dinner - and a tip! I find cooking to go much smoother if you just have everything prepped and ready to go. This way, you won't be scrambling around for missing ingredients while your creation is burning on the stove-top.

Let's do this.

Today's dinner was pretty simple, I was really just craving some fresh veggies! I did a stir-fry with broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, and red pepper. I used about a tablespoon of coconut oil to caramelize some onions, added the veggies with some garlic & ginger and then finished it off with Bragg's & Nori Gomasio! All done in about 7 minutes!

Stir-fry Veggies

 Be sure to check back tomorrow - my Reset Graduation present to myself is scheduled to arrive! I can't wait :)
I hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend and that you were able to spend some time with family and friends! Most of all thanks to those who have served so we can enjoy all the freedoms of this great country we live in. I am PROUD to be an American!

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Interested in Beachbody's Ultimate Reset? For more information click here!
http://myultimatereset.com/LauraLou831

Beachbody Ultimate Reset Day 20 - Plan Ahead

Day 20 is now complete and I am officially one day away from completing the Reset! Although some days this week have felt like they were dragging on, I can't believe how fast the entire  3 weeks has gone by!

Today was my nephew's first birthday party. Where I was faced with this. My kryptonite. The almighty cupcake:

I wanted to eat one so bad. This situation is a great example of how crucial a tool like a support forum is when taking on a new fitness/diet challenge. While idly helping set other things up for the party and sending lustful gazes towards the cupcakes, I posted to my support group on Facebook what I was feeling. Within 5 minutes I had a response from one of my fellow team members, 'One more day, hang in there!'. And that one small sentence of encouragement snapped me back into reality and made me realize I did not want to throw away the past 20 days of hard work and discipline for one cupcake! (Thanks Hazel!)

I believe this to be a common dilemma. You are committed to a fitness program for x amount of days and there always seems to be a birthday/wedding/BBQ/aunt's dog graduated puppy kindergarten/party that you MUST go to. My best advice is simple, plan ahead. For starters, don't show up hungry. The food choices at most gatherings are subpar and probably not on your plan (unless you hang out with dietitians on a regular basis, in which case - kudos to you!). Eat a small meal before you/ arrive, and take a bottle of water with you. Drink lots of water, it will keep you full. If you feel like you must eat at the party to be nice, go for fresh veggies or fruits, avoid sweets and processed carbs.

Even better, bring your own dish to pass! Summer is a great time for fresh veggies that can easily be incorporated into a stellar salad. Or whip up one of your favorite recipes from your current meal plan - just make about 4x the amount. You can share your food - and nutrition tips - with others, without feeling like you have to starve at the gathering.

Another tip I have is just to keep yourself busy and away from anything that might be tempting you. Is cake your downfall? Offer to take in the main course serving dishes to wash or collect plates & cups that people are done with to keep your mind off of desert. Is the chip bowl calling your name? Leave the room and find some kiddos to play a game with - they love the attention!

Today I'm proud to say I made it through the party without a single slip-up. I brought over my Jicama-Avocado salad and got to talk about jicama with my soon to be in-laws. How often does that ever happen!? :)

One last though along the lines of planning ahead. Day 21 is soon to be upon us and I will have officially graduated from the Reset. I have been dreaming of the things I will eat on Day 22 this entire time. However, I don't want to just throw the last 3 weeks of clean eating & redefined habits out the window. If you know me, you know my love of coffee. And I honestly can't think of what drink I will get on Day 22 now that I am 'allowed'. I'm not really craving it. The post-Reset guidelines say to wait 4 weeks before reintroducing caffeine. So maybe I'll try a small (super tiny) glass of decaf and see how I feel.

I have decided to start up a hybrid Chalene Extreme/TurboFire schedule 2 weeks from the end of the Reset. I have been going through their meal plans to gather info on how they recommend you fuel your body to power through the workouts. I'm then finding recipes in 2 of my vegan cookbooks, Let Them Eat Vegan! by Dreena Burton and Appetite for Reduction by Isa Moskowitz. I have always admired Dreena for sticking to what I consider the vegan basics. Eating whole foods - veggies, grains, legumes - in their unprocessed forms and making them taste great! Simplicity at its best. And Isa has been a longtime favorite cookbook author/vegan rock-star of mine. One of the first vegan cookbooks I owned was Vegan with a Vengeance and it changed my life. Isa (&Terry) taught me what the heck to do with a bock of tofu and how to veganize the comfort foods I held near to my heart! Hopefully I will be able to share my meal plans over the next few weeks as I start up my new exercise program!


For me, its all about structure, about planning ahead. What works for me might not work for you, but maybe give it a try and see what happens!

ONE MORE DAY! Cheers!

Sunday Brunch

Tofu scramble, spicy southern home fries, and bacon. I've been trying to add more 'greens' in my diet. The fake bacon is attempt at clearing out my freezer before I move. I like it slightly more than I like the real stuff (which is not at all).

After brunch, I ate a brownie. From Picnic & Pantry, a great place right next to Melt, my favorite restaurant in all of Cincy.

Review: Justin's

I give the chocolate peanut butter cups a 4/5. I really REALLY like chocolate PB cups out of the freezer. Bonus points for being dark chocolate.

I give the coffee mug a 5/5.

2 New Smoothie Recipes

"Triple B Smoothie"
(Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie)

1 c non-dairy milk (I prefer almond)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 banana
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 tbsp flax seed
1 tbsp agave nectar

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend. The frozen blueberries will make it cold enough you do not need additional ice. 

Notes: For a bit better texture, let the oatmeal soak overnight in 3/4c of the milk. Add the remaining 1/4 c of milk before blending

"Supermodel Smoothie"
(Adapted from Niki Taylor's recipe: http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/5054)
12 oz water
1 c kale
1/2 c spinach
1/2 c (2 stalks) celery
1/2 a banana
1/2 c frozen berries (I use blueberries)
1/2 scoop cacao powder
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

Put the water, kale, spinach and celery in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the banana, berries and powder and blend again. You can add more water to adjust the consistency, but I find anything more than 12 oz makes this smoothie very watery.

Note: I like this smoothie because it doesn't look like a green smoothie. The cacao powder makes it look like a chocolate shake...no more weird looks at work! :)