Being Vegan-ish

I bought four cantaloupes the other day. They were on sale. I also bought an avocado, three pints of strawberries, two of the biggest cucumbers I have ever seen, and enough mushrooms, spinach and asparagus to feed a small city.

I made dinner the other night. I steamed mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, and asparagus. Then I got a spinach flavored tortilla and loaded it with fresh spinach, sliced yellow peppers and this yummy ginger sesame dressing I found. Once the veggies were cooked, I loaded everything onto the tortilla and made this enormously large veggie taco concoction. It was seriously the best thing that I had eaten in a really long time. I was in awe of my own genius. I called lil' EB and told her what I had made, and she was equally as excited as I was, and she wasn't even there. We are making it later this week... I love having someone to share this love of fresh food with.

This morning while I was preparing breakfast and lunch to bring to work, I was cutting one of my cantaloupes. The juice was running all over my hands and arms, and I was just licking it off of everything. It was so yummy. I packed my little juice box thingy of chocolate soy milk, put my cantaloupe and strawberries in a bag and worked on this huge salad that I am going to eat for lunch today. Spinach, red leaf lettuce, red and yellow peppers and seedless cucumber. YUM!!!While I would never claim to be a morning person, I realized this morning that the twenty to thirty minutes it takes me to prepare food for my day has become the best part of my day. I love standing in the kitchen with fruit everywhere, picking through the good berries and chopping peppers.

I have to say that I am kind of liking this vegan thing... and am realizing that its kind of unfair to call this dietary lifestyle a "sacrifice". I think that its easy to forget that God has made all of these wonderful fruits and vegetables for us to eat, to nourish our bodies, when all we are eating is meat and fat and cheese. Don't get me wrong, I love cheese. I miss cheese. Cheese has been the hardest thing for me to give up next to coffee creamer (it was just easier to give up coffee). But seriously, when was the last time you had a really amazing tomato and was just amazed that God made this tomato and that it was the best tomato on the planet? Or had a pear, and was like "wow, that is an amazing pear... thanks God." (idea from lil'EB)

I really want to encourage folks to try this dietary lifestyle for at least two weeks. Yes, TWO WEEKS!! I know that its a long time to go without a hamburger or chicken. But if I can make it through my period without a big ol' bacon cheeseburger, than you can too. The first week, is okay. You kind of feel rundown, a little on the sluggish side. But you are eating such great stuff. The second week, you feel amazing. I have more energy. I am sleeping better at night. I am less grumpy in the morning. Who would have thought that putting only healthy fruits, veggies and grains into your body would make you feel good?? Lil' EB and I will be there to cheer you on and to eat whatever you are making that is going to be super yummy.

Hey God, thanks for that great cantaloupe this morning. It took me over an hour to eat, and I savored every delicious bite. It was awesome. I will look forward to cutting up another one for breakfast tomorrow.