The Art of Being Vegan – My Vegan Story

If people only knew the struggle, frustration, constant disappointment, mockery and doubt that every Vegan faces on a daily basis- maybe they would see just how amazing

The

art oftruly is.

My transition to Veganism happened literally overnight.

Does that even count as a transition?

While browsing YouTube, I stumbled across an amazing video lecture by Gary Yourofsky. By the time my little family was finished, nearly half of our refrigerator, freezer and pantry was piled neatly into in trash bags, lining our porch.

look green


Every Vegan I’ve ever met has had one solid, earth shattering realization that completely altered the course of their very existence. My awakening was no different, it rocked me to my core.

As a Pagan, I considered the negative implications of eating meat and dairy, from a purely energetic perspective.

Killing innocent, living beings who are born and bread to be tortured and killed is not only morally wrong, it is

energetically

The negative energy from such devastation is then transferred to your plate and transcends into your body’s own energetic field.

I quickly realized that this Meat and Dairy Machine not only lead to countless innocent lives lost but

The Meat and Dairy Machine breeds Generation upon Generation of Human Psychopathy.

Psychopath (noun) – possessing a callous unconcern for the feelings of others. Psychopaths show lack of emotion, especially social emotions, such as shame, guilt and embarrassment. Psychopaths experience a lack of remorse and continuously shift the blame of their actions towards anyone but themselves. Psychopaths have a very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence. Psychopaths possess irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by physical fights or assaults.

– From “What is a Psychopath?” at Psychology Today


When I witnessed the blatant torment that these animals were subjected to, at the hands of Human beings, I wondered how anyone could participate in such cruelty and devastation. To be honest, I couldn’t finish watching many of the videos that showed these horrific acts first hand. I cried for weeks non stop.

I realized that I was enabling, promoting and encouraging this torture and devastation to continue. I was sick to my stomach. I was hurt and I was angry.

why

I spent day and night researching Veganism. I became obsessed with living a cruelty free, compassionate life, in every way possible. I would no longer contribute to or support the torture and loss of innocent lives. I broke free from the chains of normalcy and ignorance.


I am not going to lie

being vegan

takes a lot of time, patience, motivation and will power. A simple trip to the grocery store takes no less than 45 minutes. Finding Organic anything is a debacle. Reading every single ingredient, on every single item you consider purchasing, makes your eyes cross and the room spin beneath your feet.

You

sigh

and shake your head as you are forced to put half your cart right back on the shelf.

You dread fighting with fast food workers about removing their beloved

Meat, Eggs, Cheese, Sour Cream, Butter and Milk…

from every damn item on their menu.

Don’t worry, everything you wanted removed will still be there, as if to test your resolve. And let’s not delve into those people in your life, who just cannot seem to accept or ignore the fact that you happen to be Vegan.

Even through all of this –  every single frustration, irritation, all the time spent, the hard work, the research- it is all worth it. I hope you know how much of an impact YOU make every single day, by your choice to be Vegan.

choose

Sometimes we all need to be reminded of why we made the choice to be Vegan. You are saving lives, with every breath, through every step, through every bite you take. And that is something worth celebrating.

vegan


The amazing video lecture by Gary Yourofsky that completely changed my life, can be found here:

http://youtu.be/es6U00LMmC4

Vegan Friendly Foodie Review- Chuy’s Mexican Food, Houston, TX

We all have a hands down, could eat it every second of every day, never gets old, mouth starts watering at the mere mention of it, stomach growls in excitement

favoriteMy wonderful husband is no exception. His foodie love affair extends way past the norm when it comes to one food in particular

Mexican FoodIf he lived alone-

My side of the bed would be replaced with Huevos Rancheros, Negra Modelo, Green Salsa and hundreds of freshly sliced limes.

Can you picture just how glorious that truly is?

blue borderWhen we became Vegan, we figured Mexican Food was the one food that we could still enjoy, with the least amount of fuss. I mean, we could always tell the waitress

“No Cheese, Meat or Sour Cream…”

and still have a huge variety of goodies to choose from. Right?

wrong 2

After some serious research, we quickly found out that there is one particular Non-Vegan ingredient that many Mexican Food eateries LOVE to add to nearly every single item on their menu…

lard 2

Mexican Food Restaurants use Lard in various aspects of their menu items; from the rice to the various kinds of beans and even the tortillas. Lard is a huge staple of Authentic Mexican Food and many dishes simply wouldn’t taste the same without it.

After all of our research, my husband was completely devastated. It was obvious. He began the grieving process of leaving behind, his favorite foodie love of all time.

My husband has been so supportive and encouraging on our Vegan journey. I just couldn’t let him give up his favorite food. We live in Texas for crying out loud-

deny

Who knows, it just might be. It’s a damn shame.

I began the grueling task of researching Mexican Restaurants that had Vegan food options. I finally found it. There was a Mexican Food Restaurant 5 minutes from our house, that had everything our little Vegan hearts desired.

I couldn’t believe it!

chuys 1I was so excited to take my husband out to dinner Friday night! The heavenly scent of fresh tortillas engulfed our senses as we walked through the door. It was amazing to see hundreds of fresh tortillas made by hand, piping hot, ready to be served.

tortillas 2When our waitress handed us the menu, I couldn’t help but notice how disappointed my husband looked as he asked

“What can we eat here?”

I smiled and listed some of the goodies I had found online.

  • Flour, Corn, Blue Corn, Wheat Tortillas
  • Mexican or Green Chile Rice
  • Refried or Charro Beans
  • Guacamole Tacos
  • Bean Taco or Bean Burrito (No Cheese)
  • Bean Sopapilla (No Cheese)
  • Ranchero or Tomatillo Sauce
  • Veggie Enchiladas <~~~~~ YES!!

beer

My husband smiled and his eyes lit up. He could have his enchiladas and his rice and beans too! He ordered a Negra Modelo with sliced lime. I knew that all was right with the world once more.

guacvegvegench

The Veggie Enchiladas are so good! We can’t wait to try the Guacamole Tacos on our next trip. If you are desperately needing your Mexican Food fix, Vegan style, check to see if there is a Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant near you. No Lard- No Problem!

http://www.chuys.com

“Vegan Friendly” Foodie Review- Zio’s Italian Kitchen, Houston, TX

Dealing with “Vegan-Bashing” has become a minor irritation in my every day life. Most days, I can brush it off without a second thought, but when I’ve already “Had It” with the normal, every day frustrations that come with being Vegan…

honey

You can only eat Subway and Taco Bell so many times, before the desire to throat punch every rude, mean and arrogant Non-Vegan you encounter, becomes entirely too enticing.

That leads me to one of my biggest frustrations…

Why is it so difficult to find Vegan food?

p and m

So, after researching my entire lunch break away – I finally found not one, but two Vegan Friendly Restaurant options “fairly” close to me!

If that doesn’t warrant an immediate

boot to the mooncelebration, then I’m not sure what the hell does.

I couldn’t stop thinking about enjoying one of my favorite foodie indulgences…

italian food

I wanted it ALL- the Fresh Baked Italian Bread, the Savory Oil with the Amazing Herbs, the Fresh Chopped Salad, drenched in a Delicious Italian Dressing….

I finally found it all here…

zios polaroid

zios salad

veggie primaveraThe food was absolutely Amazing!


I must admit, finding Vegan food options is a huge feat; even in this incredible Modern World we live in. Thankfully, so many amazing bloggers, writers, travelers and normal, every day Vegan Guru’s spend countless hours compiling lists, making calls, sending emails and doing everything they can to make our life a little easier.

I just want to say

thank youfor all you do!

I found an amazing Vegan Restaurant List online that was prepared by Jake D back in 2013. This post is titled “Vegan Eating in Norman” and although we don’t have all of the restaurant options here in Houston, TX.- we did have quite a few!

You can check out Jake D’s amazing list here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Ilv4LZcMbfFqXxX-Tp7kcy3jaX0CfcvmCsJmUyD1nc/mobilebasic

zios 1

To see if there is a Zio’s Italian Kitchen near you:

https://zios.com/

*If you have a Vegan Restaurant List that you swear by- please share it with me in the comments! That is such a valuable resource for Vegans everywhere!**


Vegan Foodie Review- Green Vegetarian Cuisine

Isn’t it amazing how the best restaurants in town, are always the ones you mistakenly stumble upon, totally by chance?

oh honey!green veg front entrance

needs to be at the top of the

“Bad Ass Vegan Places To Stuff Your Face” List…

Last week, Sunday rolled around and our little family, had absolutely nothing to do. That is a rare occurrence in our house, so we decided to take full advantage.

We were long overdue for a

vegan adventure 2

We made the 45 minute drive to Downtown Houston, jamming Sublime ’40 oz to Freedom’ the entire way. We were driving past a tiny shopping center on Richmond Avenue when I saw “Vegetarian” in big bold letters. Now, we all know, there is a BIG difference between Vegan and Vegetarian but with such few Vegan restaurant options available, we figured

it never hurts to ask

 Thank Goddess we did! We were amazed to find out that ALL of the Menu items at Green Vegetarian Cuisine are in fact Vegetarian, but ANY of the Menu items can be made Vegan as well!

green veg 1

green veg 3

blue borderThere were so many mouth watering dishes to choose from! We decided to order some Smoothies and take our time drooling over the menu. I finally decided on the “Fish” Sandwich, Tom ordered the Jalapeno Burger and Bre chose on the Vegetarian Tostadas. When the waitress brought our food out, I couldn’t help but admire how amazing it all looked!

green veg fish sand

green veg jal burger

green veg tostadas 1

We were absolutely stuffed! It is such a rare occurrence, to eat so much food that I can barely breathe. But believe me, the amazing food at Green Vegetarian Cuisine will tempt you to lick the damn plate clean. When our waitress came to check on us, she asked if we had room for Vegan Dessert.

wait did you just say

I must be hallucinating, from all the delicious food I just devoured, but I could have sworn you said ‘Vegan Dessert.’

The waitress laughed and walked to the front of the restaurant. She brought back a huge tray FULL of Vegan cupcakes and brownies.

I nearly fainted. I am not even kidding.

One of the most difficult things about our transition to Veganism, is that we haven’t had much luck finding good Vegan desserts.

I looked over at my husband, and quickly realized that I wasn’t the only one picking my jaw up off the floor. My husband was in the “Vegan Dessert Zone.” In his trance state, he grabbed one of the “sample cupcakes” right off the tray and started to pop it in his mouth. Thankfully, having been married for 7 years, I am a master at ‘food-to-face’ interception. My ninja reflexes kicked in, I snatched that sample cupcake and plopped it right back on the tray.

chomp

My poor husband didn’t even know what hit him. The waitress stood in front of us, gripping the tray with white knuckles, mouth wide in a perfect “O.” She was in shock. Poor thing. I looked up and smiled.

we will take one

bordercupcakes 2cupcakes 1


To see if there is a “Green Vegetarian Cuisine” near you – check them out at

http://www.eatgreen.com

Namaste & Blessed be!

Vegan Foodie Friday – Vegan Fauxjita Taco’s

I must admit, I have an extremely busy life.

Don't we all 2

Sometimes I am truly amazed, to look back and see just how much I managed to accomplish in a single week.

As a Wife, Mom, Boss, Friend and Blogger; between working Full Time, attending Yoga twice a week, joining every Pagan event available, moving forward on my Spiritual journey and constantly finding new ways to expand my Vegan lifestyle-

I am one

bad mamma jamma 3

An exhausted one at times, but I do feel extremely proud to end each week with so much accomplished.

Fridays are always a celebration for our little family.

Bre is out of school, Tom and I are off work and we can finally do whatever we want! And believe me, we all take full advantage of our favorite Saturday luxury-

sleeping in

Friday night means, for the first time all week, I can finally take my time with dinner and try out all of the amazing Vegan recipes I simply can’t afford to potentially

Screw up/ Catch on Fire/ Forget About Half Way Through/ Melt to the Stove

during our regular busy routine filled week.

Now, I have to admit, before I became Vegan, I hated cooking. I despised it. I avoided it like the plague. I sucked at it and I just couldn’t find the motivation to get any better.

 After becoming Vegan, I had a moment of clarity. It wasn’t that I hated cooking, I just couldn’t stand cooking and preparing meat.

My hands down favorite thing to hear, between mouthfuls of food is

oh my goddess

Starting my Vegan journey , at the beginning of this year, has changed my life in every possible way.

I hope this blog inspires you to make the commitment to live a Kind, Compassionate life. To make the decision to Harm None; to leave the world a little better than you found it. To support a cause greater than yourself- with every breath, every step, through every bite you take.

vegan foodie recipe

For my first Vegan Foodie Friday Blog,

I wanted something amazingly delicious and easy to make!

Can I just say…

bomb diggity

 fauxjita tacos 2

Plus, they are  Oh.So.Easy to make!

We are talking about 15 – 20 minutes before the only sound you hear is

Nomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom

Let’s get down to business…

Vegan Fauxjita Taco

You can find this super adorable Recipe Printable for FREE over at Skip to My Lou. She has so many amazing templates! Best of all, you can edit them for any project or recipe!

beyond chick pol

Ingredients List:

  • (1)          10 Count          Mission Tortillas
  • (1)           15.4 oz             Amy’s Kitchen Organic Traditional Refried Beans
  • (1)            12 oz               Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips
  • (1)             8 oz                Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • (1)            12 oz               Tofutti Dairy-Free Sour Cream
  • (2)                                    Organic Tomatoes
  • (2)                                    Organic Avocadoes

Get To Work:

  1. Dice (2) Organic Tomatoes
  2. Slice (2) Organic Avocados
  3. Sear Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips in skillet on Medium heat until both sides are golden brown
  4. In medium sauce pan, heat Amy’s Kitchen Organic Traditional Re-fried Beans until warm
  5. Heat Mission Tortillas in medium skillet, on both sides, until warm
  6. To build your Fauxjita Soft Taco –
    1. Add Amy’s Re Fried Beans and Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips to a warm Mission Tortilla
    2. Add all of your delicious toppings! A handful of Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese and  a spoonful of Tofutti Sour Cream
    3. Add your Organic Veggies- Chopped tomatoes and sliced Avocados
  7. Take a picture of your masterpiece and tag me @veganpaganyogi!

Now, stand back and bask in the deliciousness you just created!

Fauxjita Taco pol

bad mamma jamma 4

Feel free to use whatever Vegan brand you like, to replace any of these items. I added the brands I used to help make your shopping a hell of a lot easier!

* These brands were checked on the PETA website and on the actual product’s website.*