Guess who's biting the heads off of broccoli now..

Celebs from Betty White to Anne Hathaway have joined in on the plant-based food party lately, but one recent addition might throw you off your rocker a little bit. Who might this mystery person be? None other than British rocker and tabloid phenom Ozzy Osbourne.

Yeah, I didn’t see that coming either.

Yet as he professed during a recent interview on ‘The Talk’, he's decided to transition to an animal product-free existence by adopting veganism after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives.

Osbourne also stated that he is hoping his new diet transformation will help him avoid junk food and any other unnecessary foods while on tour that he is so prone to indulging in.

“When you’re on the road and you’re traveling, you grab buns and… burgers are everywhere… so now I’ve just narrowed the margin.”

Ozzy has been clean and sober for the past ten years. We’re proud of him for all he’s done and is currently doing, and I hope I can speak for myself and the rest of the vegan community when we say we support Mr. Osbourne in his new endeavours.

Go Vegan!

Kaela Palmer

(guest blogger)

Puppies and Glam Chowder make me happy

Look who we adopted into our busy family from Eleventh Hour Rescue! 

Introducing the amazing five month old (we think) lab/terrier mix brothers: Owen and Ted!

Ted's name was going to be "Yaz" after Carl Yastrzemski, Ed's favorite baseball player, but the kids vetoed it, discouraging us from giving our puppy the same name as birth control. I had no idea. So, we opted to name him after Ed's other favorite baseball player, Ted Williams. Turns out that he looks more like a Ted than a Yaz anyway! His brother was already named Owen and it fit him so well that we decided to keep it. 

Owen and Ted are the sweetest, cuddliest, cutest puppies I've ever had. I get up extra early in the morning to take care of them, I miss them during the day while I'm at work and I look forward to seeing their wagging tails that help me find my smile again when I get home.

Even though I wanted to spend my evening cuddling with the puppies, I managed to squeeze in some time to indulge in an amazing soup from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite For Reduction cookbook for dinner tonight.

"Manhattan Glam Chowder" is Isa's vegan nod to Manhattan Clam Chowder and it does not disappoint. Nori provides a subtle ocean flavor while the shiitake mushrooms do a wonderful job replacing the clams and I loved how the yukon potatoes just melted in my mouth. When you're craving a fresh tasting, hearty soup, do yourself a favor and give this recipe a try. It makes just enough to feed four people and the kids enjoyed eating a few pieces of thickly sliced crusty bread with it as well.

My only complaint is that I didn't make enough chowder to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I'll probably double the recipe next time I make this and then freeze single servings of it so that I can have a quick bowl any time I want.

One more puppy photo to close out the post because they are so darn cute. This was from the night we fell in love with and rescued the puppies:

My kids are spreading the word: it's cool to rescue!

Pet adoptions

Quick post about day one of our attempt to find dog and cat companions at a local shelter. We wanted to find a young adult dog that was medium sized to fit our current postage stamp sized backyard, small house floorplan, and busy schedules and a young adult cat that's dog friendly.

It's always tough going to the shelter because we fall in love with animals instantly and want to take them all home with us. Sadly, we didn't bring any new forever friends home today and when we left it felt as if we were leaving our hearts behind. I think Jakob and I even shed a few tears on the car ride home.

While our search was unsuccessful today, we're going back tomorrow, filled with hoped and excitement.

If you have the capacity to take care of a pet, please consider adopting one from an animal shelter. Rescuing animals is truly rewarding. For those of you who live in the Seattle area, the Seattle Humane Society is making it easy by offering free adoptions this weekend!

My crush on the 30-Day Vegan Challenge + chocolate cake!

My family has fallen in love with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The 30-Day Vegan Challenge book. More than just a collection of some of her best recipes, it's a manifesto for vegans, ultimate guide book for the veg-curious and must-have resource for anyone who wants to eat well to feel well and live compassionately.

We love the easy to follow recipes and I enjoy giving the book away to friends and clients. If you know someone who would like to be vegan but says they don't have enough money/time/patience to stick with it or "just can't give up cheese", The 30-Day Vegan Challenge is for you (and them!). It addresses these concerns plus many more in a non-confrontational, encouraging, compassionate manner.

This fantastic book is organized into three primary sections:

"get ready!"

• Simplifies what being vegan means and what to expect from the book

"get set!"

• Encourages readers to understand their current state of health, find a support system, and to set clear goals and intentions

"go!"

• Offers 30 days of support, ideas and information on sustaining a vegan diet. I can't say enough about the valuable information contained in this section. Some of my favorite topics include:
• Stocking a healthful vegan kitchen
• Eating healthfully affordably
• Discovering that there IS life after cheese
• Putting to rest the great protein myth
• Strong like Popeye: increasing your iron absorption
• Skipping the middle fish: getting omega-2s from the source
• Finding harmony living in a mixed household
• Keeping it in perspective: intention, not perfection
• Easy and convenient recipes

It's easy to get overwhelmed by all of the options available in a vegan diet when you first get started. The meal planning guide in this book makes it tremendously easy for you to plan three quick and easy meals a day plus snacks. There are even helpful tips on what to eat at restaurants!

While the information is easily digestible, the recipes are delicious, and very easy to make, with ingredients available at your local grocery store. For example, my 13 year old son was inspired to make Colleen's Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe all by himself while I was catching up on some work after dinner. He did a fantastic job and even cleaned the kitchen afterwards! Unfortunately he had already sliced up the cake and served it to the family before I could take a picture, but trust me on this one, if you need a quick and easy recipe for cake or cupcakes, make this one your no-fail, go-to recipe.

CHOCOLATE CAKE with CHOCOLATE FROSTING
by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 cup cold water

Chocolate Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan or cupcake tins.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water. Mix until just combined.
3. Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If making cupcakes, check for doneness after 15 minutes.
4. Cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool completely before frosting with Cocoa Frosting. You may also dust with sifted confectioner's sugar and top with fresh raspberries.

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons water or non-dairy milk

Frosting Directions:

1. With an electric hand mixer, cream the margarine until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar, and mix for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more non-dairy milk if it's too dry.
3. Cover the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and re-whip before using.

If you would like to own a copy of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The 30-Day Vegan Challenge , you can purchase it from your local bookstore, get it at a great price on Amazon, or you can enter to win a copy for free right here!  Just 1) leave a comment telling me how you will use this fabulous book to promote a vegan lifestyle, and 2) tweet this blog post to help spread the word about the book and how easy it is to be vegan.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off for a second piece of that cake...

Here's to your good fortune and health!

Keeping warm in the city of rain

It was another cold, wet day in Seattle, and I was thoroughly chilled to the bone by the time I got home from work, so it was easy to decide what to make for dinner: Colleen's Split Pea Soup and Drop Biscuits from The 30-Day Vegan Challenge! Once you make these biscuits, you'll never go back to purchasing a mix or tube o' biscuits again. This recipe is quick with minimal clean up - my kind of recipe! The soup on the other hand needs to cook for an hour so grab some carrots and hummus as a snack (or tortillas and salsa) before dinner to tide the family over until it's ready and then freeze leftovers so you have a quick meal the next time you need it!

Split Pea Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 cups green (or yellow) split peas
6 cups vegetable broth
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 creamy yellow potatoes, diced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon: dried marjoram, dried basil, dried parsley, liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, black pepper
Salt, pepper and nutritional yeast to taste

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the split peas, checking for any impurities, such as stones or residue.

Place all of the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in a soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover loosely and cook until the peas are tender, 1 hour or longer. Check it every so often to make sure the liquid isn't evaporating too quickly. The flame should be low-medium.

The resulting soup should be thick and creamy, with the split peas quite broken down and mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.



Drop Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking paper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/3 cup canola oil or nondairy butter (I used Earth Balance)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Lightly grease a baking or cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour.baking soda, and salt until combined. Add the milk and butter and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. It will be very sticky and thick, not smooth like cake batter. Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet for each biscuit, spacing the biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake until, the bottoms are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

With warm, stick to your ribs soup and melt in your mouth biscuits, all that's left is a little cuddle time in front of the fireplace.

As if cuddling by a fireplace could actually happen on a weekday...HA! Sadly, I had work to do and the rest of the family had Sports Center, Facebook and Madden commitments to follow through on but at least we had warm, full bellies to sustain us.

Here's to your good health!

Soup season is upon us

When I read IIN's blog post for Terry Walter’s Autumn Harvest Soup, I mourned summer for a brief moment and then celebrated the undeniable fact that soup season is upon us. There is something soothing, comforting and satisfying about enjoying a warm bowl of soup on a cool fall day. I glanced at the weather forecast and committed to making this soup for dinner.

The recipe below is an adaptation of Terry Walter's recipe from her cookbook Clean Food. The original was a little bit too acidic for my family's tastes so I substituted walnut oil for toasted seasame oil and added nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, garlic powder, salt, nutritional yeast, and Better than Boullion vegan chicken base (to appease my son).

Autumn Harvest Soup

Ingredients:
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
6 cups water
3/4 cup vegetable broth
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 carrots, diced
4 cups chopped kale or collard greens
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1/4 cup mirin
splash tamari
splash apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Better Than Boullion chicken base (vegan)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
sea salt
ground black pepper
vegan croutons

Preparation:
Place dried mushrooms in medium pot with 6 cups water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. When mushrooms are soft, remove from broth and cut off and discard stems. Dice caps and place back in pot with broth. In large pot over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic and ginger in oil 3 minutes. Add carrots and sauté 3 minutes. Add kale, beans and mirin and sauté until greens are deep green and tender. Pour broth and mushrooms into pot with kale, vegetable broth, bouillon base, tamari, vinegar, garlic powder, walnut oil, stir and simmer 5–7 minutes. Add nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste and garnish with vegan croutons.

Here it is!

I chose to add kale for my leafy green vegetable because it's one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Kale contains dietary fiber, which promotes regular digestion and curbs overeating, helps prevent cancer and helps regulate the body's inflammatory process, among many of its other health benefits.

If kale isn't currently a staple at your table, here are a few ways to start adding it this week:

• Chop it up and add it to broth based soups (like the one below!)
• Toss it with nutritional yeast, cayene pepper and olive oil and then roast it at 275 for kale chips
• Steam it
• Sautee it with olive oil and garlic
• Add it to a smoothie
• Tear the leaves into bite size peices and massage fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and a tiny bit of chili powder to them. Add chopped tomatoes and avocado for a tasty salad or sandwich wrap.

Vegweb.com has an extensive library of kale recipes. Browse through them, pick a few that highlight some of your favorite ingredients and give them a try!

Here's to your health and coziness!

It's time to sit down and enjoy a healthy dose of Celebrity Vegan!

Special guest post by (my daughter) Kaela Palmer

 

Being a vegan isn't something new to most of it's avid followers, yet it seems to be the latest trend on the Hollywood Boulevard. One of it's newest contenders? Lea Michele.

If you don't recognize the name you must a.) live under a rock, or b.) not have a television or internet of any kind. Lea has the starring role in the hit Fox show Glee. She plays the character of 'Rachel Berry', a snobby fame-seeking high school student, determined to gain stardom by any means necessary.
Lately, the 23 year old singer has been accused of being 'too skinny', but amid the blatant tabloid rumors, the healthy actress claims that her new love for nutrition is making her well, not sick. So why is it that when someone denies a hamburger, and instead goes for a salad, that they MUST have body issues? Has anyone from the carnivorous spectrum ever stopped to ask about why vegans make the switch?

For Lea, it's all about living a healthy lifestyle; in order to that, she had to change her eating habits as well. In a recent interview with OK! Magazine, she stated that she chooses a "vegan diet for integrity and energy". In order to play the spunky Miss Berry on set, you need a lot of energy, and this eating habit is the best alternative she has found to feeling so in character.

On top of already being a healthy eater with balanced nutrition, Lea is also an avid exerciser. Her must? Yoga. Yoga and veganism. A solid pair made in plant-based heaven.

For young fans and viewers of her show, and those who follow her every move, she is a proud and prime example of a celebrity doing good for not only herself, but the community as well.
The animals thank you, Lea. And so do we.

Kaela Palmer

Catch Kaela Palmer here every Sunday for a healthy dose "Celebrity Vegan". You can also find her at http://kaelapalmersdayoff.blogspot.com/

Vegan in Las Vegas

It's day 1 of Vegan MoFo and we're celebrating Ed's birthday with friends in Las Vegas. Due to the insane amount of hours I've been working lately, and the very laid back demeanor of my partner, I didn't have time to do any planning before we arrived in Sin City. I figured that my happycow.net app would guide me safely through the mecca of steak houses and buffets. Unfortunately, the app had very few options listed and I starved my way through the first day with only a plate of bok choy in my belly. Not a good start to the weekend. This girl likes to EAT!

What's a vegan girl to do?

Immediately after rolling out of bed this morning I hit the computer and did a Bing search for Vegan in Vegas. Thanks to a few great posts by Quarrygirl , I was able to locate several options that satisfied my requirement for finding tasty vegan food while also accomodating my omnivorous friends. Finding her posts was like betting it all and being dealt a Royal Flush. Money baby!

Lesson for today: when you are in pursuit of vegginess and traveling with non-vegan companions, it's worth the extra effort to research local options that can accomodate both of your dietary choices. We need to eat well to feel well!

Turns out that every restaurant at the Wynn has a vegan menu available. Surfing through all of the menu options made my salivary glands go into over-drive. Lucky for me, the Wynn is only a monorail away from MGM.

If I had access to car, I would also drive out to visit  red velvet cafe and ronald’s donuts . Ronald's promises to be the best vegan donut shop ever. I happen to think that Mighty O donuts in Seattle has the best donuts in the world so I might have to take a taxi out there and give them a try. I'm not a big sweets eater but I'm for this challenge.

I've got my soy latte in hand, list restaurants to conquer and am ready to venture out into the Las Vegas heat. I will happily report back to you with reviews and photos from my culinary experiences in the very near future.

In the meantime, enjoy this "Viva Las Vegas" video from the Dead Kennedys!

Sending you extra vitamin D from the Vegas sunshine,

The challenge is ON!

Yes, I experience overwhelm regularly but signing up to write 20-30 vegan-related posts during the month of October is exhilarating. Inspired by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, I know that anyone can thrive on a vegan diet. Taking part of Vegan MoFo is my way of sharing this sentiment with as many people as possible.

Here are some of the things you can look forward to seeing here during the month of October:

• Easy ways to incorporate plant-based foods into your busy life
• Answers to commonly asked questions
• Restaurant and product reviews
• Posts from the road: traveling with non-vegan family, friends and co-workers
• Crafting simple vegan Halloween treats
• Weekly "special guest" posts
• A chance to win a copy of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The 30 Day Vegan Challenge!

Sit back, relax and soak it all in. This is going to be FUN!!

To your good health,
Susan

Burrito Madness!

 



(This kitten is for you, Terry Romero) 

 I have to tell you about the psuedo-raw burrito I just made that was incredibly quick and easy to put together. So tasty, you'll be licking the plate clean. Given my slowly-evolving culinary prowess, I felt compelled to share it with you immediately because if I can do it, you can do it, too!

After working at the computer (instead of cleaning my house) for 6 hours on this lovely sunny Sunday, I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day and raced over to ChicVegan to recreate the raw taco "meat" featured at VidaVeganCon last weekend. I didn't have a cup of walnuts or lettuce or cilantro so I let my imagination go wild and pulled out whatever I had in the fridge.

The point of this post is to free you from convention and encourage you to mix it up in the kitchen, throw together tastes that you enjoy and omit things that you don't.
  

Susan's Burrito Madness

What you'll need:

• Warm burrito sized tortilla (I used Ezekiel Sprouted Grain tortillas)
• Tangy Taco Sauce
• Walnut-Pecan-Sunflower Seed Chorizo
• Refried and Black Beans mix
• Warm brown rice
• Sliced Jalapeno
• Vegan Queso Sauce (by Food for Lovers)
• Small chopped tomato
• 1/4 chopped avocado
• Shredded lettuce or sprouts (I was out of lettuce and sprouts but they would have definitely been a great addition to this burrito)

I didn't have Tofutti sour cream so I made the tangy sauce below and allowed it to "gel" in the fridge while I made the walnut-pecan-sunflower chorizo burrito filling and heated up the beans.

 Tangy Taco Sauce (from PCC Taste, created by Ami Karnosh)

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt
- Mix ingredients together in a bowl, put it in the refrigerator and let it chill.

Walnut –Pecan- Sunflower Seed Chorizo (adapted from Chic Vegan)
2 cloves garlic – minced

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup walnuts & 1/2 cup pecans
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp XV Olive Oil
3 tsp lemon juice 
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Put everything in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a crumbly-but-still-juicy texture. (note, I put it into my VitaMix and quickly realized the instructions say "food processor" for a reason!)

Refried and Black Beans mix
1 can of vegetarian refried beans

1 can of black beans

3 tbs nutritional yeast

- Pour the black beans into a collander and rinse with cool water until bubbles disappear. Mix black beans with refried beans in a pot and heat on the stove until warm. Add nutritional yeast and stir thoroughly.

Constructing the burrito

Warm up your tortilla and pile on the ingredients! I layered my burrito in the following order but you can do whatever makes you happy:

• Warm brown rice
• Refried and Black Beans mix
• Tablespoon of Vegan Queso
• Walnut –Pecan- Sunflower Seed Chorizo
• Avocado
• Jalapenos
• Tangy taco sauce
• Tomatoes

Fold in the sides, roll this bad boy up and consume with a vengeance!

Oops, I almost forgot. I also made roasted broccoli but I inhaled it while creating burrito madness and forgot to take a photo. Here's the inspiration that came from the marvelous IsaChandra at Post Punk Kitchen.

Roasted Broccoli

1 1/2 pounds broccoli

3 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
(I was feeling sassy and also added cayenne pepper and garlic powder)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.

Peel the broccoli stalks and chop them into 3/4 inch pieces. Cut the rest of the broccoli into large branches. Place on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.

Place in the oven for about 10 minutes on each side. Broccoli should be have various shades of toasty brown. Serve as soon as you can!

Grab a cold cerveza, some non-GMO tortilla chips and enjoy your meal!
(Note that this meal and blog post were made possible because my family was no where to be found and the only person I had to satisfy for dinner was ME! Wahoo!!)

I worked all day and now you want to know "what's for dinner??"

Working full time, mothering teenagers, experimenting in the kitchen, taking cooking classes, loving my partner and keeping up with my IIN studies have been quite the under-taking. I've appreciated the reminders from Ed and kiddos that I'm up for the challenge and am learning to forgive myself for skipping the 6AM yoga classes and the pounds that have accumlated around my mid-section. (I really do need to get back to the gym.)

It's amazing how much time I spend in the kitchen from the time I walk in the door to the time I collapse in bed. Truthfully, after spending hours in the kitchen every night, I understand why heating up food from Trader Joe's and going out to eat were the extent of my culinary expertise for the past 10 years as a single mom and how easy it would be to fall victim to our "fast food nation" mentality. I barely had the energy to help my kids with their homework at the end of the day, nevermind stopping at the store and cooking something from scratch! Now that my kids are a little more independant and I'm learning about "Primary Foods" at school, I'm determined (dare I say "destined"?) to figure out how to have a career, a relationship, highly functional kids and feed my family healthy home cooked meals without pulling all of my hair out or running away.

I've been testing all sorts of new recipes and adding new staples to the dinner rotation. When the words "wow, mom, this is really good!" fall from the lips of my shocked family after I've made something they've never tried before, I want to fall to my knees like Mia Hamm after scoring a goal.

Sad but true.

Today, meal planning, constant shopping, endless dishwashing and finding something everyone will eat at the end of a long work day, cause me more anxiety than distributing a report to one thousand engineers at work. I know it will get better... maybe not tomorrow or next week, but all of this trial and error will pay off because it's my destiny.

A few of our long time friends came over for dinner last week and it gave me tremendous joy to see them enjoying their meal. It was energizing to talk about things like: which ingredients I used, how to substitute plant based foods for animal products, why too much soy might not be a healthy option and the significance of "bio-individuality". After seeing the enthusiasm on our friends faces, it was amusing to hear my kids brag about the healthy food I make them eat. (where's this sentiment at dinner time when company isn't around??)  That taste of energy and passion is how I know I'm on the right track.

I'm learning how to be ok with the fact that I need to visit the store several times to pick up fresh produce, ask for help in the kitchen and involve the family in deciding on the meal experiments for the week.

I'd like to end our time together by sharing something profound that fellow IIN student, Nina Purcell, shared last week: "let food nurish your life, not be the focus of it". It kind of takes the pressure off of us, doesn't it?

Peace, love and veggies,

Susan

Life is good

Even though I waffled back in forth, concerned about money and time, I bit the carrot, followed my heart and enrolled in a year long health coaching program at Institute For Integrative Nutrition (IIN). The program starts in March and a huge bonus of support is that my long-time friend will be going through the program, too. Ahh, the comfort of travelling down a new path with a friend. Love it!

Not sure what exactly I'm going to do after getting the certification or how it will help me launch the chain of veggie cafes I'm driven to pursue. However, given the fact that I can spend hours at a time watching programs, reading books-articles-blogs, pouring through recipes and listening to lectures on mind-body wellness and the direct connection between what we eat and how we feel, I think it's the right direction for me to venture. I'm nervous but excited!


 In the meantime, I'm working harder than ever at my Microsoft job, loving the help from my new team, and seeking ways to help my friends embrace "clean eating". Life is certainly a roller coaster and I have my share of ups and downs but I'm learning that it's usually because I'm stuck in the "how in the hell am I going to get everything done?" mind set. Once Ed and my favorite coach, Nancy Carlstrom, help me gain perspective, I feel much better. Sometimes it takes a nice glass of red wine, too. (grin)

Speaking of getting a new perspective, one of my favorite people to watch these days is Kris Carr. I was first introduced to her when she graced the cover of VegNews magazine last month. I love her attitude, the pink stripe in her hair, the words she chooses, the way she makes people feel good by just being in her presence. To put it simply, she rocks! Her fantabulous website is crazysexylife.com. The crazysexylife brand started with her documentary on PBS called crazysexycancer that chronicled her journey from being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer to becoming a self-proclaimed wellness junky. Her latest book, crazy sexy diet, is on the New York Times best seller list and is a top seller on Amazon. My copy should be arriving on Tuesday and I can't wait to tear through it!

I like the direction my life is heading and the people I'm meeting along the way. Thank you for being a special part of my life.

That's all for now. Peace out girl scout!

Cruelty Free Junk Food

I was reading VegNews.com (one of my favorite websites) and came across a few articles listing vegan destinations that will make my kids very happy:

Ice Cream!

On Wednesday, October 27, Seattle Weekly posted on its website the top five vegan ice creams in Seattle. The article displays that Seattle, which is known as a vegan-friendly city, has much to offer in way of vegan desserts. Featured in the top five vegan ice cream places were Healeo, a super-foods nutrition bar; D’Ambrosio, which makes its gelato fresh by hand each day; Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream and Tearoom, which made MSN’s the country’s top 10 ice cream shops; Full Tilt which is rapidly opening new locations throughout Seattle; and vegetarian restaurant Thrive, which boasts a 95 percent organic menu.

Doughnuts!

Seattle-based dairy-free doughnut shop Mighty-O Donuts is named one of the best in the country by Bon Appétit.

Fast Food!

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=1016&catId=7  This one got me excited because I'm putting together a business plan for a new vegan fast food restaurant in Bellevue. I love to see that other people have already created something similar that's already working! Woo hoo! Success leaves clues...


I very rarely eat desserts anymore but it's great to know there are places I can go to indulge my sweet tooth.

Yummm...
Susan

Reflecting and making new commitments

Happy New Year friends! Did you bring in the new year with a bang, hangover and/or new resolutions?I had visions of a romantic stay in Seattle to bring in the New Year, but alas, we ended up staying home because the love of my life worked late and was battling a terrible cold. I put on my jammies, opened up a bottle of wine and watched a depressing but entirely necessary documentary about Japan's dolphin slaughtering practices on Netflix called "The Cove". Once Ed finally made it home, I fed him soup and then we fell asleep watching a goofy comedy. Do we know how to party or what?

It's now 2011 and I'm about to write out my new goals and create my new "destiny board".  There's something about putting my goals/desires/commitments in words and images that really makes a difference. During one of his events, Tony Robbins shared a process with us that he uses every year and is something we're going to be playing with in our home. (paraphrasing)

1. At the beginning of every year it's important to look back at the previous year and write down all the magical moments you experienced, all the successes, all the things you're proud of, all the things that made you smile and feel free to celebrate them as you remember them.
2. As you look back, there might have been some things that didn't go so well, or things you didn't get to, things you didn't accomplish. Spend some time writing those down. Don't do this to berate yourself, do it to acknowledge them so you don't make the same mistakes in the new year.
3. You might be at a point where you proclaim "that's it, I've had it, THIS is the year that I'm goint to..." Write down the things you're committed to doing in the new year, the goals you want to accomplish, the changes you want to make, the things you want to sustain in the new year.
4. It seems that everyone makes resolutions at the beginning of each year only to give up by January 15th. It's hard to succeed (or remember what you wanted to accomplish) without a roadmap or action plan. Write down the strategies you're going to implement that will empower you to follow through.

2010 was one of the best years of my life. I turned 40 and our daughters turned 16 and 21, it was Ed's first time being top manager of the year, we took our first trips to Maui, England and France, participated in two live Tony Robbins events, went to several concerts, the Lakers beat the Celtics to win another Championship and the Huskies won the Rose Bowl!

I remember wondering if my best years happened back when my entire summer was a vacation, my only bills were clothes, Big Gulps and concert tickets, and I had an incredible metabolism that forgave donuts, birthday cake and hot fudge sundaes. Nope. When I reflect back on 2010 and look forward at the possibilities of 2011, there's no doubt that some of my best years are going to be in my 40's and beyond. Well, now I'm motivated to cut out images and get my destiny board up for 2011. The Seahawks just beat the Saints in the playoffs so I know for sure that anything is possible!
 
Happy New Year everyone!! Reflect, commit, create a strategy and go kick some ass!
With love,
Susan