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

Forks Over Knives

Went to the sneak preview of the very important and timely movie "Forks Over Knives" in Seattle last night. It was more like a documentary that I would watch in high school than an actual movie I would watch at the theater, and I thought my daughter was going to fall asleep in the middle of it, but I really enjoyed it. Having a strong personal belief that food has a significant impact on dis-ease in the body, I really appreciated the content and felt validated in my quest to share the benefits of eating a largely plant based diet with the world. An excerpt from the movie's synopsis (from their website):

Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive but so utterly straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?

FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

Some classrooms are already showing the documentary "Super Size Me" and I think "Forks Over Knives" also belongs in the classroom. Curious what the impact of that would have? Check out this video of an 11 year old kid who found out where food comes from and decided to become an organic farmer instead of a football player. He gave a short 5 minute speech at a TED conference about the broken food supply system that gave me excitement and hope that society is starting to wake up and make a change. It also made me ask myself why I'm not showing up and influencing change.  As Ed would say "What are you waiting for, Mighty?"

Thank you for the inspiration, Birke!  http://civileats.com/2010/09/28/11-year-old-describes-broken-food-system-in-five-minutes-video/

Breathing again

August 2010
What a wacky past couple of weeks. The quote on this napkin from Fireworks says it all.

It was a complete blessing that my parents drove up from California to visit us this week because I found time to breathe again! While they were here, I took three glorious, sun-filled, email-free vacation days.

After only the first day of being free from email, I felt energized and inspired enough to make Grandma Adeline's spaghetti sauce from scratch, adding Tofurky Sun-dried tomatoes and Basil sausage. The stress of the previous two weeks almost melted away completely as we watched football practice, took a walk around the lake and enjoyed the radiant sun in all its glory.

On day 2 I was surprised and excited to learn that my parents were open to visiting a vegan restaurant while they were in town. Since I had been wanting to visit the Seattle restaurant Thrive for almost a month, we did our best to find it. Unfortunately, after one hour, 3 GPS devices, 2 trips across the 520 bridge and a call to the restaurant, we couldn't find it. Talk about not meant to be! All was not lost however, because we eventually made it to Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream boutique  (the Peach Basil sorbet was amazing). The frustration of being unable to find Thrive vanished as soon as we dove into our Molly Moon treats.

The third day came and my parents left early, taking the sunshine back to California with them. Although I was a little sad, it was nice to wake up early, enjoy my Yogi tea and catch up on reading while the kids slept in.

It's really amazing how transformed I feel after having three days off in the middle of the week. I even started cooking again!

Soy no more?

Shortly after purchasing a grande iced soy latte the other morning, I heard an interview on KKNW where the person being interviewed spoke passionately about the negative effects of soy on the body. As if finding a dairy alternative at local cafes and restaurants wasn't challenging enough, I was suddenly faced with the realization that maybe I shouldn't be consuming soy more than once or twice a week, if at all. There are plenty of articles, websites and books that tout soy as the "superfood cure all" however there are also plenty of articles and books that describe the risks associated with daily soy intake. This website lists a few of the recent books that discuss soy risks, particulary associated with thyroid and estrogen. I'm wincing as I write this because my dad recently told me that soy was a superfood and I know he will debate this to death with me if I don't have scientific evidence to disprove the "superfood" claim*. While there are plenty of conflicting stories, I personally feel better now eating/drinking soy in moderation. Of course this means finding a suitable replacement for my daily soy latte which was the alternative to my old favorite coffee drink, the nonfat vanilla latte. *note: I love debating with my dad, but this "just because I feel better" argument will likely result in my dad shaking his head and saying "ok" with a tinge of pity in his voice.

How many times have you seen rice, almond, coconut or hemp milk alternatives at your local cafe or restaurant? Maybe you've never looked for these alternatives?  Take my word for it, they aren't widely available in the Seattle suburbs. There are two local resources with dairy/soy alternatives for my love of the latte, PCC Natural Market and Whole Foods , neither of which are conveniently located.

See a business opportunity here? It strengthens my desire to open up a cafe on the eastside of Seattle that offers yummy vegan treats and dairy alternatives other than soy. I will likely purchase an espresso machine along with a few milk alternatives to make the occasional caffe latte at home but I don't want to lose track of the opportunity to make a difference for others. There are a lot of lactose intolerant folks on the eastside of Seattle (and vegans, too!) who could benefit from a healthy, tasty alternative for their coffee habit. (I did try a Caffe Americano and a Chai Tea with water instead of steamed milk this weekend. Bleck.)

I did a little shopping at Amazon and purchased some inspirational reading a la business books such as "How to Open a Financially Successful Coffee, Espresso & Tea Shop" and "The Restaurant Manager's Handbook". Confucius says "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

On a related note (dairy/soy alternative), I picked up a pint of Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss frozen dessert from Fred Meyer today and fell in love. Not only is it amazing by itself but once I put a bit of melted vegan chocolate chips on top (like the old "Magic Shell" concoction), I fell in love. If you like coconut, do yourself a favor and go to their website to find out which store near you sells Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss and buy some. I'm starting to hear more and more about the benefits of coconut (nice little bonus).

Yummmm...

Happy Tofurky Tuesday!

Even though I was wearing a jacket all day, turned the heated seats on in my car and saw a lightning storm in the distant sky, there is something about "summer" that beckons us to the grill for dinner.

During a quick stop at Trader Joe's for cat food and frozen berries, I happened to stop by the meat area to check out their tofu selection. With a sigh and determination to have a tasty meat alternative for the BBQ tonight, I reached for a package of soy hot dogs. While still mid-reach, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bright red package of thick sweet Italian gourmet sausages a few shelves above the soy dogs and smiled curiously. They were much bigger and darker than soy dogs so I grabbed them, wondering if the appearance alone would help me convince my meat-lovin' sweetheart to try them. The ingredients certainly looked flavorful, and they were outdoor grill-approved, so I purchased them and headed home proudly.

Ed was outside, grilling asparagus and potatoes, when I got home. I threw a few Tofurky Italian Sausages on the grill, winked at him and exclaimed "Italian sausages with basil and sun dried tomatoes! I've heard really good things about them, you can hardly tell it's not meat!" Being the awesome guy that he is, he said "sounds good!", kissed me and then walked into the house to season his steak.

Not being a fan of regular sausage when I did eat meat, I didn't quite know how to serve them once they were done so I grabbed a piece of Dave's Killer Bread, smothered it with Veganaise and ketchup and wrapped it around my sausage like a hot dog. :) I know it's not the epitome of class, but I loved it! Ed cut his sausage up and was really surprised by how flavorful and spicy they were, admitting he'd like to add it to an omelet sometime. Even though I don't eat eggs, I was encouraged by his enthusiasm. We agreed to fix them next time I made my Italian grandma's secret spaghetti sauce recipe.

In the midst of all the excitement, I forgot to take a picture of dinner before eating it. When I went online to find a photo for this post I discovered it was officially Tofurky Tuesday! Forget about the 12 hour workday today, things are looking up. Ed tried a meat substitute and liked it, and I participated in a community event without even realizing it! Here are a few fun facts from the Turtle Island website:

According to Jaime Athos, PhD, Turtle Island’s Manager of Environmental Affairs, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced by going meatless just one day a week is equal to the amount released when you drive the average car 16.5 miles.


Athos estimates that the “Tofurky Tuesdays” campaign has helped reduce approximately 97,885 pounds of CO2 gas emissions, while also showcasing Americans’ increasing awareness of animal rights and the growing number of appealing meat-free options now available to mainstream shoppers.

If you click here you can pledge to eat meatless once a week and get a Tofurky Tuesday care package that includes complimentary issues of vegetarian magazines. Even though I eat meatless every day, my family doesn't, so this is something I could initiate as a "family tradition". Care to join us? If you've taken the pledge, let me know by leaving a comment on this post.

I know that I said I was going to start learning how to cook because heating up food from Trader Joe's wasn't really "cooking" but as long as I'm experimenting and being inspired to try new things, it's a step in the right direction. Right? The trick is going to be planning ahead so that I don't have to face a trip to the grocery store and spend a lot of time cooking at the end of a long workday. Lucky for me, my kids come home from camp and school starts soon which means we'll be back to a routine in no time!

In the spirit of cooking, click here for a recipe from the Humane Society for "Tuscan Tofurky Sausage Saute over Bow Tie Pasta". Looks delish. Enjoy!

Here I grow again!

Is there a protocol to follow on the first blog? I really just want to jump in and say that I've been sitting in front of my computer for five hours on a beautiful but chilly summer Sunday morning in Seattle. One Bing search for "Seattle Vegan Cooking Class" took me down a rabbit hole of really interesting sites promoting vegan food, recipes, clothing and accessories, farm sanctuaries, research papers and books. The past five hours ultimately led me to start this blog so I could keep track of all the things I want to go back and read, remember and try as well as the adventures I take as a result.

So why Vegan cooking classes? Well, I've finally come to terms with the fact that while delicious, serving frozen meals from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods doesn't exactly mean I'm cooking. Rather, it means I've been heating things up and is likely one of the reasons why I don't know how to make anything other than stir fry or salad from scratch; neither of which my children will eat.

I've always LOVED going out to eat. What's not love? I don't have to stress out about meal planning, everyone gets to pick out what they want, everyone is happy and there are no dinner dishes to wash. Beautiful! I've abstained from eating meat other than turkey, fish and chicken for the past 25 years and have raised my kids the same way. While my love for culturally diverse and flavorful food has grown over the years, I can't say that my family's sense of adventure has followed. Another reason why I love to eat out.

Here's the rub... now that I eat a plant based diet it's been a challenge for me to order off of a menu without feeling like I'm being high maintenance. (no judgement) Innocent questions such as "is there butter on the grilled asparagus?" "do you know if the vegetarian soup is made with chicken stock?", "are the beans vegetarian?" "can I have olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of butter for the bread?" send my table partners over the edge, evidenced by their exasperation, sighs and eye rolling.

The more I explore vegan recipes and restaurants, the more I become awake and alive. It's evoked a passion in me that's been dormant for years. My life is really great and while I love taking care of the needs of others, I've found that I have more to give when "my own cup is full". (Only very recently did I understand why on earth a parent on an airplane should secure their own oxygen mask before securing the oxygen mask on their child) While my intention isn't necessarily to convert my family to the vegan way of eating overnight (they are 43, 21, 16 and 12 years old after all), my intention is to provide them with healthy, cruelty free options that help them, and the planet, thrive.

So, the new path in my journey of life includes learning how to cook healthy food that's congruent with my beliefs and tastes delicious. There are many vegan restaurants I want to visit in Seattle so that I can become fluent in vegan staples such as seitan, tempeh, quinoa and tofu. Once I get a sense for how these new flavors and textures work, I'll be able to look at a long list of ingredients in a recipe without having my eyes glaze over. (right?) Eventually, I'd love to open a cafe of my own here on the Eastside of Seattle. How's that for aspiration and ambition?

Here I grow again!