24 posts from February 2008

At least if you're a vegan I would say TGIF isn't the top chain spot to go to. I hadn't been there in YEARS, and went this time for a birthday dinner. The one stand-by veggie dish, a big steamed vegetable platter, is no longer on the menu. Another veg at the table ordered the vegetable side dish, and it was a tiny, pathetic display. Unlike many a similar place they don't even have a veggie burger option either. I ended up getting a pasta that worked well, but it did take some intense negotiation with a waiter who didn't know what a vegan was until I explained it.

Breakfast:
Green Tea
Organic Oatmeal with Flax

Lunch:
Amy's Vegan Burrito
Vegan Donut Holes

Dinner (TGIFridays):
French Fries with Ketchup
House Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Diet Coke
Portabella Pasta with Balsamic Glaze (made with oil, not butter, and no cheese)

Saturday night I went to a "Crabtacular" which is pretty much what it sounds like: A bunch of people sitting around eating crabs until they're bloated masses of fishy-smelling-ness.

Why would I go to such an event? Well, because it was being thrown by a colleague of the S.O., and he really wanted to go and wanted me to go with him.

I did have him go in and check that they weren't holding LIVE crabs there and killing them onsite. That would have been just too much for me. They weren't. Nonetheless, as you can imagine, I was odd vegan out. This was a food fest in general, but none of it, and I mean none, was edible for me...except some crackers.

I met a few nice people, and I just tried to overlook that they were ripping apart crabs and digging in as we were talking. I'm usually not at all squeamish about people eating non-vegan stuff around me. But this was a bit over the top.

When we left at midnight, despite what you might expect...that my appetite would be totally killed...I was starving, so we made a Taco Bell run. I don't really eat Taco Bell anymore. And I don't know if I'll be eating there again. Let's just say the bean burritos didn't sit well.

Breakfast:
2 Trader Joe's everything-free forzen Waffles
1 with Soy Margarine and Lite Syrup
1 with Organic Peanut Butter and Organic Apricot Jame
Organic Banana

Lunch:
Chips and guacamole
Riblets

Dinner:
Crackers
1 Oreo
2 Bean Burritos

Yesterday was another rainy day, and when I left for work I didn't really toss anything in my bag for lunch. Plus, I had gone coffee-free for literally weeks and was feeling a soy latte calling me. So I got inspired as I drove past Whole Foods near my office, and pulled in and picked up a hearty, huge salad bar for lunch for the first time in months.

It was, in fact, so hearty that i didn't have much need for dinner. I'm sure I could have done a bit better than I did in the evening, as you shall see, but the kitchen was definitely NOT calling me to spend time in it last night.

Breakfast:
Soy Latte
Organic Banana

Lunch:
Whole Foods Salad Bar, including Tofu, Corn, Peas, Edamame, Pumpkin Seeds, Gigantica Beans, Carrots, Hearts of Palm, Artichoke Hearts and I'm sure more, with Balsamic Vinegar

Snack:
Vegan Donut Holes

Dinner
Chips and Guacamole
Beer

Say what you will about meat analogs (fake meat for those of you not in on the veg*n lingo) their moderate use can help we veg*ns construct substantial, well-rounded meals, and they are often low in fat and high in protein (and even fiber) since they're made from things like soy, vital wheat gluten and occasionally mushrooms.

Hence my decision the other night, after a long day at work, and a long commute home, to combine a salad with some stir-fry and make a true Entree Salad. I call it my Warm "Steak" Salad, and it was both yummy, satisfying, and I think pretty healthy.

Breakfast:
Organic Banana
Green Tea

Lunch:
Organic Cashews
Safeway 'O' Black Bean and Tofu Enchiladas
Vegan Cookie

Dinner:
Tostitos Chips
Warm "Steak" Salad: Mixed Organic Greens, Organic Baby Carrots, Organic Crimini Mushrooms, Organic Roma Tomatoes tossed together. Trader Joe's "Steak" Strips, sauteed in Olive Oil with Garlic and Roasted Corn Kernels. Toss the warm Steak mixture into the salad (the oil means you don't need Salad Dressing.) Sprinkle Vegan Parmesan over it all and toss together. Voila.

...who says that being sick is worth it because I got on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a while this morning. That is totally backwards thinking. But unfortunately it also seems to be human. At least this human.

The stomach is much better than it was. The cough is slowly receding. The clogged ear seems to be clearing. But we're not out of the sick-of-being-sick woods yet. So, more light eating:

I'm back to eating more normally. I guess I can wave goodbye to those 4 pounds I lost while sick. Or wave hello?

Thanks to Elaine V.

Let's just say that the kind of sick described in this post title is not the kind of sick I usually get. I can usually eat like a horse no matter how poorly I'm feeling.

But this time it has indeed been the kind of sick I've been.

So, we can cover my meals pretty quickly the past three days:

Day 512:
-Didn't eat until I had some tea and some Vegetarian Fried Rice at Jing Jing (business lunch)
-Also pretty stupidly kept my evening plans to see David Gergen speak at Flint Center, and we met at Hobees beforehand. I got a pretty nice salad from the salad bar, but the plate of pasta i ordered didn't appeal to me at all. I left it all sitting there after just a bite or two. (Ever have that where you're sure your tasebuds are a little off? That's how I felt.)

That was it.

Day 513:
-I had a couple of organic Mandarin Oranges and some Edamame during the day, plus a slice of toast with Soy Margarine.
-That evening I did feel a bit hungry, so I cajoled the S.O. into heading out and picking up veggie Chinese food from my favorite place, Garden Fresh...which is about 20 minutes from our house. I made sure to order Carrot Juice, because I thought it sounded healthy, and Tofu/Corn Soup, because soup is good when you're sick. But by the time i filled myself up with those liquids, well, I had filled myself up with those liquids. I ate a couple of Drumsticks and a couple of pieces of Sweet and Sour "Pork", but left most of the food untasted.

And did I mention that even eating that amount of sood seemed to send my stomach into full-on rebellion mode. Let's just say I didn't get much continuous sleep.

Day 514:
-I had some Organic Oatmeal with Cashews.
-I nibbled at the Sweet & Sour Pork I had eschewed the night before.
-I ate half a bagel.

That, again, was it.

Now I have been drinking copious amounts of water, and today I've tried to eat more and more regularly, but I am still shocked at how little my body seems to be asking for food. And seems to not appreciate it when i do give it food.

Broken record time: this is not normal for me.

I think I've decided that if I'm not better tomorrow i'll be taking myself off to the doctor on Wednesday morning. I tend to be a ride-things-out, don't-take-antibiotics-unless-there's-an-actual-reason, they'll-just-tell-me-to-do-what-I've-been-doing kind of gal.

But I'm pretty bored with this odd little stomach-cough thing I have going on.