Week 25: Project Food Budget

Week 24 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $92.53

My simple summer meals this week were extremely budget-friendly. Mostly I ate salads or some dish involving steamed kale made with fresh produce I got at farmers' markets (lettuce and kale are in season), fruit, my homemade whole-wheat bread with PB&J, tofu fries or a bean spread, and all the leftovers from my weekend BBQ. This week I included the cost of hosting that BBQ in the budget, though in previous weeks I haven't included entertaining costs.

This upcoming week, the final week of this project, will be a challenge. We've rented a house in wild and wonderful West Virginia for the holiday weekend, so I'll be bringing food there to cook my own meals. The challenge will be that it's a holiday, so I don't want to go overboard and make feasts every day, but I'm sure I'll want to splurge a little. I'll plan my menu tonight to try to make it as budget-friendly as possible.

Happy 4th of July cooking!

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Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change

Learning to Run with ChiRunning

I've never been able to run. In grade school, I could never run the mile for the presidential fitness test (do they still do those?). And the running I had to do for high school volleyball was so agonizing, I didn't attempt it again until years later. When I did, I hated it. It took me months to build up to run a mile, and I couldn't run much farther than that, so I soon quit.

Fast forward about 15 years, when I told my personal trainer earlier this year that I can't run. He was quick to encourage me to give it a try...trying new activities would challenge me in new ways, he argued.

So I started running intervals during my walks. I started with a minute, progressed to a minute and a half, and eventually got up to two minutes. But there was no way I could run much longer than two minutes, so I just assumed I'd never be able to run.

But then I realized: my intervals were at a very fast pace, and my heart rate was around 80-90%. What if I slowed my pace down? I got out my Garmin Forerunner and watched to make sure my heart rate didn't get above 70%...and the first time I did that, I ran for 26 minutes with a two-minute walking break! I was stunned. A year ago, I thought it would have been impossible. I did it once more, and the third time I tried, I was able to run 29 minutes continuously. It was really tough for me, and I was panting at the end like crazy and was dead tired, but I was proud of myself.

Then a friend told me about ChiRunning, which is about effortless, injury-free running. Effortless, huh? I got the book the very next day!

I've spent the past week reading it and learning about the technique. The ChiRunning website explains it better than I can, but it's a blend of T'ai Chi and running that focuses on using core strength.

I tried the technique yesterday morning for the first time. WOW! It really was much, much easier than the heavy, plodding running I'd previously done. I had no problem doing 30 minutes continuously and felt like I could have done more. I'm just starting so have a lot more to learn (there are a lot of things to focus on), but I'm thrilled to learn this technique that's making something that's always been so grueling so accessible.

I'm so excited about it, I signed up for my first 5K! It's the Run Around the Square in Regent Square, and I'll be running it with my sister on August 27. Wish me luck!

Edamole

I loved the half-avocado, half-edamame guac I made recently from Appetite for Reduction. So then I wondered: how would a guac with just edamame and no avocado taste? I was skeptical, but I tried the Edamole from the Happy Herbivore Cookbook...and was pleasantly surprised! It doesn't taste like a true guac, but the cilantro and lime flavors really stand out. I baked my own tortilla chips to go with it, and it was a great, protein-rich snack. I'll make this again!

BBQ with Family, Kids & Diets

My husband has complimented me on planning vegan meals that omnivores love. We’ve been hosting a lot of dinners for friends, and each has been a hit. But this past weekend was the biggest challenge to date: my meat-and-potatoes family came over. A tough crowd to please, for sure!

My mom and aunts have never tasted Indian, Thai, or Middle Eastern food, and it’s hard for them to even understand vegetarianism, let alone veganism (years after I became vegetarian, they were still surprised that I didn’t eat hot dogs). So I wanted to make a meal that showed them how good vegan eating can be without being too crazy for them. I was originally going to make Mujadara (lentils, rice, and caramelized onions) since they’d never had lentils, but I thought that would likely be too crazy. They love salads, so I decided to make a basic grilled veggie salad. I also decided to make the black bean burgers I’d made awhile back because they’re not too crazy. I thought these light options would also be good for my sister who, like me, lost a lot of weight a few years ago and is carefully maintaining her loss.

But the big challenge was my 13- and 14-year-old nephew and niece. I am happily child-free and know very little about kids, especially what to feed them--or, at least, these kids who grew up in a meat-and-potatoes family. “They’re not going to want grilled veggies spread with white bean aioli,” my husband said. Hmmm…he had a point. So…I declared defeat. As much as it pained me, I bought hot dogs for them. Ugh.

Here’s the family’s review of what I made:

• White Bean Aioli with baguettes & crackers. I renamed this “a creamy garlic dip” when presenting it to them. I’d made this Veganomicon recipe a few weeks ago and knew they’d love it because they like garlic. Everyone really liked it—even the kids and my aunt who is a self-declared bean hater.
• Sweet Basil Pesto Tapenade. Another Veganomicon recipe I recently tried, this was slightly too sweet and didn’t come out as good as I’d hoped. But my mom especially loved it; she liked the blend of garlic and sweet tastes. My nephew even liked it!
• Grilled Veggie Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette. I recently made this low-fat dressing from Appetite for Reduction for a dinner party mainly for myself (I had another dressing option), and everyone raved about it. The family also really loved this dressing.
• Black Bean Burgers. My family had never tasted any kind of vegetarian burger, so they were very skeptical. They agreed to “try a bite.” I also made Guacamame to put on this version from Veganomicon. My sister said the texture of the burger threw her off, but once she got past that, she liked it. My mom and aunt (the bean hater) also liked them and said they were surprised they were good. My brother-in-law makes guacamole all the time and couldn't tell the difference in my version.
  

In general, everyone seemed surprised everything was so good. I bet they were scared of what would be on their plates when they got to my house! But I know my audiences well, so I think I planned a good menu for them. But I’d like to spring Mujadara on them another time!

Week 24: Project Food Budget

Week 24 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $91.12

Recently I attended some seminars about environmental impacts on our health. These impacts include everything from the cosmetics we use to housecleaning products to the food we eat. The speakers talked over and over about the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables. In one study they cited, a group of children who ate conventional fruits and vegetables all tested positive for pesticides. Half of the group ate organic fruits and vegetables for just two weeks. When they were tested again, that group had no pesticides in their system. The message was clear: eating organic is one thing you can do to quickly rid your body of hazardous elements.

So, armed with my list of the dirty dozen, I sought out organic produce. It was tough! Giant Eagle's Market District and Trader Joe's have slim pickings. The farmers' markets do have organic produce, but of course, it's limited to what's in season (right now, mainly lettuces, kale, etc.) So, I grudgingly went to Whole Foods, sure I was in for a high grocery bill. Their organic selection is, of course, great. But the organic peaches I bought there almost immediately went moldy before I could eat even one!

Still, my lesson learned this week is that I'd rather have a higher grocery bill to avoid consuming pesticides, so I'll be continuing to buy organic.

This week's budget went toward salads, tofu scrambles, and the following meals. Plus, I did have a splurge: a potted lettuce garden from Whole Foods for $12.99.

• Pizza with Basil Pesto Tapenade, Fresh Tomatoes, and Cashew Cheese
• Hottie Black-Eye Peas & Greens
  
• Tofu Fries (a Happy Herbivore test recipe I'm still making because they're so good!)
• Steamed Kale with Tofu & Miso-Tahini Dressing
• Steamed kale and Brown Rice with Miso Gravy
  
• Edamame Dip & Baked Corn Tortillas
• Lots of Banana Ice Cream!
  

PS: After you're done tallying your grocery bills, throw them out! The paper the bills are printed on contain hazardous chemicals.

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Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change

Pizza with Sweet Basil Pesto & Cashew Cheese

Pizza is one of those things I thought I'd miss like crazy as a vegan. But vegan pizza is just so much better! Now when I crave pizza, I crave something like this version I made this past weekend. It's delicious and doesn't leave me feeling bloated and gross and blah like fat- and grease-laden cheese pizza would.

For this version I used...

• Whole Wheat Pizza Dough from Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cookbook. The dough uses the same technique as the bread I make every week--you mix a few ingredients together and let it sit for the day so the flavors ferment. This version uses some all-purpose flour too, so you get whole wheat goodness with the crustiness of white dough.
• Sweet Basil Pesto Tapenade from Veganomicon. This is a unique pesto. Made with a good amount of maple syrup, it's sweet and pesto-y at once. In my mind's eye, I can see future party guests raving over this. I'd serve it as an appetizer with crusty bread, stuffed into cherry tomatoes, or spread on grilled zucchini.
  
• Fresh Tomato Sauce from Mark Bittman's Food Matters Cookbook. This is so simple and delicious, it's ridiculous. Thinly slice garlic and saute it in a little olive oil, then add chopped and seeded fresh tomato. Stir, and in a few minutes you have a fresh pizza sauce. I put the sauce over the tapenade.
• Cashew Ricotta from Veganomicon. I've made this cashew cheese from Vegetarian Times many times and love it. But it takes about a day and a half to make. I was able to whip this cashew ricotta up in no time. And...oh! It's good. It tastes like something in between ricotta and a cheesy spread. The lemon juice was a little overpowering at first, but I can't taste it at all in the leftovers. Still, I'd use a little less next time. I scooped dollops onto the sauce.

This pizza was mmmmmmmm....delicious! The combination of everything together was amazing. I might experiment with a version of this for appetizers...maybe with baguette or sheets of phyllo as the base, topped with the tapenade, a slice of tomato, and a dollop of cashew ricotta on top. This week, I've been eating the leftovers on very unglamorous toasted wheat bread, and it's still amazing!

Week 23: Project Food Budget

Week 23 of Reluctant Vegetarian's Project: Food Budget

Goal: $75
Actual: $49.51

This week I used the same strategy as last week: I planned for only one or two meals during the week and made salads, grilled veggies, and tofu scrambles the rest of the time. What I made this week was basically from last week's budget. This week's budget went mostly to fresh fruits, veggies, tofu, oats, and soymilk.

On the menu this week was

• Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro Soy Sour Cream
• Grilled Veggies with White Bean Aioli
• Low-Fat Guacamole
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (didn't have to buy anything for this, though)
  

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Participating Blogs:

• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Under The Apple Tree
• Be the Change