Saturday, May 18, 2013

Eating Out as a Vegan

Many of you may or may not know that I (, Karel) started eating vegan at the end of March. Why vegan? Before, it was for health. Now, it is because I think all beings are equal and humans are not superior. To me vegan is non-violence towards all beings. This also means inclusive and not hurtful words, being kind at heart, and being a loving person. I feel very passionate about being equal towards all beings and I think vegan is how I can encompass this belief.



I have recently realize how difficult it is to eat out at restaurants. Not because people don't offer vegan food (they do, almost always), but people are so closed minded about it. So here are some ways to help all you vegans out there eat at yummy restaurants.

  1. Be prepared. Check out the menu before hand and write down what you want! This will ensure that you will definitely have something to eat.
  2. Check out Happy Cow. They have a lot of restaurants on there to show what are vegetarian and vegan friendly!
  3. Call them. Ask questions before you actually go it. I find that waiters and waitresses get impatient with me. Realize that they have other people to wait on. Do your homework and find out before you go in. 
  4. Don't forget to check out the sides. Sometimes that is your best option. For example, today I ordered a side of fruit, a side of veggies, and a side of potatoes. I was full and it was all vegan!
  5. Check out Yelp too. If you type in vegan, a bunch of results will show up. Click on the restaurant, and search vegan again (it's in the middle of the page). You can see the person's comment that had the word vegan in it. This really helps me figure out what to order.
  6. Regardless of number 3, ask questions. It doesn't hurt to ask and you can get a clear answer right away.
  7. Sometimes it is just better to tell them that you are allergic to mean, dairy, and eggs. They are more careful when preparing your food when allergies are involved. 
  8. Eat before (if you know they really do not have anything) or bring some snacks.
  9. Don't forget about the butter! Ask if they cook with butter.
  10. Most importantly, be polite and nice.

What have you experienced when going out to eat? What do you tell the waiters and waitresses (vegan or allergies)? Have you had any bad (or positive!) experiences when going out?

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from:
Oh She Glows

Happy Cow
Yelp
Don't Eat Your Friends Image 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Happy Graduation, Michael!

Sorry for the lack of an update last Saturday! Our main man, Michael, graduated from college! WHOOOO!!! Here we are!



We will be back on track this Saturday! (: 

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: original post 

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Raw Chocolate Cookie Dough Balls

This is a great recipe because it's raw, vegan, gluten free, healthy, and super satisfying! Everyone likes a yummy treat once in a while, but those strawberry poptarts aren't going to do much for your health. Instead of empty sweet calories, it's more awesome to make something that your body  truly craves being rich in living minerals, enzymes, and energy. You don't have to feel guilty about eating these cookie dough balls, so enjoy them and keep backup for when you want an awesome lightly sweet snack. Karel and I made these last night and they were delicious!

Recipe

2/3 Cup Raw Rolled Oats (can buy gluten free if desired, or even used soaked whole groats)
2/3 Cup Raw Cashews
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Honey
1 tsp Himalayan Salt
2 Tbsp Cacao Powder
2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs

Extras: add coconut flakes, goji berries, dates, or maca to spice these up more :)

Directions
1. Blend the cashews and oats in a food processor until a flour consistency is reached. Try to blend it as much as possible (unless you want more chunky cookie balls)
2. In a bowl add your cashew oat bled with the vanilla, salt, and honey. Stir with a wooden spoon, and then add the cacao nibs once mixed thoroughly
3. Taste your creation! Add a little water to the mixture so that when you roll the balls it will help them stick together. You can also add more honey if you would like it sweeter
4. Roll the mixture into balls or whatever shape you would like
5. Roll the balls in the cacao powder (cacao is pretty strong and can be a bit bitter, so test how much you want on the outsides of your balls)
6. ENJOY!

Try making these and let us know what you think :)

This post is written by Michael .
Adapted from: 

The Earth Diet Recipe & Photo
http://www.theearthdiet.org/

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