A Heartfelt, Deliciously Irresistible, Unmissable, (Kissable) Guide For Everyone and Anyone! 💜💙

'What do you eat?' 'Aren't you hungry?' 'Where do you get your protein?' 'How can you live like that?'
These are the questions I constantly face as a vegan so, to answer, I ask you...
What's that in my hand?

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Honestly, most of the time I am eating delicious, homemade treats like this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwich check out the recipe here!

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HOLY MOLY! That isn't "boring" by any means!
(Boring: A constant criticism from those who don't yet know!)

I do things a bit differently- Food and I are in LOVE 💜

But here's the thing- changing your diet in any capacity can be incredibly challenging!
Eating is tradition, it's sacred, it's inherent in our way of life, it's something we have been experiencing since we were born! We can't live without it; food is life!

As such, we are incredibly attached to it and changing anything to do with it, what we have gotten accustomed to, learned to like, and learned to expect can seem too difficult an idea to conceive. 'Giving up' any of the foods we have come to love seems out of grasp... so, let's not 'give up' anything!

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How about some chocolatey-strawberry cheesecake bites?

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Trust me my friends, I am one of the most food-obsessed people I know!

I dream, breath and live to make food to eat the food so, I would never sacrifice my relationship with eating unless... it wasn't a sacrifice (meaning I would have to gain more than I would lose for me to consider it!)

I was there not wanting to put my knife down not too long ago, crying in the aisle of the supermarket like a lunatic at the chicken in the fridge because it wasn't in my cart and all I wanted in the world was some chicken alfredo! (OK that was 3 years ago, but the pain was real and I still remember it to this day with closed eyes of embarrassment over how I handled my transition at times!) I never thought back then I could simply make the same meal, with any of the many options available to us now!

Knowing this, I have made it one of my missions in life to help others if they are looking to try to make some changes in their food choices.

I know it can be incredibly helpful to see someone else who is making the change you are looking at wanting to make for yourself and presenting options to use as a guide. When I decided to make these changes myself, I was lost and confused at first, I hope to use what I learned to help you now! I eat the same recipes I used to, just geared over to my new dietary needs and I'll tell you what- I feel a hellova lot better nowadays!

Given my activity in the vegan world over here on Steemit, I have been asked these same questions and I thought instead of telling you, it's best I just show you don't you think? Come along with me! :)

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Fresh, organic, locally produced food sources:

This is my haul from the farmer's market last week!

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I never used to put any thought into where I bought my food, I would always just go to the supermarket to pick it up. Over the last 4 years (the time which I have been drastically changing my lifestyle) I began questioning and rethinking that method of collecting my food. I recently wrote a post about my affinity for Farmer's Markets you can read it here, if you're interested!

If you're like my mother, you might be thinking something like this:

"There are no Farmer's Markets near me."
(There was by the way...)

Do you know for certain? You might be pleasantly surprised to find there are!

I have found markets all over the world as I traveled, some that residents of the cities and towns didn't even know about. All it takes is a little search on the internet machine to find out 💜💙

There are many reasons that I state in my post about why I love Farmer's Markets so much; one of those reasons being getting to know the person/people/group behind where your food comes from. To me, there is something ultimately rewarding about having that relationship back with my food and having that, connects me closer to the food I am choosing to put into my body.

While I strongly encourage supporting your local farmers and co-ops, nothing can compare to growing food yourself, on your own land with your own hands. That food is going to have more value for you than we have time to get into on this post! If you have any room in your yard, growing some of your own veggies will significantly improve your lifestyle over time by granting you convenience of having food on demand, and will serve to subsidize grocery costs as well. Both pretty good perks if you ask me ;)

Last year, I found myself having a midnight conversation under the light of the moon in my driveway with family members about the importance of organic vs conventionally grown food. I am going to put this as simply as possible as we don't need to get into it too much more here (it can be its own post for sure) but here is my opinion at its core:

Organic foods should not contain pesticides, herbicides or toxins if they are meeting standard set guidelines BUT since we live in the world we do, and 'money talks', your sourcing is important (see above) to know what you're actually getting opposed to what you're being told you're getting. I don't know about you, but I trust a one man show in his backyard producing a small amount of apples from his tree, maybe some carrots and potatoes from his garden and some herbs he collected over a commercially owned operation with the (expensive) seal of approval on it.

Simple enough right? We don't want to be ingesting toxins into our bodies or that's going to cause a whole host of issues so, one more time... SOURCING MATTERS.

So now that we have a bit of the basics of where to get the food from, let's talk about what I pick up on a weekly basis and how I use it in my meals.

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What to buy

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Local In Season Fruits: What kind of fruit grows near you? Do you know?

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What fruits you can get in your area will be climate and region specific. For me in wintertime in the tropics, I got a big bunch of oranges (taste almost like mandarins), a few apples, a pound of guava, pink passionfruit and 2 large papayas! As you'll see in my pictures, I always stock up on mini (finger) bananas (also known as apple bananas) and have just recently found someone selling strawberries (all organic, spray-free, yay!)

These fruits are what get me started every morning when I wake up. After my glass of water, I go straight for a smoothie. Having fresh fruits of different varieties allows me to change up my combinations and keep things flavorful and never boring! Let me tell you- fresh fruit like this is incomparable to store bought. I bought a watermelon last night at the grocery store here having an insatiable craving and that bad boy found himself in my compost as my sanity kicked in and I could taste the "NO!" in my mouth! ;)

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Staples: My Must Haves

There are certain items that I never leave the market without. These are ingredients that I use in multiple dishes and have become dependent on in my cooking!

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Tomatoes

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I use tomatoes for sauces (hot sauce, salsa, marinara, masala etc.) , salads, toppings... basically I can find a use for a tomato in every meal not to mention they are wonderful raw with some salt and pepper or even a drizzle of balsamic if you're fancy like that ;)

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Mushrooms

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Every week I buy this one stall out of these delicious white oyster mushrooms. I can't get enough mushrooms no matter how hard I try! Their texture is perfect, it gives me a similar sensation as I was used to from meat. Not to mention the taste! Mushrooms can (and do) go in almost every dish I make. Buddha bowls, curries, burgers, salads, gravies... everything is better with mushrooms! (If only I could start growing more varieties- this is on my to-do list!)

Mushrooms (mycelium fruit) are really interesting to me, I have always loved them for their taste but after hearing a truly inspiring talk about their medicinal purposes by Paul Stamets in California back in 2015, I make sure to fill my system with as much as I can get!

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Pumpkins/Sweet Potatoes

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See those pumpkin seeds inside the pumpkin there? They are now out in my garden, coming to life like it's the end of time! They are growing like weeds and I am super excited for the day where I can harvest them right off of my own property! Soon I hope =D

This is a special kind of pumpkin that I had never had before living in Bali. The farmers tell me its a pumpkin but not what variety it is. It's not our typical orange, Halloween pumpkins... it's a really sweet, deliciously orange fleshed squash that I have come to adore cooked with some salt and pepper and green beans with coconut oil. (It sounds so simple but it is a delicious combination!)

As for the sweet potatoes, I think I am going to turn into one soon! They have different varieties and I never know which one I am getting until I end up preparing them! There are even purple ones which are obvious and are my absolute favourite. I grew up on Russet potatoes but have switched to sweet potatoes, cassava and taro roots (other tuberous roots) which my favorite farmer grows with care! I love sweet potatoes now for their versatility and flavor they add to my dishes. They're never dull in anything I cook them up in!

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Eggplant, Green Beans, Okra

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I didn't have very much exposure to eggplant or okra before my diet change. My mom used to make us green beans from the can, warmed up from the trusty microwave when I was younger -_- I would always try to get away with pushing the beans to the side. I retained the thought that I didn't like them given that my only experience with them were mushy, aluminum tasting pieces covered in butter to help them down.

Fresh beans are worlds a part different and easy to grow! I buy 4-6 bundles of fresh green beans every week and they are so fresh that my pups go crazy for them!

Eggplant is a new one for me, I have been experimenting with it and am loving its purple addition to my meals. See my eggplant, mushroom lasagna for an example!

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Okra is another veggie I have just come to love! I used to be grossed out by its slime that comes out of it when you cut it but it's delicious when prepared correctly and is often used in Indian dishes (which are some of my all time favorites! I love Indian food!)

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Spring Onion (Green Onion), Kale

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I am definitely a huge fan of kale. I realize how stereotypical that is of a vegan but it's for good reason- kale is jammed packed full of nutrients into a mean, green, fighting machine! I have gone to some serious lengths to get kale in the past. We recently had no kale around due to the weather and it was really rough for me! Luckily it's back and I have some growing outside now as well!

Spring onion is another thing that just goes on and in everything. Cheese, sauces, salads, my mouth... It brings flavour to any dish and is a delicious easy additive! (Yes, you read that right! We can make some mean cheeze (cheese with a 'z is the vegan form) that you'd never know was vegan!)

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Herbs and Shallots (Onions and Garlic- not shown)

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I tell you all, I doubt I would last long without garlic and onions! I try to incorporate many fresh (and dried) herbs to my diet but I always come back to my garlic and onion. I love these shallots that they have here too, they're sweet and can be eaten raw (without a punch in the tastebuds) which I love!

Try out some fresh herbs, they bring out every meal in a way that dried can't hope to compete with ;)

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Meat Substitutes: Tofu and Tempe

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Here is the kicker (debate about soy aside for now) having meat replacements makes this whole thing one heckova lot easier to do! I never miss meat ever when I have tofu and tempe around. It's essentially the same thing in my opinion, if prepared and seasoned correctly. (Tempe is fermented soy FYI)

I have a guy that I get this wonderful fresh tempe from every week! He makes it by hand using non-GMO, organic soy beans and wraps it in banana leaves to be ecofriendly! I love it and even freeze some if I know I will want a bunch for a recipe coming up, it retains taste and consistency even if frozen and thawed!

A note about soy: here your sourcing is extra important. There is a wide debate over soy being good vs bad for us, I trust my body as you should do too. I have had conventionally grown soy and it's made me regret it whereas these organically sourced products leave me feeling nothing but satisfied!

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Of course I get different things every week depending on where I am in the world, what is in season and what I am dreaming of making!

I have noticed many benefits since I changed my eating habits. One of those that I know you'll be interested to hear is how much money I save even though I make fancy, elaborate meals, multiple times a day! That'll be the next post in this new series I am starting to raise awareness about veganism!

Now let me leave you with a giant hug, and an invitation to ask me anything (I would love to help you on your journey!) Oh, and some pictures of recipes made recently- all vegan, gluten free, sugar free and delicious ;)

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How about some Philly Cheeze Steaks to tickle your taste buds? Here's the recipe!

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Try out a galaxy inspired treat to start you off in the morning! See how it was made here!

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If you like Peanut Butter Cups, this one right here is for you!

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Strawberries. chocolate and coconut come together to make your mouth explode with happiness! Here's the recipe for it!

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If you want more of where that came from, feel free to follow along and I promise more will appear!

I make treats like it's my business (though I eat them faster than would ever make sense to try to make a profit from them!) I also make all of my meals so that means that at least one meal a day is a fun one worth sharing since I am passionately addicted to being in the kitchen, making these marvelous dishes to share! I hope to see you around!

As always, sending you love through food! I believe we can heal ourselves through food and for me, the proof of that is in the pudding (sugar free-vegan pudding of course!*) I have never felt better, more energized, more alive than I do now and I am happy to share it with you!

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XO,
(PS Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have! I'd love to help where I can!)