New Job, New Rules

Yeah, you heard right, I got a new job.

Not just that, I'm working for an upscale fitness center in midtown Tulsa. The pay is only a little better (by $1.00 and about 50 hours more), plus I'm still pulling a few hours at the magazine. So, now not only am I working more and making more money, I'm busier than ever. That means more meticulous meal planning, and way more penny pinching because I'm shooting for moving out on my own.

"Oh, my God," you say? Hell yeah. I'm piling on the financial responsibilities.

I haven't posted in a few weeks, so I'll give you a quick update. I've been living like a vegetarian on the verge of going vegan. The majority of my food has been canned and not much cooking has been done.

Fear not, I made a delicious vegan mac 'n' cheese on a whim, however, and it turned out DELICIOUS!! Using only seven ingredients, I made my first vegan mac 'n' cheese a pure success.

It didn't look exactly like that, the Daiya cheese was a bit darker. I've included the recipe just for you guys. Enjoy!

2 1/2 cups of Rice milk

1 pkg Daiya Cheddar

1 tsp dried dill

A dash (or two) of pepper

1-2 cups frozen broccoli (thawed) 

8 oz fun pasta (whole wheat, if you like, of macaroni, elbow, rotini, whatever)

Dash of salt (for the pasta water)

Cheeses sauce:

Bring rice milk to a low simmer. Then, add cheese, dried dill, and pepper. You have stir this continuously, if you stop stirring for just a second the cheese will stick to the bottom of the pot. Keep stirring until cheese is totally melted and the rice milk is no longer white; it'll be a light yello at first, and then it'll change into this dark, gooey, delish sauce. As your sauce is cooking, thaw your broccoli, and when it is completely thawed dump it in the sauce.

Pasta:

I would totally start boiling my water while I'm simmering my rice milk. Sprinkle with some salt, and cook til al dente (about seven minutes) because you're going to continue cooking it for another two or three minutes in the sauce.

This stuff is amazing. I can't help but have two helpings. Shhhh! Don't tell anybody.

I've got a bed to get to, so have a lazy vegan night, dudes!!

The Lazy Vegan

  

Effective Communication Blog (For School)

Hi! Welcome to The Lazy Vegan on blogger.com. I'm so glad that you've decided to join me today for something a little different.

Usually, The Lazy Vegan is about creating satisfying vegan meals on a budget; today is going to be a little different. Instead of blogging about the joys of being vegan on a budget, I've decided to share a few tips about three very important skills required for effective communication. But, I refuse to stray from the essence of this blog so I've decided to try and incorporate subjects from my blog to those three steps. This should be fun!

The first skill is by far the most important one: learning to adhere to applicable government regulations and guidelines. The USDA suggests that we make at least half of the grains we eat whole (easy for vegans since that's pretty much all we buy anyway), that we vary our veggies (gotta love the Farmers' Market), focus on fruits (you should try to vary those, too), get your calcium rich foods (mmm, kale), and get plenty of protein (toot toot for beans and legumes). These are guidelines to take into consideration when you are planning your meal plans. Beans are uber cheap and go a long way, so all you die hard vegans should have jars of dried beans lining your pantry. And every vegan should know that by shopping seasonal, your veggie choices will vary significantly.

The workplace, though, is very different from following simple USDA suggestions for adopting healthier eating habits.

In my line of work, these guidelines are extremely important. Plagerism in media is a big deal, so is slander, libel, defamation of character, etc. These are all guidlines that enable journalist to do their jobs effectively, and to communicate questions and concerns without breaking any rules or laws.

This second skill is the hardest for most people who are not exactly "proactive" like myself; it's using time productively. I don't always like to do things right away. I'm what you call a chronic procrastinator. I absolutely hate doing things ahead of time. For example, making my meal plans the day before or the day I decide to go to the grocery store. A lot of times that is how we go over-budget, when we don't use our time wisely. The key is to make sure you have enough time to survey and assess what you already have in your pantry or fridge and make your meal plans according to that, so you can purchase as few items as possible. This saves you time and money at home.

Using your time productively in the work place is something a bit similar. At work, it's easy (especially if you sit in front of a computer 8 or more hours a day), to stop working and surf the net telling yourself it's just a little break. Instead of trying to figure out what J. Lo wore to the club last night, use your "break time" to find out different ways to smooth out that email or proposal you've been putting off; try to format various ways to breathe some life back into that presentation. You know what would really rock your socks? Exploring the many gadgets that Office PowerPoint software has to offer to give that presentation an even bigger kick. Your boss will love you.

And last but certainly not least, is communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. In fact, more vegans should take this skill into consideration. Some hardcore vegans can be insensitive to the experiences of others when they try to communicate their passion for veganism. Many times they can be callus and unattentive to the backgrounds of others, and vice versa. Plenty a vegan has experienced harsh, and insensitive responses when someone finds out they're vegan. If everyone took into consideration the background and experiences of others communicating our ideas and thoughts would be much simpler.

Especially in the workplace. How many times have we stood before our classmates and/or co-workers and made a reference about something cultural or ethical (maybe you referred to a person with mental retardation as a retard when they actually have autism) and didn't use the politcally correct term? You may have offended someone with a relative that has autism. If we learn to respect our teams backgrounds and experiences, we learn effective ways to communicate together.

So, the next time you feel like using your time unwisely, or decide to cut a few corners when it comes to guidelines or policy, remember that in order to make communication in the workplace (and at home) work, you have to practice these three essential skills.

Thank you for your time,
Danielle "Dani" Davis
The Lazy Vegan

Shopping While Broke

Sometimes I wonder if I should change the name of my blog to "The Broke Vegan." It doesn't ring as well as "The Lazy Vegan" but it's still just as charming.

I've written and revised about 13 shopping lists this past week. Have I learned anything? Yes. I've learned that it's time to find another job.

This week, I've been a poor example of a vegan living on $115 a week. I still have my puttenesca sans the pasta. I used the last of it feeding myself and a friend (totally unplanned, by the way). Since then, I've been eating whatever my mom could buy. Pathetic, I know. And I've been counting the days until I could go to the grocery store to buy my own vegan-friendly food.

Disregard my failure week, if you don't mind, and let's get back on track.

Now, last week, I talked about the dreaded shopping list. Well, I've been following some of those tips according to my budgetary confines and have created a well-planned, and soon to be well-executed meal plan and grocery list. True, I had to scour the weekly grocery ads for sales; sometimes sacrifice is a necessity to survival.


My meal plan looks a little something like a skipping record. Here's something I find works really well: take an inventory of what you already have in your pantry and your fridge, and look for vegan recipes that use what you already have - that way you can cut down on what your spending at the grocery store. Also, I think that if you split your list into different stores (preferrably close to one another), you can save. Maybe not on gas if you're going to places that are an entire town apart. For example, my list for this week has me going to a sale at Reasor's, then to the Neighborhood Wal-Mart down the street and then back to Whole Foods about 1.5 miles away. For me, that will take a bit of gas since I drive an eco-enemy SUV.

Reasor's, here in Oklahoma, has a sale called the 10 for $10 sale every now and then. I've found that this week they are having their 10 for $10 on Progresso soup and Vitamin Water (plus General Mills cereal is only $2!). It is true that Progresso is not my favorite soup in the whole world because it is loaded with sodium and sometimes has sneaky dairy products in the soups that we vegans tend to trust (their vegetable soup has parmesan cheese in it). Fear not, my fellow vegans, I will be cautious and I will READ MY LABELS!!!

Another tip I'm trying is shopping day by day per my meal plan. For the grocery list I'm using on Monday, I have only the things I need to make the meals on my meal plan for Tuesday and Wednesday. Pay attention:

Tuesday
Breakfast - Smoothie with soyogurt
Lunch - Red Cabbage Salad
Dinner - Cucumber Avocado Sushi Roll

Wednesday
Breakfast - Soyogurt Parfait
Lunch - Cucumber Avocado Sushi Roll
Dinner - Chili

So, for my grocery list, I have everything I need to make those items on the list. When the meal plan changes to something different (which won't be until Friday) I'll get it on Friday after work. This is definitely a trial and error sort of thing.

I'll let you know if it works to help me save money. It may and it may not. LOL. :)

Until next Sunday, enjoy a very lazy vegan week. Ciao!!



The Lazy Vegan

Food Alert Dos! Pasta alla puttenesca

Say hello to the "whore's style-spaghetti," which is unflatteringly what it means in Italian. What it should mean is "delicious style-spaghetti." I mean, look at that sauce! Looks so good, it makes me wanna kiss my mama! Muah, mama!

Pasta alla Puttanesca (original, un-modified version of the recipe, I'll share my tweeks later)
Serves 8

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup diced white onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 (28-ounce) vans San Marzano whole tomatoes, drained and chopped or 6 cups diced plum tomatoes
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh minced oregano
16 ounces whole-grain pasta, cooked according to package instructions

Heat broth to a simmer in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and red pepper and cook 4 minutes or until onions are translucent and beginning to brown. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add tomatoes, olives and capers and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in basil, parsley and oregano. Serve over cooked pasta.

Now, here's my version:

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 whole small white onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (the kind that you get a pizza place; in the little packet)
1 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste (Muir Glen Organic)
1 (28-ounce) can Muir Glen whole peeled tomatoes (drained but not drained into the sink, drained in the skillet with vegetable broth)
1/4 cup pitter Whole Foods brand olives, chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend (off brand from Wal-Mart)
10 ounces whole grain pasta, cooked according to package instructions

Follow all directions according to the original recipe except when adding the tomatoes, add whatever is left of the juice you missed. Also, I wouldn't cook it for 20 minutes, I'd only cook it for 9 minutes.

I made this with a little side dish of steamed broccoli and organic carrots.

Lazy Vegan   

Food Alert!

After working up one hell of a sweat washing my car, I sat down with my "Enjoy Recycle or else" tee on and had a green juice. Yesterday, I purged all of my veggies and got creative with the juice-monster.

O. M. G. I'm drinking a green delicacy out of a freakin' sippy cup and it (pause) is (sip) so (slurp) goood! Make it yourself, enjoy the experience.

 Pineapple Green

4-5 long chunks of fresh Pineapple
2 apples
1 cucumber
1 handful of fresh spinach
5 stalks of celery
1/2 lemon

Juice in this order: lemon, spinach, cucumber, celery, apples, and pineapple.

Tonight, I'm making the vegan version of Puttanesca. Don't worry, I'll share the recipe wit'cha!

Lazy Vegan

The Dreaded Shopping List

If you're anything like me, you're on a showstring budget and you love trying new recipes every week. Usually, though, those recipes call for some seriously over-budget priced ingredients.

Like Spelt flour. Do you know how much that ish costs?! Try $5 or $6 a bag, yo! Sheesh.

About a day ago, I signed up to get infinite email messages, or missions, from Marisa at Vegan at Heart (www.kindgreenplanet.org). VAH is a program dedicated to making the vegan transition a cinch with little ten minute missions you can complete and/or practice anytime from the privacy and comfort of your own home. Get this, it just so happens that my first mission was to create a shopping list. Not just any shopping list; one that you made as the weeks went by of the things you remembered you needed.
 

Creating a shopping list and sticking to a meal plan is one of the most important and constantly repeated tips to saving money when shopping vegan. "The best solution is to plan out your meals, including snacks, two weeks at a time, and prepare a grocery list that fits the bill," says Kim Barnouin, author of the Skinny Bitch book series, and her latest book, Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.

Personally, I love making grocery lists and meal plans (if I could make money doing it for others, I would). But being vegan on an interns salary is tough. So, here's what I do to make use of the advice my guru's write about. Since it's just me - one single female - I plan for one gourmet meal that calls for ingredients I already have in the fridge or pantry; a few low budget, lazy meals for lunch, like soups or frozen dinners (Yay, Candle Cafe!); and an easy peasy, cheap and simple meal like sandwiches, veggie burgers, or "soy-rizo" tacos. I know, I know, it doesn't sound like I get my veggies. That's why I also try to plan a salad in there somewhere for good measure using veggies that haven't yet been subjected to my juicer, i.e. the container of radishes dying to be used in a salad this week.

Here's what the experts have to say:

"Anyone who shops for vegan groceries in a supermarket knows there are several departments that can be avoided entirely. Still, it can be helpful to have a grocery list template, organized by department, such as Fresh Produce, Canned Goods, Frozen Foods, and Grains and Pasta, and you can fill in what items you need in the appropriate category. If you find that you purchase basically the same ingredients each week, it may be easier to have a master grocery list on which you simply highlight the items you need before you go shopping." - Robin Roberston, author Vegan on the Cheap

That reminds me of another point. Most vegans will tell you to stay away from Wal-Mart, I say, stay far far away from Wal-Mart's produce. They have the absolute worst produce in the world. Probably because it travels more than the average 1,500 miles of the rest of our food.

The best solution for that problem is simply buying your produce locally. The farmers' markets in Oklahoma are amazing, and cheap! I think for produce I spent about $35 and got enough produce to make as many meals as I wanted. On the downside, I know what it's like to be without transportation; ride your bike there, or take the crummy bus, right? Absolutely.

Yet another solution that I only recommend for people making more than an intern, is to join a local CSA (community supported agriculture). Say bye-bye, Whole Foods produce and hello, produce at my door! CSA's allow you to choose what produce you want delivered to you and how much, that way you won't get unnecessary veggies and fruits. Check out www.localharvest.org to find a CSA and farmers' markets near you.           

Imagine all of that delivered to your doorstep. Wow, I'm in.

Remember, make a grocery list according to a meal plan, and save some moolah! Let's go vegan!

Dani

Greetings from the Lazy Vegan

Here's a little story I want to tell...

When I first went vegan at the very young age of 23, I thought it'd be easy. I mean, for the first year, it actually was - I avoided all things McDaddy's and Wendy-fied, meaty, cheesy, and milky. Easy.

It all started with a book with a very controversial title that sparked a little conversation and ignited a fire in me I had no idea even existed. The moment I finished the last page of Skinny Bitch, I cleared out everything that had any of that milky, cheesy, eggy, meaty stuff out of the fridge and went cold turkey (no pun intended). I was pumped. Pumped about doing more for the environment; spreading the word about veganism and how it changes lives and saves animals plus the planet; I was totally stoked about the exploring the new flavors of my foods, and especially this new world of animal rights activism - everything I though veganism was about.

But, you know what? It only lasted a year.

I went to college in the small town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where cows wear those atrocious yellow tags on their ear; where about half the student body is some sort of agri major wearing texas belts, boots, cowboy hats, and call Texas or Wyoming home sweet home. So I knew the moment I got accepted to Okstate that finding a single vegan things there would be a full scale challenge.

I did what any reasonable vegan would: bought in bulk. I went to Whole Foods, bought all of my favorite vegan staples, packed it in the trunk of my mom's car between the bed sheets and oversized couch pillows and headed to the land of agriculture and journalism (the latter being my major sweet major). For a little while - like my college career - my bulk items lasted. Unfortunately, once it was gone, finding vegan-friendly food was a real scavenger hunt - I don't much like scavenger hunts. Except for the cute little health food store tucked away in the same shopping center as Wal-Mart, my hunting days were far few and in between.

I gave up and went vegetarian. Lame, I know.

My stay at O-state ended after a year of beating myself up for not staying committed to the cause, and fattening myself up with all things dairy, sneaking in a few pieces of chicken along the way. I was a disaster, and most of all, I felt like a hypocrite.

That fire inside of me is still ablaze; I still want to spread the word. Now, after close to a year of gorging myself on...whatever, I'm back on my journey. This time I have a little help from the cornicopia of vegan and raw cookbooks, full of enlightening tidbits of helpful info and delicioso recipes!

The Lazy Vegan is here to chronicle my journey for you, enlighten you with information about our great, beautiful Mother Earth, share recipes, and reassure you that it's okay to struggle with this change a bit. You're still doing the right things by taking the first steps - just make sure they're well-informed baby steps.

Let's get started, shall we?

Lazy Vegan