Day 2 of the Vegan Experiment

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals and today my vegan breakfast was very similar to a breakfast I would have had any other day.

I love oatmeal, I know that oatmeal does not always strike the most popular note of yumminess with others as it does with me. But I look at oatmeal as a healthy vehicle for countless sweet and decadent things like dried cranberries, cherries, and raisins. In addition to the mandatory tablespoon of brown sugar or swirl of honey.

My relationship and appreciation of oatmeal began in Florence Italy in 2001. I know what your thinking but you see I had a roommate in Italy (Kimmie) who had to adopt a very strict diet that limited her from eating pretty much everything you (and she) would want to ingest in Italy. But one thing she was allowed to eat was oatmeal, and she ate a lot of it, and got me and everyone in our flat eating a lot of it, and I find myself 8 years later still hooked on oatmeal.

So this morning I had a big bowl of oatmeal with a spoonful of brown sugar and spoonful of dried cranberries and raisins on top.

I also tend to make a lot of smoothies for breakfast and made a very delicious smoothie that I learned from my friend Regina.

My recipe this morning for my smoothie was:

1 large banana

1/2 cup of vanilla soy milk

two ice cubes

1 tsp. of honey

1 tbs. of almonds ( I only had salted ones and they were actually pretty good)

2 tbs. of coconut milk yogurt (this stuff is really good, has all the good cultures, and no dairy)

Blend everything together on high and enjoy.

Dinner was a late jumble of ingredients that turned out really good and helped me learn two lessons I didn't know.

First, I Can't Believe it's not Butter is not butter but it's not vegan either, it has dairy in it.

I was sorely disappointed when I had no butter like substance to put on my fresh French bread.

Second, I never thought about Italian pasta as not being vegan but a lot of them aren't. You have to check the label to make sure they have not used egg whites in the pasta. I learned this when I was online googling the previous information about I Can't Believe it's not Butter. I think this experience is already making me think A LOT more about what I'm eating. I haven't read labels since High School and I think adopting the habit of being conscience about what's in my food, how much sugar, how much fat is something I should be doing again.

For dinner:

I had Wheat Linguine with a homemade (meatless) ragu sauce of basil, eggplant, tomato, onion, and kalamata olive. With a side of steamed veggies and French bread. Super easy, very fulfilling.