Weekend Recap & Diet Overhaul

Things have been pretty busy around here so I feel like a week has passed in just the blink of an eye.  Last week was filled with germs!! Kayla got sick with a nasty cold last weekend and passed it to her sister during the week.  Last week included lots of missed school, a visit to the pediatrician, and antibiotics!  We are on the upswing now and the girls are both back to their normal, happy selves! 

I was battling these germs solo for most of the week as Kyle was out of town from Thursday until Sunday.  He was enjoying fun in the sun at a golf tournament while I was stuck inside with rainy weather and sick kids.  I won’t say that it was all bad, I was very productive with my time, I managed to spend a good deal of it cooking.

I took this weekend as an opportunity to try a few recipes that I new Kyle would never be interested in trying!  I also did some baking and loaded us up with Christmas cookies.

I made:

• Butter cookies (unpictured)
• Snicker doodle cookies
• Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Chip cookies
• Vegan Quinoa and Sweet Potato Chili
• Butternut Squash Creamy Pasta

All the recipes were a success! The chili and pasta dishes were both delicious and the recipes made enough for me to have leftovers for several days! 

During Kyle’s trip I took advantage of full control over the remote control and watched Forks Over Knives on Netflix.  I  had heard great things about this documentary discussing the benefits of a plant-based diet so I was excited to see what it was all about. 

The movie really gave me a lot to think about and as soon as it was over I grabbed my computer and started reading and researching the vegan lifestyle.  If you ever wanted to learn more about the numerous health benefits of a plant-based diet then I highly recommend Forks Over Knives!

I was so inspired by the movie that Sunday I made a trip to Barnes and Noble and picked up some books about a vegan diet.  I started reading Main Street Vegan on Sunday night and I love it! 

The book elaborates more on many of the points from the movie and even though I’m not even halfway through the book I know it will be a great resource for me.  I plan on doing a full review of the book once I’m finished!

I have been so inspired by the movie and the book that I have made the decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle.  For me, the best approach to becoming a vegan is to slowly transition myself.  Right now I’m cutting out the meat and dairy from my diet but I’m continuing to eat eggs. 

I know that eliminating the meat will be easy for me and the dairy shouldn’t be too hard either.  I will definitely miss a few things like my beloved Greek Yogurt and cheese but it’s probably for the best.  Dairy doesn’t sit well with my stomach so I usually pay the price when I eat dairy. 

I’m anxious to see how my body feels after eliminating the meat and dairy and incorporating many more vegetables into my diet.  I know the health benefits are numerous and I’m looking forward to feeling those positive effects.  Living a vegan lifestyle is going to take some work on my part but I’m confident it will be worth it!

Question:  Have you ever thought of adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle?