Vegan/Flexitarian follow-up.
We've not veered from Vegan since last Sunday's first Flexitarian free for all. (the salmon and cheese sauce).
Interestingly, I find myself able to say no to things just because I know there is something else I could have and would rather have. Weird.
Since we talked about costs and wondered how much this adventure would cost I thought I'd share my findings and lists with you.
We averaged $100.00 a week for three adults. This was 90% organic and without pinching pennies. This was also all of the food we purchased. No restaurants etc. We all packed our lunches and/or ate at home.
I'll put a TJ (Trader Joes) or WF (Whole Foods) for items that are a better deal at one place or the other (some aren't available in both places.)
We did a big run every ten days or so, with an occasional jaunt for something we ran out of. I've made comments regarding how often I bought or what discovery I made about the items.
Non-Dairy:
Vanilla Almond Milk (TJ) (2 half gallons)
Coconut Milk (WF) (2 half gallons)
(I have just discovered that Swag Bucks has coupons for So Delicious coconut milk and Larabars. You join Swag Bucks, go to coupons, print them and get Swag points when they are redeemed. This is pretty sweet because the Swag points can be turned into merchandise or gift cards. Each coupon you redeem is worth 10 points and a $5.00 Amazon giftcard is 450 points. Not like I'll earn one every day, or even every week, but a buck here and there adds up. So if you don't swag and want to 
ONCE A MONTH or so we also buy:
Earth Balance Non-Soy Spread in the tub (WF)
(I've heard the sticks don't do so well in baked goods so I haven't baked with them...the tub is easy enough)
Soy or Coconut Milk Yogurt (Soy especially plain soy for Naan Bread) (WF)
Fresh Vegetables: (The trick is to plan out what you will be having for the week or so. You don't want so much produce it goes bad, but not too little either. You can be creative with produce. Search for recipes that use the ingredient you have on hand. Throw together a lasagna either with noodles or with eggplant or zucchini as the noodles. Peppers can be chopped and frozen, so can onions. A soup, (even just a veggie broth from stuff that is going south too fast)...then freeze that. Lettuce is probably the hardest to be creative with. But there is always a good chopped salad or wraps.
Lettuces (not iceberg) (2 pkges) (TJ) (NOTE: Sam's and Costco have large bags/containers of organic spinach and lettuce that are great deals, but they are large.)
Mushrooms (1-2 pkges depending on menu) (TJ)
Zucchini or Spring Squash (1 to 2 depending on menu) (TJ)
Eggplant (TJ if they have it fresh, if not they have a frozen bag of zucc/eggplant slices)
Tomatoes (TJ)
Peppers (However, we usually buy the frozen chopped pepper medley at TJs)
ONCE A MONTH or for MENU choices we will also pick up:
Bag of Organic Garlic (TJ)
Bag of Organic Onions (TJ)
Fresh Basil (TJ)
Fresh Cilantro (TJ)
Bagged Organic Potatoes (TJ)
Tofu (TJ) (it's in the produce aisle)
Fresh Fruit:
Bananas (TJ)
apples (in the bags) (TJ)
Oranges ( bagged) (TJ)
Berries (TJ)
Other in season or appealing fruit (TJ) (I'm going to be honest. Whole Foods produce is a little bigger and maybe even prettier. But TJs prices are pretty amazing. I can get a 3 lb bag of organic apples for about $3.50 give or take. That's comparable to what I used to spend at my local grocery store for non-organic apples.)
NOTE: If you a smoothie person, note how much you will use in each smoothie and buy accordingly. 24 drinks breakfast smoothies, Rob and I usually don't. And for smoothies we usually buy TJ's frozen fruit chunks which are very reasonable. And then they are always there and the nutrition is not disappearing slowly every day it sits on the counter. We usually buy several bags (three or so per trip).
And since I'm at frozen, the following TJ's products are terrific and decently priced....frozen asparagus, artichokes and falafel, egg rolls (not pure vegan, have egg white on them) And the peppers. We buy these as needed based on the menu. Yes. I'll share menus next week. : )
Rob and I each take a PB or Almond Butter and Jelly sandwich to work. So we buy a jar of each at TJ's. WF is comparable on PB but not Almond Butter.
Two Loaves of multi-grain sandwich breads. (TJ) They have a great variety and we don't grab the same one each time. Organic and multi-grain are anywhere from 2.50 to 4.00 a loaf....
Also based on menu needs additional breads, rolls, buns, or wraps (TJs)
Dried fruits, juices and nuts are good deals at TJs. We grab what menu need says or what sounds good for nibbling.
TJ's also has tasty cookies, chips and the prices are reasonable. So keep that in mind if you want to plan splurges. The Jo-Jo cookies are Vegan and they are delicious. And their Veggie Straws are pretty tasty, too. Coffee at TJ's is great. I buy the fair trade organic beans and they run about 6.99-8.99 for 14oz. (This stuff is sparingly bought and if we splurge too much we tip over the budget and things will sit there and don't get used up sometimes, too.)
Sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, canned beans, some soups, artichokes in the jar...these are all good prices at TJ and we pick them up as recipes or convenience dictate. (the olives and sun-dried tomatoes are really good prices). TJ's also has good pasta sauces, dressings, marinades and condiments. As needed I buy a bag of brown rice there, too. (again, though these all keep, I don't go too crazy because we don't need to store it on our shelves just because we can).
Finally. We head down the road to Whole Foods. So far the only thing TJ's doesn't have/beat is the Earth Balance Soy Free spread, the coconut milk and the yogurt.
WF is where I get my:
Cane Sugar
Flour (Spelt - which I do buy online, too, Amazon actually) or King Arthur minimally processed.
TVP (Bob's)
Gluten (WF)
Oatmeal (Bulk Organic)
Nutritional Yeast (Bulk)
Ground Flaxseed (whichever is best deal)
Chocolate or carob chips (bulk)
Bagged beans (usually 365 brand is cheapest)
Bagged quinoa (usually 365 brand is cheapest)
Vegetable broth in carton (365 brand...1.00 cheaper than TJ's)
365 Brand frozen waffles (blueberry and flax flavors) ( a fav breakfast, theirs are Vegan, TJ's has some but they have eggs... A waffle, smeared with Almond butter and fresh fruit on top. Yum)
And the above are items we don't need every 10 days and purchase is based on what we plan to eat.
And thoughts. Since we went organic (mostly) a couple of years ago I was getting pretty used to spending high dollar amounts on dairy. Eggs runs $4.00 a dozen, milk $6.00 a gallon, fruits/veggies aiy yiiyii. And meat prices are up there with cheese and organic yogurt....this change is not a huge shock to us costwise. But. If you are shopping with coupons and buying processed food, and store brand, this food list and the cost may shock you. Super processed is cheaper, especially with coupons. But since price was a subject talked about early on, and because I was curious, I thought I'd share my findings with you, and where I found the best deals.
Next week I'll share our menu's for the month.
Cinco De Mayo Fun...
HOLY GUACAMOLE - A ROMANTIC ADVENTURE FOR FOODIES
Nestled along San Diego's coast, the former romantic getaway of the silver screen's most notorious lovers is now the sizzling hacienda of Bonnie Miller's culinary boot camp. "If you are what you eat, make it hot, spicy and irresistible," is her motto, and this queen of Southwestern cuisine enjoys quite a savory life; success, fame, and a reputation for the finest palate west of Barcelona. That is, until a pot-rattling bang causes Trace Domingo, a washed-up sp
orts writer, to crash into her life. His arrival turns up the heat at the culinary boot camp as Bonnie discovers in life's recipe book, it is not the spices which add the most flavor, but how truly hungry you are.
Laced with local references, historical sites, and culinary delights, Holy Guacamole is a fun summer beach read.
About the Authors
Dan and Denise Harmer enjoy living in Southern California's "Avocado Capital of the World" where they maintain a laid-back lifestyle as they run a cabinet shop, raise four children, and tend a small ranch. (Okay, maybe it does get a little hectic.) Learn more about Dan and Denise.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to support the ministry of Outside the Bowl.
My thoughts since I haven't read it...
This book sounded like it pulled together a few of my favorite things, guacamole and a few thrills. When I read it, I'll come back and review it. In the meantime I'm going to check out the Harmer website. Interesting life. : ) and I love that some of the proceeds go toward ministry.
Mushroom saga....continued
We were ashamed. No. 24 was inexperienced. I was the one who carried the shame. I have hunted mushrooms before. I know what they look like. And I hadn't found one, in over an hour, in a place where they should be plentiful. I began to think every walnut shell and leaf was a Morel. I began to lament my lack of mushroom skills. I even began to question my status as an Iowan.
It got pretty bad.
Of course, I may have been playing it up a bit. Being a little over the top in the drama department.
And as I was lamenting, and 24 was laughing at my ridiculous statements I looked over and realized that I had been loudly carrying on by a stinkin bee hive. Okay. What I know about bees is limited. I have seen beekeepers in the suits with smoke to soothe the bees. And I know bees are suicide stingers. And I know that bee stings hurt real bad. All of this knowledge flashed through my brain and left me frozen in horror.
Wouldn't bees be a little disturbed, needing a good smoke to calm them, if some idiot was yelling about mushrooms outside their hive? Hello. I certainly would be looking for some peace and quiet and a little something to calm my nerves if the shoe had been on the other foot...er, leg, tentacle?
I was a little afraid. However, when I calmed down enough to hear the whispered question "Can you hear them buzzing?" Good news! I couldn't....I began to back quietly, and stealthily away from the bees.
And within minutes of the clarity from the near death experience I found a mushroom. (Pictured) Mere coincidence? I think not. Then 24 found one, one about the 1/3 of the size of mine. A half hour later we had, between us, SEVEN tiny mushrooms!
The poor farmer, w
ith an attempt to control her mirth, sent us home with our booty. And we cooked them up last night. The three of us divided up about a tablespoon's worth of deliciousness. Oh my, they were good.
But we refused to share them with the ticks that followed (er, rode) us home.
I posted a picture of a teeny-tiny mushroom yesterday and said I'd be back with a story.
Here it is. Well, part one anyway.
24 is volunteering at an organic farm in our rural-metro area. This in and of itself is pretty cool. She helped plant heirloom 
tomatoes in a high tunnel and onions in a 75 foot row. Some of the tomatoes will be striped and colors beyond the traditional red. She has brought a bit of useful information to us regarding our own garden. Did you know that you should rotate tomato sites, eggplants and potatoes? Different crops affect the ground so you shouldn't plant the same old, in the same place year after year or it will affect your yield. So. We have decided to change some things up placement wise. So already it's been a great benefit.
But she was also given the invitation, which included her family, to come hunt mushrooms.
If you are unfamiliar with Morel mushrooms, here is a fan/information page. I'll just say the few times I've eaten one over the years have been pretty magical. To say they are delicious is an understatement.
I've hunted for mushrooms before and have had some luck. There is a very short season (2 to 3 weeks) and the mushrooms like a perfect mix of shade and sun. Some people find pounds and pounds (or should I say hundreds and hundreds...because, as you can see in the picture, it would take a lot of tiny mushrooms to make up a pound). And, like in the days of prohibition and hidden moonshine stills, mushroom sites are a carefully protected secret. (Never heard of a mushroom murder...but...some shroomers are scary passionate about this little fungus. )
That said, being invited to canvas acres of woods for mushrooms was an adventure I couldn't pass up.
We arrived as one team was finishing up. They had found thirty-something mushrooms and one was literally the size of an orange. We had high hopes. Our area was a burned out (this valley, that is just 15 miles from us, is made up of several organic growers and they are slowly -- I say slowly because it will take a hundred years -- reverting the land back to prairie. That takes ridding the land of plants and trees that did not naturally belong there two hundred years ago) section that went straight up the bluff, down, through the garden valley and the into woods on the other side.
An hour into our search one of the owners came to check on our progress. Nada. She suggested we'd find paydirt (literally -- wo
nder if that's where that word came from) in the other woods. At this point we asked her how she'd done, she said we didn't want to know but she was carrying two plastic grocery bags that were bulgy and swayed with a bit of heft....I'm guessing a couple hundred or dozens of HUGE ones.
To be continued.
Final Full Vegan Report
30 Days. Done. Did it.
Rob and I both ended up saying that doing without meat and dairy was not as difficult as we thought it would be, and that it tasted better than we had even hoped for. So, success on all fronts.
Oddly, though we didn't count a single calorie or reduce intake or any such "diet" type thing, I lost 3 to 4 pounds. It's not a pound a day like some people can pull off, but I wasn't dieting. So I consider that to be another plus to cutting animal products.
Yesterday was day 1 of Flexitarian for the rest of our lives. We went out to eat and Rob celebrated by having salmon. I was really struggling with the hanging onto the newly ingrained habits. I ended up ordering a mushroom stuffed ravioli in a smoky cheese sauce. Yep. Full on dairy. But I shared half of it and ate Vegan friendly pomodoro, too.
None of us had raging gastrointestinal consequences. But between you and me, I like my fake cheese sauce better. And if I could find dairy free mushroom ravioli...well....
Tonight I'm going to try my hand at a Vegan classic, Seitan. Not sure how I'll use that particular meat substitute, but gotta give it a shot. We will also be enjoying a teeny, tiny handful of Morel mushrooms. And I'm modifying a cookie recipe for dessert. Mushroom story tomorrow. : )
I think I did it. The ULTIMATE Non-Meat Burger (according to our taste buds). Satisfying, full of flavor and texture. I think these are a winner. I looked at more than 20 recipes and then pulled out the formula of what I thought would work. And it did.
I ended up adding a wee bit more texture to this recipe than what I tried in the actual burger making trial run. The minor addition of 1/4 cup mushrooms and a TBSP more of Textured Vegetable Protein (sold in health food section of grocery store - I used Bob's) should give the exact density that a good "burger" needs.
Vegan Adventure Ultimate Burger
1/3 Cup T.V.P. (Textured Vegetable Protein)
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 TBSP ground flax seed
1/2 Cup of Salsa (or Spaghetti Sauce - for Italian version, or Vegetable Broth for Middle Eastern flavor)
3 TBSP water
Put together in a bowl. Set aside.
In 2 TBSP of Earth Balance or fat of choice saute the following until tender then remove from heat.
1 Small dice small zucchini (or 2 grated carrots)
1 Small dice onion
2 minced cloves of garlic
3/4 cup small dice mushrooms (or diced cooked potatoes)
Then toss in one can of beans (with the bean juice) (or two cups of home cooked beans) - pinto or black (Mexican) or kidney (Italian) will give you more color, garbanzo if you want a more Middle Eastern flavor.
Semi-mash as you stir it all together.
Add the following spices to the veggie mixture.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin (Mexican, Middle Eastern (and if you want to add a teaspoon or two of sesame seeds or tahini to a Middle Eastern burger, go for it.)
1 teaspoon cilantro (or curry if going for Middle Eastern and 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasonings if going for an Italian flavor and omit the cumin).
Add 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup cooked brown rice
Add the flax/TVP mixture and stir together.
Refrigerate for 1/2 an hour or so.
Form into patties. Makes a dozen or more thinner ones, and go for thinner to get a more burger texture.
Fry patties in a little bit of oil (coconut, or Earth Balance or your choice) a couple of minutes on each side. They will crisp nicely and have a decent texture.
(I made them all up and froze a half dozen of them for another meal - I'll toss them frozen into an oven at 350 for 15 min or reheat them on the stove top.)
I toasted the buns (with a little garlic spread) and added avocado slices and tomatoes, lettuce, etc. The usual hamburger stuff.
We've been talking about what our post-Vegan-trial life is going to be like.
Rob says he is absolutely convinced that the change in his diet has made a huge difference in his health and his pain level. He keeps sharing his journey with others, telling them how good he feels.
He has to meet a business acquaintance for lunch today and he's planning on how he can stick to his plan. He is also talking that fish is one thing he'd like to add back into his life. But he also said that wants us to continue to cooking as we have this month, with the occasional addition of something that may have a mother, a face or both.
I can live with that. This is a man who "needed" red meat three times a week, and chicken wasn't really meat at all in his book.
Personally, I don't think I need eggs in the house, or real butter, or real milk. We have broken past the necessity of these items. I don't miss any of them. Nor do the others in the house. Cheese, sorry, Kim, I think we can leave it alone. Not to say we won't dive into a cheese tray or succumb to a cheesy pizza every once in awhile. I can live with that.
Flexitarian means we can live our lives a huge percentage one way with an occasional splurge or dive into something different. Outside of faith and vows and primary relationships, I'm pretty sure flexitarian is something we should all strive for in life.
However, I think I'm going to miss the focus. The adventure of trying to make sure everything on the table is faceless and motherless but tastes amazing. I don't want it to end. Even blogging about it every day has been a fun challenge.
I think I've learned something about myself in this process. I love learning, and the challenge of making that knowledge work for me and my life. The past few years are coming into sharp focus as I think about my "writing" career, my day career in the medical field, my intensive period learning how to really study the Bible and how to teach from it, etc. etc. etc. Each of those growing/learning periods fed me. And each of them, when the intensive learning bursts quieted into the daily humdrum of just doing...well, contentment is nice, but spark and passion and hunger are hard to satisfy with contented sighs.
So. I guess my soul, my spirit, my spark of life within need good food, just like my body. And I'm not okay with giving in to cheap, fast, and fake there either.
