Taking a Break

Good morning! I'm writing this post to inform you of the fact that I will be taking a break from Veggie Delight. It's been a great journey as I've gotten to know many of you. However, it's time for a break. I don't know when I'll return, or even if I'll return for that matter. But I will keep the blog up so that others can find my recipes or whatever else they want to see.

Thanks again for all the comments you all have left me over the years!

~Paulina

My List of Goals

Hey guys! I'm writing this post on the 13th of July because I felt inspired to write two posts in one day. Today was my first day of eating better and working out. Today was also the day that I came up with several goals that I would like to implement into my life in regards to healthy living. So here they go...

• Jog/walk six times a week for at least 40 minutes
• Drink a cup of green tea daily
• Indulge in dessert only once a week
• Eat more veggies! (Doesn't the salad above look delish?)
• Consume a salad either as a main dish or a side dish each and every day
• Watch my portion sizes
• Stop eating at least three hours before bedtime
• Up my water intake (I struggle with this one the most believe it or not!)
• Keep fat to a minimum (I'm not eliminating the good fats!)
• Be diligent in taking my multi-vitamin
• Consume a tablespoon of flax seeds or a handful of walnuts every day to get my Omega-3's

Wow! I didn't realize I needed that much improvement! Originally my list was only going to be half as long as the one above.

You may have noticed that I have decided not to have dessert every day now. I'm doing this for my own good. I truly believe it is what contributes to my weight gain the most. Of course, not sticking to my exercise routine doesn't help much. I feel that by only eating dessert once a week, I'll stop feeling guilty and actually enjoy it! It'll be something to look forward to. I'm thinking that I can either drive up to downtown Austin for a special vegan treat or make my own and give the rest away so that it won't become a temptation the rest of the week. Do you all think I'm being too unrealistic though? I don't ever want to deprive myself but a ten pound weight gain is a lot.

Also, for those of you who exercise daily, what is it that helps keep you motivated? What makes you stick with it? I'd love to know!

Determined to Get Back in Shape

Good morning! Today is a new day and a new chance to live with conviction and purpose :)

I am loving my summer vacation because time is so valuable to me. Unfortunately, I haven't been as disciplined as I'd like to be. As a result, I've gained ten pounds. Yes, you read that right. According to our scale, I've gained ten pounds in the past month or so (is that even possible??). So we all know what that means! It means I need to stick to my exercise routine and focus on portion sizes and eating more whole foods. My diet in Mexico was less than stellar but I never would have imagined that it would cause me to gain weight. Oh well :(

Today I woke up bright and early to do my morning devotions and take my sister to her friend's house for an event they're both going to at church. After I got home, I brewed myself a cup of green tea because accoring to a recent study I found in VegNews magazine, green tea helps you lose weight. With my green tea, I had some oatmeal prepared with organic soymilk, raisins, and honey (I occasionally eat honey because it is less expensive and more available than agave nectar). For the topping, I chose half a banana and a tablespoon of Ricemellow creme (2o calories!). It was really good and satisfying.

Later today, I'm going to get on the treadmill and do some serious jogging! I only hope this time I stick to my exercise plan as well as diet.

Question of the day: Why are you a vegan? I'd love to know!

It's Good to be Home

Hey guys! Now that I'm back at home, I'm enjoying all the free time I have to cook my favorite foods. Yesterday's dinner (pictured above) consisted of whole wheat pasta with Dreena's Hide The Lentils Tomato Sauce, Road's End Chreese Mashed Potatoes coated with panko and fried, and sauteed spinach and corn. It was all really good, but I think next time, I'll eat the mashed potatoes as is instead of frying them!

I wanted to add a youtube video to my post but don't know how. Can anybody show me? It's a really good video that I wanted my fellow Christian vegans to watch.

Today I have an interview at a clothing store so I need to go and get ready! Wish me luck! I loathe interviews :/

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD.

~Isaiah 65:25

A Vegan In Mexico

I'm finally back home! You have no idea how much I missed being home. But now that I'm back, I can continue with my daily routine. This morning I woke up energized and ready to resume my exercise plan. I went with both my dad and sister out to the park to go jogging. The weather was wonderful even though it was a bit humid. I can't wait to go back tomorrow! It's time I start to shape up because I've been slacking on my workouts.

In Mexico, my aunt took us to her church which was located on a steep hill. I took that as the perfect opportunity to take a picture of the really nice view from atop. You can see some mountains in the background which I love. In California where I used to live, we had many hills and mountains. Now that I live in Texas where there's not a mountain or hill in sight, it makes me yearn for Cali all the more.

Eating vegan in Mexico is never a problem for me because the relative on my mom's side of the family are really understanding about my diet preferences and are more than willing to accomadate me. The meal you see above was what I had pretty much every day for lunch. It was something I never grew tired of. Whole foods are the way to go!

Super Coldy is an icecream chain that is really popular in Chihuahua, Mexico, which is where I'm from. My cousins took my sisters and I there the day before we were meant to leave. Thankfully there was a bunch of water-based sorbets to choose from so I got to enjoy a treat.

That's my sister in the picture holding my kiwi sorbet up for the picture. Although it looks like a cream based icecream, it really isn't. I loved the fact that there were little chunks of frozen kiwi inside. Yum!

Last but not least, this weird looking concoction is actually a popular snack that you order at a place called "Bitz." They sell drinks and little bites, hence the name. My sister ordered the plate you see above which is simply raw vegetables with a slighty spicy acidic sauce made out of chamoy. I didn't order any because I can't tolerate those kinds of things due to my acid reflux, but I did have a bite or two because I couldn't resist. It's really good! If you ever find yourself in Bitz, order "Verduras Bitz."

Overall, I had a great time hanging out with my cousins and family. We played cards a lot and watched tons of movies.

In a few weeks, I'll be going back to Mexico but with a whole different purpose. I'm definitely scared and nervous, but I know that my mission trip will be a good experience. I just have to think positively. And guess what happens after that? I'm going to California!! You bet I'm super excited :)

Still in Mexico!

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you all know that I´m still in Mexico and having a great time. I haven´t struggled in the least bit finding vegan food. The super markets are stocked with great plant-based food and everything here is so natural. I´ve been eating loads of ¨paletas¨aka popsicles and beans. There´s also other favorites like ¨gluten¨aka seitan made by my mom´s friend´s vegetarian husband. I´m still mad at myself for forgetting my camera when I sat down to eat it. But let me tell you that it was absolutely delicious. I´ve honestly never tasted a more yummy seitan dish than the one he prepared for me. So I´m thankful my mom knows a few vegheads here in Mexico.

Despite the fact that I´m surrounded by satisfying vegan food and family members that are more than willing to accomadate me, I still deal with the tempation of eating things that aren´t necessarily vegan. My sweet tooth is my downfall. I have to have dessert at least once a day and back home, eating a vegan dessert is not a problem. When I´m not at home, it is. It´s hard seeing my relatives enjoying their dairy based icecream and homemade cakes. Several times I´ve been tempted to compromise but then I remind myself of the many reasons why I´m a vegan. That and also listening to Colleen Patrick Goudreau´s Vegetarian Food For Thought podcast really helps me. However, I have fallen off the wagon a few times while here with my family. It wasn´t anything big, I just decided to have a piece of a donut but I still felt guilty. But I didn´t allow myself on dwell on it at all, because after all, I´m not a perfect vegan and I honestly don´t think any of us is. I just try to do the best I can to eliminate suffering and take care of my body.

Other than that, it´s really easy being vegan while in a different country. People just forget that you´re always going to find whole plant foods wherever you travel. You just have to think past the processed vegan food we´re so used to here in the U.S.

Alrighty then! I´ll be back with pictures and plenty to say next week.

Pizza My Way

I love pizza because it's so versatile. The topping possiblities are endless. People just need to look beyond the usual cheese and pepperoni and discover a whole array of healthful plant ingredients.

I made my own delicious personal pizza using a standard crust recipe. For the topping, I chose chickpeas, onion slivers, and kale. The red sauce you see is an organic marinara sauce we buy at Costco. My pizza came out great except for the fact that the kale turned crispy and the middle wasn't cooked that well. I also forgot to add that I sprinkled some nutritional yeast on top to act as the cheese (well, kinda). I'm a nooch lover now! When I first started out as a vegan, I wasn't sure how I felt about nutritional yeast, but now I'm hooked.

Right now I'm in Mexico enjoying my vacation (no, this isn't the mission trip yet!). I'll be sure to take lots of pictures so that I can share them with you guys later this week.