Day 5: Weekend One, Here We Go!

Normally I reserve my weekends for self-indulgence and excessive amounts of guilt foods. After a long week toiling away in front of the computer screen, I find my best therapy is usually found in the last piece of a large pepperoni pizza. So as I looked at the clock quietly ticking away to the end of a Friday workday I wondered how this first vegan weekend was going to go. 

What would I drown my stress in? What would I do with my pizza and ice cream money? I won't lie, I did drool a little bit as I passed the In & Out on the way home. 

Determined to succeed I stared into the fridge half expecting the recipes and ingredients to jump out pre-prepared into my hands. I settled on grilling up some bell pepper/zucchini/onions with basil, oregano and garlic salt and added it to some capellini pasta with a splash of olive oil. All in all it was actually pretty delicious. A glass of coconut pineapple juice to wash it down and of course I treated myself to some chocolate coconut milk ice cream afterwards. 

Saturday morning was too busy to figure out breakfast so I scarfed down a nectarine in between walking Miss Roo to the pet store and giving her a bath. The afternoon was filled with some amazing homemade guacamole and vegan enchiladas complete with black beans, green chilies, and sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. I also learned thanks to another label reading session that I can still eat Kettle Chips which was a happy treat for my empty 4pm stomach. 

I'm starting to feel more confidant about this vegan thing. Starting to realize that it's not cutting out as much as I originally thought. It takes a bit more time and planning to put a meal together but at the end of the day it's a more gratifying experience understanding every ingredient that is being placed within my stomach. And yes, I realize, I'm only 5 days in so I haven't hit all of my roadblocks just yet but I feel lighter after each meal, I have more energy in the day, and I kind of enjoy the confidence gained with each successful dish.  

Even with this heat, I don't feel the need to lay lifeless in the middle of the room, clinging to a fan and a cold drink for dear life. The heat is there but I can still cut through to actually live through each day. 

Tomorrow I aim to tackle a good baked potato. I have to find a way around the cheddar cheese and bacon topping but I think some seasoning and maybe some broccoli may be a good compromise. 

One day, when I'm daring, I will try to find a solution to my pizza addiction, but don't tell pizza yet, I haven't yet broken the news that our relationship just might be ending...