Vegan “fast food” lunch review: Trader Joe’s veggie wrap

After a very long hiatus, PLV is back! I took a break to refocus on my health, both mentally and physically and I’m happy to say I feel better than ever.

To celebrate my first day back in the blog world, I picked up one of my favorite “fast food” lunches while I was doing my weekly shopping at Trader Joe’s: the pre-made veggie wrap with hummus.

Like most people my age, I’m obsessed with TJ’s. The produce, the variety, the unique selection, the low prices… I love it all. And this wrap is no different! I’m not usually a fan of pre-made wraps because they’re soggy and mushy but this one holds up pretty well. Granted, it will never be the same as a fresh homemade sandwich but when you’re needing something grab-and-go, the veggie wrap is a great option.

Rolled in lavash and stuffed with hummus, shredded carrots and broccoli/cabbage slaw, it’s delicious and best of all, it’s filling. One word of caution though: you really do have to LOVE hummus if you get this wrap because it is A LOT of hummus. I’m a hummus junkie so it’s perfect for me 🙂

Here’s to being back on PLV and a lot of more yummy posts to come!

Jack-O Traveler: best vegan pumpkin beer for fall

Like most all people, I’m more than a little obsessed with pumpkin at the moment. Give me pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin cupcakes… I’ll take it all, in very large quantities preferably.

But if you really want to know the way to my heart this fall, I prefer my daily shot of October deliciousness to come in a bottle of Jack-O Traveler Shandy.

Because whoever came up with the brilliant idea of pumpkin beer is definitely my long lost soul mate. I mean its pumpkin and beer. Two of my current favorite things. TOGETHER. In one yummy drink!

As a waitress at a bar with a ton of craft beers, I’ve had the chance to sample more than my share of pumpkin beers recently. And while I like them all, the Jack-O Traveler is by far my favorite as it has the strongest pumpkin flavor and  is nice and light. Not to mention, it is completely 100% vegan! So, for all of my beer lovers out there, definitely give the Jack-O Shandy a try.

It’s like a perfect fall afternoon in a bottle. Or two. Or three…

Savory vegan oatmeal

One of my favorite dinners when I’m cooking for one is a big bowl of oatmeal. And as a girl who will take salty over sweet any day, I came up with the perfect way to make a meal out of the popular breakfast food.

Just throw in some spices & veggies & whatever else you have up in the cupboard and voila! A tasty, healthy dinner. And the best part… it takes a max of 15 minutes to prepare. That sounds pretty darn good to me when I come dragging home from work in the evenings.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Quaker oats

1 cup water

dash of salt

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1/8 cup shredded vegan cheese

Handful of spinach

Dash of Italian seasoning

Bring 1 cup of water to boil and cook oatmeal according to directions on package.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan. Saute mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes (if fresh). Sprinkle in Italian seasoning to taste. You can also use some fresh chopped basil or rosemary.

Once veggies have cooked, mix into oatmeal. Pour into a bowl, top with the shredded vegan cheese and enjoy your yummy, “cheesy”, savory oats!

Told you it was a cinch : )

Becoming vegan after my eating disorder

Don’t restrict. Ever.

That’s basically the number one rule of eating disorder recovery. You eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Craving a mega size chocolate bar instead of spinach salad? Go for it. Half a pizza for breakfast? You bet.

The goal is to unlearn all your restrictive habits. To remind yourself that eating is necessary, and better yet, enjoyable! Recovery is all about finding balance and letting go of control.

But what if I want to be vegan now that I’ve started getting over my eating disorder?

I’ve read infinite articles, blog posts and commentaries on the controversy of becoming vegan after an anorexia. I know that most experts highly recommend NOT going vegan. I know that it’s risky because in a sense, it’s another form of restriction. I know there’s a chance it could trigger me back into my disordered ways.

I know all of that and yet, I still want to give it a chance. Maybe I’m really stubborn, maybe I like a challenge, or maybe I just want to prove I can do it.

Whatever the reasons, I’M GOING VEGAN.

For real this time. Like a true, kale-loving, falafel-eating, tree-hugging, yoga-doing vegan. (Please don’t be offended by the ridiculous amount of stereotypes I just used). Seriously guys, I’mma do this veganism thing. Because honestly, life with an eating disorder sucked and I need something new to get me excited about food. Something that makes me feel good about food. Something that heals my insides AND my outsides.

Something like becoming vegan!

Have any of you become vegan after suffering from an eating disorder? I’d love some motivation or tips : )

XO, Andie

Happy National Yoga Month!

September is my favorite month of the year. (And no, it’s not because it’s my birthday month…although that’s a pretty big deal too : ) ) It’s my favorite month because it’s national yoga month! As a self-proclaimed yoga addict, it’s like heaven. Discounts at yoga stores + free classes at the top studios? SIGN ME UP PLEASE!

I haven’t been posting lately because of a TON of life changes, like graduating college, moving back home, and starting my first grown-up job. But I’m back, as vegan and yoga-obsessed as ever. Or at least I’m trying. And that should count for something right? : ) This week, I’ll be featuring a lot of yoga poses, especially arm balances that I’ve finally been able to master recently. This girl is in love with ashtanga yoga now! I can’t believe how much of a positive change it’s had on my body and my life. More on that later in the week, though. Right now, I’m settling in with a cozy blanket and some sea salt popcorn to enjoy the first night of NFL football!

How are you all lovely vegans celebrating national yoga month? Do studios in your area have any fun events or free class deals?

Love & happy yoga thoughts!

Andie

Mirror talk: how yoga can make you feel beautiful

Like most women, I have struggled often with body image. I’ve been through self-hate, eating disorders, obsessive exercise, emotional eating, you name it. It’s been a rough journey back to loving myself and my body. To be honest, I’m definitely not 100% there yet. I have more “fat” days than I care to admit and sometimes, I just can’t stand the girl in the mirror.

But there was one main thing (besides the love of my family) that helped me get to where I am. That helped me realize my body is beautiful and capable.

That thing is YOGA.

It’s hard to explain the effects of yoga- you just have to experience it for yourself. When you get really into your practice, your mind is completely focused on the movements, the gracefulness, the flow. You stop looking at your body in terms of fat, cellulite, and saddlebags. Instead, you see your body as an amazing thing that has the ability to mold and stretch. You no longer stress about the lack of a gap between your thighs. Instead, you learn to appreciate the muscles in your legs that allow you to hold warrior pose for 10 long breaths. Your body becomes something so incredible.

So for every woman out there who wants to cry when she looks in the mirror, who uses the words “fat” and “ugly” when talking about herself, who thinks life would be so much better 10 pounds lighter… I really encourage you to try yoga. It won’t make you feel like a supermodel over night and it sure isn’t the perfect solution. But, as a girl who has hated her body with a passion for awhile, I can honestly say yoga works. Whenever I’m having a bad day in terms of body image, I always do a short yoga practice and it brings me out of it. Yoga is such a beautiful thing, just like your body. Embrace it : )

 

Lots of love!

Pineapple upside down oatmeal recipe

I’m not really a cake girl. When I reach for dessert (which is more often than I care to admit), I go for chewy oatmeal raisin cookies or dark chocolate brownies first. But there is one cake that I can’t get enough of: pineapple upside down cake! Obviously I can’t shouldn’t eat that for breakfast every morning. So I came up with this oatmeal recipe that combines all my favorite flavors of pineapple upside down yummyness into a healthy breakfast choice!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats

1 cup water

2-3 pineapple rings or a few chunks of fresh pineapple

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBSP brown sugar

A pinch of allspice or cinnamon

 

Heat the water on the stove and stir in the oats. Once they are fully cooked, remove from heat. Mix in the vanilla extract, brown sugar, and allspice/cinnamon. Toss in the pineapple rings. Voila! One delicious serving of pineapple upside down oatmeal! No better way to start your day in my book : )

 

photo cred

Avocado chickpea salad recipe

Avocados are like candy to me. Seriously. The other day I read about a company that mails you a monthly stash of those delicious green fruits. How perfect! If I wasn’t a cash-strapped twenty something, I’d sign right up! I eat avocados with, on, and in ANYTHING. I realized the other day that I desperately need to include more protein in my vegan diet. I had a can of chickpeas in the pantry and thought… hey! Avocados + chickpeas + a few other good ingredients could be the recipe for a perfect spring lunch. Hence, the avocado chickpea “salad” was born!

Ingredients:

*this makes two servings!

1 cup chickpeas

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 red onion, chopped into small pieces

2 TBSP lime juice

Dash of salt and pepper

Fresh cilantro (to your liking)

 

Mash the avocado with the chickpeas. I like to keep it pretty chunky but feel free to use a food processor if you want a smoother texture. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients. I love cilantro so I definitely added quite a bit. Any salsa will do… I personally love the Mateo’s salsa from Costco or the black bean & corn salsa from Target!

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to wish all my vegan friends Happy Easter! Hope you celebrated with an egg hunt, sunrise church services, and mostly happy times with friends & family. (And possibly some vegan chocolate eggs?? : )

My boyfriend and I spent our rainy Easter here in NC snuggling, watching Nicholas Sparks movies, and eating yummy cookies. We also drove down to Lake Brandt yesterday to take advantage of the wonderful, sunny 60 degree weather. Such a beautiful day! I’m SO ready for spring to get here already. Hope you all had happy holiday weekends as well!

Lots of love, Amanda

Old fashioned southern lemonade recipe

One thing I absolutely love about the South is the drinks (non alcoholic of course!). To say I’m addicted to sweet tea and homemade lemonade would be an understatement. Since the weather is warming up here in North Carolina, I decided I’d try my hand at making some good old fashioned southern lemonade. I lightened it up by using Splenda…mainly because I didn’t have regular sugar at home. Oops! Feel free to use whatever sugar product you like most : ) Also, this recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tart in my opinion. If you prefer sweeter lemonade or a little more tang, adjust the measurements to your tastes.

Amanda’s Southern Lemonade

8 lemons

8 cups water

2/3 cup Splenda

 

Juice the lemons in a small bowl. Save the rinds!

Boil 5 cups of water.

Put Splenda in a separate bowl and add 1 cup of the boiling water to it. Stir until it’s dissolved.

Place the lemon rinds in the rest of the boiling water. Remove from heat, cover and let sit anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

Remove the rinds. Mix the lemon-infused water, the sugar water, the lemon juice and the remaining 3 cups of water in a pitcher.

Let chill in the refrigerator overnight and serve on a warm sunny day. Delicious!