The Smoothie Vegetarians

Hi everyone! Happy of Happiest New Year to you all! I have mentioned prior posts that I am a "Spoonie" If you aren't familiar with this term, please do a quick search for "The Spoon Theory". I wanted to give some tips to other Spoonies who are, or are considering being vegan. A lot of people think veganism is challenging. Especially those with chronic illness, they may think it's damn near impossible. I have many, many chronic illnesses, both physical and mental. I truly believe that if I'm able to make this lifestyle work, anyone can. It can be overwhelming at first, but you may find it easier to switch to vegetarian first, then choosing a date shortly after to go completely vegan. I prefer not recommending vegetarianism, as it's still contributing to animal cruelty, and I'm aware now of just how cruel all  aspects of animal agriculture are.. However, it's a decrease in animal consumption, and eventually switching to veganism...

(photos by Danielle) Over the weekend, I was able to attend my second VegFest over the past few months! This summer, I realized that there are more festivals around the United States, and I was so excited to find this out. I thought that I would have to travel to a huge city and go to California or New York for events like this. Fortunately, Vegan Festivals are becoming more mainstream and even people who are not vegetarian or vegan attend and see what this amazing lifestyle is all about. Going to Chester County Vegan Festival in West Chester, PA over the summer, I had some idea of how amazing this event was going to be. I am so excited for people to see what food like this REALLY is….not just the stereotypes that are far from the truth. After the West Chester festival, I found out there was going to be another VegFest in Phoenixville, PA. I know I was pleasantly surprised with each and every option there and wished I could have tried everything. If you are intereste...

When I told everyone I would be studying abroad this summer, it seemed the first response I got was “Wow, how exciting!” and the second was “Are you going to be vegan while traveling?”. I had to try so hard every time not to roll my eyes. Of course, I would stay vegan while traveling, and it is not too hard! During my study abroad, I stayed in England but also flew back and forth between France and Amsterdam. Moreover, I have also been traveling back and forth between US states multiple times per year due to my choice of college. In all of my traveling situations, I have never been put in a situation where I could not find vegan food. Here I am going to share a few tips for anyone who might be worried about how to eat vegan in airports, on the road, or in foreign countries. First, let’s talk about airports and airplanes. If you are on a long flight where the plane will be providing a meal, call the airline and request a vegan meal. When I did this recently, the vegan o...

Easy Raw Vegan Broccoli, Mushroom Salad *From Jan's Raw Kitchen Kreations* Ingredients Serves 2-3 4 Cups Broccoli chopped into bite sized pieces 4 Cups White Button mushroom 1 Cup Cherry tomatoes Place all ingredients in one bowl Sauce 3 pitted dates soaked overnight 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar 3/4 -1 Cup tahini 1 teaspoon cayenne 4 cloves garlic minced  Combine all sauce  ingredients in a food processor,  Process until smooth. Pour over veggie combo,  Massage in the flavors,  Allow to marinate overnight refrigerated, Set at room temperature for 45 minutes, Place in serving bowls, serve and enjoy! - Jan P. López

Before coming to college, I had only been vegan a couple months and was nervous about how to maintain this lifestyle while living on the school’s campus, eating  off their meal plan, and not even having a kitchen. Little did I know, being vegan in college turned out to be just as easy as being back at my house. Of course, everyone’s school is different, but here are the tips that make veganism a breeze for me while living at school Don’t be afraid to ask questions in the dining hall. This is my number one tip because I automatically assume foods are not vegan until proven otherwise. For example, I went the first couple months of school asking for the same dressing on my salad before finally finding out that the school uses a certain brand and EVERY dressing at the salad bar is vegan! If I had asked sooner, perhaps I wouldn’t be tired of balsamic vinaigrette by now ;) Make yourself known. I also recommend finding out who is in charge of camp...

Raw Dish– Garlic, Basil Salad *From Jan’s Raw Kitchen Kreations* Hi guys,  Happy July ! Salads are great dishes which ensure we get lots of fruits and veggies in at one meal, with food combining done right. Here is one of my favourite salads, refreshing, tasty and with excellent food combining. Do enjoy !! – Sweet meets savoury ! Ingredients Serves 2-3 persons 2 Cups chopped tomatoes 1 Cup chopped pineapple 1 Medium sized jicima diced 1 Zucchini diced. 1 bundle green onion- chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced 2  Cups  orange juice infused with ¼ - ½  teaspoon  cayenne  pepper 12 leaves fresh basil. Directions ·          Combine well all ingredients in one bowl, ·          Pour in orange juice, ·          Allow flavours  to marinate for 45-60 minutes, at room temperature(24. ...