Virginia, the Beautiful

Anyone following me on Twitter has surely been reminded several times how much I’ve fallen in love with Virginia. A short drive down any of the winding roads here has me gasping at how beautiful it is. I don’t want to leave!! Here’s a peek at our condo. We’re staying at the Historic Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg. It’s fantastic! There’s even a full-sized Jacuzzi attached to the master bedroom!

As if it was possible to love the area any more, I randomly came across a Trader Joe’s on my run the first day here. I literally yelped “Trader Joe’s!!!!!!!” and stopped to call my mom.

We’re saving our big stock-up for our last day here (Wednesday), but that didn’t stop us from picking up a few essentials that evening! My loot included whole grain drink, PB-filled pretzels, almond butter with roasted flaxseeds, chocolate dipped bananas, a pink lady apple and strawberry fruit floes.

I’ve had some of everything. Omg, I need a Trader Joe’s by my house. Most things in the store have impressive ingredient lists at low prices. Yummmmmmmm.

Mom was craving steak our first night here so we followed a local’s suggestion and visited Aberdeen Barn. Traveling with my family is interesting because we eat so differently. This is another restaurant where it is just difficult to eat vegan. I find the more modern restaurants and chain places are the best for catering to special diets. Aberdeen Barn is not one of these places ;) The restaurant is very traditional. I felt like I should be more dressed up when our waiter came out in a tux!

I had a few breadsticks and a roll before dinner. Eh. I’m all about pre-meal carbs but neither of these impressed me.

For my meal I ordered wild rice and broccoli. Quite different from my Infusion Tea meals at home, right?! Aberdeen Barn was a great restaurant if you love a juicy steak and fresh salad with homemade blue cheese dressing. The foods I ate for my vegan meal were very good, but the overall options and willingness of the staff weren’t the best. Some places are just not meant to be :) Luckily I had plenty of snacks back at the condo to console me!

What should I buy at Trader Joe’s when I stock up Wednesday?

FOOD!

Whew, was yesterday crazy! I started a new part-time job (which is actually going to be full-time in terms of hours) and by the time I got home and grocery shopped at two stores I was so tired. But that didn't stop me from getting in a run!

After a day of too many sugars, simple carbs and stress I needed a run to redeem to the day. From the moment my Asics first hit the pavement all my worries pounded away. I normally run 4 minutes and walk 1. Last night I ran 4 miles in 38 minutes in the dark and it was amazing. That run left me energized and feeling good. Ahh, running...
I had more oats with Stevia in the Raw and soy milk and then grapes before heading to work. I am going to spare you the rest of the days eats since they were basically just Zbars, nuts, vegan donuts and cereal. Ugh! I'm getting tons of veggies in today!!
In order to finally restock the kitchen I headed to Costco.
There I found these Peeled Dired Fruit Snacks. The only ingredients are essentially dates, aprictots and figs. The best part was that this bag was only $2.97!
Yum :)
I needed a few more things after Costco so I decided to give Aldi a try. What a different store! You had to pay to use a cart, everything was in boxes, the selection was small and weird, all products were brands I'd never heard of... very interesting! I ended up buying $5 worth of frozen veggies, crackers and onion. I wouldn't go back to Aldi.
My Costco loot:
Cinnamon, soy ginger dressing, Peeled fruit, frozen organic broc, pink lady apples...
...fresh (yummy!) asparagus, a salad mix (David uses)...
...whole grain bread, edamame, Flat Out wraps, frozen strawberries
...fresh strawberries, spinach...
...OJ and soy milk...
..and David's items: waffles, syrup, milk and cheese.

Looking over our groceries I have to admit I'm pretty impressed. We have tons of fruits, veggies and whole grains. Other than the last few items everything is vegan. Everything is vegetarian and it's organic when possible. I love to know I'm feeding David and myself with good fuel :)
I have to include this car I saw on the way home from Costco. Notice the stickers saying " EARN REPECT...BE PROUD...SPEAK...IN PUBLIC." The license plate says "ENG ONLY" and there's an NRA sticker in the back windshield. Hah!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Vegan in Review

In place of my regular post about today’s eats, I’d like to talk about what veganism has been like for me so far.

Almost three weeks ago I decided to go vegan (after being a vegetarian for 9 years) after a good talk with Ryan. The week after my decision I saw Food, Inc. which really made going vegan so much more important to me.

I don’t have any doctor’s results to share, and it has only been three weeks, so here is my casual review of what veganism has done to me so far.

Stomach- One of the main reasons I changed my diet was the horrible stomach pains I had been experiencing. All stomach pains went away within a few days of eliminating animal products.

 

Food- My food has been so much more fresh, healthy and whole. I’ve tried amazing  vegan dishes in my own home and out that I would have never tried otherwise.

Cooking- Before I had a few dishes I would rotate. Now, I am using cookbooks and my own creativity to come up with yummy meals and snacks. I don’t think I’ve had the same meal twice!

Freedom- This  might seem contrary to what veganism is, but by removing all animal products from my diet, I actually feel more free. I feel empowered when I cook and eat food and I’m getting more excited about it now than ever before.

Energy- Before I was so tired all the time. Now, I have much more energy and have no problem staying awake in the evening. I sleep better, too.

 Skin- My skin seems brighter and more even-toned.

Complexity- Eating vegan has been unbelievably simple. The transition was definitely easier for me since I was already a vegetarian

Cost- Vegans win :) A can  or bag of beans will always be cheaper than yogurt, cheese or meat! Although I have been spending more on quality produce, so I think it evens out.

David- David has been eating so many vegan and vegetarian dinners. The food is whole and filling and he seems to like it.

 

Weight- My weight has not changed.

Cravings- I have no cravings for animal products. A while ago I did eat some cheese (and my stomach hated me for it) and it was out of habit, not craving.

Overall- Veganism has been great. I feel better, I am eating better and my actions are good to animals and the environment. I am most surprised at how easy it has been. I plan on continuing eating a vegan diet.

Costco or Sams?

Costco or Sams?

Grocery shopping for David and me is a lot different than grocery shopping for just myself. When it was just me I would clip coupons and base my week's foods around what is on sale/cheapest. David has more staples that he goes through pretty quickly and must always have- like orange juice ($4/bottle!) and (soon-to-be) organic meat.

I am definitely interested in wholesale options like Sam's Club and Costco (the two in my area) but am having a tough time deciding which would be best.

Ryan did some searching around and found that Costco has Larabars and organic spring mix while Sams had Zbars and organic spinach... so they are different!

Tomorrow David and I are headed to both to check out the store/products/prices and compare. I'd love to get your input before we go.

Have you had experience with either? What have you heard/experienced?