Pearly (whom I keep calling Opal) who Kim-sits while I house-sit... she is so fun!
Yesterday marked the half way mark in this one year adventure. It is looking like this will be more of a whole lifestyle switch, so I am a little hesitant in that statement, but will stick with the initial goal and make broader statements later.
At this point, here are some things I've noticed. Already eating fairly seasonally and local first made a smoother transition. Being vegan also makes this so much easier! This may be the first time I've been able to make that statement about buying food and going out to eat. Maybe I just stile have too many memories/nightmares of the daily struggle of being vegan in the mid-west.
Tortillas made fresh at home are so much better. Actually, Its getting harder and harder to eat out because few things taste as good as making it myself. There is also this strange sense of freedom in "oh, I can make that!" I must also say here, that making food with friends, and sharing the food is one my favorite ways to be with people. It is so satisfying and feeds everyone in so many more ways.
I no longer strain my hemp milk, especially if I am just going to put it on granola or make a smoothie with it. I add hemp seeds to most of those things anyway, so....
Cashew cream freaking rocks! And I mean ROCKS my world... thick like whipped cream or thin for coffee/tea/dandy blend. Really its a drug of choice for me.
My body also seems to be going through some changes. With the exception of the more-than-occasional Dovetail Woopie pie, I am only eating whole grains and greens and fruit. My body is content with less, even though I insist on eating a lot. I am feeling general shifts in my body. Its getting leaner and stronger in very subtle ways.
Also, I believe that my hair is reverting back to the red of my childhood. I am hesitant to say much about it, but as I pulled the clippers out last month, I noticed that the grey is in the tips and there is red at the roots... Its odd.
My eyesight is changing... again. I loose my glasses every time this happens. The first time was a few years after becoming vegan. It was to prevent losing them at a party I was heading off to. And I lost them again when I was trying to make sure that I didn't... strange and boring story not involving a party, so I'll spare you. So I swung in and picked up a $10 pair of reading glasses and running around eye ware free.
What I am enjoying the most are all the conversations. There was a blurb about it in the coops summer newsletter, so people have stopped me all around town to ask questions or tell me what they are doing. The questions range from what do I do about______ to transportation choice (mostly fly vs. car or train). At the beer cart I almost always end up in a fantastic conversation with someone. It is all very exciting. Can't wait to see what happens after the article in In Good Tithe comes out.
I've been thinking about taking a train trip in December back to Kansas to see how a week of no packaged food would go, but I think I am deciding against it. Being vegan and not wanting to shop at the big chains for food already stresses my family out, and this might send them over the edge. I'm not sure I am up for it on top of the holiday season... so maybe spring as a post-graduate project.
Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive, encouraging, and inspiring... popcorn bars rule!
No comments:
Post a Comment