Let’s talk about K-Beauty. Is it legit?

You know me: I’m not your typical girly girl. I’m rough around the edges, swear more than most Marines, and don’t ever care about getting my hands dirty. However, I LOVE SKINCARE STUFF AND MAKEUP. I think it is a hold over to my dance and pageant days (Miss Snowflake 1991 had big bangs and rouged cheeks) because I have always been cosmetics and hair stuff since before I can really even remember.

Last year, I had a conversation with one of my friends who has the most flawless skin and is a few years older than me. While I totally get that skin is definitely something your mama gives you, I also know that skincare is about hydration (drink that water, girl) and protecting your skin from the elements around you (I see you, Air Quality Index). But her secret? Korean Beauty products.

K-Beauty has finally reached the mainstream here in the States, and there are products literally at every price point. Since my introduction with K-Beauty, I have tried a bunch of different products, at different prices, from different brands. I do a lot of my own research, but lately I don’t have that kind of time. I’m in school and work—both full time—and just accepted a job in Atlanta and will be moving down in June. One day when I was supposed to be paying attention in my food and drug law class, I stumbled across a blog named Baller on a Budget and the overall concept struck a chord with me, not to mention her research was pretty on point. The blog is developed by a woman named Aileen Luib out in LA, and she has done some serious research on various things from beauty and health to travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s young, but from what I can see, her knowledge of K-Beauty is legit.

The original article I found is here, and is one of the best step-by-step explanations of what the products are, how to use them, as well as in which order you should use them. She even has a quiz for you to take if you just have no clue what your skin type really is, and it’s actually pretty accurate. If you aren’t really sure what you need, couldn’t hurt to take the quiz.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty and my recommendations. I have fairly balanced skin, so definitely keep that in mind as you go through the list. Happy shopping!

• Step 1: Remove Makeup
  • Kirkland Signature Micellar Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes: $15.99
    • These are so awesome and CHEAP. I use these before I cleanse my face or sometimes just this when I have been out on the town and am too tired to do more than take my makeup off and put some moisturizer on. It’s not a good habit.
  • No. 1 King’s Berry Cleansing Oil: $29.99
    • I bought this last April and still have half the bottle. It’s huge. You have to make sure to follow up with a cleanser on this one though, but it’s worth it.
• Step 2: Cleanse
  • I rotate a lot of cleansers depending on what my skin is doing.
    • The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam: $8.22
      • I just bought this and have only used it a few times. So far so good, and you literally only need a pea-sized amount and it foams up like crazy. This is good if you have a lot of excess oil.
    • philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: $36.00
      • I bought this last April and just ran out. A little bit goes a long way. This is a great, gentle, everyday cleanser when I’m not having many skin issues.
    • Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser: $18
      • This has been pretty good this winter for dry skin. It isn’t a foaming wash; it gets rid of makeup and helps to condition it.
• Optional Step 3: Exfoliate
  • I have tried a bunch of exfoliates with my old Birchbox/ispy subscriptions, but haven’t been crazy about any of them. This article suggested the one below, so I got it.
    • Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off Exfoliator: $20.00
      • I only have used once and so far so good. It wasn’t harsh feeling and did a good job at exfoliating my face. It’s a mask too, so you put it on and rub in, then let it sit.
• Optional Step 4: Treatment Mask
  • There are so many masks to choose from, but I tried the bubbly one!
    • Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask: $9.45
      • This is the bubbly one! It’s a mask that you only need to do every week or so. It tickled my nose like crazy, so just be aware.
    • Aztec Secret – Indian Healing Clay: $14.95
      • I have so much of this stuff. I accidentally bought the 2-lb tub of this. You add water and mix it. It’s the stuff that has like 15k reviews and if like 4.5 starts on Amazon. If you want some, I’ll give you a bunch!
• Step 5: Tone
  • I know toning is important, but ugh….it just feels unnecessary. However, it really does help to get your face back to a regular pH level and give you back a better protective barrier. Tone, ladies. TONE. I’ve used a few; here are my favorites.
    • [MIZON] Acence Anti Blemish Cleansing & Skin Care: $14.89
      • I just bought this, but I like it. I have bigger pores (thanks, Mama Fellows), and this helped to shrink them a bit while not having such a horrible alcohol odor as some. We’ll see how it continues to do!
    • Botanical Nutrition Power Toner: $29.00
      • This a royal jelly-infused toner (Royal jelly is a gelatinous substance produced by honey bees to feed the queen bees and their young) that helps balance the pH level of skin. It’s really great for dry skin. I liked this one a lot, but only in the winter and dryer months.
    • May Coop Raw Sauce (3 in 1): $14.00
      • This is a gentle toner, emulsion, and essence in one. It’s hydrating and smells good. It helps to combine this step and the next, if you are into that sort of thing.
• Step 6: Essence, Serum, or Ampoule
  • These things are like leave-in skin treatments and are super charged with all sort of good-for-your-skin stuff that helps with wrinkles and fine lines. Again, the Raw Sauce from above can replace these, but I currently am using an Ampoule. I have also used some serums from Glossier, but only one I liked (below)
    • [MIZON] Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule: $12.45
      • I have only used this a few times, but I like it. It absorbs fully without some of the stickiness that some others have. Don’t be weirded out by the snail secretion extract. It’s good for your skin.
    • Glossier The Super Pack: $65
      • NOTE: this is not a K-Beauty product, but I included it here anyway. This is a 3-pack of different serums. The only one I actually liked was Super Bounce, Super Pure was okay, but Super Glow just felt like an essence. I think these are serums for girls in the teens and 20s because I didn’t notice anything drastic. If you don’t have any major skin issues, then this could be fine for you, though it’s pricey.
• Optional Step: Spot Treatment
  • This is isn’t like an acne treatment like we think of. Korean products focus on nourishing the skin back to health and not taking away all of the oil and whatnot. I’m too old for the normal acne stuff and it just make my skin dried up and crack.
    • [MIZON] Acence Mark-X Blemish After Cream: $8.35
      • I just got this since I do have some scaring and sensitive skin. It’s free of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. I just got it and will update with more info (the product is a bit tacky feeling, so it is a nighttime only product for me).
• Optional Step 7: Sheet Mask
  • HOLY BALLS I LOVE SHEET MASKS. It is like giving your skin a big drink of water. Some people do these daily, but I do them like every week or 2. If you have acne-prone skin, just do this when you are in need of a hydration boost, like every 2-3 weeks. I can always tell when I’m dehydrated because my scowl line between my brows gets super pronounced.
    • DERMAL Collagen Essence Full Face Facial Mask Sheet, 16 Combo Pack: $10.99
      • These masks are cheap and high-quality. I get the combo pack and just pick one out that matches my mood or feeling at the time. Gold? Yes please. Pearl? Yep. Diamond? WHAT….yes!
    • Peach & Lily Sheet Mask Bundle: Power Combo Pack: $20
      • These are amazing quality and once you use them, the ones I listed above seem like they were made for paupers (which I am). I got these as free samples when I order some stuff from Peach & Lily when I first got into K-Beauty products. It comes with 5 masks of various types. They also have a bunch more for other issues: acne, anti-aging, brightening, hydrating, etc.
• Step 8: Eye Cream
  • Don’t skimp on this, ladies. Eye creams are so vital for looking fresh. I barely get any sleep, but I seriously think I don’t look so horribly exhausted because I use eye cream every damn day. The author here says she doesn’t think everyone needs it, but I think she’s a liar because she’s 24 years old and sleepless nights and stress hasn’t hit her face yet.
    • MIZON Korean Cosmetics Snail Repair Eye Cream: $13.99
      • I like this one because it goes on smooth and isn’t too thick. Some of these can get so thick that it makes it feel sticky, but this absorbs well when you tap it into your skin.
• Step 9: Emulsion, Lotion, Gel or Cream
  • I use all three of these, but not always at the same time (though I tend to use the emulsion with both). These are all for different things: emulsion is great, lightweight moisture; gel is great when I’m a bit oily like during the summer, and the cream is good for night time, so I’ll use it with the emulsion.
    • [MIZON] Collagen Power Lifting Emulsion: $18.99
      • This is like a collagen punch in the face apparently. I just got it, but I love how light it goes on and doesn’t feel sticky to me. Good for everyday hydration when you don’t want the weight.
    • Peach Slices Citrus-Honey Aqua Glow: $11.99
      • This absorbs fast, and is a very light hydrator when my skin is on the oily side. It’s also hella affordable.
    • [MIZON] All In One Snail Repair Cream: $15.99
      • It’s really lightweight, but packs a punch. I’ve used this for about a year and really like it. I put it on my neck too since that is where we really show our age.
• Option Step 10: Nighttime Mask
  • I do this every 3 nights or so in the winter and about once a week in the summer. These are the few I use.
    • LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask: $20.72
      • This is an overnight gel mask that absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel heavy. I use this more in the summer than winter since I need less moisture during that time. You can order this from Sephora, but it’s $4.00 more.
    • Mizon Cosmetics Snail Wrinkle Care Sleeping Pack: $14.50
      • This is straight up gooey. It feels like probably what a snail trail would feel like on your skin and I was like WTF before I used it. Seriously though, after I used it and woke up the next day, my skin was super soft after I washed it off and my fine lines on my forehead and around my mouth were less noticeable. I’m not saying that it’s because of this stuff, but around the time I started using it, I had an undergrad ask me what my major was thinking I was a Senior;).

Well, you survived to the end. I hope this gives you a little insight. Do I have perfect skin? HELL NO. I break out–even at age 34, almost 35–and have the worst uneven skin tone. But, my skin has elasticity, my under eyes are not horribly wrinkled, and my forehead looks pretty smooth for someone that spent 6 years as a lifeguard and her entire childhood/early adulthood outside on the farm. Good luck, and my the collagen ever be in your favor.

Days 12 through 31 of 31, Part Deux: My Beef (get it? hahahaha) with going Meat- and Dairy-Free This Month.

You are probably wondering this: what part of this month was horrible? Overall, it boils down to four main things: 1) going out to eat sucks, 2) being “that” picky person when it comes to food is no fun, 3) the whole “vegan” movement in general is just a bit too rude and accusatory for me, and 4) not being able to eat eggs hurts my soul. I’ll break each down for you.

Going out to eat sucks. I didn’t eat out that much this month because I wanted to try to cook vegan at home. Anyone can adhere to a diet someone else cooks for them, so I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, while also being able to affirm or negate this as a feasible diet regiment. With that being said, I’m single in a city with social friends that enjoy life to its fullest, so that means we eat out frequently. So why does eating out suck? It gives me anxiety. More often than not, if a dish doesn’t have meat in it, then it has diary of some sort. I literally looked at some recipes where the only thing available to me was French fries. I’m not one to complain, but who wants to go out to a restaurant and have a glass of water and French fries? NOT ME. Restaurants are getting better and better about having more options for folks that have dietary restrictions, but a lot of places don’t. This leads to my #2 beef with this diet.

Being that picky person when it comes to food is no fun. We all go through weird food things when we are kids. I recall crying about the fact that my food was touching on my plate (sorry, Mom and Dad!). But as an adult, it pains me to be that person. I was taught to try new things and be appreciative of a meal made for me, so being picky just was something I grew out of for the most part. I’m not trying to offend folks that are picky about what they eat because I know there are various reasons for it (allergies, sensitivities, memories of that tuna fish sandwich that gave you food poisoning). But that is just not me. Whenever my friends order pizza or something for the group and ask me what kind I would prefer, 99 times out of 100, I’ll reply “I eat pizza.” I really don’t care because I will eat anything that someone took the time to order and put in front of me.

I was also in the Peace Corps, and that teaches you a lot about how people often will share their culture with you through food. If you refuse to eat that goat dish someone in your village offers you because you aren’t a fan of it, you aren’t just refusing a dish you don’t like; you are refusing the person and their gift to you. This has carried over into my adult life too. I remember the first night in my training village with my host family, they served a huge river fish in a soup for me as a special treat for me. I didn’t have the language to tell them “our training supervisors told us we shouldn’t eat fish from the river because of the parasites they carry,” nor did I have the heart. Looking around, I could tell they didn’t have much, but they opened up their home and welcomed a stranger to their table without hesitation. So I choked down that soup, often times crunching on those spiny bones, listening to a language I didn’t understand, awkwardly smiling at these kind people over the dinner table.

That, my friends, is why being picky for me sucks and why it was a bit miserable for me to have to ask questions like “does this have diary in it?” or “can you make me something special that isn’t on the menu?” UGH. It was the worst. Again: this is not a slight on anyone that is a picky eater. This only applies to me because this whole blog is about me! 😉

The whole “vegan” movement in general is just a bit too rude, pushy, and accusatory for me. Listen: I love animals. Maybe more than you. Maybe not. I don’t know your love for the creatures of the Earth and how it stacks up against mine. Growing up I lived on a farm and had more dogs than you could imagine, barn cats galore, cows, and pigs. I woke up at dawn to feed my 4-H animals and sobbed when I had to sell them at the end of the fair. I completely understand why people would have a vivacious passion to not kill animals for food.

However, here is my issue with it all: just because you live your life a certain way does not mean it’s okay to judge others with anger. I have had vegans (and some vegetarians) tell me that if I knew how animals were farmed and killed for their meat, my stomach would churn. News flash: I grew up on a cattle farm that sold animals for their meat with the Fellows Family patriarchs hunting deer and quail that my family ate. Have you ever watched your father field dress a deer in the back of the house, with him asking you to help? I have. Have you ever cut the head off of a chicken so that your host family would have something to eat for the next few days? I have (NOTE: the first time I did, I cried the whole time). Did you grow up across the highway from a pig farm and understood what was in store for those piglets? I did. I understood everything that was happening from a pretty young age, so whenever a vegan tells me that “I don’t know,” it boils my blood. Never just assume something about someone without speaking to them.

Beyond that, if you don’t agree, don’t be an asshole about it and attack the person. No one is going to listen to your plight if you are condescending and a jerk about it. Honey attracts more bees than vinegar, after all (though honey is a banned substance in the vegan world). Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it will happen even slower if you are a dick about it. The world is learning about the benefits of a plant-based diet, for both the body and Mother Earth, so just chill. We are getting there. But like, have you HAD bacon? That stuff is delicious and not something easily given up for a lot of people. Change your tactics and you may just see your numbers grow. (NOTE: if this pissed you off, I’m not sorry. Respect is the core to good discourse, and the ability to influence others cannot happen when you shove dead cow pictures in my face or call me a murderer for something that is a common practice. Again…chill.)

Not being able to eat eggs hurts my soul. As someone that isn’t much of a sweet breakfast person, WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT?? On top of that, I EAT EGGS FOR EVERY MEAL AS AN ADDED PROTEIN KICK IN THE PANTS BECAUSE EACH EGG HAS 70 CALORIES AND 6 GRAMS OF PROTEIN. Okay. I feel better. Sorry for yelling.

I have a few other gripes, but I don’t have the energy to continue writing at the moment. I got mugged on my way home from work today, so I am a little exhausted at the moment. I’ll have more to write tomorrow, but I’ll leave you with this one question: do you think I will continue this diet? Y’all can wait one more day for that answerJ.

Days 12 through 31 of 31, Part 1: I’m not so good at this blogging thing when I’m busy.

First off, WOW I have slacked on blogging. I have had a few people ask me if I fell off the wagon and didn’t want to tell anyone. The reality is that my semester started for school, and I dove head first into the world of Administrative Law, Health Law, and Legal Ethics (the timing of this class is perfect as it relates to what is happening in our government, but I digress), with little time to sleep, let alone time to write. I have classes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-9:00pm, and then a Saturday class and seminar that happens every other Saturday; my schedule is pretty brutal when you also factor in a full time job and the fact that I run the We The People DC Instagram account (we are almost at 40k followers! Follow us if you haven’t already done so at www.instagram.com/wethepeopledc). No, I have not fallen off the wagon and have had some fun with the cook books I’ve ordered, vegan blogs and recipes, and even some concoctions that I’ve just done myself. I plan to give you a run down over the past 20 days (wow…such a fail), as well as what my future holds. Will this carnivorous beast stay with a plant-based diet?

The last entry that I posted was from Days 10 & 11. I was in my first week of classes and not feeling great (headaches are just the worst), and suffering from a lack of creativity. Since then, I’ve done what I can with the free time I have, but I will say that Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods make being meat- and dairy-free easier with a busy schedule, though your pocket book feels it. I abstained from alcohol this month as well, so overall it balanced out in the end (NOTE: I did go out with friends one night and imbibe after the government was furloughed. Furlough Cocktails are always in order and I plan to do it again when the government inevitably shuts down again on Feb. 8). I tried many different frozen items since some days that is all I had time/the energy to accomplish. Coming home at 10pm after a long class doesn’t always create an environment conducive to cooking meals that take time.

However, I did make a few things that were fun. If you know me, you know that I love baking. It’s a coping mechanism for me. Whenever I’m bored, feeling lonely, or under a lot of stress, baking has always been an outlet for me. I remember when I lost my dad, not a week went by that I didn’t bring in a new baked good for my office to try. It’s cathartic somehow for me, so as stressed as I was with school, I decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies. Just look at these bad boys: they were delicious! They were soft and tasted just as good as a normal cookie with butter and eggs; it is a recipe I plan to make in the future when I get some free time.

I also made CHEESE! Well, I made something that tasted sort of like cheese, anyway. If there is one thing that I have learned, it’s that cashews are MAGIC. In one of the cook books that I bought, I found recipes for “mozzarella” and “cheddar” cheese, so I had to try it. The verdict? Don’t judge the recipe by the photos I took; it was actually pretty satisfying. Outside of soaked cashews, the recipes use things like nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, and even olive brine: it seemed weird to me. However, this is pretty great. I have made pasta with the mozzarella, totchos (tater tot nachos…these were the bomb; just look at the photo!), and things like that. Vegans have been putting in the work to come up with solutions to satisfy our appetites for things we are used to eating, making it easier to make the shift to plant-based. There is a caveat though: vegan pizza is shit. Stay away from it!! I tried the Vegan Pizza from Whole Foods that uses Daiya cheese, and I haven’t been so appalled by food since the time chicken feet in meat jello was placed in front of me at a party while in Moldova. The crust was like cardboard, the cheese didn’t really melt and was just soft and weird, and the flavor was just not on point. Did I eat it? Well, yes. I’m not one to waste food, so if it is edible, I’ll eat it. That’s not the point though!:) The texture was unpleasant mixing slimy toppings with a dry crust. Yuck. It made me sad. I need to move on because the thought of the pizza is making my stomach roll.

I did work on figuring out how to get the necessary amount of protein I need every day, because I was feeling hungry all of the time. I am not much of a snacker, but I figured out that snacking was kind of part of the gig if I didn’t think about my protein intake to feel fuller longer. Did you know that a serving size of tofu (about a ½ cup) has 10 grams of protein and only 88 calories? That’s pretty incredible. I had been struggling with not eating eggs (it was truly the only thing I missed since beginning this diet) for breakfast, so I tried a tofu quiche recipe. I put some mushrooms, green peppers, onion, more garlic than any human should consume, and dollops of my “cheddar cheese” in it to give it a little flavor. Overall, it was satisfying. I felt full for a long time and didn’t get the munchies at my desk. However, it was BLAND. This has been a consistent issue this whole month: I find myself doubling and tripling the spices recipes call for to actually be able to taste it. I doused hot sauce on top of it too as a last ditch effort to give it a little more flavor. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as I’d hoped, I would still make it again and prepare it a little differently. I’d add different veggies to the ones I picked in this recipe while also putting a little more spice in it. There is this thing called Black Salt that I just ordered off Amazon, but it added an “egg” flavor to things. I’ll report back.

Below are more things I made and ate the past few weeks. I make “sour cream,”  delicious breakfast potatoes with veggies and avocado cream, and even started using a plant-based protein for shakes in the morning. Anyway, Part Deux will land shortly! I didn’t want to overwhelm everyone with a novel, so I split this up so it was easier to consume. I am also planning on doing  a reflection post on what I found to be horrible as well as what the future has in store for me, so make sure to keep and eye out for that as well! As always, feel free to comment, shoot me a message on Facebook, and give me your tips and tricks if you have any.

PS-Kale and I have friend zoned each other and have agreed to see other people. It was mutual.

Days 10 & 11: Headaches and a lack of creativity. Thankfully, there is Panera.

I didn’t post anything yesterday because I had a headache that just wouldn’t quit. I went to bed with a headache after class on Tuesday, and woke up with it as well. It felt like a combination of a stress headache (my semester is in full swing) and the kind I get when the weather changes and the pressure drops rapidly (those aren’t fun). Nothing was going to help the pain and disorientation, not to mention the light sensitivity, but I did try to take all of the ibuprofen in the house just in case. This translated to a pretty mediocre breakfast, but lunch and dinner saved the day. Breakfast was incredibly uninspired, but did taste okay. Luckily, English muffins are vegan (hooray!) so breakfast consisted of an English muffin with a little hummus, and my last mushroom and risotto burger (hallelujah), with a little avocado on the side. It was sufficient as I went into the office for a meeting.

Lunch, however, meant I was looking at facing another boring meal because I haven’t had the time to get organized with food (I’m fearing I am falling into the same trap I did last semester, but let’s hope this weekend changes that). I decided to see what Panera had to offer because I was just in the mood for it I realized. Well, there is exactly 1 dish that you can get while refraining from dairy and meat, and that is the Vegan Vegan Lentil Quinoa Broth Bowl. The Panera website describes it as featuring organic quinoa and brown rice, a lentil blend, tomato sofrito, and fresh kale and spinach in umami soy-miso broth. I got it with potato chips (thank goodness, some things like this are vegan) and ended up just eating it there in a quiet back corner.

It was surprisingly good. It had good flavor and texture and—even with the kale—hit the spot. I would definitely get this again, even if I decide to start eating meat again. It’s low in calories (280 in total), so it’s a healthy, filling meal that isn’t going to break the bank (well, it’s $9, which is cheaper than most meals you get in DC). Give it a try when you are there next time. If you don’t like it, well, sorryJ.

Luckily for me, while still not feeling well or in the mood to cook, I had my last portion of leftover pasta Bolognese, so I did eat well last night. Even though I didn’t feel well, I still had to be productive, so I built a piece of IKEA furniture that will house my records and record player, so I ate my Bolognese and felt like I had plenty of strength to work on it, headache and all. It was just as good the last time as it was the first (if not better), and I am so happy I froze some so that if I get in this meal rut again, I will be able to just thaw it out and have a good meal.

Today was a better day in regards to my headache. I felt like I had a medicine hangover a bit, but I didn’t have much pain until this evening. With the weather all over the place, stress from the beginning of my semester, and staring at a computer screen for the majority of the day, I’m expecting a headache towards the end of the night. I didn’t do anything crazy today; just the leftover “mac and cheese” from the other day (still sad) and some veggie burger patties as well. I didn’t get home from class until about 9:45pm tonight, and promptly took Lola on a 45 minute walk, so I just got done eating a few minutes ago. I tried the canned vegan chili from Trader Joe’s. I added some spices and a fresh cut-up tomato to make it taste better. Overall, it’s fine. Nothing special about it, other than the fact it’s easy. Sometimes easy is better than nothing.

NOTE: It seems to me like Kale is as a divisive as our political system. Some love it, some hate it. I’ve read over your comments and ideas, but I still haven’t found anything I haven’t already tried. Blue Apron had a lot of recipes that called for kale, so I learned to cook it in all manner of dishes, but still nothing. It may be time to quit kale. I like the kale chips I make, but it’s so much work, and I don’t have that kind of time anymore. I am going to give it one last go this weekend since it is a three-day weekend, but we shall see. Kale just may never be for me—tolerated, but not loved.

Day 9: I’m sore, I have to go back to school today, I made vegan cookies, and I ate the saddest meal yet.

When I woke up this morning cuddled up with Lola Cain, I really didn’t want to get out of bed. I was cozy and content just snuggling my sweet puppy and shunning the world around us. But, today is the first class of my second semester and I have a full day of work, so I gingerly got out of bed because guess what? I’m sore. Weird how when you don’t work out and then overdo it, you are sore the next day. So strange. *eye roll*

I am super lucky in my work at DHS that I am able to telework the days that I have class up in College Park. That would have been a long day to have to commute out to Crystal City and then up to College Park and then home. This morning I wasn’t super hungry, so I just toasted some waffles while I answered emails. However, for lunch, I decided to try something simple that I found in Whole Foods: Annie’s Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac and Cheese. There is something nostalgic about boxed mac and cheese, isn’t there? I’ll be real though: I didn’t have high hopes for this. As I boiled the pasta, I got the almond milk out and whisked the powder into it and gave it a taste. In a word, it was bland. Thank goodness for nutritional yeast and it’s somewhat cheesy flavor, because I dumped about 2 tablespoons of it into the mix to make the flavor more robust. It helped, sort of. Just look at the final product:

It was a sad, sad meal. I threw in some broccoli to give it a little more color and cooked up a mushroom risotto patty to go along with it so it wasn’t just an empty meal. I did the best I could with it, as you can see, but it was just not very good. So far I’ve been lucky to have great food and awesome meals, but this just wasn’t one of them.

Because of this sad meal, I decided to make some peanut butter cookies because I had most of the ingredients and subbed the vegan butter for coconut oil. The cookies ended up working out quite well. They were a little crumbly, but the flavor was pretty good (if you like coconut, which I do) and am definitely going to make them in the future. This salvaged my lunchtime experience because it began as a sad lunch hour.

I had my first class of the semester tonight and it is making me realize that I am going to have to get really organized so I can plan out snacks for class, dinner for when I get home, and even breakfast for the next morning too. Going meat- and dairy-free is fairly easy when you have time to plan, but with my semester beginning, this won’t be the case for me anymore. I’m going to be sitting down and coming up with a game plan this weekend! Any suggestions from my vegan friends would be welcomed!

NOTE: I’ve noticed my Facebook feed is blowing up with those that support kale. I feel like I touched a nerve, so I want to put out a challenge to everyone reading this. I have tried Kale in a number of different manners, but I’m still not a fan. However, I’m also not one to give up! Comment below with your favorite dishes so I can give them a try!

 

Day 8: *feigns Forest Gump voice* I WAS RUNNING!

The day had finally come: Today was the day I was getting on a treadmill to test out this new vegan diet by running a few miles. I enjoy running; it has always been the way I quiet my mind and just focus on the beat of the music and my breathing (thanks, asthma). But, sometimes it just isn’t a fun experience. All of the injuries I never let properly heal as a stupid teenager always pop up to remind me they are there by shooting pain through various parts of my body. I have always had so much inflammation and swelling that my ankles and knees tend to give me grief as I get warmed up and as I end it as well. The aftermath of a 3-mile run can mean the need to elevate ankles and get ice packs out, as well as shooting pain when I get out of bed the next day as well.

I was a little worried as I was lacing up my running shoes for the first time in more than a month (and after a VERY sedentary existence while home on vacation that included eating barbecue 4 times while home). How long until my ankles swell and the pain begins to shoot through my joints like normal? One mile? Two? Only time was going to tell at this point. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I could make it two miles considering how absurd my diet was this month.

I turned on the treadmill and started to do a brisk walk to warm up my joints (this is just a ritual I’ve had since forever; if I don’t, then end up cutting it off early from pain).

I kicked up the speed and started jogging…and waited. Waited for the pain. Waited for my ankle joint to catch. I ran 2 miles and had to slow down to walk some hills for a bit because my lungs couldn’t keep up (thanks once again, asthma), then started jogging for another mile before walking to cool down. I got off the treadmill to go stretch, and the only thing I felt was wobbly legs. Is this for real? I didn’t feel a lack of “go” while running, didn’t have any of the normal joint pain, nor did I actually want to stop when I did (I wanted to be able to walk the next day for my first class of the semester tomorrow).

Is this diet my own personal fountain of youth? I feel better than I have in a long time and don’t have any inflammation in my joints. I haven’t felt bloated after any of my meals up to this point. I also haven’t felt so energized in a very long time as well. It may be too much dairy or too much protein—or possibly both—but if I feel like this after 8 days and am not finding myself craving anything too much from my old diet, then I am going to have to figure out what to do on Day 32.

Oh yeah, I ate my stupid kale chips today and walked around the office talking to people with them stuck in my teeth. Kale is still stupid and I hate it. Death to kale.

Week 1 Recap: That was fast.

In reflecting back on this week, it absolutely flew by. I expected there to be a few more moments of weakness than there really were. A few days ago, I saw a photo of a poached egg and had a moment of longing for a delicious Eggs Benedict. However, after a few seconds, that passed and I was excited to eat avocado focaccia toast with a fresh tomato on top. There was also a moment when I went out to dinner last night when I saw my friend’s dish come and it was a huge bowl of seafood that was simmering in this delicious creamy tomato stew, and I had to force my eyes to look away. Luckily for me though, my burger demanded my full attention. That is really about it thus far. I can still have “ice cream” and eat chocolate when I want it, and make dishes that are just as tasty as their meaty counterparts. I know there will come a time this month when I am craving a good cheese plate or charcuterie board, but so far this week, I’ve felt completely satisfied with my meals. My worries about vitamin deficiency and protein deficiency seem to be a little unfounded, though we shall see long-term.

This brings me to one thing I have been thinking about: I owe a lot of people an apology. While it was mostly in gest, I made fun of my vegetarian and vegan friends without shame or hesitation. I thought that because we were on top chain that we should consume as many animals as possible. Plus, I also assumed vegans and vegetarians were horribly vitamin and protein deficient—how silly that was. While I am not eating meat- and dairy-free for the ethical reasons, I do now see how ridiculous (and insensitive) I was thinking that folks were crazy for not eating meat just because that’s how I was raised. So, with that being said, consider this an apology and I shall forever spend my time trying to extract my foot out of my mouth.

Last night, my friends and I had a girls night in, and Emi made us a vegan pasta dish, ate dairy-free Ben and Jerry’s, all while we watched Hallmark movies. Needless to say, we had a great time and I think we are all planning on writing our own movie (yes, there are instructions on their website on what they are looking for). Emi’s meal was absolutely delicious, and it also gave me some inspiration for today’s meals. I decided to make vegan Bolognese using the recipe I used to use in Peace Corps when I was jonesing for some marinara sauce. It was a fun afternoon of cooking, and I even enjoyed my Sunday Washington Post newspaper I get delivered every week while it simmered!

I used meatless hamburger I purchased in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s, sautéing it in garlic and olive oil, then adding it and some cooked mushrooms to the marinara I made. I tried to cut off the tip of my finger while chopping the mushrooms (don’t worry…I put duct tape around it to stop the bleeding; my father would be proud), so that was no fun, but even with that, it was delicious. As you can see below, it really does look like regular Bolognese with meat, and honestly tastes the same too. The only difference is the texture to the “meat,” but it is so slight that is still makes it equally as satisfying. I will definitely make this using jarred sauce when I run out of the leftover I froze when I’m low on time.

Many of you know that I pretty much think Kale is the worst thing ever. I have had it just about every single way possible, and am still offended whenever it ends up on my plate. When I went shopping last week, Whole Food had a sale on this odious plant, so I decided to pick some up figuring I’d use it in some dish. I watched it over the last week start to get wilty, so I knew it was time to make something with this abhorrent vegetable. What did I make? Kale Chips. Since I had nutritional yeast on hand, I decided to use that along with garlic to make some Garlic Cheddar Kale Chips.

Kale just takes a lot of time to prepare it for cooking. I washed it and put it on a towel and spent the better part of 30 minutes washing it, removing the stems, drying it and getting my seasonings mixed. I live in a small apartment, so that means I don’t have huge bowls for mixing. With the amount I had, I decided to be resourceful and get out a new garbage back, throw in the kale to first toss with olive oil, and then with the seasoning. I am a culinary genius: it worked perfectly. I made three batches of kale chips, meaning it only ended up making 1/3 of what I started with, of course making me grumble about the return on my investment. They tasted good, but I will not make these in the future on my own. I’d much rather save my time and effort on something that I’m ecstatic about. My dislike for Kale continues.

That’s all for now. I’m excited to see what Week 2 brings. I just purchased the Fuss-Free Vegan cookbook by the blogger that does the site It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. While she gets a little too preachy on the ethical side of things, as though we are all ignorant to the process of commercial farming and are just heartless beings for continuing our consumption of meat, she does have some good recipes. I currently am soaking some cashews overnight so I can make what she calls “Life-Changing Mozzarella.” I’ll be the judge of that one, Sam. You will definitely be seeing photos on this process. To be continued!

 

 

 

 

Stay warm, DC! –Lola Cain

Days 5 & 6 of 31: Energy Spikes and My First Dining-Out Experience

I woke up yesterday at 6:40 am before my alarm went off–still without joint or back pain, huzzah!–with an absurd amount of energy for someone that barely slept the night before. My friend’s know that I am perpetually under slept and function on about 5 hours of sleep a night. To see just how much I tossed and turn (and this isn’t too far off from a normal night), I present exhibit A:

Imagine my surprise when I woke up yesterday, popped out of bed, and barely needed coffee to get moving. It has been a cold week in DC, and the thought of getting out of a warm bed with a snuggly pup in it just hasn’t seemed appealing. It was a bit of a shock for me to get up like I had a normal 8 hours under my belt. The only conclusion that I can come to is that this diet is helping my energy levels. I tended to feel like I needed something caffeinated by mid-afternoon because I was in a serious slump, but lately I haven’t felt the need. Interesting…very interesting. I’ll update my energy levels next week; this could all be a fluke because I’m just excited about the challenge of this diet and am eating healthier than I did over the holidays.

Now on to the main event: I went out to dinner with some Peace Corps friends last night. The proposed location? Farmers and Distillers. This place is pretty amazing and they have a seriously extensive menu, so I recommend checking their menu before you get there even if you aren’t eating with restrictions because you could spend an hour debating between their dumplings, shaobing, or the pizza.

When looking at the menu, I had narrowed it down to 3-4 dishes I could have, so I felt pretty prepared. Luckily for us, when our waitress asked about any food allergies or preferences, I sheepishly raised my hand and said, “so, I’m doing this vegan thing, so no dairy or meat for me.” Luckily, she too was a vegan, so she had me covered. While my friends scoured over page after page filled with meat and cheese options, she regretfully let me know that there were only 2 dishes that could be made into a vegan option. Those two were the black-eyed pea burger (hold the cheese and switch out the bun to something vegan), or the Rainbow, which consisted of beets, butternut squash, red onion, and citrus with a beet and carrot dressing. Here is thing: when I go out to a restaurant, I like to get things that I don’t or can’t make at home. My fridge is filled with all of the things in the Rainbow dish, so the thought of having just veggies, no matter how delicious, for my first venture into dining out as a vegan kind of bummed me out. I decided to go with the burger instead, fully prepared for a mushy, bland burger that was not going to probably satisfy. However, just look at this thing (sorry, I was mid bite of a french fry when I realized I didn’t take a photo):

When it first arrived and I first looked at it, I kind of did a double take. Did they bring me the wrong burger? This thing looked, at least on face value, like a beef-patty burger. After hesitating a little bit and giving it a closer look, I decided to trust the “impossible” flag sticking out of it and that they didn’t give me the wrong dish, and took a big bite. As someone that grew up eating fresh beef raised on our farm, I know a good burger. So, how was it? AMAZING. The flavor was on point and it was hard for my brain to reconcile the fact that I wasn’t, in fact, eating a real hamburger. I straight up devoured this thing. You know when you have arrived at the last bite and you wish there was more? That is what happened with this dish. I am still blown away by how good this thing was and am not joking when I say that I would order that over the regular burger there any day, even if I wasn’t eating meat- and dairy-free. Anyone want to hit up Farmers and Distillers soon? 🙂

Today was a pretty quiet day at home, but I did make some vegan banana pancakes for breakfast. They are super simple to make, so I made a huge batch so I can freeze them and take them to work when I don’t have time for cooking breakfast. You take a ripe banana, 1/2 cup of rolled oats, 3.5 tablespoons of non-dairy milk (I used almond), and a pinch of salt. Take all of that and put it in a blender to smooth it out, then heat up a well oiled pan or skillet and pour them to the size you want and cook. I didn’t, but you can add walnuts or chocolate chips to the batter if you’d like as well, then once they are finished, drizzle with maple syrup. These are good, though they are a bit dense and not as fluffy as regular pancakes, but they are gluten-free and vegan, which means they are a bit healthier. That makes them even yummier in my book! I’ll definitely make these in the future because of how easier it was to make and how tasty these are, but I’ll probably add a scoop of peanut butter to go along with it as well as some dark chocolate chips to make them even more delicious for a Saturday morning.

Lastly, I bought a few Larabars while I was at Whole Foods the other day. I have tried these before a few years ago when I did the Nation’s Tri Relay with my friends because they were handing them out for free when you went to pick up your race packets. I was excited about them because they were all natural and all of the ingredients were real food things and not additives. Long story short, I tried them and though they were not so great. The flavor was okay, but the texture was a little dry. Fast forwarding to the present, I decided to give them another go, and in flavors that I chose and wasn’t just handed. I got mint chocolate brownie, key lime pie, peanut butter chocolate chip, and carrot cake. I tried a bit of each one and I have to say, my memory served me correct: these aren’t that great. I’d rather stick to my Pecan Pie Power Bites or even just eat a Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup if I have a craving for something sweet. Hell…even Oreos are vegan! 🙂 I really want to like you, Larabar, but I’m scared that each one I get will continue to be as mediocre as these. I’d be better off making my own, most likely. If anyone has a favorite flavor, hit me up. I’m willing to give it another go with recommendations!

Day 4 of 31: Wait…where did my joint pain go?

I am pretty sure I am just making this up in my mind, but I realized this morning when I woke up that the normal aches and pains I usually feel in my joints just weren’t there when I got out of bed and started walking around. For those that know me, I have some pretty horrible joint issues stemming from some pretty gnarly injuries in my life, which has left me with tendonitis in my right Achilles tendon, constant swelling in my ankles that hurt pretty much nonstop, and knee pain that always alerts me to a change in the weather. Beyond all of that, I’ve also been extremely blessed with having sciatica nerve issues that have provided me with pain shooting down the left side of my body. I know that a lot of this is because I need to lose weight (who doesn’t), but it’s also because I have crazy inflammation all over. My ortho docs have told me for years that my joints are just constantly inflamed and that I should be prepared for arthritic in the future (hooray!). However, looking down at my ankle this morning was like looking at an ankle that wasn’t swollen to double the size. Sure, you can still see the knot of scare tissue down there, but it isn’t swollen to the touch. Could it be that just a few days of not eating dairy and meat has helped to reduce this inflammation? The jury is still out, but I haven’t changed much else in my life, so I probably have to attribute this to my diet. If this continues to be the case, I may need to serious sit down and think about what will happen on February 1^st.

One of my best friend’s here in DC is laid up from having surgery, so I wanted to make her something special. It just so happens that she is also doing the Veganuary thing, so I’m going to make her a pot of delicious vegan soup so she doesn’t have to worry about food for a bit. In looking at recipes, we both agreed that Spiced Chickpea Soup would help to cure what ails her. I tried a recipe from Grain, which looks like it is a website for flour, grains, beans, and kitchen stuff. The recipe isn’t really that hard to make, but does take a little time. You can find the recipe here.

When I was making the soup, I was tasting it as I was going along, and I have to say this: what is with all of the bland vegan recipes? Both things I’ve made (this soup and my chili) have been so lackluster that I’ve had to double the spices. Has eating meat for more than 3 decades killed my taste buds or are these recipes all just flavorless? Regardless, I doubled the amount of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garlic, so it finally started to pop. Frankly, I could probably have tripled the spices and been just fine. This is a perfect soup for when you need something warm and tasty when it is cold outside, and we just so happen to be going through a “bomb cyclone” right now, aka a winter hurricane. What better way to weather the storm than with this? I definitely would recommend this recipe, though like I said, double the spices. We aren’t messing around with flavor in this house.

I also made a new snack out of dates and peanut butter. You take a date, take out the pit, spread any nut butter you like (I only have peanut butter on hand right now), throw them in the freezer, and then eat them whenever you’re peckish. They are really good. Anyway, I’m off to make breakfast for tomorrow. I have a bunch of bananas that are starting to go bad and I just found a 4-ingredient banana pancake recipe, which will be perfect for tomorrow morning. Though, I may save a few and make vegan banana bread this weekend. This is my last free weekend before law school starts up again, so I need to get as prepared as possible for late night eats and snacks to tide me over during my night classes. This is what I signed up for after all! *weak smile and thumbs up*

Day 3 of 31: My first day of REAL vegan cooking has arrived.

Today is a special day. I finally ventured away from packaged vegan meals and picked out something to cook from scratch. The DC area is seeing super cold temperatures this week due to a pretty horrible winter storm brewing, so what better way to beat the chill than with a bowl of chili? I do have to say that I absolutely love beef and bean chili, especially when it is topped with cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a squirt of ketchup (this is something that my Grandma Fellows used to do and I somehow picked up the habit and ran with it). I began going through recipes to find the perfect vegan chili, and since I already really enjoy vegetarian chili, this seemed like a great place to start.

Even though I’ve been to both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods on Sunday and Monday, respectively, I still needed to head to the store to get all of the things I needed, including a tub of “chez,” which is vegan cheese made from veggies and nutritional yeast, as well as tofu-based “Sour Cream.” I got what I needed for the chili and of course ended up with a cart of other things—including stuff to make Pecan Pie Power Bites, which I’ll get to a bit later. Vegan eating is NOT cheap if you want to do it the proper way, so just be prepared to feel it in your bank account more so than your waist line when you get started.

This recipe is pretty simple, but is kind of a combo between a recipe I found in the cookbook The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook by Toni Okamoto and my own crazy ideas. Mainly, I followed the Lentil and Black-Bean Chili, but instead of lentils, I added some Sriracha-marinated Tofu instead. I also added more cumin and chili powder, doubled the garlic required because I LOVE garlic, doubled the liquid because it was a bit dry, and added some liquid smoke to give it a little more depth because I found the original recipe a little bland when I first tasted it. It may be because I am used to having the grease from the meat I use flavor the dish, but I also just think that the recipe did not have enough spice. Oh yeah…I also added crushed red pepper because I love a spicy kick. Basically, I changed just about everything spice-wise for this recipe, but I much prefer the flavor a little more robust.

So how was it? If my empty bowl is any indicator, it was delicious. The flavor profile with the added liquid smoke made it feel like real chili, plus the fact I used tofu instead of beans only gave the whole dish a little more heartiness and bite. I really did feel as though I was eating meat, and coming from me, that is saying something.

While the chili was the bomb diggity, I have found something that I am completely obsessed with and probably will be even if I don’t continue this vegan lifestyle: Pecan Pie Power Bites. I’ve noticed that I’m a little hungrier between meals these days (my educated guess is that I’m just not getting as much protein as I used to and so my meals aren’t sticking with me as long), so I started hunting for something that could tide me over until my next meal. As I previously stated, I’m not much of a snacker and prefer to just wait to eat a meal. But, this may prove to not be possible on this diet. This led me to start looking at snack foods that I could make to help fight off the hunger. What did I find? Just a little something called Pecan Pie Power Bites that were highly reviewed.

One of my very favorite things is pecan pie, so I figured why not? The recipe is only 4 ingredients: 1 C. Dates, 1 C. Pecans, ½ tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt. First you de-seed the dates, but then just combine all 4 ingredients in a food processor and let it do its thing for about 30 seconds, or until the bits are all chopped finely and they start to stick to each other. Take the mix and form small bite-sized balls, put them in the fridge, and then eat. I was really skeptical about this one because seriously, how dare vegans try to claim that they made something that could rival pecan pie? But let me just say this: it tastes just like an ooey, gooey bite of pecan pie. I looked at Lola Cain and out loud said “holy s**t, this is good.” I seriously cannot tell you how good these are. They taste amazing and really do satisfy not only a craving for something sweet, but it also helps to curb my tummy rumblings between meals. I am absolutely in awe of this recipe for many reasons, including the simplicity of it, but the taste is just incredible. If I keep finding recipes like this and the vegan chili, I may just stick to a vegan diet forever (don’t quote me on that just yet).