Findings and musings

I just love starting out on a new adventure! It's so much fun to make a plan and put it into action! I've been gathering my thoughts and recipes this week, and will start my diet transformation on Monday. I would love to drop everything right this second and run toward veganism with my arms thrown wide open, but that simply isn't practical. That would, if nothing else, require spending money we don't have. And one of my goals is to make sure this venture is AFFORDABLE! That is why I will be planning out our weekly dinners ahead of time. It's going to require trips to other grocery stores, I know, but hopefully I'll be able to get most of what I need at our local Dillons. The closest Whole Foods is over an hour's drive away, sadly, but there are a few (much smaller) health food stores that are closer.

One interesting fact I found today (while reading an article on http://www.care2.com/ - thanks Ashley!) is that when purchasing maple syrup you want to look for a Kosher symbol on the bottle. A lot of vegan recipes call for this product (it adds sweetness and also acts as a binding agent, much like an egg) but some maple syrups have a small amount of lard added to them during the cooking process so they won't foam up. The worst part is that it doesn't say this on the label!

Also, if anyone is interested, I will be keeping a daily food journal. You can access it here, by going to my profile (it's on my list of blogs), or clicking on the tab at the top of the page. This is another way to keep myself accountable. I want to really make a change for the better in our lives. In addition to cutting out meat and animal products on my part, I would like to limit the sugar (especially the artifical kind) that we eat, and really make a push to recycle as much as possible. There's a recycling center less than a mile away, for crying out loud!

One last thing.... My challenge for this coming week, in addition to planning our meals and keeping both of us satisfied, will be how to handle the lunches provided at new teacher orientation and meetings. Should I bring my own, should I just go empty-handed and make the best of it? Maybe I'll bring a few snacks just in case the fare is not-so-veg-friendly. Suggestions, encouragements?