pizza night!

On Saturday I got lunch with a friend at a great little pizza restaurant in Ann Arbor, called Silvio's.  I ordered the vegan pesto pizza and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was!  Ever since, I've been craving a good vegan pizza, and decided to make one of my own, using Silvio's version as inspiration.

I love using pita bread as a crust, rather than buying pre-made crusts, or God help me.. make one myself (let's face it.. i'm not exactly a chef and I have about 2 square feet of counter space in my kitchen).  The following is my recipe:

Vegan Pesto Pita Pizza

1 pita loaf

2-3 tablespoons of pesto sauce (I used Williams-Sonoma basil pesto)

1 small onion, sliced

1 small roma tomato (I had a large sandwich tomato, so I took slices off of that)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup vegan mozzerella

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until cheese turns a golden color

If you haven't tried the Williams-Sonoma pesto sauce, you should.  It's honestly the best pre-made pesto I've ever tried... and I've tried many!

summer salad recipes!

Now that school is out and I have more time to get creative in the kitchen, I've been whipping up some yummy (most of the time) new vegan recipes!  The temperatures here in Michigan have been hot hot hot lately, so I've taken advantage of the beautiful weather and come up with some different salad recipes I've been eating nonstop!  Enjoy :)

Lunch

organic dark leafy greens (I love arugula and spinach!)

chopped watermelon

balsalmic vinaigrette dressing

toss and serve with hummus and pita chips

Dinner

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup sautéed asparagus

1/2 cup orange bell peppers

1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

let cool and refrigerate (optional, I just like it better cold, especially on hot days!)

1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 avocado, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp balsalmic vinegar

toss and enjoy immediately :)

Run Woodstock 2012

I started my official training regimen last week for my very first FULL marathon!  In case you're interested, the race is the Running Fit Run Woodstock which takes place the first weekend of September in Pinckney, MI.  If you're in the area you should stop by!  There are a variety of distances for the more and less practiced runner.  It looks like a blast and I absolutely cannot wait!

So far training has been light, as I technically bumped down my mileage to prevent injuries.  I'm still vegan and going strong (except for the occasional cookie, but who's counting?)  My body feels stronger and I keep reducing my mile time.  I'll keep you all updated!

Ps.  I GRADUATED :D

done.

I'm DONE!!  I cannot even begin to describe to you how absolutely fantastic it feels to be finished with my undergraduate education forever!  Finals were rough, but I made it through and managed my highest semester GPA yet ... well, still waiting on one grade, but things are looking good :)

Updates on going vegan:  I feel fantastic!  Sometimes I do feel a little annoying when telling people I'm vegan now, because they feel the need to make special accommodations (please don't!  I can work my way around meat/cheese dishes!), but other than that I've found my dietary transition to be going smoothly.  My running times have improved already, and I feel more energetic and strong during my runs as well.  I've also re-discovered my love of cooking, which I hope can continue now that I'm no longer in school and have significantly more free time.  Next on my recipe-tackle list is vegan mac n' cheese, which if you know me, you know is one of my all-time favorite foods.  Wish me luck!

Please, if you have any good vegan recipes or tips, pass them along!  I appreciate you in advance!

vegan.

So my dear friend Alina and I have decided to go vegan.  I experimented with the notion for the week following spring break as more of a detox, and found that I felt a lot more energetic and healthy.  I also discovered that by eliminating animal products from my diet, my running improved, and in JUST ONE WEEK!  I was only set on eating vegan for the week following spring break, so I transitioned back to eating omnivorously again afterwards.

I've been feeling weak and sluggish again lately and didn't really make a connection with my diet, I just thought I might be stressed with finals coming up and term papers due.  Today is officially day 2 of my vegan-again lifestyle (strictly dietary -- can't say I could ever give up leather) and I'm already feeling great!  I've always known I am slightly lactose-intolerant, but was never terribly bothered as long as I avoided drinking milk straight or eating it with cereal.  Perhaps the dairy I was eating hidden in foods, such as cheeses put in sauces, skim milk in my coffee, or the cream hidden in my all-time favorite tomato basil bisque, is the secret culprit?  I suppose I shall see.  I'll continue posting my progress, as long as what I'm eating and how I'm running.  Any other vegans out there?

Day 2:

Breakfast -- coffee (black)
Lunch -- Naked brand Green Machine juice, roasted red pepper hummus with pita bread
Dinner -- (Seva's restaurant) Tempeh burger with daiya and basil-cashew pesto and sweet potato fries.
Dessert -- unsweetened applesauce

Run -- 9.2 miles in 84 minutes