Coming Clean

First off: The winner to my giveaway is Meghan! Congrats- I'll be contacting you soon :)

Theres a lot I have to talk about in this post, so I'm just going to dive right in.

I'm not a full vegan anymore. Ever since mid-May to June I have been eating eggs. This is directly and only related to the fact that I can't eat gluten anymore. I tried the vegan, gluten free lifestyle from January to May, but it was not for me. Planning, stress, limited things to eat, all of the above were included in a gf/v diet. Going out with friends or family came impossible (besides salads), and simple things like gf breads and rolls I couldn't enjoy. My protein was also severely lacking, since gluten itself is a protein. I still don't eat meat or dairy (never will), and pride myself in a very vegan heavy diet. Things like gluten free bread (Rudis!) has eggs in it, as does some of my salads or if I am tired of tofu. I always try to buy local, organic, hormone free eggs from happy chickens. 

I don't have time to blog, and haven't blogged well or honestly for awhile. Although I post vegan recipes (which I obviously make and eat) it felt odd to post as a vegan while I'm not really a vegan anymore. I've been posting less, and worse posts. I've become so busy at school, volunteering, working out, and having a job that I don't have time to post anymore. I like to write about food and nature, but attempting to keep up with a blog has been a lot. I also have to blog and Facebook for my work, which then adds to the stress of trying to plan my own posts.

I've enjoyed this blog, and this isn't goodbye. I may come back, I may change my blogs name, but my recipes will be here for awhile. I'll still read everyone else's blogs- and comment when I want, so I'm not disappearing. Maybe I'll come on every once in awhile and post something great- but who knows. I'll have to see as the time goes on. Thanks for reading, commenting, and the support. Write to you soon :)

Book Review and Giveaway!

I've been reading "Triathlon for the every woman" by Meredith Atwood, who blogs over at swimbikemom. It's obviously about triathlons, but more specifically about her journey to get to where she is today, which is a half-ironman competitor. This book will make you laugh out loud, feel a sense of pride in sharing her accomplishments, and feed you positivity on how you can complete a triathlon yourself. I can't say much besides that I absolutely loved reading the book- I laughed out loud, felt a sense of accomplishment when she described her race, and fell in love with the sport all over again.

Meredith breaks up her book into a few different sections, training, how to pack for a race, recaps of her own races, and even a whole section on nutrition. I would read it all over again if I could, it was totally useful in almost every aspect. I can't read it again though, because it's time to pass it on!

The book on Amazon

If you would like to win a SIGNED copy of "Triathlon for the every woman" leave a comment below telling me if you have done, or would ever do a Triathlon. Also, please leave a blog I can contact you at, or an email address at which I can reach you if you win! I'll be picking the winner in 10 days through the random number generator, so make sure you comment before January 20!

Out of my teenage years, and onto a new decade!

Although yesterday was my 20th birthday, I've been feeling 20 for quite a few years.. Regardless, it's nice to know that I'm out of my teenage years! I celebrated in appropriate style up in Oregon, where my twin lives.

I'll be in Oregon till Sunday- and will be posting lots of pictures of food.. one of the best parts of traveling is trying out new things in new places. 

Pictured: vegan soy southern style fingers, gluten free cornbread, mashed potatoes and gravy, and southern greens from Cornbread Cafe, an all vegan comfort food restaurant. delicious!

Mini vegan gluten free cupcakes from Divine Cupcake, an all vegan cupcake shop here in Eugene.

Blurry, but picture of our vegan gluten free pizza from the Pizza Research Institute. Half was red potatoes, pear, and vegan pesto. The other half was spicy tofu, cranberries, and cauliflower. YUM!!!!

And the last, my birthday dessert- vegan gluten free peanut butter banana chocolate pie. YUM YUM YUM! 

green lentil soup

Happy New Year!! 2012 had its up and downs- but I'm looking forward to 2013 since I have a lot of great things planned. To start off the year right, I'm making some soup for my parents before I leave for Oregon tomorrow. Pretty simple, and could also be made in a crock pot.

Ingredients:
-Broccoli
-leafy greens
-lentils
-onion
-spices

Method:
1. chop broccoli into smaller pieces
2. wash spinach
3. boil water over stove, and throw vegetables in
4. once water is boiling, turn down heat until soup is still simmering
5. throw in 1 and 1/2 cup lentils and the onions (use any kind - even green)
6. simmer for 20-60 minutes (until vegetables are soft)
7. season with spices (garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder)
8. use an immersion blender to blend up!

How much I love Trader Joes

I'm back in California for a bit- and of course stocked up on all the Trader Joe essentials... And, I even found a new thing to be excited about... VEGAN CHEESE!

Overall- the cheese is ok... it doesn't come close to Daiaya (but what does?), but it melts, tastes good, and is actually pretty decent. It's sort of runny though, which is an odd consistency. But, as seen below, I've used it in the past few days :)

Nachos with avocados 

vegan, gluten free pizza

This pizza was bomb... on top of a brown rice tortilla, with sauce, cheese, zucchini, kale, and sweet potato bits (pre-cooked). I love Trader Joes :)

What If? [reposted from a high school friend]

A friend from high school, Eshed, posted this on his blog recently. It really got me thinking, and I admired it so much, I asked him if I could repost it... Happy finals everyone..

What if we went to school for an education instead of a degree?

What if her parents hadn’t replaced her childhood with a mandate for academic success? What if they didn’t pressure and force and push and shove her through AP classes? What if they had just let her live her life? Would she still be hopped up on adderall and coffee at 3 AM every night?

What if the media didn’t convince us that real men are muscular, football-loving, beer-guzzling meatheads? Would so many of us continue to struggle with our self-image? Would we continue to chug beers and hit the gym in search of that ‘ideal’?

What if women weren’t under constant pressure to be thinner, more beautiful, or more ladylike? Would they still be skipping meals and seeking out those who prey on insecurities?

What if his community hadn’t force-fed him religious doctrine from the tender age of 3 months? Would the WTC still be standing? Would funerals still be picketed? Would homosexuals still be bullied, attacked, and discriminated against?

What if we realized that having to study for finals is the ultimate “First World Problem”?

What if that girl that you openly laugh at whenever you see her is going through more shit now than you’ve ever had to deal with?

What if we studied what interested us instead of what led to the highest paycheck?

What if we stopped equating GPA with happiness?

What if our ‘dream college’ list didn’t exactly mirror national academic rankings?

What if we stopped passing judgement on the harmless little things that make others happy?

What if?

Colorado climbing

Almost 7 months out of my shoulder surgery, and I'm already top roping outside. This past weekend I went camping and climbing with some friends, up in Boulder Canyon. Camping was beautiful, as we were right near a lake, away from civilization, and in some crazy awesome campsite. Climbing the next day was great, we went up to a place known for it's sport routes, and threw up some top ropes.

vegan gluten free pad thai

I absolutely adore pad thai, a thai food dish made from rice noodles, vegetables, some form of protein (tofu, meat, eggs), and a sweet and sour sauce. This is my go to dish when I go out to eat, and find myself at a thai restaurant. This past week was a rough one, and I needed some comfort food, so I made myself some pad thai.

Ingredients:

-broccoli
-red bell peppers
-green onions
-mushrooms
-tofu
-rice noodles
-"pad thai" sauce (purchased from sprouts) [without fish sauce!]
-spices (chili powder, salt, pepper)

Methods:
-cook broccoli in wok in a bit of water to soften
-add tofu, cook and occasionally stir until tofu is a bit browned
-add the rest of the vegetables
-sautee for a bit, let the veggies cook
-add the pre-softened noodles (read box)
-toss around a bit, then at the end add the sauce and spices
-enjoy :)

Vegan gluten free brownie explosion

I love trader joes.. Brought some stuff back to Colorado from California, and now can't wait for Boulder to get their own Trader Joes!

Gluten free brownie mix (from TJ's), semisweet chocolate chips (from TJ's), and vegan marshmallows (from whole foods). Yum... perfect study partner for my biology midterm tonight. :)

It's been awhile...

Lots has been going on in the past 21 days since I posted. I went home for a week, came back to my new home (Colorado), and bought a new bike (!!!). Enjoy the pictures, I'll post a recipe soon!

California running 

missed my bicycles during the week at home

the lake near where my parents lived- ran 9 miles around it

new bike hanging out in Colorado

sunrise in Colorado as I left for California

Wendy, the dog!

more California running

California forests on the back part of my 9 mile run 

vegan, gluten free smores to welcome myself back to Colorado! 

CU Triathlon team

 I used to run cross country and track in high school, and having a practice that was mandatory and had structure was really good for me. There wasn't much for me at NYU in terms of a team, or people to workout with or work towards something. Here at CU, I found a team that fits... the triathlon team.

I've never done a triathlon, and especially coming off shoulder surgery, I'm not ready for one. However, I love working out with people, having set things to do in my workout, and joining a team of awesome people with similar interests. I'm looking to do a triathlon in the future, but not for a long long while. Now my week consists of different workouts, and let me tell you... I'm pretty sore! We have a schedule or practices, everyday except Friday (although they encourage swimming on Friday). Some days there are two practices, and some are long practices.

I love it.. I love cycling, I used to love running (before surgery- since I recently got cleared), and I'm finding a new passion for swimming. I feel like every time I go to practice I swim the farthest in my life, run more miles since last summer, and that I'm cycling faster and stronger.

my favorite place on Campus- right behind the gym ;)

Although this team is a huge time commitment, I'm happy to say that within the first few months of my experience at CU, I feel more like a part of something than I ever did in my whole year at NYU. I've become involved in three great programs on campus, and this is only one of them..

This morning we had our first time trial, which to say the least was pretty difficult. I woke up with a sore throat and a cough, but decided to push through it anyway. The bike route was 13.2 miles and the run was 3.1 miles. The swim was an 800, but it was in the morning before we set out on our bikes. In total I actually biked 28 miles today, because we had to get to the bike start, bike, run, then bike back to home. I'm pretty tired now, and my throat hurts even more, but it was worth the experience! Prepares me mentally for a real triathlon, and shows me what I need to train.

Since that was a lot of words... here's some pictures of what I did Thursday night.

Anybody recognize who was at my school? :)

Dad's weekend in Boulder

My father visited me this past weekend on his way back from a business trip, and it was a blast. We had Friday and Saturday together, so we started off by what else, but, eating! We visited The Buff, a famous breakfast place together for a late lunch. I'm pretty sure Obama has been there, which means it was spectacular. They even had gluten free bread!!

It also snowed in Boulder, as you can see.. so everything was GORGEOUS for my Dad (and me). After lunch we headed towards Celestial Tea to get a tour of the factory, which was pretty educational. We saw how Celestial Tea is made, everything from the cutting and milling to the packaging and shipping.

Next we walked around Pearl Street, got some coffee, and some awesome spices.

Dinner followed, with some food shopping at my favorite supermarket in Boulder. The next day we had a late brunch, and hung out the rest of the day. It was an awesome weekend- and good to see one of my parental units. There's still some snow on the ground, but I'm off to bike to the climbing gym!

I can climb

I got approved by my physical therapist today to get on the wall (inside) for 10-20 minutes. Did 4 routes... feel fatigued, but pain free!!!!!! This blog is officially a climbing blog again :)

Why I Climb

I wrote this in September of my freshman year at NYU, and stumbled upon it today. I can't believe I wrote this over a year ago.. I can't believe I haven't climbed in almost a year. As a recent article I read says, climbing is in my DNA, regardless of a shoulder surgery. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did rereading it today.

The first time I sat 300 feet above the ground floor on a tiny three foot wide ledge, looking down at the everlasting row of green trees with your back against a cool granite slab, I understood why I started this multi-pitch climb. Where else could you feel the dangerous rush of adrenaline that lasts 600 feet, the satisfaction of summiting, and the beautiful burn in my forearms besides climbing rocks?

            There’s a never-ending list of options when it comes to climbing. I’m not forced to pick one medium of rock, or one style of climbing, which keeps my climbing more interesting and exhilarating since I’m forever changing up my style. I’ve climbed granite, sandstone, quartzite, limestone, slab, overhang, and vertical walls. I’ve climbed both indoor and outdoors, including top-roping, lead-climbing, bouldering, sport-climbing, and traditional climbing. How can I possibly get bored from all of these options?

Although these terms may be confusing, allow me to dive into a story that may explain a few things. Three days before I left the sunny state of California for the intimidating city of New York, I climbed in Yosemite National Park. Although the temperature was well above 90° F, the wall rose above my companions and I in almost a taunting fashion. When I climbed the first pitch of the inviting rock it involved many painful and intricate hand and finger jams in an unforgiving crack. Forcing my hands, tips of my feet, and my delicate fingers into this burning hot rock only shot more fire through me, that pushed me to get to the top of this mountain. After climbing the first 130 feet, we could look down and see other climbers beginning to climb. Feeling the rush of seeing how high we already were, our party pushed onto the next stretch of climb, or pitch. After five pitches of beautiful granite underneath our fingertips, we reached the final pitch. This one hundred foot stretch dropped off on both sides, showing one of the most magnificent views of the valley floor. With the sun behind us, we could see clearly how green the top of the trees were, how many people were splashing in the cool river, and the sparkling granite that we had just climbed. The satisfaction of completing a hard climb started to set in as I stepped one foot up at a time, with the span of the entire valley on either side of me.

This fashion of climbing continued all the way onto the top of this 600-foot rock, where all around was a panoramic view of one of the country’s national parks. Historic rocks rose from all directions, including Half Dome and El Capitan, two very famous and exhilarating climbs. Just glancing at the faces and thinking of the technical moves and dangerous heights made my hands sweat in anticipation. Not only was I dreaming of climbing harder and longer, but I couldn’t help to notice the beautiful scenery of this natural valley.

After climbing down the back of the mountain, amid dirt paths, thousands of trees, and with smiles on our faces; we had arrived back at the start of the climb. As we looked up to see what we had conquered, our faces broke out into bigger smiles. We began to realize how hard we worked to climb 600 feet, and how much more beautiful it was from the top. After giving one last good look, we turned around, and returned to the car so we could find another route to climb.

Climbing isn’t just about the exercise or the burn in your forearms. Climbing can also be about the natural beauty of this planet earth, or about how much adrenaline you can feel pulsing through your body for an extended period of time. Have you ever walked outside of your house, or hiked somewhere, and admired how beautiful some parts of this earth are? Imagine that admiration and content feeling whenever you’re outside climbing mixed with rushing adrenaline. It’s the thing I live for, that feeling of euphoria from the surroundings and from the physical exertion. I live for the feeling of passion bubbling inside me, as I’m about to step onto a rock. There aren’t many things in life that give me as strong of a rush of endorphins than scaling mountains, bouldering short walls, or being outside in the fresh air doing something that I love.

Taken October 2011, halfway up a climb in Yosemite.

Quinoa Salad part two!

Even though it doesn't look like it, I have been cooking, almost every day in fact. A lot of the times it's been lentils, stir fries, or more recently quinoa salads! I get a farm box every other week, so I try and incorporate whatever is in my box into my salads. This past week I got beets, kale, swiss chard, onions, pears, apples, and mushrooms. I used some of this in a salad I made this morning..

Ingredients:
-1 cup quinoa (any color)
-2 cups water
-1 onion or shallot (I used a shallot)
-1 pre-cooked beet
-a bunch of kale
-red bell pepper
-half a can of pumpkin
-spices! [I used- curry, paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, and pepper]

Method:
1. place quinoa and water in a pot and bring water to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes

2. While thats hanging out, start sautéing your onions or shallots

3. Once shallots/onions look done, sprinkle some curry powder on the onions. Add beets

4. After ten minutes of the quinoa cooking, add your pumpkin, and stir

5. Keep stirring both sides

6. Once the beets look slightly toasty, add the kale

7. Stir and let all veggies cook. The quinoa should be done around now..

8. Add the cut up bell pepper to the pot, as well as the quinoa

And.... stir! yum!

:) I now have meals for three days straight... which is perfect since I am super busy starting tomorrow morning.

First trip to Wyoming

Even though I'm still not climbing, I joined the Alpine Club at CU- a climbing enthusiast club on campus. These people are pretty rad... they have trips every weekend to a climbing location in the area. This past weekend we went up to Vedauwoo, in Wyoming, an awesome crag known for it's offwidths. I went to camp, hang out with climbers, and get away for a day.

You can see some of my buddies climbing in the center.

From the campsite- our view of some crags

goodbye Wyoming sun!

I had a fabulous weekend, hanging out in nature, hiking, and being around climbers. Now I'm studying for a biology exam.. more cooking to come in the near future!