28-day Challenge: Day 14

Two weeks in and feeling great!  While I did not fall off the wagon food-wise this weekend, I did drink more than the maximum of 3 glasses of red wine that are allowed each week with Engine 2....oops!  Who can blame me, though?  When there is a costume party at an open studio event at these funky neighborhood art lofts with free food and booze...you can't really turn that down :).

Day 11:  Rip's big bowl with banana and mango for breakfast.  And for lunch, what's better than a big salad?  Two salads!  One was the leftover kale salad from Day 10 and another large one with my usual ingredients:  leafy greens, carrots, tomato, cucumber, avocado, onions, lime juice, and nutritional yeast sprinkled on top.  Plus, snacked on locally grown satsumas that are in season right now.  So sweet and cute.  Nature's portable little snack that just makes the eater feel happy!  Dinner was more of Rip's big bowl because I got home late after our work kickball game and was not about to cook up a meal at 10pm.  Mental note: eat before the game next week....

Day 12: Friday was not a good food day.  I skipped breakfast (I know, I know!), and ate a roasted veggie sandwich on white bread, courtesy of a work meeting that catered lunch.  At least they were thoughtful to order veggie options.  I just wish they had not put those potato chips in the sack, too.  Then it was off to the costume party and I ate a late night vegan baked tofu and herb sandwich at 13 Monaghan.  And yes, I had some tater tots too.  Le sigh....oh well.  I love that NOLA has a late-night vegan friendly spot!  And on my favorite street for music and dancing, to boot.

Day 13: Some lovely friends of mine cooked me a vegan brunch of roasted veggies (onions, leeks, butternut squash, red bell pepper, and garlic) and gluten-free toast with a vegan bloody mary on the side.  Delish!  Then it was off to the Louisiana Seafood Festival where, needless to say, I did not eat, but we enjoyed the music and nice weather.  I made some of Rip's oil-free hummus (also see recipe page) in the afternoon and snacked on that with baby carrots and cucumber slices.  After several beers at the bar, it was home for midnight dinner.  Yes, Rip's big bowl.  Again.

Day 14:  Fresh mango and banana for breakfast and another huge bowl of the kale salad (see recipe page) for lunch.  Man, I love that stuff!  I feel like I could eat it every day.   More hummus and veggies for a snack.  Dinner was an amazing vegan pizza with an organic whole wheat crust and homemade oil-free pesto sauce topped with sauteed orange bell pepper, red onion, garlic, fresh tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and basil.  Yum!

I really need to get a new camera.  I promise the pizza looks much better in person.  And yes, that sauce is actually a green pesto, not a brown goop...

Dessert was this amazing fruit pie from the Engine 2 book.  It is all fresh, raw, and vegan!  The crust is made of ground up cashews, almonds, walnuts, and dates, with layers of banana, strawberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges and strawberry puree.  You really could use any combination of fruit: blackberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple...feel free to go crazy!