Stick it to the Can

Where have I been? School, at home studying, or doing yoga, of course. Let me just say, this week has been crazy. Although I had Monday off, I had 4 tests on one day, then 3 the next. Luckily, Friday was a lots of fun since it was "World Affairs Seminar". Basically, all classes were canceled and we enjoyed seminars held by experts and even fellow classmates instead.

This year's topic was food: an edible economy. Now that's something we can all relate to. The day kicked off with a screening of Food Inc. I think it really opened everyone's eyes on the food industry. I know some people ignored it or treated it as a joke, but hey, at least some people got something out of it. Not to mention it's a plus my choice to be vegan might make more sense to my classmates. A lot of them actually asked me questions about it afterwards and started to consider vegetarianism. I hope I can be a helpful source of information and support to them.

Anyway, sticking with the theme of food, here were some of my eats from this week. With my busy schedule, my food was mostly favorites you've seen before. Below are some new recipes (and a new product) I've been trying. Enjoy :)!

Chai Tea Oatmeal with Golden Flax Seeds and Strawberries

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza...

With No Salt Added Tomato Sauce, Gobs of Garlic and Spices, and Nooch

+ Tomatoes, Steamed Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Brussel Sprouts (please excuse the odd pictures but I had a pizza stone incident)

Homemade Larabars

of the Gingerbread Variety

Sarah's Chili Con Bulgar

From La Dolce Vegan

Evol Vegan Veggie Fajita

Have any of you seen Food Inc.? This was my second time seeing it, and honestly I'm happy it was. I was able to absorb more and started to consider a few things more deeply. First, processed foods.

I've decided to start a grocery store challenge. The challenge is to buy only produce and things from the bulk bins (with the exclusion of canned beans and tomato products, almond butter, or certain products I can't get elsewhere, such as flax seed, vital wheat gluten, soy yogurt, etc.). I'm thinking of calling it the Stick it to the Can challenge, or SIC. I like that it sounds like "sick" if you try to say it because I'm sick of being a victim of the system, not to mention a few other corny (ha! corny! like all the corn in our foods. ah, jokes, jokes ;) ) reasons that I'll let you use your imagination on. How does the SIC challenge sound to you?

Although I've mostly moved towards this kind of shopping anyway, I've noticed myself eating a lot of cereals and such to satisfy calorie needs. Unfortunately, I have also noticed a difference in the way I feel. Seeing Food Inc. again reminded me of the ingredients in processed foods (organics and naturals are not always excluded, though they are usually better) and the control the food industry has over us. Now, instead of panicking and turing to processed foods (even if it's just cereals), I've decided to make more snacks from my cookbooks, such as dips with veggies or pita and others so I can snack on whole foods.

Are you ready to take a stand against the controlling food industry? Are you ready to say no to High Fructose Corn Syrup, corn and soy in everything, and needless GMOs? Do you want to eat better and feel amazing because of it? If so, join me in this challenge. Maybe it seems a little hard at first, but starting small never hurt. Simply cutting down on processed foods is a huge improvement.

So, who's with me?

Have a lovely day!

xox,

Mandiee