Tofurky Vegan Cheese Pizza (made with Daiya Mozzarella Style Shreds)

*The following is purely my opinion - I purchased this product for my family.  It is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Tofurky or Daiya*

 

Tofurky Vegan Cheese Pizza

I picked this up on our shopping trip the other day at Whole Foods.  It sure looks good, and it's made with Daiya Vegan Mozzarella Style Shreds, which is supposedly the best in the vegan market for cheese-replacement.  I haven't had a chance to try it up until now.  I tried the Tofurky brand "turkey" lunch meat... and let me just say - not a fan, not the smell, not the texture, not the taste!  So, I'm hoping that this not having 'meat' on it will be OK.

We're "cheese people", while we're not from Wisconsin, we love our cheese.  When I was thinking about following a vegan diet, that was the one thing that I thought would be the hardest to give up... especially pizza! I could give up the slice of cheese on a veggie burger or sandwich, the cheese on my tacos, the cheese on salad and even, dare I say it, mac and cheese (I bought something else to replace that, but that's a post for another day!)  But pizza, no way!  I would be willing to add lots of veggies to it and ask for 'light cheese' when we ordered one, but I just did not think I would be able to give up my pizza.  I'm a fan of a good frozen pizza for a weekend lunch - like today, or quick weeknight dinner with some salad.  But, there aren't many/any options at our regular grocery store (Jewel and Target).  I would imagine that this frozen pizza won't be a 'staple' in our freezer - but if it's good, I'll be much more likely to make my own pizza with the Daiya shreds at home!  It sure does smell like the frozen pizza that we know and love!

The instructions say to bake it for 10-12 minutes... I went about 15, and still think it could have used maybe 5 more minutes.  It's pretty 'melty', but the middle of the cheeze has a strange pasty consistency in your mouth, but as you get further towards the crust it's more like a 'regular' frozen pizza.  So, I think an extra 5 minutes in the oven would have made the middle better too.  It could also be a 'side effect' of having frozen the shreds.

The boy liked it, but not enough to eat more than one slice - and he would eat pizza for every meal every day if he could.  The girl didn't really like it, but I think it was more the texture that was her issue.  The husband liked it - he actually said "that was pretty good".  I liked it, the crust and flavor of the sauce and shreds were all good - with the benefit of a few more minutes in the oven, it could definitely compete for space in our freezer!

Overall, I would rate this a B.  It's not amazing and it's pricey for the size of the pizza.  But, for me it was proof that Daiya is a good cheese replacement.  I will try making my own pizza at home with it next time around.  I will probably try ordering a delivery veggie pizza with no cheese and add my own at home!

Vegan Cupcakes and Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting

*The following is purely my opinion - I purchased this product for my family.  It is in no way sponsored or endorsed by AllRecipes.com or Cherrybrook Kitchens*

Today is the husband's birthday.  He takes something into work on his birthday, usually bagels from Panera, which I think he still did.  But, for the benefit of his vegan friend at work - I wanted to try my hand at some vegan baking!  Making bagels is a very time consuming process, let alone vegan bagels, so I decided on cupcakes!  I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com.  Vegan Chocolate Cake... Yum!  Sounds delicious, easy to make, and best of all... no crazy ingredients!  I had everything I needed in my pantry!

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan, or prepare 12 muffin cups with wrappers.

2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water.  Mix together until smooth.

3. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. (Or fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.)  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Now, I note that these are 'nutritionally vegan' - not 'PETA vegan'.  I'm sure there's something you can use in place of white sugar for the sweetener that's 'PETA vegan'.  There's something about what they use to filter or refine the sugar that doesn't make white sugar 'animal friendly'.  But my goal is to be nutritionally vegan, not specifically 'PETA vegan' as I like to call it.

Now the frosting...

I had a recipe in hand for vegan white frosting which is probably not really that hard to make, but when I was shopping yesterday I stumbled across this wonderful product... jarred vegan frosting!  PERFECT for how I was feeling at the time I was at the store.  With both kids in tow, I was ready to be DONE with shopping, so the idea of not having to mix my own frosting sounded great at the time!

 

Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting

Once the cupcakes cooled, I pulled out the frosting!  Let me just say I'm quite a lover of 'prepared frosting'.  I've been known to dip a spoon into an open container in the fridge for a quick sugar fix!  When I first opened the jar it looked a little strange, so I stirred it up.  It has an interesting translucent white color - I'm not sure what causes this, but it does kind of resemble Elmer's Glue (as a friend pointed out when I posted the picture of my completed cupcakes on Facebook last night.)  Although it's been a number of years since I had the opportunity to eat paste - I'm pretty sure that this frosting does NOT taste like Elmer's Glue!  It does have a bit more of a glaze texture though versus your 'standard' store bought canned frosting.  And, as much as I love frosting, I don't love giant piles on top of my cupcakes.  So, this frosting really was perfect.  It is very sweet, and has a great vanilla taste!

Overall, I would rate the recipe as an A++ (I really don't think I'll make a boxed mix ever again!) The frosting gets an A too!  There are quite a few comments on the allrecipes.com page that talk about possible variations, and I think these could easily be made into gourmet cupcakes with a couple changes... Balsamic Vinegar instead of white and a pinch of cayenne pepper!  Maybe I'll make another batch today to try those out... I do still have frosting in the fridge, and I can't just eat it all with a spoon!

Chicago Soy Dairy: Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

*The following is purely my opinion - I purchased this product for my family.  It is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Chicago Soy Dairy*

 

Chicago Soy Dairy: Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

I made a trip to Whole Foods today so that I can venture down the road of vegan baking by making cupcakes for the husband to take to work for his birthday tomorrow.  (There is a vegan, and many vegetarians, whom he works with, so it should be a fun treat!)  I had seen these marshmallows on another blog, and made mental note that they carried them at Whole Foods.  So, when I was in the baking aisle today I happened to look down and saw them.  I had to try them!!  Sweets are my biggest down fall - marshmallows, gummy bears/worms, etc. are the worst for me!  I've always had a sweet tooth!

So, I got home and put the groceries away and left these sitting out on the counter... I couldn't resist, I had to open them and try them!  OMG.... these are SO GOOD!  They're slightly different than standard marshmallows, a little more dense and squishy, less spongy - like there's a little less air.  I could easily sit here and eat the entire bag as I type this!  I'm not sure if I'll manage to try a few melted.... I might have to make a vegan 'concession' and make some hot chocolate just to try these, and maybe a microwave s'more.  I'll be sure to report back on the melting ability of these, but I'd imagine that they would work just the same!

Overall, these get an A from me!  The kids both liked them too - but neither of them have been huge marshmallow fans up until now anyway.

Enjoy Life: Chewy On-The-Go Bars

*The following is purely my opinion - I purchased this product for my family.  It is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Enjoy Life*

 

Enjoy Life: Chewy On-The-Go Bars

I picked these up at Whole Foods a few weeks back in place of our usual NutriGrain Cereal Bars.  I also then found them at Target.  I think the picture on the box is a little bit of "ideal advertising".  The bars don't really look like that.  They're a bit shorter and fatter.  They have 4 flavors, of which I've tried 3 - the Caramel Apple, Very Berry, and Cocoa Loco.  The Sunbutter Crunch (no nuts) is the only one we haven't tried yet - maybe next shopping trip!

Personally, I think they're a little on the dry side.  But, the flavor is really pretty nice.  They make a nice quick snack option when you feel like munching on something.  In terms of my kids opinions - they're split yet again.  The boy loves them and doesn't discriminate on the flavor - he likes them all (at least that I've bought so far.)  The girl however, has only tried the Cocoa Loco one and didn't like it.  But it's not really as chocolatey as a kid (with a sweet tooth - like mom's) would like.  Because she didn't like the cocoa one, I haven't been able to get her to try the other flavors, so it might be a texture issue with her too.

Overall, I'd rate these a B.  They're a nice pantry staple for snacks when the kids want a 'granola bar'.

Lightlife Smart Dogs - Jumbo Veggie Protein Links

*The following is purely my opinion - I purchased this product for my family.  It is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Lightlife*

I was checking out the "alternative meat products" in the local grocery produce section, and these caught my eye.  Veggie Protein Links that are vegan... yum?  But, I thought they would be worth a shot especially knowing how much kids love hot dogs.  And, they're usually not as picky as us adults, who have formed their opinion about hot dogs (brands/cooking methods/etc).  Having grown up in the Chicago area, I was raised with Portillo's hot dogs as the 'standard of excellence' when it comes to hot dogs, which means anything other than Vienna Beef dogs, just isn't the same.  But, I was trying to keep an open mind!

I followed the 'suggested' cooking instructions.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, turn off heat and put links in for 2 minutes.  When I opened the package, I noted a familiar 'hot dog' aroma - that's got to be a good sign, right?  I plopped them into the water and probably let them sit a little longer than 2 minutes, but I don't think that mattered.  I had no buns on hand, so the kids were just going sliced with ketchup.  Upon fishing the first one out with a fork, it broke in half while I was 'draining' it.  A 'side effect' of not having a casing I suppose.  They still had the aroma of a regular hot dog.  The texture however was a bit more 'processed' than I like - but again, I'm comparing to Vienna Beef.  And the color is a little off putting - kind of a pinkish orange once they're cooked.  So, if you're used to mass produced pork hot dogs, they're probably not too far off.  I had mine 'old school' style on a slice of bread with ketchup & mustard.  It was only OK in my opinion - I'd rather just not have a hot dog.  It was a split decision from the kids, one said "mmm... this is a good hot dog" and the other said "I don't really like it" but I managed to get her to eat the whole thing with a little bribery about going back to play outside.

There aren't any instructions on the package for grilling, only stove top and microwave - but I think they might be slightly better if grilled.  Maybe a little added 'crunch' from being cooked over a flame.

Overall, I'd rate these a C.  They're OK if you have to have a hot dog, but you're probably better off having something else all together.  I might buy them again and try grilling them and see how that goes - if it changes my opinion - I'll be sure to let you know!

Back again...

So much for those daily posts about the Bell's Palsy! I am very grateful, and lucky, that it was not a prolonged case.  Although, I do believe that the acupuncture really did help restore things more quickly than the course may have run on its own.  It might have been partly because I was able to take 20 minutes each morning, after dropping the kids off at school, to just sit and relax and meditate.  I just kept visualizing little electrical pulses emanating from my ear out into the nerves of my face.  I was 'back to normal' within 4 weeks from my initial onset!  I must say I'm much more diligent about getting a possible ear infection checked out sooner rather than later now!

On another note - I feel I'm back on the search for 'me' again.  I've read a few books lately, and I have decided to embark on a journey for a healthier lifestyle... and I don't just mean keeping track of what I eat (how many calories and how much fat or sugar) and exercising more.  I mean full-on lifestyle change (including the husband and kids)... we're talking the 'ultimate' lifestyle change... the big "V"... going vegan.  I know some people may see 'vegan' and think "Oh, no... not one of those people!"  Sure there are plenty of PETA videos to raise awareness about animal cruelty - which is, of course, horrific.  But, I realize that there are responsible farmers out there that treat their animals as well as they possibly can, given the nature of their business.  And, I'm in no way "for" animal cruelty in any way.  But, I'm not taking the vegan point of view for the animals specifically.  I'm not going to search out and buy vegan shoes or clothing, but I'm not going to search out a leather jacket any time soon either!

My perspective is coming from the health and environmental side of the equation.  I've read The China Study and Veganist and I really think it's just a better way to live!  I also have The Kind Diet on my summer reading list.  I think our bodies were meant to process whole foods and not other animals or animal proteins.  So, I'm doing my best to turn our kitchen into a vegan kitchen, and trying to be as vegan as possible when we go out to eat (vegetarian at a 'minimum' when we're out.)  If anything, it is forcing me to read ingredient lists on the things I buy before I buy them - and I've put a number of 'favorites' back on the shelf because they weren't vegan (along with all the other things that they have that were probably bad anyway!)  I'm certainly not going to 'preach' to anyone that they should follow this same path - but if anyone asks why I've decided that, I'll let them know what I've learned.

Now, the prospect of changing our kitchen (and my kids) to vegan is a tough one... and is going to take some time.  We're still working on it!  So, I'm going to try to use this blog to share our opinions on recipes, products, and just general ideas on how to get kids (especially) to change their palate from mac and cheese and chicken nuggets to healthier fare.  The extra hard part I've noticed is that a lot of the 'meat substitutes' like Quorn, Morningstar, and Boca aren't vegan - they still use eggs and milk as a binder.  I know Boca has vegan choices - they're just a little harder to come by!  There are a few that have been a 'hit' in our house so far, and I'll be sure to share those!!

So, on to the 'show'... and thanks for reading :)

Pin Cushion

This morning I posted that 'today was Day 6.' Well, I wrote that post yesterday, and just didn't get it posted until this morning.

So, today is actually day 7. I was thinking about how I felt yesterday, and how I felt this morning. And - I had written yesterday that I was feeling better, possibly because I had more motion. But I think I realized that it was more that I'm just becoming accustomed to what I do have. I'm still feeling a bit better. Although, I think finally being 'over' the sickness that's been bugging me for the last month has helped. Today I had my second acupuncture treatment. And besides feeling a bit like a pin cushion it was good. Even a little better than the first, mostly because I knew what to expect. And, the needles that hurt last time weren't so bad this time. I also wasn't left with any sore spots today.

I did my best during that 30 minutes to just relax, breath, and visualize little electrical impulses coming through the left side of my face. Occasionally I'd get side-tracked in thought about something else that I need to do, but I would catch myself and center back to my vision of full movement on that side of my face. When it was over I was kind of sad to let the peace and quiet go and get back to the 'real world' and face the day. But, I have it to look forward to next Tuesday morning.

Then, I went to have lunch with my mom. And while I felt like my palsy got worse during lunch - probably from talking so much with her before we left - when we got back to her house I got a 'familiar' twitch in my left eye. It was almost the same twitch that I had on New Year's Eve. I don't know for sure if that's good or bad - but I'll take it as a good sign. Those muscles are getting signals again! It also felt like my mouth was cooperating a bit better as well.

I'm going to be sure and set my time aside daily to relax and focus on letting my body do its work and I should be over this and back to my smiling self in no time!

Famous Company

So, today is day 6 of Bell's Palsy for me. I'm feeling a little less 'disfigured' today. I'm not sure if that's because I think I've regained a little bit of movement around my mouth, that I had some time to relax at my first acupuncture treatment (a little more on that later), or that I've taken solace in those who have has this condition before me... there are a few famous types...

Pierce Brosnan

George Clooney

Katie Holmes

The last one is of particular interest to me, as Dave has always listed her (and Jessica Biel) on his "hot" list. And, I actually think I look vaguely like her (in my last Driver's license picture anyway ;) So, maybe I'm on my way to fulfilling more of Dave's dreams than even he thought!

On the treatment/recovery front, I mentioned that I had my first acupuncture treatment last night. I was happy to hear that they've had very successful results when treated early on. So, I decided to give it a whirl - it really can't hurt, and at the very least I'll be forced to get 35-40 minutes of relaxation for 3 more days in the next two weeks! I go back tomorrow, and then two days next week. Then we'll re-evaluate. He also said at this point he's not using any herbal remedies because my case is on the mild side.

I wasn't really nervous about the acupuncture itself, some of the needles hurt a little more than i thought they would, and others left me a bit more sore than i would have thought afterward. But, I feel those 'pains' mean its working! After the needles are inserted (mine are in my arms, hands, lower legs, feet, a couple in my face and one in the top of my head), the lights are lowered, relaxing music plays, and with an in fared heater over my feet, to keep from getting cold, you set out to relax for about 30 minutes. I don't think I quite fell asleep, but sure was relaxed!

One thing the acupuncturist recommended was to keep any cold drafts off my ear, and being that I'm in suburban Chicago... And it's January... That means returning to hat-wearing! Why you might ask? Apparently eastern medicine believes that Bell's Palsy is caused by a "cold wind" entering the system - at least that's my most basic understanding. Also that putting warmth on that side would help too. Which probably would explain why I've been sleeping so much better on my left side than usual!

Then I was reading a magazine online that I was 'teased' with at the office last night... Whole Living. And a blog article reminded me of the importance of rest. So I decided to take 20 minutes in the quiet to sit and rest, eyes closed, deep breaths, and if I fell asleep - so be it! I didn't, but I did feel relaxed and refreshed when I got up. So I'm making it my goal to take 20-30 minutes on my non-treatment days in the coming 2 weeks to rest & relax and let my immune system get to work!

1000 Smiles, huh?

Well, it's been a while since I blogged. I decided this morning that now is as good a time as ever. And, as I thought about why I wanted to start blogging again - I remembered the name I picked out for my blog... Journey of 1000 Smiles. You see, the reason I decided to pick up my blog again today was this.

I have Bell's Palsy.

Here's a link to the 'official' definition at Wikipedia. Thankfully, Bell's Palsy is a temporary condition in most cases. They're not sure what causes it exactly - but I'll get into that a little more a bit later.

In layman's terms - it's the temporary paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. Mine happens to be on the left side, and I'm extra grateful that it seems to be a relatively mild case. I was diagnosed with this on Saturday, January 1st, 2011... what a way to ring in the new year, right?!

So, now I'll rewind a little an let you know what lead up to this point.

It's the week following Thanksgiving. I'm winding down from having everyone at our home for the big meal, and gearing up for the Christmas holiday season (my favorite!) And I start to get a sore throat and cough - I start taking Zicam hoping to nip it in the bud before it knocks me out. I end up loosing my voice for a few days, and have a bit of a lingering cough - but nothing 'out of the ordinary' in terms of a cold goes. I never had a fever, or even a stuffy nose really. This was a little unusual for me, as I usually get head colds/sinus infections. But it went away, and I felt better for about a week. Then we were nearing Munchkin's birthday and Christmas. I was busy shopping, decorating, planning, etc. I felt another cold coming on - this time the usual, stuffy head, cough, just feeling down right crappy!

Well, this lasted for a few days and didn't seem to be letting up, and my usual arsenal of decongestants weren't doing anything either! So, I decided to go to the Walgreen's clinic - as I haven't been to my primary care dr. in probably 5 years, I figured it would just be faster to head there. I probably had a sinus infection & maybe ear infection, they'd give me antibiotics and I'd be on my way... and feeling better soon! Well, I was wrong! The "clinical nurse practitioner", which I think is the correct title, examined me and listened to my complaints. She said I had a slight upper-respiratory infection and congestion that were most likely caused by a virus. I should be feeling better in a few days, and if not, come back. So, a week went by... I felt better for a couple days, then the evening of Christmas Day my left ear plugged up, then two days later, my right. So, I called my doctor's office on Monday after Christmas. They were closed for the holiday... ugh! So, back to the clinic I go. It's the same 'nurse' there, and she examines me again. 6 days later and I have a "raging" ear-infection in my left ear, one in my right, and a sinus infection... oh, and on top of that, she's concerned that my blood pressure is high. So, she prescribes a z-pack antibiotic and sends me on my way.

So, my ears start to 'drain' and I feel a little better for a day or so, then the congestion starts to come back. Thursday, the night before our big New Year's Eve party I notice my upper lip twitching. Now, I'm familiar with the occasional facial twitch, usually my eye. But this was downright annoying! Then overnight, it went away. But, Friday morning... and throughout the day, my left eye was twitching, and more than just normal. Every time I blinked it would twitch. Then as the night wore one I noticed that the twitching went away, but it didn't feel like I could blink all the way, and I noticed that I only had half of a smile.

Needless to say, I was a little scared. But it was late, and I was tired. I had no other symptoms (balance was OK, speaking & comprehension were fine, no problems with my limbs). So we went to bed - I was hoping it'd be better in the morning. Well, at least it wasn't much worse! But it was still enough to make me head to the ER. I knew my doctors office wasn't going to be open on New Year's Day, and I was NOT going back to the clinic!

Luckily, when you present with facial paralysis they get you in pretty quick! The nurse felt pretty positive right away that she knew what it was and told me. Then I remembered my English teacher, sophomore year of high school, she had it. I don't remember how long it lasted for her - but I remember her having to wear an eye-patch to school for a couple weeks.

So, the doctor talks to me and examines me. Yep - Bell's Palsy. There's not much that can be done for it - but they do prescribe a steroid (to help any inflammation of the nerve) and an anti-viral (there's some thought that it could be caused by a strain of the herpes virus... a derivative of chicken pox.) There's also no way to know how long it will last. As I mentioned earlier - I have a pretty 'mild' case. I can blink my eye most of the way... enough to avoid wearing a patch all day long! And a small amount of movement of my mouth.

That was my New Year's Day! And, now I'm 5 days in to 2011, and really getting tired of this - which is why I decided to start blogging about it, and to help me stay sane :) I'm trying really hard not to let it get to me. But when you tell your body to do something, and it just doesn't (and makes you feel like you look crazy when you try) it gets really frustrating!

Here's some pictures of me right now and over the last few days.

January 1st - You'll notice my left eye (on the right side of the picture) doesn't close all the way.

January 3rd - that's a smile with my eyes closed.

January 5th - that's a smile... honest, it is! :)

I feel like the issue is mostly between my eyeball and my upper lip. But, today it feels like I can get a little more of a smile out of the left side of my mouth, and when I was in the shower I thought I felt my eyelids touch after they were closed for a little bit... but that might have just been the water ;)

I do have to wear a patch over my eye at night to make sure it doesn't dry out (or get scratched by the sheets). Which of course makes for many a pirate joke from the husband.

I think that's my other biggest annoyance now is really the husband. He's constantly making jokes about how I look when I smile. And, I know that it's mostly his way of dealing with a hard situation by making light of it - but it does make one self-conscious! Although, he did say something very sweet last night:

"In all seriousness, I've taken your 'pretty-ness' for granted. I hope this doesn't last too long, so that I can have my beautiful wife back again. I love you!"

So, as I'm nearing the end of my prescribed steroid and anti-viral medicines, I'm also looking into alternatives, specifically acupuncture. I'll keep you posted via this blog, and hopefully I'll be back to my full smiling self soon!