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Veganuary II. Because once is not enough

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Today is the first day of 2019–and the launch date of Veganuary, my month-long  commitment to abstain from all alcohol, meat and refined sugar.

It’s my second go-around with Veganuary. I didn’t plan to repeat the pledge after successfully staying the course in 2016. I got bored with a diet devoid of meat and fish of any kind. I missed wine. And although I don’t have a sweet tooth, I chaffed at denying myself an occasional chocolate.

clipping-piglets-teeth-and-cutting-off-their-save-ernie-tails-10248828So why am I doing Veganuary II? Because I need to cleanse and recalibrate after months of eating and drinking too much. I want to lose weight. I want to be more productive. And I believe it’s healthy to challenge ourselves to do better.

The first time around was a personal test.

This time, it’s something I need to do so that I can be my healthiest, most authentic self.

The concept of Veganuary was born in Britain, where animal rights activists encourage carnivores to go meatless for a month in hopes they will lay down their steak knives for good. I upped the ante by adding alcohol and sugar to the challenge. It’s not enough to forgo pork chops. Let’s go whole hog!

Fruit-Veggies-P4EI’m looking forward to Veganuary. Really, I am. The wine is in the rack and the gin is tucked away in the liquor cabinet, where they will stay until February. I stashed the bacon and a few Christmas cookies in the freezer and added faro and lentils to my shopping list. I will even give tofu another try.

On New Year’s Eve, I enjoyed a dinner party with shrimp, chicken, free-flowing wine and a lemon drop martini. Tonight’s repast: eggplant parm, with a tall glass of H2O.

One day down. Thirty to go. Happy Veganuary.

Lisa likes this. You will, too.

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On every bag of veggies and sauce from Lisa’s Organics, there’s a three word message: Lisa likes this.

SW-Veggies-260x260That makes sense. If you are going to put your name on a product it should  be something that you enjoy.

But would other folks like it, too? The nice folks from Lisa’s shipped me some samples so I could try them and report on my thoughts.

What I discovered was a happy blend of convenience, good taste and nutrition. The veggie combos come in flexible, recyclable plastic bags that you can easily tuck in a crowded freezer. Each package contains generous two servings.

I mixed Lisa’s sweet peas with onion and parmesan sauce with my own faro for a quick nutritious dish. (If I had not been in a hurry, I would have made risotto.) I enjoyed the fresh flavor of the peas with the nuttiness of the faro. For added oomph, stir in more minced onion and chopped parsley from the garden.

Lisa’s broccoli with gorgonzola sauce is a natural with pasta. I blended the veggies with fettucine and added a splash of half and half and a twist of cracked black pepper. If you have leftover steak, slice that and toss it in at the end. Fast. Easy. Yummy.

Southwest vegetables in ranchero sauce offer the dual benefit of being the quickest and most flavorful combo. Lisa’s ranchero sauce is a slow-cooked, mildly spicy blend of organic red chiles, garlic and tomato with  organic sweet corn and onions, plus red and green peppers. Sweet potatoes are the wild card, adding just the right hint of sugar and even more color.

I rolled the veggies in a whole wheat tortilla in less time than it would take to call out for pizza. De-LISH.

Lisa’s vegetables are all grown organically in the U.S. and Canada and are frozen the same day they are picked. (And if you are wondering who Lisa is, she is Lisa Marie Boudreau, a mother of three who works from home.)

You can find Lisa’s in the frozen food section of select grocers, including two of my favorites, Whole Foods and Wegmans. MSRP: $3.49.