Vegan Update #2 (What I'm Eating this Week)

Ever since I moved out of my mom and dad's house, I have had problems with grocery shopping. I never really make a good list beforehand, so I'm stuck buying what I think that I will eat over the course of the week, and I end up with a ton of extra food that I don't eat! Well, no more. I made a meal plan for this week that is all vegan ( I did consult Gary, considering that I am forcing him to eat vegan for dinner all week unless he plans on cooking something extra), and here is what I have for the next seven days!

Day 1:
Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo

This one looks pretty easy, and if you want to make it yourself, here is the link: http://lesliedurso.com/2013/06/cauliflower-fettuccine-alfredo/

Day 2:
Mushroom Burgers and Baked Vegan Zucchini Fries

I plan on making the burgers without a recipe, since the idea of cooking a giant mushroom for use as a burger patty seems pretty self-explanatory. But, I have a recipe for the zucchini fries, they look amazing! Gary is super excited to try them, as am I.
Here is the recipe: http://lawsonwellness.com/2013/05/13/baked-vegan-zucchini-fries/

Day 3:
Spicy Vegan Mac and Cheese

I have seen a lot of posts about vegans missing mac and cheese, and I have to say, it is totally true. If there is one thing that I miss the most about how I used to eat, it is the cheese! Especially mac and cheese. And Gary eats it in front of me all the time, and I cry a little inside. Hopefully the one that I plan on cooking this week will be a fair substitute: http://thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com/2013/10/easy-spicy-mac-n-cheese-nut-free-soy.html

Day 4:
Raw Tortilla Soup

I was looking for an easy soup, (because I think that this much cooking over the course of a week might kill me) and I found this one! The best part about it is that it is all raw, one of those recipes that goes with a "plant-based" diet. Now, being vegan and being plant-based can be a little bit different, and if you want to learn more about it, I would suggest watching Forks Over Knives on Netflix. Anyways, I am hoping that this one is pretty good, even though I don't really like celery and it is included in the recipe!
http://www.rawfullytempting.com/2011/10/raw-tortilla-soup-sans-tortillas.html

Day 5:
Vegan Lasagna

This is the one that I am the most excited for! I had some vegetarian lasagna at my sorority's Founder's Day celebration this year, and it was amazing. This version is vegan, and it seems to be pretty quick and easy, too!
http://busyblondes.blogspot.com/2013/07/tubby-tuesday-quick-and-easy-vegan.html

Day 6:
Sandwiches and Zucchini Chips

In my last post, I mentioned a sandwich that I often make for lunch, and I plan on making one for dinner since they are so incredibly easy (and good!). I told Gary that he is on his own for the sandwich that night, I have some peanut buttter and jelly that he can use if he gets desperate! But, I also plan on making some zucchini chips (not the same as the zucchini fries that I want to make on Day 2) as a side dish. My sister made some at my mom's house last week and they didn't turn out so good, but I have high hopes for this recipe: http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/02/24/zucchini-chips/

Day 7:
Veggie Stir Fry

This is basically my go-to meal for the nights that I am feeling lazy. This week, I plan on using all of the leftover veggies that I didn't get to use the rest of the week for my stir fry. That way, I don't end up wasting food like I usually do! If I can figure out how to make some yummy homemade hummus, my life will be complete.

Because store bought hummus is expensive, and Gary has this habit of leaving only a tiny bit in the bottom of the container for me. See my face? Not happy. I could make my own, it would be much cheaper and I would be a happy camper again :)

I started a grocery list, and luckily the recipes all have some of the same spices to use in them, so I don't have to buy a crazy number of spices this week. The grocery shopping is always the hardest, especially because I have a limited budget and healthy food is way more expensive. It doesn't help that I prefer to buy organic, which is even more expensive. I'm hoping to utilize the new farmer's market that just opened up this week for my shopping, so I probably won't even be able to shop until they are open again on Saturday. But it'll be worth it, because I am dying to check out the new vegan restaurant that they opened! I've never been to one before.

Hopefully, I'll remember to take pictures of all of my meals this week and keep you all updated on them! I'll try them out to see if they are worth all of the planning and effort to make. I'll let you know about the new vegan restaurant, too!

I promise I'll have posts on things other than being vegan soon :)

Until next time,

Hayley