I awake with a heavy heart, as my grandmother passed away unexpectedly on Christmas eve. I am in Chicago, spending Christmas with Chad. Today, I will continue to keep my family in my thoughts and prayers as we all get through this together.
To Grandma Pratt: May you rest in peace with no pain, no suffering. Just peace. May we meet again, yet until then I will continue to make you proud. I love you dearly.
I plan to take a break from my blog and will return in the new year refreshed. Until then, be blessed and love hard...
What's better than a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter night while watching football... You've got to try this recipe. Great for meat-lovers as they'll surely be fooled with the vegan sausage used for this recipe. But if you prefer no meat at all, the recipe is just as good. Check out the "Cooking" Section for the recipe...Enjoy!
Looking for a quick and easy salad that's both tasty and nutritionally satisfying? If so, the pear&walnut salad is perfect for you! Check out the "Cooking" section for the recipe.
Pear&Walnut Spinach Salad
with homemade honey mustard vinaigrette
This year, I'm spending Thanksgiving in Chicago with my boyfriend Chad. Luckily he is off work, so we plan to cook, spend quality time, and visit some friends in the evening for after dinner wine and conversation :)
The menu is by request of Chad; all things he loves and misses from home: Macaroni & Cheese, rice & peas (Chad is Jamaican and this dish is a staple in his household), his Mom's famous potato salad, collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and of course turkey. Definitely a non-traditional menu but it will be good!
I woke up at 4am to put the turkey in and boy does it smell good. Since I'm now a vegetarian, I won't be partaking in the turkey but I will say I'm proud of how it looks thus far ;) (see below).
This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for the genuine support I've received from my family and friends throughout medical school as I make it to the home stretch! I couldn't have done it without you!
Now its time to make my round of phone calls and get ready for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Have a wonderful day... xoxo
Herb crusted turkey...almost done
I'll be sure to post more pics of the food and recipes!
Recently, I returned to Chicago from Houston, Texas for residency interviews and I had a blast! From shopping at The Galleria, trying a new vegan spot, and even running into old friends...it was a wonderful trip! Check out the "Medicine" and "Cooking" section for details...
I'm on vacation for the next 2 months for residency interviews, with my first interview this week. Check out the "Medicine" section for more details. Also, I posted a new recipe, Moroccan Veggie Stew with Couscous, perfect for the fall. Check out the "Cooking" section. Until next time..
Since 2008, I've made gradual changes to my diet, first excluding red meat and turkey to most recently only consuming fish, veggies, and dairy. I initially changed my diet due to gastrointestinal issues as I found that when I excluded meat and consumed more veggies, my problems resolved. This prompted me to look into vegetarianism more closely and through my search I came across the book The Food Revolution by John and Ocean Robbins. In reading this book, I was made aware of the many health benefits of a plant-based diet, not to mention benefits supported by scientific evidence!
So on August 15, 2012 I began my 30 Day Vegetarian Challenge to test my commitment to making such a major lifestyle change. After all, I'm a girl who loves to cook and try new foods and with eliminating meat I knew that this was definitely going to be a challenge. Not to mention, there's only 1 person in my family who is vegan and I'm in a 7 year relationship with a diehard carnivore...so let's just say I knew the odds were against me.
For the next 30 days, I read, read, read. With all the myths out there about vegetarianism as far as proper protein intake, and vitamin deficiency, or how expensive the diet was...I wanted to educate myself in order to do it right. I continued to read Food Revolution in addition to various internet sources. I tried new recipes and even got my boyfriend to try a vegetarian restaurant in Chicago called Mana Food Bar.
I also watched the well-known food industry documentary, Food Inc, which provided further information regarding the US food industry and the government regulatory agencies which often put profit before consumer health.
I completed the 30 day challenge and I'm committed to a vegetarian lifestyle, with plans to eventually become a vegan. I can definitely do without meat but I love cheese and yogurt. So, I'm still working on eliminating dairy. I recently came across another source regarding a plant-based diet called, Forks over Knives, a concept focused on how diet can essentially reverse many of the degenerative and preventative diseases that plague many Americans. More information to come, as I just ordered the DVD and some of the books off their website.
I'm now a vegetarian because of the health benefits which are scientifically proven, my personal resolution of gastrointestinal issues, and my concern and distrust in the US meat industry.
As I continue on my new path, I look forward to sharing health information and tasty recipes on my blog.
Check out the links provided for further information:
