A is for Apple B is for Blog

The first day of Lent and my adventure to eat my way through the alphabet has started strong, but ended weak because I became sick. But I have been holding strong and trying my best to eat my way through the alphabet.

Wednesday is A:

Amaranth and Apples Porage:

1 Apple, chopped

1/2 cup Apple juice

1/4 teaspoon Allspice

Sprinkle of Agar agar (I meant to go for the arrowroot, but this worked)

3/4 cup cooked Amaranth

2 Tablespoons maple syrup (I should have used Agave)

cooked the apple, allspice, and maple syrup in the apple juice for a few minutes. Add the cooked amaranth and sprinkle agar on top, then mix together and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until it reaches a porage consistency.

This has reminded me I am not a fan of amaranth. It's a tiny grain without much substance and too many bites with dirt.

Snacks: Almonds

Dinner: Rice with almond milk and home potatoes (I was sick and the husband was willing to cook!)

Thursday is B:

Breakfast: Smoothie - Blueberries, bananas, and almond milk

Snack: Brazil Nuts

Dinner: B Soup

B Soup:

(vegan) Butter

onions

Butternut squash

Black eyed peas

Barley

Basil and Bay leaf

Broth (veggie)

Saute the onions and bay leaf until caramelized. Deglaze with the broth and add the basil. Add the chopped butternut squash and the remaining broth. Add the cooked barley and black eyed peas.

Simple soup, probably not the best flavor combination, but good. The basil and black eyed peas could have been excluded for a better soup.

Day two of this experiment is interesting and it's allowing me to try new foods, as it was designed to do. And since I have been breaking the rules a bit, I am okay with it because I am still achieving my goal.

Tomorrow is C, for chocolate!

Two weeks ago Jess and I reviewed a bunch of chocolates for our Stumptown Vegans Podcast. I still have a few left over which I will be enjoying tomorrow.

Eating Through the Alphabet

When I was 8 I started participating in Lent - I vowed to turn off the lights every time I left the room. Each year from then on I gave something up every year to better my life. This was odd since I grew up Protestant in a Mormon community, where I picked up this Catholic tradition of giving up something every Lent, I do not know.

16 years ago I gave up meat and never went back.

11 years ago I went vegan and never went back.

The last two years I went without spending any money, but it didn't stick, just good for 40 days.

Two years before this I gave up sugar, one of my main addictions, but I went back.

This year I will be venturing on a different culinary adventure - I will eat my way through the alphabet, one day at a time during Lent. What does this mean? The first day of Lent I will only eat foods that starts with A, the second day, B, and so on.

While only eating these foods may be impossible I feel I do need to maintain health, sanity, and a bit of wiggle room.

The Rules:

1. Drink all the water I want.

2. Eat rice as needed.

3. Dishes with combined ingredients must include 2/3 ingredients that start with the letter. For example: It is not good enough to eat a dish called, "Pasta." The dish must include at least 2/3 ingredients that start with P, "pasta, peas, peppers, olive oil, and paprika."

4. As a food reviewer for Stumptown Vegans I will allow myself at least one meal a week eating out which breaks this adventure in eating.

This will definitely be a challenge and require planning which will be difficult with my busy schedule.

If you are interested in participating, inviting me over for dinner, or even posting a recipe that meets the requirements.

This study is interesting and we'll see how far I can get into it. A-Z-M. As I reach the end of the alphabet I may need to combine multiple letters as there are few foods which with X, Y, and Z.