I think Lucas is taking this whole “vegan cleanse” a little too far, don’t you? This is how he started his day:

Don’t worry — lifeguards are always on duty.

Ahhh, the life of the unemployed. After I left this sweet family scene, I powered up for Day 2 of #VeganWeek with some yerba maté:

And some oatmeal, mixed in with Kitchen Sink Granola, almond milk, cinnamon and vanilla.

Got to work, then had to start thinking about lunch. I had a business meeting over Indian food (hi, Z!) and had to turn to the experts for advice. I tweeted — what should I get that’s healthy and vegan? I got:

@DietitianJanel so many veg options there! some veg options have cheese. otherwise, enjoy!

@SKDickey You will be surprised how easy it is – good luck!!

@greensforgood U should have a lot of options! Just ask what doesn’t have meat/dairy in it and u should be good. I’ve had luck with chana masala.

I ended up going with baigan bartha, partly because I’ve seen it on Gina’s blog so many times!

It didn’t disappoint…but MAN was it spicy! Lots of running around for work this afternoon, but I actually couldn’t wait to get home because I had two recipes I couldn’t WAIT to try out.

And let me tell you…they might have been the best dishes I’ve ever made. I have to give it up, once again, to Veganomicon for Tempeh Nori Rolls:

And Root Salad with Warm Maple-Fig Dressing:

Ohhhhhhnommmmohhhhhyesssss…can you see that there are three kinds of potatoes and two kinds of beets in there?

I will definitely be going back to these dishes, whether I stick with veganism or not. I wish I could post the recipes, but you’ll just have to go get the book yourself! And my carniverous control specimen — Lucas — loved everything, too.

The dressing had a splash of wine — and so did the cook:

I am stuffed and very happy right now…ready to watch some Biggest Loser and get some chores done!

Thoughts:

**No matter what, I will definitely go back to meal planning when #VeganWeek is done. I have looked forward to cooking every night, and have loved going back to recipes and exploring new flavors. I think I’d gotten in a rut, and gotten a little lazy. This has been a great re-focusing experiment.

**You really do eat with your eyes first. Something about the mix of colors in tonight’s salad, or last night’s lima beans made the food taste even better.

**I love food bloggers. Just click this link and see how many people are jumping into the Vegan Week challenge. I am amazed at how people from all over the world come together for a common cause. I got a great email from The Nutritionista, who happens to be doing a Vegan Week of her own…she’s so supportive, and I think you’ll be hearing from her here on STT soon! Thank you to EVERYONE who is following my journey, along with Michelle!

Housekeeping:

• Maybe the best-known vegan baker is coming to Silly Tater Tot! Come back Wednesday morning for a very special guest post by Angela from Oh She Glows. Aaaaaannnnd, there might just be a delicious giveaway in store for you. Details to come…mwah ha ha ha.
• Did you LOVE Janel’s guest post? If you missed it, check it out here, then give her a shout. She’s awesome!
• Two vegan rockstars — and sweet, sweet girls — just did a guest post for Michelle, and it’s perfectly timed, because it’s all about veganism during the holidays. Click here, then check out Ryan and Lindsey’s blogs for more.
• Follow me on Twitter here and Michelle here. Also, check out my complete Vegan Week page here and Michelle’s here.

AND remember:

On Thursday, November 19, we are asking that you devote one or all of your meals to being vegan. We just kindly ask if you could link back to either my blog or Michelle’s when you make your posts about Vegan Week. We will be compiling a list of all who participate throughout the day, on our blogs under the ‘VeganWeek’ tabs. If you could make sure to either send us the link and/or leave it in the comment section of the ‘Vegan 4-A- Day’ official post on Thursday then we can give you proper accolades.

If you know of any other friends, bloggers or not, who are up for the challenge…spread it around! Everyone who takes part will have a chance at a really cool prize — details of that to come soon!

          

Related posts:

1. #VeganWeek Day One: So Far, So Delicious!
2. #VeganWeek 8 Mile Run and Giveaway Winners!
3. #VeganWeek Day 4: Thanks to YOU!
4. #VeganWeek The Husband’s Perspective
5. #VeganWeek Guest Post: Angela From Oh She Glows