Julie can't eat cheese

With all the internet searching on our devices for vegan/plant based eating, I have been getting some pretty funny ads/sponsored content. Like the video below. I definitely thought vegan/plant based eating sounded hard/boring.

BUT we have found many recipes that we love already! And spoiler – we are not starving as I feared. And I DO love everything Tabitha mentions.

Sweat Potato Baked Oatmeal Dan has made this dish several times already. He thought it was too sweet the first time, so has reduced the maple syrup and sugar amounts and added more walnuts. It stays well in the fridge and is still delicious as a leftover.

Mason Jar Soup One of my new favorite lunches! This is really easy to prep and keep in the fridge. The recipe instructions say to pour boiling water in the jar and let sit for 3 minutes to cook the noodles. This does not cook the noodles! We tried a few different types of noodles and methods to get them to fully cook. Boiling water, then putting in the microwave for an additional few minutes seems to cook the noodles best. I think because it is refrigerated it takes longer for the noodles to soften. The broth is really good – it’s got a kick!

Sesame tofu and broccoli Dan has actually been making this recipe for some time and it is more frequently in the rotation now. P also loves it and Dan has had to start doubling the recipe as we all eat seconds and thirds! We rarely have leftovers.

Banh mi tofu sandwiches The tofu marinade is amazing and I could eat this several times a week. I had never had a bahn mi before I started dating Dan. He lived near Little Saigon in San Francisco and we went to Lee’s often for sandwiches and Vietnamese coffee. I don’t know why we never thought to make our own sandwiches before!

Health/recovery updates (12/18): I don’t have much pain – I actually think I’ve lost feeling in the surgery area. I did attempt a shower yesterday, but it was harder than I thought it would be one-handed, so I just sort of washed off where I could reach and that did not include my hair; which is a giant nest at this point. I looked at the surgery site for the first time yesterday too and there is a very big chunk missing. I’m not sure what I was expecting it to look like, but it’s not pretty! The “shower” wore me out so I was on the couch the rest of the day. I have been pretty tired and am taking a few naps a day. I am not normally a napper because it screws up my night sleep, but at times the last few days, I cannot keep my eyes open.

I started a list of all the dairy free recommendations I’ve been given so far – thank you and please keep them coming!