Getting Over 2017 for the List

First, Happy New Year! It’s been an interesting week here, but nice to quiet down a little since I came down with a cold after Christmas that has been ripping through the office and family, then poor hubby got it shortly after which is thankfully much better. Miko has been enjoying his Christmas gift – a larger version of his favorite Lamb Chop toy. He’s still mastering jumping up on the couch with it, but has been loving it and carrying it all over the house.

Leela has been sleeping a lot bundled up in her blankets and loving the fireplace. We’re a little worried about her because she has been wandering the house more seemingly disoriented. She has a vet appointment next week for a check up and to make sure there are no problems or pains.

I was thinking I could do a big recap of 2017, but I just was not feeling it this year. It’s been an odd year for me with ups and downs. The ups included a fun trip to LA eating lots of great vegan food and seeing Moby.

We also had another great camping trip with family at South Lake Tahoe.

But there were a lot of lows and challenges this year. I remember starting 2017 feeling driven to be strong while facing uncertain political times. That proved to be more difficult with a storm or negativity seemingly everywhere and me constantly reminding myself to be more patient, positive, open, and calm. Turning 40, experiencing panic attacks, having allergies like never before, and an overall frustrating year of running with a few exceptions.

Not to completely dump on 2017, all these challenges helped me learn more about myself, evolve my own political views, and gain clarity about my limits and taking better care of my mental health. I’m thinking I’d like to get more into yoga for 2018, I’m much more armed for dealing with stress and anxiety, feel confident I can make it a much better year for running, and have more clarity on what goals I’d like to accomplish. So I’m happy to say goodbye to 2017 and feel ready to make 2018 a stronger year.

Eats included a fantastic beans and rice dish hubby made with Tofurky sausage one night when I was feeling terrible. Simple veggie stir fries using leftover Tofurky vegan ham.

Leftover pasta and bean dish from Christmas with melted Daiya mozzarella shreds and spicy Thai takeout. Yeah, it’s been a lazy week with work and not feeling 100%.

There was also spicy Kung Pao Tofu from Pho Vegan Asian Cuisine for lunch one day.

A great veggie wrap lunch from Zest Kitchen and hubby sweetly surprised me with vegan pizza from Papa Murphy’s last night when I got home late after spending hours at a car dealership helping my mom buy a new car which was crazy busy and crowded because the end of the year is apparently the most popular time to buy cars. And ugh, spending hours playing games with sales representatives to get a decent price will make anyone cranky. So pizza and wine was a pleasant surprise after.

Hubby has been into trying more alternative pastas lately, especially the higher protein, bean-based pastas. This week we tried Banza Chickpea Penne with a “meaty” marinara sauce using Beyond Meat Crumbles.

The texture was surprisingly closer to traditional pasta than I thought, not exact, but tasty and makes an excellent source of protein.

With that I am sending happy and positive vibes for the New Year, more love, more strength, more community, and more energy into productive and positive goals.

The list:

2017 was a great year for veganism.

I’m obsessed with the vegan NFL team.

Leafy greens can slow cognitive decline.

This blogger has never felt better since going vegan.

Bad Ass Vegan makes a great travel smoothie.

A vegan diet might be the best for New Year’s fitness goals.

5 ways meat is bad for health.

15 vegan Instant Pot recipes for easy week meals.

6 vegan protein powders to try.