It has been a nice 4 days off here, I am feeling okay about going back to work after lots of relaxing and getting stuff down. But the pups won’t be happy about us going back, Miko was getting used to sleeping in and long morning walks.
And my sister’s cat got used to the extra playtime with during a family gathering. I enjoyed leisurely trips to the gym enjoying podcasts and not dragging after a busy workday.
Chihuahuas can be picky eaters and lately my two seem to be getting bored with the Halo brand vegan canned dog food, so I went looking for more options to mix things up. I ended up trying Natural Balance Vegan Formula dog food and yes, it annoys me the can says vegetarian and vegan formula on it – they’re not the same! Oh well.
It’s cheaper than the Halo canned dog food and has an ingredient list I feel good about with visible chickpeas and veggies in the dog food. And it actually smells good, savory and smoky. The pups like it much better currently finishing their meals quicker. Nice to have more vegan dog food options to rotate between and this blends well with beans, rice, and/or V-Dog kibble for a loaded meal.
There have been a lot of great eats this week with a simple rice and veggie oil free tamari stir frie, loaded taco salad with couscous at a family gathering and a fun summer veggie pasta dish using Explore Asian Red Lentil Pasta – no added protein needed!
We stayed home for the actual 4th to watch movies and comfort unhappy dogs, but got out for a great lunch at Zest Kitchen where the Mahalo Burger on sourdough with pineapple, avocado, and added jalapenos made a summer celebration lunch.
And stopped by our local Sprouts Farmers Market to pick up ingredients for a great dinner where we had our pick of Beyond Meat products including the new Beyond Meat ground. We decided on the new burgers with Follow Your Heart Vegan Smoked Gouda and cooked them on the griddle.
Of course I had to have watermelon and plenty of condiments for the burgers.
The Smoked Gouda did not melt that well, but the flavor was amazing – best vegan smoked Gouda I’ve had and delicious with the new Beyond Meat burgers.
Along with getting things done at home, checking and getting camp gear ready, and doing a little yard work – we played video games, watched movies, and dived into the 3rd season of Stranger Things on Netflix. It’s been nice and relaxing. I hope you have a great week and that the list below is an encouraging start to it!
- Best vegan weightlifting belts. Love that this is a thing now.
- Guide to high performance vegan running shoes.
- Vegan meat companies are helping to save the planet.
- Rip Esselstyn credits vegan diet for swimming record.
- Plant based meat soon to be cheaper than animal meat.
- 6 popular meat alternatives on Amazon.
- Creative vegan cakes for the summer.
- Going vegan to reduce CO2 emissions.
- Ne-Yo to star in vegan documentary.
- 25 vegan things to do in July in LA.
- Best vegan B12 supplements.
- Miley Cyrus’s vegan rock star look.
- How to go vegan with tips from nutritionists.
- Whole Foods has their own line of vegan yogurt now.
- Vegans Woody Harrelson and Benedict Cumberbatch dine at vegan restaurant.
- Why more people are going vegan.
- Vegan pulled pork at Walmart now.
Your sisters cat is cute!!!!! I confess, the older I get, the more I am becoming more cat less dog person. I just love cats! It’s true. And it even bothers me when labels don’t differentiate between vegan and vegetarian. They are totally different!
Thanks, she thinks so too. :-) Yeah on cats, I miss ours and have been thinking about that. Haha, yes on labeling!
I used to dog sit for a fussy vegan chihuahua who would only eat Natural Balance too! Well, that and tortilla chips… Silly gal. ;)
Haha, came blame them on the tortilla chips! :-)
Long weekends are always so nice and needed! Our pups seriously do not like us going back to work either though… They just love to cuddle with us all day. They however NEVER sleep in. How do you manage this? lol
Yes they are! Haha, our dogs too get up early for breakfast, then go back to bed. lol. :-)