Beginning Anew

Hello, it has been quite a while. I had to do a bit of re-thinking on where I wanted this blog to go. There are so many wonderful Vegan blogs out there dealing with delicious food and many of the issues as well. I knew I would not have the time and interest to compete with all the great information they provide. I want this blog to be more about a vegan lifestyle on the Northern Oregon Coast.
There is not a lot of resources here for a vegan, nor a lot of vegans here. After living here for over a year, I am just now starting to meet a vegan or two. We are planning to get together for mutual support and community.
My quest to find vegan and vegan friendly restaurants has not been exactly successful. The establishments that do serve vegan options offer up the usual fare of bean burritos, veggie burger (if you are lucky to find a vegan one), and hummus platters, are few and far between. Perhaps we can change that eventually.
Fortunately, during the growing season, I have access to plenty of beautiful, fresh, and locally grown food. We joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and received weekly boxes of veggies and a bit of fruit, all grown here on the Oregon coast. The picture above is of the final box of the season. We ate well this summer. Alas, the local growing season has ended and now I am hard pressed to find a variety of good vegetables. Eventually I plan to grow my own but, until then, I need to find a good source.
It has been a good year. We have plugged into this small beach community and have grown to love it. The natural beauty and wild weather complete the picture. We have decided to settle here in spite of the challenges and are now doing our best to find a way to make a living. I am working on my art career and will have more to post about that later.
I have more to post on life here and have a lot more to look forward to writing about. I will let this blog grow organically so patience may be needed. I will post again in a week, give or take a day or so. Until then, -Renee

Snow at the Beach!

It has been busy around here! I have some news but this biggest event here on the coast has been the snow. Earlier this week we had 2" of snow fall overnight followed by record breaking cold. On the morning of the snow fall, I grabbed the camera and headed down to the beach before breakfast. I took a lot of pictures and will share these two:

As winter settles in, I am finding it even more challenging to find some of the basics I need to make a variety of delicious, healthy vegan meals. Oh, one can always find beans and rice but if my timing is not right at the stores, fresh greens and items like tempeh and tofu are sometimes not available. I did one of my stocking up trips up to Astoria (about 45 miles north along a windy coastal road) and didn't come back with a whole lot. The co-op was out of tofu, and my favorite jasmine tea. I decided I need to take a few things into my own hands. I started researching making my own tempeh, tofu, and water kefir. I found a wonderful website that has information, videos, and supplies to order called Cultures for Health. They are not a completely vegan site but do have the cultures needed to make these vegan staples. I would also like to try making my own Kombucha. I ordered cultures for tempeh, two kinds to see which I prefer, water kefir grains, and tofu making supplies. I got the soybeans to start a batch of tempeh tomorrow and will have reports on my progress for all three as I go. I have never made any of these things before but wanted to give it a try. It would be nice to be somewhat independent from the stores. I am looking into what I can do for veggies. We have joined a CSA but that does not start up until May! Seems a long way away from here. I, like so many others, am ready for spring.
I will post the results of my first attempt at making tempeh soon!
-Renee

Convenience Food Independence

When we first moved to the coast I was really spoiled. I lived in two places with the best food co-ops I have ever shopped at. I could get just about any type of vegan convenience food to be found. I have always eaten mostly whole foods and cook from scratch but, there were a few convenience items that crept in. I really didn't notice until we moved to the coast where it is really hard to find much of the convenience foods that I enjoyed. I can only find the very basic in tofu and tempeh. I still haven't found a decent source for mochi which I enjoyed occasionally. I would keep a package or two of Gardein in the freezer for those nights when I needed something quick to make. I also really like the Field Sausage smoked apple sage flavor of vegan sausage.
Some of this I can find between here and the food co-op 45 miles up the road but not all. I cannot find a source for fresh daikon radish either and boy do I miss it. I will have to grow my own. If I was really really desperate, I could mail order many of these items but there have been two things that have refined the way I eat here on the coast in addition to the scarcity of resources.
I recently went on a 21 day cleanse diet. The only things I had to take out (from a long list of foods) was gluten and sugar. It was hard at first but I started looking into more raw foods for sweet treats without sugar and gluten. This has been a wonderful revelation for me. I don't think I would like to be 100% raw due to the fact I live in a cold gray climate and get too chilled without warm food but I do want to be "rawish". I am nearly finished with the cleanse, just three more days. I feel better physically. It isn't as dramatic for me as taking out dairy was. When I removed dairy from my diet over three years ago (and thus becoming vegan) I felt dramatically better health-wise. It turned out that I was down right allergic to dairy and the allergy was getting worse. Removing gluten and sugar has given a more subtle result. I feel lighter and cleaner. I love where it has taken me food-wise as well so I think for now, I will remain gluten and sugar free. My sweet tooth is more than satisfied with the treats that use dates or occasionally, agave for sweetening.
The second event that has changed the way I am eating and thinking about food is the plastic pollution I see on the beach. I walk the beach every day and always see bits of plastic in the high tide line, not to mention all kinds of objects. I started looking into the plastic pollution and have found several sites which I will be putting in my links list. One sight is called My Plastic Free Life and has a challenge to document your plastic usage. I took the challenge and have just finished week four. I thought I did pretty good but when I started documenting it, I was surprised to see how much I use in spite of cooking from scratch and buying in bulk. All those convenience foods listed above? Guess what! They all come wrapped in plastic. I started looking for alternatives. I found tofu in bulk at my local food co-op. One problem though, they run out and I am not close enough to go back anytime soon. I don't really eat a lot of tofu but it is good to have. The other thing I found was a way to make my own tempeh. I could make tofu too. I want to try it as I have never found tempeh in anything other than plastic bags.
I have also invested in a food dehydrator. Something I have wanted to do for years. Here it is:

I have been going crazy making all kinds of raw flatbreads, crackers, and

 Kale chips! These are "cheddar cheese" flavored. Oh my, they are highly addictive too. Once the farmer's markets start back up I will be getting produce to process for the winter using the dehydrator, canning, and stocking the freezer. I am finding all kinds of recipes for making my own convenience type foods using healthier whole foods as well.
The bottom line? I am eating even better than before and finding all kinds of new food paths to explore. Life is good!
Next post I want to highlight some of the wonderful vegan and plastic pollution blogs I read. It has been a busy month but I will be getting to that in a few days.
Here is to good, healthy, delicious, vegan food.
-Renee

Up the Coast

We are so fortunate to live in a little town that is sandwiched between two beautiful state parks. The other day the weather and tides were right for a little jaunt to one of our favorite spots, Hug Point. When the tides are low the beach and cliffs are quite dramatic. Here is a small taste:

Last week, I stopped in Seaside to get a haircut and then headed up to Astoria to shop at the food co-op. I found at least one possible vegan friendly restaurant in Seaside but will need to check it out further. I was happy to get to the co-op and stock up.
I recently purchased Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet and read it with great interest. It is not just a diet but a lifestyle, the best kind. She also had a 21 day cleanse at the back of the book. I decided to do the cleanse and incorporate some of the other aspects of the lifestyle. Meditation is one of those aspects. I used to meditate but fell out of the habit when my life became chaotic. It has been a bit more of a challenge to bring it back. I am working on it. The only dietary things I needed to eliminate in the 21 day cleanse was gluten and sugar. I have been wanting to abstain from gluten to see if that is a factor in my health and this is a good opportunity.
It has been a week so far. The only thing that I really haven't been able to do is the juicing. My body and bloodsugar just can't take such a hit. I have decided to do green smoothies instead of green juice. I also cannot do an all day juice fast as suggested. I am not totally concerned about that. I will be happy just taking out the gluten and sugar. I am eating more veggies than ever and have been adding more raw vegan dishes to my diet. At this point I don't want to go completely raw but I am happy to add more delicious and healthy raw meals to my diet.
I recently purchase Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet. I love using dates as a sweetener. The desserts are rich and a little goes a long way. I also checked out from our local library Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo. I love the pates and cheezes. Again, I eat these things sparingly and include lots of fresh raw veggies and pure water. I also drink jasmine green tea and have for the past 30 years.
Additional changes I would like to make would be to add more sea vegetables. I am not a big fan at this time but have managed to gradually expand my palate so I am thinking to push it a bit with the sea veggies.
I will continue in my quest to find vegan friendly restaurants on the coast. I have used Happy Cow in the past to find places and would like to contribute to the list. By the way, Happy Cow is a wonderful resource to use!
I have a trip planned to go south on the coast. We shall see what I can find. I'll be back soon!
-Renee

Welcome to the Northern Oregon Coast!

Well, it is taking me a bit longer to get this blog up and running than I thought. I will keep plugging away at it. I am not new to blogging and I know that it takes a bit of time, sometimes, to get the blog rolling. So, as I mentioned before I live in a small village on the Oregon Coast. We have one short main street that ends at the ocean.

We have a natural food store, Mother Nature's Natural Foods, that has a decent selection of foods fit for a vegan and a cute little organic produce selection that has saved my dinner a few times.

This little store carries Daiya Cheese! It isn't very big and they service not only the local population but a much larger tourist population so their vegan selection is pretty basic but it is enough in a pinch! They also have a small selection of vegan baked goods and treats as well as gluten free items.
There is a local pizza place, Marzano's, where you can order a pizza with veggies and without cheese. Honestly, I make a fantastic vegan pizza so there is no contest. In addition next door to the natural food store is the Left Coast Siesta (www.leftcoastsiesta.com) which is vegan friendly. I haven't really found any other restaurants in town as vegan friendly as the two mentioned above.
So basically the options for eating out are very minimal. We aren't in Portland are we!
So why would a vegan wash up on the beach here? Well, this is one of the most beautiful spots on the coast. It feels like home to me. This wonderful little town is full to bursting with talented, creative, hard working people. There is also a constant stream of people who have homes here but live most of the time elsewhere, such as Portland. They bring in new perspectives and experiences to add to the mix.
I am not, nor have I ever been, a city girl. So I am at home here where I can enjoy the beauty of the ocean and forest, the people, and the occasionally fierce and wild weather.
Eating vegan however, is a challenge but not uncomfortably so. I belong to the Astoria Food Co-op. Astoria, of Goonies fame, is about 45 miles north up Highway 101. Sometimes 101 closes down when the weather gets rough. There are floods and occasional mudslides that can and do occur. Fortunately we usually have warning when a storm is coming so we have time to stock up. The co-op is small but they carry a larger vegan selection at slightly better prices (oh yeah, cost of living a bit more expensive here) than in town.
Astoria also has my favorite bakery, The Blue Scorcher Bakery (www.bluescorcher.com). Not only do they sell a wonderful organic whole wheat (and vegan) bread, they have a nice little eatery where they make whole food meals from scratch. I occasionally stop there for lunch when shopping at the co-op.
There is a Costco now just south of Astoria but I find that Costco just doesn't carry enough of what I eat to make the membership worthwhile and I would much rather support local businesses when I can.
I still need to explore the towns between here and Astoria as well as to the south. We spent a summer in Cannon Beach just north so I know there is even less available there or close to the same. Seaside has a little health food store. I still need to explore that city too.
So you can see, I have my work cut out for me. I am not a huge fan of dinning out but it is a nice treat once in a while. I will make an effort to explore a bit more.
This post has gone on for long enough! I will be putting some of my favorite vegan links on a side-bar. This coming week I have a trip up north planned to replenish the food supplies. I will be going on a 21 day cleanse found in Kris Carr's new Crazy Sexy Life Diet book. I would like to include more raw foods in my diet. I don't think I want to be a completely raw vegan but adding more raw meals would be a good thing. I haven't even begun to talk about the beach and ocean. More coming soon!
-Renee

Hello, My Name Is...

Well now, I suppose I should start this off at the beginning. Hello, my name is Renee. I live in a tiny little village on the northern Oregon Coast. I am an artist and I am vegan. I was vegetarian for 12 years before going vegan. I have been vegan for three years now.

I tried to go vegan when I first became vegetarian. At the time I was living in another small town far away from resources. At that time as well, the internet was not as easily accessible as it is now. To this day the place where we lived only has dial-up service! Oh yes, we. I will get to the we in a moment...

I was not successful at becoming vegan with that first attempt. Looking back I would say I just did not have enough information to be a healthy vegan. Like many vegetarians, I relied fairly heavily on dairy products in my diet. So how did I become vegan and why? I would love to be able to say that I had learned about the horrific circumstances the animals that provided my dairy products endured and that made me change but at that time I was still uninformed. The simple reason why I became vegan was that dairy made me ill. It turns out that not only was I lactose intolerant, but down right allergic to dairy. The allergy was getting worse as I got older. This time when I went vegan there was an incredible amount of resources available. I also began to learn about the way we treat animals in the food, clothing, and entertainment industries.

It has not been hard for me to eat a strict plant-based diet. I did not miss the dairy, since it made me sick. There was no way I wanted to go back to feeling that ill. Since I started three years ago I have done a lot of reading. I have read cook books, nutrition books, animal rights books,  and books on the politics of food. In addition to books, I dove into the wealth of information available online.

At this time, I don't think I will be putting up a lot of recipes. Never fear! There will be plenty of talk about delicious vegan food! There are so many incredible vegan cooking blogs and websites out there already, so I will be referring to them as interesting things pop up. I will be putting up a list of my favorite blogs that I follow and any resources I use.

Now, about that  “we”. I live here with my husband and dog...who are not vegan. We have been married for 26 plus years. I was not vegan or even vegetarian when we were first married. That said, my husband eats a mosty vegan diet. That is, since I do most of the cooking he gets vegan meals. He also makes his own soy milk! He does occasionally consume animal products. My dog alas, did not thrive on a vegan diet so does not consume one now.

Tomorrow I will introduce you all to my little town and the incredibly beautiful area in which we live. I will be explaining a bit more of the why it is a challenge to be a vegan in this area. Those challenges have made it necessary for me to tweak the way I eat, in a good way. I will be talking about a healthy whole foods diet, what you need, how much it costs, and where one can find good food in this area.

One cannot live in this incredible environment and not include it in ones lifestyle. The environment where I live is strong, and a relatively rugged and isolated area, It is also stunningly beautiful and I absolutely love it. Living on the wild Pacific edge of the North American continent has its challenges, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else at this time.

-Renee

Welcome!

Welcome! This blog will be built over the next couple of days. Just to give a hint as to what it is about; I am a vegan living on the wild northern Oregon coast. It is a beautiful, rugged area. Finding local vegan resources is a challenge. I am accepting that challenge and will be posting the resources I find and the people I meet here. My goal is to blog a minimum of 5 times a week.
One cannot live on the coast and not mention the ocean environment. There will be a lot of that too!
Stay tuned!
-Renee