Immediately after leaving Walden Farm on Saturday, Mommy wanted to stop by some “cute” antique shops in downtown Nolensville.
I spotted a creek behind the shops, so you and I did the guy thing and opted for the outdoor exploration adventure as opposed to looking at beautiful junk in stores.
Our original agenda was simply to find rocks and sticks to throw into the water.
However, after you realized the creek was swarming with what appeared to be tiny tadpoles, you decided to “catch a tadpole” instead.
First, you called them: “Here, tadpoles! Come to me!”
Then you used a stick as a fishing pole, hoping to catch a few of them. I joined you, of course.
It didn’t take long at all before you thought you caught one, and boy, were you proud!
Granted, it was just algae… as it was each time after that.
But in your mind, there was a real possibility of actually being able to catch tadpoles simply by placing a stick down into the water for just a few seconds at a time; with no bait attached.
I love your fascination with fishing. Never mind the irony in the fact our family doesn’t even eat fish or any kind of meat.
Still, it’s as if it’s ingrained in a little boy’s mind to want to go fishing with his Daddy. Likewise, I want to “go fishing” with you.
You and I could have stayed out there at the creek all day, but Mommy eventually came back from looking around at the shops; happy to see us doing “guy things.”
Our recent fishing trip has inspired me to already consider buying us a small 2-man tent to put out on the back patio of our new house once we move in.
Hi, I am Nick Shell, the creator of Dairy And Egg Free Testimonials, and this is the update to my story.
By now, you’ve probably read some testimonials of my converts: both Ben Wilder (6 months) and James Hardy (1 month).
But of course, I myself took the “48 Hour Dairy And Egg Free Challenge” a year and half ago… and I’m obviously still committed.
Like the other guys who I have featured here on Family Friendly Daddy Blog, I decided to take the challenge to find out if it were true that by eliminating dairy and eggs for just 48 hours, my sinus and allergies would noticeably improve.
Well, here I am, a year and a half into the 48 hour challenge with no dairy and eggs. I haven’t been sick once since then, nor have I suffered from sinus pressure, nor have I produced sinus congestion. Period.
It’s not a coincidence, considering before the switch I suffered from 22 years of ongoing sinusitis, sinus pressure, and allergies to pets. Obviously, all those problems went away and have stayed away for the past 18 months.
But I also want to address another issue. For more than a year before I went “dairy and egg free” back in April 2013, I had already been a vegetarian.
What I am telling you is that for nearly 3 years, I have not eaten any meat, including fish. And for the past year and a half, no dairy or eggs.
I just want to serve as physical evidence that if a person focuses on the right nutritious food groups (veggies, fruit, grains, beans, nuts, seeds), they don’t have to rely on animal products to be healthy.
At age 27 in 2008, the year I got married, I maxed out at around 178 pounds, which took its toll on me, being 5’9”. That extra “beefiness” also came with “medically incurable” eczema (specifically called “dyshodrosis, which covered both my hands; plus acne, and again, constant allergy and sinus issues.
It wasn’t until in hindsight that I could actually see the change in the mirror and in pictures of myself. I just assumed it was a “bad camera angle” that I looked heavier.
In desperation, I prayed to God to just show me what I needed to do and I would do it; that I would gladly serve as a spokesman to help others if I could just be cured on my haunting eczema (dyshodrosis).
That prayer led to a journey a few years long, in which I was gradually shown that becoming a vegan would be that cure I was so desperate for.
I didn’t do it “cold turkey” (bad pun)… it was a gradual process.
On Thanksgiving Day 2008, I went kosher- meaning I stopped eating pork and shellfish. By December 2011, I had sort of accidentally become a vegetarian. Then of course in April 2013, I became vegan. (Not to mention, 6 months later in September 2013 I permanently gave up caffeine.)
Now at age 33, I am consistently around 142 pounds and have been since I went dairy and egg free 18 months ago.
I went from a size large shirt to a medium; from a size 34 waist to a very comfortable 31. But it’s not about the weight I’ve lost, it’s about the medical issues I lost when I lost that weight.
Yes, I do exercise too- but I don’t work out in a gym. I take at least two 10 minute walks each other, mountain bike during my lunch break, and try to run 2 miles at least once a week.
And I’m healthy. I’m not sick. I’m not hungry. I’m not weak. I don’t feel light-headed.
I have more energy than I did before all these changes. And I get plenty of protein and nutrition from veggies, fruit, grains, beans, nuts, seeds.
Being fully vegan means you consume no cholesterol. Yes, there is a microscopic amount in the fats found in plants, like nuts and seeds, for example.
But it’s not even enough to register as even 1% of your daily intake. Compare that to the daily percentage in just one medium chicken egg; around 62%.
Again, that’s 62% for just one egg!
I’m happy. Why would I ever go back now?
Becoming a vegan, or simply cutting out dairy and eggs, isn’t for everyone. But for anyone who is curious about heading in that direction, please feel free to let me know if I can help answer any questions.
Just leave me a comment or send me an email. I’m here to help… or at least, entertain.
Were you interested in what you just read? Was this post a strangely pleasant distraction to other things popping up on your Facebook or Twitter feed? Ya know… you could always like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or even subscribe to Family Friendly Daddy Blog by clicking on the appropriate icon on the left side of this page. No pressure though…
Actually, I think she’s got an excellent idea! She makes a great point. So I literally am going to do exactly what she suggested…
I took close-up pictures of the Annie’s Homegrown products we happened to have in our pantry. (In case you’re wondering, my son is a vegetarian, not a vegan- which explans the mac-and-cheese.)
A year from now, I will take and post pictures of the same products, if available, and compare them for everyone to see.
While I definitely could be wrong, and would quickly admit it if I am a year from now, I doubt think General Mills will mess with Annie’s Homegrown’s dedication to keeping their products organic, non-GMO, and free of artificial dyes and flavors.
The reason I am confident to say this is because General Mills can’t afford to “Monsanto-size” their newly acquired product line. The whole point in them acquiring Annie’s was because they know how much money a market we organic/non-GMO consumers shell out each year.
If they General Mills changes Annie’s ingredients, then people like me would simply start buying products of other food companies who do still have integrity.
I believe General Mills will make the right decision- not from the heart, like Annie’s always has, but because of the bottom line; it’s directly related to them making a profit.
So, let’s watch together how this works out. None of us can know for sure until September 2015.
See ya in a year!
Actually… please come back before then. I just mean, I’ll do a follow-up post on this in September 2015.
This review is for the growing minority of Americans who are living the plant-based life, or who are at least curious or open-minded about it, and may be travelling through Lake Tahoe; specifically, Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Olympics.
It was this trip that our family officially realized the greatness of cheese-less veggie pizza.
We dined there at least 3 times during our stay. We were able to get vegan pizza; yes, the crust and sauce are vegan.
The food was delicious and fresh; and honestly, the prices were not bad at all.
Venturing out of Squaw Valley just a few miles towards Lake Tahoe is Stony Ridge Uncommon Kitchen, a healthy cafe style restaurant at the back of a holistic grocery store called New Moon Natural Foods; where we were able to stock up on goods.
We also happened upon a Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company, which serves vegan burgers; given that you don’t order the type of bun brushed in butter. I was happy!
Close to Stony Ridge Uncommon Kitchen is a grocery story called Save Mart Supermarkets, that in the likeness of Kroger, has a vegan-friendly section.
They even had my favorite Kombucha… on sale!
Between all those options, we had everything we needed.
I will say that we also dined at a Mexican place called El Toro Bravo, but they didn’t understand what “vegan” means.
Their “vegan burrito” (that I invented and ordered off menu) included cheese on the 1st go-around. They got it right the 2nd time, though.
Also, I verified that their chips are fried in vegetable oil, not lard.
So yes, you can make the trip to Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe a plant-based one. Hopefully you have found my vegan friendly review to be helpful… or at leastly oddly entertaining!
Tuesday afternoon when I picked you up from school, your teacher Ms. Lauren directed me over to the current poster on the wall, featuring what you and your friends have been learning about this week.
The question was, “What do we buy at the grocery store?”
As always, you had the most random, confusing answer:
“Old MacDonald mac and cheese, apple squeeze things, fruit juice, pizza.”
But as for “Old MacDonald mac and cheese,” she had no clue…
I explained to her that Annie’s Homegrown makes a type of mac and cheese called Bernie’s Farm, which contains noodles in the shapes of rabbits, tractors, carrots, and cows.
That, to you, is “Old MacDonald mac and cheese.”
The only other peculiar answer I saw on the list was your friend Sophie’s:
Spoons.
Yes, well, I guess sometimes you do have to get spoons at the grocery store…
Of all weeks for this story to be something I would write about, when I signed on to the MSN homepage today, I saw a link to the story, according to Forbes, “America’s Top 25 Best Small Companies.”
Annie’s Homegrown is #10 on Forbes’ list!
Do you know how happy that makes me?
I love it that a food company like Annie’s Homegrown, who is committed to saying no to GMO’s (and Monsanto) and petroleum-based food dyes (like Kraft uses) is able to be so successful in the free market.
The other thing I love is that there’s enough people in America who demand real food (that doesn’t contain mysterious and potentially harmful chemicals) so that a brand like Annie’s can be this successful.
This is such a beautiful case of supply and demand.
But most of all, the best part of this story for me is, you love Annie’s enough to mention it at school as one of the necessary staples that you like to buy at the grocery store.
You’re as passionate about Annie’s as I am! (Okay, so maybe you just like the way their food tastes and looks, and you’re not really aware of Annie’s “no GMO” policy, but still.)
That gives me one more reason to be so proud of you.
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