A cheeseburger is something I haven’t had in… well… I’d say nearly six months. For starters, I heavily, heavily limit my intake of red meat (and pig) because I want cows (and pigs) as pets. In turn, I’ve found a healthier — and more delicious — alternative in ground chicken and ground turkey.

But what happens when you want a delicious cheeseburger and you don’t eat red meat and you can’t eat dairy? I’ve found the perfect alternative!

I took a Jennie-O all natural turkey burger and cooked it up real good — I like them a little bit burnt — and I cooked it with some hot sauce (try either Franks Red Hot or Sriracha – I use both). If you want a really great addition to your ‘cheeseburger’ fry up some onions to put on the burger or avocados! Yum!

Then I toast two slices of bread (I usually choose pumpernickel) and put some mayonnaise on the bread. Now, I hate, hate mayo. But, this is just truly amazing — it reminds me a lot of what cheese would be like on the burger (but not as gooey and doesn’t make me feel sick).

After your burger and onions are done start building your ‘cheeseburger’ — and add a little more hot sauce on top for an extra delicious kick!

Seriously this is such a great — and healthier — version of the good ole fashioned cheeseburger. Granted, it doesn’t replace it completely and you won’t be able to trick someone into believing that it’s a cheeseburger, but as a dairy-free, red-meat free gal this is flipping delicious.

I have started another adventure. This is an adventure that I’ve been on many, many times… a gym membership. This time is different, though. Here’s why:

1. Money. The last three gym memberships I’ve had my parents were funding. Now, it’s me. I’m poor. I don’t like to waste money. I’ll go to the gym just so I know that I’m “spending” my money.

2. Location. The gym is right by the T station I use to go to work. If I leave work and don’t go to the gym, the gym sees me. The gym judges me. I will go to the gym because I have to walk by it.

3. Health kick. I’ve been on a health kick lately, ever since I gave up dairy and realized that you aren’t supposed to feel sick after eating. I started eating better and then feeling even better. It made me want to exercise — but running outside in the winter was not fun. Health kick = gym membership. I’ll go.

4. Weak. I’m weak. I used to be so strong and then I stopped playing sports and stopped seeing my personal trainer. I can’t lift anything. It’s sad. I want to be able to lift things.

5. Reading. I subscribed to Women’s Health magazine. GREAT magazine. Read it. I also read/am reading Weight Lifting for Dummies. These will assist me in my gym adventure so I don’t feel like an idiot at the Judgement Free Zone.

6. Friends. My friend also belongs to the same gym. She’s a great motivator (who is running a half marathon in a few months) so if I don’t feel like going she’ll judge me — in a good way — and get me to go. I’ll do the same to her. We won’t work out together all the time, but some days its great to have a friend there laughing with you when you try and do a machine, but don’t know how (yes, it happened to me the other day and I just got up and left the gym — and my water bottle. tear.)

7. Addicted. I joined the gym last Monday after work. I started going on Tuesday after work. I went Tuesday through Thursday after work and Friday before work (you can’t go after work on Friday because I like to go out and drink — priorities). On Saturday I didn’t go. It felt weird. I missed it and it had only been four days at the gym. Sundays are Sundays and I typically don’t leave my bed — clearly not going to the gym today. But I’m so excited for Monday. That brings me to point No. 8.

8. Excitement. I’m actually excited to go to the gym. I’m looking forward to Monday for the first time ever — so I can go to the gym.

9. Hobby. I needed a hobby. I was getting so bored after work not doing anything. Now I have the gym. It’s my new hobby.

And that, folks, is why this adventure is going to be successful. And now that I’ve put it in writing I can’t back out. I’m pumped to pump iron. Bring it, muscles.

Sandwiches, which I call sammies, are my all time favorite food. Think about how amazing sandwiches are? There are so many combinations, so many delicious options, there is no way to get sick of them — just think of Joey from Friends and his love for sandwiches — check it out here and here. Even Ross feels strongly about sandwiches (A friend and I were talking about Friends today, hence all the references. Friends, along with sandwiches, are two AMAZING things).

Since giving up dairy, the easy way to eat a sammie ended. I couldn’t just go to a restaurant or Fanueil Hall and order a sammie on the menu — or have Tito (our cafeteria chef) make me up a sammie. I’d have to ask about every ingredient in the sammie and that’s just annoying.

Today I had my FIRST sammie since giving up dairy (I attempted a grilled cheese one day, but it failed). I have had a wrap, but that’s just not the same. A wrap is a salad in a hug… it’s not the gloriousness of a sammie being held between two slices of delicious, carb-filled bread.

I didn’t have to work until 3:30 p.m. because of the New Hampshire primary, so it gave me plenty of time to shop and prepare a delicious lunch. I went to Star Market and went to the deli. I explained my allergy and said I had to read the label of meat. I knew Buffalo Chicken had dairy — most buffalo does. So I attempted the Cajun Turkey (my second favorite type of deli meat) — it had milk. Then I went for the oven roasted turkey breast — success! Dairy free!

I grabbed an avocado, spicy mustard, an onion and pumpernickel bread — all dairy free. Along with a pint of dairy-free Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream (made with coconut milk) — mint chocolate chip is my favorite! I went home to create my masterpiece — and it was fantastic. I was so excited to eat my delicious, long-awaited sammie I didn’t take a photo — but it was a sammie, I’m sure you can picture it.

…I want another one.

A week or so ago — a day before New Year’s Eve — a few friends and I went to the Union Oyster House for dinner. I’m not a huge seafood person… I should rephrase that… I used to not be a huge seafood person. Since moving to Boston and giving up dairy (red meat and pig) I’ve come to love animals from the sea.

This meal was especially delicious — and dairy free — because our waitress was an amazing help. My friend wrote about it on his blog. Check it out.

I love cooking. Seriously, I do.

You probably don’t believe me because I lack the patience required to do it — especially when I’m hungry. I usually only want to cook when I’m hungry. Do the math. I clearly do not have the patience needed to feed myself if it takes time to prepare.

I think that’s why I like leftovers so much. The grunt work is already done so when you’re hungry you can just… well… eat. Clearly I’m the fast food restauranteurs dream (even though I only eat their french fries and fountain bevs).

Anyway, I’m the kind of person who needs to prepare meals prior to wanting to eat them or have someone cook for me. Currently I’m lucky enough to have the latter. My roommate loves to cook and has the patience to do so — we’re opposites when it comes to that.

Dairy-free buffalo chicken salad with bleu 'cheese'

Tonight she made a delicious buffalo chicken salad. That doesn’t sound complicated or time consuming — but she made it dairy free for me. Including dairy-free bleu cheese. That’s right, I have an amazing roommate who feeds me my favorite foods and takes the time to make it edible for me.

After my prison meal of a lunch (Whole Foods has been lagging lately) that included four slices of yellow/red peppers, two artichoke hearts and a few cherry tomatoes, I was so excited to have a meal that had some sustenance. Now I will be able to wake up and go for a run without falling over because I have only veggies in my system. Winning.

Do you want to enjoy some dairy-free bleu cheese? It’s easy enough to make from scratch! Just take some mayonnaise and add lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to taste (start with small amounts).  Add some pepper for flavor. Do you like the bleu cheese texture? Just use extra firm tofu and crumble it in! This is perfect for salad, buffalo wings or any other delicious meal that is missing bleu cheese! Enjoy!

In my years at UMass, living in Boston and my love for travel I’ve grown accustomed to early morning flights, packing  at the last minute, getting no sleep and trying to function whilst hungover, tired or sick. My trip home to Minnesota for Christmas was no different.

I spent Thursday night celebrating the holiday season. What better way to kick off a four day weekend than consuming bevys and apps at a local establishment with coworkers? Well, I did just that. We went to a pub near work for our department’s Christmas party. Naturally after two beers I was semi intoxicated (clearly my tolerance I worked so hard at building at UMass has failed to keep up). We left the pub at around 9 p.m. or so — most people who had to get up at 3:30 a.m. the next day and hadn’t packed would probably go home.

Not me.

I continued on to another bar and proceeded to take one of the last trains home. I got home shortly after midnight. I made myself some tator tots to hopefully soak up the alcohol and packed. I slept for maybe one hour before my alarm blared in my ear and it was time to wake up.

I showered, struggled to get dressed, finished throwing miscellaneous things into my suitcase and I was off — in the pouring rain (wtf Boston) — to Logan Airport.

Upon my arrival I made my way to security with my mobile boarding pass (if you haven’t done it, do it. It’s cool. People think you’re magic). As I was waiting in line I quickly put my boots and laptop inside a gray bin, put my coat in my suitcase and lined up my belongings to go through the x-ray.

At this point — especially two days before Christmas — most people my age have flown on an airplane. The man, in his 20s, in front of me clearly doesn’t fly a lot or is a complete idiot. I literally think he decided packing his belongings in his cargo jeans was a great idea. He had to scoop out piles of coins from his pockets, he had a camera in there, a phone, a wallet, gosh, he probably had toys too. Mind you, it’s 5:50 a.m. at this point. It’s not like he’s been frolicking around Boston all day gathering change and putting it in his pockets prior to the flight. He was sleeping. He got up and thought to himself, ‘Yep, I’m flying. I can’t have anything in my pockets but I’m going to take my entire change jar and divide it up between all of my pockets so everyone behind me can wait while I take the coins out one by one and put them into the dish.’

He was taking so long the TSA agent nearly reached in his pockets to help him gather his obnoxious little items. I’m surprised the TSA agent didn’t turn him upside down and dump it out on the floor — too bad life isn’t a cartoon because that SO would have happened.

After my lengthy wait through the x-ray line I made my hike through the terminal in a search for a gatorade to cure my I’m-still-kind-of-drunk-but-this-will-be-a-hangover-any-minute feeling. Did you know that no where in Terminal A at Boston Logan International Airport has Gatorade? Fact. Not even a strawberry-kiwi Focus Vitamin Water.

Major fail Logan, major fail. Help a girl out. I expect next time I arrive you provide me with the hangover cure I need. Also, provide more dairy-free breakfast sandwich options (okay, I know that’s a long shot — I’ll settle for the Gatorade).

After rummaging through my suitcase to contemplate eating part of my sister’s birthday present I realized numerous things I forgot to pack. Again, I’m a seasoned traveler — as you can tell by my I’m-so-annoyed-with-you post about the change-in-the-pockets dude — but packing while highly intoxicated clearly isn’t the best way to go. I have no warm clothes. Zilch. I have a rain coat. No sweaters, no socks, no mittens, nothing. I’m going to Minnesota. It’s December. Fail. I also realized I completely forgot pajamas, a toothbrush, underwear and my glasses. Hopefully I remembered my contacts (yes, I’m typing this blind because I plan on sleeping on the airplane. Want to know what’s not fun? Waking up after sleeping on an airplane with your eyelids sealed closed because your contacts have fused everything together.)

Time to board the plane. I hope you enjoyed my tired, hungover, rant. Stay tuned for an anecdote on how I will attempt to turn my family’s Christmas dinner dairy free. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays.

Our Christmas tree

On Friday my roommate and I hosted a Christmas/Secret Santa party for a few of our friends. Each person brought a gift worth around $20 and a snack to share. My roommate and I provided a delicious gin beverage and Jell-O shots (red and green, of course!). The party was a great success — I hope the attendees agree!

The highlight of the evening (food-wise) was the buffalo chicken dip. One of my friends brought the dip and she was kind enough to make it dairy free. Her buffalo chicken dip was one of my favorite snacks ever (buffalo chicken being one of my favorite ‘flavors’ for pizza, calzones, sandwiches, etc.) I was unable to tell the difference between the dairy-filled kind and this dairy free goodie. I don’t think anyone else could really either.

Here’s the recipe — so simple and easy! I suggest making it (I made it the next day because I loved it so much!)

Dairy-free Buffalo Chicken Dip

Mix the Veganese/Mayo, Lemon Juice, mozzarella, salt and pepper together. Add the cream cheese. Then the chicken and hot sauce. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until it’s hot.

Go to the store, grab the ingredients and make it now. I seriously could eat it every day of my life. Yum.

I’ve had a lingering cold for about a week now, but the coughing symptoms just sprung up last night. I got some cough syrup to aide in my slumber on Monday night. Well, I bought cherry. Cherry is red. For most people this isn’t a problem, but we’re talking about me here and, well, I have a strange medical history.

I am intolerant of red dye. I get hives when I consume it. In college during sorority exchanges the frat houses used to make me a special jungle juice that didn’t contain red dye so I wouldn’t look like an alien at their parties. Since graduating I haven’t come in contact with red dye very often — yes the ocassional fruit drink or popsicle, but it’s easily avoidable…

…Until you act like an idiot.

So, I purchased this red-dye filled syrup that was sure to help me sleep because the night before was not a deep slumber. I had a decision to make. My choices were as follows:

1. Take the red-dye syrup and sleep, but get hives which could keep me awake
2. Don’t take the syrup and risk staying awake coughing all night
3. Take the syrup and take an antihistamine to prevent the hives (perhaps aiding in sleep because it tends to make me drowsy) and sleep soundly until morning

For me, option three sounded like the clear choice.

Hopefully this mix of medicines doesn’t result in some crazy reaction. Wish me luck!

For about three weeks now I’ve been trying to replace cheese with dairy-free or vegan substitutes. Each time it ends with me being disappointed and scraping off the ‘cheese’ and just eating the bread or pizza crust that is left over. It’s good for a few bites, but the stringy-ness of the ‘cheese’ is something I’m not going to be able to get over.

Tonight for dinner all I wanted was pizza (per usual, because that’s all I ever want). I tried to order from Peace O Pie in Allston, but then I discovered they don’t deliver the 1.2 miles to my house.

Instead, I walked to the grocery store and purchased a few frozen dairy-free goodies (when I’m hungry I don’t have patience to cook). One item was an American Flatbread vegan pizza. The first few bites were great… but then the stringy-ness got to me and I scraped off all the cheese and just ate the crust — which was fantastic! If you don’t mind the stringy-ness of dairy-free cheese I’d recommend this pizza to anyone!

I’m just a picky eater that then freaks myself out over strange things — like stringy cheese.

I decided that I’ll just start making ‘pizza’ without the cheese. I’ll put all the goodies on it and eat it like a pizza and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it just as much. I’m done trying to replace the ingredient I miss the most.

Cheese and dairy, it was a great run… 25 years is a long time to be infatuated with something, but it’s over. You were great, but I’m done with you. I love you and wish the best. Keep in touch.

I love surprises — it doesn’t matter what kind they are. Surprises that are gifts, a visit from a friend, a party, anything. I love them.

Today my roommate surprised me with delicious treats. She emailed me while I was at work and said if she made turkey meatballs would I eat them. Obviously my answer was yes, with one constraint — as long as everything was dairy free. It’s very beneficial to have a roommate who has a family with severe food allergies — she knows how to read labels!

I got home from work and dinner was nearly finished. What joined the pasta with red sauce and turkey meatballs, you ask? Only the two surprises that made the dinner that much better.

She purchased 100 percent diary-free “butter” to make garlic bread and made me vegan peanut butter and chocolate cookies. My heart melted like the gooey chocolate in the cookies.

I hadn’t had garlic bread (my third favorite food behind sandwiches and pizza) for over a month. I hadn’t had a dessert for three weeks.  It was delicious. For the first time in three weeks I felt like I “pigged out” … and it was still one of the healthiest pig outs ever and I didn’t eat more than one should (minus two cookies after dinner).

The way I feel without dairy — even though I miss gooey, melty, greasy cheese — makes up for not having it in my life. I love that I don’t feel sick after meals. I love that I have more energy. I love that my skin is clearer. I love that I don’t feel gross. I miss my dairy, but man is life better without it. Eating may be harder, but it’s worth it.